News

• Epica Drop Video for "T.I.M.E."

  Mar 12, 2025 Al Feliciano 0 Comments

  Symphonic metal frontrunners EPICA return with a spellbinding third single off their upcoming album, Aspiral, which will see the light of day on April 11. 
  
  “T.I.M.E.” is a track that takes listeners on a journey through self-discovery, as the title stands for "Transformation, Integration, Metamorphosis and Evolution" and delves into the art of dying — more specifically, the death of the ego, and the necessary steps one must take to achieve personal and spiritual growth.
  
  Bringing this vision to life is the new music video created by Dave Letelier, which captures the song's haunting aesthetic.
  
  Watch the video here.

  Pre-order or pre-save Aspiral here.
  
  In support of their new album, EPICA announced multiple tours worldwide. The cycle will kick off in Paris on April 12 at a sold-out EPICA experience before the band heads to North America for three showcase appearances and continuing with a Mexican tour.
  
  Tickets, VIP upgrades, and tour info are available here.

  EPICA ON TOUR:
  5/6 — New York, NY — Irving Plaza
  5/8  — Atlanta, GA  — Masquerade
  5/10  — Los Angeles, CA  — The Bellwether 

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• ARTACH Unleash Video "Macha" From New Album "Morrigan...Goddess of War" Out Mid-March 2025

  Mar 11, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Newfoundland, Canada's black metal duo ARTACH announces the release of their latest album "Morrigan...Goddess of War" due out on March 21st, 2025 via Depressive Illusions Records. This third full length represents the band's strongest material yet. It's a relentless assault of blackened thrash metal that captures the intensity and fury the duo have always strived for. From crushing riffs to searing melodies, every track on this release is forged with raw passion.

  "We've poured everything into this record, and we can't wait for fans to experience the full force of Morrigan...Goddess of War." adds Sruthán (Guitar/Bass).

  Today, Artach unveils the lead single "Macha", one of the three songs that are part of the Morrigan trilogy on the album with the songs that also includes "Badb", and "Nemain".

  Sruthán (Guitar/Bass). explains further:

  "Macha, one of the Morrígan, was known for her prophetic visions and her role as a fierce protector of warriors. She is sometimes considered one aspect of the Morrígan, a trio of war goddesses.

  The three goddesses, and what elements they represent, that make up the Morrígan in Irish mythology are:
  Macha – War, sovereignty, horses.
  Badb – Battle, death, chaos.
  Nemain – Frenzy, panic, terror.
  Together, they represent different aspects of war, fate, and destruction in Celtic mythology."

  ​

  Due out March 21, 2025, CD and Cassette for "Morrigan...Goddess of War" will be available from Depressive Illusions at https://depressiveillusions.com/search/node/Artach​

  Artach is a two-man black metal band (Sruthán: Guitar/Bass, Fíochmhar: Battery/Vokills/Keys) based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Being from the foggiest, snowiest, wettest, windiest, and gloomiest capital city in Canada, one should not be surprised that this fuels the creation of Black Metal. Their inspiration comes from the land, nature, the bleak weather of the Canadian North, and influential black metal bands.

  Since the duo’s formation in the spring of 2019, Artach has been consistently releasing new music. The band’s debut album “Chronicles of a Black Winter” was released digitally during February 2020 and later unleashed on physical CD by Depressive Illusions Records. In 2021, the band returned with their next offering “Sworn To Avenge”, a full-length scourge of raw and relentless bruting gloom. In 2024, Artach took an experimental direction with the EP "Sgrios", which was a black metal spin on industrial metal sounds.

  Now in 2025, they unleash their third full length offering with "Morrigan...Goddess of War" for release in mid-March.

  Track Listing:​
  1. Badb - 7:08
  2. Macha - 6:06
  3. Nemain - 5:17
  4. Nefarious - 5:21
  5. Nomad - 5:09
  6. Hoarfrost - 4:29
  7. Cloudminders - 4:46
  8. Ride... Die... Immortality - 6:08
  Album Length: 44:28​
  ​​
  Artach is:
  Fíochmhar: Battery/Vokills
  Sruthán: Guitar/Bass/Backing Vokills

   

  EP Credits:​
  Cover art by: Awinita Alm
  Album mixed and mastered by Michael Small.
  ​
  ​Follow Artach:​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/ArtachBlackMetal​
  ​https://www.instagram.com/ArtachBlackMetal/​
  ​https://www.youtube.com/@artachband709​
  ​https://artach.bandcamp.com/​

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• Famous Strangers Unveil Haunting New Single “I'll See You In The Stars”

  Mar 7, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Edmonton-based band Famous Strangers continues their journey of atmospheric storytelling with the release of their latest single “I'll See You In The Stars”, dropping March 7th, 2025. The track showcases the band's signature blend of haunting melodies, powerful vocals, and immersive soundscapes that have been captivating listeners since their formation in 2023.

