Jennifer Scream have released “Chains of Pain”, the second single from their forthcoming studio album, Unfaithful, due out on 15 January 2027.
The track features a guest appearance from Dallas Durden, the band’s original bassist, who reunites with Jennifer Scream after 18 years. Currently playing with A Deeper Down, Durden joined Jennifer Scream in 2007 and remained with the group for their 2008 debut album, Under My Pin Heels.
Dallas Durden
“Chains of Pain” was co-written by Steve and his longtime friend Jack the Bastard (Gothan Crew), who previously performed with Jennifer Scream in 2010 and 2024. Durden and Jack also share a musical history, having played together in Hollywood Vampires, an early 2000s glam rock band.
Bringing back some of the band’s original spirit while reflecting their musical development over the years, “Chains of Pain” offers another preview of what to expect from Unfaithful.
HEILUNG, the ritual collective who describe their work as “amplified history”, have announced a seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, taking place from 1 to 16 March 2027. The run covers six cities across the two countries, opening with two nights at the Sydney Opera House and continuing through Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland.
Heilung’s live show is staged as a ritual rather than a conventional concert. Reviews of recent tours describe a performance that opens and closes with ceremony, with Kai Uwe Faust, masked and horned, leading the invocation, Maria Franz in flowing white, and a stage built around percussion. Louder’s review of their 2023 ArcTanGent set described trees at each corner of the stage, large percussion instruments scattered across it and a volume that made every beat felt in the ribcage. At their 2024 show in Perth, X-Press Magazine reported, the evening began with the burning and saging of native plants and ended with a cleansing ceremony for each member of the band.
The dates mark Heilung’s return to the region after sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne in 2023 and a six-date run in 2024. Singer-songwriter Lilith Max, whose work draws on dark folklore, mythology and fantasy, joins as special guest on every date outside Sydney. The tour arrives ahead of Sagas, due on 11 December 2026 through Season of Mist, which collects the recordings Maria Franz, Kai Uwe Faust and Christopher Juul created in collaboration with Ninja Theory for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, alongside previously unheard material, and is Heilung’s first studio material since Drif. Its lead single, “Læknisgaldr”, is out now.
In the room, a Heilung performance is less a concert than a shared ritual, and in March 2027 it will be held seven times over.
TOUR DATES – 2027 AU & NZ:
1 March: Sydney, AU @ Sydney Opera House 2 March: Sydney, AU @ Sydney Opera House 4 March: Melbourne, AU @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl 6 March: Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage 9 March: Adelaide, AU @ AEC Theatre 12 March: Perth, AU @ Red Hill Auditorium 16 March: Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
General on-sale: Sydney, Friday 23 October, 9am AEDT. All other shows, Thursday 29 October, 9am local time.
Sagas – Track list:
Geiteseidh (00:48)
Slagt (03:53)
Læknisgaldr (06:15)
Orrustumaul (02:34)
Seidh (05:06)
Jøtnarhaiti (05:30)
Sverdhasøngurin (04:10)
Spjoutsyla (02:42)
Sonatorrek (02:01)
Opnun (05:10)
Dauðimessa (02:32) Total runtime: 40:40
Ambient – Track list:
Strongyle (11:01)
Ran (13:04)
Dimmuborgir (06:13)
Baina (03:34)
Isshellir (02:15)
Hvaldaudhigaldr (15:45)
Meinbein (14:03)
Hyttepåhyttepå (02:31) Total runtime: 1:08:26
Since they began in 2015, Heilung has paved melodic paths to the past with their unique and mystifying sound. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, the ritual collective connects modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through amplified history.
“Our ancestral Nordic civilizations did not just pop up, exist and disappear in isolation”, Heilung core member and throat singer Kai Uwe Faust says. “With singing these primordial songs we want to give tribute to these cultures, reconnect to the beginnings and remember that we all, from East to West, from past to present, are connected through the exchange of ideas and inspiring each other”.
While Heilung features authentic and archaic instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing, their captivating brand of music is far from primitive. Producer and core member Christopher Juul implements subtle electronic elements that elevate the musical atmosphere and provide a more in-depth and layered soundscape.
Indeed, Heilung’s success has been unprecedented. The collective had already been rapidly growing a buzz upon the self-release of their first full-length Ofnir in 2015, but their dizzying upward trajectory really took off from the moment they set foot on the stage at Castlefest in 2017 for the now-legendary debut of their live ritual.
