Killswitch Engage announce new album ‘This Consequence’

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have announced a new album!



Titled This Consequence, the upcoming album from the Massachusetts-based veteran metalcore band is the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Atonement, and is scheduled to be released in February next year, via Metal Blade Records.

Speaking about the upcoming album, vocalist Jesse Leach shares, “This Consequence, to me, is the combination of everything the past five years has thrown at us as a band, as humans, and society as a whole. This album is just as much about everybody and their stories as it is for me about my journey personally. Sonically, I love the combination of everybody’s ideas and contributions on this album. It feels more like a collaboration than the past few records have been. When all is said and done, I wouldn’t change anything about this album. I think it’s the exact record we needed to make. I’m honoured and proud of what we all were able to create and refine through this music and message.”
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Alongside the announcement of the new album, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have released a new music video for a new song lifted from the upcoming album; Forever Aligned. Speaking about the new song, Leach shares, “Forever Aligned is one of those songs that is not just about us as humans, our love, and connection, but that connection to the unknown, the greater power, the universe, or God. It feels like a really good first song to release not just sonically, but lyrically, as it is all about connection. The device of world we live in could use a lot more connectivity.”


Watch the official music video for Forever Aligned here:

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Also, you can view both the track list and artwork for the upcoming new album below:

Track List: Abandon Us
Discordant Nation
Aftermath
Forever Aligned
I Believe
Where It Dies
Collusion
The Fall Of Us
Broken Glass
Requiem



And that’s not all from the band! To support their new album, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will embark on their first headlining North American tour since late 2022 in March through to May next year. Support for the tour comes from KUBLAI KHAN TX, FIT FOR A KING and FROZEN SOUL. European dates will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Tour dates are as follows:

3/5 — Nashville, TN — The Pinnacle
3/6 — Chesterfield, MO — The Factory
3/8 — Fayetteville, AR — JJ’s Live
3/9 — Oklahoma City, OK — The Criterion
3/11 — El Paso, TX — Don Haskins Center Arena
3/13 — Las Vegas, NV — The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
3/14 — Reno, NV — Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
3/15 — Wheatland, CA — Hard Rock Live
3/17 — Garden City, ID — Revolution Concert House
3/18 — Seattle, WA — The Paramount
3/19 — Vancouver, BC — PNE Forum
3/21 — Penticton, BC — South Okanagan Events Centre
3/22 — Tsuut’ina, AB — Grey Eagle Resort & Casino
3/24 — Winnipeg, MB — Burton Cummings Theatre
3/27 — Peoria, IL — Peoria Civic Center
3/28 — Waukee, IA— Vibrant Music Hall
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3/29 — La Vista, NE — The Astro
3/30 — Kansas City, MO — The Midland Theatre
4/1 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live 20 Monroe
4/3 — Corbin, KY — The Corbin Arena
4/4 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
4/5 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
4/6 — Greensboro, NC — Greensboro Special Events Center
4/8 — New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall
4/9 — Buffalo, NY — Buffalo RiverWorks
4/11 — Laval, QC —Place Bell
4/12 — Portland, ME — Cross Insurance Arena
5/8 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple*
5/16 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville*
*Festival Appearances





This Consequence is set for release on February 21st via Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE like their official page on Facebook.

Obscura announce new album ‘A Sonication’

Obscura announce new album ‘A Sonication’



OBSCURA have announced a new album!



Titled A Sonication, the upcoming album from the German progressive death metal band is the follow-up to 2021’s A Valediction, and is scheduled to be released in February next year, via Nuclear Blast Records.

Alongside the announcement of the new album, the band have released a new music video for a new song lifted from the upcoming album; Silver Linings.
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Speaking about the new song, band mastermind Steffen Kummerer says, “with Silver Linings we present you the first track of our brand new album A Sonication, which sees the light of day in early 2025. Supporting the new record, OBSCURAwill embark on the first leg of a world tour in February next year. Lend your ear to the music, and see you at a venue near you!”


