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STARLIGHT RITUAL – Second Album "Rogue Angels" in October 2025 via High Roller Records – Track Premiere
 Canada's hard rocking metallers STARLIGHT RITUAL have revealed a first song from their upcoming second album "Rogue Angels", scheduled for October 31st 2025 via High Roller Records.
A video clip for the track "On The Run" is available here: https://youtu.be/-ga3IN642Kg
STARLIGHT RITUAL was born in Montréal, Québec, sometime in 2013, founded by guitarists J.F. Bertrand and Dan Toupin. It was originally Bertrand’s idea to start a doom/psychedelic project, and they soon recruited bassist Mat Forge and drummer Louis Lecomte. Dan and J.F. wrote a full-length album of doomy, heavy/prog instrumental music. Some of those tracks ended up on the band’s first self-titled album in 2015 (technically a self-produced four-song EP, albeit with a running time of nearly 40 minutes). Damian Ritual joined STARLIGHT RITUAL as a singer in early 2014. Since then, the band issued another EP, called "Age Of The Universe" (2016), followed by their first official full-length album "Sealed In Starlight" on Temple Of Mystery (2021).
Damian comments: "Our early work featured longer, more psychedelic tracks meant for zoning out, but I never felt that truly represented what the band could be. On the 'Age Of The Universe' EP, we started leaning into a more classic heavy metal sound. By the time we released 'Sealed In Starlight', we had really found our identity: traditional heavy metal with epic flair, channeling the likes of Manowar and Running Wild, as well as older influences like Thin Lizzy and Rainbow. We blend the styles we love and make them our own. If I had to put a label on it, I’d call it 'Epic Hard Rocking Traditional Metal' – if that’s even a real genre!"
Cover art by Marie-Pier Lapointe.
Tracklist:
01. Lost Among The Fold
02. Rogue Angels
03. Crusaders
04. Far Beyond The Storm
05. Of Words
06. Omenkillers
07. The Law
08. On The Run
09. Exodus
10. Aftermath
https://www.hrrecords.de/STARLIGHT-RITUAL +++ https://www.facebook.com/starlightritual
CHRIST AGONY - Second Single released / New Album "Anthems" Pre-Order via Deformeathing Production
 Poland's CHRIST AGONY presents the second single from the upcoming new album "Anthems", scheduled for release on September 26th 2025 through Deformeathing Production.
The clip features the song "Nocturnal Dominion": https://youtu.be/aKJeGBAlc20
"Anthems" will be released in several formats: cassette tape (limited, collector's edition), CD (classic jewel case + slipcase), vinyl (in several color versions), and a limited, collector's box set containing the cassette (in the color available only in the box set), the regular CD, vinyl (in the color available only in the box set), a certificate signed by Cezar, and a stylish vinyl bag with the Christ Agony logo (available only in the box set).
Pre-orders on the DP website begin September 1st: https://deformeathing.com
Like a hellish steamroller, each track on "Anthems" crushes and crushes. The album features all the darkest elements that CHRIST AGONY is known for: sharp, distinctive vocals, the weight of the guitars, moments of ecstasy and beauty captured in hellish soundscapes. And yet there are also subtle details that the musically experienced Cezar has always cleverly hidden in his sonic assault, such as acoustic guitars, uplifting vocal choruses, and a touch of melancholy.
"Anthems" connects CHRIST AGONY to their glory days - not as a nostalgic reminiscence, but as a forward-looking continuation and next evolutionary step. If there is one thing that distinguishes this album, it is the maturity that comes from experience and learning. Cezar's diabolically catchy songs are heavier than ever and have not lost their edge. This may be due to the fact that this is the first CHRIST AGONY album that Cezar has composed and produced for many years. "Anthems" makes CHRIST AGONYenter the musical arena again. This album clearly has great musical strength and lyrical courage.
CHRIST AGONY has set another ambitious milestone with "Anthems"!
Tracklist:
1. Empire Of Twilight
2. Throne Of Eternal Silence
3. Sanctuary Of Death
4. Rites Of The Black Sun
5. Dark Waters
6. Nocturnal Dominion
https://www.facebook.com/deformeathing +++ https://www.facebook.com/ChristAgony
AQUILLA – Sophomore Album "Sentinels Of New Dawn" in October 2025 via High Roller Records – Music Video Premiere
 High Roller Records proudly announces the second full-length album of AQUILLA, entitled "Sentinels Of New Dawn", set for release on October 31st 2025.