Every Heilung performance begins with Faust leading Juul, core member and vocalist Maria Franz and the rest of the tribe in an ancient prayer. Soon after, the audience is swept into rapture, swayed by incense and throat singing, primordial rhythms, subtle electronic textures, a mesmerizing light show, an army of warriors and bursts of fire.
As Heilung trekked across Europe and brought their mystifying experience to new audiences, talk of this new band and their stunning ceremony made its way to Season of Mist label owner Michael Berberian, who quickly offered the band a record contract after seeing their undeniable musical impact for himself.
By 2019, Heilung launched their second full-length record, Futha, which contrasted the masculine and battle-heavy themes of their debut with a feminine counterpart that celebrated fertility and female energy. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers Charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Chart and would place on a total of seven Billboard charts while receiving critical acclaim from press around the globe.
Heilung has crossed over into places outside the music industry. From hit television series like Game of Thrones and Vikings to the blockbuster Robert Eggers film The Northman, their songs have transcended into the larger world.
Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow down Heilung’s success; it only strengthened them and gave them the gift of time to complete work on their third album, Drif. In English, the title means “Gathering”. The music embodies this philosophy by tying together the beginning of civilization with today’s modern society.
Heilung has performed their ritual all over the world. They sold out their first North American tour in 72 hours. Upon returning to the United States in 2021, they were greeted by another sold-out crowd, this time at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. This performance was released on vinyl and CD in 2024 as the live album Lifa Iotungard.
In 2025, Heilung embarked on headlining tours of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, they cast their spell over more of the world’s biggest stages, including Roskilde Festival, Download Festival and Glastonbury Festival.
After completing their 2025 Amplified History tour, Heilung went on hiatus. Following a restful period, in September 2026, the collective announced that they are returning to the recording studio in October to record their fourth studio album.
They also announced Sagas, a collection of recordings that Franz, Faust and Juul created in collaboration with Ninja Theory for Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga, including many recordings that don’t appear in the video game. Now available in full for the first time on CD, vinyl and digital platforms, these recordings capture the game’s epic journey while also adding the Icelandic landscape to the ritual collective’s unmistakable sound. Lead single “Læknisgaldr” remedies an affliction through the simple act of repetition, like water running over stone.
The special edition of Sagas includes Ambient, a bonus disc with eight atmospheric soundscapes that Heilung recorded to immerse gamers even deeper into the world of Hellblade II.
“Sagas holds a special place in Heilung’s discography”, Faust says. “The ideas that we composed and developed with Ninja Theory for Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga soon took on a life of their own after Chris, Maria and I came home from a formative 10-day journey through Iceland. The landscape of the country helped shape the sonic identity of the material and inspired us to write far more than could be used in the game. The pieces collected on Sagas and Ambient now stand on their own and can be experienced as fully realized Heilung music. After almost eight years since its creation, we are grateful to finally be able to share this material and present it to our listeners as part of our creative journey”.
More news about Heilung’s fourth studio album is coming soon.
Line-up: Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz
Production Credits: Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at LAVA Studio. Produced, Mixed, Mastered and Engineered by Christopher Juul.
Video Credits: Directed by Gornoss Produced by Eudaimonia APS/Maria Franz Filmed on location at Borre Vikingmarked, Borre National Park, Norway and Árdalur, Írárfoss and various other parts of Iceland Camera, Lighting and Editing: Gornoss Camera Assistant: Ruben Terlouw Colorist and Visual Effects: Teddy Masson Main Project Coordinator: Maria Franz Warrior Coordinator: Ruben Terlouw Smoke Effects: Francien Heckman Special Effects Makeup: Avalon Middelton Special Effects, Makeup and Lighting Assistant: Andor Syvertsen Juvet Natural Props: Petter-Olai Østbye Sagen Bjørnar’s Caretaker: Christine Gaski Local Assistants: Tonje Årolilja Størseth Digre, Lene Madsen Hageløkken, Bent Ole Hageløkken Catering: Bjunegårdsdrift, Linnea Hellström Catering Assistant: Jóhanna Sif Þórðardóttir Location Advisor: Christopher Lund Location and Project Assistant: Ariya Theprangsimankul Location Manager: Líam O’Malley Landowner: Pétur Jónsson Runner: Jessica Martinez
Warriors: Marian Brinkman, Tom André Skigelstrand, Petter Hennissen, Johannes Reinert Agdestein, Eirik Skår Tomren, Martin Ek, Anja Baalerud Sand, Sisilje Gregersen, Adrian Sarmasan, Rebekka Olafsen Aarum, Brage Sandengen, Morten Svendsrud, Monica Bjørnstad, Markus Wande, Pawel Odvold-Widuto, Stig Morten Flaat, Elias Valbo Ridderström, Krister, Egill Óskar Gíslason, Sigurjón Arason, Kristjón Runar Halldórsson, Kristján Logi Einarsson ísfeld, Jón Gestur Björgvinsson, Theodór Árni Söebech Hansson, Eydìs Moon Guðmundsdóttir, Natalía Ósk R. Snædal, Diðrik Mason Sigurðsson, Daníel Örn A. Linduson, Andri Björn, Heimdall Apeland, Ísleifur Gisurrarson, Bjorgvín Hafn Ásmundson
Finnish folk metal band Vetten Äpärät breaks the silence with a new music video from their upcoming sophomore album ”Virkos Veren Kasteesta” to be released next year.
