Photo Credit: Defences

Following millions of streams, multiple sold-out headline tours, and appearances at major festivals including Download, Takedown, Turbulence, and Burn It Down, future alternative metal greats Defences team up with Skindred's legendary singer Benji Webbe for 'More Of Us (Than There Are Of Them)'. As one of the scene's most recognizable figures, Webbe joins the band on a fiery track inspired by the growing outrage, animosity, and political discontent of our time.

Watch the video to 'More Of Us (Than There Are Of Them) (ft. Benji Webbe)' here: https://youtu.be/wjpsDhpG6xo

Stream the single here: https://defences.lnk.to/moreofus

Singer Cherry Duesbury comments on the theme of the song: "One of the tipping points for me was seeing the first wave of ICE abductions taking place and the slew of public scandals that followed. With my immediately family living in a majority Republican state in the US, this hit home for me and struck terror in my heart more than previous news stories had. 'More Of Us (Than There Are Of Them)' came from my desire to shed a light on the growing collective consciousness awakening of recent years to combat this as the next generation enters the workforce, world leaders continue to reveal their true nature and dictators and tyrants operate above the law in plain view. I’ve been inspired by the growing feeling that more and more of us are asking ourselves ‘why is this the way things are?‘ and wanted to write a song that expressed my feeling that we’ve reached a point of no return, that the public is finally turning on the rampant institutional corruption. These whispered questions talk of upheaval and, ultimately, rebellion, and this song means to stand as an anthem as those whispers turn into screams.“

Catch the band on tour this autumn:

25.09. UK, Brighton - Heavy Foundation Fundraiser
04.11. UK, London - The Garage /w Future Palace
05.11. UK, Manchester - Academy 3 /w Future Palace
06.11. UK, Glasgow - Slay /w Future Palace
07.11. UK, Leeds - Key Club /w Future Palace

Known for their eclectic blend of synth-heavy melodies and crushing riffs, fronted by the distinctive tones of singer Cherry Duesbury, Defences have taken modern metalcore to the next level. Across a decade, two EPs, and three LPs, themes of introspection, self-reflection, and inner strength remain front and centre - delivering self-acceptance-core at its finest.

The British group has built a formidable live reputation across the UK and Europe, sharing stages with RØRY, Future Palace, Trash Boat, and Redhook alongside selling out their own headline shows and landing major festival slots. With over 15 million streams to date and features across flagship streaming playlists, Defences continue their steady rise.

Defences are:

Cherry Duesbury - Vocals
William Young - Keys, Vocals
Calum Wilmot - Guitar
Owen Hughes-Holland - Bass
Kyle Parke - Drums

Defences online:
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM
HOMEPAGE
TIKTOK

Photo Credit: Curtis Perry

Ahead of the release of his third solo album Empyrean on 11th September and a forthcoming tour with Einar Solberg, later this month, acclaimed Canadian cellist and composer Raphael Weinroth-Browne unveils the album’s emotional centrepiece, 'Dissolution'. The new track is a mesmerising deconstruction of one of J. S. Bach’s most recognisable cello melodies, which gradually fractures from Baroque elegance into distortion, noise and near-abstract sound.

Originally composed for UK contemporary dance company James Wilton Dance and their production BACH Reimagined, the track sees Weinroth-Browne push his instrument to extraordinary extremes, using layered live-looping, effects and repetition to move from a sombre, funereal reimagining of the Sarabande from Bach’s Sixth Cello Suite through an increasingly dramatic and operatic crescendo before finally dissolving into pulsating waves of noise. It is a striking embodiment of Empyrean's fascination with transformation, impermanence and the fragile boundary between order and chaos, questioning what holds music, life and existence in harmony before everything inevitably begins to dissolve.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/jXtf1D9y4sE 

Listen to 'Dissolution' here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/raphaelweinrothbrowne/dissolution

Pre-order Empyrean album here: https://raphaelweinroth-browne.bandcamp.com/album/empyrean

Comments Raphael: "'Dissolution' was originally composed for the contemporary dance production BACH Reimagined with UK-based company James Wilton Dance. It is the centrepiece of the Empyrean album, and is most certainly its emotional apex. Of everything I have released as a solo artist, this is at once my most classical and experimental work to date. 

