The project is the work of Sergiy Nikolaienko, who turned to music as the one form of resistance left to him.

He now continues from Hamburg, and with a video selected for the Berlin Music Video Awards and a second album on the way, we caught up with him to talk tanks outside his window, a tense border interrogation and why he isn’t taking a break.

Who are you and where are you from?

My real name is Sergiy Nikolaienko. I’m from Kherson, Ukraine. Before Anger Outburst, I was primarily a vocalist in different bands, from melodic death metal to nu/industrial metal.

How did Anger Outburst begin, and how did you find your sound?

My first four songs that later ended up on the first Anger Outburst album (‘Through the Dark Times’, ‘Gather the Fools’, ‘What Does It Take’ and ‘Free We Are’) were originally written for my previous band, Amental. But since my bandmates were not musically active because of the start of the war in Ukraine, I decided to proceed alone. As music was the only option to express myself freely and let my anger out, I decided to give it the name Anger Outburst.

I didn’t plan any particular sound for the project; it came out naturally. I wrote music I liked: melodic but aggressive.

How would you describe your music to someone discovering you for the first time?

I would describe my music as a combination of Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy and Soilwork. Depth, fighting spirit, low-tuned guitars and lots of guitar melodies like in Amon Amarth, the aggression and power of Arch Enemy with a strong voice like in Soilwork, but with my own approach. Something like that.

You started the project in Kherson in 2022 and wrote your debut album under occupation. How did that experience shape the music?

Music was the only option for resistance when other forms of resistance were impossible. Kherson was occupied by Russians during the first two days of the war. I saw tanks passing by outside my window. Every night, they took someone from their apartment. They destroyed schools with tank fire. They destroy, as they cannot create. And I couldn’t do anything about it. I put all this anger and helplessness into my music and expressed it in my lyrics. Yes, it definitely shaped my music.

What has it been like continuing the project from Hamburg?

Everything has remained the same. I still feel this anger, and I still express it through my music. But I can do it freely.

What’s the story behind your latest single ‘There Is No God’?

I think that God is a combination of yet-undiscovered scientific facts and the reluctance of people to take responsibility for their lives. There are billions of suns with trillions of planets in endless space, and we still think that some God came to our small planet and died for our sins? Not to mention the hundreds of errors that were made in every religious book, as they were written by pretty limited people long ago. The chorus of this song says that man created God, not God man, as man had failed to explain facts.

The video for ‘Feel the Fear’ was selected for the Berlin Music Video Awards. Can you tell us about making it?

It was not easy. As a solo musician, I had to find musicians who were ready to learn their parts and film themselves in front of a black screen with pretty much the same lighting. Fortunately, my editor made everything look just like it was filmed in one room. You can see the result.

What can you tell us about the second album so far?

I’ve already released six of the ten songs from the album. But I still have four very cool songs to release that will see the light of day in the coming months. I will have a beautiful melodic death metal ballad, one very fast and dynamic song, one dark and very heavy song, and one with Ukrainian lyrics. I can’t wait to share them; they are very cool. I’ve also written nine songs for the third album. So you won’t get any break from me.

Can you tell us a funny, emotional or dramatic story from your time making music?

I guess music helped me the most during the occupation. I poured out my anger and let it out. When we decided to leave Kherson, I was interrogated at the border with Crimea. They asked me about my music. Fortunately, they didn’t find out what my songs were about.

Where can people find and follow you?

You can find Anger Outburst on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.

The post Anger Outburst on Writing Metal Under Occupation appeared first on RAMzine.

Technical problems held things up, but after just a 10 minute delay, Soilwork rushed the stage. Björn “Speed” Strid looked sharp and ready to throw down, with tracks like ‘Spirit of No Return’ showing off his incredibly versatile vocal ability.

There were some notable omissions from the setlist, like ‘Stabbing the Drama’, ‘Follow the Hollow’ and ‘Like the Average Stalker’, but given the short set, that can be excused. The set ended with ‘Stålfågel’ and left the audience hungry for a headline set from Soilwork, something that hasn’t happened since 2013 on The Living Infinite tour. With any luck, the boys will be back soon enough.

