METAL INJECTION FEATURES WIZARD TATTOO AND NEW PROGRESSIVE BLACKENED DOOM EPIC WHEN GODS HAD HANDS - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


METAL INJECTION FEATURES WIZARD TATTOO AND NEW PROGRESSIVE BLACKENED DOOM EPIC WHEN GODS HAD HANDS


Indianapolis One-Man Metal Project’s Latest Album Is Out Now via Garage Fire Recordings


INDIANAPOLIS, IN | October 2, 2026 – Wizard Tattoo is receiving the spotlight from Metal Injection , who have featured the Indianapolis-based solo metal project and its ambitious new album When Gods Had Hands .

Released today, October 2nd, through Garage Fire Recordings , When Gods Had Hands is the latest chapter in multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard’s ongoing Wizard Tattoo universe, combining progressive doom, blackened metal, industrial textures, cinematic atmosphere, and experimental elements into an expansive eight-movement concept album.

Read the Metal Injection feature and check out When Gods Had Hands :


https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/heavy-new-releases/the-weekly-injection-new-releases-from-amon-amarth-imminence-and-more-out-this-week-10-2 />
Listen to the album:


https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands />
The Metal Injection feature adds to the growing coverage surrounding Wizard Tattoo, a project that has steadily developed its own dark and unconventional identity since releasing its self-titled EP in 2022.

For When Gods Had Hands , Wizard Tattoo dives into ancient mythology, forbidden knowledge, religion, technology, and humanity’s continuing pursuit of powers beyond its limitations.

The album draws a haunting parallel between the fall of the Watchers described in the Book of Enoch and humanity’s modern pursuit of artificial divinity. Ancient forbidden knowledge becomes a metaphor for the technologies humanity continues to create, raising questions about what happens when mankind begins building its own gods.

Musically, the album moves between crushing doom, blackened aggression, progressive experimentation, industrial textures, vintage film samples, and cinematic passages, with unexpected Middle Eastern-inspired elements adding another layer to its atmosphere.

For fans of Venom, Woe, and early Anathema , When Gods Had Hands represents Wizard Tattoo’s most expansive and experimental statement to date.

The concept began with vocalist and writer Fausto Aurelius , who developed the album’s narrative, philosophical framework, spoken word elements, and accompanying essay. His vocals shift between prophet-like declarations and machine-like processing, creating a voice caught between an ancient warning and a futuristic transmission.

Bram the Bard wrote, performed, recorded, mixed, mastered, and illustrated the entire release, continuing Wizard Tattoo’s tradition of complete creative independence.

Bram the Bard explains:




“After Living Just for Dying I wanted a real departure, to lean all the way into the blackened side for a whole album, the way I first did on ‘Tomorrow Never Dies.’ The influences run wide, classical, industrial, 90s alternative, and the whole thing took a year to conceptualize and come together. It's the furthest I've pushed Wizard Tattoo.”




Fausto Aurelius adds:




“This started as an attempt to make something different. Not black metal, not doom, not progressive, but something else entirely. The concept sent me back into dark industrial and black metal, and into religion and philosophy, trying to understand what's happening to the culture of humanity. I'm proud of this contribution to the myth of Wizard Tattoo.”




A GROWING WIZARD TATTOO UNIVERSE


Since the release of the Wizard Tattoo self-titled EP in 2022, Bram the Bard has continued building a connected universe of dark, heavy, and experimental metal.

Previous releases include the full-length Fables of the Damned (2023) and the EPs Living Just for Dying and One of These Knives (2024), featuring recurring vocal contributions from Fausto Aurelius and Djinnifer .

The project has also earned coverage from outlets including Ghost Cult, The Obelisk, MetalBite, Doomed and Stoned, Ever Metal , and more.

Now, with When Gods Had Hands officially out and featured by Metal Injection, Wizard Tattoo enters its next chapter.

The Watchers gave humanity forbidden knowledge.

Humanity built new gods.

Now Wizard Tattoo asks what happens next.

