Metal Contraband News For January 13th, 2026:
This week in Metal Contraband:
Avatar recently released their latest album, Don’t Go In The Forest, via Black Waltz Records. Now, the band has announced the Don’t Go In The Forest ’26 tour, set to kick off on April 16th with Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul along for the ride. Frontman Johannes Eckerström says of the U.S. tour, “USA. It started off innocently enough. Hiking along on a trail. Sunny. Pleasant. Safe. Then night came, and the trail slowly faded. You can’t go back, as you don’t know where you came from. You don’t even dare to turn around, as you can feel someone, or something, watching. What you were, all the way back in the warm embrace of civilization, doesn’t matter. Here. it’s just you and the trees”. For all the dates and details, head to: https://avatarmetal.com/.
Distant has just dropped a new video, for the track “Nothing Left To Hate”, and you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/4U-cKUpPkQ0?si=PUxBNfte0YcNLhLA. The band says of the track, “’Nothing Left To Hate’ is DISTANT at full destructive force — thicker riffs, deeper grooves, and a raw dive into self-destruction and chaos. The track is made for circle-pits, rage workouts, and letting the anger out”. Distant is heading out with Sylosis, Revocation, and Life Cycles on an EU tour this month. For more, head to: https://distantofficial.com/.
Prong has announced Live And Uncleansed, a new live album set to be released on March 6th via Steamhammer. The 11-track record was recorded over seven nights throughout July and August 2025, plus 3 bonus tracks. Tommy Victor says, “ “We were really well rehearsed, this is truly a live (!) record, everything is as is. You can hear some of the little mistakes here and there, but that makes it cool!” Visit: https://prongmusic.com/ for more.
Mayhem is getting ready to unleash Liturgy of Death, set for a February 6th release, and in the meantime, they’ve dropped a new single with “Life Is A Corpse You Drag”. Check out the music video here: https://youtu.be/g7PZQHHtU2g?si=XMbZFm6RV1EIjYCs. Mayhem’s Attila comments, “‘Life Is a Corpse You Drag’ is not a slogan, but a ritual and a realization. It names an ancient law: Consciousness as burden, the body as vessel, faith as a seal on a grave already closed. There is no comfort in this recognition but there is release. If we have been dead all along, there is nothing left to lose. What remains is pure energy: Movement without fear, presence without compromise, a victorious march into the final destruction”. Keep up with the band via: https://www.thetruemayhem.com/.
Sylosis is preparing for The New Flesh, their seventh studio album set for February 20th via Nuclear Blast Records. For this week, you can check out the single “Erased” here: https://youtu.be/QZugVoGcw9c?si=h-QGUB8CdlAYjwgq. The band says, “‘Erased’ was one of the last songs to be written for the album. As we were approaching the deadline to get everything submitted there was a pressure there that really helped shape this song into something special. There’s a massive chorus here and one of our favourite middle 8 sections that we’ve ever put together. We can’t wait to play this one live”. Sylosis is heading out this weekend on a UK/EU tour alongside Revocation, Distant, and Life Cycles. Find all the info at: https://www.sylosis-band.com/.
Chart Editor: Munsey Ricci from Skateboard Marketing Ltd.
Editorial By Chelsea Nelson-Fernandez & Munsey Ricci
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