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• ​WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA Opens Band Submissions For 2026 - One Band To Rule Them All! and Play Wacken Open Air!

  Oct 23, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  One band to rule them all! Wacken Metal Battle Canada returns for 2026 battles across the country to send one independent metal band to play at Wacken Open Air, one of the world's most prestigious and largest metal festivals.

  Band submissions for Canada are now open until November 30th.

  "Canadian metal bands, this is your chance once again. This is the first step to a world of opportunity waiting for you. We invite you to play some great shows, expand your audience, and ultimately have your shot at playing Wacken Open Air," adds WMBC organizer JJ Tartaglia.

  Canadian bands interested in participating can apply at https://www.metal-battle.com/countries/ (please select Canada as your country)

  The national final for 2026 battles will be held in Montreal, QC.

  Canadian Battle Cities:​
  Vancouver, BC
  Vancouver Island, BC
  BC Interior
  Edmonton, AB
  Toronto, ON
  Hamilton, ON
  Ottawa, ON
  Montreal, QC
  Quebec City, QC

  Watch - Wacken Metal Battle 2025 - Aftermovie | Have You Heard the Future of Metal? - https://youtu.be/nCulXiLlaSw

  The 2026 WMBC champion will receive the following:
  - A slot at the 2026 Wacken Open Air Festival.
  - Full professional backline provided.
  - $1,000 CAD towards flights to Germany.
  - VIP camping at the festival.

  List of previous WMBC national winners: Killotine (Hamilton, ON - 2025), Beguiler (Toronto, ON – 2024), Strigampire (Trois-Rivières, QC – 2023), The Slyde (Toronto, ON – 2019), Centuries of Decay (Toronto, ON – 2018), Profaner (Hamilton, ON – 2016), Vesperia (Toronto, ON – 2015), Mutank (Montreal, QC – 2014), Crimson Shadows (Toronto, ON – 2013).

  The 2025 Canadian Battle Final took place on May 31st at Vancouver’s Rickshaw Theatre, where Hamilton, Ontario’s KILLOTINE, the Ontario regional winner, delivered a standout performance that earned them the top national title. A panel of industry judges selected KILLOTINE to represent Canada at the prestigious International Wacken Battle, held during Wacken Open Air from July 30th to August 2nd in Wacken, Germany, where over 85,000 metal fans from around the globe gathered.
  ​
  Joining KILLOTINE on stage at the Canadian final were fellow regional champions: SOULTHIEF (Eastern Canada Winner – Ottawa, ON), BEYOND SUFFERING (Alberta Winner – Calgary, AB), and YEGG (British Columbia Winner – Nanaimo, BC). The event also featured a special guest headliner: Vancouver’s Arrow In The Quiver, the 2024 BC Final winner.
  ​
  The national judging panel included a lineup of respected figures from the Canadian metal and music industry: Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), JJ Tartaglia (Canadian Organizer of Wacken Metal Battle Canada), JJ Caithcart (Founder of SCRAPE Records and Host of Different Stages Radio), Kris Schulz (Founder of Empower Through Music and Owner of Horizon School of Music), Abelardo Mayoral (Founder and Operator of The Invisible Orange and OrangeTickets), Stan Schinners (Owner of Broken Neck Radio), Justin Dobbin (Owner and President of Main Stage Rehearsal Studios).

  For the last 9 years of battles (2013-2016, 2018-2019, 2023-2025), Wacken Metal Battle Canada has hosted battles across the country to send one independent metal band to perform at the world’s largest metal festival, Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany. 2019 saw the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, but due to COVID, the 2020 and 2021 editions were both canceled. As the metal community regains its strength, Wacken Open Air 2026 will be the 35th edition of the festival and will be held from July 29th to August 1st. The 2026 event is nearly sold out with a line-up that includes Def Leppard, Lamb Of God, In Flames, Savatage, Powerwolf, Emperor, Sepultura, and Running Wild, among others. Details here.

  Wacken Metal Battle Canada is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance to win their spot among over 55 other countries’ champions, and represent Canada in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air. The battles have been hosted at the festival for over a decade and give independent bands the opportunity to showcase their talents to an international audience, along with the chance to win multiple prizes.

