Photo Credit: Jacob Moinz

Alternative rock outfit Anberlin have announced CURRENCY, the band's highly anticipated ninth studio album and the first full-length release to feature Matty Mullins as lead vocalist. Marking the beginning of a bold new chapter, CURRENCY builds on the momentum of 2024's Vega, where Mullins made his recording debut on two tracks, and signals a renewed creative energy for a band that has continually evolved throughout their nearly 25-year career. Produced by the band alongside Kellen McGregor (Memphis May Fire), the eleven-track album embraces both Anberlin's storied past and an exciting future, proving that growth and reinvention can coexist without sacrificing the band's unmistakable identity.

To coincide with the album announcement, the band have released their first single from the new record 'NEVERAFTER' and accompanying music video, directed by Anberlin drummer Nathan Young, and Jacob Moniz.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/lGZr-AO4Swc

Pre-order CURRENCY here: https://anberlin.lnk.to/CURRENCY

On the new record, vocalist Matty Mullins shares “The overall theme of CURRENCY is what happens after everything you built your identity on falls apart. It’s a journey through heartbreak, loss, addiction, shame, and the lies we tell ourselves. Instead of staying in the wreckage, it’s about finding the strength to face the truth, let go of what was killing you, and become someone new. I believe that healing doesn’t begin when the pain ends, it begins when you finally stop running from it.”

Rather than looking back with hesitation, CURRENCY finds Anberlin moving forward with confidence. Drawing from a collection of previously unfinished songs while giving Mullins the space to leave his own creative mark, the album balances soaring rock anthems with deeply reflective moments, exploring themes of perseverance, vulnerability, and hope. Featuring standout tracks including 'Neverafter,' 'Highstakes,' and the emotionally resonant 'Trenches' featuring Switchfoot, CURRENCY reaffirms Anberlin's commitment to creating music that connects through honesty and resilience. More than simply the next album in the band's catalogue, CURRENCY is a statement of renewal—one that celebrates where Anberlin has been while embracing everything that lies ahead.

Anberlin will hit the road with longtime friends and alternative rock mainstays Switchfoot for an extensive run of tour dates later this year. The tour brings together two of the genre's most enduring and influential bands, giving fans the opportunity to experience Anberlin's next chapter live while celebrating a catalogue that has resonated for nearly 25 years. As the band ushers in a new era with CURRENCY, the upcoming shows promise a dynamic set that blends beloved fan favourites with the powerful new material, underscoring the renewed energy and excitement driving Anberlin forward.

Anberlin are:
Matty Mullins (Vocals),
Christian McAlhaney (Guitar & Vocals)
Joseph Milligan (Guitar)
Deon Rexroat (Bass)
Nathan Young (Drums).

Anberlin online:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

CURRENCY track listing:

1. NEVERAFTER
2. GRAVITY
3. HIGHSTAKES
4. GHOST
5. MEDICATE
6. TRENCHES ft. Switchfoot
7. AFTERMATH
8. RELAPSE
9. DISPLACE
10. LIES
11. ASHES

Photo Credit: V. Valadez

Louisiana deathgrind powerhouse, BRAT, have released their retaliatory new track, 'Trophy Hunting', which vocalist Liz Selfish says centres around reactive abuse. “Trophy Hunting is a classic tale of older men seeking a trophy wife that they can control," explains Selfish. "The video showcases the brutal aftermath of a young wife who has had enough”.

Stream the video for 'Trophy Hunting', directed by John Coglan, here: https://youtu.be/dL-4K_GyVLo

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

Pre-order/save BRAT's Manslayer here: https://brat.ffm.to/manslayer

BRAT's eagerly awaited second album 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, garrotting thrash, and swamp-drenched hardcore for devotees of the darkest reaches of the underground. 

BRAT will tour the UK in October and November: 

Dates:

28.10 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
29.10 Manchester Star & Garter
30.10 Glasgow Room 2
01.11 Birmingham The Flapper
03.11 Bristol The Crofters Rights
04.11 London The Black Heart

The band comment: “We’re so excited to be back in the UK eating beans on toast and knocking heads.”

