Finnish symphonic metal band VOV returns with “Longing”, a fast, driving single built on groove, double-kick power and an anthemic chorus. The song keeps moving direct, physical and uplifting, while carrying a sharp emotional charge.
“Longing” captures the pull of a connection just out of reach. Desire and distance collide; hope stays alive, but it doesn’t come easy. The result is metal with momentum: melody and force pushing in the same direction.
Vocalist Karoliina McLoud delivers a focused, expressive performance that creates the core of the song. Teemu Harjunen’s guitar work drives the forward motion, Sami Halinen supports the impact with bass and keys, and Juha-Tapio Anttonen keeps the engine running with relentless, groove-first drumming.
Commenting on the release, Karoliina McLoud states:
“Longing is about a connection that feels destined yet painfully out of reach. The kind that consumes you and makes you question what’s real and what’s imagined.”
Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube Music etc.): https://push.fm/fl/vov-longing
–ISRC: FI3FC2699502 –Composition & lyrics by Karoliina McLoud, Teemu Harjunen, Sami Halinen, Juha-Tapio Anttonen
VOV is a Finnish symphonic metal band founded in 2023. They are combining melodic metal, classical elements and narrative-driven songwriting.
Line-up: Vocals: Karoliina McLoud Guitar: Teemu Harjunen Bass, Keyboards & Backing vocals: Sami Halinen Drums: Juha-Tapio Anttonen
Since forming in 2013 in Western Siberia, the shamanic family duo have followed a ritual path that’s guided by a living connection with ancient traditions and beliefs. During their formative years together, Natalia and Anatoly Pakhlaenko independently released three albums that established Nytt Land’s enchanting style, which is built around deep vocal techniques, throat singing, shamanic drums, tagelharpa, jaw harp, flutes, natural field recordings and hypnotic rhythms.
While signed to Napalm Records and later Prophecy Productions, Nytt Land shifted closer to the languages and indigenous spiritual traditions of their Siberian homeland. By continuing to explore vocal traditions, ancient percussion, organic soundscapes, archaic texts and incantations of the Manchu-Tungusic peoples, the duo strengthened their reinterpretation of Siberian shamanic musical heritage. Their new album, Aba Khan, was inspired by their travels across Siberia, where they encountered new landscapes and deepened their experience with the spiritual traditions of their homeland.
Now, Nytt Land are continuing their journey with Season of Mist, where they join a roster that includes Heilung, Danheim, Garmarna, Eihwar, Sowulo, Vévaki and Kriigerkvlt.
“We’re proud to announce that we are joining the Season of Mist family”, Nytt Land says. “Throughout all these years, we have followed our own path, preserving the sincerity and essence of our music. We are ready to start this new chapter with a label that deeply respects traditions and authentic vision. The path continues!”
Catch Nytt Land on their current European headline tour and upcoming tour of Australia.
Nytt Land Aba Khan Tour 2026
May 12 – Vienna, Austria @ Viper Room [TICKETS] May 13 – Innsbruk, Austria @ Livestage [TICKETS] May 14 – Weinheim, Germany @ Cafe Central [TICKETS] May 15 – Bochum, Germany @ Matrix [TICKETS] May 16 – Herford, Germany @ Kulturwerk [TICKETS] May 17 – Kortrijk, Belarus @ DVG [TICKETS] May 18 – Athens, Greece @ Temple Club [TICKETS] May 19 – Thessaloniki, Greece @ Eightball Club [TICKETS] May 21 – Belgrade, Russia @ Zappa Barka [TICKETS]
Nytt Land Australian Tour 2026
November 19 – Sydney @ Factory Floor [TICKETS] November 20 – Brisbane @ Crowbar [TICKETS] November 21 – Melbourne @ Croxton [TICKETS] November 22 – Adelaide @ Ed Castle [TICKETS]
Nytt Land is a Siberian ritual / dark folk family duo founded in August 2013 by Natalia and Anatoly Pakhlaenko in the town of Kalachinsk, Western Siberia, on the banks of the Om River. Natalia and Anatoly author its music, visual language, philosophy and spiritual direction. Their art was born from life in Siberia and speaks in the voice of this ancient land: harsh, mystical, living and infinitely deep.
From the very beginning, Nytt Land developed as a family creative union in which music was perceived not simply as concert or studio art, but as a ritual path expressed through voice, breath, rhythm, silence and a living connection with the ancient traditions and beliefs of Siberia. The official description of the project defines Nytt Land as a “ritual path expressed through sound,” inspired by the traditional spiritual practices of the indigenous peoples of Siberia.
