Vesperian is pleased to welcome THE MOSAIC WINDOW, the Black Metal project of Andrew Steven Brown, to the roster.
On the band’s next album, Answered Prayers – out November 13, 2026 – Brown pulls back from the more polished, prog-tinged death/black hybrid of 2024’s Hemasanctum and returns to the band’s original core: first and second wave black metal, filtered through atmospheric rasps of despair and phantasmal, buried death growls. Across ten tracks, its nihilistic concept unfolds – humanity erased retroactively, centuries before the Industrial Revolution, as the only cure for a poisoned world.
Alongside the announcement, the band share the album’s first single, What Sage Could Not Cleanse. An older composition, it anchors Answered Prayers‘ back-to-roots direction: raw, stripped of any polish, a statement of intent – no ritual can purify what’s already beyond saving.
Find more info on THE MOSAIC WINDOW and their new single What Sage Could Not CleanseHERE
Answered Prayers was mixed and mastered by Alex Sedin (Ghostalgy Productions), with Dmitry Kim (Jinjer and others) on session drums.
The cover artwork was done by Luciana Nedelea (Mare Cognitum, Sepulchral Curse and others).
“The Fall of Virtue”, the new single and lyric video taken from MACERATION‘s upcoming album “Mercy to the Miserable”, hits with little warning. It just launches itself straight into a furious old-school death metal attack driven by relentless speed, crushing guitars and sharp melodic hooks. One of Maceration’s most direct and aggressive tracks to date, it keeps the intensity high throughout, balancing raw brutality with the band’s unmistakable sense of melody and riff-driven songwriting.
Lyrically, the song takes aim at the idea of virtue becoming a force that controls and confines us, turning the fall of that ideal into a moment of release. Angry, uncompromising and built to hit hard, “The Fall of Virtue” captures Maceration at their most immediate and furious, delivering a concentrated burst of death metal aggression.
Danish death metal veterans Maceration announce the release of their fourth full-length album, “Mercy to the Miserable”, set for release on November 20th, 2026 via Emanzipation Productions. Featuring eight brand-new tracks, the album further develops the band’s old-school death metal sound, combining crushing brutality, speed and melody with the unmistakable Swedish HM-2 guitar tone.
For “Mercy to the Miserable”, Maceration have taken another step forward, joining forces with renowned producer Lawrence Mackrory of Rory Sound. Known for his work with Paradise Lost, Bloodbath, Meshuggah, Vomitory, Lik and many others, Mackrory has mixed and mastered the new album. “We have had a collaboration with Dan Swanö for a long time and he has delivered and shaped our sound since we came back. He has produced two records that sound amazing,” says guitarist Jakob Schultz. “With the new album we wanted to try something new and see what it could do for the sound and the music. We could have easily continued with Swanö, but we think it would be exciting to work with Mackrory. He has produced some fantastic records and can create a sound that we think really fits Maceration perfectly. And we have not regretted it. The new album sounds exactly as we had hoped”.
“Mercy to the Miserable” sees Maceration combining brutality and speed with melodic and catchy riffs. From the fast and direct attack of “The Fall of Virtue” to the heavier “Mind in a Chokehold” and the melodic yet brutal title track, the album represents a natural evolution of the band’s established sound while retaining its old-school identity.
“It is without a doubt one of the best things we have ever done”, Schultz says when he talks about “Mercy to the Miserable.” “There has been a development, but also as we have been together again for several years now, new ideas arise and a security and calmness comes over the band as we become more and more integrated”, he adds.
The album’s lyrical universe explores the darker sides of the human mind, personal journeys, death, grief and human self-perception, while also revisiting classic horror themes. “Lycanthropic Carnage” pays tribute to werewolf movies, while “Absolution of Grace” draws inspiration from the Hellraiser universe. The artwork was created by renowned Spanish artist Roberto Diaz, whose work has previously appeared on releases by Cradle of Filth. The cover marks a visual departure from Maceration’s previous two albums, “It Never Ends…” and “Serpent Devourment”, both featuring artwork by Ola Larsson inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythology.