The new song “Äiti” (English: Mother) tells the story of a child growing up in a brutal home environment who escapes into a world of fantasy to protect their mind from traumatic experiences too overwhelming for any child to endure.
The upcoming second album continues the fantasy themes and reflective metaphors established on the band’s debut, “Syntyi Talven Kyynelistä” (2016), focusing on the harsh northern wilderness and humanity’s desperate struggle to become its master.
Vetten Äpärät is a fantasy folk metal band from Helsinki, founded in 2007. Their music combines dark, nature-inspired, and icy-fresh melodies with heavy metal. The band’s lineup consists of Sami Ferm (vocals and composition), Anton Nisonen (drums), Leo Lemmetty (guitar), Aleksi Kulmala (lead guitar), and Jarmo Luopa (bass and vocals).
Having undergone numerous lineup changes in its early days, the band has performed with its current roster for over a decade, with Sami and Anton remaining the only original members.
The band released its debut album, Syntyi Talven Kyynelistä, in 2016 and is currently working on its upcoming album, Virkos Veren Kasteesta, slated for release in 2027.
Danish metal outfit, GRADIENCE have announced an eight date debut UK tour with Survivalist starting in Huddersfield on March 2, 2027.
“Playing the UK is a real bucket-list moment for us. We’ve drawn so much inspiration from UK bands over the years, and many of those influences found their way into the writing and sound of Anomaly. To finally bring the album to the UK and play these songs for the audience that comes from such a huge part of our musical inspiration is incredibly exciting. And we’re stoked to be doing it alongside our friends in Survivalist!” – Jakob Harris
Prior to this GRADIENCE have shows in Denmark with Cabal in December 2026.
Catch the band live at the dates below.
GRADIENCE 07.11.26 – DK – Ålborg – Ålborg Metal Festival
GRADIENCE with Survivalist 02.03.27 – UK – Huddersfield – Parish 03.03.27 – UK – Edinburgh – Bannermans 04.03.27 – UK – Newcastle – Head of Steam 05.03.27 – UK – Kingston – Fighting Cocks 06.03.27 – UK – Bournemouth – Bear Cave 07.03.27 – UK – Cardiff – Fuel
GRADIENCE have dropped their latest video, Vermin. The track comes off the band’s debut full-length, Anomaly, out now on Metal Blade Records.
“Vermin is the opener for our album ‘Anomaly’, for good reason. It encapsulates everything the album represents in a flurry of riffs, rap bars, melancholic melodies and screams. It’s a personal favorite on the album for me.” – Jakob Harris
Watch GRADIENCE‘s previously released video for “Agony” HERE “Deathwish” HERE “Master To The Slave” HERE “White Noise” HERE And the “Undone” video HERE
On the inaugural full-length from this shrewdly named Danish duo, the usually clear-cut boundary between apocalyptic, sludgy blackened death metal and dark urban trap-rap is thrillingly pulverized. Lines of musical convention are further blurred by disarmingly emotive and intimate vocal lines, and a vibrant sound picture heaving with glacial synths and hypnotic sonic details. At first, it might daunt and confuse those who like their boundaries clear-cut, but at the heart of GRADIENCE‘s brash and radical new sound is an authentic and heartwarming new friendship.
Anomaly is available now on CD, LP and digital formats // Get it HERE
Anomaly Track Listing: 01. Vermin 02. Blame Me 03. Agony 04. Master to the Slave 05. Stains 06. Deathwish 07. Slow 08. Undone 09. A Witness 10. White Noise 11. Grimey Potential
In 2022, Gavin and guitarist Jakob Lærke Harris struck up an immediate creative rapport at a Copenhagen show for local deathcore heroes Cabal. Gavin had been signed to Sony in Denmark with his “grunge/rock/trap duo” KXDS – a project stymied by the COVID disaster. Before that, he’d been involved with an underground hip-hop label/collective. “I had gained a little performance experience and was known as the authentic trap-rapper with emotional and melodic bits,” says Gavin.
His efforts attracted the ear of Jakob, who knew he’d found a kindred soul, with a voice that he was keen to work with. “It was an immediate musical and creative match,” enthuses Jakob. “I admired Gavin’s vivid lyrics and his ease, switching between delicate melody lines and hard flows; it just opened so many doors to explore in the songwriting process.”
GRADIENCE audibly generates real “planets aligning” energy. The tension and turbulence of Jakob’s extreme metal growl finds counterintuitive new context alongside Gavin’s fierce rhythms and rhymes, further enlivened by the spontaneous crackle to the performances – not least drummer Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen’s and bassist Patrick Petersen’s hammering rhythm section.
“The band is full-on death metal one minute, hip hop the next. The obvious comparisons to Sleep Token are apparent here too. Do I like GRADIENCE? I wasn’t sure after my first listen. I felt that the constant jumping between genres was jarring. After revisiting Anomaly, I realized that GRADIENCE are some kind of bastardized geniuses. You have to admire the seamless mixing of musical styles. In all of the madness though, there are well written songs with hooks that pull you in. GRADIENCE has come up with something that’s very rare these days – an album that’s completely original.” – RPM Online
“With a skillful blend of rap, metalcore, and black metal, the quartet goes a step further than well-known rap metal acts and weaves dark, atmospheric black metal riffs into trap beats and powerful breakdowns.” – Metal Hammer Germany
“The raw power of the guitars and double bass meets hard-hitting flows, emotional melodies, and hypnotic electronic elements. In terms of quality, GRADIENCE can easily hold their own against the bigger names in the genre.” – Rock Hard Germany
“This isn’t music that takes you by the hand and offers a radio-friendly, catchy groove. This is a grenade that explodes chaotically in all directions yet hits a target everywhere. We’re rooting for your breakthrough, GRADIENCE.” – Rock Tribune
“It was once thought that the Tasmanian Devil came from the island of the same name south of Australia. Anomaly might make the world see things differently for a moment, because on this record Gradience presents itself as a modern, ruthless whirlwind that can also appear cuddly.” – White Room Reviews
“GRADIENCE presents a musical blend that – at least on paper – might initially raise a few eyebrows… the band combines heavy blackened death metal and sludge with trap and hip-hop elements, electronic sounds, and more emotive vocal passages, forging a truly distinctive sound in the process. The fact that guitarist Jakob Lærke Harris and vocalist Gavin Mistry hail from different musical worlds proves to be a major asset; rather than simply juxtaposing these influences, the band fuses them across the album’s eleven tracks into a surprisingly cohesive whole.” – Slam
GRADIENCE: Gavin Mistry – vocals Jakob Lærke Harris – guitars, vocals Frederik Kjelstrup Hansen – drums Patrick Petersen – bass
–Composed & lyrics by Eero Kouvo –Mixed & mastered by Valtteri Backman / Kuma Project Studios –Single cover by Jussi Kandelin –ISRC: FI3FC2657305
Guitarist Eero Kouvo comments:
“Into the Unknown was the first song written by Lights to Remain’s current lineup, so it felt like the natural choice for our first single. It also captures the more melodic side of the album.
The song is about sharing a journey through life with an animal companion. Adopting a rescue animal is a leap into the unknown, but it can also be the beginning of a lifelong bond built on trust, companionship and love.
The music video for “Into the Unknown” was created in collaboration with a local animal shelter Eläinsuojelukeskus Miu, run by Kaakkois-Suomen eläinsuojeluyhdistys ry. Every member of Lights to Remain has pets at home, so supporting animal welfare and giving visibility to the important work done by animal rescue organizations was something we genuinely wanted to be part of. Every animal deserves a loving home.”
BIOGRAPHY:
Lights to Remain brings together the best elements of ’90s melodic death metal and blends them with 2000s metalcore. Their music combines melodic guitar work with rapidly shifting rhythms and powerful, anthemic choruses, creating a sound that is both dynamic and fiercely melodic.
In early 2027, the band will release their new album, Shattered Reality, which explores the struggles we face both within ourselves and in the world around us, as well as the complexities of human and animal relationships. The music video for “Into the Unknown” was created in collaboration with a local animal shelter Eläinsuojelukeskus Miu, highlighting the importance of animal welfare and the work of animal rescue organisations.
Lights to Remain performed at the KVLT Stage at Tuska in summer 2025, and their music has also received airplay on Finnish radio station Radio Rock. Known for their energetic live shows, the band delivers an experience that is impossible to ignore. As the mosh pit erupts and the crowd roars along, the energy in the room becomes almost tangible.
Line-up: Vocals: Lauri Tiainen Guitar: Eero Kouvo Guitar: Jani Jäppinen Bass: Sirja Ojaniemi Drums: Santeri Tiainen
US Death Metallers ARTIFICIAL BRAIN have released “Planet: Carrion”, the second single from the band’s upcoming full-length album “Antillia”, due out November 13 via Profound Lore Records.
The track is accompanied by a brand new video edited by Alex Moreán, which you can watch below.
Discussing the songwriting process behind “Planet: Carrion”, guitarist Dan Gargiulo comments: “The writing process for ‘Planet: Carrion’, and the song itself, are pretty different for us. The riffs were co-written by Sam and myself, and during the writing session we bounced ideas off one another and ended up with a song that stands out from more typical AB fare. Just harmonically alone, it’s more experimental than usual. There are notes that sour the consonance of melodic sounding riffs, and we used chord changes that we hadn’t tread upon yet. It’s also our slowest song, until the end where it kind of explodes. Personally I think it’s a good pick for an early release, as it may surprise longtime fans with how it breaks from tradition.”
Talking about the concept behind the video, editor Alex Moréan adds: “Exploring the idea of a dying planet is something that is sadly very relevant to our generation, so I chose to look at it through the eyes of said planet and go beyond the usual scope. A barren wasteland is what we leave behind, but what comes after that? In this case, Planet Carrion is the aftermath of the aftermath.“
Tracklist:
The Wandering Star Prion
Quantum Malignancies
Obsidian Agents
Deciphering the Anachronistic Tongues of the Relic Satellites
Planet: Carrion
Against the Furthest Reaches of the Light
Cosmic Death Church
Solar Ark
Antillia (in Chromatic Aberration)
Space and time transform their passengers; all boundaries are permeable. ARTIFICIAL BRAIN wrestles at length with this reality on “Antillia”. It’s nine tales of cosmic woe repeatedly invoking images of invasion and penetration: strange diseases filter down from the sky; pollutants corrupt the water and soil; medical nanobots trigger cancerous plagues; alien subversives undermine terrestrial governments. Again and again, humans are defiled and transformed as they struggle to navigate the sea of stars.
ARTIFICIAL BRAIN itself has been similarly transmuted by their local environment. After a period of operation as a six-person international collective, the band has established a new base of operations in Richmond, Virginia. In doing so, they have absorbed some local contaminants of their own in the form of vocalist Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and drummer Alex Tomlin (Battlemaster). Rounding out the lineup for the new era of the band are the founding-member core of guitarist Dan Gargiulo and bassist Samuel Smith along with most-recent guitarist Oleg Zalman. Other satellites in the band’s orbit remain familiar, like recurring guest vocalist Paulo Pangutalan (Miasmatic Necrosis) and longtime ally Ian Jacyszyn (Aeviterne), who delivered Antillia’s mix – a marvel of gritty, lived-in detail, as impeccably designed as the bridge of the space freighter Nostromo in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
The core premise of ARTIFICIAL BRAIN’s music remains consistent, too: a grafting of sinuous, futuristic black metal melody onto a dense and imposing death metal skeleton. Antillia brings a new degree of urgency to this distinctive formula. It is their shortest and most aggressive album to date; its blastbeat-laden cacophony is by turns punctuated by riotous solos and shrouded by a nimbus of hazy textures.
Despite its ferocious clamor, Antillia’s primary emotional affect is melancholic, even wistful. A sense of loss and surrender permeates the record, most strikingly articulated by its title track’s ode to a homeworld irretrievably abandoned to the void: “Was it ever real? Was it ever real?” For Artificial Brain, the future has ceased to serve as a repository for optimistic dreams. It is here, now, in all its horror, visiting itself upon our bodies and minds, whether we like it or not.
“Antillia” was recorded/mixed by Ian Jacyszyn (Miasmatic Necrosis, Aeviterne) and mastered by Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts. Defeated Sanity etc.). Artwork by Fleshflies.
The album will be out November 13 on Profound Lore Records and is available for pre-order HERE.
ARTIFICIAL BRAIN are: Mike Paparo – Vocals Dan Gargiulo – Guitars Oleg Zalman – Guitars Samuel Smith – Bass Alex Tomlin – Drums
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
