German gothic/NDH metallers Herzparasit released via Echozone a brand new single "Hässlich". Herzparasit is about alienation, speechlessness, transience, fear of letting go, and clinging to familiar structures; in short, about the fear and decay that haunts people, symbolized by a heart parasite that injects its poison into the cells.
The song "Hässlich", means ugly in English – who doesn't know it? The band comments: "Every one of us has felt it before. Looking into the mirror and feeling like we're not pretty enough for the world, our family, our friends. And especially when compared to all the social media influencers. What does that do to us? How do we feel? Some people are destroyed by it. This song is for everyone who has doubts. You are not alone!"
Herzparasit are also socially committed. They have played at the Veidstanz benefit (donations in favour of Veid e.V.) and at the Toy Run Berlin for orphans, among others. Herzparasit also supports the "Sandmänner" together with other scene acts and is actively committed to combating child poverty.
El Toro, Ric-Q and MR. SM impress with a freaky laser / LED show, costumes and lots of power. The travel guide Marco Polo even praised them as a live musical highlight of Munich. Herzparasit has already performed live on stage with Megaherz, Hämatom, Umbra et Imago, Unzucht, Stahlmann, Ost+Front, Hanzel und Gretyl, Tanzwut, Haggard, Schattenmann and many others. Link

"Jewels" is the newest single from UK doom metal titans Godthrymm. The track comes off the band's outstanding third album, Projections, out next Friday, 29 May, under Profound Lore Records.
Darkwave/dark techno/industrial act Sleep Of Mirrors have put out a video for "Not My Skin", a track lifted from their inaugural record Crown, out in May under Negative Gain Productions.
French post‑punk duo Varsovie return with a striking new single, “Treize Collines”, accompanied by an evocative video that deepens the band’s long‑standing dialogue with urban memory...
South African gothic/darkwave institution The Awakening has unveiled the pre‑order for their long‑awaited thirteenth studio album, The Lost Theatre. The release marks the next chapter...
"I'm quite obsessive, and when I work on music, I can overwork and get myself in trouble. I always had a breakdown when I finished an album, because I drove myself to the brink." - Mick Moss
"They wrote that we wanted to influence people's minds with our bagpipes so that they would be willing to attack the police." - Irdorath
"Within this darkness, where there's no light at all, the golden raven still shines. It's not like a perfectly cut statue of Michelangelo..." - Val Perun
"I'm sort of asking questions - where are the heroes? Where's the defiance? Where are the people who oppose this?" - Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill
