Photo Credit: Dubravka Rasic

Greek heavy rock torchbearers VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY have unveiled an official music video for their monumental new single, 'Venceremos', the powerful title track of their forthcoming studio album, set for release on 18th September via Napalm Records.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/q0b2l62ml1U

Pre-order the album here: http://lnk.to/VillagersOfIoanninaCity-Venceremos

Standing at the emotional core of the record, 'Venceremos' surges forward with dynamic shifts, crystal-clear vocal delivery and a commanding crescendo that masterfully balances tension and release. Blending crushing heaviness with soaring bagpipe melodies and an unrelenting forward momentum, the epic title track captures the band's signature sound while delivering a powerful message of resilience, hope and perseverance.

The band comment: "'Venceremos' is a promise that even in the darkest moments, hope endures. 'Venceremos' isn't about winning, it's about refusing to break. It’s about resilience and overcoming fear, choosing to stand your ground, and believing that freedom, no matter how distant, will come in the end."
 
Set in a dystopian future shaped by illusion, control and fear, Venceremos unfolds as a journey through exile, resistance and awakening. It follows those who rise against a broken world, rejecting gods and modern kings in order to reclaim freedom and meaning. Through struggles, hopes, fears and deep reflections on existence, one truth remains constant: the quest is one, and its name is freedom.

Driven by epic guitars, pulsating basslines and layered traditional instrumentation, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY’s first single 'Ghosts in the sky' builds a dense, immersive atmosphere where powerful heavy rock meets ritualistic psychedelia.

““Ghosts in the sky” is the vessel that carries all our hopes and dreams“, the band reveal. “It is a call to stand together in the face of fear, where hope travels like a distant star and freedom is worth every fight. It’s about defiance, unity, and believing in change, even when everybody says it won’t come.“

Rather than bending to trends, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY sharpen their identity. The upcoming album presents itself as heavy, direct and intense, driven by a raw and immediate energy. It leans decisively into heavy rock and metal, pushing into more aggressive territory while unfolding with a genuinely progressive spirit, where each composition evolves with purpose and depth.
Ritualistic rhythms, expansive arrangements and traditional instrumentation such as bagpipes and zourna are not mere embellishments, but essential elements of the band’s sonic language. Folk and Hellenic elements meet powerful riffs and dynamic structures in a sound that feels direct, distinctive and entirely their own.

Produced and recorded by Alex Karametis at Magnanimous X Studio in Greece, and mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Venceremos captures clarity and depth in equal measure. With this release, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY deliver a powerful statement and a journey through darkness, defiance and the unbreakable force of rebellion. As one of the key names in post-stoner and heavy prog rock, the band once again reinforces their place within the scene, with Venceremos standing as a defining step in their ongoing evolution.

In support of Venceremos, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY will play an album release show in Athens taking place on September 20 at the Lycabettus Theatre, one of the city's most legendary open-air venues, before the band embarks on a series of shows across Greece's major cities and an extensive European Tour in March 2027 with dates to be announced soon.

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY online:
Website: https://www.vic-band.com/epk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/villagersofioanninacity
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villagersofioanninacity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/0N8D2mPKMd3MWIhqdfpTBp
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/vicband2010
 
VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY are:
Alex Karametis – Vocals, Guitars, Synths
Akis Zois – Bass
Aris Giannopoulos – Drums
Dimitris Brentas – Winds

Venceremos tracklist:
1. Alienation
2. Home
3. Ghosts in the sky
4. Venceremos
5. The Ruiner
6. No fear
7. Here and now
8. Epitaph
9. Requiem

