Crypta have released „A Portrait of Decay“, their first single with the new line-up, ahead of a North American tour with Arch Enemy. HateSphere have shared a third single from Guillotine, and Artificial Brain have announced their fourth album, Antillia. Valkyrie’s Fire have turned Poe’s „The Raven“ into a music video for „Evermore“.
Crypta Release New Single and Music Video A Portrait of Decay
September 24, 2026
Photo: Rafael Karelisky
Brazilian death metal band Crypta have released a new single, „A Portrait of Decay“, with an official music video. It is the first track with guitarist Victoria Villarreal, announced as a permanent member in April. She joins Fernanda Lira (bass, vocals), Luana Dametto (drums) and Tainá Bergamaschi (guitar).
The song deals with dissociation as a way of enduring pain and suffering. It was recorded in Belgium in June and engineered, mixed and mastered by Yarne Heylen at Project Zero Studio. The artwork is by Brazilian artist Marcos Miller.
Dametto wrote the script for the video. She describes it as a poetic contrast to the song’s harsh sound and a cinematic take on the lyrics. A dreamlike landscape slowly gives way to night and darker surroundings.
„A Portrait of Decay“ is out now on all major streaming platforms. It will also be released as a strictly limited 7″ vinyl.
The single arrives just before Crypta’s North American tour with Arch Enemy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Septicflesh and Thrown Into Exile. The tour starts on October 5, 2026 in Riverside, California.
Formed in 2019 by former Nervosa members Dametto and Lira, Crypta released their latest album, Shades of Sorrow, in August 2023.
Links:
- http://www.cryptaofficial.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/cryptadeath/
- https://www.facebook.com/cryptadeath/
Source: Napalm Records Press
HateSphere Release Mouth Filled With Barbed Wire Video From New Album Guillotine
September 24, 2026
Danish thrash/death metal band HateSphere have released a music video for „Mouth Filled With Barbed Wire“. It is the third single from their 12th studio album, Guillotine, due on October 9, 2026 via Scarlet Records.
Tue Madsen produced, mixed and mastered the album at Antfarm Studio. The cover art is by Mikkel Rützov (Drown Design).
Guillotine is described as darker and more atmospheric than 2023’s Hatred Reborn, while keeping the band’s aggression, speed, melody and groove.
Lyrically, the album explores what shapes our moral compass and what lies behind people’s motives and actions. It pits human nature against society and asks which of the two will break first.
An exclusive limited vinyl edition will also be available. The album is recommended for fans of Slayer, At The Gates and The Haunted.
HateSphere are Mathias Uldall (vocals), Peter Lyse Karmark and Franz Aleksander Posch (guitars), Jimmy Fyrstenberg (bass) and Mike Park (drums).
Links:
- http://www.hatesphere.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/hatesphereofficial/
- https://www.instagram.com/hatesphere_official
- https://www.youtube.com/hatesphereofficial
Source:Scarlet Records
Artificial Brain Announce New Album Antillia and Share First Single Quantum Malignancies
September 21, 2026
Photo: Dan Wagner
US death metal band Artificial Brain have announced their fourth studio album, Antillia, out on November 13, 2026 via Profound Lore Records. The first single, „Quantum Malignancies“, is streaming now.
Founding bassist Samuel Smith says the song reflects both the changes and the continuity in the band’s sound. It opens with guttural noise from their recurring guest singer and builds to dueling guitar solos.
The band are now based in Richmond, Virginia, after a period as a six-piece international collective. Vocalist Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and drummer Alex Tomlin (Battlemaster) have joined guitarist Oleg Zalman and founding members Dan Gargiulo (guitar) and Smith.
Antillia still grafts black metal melody onto a dense death metal core, but it is billed as the band’s shortest and most aggressive album yet. Its nine tracks deal with invasion and contamination on a cosmic scale, from diseases falling from the sky to medical nanobots triggering cancerous plagues.
The album was recorded and mixed by Ian Jacyszyn and mastered by Colin Marston. The artwork is by Fleshflies.
Links:
- https://www.facebook.com/ArtificialBrainMusic/
- https://www.instagram.com/artificial_brain_band/
- https://artificialbrain.bandcamp.com
- https://www.facebook.com/profoundlorerecords/
Source: Dominik Goncalves dos Reis/ALL NOIR
Valkyrie’s Fire Bring Poe’s The Raven to Life in New Music Video Evermore
September 22, 2026
Nashville symphonic power metal band Valkyrie’s Fire have released a music video for „Evermore“, an uplifting reworking of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem „The Raven“. Vocalist Bettie Floyd directed it with ProMotion LLC.
„Evermore“ is the third video from the band’s debut full-length album, Out of Darkness, released on September 18, 2026 via Eclipse Records.
Where Poe’s narrator sinks into endless sorrow, the song moves from grief towards healing. Bassist Dave Hale says it reminds listeners that the people we lose live on in our memory.
The video follows the same arc. The verses are set in the 19th century, while the chorus switches to a brighter band performance with Floyd and Adam Sanders singing in harmony.
The 13-track album was produced by guitarist Joey Grimaldi, with cover art by Jan Yrlund. Amaranthe’s Mikael Sehlin guests on „Burning Sky“ and also mastered the record.
Links:
- https://www.valkyriesfire.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
- https://www.instagram.com/valkyriesfireofficial/
- https://www.youtube.com/@valkyriesfireofficial
Source: Chris Poland
