Serpent Gates, a new and bold flag-bearer of traditional heavy metal from Finland, will release their debut album “The Veil of Darkness” on February 20. Conceptually, the album’s roots go back decades to the dreams of elementary schooler Juho Hakalax, who was crazy about music and wanted to make his own album. But it is only now, after years of passionate and uncompromising dedication, that the planned and prepared debut is ready for everyone to hear.
This full-length album, which is firmly rooted in the heart of Central Finnish metal expertise, is not only a showcase for the talents of drummer Juho Hakalax and guitarist Tuomas Västilä, but also features Antony Parviainen (Psychework, Machine Men) as a session vocalist with his powerful voice.
Now, the second single from the album, the powerful Down the Cross, has been released. Lyricist Jegori Miinin says the following about it:
“War and religion, the basic fuels of humanity and metal lyrics, are strongly present throughout the album’s lyrics, in addition to the general gloom. Thus, Down the Cross also deals with religion and everything that is done under its guise.”
–Composer: Juho Hakalax –Lyrics: Jegori Miinin –Arrangement: Serpent Gates –Record Label: Venomoon Records
“When you’re a drummer writing songs, the starting point for the composition is often the rhythm. This was the case with the debut single Metamorphosis, but this time the rhythm pushed the whole thing in an even more extreme direction. The song’s aggressive beat was accompanied by a big riff and really fierce vocals, which Antony delivered magnificently. The C section is a great example of his versatile sound,” Juho Hakalax continues, explaining the background of the single.
Line-up: Antony Parviainen – Vocals (session member) Juho Hakalax – Drums Tuomas Västilä – Guitar Sami Tapola – Bass
Swedish modern rock unit SELF DECEPTION is set to unleash their Napalm Records debut, One Of Us, on May 15, 2026! Known for their fiery fusion of anthemic modern metal and powerful melodic rock, they have shared stages with the likes of Electric Callboy, Danko Jones, and Adept since their 2009 debut, while racking up millions of streams and video views – including their viral 2022 hit, “Fight Fire With Gasoline”, with tens of millions of streams. Written on the road during the heaviest touring of SELF DECEPTION’s career so far, One Of Us is a cohesive album full of character, made for the stage – and the pit!
Accordingly, the band releases the upcoming album’s title track as a new single. Bone-crushing “ONE OF US” unleashes the heavy modern metal side of SELF DECEPTION. Fusing relentless hardcore energy, in-your-face lyrics, and high-voltage attitude, the track hits with unstoppable force, pushing contemporary rock to the next level.
SELF DECEPTION about “ONE OF US”: “‘ONE OF US’ came together while we were out on tour, surrounded by those wild, magical moments with the crowd. The chaos and energy of the mosh pit inspired us to write a whole track dedicated to the people who live for it. This song is about the fans, for the fans, and the growing bond that makes it feel less like a band and a crowd and more like family.”
From massive pit churners to creative storylines and choruses full of hit potential, the energy on One Of Us is unmatched. The band has a busy festival summer following the album’s release, so fans will get the first chance to experience these new tracks live at several major European rock and metal festivals. With One Of Us,SELF DECEPTION is ready to push contemporary rock to the next level! The album will be available digitally and in several physical formats, with cover artwork created by Alex Tillbrook, who is well known for his work on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things”, as well as for collaborations with artists such as Metallica, Blink-182, and Sleep Token.
SELF DECEPTION about One Of Us: “One Of Us is our new album, inspired by life on the road and the energy of the live stage. Touring so much has put us in a kind of ‘live bubble’, and that feeling runs through the songwriting. The album revolves around outsidership and the desire to belong. On tour, we meet many lost and lonely people, all seeking a few hours of escape where they can disappear into a rock show. With One Of Us, we want everyone to feel part of something bigger, to feel like one of us.”