The early period of Nytt Land was closely connected with northern mythology, ancient texts, archaic folk and world music aesthetics. During its first years, the band independently released the albums Nytt Land (2013), Hávamál (2015), and Sköpun: Songs from the Elder Edda (2016), followed by Fimbulvinter (2017) and Oðal (2018). These releases established the duo’s recognizable sound: deep vocal techniques, throat singing, shamanic drums, tagelharpa, jaw harp, flutes, natural field recordings and hypnotic rhythms.
Over time, Nytt Land gradually shifted the center of its creativity away from purely Northern European sources toward the band’s own Siberian homeland, languages and indigenous spiritual traditions. An important milestone became the album Ritual (2021) through Napalm Records. The album was presented as a deep immersion into ancient percussion and vocal traditions, while the band itself described its music as Shamanic Dark Folk.
In 2023, Nytt Land released Torem, continuing their exploration of archaic texts, ritual atmosphere and organic soundscapes. In 2025, the band released Songs of the Shaman through Prophecy Productions — a work dedicated to traditional shamanic songs and incantations of the Manchu-Tungusic peoples of Siberia. This album became one of the band’s most significant steps toward the direct exploration and musical reinterpretation of Siberian shamanic heritage.
The culmination of this creative direction is Nytt Land’s new tenth full-length album Aba Khan, released on February 20, 2026 through Prophecy Productions. The material for the album was inspired by a year of traveling across Siberia, where they encountered new landscapes, people and the real spiritual traditions of indigenous culture of their homeland. While echoes of ancient mythological sources remain present in the music, the focus increasingly shifts toward the languages, imagery and ritual worldview of Siberia itself. The band dedicated Aba Khan to the ancient, beautiful and immense land of Siberia.
Today, Nytt Land is more than simply a musical act. It is a complete artistic world where sound, voice, rhythm, costumes, visual imagery and stage action merge into a unified ritual experience. The duo’s live performances are often perceived as entering a ritual circle: a space where the modern stage transforms into a meeting point with ancient memory, nature, spirits and shamanic breath.
Swedish dark alternative metal stalwarts Outshine have returned with their haunting new music video for the single “You Are Not Alone,” a cinematic piece that dives deep into the psyche of a fractured society. Directed by the visionary Kenny Boufadene (whose previous credits include work with Ice Age and Manimal) the video was filmed on location in the atmospheric setting of Uddebo, Sweden. This release marks a pivotal moment for the band as they expand upon their established aesthetic of melancholic weight and social defiance, delivering a visual narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is aesthetically dark.
This is the second of four music videos, culminating in a final chapter sometime after the release of their upcoming album, Truthsayer, which will be released on June 26, 2026 via rock and metal record label Eclipse Records.
The track serves as a visceral reaction to the increasing polarization and radicalization witnessed globally over the last decade. Frontman Jimmy Boman crafts a lyrical landscape that addresses the silence and isolation felt by those who refuse to succumb to the “insanity” of modern division. Rather than wallowing in despair, “You Are Not Alone” acts as a rallying cry for the “sane” majority. Boman explains that the song is a direct response to the elitist takeover of public discourse, aiming to restore self-esteem to common people who have been lectured into submission by those sitting on modern thrones.
“You Are Not Alone is a very dark song about the emptiness we feel when seeing how the world has evolved in the last 10 years “ explains vocalist Jimmy Boman. “I see how division is affecting people, how we are forced to pick sides. We feel lonely and abandoned with our thoughts on what is right or wrong. This is video 2 out of 4 connected videos. Overall, occult and secret gatherings are interesting and exciting to do videos on. Thematically, it is a about Reverend Boman, a character that has been around since the last album The Awakening and featured in It´s All Lies, Our Misery and It´s No Good. It is a direct continuation of the previous single Enough. The video shows the Reverend explaining how the darkness within us is killing us. But if we unite and evolve, we will see the truth. We gather to share the awakening elixir so that despite our differences, we wake up and see who is really dividing us…”
The brilliant new dark alternative metal album from Outshine titled Truthsayer has something for every rock and metal fan, including rich guitar work, haunting keys, a powerful back beat, and mesmerizing vocals. Musically, the feel is wonderfully diverse, with parts and parcels working together to craft a vision both dark and distinct, yet hopeful. The keys are eerie and foreboding, leading us down shadowed corridors with hypnotic vocal harmonies that often split into octaves, as if to show contrasting views of the world existing atop each other like fog on cobblestone and the sun on the sea. Lyrically, the band blasts the elite, biased media and totalitarianism, depicting a world distorted with poison as common people are kept in a metaphorical asylum of sorts, locked in their rooms, screaming silently from behind sound-proofed glass. It puts us slightly off balance, as these messages of doom are superimposed on music with such a chunk and satisfying groove vibe. In the end, the band tells us that shadows recede. Hell turns to hope. Night ends with dawn, and the ashes of a scorched earth can produce an awesome rising phoenix. This band is for real, and Truthsayer is nothing less than a magnificent megaphone. Altogether, the album contains nine tracks, including standouts like “Enough” “You Are Not Alone,” and “Emptiness Inside.” The album artwork, created by Jimmy Boman, mirrors the album’s dark, yet hopeful mood. The album is set for release on June 26, 2026 via Eclipse Records.