Venceremos will be available in the following formats:
- 1CD Digipack
- 2LP Gatefold Black 
- 2LP Gatefold Solid White (Limited to 500 Copies, Greece Only)
- 2LP Gatefold Solid Baby Blue (Limited to 500 Copies, Germany/Austria/Switzerland Only)
- Full Digital Album
 Napalm Records Webstore/s:
- 2LP Gatefold Testpressing LP-sized Booklet, Covercard (numbered), Certificate of Authenticity (numbered, dated), Limited to 50 Copies Only
- 2LP Gatefold Circle  Translucent Red, Black Vinyl Booklet 20 pages (Limited to 300 Copies)
- 2LP Gatefold Circle Translucent Red, White (Limited to 300 Copies)
 Band Store Exclusive:
- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Cristallo Gold Black (Limited to 300 Copies)
- 2LP Gatefold Marbled White Gold Black (Limited to 300 Copies)

Photo Credit: Pelagic Records

'Belligerence', the second single off The Ocean's highly anticipated 12th studio album Solaris, is a heavy one. It makes reference to the band's older albums while imbueing it with a fresh sense of intensity.

New vocalists Enrico Tiberi’s vocals deliver a familiarity and energy that is sure to resonate with long-time fans of the band. Meanwhile, Lane Shi (Otay:Onii) who used to sing for the American band Elizabeth Colour Wheel adds a new direction to The Ocean sound, comprising elements and experience as a musician and performance artist who has appeared at events such as CTM, Biennale or as part of Florentina Holzinger's polarizing opera Sancta. When Shi's and Tiberi's voices meet in the harmonized verses, it's moments of unprecedented beauty.

'Belligerence’ draws parallels between the cosmic explorations of Tarkovsky’s 1972 film Solaris —the inspiration behind the band’s new album— and the explorative nature of artists and current-day political leaders. One of the last lines of the lyrics of Subatlantic, the closing track of Holocene is 'prepare for departure' - invoking the idea of a group of survivors embarking on a ship to take them away from a sinking mothership earth, to build a new place to live in space.

Stream 'Belligerence' here: https://orcd.co/theocean-solaris

Pre-order Solaris here: https://orcd.co/theocean-solaris

The band comment: 
"Belligerence is a song about the culture of arguing and about the destructive force of contained anger and belligerence as a trait of character, often transfigured as an attribute of reason and a critical mind."

Solaris is an album that tells a story of cosmic escapism: a journey on that ship, which is essentially a celestial rescue boat escaping from a metaphorically sinking Mother Earth. The rescue boat can be imagined as a historic naval vessel, and the lyrics and episodes of the album  make reference to the real-life explorers of the past who set out to discover (back then) unknown continents and uncharted territories: Da Gama, Magellan, Sir Frances Drake, as well as the Polar explorers Amundsen, Scott, Rasmussen etc.
The stories of these historic journeys all share similar elements: storms, disease, wreckage, power games, personal rivalries, egos, belligerence, mutiny, finally the quest for truth and justice. While most explorers initially had noble motives and were driven by a limitless spirit of exploration and discovery which was stronger than the many hardships suffered along the way, their legacy is often stained with cultural imperialism, genocide and tales of dictatorial leadership.

Far from being a glorification of male, white explorers who sought to colonise unknown worlds, or a romanticization of patriarchal constructs, Solaris draws a line between these extremely driven explorers and present-day political leaders. It poses questions of the shadowy darkness of being a “great” leader, it queries the very notion of a divine calling and the cost of following such an instinctive pull. It also traces the shape of these psychological patterns into the creative world and applies the same lines of enquiry to creative forces. Can exploration be redefined to be conceived as a process of silent observation, documentation and learning, rather than bequeathing our own ideas and values on others?

The album serves as a critique of the underlying motives and psychological dispositions of an explorative mindset and a thirst for power. It is an existential questioning, a probe of reason of the general purpose of technological advance, in the specific light of the destruction of our habitat. It's a dystopian outlook into a future where Earth has become uninhabitable – not despite, but as a direct consequence of human intelligence, as the foundation of technological advance.

Solaris will be released via Pelagic Records on 25th September.


