Swedish progressive metal legends OPETH return with a powerful new performance video for “§7,” a key track from their critically acclaimed album “The Last Will and Testament.”
The video captures the band in raw, commanding form, spotlighting the precision, atmosphere, and emotional weight that define OPETH at this stage of their career. Focused and unembellished, the performance highlights the band’s musical chemistry and the intensity at the heart of the track.
The release arrives ahead of OPETH’s upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off in two weeks and will see the band bringing the music of “The Last Will and Testament” to stages across the country alongside fan favorites from their storied catalog.
Mikael Åkerfeldt comments: “That track was scary to play live at first. Most of our songs are challenging, I suppose, and this one is no exception. I believe we all love playing this one. There are a myriad of details that could go wrong though, but it’s fun. It keeps you on your toes. And of course, then there’s Ian Anderson’s narrations, which is the only thing in our set that isn’t ”live”. Since we don’t play to a click-track, it’s dragging or pushing depending on the tempo of the evening. Again, it’s fun and I love the unforeseeable character of this song in a live setting. That’s a bit odd since I normally want to feel completely secure and really know what I’m doing. I generally don’t like surprises on stage.”
“§7” serves as a pivotal moment within the album’s broader narrative, which has been widely praised for its cinematic flow, depth, and fearless exploration of light and shade. By stripping the song back to its essence, the new video reinforces OPETH’s ability to balance technical mastery with emotional resonance – a duality Mikael Åkerfeldt has often highlighted in the band’s work.
Following the U.S. run, OPETH will also perform select dates across Europe later this year.
Fans old and new are encouraged to revisit the album in full, streaming “§7” alongside its other chapters to experience the complete arc as intended. From its haunting opening moments to its powerful conclusion, the record rewards deep listening.
5 Feb. US Montclair, The Wellmont Theater – Low Tickets 6 Feb. US Boston, Orpheum Theater – Low Tickets 7 Feb. US Philadelphia, The Filmore Philadelphia – SOLD OUT 10 Feb. US Detroit, Masonic Temple Theater 11 Feb. US Chicago, Riviera Theater 12 Feb. US St. Louis, The Pageant – Low Tickets 14 Feb. US Dallas, The Bomb Factory 15 Feb. US Houston, Bayou Music Center 16 Feb. US San Antonio, Majestic Theater 18 Feb. US Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Center 20 Feb. US Las Vegas, Pearl Concert Theater At Palms 21 Feb. US Riverside, Riverside Municipal Auditorium – Low Tickets 22 Feb. US Sacramento, Channel 24 24 Feb. US Seattle, Paramount Theater – Low Tickets 25 Feb. CA Vancouver, Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
LIVE DATES EUROPE 2026 1 Jun. ES Zamora, Z Live Rock Fest 19 Jun. FR Clisson, Hellfest 10 Jul. IT Pompei, Amphitheatre Of Pompeii – SOLD OUT 11 Jul. IT Bologna, Sequoie Music Park 30 Jul. BE Antwerp, OLT Rivierenhof 1 Aug. UK Halifax, The Piece Hall 2 Aug. IR Dublin, Bord Gáis Energy Theater – Low Tickets 5 Aug. NL Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg – Low Tickets 7 Aug. DE Gelsenkirchen, Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen 8 Aug. FI Helsinki, Hellsinki Metal Festival 29 Aug.SE Rättvik, Dalhalla – Low Tickets
Alkaloid know no bounds. Since joining forces in 2013, the supergroup has rearranged the very composition of progressive death metal. But upon returning to the stage last summer, Morean, Hannes Grossman, Linus Klausenitzer, Justin Hombach and Max Blok proved once and for all why they are metal’s maddest scientists. Their new live album, Bach Out of Bounds, is a genre-defying experiment that only true maestros can perform.
“Alkaloid don’t just bend genre boundaries”, Metal Lair writes about Bach Out of Bounds in a 4.5/5 review, “they erase the chalk lines entirely”.
Bach Out of Bounds was released yesterday, Friday, January 23, and you can hear the all eight explosive compositions by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
“The audience who came and saw these performances went crazy for it”, Morean remembers. “I’m so happy that we can now share them with people everywhere. People aren’t going to know what hit them. Bach Out of Bounds is very different from what other metal bands – or even Alkaloid – normally do”.
Recorded live in the Netherlands, Bach Out of Bounds brings the revered composer in conversation with the heaviest of underground arts. Across three separate performances – at the Bachfestival in Dordrecht, Paard van Troje in The Hague and on November Music in Den Bosch – Alkaloid present three faithful renditions of Bach classics alongside an award-winning ensemble. Heavenly vocals grace sacred aria “Agnus Dei”. Even the hellacious guitar solo on “Allegro” achieves perfect harmony with softly shredding strings.
