album anniversary: Sons of Liberty – Brush-Fires of the Mind (2010)

According to The Metal Archives, released on July 12, 2010, through Century Media Records, Brush-Fires of the Mind is the debut full-length studio album from Sons of Liberty—the politically charged solo project formed by Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer. The 45-minute, 9-track record heavily featured Schaffer handling the primary vocals, rhythm guitars, and drum programming. It was supported by studio guest contributions including bass by Ruben Drake, piano from Howard Helm, and guitar solos from Troy Seele and engineer/producer Jim Morris. The music is galloping heavy metal and it is rather catchy and thrashy, too.

Jon Schaffer's Sons Of Liberty - Don’t Tread On Me

black metal anniversary: Slechtvalk's album A Forlorn Throne

Released on July 12, 2010, via Whirlwind Records, A Forlorn Throne marks the fourth full-length studio album from Dutch symphonic black/death metal band Slechtvalk. Clocking in at just over 61 minutes, the 9-track release sees the band push deeper into a heavy, battle-driven melodic death/black metal direction. The album features standout epics like "Forsaken" and "Enthroned." The album remains highly regarded by fans, holding a strong 84% average score across reviews on The Metal Archives. I agree! I like this album, and I would give it a higher rating.

Slechtvalk - Forsaken

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remembering legendary KISS drummer Eric Carr on birthday

Eric Carr (born Paul Charles Caravello; July 12, 1950 – November 24, 1991) was an American musician best known as the drummer for Kiss during their heaviest era. Joining the band in 1980 following the departure of Peter Criss, he adopted the stage name Eric Carr and designed his signature "The Fox" persona. Carr anchored the drum throne for over a decade, playing through the band's transition into the 1980s heavy metal landscape on albums like Creatures of the Night (1982) and Lick It Up (1983). He remained an active member of Kiss until his death from heart cancer in November 1991. Personally, I like many, many KISS albums, including all those albums with Eric Carr starting in 1982 until his death.

KISS - Exciter

remembering The Hidden Hand's Bruce Falkinburg

According to the information on The Metal Archives, Bruce Falkinburg (January 26, 1969 – July 12, 2022) was an American bassist, vocalist, and audio engineer born in Vincentown, New Jersey. He is best known as the bass player and co-vocalist for the heavy rock trio The Hidden Hand, working alongside guitarist/vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich from 2002 until the band's dissolution in 2007. Bruce performed on all of the band's major studio releases, including Divine Propaganda (2003), Mother Teacher Destroyer (2004), and The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote (2007), as well as the 2025 archival release Live In Leipzig. Outside of performing, he was an audio engineer and producer who co-owned Phase Recording in College Park, Maryland, and later operated Bruce's Barn Studio. Falkinburg passed away at age 53 on July 12, 2022.

The Hidden Hand - The Crossing

remembering the late Jesse Pintado on his birthday

Born July 12, 1969, Jesse got his start in California with the legendary Terrorizer, laying down the riffs for their 1989 masterpiece World Downfall. Jesse moved to Birmingham, England, to join Napalm Death for the landmark album Harmony Corruption and worked with them until 2004. In addition, Jesse worked with extreme metal supergroups Lock Up and Brujeria and eventually revived Terrorizer for one last ride. Terrorizer!

Terrorizer - Storm of Stress (Official Audio)

Happy birthday to Within Temptation singer Sharon den Adel!

Born July 12, 1974, the brilliant Dutch singer and songwriter is best known as the iconic lead vocalist of symphonic metal giants Within Temptation. Performing since the age of 14, she co-founded the band in 1996 alongside her partner, Robert Westerholt. Fun fact for mainstream music fans: she was also elected as the Dutch chairperson of the jury for the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2018!

Within Temptation - Faster (Music Video)

Happy birthday drummer extraordinaire Jayson Sherlock!

The Metal Archives shows that drummer Jayson Sherlock was born on July 12, 1970. The site gives quite a list of bands and projects involving Jayson. He first came to fans' attention with Australian death metal missionaries Mortification, with whom he worked from 1990 to 1993, and recently rejoined in 2026. Aside from rejoining his original band, he actively plays drums for the brutal death metal band Revulsed. He has been a member of influential underground metal acts including Horde (a pioneering solo unblack metal project), Paramæcium (doom metal), and the thrash band Deliverance. He has lent his talent to numerous studio projects and live lineups over the years, including Light Force, InExordium, Altera Enigma, Soundscape, Ninth Sphere, Beheadoth, Generator, and Where Shadows Lie. Additionally, he has been a live session drummer for Teramaze and Fearscape.

