Italian Heavy Rockers SBARCO Unveil New Single and Video “The Divorce”

Italian heavy rockers SBARCO continue the journey toward their highly anticipated second studio album with the release of their powerful new single and official video, “The Divorce.”
​
Watch the official video below: 

Following the release of “Get to Know Me,” the new track further showcases the band's renewed artistic direction, blending heavy rock intensity with emotionally charged songwriting and the expressive power of their dual vocal approach.
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“The Divorce” is an intense introspective journey through loss, vulnerability, and rebirth. The song portrays a protagonist facing a profound existential crisis, where every certainty begins to collapse and identity itself seems to dissolve. Images of lost skin and a shattered shield reflect the fragility of confronting pain without defenses, while the narrative gradually evolves into one of transformation and hope.
​
Speaking about the song, the band comments:

​“The Divorce is about finding the strength to rebuild after everything seems lost. From the deepest darkness comes the possibility of change, and faith becomes the force that allows us to trust ourselves, the people we love, and the future. It is ultimately a song about healing, resilience, and embracing a new beginning.”​
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Currently working on their sophomore album with producer Simone “L'Architetto” Colombo, SBARCO continue to refine a sound that combines crushing heavy rock with deeply personal and introspective storytelling, setting the stage for what promises to be their most mature and compelling work to date.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/sbarcomusic​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.​

The Fierce And The Dead - Regional Theatre (Album Review)

Release Date: September 11th 2026. Record Label: SPM Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Regional Theatre - Tracklist

Loungeside

The 1234

Shake Hands & Exit

Somehow

Hey Nightmare

Superbia

Dream Sequence

Thrash

Hypernormalisation

Signal Bleed

Members

Kevin Feazey: Vocals, Bass, Production

Tom Hunt: Keys, Vocals, Percussion

Matt Stevens: Guitar

Steve Cleaton: Guitar

Stuart Marshall: Drums 

Review

Alternative/Stoner/Prog Metallers The Fierce And The Dead return with their fifth full length album Regional Theatre which takes a different direction compared to their acclaimed 2023 album News From The Invincible World. The record is compounded by a heavy Shoegaze effect which gives the band a whole new level of creativity to go with their already well-known and highly established experimental sound. 

The Fierce And The Dead use their musical influences wisely with sounds reminiscent of the likes of QOTSA, Mastodon, Slowdive, HUM, HELMET, At The Drive-In, Faith No More and Sonic Youth. I would even add MELVINS and BORIS to that impressive list as how the band create different QUIET vs LOUD musical dynamics with the powerful strands of Post-Rock and Shoegaze transforming into a battering ram of Doom/Stoner Metal dimensions.

Regional Theatre does have a theatrical or cinematic aspect to the whole story where the music drastically changes with each individual track. The heartfelt poppier / stadium rock friendly aspects soon give way to a more damaging Grunge, Heavy Psych and Prog Metal dynamic. The Fierce And The Dead are very hard to categorize here and they do remind me of the amazing band CLOAKROOM. As both bands have similar styles of delivering HEAVY MUSIC though multiple different lenses of the ROCK / METAL spectrum.

There’s a wonderful Eighties Rock sound that feels inspired by The Smiths and The Cure but with a subtle Sludgy Rock sound still being heard in the distance. Then the band changed musical direction for an abstract Punk Rock and Grunge sound on the amazing tracks of Somehow and Hey Nightmare being my favourite two tracks on the album.

Regional Theatre is perhaps one the hardest albums I’ve reviewed this year but that’s a great thing as the whole musical journey keeps you on your toes with it’s outlandish and surreal vision fully coming to life on the standout tracks of Loungeside, The 1234, Somehow, Hey Nightmare, Superbia, Hypernormalisation and Signal Bleed. I know that’s almost the entire album listed there but I love those tracks the same as each other.

The melodies are wonderfully subversive and superbly confusing at the same time with a jangled approach still allowing The Fierce And The Dead to show you what FAITH NO MORE, MASTODON and AT THE DRIVE-IN would sound like if they enter the Stoner Rock/Metal underground scene with a dash of TOOL and KING CRIMSON just to fuck things up even further but in a good way. 

The lyrics are slightly fantastical but are the perfect gateway and introduction for casual listeners to find a way into The Fierce And The Dead’s wonderfully inventive world. There’s a great use of SONIC experimentation which brings a fresh perspective to the band’s entire musical output. 

Regional Theatre is an absolute masterclass of warped and passionate heavy music which manages to project almost every genre possible but still being mostly part of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Yeah, The Fierce And The Dead are in a league of their own which will no doubt push them onto greater, bigger and better things once more.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Fierce And The Dead for the promo.

Regional Theatre is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via SPM Records.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Home - The Home (EP Review)

Release Date: August 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

The Home - Tracklist

1.Disguise 04:25

2.Beyond It All 04:25

3.Leech 04:50

Members

Vocals - LJ Brazil

Guitar + Additional Instruments - Lewis Barnes

Drums - John Mclean

Review

Alternative/Sludge/Stoner Metallers The Home self-titled debut EP is quite an intriguing record with the band playing stripped back sounds that merge modern day Sludge Rock/Metal grooves against a classic Fuzz, Doom and Proto-Metal energy. The vocals are quite different with lead vocalist LJ Brazil performing in areas of Classic Doom, Hard Rock, Stoner Metal and even a great experimental style which has a slight Mike Patton influence.

The EP lasts under fourteen minutes but The Home creates some stirring grooves powered by elements of Alt Metal within the flashier aspects that appear throughout. There’s even traces of Soul, Funk and Blues Rock hidden amongst the Doom & Gloom melodies which provides a brutal style of amplified Sludge Rock/Metal on tracks Disguise and Beyond It All.

They’re not the finished article by no means but they have a great sound of their own making which can be quite freaky, outlandish and superbly progressive. The final track Leech allows The Home to prove they have some unfinished business for their next release as it does feel open ended where you’re expecting a massive instrumental riff to power through.

This is a great record for The Home to introduce themselves with as they do generate some HEAVY SOUNDING moments throughout and the production values ain’t half bad either. Some of the musical ideas don’t fully succeed but I’m quite excited to see what The Home delivers next.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Philly Doom-Jazz Legends Stinking Lizaveta return with 10th album "Cassandra, Prophet of Doom" out September 16th on SRA Records

Bursting forth in doom-jazz glory from the punk underground, Stinking Lizaveta was forged in the 90s in the basements of West Philly.

Yanni Papadopoulos, guitar, Alexi Papadopoulos, upright electric bass and Cheshire Agusta, drums have produced ten full length albums and are road dogs of rock in the US, UK and EU. For over 30 years they have been playing every show like its their first and last.

Bear Stone - Photo credit: SanjaMatic

Having just returned from yet another tour of Europe, including festival highlights Stoned From The Underground and Bear Stone, the band is ready to unleash their new album Cassandra, Prophet of Doom and set forth on a tour with Philadelphia’s science fiction noise rock / metal hybrid Deathbird Earth in November.

Bear Stone - Photo credit: SanjaMatic

Across eight tracks of adventurous, winding, raucous rock that can only be Stinking Liz, the trio chart a grand, unpredictable course.

Furious rhythms, staccato attacks, and wiry guitar heroics bring Cassandra to sprawling life, ranging from the dark, doomed epic of the title track to the anthemic, punky roar and folk touches of "Sherman's March". Stinking Lizaveta are back and as iconoclastic as ever.

Bear Stone - Photo credit: SanjaMatic

Stinking Lizaveta dates Fall 2026:

8/29 – BAD CATT FEST
9/26 – RECORD RELEASE SHOW JOHNNY BRENDA’S PHILADELPHIA
10/10 – EMISSIONS FROM THE MONOLITH

Bear Stone - Photo credit: Valerio Baranović

US November 2026 tour with Deathbird Earth:

FRIDAY 6TH – BALTIMORE, MD – OTTOBAR w/ Arbouretum & Darsombra Sol
SATURDAY 7TH – RICHMOND, VA – NORTHSIDE GRILLE
SUNDAY 8TH – KNOXVILLE, TN – PILOT LIGHT
MONDAY 9TH – RALEIGH, NC – KINGS
TUESDAY 10TH – CHARLOTTE, NC – THE MILESTONE
WEDNESDAY 11TH – BIRMINGHAM, AL – THE FIREHOUSE
THURSDAY 12TH – LAFAYETTE, LA – THE FREETOWN BOOM BOOM ROOM w/ Spickle
FRIDAY 13TH – NEW ORLEANS, LA – POOR BOYS
SATURDAY 14TH – AUSTIN, TX – THE LOST WELL
SUNDAY 15TH – SAN ANTONIO, TX – THE LONESOME ROSE (matinee)
MONDAY 16TH – MEMPHIS, TN – HAVENHUAS
TUESDAY 17TH – CINCINNATI, OH – NORTHSIDE TAVERN
WEDNESDAY 18TH – MILLERSVILLE, PA – PHANTOM POWER

Stinking Lizaveta - Cassandra, Prophet of Doom

Abum out September 16th, 2026
SRA Records (Vinyl, CD, Digital)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
FFO: Black Flag, Gone, Bad Brains, Steve Albini, Earthless, The Obsessed

