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BURNING SUN - New Album "Retribution" out soon via Metalized Records / Second Single available
 On August 22nd 2025, BURNING SUN will finally unleash their second full-length album via Metalizer Records! "Retribution" a full-story concept album set in BURNING SUN's dark fantasy world that tells a tale about fight, struggle, revenge and finally, salvation. For fans of Helloween, Grave Digger & 90s power metal in general.
The second single, "Fight In The Night", has been premiered here with a visualizer clip: https://youtu.be/9PtmRSgYbx8
Following their successful debut album spawning a cassette, a CD release via Stormspell Records and a CD re-release via Silverstream Records, Hungary's BURNING SUN is ready to unleash their second record, "Retribution"! It is a dark and cohesive fantasy power metal concept album that tells a story about fight, struggle, revenge and finally, salvation.
Although the main influences of "Retribution" are rooted in the German scene of the 1990s such as HELLOWEEN or GRAVE DIGGER, BURNING SUN delivers a power metal album with a unique touch. With a wide range of guitar harmonies, massive choruses, soaring vocals and tasteful guitar solos, "Retribution" is not just another memorable power metal release, but a musical journey that creates an immersive experience. Though the songwriting is polished, the mix has a sharp and raw edge that emphasizes the concept of the record.
Lyrically, the songs of the album are directly connected telling the story of Emaly, a young paladin, who remains the sole survivor of a clash between her group and the death cult of a necromancer. After her mentor and his companions fell, she swears to avenge their death then sets out find the necromancer and destroy his cult once and for all.
The album is based on Zoltán Papi’s (bass) story and lyrics while the music was composed by Pancho Ireland (vocals, guitars) also known from his own band, Merciless Law. "Retribution" offers some minor sound effects & acted narration that help to tell the story but don’t break the flow of a strong and powerful record.
Tracklist:
1. By the Light
2. Fight in the Night
3. Aftermath
4. Cold Winds
5. Heart of Darkness
6. Open Your Eyes
7. Shadows Undone
8. Redemption
https://www.metalizer-records.de +++ https://www.facebook.com/burningsunpower
WHITE MANTIS - Second Album "Arrows At The Sun" via High Roller Records - New Track Premiere
 Bavarian thrash metallers WHITE MANTIS have revealed another song from their upcoming sophomore full-length "Arrows At The Sun", set for release on August 22nd 2025 through High Roller Records.
A lyric video for the track "Roboticator" is available here: https://youtu.be/uly-SWim3Pk
Six years after "Sacrifice Your Future", the band’s second album continues on the path they have followed ever since drummer Thomas Taube and bass player Jan Strobl joined in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Explains the latter: “Based on a traditional thrash metal foundation, the new songs also display some weird, chaotic and progressive influences. Given the members’ different musical backgrounds, we are always open to diverse songwriting.”
As a consequence, WHITE MANTIS have refined their sophisticated style of lyric writing even further. The album deals with sociopolitical issues, technocriticism and scepticism towards progress but also spirituality and death as a mystery of life. It’s easy to hear influences from Voivod or early Megadeth on "Arrows at the Sun", yet for the most part, WHITE MANTIS are very much themselves, with songs such as "Reality Exists" or the title track encapsulating their own brand of thrash: crushing melodies, frantic rhythms and multiple turns, all without sacrificing their catchiness.
Cover art by Velio Josto.
Tracklist:
01. Nekrotornado
02. Arrows at the Sun
03. Pass the Torch
04. Divide and Kill
05. Atavistic Power
06. Over Your Pale Bones
07. Toxic Sniper
08. Roboticator
09. Reality Exists
10. Altar of Technology
https://www.hrrecords.de/WHITE-MANTIS +++ https://www.facebook.com/white.mantis
NEW WORLD DEPRESSION - New Lyric Video revealed - Seventh Album "Abysmal Void" coming in September 2025 via Testimony Records
 German death metallers NEW WORLD DEPRESSION have unleashed the second single from their new album "Abysmal Void", coming on September 19th 2025 via Testimony Records.
Check out the lyric video for "Carnage" here: https://youtu.be/xw_K3DSE0pI
Guitarist Julian Schulz comments: "We have picked 'Carnage' for the lyric video, because this song is particularly groovy, relentless, and crushing. This track paints a grim picture of a world consumed by chaos and brutality. With pounding riffs and furious vocals, it soon becomes clear that nothing will survive!"
NEW WORLD DEPRESSION raise the furious spirits of earth and sea on their seventh full-length "Abysmal Void". The album's ten songs each represent a chapter filled with one or more of humanity's failures such as delusion, greed, destruction, and war.
The German death metal veterans deliver an honest reckoning with the current state of the world – brutal, unfiltered, and unforgiving. "Abysmal Void" continues the dark thematic journey that began in 2020 with "Descent" and found its continuation throughout the band's latest album "Interment of Sins" (2023). Having landed in a mire of guilt and ruin of its own making, humanity now stares into the Abysmal Void, where nothing remains but darkness and decay.
Musically, NEW WORLD DEPRESSION stay on track and true to their old school death metal roots, yet "Abysmal Void" received a healthy dose of more groove, more atmosphere, and more depth. Sound-smith Jörg Uken has honed the album to perfection at his famous Soundlodge Studio in East Frisia, which enjoys an excellent reputation in death metal circles and beyond.
NEW WORLD DEPRESSION take humanity to the edge of the abyss with all the musical expertise gained from many years of experience both live and in studio. Just remember, if you listen hard to the brutal death metal inferno of "Abysmal Void", the abyss might also become aware of you!
Cover artwork by Juan Castellano.
Tracklist:
01. The Vault
02. Book of Trophies
03. Spoils of War
04. Blind Eyes
05. Marching on Our Graves
06. Burning Down
07. Grenadier
08. Expect No Mercy
09. Carnage
10. Moonbound Hunger
Live:
19.09.2025 - Saarbrücken (DE) Garage + Benediction
20.09.2025 - Villingen (DE) Klosterhof, Black Forest Fest VIII
http://lnk.spkr.media/newworlddepression-abysmal +++ https://www.facebook.com/newworlddepression
BONGINATOR - Sophomore Album "Retrodeath" in October 2025 via Testimony Records - New Track Premiere
 Testimony Records proudly announces the new album of American death metal fanatics BONGINATOR, "Retrodeath", set for release on October 24th 2025 on all formats.
The second single "Pizza Time (ft. Belushi Speed Ball)" has been premiered now with a lyric video: https://youtu.be/UJxV17crtkw
The band comments: "COWABUNGA BITCH! This is our righteous new banger best enjoyed with Bonginator's favorite meal, pizza! Remember - chicks love dudes who eat out! On this one our metalocity is off the charts! This is a bodacious rager for doing bong rips and stage diving. Just don't tell Master Splinter about the primo kush we got, yeah? Anyway, go stream this one, and if someone doesn't dig it... what the shell?"
A clip for the track "All Cops Are Biomechs" is already available here: https://youtu.be/1-WEUPMfYCw
Bang, boom, BONGINATOR! Madness reigns supreme on the band’s sophomore full-length: "Retrodeath" marks the birth of a new sound, not just for the band but also for the genre. The weed-devouring youngsters have actually put a lot of work into their new songs. Well, if you call immersing yourself for months into '80s action and horror movies as well as playing loads of old video games... 'work'.
Then again, more days were spent researching and emulating the exact synths used in the '80s to create some of their favorite soundtracks. The result is a fresh and somewhat happily unhinged sonic monster that has been carefully bred by BONGINATOR selectively crossing traditional US death metal, synthwave, and 16-bit computer game sounds.
"Retrodeath" takes everything further to far out, gleefully stitches together something new, something old, something borrowed, and a lot of things bold, but somehow manages to make sense of what sounds insane. Full weed ahead!
Cover Artwork by Dan Goldsworthy.
Tracklist:
01. Sequence Initiation (Intro)
02. All We Really Are Is Livestock
03. All Cops Are Biomechs
04. Pizza Time (ft. Belushi Speed Ball)
05. The Fog Interlude
06. The Fog
07. Short Ass Bus (ft. Big Ass Truck and Ignominious)
08. Lunk Alarm
09. Intruder Organism Interlude
10. Intruder Organism (ft. Fulci)
11. Who Let the "Things" (1989) Out
12. Outro (ft. Tim Capello)
http://lnk.spkr.media/bonginator-retrodeath +++ https://www.facebook.com/bonginatorMA
SPEED QUEEN - New Video Clip Premiere - Debut Album "...With a Bang!" via High Roller Records
 Belgian up-and-rising Heavy Metallers SPEED QUEEN have revealed another song from their upcoming debut full-length album "...With a Bang!", set for release on September 5th 2025 via High Roller Records on all formats.