The Ocean Line-up:
Robin Staps – guitar, vocals
Mattias Hägerstrand - bass
Jordi Farré – drums, percussion
Enrico Tiberi – vocals, keys
Lane Shi – vocals
Emmanuel Jessua – guitar
Marco Gennaro – guitar

In addition, the following musicians performed on this record:
Thorsten Quaeschning – keys
Orestis Zafiriou – keys
Simen Eifring – trombone
Jiawei Zhang – vibraphone

The Ocean online:
Label Website
Instagram
Facebook
Bandcamp
Spotify
YouTube

Track list:
1. 52°30'11" N, 13°26’12“ E
2. Departure Song
3. Light Pollution
4. Simulacra
5. Belligerence
6. Ultima Esperanza
7. Milk Of My Dreams
8. 51°28'30" S, 73°6'11" W

Photo Credit: Napalm Records

Metalcore would not exist in its current form without Detroit legends WALLS OF JERICHO.  With genre defining records like 1999’s The Bound Feed The Gagged and 2004’s All Hail The Dead captivating the underground scene and establishing the model, they went on to break through charts globally with With Devils Amongst Us All, The American Dream, and No One Can Save You From Your Self thoroughly cementing their prestige. 

After years of gigging relentlessly, decimating prestigious stages at Louder Than Life, Hellfest, Tied Down, and Furnace Fest amongst others, they finally return with a new studio offering, System Error: Humanity, dropping 13th November 2026 via Napalm Records. Pummeling, confrontational, and uplifting, WALLS OF JERICHO remain steadfast to the values and sound their legacy was built on.

Alongside the album announcement, the band unleash the menacing first single 'The Ascent'.  Tense from its opening notes, the track hurls discordant breakdowns at the listener, leaning on dissonant chugs with glacial weight guaranteed to kick you back a reading level. 

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/pSvKmWOGKqk

Pre-order the album here: http://lnk.to/WallsOfJericho-SystemErrorHumanity/napalmrecords
 
Frontwoman Candace Buckingham on System Error: Humanity: “System Error: Humanity is a raw, unapologetic, and our most aggressive record to date. We set out to capture the chaos, intensity, and raw energy of our live show rather than chase perfection. Lyrically, it's a rebellion against the modern forces that fracture identity: comparison, conformity, distraction, and the endless pressure to perform instead of live. At its core, this album is about reclaiming your attention, owning your choices, and becoming who you were before the world told you who to be. Kill the noise. Reclaim yourself.”
 
Candace continues on 'The Ascent': “‘The Ascent’ is a crushing blend of dissonant riffs, massive breakdowns, and raw intensity. Lyrically, it's about confronting yourself one hard truth at a time, shedding ego, silencing the noise, and discovering that real strength isn't found at the summit, but in the discipline and honesty it takes to climb. Because growth begins where comfort ends.”

Clobbering listeners out of the gate with 'True Til’ Death', the band affirms the triumph of their comeback with rabid aggression: iconic frontwoman Candace Buckingham immediately commands listeners with her gargantuan growls. The discordant violence of tracks like 'The Ascent' and 'Untouchable', tap into something truly primal and kick you back a reading level with their claustrophobic chord work, while more thrash driven tracks like 'The Flame' and 'Agency', take off at 100 miles per hour, plowing through a plethora of protein packed riffage and solos. Lyrically the band is stoking the flames of discontent, with tracks like 'Agency', 'Borrowed Ground', and 'Last Judgement', delivering empowering messages of reclamation, self determination, and human rights, encouraging listeners to fight for a better world. The record also features a premier slew of guests including Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe on 'Broken Mouths Can't Speak', his beckoning howl joining Candace on a ferocious duel attack; and Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord on 'Humanity', propelling the groove laden pit starter into cataclysmic levels of chaos. After some more delicious violence, and a transcendent slow burn in the form of 'A Brighter Fire', 'The Reckoning' finishes things off with an epic, catastrophic energy that is bookended with one of the album’s most punishing breakdowns, bound to send some unlucky concertgoers to the dentist. 

Legendary producer and Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (NAILS, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Code Orange, and Every Time I Die) is behind the boards, capturing the band’s ferocious live energy while maintaining a pristine presentation. Powerful, fierce, and stirring, WALLS OF JERICHO re-emerge with righteous purpose and brutal dedication, humanity may be the source of the system error, but we are the system, and we are the solution. 

WALLS OF JERICHO are: 
Candace Buckingham - Vocals 
Aaron Ruby - Bass 
Dustin Robert - Drums 
Bobby VaLeu - Guitar 
Kyle Gailey - Guitar 
Chris Towning - Guitar

WALLS OF JERICHO online:
https://www.facebook.com/WallsofJericho
https://www.instagram.com/wojofficial

System Error: Humanity tracklist:

1. True Til' Death  
2. Beginning           
3. The Flame          
4. The Ascent         
5. Broken Mouths Can't Speak (feat. Randy Blythe)
6. Untouchable      
7. Rise       
8. Agency 
9. Unchained          
10. The End Before 
11. Humanity (feat. Guy Kozowyk)
12. Borrowed Ground           
13. Last Judgement 
14. A Brighter Fire (feat. Patsy Puopolo & Matthew Ruby)
15. The Reckoning

System Error: Humanity will be vaailable in the following configurations: 

1 LP Dark Yellow Black Splatter Deluxe Version Vinyl

With LP Sized Booklet – strictly limited, Napalm Records Shop exclusive

1 LP White Label Vinyl With LP Sized Booklet, Covercard, and Certificate – strictly limited, Napalm Records Shop exclusive

1 LP Solid Gold Vinyl – strictly limited, Retail GSA exclusive

1 LP Translucent Yellow Vinyl – strictly limited, Retail North America exclusive

1 LP Solid Verde Vinyl

1 CD Digipak

Digital Album

Photo Credit: V. Valadez

Louisiana deathgrind powerhouse, BRAT, will release their new LP, Manslayer, on 25th September via Prosthetic Records. 

Today the quartet reveal their first warning shot - the new single, 'Manslayer (Hell Hath No Fury)' and its accompanying music video, directed by John Colgan.

Experience 'Manslayer (Hell Hath No Fury)' now at this location.

Pre-order/save BRAT's 'Manslayer' at this location.

BRAT's eagerly awaited second album, Manslayer, was tracked at Chicago's Bricktop Recording, produced, engineered, and mixed by Weekend Nachos' Andy Nelson, and mastered by Brad Boatright (Deadguy, Pig Destroyer, Lathe of Heaven) with maximum weight and minimum mercy. The follow-up to BRAT's 2024 debut, Social Grace, Manslayer features 17 tracks of primitive death metal, garroting grind, and swamp-drenched sludge for devotees of the darkest reaches of the underground. 

Ironically for such a violently heavy band as BRAT, a lyrical influence that helped shaped Manslayer was country music. More specifically, BRAT vocalist Liz Selfish gleaned inspiration from its songs about women’s revenge, in which they took their power back and left the lifeless bodies of the men who wronged them in their wake. Take 'Earl' by The Chicks, 'Before He Cheats' by Carrie Underwood, 'Gunpowder & Lead' by Miranda Lambert. They were metal as hell without even trying to be.

Shock-inducing album artwork by Wes Benscoter (Mortician, Slayer), hammers home Manslayer's macabre motif. 

"There’s not a lot of those tropes in death metal," Selfish says by way of contrast, "which I think primarily is because there’s not a lot of women in that space. I thought that was a really cool perspective and I really liked the storytelling aspect of it." In extreme music, it’s far too often been the other way around, where women end up as the corpses, not the ones holding the knives. This seed of an idea was the ideal means for BRAT to add extra dimensions to its sound, which coincided with Liz stepping up to write lyrics for the first time after guitarist and co-founder Brenner Moate had taken the reins on the group's debut.

"It’s quite new territory for me, and it wasn’t necessarily an intentional thing initially,” Liz says. “I wrote the first song for the album, and I just loved writing, and I was like, ‘I really love doing this, and I want to do more, so I ended up writing the whole album. Brenner’s main focus is writing music – he wants to write riffs - so he wasn't too torn up about not writing the lyrics. It was a nice passing of the torch."