"The piece is based around the opening melody from the Sarabande of the 6th Cello Suite by J. S. Bach. While the original movement is bright and hopeful, in a major key, here I decided to transpose it into minor, reharmonizing the melody to give it a sombre, funereal quality. The idea was to take a melody, strip it of its harmonic colouring, and gradually transform it using live looping and effects from Baroque purity into distorted noise over the course of many repeating cycles. What begins as a solemn chorale becomes a dramatic, almost operatic solo before giving way to a churning maelstrom of distortion not unlike something one might hear from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and finally dissolving into pulsating waves of noise. 

"When working on the music for the BACH Reimagined show, one of the concepts that James Wilton and I discussed was the convergence and collision of religion and science in the time of Bach and Sir Isaac Newton. With 'Dissolution', I wanted to explore that dichotomy - the intersection of beauty and abstraction - and to ask the question, “what keeps the music in harmony and prevents it from dissolving into chaos?”

"For the music video, I travelled all the way from Canada to the UK to shoot on the gorgeous north coast of Cornwall in a variety of spectacular caves, sand dunes, and in the ocean itself. Since 'Dissolution' felt like the pièce de résistance of both the BACH show and the Empyrean album, I really wanted to showcase the incredible dancing of James and Sarah with the video for this track, to highlight our collaboration and share it more widely beyond our performances on tour. The awe-inspiring power of nature and the elements is on full display here, giving the video a timeless, epic atmosphere."

The origins of forthcoming new album Empyrean itself are as cinematic as the music it contains. In 2024, Weinroth-Browne was commissioned by James Wilton Dance to compose an 80-minute score inspired by the music and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach. What emerged became BACH Reimagined: a touring multidisciplinary work exploring immortality, artistic transcendence and the pursuit of the sublime through creation.

Rather than simply reinterpret Bach, Weinroth-Browne entered into dialogue with him across centuries. The resulting compositions fuse the purity and mathematical elegance of Baroque counterpoint with distorted textures, electronic ambience and towering rhythmic weight. Tracks such as 'Speed of Light' and 'Dissolution' plunge Bach-inspired motifs into vast storms of noise and metallic tension, while the meditative 'Sanctum' evokes Sufi mysticism and devotional stillness.

“At its core,” Weinroth-Browne explains, “Empyrean is about the search for the sublime. As artists, we spend our lives trying to create something that transcends the everyday, if only for a split second, as if to glimpse eternity through a keyhole.”

Captured at Union Sound Company in Toronto immediately following the sessions for 2025’s critically acclaimed Lifeblood, Empyrean finds Weinroth-Browne operating at the peak of his creative powers. The album was recorded and engineered by Darren McGill (Rush, The Dirty Nil), mixed by Adam Noble (Leprous, Katatonia) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (Leprous), resulting in a sound both immense and intimate, every bow stroke preserved with almost tactile immediacy. Artwork comes from London-based printmaker and collage artist Cally Conway, discovered by Weinroth-Browne in Brighton during the BACH tour.

Watch the videos for previous singles 'Speed of Light', 'Reflection' and 'Evocation', and discover Raphael's breathtaking standalone interpretation of Sleep Token's 'Fall For Me' released last month, showcasing yet another side of his remarkable artistry.

The forthcoming release follows a run of widespread critical acclaim. His 2020 debut Worlds Within was praised as "masterful" and "a stunning example of less being more," while 2025's Lifeblood saw Raphael further expand his sound into rich cinematic territory, earning praise as "a triumph of vision and virtuosity" and "the most ambitious album of Weinroth-Browne's career."

That same fearless boundary-pushing has made Weinroth-Browne an essential figure within modern progressive music. His cello work can be heard on hundreds of studio albums, including Woods of Ypres’ Juno Award-winning W5: Grey Skies & Electric Light and across many major film and TV soundtracks. Viral interpretations of Opeth, Katatonia and Steven Wilson have drawn direct praise from the artists themselves, further cementing his reputation as a boundaryless interpreter and composer.

Since joining Norwegian prog visionaries Leprous in 2016, he has performed over 200 shows worldwide and contributed to three of their studio albums, helping redefine the role of cello in progressive heavy music. Beyond Leprous, he has shared stages with Evanescence, Apocalyptica and Devin Townsend.

As a solo artist, Weinroth-Browne has become an ambassador for what the cello can be in the 21st century. He has made waves at prestigious festivals such as the Cello Biennale Amsterdam and the International Cello Festival of Canada and has opened for artists ranging from Polish neoclassical pianist Hania Rani to Nordic folk ensemble SKÁLD and Danish prog metal masters VOLA.

