Acclaimed Finnish blues guitarist Erja Lyytinen is set to release her intimate rendition of Leonard Cohen’s eternal classic “Hallelujah” on Thursday December 5th.
The single is available to pre-save on all streaming platforms from https://ffm.to/llbm87e.
Lyytinen’s active presence in the international blues scene was recently highlighted by receiving the Angel of Rock Award at Britain’s HRH Festival in November 2024.
Following her successful 2024 UK tour, internationally acclaimed guitarist, and singer songwriter Erja Lyytinen will tour the UK from April 2–12, 2025. Tickets are available from https://erjalyytinen.com/tour.
Erja will perform songs from her new live CD+DVD album 20 Years of Blues Rock!, plus her back catalogue, and new songs from her forthcoming studio album released March 28, 2025.
“Last time we toured the UK was Spring 2024,” says Erja. “It was so cool to meet my friends and fans at several club and festival gigs during those two weeks. Stopping along the way to take in the breathtaking scenery in Scotland, going to tea houses and enjoying a pint or two was lovely.”
We are also releasing the live recording 20 Years of Blues Rock! taken from my anniversary show at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki during the Fall of 2023. Several of my bands and collaborators from the past 20 years were featured that night, so it’s a nice celebration of my career as a recording artist. The album will be released as a double CD/DVD package for the Christmas holidays.
Croatia’s finest Folk Metal powerhouse, MANNTRA, bring roaring hymns and swelling horns, announcing their 8th studio album Titans, set for release on February 21, 2025 via Napalm Records! With seven albums already under their belts and a reputation forged on stages like the mighty Wacken Open Air and tours with legends like German Folk mainstays In Extremo, MANNTRA has proven themselves as a tour de force in the metal world. Titans is another testament to their unstoppable momentum, blending ancient tradition with modern sounds to create something truly unforgettable.
Giving insight on their latest onslaught, today, MANNTRA release their first single, a tribute to YouTube phenomenon Miracle Of Sound, an explosive cover of “Skal”. This high-octane track is a resounding toast to unity, revelry, and the timeless power of music. With their signature fusion of raw metal riffs, traditional folk instrumentation, and industrial elements, MANNTRA delivers an electrifying rendition of this modern classic, turning it into a full-fledged anthem for warriors, dreamers, and partygoers alike. Rooted in the band’s unique soundscape, “Skal” is a riot of pounding drums, razor-sharp guitars, and soulful pipes, seamlessly blending raucous energy with melodic folk charm, showcasing MANNTRA’s ability to bridge worlds with their masterful songwriting. Whether you’re a metalhead, a folk enthusiast, or simply someone who loves a good party, this track will have you raising your glass and stomping your feet.
MANNTRA on the new single “Skal (Miracle Of Sound Cover)”: “’Skal’ is the first single from our upcoming album Titans. We chose to cover this song by Miracle Of Sound because it captivated us from the first listen and already embodied the Manntra vibe. It felt like a song we could have written in a parallel reality. While we typically don’t do covers, this one perfectly aligns with the energy and themes of the album!”
Formed in 2012 around mastermind Marko Matijević Sekul, the band has proven to be extremely productive as Titans is already their eighth studio album. Over the years the quintet developed their trademark sound by combining raw metal riffs and hard-hitting industrial sounds with traditional folk instruments, unleashing a relentless storm of catchy metal hymns. MANNTRA’s high energy soundscape is skillfully built by supposed opposites: authentic folk instruments like pipes and mandolins interwoven with raspy male vocals and an uplifting industrial metal sound. With their newest masterpiece they clearly take no prisoners as the album sets off with the title track “Titans” delivering forceful rhythms and powerful drumming. This continues on tracks like “Higher” or “Riders In The Dawn” kicking off with strong intros. Like no other, MANNTRA manage effortlessly to transport the ancient tunes into modern times by combining its folk elements with synths like on “My Sandman” or the album closer “Nav” delivering massive melodies. But MANNTRA also stay true to their roots with “Teuta” telling the story of a legendary Illyrian queen who reigned in Croatia around 200 BC and “Unholy Water (Voda)” containing a catchy chorus and intense female folk vocals delivering a hymn like melody with lyrics partly in Croatian. The same can be witnessed on the extremely groovy and catchy “Heart Of The Storm”, while uplifting “Skal” is a song to get every folk party started. A clear highlight are the combined songs “Forgotten Pt.1” and “Forgotten Pt.2” which are true industrial metal masterpieces that seamlessly cross genres, heavily leaning towards electronic elements, while maintaining their very own soundscape.
