Finnish hard rock band is a project of five guys in their twenties, blending genres and mixing the new with the old. In early 2026, the band will release several singles leading up to their debut EP, set to drop in March.
Øutline’s second and heaviest single to date, “925,” dives straight back into the early 2000s with an attention-grabbing blend of modern hard rock and nu-metal. The five-minute track pulls no punches: from the very beginning, listeners are hit with moshpit-worthy guitar riffs, rapid-fire vocals, and cutting scream sections, before the song culminates into a crushing breakdown followed by an euphoric guitar solo. Proven to be a live favorite, “925”is a track that demands attention.
Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz etc.): https://push.fm/fl/outline925
Behind the aggressive vocal delivery, the lyrics of “925” explore themes of a burnout caused by the work-life rat race and the desire to break free from it. As the song progresses, exhaustion and frustration make everything feel meaningless, until a glimmer of hope finally emerges.
The song is Øutline’s second single from the upcoming EP, offering a small bite of the band’s fresh sound and expanding catalogue. All tracks on the EP were mixed by Sami Niittykoski and mastered by Miro Kiiski. The new single will be featured in Øutline’s spring 2026 live shows, which will be announced via the band’s social media channels.
Finnish diverse melodic metal band Dreamferno has released their eponymous single. Over 12 minute piece takes the listener through a musical journey that challenges and rewards the listener with beautiful soundscapes and imaginatively detailed compositional work.
“Welcome to the steppes of Dreamferno! This is the debut single of our new upcoming musical adventure. Naming our fresh single after our group has multiple meanings. Firstly, it signals a new era of creation with renewed band crew, as we have grown in number and in musical power. Secondly, the song previews various themes of our new concept, and is also a display of our unique talents. Step into this forge of transformation with us, and let the journey begin…”
–ISRC: FISRI2600001
Samuli Rimmi (arrangement, composition, lyrics, guitar & vocals) Juha Pärnänen (arrangement, bass) Tuomas Uuksulainen (arrangement, guitar, vocals) Iiro Hyvärinen (arrangement, drums) Enni Rautiainen (arrangement, lyrics, vocals) Tuuli Kaukoranta (arrangement, lyrics, vocals) Krzysztof Dobosiewicz (composition, arrangement, orchestrations, programming)
Dreamferno is a group of friends from Finland’s Savonia and Karelia regions, united by a shared passion for creating music where rules are nonexistent and almost nothing is forbidden.
Fresh off of leaving a mark on their fiery debut,Ponte Del Diavolo are fanning the flames with their upcoming second album. Drawing from the dark and dancing depths of the band’s dueling bassists and the raw spirit of their fiery live ritual, De Venom Natura delivers an all the more potent twist of blackened post-punk.
“[…]deliciously diabolical” No Clean Singing wrote in praise of the album’s spirited lead single. “Erba del Diavolo’s dramatically beautiful but spooky singing creates a key contrast as it soars and quavers above the music’s charging pulse”
Today, Ponte Del Diavolo are releasing the third and final advanced single from De Venom Natura. One of the most intoxicating spells on the album, “Lunga vita alla necrosi” is a claustrophobic descent where fascination and repulsion coexist as both seduction and destruction.
One of the shortest songs that Ponte Del Diavolo has ever written, “Lunga vita alla necrosi” strikes quick. The main riff nods to classic ‘90s black metal amidst amidst the song’s thick post-punk atmosphere. Drawing from both Italian ‘80s hardcore and early 20th-century classics, Erba del Diavolo’s vocals channel dark, compelling sensations.
As the dual bass lines move in deliberate opposition – one distorted and visceral, the other fluid and melodic – a suffocating framework is built that mirrors a mind that’s not searching for an escape but circling into madness.
PONTE DEL DIAVOLO craft a focused blend of doom, black metal, post‐punk, and wave—an aesthetic they call “blackened post‐punk.” Wave‐tinged female vocals anchor the project’s flaming core, supported by an uncommon dual‐bass setup that grounds the rhythmic guitars and a raw, dynamic drum pulse.