Of course, being metal’s mad scientists, Alkaloid also unveil some fresh creations by re-imagining songs from their own acclaimed catalogue in Bach’s image. As if summoned by a siren’s call, “Beneath the Sea” is revealed as a speaker-shaking precursor to the band’s monster hit “Cthulhu”. New song “Haunter of the Void” goes where no metalhead has gone before: following a digitized brain into deep space’s crushing void. “These will change everything”, Morean growls as “The Fungi from Yuggoth” spawns into a headbanging symphonic mutation.
With Bach Out of Bounds, Alkaloid deliver a classically innovative performance as only true maestros can.
Tracklist
1. Allegro (BWV 1052-I) (8:28) 2. Adagio – All Is Vanity (BWV 1052-II) (6:56) 3. Beneath the Sea (7:26) 4. Cthulhu (6:00) 5. Haunter of the Void (10:11) [WATCH] 6. A Fool’s Desire (8:55) 7. Agnus Dei (BWV 232) (6:25) [WATCH] 8. The Fungi From Yuggoth (7:47) [WATCH] Full runtime: 1:02:10
ALKALOID know no bounds. Morean, Hannes Grossmann, Linus Klausenitzer and Christian Münzner had already defied the laws of the metalverse as members of Obscura, Triptykon and Dark Fortress, but since banding together as a supergroup in 2013, they have rearranged the very composition of progressive death metal. Their three studio albums fuse everything from worldly polyrhythms and sci-fi concepts to monstrous growls, brutally technical riffs and infectious choruses.
“German collective Alkaloid bucks the trend often associated with bands fitted with the ‘supergroup’ tag”, Angry Metal Guy wrote in praise of their last LP Numen. “Alkaloid established a unique sound from the onset, their cosmic, science fiction-infused technical and progressive death metal formula featuring a futuristic, otherworldly vibe and melodic, experimental flair”.
Despite their already impressive discography, during the summer of 2024, Alkaloid conducted a boundary-pushing performance that, once and for all, proved their alchemical mastery. With their new live album Bach Out of Bounds, the band build fascinating parallels between their unmatched compositions and revered composer Johann Sebastien Bach. Joined by an award-winning ensemble of vocalists, accordion and string players, the metal maestros prove that Bach’s music is as relevant today as it’s always been by projecting his Baroque style through a lens that’s radically different – and way heavier.
Bach Out of Bounds brings three of the composer’s classics in conversation with the underground arts. “I didn’t change any notes of Bach’s scores”, Morean says, “but I took maximum liberty in how I arranged them”. Sacred aria “Agnus Dei” is performed faithfully, graced by sopranos Rianne Wilbers and Chrysa Tsaltampasi. Of course, as metal’s mad scientists, Alkaloid inject plenty of their own virtuoso. The band’s new guitarists Max Blok and Justin Hombach shred harmoniously with violinists Julija Hartig and Oene van Geel through the monumental “Allegro”. Marieke Hopman’s mourning accordion lights the way during the slow and sorrowful procession of “Adagio – All Is Vanity”.
“The original ‘Adagio’ is super quiet and very slow. It’s a piece with just a few notes. What I did is the opposite of that”, Morean says with a pleased grin. “Our version turns it into a heavy doom metal song”.
In a feat of reverse engineering, Bach Out of Bounds also transfuses the soul of Bach into Alkaloid’s own creations. “The idea behind this performance wasn’t necessarily for us to try and write a Bach song”, Morean explains. “We wanted to use Bach’s techniques to write an Alkaloid song”. The album includes extended renditions of recent fan favorites in “A Fool’s Desire” and “The Fungi from Yuggoth”, not to mention two brand new songs. As if summoned by a siren’s call, “Beneath the Sea” reveals itself as a speaker-shaking precursor to the band’s monster hit “Cthulhu”. Whereas “Haunter of the Void” goes where no metalhead has gone before. Commissioned by the Dutch Performing Arts Fund (FPK) and written especially for this performance, the 10-minute epic follows a severed, digitized brain that’s been shot into space from a long-dead Earth. Amidst a crushing cosmic void, this spec of hope clings to life, creating a new habitat one riff at a time.
“Cell by cell starts to unfurl / And I come into my own”, Morean growls as their fresh tale swirls into a headbanging symphony.
Alkaloid performed Bach Out of Bounds during three separate shows in the Netherlands – at the Bachfestival in Dordrecht, Paard van Troject in The Hague and on November Music in Den Bosch. The performances drew people from around the world along with interest from Dutch national radio and TV. Now, fans everywhere can experience this truly one-of-a-kind performance on limited-edition CD and vinyl.