Recorded and mixed at Permanent Hearing Damage by Steve Roche
Mastered by James Plotkin
Artwork by Stathis Panou

Stinking Lizaveta is:

Yanni Papadopoulos - Guitar
Alexi Papadopoulos - Upright electric bass
Cheshire Agusta - Drums

Tracklist:

1. Champion of My Mind (2:31)
2. Stinkface (3:08)
3. Please Start Now (3:36)
4. Lindsay Wagner Intro (1:07)
5. Lindsay Wagner (3:35)
6. Cassandra, Prophet of Doom (5:05)
7. Sherman's March (3:44)
8. Never to Be Believed (5:09)

Stinking Lizaveta

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

FANE - Armageddon Scars (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Formats: DD

Armageddon Scars - Tracklist

1.Flatline

2.Dead Shepherd 

3.Poisoned Crown

4.The Mariner

5.Passages 

Members

Ryan Ashmore - Vocals

Trey Porche - Instruments, Programming

Review

Doom/Sludge Metal duo FANE debut album Armageddon Scars creates a brutal and emotionally engaging style of music that ventures into similar waters of bands such as THOU, Primitive Man, YOB and Neurosis. The brooding atmospherics has plenty of heavy progressive weight that powers the DRONED OUT dimension that is added at different stages of the record. There are hidden traces of Punk, Black Metal and some small instances of Death Metal which gives Armageddon Scars quite a violent and hypnotic sound from the very start.

The opening track Flatline allows FANE to demonstrate some subversive levels of Doom Metal that allows the listener to fully lose themselves within the Sludge Metal textures that become more accustomed to the Post-Metal world. The vocals from Ryan Ashmore are delivered with a grim extreme and menacing style that has a solid HARSH and THUGGISH energy to them. FANE are never afraid to explore the dominant Black Metal environments which offer crushing, violent and destructive instrumental grooves that last the course and where any uplifting soundscapes are wisely banished from existence here.

Second track Dead Shepherd only solidifies the eternal DOOM & GLOOM message that FANE project throughout the album with punishing Post-Metal sounds and some brief Psychedelic interludes that offer a dramatic feeling to emerge from the darkness. Trey Porche has his work cut out providing all the Instrumental and Programming aspect for FANE to devour everyone’s soul with. This is a great counterbalance with Ryan’s vocals, perhaps opening the gateway for that brutal and monolithic style of music to explore the darkest corners of the whole album.

Third track Poisoned Crown follows a similar path to the previous track but operates with a simpler riff based structure without compromising the violent progressive sounds that have already been set out from the start. FANE delivers the most straightforward grooves that have that classic YOB influence behind them. The extra layer of Psych Metal just pushes the album into different sonic based arenas whilst keeping that Blackened Post-Metal atmosphere fully intact.

The final two tracks The Mariner and Passages bring a different aura of darkness from FANE with that Progressive sound adding abstract soundscapes and Ambient sound effects for perhaps the best part of the album. FANE feel more determined to forge their own identity with these two tracks with tighter vocals and better instrumental control whilst punishing the listeners yet again with an intense blast of pure Doom/Sludge Metal brutality. 

Armageddon Scars is quite subversive and superbly inventive with the Ambient Sounds and Psych Metal effects which allows FANE to never lose focus on releasing an epic sounding debut album that will leave you an emotional shivering wreck when everything is said and done.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Armageddon Scars is available to buy now on DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

HIPPIE DEATH CULT: Portland Heavy Rock Power Trio Sign To Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records

Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records are pleased to announce the signing of heavy rock power trio HIPPIE DEATH CULT.

The band comments, "We are beyond excited to announce our signing with Blacklight Media and Metal Blade Records, a label that has been a pillar of the metal community for decades and has always championed artistic integrity over trend-chasing, which is something we resonate with deeply. We are honored to be part of their esteemed lineage.

“Our journey has always been fueled by passion, creativity, and authenticity and we feel right at home working with a team who understands and shares these values. We can‘t wait to unleash some of our most visceral music to date via one of the most respected labels in heavy metal history. Fires are burning and wheels are turning.”

HIPPIE DEATH CULT has steadily become one of the most exciting bands in the modern heavy music scene, pairing massive riffs, deep grooves, psychedelic textures, thoughtful lyricism, and hypnotizing melodies into a sound that feels both classic and contemporary. Formed in Portland, Oregon, the trio — guitarist Eddie Brnabic, vocalist/bassist Laura Phillips, and drummer Harry Silvers — has earned a reputation for delivering dynamic, emotionally charged songs and electrifying live performances that showcase their distinctive sound, transcending traditional genres and captivating fans worldwide.

