Caleb Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. Beartooth began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, he self-produced a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession. The Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. Bewildered, nearly destroyed, and determined to exorcise his demons once and for all, Caleb laid everything bare. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound, and spirit. As the frontman hit 30, Beartooth’s fifth album, The Surface, completed this era in 2023. Even more importantly, it began a new chapter filled with surprising optimism and just as much honesty. There’s a sick, disgusting, aggressive disease below the surface. Caleb stood ready to bask in the light. The Surface debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative and Hard Music charts and No. 2 on the Current Album Sales, Current Rock Albums, and Vinyl Albums charts. “Might Love Myself” and “I Was Alive” went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Airplay and Mediabase charts. “I Was Alive” was the No. 6 most played song on Rock Radio, and Beartooth was the No. 8th most played artist. A singular theme above all others ran throughout Beartooth’s first four albums, and it was, for lack of a better term, depression. “I was stuck in a cycle, not knowing how to get healthy,” Caleb says reflectively. “Beartooth was this visceral, violent outlet where I could say whatever I wanted, no matter how dark, brutal, and abysmal. It was there for me to say it and let it out. What drew people to it was that I spoke so candidly. I never thought I’d write this record, an album where I’m starting to get better, figure out what this all means to me, and what I want to do with my life. It’s terrifying.” Rolling Stone first heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. “Caleb Shomo is one of his generation’s most remarkable songwriters,” Kerrang! observed. The rabid response to Caleb’s music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. It’s a testament to the purity of intention manifested by the multi-instrumentalist from the start. “Sick and Disgusting were made right before I turned 20. I’d quit my previous band and started dealing with serious mental health issues,” Shomo remembers. “I’d been hurt and burned so much by my first run I didn’t know if I could handle it anymore. I figured I’d become a producer and writer; this would be a side thing. That attitude is how Beartooth became what it did. Before I was signed or knew this would be a real thing, I made that first record truly for myself. I carry that mentality into every album. When you look back at them, each is a story about what I went through at the time.” Like Nine Inch Nails, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. Following the introductory Sick EP (2013), Disgusting (2014) produced BEARTOOTH’s first platinum single, “In Between.” Aggressive (2016) and Disease (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to balancing the blood and tears of classic hard rock with the shimmer of modernity. Over the years, Caleb recruited a formidable live line-up: bassist Oshie Bichar (since 2014), guitarists Zach Huston and Will Deely, and drummer Connor Denis. Steadily, without pretension, BEARTOOTH perfected a sound and attitude sought by a generation of bands: equal parts solitary head trip and celebratory exorcism. Their marriage of colossally catchy choruses and post-hardcore-soaked-in-sweaty metal is without rival. Its effect is evident by their deeply engaged audience, tours with Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, and A Day To Remember, and that platinum-certified single. As the band grew (grabbing trophies at genre events like the Golden Gods and Loudwire Awards), the raw nerve became more exposed, sounding wilder yet more accessible simultaneously. Below (2021) topped the Rock, Hard Music, and Alternative charts and found its way into Best Rock/Metal Albums of the Year lists assembled by Revolver, Rock Sound, Kerrang!, Loudwire, and Knotfest.com. The Surface began a mental and physical redemption arc for Beartooth’s frontman. “I was on a warpath and incredibly self-destructive when Below came out,” he admits. “The record was gnarly, heavy, and the most negative collection of songs I ever wanted to make in my life. I never want to create something so gruesome and self-deprecating again. There’s not an ounce of hope within it.” One obstacle Caleb recognized was alcohol. He quit drinking in December 2021 and wrote “Riptide” a week later. Seasonal affective disorder was another thorn in his side. So, he relocated to LA and wrote “The Better Me,” “The Surface,” and “Sunshine” in the Sunshine State. “These were crucial songs that sparked my understanding of how powerful it can be to write about the positive things going on in my life,” he recalls of the spring 2022 sessions. “It’s a