![[Podcast] Ep. 57: [Interview] with NICK HOLMES of PARADISE LOST (UK).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1756204146536-3Y57GH7LUEUD56NCM060/ISC+Podcast+Ep.+57+%5BInterview%5D+with+NICK+HOLMES%2C+of.png)
[Podcast] Ep. 57: [Interview] with NICK HOLMES of PARADISE LOST (UK).
[ISC Podcast] Far from the stereotypes you might associate with a nickname like, well, Old Nick, our latest vocalist-interviewee Nick Holmes was candid, mirthful and excited in our midnight chat (very goth-coded, I know) ahead of Paradise Lost's 17th (!) studio opus Ascension. Due for release on September 19th via Nuclear Blast Records, we caught up with Nick to discuss said album, but also branch out into directions ranging from the practical (touring, songwriting, etc) all the way through to the existential.
![[Heavy News] DESPISED ICON Reveal New Album SHADOW WORK, Release Music Video For New Single 'Over My Dead Body'](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1754910917272-UA39NGJT2LSULIJ86IGL/image006.jpg)
[Heavy News] DESPISED ICON Reveal New Album SHADOW WORK, Release Music Video For New Single 'Over My Dead Body'
Heavy News/ Music Monday, 11.08.25: Oh hell yeah dude, I am all about this! Montreal-based deathcore mainstays Despised Icon are back in the saddle with their first album in six years with Shadow Work, via Nuclear Blast. Check the link for crushing new music video for ‘Over My Dead Body’ feat. Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan TX, album info, preorder/artist links and more!
![[Heavy News] THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN: Australia Braces For The Arrival Of The Greatest Live Band On The Planet!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1754043757408-NZZRDYO77OKJQB6EH9ZZ/dillingerband.jpg)
[Heavy News] THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN: Australia Braces For The Arrival Of The Greatest Live Band On The Planet!
This ain’t your average promo-piece - and why should it be when such a once-in-a-lifetime run of shows from the briefly-reformed The Dillinger Escape Plan is at stake? Check out a fantastic Q and A with John Howarth on behalf of ThePhoenix.au, plus links to tickets etc - grab those if you haven’t already, BTW! This one cannot be missed!
![[Podcast] Ep. 54: [Interview] w/ IAN AHLES & WILL TOWNE of AHLES (AU).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1753770350172-CTODRF3QZGXKSFZNGTMO/ISC+Podcast%2C+Ep.+54.png)
[Podcast] Ep. 54: [Interview] w/ IAN AHLES & WILL TOWNE of AHLES (AU).
For Music Mondays at ISC, yesterday evening I caught up with the talented and humble duo in Ian Ahles (Vocals/Guitar/Lute) & Will Towne (Guitars) of up-and-coming Brisbane-based progressive metal unit Ahles (AU)! Check out the link for video and audio-only versions, links to latest artist media/socials links, further album/artist details and more. Raise an Ahle in celebration!
![[PODCAST] 50th Episode Special: [Interview] w/ DAN CATANIA of HEADBANGERS AUSTRALIA.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1751711277336-DOQL4NL6QW0JWEV4DK2N/ISC+Podcast+-50th+Episode+Special%21+%5BInterview%5D+w+DAN+CATANIA+of.png)
[PODCAST] 50th Episode Special: [Interview] w/ DAN CATANIA of HEADBANGERS AUSTRALIA.
A massive milestone for Inner-Strength Check Podcast! After nearly five years of operating, we’ve reached our 50th-episode milestone. See link for a very relevant conversation for the occasion, with Dan Catania, metalhead, entrepeneur, musician and head of rising Australian music-industry force Headbangers Australia. Thank you, everyone, for supporting us to the big 5-0!
![[HEAVY NEWS] Buncha Newly-Released/Upcoming Heavy Albums for #MusicMonday.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1751283306096-D04O13O0TZYT9UIRVIOS/bruxistband.jpg)
[HEAVY NEWS] Buncha Newly-Released/Upcoming Heavy Albums for #MusicMonday.
Featured Image: Bruxis (AU).
And to top off our recent Music Mondays roundup for recently released singles, be sure to also check out artist/album bio, single videos/streams and more for recent/upcoming LP’s from: US thrashers Condition Critical, Greek heavy prog-rockers KOKKINIÀ, Aussie crust/d-beat underground act Bruxis, plus a death-metal duo from Transcending Obscurity Records for Abyssalis and Unaligned!
![[PODCAST] EP. 44: Interview #2 w/ BJORN ‘SPEED’ STRID of THE NIGHT FLIGHT OrCHESTRA/SOILWORK!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1747219370492-UO12UQBXM0RE9XQJHTS0/download+%285%29.png)
[PODCAST] EP. 44: Interview #2 w/ BJORN ‘SPEED’ STRID of THE NIGHT FLIGHT OrCHESTRA/SOILWORK!
