News

• METATRONE Unveils New Single “Stato Infame” From New Album SANGUEACQUA

  Mar 11, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Italian Christian power-prog metal band Metatrone returns with the new single “Stato Infame”, alongside an official lyric video. The track is the third preview from the band’s upcoming album “SANGUEACQUA”, scheduled for release on March 13th, 2026, from Rockshots Records, marking the group’s long-awaited return ten years after their acclaimed album "Eucharismetal".

  Following the previously released singles “Emmaus” and “Facsimile”, “Stato Infame” further reveals the musical and conceptual direction of the new record. Musically, the song combines Metatrone’s trademark blend of European power metal energy, progressive structures, and sharp thrash-driven riffing supported by the dynamic interplay between Jo Lombardo’s commanding lead vocals and the distinctive vocal contributions of keyboardist David Brown.

  Lyrically, “Stato Infame” addresses the humiliation and oppression of collective identity under abusive political power. The song depicts a society where the dignity of an entire people is mocked, manipulated, and ultimately crushed by authority - a warning shaped by historical memory and moral responsibility. Within the broader concept of “SANGUEACQUA”, the track represents one of the album’s most direct and uncompromising statements about identity, freedom, and resistance.
  ​
  The upcoming album “SANGUEACQUA” stands as a manifesto of identity for the band - both human and artistic. Across its eight tracks, Metatrone explores different dimensions of identity: personal, spiritual, cultural, and collective. The result is a record that merges melodic power metal roots with a sharper, more aggressive sonic approach while preserving the band’s unmistakable stylistic signature.

  After years marked by lineup changes, personal challenges, and the global pandemic, “SANGUEACQUA” represents a powerful statement of resilience and rebirth for the band.

  Just one day after the album’s release, Metatrone will perform at the prestigious Elements Of Rock Festival in Uster, Switzerland, on March 14th, 2026, one of the most important events in the international Christian metal scene. The appearance will mark the band’s official return to the stage with the new material.

  With “Stato Infame”, Metatrone delivers a fierce and uncompromising chapter in the story of “SANGUEACQUA”, reaffirming their identity as one of the most distinctive voices in European Christian metal.

  For fans of: Theocracy, Stratovarius, Angra

  DIGITAL: https://lnk.to/uvhvyy​
  ​​
  New album “SANGUEACQUA” out March 13th, 2026 as CD / DIGITAL

  PRE ORDER "SANGUEACQUA": https://rockshots.eu/products/metatrone-sangueacqua-cd​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Fuori dal tempio – 3:42
  2. Stato Infame – 4:09
  3. Emmaus – 4:19
  4. Facsimile – 4:41
  5. I Want Out (Helloween cover) – 4:44
  6. Il mio dolore – 4:36
  7. Un nome nuovo – 3:59
  8. Anima Christi – 3:09
  ​
  ​Metatrone Line-Up:​
  Jo Lombardo: Lead Vocals, Keyboards
  Stefano "Ghigas" Calvagno: Guitars, Bass
  David Brown: Keyboards, Clean Vocals, Growl
  Simone Alberti: Drums

  More info:​
  ​https://www.rockshots.eu | https://www.facebook.com/metatroneband/ | https://www.facebook.com/metatroneband/

  Read more

• ARMSTRONG METALFEST Announces 2026 Lineup w/ RIVERS OF NIHIL, DYING FETUS, CYBORG OCTOPUS, INTO ETERNITY, FERVENCE, VINTERSEA and more!

  Mar 9, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  ARMSTRONG METALFEST is proud to announce their most devastating lineup to date for 2026 with co-headliners RIVERS OF NIHIL and DYING FETUS, along with CYBORG OCTOPUS, INTO ETERNITY, FERVENCE, VINTERSEA, LYCANTHRO, IRON KINGDOM, ODINFIST, ART OF ATTRITION and many more!

  The loudest and most extreme music festival returns for its 16th year of delivering British Columbia, Canada's ultimate mountain mosh pit on July 17 and 18, 2026, at the Hassen Arena in the Okanagan town of Armstrong. Fans can look forward to two full days of moshing, headbanging, thrash wrestling, and camping.

  Check out the festival Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jvJmitxkamWl1FaGxcUmr​

  Early bird tickets have already sold out, with advance pre-sale tickets now available until midnight (PST) on July 9th.

  Festival passes are available at: https://armstrongmetalfest.ca/tickets/

  All prices apply to full weekend passes and are subject to applicable taxes. Each weekend pass grants general admission and access to the festival grounds, camping area, and arena from 9:00 AM on Friday, July 17, 2026, until 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 18, 2026. Free camping is included.

