Liminal Spirit, the musical project of multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa, announces the release of “Pathways”, a single-track concept album designed as an immersive journey through spiritual thresholds and interdimensional spaces. Following the 2024 self-titled EP, “Pathways” expands on Liminal Spirit's signature sound: a rich fusion of doom metal with cinematic atmosphere. Hauppa comments:
“I view this as a full-length release despite its 14-minute duration, because due to the nature of its composition of non-repeating passages, it requires multiple listens to fully cement itself within the listener. The first pass will express the story and characters, and repeated listens will bring both to life through digesting the melodies and composition as a whole.”
Where the debut embraced ritualistic abstraction, “Pathways” introduces a more frenzied, intricate musical approach that perfectly complements its narrative structure. It tells the story of five figures trapped in a maze, chronicling their emotional processing and planned escape. The composition unfolds like a film score, with no repeating parts until the finale. Musical themes develop and mutate to reflect character growth, with distinct tonal shifts accompanying each character's voice in the narrative.
This thoughtful composition rewards repeat listening, revealing new layers with each experience. The album's structure mirrors its lyrical themes, all concerning transcendence beyond the physical form and transitions between spiritual planes. “Pathways” represents the second chapter in an ongoing exploration of spiritual passage. A third release, currently in development, promises to continue this cinematic journey through liminal spaces. Liminal Spirit is recommended for fans of Jesu, Swans, and Skepticism.
Credits: All songs written and performed, produced, recorded, and mixed by Liminal Spirit Mastered by Jeff Wojtysiak at Spiral Sound Mastering Album lineup - Jerry Hauppa-guitars, vocals, bass, drum programming, synthesizer
Italian melancholic dark metal band Shores Of Null is proud to unveil their first live album, “Beauty Over Europe,” now available as of May 9th, 2025, via Sulphur Music / Masked Dead Records.
To celebrate its release day, Shores of Null are sharing their new live video, "A Nature in Disguise". The audio track was recorded live at Backstage in Munich, Germany. Footage is taken from the 2023 European tour with Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium, mainly at Barba Negra in Budapest by Péter Lerch.
“Beauty Over Europe” features 10 tracks recorded during the monumental 2023 European tour with Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium. Throughout that tour, Shores of Null performed 35 shows across 18 countries, including Norway, Denmark, Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hungary, bringing their critically acclaimed album "The Loss Of Beauty" to the stage.
The live recordings, captured in Leipzig, Munich, Aschaffenburg, Budapest, and Belfast, preserve the raw and emotive energy of their performances. Each track reflects the band’s ability to blend melancholic melodies with crushing heaviness, offering fans a visceral live experience.
"Beauty Over Europe" is both a celebration of the tour and a gift to all fans of the band. Exactly two years after that unforgettable journey, this live albumoffers a chance to relive the emotional intensity and true essence of Shores Of Null’s live performances.
Reflecting on the experience, vocalist Davide Straccione and guitarist Gabriele Giacarri share their thoughts:
"This tour was an incredible journey, the longest in our career, and a true milestone for Shores Of Null. As the promotional tour for The Loss Of Beauty, our latest and most acclaimed album to date, it was an honor to bring these songs to life across 35 shows in 18 countries. Sharing the stage with monumental bands like Swallow The Sun and Draconian—huge inspirations for our music—was unforgettable. Despite the melancholy of their sound, they’re some of the most fun and genuine people we’ve met, and by the end of this epic journey, we were proud to call them friends.
We owe special thanks to our incredible crew—Petri, Matti, Mikko, and Tero—who ensured everything ran seamlessly and made this experience unforgettable. To pay homage to this extraordinary chapter, we decided to produce a live album. Recorded during key moments of the tour, it captures the essence of these unforgettable performances and is dedicated to all the people who supported us live and shared these magical moments with us.” - Gabriele Giaccari Davide Straccione adds:
“Our 2023 European tour with Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium was one of the most beautiful and intense experiences of my life. Night after night, we poured everything we had into our performances, connecting deeply with audiences across 18 countries. It was a journey that marked a pivotal moment in our career as a band as well, and one we’ll carry with us forever. This live album is our way of preserving and sharing that beauty, not only as a gift to those who joined us in the crowd, but also for those who couldn’t be there to witness it.”
Recommended for fans of Swallow The Sun, Borknagar, and Paradise Lost, "Beauty Over Europe" is available at the following links:
Shores of Null will also perform upcoming tour dates, featuring a mix of festival appearances and indoor shows across Italy and the UK.
Shores of Null 2025 Tour Dates: 11.05 - IT Verona - Isola Rock (w/ Dark Lunacy) 15.06 - IT Lignano Sabbiadoro - Arena Alpe Adria (w/ In Flames, Lacuna Coil) 28.08 - UK London - The Black Heart (w/ The Crawling) 29.08 - UK Leeds - The Fenton (w/ The Crawling) 30.08 - UK Plymouth - One For Sorrow festival (w/ The Crawling and more) 31.08 - UK Bristol - The Gryphon (w/ The Crawling)
Setlist: 1. Transitory (Live intro) 2. Destination Woe (Live in Leipzig) 3. Nothing Left To Burn (Live in Leipzig) 4. Quiescent (Live in Munich) 5. The Last Flower (Live in Aschaffenburg) 6. Black Drapes For Tomorrow (Live in Budapest) 7. A Nature in Disguise (Live in Munich) 8. Darkness Won't Take Me (Live in Belfast) 9. My Darkest Years (Live in Aschaffenburg) 10. Blazing Sunlight (Live Outro) Live Recording: Matti Kynsijärvi Mixing and Mastering: Marco Mastrobuono at Bloom Recording Studios Band: Davide Straccione - Vocals Gabriele Giaccari - Guitars, Backing Vocals Raffaele Colace - Guitars, Backing Vocals Lorenzo Carlini - Live Bass Matteo Capozucca - Bass Emiliano Cantiano - Drums
Now available as of April 17th, 2025, from Exitus Strategem Records, eclectic doom metal powerhouse AITTALA is unleashing their new album "Machines".
