DEVINE DEFILEMENT: Icelandic death metal force drops “Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 – The Lord of Flesh” single, new album “Ruthless” out tomorrow

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Icelandic death metal force DEVINE DEFILEMENT return with “Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 – The Lord of Flesh”, a vicious new offering from their forthcoming album “Ruthless”, set for release tomorrow.

Expanding the grisly narrative introduced in Part 1, the track delivers a torrent of churning riffs, guttural vocals, and tightly controlled chaos. Fierce yet calculated, the band’s sound draws on technical precision and thick, menacing grooves to conjure a bleak, flesh-ripping atmosphere that cements their standing as one of the most ruthless acts in today’s extreme metal landscape.

The band commented:“Picking up right where pt. 1 one left off, ‘Anthropophagic Apocalypse pt. 2’ escalates the intensity and ruthlessness of what came before! Hitting like a sledgehammer of barbaric blasting, ravenous riffs, sickening slams and vile vocals, we delve deeper into the lunacy of mankind’s self-annihilation. Join the Lord of Flesh as he invites you into his sadistic creed of perversion and atrocity to play some vicious games”.

Stream “Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 – The Lord Of Flesh”:

Time To Kill Records will release “Ruthless” on May 9th, 2025. With this latest offering, the band refines their sonic onslaught, embracing a more compact and percussive approach, crafting tracks where tension remains constant and unrelenting.

Since their eruption onto the Icelandic metal scene in 2016, DEVINE DEFILEMENT has honed their signature sound—a fusion of pummeling grooves, devastating slams, and sheer brutality—into an even more relentless force. “Ruthless” captures this evolution, delivering leaner, sharper compositions that pulse with controlled aggression and unwavering intensity.

Tracklist:

1. Human Sewer
2. Abusement Park
3. Terror Tales
4. Excreted Entity
5. Internal Delusions Of The Torn Mind
6. Pulverised Secretions
7. Anthropophagic Apocalypse pt.1 – Collapse
8. Anthropophagic Apocalypse pt.2 – Lord of Flesh
9. Curbstomp The Predator
10. Draco Dominus
11. Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam
12. Beyond the Veil of Death

Already a dominant presence in the extreme metal underground, DEVINE DEFILEMENT has solidified their reputation through tireless touring across Iceland and Europe, sharing stages with some of the genre’s fiercest acts. Their crushing live performances have left a lasting impact at Eistnaflug, Reykjavík Deathfest, Norðanpaunk, Deathfeast Open Air, and Nice to Eat You, with more festival appearances confirmed for 2025.

BYZANTINE Presents “The Unobtainable Sleep” Single

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

“The Unobtainable Sleep” is the latest single from Charleston, West Virginia metal veterans BYZANTINE. The track comes off the band‘s forthcoming new full-length, Harbingers, set for release on June 13th via Metal Blade Records.

“The Unobtainable Sleep” weaves a dark and poetic tale about the pursuit of serenity through death and features guitarist Brian Henderson channeling Jerry Cantrell-style vocal harmonies.
Notes Henderson, “This song title is a dark and poetic definition of death. OJ had a few riffs laying around that were inspired by Extol, Carcass, and Fear Factory, and they fit perfectly together to craft this tune. We specifically wrote an extended solo section to allow our friend from Russia, Andrey Gadzhibalaev, a chance to perform a beautiful guest guitar solo.”

Watch the lyric video for BYZANTINE‘s “The Unobtainable Sleep” HERE:

Produced by Peter Wichers (Soilwork, All That Remains, Nevermore), Harbingers offers nine tracks totaling forty-five minutes of deep lyrical wisdom alongside equally hefty riffs delivered seamlessly by one of the most commanding and unsung lineups to emerge from the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal movement of the early-2000s. Now a five-piece for the first time ever featuring founding frontman Chris “OJ” Ojeda, alongside former guitarist Tony Rohrbough, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, veteran guitarist Brian Henderson, and drummer Matt Bowles, with Harbingers, BYZANTINE is a crown jewel in their impressive seven-album discography.

The album cover, designed by mixed-media artist Ashley Hoey, beautifully depicts Irene of Athens — the mother of Emperor Constantine and the first female empress of the Byzantine Empire. This focus on a maternal ruler eloquently ties into the album‘s title, Harbingers, which means “ones who usher in great change.”

Harbingers will be released on CD and digital formats.

It has taken years of ups and downs for BYZANTINE to reach the point of creating Harbingers. Discovered early on by Lamb Of God‘s Chris Adler, the band quickly released their debut full-length, The Fundamental Component, in 2004. The record boasted a raw fusion of Bay Area thrash and Southern-tinged groove metal and set the tone for their future sound. Their 2005-released …And They Shall Take Up Serpents offering marked an even more blistering evolution. However, turmoil ultimately led to BYZANTINE‘s breakup, announced just one day after the release of their third album, 2007‘s prophetic Oblivion Beckons.