The first single "Creed of Fire" has been premiered here with a video clip: https://youtu.be/QWjTjPp6XD8
AQUILLA are a promising new band from Poland, mixing elements of the NWOBHM with traditional speed metal to forge their own brand of lethal outer space metal.
The first incarnation of the band was formed in Warsaw in 2015. The current line-up consists of Captain Paradox on vocals, Jaspar De Phaser on rhythm guitars, Kris Invader on lead guitars, Hippie Banzai on bass and Pete Slammer on drums. AQUILLA are very much inspired by movies such as "2001: Space Odyssey", "Dune", "Alien", "Blade Runner" and "Interstellar". After a few singles and EPs, they issued their long-awaited debut album "Mankind’s Odyssey" in 2022, which is now followed by the new effort "Sentinels Of New Dawn".
Drummer Peter Slammer explains: "It’s a huge step for AQUILLA in every way. Looking back, the production process of 'Mankind’s Odyssey' was not well thought-out. We didn’t have a clear vision of the sound of the album, and we had no experience of such long and demanding recording sessions. In the end, we produced a good-sounding album, but we didn’t feel it was entirely the right direction for the band. The real change began once we started composing songs for »Sentinels Of New Dawn«. The new compositions were meant to lean a bit more towards old-school classics while being both forceful and epic."
Regarding the lyrical concept, AQUILLA have invented their own universe: "We are all enthusiasts of both classic and modern sci-fi creations, and thus our music tells a story of mankind's last remaining survivors who decide to settle on a distant planet called Yvad’déra. The previous album was where that concept was fully developed, and it is continued on this record. This time we have mad space pirates ('Plunder And Steel'), crazy berserk-like mercenaries ('Battalion 31') and technological overlords ('Technocrats’ Tyranny'). And everyone fights each other, just like in real life. 'Sentinels Of New Dawn' and 'Mankind’s Odyssey' are both pretty much concept albums. The lore itself isn’t that strict really, apart from the general concept of mankind on a distant planet, so it leaves a lot of room for imagination, creativity and open interpretations for the audience as well."
Tracklist:
01. The Chronicles
02. Creed of Fire
03. Plunder & Steel
04. Mountains of Black Sleep
05. Battalion 31
06. The Curse of Mercurion
07. Technocrats' Tyranny
08. Bound to Be King
09. The Prophet
10. Sentinel's Fate
https://www.hrrecords.de/AQUILLA +++ https://www.facebook.com/AquillaOfficial
ARCHAIC THORN – Sophomore Full-Length "Malicious Spears" in October 2025 via High Roller Records – Lyric Video revealed
 High Roller Records proudly announces the new album of German deathers ARCHAIC THORN, "Malicious Spears", set for release on October 31st 2025.
ARCHAIC THORN have been active in the German death metal underground since 2010, evolving steadily from their early demo "Hydra Throats" (2013) through the EP "In Desolate Magnificence" (2015) to their acclaimed debut album "Eradication" (2020) — all without losing their original ferocity. Anyone who appreciates the old-school sound of bands like Degial, Necrovore, or Repugnant will also love "Malicious Spears".
On their second studio album, the Saxon trio logically continues this path. "From our point of view, it’s more catchy and features more distinctive riffs", says guitarist CL. "The sound hits exactly what we were aiming for — we wanted an organic production that honestly reflects our band’s character and still delivers modern punch."
"Malicious Spears" is likely to win ARCHAIC THORN a host of new fans. Anyone who can combine uncompromising brutality with refined songwriting on this level is capable of standing alongside the heavyweights of the genre.
The album was mixed and mastered by Christoph Brandes at Iguana Studios (Necrophagist, Fragments of Unbecoming, among others). The cover artwork was crafted by Sadistik Exekution vocalist Rok.
