Italian progressive metal act GanEden have released the lyric video for “Eva”, a track taken from their concept album Gan Eden.
Musically complex and emotionally charged, “Eva” gives voice to humanity’s first exile, shifting the perspective to the woman who has often been blamed for it. As she questions the authority of her creators and embraces her own freedom, the song challenges the idea that rebellion and knowledge are signs of corruption when they come from a woman. The contrast between being a ‘man’ for a man and being labelled a ‘poison’ or a ‘deception’ as a woman exposes the double standard surrounding Eve’s legacy, transforming her from a symbol of sin into a figure of awareness, strength, and self-determination.
Gan Eden is a progressive metal concept album that reimagines the Genesis narrative, portraying Adam and Eve as genetic experiments created by a higher intelligence and cast out onto Earth. Across the record, both the exiled pair and their creators confront humanity’s darkest flaws, set against atmospheric, powerful soundscapes.
Celldweller Returns with “Respawn,” the second single from his sixth studio album GOD MODE, out now on all major DSPs from FiXT.
Level two begins now. Following the explosive debut of “Fakebreaker” feat. SWARM and REEBZ, Celldweller drops “Respawn,” the second single from his highly anticipated sixth studio album GOD MODE, available today across all major streaming platforms from FiXT.
Built for those who keep showing up even after the system says no, “Respawn” detonates into a relentless collision of guitars, vocals, and Klayton’s signature industrial precision through a metal lens. The lyrics say everything: “I’ve died a thousand times, but I’m still here. Access has been denied, but I’m still here.” Equal parts metal powerhouse and modern rock, this is resilience without sentimentality, from an artist who has never needed permission to return to the playing field.
“Spending my formative years in the 1980’s, gaming systems like the ATARI 2600 (I had the Sears knockoff) and ColecoVision were important and iconic to me. Those memories sparked the concept for my new album GOD MODE, an album revolving around gaming and game culture across different eras, which makes the concept of my next single “Respawn” self-explanatory. I was inspired to throw elements of metal, industrial and punk-rock into a blender to see what would spawn. Lyrically it’s a reminder to myself that even when things seem dire, hopeless, or fatal, I will respawn.” – Klayton (Celldweller)
Rooted in the gaming-influenced world of GOD MODE, “Respawn” captures something every player knows by instinct: every setback is simply another opportunity to rise, rebuild, and return more determined than ever. The album is loading, and the stakes are higher this time.
Fans can stream “Respawn” now on all major DSPs. For the full GOD MODE experience, including bonus tracks and early access to upcoming singles from the album, the GOD MODE Season Pass is available exclusively on EVEN
Forging the sound of electronic-rock for over 20 years, Celldweller has inspired tens of millions of listeners across a global community of fans, content creators, and brands with over 1 billion streams and hundreds of placements in major films, TV shows, and video games. Celldweller’s discography includes the self-titled Celldweller album (2003), Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012), End of an Empire (2015), Offworld (2017), and Satellites (2022). GOD MODE marks his sixth studio album.
Klayton, the multifaceted producer behind Celldweller and owner/founder of the independent record label FiXT, has garnered an intense following across his projects Celldweller, Scandroid, Circle of Dust, and FreqGen. Klayton is also respected and sought after in the media industry, with his music appearing in hundreds of major film, TV, and video game placements including Westworld, Suicide Squad, Jack Reacher, Deadpool, Lucy, John Wick, RoboCop, Pacific Rim, Killer Instinct Season 3, Now You See Me, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty: Elite, Assassin’s Creed, UFC, and more.
“Respawn” is available now on all major DSPs from FiXT. Access the GOD MODE Season Pass with bonus tracks and early album access exclusively on EVEN.
French progressive death metal visionaries EPITAPHE are set to release their highly anticipated third full-length album, “III”, on September 11 through Aesthetic Death (CD + LP) and Gurgling Gore (MC).
Stream the first ‘single’ “Windswept” at THIS LOCATION.
Following the overwhelming acclaim received by “II”, EPITAPHE return with their most ambitious and fully realized work to date. Rather than departing from the artistic path that established the band’s identity, “III” refines, expands and elevates every defining element of its predecessors into a collection of compositions that is both more immersive and more emotionally compelling.
