The Smashing Skull Sessions

Slovenia’s most awesomely audacious, genre defying metal pioneers Within Destruction have officially announced their next chapter with the reveal of their upcoming album 'ANIMETAL'. Speaking on the news of their upcoming album, the band share: “ANIMETAL is a culmination of all the stylistic experimentations that preceded it. These tracks are unapologetically authentic to the band’s identity. With...

Unto Others emerged in the summer of 2017, born from the frustration of singer/songwriter Gabriel Franco following the disbandment of his previous group. Initially named Idle Hands, the band served as Franco's creative outlet, allowing him full control over the songwriting process. With the addition of Sebastian Silva, Brandon Hill and Colin Vranizan, the band quickly gained traction in the underg...

Leading lights of British metal, Employed To Serve, take pride of place on the heavy metal world stage as they return with brand new single 'Atonement' feat. Will Ramos of Lorna Shore, plus long-awaited new studio album, 'Fallen Star', set for release on Friday, April 25th. "We want to fly the flag for heavy metal and the traditions that it holds," offers guitarist and songwriter Sammy Urwin, "But...

Formed in 1986, Exhorder’s journey has proven exciting, yet tumultuous. Fraught with euphoric peaks and crippling valleys throughout its existence, the band debuted that summer with the do-it-yourself demo recording, “Get Rude”. Swiftly building a strong local following in the New Orleans punk rock scene, Exhorder entered a legitimate 24 track studio in 1987 and crafted their controversial classic...

Formed in 2023 by guitarist Liam Myers, Worm Circus emerged as a raw and aggressive force within the Potsdam hardcore scene. In 2024, Liam met drummer Ray Stevens at a local hardcore show, leading to a lineup shift that saw the band scrapping its original material and starting fresh. With Ray behind the kit, they crafted a new sound, heavier and more intense than before. Soon after, bassist Dan Ma...

For over 35 years UK death metal legends Cancer have been delivering some of the most brutal and uncompromising music in the genre. Now, they return with Inverted World, their highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Shadow Gripped. Set for release on 25th April via Peaceville Records, the album promises a return to their signature blend of serrated riffing, guttural vocals, and relentless aggressio...

Thrashing - quite literally - into existence in 2017 INHUMAN NATURE are on the cuswp their upcoming album, 'Greater Than Death', out the 25th of April! The London, UK firebrand continues to fly the flag for the new wave of thrash and crossover across three battleproof tracks. Following their self-titled 2019 debut album, a split with UK contemporaries Road Mutant and a string of EP’s and singles,...

Straight out of the Crescent City, BRAT are set to release their forthcoming debut album, Social Grace, via Prosthetic Records on March 15. Since their 2021 inception, the New Orleans deathgrind / hardcore band’s journey to date has been one of blistering ascension both on the road and in-studio with relentless US touring and two head turning EP’s already under their belt. Enter 2024 and BRAT are...

Living With Giants is an instrumental post-rock band from Sacramento, California. Starting as a solo project in 2009 by Ryan Mannie, the project gained more members, releasing their debut album in 2011. From 2014-2021 the band took some time off, finally returning as the duo of Carver Simmons and Ryan. The band has since continued releasing new music comprised of the crescendoing drums, droning ba...

It’s been 7 years since US Death Rock’s new rising sensation New Skeletal Faces arrived on our planet and embedded themselves in the seedy outlying corners of the Southern Californian music scene. Today, Peaceville are excited to announce that the California trio have signed to the label and will be releasing their new album Until The Night later this year. Upon signing, New Skeletal Faces said “W...

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for their technical instrumentation, heavy breakdowns, and intricate guitar work. The band formed in 2003 and has since become one of the most respected acts in the metalcore scene. Known for their technical precision, uplifting themes, and relentless energy, August Burns Red has built a devoted fan base worldwide....

New Orleans’ EYEHATEGOD is the snarling, bilious sound of dead-end America. Since 1988, they’ve been a soundtrack for the troubled masses. Ugly music for ugly times. That’s the sense of disenchantment and disease that lies the heart of their latest and sixth full-length album, “A History of Nomadic Behavior”. Anyone familiar with EHG’s story knows this is survivor’s music, a sound unto itself wher...

Rampaging into their 25th year as purveyors of the most ruthless extreme metal, Goatwhore return with perhaps the strongest album of their storied career. Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven is 47 minutes of their trademark blend of death, black, thrash and sludge metal delivered with breathless intensity and an unrepentant bloodlust, making for one of the most thrilling records to come out of 2...

Following the incredible success and adoration received from 2019’s stunning debut ‘Lonely World’, a record that harnessed melody and melancholy to devastatingly gorgeous effect, Acres found themselves playing the biggest shows of their career so far and achieving things they had only previously dreamt about. But when the world around them suddenly felt so uncertain, they had a choice to make of w...

Deriving their name from the colossal tempests raging on Jupiter, a planet known for its ferocious beauty and epic scale, Jovian Storms' music invites you to witness the collision of crushing riffs and atmospheric synths, as the band embarks you on a spacefaring journey. I got to sit down and talk with bassist Tom Gentil where we talked about how the band started, the recording process for their E...

Orbiter is a heavy psych and doom metal band hailing from Helsinki in Finland. The band blend together heavy riffs with soaring vocals and haunting psycedelia. The bands debut full-length, 'Hollow World', came out in September of 2023 picking up exactly where they left off with their 2020 EP, 'The Deluge'. I got to sit down with members Tuomas, Sami and Carolin where we talked about the recording...

Desolated are a five-piece hardcore band, lyrically inspired by remorse and experiences, touring worldwide and promoting their message; this is a band with extensive presence and unstoppable momentum. Desolated have numerous releases to their name, not to mention countless performances, ranging from intimate basement shows to international Main Stage festival appearances. Without exception, the at...

Alternative punk duo CRASHFACE are back with their brand new single and chaotic music video for 'MANIAC', which features a guest collaboration from Wargasm's Sam Matlock. Along with the new track, the band have announced their brand new upcoming EP, LIFE AND DEATH IN THE WASTELAND, due for release 13th September. "This one is for embracing crazy. Continuing on from the story of 'C.H.A.I.N.S.A.W',...

From Italy, Hideous Divinity are a death metal band compromised of members from Aborted and have been active since 2007. With 5 albums, inclduing their 2024, 'Unextinct', release, going on tour with Nile and bringing the Italian death metal with them. I got to sit down with Enrico, Stefano and Eduardo before they hit the Opium stage playing Nile, Intrepid and Pestifer where we talked about Father...

Formed in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2016 they started out as a thrash metal band. Quickly though, leaving thrash band in favour of Old School Florida Death Metal. The bands debut EP came out in 2017, 'Empress of Devastation', with even more music following. In 2023 their EP, 'Slaying Of Sanity / Murder of Mind', came out in January. I got to sit down with Simo and Aldo, guitarists for the band right af...

The project was fantasized by young hairy twins, fanatics of 90’s death metal scene. With a first EP in 2006, Pestifer aligns concerts on a local scale. In 2010, the band takes a new dimension releasing its first album, “Age of Disgrace”. Two European tours in support of Kataklysm and Krisiun follow and they sign with Ultimhate Records. Following a new 13-date European tour with Nile, Pestifer rel...

Speaking on the new single and music video, David Bruno (vocals) comments: “We open up our second album with Return To The Soil, which is fitting because it was one of the first songs we really nailed down when we were first crafting Under The Reviled Throne. It describes the Lich’s journey into the wastes as he and his mighty army begin their quest to dominate the continent. Also there are witche...

Everyone's A Murderer promises to be TO THE GRAVE's heaviest and most evolved offering yet, both sonically and thematically. The album attacks societal and environmental themes with the relentless intensity the band are known for, giving voice to the voiceless via their unique, signature blend of brutally impactful deathcore. Providing further insight on the new album, Evans shares: "For this reco...

Demersal is a band that has never feared exploring emptiness and intense emotions through their raw and aggressive sound and is set to share their most complete and diverse examination yet with their self-titled new album. Hailing from Odense and Copenhagen, Demersal weave squalls of sound and emotions that reflect the intensity of frustration that increasingly sweeps the crumbling world. They dra...

Over a raucous decade, DARKO have by definition, become veterans of the UK punk scene and it is not uncommon to see them standing as an essential name within the intricate and complex world of contemporary punk and hardcore. In 2020, longtime voicebox Dan Smith returned to his native Australia and parted ways with the band after so long in the vox seat. Dan’s evocative, emphatic and emotional lyri...