Mortification - Brutal Warfare

shred guitar anniversary: Howe II - Now Hear This

Now Hear This is the second album by hard rock band Howe II, featuring both of the Howe brothers: Albert Howe on vocals, and the fretboard-incinerating guitar wizard, sonic magician, and master of disaster, Greg Howe on guitar. It looks like Howe II (two Howes in the same band, right?!) was active for only a couple of years. Their first album was called High Gear and was released in 1989. After this second album, it looks like the guitar maestro left Howe II in order to focus on his solo guitar career. Below is a sample song from Now Hear This, but check this out: On YouTube, some awesome people managed to find and upload a live concert of Howe II from back in the day! I am really enjoying watching this old concert, and on YouTube there are a couple of comments from people who actually got to see this shredding, rocking machine live back then, and they say it was an incredible show. Thank you to the people that uploaded the video and made it available for us to witness history.

Howe II: Now Hear This - July 1991 - Shrapnel Records

Fat Cat 4:18 - The Ride 3:48 - Now Hear This 4:46 - Motherlode 3:56 - Bigger the Bite 3:34 - Crowd Pleaser 4:08 - A Delicacy 2:05 - Tip of My Tongue 3:59 - Heart of a Woman 5:12 - A Few Good Men 3:36 - total length: 39:22.

Albert Howe lead vocals – Greg Howe guitar, background vocals, production – Mike Mani keyboard – Kevin Soffera drums, background vocals – Vern Parsons bass, background vocals - Steve Fontano engineering, production - Shawn Michael Morris engineering - Paul Stubblebine mastering - Mike Varney – production

Howe II: Crowd Pleaser

Howe II Electrifies the Stage at Musicians Institute

metalcore anniversary: Alove for Enemies' album Resistance

Alove for Enemies – Resistance - July 11, 2006 - Facedown Records

Track List: The Resistance - Tread On My Dreams - Hall Of Mirrors - Wishes For The Cloth Of Heaven - Call It Faith - EC-10 - Rise Of The Phoenix - Not Without Incident - Welcome To The Underground - Emotion Is Chaos - Will Of Father

Alove for Enemies was a heavy, chugging metalcore band from New York in the 2000s. They were well-known in the underground faith-based extreme music scene for blending heavy metallic breakdowns and raw, screeching vocals with melodic elements—something you will certainly find all over this album, Resistance. If you like ugly-face breakdown metallic hardcore, I think you are going to be making faces when you listen to this record.

Wikipedia information about the band : Alove for Enemies was a Christian hardcore band from Long Island, New York, US. They claim Shai Hulud, Darkest Hour, and Few Left Standing as their influences. The band was founded in 1999, and released their first six-song EP independently in 2000. The group was founded by singer Erich Barto and drummer A.J. Gonzalez. The band was signed to independent label Polytope records and toured twice under this label. After A.J. Gonzalez left the band, they replaced Gonzalez with Mike Desario for most of 2003. In late 2003 Jon Hernandez joined just before the band signed to Californian label Strikefirst Records, a subsidiary of Facedown Records. They released the EP Broken Pledge in December 2003 and played many gigs to support it.

In March 2004 Alove for Enemies signed with the main Facedown Records label. A year later, the album The Harvest was released; it was supported by a full US tour and by a European tour in spring 2005. 2006 saw the release of The Resistance on Facedown Records. All the song titles on the album are references to the movie Equilibrium. On September 4, 2007, Alove For Enemies announced their break up on their Myspace blog. They played Facedown Fest East Coast in Maryland as their penultimate show, on Sept. 29, 2007. Their final show was played on Long Island Oct. 5, 2007. Former guitar player Bill Meis joined them for "Center of Attention" and "Angels Don't Burn". On May 14, 2012, Alove For Enemies announced a reunion show for August 17 at the annual Long Island Fest 3 day Hardcore Festival. No further shows have been announced.

