Following the explosive debut of their first single, Lex Legion returns with “Gypsy Tears,” a haunting and powerful new track that further reveals the depth and identity of this veteran supergroup.
The single releases today, and its music video can be viewed below.
Featuring members of the classic King Diamond lineup—Mikkey Dee, Andy La Rocque, Pete Blakk, and Hal Patino—alongside vocalist Nils K. Rue (Pagan’s Mind), Lex Legion continues to channel decades of heavy metal mastery into something both timeless and fresh.
Where their debut single “Sleep Eternally” hit with immediate force, “Gypsy Tears” showcases a more atmospheric and dynamic side of the band.
Built on eerie melodies, driving rhythms, and soaring vocal lines, the track balances mysticism with raw power—shifting between evocative passages and undeniable, headbanging momentum.
Driven by Mikkey Dee’s unmistakable groove, layered with intricate twin-guitar work from La Rocque and Blakk, and anchored by Hal Patino’s melodic basslines, the song creates a cinematic soundscape that feels both classic and forward-looking. At the center, Rue delivers a commanding vocal performance filled with drama and intensity.
It’s now time to release our second single; “Gypsy Tears”. Another great song with a lot of fire and bite, this one is a real driving banger! The video, it’s more of a short movie, does a great job of telling the story in the lyrics. Release is on the 5th of May. Check it out! – Mikkey Dee
At its core, the song is a dark portrait of obsession, told through the eyes of a watcher who cannot let go. The video reimagines this as a timeless story of love and longing that stretches beyond reality itself. Through layered metaphors, the lyrics transform personal conflict into vast, symbolic landscapes—where emotional collapse feels like war-torn ground. – Nils K. Rue
Gypsy Tears is the essence of me, Mikkey, Andy and Hal. With me and Andy trading off solos and the power of Mikkey and Hal’s rhythm section all supporting the powerful vocals of Nils, the song really brings a new dimension to metal in 2026. The video is tasteful, mystical and raw. It’s a piece of art that will leave no one untouched. – Pete Blakk
“Gypsy Tears” is the second single from Lex Legion’s upcoming self-titled debut album, set for release on June 12, 2026 via MNRK Music Group.
The album captures the spirit of classic heavy metal while embracing the experience and chemistry that only decades of musicianship can bring.
With “Gypsy Tears,” Lex Legion continues to build momentum toward one of the most anticipated hard rock/metal debuts of the year.
Melanie’s Children, the three piece band formed by the son and daughters of the late Melanie Safka, release their debut album, Songs She Sang At Woodstock, on May 8 – just in time for Mother’s Day!
Built around Melanie’s now-legendary set at Yasgur’s Farm on the first day of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, the album is a joyous celebration of what many people regard as the then-22 year old Melanie’s breakthrough performance, on a rainy afternoon in front of an audience who she admitted “didn’t know who I was.”
They certainly remembered her afterwards!
Songs She Sang at Woodstock follows Melanie’s live set from start to finish, omitting only her cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr Tambourine Man.” Drawing material from the two albums she had already released, Melanie – appearing solo, alone on that vast stage with just her guitar for company – treated the increasingly rapturous crowd to versions of her European hit “Beautiful People,” the so-gentle “Close To It All,” and the correspondingly raw “Tuning My Guitar,” future fan favorite “Momma Momma,” the newly written “Birthday Of The Sun” and, released as a single today, the hilarious “Animal Crackers.”
Even more excitingly, Melanie herself plays guitar on these six songs, her contributions taken from an online concert she performed back in 2001. Other instrumentation is played by her son Beau Jarred Schekeryk, who also joins sisters Jeordie Schekeryk and Leilah Safka on vocals, alongside Melanie’s granddaughters Annalisa and Christiana Hayman.
“We felt called to bring together a collection of songs that have shaped our lives, and the lives of so many,” says Leilah. “Growing up on stage with mom , we were surrounded by an extended family – the fans, who made every moment unforgettable. These songs are more than memories, they are living pieces of that journey, an extension of the love, connection, and beautiful moments we’ve carried with us through the years.”
