Ruoska, a long-standing Finnish industrial metal band, breaks boundaries with their new album Kade. The album features new musical approach for Ruoska, and some of the songs even strive for a progressive outcome. The band, which has never been a victim of a single music genre, takes things even further this time around.
The production is unmistakably recognizable as Ruoska thanks to Patrik Mennander‘s distinctive voice. The album makes use of Patrik’s versatility as a singer and his wide range of interpretations to a much greater extent than the band’s previous material.
The diversity of the final result was also supported by the fact that the album was worked on in studio conditions from the composition stage to the demos and then to the final touches. The album features the minds and talents of new musical collaborators, such as Krzysztof Dobosiewicz‘s majestic orchestral arrangements.
Although working on the album took considerably longer than planned, the end result is definitely worth all the effort. In Mennander’s opinion, Ruoska finally achieves the level they originally set out to achieve with the Kade album.
“The band’s current lineup makes it possible to realize even ambitious ideas in a way that was previously only a dream. All members have different musical backgrounds, which has contributed to the diversity of the new album.” Patrik Mennader tells.
The album was given its final polish by music producer Janne Saksa, who also breathed new life into previously released singles (e.g., Kade, Silti syntinen). While working on the latter, there were even some hysterically funny moments as Mennander and Saksa debated whether the song should sound more like Scooter or David Guetta.
Ruoska tours this spring around Finland to celebrate the new album.
Hailing from the heart of Finland, the masters of melodic death metal, Noumena, are making their long-awaited return. Their new single, “Kuolemankello” (The Deathwatch Beetle), is an intense, atmospheric, and catchy strike that sets the stage for the band’s upcoming seventh studio album.
After a period of silence dedicated to honing their craft, Noumena has returned with a refined sound that captures the band’s core essence: a unique blend of Northern melancholy and relentless energy. Composer and guitarist Tuukka Tuomela is thrilled with the result:
“It’s a classic Noumena track with catchy melodies, striking riffs, and a hook-filled chorus. Growing into epic proportions, the song is a perfect choice for the first single from our upcoming full-length album.”
“Kuolemankello” continues Noumena’s tradition of powerful storytelling. The track dives deep into 18th-century Finland, specifically the era known as The Great Wrath (isoviha in Finnish) – a brutal period of Russian occupation marked by widespread atrocities and historical suffering. The song’s title refers to the “Deathwatch Beetle,” a wood-boring insect whose ticking sound was historically seen as an omen of impending death. Lyricist Hannu Savolainen sheds light on the dark theme:
“In folklore, the ‘Kuolemankello’ has been seen as an omen of death. In this story, the beetle ticking inside the wooden walls warns of a grim fate. The song is set during the savage era of The Great Wrath in 1700s Finland. However, even in this mournful tale, there is a small glimmer of hope, as is often the case in Noumena’s songs.”
The single offers a first taste of Noumena’s seventh album, scheduled for release in August. The long-standing veterans of the Finnish metal scene prove they are as formidable as ever – the clock is ticking, and Noumena’s time is now.
–ISRC: FIHZP1200039 –Record label: Haunted Zoo –Composers: Tuukka Tuomela, Suvi Uura –Lyrics: Hannu Savolainen –Arrangement: Noumena
Noumena is a Finnish melodic death metal band formed in 1998 in Ähtäri, Finland. Known for combining melancholic melodies, heavy riffs and atmospheric soundscapes, Noumena draws from the Scandinavian death metal tradition while adding touches of Nordic melancholy and emotion.
Over their more than 25-year career, Noumena has released six full-length albums — including Pride/Fall (2002), Absence (2005), Anatomy of Life (2006), Death Walks With Me (2013), Myrrys (2017) and Anima (2020) — steadily evolving their sound while retaining their core identity.
Noumena has over 130 live shows history, the band has toured in Finland, Central Europe, Japan and China. They have shared the stages with acts like Insomnium, Beast in Black, Moonsorrow and many others.
Line-up Antti Haapanen – growls Suvi Uura – vocals Markus Hirvonen – guitars, vocals Ville Lamminaho – guitars, mandolin, vocals Tuukka Tuomela – guitars Hannu Savolainen – bass Ilkka Unnbom – drums
As the curtain falls on an extraordinary career spanning more than four decades, SEPULTURA are preparing to close their final chapter at the end of this year. With over 40 years of band history, 14 gold records, and performances across more than 80 countries, SEPULTURA stand as Brazil’s uncompromising emissary to the global stage and one of today’s most influential metal bands.
Currently bringing their pioneering sound to audiences worldwide on the ‘Celebrating Life Through Death‘ farewell tour, the question has arisen: how should SEPULTURA mark the end of such a monumental journey? The answer came naturally: By capturing a final creative moment and preserving it for posterity.
The result is The Cloud of Unknowing EP, set to be released on April 24th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The Cloud of Unknowing EP is one of SEPULTURA’s most diverse and emotionally resonant releases. Across four tracks, the EP serves as a bittersweet farewell, showcasing the full spectrum of the band’s creativity, reflecting both the ferocity and depth that have defined SEPULTURA’s legacy.
SEPULTURA have released EP track ‘The Place‘, which vocalist Derrick Green sheds some light on:
“This song deals with immigrants who have come to a place seeking refuge and start a new life.
Once assimilated into a false sense of security and relentless propaganda they began to act out against what they hate about themselves. The transition begins to escape from the self hatred and the lashing out against people who believed in the same ideas. I feel the lyrics truly follow the transitions of the song. Starting with disappointment and arriving at anger.”
The Cloud of Unknowing EP will be available in the following formats:
Oxblood
Transparent Petrol (NB exclusive)
Crystal clear (band exclusive)
Transparent red (band exclusive)
All LP variants come with a CD of the EP in a card wallet.
The Cloud of Unknowing EP Tracklisting
01. All Souls Rising 02. Beyond the Dream 03. Sacred Books 04. The Place
Don’t miss the opportunity to see SEPULTURA on their final ever tour! The dates are as follows:
SEPULTURA – CELEBRATING LIFE THROUGH DEATH
20. Mar – AUS – Perth @ Metro City 23. Mar – AUS – Adelaide @ The Gov. 25. Mar – AUS – Melbourne @ Northcote Theatre 26. Mar – AUS – Sydney @ Liberty Hall 27. Mar – AUS – Sydney @ Liberty Hall *SOLD OUT 29. Mar – AUS – Brisbane @ The Tivoli
29. Apr – USA – Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater 01. May – CAN – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS 02. May – CAN – London, ON @ London Music Hall 04. May – USA – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 05. May – USA – Louisville, KY @Old Forester’s Paristown Hall 06. May – USA – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 07. May – USA – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade 08. May – USA – New Orleans, LA @ The Civic Theatre 10. May – USA – Welcome To Rockville, FL 11. May – USA – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm 12. May – USA – Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall 13. May – USA – Reading, PA @ Reverb 15. May – Chicago, IL @ Ramova Theatre 16. May – USA – Sonic Temple Festival, OH 17. May – USA – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave 19. May – USA – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom 21. May – USA – Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theatre 22. May – USA – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot 23. May – USA – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club 25. May – USA – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues 26. May – USA – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park 28. May – USA – Berkeley, CA @ The US Theatre 29. May – USA – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
