Go On, Have a Nuclear Blast: A [HEAVY NEWS] Label Round-Up.
Okay, here’s the thing. Between coordinating a new hosting platform for Inner-Strength Podcast, dealing with an unrelenting inundation of press releases/promotional material and also now setting up my own small business, your podcast/blog host is very scant on time.
Whilst I’d love to push the music-primer pump on individual artists/labels etc as they come in, the reality is music press doesn’t facilitate ROI for time/energy in doing so. The other part of it is, I feel - rather than leave so much great musical news behind in the dust under the chaotic fallout of life-admin, why not start consolidating more individual news releases into bigger/better Heavy News columns?
Ahead of Music Monday tomorrow, I’ve decided to just that with one of the heavyweights in Australian/international heavy/alternative music, Nuclear Blast Records.
There’s a frankly insane amount of album releases, new singles, video clips and more coming out from the NB management team on a near daily-basis; here’s our humble attempt to catch rain in a bucket. Lots of diversity on offer here, so please be sure to follow through with whatever suits your fancy. Big ups to the heavy-music monolith Nuclear Blast for supporting and promoting heavy music in a time and environment where doing so isn’t easy, a.k.a. 2025!
Read on, listen in, support many of the estalished roster, gawk at up-and-comers added to the labels’ quality roster and rock on.
Finally - whilst this might come across as a shill to some, I can assure you that we are entirely volunteer-led/operated, and make no money from advertising, nor will we.
If you’d like to support ongoing music news, interviews, gig reviews and the like, you can dose this manic host up with even more caffeine by dropping a couple of bucks at our Ko-Fi Page here.
No obligation, but everything helps towards keeping up with operational costs that allow the site to stay open, conduct interviews and, by proxy, keep you informed on the latest in Heavy News!
Gracias.
Peace, Love and Heavy-Music Radiation Poisoning, xoxo - Brady.
THE HALO EFFECT Unleash Powerful Cover Of DANZIG Classic 'How The Gods Kill'
After the highly successful release of their second album March of the Unheard in January 2025 and their celebrated first European headlining tour, melodic death metal stars THE HALO EFFECT return with a powerful interpretation of DANZIG’s iconic track 'How the Gods Kill'—originally released on the classic 1992 album Danzig III: How the Gods Kill.
This cover version was handpicked by front man Mikael Stanne, who shares:
“During my teenage years the darkness and allure of the early Danzig albums introduced me to a whole new way of thinking about what rock and metal could be. Glenn’s vocals and lyrics were also incredibly influential on this aspiring vocalist/lyricist.”
The band brings a new weight and urgency to the track while preserving the brooding mystique of the original. With soaring guitar harmonies, thunderous rhythm, and Stanne’s commanding vocals, THE HALO EFFECT reinvents the classic through the lens of the Gothenburg sound.
To be continued....?
Listen to 'How The Gods Kill': https://thehaloeffect.bfan.link/htgksg
Link to Visualiser (via Nuclear Blast’s official YT Channel):
2. MALEVOLENCE Release Music Video For New Single 'So Help Me God' +
New Album WHERE ONLY THE TRUTH IS SPOKEN Out Now
Photo Credit: Ramsey Ramone
Fresh from their secret set at last weekend’s DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, Steel City Kings MALEVOLENCE have released a new single from their massively anticipated new album, ‘Where Only The Truth Is Spoken’, which is out today via MLVLTD in partnership with Nuclear Blast Records.
The video comes in response to a takedown of their previous single ‘Salt The Wound’, which was forcibly removed from Nuclear Blast’s YouTube channel after The National Trust threatened legal action.
“Apparently pretending to play the guitar for a couple of hours on a public path that thousands of tourists walk up every single day is a criminal offence worth pursuing,” said the band in a statement.
“The video is a celebration of where we come from and we’re proud of what we made. Fortunately… Someone has anonymously uploaded a version back to YouTube” they continued.
New single ‘So Help Me God’ sees the band safely performing within the walls of the historic Abbeydale Picture House cinema in Sheffield.
“This song is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. This song is a raw exploration of my own resentment, and unresolved anger” comments frontman ALEX TAYLOR.
“For the video, we wanted to match the tone of the song and have a raw performance driven video full of energy and aggression.”