WHEN GODS HAD HANDS


Wizard Tattoo
Release Date: October 2, 2026
Label: Garage Fire Recordings
Genre: Progressive Blackened Doom

CREDITS


Bram the Bard
Music, Instruments, Recording, Mixing, Mastering, Artwork

Fausto Aurelius
Concept, Narrative, Vocals, Spoken Word, Essay

Mixed & Mastered by: Garage Fire Recordings

LISTEN NOW



https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands />
When Gods Had Hands by Wizard Tattoo



 Connect: 


https://wizardtattooband.com/ />
https://www.facebook.com/wizardtattooband />
https://www.instagram.com/wizardtattooband />
https://www.youtube.com/@WizardTattoo />
https://wizardtattoo.bandcamp.com />
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cQzYRHus4YwV1JRw9pixx />
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/wizard-tattoo/1627478179 />
https://www.threads.net/@wizardtattooband />
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands">
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/wizardtattoo/when-gods-had-hands />

https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29455/metal-injection-features-wizard-tattoo-and-new-progressive-blackened-doom-epic-when-gods-had-hands?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

BORIS BILLING LAUNCHES SOLO CAREER WITH DEBUT SINGLE “I’M COMING HOME” - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BORIS BILLING LAUNCHES SOLO CAREER WITH DEBUT SINGLE “I’M COMING HOME”

Australian Heavy Rock & Metal Artist Unveils First Original Solo Single and Official Music Video Through Ribcage Records


October 2, 2026

Australian heavy rock and metal artist Boris Billing officially launches his solo career today with the release of “I’m Coming Home,” his debut solo single and the first original song from his forthcoming debut album, released through Ribcage Records .

Accompanied by an official music video, “I’m Coming Home” introduces Billing’s solo sound with a powerful, riff-driven statement inspired by the country he calls home. Rather than presenting a polished postcard image of Australia, the song embraces the full experience of the continent, from its rugged beauty and ancient landscapes to its unforgiving climate and dangerous wildlife.

Fire, flood, brutal heat and breathtaking scenery all become part of the song’s identity, creating a musical love letter to a land defined as much by its extremes as its beauty.

At the heart of “I’m Coming Home” is a massive rocking chorus built around the mysterious opening riff that first sparked the song’s creation. For Billing, the music itself immediately suggested the story he wanted to tell.

BORIS BILLING ON “I’M COMING HOME”





“The music told me what this song was about before I’d even written the lyrics. That mysterious intro riff opening into this massive rocking chorus just felt like home. I could see the landscape, and I knew immediately this was going to be my love letter to Australia.

I didn’t want the postcard version. I wanted the beauty and the brutality — because that’s Australia to me. For my first original solo single, I’m Coming Home felt like the perfect place to start.”




With “I’m Coming Home,” Billing begins a new chapter focused on his own songwriting, vision and musical identity. The single serves as the first glimpse into a forthcoming debut solo album that promises to expand on the heavy rock and metal foundations established with this opening statement.

The official music video further brings the song’s Australian atmosphere to life, providing a visual counterpart to Billing’s tribute to the land, its extremes and the sense of belonging that inspired the track.

“I’m Coming Home” is more than a song about returning to a familiar place. It is a celebration of Australia in all its contradictions: beautiful and brutal, ancient and alive, welcoming and unforgiving.

For Boris Billing, it is where the solo journey begins.

“I’M COMING HOME”


Boris Billing
Ribcage Records
Released October 2, 2026
Debut Solo Single + Official Music Video

Listen to “I’m Coming Home” and watch the official music video now.





Connect: 


https://linktr.ee/Borisbillingofficial />

https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29454/boris-billing-launches-solo-career-with-debut-single-im-coming-home?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

EGOKILLS UNLEASH THEIR FOURTH ALBUM, BRAINBANGER - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EGOKILLS UNLEASH THEIR FOURTH ALBUM, BRAINBANGER

Finnish Hard Rocking Metal Four-Piece Delivers Its Most Metal Album Yet

TAMPERE, FINLAND | October 2, 2026 — Fifteen years into their journey, Finnish hard rocking metal band Egokills are ready to show the world what they have been building. Today, the Tampere-based four-piece officially releases Brainbanger , their fourth full-length album and their most unapologetically metal record to date.

LISTEN TO BRAINBANGER:

https://orcd.co/egokills-brainbanger />
Founded in Tampere in 2011, Egokills have released three previous albums and performed across 13 countries, developing a reputation for combining multi-layered alternative metal with hard-hitting heavy rock. Now, after years of writing, rehearsing, performing and building a new foundation, the band sees 2026 as a turning point.

