How many metalheads does it take to screw in a light bulb? None — they embrace the darkness. I don’t know if that’s the greatest joke in the world or the worst. But I know this: These headbangers aren’t kidding around. Unless they are. Either way, they’re having the last laugh:
Super Monster Party | Nights Into Dreams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Coming off their exciting performance at 70 Tons of Metal in January, Super Monster Party have a new single and video entitled Night Into Dreams. The track is ’80s synth wave meets metal and is inspired by the popular Sega video game of the same name. It features guest artists Lacey Johnson, a popular VGM artist, and the members of Lame Genie on drums, bass, and guitar. “I wrote this song to capture the essence of the game Nights Into Dreams — a realm where the magic of flight, matches the pulse of the joystick, and every riff powers you through a level of chaos and triumph,” says vocalist Rei Sega. The single is also SPM’s first new music since releasing their latest album Rage Quit this past November.”
Dirty Shirt | FOMO
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Widely regarded as one of the most original and successful rock bands in Eastern Europe, Romania’s Dirty Shirt are celebrating 30 years of creating and performing music with their first single of 2025 — FOMO, which arrives accompanied by a video. FOMO is also the first single from the band’s upcoming seventh album, the followup to Get Your Dose Now! (2022). Musically, it is a journey through different moments and places, blending various genres from ’80s disco to Balkan music, all built on a metal foundation. It’s a catchy song, with a chorus that sticks in your mind, radiating big positive energy. Lyrically, the song addresses one of the issues of modern society — the fear of missing out. This phenomenon has become widespread with the rise of social media, where people constantly compare themselves to others and feel pressured to be part of every trend or experience.”
Niviane | Queen of Phantoms
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sacramento’s Niviane strike with full force on Queen of Phantoms, the commanding title track from their upcoming album set for March 7. Following the success of Tomorrow’s A New Day and 12 BC: Legions, this new single delivers a bold statement of ambition showcasing their high-energy, melodic power metal with an epic and cinematic edge. Packed with soaring vocals, razor-sharp riffs and thundering rhythms, Queen of Phantoms encapsulates the band’s relentless intensity. The track blends dark atmospheres with anthemic hooks, solidifying Niviane’s place among the titans of the genre. Fans of Judas Priest, Queensrÿche, Primal Fear and Nevermore will find themselves drawn into its gripping soundscapes.”
Art Of Attrition | Subserviate & Decay
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Red Deer’s most extreme metal outfit Art of Attrition unleash their latest single Subserviate & Decay. The track showcases the band’s signature blend of relentless brutality and melodic complexity while pushing into bold new territory. Subserviate & Decay delivers the classical Art of Attrition sound — a devastating combination of eight-string guitars, gravity blast beats, and guttural vocals — before taking an unexpected turn. The band expand: “It is modern primitive. It embodies all you love about Art of Attrition and then slaps you in the face with a caveman club. We loved writing this song, recording the parts, and developing its uniqueness in our catalog. It serves as a visceral reminder of the necessity of internal self-love and confidence.”
Dusk | Sleepwalker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Saudi Arabia’s one-man prog-metal unit Dusk (from the mind of Meshari Sangora) has teamed up with Kuwaiti modern metal artist Abzy and drummer Gilbert Hadad to release the single Sleepwalker. Fresh, creative, and powerful, the track is about the struggle one has with their mental health. “As I work on my followup music to 2023’s Spectrums, I think fans will love this first taste of the new album I’m working on, and they will appreciate the beauty of my maturity when it comes to songwriting and what experiences can do to a creative session,” says Sangora. “I’m trying to touch base on more realistic subjects such as mental health, but I always like to show the other side of the conversation.”
Quemasantos | Stalking Sharks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York’s Spanish-speaking thrashmasters Quemasantos have released a lyric video for their new single Stalking Sharks, featuring a guest guitar solo from Marco Cusato (Warpath, Somberwind). This is the band’s first track in English since they formed in 2012. Nelson Diaz comments: ”Returning to the direct thrash with warlike inspirations is something that shakes me internally, especially if it is with musicians of the caliber of Ignacio (Orellana) and our special guest Marco Cusato, who is an eminence of Latin American thrash.”
Necrambulant | Pestilential Ascendancy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Phoenix death metal titans Necrambulant have a new offering to earworm its way into your head. Entitled Pestilential Ascendancy, this is their second Warhammer 40,000-inspired song. The focus of this one is the traitor Death Guard / Plague Marines. “In my opinion, the second most ‘death metal’ faction in the 40k universe, as they are literally Death personified — mutated, rotting, stinking, undead harbingers of plague and pestilence who aim to conquer the galaxy in the name of their god, Nurgle,” says vocalist Andy “Bonemeat” York. Necrambulant will coronate their second full-length Upheaval of Malignant Necrambulance on March 7. With a relentless barrage of slamming brutal death metal, the record presents an anthology of all that they represent, horror, gore, and slamming brutal death metal. Incorporating a full arsenal of death metal and slam to further define their self-described brand of Inhuman Slam Grind, Upheaval of Malignant Necrambulance has something to offer on many levels of thematic brutality: Zombies, serial killers, cannibals, sci-fi, and Warhammer.”