The result is an immersive, tension‐driven sound. Following the initial release of three EPs, the band signed to Season of Mist and unveiled their first full-length album, Fire Blades from the Tomb.
After two years on the road – appearing at leading European festivals such as Roadburn and Inferno in support of their debut – Ponte del Diavolo return with “De Venom Natura,” a record that extends and refines their musical boundaries.
Production Credits Recorded at The Deepest Sea, Turin, Italy. Produced & Engineered by Danilo Battocchio. Mixed by Danilo Battocchio at The Deepest Sea. Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.
Guest Musicians Francesco Bucci Sergio Bertani Vittorio Sabelli Gionata Potenti
Sicilian guitar savant Matteo Mancuso has announced details of his new album Route 96, which will be released on 24 April via Music Theories Recordings. The album features appearances from Steve Vai, Antone Boyer and Valeriy Stepanov. He has also revealed the official video for Isla Feliz featuring the Gypsy Jazz whirlwind Antoine Boyer, which you can watch HERE.
The Rara Avis – “rare bird” in Latin – burst on the scene in 2023 with his debut album The Journey after his prodigious ability caught the attention of the likes of Tosin Abasi, Al Di Meola, Dweezil Zappa and Steve Vai. The release of his debut with its perfect storm of dazzling fingerstyle technique and beautifully crafted compositions saw him adorn the front covers of multiple Guitar magazines, being hailed as the “world’s hottest virtuoso,” “the young guitarist redefining virtuosity,” and saw his international touring take flight with sold-out shows across Europe and the US.
This year, the 29-year-old Palermo, Sicily-based Mancuso returns with his second solo album, Route 96. While his debut was made over the course of three years, this latest release was written and recorded to a much faster timeline, as is often the case with sophomore records.
“I had to squeeze it all into 2025,” he explains. “Everything you hear on the album was recorded last year. “It was so much faster, and I think it was for the best, because the album came out more homogeneous and uniform. Every tune is different, of course, but there are also some sonic qualities that are very similar”.
“This album has come at the right time. I want to have a busy 2026 in terms of tours, but I don’t want to perform the songs from the debut album. I wanted something newer and fresher. These ideas are more original and melodically stronger. There are more explorations, harmonically speaking. I think it shows who I am musically a lot better.”
Perhaps the biggest difference between the debut and Route 96 is the musical confidence on display. The concepts are more orchestrated and developed, with Mancuso showing no shortage of creative wind in the sails. As he goes on to explain, the first album was mainly arranged in a rehearsal room, working out the structure and flow of Mancuso’s music in real-time. This time, the process was much more streamlined.
Route 66 features Matteo alongside Riccardo Oliva (bass) and Gianluca Pellerito (drums) and was recorded at Fico D’India Studios in Casteldaccia, Italy and produced by Matteo along with his father Vincenzo Mancuso. The first song to be released from the album features Antoine Boyer, who brings his gypsy jazz feel to the track Isla Feliz.
Talking about the song, he says, “This is the first official video from my upcoming album Route 96. Isla Feliz is the first tune I wrote for the new record. I wanted to write something Latin-influenced using classical guitar, but I ended up using distortion as well. I had the privilege to collaborate with one of the most talented and brilliant players we have in our galaxy Mr. Antoine Boyer! We really had a great time together, and his contribution to the piece completely changed the tune in a wonderful way! Thank you so much, Antoine, for your amazing work! Thank you as always to my groove overlords Gianluca Pellerito and Riccardo Oliva. As you can see in the official video, we had the opportunity to shoot at this beautiful location, “Real Teatro Santa Cecilia” in Palermo, a huge thank you to Fondazione Orchestra Jazz Siciliana, Presidente Ignazio Garsia, Direttore artistico Luca Luzzu, Real Teatro Santa Cecilia and Direttore Fabio Lannino. Thank you also to my fellow Video makers Filippo Silvestris and Pierluigi Ferrandini.”
Elsewhere, Solar Wind features a guest spot from multiple Grammy winner and instrumental guitar mastermind Steve Vai. Then there’s Warm Sunset – a love-letter to the guitarist’s Latin influences – and Fire And Harmony, which Mancuso describes as the longest and most intense track on the album with more parts and sections than anything he’s recorded in the past.
One of the big differences between Mancuso and the large majority of his peers is his musical open-mindedness. He’s the kind of player who can not only exist but thrive in a variety of different styles
There are many reasons for the young musician to feel proud of album number two – named after his year of birth, as well as the 96kHz audio sample rate Steve Vai recommended him to record at. With a busy year of touring ahead, he’s excited to be bringing this new music to stages around the world.
“I think I know myself better musically thanks to this album,” he admits. “I did go through a process of eliminating things, and through that I realised more about the things I liked best about the music I compose and hear. The first album was made when I was studying a lot of things. Now I study less but listen more to just the music that attracts me. Route 96 is a more honest-sounding record, I would say.”
Track listing 1. Solar Wind ft. Steve Vai 2. Fire And Harmony 3. Isla Feliz (ft. Antoine Boyer) 4. L.A. Blues One 5. The Great Wall 6. Warm Sunset 7. Black Centurion 8. In The Morning Light 9. The Chicken ft. Valeriy Stepanov (Bonus Track)
1/25 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House 1/26 San Diego, CA Music Box 1/27 Santa Barbara, CA Lobero Theatre 1/28 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theatre 1/29 Sacramento, CA The Boardwalk 1/30 Berkeley, CA The UC Theatre 2/01 Phoenix, AZ MIM (6:30PM & 8:30PM) 2/02 Tucson, AZ The Rialto Theatre 2/03 Sante Fe, NM Lensic Performing Arts Center 2/04 Denver, CO Cervantes’ Other Side 2/06 Aspen, CO The Paul JAS Center 2/09 Kansas City, MO Madrid Theatre
2/10 Minneapolis, MN Dakota (7PM & 9PM) 2/11 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre 2/12 St. Louis, MO City Winery St. Louis 2/13 Bloomington, IL The Castle Theatre 2/16 Nashville, TN City Winery Nashville 2/17 Atlanta, GA Terminal West 2/18 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre 2/19 Durham, NC Motorco 2/20 Richmond, VA Richmond Music Hall 2/21 Washington, DC The Hamilton Live 2/23 Kent, OH The Kent Stage 2/25 Cincinnati, OH The Ludlow Garage 2/26 Lansing, MI Grewal Hall at 224 2/27 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
4/09 – Catania, Italy – Zo Centro 4/12 – Palermo, Italy – Teatro Politeama 4/13 – Rende (CS) – Auditorium Unical 4/14 – Bari, Italy – Teatro Forma 4/15 – Grassina, Italy – Viper Club 4/16 Torino, Italy – Hiroshima Mon Amour 4/17 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz 4/19 – Padova, Italy – Hall 4/20 – Bologna, Italy – Locomotiv Club 4/21 – Roma, Italy – Auditorium Parco della Musica 4/23 – Berlin, Germany – Lido 4/24 – Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik 4/25 – Frankfurt, Germany – Zoom Frankfurt 4/28 – Munich, Germany – Ampere 4/30 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
5/01 – Nilmegan, Netherlands – Doornroosje 5/03 – Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal 5/05 – Paris, France – Alhambra 5/06 – Barcelona, Spain – Sala Apolo 5/07 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Villanos 5/09 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Hornstulls Strand 5/10 – Göteborg, Sweden – Pustervik 5/11 – Helsingor, Denmark – The Culture Yard 5/13 – Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor 5/14 – London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall 5/16 – Athina, Greece – Gagarin 205
Portuguese duo SOUL OF ANUBIS have unveiled their new single, “Mind Crusher”, featuring Keijo Niinimaa of Rotten Sound. The track arrives ahead of their forthcoming album, “Ritual”, set for release on February 20th, 2026 via Time To Kill Records.