Brainbanger is the result.

Driven by the chemistry of four musicians playing together in the same room, the album embraces the raw energy and physicality of traditional rock recording while drawing heavily from the metal and rock sounds of the 1990s. Rough around the edges by design, Brainbanger captures Egokills at their most direct, energetic and confident.




“To us it is the essence of a rock band to play together in the same room, amps turned up and drums banging like hell, sweating and shredding. And having a f***ing good time! That’s exactly how Brainbanger came to life.”

- Vilho Rajala, Egokills




The album was produced, recorded and mixed by Juha Nevala , whose work with artists including Somehow Jo and Huora reflects a focus on capturing the authentic sound and character of a band. Recording took place at Lammaskallion Audio, Studio Pinni and Jii-Studio , with mastering handled by Jaakko Viitälahde at Virtalähde Mastering .

For Egokills, the recording process was about getting away from the distractions of everyday life and focusing on the music.

“It was definitely the right choice to retreat to this countryside studio away from normal life. We were able to focus better than ever before and we had fun,” explains guitarist Niko Viita-aho .

Another major change in the band's evolution came in 2024, when Egokills officially became a four-piece after years of experimenting with different lineups. The new lineup also brought a significant change to the band's frontman. Vocalist Janne Selo picked up the guitar, helping open a new creative chapter for Egokills.

“When I started playing, I instantly felt about twenty years younger. Then the songs started flowing,” Selo says.

That renewed creative energy can be heard throughout Brainbanger , an album rooted in honesty, confidence and the search for light in a world that can often feel overwhelmingly dark. The band's lyrics explore themes of keeping an open mind, building confidence through honesty and finding that pale light, whether it is real or not.

Musically, Egokills draw from the intensity of classic heavy metal and hard rock while retaining the alternative edge that has shaped the band's identity. The result is a record built for loud speakers, turned-up amplifiers and live rooms.

And after years of preparation, Egokills are ready to bring Brainbanger home.

The official album release show will take place October 9, 2026, at Bar Kotelo in Tampere, Finland , with We Are Still joining the band as support.

Brainbanger is released worldwide through Mellowhead Creations Ltd. The album is available digitally, as well as on black vinyl and CD , with exclusive merchandise available through the official Egokills shop. Worldwide shipping is handled by Backstage Rock Shop.

EGOKILLS


Janne Selo - Vocals, Guitar


Niko Viita-aho - Guitar


Mika Pusa - Bass


Vilho Rajala - Drums


For Fans Of: Pantera, In Flames, Alice In Chains

Brainbanger is out now.

Label / Management:
Mellowhead Creations Ltd.



Connect:

OFFICIAL EGOKILLS SHOP:

https://shop.egokills.net />
BANDCAMP:

https://egokills.bandcamp.com />
LINKTREE / ALL LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/egokills

Contact:
Vilho Rajala
egokillsband@gmail.com


https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29453/egokills-unleash-their-fourth-album-brainbanger?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

RIP Conrad “Cronos” Lant: VENOM Legend Has Passed Away - @thebeast

IN MEMORIAM: Conrad “Cronos” Lant, The Voice That Helped Change Heavy Metal Forever


VENOM Frontman, Bassist and Creative Force Behind Some of Extreme Metal's Most Influential Records Has Passed Away


By Metal Devastation Radio
October 1, 2026

Heavy metal has lost one of its most important and unmistakable figures.

Conrad “Cronos” Lant, the legendary vocalist and bassist of VENOM, has passed away.

VENOM announced the news today in a statement to the band's Legions around the world, describing the loss as one felt deeply throughout the VENOM family. Cronos' son, Nathan, also shared a message thanking fans for the support they had given his father throughout the years.




“He has laid down his soul, and his music will live on. The legend of Cronos will never die.”




For generations of metal musicians and fans, those words carry enormous weight.

Because the music Cronos helped create is not going anywhere.

THE SOUND THAT CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF METAL


VENOM formed in Newcastle, England, in 1978 and eventually settled into the classic lineup of Conrad “Cronos” Lant on vocals and bass, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn on guitar and Tony “Abaddon” Bray on drums.

