Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

With “Cairn”, PARALLEL MINDS deliver their most ambitious and mature work to date. This modern, dense, and finely crafted album combines power, emotion, and technical mastery to explore a universal theme:
the human condition in the face of collective suffering.

Musically, the album shines with its versatility:
from sharp, aggressive prog metal in “Sufero,” reminiscent of Symphony X, to uncompromising Testament-like thrash fury in “Fear Is The Pandemic,” to the epic grandeur of Blind Guardian-esque anthems like ‘Sekigahara’ and “Troubles.”

Each song by the French band opens a window to a country, a culture.
Thus, “Cairn” brings together a whole range of artists from all over the world:
the tribal and spiritual intensity of Arka’n Asrafokor and Silveira Lakoélé Atalawoè (Togo) alongside leading names from the French scene such as Asylum Pyre, Muhurta, and Stone Horns create a sound of rare richness and depth.

The first single ”Sufero” was released on January 11, along with a music video.

FFO: Blind Guardian, Evergrey, Symphony X

“Cairn“
▶ Full-length album ◀
🗓️ March 10, 2026
Label: Independent

⫸ Order  🛒
⫸ Streaming
⫸ Bandcamp

TRACKS
01. Cairn 01:31 ft Johann & Lu [Asylum Pyre]
📺 02. Sufero 05:14 ft Johann & Lu [Asylum Pyre]
03. Orishas 07:39 ft Rock [Arka’n Asrafokor] & Lakoélé Atalawoé
04.Bhopal 05:41 ft Mathieu Gehin [Muhurta])
05. Trails Of Tears 09:14 ft Michael Rose
06. Sekigahara 06:28
07. Troubles 07:28
08.Colonias 03:56 ft Aileen & Gabriel Fradet
09. On Both Sides 09:22
10. Fear Is The Pandemic 04:38 ft DevF [Stone Horns]

total: 61:11 min.

The band itself says about the new album:
“‘Cairn’ was conceived as a true acoustic and visual journey and features first-class audio production and a carefully crafted visual identity. The first music video has already been released, with more to follow, expanding this immersive experience in which each song becomes a fragment of a larger story, a stone added to the monument.
At the heart of this album is the symbol of the cairn – those piles of stones left behind by travelers on their journey, a metaphor for building oneself up stone by stone and leaving a trail for those who come after. ‘Cairn’ is much more than an album. It is a comprehensive sensory experience. A celebration of human resilience. And a call to build our own cairns – so that we never lose our way.”

PARALLEL MINDS • CONCERT DATES
14/03 • w. Scarlean • France
02/04 • w. Social Prophecy & Inferal • France
03/04 w. Draguignan + Scarlean • France
26/06 • Galem Fest (headline) • France
03/07 • Thusy French Alps HS Fest • France

[ Dates » ]

LINE-UP
Steph Fradet • Vocals
Greg Giraudo • Guitars
Fabien Peugeot • Bass
Eric Mannella • Drums

More information: Parallel Minds official website