Since their early releases with Cursed Tongue Records and Heavy Psych Sounds Records, the band has built significant momentum. Their 2019 debut album, 111, and its 2021 follow-up, Circle Of Days, received strong praise from critics and listeners alike, with both records topping the Doom Charts and numerous “Best Of” lists, solidifying HIPPIE DEATH CULT as a standout name in the underground scene.

Following these releases, the band‘s evolution into a power trio marked a turning point, with Laura Phillips stepping into lead vocal duties and infusing even more identity and force into the group‘s sound and chemistry. This progression came fully into focus on Helichrysum, the band‘s first full-length studio album featuring Phillips on lead vocals. Released in 2023, the album was widely praised for its stronger songwriting, greater dynamic range, and the chemistry of the new lineup, becoming their most successful release to date in terms of streams and sales.

The band supported Helichrysum with over 250 shows across North America and Europe, including performances on major festival stages and headlining spots, further showcasing the raw power and intensity that have made their live shows a must-see.

Now signed to Blacklight Media and Metal Blade Records, HIPPIE DEATH CULT is entering a new phase with the most reach and momentum of their career. With a growing international fanbase, an increasingly refined sound, and a new release on the horizon, the band is poised to take the next leap forward. Stay tuned for a new full-length in 2027.

The band will be roadbound for the remaining weeks of Summer and much of the Fall beginning with a US tour that runs from August 14th through September 12th. HIPPIE DEATH CULT will head to Europe and the United Kingdom on September 30th for another stretch of live dates through November 1st.

“After months of dedicated work behind the scenes, transforming our garage into a creative sanctuary and crafting a new album, we‘re pumped to finally hit the road again this Summer and Fall,” the band notes. “This tour is all about reconnecting with our incredible fans across the States and Europe, welcoming new recruits, jamming on some classics, and giving everyone in attendance a chance to be among the first to experience some new material before it hits the streets. We can‘t wait to share these transcendent moments with you all!”

See all confirmed dates below.

HIPPIE DEATH CULT Live:

8/14/2026 Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR w/ Abronia **
8/20/2026 Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA w/ Earth Tongue **
8/21/2026 Silver Moon Brewing – Bend, OR w/ Earth Tongue **
8/22/2026 The Dip – Redding, CA w/ Earth Tongue **
8/23/2026 Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA w/ Earth Tongue **
8/24/2026 Zebulon - Los Angeles, CA w/ Earth Tongue **
8/25/2026 Hotel Congress – Tucson, AZ w/ Earth Tongue **
8/26/2026 Whiskey Creek Zocalo – Arenas Valley, NM **
8/27/2026 Copeka Coffee – Grand Junction, CO **
8/28/2026 Green Mountain Ranch – Pine, CO **
8/29/2026 What's Left Records - Colorado Springs, CO **
8/31/2026 The Sinkhole – St. Louis, MO **
9/01/2026 Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA **
9/02/2026 X-Ray Arcade – Cudahy, WI **
9/03/2026 Black Circle Brewing Co. – Indianapolis, IN w/ The Well
9/04/2026 Frankie's – Toledo, OH w/ The Obsessed
9/05/2026 Reggie's Music Joint – Chicago, IL w/ The Obsessed
9/06/2026 James Ballentine Uptown VFW Post 246 – Minneapolis, MN w/ The Obsessed
9/08/2026 Reverb – Omaha, NE w/ The Obsessed
9/09/2026 Hi-Dive – Denver, CO w/ The Obsessed
9/10/2026 The DLC - Salt Lake City, UT w/ The Obsessed
9/11/2026 The Shredder – Boise, ID w/ The Obsessed
9/12/2026 The Chainsaw Cat – Yakima, WA **
** HIPPIE DEATH CULT headlining date

EU/UK Tour Dates:

09/30/2026 Scumm – Pescara, IT
10/01/2026 Freakout – Bologna, IT
10/02/2026 MKNŽ – Ilirska Bistrica, SI
10/03/2026 Kino – Ebensee, AT
10/04/2026 Up In Smoke – Pratteln, CH
10/05/2026 Brin De Zinc – Chambery, FR
10/06/2026 Le Molotov – Marseille, FR
10/07/2026 Trinità Live Club – Genova, IT
10/08/2026 Hostaria – Castel D‘Ario, IT
10/09/2026 Berchtesgaden – Kuckucksnest, DE
10/10/2026 Kulturfabrik – Kufstein, AT
10/11/2026 Camäleon – Vaduz, LI
10/13/2026 Conne Island – Leipzig, DE
10/14/2026 Sunny Red – Munich, DE
10/16/2026 HPS Fest – Berlin, DE
10/17/2026 HPS Fest – Dresden, DE
10/18/2026 Desertfest – Liege, BE
10/19/2026 1001 Bières – Reims, FR
10/21/2026 TBC – Copenhagen, DK
10/22/2026 Geronimo's – Stockholm, SE
10/23/2026 Høstsabbat Fest – Oslo, NO
10/24/2026 Kulturscenen – Esbjerg, DK
10/27/2026 Mist Rolling Inn – Nottingham, UK
10/28/2026 Parish – Huddersfield, UK
10/29/2026 Voodoo Daddy's Showroom – Norwich, UK
10/30/2026 Blondies – London, UK
10/31/2026 Moor Beer – Bristol, UK
11/01/2026 Saturnalia Records – Faversham, UK

Links

https://www.hippiedeathcultband.com
https://www.instagram.com/hippiedeathcultband
https://www.facebook.com/hippiedeathcultband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwcDKgW8llmhDuD3MaEHs1Q

Thanks to Palmer Turner Overdrive for the details.

PETROSA - Roadburn Chronicles (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Formats: CD/DD

Roadburn Chronicles - Tracklist

S.U.R.E.

The Sinner

Turning Point

I For An I

Rusty Blues

Viper

Revenant

Dreamer's Sunsets

Monsters' Conceal

An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers

 

Members

Antonio Buonocore - Guitar

Giorgio Monza - Drums

Aldo Colciago - Vocals

Andrea Vignati - Bass

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers PETROSA come out fighting with their intense debut album “Roadburn Chronicles” that perhaps focuses on the DOOMED OUT part of their music which gives them a very unhealthy destructive appetite. Influenced by the likes of KYUSS, Orange Goblin and Dozer, there’s a gritty realism to PETROSA’s music that brings an aggressive level of Fuzz, Psych and Desert Rock with a destructive Nineties Alt-Metal attitude.

The album wastes no time in getting straight down to business of playing classic Stoner Metal grooves with that Doom & Gloom atmosphere allowing PETROSA adding some Monster Magnet spaced out heaviness along the way. The lyrics are quite seedy and fits right in with the WEEDIAN lifestyle that PETROSA approach with loving care and perhaps play about with the general misconceptions of the actual scene by playing some classic HEAVY ROCK melodic structures throughout.

Lead vocalist Aldo Calciago has a determined and gritty approach in how the vocals are delivered with flashes of solid Fuzz Rock groundwork which has some FU MANCHU and ORANGE GOBLIN elements to them on tracks such as S.U.R.E., The Sinner and Turning Point setting the scene for the rest of the album to follow. 

PETROSA never tries to reinvent the wheel or add progressive movements to their music. As this music is classic DOOM/STONER METAL through and through but there are some epic sounding cinematic Desert Rock soundscapes that lurk in the background to add a great style of Post-Doom and Psych Metal level of awareness.

The album really starts hitting its own creative and musical stride when the outstanding third track Turning Point appears which has the right amount of “QUIET vs LOUD” musical dynamics where a thrilling sludgy atmosphere develops into music with more meaning. From this point on PETROSA feel in their musical element with a great sounding Punk Rock energy being added within the sublime fourth track I For An I. The instrumental sounds are more fast-paced that feel completely dominated by a Fuzzed Out aspect that moves quite confidently into full on Doom/Stoner Metal.

Fifth track Rusty Blues allows PETROSA to slow the mood right down to a laid back gloomy Blues Rock number which is stripped of all it’s WEEDIAN essence with small pockets of Desert Rock soulful melodies that shows you a different side to PETROSA.

The second half of Roadburn Chronicles starts off in low-key fashion with the stunning sixth track Viper that explores that Desert Rock landscape with Post-Doom aesthetics fully moving back into their usual Heavy Rock delivery. The sound is influenced by modern day and alt-rock musical structures that leads the band into developing the heaviest sounds on the whole album. 

PETROSA move from strength-to-strength on the remaining tracks of the album with powerful strands of Doom/Stoner Metal once again allowing the band to develop their own great style of music with a gritty determination within the excellent tracks of Revenant, Dreamer’s Sunsets and An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers closing the album on a wonderful and exciting finish.

Roadburn Chronicles never plays out the way you expect as PETROSA have something special about their music where you feel this is a band who have lived the ROCK & ROLL lifestyle well perhaps within the underground scene at least. 

PETROSA will hopefully make a name for themselves with this great album and I can see them playing some of the more prestigious stages of the Doom/Stoner Metal festival circuit in no time at all.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Roadburn Chronicles is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

Instagram