A lyric video for the track "Massgrave Transformation" is available here: https://youtu.be/QLqsFRSQaWY
Tracklist:
1. Lord of Tombs
2. A Blessed Ground Remains
3. Conquering Spirits
4. Advancing without Mercy
5. Massgrave Transformation
6. Angel of Havaz
7. Malicious Spears
https://www.hrrecords.de/ARCHAIC-THORN +++ https://www.archaicthorn.de
SPEED QUEEN - New Video Clip - Debut Full-Length Album "...With a Bang!" out soon via High Roller Records
 Belgium's up-and-rising heavy metallers SPEED QUEEN have revealed the final single for their debut full-length album "...With a Bang!", coming on September 5th 2025 via High Roller Records on all formats.
Check out the video clip for "I Walk Alone" at this location: https://youtu.be/IDZ1N2T0g0A
SPEED QUEEN have been together for more than ten years now and have played numerous festivals (from Wacken Open Air to the Alcatraz Festival) and did some tours with, amongst others, Night Demon. “We like to think that rock‘n'roll has to be fun and invigorating in the first place,” states bassist Lander Savelkoul, “and that’s what we try to bring to the stage - a fast, energetic show with no pauses. We’re bringing a whole new live show along with this new release.”
He adds: “This album has been cooking for quite some time. We started working on these songs after »King Of The Road« (EP, 20217) was released and in between live shows, after a pandemic and line-up change, we are finally ready to release them to the world. Also, it’s a cliché but we’ve grown as a band and you can hear that we’re more comfortable playing these songs.”
Get ready for a powerful "in your face" record, with more variation and extra layers than SPEED QUEEN's previous material!
Additional solo on "I Want It" by Jonny Nesta (Thunderor, Skull Fist). Recorded and mixed by Koen Keijers (Tube Driven). Mastered by Thibault Chaumont (Deviant Lab). Front and back cover photography by Sarina Mannaert.
Tracklist:
01. 5678
02. Showdown
03. I Want It
04. Eye to Eye
05. Chasing Ghosts
06. I Walk Alone
07. Skygazers
08. The World Ends Tonight
09. Time to Go
10. Fire
https://www.hrrecords.de/SPEED-QUEEN +++ https://www.facebook.com/speedqueenofficial
KHNVM – New Lyric Video – Fourth Full-Length Album "Cosmocrator" out soon via Testimony Records
 Death Metallers KHNVM have revealed another song from their new full-length "Cosmocrator", shortly before its official release on August 29th 2025 via Testimony Records.
Check out the lyric video for "Purgatorial Pyre" here: https://youtu.be/K2QHLlJX7iU
Vocalist / guitarist Obliterator comments: "A celestial masquerade collapses into ash as mortals kneel, deceived, their cries devoured by a silent, indifferent deity. The album's opening track 'Purgatorial Pyre' does not sing of redemption, but of the cruel theater that mankind mistakes for grace – where each prayer drips with despair and the divine remains an elusive phantom."
With their fourth album, KHNVM are entering a downward spiral into the abyss of the human experience. The death metal brainiacs explore the crossroads of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. "Cosmocrator" draws powerful inspiration from Christopher Hitchens' scathing account "God Is Not Great" and Carl Jung's "Mysterium Coniunctionis" to explore themes surrounding the tension between rationality and mysticism, while challenging conventional beliefs.
The album title "Cosmocrator" carries a dual significance. It symbolises the "Ruler of the World" and, within religious vocabulary, also stands for "Satan". This reflects the album's exploration of common phenomena, expressed through an adrenaline-fueled artistic lens. With the thought-provoking lyrics and harsh yet to the point musicality of "Cosmocrator", KHNVM promise not to just deliver on musical terms but also to captivate those who are drawn to complex narratives and philosophical depth.
KHNVM are a death metal band that has walked the line between old school death metal and contemporary influences without stumbling. Fronted by Bangladeshi-born guitarist and vocalist Obliterator, the band was founded and is firmly based in Germany.
They present their most complex work so far. "Cosmocrator" offers a dual approach to its listeners: an easy way as to be enjoyed for its excellent musicality but also a far more difficult path to take with intricate lyrics and rich thoughts to be analysed, explored, and discussed for many years to come - and new meanings to be found as well as discoveries of fresh ideas to be made with each new turn!
Artwork by Khaos Diktator Design.
