BLACKMENT Drop New Single + Video ‘Afterlife’ from Upcoming Second Studio Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 23, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo: Allan Välimaa & Hille Sadehelmi

Blackment, the Finnish masters of diverse melodic metal, have released more new material from their upcoming second studio album. Along with the release of the “Afterlife” single, the band unfortunately also has to announce that the album’s release has been delayed from the originally planned date in June.

“The production of the last five tracks took a bit longer than expected, so we’re way behind schedule. In a situation like this, it’s better to take some extra time so we can polish the album to sound exactly the way it’s supposed to,” the band says.

The newly released “Afterlife” offers a great preview of what’s to come on the upcoming album.

Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube Music etc.): https://push.fm/fl/blackment-afterlife

“Afterlife is a really dynamic song, and I think it really highlights the strengths of every member of Blackment. The song showcases our lighter, more atmospheric side,” says Sebastian Nyandoto.

Guitarist-composer Saalas Ruokangas set himself the challenge on “Afterlife” of creating a song built around a single chord progression without trying to make it so-called “radio-friendly” music.

“You can only find that out by trying, and Afterlife’s initial ideas seemed to have the makings of such an experiment. Personally, I’m very happy with the end result. The song’s most essential elements are exceptionally simple compared to our other material, which allowed for a structure where those elements are introduced one by one, and as the song builds to a climax, they all come together at the same time,” says Saalas Ruokangas.

Sami Vuorenheimo, who wrote the lyrics, mulled over the song’s themes several times last fall.

“The theme emerged—loneliness and the desire to protect one’s loved ones to the very end—or beyond. This formed a cryptic story in which the anxiety is palpable. It may be that the next album will feature a continuation of the story with a twist, which can be inferred from the message at the end of the song,” Vuorenheimo adds.

The duo Allan Välimaa and Hille Sadehelmi, who also directed the previous “In Motion” video, are behind the “Afterlife” music video as well, though the concept was developed by the entire team. Preparations for the shoot included blindfolds, spray paint, and roses, the station master’s desk, as well as an old-school scouting expedition in the woods to find good filming locations.

“We decided to go with symbolism that complements the song’s narrative perfectly. The identity of the man in the cloak in the video is crystal clear to everyone! Allan handled the filming and the water bowl shaking flawlessly, not to mention Akseli’s spotlight effect. There’s also an Easter egg hidden in the classic style—comment and report this on YouTube to claim your parrot sticker!” Sami Vuorenheimo hints.

–Composition & arrangement: Saalas Ruokangas
–Lyrics: Sami Vuorenheimo
–Recording engineer: Harri Petjakko
–Mixer: Matias Kupiainen
–Mastering Engineer: Mika Jussila
–Cover artwork: Akseli Aalto
–Blackment-logo: Ania Bodziarczyk

Blackment are:
Sami Vuorenheimo – vocals
Saalas Ruokangas – guitar & backing vocals
Allan Välimaa – guitar
Väinö Huhtanen – bass & backing vocals
Sebastian Nyandoto – keyboards & backing vocals
Akseli Aalto – drums

The single also features:
Hille Sadehelmi – backing vocals

Blackment is a melodic metal band that was founded in 2014 at Hyvinkää, Finland. Their debut album “Plains of Oblivion” was released in autumn 2022. The album has gotten airplay in various European countries. In addition, the band was nominated for the newcomer of the year 2022 by Kaaoszine (a Finnish music news website). In 2023-2024 Blackment released three singles “Pariah”, “Ghost in the Machine” and “Freedom Fall”. The band also competed as a semifinalist in the Wacken Metal Battle Finland competition. 

Over the years Blackment has developed a recognizable sound and style including catchy melodies, tricky yet punchy guitars, groovy drums and bass, atmospheric synths and a wide range of vocals with unique voice. The six-piece band has been praised for their energetic live shows and they have performed for example at Heavy Metal Heart Festival and at Semifinal club in Helsinki. 

https://www.facebook.com/blackmentofficial
https://www.instagram.com/blackmentfin
https://www.tiktok.com/@blackmentofficial
https://blackment.bandcamp.com/

NOUMENA’s New Video Single ‘Surunkehrä’ Summons the Listener to a Journey into the Underworld

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 23, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo: Esa Pitkälä

Hailing from Ähtäri, Finland, the masters of melodic death metal, Noumena, continue their journey towards their highly anticipated album release. The band is now releasing a brand new single, “Surunkehrä” (The Spindle of Sorrow), as a follow-up to their previously released banger “Kuolemankello”.

“Surunkehrä” is part of a continuum of melancholic, mid-tempo Noumena songs—a lineage that includes past tracks like “Saatto”, “Bleakest Essence” and “Sanansaattaja”. Guitarist and composer Ville Lamminaho sheds light on the song’s multifaceted origins:

“The idea sparked a couple of years ago when the band was listening to Lorna Shore’s ‘Pain Remains I’. The actual song came to life at home on the couch while strumming my daughter’s acoustic guitar. The melancholic and folk-influenced song gained dynamism through varying time signatures, and we aimed for a driving flow and pulsing rhythms in the arrangement, evoking imagery of both spinning yarn and heartbeats.”

The deep and mythological lyrical world is crafted by vocalist Suvi Uura, who came across the name “Surunkehrääjä” (“The Weaver of Sorrow”) in a book she read a few years ago. Upon hearing Ville’s composition, the name rushed back to Suvi’s mind and instantly felt like the right direction for the track:

“To me, the Weaver of Sorrow is a kind of traveler in limbo—a creature that lives off human grief and pain. She doesn’t cause sorrow; instead, she gathers it, spins it into thread, and weaves paths along which souls travel toward the underworld. She is a figure moving on the thresholds, appearing to those whose minds are broken or who have lost everything.”

Simultaneously, the band is releasing a music video for the track, directed by composer Ville Lamminaho. Inspired by the song’s lyrics, the video introduces the Weaver of Sorrow, portrayed by Suvi Uura.

The new single provides a strong foretaste of Noumena’s seventh album, which will be released in its entirety in August. While waiting for the upcoming album, Noumena invites the listener to journey deep into the underworld, where tears are spun into melancholy and heavy melodies offer the ultimate rest for a broken mind.

Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, tidal etc.): https://push.fm/fl/noumena-surunkehra

–ISRC: FIHZP1200040
–Record label: Haunted Zoo
–Composition: Ville Lamminaho
–Lyrics: Suvi Uura
–Arrangement: Noumena

Noumena is a Finnish melodic death metal band formed in 1998 in Ähtäri, Finland. Known for combining melancholic melodies, heavy riffs and atmospheric soundscapes, Noumena draws from the Scandinavian death metal tradition while adding touches of Nordic melancholy and emotion.

Over their more than 25-year career, Noumena has released six full-length albums — including Pride/Fall (2002), Absence (2005), Anatomy of Life (2006), Death Walks With Me (2013), Myrrys (2017) and Anima (2020) — steadily evolving their sound while retaining their core identity.

Noumena has over 130 live shows history, the band has toured in Finland, Central  Europe, Japan and China. They have shared the stages with acts like Insomnium, Beast in Black, Moonsorrow and many others.

Line-up
Antti Haapanen – growls
Suvi Uura – vocals
Markus Hirvonen – guitars, vocals
Ville Lamminaho – guitars, mandolin, vocals
Tuukka Tuomela – guitars
Hannu Savolainen – bass
Ilkka Unnbom – drums

https://www.youtube.com/@noumenaofficial
https://www.facebook.com/Noumenaband
https://www.instagram.com/noumenaofficial/
https://www.noumena.info/

OCCULT MASTER Release New Single ‘Gnarly Geezer’ – “The best ingredients from the 1970s rock prog cookbook”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 23, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Emil Risto

Finnish Heavy Doom band Occult Master are set to release their self-titled debut album on August 14th 2026 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Gnarly Geezer’ is unleashed today and it’s available on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/occult-master-gnarly-geezer

The band comments:

“Gnarly Geezer knocking at your back door! A middle-aged man, with his problems and thinning hair, declares his love for his ex-wife. Old-school heavy rock boogie with a solid, no-frills approach! The track draws its listeners in with its lively rhythm and catchy chorus. The best ingredients from the 1970s rock prog cookbook – snappy riffs, rocking solos, and spectacular midsections! “

–Composed & lyrics by Ari Eskola
–ISRC: FI3FC2552709
–Cover art by Kimmo Lukkari

Occult Master Track list:

  1. Just Another Nail in the Failier’s Coffin
  2. Island of Leper
  3. Heavy Metal Madness
  4. Lucifer’s Henchman
  5. Ground of the Damned
  6. Who Is Our Enemy
  7. Sorry Soul
  8. Soothing Swamp
  9. Gnarly Geezer

–Recorded by Jussi Risto
–Mixed & mastered by Kimmo Lukkari
–Cover art by Jarno Vesa

LISTEN to the first single ‘Island of Leper’: https://push.fm/fl/occult-master-island 

CD PRE-ORDERS from HERE. 

BIOGRAPHY:

“Occult Master was founded in 2012 in Oulu, Finland, first starting as a heavy rock/doom band. After a line‑up change in 2020, the musical style turned faster, more rhythmic and more complex. Occult Master’s music is heavy, versatile and full of nuances, ranging from full‑throttle metal blasting to quiet, subtle and beautifully eerie musical landscapes. The band’s roots lie strongly in the classic heavy metal of the 1970s and 1980s. The songs are delivered in a hardy, straightforward and no‑nonsense style. In the dark‑toned music, the lyrics deal with different matters of life and the world in general, and at times even horror stories told with a devilish grin.

Occult Master are:
Ari Eskola – guitars and vocals
Toni Mäki – bass and backing vocals
Jussi Risto – drums

https://www.facebook.com/occultmasterband
https://occultmaster.bandcamp.com

AS WE STRAY Return with New Single ‘Alone’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 22, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

As We Stray return with their new single “Alone”, a powerful and emotionally charged track that explores the theme of toxic relationships and the physical and psychological violence that can exist within an emotional bond that becomes extremely difficult to escape.

“Alone” tells the story from the perspective of the victim, trapped in a destructive dynamic where emotional attachment turns into invisible chains that are hard to break. The entire song remains anchored in this point of view until the bridge, where a significant shift occurs: Mark’s vocals take on the role of an omniscient narrator, observing the situation from an external perspective and perceiving the gradual disappearance of the victim’s presence, almost as if they were no longer there.

From a musical standpoint, the single is intentionally heavy, tense, and claustrophobic, built on irregular rhythmic structures and off-kilter metric patterns. This deliberate choice enhances the sense of instability and emotional discomfort, immersing the listener in the same tension experienced by the protagonist of the story.

The release is created in collaboration with organizations with a strong social impact, including Hope For The Day, dedicated to mental health awareness, and Ghost Killer Entertainment, further strengthening the message of the project beyond its purely musical dimension.

With “Alone,” the band also announces the official addition of Angie Six as their new bass player, a well-known figure in the Turin metalcore scene, whose presence further consolidates the band’s new artistic direction.

“Alone” is more than just a single: it is a raw, direct, and necessary narrative that blends music and awareness, addressing sensitive themes with an uncompromising and impactful sound approach.

Stream the single on Spotyfy.

New Tribute to BADFINGER Legend “Just Look inside The Cover – Songs of Pete Ham” Out June 19th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 22, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Y&T Music is proud to announce the release of a special tribute album, “Just Look inside The Cover – Songs of Pete Ham,” featuring 22 new recordings of songs written by Pete Ham. This very unique tribute album features songs that were only previously released as home demos and never recorded by Badfinger.

Pete Ham was one of the 20th century’s greatest overlooked artists. Certainly, the Swansea, Wales-born musician received some recognition: three of his songs – “No Matter What,” “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue,” all recorded by his group Badfinger – were hit singles, and the popularity of those songs endures to this day. And “Without You” – co-written with band mate Tom Evans – would become a standard when covered by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. With Badfinger, Ham made seven albums, all of which are today recognized as classics of melodic rock.

While the total output of Pete Ham penned songs released during his short lifetime would be less than 40 songs, he proved to be a startlingly prolific songwriter. Thanks to the diligent archival work of people working in close cooperation with The Pete Ham estate, demo recordings of many of these and previously unknown songs have come to light in recent years and are the focus of this tribute.

Many of those songs, compiled on several posthumous Pete Ham albums, demonstrate that Ham’s songwriting prowess yielded a bounty, the like of which would be astounding even if created by an artist who lived much longer than his brief 27 years. They also underscore the fact that Ham could – and quite often did – write excellent songs that were well outside the musical scope of The Iveys or Badfinger. Moreover, Pete Ham exerted great influence upon countless artists who came after him, many of whom weren’t yet born when he tragically took his life in 1975. His gifts with words and melody continue to inspire musicians and listeners alike.

This tribute features some of today’s most renowned artists in the field of melodic and indie rock, each providing their take on a gem from the largely overlooked portion of Ham’s creative output. Given complete creative control, some take the approach of arranging the song in a way that suggests how Badfinger might have done it; others use Ham’s words and music as a canvas upon which to paint a picture all their own. Just Look Inside The Cover also includes new recordings by Ron Griffiths, and Bob Jackson, both who have recorded and toured with Pete Ham, as members of The Iveys and Badfinger.

THE SONGS
1. Mike Delevante – A Lonely Day
2. Pezband – Tulip
3. Sharp Pins – Just How Lucky We Are
4. Eric Dover – Leaving on a Midnight Train
5. Arlan Feiles – You’re Such a Good Woman
6. Bill Lloyd – Our Song
7. Rob Bonfiglio – Hand in Hand
8. Mary Karlzen – Dawn
9. The Fraternals – Catherine Cares
10. Fernando Perdomo – Time is Mine
11. Mic Harrison And The High Score – A Little Bit of Rock and Roll
12. Tobin Sprout – Keep Your Country Tidy
13. Humbert – Little Mary
14. Steve Barton – Ringside
15. The Parlophonics – Makes Me Feel Good
16. Richard Barone (featuring The Midnight Callers) – I’m Only Human
17. Darren Hayman and Robert Rotifer – Love Will Be
18. Mark Healey – It Doesn’t Really Matter
19. Jeff Alan Ross – The Day Begins
20. Ron Griffiths – Take Good Care of My Baby
21. Bob Jackson – Just Look Inside The Cover
22. Tobin Sprout – Keep Your Country Tidy (Reprise)

To pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Look-Inside-Cover-Various/dp/B0GZWP3G6G/

A few words from Y&T Music founder Rich Ulloa: https://glassonyonpr.com/a-few-words-from-yt-music-founder-rich-ulloa/

For more information:
https://www.badfingerlibrary.com/
https://www.ytmusiconline.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMNRJiVQ3H9fK9P2CpaR1EA

U.S. BASTARDS Announce New Album “Negligent Discharge” + Unload New Track ‘Knife Crime’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 22, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
📸: Brad Price

Today, after a 10 year long bid, U.S. BASTARDS are back on the street and ready to unleash their new album, ‘Negligent Discharge,’ on June 19th. Spearheaded by Brent Purgason (ex-GWAR), the band gives fans a taste of the raucous to come with their new track, “Knife Crime.” The new single arrives alongside a visualizer, available below.

Listen to the single here: https://my.spread.link/dgq8

In a world full of pleasantries and kiss-assing, U.S. BASTARDS are neither. A four-piece hardcore punk criminal enterprise from Virginia, the band has re-formed after a chance meeting in county lockup. Brent and Robby knew the four members didn’t land in the same cell for no reason. It was fate calling them back to life on the road; back to sleepless trips, dungeon whips, gas station speed, and canned meat. Doug agreed fate was calling them back to teach the masses what a truly bad time could be. … and Brendan just happened to be in the room.

“I’ve been doing so much hard time lately, it’s time to be hard on the road.” – Brent

“…[two middle fingers]…” – Doug

Ran-when-parked, the outlaws took straight to the van to get the message out. After a ten-year hiatus, they have agreed to utilize their newfound freedom from the state to write harder, catchier, faster, harder-er, hell-raising songs glorifying their exploits and shine a light on the gatekeeping tendencies in the music scene that has never accepted them.

When the rest of the world goes quiet, the BASTARDS get loud and angry, blazing across the country with a wall of cranked Marshall stacks. This is the way punk rock should be: loud, unapologetic, pandering to no one, and having no qualms with being the bad guy.

U.S. BASTARDS new album ‘Negligent Discharge’ is set for release June 19th featuring bonus track covers of Judas Priest and Motorhead songs. 13 tracks of hard and fast music that kicks the door off its hinges. Best to listen with a shotgun in one and a 40oz duct taped to the other, these are anthems for the outcasts among the outcasts. Skip work! Give your neighbors kid a cig! This is full throttle, no brakes, speed-rocking crime metal. Full stacks and gun racks packed, these delinquents are coming to your town. Clutch your pearls! U.S. BASTARDS are back.

Pre-order it here: https://usbastards.net/

‘Negligent Discharge’ Track List:

  1. Ripsnorter
  2. Wasted Life
  3. Piss Boner
  4. Knife Crime
  5. Scenester Deceiver
  6. Everybody Sucks
  7. Heading Out to the Highway
  8. Put the Gun in Your Mouth
  9. Bad Deeds
  10. Police Violence
  11. Informant
  12. I Don’t Like You
  13. Killed by Death

U.S. BASTARDS are:
Brent Purgason – Guitar & Vocals
Doug Fines – Guitar
Brendan Artz – Bass
Robby Scarce – Drums

More info: https://www.facebook.com/usbastards/