The songs on "Machines" were originally written and demoed between 1990 and 1997 on an analog 4-track cassette recorder. Now, Aittala has revived these tracks, preserving their raw essence while enhancing them with modern production techniques. The album offers a nostalgic yet powerful experience, blending early progressive metal influences with storytelling-driven lyrics. While showcasing a distinct style from their recent works, "Machines" stays true to Aittala’ssignature heavy, immersive sound.
Formed in 1991 in Holland, Aittala quickly gained recognition in the Dutch metal scene, opening for bands like THE GATHERING and SADIST. After a hiatus, frontman Eric Aittala resurrected the band in 2008, leading to six full-length albums: Bed of Thorns (2009), Haunt Your Flesh (2011), Effigy (2014), American Nightmare (2016), False Pretenses (2019), and Live to Regret (2022).
Now, with "Machines," AITTALA boldly steps into the past, bringing long-lost tracks to life with a modern, crushing edge.
This dynamic duo of Eric Aittala (Guitars/Vocals) and Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith (Drums) (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) continues to write, record, and tour, bringing their distinct brand of heavy, immersive metal to fans worldwide.
After nearly a decade of bringing incredible music, art, and community together, The Electric Highway Festival (formerly the 420 Music & Arts Festival) is hitting the road one last time. Due to ongoing health challenges for their curators, they’ve made the difficult decision that 2025 will be the FINAL edition of the festival.
From its roots as the 420 Music & Arts Festival, which first lit up Calgary in 2017, to the evolution into The Electric Highway, we’ve been privileged to host some of the best heavy rock, doom, and psychedelic bands from across North America. From Wo Fat to Crobot, Dopethrone to Sasquatch, we’ve hosted legends and launched careers. This festival has always been about passion, music, and unforgettable experiences, and we’re determined to go out with a Cosmic Bang!
THE FINAL LINEUP IS HERE TO IGNITE!
Join EHF in 2025 for a mind-blowing sendoff featuring headliners Canadian veteran sludge metal band BISON and doom metal band CASTLE. They will be joined by Southern California band FEVER DOG, and various Western Canadian bands including LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER, THE GETMINES, 88 MILE TRIP, and more.
This is your LAST CHANCE to be part of the Electric Highway experience – the final ride of a festival that has brought together music lovers, artists, and a community unlike any other. Let’s make this one for the history books!
April 4 & 5, 2025 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW), Calgary AB.
Get your tickets, gather your crew, and come celebrate with us one last time – let’s make memories that will last forever!
Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday
The Final Full Line Up by Day: Friday, April 4, 2025 Castle (San Francisco/ Vancouver) Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary) Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)) CHÛNK (Vancouver) Hydracat (Edmonton) The Astral Prophets (Calgary) BUNS (Calgary) Doors 5pm - Show 6pm Saturday, April 5, 2025 Bison (Vancouver) La Chinga (Vancouver) Fever Dog (Southern California) The Getmines (Vancouver) 88 Mile Trip (Vancouver) Lover (Calgary) GEOFF (Calgary) Doors 5pm - Show 6pm
The Electric Highway Festival hosts various genres that range from Desert Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom, Sludge, Trippy Psychedelic, Surf Rock, Acid Rock, Noise Rock, Fuzz Rock, Space Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych, Heavy Blues, Southern Rock, Fuzzy Punk, Sludgy Hardcore bands and variations of any of the previously mentioned styles. The festival includes a vendor area with interesting goods for attendees to take home with them.
Previous editions of the festival featured one of the event's past favorites Californian headliners Sasquatch, Juno Award-winning Canadian band ANCIIENTS, Vancouver’s La Chinga, Space Queen, Dead Quiet, and more, Gnarwhal from Yellowknife, NWT, Calgary’s Gone Cosmic, Hombre, Flashback among many more, and a whole host of other great bands.
Eclectic doom metal powerhouse AITTALA is unveiling the first single "Myself Deceived" off their highly anticipated album "Machines", set to drop on April 17, 2025, via Exitus Strategem Records.
The songs on "Machines" were originally written and demoed between 1990 and 1997 on an analog 4-track cassette recorder. Now, Aittala has revived these tracks, preserving their raw essence while enhancing them with modern production techniques. The album offers a nostalgic yet powerful experience, blending early progressive metal influences with storytelling-driven lyrics. While showcasing a distinct style from their recent works, "Machines" stays true to Aittala’ssignature heavy, immersive sound.
Formed in 1991 in Holland, Aittala quickly gained recognition in the Dutch metal scene, opening for bands like THE GATHERING and SADIST. After a hiatus, frontman Eric Aittala resurrected the band in 2008, leading to six full-length albums: Bed of Thorns (2009), Haunt Your Flesh (2011), Effigy (2014), American Nightmare (2016), False Pretenses (2019), Live to Regret (2022).
Now, with "Machines," AITTALA boldly steps into the past, bringing long-lost tracks to life with a modern, crushing edge.
This dynamic duo of Eric Aittala (Guitars/Vocals) and Gary ‘Zeus’ Smith (Drums) (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) continues to write, record, and tour, bringing their distinct brand of heavy, immersive metal to fans worldwide.