With a busy year of live performances, including a recent European tour with Earthside and an upcoming run alongside Einar Solberg, Raphael Weinroth-Browne continues to expand the possibilities of the cello. With Empyrean arriving later this year, he further cements his reputation as one of the instrument's most adventurous and distinctive modern voices.

Catch Raphael Weinroth-Browne live on the following dates:

September 18 – The Garage, London, UK (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 19 – Café de la Danse, Paris, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 20 – Le Rex, Toulouse, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 21 – La Rhapsodie, Biarritz, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 22 – Mouco, Porto, Portugal (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 23 – República da Música, Lisbon, Portugal (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 25 – Be Prog! My Friend, Barcelona, Spain (with Einar Solberg)
September 26 – L’Ampérage, Grenoble, France (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 27 – Euroblast Festival, Cologne, Germany (with Einar Solberg)
September 29 – Hype Park, Kraków, Poland (solo and with Einar Solberg)
September 30 – Lido, Berlin, Germany (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 1 – Gebläsehalle, Neunkirchen, Germany (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 2 – Werkk Kulturlokal, Baden, Switzerland (solo and with Einar Solberg)
October 4 – ProgPower Europe, Baarlo, Netherlands (with Einar Solberg)
October 7 - Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham, UK (BACH Reimagined with James Wilton Dance)
October 23 - Guelph, ON - Silence
October 24 - Guelph, ON - Silence
October 29 - Toronto, ON - Burdock Music Hall
November 6 - Ottawa, ON - Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre

Raphael Weinroth-Browne online:
Official Website || Facebook | Instagram || Youtube ||  X || Bandcamp || Tik Tok 

Empyrean Tracklist: 

1. Speed of Light
2. Remnant
3. Evocation
4. Murmuration
5. Integration
6. Dissolution
7. Sanctum
8. Reflection
9. Empyrean 

Rising alternative heavy act PLUME return with their striking new single 'My Cortisol Face', the final release before their highly anticipated debut album Saferooms & Healing Frequencies arrives on 25th September  via Arising Empire.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Lqy0Mc8K0AY

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

Blurring the lines between hyperpop shimmer, emotional metalcore and futuristic electronic production, 'My Cortisol Face' captures PLUME at their most vulnerable and volatile. Glittering electronics collide with crushing guitars, ethereal clean vocals and piercing screams, creating a track that feels equally fragile, chaotic and euphoric.

Lyrically, the song dives headfirst into anxiety, distorted self perception and the exhausting battle against your own reflection. Images of glitter caught in the throat, ribs beneath paper thin skin and rehearsed smiles paint an unsettling picture of someone desperately trying to maintain the surface while everything underneath begins to fracture. The recurring question of whether this experience is a nightmare or everything they have been dreaming about sits at the emotional core of the track.

That conflict erupts in the chorus, where pain and style become almost inseparable. 'My Cortisol Face' transforms inner turmoil into something strangely beautiful, balancing vulnerability with an undeniable sense of attitude and immediacy. As the song builds towards its desperate final moments, repeated questions of whether the pain will ever end underline the feeling of being trapped in an emotional freefall.

The single follows PLUME’s recent releases 'Digital Waterboarding', 'Furious Icon', 'Angel Engine' and 'A Cure For A Knife’s Blade', each revealing another side of the band’s rapidly evolving sonic identity. Since signing with Arising Empire earlier this year, the German four piece have continued to establish themselves as one of the most intriguing newcomers in modern alternative heavy music, combining pop sensibility with distorted guitars, synthesizers, fractured rhythms and a visual identity inspired by glam rock and contemporary digital culture.

Fronted by Pascal Pashaee alongside guitarist David Riederer, keyboardist Luka Lorch and drummer Richard , PLUME approach their music as more than a collection of songs. Their immersive live performances and carefully constructed visual world form an extension of a sound that refuses to sit comfortably within a single genre.

With their debut album Saferooms & Healing Frequencies set for release on 25th September, PLUME are preparing to bring that vision into full focus. The 13 track record represents the next major step for a band increasingly determined to reshape the boundaries between pop, metalcore and forwarKiliand thinking alternative music.

As the final glimpse of the album before its arrival, 'My Cortisol Face' feels like a fitting statement of intent: intimate, dramatic, unpredictable and unapologetically PLUME.

Catch the band live:
​
19.09.2026 I Le Petit Salon I Lyon 07, France

PLUME online:
https://www.instagram.com/plumeofficial

French modern metalcore force REVNOIR return with their powerful new single 'Fracture', a gripping anthem that channels fear, resistance and the determination to keep fighting when hope feels increasingly difficult to hold onto. The release also marks the beginning of the pre-order for the band's highly anticipated debut album, Sometimes I feel you, sometimes I don't, set for release on 27th November via Arising Empire.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vwIbTw6mOSA

Pre-order the album here: https://arisingempire.com/revnoir

Described by the band as "a collective cry of resistance: the surrounding fear, and, in spite of it all, the refusal to give up," 'Fracture' captures the tension of living in a world where silence, uncertainty and helplessness can become overwhelming.

Built around the question of whether we simply stand by or find the courage to speak up, the track moves between raw vulnerability and outright defiance. Its lyrics paint a bleak picture of fear taking hold, voices being swallowed before they can be heard and people desperately searching for better days. Yet beneath that darkness lies a powerful sense of unity. "Fracture" ultimately refuses resignation, transforming anxiety and isolation into a collective call to stand together.
Musically, REVNOIR deliver one of their most commanding statements to date. Stunning vocals collide with intricate, virtuosic instrumentation and colossal modern production, steadily building toward a towering and unforgettable chorus. Heavy, atmospheric and deeply emotional, 'Fracture' showcases the band's ability to balance vulnerability with sheer force while pushing their distinctive take on modern metalcore further forward.

Since emerging in 2023, REVNOIR have quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting new names in the French and European modern metal scene. Across their first two EPs and subsequent releases, the band have already accumulated more than 8 million streams, while their rapid rise earned them the title of Best Breakthrough Artist at Les Foudres 2025. Their growing reputation has also taken them to major stages across Europe, including Hellfest Main Stage, alongside extensive touring and festival appearances.

Their momentum has been equally evident on the live front. Following sold-out headline shows in Paris, REVNOIR have continued to expand their reach beyond France, including a European tour alongside Future Palace, proving that the intensity and emotion behind their music translate just as powerfully to the stage.

With 'Fracture', REVNOIR now open the next chapter of their journey as the pre-order for their debut album Sometimes I feel you, sometimes I don't .begins

REVNOIR online:
https://www.instagram.com/revnoir_

Photo Credit: Robert John

Gearing up for the release of the highly anticipated 50th anniversary album, Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 (out this Friday, 4th September, Napalm Records), heavy metal force ACCEPT have unveiled the final single of the record.

Today they release a new re-recorded version of 'Losers and Winners'. Originally appearing on Balls to the Wall (1983), the re-rendition of the track shines with guest vocals by Hansi Kürsch, guitar by Paul Gilbert, bass by Chuck Garric and Tommy Aldridge on drums.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/PCVldz0LkYM

Wolf Hoffmann about 'Losers and Winners':

“We’ve known Hansi for a long time. Funnily enough, we’ve never really toured together or hardly ever played at festivals together, but we’ve known and respected each other for many years. They’ve been around forever. I thought Hansi would be a cool guy for that song, and lo and behold, he did a fantastic job. I really like how much effort people put into it. Nobody phoned it in and did a half-assed job. Everyone gave it all.”

Marking ACCEPT's 50th anniversary, Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 contains 19 re-recorded songs from the band's iconic catalogue, produced, mixed, and mastered by the legendary Zeuss, and features 50 A-list guest artists. The fourth single off of the album, 'Losers and Winners' serves as further impressive proof of ACCEPT staying relevant and powerful throughout their 50-year career.

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.

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.

ACCEPT are:

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

ACCEPT online:
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

French sludge metal quartet Love Sex Machine will release their mighty new album Thriving on 13th November via Pelagic Records.

In celebration, the group have streamed the first single from the record, the vicious 'The Herd'.

Watch: https://youtu.be/vCNQFoT1mIQ

Stream: https://orcd.co/lsm-thriving

The band comment: "This song is about being processed in a slaughterhouse run by cows. Probably unbearable. So is the song."

Formed in Lille, France, Love Sex Machine have spent more than a decade developing one of the most recognisable strains of contemporary sludge. From their earliest recordings the band established an approach built around weight, repetition and confrontation, stripping heavy music down to its most physical components while retaining a distinct sense of brutal humour. Love Sex Machine continue to expand through sludge, post-metal, post-hardcore and blackened extremity as a band with zero interest in restraint or convention.

