Finnish speed/death cult outfit DET share the new track ‘Catacomb’, a third track revealed from their highly anticipated debut album ‘Destructive elite Terror’, set for release in October via Dying Victims Productions!
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News Posts
Finnish Hooded Menace released their crushing take on Duran Duran’s classic hit ‘Save a Prayer’, which is featured on their upcoming new album ‘Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration’, set for release in October via Season of Mist!
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American heavy metal icons Corrosion Of Conformity are bringing a special rendition of ‘Fire And Water’, a classic track originally released by English rock band Free and the first of the ‘Riffissippi Studio Jam Sessions’, out with Nuclear Blast!
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After an 18-year silence on the album front, CLAWFINGER are finally back – louder, sharper, and more defiant than ever! With ‘Ball & Chain’, they unleash another track from the upcoming album ‘Before We All Die’, out February 20, 2026 on PERCEPTION – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music, fusing relentless riffs and raw energy with frontman Zak Tell’s unflinching honesty.
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DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG (DATOG) have unleashed ‘Babylon,’ the monumental title track from their upcoming album, set for release on October 3, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).
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Alter Bridge shared first single/video ‘Silent Divide’ from their upcoming self-titled album, set for release in January 2026 via Napalm Records and announced the “What Lies Within U.S. tour” dates that will come right after their extensive Europe tour in early 2026!
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Hard rock/heavy metal outfit Hell in the Club announced their new album ‘Joker In The Pack’ to be out in November with Frontiers Music and shared the new single and video ‘Magnetars’!
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Melancholic Finnish metal band Mourning Wood is releasing their debut album this autumn, and the latest new single ‘Swift Demise’ gives you a proper miserable taste of what is to come!
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Belgium’s up-and-rising heavy metallers Speed Queen are about to release their debut full-length ‘…With a Bang!’ this Friday via High Roller Records, but not before they provided a last taste of it a couple of weeks ago with the track ‘I Walk Alone’!
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A couple of weeks ago, one of UK’s most promising acts, FURY, released a new thunderous and rebellious single ‘Don’t Lie To Me’, another track from their upcoming album ‘Interceptor’, set for release next month via Mighty Music!
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Photo Reports
Castle Rat brought their “Old World Realms Tour” to Helsinki’s On the Rocks, joined by local doom disciples Mansion. A night of theatrical heavy metal, ritualistic soundscapes, and raw energy opening a portal to an amazing fantasy world!
Nahka Agency brought a great blend of Finnish metal to Tampere’s Tavara-Asema on Friday May 16th with Amoral, Shade Empire and Voidfallen. Unfortunately the turn up wasn’t anywhere near to as much as it should have been for such a night of quality metal music.
The 13th (local) edition of Full Moon gave us 3 Belgian bands: party cover band Crazy Copy Cats, System Of A Down tribute band Toxicity and heavy rock and rollers Promise Down (who you also can catch at Alcatraz festival this summer)!
New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal organised a Vappu after party with Crimson Day, Everlore and Neverfade at Maanalainen in Tampere. An overall fun event full of heavy music discoveries.
Opeth released an absolutely brilliant new album with ‘The Last Will And Testament’ last year, and now they brought it to the stage all over Europe. And we in Helsinki were honored to be the first stop of the tour back in February, getting a first taste of their new work live. And with Grand Magus to warm us up, this was a brilliant night for the (metal) music lovers among us! An event by Fullsteam Agency
At the end of March it was time for a fantastic rock and metal opera in Stuttgart’s Schleyerhalle, Tobias Sammet’s multi musician project Avantasia held court. A fantasy stage layout built the base for a 3-hour spectacle that was packed with a long line of guest vocalists.
Indian metal straight from New Delhi, India to Trix Antwerp, Belgium: Bloodywood with their ‘Return of The Singh’ tour! And with support from Calva Louise and Demonic Resurrection it was a great night of amazing vibes and music!
THUNDERMOTHER’s ‘Dirty & Divine Tour 2025’ brought together an almost 100% female rock night. Together with COBRA SPELL and VULVARINE a great night of classic heavy and hard rock is traveling around Europe and we got to see them in Stuttgart on the first leg of the tour. The tour will go on with the second leg, kicking off on 21 March 2025. Get your tix soon, it might sell out fast.
Unleash the Archers on tour in Europe with their latest album ‘Phantoma’, released last year with Napalm Records, dropped by in Kortrijk, Belgium to deliver an excellent power/heavy metal night supported by Striker and Seven Kingdoms!
Marko Hietala had a special Valentine’s gift for us when he played a sold out show at Olympia-kortteli in Tampere. The show also included appearances from Noora Louhimo and JP Leppäluoto as guest vocals on some of his songs. Thanks Master Events for the access. Always a pleasure to see in a live setting, we’re all too happy to welcome him again on the Tuska stage this summer!
Album Reviews
German occult heavy metal outfit Attic offers a brilliant album for fans of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. The third album ‘Return of the Witchfinder’ is an old-school heavy metal drenched in dark occultism, released via Ván Records on April 5th.
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“Invincible Shield” is an album showing how Judas Priest can sound ultimately aggressive, pure, and straightforward heavy metal, out via Sony Music. There seems to be a consensus that this is one of their best albums since long, on par with some of their classics like ‘Painkiller’!
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The British heavy metal juggernaut Saxon deliver an outstanding performance on the newest album “Hell, Fire and Damnation”. Musically, the veterans embrace their classic NWOBHM roots and show great ability to write mid-crushing songs. Out tomorrow, January 19th via Silver Lining Music!
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Sorcerer returns with an epic dark album on its fourth installment “Reign of the Reaper” and brings an absolutely great slab of late 80s and early 90s heavy metal out since yesterday via Metal Blade Records.
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U.S. heavy/doom metal veterans Cirith Ungol return with their sixth epic studio album “Dark Parade”, presenting eight thundering hymns of glorious 80s heavy metal, out on October 20th via Metal Blade Records.
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“Touchdown” is one of U.D.O.’s best albums in the last decade and fans should expect some ballsy aggressive tracks and raw classic heavy metal that has a distinctly German vibe. The album was released on August 25th, 2023 via Atomic Fire Records.
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The superb musicianship of US heavy metal outfit Spirit Adrift delivers another glorious record with fifth album “Ghost At The Gallows”. This comes recommended for fans of Khemmis, Black Sabbath, and Solitude Aeternus and was released via Century Media Records!
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Germany has been a home for many heavy metal and thrash metal bands in the past, and The Night Eternal is no exception. “Fatale” combines many elements from the NWOBHM era and occult heavy metal, this is a very catchy and infectious album, released via Ván Records.
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Nanowar of Steel’s new record ‘Dislike to False Metal’ brings parody metal to a whole new level with quality, yet hilarious songs that at times almost sound more than the bands they’re emulating. Released via Napalm Records.
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Forget about Excalibur, forget about the Sword of Power. These are kitchen knives compared to the ‘Might and Power’ of Megaton Sword. The Swiss collective’s second full length after the ‘Niralet’ EP and their much applauded debut ‘Blood Hails Steel, Steel Hails Fire’. Released via Dying Victims Productions on February 24.
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Interviews
A video interview with vocalist Arde from Temple Balls about touring with Sonata Arctica and the upcoming tour with Shiraz Lane and Block Buster.
A last short part of us talking with Oceanhoarse, this time about the music scene, merch, metal booze and their trip to Japan! Check it out!
A conversation with Joonas and Jyri from Oceanhoarse about their European tour supporting Marko Hietala from Nightwish!
Iris of Spoil Engine talking all about their new album ‘Renaissance Noire’ and more!
Joonas and Jyri of Oceanhoarse told us why we all need to be at their own festival ‘Hoarsefest’… it includes a pretty good price to win!
A talk with Joonas and Jyri from Oceanhoarse about the release of their EP ‘Voluntary Bends’!
We fired off some questions to Liv Sin to talk about their new album ‘Burning Sermons’ and the thoughts behind some of their work!
In the last part, we grilled Pär about the Sabaton live shows, History Channel and a couple of other things…
In the last part, we grilled Pär about the Sabaton live shows, History Channel and a couple of other things…
We had the honor to interview Pär Sundström from Sabaton about the upcoming release The Great War.