  “I'll See You In The Stars” draws listeners into a celestial dreamscape where emotional intensity meets cosmic wonder. The single represents another compelling chapter in Famous Strangers' evolving musical narrative, highlighting their ability to create dark, moody compositions that resonate on a deeply emotional level.

  The band comments:

  “We are incredibly grateful to be able to release this single and share it with audiences. This track is more than just a song—it’s an artistic expression of who we are as a band and the depths we are willing to explore. It represents a space where emotion meets intensity, where the atmosphere blends with raw power. Sonically, it carries a weight and texture that draws comparisons to bands like Deftones or Ocean Machine, capturing that balance of heaviness and haunting melody. This is just one side of what we do, but it’s a side we fully embrace.”

  Famous Strangers brings together accomplished musicians whose past experiences in various musical projects have shaped their collective sound. Their diverse influences converge in a unique sonic experience characterized by atmospheric instrumentals and a dynamic vocal approach that seamlessly shifts between melodic and aggressive. They are recommended for fans of Halestorm, Judas Priest, Dio, and Arch Enemy.

  Listen to "I'll See You In The Stars" at the following links:

  ​Spotify - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/famousstrangers/ill-see-you-in-the-stars

  ​

  More info:

  ​Famousstrangersband.com

  ​Facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559110131774

  ​Instagram.com/famousstrangersband

  ​Tiktok.com/@famousstrangersband

   

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• California Power Metal NIVIANE Release New Album “Queen of Phantoms”

  Mar 7, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  The wait is over — Sacramento, California's Niviane unleash their powerful new album, "Queen of Phantoms", out today March 7th, 2025! With a refined lineup, sharpened songwriting and a thunderous production, this release solidifies the band’s place at the forefront of modern power metal.

  Crafted with precision over the past years, "Queen of Phantoms" represents Niviane’s strongest and most dynamic work to date. The album was written during the pandemic lockdowns and carefully shaped to highlight the band’s evolution, featuring a new rhythm section with drummer Isaiah AR and bassist Tyler Satterlee who inject fresh power into the music. Each of the 11 tracks offers a different shade of power metal, from blistering speed and aggression to uplifting melodies and dark atmospheres pushing beyond the genre’s conventions.

  Featuring the commanding title track "Queen of Phantoms", the emotionally charged "Tomorrow’s a New Day" and the thunderous "Under Black Flags" just to name a few, the album strikes a perfect balance between heaviness and melody. "Queen of Phantoms" showcases Niviane’s signature blend of intricate guitar work, anthemic choruses and cinematic storytelling, appealing to fans of Judas Priest, Queensrÿche, Primal Fear and Nevermore.

  The album’s official lyric videos for "Queen of Phantoms" and "12 BC Legions" further bring its powerful themes to life, visually enhancing its dark, immersive storytelling. The latest official music video for "Tomorrow’s a New Day" explores deep and personal themes of mental health, setting it apart as one of the band’s most moving compositions.

  With "Queen of Phantoms", Niviane delivers a bold and unapologetic statement—this is power metal at its finest, evolved and redefined. Experience the full force of Niviane’s latest masterpiece now!

  CD order - https://rockshots.eu/products/niviane-queen-of-phantoms-cd​

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3FmnmwY​
  ​​

  Tracklist:
  1. Queen of Phantoms
  2. 12 BC: Legions
  3. 12 BC: Germania
  4. Beacon In The Darkness
  5. Some Wounds… Never Heal
  6. All Debts Repaid
  7. Tomorrow’s A New Day
  8. Event Horizon
  9. Our Maze
  10. Gunslingers & Graves
  11. Under Black Flags
  ​
  Band line up
  Aaron Robitsch: Keys & Orchestration
  Gary Tarplee: Guitars
  Isaiah AR: Drums
  Mark Miner: Guitars
  Norman Skinner: Vocals
  Tyler Satterlee: Bass

  More info: ​
  ​​https://www.rockshots.eu​

  ​https://www.niviane.com/​

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

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

  ​https://x.com/nivianeofficial

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• BENEDICTION - Release Video For New Single 'Crawling Over Corpses'

  Mar 6, 2025 Al Feliciano 0 Comments

  British death metal legends, BENEDICTION, have released yet another single from their upcoming new studio album, Ravage Of Empires, which is due to be released on April 4, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records.
  