  How it works:​
  ​Participating cities will host qualifying rounds plus a city final organized by a local city concert promoter, where one band will move forward to the Canadian national final (date and city to be determined). The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the Wacken Open Air 2026 and compete against the winners of other participating countries in a final global battle. All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives.

  Rules for participation: https://www.metal-battle.com/rules/

  Links:​
  ​Metal-Battle.com​​
  ​Facebook.com/WMBCanada.official​
  ​X.com/MetalBattleCan​
  ​Instagram.com/wmbcanada.official

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• THE RETICENT Confronts Mental Health with New Video "The Scorn" Off Upcoming Album "please" Out Nov 2025

  Oct 23, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Progressive metal act The Reticent has unveiled the lyric video for “The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand),” the latest single from their upcoming album "please," due out on Generation Prog Records on November 13th. Known for their emotionally intense concept albums, The Reticent continues their tradition of soul-baring storytelling with "please," a harrowing journey through the many battlefields of mental illness.
  ​
  ​“The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand)” takes on the voice of those who dismiss mental health struggles, echoing phrases like “just get over it” and “it’s all in your head.” Musically, the track leans into groove-oriented rhythms and major chords to reflect the detached worldview of those who don’t understand. The addition of exotic instrumentation like the oud and hand percussion further separates the song from the rest of the album’s sonic palette.
  ​
  But "please" is more than just an album; it’s a survival mechanism. Written in just six months, the album was recorded under extreme conditions. Drums for "please" and its follow-up were tracked in a single day, while guitars, bass, and keys were completed in two. The vocals, however, took two grueling weeks, during which founder Chris Hathcock injured his larynx so severely that doctors feared permanent damage. Hathcock was forced into six weeks of total silence, even teaching his classes entirely nonverbally. Thankfully, he recovered, mostly.
  ​
  The pain didn’t stop there. While filming the video for “The Concealment,” Hathcock broke two toes, sprained three others, and partially tore his rotator cuff during a scene that required him to violently destroy a room. Just six days later, he performed at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal with those injuries, doubled over in pain by the end of the set. Fans, immersed in the emotional intensity of the performance, had no idea.
  ​
  "please" is the first album by The Reticent to be almost entirely engineered by Chris Hathcock himself. While drums were tracked at The Basement Studios with longtime producer Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist), all other elements were recorded at Hathcock’s Silent Muse Studio. The album was also mixed and mastered by King, adding his signature polish to the final product. The isolation of self-recording introduced an additional layer of emotional strain, especially during the vocal sessions.
  ​
  Lyrically, the album is rich with references to the work of clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison. Lines like “Night falls fast…” in “The Concealment” and “an unquiet mind” in “The Night River” nod to Jamison’s seminal works on suicide and bipolar disorder. Her voice even appears in samples throughout “Discharge.”
  ​
  Musically, "please" marks a return to 6-string guitars, a first since 2016’s "On The Eve Of A Goodbye," except for “The Bed of Wasps.” The five-year gap between "please" and 2020’s "The Oubliette" is the longest in the band’s history, a reflection of the emotional toll and life events that shaped its creation.
  ​
  ​The Reticent, led by Grammy-nominated music educator Chris Hathcock, has built a reputation for devastatingly autobiographical concept albums. Joined by James Nelson (Nospūn) and Paul McBride (Voraath), the band delivers performances that blur the line between metal show and performance art. Their appearance at ProgPower USA was hailed by Metal Injection as “one of the most heart-wrenching performances in ProgPower history.”​
  ​
  In addition to their recent performance at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal this past summer, The Reticent is slated to appear at the 2026 editions of ProgPower USA in September and ProgPower Europe in October, marking another major milestone for the band’s growing international presence.
  ​
  The lyric video for “The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand)” is now available on YouTube and streaming platforms.

  Fans of Opeth, Cynic, The Contortionist, Wilderun, and Devin Townsend will find much to resonate with in "please," which arrives November 13, 2025, via Generation Prog Records. A follow-up album is already underway, shaped by the profound loss of Chris Hathcock’s father during the creation of "please."

