HIDECLOSE RELEASE NEW TRACK: "MY LITTLE GHOST"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Berlin-based cinematic gothic rock project HIDECLOSE returns with “My Little Ghost,” the final single preceding the release of the ambitious concept album Promissum.

Watch the audiostream video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct19CrE7jxk

Stream the single:

https://soundcloud.com/lenn-vane/my-little-ghost

https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/3z6Hb3n25BK0zqdgTpvXv2

Set within the evolving narrative of Promissum, “My Little Ghost” transports listeners to Victorian London in 1889, where Inspector Edward Sutton interrogates Annie “Little Ghost” Blackwell, a member of the notorious Forty Elephants gang. What begins as a routine investigation into theft soon spirals into a web of deception as Annie, desperate to secure her freedom, manipulates the truth and shifts suspicion for the murder of Agnes Hill onto Professor Dario Valperga. In doing so, a criminal investigation becomes a devastating false accusation, pushing the album's overarching story into darker territory.

Written by Lenn Vane and performed by The Veiled Librarians, "My Little Ghost" stands among HIDECLOSE's most intimate and cinematic compositions. The track introduces new vocal performances—including a female voice—that heighten its dramatic tension while expanding the emotional scope of the project's theatrical universe.

Blending gothic metal, dark rock, and doom-laden atmospheres, the song combines haunting orchestration, crushing guitar work, expressive vocal performances, and cinematic storytelling. Every musical element serves the narrative, reinforcing HIDECLOSE's vision of creating an immersive rock opera where each release unfolds another chapter of a larger story.

Press Quote

"'My Little Ghost' turns a Victorian criminal interrogation into a dark, theatrical gothic rock/metal piece filled with manipulation, false testimony, and tragic accusation."

Statement from Hideclose:

"It is the most theatrical piece of the project so far, and I paid a lot of attention to the vocals. In my mind, there is a film script, and the music is its soundtrack. The whole project, hideclose, tells one story that will gradually unfold. "

HIDECLOSE is a Berlin-based cinematic gothic metal and dark rock project centered around Essentia Mali, a five-act rock opera exploring the nature of evil—from the depths of the human psyche to the cosmic unknown.

Spanning London, Turin, San Francisco, and the realm of the dead, the story follows theology professor Dario Valperga, born in Turin in 1854, as he embarks on a journey marked by suffering, fear, transformation, and supernatural awakening. As the narrative progresses, the boundary between reality and the otherworld gradually dissolves, drawing listeners into an expansive and richly imagined universe.

Musically, HIDECLOSE combines gothic metal, dark rock, doom influences, theatrical songwriting, and cinematic arrangements to deliver a concept-driven experience where every song advances the story.

HIDECLOSE's Nocte Mutamur (By Night We Are Changed) is now available on all major digital platforms here:

Listen to Nocte Mutamur, HIDECLOSE's debut EP:

Bandcamp: Stream Here

Spotify: Stream Here

Soundcloud: Stream Here

Connect With HIDECLOSE:

www.youtube.com/@Hidecloseofficial

www.instagram.com/hideclose.band

www.facebook.com/hideclose

FAUSTIAN RELEASE "PARABLE OF THE SEWER"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

FAUSTIAN – PARABLE OF THE SEWER

LABEL: APOCALYPTIC WITCHCRAFT

RELEASE DATE: JULY 24th 2026

A confluence of dire forces, Australian band Faustian brings together perpetrators of horrific sonic assaults, crimes committed under the names of Abramelin, Werewolves, The Berzerker, Psycroptic, The Amenta, The Antichrist Imperium and more…a kind of caustic, damaging extreme metal supergroup if you will. Having proved time and again their mastery of wildly violent death metal as Werewolves, Faustian allows the triumvirate of conspirators to explore darker realms, in a blaze of blasphemous black metal. As guitarist Matt Wilcock put it when discussing Faustian’s 2023 debut album, We Come As Angels, “if the Werewolves aesthetic is violence, then Faustian’s is fear and horror”. Having recently announced their new alliance with the Apocalyptic Witchcraft label, Faustian are now poised to unleash their second album of ruinous malice and beguiling nightmares – Parable Of The Sewer…