Neither is Woodstock the sole focus of the album. It continues on with five later Melanie contributions, drawn largely from songs that Leilah and Jeordie have performed during their solo careers, digging deep into the catalog for “Taking A Bath” and “The Champagne Song,” but also highlighting the hits “Brand New Key” and “Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Ma,” plus – of course – “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain),” the song that Melanie wrote in the immediate aftermath of Woodstock, with the memory of the audience stretching out into the darkness, all holding lit candles aloft.
The subsequent tradition of crowds raising cigarette lighter and, more recently, cell phones above their heads began there.
Leilah continues, “Mom created so many extraordinary songs that choosing wasn’t easy. But, as we revisited them, something undeniable happened. The right ones rose to the top and together they formed an album that resonates deeply, almost magically, in our hearts.”
The album closes with Beau Jarred alone, and the David Bowie song he recorded to mark the first anniversary of their mother’s death in January 2025, “Everyone Days Hi.” It is a fitting conclusion to an album that is both deeply emotional and joyously fun – the trio’s vocals, honed not only by their old work but also appearances on stage with their mom, are exquisitely blended, topping Beau Jarred’s inventive arrangements and playing. These are Melanie’s songs, but they are Melanie’s Children’s too. They grew up with this music, after all.
Yet they are also very individual songwriters in their own right, and future Melanie’s Children releases – and live performances, too – will spotlight the trio not simply as the children of one of the most talented American songwriters of the age, but also as her heirs.
THE GHOULSTARS, a horror punk supergroup from Finland, are releasing the third and final advance single from their debut album The Dark Overlords of the Universe, out May 15th, 2026 on Season of Mist. The title track is accompanied by a music video written and directed by Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso.
“The Dark Overlords of the Universe are an evil alien race from the 1986 film Howard the Duck“, Laakso says. “The movie bombed at the box office, but I’m glad those many-teethed mutants never left my brain. Not only did they give us the perfect name for our first album, they also spawned the title track, which is probably the catchiest song I’ve ever written. We are excited to finally unleash it upon the world!”
The video opens with a nod to George Lucas’ longest-running franchise before stacking up visual references to Barbarella, Kill Bill, Sin City, and the Swedish buddy cop film Kopps. The song itself crosses surf beats and heavy riffing with a guest appearance from Finnish singer Tommi “Tuple” Salmela, producing a chorus that is, as the band put it, destined to never ever grow old.
Video Credits:
Written and directed by Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso. Cinematography, editing and VFX by Riku Jokinen. Lighting by Sami Kokkonen. Set design and villain wardrobe by Markus Laakso.
Starring:
The Ghoulstars feat. Tuple Salmela as the Dark Overlords of the Universe. Miika Kinnunen as the Astro Clone Army. Pasi Kankkunen as the Fly-Eyed Master. Tuple Salmela as the Fly-Eyed Master reincarnated. Toni Hiltunen, Kalle-Pekka Salmela, Sami Kokkonen, Maasu Matilainen and Pasi Kankkunen as the Unfortunate Five.
The Dark Overlords of the Universe has already drawn early praise. Soundi awarded it 4/5, calling it “a monstrously good opening move that’s sure to invite repeated listens” and adding that “this is a band you’ll definitely want to hear more from in the future.” Black Angel Promotion noted that “fans of The Misfits, Wednesday 13, and White Zombie should swarm to this like freshly turned corpses sniffing out warm flesh.”
They Dance Upon Our Graves (3:52) Full runtime: 33:37
Old crusty metalheads can be stuck in their ways, but THE GHOULSTARS are a fresh—and frightening—blast from the past. Since invading the land of the living back in 2021, the horror punk supergroup has captivated press and tantalized crowds in their native haunt of Finland without releasing a single bloody track. Until now! Evil mastermind Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso and his fellow pop-culture junkies are raising the cobwebbed curtain from their blockbuster debut album. On The Dark Overlords of the Universe, no tome is too sacred for these ghouls to summon back to life!
“The Dark Overlords of the Universe is a love letter to our fifteen-year-old selves”, Laakso says. “It’s crammed with headbanging metal riffs, shout-along punk rock choruses, B-movie easter eggs, ’80s aesthetics, surprising curveballs and the sheer joy of all the pieces falling into the right places. Move over, Rover, and let the ghouls take over!”