  CD pre-order (North America) - https://thereticent.net/please-pre-order

  CD pre-order (EU) - http://www.generation-prog.com/shop/

  Digital Album pre-save - https://show.co/MoPdl8W

  Track Listing:​
  1. Intake – 1:45
  2. The Concealment (Those Who Don’t Want To Wake) – 6:06
  3. The Night River (Those Who Can’t Rest) – 6:55
  4. Diagnosis 1 – 2:18
  5. The Bed of Wasps (Those Consumed With Panic) – 5:47
  6. The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand) – 8:12
  7. Diagnosis 2 – 2:39
  8. The Riptide (Those Without Hope) – 6:09
  9. The Chance (Those Who Let Go) – 6:52
  10. Discharge – 2:56
  Album Length: 49:45

  For more info: Thereticent.net | Facebook.com/thereticentmusic | Instagram.com/The.reticent.band

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• SHORES OF NULL “An Easy Way” Prelude to Upcoming Split "Latitudes of Sorrow" w/ CONVOCATION Out Nov 2025

  Oct 22, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Italian doom metal outfit Shores of Null have released their new single “An Easy Way,” a devastatingly poignant track that opens their upcoming split album "Latitudes of Sorrow" with Finnish funeral doom masters Convocation. The split arrives on November 21st via Everlasting Spew Records.
  ​
  ​“An Easy Way” was chosen for its immediacy and emotional impact, a rare blend of haunting darkness and melodic catchiness. Lyrically, it confronts depression, inner struggle, and the fragile line between perseverance and surrender. It’s a reflection on human frailty, wrapped in a soundscape that’s both oppressive and unforgettable.
  ​
  ​“It’s the most straightforward track on the split. Catchy, yes, but it leaves very little room for hope,” says the band.
  ​
  The split album "Latitudes of Sorrow" is a collaboration born from shared artistic vision. When Everlasting Spew Records approached Shores of Null mid-way through writing their next full-length, the band seized the opportunity to finish and record three exclusive tracks that might have otherwise remained in the shadows. The result is a darker, more hopeless sonic offering, a perfect complement to Convocation’s funeral doom intensity.
  ​
  ​“Two sides of the same coin. Opposite latitudes, but a shared desire to explore sorrow in all its forms,” the band explains.
  ​
  The album’s artwork, created by LL of Convocation, features a spectral figure and an empty chair, a haunting symbol of presence in absence. Musically and lyrically, Latitudes of Sorrow is a journey through grief, solitude, and the inescapable weight of mortality.
  ​
  For fans of Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Evoken, and Esoteric, "Latitudes of Sorrow" offers one of the most grievous and heavy splits in recent memory, a sonic reckoning that will finally make all your summers end.
  ​
  ​“An Easy Way” is streaming now on all major platforms. "Latitudes of Sorrow" drops digitally and on CD and Cassette physical format on November 21st via Everlasting Spew Records. The vinyl edition of the split will be issued in Spring 2026.

  Digital single (Spotify) - https://ps.tribly.fm/86aq6de

  Album countdown and pre-save: https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/79oGZH6MpwHGsTTmnLKo8D

  Pre-Order:

  Physical: https://bit.ly/42PbNY8

  Digital: https://everlastingspew.bandcamp.com/album/latitudes-of-sorrow

  Track Listing:​
  1. Shores Of Null - An Easy Way
  2. Shores Of Null - The White Wound
  3. Shores Of Null - The Year Without Summer
  4. Convocation - Abaddon's Shadow
  5. Convocation - Empty Room
  Split Album Length:

  For more info: Shoresofnull.com | Facebook.com/shoresofnull | Instagram.com/shoresofnull

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• BROCARDE Unleashes Her Inner Puppet Master in Haunting New Video "Pandora's Box"

  Oct 22, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Brocarde, the gothic siren of rock and paranormal provocateur, returns with her latest single and music video, “Pandora’s Box,” the follow-up to her acclaimed collaboration “Feed My Soul” with Korn’s Ray Luzier.

  “Pandora’s Box” is a sonic rebellion, a fight song laced with sarcasm, theatrical grit, and raw emotion. The music video plunges viewers into a surreal puppet show of identity and control, where Brocarde plays both marionette and master. Brocarde explains further.

  “At its core, Pandora's Box is about being misunderstood. So often, I feel misrepresented, and this song channels that frustration into something fierce and empowering. In the video, the Puppet Master is everyone and no one. It’s that figurehead of control, whoever. I’m literally playing into its hands and becoming my own self-fulfilling prophecy.”

