Paradise Lost

More than three decades into their career, and with over two million albums sold, Paradise Lost remain the undisputed kings of metal’s dark side. Formed in Halifax in 1988, the band quickly became noted as the pioneers of gothic metal through their early groundbreaking albums like 1991’s aptly-titled ‘Gothic’, a mixture of heaviness intertwined with shadowy melody and atmosphere.

Never a group to remain creatively static, across their career they’ve explored a myriad of avenues of dark music, from sludgy doom-death roots, to conquering the metal mainstream with the enormous, lush sounds of 1995’s ‘Draconian Times’, to more experimental, electronic leanings, leaving an influence on a trail of artists.

Now, in 2025, the Yorkshire quintet return with their staggering 17th album, ‘Ascension’, a record that sees their crown continue to gleam as it underlines just how they attained their position. The albums 10 tracks traverse the multitude of sounds in the band’s arsenal, from full-bore heavy metal to sky-high melody, all the while keeping a minor-key melancholy that remains irresistible.

The NEW album ”Ascension”, is out September 19th, via Nuclear Blast Records, Pre-Order and Pre-Save: paradiselost.bfan.link/ascension

Lamb of God

OMENS | New Album Out Now.
Listen/Order at https://lamb-of-god.lnk.to/omens

In Flames

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

Testament

The time has arrived for TESTAMENT to unleash new thunder to the masses and reveal their thirteenth studio album: Titans OF Creation. Just as the elements of this planet thrive within all living creatures, each musician in TESTAMENT represents a necessary component of this latest musical endeavor. Still filled with a massive and unstoppable energy since their last release, TESTAMENT has taken their style to the next level and present an album that is loyal to the roots of traditional thrash metal while still bringing alluring, brilliant, and progressive ingredients to the table. Bass is showcased, new vocals are introduced, and as expected, the guitarwork of Peterson and Skolnick is greatly complex and mesmerizing.

Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new piece of artwork for the cover of this release. His classic, almost Renaissance style of painting melds beautifully with the ancient, psychological, and enlightened subject matter of the songs. Three monstrous titans stand in the place where the planets are formed. One pours molding liquid which the others hammer into human DNA, twisting and turning into the ring of a newborn planet. Each titan has the flame of a dying star burning in their chest; the origin of the atoms making up the bodies that are bubbling and boiling on the curves of the spiraling helix.

Titans OF Creation has many moods and material contained within; all of which somehow tie into a common philosophy of creation and its necessary counterpart: destruction. “Children Of The Next Level” smashes through the gates as the opening track with a flood of sound that prepares the listener for an abundance of violent thrash. Meanwhile, the lyrics rage about the outrageous philosophies of the Heaven’s Gate cult (founded in 1974).

Songs like “Dream Deceiver” carry more old school sound that will tickle the senses of any common TESTAMENT fan. The lyrics describe being trapped in a dream by an otherworldly female force who is slowly working to degrade the mind. Dreams are part of existence, but when we are asleep we are entirely vulnerable; one of the many mysteries of being human. “Someone’s haunting you and won’t leave you alone; the only time they pick at you is at night when they can control the way you sleep,” describes vocalist Chuck Billy.

“Night of the Witch” features frightening and captivating vocals from Eric Peterson. Carrying a vibe far more akin to Black Metal, Peterson swoops in with a power that melds perfectly with Billy’s ground shaking, guttural growls. Taking some influence from Robert Egger’s 2015 horror masterpiece “The VVitch: A New England Folktale,” the song carries with it a magical quality that directly reflects the mood of the film. At the very end of the track, a theremin howls through the air much like witches rising towards the moon; setting the final tone. “The album has a lot about it that’s fresh to the ear,” explains Peterson.

Written by guitarist Alex Skolnick, “Symptoms” is filled with detailed with intricate guitar work that well represents the complicated and spellbinding journey that comes along with handling depression, mood swings, and a countless list of mental health frustrations. The lyrics in this song discuss a sad truth: that mental illness is more common than we all think, and than many of us are willing to acknowledge. On a lighter note, a vibrant track entitled “The Healers” swings back and forth between waves of death and thrash, heavy and melodic, light and dark. The words are spiritual, and extremely personal. They describe Billy’s own experience dealing with all natural medicine men; the elders of the earth, and how they managed to help him pinpoint and heal his past illness. “City Of Angels” comes bearing an entirely new sound for TESTAMENT. The creeping sludgieness and slow, stalking tempo, walk hand in hand with the almost unbelievably gruesome tale of the Nightstalker Richard Ramierz, all combining to form another stand-out track on the record.

In 2020 the days of writing an album all together in one room are far gone, but to be able to take advantage of technology allows for TESTAMENT to go about a very similar writing process to what they always have. Basic songs are molded, structures are added by everyone in the group, instrumentals are highlighted, and finally the lyrics and vocals are created to finalize the sonic story. Facetime and human on human contact still remain crucial elements to TESTAMENT’s song writing process and at some point throughout, every member physically interacts and writes with one another. In between writing this album, the band toured relentlessly which allowed for less stress, more time in between, and greater inspiration for this album cycle. There was also plenty of anxiety-free and level-headed time for pre-production and the initial recording process with Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios. Andy Sneap was then able to tweak, mix, and master this album to his usual perfection.

TESTAMENT’s process of creation has evolved and progressed yet they’ve remained steadfast over the course of literal decades. While always managing to present the genuine aspects of thrash metal that solidify their existence, they spread into unique horizons through developing crisp and fascinating sounds.

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

Thy Art Is Murder

Thy Art Is Murder ascended the ranks of extreme metal's top tier bands with a meteoric underground rise as explosive as humankind's seemingly inevitable descent into doom and death. With their new album, Godlike, Australia's most harrowingly brutal export since George Miller's Mad Max franchise invites audiences worldwide to join them in a fresh Armageddon. The sixth explosive album in the band's arsenal, Godlike cements Thy Art Is Murder as death metal's modern torchbearers. A soundtrack to a divisive post-modern dystopia, Godlike sees Thy Art Is Murder explore new depths and dynamics without sacrificing an ounce of intensity or urgency the band have staked their career on.

Helloween

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, West Germany.

On 14 November 2016, the band announced that both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske were rejoining Helloween for a world tour, titled Pumpkins United World Tour, which concluded in 2018; the line-up perdured after the tour, with a new studio album planned for a 2020 release. Now Helloween is returning for another World Tour incl. the new Album.

Since its inception, Helloween has released fifteen studio albums, three live albums, three EPs, and twenty-seven singles, and has sold more than eight million records worldwide..

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.

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.

Saxon

The Official Facebook Page for The Mighty Saxon!

Versengold

Paradise Lost

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