Maceration’s current lineup features vocalist Jan Bergmann Jepsen, guitarist Jakob Schultz, the band’s only original member and a former member of Invocator, bassist Rune Koldby (ExMortem, Spectral Mortuary), drummer Nicolai Kaltoft (ex-Corpus Mortale) and rhythm guitarist Robert Tengs (ex-Defamatory).
Originally formed in the early 1990s, Maceration released Denmark’s first death metal album, “A Serenade of Agony”, in 1992. After a 30-year hiatus, the band returned in 2022 with “It Never Ends…”, featuring death metal legend Dan Swanö of Edge of Sanity and Bloodbath on vocals. Their third album, “Serpent Devourment”, followed in January 2025, with Swanö involved as producer and mixer.
Since their return, Maceration have performed extensively across Europe, appearing at festivals including Copenhell, Alcatraz, Obscene Extreme, Stonehenge, In Flammen Open Air, Metal Magic and Death Coast. Most recently, the band toured Denmark in 2026 on the Metalized tour with Defacing God and Shadowspawn and also performed as support for Vltimas.
With “Mercy to the Miserable”, Maceration continue to honour the foundations of classic death metal while pushing their sound towards greater brutality, melody and refinement.
“Mercy to the Miserable” will be released on LP (black vinyl and creme/black splatter vinyl, both limited to 300 copies), CD and digital formats on 20.11.2026, via Emanzipation Productions.
Lineup: Jakob Schultz – lead/rhythm guitar Robert Tengs – rhythm guitar Rune Koldby – bass Nicolai Kaltoft – drums Jan Bergmann Jepsen – vocals
Melodic heavy metallers Brother Against Brother are excited to announce that their new album, “The Legion Awakens”, will be released on December 18, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The band also unleash the first single and official music video, “When Gargoyles Ruled The Earth”, available below.
Marcelo Gelbcke described the single as a song that “combines heavy, aggressive riffs with melodic passages, creating a constant contrast between darkness, weight and melody”.
The explosive vocal alliance of Renan Zonta (Electric Mob) and Nando Fernandes (Sinistra) returns with “The Legion Awakens” – the most ambitious and intense release yet from Brother Against Brother.
Produced and written by Brazilian masterminds Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall) and Sérgio Mazul (Semblant), the new album is a concept that delves deep into the narrative of the eternal battle between Heaven and Hell, exploring contrasting visions of light and darkness across cultures, religions, and mythologies.
Sérgio Mazul commented: “On this album, I believe I’ve written some of the most powerful and meaningful lyrics of my career, exploring a different conceptual vision of Good and Evil and the balance between them, rooted in the primordial concept of Duality. But the real magic comes from having two incredible vocalists, Nando and Renan, with seemingly limitless vocal potential, bringing these songs to life. They are undoubtedly two of the most brilliant voices in metal worldwide, and their performances have taken these songs to another level.”
“I believe Brother Against Brother has reached a heavier, darker and deeper dimension with this second act. We pushed the boundaries of what we had created in the first album, and I’m confident that we’ve delivered one of the strongest metal albums of the year”, he added.
Marcelo Gelbcke stated: “The Legion Awakens” is a very special album for me, as it is the first record I’ve ever made using seven-string guitars, and without a doubt the heaviest and most metal-oriented album I’ve worked on so far. From the beginning, Sergio and I wanted to take the sound of Brother Against Brother into a darker and heavier territory, combining elements of modern metal with some of the darker and more organic influences of classic metal bands, while also bringing progressive elements into the arrangements”.
“This album is also a continuation of the work Sergio and I began with the first Icon Of Sin record back in 2020, and it was a great pleasure to once again write, record and produce these songs together. Having Nando Fernandes and Renan Zonta sharing vocals made the experience even more special. Besides being, in my opinion, two of the greatest metal vocalists in the world, they are also great friends, which made the entire creative process incredibly rewarding”, he continued.
