Shadowborne has released a video for “Heaven’s Falling (Dragons’ Hymn)”, second single taken from the debut album “Heaven’s Falling” to be released on June 19 by Scarlet Records.
“Heaven’s Falling…” captures the perspective of ancient forces that see themselves as rightful rulers of the skies and beyond. It is powerful, proud and slightly unhinged – a hymn of dominance and fire. With cinematic build-ups and relentless energy, the song feels like watching the world tremble beneath wings of flame.
video by Patric Ullaeus-rEvolver Film Company
“Heaven’s Falling”:
Debut album for the brand new Swedish female fronted power metal sensation;
produced by Kristoffer Göbel (Six Foot Six) and mixed and mastered by Christoffer Borg at Far Beyond Productions;
cover artwork by Alle Conti (Twilight Force, Trick Or Treat);
official videos directed by Patric Ullaeus-rEvolver Film Company;
aesthetically inspired by viking mithology and the massive hit ‘Game Of Thrones’ & ‘Vikings’ TV series;
FFO: Iron Maiden, Beast In Black, Battle Beast, Brothers Of Metal, All For Metal;
“Heaven’s Falling” tracklist: 1 Winter Is Coming (Heims Advenit) 2 High And Low 3 Wolf And The Queen 4 Custodians 5 Hold The Door 6 Heaven’s Falling (Dragons’ Hymn) 7 Stranger To Myself 8 The Wall 9 Raven 10 End Of The World
Total running time – 34.58
artwork by Alle Conti
Inspired by epic dark fantasy storytelling, Shadowborne creates a brand new power metal lore shaped by struggles, loyalty, betrayal and destiny.
The sound of the Swedish band is heavy and cinematic, built on massive riffs, driving rhythms and strong melodic hooks. Some tracks feel like battle hymns, others are darker, more atmospheric, almost like the calm before a storm.
Lyrically, “Heaven’s Falling” explores honor, exile, inner conflict and the cost of ambition; it reflects a world where families rise and fall, where fire can both destroy and purify, and where strength is tested in the coldest of nights. The stories may feel mythical, but the emotions are human.
Shadowborne uses fantasy as a mirror: behind the swords and flames lie themes that belong to our own world — power, identity, survival and choice. This is not about escapism, it is about intensity, standing firm when everything burns around you, and finding purpose in the dark!
Shadowborne: Eira Shadowborne – lead and backup vocals The Warden – guitar, keyboards, backup vocals The Oathbearer – lead guitar The Keeper – bass The Warbringer – drums
Photo of Red Giant’s Dave Simpson courtesy of Blackham Images
Red Giant is pleased to announce the release of their new E.P. Red Giant – Vol. 1 on Wednesday April 29th via CD, Spotify, and iTunes. The CD is available HERE. The EP is available on the streaming platforms HERE.
To celebrate the occasion, the band are excited to release “Overcome” the third single from the E.P. accompanied with an official music video on YouTube HERE.
Red Giant is the brainchild guitarist and vocalist, Dave Simpson who has become a popular guitar novice with his popular YouTube Channel that has generated over 147,000 subscribers.
“Overcome” is the first song that Simpson wrote in 2004; never finding a home until now. This song entails feelings and thoughts that are still fresh in his mind from his traumatic school days.
“Opening with words of rejection and hopelessness, the song resolves with lines of resistance, assertiveness and self-belief,” reflects Simpson. “The end of the song brings confidence and belief in the ability to overcome any struggle that comes your way. It’s a testament to never giving up.”
This E.P. reflects a condensed history of Simpson’s musical career from his early days fronting grunge and punk bands to his latest incarnation, Red Giant.
The first song on the E.P. “Are you Alright?” is concerned with the effects of the Covid pandemic and the impact that countering it produced, isolation, worrying about the health of family members, friends and struggling with mental health.
“Can’t Find Me” is a song from Dave’s early years, now heavily reworked in the inimitable style of Red Giant. The song is about broken relationships, isolation, and anonymity in the modern world.
“It’s All Gone Wrong” is a heartfelt plea on behalf of struggling musicians everywhere trying to find ever-elusive success in a world already saturated with cheaply available music. It’s a situation that is inevitably getting worse.
Red Giant are the ones to watch on the UK live circuit. With an extremely successful 2025 the band is looking to capitalize on their forward momentum with their highly anticipated E.P. that features four brand-new songs.
The band is playing and sounding better than ever with strong live performances and confidence. 2026 looks like it will be another exciting year for Red Giant.
“Red Giant – Vol. 1” – Tracklisting
1. Are You Alright? (3:04) 2. Can’t Find Me (4:08) 3. It’s All Gone Wrong (4:32) 4. Overcome (4:03)
Dave Simpson – Guitars & Vocals John Joe Gaskin – Drums Johnny Simpson – Bass Guitar
Mixed, produced, and mastered by Matt Crawford Recorded at Superfly Studios
Music Video by Dave Simpson All songs written by David Simpson
All songs copyright 2026 Radio Silent Records
RED GIANT – BIOGRAPHYLead songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, David Simpson first picked up the guitar at 16 years old. Since that time David has been a prominent performer in several bands over the years and co-founded Red Giant at the beginning of 2024.
David decided after years of playing in other bands it was time to follow his own musical style. The music he was writing did not fit the bands he was playing with, and he soon set up his own group, The Dave Simpson Trio.
The trio performed all over the UK for years and was a very established blues rock band, but in 2024 the band wanted a change. Not just in name but in style, opting for a heavier rockier approach to go along with the new songs David was writing.
Red Giant was born. Not long after the name change the band went into the studio to record their self-titled debut album.
David hosts a popular YouTube Channelthat has amassed over 147,000 subscribers due to his unique guitar playing style and expertise.
David has been incredibly open about his struggles with mental health, and his blunt openness has helped countless others deal with their personal traumas. David’s work ethic is outstanding, tirelessly working on songs and videos while also performing and collaborating with other musicians.
John Joe Gaskin, the drummer for Red Giant, also started playing drums at the age of sixteen. As soon as he found the drums he wanted to do nothing else. He’s dedicated his life to the instrument.
John Joe is an absolute powerhouse of a drummer with a supernatural sense of time and is the bedrock of the band. Widely known as a dynamic and versatile performer, playing nationwide in the UK and Europe John Joe is comfortable with any style of music.
John Joe not only performs his duties as the drummer of Red Giant but is also the joker of the band with his wicked sense of humour who keeps everyone laughing.
After crossing the 100,000 views mark with the official video for “Desolate Lands”, Italian symphonic power metal band Embrace Of Souls return with “The Battle Of The Dead”, a new single accompanied by an official music video, which is the title track of their upcoming album set for release on May 22, 2026, via Rockshots Records.
A fundamental moment within the album’s narrative, “The Battle Of The Dead,” brings the story to its most critical stage. Set in a medieval world ravaged by a mysterious plague that corrupts human souls, the track captures the escalation of a conflict that inevitably leads to war between the living and the dead, exploring themes of power, sacrifice, and destiny.
“This song represents the core of the entire album. It’s where everything converges – the story, the emotions, the conflict. We wanted it to feel powerful, dramatic, and meaningful, both musically and narratively.”
Musically, the band consolidates its identity within the European symphonic power metal tradition. Driving rhythmic structures and precise double-kick patterns intertwine with Edward De Rosa’s melodic guitar work, while Davide Baldelli’s layered keyboards and choral elements enrich the arrangements, shaping a sound that balances impact and atmosphere with clarity and direction. Xavier Rota’s bass work reinforces the overall sonic framework, adding depth and cohesion. The contrast between Giacomo Rossi’s direct heavy metal vocals and Martina Mazzeo’s operatic voice further defines the band’s sonic signature, enhancing both depth and dynamic range.
The official music video expands the narrative dimension of the track, visually reinforcing the album’s concept and strengthening the connection between storytelling and musical development.
“The Battle Of The Dead” builds on the path introduced by “Desolate Lands”, confirming the band’s evolution toward a more cohesive and concept-driven approach. Together, the two singles offer a clear perspective on the scope of the upcoming album, conceived as a unified listening experience where each track contributes to the overall storyline.
Founded by drummer and composer Michele Olmi, Embrace Of Souls began as a studio project designed to bring together different musicians within a shared creative vision, before evolving into a fully realized band. Over the years, they have shared the stage with Domine, Vision Divine, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, and Rhapsody Of Fire, steadily strengthening their presence within the European metal scene.
The upcoming album “The Battle Of The Dead” will feature 11 tracks, further developing the band’s blend of classic power metal, symphonic elements and narrative ambition.
For fans of: Rhapsody Of Fire, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Nightwish.
RELEASE PARTY: MAY 30, 2026 Embrace Of Souls will present The Battle Of The Dead live at La Cripta Club (Cusano Milanino, Italy), alongside Derdian, Drakkar, and Axe Blade.
Track Listing: 1. The Battle Of The Dead 2. Eversun 3. The Plague 4. The Gathering 5. Spine 6. Who Can Save Us 7. Betrayal 8. The Dark Lord 9. The War (feat. Morby) 10. Sacrifice 11. Desolate Lands
Line-up: Giacomo Rossi – Vocals Martina Mazzeo – Vocals Edward De Rosa – Guitars Xavier Rota – Bass Davide Baldelli – Keyboards Michele Olmi – Drums
More info: https://www.rockshots.eu https://www.instagram.com/embraceofsouls/ https://www.facebook.com/embraceofsoulsofficial/
Heavy psychedelic rock giants ELDER have debuted the second single, “Capture/Release,” from their highly anticipated album, Through Zero, that’s out May 29th via Stickman Records (Europe/UK), Blues Funeral Recordings (North America), and Bird’s Robe (Australia).
Commenting on the song, vocalist/guitarist Nick DiSalvo says: “’Capture/Release’ is uncharacteristic in the Elder catalog for its relative straightforwardness and energy, which grew out of an older song fragment from the beginning of the decade. Like much of this record, for me it has an old meets new Elder spirit, dialing in a bit more of the heavy riffing from previous albums to mesh with our current sensibilities.”
“Playing this song together is a lot of fun, and that’s a statement in itself for what the track is about,” DiSalvo adds. “Being a creative person in this day and age is an exercise in self-exploitation, fighting for visibility in a living hell of content creation and paid advertising just to keep your head above water. ‘Capture/Release’ is about the feeling of being caught in this technocratic nightmare that’s been imposed on us all, and reaffirming the reasons we create as humans in the first place – purely for our own free expression and joy. It says a lot about our world that we need to remind ourselves of why we do what we love, when that becomes divested of its inherent meaning.”
ELDER’s follow-up to 2022’s critically acclaimed Innate Passage was self-produced by the band and co-mixed with Richard Behrens. Across six expansive tracks, ELDER continues their exploratory journey, blending their signature towering riffs and immersive atmospheres with influences drawn from beyond the traditional rock spectrum, further expanding their progressive vision.
ELDER will take their new record on tour across Europe and the UK this summer performing at festivals followed by US shows in the fall. Tickets are available for announced dates now at https://beholdtheelder.com/tour/.
Through Zero Tracklist: 1. Sigil To Ruin 2. Capture/Release 3. Through Zero 4. Strata 5. Sight Unseen 6. Blighted Age
[Artwork by Adam Hill]
Elder Live Dates 2026: 13.06. Derby, UK – Download Festival 14.06. Colchester, UK – Colchester Arts Centre w/ Blood Incantation 15.06. Southampton, UK – The 1865 w/ Blood Incantation 16.06. Brighton, UK – Concorde 2 w/ Blood Incantation 18.06. Clisson, FR – Hellfest 19.06. Dessel, BE – Graspop Metal Meeting 20.06. Dortmund, DE – Junkyard Open Air w/ Kadavar 21.06. Frankfurt, DE – Das Bett 23.06. Winterthur, CH – Gaswerk 24.06. Karlsruhe, DE – P8 w/ REZN 26.06. Oslo, NO – Tons of Rock 27.06. Thyrnau, DE – Blackdoor Festival 30.06. Sofia, BG – Mixtape 5 01.07. Thessaloniki, GR – Eightball Club 02.07. Athens, GR – Arch Club 07.07. Slunj, HR – Bearstone Festival 10.07. Pleszew, PL – Red Smoke Festival 23.07. Reutlingen, DE – Hafensounds Festival w/ Kadavar 24.07. Budapest, HU – Monolit Festival 25.07. Tolmin, SI – Tolminator Festival 26.07. Milan, IT – Circolo Magnolia Summer 28.07. Rockstadt, RO – Rockstadt Extreme Fest 30.07. Breitenbach am Herzberg, DE – Burg Herzberg Festival 31.07. Michelau, DE – Rock Im Wald 04.08. Rostock, DE – MAU Club 05.08. Josefov-Jaromer, CZ – Brutal Assault Festial 08.08. Âncora, PT – Sonic Blast Festival 14.08. Valais, CH – PALP Festival
About ELDER: Two decades into their existence, Elder remain an anomaly in the underground rock scene – a rare band with the ability to absorb and shed influences from a myriad of genres without falling into pastiche or losing their own identity. Their new record Through Zero is a strong reaffirmation of a commitment to pushing boundaries in the world of heavy rock and cements the group’s status as leaders of the pack in heavy psychedelic rock.
Elder has long since mastered crushing riffs, melodic jaunts, progressive patterns, hypnotic grooves and ethereal atmosphere along their path of music-making in the past twenty years. On Through Zero, Elder takes these years of experience and forms possibly their most immediate and engaging record to date, while allowing seeds from outside the sphere of rock music to take root and bloom within their progressive framework. Listeners will find familiar elements of new textures, sequences, and sounds alongside Elder’s iconic take on heavy rock. As always, every spin reveals new details.
Recorded in Berlin across several months between tours in 2025, Through Zero is the first album which the band not only produced but also co-mixed together with longtime collaborator Richard Behrens. The album sounds more like a full extension of the band’s creative intentions than ever before.
Elder was founded sometime around 2006 or so – nobody remembers exactly – in a small coastal town in Massachusetts by three longtime friends with a passion for heavy downtuned music. Over the years, the band has gained a guitarist, lost a drummer, relocated (mostly) from the States to Germany, played hundreds of shows from small clubs to arenas across the world and released six full-length albums, four EPs and two live records. Though this pedigree isn’t a requirement for anything, the twists and turns along the group’s winding road to today might explain the group’s refusal to stagnate.
Elder is: Nick DiSalvo – Guitar/Vocals Jack Donovan – Bass Mike Risberg – Guitar/Keyboards Georg Edert – Drums
The Central Finland-based metal band Godsize Error is set to release their second single from their upcoming debut album, due out later this year. The new track is titled Where Hope Fails and, once again, has been created in collaboration with producer Teemu Liekkala. The track has been mastered by Miro Mastering.
Godsize Error consists of seasoned musicians known from bands such as Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus, Red Eleven, and Lost Madison. The band was formed in early 2023 and has since been actively working on their debut album while refining their live performance.
Where Hope Fails continues the band’s heavy and atmospheric style, combining strong melodies with intense expression.
Finnish one-man melodic death/black/folk metal band Wooden Shadow released a new EP Age of Tree via Inverse Records on April 29th 2026.
The man behind Wooden Shadow, Jeremia Ponto comments: “Hello everyone, Jeremia Ponto here from Wooden Shadow! It’s time to announce the newest EP album release, which is called “AGE OF TREE”. This five-song mini-album contains emotional levels in different ways. Pride, celebration, sadness, rage and even calmness. The orchestra is once again limited to just one man. Behind the pen and responsible for the playing and the whole thing is done by me so I wish you pleasant listening moments!”
–Composed & lyrics by Jeremia Ponto –EP cover by Jeremia Ponto
Biography:
Wooden Shadow is a one-man solo project from Ylöjärvi playing melodic metal, which combine genres in places, especially in the case of new material between folk metal and melodic death metal. From 2020 still running Wooden Shadow and Jeremia Ponto, who leads the solo project, plays the instrumentation and sings in his own music. The lyrical theme is about nature, the darkness of the human mind and life/death – thoughts.
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 ) 