Category: New Releases

Artist: The Soundbyte
Title: Still Quiet
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Voices Of Wonder
Distribution: Plastic Head
Genre: Post/ Alternative Metal
Release Date: 30/05/2025

Introducing Still Quiet, the latest sonic exploration from The Soundbyte, the innovative project of guitarist and composer Trond Engum from the legendary The 3rd and The Mortal. 

The album Still Quiet transcends musical boundaries, seamlessly blending Norwegian folk traditions with electroacoustic textures and metal influences, creating a sound that defies conventional categorization. Central to the experience are Trond Engum’s distinctive guitar style and Rune Hoemsnes’ (The 3rd and The Mortal, Manes) signature drumming. They are joined by a carefully chosen ensemble of renowned musicians whose contributions complement the captivating vocal performances of Kirsti Huke and Andreas Elvenes.

The album weaves together unsettling rhythms, innovative guitar work, haunting soundscapes, and strong melodic lines—each track forming part of a greater whole. The music captures the fragile tension between stability and uncertainty, shifting effortlessly from quiet melancholy to uncompromising rawness and intensity.

Still Quiet invites listeners into a moving and immersive sonic experience, challenging musical norms and rewarding those who revisit it again and again. With this album, The Soundbyte deliver their most compelling and ambitious work yet.

Tracklist
1. Floating at Distance
2. Still Quiet
3. Fall of Illusions
4. Will You Follow
5. When All Is Gone
6. Can You See Me Now
7. Will You Find a Way

Links
Official: https://thesoundbyte.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_soundbyte
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheSoundbyteOfficial
Bandcamp: https://thesoundbyteaural.bandcamp.com
Label: https://vme.no

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Artist: Cotoba 
Title: Sin Swims
Format: CD, Digital
Label:  self-released 
Distribution: n/a
Genre: Post-Rock
Release Date: 25/04/2025

“God takes my form and swims.”

A lone figure moves through water, lost in thought.
 What meaning does all of this hold?
 Deep inside, they carry a seed—an existence that takes form on its own.
 The seed drinks in the water, growing in proportion to the weight of his sins.
 That weight becomes his momentum, his reason for moving forward.
 Feeding on his sins, he becomes a god of his own.

Step into the captivating world of Cotoba, a band from Seoul, South Korea, destined to stir the depths of your soul. Like a poem that seems nonsensical when read conventionally, cotoba offers to untangle loss through revealing a profound empathy in their music. With their enchanting blend of clean guitar tones, captivating vocal, mesmerizing bass lines, and syncopated drums, they weave a tapestry of wordless emotions that resonate with the essence of loss.

Cotoba‘s music is a language unto itself, a primal scream of desires, much like a newborn child entering this chaotic world. Through their raw and electrifying live performances, they articulate the unspoken, connecting on a profound level with their audience. Their stage transcends mere sounds, capturing the very essence of human existence, and beckoning you to immerse yourself in their profound musical journey.

In a society burdened by social obligations and the weight of expectations, Cotoba becomes a guiding light, extending a helping hand to those adrift in the mundane. Their melodies flow like crystal-clear streams, carrying the weight of emotion, while intricate time signatures add layers of complexity to their sonic landscapes.

The band toured more than 40 cities including main stages at numerous music festivals and sold out shows. This year, Cotoba is more than ready to spread their wings out to the world with their energy-filled members DyoN Joo, Dafne, and Hyerim, through their language : music.

The first track on Cotoba‘s new record Sin Swim is Syhi: bursting with charisma and an electrifying sense of speed. Second song Ice Sea, a refreshing yet melancholic track, where intense energy erupts through the stillness. The next track 今t合 (Contigo) is a haunting song with lyrics weaving English, Spanish, and Japanese into a tapestry of solitude. Forth track Away Home is a sorrowful composition, written in a single breath after reading the children’s book Son of the Polar Bear. On the last track, Sin, the band again shows their playful yet experimental side, the track is culminating in a soaring, explosive guitar solo.

Tracklist
1. Syhi   
2. Ice Sea   
3. 今t合 (Contigo)   
4. Away Home   
5. Sin

Links  
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bandcotoba
Bandcamp: https://cotoba.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bandcotoba
Facebook: https://facebook.com/bandcotoba
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bandcotoba

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Artist: Michel Fernandez Quintet
Title: Live au Hot Club de Lyon
Format: CD, Digital 
Labels: Atypeek Music/ Hot Club de Lyon
Distribution: The Orchard (digital)/ Socadisc (CD)
Genre: Experimental Jazz
Release Date: 18/04/2025 (EU)

Michel Fernandez, a nomadic saxophonist and composer, delivers vibrant music that awakens both body and mind. Between enchanting grooves and intoxicating trances, he draws from the roots of jazz to revive the connection with the earth and the soul of the sublime. From the embers of free jazz, which he helped shape, to the blues he has explored, through the influences of Caribbean, African, and Brazilian cultures, Michel Fernandez releases a primordial energy in every breath, with the desire to share these intense musical worlds. A key figure in jazz for over 50 years, he finds in the Magnetic Orchestra, with François Gallix on double bass, Nicolas Serret on drums, Benoît Thévenot on piano, and Julien Chignier, the latest member of the group, the perfect synergy. Together, they form an explosive quintet where the saxophones rise and intertwine in transcendental harmony, blending rhythmic power with harmonic depth. This all comes to life in their latest album Live at the Hot Club de Lyon.

Michel Fernandez, the Lyon-based saxophonist and composer, presents his new album Live at the Hot Club de Lyon, recorded by Ludwig Laisné, the club’s president. This album marks his evolution towards a quintet with two saxophonists, a direction initiated on his previous album Global Warning (2022). Alongside Benoît Thévenot (piano), François Gallix (double bass), and Nicolas Serret (drums), Julien Chignier (alto and baritone saxophone) completes the group, with Michel Fernandez on soprano and tenor saxophones.

The setlist includes standout tracks from recent albums as well as new compositions. Among them, La forêt de Bougarabou (a traditional song from Casamance), reinterpreted with Chignier’s saxophones, and Archie, a composition by Gallix, featuring the saxophones in the spirit of Archie Shepp. The title track Global Warning, with its powerful saxophones and bright piano, delivers a message of hope.

Drummer Nicolas Serret offers Chromatisme crânien, a dynamic composition, while Diminutions (Fernandez) highlights the interplay between the saxophones. For Ludwig L. is a tenor saxophone solo dedicated to the director of the Hot Club de Lyon. Founded in 1948, the Hot Club de Lyon is the oldest active jazz club in Europe. Xongly (Pierre Dorge), becomes a central piece in this concert, with powerful saxophones and brilliant piano. The final track, High Life (originally from the 2019 album Mélanges de Rages), closes the album with an upbeat calypso.

This album, with its excellent sound quality and ambitious compositions, confirms Michel Fernandez‘s success in transitioning to the quintet format, offering an unmissable musical experience.

Tracklist
1. La forêt de Bougarabou (Live) 
2. Archie (Live) 
3. Global Warning (Live) 
4. Chromatisme crânien (Live) 
5. Diminutions (Live) 
6. For Ludwig L. (Live) 
7. Xongly (Live) 
8. High Life (Live)

Links 
Streaming: https://orcd.co/gqbmex1
Official: https://michel-fernandez.com
Bandcamp: https://michelfernandez.bandcamp.com
Label: https://atypeekmusic.com

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Artist: Lars Fredrik Frøislie 
Title: Gamle Mester
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Karisma Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 09/05/2025

On his second solo album, Gamle Mester (Old Master), Lars Fredrik Frøislie pays homage to the greats of the past. Drawing inspiration not only from the pioneers of progressive rock but also from art, literature, and mythology, the album reflects on timeless acts of creativity that still resonate today. The title is derived from the ancient oak tree “Den Gamle Mester“, found at Krødsherad Prestegård, which also inspired a poem of the same name by Jørgen Moe. This symbolic tree serves as a unifying theme throughout the album, representing wisdom, endurance, and the passage of time.

Opening with Demring (Dawn), the album embarks on a dynamic journey filled with masterful instrumentation and some of Frøislie’s most compelling songwriting to date. Jakten på det Kalydonske Villsvin (The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar) launches with a striking harpsichord riff before unfolding into an epic musical retelling of Rubens’ famous depiction of the myth. The piece narrates the tale of King Oeneus, who, after neglecting to honour the goddess Artemis, incurs her wrath in the form of a monstrous boar sent to devastate his lands.

The title track, Gamle Mester, is a captivating instrumental/choral piece, driven by a central keyboard motif that weaves together grandeur and melodic precision. From there, listeners are cast adrift on Medusas Flåte (The Raft of the Medusa). This evocative composition opens with a theme that captures the ocean’s vast majesty and peril, narrating the harrowing fate of the 150 souls left adrift after the wreck of the French frigate Medusa. Over 13 days, only 15 survived, enduring starvation, dehydration, and ultimately, cannibalism, a grim tale immortalized in Géricault‘s iconic painting.

The album reaches its crescendo with De tre gratier (The Three Graces), named after the daughters of Zeus. Spanning 12 minutes, this final opus encapsulates everything that makes Gamle Mester a triumph. Shifting between light and dark, the track is a treasure trove of rich keyboard textures, soaring flute melodies, dynamic percussion, and the virtuosic bass work of Nikolai Hængsle.

With Gamle Mester, Lars Fredrik Frøislie delivers an album steeped in history, mythology, and musical brilliance. A must-have for progressive rock enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Tracklist
1. Demring (Dawn)   
2. Jakten På Det Kalydonske Villsvin (The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar)
3. Gamle Mester (Old Master)
4. Medusas Flåte (The Raft of the Medusa)
5. De Tre Gratier (The Three Graces)
6. Skumring (Dusk)

Links
Bandcamp: https://lffstudios.bandcamp.com 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/larsfredrikfroislie 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/larsfredrikfroislie
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@fredfroi
Label: https://karismarecords.no

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Artist: Agabas
Title: Hard Anger
Format: LP, Digital
Label:  self-released
Distribution: n/a
Genre: Deathjazz/ Mathcore/ Progressive Metal
Release Date: 13/06/2025

Agabas’ highly anticipated third studio album Hard Anger, recorded in a small fjord cabin in Hardanger, Norway is set for release on the 13th of June. Expect brutally downtuned breakdowns mixed with ferocious jazz saxophone, blast beats for days, thundering bass tones, and the beautiful poetic sound of the Norwegian language aggressively spat in your face.

Agabas has already been pushing boundaries on their previous releases with their signature ‘deathjazz’ style, but this album pushes everything further by a landslide. Saxophones ran through fuzz pedals, intensely fast paced jazz solos cutting through dissonant chugs of double dropped guitars – this is deathjazz. Faster, heavier, crazier, and more brutal than ever.

Hard Anger features guest performances by blackjazz veterans Shining on the track Jævla menneske and New York subway legend Michael Wilbur on Vis meg alt. 

Agabas are renowned for their live energy and presence, a feat they’ve recently showcased on a support tour with Kvelertak in the fall of 2024. Translating this energy into a studio performance is no easy task, but the raging sounds of Hard Anger shows that it is possible. According to the band, there is something about the idyllic tranquility of the beautiful Hardanger fjords that really does bring out the most aggressive musical tendencies you can imagine. And that’s not the only influence of the crisp Hardanger nature on the album – during their time there, the band walked around recording samples of the natural sounds of the local area to use in the music. Calming waterfalls, creaking stairs of 800 year old houses, and eerie church bells struck by century old swords, all scattered across the songs of the album, layered in heaps of distortion of course.

The band documented their recording sessions on a series of Instagram reels, gathering over 1,6 million views and 35.000 new followers. On a mission to show the world that jazz can indeed be brutally heavy, Agabas is winning over metal fans with their charming sense of humor and self irony, as well as a dead serious devotion to their craft. As is blatantly apparent when listening to the bands music, these guys know how to play their instruments, and they treat both the metal influences and jazz influences in their music with the highest respect.

The 36-something minutes of Hard Anger takes you on a journey of death metal, hardcore, progressive metal, jazz, black metal, and at times even some punk. All sewn together masterfully and thoughtfully, without ever compromising on the pure chaos and energy of the music. Give this album a spin if you’ve ever wondered if jazz and metal could mix, or if you simply want to listen to a really good, really heavy record.

Tracklist
01. Kjærlighet for alle   
02. Jævla menneske (feat. Shining)   
03. En vakker himmel   
04. La blodet flomme   
05. Se det for deg   
06. Vis meg alt (feat. Michael Wilbur)   
07. Råte   
08. En enkel sjel   
09. Arv   
10. På åpent hav

Links  
Official: https://agabas.no
Bandcamp: https://agabas.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/agabas.band
Facebook: https://facebook.com/agabasband
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@agabastheband
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@agabas.band
Shop: http://agashop.no

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Artist: Turtle Skull
Title: Being Here
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Art As Catharsis (AUS/ NZ)/ Copper Feast Records (UK/EU)
Genre: Neo-Psych Rock
Release Date: 23/05/2025

Turtle Skull’s new album Being Here is a lush and gritty exploration of neo-psych with indie and alt-pop sensibility.

With Being Here, Turtle Skull have evolved. A new lineup. A fresh approach. A leap forward. While the album builds on the sonic foundations of 2020’s Monoliths, it’s a different beast. Still hefty and considered but more immediate. Made for the moment. A record that values gut instinct over perfection.

Tracked live at NoWave in Mullumbimby, with a paired-back approach to studio tweaking, Being Here captures that ‘lightning in a bottle’ energy that happens when a band fully locks in. New member Ally Gradon’s synths inject fresh energy, swirling around meaty riffs and driving rhythms. It’s expansive yet raw, drawing from the likes of Black Moth Super Rainbow, Idles and Cause Sui with a nod to the cinematic sprawl of Spiritualized and The Flaming Lips. A heavy, heady blend of melody and atmosphere.

“Being Here was much more about good songs that we had freshly written being captured live in the moment” says Drummer Charlie Gradon. “No click, no excessive layering, no studio trickery. The only thing that wasn’t captured live was the vocals. Choosing to self-produce and mix the album gave us the chance to preserve our initial vision, even if it nearly did kill me.“

The album puts a spotlight on songwriting, covering weighty subject matter, from the life-force drain of social media to the relentless march of time. But it does so with a call to stay connected, empathetic and grounded. In this way, Being Here isn’t just an album title. It’s a philosophy. A mantra. A demand to be fully present, to embrace the chaos, the beauty, the weight of it all.

No strangers to sold-out headline shows across Sydney and Melbourne, Turtle Skull have a reputation for epic live performances. They’ve graced festival stages at Camp A Low Hum (NZ), The Gumball (NSW), Vivid (NSW) and Ninchfest (VIC)and supported the likes of Frankie and the Witch Fingers (USA), Earthless (USA) and Stonefield. 

With Being Here set for release, the band is gearing up for another wave of touring, kicking off with a 7 March show at the Bergy Bandroom in Melbourne as part of the Brunswick Music Festival ahead of rumoured festival appearances later in the year. Keep your eyes peeled for gig announcements and make sure to catch one of Australia’s most electrifying live acts.

Tracklist
1. Being Here   
2. Apathy   
3. Into The Sun   
4. Bourgeoisie   
5. It Starts With Me   
6. Heavy As Hell   
7. Modern Mess
8. Moon & Tide

Links  
Official: https://turtleskull.com
Bandcamp: https://turtleskullmusic.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/turtleskullmusic
Facebook: https://facebook.com/turtleskullmusic
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TurtleSkullMusic
Art As Catharsis: http://www.artascatharsis.com
Copper Feast Records: https://copperfeastrecords.com

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Artist: OAK
Title: The Third Sleep
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Karisma Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 25/04/2025

With their highly anticipated fourth album, The Third Sleep, Norwegian progressive rock band Oak delivers a striking exploration of societal complacency and the struggle of the individual. The album contrasts light and darkness, both thematically and musically, seamlessly blending folk-inspired acoustic passages with the raw intensity of progressive metal, evoking echoes of Opeth and beyond.

Expanding on the lyrical themes of The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise, The Third Sleep ventures deeper into the subconscious, weaving suggestive and poetic storytelling with sharp social commentary. More outward-looking than its introspective predecessor, the album invites the listener to engage, interpret, and reflect.

With a rich musical foundation that spans classical piano, electronica, progressive and hard rock, Oak has carved out a distinctive sound—both captivating and challenging in equal measure.

Recorded in Ljugekroken (Oslo), the album was mixed by David Castillo (Katatonia, Leprous, Opeth) and mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner) at Dude Ranch Studio, Sandøya.

Prepare to experience The Third Sleep, a thought-provoking journey through sound and emotion. 

Tracklist
1. No Such Place
2. London
3. Run Into the Sun
4. Shimmer
5. Shapeshifter
6. Borders
7. Sensory Overload

Links
Bandcamp: https://oakinoslo.bandcamp.com/album/the-third-sleep
Instagram: https://instagram.com/oakinoslo
Facebook: https://facebook.com/oakinoslo
Label: https://karismarecords.no

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Artist: Rulaman 
Title: Death Whistle
Format: LP, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Cargo
Genre: Psychedelic/ Stoner Rock
Release Date: 11/04/2025

Rulaman stands for floating, psychedelic soundscapes, woven from an earthy and analogue sound. Founded in 2015, they quickly celebrated local success under the name The Hace. At that time still as a quartet, they played everywhere they could – and the audience grew steadily. 

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, they released their EP Peacemaker in 2019. Shortly after, Lukas Neubert left the band and was replaced by Nils Kunze, who, together with Joel Büttner on bass, forms the groovy foundation for Rulaman‘s sound.

After a turbulent start in 2020, the band began to reflect on their work, which prompted them to change the line-up from a quartet to a trio. Under the new name Rulaman and with vocals now in the hands of guitarist Felix Berns, the band set to work writing new material. 

With their self-titled EP (2021), the band released a concept EP for the first time, taking their listeners on a journey through forest, desert, swamp and their own minds. In 2023, the first album To Serve The Dune was released via Tonzonen Records. The album’s idiosyncratic sound was extremely well received by both the press and fans, garnering much praise. 

After two years of creating, writing and composing, the second album Death Whistle is ready to be released. The current sound is dark, combining doom, stoner and classic rock. Heavy riffs that are easy on the ear, brutal basses followed by dancing percussions.

Lyrically, Rulaman explore the depths of human existence and the lure of false promises. In the search for happiness and belonging, the promises of unscrupulous sects and cults sound all too tempting. Everything you think is true is questioned. Do I know myself? Do I really know the people around me? Isn’t it easier to sacrifice yourself completely for the common good and give up on yourself? Until the mind and everything around it has dried up.

Tracklist
1. Death Whistle
2. Simple Offerings
3. Valley Pt. II
4. Goblin Liver King
5. We Can’t Be
6. Run Your River Dry
7. Below The Light (digital only)

Links
Official: https://rulamanmusic.com
Bandcamp: https://rulaman.bandcamp.com/album/death-whistle
Instagram: https://instagram.com/rulaman_band
Facebook: https://facebook.com/RulamanBand
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@rulamanband
Label: https://www.tonzonen.de  

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Artist: Biollante
Title: J’Espère que tu danseras quelque part (Redux)
Format: Digital, CD
Label: Non Serviam Collective / Atypeek Music
Distribution: The Orchard
Genre: Industrial/ Noise/ Trap Metal
Release Date: 14/03/2025 (EU)

Three years ago, the Biollante project was born with the release of its first album J’espère que tu danseras quelque part, initially self-released, then on the now-defunct and iconic UK label Trepanation Recordings, and finally with Atypeek Music. This album tackled difficult and complex subjects in French, such as child suicide, revolt and care, psychiatry, prison, and confinement. 

Influenced by Death Grips, IC3PEAK, Techno Animal, The Bug, and Scorn, the group emerged from the fusion of the experimental Black Metal project Non Serviam and a collective of young rappers, Gobscrew. With enthusiastic critical feedback and the creation of a solid fanbase, the album gained a certain level of esteem within the metal/ industrial scenes and among experimental hip hop fans, as it quickly sold out in all formats. 

Now, as as the second album is about to be released, it was time to give new life to this wild, violent, emotional first album that remained too underground. This Redux version contains the entire first album remixed by Void (Biollante, Non Serviam, Hiverlucide, Néant) and remastered by Yaref Ben Hazim, along with 3 instrumentals and a bonus track the band composed in solidarity with their friend Serge, who was in a coma following the clashes at Sainte Soline. The package includes new artwork and a new booklet. For those who missed it, we hope you enjoy the discovery. And for those who already know the first edition, trust us, Redux will hit differently.

Tracklist
1. Trigger Warming (Redux) 
2. Biollante (Redux)  
3. Le Monde Me Revient Crié (Redux)  
4. Penser les Plaies (Redux)  
5. ビオランテ 花獣形態 (Redux)
6. Pourquoi Pas (Redux)
7. Biollante (Instrumental Version) 
8. Le Monde Me Revient Crié (Instrumental Version)
9. Penser les Plaies (Instrumental Version) 
10. Que le soleil est froid, que la colère est noire (Bonus Track) 

Links 
Bandcamp: https://biollanterising.bandcamp.com/album/j-esp-re-que-tu-danseras-quelque-part-redux
Label: https://instagram.com/nonserviamcircle
Label: https://atypeekmusic.com

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