SOEN unleash the crushing second single ‘Mercenary’ from forthcoming new studio album Reliance, set for release on January 16th via Silver Lining Music.
With Reliance, their seventh studio album, the Swedish progressive metal powerhouse, spearheaded by Joel Ekelöf (vocals) and Martin Lopez (drums), continue to find incredible new pathways into the spatial areas between light and dark, loud and calm, heavy and soothing.
HONESTY is what runs through the album’s writing, where emotional gravity and raw power coexist without compromise. It’s a duality that defines SOEN’s sound — the willingness to confront darkness not for spectacle, but for truth. Nowhere is that balance more evident than on ‘Mercenary’, a track that channels the weight of inherited violence and the personal cost of conviction with unflinching clarity.
“‘Mercenary’ is about the violence we inherit, which then sees hatred seeping into lives -and life- which in turn shapes generations,” comments vocalist and frontman Joel Ekelöf. “It also addresses betrayal, about how that can see us ‘crowning vultures into kings’”, furthers founding member and drummer Martin Lopez.
“At its heart, ‘Mercenary’ speaks to the cost of belief,” Ekelöf adds before Lopez affirms that “musically, it carries the essence of SOEN – heavy yet melodic and built on power and precision.”
Watch/Listen to ‘Mercenary’ below – video by Freakshot Film.
The recently released first single, ‘Primal’, is a provoking, barrel-chested roar detailing the existential fight between the human spirit and our current world, with Ekelöf’s incredible vocals leading the heavy charge.
Watch/Listen to ‘Primal’ here – video by Freakshot Film.
With Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards & guitar), Cody Lee Ford (guitar), and Stefan Stenberg (bass) standing shoulder to shoulder with Ekelöf and Lopez, the lush continual evolution of SOEN’s sound soars and with its seamless march across deeply human emotional terrain, SOEN’s music continues to explore the human mind, heart and soul with a visionary duty of care, plus an extra edge of heavy.
SOEN are gearing up for a packed 2026, with an array of festival appearances and headline shows already on the horizon. Following the band’s acclaimed recent tours, fans can expect an even more intense live experience as the bandbring their trademark blend of power, precision, and emotion to stages across the globe.
Confirmed festival dates as follows, additional dates and festival announcements will be revealed soon. For more information and tickets visit: https://www.soenmusic.com/tour
2026 Shows: 29 January / 2 February – 70000 Tons Of Metal 6 June – Plzen / Metalfest Open Air (Germany) 4 July – Joensuu / ilovaari Festival (Finland) 7 August – Kortrijk / Alcatraz Festival (Belgium) 14 August – Carhaix / Motocultor Festival (France) 15 August – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze Open Air (Germany) 28-30 August – Campulung Muscel / Posada Rock Festival (Romania)
Thoughtful, provocative, beautiful and brutal, Reliance is a journey you need to take.
Reliancewill be released on January 16th 2025, via Silver Lining Music. Available as a CD, 12” Vinyl Album in Black and colour variants, digital formats and special D2C products and bundles.For pre-orders, go to this location.
Reliance Track Listing:
Primal
Mercenary
Discordia
Axis
Huntress
Unbound
Indifferent
Drifter
Draconian
Vellichor
–Produced, recorded and mixed by Alexander Backlund at Fascination Street Studios. –Mastered by Tony Lindgren.
SOEN: Joel Ekelöf – Vocals Martin Lopez – Drums Lars Enok Åhlund – Keyboards and Guitar Cody Ford – Lead Guitar Stefan Stenberg – Bass
ROKK, the fairer music streaming platform founded to put artists first, has officially exited its beta phase. Early reports from the platform’s initial launch period reveal that artists on ROKK are receiving 20 times more per stream than on Spotify, underlining the platform’s mission to make streaming sustainable for musicians.
“You can keep complaining about Spotify, or you can try to change something,” said Alexander Landenburg, co-founder of ROKK and drummer for Kamelot and Cyhra. “There are better alternatives, and I believe ROKK is one of them – for our music scene, probably the best. Streaming payouts are directly tied to the volume of streams on a platform. Our users listen to longer songs and almost always choose the tracks they actually want – no mindless top 10 playlist streaming. That’s why our payouts are so much higher. As our user base grows, I expect payouts to settle around 5–6 times what Spotify pays per stream, which is still exceptionally high.”
Since its beta launch, ROKK has grown rapidly, offering over 70 million tracks with high-quality streaming, offline listening, and easy playlist import tools. The platform also includes Direct Artist Support, allowing fans to contribute directly to their favorite artists on top of streaming royalties.
The transition out of beta marks a major milestone for ROKK, with plans to continue expanding globally (at the moment, ROKK is only available in the EU & UK) while maintaining its focus on fair pay, transparency and its clear stance against fully AI generated music.
Photo: Founders Alex Landenburg and Peter Moog
About ROKK ROKK is a music streaming platform dedicated to fairness in the music industry. Founded by musicians ROKK delivers a premium listening experience while paying artists significantly higher royalties than other major platforms. The company’s mission is to create a sustainable streaming ecosystem where artists and fans thrive together.
ROKK is available now on iOS, Android, and on the web at http://rokk-app.com/ throughout Europe and the UK, with plans to expand to other territories soon.
Today, Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to release “Eye of the Tiger,” the second single taken from the JIMI JAMISON collection, ‘1998 Live Hits,’ due out on December 12, 2025. The track arrives alongside an official live video, available to view below.
‘1998 Live Hits’ is a powerful time capsule capturing the energy, emotion, and artistry of legendary vocalist JIMI JAMISON at a pivotal point in his post-Survivor career. Recorded across three vibrant shows in Little Rock, AR, Nashville, TN, and Bettendorf, IA, and now to be released by Frontiers Music Srl, this album showcases JAMISON’s electrifying live presence and undeniable vocal prowess as he revisits some of the most iconic songs from his time with Survivor, along with deep cuts, original solo work, and inspired covers. The album will be out on December 12, 2025.
Backing JAMISON is a seasoned and soulful ensemble: longtime collaborators Jeff Adams (bass, vocals) and Hal Butler (keyboards, vocals) were joined by guitarist Chris Adamson, drummer Pete Mendillo, and Memphis-based producer and guitarist Wes Henley, who also supervised these live album recordings. This lineup reflects a strong musical camaraderie built over years of touring, with several members having roots alongside JAMISON that date back to his 1970s band Target.
Now, years later, these recordings allow fans—old and new—to reconnect with a voice and spirit that remains timeless. ‘1998 Live Hits’ is more than a concert album; it’s a tribute to an era, a legacy, and the enduring magic of JIMI JAMISON.
One standout from the set is a haunting performance of “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors — a testament to JAMISON’s ability to tap into a wide range of emotions and his gift for storytelling through song. His delivery brings an atmospheric intensity, drawing the listener deep into the moment.
The track list includes fan favorites such as “Burning Heart,” “High on You,” “I Can’t Hold Back,” “The Search Is Over,” and “Eye of the Tiger,” all songs that defined a generation of melodic rock. Deeper cuts like “Oceans” and “Too Hot to Sleep” reveal the richness of Survivor’s catalog, while JAMISON’s originals, such as “Rock Hard” and “I’m Always Here” (the iconic Baywatch theme), showcase his creative versatility.
Of particular note is the interplay between Chris Adamson and Wes Henley on guitars. Though Henley’s primary role was behind the board, his friendship with JAMISON and passion for the Survivor material often brought him onstage. Together, he and Adamsonbring layered, textured performances that do justice to the intricate compositions of Peterik and Sullivan.
Through warm crowd interactions and powerful vocal moments, ‘1998 Live Hits’ highlights JAMISON’s authentic stage presence, Memphis soul, and deep bond with both his band and his audience. As friends and collaborators reflect, this wasn’t just a group of musicians—it was a family.
1. Burning Heart 2. High On You 3. Rebel Son 4. I’m Always Here 5. I See You In Everyone 6. Rock Hard 7. Oceans 8. The Search Is Over 9. Is This Love 10. I Can’t Hold Back 11. Riders On The Storm 12. Too Hot To Sleep 13. Eye of the Tiger
Powerhouse vocalist JIMI JAMISON earned recognition as the frontman for hard rock bands Target and Cobra before reaching platinum heights with Survivor, singing the hits “Burning Heart” from the film Rocky IV, “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High on You,” “The Search is Over,” and “Is This Love.” Acclaimed by legendary U.S. disc jockey Casey Kasem as “The Voice,” JIMI JAMISON’s performances are treasured by connoisseurs of AOR and melodic rock who consistently rate him as one of the genre’s Top 5 vocalists of all time.
Raised on R&B, Blues-Rock, and Country music in Memphis, Tennessee, JIMI JAMISONreleased his first single in 1967 with a band called The Debuts. “If I Cry” was originally intended for fellow Memphis band, The Box Tops, featuring lead singer Alex Chilton. Jamison honed his craft by singing commercial jingles by day and fronting gritty rockers Target by night. His next band, Cobra, with Mandy Meyer on guitar, cut a cult classic in 1983’s First Strike, but that was just a prelude to Jamison’s breakthrough as lead singer of Survivor.
With JIMI JAMISON at the mic, Survivor proved that its earlier success with “Eye of the Tiger” was no fluke. The combination of JAMISON’s emotion-charged vocals with Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan’s masterful songwriting and Ron Nevison’s radio-friendly production resulted in 1984’s Platinum-selling ‘Vital Signs’ album. Its hit singles “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High on You,” and “The Search Is Over” were massive hits, later joined by Survivor’s Rocky IV theme, “Burning Heart,” and the further Top 10 hit “Is This Love.” Survivor’s 1980s trilogy featuring JAMISON – ‘Vital Signs’ (1984), ‘When Seconds Count’ (1986), and ‘Too Hot to Sleep’ (1988) – are acclaimed as AOR and melodic rock landmarks. Concurrently, JAMISON’s voice could be heard singing prominent harmony vocals on ZZ Top’s smash ‘Eliminator’ album, most notably on ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’.’
Striking out on his own in the 1990s, Jimi Jamison released the solo albums ‘When Love Comes Down’ and ‘Empires.’ His voice and songwriting reached new audiences through “I’m Always Here,” the theme song for Baywatch, the most-watched television series in the world with a weekly audience of over 1.1 billion viewers. But touring became his primary focus throughout the decade, both with all-star projects including Voices of Classic Rock and with his own band. JAMISON’s primarily Memphis-bred group comprised acclaimed musicians including keyboardist Hal Butler; guitarists John Roth, Jerry Riggs, Hal McCormack, and Chris Adamson; bass players Jeff Adams and Barry Dunaway; and drummers Bill Marshall and Pete Mendillo. The most stable lineup of Butler, Adamson, Adams, and Mendillo was captured live in concert in 1998, but the recordings went unreleased.
JAMISON returned to the record racks with a vengeance in the 2000s, with projects including Survivor’s 2006 album, ‘Reach’; the 2008 collaboration with Jim Peterik, ‘Crossroads Moment,’ and its 2010 companion piece ‘Extra Moments’; 2011 duo albums ‘Kimball Jamison’ with his longtime friend, Toto lead vocalist Bobby Kimball, and ‘One Man’s Trash’ with guitarist Fred Zahl; and his final solo album, 2012’s ‘Never Too Late.’ JAMISON’s triumphant first-ever UK appearance at Firefest 2010, backed by a band featuring guitarist Tommy Denander, was memorialized on the CD and DVD Live at Firefest. JAMISON performed his final show just two days before his untimely passing on September 1, 2014.
JIMI JAMISON’s family and friends have worked diligently to keep his memory and music at the forefront. Several all-star “Jam for Jimi” concerts have been staged in Memphis to raise money for JAMISON’s favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A stretch of Highland Street in Memphis was named “Jimi Jamison Street” in 2022. That same year, the first of several CD releases from the Jimi Jamison Archives, ‘Rock Hard,’ presented his 1990 solo debut album as it was originally intended. JAMISON was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2023. Memorabilia, including a fan-funded bronze bust, is on permanent display at the iconic Memphis venue, Lafayette’s Music Room. The tenth anniversary of JAMISON’s passing was acknowledged by Representative Steve Cohen in the United States House of Representatives. Jimi’s shelved 2008 country rock collaboration with Jim Peterik, entitled ‘Jimmy Wayne Jamison,’ was unvaulted at the same time. Members of JAMISON’s solo bands continue to play together in both .38 Special and Starship. A film, Resonating Voices: The Jimi Jamison Documentary, is in the early stages of development.
2025 brings the most exciting Jimi Jamison Archives release yet, one which his fans have been anticipating for 25 years: the never-before-issued live album he recorded in 1998. With a setlist drawn from Survivor, his solo career, and even a cover of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm,” ‘1998 Live Hits’ ensures that JIMI JAMISON’s strong, clear voice will continue to thrill fans worldwide.
Line-up: Jimi Jamison – lead vocals Jeff Adams – bass and vocals Chris Adamson – guitars Hal Butler – keyboards and vocals Pete Mendillo – drums Wes Henley – guitars
Today, LORD OF THE LOST have revealed the third single cut from the upcoming new full-length, OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, out on December 12, 2025 via Napalm Records! On “Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?”, LORD OF THE LOST team up with INFECTED RAIN, adding an extra edge to the genre-fluid masters’ opulence. With Lena Scissorhands and Chris Harms, two of the most recognizable singers in the genre meet to create multi-layered soundscapes out of gentle clean vocals, powerful growls, and melancholic moods.
Following the recent success of last month’s co-headline tour with FEUERSCHWANZ, LORD OF THE LOST is currently in the middle of a tour of the UK and Ireland. Next year, the band will tour across the USA, Canada and Australia, before returning to Europe for the recently announced ‘TOVR NOIR 2026’, with shows in 19 countries.
Chris Harms on “Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?”: “It was a great challenge to create a love song with such a powerful and positive message, yet with such a dark title and an even more sinister instrumental. And working with Lena, her versatile voice and her intense charisma, from the first idea to the final result, was a great journey both musically and personally!”
Lena Scissorhands adds: “I’m incredibly honored and excited to have been invited to feature on this song with Lord Of The Lost. I loved every minute of working on it, and I think the collaboration turned out very unique and its darkness is just so beautiful. I can’t wait for the world to hear it!”
Following their enchantingly colorful BLOOD & GLITTER, which earned them participation in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and a #1 chart entry in their native Germany, LORD OF THE LOST reinvent themselves yet again with OPVS NOIR. With OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, another 11 heartfelt songs join the three-part cycle, tying seamlessly into Vol. 1. With OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, the band delves deeper into their melancholic take on unravelling their innermost selves, adding a new hopeful layer to the wonderfully dark panorama already presented in OPVS NOIR Vol. 1.
Get your copy of OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 HERE– first formats are already sold out!
Opening with dark yet catchy “The Fall From Grace”, LORD OF THE LOST immediately showcases their way with grand ballroom choruses weaved into grave melodies that will continue to sit enthroned on all the varied tracks until the last note of the ballad “Sharp Edges”. Joining in are guests ranging from scene favorites to top-tier musicians outside the metal genre. First up is INFECTED RAIN’s Lena Scissorhands, who refines the pitch-black “Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?” with the full range of her fierce, yet fragile vocals. Similarly, Anna Brunner of rising melodic metal stars LEAGUE OF DISTORTION and symphonic metal band EXIT EDEN lends her energetic voice to “Please Break The Silence”, inducing goosebumps – every talent is an important scene in OPVS NOIR’s grimly colorful movie for the ears. Unexpectedly, yet fittingly, Finnish rap artist KÄÄRIJÄ, runner-up at Eurovision 2023, turns “Raveyard” into a dancefloor with a mix of industrial, gothic, and Finnish rap—as if heralding the dawn of a new genre. The most moving collaboration is the opulent “What Have We Become”, in which experimental artist IAMX meets Chris Harms for a cathartic duet.
OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 tracklisting:
The Fall From Grace
Would You Walk With Me Through Hell? (& Infected Rain)
One Of Us Will Be Next
Walls Of Eden
Raveyard (feat. Käärijä)
The Last Star
What Have We Become (feat. IAMX)
Winter’s Dying Heart
Scarlight
Please Break The Silence (feat. Anna Brunner)
Sharp Edges
LORD OF THE LOST Live 2025
UK + IRELAND TOUR 04.11.25 UK – Belfast 05.11.25 IE – Dublin 07.11.25 UK – Bristol 08.11.25 UK – London 09.11.25 UK – Southampton
DARK WINTER TOUR – USA & CANADA 2026 Co-Headliner Tour w/ The Birthday Massacre Special Guest Wednesday 13 19.01.26 US – Baltimore, MD / Baltimore Soundstage 20.01.26 US – Philadelphia, PA / Theatre of Living Arts 21.01.26 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place 23.01.26 US – New York, NY / Webster Hall 24.01.26 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium 25.01.26 CA – Montreal, QC / Beanfield Theatre 26.01.26 CA – Toronto, ON / Phoenix Concert Theatre 28.01.26 US – Cleveland, OH / House of Blues 29.01.26 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bongart’s 30.01.26 US – Detroit, MI / St. Andrews Hall 31.01.26 US – Chicago, IL / Concord Music Hall 02.02.26 US – Minneapolis, MN / First Avenue 04.02.26 US – Denver, CO / Summit Music Hall 05.02.26 US – Salt Lake City, UT / The Complex 07.02.26 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda 08.02.26 US – San Francisco, CA / UC Theatre
Australia 2026 19.02.26 AU – Brisbane / Crowbar 20.02.26 AU – Melbourne / Max Watts 21.02.26 AU – Sydney / Crowbar 22.02.26 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts
TOVR NOIR 2026 Special Guests: AD INFINITUM [∞] DOGMA [†] LEAGUE OF DISTORTION [x] 12.03.26 NO – Oslo [∞] 13.03.26 SE – Gothenburg [∞] 14.03.26 SE – Stockholm [∞] 16.03.26 FI – Tampere [∞] 17.03.26 FI – Helsinki [∞] 19.03.26 EE – Tallinn [∞] 20.03.26 LT – Vilnius [∞] 21.03.26 PL – Warsaw [∞] 22.03.26 PL – Kraków [∞] 24.03.26 AT – Vienna 25.03.26 HU – Budapest [∞] 27.03.26 GR – Athens [∞] 28.03.26 BG – Sofia [∞] 29.03.26 RO – Bucharest [∞] 09.04.26 NL – Amsterdam [†] [X] 10.04.26 FR – Paris [†] [X] 11.04.26 FR – La Roche-sur-Yon [†] [X] 12.04.26 FR – Toulouse [†] [X] 14.04.26 ES – Madrid [†] [X] 15.04.26 ES – Barcelona [†] [X] 17.04.26 FR – Lyon [†] [X] 18.04.26 BE – Durbuy Rock [†] [X] 24.04.26 DE – Hexentanz [†] [X] 25.04.26 CH – Pratteln [†] [X] 26.04.26 IT – Milan [†] [X] 06.05.26 CZ – Prague [†] [X]
LORD OF THE LOST are: Chris Harms – Vocals, Guitar Pi Stoffers – Guitar Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – Guitar, Synths Klaas Helmecke – Bass Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, Synths, Percussion Niklas Kahl – Drums
The cinematic symphonic metal collective CATALYST CRIME return with a powerful new single and video, “Cursebreaker” — out now on all digital platforms via Massacre Records.
Frontwoman Zoe Marie Federoff shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the song:
“This song was inspired by the story of my husband’s mother. She was part of a resistance network behind the Iron Curtain in then-Czechoslovakia, and she secretly translated banned literature into Czech before helping facilitate its distribution. I never got to meet my mother-in-law, as she sadly died over a decade ago, but everything I’ve ever heard paints her as a hero with a golden heart who helped change the world around her for the better — the ultimate ‘Cursebreaker’.”
CATALYST CRIME, known for its grand fusion of symphonic splendor and metallic force, first emerged in 2017 as the creative vision of vocalist and composer Zoe Marie Federoff, drummer Gerit Lamm (Angus McSixx, ex-Xandria), and guitarist Kaelen Sarakinis. Joined by orchestral composer and keyboardist Jonah Weingarten (Pyramaze, Aries Descendant), bassist Matt Federoff, and guitarist Chena, the band quickly found their footing under the production of Alexander Krull (Leaves’ Eyes, Atrocity) at Mastersound Studios in Stuttgart, Germany.
Their self-titled debut album, released in 2021, earned widespread acclaim for its blend of cinematic arrangements and melodic metal power. Following extensive touring across Europe and the UK alongside Leaves’ Eyes in spring 2024, CATALYST CRIME entered the studio once again to craft their long-awaited second full-length, slated for release in spring 2026.
Now, the band open this new chapter with “Cursebreaker” — a soaring, emotionally charged power ballad that showcases the band’s evolution while preserving the dramatic core that defines their sound. Sweeping orchestration, dynamic vocal performances, and intricate guitar layers converge into an anthem of resilience and legacy.
The upcoming album promises to elevate CATALYST CRIME’s symphonic metal identity even further — combining genre-bending compositions, vibrant orchestral scoring, and the renewed creative spark brought by the guitar duo Chena and Kaelen Sarakinis, alongside an all-star guest lineup soon to be revealed.
Logic Il Logic Records & Burning Minds Music Group are thrilled to announce that “Fragments Of Light,” the new single from Eugenio Sambasile’s solo project, is now available on all major streaming and digital download platforms. The release is accompanied by a video, produced by Bzk_Prod.
Eugenio Sambasile says: “Lies, deceit, subterfuge, and betrayal – ‘Fragments Of Light’ is almost a cathartic release about emotional vampirism. It addresses an all-too-relevant theme of people who feed off your energy until they completely drain you, only to move on.”
Eugenio Sambasile is an Italian musician, guitarist, music teacher, and composer. He is the founder and leader of the death metal band, Embryo, for which he is currently composing a new album. He’s performed live on stages across Europe with some of the most prominent artists in the industry. Moreover, he has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians such as Marty Friedman and George Kollias at educational events and seminars. His musical interests range from extreme metal to rock, blues, and country, showcasing his versatile influences.
Studio Line-up: Eugenio Sambasile: Vocals, guitar, bass, drum programming Ivan Bandera: Drum programming Linda Binaschi: Backing vocals
Video Line-up: Eugenio Sambasile: Vocals, guitar Vittoria Feraboli: Bass Ivan Bandera: Drums
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