Finnish hard rock band Rylos has released their fourth single, Broken Promises, from their upcoming album Signs of Life.
Broken Promises is a heavy rock song that conveys the message that, in life, we just have to keep believing in ourselves and try again, no matter the situation.
Rylos’ fifth album, Signs of Life, will be released on February 28, 2025.
Rylos has been playing energetic rock music since 2013, releasing 4 albums, dozen of singles, and a video game. The band has toured clubs and festivals and is ready to hit hard.
On March 28th, 2025, award-winning guitarist and blues artist extraordinaire Erja Lyytinen will release her new studio album Smell the Roses. The album is available to pre-orderHERE.
The lead single and title track is released on Wednesday January 29th and is accompanied by a new music video. Elaborating on the track Erja said: “The message is simple – wake up and Smell the Roses. There’s so much beauty in the world, so why don’t we stop and enjoy it rather than fighting and wanting more.”
The single is available on all streaming platforms HERE. Watch the music video HERE.
It’s been three years since the release of Erja Lyytinen’s last solo studio album, Waiting for the Daylight. Since then, the high-flying Finn has continued to tour the globe relentlessly, performing at prestigious events such as the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia, headlining HRH Blues at the O2 Academy in Leicester, and making her debut at the legendary Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon, to name but a few.
Throughout her career Erja Lyytinen has appeared on many television shows in her native Finland, but in the latter stages of 2024, the artist was invited to participate in The Masked Singer on Finnish TV. As one would imagine, Erja was sworn to secrecy about her role on the show; even her twin boys were left guessing whether their mum was on the programme. “I got to perform on The Masked Singer in Finland, where I made it through to the finals. It was such a fantastic experience, and I always love doing TV shows. My character was “Skeleton,” and I got to sing cool songs like “Master of Puppets,” by Metallica, “Running up That Hill,” by Kate Bush and “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. I recorded my version of the latter as a single.”
Amid extensive touring activity and her stint on The Masked Singer, at the close of 2024, the Queen of the Slide Guitar released a new live album titled 20 Years of Blues Rock! The concert recording was captured in her hometown of Helsinki, Finland during an evening that celebrated a musical milestone – that being the 20th anniversary of the release of Erja’s debut solo album Wildflower.
During what was already a sterling year for the artist, in November 2024 Erja Lyytinen was recognised as an Angel of Rock at the HRH Awards in Great Yarmouth following in the footsteps of legends of the genre such as Doro Pesch and Jackie Chambers from Girlschool. “It really made me very happy. Especially being a Finnish artist who started playing guitar at fifteen years old and dreamed of playing abroad for audiences. It feels great and being recognized always gives me a push to improve myself as an artist. It also makes me feel so grateful to my fans who have been so supportive all these decades.”
Behind the scenes, throughout much of 2024, Erja was in the studio working on her upcoming full-length studio album. “2024 was very innovative for me. I started to write new songs in Spring 2024 when I had a chance between my hectic schedule,” says Erja. “On my last studio album from 2022, Waiting for the Daylight, we had lots of layers on each track – violins, keyboards, tens of guitar tracks and lots of backing tracks. With the new album, I wanted to go the opposite direction. For the album Smell the Roses I wanted to put the focus on the guitar riffs and guitar solos and make the band instruments stand out individually.”
Smell the Roses continues to showcase Erja Lyytinen’s musical evolution as the artist proceeds to push her creative boundaries with each release that follows. “The album’s backing tracks were recorded at Hollywood House Studios in Helsinki. I told my mixing engineer Matias Kiiveri to go for the sound of seventies rock albums. I have been recently listening to mainly vinyl and recordings from the sixties and early seventies,” explains Erja. “While mixing the album, we used some analogue gear like a two-track tape machine to get a fat and warm sound on the album. This sound and the organic way of creating music speaks to me a lot.”
Erja once again was at the helm of production duties during the recording of Smell the Roses. “I was working in the studio with my band for only three days, and all the backing tracks were recorded at that time. Then I recorded my guitar solos and vocals on my own at Sniper´s Studio in Helsinki,” confirmed Erja. “This is not the first time I produced and recorded my own album, so I knew what to expect from the task. There were long hours and hard decisions and a lot of guitar playing on my own! I didn’t let myself off easy in the studio this time either. I challenged myself to create more advanced solos than ever before. The album has some fully arranged guitar solos, but also some improvisational lead parts.”