continuation of what I’ve always done, to be honest about what’s going on. I knew there was more in me than what I’d already put into the world, that I could be stronger and better in control of my life.” The music still exorcises confusion and anger, most notably in “Look the Other Way” and “What’s Killing You,” which confront the young musician’s first significant loss: his grandfather’s death. “I Was Alive” originated from their last conversation. It’s a fitting summary of The Surface and continues a tradition of powerful album closers. “The most important thing about this record is the way it finishes. Beartooth fans know the last song on an album is usually very gnarly, distilling what the whole record means,” Caleb says. “I won’t listen to ‘Sick and Disgusting’ from the first album, nor play it live, because it’s just too hard to hear. It perfectly described the pain, confusion, hurt, and embarrassment I felt and how I wanted to hide away from everything and figure it out. It was me, a kid, screaming bloody murder in his basement.” “King of Anything,” which closes Aggressive, is the sound of burnout. “We had this successful first album that part of me kind of hated,” he says. “I made this super personal thing that wasn’t intended for many people to hear, let alone connect with. I didn’t understand what happened. But records were selling, tours were coming, and the business was moving. As I came to terms with how this therapeutic emotional outlet now consumed my life, as a job, while still my passion, I was in denial.” “Clever” finished off Disease with a desperate bit of self-realization. “I can throw all the money, studios, talent, and amazing people at this project, but at the end of the day, Beartooth will still be me bluntly saying I have serious issues I’m not dealing with, and I’m just trying to survive. I’m trying, but it’s still not working. This animal I’ve created is completely consuming me, and I cannot control it.” By the time Caleb hit the end of Below, he was so emotionally spent he couldn’t even summon the words to sum it all up. “The Last Riff” was the culmination of everything he’d gone through, distilled into one instrumental sonic landscape intended to explain the pain he felt musically, if not lyrically. His last conversation with his late grandfather brought a newfound purpose to the whole endeavor. “I would never have expected a song like ‘I Was Alive’ to be the one that closes out my twenties, the first chapter of this crazy thing I set out to do where every two years I make a solo record describing what I’ve been through, where I’m at, what I’m hungry for, and what I’m chasing,” he marvels. “The four closers on the previous records were just pain. Now I’m exclaiming very openly and honestly that I want to live a life I’m proud of so that when I die, I’ll know I did what I set out to do.” The Surface is genuinely a different animal than the BEARTOOTH of before. The other records were about hanging on for dear life. The Surface is a declaration that Caleb is ready to go all the way. “Going all the way for me is knowing that I gave 100 percent effort toward doing what I love. And what I love is playing rock music the best I can, singing and dancing, and having fun before I’m gone.” BEARTOOTH began as both bomb and balm, an outright refusal to suffer in silence. The songs weaponize radio-ready bombast to deliver raw emotion mixed with noise-rock chaos. Other bands play the “devastating riffs and catchy hooks” game, but this music is the difference between life and death, and now, a sort of life after death while still here. The band Forbes once confidently declared is “inching towards a tipping point of becoming the latest arena headliner” and is one step closer.

Self-made, self-defined and walking a path that’s entirely their own, I Prevail are ready to embrace their True Power. Since first joining forces in the Metro Detroit area back in the summer of 2013, key songwriters Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals) and Steve Menoian (guitar) have made an immense impact on the world of alternative music. Involved in every aspect of their band from day one, they built a grassroots fanbase through DIY touring, as well as reaching out directly to listeners across the globe, before launching into the kind of meteoric rise that few artists ever experience. “We were just these three kids wanting to write songs and live out our dream,” laughs Brian. “I was working at Dominos, Eric worked at IHOP, and initially we were in our rehearsal space for a year and a half getting this thing together while still working those jobs.“ From the hard-hitting, genre-defying introduction that was 2014’s “Heart vs. Mind EP” to 2016’s powerful debut album “Lifelines”, I Prevail quickly became one of rock’s biggest breakthrough bands. Then, 2019’s “Trauma” took things to a whole new level. Born from incredibly challenging and dark times, it was both a cathartic work of art and an unmistakable statement of intent – showing that no matter what, they’d be playing by their own rules. “Trauma was a very reflective record,” Brian notes. “I’d struggled with a major vocal injury and had been wondering whether I wanted to continue doing this thing at all. Eric had also lost his best friend over that same time, so there was a lot of heartache behind it. After taking that trauma and figuring out how to channel it, you find this sense of newfound confidence and an ability to grow as a person: to become truly yourself.” Rising to an arena level and receiving two Grammy Nominations - Best Rock Album for Trauma, and Best Metal Performance for their single, Bow Down - I Prevail proved that they were built to last. To date they’ve racked up more than 1.5 billion streams in the United States, drawn upwards of 350 million YouTube views, and saw their single, Hurricane, top Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 2020: officially the top song on US rock radio at the time. A number of their song have now been certified Gold and Platinum. Meanwhile in the live realm they’ve become an ever-greater draw, launching major worldwide tours. With the new full-length album, True Power, they’re running with that energy: revealing an album designed to stand the test of time and empower their fans like never before. “We’ve been grinding non-stop on this record since the summer of 2020, and it really shows us as the band we want to be,” smiles Brian. “We took a ‘no rules’ mentality to songwriting, the songs are as diverse as they’ve ever been. The first song on the record is called There’s Fear In Letting Go, and that became a huge mantra for us. Yeah, it can be scary letting go of things, but it can also help you take back everything that’s yours: which is exactly what we’ve done on this album.” With Trauma producer Tyler Smyth behind the desk once again and Jon Eberhard collaborating on songwriting elements, they’re showcasing their true selves over these songs. “This band was created by us, but for years we had a lot of snakes trying to get their hands in and mess with our process. This time around, we took over and did things the way we wanted. With the help of our label president, Andy Serrao, and our manager Dominic Mackie, the recording process has never been this smooth. We’ve been empowered, and we want to empower our fans to go, ‘I can accomplish whatever I want to.’ We’ve gone from day jobs to playing huge shows, we’ve released our trauma and turned it into true power both personally and musically, so we’re out here showing that it’s possible.” “This album is us going all-out, embracing a no-fucks-given approach, and I think it’s going to transcend what we’ve done before, to put us in a whole new space.”

Formed in Byron Bay in 2003, Parkway Drive have established themselves as a force in the world of heavy music with a remarkable discography and a global reputation. Their eight studio albums, all released with Epitaph, include Don’t Close Your Eyes (2004), Killing with a Smile (2005), Horizons (2007), Deep Blue (2010), Atlas (2012), IRE (2015), Reverence (2018), and Darker Still (2022). The latest album, Darker Still, achieved significant chart success, landing at #5 in Germany and Switzerland, #7 in Austria, #11 in Belgium, #2 on the UK Rock & Metal Chart, and #4 on the US Current Hard Rock Music Album Chart. In Australia, Darker Still marked Parkway Drive's third consecutive #1 album on the ARIA Chart and earned them the 2023 ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album. The album represents a milestone for the band, reflecting the vision that frontman Winston McCall and his bandmates—guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O'Connor, and drummer Ben Gordon—have nurtured since their early days in 2003. 2023 celebrated Parkway Drive’s 20-year anniversary, a period during which they transformed from metal underdogs into a global festival headliner. Their journey is highlighted by seven critically and commercially acclaimed albums, six of which have achieved Gold status in Australia, three documentaries, one live album, and countless live performances. The band’s live performances are legendary, known for their high energy and spectacular production. Parkway Drive's shows, which have sold out arenas and left festival audiences in awe, include headlining appearances at Wacken, Good Things Festival, and So What?! Festival, as well as sharing stages with metal giants like Metallica, Lamb Of God, Soulfly, and Killswitch Engage. In September 2024, Parkway Drive marked their 20th anniversary with their largest Australian headline tour to date, playing to sold-out crowds in arenas across the country. The tour featured a world first experience with the band’s largest production to date, making it a fitting tribute to their two-decade rise to metal greatness.

Right before the turn of the century, casual jam sessions between a group of friends unassumingly lit the fuse for an insane 25-year ride to follow… Hailing from Western Massachusetts (where the only thing icier than the freeway in winter is the blunt sense of humor shared by the locals), Killswitch Engage — Adam Dutkiewicz [guitar], Joel Stroetzel [guitar], Mike D’Antonio [bass], Justin Foley [drums], and Jesse Leach [vocals] — always stood apart. For as deadly serious as their airtight technical riffing is, they also knew how to have a good time, riling up crowds with uncontainable energy and unpredictable performances. They could bludgeon with the best of them or serve up the kind of sing-along banger you could blast with the windows down. From day one, they naturally appealed to the headbangers, hardcore kids, and heartbroken alike. In 2002, Alive Or Just Breathing sent shockwaves through the culture, claiming a spot on Decibel’s “The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.” They generated north of 3 billion streams and picked up gold and platinum plaques for The End of Heartache and As Day Light Dies respectively. They notably received three GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Metal Performance” and cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a trio of consecutive releases: Killswitch Engage [2009], Disarm The Descent [2013], and Incarnate [2016]. Meanwhile, 2019’s Atonement represented a critical high watermark with praise from Forbes, Revolver, and NME who christened it “one of the most engaged and exciting records that Killswitch has ever made.” The guys have not only packed houses on repeated successful headline tours across the globe, but they have consistently held their own sharing bills with acts from Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Slayer to My Chemical Romance, Rise Against, and Coheed & Cambria. However, Killswitch Engage harness all of their strengths on their ninth full-length LP, This Consequence [Metal Blade Records]. They’ve distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work. “Making this record lit a fire under my ass and made me rethink everything,” admits Jesse. “It had to be next level. It had to be different enough for people to really recognize we’re putting forth an effort—or what’s the point of doing this? There was no repeating ourselves. It was very carefully planned out and passionately written. It sounds like Killswitch, yet there’s also a fresh spirit to it.” This time around, the group emphasized working together face-to-face in a Massachusetts rehearsal spot. The process enabled them to apply the pressure on every element. At the collective urging of his bandmates, Jesse poured over his words like never before. “We pushed him to do more vocal demos and were super tough on him,” recalls Adam. “He was so open to feedback though, and he definitely got the lyrics right. I love it when he and I are face-to-face, and ideas are flying around. We work especially well together when we’re in the heat of the moment. All of the demoing made for a better record, and there was so much communication between all of the band members.” “It felt like everyone put a ton of effort into this,” Mike adds. “It’s the first time since Alive Or Just Breathing that we really hashed everything out together in the same room. It was a combined effort, and there are even some things you’ve never heard from Killswitch.” Jesse culled inspiration from “hours on Thesaurus.com,” reading as many books as possible, and interacting with fans on the road in between. He confesses, “I found my voice again.” “I never considered myself to be a part of mainstream society,” he goes on. “I’ve always been in the middle. To me, this record is about the consequences of our actions as humans as we engage in war, hatred, division, and falling in line with control. History repeats itself. We’re going to have to answer for our actions—whether it’s how we treat the earth or each other. There will be an uprising and a backlash from nature. Cause-and-effect is a driving theme. We will face a consequence.” The first single “Forever Aligned” finds the band firing on all cylinders. Jesse’s growl weighs heavy on a galloping beat and dual-guitar battering ram. The barrage breaks like a wave on a chantable chorus, “It’s you, I find, forever in my mind, we are aligned,” giving way to a melodic bridge laced with a hummable lead line. “When you find someone who won’t give up on you, forge a friendship, or have a family member who makes you a better person, you realize what love actually is,” notes the frontman. “I think true love is far beyond human comprehension. We have glimpses of it, but we’ll never grasp it. When you’re striving to be filled with love, it’s a selfless path. It’s a spiritual connection; it transcends life and death. The energy of love moves on eternally, so you’re forever aligned with who you love.” “Even with all of the brutality, the hook is right up there with some of our best,” smiles Mike. “We felt like it was the perfect song to introduce this chapter and show we’re ready to go.” “Aftermath” illuminates the dynamics of This Consequence. A lightly picked intro bleeds into the wail of guitar as epic drums boom. It kicks into high gear towards a hypnotic refrain, “We’re reeling from the aftermath, still bleeding from the damage of the past,” as Jesse declares, “This is the consequence.” “If you’ve ever dealt with depression, one day you wake up and have this revelation, ‘I’m going to be okay. This is a new day’,” he goes on. “You get this injection of hope and think, ‘I got through this. How do I move forward]?’ ‘Aftermath’ is simply about finding yourself again and healing from all that you went through.” Following the face-ripping “Where It Dies” and towering catharsis of “I Believe,” the vital and vitriolic “Collusion” confronts corruption at its ancient roots. Jesse laments, “It’s a world in collusion.” “The powers-that-be use manipulation to control the masses,” he sighs. “It goes back to even the Roman Empire. There are all of these tricky secret handshakes and backroom deals. I’d rather be pessimistic and questioning than gullible and rolling with it. Dig a little deeper and read between the lines.” Then, there’s “Broken Glass.” It may be one of the unabashedly and uncompromisingly heavy compositions in the Killswitch catalog. It crawls along on a nail-scraping stomp anchored by a thick riff and guttural scream. “I’m most stoked on ‘Broken Glass’,” says Adam. “It definitely doesn’t sound like anything we’ve ever done before.” “It’s a metaphor,” reveals Jesse. “A liar’s words will cut you like broken glass. I’m sure anybody who has lived through the breakdown of a family or a relationship can relate to the images of shattered windows or smashed alcohol bottles. We don’t realize how deep abuse can run in our blood and affect us.” Now, This Consequence might just set the stage for another 25 years of Killswitch Engage. “This band is still just a group of friends who get together and play music—but to some of the biggest crowds we could’ve ever imagined,” Mike leaves off. “Even after all of this time, there’s a lot of love being thrown around.” “The goal is to make the fans happy,” concludes Adam. “When you come to a show, it’s about fun. I love the connection we have. If the crowd is having a good time, we’re having a good time. This record is for everybody who has been with us for all of these years.” “The world is in a dark place, but we’re going to get through this,” grins Jesse. “Music has always been a light in the darkness when I feel like all hope is lost. Certain albums came along at the right time and saved me. We are giving everything we have, because it’s all we got. We have a chance to take Killswitch to another level. That excitement is like fuel. We have everything to prove and nothing to prove, because we are right where we need to be.” – Rick Florino, October 2024 BOILER Right before the turn of the century, casual jam sessions between a group of friends unassumingly lit the fuse for an insane 25-year ride to follow. Hailing from Western Massachusetts (where the only thing icier than the freeway in winter is the blunt sense of humor shared by the locals), Killswitch Engage — Adam Dutkiewicz [guitar], Joel Stroetzel [guitar], Mike D’Antonio [bass], Justin Foley [drums], and Jesse Leach [vocals] — always stood apart. For as deadly serious as their airtight technical riffing is, they also knew how to have a good time, riling up crowds with uncontainable energy and unpredictable performances. They could bludgeon with the best of them or serve up the kind of sing-along banger you could blast with the windows down. From day one, they naturally appealed to the headbangers, hardcore kids, and heartbroken alike. In 2002, Alive Or Just Breathing sent shockwaves through the culture, landing on Decibel’s “The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.” Generated 3 billion-plus streams, they picked up gold and platinum plaques for The End of Heartache and As Day Light Dies respectively. They received three GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Metal Performance” and cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a trio of consecutive releases]. 2019’s Atonement represented a critical high watermark with praise from Forbes, Revolver, and NME who christened it “one of the most engaged and exciting records that Killswitch has ever made.” The guys packed houses on headline tours and held their own sharing bills with acts from Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Slayer to My Chemical Romance, Rise Against, and Coheed & Cambria. Killswitch Engage harness all of their strengths on their ninth full-length LP, This Consequence [Metal Blade Records]. They’ve distilled the hallmarks of their signature sound into a bruising, often brutal, and at times brilliantly bright body of work.

Since emerging in 2008 with their debut Severed Ties, Australian powerhouse The Amity Affliction have consistently delivered. They've tallied over a billion streams worldwide, clocked four No. 1 records, have earned multiple Gold and Platinum certifications in their home country, and enjoyed a string of Top 30-charting albums on Billboard. They've also received critical accolades from Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, The Noise, and more. Throughout their career, The Amity Affliction have remained a featured attraction on some of the biggest festivals in the world — from Download UK, Reading and Leeds, Vans Warped Tour, Rock am Ring, Rock im park, Graspop, Sonic Temple, Welcome to Rockville, Hellfest, Slam Dunk, Jera on Air, and more. The band has sold out countless headline treks and have hit the road with everyone from A Day to Remember to Motionless in White to Silverstein to Sum 41 to Beartooth to PVRIS. Their last album Not Without My Ghosts arrived in Spring 2023. In 2024, The Amity Affliction celebrated the 10th anniversary of their landmark album ‘Let the Ocean Take Me’ with the release of the re-recorded edition ‘Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)’.

The Devil Wears Prada have been consistently delivering since forming in 2005. Fans voted 2009's seminal With Roots Above and Branches Below one of the 5 Greatest Metalcore Albums in a Revolver poll, with the magazine christening it "a true metalcore landmark." The group has notched six consecutive Top 5 debuts on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart, including Dead Throne [2011], 8:18 [2013], Space EP [2015], Transit Blues [2016], The Act [2019], and ZII EP [2021]. The latter served as a sequel to one of their most beloved projects — 2010's Zombie EP. In the wake of the EP, the group exceeded a-quarterof- a-billion cumulative streams and views. During 2021, the musicians decamped to remote hideaways together in Wisconsin and Desert Hot Springs, California. This time around, Jon took the reins as producer, collaborating closely to assemble a rich sonic architecture for what would become Color Decay.

