If last week was a 3.8/5, just imagine the possibilities this week! Somehow we have made it to another Monday, so thank you for hanging out with us. Below is a hefty, yet incomplete list of new releases for August 22nd, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: if you don’t like your job, you don’t go on strike — you go in every day and do it really half-assed. That’s the Sputnik way! For now, we’ll keep this ball rollin’ and catch you next time!
– List of Releases: August 22nd, 2025 –
Adrian Sherwood – The Collapse of Everything Genre: Dub / Experimental Label: On-U
Arcadea – The Exodus of Gravity Genre: Sci-Fi Synth Metal / Neo-Psychedelia Label: Relapse
Ashen – Leave the Flesh Behind Genre: Death Metal / Groove Metal Label: Redefining Darkness
Ava Max – Don’t Click Play Genre: Synthpop / Dance-Pop Label: Atlantic
Bask – The Turning Genre: Stoner Rock / Psychedelic Rock Label: Season of Mist
Blackbriar – A Thousand Little Deaths Genre: Symphonic Metal / Gothic Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Ciara – CiCi Genre: Alternative R&B / Trap Soul Label:…
The legendary pop-punkers have released another song in advance of their upcoming October 10th release, Better Days. It’s a nostalgic, chorus-driven banger reminiscent of the band’s Ocean Avenue prime.
Other Tracks to Highlight:
Black Honey – “Vampire in the Kitchen”
“If No Doubt went indie rock. –Tundra” –Sowing. All jokes aside, this just about sums up my thoughts…but also check the sick guitar riffs/solo here.
Pile – “A Loosened Knot”
“Equal parts serene and brutal – often all at once. Pile not only return to their post-hardcore roots but they return with what they’ve learned in their more linear and experimental detours from the past couple releases. Lush strings, beautiful duets clash with harsh scramz, filthy guitar licks, and angular melodies.” –baseddook
ivri – “erosion”
Beautiful, shoegazey indie-rock from a no-name artist will always pique my interest, and this song/album was no different!
Rise Against – “Black Crown” (ft. Manchester Orchestra)
The album’s average rating/score isn’t sitting too pretty thus far, but any song with Andy Hull writing credits and vocal contributions will be a cut above the rest.
Editorial Preface: The following is an interview conducted between the artist …and Oceans and our Contributing Reviewers, Ryan P. (Hawks) and Zach (Dedes). …and Oceans recently released their seventh full-length LP, The Regeneration Itinerary. The new album can be streamed or purchased via their official Bandcamp page.
RYAN: Hey guys! Me and one of my colleagues on the site, Zach, will be conducting this interview and we’re hyped to be able to speak to you! Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to fit us in! First, please just give us a bit of information on the origin of the band and some of the bands that influenced you.
Timo: We started some time ‘95 a years after we stopped with our death metal band Festerday. Sure …And Oceans started with a bit different line-up. But had partly same members as Festerday. These are not the same band as understood wrong in many places online. Our first stuff was a bit mixed with death metal and more technical stuff. Soon we started to take more bm influences into our songs. That was quite natural since that music was coming strong at that time. Emperor for example had an impact with synths taken along etc. We did a few demos and with ‘96 promo we got a deal with Season of Mist and not before long we already recorded our debut. The after we had already that split album and the next album out and went…
From a meteorological lens, some of us are starting to feel the dog days of summer, so hopefully those of you upside-down are persevering through the cat nights of winter. Below is an ostensibly incomplete list of new releases for August 15th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week, and thank you for teaching kids everywhere a valuable lesson: if things don’t go your way, just keep complaining until your dreams come true. Until then, we’ll catch you for the next one!
– List of Releases: August 15th, 2025 –
The Aces – Gold Star Baby Genre: Dance-Pop / Nu-Disco Label: SoundOn
Good news, everyone! mm/dd/yyyy and dd/mm/yyyy are the same this week! This won’t happen again until… 10/10. Hopefully we’ll get there if we stack ’em one week at a time! All we can do is try, and trying is the first step towards failure. In the meantime, below is a not-exactly-comprehensive list of new releases for the week of August 8th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week, and we’ll catch you on the next one!
– List of Releases: August 8th, 2025 –
Ada Lea – when i paint my masterpiece Genre: Indie Folk / Neo-Psychedelia Label: Saddle Creek
Amaarae – BLACK STAR Genre: Jersey Club / Dance-Pop Label: Interscope
Anamanaguchi – Anyway Genre: Slacker Rock / Indie Rock Label: Polyvinyl
It might seem tragic that August is both Romance Awareness Month and National Catfish Month, but we figure the latter has to do with the fried-in-Old Bay-and-cornmeal variety. Below is a non-exhaustive list of new releases for August 1st, 2025. Jam the playlist, tell us your favorite sandwich/panini (since those are celebrated this month as well), and we’ll catch you next time!