Bone-crushing album-opener and title track “ONE OF US” takes no prisoners, unleashing the heavy modern metal side of the Swedish powerhouse: fusing relentless hardcore energy, in-your-face lyrics, and high-voltage attitude, the track hits with unstoppable force. Following track “TIME’S UP” features an absolute hit chorus, fresh hooks and high-energy instrumentals, while emotional “DON’T B E L O N G” addresses the difficult themes of addiction and mental health battles – the combination of hauntingly beautiful melodies, multifaceted vocal performance and heavy rhythm section carry this sentimental track. Further highlights on SELF DECEPTION’s new 11-track offering include “THE WEDDING”, an energetic modern rock anthem with a particularly dark and twisted storyline, and “BREAK!”, with its heavy-hitting drums, electronic influences and yet another irresistible sing-along chorus. “ENTERTAINED” delivers one of the heaviest breakdowns on the album, before “GODDAMN ME” brings the record to a powerful close.
One Of Ustracklisting:
ONE OF US
TIME’S UP
WAKE UP
DON’T B E L O N G
DEATH OF ME
BREAK!
THE WEDDING
KETAMINE COWBOY
BLAME
ENTERTAINED
GODDAMN ME
SELF DECEPTION Live 2026
23.04.26 AU – Brisbane / The Triffid 24.04.26 AU – Sydney / Manning Bar 25.04.26 AU – Melbourne / Max Watts 26.04.26 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts Factory 28.04.26 AU – Perth / Magnet House
02.05.26 NO – Kopervik / Karmøygeddon Metal Festival 04.06.26 SE – Sölvesborg / Sweden Rock Festival 12.06.26 NL – Leeuwarden / Into the Grave Festival 13.06.26 UK – Castle Donington / Download Festival 01.07.26 ES – Viveiro / Resurrection Fest 17.07.26 AT – Leoben / Area 53 Festival 18.07.26 CZ – Vizovice / Masters of Rock 15.08.26 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo Metal Fest
SELF DECEPTION are: Erik Ingels Graham – Drums Andreas Clark – Vocals Ronny Westphal – Guitar Patrik Carlberg Hallgren – Bass
Progressive metal band Dust Orchard from Helsinki, Finland, has released their new single “Hours in the Void”. The band is known for weaving violin-led melodies into a dense, riff-driven foundation of modern heavy music. After a 2022 EP and a major rebuild of the lineup, Dust Orchard is now moving into a new phase with renewed focus and fresh material in the works. New single introduces this current chapter: ambitious, dark, and deliberately dynamic.
With thunderous guitars, soaring violins and a blend of growls and clean vocal harmonies, “Hours in the Void” tells the story of a desperate struggle for survival in an apocalyptic future. The track balances progressive structure and heavy riff weight with melodic, atmospheric sections—showcasing the band’s range without losing cohesion.
–ISRC: FI3FC2654601 –Composers: Petri Siikander, Tero Aikkila, Vegard Lillevoll, Tommy Olenius, Sindre Johansen –Lyrics: Tommy Olenius –Arrangement: Petri Siikander, Tommy Olenius, Vegard Lillevoll, Niko Salo, Marko Hanski –Mixing & mastering: Saku Moilanen / Deep Noise Studios
Violinist Vegard Lillevoll describes the song as a statement of intent:
“I think ‘Hours in the Void’ lights the way forward for the new metamorphosis of Dust Orchard. It’s lofty, catchy and heavy in all the right places.”
Founder and guitarist Petri Siikander highlights the song’s scene-setting approach and the way the arrangement pivots between extremes:
“I try to paint a picture with every song. Usually I’ll have a specific scenery and feeling in mind when writing… The upcoming single has a heavy intro, trashy metal growls, an epic chorus and some Rush stuff in the middle. What’s not to love?”
Founded in 2018, Dust Orchard emerged from the underground corners of Helsinki with a clear aim: write progressive metal that resists predictability while still landing with emotional weight. The band’s identity is rooted in its instrumentation — especially the use of violin as a lead voice inside a heavy, guitar-driven framework — allowing songs to move from crushing intensity to melodic introspection without warning.
Following the release of an EP in 2022, Dust Orchard went through a significant lineup transition and spent time rebuilding the band from the inside out. Re-emerging with a sharpened intent and new material taking shape, the current lineup is focused on releasing new music and preparing more songs for a forthcoming longer-form release.
