Finnish atmospheric metal band Meret released the second single and music video named after the band ‘Meret’. The track is taken from the forthcoming self-titled EP which is set to be released later in 2027 via Inverse Records.
The band features familiar faces from the Finnish metal scene, and its members have experience playing in bands such as Hanging Garden, Shamrain, Crimfall, and Where’s My Bible.
–Composed, arranged & lyrics by Toni Hinkkala –Arranged by Mikko Kolari –Mixed & recorded by Pasi Löfgren –Mastered by Miro Kiiski –ISRC: FI3FC2601201 –Single cover by Petri Lampela
“This song takes the listener beneath the surface, into the depths where the waves carry something away. Blending beautiful melodies with relentless blast beats, it unfolds as an emotional journey through silence, loss and the unknown. Some things never truly leave us and we learn to accept them and carry them with us, descending ever deeper beneath the surface.” says, Toni Hinkkala.
Meret, formed in 2025 in Heinola, is a atmospheric metal band built around strong melodies, melancholy and the contrast between hope and darkness. The band’s songs are born from personal emotions and an inner world. A place that cannot always be explained with words, but can be heard through the music.
Meret’s sound combines beautiful melodies, dark tones and dynamic songwriting where sensitivity and heaviness exist side by side. The music does not aim to be perfectly polished or calculated, but genuinely emotional and honest. The band builds its songs around powerful atmospheres. At times the music can feel hopeless and dark, yet beneath the surface there is always also light and hope. The band’s identity is strongly rooted in its own vision and personal expression.
Meret was born from the need to create music that feels real.
Line-up: Toni Hinkkala – Vocals & rhythm guitar Mikko Kolari – Lead guitar Pasi Löfgren – Bass guitar & backing vocals Janne Jukarainen – Drums
W.A.S.P. shakes up the set list by adding three songs that have never been performed before and a two songs that haven’t been performed since the 1980s. The real surprise is adding the song Mr. Cool, a song Blackie performed in his pre-W.A.S.P. band Sister.
W.A.S.P. out on the “1984 To Headless” 2026 U.S. and Canada Tour with KK’s Priest as very special guest.
Blackie Lawless commented on the tour, “Every night it really is special.”
“W.A.S.P. -1984 TO HEADLESS” Set List
EASY LIVING – never performed until 2026 FISTFUL OF DIAMONDS – last performed in 1986 THE FLAME MR. COOL – never performed until 2026 B.A.D. THUNDERHEAD – last performed in 1989 FOREVER FREE THE REAL ME THE HEADLESS CHILDREN MEPHISTO WALTZ – never performed until 2026 I WANNA BE SOMEBODY L.O.V.E. MACHINE INSIDE THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS I DON’T NEED NO DOCTOR GOLGOTHA WILD CHILD BLIND IN TEXAS
W.A.S.P. is again offering fans VIP tickets that give fans a chance to meet Blackie Lawless, get a personal photo with Blackie, autographs, and take part in a very personal Q&A with Blackie. Don’t wait to get your VIP ticket, VIP tickets can be purchased at https://waspnation.myshopify.com
“W.A.S.P. -1984 TO HEADLESS” Tour Dates
09-16 – Austin, TX Emos 09-17 – Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater 09-18 – Dallas, TX House Of Blues 09-19 – San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater 09-20 – Houston, TX House Of Blues 09-22 – Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckard Hall 09-23 – Daytona, FL Peabody Auditorium 09-24 – Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater 09-25 – Raleigh, NC The Ritz 09-26 – Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak 09-27 – Portland, ME Aura 09-29 – Boston, MA House Of Blues 09-30 – Hampton, NH Hampton Beach Casino 10-01 – Wallington, CT Toyota Oakdale Theatre 10-02 – New York, NY The Palladium 10-03 – Carteret, NJ Carteret Performing Arts Center 10-05 – Montreal, QC Mtelus 10-06 – Ottawa, ON Hard Rock Casino 10-07 – Pickering, ON Pickering Casino Resort 10-09 – Des Plaines, IL Des Plaines Theater 10-10 – St Charles, IL Arcada Theater 10-11 – St Charles, IL Arcada Theater 10-13 – Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre 10-14 – Harrisburg, PA Capitol City Music Hall 10-15 – Cleveland, OH Agoura Theater 10-16 – Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater 10-17 – Green Bay, WI EPIC Event Center 10-19 – Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre 10-21 – Edmonton, AB Midway Music Hall 10-22 – Calgary, AB The Palace Theater 10-23 – Coquitlam, BC Great Canadian Casino Vancouver – SOLD OUT 10-24 – Coquitlam, BC Great Canadian Casino Vancouver 10-25 – Seattle, WA Moore Theater 10-27 – San Jose, CA San Jose Civic 10-29 – Rancho Mirage, CA The Show @ Agua Caliente 10-30 – Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues 10-31 – Anaheim, CA The Grove
About W.A.S.P. Few Bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this Band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these Winged Assassins from performing live, the Band’s unique style of Shock and Rock caused Religious organizations, Local City Councils, Parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.
