Great news from the Finnish fuzz rock underground: HEEZER are back. The band makes a strong return to the scene with their brand-new single “Horse,” out today alongside an official music video. The track also serves as the first glimpse into Heezer’s forthcoming second album.
With “Horse,” Heezer’s direction is clear — the quartet delivers a gritty and infectious blend of desert rock and stoner energy, driven by shamelessly catchy classic rock melodies and a no-nonsense groove.
According to the band, the song came together fast and with ease.
“‘Horse’ was an exceptional song to write, because the parts and vocal melodies were basically finished in about five minutes,” says vocalist/guitarist Sami Kääriäinen. “Of course we refined it together in pre-production, but the core idea stayed the same. At the time I had a hectic project going on at work and long days, so the song is kind of a reminder to myself of what actually matters.”
However, the track’s place on the album was far from guaranteed.
“This is one those songs, where getting the groove and tempo just right is crucial — otherwise the song just doesn’t work,” drummer Ville Häsä recalls. “We had to rehearse it a lot and were already ready to shelve it completely. But once we got to the studio, we decided to give it a chance, and it turned out so well that we had no choice but to choose it as the album’s first single.”
The accompanying music video underlines the song’s theme of raw, hard work. True to the band’s twisted sense of humor, the visuals feel like a strange collision between Finnish cult comedy Kummeli and the eerie atmosphere of Twin Peaks.
“I don’t know where the idea of sawing wood and messing around in the forest work came to mind, but for some reason Kimmo Koskinen, who shot, directed and edited the video, agreed to do it! We wrote the script together and went off to buy a sled. The shoot itself went smoothly, but after weeks of freezing temperatures, it suddenly got above zero, and after spending the whole day soaked in wet snow, I ended up being sick for three weeks. Well, everything has its price”, Kääriäinen recalls.
Heezer is a band that strongly supports a professional DIY approach. They also feel they’ve taken a major leap forward in their evolution — with stronger songwriting, higher production quality, and a sharper, more confident identity shining through. Still, the core principle remains the same: making music has to stay fun, now and in the future.
Heezer line-up: Sami Kääriäinen – vocals, guitar Ville Räsänen – guitar Antti Vesikko – bass Ville Häsä – drums
Danish hard rockers BLACK OAK COUNTY continue to pave the way for their new album with the new single release of “Around the Sun”. Taken from “Misprint” (out April 10, 2026), the track is a modern-but-classic rock hit of pure groove, attitude and drive, built to be played loud and built for the stage.
Lyrically, “Around the Sun” taps into one of the oldest conflicts there is: pride. It’s the sound of watching arrogance spiral, listening to increasingly absurd certainty, and reaching the breaking point between patience and pure spite. Not as a personal attack, but as a hard, familiar observation – the moment where you stop arguing, step back, and think: Fine… Go ahead. I’ll watch it burn.
Musically, the track sits right in the pocket between classic rock swagger and Black Oak County’s modern punch. A deceptively simple riff drives the verses with a darker, bluesy edge before flipping into a bright major lift in the chorus. It’s fast, tight, and designed to move crowds with singer and bassist René Kristensen handling the verses, as guitars and singer Niels Beier delivers the high-soaring chorus, showcasing the band’s two-vocal dynamic at full strength, accompanied by a guitar solo full of classic-rock swagger and thundering drums, by guitarist Jack Svendsen and drummer Mike Svendsen.
“Around the Sun” also ties directly into the band’s upcoming touring cycle, with the 10 Years Around the Sun Tour coming up a few weeks from now, with a song that perfectly captures exactly what Black Oak County have built their name on: groove, hooks, and high-energy hard rock that doesn’t overthink itself, and serves as a staple in the band’s live set throughout 2026.
Join the premiering here:
With “Misprint”, Danish hard rock outfit Black Oak County deliver their most focused, aggressive and emotionally charged album to date. Releasing April 10th, 2026 via Mighty Music, the band’s fourth full-length is a confrontational, hook-driven hard rock record shaped by years of personal pressure, unrest, and hard-earned clarity – as well as celebrating some of the band’s greatest professional and personal victories.
Following the award-winning “III” (2024), “Misprint” finds Black Oak County pushing both ends of their sound – heavier, more melodic, and more direct than ever – without losing the no-nonsense hard rock core that has earned them a strong live reputation across Denmark and beyond.
The album’s title reflects a central feeling running through the record: the sense of being off, wrong, or out of place, and the damage done when those feelings are left unspoken. While much of “Misprint” carries a dark emotional weight, it’s balanced by moments of resolve, love, defiance and release. This is not a record about wallowing, but about confrontation.