Together, they created a sound that pushed heavy metal toward something faster, harsher and more extreme.

Their 1981 debut album, Welcome to Hell, immediately established VENOM as something very different from the polished hard rock and heavy metal dominating much of the era.

Then came Black Metal in 1982.

The album's title would eventually become the name of an entire genre.

VENOM's music became a major influence on the development of black metal, while the band's aggressive approach also helped pave the way for the rise of thrash and later extreme metal. AllMusic describes VENOM's influence on the subsequent thrash scene and notes that Black Metal ultimately lent its name to the genre.

That is an extraordinary legacy for any band.

And Cronos was at the center of it.

WELCOME TO HELL


VENOM's first four studio albums with the classic trio remain central to the band's history:

Welcome to Hell — 1981
Black Metal — 1982
At War With Satan — 1984
Possessed — 1985

Those records helped establish the foundation for the band's reputation and influence.

The music was raw and aggressive. The production was abrasive. The imagery was deliberately dark and provocative. VENOM didn't sound like a band interested in smoothing off the rough edges.

That approach resonated with musicians who were looking for something heavier.

Cronos' bass and unmistakable vocals became a defining part of that sound.

His voice wasn't designed to be pretty.

It was designed to be heard.

And decades later, it still is.

A NAME THAT BECAME A GENRE


There are few moments in music history where a band's album title becomes the name of an entire musical movement.

Black Metal was one of those moments.

The influence of VENOM's early work spread throughout the underground metal world, particularly among musicians who would go on to develop the first waves of black metal and other forms of extreme metal.

Cronos himself later discussed the impact of VENOM on the emerging Norwegian black metal scene, including bands such as Mayhem and Burzum, and reflected on how hearing that music helped him reconsider what VENOM represented.

The influence wasn't limited to black metal.

VENOM's music became an important part of the lineage leading into thrash metal as well. Metal bands that followed took elements of VENOM's speed, aggression and attitude and pushed them in their own directions.

Metallica, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Mayhem and Behemoth are among the bands and artists that have been associated with VENOM's influence.

That chain of influence continues to this day.

CRONOS KEPT THE FIRE BURNING


VENOM's history was complicated.

There were lineup changes, periods of separation and different incarnations of the band over the decades. But Cronos remained the central figure in the version of VENOM that continued recording and performing into the modern era.

In 2026, VENOM released Into Oblivion, the band's sixteenth studio album.

Cronos remained heavily involved in the record, handling vocals and bass while also receiving songwriting and arrangement credits. Official album information also credits him as producer and composer on tracks from the record.

The album arrived more than four decades after Welcome to Hell.

That alone says something about the endurance of the music.

While entire musical movements rose and fell around him, Cronos continued making VENOM records.

As recently as August 2026, Louder published a feature interview with Cronos discussing his life, music and the release of Into Oblivion.

Now, only weeks later, that interview becomes part of his final chapter.

MORE THAN A VOICE


Cronos' contribution to VENOM went beyond performing.

He was involved in the band's songwriting and creative direction, and his work extended into the visual identity surrounding VENOM as well.

The band's imagery became just as recognizable as its music, helping establish the dark aesthetic that would become deeply associated with extreme metal.

On Into Oblivion, Cronos is officially credited with bass, vocals, songwriting, lyrics and arrangements.

That creative involvement stretched across decades.

He wasn't simply the person standing behind the microphone.

He was one of the people who helped define what VENOM was.

THE LEGACY OF CRONOS


It is difficult to measure the influence of a musician solely through record sales, chart positions or awards.

Sometimes the better measurement is what happens afterward.

How many bands formed because somebody heard Black Metal?

How many guitarists picked up an instrument after discovering Welcome to Hell?

How many musicians decided they wanted to make something heavier, darker and more extreme?

That's where Cronos' legacy becomes enormous.

VENOM helped show musicians that heavy metal didn't have to remain within established boundaries.

It could become something uglier.

Something faster.

Something more extreme.

Something completely its own.

The generations that followed took that idea and ran with it.

Black metal.

Thrash metal.

Death metal.

Extreme metal in countless forms.

The music evolved, but the fingerprints of VENOM remained.

And at the center of those early recordings was Cronos.

THE LEGION CARRIES ON


In its announcement, VENOM thanked the Legions who supported the band through the decades.