Uncompromising, darkly humorous and physically overwhelming, Love Sex Machine‘s new album Thriving is “…uglier, more direct and more violent than anything we’ve done.“ Though routed in a violent approach to sludge, the band constantly distort that foundation through the angular precision of modern metal, the tension of post-hardcore and the colder, more hostile colours of black metal. The songs arrive and sustain such density and repetition that their massive depth of sound is unapologetically abrasive; rattling listeners to the core and giving direct access to the human shadow in all its vile glory.

Short and brutally immediate compositions give Thriving a particularly urgent character, whilst each song stands unique in the onslaught of ear-drums and curdling flesh. The result is music that is filthy yet precise, punishing yet strangely catchy, ugly yet meticulously constructed. Love Sex Machine make heaviness itself the organising principle, and then find increasingly inventive ways to make it stampede over all expectations and sensibilities.

Love Sex Machine online:
https://www.instagram.com/lovesexmachineband
https://lovesexmachine.bandcamp.com/album/love-sex-machine

Love Sex Machine are:

Xavier - Drums and Backing Vocals
JB - Guitar and Backing Vocals
Laurent - Bass and Backing Vocals
Yves - Guitar, Lead Vocals and Mix

Tracklisting:

1. Yellow Is Dead
2. Borrow The Will
3. The Herd
4. Dig
5. Holy Filth
6. Awaken
7. Born Erased
8. Polymorphism
9. Ultrasatan
10. Amputation
11. Thriving

Photo Credit: Oyèmi Hessou

Ahead of their performances at Reeperbahn Festival (Germany) and Envol et Macadam Festival (Canada) alongside Hatebreed and Despised Icon, Berlin-based trio LUTHER present their new single 'Five of Cups'.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/TCkGP45KyLc

Stream here: https://luther.lnk.to/fiveofcups

“The lyrics tell the true story of a trip to Naples, where a vacation turns into an unexpected journey through mystical and folkloric experiences, including a prophetic tarot reading and a series of appearances of occult signs. These forced encounters trigger a harsh but inescapable revelation: sometimes in life, no one is ever completely on your side, and many of those around you may only be there to pick at the remains", explains singer Leo Luther.

Following a breakout start with their June 2025 debut 'Next Time Send a Killer' - which landed them support slots with Escuela Grind, Silly Goose, Predatory Void, and Urne - the band quickly doubled down with their Long Branch Records debut, 'Giving The People What They Want'. Backed by hype from major scene creators like Kasey Karlsen, Dominik Artefex, and Moo Smith, US radio airplay on SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal, and 2026 festival slots including Rock For People, the band keeps the momentum going with a provocative question: “Is Progressive Post-Hardcore Back?!”

The track showcases a new facet of LUTHER's sound. Whereas the last single drew heavily from nu-metal and deathcore influences, 'Five of Cups' explores progressive post-hardcore and melodic alternative metal - with a hint of emo. This sonic spectrum appeals to fans of bands such as Loathe, Knocked Loose, Poppy, Korn, Kim Dracula, and The Mars Volta. 

Production, mix, and mastering were handled by Enrico Tiberi, current lead vocalist of The Ocean Collective.

Emerging from Berlin’s underground metal and alternative scene in late 2024, LUTHER hit the ground running in 2025 with their debut single, 'Next Time Send a Killer', igniting big organic hype across social media and streaming platforms. Fresh off their recent performance at Rock for People 2026 in Czechia, the band has now been confirmed for Reeperbahn Festival 2026. Adding to the momentum, an invitation to Canada recently followed: at Envol et Macadam Festival in Quebec City, LUTHER will share the stage with heavyweights like Bad Religion, Hatebreed, and Despised Icon.

Stylistically influenced by powerhouses like Korn, Loathe, Grayhaven, The Mars Volta, and System of a Down, the band’s highly anticipated debut album is currently in the works. More details to follow soon.

LUTHER online:

https://lutherofficial.com
https://www.instagram.com/luther_band
https://www.tiktok.com/@luther.band

Photo Credit: Pep Williams

Metal juggernauts Darkest Hour have announced the release of their 11th studio album, Suffer Divine, which will land 30th October via MNRK Heavy. Recorded with producer Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse) across 11 ferocious tracks, Suffer Divine distils everything Darkest Hour loves about heavy music from force to spirit. 

In celebration, the band have released the crushing and vengeful title track.

