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A.A. WILLIAMS Ushers in New Album “Solstice”, Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: A.A. WILLIAMS. Leave a comment

Out now via RPM, “Solstice” arrives as A.A. WILLIAMS’ most powerful and poetic work to date, an album shaped by extremes of light and darkness, weight and fragility, devastation and renewal. Thunderous highs, intimate lows and vivid emotional shifts unfold across a record that feels both deeply personal and cinematic in scale.

Long celebrated for her haunting vocals, immersive dynamics and striking emotional clarity, WILLIAMS expands her sonic world with an album that moves like a ritual through changing seasons. Guitars churn like gathering weather, strings glow with fragile warmth, and her voice unfolds from restrained intimacy into commanding emotional force.

“Solstice” captures A.A. WILLIAMS at a creative turning point. Inspired by years of global touring, acclaimed collaborations and genre-defying reinterpretations, the album finds her fully embracing both vulnerability and power.

Balancing crushing heaviness with moments of startling beauty, “Solstice” invites listeners into a world where silence can feel as immense as sound itself. It is intimate, dramatic and quietly radiant — music for endings, beginnings and the long road between the two.

Let the new season begin.

Track list:

1. Poison
2. Wolves
3. Little By Little
4. Hold It Together
5. Outlines
6. I’ve Seen Enough
7. The Veil
8. Just A Shadow
9. It Won’t Rain Forever
10. Breathe
11. The Gentle Harm

“Solstice” is available for order HERE

A.A. WILLIAMS live [tickets]:

Jun 06  Tampere, FI — Ankea Festival
Jun 13  Ferrara, IT — Ferrara Summer Festival ^
Jun 16  Zagreb, HR — SRC Salata ^
Jun 23  Tilburg, NL —  Poppodium 013 ^
Jun 24  Amsterdam, NL — AFAS Live ^

Jul 04   Viveiro, ES – Resurrection Fest
Aug 07  Jaromêr, CZ — Brutal Assault
Aug 22  Bristol, UK — Arctangent Festival
Aug 29  Maastricht, NL — Pelagic Fest

^ with A Perfect Circle

Photo Credits: Jake Owens

About A.A. WILLIAMS

Making her debut live appearance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands off the back of a self-titled EP, A.A. Williams has since toured across the globe with the likes of Cult of Luna, Explosions in the Sky, Russian Circles, Sleep Token and The Sisters of Mercy, as well as establishing herself as a headline artist— including a show at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall inside London’s Southbank Centre.

Standout festival appearances have dovetailed with two album releases— 2020’s Forever Blue and 2022’s As The Moon Rests— both of which received widespread critical acclaim and placed A.A. Williams at the forefront of a wave of artists taking textured, epic and folk-rooted heavy music into new and progressive directions. A BBC session at the legendary Maida Vale Studios only bolstered her credentials.

Never one to rest on her laurels, she has also released a series of “companion pieces”: a collaborative single with Japanese post-rock titans MONO (“Exit In Darkness”); a solo covers collection recorded during 2020’s pandemic lockdown— Songs From Isolation— that drew praise from The Cure’s Robert Smith and Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan; and perhaps most impressively, 2021’s arco, in which the multi-instrumentalist completely reworked her debut EP from rock instrumentation to string ensemble, drawing on her classical training to stunning effect.

Find A.A. WILLIAMS online:  Website – Spotify – Apple Music – Bandcamp – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – TikTok

KALANDRA Announce Norwegian Headline Tour for Winter 2026

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: KALANDRA. Leave a comment
Photo: Linnea Syversen

Kalandra will go on a Norwegian tour this fall/winter with their EP “Mørketid”, released in the winter of 2025. The band will visit the major Norwegian cities and will also perform in Bodø for the very first time.

“Mørketid” is an EP that embraces darkness and winter in a truly unique way. The EP features beautiful reinterpretations of the famous Scandinavian christmas hymn “Mitt hjerte alltid vanker”, alongside critically acclaimed original compositions such as “Ghosts”. The band will perform a very special repertoire for the tour, featuring songs that bring warmth and light as we enter the dark and cold winter season. The band says:

«Today, we’re announcing our Norwegian tour, Mørketid!

It’s been a while since we last toured Norway, and we’re incredibly excited to reconnect with audiences across the country.

It feels especially meaningful that we’ll finally be playing in Bodø for the very first time, and that we’ll soon return to Kristiansand, nearly ten years after our last visit. We’re also looking forward to returning to venues such as Kulturhuset in Bergen, SALT in Oslo, and HAVET in Trondheim, where we’ve made many fond memories over the years.

Mørketid is about bringing people together during the darkest time of the year and creating warmth, connection, and a sense of community through music. We can’t wait to share these evenings with both familiar faces and new listeners alike.»

MØRKETID TOUR 2026 – DATES

26/11 – STAVANGER, FOLKEN
27/11 – KRISTIANSAND, KICK
04/12 – BERGEN, KULTURHUSET
05/12 – BODØ, SINUS
11/12 – OSLO, SALT
12/12 – TRONDHEIM, HAVET

Get your tickets HERE.

Listen to the album here: https://bfan.link/morketid

Norwegian-Swedish collective Kalandra have spent over a decade carving out a distinct space between atmospheric rock, Nordic folk, and cinematic metal, building a reputation for immersive soundscapes and emotionally charged compositions.

Emerging with their debut album The Line in 2020, the band quickly gained international attention for their haunting, minimalist aesthetic — where delicate vocals meet brooding, slow-burning arrangements. Their sound, often drawing comparisons to artists operating on the fringes of metal and post-rock, is defined as much by restraint as it is by intensity.

But Kalandra’s story stretches further back. Formed in 2011 in Liverpool by vocalist Katrine Stenbekk, the band developed their identity through relentless live performances in the UK before returning to Norway and solidifying their lineup. Over the years, they have steadily expanded their reach — from intimate club shows to major festival stages including Hellfest.

Touring alongside artists such as Wardruna, Heilung and Leprous, Kalandra have connected with audiences across Europe and Australia, bridging scenes that span folk, post-rock, and progressive metal.

Their work on the soundtrack for Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands further cemented their ability to translate atmosphere into narrative, while their 2024 album A Frame of Mind marked a turning point — expanding both the sonic scope and emotional weight of their material.

Now, in 2026, Kalandra mark 15 years as a band, continuing to evolve while staying rooted in a sound that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Their music has travelled far beyond its Nordic origins, resonating with a global audience drawn to its sense of space, tension, and quiet power.

HOMEPAGE  / INSTAGRAM  / FACEBOOK  / YOUTUBE

SABATON Announce Second Leg of ‘The Legendary Tour’, Hitting Arenas All Over Europe in Spring 2027

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Sabaton. Leave a comment
Photo Credit: Steve Bright

Following the success of their huge arena run in 2025 which saw them bring an on stage castle and a mechanical drawbridge to arenas across Europe, including London’s O2 Arena and Manchester Co-op Live, SABATON have announced a second part to The Legendary Tour.

The band state:
 
“After completing one of the biggest arena tours in 2025 with 20+ trucks and 200+ crew members, we couldn’t simply stop at chapter one!
 
We’re excited to announce that The Legendary Tour – Part 2 is coming to Europe in 2027! Once again, we’ll be joined by The Legendary Orchestra with talented special guest stars, Noa Gruman, Tina Guo and Mia Asano, whose powerful performance will bring our music to life on an immense scale.”

Last year’s leg of The Legendary Tour brought in an audience of over 260,000 people in 13 different countries, with 420 tonnes of equipment marking the biggest ever arena tour production ever seen from a rock band.
 
The Spring 2027 run takes in 15 different countries, including shows at Dublin’s 3ARENA, Glasgow OVO Hydro and Birmingham NEC.
 
The band continues:
 
“Get ready for tons of explosives, epic storytelling and very loud heavy metal. If you missed out the first time, this is your chance to witness the theatrical, larger-than-life experience – the ultimate Sabaton evening. And if you’re joining us once again, expect new surprises and twists!
 
 Europe… Are you ready to become legendary once again?”

Tickets go on sale 9am Wednesday June 10th.
 For more information, VIP packages and ticket purchase links, visit SABATON’s 
tour page.
 
