[Podcast] #MusicMondays/Heavy News: Inner-Strength Check Radio, 16.02.25.
For our second broadcast of the Inner-Strength Check Radio show (see here for our Pilot Broadcast), I decided to up the ante. No more gaming-footage streams and against my own wishes, I have plonked my mug in front of you all for a real variety-hour of featured artists/tracks, Heavy News coverage, additional thoughts on aforementioned tracks, plus cameos from none other than Peter Griffin of Family Guy and Korben Dallas/Leeloo from seminal 90’s sci-fi hit The Fifth Element! Plus, my usual blend of dad-jokes and throwing shade at my own kind (metalheads).
From deathgrind, progressive thrash and blackened death metal to disco-punk and even some word on The Animals’ upcoming Australian tour, we’ve got the full skinny on all and sundry below in the show notes!
Check the links for video/audio-only versions of the Radio broadcast, then see further down for a whole slew of information on each of the featured artists & Heavy News features. Gotta keep the flock informed, after all!
With thanks to all involved artists plus: Reigning Phoenix Media, John Howarth, C-Squared Music, Viral Propaganda PR, Kunal Choksi & crew @ Transcending Obscurity Records for providing tracks and news approved for airplay.
Peace, Love and Grindcore xoxo - Brady.
VIDEO version:
(via the official ISC Youtube Channel)
Podcast/Audio-Only Version:
via the Podcast category on our Youtube Channel + podcast app platforms*
*ISC Podcast is now also available on:
Castamatic, Castro, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Podcast Guru, Podverse and TrueFans, as well as Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, GoodPods, iHeartRadio, PocketCasts and RadioPublic.
Format: (0:00) Intro
(02:38) ISC Patreon announcement (WOO!)
(08:01) Heavy News - 'Satanic Panic as Turkish Government Cancels Behemoth Tour' + Aus Tour Dates
(12:44) Info & Featured Tracks: Forcefed Horsehead - 'Cryptids' & Shaving The Werewolf 'Smoking The Crack of Dawn' (from the From Horrid To Worse split/EP, released 13.02.26)
(22:24) RANDOM GRATUITOUS PETER GRIFFIN BOOGEY-TIME!
(22:40) Electric Six - Dick Valentine Interview spiel (ISC Podcast)
(23:54) Info & Featured Track: Necronomicon Ex Mortis - 'Hungry for Brains' (from the Zombie Blood Nightmare EP, releasing 20/02/26)
(30:28) Heavy News - 'The Animals: Greatest Hits Australian Tour 2026' + Tour Dates
(34:45) Info & Featured Track: Dissentience - 'Kaiju' (Title Track from Kaiju EP, releasing 20.02.26)
(41:03) Heavy News - Nevermore Sign To Reigning Phoenix Music, Produce Documentary & Announce New Lineup Members
(45:16) RANDOM GRATUITOUS FIFTH ELEMENT CLIP TO REFLECT HOW OBVIOUS IT IS I'M EXCITED FOR NEVERMORE TO TOUR HERE AGAIN!
(45:33) An AWFUL dad-joke, Outro & Final Featured Track/Info - Phasma - 'I' (from upcoming LP Purgatory, out 20.02.26 via Transcending Obscurity Records)
Broadcast - show notes:
SATANIC PANIC AS TURKISH GOVERNMENT CANCELS BEHEMOTH
Australia Now Stands to Face the Band’s Full, Unrestrained Wrath
On the eve of their Chant of the Eastern Lands Australian Tour, the Governor of Istanbul has cancelled Behemoth's concert there in an effort to save Turkish youth from "exposure to Satanic Filth".
Gül addressed the cancelations on social media today, stating: "No activity that corrupts society in Istanbul has ever been permitted up to this day, and it will not be permitted in the future either."
Thankfully, here in Australia we are all on board with "Satanic Filth" and the band will deliver their biggest shows yet when they arrive in the country next week. Australian fans can now expect an ultra fired-up Behemoth to attack their shows with Unrestrained Wrath and Hellfire!
Australia - Behemoth are coming with full force! They will not back down.
BEHEMOTH Australian Tour Dates
Wednesday, February 18th The Tivoli, Brisbane
Friday, February 20th The Metro, Sydney
Saturday, February 21st The Forum, Melbourne
Sunday, February 22nd The Gov, Adelaide
Tickets From: https://thephoenix.au/behemoth-2026/
ISC Podcast Ep 67: Interview with Dick Valentine, Electric Six
Plus, y’know, a whole interview with the vocalist Dick Valentine and whatnot.
Forcefed Horsehead/Shaving the Werewolf (Norway) - From Horrid To Worse
Released Independently on 13th Feb, 2026
Two of Norway’s most unhinged and unclassifiable extreme bands join forces to deliver one of the most chaotic, confrontational, and wildly inventive split releases the underground has seen in years. From Horrid to Worse, the collaborative split EP from Forcefed Horsehead and Shaving the Werewolf, arrives February 13, and is destined to leave lasting bruises.
Forcefed Horsehead: The Sound of the Apocalypse
Hailing from Oslo’s deepest, dampest basements, Forcefed Horsehead (FFHH) have spent more than a decade sharpening a weaponized hybrid they describe, only half-jokingly, as Norwegian grindpunk. Their sound stands at an explosive crossroads where death metal, punk, hardcore, black metal, post-rock, prog, mania, and total hysteria collide. No rules, no compromise, only pure, unfiltered extremity.
Fresh off the release of their monstrous full-length Monoceros, FFHH are at their most dangerous and most confident. Tracks swing with unnerving ease from tar-soaked doom riffs to blistering d-beat assaults, all delivered with a precision that borders on deranged. This is a band that has grown up in chaos and learned to weaponize it.
Over the years, Forcefed Horsehead have shared stages with Cannibal Corpse, Sulphur, Rotten Sound, Gloson, God Mother, Gatecreeper, Suffocation, Grand Cadaver, Conjurer, and Cloud Rat, a résumé that speaks for itself.
On From Horrid to Worse, they contribute some of their most punishing and creatively unhinged material to date.
Shaving the Werewolf: Disagreeable Music for Disagreeable People
If Forcefed Horsehead sound like the apocalypse, Shaving the Werewolf sound like the fallout.
Born from an unholy mix of powerviolence, nu-metal, noise rock, and mathcore, Shaving the Werewolf stitch their influences together into an uncanny, writhing chimera that would leave Dr. Frankenstein speechless. Their songs lurch, snap, convulse, and collapse, driven by vile guitar textures, grinding bass, punishing beatdowns, shrieking synths, and vocals dripping with existential disgust — all smashed into something resembling (but never behaving like) a pop-song structure.
Uncomfortable, dissonant, and aggressively tongue-in-cheek, the band have spent years refining their chaos into a sharpened, unpredictable weapon. Their contributions to the split push their sound to new extremes: tighter, nastier, weirder, and more confrontational than ever.
From Horrid to Worse: A Split for the Brave
Together, Forcefed Horsehead and Shaving the Werewolf present a split EP that lives fully up to its name. From Horrid to Worse is a celebration of extremity in all its twisted forms, grinding, shifting, exploding, mutating at every turn. It’s a document of two bands who refuse to exist politely, who confront the listener head-on, and who push the boundaries of heavy music far past the point of comfort.
From Horrid to Worse will be released February 13 on all digital platforms, with physical editions to be announced soon.
Line-Up
Forcefed Horsehead:
Audun Mehl - Vocals
Arve Barsnes - Bass
Rikard Jonsson - Guitar
Patrick Wivegh - Guitar
Thomas Godiksen - Drums
Shaving the Werewolf:
Snorre – Guitar
Alexander – Bass
Vegard – Trumpet, Synthesizer
Ottar – Vocals
Kenneth – Drums
Social Media:
Forcefed Horsehead:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forcefedhorsehead
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forcefed_horsehead
Bandcamp: https://forcefedhorsehead.bandcamp.com/album/forcefed-horsehead
Shaving the Werewolf:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shavingthewerewolf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shavingthewerewolf
Bandcamp: https://shavingthewerewolf.bandcamp.com
necronomicon ex mortis (US) - Zombie Blood Nightmare
Independent Release: 20th February, 2026
Chicago horror-death fiends NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS return with their most ferocious and unhinged release to date, the aptly titled Zombie Blood Nightmare. Out February 20th, 2026, this six-song EP is a whirlwind of 90s death metal stomp, 80s shred obsession, and tongue-in-cheek B-movie gore that cements the band’s identity as both serious riff-worshippers and gleeful purveyors of horror camp.