  With haunting doll-like imagery and a twisted fairytale aesthetic, “Pandora’s Box” continues Brocarde’s exploration of identity, perception, and the silent terror beneath surface perfection.

  “There’s something powerful about the image of a doll, picture-perfect on the surface, but hauntingly silent underneath. And let’s face it, most dolls are terrifying!” adds Brocarde.

  This release offers a glimpse into Brocarde’s long-awaited debut album, set to drop in 2026, a decade in the making. Known for her ghostly vocals and theatrical storytelling, Brocarde has carved a niche as rock’s most fearless medium. From marrying (and exorcising) a Victorian ghost named Edwardo to conducting seances at Download Festival and Wacken Open Air, her life is as spellbinding as her music.

  Brocarde’s rise has been anything but conventional. Hailed by Planet Rock Magazine as “One to Watch,” and praised by Whitesnake’s David Coverdale as “electrifying,” she’s earned a reputation for blending horror, fashion, and rock into a genre-defying spectacle. Her previous singles have featured collaborations with industry legends and earned airplay across Kerrang!, BBC Introducing, and Planet Rock.

  As she prepares to unveil her debut album, Brocarde continues to challenge norms and conjure her truth through music, magic, and mayhem. “Pandora’s Box” is not just a song; it’s a spell, a scream, and a mirror held up to the chaos of perception.

  Add to your Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/6vlP4vTbyH1MBlwI7ZIUkb

  pand

  More info:

  https://brocarde.com/

  http://instagram.com/brocarde/

  https://www.facebook.com/brocarde/

  http://youtube.com/@thebrocardeshow

  https://x.com/thebrocardeshow

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• QUEMASANTOS Teams Up With Guitarist Chris Irarrazábal of Chilean Thrash Legends NIMROD for “The Oneironaut”

  Oct 22, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  L-R - Ignacio Orellana (Bass/Guitars/Drums) | Nelson Diaz (Vocals)

  The international metal project Quemasantos returns with a haunting new visual experience: the official lyric video for “The Oneironaut”, a track inspired by the 19th-century writings of Allan Kardec on “journeys of the soul.” In this modern reinterpretation, the band transforms those spiritual ideas into a nightmarish, inter-dimensional voyage that unfolds within the realm of dreams. The track features guest guitarist Chris Irarrazábal of Chilean thrash metal band Nimrod.
  ​
  Add to your Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/0zVokpdf0F0YfK7gsixH9z

  Nelson Díaz comments:

  “It’s a song inspired by the 19th-century writings of Allan Kardec on what he called ‘journeys of the soul.’ Today, we could interpret it as a nightmarish vision of an interdimensional journey experienced during sleep.”

  Ignacio Orellana adds:

  “As we’ve been releasing one track after another, the sound has been evolving in search of what we truly want it to be. As the musician behind the music, it’s been challenging to balance the instruments so that each one shines — because each represents a part of the creator’s soul. I feel that this one leans a little more toward the drums’ side… but the bass, the bass. We’re preparing a few more surprises — stay tuned and be ready to be surprised.”

  Formed in the relentless underground of Santiago, Chile, NIMROD stands as one of the country’s pioneering thrash metal forces. Blending speed, aggression, and precision, the band has forged a sound rooted in classic ’80s thrash while pushing forward with a distinctly South American intensity. Known for their explosive live shows and powerful songwriting, NIMROD has shared stages with both national legends and international acts, earning a loyal following across Latin America. With a catalog that captures decades of fury and evolution, the band continues to deliver pure, uncompromising metal, a testament to Chile’s enduring heavy scene.

  Credits & Production Details

  • Vocals: Nelson Díaz
  • Music: Ignacio Orellana
  • Lead Guitar: Chris Irarrazábal (Chilean thrash metal band Nimrod)
  • Vocals Recorded At: Ultrasonico Studios — Santiago, Chile
  • Music Recorded At: Oily Sound Studios — New York, USA
  • Visuals & Lyrical Concept: Nelson Díaz
  • Produced, Mixed & Mastered By: Ignacio Orellana

  Video edited By: Promusicvideo.com​
  ​
  ​More info:

  https://quemasantos.com

  http://quemasantos.bandcamp.com

  http://instagram.com/quemasantos1

  http://www.facebook.com/quemasantos

  http://www.twitter.com/quemasantos1

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