Signs of the Swarm

Deathcore was once dismissed as a trend, so it’s ironic that it now has trends within itself. Downtempo, slamming and now blackened variants of the style have dominated its scene at various points, with many bands jumping ship.

Pittsburgh’s Signs of the Swarm aren’t just any band, though. They’re a once-a-generation beacon that radiates the sounds that surrounded them, preserving history by reframing it. On fourth LP Absolvere, they’re bleak without being blackened, smashing without being slam, and downtempo as a choice rather than a stylistic confine. And as many of their deathcore peers experiment with adding singing, often gruff in tone, they add a more ethereal style that soothes on “Dreaming Desecration” and “Death Whistle.”

The band contrasts that with some of the most brutal moments in their eight-year career, with riffs more punishing than pensive and a rhythm section that frames them in creatively cacophonic ways. Above it all, they’re utilizing vocalist David Simonich monstrous range in a much fuller capacity than on his debut, 2019’s Vital Deprivation.

That transitional album found the band experimenting to re-find their footing, which here lands on solid ground through the addition of guitarist Jeff Russo, a former bandmate of Simonich’s fin Improvidence. The proof is in the placing, with Absolvere landing at #15 on “Current Hard Music Albums,” #21 on “Top New Artist Albums” and #139 on “Heatseekers.”

Behind the cohesive crusher is drummer-turned-bassist-turned-drummer Bobby Crow, who acted as de facto producer, arranging the riffs written across Skype to make the songs more than the sum of their parts.

This gave Simonich a lofty platform from which to roar about the real (loved ones struggling with addiction, submitting one’s self wholly to art despite negativity swirling about) and the surreal; he or his characters beg for the release of death only to be denied. “Nameless” centers around a character collecting souls marked by death to receive its blessing, while “Blood Seal” follows a ritual to summon it. “Dreaming Desecration” and “Hollow Prison” are two sides of the same coin. When one finds themselves trapped in a meaningless existence, they can either attempt to escape through murderous hallucinations or succumb to the grave, respectively.

“Death Whistle” is the penultimate song, closing the album and the writing sessions for Absolvere with a tale concluding in sweet release. The piercing screech of the titular whistle contrasts with a subtle serenade.

Indeed, sometimes contrast can be a perfect complement, but more often that effect is achieved when paired with something more in-line. So it is when Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) and Alex Erian (Despised Icon) join the band for growls and shouts, where Signs of the Swarm filter their guests’ bands through their own sound. Instead of taking away from their identity, it expands it.

They’re steadily expanding their global reach, too. In the few short months since Absolvere’s release, Signs of the Swarm have toured with the likes of Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris and Shadow of Intent. Forthcoming domination campaigns of Europe and Australia will be added to their tenure with Aborted, Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice and more. Forget the signs, the swarm is already here, and it’s growing larger and louder every day.

Godsmack

Godsmack is an American alternative metal/hard rock American band originally from Lawrence, Massachusetts. The current lineup consists of Sully Ema, Robbie Merrill, Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin.

Judas Priest

THE NEW ALBUM. INVINCIBLE SHIELD. OUT NOW.

Of Mice and Men

Named after the John Steinbeck novel, Of Mice And Men are an American metalcore rock band from Costa Mesa, California.

In Flames

New Album “Foregone” out now! Order here: https://inflames.bfan.link/foregone-newalbum.fbi

Black Label Society

ORDEN OGAN (ORDEN = german for a religious “order”, OGAN = old celtic for “fear”)

often referred to as a power-metal band, germany’s ORDEN OGAN have developed their very unique style of hard yet melodic heavy metal, that makes them totally stand out from the crowd. having their roots in traditional german power metal ORDEN OGAN implemented folk, symphonic and elements of modern metal into their sound, transferring the german legacy into the new millenium and creating their very own genre. welcome to the age of DARK POWER METAL!