Alove for Enemies - Call It Faith

black metal anniversary of ARALLU's "Sierra Nevada"

"Sierra Nevada" (06:36), according to The Metal Archives, was released as a single on July 11, 2025, ahead of the ferocious full-length DMoon - From the Ancient World, on which it is the second track.

"Sierra Nevada" is a deeply personal song for the black metal band Arallu. While they are famous for their fast, frenetic Middle Eastern black metal focusing on regional history and warfare, this track tells an emotional, true story of real-life survival. In September 2003, four young Israelis embarked on a trek through the Colombian jungle toward the ancient ruins of "The Lost City" in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. They, along with tourists from other countries, were kidnapped by the leftist ELN (National Liberation Front) narco-trafficking guerrilla group. One of those hostages was Beni Daniel, the younger brother of Arallu’s founding frontman, bassist, and vocalist Moti Daniel (known on stage as Butchered or Genie King).

Refusing to just sit and wait, Daniel launched his own desperate mission into the Colombian jungle alongside a close friend to find his brother. Following 101 grueling days of captivity and intense international negotiations, Beni and the other hostages were finally released and returned safely to Israel. "Sierra Nevada" is the direct sonic retelling of that traumatic event and a testament to brotherly love.

Musically, the song acts like a six-minute movie tracking the timeline of the kidnapping ordeal. It opens with blistering, chaotic black metal blast beats and desperate, razor-sharp thrash riffing to mirror the sudden violence of the ambush. Midway through, the chaotic metal abruptly breaks into a haunting, slower section, and the band layers in actual archival audio recordings of news reports in Hebrew covering the 2003 kidnapping, adding a stark, sobering layer of reality to the track. The piece then builds back up into a fierce segment, concluding with a final audio in Hebrew excerpt marking the end of the 101-day hostage crisis.

DMoon From The Ancient World by Arallu

anniversary: Stryper - The Roxx Regime Demos

According to The Metal Archives, this compilation was released on July 10, 2007, on Fifty Three Five Records. This is Stryper back when they were called Roxx Regime. The Metal Archives shows that from 1980 to 1981 they were called Roxx. Then, from 1981 to 1983, they went by Roxx Regime, before finally changing their name to Stryper in 1983. On The Metal Archives, the demo is titled The Yellow and Black Attack! The lineup already featured the classic 1980s roster: Timothy Gaines on bass, Robert Sweet on drums, Oz Fox on guitars, and Michael Sweet on vocals and guitar. The site notes that "The songs of this demo reappear on Stryper's The Yellow and Black Attack! EP." Anyway, these songs sound exactly like Stryper! It sounds like a great demo. It would have been an impressive tape back then, and it clearly was, because it built the foundation for a heavy metal career that has lasted decades. I like!

1. From Wrong to Right 04:00 -- 2. My Love I'll Always Show (original rock version) 03:28 -- 3. Loud N Clear 03:42 -- 4. You Know What to Do 05:04 -- 5. You Won't Be Lonely 03:55 -- 6. Co'mon Rock 03:42 -- 7. Tank (Robert Sweet drum solo) -- 00:43 8. Honestly 04:05 -- total time 28:39

Roxx Regime - Loud N Clear

celebrating composer Carl Orff on his birthday

Carl Orff is one of the most well-known composers to metal fans! It's possible that some people don't know they already know Orff's music, but they do. Sepultura, Vital Remains, Iced Earth, Therion, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra —among who knows what other bands— have covered or used his music. I'm just mentioning the ones that I know for a fact, but above all, metal audiences know Orff's music because Ozzy Osbourne used it as the introduction to his concerts. Check out this biography from Wikipedia.

Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator who is best known for composing the cantata Carmina Burana and formulating concepts of his Schulwerk (lit. 'schoolwork'), which became influential for children's music education.

Born in Munich, Orff was raised in a military family that was fairly musical and later attended the Munich Academy of Music. After composing a number of Lieder and other orchestral works, he completed his Carmina Burana for voices and large orchestra in 1937, setting 24 poems from the medieval poetry collection of the same name. Its première was an immediate great success and Orff considered it the first time he had done exactly what he wanted. While the cantata's popularity continued to rise throughout and after World War II, Orff never received nearly as much recognition or attention for his later works like the latter two parts of his triptych Trionfi, of which Carmina Burana is the first instalment.