There’s a bit of a break to give everyone time to refuel, but once the lights go down, it’s time for Orbit Culture. They have been quickly rising through the ranks of up and coming metal acts, playing bigger and bigger venues with bigger and bigger artists, and you can tell these boys put the work in to deliver a stellar show.

Promising and delivering punishing breakdowns and high octane riffs, Orbit Culture bridge the gap between old school Gothenburg melodic death metal and modern metalcore, with liberal use of absolutely devastating breakdowns on tracks like ‘While We Serve’ and ‘Strangler’. The energy was at absolute maximum, with circle pits and walls of death dominating the centre of the room, while I was tucked away safely above in my seat, complaining about back pain and the low light giving me eye strain.

The mix was absolutely lethal, with massive bass and apocalyptic drumming that still left enough room for the guitars to cut through for some phenomenal leads. It was a magical collection of songs that gave enough kick to get the crowd ready for the arrival of the Viking heroes, and with one final chaotic push on ‘Vultures of North’, Orbit Culture took their leave as the stage was readied for Amon Amarth.

‘Run to the Hills’ by Iron Maiden was the signal for everyone to make their way to their seats. Under a brilliant set of lights, Amon Amarth crossed the Bifrost and began their savage assault with ‘Gjallarhorn’, a banger from their latest album The Allfather Awakens.

The set was an expertly crafted mix of old and new. Frontman Johan Hegg said “Good evening Manchester and welcome to Valhalla” before launching into the fan favourite, ‘Death in Fire’. Pyrotechnics lit up the track, giving off a heat matched only by the savage drumming and blunt force riffing.

Amon Amarth have divided opinion recently with their studio output, but it’s an almost unanimous opinion that the live show is simply unmissable. A collection of set pieces, props and gimmicks breathe vivid new life into tracks like ‘Shield Wall’, and there’s even an appearance from Loki on ‘Deceiver of the Gods’, who receives a forceful boot to the chest before making his way off stage. Johan Hegg is so powerful he can kick gods in the chest and get away with it.

The set featured all the staples of an Amon Amarth show, including the legendary rowboat pit. Many potential oarsmen of Manchester rowed against the seas of mighty riffs that flooded the room and deafened all in their wake. With a mighty roar, Johan Hegg declared “we are all Vikings” and set sail on a journey to conquer all who dare defy the law of metal.

Giant stone statues made an appearance for ‘Guardians of Asgaard’, which also acted as a loving tribute to Entombed frontman LG Petrov, who sadly passed away in 2021. He was a giant of Swedish death metal who deserved all the reverence, pomp and circumstance, and he will always be thought of as a titan of the genre.

A highlight was the inclusion of the acoustic track ‘Uphaff’, which saw the band sitting around a campfire. It switched up the pace and offered a bit of world building and reprieve from a harsh world of warfare and mythology. There are many different facets to Amon Amarth as songwriters, but they tend to take a backseat to the thundering riffs and hostility, so this was a welcome change of pace.

The set ended as it always does, with Johan Hegg slamming his mighty hammer Mjolnir to the ground, a mighty thundercrack and explosions dominating the stage for ‘Twilight of the Thunder God’. During the shredding guitar solo, Johan turned his attention to Jormungandr, the world serpent, a giant inflatable monster that has appeared at every Amon Amarth show for several years. After just a few minutes, the seas had been claimed by Amon Amarth.

Amon Amarth will likely never reach mainstream appeal, it’s just the nature of their music, but this is a show that needs to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. The sheer spectacle of it all is awe inspiring, and this travelling group of warriors show no signs of slowing down.

The post Amon Amarth begin their world conquest in Manchester appeared first on RAMzine.

Where the band’s recent acoustic excursion ‘Upphaf’ carried the solemnity of an oral history, ‘Gjallarhorn’ lands as a furious Amon Amarth classic, its driving riff and high-tempo, catchy chorus already marked out as a future live staple. As ever, Oden, the Norse “all father” of war, wisdom, death, magic and poetry, is the through-line across the band’s lyrics and artwork, though this is no concept album, rather a collection of historically inspired tales of conflict and sacrifice.

The Swedes’ thirteenth album since 1998’s Once Sent From The Golden Hall took shape across two sessions at producer Jacob Hansen’s studio in Denmark, the band writing on the road and treating every track as a single.

“We worked on one song at a time and made each song as good as possible,” says guitarist Olavi Mikkonen. “Then we recorded one song at a time until each track was totally finished. Only then did we start on the next one.”

Guitar-wise they moved away from 5150 amps and back to Marshalls for a slightly less modern tone. The cover art, a powerful portrait of Oden, comes from Tom Thiel, who has now created seven of the quintet’s sleeves.

Three decades in, Amon Amarth remain a band of brothers, a unity that conquers stage and record alike. On this evidence we reckon The Allfather Awakens is another confident step up.

The accompanying tour brings an entirely new production inspired by Oden’s Golden Hall, and it begins on UK soil with support from Orbit Culture and Soilwork.

UK dates:
9th Oct, Manchester, O2 Apollo
10th Oct, London, Eventim Apollo
11th Oct, Wolverhampton, Civic Hall

The Allfather Awakens tracklist: ‘Gjallarhorn’, ‘Eight Legs Of Thunder’, ‘Kvasir’s Blood’, ‘We Rule The Waves’, ‘Upphaf’, ‘Die With A War Cry’, ‘Raven God’, ‘The Allfather Awakes’, ‘Oden’s Hunt’, ‘Ascending Like An Eagle’.

For more on Amon Amarth, head to RAMzine.

The post Amon Amarth reveal The Allfather Awakens appeared first on RAMzine.

“The original song’s brilliant melodies and Stråle’s heavy yet energetic approach make this a perfect live song, and I just love singing ‘Blinding Lights’ on stage,” said Stråle vocalist Daniel Jakobsson. “It’s kind of perfect for my voice and the audience always starts dancing and singing along. For me that’s worth everything. That is why I do this. To give the audience a chance to be in the moment and enjoy music.”

“I was pretty sceptical about the song’s potential because there were already a million different versions of it out there,” remarked Teemu Aalto, who mixed and produced the song, “But… When I first heard the demo the guys had done I was sold!! It’s gonna be huge!! Daniel had done the vocal tracks before anything else, and those tracks were totally amazing!! It was very easy to build up the rest of the song on them with other guys. Like in a go-with-the-flow mindset. Everything came together very easily! And of course it was pure joy to mix it all up! Svante Forsbäck also did a wonderful job finishing up the sound! We really have done something special”.

Stråle come from Helsinki in Finland. They combine Scandinavian melancholy, modern metal power, and cinematic emotion. Formed in 2009, the band has steadily evolved from underground beginnings to become one of Finland’s most exciting metal acts, known for their explosive live energy and massive choruses.

After their debut album Bourbon Souls (FDA Records, 2020), mixed by the renowned Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia), Stråle entered a new chapter with a refreshed lineup and creative energy. The arrival of vocalist Daniel Jakobsson and guitarist Jaakko Suomalainen is said to have brought new colour and emotion to an already solid foundation, and together the band refined their signature sound – Melodic, heavy, and deeply emotional.

The new Reformation EP captures this evolution. Produced by Teemu Aalto (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Ginger Evil) and Jani Autero, and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe), it blends intensity with introspection.

The band commented: Reformation marks a new era for Stråle – Musically, emotionally, and as a band. These songs have already proven themselves live, especially ‘Close Is Not Enough’ and ‘Resist & Reform’, which have become real fan favourites on stage. It truly feels like a reformation for us; the sound, the energy, and the connection within the band are stronger than ever. We’re thrilled that Frontiers is now taking these songs under their wings and giving them the chance to fly as high as they can.”

‘Blinding Lights’ follows previous single ‘Close Is Not Enough‘, about which Jakobsson commented: “When I was 19, a suicide in my school really shook things up for everybody. Why are we here? What’s the point of life? Those questions became reality, and I remember one night, driving a car with my brand new driver’s license, filled with freedom and the future ahead. But all I could think of was driving home to safety, to my parents, where everything had been safe.

“The song tries to capture the feeling of desperation that follows when life takes a turn that you didn’t expect. The powerful melodies and the pulsating rhythm of the song underline the hopelessness that you can feel when life doesn’t follow your plans.”

Before that was the single, ‘Resist & Reform’, featuring Björn ‘Speed’ Strid of Soilwork and Night Flight Orchestra and you can check out the video here at RAMzine, as with their new single.

Guitarist Andi Lehtinen said: “Signing with Frontiers feels like the beginning of a whole new chapter for Stråle. It’s a label that has believed in melodic, emotional metal for decades, and to now be part of that family means a lot to us. We’ve worked hard to get here – And we’re ready to take everything we’ve built to the next level.”

Mario de Riso, A&R and Business Affairs VP of Frontiers, commented: “We’re very happy to welcome Stråle to the Frontiers family. When we first heard their music, we immediately recognised something special – a perfect blend of melody, energy, and Scandinavian attitude that fits right into what Frontiers stands for. The band has great songs, strong identity, and the kind of passion that reminds us why we do what we do. We truly believe Stråle has the potential to reach a wide audience, and we’re excited to be part of their journey!”

Tracks featured on the EP are: ‘Resist and Reform (featuring Bjorn Strid)’, ‘Close Is Not Enough’, ‘The Heart You Tore Apart’, ‘Destined For Desire’, ‘Blinding Lights (The Weeknd Cover)’ and ‘The Flame’ – You can stream it here.

In 2024, Stråle completed a 16-date European tour with Orphaned Land, performing in iconic venues such as The Underworld (London), Razzmatazz (Barcelona), and Petit Bain (Paris). The band has received over 250,000 streams and has a growing fanbase across Europe.

The post Stråle’s Reformation appeared first on RAMzine.

The tour kicks off in Manchester on 9th October before hitting London’s Eventim Apollo on 10th October and Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall on 11th October. From there, they’ll rampage across Europe, hitting 25 cities including Paris, Hamburg, Stockholm, and Madrid before wrapping up in Lisbon on 15th November.

This comes after a busy year for Amon Amarth, supporting Slayer in the UK and touring the States with Pantera. The band recently dropped their first new single in years, ‘We Rule The Waves’, and they’ve confirmed a new album is coming in late 2026. Expect an extended headline set and a fresh theatrical stage production designed to match the epic scale of their sound.

Tickets go on sale Friday 28th November at 9am GMT via amonamarth.com/tour. With Orbit Culture bringing modern death metal intensity and Soilwork representing classic melodeath, this is shaping up to be one of the strongest bills of 2026. Don’t sleep on it.

The post Amon Amarth Announce 2026 UK and European Tour appeared first on RAMzine.

The new single, as well as the full album, features Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra vocalist Björn ‘Speed’ Strid on vocals.

‘My Hero Inside is available on all streaming services and you can check out the video here at RAMzine.

The album is the band’s first since the 1999 debut Black Dreams Of Silence. After crafting ten tracks, Apocryphal knew they needed the perfect voice to bring their vision to life. Enter Strid, whose aggressive yet melodic delivery has cemented him as one of the genre’s most respected vocalists.

“All we needed was a singer to complete the line-up and take this LP to another level,” said the band. “Finally, the mighty Björn ‘Speed’ Strid completed the line-up and recorded the vocals for the upcoming album.”

Featuring cover artwork by Valnoir of Metastazis, the album was mastered at Skull Tone Studios by Nino Helfric. The band commenting on it thus:

“Our new album may come as a surprise to those who know us, but all the ingredients that make us unique are there. Perhaps less atmospheric, but more effective, the mix of melody and aggression will make every song stick in your head from the first time you listen to it.”