having entered the official german album charts (media control) with “To The End” in 2012 at #41, with “Ravenhead” (2015) at #16 (3 weeks!), "Gunmen" at #8 (3 weeks!, "Final Days" (2021) at #3 and "The Order of Fear" (2024) at #3 again, having hit several international charts at top 50 positions, being featured on germanys biggest tv station RTL in trailers of the formula 1 broadcast with “we are pirates!” (approx. 11 million viewers), having played several european tours with bands like hammerfall, powerwolf, grave digger or van canto, to name a few, having played festivals with packed infields like WACKEN OPEN AIR (GER), 70000 TONS OF METAL (USA), SUMMER BREEZE GER), METAL FEST (CZ), MASTERS OF ROCK (CZ), HELLFEST (FR), BLOODSTOCK (UK), ALCATRAZ (BE), EVOKEN FEST (JP), ROCKSTAD: FALUN (SWE), PROG POWER USA (USA), ROCK FEST BARCELONA (ES), ROCK HARD FESTIVAL (GER), being tweeted by megadeths dave mustaine (“listening to orden ogan. anyone heard of these guys before? pretty cool me thinks. what is an orden ogan anyway? =)“) and having reached millions of views on their youtube clips - ORDEN OGAN today is an internationally established heavy metal act with a big and growing following.

Arch Enemy

For decades, Arch Enemy has stood as a global powerhouse, synonymous with precision, brutality, and melodic perfection. As one of the most influential forces in metal, they have conquered stages worldwide and defined the very blueprint of modern melodic death metal. For this band, led by founder Michael Amott, standing still has never been an option—evolution is their only constant. The year 2026 marks the dawn of a monumental new era. Following the success of their Blood Dynasty cycle, Arch Enemy is stepping into a bold new chapter of their storied history. With the arrival of the formidable Lauren Hart as their new frontwoman, the band has transformed into a revitalized and more lethal version of itself. Lauren Hart brings a raw, unbridled energy and a commanding vocal ferocity that fuses perfectly with the band’s legendary twin-guitar assault. This transition is far more than a lineup change; it is a powerful rebirth. Arch Enemy is ready to reclaim the throne, proving that their darkest and most intense era is only just beginning.

The Ghost Inside

New album ‘Searching For Solace’ out now on @epitaphrecords Fall Tour Tickets Now on Sale at theghostinside.com

Nothing More

Rock

Northlane

northlaneband.com

Soulfly

At the dawn of the new millennium, Rolling Stone declared, “Soulfly seem built to last.” More than two decades, countless worldwide tours, and a dozen albums later, that prophecy rings true.

Underground icon, extreme metal trailblazer, third world warrior, and leader of a diverse and dedicated tribe, Max Cavalera not only survives but thrives, blasting out riff after killer riff. The same voice, body, and spirit which launched Soulfly in 1997 summons impossibly heavy noise to this day, throwing down ten slabs of monstrous music on Soulfly’s twelfth album, 2022’s Totem.

Produced by Max alongside Arthur Rizk, whom Revolver described as “the secret weapon behind Power Trip, Code Orange, and Cavalera Conspiracy,” Totem attacks without apology. It brims with the blackened-thrash and death metal bite of modern Soulfly classics like Ritual (2018) and Archangel (2015), with nods to the heavy groove of Primitive (2000) and Prophecy (2004).

“I really dig what Arthur does in the underground scene, with records by bands like Outer Heaven, Pissgrave, Black Curse,” Max explains. “Those are crazy productions, man. They’re off-the-wall and crazy-sounding. I wanted a Soulfly record with a sonic character like that, so Arthur was the perfect guy. At one point during the production, he came up to me and he was like, ‘You know Max, we’re not just doing another Soulfly record. We’re doing the best Soulfly record.’ I liked that attitude.”

Among the most prolific musicians in the genre’s history, Max led Sepultura from Brazil to the world stage, making fans out of Ozzy Osbourne, Deftones, and Dave Grohl along the way. He cofounded Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, Go Ahead And Die, and Killer Be Killed, issuing album after album to spirited acclaim from critics and fans. But no project is as singularly identified with Max as Soulfly, whose gold-selling self-titled debut arrived with unrivaled determination and spirit.

Soulfly, the moniker Max conjured, is an original portmanteau like "Lookaway” or "Straighthate.” The idea rose from one of the indigenous spiritual practices that inspire Max. "Many South American tribes believe the souls of their ancestors fly around them when they play music. They can even feel the souls of the animals sacrificed to create their instruments. It's heavy shit."

Loaded with multiple guests and instrumentation, Soulfly (1998) set a precedent for the records that would follow by managing the almost-magical feat of combining world music with metal without sacrificing the raw, authentic vibe of a band banging out songs in a basement. Twenty years on, Kerrang! included Soulfly's debut in their 10 Best Nü-Metal Albums Of All Time, alongside massively successful records by System Of A Down, Slipknot, Korn, Papa Roach, and Deftones. "I never felt Soulfly was a nü-metal band," Max points out. "We had elements of it. But by the time the sound went very commercial with Linkin Park, I didn't feel part of that. We're much heavier."

