Brussels (Belgium)-based coldwave/darkwave outfit Empereur will release on 21 February via Icy Cold Records a new album entitled Eau Rouge. Recorded between 2021 and 2023 at Woodstudio in Liège under the direction of Maxime Wathieu, Eau Rouge bears the marks of a meticulous production, balancing urgency and precision.
The album's mixing and production were then entrusted to Matt Peel (The Nave, Leeds, UK), injecting an even more abrasive and immersive dimension into the band's sound. The finishing touch was delivered by Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory (London, UK), where the album was mastered in 2024, sealing this sonic whirlwind in all its raw power.
A visceral and acid-etched album, where each track lands like a blow against the gentrification of post-punk. A sonic rebellion — ten tracks shaped like a punk requiem. Forging their way through the post-punk underworld for a decade, after dozens of exhausting gigs and two blistering EPs, Empereur is back to unleash their cold, binary wave like a sawed-off shotgun, spitting venom in the form of sharp, manifesto-like outbursts finished in acid.
Two tracks are already available for streaming, of which "Amor Fati", a dark and hypnotic track, got its video form. The video is a visual extension of the trio's raw and cutting energy. Inspired by the idea of fate accepted with fatalism, "Amor Fati" is an exploration of surrender, where light flickers in the darkness and where we dance on the ruins of a collapsing civilization. Link

Chicago's avant‑garde post‑punk/doom vanguards group Anatomy Of Habit return with Paired Sentinels, which the band will issue independently on 31 July. The entrancing new work marks...
French black metal quartet Mourir have unveiled their third single, "Aux inutiles", ahead of their sophomore album Nous, le venin, due for release on 10 July through Pelagic Records.
Electro‑industrial formation Damage Control continues its streak of high‑profile collaborations with the release of “Manifesto”, a new single created together with Canadian duo OHMelectronic.
Following their recent signing with Terminus Hate City, Southern gothic‑infused blackened death metal outfit The Noctambulant have offered the first track, "Skeleton Key", from their...
"Art isn't meant to always be pretty and make us feel comfortable and good about ourselves. I'm not afraid to broach difficult emotions and to express the beautiful ones too." - Martin Saint
"There were already bands doing small illustrations of symphonic metal, and I was thinking, why doesn't someone do this all the time?" - Christofer Johnsson
"I think we longed for a band where we could be there from scratch and form everything the way we want." - Fabienne Erni
"There's much more detail in our music now than 20 years ago. It's also much easier nowadays because you can do many things at home." - Morten Lybecker