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

With their new single 'WILL YOU SURVIVE WHEN I DEVOUR YOUR HEARTBEAT', Leipzig based modern metalcore trio blacktoothed reach a new level of emotional and sonic intensity. 

Watch the visualizer here: https://youtu.be/A-Q8NlwU2fQ
Stream/pre-order here: https://arisingempire.com/blacktoothed 

Driven by crushing riffs, soaring melodies and emotionally charged vocal performances, 'WILL YOU SURVIVE WHEN I DEVOUR YOUR HEARTBEAT' gives shape to trauma itself. The song speaks from the perspective of an inner darkness that refuses to disappear, confronting the listener with every wound they have tried to bury. Rather than glorifying suffering, blacktoothed reveal the consequences of suppressing emotional pain until it inevitably demands to be acknowledged.

Catch the band live:
15.08.2026 I Summer Breeze Open Air I Dinkelsbühl, DE

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

Swedish metalcore phenomenon thrown return with their ferocious new single 'critic'. Sharp-tongued, crushingly heavy and unapologetically confrontational, the track takes aim at self-appointed tastemakers, performative outrage and the endless cycle of online commentary, proving once again that thrown thrive where others merely make noise.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/_ZEBPzETt80

Stream/order here: https://arisingempire.com/thrown

Fueled by venomous vocals, bone-crushing grooves and explosive breakdowns, 'critic' is a ruthless response to a culture obsessed with opinions, metrics and manufactured controversy. With "critic," thrown refuse to soften their edges or hold back their frustration. Instead, they deliver another devastating anthem built to ignite stages, silence doubters and remind everyone why they have become one of the most talked-about names in contemporary metalcore.​​

Catch the band live:
14.08.2026 I Reload Festival I Sulingen, DE
22.08.2026 I Frihamnen I Göteborg, SE
31.10.2026 I EWS Arena I Göppingen, DE
27.11.2026 I Fållan, Johanneshov I Stockholms län, SE
30.11.2026 I HUXLEY'S NEUE WELT I Berlin, DE
01.12.2026 I Raiffeisen Halle im Gasometer I Wien, AT
03.12.2026 I TonHalle München I München, DE
04.12.2026 I Schlachthof Wiesbaden I Wiesbaden, DE
05.12.2026 I Palladium Köln I Köln, DE
06.12.2026 I Elysee Montmartre I Paris, FR
08.12.2026 I Poppodium 013, Tilburg I NL
09.12.2026 I Trix I Antwerpen, BE
11.12.2026 I Manchester Academy I Manchester, GB
12.12.2026 I O2 Academy I Glasgow, GB
13.12.2026 I Troxy I London, GB

thrown online
https://www.instagram.com/thrownband
https://www.facebook.com/thrownband

Photo Credit: Jascha Kreft

In late October, Vesperian will release A New Way To Life, the debut album by Berlin-based duo Tschaikowsky & Kann. Their music moves through ambient, Krautrock and kosmische Musik in equal measure — meditative and slow-burning, with a dreamlike, introspective pull that rewards deep listening.

Ahead of the album, the duo will release a 12" maxi-single 'I Thought This Was Going To Be My Year', which will also appear on the album. The B-side holds two exclusive pieces, 'Slow Morning' and 'Slow Evening', available on vinyl only on this maxi-single. All three tracks are entirely instrumental.

Order and/or listen to 'I Thought This Was Going To Be My Year' here: https://linktr.ee/vesperian
 
Tschaikowsky & Kann are Niklas Tschaikowsky (guitars) and Leonhard Kann (synthesiser, drum computer, field recording). Their sound draws on a lineage of German electronic and experimental music — echoes of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Harmonia and Brian Eno run through it — filtered into a quieter, more contemporary register. The duo has already shared stages with artists including Hayden Pedigo, Minami Deutsch and Blood Incantation.
 
The maxi 12" is pressed on clear/light-blue vinyl, limited to 300 copies worldwide, and will not be repressed in this configuration. Further details on the forthcoming album will follow shortly.
 
The pre-order for Tschaikowsky & Kann’s debut album, A New Way To Life, will start on 15th September.