Without a second of preamble or scene setting Parable Of The Sewer’s opening track, ‘I Curse You’, hurls the listener into a raging storm of cataclysmic blast beats, overwhelming guitars and venomous, imperious vocals, delivering a damning indictment of humanity. The focus and intensity is fearsome, the impact shocking…but Faustian reveal themselves to be about more than just breathtaking musical firepower, as the parable unfolds. First single, ‘Broken Better’ is deeply unsettling, radiating an aura of evil, as the desolate poetry of the lyrics seeps into your blood, forming bonds of esoteric addiction, while ‘I Want The Ride To Begin Again’ is an eruption of magnificent, defiant grandeur, steeped in the absolute essence of black metal. This glorious paen to doomed rebellion possesses some insidious sorcery that makes you want to offer up your soul on whatever altar is presented, just to share in the offer of damnation. Every song on this album feels part of a greater whole, while burning with a fierce individual fire. From the implacable thunder and furious chaos of ‘Immaculate’ to ‘Cephalophore’s cascading stygian waves, beheading saints with riffs like scythes, Faustian embrace the fundamental tenents of black metal, excelling to such a degree in their execution that they impart new vigour and potency. In ‘We Do Not Use Names Here’ the evocative words are pronounced with fervour and weighty imprecation, summoning the soul harrowing force that suggests true evil and genuine danger – its passages of delicious, creeping menace tempting you to believe that Faustian have made exactly the sort of bargains that their name references. ‘Tenements (Only The Wicked Walk In Circles) is a jagged, jarring, luring and threatening beast, the kind of song that will have you glimpsing movement in empty rooms from the corner of your eye; feeding you a bitter bile of paranoia as it snarls “afraid of mirrors, afraid of stairs, you feel like you’re being followed everywhere…stalked by nightmares”. All of which finally delivers you into the arms of ‘The Rot Shall Inherit The Earth’, a love song to decay and collapse, a twisted hymn to corruption with guitars circling like vultures around a soon-to-be carcass. It’s a horrifying invocation of worms that ends in a peal of bells and the screams of the possessed.

For all their bleak, self-deprecating humour, the members of the Faustian collective – drummer David Haley, guitarist Matt Wilcock and vocalist Sam Bean – have created something special with Parable Of The Sewer. This album is feral intensity, incendiary violence, unearthly majesty and mystery, fear and temptation; dread art that harks back to near forgotten days when black metal still had the power to frighten, intimidate and suggest a pathway to worlds behind the veil of accepted reality. As Conor Droney, head of Apocalyptic Witchcraft, has neatly offered in succinct summing up – Parable Of The Sewer is a “savage masterpiece from down under”. Look for its coming on July 24th, on Limited Edition Splatter Vinyl, Digipak CD, Cassette and digital formats. 

Line-up:

David Haley – Drums

Matt Wilcok – Guitars

Sam Bean – Vocals

Genre: Black Metal

For fans of: Emperor | Mayhem | Akercocke | Dark Funeral

Further Information:

https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/apocalypticwitchcraftrecordings

https://www.facebook.com/faustianblackmetal

https://www.instagram.com/faustian_official

https://faustian666.bandcamp.com/

THE FUNERAL PROCESSION RELEASE "CARRION"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

THE FUNERAL PROCESSION UNLEASH NEW EP CARRION — OUT NOW

HyperFollow: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thefuneralprocession1/carrion-2

Listen / Buy: thefuneralprocessiontx.bandcamp.com/album/carrion

Texas progressive melodic death metal outfit The Funeral Procession have officially released their latest EP Carrion , now available worldwide as of April 27, 2026.

Known for fusing technical precision with emotional weight and a cinematic edge, the band continues to sharpen their identity and push forward into deeper, darker territory. Carrion builds on the foundation laid by their debut full-length In Still Silence , delivering a more refined and immersive take on their signature sound.

The band’s momentum hasn’t slowed. With roughly 130K streams across platforms, a UK iTunes Metal Chart appearance, and a win at the Dallas Wacken Metal Battle, The Funeral Procession have proven they’re not just another name in the underground. They’ve shared stages with heavy hitters like Orbit Culture, Anciients, Life Cycles, and Fervence, and they’re clearly gearing up for a bigger breakout.

On Carrion , the band leans harder into atmosphere and emotional depth while maintaining the progressive complexity that defines them. It’s a record that hits in waves, moving from bleak and brooding passages to explosive, cathartic peaks. If you’re into the kind of heavy that actually makes you feel something, this one’s worth your time. Fans of Katatonia, Opeth, and Swallow the Sun should feel right at home here.

Band Statement

“Carrion is the culmination of everything we've become since our first album. We're finally stepping into our own identity — a sound that weaves between sorrow, anger, and indignation, moving through darkness and light to explore the full weight of the human condition. This EP is us at our most honest, and we hope it connects.”

— Bryan Cox, The Funeral Procession

Production

Mixed and Mastered by Greg Fender

About The Funeral Procession

The Funeral Procession is a Texas-based progressive melodic death metal band delivering a powerful blend of progressive complexity, melodic intensity, and cinematic atmosphere. With an expanding catalog and a growing international audience, the band continues to establish itself as one of the most compelling emerging forces in American extreme metal.