Orff was also an influential pedagogue who developed an approach (the "Orff Schulwerk") to teaching children, which is a collection of fundamental principles to ensure every child learns music, much like a new language, in a comfortable environment. It involves tools like elementary forms of instruments and specifically composed music (the original form of the Schulwerk).

Part of the Reichsmusikkammer, Orff's relationship with the Nazi Party has been analysed by many as he was considerably successful (musically and financially) under its rule and whose work was well-liked by contemporary critics. Having concealed his part-Jewish ancestry throughout his life, Orff underwent denazification and was rated "acceptable" by his evaluator who characterised him as a passive anti-Nazi. He went on to be granted an unrestricted license with no further prohibitions from public musical activities and continued to compose stage works and rework previous compositions up till his death in 1982.

CARL ORFF - André Rieu - O Fortuna (Carmina Burana - Carl Orff)

Therion - O Fortuna

Trans-Siberian Orchestra & Savatage: Carmina Burana (Wacken 2015)

remembering Dio on his birthday

Wikipedia shows that Ronnie James Dio was born on July 10, 1942:

Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell.

Dio's music career began in 1957 as part of the Vegas Kings (later Ronnie and the Rumblers). In 1967, he formed the rock band Elf, in which he sang and played bass. In 1975, Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore founded the band Rainbow and hired Dio as lead singer; during his tenure, the band released three studio albums. Dio quickly emerged as one of heavy rock's pre-eminent vocalists. In 1979, Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath's lead singer and appeared on three studio albums with the band, all three of which met with success: Heaven & Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and Dehumanizer (1992). In 1982, he left to form the band Dio, which itself had two albums certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2006, he founded the band Heaven & Hell with his prior Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice. In November 2009, Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died of the disease six months later.

Dio is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal vocalists of all time. He is known for popularizing the "devil horns" hand gesture in metal culture and his medieval-themed song lyrics. According to a version provided by the singer himself, the act derives directly from the classic Italian apotropaic gesture, which his grandmother often displayed. Dio had a powerful, versatile vocal range and was capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads. He was awarded the "Metal Guru Award" by Classic Rock Magazine in 2006. He was also named the "Best Metal Singer" at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2010 and ranked as the genre's best vocalist in 2013 by music journalist Sacha Jenkins.

Rainbow - Live in Munich 1977 Full Show

SKILLET RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR SINGLE "SCREAM"

I've been enjoying the new video from Skillet. The band has released the official music video for their new single, "Scream," directed by Josiah "JOSIAHx" Moore. The track marks the band's transition into operating as independent artists and features a mix of clean guitar melodies, heavy distortion, and electronic accents.

Frontman John Cooper stated that the song's themes focus on the volatility of modern social media culture and the desire to find meaning amid societal chaos. The release coincides with the announcement of the band's upcoming fall headlining run, the Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Comatose.

Skillet - Scream (Official Music Video)

celebrating the anniversary of Distorted Harmony's album Chain Reaction

Distorted Harmony: Chain Reaction - July 9th, 2014

1. Every Time She Smiles 06:49

2. Children of Red 05:13

3. Misguided 08:33

4. Nothing (but the Rain) 02:14

5. As One 05:52

6. Hollow 06:08

7. As You Go 03:13

8. Natural Selection 05:16

9. Methylene Blue 07:53

total time 51:11

I like this melodic-progressive metal album by this Israeli band. It balances heavy, complex polyrhythms and technical guitar work with melodic hooks. If you like the heavy-but-melodic approach in prog metal, then this album should be interesting. I definitely recommend it. The Metal Archives shows three albums, and this is the second one. The Metal Archives shows that they were active from 2009 to 2018.

Chain Reaction by Distorted Harmony

celebrating the anniversary of WAR OF AGES' video "Miles Apart"

The music video premiered on Jul 9, 2019.

War of Ages is a melodic death metal/metalcore band from Pennsylvania that started in 2002. They combine heavy metal rhythms with melodic guitar sounds. The 2019 song "Miles Apart" is about feeling lonely, broken, and far away from God. The lyrics describe a person who is struggling with their mistakes but finds strength and rescue through their faith. The music video matches the song by switching between two different settings. During the heavy parts of the song, it shows the band playing inside a dark, industrial room. During the melodic chorus, it shows wide-open views of mountains and nature to represent the feeling of distance. The music video for "Miles Apart" comes from the band's eighth studio album, titled Void. The album was released on September 13, 2019, through Facedown Records. It features eleven tracks and is known for its heavy, technical sound and emotional lyrics.