Welcome aboard, passengers! Yet again, Australian-touring-enjoyer and enigmatic frontman of both Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra, Sweden’s Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid, joined ISC for the second time this evening. We discussed past and recent/upcoming tours (such as the Australian tour happening VERY soon!), the experience of fronting both bands in a live setting, TNFO influences and much more! Check the link for full tour info as well as video and podcast interview links.
![[Review] Drudkh - ‘Shadow Play’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1744445473350-1XVJDCWUYG089UY2MTQP/p5k9tajoj0qe1.jpeg)
[Review] Drudkh - ‘Shadow Play’ LP.
Ukrainian atmospheric black metal veterans Drudkh offer their latest musical outing to the world, Shadow Play, released on March 21st via label Season of Mist. Check out ISC staffer Dean’s comprehensive review of this sojourn into their latest darkly aesthetic offering, as well as full-album and single streams, artist/label/album order links and more.
![[Heavy News] Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN Release Debut Album!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1741512520770-GKTX4PU55MC5SPAKX67N/Grey+Mountain+Band.jpg)
[Heavy News] Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN Release Debut Album!
Heavy News: New Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN (feat. members of Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, Black Harvest) have released their self-titled debut album via Eat Lead and Die Music! The album is available digitally on Bandcamp (including 24-bit full dynamic range vinyl master in side A/B format) and at new platform Ampwall. Check link for preorder, full album stream and more.
![[Heavy News] MACHINE HEAD Monumental 11th Album UNATØNED Out April 25th + Release Music Video For First Single 'UNBØUND'](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739945488031-E7GJVVGL90AVYYKOW814/machineheadcover.png)
[Heavy News] MACHINE HEAD Monumental 11th Album UNATØNED Out April 25th + Release Music Video For First Single 'UNBØUND'
Bay Area metal veterans Machine Head, one of the most omnipresent bands in the heavy collective consciousness, are back with 11th LP UNATØNED, dropping April 25th! Nothing’s been spared on their official press release for it either - there’s everything here from stream and music clip for title track as first single, a whole smorgasbord of physical/digital media pre-order options, statements from the band themselves and heaps more! Machine Farkin’ Head, mate!
![[Review] Alarum - ‘Recontinue’ LP](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1740110589583-74KEZY88JG1SNXISJ8BP/481070267_1216400333699347_180761954938397027_n.jpg)
[Review] Alarum - ‘Recontinue’ LP
Featured Image/Footer Image Credit: Wilkography. One thing you can certainly tell with reviews is when a musician reviews them! Hamza’s breakdown of Alarum reaches similar intricacy and depth to that of the band themselves on progressive death-metal/jazz-fusion opus Recontinue, which dropped in 2024 to high critical acclaim. Check the full review which is, like the band, both heady and passionate! Plus artist/album order links, clips, and more.
![[Heavy News] Polish Death Metal Duo, DORMANT ORDEAL, to Release Tooth and Nail on Willowtip in April!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739771812411-F013H17ORTZA2GG20R2F/rsz_1dormantordeal-1.jpg)
[Heavy News] Polish Death Metal Duo, DORMANT ORDEAL, to Release Tooth and Nail on Willowtip in April!
Krakow-based Polish are our first cab off the rank for a busy #MusicMondays segment, with lots of Heavy News to come! This stellar duo in Maciej Nieścioruk (guitars) and Maciej Proficz (vocals) have completed recording of their upcoming harsh, expansive and gritty LP Tooth and Nail in April, via Willowtip. Check the link for album/artist bio, singles links, album pre-order and more! Death, doom and much cool nastiness abounds.
![[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739365977272-M0VPLIP1ECN9KWQZLAIV/saorphoto1.jpg)
[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.
On mutual agreement, latest staffer Dean and myself have agreed to let the words speak for themselves for his formal addition to the Inner-Strength Check Podcast canon. And what beautiful, evocative words they are indeed! Check the link for our newest staffers’ resplendent coverage of atmospheric folk/black metal act Saor’s latest LP, Amidst The Ruins. You can also find album order links, multiple recent singles, full album streams and much more. Another fantastic staff introductory piece, the first of many!
![[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1738581277133-7RTXWS4SVZEU50VZVOZ2/427135807_7654838114540460_8045244545557484009_n.jpg)
[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.
This week’s Music Monday contains more than you shake a stick at! Multiple recent Heavy News items - album releases! Recent Riffs (articles)! Reviews and more! Plus a whole swathe of updates from the equally-busy Musolegion community - more album reviews, gig reviews and several packed Musolegion Recommends pieces exploring bands from Iceland, Japan and Central Asia! Dig in, music-lovers.
![[Review:] Nadir - Extinction Rituals LP (03.05.23)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736077534374-RIVLMWR7NQCWLHERW924/nadir1.jpg)
[Review:] Nadir - Extinction Rituals LP (03.05.23)
And another in the line-up of our archival posts, extracted from the data retrieved from our sadly now-defunct corpse of an old site (RIP isc.com NYE 2024). This represents one of the earliest album reviews conducted by site owner Brady in Nadir’s excellent black-thrash/metallic-hardcore bruiser of an LP, Extinction Rituals. Links to artist profiles to grab the now-released album within. Check it out!