Watch the official music video for Silver Linings here:

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Also, you can view both the track list and artwork for the upcoming new album below:

Track List:

1. Silver Linings
2. Evenfall
3. In Solitude
4. The Prolonging
5. Beyond The Seventh Sun
6. Stardust
7. The Sun Eater
8. A Sonication



And that’s not all from OBSCURA! To support their new album, the band will embark on a headlining European and UK tour in February next year. Support for the tour comes from RINGS OF SATURN and GOROD. Tickets for the tour are available now and can be purchased here.

Tour dates are as follows:

04.02. GER Stuttgart – Im Wizemann
05.02. IT Milan – Legend
06.02. CH Aarau – Kiff
07.02. FR Lyon – MJC O Totem
08.02. ES Barcelona – Wolf
09.02. ES Madrid – Sala Mon
10.02. PT Lisbon – Lav Lisboa
11.02. ES Portugalete – Groove
12.02. FR Toulouse – Le Rex
13.02. FR Rennes – L‘ubu
15.02. UK Birmingham – Asylum
16.02. UK Manchester – Rebellion
17.02. IRE Dublin – Whelans
18.02. UK Bristol – Thekla
19.02. UK London – O2 Academy Islington
20.02. FR Paris – Petit Bain
21.02. NL Eindhoven – Effenaar
22.02. GER Hamburg – Headcrash
23.02. GER Köln – Gebäude 9
24.02. GER Berlin – Lido
25.02. PL Wroclaw – Klub Lacznik
26.02. CZ Prague – Futurum
27.02. GER München – Hansa39



A Sonication is set for release on February 7th via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on OBSCURA like their official page on Facebook.

INTRODUCING: Terminals

One of the UK’s most exciting fresh talents, TERMINALS have just unleashed their stunning debut EP Baptise. We caught up with the trio about recording in an Air BnB, their friendship and having utter trust in each other in all areas of their music.
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“When we started this band, I didn’t feel comfortable vocally,” vocalist and guitarist James Whitehouse informs. “But as soon as I started writing about the stuff that was in my head that I kind of hadn’t fully processed, I don’t know, I just became kind of comfortable with it,” having that relaxed dynamic, to make bold moves within their musical space and it not only be acceptable but encouraged is an ongoing part of the magic for TERMINALS. “The fact that we can have clean melodic vocals, and then these big, unapologetic heavy riffs underneath it all, put it together, and it sounds like it works is really, really gratifying.”

There’s some pretty heavy riffs and heavy themes through TERMINALS‘ debut EP Baptise. The way James could approach putting his dark ideas out into the world with the band’s brooding, groove laden sound comes from the level of respect the guys have for each other. “I think with the nature of the music, because I’m writing all the lyrics and come up with the subject matter. It’s all coming from me and if I wasn’t comfortable enough to be open with how I’m feeling maybe it wouldn’t get translated over well. But it’s nice to know that because we’re comfortable with each other enough that I can write a song about something really dark and tell the guys about it. It feels more gratifying when we actually put the song together, that the guys know where everything’s coming from. And that comes out from their performance as well as mine.”

The importance of that friendship can’t be understated for how TERMINALS operates. To have such a distinct sound, you have to be completely at ease to be creative and outspoken. “Even though it’s like James‘ lyrics and the meanings behind the songs comes from him, the rehearsals are normally like a bit of a group therapy for us all,” bassist James Cohu explains further from the other bandmates perspective. “We’re just friends, we just chat and get a lot of stuff out. So it feels like when we perform those songs, I can perform it with James‘ thoughts in mind, because we know like the backstories and the meanings that songs that come from so even though they’re like his stories, I feel like we’re all projecting those feelings.”
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The bands sense of assuredness and confidence in each other in inherent in all areas of their work, from writing and recording, to live playing. “I’m so sure of them,” drummer Joe Cooper assures of his bandmates. “And so sure that we know the songs, because we love the songs and we admire them. I think songs get better once we’ve played them live loads of times. There are little things we do live that are just natural, it’s funny because that’s one thing that most people just wouldn’t care so much about or wouldn’t pick up on, [we are] really locked into the little things. To us, those tiny little details are really important.”