The first single, “Kill The Pain”, opens the album with its heaviest statement. Driven by crushing riffs, groove-heavy production and an explosive chorus, the song functions as both a wake-up call and a release valve. Lyrically, it confronts the growing division, violence and dehumanisation dominating modern society. At its core, “Kill The Pain” is about facing what’s broken, rather than ignoring it, and choosing action over apathy. Written during a period marked by both global unrest and personal crisis, the song ultimately lands as a call to stand together and fight back against despair – in whatever form it takes.
“Misprint” was once again co-written, produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Nicklas Sonne (Defecto, Danish Eurovision Preliminaries). The result is a bold, modern hard rock album that blends aggression, melody and layered instrumentation – including subtle synth elements – while keeping the songs immediate, physical and built for the stage.
Black Oak County have steadily built momentum through relentless touring and releases, earning Årets Single (Single of the Year) for “Save Your Breath” at Den Hårde Tone 2024 and Årets Rock Single (Rock Single of the Year) for “Boom Boom Baby” at the Danish Alternative Music Awards 2025. Known for their high-energy live shows, the band will support “Misprint” with their most ambitious touring cycle yet, including their first full German headline run.
“Misprint” will be released on LP (gatefold, splatter orange vinyl, limited to 500 copies), digipack CD and digital formats on 10.04.2026, via Mighty Music.
Lineup: Niels Beier – guitar, vocals René Kristensen – bass, vocals Jack Svendsen – guitar Mike Svendsen – drums
Enter the dark, fractured world of Nosgoth through an expansive and cinematic soundtrack from CELLDWELLER, created for Legacy of Kain: The Dead Shall Rise. Blending crushing guitars, haunting atmospheres, and immersive sound design, this release brings the blood-soaked legacy of Kain and Raziel to life like never before.
The soundtrack features the all-new original track “Elaleth”, which premiered yesterday at RevolverMag, highlighted by a soaring and emotionally charged guitar solo performance from Matthew Kiichi Heafy of Trivium.
Celldweller also unleashes a bold, modern reimagining of Raziel’s iconic theme with his cover of “Ozar Midrashim”, alongside remastered score selections that honor the franchise’s legacy, including a newly remastered version of the original Information Society’s “Ozar Midrashim.”
Beyond the core songs, The Dead Shall Rise soundtrack immerses listeners deeper into Nosgoth with exclusive “story-mode” tracks, featuring cinematic musical beds, intricate sound design, and original in-game voice-over dialogue. These atmospheric pieces blur the line between album and experience, placing fans directly inside the world’s crumbling pillars, haunted ruins, and shifting timelines.
The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise soundtrack release arrives through Celldweller’s owned/operated record label FiXT in partnership with his new company Bit Bot Media. Bit Bot serves as the official licensing and partnership arm for this project, which has been developed in direct collaboration with Crystal Dynamics, as the companion soundtrack to the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise graphic novel that raised over $1.7 million in crowdfund backing to bring the project to life.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise soundtrack is available now on all platforms.
Forging the sound of electronic-rock for over 20 years, Celldweller has inspired tens of millions of listeners across a global community of fans, content creators, and brands with 1 billion streams and hundreds of placements in major Films, TV shows, and Video Games. Celldweller’s discography includes the self-titled Celldweller album in 2003, Wish Upon A Blackstar in 2012, End of an Empire in 2015, and Offworld in 2017, with his 5th studio album Satellites released in 2022 and his upcoming album GOD MODE slated for 2026.
Klayton, the multifaceted producer behind Celldweller and owner/founder of the independent record label FiXT, has garnered an intense cult following across his projects Celldweller, Scandroid, Circle of Dust, and FreqGen. Klayton is also respected and sought after in the media industry with his music appearing in hundreds of major Film / TV & Video Games, such as Westworld, Suicide Squad, Jack Reacher, Deadpool, Lucy, John Wick, Robocop, Pacific Rim, Killer Instinct Season 3, Now You See Me, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty: Elite, Assassin’s Creed, UFC, and more.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise (Official Soundtrack) is available now from FiXT.
Since breaking the Internet two years ago, EIHWAR have quickly grown into a real live force. The fantasy Viking duo have entranced sold-out crowds across Europe, at major festivals like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest and Midgardsblot, and during dates supporting The Hu. This year, pagan superheroes Asrunn and Mark are drawing hordes of fans deeper into their Viking War Trance with their hotly-received new album. Hugrheim sets Viking dance floors ablaze with shamanic drums, magical chants and powerful electro beats.
“Hugrheim is here to make you lose yourself, embrace your inner Viking raver and dance your tits off”, Metal Hammer UK writes in a 4 star review.
