After years of live shows, countless miles travelled across Italian stages, and a journey built on dedication, sacrifice and genuine passion, 500 Horse Power return with their third studio album: “Metal Flotilla”, the most ambitious, mature and surprising release of their career.
The title captures the very essence of the album: a fleet of ships led by crews of musicians united under the flag of Heavy Metal, ready to defend the world from the wave of music created without sacrifice and from artistic conformity. It is a powerful metaphor that perfectly represents the band’s philosophy: believing in music that is played, experienced and earned through hard work.
The result of more than three years of development and over 500 hours spent between rehearsal rooms and recording studios, “Metal Flotilla” represents the natural sonic evolution of 500 HORSE POWER. The experience gained through more than seven years of live activity, with shows across Italy and beyond its borders, has allowed the band to collect emotions, influences and feedback from an extremely diverse audience, transforming them into an album full of personality.
While maintaining a strong Hard’n Heavy DNA, “Metal Flotilla” refuses to be confined by rigid labels. Its eleven tracks, plus a bonus track, explore territories ranging from Thrash Metal to Speed Metal, moving through Punk Rock and even venturing into surprising Dance influences, proving that metal can be powerful, unpredictable and free from any boundaries.
Those looking for a purely traditional Heavy Metal album may find themselves surprised. Those willing to embark on a musical journey capable of making them think, feel and shake both body and mind will discover in “Metal Flotilla” an intense and unconventional experience.
TRACKLIST Through the Tempest of the False Gods 3:33 Sick Love Night Spell Love Is Villain Song for the Beach Smell of You Dr. Freeman Super Selfie L’Amour Toujours (Gigi D’Agostino cover) Montebello Thrash Two Beers (Bonus Track)
Born in Vicenza and featuring a lineup that has been firmly established since 2019, 500 Horse Power have built a solid reputation through their previous albums “Last Bullet” and “Cluster”, the latter receiving positive feedback from the specialist press. Their intense live activity has also seen them share the stage with some of the most respected names in Italian metal, including Crying Steel, White Skull, Pino Scotto, Trick or Treat, Screaming Demons and many others.
The band are also the creators of SuperMetalFest, an event dedicated to supporting and promoting the Italian Hard Rock and Metal scene, further demonstrating their commitment to the growth of the national underground.
Today, 500 Horse Power open a new chapter in their career together with Wanikiya Record/Promotion, which is handling their international promotion and will accompany the release of “Metal Flotilla” — an album destined to leave its mark through its personality, energy and courage to dare.
“Metal Flotilla” doesn’t follow the rules. It rewrites them.
Italian Thrash/Death Metal band HELLMETALL has released the official video for “Mgła“, the title track of their forthcoming album, due out on September 4th, 2026 via Rockshots Records.
Originally released as a single on January 31st, 2026, “Mgła” introduced the darker direction of the band’s new material. Now, the song takes on a visual dimension through a video created and directed by Chiara Bettiga, translating its sombre atmosphere and historical subject into images. To date, “Mgła” is the only official video made for the record.
Meaning “fog”, “Mgła” draws inspiration from one of the darkest episodes of the First World War on the Italian-Austro-Hungarian front. The song recalls the gas attacks carried out by Austro-Hungarian and German forces against Italian soldiers during the battle near Plezzo, today Bovec in Slovenia.
The subject reflects the wider concept behind “Mgła“, an album built around events connected to the First and Second World Wars, including stories rooted in Val Resia and the surrounding borderlands, as well as memories handed down through generations. This historical dimension is closely tied to HELLMETALL‘s geographical and cultural background and to the band’s use of Resian, the local Slavic language.
Musically, “Mgła” represents the band’s move towards a darker blend of Thrash and Death Metal with elements drawn from Black Metal while retaining melodic references to the traditional music of Val Resia.
The new video brings the album campaign back to where it began with its title track. Since the release of “Mgła“, HELLMETALL has continued to reveal the record through “Gemona Btg. Doesn’t Exist Anymore” on May 18th and “Afrika” on July 3rd. Each track has offered a different perspective on the album and its historical narrative, with the focus now returning to “Mgła” as the full record approaches.