While TERMINALS have a close bond, they don’t necessarily get much time to just be mates. The recording of Baptise was as good an opportunity to get together as friends as well as work. “With the Air BnB,” James Whitehouse describes the place they rented to put together a makeshift studio for the week, “we wanted we wanted to go somewhere that was like far away from everything. And this place was literally in the middle of nowhere, which was great, but it was kind of like a little holiday; when we spend time together, we just laugh and talk absolute bollocks to be totally honest with you. But it’s just like, we have a lot of fun doing what we do.”


“Because we live so far apart, we only meet up once or twice every couple of months. So we want to just get in a room together and play and do stuff. Having a whole five to seven days, in a really nice place together, recording music as well. It was just loads of fun.”
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The record has a big sound, and an organic energy the band can pat themselves on the back for; not only did they write and record it all, but they mixed it in house too. “We only had like eight inputs!” James Cohu recalls. “It’s kind of annoying because we like to make it sound live, without being able to record it live. So that was the whole process behind it, trying to recreate how we sound live, but recording instruments individually. To use the space was a bit of a nightmare,” they laugh, “we had we padded out all the windows and the doors with pillows to stop the sound getting out more than anything acoustic. Mostly it was just throwing mics up and fix everything afterwards. Which was why it took so long to mix and why it was me pulling my hair out for ages.”

Baptise is out now via self-release.

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INTRODUCING: Vower

There is a really exciting moment at the beginning of a band where there are no preconceived notions on what something should sound like. For VOWER, a project amalgamated from the bare bones of Rabea Massaad [TOSKA], Josh Mckeown [PALM READER] and Joe Gosney and Liam Kearley [both formerly of BLACK PEAKS], with bassist Rory McLean, sonically they rest on heavy foundations of the bands that came before, but have instead created something entirely ferocious and new.





Bringing the best out of the post-hardcore supergroup, they released their new EP Apricity earlier this year, which we ranked a solid 9/10 in our review and appear to be one of the most promising voices in alternative music. Ahead of their Radar Festival set, we chat to Joe and Josh about the direction of the band, their evolution of their sound and new music on the horizon.
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The project started when Liam and Rabea started making music instrumentally, putting the bare bones together for what would become VOWER. Through a few different iterations, with the band almost putting the project to bed entirely, it was picked up again as Joe was asked to play some shows with PALM READER. From there, the stage was set to start recording new music.

As most of the band were based in Brighton, vocalist Josh would come down to do recording sessions of “intense energy”, with Shroud being the first song he recorded the vocals for. However, it was In The Wake Of Failure that made them realise that the project was worthwhile. Joe says, “I got sent a demo straight afterwards and I remember really clearly where I was walking. I listened on my headphones and I got full goosebumps.”


For Josh, who had recently played their last show with PALM READER (on the same day VOWER performed their first festival), his “inspiration for vocals and melodies have come easier than I’ve ever known it to,” with In The Wake Of Failure allowing him to explore “a lot of really different vocal techniques, and utilise my rage in the song in a way that wasn’t contrived.” For both Josh and Joe, this became the stand-out track on their new EP.




Their four track record Apricity – meaning the warmth of the sun in winter – was the benchmark for their new sound, constructed from Rabea’s prog background and unmistakably riff-heavy sections descended from BLACK PEAKS. Spearheading their music, Josh’s vocals reminisce and build upon the intense vocals from PALM READER. The EP is daring, with bursts of unpredictability and soaring choruses. In terms of the band’s overall direction, Josh comments that they are “not aiming for a sound necessarily, it’s just what we think sounds cool. What we want to play.” Regardless, VOWER is a true passion project, pushing into uncharted territories in heavy music. It is clear the band are very enthusiastic and excited about this new chapter for the band.

Supporting KARNIVOOL for two dates on their Tri Continental Drift Tour, the band properly got together for the first time to rehearse a few days before their set. They’ve later taken this show on the road in the UK at ArcTanGent, 2000trees and Radar, as well as further afield at Cologne’s Euroblast progressive music festival.

The reception of the project has been really positive for the band with Joe commenting that they’re “all very lucky to be in a band driving to a show to perform to a bunch of people, playing music that we all really care about and all really stand behind.” Josh adding with a smile , “it’s absolutely outrageous. We expected with the notoriety that the other bands have that we had, we thought there would be a bit of a reception, but we never expected it to be received as well as it had been!”