Overall Titans convinces with an enormous hit-density and sets a clear mark, delivering proud hymns and in-your-face metal songs that are undeniable, proving that MANNTRA are on the very top of their game, ready to enter the next level of their promising journey!
Titans tracklisting: 1. Ceremony 2. Titans 3. Teuta 4. The Heart Of The Storm 5. Unholy Water (Voda) 6. Skal (Miracle Of Sound Cover) 7. Higher 8. My Sandman 9. Riders In The Dawn 10. Forgotten pt.1 11. Forgotten pt.2 – The Ritual 12. Nav
European Tour w/ D’artagnan 2025 21.02.25 DE – Dresden 22.02.25 DE – Berlin 28.02.25 DE – Hamburg 01.03.25 DE – Leipzig 06.03.25 DE – Bremen 07.03.25 DE – Hannover 08.03.25 DE – Oberhausen 14.03.25 DE – Frankfurt 15.03.25 DE – Stuttgart 21.03.25 DE – Saarbrücken 22.03.25 DE – Köln 27.03.25 AT – Wien 29.03.25 DE – Nürnberg
Emotive doom authorityPALLBEARER have just wrapped up a successful European tour with peers Baroness and Graveyard, but the demand for seeing them play songs from their acclaimed 2024 album, Mind Burns Alive, is still high. That’s why the band has decided to return to Europe and the UK in 2025 to not only play the Oslo, Berlin and London editions of the renowned Desertfests and new Belgian festival Obsidian Dust, alongside select headline shows. Don’t miss out on seeing PALLBEARER in more intimate settings – it’s sure to be an intense, spectacular experience.
“Hot on the heels of the wonderful stint supporting Baroness and Graveyard this autumn, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be crossing the Atlantic again for a headline and festival run in May of 2025!” – Joseph D. Rowland (Bass, backing vocals)
Tickets will go on sale Friday, Dec 6th at 10 AM local time.
2025 EUROPEAN TOUR DATES: 07.05. IS Reykjavik – Gaukurinn 09.05. NO Oslo – Desertfest Oslo * 10.05. DK Copenhagen – A Colossal Weekend * 11.05. DE Hamburg – Headcrash 13.05. DE Bochum – Die Trompete 14.05. DE Frankfurt – Das Bett 15.05. BE Brussels – Obsidian Dust @ Les Nuits Botanique * 16.05. FR Paris – Petit Bain 17.05. UK London – Desertfest London * 20.05. FR Lyon – Rock n Eat 21.05. CH Langenthal – Old Capitol 22.05. CZ Brno – Kabinet Muz 23.05. PL Warsaw – Hydrozagadka 24.05. DE Berlin – Desertfest Berlin *
* Festival performances
Tickets on sale from Friday, Dec 6th at 10 AM local time. All ticketing links can be found at Pallbearerdoom.com.
Metal giants IN FLAMES are happy to announce another European tour for Spring and Summer 2025, which follows directly after their extensive US tour with Machine Head in April and May. The band will play some of the biggest and most prestigious European festivals like Rock am Ring, Mystic, Novarock, Greenfield, Copenhell, Graspop and Tuska, alongside exclusive headline shows with exciting support bands such as Jinjer, Heaven Shall Burn, Lacuna Coil and Orbit Culture.