As Hugrheim continues to pound across the international music landscape from dusk to dawn, today, Eihwar are thrilled to announce their first-ever U.S. tour. This fall’s Nordic Ritual Nights tour brings warriors of the dance floor in 17 U.S. cities from coast to coast a chance to raise their drinking horns high and shake what the gods have given them. The setlist for this tour includes new singles “Nauðiz”, “Freyja’s Calling”, “Heill Óðinn” and “Hugrheim”, which have combined for more than two million plays on YouTube and Spotify.
“We’re honored to bring the songs of Hugrheim to the United States”, Eihwar says. “On stage, we open a path toward Hugrheim, the hidden tenth world of Yggdrasil, where ritual drums, chants and electronic pulses call the warriors of the North to gather. Expect a night somewhere between a ritual and a slightly unhinged dancefloor. If a Viking Shakira appears next to Fjordcore’s version of Darth Vader… do not worry. That simply means the gates of Hugrheim are open”.
Pre-sale starts this Thursday, March 19 at 10 am local time.
General ticket sale starts Friday, March 20 at 10 am local time
Eihwar 2026 U.S. Nordic Ritual Nights Tour
August 28 – New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [TICKETS] August 29 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair [TICKETS] August 30 – Washington, DC @ The Recher [TICKETS] September 1 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend [TICKETS] September 2 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre [TICKETS] September 4 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall [TICKETS] September 5 – Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Bomb Factory [TICKETS] September 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Marquee [TICKETS] September 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre [TICKETS] September 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall [TICKETS] September 11 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom [TICKETS] September 12 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos [TICKETS] September 14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex [TICKETS] September 16 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater [TICKETS] September 18 – St. Louis, MO @ The Hawthorn [TICKETS] September 19 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Bar [TICKETS] September 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts [TICKETS]
Next week, Eihwar are embarking on a European headline tour with special guest Mira Ceti, who sings on stage with Heilung. Act fast, because tickets are almost sold out!
Eihwar Pagan Folk Nights European Headline Tour 2026 with special guest Mira Ceti
March 26 – Paris, France @ La Machine du Moulin Rouge➔Low Tickets March 27 – UK, London @ The Dome ➔ Venue Upgrade, Low Tickets March 28 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg @ Kulturfabrik March 29 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar➔ Selling Fast March 31 – Hamburg, Germany @ Betty ➔ Sold Out April 1 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Stengade ➔ Sold Out April 2 – Stockholm, Sweden@ Kollektivet Livet April 4 – Helsinki, Finland @ On The Rock ➔ Sold Out April 5 – Riga, Latvia @ Vagonu Hall➔ Low Tickets April 7 – Warsaw, Poland @ Proxima April 8 – Berlin, Germany @ Privatclub ➔ Sold Out April 9 – Tabor, Czech Republic @ Blavicon April 11 – Lichtenfels, Germany @ Ragnarök Festival April 12 – Budapest, Hungary @ Dürer Kert ➔ Venue Upgrade, Selling Fast April 14 – Vienna, Austria @ Szene ➔ Selling Fast April 15 – Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Kavarna Cukrarna ➔ Sold Out April 16 – Milan, Italy @ Legend Club April 17 – Mulhouse, France @ Le Noumatrouff ➔ Sold Out April 18 – Brussels, Belgium @ La Source ➔ Sold Out
Berserkr (Tim’s Memorial Version) (04:26) Full runtime: 40:03
Get ready for the wild electro Nordic folk of EIHWAR! These “Enfants Terribles” aren’t here for solemn atmospheres—their fierce and festive fantasy is made for raging Viking dancefloors. Backed by Season of Mist (home to Heilung and Danheim), Eihwar burst onto YouTube in 2023 and hasn’t slowed down since. With millions of views and festival appearances at Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, and Midgardsblot at the Midgard Viking Center in Norway, they bring a new wave of pagan power shaking across Europe.
This second album from Eihwar describes the world from which these two pagan superheroes originate. It is “Hugrheim,” the 10th hidden world of Yggdrasil in Eihwar’s fantasy mythology. The two musicians explain:
“Over the past few years, our souls have gradually taken over the bodies of two human musicians. Through incarnation, we lost much of our memories. All that remains are images, emotions, and fragments from our previous existence, mixed in with the thoughts and memories of our human hosts. In this new song, we evoke the memories that gradually come back to us: memories of Hugrheim, the tenth world of Yggdrasil, hidden and unknown to men. This world is shaped by the Hugr, the spirit. In this realm dwell the invisible forces of the soul and consciousness. When our vessels perish here and our incarnation ends, we will return to Hugrheim. Still, we hope to remain here as long as possible this time, because nowadays the beer is fucking good, the rockstar life is pretty damn cool, and dental anesthesia actually exists.” — Mark & Asrunn
Line-up: Asrunn — Vocals, Shamanic Drums Mark — Vocals, War Drums, Lute, Folk Guitar, Tagelharpa, Percussion & Programming
Production Credits: Mark & Asrunn of Eihwar — All Production, Mixing & Mastering at Eihwar Studio.