Whilst the genesis of the artist’s last three albums centred around the breakdown of a relationship, by her admission she wanted to make the songs on Smell the Roses to be “edgier”. “There are songs about encountering deep sorrow, meaning getting the blues and subsequently going to hell. Topics like forgiveness, hope, lust, loss and betrayal have been inspiring my songs along with my love for nature. I wanted to add a bit of mystery to some of the songs too,” she says. “There are some puzzles you need to put together yourself.”
Like a lot of artists, Erja wants the subject of her lyrics to be open to the listener’s interpretation. “I don’t want to explain the songs too thoroughly but rather have the listener find their story and their interpretation of the song. Titles like “Going to Hell, “Abyss”, and “Empty Hours” probably tell a lot – this isn’t just an album played in a major chord with a smile on your face,” laughs Erja. “The album is a lot heavier than my previous ones, but it does still lift you up. The rhythms on the album are groovy and rocky and I´m pretty sure most of the songs will be fun to play at festivals and live shows!”
With a March release date, Erja Lyytinen is preparing to spring into action as she unveils her eagerly anticipated new studio album to her loyal followers around the globe. The album release will be accompanied by Erja’s most extensive UK tour since before the pandemic.
Smell the Roses, the new album from Erja Lyytinen, will be released on March 28th, 2025 via Tuohi Records. For further information, including an up-to-date touring schedule, please visit https://erjalyytinen.com/tour.
Swedish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band Blister Brigade is set to release their fourth studio album ‘A Rioting New Breed’ on April 25th 2025 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Smokescreen’ from the forthcoming album is out today and it’s available on all essential streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/bb-smokescreen
The band comments: “Full speed, no remorse. This track is representative to when Blister Brigade goes unhinged and full ”pedal to the metal”. The song has a Motörhead-inspired main riff, intense vocals and the double bassdrum is pounding like a freight train. The lyrics is basically about fake people with bad intentions that you are starting to see through. The breakdown in the middle of the song where it dives down to half-tempo, almost brings a doom-feeling to it. That adds some very cool and dark dynamics to a fast and intense song. It´s also one of the shortest songs we´ve ever written.”
Album recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Max Malmer (Malmer Productions) Guest Vocals on ”The Duke” by David Nilsson (Feral, Mace´n´Chain) Album cover by Christian Wallin (Illustrations By Christian Wallin)
Line-up: Gustav Lund: Lead/Rythm Guitar, Vocals Samuel Larsson: Lead/Rythm Guitar Anders Gustavsson: Bass Rickard Lundmark: Drums
Out today “Sos Filos de sa Morte“, the first single extracted from “Oculus Mortis“, the new album of the Sardinian Black Metal act UNHOLY IMPURITY. The album release is set for February 28th via Masked Dead Records and Sulphur Music.
Bone maniacs UNHOLY IMPURITY style is sinister and ritualistic, reminiscent of first-era Mayhem and Watain, as well as of Marduk and Celestial Bloodshed. The album features four songs with lyrics in Sardinian language (hence Sardinian Native Black Metal) and an astonishing detailed artwork by the indonesian artist Oik Wasfuk (Watain, Nothing Sacred Artwork).
The album will be officially premiered on February 27th via the popular YouTube channel Black Metal Promotion.
Tracklist: 1) Into The Abyss 2) Black Magic 3) Ancient Stones Of Death 4) The Oldest One 5) The Healer 6) Treutos Corrudos 7) Sos Filos de sa Morte 8) Requiem
Greek atmospheric black metallers LUCIFER’S CHILD announce their long-awaited third studio album titled “The Illuminant”. The band’s return is marked by a new single, “Antichrist”, available for streaming below. “The Illuminant” is set for release on March 28th via Agonia Records.
After a seven year slumber which LUCIFER’S CHILD slipped into following its last full-length record “The Order” – a slumber veiled in shadow and silence – the Greek black metal quartet reawakens the fire which never fully ceased to burn or amaze. In a phoenix-like reprise, the group channels the heights of its esoteric ponder and the depths of its harrowing despair into “The Illuminant”.
The album marks a profound evolution in LUCIFER’s CHILD sound, aspiring to “a journey deeper into the abyss and the emotions, where the extreme meets the melodic, and the unseen becomes manifest,” points out co-founder/guitarist George Emmanuel (ex-Rotting Christ, ex-Chaostar, Necromantia). “Our new album represents a bold evolution in our sound. It is an intense journey that blends the dark, the emotion, and the melody. With eight blasphemous tracks, it is both a reckoning and a revelation, a fire that consumes but also renews. This is our revelation, and we can’t wait to share its intensity across the stages.”
