From breaking barriers as the first death metal band behind the Iron Curtain to secure an international record deal in the early ’90s to sharing the stage with Slayer and Metallica in front of tens of thousands of fans years later, Vader have cemented their status as true road warriors over the past 40 years. With 12 albums under their belt, they continue to deliver high-quality music, staying relevant to both longtime devotees and new generations. Formed in Olsztyn in 1983 and named after Star Wars' infamous dark lord, Vader went through numerous lineup changes with founding vocalist/guitarist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek remaining its driving force since day one. Originally rooted in heavy/speed metal, influences from Slayer, Kreator or Dark Angel made Vader grow into something far more brutal. After years of shows in Eastern Europe and various demos - like the legendary "Morbid Reich" - they signed with Earache Records releasing "The Ultimate Incantation" (1992) as the band’s international debut. After their departure from Earache, Vader's sound evolved dramatically, resulting in classic albums such as "De Profundis", "Black to the Blind", and "Litany". In 2009, Vader joined Nuclear Blast where they’ve released five albums to date. Now, in 2025, Vader proves to be as ferocious and unyielding as ever on its new EP, "Humanihility", which will be presented live on the "March of the Unbending" tour and the upcoming "Summer Rampage" festival run.

United States-based tech-death masters Origin strike again with their new album, Chaosmos. The long-standing outfit celebrate not only a return to Nuclear Blast but also ring in their 25th year on Chaosmos. The same fury, brutality, and musical savvy that brought Origin critical acclaim and a devout fanbase on Unparalleled Universe (2017), Antithesis (2008), and Origin (2000) returns with reinvigorated intensity, passion, and skill. In 2022, the group—Paul Ryan (guitars/backing vocals), Mike Flores (bass/backing vocals), John Longstreth (drums), and Jason Keyser (lead vocals)—are undeterred by unprecedented roadblocks and global uncertainty as they push forward. Indeed, Origin’s new-era shock and awe mission is complete on Chaosmos. “The music of Origin is a fusion of order and disorder. Our music is viewed as a meaningless assemblage of infinite perspectives,” posits guitarist/vocalist Paul Ryan with cosmic import. Formed in Topeka, Kansas, in 1997, Origin have eight full-length albums to their name. The group buzzed early with their 1998 EP, A Coming into Existence (Original Records). Fans of high-caliber death metal and record label representatives had noticed. It was after Origin joined luminaries Nile, Cryptopsy, and Gorguts on the 1998 Death Across America Tour that a monster was unleashed. In 2000, Origin signed to Relapse Records, issuing four full-length albums in Origin, Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas (2002), Echoes of Decimation (2005), and the Billboard-charting Antithesis. While on the label, the group gigged incessantly, appearing on such notable tours as Death Across America 2000, Relapse Contamination Tour 2008, The Summer Slaughter Tour North America 2009, and several successful European runs. Additionally, guitarist/vocalist Paul Ryan was listed on Decibel’s Top 20 Death Metal Guitarists list in 2007. Origin’s subsequent albums Entity (2011), Omnipresent (2014), and Unparalleled Universe garnered praise in Metal Hammer, Allmusic, and Exclaim!, while occupying prime slots on the Occupation Domination 2012, the Devastation on the Nation, and The Hell Over Europe tours. Chaosmos yet again sees Origin’s technically apt death metal in scarily superlative form. “It’s our third album with the same lineup,” Ryan says. “And I personally feel it’s a continuation of who the band is currently. At the start of 2021, people started talking about a new Origin album, and I wasn’t sure if the world was literally ready for it due to lockdowns/restrictions. In March, I told myself, ‘I will write one song per month until I finish the album.’ When it was completed, I sent over what I had written to the rest of the band. From that point forward, our collective alchemy resulted in what you hear on Chaosmos.”

Spawning from chaos, Inhuman Condition came to life with all guns blazing in the fall of 2020. With an album and a half of material from what was to be a new Massacre album, Jeramie Kling (vocals, drums - Venom Inc, Ex Deo, The Absence, Massacre) and Taylor Nordberg (guitars - Deicide, The Absence, Massacre) joined up with Terry Butler (bass - Obituary, Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under) to form a new band and to self-release their debut album "Rat°God" on Kling and Nordberg's own Listenable Insanity Records on June 4th, 2021. The album was hailed with rave reviews and the group went on to do 2 tours in the United States in support of the record. Wasting no time, the band finished writing and recording their second album, "Fearsick," which was released July 15th, 2022, once again on Kling/Nordberg's Listenable Insanity Records.

From the crypts of Illinois, rises MORBIDITY. Formed in 2023, and later unleashing their debut EP “Malignant Necropsy” released in 2024. Morbidity combines the themes of evil and brutality to make an aggressive and upbeat style of music. Combining the sound of old school death metal with their relentless speed and aggression. Jacob Atut- Vocals/Guitar Hector Santos- Guitar Esteban Tevenal- Bass Jack Newton- Drums