“The audience who came and saw these performances went crazy for it”, Morean remembers. “I’m so happy that we can now share them with people everywhere. People aren’t going to know what hit them. Bach Out of Bounds is very different from what other metal bands – or even Alkaloid – normally do”.
With Bach Out of Bounds, Alkaloid deliver a classically innovative performance as only a true maestro can.
Recording Credits: Recorded live in The Netherlands at Bibelot (Dordrecht) & Paard van Troje (The Hague). Front of house engineer: Laurens Voois
Production Credits: Produced by Alkaloid. Mixed by Hannes Grossman at Mordor Sounds, Germany. Mastered by Victor Bullok at Woodshed Studio, Germany.
Songwriting Credits: Music for “Allegro”, “Adagio – All Is Vanity” and “Agnus Dei” written by Johann Sebastian Bach. Music for “Cthulhu” written by Morean and Hannes Grossman. Music for “Beneath the Sea” and “Haunter of the Void” written by Morean. Music for “A Fool’s Desire” written by Hannes Grossman. Music for “The Fungi from Yuggoth” written by Christian Münzner. Lyrics to “Adagio – All Is Vanity” based on “Es ist alles eitel” by Andreas Gryphius and adapted by Morean. Lyrics to “Agnus Dei” taken from John 1:29. Lyrics to “Beneath the Sea”, “Cthulhu”, “Haunter of the Void”, “A Fool’s Desire” and “The Fungi from Yuggoth” written by Morean.
Solo black metal project PETRICHOR is now emerging from the shadows with its debut EP, ‘Seduced By Conquering Darkness.’ The artist’s inaugural music can now be heard on Bandcamp and all streaming services while physical formats and pre-orders will be made available at a later date.
‘Seduced By Conquering Darkness’ is an independent release and can now be found via Bandcamp HERE.
The cover artwork was created by Wolf Mountain Productions.
Tracklist:
Moss and Blood Have Gathered in Shadow (09:13)
Seduced By Conquering Darkness (07:27)
Album Credits: Composed & performed by JK Drums, recording, mixing & mastering by NS Graphic Design & Photography by Wolf Mountain Productions
For fans of: Gorgoroth (early), Darkthrone, Dissection, Bathory (early)
Denmark’s finest AOR export, Boys From Heaven, return with their long-awaited third studio album, “The Wanderer”, set for release on May 22, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
To celebrate the announcement, they unveil the first single and official video, “I’ll Wait”, available below.
The band commented: “The first time we played “I’ll Wait” was at the release concert for our previous album, and it was probably one of the songs that the audience went most crazy for, despite never having heard it before. So, it’s exciting to finally have that track produced and released for all fans to enjoy”.
“In a way, it’s a spiritual successor to “Sailing On”, which also happened to be the first single off of its parent record. Both tracks embody an almost power-montage-like feeling, and if the opening riff and the synthesizer solo don’t get your heart beating at least 30 BPM faster than your resting pulse, then we don’t know what will”, they added.
“The Wanderer” marks a significant milestone for Boys From Heaven, as their debut release for Frontiers Music. Known for their unique blend of 80s rock nostalgia and fresh, forward-thinking songwriting, the band continues to carve out their own niche – one that evokes the timeless class of Toto, the smooth sophistication of the L.A. soft rock scene, and their own Scandinavian melodic sensibility.
Produced by frontman Chris Catton together with the band, and mixed and mastered by genre heavyweight Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T.), this new chapter sees Boys From Heaven refining their sound to its purest form.
The result is an album that shines with lush, almost luxurious arrangements, velvety layers of keys and sax, pristine harmonies, and melodies that stay with you long after the music stops.
The band stated: “Recording the last record ourselves and having Erik Martensson take care of mixing and mastering was a winning combination, so we had no doubt that we wanted to do the same thing with “The Wanderer”.
“With the new album we’ve leaned even harder into that 1980’s synthesizer-driven power rock sound, and our fans can definitely look forward to an album which is high-energy right from the first chord is struck, all the way to when the last note has rung out”, they added. “We can’t wait to share it with you all!”
With special guest contributions from Lucas Szczyrbak (bass) and Michael Catton (background vocals), the album is a true ensemble effort, executed with taste, precision, and emotion. From the first track to the last, the band demonstrates their deep respect for the genre’s legacy while injecting it with rich textures, impeccable songwriting, and a clarity of vision that’s rare in modern melodic rock.
Warm yet vibrant, technical yet deeply human, this album confirms that Boys From Heaven are not just students of AOR – they’re master craftsmen.
