Tag Archives: gothic rock

Metal Chick of the Month – Jessy “Christ” Vignolle

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Ego sum (qui sum)!

Are you ready to burn in the fires of extreme music together with our metal lady of this month of February here on The Headbanging Moose? I’m sure you are, and get ready as her incendiary vocals will melt not only any snow left from this harsh winter, but also your faces, leaving you completely disoriented after all is said and done. She’s an Extreme Metal vocalist, an opera singer, a soprano, a singing teacher, an actress, and a vocal coach, making the whole world of heavy music a much better place for us fans of hypnotizing and powerful vocals. Her name is Jessy Vignolle, sometimes referred to as Jessy “Christ” Vignolle, or simply Jessy Christ, the frontwoman for French metal sensation Usquam, and once you know more about her life, her career and her music, you’ll certainly get addicted to her distinct voice, charisma, and aggression.

Hailing from Paris, France, Jessy has been a curious child from the early age of eleven, discovering her passion for music through the guitar, piano, and singing without a defined direction, exploring everything from classical to rock. All that passion led to her first ever concert as a singer and guitarist at the age of 13, joining her first band a year later. Exploring multiple musical styles including Pop, Jazz, Indian music, Celtic music, and many more, while also drawing inspiration from all their unique characteristics (which she sees as future strengths), Jessy enrolled in musicology and earned a bachelor’s degree in musicology, a master’s degree in artistic supervision, and a master’s degree in artistic engineering. At the same time, she pursued a professional career in classical music, studying operatic singing at the Savigny-le-Temple Conservatory in Paris under Véronique Laguerre and joining the Che Calda Voce opera company led by Laura Marin. Not only that, she also made her mark in the rock and metal music scene, performing on numerous French stages such as La Cigale, La Boule Noire, and La Machine du Moulin Rouge, among others, as well as at festivals.

It was not too long ago, in the not-so-distant year of 2024, when Jessy joined Usquam as their new vocalist replacing Lucas Henry. Formed in 2018, this Paris, France-based Melodic Black Metal band released in 2021 their debut EP Reborn, followed by their fantastic first full-length opus Ex Nihilo, in 2025, already with Jessy stealing the spotlight with her undisputed vocals. Exploring the secrets of dark music, inspired by the observation of a world oscillating between decline and progress, the band currently formed of our metal lady Jessy on vocals alongside Eithenn and Draugr on the guitars, and Alwan on bass aims at spreading their dark philosophy all across the world, and you can get a very good taste of their music on YouTube, BandCamp, and Spotify, enjoy their official videos for the songs Arcana Nox, Altar Ego and Ego Sum (Qui Sum), and keep an eye on their social media for their live performances, in special if you live in France.

Apart from her promising career with Usquam, Jessy can also be found as a guest and as a live vocalist (under the moniker J.V.) for French Black Metal entity NZGL, founded by vocalist, guitarists and bassist Gaël Liger, recording vocals and having also written some of the lyrics for their 2025 album Tales from the Pale Moon… And Other Stories, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify. In addition, she’s also involved with an Industrial/Gothic Rock band named Syndro-syS since 2013, having released with the band the 2015 album Corporation, available on BandCamp. The band doesn’t seem to be active anymore, as they’ve been dead silent since around 2020, but the music is still great and definitely deserves our attention. Who knows, maybe we can all inspire Jessy and Syndro-syS to get back in action if we listen to their music enough, right?

Anyway, Jessy can also be seen as a guest musician to a few very interesting bands and projects since the beginning of her undisputed career. For instance, she recorded all female vocals for the 2022 EP Exist in Ruin, by American Symphonic Black/Death Metal project Exist in Ruin; vocals for the songs Kimi Ga Yo, Seducing Dementia and Whispering Clouds, from the 2013 album Les 12 vertiges, and for the song Hate Me, from the 2019 album Le festin du lion, by French Electronic Industrial Metal act Herrschaft; vocals for the song L’étranger, from the 2018 album Standalone Episodes, by French Progressive Heavy Metal band Seasons; and vocals for the song The Edge of Time, from the 2015 album Symbiosis, by French Melodic Death/Groove Metal act T.A.N.K. Not only that, she also worked as a vocal coach for French Black Metal horde Houle in their 2022 self-titled EP, and their 2024 album Ciel cendre et misère noire.

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An opera singer, soprano and vocal coach, , as already mentioned, Jessy is more than a passionate musician, offering an array of services to accompany most types of celebrations including baptisms, weddings, funerals and tributes, as well as private events, supported by a varied repertoire of sacred music, operas and popular music, such as Ave Maria (Franz Schubert), Voi che Sapete (Wolfgang A. Mozart), When I am Laid (Henry Purcell), La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf), Someone Like You (Adele), S’il Suffisait d’Aimer (Celine Dion), and many more, always delivering every piece with a ton of emotion to retrace your most beautiful memories. Not only that, she also lends her voice, composes and also collaborates with many international musical projects, just like her guest contributions to the aforementioned metal bands.

As a vocal coach and singing teacher, she will help you understand vocal technique and discover your voice, whether you are a beginner, an artist, or a professional speaker, using a personalized teaching approach that adapts to your needs, mastering several techniques that intertwine theoretical knowledge of the instrument and live practice. Jessy teaches artists and private individuals, always keeping in mind that each student is a unique individual with their own aspirations and energy. Since 2022, she coaches magistrates at the Paris, Angers, and Rennes Courts of Appeal to help them develop their voices as a professional tool. Furthermore, she incorporates elements of the Alexander Technique (a psycho-physical re-education method that improves posture, reduces tension, and enhances performance by teaching musicians to move with more awareness and ease) into her practice to give her students the tools to understand the fundamental mechanisms of their instrument and develop their autonomy.

If you think that’s not enough, Jessy is also an actress, embodying the voice that will bring your audiovisual production to life through voice-over or dubbing, for example, and she participates in some classical concerts within the network of conservatories in the Grand Paris Sud region. Moreover, apart from her private lessons as already mentioned, she also organizes and hosts conferences, masterclasses and workshops. You can enjoy several of her works on the Productions page on her own website, from video clips to short stories and TV ads. But wait, as there’s still more. Jessy has also embarked on a new endeavor, creating her own herbal tea intended for singers, voice professionals and all food lovers, having selected herbs with virtues recognized by voice specialists and entrusted the preparation of the recipe to Happy Plantes, a company of passionate herbalists, very involved in ethical production. The final product is named Élixir du chanteur, and you can get your own package from Jessy’s Big Cartel. The tea can be enjoyed as a snack or as a treatment for those who wish to prevent issues like vocal fatigue, respiratory tract, gastric protection, hoarseness, and so on,  all certified from organic farming.

I told you that after knowing more about the indomitable Jessy “Christ” Vignolle you would get more than addicted to her voice, her music, her charisma, and maybe even to her herbal tea), and as long as she keeps firing her whimsical and hypnotizing vocals together with Usquam or any other band or project, we can rest assured the entire world of music will be a much better place. Would it be too much to ask Jessy and Usquam for a US and Canada tour? I’m beyond certain the fans on this side of the pond would go mental with their music. Thank you, Jessy, for your amazing contributions to music in general, and for making heavy music a much better place with your badass attitude. À plus tard!

Jessy “Christ” Vignolle’s Official Facebook page
Jessy “Christ” Vignolle’s Official Instagram
Jessy “Christ” Vignolle’s Official YouTube channel
Usquam’s Official Facebook page
Usquam’s Official Instagram
Usquam’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – Ponte Del Diavolo / De Venom Natura (2026)

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This uncanny Italian creature is back with the poison of nature, taking their potent potion of Blackened Doom and Post-Metal to strange new heights.

Fresh off appearances at Roadburn and Inferno, the daring and devilishly talented Turin, Italy-based creatures known as Ponte Del Diavolo (Italian for “Devil’s Bridge,” a name applied to dozens of ancient or medieval bridges across Europe, particularly in Italy, due to their impressive or unusual architectural design for their time, which led to popular myths and folklore) have taken their potent potion of Blackened Doom and Post-Metal to strange new heights in their sophomore full-length offering, entitled De Venom Natura, Latin for “the poison of nature.” Recorded, produced, engineered and mixed by Danilo Battocchio at The Deepest Sea, mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Francesco Dossena, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2024 album Fire Blades from the Tomb sees the band formed of frontwoman Erba del Diavolo, guitarist Nerium, bassists Khrura Abro and Kratom, and drummer Segale Cornuta deliver a record that extends and refines their musical boundaries, being recommended for admirers of the music by Messa, Chelsea Wolfe, Esben and the Witch, Dead Can Dance, Dool, Electric Wizard, and Darkthrone.

Haunting sounds permeate the air in the horror movie-like opening track Every Tongue Has Its Thorns, featuring guests Andrea l’Abbate on programming and Sergio Bertani (Lucynine) on theremin, exploding into pure Post-Black Metal where Erba del Diavolo is hypnotizing with both her clean vocals and devilish vociferations. Lunga vita alla necrosi, or “long live necrosis” from Italian, is another fantastic song where Nerium slashes his axe supported by the double bass attack by Khrura Abro and Kratom; followed by Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!, featuring Francesco Bucci (Ottone Pesante) on trombone, a massive, hard hitting creation by those Italians with Segale Cornuta taking the lead with his pounding drums while Erba del Diavolo declaims the song’s dark lyrics with tons of passion (“Nature, I notice you! / And I secretly observe / your eroic mutation, possessing me too, / Having me too! / Spirit, blood, poison, ferment! / Spirit, blood, poison, torment!”).

Sergio Bertani then lends his synths to Il veleno della Natura, or “the poison of nature” from Italian, an amazing tune that’s fast, chaotic, melodic and visceral, with all instruments matching perfectly with the Italian words vociferated by Erba del Diavolo, whereas despite all of its layers and nuances (plus guests Andrea l’Abbate on synths and Vittorio Sabelli on bass clarinet), Delta-9 (161) gets a bit too experimental at times, although the band’s core sound is still intact. Silence Walk With Me presents guest Gionata Potenti (aka Omega of the band Nubivagant) on vocals and acoustic guitar, making a sensational vocal duet with Erba del Diabolo while Segale Cornuta brings an overdose of Black Metal insanity to their sound, not to mention the killer bass lines by Khrura Abro and Kratom. And last but not least, the band goes back to the glory of the 80’s in In the Flat Field, blending their Post-Black Metal sonority with elements from Gothic Rock to give the song an even more thrilling vibe, led by Nerium’s strident riffs.

Like a curious scent, De Venom Natura wafts around the idea that Mother Nature is a double-edged sword, at once beautiful and intoxicating while also lethal in its seduction, and Ponte Del Diavolo make sure the listener also sees Gaia that same way while listening to the album. You can get in touch with one of the most interesting names of the current Italian rock and metal scene by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with their breathtaking live concerts, stream their unique music on Spotify, and of course, show them your utmost support by purchasing De Venom Natura from their own BandCamp, from Season of Mist, or by clicking HERE. Building a dark and sinister bridge between metal and Mother Nature, Ponte Del Diavolo are carving their name in the history of heavy music, leaving us eager for more of their caustic sounds in the near future while we’re all seduced and hypnotized by the powers of nature.

Best moments of the album: Every Tongue Has Its Thorns, Il veleno della Natura and Silence Walk With Me.

Worst moments of the album: Delta-9 (161).

Released in 2026 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Every Tongue Has Its Thorns 6:25
2. Lunga vita alla necrosi 4:01
3. Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment! 4:36
4. Il veleno della Natura 4:58
5. Delta-9 (161) 8:52
6. Silence Walk With Me 6:17
7. In the Flat Field 4:54

Band members
Erba del Diavolo – vocals
Nerium – guitar
Khrura Abro – bass
Kratom – bass
Segale Cornuta – drums

Guest musicians
Francesco Bucci – trombone on “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!”
Andrea l’Abbate – programming on “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns”, additional synths on “Delta-9 (161)”
Sergio Bertani – theremin on “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns”, synths on “Il veleno della Natura”
Vittorio Sabelli – bass clarinet on “Delta-9 (161)”
Gionata Potenti – vocals & acoustic guitar on “Silence Walk With Me”

Concert Review – Lord of the Lost & The Birthday Massacre (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 01/27/2026)

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***Review and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACT: Wednesday 13

Not even the worst snow storm of the past 180 years in Toronto (with over 50cm of snow falling within hours) was capable of stopping LORD OF THE LOST and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, with very special guests WEDNESDAY 13, to bring their Dark Winter Tour US + Canada 2026 to The Danforth Music Hall this Tuesday night. Well, the concert was rescheduled from Monday to Tuesday, and because of that I couldn’t make it to the show, plus the city is still a big fuckin’ mess with the snow blocking pretty much all parking lots, sidewalks and even some roads, but fortunately our buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there not only to take some amazing photos of the show, but to also take care of the review this time. Even if I was able to attend the show I would have missed the first two bands, so it was going to be Keith anyway.

The Danforth Music Hall didn’t just host a concert on a cold Tuesday night – it became a gothic metal sanctuary, and Lord of the Lost stood at the altar, ready to convert anyone who walked through the doors. Before the headliners even hit the stage, the night was already stacked with atmosphere. Having released the album Mid Death Crisis in 2025 (available on any platform like BandCamp and Spotify), Wednesday 13 (aka Joseph Poole) and his henchmen, collectively known as United States-based Heavy Metal/Horror Punk outfit WEDNESDAY 13, came out swinging, bringing horror-punk swagger and full-throttle attitude. There’s something timeless about watching a crowd bounce, shout, and throw horns to songs that feel like they crawled straight out of a midnight movie marathon. It was raw, loud, and unapologetically fun – exactly the kind of chaos a metal crowd thrives on. It was the kind of opener that doesn’t warm a room up – it haunts it into readiness.

Setlist
When the Devil Commands
Rotting Away
197666 (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)
In Misery
Summertime Suicide (Murderdolls cover)
Haunt Me
I Walked With a Zombie
Bad Things
I Love to Say Fuck (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)

Band members
Wednesday 13 (Joseph Poole) – lead vocals
Roman Surman – lead guitar
Jack Tankersley – rhythm guitar
Ashes – guitars
Troy Doebbler – bass
Mike Dupke – drums

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

After a quick break, one of the co-headliners of the tour, London, Ontario’s own Electronic Rock/Darkwave ensemble THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, kept the energy flowing onstage with a highly entertaining performance as well, bringing the Canadian pride to The Danforth Music Hall. Spearheaded by frontwoman Sara “Chibi” Taylor, and armed with their 2025 new album Pathways (available on both BandCamp and Spotify, as well as on any other streaming platform), the band set the tone with their signature blend of darkwave shimmer and industrial edge, bathing the crowd in glowing synths and shadowy melodies that felt both nostalgic and futuristic. By the time the lights finally dropped for Lord of the Lost, the room was primed and restless.

Setlist
Counterpane
Blue
Stars and Satellites
Superstition
The Vanishing Game
One
Sleep Tonight
All of Nothing
Dead
Crush
Destroyer
Video Kid
Happy Birthday
In the Dark
Pins and Needles
Red Stars

Band members
Sara “Chibi” Taylor – lead vocals
Michael Falcore – lead guitar, programming
Michael Rainbow – rhythm guitar, programming, backing vocals
Brett Carruthers – bass, backing vocals
Owen Mackinder – keyboards, keytar
Philip Elliott – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

And last but certainly not least, Hamburg, Germany’s own LORD OF THE LOST returned to Toronto after two long years with their fusion of Neue Deutsche Härte, Gothic Rock and Metal, Industrial Rock and Metal, and even Glam Rock and Metal for the delight of everyone who braved the nasty roads of the city this Tuesday night. Blending songs form their entire discography with their latest albums Opvs Noir Vol. 1 and Opvs Noir Vol. 1, both released in 2025 (and stay tuned for Opvs Noir Vol. 3 in 2026, plus you can check their full discography on BandCamp and on Spotify), Chris “The Lord” Harms, Pi “π” Stoffers, Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler, Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann, and Niklas Kahl were phenomenal as expected, deliveribg exactly what their fans were waiting for.

Chris Harms stepped onto the stage like a ringmaster for the beautifully damned, dressed in a way that blurred the line between metal frontman and dark cabaret icon. From the first note, the band didn’t just play – they commanded. This wasn’t a run-through of a setlist. It was a full production, a carefully crafted ritual of sound, light, and emotion. Musically, the band delivered a powerful balance of industrial grit, gothic atmosphere, and modern metal punch. Guitars cut through with cold precision while the rhythm section drove everything forward like a mechanical heartbeat. Harms’ vocals moved effortlessly between commanding growls and soaring, emotional cleans, giving the songs a depth that hit as hard in the chest as it did in the ears.

From behind the lens, what stood out most was the connection. This wasn’t a passive crowd. Fans reached toward the stage, screamed every word back, and locked eyes with the band like they were part of the show itself. Faces flashed in red and white strobes, sweat and smiles catching the light in moments you can’t plan – only capture. The Danforth Music Hall proved to be the perfect setting: intimate enough to feel personal, but big enough to let the spectacle breathe. The lighting turned the stage into a shifting cathedral of shadow, steel, and romance – a visual extension of Lord of the Lost’s dark, theatrical identity and a dream scenario for any concert photographer chasing that one perfect frame. By the final song, voices were wrecked, the floor was soaked in sweat, and nobody in the room wanted it to end. Lord of the Lost didn’t just leave Toronto entertained – they left it marked. This was metal as theater. Metal as a community. Metal as something you carry with you long after the house lights come back on.

Setlist
Bazaar Bizarre
I Will Die in It
Drag Me to Hell
Prison
Raining Stars
Loreley
Priest
On This Rock I Will Build My Church
I Hate People (with Wednesday 13)
Blood for Blood
Damage
Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness
Blood & Glitter
The Look (Roxette cover)
The Things We Do for Love
Heaven is a Place on Earth

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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Album Review – Naraka / Born In Darkness (2025)

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One of the most promising modern acts emerging from France returns with their hellish, incendiary sophomore offering.

Founded in 2019 by guitarist Jean-Philippe Porteux, French Melodic Death Metal outfit Naraka (a term that generally refers to the realm of hell or a place of torment in Indian religions) is back with their mix of Modern Metal and Death Metal with symphonic and sometimes even electro touches in their sophomore album, titled Born in Darkness. Recorded at Hybreed Studio, Serial Drummer Studio, and At The Gates Ov Hell Studio, mixed and mastered at Darth Vader Studio, produced by Logan Mader, and adorned by a devilish artwork by Andreas Bathory, the follow-up to their 2021 debut In Tenebris continues to pave the path started by the band in their inception, creating a dramatic and atmospheric experience without losing focus on their core instrumentation and, therefore, positioning the band currently formed of vocalist Théodore Rondeau, guitarist Jean-Philippe Porteux, bassist Pierre-André Krauzer, and drummer Franky Costanza as one of the most promising modern acts emerging from France’s always exciting metal scene.

The album kicks off with the cinematic intro Apocalypsis Diem, where the band invites us all to their dark and sinister world before all hell breaks loose in Born In Darkness, offering our avid ears a solid and thrilling fusion of Black, Death and Groove Metal led by the Lamb of God and Machine Head-inspired screams by Théodore. Franky then pounds his drums in great fashion in the heavy-as-hell Something Woke Up, supported by the slashing riffs by Jean-Philippe and all of the song’s wicked background sounds, whereas Jean-Philippe revs up the band’s Blackened Death Metal engine in Blazing Sun, also showing elements from Gothic Rock and Metal. With a title like Hellhound the only thing we could expect was pure doom, and we get it straight from Pierre-André’s bass and the song’s haunting background choir, followed by Tyrants, another hard hitting tune of melodeath with groove and blackened nuances, with Franky taking the lead with his fierce beats.

Then leaning towards Symphonic Black and Death Metal those French metallers fire an adrenaline-fueled beast named Sorcerer, where the harsh vocals by Théodore walk hand in hand with all keys and orchestrations; and like the soundtrack to a horror movie, the climatic interlude Deus Belli sees the band arise from the netherworld in Lost, again venturing through the realms of Gothic Metal, in special in the song’s dark, deep vocals and sluggish beats. The Reign In Red is one more devilish creation by Naraka, evolving into a Symphonic Black Metal aria spearheaded by Franky’s crushing drums, also featuring Sotiris Anunnaki V of SepticFlesh on guest vocals. Parasite is a modern and visceral display of Dark Metal that goes straight into your mind, with Jean-Philippe’s riffs crawling under your skin like a creepy centipede, followed by The Last Day On Earth, a phantasmagorical composition where all background keys add an extra dosage of heaviness to the already vile riffage by Jean-Philippe. Lastly, we face an acoustic version of Lost, not as good as the electrified version, and a bit unnecessary as the album is already grandiose without it.

Although the name Naraka has only been around for less than a decade, the band members are seasoned veterans of the French scene, bringing a powerful and sophisticated sound to the table in their new album Born In Darkness, which is by the way available from the Art Gates Records webstore as a digipak + shirt bundle, a digipak + shirt + hoodie bundle, or a digipak + shirt + hoodie + mug bundle. Don’t forget to also follow such a promising band on Facebook and on Instagram, as I’m sure their live performances are incendiary to say the least, and stream their music on any platform out there like Spotify. If you’re looking for modernity in heavy music while also deeply rooted in classic extreme sounds, Naraka will certainly fulfill your needs with Born In Darkness, keeping the fires of French music burning bright and inspiring those talented musicians to keep melting our faces with album number three in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Something Woke Up, Hellhound and Parasite.

Worst moments of the album: Lost (Acoustic Version).

Released in 2025 Art Gates Records

Track listing
1. Apocalypsis Diem 1:41
2. Born In Darkness 5:29
3. Something Woke Up 4:38
4. Blazing Sun 5:08
5. Hellhound 3:57
6. Tyrants 4:12
7. Sorcerer 4:01
8. Deus Belli 3:32
9. Lost 4:25
10. The Reign In Red 5:18
11. Parasite 3:31
12. The Last Day On Earth 5:51
13. Lost (Acoustic Version) 3:55

Band members
Théodore Rondeau – vocals
Jean-Philippe Porteux – guitar
Pierre-André Krauzer – bass
Franky Costanza – drums

Guest musician
Sotiris Anunnaki V – vocals on “The Reign In Red”

Album Review – Paradise Lost / Ascension (2025)

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More than three decades into their career, UK’s own torchbearers of death and doom return with their seventeenth opus, traversing the multitude of sounds in their arsenal while keeping a minor-key melancholy that remains irresistible.

More than three decades into their career, and with over two million albums sold, Halifax, UK’s own  Doom/Death/Gothic Metal/Rock behemoths Paradise Lost remain the undisputed kings of metal’s darkest side, always putting us on a Stygian embrace of heaviness intertwined with shadowy melody and atmosphere. Now in 2025 the Yorkshire quintet formed of the iconic frontman Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, bassist Steve Edmondson, and drummer Guido Zima (who left the band after the album recordings were done, being replaced by Jeff Singer) returns with their staggering seventeenth album, entitled Ascension, a record that sees their crown continue to gleam as it underlines just how they attained their position. Produced by Greg Mackintosh at Black Planet Studios, with drums and vocals captured at NBS and Wasteland Studios, and adorned by the stunning painting “The Court of Death” (1902), by George Frederic Watts (1817 – 1904), the album’s ten tracks traverse the multitude of sounds in the band’s arsenal, from full-bore Heavy Metal to sky-high melody, all the while keeping a minor-key melancholy that remains irresistible.

Serpent on the Cross is absolutely gloomy and embracing from the very first second, with the sluggish beats by Guido exhaling Doom Metal magic, not to mention how crisp and piercing the guitars by Greg and Aaron sound, followed by Tyrants Serenade, one of the singles previously released, beautifully depicting the essence of the album with Nick stealing the show with his unique deep vocals while also presenting a strong Type O Negative vibe. Then we have Salvation, another lengthy and captivating aria of doom by those veterans with the keys by Greg sounding utterly haunting and somber; and their obscure sounds will penetrate deep inside your skull in Silence like the Grave, getting heavier and heavier while Nick vociferates the song’s devilish lyrics with endless anger in his blackened heart. And Lay a Wreath upon the World is one of their trademark dark ballads, albeit below the rest of the album regarding its punch and vibe.

The next track Diluvium sounds like it was taken from Icon or Draconian Times with a strong progressive twist thanks to the fantastic job done by Greg and Aaron armed with their stringed axes, whereas again delivering a beyond melancholic, slow and visceral Doom Metal sonority we have Savage Days, with Guido’s beats hitting us hard inside our heads. They keep blasting our minds with their idiosyncratic blend of Gothic and Doom Metal in Sirens, where their slashing riffs match perfectly with Nick’s vocals once again, even sounding a little like Metallica; and Steve and Guido will make your entire body tremble in Deceivers, accompanied by the thrilling sounds crafted by their bandmates, resulting in a lecture in modern-day Doom Metal with Gothic Rock and Metal nuances. And lastly, cryptic piano notes set the tone in The Precipice, closing the album on a pensive, sinister mode to the pounding drums by Guido and the menacing bass by Steve.

“The album title is taken from the belief in rising to the better place, in fiction from Earth to heaven, and all the requirements that go with that,” elaborates Nick Holmes. “In real life, people are often striving to get to a better place from birth, trying to be a better person, regardless of the fact that the only reward is death. The lyrics deal with everything that life throws at us. It’s never predictable, and within that it can also be terrifying. How people deal with death, the crutches they turn to, and how the mental state is affected by life changing situations is always intriguing.” Hence, you can join those trailblazers of doom in their quest for absolute darkness on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their unparalleled discography in full on Spotify, and of course click HERE to put your hands on such a beautiful album of obscure music. Because in the end,  Ascension stands proud in Paradise Lost’s canon. The misery never stops but, as the band itself likes to say, that’s how they like it.

Best moments of the album: Serpent on the Cross, Silence like the Grave and Deceivers.

Worst moments of the album: Lay a Wreath upon the World.

Released in 2025 Nuclear Blast Records

Track listing
1. Serpent on the Cross 6:12
2. Tyrants Serenade 4:20
3. Salvation 7:07
4. Silence like the Grave 4:46
5. Lay a Wreath upon the World 4:51
6. Diluvium 5:47
7. Savage Days 3:54
8. Sirens 4:46
9. Deceivers 3:37
10. The Precipice 5:42

Band members
Nick Holmes – vocals
Greg Mackintosh – lead guitars, keyboards
Aaron Aedy – rhythm guitars
Steve Edmondson – bass
Guido Zima – drums

Concert Review – Marilyn Manson (House of Blues, Boston, MA, 05/10/2025)

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***Review and photos by Jaffer Hasan***

Marilyn Manson Returns to Boston with Blood, Snow, and Thunder at the House of Blues.

It wasn’t just a concert — it was a resurrection.

MARILYN MANSON stormed back into Boston’s House of Blues (currently known as Citizens House of Blues) like a gothic godfather reclaiming his altar. The room was beyond packed — shoulder to shoulder, boot to boot, black lace clashing with leather jackets in a tightly wound pit of anticipation. The sweat was already dripping before the lights even dropped, and yet no one seemed to care. We were all there for the same reason: to feel something sharp, loud, and unforgettable.

The curtain stayed drawn, but a sickly green light started pulsing behind it. A low hum bled into the room, like an electric prayer. Then came the sound — low and ominous at first, like something bubbling up from a haunted basement. It got heavier. The green turned blood red. The tension climbed. Then, all at once, it dropped.

Manson emerged — no delay, no ceremony. Just impact. The Antichrist Superstar himself, boots hitting the stage like a war drum, launching full-throttle into “Disposable Teens.” The crowd exploded. It wasn’t just noise; it was a roar — primal, unified, almost spiritual. You could feel it in your ribs.

His voice? As dangerous and commanding as it ever was. His presence? Still that eerie blend of preacher and predator. Between verses, he paused to acknowledge the city: “Boston… I missed you. And they won’t take you away from me.” Each time he said it, the room got louder. Fans shrieked, fists shot up, people climbed on each other’s shoulders like they were trying to reach him physically.

At several points in the show, in a perfectly grotesque Manson flourish, he’d grab a crisp tour shirt from the stage setup, wipe the sweat from his face and chest with it like it was a communion cloth — then fling it into the sea of hands with a smirk. It wasn’t just merch at that point. It was a souvenir soaked in madness, and fans clawed for it like it meant salvation.

The setlist played like a requiem for the old world — each track crashing harder than the last. “The Beautiful People” turned the floor into a writhing sea of bodies, and “mOBSCENE” brought out the chaos with such force it almost tore the walls off. Crowd surfers popped up like popcorn, riding waves of hands and howling like lunatics.

But Manson’s not just about chaos — he’s about control. He wielded the atmosphere like a weapon, tightening and releasing with perfect timing. Energy? It never dipped. Not once. Even the walls were sweating.

And just when it felt like we’d hit the limit, the encore delivered the sucker punch. Fake snow — pure white, cascading down like ash — poured across the stage as Manson drifted into a haunting, theatrical version of “Coma White.” It was strange, beautiful, and totally unhinged.

Then — the real surprise. With a wry smile and a devilish glint, he launched into a cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Darker, slower, and more menacing than ever. That iconic drum break? It hit like a sledgehammer to the chest. The whole place lost it.

In a world obsessed with reinvention, Manson doesn’t have to change — he just has to show up. And when he does, it’s not just a concert. It’s a ritual.

Boston will be feeling this one for a long time.

Setlist
Nod If You Understand
Disposable Teens
Get Your Gunn
Tourniquet
This Is the New Shit
Sacrilegious
The Nobodies
Say10
mOBSCENE
Long Hard Road Out of Hell
The Dope Show
As Sick as the Secrets Within
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover)
The Beautiful People

Encore:
In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover)

Encore 2:
Coma White
One Assassination Under God

Band members
Marilyn Manson – lead vocals
Tyler Bates – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Reba Meyers – guitars, backing vocals
Piggy D. – bass, backing vocals
Gil Sharone – drums

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Concert Review – Tribulation (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/25/2025)

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***Review by Kevin Ibbitson and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACTS: Unreqvited, Final Gasp and Early Moods

Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time us fans began to queue up in front of Lee’s Palace as Swedish goth/death metal band TRIBULATION and friends (UNREQVITED, FINAL GASP and EARLY MOODS) visited our fair city on their North America 2025 Tour, another great event brought to Toronto by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. It was not a sold out show by any means, which was quite surprising since the these are all killer bands. Maybe the Scattered showers scared folks away. Who knows? Their loss I guess! They happened to miss out on a fantastic night of heavy metal sorcery. Ultimately the lower turn out made the show feel more intimate and Lee’s is a smaller venue anyway, besides, the crowd that showed up proved to be die-hard supporters (good on them!). All in all I would say that at least over 100 head bangers showed up in support.
The first band to play was UNREQVITED, out of our nations capital Ottawa, and they promptly set the mood with their brand of post-black/shoegaze which reminded me a lot of  the French band Alcest, which I didn’t mind because I’m a fan of them also. I found their music to be atmospheric and introspective as well as head-bobbing/banging. This band has fantastic vocals from soothing cleans to raspy black metal grumblings and howls. Although I could see that for some in the crowd that shoegaze was not exactly their cup of tea, they still appreciated the music set before them. By the way, if you enjoy that type of music, the band has recently released the album A Pathway to the Moon, and you can purchase it or stream it in full on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Setlist
The Starforger
Void Essence / Frozen Tears
The Autumn Fire

Band members
鬼 (Ghost) – vocals, all instruments
Victor Forest – guitars
Robin Parsons – bass
Alec Curren – drums

For those in the crowd that were feeling a bit drowsy, EARLY MOODS out of Los Angeles, California, bitch-slapped their asses and got the place buzzing. This band is so freaking awesome. They blasted us with their brand of energetically powerful doom metal and swagger. You get everything you need out of this band like energy, excitement, groove, sore necks and killer riffs. These guys are killer! I highly recommend that you check them out the next time they swing by town, you won’t be disappointed, and go check their music on BandCamp or Spotify, like their 2024 album A Sinner’s Past. The crowd absolutely loved this band and so do I. I also loved that these guys joined the crowd after their set and head-banged along side us in support of their fellow tour mates.

Setlist
Isolated
Blood Offerings
Return To Salem’s Gate
Live To Suffer
Soul Sorcery
A Sinner’s Past
Damnation

Band members
Alberto Alcaraz – vocals
Eddie Andrade – guitars
Oscar Hernandez – guitars
Elix Feliciano – bass
Chris Flores – drums

Next up was a band called FINAL GASP out of Boston, MA. This deathrock outfit kept the buzz going throughout the building with a highly energetic set. The lead singer Jake Murphy tried on several occasions to get a circle pit going but nobody took the bait but he did manage to get the crowd to come a little closer to the stage. It was a small crowd after all, but you can’t knock him for trying though. Even still, the crowd was receptive to Final Gasp and they put on a great performance for the crowd as it was their final show on this tour. I wouldn’t say no to seeing them again if they ever come back to town. Killer band, and you can enjoy their entire discography, like their most recent album Mourning Moon, released in 2023, in places like BandCamp and Spotify.

Setlist
Look Away
Climax Infinity
Mourning Moon
Apparition
Blood & Sulfur
Temptation
Homebound
Suicide

Band members
Jake Murphy – vocals
James Forsythe – guitars
Peter Micanovic – guitars
Sean Rose – bass
Eric Lester – drums

TRIBULATION

I last saw blackened-goth metallers TRIBULATION when they opened up for Opeth this past Thanksgiving and they impressed me, so I was delighted to hear that they were coming back to Toronto for their North American tour. Seriously, are there any shitty metal bands in Sweden? Because I haven’t found one yet. Swedish Metal is so consistent and Tribulation out of Arvika, Sweden are no slouch. They are an absolutely fantastic band, as you can see in their 2024 opus Sub Rosa in Æternum, available on several streaming services like Spotify. Tribulation put on another amazing show, ensorcelling and enchanting all of the die-hard supporters that showed up with unrelenting class. They are such a tight, professional band, you seriously can’t go wrong seeing them live. I look forward to seeing them again some day.

Setlist
The Unrelenting Choir
Tainted Skies
Nightbound
Hamartia
Suspiria De Profundis
Melancholia
In Remembrance
Hungry Waters
Saturn Coming Down
Murder In Red
Strange Gateways Beckon

Band members
Johannes Andersson – vocals, bass
Adam Zaars – guitars
Joseph Tholl – guitars
Oscar Leander – drums

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Concert Review – Paradise Lost (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/18/2025)

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One of the pioneers of death and doom returned to Toronto after seven long years with a beyond flawless performance, sounding absolutely heavy, dark and vibrant.

OPENING ACTS: Nepenthe and Gigan

Concerts on a Sunday night are only truly fun when you don’t have to work the next morning, allowing you to enjoy the whole event to the fullest without checking the time every 30 seconds. Well, fortunately for all Torontonian fans of first-class Doom Metal, the iconic PARADISE LOST, with support from NEPENTHE and GIGAN, brought to the always cozy Lee’s Palace their undisputed The Devil Embraced North America 2025 exactly in the middle of the Victoria Day long weekend, meaning we could inhale all heaviness and doom blasted by one of the trailblazers of the style without worrying about the next day. A huge shout-out to Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment for not only bringing Paradise Lost to Toronto after almost seven years, but for also fixing the issue with tickets from a few buyers that were showing Helmet instead of Paradise Lost, and another one to Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi for making magic with the photos of the opening bands as the lighting during both was way too red or too green, plus all the smoke, making it almost impossible to see the bands onstage. They looked like shadows only, to be fair.

The lighting might have been horrible for good photos, but the music by Guelph, Ontario-based Blackened Doom Metal outfit NEPENTHE, the first attraction of the night, was beyond amazing. Playing songs from their two EPs, those being Elegies of Loss and Doom (2020) and The Fading Promise of Tomorrow (2024), both available on Spotify (and I highly recommend you go listen to both), like the excellent Dawn, the band spearheaded by the multi-talented Konrad Schroeder, who has the undisputed ability of playing really complex beats and fills while at the same time delivering solid clean vocals and desperate harsh screams, kicked some serious ass onstage for the delight of everyone who was already at the venue. Seriously, those guys were an incredible opening act, and hopefully I’ll get to see them again on the stages of Toronto in the near future, because the reaction of the crowd to their austere, captivating songs was awesome.

Band members
Konrad Schroeder – vocals, drums, percussion
Scott Rice – lead guitars
Steven Rowlands – rhythm guitars
Chris Rowan – bass

After a quick break (which I used to go grab some food outside, as I was starving), it was time for a lot of noise, heaviness and smoke, courtesy of Chicago, Illinois’ own Progressive/Technical Death Metal entity GIGAN, and when I say there was a lot of smoke, believe, it was A LOT of smoke. Having released the beautifully titled album Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus in 2024, which is by the way available in full on Spotify, the band formed of Jerry Kavouriaris, Eric Hersemann, Rajan Davis, and Nathan Cotton turned Lee’s Palace into a cauldron of violence and insanity, blasting heavier-than-hell sounds that would make your head explode if you were not wearing any type of ear protection. The smoke made it almost impossible to see the band members on stage, only their silhouettes, but that didn’t make their performance any less enjoyable. Eric’s riffs were utterly heavy and dissonant, and when you add to that the insane drumming by Nathan and the demented roars by Jerry, you have the perfect recipe for a brutal sonic chaos. In other words, if Gigan ever visit your city with their live concerts, don’t miss the chance of witnessing a tsunami of first-class noise.

Band members
Jerry Kavouriaris – vocals
Eric Hersemann – guitars
Rajan Davis – bass
Nathan Cotton – drums

PARADISE LOST

After the top-notch concerts by Nepenthe and Gigan, the crowd was more than ready for the feast of top-of-the-line Doom Metal by the main attraction of the night, the one and only PARADISE LOST. Although they’re not purely Doom Metal anymore, blending their core music with Death and Gothic Metal, plus a high dosage of Gothic Rock, the band spearheaded by the “voice of doom” Nick Holmes was finally back in Toronto after so many years, not only playing songs from their latest album Obsidian, released in 2020 (available on Spotify, and which fans in Toronto had never had the chance to see live), but from their entire career, including my favorite Paradise Lost songs of all time, Enchantment and The Last Time. These two were flawless, and the reaction of the fans to them was also beautiful to say the least.

Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy were insane armed with their axes, blasting incredible riffs, solos, and headbanging nonstop like if they were part of the crowd. Steve Edmondson and Guido Zima made sure the venue kept trembling during the entire show with their demonic kitchen, and of course, Mr. Nick Holmes was perfect with both his clean and deep guttural vocals. Songs like As I Die, The Devil Embraced, and No Hope in Sight, which showcase the band’s strongest doom vein, simply darkened the atmosphere (in a very good way, of course) for the delight of the band’s most diehard fans. Add to that the absurdly catchy Say Just Words, and a stunning cover version for Bronski Beat’s Smalltown Boy, and there you have the perfect setlist for a very enjoyable and fun night of heavy music in Toronto. I don’t think it will take another seven years for Paradise Lost to return to the city again, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday or in the middle of the week, or even if it’s Christmas Eve, I’ll be there. Because as the lyrics say in the closing song of the setlist, the excellent Ghosts, “for the ghosts, the ones to break me for Jesus Christ.”

Setlist
Enchantment
Forsaken
Pity the Sadness
Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us
Eternal
One Second
The Enemy
As I Die
The Devil Embraced
The Last Time
No Hope in Sight
Say Just Words

Encore:
Embers Fire
Smalltown Boy (Bronski Beat cover)
Ghosts

Band members
Nick Holmes – vocals
Greg Mackintosh – lead guitars, keyboards
Aaron Aedy – rhythm guitars
Steve Edmondson – bass
Guido Zima – drums

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Album Review – Lacuna Coil / Sleepless Empire (2025)

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Behold this dark and cinematic portrait of our crumbling society by one of the most important bands in the history of Alternative Rock and Metal.

If you know Italian Alternative/Gothic Rock/Metal band Lacuna Coil, then you’re already aware that every album entry in their storied career is more than just a sound. Each one is a richly textured soundtrack to a specific time and a place. With Sleepless Empire, that place is dark, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the unique characteristics that have given Lacuna Coil such a celebrated entry in the annals of heavy music. Recorded at SPVN Studio, produced by the band’s own Marco Coti Zelati, mixed by Stefano Santi, mastered by Marco D’Agostino, and displaying a dark, sinister artwork by Roberto Toderico, the new opus by vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Marco Coti Zelati, and drummer Richard Meiz will take you on an obscure, thrilling and vibrant musical journey, proving once again why the band has become a staple in the Alternative Rock and Metal scene worldwide.

The album starts in an atmospheric way with The Siege, quickly exploding into the band’s trademark fusion of Alternative Metal with gothic and dark sounds, and with Cristina and Andrea already kicking some ass as the band’s unparalleled vocal duo. Oxygen then offers an onrush of their wicked lyrics (“Stop wasting my time / Fight / When I look for confrontation / You hesitate, run away / Isolation like prison / Inner self to escape / Inhale / Ready to dive”) amidst metallic and very exciting sounds, and the guitars and bass by Marco sound absolutely groovy and sharp in Scarecrow, sounding beyond perfect for their live performances. Gravity feels even more modern than its predecessors, with Richard pounding his drums while the music remains eerie and electrifying, followed by I Wish You Were Dead, a good song but maybe too pop if compared to what the band is capable of. And featuring the iconic vocalist Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, who brings his share of heaviness and hatred to the band’s striking Alternative Metal, we have Hosting The Shadow, which will most probably be played live during their upcoming tour due to its endless energy.

In Nomine Patris follows the same pattern as some of the most recent Lacuna Coil albums, with a strong ambience working as the background for Cristina and Andrea to stun us all with their fiery vocals; whereas in the title-track Sleepless Empire we’re hit hard in our faces by the thunderous, metallic bass by Marco, providing his bandmates with exactly what they need to blast another ode to darkness in the form of Alternative and Gothic Metal. The guitar lines by Marco are then quickly joined by the fierce yet melodic beats by Richard in the reverberating Sleep Paralysis, perfect for Cristina to shine with her stylish vocals; and featuring guest vocals by Ash Costello of New Years Day and The Haxans we’re treated to In The Mean Time, perhaps the heaviest of all songs thanks to the hammering drums by Richard, with Cristina’s soaring vocals also bringing tons of stamina to the music. Finally, the band brings to our avid ears Never Dawn, one last blast of alternative and modern sounds, feeling heavy and vibrant until the very end.

“Our sound is dark because it reflects the society we’re living in – it’s a portrait of our times,” commented Andrea. “We’re from a unique generation that remembers the analog world but lives in the digital one, we’re the first generation that’s lived through both so we’ve been witnesses the change to our society and that’s the Sleepless Empire. Everyone is always on their phone, always scrolling, always doing something – morning to night, it just never stops.” Ironically, all that digital darkness described by Andrea can be better discussed with the band on their Facebook and Instagram, where you can also stay updated with their tour dates, and you can also find more of their amazing music on YouTube and on Spotify and, above all that, put your dirty hands on their new album by clicking HERE. Lacuna Coil will always be one of those bands with an endless source of creativity due to exactly what Andrea explained, as they always draw inspiration from the darkest side of human nature, which means they’ll fortunately keep offering us high quality albums like Sleepless Empire in the foreseeable future because, as you know, we humans are definitely dark beings.

Best moments of the album: Oxygen, Scarecrow and In The Mean Time.

Worst moments of the album: I Wish You Were Dead.

Released in 2025 Century Media Records

Track listing
1.The Siege 4:25
2. Oxygen 3:46
3. Scarecrow 4:49
4. Gravity 4:04
5. I Wish You Were Dead 2:52
6. Hosting The Shadow 4:19
7. In Nomine Patris 4:54
8. Sleepless Empire 4:02
9. Sleep Paralysis 5:20
10. In The Mean Time 3:33
11. Never Dawn 4:50

Band members
Cristina Scabbia – vocals
Andrea Ferro – vocals
Marco Coti Zelati – guitars, bass, keyboards
Richard Meiz – drums

Guest musicians
Randy Blythe – vocals on “Hosting The Shadow”
Ash Costello – vocals on “In The Mean Time”

Album Review – Harakiri For The Sky / Scorched Earth (2025)

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Austria’s own Post-Black Metal duo returns with another brilliant album, a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.

Despair, loss, love, and existential struggles have always been the foundation of the distinctive sound by Austrian Post-Black Metal duo Harakiri For The Sky since their inception back in 2011, with multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J. having gained recognition for pushing musical boundaries with their emotionally charged blend of Atmospheric Extreme Metal and Melodic Post-Rock, Grunge and modern Hardcore, carving out a genre of their own. Now in 2025 the duo attacks again with their new tour-de-force titled Scorched Earth, following up on their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Maere. Mixed and Mastered by Kristian Kohle at Kohlekeller Studio, with cover artwork and illustrations by Brvno Gonzalez, and featuring session drummer Kerim “Krimh” Lechner, the new album by J.J. and M.S. is their way of showing how rotten and decaying our world has become. “Our society is divided to its core and peace seems further away than ever in the last decades. This is what inspired the title of the new album: ‘Scorched Earth’ is a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.”

Heal Me, featuring Tim Yatras of Austere on guest vocals, offers a classic Harakiri For The Sky sound right from the start, with its atmospheric, gentle background clashing with the harshness flowing from M.S.’s riffs and Kerim’s beats. Keep Me Longing is an eleven-minute masterpiece by the duo where once again their heavy and soothing sounds collide in a brilliant manner, with M.S.’s riffs and bass being perfectly supported by the massive beats by Kerim; and the duo keeps delivering sheer brilliance in Without You I’m Just A Sad Song, another lengthy song that doesn’t feel long at all so dynamic, vibrant and thrilling it is, with J.J. roaring in great fashion until the end. Then letting their Post-Black Metal vein pulse stronger than ever we face No Graves But The Sea, where the electrifying riffs by M.S. will inspire you to bang your head like a maniac while Kerim dictates the song’s frantic yet dark pace.

Classy, charming piano notes will penetrate deep inside your mind in With Autumn I’ll Surrender, growing into a diverse, classic Post-Metal wall of sounds with J.J. once again bursting his lungs screaming, followed by I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep, a lovely title for a passionate display of Post-Black Metal by the duo, also bringing hints of 80’s Gothic Rock in its core essence. Then featuring guest vocalist Serena Cherry of Svalbarduk we have Too Late For Goodbyes, alternating between sheer violence and pure ethereal moments, and if you go for any of the special editions of the album you’ll be treated to two bonus tracks, their rendition for Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out), featuring guest vocalist P.G. of Groza (check out the original version from the 1995 album The Bends); and Elysian Fields (featuring guest vocals by Daniel Lang of Backwards Charm), both excellent songs leaning towards a more introspective side of the band that are definitely worth the extra investment.

“Scorched Earth is like the conclusion of all the albums we’ve done in the past, all that Harakiri For The Sky stands and stood for, musically and lyrically. This is what we stand for, this is what made us, this is our story,” commented such an extraordinary duo of heavy music about their new work of art, and you can get to know more about them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and grab a copy of the majestic Scorched Earth from the AOP Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Harakiri For The Sky. There’s endless darkness and beauty in Scorched Earth just like in real life, not only making the album truly special and already positioning it as a strong contender for album of the year, but also working as the perfect soundtrack for the toughest moments of our lives.

Best moments of the album: Keep Me Longing, No Graves But The Sea and With Autumn I’ll Surrender.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Heal Me 7:37
2. Keep Me Longing 10:40
3. Without You I’m Just A Sad Song 10:03
4. No Graves But The Sea 8:01
5. With Autumn I’ll Surrender 8:39
6. I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep 9:01
7. Too Late For Goodbyes 7:53

Bonus tracks
8. Street Spirit (Fade Out) (Radiohead Cover) 5:35
9. Elysian Fields 5:10

Band members
J.J. – vocals
M.S. – guitar, bass

Guest musicians
Kerim “Krimh” Lechner – drums (session)
Tim Yatras – vocals on “Heal Me”
Serena Cherry – vocals on “Too Late For Goodbyes”
P.G. – vocals on “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”
Daniel Lang – vocals on “Elysian Fields”
Jorge Cisternas & Sunvher – backing vocals