Melody Maker declared Primitive "the metal album of the year" in late 2000. When 3 followed in 2002, Spin wrote, "There's something undeniably thrilling about an Ozzfest demagogue who champions dignity as a human right and makes a maxim like 'Faith is a weapon' a rallying cry. The band remains a hard-charging, tribal-drumming monster fierce enough to kick the bulldozers out of the rainforest." Touring in support of 3 included a North American trek with Slayer.

Less than a year after its release, album four found its way into German magazine Rock Hard's 2005 book, The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. Sputnik Music praised Prophecy as "the best Soulfly album to date," calling it their "heaviest, most experimental, and most mature." Thrash-fueled power dominated Dark Ages (2005), Conquer (2008), and Omen (2010). Critics hailed Cavalera’s never-ending supply of riffs all over again with Enslaved (2012). They celebrated the fierce vibe of Savages (2013), the first Soulfly album with Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera, on drums.

Archangel pushed the musical bludgeoning to its very limit while injecting the songs with moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Max revisited the ritualistic and mystical ruminations on Soulfly’s Prophecy while simultaneously doubling down on the most extreme music of his career. Ritual “retained the groove of early Soulfly as well as my love for the heavy, fast stuff,” Max explains. “I think, in the end, we created a cool mix of songs that covered a lot of ground in my career.”

The songs on Totem originated with a back-to-basics songwriting approach inspired by Max’s son, Zyon. Soulfly’s drummer since 2012, Zyon asked Max one day to show him how Sepultura created their early classics. The elder Cavalera describes the process as putting riffs together like pieces in a puzzle, or bricks in a pyramid. “Zyon and I jammed for many weeks, creating the foundation.”

Max first envisioned Soulfly as a band with an evolving lineup, eager to “shake the tree” with an infusion of new creative blood from time to time. Many amazing players and guest musicians appear throughout the discography. Totem is the band’s fourth album with Zyon and second with bassist Mike Leon. It’s also the first Soulfly album without guitarist Marc Rizzo since 2004.

“Some of my favorite records are ones where everything changed, and I had to find a way to make something work,” Max says. “A lot of my best records came from struggles, like Sepultura’s Chaos A.D., the first Soulfly album, and Prophecy.” Chris Ulsh of Mammoth Grinder and Power Trip plays a guitar solo in album closer “Spirit Animal.” John Powers, Rizk’s bandmate in the group Eternal Champion, contributes several solos to the album, and Rizk plays rhythm and lead guitars as well. “Arthur ended up jamming with me a lot on the record. He’s a great guitar player,” Max says.

Like every Soulfly album before it, Totem includes a dedication to God in the liner notes. And as ever, Max follows his spiritual muse into evolving and diverse territory, taking inspiration from multiple traditions and practices. Songs like “Superstition,” “Ancestors,” and the title track lean heavily into one of the album’s themes, which deals with nature as a spiritual force.

“I wanted to make a record connected to spirit animals, forests, environmental stuff,” he says. “I’ve always been fascinated by nature. Traveling so much, I’ve gotten to see some amazing places,” he continues, citing examples like Iceland, the fjords of Norway, and the Badlands of South Dakota. “Superstition” specifically is inspired by Superstition Mountain, located in Arizona. “Far beyond all the things that you know / superstition, harder than stone,” Max says in the song.

Each Soulfly album boasts an instrumental, which Max lovingly likens to a “Planet Caravan moment,” the way Black Sabbath’s classic jam created something of a mellow album oasis. Totem is no exception. “Soulfly XII” indulges Max’s love of dark ‘80s goth guitar chords and synths. “I try to get creative with all of them; either with different instruments, like the saxophone on the Ritual instrumental, or I go by vibe. This one is really influenced by The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy.”

Old school heaviness reminiscent of Sepultura’s Beneath the Remains era punctuates the environmentalist anthem “The Damage Done,” which concludes with a crushing decrease in tempo. “Scouring the Vile,” featuring a guest appearance from Obituary vocalist John Tardy, confronts cancer. “The sickening concealed behind my dying eyes / I ripped you from me.”

Roughly 25 years since the band began, essential Soulfly bangers like "Jumpdafuckup," "Back to the Primitive," "Downstroy," "Eye for an Eye,” “Ritual,” and “Dead Behind the Eyes” are celebrated live just like Cavalera classics "Roots Bloody Roots," "Refuse / Resist," "Territory," and "Dead Embryonic Cells." Bursting with hunger and energy forged by more than three decades as a heavy metal force, Totem is a suitably brutal, vibrant, extreme, and uplifting entry into the Soulfly canon.

Soulfly's savage anthems of aggression push extreme music to its bludgeoning limits while injecting it with brilliant moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Like all innovative musical heroes, Max makes anthems for the people. Soulfly is a celebration of family and legacy. Whatever Max Cavalera hammers out on the bridges of his four-string guitars, it always sets souls free.

Stick To Your Guns

INVISIBLE RAIN EP OUT NOW!

Alien Ant Farm

Alien Ant Farm is a Southern California alt-rock band known for fusing heavy riffs, catchy hooks, and an unmistakable sense of personality. Since forming in Riverside in 1996, the band has carved out a unique place in rock history; first exploding onto the global stage with their breakout 2001 album ANThology, which featured the hit single “Movies” and their era-defining cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” That record would go on to be certified multi-platinum, and its 25th anniversary is just around the corner in 2026; a milestone that underscores the band’s enduring impact on the genre.

Comprised of Dryden Mitchell (vocals), Terry Corso (guitar), Mike Cosgrove (drums), and Tim Peugh (bass), Alien Ant Farm continues to push forward creatively while embracing their legacy. Known for their genre-defying approach to alternative rock and blending elements of metal, punk, prog, and pop… they’ve built a reputation for experimentation, evolution, and explosive live shows that have taken them around the world.

Across six studio albums, including TruANT (2003), Up in the Attic (2006), Always and Forever (2015), and most recently mAntras (2024), the band has explored everything from introspective struggles to full-blown anthemic rock with both emotional depth and sonic variety. Their latest work reflects a band that has grown up without losing the spark that made them stand out in the first place.

Currently, Alien Ant Farm is writing new music and continuing to tour, reconnecting with longtime fans while winning over new ones with every performance. Nearly three decades into their career, the band remains as passionate and driven as ever proving that reinvention and staying power can go hand in hand.

Airbourne

When Airbourne entered Music Farm Studio in southeastern Australia to track their new self-titled album, the sixth in a recording career now two decades deep, they effectively drew a line in the Byron Bay sand. This was the moment. Time to dig deep, to show the values they keep close, the traditions they uphold, the music that defines them. While history proves these Melbourne-based musicians – brothers Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe, vocals / guitar & drums respectively, bassist Justin Street and guitarist Brett Tyrrell – to be ever ready for a challenge, this one was larger than the band. Their mission was to create not just the greatest body of work in the Airbourne canon, but to scale the highest possible peak. Simply, this is ‘Airbourne’, band and album, at the very peak of their powers, pushing themselves to the limit in single-minded pursuit of the “iconic, gargantuan” release they had in their sights from the start; a release – produced by Brian Howes (who helmed 2013’s ‘Black Dog Barking’), engineered by Mike Fraser (who worked on 2010’s ‘No Guts. No Glory’ and 2016’s ‘Breakin’ Outta Hell’), mixed by Zakk Cervini (BMTH, Architects) and mastered by the legendary Ted Jensen – that pays heartfelt tribute to the enduring spirit of fallen rock’n’roll idols like Bon Scott and Lemmy, John Bonham and Malcolm Young, revered artists kept alive in the hearts and minds of fans.

Alestorm

‘Alestorm’ are in a league of their own, weaving together a genre that is widely recognized as “pirate metal”. They hail from Perth, Scotland, and are signed to Napalm Records, with whom they have released a handful of studio albums.

Deafheaven

DEAFHEAVEN.COM

Avatar

Strange times call for a strange band. With a life long commitment to the misfit arts, Avatar delves deep into the collective subconscious. They travel beyond the realms of flesh and far past the spiritual barriers broken in past works. No matter how many times they were warned, they keep treading deeper into the woods. There is sense to be made out of the senseless. They lay a soft gaze upon terrifying, almost shapeless inner landscapes, and they have a damn good time doing it.

Terror

Deez Nuts is the rap/hardcore solo project of JJ Peters, ex-I Killed The Prom Queen drummer.