  ​(Tickets will be mailed starting after March 9th if you have chosen the “Ticket Mailed” option.)

  Headlining opening night, Friday, July 17th, Reading, PA progressive/technical death metal juggernauts Rivers of Nihil bring their blend of crushing heaviness with atmospheric and experimental elements to the Okanagan. They’ve become one of the most forward‑thinking acts in modern extreme metal. Their breakthrough album, Where Owls Know My Name, charted on the Billboard 200, cementing their reputation for pushing genre boundaries. The band has released five studio albums, including their most recent self‑titled record, Rivers of Nihil (2025), which marks a new era with a refreshed lineup and an evolution of their sound.

  ​

  Joining them on opening night is San Francisco’s Cyborg Octopus, a genre‑bending force blending progressive metalcore with jazz, funk, electronic music, and experimental rock. Known for high‑energy performances and boundary‑pushing musicianship, they’ve become a standout act in the Bay Area metal scene. Their acclaimed releases Between the Light and Air (2022) and Bottom Feeder (2024) showcase their mix of technical precision, sci‑fi themes, and adventurous songwriting, making them one of the most exciting and eclectic bands in modern progressive metal.

  ​

  A highlight for Friday night is up-and-comers Fervence, a progressive metalcore band originally from Reno, NV, now based in Austin, TX. Their sound blends atmospheric ambience with heavy, emotionally charged intensity, drawing on influences like Deftones and Architects. After lineup changes and the addition of vocalist Stevie B, the band entered a new creative era, leading to their signing with Metal Blade Records in 2025. Their debut album, Ghost (2020), established their cinematic, immersive style, and they continue to build momentum through dynamic live performances and evolving songwriting. Fervence stand out for their mix of technical precision, lush soundscapes, and raw emotional weight.

  Music Video - Age of Aquarius - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsBAkPwXIb0​

  Headlining Saturday, July 18th, and closing night is legendary Dying Fetus, considered one of the most defining acts of American extreme metal. They bring decades of legacy, unmatched heaviness and nine studio albums under their belt. Their performances are known for precision, intensity, and crowd‑moving power, making them a cornerstone act for any extreme‑metal‑focused event.

  ​

  Supporting day two of AMF is Into Eternity, the Canadian (Regina, SK) progressive/melodic death‑metal veterans whose nearly three‑decade career is defined by technical precision, soaring clean vocals, fierce growls, and dramatic, forward-driven songwriting. Currently, they are finishing their long‑awaited new studio album, their first with vocalist Stu Block (ex-Iced Earth) since his return to the band. Fans will feel the emotional intensity and a powerful blend of old‑school roots and modern, boundary‑pushing metal energy that this band projects to the masses.

  ​

  Also featured on day two of the festival is Vintersea, a band whose identity is shaped by the Pacific Northwest and a blend of extreme and atmospheric metal elements. They bring a distinctive mix of melodic death metal, blackened textures, post‑metal atmosphere, and intricate musicianship, rooted in their origins in Portland and Corvallis, Oregon.

  ​

  Other standout attractions at this year’s AMF include a return from festival alumni and Vancouver heavy‑metal champions Iron Kingdom, performing in support of their upcoming sixth studio album "Shadows and Dust," arriving in June. The Okanagan’s own Odinfist will mark their 20th anniversary with a special set featuring fan favourites from across their catalogue. Also on the bill are Nott, the Seattle‑based deathcore/sludge duo known for their bleak atmosphere and Alaska‑to‑Washington roots, and Edmonton’s genre‑defying force The Judge The Juror, whose sound blends elements of PsyDeathTechProg into something entirely their own.

  Armstrong MetalFest 2026 Lineup:
  ​
  ​Friday, July 17th​
  Rivers of Nihil (Reading, PA)
  Cyborg Octopus (San Francisco, CA)
  Fervence (Austin, TX)
  Nott (Seattle, WA)
  Iron Kingdom (Vancouver, BC)
  Lycanthro (Ottawa, ON)
  W.M.D. (Vancouver, BC)
  Syryn (Calgary, AB)
  Nameless King (Vancouver, BC
  Frosthymn (Calgary, AB)
  Die Another Day (Calgary, AB)
  Pharm (Kelowna, BC)
  Storm the Empire (Kelowna, BC)
  Shotgun Divine (Nelson, BC)
  Skeksis (Vernon, BC)
  ​
  ​Saturday, July 18th​
  Dying Fetus (Baltimore, MD)
  Into Eternity (Regina, SK)
  Vintersea (Portland, OR)
  Odinfist (Okanagan, BC)
  Wych (Calgary, AB)
  Art of Attrition (Red Deer, AB)
  Fallen Sun (Prince George, BC)
  The Judge The Juror (Edmonton, AB)
  Brain Stem (Edmonton, AB)
  Gregorious (Kamloops, BC)
  Empalement (Victoria, BC)
  Broken Crow (Kamloops, BC)
  Daniel Martin & The Infamous (Edmonton, AB)
  The Collapse (Kelowna, BC)

  In addition to the performing bands, Armstrong Metal Fest will have the following on-site activities: Yeti Games, Metal Madness Market, and Thrash Wrestling.