“The Illumimnant” was produced, mixed and mastered by George Emmanuel at Pentagram Studio (Demonical, Septicflesh, Necromantia) with the exception of drums which were recorded at Pale Blue Dot Studios. The album’s cover artwork was hand-drawn by Daniele Valeriani (Dark Funeral, Mayhem).
Tracklisting: 1. Antichrist 2. As Bestas 3. The Serpent And The Rod 4. Ichor 5. Righteous Flama 6. Curse 7. The heavens die 8. And all is prelude
LUCIFER’S CHILD was formed in 2013 in Athens (Greece) by said George Emmanuel and bassist Stathis Ridis (ex-Nightfall). The duo quickly expanded into a quartet, with vocalist Marios Dupont (Karma Violens) and drummer Nick Vell (Chaostar), and released the debut album “The Wiccan” in 2015. Encouraged by the album’s reception, which entailed a string of festival dates (inc. Inferno Festival, Blastfest and Incineration Festival), they delivered a follow-up record titled “The Order” (2018). The album successively emphasized the band’s classic black metal approach, heavy on atmosphere and replete with dark aesthetics, all the more highlighted by Daniele Valeriani‘s cover artwork. The music video for the album’s title song hit over 150k streams on YoutTube and over 500k on Spotify. The collision of Brazilian occultism & Hellenic blasphemy ensues blistering sonic impressions on “Under Statn’s Wrath” – the band’s last output, recorded in alliance with Mystifier and released in 2022. Intact since its formation, LUCIFER’S CHILD line-up welcomes a new bassist on the upcoming album “The Illuminant”, Kostas Gerochristos.
Tour dates: 20.04.2025 – Dark Easter Metal Meeting DE 15-16.05.2025 – Dat Unland Fier Fest DE 27.05-07.06.2025 – Latin America TBC 18.09.2025 – Metal Im Woid DE 08.10.2025 – House Of Metal SWE
Eclipse Records is excited to announce the signing of BLAXEM to a worldwide exclusive deal. A devastatingly heavy modern metal band from Chile, whose music yields comfort and joy in dark times, like a beacon of light accompanied by a distinct heavy feel that rings true. Blaxem recently wrapped up their new EP album entitled Ethereal which will be released via Eclipse Records on May 16, 2025. The album was produced by Dann Hidalgo and Guille Malatsesta, mixed by Dann Hidalgo and mastered by Hakeen Mishea.
For a sample of the band’s past work, check out the music video for their independently released single “Mist”:
“It’s always exciting to start a new musical chapter,” says guitarist Guille Malatesta. “I am very happy to begin working with Eclipse Records alongside my bandmates and brothers. It’s a dream come true, and I have complete trust in the music we create and the way we approach things as a band. Daniel and I have been working towards this since we were very young, and we’ve always hoped to reach this stage.”
Vocalist & guitarist Dann Hidalgo adds, “I have been working for over 8 years now in the music business in general, and this opportunity really makes me dream like a child again. I heard about Eclipse Records because Guille was in New York last year, so I went to visit him, and our mission was to reach someone in the industry there, so it was a long week walking through the streets of New York, discovering new places and meeting new people. We send tons of emails, and the only one that responded was Eclipse, so I am definitely grateful that they gave us a chance, I am ready for what’s to come and make our visions real.”
Blaxem serve up a raucous monster-mash of hard driving crunch n’ burn with their new EP Ethereal. Listeners will rejoice in this glorious journey through the underworld of gut-wrenching riffs and long shadowed caverns, thunderous drums and old stone corridors lit only by the dim and damp glow of torches flickering along the stories of the shattered world written on the walls in dark blood. The bass guitar is lethal phantom, banging in the attic, knocking about in the tool shed, pounding under the cellar stairs, and the growl vocal rips open your soul, raising haunted angels from the red mist to sing you a death knell. That said, Ethereal is amazingly uplifting in its passion, its power, and the unadulterated rawness of the musical presentation. More specifically, track to track, listeners will notice clever, non-linear songwriting chock full of twists, turns, and satisfying surprises as well as lead guitar performances that would bend our hearts to the breaking point and dazzle our senses with such intricate, power-shredding that one stands amazed that so many sweet notes could fit in one measure. As for overall theming, the band seems to illustrate world-culture as a pilgrimage of starless gloom through which we overcome our lack of purpose and direction through truth, strength, and empathy. Ethereal features cover art designed by Hakeen Mishea, and it is scheduled for release on May 16, 2025.
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 )