 The full run of dates is as follows:

APRIL 2027
 7 – DUBLIN, 3Arena (Ireland)
 9 – GLASGOW, The OVO Hydro (UK)
 10 – BIRMINGHAM, bp Pulse LIVE (UK)
 12 – NANTES, Zenith Metropole (France)
 13 – TOULOUSE, Zenith Metropole (France)
 15 – LISBON, MEO Arena (Portugal)
 19 – MILAN, Unipol Forum (Italy)
 20 – GENEVA, Arene de Genève (Switzerland)
 22 – NUREMBERG, PSD Bank Arena (Germany)
 23 – DÜSSELDORF, PSD Bank Dome (Germany)
 24 – ROTTERDAM, Ahoy (Netherlands)
 26 – MANNHEIM, SAP Arena (Germany)
 27 – LEIPZIG, Quarterback Immobilien Arena (Germany)
 28 – HAMBURG, Barclays Arena (Germany)
 30 – GRAZ, Stadthalle (Austria)

MAY 2027
 1 – BUDAPEST, MVM Dome (Hungary)
 2 – PRAGUE, O2 Arena (Czech Republic)
 4 – BRATISLAVA, Tipos Arena (Slovakia)
 5 – ŁÓDŹ, Atlas Arena (Poland)
 7 – TALLINN, Unibet Arena (Estonia)
 8 – HELSINKI, Veikkaus Arena (Finland)

he Swedish masters of heavy metal SABATON recently joined forces with World of Warships, for a music video entitled ‘Yamato’ ,which came on the heels of 2025’s ‘Legends’, their first album for new label Better Noise Music.

Stream ‘Legends’ here

ABOUT SABATON:
In more than two decades since the band’s launch, SABATON has headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts worldwide and gained a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation for being one of the hardest working bands in the business. Since their 2005 debut album, they’ve earned Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certifications in territories around the world with their eleven studio albums. They’ve also had eight albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5. The band has earned eight Metal Hammer/Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for ‘Breakthrough Artist’ in 2011 and ‘Best Live Band’ in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. GRAMMY) as Best Heavy Metal Band.
 
In 2008, SABATON hosted the first edition of its annual, three-day music festival, SABATON Open Air, in Sweden. The year after, the highly popular SABATON Cruise was introduced, which sails out of Stockholm each year for epic sea adventures and live acts. A pivotal point in the band’s history was the debut of the SABATON History Channel in 2019, which uses the power of music and storytelling to dive into the stories behind every song with documentary-style videos.
 
In March 2022, the band’s tenth studio album The War To End All Wars dropped, revisiting WW1 and featuring eleven songs. To conclude the band’s chapter on the First World War, the quintet released an EP trilogy on 30th September 2022, entitled Echoes Of The Great War. The band embarked on The Tour To End All Tours and The Great Swedish Tour in 2022/2023. In April 2023, the band was recognised by the Swedish Skeptics Association with the highly regarded ‘Enlightener of the Year Award’, making SABATON the first ever rock band to receive such an honour.
 
In June 2023, SABATON launched History Rocks, a global museum charity project which revolved around the band’s new animated film, The War To End All Wars – The Movie, which was screened in 140 museums around the world. The film was later released on major video streaming services in May 2025. In 2024, SABATON celebrated the global premiere of their concert film SABATON – The Tour To End All Tours. They released their eleventh studio album Legends in October 2025, before embarking on The Legendary Tour 2025.
 
 
Ultimately, SABATON refuses to be slotted into a genre. Fans need only know them as SABATON, the heavy metal band that sings of real-life wars and the people who played a part in them; true stories more fantastic than any fiction.

BEAUTIFUL SKELETONS Confront Mental Health on New Single ‘Running Cold’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: BEAUTIFUL SKELETONS. Leave a comment

Rising alternative metal outfit Beautiful Skeletons return with their devastatingly honest new single “Running Cold,” out now on all streaming platforms alongside an official lyric video. Following the atmospheric weight of their debut release “Come What May,” the band pushes deeper into emotionally charged territory with a track that confronts suicide, self-harm, trauma, and the ripple effects mental illness leaves behind on families and loved ones.

The official lyric video for “Running Cold” is available below.

Produced by acclaimed producer Ulrich Wild — known for his work with heavy music giants including Pantera, Static-X, Deftones, and Slipknot — “Running Cold” blends crushing emotional vulnerability with explosive modern rock intensity, delivering a song that feels equally suited for alternative radio, underground metal circles, and deeply personal late-night listening sessions.

At its core, “Running Cold” is a song born from survival.

Lead vocalist Tina wrote the lyrics while enduring one of the darkest chapters of her life as a mother navigating her child’s repeated suicide attempts and mental health battles.