Anders Fridén commented: “We haven’t forgotten Europe in 2025. We are excited to return to festival stages next summer and we have some special headlining shows with amazing support like Jinjer, Heaven Shall Burn and Orbit Culture! See you soon!!“
IN FLAMES – EUROPE 2025 02.06. EE Tallinn, Noblessner Foundry * 03.06. LT Vilnius, Compensa Concert Hall * 05.06. PL Gdansk, Mystic Festival 06.06. DE Nuremberg, Rock im Park 07.06. DE Nuerburg, Rock am Ring 08.06. NL Maastricht, South Of Heaven 10.06. SI Ljubljana, Media Center ** 11.06. AT Kufstein, Festung *** 12.06. AT Nickelsdorf, Novarock 13.06. CZ Hradec Kralove, Rock For People 14.06. CH Interlaken, Greenfield 15.06. IT Lignano, Arena Alpe Adria **** 17.06. FR Toulouse, Bikini # 18.06. FR Lyon, Transbordeur # 20.06. DE Leipzig, Haus Auensee ## 21.06. DK Copenhagen, Copenhell 22.06. BE Dessel, Graspop Metal Meeting 24.06. IL Reykjavik, Harpa 26.06. FI Seinäjoki, Provinssi Festival 27.06. FI Helsinki, Tuska Festival 29.06. ES Cartagena, Rock Imperium Festival 02.07. SE Motala, Lokverstan 04.07. SE Borlänge, Alive Festival 05.07. SE Huskvarna, Folkets Park ###
Masters of comedic heavy metal NANOWAR OF STEEL strike again with their latest track, “HelloWorld.java”, a standout addition to their legacy of absurdly brilliant music. This tongue-in-cheek masterpiece merges headbanging riffs with a programmer’s worst (and funniest) nightmares. The band’s new live album, XX Years Of Steel, drops this Friday, December 6 via Napalm Records!
Paying homage to the world of coding, “HelloWorld.java” combines sharp wit, infectious melodies, and clever references to programming culture. The lyrics, written in Java programming language, should be translated at the listener’s own risk. The brand-new song is now available on all streaming platforms and comes with a stunning source code video. Perfect for programmers who headbang and headbangers who program!
NANOWAR OF STEEL on the new single “Helloworld.java“: “/* HelloWorld.java is the first executable song written in the ancient and * epic java programming language. * This is an open source song, and you can download the source code from * our GitHub repository: * https://github.com/NanowarOfSteel/HelloWorld */”
NANOWAR OF STEEL on their album release on this Friday: “Never in the history of NANOWAR OF STEEL has there been an album so new and so old at the same time. XX Years Of Steel combines the greatest hits of our past, performed live at Alcatraz, Milan as well as the most mediocre hits of our future: B-Sides, Covers and Re-recording of previously recorded songs. Just enough to justify a Bonus Disc which you might want to miss!”
Two decades of epic riffs, hilarious twists, and metal mayhem
With millions of cross-platform streams and views on their hilariously entertaining music videos, NANOWAR OF STEEL have captivated audiences worldwide with their multilingual talent, distinctive blend of humor and cultural insight. XX Years of Steel kicks off with a tongue-in-cheek Italian introduction that humorously reinterprets the Book of Genesis, setting the stage for a night full of metal mayhem and laughter. Fans can expect live renditions of the band’s most iconic tracks, such as “Norwegian Reggaeton”, which sees Charly Glamour (Gigatron) adding his explosive energy to the reggaeton-infused metal anthem. The crowd’s electric enthusiasm reaches its peak during “Valhalleluja”, where Odin himself (Thomas Winkler of Angus McSix) leads the charge, and during “Uranus” with fans’ chants echoing through the venue.
Adding to the excitement, XX Years of Steel introduces two brand-new tracks, including “Stormwarrior Of The Storm” and the innovative “HelloWorld.java”, inspired by the history of coding – offering a playful yet complex narrative that showcases the band’s versatility. The new offering also blends special cover versions such as popular German party hit “Das Rote Pferd”, the hilarious Iron Maiden parody “Afraid to Shoot into the Eyes of a Stranger in a Strange Land” and the sudatory “Armpits Of Immortals”, enhanced from the likes of Ross The Boss (Manowar).
XX Years of Steel tracklisting: CD 1 (Live versions) 1. Intro 2. Sober 3. Nanowar 4. Gabonzo Robot 5. Tricycles of Steel 6. Il Cacciatore della Notte 7. La Maledizione di Capitan Findus (feat. Maurizio Merluzzo) 8. Odino & Valhalla 9. Disco Metal 10. V per Viennetta (feat. Alessandro del Vecchio) 11. The Power of Imodium (feat. Alessandro del Vecchio) 12. Power of the Power of the Power of the Power (of the Great Sword) (feat. Alessandro del Vecchio) 13. Declination (feat. Alessandro del Vecchio) 14. Barbie, MILF Princess of the Twilight (feat. Alessandro del Vecchio)
CD 2 (Live versions) 15. Ironmonger (The Copier of the Seven Keys) 16. RAP-Sody 17. Il Signore degli Anelli (dello Stadio) 18. Interlude 19. Pasadena 1994 20. Norwegian Reggaeton (feat. Charly Glamour (Gigatron)) 21. Metal 22. Sottosegretari alla Presidenza della Repubblica del True Metal ( feat. Il Profeta (Gli Atroci)) 23. Feudalesimo e Libertà 24. Bum Voyage 25. Uranus 26. Valhalleluja (feat Thomas Winkler) 27. La Polenta Taragnarock 28. Giorgio Mastrota (The Keeper of Inox Steel)
CD 3 (Studio versions) 1. Stormwarrior of the Storm 2. HelloWorld.java 3. Afraid to shoot into the eyes of a stranger in a strange land 4. Armpits of Immortals (feat. Ross the Boss) 5. Das rote Pferd (Markus Becker Cover) 6. El Baile del Perrito (Wilfrido Vargas Cover) 7. Brave Margot (Georges Brassens Cover, feat. Nils Courbaron, feat. The Rumpled) 8. We’re going to Tortuga (Venga Boys Cover, feat. The Rumpled) 9. Gabonzo Robot (ガボンゾ-ロボット) (Japanese Version)
NANOWAR OF STEEL LIVE 2025
European Tour 2025 Co-Headline Tour w/ Dynazty 21.02.25 AT – Vienna / Simm City 22.02.25 DE – Leipzig / Hellraiser 23.02.25 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann 24.02.25 DE – Hamburg / Kaiserkeller 26.02.25 FR – Paris / La Machine du Moulin Rouge 27.02.25 CH – Pratteln / Z7 Konzertfabrik 28.02.25 FR – Lyon / La Rayonne 01.03.25 DE – Lindau / Vaudeville 02.03.25 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch 04.03.25 DK – Aarhus / VoxHall 05.03.25 NL – Tilburg / 013 06.03.25 DE – Frankfurt / Zoom 07.03.25 PL – Wroclaw / Transformator 08.03.25 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 09.03.25 PL – Krakow / Kwadrat 10.03.25 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater 12.03.25 BE – Antwerp / Zappa Club 13.03.25 TBC 14.03.25 NL – Drachten / Iduna 15.03.25 FR – Strasbourg / Le Molodoi 16.03.25 TBC
NANOWAR OF STEEL are: Edoardo Carlesi – Bass Carlo Alberto Fiaschi – Vocals Raffaello Venditti – Vocals Valerio Storch – Guitar Alessandro Milone – Drums
FireRock Music Group has just announced the release of “The 1st Metal Christmas.” The 2024 version of the Annual project is a “real” metal rendition of the Christmas favorite “Carol of the Bells,” featuring guitarist Chris Poland (Megadeth), Metal Mike Chlasciak (Halford), and studio/touring drummer Pat Gesualdo.
The project calls for releasing a heavy metal cover version of an iconic Christmas song every year, and will include musicians from the Metal Hall of Fame All Star band.
“This is an exciting time for our record label, especially with the release of the new 1st Metal Christmas project” says Tom Collier, President of FireRock Music Group. “The numerous musicians that make up the Metal Hall of Fame All-Stars are some of the best on the planet, and we are looking forward to having a great working relationship with them!!”
The Metal Hall of Fame is a non profit organization dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music what it is today.
The Metal Hall of Fame holds the Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Gala every January. As the “Most important night in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal,” the event includes inductions and performances with iconic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal bands. All proceeds from the charity event brings free music programs to help special needs children.
“Carol of The Bells” is one of the tracks from the Metal Hall of Fame All-Stars CD, which features legendary musicians Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne/ Whitesnake) Bruce Kulick (Kiss), Tim “Ripper” Owens (KK’S Priest), Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow), guitarist Chris Impellitteri, Tony MacAlpine (G3 Tour), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Derek Sherinian, (Dream Theater). An All Star jam featuring Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Geoff Tate, Chris Poland, Pat Gesualdo and Bjorn Englen is also included on the CD. Sales from the proceeds go to brining free music programs to help special needs children.
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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 ) 