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EVERGREY Announce 15th Studio Album “Architects Of A New Weave”, Out June 5th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Evergrey. Leave a comment

EVERGREY, Gothenburg’s masterminds of melancholia, offer up another outburst of beautiful darkness and turn their inner fire into something unstoppable: their intense fifteenth album, Architects Of A New Weave, will be released on June 5, 2026 via Napalm Records, just days before the band takes the stage as special guest to the undisputed kings of heavy metal, Iron Maiden, for two shows on their Run For Your Lives World Tour.

This is the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed: a plunge into thinning air, burning worlds, and lingering guilt—only to break free with fierce momentum. The album refuses to wallow. It ascends—fast, heavy, and cinematic. But it refuses to hide in the dark. It rises: quick, fierce, and utterly transformative.

Stay tuned for new music coming soon!

Tom Englund about Architects Of A New Weave:
“We’ve literally never had this much trouble picking singles. And honestly? That’s the best problem we could possibly have. Every song on this record is fighting to be the one you hear first—because we poured everything into making an album we’re flat-out obsessed with. Like always there are no fillers, no compromises, just twelve tracks we’re stupidly proud of and will be for the rest of our lives. Pre-order the album now and join the weave!”

Pre-Order Architects Of A New Weave HERE

Dive into Architects Of A New Weave’s standout tracks like “The World is on Fire”, “Leaving The Emptiness”, “Heaven”, and “The Prophecy”, and the breathtaking title anthem “Architects Of The New Weave”. Their choruses break through like sunlight piercing storm clouds: enormous, cinematic melodies that pull you upward, riffs with genuine weight and bite, and vocals dripping with raw, unflinching truth. In one breath, you’re shouldering buried longing; in the next, you’re weightless, fearless, endless. Scars transform into badges of survival, fractures fuel reinvention. In the second half of the album, fellow Gothenburg icon Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver, Cemetery Skyline) joins Tom S. Englund in vocal duties for “A Burning Flame”, the voices of the two scene legends intertwined compellingly. Architects Of A New Weave was produced by Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar, with a stellar mix by Adam “Nolly” Getgood.

Among other exclusive formats, Architects Of A New Weave comes with a bonus album, containing bonus tracks “Heights” and “One Heart”, as well as an album mix of the previously released standalone single “OXYGEN!” (2025). Additionally, it features a demo version of “Longing”, instrumental tracks of “Leaving The Emptiness”, both new songs, as well as a live version of “Falling From The Sun”, the hit single off the previous record, Theories of Emptiness (2024) and continuation of “Ominous” off of A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (2022).

Architects Of A New Weave tracklist:

Welcome To The Pattern
The Shadow Self
Architects Of The New Weave
The World Is On Fire
Heaven
The Script
Leaving The Emptiness
Longing
A Burning Flame
Call Off Your Lions
Chains Of Shame
The Prophecy

Chaos doesn’t claim victory—you do. You step forward as the weaver, rethreading belief, identity, connection, and the very shape of tomorrow into something stronger, brighter, unbreakable. This is melodic, progressive, dark metal at its most massive and intimate: heavy enough to shift mountains, anthemic enough to make you raise your fist and truly believe it. It carries one unshakable truth straight to your core: Nothing—not pain, not darkness, not any storm—gets to label you broken. You’re the power that gathers the fragments and forges real beauty from them. Dream weavers rising. Architects are stepping up to claim what comes next. If you’ve ever felt that inner tug—quiet or roaring—to rewrite your story on your own terms, with zero apologies and complete ownership, this is the soundtrack that turns the urge into certainty. Your battle cry. Your hymn for renewal, creation, and finally stepping into the person you’re destined to be. Whether it launches EVERGREY’s boldest era yet, stands as a fierce standalone declaration, or serves as the pivotal bridge chapter that redefines their path, Architects Of A New Weave is pure cinematic motivation—ready to charge your playlist and propel your momentum forward. It’s as though EVERGREY don’t merely survive adversity—they rise and expand because of it. Every challenge, every setback, every wound seems to become the very oxygen that fuels their music. The darker the storm that once threatened to break them, the more powerfully each note draws breath from that same pain, transforming what hurt them yesterday into the soaring, living heart of their songs today.
Architects Of A New Weave seals it: we are no longer victims of the night, but creators of new skies, new beliefs, and entirely new heavens. Grab it now. Let it arm you. This isn’t just an album – it’s the sound of you seizing control and building what’s next.