Reforming to release the independent albums Byzantine (2013) and To Release Is To Resolve (2015), the band saw the latter dominate SiriusXM‘s Hard Attack Devil‘s Dozen for weeks, also earning them the #1 spot on CMJ‘s Loud Rock Chart. Notably, BYZANTINE became only the second independent band to achieve this feat following Clutch‘s indie release, Earth Rocker.

In 2017, BYZANTINE made their Metal Blade debut with The Cicada Tree, faultlessly merging multiple genres into their progressive groove sound, a signature blend now synonymous with the band. With Harbingers raising the stakes and a revitalized lineup in place, Ojeda confidently states, “If you‘ve slept on BYZANTINE for the past twenty-five years, Harbingers will awaken you.”

I.C.E. unveil album details & first single

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

In 2023 IMPERIAL CRYSTALLINE ENTOMBMENT emerged from their 20-year hibernation with sophomore masterwork, “Ancient Glacial Resurgence“, and a series of carefully chosen, frost-bitten live performances. Now the inimitable battalion strikes immediately again with another shattering full-length of mystical Black Metal savagery.

New album “Abominable Astral Summoning“, the third revelation from I.C.E., is the latest apocalyptic statement from a legion once seemingly cryogenically frozen in time – advancing their legacy in a hostile whirlwind of compulsive new paeans to the ancient anti-God Råvaskieth.

Tracklist:

01. A Call To Worship
02. Insufferable Shivers
03. Phantoms Of Ice
04. Frigid Spirits Arcane
05. White Behemoths of Woe
06. Avalanche Apocalypse
07. Esoteric Offerings
08. The Cold Cosmic Veil
09. Cryogenic Death
10. From The Arctic Void
11. Clandestine Cavern Sacrifice

All music was recorded, mixed and mastered by Ron Vento at Nightsky Recording Studios. Cover artwork is courtesy of Mike Hrubovcak (AZURE EMOTE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY), and the layout was crafted by Yurii Kazarian / Into The Abyss Design.

I.C.E. had this to say about their forthcoming assault:

“Relentless is the attack from the wrath of Ravaskieth! We are continual as the ever-flowing sands of time. There is no way to prepare for the coming death. The earth will freeze and crumble to the never ending cold and bleak emptiness that will consume all life. The legion of I.C.E. has now evolved into a bigger and stronger blizzard storm force with the addition of Avalanche (guitars) – the mover of the glacial mountains! You will all suffocate under the heavy weight of bright white snow, returning the earth to its original frozen arctic state!“

To prepare listeners for the onslaught, IMPERIAL CRYSTALLINE ENTOMBMENT present a video for first single: ‘Insufferable Shivers‘!

Check the clip below:

True to I.C.E.‘s inimitable signature style, the track is a relentless and addictive maelstrom of frostbitten riffs and blizzard tempos, with the chilling video a perfect visual manifestation. The band expands:

“This footage is but a small glimpse into the astral arctic rituals that are performed by I.C.E. in places that shall remain unspoken. All those who dared travel to these crystalline caverns did not make it back alive save one. One remained to spread the fear and warning to all others that obliteration is near. The arctic storm is coming for you all!“

MoldEra Announce New Single “The Dawn” and Reveal Full Album Details for “Colonize”

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Belgian post-sludge outfit MoldEra are proud to unveil their brand new single “The Dawn”, now available on all digital platforms. The song offers a stunning preview of their upcoming second album, “Colonize”, which will be released on June 6, 2025, on CD and digital formats via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records.

After the powerful first single “Falling Through the Ashes”, “The Dawn” delivers another immersive experience, blending thunderous stoner doom riffs with post-metal atmospheres and flashes of ’90s grunge emotion. MoldEra’s sound continues to evolve, combining weight and introspection in equal measure.

Colonize is a six-track concept album written and composed collectively by the band. It fuses classic doom and stoner foundations with progressive dynamics, heavily inspired by artists like Sleep, Yob, Earth, King Buffalo and Isis, while also channeling the raw intensity of Alice in Chains, Deftones and other grunge legends.

Lyrically, the album explores topics such as environmental destruction, industrialized exploitation of nature, criticism of the techno-optimist visions spread by corporate and military power structures, and the resilience of life within collapsing systems. Frontman Florian Zanatta pens lyrics that act as both a warning and a spark of hope for a different future, one where human and non-human life may find a new balance.

The album was recorded live in May 2024 at Koko Studio (Sprimont, Liège, Belgium), and was mixed and mastered in the summer by Laurent Eyen. Known for his work with It It Anita, Pestifer, Gros Coeur, and La Jungle, as well as his live sound engineering for Birds In Row, Eyen captured MoldEra’s dense, organic sound with clarity and raw energy.

