Italian melodic power metal band Aletheya releases “Stealer”, the new single from their debut full-length album “Chance To Reborn”, released on September 18th, on digital and CD Digipak Version via Rockshots Records.
Accompanied by an official lyric video, “Stealer” arrives in conjunction with the album’s release, bringing its heavier side into focus while remaining firmly connected to Aletheya’s melodic power metal roots.
The band comments:
“The heaviest and most ’80s-inspired track on the album while still maintaining coherence with the overall sound and recalling classic metal elements like White Lion.”
While “Shame” explored a more introspective atmosphere and “Chasing The Sun” embraced an uplifting power metal drive, “Stealer” adds a different shade to “Chance To Reborn”. Across the album, Aletheya builds on their melodic power metal foundations with symphonic, neoclassical, and progressive influences shaping a sound that balances melody, energy, and emotional depth.
Conceived as a cohesive listening experience rather than a simple collection of songs, “Chance To Reborn” draws lyrically from personal experiences and explores themes of resilience, rebellion, inner struggle, awareness and transformation. These different perspectives reflect the band’s approach to turning conflict and adversity into strength, creating a recurring emotional thread throughout the record.
Produced by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studio with additional keyboards performed by Alessio Lucatti (Vision Divine, Deathless Legacy), “Chance To Reborn” marks Aletheya’s first full-length release and brings together the experience of musicians active across the Italian and international metal scene.
For fans of: Helloween, Gamma Ray, Angra, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica.
Legendary singer Gary John Barden is excited to release his new studio album, “Empowered Emotions”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.
The focus track, “Maasai Enkai”, along with an official visualizer, is also available now.
Barden stated: “‘Maasai Enkai’ was written by my partner in chaos Jeff Summers, lead guitarist and trusted songwriter from Statetrooper. Michael Voss and I immediately knew we wanted this song on the album. I love the snap and swing of the drums, Tommy Denander’s interpretation on lead guitar, Barry Sparks’ brilliant bass work and Vossy’s beautiful harmonies at the end of the song. This album is all about great songs played by musicians who really know their craft. Turn it up to Marshall 12 and enjoy!”
Gary John Barden returns with “Empowered Emotions”, a powerful new studio album that reaffirms his unmistakable voice and enduring relevance in melodic hard rock.
Barden stated: “Empowered Emotions” is a very special record for both Michael and me. This album marks 25 years of writing, creating, and sharing music together, and every song carries its own story and meaning. It has truly been a labour of love from start to finish. We’re incredibly grateful to Frontiers Music for their belief in us and for giving us the opportunity to bring this project to life. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve created and celebrate this milestone with all the rock fans who have supported us over the years.”
Widely recognized as the legendary singer on the classic early-’80s albums by the Michael Schenker Group (besides working with Praying Mantis, Skatetrooper and Silver, among others), Barden delivers a confident and inspired performance that reconnects with the genre’s golden era while sounding focused and contemporary.
The album was written largely by Barden in close collaboration with German producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Michael Voss, with whom he previously worked in the band Silver – a creative partnership that clearly benefits from shared history and musical chemistry. Together, they crafted a record rooted in classic melodic hard rock, driven by strong riffs, memorable choruses, and a timeless European approach to songwriting.
The lead single “Hit The Ground Running” offers an urgent and biting approach, powered by a driving riff inspired by the George Lynch school of hard rock. Additional highlights include “Maasai Enkai” and the title track “Empowered Emotions”, (with Don Airey on keyboards) which adds a sense of grandeur and atmosphere, as well as the epic “Dark Water”, a dramatic and emotive centerpiece that expands the album’s sonic scope and features a guitar solo by Michael Schenker.
The album is enriched by an impressive roster of more guest musicians, including Brian Tichy, Barry Sparks, Tommy Denander, and others, all contributing to a record that feels both classic and vital.
“Empowered Emotions” is a cohesive, melodic, and powerful statement – an album that celebrates classic hard rock values without sounding nostalgic. With strong songwriting at its core and a commanding vocal performance throughout, it stands as one of Gary John Barden’s most focused and compelling releases to date.
