Swedish melodic metal force PRIME CREATION presents a music video for their brand new single, “Ashes Of Trust”. The track delivers another intense glimpse into the band’s forthcoming studio album “Souls Of The Fallen”, set for release on June 26, 2026 via ROAR – A Division Of Reigning Phoenix Music.
With “Ashes Of Trust”, PRIME CREATION dive deep into themes of betrayal, emotional collapse, and inner strength. Combining razor-sharp riffs, soaring melodies, and a dark cinematic atmosphere, the song captures the painful realization of broken trust while transforming anger and loss into determination and resilience.
“This song is about betrayal by someone once trusted and the pain of realizing their true nature,” the band reveals. “It follows the emotional collapse caused by lies, manipulation, and being metaphorically stabbed in the back. As the lyrics progress, the focus shifts from hurt to resilience and confrontation. Ultimately, it’s about reclaiming strength, refusing to back down, and rising from the damage left behind.”
Formed in Sweden in 2015, PRIME CREATION quickly established themselves as a driving force in modern melodic heavy metal. Rising from the ashes of the power metal band Morifade, the group brought together skilled and experienced musicians with a clear vision: combine technical precision with powerful songwriting and a contemporary edge.
Following their self-titled debut in 2016 and the critically acclaimed “Tears Of Rage” (2019), the band continued to evolve, culminating in “Tell Freedom I Said Hello” (2023), which gained strong international attention. Known for their dynamic live presence, PRIME CREATION have toured across Europe and shared stages with acts like Masterplan and appeared at festivals alongside Europe and W.A.S.P.
With “Souls Of The Fallen”, produced by Niels Nielsen (Ghost, In Flames), the band take another decisive step forward, pushing their sound into darker, more progressive territory while staying true to their melodic roots.
Recipients of high praise from NPR, The Needle Drop, Brooklyn Vegan, Decibel and Metal Hammer, Wailin Storms have caught fire since migrating to North Carolina in 2014. Now, the Durham natives are fanning the flames even higher with their upcoming fifth album and first for Season of Mist. On The Arsonist, the band deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
Today, Wailin Storms are premiering a music video for the second advanced single from The Arsonist with CVLT Nation. Howling and haunted, “You Never Answered” is a desperate plea to put down our phones and answer the call of the night.
“This song is about disconnecting from screens and returning to exploration”, Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says. “Don’t let your phone lead to your death by taking a selfie on a mountain. Pick up a manual film camera. Take some acid. Pick up a paint brush, cook, listen to a record, walk in nature, be there for the ones you love and find your path in the world without being tethered to technology”.
Watch the music video for “You Never Answered” on CVLT Nation’s website. The video for “You Never Answered” was directed and edited by Thomas Hudson (@thomaswhudson)
July 17 – Durham, NC @ Stanczyk’s [Album Release Show] July 29 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway July 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar July 31 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light August 1 – Cincinnati, OH @ Motr August 2 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl August 3 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees August 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Government Center August 5 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery August 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Gutter August 7 – New Hope, PA @ John and Peter’s August 8 – Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana
The Arsonist calls back to Wailin Storms’ past. Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, the album rekindles the band’s roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk. Like being woken from a bad dream, “You Never Answered” opens with frantic guitars before kicking down the door with a doomy groove.
“So much music is drowning in sterile digital production”, Storms says. “With this album, we recorded everything in analog. We didn’t touch a computer until mixing”.
Inspired by David Lynch and René Magritte, Wailin Storms do throw heavier splashes of surrealism into the fires of The Arsonist. “Climb right out, out of your head, and into the night”, Storms commands amidst howling riffs on “You Never Answered”. But the album is inflamed by real life anxieties. Before it drifts into a smoke-fueled daze, the song’s melody proves so intoxicating that your left with no choice but to follow the band into the dark. “Time to take a bullet that could change your mind”.