From the opening grind of “Left To Die,” listeners are thrown into a pit of decay and despair, guided by a colossal guest solo from none other than Jeff Young of MEGADETH. The song lurches like a doomed soul chained in a gore pit, every riff dripping with rot, until Young’s guitar screams carve through the gloom. Without pause, the band erupts into “No More Room In Hell,” a SUFFOCATION-inspired riff frenzy that pays homage to Dawn of the Dead. It’s a brutal sprint of tremolo riffs, spiraling solos, and lyrical nods to malls under siege and the endless march of the undead.
If excess is a virtue, “Chopped Up and Burned” is a cathedral. Seven minutes of gratuitous death-thrash chaos, the track features blistering guest solos from Matthew Mills and Jeff Young, and pays blood-soaked tribute to The Evil Dead. The band thrives in the chaos, with riffs piled high on top of each other until the track collapses under its own madness. By contrast, “Lumbering, Blood Sucking Freaks” staggers like its namesake: a mid-tempo, oozing collection of riffs that shouldn’t work together, yet somehow lock into an eerie, zombified groove.
The bloodthirst only intensifies with “Hungry For Brains,” a thrash assault structured around symmetrical diminished scales and spiked by a guest solo from James Norton, a personal connection from guitarist Michael Nystrom Bala’s college days. Lyrically blunt and musically savage, it’s a zombie anthem that gnashes at the listener until there’s nothing left but bone. The EP closes with “Démoni,” the most technically demanding of the set, inspired by the 1985 Italian horror film Demons. Featuring time-signature shifts, Suffocation-style brutality, and a grotesque slam section in 5/4, it’s also the only track without a Bala solo, but instead, Manuel Barbara takes command, shredding with reckless abandon as the song spirals into total madness.
Zombie Blood Nightmare is NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS at their most chaotic and gleefully grotesque, but also their most ambitious. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Charlie Waymire at Ultimate Studios, and mastered by Ernesto Homeyer, the EP boasts a sound as sharp and punishing as its subject matter. Genoicide Artworks provides the cover art, completing a package that is equal parts brutal, absurd, and lovingly steeped in the traditions of horror metal.
Over the past three years, the band has released a steady stream of EPs (Necronomicon Ex Mortis, Silver Bullet, The Mother of Death) and splits (You’ve Got Red On You with BLOODFEAST RITUAL), carving out a niche with their technical fury and horror-inspired narratives. They’ve drawn praise from No Clean Singing (“a band to watch”), Metal Noise (“there is so much depth and texture”), and Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life (“thrilling heaviness”), while even catching the attention of Christian Muenzner (ex-OBSCURA).
With Zombie Blood Nightmare, NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS deliver not just another step forward, but a gory leap through the gateway to hell. It’s a record that pays homage to their death metal forebears while shamelessly indulging in horror schlock and fretboard excess. It may open new doors, or as the band prefers to put it, “new gateways to hell.”
About NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS:
Formed in Chicago in 2023, NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS have quickly carved out their place in the metal underground with a sound that is equal parts 90s death metal stomp, 80s shred worship, and campy B-horror storytelling. Guitarist and songwriter Michael Nystrom Bala, guitarist and orchestrator Manuel Barbara, bassist Yusuf Rashid, drummer Joey Ferretti, and vocalist John Sawicki bring a mix of technical ferocity and tongue in cheek horror fun that is as brutal as it is entertaining.
Since their debut EPs Necronomicon Ex Mortis and Silver Bullet in 2023, the band has unleashed a steady stream of releases including You and Your Friends Are Dead: Game Over in 2024, The Mother of Death in 2024, and the split You’ve Got Red On You with BLOODFEAST RITUAL in 2025. Their relentless creativity culminated in the 2025 compilation From the Void…THEY CAME, which further established their reputation as prolific riff mongers with a love for the grotesque and absurd.
With recognition from outlets such as No Clean Singing, Metal Noise, and Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life, and praise from Christian Muenzner of OBSCURA, NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS are being hailed as a band to watch. Their music fuses thrashy death metal brutality with dizzying solos while embracing the bloody theatrics of cult cinema. Equal parts homage and parody, their songs invite listeners to bang their heads, laugh at the gore, and revel in the chaos.
At their core, NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS are here to shred, to bleed, and to drag metal deeper into the crypt, one zombie, demon, and undead riff at a time.
NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS is:
Michael Nystrom Bala — Guitars / Songwriting
Manuel Barbara — Guitars / Orchestration
Yusuf Rashid — Bass
Joey Ferretti — Drums
John Sawicki — Vocals
Connect with NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS:
Official Website: https://www.necronomiconexmortisband.com/
Bandcamp: https://necronomiconexmortis.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090172921055
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/necronomiconexmortisband/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@necronomiconexmortisofficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5mwhqFK69UHCSeS9YtzSer
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/necronomicon-ex-mortis/1671465776
Sixties British Legends The Animals – The House Of The Rising Sun Tour 2026
THE ANIMALS were a major force in the British Invasion of the 1960s, blending blues, R&B, and rock into a sound that has inspired generations. Their music remains as relevant and powerful today as it was back then!
Britannia ruled the airwaves in the 60’s. In the front ranks, marching in formation behind The Beatles, were The Animals, who became the second British band to top the American charts after The Beatles. Featuring original member John Steel alongside Danny Handley, Barney Williams and Norman Helm, music fans can expect a fantastic concert of the Best of The Animals.
Still on the prowl, The Animals remain a seminal rhythm & blues band. Commanding great respect amongst their peers as well as from fans of all ages - crowds still adore their timeless classics, 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place', 'Boom Boom', 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood', ‘It’s My Life’, ‘Bring it on Home to Me’ and the bands' iconic multi-million selling, and Number One worldwide, hit - 'House of The Rising Sun’
After all these years, the legend still grows...
Great Songs. Great Memories. Join THE ANIMALS this October as they perform all their Greatest hits on The House of the Rising Sun Tour.
THE ANIMALS November / December 2026 Australian Tour Dates
Friday 6th November ROZELLE, The Bridge Hotel
Saturday 7th November ROZELLE, The Bridge Hotel
Wednesday 11th November WYONG, The Art House
Friday 13th November CANBERRA, Southern Cross Club
Saturday 14th November THIRROUL, Anita’s Theatre
Sunday 15th November MARICKVILLE, The Factory Theatre
Friday 20th November TWEED HEADS, Twin Towns
Saturday 21st November BRISBANE, Mansfield Theatre
Sunday 22nd November BRISBANE, The Tivoli
Tuesday 24th November BENDIGO, Ulumbarra Theatre
Wednesday 25th November WENDOUREE, Centre for Performing Arts
Friday 27th November LAUNCESTON, Country Club
Saturday 28th November HOBART, Odeon
Sunday 29th November BURNIE, Burnie Arts Centre
Wednesday 2nd December ADELAIDE, The Gov
Friday 4th December PERTH, Regal Theatre
Tickets
Pre-sale: Wednesday, 18th February 2026 @ 10:00am Local Time
General Public On Sale: Friday, 20th February 2026 10:00am Local Time
Dissentience - Kaiju EP
For Independent Release, 20th February 2026
DISSENTIENCE, the progressive death-thrash unit from Bethlehem, PA, returns with their most conceptually ambitious and sonically punishing release to date: Kaiju. Scheduled for release on February 20, 2026, Kaiju is a four-track concept EP that fuses cinematic horror, crushing riffs, and lyrical dread into a singular apocalyptic vision. Drawing inspiration from classic Japanese monster films and the unknowable terrors of Lovecraftian mythology, the record explores the narrative of a colossal, nameless beast as it decimates a city. Rather than paying tribute to kaiju lore in name alone, DISSENTIENCE builds a world where riffs, lyrics, and production align to place the listener in the path of annihilation.
The EP begins with "Obsidian Tomb", a track that captures the initial moments of catastrophe. A somber acoustic intro builds tension before the monster is unleashed. The song moves through blast-laden choruses, thrash-driven verses, and groove-heavy interludes, all while painting a picture of destruction through the eyes of a terrified populace. The band intentionally avoids naming the monster or the city to keep the setting timeless and the fear universal. This choice also reinforces the Lovecraftian tone by allowing the horror to remain undefined, inviting each listener to project their own dread into the story.
"Chaos Absolute" takes a different narrative angle by focusing on the political and social collapse that follows the attack. Opening with a syncopated, high-tension riff and shifting into a massive, deceptively catchy groove, the track evokes the panic and futility of global leaders attempting to respond to an unstoppable force. Frantic guitar harmonies, dissonant progressions, and a brief clean bridge section give way to some of the heaviest material on the record. The phrase “fall into chaos absolute” functions as both a summary of the storyline and a reflection of the listener’s experience as the music surges with desperation.
The title track "Kaiju" represents the climax of the EP, unleashing a relentless barrage of violence and devastation. The lyrics describe grotesque scenes of bloodshed and helplessness as the beast rips through the last remnants of resistance. Riffs churn beneath guttural vocals, with every passage dripping with urgency and rage. The music mirrors the scale of the narrative, building to overwhelming levels of sonic brutality. The repeated line “Kaiju will bring forth a new age of rot” serves as the thesis for the entire record, framing the monster not only as a literal destroyer but as a symbol of humanity’s self-inflicted reckoning.