In the ever-evolving sonic landscape of Alpha Wolf, their music transforms like a shapeshifting beast, defying expectations and breaking through boundaries with the weight of wrecking-ball dynamics and captivating off-kilter hooks. The Australian quintet—Scottie Simpson [guitar], Sabian Lynch [guitar], Lochie Keogh [lead vocals], John Arnold [bass], and Mitch Fogarty [drums]—maintains their intensity on their third full-length offering, Half Living Things [SHARPTONE]. “We never want to write the same album twice,” explains Scottie. “Half Living Things is still heavy, but we’re venturing into new territory. Lochie sounds like a force of nature on this too. We considered the live show more than ever, creating parts specifically for crowd involvement. These songs are built to ignite the stage.” With a decade of sparking visceral reactions from audiences, Alpha Wolf crashed into the Top 30 of the ARIA Albums Chart with Mono [2017] and followed up with the Fault EP two years later. A Quiet Place To Die [2020] debuted at #6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, earning a nomination for “Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album” at the ARIA Awards. KERRANG! rated it “4-out-of-5 stars,” and Hysteria hailed it as “a mosh-worthy record that puts high hopes on the band’s future.” Distorted Sound called it “one of the great extreme/hardcore records of recent memory.” Their journey included North American tours with Motionless In White and Knocked Loose and a performance at KNOTFEST Australia alongside Slipknot, Parkway Drive, Megadeth, and more. In 2023, they meticulously crafted Half Living Things, self-producing and weaving together a visceral vision after years on the road. The album title perfectly encapsulates their state of being. On the album’s essence Lochie comments, “There can be no inner conflict without the constant tug of war between desire and disdain, the things you want versus the things you need, or the things that make you feel alive against the parts of it that do not. You cannot grow new parts without leaving the dead ones behind. You cannot be settled until you have truly known the opposite. Find out what makes you tick and just keep running around the clock until you're happy enough to die.” The album kicks off with the neck-snapping chug of the opener and first single, “Bring Back The Noise,” where gnashing harmonics and Lochie’s high-pitched screams punctuate waves of distortion. Scottie grins, “The lyrics fit how we perform live. The more we tour, the more fun we have on stage. ‘Bring Back The Noise’ encapsulates everything we are.” “Sucks 2 Suck” hinges on a head-nodding groove, giving way to a bludgeoning bounce on the bridge. Lochie, the vocalist, adds depth to the track with his perspective, “It's about biting back at anyone saying you didn't work hard for the shit you have. If you had the ethic and tenacity, you'd have it too, but you suck so you don't.” The legendary rapper Ice-T pulls up with a vibrantly venomous verse, and in his instantly recognizable delivery, he warns, “You coming for me? You gotta come better than that!” “It’s the perfect crossover of hip-hop and metalcore,” Scottie goes on. “We decided to shoot for the stars and reach out to Ice-T. We gave him no reference, but he did exactly what we were hoping for! It’s classic. “Whenever You’re Ready” unfolds with an airy haze, leading to an ominous beat and climaxing in a cathartic melodic chorus, “Breakdown if you want to, you can stay inside if you need to.” “It’s about losing someone you love,” notes Scottie. “Musically, it’s a different song for us. We’re pushing boundaries and exploring new directions.” “Mangekyō” delivers a sonic beatdown with guitars and rhythms in lockstep, while Half Living Things concludes on an epic note with “Ambivalence.” Cinematic keys underlie somber vocal transmissions as trudging distortion amplifies a final exorcism carried by a choir of friends from various bands. “I love the big anthemic vibe at the end,” Scottie says. “It’s unique for us. Having all of our buddies on one song made the closing feel special too.” In their own terms, Alpha Wolf continues to progress, and Scottie leaves off with a message: “We hope it connects. We’re incredibly proud of this record. It’s everything we want Alpha Wolf to be. These songs are heavy, but they’re fun. Jam it in your car, show it to your friends, and come out to a show.”

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KINGDOM OF GIANTS is poised to soar beyond “best kept secret” status and into the modern metal and post-hardcore stratosphere, with a continuously evolving sound that pushes both the band and their audience forward. While firmly rooted in classic metalcore elements, familiar to fans of Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying or international counterparts like Architects UK and Northlane, the six-piece California band bravely color outside the lines of the safe and predictable. The only “constant” in the KINGDOM OF GIANTS discography is the constant motion, as the group works tirelessly to ensure each album will take listeners on a rich, rewarding, and diverse journey. “Passenger”, the band’s fourth full-length and first in partnership with SharpTone Records, arrives like a bolt of lightning, heralding a torrential downpour across a desert of cookie-cutter clutter. The band’s ability to recreate the depth and power of their recorded compositions on the stage has been demonstrated on stages across North America and Europe, as KINGDOM OF GIANTS built a reputation as road dogs on tours with Fit For A King, As I Lay Dying, Born Of Osiris, and Phinehas. Dana Willax and bassist Jonny Reeves share vocal duties, blending a mixture of scream/sing storytelling drawn from each of their life experiences and emotional obstacles. It’s less of a traditional metalcore screamer / “clean vocalist” pairing and more akin to the tradeoff in bands like blink-182, in spirit and structure if not in sound. The triple guitar attack of Max Bremer, Red Martin, and Julian Perez saves the terrifyingly aggressive technical prowess flourishes for when they’ll have the most impact. They adeptly focus on steady and catchy Promotional contacts: France: Charles Provost - himmedia666@gmail.com UK: Joe Naan - joe@nuclearblast.co.uk Rest of Europe: Denise Pedicillo - denise@kinda.agency grooves that lock in place with Reeves and drummer Truman Berlin, whose skills are among the top levels within the genre. That identity around inventiveness was first forged a handful of years ago in Northern California. The earliest incarnation of the band hit the road before they’d entered a studio. “Ground Culture” (2014) was the first true introduction to the scene. “All the Hell You’ve Got to Spare” (2017) followed. Both records were quickly recognized in the underground press for their deliberate emotional intensity. KINGDOM OF GIANTS is unafraid to tackle tougher subjects within their songs. This is dark, heavy, often “evil” sounding music, but it’s all driven by a sense of optimism and purpose. “Damaged Goods,” “Endure,” and “Cash Out” quickly became anthems to the ever-expanding group of dedicated followers who’ve proven loyal to the group. But it was with “Bleach,” produced and mixed by Willax himself, that the buzz around KINGDOM OF GIANTS became a deafening roar. The song was the first taste of the group’s fourth album, crafted with up-and-coming engineer Matt Thomas of AshTone Audio, winner of a local Producer of the Year award in Sacramento. Like the brightest spots of latter day Bring Me The Horizon, “Passenger” is a deft blend of bottom-heavy modern metal and melodic hardcore, with structural nods to smart pop and hip-hop, without sounding confused or incohesive. Perhaps most excitingly, KINGDOM OF GIANTS has found a way to infuse the 12-song album with elements of the 80s inspired synthwave and chillwave movements, popularized by groundbreaking retrofuturistic acts like The Midnight. There’s something especially powerful and unique about each song, music video, and live performance. Sputnik Music quite rightfully predicted that if the band continues down the creative trail they’ve embarked upon, “they will conquer the metalcore scene with ease.” Capital Chaos TV put it even more simply: “KINGDOM OF GIANTS, if you don’t know about them, you should.”

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” You may recognize this passage from Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic poem, The Raven. Darkness has a certain divine power over us. It can instill uncertainty and fear while simultaneously enamoring us with a romanticized feeling of mystery and despair. It is a force that we are undeniably drawn to. Whether it be a horror movie, a haunted house, or a song that captures its sinister essence, darkness has a way of pulling us in and Dark Divine has mastered the art of capturing that essence. Hailing from Orlando, FL this Hard Rock act shows us a side of darkness that brings a sentiment of anguish mixed with a sincere notion of understanding. They are having a moment right now from the Motionless In White open verse TikTok challenge, being up to 1.2 million views , 150k likes and 8,000 comments. Their video has more views than MIW and also the #1 tiktok video for the sound. The band’s recently released singles “Circles” and “Run Away” showcases Dark Divine’s horror-driven atmosphere in a theatrical way. Conceptual ideology aside, the band brings hard hitting instrumentation and a vocal power that stands to cement the act as a fresh mainstay of the hard rock and metal genres for years to come.