Each track presents a duality: some explore themes of faith, divinity, and spiritual transcendence; others plunge into darker visions of infernal power, temptation, and destruction; both treated with equal artistic weight. The journey ultimately leads to a powerful conclusion: balance is essential, and both forces – angels and demons, good and evil – are integral to the human experience.
Lyrically, the album draws from a vast tapestry of sources, including the Bible, Jewish mysticism, Kabbala, Enochian magic, Dante’s Inferno, Faust, Paradise Lost, Solomonic legends, and Vatican/Opus Dei exorcism beliefs – all woven into a cohesive and gripping narrative.
Musically, “The Legion Awakens” is rooted in heavy, riff-driven metal with progressive elements and a dark, cinematic atmosphere. The sound channels the intensity of Metal Church, Savatage, Nevermore, Symphony X, Vicious Rumors, and Angel Dust – with flashes of thrash aggression and melodic sophistication. The album features 7-string guitar work, dynamic song structures, and of course, two of the most powerful voices in modern metal.
Visually, the album evokes the sacred war in Heaven – the clash of fallen and celestial beings -symbolizing the eternal struggle between light and shadow.
A monumental heavy metal album that takes no prisoners!
“The Legion Awakens” Tracklist:
1. Primal War In Heaven 2. Golgotha 3. Buried Cathedral 4. When Gargoyles Ruled The Earth 5. Faust 6. Descent Into 9 Circles 7. Delirium And Delight 8. The Dark And The Wicked 9. Azazel & Samyaza 10. Seven Trumpets To The End 11. Equilibrium
Following the critically acclaimed release of their sixth studio album, Closer To The Sun, earlier this year, hard-rocking songsmiths Tyketto return with something special for the fans who have been with them every step of the way: Closer To The Sun Deluxe. The collector’s edition is set for release on November 27th, via Silver Lining Music. For pre-orders go to this location.
Designed for the mega fans, super collectors and proud musical anoraks, this expanded double-disc edition takes everything that made Closer To The Sun so special and adds a treasure trove of material that makes this much more than a reissue. Alongside the complete Closer To The Sun album, the Deluxe edition features radio single edits and live recordings captured during the band’s tour earlier this year. The album also includes a beautiful piano version of “The Picture” (previously available only in Japan).
The new video for the “The Picture”, the latest single from Closer To The Sun, is out now.
“I’ve been really humbled by the amount of people that have told me how much this song has affected them. Especially considering that the song almost didn’t happen. When I was preparing to start writing new ideas for what would become the ‘Closer To The Sun’ album I was going through a number of older files and found ‘The Picture’ by sheer luck on a demo I had made a several years ago with two great players from the Boston area.
Why had it never been released before? I guess the time just wasn’t right. But the time is right now, going by the overwhelming reaction we have received from fans all over the world. So now I’m extremely proud to release this song as a single alongside a great video that really captures its spirit. To me, ‘The Picture’ is the natural successor to ‘Standing Alone’” – Danny Vaughn
Watch/listen to “The Picture” below; watch/listen to Closer To The Sunhere
But while the Deluxe edition offers fans the chance to take a piece of the Closer To The Sun era home with them, nothing compares to experiencing Tyketto live. The band are already on the road, having kicked off their Rock ‘n’ Roll Salvation tour with CoreLeoni on October 4. The forthcoming shows promise the full Tyketto experience: powerful songs, huge performances and the chemistry that can only happen when this band is standing together in front of an audience. With the Belfast show already sold out, the demand to see Tyketto live is clear: these shows are not to be missed.
As Danny Vaughn puts it: “Thank you for keeping us going and growing!! See you out there on the road.”
Led by vocalist and founding member Danny Vaughn, Tyketto’s current lineup features Harry Scott Elliott on guitar, Ged Rylands on keyboards, Chris Childs (Thunder) on bass and Johnny Dee (Doro) on drums. Together, they bring exceptional musicianship, energy and fire to the stage, reaffirming Tyketto’s reputation as one of rock’s enduring live acts.
For the complete list of upcoming shows and ticket information, visit tyketto.com.
2026 UPCOMING SHOWS:
11 Oct 2026 – Regensburg, Germany – Eventhall Airport* 12 Oct 2026 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7* 13 Oct 2026 – Cologne, Germany – Kantine* 15 Oct 2026 – Zoetermeer, The Netherlands – Boerderij* 16 Oct 2026 – Bremen, Germany – Modernes* 17 Oct 2026 – Ludwigsburg, Germany – Scala* 18 Oct 2026 – Lindau, Germany – Club Vaudeville* 25 Nov 2026 – Buckley, UK – The Tivoli 27 Nov 2026 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Empire Music Hall – SOLD OUT 28 Nov 2026 – Troon, Scotland – Winterstorm 29 Nov 2026 – Holmfirth, UK – The Picturedrome 1 Dec 2026 – Hastings, UK – Black Box 2 Dec 2026 – Blackpool, UK – The Waterloo 3 Dec 2026 – Nuneaton, UK – The Queens Hall 5 Dec 2026 – Piraeus/Athens, Greece – Club Academy
*Rock ‘N’ Roll Salvation Tour with CoreLeoni
Closer To The Sun Deluxe is available as a Double CD Digipak, Digital Download, Streaming and special D2C bundles. Pre-orders available at this location
Closer To The Sun Deluxe Track Listing:
Disc 1
Higher Than High
Starts with a Feeling
Bad for Good
We Rise
Donnowhuddidis
Closer to the Sun
Harleys & Indians (Riders in the Sky)
Hit Me Where It Hurts
The Picture
Far and Away
The Brave
Disc 2
Higher Than High (Radio Edit)
We Rise (Radio Edit)
The Brave (Radio Edit)
The Run (Live at Stonedead Festival 2025)
End Of The Summer Days (Live at Stonedead Festival 2025)
Burning Down Inside (Live in Newcastle)
Reach (Live in the UK)
The Picture (Piano Version)
Band Line-Up: DANNY VAUGHN – Lead & backing vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, keyboards and percussion CHRIS CHILDS – Bass Guitar, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals JOHNNY DEE – Drums, percussion, backing vocals HARRY SCOTT ELLIOTT – Lead and rhythm electric guitars, percussion, backing vocals GED RYLANDS – Keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
With their debut album, ONLY HUMAN are on the verge of a major discovery. Critics are praising Planned Obsolescence for its cutting-edge fusion of prog metal, hard rock, electronics and existential dread over our dystopian future.
“[…] an outstanding Progressive album”, Metal Temple writes in a 9/10 review, “and in many ways, it might point towards where the genre is headed for the future”.
“[…] a powerful and thoughtful condemnation of a likely direction for our world”, The Progressive Subway writes. “Given time, ONLY HUMAN have potential to become a big hitter in the scene”.
Now, after storming the stage at Sweden Rock Festival and ahead of their 2027 European tour with Uuhai, ONLY HUMAN are releasing their first-ever live video. Filmed in Copenhagen during the release party for Planned Obsolescence, the band’s chilling performance of “Breach” is further proof that their future is impossibly bright.
“The release party for Planned Obsolescence was so special for us that we decided to document it”, ONLY HUMAN says. “It was our very first time headlining. Performing our new record in front of our home crowd was an incredible feeling. ‘Breach’ ended the evening on an extremely high note! Special thanks to the whole team behind us for pushing the extra mile”.
The live video of “Breach” was recorded by Andreas Bjulver Paarup and Alice Meunier.
Additional video credits Sound Engineer – Mikki Christiansen Mixing & Mastering – Patrick Grønbæch Christensen Video Edit – Guillaume Blanjean Lights – Anni Klitmøller
Catch ONLY HUMAN live and in the flesh with Cold Night for Alligators ahead of their 2027 European Tour with Uuhai, Manticora+ Blossom Cult.
“We’re excited to announce that we’re joining Uuhai on a trip across Europe next spring”, ONLY HUMAN says. “It will be our first time playing outside of Scandinavia. We can’t wait to present Planned Obsolescence to our fellow humans in Germany, France, The Netherlands and Switzerland. To those who have been patiently waiting for us, NOW IS THE TIME! We hope to make many friends and good memories along the way while sticking it to the techno fascists!”.
ONLY HUMAN Live in 2026 November 7 – Hjortshoj, DK @ Viruphuset (with Cold Night for Alligators) [TICKETS] November 19 – Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade (with Cold Night for Alligators) [TICKETS]
Human Herds European Tour 2027 Part I with Uuhai, Acyl, Manticora, Blossom Cult + Only Human
March 19 – Rotterdam, NL @ Baroeg [TICKETS]* March 20 – Lille, FR @ Black Labl [TICKETS]* March 21 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo [TICKETS]* March 23 – Deventer, NL @ Burgerveeshuis [TICKETS]* April 6 – Pratteln, CH @ Z7 [TICKETS]^ April 7 – Munich, DE @ Z7 Konzertfabrik [TICKETS]^ April 8 – Weinheim, DE @ Backstage [TICKETS]^ April 9 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen [TICKETS]^ April 10 – Leeuwarden, NL @ Neushoorn [TICKETS]* April 11 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje [TICKETS]*
Tracklist 1. Drift (4:44) 2. The Sun and the Moon (3:54) 3. Steep Descent (5:56) 4. Death Cult (3:40) 5. Techno Fascist (6:01) [WATCH] 6. Automata (6:12) [WATCH] 7. Aspire (4:22) 8. Breach (5:41) [WATCH]
Full runtime: 40:32
Despite evolving with greater speed and scope than other corners of the metal archives, progressive metal never strays from the cutting edge. ONLY HUMAN are fresh on the scene, having signed with Season of Mist at the beginning of 2026 ahead of an appearance at this year’s Sweden Rock Festival. But the Danish band are already on the brink of a major discovery with their debut album. With Planned Obsolescence, they’ve invented an existential form of prog metal that warns of our not-too-distant dystopia.
“The album is supposed to wake people up to all the ways technocracy is encroaching on society”, says vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen. “Tech companies often design their products to have an expiration date, so that we’re forced to replace them with the newest model. Through our social media and the adoption of influencer culture, we now live in a reality where humans are products to be consumed and disposed of”.
ONLY HUMAN were assembled through online and IRL connections. The band started in 2022 with Christensen on both guitar and vocals and drummer Andreas Pröll. The two were soon joined by bassist Guillaume Blanjean. As their music grew in scope and became more ambitious, they decided to recruit additional guitarists. Martin Hastrup and JaCK Kijne joined in 2024, just as Planned Obsolescence was starting to take shape.
All five members of ONLY HUMAN are brought together by a vast host of shared interests. The band’s name comes from a pivotal scene in The Matrix. Other late ‘90s totems — from drum ‘n’ bass to Linkin Park and Opeth — twisted together with the modern-day influence of TesseracT, Periphery and Bring Me The Horizon to inform their collective DNA. But from the very beginning, they were determined to deviate from the norm.
“We like a lot of bands that just play rock music, but we wanted ONLY HUMAN to be about something”, Christensen says. “We’re interested in creating a musical universe that portrays a future on the brink of collapse”.
Planned Obsolescence reckons with technology’s increasingly hostile takeover. One of the first songs that ONLY HUMAN wrote together, lead single “Automata” expands from a scrolling syncopated rhythms into mainframe-shaking grooves, as the surrounding world narrows in on itself. “We’ve offloaded critical thought”, says Christensen, who also took on all phases of the production process. “We’re not really doing things because we want to do them. It’s because an algorithm has decided that’s what we should do”. Brain rot might be the silent killer for today’s digital age, but the steady intrusion of beats, blips and synthetic patches into the album’s song wiring imitates how corporate greed and invasive technologies fight to control our day-to-day existence. Like a virus, “Techno Fascist” emerges unsuspectingly before it comes crashing down amidst a turbulent stream of low-tuned chugs.
ONLY HUMAN’s vision for the future verges on apocalyptic. “Breach” closes the album by looking past the point of no return. Amidst its crushing despair, even the song’s glowing keys appear like a comet bound for Earth. But while fueled by existential dread, Planned Obsolescence isn’t void of hope. After all, there’s nothing broken, outmoded or dated about this new band. Unlike the attempts of artificial intelligence, their fusion of prog, djent, hard rock and electronic soundscapes is the product of much care and hard work. They had to tinker with several different versions before “Steep Descent” finally reached its climactic bridge. “Cast your flame beyond this bleak reality”, Christensen beckons as dizzying melodies and a stellar guitar solo propel him and his bandmates into the next stratosphere.
“When the world is going badly, the reason is because people gave up”, Christensen concludes. “Things aren’t hopeless. We can absolutely fight back. Hopefully, this album gets people to think about valuing humanity over profit”.
Lineup Patrick Grønbæch Christensen- Vocals Martin Hastrup – Guitars JaCK Kijne – Guitars Andreas Pröll – Drums Guillaume Blanjean – Bass
Recording, Mixing and Mastering Studio Only Human Studio
Production Credits Producer & Sound Engineer – Patrick Grønbæch Christensen Mixing Engineer – Patrick Grønbæch Christensen Mastering Engineer – Patrick Grønbæch Christensen (Digital and CD), Brett Caldas-Lima (Vinyl)
Eternity’s End has released a video for “Sword In The Storm”, the second single taken from the new album “Titanblood” to be released on November 6 by Scarlet Records.
This song tells a story of Elric Of Melnibone and his cursed, blood drinking sword Stormbringer. “Sword In The Storm” starts with a blast beat riff reminiscent of symphonic black metal and features thrashy, high speed technical riffing and a quite symphonic arrangement throughout, building up to an epic, catchy chorus and guitar/keyboard solo duel section in the middle reminiscent of old Children Of Bodom.
video by Grasser Production
“Titanblood”:
Fourth studio-album for the masterful German power metal band led by virtuoso guitarist Christian Muenzner (former Obscura, Paradox, Necrophagist);
first record featuring the new singer and frontman Mike Livas (Silent Winter, Bloodorn);
produced, mixed and mastered by Hannes Grossmann at Mordor Sound Studios;
“Titanblood” tracklist: 1 The Gods Of Bal Sagoth 2 Sword In The Storm 3 Titanblood 4 Interstellar Transmission 5 In The Wake Of The Carrion King 6 Eternal Winter 7 Gates Of Eternity 8 The Abyss Watchers 9 Ravenheart 10 Rule The Night Total running time – 51:08
artwork by Dimitar Nikolov
“Titanblood” will captivate the listener through fast, aggressive and technical power metal songs with soaring lead vocals, big anthemic choruses, crazy solo duels and harmonies and riffs at times bordering on technical-thrash.
The new Eternity’s End album brings back some of the more progressive and symphonic elements found on the band’s first record and combining those with heavier influences.
While not being a proper concept album, every “Titanblood” song tells about dark fantasy stories inspired by writers like Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock and Edgar Allan Poe, and video games like “Dark Souls”.
Eternity’s End: Mike Livas – vocals Christian Muenzner – guitar Justin Hombach – guitar Jimmy Pitts – keyboards Linus Klausenitzer – bass Hannes Grossmann – drums
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