KRATORNAS Reveals “God Of The Tribes” Album Artwork And August Release Date + “Ravaged by Hurakaan” Vinyl and Cassette Demo Out May 2025

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Following the announcement of the upcoming “Ravaged by Hurakaan” vinyl demo (out May 20th) and remix cassette (out May 30th), extreme metal entity Kratornas has unveiled the official artwork for the highly anticipated full-length album “God of the Tribes” (mastered by Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity)) set for release on August 20th, 2025, through Grathila Records. In a dramatic departure from previous works, “God of the Tribes” represents a significant shift in Kratornas‘ approach. The mastermind behind the project explains:

“This album marks a turning point for KRATORNAS. Not because it tries to be “different” but because it couldn’t have come out any other way. Every part of this release came together naturally. The sound, the pacing, the tension… it wrote itself, shaped by instinct and intention. This album is unlike the usual Kratornas so to anyone expecting it to sound like “early Kratornas” will be disappointed.”

The striking album artwork perfectly complements the thematic elements of the record, which draws heavily from apocalyptic imagery and ritualistic concepts. Along with the artwork reveal, Kratornas has released an album teaser, giving fans their first glimpse into the sonic evolution that defines “God of the Tribes”.

Kratornas, formed in 1995, stands as the pioneering one-man extreme metal act originally from the Philippines and now based in Saskatoon, Canada. With roots tracing back to the underground tape trading scene of the late 1980s, Kratornas has forged its own path through extreme metal, evolving from its early Satanic themes to apocalyptic visions and now to a more nuanced, ritualistic approach with this upcoming release that is recommended for fans of all sorts of black metal.

Album Teaser – “God of the Tribes”:

Extreme Metal Discovery YHWH Unveils “Burden of Flesh” (Lyric Video)

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Extreme metal act YHWH presents the lyric video for “Burden of Flesh”, a track taken from the band’s EP Tetragrammaton, out via Wormholedeath.

A relentless dive into despair and destruction: with raw, nihilistic black metal fury, Burden of Flesh tears through the veil of suffering with scathing riffs, unholy intensity, and lyrics drenched in torment. Brace yourself for an unfiltered journey into the abyss where brutality and darkness reign supreme.

Watch the Lyric Video for “Burden of Flesh” Here:

Blackened Death Metal icons MYSTIC CIRCLE unleash fierce cover version of BATHORY’s “One Rode To Asa Bay”, taken off upcoming “Kriegsgötter MMXXV” album | Due out on June 6th via ROAR!

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

June 6, 2025 will see the German iconic black/death metal duo MYSTIC CIRCLE release an extended new edition of “Kriegsgötter MMXXV” via ROAR, featuring 8 tracks and furious cover versions of classics such as from BATHORY, CELTIC FROST, POSSESSED, ACHERON, or the previously-released, completely re-recorded cover version of IRON MAIDEN‘s “Afraid To Shoot Strangers”.

On selected tracks, the band welcomes back British soprano Sarah Jezebel Deva on guest vocals, who has already made guest appearances with CRADLE OF FILTH, THE KOVENANT and THERION, among others. The track “Cry Little Sister” also features Karo Hafke, singer of the dark wave gothic band Umbra Et Imago.

Pre-order your album copy now on: https://mysticcircle.rpm.link/krieg

Today, MYSTIC CIRCLE have unleashed a new single taken off “Kriegsgötter MMXXV”, their blistering cover version of the BATHORY classic “One Rode To Asa Bay“!

“One Rode To Asa Bay“ is a track from the fifth BATHORY album „Hammerheart“, which is a favourite of us two,”A. Blackwar reveals. “The band was a huge influence for us back then, but also today. You hear that in our early works and in general for our love of atmospheric parts. When Sarah heard the song in the studio, she went to the cabin and started to sing – which wasn’t planned at all. We looked at each other with a devilish smile in our face and said: that was the missing part! This song is pure epic!”

Let’s go back a quarter of a century to the year 2000: MYSTIC CIRCLE were at their peak at the time after the release of their third studio epic “Infernal Satanic Verses” and were rightly regarded as Germany’s leading black metal band. In the summer after the turn of the millennium, the Ludwigshafen-based band followed up with the 5-track EP “Kriegsgötter II”, a compilation of cover versions and new recordings. However, the founding line-up broke up during this phase and A. Blackwar left the band. Only his return in 2020 and the reunion with vocalist Beelzebub conjured up the spirit of that time again, resulting in the two great new records “Mystic Circle” (2022) and “Erzdämon” (2023), closing the infamous circle (or pentagram?) again.

“It was inevitable for me to end my time with MYSTIC CIRCLE with “Kriegsgötter II”. The long break was necessary, we lost the connection to each other back then – which is stronger than ever today,” summarizes A. Blackwar and looks back with a teary eye, but also with a smile, because as so often in life, everything happens for a reason.

Divni San Unleash Thrash Metal Anthem “The Power Of Your Soul”

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Heavy thrash metal force DIVNI SAN returns with “The Power of Your Soul” (Remastered), the electrifying official lyric video from their upcoming album “Dreamlike Tales,” set for release via Wormholedeath.

Roaring with high-voltage riffs, punishing rhythms, and an unstoppable energy, “The Power of Your Soul” is a full-throttle declaration of inner strength and spiritual resistance. With razor-sharp precision and anthemic intensity, Divni San deliver a modern thrash classic built for both the pit and the stage.

Unveil New Official Lyric Video “The Power Of Your Soul” (Remastered) – From the Upcoming Album “Dreamlike Tales”

When darkness falls and the devil comes knocking, only one force can push back—the raw power of the soul.
Watch here:

SODOM “Witchhunter” video out now

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

German Thrash Metal legends SODOM released their new single and video for the song “Witchhunter” today. The song is also included on the upcoming studio album “The Arsonist”.

“Witchhunter” is Sodom‘s homage to their late drummer Chris Witchunter and the video was created by Ex-Sodom guitar player Andy Brings.

You can watch the video here:

Tracklisting:

1. The Arsonist
2. Battle Of Harvest Moon
3. Trigger Discipline
4. The Spirits That I Called
5. Witchhunter
6. Scavenger
7. Gun Without Groom
8. Taphephobia
9. Sane Insanity
10. A.W.T.F.
11. Twilight Void
12. Obliteration Of The Aeons
13. Return To God In Parts

“The Arsonist” will be released on June 27, 2025 worldwide through SPV/Steamhammer as CD digipak, 2LP version, download and stream: https://Sodom.lnk.to/TheArsonist
SODOM live 2025

KATATONIA Unleashes Captivating Second Single, “Temporal” & Lyric Video

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Metal Planet Media

Swedish masters of melancholic metal, KATATONIA, have unveiled the second new single from their upcoming album, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, out June 6, 2025 via Napalm Records! ”Temporal” balances fragility and strength – its intense verses culminating in a soaring, emotionally charged chorus. The track arrives with a beautiful lyric video.

Even after more than 30 years, KATATONIA continues to redefine the emotional spectrum of the genre, effortlessly shifting between haunting vulnerability and commanding artistry. KATATONIA’s music is pure and heartfelt from the northern wilderness; cast in mournful dirges for a world that needs a renaissance. Secure your copy of Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State now and check out the lyric video for ”Temporal” below!

Jonas Renkse comments:
”Temporal, when the enchantment is gone. When riffing is on, the combination offers no solace other than the pleasure of the vicious circle & the colours of the night. Enjoy.”

Watch the lyric video for “Temporal” HERE:

On Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, crystal-clear production highlights the interplay between silence and intensity, while the contrast of heavy riffs, delicate guitar harmonies, ethereal synthesizers, and atmospheric nuances create captivating tension. Tracks like “Thrice” and “Warden” pulse with dynamic energy, while “Lilac” sees Jonas Renkse’s unmistakable vocals intertwining with hypnotic rhythms and progressive elements. A near-ceremonial piece, “Wind of No Change”, merges subtle electronic textures with KATATONIA’s enigmatic soundscapes. The breathtaking “Efter Solen” (Engl. After the Sun), featuring Swedish lyrics, with minimalistic yet striking instrumentation.

Even after more than 30 years, KATATONIA continues to redefine the emotional spectrum of their genre, effortlessly shifting between haunting vulnerability and commanding artistry. With sonic landscapes that evoke dystopia, inner demons, purity, and beauty alike, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State stands as a testament to their enduring brilliance. The album was produced by Jonas Renkse, recorded by Lawrence Mackrory at NBS Audio and The City of Glass, mixed by Adam Noble, and mastered by Robin Schmidt at 24-96 Mastering.

Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State tracklist:
1. Thrice
2. The Liquid Eye
3. Wind of no Change
4. Lilac
5. Temporal
6. Departure Trails
7. Warden
8. The Light Which I Bleed
9. Efter Solen
10. In the Event of

As soon as summer has shattered, KATATONIA will embark on an epic headline tour this fall across Europe and the UK together with label mates and Gothenburg’s top-notch metal export EVERGREY and Klogr from Italy. Kicking off on November 11 in Tampere, Finland, the tour will cover 31 major cities in total and culminate in a grand finale in Stockholm, Sweden on December 20. Tickets are available now. For more information, visit the official website – https://katatonia.com/