Finnish power metal squad Gladenfold announce their 4th studio album “Soulbound” out February 27th, 2026, via Reaper Entertainment.
With “Soulbound”, Gladenfold continues to evolve their self-forged style, blending power metal and melodic death metal into their own craft. Once again the band has recorded an album sweeping across a wide musical horizon, songs full of twists and turns.
While working on new material, the band realized that a couple of the new songs shared a common thread:
Guitarist Matias Knuuttila comments:
“One thought led to another, and eventually we found ourselves fleshing out those initial ideas into a full concept album. In short, the story follows two characters whose lives entwine and clash, endlessly caught in cycles of rebirth.”
To bring the theme visually alive, the band joined forces with Tuomas Valtanen, who drew and created the vivid cover art to showcase the concept of the album.
Gladenfold creates an inherently Nordic-sounding blend of metal music, rooted in melodic death metal aggression and energy while borrowing the grandeur of power metal and symphonic metal. Influenced by bands such as Children of Bodom, Nightwish, Wintersun, Kamelot, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, and Freedom Call, Gladenfold has managed to refine its own unique yet constantly evolving sound.
After several demo recordings, Gladenfold released the well-received debut album, “From Dusk To Eternity” (2014), which cemented the core of the band’s sound. The debut album was followed by the sophomore album, “When Gods Descend” (2019), expanding the boundaries and refining what had been achieved on “From Dusk To Eternity”. On “Nemesis” (2022), Gladenfold’s music took directions to more sombre and atmospheric landscapes, with a sinister undertow increasingly present in the songs.
On their upcoming fourth album “Soulbound” (2026), Gladenfold continues to evolve their self-forged style, blending power metal and melodic death metal into their own craft. Once again the band has recorded an album sweeping across a wide musical horizon, songs full of twists and turns. While working on new material, the band realized that a few songs shared a common thread. Eventually the band found themselves fleshing out those initial ideas into a full concept album. In short, the story of “Soulbound” follows two characters whose lives entwine and clash, endlessly caught in cycles of rebirth.
Tracklist:
1. Fire Wind
2. Wardens Of Time
3. For My Queen
4. Helix Of Hate
5. Mercy
6. Ghostlike
7. Chaos Waltz
8. Anthem Of The Broken
9. Soulbound Parallax
Gladenfold is:
Esko Itälä (vocals and acoustic guitars)
Matias Knuuttila (guitars)
Toke Gerdts (guitars)
Ville Vesa (bass)
Lauri Itälä (drums)
Paavali Pouttu (keyboards)
https://www.gladenfold.net
https://www.facebook.com/gladenfold/
https://www.instagram.com/gladenfold/
https://www.youtube.com/gladenfoldband