Above all, Manslayer represents a scaling up of ambition, sound, and vision for BRAT. The concepts are bigger, the music more widescreen, and it is all bound to translate into absolute mayhem live. As such, BRAT has been announced as one of the spotlight acts at Louisville's Louder than Life Festival on 17th September, where the band will share the stage with Pantera, Danzig, Mastodon, and more and as part of Chicago's Riot Fest on 18th September, alongside Iggy Pop, Pixies, and Sex Pistols. For a full listing of upcoming BRAT tour dates, click here.

“We’re evolving the bimboviolence and the campiness by making it all a little bit darker with this album, and a bit more overtly violent,” says Liz. “I think that will probably reflect in our stage show and our imagery as well, keeping it fun, not a total 180, but definitely progressing into something darker with it.”

BRAT are:
Liz Selfish (vocals)
Brenner Moate (guitars)
Eoghan Mccarthy
Dustin Eagan (drums)
Ian Hennessey (bass)

Find BRAT online:

BratBand.com 
Apple Music 
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
TikTok
YouTube
X 

Manslayer tracklisting:
1 Intro
2 Aileen Wuornos
3 Speculum Bleed
4 Bone Spurs
5 Botch Tox
6 Media Slop
7 Trophy Hunting
8 Asking For Hell
9 Heretic Burning
10 Interlude
11 Manslayer (Hell Hath No Fury)
12 Bloody Mary
13 Femicidal Vengeance
14 Spit On His Grave
15 Ways To Kill Your Husband
16 Blistered Tongues
17 Outro

Photo Credit: Leah Komos

Brooklyn-based noise rock/punk outsiders FOREIGN BODY will release their gnarled second LP, Libertine, through Brutal Panda Records on 11th September. Today they reveal their scathing new song, 'Trophy'.

Watch the video to 'Trophy' here: https://youtu.be/NFAl4hs76XQ

Libertine will be released on coloured vinyl LP, CS, CD, and digital format. Pre-orders are now live at the Brutal Panda webshop and Bandcamp, and digital presaves are available here.

FOREIGN BODY play raw, hideous, and vulgar music emblematic of the seedy underbelly of yesterday’s New York City – where sex workers walked the streets freely, rubble and decay were prevalent, drugs were readily available, and every businessman’s briefcase contained a loaded gun. The quartet spin jet-black yarns that polite society would rather have swept under the rug, soundtracking them with jaw-clenching and furious mid-tempo punk exploding with fresh ideas. And even though FOREIGN BODY drip with a loathsome mix of hatred for modern living and a desire for its immolation, they’re also one of music’s most promising faces.
 
FOREIGN BODY’s new album Libertine is a wholly relentless listen with unflinching portrayals of vice, perversions and glorified excesses. The album was recorded by Matt Russell (REZN, Oozing Wound, Big Laugh), mixed and mastered at STR in San Diego by Matt Ibarra of Rectal Hygienics, and completed with artwork by vocalist Hugh Potter. This is a must-hear record for fans of Brainbombs, Couch Slut, Rectal Hygenics, Unsane, Chat Pile, The Birthday Party, Flipper, Big Black, and labelmates Intercourse.
 
The band reveal, “The notion of Libertine is the idea of an individual, usually people with a lot of wealth that have the capacity to act upon their desires to the fullest extent. It’s an investigation of that idea to its farthest, impossible conclusion, within literature and a modern context.”
 
The raucous new video for 'Trophy' was directed by FOREIGN BODY bassist Thomas Koenig.
 
FOREIGN BODY will be touring USA in September. Expect additional live updates as the record’s release draws near.
 
Tour dates: 
7/17 Love City Manayunk – Philadelphia, PA w/ PLQ MRX
09/18 McDuffs – Philadelphia, PA
09/19 Preserving Shows – Pittsburgh, PA
09/20 The Brass Rail – Ft. Wayne, IN
09/21 TBA – St. Louis, MO
09/22 Backline At Avondale Music Hall – Chicago, IL
09/23 TBA – Indianapolis, IN
09/24 Portal – Louisville, KY
09/25 TBA – Columbus, OH
09/26 Pie Shop – Washington, DC

FOREIGN BODY are:
Hugh Potter – vocals, saxophone
Nikolai Kapetan – guitar
Collin Melazzo – drums
Thomas Koenig – bass

FOREIGN BODY online:
  
https://www.instagram.com/foreignbody_nyc
https://foreignbodynyc.bandcamp.com
https://www.brutalpandarecords.com
https://linktr.ee/brutalpanda
https://brutalpandarecords.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/brutalpandarecords
https://www.facebook.com/BrutalPandaRecords
https://x.com/BrutalPanda

Libertine tracklisting:
1. Strung Out
2. White Lord of Hell
3. Passed Around
4. Hind Legs
5. Trophy
6. When Sex Is Not Enough
7. Man Was Meant To Take Advantage
8. Born For This
9. Libertines
10. Beauty is a Hammer

Photo Credit: Robert John

German heavy metal legends ACCEPT release another single from their upcoming new album, Teutonic Titans 1976-2026. 

Today they release an explosive new rendition of the genre classic, 'Balls to the Wall', featuring 'Metal God' Rob Halford and guitar icon Matthias Jabs.

Stream here: https://youtu.be/PV3lMI1_KBY

Serving as the second single from their massive 50th-anniversary celebratory album, Teutonic Titans 1976-2026, this track perfectly illustrates the band’s half-century legacy. Dropping 4th September via Napalm Records, this tight and powerful release delivers a vital blow that proves ACCEPT are as relevant as ever. Featuring 19 timeless songs and more than 50 legendary guest artists, the all-star metal supergroup ACCEPT have gathered is a powerful look at an album celebrating both the band’s extraordinary 50-year legacy and the heavy metal genre they helped shape.

Pre-order: https://lnk.to/Accept-TeutonicTitans/napalmrecords

Wolf Hoffmann comments: “Rob is the Metal God. I don’t need to say any more about him. Once we knew that he would do it, it was an obvious choice to give him ‘Balls to the Wall’ because it’s the best fit imaginable! I played all the rhythm guitars. Matthias Jabs from Scorpions played the solo, which is very cool and a huge honour, and it’s Rex Brown on bass and Jason Bowld on drums. So that’s a really cool package.”

German heavy metal legends ACCEPT celebrate 50 years of pure power, bringing together the scene’s A-list musicians for a landmark release. Teutonic Titans 1976–2026 stands as a definitive statement of the band’s legacy, forged in steel and driven by unmistakable riffs. Arriving 4th September via Napalm Records, the album delivers some of the most iconic songs ever written in heavy music.

Led by guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, the longtime architect of ACCEPT’s sound, the band are joined by a staggering 50 guests across 19 reimagined versions of their biggest tracks. Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 is ACCEPT’s most ambitious and star-studded release to date, reaching far beyond their country’s borders. Featuring the biggest names in heavy music paying tribute to the German icons, the record cements the band’s standing on the global stage.

This is more than an album; it is a manifesto of metal. Pre-orders are now available in various exclusive formats.
  
Wolf Hoffmann about Teutonic Titans 1976-2026:
“There is no better way to celebrate this 50-year anniversary than to have our musical peers, friends, and inspirations come together with us to record these classic ACCEPT songs, which I am honored and proud to share with the world. I hope everyone enjoys this very special record as much as we all enjoyed making it.”

Chronologically progressing through albums from their formative years, from I’m a Rebel (1980) to Eat the Heat (1989), ACCEPT present their songs with an all-new, all-star lineup, alongside the signature voice of Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann’s unmistakable riffs. By enlisting a Who’s Who of metal, no two songs on Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 are the same. Every track features a different combination of vocals, guitars, bass, and drums, giving each classic a fresh edge.
 
Tobias Forge delivers a commanding performance on the track 'Save Us' (I’m a Rebel, 1980), joined by Ray Luzier on drums. Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, and Mikkey Dee tear through the speed metal classic 'Fast As A Shark' (Restless and Wild, 1982). 'Balls to the Wall' surges with the powerful range of Metal God Rob Halford, alongside the guitar work of Matthias Jabs, while the reimagined 'Love Child' is elevated by Billy Corgan and David Ellefson (both songs from Balls to the Wall, 1983).
 
Other guest stars on ACCEPT’s extraordinary release include K. K. Downing, Bobby Blitz, Hansi Kürsch, Chris Jericho, Ralf Scheepers, Billy Sheehan, Ola Englund, and Jeff Loomis. The album also features a re-recording of 'Hellhammer' (Eat the Heat, 1989), performed by ACCEPT’s current lineup: Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Martin Motnik, guitarist Philip Shouse and drummer Christopher Williams, joined by Jason McMaster on vocals. The album masterpiece was produced, mixed and mastered by legendary producer Zeuss.
 

ACCEPTare:
Wolf Hoffmann – guitar
Mark Tornillo – vocals
Philip Shouse – guitar
Martin Motnik – bass
Christopher Williams – drums

WatchACCEPTin the UK:

27.08.26 UK - Wolverhampton / KK’s Steel Mill
28.08.26 UK - London / Indigo at The O2

ACCEPTonline:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
VK
TIKTOK
NAPALM RECORDS

Tracklisting: 

1. Fast as a Shark
2. Balls to the Wall
3. Aiming High
4. Run If You Can
5. Hellhammer
6. Metal Heart
7. Losers and Winners
8. Save Us
9. Up to the Limit
10. Wrong Is Right
11. Starlight
12. Fight It Back
13. Love Child
14. Breaker
15. Demon’s Night
16. T.V. War
17. London Leatherboys
18. Monsterman
19. Restless and Wild

Liverpool's No Play Festival has completed the line-up of its 2026 edition, with the addition of Dream State, Love Rarely, Crowquill, So Far So Good, Without Love, Vienna, Breakfast with Bears, Bye Bye, Omoia, Horsebastard, Syntara, Face It Tegan.

They join the headliner, the legendary Stick To Your Guns, alongside some of the best in today's underground hardcore and shoegaze scenes.

Five stages. No Barriers. No Play 2026 will be a day to remember.

Held in Liverpool City Centre on 5th September, No Play Festival tickets are currently £62.85, inclusive of fees. Ticket options include a monthly payment plan, where you can pay across two instalments.

Purchase from: noplayfestival.gigantic.com

Full line-up so far:

Stick To Your Guns
Spy
Pest Control
Dream State
Roman Candle
Spaced
Liquid Mike
Last Wishes
Bodyweb
Love Rarely
Crowquill
Without Love
Vienna
So Far So Good
Breakfast With Bears
Bye Bye
Fools Game
Omoia
Dry Socket
Dormant
Heads Above
Imissyoualready
Invasion
Jetski
Malignant Methods
Nylon
Pale Sailor
Safeguard
Sunday Best
Victims of Life
Horsebastard
Witherhorde
Syntara
Face It Tegan

Held across five stages in the heart of Liverpool, the no barrier No Play 2026 is one not to miss. Highlights include stage five, the Guillotine Stage held in the Jacaranda Basement - a stage which takes its name from No Play's monthly local showcase. A variety of homegrown talent, discovered through the Guillotine Sessions, will be performing on this stage throughout the day.

Stage four, the Best Life Records Stage, at Kazimier Stockroom, will be a takeover from Liverpool's Best Life Records, showcasing their roster alongside upcoming UK talent. 

No Play founder Ted MacDonald comments: “We’re pretty excited about the new stage setup this year! No barriers all day is something we’ve wanted to do since we started, it’s how this music is meant be experienced. The fest has really grown over the last few years and to have the two biggest stages in Arts Club running back to back as well - it’s gonna go off!”

Now in its fourth year, No Play Festival is fast becoming one of the best-kept secrets in the UK heavy calendar. Previous iterations of the festival have included Glare, Higher Power, Vukovi, Guilt Trip, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Heriot, and Split Chain - a raucously fun DIY event that puts Liverpool on the map.

The team behind No Play have been working as a collective in the Liverpool scene for over a decade. No Play Festival is a proudly independent, affordable metro-fest, that aims to showcase local talent alongside rising acts and acclaimed artists, both UK and international. 

For more:
https://www.noplay.uk/festival
https://www.instagram.com/noplayfest

Venues return with 'Becoming', a modern metalcore anthem that turns pain into power and self-doubt into momentum. After the emotional weight of 'Solace' and their acclaimed album Transience, the Stuttgart band deliver one of their boldest, most uplifting tracks yet.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/leUNyDtDhSo

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/venues

Built on punchy riffs, explosive rhythms, and sleek modern production, 'Becoming' hits hard while keeping its hooks front and center. Harsh screams channel the pressure of insecurity and outside expectations, before the clean vocals break through with a clear statement of self-worth. Every breakdown and chorus drives home the message: real strength starts when you stop living for others. Lyrically, the song follows someone cutting loose from toxic influences, refusing to be defined by the past, and finally owning who they are, ending on a reminder that everyone deserves to see their own value.

Since signing with Arising Empire, Venues have become one of Germany’s standout modern metalcore acts. Their 2018 debut Aspire was named Kerrang! Album of the Week, and they’ve kept pushing forward ever since, powered by the contrast between Lela Gruber’s soaring melodies and Robin Baumann’s visceral screams. With 'Becoming', they sharpen that balance into a heavy, hooky, and genuinely empowering release.

Catch the band live: 
03.08.2026 Free & Easy Festival, Munich (DE)
28.08.2026 Hot Rock Festival 2026, Hilgertshausen-Tandern (DE)
04.09.2026 Pell-Mell Festival 2026, Obererbach (DE)

Venues online:
https://www.instagram.com/venuesofficial
https://www.facebook.com/VENUESofficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@venuesofficial

Belgian atmospheric metalcore newcomers Ice Sealed Eyes open a new chapter with the release of Tape 1: Far Away. The four-track EP plays like one continuous emotional arc, with 'Stay Still' flowing into 'To Realise' and 'The Weight Of Loss' moving through grief, isolation, betrayal and acceptance.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/_Xsg9P0f2ng

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/icesealedeyes

Built on shimmering ambience, crushing guitars, thunderous drums and soaring vocals, the EP sits in that fragile space between holding on and letting go. 'Stay Still' captures two people drifting further apart as hope fades. 'To Realise' sinks into a hypnotic, helpless spiral, while 'The Weight Of Loss' brings the story to a breaking point, no easy apologies, just painful clarity. Each track stands on its own, but together they form a cinematic listen, with recurring motifs and evolving dynamics that reward a full start-to-finish play.

Already tipped as one of Belgium’s most promising heavy acts, Ice Sealed Eyes have racked up millions of streams and built an international following. After the success of their debut album ALTAR, they toured across Europe, played Euroblast Festival, and shared stages with Falling In Reverse, Unprocessed, Amenra, Brutus, Resolve and Hypno5e. With Tape 1: Far Away, they sharpen their signature blend of atmosphere, weight and emotion and make a strong first statement in this new era.

Live dates:
04.09.2026 Tramfest, Troye (FR)
04.02.2027 Club Transbo, Lyon (FR)
05.02.2027 La Laiterie, Strassbourg (FR)
06.02.2027 The Black Lab, Lille (FR)
07.02.2027 Botanique, Brussels (BE)
10.02.2027 Hydrophone, Lorient (FR)
11.02.2027 Le Ferrailleur, Nantes (FR)
12.02.2027 Rock School Barbey, Bordeaux (FR)
13.02.2027 Le Rex, Toulouse (FR)
18.02.2027 La Caronnerie, Reims (FR)
19.02.2027 Le 106, Rouen (FR)

Ice Sealed Ice online:
https://www.instagram.com/icesealedeyes
https://www.facebook.com/icesealedeyes
https://www.tiktok.com/@icesealedeyesband