“The Wanderer” Tracklist:
1. I’ll Wait 2. Hotline 3. Hold Your Heart 4. Street Life 5. Say Goodbye 6. How Long 7. Eileen 8. I Will Never Let You Down 9. Time Is On Our Side 10. Till The Bitter End
Line Up: Chris Catton – Lead vocals Jonas Klintström Larsen – Saxophone Mads Noyé – Keyboards Mads Schaumann – Guitar and backing vocals Søren Viig Mathiesen – Drums
Guests: Lucas Szczyrbak – Bass Michael Catton – Background vocals
UK thrash band Pariah have announced the re-issue of their entire catalogue via Hammerheart Records. Special vinyl editions, as well as CDs, for The Kindred, Blaze of Obscurity and Unity will be released on 27th March, 2026 via the label.
There’s heavy metal, power metal, thrash metal, death metal, the list seems almost endless. Sub-genres are important in metal and bands are quickly classified and labelled. Pariah (the last re-incarnation of Satan) is one of few bands that are difficult if not impossible to classify. Is it heavy metal? NWOBHM? Thrash Metal? Pariah did not make it easy to describe their sound. It might be too sophisticated to simply label it heavy metal, which in its infancy was a rather simple affair.
The guitar playing by Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey is undeniably what defines Pariah as well as Satan in the past. Undeniably, Satan has gone a long way; from humble NWOBHM beginnings, to experimental/melodic metal and something that could be described as a NWOBHM/thrash metal hybrid (The Kindred (1988). It’s as if they’ve been experimenting trying to find their identity, and theyfinally found it. Stylistically, Blaze of Obscurity (1989) could be seen a step back to Satan‘s Suspended Sentence, but this time around they got everything right, down to the last note. This is easily Pariah/Satan’s creative peak and one of the most consistent albums ever heard. The level of musical genius expressed here, along with near flawless songwriting, is more than enough to skyrocket it to heights reserved only for classics.
Unity was the comeback album of Pariah/Satan, released after 9 years after they split-up, in 1997. Released on the band’s own label Aartee Music, and only 1.000 copies were made on CD. Broadly speaking, Unity still works in the realm of what you’d call power/thrash, with the chugging speed of thrash metal mixed into guitar work and songwriting that’s melodic in a way that’s closer to the NWOBHM sound than anything else, but this differs a good bit in both songwriting and vocals.
Track-list:
Gerrymander
The Rope
Scapegoat
Foreign Bodies
(La Guerra) Inhumane
Killing for Company
Icons of Hypcrisy
Promise of Remembrance
Disciples Anonymous
Track-list: 1. Missionary of Mercy 2. Puppet Regime 3. Canary 4. Blaze of Obscurity 5. Retaliate! 6. Hypochondriac 7. Enemy Within 8. The Brotherhood
Track-list: 1. Unity 2. Reactionary 3. Walking Wounded 4. No Exit 5. Snakes & Ladders / One of Us 6. Saboteurs 7. Mutual Street 8. The Jonah 9. Learning to Crawl
With Ritual, Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, ILLUMISHADE) continues to shape the sound ofher solo universe. Her fourth single features Infected Rain frontwoman andpowerhouse Lena Scissorhands, marking their first artistic collaboration together.From the first moments, Ritual draws the listener into a dark and transformative world.
The vocal interplay stands at the heart of the song. Fabienne and Lena weave their voices together line by line, forming a powerful dialogue that feels both intimate and onfrontational. Lena moves between melodic vocals and screams, adding raw intensity and contrast while deepening the song’s ritualistic character. Hypnotic and unsettling, Ritual unfolds as an intense and ultimately cathartic listening experience.
Ritual follows the previously released singles Sky’s Breath, Stone by Stone, and Living and the Dead, continuing the journey toward Fabienne Erni’s full-length debut album, scheduled for release in March 2026. Supported by a music video featuring guest artist Lena Scissorhands, the song reveals a new facet of Erni’s upcoming album – one that has not yet been explored in previous singles.
I was incredibly happy when Lena accepted my invitation to be part of Ritual. I had a strong feeling that the depth of emotion she always brings to her performances would lift the song to another level. Ritual tells a story of surrender, obsession, and transformation. It speaks to the dark comfort of belonging to something consuming, and the haunting clarity that comes with giving everything away. I’m deeply grateful to have been working on this together with Lena.
Lena Scissorhands on her collaboration on Ritual:
I am excited to finally share news of our upcoming collaboration with the amazing Fabienne Erni. This project has been a long time in the making. Having been friends for many years, it feels especially meaningful that this marks our first musical collaboration together.