The band surprised revellers at DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL on Sunday, after days of speculation around this year’s secret act. During a stunning set in a packed out AVALANCHE stage, guitarist Konan Hall unveiled his brand new guitar – a one of a kind collaboration between Jackson® Guitars and Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft® (more details below)
Purchase or stream Where Only The Truth Is Spoken now at:
https://malevolence.bfan.link/where-only-the-truth-is-spoken
Watch the video for 'So Help Me God':
Malevolence
Where Only The Truth Is Spoken
1. Blood To The Leech
2. Trenches
3. If It's All The Same To You
4. Counterfeit
5. Salt The Wound
6. So Help Me God
7. Imperfect Picture
8. Heavens Shake
9. In Spite (ft. Randy Blythe)
10. Demonstration Of Pain
11. With Dirt From My Grave
About Jackson x Malevolence x World of Warcraft collab:
Jackson® Guitars and Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft® unveiled a one-of-a-kind collaboration with Konan Hall, guitarist of UK metal titans Malevolence and WoW fan live on stage at Download Festival, 2025.
Malevolence took centre stage for the Secret Set on Avalanche Stage on Sunday afternoon at 2.50pm, where Kon donned a custom Jackson Pro Plus XT Limited Edition Kelly™ KE HT6 Baritone guitar, inspired by Kon’s in-game character —a Dwarf Paladin, named Thraiin. Crafted with meticulous detail and true to the spirit of Azeroth, the guitar merges Jackson’s iconic metal craftsmanship with the rich lore of World of Warcraft. Designed in close collaboration with Kon and World of Warcraft’s creative team, the body features bespoke artwork of Thraiin and the legendary “W” emblem, while the headstock boasts the Jackson logo and the background is inspired by the lands of Azeroth. Additionally, on the back of the guitar sits an Easter egg, inspired by Kon’s favourite weapon type in game, The Battle Axe.
The Pro Plus XT Limited Edition Kelly KE HT6 Baritone model is an extension of the Pro Plus Series. Features include Nyatoh body with three-piece Maple thru-neck construction and graphite reinforced for superior stability, six-string baritone 27”-scale, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with cloaked Sharkfins, 24 stainless steel frets, Luminlay side-dots, Seymour Duncan Nazgul and Sentient pickups combine for full-throated power that ranges from great overdrive sustain, distinctive fat and chunky rhythms to smooth lead tones that pack a muscular growl and slice through the densest mix.
“World of Warcraft and music are two of my favourite things’’, said Kon. “Playing with the Jackson guitar on stage will remind me of the hours I spent in the taverns of Azeroth.”
The guitar will make various appearances throughout the year at Malevolence shows. For assets and more details check:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SXyauflSibW82HEufry_PAjXa8LxoGAL
ABOUT MALEVOLENCE
MALEVOLENCE have never waited for permission. From the underground to festival main stages, they’ve built their reputation on sheer force of will, crushing live shows, and an unshakable foundation of heavy riffs and harder work. Now, with their fourth studio album Where Only The Truth Is Spoken, Sheffield’s finest step into a new league.
Recorded in California at Dave Grohl’s legendary Studio 606, the album was tracked through the iconic Neve 8078 console, the same desk that captured game-changing records like Nirvana’s Nevermind, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, and Tom Petty’s Wildflowers. For a band that’s always pushed forward without compromise, it was the perfect setting to carve out a record that represents everything MALEVOLENCE stands for. The album marks a new level of songwriting precision without sacrificing the band’s trademark weight. Working alongside Grammy Award-winning producer Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira, Trivium), the result is MALEVOLENCE at their most punishing, urgent, and anthemic.
Lyrically, Where Only The Truth Is Spoken reflects the principles that MALEVOLENCE have lived by since day one—honesty, loyalty, and integrity. These are not just themes woven into the album but values the band holds in their personal and professional lives. This record doesn’t deal in facades or empty gestures; it’s an unfiltered expression of the struggles, victories, and unshakable brotherhood that have carried them this far.
Malevolence are:
Alex Taylor | Vocals
Konan Hall | Guitar / Vocals
Josh Baines | Guitar
Wilkie Robinson | Bass
Charlie Thorpe | Drums
MALEVOLENT-CORE LINKS FROM GOOD SHEFFIELD DUDES:
3. FALLUJAH Releases New Album 'XENOTAPH' + New Lyric Visualizer For Album Streaming Now
“Xenotaph is a transcendental tour-de-force.” - Blabbermouth.net
“Xenotaph is a tremendous accomplishment that further validates Fallujah as a dominant force in the realm of progressive/technical death metal.” - MetalSucks.net
Progressive death metal masters FALLUJAH have released their highly-anticipated new album, Xenotaph, with Nuclear Blast Records. Critically revered from the outset, Xenotaph is a cataclysmic composition of highly evolved, profound metal immersed in an epic, otherworldly futuristic saga.