The final track "Death Shroud" transitions into the aftermath. With the monster gone, what remains is a landscape of ash, grief, and existential dread. The band leans into dissonance and atmosphere, balancing crushing heaviness with bleak introspection. Survivors are left to make sense of their trauma, questioning whether the world can rebuild or if it even should. The Kaiju, now retreated, is no less present. Its legacy hangs in the smoke, a constant reminder of how fragile everything truly was. “The Kaiju may lay dormant, but the anguish remains” is the emotional core of the track and perhaps of the entire release.
Kaiju was produced by DISSENTIENCE in collaboration with Corey Pierce, recorded at Peach Pie Sound by Matt Menafro, mixed by Zeuss, and mastered by Alan Douches. The yet-to-be-revealed cover art is by Matt Stikker, known for his vivid and brutal visual storytelling. This release follows the band’s prior offerings Mask of Pretense (2018) and Empire Anatomy (2022), continuing their evolution as songwriters and sonic architects.
Refusing to imitate the past, DISSENTIENCE draws from influences like TRIVIUM, REVOCATION, SYLOSIS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEATH, and LAMB OF GOD, all while forging a sound that avoids the trappings of nostalgia. Their music is defined by technicality, brutality, and a refusal to be boxed into genre clichés. Critics have taken note. Decibel Magazine remarked that DISSENTIENCE channels the essence of classic thrash and death metal without creating a carbon copy. Metal Injection praised their ability to blend groove and fury in a way that hits with maximum impact.
With Kaiju, DISSENTIENCE has crafted more than just a record. It is a fully realized conceptual journey that pushes their sound further into new territory. Every song contributes to a unified narrative of destruction, dread, and reflection. It is a rare example of a metal record that is both musically blistering and thematically rich. Where others nod to monsters, DISSENTIENCE gives them voice, weight, and consequence.
DISSENTIENCE is:
Connor Valentin – Guitar / Vocals
James Vitale – Guitar
Sean Langer – Bass
Nick Scherden – Drums
Connect with DISSENTIENCE:
Website: https://www.dissentience.com/
Bandcamp: https://www.dissentience.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dissentience/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_Dissentience
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XzjaIrjSJWK7nNaMPoCae
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dissentience/1438017846
NEVERMORE Announce Signing To Reigning Phoenix Music and Forthcoming Show With New Line-Up
Photo credit: Ola Englund
Legendary heavy metal powerhouse NEVERMORE have signed with Reigning Phoenix Music. The band also welcomes to the line-up Jack Cattoi on guitar, Semir Özerkan on bass, and new vocalist Berzan Önen. To showcase the new lineup, NEVERMORE's first live appearance will take place on April 1st, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey.
On this new chapter, guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams share: "We are thrilled to announce that Nevermore has officially signed with Reigning Phoenix Music! It was obvious from the start that they were the perfect partner for the new era of Nevermore. Their passion for metal music combined with the extensive industry pedigree of their team made the choice easy. We can't wait to get back on stage in front of our fans in Istanbul on April 1st, and we are just as excited to finish writing and putting together the new Nevermore album!"
Reigning Phoenix Music co-founder Gerado Martinez comments on NEVERMORE joining the RPM roster: "There are no words to describe how proud and excited RPM is at the prospect of being part of Nevermore's next chapter. Having been a fan since 1995 when I saw them on tour with Death, I've followed them on their entire musical journey and cannot wait for what is yet to come."
Directed and produced by Ola Englund, NEVERMORE have released a documentary film showcasing their rehearsals in January of this year at Swans Neck Soundworks in Väderstad, Sweden. Featuring powerful, raw performances of their tracks including "The River Dragon Has Come", "Engines of Hate" and "The Heart Collector", it offers an thrilling insight into the band's new era.
The film also sees guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams discuss their decision to bring NEVERMORE back, introduce the new members, and reveal their thoughts throughout the audition process. Additionally, Loomis and Williams share news of forthcoming festival appearances across 2026, and future plans for NEVERMORE.
Watch here:
About NEVERMORE:
NEVERMORE enters 2026 with purpose, fire, and a clear sense of who they are. Forged in the aftermath of Sanctuary, the band carved out a sound defined by precision musicianship, fearless songwriting, and emotional intensity. From their self-titled debut in 1995 through landmark releases such as Dead Heart in a Dead World and This Godless Endeavor, NEVERMORE built a global following and a reputation as one of modern metal’s most distinctive voices.
