[Heavy News]: DESPISED ICON (CA), DEAD SLEEP (SWE) & PLINI (AU).
Guten Abend, meine freunds!
No April Fool’s here today, ‘cept this fool in Yours Truly.
Here’s a few more of many Heavy News items flooding our inbox at the moment. Lots happening - stay tuned for more news pieces, Gallery of Brewicide (Photo Gallery) article and some Music -specific news where the podcast/blog is concerned (early news/updates for our Patreon subscribers).
For now though, here’s the latest from Canada’s deathcore kings Despised Icon, an upcoming Swedish thrash-basher from Dead Sleep, and news of Australia’s Plini-est and what the lad’s up to.
Remember to support local music, support your local scene.
As Always,
Peace, Love and Grindcore - Brady.
DESPISED ICON Takes Home The JUNO For Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year For Their Critically Acclaimed SHADOW WORK
Photo Credit: CARAS | FUSE Reps | O'Shane Howard | @cadreartists | @retouch.house
Fresh off the critical acclaim of Shadow Work, DESPISED ICON maintained their unstoppable momentum this past weekend, securing a Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year and further solidifying their status as pioneers of the Canadian scene.
DESPISED ICON comments: "Shout out to our brothers in Cryptopsy, to Chris Donaldson for nailing the mix on our record. A big thank you to our boy Tommy, everyone at Nuclear Blast Records for supporting us. A quick shout out to the Junos for recognizing that Canadian Death Metal, Canadian Hardcore, is part of Canadian culture! And most importantly, much love to our amazing girlfriends, our families, our friends, our fans, our team, our crew. This is for Montreal! Merci!"
Order Shadow Work:
https://despisedicon.bfan.link/shadow-work
Photo Credit: CARAS | Joanna Roselli
Shadow Work Tracklisting:
1. Shadow Work
2. Over My Dead Body
3. Death Of An Artist
4. Corpse Pose
5. The Apparition
6. Reaper
7. In Memoriam
8. Omen Of Misfortune
9. Obsessive Compulsive Disaster
10. ContreCoeur
11. Fallen Ones
Shadow Work was produced by the band’s own Alex Erian and Eric Jarrin, while Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, SHADOW OF INTENT, SIGNS OF THE SWARM) handled mixing and mastering. The album marks a significant chapter for a band whose core lineup has remained largely unchanged since its inception. It’s a deeply introspective record that reflects both personal growth and the turbulence of the world around us. The artwork for the album was created by Eliran Kantor (HATEBREED, THY ART IS MURDER, CAVALERA).
Swedish Thrashers Dead Sleep Announce New EP; First Single Out Now
Swedish thrash metal band Dead Sleep are set to return this summer with a brand new EP. The first single, “Repulsion”, is already out and streaming on all major platforms, alongside an official video (filmed by Julian Bader and edited by Dead Sleep): https://youtu.be/c5CmCc5kskQ?si=KUxSQaGOC8zZNDrn
With Repulsion, Dead Sleep lean further into their raw, old-school roots while pushing their sound into darker and more personal territory. The EP draws on the energy of classic thrash and early extreme metal, but keeps things stripped down, urgent, and unpolished in the best possible way.
Lyrically, the new material shifts focus. As bassist and vocalist Anna Wagner explains, the songs revolve around themes of power, motherhood, and society’s long-standing fear of women who step outside imposed roles. Figures like Lilith and other historical or mythical women serve as a loose thread throughout the EP - symbols of defiance, rejection, and resilience.
“Repulsion” itself stands at the core of the release - a track that captures both the aggression and the more layered side of the band’s current direction.
Recorded at Sunnanå Studios in Malmö by Markus Nilsson and featuring artwork by Bartosz Nalezinski, the EP also marks a new phase for Dead Sleep as a tighter, more direct trio. The stripped-back lineup brings a sharper, heavier sound, with more space for each element to hit harder.
Formed in Malmö, Dead Sleep have always done things their own way - blending punk energy, old-school thrash, and a refusal to fully belong to any one scene. Loud, raw, and unapologetic, they continue to build their identity on instinct rather than rules.
The new EP will be released this summer.
For more info:
PLINI
ANNOUNCES BRAND NEW ALBUM,
AN UNNAMEABLE DESIRE
DUE OUT FRIDAY 24 APRIL
SHARES MUSIC VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK
Photo Credit: Declan Blackall Photography
In 2026, a stunning new chapter for Plini will arrive, with the prolific Australian guitarist, composer and producer today announcing the release of a brand new album An Unnameable Desire, set for release on Friday 24 April.
Across the space of 10 tracks, An Unnameable Desire blends staggering intricacy with moments of surging heaviness and billowing bliss, catapulting Plini's expansive dexterity and sonic diversity into even greater new heights.
Accompanying the announcement of his new album today, Plini has also unveiled the album's title track along with a charismatic music video. But, as Plini reveals, all may not be as it seems as we venture further down the rabbit hole for album #3.
"I picked this as the first single because it sets the tone/sound of the album without really giving anything away," shares Plini. "I'm known as a guitarist, but this song doesn't even really contain a guitar "solo". Much like the video, it's the whimsical first chapter of an adventure, and hopefully gives a false sense of security for what's to come."
Watch the music video for An Unnameable Desire here:
Mixed by Simon Grove and mastered by Adam "Nolly" Getgood, An Unnameable Desire finds Plini joining forces with a horde of creative talent, with magic woven alongside Simon Grove (bass, auxiliary guitar, mixing, engineering and co-production), Chris Allison (drums percussion, additional drum engineering and co-production), Dave Mckay (piano, keyboards and synthesizers), A.J. Minette (string arrangement and production), Misha Vayman (violin)and Yoshi Masuda (cello), with additional production on Ciel courtesy of Devesh Dayal, a guitar solo on Ciel by Jakub Zytecki andharp on After Everything by Emily Hopkins. Album artwork is designed by Patti Bai.
"Something I'm very happy about, after many years of making music and the "career" aspect of it becoming a whole lot more serious, is that the process hasn't changed - still just me sitting in a room, tinkering on a guitar until I come across an interesting idea, and then following it down various rabbit holes until it starts feeling like a song," shares Plini of his upcoming new album.
"The intention with this album," adds Plini, "was to let that side of the process be as playful as possible, and then when it came to executing these ideas as finished songs, trying to expand the music in every direction possible: the heavier parts should be heavier, the pretty parts should be prettier, the hard-to-play stuff should be harder to play... and also in being as thoughtful and intricate as possible in relating the songs to each other through various themes and references. I hope it's as enjoyable to listen to as it was to make!"
Renowned for delivering mind-bending musicality from all angles, Plini has previously released two full-length albums, 2016's Handmade Cities and 2020's Impulse Voices, alongside several EPs, singles and contributing credits along the way.
Nominated for Live Guitarist of the Year in 2018 at the National Live Music Awards, Plini has also previously toured alongside Sleep Token, Periphery and Tesseract, and will embark on a huge world tour in 2026, commencing in Europe in late April.
AN UNNAMEABLE DESIRE - OUT APRIL 24
https://www.plini.co/
AN UNNAMEABLE DESIRE TRACK LISTING:
01. Dorénavant
02. An Unnameable Desire
03. Ciel
04. Canyon
05. Now & Then
06. Manala
07. Vespertine
08. Ruin
09. After Everything
10. The Time Will Pass Anyway
Artwork by Patti Bai
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