Those fans are an important part of the story.

They bought the records.

They went to the shows.

They wore the shirts.

They passed the music to their friends.

They formed bands.

They introduced another generation to VENOM.

That's how heavy metal survives.

Not because the musicians live forever, but because the music keeps getting passed down.

A kid discovers Black Metal decades after its release.

That kid starts a band.

Someone hears that band.

They start another band.

The chain continues.

And somewhere in that chain, there will always be VENOM.

There will always be Cronos.

THANK YOU, CRONOS


There are musicians who make great records.

There are musicians who influence their peers.

And then there are musicians whose work becomes part of the foundation upon which an entire generation of music is built.

Cronos belongs in that conversation.

He helped create the sound and identity of VENOM during one of the most important periods in heavy metal history.

He helped produce records that would influence black metal, thrash and extreme metal for decades.

And he continued carrying that legacy forward until the very end of his career.

The man is gone.

The music isn't.

The records aren't.

The influence isn't.

And the Legions aren't going anywhere.

Metal Devastation Radio extends our deepest condolences to Nathan, Hel, Cronos' family, friends, bandmates, and the VENOM Legions around the world.

Thank you, Conrad.

Thank you, Cronos.

Thank you for the music.

Thank you for the noise.

Thank you for helping make heavy metal what it is today.

REST IN PEACE, CONRAD “CRONOS” LANT.

THE LEGEND LIVES ON.




ESSENTIAL VENOM LISTENING


Welcome to Hell — 1981
Black Metal — 1982
At War With Satan — 1984
Possessed — 1985
Calm Before the Storm — 1987
Cast in Stone — 1997
Resurrection — 2000
Metal Black — 2006
Hell — 2008
Fallen Angels — 2011
From the Very Depths — 2015
Storm the Gates — 2018
Into Oblivion — 2026

REST IN PEACE, CRONOS.

HAIL VENOM.


https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29451/rip-conrad-cronos-lant-venom-legend-has-passed-away?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

SOUL REBORN Unleashes Crushing Death Metal/Deathcore Album Cerebro - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUL REBORN Unleashes Crushing Death Metal/Deathcore Album Cerebro

After an 18-Year Hiatus From Guitar, Stefano Pelosi Returns to His Instrument With a One-Man Project Built on Passion, Brutality, and a Lifetime of Metal


ITALY — October 1, 2026 — Italian death metal/deathcore project SOUL REBORN has officially unleashed its new full-length album, Cerebro , available worldwide today, October 1, 2026.

Built around crushing riffs, punishing rhythms, and an uncompromising extreme-metal approach, Cerebro is the work of Stefano Pelosi , who handled the music, lyrics, guitars, bass, drum programming, recording, mixing, and artwork for the album. The only exception is the vocal performance, provided by Gonzalo Viviani .

The album represents the return of Pelosi to the guitar after an 18-year absence. His relationship with music began with legendary rock acts including Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd , before discovering thrash metal, groove metal, and death metal at the age of 14. Those heavier influences would remain with him for life.

After putting the guitar down at the age of 25, Pelosi eventually picked it back up nearly two decades later with a new goal: to write and produce his own music.

That journey ultimately became Soul Reborn .




“This album is special because it is the work of a single person, with the exception of the singer, and represents my passion for music.”




That passion is at the heart of Cerebro . Rather than being the product of a traditional full-band lineup, the album is a deeply personal creative statement, with Pelosi responsible for virtually every musical and production element. Gonzalo Viviani's vocals complete the project's brutal sonic attack, while mastering by Ilarion Ivanenko brings the finished album across the line.

Sonically, Soul Reborn sits firmly in the territory of modern death metal and deathcore, combining crushing guitar work, aggressive rhythms, programmed drums, and harsh vocals into a relentless full-length. Fans of Slaughter to Prevail, Cattle Decapitation, and Decapitated should find plenty to explore throughout Cerebro .

For Pelosi, however, Soul Reborn is about more than genre. It is the continuation of a relationship with music that began decades ago and survived an 18-year break from the guitar.

His philosophy is simple: the music represents his ideas, his passion, and a love for metal that never went away.

Cerebro is out now worldwide.

