Vocalist/guitarist Askhan on the track, "The first riff of 'Until Now' came to life in early 2021, and it eventually became the opening chapter of this album. After releasing our last record, Wisdom Eyes, we kept writing new material, but nothing felt right. We didn't want to repeat ourselves.”

Satriani comments, "[Chris Cornell] was a brilliant vocalist and communicator. He often used his voice like an instrument, shaping the tone of his voice like a guitarist would finesse riffs and phrases. I took a deep dive into his magical sensibilities and came up with a multi-tracked guitar production approach that I felt would pay proper homage to his brilliance."

"Eyes is about coming to a point in life where you start to question the reality of what you once believed," states Gering. "It captures the feeling of wanting to break away from something that has only worked against you and the struggle to find a new way to move forward."

“Something In The Water” is a love song for someone you no longer recognise, a meditation on sudden change, the unsettling possibility that someone was always this way, and the painful question of whether love is enough to endure the hurt.

Paleface Swiss have unleashed ‘Instrument of War’ with Jesse Barnett of Stick To Your Guns, channelling unity and resistance. Proceeds from the single and T-shirt will support Doctors Without Borders. As Zelli and Barnett put it: “Our music isn’t just some shit to put on in the background … it’s meant to attack the things that divide us.”

"It reflects on meeting someone, those early moments, and how they compare to where you are now, looking forward to the rest of your lives," says Cochran. "Musically, it pulls influence from Rozwell Kid, Modern Baseball, Joyce Manor, and even Modest Mouse in the lead guitar. I think it tells a strong lyrical story from the daydream of the first verse, to the real time moment of the second verse, into the realization of the outro."

Max Cavalera comments, “My lyrics are inspired by LG of Entombed and Nihilist. He left this earth in 2021 and he was always a big influence on me. This is one of the heaviest songs on the record and I love the fact that we went to Bulgaria to make the video. Todd Jones is the special guest on the song, delivering the hardest line on the record. ‘I don’t believe in anything!’”

Southern California’s Dayseeker have unveiled the visualizer for ‘Bloodlust’, a chilling cut from Creature In The Black Night (out October 24 via Spinefarm). “It’s about people in your life who want to metaphorically drain the blood from you — those you can’t trust and don’t belong in your life,” says vocalist Rory Rodriguez.

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.”