For fans of: Amorphis, Evergrey, Soilwork (and Swedish melodic death metal), modern progressive metal.
SATELLITE TOURING and GLM ARTISTS are excited to announce, the legends of NWOBHM and godfathers of Thrash, RAVEN return to the live stage with an extensive North American tour of 35+ shows from March through May this year!
Support comes from special guests SLACKJAW!
Lead vocalist/bassist John Gallagher gleefully states:
“After our ‘medical gap year’ of 2025 we are hungry and itching to get back to doing what we do best — cranking out the megawatts and putting on a RAVEN Metal show for the lunatics out there — we have a killer band SLACKJAW out with us as special guests on these shows and it’s gonna be a take no prisoners full out affair!”
Dates announced so far, with more to come:
3/18 Louisville, KY @ Goodwood Whiskey Row 3/19 St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag 3/20 Kansas City, MO @ Westport Brewery 3/21 Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Live 3/22 Dallas, TX @ RBC 3/26 West Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky 3/28 San Francisco, CA @ Above DNA 3/29 Reno, NV @ Club Underground 3/31 Portland, OR @ Dante’s 4/1 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre 4/2 Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse 4/4 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon 4/5 Denver, CO @ The Federal Theatre 4/7 Lincoln, NE @ 1867 Bar 4/8 Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade 4/9 Chicago,IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club 4/10 Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs 4/11 Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge 4/12 Hamtramck, MI @ Sanctuary 4/14 New Kensington, PA @ Preserving Underground 4/16 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 4/17 Ottawa, ON @ Rainbow Bistro 4/18 Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti Bar & Spectacles 4/19 Montreal, QC @ Piranha Bar 4/21 Albany, NY @ Empire Underground 4/22 Old Town, ME @ The Old Town Theatre 4/23 Manchester, NH @ Jewel Music Venue 4/24 Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz 4/25 Harrisburg, PA @HMAC 4/26 Richmond, VA @ Ember Music Hall 4/29 Raleigh, NC @ Chapel Of Bones 4/30 Greenville, SC @ Radio Room 5/1 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In 5/2 Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply 5/3 Bradenton, FL @ Oscura
Ticket info at: –www.ravenlunatics.com –www.facebook.com/ravenbandofficial
Finnish melodic death metal band Crowen released a new single and music video ‘The Unwritten End’. The track is taken from the forthcoming ‘Through the Dying Mist’ EP which is set to be released on February 20th 2026 via Inverse Records.
Crowen’s new single The Unwritten End tells a story where every step is both a beginning and an ending. The song portrays the dreamworld as a place that is dark yet beautiful. Its protagonist walks toward the unknown, carrying with him both uncertainty and the inevitability of fate, striving to escape a world with no way out.
The melody is sorrowful yet beautiful. The clean vocals in the choruses inspired the song’s entire melodic landscape. In the verses, melodic passages and heavy rhythms alternate. The opening contrasts Crowen’s traditional death metal assault with acoustic guitar and a calm, atmospheric mood. “Guitarist Sami Sandberg managed to fit the melodic line perfectly into the song’s atmosphere. Listening to Sami’s playing gives me a hypnotic feeling,” says vocalist-songwriter Esa Uusimaa.
–Composed, lyrics, recorded, mixed & produced by Esa Uusimaa. –Mastered by Ville Hautaluoma –Single cover by Winter Notes Production Oy –ISRC: FI3FC2596004
Crowen is a Finnish melodic death metal band consisting of Esa Uusimaa and guitarist Sami Sandberg. On this track, the bass is played by Tuomas Saukkonen.
It’s now been 35 years since Rotting Christ emerged from the Athenian underground. Not only do the Greek legends continue to stand the test of time. With their fourteenth studio album, a new live Blu-Ray, and a re-recording of the mighty Aealo fast approaching, Sakis Tolis, his brother Themis and their brothers-in-arms Kostis Fouk and Kostas “Spades” Heliotis are writing another storied chapter in their monumental history .
