Noveria has released a video for “Echoes From The Abyss”, third single taken from the new album “Becoming After” to be released on August 21 by Scarlet Records.
“Echoes From The Abyss” dives deep into fear, darkness, and the unknown, unfolding as an intense and theatrical descent into the subconscious. Blending haunting atmospheres with crushing modern metal riffs, the song explores the idea of confronting the void not to be destroyed by it but to understand it.
video by Simone Serafini
“Becoming After”:
Fifth record for the forward-thinking Italian progressive power metal band;
produced, mixed and mastered by Francesco Mattei at Underworld Studio;
featuring legendary pianist and composer Mike Moran (Freddie Mercury, Ozzy Osbourne) on “Through Your Light”;
featuring Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Vivaldi Metal Project) on keyboards on “Cold Flames”;
full real string arrangements/performances by violinist Abigail Stahlschmidt (Jim Peterik, Chris Caffery) and cellist Luca Basile;
cover & artwork by Paolo Conte and Bianca Gambrioli;
Noveria will perform at ProgPower USA 2026; FFO: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Kamelot, Nevermore, Evergrey;
“Becoming After” tracklist:
1 The Only Way 2 Convicted To Rise 3 Echoes From The Abyss 4 Cold Flames 5 The Viper’s Nest 6 Infinite Horizons 7 Through Your Light 8 Heavenfall 9 Radiance 10 Becoming After Total running time – 53:39
artwork by Paolo Conte and Bianca Gambrioli
Built upon Noveria’s unmistakable blend of prog power metal, modern heaviness, grandiose atmospheres, and breathtaking musicianship, “Becoming After” pushes the band into unexplored territory – darker, deeper, yet more alive than ever.
Massive choruses collide with crushing riffs, epic soundscapes meet technical intensity, while passionate vulnerability stands proudly beside pure aggression.
Every riff, every orchestration, every scream and melody carries the weight of real battles lived through the fire and survived with scars turned into strength.
With this new record, and a deeply renewed line-up, Noveria return heavier, more cinematic and emotional, and definitely fearless!
Noveria: Francesco Marino – vocals Francesco Mattei – guitar Paolo Campitelli – keyboards Andrea Arcangeli – bass Paolo Conte – drums
Just a few days ahead of the release of their new album, Eclipse, dropping this Friday, German symphonic metal icons XANDRIA unveil the record’s title track and final single alongside an official music video. “Eclipse” showcases the exceptional versatility of vocalist Ambre Vourvahis, highlighting the full range of her remarkable voice: from soft, emotional passages and powerful rock vocals to intense growls and soaring operatic sections. Bringing all of these vocal styles together in a single metal song, performed by one singer, is a truly rare achievement.
Driven by heavy guitars and dramatic orchestral arrangements, the German band, with a career spanning more than 30 years and numerous high-charting releases, continues to raise the bar. They demonstrated exactly that last weekend with their appearance on Germany’s ZDF-Fernsehgarten, one of the country’s most popular television shows.
Fans can experience XANDRIA‘s captivating live performance this Saturday on the main stage at Germany’s M’era Luna Festival, where the band will celebrate the release of Eclipse. They will then embark on an extensive European tour, kicking off this September.
Band mastermind Marco Heubaum comments on the title track: “‘Eclipse’ is fast, heavy and full of fire. The sun represents the light of civilisation, while the moon slowly moves in front of it and leaves the world in darkness. Musically, the song turns this image into an epic battle, with Ambre moving between powerful rock vocals, operatic singing and growls in a performance that still leaves me speechless. But an eclipse does not last forever. The song is about refusing to accept the darkness as the new normal: ‘No, we won’t let them win this war.’”
With their latest album (2023) being XANDRIA’s most successful release to date, entering the Official German Album Charts at #9, the upcoming Eclipse, releasing this Friday, August 7, 2026 via Napalm Records, is taking the band on their most diverse path yet. It features eleven tracks that represent the most diverse body of work in the band’s discography so far: every song has its own identity—a journey full of discoveries—yet they all belong to the same world. Classic, ‘80s-inspired metal riffs stand alongside low-tuned modern metal guitars, cinematic orchestral sounds meet Celtic folk influences, and dark electronic elements blend with intimate rock moments, even including a guitar solo that owes more to Pink Floyd than to any metal genre.
Eclipse marks XANDRIA’s most outspoken and cinematic album so far: a dark, colourful, and defiant statement for reason, empathy, and democracy in times when all three are under attack, brought to life by a band fueled with new energy, new ambitions, and a clear artistic direction, aiming higher than ever and not looking back!
While The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023) marked the rebirth of XANDRIA with a new line-up—an album that opened the door to a new era—Eclipse goes further. It is more focused and direct, the lyrics are more outspoken, dealing almost entirely with what is happening to our civilization right now. The contrasts are stronger, and the different musical and vocal colours feel even more naturally integrated into the songs. As XANDRIA’s sole composer, Marco Heubaum musically draws inspiration from all aspects of his surroundings: music, stories, and emotions that have shaped him since childhood. It is no secret that film scores have always been another major influence, especially composers like Hans Zimmer and John Williams.
Eclipse tracklisting:
Syzygy
Eclipse
Colours
The Shannon’s Home
The Grand Delusion
Wave of Tanis
Northstar
Masquerade
The Last Generation
The Poetry of the Real World
Lore
As guests, XANDRIA welcomes Subway to Sally’s violinist Ally Storch, who can be heard on “Lore,” while the band’s longtime friend McAlbi is featured on four songs with his Celtic tin and low whistles (“The Shannon’s Home,” “Northstar,” “Masquerade,” and “Lore”). “The Last Generation” features a children’s choir and piano performed by Richard Z. Wang, a Hollywood pianist who has worked at Hans Zimmer’s studio. In addition, the band has once again collaborated with the Sofia Session Orchestra & Choir, known for their work on numerous film and television scores, including His Dark Materials. All songs were orchestrated by two film score composers working in Hollywood: Lukas Geppert, who worked on the scores for Nobody 2 and the latest Final Destination, and Ishaan Tyagi, who has contributed to productions such as Wuthering Heights.
XANDRIA LIVE 2026
Eclipse Europe Tour 2026 16.09.26 UK – London / The Dome 17.09.26 UK – Glasgow / Slay 18.09.26 UK – Manchester / Academy 19.09.26 UK – Birmingham / O2 21.09.26 BE – Kortrijk / DVG Club 22.09.26 FR – Paris / Nouveau Casino 23.09.26 FR – Nantes / Le Ferrailleur 24.09.26 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz 3 26.09.26 ES – Albacete / Ginetarock 27.09.26 FR – Montpellier / Secret Place 28.09.26 FR – Toulouse / Le Rex 29.09.26 FR – Lyon / Rock’n Eat 30.09.26 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle 01.10.26 HR – Zagreb / Boogaloo Club 02.10.26 IT – Milan / Legend Club 03.10.26 AT – Salzburg / Rockhouse Bar 05.10.26 RO – Cluj-Napoca / FORM Space 06.10.26 RO – Bucharest / Quantic Club 08.10.26 BG – Sofia / Pirotska 5 Event Centre 09.10.26 RS – Belgrade / Zappa Barka 10.10.26 HU – Budapest / Analog Music Hall 12.10.26 DE – Berlin / Lido 13.10.26 PL – Warsaw / Hydrozagadka 14.10.26 PL – Krakow / Zaścianek 15.10.26 CZ – Prague / Distrikt Prague 16.10.26 DE – Dresden / Blauer Salon 18.10.26 DE – Cham / L.A. Live Style Cafe 19.10.26 DE – Frankfurt / Das Bett 20.10.26 CH – Pratteln / Z7 21.10.26 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann Club 22.10.26 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch 23.10.26 DE – Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli
XANDRIA are: Marco Heubaum – Guitar, Keys Ambre Vourvahis – Vocals Robert Klawonn – Guitar Dimitrios Gatsios – Drums
MORTIIS reveals a beautiful 3-track digital EP today, which is based on and named after the track ‘Farewell Romero‘ from the iconic Norwegian artist‘s current full-length “Ghosts of Europa” that was released on June 26, 2026.
“Farewell Romero” features the original album track and a fascinating new version of this song with renowned French artist Nicolas Horvath. The classical pianist has previously collaborated with ALCEST and is also known for his work with the famous Japanese animation Studio Ghibli, among many other exciting projects. The third track is a new variant (Madrigal version) of the album track ‘Violent Silence’ featuring former TODESBONDEN vocalist Laurie Ann Haus.
MORTIIS comments: “It has always been my nature to experiment and try new ideas, so to some, it’s probably not a surprise that I had a couple of variations of some of the songs from ‘Ghosts of Europa’ sitting around”, the Norwegian explains. “When I write songs, I tend to try a lot of directions out, and sometimes there are brutal production decisions to be made, such as killing off otherwise great melodies, or entire sections, from songs. This is probably why I have always been pretty open to creating variations of the songs. Sometimes ‘killing your darlings’ is just too damn painful. Oh, and the artwork for this EP might be my personal favourite from the ‘Ghosts of Europa’ series.”
Listen to “Farewell to Europe” EP here:
“Farewell Romero” “This song was always meant as a homage to the John Carpenter sound of ‘Escape from New York’. I always loved that sound. So most of the synths here are ARP Odyssey sounds, with some Sequential Prophet Pro-5 thrown in. I even got to use my ARP 2600 from 1975 for a moment in here, as well as my weird Electro Comp 101. At one point we actually asked John Carpenter if he wanted to contribute to the song, but unfortunately he was too busy. I always liked the first verse vocal performance, ‘How long can you remain human, when they treat you like an animal’, but remained very self-conscious about the other vocals, to the point where I deleted it all, and re-recorded all of it, right before we started mixing. The title refers to a character in the movie, and it felt especially apt as I discovered the actor had fairly recently passed away (at the time).”
“Farewell Romero (No Longer Feel The Same)” “This version started as an idea between me and Nicolas Horvath to do some piano versions of songs from ‘Ghosts Of Europa’. We decided to begin with ‘Farewell…’ and see where that would take us. Initially, the intent was to make a laid back, piano dominated variation, but as I was removing lots of sounds, and slightly altering the dirtier and darker aspects of the song, ideas started forming, and once that happens, I am no longer in control. The simple drum became a big and mean thing, and the dirt, darkness and the grit started dominating. It just keeps swelling up like that until the end where everything feels like it consumes itself. Marc Urselli mixed this variation, and did a great job.”
“Violent Silence (Madrigal version)” “This variant came about through both planning and coincidence. Once Laurie had recorded her vocals, for what I originally intended to be part of the album version, I quickly realised that this just needed to become its own version. At this point, I stripped away most of the other vocals, and a few other bits and pieces. Secondly, when Sean was mixing it, and I think I had left him confusing or sloppy instructions, the entire ending was accidentally left a cappella. I remember Sean saying, ‘this sounds kinda cool, but is it supposed to sound like this?’ I had a listen and said, ‘no, but it is now’. This is a perfect example of a happy accident.”
Tracklist 1. Farewell Romero 2. Farewell Romero (No Longer Feel the Same) 3. Violent Silence (Madrigal Version)
With “Ghosts of Europa”, the enigmatic Norwegian artistic entity known as MORTIIS presents an album that he views as a creative liberation. During its long and winding creation process such concepts as genre, rules or experimenting with sounds dissolved while simply making music that reflected every conceivable idea on his mind without accepting any limitations became his guiding principle.
Of course, MORTIIS‘ musical handwriting is ever present. Echoes from the often quite divergent phases of his previous works can be found across “Ghosts of Europa”. Yet the creator of musical worlds left hardly a stone not turned in his epic quest for genuinely new ways of expression. As a result, this cinematic and visionary album often feels expansive, strange, and darkly dystopian. In this, “Ghosts of Europa” reflects its maker’s struggles while creating the album – as for him, these tend to come into existence at the cost of friendships and relationships as well as much soul searching.
“Ghosts of Europa” has also been shaped to some extent by the original idea that involved a collaboration of MORTIIS with Stephan Groth from APOPTYGMA BERZERK based on their mutual fascination with the highly influential old German school of electronic music, and particularly TANGERINE DREAM and Klaus Schulze. When this fell apart, MORTIIS decided to continue on his own, and a long process of transforming the early recorded materials began.
Relics of this early stage remain in hints of the influences from Berlin as well as a host of guest contributions, but visions of bleak, desolate, and timeless alien landscapes warped and mutated the songs. This carried “Ghosts of Europa” also into spaces where MORTIIS never existed before.
In order to reflect both, the album’s general orientation towards electronic and industrial rock as well as the particularly wide range of stylistic influences reaching beyond its core, the choice of sound engineer fell on a most renowned specialist for precisely such sonic experiences: Luckily, Sean Beavan agreed to mix “Ghosts of Europa”. His credits include working with NINE INCH NAILS, DEPECHE MODE, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, GUNS N’ ROSES, and SLAYER among many other greats.
In the beginning of the artistic entity MORTIIS there was black metal. The artist Håvard Ellefsen known as the musical entity MORTIIS started out as a bass player in and during the formation of legendary Norwegian band EMPEROR in 1991 and 1992. After parting ways with these black metal pioneers, MORTIIS embarked on a solo career, the so called ‘Era I’. From 1993 until 1999, the Norwegian released six full-length albums that were entirely composed on synthesizers and are considered to constitute a fundamental influence on the later Dungeon Synth genre.
In the next decades, MORTIIS evolved and redefined his sound through several eras that embraced experimental & heavy industrial rock, a new wave of gothic & electronic influences, experimental studio works, and back to his roots.
During most of his career MORTIIS has performed with a mask and face prosthetic that turned his stage persona into an otherworldly being. Over the year, his looks have changed and evolved. For a time during ‘Era 0′, his live concept even abandoned the wearing of the iconic mask. MORTIIS’ stage entity has often been compared with a troll – a creature of Nordic folklore, which it was never intended to be according to the artist.
“Ghosts of Europa” is the sonic testimony of an experienced and matured musician, who created what he loves most and does best: electronic rock with stylistic influences from many genres while not being bound by any that creates dark soundscapes, cinematic sonic visions, and a plethora of emotions. Just when you think that you have finally figured “Ghosts of Europa” out, MORTIIS will surprise you with another facet and fresh aspect of his richly detailed masterpiece.
Artist: MortiisAlbum title: Ghosts of Europa Release date: June 26, 2026 Style: Electronic rock Label: Prophecy Productions Distribution: SPKR Review Impact Date: May 25, 2026
Guest musicians Benedicte Computorgirl (COMPUTORGIRL) – vocals on track 4 Christopher Amott (ARCH ENEMY et al.) – guitar solo on track 7 Christopher Rakkestad (ELVARHØI, BOLVERK) – vocals on track 1-6 Emil Nikolaisen (SERENA MANEESH, BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE et al.) – fuzz & noise guitars & additional FX on track 3 & 4 Iliana Basileios Tsakiraki (ENEMY OF REALITY, SEPTICFLESH et al.) – vocals on tracks 1, 2, & 5 Laurie Ann Haus (BLIZZARD GAMES) – vocals on track 1, 2, 5 & 7 Matthew Setzer (SKINNY PUPPY, LONDON AFTER MDNIGHT) – throat singing on track 7 Michal Kielbasa (BLACK MAGIC RITES et al.) – tubular bell & vibraphone on track 2, tubular bell on track 6 & tabla loops, additional synths & FX on track 7 Sarah Jezebel Deva (THE KOVENANT, CRADLE OF FILTH et al.) – vocals on tracks 1-3, 5 & 6 Thomas Bolverk (RAGNAROK, BOLVERK) – distortion, clean & sampled guitars on track 6 Thorsten Quaeschning (TANGERINE DREAM) – additional synths & sequencers on track 1 Vegard Blomberg (MOCK) – e-bow & guitars on track 2, additional Copicat, Space Echo, fuzz & e-bow guitars) on track 4, Copicat, Space Echo & fuzz guitars on track 4, fuzz guitars on track 6, fuzz & ambient guitars on track & guitars on track 8 Erling Blomberg – additional guitars on track 8
Recorded (re-recorded, re-animated & eternally tweaked and re-tweaked) at various locations over a thousand sessions during years of misery, poverty, and disdain (2020-2026) in Fredrikstad (NO) Early vocal recording by co-producer Stephan Groth at Pitch Black Drive, Fredrikstad (NO) Mix by Sean Beavan at The Grey Room, Crestline, CA (US) Mastering by Jules Seifert at Epic Audio Media, London (UK)
Artwork by Nihil Layout by Laurent Clément (Dead Seed Productions)
Latin American Tour 07 OCT 2026 Mexico City (MX) Circo Volador 08 OCT 2026 Guadalajara (MX) Foro Independencia 09 OCT 2026 Chihuahua (MX) Pistoleros 10 OCT 2026 Tijuana (MX) Dragon Rojo Bar 11 OCT 2026 Monterrey (MX) Cafe Iguana 14 OCT 2026 Bogotá (CO) Ace of Spades 16 OCT 2026 São Paulo (BR) La Iglesia 17 OCT 2026 Buenos Aires (AR) Bula 18 OCT 2026 Santiago (CL) Sala RBX
Southern Ritual Australian Tour 19 NOV 2026 Sydney (AU) Factory Floor 20 NOV 2026 Brisbane (AU) Crowbar 21 NOV 2026 Melbourne (AU) Croxton 22 NOV 2026 Adelaide (AU) Ed Castle
SERAINA TELLI releases her new single ‘Let It All Out (acoustic version)’. The original version of the song is part of the #1 studio album ‘Green’ which was released in October last year on Metalville.
Seraina Telli about the new version: “Let It All Out” is about everything we keep trapped inside for too long. Anger. Fear. Doubt. Pain. But also hope.
This acoustic version — just me and my guitar — brings the song back to its emotional core. Raw, honest and unfiltered.
Maybe you need this song just as much as I needed it when I wrote it.”
SERAINA TELLI is a true musical chameleon, combining powerful vocal skills with a unique, fearless, and refreshing approach to songwriting. With her vibrant poppy and punky rock sound, she never beats around the bush – her music goes straight to the heart. Seraina creates songs that are bold, emotional, and authentic, resonating deeply with her growing audiences around the world.
“GREEN OVER EUROPE 2026” TOUR DATES
04.09 Bochum 05.09 Frankfurt 06.09 Düsseldorf 08.09 Hamburg 09.09 Berlin 11.09 Leipzig 26.09 Baden 03.10 Winistorf 06.10 Edinburgh 07.10 Newcastle 08.10 Sheffield 09.10 Bradford 12.10 Nottingham 13.10 Milton Keynes 14.10 Bridgwater 15.10 London 18.11 Zamora 19.11 Madrid 20.11 Puertollano 21.11 Murcia 22.11 Tarragona more dates to come…
French dreamgaze and atmospheric post metal duo Cløudy Skies unveil “Lights Of The Night”, the second single taken from their forthcoming album Bury Me Beneath The Stars, due for release on October 16 via Argonauta Records on CD, vinyl and digital formats.
Accompanied by a striking new music video, Lights Of The Night further explores the immersive world hinted at by the first single Depth Spell. The song features a special guest appearance by Keijo Niinimaa, vocalist of Finnish grindcore legends Rotten Sound, whose raw and uncompromising performance intensifies the track’s emotional impact while adding a new dimension to Cløudy Skies’ atmospheric sound.
Set for release this autumn, Bury Me Beneath The Stars sees Cløudy Skies refining the sonic identity established on their debut while reaching new emotional and dynamic depths. The album blends crushing post metal, dreamgaze textures, shoegaze atmospheres and cinematic post rock into a cohesive body of work where tension, melody and weight coexist in perfect balance.
Alongside Keijo Niinimaa, the album also features guest vocals by Chris Richard of French blackgaze act Nature Morte, broadening its expressive range. The visual identity of Bury Me Beneath The Stars is completed by “The Levity of Summer”, a photograph by American artist Samantha Muljat, whose intimate and contemplative imagery perfectly reflects the album’s atmosphere of solitude, melancholy and suspended beauty.
The band says:
“We’re genuinely happy to be working once again with Argonauta Records. This collaboration feels natural, like returning to a place where our music is truly understood and given the space it needs to breathe, mutate, and darken.
On Bury Me Beneath The Stars, we pushed the work on composition and arrangements to an extreme. Every detail was questioned, stretched, dismantled. Hours were spent testing clean tones, stacking effect pedals, sculpting textures, searching for the right grain of distortion, not for excess, but to find the exact point where emotion becomes physical.
We don’t write songs to fit a genre. We chase that fragile zone where beauty and threat collapse into the same movement, where sound feels like immersion rather than progression. This album isn’t built to unfold gently. It transforms, shedding skin as it goes. If it feels like floating and sinking at the same time, then it’s doing what it was meant to do.”
With Bury Me Beneath The Stars, Cløudy Skies continue to blur the boundaries between post metal, shoegaze and dreamgaze, crafting a record driven as much by atmosphere as by sheer sonic weight. Rich in texture, emotion and cinematic scope, the album stands as the duo’s most mature and compelling work to date.
Tracklist
Fluffy Darkness
Depth Spell
Living Inside A Dream
Lights Of The Night (feat. Keijo Niinimaa)
Bury Me Beneath The Stars (feat. Chris Richard)
Birdsong
A Room For Dreams *Bonus Track CD Only
For fans of: Deafheaven, Alcest, Cult of Luna, Sólstafir, Ulver.
“Horizon” marked more than just a new single for VALHALORE. As the band’s first new music since 2019, it signaled the beginning of a new chapter – one that led to release of Beyond The Stars through a record deal with Reigning Phoenix Music / ROAR, national and international touring, and a growing presence on the global metal stage.
Now, the band returns to the song that started it all, reimagining it in an intimate acoustic form that reveals the heart of the music in a completely new light. Trading towering riffs, epic orchestras and thunderous drums for warm acoustic instrumentation, sweeping melodies and an intimate atmosphere, “Horizon – Acoustic” reveals the emotional heart of one of VALHALORE‘s most beloved songs. More than a stripped-back version, it is a complete reimagining that allows the story, melody and emotion of the track to unfold in an entirely new light.
The result is a dreamlike interpretation that shines a spotlight on the song’s message of hope, reflection and appreciating life’s fleeting moments, while retaining the uplifting spirit that first connected with listeners around the world.
Speaking about the release, the band share: “Since its conception, Horizon has always been a very special song for us. It’s a song about a hopeful future, the beauty found in life’s simplest moments, and appreciating what we have before it fades. Reimagining this track in a way that lets its beauty breathe, while allowing the lyrics to shine – almost like a lullaby – felt like a natural step. We’re incredibly proud of this new rendition and can’t wait to share it with the world.”
For longtime fans, the acoustic rendition offers a fresh perspective on a song that marked a defining chapter in VALHALORE‘s story. For new listeners, it provides an inviting introduction to the songwriting at the heart of the band’s distinctive blend of melodic folk and metal. “Horizon – Acoustic” is now available on all major streaming platforms.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 