  Please Note: Camping – RV / Non-Hookup RV / Vehicle Passes: Make sure to reserve your vehicle spot to get the best location on the grounds. A fee is required for a weekend pass per vehicle in addition to your day or weekend pass. RV hookups include water and power. If you park your vehicle outside the camping area in the main parking lot, a vehicle pass is not required.

  For more info:​
  https://armstrongmetalfest.ca/​

  ​https://www.facebook.com/armstrongmetalfest/​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/armstrongmetalfest/​
  ​
  ​https://x.com/amfcanada

  Read more

• NEFASTIS' Dark Concept Album "Shadows At The Light Of Dawn" + New Music Video "Vortex of Light"

  Mar 6, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Italian symphonic death metal band Nefastis mark the release of their new studio album “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn”, out today, March 6th, 2026, a concept work unfolding across four acts and conceived as a single, continuous sonic journey. Alongside the album release, the band also unveiled the official video for the track “Vortex Of Light”, one of the record’s most intense and dynamically layered compositions.

  Conceived as a concept album unfolding across four acts, “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn” develops as a continuous narrative and sonic journey set in a bleak post-apocalyptic world. Each act opens with an instrumental composition that introduces the atmosphere of the chapter ahead, allowing the record to evolve as a cohesive listening experience in which orchestral textures, progressive structures, and extreme metal intensity coexist within a single dramatic arc.

  Across its twelve tracks, the album blends symphonic death metal with elements drawn from classical music, progressive rock, and extreme metal traditions. Violent riff-driven passages alternate with melancholic orchestral interludes and expansive progressive arrangements, creating a constantly shifting dynamic landscape that reinforces the narrative dimension of the work.

  Following the release of the singles “Shadow Spell” and “Stardust”, the album now emerges in its complete form, revealing the full scope of the band’s vision. At the center of this new chapter stands “Vortex Of Light,” accompanied by a newly released official video. The track embodies the album’s dual identity: energetic thrash-death riffing and relentless rhythmic drive merge with symphonic layers and melodic tension, striking a powerful balance between aggression and atmosphere.

  Formed in 2008 by Andrea Lenzi and Simone Colombo, Nefastis debuted with the concept album "De Diebus Fastis, Nefastis, Infaustis". After a period of inactivity and lineup changes, the band gradually reshaped its musical identity, evolving from its original thrash/death roots toward a broader symphonic death metal direction.

  With “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn”, the band consolidates that evolution. The album expands the orchestral dimension already hinted at in earlier material while strengthening the progressive approach to songwriting, resulting in a record that is both technically intricate and narratively cohesive.

  Recorded across several studios in Italy and mixed by Frank Altare at 33Hz Studio, the album was mastered by Toni Lindgren at the renowned Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, known for his work with acts such as Angra, Amorphis, Kreator, Dimmu Borgir, and Opeth.

  Blending symphonic grandeur, progressive structures, and extreme metal intensity, “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn” represents the most ambitious and fully realized chapter in the band’s journey so far.

  For fans of: Wintersun, Hypocrisy, Fleshgod Apocalypse

  ​​

  New album “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn” out today, March 6th, 2026

  ORDER "Shadows At The Light Of Dawn"
  ​https://rockshots.eu/products/nefastis-shadows-at-the-light-of-dawn-cd​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Cosmic Silence at the Edge of the New World – 2:50
  2. Shadow Spell – 4:30
  3. Seduced by the Beauty of the Darkness – 5:05
  4. Absence of Illumination – 2:52
  5. Tears of the Past – 4:29
  6. Vortex of Light – 5:09
  7. Lights of Dawn – 3:43
  8. Alone Again – 5:57
  9. Stardust – 5:05
  10. Blackened Vision – 2:45
  11. Collapsing Dream – 8:01
  12. Flowers Swept Away by the Autumn – 5:33
  Album Length: 55:58
  ​​
  Nefastis Line-Up:​
  Simone Colombo: Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars
  Andrea Lenzi: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals, Orchestrations
  Fulvio Manganini: Bass
  Claudio Invidia: Drums
  ​
  ​More info:

  ​https://rockshots.eu/​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/nefastis.italy/​

  ​https://www.facebook.com/nefastis.italy​

  Read more

• Streaming Now! Slamming Death Metal INSECT INSIDE's New Album "Reborn in Blight"

  Mar 5, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Rising brutal death metal force Insect Inside has released their long‑awaited new album, Reborn in Blight, on March 6th, 2026, on Gore Productions. The record marks the band’s most ambitious and punishing chapter to date, merging groove‑driven slam with suffocating dark atmospheres and apocalyptic storytelling.
  ​
  Formed from the depths of the Eastern European underground, Insect Inside began as a group of friends jamming covers before evolving into a fully realized assault of tight, aggressive, insectoid‑themed brutality. Their second full‑length album pushes that identity further than ever.

  On "Reborn in Blight," Insect Inside shifts from their earlier polished production into a rawer, more visceral sonic attack, drawing heavily from influences such as Disentomb, Relics of Humanity, Cryptopsy, Defeated Sanity, and Vulvectomy. The result is a grotesque fusion of groove‑driven slam, dark brutal death metal, and bleak atmospheric tension that shapes the album’s entire arc.

  The record unfolds in escalating waves of darkness, groove, and brutality. It begins with its bleakest descent in Echoes of the Swallowed Sinners before plunging into the slam‑laden Abhorrent Landscape, bolstered by a guest appearance from Cephalotripsy’s Mr. Ochoa. Fragments erupts with chaotic, atmospheric intensity, while Putrid Lament delivers unfiltered slam. Hiveborn Abomination, featuring Defeated Sanity’s Josh Welshman, emerges as one of the album’s defining moments. The suffocating grooves of Flesh Cathedral slow the pace, Obscuration Worship sets the album’s overarching tone of overwhelming darkness, and Carnal Ruins channels classic NYDM aggression. A refined version of Parasite Messiah follows, leading into the title track, Reborn in Blight, which closes the album with a blend of speed, groove, and the band’s first-ever guitar solo, an encapsulation of everything they love about death metal.

  Lyrically, the album deepens the band’s apocalyptic world‑building, weaving short, violent narratives about humanity’s collapse and the rise of an insectoid race. The lyrical tone shifts with the music: the darker, more atmospheric tracks become increasingly poetic, while the faster, more chaotic songs lean fully into devastation.

  Despite living in different cities, Insect Inside writes collaboratively. Members compose riffs and ideas independently before refining them together, with Daniel leading the songwriting and Ivan and Daniel crafting most of the lyrics. The lineup includes: Bogdan (bass) (Cold Blooded Murder, Traumatomy), Pavel (guitar) (Ocean In My Bath), Daniel (vocals) (Nauseating, Morphogenetic Malformation), and Ivan (drums) (Nauseating).

  With "Reborn in Blight," they cement their place as one of the most exciting brutal death metal acts emerging from Eastern Europe. The band already hints at more music in the coming years, ensuring that their insectoid domination has only just begun.

  Listen to the album in full via its album stream premiere on Decibel Magazine HERE.

  Recommended for fans of Internal Bleeding, Stabbing, Devourment, and Disfigurement of Flesh, "Reborn in Blight" will be available March 6, 2026, via Gore House Productions.

  Pre‑orders are now live on Digital, Vinyl, CD, and Cassette: https://orcd.co/reborn-in-blight​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Echoes Of The Swallowed Sinners - 3:31
  2. Abhorrent Landscape (feat. Cephalotripsy) - 2:54
  3. Fragments - 2:18
  4. Putrid Lament - 3:35
  5. Hiveborn Abomination (feat. Defeated Sanity) - 2:51
  6. Flesh Cathedral - 3:00
  7. Obscuration Worship - 1:20
  8. Carnal Ruins - 2:45
  9. Parasite Messiah (feat. Pestilectomy) - 3:29
  10. Reborn In Blight - 5:22

  Album and Live Band Line Up:​
  Daniel Sementsov - Drums
  Bogdan Pisavnin - Bass
  Pavel Pleshkov - Guitar
  Ivan Tyulkin - Vocals

  More info: ​​

  ​https://gorehouseproductions.com/​

  ​https://www.facebook.com/insectinsideslam​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/insect_inside

  Read more

• Vegas Un‑Alive Fest 2026 Unleashes a Brutal Lineup Led by Decrepit Birth

  Mar 2, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  VEGAS UN ALIVE FESTIVAL announces its 2026 inaugural lineup featuring DECREPIT BIRTH, THE CONVALESCENCE, CASKET ROBBERY, PESSIMIST, CLAUSTROFOBIA, and many more.