Despite their ghostly appearance, The Ghoulstars are a collection of real talent. Axeman Laakso and goose-bumping drummer Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen shared a past life together in the Top Ten charting Finnish death-doom band Kuolemanlaakso. Bassist Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen formerly haunted the low end for Season of Mist labelmates Hooded Menace while moonhowler Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure croons for the stoner rockers Thermate.
Banding The Ghoulstars together is a freaky obsession with the classic metal, punk and movies that blew their minds as kids. The Dark Overlords of the Universe is named after the many-teethed mutants from the 1986 cult classic Howard the Duck. “I grew up during a time when movies in Finland were censored, so my hobby was collecting uncensored VHS tapes of horror and sci-fi movies any way I could”, Laakso reveals. As a young skeleton, he frequently raided European record store crates for The Misfits, Bad Religion and obscure metal finds, though the album’s lead single spun off from his schooling in the U.S. With Mötley Crüe’s pomp and the can’t-do attitude of Twisted Sister roaming its halls, lead single “Too Ghoul for School” is jam-packed with more fun-filled ’80s antics than Saturday afternoon detention.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Lost Boys and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are some of my favorite movies”, Laakso says. “I love the cliched characters: the nerds, the jocks, the cool kids and the rebels. They remind me of my junior high school days.”
To bring their ingenious creation to life, The Ghoulstars summoned V. Santura of the mighty Triptykon for the mixing and mastering of The Dark Overlords of the Universe. “Graverobbers from Outer Space” pays homage to Ed Wood’s B-horror classic Plan 9 from Outer Space with a straight-up headbanging chorus, though not many clear-cut punk rippers are enlivened by a doomy C-part and güiro. “That’s one of my favorite moments on the album”, Laakso recalls. The Wolfman, a zombie apocalypse, the brain that wouldn’t die and other cultishly beloved touchstones jump out during the album’s crisp 34-minute runtime. Though the band also enter original plots to horror’s hallowed crypt. Set amidst the cruel unfeeling world of the Wild West, “The Dead in Purgatory” rides a galloping melody after Morricone’s heart into a sunset that’s colored by the fifty shades of Volbeat.
“No spoilers, but all cowboy hats aside, that song deals with feeling hopeless and abandoned by someone close to you who needs but refuses your help”, teases Laakso.
The Ghoulstars may be undead, but there’s nothing pale or lifeless about The Dark Overlords of the Universe. The title track crosses surf beats, heavy riffing and a hair-raising transition into a chorus that’s absolutely to die for. “We can’t wait to unleash this delightful horror upon the world”, Laakso says with an ominous glint in his bloodshot eye. “As V. Santura told me: ‘The record is unique, catchy and a really fun listen’.”
With The Dark Overlords of the Universe, The Ghoulstars direct a monstrously catchy mash-up between metal, punk and B-horror.
Line-up: Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso — Guitars Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen — Drums Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure — Vocals Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen — Bass
Guest Musicians: Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns — Backing Growls Tommi “Tuple” Salmela — Backing Vocals on “The Dark Overlords of the Universe”
Two cult classics of the late 1980s, early 1990s Hard Rock and Metal genre are now available via High Roller Records on all formats:
Songwriter and vocalist Peppi Marchello was the founder of the legendary hard rock/AOR outfit The Good Rats from Long Island. The band was amassing an enormous regional following but never broke through on a nationwide scale. By 1984, The Good Rats were on hold and Peppi Marchello started working on a collaboration with his son Gene Marchello, who was an up and coming guitar player in his own right. The initial name of the project was to be “Popzarocca” but CBS Records at the time thought it wiser for Marchello senior to stay in the background and take on the role of songwriter and producer, with son Gene being the focus of the band as guitarist and vocalist.
Gene explains: “The company wasn’t really interested in my dad, he was an older guy and really after a while he thought that this could be the time to give me the chance.”
Thus “Marchello” the band, fronted by the one and only Gene Marchello was born…
In March 1989, Marchello’s debut album “Destiny” hit the shelves, combining high quality AOR/melodic heavy rock with Gene’s amazing vocals and fretboard skills. The song “First Love” was chosen as the first single and achieved heavy rotation on MTV.
Today, “Destiny” is hailed as a forgotten gem of the genre.
However, this was not the end of Marchello, as the band started work on a second album… Gene takes over the story: “Same band line-up… we tried a few different producers, but again it felt best with me and my dad taking the lead on the direction“
The two Marchello’s completed the material for the projected second album, songs such as “Every Man’s Lover”, “Wall Of Paper” and the epic “All God’s Angels” were scheduled to be published by CBS in 1991… In the end though, the actual release was canceled by the label (exact reasons unknown but the changing landscape toward grunge was causing the major labels of the time to reposition their focus away from metal bands of the 1980s).
Also now available via High Roller Records, you can hear now with your own ears that the second Marchello album “Power Of Money“, also newly remastered, is every note as good as Marchello’s debut album – if not better.
These new remastered editions of both albums on High Roller Records will surely make the name Gene Marchello known to a much broader public… and as for new Marchello music… watch this space!
For fans of high quality melodic 1980s hard rock / metal as diverse as: TNT, Fifth Angel, Journey, Riot, Dokken.
EVERGREY, Gothenburg’s masterminds of melancholia, release another song leading up to their upcoming fifteenth album, Architects Of A New Weave, out June 5, 2026, via Napalm Records.The encouraging new single “Leaving The Emptiness” offers a chorus that breaks through like sunlight piercing storm clouds. More than 30 years into their career, EVERGREY reshape their future masterfully, turning their inner fire into something unstoppable.
This is melodic, progressive, dark metal at its most massive and intimate: Dream weavers rising. Architects are stepping up to claim what comes next. The new track comes with an official music video that’s visually underlining its signature character.
Tom S. Englund about the new single “Leaving The Emptiness”: “Our new single is a high-energy firecracker that makes you want to jump—we know, because we just played it in Brazil twice and people were more in the air than on the ground. But don’t let the adrenaline fool you. Underneath the surge is something rawer—a song about the moment you stop running from what hurts and finally turn to face it. ‘Leaving The Emptiness’ hits hard because it earns it. The tension between the euphoric, major-key drive and the weight of the lyrics is completely intentional—we want you to feel joy and ache at the same time, because that’s what it actually feels like to face your demons and come out the other side. We also made a video that matches that energy in every way, and we genuinely cannot wait for you to see it. If you’ve ever stood in a crowd and felt the music pull something out of you that you didn’t know was still there—for us, this is that song.”
EVERGREY ’s new full-length, Architects Of A New Weave, will be released just days before the band takes the stage as special guest to the undisputed kings of heavy metal, Iron Maiden, for two shows on their Run For Your Lives World Tour.
Tom S. Englund about Architects Of A New Weave: “We’ve literally never had this much trouble picking singles. And honestly? That’s the best problem we could possibly have. Every song on this record is fighting to be the one you hear first—because we poured everything into making an album we’re flat-out obsessed with. Like always there are no fillers, no compromises, just twelve tracks we’re stupidly proud of and will be for the rest of our lives. Pre-order the album now and join the weave!”
Dive into Architects Of A New Weave’s standout tracks like “The World is on Fire,”“Leaving The Emptiness,” “Heaven,” “The Prophecy,” and the breathtaking title anthem “Architects Of The New Weave.” Their choruses break through like sunlight piercing storm clouds: enormous, cinematic melodies that pull you upward, riffs with genuine weight and bite, and vocals dripping with raw, unflinching truth. In the second half of the album, fellow Gothenburg icon Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver, Cemetery Skyline) joins Tom S. Englund in vocal duties for “A Burning Flame,” the voices of the two scene legends intertwined compellingly. Architects Of A New Weave was produced by Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar, with a stellar mix by Adam “Nolly” Getgood.
Among other exclusive formats, Architects Of A New Weave comes with a bonus album containing bonus tracks “Heights” and “One Heart,” as well as an album mix of the previously released standalone single “OXYGEN!” (2025). Additionally, it features a demo version of “Longing”, instrumental tracks of “Leaving The Emptiness”, both new songs, as well as a live version of “Falling From The Sun”, the hit single off the previous record, Theories of Emptiness (2024) and continuation of “Ominous” off of A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (2022).
Architects Of A New Weave tracklist: 1 Welcome To The Pattern 2 The Shadow Self 3 Architects Of The New Weave 4 The World Is On Fire 5 Heaven 6 The Script 7 Leaving The Emptiness 8 Longing 9 A Burning Flame 10 Call Off Your Lions 11 Chains Of Shame 12 The Prophecy
EVERGREY LIVE 2026
Festivals 03.–06.06.26 SE – Norje / Sweden Rock Festival 04.–07.06.26 PL – Gdańsk / Mystic Festival 21.06.26 BE – Dessel / Graspop Metal Meeting 27.06.26 RO – Chimbay / Rockstadt Extreme Fest
10.06.26 NL – Amsterdam / (with Iron Maiden) 12.06.26 NL – Uden / De Pul 13.06.26 NL – Zoetermeer / Boerderij 15.06.26 DE – Freiburg / Crash 16.06.26 AT – Feldkirch / Altes Hallenbad 17.06.26 DE – Mannheim / 7er Club 18.06.26 DE – Münster / Sputnikhalle 19.06.26 DE – Vechta / Gulfhaus 22.06.26 FR – Paris / (with Iron Maiden) 24.06.26 DE – Hannover / Bei Chez Heinz
Freedom World Crusade As Special Guest for HammerFall 11.09.26 US – Atlanta, GA 13.09.26 US – Leesburg, VA 15.09.26 US – New York, NY 16.09.26 US – Worcester, MA 18.09.26 US – Derry, NH 19.09.26 CA – Ottawa, ON 20.09.26 CA – Montreal, QC 22.09.26 CA – Toronto, ON 23.09.26 US – Lakewood, OH 24.09.26 US – Columbus, OH 25.09.26 US – St. Charles, IL 26.09.26 US – Hobart, IN 27.09.26 US – Green Bay, WI 29.09.26 US – Denver, CO 01.10.26 US – Pomona, CA 02.10.26 US – Los Angeles, CA 03.10.26 US – San Juan Capistrano, CA 06.10.26 US – Portland, OR 07.10.26 CA – Vancouver, BC 08.10.26 US – Seattle, WA
EVERGREY are: Tom S. Englund – vocals, guitar Stephen Platt – guitar Rikard Zander – keyboard Simen Sandnes – drums Johan Niemann – bass
Over the last two decades, melodic-synth-metal-force DELAIN has established itself as an enduring force in modern melodic metal, known for its powerful songwriting, a distinctive musical identity, and a dynamic sound. Since the release of their debut album, Lucidity, twenty years ago, DELAIN has built a dedicated international following with albums such as April Rain, We Are the Others, The Human Contradiction, and more recent releases, including Dark Waters in 2023, which debuted at #9 on both the Official German Album Charts and the US Hard Music Albums chart, marking it the band’s most successful record to date.
Celebrating 20 years since the release of Lucidity, DELAIN is entering a new creative phase and officially kicking this off with the announcement of ten extraordinary live shows in February 2027. For this special tour, DELAIN will present a special format featuring a unique selection of high-profile guest musicians and vocalists, offering a memorable and varied live experience.
Among these special guests is Marko Hietala, whose long-standing connection with band mastermind Martijn Westerholt has resulted in some of DELAIN´s most iconic collaborations. His appearance on this tour marks a powerful reunion and a highlight for fans. Additional guest performers will be announced at a later stage.
With this exceptional run of shows, DELAIN invites audiences to experience its music in a new and exciting way – celebrating both its legacy and its future.
DELAIN FEAT. MARKO HIETALA 2027 Special Guest: INFECTED RAIN Support: TBA
02.02.27 DE – Cologne / Live Music Hall 03.02.27 DE – Bremen / Modernes 04.02.27 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater 05.02.27 DE – Leipzig / Hellraiser 06.02.27 DE – Karlsruhe / Substage 07.02.27 CH – Pratteln / Z7 08.02.27 DE – Munich / Backstage 09.02.27 DE – Frankfurt / Batschkapp 10.02.27 LU – Esch-sur-Alzette / Rockhal 11.02.27 NL – Tilburg / O13
Known for blending heavy guitars with orchestral and synth-driven elements, DELAIN’s music has continually evolved while maintaining a recognisable and self-driven creative direction. Through extensive touring and international live experience, DELAIN has developed a strong connection with audiences worldwide. Throughout their history, the band has also collaborated with a wide range of guest musicians, contributing to some of its most memorable moments. DELAIN is currently working on an extraordinary new release featuring unique high-profile collaborations, set to be unveiled ahead of the upcoming tour, marking a new chapter in its ongoing story.
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 ) 