Melbourne based Metal artist Johnny Bottos has just released his blistering new single The Devil’s Cross, which premiered exclusively via HEAVY Mag. 

“I wrote the song about a friend of mine in year 9 at school who told me she was forced into a satanic cult by her own parents where she was allegedly abused and exposed to horrific things. After the word got out, I never heard from her again and she left the school within a short period of time. I cannot confirm if this story is fiction partially true or completely factual, but she did seem quite upset and scared at the time which also had quite an impact on me. This led me to create The Devils Cross as an exaggerated storyline of events.”

Combining intensity, groove and raw power, Johnny Bottos blends a unique twist of old school and modern sounds, resulting in a soaring kind of heavy music laden with some of the tastiest riffs you’ve ever heard. He debuted in 2024 with the release of his single
Crown Of Thorns. The powerful single highlighted the torment of being in an abusive relationship.

Bottos recently entered the studio with renowned heavy producer Mike Trubetskov to create his debut album called Blood Stained Heart that is set for release later this year. The album focusses on mental health struggles, past trauma and the cathartic release that music can provide for somebody who is suffering.

New single The Devil’s Cross is available on all major online stores and streaming services.

Toronto-based instrumental electronic artist 8know8 is proud to share her fourth studio album, She. A deeply personal and sonically immersive record, She continues Polly-Jean Vernon‘s journey of self-discovery, expressed through intricate layers of synth and live percussion.

Polly-Jean recorded She using her signature approach: layering live drums and synthesizers in real-time, preserving the raw energy of a live performance. “No quantizing, no electronic drum pads, no punch-ins. I want it to feel and be real,” she explains. “Mistakes happen, and you can hear some on every one of my records – but they sound real, in a world that is increasingly sterile and uniform.”

The album’s focus track, “Make It Work,” embodies the intensity, frustration, and eventual triumph of the creative process, delivering a hypnotic blend of electronic and acoustic elements. “I was playing around with a synthesized music box sound and fell in love with the interplay of syncopated waves and hi-hats,” says Vernon. “This song started from that groove and evolved into something that truly represents my experience: life is tough, but you have to make it work.”

Driven by an unrelenting rhythm and shimmering melodic textures, “Make It Work” stands as a testament to Vernon‘s ability to merge human emotion with electronic soundscapes. The track, born out of artistic frustration and perseverance, took on an unexpected life of its own when a technical glitch caused an outro melody to continuously reset itself – a flaw that ultimately became a defining feature of the song.

Strange Plants return with “Horseshoe Smile,” a bouncy psychedelic pop throwback that lives somewhere between Tears For Fears and The Beatles’ Revolver-era. Happy, trippy, and just the right amount of weird, the track playfully critiques curated digital personas and the exaggerated performances people put on to appear perfect. The song’s title refers to the exaggerated “horseshoe” shape of over-laughed upper teeth – a not-so-subtle jab at the fakeness we often witness in public and online personas.

Driven by a rad horn arrangement in the bridge, “Horseshoe Smile” leans fully into its retro-pop influences while distorting them through a funhouse mirror. The song came together quickly – unusually so for guitarist Matt Brannon who also serves as the track’s lead vocalist, unlike the previously released singles. He was experimenting with a slower finger picked acoustic riff before the whole vibe snapped into focus. The result? A feel-good jam with a sharp lyrical wink.

Produced by multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deer Tick), “Horseshoe Smile” is featured on Strange Plants’ eponymous debut album, recorded at the iconic Creative Workshop Studio in Nashville and officially out on June 6th, 2025.