🔥 Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands? 🔥And who will dominate next month as Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio? Last month’s winners, ANTIPOPE , crushed the... More

🔥 Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands? 🔥And who will dominate next month as Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio? Last month’s winners, ANTIPOPE , crushed the competition with a staggering 721,717 VOTES, claiming the title of Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio! You can check them out HERE! This is the weekly championship edition of the Band Of The Month – Battle Of The Bands that we host every month on MDR! How does it work?Every Monday, we launch a new poll featuring bands that submit music each week on metaldevastationradio.com. Voting runs until Friday at 9PM EST. Each Friday night, at the start of The Zach Moonshine Show, I’ll be spinning the Top Six weekly winners, and announcing the #1 band of the week live on air — getting thousands of listens on Mixcloud! At the end of the month, all weekly votes are added up, and the band with the highest total votes becomes our Band of the Month! Winning Band of the Month gets: A featured post on our Facebook page, reaching thousands of fans A front-page spotlight on metaldevastationradio.com, which pulls in hundreds of thousands of views every month A free PR email blast from Metal Devastation PR, hitting 40,000+ contacts including labels, zines, stations, and more Airplay every hour during general rotation Tons of social media shares and exposure across our network If you want the world to know who your band is, this is the easiest way to make it happen! 💥 Want in on the next battle?Comment below with your band name and we’ll add you to next week’s poll — or email me at zach@metaldevastationradio.com with “Battle Submission” in the subject line. Bands can compete as many times as they want, and if you enter multiple weeks in the same month, your votes combine toward the Band of the Month title! 👇 Click on the bands below to vote as many times as you like, or add your own! Poll closes Friday, May 8th at 9PM EST! Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands?? 05/05/26 - 05/08/26 Less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANTIPOPE CROWNED BAND OF THE MONTH AFTER MASSIVE 721,717 VOTE VICTORY Finland — Underground titans Antipope have been officially crowned Battle of the Bands Champions and Band of the Month for May 2026, crushing the... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANTIPOPE CROWNED BAND OF THE MONTH AFTER MASSIVE 721,717 VOTE VICTORY Finland — Underground titans Antipope have been officially crowned Battle of the Bands Champions and Band of the Month for May 2026, crushing the competition with an overwhelming 721,717 votes in one of the most decisive wins to date. Forged in 2004 by vocalist and guitarist Mikko Myllykangas, Antipope have spent over two decades carving their own path through the metal underground, refusing to follow trends and never playing by anyone else’s rules. Rooted in classic heavy metal and black metal, their sound has evolved into a fearless fusion of styles, blending elements of prog, death, doom, and industrial metal into something truly their own. From early demo releases that built a cult following in the online underground to a reputation as a relentless live act across Finland’s club and festival circuit, Antipope have consistently pushed boundaries. Their debut album Desert (2010) laid the foundation, followed by the critically praised House of Harlot (2011) and 3 Eyes of Time (2013) through Violent Journey Records. After a brief silence, the band returned stronger than ever with Denial/Survival (2017), marking their international presence and a renewed progressive edge. That momentum carried into their breakthrough release Apostle of Infinite Joy (2020), where they sharpened their signature blend of melody, darkness, and raw intensity. Their latest album, Rex Mundi (2022), stands as their most ambitious work yet, a full-scale concept album set during the 13th century Albigensian Crusade. Packed with atmosphere, historical weight, and unrelenting energy, the record solidifies Antipope as one of the most daring and uncompromising acts in modern extreme metal. With over 720,000 votes backing them, this victory is more than just a title. It’s a statement. Antipope aren’t just surviving the underground. They’re shaping it. Antipope is: Mikko Myllykangas – Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm GuitarAntti J. Karjalainen – Lead & Rhythm GuitarJoni Tauriainen – BassTuska E. – Drums Less

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UNCLE HAUK RELEASES NEW ALBUM “LOSE YOUR ILLUSIONS” A Bleak, Beautiful Collision of Post Punk, Progressive Metal, and Emotional Reckoning OUT NOW – May 2026Label: Baldur Rising Music Uncle Hauk has officially released his... More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UNCLE HAUK RELEASES NEW ALBUM “LOSE YOUR ILLUSIONS” A Bleak, Beautiful Collision of Post Punk, Progressive Metal, and Emotional Reckoning OUT NOW – May 2026Label: Baldur Rising Music Uncle Hauk has officially released his new full-length album Lose Your Illusions, available now on Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms. This is not background music. This is the sound of everything cracking at once. Built from a fusion of post punk grit, progressive metal weight, alternative atmosphere, and experimental jazz-inflected turns, Lose Your Illusions moves like a storm with no clear direction, only intent. It doesn’t settle into one shape long enough to be comfortable, and that’s exactly the point. There comes a moment where illusions stop protecting you and start suffocating you. This record lives right in that space. “There comes a point in a man’s life when he’s seen too much to give a fuck anymore,” the album’s emotional core suggests. What follows is a stripped-down confrontation with loss, survival, memory, and whatever stubborn spark refuses to die when everything else already has. “The world is on fire, but I dream of rain,” echoes Uncle Hauk, a line that sits at the center of the album’s tension between collapse and quiet defiance. For fans of New Model Army, Lake of Tears, and Paradise Lost, this release leans into that same tradition of heavy music that carries both weight and meaning, where darkness is not an aesthetic but a language. A Career Built on Reinvention Uncle Hauk’s work spans multiple sonic identities, including Black Hat Society, known for its dark outlaw fusion of blues, country, and rock, and Elf Queen, an electronic hard rock project that released three albums during the pandemic era. The 2022 release Requiem was widely noted for its orchestral ambition and emotional depth, with Metal Digest calling it “a remarkable triumph that only stems from the purest emotion,” highlighting its cinematic scope and personal foundation. Check out the videos:  [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="_g_BvEQFBVE"] [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="F6UQNg1Wsoo"] Production Details Recorded at Talonspan Studios, Escalon, CA Written, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered by Uncle Hauk Published 2026 by Baldur Rising Music (SESAC) Endorsements Cryotone Guitars, Wathen Audiophile Monitors, Gold Tone Musical Instruments, Optima Strings, StrumNComfort thumb picks, Anatomy of Sound picks, and G7th Capos. This isn’t about reinvention anymore. This is what it sounds like when the mask is already off. And it still keeps going. Connect:  https://hauk.bandcamp.com/album/lose-your-illusionshttps://www.facebook.com/Haukmusic/https://www.haukrules.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/39L6sKa8iSpoIYwlIoal7l Contact: haukmusic@gmail.com Less