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.
Canadian thrash metal force WRECK-DEFY continue the rollout of their upcoming album “Dissecting The Leech” with the release of their new single “Under The Sun”, accompanied by a powerful official lyric video.
Following the fierce and uplifting first single “Apocalypse Of Hope”, the new track unveils a darker and emotionally charged facet of the album. With dramatic vocal dynamics and somber melodic themes, “Under The Sun” explores the horrors of war and the psychological scars carried by those who survive it. The song features a standout vocal contribution by Amanda Kiernan (The Order Of Chaos / Into Eternity), further amplifying its emotional weight.
“Dissecting The Leech” will be released on February 20, 2026 via Massacre Records as CD Digipak, Ltd. Splatter Vinyl LP and digital formats, delivering 48 minutes of intense, sharp-edged thrash metal rooted in old-school DNA yet fueled by modern urgency. Produced by Matt Hanchuck and Juan Urteaga at the legendary Trident Studios, the album is mixed and mastered by Urteaga himself, ensuring a tight, punishing and cutting sonic approach.
Lyrically, “Dissecting The Leech” confronts war, trauma, corruption, emotional decay and the oppressive forces shaping contemporary society. Tracks such as “Revolt”, “The Haunting Past and “I Don’t Care” offer different perspectives on survival, rebellion and psychological struggle, while “Apocalypse Of Hope” serves as the album’s final message of resistance and perseverance.
WRECK-DEFY are: Greg Wags Wagner – Vocals Matt Hanchuck – Guitars Greg Christian – Bass David Allan – Drums
POST PULSE has released the first single, Not My War, from their upcoming third album, due out in May. Aggressively pulsing and tuned to end-times frequencies, the timely track takes the listener onto a battlefield where the fight is fought bloodily, also against one’s own reflection.
Not My War showcases Post Pulse’s musical evolution from brutal death metal towards melodic, catchy, and large-scale modern metal.
Formed in 2015, the band has consistently pushed its boundaries, and the newly released single offers a strong preview of what’s to come.
“It was clear that we didn’t want to make the same album again, and that nothing should limit us creatively. We liked the direction of our previous record, which took us toward more melodic songwriting and more modern production, and now we pushed everything even further. On the new album, alongside modern production, we also aimed for organic qualities and warmth, a sound that feels more human than computer code,” says the band’s main songwriter and guitarist Antti Karhu.
Post Pulse’s upcoming third album will be released on Friday, May 29. The band’s previous albums are the debut Halls of Damned(2017) and Return to the Halls (2024).
Credits: Music: Post Pulse Mixing: Juhis Kauppinen Mastering: Miro Kiiski Artwork: Antti Karhu / AI
Lyrics: Antti Karhu Composition: Antti Karhu, Sam Roon, Anttoni Välimaa, Tapani Rantanen
Album release show: Fri May 29 – Kuudes Linja, Helsinki Performing: – Post Pulse – Sisin – Sounds of Delusion Tickets available via Tiketti.
Post Pulse line-up: Tapani Rantanen – vocals (Sigyn, ex-Code Unknown) Antti Karhu – guitar, vocals, programming (Shining [NO], Diablerie, ex-The Man-Eating Tree) Anttoni Välimaa – drums (As the Sun Falls, Dying Reverie, ex-Stygian Creations) Sam Roon – bass (ex-HUNG [USA], ex-Indestructible Noise Command [USA])
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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
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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
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