  Rising from the ashes of Las Vegas Deathfest, VEGAS UN ALIVE FESTIVAL is bringing extreme metal back to the city with full force. Answering the call of local metalheads hungry for brutality, JJ Jackson (Moonshine Bandits) and Dave Oshann (Trip to the Morgue) have united to launch the most debaucherous mosh pit to hit Vegas.

  Hosted on Friday, March 20th, and Saturday, March 21st, at the Divebar (4110 S. Maryland Pkwy), extreme metal fans can expect a full‑scale festival grounds featuring two stages, 25 bands from across the globe, custom cars and bikes, tattoo artists, freakshow acts, firebreathers, and plenty of food and drink. Anticipation is sky‑high, and a metal-hungry crowd is expected as this new chapter begins with two stages and 25 bands of punishing and relentless death metal.

  Festival Weekend Passes available at https://www.ticketor.com/unalivefest/tickets​

  Single Day Ticket - https://www.ticketor.com/unalivefest/tickets​

  Facebook Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/s/vegas-un-alive-fest-2026/605964475895162/​

  ​Festival Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28iDiMbYVJ7rLPOWqWreI5

  Headlining the festival on Saturday, March 21st, on the Death or Glory Stage, DECREPIT BIRTH continues to push forward as one of technical death metal’s most enduring forces. With their signature blend of hyper‑technical riffing and cosmic brutality, the Santa Cruz veterans continue to uphold their reputation as one of the genre’s most formidable live acts. The band is performing at Vegas Un Alive Festival as their Las Vegas tour stop during their 2026 "The Uncreation of Civilization West Coast Tour".

  ​Co-headlining the Death or Glory Stage, symphonic deathcore juggernauts THE CONVALESCENCE are stopping at the festival as part of their "Celebrating 10 Years of Poison Word Tour". The band unleashed their newest music video, “Bloodletter,” a dark, cinematic release featuring a guest appearance by Ricky Myers of Suffocation.

  Headlining the Divebar Stage on Saturday, March 21st, CASKET ROBBERY is a death metal act with a horror and industrialized edge from Wisconsin, USA. Their trademark huge riffs and unsettling melodies create an unrelenting, brutally catchy, and eerie sound that has surfaced a die-hard following. The band delves into occultist themes and the horrors of the human condition, which has been masterfully captured on their sophomore album‘Rituals Of Death'. The album was mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy guitarist Christian Donaldson (The Agonist, Ingested, Signs Of The Swarm) and received critical media acclaim. With supports alongside acts such as Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Psycroptic, performances across North America, and many festival appearances, including Milwaukee Metal Fest, the path of Casket Robbery is unstoppable.

  ​Co‑headlining the Divebar Stage, extreme‑metal veterans PESSIMIST, born from Baltimore’s early ’90s death‑metal underground, have long carved out their own territory with a vicious blend of technical precision, old‑school thrash influence, and a relentlessly dark, sinister atmosphere. The band is now gearing up for the release of "Keys to the Underworld," their first full‑length album in over two decades, with early previews hinting that it may be their most uncompromising and extreme material yet.

  ​Headlining opening night, Friday, March 20th at Divebar, CLAUSTROFOBIA, originillay formed in Brazil in 1994 by brothers Marcus and Caio D'Angelo, and now headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, the band boasts of a career spanning nearly three decades, a discography comprising seven full-length albums and a DVD release, a multitude of international tours, high-profile live performances sharing stages with the likes of Iron Maiden, Slayer and Anthrax and countless fans all over the world.

  ​

  Friday, March 20th​
  Doors - 6:30 pm

  Claustrofobia
  Rottenness
  Scattered Guts
  Lacabra
  Anubis
  Papsmear
  Last Rites
  ​
  ​Saturday, March 21st​
  Doors - 2:30 pm

  Death or Glory Stage​
  Decrepit Birth
  The Convalescence
  Hunt the Dinosaur
  Lazarus Casket
  Trip to the Morgue
  Embryonic Devourment
  Skeleton Crew
  187
  ​
  ​Divebar Stage​
  Casket Robbery
  Pessimist
  Gravehuffer
  Abolishment of Flesh
  Cerebral Desecration
  Mantra of Morta
  Blistering Rot
  The Brown Sound

  More info:

  https://www.facebook.com/UnAlivefest702

  https://www.instagram.com/unalive_fest_lv​

  Read more