EVERGREY LIVE 2026

Australian Tour
28.04.26 AU – Perth / The Rosemount
30.04.26 AU – Canberra / The Baso
01.05.26 AU – Sydney / Crowbar
02.05.26 AU – Melbourne / The Corner
03.05.26 AU – Brisbane / Crowbar

Additional Shows & Festivals
25.–26.04.26 BR – São Paulo / Bangers Open Air
08.05.26 AE – Dubai / P7 Arena, Media One Hotel
03.–06.06.26 SE – Norje / Sweden Rock Festival
04.–07.06.26 PL – Gdańsk / Mystic Festival
10.06.26 NL – Amsterdam / (with Iron Maiden)
12.06.26 NL – Uden / De Pul
13.06.26 NL – Zoetermeer / Boerderij
22.06.26 FR – Paris / (with Iron Maiden)
27.06.26 RO – Chimbay / Rockstadt Extreme Fest
11.09.26 US – Atlanta, GA / Headlining Progpower USA

Freedom World Crusade
As Special Guest to HammerFall
13.09.26 US – Leesburg, VA
15.09.26 US – New York, NY
16.09.26 US – Worcester, MA
18.09.26 US – Derry, NH
19.09.26 CA – Ottawa, ON
20.09.26 CA – Montreal, QC
22.09.26 CA – Toronto, ON
23.09.26 US – Lakewood, OH
24.09.26 US – Columbus, OH
25.09.26 US – St. Charles, IL
26.09.26 US – Hobart, IN
27.09.26 US – Green Bay, WI
29.09.26 US – Denver, CO
01.10.26 US – Pomona, CA
02.10.26 US – Los Angeles, CA
03.10.26 US – San Juan Capistrano, CA
06.10.26 US – Portland, OR
07.10.26 CA – Vancouver, BC
08.10.26 US – Seattle, WA

EVERGREY online:
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
NAPALM RECORDS

BLACK LUNG Premiere Video Single ‘Forever Beyond Me’ from Forthcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: BLACK LUNG. Leave a comment

BLACK LUNG illustrate the pitfalls of the online world with their electrifying new video ‘Forever Beyond Me‘ as the final advance single from the American psych rockers’ forthcoming new full-length “Forever Beyond“. The fifth album from the Baltimore, Maryland heavy outfit is set for release on March 6, 2026 via Magnetic Eye Records.

Pre-order the album here: https://spkr.store/collections/black-lung

BLACK LUNG comment on ‘Forever Beyond Me’: “I wrote this riff after seeing St. Vincent play in D.C. at the Anthem“, vocalist and guitarist David Cavalier reveals. “Her fuzz tone has always been one of my favorites. It’s short, precise, and allows for really percussive and aggressive riffs. After writing the main riff, the rest of the song just fell into place.“

Tracklist:
1. Traveler
2. Death & Co.
3. Savior
4. Follow
5. Forever Beyond Me
6. Border Hoarder
7. Scum

When you find yourself adrift at zero gravity with a dreamy smile on your face, you’ve probably booked a flight into space on BLACK LUNG‘s latest inter-dimensional transport “Forever Beyond”.

The veteran trio from Baltimore, Maryland have fine-tuned the recipe of their musical rocket fuel, distilled from stoner doom, psychedelic rock, and other fiery ingredients. BLACK LUNG‘s unique concoction drives every track with captivating tunes, melodic riffing, pumping rhythms, and the inimitable vocal cords of Dave Cavalier taking it home. Every single song on “Forever Beyond” hits its mark perfectly.

On their fifth album “Forever Beyond”, BLACK LUNG complete the hyper jump initiated on their fourth album “Dark Waves”, which was already venturing into new sonic galaxies. Undertones of anger and defiance manifest as many of the songs are artistic reactions to the historic political upheaval in the USA, dealing lyrically with the lure of fascism, blind nationalism, and corporate oligarchy.

BLACK LUNG came into being when two founding members of Baltimore’s well-established psych rock band THE FLYING EYES, guitarist and organ player Adam Bufano and drummer Elias Schutzman, teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Dave Cavalier in early 2014. The three set themselves apart from the crowded field of psych doom and heavy blues with a sonic interchange of fuzzed-drenched guitars, deep driving drumbeats, and Cavalier’s raw, blues-tinged vocals.