“This is a song of fragile hope in the daunting battle of suicidal ideation and self-harm,” Tina shares. “I wrote the lyrics shortly after one of my children’s first and second serious attempts to end their life. As a parent, to lose a child to suicide would be full-stop soul shattering.”

The song captures the unbearable reality many families quietly endure — sleepless nights, emergency room visits, fear behind every silence, and the emotional wreckage left in mental illness’ wake.

“I remember every ambulance ride, every empty pill bottle, every sound, every cry, every night sleeping outside their door trying to preserve my child’s safety,” Tina continues. “We blame ourselves because we feel like we missed signs or play the woulda-coulda-shoulda game. I hope this song embodies future hope while still acknowledging the trauma.”

Tina’s own personal history with suicide and self-harm adds another devastating layer of authenticity to the track.

“I wrote these lyrics from a place of trauma and desperation while sitting in a children’s hospital fighting to get an inpatient rehab bed for my kid,” she explains. “Mental illness is only mildly influenced by environment and can ultimately take a back seat to genetic proclivity.”

The title itself reflects the split-second collapse that changes everything.

“It’s called ‘Running Cold’ because that’s the feeling you get when the bottom drops out — that millisecond of understanding before crashing and burning, realizing you missed a step on the way down the stairs.”

While lyrically devastating, the song’s sonic energy surges with urgency and momentum, giving the band one of their most infectious releases to date.

Drummer Huwy describes the track as “a short catchy almost poppy song, but with a very strong message.”

“The song is about the weight of mental health struggles and suicide from the family’s perspective,” he says. “We wanted the music to pull people in while the lyrics hit them hard.”

For guitarist Einar, the emotional impact of the song runs even deeper.

“The lyrical content is real, raw, powerless, intangible,” Einar explains. “It affects everyone within a large circle. It hit Tina’s core with a vengeance, and that affected me. Powerlessness tenfold.”

He continues, “It makes me question if I have done enough, if I can help the next human that suffers — a friend, family member, or stranger. What is my purpose in this? How do we make a difference? Is there ever enough?”

Bassist Jason says the song immediately resonated with his own experiences surrounding suicide and mental health.

“This song is about self-harm and suicide,” Jason states. “It’s very personal for me. Even though I didn’t write it, it’s as if Tina was looking inside my heart.”

He continues, “We’ve all had a family member or friend who has attempted or been successful in suicide. We need to call it what it is — suicide or killing yourself. Today, algorithms will block or cancel you for using these words, but it’s growing like a plague. Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide, so clearly hiding from the conversation isn’t working.”

“I think instead of hiding from it, we should talk about it with our kids, our friends, and our family.”

Beautiful Skeletons refuse to shy away from uncomfortable truths, and “Running Cold” stands as a fearless statement about pain, survival, and the desperate search for hope in moments that feel impossible to escape.

Formed from a shared passion for emotionally driven heavy music, Beautiful Skeletons fuse alternative rock melody, modern metal aggression, and deeply human storytelling into a sound that feels both haunting and cathartic. With “Running Cold,” the band continues building momentum as one of the most emotionally authentic new acts emerging from the underground heavy music scene.

“Running Cold” serves as the next chapter leading into the band’s upcoming release, “Dropping Anchor.”

ABOUT BEAUTIFUL SKELETONS

Beautiful Skeletons are an alt-metal band united by a shared refusal to make music that compromises. Vocalist Tina Firefly, guitarist Einar Einarsson, bassist Jason Johnson, and drummer Huwy Williams bring together a depth of experience and perspective that gives the band’s sound its distinctly powerful quality. 

Their music is dark, atmospheric, and emotionally visceral—rooted in the tension between vulnerability and resilience, between the cost of a dream and the impossibility of letting it go. Beautiful Skeletons write songs for anyone who has ever had to take a leap of faith without knowing how it would land. Their debut album Pulse Line Scar, produced by Ulrich Wild and released via WURMgroup, marks the beginning of a chapter built on everything they nearly lost—and chose to fight for anyway.

For more information on the band visit https://linktr.ee/beautifulskeletonsband

Electronic Heavy Gothic Rockers ORDER Release Thought-Provoking New Single ‘Digital Tear’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ORDER. Leave a comment

After releasing their impressive debut single “Terminal Phase” earlier this year, ORDER today unveils their powerful second single, “Digital Tear“. Infused with futuristic electronic elements and the dark atmosphere of heavy gothic rock, the track was produced by the band’s trusted producer, Lauri Hämäläinen, who also worked on the debut release.

ORDER is a duo formed by two familiar names from the Finnish metal scene: Saku Solin (Turmion Kätilöt, Fear of Domination) and Daniel Tähkä, whose long-hidden musical talents have previously been seen mainly through the lens of a camera.

The message behind Digital Tear is dark, but challenging people to think critically is more important now than ever.

“‘Digital Tear’ is a powerful journey into ORDER’s dystopian world and state of mind. At the same time, I found myself wondering how far removed it really is from the world we live in. The boundaries are already becoming blurred, morality increasingly appears to be little more than an objective guideline, and humanity itself is questionable in many ways,” says Solin, continuing:

“It inevitably raises the question of whether an apocalyptic scenario, humanity becoming machine-like, or the rise of artificial intelligence would necessarily be such a bad thing. What if, in the end, we are the villains of the story while some other force watches our journey toward the inevitable and sheds a single digital tear?”

Daniel takes the thought even further.

“Humanity loves inventing new ways to destroy itself, and some of the things described in this song
may already have happened without us even noticing. Maybe one day an advanced AI will dig our bones out of the sand and wonder about them the same way we wonder about fossils.”

A music video for the song, illustrated by Milla Rissanen and animated by Lotta Ruutiainen, has also been created for “Digital Tear”. The video will be released through the band’s channels as well as those of Blood Blast Distribution, which distributes ORDER’s music worldwide.

Also check out the band’s debut music video for “Terminal Phase”, available to watch here.

More info: weareorder.net

IMPERIAL AGE Return with First Video in 4 Years ‘Gnosis’ with New Line-Up

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 6, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Imperial Age. Leave a comment

For the dreams they carried, IMPERIAL AGE masterminds Jane and Aor were born in the wrong place. Starting a global metal band from Russia meant uphill battles and closed doors in every direction. The country’s growing isolation and hostility made international careers nearly impossible – especially for two young metalheads. At home they were hated for singing in English and looking towards the West. The Western music industry, in turn, ignored them as outsiders. No label, no management, no booking agent, no festival pathway, no sponsors. And yet, against all odds, they managed to imprint themselves on the minds of a global army of devoted adherents who carried the band through every storm to come.

By 2022, their zealous DIY work ethic had produced 200+ concerts across Europe and Britain, two studio albums selling tens of thousands of copies worldwide, and drew over 100,000 viewers to their Live New World online concert with a choir & orchestra.

Things started to look optimistic… and then Russia invaded Ukraine.

Having publicly condemned the war, Jane and Aor had to hastily leave the country while the rest of the band stayed. Some fans, critics, and industry types figured the story would end there.

After a grueling year of legal limbo and uncertainty in Turkey, their resilience paid off: they were endorsed by Arts Council England as “Exceptional Talent” and granted residency in the UK.

After finally settling in Northamptonshire, England, they found themselves under severe financial strain, in need of a new lineup, and the daunting reality of rebuilding everything from absolute zero in a new country.

Reborn as a UK-based band, they assembled a new lineup of premier British musicians (and one Italian), opened their own fulfillment office in London to support growing demand for records & merch, played their biggest European tour and secured big 2026 festival appearances including Arena Grand Paris and Bloodstock main stage.

Finally free from survival mode and standing on solid ground, the two founders opened the floodgates of their creativity, upending predictable conventions of their genre and pushing Imperial Age into entirely new territory.

The first piece to come out of this creative lab is their most recent single Gnosis.

For the first time, Imperial Age reimagined themselves with extreme vocals, breakdowns, ultra-fast tempo and ultra-low guitar tunings – creating a darker, heavier sound that resonates wide across generations and genres.

The video for Gnosis was produced by Loki Films (the team behind some of the most popular Sleep Token and Lorna Shore videos), shot in a legendary English location and is the first official Imperial Age video as a UK band with the new lineup.

The video was released on June the 5th 2026 through VEVO & Apple Music to be available on the Imperial Age YouTube channel, Apple Music, Tidal and Spotify.

Links:

​imperial-age.com​
​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Age_(band)​
​facebook.com/imperialageoofficial​
​youtube.com/imperialage​
​instagram.com/imperialage​
​tiktok.com/@imperialagemusic

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