LONGBOI Post Warning - There’s a LOT of new releases in this one, so be prepared!

See below for a list to get a sense of who’s included in the article.

Kind Metal Regards,

Brady.

Hoo boy.

Normally I’m not one to open my content by being apologetic, but mia-culpa around the recent drought of news coverage in the music space here folks! It’s been a time, lately, and coordinating a blog, podcast and new small business simultaneously funnily enough involves a lot of lever-pulling, tweaks and adjustments.

That said, like a hapless animal in one of B.F Skinner’s experiments, I too receive a big dose of dopaminergic-excitement re: stoke for upcoming albums. There’s honestly such a torrential downpour of great stuff at the moment that the ISC inbox gives me mild option-paralysis/anxiety.

Nevertheless, see below for my humble attempt to support as wide a swathe of recent releases as possible!

There’s a lot happening in the music scene internationally, and we’re all about showing some rep as best we can.

Time for me to shut up, and time for you to get listening to some recent/new releases on the radar.

Stay tuned, today/tomorrow I’ll be releasing a tsunami albums slated for release, with a similar focus on smaller/underground artists and labels aside the Big Guns.

Great Metal Godfather Ozz and Co - it’s our intent to keep carrying the torch of heavy and alternative music aflame as long and best we can.

Respect paid to the well-earnt rest of Gods.

Peace, Love and Torrential Good-Music Downpours, xoxo - Brady.

For Ozzy, For Black Sabbath.

ISC RELEASE RADAR, PART I: RECENT/NEW RELEASES

(Stay tuned for Part II to get the scoop on a whole slew of upcoming releases. For now, go support some great heavy/alternative musicians in the here and now. Mindfulness and all that).

FEATURED:

Galactic Empire (US)
Clawfinger (US)
Mourniaty (FIN)
Phantom Spell (ES)
Floating (SWE)

GALACTIC EMPIRE Annnounces New Album CINEMETAL,Out OCTOBER 24. New Single + Music Video ‘SUPERMAN’ OUT NOW.

A Galaxy Far, Far Away – Galactic Empire, the galaxy’s favorite metal band, has announced their new album Cinemetal, out October 24th via Pure Noise Records.

The upcoming release sees the band journeying to other universes, as they put their signature metal twist on songs from popular film franchises including Harry Potter, Back To The Future, Lord Of The Rings, Batman, Avengers, and more, and have released the lead single and music video Superman.

Listen to ‘Superman’ here, and watch the video here:

“Puny citizens of Earth, we have once again returned to sonically annihilate all in our presence with the fourth full-length studio album by the mighty Galactic Empire, CINEMETAL,” Lord Sihk shares. “After three albums of tribute to the mighty Sith Lord John Williams, we realized we had run out of Star Wars music and felt like a change was in order. There are many other iconic themes from Earth’s film history that we have yet to explore, and it felt prudent to pay homage to some of the most notable ones. Behold the ultimate power of the Dark Side with CINEMETAL and together we can RULE the galaxy!”

Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak, Sith Overlords at Galactic Empire and co-owners/producers at Atrium Audio, add: “For years, we have been wanting to explore more musical material outside of the Star Wars universe. There are so many great film scores out there that stand the test of time. We decided to dig into a small handful of some of what we think are the most memorable and iconic themes from major blockbuster motion pictures from the last 50 years. We worked tirelessly on this album and without a doubt it is the most densely layered, complex arrangement that we have ever tackled. There were a lot of challenges to overcome because of this, but the result is immensely satisfying and we couldn’t be more proud of it.”

Galactic Empire will be on tour with NiNi starting on August 1st in Cleveland, with additional stops in Detroit, Dallas, Memphis, St. Louis, and more. Later this year, they will also set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on the S.S. Neverender with Coheed and Cambria.

SUPERMAN - OUT NOW
https://lnk.to/GalacticEmpire

CINEMETAL - OUT OCTOBER 24
https://lnk.to/GalacticEmpireStores

2. CLAWFINGER Return With Brand New Single ‘Scum’

STREAMING NOW

WATCH THE VIDEO

CLAWFINGER are back. Not to save the world, but to shout unapologetically while it burns. Their new single ‘Scum’ is a blistering punch of punk-rap fury - loud, raw, and seething with intent. It marks the return of the pioneering crossover band at their most direct, furious, and unfiltered in years.

‘Scum’ is out now via PERCEPTION - A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music.

Stream it on all platforms:

https://clawfinger.rpm.link/newsongPR

Watch the video here:

The end is near. Let’s make it loud.

L-R:

André Skaug (bass), Bård Torstensen (guitars), Zak Tell (vocals),

Jocke Skog (guitars, keyboards), Micke Dahlén (drums)

After nearly three decades of shaking stages and speaking truth through distortion and rage, CLAWFINGER return sharper than ever - still defiant and still pulling no punches. The band themselves sum it up best:

“Oh, here we are. Still standing. Still loud. Still as silly as ever. A group of well-aged guys with guitars and a loud love for everyone who still shows up, sings along, and screams their lungs out with us. Thank you all from the bottom of our loud hearts. Now go check the live dates below, because yes, we’re hitting the road again. And yes, you're coming.”

About CLAWFINGER

CLAWFINGER are considered pioneers of European rap-metal. Formed in Stockholm in the early 1990s, the Swedish-Norwegian band made an explosive debut with Deaf Dumb Blind (1993), blending aggressive guitar riffs with politically charged lyrics and rap vocals. The album sold over 600,000 copies worldwide – more than 250,000 in Germany alone – and won a Swedish Grammis award in the Hardrock/Metal category.

CLAWFINGER’s follow-up Use Your Brain (1995) continued their success with chart placements across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden. Over the years, they released seven studio albums including A Whole Lot of Nothing, Zeros & Heroes, Hate Yourself with Style, and Life Will Kill You, selling over 1.5 million records worldwide.

Known for their direct, riff-driven sound and strong political stance, CLAWFINGER address topics such as racism, political delusion, drug policy, environmental destruction, and social inequality. In the 1990s, they toured intensively with acts like Alice in Chains, Megadeth and Faith No More and appeared at major festivals including Rock am Ring, Roskilde, and Monsters of Rock in South America.

After a brief hiatus, the band returned in 2014 and has since released new singles like “Save Our Souls” (2017) and “Environmental Patients” (2022). In 2025, Clawfinger signed a new label deal with Perception, with more music on the way – still as loud, sharp, and uncompromising as ever.

CLAWFINGER are:

Zak Tell | vocals

Jocke Skog | guitar, keyboards

Bård Torstensen | guitars

André Skaug | bass

Micke Dahlén | drums

More on CLAWFINGER:

clawfinger.net | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music

3. The Finnish black metal band Mourniaty will release their debut album in November, with the first single, 'Kyynelten virta', out now!

The Finnish black metal band Mourniaty is set to release their debut album 'Musta maa' on November 7th 2025 via Inverse Records.

The first single 'Kyynelten virta' is unleashed today and it's available on all essential streaming services:

https://push.fm/fl/mourniaty-kyynelten-virta

”…it’s hard to preach with yer head on a pike”

Finnish black metal -group Mourniaty takes the listener on a journey to an era, when Christianity’s seeds would not take root in a frosted ground. Instead of faith you would only find cold steel and death.

”Kyynelten virta” (Stream of Tears) is the debut single from Mourniaty’s forthcoming debut-album ”Musta maa” (Black Earth). The albums contains more Anti-Christian stories sung both in English and Finnish. Album will be released globally by Inverse Records. You better brace yourself.

BIOGRAPHY:
When you get fed up with Christianity and Paganism starts to arouse your interest, interesting things are often created. Sometimes this process needs an accelerant, which is exactly what happened when Karulainen and Metällinen found themselves to be merged in the same family tree. Now, what else would fresh, Finnish relatives do but make aggressive noises together? This gave an outlet for the music Karulainen had already been writing.

Finnish Mourniaty began its life as a smoldering project already in 2015. It burst into raging fire five years later, when situations in life permitted concentrating on music full-time. When bass player Tenho joined the group in 2022, Mourniaty finally became a real band instead of two men with backing tracks.

Karulainen describes Mourniaty’s music as black metal, which combines mid-tempo grooves and even symphonic arrangements combined with lyrics sung in both Finnish and English, which revolve around themes of Paganism and Anti-Christianity. The debut album, “Musta maa” (Black Earth), will be released thru Inverse records on digital platforms and in cd-format in November of 2025. What a perfect soundtrack for the darkest season of the year.

Mourniaty - ‘Kyynelten virta’ (single 2025)

Music & Lyrics by Karulainen

ISRC-code: FI3FC2551706

Single cover by Karulainen

Mourniaty - Musta maa (Album 2025)

Track list:

01. Ajan saattama
02. Musta maa
03. All Your Lies
04. Aika Roudan
05. Shrines
06. Kyynelten virta
07. Seventh Seal
08. A Son of the Plague
09. Sodomia
10. Pyhä on valani

Mixed by Karulainen & Joona Rinne / Deep Noise Studios

Mastered by Saku Moilanen / Deep Noise Studios

Album cover by Karulainen

Line-up:
Metällinen - drums
Tenho - bass
Liekkiö - guitar
Karulainen - vocals & guitar

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/mourniaty
https://www.instagram.com/mourniaty
https://mourniaty.bandcamp.com/

4. Swedish Post-Punk/Death Metal Duo FLOATING Release New LP ‘Hesitating Lights’ Tomorrow, 11th July via Transcending Obscurity Records

Floating from Sweden are finding increasingly impressive ways to enrich death metal music with progressive and post punk influences. While their previous release turned heads, this new one is far more refined, confident and accomplished. The primary elements have their place in the music with none of it getting dislodged by the dominance of the other and that's where the beauty lies - there's a subtlety, an emotional fragility that comes through in death metal music, which usually sounds too tough and overbearing for the most part. Moreover, these unconventional influences aren't copy-pasted or arbitrarily introduced to heavy music; they're carefully gauged, treated and woven together in parts where the well-trodden death metal music would come alive. As a result, listening to this album is an absolute delight. It's fascinating to see how they've made sure that each of the songs stand out and that there's no fixed pattern that might just render their music predictable. "Hesitating Lights" is a thoughtfully composed, beautifully tempered album of bold, refreshing death metal music, which in these times, is no mean feat.

Genre - Death metal/progressive/post punk

For fans of - Swelling Repulsion, Demilich, Defect Designer, Februus, Adramelech, Siouxsie and the Banshees

Line up -
Arvid Sjödin - Guitars, vocals, synthesizers
Andreas Hörmark - Bass, synthesizers, programming

Artwork by Påhl Sundström

Track Listing -
1. I Reached the Mew
2. Grave Dog
3. Cough Choir
4. Exit Bag Song
5. Hesitating Lights / Harmless Fires
6. Still Dark Enough
7. The Wrong Body
8. The Waking

PRESS -

► "It's brilliant, easily one of the best albums of this unholy year" - Machine Music
https://machinemusic.net/2025/04/29/premiere-enter-the-thralls-of-death-metal-majesty-with-floating

► "a very special record for me" - Banger TV
https://youtu.be/7tBwl8wMPYI?si=tR87aAIVLaMwF66J&t=164

► "Floating proves themselves to be in a category almost entirely their own" - Head-Banger Reviews
https://headbangerreviews.com/2025/05/11/floating-hesitating-lights

► "a pretty impressive blending of two seemingly disparate styles of music" - Last Rites
https://yourlastrites.com/2025/07/02/floating-hesitating-lights-review/

► "taking death metal in a different direction" - Abysmal Hymns 9.5/10
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/floating-hesitating-lights.html

► "the Post-Punk/Death Metal mix is still as surprising as ever" - Acta Infernalis 90/100
https://actainfernalis.com/2025/07/06/review-2808-floating-hesitating-lights-english/

► "not only unique, but absolutely immediate" - The Devil's Mouth
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-june-2025

► "finds the golden mean between the bleak and the uplifting" - Bandcamp Daily
https://daily.bandcamp.com/hotlist/the-hotlist-summer-2025

► "a refreshingly different change" - Metal Talk
https://www.metaltalk.net/album-review-floating-hesitating-lights-july-2025.php

► "A high recommendation" - Mystification Zine 8/10
https://mystificationzine.com/2025/07/03/floating-hesitating-lights-2025-review

► "high degree of creativity and originality" - Zware Metalen 78/100
https://zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/floating-hesitating-lights

LINKS:

Official Video Stream #1

Official Video Stream #2

Floating Bandcamp

Official Transcending Obscurity Site

Transcending Obscurity Facebook

Floating Facebook

Floating Instagram

Official Label YouTube Channel

Label US Store

NEW Europe Store

5. Phantom Spell Streaming ‘Siren Song’ from Upcoming Album

Murcia (ES) - Phantom Spell has released "Siren Song, the second single from upcoming abum, Heather & Hearth! Stream it now at:

phantomspellheatherhearth.bandcamp.com/track/siren-song

Cruz Del Sur Music will release Heather & Hearth July 18 on vinyl format. CD and cassette editions will be handled by Wizard Tower Records.

Bursting forth from The Black Spire with a charming blend of classic prog rock and NWOBHM-era metal, Phantom Spell has been tantalizing unsuspecting onlookers since emerging in 2021… Dexterous twin-lead guitars entwine with undulating synths and Hammond organ to form the perfect backdrop for Kyle McNeill’s enchanting voice. Like a long-lost soundtrack to your favourite AD&D supplement, Phantom Spell promises adventure and mystery aplenty!

HEATHER & HEARTH

It’s coming up on three long years since Phantom Spell’s debut album, Immortal’s Requiem, left the comfort of its dusty home.

Since then, only whispers have been heard — the odd rumor caught on the wind. Reports of a skulking wizard with a travelling band of roguish bards, appearing only for a fleeting moment before retiring back to the shadows of his tower. Now, the wizard returns with a new set of compositions. Hark!

Phantom Spell’s second full-length offering, Heather & Hearth, is a collection of heartfelt tales, weaving the potent nostalgia of home with vivid fantasy and cautionary storytelling. It retains all the ingredients that made Immortal’s Requiem such a tantalising listen, but adds fragility and subtlety. As the album title suggests, a folk thread is woven into the fabric of each song. Acoustic guitar moves to the forefront, no longer just a supporting role. The artful use of space in the brooding quiet sections amplifies the Hammond-fuelled uproar that follows. There is melancholy in the majesty, but hope is never lost.

Once again, McNeill plays and programs all instruments on the record. Recorded and mixed at his own Wizard Tower Studios, Heather & Hearth is another solo adventure. However, with a now-established live act, it won’t be long before these new compositions take on a life of their own out in the wild. Mastered once again by Justin Weis of Trakworx, the album has been given the utmost care for vinyl, cassette, and CD release. The vinyl will once more be handled by the splendid Cruz Del Sur Music, with whom Phantom Spell has formed a strong bond. CD and cassette editions will be released via McNeill’s own Wizard Tower Records.