Cerebro Credits


Music & Lyrics: Stefano Pelosi
Guitar & Bass: Stefano Pelosi
Drum Programming: Stefano Pelosi
Vocals: Gonzalo Viviani
Recording & Mixing: Stefano Pelosi
Mastering: Ilarion Ivanenko
Artwork: Stefano Pelosi

Listen to Cerebro


Soul Reborn Links:

https://linktr.ee/soulreborn">
https://linktr.ee/soulreborn />
Stream Cerebro:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/soulreborn/cerebro-2 />
ABOUT SOUL REBORN


Born from a lifelong passion for heavy music, Soul Reborn is the solo project of Italian musician Stefano Pelosi . Inspired first by classic rock before discovering thrash, groove, and death metal as a teenager, Pelosi spent years away from the guitar before returning to write and produce his own music.

With Pelosi handling nearly every aspect of the musical and production process and Gonzalo Viviani providing vocals, Soul Reborn is a deeply personal project built around one musician's ideas, influences, and enduring passion for metal.

For fans of: Slaughter to Prevail, Cattle Decapitation, Decapitated, modern death metal, and deathcore.



Connect:


https://linktr.ee/soulreborn">
https://linktr.ee/soulreborn />
https://soulreborn.bandcamp.com />
https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/artist/7bIZEHkA82uABORaBkkF9F />
Contact: plooto.76@gmail.com


https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29450/soul-reborn-unleashes-crushing-death-metal-deathcore-album-cerebro?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

SECOND BRAIN ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM BLACKSHINE FOR DECEMBER 10, 2026 - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SECOND BRAIN UNLEASH NEW SINGLE "ABOVE AND BELOW" AHEAD OF UPCOMING ALBUM BLACKSHINE


Rome's Dark Thrash / Progressive Metal Trio Reveal First Taste of Their New Chapter With Atmospheric New Single and Official Visualizer


For Fans Of: Coroner, Kreator, Melechesh

ROME, ITALY — Rome's Second Brain have officially unleashed "Above and Below," the first single from their upcoming third full-length album, Blackshine , due for independent release on December 10, 2026 .

Marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Italian trio, "Above and Below" captures Second Brain's distinctive collision of dark thrash and death metal riffing, atmospheric synths, progressive rock elements, and an eclectic melodic sensibility. The single offers the first full glimpse into Blackshine , an album built around contrast, complexity, and the dichotomous nature of reality.

LISTEN TO "ABOVE AND BELOW"


Stream / Listen:
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine />
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VISUALIZER


"Above and Below" Official Visualizer:


The accompanying visualizer expands upon the dark and atmospheric character of the track, providing a visual introduction to the world Second Brain have created around Blackshine .

Originally formed in Rome in 2010 by guitarist, vocalist, and programmer Agravain alongside co-vocalist Lala Gabarth , Second Brain released their debut album, Synthesis , in 2014. The band expanded its lineup with bassist Anagoor , drummer Mishu, and rotating lead guitarists before making their live debut in 2015. A series of performances throughout central Italy followed through 2018.

In January 2020, Second Brain released their second full-length, The Mind Awakes . The album was followed almost immediately by a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. By late 2023, Agravain, Anagoor, and Gabarth had reformed Second Brain as a three-piece, using the opportunity to refine their musical identity and develop a new body of material.

That evolution ultimately became Blackshine .

The forthcoming album explores the dichotomous nature of reality , pairing aggressive and intricate metal foundations with atmospheric textures and progressive arrangements. Rather than confining themselves to a single stylistic lane, Second Brain embrace contrast as a fundamental part of their identity, moving between dark and forceful riffing, melodic passages, electronic atmosphere, and expansive progressive territory.




"With Blackshine, we feel we've created an album that truly captures Second Brain's diverse and complex artistic identity. It's dark, eclectic, melodic yet powerful. It's a statement about who we are as a band and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter."




The album was mixed and mastered by Alex Ecker at Pearlsound Studio in Germany , with Ecker also contributing additional drum arrangements. The striking cover artwork comes from renowned visionary artist Costin Chioreanu , whose work has become closely associated with the darker and more experimental corners of the international metal scene.

With "Above and Below," Second Brain begin the road toward Blackshine , introducing a record that reflects both the band's history and its evolution into its current three-piece incarnation.