War of Ages - "Miles Apart" OFFICIAL VIDEO

celebrating the anniversary of My Heart to Fear's album Algorithm

My Heart to Fear - Algorithm - Solid State Records - July 9, 2013

Below is a music video from the album.

According to Wikipedia: "My Heart to Fear was an American metalcore band from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The band started making music in 2008, with lead vocalist Trevor Pool, lead guitarist Dale Upright, rhythm guitarist Brandon Vartenisian, bass guitarist Taylor Pool, and drummer Luke Brady. The band released one independently made album, Invictus, in 2009, along with two independent extended plays, A Ship Built to Sink, in 2010, and My Heart to Fear, in 2011. They signed with Solid State Records, where they released, Lost Between Brilliance and Insanity, an extended play, in 2012. Their first album, Algorithm, released by the label in 2013."

Wikipedia shows the following examples of the critical reception to the album:

Awarding the album three stars from Alternative Press, Jason Schreurs writes, "As is the case with the bulk of this musical style, the vocals bring it back down to a near-mediocre level." Bradley Zorgdrager, rating the album a five out of ten for Exclaim!, says, "Unfortunately, a lack of inspiration causes the songs to come undone, as many of the parts sound only like a means to get to the next." Giving the album four stars at About.com, Todd Lyons states, "everything binds together into one masterful meditation." Tim Dodderidge, indicating in an 8.5 out of ten review by Mind Equals Blown, writes, "From start to finish, My Heart to Fear’s debut full-length is an energetic, ferocious, cathartic and inspiring metal album."

Kevin Hoskins, giving the album three and a half stars for Jesus Freak Hideout, describes, "this is just metal done well ... but any hardcore fan will be digging this release all summer long." Awarding the album four and a half stars from HM Magazine, Sean Huncherick states, "One good thing about Algorithm is that the band realizes they don’t need to constantly play as fast as they can." Brody B., rating the album four star at Indie Vision Music, writes, "With a few minor tweaks here and there that could have made songs feel more fleshed out I would have had a hard time finding fault with this debut record."

My Heart To Fear "The Witching Hour Pt. II" Music Video

celebrating the anniversary of THE BURIAL's album In the Taking of Flesh

The Burial: In the Taking of Flesh - July 9, 2013 - Facedown Records 

In the Taking of Flesh is the 2013 final album by the band The Burial, which The Metal Archives describes as technical death metal/deathcore. It features death metal, shredding, speed, and heaviness! The lyrics look at the struggles between good and evil, human mistakes, and forgiveness. The Metal Archives shows no more music after this album. Here are three songs from the album.

THE BURIAL "Wretched Restless Forms"

The Burial - In the Taking of Flesh - In the Taking of Flesh: Diakonos

THE BURIAL "En-hakkore" Lyric Video

anniversary: Harry Potter black metal SLYTHERIN album A Tale We'll Tell of What Hath Been

This was the debut album by the Harry Potter-loving atmospheric black metal duo SLYTHERIN of Paul and Sirius from Los Angeles, California, USA, according to The Metal Archives.

Slytherin: A Tale We'll Tell of What Hath Been - July 9, 2020

1. Hogwarts Castle 06:15

2. Godric's Hollow 05:39

3. Chamber of Secrets (John Williams cover) 07:13

4. Salazar Slytherin 05:22

5. James and Lily 05:09

6. Sword of Gryffindor 06:42

7. Call of the Moon 06:09

total time 42:29

A reviewer on The Metal Archives likes the debut, but is not super impressed, and gives it a score of 75 out of 100:

The aptly named SLYTHERIN sits within a similar realm of atmospheric black metal to Lustre and Eldamar, creating elaborate soundscapes that place focus on ambience and texture above all. Thematically, the band bases itself on the Harry Potter novels, which is what really piqued my interest in the first place. In a genre saturated with countless bands basing their music on fantasy themes and various literary works, I’ve always been somewhat surprised at the lack of prevalent Potter metal. That being said, music set within the wizarding world faces a huge challenge due to the inevitable comparisons with the excellence of the film scores by John Williams. So, bursting onto the scene with debut full-length A Tale We’ll Tell Of What Hath Been…, can Slytherin conjure up success?