Listen: https://darkesthour.ffm.to/sufferdivine
Watch: https://youtu.be/wb3cAMPkOkI

Vocalist John Henry says, “Our first single and title track of the new album Suffer Divine is about justice and accountability. This one goes out to anyone who chooses to push and peddle hatred and division, to anyone who would break down others to feed their sadistic, insatiable ego." 

Darkest Hour’s music carries the passion, pressure, and purpose of hardcore with an unapologetic reverence for melodic riffs, death metal stomp, speed, and twin-guitar harmonies. The band’s forthcoming album Suffer Divine is a no-holds-barred, invigorated slab of aggression where hardcore urgency and emotional meaning behind every note continue to power their metal obsessions with tone, attack, and riffs. 

Guitarist Mike Schleibaum says, "This album is so special to us. We’ve had the support of an amazing team at the label, the incredibly talented Mark Lewis, and each other as we have navigated the process that gave birth to Suffer Divine. The result is one blistering album. It’s full of rage, thrash, and aggression but also feels musically dense. Sonically, this is an album born out of love for things like melodic death metal.

"Conceptually, the album touches on the idea that you can derive self-worth (and some value) from your own suffering. In fact, the creation of this album was the personification of that actual act. There is so much rage, anger, and pain put into this record, yet at the same time it holds in itself so much hope. It’s equal parts hope, rage, and empathy."

Darkest Hour will also perform as direct support for Fear Factory on U.S. dates this autumn.

After three decades of defining the intersection of melodic death metal and hardcore, Darkest Hour continue to deliver music as vital as it is visceral. Darkest Hour clawed their way out of the DMV area in 1995. Throughout the ensuing years, they tallied tens of millions of streams and quietly built a diehard fan base. Circling the globe, they packed hundreds of shows and touched down on every continent, save Antarctica. Along the way, they notably notched five Top 3 debuts on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart. 2017’s Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora marked the group’s third #1 bow on the latter in addition to crashing the Top 10 of the Top Vinyl Albums Chart.

Darkest Hour are:
John Henry – vocals
Mike Schleibaum – guitar
Nico Santora – guitar
Aaron Deal – bass
Travis Orbin – drums

For more information:
https://www.instagram.com/darkest_hour_official 
https://twitter.com/darkesthourrock 
https://www.facebook.com/DarkestHourDudes/ 
https://www.tiktok.com/@darkest.hour.official 
https://www.youtube.com/@darkesthourdudes
https://www.mnrkheavy.com

Suffer Divine Tracklist:
1. All Cruelty Springs From Weakness
2. Gods of Decay
3. No Conquered Hearts
4. Salvation
5. Suffer Divine
6. Warrior 
7. Vile Angel
8. The Unforgiving Hand
9. Tribalist 
10. Everyday Horrors
11. A Story of Redemption

Photo Credit: Pelagic Records

The Ocean today release their new single 'Ultima Esperanza', the first half of the 20-minute closing piece of Solaris, their forthcoming 12th studio album (25th September, Pelagic Records).

Watch: https://youtu.be/FGvFf1dh_Uc

Ultima Esperanza (Spanish for “last hope”) is the name of the southernmost province on the South American continent, named after the inlet known as Última Esperanza Sound. The inlet was given its name by Spanish navigator Juan Ladrillero in 1557, who hoped it would offer a passage to the Strait of Magellan. Instead, it leads to a glacier - and ultimately, a dead end.

The band comment: "'Ultima Esperanza' explores the intrinsically human notion of hope as the driving force behind all explorative endeavours, and loss thereof. It is a reflection on mental resilience, tracing the different stages of losing hope and the mind’s remarkable tendency to keep projecting it even onto the most dire realities, as an instinctive means of survival."

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

Featuring members from six different countries in the core line up, The Ocean returns to their collective formation and is able to draw on the experiences and talents of a pool of extraordinary musicians. The Ocean’s signature atmospheric post-metal is embellished by the adventurous spirit of their new members, as well as the impressive contribution of Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream on keys.

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. 

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.

The Solaris album artwork is a collaborative effort by German artist Phillip Janta (Metallica, Queens Of the Stone Age, Envy) whose distinctive, highly detailed line work is instantly recognisable, and Norwegian artist Martin Kvamme who is the graphic designer behind most of Mike Patton's numerous projects. The deluxe version of the album will be accompanied by a hardcover, fabric-wrapped book with copper hot foil print, printed inner sleeves, a 32 pages book, seven art prints by Phillip Janta as well as a customised, retro-futuristic star constellation finder.

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