Release Info

Title: Carrion EP

Release Date: April 27, 2026

Genre: Progressive Melodic Death Metal

Label: Independent

Listen now and support the band. This is one of those releases that deserves to be played loud. 

Listen, Follow, Connect

Website: thefuneralprocession.com

Facebook: facebook.com/thefuneralprocessiontx

Instagram: instagram.com/thefuneralprocessiontx

X/Twitter: x.com/TheFuneralProTx

YouTube: youtube.com/@thefuneralprocessiontx

Bandcamp: thefuneralprocessiontx.bandcamp.com

Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3ue9S4xBMuWbTlDAAxEVQm

Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/the-funeral-procession/1722577941

HyperFollow: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thefuneralprocession1/carrion-2

Bandcamp Pre-Order: thefuneralprocessiontx.bandcamp.com/album/carrion

VALAK - BLACK METAL FROM TUNISIA

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Valak is one of the newest and the most known black metal bands in Tunisia, formed in early 2023 by Mr. Lord Vladimir and Balor, they collect the rest of band members and now the full band is :

Lord Vladimir : founder, lead vocalist

Balor : bassist

Aziz Hafsi : lead guitarist

Yassin Lajnef : rhythm guitarist

Drummer : always session live member

In December 24th 2024 they released the first single titled "In the name of Valak", than in April 6th 2025 they released their debut EP album "We are Valak legion", after that, in the same year, exactly in October 4th, Lord Vladimir released a 100% Tunisian black metal split-compilation album contains 15 bands from different styles and generations by his band Valak via Black Metal Artists channel, after long repetitions to perfecting their songs, the band finally played their 1st show the next year 2026, at Nox Inferno in February 2nd and they released it as a live album in March 22nd on Bandcamp only titled "Nox Inferno 07-02-2026 .

so basically Valak plays true black metal with melodic and bestial riffs as a strong old school influence, only for now, with lyrical theme represents blasphemy, satanism, war, sexual violence and death.

you can listen to Valak for now only on :

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

Bandcamp : https://valakofficial.bandcamp.com

Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/valak-band-official

You can also follow valak on their platforms :

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/valakband.official/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554899286537

contact valak only via email : valakbandofficialtn@gmail.com

SERPENTHEIR RELEASE "IRIDESCENCE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Serpentheir is a Gdańsk-based experimental metal project rooted in symphonic black and melodic death metal. With a versatile discography of 4.5 albums, including the phantasmagorical Hypernature's Vines and the dreaming, ethereal Oneirism, the project attempts to answer sonic questions like, 'What happens when you fuse groove metal with symphonic black?' and 'How would a journey from industrial to baroque unfold?'.

Their compositions are often unstable, feisty, and temperamental. The combination of a drum machine with melodic riffs under massive layers of synths creates an effect of oversaturated, mechanically-conducted extremity.

All streaming links:

https://serpentheir.net/iridescence

Bandcamp [FREE or Name Your Price]:

https://serpentheir.bandcamp.com/album/iridescence

https://youtube.com/@serpentheir

https://www.instagram.com/serpentheir

https://www.facebook.com/serpentheir/

https://www.tiktok.com/@serpentheir

Starting as a duo in 2010 in Poland, Serpentheir was conceived by guitarist/vocalist Maurizio Pullman - currently going by his nom de guerre, Dr Caligula - who teamed up with a local drummer, Coby Janitor.

The two hit it off and began rehearsing and refining the material, but then took some time off; it wasn't until summer 2015 that they finally began capturing the first EP, Undertones of Yore. Shortly after the sessions, DC moved out of town and the two parted ways on friendly terms.

Now alone, DC took it upon himself to produce the EP, which led to its release in August 2017. Still having leftover material from previous years, he immediately went on to work on the first full-length album.

The production of Protracting the States Invariant was disrupted by the artist moving to London in 2018, but it was ultimately completed and released in December 2019. Its title could be perceived as either a reference to mental paralysis, stagnation, and yearning for progress that remains elusive - or to when one does not enjoy the process. It could be perceived as a fitting reflection of the album’s creation; DC was underwhelmed by the end result but decided to release it regardless. Passion had nearly smoldered out. A metamorphosis of some sort was required.

In 2020, Maurizio embarked on a journey to explore different tools for programming more interesting drums and synths, which inspired him enough to bet himself he could finish another album in a year from start to finish without using previously written material. And so, he released Shadow People in December 2020, shortly after moving to Denmark.