It might sound like I’ve grumbled a bit on this one, but ultimately I think there’s some fantastic potential here. Slytherin nail it with a unique theme and aesthetic, and there are some magnificent and truly stirring melodies on display. With a worthy mix and time spent on perfecting and presenting lyrics and song structures, these guys could be a big name in the future. As it stands, I’m hopeful but not blown away; if I had been, I might have gotten this review out a bit quicker.

A Tale We'll Tell Of What Hath Been... by Slytherin

in memory of Motörhead guitarist Würzel

The following is the Wikipedia biography for Würzel:

Michael Richard Burston (23 October 1949 – 9 July 2011), commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician who played professionally for three decades. He played guitar in British rock band Motörhead from 1984 to 1995, playing on six studio albums and two live albums. Würzel died at the age of 61, following heart complications.

Before joining Motörhead in 1984, Würzel had been a corporal in the British Army, serving in Germany and Northern Ireland with the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, and had played in the bands Bastard and Warfare. In the early 1980s, Würzel played in a Cheltenham-based band, originally named Made in England, then The Meek. He joined another relatively unknown guitarist, Phil Campbell, at a Motörhead audition; both were hired. The new four-piece line-up made its debut recording a backing track for The Young Ones on 14 February 1984. Würzel also played on the Lemmy-produced album for Warfare entitled Metal Anarchy in 1985.

He acquired the nickname 'Würzel' whilst in the Army, being compared to the character Worzel Gummidge owing to his scarecrow-style hair and bumpkin-like manner. Motörhead singer Lemmy encouraged Würzel to add an umlaut to the 'U' in his nickname, for heavy metal effect.

Würzel saw a number of changes to the band's line-up, each involving the drummer, until he left in 1995. Although he played on the album Sacrifice, Würzel left Motörhead before the tour. Instead of replacing him, the band reverted to a three-piece line-up. He later made a few guest appearances with them, at the 2008 Download Festival and at the 2009 Guilfest, as well as a few other appearances on the band's 2008 UK tour.

Würzel recorded his first solo EP, Bess, in 1987; it was not far removed from the Motörhead sound, but also allowed for slightly different ideas. The EP included the instrumental title track, two rock pieces, "Midnight in London" and "People Say I'm Crazy", and an instrumental jazz rock-oriented track, "E.S.P.".

In 1998, inspired by psychedelically-informed experiences in Belgium, Würzel recorded and released an ambient, improvised avant-garde album entitled Chill Out or Die.

On 9 July 2011, Tim Butcher, longtime bass technician of Motörhead leader Lemmy, reported that Würzel had died. The cause of death was ventricular fibrillation triggered by cardiomyopathy. Before he died, Würzel was working on new material with his new band, Leader of Down, who had previously announced the release of their debut single for early 2010. The following day, Lemmy dedicated Motörhead's performance at Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth to his memory.

Motörhead – Killed By Death (Official Video)

celebrating the anniversary of Soul Embraced's album Mythos

Soul Embraced: Mythos - July 9, 2013 - Rottweiler Records

Bandcamp and The Metal Archives show that July 9, 2013, is the release date for this fifth album by Soul Embraced.

Formed as a death metal project by multi-instrumentalist Rocky Gray and drummer Lance Garvin (both from Living Sacrifice), Soul Embraced emerged from Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S., with a blend of technical thrash and melodic death metal, beginning with The Fleshless EP in 1999. The debut full-length album, For the Incomplete, was released in 2001 and featured several tracks carried over from their debut EP. Two more studio albums were released quickly: This Is My Blood in 2002, and Immune in 2003, establishing a signature style of complex, intricate guitar riffs with crushing rhythms and intense, growl-screamed vocal delivery. They returned in 2008 with their fourth full-length album, Dead Alive. Their fifth full-length, Mythos, was released in 2013. The Metal Archives shows no more information after 2013.

In my opinion, Mythos sounds like American grooving thrash death, probably closest to death metal, or an intense form of melodic, thrashing death metal. In certain places, there is technicality and groove, too, but it's never technical death metal nor groove metal per se. Instead, it is headbanging, marching-forward, hard-driving metal music.

Soul Embraced — Mythos https://soulembraced.bandcamp.com/album/mythos

Mythos by Soul Embraced

Volubilis - progressive extreme metal from Canada

Volubilis: Theasterion - out on 10 July 2026

Volubilis is a technical death metal band from Montreal, Canada. Multi-instrumentalist Miguel Marcheterre-Pina started the project in 2020 as a solo bedroom endeavor. It later expanded into a full five-piece band with the addition of André Dubien, Jacob Collins, Alexis Rioux, and Shawn Hillman. The band's debut full-length album, Theasterion, follows their 2025 single "Ashes & Embers." The record introduces a sci-fi storyline written by Miguel, using heavy, distorted music to tell the concept. Musically, the album features blast beats, harsh vocals, and melodic harmonies.

Listen to the song "Ashes & Embers" on Bandcamp.

IRON SLAUGHT speed metal from France

Speed metal Frenchmen Iron Slaught return with their second full-length album, Metallic Torments, via Gates Of Hell Records on July 10, 2026. The album comes 11 years after the band's debut album and eight years after their split project with Tentation. Formed in 2011 in Southwest France, Iron Slaught plays a style of metal rooted in traditional heavy music, but packed with speed and thrash elements. For this new record, they have cranked up the aggression by adding harsher black and death metal influences to their sound. The album is built on sharp guitar riffs, heavy bass lines, and programmed drums that perfectly balance fast, intense energy with epic melodies.

Two songs from the album are available now on Bandcamp.

Metallic Torments by IRON SLAUGHT

DYSGNOSTIC (Denmark) - The Black Sun OFFICIAL VIDEO

According to The Metal Archives, the technical death metal band Dysgnostic [Denmark; 2008-2021 (as Defilementory), 2021-present] will unleash its second album End Whispers on July 10, 2026, on Transcending Obscurity Records, which describes the music as "hypnotic dissonant death metal." Sometimes when you see the word "dissonant" you know that the music could potentially get sideways crazy. In this case, though, while it is certainly not simplistic old-school chugging riffs, I find that the music still has an abundance of headbanging metal music energy, which is great because that's what I want. When listening to this album, I don't necessarily want to be reaching for my Texas Instruments Scientific Calculator in order to figure out the equations and prime factorization taking place in the songwriting. For that, I thank you, gentlemen of Dysgnostic.

DYSGNOSTIC (Denmark) - The Black Sun OFFICIAL VIDEO (Dissonant Death Metal) Transcending Obscurity

End Whispers by DYSGNOSTIC

As Oceans Divide - World Collapse (Official Lyric Video)

"World Collapse" is the most recent and the third song from the July 9, 2026 debut EP from Canadian metalcore band As Oceans Divide. The EP will have five songs. Here is the YouTube lyric video and also the Bandcamp link where you can support the band if you like their metalcore. I think fans of Killswitch Engage may enjoy this music!

As Oceans Divide - World Collapse (Official Lyric Video)

Self-Titled by As Oceans Divide

As Oceans Divide – White Noise (Official Lyric Video)

On July 9, 2026 Canadian metalcore band As Oceans Divide will issue their self-titled EP. According to the information on Bandcamp, this EP is their debut. This song right here "White Noise" is the second song on the five-song EP.

As Oceans Divide – White Noise (Official Lyric Video)

Fading into silence, drowning in the sound

Echoes of the violence, pulling me down

Shadows in the static, whispering my name

Every breath is panic, driving me insane

I hear it calling, the voice in my head

White noise screaming, am I already dead?

Drown me out, let me fade away

Static in my veins, I can't escape

White noise, tearing through my brain

I'm breaking, I'm breaking—I'm lost in the waves

Bleeding through the speakers, venom in the air

Can't erase the memory, it's too much to bear

Shattered like a mirror, cracks across my soul

I'm a ghost inside my body, losing all control

I feel it crawling, under my skin

White noise raging, pulling me in

Drown me out, let me fade away

Static in my veins, I can't escape

White noise, tearing through my brain

I'm breaking, I'm breaking—I'm lost in the waves

I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

The sound is deafening!

It's suffocating me!

Drowning, screaming, I CAN'T BREATHE!