Swiss metalcore powerhouse Vicious Rain aren’t slowing down — they’re sharpening the blade. With their brand new single ‘A Spotless Mind’, the band unveil another intense chapter of an album cycle that has already seen massive momentum. Watch the visualizer below.
Following the impact of ‘IKIGAI,’ ‘Spitting Blood Again,’ ‘Silent Therapy,’ and ‘Trading Hearts,’ Vicious Rain continue to prove that this era isn’t built on one strong track — it’s a statement of consistency and evolution.
‘A Spotless Mind’ dives deeper into the emotional weight that has defined this cycle so far, but it does so with a new level of urgency. Where previous singles balanced atmosphere and aggression, this one feels more immediate — sharp riffs, soaring tension, and a chorus that lingers long after the final breakdown fades. It’s heavy, but controlled. Emotional, but not fragile. The kind of track that doesn’t just hit — it stays.
All of this leads toward their upcoming full-length release, set to drop on 13th March. If the singles so far are any indication, Vicious Rain aren’t just releasing an album – they’re cementing their place as one of the most compelling forces in modern European metalcore.
‘A Spotless Mind’ is another reminder: this isn’t hype. It’s momentum.
Catch the band live: 13.03.26 – Release Show, Werkk Baden
In an unprecedented gathering of rock and metal royalty, Cleopatra Records proudly announces the April 24 release of Black Flame, Nuclear Messiah’s thunderous, all-star concept album.
Built around the visionary guitar mastery of Chris Poland, the legendary former Megadeth guitarist whose emotive phrasing and fusion-driven technique helped redefine modern metal, Black Flame is a sonic prophecy uniting 36 of the most iconic musicians in rock and metal history across five decades.
Produced by Cleopatra founder Brian Perera, Derek Hughes, and Jürgen Engler, with A&R direction by long-term Cleopatra Records consultant John Lappen, Nuclear Messiah stands as both resurrection and revelation — a celebration of musicianship, legacy, and unrelenting fire.
And keeping its seat warm while we await the main attraction, a new single peels off the full length masterpiece, and it’s a monster!
The heart of Nuclear Messiah, Chris Poland’s melodic fluidity, experimental phrasing, and sheer command of tone have inspired generations. From Megadeth’s Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? to his work in OHM and Damn the Machine, Poland’s guitar sound remains one of the most distinctive in modern music.
“Chris isn’t just a guitarist — he’s a spirit of sound,” says Perera. “Nuclear Messiah was built around his brilliance and brought to life by an army of legends who share his passion and precision.”
But he is not alone. “Electric Burn” alone also features fellow Megadeth alumni Marty Friedman and Chris Adler, alongside Blue Öyster Cult bassist Joe Bouchard and Ross The Boss/Let Us Prey frontman Marc Lopes, for a soul-searing slice of molten metal – and, as the climactic track on this already scintillating album, you know it’s going to be mega.
Dramatic, too, is the video, sliced from Kazy Tauginas’s multiple award-winning award winning movie Mirror Life: Modern Zombies, in which the world is blighted by a new pandemic that makes Covid look like a summer sniffle.
“‘’Electric Burn’ is just that…this song is on fire,” says Chris Poland. “Chris Adler is smokin’ hot and the rest of the band follows suit. I mean, come on, freakin’ Marty Friedman is on this track. It’s one of my favorites.”
As for the album itself, “This record has so many metal icons playing on it,” he continues. “It’s really a must for any metal head’s record collection.”
He’s not wrong, either. Blazing out from William Shatner’s commanding spoken introduction, a staggering lineup represents every era of heavy music, from Vanilla Fudge to the Kings of Thrash, via Guns N’Roses, Uriah Heep, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, UFO, Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Thor, Testament, Night Ranger, the Michael Schenker Group, Yes and more.
Eye-opening covers, too, will be ripping open your ears – Lucifer’s Friend, May Blitz, NWOBHM heroes Holocaust and the immortal Uriah Heep (a killer take on “Look At Yourself”); and, while the remainder of the album is all new material, each song composed by the line-up that performs on it, reflecting, too, upon the history of hard rock, prog and metal – a living timeline of rock and metal, from the pioneers of the past to the trailblazers of today.
It’s more than a collaboration. It’s a metal summit, the multi-generational union of the artists who shaped the evolution of heavy music itself.
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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 