Ex-ASKING ALEXANDRIA Singer DENIS 'STOFF' SHAFOROSTOV Returns With New DRAG ME OUT Single 'Can't Keep On Running Away'

Acclaimed Eastern European emotional metalcore band DRAG ME OUT, led by Denis "Stoff" Shaforostov, the charismatic frontman and former singer for MAKE ME FAMOUS and ASKING ALEXANDRIA, has released a brand new single, "Can't Keep On Running Away", via Life Or Death.

DRAG ME OUT continues to carve its own lane with a sound that blends modern metalcore intensity, massive melodic hooks, and emotionally charged songwriting. "Can't Keep On Running Away" captures the band at their most urgent, balancing crushing guitars and soaring vocals with a chorus built for repeat listens.

"Can't Keep On Running Away" is the first new music from DRAG ME OUT since the release of the band's second album, "Demons Away", which came out in May 2022 via DRAG ME OUT's own label imprint Lödereih Music. The track explores the breaking point that comes when avoidance is no longer an option. It is a song about confronting the things that follow you, the emotions you try to bury, and the realization that eventually you have to face yourself.

With "Can't Keep On Running Away", DRAG ME OUT delivers a powerful reminder of why it remains one of the most compelling names in the modern heavy scene. The single feels both explosive and deeply personal, pairing arena-sized melodies with the raw energy that fans have come to expect from the band.

"Can't Keep On Running Away" is available now on all major streaming platforms.

Shaforostov, who has had to work on new music while navigating the turmoil of war within his home country of Ukraine, told Australia's Wall Of Sound about the decision to release "Can't Keep On Running Away": "I've been working on new music all along and really got too much music in my bag right now. It just felt like I couldn't wait for much longer. I've got hundreds of demos that I've put in the drawer 'cause I constantly felt like I wanted to give people something bigger than what I had at the time. I can easily trace evolution throughout the experiments in all of those. But the absolute best are definitely going to be released sooner than later."

‍He added about "Can't Keep On Running Away": "This is a standalone single and it doesn't make a real emphasis on what's coming next. It's more of a 'I kissed goodbye to the old era' track. I felt like every fan that connected with [ASKING ALEXANDRIA's] 'I Won't Give In' from 'The Black' era would say that this song was written for them. To me it radiates the same energy and the same vibe."

Denis recorded one album with ASKING ALEXANDRIA, "The Black", before exiting the band in October 2016. Then-ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce said in a video message that Shaforostov had "just stopped talking to us."

He added: "When Denis first joined the band, people within the music industry and fans alike, they all told us these different things about Denis's past, and we got many warnings, and we said, that's his past — forgive and forget; we don't know any of that side of things. So we gave him the benefit of the doubt, and, you know, there's no smoke without fire, and I guess we found that out the hard way."

Shaforostov had not spoken out about his departure from ASKING ALEXANDRIA, although he did tweet at one point that he "left AA because I can't be in a touring band at this point in my life. There's no drama and I don't want to be a part of it."

Singer Danny Worsnop rejoined ASKING ALEXANDRIA in the fall of 2016.

Denis addressed his departure from ASKING ALEXANDRIA in the Wall Of Sound interview, saying: "I don't really feel like I had to go through separation necessarily. My fans are always showing me support no matter which era, album or a song they prefer. In the end of the day it's just music and people chose to stick with it disregarding whatever happened in the past.

"Some people are going to complain even a decade later, you can't really please and make everyone understand what really happened back in the day," he continued. "But it's been forever since then and all I am grateful for today is for my plot of people who keep me afloat. They're all my foundation off which I'm going to build further on."

Denis Stoff press photo courtesy of Life Or Death