Apricity is out now via self-release.

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Machine Head release new song ‘These Scars Won’t Define Us’

The new song, titled These Scars Won’t Define Us, is the brand new single from the Bay Area-based metal titans and marks their first new music since their latest album, Øf Kingdom and Crøwn, which was released back in August 2022, via Nuclear Blast Records.

The new single features guest appearances from Swedish melodeath veterans IN FLAMES, Italian metallers LACUNA COIL, and American metalcore outfit UNEARTH; all of whom will join the band on their headlining North American tour next year.


Watch the official lyric video for These Scars Won’t Define Us here:


Alongside the release of the new single, the band has announced a headlining North American tour for April and May next year. Support for the tour comes from the aforementioned IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL and UNEARTH. Tickets for the tour are available now and can be purchased here.



Tour dates are as follows:

4/05/2025 U.S. Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
4/07/2025 U.S. Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
4/09/2025 U.S. San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
4/10/2025 U.S. Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
4/12/2025 U.S. Las Vegas, NV @ Sick New World **
4/13/2025 U.S. Salt Lake City, UT @ Union
4/15/2025 U.S. Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium
4/17/2025 U.S. San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec
4/18/2025 U.S. Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
4/19/2025 U.S. Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
4/21/2025 U.S. Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
4/22/2025 U.S. Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
4/23/2025 U.S. Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
4/25/2025 U.S. Reading, PA @ Santander Arena
4/26/2025 U.S. Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
4/27/2025 CAN Montreal, QC @ M’Telus
4/28/2025 CAN Toronto, ON @ History
4/30/2025 U.S. Cincinnati, OH @ Andrew J. Brady Music Center
5/02/2025 U.S. Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
5/03/2025 U.S. Chicago, IL @ Radius
5/04/2025 U.S. Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
5/05/2025 CAN Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings
5/07/2025 CAN Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Center
5/08/2025 CAN Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
5/10/2025 CAN Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place



**Festival date – MACHINE HEAD & LACUNA COIL only



For more information on MACHINE HEAD like their official page on Facebook.

LIVE REVIEW: Lacuna Coil @ O2 Academy, Bristol

It’s wild to think LACUNA COIL has been gracing the music industry for thirty years. They’re on a UK tour ahead of the release of their tenth studio album, Sleepless Empire, a feat few bands achieve, underscoring both the quality of their music and the dedication of their fans. We join them on the tour’s final night, with a line snaking around the building. Fans of LACUNA COIL and BLIND CHANNEL arrive early, excited to see both bands. Excitement buzzes through the venue as the doors open, and an hour later, the lights go down at 8:00 pm. A cheer echoes through the venue as BLIND CHANNEL take to the stage.
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Blind Channel live @ O2 Academy, Bristol. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Being the one and only support act can be intimidating, but BLIND CHANNEL rise to the occasion with a solid 45-minute set that gives the crowd a great taste of their back catalogue. Bringing just one support act almost makes it feel like two headline sets, as the support band isn’t forced to play just the hits; they can delve into deep cuts for their dedicated fans.



The band blasts onto the stage with DEADZONE, and you can tell they’re seasoned performers. The whole band is moving, hyping up the crowd, and playing the songs to perfection. The first half of the set spanning the most recent three albums, with tracks like Over My Dead Body, where the crowd enthusiastically screams the chorus back, We Are No Saints, and XOXO. After an energetic first half, the set slows down with DIE ANOTHER DAY, it would have been nice to have the RØRY feature like London did but unfortunately we can’t have that at every date on the tour. Regardless, it still makes for a nice breather before they jump back in with Deja Fu, the oldest song on their setlist, from their debut album Revolutions.Blind Channel live @ O2 Academy, Bristol. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

We’re treated to a SYSTEM OF A DOWN cover with B.Y.O.B., a great party song that brings in newcomers for a sing-along, though it would have been nice to see another original track given BLIND CHANNEL’s extensive back catalogue. Back to their own music with WOLVES IN CALIFORNIA, which brings out heavy nu-metal riffs and grooves, showing how nu-metal’s fusion of rap and metal influences today’s bands, including BLIND CHANNEL.



The set wraps up with their recent single, a cover of Everybody (Bloodbro’s Back) by BACKSTREET BOYS, followed by their major breakout hit Darkside. It’s a high-energy end to the night. The set gives newcomers a strong snapshot of what Blind Channel is about, musically and in terms of performance. This may be the last we see of them for a while, as they’re taking a well-deserved break, but we’re already looking forward to their return.

Rating: 9/10Lacuna Coil live @ O2 Academy, Bristol. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

With an eager crowd fully warmed up, LACUNA COIL takes the stage. Blasting through their back catalogue, they’ve got almost ten albums and several EPs to choose from for tonight’s setlist. The first half features hits from recent albums, like Blood, Tears, Dust, Reckless, and Trip To Darkness. We get our first taste of the new album with Oxygen, a track that captures classic LACUNA COIL sound with a modern twist as the band continues to evolve.



With the audience fully immersed, we’re taken back to earlier work with Our Truth, and the crowd joins in on the melody with a chorus of “ahhs” and the classic “hey hey hey” chant. As with many shows, there’s a mid-set break for slower songs, this time with Entwined from Comalies. With Comalies XX re-released in 2022 as reimagined versions, it’s exciting to hear the band’s older tracks evolved to match their current sound, giving long time fans a fresh experience while engaging new listeners.Lacuna Coil live @ O2 Academy, Bristol. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

One of LACUNA COIL’s standout features is their use of dual vocals. Often compared to bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, NIGHTWISH, and EVANESCENCE, LACUNA COIL distinguishes itself by giving both vocalists an equal role. In the reimagined Comalies XX versions, this balance is even more pronounced. While many think of Cristina Scabbia as the face of the band, they’ve consistently used Andrea Ferro’s vocals to add depth and dynamics. This is showcased in Hosting The Shadow, another new song, where Andrea takes centre stage, demonstrating his range, especially in the absence of LAMB OF GOD‘s Randy Blythe’s feature.




Cristina gets her solo moment with Enjoy The Silence, their DEPECHE MODE cover. Her vocals shine, and it’s the biggest sing-along of the night due to the song’s widespread popularity. As the main set concludes with Never Dawn, the lights dim, and the crowd anticipates an encore.

The encore is packed with fan favourites: Aeon XX flows into Tightrope XX, ending with the massive Swamped XX and Nothing Stands In Our Way. The latter has lyrics that fans scream back at the band: “we feel nothing” and “nothing stands in our way”. It’s the perfect close to an incredible night.

We’ve been truly spoiled tonight, with an excellent support set from BLIND CHANNEL and an amazing headline performance from LACUNA COIL filled with both classics and fresh tracks. LACUNA COIL can only continue to go from strength to strength, and we eagerly await both the new album and their next tour on our shores.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Bristol from Serena Hill Photography here:





























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ODUCING: Adharma

One of the UK’s most interesting bands in the alt scene right now is undoubtedly ADHARMA. The five piece have been captivating listeners over the past few years with tracks like Rewire, Hush Hush and Porcelain. We caught up with vocalist Charlie Draper about the band’s sound, how they write music and why.
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For the uninitiated, ADHARMA’s sound is subtle, it initially appears gentle and poppy, but settle in and there’s some tasty progressive crunch under the serene vocals. “I think it’s definitely a gap in the in the industry,” Charlie agrees when talking about their music style. “We definitely always wanted a bit more of a pop like approach to it. It’s a little bit more commercial and more universal, to kind of invite people into the heavier scene. And because I can’t scream, I only do cleans, I think it automatically kind of boxed us into an area. So, we thought, well, how far can we push this with cleans? So yeah, that’s kind of where we went.”

They’re instantly an unusual find in many ways, which can be polarising. “I find people either love it or hate it, and that’s absolutely fine,” she notes. “I think that’s a good way to be as an artist, to be honest. Yeah, some people are really ready for that kind of different tone and style of voice in the industry, and some people just aren’t, and that’s how it goes.”

