MASQUERAGE Release Second Single & Music Video ‘The Devil To Pay’ from Upcoming Sixth Album

Masquerage, led by Kimmo Perämäki—known from Spiritus Mortis and Celesty has released a new single, ‘The Devil To Pay’ from their upcoming sixth album Atomic Spies.

The band comments:
“When nothing seems to go right, the coffee spills and the day spirals out of control again. The Devil To Pay is a heavy metal strike about those moments when setbacks swell into full-blown chaos in the depths of your mind.

This track stares the devil in the eye — and plays it into the ground.

Be careful. The devil is lurking for you too!”

The Atomic Spies album will be released on May 29, 2026. The U.S. and European versions will be released by Stormspell Records (USA) while the Scandinavian version and digital release will be handled by Inverse Records (Finland).

LISTEN to ‘The Devil To Pay’ single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/masquerage-the-devil-to-pay

–Composed by Kimmo Perämäki
–Lyrics by Marko Ylä-Häkkinen
–Mixed & mastered by Kimmo Perämäki
–ISRC: FI3FC2655503
–Single cover by Kimmo Perämäki

Also WATCH ‘Waves’ music video: https://youtu.be/s8RuP849_lc

Atomic Spies Track list:

On The Edge Of Beliefs
Atomic Spies
The Devil To Pay
In The Vault
By Design
Everfrost
The Healthiest Man To Die
Pain Of Punishment
Waves

–All music written by Kimmo Perämäki
–All lyrics written by Marko Ylä-Häkkinen
–Produced, recorded, mixed, mastered by Kimmo Perämäki.
–Album cover art by Saija Lehto

Masquerage is a Finnish melodic metal band founded in 1998, blending elements of AOR, heavy metal, and power metal into its distinctive sound. The band was formed by cousins Kimmo Perämäki (Spiritus Mortis, Celesty) and Marko Ylä-Häkkinen.

In its early days, the band operated under the name Unchained, and in 1999 the lineup was completed by keyboardist Mika Maunus. At their very first rehearsals as a trio, Marko introduced Mika to Kimmo with the words: “Here’s Mika, our new keyboard player. Can’t really play anything, but he learns fast.” Well, the credentials were clearly sufficient, and Mika was in. This core trio—Perämäki, Ylä-Häkkinen, and Maunus—laid the foundation for Masquerage’s early sound and released the band’s first two demos.

In 2000, the band changed its name to Masquerage, reflecting the roles and masks people wear in different situations—and what may lie beneath them. This theme has remained a strong element in the band’s lyrics ever since. That same year, bassist Mikael Kontolampi joined, and the band began moving more deliberately toward a professional direction.

The early 2000s were marked by active live performances and several demo releases.

In 2004, the lineup expanded with a second guitarist, Jukka Viitasaari, and with this formation Masquerage released its debut album Work-Holic-Fool (2005) in collaboration with Soultonics. Its follow-up, Moonlight Time (2008), was released independently.

In 2009, Viitasaari stepped aside, and the four-piece lineup released their third album Backstabber in cooperation with 57Records.

In 2014, longtime bassist Kontolampi departed, and Kimmo and Marko began collaborating with the U.S.-based Stormspell Records—a partnership that would shape Masquerage’s future releases.

Bassist Ossi Raiski joined the band in 2015, after which Masquerage reactivated and released the albums Breaking the Masks (2016) and Hangman’s Revelations (2018) through Stormspell Records.

The COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed the band’s activity, but in 2024 Masquerage returned to working on new material. The new album entered production in 2025, resulting in the band’s sixth studio album, Atomic Spies, set for release on May 29, 2026, in collaboration with Stormspell Records and Inverse Records.

Masquerage continues its determined journey toward a firmly established position in the melodic heavy rock and metal scene—combining strong melodies, infectious hooks, and thematically rich lyrics.

Line-up:
Kimmo Perämäki – Guitar & Vocals
Ossi Raiski – Bass
Mika Maunus – Keyboards
Marko Ylä-Häkkinen – Drums

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https://masquerage.bandcamp.com