Transcending Obscurity Records Release 2026 Label Sampler

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Transcending Obscurity Records issued:

As is the tradition for us, we’ve started this year with our new label sampler. It’s always free-for-download with the proceeds going towards our animal sanctuary having around 40 rescued cats and dogs now (I hope I can get them some new toys and maybe a treehouse after this!). The artwork is made by Nekromold and we’ve come up with a couple of colour options too just in case.

Find the label sampler, here.

You’ll find more familiar bands on the label sampler this time around because quite a few of them have come up with new material but the overall quality remains the same and the essence undiluted. A few bold bands have been given prominence and I’m sure the songs on the label sampler will grow on the listeners because several of them are rather intricate or just weird/interesting. At this rate, we’ll probably never end up being a big “commercial” label but I can live with that.

Compilation info:

We are truly privileged to enter another year working with both known bands returning to release their new albums with us as well as fledgling ones showing promise. The 2026 label sampler is a free-for-download compilation with all fresh songs, mostly off albums that are likely to come out in the same year. As can be expected, there’s plenty of diversity and it should be an interesting year for the label.

The artwork by Nekromold is a reflection of our messy times, where art and music are getting infested by AI, with some gnarly Warhammer 40k influence thrown in for good measure.

The proceeds from this goes towards the upkeep of the Transcending Obscurity-run animal sanctuary having over 40 rescued cats and dogs, and others outside being fed and taken care of on a daily basis.

Track listing:

  1. ENDSPACE (Canada) – Sixth Transmission (Sci-fi Black Metal)
  2. VEILBURNER (US) – Vitriolic Hiss (Avantgarde Black/Death Metal)
  3. FEBRUUS (Sweden) – Measures of Escalation (Progressive Death Metal)
  4. DEVENIAL VERDICT (Finland) – Elysium (Death Metal)
  5. HAXPROCESS (US) – The Divinity of the Self (Death Metal)
  6. THE SCALAR PROCESS (France) – Far From the Flesh (Progressive/Atmospheric Death Metal)
  7. VIANDE (France) – Cercuiel de vase (Death Metal)
  8. RITUAL FOG (US) – Enraptured (Death/Thrash Metal)
  9. NINTH REALM (US) – Rituals in Thar’amath (Death/Thrash Metal)
  10. DEFECT DESIGNER (Norway) – Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer (Progressive Death Metal)
  11. CUTTERRED FLESH (Czech Republic) – The Colour Out of Space (Brutal Death Metal)
  12. CHAOS MOTION (France) – Neurotic Contortion Abuse (Dissonant/Technical Death Metal)
  13. DYSGNOSTIC (Denmark) – The Black Sun (Dissonant Death Metal)
  14. ELITIST (Denmark) – Enforced Malnourishment (Dissonant Death Metal)
  15. CARBON TOMB (Denmark) – A Hidden Creature (Dissonant Death Metal)
  16. GOREWORM (Canada) – The Enthralling Grave (Technical Death Metal)
  17. DISSECT THE MASSES (US) – Flesh Mechanics (Death Metal)
  18. XENOSIS (US) – Prolapsed Twin Entombment (Progressive Death Metal)
  19. HANGING GARDEN (US) – Dreamwoven (Progressive Death Metal)
  20. DECIPHER (Greece) – Return to Naught (Black Metal)
  21. APOLAUSTIC (Switzerland) – Shining Amidst the Lights (Black/Death Metal)
  22. VERDUN (France) – Funeral of the Cosmic Knight (Blackened Sludge Metal)
  23. MUERTO (Mexico) – Serpentine Echoes (Black Metal)
  24. BESOTTEN (US) – Mist of Decay (Death/Doom Metal)
  25. ABYSSAL RIFT (US) – The Enlightenment (There Was Never Will) (Death/Doom Metal)
  26. DEATH OBVIOUS (Finland) – Sipirja (Avantgarde Black/Death/Doom Metal)

For more info: Official Site – Label Bandcamp – Europe Store – US Indiemerch Store – Label Facebook – Label Instagram

INTERNAL DECAY Announce New EP “Fires Of The Forgotten”, Title Track Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

The fire within Swedish cult death metal band Internal Decay burns again. More than 30 years after their legendary classic album A Forgotten Dream (1993), new music arises in the form of a new EP titled Fires Of The Forgotten. The EP will be out on 27th February, 2026 via Hammerheart Records. 

In celebration, the band are now releasing the title track which can be streamed here:
https://internaldecay.lnk.to/fires

Pre-order Fires Of The Forgotten here: https://internaldecay.lnk.to/firesoftheforgotten

Internal Decay comment on the track: “We’re proud to unleash the first new Internal Decay song in 33 years upon the world! It’s a rebirth but also a direct continuation of our original work – our old roots are very much present in the material.“

Track-list:
1. Fires of the Forgotten (Dance Upon Your Grief)
2. A Demon’s Bow
3. Dying Wish

Spawned in 1991, Swedish cult death metal band Internal Decay were an influential presence in the early death metal underground in Stockholm, Sweden, after playing thrash metal under names like Misery and Subliminal Fear since 1987. In 1991 the band entered Twilight Studios to record their eponymous demo. Released in the same year, the tape featured four tracks of raw, unpolished and crude death metal. It immediately gained loads of attention in the underground tape trading community and fanzines, leading to live gig bookings and a record deal. 

Through relentless rehearsals and stage shows the band developed the unique brand of eerie, otherworldly melodic death metal that would eventually emerge on the classic 1993 album debut A Forgotten Dream. Recorded at iconic Sunlight Studios in 1992-1993, it was engineered by the legendary Thomas Skogsberg and mixed and produced by Lars Lindén. Despite recording at the literal ground zero of the Stockholm “buzzsaw” sound, the band deliberately moved in another sonic direction, opting for a more atmospheric sound. The album got great responses from the death metal scene and led to more and bigger shows, furthering the bands reputation as a fearsome live act.

Entering the studio again in 1994, Internal Decay recorded the single song ‘Et Cetera Ad Inifitum’ for a metal compilation. That album was never released in the end, and in the following months the band became inactive as the members went separate ways. Individually the members have made an impact in bands like Therion, Epitaph, Deformity, Pandemonic, Stormrider, A Canorous Quintet and Serpentine to name a few.

With a reissue of the debut album out in december 2025, and a new EP Fires Of The Forgotten releasing on Hammerheart Records in February 2026, Internal Decay are back and ready to unleash their distinctive style of darkly melodic death metal upon the world once more.

Founding members Mikael Vega and Kim Blomkvist still helm the band, with Linus Nirbrant joining on bass, Emil Hedman on drums and Björn Sundling on guitar completing the lineup.

Line up:
Kim Blomkvist – Vocals
Mikael Vega – Guitar, backing vocals
Björn Sundling – Guitar, backing vocals
Linus Nirbrant – Bass
Emil Hedman – Drums

Follow Internal Decay
https://internal-decay.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/internaldecayofficial
https://www.instagram.com/Internaldecayofficial

FROSTMORNER Channels Medusa Myth in New Track ‘Gorgone’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Rising blackened atmospheric death metal force Frostmorner is proud to unveil the official visualizer for “Gorgone,” the visceral new single from the upcoming debut full-length, Orbital Kaos. Set to drop on February 13, 2026, the album marks a definitive statement from one of the genre’s most promising solo visionaries.

Rooted in the myth of Medusa and shaped with a cinematic mindset, “Gorgone” is built to feel immersive rather than conventional. What began as an influence drawn from Nile soon developed into a personal statement, where atmosphere plays a central role. The track layers brutal riffs with monster-like sound design inspired by film and video game audio, creating a dense and unsettling soundscape.

Structurally, “Gorgone” hits hard and moves with intent. Fast, aggressive riffing and slam-driven sections dominate the opening, before giving way to a slow, oppressive final act. This closing passage relies on steady, unyielding drumming and dark ambient textures, conjuring the image of a Gorgon carrying out a ritual. The narrative follows Medusa as she turns her victims to stone, then reshapes them through a dark rite into a monstrous force that spreads fear wherever it moves.

About Frostmorner

Hailing from Sicilian roots, Mario began the Frostmorner journey in 2019. After evolving from a collaborative effort into a solo powerhouse, Frostmorner has carved out a distinct niche in the Blackened Atmospheric Death Metal landscape. Handling all duties from guitars and drums to artwork and design, Frostmorner represents the ultimate DIY spirit in extreme metal, earning acclaim from fanzines and radio stations worldwide.

Pre-save “Orbital Kaos” now: orcd.co/orbitalkaos

Frostmorner online:

linktr.ee/FrostMorneR
www.instagram.com/frostmorner
www.facebook.com/FrostmornerMusicOfficial
www.tiktok.com/@frostmorner
x.com/FrostMorneR_
www.youtube.com/@frostmorner
frostmorner.bandcamp.com

IRON SAVIOR Unleash Powerful Metal Cover of ‘Relax’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
[photo source: Iron Savior]

Hamburg’s power metal pioneers IRON SAVIOR return with their brand-new single “Relax”, a crushing metal reinterpretation of the legendary 80s hit by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Following their previously released covers of Irene Cara’s “Fame” and Alphaville’s “Forever Young”, the band once again proves their ability to transform iconic pop songs into uncompromising power metal anthems. “Relax” is the latest single taken from the upcoming album “Awesome Anthems of the Galaxy”, scheduled for release on March 27, 2026 via PERCEPTION – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music.

Originally built on provocation and groove, “Relax” is reborn as a driving, riff-heavy anthem that turns restraint into raw energy. “Relax is one of my all time favorite non-metal song,” IRON SAVIOR frontman Piet Sielck reveals. “It’s been on my mind for a very long time to do this and I really think, this version serves the original well. We did a good job in transferring the vibe and the energy of the original into the Iron Savior cosmos.”

The band injects the track with soaring vocals, massive guitars, and their unmistakable melodic power, without losing the spirit of the original. With “Awesome Anthems of the Galaxy”, IRON SAVIOR prove once more that great songs never age – they just get heavier!

Stream / Download “Relax” at: https://ironsavior.rpm.link/relaxPR 

After reigniting their cosmic engines with “Machine World – Reforged” in 2025, IRON SAVIOR embark on their boldest mission yet. “Awesome Anthems of the Galaxy” transforms some of the most iconic pop hits of the 1980s into full-throttle power metal epics, combining nostalgia, passion, and the band’s trademark precision and fire, proving that the past can shine brighter than ever when reforged in metal.

From the electrifying rush of A-ha’s “Take On Me” and the thunderous drama of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” to the cinematic pulse of Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora’s “When The Rain Begins To Fall” and the adrenaline-fueled “Maniac” by Michael Sembello, IRON SAVIOR turn pop classics into heroic, melodic metal anthems.

“After the huge success of the 2002 Condition Red bonus track “Crazy” (Seal), which was actually used in a HBO TV show, we have been asked by fans and medias almost constantly to do a complete cover tracks album,” Sielck explains, and adds: “So… two decades later here we are!” quotes frontman Piet Sielck. “AWESOME ANTHEMS continues the transformation from pop-to-metal in Iron Savior style as started with Seal’’s “Crazy” and Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams. We are absolutely proud of the outcome, which never looses the original vibe of the tracks but yet is 100% Iron Savior. Just listen yourself.. I guarantee a lot of smiles while doing so!” 

Pre-order the album now at: https://ironsavior.rpm.link/awesomeanthemsPR

Album Track Listing:

  1. Fame
  2. All I Need Is A Miracle
  3. When The Rain Begins To Fall
  4. Maniac
  5. Take On Me
  6. Relax
  7. What A Feeling
  8. Against All Odds
  9. Separate Ways
  10. Suburbia
  11. Here Comes The Rain Again
  12. She’s Like The Wind
  13. (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight
  14. Forever Young
  15. Since You Been Gone
  16. Call Me
  17. Catch Me I’m Falling

About IRON SAVIOR:

Forged in Hamburg’s metal heart, Iron Savior have been delivering their signature brand of powerful, melodic heavy metal for nearly three decades. Led by founder, vocalist, guitarist, and producer Piet Sielck, the band has become a cornerstone of the German power metal scene with their blend of high-octane riffs, anthemic choruses, and sci-fi storytelling.

For More Info Visit: Website | Facebook | Youtube 

TEMPLE BALLS Unveil Lyric Video for New Single ‘Tokyo Love’ from Upcoming Self-Titled Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo Credit: Marko Syrjala

Finnish rockers Temple Balls unveil today the new single and official lyric video, “Tokyo Love”, taken from their upcoming self-titled studio album, out on February 13, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. 

Jimi Välikangas commented: “I was driving my car when the melody popped into my head. It started playing on repeat between my ears, and eventually I decided to make a demo of it. We tried different lyric variations but there’s nothing wrong with “Tokyo” or “Love”, so “Tokyo Love”, it is. The song really captures what our band is all about: hard-driving riffs meeting hooky melodies”.

Pre-Order “Temple Balls” HERE

Temple Balls are back with a brand-new self-titled album, continuing the sonic evolution started with their latest work, “Avalanche”, and delivering an even more personal and refined sound. Once again produced by Jona Tee, the album boasts anthemic choruses, high-energy guitar work, and a thunderous rhythm section – classic Temple Balls, but bolder and better.