Truthsayer track listing 01. Enough 02. Emptiness Inside 03. Our Minds 04. You Are Not Alone 05. I Am Darkness 06. The Darkest Place 07. Screaming Silence 08. World Ending Fascists part 1 09. World Ending Fascists part 2
About Outshine Outshine are a prophetic and outspoken dark alternative metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was originally founded by vocalist Jimmy Boman in 1996 as a studio project that grew into a grand adventure that not only featured the band as social critics and cultural theorists, but as superb musicians. Outshine is Pär Arvidsson (guitar & backing vocals), Robert Petersson (drums), Niklas Ingvarsson (bass guitar), Jimmy Boman (vocals, guitars, synthesizers, piano)
Mediterranea Metal Cruise returns in 2026, sailing from Athens, Greece, on November 2–6, 2026.
The 2026 edition will take guests across the Aegean with an itinerary including Mykonos, Kuşadası, Patmos, Rhodes, and Santorini, combining Greek island exploration by day with live metal performances onboard at night.
The lineup includes:
AMBUSH, CONFESS, KRYPTOS, GAMEOVER, SAUROM, METALITE, BONAFIDE, GRYMHEART, FIGHTHER V, MINOROAR, RUN TO THE BEAST.
Special Guests: Heavy Metal Barpiano, Dj Gustav, Growl Vocal Seminar, and more.
MMC brings heavy, power, melodic, and underground metal onboard for four nights at sea, offering a different format from the usual land-based festival.
Mötley Crüe performs with Carrie Underwood on American Idol season finale – Photo credit: (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Rock Legends Mötley Crüe continue to electrify audiences across generations, delivering a high-energy national TV performance on the season finale of American Idollast nightthat reminded the world exactly why their music and legacy endures. The Crüe performed a powerful medley of their classic hits “Home Sweet Home” and “Kickstart My Heart”, as a duet with 8-time GRAMMY® Award winner and American Idol Judge, Carrie Underwood. In case you missed it or simply need to see it again, check it out HERE.
Next up, Mötley Crüe is gearing up to hit stages across North America this Summer on The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Tour. Their first extensive touring in 2 years will see them hit 35 cities with dates in July, August, and September, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2006 Carnival Of Sins Tour with a reimagined show and updated setlist. $1 of every ticket sold will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative to support students with hands-on programs in music and the arts. Get tickets and VIP packages HERE. For more info, visit motley.com.
The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Tour
Sat, Jul. 4, 2026 – Winnipeg, MB – Princess Auto Stadium * Sun, Jul. 12, 2026 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Amphitheatre * Fri, Jul 17, 2026 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake Sat, Jul 18, 2026 — Buffalo, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater Mon, Jul 20, 2026 — Clarkson, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre Wed, Jul 22, 2026 — Toronto, ON — RBC Amphitheatre Fri, Jul 24, 2026 — Gilford, NH — BankNH Pavilion Sat, Jul 25, 2026 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater Mon, Jul 27, 2026 — Camden, NJ — Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Wed, Jul 29, 2026 — Saratoga Springs, NY — Albany Med Health System at SPAC Fri, Jul 31, 2026 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center Sat, Aug 1, 2026 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center Mon, Aug 3, 2026 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live Wed, Aug 12, 2026 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Fri, Aug 14, 2026 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat, Aug 15, 2026 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Mon, Aug 17, 2026 — Charlotte, NC — Truliant Amphitheater Wed, Aug 19, 2026 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Fri, Aug 21, 2026 — Shakopee, MN — Mystic Lake Amphitheater Sat, Aug 22, 2026 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Mon, Aug 24, 2026 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH — Blossom Music Center Tue, Aug 25, 2026 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center Thu, Aug 27, 2026 — Grand Rapids, MI — Acrisure Amphitheater Fri, Aug 28, 2026 — Noblesville, IN — Ruoff Music Center Tue, Sep 8, 2026 — Kansas City, MO — Morton Amphitheater Thu, Sep 10, 2026 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion Fri, Sep 11, 2026 — Houston, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sun, Sep 13, 2026 — Albuquerque, NM — First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater Wed, Sep 16, 2026 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Fri, Sep 18, 2026 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sat, Sep 19, 2026 — Long Beach, CA — Long Beach Amphitheater Mon, Sep 21, 2026 — Salt Lake City, UT — Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre Wed, Sep 23, 2026 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre Thu, Sep 24, 2026 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheater Sat, Sep 26, 2026 — Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
*Festival date
To get you ready for the Summer tour kick off, the band today announced a LIMITED EDITION PICTURE DISC BOXSET, Crücial Crüe 1981 – 1989. It will be available via BMG on July 10th as a 5LP Picture Disc Set, 5CD Picture Disc Replica Set, and ULTRA-LIMITED 250 unit hand numbered Crüeseum Exclusive featuring a reverse color outer box.
The box set includes their iconic first five studio albums, which have sold a combined 30 Million Copies globally: Too Fast For Love (1981 – PLATINUM US), Shout At The Devil (1983 – 4X PLATINUM US), Theatre Of Pain (1985 – 4X PLATINUM US), Girls Girls Girls (1987 – 4X PLATINUM US), and Dr. Feelgood (1989 – 6X PLATINUM US).
Contained on these albums are timeless tracks that shaped a generation, created a genre and are still featured in the band’s setlist to this day, including: “Live Wire”, “Too Fast For Love”, “Shout At The Devil”, “Looks That Kill”, “Home Sweet Home”, “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Wild Side”, “Dr. Feelgood”, “Kickstart My Heart”, “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” and many more! Pre-Order HERE
Side A Live Wire Come On and Dance Public Enemy #1 Merry-Go-Round Take Me to the Top
Side B Piece of Your Action Starry Eyes Too Fast For Love On with the Show
Shout at the Devil (1983) – 4X PLATINUM
Side A In the Beginning Shout at the Devil Looks That Kill Bastard God Bless the Children of the Beast Helter Skelter
Side B Red Hot Too Young to Fall in Love Knock ’Em Dead, Kid Ten Seconds to Love Danger
Theatre of Pain (1985) – 4X PLATINUM
Side A City Boy Blues Smokin’ in the Boys Room Louder Than Hell Keep Your Eye on the Money Home Sweet Home
Side B Tonight (We Need a Lover) Use It or Lose It Save Our Souls Raise Your Hands to Rock Fight for Your Rights
Girls, Girls, Girls (1987) – 4X PLATINUM
Side A Wild Side Girls, Girls, Girls Dancing on Glass Bad Boy Boogie Nona
Side B Five Years Dead All in the Name of… Sumthin’ for Nuthin’ You’re All I Need Jailhouse Rock
Dr. Feelgood (1989) – 6X PLATINUM
Side A T.n.T. (Terror ’n Tinseltown) Dr. Feelgood Slice of Your Pie Rattlesnake Shake Kickstart My Heart Without You
Side B Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.) Sticky Sweet She Goes Down Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) Time for Change
The band’s music continues to find new fans and affect popular culture through continued placements in movies, TV shows, video games, commercials and sporting events worldwide. “Home Sweet Home” most recently is featured prominently in the trailer for Bus Boys (starring Theo Von and David Spade) while “Kickstart My Heart” marks a 2nd year as the official theme for NASCAR’S INDYCAR Race Series. The track has also been featured in high-profile moments during the recent NFL Draft and continues to energize audiences throughout the current NHL Playoffs, reinforcing the timeless appeal and adrenaline-fueled spirit of the Crüe’s sound.
Coming Soon:Crüe 45 RPM– The Singles Collection, an ultra-limited, hand numbered, foil-packaged series of 10” vinyl, available only at the Crüeseum, details coming soon. In addition to the band celebrating their 45th anniversary, the holy grail for music collectors, the Leathür Records original 1981 version of their debut, Too Fast For Lovealso turns 45 this year.
With national TV appearances, a 3-month summer tour, continued major sync placements, and a celebration of the iconic music that grabbed the world’s attention in the first place, Mötley Crüe proves once again that their influence remains as relevant as ever.