  'Crawling Over Corpses' is a ferocious up-tempo banger, which transports the band's old school roots into the here and now while destroying everything that stands in its way. Dave Ingram's primal growls have never sounded more vicious, and the rhythm section fires on all cylinders with a barrage of riffs and massive breakdowns. Alongside the single, another fiercely entertaining music video has been released, which you can watch below.
  
  Ravage Of Empires is available for pre-order on CD, LP and as digital album. 
  
  PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE RAVAGE OF EMPIRES:
  https://benediction.bfan.link/ravage-of-empires
  
  STREAM 'CRAWLING OVER CORPSES':
  https://benediction.bfan.link/crawling-over-corpses
  
  WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR 'CRAWLING OVER CORPSES':
  https://youtu.be/tfQJT29e6T0

  ABOUT BENEDICTION
  
  “Sometimes They Come Back” is not just the title of a horror movie based on a macabre tale by Stephen King, it is also a summary of what happened to UK death metal veterans BENEDICTION, yet you might like to add a “better than ever before”. While never officially disbanded, 2020’s Scriptures, the group’s eighth studio album achieved what is usually not an easy feat. It connected well with classics like Transcend the Rubicon (1993) and its immediate and memorable songwriting, the heavy-as-a-brick Grind Bastard (1998), and also saw legendary vocalist Dave Ingram return with his merciless roar and knack for morbid, twisted lyrics. After two albums with Dave Hunt on vocals, Scriptures was BENEDICTION’s first record in over a decade impressing with aggressive up-tempo attacks like ‘Iterations of I’ and ‘Rabid Carnality’ or the neck-breaking mid-tempo barrage of ‘Stormcrow’, songs that became live staples alongside ‘evergreens’ such as ‘I Bow to None’, ‘Magnificat’, ‘Subconscious Terror’ or ‘Vision in the Shroud’ in no time. With Scriptures, BENEDICTION even almost cracked Germany’s top ten by entering at a phenomenal #11 of the Official German Charts showing that the death metal veterans founded 1989 in Birmingham, England, offered an extremely well received sonic catharsis when due to the pandemic, people were locked down and pissed off.
  
  With their brilliant new record Ravage Of Empires in tow, founding members and guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, longtime vocalist Dave Ingram, drummer Giovanni Durst, and Nik Sampson (bass) will travel far and wide once more. Already confirmed are the Tales of the Triple Death Tour with Jungle Rot and Master kicking off on album release date as well as confirmed appearances at Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. More to be announced soon!
  
  Catch BENEDICTION live on their European release tour in April 2025 with guests Jungle Rot and Master. All confirmed live dates below.

  TALES OF THE TRIPLE DEATH... BENEDICTION W/ JUNGLE ROT & MASTER   04.04.25 DE Hamburg Kultur Palast 05.04.25 DE Bad Oeynhausen Druckerei 06.04.25 NL Sittard Volt 07.04.25 BE Kortrijk DVG 08.04.25 LU Esch-Belval Rockhal 09.04.25 DE Mannheim 7er Club 10.04.25 DE Obertraubling Event Hall Airport 11.04.25 DE Geiselwind Eventzentrum Strohofer 12.04.25 AT Salzburg Rockhouse 13.04.25 DE Jena F-Haus 15.04.25 DE Berlin Lido 16.04.25 DE Essen Turock 17.04.25 CH Aarau KIFF TICKETS HERE: https://www.we-live.agency/shows

  More confirmed dates for 2025:         21.05.25 US Brooklyn, NY The Meadows 22.05.25 US Baltimore, MD Maryland Deathfest 21.06.25 PT Beja Nada Fest 25.06.25 CZ Spalene Porici Basinfirefest 26.-27.07.25 ES Cangas De Morrazo Kanekas Metalfest 30.07-02.08.25 DE Wacken Wacken Festival 01.08.25 DE Loebnitz Full Rewind Fest

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