Fabienne Erni’s debut solo album Starveil moves fluidly between modern metal intensity and folk-inspired textures, blending heavy riffs, cinematic arrangements, and organic instrumentation with Fabienne Erni’s distinctive vocal presence. Storytelling lies at the heart of the album, inviting listeners into an atmospheric and emotionally driven world that gradually reveals its own developing lore. Throughout the record, subtle narrative details, symbolic elements, and fragments of an invented fantasy language form a layered listening experience that unfolds over time.
Best known as the singer of Eluveitie and ILLUMISHADE, Erni has already lent her voice to countless stages and recordings worldwide. With Starveil, she places her most personal artistic vision at the forefront. The album reflects her passion for musical diversity, ranging from powerful metal moments to fragile passages, and unfolds as an evocative journey that draws listeners deep into its emotional landscapes.
Fabienne Erni is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Switzerland; best known for her work in Folk Metal sensation Eluveitie, and the founding of the genre-transcending modern metal band ILLUMISHADE. At around 13 years old, Erni first discovered a love for singing, inspired by multi-range artists like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Sarah Connor and Whitney Houston. Later on, she began expressing her love for music more deeply through the piano. Her enthusiasm for storytelling and music thrived through musical theatre releases, ballads, Disney Songs and Film soundtracks. But it was the moment she witnessed Elton John’s “Aida” musical as a teenager in Stuttgart, Germany that truly solidified her desire to become a singer.
Her passion for music continued to thrive into adulthood, and after high school she studied Complete Vocal Technique in Copenhagen; learning not only to refine her vocal technique, but also to connect more deeply with her voice, allowing it to grow stronger and more expressive than ever before.
With school behind her, Erni took time to travel, journeying through places like India, Nepal, and Thailand. At age 20, she eventually settled in the far north of Sweden to study music for a year in the town of Haparanda. Here, her fascination for both the language and the land energized her; an experience that not only shaped her personally, but also helped her grow immensely in musical confidence. Shortly after, Fabienne was accepted at Zurich’s ZHdK where she obtained her master’s degrees in Pop music. It was during her studies here that she met Jonas Wolf, who recognized that she would be an exciting fit for Eluveitie and successfully connected her to the band. She became part of the group not only as a vocalist, but also took up the harp and deepened both her vocal expression and her connection to the Gaulish language at the heart of the band’s Celtic spirit.
After a warm welcome to the metal scene, Erni formed ILLUMISHADE in 2019 together with her by then close musical sparring partner Jonas Wolf, as well as Mirjam Skal, Yannick Urbanczik, and Marc Friedrich – three exceptional musicians and close friends she had met during her studies. In 2020, ILLUMISHADE released their debut album ‘ECLYPTIC: Wake of Shadows’, a concept record that resonated across the internet with its inspirational music and brought together both new and familiar listeners, primarily through its visionary sound, but also through the immersive world it built around it. Since then, ILLUMISHADE has taken their place in the scene, signing with Napalm Records, and releasing their second album: Another Side of You. Beyond that, the band continues to captivate global audiences with regular international tours and festival appearances across Europe and North America.
As Erni manages her time alongside touring the globe with Eluveitie and ILLUMISHADE, she also hosts her own Patreon channel, connecting with a vibrant community of fans worldwide. It’s no surprise that her dedication and musical instinct have led her to explore additional instruments, including the ukulele and bouzouki, while also expanding her vocal skillset with techniques like screaming. Thanks to her distinctive voice and artistic openness, Fabienne has also been invited to contribute to a wide range of musical collaborations, such as with Feuerschwanz, Mortemia, TVINNA, Lindsay Schoolcraft, The Dark Side of the Moon, Temperance, Seas on the Moon and Off the Cross. Together with multi-instrumentalist and producer Vadim ‘Vidick’ Ojog of Infected Rain, the two expand their creative synergy in a new studio project called MINDNOVA, following their earlier work on a variety of beautiful tracks for Vidick’s side project ANOTHERKIND.
Having journeyed through a rich and varied musical landscape throughout her life, lending her voice to countless powerful moments both on stage and in the studio, Erni now stands at the threshold of a new chapter. For the first time, her most personal artistic vision will take center stage as she begins shaping her solo debut. A first series of singles is set to unfold in 2025, with a full album planned for release in 2026. Rooted deeply in her artistic vision and fiery heart, the songs reflect a diverse and dynamic creative output, through which she invites the world to explore her own musical universe alongside her.
What lies ahead is more than just a collection of songs – it is a reflection of Fabienne Erni’s creative essence.
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
Ads
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 ) 