06. Jun – NL – South Of Heaven 07. Jun – CZ – Metalfest 08. Jun – CR – Zagreb @ Tvornica Kulture 09. Jun – IT – Milan @ Circolo Magnolia 10. Jun – IT – Rome @ Eur social park 12. Jun – CH – Greenfield Festival 13. Jun – AT – Novarock 14. Jun – DE – Würzburg @ Pothalle 17. Jun – DE – Saarbruecken @ Garage 19. Jun – FR – Hellfest 20. Jun – BE – Graspop 21. Jun – PT – Rock in Rio Lisboa 23. Jun – DE – Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle 24. Jun – DE – Potsdam @ Waschhaus Potsdam 25. Jun – DK – Copenhell 26. Jun – SE – Huskvarna @ Folkets Park 27. Jun – NO – Tons of Rock
30. Jun – GR – Release festival 31. Jul – DE – Wacken Open Air 01. Aug – FI – Helsinki @ Tavastia *SOLD OUT 02. Aug – EE – Tallinn Rock Festival 05. Aug – ES – Leyendas Del Rock 07. Aug – UK – Bloodstock Festival 09. Aug – IE – Dublin @ 3Arena
Children Of Bodom reunited for two special shows in their home country, Finland. The melodic death and power metal band that has been celebrated for decades disbanded in 2019, playing their farewell concert in Helsinki at that time. Last year, the big memorial show was announced in the same city and quickly complemented by a second show on the following day after the first sold out in no time. In 2025, they said:
“We want to celebrate the life’s work of our band and at the same time honor the musical legacy of our friend and bandmate Alex. The concert will take place at the Tavastia Club, a venue that has always been very meaningful to Children Of Bodom – and it also fulfills a long-standing wish from our fans.”
Yesterday, the moment arrived, and the first concert took place as planned under the “A Celebration Of Music” theme. Alexander Kuoppala, Henkka Blacksmith, Janne Warman, and Jaska Raatikainen from the original lineup returned to the stage for two nights, joined by Samy Elbanna fromLost Society.
Here is the full setlist from 26th february concert:
Please note: the setlist may vary from show to show.
Scottish metal heavyweights, BLEED FROM WITHIN, are preparing to take their adrenaline-charged live show further across the Northern Hemisphere.
Tonight, they’ll be hitting the UK and Ireland for an extensive 11-show run, followed by a colossal month-long trek across North America.
To set the tone, Bleed From Within have released a blistering live video for their track ‘Zenith‘, the title track from their highly-acclaimed, latest studio record. The video was filmed during the Zenith UK/EU Headline Tour across September and October 2025, the band’s biggest headline tour to-date. The video captures their high intensity live performances at numerous sold-out shows across the continent.
Bleed From Within commented:
“Zenith was very nearly one of the lead singles during our album campaign. In light of this, we decided to cut together some of the incredible footage captured by our dear friend and long time content king, Tom Armstrong and give it a proper music video as we approach our next round of touring.
The final result is a snapshot of the biggest headline tour we’ve ever done up to this point. The Zenith tour travelled across UK and Europe and was a massive step up for our band. We were consistently blown away by the support shown by our fans. The tour culminated with 2 sold out shows at the Glasgow Barrowlands, the venue that we’ve been dreaming of headlining since we started this band 21 years ago. Surrounded by fans, friends and family, we celebrated everything that we’ve worked towards over the last 2 decades.
Please enjoy this video as much as we have. It’s been incredible to watch these moments back and relive everything we shared with our fans. Thank you for your support. We’ll see you very soon on the road around the UK, Ireland and North America!'”
BLEED FROM WITHIN – 2026 TOUR DATES
UK & IRELAND – THE DYING SUN TOUR
01.03 – Edinburgh @ The Liquid Room *SOLD OUT 02.03 – Edinburgh @ The Liquid Room *SOLD OUT 03.03 – Aberdeen @ Lemon Tree 05.03 – Dublin @ The Academy 06.03 – Liverpool @ o2 Academy *SELLING FAST 07.03 – Leeds @ Stylus 08.03 – Nottingham @ Rock City 10.03 – Norwich @ Epic Studios *SELLING FAST 12.03 – Bristol @ Electric Bristol 12.03 – Southampton @ The 1865 *SOLD OUT 14.03 – Birmingham @ o2 Institute *SELLING FAST
Supports: Disembodied Tyrant and Baest
NORTH AMERICA – THE ZENITH TOUR
02.04 – Worcester MA, The Palladium *SELLING FAST 03.04 – Montreal QC, Theatre Beanfield *SOLD OUT 04.04 – Toronto ON, Opera House *SELLING FAST 06.04 – Philadelphia PA, Theatre of the Living Arts 07.04 – Lakewood OH, The Roxy 08.04 – Millville PA, Mr Smalls 10.04 – Detroit MI, St Andrew’s Hall 11.04 – Grand Rapids MI, Elevation 12.04 – Chicago IL, House of Blues 14.04 – Minneapolis MN, Varsity Theatre 15.04 – Lincoln NE, Bourbon Theatre 17.04 – Englewood CO, Gothic Theatre 19.04 – Boise ID, Shrine Social Club 20.04 – Seattle WA, The Crocodile 21.04 – Portland OR, Hawthorne Theatre 22.04 – Roseville CA, Goldfield Trading Post 24.04 – Los Angeles CA, The Regent Theatre 25.04 – Pomona CA, The Glass House 26.04 – Phenoix AZ, Crescent Ballroom 28.04 – Austin TX, Come and Take It Live 29.04 – Dallas TX, Granada Theater 01.05 – Tampa FL, The Orpheum 02.05 – Atlanta GA, The Masquerade (Hell) 03.05 – Greensboro NC, Hangar 1819 05.05 – Richmond VA, Canal Club 06.05 – Baltimore MD, Nevermore Hall 07.05 – New York NY, Gramercy Theatre
Supports: Sylosis, Great American Ghost, Life Cycles
SUMMER EU HEADLINE DATES
10.08 – DE Stuttgart @ Im Wizemann ** 11.08 – DE Nürnberg @ Hirsch & 13.08 – DE Aschaffenburg @ Colos-Saal &
**w. supports Of Mice & Men, Signs Of The Swarm &w. supports Signs Of The Swarm
After 20 years, Bleed from Within have reached their Zenith. The Glasgow firebrands are one of the hardest working acts in metal: playing shows globally with everyone from Megadeth to Slipknot, all while writing and regularly releasing monstrous, exhilarating songs. The upward journey reaches new heights on their seventh album, which contains the band’s heaviest, catchiest and most intrepid music to date.
Bleed – vocalist Scott Kennedy, guitarists Craig “Goonzi” Gowans and Steven Jones, drummer Ali Richardson and bassist Davie Provan – have long been Scottish metal’s most valued sons, constantly at the vanguard of muscular-sounding music. First albums Humanity (2009) and Empire (2010) made them cult figureheads in the deathcore scene, before Uprising (2013) broadened their palate with groove metal adrenaline and melodic death metal prowess. It also marked their major-label debut, catapulting them onto tours with heavy royalty.
In 2018, the band returned with the ferocious Era. Then, follow-ups Fracture (2020) and Shrine (2022) proved their greatest triumphs to date, intertwining Scott’s snarls with Steven’s majestic singing. The millions of streams gathered by such singles as ‘The End of All We Know’, ‘Into Nothing’ and ‘Levitate’ proved Bleed had become the next big thing. On Zenith – which was announced alongside career-affirming tours with Slipknot, Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine – the quintet are primed to leap into superstardom.
Across 11 songs, Zenith explores the parameters of what pulse-pounding metal can do. ‘Violent Nature’ is the most attention-demanding opener Bleed have ever penned, accelerating from a distorted intro to an onslaught of drums, blitzkrieg riffs and layer upon layer of screams. Single ‘In Place of Your Halo’ is a heavier counterpoint: its hulking groove leads up to a surprising bagpipe section, keeping the band in touch with their homeland as they affirm themselves on the world’s stage. From the bold string sections throughout the album to finale ‘Edge of Infinity’, which rises from acoustic guitars and singing to an almighty crescendo, Bleed’s horizons have never been broader. Yet, their songs have never felt so invigorating across the board either.