Photo Credit: Ross Halfin
About Mötley Crüe:
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Mötley Crüe has commandeered the rock pantheon for 40+ years. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, garnered 7 USA Platinum and Multi-Platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, 6 Top 20 pop singles, 3 GRAMMY® nominations, 5 New York Times Best Selling books, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a hit Netflix movie. The quartet has amassed nearly 10 billion streams and has over 9.5 million followers on social media. Known for their iconic live performances, Mötley Crüe has sold out countless tours around the world in front of millions of fans and pioneered the Las Vegas rock residency with a sold-out run in 2012. Hit songs, like “Kickstart My Heart” and “Home Sweet Home,” are frequently licensed by major brands such as NASCAR, Dodge, Coldwell Banker, Carl’s Jr., and KIA, and their music can be heard on hit TV shows like StrangerThings and Cobra Kai, among others. The band’s biography, The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most NotoriousRock Band, became a New York Times Best Seller in 2001 and has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. Members of the band have authored 5 additional New York Times Best Selling books since. In 2019, Netflix premiered TheDirt, a biopic based on the bestselling book. Mötley Crüe remains a huge global draw 43 years into their career, wrapping up a two-year stadium world tour in late 2023. In 2024, the band ushered in a brand-new era, signing to Big Machine Records and releasing the single “Dogs of War.” 2025 saw Mötley Crüe return to the Las Vegas Strip for the band’s third Sin City residency – the first one since 2013 – with ten nights at Dolby Live at Park MGM. Mötley Crüe will celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2026 with a massive North American Tour between July and September.
Hard rock supergroup Iconic – featuring Michael Sweet (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Marco Mendoza (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Nathan James (vocals) – share today the new single and visualizer, “Tears Keep On Falling”, taken from the upcoming sophomore album “II”, scheduled for July 31, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Nathan James commented: “I loved singing this song in the studio. Such a great chorus and I really hope the listeners enjoy it as much as I do!”
Michael Sweet said: “I’m really proud to be a part of such an iconic band, no pun intended! It takes me back to the glory days, when rock ruled radio and it was topping the charts. We created this album to remind people of those times. Here’s to “Tears Keep On Falling”!”
Joel Hoekstra added: “I hope everyone enjoys “Tears Keep On Falling”. It was killer to lean into the groove that Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza gave us for this one. It was also great fun to play the harmony lead lines with Michael Sweet and finally to hear Nathan James belt out the vocals like only he can!”
“Tears Keep On Falling” is a powerful rock ballad,it will get your attention as soon as you hear it, from the first verse. Nathan’s vocals are amazing and Michael and Joel’s guitars are on fire… Tommy A at the helm driving! Enjoy!”, said Marco Mendoza.
Tommy Aldridge also exclaimed: “Such a honor and a blessing working with Nathan, Marco, Michael and Joel again. Consummate pros!”
Iconic return with “II”, a second album that doesn’t just continue the band’s journey – it defines it. Where their debut introduced the chemistry between five world-class musicians, II sharpens that vision into a clearer, heavier, and more confident sonic identity, delivering a sound that is more powerful, more direct, and unmistakably rock.
At the heart of the album lies the electrifying guitar partnership of Joel Hoekstra and Michael Sweet, delivering a masterclass in soaring melodies, blazing solos, and muscular riffs that perfectly balance technical brilliance with pure hard-rock attitude. Beneath them, the rhythm section of Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza drives the record with thunderous authority, creating a groove that is both massive and relentless.
The album kicks off with “Cry No More”, a high-octane opener that immediately sets the tone – an energetic slice of hard rock packed with driving riffs, explosive drums, and a chorus built to stick.
On the other side of the emotional spectrum, “Tears Keep On Falling” showcases the band’s dynamic range, unfolding as an electrifying power ballad where melody, atmosphere, and intensity come together in dramatic fashion.
Towering above it all is Nathan James, whose performance on “II” is nothing short of extraordinary – powerful, soulful, and commanding, elevating every track with unmistakable presence.
With bigger riffs, deeper grooves, and a stronger sense of identity, “II” captures Iconic at full force: a band no longer introducing itself but fully owning its sound.
“II” Tracklist:
1. Cry No More 2. All I Want 3. Open My Eyes 4. Tears Keep On Falling 5. Take Me To The Place 6. S.O.S. 7. Nothing Left For Me 8. Far Away 9. Valley Of Lost Souls 10. Written In The Stars 11. Heart Of Stone
Line Up: Nathan James – Vocals Michael Sweet – Guitars Joel Hoekstra – Guitars Marco Mendoza – Bass Tommy Aldridge – Drums
Keyboards by Antonio Agate Backing Vocals by Marco Pastorino
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 