Half Me detonate with their new single ‘Fear Is the New Belief’

Hold Tight!24 July 2026

HOPSYDIAN ascend with sacral ferocity on debut EP A Graceful Sin and focus track ‘HEAVENLY’

Hopsydian emerge as one of Italy’s most striking new metalcore forces, channeling worship, obsession, sin and transcendence into a sound where cinematic tension meets explosive modern heaviness. Formed in Milan in 2024, the band fuse alluring sacral atmospheres with alt metal edge and post hardcore urgency, a duality reflected in their name, born from Hope and Obsidian, symbolizing resilience, shadow and rebirth.

With their debut EP A Graceful Sin, already gaining 1 million streams, Hopsydian refine this identity into a cohesive, ritualistic experience. The record balances the holiness of gold with the darkness of transgression, shaping songs that feel both divine and dangerous. Massive choruses, sleek contemporary production and the contrasting vocal presence of Myles Idolo drive the EP’s emotional core, supported by guitarists Loris Ronchi, Nikolay Deliyski, and bassist Roberto Vezi, while the anonymous drummer adds an enigmatic edge to the band’s mythology.

The focus track ‘HEAVENLY’ stands at the centre of this release: a towering, chant ready anthem built on cinematic build ups, ritualistic undertones and eruptive metalcore power. The song embodies Hopsydian’s thematic axis, the temptation of becoming God, the collision of beauty and brutality, and the tension between devotion and self destruction. It’s a track designed to feel ascendant: shimmering, punishing, and spiritually charged.

Stream the EP and pre-order the physical here: https://arisingempire.com/hopsydian

Across A Graceful Sin, Hopsydian prove why they are rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most compelling new acts. Their blend of sacral aesthetics, modern aggression and theatrical intensity positions them as a band ready to rise, balancing worship and wrath, gold and obsidian, heaven and sin.

Catch the band live:

15.08.2026 | Summer Breeze Open Air 2026 | Dinkelsbühl, DE

Hopsydian online:
https://www.instagram.com/hopsydianofficial

Hold Tight!24 July 2026

blacktoothed surge into their heaviest chapter with new single ‘ADRENALINE’ from the upcoming album FERAL BLOOM

blacktoothed fire up their next chapter with the explosive new single ‘ADRENALINE’, taken from their upcoming album ‘FERAL BLOOM’ being released on 15th January 2027. The track captures everything the band unearthed during the album’s chaotic, emotional creation: heavier breakdowns, rediscovered shouts and the raw duality between Hendrik Rathgeber’s sharpened harsh vocals and Mathilde Keitel’s melodic edge.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/L-qF7-A12ao

Stream and pre-order here: https://arisingempire.com/blacktoothed

‘ADRENALINE’ hits fast and cuts deep, a burst of instinct, urgency and thble heavier spirit that defines 'FERAL BLOOM'. After months of unpredictable recording sessions, power outages and last‑minute pressure, blacktoothed channel that intensity into a song that feels feral, focused and fiercely alive.

With this single, blacktoothed show exactly where 'FERAL BLOOM' is heading: louder, nastier, more emotional and more honest than anything they’ve done before. It’s the sound of a band pushing themselves further and coming back stronger.

Catch the Band Live at:

15.08.2026 | Summer Breeze Open Air 2026 | Dinkelsbühl, DE

blacktoothed online:
https://www.instagram.com/blacktoothed

Hold Tight!24 July 2026

Austrian deathcore collective Castiel release new EP; drop final single 'Act IV: Empty Throne'

Austrian deathcore collective Castiel have today unveiled their devastating new EP, All Returns to Hollow and Silence, via Seek and Strike. Marking the release, the band have shared the crushing final single, 'Act IV: Empty Throne', the climactic conclusion to the record's harrowing conceptual journey through psychological collapse, emotional ruin and complete spiritual annihilation.

The final chapter follows the anguish and slow emotional decay of previous singles ‘Act I: Defile // Denounce', 'Act II: A Festering Wound' and 'Act III: Vile Spirits' arriving at the story's bleakest destination. Here, suffering no longer consumes the protagonist, it transforms them. Humanity is willingly discarded, empathy gives way to absolute numbness, and darkness becomes not an affliction, but an identity.

Drawing on vivid imagery of icy desolation, endless abysses, hollow thrones and eternal emptiness, 'Act IV: Empty Throne' captures the irreversible final stage of this descent. It is the sound of a soul severing its last emotional ties, embracing the void and emerging as something entirely unrecognisable

Watch the video for 'Act IV: Empty Throne' here: https://youtu.be/N921wr91jgs

Listen to All Returns to Hollow and Silence here.

All Returns to Hollow and Silence is a genuine step forward for the band. Drawing from a diverse range of influences, Castiel have crafted a sound that is pulled together with purpose. Firmly rooted in deathcore, the EP pushes beyond the genre confines, embracing contrast and atmosphere alongside its more destructive elements.

Speaking on the release, the band said: “This EP is heavier, more brutal but also more emotional than anything we’ve done before as a band. We’ve pushed ourselves creatively while staying true to who we are, this feels like the most complete version of Castiel yet.”

The new EP is built as a continuous story with each track acting as a chapter in a wider narrative. That idea carries through visually too, with every song set to receive its own video.

At its core, All Returns to Hollow and Silence explores the shifting relationship between two central protagonists, tracing a journey shaped by tension, transformation and emotional conflict. Subtle inspiration has been drawn from the lore of World of Warcraft, particularly the arcs of Arthas Menethil and Jaina Proudmoore.

Musically, the release channels the oppressive weight and atmosphere of Black Tongue and Humanity's Last Breath, while incorporating the raw aggression of Bodysnatcher and The Acacia Strain. The result is a record that moves seamlessly between suffocating heaviness and explosive intensity.

Emerging from Klagenfurt, Austria in 2014, Castiel quickly made their mark with their bleak atmospheres and downtempo heaviness. Early releases including their debut single 'Human Scum' and the Exitium EP (2015) set the tone, followed by Blasphemy in 2017, before lineup changes forced the band into a hiatus.

They returned in 2023 with Shadowlands, signalling a clear step up in both sound and ambition. That momentum carried into 2025’s Khaos EP, a darker, more introspective release that pushed further into themes of psychological collapse and existential weight.

Now, with their signing to Seek and Strike, Castiel enter a new chapter. All Returns to Hollow and Silence not only marks their first release under the label, but their most ambitious work to date.

Having already shared stages with the likes of Distant, Carnifex, Born of Osiris and more, the band have built a reputation for intense, no frills live shows. Stay tuned for live dates to follow.

For more:
Instagram || Facebook || Spotify

**Track-list:**
1. Act I: Defile // Denounce
2. Act II: A Festering Wound
3. Act III: Vile Spirits
4. Act IV: Empty Throne

Hold Tight!24 July 2026

French progressive visionaries Hypno5e announce new album and stream first single

French progressive visionaries Hypno5e have announced their new album Trame Noire, set for release on 6th November via Pelagic Records. They have also unveiled the first single 'Lost Fires', along with a cinematic music video.

Watch the video to 'Lost Fires' here: https://youtu.be/zhEYu0CLRI8

Stream and pre-order here: https://orcd.co/hypno5e

On the new single and video, the band comment: "This music video is built as a short film. The decor around the character slowly enters a mutable space, and unfolds as an extension of the unseen. As its contours shift and dissolve, buried layers of the self begin to emerge, not as memories to be reclaimed, but as quiet, elusive presences that have always existed beneath perception. The landscape becomes a threshold where the visible and the invisible continuously reshape one another, revealing an interior world in perpetual transformation. Rather than offering answers, the film embraces disorientation as a way of encountering what lies dormant, allowing the unknown to surface with the unsettling familiarity of something that was never truly lost."

Since 2003, Hypno5e have made a distinct, indelible mark on the progressive heavy music scene. Their self-styled ‘cinematic metal’ mixes heavy music, the avant-garde, post-rock, immersive samples and Latin American influences across widescreen songs. On their much-anticipated seventh album, Trame Noire, they continue their unique journey.

Trame Noire is named after the French term for "dark infrastructure": urban architecture designed to preserve the blackness of the night for nocturnal species. It tells the story of a protagonist who confronts his trauma over the course of one night, as every insect, every flap of a wing and every change in temperature brings back long-buried memories.

Parallel to the new album release and celebrating their over 20 years of existence, Hypno5e are releasing a complete discography 13LP boxset, which features the new album alongside the studio albums Sheol (2023), A Distant Dark Source (2019), Alba (2018), Shores of the Abstract Line (2016), Acid Mist Tomorrow (2012) as well as debut album Des Deux L’une Est L’autre (2007), the latter for the first time on vinyl.

Album opener ‘Lost Fires’ rises from lonely keys to a section driven by Jessua’s lush vocals, followed by hulking guitars. ‘Falmer’ offers some of the sweetest and hardest moments of Hypno5e’s career: a hypnotic detour evokes the prime of Pink Floyd, then crashes into a metallic thunder that sounds like Gojira gone black metal. ‘Molecular Angel’ channels old-school prog, drums clamouring beneath gorgeous singing and ambient instruments, and ‘Bare Bones’ is a guitar-powered attack, incorporating wild leads and hammering thuds. The 10-minute title track is a suitably dynamic finale, but it remains consistent in its utter, bittersweet beauty.

Trame Noire was approached quite differently to their previous work, opting for a more organic sound. The band limited their use of samples to reflect the lyrics’ focus on one voice and one character. Plus, they used a warmer, looser style of production: less traditionally tech-metal, more inspired by the masterpieces of 70s psychedelic rock.

Even the artwork – painted by Emmanuel’s father, co-lyricist and frequent collaborator Thierry Jessua – is a raw, unrefined sketch, more human than what was seen on past covers. “This time I wanted to discover another language,” Emmanuel commented. “Every album should tell its story differently. I never want Hypno5e to become predictable.”

All this evolution also reflects the fact that Trame Noire was the first album to be made from start to finish with Hypno5e’s current lineup, rounded out by co-guitarist Jonathan Maurois, bassist Charles Villanueva and drummer Pierre Rettien.
“The new lineup brings different atmospheres,” Emmanuel continues. “It doesn’t mean that Hypno5e is going to be this way forever now, but I think there was a more direct and free way of composing. Everybody had more of a say on the decisions and the structures we put on the album.”

Trame Noire is another bold statement in a career defined by non-conformity. Shorter, warmer and presented in a totally different way to previous works, it ensures that Hypno5e remain one of one, even after more than two decades.

Hypno5e are:
Emmanuel Jessua (guitar, vocals)
Jonathan Maurois (guitars)
Pierre Rettien (drums)
Charles Villanueva (bass)

Hypno5e online:
https://www.instagram.com/hypno5eofficial
https://www.facebook.com/hypno5e

**Track list:**

Side A
1. Lost Fires
2. Falmer

Side B
3. Molecular Angel
5. Bare Bones
6. Trame Noire

Hold Tight!23 July 2026

German metalcore masters Rising Insane release crushing new track 'OUTRAGE'

Building on the massive momentum of their million-streaming hit 'Good Enough', RISING INSANE unleash their visceral new single, 'OUTRAGE'. Co-produced by Steven Jones (Bleed From Within), the track stands as a crushing testament to the band's relentless creative drive and serves as the latest taste of their highly anticipated upcoming album, DEATHRACE, due out 21st August via Long Branch Records.

Reflecting on the song’s turbulent journey from the cutting room floor to centre stage, RISING INSANE share: "'OUTRAGE' is about that feeling of being stuck in your own head and unable to shake things off. The lyrics describe an inner chaos, a constant struggle with oneself, and the feeling that old thoughts and experiences are always simmering beneath the surface. 'Rip it up' served as an outlet while writing - this desire to somehow free oneself from it all, even when you know it’s not that simple. Ultimately, the biggest thanks go to Steven Jones from Bleed From Within, who saw a lot of potential in the song and helped us finish it. In the end, we can say that it was exactly the right way to go."

Watch the video to 'OUTRAGE' here: https://youtu.be/Ebs2v0ToKCA

Pre-order the new album and stream the single here: https://risinginsane.lnk.to/deathrace

Since their debut, RISING INSANE have evolved from a fierce independent quintet into a global heavy-hitter, amassing millions of streams across their previous catalogue. Their journey to the top has been defined by elite company, having shared stages with genre icons like Papa Roach, Of Mice & Men, and Stray From the Path, transforming them into an unstoppable live force.

This momentum is now reaching a fever pitch with their upcoming album, DEATHRACE. The record includes the standout track 'Good Enough' (feat. CASKETS), alongside the dark and mature 'Error' (feat. Steven Jones of Bleed From Within). Fans can also look forward to explosive new collaborations on the album with ACCVSED and David Schneider (The Butcher Sisters).

DEATHRACE marks the band’s most radical chapter yet, stripping away polished refinement in favour of raw power and primal riffs. It is a limit-breaking statement that finally pushes their sound to the absolute limit - RISING INSANE have never stood still, but now they are finally flooring it.

RISING INSANE are:
Aaron Steineker - Vocals
Sven Polizuk - Guitar
Ulf Hedenkamp - Bass
Florian Köchy - Guitar
Robert Kühling - Drums

Rising Insane are:
https://risinginsane.de
https://www.tiktok.com/@rising_insane
https://www.instagram.com/rising_insane
https://www.facebook.com/risinginsaneband

Tracklisting:

1 INTRO
2 DEATHRACE
3 COUNTDOWN
4 OUTRAGE
5 TRAUMATIZED
6 DARK FEAT. **ACCVSED**
7 NARCISSIST
8 DIRT
9 GREY FEAT. **DAVID SCHNEIDER**
10 ERROR FEAT. **STEVEN JONES**
11 GOOD ENOUGH FEAT. **CASKETS**

Hold Tight!23 July 2026

Dreadnought release new single / video 'The Archive' via Vesperian

Dreadnought are back. The Colorado outfit — one of heavy music's best kept secrets and most singular voices — release their new single 'The Archive', accompanied by a music video that matches the band's ambition shot for shot: atmospheric, cinematic, and of the highest quality.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/nzJ2ha5sJcc

Stream the single here: https://tr.ee/vesperian_dreadnought

'The Archive' is taken from Wars of Spirit // Wards Of Light, Dreadnought's forthcoming album on Vesperian and the most clearly defined, most reinvented chapter of their career to date. Bending and re-coding the worlds of heavy music, the record pulls the listener through chaos, purity, and power — synthesizers and electronic elements woven seamlessly into a songwriting style more direct and engaging than ever, elevated by the masterful production of Julius Mauranen (Oranssi Pazuzu). The band themselves call it "World Building Metal Ethera," and after hearing 'The Archive,' it's hard to argue with that.

Beautiful, adventurous, and with real teeth — Wars of Spirit // Wards Of Light is coming soon on Vesperian.

Tour dates:
July 26, 2O26 - Fire in the Mountains festival

As special guest of SIGH
July 28, 2026 - Seattle, WA at El Corazon
July 29, 2026 - Portland, OR at the Star Theater Portland
July 31, 2026 - Berkeley, CA at Cornerstone
August 1, 2026 - Los Angeles, CA at 1720

Discography:
Lifewoven (2013)
Bridging Realms (2015)
A Wake in Sacred Waves (2017)
Emergence (2019)
The Endless (2022)

Dreadnought are:
Jordan Clancy: Drums, Percussion
Kevin Handlon: Bass Guitar
Kelly Schilling: Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Synth
Ryan Sims: Vocals, Guitars

Dreadnought online:
www.dreadnoughtdenver.com
www.instagram.com/dreadnoughtdenver
www.facebook.com/dreadnoughtband
www.dreadnoughtdenver.bandcamp.com

Vesperian online:
www.vesperian.world
www.instagram.com/vesperian.world/

Hold Tight!20 July 2026

Pioneering doom band Warning announce UK tour

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

Hold Tight!17 July 2026

Progressive tech metal masters Gorod unveil intense new single 'Remains'

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

Hold Tight!17 July 2026

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