ADHARMA is a band that keeps a sharp focus on what they’re projecting into the world in all aspects of the production. “It’s a kind of a character,” Charlie explains about the various cinematic incarnations of the band there have been in their music videos. “It’s self-expression – the costumes and makeup example, it’s another art form. We live in a world where we can change our appearance and I think that’s really cool to just play around. So yeah, each video, I kind of want to be a completely different persona in a way.”


The personas of each of the band’s music videos obviously play as symbols or metaphors for the subject matter that Charlie writes about. ADHARMA’s music has a pretty focused theme of women’s oppression and the issues that go unresolved and often ignored in society. “Growing up, you kind of don’t see a lot of representation,” she recalls about the rendering of women in the alt music scene, and in prominent positions in general. “I felt like, and I always felt as a woman, that my voice was not as heard as a man. So I definitely thought I need to combine the two and just preach about it. And there’s something really nice about seeing grown men sing along or dance along to the songs that are all about female empowerment, because that’s what it should be. We should all be helping each other and striving for equality between everyone.”




Presenting the issues that are unbelievably common for countless women every day, that go without research, or representation in a supposedly equal community is a big passion for Charlie and the boys. While they are artists and musicians, they also want to educate and meet people in an open and friendly way to break the taboos. “I think discussions and art in general was meant to slightly make you feel uncomfortable, to be honest. And if it doesn’t, then I don’t think it’s doing its job, I think it’s meant to make you reflect.”

While there’s an obvious through line in ADHARMA’s music, it’s not necessarily a conscious construction, more so that the consistency is in the process that allows the results to be so consistent. “I honestly feel like it changes from song to song,” Charlie explains about the way she and the rest of the band write. “There have been some songs where I’ve kind of gone up to the boys and like, ‘right, this is what I want to write about,’ and then we’ll just kind of come up with something with that in mind. But I think majority of the songs, the boys have been working on songs in the background, and they’re they present it to me. I’ll just kind of listen, and whatever strikes an immediate, ‘oh my gosh, this makes me think of this, or this evokes some kind of emotion in me’. I’ll run with that and just sit and listen to it for a while. And I think the best thing about writing is if you just start writing without any intention of what you’re writing about, eventually your brain will just start spilling out your subconscious, and you start thinking about things that you thought you processed or weren’t even aware that you were upset about or feeling a certain way about. It’s definitely an emotional, quite spiritual thing in a way, but it’s important to do. It’s like therapy in a way.”



ADHARMA seem to consistently have new material for people to listen to, with a back catalogue that’s been growing constantly over four or so years. While they’ve made waves with their sound, style and intention, playing Reading Rising and RADAR Festival to name just a few. “Oh, honestly, to me, it still feels like this is a fresh baby that’s just been birthed into the world,” Charlie laughs earnestly. “Honestly, we’ve been doing it for about four years, but only performing for like three. So in my head, it’s still really new. And I kind of have to pinch myself and be like, ‘no, we have actually achieved a lot. We’ve done a lot. Look how far we’ve come; everything we’ve written, look at where we’ve played’. It’s, yeah, so it’s an odd one, but to me, it definitely still feels new and like nobody knows we exist!”

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HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Don’t Break The Oath – Mercyful Fate

When MERCYFUL FATE entered Copenhagen’s Easy Sound Recording in May 1984, the cracks in the band were already starting to show. In the short time since their debut album Melissa hit shelves the year prior, the Danish quintet had garnered a bit of a reputation for themselves. Much of this centred around idiosyncratic frontman King Diamond, a philosophical Satanist with a penchant for the occult.





Diamond’s beliefs had shaped much of the band’s lyrical direction up to that point, carrying through to their live show in the form of on-stage rituals and spiritual invitations. “I’m not preaching Satanism,” King told Kerrang! in 1984. “But I want people to be aware of ‘The Powers’ because they might lead them to a better life.”

While Diamond may have been fully invested in the occult, his bandmates were less fervent believers. “King was more in charge of all that Satanic stuff,” guitarist Hank Shermann told The Metal Voice in 2016. “We were young guys, 25 years old, we didn’t seem that deep in to it.” Fellow axeman Michael Denner took it further when speaking to Bardo Methodology years later. “[King’s] interest in Satanism and ghosts and devils and ghouls and graveyards and shit got deeper and deeper while I was trying to avoid it.”

