Norwegian heavy metal band Triosphere are excited to share their new single and official lyric video, “Monster’s Ball”, the first to be released through Frontiers Music Srl.
The band stated: “The time has finally come to share some brand new music! We have been looking so much forward to this moment for so long, and the very first track we now release into the “wild”, is “Monster’s Ball”! This is a fierce tune with – in our opinion – a heavy Triosphere-signature, and lyrics about the role of echo chambers in the face of cruelty and destruction. We truly hope it will be greeted well by listeners all over the world and just stay tuned because we’ve now just started!”
Triosphere were formed in 2004 by guitarist Marius Silver Bergesen and singer/bassist Ida Haukland. They brought in drummer Ørjan Aare Jørgensen, and guitarist Tor Ole Byberg joined the band in 2006. The band amicably parted ways with Jørgensen in 2014 and welcomed Kenneth Tårneby to fill the drummer’s chair.
Triosphere’s music moves in between hard rock, power prog and thrash metal, and presents uniquely honest and hard-hitting songs; from the heaviest to the calmest, from intricate to classic, all led by strong melodies and compelling guitarwork.
Triosphere released their debut album “Onwards” on FaceFront Records in 2006/2007. It received rave reviews, and the award “Best Metal Album” from the world’s largest independent music organization JPF’s at their annual JPF Awards in Nashville in 2009.
In 2010, the band signed with AFM Records, who released their sophomore album “The Road Less Travelled” (2010), and “The Heart Of The Matter” (2014). Both albums received huge critical acclaim worldwide and consequently a growing number of listeners.
Throughout the years, the band has had the privilege of touring with some of the truly great names within the rock and metal genre: their first tours in 2006 and 2007 was with W.A.S.P., and in the years to follow they have toured Europe with Arch Enemy, Sonata Artica, Kamelot, Timo Kotipelto, Jorn, Crimson Glory and Sirenia.
They’ve opened for Dio and Nightwish, and played festivals like Wacken Open Air, Progpower USA, 70 000 Tons of Metal, Tons of Rock and Metaldays, to name a few.
The bands’ solid quality both on record and stage have earned them a steadfast audience and listeners around the world, something that has proven to stand the test of time in the long wait for Triosphere’s 4th album. The band has been active on stage until the pandemic hit, but in the years following this the band focused their time on finishing the album.
From 2025 and onwards, Triosphere has teamed up with Frontiers Music Srl, and this new single is just a taste of what’s to come in the near future.
Line Up: Ida Haukland – bass and vocals Marius Bergesen – guitars Tor Ole Byberg – guitars Kenneth Tårneby – drums
Following the fierce comeback statement “Black Matter Manifesto”, SAMAEL unveil “Hidden Empire”, the second track featured on their upcoming limited 12″ maxi single vinyl, arriving April 24, 2026 via Napalm Records mailorder and the band’s official shop.
The new song explores the unseen structures shaping modern existence, translating its dark themes into a tense and weighty sonic landscape. Beginning with echoes of SAMAEL’s classic era before evolving into a crushing blend of heavy riffs and mechanical intensity, “Hidden Empire” showcases the band’s ability to balance oppressive atmosphere and hypnotic melody. Together with “Black Matter Manifesto”, the track forms a powerful two-song statement that proves the Swiss pioneers remain as uncompromising and forward-thinking as ever.
SAMAEL on “Hidden Empire”: “Hidden in plain sight, right in front of us, everywhere and at all times. We no longer see what we are used to seeing, it is our reality, a reality to which we willingly submit in order to lead a painless but meaningless existence.
“Musically, the beginning of the song is somewhat reminiscent of SAMAEL‘s classic track ‘My Saviour’, but it quickly evolves into something more unusual for the band. It is a heavy song with an industrial touch that maintains high tension from start to finish.”