A video clip for the new single "The World Ends Tonight" is available here: https://youtu.be/IHUY8B62clk
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
Facebook +++ https://www.facebook.com/speedqueenofficial
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DRAGONSCLAW - New Lyric Video revealed - New Album "Moving Target" coming via High Roller Records
 DRAGONSCLAW have revealed the second single from their new album "Moving Target", coming on August 22nd 2025 via High Roller Records.
A lyric video for the track "Cry Wolf" is available here: https://youtu.be/9iBFwlGL2ZE
Giles Lavery is best known as the vocalist of Warlord, Alcatrazz and Jack Starr. On top of that, he is also a highly prolific band manager, record producer and label co-owner. DRAGONSCLAW is the name one of the first bands he formed in 2010, while still residing in Sydney, Australia. Their debut album "Prophecy" was quickly recorded in 2011, followed by "Judgement Day" (2013). And now, a record breaking twelve years later, it’s time for the follow-up.
Apart from Giles Lavery on vocals, "Moving Target" features Australian citizens Ben Thomas (guitars) and Aaron Thomas (bass) as well Warlord members Mark Zonder (drums) and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards).
"For me the direction on 'Moving Target' was intended to be if Judas Priest had made an album somewhere in 1985 between 'Defenders Of The Faith' and 'Turbo'," describes the vocalist the sound of the new DRAGONSCLAW album, "with some of the second Fifth Angel album in there too."
Keyboards are prominently featured on "Moving Target", which was actually the original plan of the band: "I think for this album the keyboards are very important, they create the needed atmosphere and drama. I would say that we used them in a similar way that Virgin Steele did on 'Age Of Consent', namely to build atmosphere. I really like that haunting effect keyboards can have when used right. Like Tony Banks from Genesis does, or Tony Carey on his Planet P Project albums ... Jimmy Waldo is one of those guys too."
With the band on fire and Giles Lavery coming across as a blend of Michael Kiske, Geoff Tate and Ronnie James Dio, "Moving Target" has every chance to become a modern-day heavy metal classic.
Artwork by All Things Rotten.
Tracklist:
1. The Road Beneath Your Wheels
2. Survival
3. Cry Wolf
4. Don't Break the Silence again
5. Back on the Streets
6. Ghost Soldiers
7. Shadowfire
8. (Tell me) All Your Lies
9. Raise Your Fist
https://www.hrrecords.de/DRAGONSCLAW +++ https://www.facebook.com/DragonsclawOfficial
PARADOX - New Album "Mysterium“ via High Roller Records - Details and Lyric Video revealed
 German Thrash Metal institution PARADOX has premiered a first song from the upcoming new album "Mysterium", set for release on September 26th 2025 via High Roller Records.
A lyric video for the track "Kholat" is available here: https://youtu.be/5BdgZMnOBNk
"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.
Coverart & Graphics by Travis Smith.
Pre-orders: https://www.hrrecords.de/PARADOX
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 +++ https://www.facebook.com/paradoxthrash
AZURE EMOTE - New Video Single - New Album "Cryptic Aura" out soon via Testimony Records
 US Avantgarde Death Metallers AZURE EMOTE have revealed the final single from their upcoming new album "Cryptic Aura", set for release on July 25th 2025 via Testimony Records on CD, LP and in digital formats.
Check out the video clip for "Bleed With The Moon" here: https://youtu.be/6xa0MLONYqw
Band mastermind and vocalist Mike Hrubovcak states: "Overall, 'Bleed with the Moon’ is conceptually very simple and straightforward, but also one of the more personal songs on the album. Alcohol is a demon and I've named him Al-Kuhl. This analogy is based on my personal experiences and the lyrics are about getting possessed by this demon around a bonfire in the woods at night. I'm not trying to glorify excessive drinking here. I rather artistically convey the passion, euphoria, and physical and mental dangers of convening with such 'spirits' in the heat of the moment. I have a love/hate relationship with Al-Kuhl and I have learned that eventually it ends up taking much more than it gives. This song was written during such a night however, and even the album cover is a photo of a homemade skeleton that I made and burned in the woods along with a bottle and a bonfire."
AZURE EMOTE was created in 2003 by Mike Hrubovcak, with the help of long-time friend and guitarist Ryan Moll. It was formed as an experimental musical outlet to express personal negativity without the genre limitations often present within Extreme Metal. AZURE EMOTE incorporates a wide variety of instruments and musical styles to give each song its own unique sound, which includes varying elements of Experimental, Industrial, Electronic, Doom, Progressive and Blackened Death Metal.
The new album "Cryptic Aura" is a much darker and heavier offering than the previous albums. It’s misanthropic and disturbing atmospheres can be felt weaving it’s way throughout a skeleton of Progressive Death Metal, all the while engulfed by a firey smoke of dark keyboard effects and foreboding Violins. The cover photo (also created by Hrubovcak) is a returning meditation concept from the previous album, symbolizing the trauma and seismic change that has occurred throughout the last 5 years: Burning the effigy of the past, while embracing the cryptic next chapter.
"Cryptic Aura" was recorded by Ron Vento (Aurora Borealis) at Nightsky Studios, Maryland/USA, mixed by Noah Buchanan (Nunslaughter) at Mercinary Studios, Ohio/USA and mastered by Andy La Rocque (King Diamond) at Sonic Train Studios, Varberg/Sweden.
Tracklist:
01. Into Abysmal Oblivion
02. Insomnia Nervosa
03. Aeons Adrift
04. Bleed With The Moon
05. Defiance Infernus
06. Provoking The Obscene
07. Disease Of The Soul
08. Feast Of Leeches
09. Return To The Unknown
10. Writhing Lunacy
Line-up:
Mike Hrubovcak - Vocals & Keyboards (ex Monstrosity)
Ryan Moll - Guitars (Total Fucking Destruction)
Mike Heller - Drums (Malignancy, Raven, ex Fear Factory)
Kelly Conlon - Bass (ex Death, ex Monstrosity)
Pete Johansen - Violins (ex Sirenia)
Anna Murphy - Clean Vocals (ex Eluveitie)
Featuring guest solos by James Murphy, Andy La Rocque and Bob Davodian.
http://lnk.spkr.media/azureemote-crypticaura +++https://www.facebook.com/azureemote
KHNVM - New Album "Cosmocrator" coming in August 2025 via Testimony Records - Video Clip Premiere
 Testimony Records proudly announces the new full-length of death metallers KHNVM, entitled "Cosmocrator", set for release on August 29th 2025 on all formats.
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!
A video clip for the first advance track, "Fetid Eden", is available here: https://youtu.be/wpClzmwk7BE
Vocalist and guitarist Obliterator comments: “Our new single, ‘Fetid Eden’, is not mere music - it's a visceral report from the heart of conflict. The track plunges listeners into the brutal aftermath of war, where shattered dreams lie scattered like debris across ravaged landscapes, and the echoes of loss reverberate through the silence. This is a soundscape where the weight of existence is amplified by the relentless machinery of war, and every breath is a struggle against the suffocating grip of despair. ‘Fetid Eden’ serves as a stark reminder of the enduring human cost of conflict, a descent into the gore-soaked reality that lies beyond the headlines. As the lead single of our upcoming album, it signals our unflinching commitment to confronting the darkest aspects of the human condition in a world consumed by violence.”
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
LORD VIGO - New Album "Walk The Shadows" out now via High Roller Records - Full Album Stream
 The new and sixth overall full-length of German epic masters LORD VIGO, "Walk The Shadows", is out now via High Roller Records.
You can listen to the entire album here: https://youtu.be/ksD6oGK4yck
Following the highly acclaimed "Danse De Noir" (2020) and "We Shall Overcome" (2022), which formed part one and part two of a trilogy, the new album is not connected to this concept. Drummer, vocalist and keyboard player Vinz Clortho explains: "'Walk The Shadows' stands on its own and is not part of the trilogy. There is no coherent concept this time around, not a specific plot. These are all individual songs. It was quite a change for us after two very elaborate concept albums, and it was fun."
Songs like "Through A Glass Darkly", "Servant Of The Dark" or "The Triumph Of The Killing Heart" evoke some sort of Gothic Horror feel. If you delve into "Walk The Shadows", you will find a pretty eclectic mix of epic metal, gothic rock and post-punk, with traces of Sisters Of Mercy, Fields Of The Nephilim and even The Cure.
"Walk The Shadows" was recorded at Atomic Age Studio, produced / mixed by Vinz Clortho & Lord Vigo and mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony. The front cover artwork was created by Markus Vesper, the back cover by Mirkow Gastow.
Get ready for the most varied LORD VIGO album so far!
Order options: https://www.hrrecords.de/LORD-VIGO +++ https://lordvigo.bandcamp.com/album/walk-the-shadows
Tracklist:
1. A Morbid Realm
2. Walk The Shadows
3. Through A Glass Darkly
4. We Shall Not
5. Killing Hearts And Endless Nights
6. Servant Of The Dark
7. The Triumph Of The Killing Heart
8. El Hakim
https://www.facebook.com/hrrecords +++ https://www.facebook.com/LordVigo666
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