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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
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
BERGFRIED – Debut Full-Length Album Romantik "III" via High Roller Records in October 2025 – First Single revealed
 Following the EPs "Romantik I" (2022) and "Romantik II" (2023), BERGFRIED's highly anticipated debut full-length "Romantik III" will be released on 24th October 2025 via High Roller Records on all formats.
The Austrian-Hungarian heavy metal duo consists of Erech von Lothringen, who is handling all the instruments, and vocalist Anna de Savoy.
Erech von Lothringen states: "'Romantik III' is the last part of this trilogy. Conceptually it is the continuation of 'Romantik II' but musically, the whole thing has become a bit more compact and also clearer. There are classic heavy metal songs on the album, but, as on 'Romantik II', there are also a few musical-like passages in between."
The album's opening track, "Dark Wings", can be checked out here: https://youtu.be/z5bIKUjkk94
"Romantik III" is featuring guest appearances by Maria Nesh of Red Eye Temple, Sarah Kitteringham of Smoulder and Davide Moras of Elvenking. Drums by Fabio Alessandrini (Annihilator, Enforcer, Bonfire). Mixed and Mastered by Olof Wikstrand at Hvergelmer Studio & Music Production. Artwork by Aaron Lawrance // paintedimagelimited.
Tracklist:
1. Dark Wings
2. Fallen From Grace
3. Queen of the Dead
4. For the Cursed
5. Gates of Fate
6. Serenades
7. Tears of a Thousand Years
8. Star-Crossed Love
9. Back for More
https://www.hrrecords.de/BERGFRIED +++ https://www.facebook.com/bergfriedofficial
SÖLICITÖR - Sophomore Full-Length "Enemy In Mirrors" via Gates Of Hell Records in September 2025 – Track Premiere
 Seattle speed metal masters SÖLICITÖR are back with their sophomore studio album, entitled "Enemy In Mirrors", set for release on September 19th 2025 via Gates Of Hell Records.
A first track, "Iron Wolves of War", can be checked out here: https://solicitor-speedmetal.bandcamp.com/track/iron-wolves-of-war
Five years have passed since "Spectral Devastation", SÖLICITÖR’s debut LP was unleashed. Now they are back with a bang. More leather-bound, more aggressive, more powerful and more metal than ever. From the powerful riffing and impressive drum work to the evocative vocals; it won’t take you long to fall in love with the classic and authentic sound of this new offering. Mixing heavy, speed and even some thrash metal elements to achieve a unique sound of powerful metallic excellence, none shall be spared on this ferocious new opus.
Fans will notice the more dynamic, emotive and varied approach on this album that still retains all of the power and fury of their previous efforts. The band took a more DIY approach to the actual recording while re-amping, mixing and mastering was done by Chris Mannino to truly bring the electrifying takes to life. Speaking of DIY, the band’s vocalist Amy handled the artwork for this release, ensuring the bands vision was appropriately represented.
The band put this into words best: This album was built on blood, sweat and struggle, personal catastrophes and triumphs, division and uncertainty - ultimately pulled together by dedication to a long term vision and determination above all odds to deliver performances that will surely outlast our previous offerings. We believe in the integrity of these songs, as a representation of our evolution and arrival to this point. This album is darker, more melodic, much more expressive, personal, and may take some by surprise for better or worse. Themes of the paranormal, revenge and retribution, betrayal, and a steadfast commitment to heavy metal and all that has come before us as we continue to pursue and mark our place in a drastically different and ever changing landscape.
Haunting, powerful and destructive metal mania!
Live in Europe:
13.09.25 - Pyrenean Warriors Open Air – France
20.09.25 - In the Best Tradition Festival - Italy
Tracklist:
01. The Descent
02. Paralysis
03. Iron Wolves of War
04. Spellbound Mist
05. We Who Remain
06. Fallen Angel
07. Crimson Battle Beast
08. Enemy In Mirrors
09. Black Magick (Part I)
10. The Devil’s Hand (Part II)
https://www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords +++https://www.facebook.com/solicitor.speedmetal
RITUAL MASS – New Song revealed – Debut Album "Cascading Misery" in September 2025 via 20 Buck Spin
 Pittsburgh based death metallers RITUAL MASS have revealed another song from their debut full-length "Cascading Misery", coming on September 5th 2025 via 20 Buck Spin on all formats.
You can listen to the title track here: https://youtu.be/aLotp-foV5c
"Cascading Misery" is more than a collection of songs, it’s a series of calculated assaults on the virtue of the holy. Evolving beyond earlier EP and demo releases, the album encapsulates the bludgeoning infliction of pain and the slow peel of skin by flame, rife with both sonic chaos and extinguished hope.
From the outset of album opener "Obsidian Mirror" the atmosphere is oppressive, thick with a suffocating malaise. There is a sense of something ceremonial at work but not in a way that seeks communion. Rather it’s ordeal as sacrament. Riffs strangle and churn into convulsive submission, oscillating from slow agony to psychotic break, over which a guttural lament so savage it freezes the blood is wrenched through dungeon stone. Each track unfolds like time spent in isolation, bound by chains, the mind slowly unraveling and surrounded by memories of torment both real and imagined.
By the time the epic 14-minute album closer "Disquiet" dissipates into a mass of formless static RITUAL MASS have dragged you into a world where suffering is not an end but a condition of existence. "Cascading Misery" is music for the dissolution of hope, the terror of being, and the long march toward death.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson / Earhammer Studios (Ulthar, Autopsy, Undergang). Cover painting by P. Trona.
Tracklist:
1. Obsidian Mirror
2. Immeasurable Hell
3. Looming Shapeless Entity
4. Cascading Misery
5. Frozen Marrow
6. Disquiet
https://www.20buckspin.com +++ https://www.facebook.com/20buckspin
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