Drown me out, let me fade away

Static in my veins, I can't escape

White noise, tearing through my brain

I'm breaking, I'm breaking—I'm lost in the waves

"White Noise" is the

As Oceans Divide – White Noise (Official Lyric Video)

Self-Titled by As Oceans Divide

As Oceans Divide – Into The Dying Light (Official Lyric Video)

As Oceans Divide – Into The Dying Light (Official Lyric Video)

This is the debut single from the July 9, 2026 self-titled EP by Canadian metalcore newcomers As Oceans Divide.

ABOUT THE BAND: As Oceans Divide, forged from years of friendship and a shared legacy in Canadian metal, is a new heavy force rising out of Ontario, Canada. Featuring members with roots in recognized acts such as Bloodshoteye, Aquila, Odium, and Battlesoul, the band brings together a lineup of seasoned musicians whose combined history gives their sound undeniable weight and authenticity.

Blending soaring melody with crushing rhythms, As Oceans Divide channels the heart of early 2000s metalcore through a modern lens. Their music moves effortlessly between harmonized guitars, driving mid-tempo anthems, and high-intensity metalcore assaults, all anchored by the dynamic power of vocalist Tom Emmans, the precision of drummer Matt McGuire, the creative foundation of guitarist Eric Camilleri, and the technical mastery of guitarist/producer Thomas Ireland. The result is a sound that is as emotional as it is aggressive, built on experience rather than imitation.

Their upcoming debut release showcases a band with relentless ambition and a clear musical identity, explosive, melodic, and unfiltered. With no interest in boundaries or trends, As Oceans Divide stands poised to carve out their own space, delivering music fueled by brotherhood, history, and two decades of dedication to the craft. This is a band built to leave a mark, and they’re only just getting started.

INTO THE DYING LIGHT

They call, they call my name I feel the weight, the endless pain.

Shadows stretch across my soul, As I prepare to lose control.

Time is slipping, fading fast, I see the echoes of my past. Regrets like chains, they drag me down, But I refuse to hit the ground!

I see the light, its growing near, No more pain, no more fear.

I walk into the dying light, with open arms, I face the night. No remorse, no turning back, I let go and fade to black.

Heartbeats slow, the air is thin, I hear the voices call again. Are they angels? Are they ghosts? Or just illusions I fear the most?

Falling deeper, losing sight, I see the echoes of my past. Regrets like chains, they drag me down, But I refuse to hit the ground!

I see the light, its growing near, No more pain, no more fear.

I walk into the dying light, with open arms, I face the night. No remorse, No turning back, I let go and fade to black.

Heartbeats slow, the air is thin, I hear the voices call again. Are they angels? Are they ghosts? Or just illusions I fear the most?

Falling deeper, losing sight, But I will fight with all my might! If this is death, I wont kneel, I will make my spirit real!

Face the dark! Feel no pain! One last breath! Break these chains! I wont fade! I wont kneel! I! STILL! FEEL!

I won’t break, I won’t heal, On the ground when I break down from all of this.

If this is the end, let me be free, take my soul, let it bleed. Through the fire, through the fall, I will transcend it all

I walk into the dying light, with open arms, I face the night. No remorse, no turning back, I let go and fade to black. I walk into the dying light, with open arms, I face the night. No remorse, no turning back, I let go and fade to black.

As Oceans Divide – Into The Dying Light (Official Lyric Video)

Self-Titled by As Oceans Divide

celebrating the anniversary of Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction

The Metal Archives shows July 8, 1992 as the Japan release date for Countdown to Extinction.

Wikipedia says, in part:

It was the group's second studio release to feature the "classic" lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza, with all of them contributing to songwriting on the album. The album features some of the band's best known songs such as "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets", and "Skin o' My Teeth", which enjoyed significant chart success and made a great musical impact.

Countdown to Extinction received positive reviews from music critics, who noted its politically oriented lyrics and simplified sound in comparison to their previous record. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 2, making it the band's highest charting album up until the release of their final studio album, Megadeth. It eventually achieved double platinum status and became their most commercially successful album. The record was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards, while the album's title track won the Humane Society's Genesis Award for raising awareness for animal rights issues.

In 2012, in recognition of the album's 20th anniversary, Megadeth kicked off a 20th anniversary tour in South America, playing the album in its entirety. In addition, a 20th anniversary special edition of the album was released in November 2012, and a live album featuring a performance of the full album was released in September 2013.

Megadeth - Architecture Of Aggression