Arising Empire News: Sable Hills, THE DARK.FM, Half Me u.a.
Sable Hills release 'Homura' featuring Fuki and announce new album.
Japanese metalcore frontrunners Sable Hills return with their powerful new single 'Homura', featuring an electrifying guest appearance from Fuki of Unlucky Morpheus.
The release also marks the start of the pre-order for the band’s new album Homura, set for release on 13th November via Arising Empire.
Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/sablehills
Blending the fire of classic metalcore with melodic death metal intensity and a distinctly Japanese atmosphere, the title track marks another bold step forward for a band that continues to carve out its own identity on the international heavy music scene.
'Homura' arrives at another defining moment in Sable Hills’ remarkable rise. In 2022, the band became the first Japanese act in history to win the grand prize at the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle, a milestone that led to their signing with German label Arising Empire and the international release of their third album Odyssey in 2024. Their momentum accelerated further in 2025 when 'Namu' became a global viral success, surpassing 3 million Spotify streams and 5.4 million YouTube views, while related live clips generated more than 30 million views across Instagram and TikTok.
Sable Hills online:
https://www.instagram.com/sablehills
THE DARK.FM return with new single 'Thai Angel'.
Los Angeles-based THE DARK.FM have today released their new single ‘Thai Angel’, out now on all platforms via Arising Empire.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/F3y9ya-DX6Q
Blending modern metal with 80s-inspired guitars, beat-driven verses and a huge, hook-heavy chorus, ‘Thai Angel’ captures the atmosphere of a late-night after-hours spot in Los Angeles.
Speaking of the new single, vocalist Craig Johns Jr. shares: “'Thai Angel' was the name of an (alleged) after-hours in Koreatown that I would frequent after getting off work at the nightclub around the corner. It was very much a “if you know, you know” type spot. The door was locked, it was hot, crowded, and the DJ was loud as hell."
‘Thai Angel’ is released as part of a three-track bundle, with ‘prometheus.exe’ opening the release and ‘epoch.exe’ closing it out. The three tracks combine in the official music video accompanying the release, creating one continuous visual and musical journey that takes listeners through the immersive world of THE DARK.FM
THE DARK.FM occupy a space that has been begging to be occupied within heavy music. A bridge between sounds, communities and cultures that has been ready and waiting for someone to build it. What started as a collaboration between vocalist Craig Johns Jr. and guitarist Alan Ashby that transcended music quickly became about appreciating not just moments in time, but how worlds are built. From flicking through old PlayStation magazines to grasp the visuals that defined the beginning of the Millennium to scouring Rick Owens collections and pondering which daring pieces best represented their intent, the pair quickly found that the strands connecting their passions for music, fashion, and film were deeply intertwined. Throw in childhoods spent being obsessed with The Matrix as much as Slipknot, Korn and Limp Bizkit, as well as a shared appreciation for the universe created within Cyberpunk 2077, and the foundations for something truly exploratory were in place.
The first pieces of those exploratory pursuits resulted in 2025’s The Dark EP, a frenzied blend of rampant beats, guttural breakdowns and uncanny croons, its tracks racking up over 3 million streams, as well as festival appearances at Vans Warped Tour and Sick New World.
THE DARK.FM online:
https://www.instagram.com/thedark.fm
Half Me unleash final single 'King' ahead of upcoming album Dogma
German heavy music force Half Me unleash 'King', the final single taken from their highly anticipated new album Dogma, set for release on 23rd October 2026 via Arising Empire. With the album drawing closer, 'King' delivers one last devastating glimpse into its uncompromising world, pushing the band’s sound into some of its most brutal and confrontational territory yet.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/6gvjHuhtkYo
Hitting with the force of a wrecking ball, 'King' is a relentless hardcore assault built on crushing riffs, suffocating intensity and a constant sense of impending collapse. Rather than offering an easy release, the track keeps tightening its grip, turning aggression, desperation and inner conflict into an eruption of controlled chaos.
Since emerging from Hamburg’s heavy scene, Half Me have established themselves as one of Germany’s most exciting modern heavy acts. Their debut album SOMA introduced an ambitious collision of metalcore, hardcore, nu-metal and electronic experimentation, earning the band international attention and taking their music far beyond their home country. Through millions of streams, powerful live performances and tours alongside internationally established acts, Half Me have continued to build a reputation for combining uncompromising heaviness with a distinct, forward-thinking identity.
With previous singles already revealing the scope and intensity of their next chapter, 'King' brings the road to Dogma to its most punishing point yet. Brutal, claustrophobic and impossible to shake, the track captures the darkness at the heart of the record while showcasing Half Me at their most direct and merciless.
Half Me - European Crusade 2026
27.11.2026 | Dynamo | Eindhoven, NL
28.11.2026 | Musikzentrum | Hannover, DE
29.11.2026 I Die Stadtmitte I Karlsruhe, DE
30.11.2026 | Das Bett | Frankfurt am Main, DE
01.12.2026 | Naumanns I Leipzig, DE
02.12.2026 | Weberknecht I Vienna, AT
03.12.2026 | Mechanik I Warsaw, PL
05.12.2026 | Subzero I Prague, CZ
06.12.2026 | Kent Club I Hamburg, DE
08.12.2026 | Backstage By The Mill I Paris, FR
09.12.2026 | Downstairs At The Dome I London, DE
10.12.2026 | Key Club I Leeds, UK
11.12.2026 | Rebellion I Manchester, UK
12.12.2026 | O2 Institute3 I Manchester, UK
13.12.2026 I Gebäude 9 I Cologne, DE
15.12.2026 I Schüür I Luzern, CH
16.12.2026 I Hansa 39 I Munich, DE
17.12.2026 I Skaters Palace Cafe I Münster, DE
18.12.2026 I Mikropol I Berlin, DE
19.12.2026 I Z-Bau I Nürnberg, DE
20.12.2026 I Tower I Bremen, DE
Half Me online:
https://www.instagram.com/halfme.band
Accvsed release brutal new single 'Rapture'
German metalcore heavyweights Accvsed return with their new single 'Rapture', pushing their sound into darker, more progressive and unsettling territory.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/JMwLzGqYHFg
With 'Rapture', Accvsed refuse to stand still. Darker, sharper and more immersive, the single takes the raw emotional foundation of their previous material and drags it into a hypnotic new abyss. It is the sound of panic becoming temptation, escape becoming dependency and a band pushing its identity into its next uncompromising chapter.
Formed in Wiesbaden in 2021, Accvsed have rapidly grown from a promising underground act into one of Germany's most exciting new names in modern heavy music. Their 2023 debut EP House of Doubt, led by breakout single 'Currents', earned the band attention far beyond their local scene and opened the door to support shows and festival appearances across Germany and neighboring countries.
Their rise accelerated with the release of their debut album Dealers of Doom via Arising Empire in August 2025. Even before the record arrived, its preceding singles had generated more than 2.3 million streams and propelled Accvsed beyond 160,000 monthly Spotify listeners. Extensive live activity followed, including festival appearances and touring across Germany and beyond, further establishing the band's reputation as a rapidly emerging presence in European metalcore.
Accvsed live:
01.10.2026 I Flex I Vienna, Austria
03.10.2026 I Backstage I München, Germany
04.10.2026 I Im Wizemann I Stuttgart, Germany
06.10.2026 I Rock Café I Praha 1, Czech Republic
07.10.2026 I WERK2 - Halle D I Leipzig, Germany
08.10.2026 I Frannz Club I Berlin, Germany
09.10.2026 I Uebel & Gefährlich I Hamburg, Germany
10.10.2026 I Club Volta I Köln, Germany
13.10.2026 I Schlachthof Wiesbaden I Wiesbaden, Germany
15.10.2026 I The Black Heart I London, United Kingdom
Accvsed online:
https://www.instagram.com/accvsed.band
Quelle: Hold Tight