Following the success of last Fall’s Unself LP (Nuclear Blast), UK heavyweights CONJURER are finally bringing their sonic devastation to North America. The 16-date onslaught launches May 22nd in NYC, carving a path through Montreal, Chicago, and Nashville before a final showdown in Philly on June 7th. Don’t miss a stacked support bill featuring SADNESS, SNOOZE, and PAINS.
CONJURER comments, “We are thrilled to be coming back to the US and Canada for the first time since 2023. We’re thankful to everyone that has been so patient with us, and to Nuclear Blast and Ryan at Forthright Booking for making this tour happen.
“For our first stateside headline shows, we wanted to bring some of our favourite bands with us and so it’s a genuine honour to have Sadness, Snooze, and Pains share the stage every night.
“Being able to do this is a real privilege, and we are so excited to share our new album Unself with another continent, live on stage. See you out there.”
Confirmed dates for CONJURER‘s North American Tour with SADNESS SNOOZE, & PAINS are:
05/22/2026 US NY New York City @ The Meadows 05/23/2026 US ME Portland @ Geno’s Rock Club 05/24/2026 US MA Boston @ The Rockwell 05/26/2026 US RI Providence @ Alchemy 05/27/2026 CAN QC Montreal @ Cabaret Foufs 05/28/2026 CAN ON Ottawa @Dominion Tavern 05/29/2026 CAN ON Toronto @ Prepare The Group * 05/30/2026 US OH Columbus @ Donatos Basement 05/31/2026 US IL Chicago @ Sleeping Village 06/01/2026 US IN Indianapolis @ Black Circle 06/02/2026 US KY Louisville @ Portal 06/03/2026 US TN Nashville @ DRKMTTR 06/04/2026 US GA Atlanta @ Boggs Social & Supply 06/05/2026 US NC Raleigh @ Chapel OF Bones 06/06/2026 US MD Baltimore @ Motown Ballroom 06/07/2026 US PA Philadelphia @ Kung Fu Necktie * – CONJURER only
CONJURER have evolved radically since the release of their debut album (Mire, 2018), and their second release (Páthos, 2022) saw them lauded among the most exciting British metal bands. Whilst award nominations and accolades accumulated, the four-piece band retained their very simple mission: to make heavy music and have fun whilst doing so. Preferring to use their spotlight to showcase technicality and musicality rather than centring politics or opinions, CONJURER lived in the moment and embraced everything that came their way.
Within the tumult of forging a renewed identity as a band, on Unself there is a more intense, more personal voyage of discovery unfurling for vocalist/guitarist Dani Nightingale. Diagnosed with autism at age 31, their long-held view of self, and perception of their place in the world began to unravel. Unself documents much of the piecing back together around the diagnosis, alongside the realisation they were non-binary.
These vignettes of processing and self-actualisation take place against the backdrop of a society careening towards glassy-eyed capitalist dystopia; finding firm footing eludes many of us – and CONJURER delve headfirst into exploring these suffocating new societal parameters.
Within Unself‘s nine tracks, CONJURER deliver the writhing post-metal sound they’ve become known for, but have loosened their grip on the desire to fill every moment with sonic obliteration. Instead, they have leaned into utilising space, gifting listeners a little breathing room which serves to make the heavy elements feel all the more intense.
A more direct, organic approach to songwriting was facilitated by the ever-strengthening bonds within the band, and the supportive environment created by producer Joe Clayton. Allowing themselves more time than with any previous recording experience, they committed to preproduction sessions, followed by an elongated recording period in order to do justice to the material they had crafted. Stripping back the excesses of previous outings to reveal their solid songwriting chops allowed for more clarity and more dynamics to shine through. To their ears, the mood, the core of the lyrical content and the music are more aligned than ever before.
This record is the sound of four individuals living with more purpose and as a consequence creating with more purpose. Unself sees them reaching out to offer community, catharsis and connection. CONJURER remain true to their original mission – they’re still having fun, playing interesting heavy music – but now that music is imbued with the power that comes from opening themselves up to others, at first within the band, and now beyond.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 