The band commented: “After releasing four albums, it felt like we have found ourselves a preferred sound and a way to write our music. The northern darkness brings, depending on the listener, its bitter or tickling side taste into our way of interpreting hard rock. So naturally, it’s about a time to release an album carrying our divisive band’s name”.

This new release takes no prisoners. It’s a statement of intent: Temple Balls are here to stay, and ready to expand their global fanbase with a sound that’s bigger, louder, and more powerful than ever.

Over the past several years, Temple Balls have stayed busy both in the studio and on stage. Having opened for legendary acts such as Sonata Arctica, Queen, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep, Temple Balls has proven it can command stages of any size, from large festival arenas to small club venues. With their electrifying live shows, the band energizes the audience and always leaves fans convinced of their raw talent and unstoppable energy.

The band’s first official single, “Hell And Feelin’ Fine”, was released in September 2016 and quickly received substantial airplay on Finnish Radio Rock. Their debut album, “Traded Dreams”, was recorded at Karma Sound Studios in Thailand in May 2016 and released on February 24, 2017. Produced by Tobias Lindell, known for his work with Europe, Mustasch, and H.E.A.T., the album laid the foundation for the band’s rise in the melodic rock scene.

The fall of 2017 began with a sold-out tour across Finland alongside Battle Beast. That year also marked the band’s debut in Japan, followed by an intense five-day tour of Ukraine. After their Japanese shows, readers of the country’s leading rock magazine, Burrn!, voted Temple Balls as “the second brightest hope”. At the same time, they were also honored as the Newcomer of the Year on Masa Ito’s Rock TV, marking a significant breakthrough on the international stage.

The band’s second album, “Untamed”, was released on March 8, 2019, and was quickly praised by leading music outlets like Soundi and Burrn! magazines. After its release, the band traveled across Europe as special guests of Sonata Arctica, further solidifying their reputation as a powerful live act.

“Pyromide”, the band’s debut on Frontiers and their third album overall, was a true showcase of melodic hard rock, launching them onto the international stage. Produced by the well-known Jona Tee, the album is filled with catchy hooks, pounding rhythms, and anthemic rock ’n’ roll delivered just as it was meant to be. In May 2022, the band kicked off a three-week European tour with Swedish melodic metal giants H.E.A.T., then continued to energize audiences across Finland throughout the summer festival season.

The band released their fourth studio album, “Avalanche”, in November 2023. Praised by both fans and media, the album not only made it onto the Finnish charts but also solidified the band’s reputation as one of the most exciting acts today. Following the release, the band excited audiences with a series of shows across Finland and internationally during the summer festival season, culminating in a successful UK tour in November 2024. 

In 2025, the group primarily focused on recording a highly anticipated new album while continuing to engage audiences at select performances, both domestically and internationally, including a festival appearance in Switzerland.

“Temple Balls” Tracklist:

1.    Flashback Dynamite    
2.    Lethal Force    
3.    Tokyo Love    
4.    There Will Be Blood    
5.    We Are The Night    
6.    Hellbound    
7.    Soul Survivor    
8.    The Path Within    
9.    Stronger Than Fire    
10.    Chasing The Madness    
11.    Living In A Nightmare

Line Up:
Arde Teronen – Vocals
Jimi Välikangas – Bass
Jiri Paavonaho – Guitar
Niko Vuorela – Guitar
Antti Hissa – Drums

Follow TEMPLE BALLS:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
X

SMASH INTO PIECES Release New Single ‘Somebody Like You’ with WITHIN TEMPTATION

Posted by metalshockfinland on January 11, 2026
Posted in: News. Leave a comment

SMASH INTO PIECES issued:

Today we’re proud to release ‘Somebody Like You’, a brand new collaboration between Smash Into Pieces and Within Temptation.

This song is a deeply emotional rock ballad about vulnerability, longing, and the human need for connection. Built around a 22-piece orchestra, it moves between intimate moments and cinematic intensity – balancing fragility and strength in a way that feels honest and timeless.

By bringing together Within Temptation’s symphonic depth and Smash Into Pieces’ modern, dramatic edge, the song meets at the emotional core rather than overpowering itself. The result is something expansive, personal, and meant to linger long after the final note fades.

Stream “Somebody Like You” now on all platforms!

The official music video for ‘Somebody Like You’ premieres this Tuesday.
A visual extension of the song’s emotional world – stay tuned.
Thank you for listening and being part of this journey.

/ Smash Into Pieces

More information: https://www.facebook.com/SmashIntoPieces/

Find the upcoming shows here: https://www.smashintopieces.com/shows