“I’ve always been fascinated with fire”, says Storms, who was raised by a church pianist and a Baptist preacher. As a child, growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, he came dangerously close to accidentally burning his family’s house down. “It speaks to our inherent attraction to danger and annihilation, but also, our hope for transformation”.
Tracklist 1. Dead End (4:48) 2. Heart of Mine (5:13) 3. You Never Answered (4:53) [WATCH] 4. The Arsonist (4:52) [WATCH] 5. Never Rest (4:59) 6. Saved (4:24) 7. Patient Night (3:22) 8. The Wind (6:01) 9. It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be (6:30)
Since migrating to North Carolina’s inland coast circa 2014, Wailin Storms have caught fire with noisy, bluesy explosions of Southern gothic rock. Hot on the heels of critical high praise and thunderous applause from crowds on both sides of the Atlantic, the band’s fifth album and first for Season of Mist fans their flames with reckless abandon. While surrounded by darkness from the outside world, The Arsonist burns with all of our heart’s desires.
“I’ve always been fascinated by fire”, Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says before alluding to a time when he came dangerously close to accidentally burning his family’s house down. “It speaks to our inherent attraction to danger and annihilation, but also, our hope for transformation”.
Born the son of a church pianist and Baptist preacher, Justin Storms converted to the church of rock ‘n’ roll after listening to the teachings of his older brother. “He was responsible for getting me into outsider music”. After forming Wailin Storms in his home state of Texas and a pass through New York City, Storms hunkered down in Durham, North Carolina, where he was joined in 2014 by the band’s current drummer Mark Oates (Bats & Mice) and bassist Steve Stanczyk.
Debut full-length One Foot in the Flesh Grave laid a solid foundation for Wailin Storms in 2015 with an East Coast and Midwest tour that led to their first appearance at The Fest. 2017 follow-up Sick City infected more ears with coverage spreading from CVLT Nation to NPR. It was their third album, though, that really opened the floodgates. Rattle was featured by The Needle Drop and named one of the best albums of 2020 by Treble, Riff Magazine, Angry Metal Guy and Machine Music. More attention from Decibel and Metal Hammer came two years later around The Silver Snake Unfolds, which was followed by the arrival of guitarist Ben Melton, as well as shows and tour dates with everyone from City of Caterpillar, pageninetynine and This Will Destroy You to Acid Bath, Eyehategod and Young Widows.
“If Bauhaus, Killing Joke, and Black Sabbath had a child, this would be it”, Metal Injection proclaimed about Wailin Storms.
Brooklyn Vegan concurred. “It’s just loud, heavy, dark rock music, and it’s awesome”.
The Arsonist can be traced back through Wailin Storms’ past. Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, the album rekindles the band’s roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk as a heated response to today’s vat of overproduced music and AI slop. By experimenting with swoons of Rhodes organ, “Heart of Mine” recalls the Roadhouse from Twin Peaks. “Some of these songs are more primitive and stripped down, harkening back to the four-track recordings that the band started with”, Storms says. “The recordings contain flaws but remain human in all the right ways. They could be a murder ballad or an old folk song that’s sung around the campfire”. Other early influences soak into the songwriting’s weathered fabric: Flannery O’Conner’s grotesque sensibility, Cormac McCarthy’s unflinching fatalism, Old Regular Baptist hymns. With its sideways gust of riffs and moaning chorus, “The Wind” blows loud enough to wake the entire cemetery.
“Because the heart wants what the body wants and the mind wants what the eyes want”, Storms gravely intones. “Won’t you take me through hell”.
Wailin Storms throw heavy splashes of surrealism into the fires of The Arsonist. “Many of the lyrics draw from the same imagery and emotions conjured by David Lynch, especially his film Wild at Heart”,Storms says. “Dead End” opens the album by taking a harrowing turn of its own when the drum’s rattle leads straight into a waking nightmare. “Calm night / Birds keep plucking out our eyes”.
