Killswitch Engage — Adam Dutkiewicz [lead guitar], Joel Stroetzel [rhythm guitar], Mike D’Antonio [bass], Justin Foley [drums], and Jesse Leach [vocals] — first shook the structure of heavy music upon climbing out of snowy industrialized Western Massachusetts in 2000. A musical outlier, the band pioneered a union of thrashed-out European guitar pyrotechnics, East Coast hardcore spirit, on-stage hijinks, and enlightened lyricism that set the pace for what the turn-of-the-century deemed heavy. 2002’s Alive Or Just Breathing became avowed as a definitive album, being named among “The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade” by Decibel and celebrated by everyone from Metal Hammer to Revolver. Not only did they bust open the floodgates for dozens to follow, but they also garnered three GRAMMY® Award nominations in the category of “Best Metal Performance” in 2005, 2014, and 2019, respectively, a gold certification for The End of Heartache [2004], and a platinum certification for As Daylight Dies [2006]. The group landed three consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with Killswitch Engage [2009], Disarm The Descent [2013], and their career high best bow at #6 with Incarnate [2016]. The latter two releases, along with 2019's Atonement, would also both capture #1 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts. The band's total streams are nearing 3 billion to date, while they've remained consummate road warriors who've sold out countless headline tours and have shared stages with everyone from Iron Maiden to Slipknot to Slayer to My Chemical Romance to Mastodon to Parkway Drive, which is a testament to their ability to cross genres and appeal to all fans of hard rock. KsE have remained a featured attraction at every major North American and European festival through the years. The band is celebrating an astonishing, 25-year career as one of the most vital and genre-defining bands of the '00s and continues its incredible legacy by unleashing This Consequence, a masterfully executed record that captures the band's signature sound all the while leveling up on teeth-baring tracks like "Forever Aligned," "I Believe," and "Collusion."

If you know Lacuna Coil then you’ll already be aware that every album entry in their storied career is more than just a sound: Each one is a richly textured soundtrack to a specific time and a place. With Sleepless Empire, that place is dark, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the unique characteristics that have given Lacuna Coil such a celebrated entry in the annals of heavy music. Without the voice, guitars or drums, Sleepless Empire – the orchestral part – would be a cinematic soundtrack. From the colossal refrains of album opener The Siege to the wickedly catchy I Wish You Were Dead and the irrepressibly classic feel of Sleepless Empire’s title track, there’s no mistaking the confidence of Lacuna Coil’s latest, and it has its share of surprises, too. They come in the form of two very special guest appearances from none other than New Years Day banshee Ash Costello on their epic In The Mean Time and an ear-splittingly over-the-top contribution from Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe on Hosting the Shadow. And if there’s a special edge to Sleepless Empire it’s about more than that vocal cross pollination alone. As Ferro explains, the key to Lacuna Coil’s eternally youthful aura is their curiosity and ability to respond creatively to new inspiration without losing sight of the qualities that make them who they are – and he counts Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Bad Omens, and Bring Me The Horizon as examples of other bands who are doing the same to keep the scene and their own sounds vibrant. That independent spirit has been key to balancing Lacuna Coil’s artistic prerogative against the weight of expectation, and Ferro is emphatic when describing how these strange times have generated no shortage of material to influence Sleepless Empire’s weighty lyrics and mood. Lacuna Coil’s sound is dark, it reflects the society we’re living in – it’s a portrait of our times. It stands witness to the change to our society, the Sleepless Empire, where everyone is always on their phone, always scrolling, always doing something – morning to night, it just never stops. It’s a philosophy that’s reflected in every aspect of Sleepless Empire.

Leading modern metal juggernauts JINJER release new studio album, Duel, on February 7, 2025! Known for their unmatched progressive groove metal sound, tireless touring and chart-storming albums, JINJER have gathered tens of millions of cross-platform streams on their biggest hits alone, with “Pisces” gaining millions of views and countless features by the biggest reaction channels. The recent standalone singles “Someone‘s Daughter” and “Rogue” address current cultural and social topics, and have left fans speechless and begging for more.