Now that legacy moves forward under the leadership of guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams, joined by guitarist Jack Cattoi, bassist Semir Özerkan , and vocalist Berzan Önen. After years apart, the spark that first ignited the band has returned with renewed focus. For Van, the timing feels natural. “It’s been brewing for quite a while and has just started to manifest itself into the now. So what better time is there to kick things off than now?”
New music is already taking shape. Van smiles at the early results. “If the new music had to be described by one word, that would have to be delicious. Because it’s so good it’s gonna leave you hungry for more.” The writing process is unfolding alongside preparations for the stage, with the band focused equally on honoring the catalog and building what comes next.
The addition of Berzan signaled a powerful evolution. Jeff remembers the first time he saw Berzan’s audition video. “He really stood out strong in so many ways upon a first listen. I could really feel the emotion and passion when I heard him sing for the first time. He wasn’t just going through the motions.” The connection was immediate. “I could tell right away that he was a fan of Warrel’s singing just by the way he delivered and said certain words. I was really blown away at first watch.”
The history of NEVERMORE includes an extraordinary lineage of musicians who shaped its evolution. Guitarists Pat O'Brien, Tim Calvert, Steve Smyth, and Chris Broderick each left a distinct imprint on the band’s catalog and live presence. Bassist Jim Sheppard played a central role in shaping the band’s identity during its defining years.
Following the band’s disbandment, Jeff Loomis released the acclaimed solo albums Zero Order Phase and Plains of Oblivion, co founded CONQUERING DYSTOPIA, and spent nearly a decade as a member of ARCH ENEMY, contributing to releases including Will to Power and Deceivers. Van Williams remained active through projects such as ASHES OF ARES and GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS. Warrel Dane continued creating until his passing in 2017, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide.
As NEVERMORE steps into 2026, the mission is grounded in honesty and intensity. Jeff captures the heart of it. “Van and I are super passionate about the band. What we deliver and bring back to the audience is us wanting to hear those old tracks again just as much as the fans. We obviously want our old fans there every step of the way, but also look forward to meeting a new generation of fans as well.”
Older. Wiser. Still loud.
Phasma - Purgatory LP
Greek band Phasma are attempting to meld influences ranging from black metal to brutal death metal and everything in between. The music effortlessly oscillates from sharp black metal riffs to pummelling death metal blasts with matching vocal styles, and even toss in a breakdown or two in the middle. It’s something that doesn’t seem to work on paper and yet they manage to make it sound cohesive and convincing enough, with songwriting that's elaborate and well thought out to warrant songs lasting beyond mere novelty quick-listen length. Every song seems like an extension if not an improvisation over the previous one, as the band unfurls dimensions within the sound that they have concocted. Bands playing a mix of styles isn't uncommon but to intermingle influences of such disparate, almost contrasting styles is fascinating and remarkable especially when they have high replay value and lasting appeal. Like it or not, Phasma are here to stay.
For fans of - Mgla, Dying Fetus, Crypts of Despair, Kriegsmaschine, Psycroptic
Genre - Black metal/death metal
Lineup -
Jason Athanasiadis (Kawir) - Guitars and songwriting
Luis Ferre (Gravecarver) - Vocals and lyrics
Bill Nanos (Dead Congregation) - Drums
George Markantonis - Bass
Album cover by George Angelis
Merch design by CVSPE
Track listing -
1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
LINKS:
Phasma Bandcamp
Official Transcending Obscurity Site
Transcending Obscurity Facebook
Phasma Facebook
Phasma Instagram
Official Label YouTube Channel
Label US Store
Label Europe Store
Inner-Strength Check was and always will be, ad-free as a podcast and blog. We’re here for promoting artists in a voluntary capacity, and our team works hard to bring you the latest on all things music, art, hobbies and wellbeing/mental health.
To support our podcast and blogs’ continued operations ongoing, we will be launching our Patreon service on Friday, 20th February 2026! Offers for members at a beginner $5AUD/month supporter-tier will include access to additional bonus Members-only full podcast episodes/other content, prizes and giveaways, access to a private Member community, opportunity to have say on future content, and more.
Watch this space - keep up to date with the Patreon journey, as well as additional links, artist media, announcements etc via our socials links below.
Peace, Love and Grindcore - Brady.