Photo Credit: Gobinder Jhitta

Warning, who recently released their first new album in 20 years, Rituals of Shame, via Relapse Records, have just announced a headline tour.
 

Dates:

06 December - Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
07 December - St Luke’s, Glasgow
08 December - Rebellion, Manchester
09 December - Strange Brew, Bristol
10 December - The Dome, London

Presented by Old Empire & Swamp Booking, tickets are available here: www.old-empire.co.uk

Additional live dates:
July 29 to August 1  Bergen, NO  Beyond The Gates
August 13 to 15  Francavilla Al Mare, IT  Frantic Festival
August 13 to 16  Carhaix-plouger, FR  Motocultor Festival
September 4    Helsinki, FI  KULT
September 12 to 13  Leon, MX  Candelabrum Metal Festival
November 7  Nuremberg, DE  Sonus Obscura Festival
November 13  Athens, GR  An Club

Listen to recent single 'Night Comes Down' from the new album here: https://youtu.be/_2ott7sFRZ8

Stream and purchase Rituals of Shame here: https://orcd.co/warning-ritualsofshame

Warning hail from Essex, U.K., emerging from the British doom scene in 1994. The band released two albums in their initial run, The Strength to Dream (1999) and Watching from a Distance (2006). The band reunited in 2017 for a limited number of live performances including an appearance at Roadburn Festival. Warning are Patrick Walker (vocals/guitar), Wayne Taylor (guitar), Marcus Hatfield (bass), and Andrew Prestidge (drums). 

Warning’s 2006 album, Watching from a Distance, has become one of the most revered releases in doom metal, with Pitchfork noting it “stands among the high water marks of the genre,” and Stereogum declaring it the “greatest doom record of all time.”

Walker, who also leads 40 Watt Sun, began work on Rituals of Shame in January 2025, writing seven days a week over three months as he turned his full focus back to Warning. The album was recorded at The Arch Studio, a 140-year-old former church in Southport, U.K., with recording and mixing handled by Chris Fullard (Idles, Sunn O))), Ulver). 

The decision to make a new Warning album emerged from a transformative period in Walker’s life. Reluctant to explain his lyrics, he acknowledges only that the work reflects a deeply personal present moment, with the collection echoing the themes that have long defined his writing: longing, separation, and most of all, love. 

Rituals of Shame also reflects a range of Walker’s longstanding influences, from the expansive melodic structures of Marillion to the restraint and clarity of June Tabor. He also cites John Brenner of Revelation as a formative influence, particularly in shaping his approach to articulating emotion through heavy music.

Warningband.com
Instagram.com/warningdoom
Facebook.com/Warningdoom

Rituals of Shame tracklisting:

1. Rituals of Shame
2. Stations
3. Night Comes Down
4. Landing Lights
5. Teacher

Photo Credit: Leonor Ananké

French technical death metal innovators Gorod are proud to unveil 'Remains', the most intense, emotionally charged, and ambitious song from their forthcoming album, The Ember Gone, due for release on 28th August via Base Productions and Season of Mist.

Stream the single here: https://bit.ly/4wd30w2

Watch the visualiser here: https://youtu.be/qNaFD-n7E5c

Pre-order: https://gorodofficial.com/the-ember-gone-release

While the 'The Ember Gone' explores more progressive territory than ever before, 'Remains' stands as the album's breathtaking grand finale, combining crushing heaviness, soaring melodies, and one of the band's most epic climaxes to date.

The band comment on the new single: "'Remains' brings our concept about the age of uncontrollable megafires to its conclusion, leaving one final question hanging in the air: what will remain after we're gone? Musically, we pushed our experimentation further than ever before. 'Remains' blends our signature dynamic grooves with melodies carrying an unprecedented dramatic tension, culminating in one of the most epic finales we've ever written."