“Mgła” was written by HELLMETALL founder and vocalist Daniele Micelli, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Davide Zago, with drum engineering by Pablo De Biasi and cover artwork by Manuel Scapinello.
Album Release Party – Trieste Rock Camp – Sept 4, 2026
Scotland’s ibex-obsessed blackened thrash bastard of Hades, otherwise known as HELLRIPPER, will be laying waste to North America this autumn in support of HAVOK! The extensive trek will kick off on October 21 in Salt Lake City, UT and will decimate everything in its path until the final stop on November 20 in Denver, CO. The full itinerary can be found below and tickets will be made available HERE.
HELLRIPPER will be supporting its critically-acclaimed new album, ‘Coronach,’ which was released worldwide on March 27, 2026 via Century Media Records, making it his debut to the label! ‘Coronach’ can be streamed, downloaded, or ordered HERE.
10/21: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall 10/22: Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club Ballroom 10/23: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon 10/24: Portland, OR @ Dante’s 10/26: Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post 10/27: Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone Berkeley 10/28: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater 10/29:Fresno, CA@ Strummer’s 10/30: Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar Billiards 10/31: Mesa. AZ @ Nile Theater 11/02: Dallas, TX @ AM/FM 11/03: Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live 11/04: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown 11/06: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 11/07: Nashville, TN @ Basement East 11/08: Asheville, NC @ Eulogy 11/09: Richmond, VA @ Canal Club 11/11: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage 11/12: Harrisburg, PA @ Capital City Music Hall 11/13: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 11/14: New York, NY @ Racket 11/15: Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge 11/17: Detroit, MI @ Catacombs at the Sanctuary 11/18: Chicago, IL @ Reggies 11/19: Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar 11/20: Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Coronach (08:48) [WATCH] Full Running Time: 00:44:09
The brainchild of guitarist/vocalist/solitary force, James McBain, Hellripper has been running like a denim-vested, backpatch-encrusted William Wallace, bravehearting his way through metal’s bloodiest battlefields since first coagulating his personal darkness in 2014. Taking armaments from “Kill ‘Em All” era Hetfield and “Welcome to Hell” era Mantas, McBain has immersed his fascination with darkness and speed with Scottish history and come with bloody masterpieces like 2023’s “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags” that Metal Injection stated: “Bursts with growth and a mature exploration of darkness and eeriness while maintaining that original high-octane burning”. McBain is presently sharpening his blades and casting new spells that will transmogrify into Hellripper’s Century Media debut “Coronach”.
Hellripper Lineup: James McBain – All Instruments & Vocals
Hellripper live and video performance line-up: James McBain – Guitar & Vocals Joseph Quinlan – Guitar Andy Milburn – Bass Max Southall – Drums
Album credits: Recorded and mixed by Hellripper’s James McBain at Coronach Studios in Scotland, UK Mastered by Damien Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in the USA.
Spanish thrash metal heavyweights ANGELUS APATRIDA are entering a new era, officially signing with Napalm Records! Formed in 2000, the Spanish quartet has spent more than two decades establishing themselves as one of the leading forces in the international thrash metal scene, performing at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop and Download and building a reputation as a formidable live act.
To kick off their new chapter, ANGELUS APATRIDA unleash “Cycle Of Ruin”, their first single via Napalm Records. The crushing track combines razor-sharp riffs, powerful vocals and driving mid-tempo grooves before culminating in an explosive guitar solo. It also serves as the first taste of the upcoming three-track EP The Reckoning, arriving November 19, 2026 and featuring “Cycle Of Ruin”, “Burn It Down” and a furious reinterpretation of Sepultura’s “Propaganda”, the latter being already digitally available on all streaming services.
ANGELUS APATRIDA about the signing: “Now it’s time to turn the page! Napalm Records had been chasing us for years, and now the time has finally come. From day one, we felt their excitement, ambition and understanding of whoANGELUS APATRIDAis and where we want to go next. We’re still as hungry as ever, and it feels amazing to finally call Napalm Records our new home! And we’re not coming empty-handed!The Reckoningis our new three-track EP and the first release of this new chapter. Produced by the band, recorded by our homie Juanan López, and mixed and mastered once again by our longtime partner in crime Zeuss, it’s aggressive, heavy, uncompromising and exactly where we are right now.”
ANGELUS APATRIDA about “Cycle Of Ruin”: “And it all starts with ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. We knew the first song of this new chapter had to make a statement, and ‘Cycle Of Ruin’ felt like the obvious choice: fast, relentless and straight to your face, a fresh and modern take on the old-school thrash metal that has always been at the heart of this band. And we wanted the video to capture that same energy, so we threw a real pool party, brought a bunch of friends together and let the madness happen. This is ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. Enjoy it! We couldn’t think of a better way to start this new journey. A cycle ends. Another begins. Welcome to THE RECKONING!”
ANGELUS APATRIDA live: 28.08.26 ES – Palencia / Huertas Del Obispo 29.08.26 FI – Tampere / Speed Metal Party 30.08.26 FI – Turku / Nirvana Bar and Live Club 31.08.26 FI – Helsinki / On The Rocks 05.09.26 ES – A Coruña / Flores Rock 11.09.26 ES – Las Palmas / LPA Music Festival 12.09.26 ES – Lleida / Cafè del Teatre
ANGELUS APATRIDA are: Guillermo Izquierdo – guitars, vocals David G. Alvarez – guitars Jose J. Izquierdo – bass Victor Valera – drums
Finland´s own “Queen of the Slide Guitar” Erja Lyytinen is celebrating her 50th Birthday with a lavish live album package consisting of a double CD, double vinyl and a full-length DVD, which was recorded at the prestigious House of Culture, known as “Kultsa” in Helsinki Finland on 21st March 2026. The venue House of Culture has a long tradition as a live music locale, where renowned artists from Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Slayer have performed.
Entitled Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026, the spectacular live album is released by Tuohi Records on Friday October 9 and is available to pre-order on CD and vinyl HERE, and digitally HERE.
The first single take from Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026 album is Lyytinen´s song “One Thing I Won’t Change” that features glam rock and punk-legend Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, Joan Jett) on bass guitar and on backing vocals. The live single is available on all streaming platforms HERE. Watch the live performance video on YouTube HERE.
The chemistry between the two musicians’ sparkles on this song, which combines blues and classic rock and has an infectious chorus, which makes you move!
Erja’s amazing band back her through this 90-minute-long concert full of old gems from her career. The release features songs from albums such as Voracious Love, Another World, and the latest studio album Smell the Roses.
This is a heavy blues rock show with international stars. Erja brought her favourite artists to perform alongside her on the show. Swedish banjo punk/blues group Baskery featured on the song “Torn” with Erja accompanying their vocals with her guitar. Legendary bassist Sami Yaffa (Joan Jett, Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls) joined Erja and her band on the track “One Thing I Won´t Change” and you can certainly feel their energy, while they rock out to this tune that was rearranged for the event from the album Forbidden Fruit (2012) to celebrate life and Erja´s musical skills today.
The evening starts with an introduction from Erja´s twin boys inviting the group on stage and after that the first band song “Ball and Chain” kicks in hard. We also hear “Smell the Roses” and “Going to Hell” from the latest studio album, before the set list continues with songs from older gems such as the rocking “Bird,” Erja’s beautiful slide solo take on “Lullaby,” the lushy “Cherry Overdrive” and “Nasty Weather” from Erja´s “Dreamland Blues” album. The latter was recorded in Mississippi in 2006 with Kinney and David Kimbrough and has now been played and renewed exactly twenty years after.
On the song “Another World,” Erja makes a vocal break down, where a thousand people in the audience join her to sing along and savor this great moment together. The live recording also includes “Stoney Creek” and “The Ring” as an encore song, that wrap up the joyous evening at House of Culture on Erja´s Birthday.
Additionally, the live album contains a concert from the “Smell the Roses” studio album release tour in October 2025. Recorded in Tempo, Mikkeli Finland, this recording has all the album songs, like “Dragonfly,” the heavy “Abyss,” the heart wrenching ballad “Empty Hours,” huge southern-rock vibey “Wings to Fly” and in addition Erja´s favorite live tracks “You Talk Dirty” and a 13-minute-long rendition of “Wedding Day”. The latter was originally recorded on the album Another World together with slide maestro Sonny Landreth.
Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026 album is a great package showing that this firecracker lady continues to enjoy playing live and isn´t anywhere near ready to stop making music and developing herself as a musician, songwriter, and entertainer. This live album is a must for all Erja fans, who enjoy unique hard rock and blues music played with an attitude. And it will leave you with a smile on your face!
TRACK LISTING
50TH BIRTHDAY LIVE 2026
CD/DVD 1. Introduction by Massimo & Dante (0:50) 2. The Road Leading Home (1:21) 3. Ball and Chain (4:55) 4. Smell the Roses (5:29) 5. Going to Hell (5:28) 6. Hard as Stone (4:48) 7. Bird (6:46) 8. One Thing I Won’t Change featuring Sami Yaffa (4:19) 9. Another World (7:23) 10. Torn featuring Baskery (3:54) 11. Lullaby (2:03) 12. Nasty Weather (4:01) (Only DVD) 13. Cherry Overdrive (5:59) 14. Don’t Let a Good Woman Down (4:01) 15. You Talk Dirty (6:51) 16. Stoney Creek (7:45) 17. The Ring (7:12)
SMELL THE ROSES LIVE 2025
CD 1. Ball and Chain (4:48) 2. Smell the Roses (4:55) 3. Dragonfly (7:54) 4. Going to Hell (5:00) 5. Abyss (7:24) 6. Stoney Creek (6:09) 7. The Ring (7:10) 8. Empty Hours (5:08) 9. Wings to Fly (7:00) 10. You Talk Dirty (8:52) 11. Wedding Day (13:19)
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Erja Lyytinen – Vocals, guitars Harri Taittonen – Hammond, backing vocals Heikki Saarenkunnas – Bass, backing vocals Jesse Lehto – Drums Olli Huttunen – FOH Sound engineer Santtu Lehtiniemi – Guitar tech Elsa Wellamo – Photography Marko von Konow – Graphic design
Recorded by Olli Huttunen at Mikkeli, Tempo, Finland on 03.10.2025 and House of Culture, Helsinki Finland on 21.03.2026 Mixed by Matias Kiiveri at Hollywood House, Helsinki Finland 2026 Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers, Espoo Finland 2026 Executive producer Erja Lyytinen for Bluesland Productions/Tuohi Records
ERJA LYYTINEN 50TH BIRTHDAY LIVE OCTOBER 2026 UK TOUR
After more than two decades, multi-platinum rock band THE CALLING will release their long-awaited third studio album, Before The World Turns To Dust, on September 25 via TLG | Virgin Music Group.
The 15-track collection marks THE CALLING’s first full-length album since 2004’s Two and arrives 25 years after their Platinum-selling debut, Camino Palmero, launched the Los Angeles band onto the international stage.
In the years since, THE CALLING have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, generated billions of streams, regularly registered more than eight million monthly Spotify listeners, and performed for sold-out audiences across multiple continents. Their music has been heard everywhere from the closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics to the opening of the Academy Awards.
At the center of that legacy is“Wherever You Will Go,”the song Alex Band wrote when he was just 15 years old. The breakout hit reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, spent 23 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart, was named Billboard’s No. 1 Adult Pop Song of the Decade, and has since surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.
Perhaps most remarkably, THE CALLING have maintained that connection with listeners without releasing a new album in 22 years. That changes on September 25th.
Before The World Turns To Dust finds founding singer, songwriter, and guitarist Alex Band joined by Daniel Damico (lead guitar, keyboards) and Dom Liberati (bass, backing vocals). Produced by John Fields and recorded in Nashville and Minneapolis, the album embraces the soaring melodies, emotional immediacy, and unmistakable vocals that have defined THE CALLING from the beginning without attempting to chase contemporary trends.
“If you like The Calling, you’re going to like this,” says Band. “It’s in the same vein of what we’ve done since day one. We keep it simple. After all of this time, we still write big and anthemic rock-pop songs that uplift and make you feel something.”
“We aren’t trying to chase any current trends or change our sound,” he adds. “We’re just hoping that our big, anthemic sound resonates and that we can connect with people around the world. It’s truly our fans who have kept us alive, never giving up on us like we have never given up on ourselves and our belief that music does so much more than just entertain.”
The album is introduced by “Dust,” a sweeping meditation on love, human connection, and the forces that bind people together even when the world seems to be coming apart.
“We were initially writing ‘Dust’ as a timeless love song set in an apocalyptic world—kind of like what ours feels like at the moment—but then the song got a bit deeper,” Band explains. “We’re all basically born from cosmic dust and connected by the same energy that flows through us. Maybe love amplifies that subatomic connection. Maybe love can even transcend space and time.”
More than 20 years after their last radio campaign, THE CALLING are already making their presence felt again, with “Dust” ranking as the 7th most-added track at HOT AC radio the week of August 12—a return to the format the band dominated in the early 2000s.
The road back to THE CALLING was anything but straightforward. After the band’s second album, Two, in 2004, label and industry complications stalled their momentum, and Band eventually released his solo album We’ve All Been There in 2010. Not long after, he received a devastating Parkinson’s diagnosis and spent the next seven years struggling to regain his motor skills. By 2018, however, his condition had dramatically improved and his symptoms had receded, allowing him to turn his attention back to THE CALLING, begin writing again, and return to stages around the world.
“When we finished our second record, I thought I would do my solo thing for two years and go back to The Calling,” Band says. “I never imagined all of the ensuing drama. The Calling is what I wanted from the beginning. When we got back on the road, it was crazy to see all of the fans who stuck by me. I didn’t even know I’d be alive at this point. It’s changed my perspective. Each day is a pleasant surprise, especially when things work out.”
THE CALLING’s return is also being supported by a partnership with Main & Meta and its AvenueD fan engagement platform, designed to create a more direct connection between the band and the listeners who have stuck with them throughout the years. Through the AvenueD community, fans can engage with Alex Band and THE CALLING beyond traditional streaming and social media, including through the band’s newly launched fan contest.
The contest offers some decidedly uncommon prizes. The Grand Prize is a private acoustic performance by THE CALLING at the winner’s home (U.S. residents only), while First Place receives a Golden Laminate granting the winner and a guest entry to any THE CALLING performance anywhere in the world, forever. Second Place includes a VIP Experience at the concert of the winner’s choice, and Third Place receives an autographed limited-edition colored vinyl copy of the new album when released.
The partnership reflects a shared goal between The Label Group and Main & Meta to explore new ways for artists to build meaningful, lasting relationships with their fans, with THE CALLING serving as an early example of what that model can look like in practice.
THE CALLING will also take the new music on the road as part of the Before The World Turns To Dust Tour 2026/2027, including an appearance at the New York State Fair and a September 25 record release show at Dreamland in Malibu.
THE CALLING — BEFORE THE WORLD TURNS TO DUST TOUR 2026 /2027
August 27 — New York State Fair — Syracuse, NY September 2 — Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days — Walla Walla, WA September 19 — Court of Honor Stage — West Springfield, MA September 25 — Dreamland — Malibu, CA — Record Release Show October 16–18 — Egyptian Theatre — Park City, UT
BEFORE THE WORLD TURNS TO DUST TRACK LISTING
Stand Up Now
Finally
Dust
Don’t You Cry
Runyon Skies (Interlude)
Hold On Me
Strange
Stay
11th Hour (Interlude)
Won’t Let You Down
Heaven
Crystal Ball
Saudade (Interlude)
The Fool That You Are
How Long
Before The World Turns To Dust will be released September 25 via TLG | Virgin Music Group. Digital pre-orders and pre-saves are available now, with vinyl and CD pre-orders and exclusive album merchandise bundles launching September 1.
THE CALLING are the multi-platinum Los Angeles rock band fronted and founded by Alex Band. Since breaking through with Camino Palmero and the worldwide hit “Wherever You Will Go,” the band have sold more than 10 million albums, generated billions of streams, regularly registered 8 million-plus monthly Spotify listeners, and performed for sold-out audiences across multiple continents.
“Wherever You Will Go” reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, spent 23 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart, was named the chart’s No. 1 Adult Pop Song of the Decade, and has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. Their debut Camino Palmero achieved Platinum status in more than 30 countries, while 2004 follow-up Two produced the international No. 1 “Our Lives.”
Twenty-two years after their last album, THE CALLING begin their next chapter with Before The World Turns To Dust.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