“We are convinced that our decision is the best one to spread our next LP worldwide,” added Apocryphal. “The Circle Music is the perfect record label for our new start.”

Formed in 1992 as Post At Funerals, Apocryphal found their current name and sound by 1994. Their early releases, including the 1995 demo From Depths, showcased their blend of death metal, atmospheric, and progressive influences. After a period of inactivity following the release of their 1999 album Black Dreams Of Silence, the band reformed in 2022 and recruited Strid of Soilwork for their new album set for release this year.

The post Is My Hero Inside Apocryphal? appeared first on RAMzine.

“Swallow My Lies is very representative of the band’s sound today,” said the band. “It has a good balance between power, rage, and these heady melodies which are our trademark. The chorus will not leave anyone indifferent, it anchors itself in the head from the first listen. The texts reflect the current global political landscape, and the influence of the media in public opinion among other things.”

Facing The End will be the band’s first album since the 1999 debut Black Dreams Of Silence and will feature Soilwork‘s legendary frontman, Björn ‘Speed’ Strid on vocals. It will be released in November on CD, vinyl and digital formats via The Circle Music. 

The album artwork was done by Valnoir of Metastazis, while the mastering for the album was done by Nino Helfrich at Skull Tone Studios.

Earlier this summer the band had premiered the album with the release of ‘All Is Empty’ as a single. Lyrically, that song deals with heavy topics of depression, suicide, isolation and relationships in these painful times. Musically, though, it feels more upbeat and catchy, packed with riffs and solos. Hope you enjoy and raise your horns to it with us!

“Our new album may come as a surprise to those who know us, but all the ingredients that make us unique are there, said the band. “Perhaps less atmospheric, but more effective, the mix of melody and aggression will make every song stick in your head from the first time you listen to it.”

Formed in 1992 as Post At Funerals, they changed their name to Apocryphal in 1994. Their early releases, including the 1995 demo From Depths, showcased their blend of death metal, atmospheric, and progressive influences. After a period of inactivity following the release of their 1999 album Black Dreams Of Silence, the band reformed in 2022 and recruited Björn Strid for their new album set for release in 2024.

Facing The End can be ordered here and saved digitally here.

You can stream the singles via digital platforms here and check out the videos here at RAMzine.

The post Is it Apocryphal to ‘Swallow My Lies’? appeared first on RAMzine.

Toronto punks Cancer Bats are enforcing the Ronnie James Dio stage, which shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise. Along with releasing one of 2018’s more outstanding records, their recent run of shows throughout the UK is proof that they’re more than capable of raising Bloodstock to the ground. If you’re going to be anywhere on the Saturday of Bloodstock, be sure to be there. You’ve been warned, folks!

Headlining the Sophie Lancaster stage on Saturday night are Norway’s TAAKE. Proper grim black metal with a thunderous punch is all you need to know. These guys were born to play Bloodstock. If you fancy taking a gander, check out their latest album, 2017’s Kong Vinter. If thatdon’t get you feeling all lovey dovey today, then, err – let’s face it – you’re probably quite normal.

Raging Speedhorn will be popping in as guests on the same line-up and stage on Saturday as well as SHVPES who are on a roll after releasing their sophomore album Greater Than last year.

See our interview with Griff Dickinson here:

Finally, 2014 ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ champs Resin will also take to the Sophie stage on Sunday for some post-grungy carnage. Check out their album The Cycle Of Need; proper banger that!

These guys are joining a much talked about line-up that includes headliners Sabaton, Parkway Drive and Scorpians, who are supported by the likes of Anthrax, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Code Orange, Powerwolf, Soilwork, Cradle Of Filth, Thy Art Is Murder, Tesseract, Metal Church, Soulfly, Death Angel, Dee Snider, Queensryche, Eluveitie, Swallow The Sun, Evil Scarecrow, Ross The Boss, Grand Magus, Rotting Christ, Incite, and Hypocrisy on the Catton Park stages this August.

So, go ahead, light a few candles, open a bottle of wine and slip into a nice, warm bubbly bubble bath as you whirlpool to the death-ening sounds of whatever Bloodstock band you’re pumped to go and see this year. Just make sure to wash that last bit of corpse paint from behind your ears. Gets us every time, that!

For more info go to www.bloodstock.uk.com.

The post Bloodstock Announce Five More Bands To Line-Up appeared first on RAMzine.

No other seven letter word, except for maybe ‘healthy’ has such soul-crushing weight behind it as ‘reality’, which this record’s title literally translates as. Lyrically the album does a bang-up job in making sure that this concept is the true nightmare we all share in life. But don’t worry, as we said, this record has such elasticity embedded within its gloriously bombastic melodies and neck snapping riffs it keeps pulling us back in for more. Softening the blow of the subject matter somewhat.

Stacking up belters like god damn pancakes, Verkligheten was three years well spent and meets the standard long-time fans can easily get behind. Though perhaps not as dark as its predecessor, 2015’s The Ride Majestic, there’s still a healthy serving of cut-throat death metal to go around. After eleven albums in, Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s vocal delivery is on absolute form, who packs in so much power and clarity that would warrant an approving nod from both Dio and Jens Kidman [Meshuggah] respectively. The production value brings everyone forward without losing clarity and brings a bombastic expanse that’s pure heavy metal power. So much so it feels like Bastian Thusgaard drums have been dumped right there in front of you. The infectious duo of the track Full Moon Shoals/ The Nurturing Glance pretty much cements all these factors that help to establish this album as an early 2019 powerhouse.

By no means is this a new type of wheel from the realm of mellow-death, but when it’s executed with this much conviction and care you’re immediately sucked in. Developing at its own pace, it doesn’t rush nor outstay it’s welcome. Keeping a steady and consistent flow, there aren’t too many surprises that will have you scratching your chin or challenge you too much along the way. Though somewhat nihilistic in its themes, you’re so overcome by the amount of fun there’s to be had here that you kind of forget the subject matter.

Verkligheten is out January 11 via Nuclear Blast

The post Review: Soilwork – Verkligheten appeared first on RAMzine.

I am not usually a lover of ‘Live’ albums due to the sound being drowned out by the crowd, but there is no chance of that happening on ‘Live in the heart of Helsinki’. The rewards are gained pretty much in an instant as the humongous riffs and rhythms from this Swedish sextet fully engage and set a new record for being extremely raw and defining Divorce Death Metal!

We are all aware the Swedes know just how to dot the I’s and cross the T’s where metal is concerned and Soilwork have it made down to the last unruly mega-beat!

All the tracks continue in a mode of self-destruction and plough through a malevolent tirade of intimidation. If you don’t believe me check out ‘Spectrum of Eternity’ in fact do yourself a favour and buy the album and immerse yourself in the bands menacingly emotive grooves. You will thank yourself afterwards and then you can pat yourself on the back.

The feisty vocal encounters from Björn “Speed” Strid are pure and powerfully exceptional with monstrous rhythms and deep fevered riffs to back them up. No wonder the hordes are pumped to an all-time high. The hooks are impacting and embraced by a stupendous drum beat that shows no sign of weakness, in fact this ‘Bastard’ chain would be mighty hard to break even if you wanted to?

Soilwork have captured the essences of hosting a melodic drama that plays out with captivating intensity, and goes all out to turn up the heat to gigantic proportions. Each encounter on this mighty 23 track is brutish and unmerciful and it would be fair to say, energised with extreme passion and blunt force trauma, so much so no-one can ignore it! The band pride themselves in brewing up a frenzied storm that everyone can get involved in. The raucous frenzy is predominant throughout the volatile offering with Soilwork calling the shots and calling a spade a spade, would it be anything else?

No word of lie, this album will taunt, tease and go straight for the jugular, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Soilwork ‘Live in the Heart of Helsinki’ the 23 track album is released 13^th March 2015.

The post Review: Soilwork – Live in the Heart of Helsinki appeared first on RAMzine.