Tschaikowsky & Kann online:
tschaikowskykann.bandcamp.com/
www.instagram.com/tschaikowsky.kann

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

'I Thought This Was Going To Be My Year' tracklist:

1.    I Thought This Was Going To Be My Year (11:51)
2.    Slow Morning (11:26)
3.    Slow Evening (3:27)

Total playing time: 26:44

UK progressive metal force Exist Immortal return with their long-awaited new EP Afterglow, set for release 11th September via Seek & Strike. Alongside the announcement, the band have unveiled the EP’s title track with a striking new video.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/38zHTNbCEQY

Pre-save Afterglow here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0msR4mo0MeBoU1Qj8XjpKj?si=54698adc37ef4a9e

For Exist Immortal, Afterglow is the beginning of a new chapter for the band. Shaped by upheaval and personal struggles, it's a record that reflects where they are now, with a renewed sense of purpose moving forward. 

“The opening statement and the most complete thing we’ve made to date,” the band explain of the title track. “It sets the tone for everything the EP is about, facing the wreckage head-on and choosing to rebuild against all odds. If you want to know where we are as a band right now, start here.”

For over a decade, Exist Immortal have established themselves as one of the UK’s most distinctive progressive metal acts, combining crushing metalcore, intricate technicality, soaring melodies and contemporary pop sensibilities into a sound that refuses to sit neatly within genre boundaries. Hailing from the South East of England, the band have continually evolved while retaining a focus on music that hits with equal measures of emotional weight and sheer physical force.

That evolution reaches a new level on Afterglow.  Written during a period of profound upheaval that saw the band navigate a line-up change, personal and health challenges and a period in which their future was genuinely uncertain, the five track EP became an exercise in creative renewal and ultimately, a reaffirmation of why the band exists in the first place.

"Afterglow is the sound of us finding out what this band actually is," the band explain. "We wrote and rebuilt it through a period of real upheaval, a lineup change, personal challenges, health challenges and a stretch that tested whether we'd keep going at all. Somehow it came out the most assured, most deliberate thing we've ever made."

The resulting record is Exist Immortal at their most focused. Stripping away anything unnecessary, Afterglow is colder, heavier and more deliberate than its predecessors, with sharper songwriting, greater dynamic impact and a newfound confidence running through every moment. Technical precision sits alongside huge melodic hooks and expansive atmosphere, while every riff and arrangement serves a clear purpose.

Away from the studio, Exist Immortal have built a formidable international reputation through relentless touring across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Their explosive live show has seen them perform at Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, MetalDays, Euroblast, Maximum Rock Festival and Complexity Fest, while sharing stages with progressive heavyweights including SikTh, Textures, LANDMVRKS and Cynic. In 2022 they headlined the main stage at UK Tech-Fest, before following it up with sold-out headline tours of Mexico and Japan, further cementing their status as one of the UK's most exciting modern progressive metal exports.

Now, with a renewed creative vision driving them forward, Exist Immortal are entering their most compelling era yet. Afterglow doesn't simply mark the band's next chapter, it redefines who they are, with a sound that leans cold, precise and deliberate, built on taut songwriting, dynamic arrangements and an uncompromising approach that balances technical mastery with memorable hooks and immense weight.

For more:
Instagram || Facebook || Spotify 

Track-list:

01 - Something, Somewhere
02 - Fail To Find
03 - Afterglow
04 - Stuck In Motion
05 - Shadow Work

Photo Credit: Cesar Cifuentes

Southern California punk-rock legends zebrahead release their new single and video, 'I Don't Know How to Put This (But I'm Kinda a Big Deal)' alongside the arrival of their new EP, O.

Watch the new video here: https://youtu.be/AMV8fXDOXqs

Listen to O here: https://lnk.to/ZEBRAHEAD_O

O physical release and merch here: https://zebrahead.myshopify.com

The release marks the completion of zebrahead's ambitious four-part conceptual EP series - III, II, I, and now O - a creative journey that has seen the band continue to evolve while staying true to the infectious hooks, explosive live energy, and genre-defying sound that has made them international fan favourites for decades.

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

"This EP feels like we tapped into something new for us," says vocalist Tabatabaee. "Everything just feels bigger, the riffs, the hooks, the verses, all of it. We didn't hold back."