The band’s founding member, frontman Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold out shows across the globe for 4 decades.
About KK’s Priest You can’t keep a heavy metal legend down… Although it’s been over a dozen years since guitarist and songwriter K.K. Downing departed Judas Priest, the iconic band he co-founded and played with for 40 years, he was never really going to retire. It was only a matter of time before he reclaimed the spotlight. As his new album title proclaims, The Sinner Rides Again.
K.K. Downing has had metal coursing through his veins from the beginning, starting in the Midlands region of England where Judas Priest was born. He compellingly chronicled his life odyssey in his 2018 autobiography, and his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame further secures his legacy as a pioneering musician, songwriter and guitarist. As a founding member of the classic Judas Priest line-up, Downing helped lay the foundation for the heavy metal genre as a whole. His distinct style of playing is easily identifiable, he was part of a six-string duo that complemented and contrasted each other, and they would progress to new levels of excitement. He has taken that ethos and applied it to KK’s Priest with impassioned results.
Fans already excited by KK’s return, will also be elated that KK’s Priest are gearing up for another round of touring in the US and Canada in the fall of 2026 with fellow metal legends W.A.S.P.
For Downing, KK’s Priest is not just a statement of intent. It is a statement of being. His lifelong heavy metal saga continues.
As couture symphonic metal band ANA storms across the United States on tour with Danzig, Twin Temple and Burning Witches, they drop this electrifying new music video for “Following the Wind.” Directed by Aaron Mak and filmed during their recent Japan Tour, this music video captures the visceral energy of a band hitting their stride on the global stage, offering fans a rare glimpse into the chaotic beauty of life on the road for these rising superstars. Blending heavy rock riffs with soaring classical elements, ANA has carved out a unique space for fans of Evanescence, Nightwish, and Dorothy. “Following the Wind” is a profound visual anchor for the band’s new full-length studio album, Motivated by Death, which was released on May 29, 2026 via Eclipse Records.
This is the fourth music video from their latest album, and it further cements this band as one of the scene’s rising superstars.
The music video for “Following the Wind” steps away from the band’s highly stylized studio shoots to deliver something deeply authentic. Vocalist Anna Khristenko noted that the band has always wanted to shoot a live video to capture the unique energy shared between the performers and the crowd. This video brings their renowned live show to fans worldwide who have yet to witness it firsthand. Director Aaron Mak translates this live energy perfectly to the screen. By spending prolonged, intimate moments with the band on tour, Mak was able to shoot from the perspective of an audience member experiencing the show night after night. He also captured the private moments of victory offstage, which he believes enriches the video in a completely new way.
“Having worked with ANA on their feature documentary, Watch Me As I Rise, this music video feels like a bridging point between that film and the next instalment.” Says Aaron Mak. “The mindset of wanting this project to be more than just a music video persisted, which explains the intercutting of emotionally charged moments and milestones. The ANA we saw struggling with overcoming obstacles in Watch Me As I Rise has flourished into this latest iteration – more confident, but still hungry as ever. It’s a prologue to the next chapter of this band’s evolution.”
The band’s documentary film Watch Me As I Rise, is currently streaming exclusively on Thunderflix.
Cover art Credit: Peter Coulson
While many symphonic metal acts lean into fantasy tropes, ANA focuses on a sophisticated evolution of the craft. Led by vocalist Anna Khristenko, the band members perform as masked super-humans. This visual identity is captured on the album cover by acclaimed Australian photographer Peter Coulson, bridging the gap between high fashion and the visceral intensity of symphonic metal. Produced by the creative duo of Josh Mak and Khristenko, the record finds a balance between orchestral grandeur and sonic precision. The heart of the record is found in “Shadow of Life”. Despite the title of the album, the band does not dwell on morbidity. Instead, the song treats death as a vital shadow that gives life its shape. It is a reminder to embrace the impermanence of existence as a catalyst for creativity. Other standouts from the album include “Hate Me” and “Papa”. The album was produced by Anna Khristenko & Josh Mak, engineered & mixed by Chris Themelco (Eye of the Enemy, Naberus) at Monolith Studios, and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson (Groove Armada, Soilwork, Mayhem) at The Panicroom Studio. Cover art for the album was shot by Peter Coulson. Motivated By Death by Ana was released on May 29, 2026 via Eclipse Records. Get Motivated By Death on CD Digipak via Eclipse Records & on all digital platforms at this location.