Today, Rotting Christ are announcing their first full-length North American tour in support of their latest album Pro Xristou. For this 24-date run across both U.S. coasts and Canada, the band will take to their chariots alongside fellow legends in Behemoth, Deicide and Immolation. Before saying farewell to the States, Rotting Christ will make their long-awaited debut at Maryland Deathfest with an exclusive set of songs from Thy Mighty Contract, Non Serviam and other revered recordings from 1989-1995.
“Dear brothers and sisters, we are proud to announce our return to North America as part of the glorious The Godless IV 2026 Tour with Behemoth, Deicide and Immolation”, says Rotting Christ guitarist and vocalist Sakis Tolis. “Not only is this our first North American tour behind our latest studio album Pro Xristou. We will be joined by bands that have been in the metal scene since its creation. With a lot of dedication, and after much sacrifice, they are still here to perform the real dark side of Metal! Thank you all for your support. We look forward to seeing you all on the metal battlefield”.
Get tickets at https://www.rotting-christ.com
The Godless IV 2026 North American Tour with Behemoth, Deicide, Rotting Christ + Immolation
April 14 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory Northpark April 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom April 17 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater April 18 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theater April 19 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO April 21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union April 22 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore April 24 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave April 25 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic April 26 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant April 28 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa April 30 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore* May 1 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium** May 2 – New York City, NY @ Palladium Times Square May 4 – Buffalo, NY @ Riverworks May 5 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Roxian May 7 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville* May 9 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore May 11 – Toronto, ON @ History May 12 – Montreal, QC @ Olympia May 14 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple* May 15 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl May 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade May 18 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory May 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren May 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium *No Rotting Christ **No Deicide
Watch the lyric video for the new re-recorded version of “Santa Muerte” from Aealo.
In the dimly lit catacombs of extreme metal, one name stands as a monolith: ROTTING CHRIST. Sakis Tholis and his brother Themis started this band together back in 1987. In the three decades since, these Greek titans have left their blackened imprint all over the metal world. They’ve released 13 studio albums and played more than 1,300 concerts around the globe. Underneath all this hard work, Rotting Christ have but one vision – an urge to not only push the boundaries of extreme metal, but to keep reinventing themselves along the way.
Rotting Christ’s evolution has unfolded across several distinct chapters. After starting out closer to the barely controlled chaos of grindcore, they went on to establish the iconic sound of Hellenic black metal. Their albums often embrace refined gothic soundscapes, only to plunge back into the depths of blasphemous fervour. Each chapter marked another, further exploration, and an unwavering commitment to push boundaries.
But the real turning point came in 2007, when Rotting Christ signed a pact with Season of Mist. They unleashed a series of albums for the French label that defied any and all expectations. From the piercing Theogonia and the symphonic grandeur of Aelo to the ritualistic intensity of Κατά Τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού, the cinematic experiences created by Rotting Christ became a spectacle of bombastic atmospheres, mesmerizing choirs, and neo-classical arrangements. The unexpected is their modus operandi, with the use of various languages (Latin, Arabic, Greek, English) as well as the extensive use of famous poetry woven into their music, like Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ on The Heretics.
In 2019, Rotting Christ’s epic journey continued with The Apocryphal Spell compilation, which offers fans an intimate glimpse into unreleased and rare material. This allowed them to gather strength, preparing for the release of their next, highly anticipated, 14th full-length studio album: Pro Xristou. Pro Xristou (‘Before Christ’ in Greek), serves as a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who resisted the onslaught of Christianity, guarding their ancient values and knowledge. In this thematic odyssey, intricately woven through tracks such as ‘The Apostate’ and ‘Ygdrassil’, Rotting Christ delves into the legacies of historical figures such as Flavius Claudius Julianus and Nordic mythological kings, embodying the might of Pagan wisdom in the face of Christian adversity. The album encapsulates the essence of Rotting Christ’s signature style – melodic, yet harsh at times – reinventing themselves yet again, while remaining rooted in their 35-year legacy.
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 ) 