While shrouded by a doomy and dreamy atmosphere, The Arsonist is inflamed by real life anxieties. Taking inspiration from René Magritte, the album’s cover art, which is heavily shadowed except for a tiny house gone up in flames, was painted by Storms himself. “These songs are steeped in the trials and tribulations of everyday life”, he says. The title track is slowly engulfed by love’s eternal flame. “Like the wind controls the sea”, he croons over the gentle sway of his guitar. “You always had a hold on me”. The thunderous climax surges with such feverish intensity that it threatens to send the night of passion up in smoke.
Amidst the wreckage of The Arsonist, Wailin Storms do find a semblance of peace. “It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be” ends the album with a ghostly flicker of gothic romance. “I know a place where we can sit and grow old”, Storms offers with grim assurance. A piano tolls like death’s bell as he glimpses up at a church that resembles a skull. “There’s a sliver of hope in coming to terms with death”, he concludes. “Life is temporary and that’s where its beauty lies”.
On The Arsonist, Wailin Storms deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
Lineup Justin Storms – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar Ben Melton – Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano Steve Stanczyk – Bass Mark Oates – Drums
Recording credits Recorded at Earth Analog in May 2025
Production Credits Produced and engineered by Matt Talbott Mixed by Mike Lust at Phantom Manor (“Dead End”, “Heart of Mine”, “You Never Answered”, “The Arsonist”, “Never Rest”, “The Wind”, It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be” Mixed by Dave Downham at Gradwell House (“Saved”, “Patient Night”) Mastered by Dave Downham at Gradwell House
If you were anywhere near an FM radio, or a sold out stadium rock show back in the mid 1970s, Angel were inescapable.
Formed in 1975 and discovered by Gene Simmons very soon after, Angel were the glam metal monster that all the others wished they could be. Clad in all white satin but eviscerating the spectrum, Punky Meadows and co had a stage show to rival any you could think of; a sense of drama that was almost poetic in its punchiness… when they named their second album (after a self-titled debut) Helluva Band, they really weren’t kidding.
“The boys like them,” journalist Sylvie Simmons wrote in 1978, “The girls like them, parents probably think they’re sick. In other words, they’re everyone’s perfect Teen Dream.”
Who better, then, to take on one of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’s most heavenly songs?
“Lady of the Lake” was originally released back in 1977, on Rainbow’s third album Long Live Rock’n’Roll, Blackmore’s grinding guitar a delicious counterpoint to virtuoso Ronnie James Dio vocal, “burn[ing] real slow against a tough beat,” as Trouser Press put it in their review of the album.
Angel retain the grind, the pace and the toughness, but they make the Lady their own regardless, a thunderous punch that could easily have slipped off any of the band’s classic albums, and is underpinned by a Punky guitar solo that’ll send your jaw dropping floorboards in seconds.
”Rainbow were a great band,” says Punky, “Angel had the opportunity to play some shows with Rainbow back in the day, and it was awesome! Angel is so honored to record ‘Lady of the Lake” for the Rainbow tribute album and….we killed it!”
Aside from sharing concert bills, frontman Frank Dimino adds, “We also rehearsed next to each other in the Gower lot, so doing this song brought back great memories!! Plus I love Ronnie’s voice so singing and recording ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a lot fun for me!!!
Angel rhythm guitarist Danny Farrow continue, “We were very happy when asked to record a song for the Ride The Rainbow Tribute album from Cleopatra Records. Recording ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a lot of fun with the band, and we really love the way the song came out.” And, of the accompanying video, he adds, “Visual creator Jay Rice made a really great video to capture the song perfectly.”
There’s a lot more where this came from, too. Scheduled for release June 19, Ridin’ The Rainbow – The Ultimate Tribute to Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow lives up to its grandiose sub-title with room to spare. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow were one of the most multi-faceted bands ever to walk the Heavy Metal highway, not only swooping from devastating power chords to delightful power ballads, but also venturing far from those waters when the mood hit them.
All of these facets are laid bare here, not only by Angel but also a cast of fellow guests that includes stunning performances from no fewer than six Rainbow alumni – Bob Daisley, Graham Bonnet, Don Airey, Joe Lynn Turner, Doogie White, and Ronnie Romero! Plus Ritchie’s wife and Blackmore’s Night partner Candice Night, and his successor in Deep Purple, Steve Morse; and others beside.
Even better, the album will be available both on CD and cassette, and across three differently colored 2 LP vinyl sets – choose between red, yellow and violet, or buy all three and you’ll be almost halfway to completing a rainbow of your own.
1. Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll – Bob Daisley, Graham Bonnet, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Carmine Appice, Don Airey 2. Man on the Silver Mountain – Sebastian Bach, Doug Aldrich, Bob Daisley, Carmine Appice, Mick Box, Jonathan Cain 3. Stargazer – Derek Sherinian, Marty Friedman, Vinny Appice, Jürgen Engler, Joe Bouchard, Ronnie Romero 4. Lady of the Lake – Angel 5. Rainbow Eyes – Mike Tramp 6. Since You Been Gone – Marty Friedman, Vinny Appice, Graham Bonnet, Jürgen Engler 7. Kill the King – Rick Wakeman, Bob Daisley, Vinnie Moore, Marc Lopes, Chris Adler 8. The Temple of the King – Steve Morse, Phil Soussan, Ronnie Romero, Simon Wright, Jonathan Cain, Kevin James Morse 9. Jealous Lover – George Lynch, Vinny Appice, Andrew Freeman, David Ellefson, Jonathan Cain 10. I Surrender – Eric Gales, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Phil Soussan, Don Airey, Chris Adler 11. Catch the Rainbow – Doogie White, Derek Sherinian, Chris Poland, Vinny Appice, Bob Daisley 12. Street of Dreams – Paul Shortino, Joel Hoekstra, Joe Bouchard, Fred Aching, Jonathan Cain 13. Stone Cold – Vivian Campbell, Joe Lynn Turner 14. I Surrender – Marcus Nand, Candice Night
In 1986, legendary vocalist Paul Di’Anno who was the unmistakable original voice behind Iron Maiden’s formative years launched a bold new chapter with the release of Fighting Back, the explosive debut album from Battlezone. Following his departure from Iron Maiden, Di’Anno refused to look backward. Instead, he forged ahead, assembling Battlezone to deliver a fresh assault of raw British heavy metal power. Originally released through Raw Power Records in the UK, Fighting Back captured Di’Anno’s unmistakable grit and intensity while showcasing a revitalized creative fire that reaffirmed his status as one of metal’s most commanding frontmen.
Featuring standout tracks including “Welcome to the Battlezone,” “Warchild,” “Running Blind,” and the title anthem “(Forever) Fighting Back,” the album fused aggressive riffs, streetwise energy, and melodic power into a statement of resilience and reinvention. Recorded in East London and produced by Ian Richardson alongside the band, the record introduced a formidable lineup featuring guitarists John Hurley and John Wiggins, bassist Pete West, and drummer Bob Falck.
Four decades later, Fighting Back remains an essential document of 1980s heavy metal and to celebrate this 40th Anniversary Deko Entertainment has remastered and repackaged this landmark release from the former Iron Maiden frontman. It will be available in August on 180G vinyl in two Limited Edition colors, CD, and contains the bonus track “Rising Star”.
For fans of classic heavy metal, collectors of NWOBHM history, and those who continue to celebrate the enduring legacy of Paul Di’Anno, Fighting Back stands as a powerful reminder of an artist who never stopped fighting.
(Forever) Fighting Back Welcome To The Battlezone Warchild In The Darkness The Land God Gave To Caine Running Blind Too Much To Heart Voice on the Radio Welfare Warriors Feel The Rock Rising Star (Bonus Track)
Following the seismic impact of his recent singles “Rose McGowan” ft Rose McGowan and the Corey Taylor-assisted “Blame,” KID BOOKIE – the artist who famously refuses to be boxed in – has officially announced his new full-length studio album, ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II,’ arriving October 16th via FLG Records.
KID BOOKIE has spent over a decade dismantling the barriers between UK rap, alternative rock, and heavy metal. From his early days earning recognition on BBC Radio 1Xtra to his MOBO nomination for Best Alternative Music Act, BOOKIE has evolved into a formidable voice in the British alternative scene. ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II‘ serves as the definitive evolution of his 2021 predecessor, blending trap aggression with soaring melodic hooks and unflinching emotional honesty.
The 11-track project is a masterclass in collaboration, and features a diverse roster of icons that reflect BOOKIE’s unpredictable creative universe. The album sees a return of his long-standing creative bond with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on the searing track “BLAME,” and features a historic collaboration with Rose McGowan. The record also boasts appearances from UK rap royalty Lady Leshurr, Shona McGarty, and a special interlude from Kate Nash.
Produced largely by long-time collaborator Ziey Kizzy alongside BOOKIE himself, and featuring production from Sid Wilson (Slipknot) and Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Nova Twins), the album – recorded at ETB Audio Visual – boasts a sonic collision of icons and emotion.
Central to the album’s emotional core is the new single “Prettier.” Confronting the harrowing realities of domestic abuse and the vital importance of highlighting difficult subjects, Bookie uses the track to demand a higher level of honesty in art.
“’Prettier‘ continues the story of ‘Pretty’ from ‘Volume 1,’ digging into the thoughts and feelings that keep us tethered to toxicity,” says BOOKIE. “We stay because of rose-tinted lenses, whether in romance or any relationship that fails its intended purpose. I chose to create a video inspired by the fact that hope doesn’t always win; life doesn’t always favour the brave or the hurt. Happy endings are a fallacy – portraying life in its most brutal form is the true reality. I do this because creating uncomfortable moments triggers reflection. I hold no reservations in challenging the status quo; it’s important to bring to light what is done in the dark to tell the stories that usually go unspoken.”
Disclaimer: This video contains scenes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. Viewer discretion is highly advised.
‘Cheaper Than Therapy II’ captures KID BOOKIE at the height of his powers, trading underground cult status for undeniable main character energy. After storming the UK iTunes Rock Chart Top 10 and cementing his place on the Official Independent Charts with 2024’s ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead,’ BOOKIE has evolved beyond the “breakthrough” labels. He isn’t just a contender; he’s the one setting the pace for the entire genre.
Speaking on the spirit of the new record, KID BOOKIE shares:
“‘Cheaper Than Therapy II’ is the closest thing to a full circle fuck you imaginable. After losing a home, a relationship, friends, family, agents, labels, and more, there was a time I had no hope but a remnant of a dream and a small flame. “Cheaper Than Therapy” was always about giving the underdog their moments, not just me. An underground artist bringing the legends and stars of rock and beyond into a melting pot of post-genre feeling and mood whilst asking them to bare their truths in audio format. Bringing through similar guests from Volume 1, CTT2 aims to show that through all life throws at you, whether you’re the maverick, the disruptor, or able to bring the people together, doing it on your own terms for the sake of redemption was the therapy we all needed. Welcome to ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II.’”
Tracklist: H.A.T.E BLAME (ft. Corey Taylor) Familiar (ft. Lady Leshurr) C.E.L.A.Y.N (ft. Ziey Kizzy) Rose McGowan (ft. Rose McGowan) Prettier Day After Day (ft. Shona McGarty) Kate Nash’s Interlude (ft. Kate Nash) Disasterpiece Hold You Down Still Stuck In My Ways
[Photo Credit: Chantik Photography by Sonja Schuringa]
After recently unveiling their new album title track “Far From God” to an overwhelmingly positive response from fans worldwide, with both the single and its official music video rapidly gaining strong streaming numbers across platforms, Portuguese Dark Metal pioneers MOONSPELL now return with the next haunting chapter from their forthcoming studio album. Following a frenetically-acclaimed live appearance at Wave Gothic Treffen just a few nights ago, today, the band releases the official music video for their brand new single, the album opening track “Cross Your Heart”.
Where “Far From God” explored tragic vampiric romance and the spiritual decay of modern Gothic Metal, “Cross Your Heart” turns its gaze toward the endless roads that connect and separate us. Blending the classic atmosphere of the band’s legendary Irreligious era with a modern and sharper edge, the song unfolds as a dark, melancholic and emotionally gripping anthem. Driven by brooding melodies, grounded riffing and emotional depth, “Cross Your Heart” pairs Fernando Ribeiro’s unmistakable vocals with a reflection on mortality, memory and the fragile nature of life spent in motion.
Fernando Ribeiro comments on the track: “Reminiscent of Irreligious with a modern and dark twist, this gothic metal song tells us about the shrines that we can frequently find on the roads of all countries in the world and that are erected as a painful memory to those who departed in car and bike crashes, often too soon, every time too painfully. Like a band who made miles upon miles and a few crashes themselves, we are privileged observers of the daily and nightly life on the roads, the promised cities, the bitter disappointments, the anguish of a portable life. Before such powers we can only cross our heart and hope to live enough before our time does come.”
Born out of five years of creative searching, doubt and ultimate rediscovery, their forthcoming album marks a powerful return for the band. Far from playing it safe, MOONSPELL deliver a work that feels like a rebirth: darker, sharper and emotionally unfiltered. Rather than bending to modern trends, the band double down on identity and substance, presenting a bold and beautiful statement of Gothic Metal in its purest essence: dark, romantic, dramatic and unapologetically heavy.
Thematically, Far From God moves through Baudelairian love, existential guilt and redemption, Christlike resurrections and the quiet nobility of creatures of the night. Vampires, werewolves and sacred symbolism are not escapism here, but vehicles for genuine dark emotion: solemn, romantic and unfiltered. The album rejects artificial gloss in favour of fantasy grounded in sincerity, rediscovering the heart of Gothic Metal in its most authentic form.
Far from God– produced with Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost among many others) – shines like a black diamond, luminous yet shadowed in texture and colour, both musically and sonically. It reconnects with the darker spirit of MOONSPELL’s classic era while sounding powerful and contemporary. Far From Godis not nostalgia; it is a statement. A Gothic Metal hallelujah. MOONSPELL’s21st century Irreligious. It’s not only a powerful reminder that MOONSPELL remain a defining force in the genre they helped shape, but an album that will truly save Gothic Metal from boredom and predictability!
[Artwork painted by Eliran Kantor]
Far From God will be released on July 3, 2026 via Napalm Records. Pre-order the album HERE!
Far From God Tracklist: 1. Cross Your Heart 2. Far From God 3. Biblical 4. The Great Wolf in the Sky (ft. Alicia Nuhro on strings) 5. Your Promise of Light 6. For the Love of Mortals 7. Our Freedom to Fall 8. Reconquista
MOONSPELL upcoming Live Dates 2026:
02.07.2026 (PT) Porto de Mós – Festas de São Pedro 10.07.2026 (FI) Kotka – Dark River Festival 16.07.2026 (PL) Bolków – Castle Party Festival 02.08.2026 (BU) Plovdiv – Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv (Opus Diabolicum Orchestra Show) 06.08.2026 (DE) Schlotheim – Party.San Metal Open Air 28.08.2026 (RO) Câmpulung Muscel – Posada Rock Festival 12.09.2026 (PT) Sintra – Quinta da Ribafria 18.09.2026 (UK) London – Cosmic Void Festival 19.09.2026 (TR) Istanbul – Bosphorus Open Air Metal Fest 31.10.2026 (PT) Porto – Hard Club (Halloween Show)
MOONSPELL is: Fernando Ribeiro – Vocals Ricardo Amorim – Guitars Pedro Paixão – Keys Aires Pereira – Bass Hugo Ribeiro – Drums
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video