King Diamond’s occult infatuations may not have entirely been to the rest of the band’s taste, but they were willing enough to go along with it in the interest of creating great music. But those beliefs became a manifestation of a wider creative power struggle within the band between Diamond and the guitar duo of Shermann and Denner, the former of whom had been the lead musical contributor in the band to date. “King’s song-writing was quite different compared to Hank, and I always preferred Hank’s riffs,” Denner explained. “On ‘Melissa’, Hank and I said, ‘No, there should be no King Diamond song.’ He was able to include a few tracks on ‘Don’t Break The Oath’, but we weren’t too happy about it in the beginning.”



Overall, the band’s songwriting had become more ambitious, with the material on Don’t Break The Oath typically more sprawling and complex compared to its predecessor. Shermann contributions like the buzzsaw blade aggression of A Dangerous Meeting or the multi-suite momentum of Nightmare were monstrously riff-laden, while Diamond-penned tracks like The Oath and Come To The Sabbath were dramatic and unsettling. Creatively, the band were firing on all cylinders.

Functionally, much of the recording of Don’t Break The Oath mirrored the setup of Melissa. Working in the same studio and with the same producer, it was an opportunity to build on what had and hadn’t worked previously. In contrast to the Melissa sessions, the band were able to negotiate double the recording time – a luxurious twelve days. Additionally, MERCYFUL FATE put their foot down with producer Henrik Lund and were adamant on being involved in the mixing process. “He found out very quickly that it was beneficial for us to sit there and be able to say, ‘Hey, could you take that one up a little bit, let me hear that,’” Diamond told Your Last Rites. It was a more efficient process that helped bring the band’s vision to life more accurately, but it wasn’t all perfect – particularly for guitarist Denner. “I thought he got a bit closer with the guitar sound, but still I’ve never been happy with that aspect of the early albums.”


Recording complete, creative tensions would continue to rear their head as the band decided on a running order for the record. “It was very democratic,” Shermann told The Metal Voice. “Everyone wrote down on a piece of paper and then we would look at them and combine.” After fighting hard to get his own material on the album, it’s fair to say that King was disappointed with the voting results. “I know King, he really wanted to have ‘The Oath’ starting on Side A,” Shermann continues. “The rest of the band chose ‘A Dangerous Meeting,’ so King was a little upset about that…”




While the band’s creative differences had survived Don’t Break The Oath’s creation, it felt like the writing was on the wall for MERCYFUL FATE by the album’s release on 7 September 1984. Reception to the album itself was positive, but rife with caveats. In his review for Kerrang!, Malcolm Dome noted that the heavy Satanic overtones of the album would relegate the band’s appeal – after all, heavy metal and rock fans were actively trying to distance themselves from the moral panic of Satanism. Summing it up, Dome was suitably damning: “To stay with King would almost certainly doom the four instrumentalists under prevailing conditions to cult asphyxiation.”

The rift between members only grew bigger in Don’t Break The Oath’s wake. Following a tour to support the record, the band would split just over half a year after its release. Shermann, who wanted to move the band in a more commercial direction, almost immediately formed arena rock act FATE, whereas King started a solo career that initially saw him bring guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen in to his musical coven. Ironically enough, solo KING DIAMOND would at least see the frontman tone down the Satanic overtones in lieu of pursuing conceptual horror stories.

Between the album’s initial reception and all the band members moving almost immediately on to new projects, it was an abrupt end for MERCYFUL FATE. While Don’t Break The Oath was certainly a cult classic from the start, the years that followed gave the record time and space from its surrounding band drama. On its own merits, the record’s reputation became genre-defining, leaving its mark on everything from METALLICA to the entirety of black metal. Between Diamond’s shrieking banshee wails and the venomous guitar attack of Shermann and Denner, Don’t Break The Oath truly captured the band at their peak – wholly unstable, but eerily powerful all the same.



Don’t Break The Oath was originally released on September 7th, 1984 via Easy Sound Recording.