Entirely self-produced at Bud Studio by guitarist and principal songwriter Mathieu Pascal, before being mixed and mastered by David Thiers at Secret Place Studio, The Ember Gone marks a bold return to the progressive spirit of Transcendence (2011) while pushing Gorod into expansive new territory. Combining groove, immersive atmospheres and richly layered arrangements with the band’s trademark technical precision, the album explores themes of environmental collapse, consumerism and existential anxiety through songwriting that feels ambitious and deeply human.

Speaking on the new album, guitarist Mathieu Pascal comments: “We are undoubtedly delivering the most singular album in our discography. As we are always driven by the desire not to repeat ourselves, to evolve, and to keep surprising people, we sought new ways to express ourselves through different musical vocabularies than those traditionally associated with extreme metal. This album is freer and more open, yet without compromising the complexity and richness of the songwriting, which will always remain the band’s trademark.”

Widely regarded as one of the defining forces in modern technical death metal, Gorod have spent nearly three decades carving out a singular identity far beyond the genre’s traditional confines. Since emerging from Bordeaux in 1997, the band have continually evolved their sound, combining dizzying technicality with groove, melody and sophisticated songwriting to become one of the most distinctive and internationally respected acts in contemporary extreme metal.

Across landmark releases including A Maze of Recycled Creeds (2015), ÆTHRA (2018) and The Orb (2023), Gorod have consistently pushed at the boundaries of technical death metal, whether through the progressive ambition of Transcendence or the razor edged aggression of Kiss the Freak (2017). Never content to repeat themselves, the quintet have built a discography defined by fearless experimentation and an unmistakable musical identity.

Still regarded as one of the tightest and most electrifying live acts in modern extreme metal, Gorod's compositions take on a whole new energy on stage, intense and dynamic but always driven by a sense of groove that makes even their most complex material feel exciting. Renowned not only for their musicianship but for their chemistry and connection with audiences, the band will bring The Ember Gone to stages across Europe this September alongside Allegaeon and Abysmal Dawn.

Live Dates:
4th Sept - Grenoble (FR) - L'Ampérage
5th Sept - Nantes (FR) - Le Ferrailleur
6th Sept - Paris (FR) - Le Petit Bain
8th Sept - Southampton (UK) - 1865
9th Sept - Nottingham (UK) - Rescue Rooms
10th Sept - Manchester (UK) - Rebellion
11th Sept - Birmingham (UK) - O2 Academy3
12th Sept - Leeds (UK) - Boom 
13th Sept - London (UK) - Underworld
15th Sept - Lille (FR) - Blacklab
16th Sept - Hannover (DE) - Lux
17th Sept - Nijmegen (NL) - Doornroosje
18th Sept - Haarlem (NL) - Patronaat
20th Sept - Warsaw (PL) - Voodoo
21th Sept - Krakow (PL) - Zascianek
22nd Sept - Prague (CZ) - Black Pes
23rd Sept - Munich (DE) - Backstage Club
24th Sept - Aarau (CH) - Kiff
25th Sept - Koln (DE) - Euroblast Festival 

For more:
Linktree || Instagram || Facebook || Spotify || Website 

Tracklist:
1. Signs
2. Devise
3. Forgiveness
4. Regret
5. Crimson
6. Ignite
7. Ember
8. Remains

PLUME return with a vengeance, after their last single caused major shockwaves across the emo and alt community, the Munich based outfit now strike even harder. ‘A Cure For A Knife’s Blade’ is a vicious, neon soaked eruption of distorted pop, glam rock attitude and emotional brutality. It feels like My Chemical Romance circa 2006 reborn for a new generation, but rebuilt through PLUME’s futuristic, glitter in the dirt aesthetic.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/8eCRcKyzGO4
​
The track cuts deep: a soul for salvation bargain, phantom pain, scars that won’t fade, and a Frankenstein self stitched together from heartbreak and rage. Distorted synths, fractured rhythms and PLUME’s signature blend of catchy but uncomfortable hooks turn the song into a twisted anthem of transformation. It’s pop sharpened into a blade, theatrical, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

After shaking up the scene, PLUME now accelerate their rise: as newcomers at Summer Breeze Open Air, they’re already breaking through with a momentum that feels unstoppable. With ‘A Cure For A Knife’s Blade’, they prove they’re not just reviving emo and alt culture, they’re reinventing it, louder, darker and more glamorous than ever.

Catch the band live:

​12.08.2026 – 15.08.2026 | Summer Breeze Open Air | Wittelshofen, DE

PLUME online
https://www.instagram.com/plumeofficial
https://www.tiktok.com/@weareplume

Photo Credit: Vesperian

Colorado's Wayfarer are back. 'Perdition's Crossing', the band's first new music since their widely acclaimed 2023 album American Gothic, is out today — and it signals a bold new chapter. Featuring the singular voice of David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower, Wovenhand), the track marks the beginning of a journey into territory the band hasn't explored before: dark, cinematic Americana, more desolate than anything in their catalog, but no less haunting for it.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/R7Ukxm9qA2I?si=C4XkR-B5NpPXBB_7
 
The track was recorded in Colorado, and was produced by Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe), engineered by James Barone (Beach House), mixed by Iver Sandoy (Enslaved) and mastered by Alan Douches (Converge etc).
 
Accompanying the single is a music video directed by Brendan McGowan, known for his visually striking work with Tribulation, Imperial Triumphant, and many others.

'Perdition's Crossing' is a track from Wayfarer's forthcoming studio album Riders of the Setting Sun, an eight-track record due for release in late 2026 that sees the band push further into new sonic and emotional terrain. More details to follow.

To mark the occasion, Vesperian is releasing a strictly limited 12" maxi-single of 'Perdition's Crossing' — 300 copies worldwide, pressed on black vinyl with a foldout sleeve featuring lyrics, band comments, and notes on each track. Artwork by graphic novelist Julian Brier. Side A carries the title track; Side B features two exclusives: a remix by Ben Chisholm of Chelsea Wolfe (who also produced the forthcoming album) and a field recording. 200 copies are available in the US, with 100 reserved for Europe exclusively through the Vesperian webstore, up for pre-order on 23rd July, to be released in mid-August.

Wayfarer will perform at Fire in the Mountains this year, where the 12" maxi-single — along with other Vesperian releases — will be available at the label's festival stand. For all further details on availability at the festival and beyond, follow Vesperian on Instagram.
 
The band comment: “We have long walked a path that was very much informed by Denver Sound legends like 16 Horsepower, and Wovenhand, among many others. To work alongside someone like David Eugene Edwards is not only a bit of a dream come true for us, but also a perfect way for us to start down new roads of the Wayfarer sound that are being fleshed out. We are excited for this collaboration to finally see the light of day.”

Discography:
Children Of The Iron Age (2014)
Old Souls (2016)
World’s Blood (2018)
A Romance With Violence (2020)
American Gothic (2023)
Perdition’s Crossing (2026)
 
Wayfarer are:
Joe Strong-Truscelli: Guitars
James Hansen: Bass
Shane McCarthy: Vocals, guitars
Isaac Faulk: Drums
 
Wayfarer online:
https://www.instagram.com/wayfarercolorado/
https://www.facebook.com/wayfarercolorado/
https://wayfarercolorado.bandcamp.com
ttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBO2-ZH9jAErEWQG8AUxS9w
 
Vesperian online:
www.vesperian.world
www.instagram.com/vesperian.world/

Poison The Preacher's rapid rise shows no signs of slowing as the Colombian crossover heavyweights today release their explosive new EP, Things I Want via Seek and Strike. Accompanying the release is the ferocious new single and video 'Ran Out Of Options', a deeply personal track exploring the suffocating pressure of ambition and the all-consuming pursuit of impossible goals. Blending thrash, hardcore, death metal and Latin-infused aggression into a sound entirely their own, the Bogotá quartet deliver their most focused and devastating statement to date.

Watch the video for 'Ran Out of Options' here: https://youtu.be/HZfRoT3--kw

Never ones to be confined by genre boundaries, Poison The Preacher have spent the last several years forging a sound that fuses thrash, hardcore, death metal and Latin-infused aggression into something uniquely their own. Emerging from Bogotá's vibrant underground scene, the quartet have rapidly established themselves as one of South America's most exciting heavy exports, and Things I Want sees them pushing far beyond straightforward crossover worship into territory that is both deeply personal and sonically devastating. Mixed and mastered by Charles Toshio (Sunami, Big Boy, Spy, Gulch), the EP captures Poison The Preacher at their most ambitious and uncompromising. 

That refusal to stay in one lane has become central to the band’s identity. Poison The Preacher’s sound crashes together pit-starting hardcore grooves, razorwire thrash riffs, death metal violence and moments of unexpected melody and atmosphere, music designed equally for hardcore kids and metalheads. “This is metal made for hardcore kids, but this is also hardcore made for metal-heads,” says Carrera. “With this new release, those lines between genres have blurred more and more.”

While Things I Want hits with all the violence fans have come to expect, its thematic focus digs far deeper. Inspired by obsession, ambition and unattainable dreams, the EP’s striking artwork features a mutilated Daruma doll, traditionally a Japanese symbol of perseverance and fulfilled goals, with one eye violently torn away.

“The EP talks about broken dreams, toxic purposes, things that you would give your entire life to, but they may never become true,” Carrera explains. “It’s a testament to obsession and ambition, in both a good and a bad way. It’s okay to have a purpose, to have a dream that you want with all your heart, but you can’t let it consume you and destroy your life.”

That emotional honesty arrives at a pivotal moment for the band. Their 2025 debut album Vs The World earned widespread praise across the metal press for its explosive collision of crossover thrash, hardcore and Colombian musical identity, with critics highlighting the band’s ferocity, musicianship and refusal to sound like anyone else. Publications including Metal Hammer, Distorted Sound, Metal Temple and Dead Rhetoric praised the band’s ability to merge old-school crossover intensity with modern heaviness and distinctly Latin American influences, while their live reputation has continued to grow through shows alongside acts including Suffocation, Agnostic Front, In Flames and Overkill.

Now, with Things I Want, Poison The Preacher are preparing to take that momentum worldwide. The band will spend July touring across Europe, including appearances at both Wacken Open Air and Obscene Extreme Festival, landmark moments for a band becoming one of Colombia’s most vital heavy exports.

“It’s a huge achievement for us to be the first Colombian band to be directly booked by Wacken Open Air and Obscene Extreme,” says Carrera. “The live show is the most important part for us. The energy is different, it’s going to make you love us or love us even more.”

If Vs The World introduced Poison The Preacher as a rising force, Things I Want feels like the sound of a band fully kicking into overdrive, more dangerous, more ambitious and more emotionally fearless than ever before.

EUROPE & UK: UNDEAD TIME SUMMER TOUR 2026

15.07 Basel, CH @ Quarterdeck
16.07 Charleroi, BE @ MCP Apache
17.07 Antwerp, BE @ Music City
18.07 Monheim, DE @ Sojus 7
19.07 Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ MK Bar
20.07 London, UK @ Helgi’s Bar
22.07 Manchester, UK @ Star and Garter
23.07 Newcastle, UK @ Trillians
24.07 Burnley, UK @ Sanctuary
25.07 Glasgow, UK @ Ivory Blacks
29.07 Wacken, DE 

with more dates still to be announced. 

For more:
https://www.facebook.com/poisonthepreacher 
https://www.instagram.com/poisonthepreacher
https://linktr.ee/PoisonThePreacher

Track-list:
1. Things I Want ft Speed
2. Last Time I've Seen The Sun
3. Ran Out Of Options
4. Chicken Out 

Photo Credit: Shane Eckert

Thrash legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have unleashed a second taste of the fury awaiting on their forthcoming album Rats In The Temple, out 28th August via Napalm Records. New single and explosive album opener, 'Harvesting the Hate', is built upon methodical machine gun kicks and standout guitar performances from virtuoso guitar duo Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley.

Watch 'Harvesting The Hate' video here: https://youtu.be/MKYJ1hX_fIg

Pre-order the album here: https://lnk.to/FlotsamAndJetsam-RatsintheTemple/napalmrecords
 
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson says about the track:
“Another heavy, dramatic beast of a song from our arsenal of madness. This one asks you to look in the mirror, to find the true problem in your life. And stop harvesting the hate!”

Thrash metal icons FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, known for their trailblazing blend of blistering thrash and soaring power metal - established on breakthrough records like the Kerrang!-championed classic Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986), No Place for Disgrace, (1988), and Cuatro, (1992) and refined in their current renaissance with the German chart-climbing The End of Chaos, (2019), Blood in the Water, (2021), and I Am the Weapon, (2024) - are back with their newest diamond, and Napalm Records debut, Rats In The Temple, out 28th August.

With nearly four decades on the scene, countless world tours, and appearances at prestigious festivals like Wacken, Graspop, Bloodstock, Alcatraz, and Rockhard, they’ve carved their sound down to a fine point, piercing listeners with earth-shattering blast beats, scorching guitars, epic string arrangements, and exalted frontman A.K. Knutson’s unmistakably haunting wail. 
 
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson about the album:
“This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!”

Rats In The Temple opens strongly with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of 'Harvesting The Hate' and 'Damnation', before delving into thrash virtuosity on 'Absolution'. The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like 'Blame The Knife' and 'Rats In the Temple', then continue to flex their metal muscle on 'The Ghost Behind My Door' and 'First on the Spike', invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummelling modern menace. 'The Edge of Nowhere' builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into 'Last Rites', another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem 'A Taste For War', their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. 'Her Blood Your Pain' brings ornate, medieval guitarmonies before 'Anthem For The Broken' goes full balls to the wall, and 'Going Down That Way' hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. Rats In The Temple remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band's metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences. 

Churning like magma beneath the Earth, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and Rats In The Temple sees the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awe-inspiring blaze. For fans new and longstanding, you cannot escape them; they’re through the walls.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are:
​​Eric A.K. Knutson - Vocals
Michael Gilbert - Guitars
Steve Conley - Guitars
William Bodily - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums
 
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Online:
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
NAPALM RECORDS

Track list:
1. Harvesting the Hate
2. Damnation
3. Absolution
4. Blame the Knife
5. Rats in the Temple
6. The Ghost behind my Door
7. First on the Spike
8. The Edge of Nowhere
9. Last Rites
10. A Taste for War
11. Her Blood your Pain
12. Anthem for the Broken
13. Not Going down that Way

Rats In The Temple Will Be Available in The Following Formats:

2-LP Gatefold (White Label Edition), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Splattered Vinyl), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Solid Red), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Black)
1-CD Digisleeve
Digital Album

Photo Credit: Cesar Cifuentes

Southern California punk-rock veterans zebrahead continue the rollout of their forthcoming EP O with the release of their latest single and video, 'Happy Endings at the Movies'.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/VfBkRD9On20

Stream the song here: https://lnk.to/ZH_HappyEndings

'Happy Endings at the Movies' marks the fifth song unveiled from O, due 12th August. The song follows 'A Perfect Life Is Such A Bore,' 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' 'Burn Burn Burn,' and 'Smoke Signals From My Couch'. Hear the songs HERE.

zebrahead features Ali Tabatabaee (vocals, rhymes), Adrian Estrella (vocals, guitar), Ben Osmundson (bass), Dan Palmer (guitar), and Ed Udhus (drums).

The upcoming EP completes zebrahead's ambitious conceptual EP series - III, II, I, and now O. Throughout the series, the band have continued to evolve its sound while remaining true to the infectious hooks, high-energy performances, and genre-blending style that have made zebrahead international genre-disrupters for decades.

The band shares: "'Happy Endings at the Movies' is about coming to terms with the fact that life rarely goes the way you planned. We all have regrets, moments we'd take back, and times when it feels like we're unraveling under the weight of our own choices," says Tabatabaee. Udhus adds, "I hope people hear it, turn it up, and realize they're not the only ones trying to figure it all out."

Osmundson explains, "The title is a reminder that perfect endings belong in the movies. Real life is full of loose ends, unanswered questions, and the weight of wondering what could've been,” and Palmer says, "We're bringing the pop punk back on this one...with a zebrahead twist."

Since forming in the late 1990s, zebrahead have sold more than two million albums worldwide, earned a Grammy nomination through a collaboration with Motörhead, and built a reputation as one of punk rock’s most explosive live acts. Their career includes performances at Reading and Leeds, Download Festival, Rock am Ring, Fuji Rock, Summersonic, Slam Dunk, Vans Warped Tour, and countless sold-out headline shows around the world.

After nearly a decade of operating independently, the band continues to thrive through a DIY approach that has allowed them complete creative freedom. With O arriving 12th August and more music and videos on the way, zebrahead continue to prove that their momentum is only getting louder.

Upcoming Live Dates:

08 Aug 2026 - Rock La Cauze Festival - Victoriaville/Quebec
14 Aug 2026 - SummerSonic Festival - Tokyo, Japan
15 Aug 2026 - SummerSonic Festival - Osaka, Japan

zebrahead’s - 30 Years of Wrecking Europe Tour
(w/ support from Punk Rock Factory)

13 Nov 2026 - Resonanzwerk - Oberhausen, DE ~
14 Nov 2026 - Garage – Saarbrücken, DE ~
15 Nov 2026 - Kulturzentrum Schlachthof  – Bremen, DE  %
16 Nov 2026 - Tivoli Pandora – Utrecht, NL 
17 Nov 2026 – Dynamo - Eindhoven, NL 
18 Nov 2026 – Zappa – Antwerp, BE 
19 Nov 2026 – Atelier – Luxembourg, LU 
20 Nov 2026 - La Maroquinerie – Paris, FR 
21 Nov 2026 - La Rayonne – Lyon, FR 
22 Nov 2026 - Legend Club – Milano, IT 
24 Nov 2026 - Kino Siska – Ljubljana, SI 
25 Nov 2026 - Boogaloo Club – Zagreb, HR 
26 Nov 2026 - Dürer Kert – Budapest, HU 
27 Nov 2026 - Ottakringer Brewery “RIOT BREW FEST” – Vienna, AT *
28 Nov 2026 – Hydrozagadka – Warsaw, PL 
29 Nov 2026 - Rock Café – Prague, CZ    
01 Dec 2026 – Löwensaal – Nürnberg, DE 
02 Dec 2026 - Backstage Werk - München, DE 
03 Dec 2026 – Longhorn – Stuttgart, DE 
04 Dec 2026 - Bergfestival – Saalfeld, AT *
05 Dec 2026 - Felsenkeller – Leipzig, DE 
06 Dec 2026 – Pavillon – Hannover, DE 
08 Dec 2026 - Live Music Hall – Köln, DE 
09 Dec 2026 - Skaters Palace – Münster, DE 
10 Dec 2026 – Metropol – Berlin, DE 
11 Dec 2026 - Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, DE 
12 Dec 2026 - Grosse Freiheit 36 – Hamburg, DE 

~ Support from Peter aus der Mozartstrasse (no Punk Rock Factory)
% Support from Indecent Behavior (no Punk Rock Factory)
* festival show (check festival site for line-up)
 
For updates and additional information, visit www.zebrahead.com.
Follow them on Instagram HERE and on Facebook HERE.

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:
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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