“Mind Crusher” showcases the band at their most aggressive and focused, blending crushing riffs, dense sludge grooves, and dynamic shifts with the raw intensity that has defined SOUL OF ANUBIS over more than a decade.
“‘Mind Crusher’ represents the challenge of overcoming mental health. It is the story of an old man who realized the adversities his mind had endured throughout his life, trying to focus his story into blocks”.
Formed in 2010 in Northern Portugal, SOUL OF ANUBIS have carved out a distinct place within the European underground thanks to their explosive fusion of thrash, sludge, doom and post-metal. Their sound channels the raw urgency of Mantar, the primal energy of early Mastodon, and the relentless drive of High On Fire and Black Cobra, yet remains unmistakably their own – a visceral blend of aggression and dynamic shifts that refuses to be confined to a single genre.
On stage, the duo are known for their fierce and magnetic performances, delivering an unfiltered surge of heaviness that connects with audiences on a deeply physical level. Over the years, they have performed extensively across Portugal and beyond, building a loyal following through their intensity and authenticity.
The upcoming album promises to push their sonic boundaries even further, expanding upon their trademark blend of massive riffs, dark groove, and emotional gravity, while highlighting a newfound sense of urgency and compositional versatility.
Tracklist:
1. Ritual 2. Mind Crusher (feat Keijo Niinimaa from Rotten Sound) 3. Incarnation 4. Vermin 5. Dead Cult 6. God’s Burial 7. Human Torch 8. Unholy Tomb
Mumbai, India extreme metal force GUTSLIT return with their blistering new single “I, Berzerker”, marking the band’s first release since 2023’s Carnal and the beginning of a new chapter in their relentless evolution. Released independently, the track showcases a sharpened, ferocious sound that reaffirms GUTSLIT’s position as one of the most uncompromising bands in modern death metal.
“I, Berzerker” is a raw declaration of intent. Written as a defiant response to the notion of mellowing with age, the song captures GUTSLIT at their most primal and focused. Blistering riff work, punishing rhythms, and guttural vocals collide in a tightly constructed assault that balances precision with unrestrained aggression.
The track draws inspiration from the myth of the Berzerker, the warrior consumed by battle rage, and reinterprets it as a metaphor for creative freedom. Lyrically, the song explores instinct, release, and total immersion in the act of creation. Violence and fury become symbols of purpose, expression, and identity.
“I, Berzerker” also marks an important turning point for the band. Now operating as a five piece, GUTSLIT feature the dual guitar lineup of Ishwar Hariharan and Aditya Swaminathan, bringing a renewed melodic edge and dynamic interplay to the band’s signature brutality. The core foundation remains as vicious as ever, with Aditya Barve on vocals, Gurdip Singh Narang on bass, and Aaron Pinto on drums driving the chaos forward.
Produced by GUTSLIT, the single was recorded across Gray Spark Studio for drums and Altar Studio for guitars and bass. Engineering was handled by Saurabh Lodha, with vocals engineered by Ashwin Shriyan. Mixing and mastering were completed by Mendel Bij de Liej of EX-ABORTED, delivering a crushing yet refined sonic impact. The single artwork was created by drummer Aaron Pinto, under his visual alias Kidsquidy.
About GUTSLIT:
Formed in Mumbai, India in 2007, GUTSLIT are one of the country’s most formidable extreme metal exports. With a history spanning nearly two decades, the band blend brutal death metal and grindcore with elements of thrash and punk, delivering a sound defined by precision, intensity, and relentless aggression. GUTSLIT have toured and performed across 25 countries worldwide, appearing at major festivals including Obscene Extreme, Brutal Assault, PartySan, Summer Breeze, and Deathfeast Open Air, and sharing stages with bands such as DYING FETUS, NILE, BENIGHTED, and ABORTED. Known for their ferocious live performances and global ambition, GUTSLIT continue to push modern death metal forward without compromise.
GUTSLIT is: Aditya Barve, Vocals Gurdip Singh Narang, Bass Aaron Pinto, Drums Aditya Swaminathan, Guitar Ishwar Hariharan, Guitar
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 ) 