The band comment that Leave The Light On "is about experiencing mental illness, and the need for help and acceptance from others. In this complicated world we live in, it is easy for one to fall through the cracks and be left with depression and no drive to move forward. Sometimes, you need love from another to give you the strength to push on through."

Cog return with their first new music since 2019, unveiling potent new single Walk the Line. The track channels the band’s trademark power and introspection, with Flynn Gower reflecting: “Life for the three of us is fucking hard at the moment… we don’t know if this will be the last song. And that’s really what Walk the Line is all about at its core.”

“We started writing ‘Angels Calling’ while on tour with The HU back in 2024, inspired by Eastern European folk music,” explains singer Markus Videsäter. “When we had the vocals and the song started to come together, it instantly felt like a perfect title track.”

“Garden State” is a song about feeling out of place in the world. It wrestles with the idea of not quite fitting into what’s considered 'normal'. "For most of my life, I’ve felt slightly outside the status quo and while that’s often a blessing, I still find myself wondering what it might be like to belong more easily," says vocalist and bassist Dominic Harper.

After five years, Dyssidia return with ‘Serum Sickness’, a venom-laced progressive metal single of atmosphere, precision and raw emotion. As Mitch Brackman notes: “‘Serum Sickness’ is the beginning of something sharper, more dangerous, and far more honest.”

Heathenspawn return with their latest slab of blackened melodic death metal, “The Ravenous Earth”, a crushing track that dives into dark themes and envisions a world where humanity has brought about its own extinction. Obsessed with conflict and distracted by trivialities, mankind clings to the illusion of permanence.

“‘Corridor’ uncovered a side of the band we hadn’t explored before,” says vocalist Ben Beddick. “It tapped into a lighter, more uplifting sound with a nostalgic vibe. It feels removed from our darker edge, but only adds to the breadth of music we’re able to create on Phantom :: Phoenix.”

"Your Touch is a continuation of a close-to-heart idea we started exploring on Secrets of the Future, about the fear of ambition going too far," says the band. "It’s about having tunnel vision, where your sight’s set on a single target so narrowly that one day you realise you’ve left everything you love behind. The song is full of outer space imagery for that reason - it felt like a fitting metaphor for making bold moves that leave you more isolated than ever."

“I think ‘Last Night On Earth’ could be placed squarely in a traditional relationship frame where you forget what you're even fighting about,” continues Scott Anderson, whose vocals compellingly illuminate the song’s sadness. “But you hate that feeling in the pit of your stomach when something's not resolved and you don't know what tomorrow's gonna look like.”

James on ‘Tracing Lines’:

“I think it perfectly sums up how I was feeling during that time period, embarrassed about my failed relationship and very aware of my ever increasing age. I found myself at 34 years old, single and living back at my family home with little to nothing to show for the past twenty years of my adult life.”

John Boecklin, drummer and founder of Bad Wolves, shared “Hanging On To Thunder” (feat. Stand Atlantic) preaches strength in moments of adversity. “This song embodies what we do best: big hooks, raw emotion, and pure power. It’s an undeniable BAD WOLVES classic. Stand Atlantic takes it to the next level with an absolutely insane vocal performance. We’re incredibly proud of this one.”

"The Earth has a demon inside it," the artist states. "The bright side attempted to convert it but didn't succeed, and the gong marked the end of all hope. You can hear the demon's heart. You can hear the ceremony for it to wake up. You can hear the mud and the dirt. You can also hear, with such great strength, the bright side of life fighting before it was destroyed by evil."

“Butterflies is a song about transactional relationships and the realization that sometimes the company you keep doesn’t have your best interest in mind; they see you more as something to wear out like jewelry or a gateway to their next good time,” Gaskarth says. “It’s a bookend on the record that symbolizes closure in my life, bidding farewell to fair-weather acquaintances, set to half-time and riffs I would’ve written when I kept the door open for people like that.”

Speaking on the release, vocalist and guitarist Morgan Lander explains:

“We’re beyond excited to revisit and reimagine songs that started it all for us with Spit XXV. Re-recording these songs has been an emotional and empowering journey. It’s a chance to honour our roots while bringing a new level of energy and experience to the music.”

"I'll Find the Dark lyrically tries to captivate the overall theme of being consumed by pain throughout existence," says Conder. "The idea was for the instruments to be just as aggressive as the vocals and lyrics of the song itself. The track tries to express the emotional distress of feeling lost within yourself, being terrified of existence and living, as well as trying to overcome some sense of grief and heartache."