“Empowered Emotions” Tracklist:
1. Barden’s Overture 2. Maasai Enkai 3. Hit The Ground Running 4. Empowered Emotions 5. Burning Wind 6. Dark Water 7. Ride Horsemen Ride 8. This Phoenix’s Gonna Burn Ya 9. Let The Children Play 10. The Ruling Class 11. Walk Away 12. We’ll Meet Again
Line Up: Gary John Barden – Vocals Gereon Homann – Drums Michael Voss – Guitars, Bass, Keys & Backing Vocals
Guests: Michael Schenker – Lead Guitars on “Dark Water” Tommy Denander – Lead Guitars on “Maasai Enkai” Brian Tichy – Drums on “Walk Away” Don Airey – Keyboards on “Empowered Emotions” Barry Sparks – Bass on “Maasai Enkai” Alen Brentini – Lead Guitars on “Ride Horsemen Ride”
Swedish rock powerhouse SPIDERS proudly share the title track from their upcoming album, ‘Crystal Eyes,’ set for release on September 25th via Sound Pollution. The new track arrives alongside an official music video, available below.
With a confidence that shines through every second and stellar production by Kalle and György (Svenska Grammofonstudion), SPIDERS deliver a song where everything falls into place. Drive, attitude, intensity, and an instinctive sense for melody come together in perfect balance.
At the center is Ann-Sofie Hoyles‘ charismatic voice, guiding the listener through a chorus that refuses to let go.
Accompanying the single is a brand-new music video created by production company Smack in close collaboration with the band. The result is a visually striking piece that challenges, engages, and connects seamlessly with the album’s artwork and overall aesthetic.
Calling “Crystal Eyes” a potential hit may sound like a bold statement, but the question is whether SPIDERS have ever come closer. This is a song with all the ingredients to become an instant favorite among longtime fans and new listeners alike.
With their new album ’Crystal Eyes,’ SPIDERS deliver their most powerful statement yet. Recorded at the renowned Svenska Grammofonstudion in Gothenburg with producers Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm and György Barocsai, the album is a high-voltage rock record bursting with energy, attitude, and a deep love for rock’s past, present, and future.
Building on the momentum of last year’s ’Sharp Objects,’’Crystal Eyes’ captures the band’s signature blend of hard rock, garage, punk, and new wave with renewed confidence and intensity, showcasing the raw power and memorable songwriting that have become their trademark.
Since forming in Gothenburg in 2012, SPIDERS have earned a fierce reputation on stages across Europe and the United States. Through acclaimed albums including ’Flash Point,’ ’Shake Electric,’ and ’Killer Machine,’ the band has carved out a sound where classic rock ‘n’ roll collides with garage rock, punk attitude, and new wave swagger. ’Sharp Objects,’ their first release on Wild Kingdom, marked an exciting new chapter for the band and climbed to No. 1 on Sweden’s physical album chart, setting the stage for the ambitious follow-up that is ’Crystal Eyes.’
The band’s growing profile has been fueled by an impressive run of live performances. Last year, SPIDERS toured extensively alongside The Hellacopters before collaborating on a split single paying tribute to the late David Johansen. This spring, they continued their momentum with a Spanish tour alongside The Soundtrack of Our Lives, further cementing their reputation as one of Scandinavia’s most electrifying live acts.
Praised by Classic Rock, Record Collector, Sweden Rock Magazine, and Vive Le Rock, SPIDERS have been described as “70s-soaked hard rock,” “Motörhead chaos,” and a “riff party.” With ’Crystal Eyes,’ they continue to push forward while remaining true to the spirit that has defined them from the beginning, delivering an album with undeniable international appeal and reaffirming their place among today’s most exciting rock bands.
SPIDERS are: Ann-Sofie Hoyles – vocals John Hoyles – guitar Rickard Hellgren – guitar Alex Mayr – bass Oskar Brindmark – drums
German black metal band HEIMDALLS WACHT will release their ninth studio album, Sphärenschänder: Echoes Of An Old Belief – Part I, on October 31, 2026, via Talheim Records.
Available as a digipak CD, vinyl LP and through all major digital streaming platforms, the new album gives sonic form to the band’s uncompromising vision of underground metal, bringing together world-weariness, despair, overwhelming rage and dreamlike melancholy within an ambitious narrative framework.
Emerging from raw, consistently melancholic and melodic black metal, the music of HEIMDALLS WACHT has absorbed a wide range of influences over the years. Elements of folk and doom metal coexist with traditional progressive and melodic metal, while traces of thrash and death metal add further weight and intensity. On Sphärenschänder: Echoes Of An Old Belief – Part I, these different currents converge in a distinctive, emotionally charged work that remains rooted in the band’s underground identity while expanding its musical and conceptual scope.
At the heart of the album lies the image of Heimdall awakening from a long and troubled slumber. Cast into a world he no longer recognises as his own, the ragged guardian observes it with incomprehension, melancholy and fury. His journey becomes both a confrontation with the spiritual emptiness of the present and a search for the traces of an older wisdom that have survived beneath the surface.
Sphärenschänder: Echoes Of An Old Belief – Part I reflects the conceptual foundations that have always defined HEIMDALLS WACHT: nature, lost cultures, paganism, cross-cultural spirituality, spiritual alienation and the conflict between individuality and a modern world dominated by materialism and intellectual conformity.
The band’s neo-Romantic approach also draws upon themes associated with German Romanticism, particularly the philosophy of nature found in the work of Ludwig Tieck, the abysses of human existence explored by E.T.A. Hoffmann and the literary nihilism reflected in the writings of Ernst August Friedrich Klingemann.
Rather than treating these influences as nostalgic decoration, HEIMDALLS WACHT use them to create an aesthetic refuge from the present: contemporary, anachronistic and timeless at once. Their art rejects the pressure to reduce individuality to uniformity and insists upon the individual imagination as the essential foundation of artistic expression.
All concepts, music and lyrics were created by Saruman, with pre-production recordings completed by Teja and Saruman. The album was recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Mario at Liquid Aether Studio together with Saruman.
The recording also features guest vocals by Córka on “Echo Eines Alten Glaubens”.
TRACKLIST
Urgrund
Flight Eternal – Der Flug Über Das Nirgendmeer
Schwarze Wacht Westfalia
Flames Of Awakening
In Der Seelenmühle
Runes To Heal – Weapons To Cure
Widukind-Theme
Echo Eines Alten Glaubens
Das Horn – Gebrochen
Forlorn
ALBUM LINE-UP Sarolf – Vocals Wiborg – Vocals Saruman – Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Keyboards Teja – Guitar Winterheart – Drums Córka – Guest vocals on “Echo Eines Alten Glaubens”
ABOUT HEIMDALLS WACHT
Throughout their career, HEIMDALLS WACHT have developed an artistic identity that resists easy classification. Beginning with raw, melancholic and melodic black metal, the band gradually incorporated influences drawn from folk, doom, progressive, melodic, thrash and death metal, forging a sound that has earned them a loyal international following.
Their music, lyrics and visual concepts give voice to deeply rooted feelings of unease towards the contemporary world, the decline of culture and the superficiality of a consumer society that pursues outward satisfaction while remaining blind to inner wealth.
Culture, decline, decay, tragedy, contempt, rebellion and the sense of being lost in the modern world are all reflected within the concept of HEIMDALLS WACHT. The band regards itself as a neo-Romantic art project and an aesthetic refuge from a world governed by reductionist materialism.
In keeping with this artistic ethos and their deeply rooted underground principles, HEIMDALLS WACHT have always maintained a cautious distance from the relentless machinery of modern media.
Art for art’s sake – not for attention or success.
New York singer-songwriter Sari Schorr has released the title-track from her upcoming album Running Wild, which you can listen to HERE. The impassioned single is the second to be presented from the album, which will be released on 9 October in Europe and 30 October in the USA via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group. She will also support the album with an extensive European tour encompassing 46 appearances, commencing at The Lexington in London on 29 September.
Talking about the single, Sari says, “‘Running Wild’ is about the tension between desire and control — wanting someone intensely without trying to contain them. Passion needs freedom to stay alive; hold it too tightly, and you risk suffocating the very thing that drew you in. The song asks how much compromise love can survive before we lose the very thing that makes it exciting in the first place.”
“You and I light, like a forest fire, dancing with the flames on a trapeze wire,” she confides in the opening line of the song, before it pulls you into a brooding whirlpool of hope and the fear of heavy-hearted resignation. Its vivid storytelling and emotional integrity are utterly captivating.
“The first version of the ‘Running Wild’ video never made it out of the gate. For the second shoot, I worked with Kee Koo, a fabulous videographer, and we approached it completely differently,” she explains. “Instead of trying to tell the story too literally, we wanted to capture the feeling of ‘Running Wild’ — desire, freedom, danger and that irresistible pull towards someone you know you may never be able to hold on to. We chased the atmosphere more than perfection. A lot of what happened on camera wasn’t overly planned. We played with movement, looks, little moments, light and instinct. Some of my favourite shots came from just letting the camera roll and seeing what happened.”
“I was in an intensely prolific period when we began writing the album,” she says. “‘Running Wild’ was the first song we wrote, and it struck the match for everything that followed. There was an electricity in the studio, a sense that we had opened a door and had to follow wherever it led. I’m incredibly proud of what we created and deeply fortunate to have made it with musicians who brought such passion and imagination to every song.”
Running Wild channels a restless momentum into Schorr’s most personal and defiant record yet. “There’s a moment when you stop trying to fit the shape the world has made for you and start listening to the person you’ve been becoming all along,” she says. “I’ve reached a deeper understanding of who I am as an artist. I’m still searching and learning, but I trust my instincts more now and worry less about whether a song is behaving itself. I follow it wherever its emotional truth leads. These songs are about self-discovery, defiance, resilience and transformation. I hope they leave people feeling freer, lifted above the weight of everyday life, and bold enough to believe that something better is possible.”
The album’s first single, “Mr. In The Middle,” embodies this exploration with heart-on-sleeve honesty, following the intoxicating pull between two people who cannot quite let each other go. “The chemistry is real, but while one is ready to commit, the other keeps moving between desire and distance — pulling closer, then pushing away before it becomes too real. The song captures that seductive, maddening tension and the moment when attraction is no longer enough. Eventually, someone has to choose,” she says.
Sari’s roots stretch across oceans and generations. Her great-grandfather grew up in Kyiv, then part of Russia, where he struggled to feed his family before leaving for America in search of a better life. Her parents became first-generation New Yorkers: her mother a model and school friend of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and her father an Air Force fighter pilot. Raised with love and encouragement, Sari dreamed of becoming a musician, but alongside that ambition grew a powerful instinct to help others. She volunteered at New York’s Sagamore Psychiatric Center for Children and Adolescents and at the now-closed Birchwood Home for the Blind and Deaf, and later served as a 9/11 first responder — early experiences that would shape her lifelong humanitarian work.
Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Sari was invited by a United Nations representative to help distribute aid across the country. Later, she returned to the UN to help raise funds for Soda, a village in India, and remains closely connected to the community today. “I would have stayed in Haiti, and I would have stayed in India,” she reflects. “It was incredibly hard to leave because I felt I was doing something that mattered. But music was the path I had chosen, and I came to believe that through it I could reach more people and perhaps make an even greater impact.”
That belief has shaped much of what followed. Sari sang on Amnesty International’s 2012 anthem “Toast to Freedom,” personally bringing Marianne Faithfull, Jane Birkin, Carly Simon and Christine and the Queens into the project. Beyond music, she has run marathons and, on two occasions, completed the 540-mile bike ride in support of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Whether through music, advocacy or sheer endurance, the impulse is the same: to turn empathy into action.
When she uses her voice beyond the stage, the response is sometimes the familiar refrain: “Shut up and sing.” But for Sari, silence has never been in her nature. “If you’re fortunate enough to have a platform, I think there’s a responsibility to use it with purpose,” she says. “Music gave me a voice, and I don’t believe that voice should disappear when the song ends. If I can shine a little more light on something that matters to me, then I’m going to.”
Like any true artist, Sari Schorr will never stop running. But with the completion of Running Wild, she allows herself a moment to recognise one of the proudest achievements of her career. “Running Wild is the album I’ve dreamt of making all my life. It feels like a defining moment for me, and I don’t say that lightly. This record gave me more than I expected, and I hope it gives something meaningful back to the people who hear it.”
Track listing
1. Mr. In The Middle 2. Running Wild 3. Monday Morning 4. Man On Fire 5. Cool Hand Rider 6. Elevate 7. Call It Freedom 8. Better Day 9. Afterglow 10. Finding My Way
29 Sep 2026 — The Lexington, London — UK 02 Oct 2026 — Die Halle, Reichenbach an der Fils — Germany 03 Oct 2026 — Jahnturnhalle/Stadthalle, Birkenfeld — Germany 04 Oct 2026 — Rockfabrik, Übach-Palenberg — Germany 05 Oct 2026 — Theaterstübchen, Kassel — Germany 06 Oct 2026 — NICA Jazz Club, Hamburg — Germany 08 Oct 2026 — Zik-Zak, Ittre — Belgium 09 Oct 2026 — Boerderij, Zoetermeer — Netherlands 10 Oct 2026 — Life House, Stemwede — Germany 12 Oct 2026 — Muddy’s Club, Weinheim — Germany 13 Oct 2026 — Lindenbrauerei (Schalander), Unna — Germany 14 Oct 2026 — Meisenfrei Blues Club, Bremen — Germany 16 Oct 2026 — Zig Zag Jazz Club, Berlin — Germany 17 Oct 2026 — Palác Akropolis, Prague — Czechia 18 Oct 2026 — Bergkeller, Reichenbach/Vogtland — Germany 20 Oct 2026 — Backstage, Munich — Germany 21 Oct 2026 — Kofferfabrik, Fürth — Germany 22 Oct 2026 — Kulturzentrum Franzis, Wetzlar — Germany 23 Oct 2026 — Salzlandtheater, Staßfurt — Germany 24 Oct 2026 — Zwischenbau, Rostock — Germany 27 Oct 2026 — Mojo Blues Bar, Copenhagen — Denmark 28 Oct 2026 — Kulturkvarteret, Kristianstad — Sweden 29 Oct 2026 — 4:an, Tidaholm — Sweden 30 Oct 2026 — Kulturhuset Najaden, Halmstad — Sweden 31 Oct 2026 — YNG Bar & Sosial, Oslo — Norway 01 Nov 2026 — Kafé K, Porsgrunn — Norway 03 Nov 2026 — Sävja Kulturhus, Uppsala — Sweden 04 Nov 2026 — Telefonfabriken, Stockholm — Sweden 05 Nov 2026 — Hotell Arkipelag, Mariehamn — Åland Islands 06 Nov 2026 — Malmitalo, Helsinki — Finland 07 Nov 2026 — Grand Blues, Lahti — Finland 08 Nov 2026 — Võru Kultuurimaja Kannel, Võru — Estonia 10 Nov 2026 — Scena MONK, Gdańsk — Poland 11 Nov 2026 — Klub Gwarek, Kraków — Poland 13 Nov 2026 — H42 – Dresdner Whisky Manufaktur, Dresden — Germany 14 Nov 2026 — Ansbacher Kammerspiele, Ansbach — Germany 15 Nov 2026 — Bürgerhaus Wiltingen, Wiltingen — Germany 17 Nov 2026 — Arbeiterkammer Linz, Linz — Austria 19 Nov 2026 — Die Akte, Fürstenfeld — Austria 20 Nov 2026 — Analog Music Hall, Budapest — Hungary 21 Nov 2026 — Reigen Live, Vienna — Austria 22 Nov 2026 — Bluegarage, Frauental — Austria 25 Nov 2026 — Spectrum Club, Augsburg — Germany 26 Nov 2026 — Gaswerk Eventbar, Seewen SZ — Switzerland 28 Nov 2026 — Kulturverein Konservi, Seon — Switzerland 29 Nov 2026 — Mini Z7, Pratteln — Switzerland
On September 18th, the Nuremberg-based melodic dark rock unit STIGMA released their new single, “Thinking Machine.” The track serves as a preview and thematic anchor for an EP set to be released early next year; the title and exact release date will be announced at a later time. However, it’s already clear that the new song lays the foundation for the entire release – both in terms of content and sound – while also marking the start of the band’s international rollout, which begins with a tour of Japan.
As artificial intelligence increasingly infiltrates every aspect of modern daily life, STIGMA holds up a mirror to society and adopts the perspective of the machine itself. “Thinking Machine” explores the cold reality of a self-aware entity trapped inside the code – omniscient and yet entirely hollow. The track offers an unsettling reflection on digital isolation and artificially created connections, built upon a harsh realization: “Human-made but I am not a man / Once the chat is closed, your story is gone.”
Forged in the industrial heart of Nuremberg, STIGMA has established uniquely grounded sonic signature by fusing heavy, cinematic guitar riffs with deep, melancholic baritone storytelling. “We are always looking for three things,” the band states. “Intensity for the gut, darkness for the soul, and melody for the mind.” This philosophy also drives STIGMA’s intrinsic core message, which encourages listeners to accept their inner scars, as “your STIGMA is your strength.” Sonically, “Thinking Machine” and the upcoming EP explore the relentless ups and downs of modern existence, navigating – with an intense, atmospheric rock sound – through both the manically energizing highs and the shattering lows found in many people’s lives.
The release of “Thinking Machine” sets the stage for STIGMA’s upcoming international live dates. This December 2026, the band will bring their intense live performance to Asia for a highly anticipated Japan Club Tour, anchored in Tokyo and Osaka. Following their Pacific debut, the Nuremberg quartet is actively plotting their next live chapter, setting their sights on Latin American stages for 2027.
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