Their self-titled debut “Black Lung” appeared in 2014 and was not just celebrated locally, with the title “Best New Band” awarded by the Baltimore City Paper, but BLACK LUNG also crossed the Atlantic to embark on their first European tour. This was capped with a performance at the prestigious Rockpalast Crossroads Festival, broadcast on German national television.

BLACK LUNG released their sophomore album “See the Enemy” in 2016, building on the strengths of their debut while at times pushing into garage psych territory. The album paved the way for a headlining European tour, notably appearing at Freak Valley Festival and DesertFest Belgium.

In 2019, BLACK LUNG returned with “Ancients”. The third full-length channeled years of experience, touring, and songwriting into a more adventurous course, venturing further from familiar doom and psych rock tropes. During the pandemic years, BLACK LUNG managed to push forward with new guitarist Dave Fullerton, which resulted in fourth album “Dark Waves”. It was a milestone in the band’s career, as they abandoned some of their pet ideas such as eschewing bass guitar live in favour of guitars through bass amps, along with the black and white aesthetics that had dominated their artwork of their first three full-lengths.

BLACK LUNG are openly anti-Trump and anti-fascist to the core and make no secret of it. They have no intention to become dogmatically boring but rather aim for live performances that are both cathartic and fun.

With “Forever Beyond”, BLACK LUNG prove that it is possible to rage against injustice with an utmost joyful defiance!

Live:
21 MAY 2026 Baltimore, MD (US) Nevermore Hall, Maryland DeathFest

Line-up:
David Cavalier – vocals, guitar
Dave Fullerton – guitar
Elias Schutzman – drums, keyboard, vocals
Mac Hewitt (live) – bass

Recording line-up:
Dave Fullerton – guitar
Elias Schutzman – drums, percussion, mellotron, synth, bouzouki
Dave Cavalier – vocals, guitar
Charles Braese – bass

Guest musicians:
Ms. Sara – vocals on ‘Traveler’
Robert Karpay – cello on ‘Follow’

Recording by Steve Wright at Wrightway Studios, Baltimore, MD (US)
Mixing by Steve Wright at Wrightway Studios, Baltimore, MD (US)
Mastering by Tony Eichler at Goldtone MasterWorks, LLC, Cape Coral, FL (US)

Cover image courtesy of the NASA/Ames Research Center
Cover image hand-coloured by Zarahlena
Layout by Łukasz Jaszak

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/blacklungbaltimore
https://www.instagram.com/blacklungband
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/

MELECHESH Unleash New Single ‘Raptors of Anzu’ from Upcoming EP “Sentinels of Shamash”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: MELECHESH. Leave a comment

Ancient storms gather once more as MELECHESH unveils their new single, “Raptors of Anzu,” accompanied by a striking lyric video that channels mythic devastation and divine revelation. The track is the first offering from the band’s forthcoming digital EP, Sentinels of Shamash, set for release on April 10th via new label home Reigning Phoenix Music!

“Raptors of Anzu” descends into a forgotten age, a time when the Ancient Ones ruled beneath darkened suns and the sea was still land. From Eridu, city of kingship and divine law, the will of Anu is unleashed through storm and destruction. The raptors emerge as agents of fate, enslaving the lost and tearing through failing orders as destiny unfolds beyond mortal control. Rage burns without mercy as empires fall, logic collapses, and ancient mechanisms of the soul are set into motion.

What begins as an Anunnian tale becomes a violent revelation. Death fades, knowledge is unveiled, and cosmic order is shattered only to be restored through fire and ruin. With commanding riffs, ritualistic rhythms, and incantatory vocals, MELECHESH conjures a soundscape as apocalyptic as the myth it embodies.

Regarding the signing, the band shares: “We’re proud to have signed with Reigning Phoenix Music, a label run by true fans who deliver professionalism and a personal touch. After some delays which were not in our hands and we have overcome, we’re ready to present our new EP Sentinels of Shamash, unrelenting, diverse, and true to the MELECHESH spirit. We know about all the anticipation and patience you all displayed so we only deliver the best for you.

Now the focus is to play live everywhere and bring the new songs to the stage, while continuing writing and reworking new material for the next without limiting creativity.”

“It is an honor to be able to be part of the next chapter of Melechesh,” says Reigning Phoenix Music co-founder Gerardo Martinez. “They are a band that continues to push boundaries and maintaining that rich artistic aspect that makes them so unique.”

Sentinels of Shamash, stands as a ceremonial descent into ancient law, fire, and cosmic vigilance. Drawing from Mesopotamian myth and the solar judgment of Shamash, god of truth and justice, MELECHESH crafts an offering steeped in divine wrath and esoteric order. Each composition unfolds like a sacred inscription, invoking forgotten gods, fallen kings, and the eternal tension between chaos and balance.

Through commanding riffs, relentless rhythms, and a sonic architecture that bridges ancient cosmology with modern extremity, Sentinels of Shamash delivers a mythological statement rooted in fire, judgment, ruin, and restoration. The sentinels stand eternal guard over fate itself.

Sentinels of Shamash Tracklist:
1. The Seventh Verdict
2. In Shadows, In Light
3. Raptors of Anzu

About MELECHESH:

MELECHESH was formed in 1993 in Jerusalem with the intent to forge what the band defines as Mesopotamian Metal. Rooted in black metal and thrash, their sound draws deeply from Sumerian and Mesopotamian mythology, cosmic and occult themes, and incorporates Mediterranean and Middle Eastern musical elements into an extreme metal framework. Over the decades, MELECHESH has evolved into an international musical and cultural phenomenon, known for its distinct identity, scholarly mythological focus, and uncompromising artistic vision. The band remains a singular force within extreme metal, standing apart through both concept and sound.

Connect With MELECHESH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melecheshofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melechesh_official
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Melechesh
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MelecheshOfficial
Bandcamp: https://melechesh.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1xT4Y7Qz2nJ6TP2PzefRgS
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/melechesh/2912018
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/11971

QWÄLEN Drop New Single ‘Matala Hauta Huutaa’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: QWÄLEN. Leave a comment

QWÄLEN have released their new single “Matala Hauta Huutaa”, continuing the path toward their upcoming third album, “Veri Virtaa Edelleen”, due out on March 6th, 2026 via Time To Kill Records.

With this new track, the Finnish outfit pushes further into their raw and confrontational territory, blending scathing black metal intensity with the restless momentum of punk. “Matala Hauta Huutaa” delivers a stark, driving assault that underscores the band’s sharpened focus and growing confidence, while hinting at an album that embraces both ferocity and atmosphere without losing its primal core.

The single is now available on all major streaming platforms, offering another unfiltered glimpse into QWÄLEN’s most direct and uncompromising chapter to date.

Stream: https://ffm.to/qwalen-matala-hauta-huutaa

Blood continues to flow. The third statement ofQWÄLEN delves into the rottenness of human reality, the abolition of kings and gods, and the bleak, habitual cycle of fraternal violence—concepts that mean nothing to the band, and yet embody everything they express. With the very idea of black metal at its core, QWÄLEN persists in breaking free from the narrow boundaries of the genre. Hail no one but thyself; raise no one on a pedestal but thyself, for borders can only be drawn from within. Gods live only if we allow them. Death becomes the final insult, the ultimate raised middle finger when all is reduced to rocks and bones—the black serpent within, the black flame of rebellion. Hail Satan. Blood continues to flow.

Tracklist:

1. Hunnutettu maa
2. Matala hauta huutaa
3. Kahleet
4. Uusi nahka
5. Kiviä ja luita
6. Pirujen illallinen
7. Veri vastaa
8. Kuolleet jumalat

Preorders:
–https://timetokillrecords.com/collections/qwalen-veri-virtaa-edelleen
–https://qwaelen.bandcamp.com/album/veri-virtaa-edelleen

Formed in 2017, QWÄLEN channels the raw musical backgrounds of its members – active in bands such as Kürøishi, Viimeinen Virhe, Letterbombs and Hoc Est Bellum – into a distinctive interpretation of black metal built on simplicity, rawness, speed and honesty. These foundations shaped their debut, “Unohdan sinut”, which explored self-portrayal, loss, rebuilding, abandonment, misanthropy and Satan. Their second album, “Syvä hiljaisuus”, turned its gaze toward humanity’s sheep-like nature, the inevitability of destruction, the acceptance of flaw and the surrender to greater forces. The new album continues in this vein, embracing the decay of human reality, the fall of kings and gods and the sinister repetition of brotherly violence – motifs that, for QWÄLEN, mean nothing and yet define everything.

As with their previous record, the album was tracked at Waiting Room Recording Studio in Tampere with Mikael Neves, who also handled the mixing. Mastering was completed at Enormous Door by Jack Control, while artwork and layout were created by the always formidable Jussi Pohjanen.

Line-up:

Eetu Viita: Vocals
Samuli Similä: Guitar & vocals
Antti Kannisto: Guitar & vocals
Ville Jylhä: Bass
Henri Kaarre: Drums

https://qwaelen.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/qwaelen/
https://www.facebook.com/qwalen

W.A.S.P. Announce “1984 To Headless” 2026 North America Tour with Special Guests KK’S PRIEST

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: KK’s PRIEST, W.A.S.P.. Leave a comment

W.A.S.P. is excited to announce the “1984 To Headless” 2026 U.S. and Canada Tour with KK’s Priest as very special guest. The tour kicks off on September 10 in CA and runs through October 31st. W.A.S.P. will be playing the hits from their first four albums.

Tickets and VIP: http://www.WASPnation.com
General on-sale: Friday, FEB 13th at 10am local time

“1984 To Headless”, the Fall 2026 North American Tour, W.A.S.P. returns Playing Live in the U.S. and Canada, paying tribute to their 1st Four Albums… Live!

Selected Hits from W.A.S.P.’s 1st Four Albums promise to create a True Rock ‘N Roll Spectacle complete with a Live Stage Show bringing those Albums Alive for the 1st… and Only Time.

The 1st Five Years of Artist’s Careers most always determine what their legacy will be if they go on to greatness, or be remembered as a footnote in music history.

W.A.S.P. cemented their place in the Rock History in those 1st Five Years with their iconic first album in 1984, followed the next year with “The Last Command”, “Inside the Electric Circus” in 1987 and capped with the their Greatest yet, “The Headless Children” in 1989.

In their Fabled 44 year history W.A.S.P. have been pioneers of Shock Rock, Psycho Drama and Live Spectacles that are now Legendary in the World of Rock.

The Band will take the “1984 To Headless” Tour to Europe and the World in 2027.

“It’s hard to express the genuine excitement I’m feeling in describing the “1984 To Headless” U.S. Tour. Playing those songs from those 1st Four Albums in a combined package like this is something we’ve never attempted before. In addition to the songs, the entire Stage Show will look like the Album Covers from those Records will Come Alive… right right before your eyes!

Complete with all the History and Bombastic Live Presentations that’s made this Band one of the great Live Bands in the Theatrical Rock World. When elements of those Album Covers start to come alive, right on the stage before the people it’s gonna be something they’ll not soon forget!

I’m also equally thrilled to bring K. K.’s Priest and those iconic Hit’s onboard for all the Fall 2026 U. S. Shows. Both Bands… together… on the same stage… on the same night… where do I get my ticket?

It’s gonna make the “1984 To Headless” Tour one for The Rock Ages”!” — Blackie Lawless

“Great news! KK’S PRIEST is going to be returning to the US and Canada this September and October 2026! We will be teaming up together with metal legends W.A.S.P. and with over 40 shows, this is going to be an epic metal and steel tour featuring lots of Priest classics! We look forward to seeing you all again very soon so please get on board early, we do not want you to miss this one.” — K.K. Downing

W.A.S.P. will be again offering fans VIP tickets that give fans a chance to meet Blackie Lawless, get a personal photo with Blackie, autographs, a W.A.S.P. traveling museum with new items added since the last U.S. tour, and take part in a very personal Q&A with Blackie. VIP tickets can be purchased at https://waspnation.myshopify.com

“W.A.S.P. -1984 TO HEADLESS”