Tracklist:
1. Purgatorial Pyre
2. Fetid Eden
3. Mercurial Remnants
4. Fathomless Enigma
5. Cosmocrator
6. Venom Spawn
7. Haunting Blight
http://lnk.spkr.media/khnvm-cosmocrator +++ https://www.facebook.com/KHNVM666
OUTLAW – New Album "Opus Mortis" in October 2025 via AOP Records – Track Premiere
 AOP Records proudly announces the new album of black metal act OUTLAW, entitled "Opus Mortis", set for release on October 31st 2025.
Forged in São Paulo in 2015, OUTLAW was born as a savage roar from the innermost depths of rebellion. A flame long silenced by the fear of men. What began in the heart of Brazil soon transcended its birthplace, relocating to Dresden, Germany, where the band sharpened its craft into a weapon of uncompromising black metal.
Over the past decade, OUTLAW has released three full-length albums and one EP, each step a deeper descent into their own path. Their music is steeped in darkness, yet illuminated by a relentless drive to transcend the mundane, channeling fury, devotion, and death into soundscapes that are as violent as they are cathartic.
With the upcoming album "Opus Mortis", OUTLAW opens a new chapter. It stands as their most ambitious and destructive work to date. An offering that embodies the essence of the band: raw, visionary, and unbound.
A first track, "Through the Infinite Darkness", has been premiered here: https://youtu.be/JoiX6aUX_l0
Cover art by Johny Prayogi.
Tracklist:
1. Blaze of Dissolution
2. Through the Infinite Darkness
3. The Crimson Rose (feat. Jelle // Dödsrit)
4. A Million Midnights (feat. Lucas Veles // Blasphemaniac)
5. Those Who Breathe Fire (feat. Georgios // Dödsrit)
6. A Subtle Intimation
7. Ruins of Existence
https://shop.aoprecords.de +++ https://www.facebook.com/OutlawBlackMetal
PARADOX – New Lyric Video – New Album "Mysterium" in September 2025 via High Roller Records
 German Thrash Metal institution PARADOX has revealed another song from the new album "Mysterium", coming on September 26th 2025 via High Roller Records.
Check out "Fragrance Of Violence" here: https://youtu.be/C2SHhN80aaY
"Mysterium" is the ninth studio album by PARADOX and marks a special milestone in the band’s 44-year history, as founder and mastermind Charly Steinhauer not only played all stringed instruments, programmed the drums and sang, but also handled the production entirely on his own. Only the mastering was left to Patrick W. Engels competent hands.
The songs are thematically linked, without it being a classic concept work. The lyrics – which, as on "Tales of the Weird" (2012) and "Pangea" (2016), were written by Achim "Dax" Hömerlein (ex-Vendetta) – revolve around mystical stories and world events that have personally moved Steinhauer. Songs like "Abyss of Pain and Fear" (inspired by the movie "Midnight Express"), the instrumental "Grief" (a tribute to co-founder Axel Blaha, who died in 2023) or the title track (about dream interpretation) thus form a common thread.
In Steinhauer’s own estimation, "Mysterium" is alongside their 1989 classic “Heresy” the strongest PARADOX album to date! "The songs all have their own identity, are catchy, and when the album is over, I want to listen to it again straight away.”
Charly`s focus remains on studio productions. In fact, he is already thinking about a follow-up album. For now, "Mysterium" is available on CD (with bonus track) and vinyl.
Cover artwork & graphics by Travis Smith.
Tracklist:
01. Kholat
02. Abyss Of Pain And Fear
03. Grief
04. Those Who Resist
05. One Way Ticket To Die
06. Pile Of Shame
07. Tunguska
08. Fragrance Of Violence
09. Mysterium
10. The Demon God
11. Within The Realms Of Gray (CD Bonus)
https://www.hrrecords.de/PARADOX +++ https://www.facebook.com/paradoxthrash
WODE – New Album "Uncrossing The Keys" in October 2025 via 20 Buck Spin – Track Premiere
 Manchester’s savage sons WODE return with their fourth album, "Uncrossing The Keys", set for release on October 3rd 2025 via 20 Buck Spin.
With "Uncrossing The Keys", WODE are marking a confident expansion of their already formidable sound built upon a shadowy foundation of feral black metal and ironclad heavy metal heft. Having evolved from the more straightforward methodology of the debut album, WODE has continuously added elements from various dark corners of the underground across its discography, with songwriting that has grown leaner yet more intricate, focused and melodic than ever.
"Uncrossing The Keys" hasn’t softened WODE’s music, the sound remains steeped in flame and fury, but they’ve embraced a wider spectrum of moods, painting with blacker, richer hues than ever before. Jagged post-punk / goth leanings bleakly shine on new tracks like "Saturn Shadow" and the dreamy trance of atmospheric instrumental "Phantom". The doomier pace and majestically pensive mood of single "Transmutation" recalls both Paradise Lost and Amorphis with its somber undercurrent, while the morosely anthemic "Under Lanternlight" is suffused with dynamic melodies in its Sentenced-like composition style. Guitars carry a mournful shimmer at times, their hooks laced with both melancholy and menace, drifting above the carnage with moments of elegiac beauty and dark lamentation. The hellish rasp of the vocals rise like ritual chants from another age.
Conjuring visions of a world perpetually on the edge of twilight WODE casts a long, cold silhouette over the course of "Uncrossing The Keys" nine tracks. There’s a sense of both grandeur and decay, as though the band opened a gateway to a realm where cursed cities smolder under blood-red skies, their walls echoing forsaken hymns eternally. The result of a constant evolutionary process WODE has crafted a truly haunted and commanding blackened heavy metal that raises a dark banner high over a vast and desolate kingdom.
For a first impression check out the album's first single "Transmutation": https://youtu.be/23nucBcraTc
Recorded & mixed by James Atkinson at The Stationhouse. Mastered by Magnus Lindberg. Artwork by Set33.
Tracklist:
1. Two Crossed Keys
2. Under Lanternlight
3. Saturn Shadow
4. Transmutation
5. Prisoner of the Moon
6. Fiery End
7. Lash of the Tyrant
8. Phantom
9. Dashed on the Rocks
https://www.20buckspin.com +++ https://www.facebook.com/Wodecult
SUNNIVA – New Video Clip available – Debut Album " Hypostasis" out in September 2025 via Svart Records
 Finnish sludge/post-metal act SUNNIVA have unveiled another song from their upcoming debut album "Hypostasis", coming on September 19th 2025 via Svart Records.
You can watch the official video for "Valovaltimo" at this location: https://youtu.be/643woiuR0sM
Sung in Finnish and Swedish, "Valovaltimo" (which translates to “Artery of Light”) is a deep, hypnotic journey into the band’s signature blend of psychedelic repetition, crushing doom, and heavy atmospherics. The track builds slowly, creating a sense of mounting tension before culminating in a dramatic, almost spiritual conclusion.
The song’s lyrics are inspired by a vivid, unsettling dream experienced by the band’s lyricist: a vision of a massive black hole consuming everything—people, animals, buildings, trees, the very fabric of reality itself. “At first I felt dread as I floated toward it,” the lyricist recalls. “But then I saw animals heading toward it, accepting it without fear. There was a strange sense of calm, and that stayed with me.” The dream ultimately became a meditation on death, unity, and the idea that we are all interconnected, spiraling toward the same end.
The track also features guest vocals and lyrics by Lotta, the lead singer of SVARTA HAVET, who was inspired by the dream’s imagery to create her own contribution, adding a hauntingly ethereal layer to the song’s dramatic finale.
SUNNIVA was formed in 2016 out of a shared hunger for the raw sonic power of heavy music. The band's name, derived from the Old English Sunngifu, meaning "gift of the sun", hints at the layered darkness and light woven into their sound.
Blurring the lines between death doom, sludge, and post-metal, SUNNIVA summons the same seismic intensity as titans like Amenra, Neurosis and Dark Buddha Rising. Their past releases – "The Holy Mountain" (2017), self-titled EP (2020), and the sprawling single "This Reality Only Speaks In Blood" (2018) – have cemented their reputation for crafting immersive, soul-crushing soundscapes.
Listen. Witness. Be undone.
Tracklist:
1. Mercurial Bloodstreams
2. Peine Forte Et Dure
3. Valovaltimo
4. Opening The Key
5. Sun Funeral
6. Hung From The Sky
https://www.svartrecords.com +++ https://www.facebook.com/sunnivadoom
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