– List of Releases: August 1st, 2025 –
ACCVSED – Dealers of Doom Genre: Metalcore / Alternative Metal Label: Arising Empire
Almost An Island – Almost An Island Genre: Ambient / Drone Label: Past Inside the Present
Below is a partial list of some new releases for July 25th, 2025. It’s also Shark Week this week. Jam the playlist, vote on the best shark, and let us know what the haps be in your neck of the sea — and we’ll catch you next time!
– List of Releases: July 25th, 2025 –
16volt – More of Less Genre: Industrial Rock / Electro-Industrial Label: Metropolis
Alessi Rose – Voyeur [EP] Genre: Alt-Pop / Indie Pop Label: Atlantic
Alice Cooper – The Revenge of Alice Cooper Genre: Hard Rock / Psychedelic Rock Label: earMUSIC
Anchor & Braille – New Mexico Genre: Alternative Rock / Post-Punk Label: Equal Vision
Beheaded – Għadam Genre: Brutal Death Metal / Technical Death Metal Label: Agonia
Blankenberge – Decisions Genre: Shoegaze / Dream Pop Label: Automatic Music
Bleary Eyed – Easy Genre: Shoegaze / Noise Pop Label: Born Losers
Below is a partial list of notable new releases for July 18th, 2025. What are you looking forward to this week? Jam the playlist (or the DK Rap in honor of Donkey Kong Bananza‘s release) and let us know what the haps be — and we’ll see you all for the next one!
– List of Releases: July 18th, 2025 –
Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal / Melodic Black Metal Label: Agonia
Above & Beyond – Bigger Than All of Us Genre: Melodic House / Progressive Trance Label: Anjunabeats
Alex G – Headlights Genre: Indie Folk / Americana Label: RCA
Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here Genre: Post-Metal / Atmospheric Sludge Metal Label: Road to Masochist
Billie Marten – Dog Eared Genre: Bedroom Pop / Indie Pop Label: Fiction
Bush – I Beat Loneliness Genre: Alternative Rock / Post-Grunge Label: earMUSIC
Clairvoyance – Chasm of Immurement Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal Label: Carbonized
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway – Addicted to the Violence Genre: Alternative Metal / Alternative Rock Label: Scarred for Life
Welcome back to our humble abode, rife with intrusive boner pill ads and a roller grill featuring products that might survive a nuclear holocaust. We’re sorta like 7-Eleven: we’re not always doing business, but we’re always open. Jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week, and we’ll catch you on the flippity-flip.
– List of Releases: July 11th, 2025 –
Amy MacDonald – Is This What You’ve Been Waiting for? Genre: Power Pop / Pop Rock Label: Infectious
Born of Osiris – Through Shadows Genre: Metalcore / Djent Label: Sumerian
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out Genre: Gangsta Rap / Experimental Hip-Hop Label: Roc Nation
Disembodiment – Spiral Crypts Genre: Death Metal / Death Doom Metal Label: Everlasting Spew
Gina Birch – Trouble Genre: Post-Punk / Art-Pop Label: Third Man
Happy Pride, Happy Canada Day, Happy 4th of July — July is also Social Wellness Month and UV Safety Awareness Month, so please wear sunscreen and stay properly hydrated when you’re out touching grass during National Picnic Month! Here are some new releases on deck for the week of July 4th. Jam the playlist and let us know what you’re looking forward to this week!
– List of Releases: July 4th, 2025 –
Divine Sentence – Killing is a Cycle Genre: Metalcore / Sludge Metal Label: Blood Blast Distro
Haarvöl – Horizons of Suspended Zones Genre: Experimental / Dark Ambient Label: Crónica
Jonny Nash – Once Was Ours Forever Genre: Ambient / Modern Classical Label: Melody as Truth
Kae Tempest – Self Titled Genre: Conscious Hip-Hop / Electro Hop Label: Island / EMI
Well, folks, it is time for a look into the depths of depravity. The Finnish metal scene is one of my favorites. It has a bit of everything. There’s over-the-top folky stuff, blitzing melodeath, the murkiest death metal you’ll ever hear, and some of the darkest, ritualistic black metal ever put to tape. I will be covering my personal top 10 all-time (as of this moment) in the Finnish scene. Buckle up, boys, here we go!
Ahhhhh, yes, the quintessential Finnish metal band. While Children of Bodom might not be the the ‘trvest’ band out there, they are responsible for getting many (including yours truly) into Finnish metal and metal in general.
Starting off in 1993 as Inearthed by world-class guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, the band offered a somewhat different approach than what was happening in the Finnish metal scene at the time. Bands like Demilich, Rippikoulu and Funebre, just to name a few, were dropping some of the most disgusting-sounding death metal known to mankind. The boys of Inearthed/Bodom opted for a way more melodic, neoclassical-influenced sound with shredding riffs, bombastic keyboards and throat-tearing, high-pitched vocals.
Their opening trio of Something Wild, Hatebreeder and Follow the Reaper…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 27th, 2025. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: June 27th, 2025 –
Ashley Campbell: Goodnight Nashville
Genre: Country Label: Dot Records
Coil: Black Antlers
Genre: Industrial / Ambient Label: Threshold House
Deadguy: Near-Death Travel Service
Genre: Metalcore / Mathcore Label: Relapse Records
Drawn and Quartered: Lord of Two Horns Genre: Death Metal Label: Nuclear Winter Records
Greet Death: Die in Love
Genre: Shoegaze / Indie Label: Deathwish Inc.
Heaven Shall Burn: Heimat
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Century Media Records
Katseye: Beautiful Chaos
Genre: Pop Label: Geffin Records
Late Night Drive Home: As I Watch My Life Online
Genre: Indie Rock Label: Epitaph Records
Laura Stevenson: Late Great
Genre: Indie Rock / Americana Label: Really Records
Lorde: Virgin
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Universal Records
Moving Mountains: Pruning of the Lower Limbs
Genre: Post Rock / Indie Rock Label: Wax Bodega
Orianthi: Some Kind of Feeling
Genre: Rock Label: Woodward Avenue Records
Pig Pen: Mental Madness Genre: Hardcore Label: Flatspot Records
Shadow of Intent: Imperium Delirium
Genre: Blackened Deathcore Label: Bloodblast Distribution
Sodom: The Arsonist
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Label: Avalon
Will Carlisle: Winged Victory
Genre: Americana / Folk Label: Signature Sound Recordings
You can’t join this particular party, but you can get close if you follow one of our social media pages:
The summer is solsticing and the halation is blinding. Need some cool blasts to beat the heat? Riff Index is your one-stop shop to stock up on all the week’s best new metal and metal accessories.
Shake off your Seppuku-punx blues, grab a molotov and join the Death Pill grrrrls rioting in Kyiv or start a Midsummer bonfire with Rites of Tara.
Hear the new decree from Valdrin now seated upon his lunar throne.
Get bewitched by the Diamanda Galás incanted Puppe Magnetik.
It took 17+ years but Destroyer Destroyer have found another destroyer to destroy and Insanity return to life after Death After Death.
Want to storm the Parthenon at the speed of black with the wild melodies of heavy metal? Aetos has you covered – just don’t get behind the gas-puffing dragon of Helms Deep.
-Azazzel
List of Recommendable Guitar Music:
June 16th – June 22nd, 2025
Compiled, checked, and recommended by ThyCrossAwaits, Azazzel, and yours truly
Welcome to a very special interview with My Epic’s Aaron Stone, conducted by DrGonzo and Tyman. Founded in 2005, My Epic are known for their deep-rooted Christian themes and lyrics, over a sound that has gone through various transformations over the years – from post-hardcore and post-rock to indie and pop, all carefully crafted with lush, ethereal soundscapes with powerful breakdowns. Both Tyman and Gonzo hold a huge amount of reverence for My Epic, and we got chance to sit down with Aaron Stone, the band’s vocalist, to discuss the band’s history, future and all things in between. So, let’s dive in.
Tyler: For those of you who are listening and may not know, we are joined by Aaron. He’s the vocalist of My Epic. If you don’t know My Epic, what are you doing now? Me and Simon absolutely love this band and thought it would be fun to have a good little chat with them.
Simon: Jumping straight into the My Epic stuff, could you just give us a brief overview of the band and its history, if that’s cool?
Aaron: The band started my senior year of college with my brother Jesse and my best friends, Jeremiah and Maddie. After college we moved to Charlotte together and the band sort of whittled down to me, my brother and Jeremiah, and that had been the core of the band for a long time. We signed to Facedown Records in 2008 and released our first full-length [I Am Undone],…