09-10 – El Cajon, CA The Magnolia
09-11 – Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
09-12 – Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center
09-13 – Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theater
09-14 – Santa Fe, NM Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino
09-16 – Austin, TX Emos
09-17 – Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater
09-18 – Dallas, TX House Of Blues
09-19 – San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater
09-20 – Houston, TX House Of Blues
09-22 – Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckard Hall
09-23 – Daytona, FL Peabody Auditorium
09-24 – Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater
09-25 – Raleigh, NC The Ritz
09-26 – Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
09-27 – Portland, ME Aura
09-29 – Boston, MA House Of Blues
09-30 – Hampton, NH Hampton Beach Casino
10-01 – Wallington, CT Toyota Oakdale Theatre
10-02 – New York, NY The Palladium
10-03 – Carteret, NJ Carteret Performing Arts Center
10-05 – Montreal, QC Mtelus
10-06 – Ottawa, ON Hard Rock Casino
10-07 – Pickering, ON Pickering Casino Resort
10-09 – Des Plaines, IL Des Plaines Theater
10-10 – St Charles, IL Arcada Theater
10-11 – St Charles, IL Arcada Theater
10-13 – Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
10-14 – Harrisburg, PA Capitol City Music Hall
10-15 – Cleveland, OH Agoura Theater
10-16 – Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
10-17 – Green Bay, WI EPIC Event Center
10-19 – Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
10-21 – Edmonton, AB Midway Music Hall
10-22 – Calgary, AB The Palace Theater
10-23 – Coquitlam, BC Great Canadian Casino Vancouver
10-25 – Seattle, WA Moore Theater
10-27 – San Jose, CA San Jose Civic
10-29 – Rancho Mirage, CA The Show @Â AguaÂ Caliente
10-30 – Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
10-31 – Anaheim, CA The Grove

About W.A.S.P.
Few Bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this Band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these Winged Assassins from performing live, the Band’s unique style of Shock and Rock caused Religious organizations, Local City Councils, Parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.

The band’s founding member, frontman Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold out shows across the globe for 4 decades.

About KK’s Priest
You can’t keep a heavy metal legend down… Although it’s been over a dozen years since guitarist and songwriter K.K. Downing departed Judas Priest, the iconic band he co-founded and played with for 40 years, he was never really going to retire. It was only a matter of time before he reclaimed the spotlight. As his new album title proclaims, The Sinner Rides Again.

K.K. Downing has had metal coursing through his veins from the beginning, starting in the Midlands region of England where Judas Priest was born. He compellingly chronicled his life odyssey in his 2018 autobiography, and his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame further secures his legacy as a pioneering musician, songwriter and guitarist.
As a founding member of the classic Judas Priest line-up, Downing helped lay the foundation for the heavy metal genre as a whole. His distinct style of playing is easily identifiable, he was part of a six-string duo that complemented and contrasted each other, and they would progress to new levels of excitement. He has taken that ethos and applied it to KK’s Priest with impassioned results.

Fans already excited by KK’s return, will also be elated that KK’s Priest are gearing up for another round of touring in the US and Canada in the fall of 2026 with fellow metal legends W.A.S.P.

For Downing, KK’s Priest is not just a statement of intent. It is a statement of being. His lifelong heavy metal saga continues.

https://www.waspnation.com
https://www.facebook.com/W.A.S.P.Nation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/waspnationofficialgroup/
https://twitter.com/waspofficial
https://instagram.com/waspnationofficial
https://youtube.com/@WASPNationOfficial
https://www.tiktok.com/@waspnationofficial
https://www.threads.net/@waspnationofficial
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/7553

MAWIZA Summon the Storm with New Video for ‘Ngulutu’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 12, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: MAWIZA. Leave a comment

After taking the world by storm last year with their new album ÜL, Mawiza are beating the drum for indigenous metal even louder in 2026. The modern day Mapuche warriors paid a visit to Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier’s Silver Chord Studio and performed to a packed house in Santiago before taking the stage alongside Mr. Bungle and Avenged Sevenfold.

“[…]they use heavy music as a megaphone to scream about their pride in their customs and their hatred of colonialism”, Metal Hammer wrote in naming Mawiza the most important new metal band of 2025.

Today, Mawiza are releasing a new video for the most fierce and combative song off ÜL. While at one with the forces of groove metal, “Ngulutu” (The Western Storm) declares war on encroaching urban decay.

“In Mapuzugun, ‘Ngulutu’ comes from Ngulu, which means West”, Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka says. “The song refers to an abysmal storm born in the turbulent Pacific Ocean that reaches the land in the form of bursting, shattered clouds. It’s a declaration of war on the so-called progress of large cities, merging ourselves as a single entity with nature”.

The video for “Ngulutu” was directed by Andrés Hetzler.

