After singer, composer, and producer Tobias Sammet spent the past few years mostly dedicating himself to his epic metal opera project Avantasia, he now seems intent on bringing the story of his band project Edguy to a close. A week ago, the band announced a single headlining concert in their hometown of Fulda, set to take place in the summer of 2027 at the Domplatz. Edguy broke their silence with the following momentous words:
“Some stories deserve a final chapter. Let’s write ours together.
June 25, 2027. Fulda.”
The fan community didn’t need to be told twice, and the show was confirmed sold out after just a few days. Over 9,000 tickets were sold, and according to the band, this is just the beginning:
“You are awesome. The final chapter has only just begun.”
This is just one of several hints pointing toward a full Edguy farewell tour in 2027. Furthermore, the Fuldaer Zeitung is reporting not just on a single concert, but on this exact farewell tour:
“Edguy are going on a farewell tour in 2027.”
“Almost nine years after their last performance in 2017, Edguy have decided to take to the world’s concert stages once more and embark on a major farewell tour in 2027. For Germany, however, only a single headline show is planned and—how could it be otherwise—it will take place in Fulda at the Domplatz.”
Even though tickets for Fulda are already completely gone, there is still hope for the announcement of tour dates across the GSA region and Europe in general. A listing on Eventim already reads:
“The concert is part of a final series of shows and marks the beginning of the last chapter of one of the most extraordinary German metal stories of the past three decades.”
With this, the circle closes for Edguy, providing their long-time fans with a fitting live farewell to complete the final chapter of a truly extensive history.
Massachusetts metal and hardcore powerhouse FUMING MOUTH have released their new single and music video, “Cheat Death,” the latest offering from their highly anticipated new album, The Ringing Bell, due out July 17th via Triple B Records.
Following the album’s first single, “A Blaze of Nihilism,” “Cheat Death” arrives as another crushing preview of the band’s most powerful and personal record to date. Fueled by relentless riffs, pummeling rhythms, and the unmistakable urgency that has become synonymous with FUMING MOUTH, the track channels hard-earned resilience into one of the album’s most direct and impactful statements.
Regarding the song, vocalist and guitarist Mark Whelan comments:
“This is the opening song on our new album. It was important to me to start it with a blunt and positive message that didn’t beat around the bush. Cheat Death also sets the stage for the journey from death back to life on The Ringing Bell. It was one of our simplest and most fun songs to write.”
For centuries, the ringing of a bell has signified moments of consequence—warning of danger, marking celebration, calling communities together, or signaling the completion of a difficult journey. The symbolism resonates deeply throughout The Ringing Bell, an album forged through perseverance, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to moving forward.
Since emerging from New England’s underground more than a decade ago, FUMING MOUTH have steadily established themselves as one of heavy music’s most respected and uncompromising bands. What began as a passion project led by Whelan evolved into a globally recognized force through a string of acclaimed releases, relentless touring, and an ever-expanding reputation for combining crushing heaviness with genuine emotional weight.
The Ringing Bell Track List: 1. Cheat Death 2. Self-Exhumed 3. Finally Fearless 4. A Blaze of Nihilism 5. After Oblivion 6. Hidden in the Moor 7. Vivid Revelations 8. Flourishing Flesh 9. The Ringing Bell 10. Barbarian Scourge 11. Respect Mortality
Across The Ringing Bell, the band refine every aspect of their sound. Towering riffs, punishing rhythms, bleak atmosphere, and memorable songwriting collide with a newfound sense of focus and urgency. Jay Weinberg’s (Slipknot, Suicidal Tendencies) explosive performance behind the kit injects fresh energy into the material, while Whelan’s unmistakable vocal ferocity and guitar work drive the album forward with uncompromising intensity.
The result is a record that feels both deeply personal and universally cathartic—an album born from struggle, perseverance, and the determination to emerge stronger from adversity.
In support of The Ringing Bell, FUMING MOUTH will embark on a US tour with SIX FEET UNDER in August, followed by a tour with REVOCATION, DEFEATED SANITY, AND WEEPING in September/October . Tickets are available now at https://fumingmouth.com/pages/tour
Aug 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag Aug 13 – Des Moines, IA @ XBK Aug 14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black CIrcle Aug 15 – Manitowoc, WI @ Petskull Brewing Aug 16 – Cadillac, MI @ The Venue Aug 19 – Rochester, NY @ Photo City Music Hall Aug 20 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery Aug 21 – Harrisburg, PA @ Capital City Music Hall Aug 22 – Cleveland, OH @ No Class
Sep 10 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium Sep 11 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Sep 12 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Sep 13 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary Sep 15 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar Sep 16 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre Sep 17 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange Sep 18 – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room Sep 19 – Calgary, AB @ Dickens Sep 20 – Kelowna, BC @ The Revelry Sep 22 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Sep 23 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon Sep 24 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s Sep 25 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz Sep 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 Sep 27 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Underground Sep 28 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar Sep 30 – Denver, CO @ HQ Oct 1 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Oct 2 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies Oct 3 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Oct 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground Oct 6 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In Oct 7 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy Oct 8 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club Oct 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Oct 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Finnish melodic metal powerhouse ARION continue the rollout for their forthcoming fifth studio album with the release of their brand-new single and music video, “Into The Fire”, out now via RPM. Following the explosive first taste delivered by “Hurricane”, the band return with another high-energy anthem that combines towering melodies, crushing riffs, and an emotionally charged message about courage, trust, and stepping into the unknown.
Built around furious riffs, huge arrangements, intense vocals and a fiery guitar solo, “Into The Fire” captures the moment of overcoming fear and finding strength through connection. Guitarist and songwriter Iivo Kaipainen explains: “A jump into the unknown may feel scary, yet sometimes there’s no option but to go. If only there was someone to help you make that decision, to take that leap and jump with you: You close your eyes, take their hand and now you feel strong enough. That’s what ‘Into The Fire’ is about.” The result is a powerful melodic metal track that further showcases ARION’s ability to blend modern heaviness with arena-sized hooks and heartfelt storytelling.
ARION are among Finland’s most exciting modern melodic metal exports. Known for their high-impact songwriting, technical skill and engaging stage presence, the band continues to bridge the gap between classic and modern metal.
Over the years, ARION have toured extensively across Europe and Japan with acts such as Dream Theater, Gloryhammer, Battle Beast, Bloodbound and Sonata Arctica. They have also collaborated with renowned vocalists including Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), Noora Louhimo and Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum / Kamelot).
With tens of millions of streams to their name, including the standout track At The Break Of Dawn surpassing 20 million streams and achieving gold status in Finland, ARION have firmly established themselves as one of the most important new wave metal export acts from the country. Their continued evolution and international presence underline their growing importance in the global metal scene.
Finnish fuzz rock quartet Heezer is preparing for the release of its sophomore full-length album Stereolith, due out on August 13. The self-released record has already been previewed with the gritty groove of “Horse” and the energetic “This Town”, which surprised listeners with melodic hooks borrowed from pop punk. Pre-orders for the album are now available through Levykauppa Äx, with both CD and vinyl editions on offer.
Today, the spotlight turns to the darker and heavier side of the album as Heezer releases “Let It Burn”, accompanied by a striking animated music video.
“We originally planned to make a simple lyric video, but somehow the song felt like it deserved a proper visual story,” recalls bassist Antti Vesikko. “I came up with the idea of telling the song’s dark narrative through a comic without speech bubbles. At one point, with other work stuff piling up and no free time, I started building the project with AI. Thankfully, I came to my senses, scrapped the whole thing and decided it still wasn’t time to let artificial intelligence take the wheel. We brought in Amet Komik Studio to illustrate the story, and I edited the video to follow the dynamics and structure of the song. The result turned out beautifully and fits ‘Let It Burn’ perfectly.”
“We’ve always included slow and heavy songs on our releases, and ‘Let It Burn’ showcases that side of the new album really well,” says drummer Ville Häsä. “The demo was recorded in my home studio. Sami played through the structure on guitar while shouting cues for section changes on the fly. We had the demo together after just a couple of takes, but I didn’t yet realize the full picture. Once the bass and vocals were added, I understood what a great and wonderfully dark song it was. It ended up sounding very close to what you hear on the album. Personally, I love the Soundgarden-inspired bridge section.”
Singer-guitarist Sami Kääriäinen adds:
“The verses, written by Antti, deal with mental struggles and the twists and turns of the mind, while the choruses offer a rather straightforward solution: let it all burn. The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, though. Once again, Heikki Pöyhiä delivered some absolutely brilliant backing vocals.”
“Stereolith” tracklist: 1. Horse 2. This Town 3. Stone I Am 4. Let It Burn 5. Moonshine 6. Mountain 7. Crazy 8. The Van 9. Desert
Heezer stand firmly behind their professional DIY mindset and they’ve taken major steps forward in their evolution – from stronger songwriting to a higher production level. The band’s sharpened approach shines through in a powerful and distinctive result. Still, their main principle remains unchanged: making music has to stay fun, now and in the future.
Heezer have been steadily winning over audiences both on streaming platforms and on stage. See band live this summer:
3.7. Playhouse Bar, Helsinki w/ Monsternaut (FIN), I Am Low (SWE) 4.7. Bar Kotelo, Tampere w/ Atomic Annie (FIN), Le Mondays (SWE) 17.7. Stereolith-album pre-listening party, Kuluma Pub, Imatra (+ live-stream) 7.8. Patruuna Fest, Imatra 14.8. Nirvana, Turku
Heezer line-up: Sami Kääriäinen – vocals, guitar Ville Räsänen – guitar Antti Vesikko – bass Ville Häsä – drums
Finnish modern metal band Volucrine are set to release their fifth album via Inverse Records on September 25th 2026. The third single and music video ‘Volucrine’ is unleashed today and it’s available on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/volucrine-st
–Composed & lyrics by Jupe Velin –ISRC-code: FI3FC2655104 –Single cover by Jupe Velin
The band’s mastermind Jupe Velin comments: Looking back, we as a band have come full circle. Our new album returns to its roots 15 years later, exploring the journey a person must take when ending a long-term relationship, and in that context, our new title track VOLUCRINE shines as a thematically central pillar. Often, bitterness and bad blood remain after a breakup, but personal growth remains a false hope if you take those feelings along as companions on your journey. The song tells of the struggle to reclaim sole dominion overone’s own state of mind. The lyrics convey such a powerful sense of empowerment and a certain sense of hope that we decided to name the song after our band.
As a composition, “Volucrine” is as quintessentially Volucrine as it gets. You can hear familiar echoes from the days of our more melodic and straightforward production. Technical riffs are, of course, doled out as usual, but the focus is on keeping the “engine running” all the way to the end with a suitably rocking vibe. Our current lineup is full of handsome fellas, so we decided to maximize everyone’s screen time in the music video and create something new at the same time. In my opinion, the execution supports our undeniable live energy and gives a good preview of how it will be channeled at upcoming shows:
August 15 – Barska Rocks 2026, Lahti Market Square October 2 – House of Rock, Kouvola October 3 – The Van, Kotka October 16 – Bar 15 Basement, Seinäjoki
VOLUCRINE are a Finnish alternative metal collective, who released their debut album in 2011. Four albums, two EP’s and countless live shows later, the band’s personal style has been honed to its peak, still emphasizing bold testing of boundaries within their genre. The band has a strong focus on their lyrics, which, due to their deeply personal nature, give Volucrine’s music a human voice.
After the ETNA LP (Inverse Records 2024), which garnered a lot of positive attention worldwide, the band is finally ready to present new material from their upcoming album, which will be released in the fall. With the theme of rebirth, we can expect the unexpected from this album as a great circle is closed.
Line-up: Jupe Velin – Vocals Joni Kyynäräinen – Bass Jani Aalto – Drums Marko Orava – Guitar Erik Lindroos – Guitar
In 2023, Steve Rosen wrote “Tonechaser – Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen”. Tonechaser was based on Rosen’s 26-year friendship with the iconic guitarist. Tonechaser is now in its 3rd printing.
Steve Rosen has been a legendary rock journalist during a career lasting 50 years. He has written for Guitar Player, Guitar World, Classic Rock, Mojo, Playboy, Los Angeles Times and many other prestigious publications. He has written biographies on several artists including Black Sabbath, Randy Rhoads, Free/Bad Company, and others.
Now Steve has turned his attention to his long time admiration for the legendary Jeff Beck… the new book entitled:
“THE ORIGINAL PUNK – JEFF BECK STORIES: FROM YARDBIRD TO THE GUITAR SHOP”
Adds Steve;
“I have been working on the book for about seven months and I am excited to say I have finally completed it!
I first met Jeff back in 1973 when he was working with Beck, Bogert & Appice and subsequently interviewed him three more times including our final conversation in 1989. So the book covers his earliest pre-Yardbirds days and runs through his 1989 release, Guitar Shop.
The records he recorded during that period were in my estimation far and away his most important and creative albums: the Yardbirds albums;; the pair of Jeff Beck Group albums (Truth and Beck-ola); Blow by Blow; and the recordings that followed up until Guitar Shop.
I was also lucky enough to interview many musicians he played with and other key figures in his career including Keith Relf (singer for the Yardbirds); Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja (drummer and rhythm guitarist for the Yardbirds respectively); Stevie Wonder; Stanley Clarke; Max Middleton (keyboardist); Jan Hammer; Les Paul; Pete Townshend; Jimmy Page; John Paul Jones; Ronnie Wood; and many others”.
The book is a 6″x9″ hardback with roughly 360 pages. There are 16 pages of color and black-and-white photos containing some historic and never-seen-before shots.
Those of an old school persuasion can also find the book in your local bookstore or big chain bookstores. Simply go in, ask for The Original Punk by Steve Rosen and they can order either a softback or hardback for you. The book is available virtually everywhere on the planet.
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 