MOUNT PALATINE RELEASE "WORMHOLY WORLD"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Band: Mount Palatine

Album: Wormholy World

Release Date: February 6th 2026

Country: Finland

Genre: Heavy Psych Metal

Label: Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records

Wormholy World is the second full length album by Finnish heavy psych metal trio Mount Palatine. Built on long form jamming and deep ensemble chemistry, the album delivers a powerful mix of crushing riffs, hypnotic grooves and cosmic atmospheres. Doom heaviness, stoner grit, psychedelic textures and progressive dynamics merge into an immersive and cohesive sonic vision that pushes the band further into their own distinctive territory.

BAND QUOTE ON THE ALBUM

“Wormholy World is an ultimate trip through destruction and recreation, the chaos of life and the universe itself. Musically, the album builds on the psychedelic heavy jams that define our sound. Through years of ensemble playing we have developed our own style of heavy psych metal, combining doom, stoner, sludge, psychedelic rock and progressive metal. These chaotic trips form a cosmic dance where fragile melodies break under crushing riffs only to reform into triumphant harmony. The vocals shift from ethereal choirs to harsh growls.

Like our debut Cockroach Crusade, the album was born from intense jam sessions. All songs were created and arranged through continuous riffs and live interplay in our own rehearsal space and home studio at Saarni Music. After the main tracks were captured, we added many layers of guitars, synths, effects and vocals until the songs reached their final cosmic form. The final touch came from Mactus the Magemaster at Saarni Music, bringing clarity and life to the recordings. While the debut explored many influences, this album brings a stronger sense of cohesion and focuses clearly on the artistic vision we want to pursue.”

FOR FANS OF

Elder

Stoned Jesus

Khemmis

Mount Palatine are a heavy psych metal trio from Helsinki, Finland. Formerly known as The Paladin, the band evolved their identity to reflect a more focused and expansive artistic vision. Their sound combines crushing heaviness with spiritual and cosmic elements, rooted in groove and improvisation.

https://www.instagram.com/mountpalatine/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Mount-Palatine/61579289841745/

https://mountpalatine.bandcamp.com/

https://linktr.ee/mountpalatine

LOCUS NOIR RELEASE "SHADOW SUN"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

LOCUS NOIR is the latest musical endeavor from Ben DMN, also known for his work as the frontman of Swiss Death Wave powerhouse SYBREED. 

Conceived as a return to the music that shaped his formative years, the project draws its energy from late-night introspection, creative renewal, and a distinctly crepuscular sensibility. Initially conceived as a solo project, LOCUS NOIR is set to evolve into a fully-fledged band .

 Musically, LOCUS NOIR  blends Type O Negative gloom, The Fields of the Nephilim mysticism, and Paradise Lost melancholy, all infused with a post-punk edge. The result is a sound that feels both contemporary and timeless — a modern interpretation of what Gothic Metal can be.

 On debut album 'Shadow Sun' , band main songwriter and vocalist Ben steps fully into a melodic, haunting vocal register, merging the theatrical delivery of Peter Murphy with subtle echoes of the late Peter Steele. The lyrics move between the esoteric and the intimate: love and death, desire and decay, nocturnal excess and the bitter aftertaste of parties stretching well past dawn.

Locus Noir's debut album’ Shadow Sun' is due for release in 2026 on Listenable Records..

Tracklisting 

1. Walpurgisnacht 1996

2. Shadow Sun

3. Cemetery Youth (track featuring Ben Christo of The Sisters of Mercy )

4. A Dismal Romance

5. She Haunts the Night

6. Thicker Than Darkness Itself

7. In Despair We Trust

8. Death, That Elusive Mistress

9. Hollow

10. Full Moon Theri­anthropy

11. Reburial

Bonus tracks:

12. Marry the Night (Lady Gaga cover)

13. How Harsh is the Light of Dawn

 

Band Line up :

Ben DMN - Vocals

Claire Genoud - Guitar

Ales - Bass

Ben Marmier – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/locus.noir/

https://www.instagram.com/locus_noir

DOODSWENS RELEASE "DOODSWENS"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Dutch black metallers DOODSWENS will release their uncompromising self-titled second full-length on April 17th via Svart Records.

DOODSWENS formed in 2017 by I. Live she performs drums and vocals, joined by R. and P. on bass and guitar respectively.

After establishing themselves within the Dutch scene, DOODSWENS gained an international following doing tours with Marduk and Gorgoroth. DOODSWENS’ performances are ceremonial and ritualistic, which have been reported to be as uplifting as they are devastating, depending on the demons you bring them to offer. Whatever you carry with you will be exposed. They confront instead of bringing comfort.

While DOODSWENS translates to ‘Deathwish,’ the meaning in Dutch translates better to “Driven By Death,” the title of the record’s lead single. If you've been on the verge of ending your life, or think about it more often than not, then you're living with a death wish. A heavy feeling, like a gray cloud hovering around you, gasping for breath and blurring your vision. This is incomprehensible to anyone. Except for those caught in the middle of it. But this album isn't about giving up. It's about finding strength, about someone who regains new energy after facing death. This album isn't about wishing for death, but the death of the wish.

Band leader I. further elaborates on “Driven By Death,” “For me, it was on the way back from a spontaneous adventure, full of music, new connections, and inspiration. A path without a plan and a journey without a goal, with only a very strong feeling that this is where I'm meant to be. With a misty horizon of endless asphalt before me, a large tree at the edge of the road, in the corner of my eye, screaming that this could just be the end… But what I felt wasn't fear, it was happiness. With the thought that if I crash into that tree now, I won't care at all. Because up until this moment, I've done everything possible, experienced every adventure, and each time, gotten up again and faced life with that gray cloud around my head. I have a death wish, so if it happens now, it's okay, and I'm at peace with it. This was the moment I realized I'm not afraid of life. I'm driven by death.” 

Watch DOODSWENS’ “Driven By Death” video HERE. Stream the track HERE.

Doodswens will be available on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl on Cream White/Yellow/Orange (a Svart exclusive), limited Violet, and classic Black.

Find CD/LP preorders HERE and digital preorders HERE. An official Doodswens T-shirt with the album art is also available for preorder HERE.

Doodswens Track Listing:

1. Driven By Death

2. Verrot

3. The Black Flame

4. These Wounds Never Healed

5. She Carries the Curse

6. Devils Stone

7. Vlaamse Vloek

https://www.doodswensband.nl

https://www.instagram.com/doodswens.band

https://www.facebook.com/DoodswensOfficial

https://doodswensband.bandcamp.com

https://www.svartrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords

https://www.instagram.com/svartrecords

SLEEPING GIANT RELEASE "THE BEAUTY OF OBLITERATION"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Band: SLEEPING GIANT

Album: The Beauty of Obliteration

Release Date: February 6th, 2026

Country: Iceland

Genre: Stoner Doom Sludge

Label: Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records

FORMAT

CD / Digital

FOR FANS OF: Down, Electric Wizard, High On Fire, early Mastodon, Conan

The Beauty of Obliteration marks the long awaited debut full length by Icelandic heavy psychonauts Sleeping Giant. Recorded in 2024 at Stúdíó Paradís, the album captures the band as a tightly knit live unit, delivering a dense and crushing blend of Stoner Doom Sludge and extreme metal influences.

Built around sinister yet memorable riffs, heavy groovy drums and commanding vocal performances, the album explores themes of human hubris, inner darkness and moral decay, staying true to classic Doom Metal aesthetics while pushing into harsher and more aggressive territory.

Raw, hypnotic and uncompromising, The Beauty of Obliteration is the sound of a long dormant giant finally awakened.

https://www.facebook.com/sleepingdoompungur

https://www.instagram.com/sleeping.doom.giant

https://sleepinggiantisl.bandcamp.com/

COSMIC BLISS RELEASE "CALL OF THE VOID"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Cosmic Bliss is a solo project from Poland blending atmospheric and epic soundscapes with the harshness of black metal. Founded by Rokita, Cosmic Bliss draws inspiration from the dark, yet ethereal sounds of Summoning and Wolves in the Throne Room. The debut EP, "Call Of The Void", released in 2026, marked the beginning of Cosmic Bliss' journey into the epic metal scene. 

Call of the Void tracklist:

1- The Mountains Of Madness

2- The Stars Over R'lyeh Are Right

3- Kadath, The Hall Of The Gods

Established in: 2025

Releases: Call Of The Void (EP, 2026)

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cosmic000bliss

Bandcamp: cosmicbliss0.bandcamp.com

Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7bjHpEx0HGi0peZvxLiR3Y

Instagram: instagram.com/cosmic999bliss

Linktr.ee: linktr.ee/cosmicbliss000

Email: CB000email@proton.me

WITHERING SURFACE RE-RELEASE "UNIQUE" DEMO

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Danish melodic death metal pioneers WITHERING SURFACE re-release their long-lost debut promo “Unique” today digitally, via Mighty Music. Originally recorded in 1995, the four-track demo is now available on all streaming services for the first time ever, nearly 30 years after its original underground release.

Originally self-released as a cassette promo, "Unique" marked the birth of Denmark’s first melodic death metal band, capturing a raw and formative moment inspired by early At The Gates, In Flames, Amorphis and Eucharist, at a time when the genre was virtually unknown in the Danish metal scene.

Recorded in just three days at Take-One Studio with producer Kasper Munkebo (Dominus), "Unique" was originally distributed through tape trading and mail orders, selling close to 2,000 copies worldwide and even receiving a licensed cassette release in South America - an impressive feat in the pre-internet underground.

For this 2026 digital re-release, as well as for the previously released vinyl edition (which can be ordered here), the original cassette sources were carefully restored and remastered by Henrik West at Medley Studio, preserving the raw intensity while making the material suitable for modern listening platforms.

Withering Surface went on to release four full-length albums between 1997 and 2004, touring extensively across Europe and beyond, appearing at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Roskilde, and sharing stages with bands like Arch Enemy, Opeth and Dimmu Borgir. After a 15-year hiatus, the band returned in 2020 with “Meet Your Maker”, followed by their latest album “Exit Plan” in 2024, accompanied by extensive touring.

"Unique" is available now on all streaming platforms. Stream/buy it via this link.

Recording lineup:

Kaspar Boye Larsen - bass

Jakob Gundel - drums

Allan Tvedebrink - guitar

Jimmy Christensen - guitar

Michael H. Andersen - vocals

Digital:

https://withsurface.lnk.to/unique

Webshop:

https://bit.ly/ws-tgt

Web:

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/WitheringSurface/

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/witheringsurface/

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4FeAaBRk7wG0ZhuIPZST3c

Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/withering-surface/205108911

Bandcamp   https://witheringsurface.bandcamp.com/

LOMOR RELEASE "SABOUK ROUGE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Lomor presents its second album “Sabouk Rouge” highly anticipated by fans since the release of 2 singles “Panzram” and “Tantine Lo Clou”. Four years after their first opus “Perseverance of Sickness”, the band addresses topics as diverse as Religion with the dark title “La Haine”, Human cruelty with “Panzram” or even hilarious private moments as “Tantine Lo Clou” with Reunion creole lyrics.

But the main theme the band wanted to evoke is slavery, which has profoundly marked the history of their island. The “sabouk”, the name given to the whip used against slaves, is one of the symbols of this dark and brutal past. On the cover itself, blood and red color reinforce this notion of violence against men and women. The omnipresent white background illustrates the coldness and murderous madness that humanity can develop.

“Sabouk Rouge” surely delivers Lomor’s most narrative-driven statement to date: an old-school thrash assault built on percussive riffs, relentless tempos and raw vocal aggression. The album confronts the legacy of slavery through biting satire, blending 80s thrash intensity with punk urgency and strong creole identity. High-energy, provoking and rooted in live performance impact!

“Sabouk Rouge”:

https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/0vkPuLaO6jJDl1uYXw1kmb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLYrKgv73YU

Hailing from Réunion Island, Lomor blends old-school thrash with punk and core metal influences, drawing inspiration from genre legends such as Slayer, Testament, and Kreator. Since the release of their debut album Perseverance of Sickness in December 2022, the band has built a dedicated international following, earning recognition for their authenticity, high-energy songwriting, and uncompromising approach.

The trio’s live reputation has been forged through notable performances, including opening slots for Pamplemousse and Mass Hysteria, as well as their Kanyar Tour across France in 2023. Along the way, Lomor also released the live album Live on Dock, sharing stages with acts like Akiavel and further solidifying their presence in the European thrash scene.

https://www.facebook.com/lomormusic

https://lomor.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lomor.music/

MORE BANDS CONFIRMED FOR BRUTAL ASSAULT 2026

 

PRESS RELEASE:

More bands for Brutal Assault 2026 have just landed on the roster! The fortress will echo with the sounds of American death/doom legends Dusk, metalcore veterans Unearth, and Norwegian provocateurs Carpathian Forest.

Health will demonstrate that a heavy sound can be conjured even without distorted guitars and blast-beats, while Antimatter will present their dark songwriting, and Coven will bring the roots of occult rock. Rounding out the update are the Czech purveyors of putrid death metal, Mordloch.

The countdown to our meeting in the fortress is on!

More info on: https://brutalassault.cz/

33 BANDS CONFIRMED FOR SUMMER BREEZE OPEN AIR 2026

 

PRESS RELEASE:

SUMMER BREEZE Open Air is expanding its lineup: With today's announcement of 33 additional bands, the 2026 lineup is taking increasingly clear shape. Fans of heavy music can look forward to an explosive mix of international stars, scene favorites, and promising newcomers.

With this wave of band additions, SUMMER BREEZE once again underscores its reputation as one of the most diverse and passionately curated festivals in the European metal and rock scene. From uncompromising extreme metal and modern metalcore to classic heavy metal and atmospheric soundscapes, there's something for every subgenre of heavy music.

The newly confirmed bands are:

EISBRECHER

HATEBREED

SKINDRED

SOULFLY

PARADISE LOST

KADAVAR

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

DECAPITATED

EIVØR

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM

HEAVYSAURUS

THE SONS OF HUENS

SANGUISUGABOGG

SPEED

MASSIVE WAGONS

GREEN LUNG

THE NARRATOR

FULCI

URNE

NECKBREAKKER

KING NUGGET GANG

SKELETON PIT

CASTLE RAT

CÂN BARDD

BROKEN BY THE SCREAM

BIZARREKULT

INNER SPACE

FIREBORN

PRIDIAN

INHUMAN NATURE

802

PERSECUTOR

BLASMUSIK ILLENSCHWANG

CORPSEMANGLE RELEASE "EATING THE DAMNED"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Band: Corpsemangle

Album: Eating the Damned

Country: Bulgaria

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Release: January 12th, 2026

Corpsemangle is an old-school death metal band inspired by the early 90s Morrisound sound. Influences include Death, Obituary, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Gorguts and Immolation. The band started in 2015 as a solo project by Antoan Bozhkov, but in 2025 Corpsemangle returned as a two-piece with Antoan on guitar and vocals and Martin Aleksandrov on bass and backing vocals. The band released several singles in 2025 including “Instruments of Butchery”, “Hydraulic Press Crusher” and “Odor of Rot”. The debut full-length album “Eating The Damned” was released on 12 January 2026.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/corpsemangleband

https://www.facebook.com/Corpsemangle

https://x.com/Corpsemangle_

https://www.youtube.com/@Corpsemangle

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fwMmcwY9LP6142M9loeXh

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/corpsemangle/1839972559

https://music.amazon.com/artists/B0FR66YM95/corpsemangle

https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15615182

https://corpsemangle.bandcamp.com/