In 2022, he revisited some of the previously unreleased material from the early years. An album that could be tied as an evolution to Protracting the States Invariant when it comes to songwriting with a more modern flare. As a result, Oneirism was completed by the end of the year and released in March 2023.

While the follow-up album was in the works, new collaborators entered the fold:

- Artem Gindinson - lead guitarist and composer - who joined the project in Fall 2023.

- Jan Nightkeyman Sadłek - keyboardist, synthesist and composer - who joined in early 2024.

- Paweł Taran Tarasiewicz - dedicated bassist with a built-in atomic clock for a metronome - who joined in Spring 2024.

Now based back in Gdansk, Serpentheir has since become a collaborative effort rather than a one-man project.

In May 2024, the album Hypernature’s Vines was released in full, sealing the one-man band era with one last largely solo output. The album’s singles were treated with dedicated art, hand-made from clay. These pieces were intended to be read side by side, from right to left or bottom to top. The idea for this composition came from the desire for distinct images to form a greater whole on streaming services - at least as the bigger platforms presented themselves at the time.

The band began working on a new album while rehearsing for live performances. In the meantime, DC decided to publish a series of visual experiments to hopefully deepen the immersion of the listening experience on YouTube through kaleidoscopic movements. 

In early 2025, due to a relocation, Artem could no longer partake in live rehearsing, so he quit the band; however, the group still decided to complete the material together. Around the same time, the band welcomed a talented lead guitarist, Konrad Pawłowski, who also dabbles in saxophone.

After many months of an unsuccessful search for a drummer, the desire for an acoustic setup remained strong, but the appetite for playing live finally outweighed the wait. They wouldn’t let that stop them, so Roman Grim Mechanotron - (i.e. drum machine) they had been rehearsing with anyway - stepped up to take the job. The drum tracking itself from Iridescence onwards is primarily performed in the studio by Nightkeyman.

In December 2025, the project’s second full-length returned as Shadow People Re-Emerged, a remix/remaster containing an alternative version of Lucid with an extra solo by Nightkeyman.

Year ‘26 is shaping up to be an exciting one already. With the release of Iridescence and the band finally hitting the stage, another chapter has begun. The album release was coupled again with a video for every track from the album so it can be experienced as a more end-to-end, immersive audio-visual experience.

The album cover and its single counterparts are meant to represent the plethora of influences now present in the mix like the rainbow colors seen in a gasoline stain spilled on concrete during a warm, sunny day.

In May 2026, Taran decided to quit the band due to career conflicts, but a replacement bassist appeared almost immediately. Paweł JJ Przybysz - a talented bassist, composer and visual artist known from Topiel, filled the ranks.

You may like it if you listen to: Thy Catafalque, Shade Empire, Samael, Tiamat, Dimmu Borgir, Windir, Arcturus, Septicflesh, Ihsahn, The Kovenant, or any kind of boundary-defying, explorative, genre-bending metal rooted in melodic, symphonic death/black with strong prog and experimental tendencies.

CORNUCOPIA RELEASE "COSMIC CONSIOUSNESS"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

With their sophomore release, Cornucopia tries to widen the landscape of what metal can offer. While trying to remain faithful to the core of the genre they wish to put their own stamp in the tradition, that ambition is realized with “Cosmic Consciousness". 

With songs that span up to 7 minutes they go into long acoustic parts that harken back to a progressive sound. The addition of synths on two songs as well as a choir on the last adds to the seeming thesis of the record, there’s a cohesive feeling of existential dread but with a tinge of hope that carries through the tracks and their respective lyrics. Cornucopia is here to add a new soundscape to the metal world and hope to resonate emotionally with their listeners in a way they haven’t tried before.

Cornucopia began as a project in 2021 in Kungsbacka, Sweden by the forming members during their years in high school. They have since then recorded two full length albums and one EP, with each release gaining more and more traction and building the band's sound and experience. With the release of The Seventh Seal (2022) they showed up on the scene with a more classic blackened thrash sound, but their influences come from a myriad of different genres, with each member having a foot somewhere else. Naturally this sound comes through in their compositions, with odd time signatures, chords and melodic intention. 

The band has played throughout Sweden but also in their hometown Kungsbacka where they spearheaded a club called Metal Bloody Metal to help build an underground scene and do their part in the artform. They have been recognized both locally and internationally for their forward thinking musical intention and remain steadfast in playing and writing the music they love.

https://swecornucopia.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.deezer.com/en/album/643381921

https://www.facebook.com/swebandcornucopia

https://www.instagram.com/bandcornucopia/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fuxwHDccAFcWxDGlILKJd

https://tidal.com/album/513563238

https://twitter.com/bandcornucopia

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgehIYcpYSvt4wlfC8-zwQ

https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B00197SLQ8/cornucopia

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cornucopia/1599817742

STATE OF STRIFE RELEASE "THE HYPOCRITE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

With the Austrian melodic thrashers’ debut album already complete and a second record already preparing to enter the studio, State of Strife are entering a defining new chapter.

