Reviewed by Claire Thomson

Zeal & Ardor release "Devil Is Fine x Carpenter Brut" via MVKA, a defining moment in the band's history reimagined with brutal precision as Carpenter Brut unleashes his trademark nightmare fuel on their most iconic anthem. It's a collision of two of extreme music's most fearless minds, pushing the song into territory it has never touched before. "Devil Is Fine" is the title track of Zeal & Ardor's breakthrough 2016 record, the release that first fused black metal aggression with the rhythms and history of African American spirituals and work songs, introducing Manuel Gagneux's project to a global audience. Carpenter Brut, the French producer whose synth driven, horror soaked sound has become a genre unto itself, has now taken the track apart and rebuilt it. Manuel Gagneux of Zeal & Ardor says, “Imagine if one of the most capable electronic musicians out there remixed a song of ours. Imagine if that would result in a track that might eclipse the original. Imagine if you could listen to such a thing right now. We give you Devil Is Fine x Carpenter Brut."  Carpenter Brut adds, “Zeal & Ardor have such a distinctive sound so it was a real pleasure to take ‘Devil Is Fine’ into my own world while keeping the spirit of the original.“

Released November 20th through Roadrunner Records

UK EVENTS TO BE HELD AT HELGIS, LONDON & SCRUFFY MURPHY’S, BIRMINGHAM

Reviewed by Gareth Griffiths 

DELUXE EDITION OF ACCLAIMED ALBUM REFLECTIONS SET FOR RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 13th 2026

Welsh ragga metal band Skindred release the video for their new single ‘Big Em Up’, taken from their recent Number 1 hit album You Got This, which opens with a simple but strong message of support for anyone suffering from mental health conditions, anxiety or depression. The message behind the song is a simple call for everyone to make sure your friends and the people around you are alright and to pick them up when they are feeling low. Skindred singer Benji Webbe says, “It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by life and everything it throws at you, from your gas bill to a family tragedy or people just being negative and your timeline filling up with hate and negativity on social media. ‘Big Em Up’ is a simple message for everyone to check on their friends and to pick ‘em up and to try and encourage some positivity back into the world. It’s a message me and my brothers in Skindred try and share in the music we play, so all we ask is for our fans and listeners to enjoy the single and to also share that message of positivity too. Please check on those around you. Big Em Up!!”

Essex natives BEYOND EXTINCTION are one of the most exciting bands in UK deathcore right now and are continuing to contribute to a flourishing heavy music scene with the release of new single "The Estuary" . Taken from their recently announced upcoming EP, Three Swords , the track continues in the vein of unveiling Essex's dark history, this time giving exposure to the serene yet deadly bodies of water throughout Essex that've been responsible for multiple disappearances and violent deaths across the centuries, including the Blackwater Estuary, River Thames, River Colne, River Crouch and more. Tidal and coastal locations have never been more haunting than they are on "The Estuary" . Due 23rd October 2026, the Three Swords EP encompasses the essence of what it means to have Essex blood running through your veins, retelling the dark history of Essex's streets. BEYOND EXTINCTION , much like the plague retold in previous single "A Dark Sickness (Three Swords)", will be sweeping down on crowds during their busy touring schedule from October 2026 into March next year. Down-tuned and crawling out from the sludge, this is Essex Death.

Reviewed by Laura DQ