Vocalist Kyle Schaefer has said of the new album:
“We are excited to finally reveal Fallujah’s new album Xenotaph, marking the sixth chapter in our discography. This is our most ambitious record yet, and is certainly the band’s most technical, dynamic and progressive material to date. The music carried out by these eight tracks is matched with an equally ambitious concept, a lyrical story that traverses unfolding layers of time and reality in an otherworldly, post-death realm of existence.
Xenotaph is also our most collaborative album, with broad input from the current lineup leading us to expand the scope of our songwriting while simultaneously highlighting the true potential of everyone involved. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming this bold new stage of the band’s evolution.”
Today, FALLUJAH presents a lyric visualizer for the full album that can be viewed HERE
Purchase/Stream Xenotaph: https://fallujah.bfan.link/xenotaph
Xenotaph Lyric Visualiser, Via NB on Youtube:
Xenotaph Tracklist:
1. In Stars We Drown
4. The Crystalline Veil
5. Step Through the Portal and Breathe
6. A Parasitic Dream
7. The Obsidian Architect
8. Xenotaph
Photo Credit: Brian Krahe
About FALLUJAH:
Prog death-metal outfit FALLUJAH expand horizons and solidify their position as one of America’s most exciting acts on their new album, Xenotaph, through Nuclear Blast. The quintet’s confidence in the lineup that made their previous album, Empyrean (2022), such a resounding success—earning high marks from Metal Injection, New Noise, and Guitar World—has been reconfigured slightly, with guitarist Sam Mooradian (INHALE EXISTENCE, SAM MOORADIAN) and drummer Kevin Alexander (DISEMBODIED TYRANT, BROUGHT BY PAIN) bringing their jaw-dropping musical proficiency to the fold, as vocalist Kyle Schaefer, guitarist Scott Carstairs, and bassist Evan Brewer enter a new chapter with FALLUJAH. Moored by singles ‘Kaleidoscopic Waves,’ ‘Labyrinth of Stone,’ and ‘Step Through the Portal and Breathe,’ Xenotaph is FALLUJAH personified, reinvigorated, and re-imagined.
Xenotaph was produced by FALLUJAH, engineered by Dave Otero (CATTLE DECAPITATION, ARCHSPIRE) and Mike Low (VITRIOL, ABORTED) at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado and Top Track Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Otero also mixed and mastered Xenotaph. The main goal was elevation, building upon yet soaring upward from Empyrean, one of the group’s strongest productions to date. The team focused the separation of FALLUJAH’s breakneck pace, meticulous songcraft, euphonious leads, and unrivalled intensity, creating an experience pulls the listener into Xenotaph’s high-calibre music and concept.
Beyond releasing Xenotaph to an anticipating fanbase, FALLUJAH take aim at the road, drawing upon the success of their Empyrean runs. Indeed, attendees to the group’s live performances have witnessed some of Xenotaph’s songs already, namely the shimmery prog-bounce and inner world horror of ‘The Obsidian Architect.’ FALLUJAH are in a perpetual state of evolution, and Xenotaph demonstrates the group’s hard-won, if profound journey. For there is no reverse—only forward progress, and the path ahead is illuminating before them. Step through the portal if you dare…
Kyle Schaefer | Vocals, Programming
Scott Carstairs | Guitars
Sam Mooradian | Guitar
Evan Brewer | Bass
Kevin Alexander | Drums
Follow FALLUJAH:
Linktree | Facebook | Instagram | X | Youtube | Patreon
4. Australia’s AVERSIONS CROWN Announce Their New EP, A VOICE FROM THE OUTER DARK Out August 5th + Watch The Music Video For The Title Track
Emerging from Brisbane’s seething metal underground, AVERSIONS CROWN returns from the void with A Voice From The Outer Dark. The EP which will be released on August 5th via Nuclear Blast Records is a three-track statement of renewed intent, brutal evolution, and total annihilation. Marking the band’s first new material in several years, the EP represents a bold new chapter in both sound and vision.
Today, the band release a music video for the thunderous first track and title of the album, 'A Voice From The Outer Dark'. Watch the Matrix-esque music video directed by Colin Jeffs, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elFntHFJdpg
AVERSIONS CROWN comments, "This song marks the beginning of a new chapter for us. We’ve been quiet for a few years now, but that silence was the calm before something much heavier. A Voice From The Outer Dark is the first signal that we’re back, and this time we’re not coming in peace.".
Pre-order or pre-save A Voice From The Outer Dark EP, here:
https://aversionscrown.bfan.link/avftodep
Watch: 'A Voice From The Outer Dark' music video:
Below is the A Voice from the Outer Dark EP track list:
1. A Voice from the Outer Dark
2. Deathbed Lamentations
3. Castigation Choir
A Voice From The Outer Dark captures AVERSIONS CROWN in a new phase of creative intensity. The EP distils everything the band is — and everything it’s becoming — into three tracks of sheer ferocity. Conceptually, the band continues to explore existential and cosmic horror themes, blurring the lines between science fiction and spiritual annihilation, channelling the sound of a world tearing itself apart from the inside out. The arrival of new vocalist Alex Teyen (formerly of BLACK TONGUE) signals a seismic shift.
A Voice From The Outer Dark was recorded in October 2024. It was produced by Lance Prenc and Edward Sklavos. Prenc was also responsible for the mixing and mastering while Sklavos handled the engineering. The cover artwork for the EP was created by Róbert A Borbás (aka Grindesign).
A Voice From The Outer Dark is the sound of a band reborn through fire, silence, and darkness — ready to reestablish their legacy and redefine deathcore in the process.
AVERSIONS CROWN is:
Alex Teyen | Vocals
Chris Cougan | Guitar
Mick Jeffery | Guitar
Jayden Mason | Drums
More information:
Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
5. NAILED TO OBSCURITY Release Video For New Single 'Spirit Corrosion'
NAILED TO OBSCURITY are delighted to unveil another single from their upcoming fifth studio album, Generation Of The Void, which will be out on September 5th, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. With its captivating chorus, 'Spirit Corrosion' might be the band's most accessible song to date and perfectly underlines the record's nuanced and cinematic approach.
Alongside the single, a music video has been released, which you can watch below.
NAILED TO OBSCURITY commented:
"'Spirit Corrosion’ is one of those songs that hit us hard while writing — emotionally raw, yet powerful and strangely uplifting. We’re incredibly proud of how it turned out and can’t wait to finally share the song and video with you. It’s got one of the most captivating choruses we’ve ever written, layered with dynamic drumming and a deep sense of atmosphere."
With Generation Of The Void, NAILED TO OBSCURITY have crafted their most mature and expansive album to date. The album reflects the turmoil of the post-pandemic era, the shadows of war in Europe, and the relentless changes affecting all of humanity. Beyond its political and social commentary, the album also dives deep into personal struggles, confronting themes of dark emotions, depression, and fear. Every note, every lyric carries the weight of uncertainty and disillusionment, while no one knows what one will find within the void or beyond.
PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE GENERATION OF THE VOID:
https://nto.bfan.link/generation-of-the-void
STREAM THE SINGLE 'SPIRIT CORROSION':
https://nto.bfan.link/spirit-corrosion
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'SPIRIT CORROSION':
NAILED TO OBSCURITY
Generation Of The Void
05 September 2025 || CD, LP & Digital
01
Glass Bleeding
02
03
04
05
Generation Of The Void
06
Echo Attempt
07
Allure
08
09
Misery's Messenger
10
The Ides Of Life
ABOUT NAILED TO OBSCURITY:
Formed in 2005 by guitarists Jan-Ole Lamberti and Volker Dieken, NAILED TO OBSCURITY started their journey as teenagers with an uncompromising vision. They released their independent debut Abyss in 2007, proving their resilience in an industry where many bands fade before they rise. With lineup evolutions in the early days and sonic transformations, the Germans honed their melancholic yet crushing sound, which reached new heights with Opaque (2013) and King Delusion (2017), released via Apostasy Records. These albums marked the first steps from a local underground act to a serious, globally touring band, following the arrival of vocalist Raimund Ennenga in 2012.
By 2018, NAILED TO OBSCURITY had earned a place among the greats, signing with Nuclear Blast and unveiling Black Frost in January 2019, an album that solidified their identity and positioned them on some of the biggest stages in Europe and North America. With bassist Lutz Neemann joining in May 2024, replacing long-time member Carsten Schorn, the current lineup was completed.
In 2022, NAILED TO OBSCURITY released the singles 'Liquid Mourning' and 'Clouded Frame', both of which are featured on Generation Of The Void. These tracks provided a glimpse into the band's evolving sound and set the stage for what was to come.
Now, after years of meticulous crafting and relentless touring, Generation Of The Void emerges as the next chapter—a visceral and evocative testament to the times.
NAILED TO OBSCURITY ONLINE:
https://linktr.ee/nailedtoobscurity
And that just about tears it, to quote Hank Hill, for just some of the many bits and pieces of Nuclear-Blast related info in the works!
We’re just one small podcast/blog, however, and you can be sure to catch a lot more information on the interwebs via:
