Following the previously-released first single “Silver” (listen here), German melodic hard rock veterans MAD MAX have shared a lyric video for “Keep You Alive,“ offering another preview of their forthcoming studio album, Stories Of Destiny. Due out on September 4 via ROAR – A Division Of Reigning Phoenix Music, the album finds the band celebrating 45 years of history while continuing to push forward with new material.
Co-written with HELLOWEEN guitarist Sascha Gerstner, “Keep You Alive” serves as the album’s second single and showcases the collaboration through MAD MAX‘s signature blend of powerful riffs, memorable hooks, and timeless, larger-than-life melodic hard rock.
Packed with powerful guitar-driven anthems, memorable melodies and timeless hard rock spirit, Stories Of Destiny combines newly recorded material, long-awaited hidden gems and collaborations with some of the most respected names in the rock and metal world. The album also introduces UK vocalist Alan Clark while welcoming original MAD MAX singer Andreas Baesler as a special guest for his first MAD MAX appearance in 45 years, creating a direct link between the band’s earliest days and its present.
Founded in Münster, Germany in 1981 by guitarist, songwriter and bandleader Jürgen Breforth, MAD MAX have remained one of Europe’s most enduring melodic hard rock and heavy metal acts for more than four decades. Renowned for their unmistakable guitar-driven sound, strong melodies and classic hard rock attitude, the band have built a loyal international following through countless albums, tours and festival appearances.
Reflecting on an extraordinary career while embracing the future,Stories Of Destiny is built around songs Breforth had the honor to co-write with acclaimed musicians including Sascha Gerstner (Helloween), David Readman (Pink Cream 69), Andreas Broon (The Sisters Of Mercy) and Michael Voss, known from his work with Michael Schenker. Reimagined and newly recorded in unmistakable MAD MAX fashion, the album captures both the band’s musical roots and their continued evolution.
Further highlights include two previously unreleased MAD MAX songs from 1991, “Til’ The End Of Time” and “Weapons Of Love”, alongside a newly recorded version of “Piece Of Candy”, based on the very first guitar riff Breforth ever wrote for the band in 1981. Performed as a duet between Alan Clark and Andreas Baesler, the track symbolizes the connection between MAD MAX’s past and present. The Spanish version, “Dulces Falsos”, marks the band’s first-ever song with Spanish lyrics and pays tribute to their growing fanbase across Latin America.
The visual world of Stories Of Destiny also connects to the MAD MAX comic, created by Mexican comic artist Maestro Arturo Said. The comic tells the story of the band from its founding days in 1981 through the 1980s and up to MAD MAX’s first shows in Colombia in 2023, making the album both a musical and visual celebration of the band’s legacy.
Stories Of Destiny Tracklist: 1. Silver 2. Weapons Of Love 3. Keep You Alive 4. Far Behind 5. Piece Of Candy 6. ‘Til The End Of Time 7. Bullet 8. Mad Gone Blind 9. She Was Mine 10. Wings Of Freedom 11. Dulces Falsos
Artist Line-Up: Alan Clark – Vocals Andreas Baesler – Vocals On “Dulces Falsos” & Duet Vocals On “Piece Of Candy” Jürgen Breforth – Guitar Dethy Borchardt – Guitar Fabian Watermann – Bass Axel Kruse – Drums
Italian symphonic power metallers TEMPERANCE delve deeper into their personal deck of Tarot with the release of “Death: Right Before We Die”. The second single from their upcoming album Arcani, coming October 16, 2026 via Napalm Records, deals with an experience the band members shared while on tour. While having dinner in Tallinn, Estonia, during Sabaton Cruise 2024, the restaurant they stayed at caught on fire. That same day, guitarist Marco Pastorino wrote the main melody for the emotive mid-tempo song that now also features intense vocals.
Kristin Starkey about “Death: Right Before We Die”: “This song explores the existential threat to our mortality through the tarot card, Death. It is human nature to try to avoid this eventuality, but the ferryman always finds us. This song is about facing the inevitable ‘end’ not with despair, but by anchoring ourselves in the profound beauty of human connection and the love we share in the present moment. Ultimately, it’s a personal anthem about survival and presence. It’s a reminder to surrender to the journey, seize every single day, and remember that we have the power to define our own fate.”
TEMPERANCE reshuffle the pack with their eighth album, Arcani, coming October 16, 2026 via Napalm Records. Structured around the divinatory practice of Tarot, each of the new songs follows a different card of the Major Arcana deck. Pouring their passion into 13 spellbinding songs with even catchier symphonic melodies than before, TEMPERANCE’s bright future takes shape on Arcani.
Though not a direct concept album, TEMPERANCE position themselves as masters of narrative with their Tarot-themed album, Arcani. Their symphonic grandeur rising to new heights on their memorable eighth album, the Italian five-piece knows how to make their trademark alternating vocalists stand out. With the most personal lyrics of their career, the lines recorded in group sessions binding the band together even more, TEMPERANCE present a strong melodic piece of work, filled with power, passion, and perspective.
Marco Pastorino about Arcani: “We are finally here to announce our new album, Arcani! 13 incredible new songs that we have worked tirelessly on over the past year, and we are confident they will become an essential part of our live show. Epic symphonic arrangements, harmonies woven through our three distinctive voices, huge metal guitar solos, and a fantastic production! After our adventures around the globe supporting the magical world of Hermitage, we have returned with something magical once again. Welcome to the world of Arcani.”
Their first trump comes in the shape of “The Fool”. Just like the card has uniqueness in Tarot through being unnumbered or assigned 0, Arcani’s opening song takes a special role through the lack of a subtitle. Paving the way for the album, TEMPERANCE have their trademark grand sound take shape in uplifting melodies and powerful duet vocals. For “The Magician: Into the Fire”, male vocals take the lead, the blazing anthem further unfolding the potential of the magical record. The emotive mid-tempo track “Death: Right Before We Die”, introduced by gentle keyboard melodies and fleshed out by impressively high notes, draws from a personal experience the band members shared. “The Tower: Lean Into Fear” takes the form of a hard rock song—an entirely new facet in TEMPERANCE’s musical universe. Its Tarot paragon being a symbol of chaos and catastrophe as well as liberation, it is the perfect song for Kristin Starkey to show her roaring versatility. “The Devil: Sin, Sin, Sin” picks up on its predecessor’s dark undertone, using it for a dramatic composition with an incomparably rousing chorus in which the Italian masters of modern melodic metal truly shine. Following, the quintet unveils a quasi-self-titled track with “Temperance: Forgiveness”. TEMPERANCE turn the virtue card into a well-balanced, encouraging song, claiming, “Another day is coming”, before presenting theirs with the triumphant “The Chariot: Alla Ricerca dell’America” (Engl. “in search of America”), which adds both Italian lyrics, and a Swedish line honoring Starkey’s chosen home, as well as more operatic singing to Arcani. The collectively catchy “Justice: Shame & Glory” portrays a similarly victorious sentiment, before the hopeful “The Star: Surrender Control” has TEMPERANCE move back to contrasting their vocalists. Introduced by electronic melodies, “Wheel of Fortune: Come and Call Me” comes in fast and forceful—fierce change once again matching the symbolism behind the eponymous card. Much calmer, “The Moon: The Man of Moonlight” harmonizes hidden danger through enticing instrumentation and strong vocals, before the intense “The Hanged Man: Petrichor” turns from acoustic guitars to heavy extraordinaire, from metal to opera, pulling together the numerous different styles the five-piece is capable of executing without the “pitture infamante”’s sacrifice. “The World”, much like “The Fool”, stands out in its title, but also as a song itself: The closing track is an acoustic guitar track with predominantly female vocals, mirroring the Major Arcana’s final card in its feeling of success. With it, TEMPERANCE wrap up Arcani with a special feeling of overarching finality while still looking ahead.
Arcani tracklisting:
The Fool
The Magician: Into the Fire
Death: Right Before We Die
The Tower: Lean Into Fear
The Devil: Sin, Sin, Sin
Temperance: Forgiveness
The Chariot: Alla Ricerca dell’America
Justice: Shame & Glory
The Star: Surrender Control
Wheel of Fortune: Come and Call Me
The Moon: The Man of Moonlight
The Hanged Man: Petrichor
The World
TEMPERANCE Live 2026
23.08 RO – Bobalna / Rock Revolution Fest 10.10 AT – Oberwart / Black Unicorn Festival
Supporting KAMELOT’s Dark Asylum World Tour, Europe Pt. 1 w/ EXIT EDEN 01.11.26 UK – London / O2 Sheperd’s Bush Empire 03.11.26 UK – Manchester / O2 Ritz Manchester 05.11.26 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle 06.11.26 CH – Pratteln / Z7 Konzertfabrik 07.11.26 FR – Lyon / La Rayonne 08.11.26 DE – Stuttgart / LKA 10.11.26 PL – Krakow / Klub Studio 11.11.26 PL – Warsaw / Progresja 13.11.26 HR – Zagreb / Boogaloo 14.11.26 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra Red Stage 15.11.26 RS – Belgrade / Hangar 17.11.26 IT – Trezzo sull’Adda / Live Club 18.11.26 IT – Padova / Hall 20.11.26 FR – Toulouse / Metronum 21.11.26 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz 1 22.11.26 ES – Madrid / Sala La Riviera
One of the world’s most captivating guitarists, Yngwie Malmsteen has announced his new studio album, Hell or High Water, which will be released on 13 November via Music Theories Recordings / Artone Label Group. To whet your appetite, he has also revealed the first single from the album, ‘Now or Never,’ which you can listen to HERE.
When we think of the greatest guitar players of all-time, specifically the crème de la crème musicians who invented a whole new style and sound on the instrument, Yngwie J. Malmsteen is a name that sits comfortably alongside game-changers like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Edward Van Halen.
The nine tracks that make up his latest triumph were crafted meticulously and purposefully, away from the distractions that stall the creative process in the modern age. This is something he first tried with 2021’s Parabellum – mainly because of the state of the world at that time – and the results were so strong, he decided to stick with this as his modus operandi moving forward.
“When I started making records, I would just take the songs I had lying around,” he admits. “Later on, I fell into a schedule – make a record, tour the record and then write the next record. Over the pandemic, I realised it was better to focus completely uninterrupted, so I stayed at home to write this album over the course of eight months. I had around 80 or 90 tracks finished, and then I had to decide which ones were the strongest.”
For a man born with a gift to conjure up overtures “out of nowhere”, the science behind writing a song is something that’s hard to explain. But, in any case, he’s grateful for the abundance of gold-standard ideas that do arrive – the kind that would take other musicians months or even years to realise into actuality. For Yngwie J. Malmsteen, this is simply what he was born to do.
“Even without a guitar in my hands, the music just comes to me,” he reasons. “It’s like that movie Amadeus. Mozart was getting music given to him in complete form. I understand the building blocks and can therefore build you anything you like. If you asked me to write you a death metal song, call me back in five minutes, and I’d have it ready for you. You want country and western or reggae? No problem. I can give you whatever you want. The language of music is simple. There are certain notes that belong together in whatever stylistic direction and sound pleasant to the ear. The ideas don’t come all the time, but when they do, it’s like an avalanche. The pieces I choose for my records are like gifts that I capture because they amaze me. I’m very lucky in that sense.”
Lead single ‘Now Or Never’ is a perfect storm of palm-muted riffing, baroque counterpart melodies, soaring vocals and mind-blowing dexterity. If you’re looking for Yngwie in a nutshell, this is very much it, and similar things could be said of the second track and instrumental pièce de résistance ‘Am Caprice/Hell Or High Water.’
‘(On The) Battlefield’ and ‘Eye For An Eye’ feature some of the singer/guitarist’s strongest vocal performances to date, alongside the stunning instrumentals ‘Antikythera’ and ‘Beyond Zeta Reticuli’ – which were both named after important scientific breakthroughs and discoveries.
Hell Or High Water is an album that’s bursting with emotion from all corners, but the closing track ‘Father’ is undoubtedly the most spirited of them all, written in tribute to the guitar legend’s dad, who passed away last year.
“He was an amazing man,” remembers Yngwie. “I was proud to have him as a father, and I loved him. I wanted to dedicate all of this to him, and that one particular track is for him. I wanted others to feel what I felt when they hear it. Nicola Paganini once said, ‘One must feel strongly in order to make others feel strongly’. It’s one thing to be a typewriter and another thing to be someone who writes stories that can touch people. That was always the point.”
All these years on, Yngwie J. Malmsteen looks and sounds more determined than ever. If the music feels good to him, that’s enough – anyone else liking it is a bonus. And this is precisely the creative fortitude and single-mindedness that turned him into a household name among the guitar community. There is no such thing as half measures or compromise in his world. Here is an artist who will be forever bound to authenticity and creative honesty.
Track listing 1. Now or Never 2. Am Caprice/Hell Or High Water 3. (He Is) Living A Lie 4. Antikythera 5. (On The) Battlefield 6. Beyond Zeta Reticuli 7. Prestissimo In Bm/Adagio 8. Eye For An Eye 9. Father
September 4 – Beijing, China @ East Third Live House September 6 – Shanghai, China @ Phase Live House September 11 – Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu Pit September 13 – Yokohama, Japan @ Pacifico Yokohama
Acclaimed rockers John Diva & The Rockets Of Love share today their new single and official visualizer video, “The Devil’s Got My Back”, taken from the upcoming new album, “Your Favorite Drug”, out October 16, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The band described the single as “one of the album’s heaviest and fastest tracks. A monstrous opening riff drags listeners deep into the shadowy canyons of a dark, flickering city, where temptation and damnation wait at every corner – and where John dives headfirst with reckless abandon and devilish delight. Two blazing guitar solos from Snake Rocket and CJ Stevens, thunderous drums, and an aggressively pumping bass push the song to the very edge of heavy metal, playing with fire every step of the way.”
“Lyrically, the Devil isn’t the villain here”, they added. “He’s the ultimate wingman for a night of excess, the one who’s got your back long after the little angel on your shoulder has given up. Welcome to the dark, lust-fueled engine room of the new album.”
John Diva & The Rockets of Love make a triumphant return with their explosive new album “Your Favorite Drug”. Bursting with attitude, swagger, and unapologetic energy, the band delivers a full-throttle hard rock experience that feels both timeless and electrifyingly fresh.
The band commented: “We wanted to achieve absolute focus and intensity – and in the production, working together with Hannes, to be extremely efficient. What sounds like hard work (which it was) – this sharpening of focus – brought us a lot of joy. It can be fun to keep hammering away at a raw diamond until it sparkles and shines. This time, there’s less emphasis on experimentation (like on “American Amadeus” for example) – though the album is still experimental in the sense that everything unnecessary has been stripped away”.
John Diva added: “When I think about making this album, there’s a very personal layer to it. We recorded in southern Germany, where my family is from, and I stayed with relatives during the sessions. It brought back a lot of great memories, so I went into the studio with a double sense of joy – giving everything to the record while reconnecting with my roots”.
“Your Favorite Drug” was a trip in the cleanest sense – we stayed completely sober, but worked in a real frenzy. Writing, recording, and finishing the album happened fast, and by the fourth record you know exactly what you want – and how to get it. There’s a lot of spontaneity in it too: the title track came together in just a few hours, and songs like “Bigger Than America” evolved into something bigger and bolder than we first imagined”, he continued.
Packed with massive hooks, soaring choruses, and razor-sharp riffs, “Your Favorite Drug” showcases the band at the peak of their songwriting power. Standout tracks like “Bigger Than America” and “The Devil’s Got My Back” emerge as true anthems, destined to ignite stages and thrill every hard rock fan with their infectious energy and sing-along choruses.
Produced by Hannes Braun, the album captures a polished yet gritty sound that perfectly amplifies the band’s larger-than-life personality. This is more than a comeback – it’s a statement. John Diva & The Rockets of Love are back, louder, bolder, and more addictive than ever.
One of the best hard rock releases of the year!
“Your Favorite Drug” Tracklist:
1. The Devil’s Got My Back 2. Bigger Than America 3. No Mercy For The Teenage Heart 4. Lamborghina 5. Favorite Drug 6. S.M.I.L.E. 7. Love Is Cold 8. Girls In Overdrive 9. Spectacular 10. Soundtrack Of My Life
Line Up: John Diva Snake Rocket Remmie Martin Marcus Coolman jr. C.J. Stevens
No matter how his genius takes shape, Tor-Helge Skei remains one of the most consistent and surprising artists in extreme music. As a founding member of the critically acclaimed Manes and Lethe, the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and producer has pushed the boundaries of metal and electronic music. Now, he’s expanding his vision like never before with Holissstik, a new collective experiment that features fellow members of Manes and Lethe, underground legends and rising stars from the avant-garde.
“Holissstik’s innovative nature and mission of fostering collaboration through extreme risk set them apart and above”, New Noise wrote upon the announcement of the second single from the collective’s upcoming debut album and first in a trilogy.
Today, Holissstik are releasing the third and final advanced single from Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude. Though haunted by the current state of the world, “Reoccurring Dreams” possesses the collective spirit that makes Skei and his collaborators such a unified force.
“Collaboration is the heart and soul of Holissstik”, Skei says. “I’ve had the idea for ‘Reoccurring Dreams’ for quite some time. But, as is often the case, the song evolved, unplanned and uncontrolled, as Nik, Kristoffer, Eivind, Tor Arne and I worked on it together. While quite floaty, it twists off in unexpected directions. There’s even an Easter egg for fans of Manes and Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! to find!”.
As one could reasonably expect, This Endless Solitude began in 2024 with Tor-Helge Skei alone at his studio in Norway, revisiting unfinished songs from previous projects. The album’s latest single opens as if falling deep into a trance, blanketed beneath one long, dark cloud of synth. Over the following years, Skei salvaged bits and pieces of old recordings while building new components from scratch using his curious collection of recording software and homemade plug-ins. Jolted awake, “Reoccurring Dreams” tosses and turns between trip-hop, black metal, electronic and industrial.
Skei’s approach to production is still hands-on, but he’s invited outside influences to take control over Holissstik. “After I finished the initial sketches for the songs on This Endless Solitude, I wanted to hear where other people would take with them without being given any rules, limitations or restrictions”, he says. On “Reoccurring Dreams”, familiar faces appear in current and former Manes members Eivind Fjøseide and Tor-Arne Helgesen. But the single also introduces two new collaborators. With just the lift of a finger, Norwegian experimental musician Kristoffer Oustad conjures a melody that will ring in your head for days on end. And though it may be hard to believe, the distorted voice speaking as if from another world is none other than Kamra vocalist Nik Košar.
“I see trees, but they look like men, standing”, recalls Košar, twisting a verse from the Bible on its head. “I do not see myself, but I look, searching”. It’s not an admission of defeat, but a call to become something greater than ourselves.
“From the start, Holissstik felt like a serene light tap from somewhere beyond”, Košar says. “While I typically come from black metal, I love experimenting with different vocal styles. “‘Reoccurring Dreams’ strayed from the usual. The focus moved away from the vocals and their color into the rhythm, the words and the flow. The lyrics are inspired by a quote from the Bible, which I inverted. They don’t carry any religious meaning but reflect the current state of a blind society that struggles within the self-inflicted solitude born out of our removal from nature”.
“The whole creative process and its conclusion felt seamless and genius”, Košar continues. “Working with Holissstik felt like a puzzle where all the pieces are already laid before you and you know exactly where you fit. It was a surreal experience that I am thankful to be a part of”.
“Holissstik is like an audio ecosystem, where the collective is the creative force, the gardener and the nutrient”, Oustad says. “This is where you are the flower and the bee at the same time, both knowing and unaware of your impact and importance in the holistic process. I am proud and deeply honored to have been asked to be a part of it”.
“With Hollissstik, we’ve built something that transcends traditional metal by focusing on the ‘holos’ – the beauty of the complete, interconnected whole”, says Helgesen, who contributes drums to “Reoccurring Dreams”.
Fjøseide, who contributes guitar to the song, agrees. “Skei and I have worked together on music for more than 30 years. Together, we have a special chemical musical reaction that makes things very exciting”.
From the tireless genius Tor-Helge Skei, a radically innovative new force, Holissstik, has emerged. The latest project from the Norwegian mainstay, multi-instrumentalist and producer is his most expansive yet. While it dwells deep within the darkness of our lives, Chapter I:This Endless Solitude, the first chapter in a trilogy of albums, finds salvation through the spirit of collaboration.
“The inspiration for Holissstik comes from the Greek word Hólos, which is the root for the English word ‘whole’”, Skei says. “Collaboration is the heart and soul of this project. The idea is that each part cannot exist or be understood when separated from the whole. The sum is greater than its parts”.
As the driving force behind Trondheim’s legendary Manes, Skei quickly established himself in the ’90s as one of black metal’s key pioneers. With the release of Manes’ classic album Vilosophe (2003), the powerhouse then metamorphosed into an equally magnificent genre-defying entity. Over the years, Skei has only continued to build upon his legacy as an unsurpassed sonic adventurer. He’s received acclaim for his achievements with various outfits, including Lethe, his duo with ex-Eluveitie and Cellar Darling’s beloved songstress Anna Murphy; the international supergroup Høstsol; the veterans Atrox; the brutal metallers Manii and Syning; the wildly experimental Kkoagulaa and more.
Even for the absurdly ambitious Skei, Holissstik represents a Herculean feat. While Skei serves as Holissstik’s composer and captain, the project operates as a revolving door for top-notch talents from across the world. Holissstik’s art can only leave those fortunate enough to be touched by its unshakable audial spells in states of utter speechlessness. This vessel of change cannot be defined; for it rattles the foundations of all we think we know about music while also redefining itself, constantly venturing further out into unknown territories. Holissstik is more sinister than extreme metal and potentially more healing than any New Age practice; this is timeless music without any artistic limitations. As Skei’s longtime accomplice in Manes and award-winning filmmaker Torstein Parelius wrote, “Turn away from the boundaries you create”.
Holissstik truly came into being in 2024 when Skei resolutely decided to initiate the arduous alchemical process of producing order from chaos. Skei is an astoundingly prolific creator whose vast archive of used and unused recordings seems endless. Parelius has remarked that the material from Manes’ past tends to “haunt” the band insofar as it is frequently incorporated in the present. This applies to Skei’s other efforts as well, and, for Holissstik, the visionary meticulously labored on sketches dating a decade or more back, giving them new life, details and twists. Meanwhile, he crafted others from scratch. Eventually, Skei narrowed the selection for This Endless Solitude down to eight mostly instrumental compositions with samples and some old vocal fragments. These tracks already sounded complete and irreproachable in their own right. Each of these interconnected, maximally hypnotic, seamlessly flowing and sometimes mercurial gems emanated its own unique, indefinable brand of magic, far beyond comparison and yet stamped with Skei’s instantly recognizable trademark.
Then, Skei did the unthinkable. He took the leap of faith he had been planning on and invited a flood of collaborators — big names, rising stars and underground legends — to assert their creative freedom on This Endless Solitude by adding individualistic touches on vocals, lyrics and various instruments. “After sketching these songs, I asked my collaborators to do their own thing with them. The only hint that I gave was the music would use minor chords, be melancholic and introspective and that the lyrics would be concerned with the darker side of life and death. But I gave them no rules, no limitations or restrictions”.
The chances of such a risky move actually succeeding seemed minuscule. Yet, the broadest pool of characters rose to the challenge, sharing their pain, anxieties, raw passion, wisdom, strength, refinement, grace and communal will to create pure art through This Endless Solitude. The roughly twenty guests on the album generously gave the music just what they believed it called upon them to express without holding back, thereby exceeding expectations and precipitating drastic transformation. Although Skei had temporarily surrendered control, he took matters firmly into his hands again as the contributions began trickling his way over the months that followed.
“As the collaborators submitted their contributions, I worked on shaping This Endless Solitude into a coherent whole”, Skei says. “It was quite an intense process in itself. But the end result more than made up for the doubts that surfaced”.
Skei is nothing short of a sorcerer when it comes to producing, engineering and arranging. His approaches may be unconventional, but no one achieves mixes and overall outcomes that more powerfully tug at our heartstrings, though we must acknowledge that the aforementioned Anna Murphy has also provided mixes of the highest caliber for Manes. Bit by bit, Skei would sculpt Holissstik’s first chapter to perfection. Worlds open, worlds collide; the spectral voices began twining around each other, a wealth of musical ideas and the said samples with seemingly supernatural effect, clawing their way into a permanent position within listeners’ psyches. While remaining true to their essences, the compositions would evolve in the exact manner of a living organism, in unforeseen and thrilling ways until they reached the point at which further modification would prove folly; ultimately, the miraculously cohesive This Endless Solitude assumed the form that seemed destined. It was then entrusted to Skei’s go-to choice for mastering Knut Prytz (ex-Necrophagia).
The result of This Endless Solitude and that which lies ahead is phantasmagorical wonder, lethal beauty and boundless darkness. Holissstik’s delirium-inducing, absinthine potions threaten to profoundly transform, and perhaps even transfigure, listeners; Holissstik equates to an unfathomably rewarding drug, though it will emotionally overload sentient beings. There is no denying the dangerous spiritual intensity within Holissstik’s hallucinatory soundscapes — dreams that bring audiences to and from the abysmal realm of nightmares. Impregnated with cerebral and poetic qualities, Holissstik provides a cinematic journey, repeatedly invoking primal horror and forever hooking us with suspenseful energy. The mystery of what the music communicates often gives way to melancholic meditations. We never pierce the veil of enigma surrounding Holissstik, rather we drown in the layers of sound, dragging us down into the scandal-infested depths of our own heavy consciousnesses. Holissstik bears parallels to classical music in terms of its inward impact and transcendent nature.
Stylistically, many will perceive elements of nearly every genre under the sun within This Endless Solitude: jazz, trip hop, rock, metal, ambient, avant-garde, pop. However, trying to attach labels to Holissstik would be foolishness. Electronics are superbly implemented within Holissstik, yet the music somehow always retains its organic charm. Skei doubles as a tech wizard, and he twists his expertise in the fields of programming and software development to his advantage for musical purposes. He always strikes the ideal balance between awakening a sense of unbearable loneliness partly by way of technology, frequently amplifying the robotic coldness it can engender, and the human component in all of its sometimes warmly reassuring, mood-driven nuances. Calculation and spontaneity are both accorded their proper place.
This EndlessSolitude proudly showcases artists who have worked with Skei in several other contexts and capacities as well as completely new collaborators. Anna Murphy, a household name within the music community, graces the album with her seductive, otherworldly vocals. Her fellow goddesses, the criminally gifted Marita Hellem and Rage of Light’s Martyna Halas, a masterful lyricist who offers her “heart of pure gold,” likewise deliver some of the most gorgeous vocals imaginable, deranging our senses with their oracular allure. Torstein Parelius, who has always played a crucial role in neo-Manes’ music and concepts, assists on bass and with lyrics.
Besides Hellem, Murphy and Parelius, the other members of Manes’ core and extended family who contribute to Holissstik include Atrox’s Eivind Fjøseide, ex-Atrox’s Tor-Arne Helgesen, The Third and the Mortal’s Rune Hoemsnes, Drontheim’s Tom Christian Engelsøy and Atrox’s Rune Folgerø. Holissstik also welcomed involvement from Kristoffer Oustad of Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester, Plague Machinery and formerly V:28; Christophe Denhez of Område and Ecr.Linf; rapper Pierre Ripka, or “K-rip”; Nik Košar of Kamra; Gabriel Trentini of Luce d’Inverno and Malaflame; rocker and engineering guru Stig Waltoft, a.k.a. “FluffyBunnyFeets”; and Trond Johansen. Not to mention, Buddhist monks were even persuaded to contribute chanting. While This Endless Solitude is mostly in English, it also features Pali, French, Polish and Italian.
Although the very nature of Holissstik demands that we expect the unexpected, the collective’s future certainly seems to guarantee obsidian horizons and torrential deluges of artistic truth. In other words, the project promises to persistently and ritualistically pummel us with devastating yet necessary, epic masterworks. Skei and his collaborators truly present the most immersive experiences possible and, in Manes language, offer a safe place in the unsafe; dive in with your hands bound, and be submerged within the imprisoning brilliance. Skei continues to participate in a range of outstanding groups, and yet Holissstik stands as the most unpredictable and, counterintuitive as it might sound, accessible undertaking in the history of his illustrious career.
Lineup Tor-Helge Skei
Guest musicians Anna Murphy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Christophe Denhez – Guitars on “The Rhythm of Silence”, Guitars, vocals and lyrics on “Behind Me” Eivind Fjøseide – Guitars on all songs except “Projections” Gabriel Trentini – Vocals and lyrics on “Obsession Six” Kristoffer Oustad – Synth on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “Projections”, “Reoccuring Dreams”, “This Endless Solitude” Tor-Arne Helgesen – Drums on all songs except “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude” Marita Hellem – Vocals on “The Rhythm of Silence” and “This Endless Solitude” Martyna Halas – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “My Salvation”, “Would You Take This Heart” and “This Endless Solitude” Nik Košar – Vocals and lyrics on “Projections” and “Reoccuring Dreams” Pierre Ripka – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence” Paritta Monks – Chanting on “Would You Take This Heart” Rune Folgerø – Vocals on “This Endless Solitude” Rune Hoemsnes – Drums on “Behind Me” Stig Waltoft – Synth and sounds on “Would You Take This Heart” Tom Engelsøy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Torstein Parelius – Bass on “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude”, lyrics on “This Endless Solitude” Trond Johansen – Guitars on “Would You Take This Heart”
Production credits Recorded, produced and mixed by Tor-Helge Skei Mastered by Knut V. Prytz
Songwriting credits All songwriting and arrangements by Tor-Helge Skei
Black death metal force BELPHEGOR has finished work on its 13th studio album, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
The forthcoming record will mark the next chapter in BELPHEGOR’s uncompromising legacy, continuing the band’s relentless exploration of black death metal and its distinctive fusion of brutality, darkness and ceremonial intensity.
As work on the album progresses, BELPHEGOR reminds their supporters to revisit the first two singles from the upcoming release:
“Scarlet Beast – Leviathan”: Released February 2026
“Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus”: Released August 2025
Further details surrounding BELPHEGOR’s 13th studio album will be revealed in due course.
The new album will be released worldwide in the first quarter of 2027 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
BELPHEGOR will also unleash its magickal processions across Europe in autumn 2026 with the “Praise The Beast” European Tour 2026.
The trek kicks off September 29 at Turock in Essen, Germany, and will storm through Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Poland, and the UK before reaching its final ritual on October 18 at The Underworld in London.
Joining BELPHEGOR as special guests are Death Metal legends KRISIUN and Black Metal coven ASAGRAUM. A fourth band will be announced soon. Stay tuned.
BELPHEGOR “Praise The Beast” European Tour 2026:
29.09. – GER – Essen, Turock 30.09. – BEL – Kortrijk, DVG 01.10. – NLD – Dordrecht, Bibelot 02.10. – NLD – Hengelo, Metropool 03.10. – DEN- Copenhagen, Richter 04.10. – SWE – Gothenburg, Monument 06.10. – FIN – Helsinki, On The Rocks 07.10. – SWE – Stockholm, Kollektivet Livet 08.10. – SWE – Malmö, Plan B 09.10. – GER – Berlin, Musikbrauerei 10.10. – CZE – Uherske Hradiste, Klub Mir 11.10. – CZE – Plzen, Serikovka 13.10. – POL – Krakow, Hype Park 14.10. – POL – Gdańsk, Drizzly Grizzly 15.10. – GER – Osnabrück, Bastard Club 16.10. – UK – Sheffield, Corporation 17.10. – UK – Torquay, Arena 18.10. – UK – London, The Underworld
Tickets and additional information will be available through local venues and promoters.
About BELPHEGOR:
Since their formation in 1993 in Austria, BELPHEGOR have stood as one of the most brutal and transgressive forces in black death metal. Founded by vocalist and guitarist Helmuth Lehner, the band has spent over three decades refining a sound forged in fire and sacrilege, merging the violent precision of death metal with the ritualistic darkness of black metal.
Their musick is an invocation of infernal power, a soundwall of relentless blasphemy.
From the raw intensity of early releases like The Last Supper (1995), Blutsabbath (1997), and Necrodaemon Terrorsathan (2000), to the increasingly sophisticated compositions found on albums such as Lucifer Incestus, Bondage Goat Zombie, Pestapokalypse VI, and Totenritual, BELPHEGOR have continually pushed the boundaries of extreme musick. Each release marks a further descent into forbidden territory.
The band’s thematic focus with ritual magick, religious inversion, and arcane symbolism is matched by their technical mastery, multilingual lyrics, and sonic experimentation.
With their twelfth studio album The Devils (2022), BELPHEGOR delivered one of their most punishing and ambitious records to date.
Recorded at Fascination Street Studios with producer Jens Bogren, the album features nine meticulously crafted compositions that shift seamlessly between feral aggression and solemn majesty.
Tracks such as Glorifizierung des Teufels and Virtus Asinaria – Prayer incorporate choral passages and ritualistic structure, while Damnation – Höllensturz unfolds with a dynamic complexity that further amplifies the band’s compositional vision.
Lyrically, the album weaves together German, Latin, and English to cast incantations of death, desecration, and rebellion against sacred order. Accompanied by visionary artwork from Seth Siro Anton, The Devils stands as a high point in Belphegor’s canon and underscores their continued relevance in the global extreme metal landscape.
Following the success of The Devils, BELPHEGOR were honored with the 2023 Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the Hard and Heavy category, a rare moment of formal recognition in Austria for a band that has long walked a path far removed from mainstream acceptance. This accolade acknowledges their artistic legacy and highlights the contrast between their recognition and the transgressive nature of their craft.
Renowned for their intense live rituals, BELPHEGOR have toured relentlessly across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and beyond. They have appeared at Wacken Open Air, Knotfest, Bloodstock, Hellfest, Tons Of Rock, Sweden Rock, and numerous other prestigious metal festivals. Their stage presence is more than a performance, it is a ceremony of magick and infernal theatre, where sound, smoke, blood, and fire converge in a communion with darkness.
Now, as the band approaches its thirteenth studio album, a deeper and more arcane force begins to stir. The number thirteen bears ancient meaning: endings, thresholds, and the passage into the unknown. Rooted in primordial doctrine, the thirteenth seal is said to bind the final veil between worlds, the last barrier between order and chaos.
With this upcoming release, BELPHEGOR prepares to break that seal, not to follow, but to lead. To summon what lies beyond even their own previous creations: something more primal, more ritualistic, more devastating.
Early glimpses of new material point to a continuation of the dark artistic path begun with The Devils, now delving even deeper. The upcoming album takes shape as a focused ritual: precise, uncompromising, and rooted in the band’s unmistakable vision, the glorification of the Devil.
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