"We truly believe we've captured something special," adds vocalist/guitarist Estrella. "Turn it up to eleven and lose your voices!" Guitarist Palmer agrees. "These songs are next level for us! It's got a varied mix of heavy, melodic, shred, and singalongs for days! We plan to do two things: kick ass and chew bubble gum! And we're all out of bubble gum!"

'I Don't Know How to Put This (But I'm Kinda a Big Deal)' serves as the final piece of the O collection, following previously released tracks 'Happy Endings at the Movies', 'A Perfect Life Is Such A Bore', 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', 'Burn Burn Burn', and 'Smoke Signals From My Couch'. Together, the songs showcase a band that continues to push its songwriting while delivering the massive choruses, crushing riffs, and undeniable energy that have become zebrahead trademarks.

Signed to Columbia Records while barely out of high school, zebrahead have weathered every high and low imaginable while selling more than two million albums worldwide, navigating label changes, earning a Grammy nomination for a collaboration with Motörhead, and relentlessly touring across the globe. Through it all, their chemistry and determination have never wavered.

For nearly a decade, zebrahead have embraced a completely independent approach, handling both the creative and business sides of the band themselves. "It's more fun when there is no boss," says bassist Osmundson. "And honestly, that has been the approach that has kept the band alive. Cause why do it if it isn't fun?" That DIY spirit continues to fuel a live show renowned for explosive hooks, massive riffs, and pure cathartic release. 

The band's story began with the independently released Yellow EP in 1998 before signing with Columbia Records and releasing Waste of Mind later that year. Playmate of the Year (2000) expanded their global audience, while MFZB (2003) achieved Gold status in Japan behind the hit 'Rescue Me'/ Albums including Broadcast to the World, Phoenix, Get Nice, Call Your Friends, and Walk the Plank further cemented the band's international following. In 2019, Brain Invaders arrived via MFZB Records worldwide and Avex Group in Japan, once again highlighting the band’s longevity and continued creative evolution.

With the arrival of III, II, I, and O, the band has delivered one of its most ambitious and cohesive releases to date while reaffirming why they remain one of punk rock's most enduring acts.

Upcoming Live Dates:

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.

Tracklisting:

01 Burn Burn Burn    
02 A Perfect Life is Such a Bore         
03 I Know What U Did Last Summer             
04 Smoke Signals From My Couch   
05 Happy Endings at the Movies      
06 I Don’t Know How to Put This (But I'm Kinda a Big Deal)

Australian breakthrough heavy act Future Static have announced their new album Ornaments & Memories. The news follows the release of their single of the same name, released last week.

Pre-order the new album here: https://orcd.co/ornamentsandmemories

Watch the video to 'Ornaments & Memories' here: https://youtu.be/dOvovgMeEXM

Vocalist Amariah Cook comments: “I wanted this album to display growth not just as a vocalist and song-writer but also as a human being. Since Liminality was inspired by a stagnant lifestyle, Ornaments & Memories naturally became the musical journey of what it feels like to start setting yourself up for a life worth living - settling into core values and understanding how to handle the ever-growing emotional range that comes with caring more. All of these themes came through better than I could have ever hoped pouring it all into the most dramatic and genre-bending heavy music that my best friends and I could conjure.”

Future Static’s eagerly awaited second album displays a darker and more philosophical side than their debut LP Liminality, exploring internal and external conflict, growth, change and love. Amongst bouncy riffs and soul crushing breakdowns, passionate guitar solos and leads, dramatically stacked vocal parts and frantic drum fills, this album is musically and thematically inspired by the ebbs and flows of living in a rapidly accelerating world.

Melbourne five-piece phenomenon Future Static are carving their position among the one of the most exciting forces in modern metalcore. Following the success of their #1 Australian AIR-charting debut album Liminality (2023), the band have rapidly risen through Australia’s heavy scene and beyond, earning critical acclaim from Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, and Triple J, whilst touring extensively across Australia; including supporting Babymetal, Electric Callboy, Jinjer, Enter Shikari, Don Broco, Lacuna Coil and TesseracT. International touring has included EU/UK headline shows, supporting Ankor and Humanity’s Last Breath, and multiple prestigious European festival appearances; including Sziget (HU), Radar (UK), Reeperbahn (DE) and Euroblast (DE).   

Blending technical precision with melodic chaos, Future Static's sound is both striking and emotionally raw - a reflection of personal struggle, resilience, and self-discovery. Led by their breathtaking lead vocal tandem, a magical chemistry of electrifying front-woman Amariah Cook and bassist Kira Neil, and backed by guitarists Ryan Qualizza and Jack Smith, and drummer Jackson Trudel’s intense musicality and blazing fury, Future Static have taken Australia’s live circuit by storm.   

Future Static are:
Amariah Cook - Lead Vocals
Kira Neil - Bass / Vocals
Ryan Qualizza - Guitar
Jack Smith - Guitar
Jackson Trudel - Drums

Follow Future Static:

Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Spotify
 
Follow Wild Thing Records:
Web | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube

Tracklisting: 

1. Ephemeral
2. There's Nowhere Else To Go
3. Swing
4. Dream Suite
5. The Picture in You
6. Off The Map
7. Closer Than You Think
8. Ornaments & Memories
9. State of Mind
10. Odyssey
11. Waterworks
12. Subcritical Flow
13. Lux

Photo Credit: Sam Coussens

Since emerging from Mechelen, Belgium, Hippotraktor have steadily carved out a singular artistic identity guided by an enduring commitment to exploration. Their music unfolds through carefully sculpted contrasts, where immense rhythmic force exists alongside delicate melodic detail. Moments of overwhelming intensity dissolve into passages of quiet reflection, suspended stillness erupts into visceral power and sonic chaos; their sound is a meticulously crafted interplay between movement and heaviness. Every composition feels organic, themes emerge gradually and transform unexpectedly, as deconstruction, precision and instinct are in constant negotiation. Their sound is defined by intention; every eruption, moment of restraint and subtle shift is embedded in an atmosphere of purpose.

To the joy of ear-splitters and deep-feeling appreciators of post rock, Hippotraktor will release their third studio album Annihilist on 2nd October via Pelagic Records.

Pre-order here: https://orcd.co/hippotraktor-annihilist

And today the band reveal their new single, 'Oblivion Walker', which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/2xlv8wfWJuU

Once again Annihilist showcases the band's ability to balance crushing physicality with emotional nuance, whilst pushing further into highly cultivated experimentation. For Hippotraktor, immense sonic weight coexists with remarkable clarity and depth, and through the many shifting passages and moments Annihilist becomes a journey of awe, dissolution, melancholia and rampaging power. At the heart of this album is a sense of collective inspiration. Guitarist Chiaran Verheyden's compositional vision provides the framework for music that is both intricate and instinctive, yet Hippotraktor's identity is forged through the dialogue between all five musicians.

Although often associated with progressive metal, post-metal and sludge, Hippotraktor resist classification. Their music draws freely from multiple traditions while remaining unmistakably their own, blending rhythmic complexity, cinematic atmosphere and deeply human expression into a sound that feels both expansive and immediate. From the visceral, roaring opening of 'Builder of Eden', to the deconstructed finale of 'Courageous Apathy', this album exhibits the vast arsenal at Hippotraktor's disposal.

As an album Annihilist is not only gripping in every moment and turn, but their balance of the intimate and titanic feels deceptively effortless; a testament to their galvanised abilities. Technical accomplishment is never presented as spectacle; every note exists in service of atmosphere, narrative and emotional resonance. Annihilist is undeniably heavy, yet drenched in groove and bittersweet tenderness. It is progressive without becoming self-indulgent, atmospheric without sacrificing immediacy, and emotionally expansive without relying on sentimentality. Hippotraktor crafts immersive sonic environments that invite complete surrender, where intricate musicianship and instinctive expression become indistinguishable.

Line Up:
Stefan De Graef – Vocals
Chiaran Verheyden – Guitar
Jakob Fiszer – Bass
Lander De Nyn – Drums
Kristof Du Jardin – Guitar and Vocals

Online:
Official Website
Label Page
Instagram
Facebook
Bandcamp

Track list:

1. I Breathe, I Am
2. Courageous Apathy
3. Builder of Eden
4. Oblivion Walker
5. Annihilist
6. Everything Is Permissible
7. A Different Now