Nine years after Hegemony(2017), Swiss metal titans SAMAEL return with the powerful limited 12″ maxi single vinyl Hidden Empire featuring their first new material in nearly a decade. The vinyl will be released on April 24, 2026 and will be exclusively available via Napalm Records mailorder and SAMAEL’s official band shop. The vinyl will include the commanding tracks “Black Matter Manifesto” and “Hidden Empire”.
Formed in 1987, SAMAEL are among the most influential forces in extreme metal, reshaping the genre with timeless classics such as Worship Him and Passage. Blending black, industrial, and symphonic metal into their own unmistakable signature sound, the band continues to push boundaries with dark precision and apocalyptic grandeur.
“Black Matter Manifesto” marks SAMAEL’s long-awaited return — raw, forceful, and unmistakably theirs. With “Hidden Empire”, the legendary Swiss pioneers reaffirm their enduring presence, delivering a track that commands through its rawness while showcasing the band’s trademark melodies and haunting riffs. Together, these songs underline SAMAEL’s relentless drive to expand a genre they helped shape — as vital, uncompromising, and imposing as ever.
SAMAEL LIVE 28.03.26 DE – Hirschaid / Braincrusher In Hell Festival 04.04.26 NO – Oslo / Inferno Festival 25.06.26 LT – Ukmerge / Kilkim Zaibu 05.08.26 CZ – Jaromer / Brutal Assault
SAMAEL are: Vorph – Guitars, Vocals Xy – Drum programming, Keyboards, Samples and Percussion Drop – Guitars Ales – Bass
Power metal legends MASTERPLAN have unleashed their new single and official video, “Through The Storm”, another taste of the upcoming new studio album, “Metalmorphosis”, set for release on June 26, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The band commented: “We absolutely love this one! It’s pure metal: straightforward, energetic, and fun in its own way. The song was inspired by our experience playing metal cruises last year, including one crazy show on deck during a storm with freezing wind and heavy waves. That wild energy is exactly what this track is about. The video captures that spirit perfectly – we’re just having fun, but even tough conditions can’t stop us from playing and enjoying what we do. 🤘”
Masterplan are also gearing up for their upcoming European tour, starting on April 12. For the full list of dates, please see below and HERE.
Grapow expressed his enthusiasm for the record – the first new songs since “Novum Initium”, released in 2013: “Metalmorphosis” really captures what this album means to us: a transformation, but still true to the spirit of Masterplan. We’ve grown over the years, both as musicians and as people, and you can hear that in the new songs. Some ideas go back many years, and now they’ve finally come to life. It’s powerful, melodic, and emotional – classic Masterplan, but with a new energy”.
Masterplan stand among the most enduring and influential names in German power metal. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch following their exit from Helloween, the band quickly established a distinctive identity built on strong melodies, technical precision, and an epic yet modern metal approach.
Their self-titled debut album, released in 2003, was met with widespread critical acclaim and immediate chart success, setting the standard for a career defined by consistency and evolution.
Over the years, Masterplan have released several highly regarded albums – including “Aeronautics”, “MK II”, “Time To Be King” and “Novum Initium” – each showcasing refined songwriting and a powerful balance between classic power metal energy and progressive elements.
Their work earned them international recognition, extensive touring across Europe and beyond, and industry accolades that confirmed their status as a leading force in the genre.
After a prolonged hiatus from studio releases, Masterplan have re-emerged with renewed creative drive. The band recently signed a new worldwide deal with Frontiers Music SRL, marking a significant milestone and the beginning of a new chapter in their career.
This partnership sets the stage for their long-awaited return with a brand-new studio album, “Metalmorphosis”, representing both transformation and continuity: a heavier, more aggressive edge combined with the melodic sophistication that has always defined Masterplan’s sound.
With renewed focus, sharpened songwriting, and decades of experience behind them, Masterplan are poised to reaffirm their relevance and deliver one of the most anticipated power metal releases of the year.
