We Speak Rock

Flames of Durga Unleash “SHE RIDES THE LION” and Announce West Coast Tour Dates

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

Flames of Durga members Beah Romero, Cecilia Romero and Alejandra Robles Luna posing with arms raised in red and black flame-patterned outfits against a red patterned backdrop

Flames of Durga — Béah Romero, Cecilia Romero and Alejandra Robles Luna. Photo by Brelinda.

Flames of Durga are back with a heavy new single and video, “SHE RIDES THE LION,” shot in a pink skate bowl in Desert Hot Springs with an all-female cast, plus three West Coast dates this week.

Los Angeles-born, Joshua Tree-based powerhouse Flames of Durga are excited to share their new single and video, “SHE RIDES THE LION.” Shot at the abandoned Nude Bowl in Desert Hot Springs, CA, a pink skate bowl built among the ruins of a 1960s nudist resort and rediscovered by skaters in the 1980s, the video features an all-female cast of roller derby skaters, fire dancers, and other women who came together to bring the song’s message of freedom and empowerment to life. The video was produced, cast, and co-directed by band’s Béah and Cecilia Romero and edited by the band.

Fronted by twin sisters Béah and Cecilia Romero, Flames of Durga is an all-female rock trio rooted in the sisters’ lifelong creative partnership. Raised in Los Angeles’ Echo Park and Silver Lake neighborhoods, the two have been writing songs together since childhood. After surviving a shared near-death experience, they formed the band with renewed purpose, channeling raw energy, heavy riffs, and themes of empowerment into their music. Joined by powerhouse drummer Alejandra Robles Luna (Le Butcherettes), the trio delivers an electrifying live show fueled by grit, soul, and fearless intensity.

Their self-titled debut album was recorded at Rancho de la Luna with producer Dave Catching (Queens of the Stone Age), followed by singles produced by Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta). With Alejandra now firmly in the lineup, Flames of Durga have entered a more focused and intentional creative chapter, beginning work on a new EP with the release of “SHE RIDES THE LION.”

Built around Béah’s heavy guitar riff and Alejandra’s thunderous drumming, the track pairs the band’s muscular sound with Newport’s production insight. “My sister, Cecilia, and I wrote this song together after I came up with a heavy riff that I could not stop playing, because it was so fun and had such a powerful vibe,” Béah explains. “When we joined forces with our drummer and sister from another mister, Alejandra, she knew exactly what drums to add.” She describes the song as “an ode to integrity, sisterhood, freedom and authenticity.”

That spirit carries into the accompanying video, which translates the song’s message of unapologetic female liberation into a celebration of women coming together. “Naturally we summoned roller derby skaters, fire dancers and ladies in general that were down for the cause,” says Béah.

For Cecilia, the experience extended beyond the video set and into the recording studio, where the band worked at Tiny Creatures Studio with producer Alex Newport. “This was the first time I experienced women outnumbering men in the recording studio,” she says. Reflecting on the video shoot, she adds, “Feels like we made history, that glorious day in that pink skate bowl. I will cherish that memory forever. The energy is so explosive, iconic, and empowering and truly brings SHE RIDES THE LION to life.”

Cecilia adds, “SHE RIDES THE LION was such a fun song to record. Its heavy riff-age kicks you in the gut and calls you to rise above and stand in your power. I’m obsessed with my bass tone, the guitar tone and the deep thunder of our incredible new drummer babe, Alejandra Robles Luna. This is a song dedicated to female empowerment and unapologetic freedom.”

Flames of Durga Tour Dates:
11.13 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place w/ Plague Vendor and Pure Sport
11.14 — Joshua Tree, CA @ Coyote Run Studio w/ Mutklub and DJ Yucca Fuzz
11.15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records w/ The Blushes and Moonfuzz

EMPATH, Built From Volbeat, Rising And Anti-Ritual Members, Drop Their Self-Titled Debut Album

Published

16 hours ago

November 14, 2026

We Speak Media

EMPATH's four members in a black and white portrait against a dark background

Copenhagen has a new heavy rock band with serious pedigree. EMPATH, formed by members of Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual, have released their self-titled debut album today, November 13th, on Indisciplinarian — a dark and dreamy take on heavy rock built on atmosphere, melody and crushing dynamics.

EMPATH is the sound of a new, dark and dreamy heavy rock band from Copenhagen, Denmark — one that revolves around atmosphere, presence and empathy. The constellation may be new, but the four members carry solid experience from bands such as Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual.

In a digital and efficiency-driven age, where humanity is increasingly giving way to mechanical coldness, EMPATH — as the name suggests — is about presence, empathy and humanity. This ethos runs like a common thread through the band’s self-titled debut album, released today, November 13th, 2026, on LP, CD, cassette and digital formats via Indisciplinarian.

Across nine songs, EMPATH blends elements of progressive metal, doom, sludge and post-rock into a sound that is as dreamy and melodic as it is heavy and riff-driven. The music was recorded live with producer Lasse Ballade (Halshug, Slægt, Eyes) at Ballade Studios in Copenhagen, with vocals tracked at Grapehouse Studios by Morten Grønnegaard. Ballade also handled mix and mastering, while the artwork was created by illustrator Jon Gotlev (Nohr).

The album was first introduced by the single “Waves,” followed by “Vessel,” both pointing toward the band’s balance of melodic clarity and dense, riff-driven weight. EMPATH plays its debut show on December 11th at Hotel Cecil in Copenhagen.

EMPATH Track Listing

1. In Absence
2. Waves
3. Vessel
4. In Formation
5. In Bloom
6. In Thought
7. In Dissent
8. In Memory
9. In Return

Before forming EMPATH, guitarist/vocalist Morten Grønnegaard played with Volbeat on the albums Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. Bassist Christian Qvortrup played in the epic doom metal band Rising, while drummer Jakob Krogholt toured and recorded with Anti-Ritual.