The album pushes the band’s death metal foundation to new extremes, embracing an even harsher, darker and more unforgiving sound without sacrificing the sophistication that has become synonymous with EPITAPHE. Counterbalancing its crushing weight are exquisitely crafted acoustic passages and richly atmospheric interludes that paint vivid sonic landscapes. Once again, at times the distinctive voice of the saxophone plays a central role, adding remarkable depth, warmth and color while further reinforcing the band’s unmistakable musical identity.
Rather than relying on a predictable contrast between moments of aggression and restraint, “III” unfolds with an organic, narrative flow, allowing each composition to evolve naturally and reveal new layers over repeated listens. Every transition serves a purpose, every melody contributes to the wider emotional arc, and every arrangement reflects a meticulous attention to detail. The result is an album of exceptional scope and cohesion, confirming EPITAPHE as one of the most artistically significant acts in today’s extreme metal landscape.
“III” was recorded by James Leonard at Mémoire Mécanique Studio and Pentachrome Wave Studio, before being mixed by James Leonard and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios. The album artwork features “Spring Frost”, a striking painting by acclaimed Finnish artist Petri Ala-Maunus, perfectly complementing the record’s immersive atmosphere and profound sense of scale.
Dutch black metal solo artist BLACK DOOR is now unveiling yet another haunting, vampiric new single, “Forged by Promethean Fire.” The haunting track is taken from the project’s upcoming sophomore full-length, ‘In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam,’ due on August 28 via Wolves of Hades. The song can be found at THIS LOCATION.
Additionally, pre-orders for ‘In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam’ are now live via Wolves of Hades! The USA shop can be found HERE while the EU shop is available HERE.
BLACK DOOR mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Vestibulum comments, “Forging a conclusion out of the melancholic aestheticism I portrayed in this manifestation, ‘Forged by Promethean Fire’ looks ahead into the tempest of time, a future self-created in fiery fervour. The triumphant melodies embrace not only creativity, but also Pandoric curiosity, ridding it from the clutches of patriarchy.”
Following the spectral path unveiled on its debut album, BLACK DOOR returns more fierce and haunting than ever before. ‘In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam,’ a work steeped in nocturnal mysticism, sepulchral grandeur, and the lingering echoes of eons.
The cover art was created by Grave Bastard and can be found below along with the tracklist.
Tracklist: 01. Grand Opening of the Carnival of Damned Spirits (00:57) 02. In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam (06:29) [LISTEN] 03. The Stale Humid Mist (04:22) 04. Entrancement in Dusk, Quintessence of Nightfall (05:37) 05. Sinister Musings of a Lamenting Spectre (04:44) 06. Wrested from the Behest of Mortality (04:51) 07. Under the Yoke of an Older Spite (07:05) 08. An Alignment Foreboding, Written in Pandoric Embers (00:43) 09. Forged by Promethean Fire (07:27) [LISTEN] Full running time: 00:42:16
Following the spectral path unveiled on its debut album, Black Door returns more fierce and
haunting than ever before. ‘In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam,’ a work steeped in nocturnal mysticism, sepulchral grandeur, and the lingering echoes of eons.
In the ‘Shadows of a Funerary Gleam’ delves further into the dimensions between life and death, nostalgia and oblivion. From the spectral procession of it’s haunting introduction to the Promethean revelations that conclude the album, these compositions unfold as chapters of a singular journey through the funerary mist of forgotten kingdoms inhabited by restless specters
Drawing inspiration from the black legions and vampiric romanticism, Black Door refuses to be confined by simple nostalgia. Beneath its veil of blackened melancholy lies a flame that illuminates both as a beacon and warning; a fading light that guides the listener through stale humid mists, crepuscular awakenings, lamentations of dying ages, and confrontations with powers older than mankind itself. Whether invoking liches wrested from mortality, ancient celestial names whispered from the abyss, or the tragic gift of Promethean fire, Black Door weaves together a mythology of spiritual yearning and cosmic resignation.
To be released by Wolves of Hades on August 28 on LP, CD, MC & Digital, ‘In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam’ stands as a fully realized expression of the project’s evolving vision, one that balances haunting melody, strife, nocturnal atmosphere, and triumphant darkness with a reverence for the mysterious and the eternal.
Lineup: Vestibulum – All instrumentation & Vocals
Live Lineup: Vestibulum – Vocals, Guitar N. – Guitar M. – Bass B. or I. – Drums
For Fans Of: Lamp of Murmuur, Devil Master, Spectral Wound, Ebony Pendant
Album Credits: All music, lyrics and performance by Vestibulum Logo by Viral Designs Mixing, photography and layout design by G.M. Mastered by William Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios Cover art by Grave Bastard
After ending a 17 year hiatus with their recent single “End of Everything,”COLEPITZ are back again and proud to announce their long awaited new album ‘The Time Between,’ set for release on October 23rd via High River Records. Offering fans another taste of new music, the band also shares their new single, “The Living Dead,” alongside a lyric video, available below.