The full album, Blackshine , will arrive independently on December 10, 2026 .

BLACKSHINE


Second Brain
Independent Release
December 10, 2026

First Single: "Above and Below"
Single Release Date: October 1, 2026

Stream / Listen:
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine />
CURRENT LINEUP


Agravain – Vocals, Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Programming
Anagoor – Bass
Lala Gabarth – Vocals, Synth

PRODUCTION


Mixed & Mastered by Alex Ecker at Pearlsound Studio, Germany
Additional Drum Arrangements by Alex Ecker
Artwork by Costin Chioreanu

For Fans Of: Coroner, Kreator, Melechesh

Above and Below by Second Brain




Connect: 






https://www.facebook.com/secondbrainband/ />
https://www.instagram.com/sekbrain/ />
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine">
https://ditto.fm/blackshine />
https://secondbrain.bandcamp.com />
Contact: sekbrain@gmail.com


https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29449/second-brain-announce-new-album-blackshine-for-december-10-2026?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

HXTXD Unleashes Ambitious 20-Track Double Album The Hour Between Dog and Wolf - @thebeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HXTXD Unleashes Ambitious 20-Track Double Album The Hour Between Dog and Wolf


Los Angeles Metal Trio Delivers Its Most Expansive and Emotionally Charged Release Yet


LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles metal trio HXTXD (pronounced Hated) has officially unleashed its ambitious new double-disc album, The Hour Between Dog and Wolf , released August 21, 2026 via Riot Ready Records . Spanning 20 tracks, the sprawling new release represents the band's most expansive and fully realized work to date, pushing the boundaries of its sound while maintaining the raw aggression, emotional weight, and underground authenticity that have defined HXTXD since its formation.

Formed in Los Angeles in 2020, HXTXD emerged from the chaos with a simple goal: make heavy music that hits as hard emotionally as it does physically. Featuring Wesley Richards on vocals and guitar, Staxx Tightsey on bass, and Cash Monty on drums, the trio draws from metal, melodic death metal, hard rock, metalcore, and hardcore without allowing itself to become trapped by any single genre.

On The Hour Between Dog and Wolf , those influences collide in a record that embraces both brutality and atmosphere. Crushing riffs, aggressive rhythms, emotionally charged melodies, and moments of unexpected clarity create a dynamic listening experience built around contrast.

The album's title reflects that very idea. The Hour Between Dog and Wolf refers to the uncertain space between light and darkness, instinct and reason, violence and vulnerability. HXTXD uses that liminal concept as a foundation for an album that explores alienation, resilience, despair, catharsis, and the human instinct to fight back.

Rather than simply delivering one relentless barrage of heaviness, HXTXD allows the music to breathe, shift, and evolve. The result is an album that can be savage one moment and deeply reflective the next, finding common ground between bone-crushing intensity and genuine emotional songwriting.

" The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is our most expansive and fully realized work to date," says Wesley Richards . "We wanted to push the sound into new territory without losing the rawness, grit, and authenticity that have defined HXTXD from the beginning."

The entire album was written, engineered, produced, mixed, and artworked by Wesley Richards at Riot Ready Records in Los Angeles, California. Mastering was handled by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon.

With years of underground experience behind them and a growing reputation for intense live performances, HXTXD continues to carve out its own space within the West Coast metal scene. The band proudly wears its influences on its sleeve while transforming them into something distinctly its own.

For listeners drawn to the aggression of Cannibal Corpse , the melodic intensity of modern extreme metal, the raw energy of hardcore, and the emotional punch of metalcore, HXTXD offers something that refuses to sit neatly inside a box.

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is more than a collection of heavy songs. It is a record about existing in the space between extremes, where chaos becomes catharsis and darkness can become its own form of clarity.

HXTXD is:

Wesley Richards — Vocals / Guitar
Staxx Tightsey — Bass
Cash Monty — Drums

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf


Artist: HXTXD
Release: The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
Format: Double-Disc Album / 20 Tracks
Release Date: August 21, 2026
Label: Riot Ready Records
Location: Los Angeles, California

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The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by HXTXD



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Wesley Richards
Riot Ready Records
info@riotreadyrecords.com

HXTXD — The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
Twenty tracks. Two discs. No interest in staying inside the lines.


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