“Metalmorphosis” Tracklist:
1. Chase The Light 2. Electric Nights 3. Shadow Man 4. Bound To Fall 5. Pain Of Yesterday 6. Metalmorphosis 7. Through The Storm 8. Ghostlight 9. The Call 10. Rise Again (Album vers.)
METALMORPHOSIS OVER EUROPE TOUR – GET TICKETS HERE:
12.04.26 HR – Zagreb, Boogaloo 14.04.26 SLO – Ljubliana, Orto Bar 15.04.26 SK – Bratislava – Randal club 16.04.26 CZ – Budweis – Club Lucerna 17.04.26 GER – Regensburg – Airport 19.04.26 GER – Augsburg – Spectrum 21.04.26 GER – Bensheim – Musiktheater Rex 22.04.26 GER – Dortmund – Piano 23.04.26 NL – Leiden, Nobel 24.04.26 NL – Den Bosch – Willem II Poppodium 25.04.26 NL – Hoogeveen, Het Podium 28.04.26 GER – Hannover -Musikzentrum 29.04.26 GER – Hamburg – Knust
Line Up: Rick Altzi Roland Grapow Jari Kainulainen Axel Mackenrott Kevin Kott
Following the first glimpse offered by “Drain”, progressive death metal outfit FATE UNBURIED unveil their new single “Not Allowed,” the second track taken from the upcoming album “Neraspeme”, set for release this October via Time To Kill Records.
The song moves through shadowy atmospheres and underlying tension, exploring the weight of unspoken words and silence as a form of mental confinement. Musically, “Not Allowed” further develops the band’s progressive approach through shifting dynamics, intricate arrangements and emotionally charged passages, culminating in a powerful outro that breaks the accumulated tension and allows a sense of release to emerge.
The single offers another glimpse into the artistic direction of “Neraspeme”, a record where compositional complexity, narrative depth and a persistent melancholic thread coexist within an extreme and strongly atmospheric framework.
Further singles and all album details will be released in the coming months.
“Neraspeme” is a sonic journey into the core of a relationship in decay. A 12-track concept album, each song is designed to unsettle, surprise, and relentlessly pull the listener forward, never allowing a moment of rest.
The album is defined by sharp, powerful riffs that are often unexpectedly catchy, lodging themselves in the listener’s mind while retaining a fierce, unyielding aggression. The band skillfully weaves in progressive elements through sudden tempo shifts, intricate instrumental passages, and moments of eerily suspended atmosphere, balanced by sections driven by a strong, groove-oriented drum performance.
On a thematic level, “Neraspeme” traces the full emotional cycle of a relationship approaching its end. The tracks unfold like chapters of an inner collapse, moving from blinding anger to disoriented madness, and finally to the album’s title concept: a warped, dark form of hope that offers no redemption and ultimately dissolves like a mirage.
Line-up:
Riccardo Babbolin – Vocals, Guitar Francesco Garatti – Guitar Davide Piccolo – Bass Giorgio Piva – Drums
ESTERTOR announce their new album “Evil Black Church”, set to be released on June 12th via Black Lion Records.
This third album draws inspiration from classic Italian horror films such as Demons, Black Sunday, Aquarius, and From Beyond. It’s a concept album that explores the figure of the devil in cinema, delving into the demon and evil in various forms and concepts.
A much wilder album than its predecessors, blending thrash metal with touches of old-school death metal, seasoned with the spirit of the most raw heavy metal.
It will be available as a digital download and on CD & LP
The cover art is the work of the talented María Panizo @altarofworms
UNHOLY! BLASPHEMY! EVIL BLACK CHURCH!
TRACKLIST: 1.Evil Black Church 2.Night of the Owl 3.Scumbags from Hell 4.March of the Dèmoni 5.Nightmare Returns 6.Open Coffin Empty Grave 7.Sinister Resurrection 8.Seven Portals of Evil
Estertor emerged in early 2016, formed by veteran musicians from the Catalan Death, Doom, and Black Metal scene — members of bands such as Ered, Decapitated Christ, Onirophagus, Wild Road Roller, Falç, and Blazemth.
In 2025 Estertor unveils their final blasphemy: Evil Black Church — an album fully inspired by the great classics of Italian horror cinema (Demons, Black Sunday, Aquarius, etc.). A tribute to evil, the devil, and pure blasphemy, this new chapter explores darker sonic realms, introducing fresh compositional elements for fans of Bathory, Celtic Frost, and Sodom — while also channeling the spirit of American Death Metal icons like Massacre and Obituary, topped with guitar solos worthy of the most macabre Heavy Metal.
After 17 years of trailblazing, Stoned Jesus are still reaching new creative peaks. Last year, the heavy progressive rockers embarked on an expansive three-album journey that will take them from the sun to the moon and back. Songs to Sun, the trilogy’s mind-melting opener, was named one of the best albums of 2025 by Doom Charts, Rock Hard, The Obelisk, Weedian, Metal Lair and other publications. While the second album is fast approaching on the horizon, the trio are now firing up the engine with their latest road-burning anthem ahead of a co-headlining European tour with Wheel.
Today, Stoned Jesus are releasing a new video for “See You On The Road”. While the song reflects the wear and tear of life on tour, the accompanying footage from the band’s recent treks across Australia and South America is the perfect place for the song’s headbanging riffs and shout-along chorus.
“‘See You On The Road’ is a hymn to playing shows’”, frontman Igor Sydorenko says. While the song’s title is common parlance among touring musicians, Stoned Jesus are still guided by a burning need for innovation. “The jumpy main riff is as Soundgarden as it gets, while the closing chants are perfect for stoking a huge crowd”.
The video for “See You On The Road” was created by Marco Menestrina.
See Stoned Jesus on the road during their upcoming European co-headline tour with Wheel.
Stoned Jesus Spring Equinox Tour 2026 with co-headliner Wheel
March 24 – Krakow, Poland @ Hype Park [TICKETS] March 25 – Warsaw, Poland @ Hydrozadadka [TICKETS] March 27 – Berlin, Germany @Columbia Theater [TICKETS] March 28 – Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol [TICKETS] March 29 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehuset [TICKETS] March 31 – Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle [TICKETS] April 1 – Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique [TICKETS] April 2 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar [TICKETS] April 4 – Haarlem, Netherlands @ Patronaat [TICKETS] April 5 – Cologne, Germany @ Stollwerck [TICKETS] April 6 – Paris, France @ La Maroqunerie [TICKETS] April 7 – Pasu, France @ L’Ampli [TICKETS] April 8 – Madrid, Spain @ Nazca [TICKETS] April 9 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz 2 [TICKETS] April 10 – Toulouse, France @ Interference [TICKETS] April 11 – Nantes, France @ Le Ferraleur [TICKETS] April 12 – Cognac, France @ Les Abbotoirs [TICKETS] April 14 – Munich, Germany @ Technikum [TICKETS] April 15 – Milano, Italy @ Bloom [TICKETS] April 16 – Karlsruhe, Germany @ Substage [TICKETS] April 17 – Luzern, Switzerland @ Sedel [TICKETS] April 18 – Bologna, Italy @ Alchemica [TICKETS] April 19 – Vienna, Austria @ Simm City [TICKETS]
Song to Sun Tracklist 1. New Dawn (8:53) 2. Shadowland (4:38) [WATCH] 3. Lost in the Rain (7:49) 4. Low (4:09) [WATCH] 5. See You On The Road (5:45) 6. Quicksand (9:52)
Since 2009, Stoned Jesus has served as one of Europe’s leading forces in heavy rock. Igor Sydorenko, a veteran of the Ukrainian underground music scene, started it as a solo project after stumbling upon some heavy and angry riffs that would become the song “Occult.” He fed off his Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin influences and was soon turned onto Electric Wizard and Sleep, two bands who mastered the art of bold, lurching heaviness, thus creating a sonic template to abide by.
The Kyiv-based project was initially dubbed “Stoned Jesus from the Outer Space” but shortened to the much crisper Stoned Jesus. The name was trimmed down out of necessity — Sydorenko wanted to legitimize the band immediately. “I realized that this may cause some problems,” he told Psychedelic Baby in 2010. “Some people wouldn’t take our music seriously, then. I don’t mind jokes and having fun, but music is always the most serious thing for me.”
Two demos ensued before Stoned Jesus’s debut LP, 2010’s First Communion. Recorded with the first line-up in two hours, First Communion was a promising offering that dove headlong into the world of heavy stoner rock, with three songs going over the 10-minute mark for hypnotic effect. The album eventually saw a proper reissue in 2020, introducing it to a new group of fans. The first change of rhythm section brought Seven Thunders Roar in 2012, which included “I’m the Mountain,” a 13-minute epic that has since become a live staple. The album also introduced a bevy of acoustic guitar and softer vocal approaches from Sydorenko.
The Harvest came next in 2015 with a new drummer, deftly transitioning Stoned Jesus into the new terrain, with more alternative and progressive rock leanings. This is a credit to Sydorenko’s evolving songwriting style and desire to never allow Stoned Jesus to repeat itself. “It works brilliantly for the likes of Motörhead or AC/DC, but we’re not that legendary yet,” he told Outlaws of the Sun in 2015. “So, let’s experiment, shall we? Let’s play with the genres, the sound, the song structures, the melodies, the time signatures — yes, my favorite trick!”
With another change of the drummer, the fourth LP, Pilgrims, arrived in 2018. A bold and experimental record, it showed the growing maturity of both musical and lyrical sides of Igor’s ever-progressing songwriting. After a year-long The Pilgrimage Tour and yet another year on the road celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary with the greatest hits setlist, Stoned Jesus’ original plans were to record its follow-up in 2020. That, of course, was sidelined by the pandemic. The band then entered Spivaki Records in Kharkiv in July 2021 to record nine songs at 75 minutes. Two-thirds of the material was mixed and mastered before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaving the final run-time of six songs at 43 minutes.
The result was Father Light, the band’s first for Season of Mist, which caught Stoned Jesus in full bloom. The foundational elements of Stoned Jesus’s sound remained (fuzzed-out rock, driving bass lines and maximum groove), once again augmented by the combination of Sydorenko’s gentle clean vocals and hook-laden chorus choices, along with an array of ornamental guitar melodies. And, in true Stoned Jesus fashion, the journey is often the reward. The cuts on Father Light expand and shift — all the while, the band’s trademark heaviness serves as the guide.
Mother Dark, the gloomier introspective twin of Father Light, while partially recorded was shelved due to Igor’s dissatisfaction with the working dynamics of the latest Stoned Jesus line-up. Dissolving said line-up was a difficult decision to make, but Igor’s relocation to Europe brought a surprising reunion with his old friend Yurii, a talented drummer Igor had known even before writing the first Stoned Jesus song. Adding bassist-vocalist Andrew Rodin to this new line-up solidified its reliability, and now, after the whole year of relentless 25th Anniversary Tour schedule, the reinvigorated Stoned Jesus is more than ready for their next chapter.
Songs to Sun is the first album in a forthcoming trilogy that once complete, will stand as the pinnacle of what’s been a decades-long trip for Stoned Jesus. While picking up where Father Light left off, Sydorenko and his new mates still nod to Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest along the way. But by merging metal’s fiery intensity with mind-melting grooves, vintage prog and their catchiest choruses yet, they bring the many distinct phases of Stoned Jesus to a bright, burning head.
Production Credits: Produced by Igor Sydorenko Recorded by Ignancy Gruzecki Mixed and Mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Sweden All music and lyrics written by Igor Sydorenko
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 ) 