COLEPITZ vocalist Rob Korhonen comments on the making of the album:
“Nobody planned a third record. I was taking guitar lessons from Ray, just lessons. I’ve played my whole life and Ray could still show me things. Meanwhile, I was sitting with Shane and Dave Gutter, building songs, because that’s what you do when songs demand building. Ray heard and liked the songs. Lessons turned into something else. What came out was fury, heart, and songcraft. We called it ‘The Time Between.’“
About the new single, he continues:
“‘Living Dead’ is a classic zombie song. It’s also about when people stop thinking for themselves — the kind of thing that’s easy to see happening in the US, although we didn’t set out to write a political song. The riff came first, heavy and Sabbath-leaning, and the rest followed from there. We just let the riff do the work.”
COLEPITZ started in Biddeford, Maine, a beat-up mill town. Birmingham had Sabbath. Biddeford had this.
They tore through the Portland scene in less than a year, leading Wonderdrug Records out of Boston to sign them. The band released its self-titled debut in 1999. Touring behind the record, they played hundreds of shows, crossing the country in a van with Chimaira and sharing stages with Glassjaw, Candiria, Shadows Fall, and Unearth. One song, “Puppet,” ended up in an episode of Supernatural, introducing the band to a whole new audience.
Then they stopped.
In 2008, original members Ray Suhy and Rob Korhonen rekindled their friendship, seven years after the band dissolved. They started writing again. ‘No Tomorrow Tonight’ came out of it, self-released, expansive, ambitious. The two of them were a creative force again.
Life moved on. Rob had two boys and wanted them to have what he did not. They did. Ray went on to join East of the Wall, then Cannabis Corpse, then Six Feet Under. He also released jazz quartet records on Sunnyside. Shane built a booming drum shop and business.
Now, the band returns swinging like they never left with their brand new album, ‘The Time Between.’
This is not a reunion, it’s a continuation. The reaper takes his time.
After reaching crushing new peaks and delving into the deepest, darkest and most personal depths of their storied career during its opening chapters, the Norwegian prog bards Green Carnation are ending their critically-acclaimed album trilogy with a bold and uncompromising exclamation.
“A Dark Poem is by far our biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness”, Green Carnation vocalist Kjetil Nordhus. “Our new album trilogy returns to the epic storytelling that put us on the map back in 2001. While the reception to Part I and Part II has been overwhelmingly positive for us, we do believe that Part III saves the best for last”.
Metal Temple agrees. “[…]it is the trilogy’s most cinematic entry that serves as both an emotional farewell and a reflection on the entire journey”, Dave Campbell writes in a 10/10 review.
Today, Green Carnation are releasing the title track as the second advanced single from A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex. By performing a prog miracle, trilogy highlight “The Messiah Complex” reveals a dark truth about human nature.
“The title track from Part III of A Dark Poem is about our need to find external excuses for our behavior”, Green Carnation bassist and primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal says. “This is nothing new, but with our uncritical way of working with our increasingly digital world, we seem unable to cope with the consequences of our actions”.
“‘The Messiah Complex’ is a standout song in the trilogy”, Nordhus adds. “The vibe to this song is quite unique for us, but it doesn’t take long to recognize that it is still very much a Green Carnation song. Bjørn’s guitar work lifts the song up, together with Jonathan’s drumming and, of course, Stein Roger’s bass and vocals during the bridge”.
A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex comes out September 4, 2026 on Season of Mist.
Green Carnation left fans and critics more than satisfied after the first two parts of A Dark Poem, but Part III arrives as the trilogy’s missing key. All of its secrets won’t be revealed until the album’s 16-minute orchestral suite finally sees the light of day, but The Messiah Complex ties together the band’s ode to Arthur Rimbaud’s Ophelia with masterful strokes of prog. The title track doesn’t wander so much as it’s left to wonder amidst an existential desert, where rock-solid riffs magically transform into an oasis of swirling synth.
“Look, there it is / Can you believe it?”, Nordhus sings with aching conviction.
While inspired by a Shakespearean tragedy, A Dark Poem addresses the rapidly failing relationship between our inner lives and the outside world. The collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division that stirred below the surface of The Shores of Melancholia and Sanguis surges to a raging head on The Messiah Complex. The title track traces the evil root of these modern plagues back to biblical times. Fiery double bass drum invokes the wrath of King Herod, leaving no choice but to submit to the song’s sublime final melody.
“Would you guide my way if I believe?” Nordhus cries out. Our impulse might be misguided, but with “The Messiah Complex”, Green Carnation continue to reap endless rewards.
A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite (16:47) Full runtime: 38:31
Catch Green Carnation during their upcoming hometown shows and European summer festival dates.
During their headlining show in September at the Kilden Performing Arts Centre, the band will perform A Dark Poem in its entirety for the first and final time. Already, fans from 18 different countries have purchased tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Green Carnation 2026 + 2027 Show Dates August 1 – Ungarn, Hungary @ Feke Zaj Festival [TICKETS] September 12 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Kilden Performing Arts Centre [TICKETS]# September 25 – Bucuresti, Romania @ Bucharest Prog Day II [TICKETS] September 26 – Barcelona, Spain @ Be Prog! My Friend [TICKETS] May 1, 2027 – Kopervik, Norway @ Karmøygeddon [TICKETS]
#Performing A Dark Poem, Part I-III
Since their very first journey into the night more than 25 years ago, Green Carnation have never shied away from a challenge. However, from the beginning, there was one tale – or three, to be exact – that eluded them. Until now. After reaching crushing new peaks and delving into the deepest, darkest and most personal depths of their career during its first two parts, the prog bards are bringing their critically-acclaimed album trilogy to a bold conclusion on A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex.
“A Dark Poem is by far our biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness”, Green Carnation vocalist Kjetil Nordhus says. “Our new album trilogy returns to the epic storytelling that put us on the map back in 2001. While the reception to Part I and Part II has been overwhelmingly positive for us, we do believe that Part III saves the best for last. The Messiah Complex ties the whole story together with our most ambitious statement to date”.
“The intention behind A Dark Poem was to build a completely new musical universe”, Green Carnation bassist and primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal says. “While the direction revealed itself as the creative journey unfolded, The Messiah Complex was carefully planned with a clear vision for where we wanted the story to end. Our goal was for all three parts to stand on their own, but Part III brings them all together into a unified whole”.
Founded in the early ‘90s by Emperor’s original bassist Tchort, Green Carnation amassed a cult following behind critical acclaim for Light of Day, Day of Darkness, an album containing a single hour-long song that still resonates as one of the most ambitious epics in metal’s archives. Current members Bjørn Harstad (guitar) and Endre Kirkesola (keyboard, producer), along with Nordhus and Sordal, were already in place by 2001. But whether it was the gothic crush of A Blessing in Disguise or pitch-black hard rock of The Quiet Offspring, Green Carnation continued branching out through the mid-2000s. Even before going on hiatus in 2007, they still flashed a flare for the dramatic by performing their acoustic verses underneath a mountain dam.
“Green Carnation use Leaves of Yesteryear to prove once again they are titans of the craft”, Metal Injection wrote about the band’s 2020 comeback album, which welcomed drummer Jonathan Pérez.
The idea for penning A Dark Poem after Arthur Rimbaud’s dreamy ode to Sheakpeare’s tragic Ophelia steams all the way back to Green Carnation’s earliest reflections of life and death. But when Part I of A Dark Poem was unfurled in 2025, right away, it was clear that the Norwegians had completed their masterpiece. While clouded by a gloomy worldview, The Shores of Melancholia reached newfound peaks of heaviness, swept out to sea by Floydian whirlpools and second wave black metal courtesy of Enslaved vocalist Grutle Kjellson. The album washed onto year-end lists at Loudwire , Angry Metal Guy and other major publications.
“Epic in both scope and sound, the latter being the band’s rich, melodic take on the genre best described as Rainbow’s Rising if it were a prog album”, PROG wrote. “Part I works as an entity in its own right while also leaving the listener desperate to hear the next installments”.
If Part I of A Dark Poem set sail from a familiar place of melancholy, then Part IIfound Green Carnation fighting to stay afloat against the storm raging in their mind’s eye. The heaviness from The Shores of Melancholia continued to age like a fine wine on Sanguis. Over the course of nine minutes, the title track vowed to forgive and forget familial wreckage, only for a traumatic memory to come flooding back during its doomy coda. But the album revealed the band at their most raw and intimate with ballads that unfolded like the grace of a wilted flower. In a rare appearance, Sordal stepped in front of the mic on aching centerpiece “Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold” for the first time since “The Burden Is Mine…Alone”.
“Green Carnation have added another superbly realized song cycle to their catalogue, and the third part of this trilogy cannot arrive soon enough” wrote Blabbermouth.upon the release of Sanguis in April 2026. “Just be prepared to shed a tear or ten”.
While Part I and Part II left fans and critics more than satisfied, Part III arrives as the missing key to A Dark Poem. Whereas The Shores of Melancholia and Sanguis showcased Green Carnation’s command of metal, rock and folk, The Messiah Complex ties together the story of Arthur Rimbaud’s Ophelia with rich strokes of prog. The album’s cup overflows with riffs that evoke King Crimson’s majesty and the ghostly reverence of Opeth with every rhythmic maze-like twist and turn, though don’t get too lost in the pitch-perfect chorus of lead single “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry”.
“The world is moving with such frightening speed. You get the feeling like we’re no longer in control”, Nordhus says. “As individuals, we can’t really cope with everything that’s going horribly wrong”.
The collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division that stirred below the surface of Part I and Part II surges to a head on The Messiah Complex. “The urge to believe / Must be human”, Nordhus wonders amidst the title track’s endless mysteries. “Whether it’s religion, money or the media, we use things in order to justify our bad habits and get what we want” he grimly surmises. The divide runs so deep that it almost appears impassable on “Broken Souls, Common Enemies” were it not for a guitar solo that is, without a doubt, one of the highest of high points in the trilogy’s arc.
“Originally, that solo was quite different. You can hear our original idea on the bonus LP that comes with the box set for A Dark Poem”, Nordhus teases. “Luckily, we found the perfect place for it to just build and build”.
Of course, no final chapter would be complete without an epic finale. In keeping with the prevailing gloom and doom of Green Carnation’s discography, Part III of A Dark Poem does not end happily. But in classic prog fashion, the closing orchestral suite to The Messiah Complex is the veteran journeyman at their boldest. Over 16 minutes, the band weaves in themes from across the trilogy with returning flautist Ingrid Ose and her colleagues in the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Choir. To the very last dark and doomy note, the results are resounding.
“For quite some time, I have been exploring the idea of setting Arthur Ribaud’s poems to music”, Sordal says. “For A Dark Poem, I chose to use Rimbaud’s interpretation of Ophelia, Shakespeare’s tragic character, as a source of inspiration, rather than directly adapting them – until the title track. Listeners will recognize Ophelia, whether through oneself or our society”.
“Everyone we’ve talked to is surprised by what we chose to do with the orchestra”, Nordhus says. “It’s a bold statement. But from the moment we started our journey into this trilogy, everyone in the band agreed that we were not going to accept any compromises. To end A Dark Poem with an orchestra and all its capabilities is a very proggy thing to do, like the great bands did back in the late ‘60s”.
With A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex, Green Carnation finish a masterpiece that stands alongside Light of Day, Day of Darkness as the defining statement of their storied career.
Recording lineup Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals Stein Roger Sordal – Bass, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars, Keyboards Bjørn Harstad – Lead Guitars, Effects Endre Kirkesola – Keyboards, Synthesizers, Organs, Effects Jonathan Alejandro Perez – Drums
Guest musicians Ingrid Ose – Flute on “Broken Souls, Common Enemies” Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Choir on “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite”
Live lineup Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals Stein Roger Sordal – Bass Tchort – Guitars Bjørn Harstad – Guitars Trond Breen – Guitars Endre Kirkesola – Keyboards
Recording & Mixing Studio dUb Studio Mastering Studio Rorysound Studios
Production Credits Producers – Endre Kirkesola, Stein Roger Sordal, Kjetil Nordhus Mixing & Sound Engineer – Endre Kirkesola Mixing Assistant — Bjørn Harstad Mastering Engineer — Lawrence Mackrory
Credits for “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite” Recorded at Kilden Performing Arts Centre in Kristiansand, Norway Performed by the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Kristiansand Opera Choir Symphone Orchestra Conductor – Alexander Hanson Choir Preparation and Conductor – Anne Haugland Balsnes Mixing & Sound Engineer – Simen Endresen Hefte Mastering Studio – Rorysound Studios Mastering Engineer – Lawrence Mackrory
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 ) 