What began as five teenagers making music for the sheer love of it has evolved into something far more focused and powerful. Over time, the band has sharpened its sound, strengthened its identity, and committed fully to their craft.

As they prepare to unveil their debut album and continue building momentum with album two already in motion, State of Strife are ready to take the next step and push their music further than ever.

State of Strife are:

Oliver Keusch - Vocals

Constantin Steiner - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Michael Fahrnberger - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

Peter Granzer - Bass

Alexander Jetzinger - Drums, Backing Vocals

Links:

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/stateofstrife?igsh=ZjUwMTZvajIwbGI5 

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dwtt2gDtx/ 

Youtube

https://youtube.com/@stateofstrife?si=IrDJBnu7zDMd5x8S 

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Kn0tHTathvGZGnvJ8ezti?si=8Q5ApCVhQtCxWPwGtY2rQQ 

MAJESTAS REGIA RELEASE "MAJESTAS REGIA" EP

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Majestas Regia released debut EP

-----------------------------------------------

Finnish Doom Metal band Majestas Regia has released their debut self-titled EP. The release was recorded at "Clock Bridge Studios" by H., mixed by Majestas Regia and mastered by Valo Elios.

https://majestasregia.bandcamp.com/album/majestas-regia-majestas-regia

Jamming since 2018, the veteran lineup of Mika S. (guitar/vocals), Markus W. (guitar/vocals), and Ilmari J. (drums) officially debuted as Majestas Regia in 2026. Rooted in '80s/'90s underground tape-trading culture, the trio retools classic riffs into grand, dark doom metal. Bringing decades of experience from cult Finnish acts (including Defection, Mindgrind, TIMB3R, Slugathor, Azazel, and Witchtiger) and underground fests like "Finnish Death Metal Maniacs" and gigs of "Metal Warning", the members blend influences from Black Sabbath and Candlemass with extreme black metal and slow death to create a sound of cold, decaying grandeur.

https://majestasregia.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/majestasregiadoom

DARK PHANTOM RELEASE "THE REDLINE"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Dark Phantom New EP "THE REDLINE" IS OUT!!!

“Redline” talks about a haunting vision of a nation standing at the edge of destruction.

War-torn cities consumed by fire, smoke, and chaos. Ruined buildings, shattered streets, and lifeless bodies stretch toward the horizon, creating an atmosphere of despair and irreversible consequences.

This release. Depicts the aftermath of political decisions, war, and societal division. It reflects themes of loss, suffering, accountability, and the fragile connection between the choices of today and the future that follows."

You can listen to the EP here

SOCIAL MEDIA

https://www.facebook.com/metalbandIraq 

https://www.instagram.com/darkphantomofficial

https://open.spotify.com/artist/50Qp5s2jx97IgEaJMWvKA7

https://www.youtube.com/user/666darkphantom666

https://darkphantom.bandcamp.com/

LEGION OF DECADENCE RELEASE "NO ROAD LEFT TO BURN"

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Legion Of Decadence is a heavy metal band from Québec, Canada, founded in 2006. Over nearly two decades of activity, the band has built a diverse and evolving discography, with five albums released and a sixth full-length scheduled for May 2026. Refusing to be confined to a single stylistic lane, Legion Of Decadence moves fluidly between the foundations of pure heavy metal and darker gothic atmospheres, while occasionally incorporating thrash intensity, progressive elements and subtle touches of death metal. This stylistic versatility allows the band to maintain a classic metal backbone while continuously exploring new textures and dynamics. Their sound balances melody, heaviness and depth, appealing to listeners who appreciate both traditional metal roots and modern evolution. With a steadily growing catalogue and a commitment to creative expansion, Legion Of Decadence continue to strengthen their presence within the Quebec metal scene. 

Tracklist:

 01 - At The Dusk Of Time

 02 - Stranger_Danger

 03 - Pèlerinage

 04 - The Abyss

 05 - Epiphany, Part 1_ The Road

 06 - Epiphany, Part 2_ From Rags to Riches

 07 - Epiphany, Part 3_ Leads Nowhere

http://www.facebook.com/legionofdecadence

https://www.instagram.com/legionofdecadence/

https://legionofdecadence.bandcamp.com/releases