Agnostic Front

Agnostic Front (formed in 1980) is an American hardcore punk and crossover thrash band, hailing from New York City, New York, U.S.

Kittie

Born in June 2019, CRYPTA is a Brazilian Metal four-piece, influenced by the old school sub-genres of the style.

Fit for an Autopsy

THE NOTHING THAT IS, out October 25, 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records & Human Warfare (Australia/NZ). Pre-order and pre-save: https://geni.us/the-nothing-that-is

Amorphis

Amorphis is a Finnish metal band founded in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal with folk music influences. They frequently use the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics. Band members are: Esa Holopainen, Tomi Joutsen, Santeri Kallio, Tomi Koivusaari, Olli-Pekka Laine and Jan Rechberger.

Fourteenth Amorphis album, "Halo", is out on February 11th, 2022 via Atomic Fire Records.

Vengaboys

At times the Vengaboys come across like a cartoonish theatrical collective rather than an enterprising music group; however, pure entertainment has always been their core objective and you would be kidding yourself by downplaying this. Their zany/colorfully lit antics play just a crucial role as their pulsating dance tunes.

Imminence

Alternative metalcore band, making music from the heart since 2010. From Sweden with love

Perturbator

http://perturbator.com

Kim Dracula

The world of VOWWS has always been shrouded in mystery and darkness. That’s just the default setting of Australian-born, LA-based duo Matt James (vocals/guitars) and Rizz (vocals/keyboards). It’s how things have always been, it’s how things are, and it’s incredibly likely that that’s how they’ll always be. It should be no surprise, then, that their new album I’ll Fill Your House With An Army is suitably bleak. But don’t confuse that desolate sonic aesthetic for only being inspired by the darker things in life. There have always been glimmers and glimpses of light in their songs, whether on their 2015 full-length debut, The Great Sun or 2018’s Under The World, but the shadows have always been pretty opaque, making it hard for that light to break through. It struggles on this record, too. At the same time, however, it seems to flicker a bit brighter, and for a little longer.

“We definitely look at all the dark things in life and the world,” admits Matt. “I consider it my job to take a pretty unfiltered view of what's happening in the world, and then that goes through us and our filter, and comes back out as what whatever the music is. Lyrically, we tend not to say anything literally – there’s more of a surrealist and subversive element to it – so the world definitely looks like there's something wrong with it throughout our music and our worldview, but there's also definitely a beauty and an optimism in there as well. We try and find beauty in a lot of things, and try to present that in the framework of a broken world – whether that's an internal one or an external one.”

That conflation of internal and external worlds is what has always given VOWWS their unique and distinctive edge. Because rather than staring into the abyss, they’re already in it, staring outwards, waiting for the doom to catch up to them rather than trying to avoid it. That combination of harrowing, heartfelt and hopeful – all three dancing seductively with each other – has garnered the duo plenty of attention since their inception. Early single “Losing Myself In You” featured, and was co-written with, nu-wave legend Gary Numan, a remix of Under The World’s “Structure Of Love” featured guest vocals from Deftones’ Chino Moreno, and 2022 single “WAIT” saw Chelsea Wolfe add her voice to the mix. Korn, A Perfect Circle and Billy Corgan also count themselves as fans, and the pair headed our with Alice In Chains founder and guitarist Jerry Cantrell on a UK and European tour.

It’s an exciting flurry of activity that comes after what James admits was a “painful” period of time following the release of that second album. Because not too long after its release, of course, the world came to a standstill. As it did for most people – as well as most bands – it had a profound effect on VOWWS. Not only did the band not play any shows for two years – “Our first show back was with Deftones on the tour with them,” remembers Matt, “and I was terrified, because I just thought ‘I can't be sure that I can actually do this anymore.’” – but the extended period of time off caused them to reshape and rethink the new music they’d been working on. By 2022 they had made a full 20-track record, but they weren’t happy with it, so went back to the drawing board.
“Rizz is like the canary in the coalmine for us,” explains Matt. “She can't kid herself into feeling good about something she doesn't feel good about, whereas I can. So, frustratingly for me, she was like 'This isn't good enough.' I wanted to just mix it a bit more and paper over the cracks, but she was like 'No, it's already been this long, it doesn't matter if it takes a bit longer.'”

And so the band enlisted the help of A Perfect Circle’s Billy Howerdel, and they started crafting what would eventually become I’ll Fill Your House With An Army. Rizz was right. From the moment the album begins with the dour insistent march of “Blood’s On Fire”, it’s clear that it was well worth the extra time. The song – which features Josh Freese behind the drum kit – is a tug of war between lightness and darkness, Rizz and Matt’s vocals pulling each other both further into that void while also trying to not get swallowed whole by it. That conflict rages across the record’s 11 tracks, whether that’s on the gloomy, creepy snarl of “SHUDDER” (which, along with “Silhouette” and “Re-Animator”, also has Freese on drums, and features Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer), the stark, ice-cold emotion of “Pulls Me Apart” or the tender, dreamy tumble of “Hurt You”. Despite the push and pull nature of these songs, though, those extremes exist within each other, forever entwined, never quite separate. Listen, for instance, to how “Re-Animator” soars in its second half as it attempts to escape itself, to how “Casualty” flits between intense, Vantablack grooves and sun-filled ethereal soundscapes, to how the haunted love of “I Never Left” – possibly the most vulnerable, tender song the band have ever committed to tape – swerves between eerie and soothing, beautiful and barren, demonic and sweet.

That VOWWS did decide, in the end, to take their time with this album, only ended up serving them – and the record – incredibly well. Though racked with self-doubt and uncertainty about everything, the pair pushed through the darkness and emerged if not entirely in the light, then at least with it glowing in the distance. Of course, it wouldn’t be VOWWS if it remained within reach, and as “Waterline” – an unsettling, demonic slow dance of a finale – comes to an end, it fades gently but powerfully, trapping the listener in the void, proving that the hard work and the long slog and battle against themselves were all worth it, and ultimately resulted in a better record.
“We're proud of ourselves for getting there – and having the faith to get there in the end,” says Matt, “because there was a lot of doubt. But pushing through that doubt was fully part of the process. We both just care about this more than anything else, because we think it's important. We think it's something special and we want to share it with the world. But we also want to create a world that people can't get anywhere else, and bring them into it – and lose ourselves in it, too. It's kind of holistic if you do it right, I think.”

One listen to I’ll Fill Your House With An Army and it’s clear that VOWWS have, indeed, done it right. One listen and you’re immediately drawn into their world, left gasping for air, left overwhelmed by its force. And though you probably know you should escape, you’re also very happy being lost there, letting your eyes adjust to those brief, bright moments of light, because you finally realise that it’s your world, too, and there’s so much comfort in that.

Paleface Swiss

Switzerland's Finest Cheese Factory.

Buy Merch and CDs at www.palefaceswiss.com

PALEFACE is:

Marc (Zelli) - Vocals

Yannick - Guitar

Tommy - Bass

Cassi - Drums

Misery Index

In their 16-year existence, MISERY INDEX have released five studio albums, several EPs and performed well over 1000 concerts in 44 Countries. MISERY INDEX began as a studio project in 2001, when vocalist and bassist Jason Netherton (ex-DYING FETUS) joined together with guitarist / vocalist Mike Harrison and drummer Kevin Talley (ex-DYING FETUS) to record their debut EP "Overthrow". This five-song death/grind attack received considerable praise in underground circles, shifting Misery Index into a full time project with the addition of Sparky Voyles (ex-DYING FETUS) on guitar.

In 2002, Mike Harrison and Kevin Talley left the band to focus on other projects and the latter was replaced by Matt Byers, who took up drum duties for their first US tour that summer in support of KATAKLYSM. In 2003, MISERY INDEX released their first full-length "Retaliate", to exceptional reviews and numerous tours in Europe and North America supporting bands such as DYING FETUS, AMON AMARTH, DEICIDE, and NILE. In 2004 a video for "The Great Depression" was released, complimenting their first live DVD, which featured a full set recorded in Athens, Greece. Later in 2004, Adam Jarvis (also currently of PIG DESTROYER and SCOUR) took over on drums, just in time for MISERY INDEX to hit such European festivals as Wacken Open Air, Brutal Assault, and Party.San Open Air, followed with more touring alongside bands such as BEHEMOTH, NAPALM DEATH, SUFFOCATION, ROTTEN SOUND, and MAGRUDERGRIND. In 2005, guitarist and vocalist Mark Kloeppel (ex-CAST THE STONE) joined Jason, Adam and Sparky, solidifying the line-up for the next five years.

In 2006, second full-length "Discordia" was unleashed, followed by even more persistent touring with bands such as FEAR FACTORY, DESPISED ICON, JOB FOR A COWBOY, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, NECROPHAGIST and ORIGIN. In 2007, MISERY INDEX appeared on festivals like Hellfest in France and Tuska in Finland, as well as hitting places like Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Croatia for the first time. However, despite being on the road for months, MISERY INDEX were ready to finalise their third album, so recordings commenced with Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE) at God City Studios in May of 2008. Later that year "Traitors" was released and the band embarked on their next tour with ORIGIN and ABYSMAL DAWN right as the album was hitting stores. Reactions from both critics and fans were raving and the album showcased an exceptional return to form.

In 2008 and 2009, the band toured extensively, playing with and supporting bands such as THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, SOILENT GREEN, HATE ETERNAL, THE FACELESS, CANNIBAL CORPSE, PSYCROPTIC and many more, as well as seeing their first trips to places like Mexico, Russia and Iceland, an appearance on the prestigious Extreme the Dojo festivals in Japan, the Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore and European festivals such as Summer Breeze, Party.San, Hellfest, and Death Feast. Entering 2010, the band booked time at Wrightway Studios with producer Steve Wright in their home state of Maryland to commence recording of the fourth album.

MISERY INDEX released "Heirs to Thievery" in May 2010, dropping like a bomb on the Death Metal masses and shattering all expectations. The album was both a commercial and critical success, elevating the band into headlining slots in both Europe and the United States. "Heirs to Thievery" showcased the growing maturity and depth of the band, as the varied songwriting shifted naturally from nuanced, blasting technicality ("Fed to the Wolves"), through pit-inducing groove ("The Carrion Call"), to crushing heaviness ("The 7th Cavalry"). The growth and penetrating hooks of the songs took the band to new levels and was followed by several tours with bands such as GRAVE and AEON in Europe, PSYCROPTIC, ORIGIN, and DECAPITATED in Australia and DESPISED ICON, REVOCATION, JOB FOR A COWBOY, GOATWHORE, and EYEHATEGOD in North America. 2010 also saw the departure of long time guitarist Sparky Voyles, who was replaced by Darin Morris.

Festivals followed in 2011, with MISERY INDEX making appearances at Obscene Extreme, Tuska, With Full Force, Metalfest Open Air and Neurotic Death Fest, as well as seeing their first visit to countries such as Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In 2012, the band made an appearance supporting CANNIBAL CORPSE on their US "Torture" tour, while also joining the Full of Hate festival tour in Europe alongside CANNIBAL CORPSE, BEHEMOTH and LEGION OF THE DAMNED. On the Munich date of the "Full of Hate" tour, the band recorded their first live album. The album will be released on numbered, die-cut vinyl and digital download in February 2013

Again recording at Wrightway studios in Baltimore, MISERY INDEX recorded and released "The Killing Gods" in May of 2014 via the French label Season of Mist. The album was their most critically acclaimed and top-selling album to date, and was followed by two videos for the songs "The Calling" and "The Harrowing," as well as two European headlining tours, in the summer of 2014 and the summer of 2016. The band also performed two North American tours, one in 2015 with Hate Eternal, Rivers of Nihil and Beyond Creation, and one in 2016 with Napalm Death and the Black Dahlia Murder. In 2018 the band reentered the studio and recorded their sixth album, "Rituals of Power" which was released on March 8, 2019 on Season of Mist records.

Orbit Culture

www.orbitculture.com

Vended

Iowa band looking to destroy and dominate this world.

ZSK

Viele Bands finden sich zusammen, weil sie besonders gute Musiker sind. ZSK haben sich gegründet, weil sie beste Freunde sind. Drei Akkorde mussten für den Anfang reichen.

25 Jahre später gehören ZSK zu den bekanntesten Punk Rock Bands Deutschlands. Sie spielten Tourneen mit Anti-Flag, Die Toten Hosen, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Donots und The (International) Noise Conspiracy und waren auf auf großen Festivals wie dem Open Flair, Taubertal oder dem Highfield.

Die 2006 von ZSK gegründete Kampagne „Kein Bock Auf Nazis“ ist inzwischen bundesweit bekannt. Unterstützt von Die Ärzte, Beatsteaks, Fettes Brot, Die Toten Hosen und vielen weiteren Künstlern wurden bereits mehr als eine Million Schülerzeitungen und 250.000 kostenlose DVDs gegen rechts verteilt.