ANA on tour w/ Danzig, Twin Temple, Burning Witches (get tickets) – remaining shows:
09/18 Nashville, TN @ Pinnacle 09/20 Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust Co Theatre 09/26 Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
ANA draws comparisons to Symphonic Metal titans such as Nightwish, Within Temptation, and Evanescence, yet they maintain a distinct Australian edge that refuses to be pigeonholed. By blending the grandeur of orchestral arrangements with the visceral power of symphonic metal and modern hard rock, ANA ensures that “couture metal” is not just about the appearance of luxury, but the substance of the art itself.
Ana is Anna Khristenko (Vocals), Josh Mak (Guitar), Cody Lamb (Bass), Andres Felipe Martinez Osorio (Drums), Mark Shi (Keys).
Finnish Helsinki-based metal couple CONTRUST released a new single and music video ‘The Endless Seas’.
The band comments:
“We’re especially happy with this song and proudly call it our best one yet. It all started when Susanna heard the melody in a dream, and from there, we gradually built it into a full song together with our producer. This song really captures and defines what CONTRUST sounds like.
We filmed and produced the music video entirely by ourselves with zero budget. What we remember most from the shoot is the cold and our soaking wet clothes, but after seeing the final result, we can definitely say it was worth it.”
–Composed by Susanna Wikholm & Ville-Veikko Etelämäki –Lyrics by Susanna Wikholm & Jonatan Utriainen –Arranged by Ville-Veikko Etelämäki & Susanna Wikholm –Mixed & mastered by Ville-Veikko Etelämäki –ISRC: QT6HR2635698 –Single cover by Jonatan Utriainen
CONTRUST is a music boundaries breaking duo founded in the fall of 2024, when two fans of heavy music found each other and decided to combine their passions. The couple brings a fresh sound and perspective to the metal scene.
GRAMMY Award winning bassist DAVID ELLEFSON has announced his BASS WARRIORTOUR in Europe for December 2026. The tour will feature Ellefson and his solo band performing select cuts from his well-known catalog of Mega hits, including the Megadeth Countdown to Extinction album in it’s entirety, solo material and other hard rock & metal favorites which inspired him during his 40-year music career.
Ellefson states, “We had such great fan request for Countdown to Extinction from earlier this year that we are going to wrap 2026 with some final shows across Europe which also includes some new cities and countries to celebrate the music from one of my all time favorite albums of my discography. The perfect holiday wrap up for the year!”
Ellefson launched his Bass Warrior tour in 2024, with musical director Andy Martongelli (Ellefson-Soto, Artemis) as a way to perform songs for fans across Europe from his 40+ years as a world renowned recording artist.
12/3 @ Kill Joy in Roma, Italy 12/4 @ Rock N Roll in Rho, Italy 12/5 @ Del Vino in Orchamps- Vennes, France 12/7 @ Music on the Hague in Den Haag, Netherlands 12/8 @ Metropool in Enschede, Netherlands 12/9 @ Iduna, Drachten, Netherlands 12/10 @ Burghof Huhnerstall in Frankfurt, Germany 12/12 @ Stary Dom in Domecko, Poland 12/13 @ The Barrel Venue in Drogheda, Ireland 12/15 @ JS Retro in Nitra, Slovakia 12/18 @ Fest Club in Belgrado, Serbia 12/19 @ Hard Place in Zagabria, Croatia
Support Life And Music has launched the second season of its acclaimed SLAM: Music Survival Guide series, featuring a new round of conversations from across the musical spectrum. The guests include superstars, influencers, industry VIPs, authors, and more! Each show features uplifting talks about mental health in the music life.
Support Life And Music (S.L.A.M.) was founded as a nonprofit in 2025 by veteran journalist, Jack Mangan, to fight back against music industry tragedies from substance misuse, depression, and suicide. S.L.A.M. is saving music lives through storytelling, media, research, expertise, and inspiration.
S.L.A.M. has made a powerful impact in its first 20 months:
Season 1 of the “SLAM: Music Survival Guide” podcast featured 55 episodes of conversations with musicians of all levels, music industry VIPs, authors, and more. Season 2 will be even more exciting, having launched on August 27th with the SLAM Awards episode!
In its first 20 months, S.L.A.M. published 43 articles, essays, reviews, and thinkpieces, including 7 D.R.E.A.M. (Data, Research, Education, Awareness, Music) reports.
S.L.A.M. has had official appearances at numerous in-person events, including Arizona Bike Week, Phoenix International Jazz Festival, MIM’s Celebrate Soul, and more.
Support Life And Music is here to improve musician mental health and seriously reduce music industry tragedies.
The slate of shows in season 2 includes, with more to come:
SLAM Awards
Roddy Bottum (Faith No More)
Jacob Givens (YouTube phenomenon), Alex Skolnick (Testament)
Edith Pageaud (Classical guitar sensation)
Steven Rosen (Author) and Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson) talk Jeff Beck
Alice Wallace (Country musician), Rebecca Downes (Blues musician)
Lips (Anvil)
Brad Cole (Backline)
Todd Michael Hall (Riot)
Jenn Czep, S.C. Mendes, Hal C.F. Astell (Horror/SF Authors)
Dr. Karlheinz Brandenburg (co-inventor of the MP3)
Rory Schmitt (author),Red O’Brien and Eric Laws (Blood Lovely) talk about New Orleans
Watch the Season 2 Trailer:
The SLAM: MSG second season opened with the 2026 SLAM Awards honoring the music industry’s mental health superheroes! This star-studded, blockbuster first-of-its-kind online event features music, presentations, acceptance speeches, and more, paying tribute to music industry stars and VIPs who’ve inspired mental health positivity through advocacy, action, social media, writing, music, and/or just through their own personal stories.
Hosted by superstar Cathy Rankin, the show features speeches from an incredible class of honorees. The full list includes:
Michael Alago (Legendary record label executive and artist. Subject of the acclaimed documentary: “Who the F**k is That Guy?”, author of “I Am Michael Alago.”)
John Bambino (VP Artist Management for In De Goot Entertainment)
Dani Cutler (Scene Mom Says, ex-KWSS Radio DJ)
Rob Halford (Hall of Fame singer for Judas Priest, author of “Confess” and “Biblical”)
Amy Sciarretto (Trendsetting music publicist, founder of Atom Splitter PR)
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Rap/Hip-Hop pioneer, author of “Ten Ways to Not Commit Suicide”)
Pamela Parks (Headity Artist Management)
Jason McMaster (Iconic singer from Dangerous Toys, co-host of Talk Louder podcast)
Dr. George Musgrave (aka Context, a Rapper who’s worked with Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, others. He co-wrote a groundbreaking clinical paper on musician mental health)
Dr. Dorian Lamis (Psychologist, author, and professor who co-wrote the clinical paper, “Musicians, the music industry, and suicide: epidemiology, risk factors, and suggested prevention approaches,” with George Musgrave.)
Marc Lopes (Singer with Let Us Prey, ex-Metal Church)
Featuring music videos and performances from:
Chuck Tomasi – Technorama
Garrett James and the Wanderers – Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center
Jack Mangan – S.L.A.M.
Cathy Rankin
And guest presentations from:
Jose Mangin – SiriusXM
Todd La Torre – Queensryche
Mark Pruett – The Whiskey Network
Michael Stackpole – Author
David Ellefson – Kings of Thrash, ex-Megadeth
Burton C. Bell – Solo artist, ex-Fear Factory
Dobber Beverly – Oceans of Slumber
Ben Wells – Black Stone Cherry
Monte Conner* – Nuclear Blast Records
Evo Terra – Simpler Media
Dr. Sheila Dee – Simpler Media
“Metal Dave” Glessner – Talk Louder
Jonathan Jacobs – Rawkstars
Ari Jacobson – Backline
Hilary Gleason – Backline
Debbie Watson – Nuci’s Place
Rob Dukes – Exodus
*Monte Conner’s testimonial read by Jack Mangan
The host segments were primarily filmed at Technorama Studios, engineered by Chuck Tomasi, with post-production by Vincent Desiderioscioli of YoVinny Productions. The 2026 SLAM Awards Show is sponsored by All Access VIP Adventures.
Watch the 2026 SLAM Awards:
Support Life And Music is here to improve musician mental health and seriously reduce music industry tragedies.
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