Additional video credits:
Producers – Awka Mondaka, Andrés Hetzler
Cinematography – Soledad Gatica
Lighting – Pedro Salgado
Gaffer – Simón Jorquera

ÜL is available now on Season of Mist. Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/mawizaul

Mawiza wrote “Ngulutu” six years ago in response to a social uprising in Chile, but the source material that inspired the latest single from ÜL dates as far back as the 16th century. “Both historical records and our oral tradition remember the ancient Mapuche war toki Michimolongko, who, together with his kona and weychafe, managed to destroy Santiago in 1541”, Awka recalls. “This song is a tribute to those ancient warriors and to the power of the natural territory that lies beneath the city”.

While the torrential groove of “Ngulutu” is bound to churn the pit when Mawiza storm the stage at Midgardsblot this summer, the band draws its strength from their ancestral land. The song’s chorus calls on the spirits of the Mapocho and Maipo Rivers with surging, shark-like riffs and drums that beat with the unrelenting force of a tidal wave. “Müley taiñ amuleal / Fewla, fey llemay (We must keep moving forward / Now it shall be done!)”, Awka chants, summoning a breakdown that brings the most towering cities crumbling into ruin.

“The two rivers named in the chorus of ‘Ngulutu’ are both vital for life in the territory and even for the lives of city dwellers”, Awka explains. “Yet when it rains enough, the rivers overflow, causing the collapse of the urban order. It reminds us that nature is an active entity that cannot be tamed, one that sets the path we must follow as Mapuche people”.

Tracklist
1. Wingkawnoam (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Pinhza Ñi pewma (4:29)
3. Ngulutu (3:50) [WATCH]
4. Nawelkünuwnge (5:06)
5. Mamüll Reke (4:24) [WATCH]
6. Wenu Weychan (6:13)
7. Lhan Antü (4:08)
8. Kalli Lhayay (3:58)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

Tracklist (English Translation)
1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH]
2. Hummingbird Dream (4:29)
3. Western Storm (3:50) [WATCH]
4. Become a Cougar (5:06)
5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH]
6. The War of the Sky (6:13)
7. Dead of the Sun (4:08)
8. Let It Die (3:58)
9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]

ÜL means “chant” in Mapuzugun. The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the materialization of a part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind—a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with, and return to. ÜL is Mawiza’s indigenous chant, and like smoke, it rises as a message to the skies.

Like their Mapuche ancestors, Mawiza always look back. ÜL chants to awaken the energies that have fallen asleep in the land, using the power of the great cities to resist the noise of imbalance. In this way, the album becomes another element of nature, a force defending itself, speaking in its own language to keep fighting and condemning those who continue to futilely subjugate their own strength.

With ÜL, Mawiza present themself to the world with a decolonizing and empowering mission. The album proclaims that nature possesses consciousness and spirit. Opening song “Wingkawnoam” emphasizes the importance of indigenous Mapuche thought by following dreams as precise guides for one’s path in life.

“Pinhza ñi pewma” is a dream that Mawiza’s vocalist Awka had during a time when hummingbirds were nowhere to be seen. Their chant was absent and the chilco plant was disappearing. In Awka’s dream, four hummingbirds came to feed on the blood from his fingertips, as if it were nectar flowing from the flowers of the chilco.

ÜL pays tribute to nature and Mawiza’s ancestors. “Ngulutu” recalls ancient battles between the Mapuche and the Spanish in Santiago, Chile. “Mamüll Reke”, “Wenu Weychan”, “Lhan Antü”, and “Kalli Lhayay” are filled with rhythms and sounds reminiscent of the most hermetic rituals of the Mapuche people. They were used by shamans to induce trance and heal the sick, to communicate with and greet the spirits of the mountains.

Closing song “Ti Inan Paw-pawkan” features chants from members of Mawiza’s indigenous community, as well as Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier. It is here, during the album’s finale, that the band stake their claim as both indigenous and urban. The song acknowledges the mission entrusted to Mawiza by Mapuche authorities and by the land itself: to raise awareness about balance on Earth in an empowered way and to call for greater attentiveness to Mapuche territory. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

Lineup
Awka – Lead vocals & rhythm guitar
Karü – Lead guitar & backing vocals
Zewü – Bass & backing vocals
Txalkan – Drums & percussion

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to “Wingkawnoam”, “Pinhza Ñi pewma”, “Ngulutu” and “Mamüll reke”

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan”

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa