Polish avant-garde black/death metal project NERVOUS has signed a deal with Wormholedeath for the release of their debut album, “Acquiescence.” The album, a deeply personal and introspective journey, is set to be unleashed upon the world on March 28, 2025.
Nervous, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Aaron Ciesielski, emerged from a period of profound personal growth and self-discovery. Born amidst an existential crisis, “Acquiescence” is a concept album that chronicles this transformative journey, capturing the essence of rebellion, fear, and ultimately, the profound acceptance of self.
Everything about Acquiescence has been shaped by Ciesielski’s hands, from the songwriting and production to mixing, mastering, and artwork. This album is a true reflection of his vision—an uncompromising mix of black and death metal influences, intertwined with elements of classical music and progressive rock. The result is a dense, intense sound that pulls you in and holds you captive.
Acquiescence explores a journey of rebellion against one’s nature, confronting deep fears, and ultimately embracing harmony within oneself. The album is a reflection of Ciesielski’s personal experiences of growing up, entering adulthood, and accepting who he truly is.
“This album is a culmination of over five years of personal reflection and musical exploration,” says Ciesielski. “It’s an intense expression of my journey to understand myself, and I’ve poured everything into it. The music may be rooted in black and death metal, but I’ve drawn heavy inspiration from classical music, progressive rock, and cinematic soundtracks. This album is my truth, and I’m excited to share it with the world.”
Tracklist:
Acquiescence
Heavy is the Head that Wears an Imaginary Crown
Vermin Within
The Will to Power
Fragile
It Didn’t Start with You
Acquiescence II
River
To get a taste of Nervous’ unique sound, check out the guitar playthrough for the title track “Acquiescence” here:
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Tobias Sammet about his upcoming album AVANTASIA album HERE BE DRAGONS which will be released on Feb 28, 2025 on NAPALM RECORDS.
Also in the chat Tobias talks about Avantasia’s origins and guest singers over the years.
When asked about why he first started Avantasia “I wanted to work with other people, not that I didn’t like working with my band fellows. I wanted to look outside the box and see what else I could experience and learn. I wanted to work with Michael Kiske (Helloween) because he had turned his back on heavy metal and apparently they didn’t want to reunite with Helloween (Laughs). They didn’t want to make a reunion so I said okay somebody’s gotta do it so let me do it. I was a huge fan of Michael Kiske. I’m still to this day and so that was one of the reasons why I did it was because I wanted to have Michael Kiske sing my songs. Classical double bass beat power metal songs. I also wanted to work with Bob Catley and David DeFeis and yeah just do an album and look outside the box. I knew his (Micahel Kiske) fan club president and I said like if you could pass on the message that that I have a couple of songs, I’m a real nice guy, I’m not a Satanist and also have a little budget so um if he here’s my number. And he called me we just talked and we liked each other. He’s a very lovely person and he’s a very good friend now. We hit it off really well and that was the starting point. That was a big important thing about the first Avantasia album. Michael Kiske is the only one who’s been on every Avantasia record so far except for me Bob Catley who was on everyone since the second one which was recorded at the same time as the first one so technically Bob Catley has been there from the start.”
When asked why Michael Kiske wanted to be called Ernie on the first album “That was his own idea back in the day. I wanted to have Michael Kiske and I said I want you to be on the record because you mean so much to me and I made the big mistake telling him like even if I didn’t have your name it’s not because of your name it’s you could be called anything. I just want you and your voice and he said okay then let’s call me Ernie on the record and he put it in the contract. I said are you serious, Ernie? I mean why don’t we just call you Joe Vocal or whatever but no no let’s do it Ernie, that’s his sense of humor. I said okay Ernie and Bert, great let’s do it. He (Michael Kiske) was hesitant I believe back in the day because he had announced in advance that he would never return to metal again and metal was music of the devil and you know and it was all said and done back in the 80s. He will never return, his heart is elsewhere and all of a sudden he returns to the metal scene appearing on a Metal Opera with Kai Hansson and Markus Grosskopf appearing on nine songs singing Speed metal songs. He probably thought people would think that’s weird with everything he said in advance so he said let’s call me Ernie. So we did it and everybody knew oh Michael Kiske (on the record). So on the second record I asked him like I mean it’s still in the contract but do you seriously want to be called Ernie again everybody knows and he said and why don’t we just go with Michael Kiske (laughs).”
[Artwork by Rodney Matthews]
Here Be Dragons Tracklist: 1 Creepshow 2 Here Be Dragons 3 The Moorland At Twilight 4 The Witch 5 Phantasmagoria 6 Bring On The Night 7 Unleash The Kraken 8 Avalon 9 Against The Wind 10 Everybody’s Here Until The End
Finnish Folk Metal Superstars KORPIKLAANI have released a video for the song ‘Kalmisto‘, from their latest album, Rankarumpu. The music video was premiered prime time in Finnish national television, Levyraati.
KORPIKLAANI‘s twelfth studio album Rankarumpu is classic folk metal – fast, energetic and dynamic, showing once again they are the leaders in this genre.
Samuli Mikkonen (drums) commented: ”I HAD A DREAM!” Samuli tells about the birth of ”Kalmisto”: ”One night I was dreaming that I was watching a music video by Korpiklaani. Jonne was singing there in a clearcut forest. I heard the music, the lyrics and I knew that the song is called ”Kalmisto”. Then I realized that we don’t have a song like this. I woke up and decided to sang the melodies to my phone and wrote the lyrics down.
At the morning I went to Jonne’s place in Miehola and told him about my dream. He was instantly excited about it and we started to build a song based on the nightly recording. It didn’t take long till the basic structure of Kalmisto was ready. It’s funny how the subconscious works even in your dreams. The lesson of the story is that we should sleep more!
We brainstormed with the director Teppo Ristola about my dream and about the lyrics and he got many cool ideas to add to the script. The video is shot nearby Miehola so the music and the video was born almost at the same place.”
Korpiklaani will embark on an extensive North American tour “FOLKFEST OF THE NORTH” with Ensiferum, Trollfest, NiNi in North America Feb-Mar 2025.
FOLKFEST OF THE NORTH NORTH AMERICAN CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2025 KORPIKLAANI | ENSIFERUM TROLLFEST & NiNi
02/27/25 Boston MA – Brighton Music Hall SOLD OUT!! 02/28/25 Quebec City QC - Salle Montaigne SOLD OUT!! 03/01/25 Montreal QC – Beanfield SOLD OUT!! 03/02/25 Ottawa ON – Overflow SOLD OUT!! 03/03/25 Toronto ON – The Concert Hall MOVIÑG FAST 03/04/25 Columbus OH – King of Clubs LOW TICKETS 03/05/25 Pontiac MI – Crofoot 03/06/25 Chicago IL – Outset LOW TICKETS 03/07/25 Minneapolis MN – Skyway Theatre 03/08/25 Des Moines IA – Wooly’s 03/09/25 Denver CO – Gothic Theatre MOVIÑG FAST 03/11/25 Salt Lake City UT – Metro Music Hall MOVIÑG FAST 03/13/25 Sacramento CA – Goldfield Roseville 03/14/25 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall LOW TICKETS 03/15/25 Los Angeles CA – Regent Theater LOW TICKETS 03/16/25 San Diego CA – House of Blues MOVIÑG FAST 03/17/25 Phoenix AZ – Nile 03/18/25 Albuquerque NM – Sunshine 03/20/25 Oklahoma City OK – Beer City Music Hall 03/21/25 Dallas TX – Granada 03/22/25 Austin TX – Come and Take It Live 03/23/25 Houston – TX Warehouse Live 03/25/25 Tampa FL – Orpheum 03/26/25 Atlanta GA – Masquerade Heaven 03/27/25 Greensboro NC – Hangar 1819 MOVIÑG FAST 03/28/25 Baltimore MD – Baltimore Soundstage MOVIÑG FAST 03/29/25 Mechanicsburg PA – Lovedraft’s 03/30/25 Brooklyn NY – Brooklyn Monarch
FINLAND 2025
10.04.2025 FI Jyväskylä, Lutakko 11.04.2025 FI Seinäjoki, Rytmikorjaamo 12.04.2025 FI Oulu, Kantakrouvi
CONFIRMED FESTIVALS 2025
24-26.04.2025 DE Lichtenfels, Ragnarök Festival 13-14.06.2025 FI Vaasa, Lisää Löylyä Festival 26-28.06.2025 DE Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Hörnerfest 27-29.06.2025 FI Helsinki, Tuska Festival 04-07.07.2025 SE Knislinge, Time To Rock Festival 10-12.07.2025 AT Leoben, Area 53 Festival 10-13.07.2025 CZ Vizovice, Masters of Rock 13.09.2025 DE Gelsenkirchen, Folkfied Festival
Following the release of their latest, critically-acclaimed studio album “Speed Of Darkness” in celebration of their 40th band anniversary last year (released via AFM Records HERE), Danish hard rock icons D-A-D have teamed up with Finland’s dark rockers THE 69 EYES for the “COWPUNKS AND GLAMPIRES TOUR 2025”! With fifteen dates across Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, the co-headlining tour will kick off by the end of October in Budapest. Tickets are now on sale at:https://dragon-productions.eu/artist/d-a-d/
D-A-D comment: “Longtime friends, and heavy as hell. The 69 Eyes & D-A-D are joining forces for a solid tour through Europe We’ve been wanting to do this for years- both bands survived everything and came out stronger – join us for some massive evenings, together, out of the darkness!”
“Those guys were the early inspiration for us when we started the band”,THE 69 EYESstate.“We heard the call of the wild and understood it. And share their wisdom: long hair is the key!”
Make sure to catch D-A-D and THE 69 EYES live at the following dates:
29.10.2025 HU – Budapest | Barba Negra 30.10.2025 CZ – Praha | Meet Factory 31.10.2025 PL – Warsaw | Proxima 02.11.2025 DE – Leipzig | Hellraiser 04.11.2025 DE – Nürnberg | Hirsch 06.11.2025 DE – Oberhausen | Turbinenhalle 2 07.11.2025 DE – Memmingen | Kaminwerk 08.11.2025 DE – Osnabrück | Hyde Park 09.11.2025 DE – Frankfurt | Zoom 10.11.2025 DE – München | Circus Krone 11.11.2025 DE – Karlsruhe | Substage 13.11.2025 DE – Köln | Live Music Hall 14.11.2025 DE – Braunschweig | Westend 15.11.2025 DE – Hamburg | Georg-Elser-Halle 16.11.2025 DE – Berlin | Astra
In 2024, hard rock legends D-A-D turned 40 years and were even honored with an exhibition at the National Museum of their hometown Copenhagen, but this was by no means the end of everything. The quartet is brimming with energy, and their latest album “Speed Of Darkness” sees the band rocking on stronger than ever! Rock Hard Magazine in Germany wrote, “it’s an album with no fillers, but full of hits”, while Norway Rock Magazine confirmed “D-A-D has delivered again – as they always do!” And Get Ready To Rock in the UK attested: “Album number 13 is a 14-track masterclass without a weak moment in sight. Danish legends D-A-D have recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and as new album “Speed of Darkness” proves, they sound as fresh as ever- in fact, all new bands should be handed a copy of this album and told this is what 40 sounds like!”
Following top album chart positions, a major festival summer run and an extensive European tour including a sold-out show at the Royal Arena in Denmark last year (that will be released as a 4 x vinyl/2 CD entitled “Live From The Arena” on Record Store Day, April 12nd via Warner Records Denmark) D-A-D are now joining forces with yet another iconic band hailing from the North!
When the sun goes down and the moon comes up Finnish goth glam ambassadors THE 69 EYES proudly wear their sunglasses, leather jackets and black eyeliner to become one with the night. Founded in the hazy, murky, twilit bars of Helsinki more than 30 years ago, the band circling around Scandinavian goth rock epitome Jyrki 69 has done exemplary service to all things dark, releasing thirteen revered albums, touring the world over, even going platinum in their home country, all the while maintaining a strong tie to the graveyard shift of rock’n’roll.
With an eclectic penchant for morbidity, glamour, sex and the supernatural, these nocturnal animals embody both the foggy essence of Scandinavian goth rock and the lusty decadence of Sunset Strip glam, haunting everyone from goth rock ghoul to metal dude, from glam rock cat to rockabilly fiend. It’s classy, it’s sexy, it’s raunchy, it’s dramatic: Their latest, fateful album “Death of Darkness” celebrated this unholy union with a new set of lovesongs to the darkness in all of us, proudly howling at the moon and sinking their fangs deep within our necks. Come, and have a drink with this killer tour package. The night is young and life is short!
HEILUNG is set to traverse the sacred lands of Albion, Eiru, and Erop on their penultimate pilgrimage. In one of their final calls before an indefinite slumber, HEILUNG, joined by the ethereal Faroese enchantress Eivør will awaken the ancestral spirits across 15 unique dates across the UK, Ireland & Europe.
HEILUNG‘s ceremonies are neither mere performances nor concerts; they are full immersions into the very essence of nature and spirit. These sacred rituals reach back in time amplifying history through neofolk music, dancing, and spirituality. Envision the ancient runes breathed to life amidst the sounds of bones, skin-drums, and the communal voice of the tribe.
Albion, Eiru Ok Erop Ferdhast 2025 Tour: 07 March: Helsinki, FI @ Ice Hall 09 March: Stockholm, SE @ Hovet 12 March: Oslo, NO @ Spektrum 14 March: Aarhus, DK @ ACC 16 March: Copenhagen, DK @ Black Box 19 March: Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinehalle 21 March: Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion 23 March: Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal 15 April: London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy 17 April: Dublin, IR @ 3Arena 19 April: Edinburgh, UK @ O2 Academy 21 April: Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo 23 April: Lille, FR @ Zenith 25 April: Lyon, FR @ Halle Tony Garnier 27 April: Milan, IT @ Teatro Arcimboldi
HEILUNG don’t play shows. They perform a ritual. Every performance begins with Kai Uwe Faust leading Christopher Juul, Maria Franz and the rest of the Nordic collective 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.
Since they began in 2015, Heilung have been paving melodic paths to the past with their unique and mystifying sound. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, the group aptly self-describes their sound as “amplified history,” emphasizing their ability to connect modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through music.
“Our ancestral Nordic civilizations did not just pop up, exist and disappear in isolation”, says Faust, a throat singer and one of Heilung’s three composers. “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 founding member Christopher Juul implements subtle electronic elements that elevates the musical atmosphere and provides a more in-depth and layered soundscape.
Indeed, Heilung’s success has been unprecedented, achieving milestones in its few short years of existence that many do not see in a lifetime. The collective already had rapidly been 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. Luckily for those who were not fortunate enough to bare witness to this magical event, the full ceremony was captured on film, having since been viewed by tens of millions of fans across the globe.
As Heilung trekked across Europe and brought their mystifying experience to new audiences, talk of this new band and their stunning ceremony made 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. Upon the first week of the record’s release, it graced the Billboard charts with coveted numbers, debuting at #3 on the Heatseekers Charts and #4 on the Billboard World Music Chart, placing on a total of seven Billboard charts while meeting critical-acclaim from the press on a global scale.
Their music has even appeared in places that extend far beyond typical concert venues. From hit television series like Game of Thrones and Vikings to video game giants like Conqueror’s Blade VII: “Wolves of Ragnarök and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to the blockbuster Robert Eggers film The Northman, Heilung’s music has risen far above the underground and has transcended into a greater 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. In English, Drif translates as “Gathering”. The music embodies this philosophy by tying together the beginning of civilization with today’s modern society.
Heilung now perform their rituals 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 will be released on vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray in 2025, along with another performance at the Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith, London.
During the lead-up to the new LIFAs, 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 last year. But no matter where they are, Heilung always begin their performance with a humbling reminder of where we all come from.
“Remember, we are all brothers. All people, beasts, tree and stone and wind, we all descend from the one great being that was always there, before people lived and named it, before the first seed sprouted.”
Line-up: Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz
Serpentyne have unleashed their highly anticipated new album “Tales From The Dark”, a bold evolution of their symphonic metal sound. The album refines its signature fusion of orchestral grandeur and modern metal intensity, weaving together fast-paced, cinematic compositions with powerful vocal harmonies. Fans of Nightwish, Within Temptation, and Eluveitie will find themselves immersed in a dynamic and evocative listening experience. The road to “Tales From The Dark” has been paved with an electrifying single that introduced listeners to the album’s rich sonic universe. The first glimpse came with “Prophetess of Dreams”, a hard-hitting and fast-paced track that set the stage with machine-gun guitar riffs and an ominous tale of fate and destiny. Now, the album release is accompanied by the focus track “Run For Your Life”, a relentless and high-energy anthem that captures urgency and fear through a powerful mix of 8-string guitar work, soaring vocals, and layered orchestration. This song encapsulates the cinematic intensity of Serpentyne’s evolved sound, pulling listeners into a desperate chase for survival.
With “Tales From The Dark”, Serpentyne solidifies its place at the forefront of the symphonic metal scene, delivering an album that is heavier, darker, and more dynamic than ever before.
“Tales From The Dark” is available now as of February 14, 2025, on all major streaming platforms and in physical format at the following links:
Track Listing: 1. Prophetess of Dreams 2. Into The Night 3. Dangerous Mind 4. Ghosts of Times Past 5. Run for Your Life 6. Evil From Within 7. Dreamer 8. Seance 9. March of Death 10. Promised Land
Album Credits: Maggiebeth Sand – Lead Vocals Nigel Middleton – Bass and Vocals Lee Willmer – Guitars John Haithwaite – Keyboards Marco – Drums Recorded by Maggiebeth Sand, Lee Willmer and John Haithwaite Produced and arranged by Serpentyne Mixed and Mastered by Justin Hill Front cover Artwork by Harley Velasquez Digipack & booklet design by Maggiebeth Sand
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
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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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )