Wormholedeath Records welcomes Zornhau for the release of the project’s self-titled debut album, a single, uninterrupted work built as a passage through darkness and inner fire.
Conceived as one continuous movement, Zornhau rejects fragmentation. The album unfolds without pause, drawing the listener into a sustained descent that demands focus and endurance. It is not a collection of tracks, but a complete ritual. Each movement dissolves into the next, collapsing boundaries and summoning a stark, primal atmosphere.
Zornhau is the vision of Hvitramn, who handles all instruments and vocals. The project centers on immersion and transformation rather than narrative structure. The music moves with intent, guided by atmosphere and tension. It invites presence. And it requires submission. This is a voyage inward.
With its signing to Wormholedeath, Zornhau steps into a wider international arena while maintaining a clear artistic direction. The debut stands as a statement of identity — uncompromising, cohesive, and fully committed to its form.
Smash Into Pieces are heading towards the final of Sweden’s biggest music event Melodifestivalen on Saturday with their song Hollow.
Hollow, who have been ranked straight from the semi-final to the final, continue Smash Into Pieces’ strong, even dystopian, modern world theme. The band has also been seen in the Melodifestivalen for Eurovision before: first in 2023 with their song Six Feet Under, which became one of the most played songs of the year in Sweden, and the following year the band was in the final with their song Heroes Are Calling, which dominated the band’s domestic playlists for weeks.
“Now it’s happening – the third time is true. Everything is in the game. Eurovision or nothing,” is how the band describes their feelings this year.
With over a billion streams in their career, Smash Into Pieces has become one of Sweden’s most successful rock exports, and the band has been seen live in the United States, Australia and Asia in addition to Europe.
Founded in 2008, the band’s own universe is centered around masked drummer APOC – a character who has become a central part of the band’s storytelling and visual identity. This is also the case with the Hollow video.
“Hollow is about how we are slowly losing ourselves in a digitalized world. We are connected to the world, but disconnected from ourselves,” says guitarist-songwriter Benjamin Jennebo.
Smash Into Pieces’ competition song moves between personal and existential themes, raising questions about identity and human dignity in a digital age where the pace is accelerating and the noise never stops.
“It’s not a sermon, but a reflection. A story about what it feels like to get lost in a rapidly changing world and try to reconnect with what is real.”
Watch the Hollow competition performance here. The Melodifestivalen final takes place this Saturday, March 7th at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena.
Smash Into Pieces will embark on a European tour on April 16th, which will continue through April and May as follows:
April 16th, 2026 – Netherlands, Zwolle – Hedon
April 17th, 2026 – Netherlands, Haarlem – Patronaat
April 18th, 2026 – Germany, Münster – Skaters Palace
April 19th, 2026 – Germany, Berlin – Astra
April 21st, 2026 – Germany, Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
April 22nd, 2026 – Germany, Munich – Backstage Werk
April 23rd, 2026 – Germany, Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn
April 24th, 2026 – Germany, Cologne – E-Werk
April 25th, 2026 – Germany, Leipzig – Felsenkeller
April 26th, 2026 – Czech Republic, Prague – Roxy
April 27th, 2026 – Austria, Vienna – Flex
April 29th, 2026 – Belgium, Antwerp – Kavka Zappa
30.4.2026 – Netherlands, Tilburg – Popodium 013
2.5.2026 – United Kingdom, Nottingham – Rock City
3.5.2026 – United Kingdom, Manchester – Ritz
4.5.2026 – United Kingdom, Glasgow – Garage
5.5.2026 – United Kingdom, Bristol – Thekla
6.5.2026 – United Kingdom, London – Electric Ballroom
7.5.2026 – France, Paris – Elysee Montmartre
9.5.2026 – Germany, Hamburg – Grosse Freiheit 36
10.5.2026 – Denmark, Copenhagen – Amager Bio
Norwegian black metal stalwarts Slagmaur confidently manifest an unapologetic approach invoking a primordial obscure force throughout the desolate soundscapes of the new release “Hulders Ritual”.
“Ritual Dogs” opens the album evoking perennial darkness with the necessary dosage of furious rhythmic blasts constantly fueled by galloping savage guitars, gelid atmospheric arrangements and dramatic screams.
The misanthropic attitude of “Wildkatze” inevitably demands fast belligerent drums and unstoppable harsh tremolo picking to emphasize the classic sinister sound.
Throughout “Huldergeist” an expansive lugubrious atmosphere ultimately leads to suffocating instrumental crescendos around a menacing vocal performance courtesy of guest vocalist Hoest of legendary Taake while the finale features a nostalgic folk essence with gentle melodies and haunting female vocals.
“Rathkings” showcases a ghastly mood through decadent melodic phrases while the oppressive rhythmic assault and the sardonic growls depict a ritualistic imagery adorned by solemn orchestrations.
Within the cryptic musical darkness of “Hulders Ritual” Slagmaur celebrate the ominous glory of Norwegian black metal and Nordic folklore focusing on unforgiving crushing dynamics and frostbitten tonalities.
Endfest is a volunteer-run festival for all ages, focusing on underground heavy music. This year it was held at the Pori Cultural Center Annis on February 21st. The event featured six bands from across Finland, representing styles ranging from alternative metal to death metal and goregrind.
The band performing on this year event were: Taste of Moth, AherA, Kantør, Fatal Renal Failure, Guts & Corpsume (we have not see this last band). Taste of Moth‘s music has harsh riffs and a gray world. The band’s prog-tinged alt metal will surely appeal to fans of Katatonia, Muse and Gojira. AherA is a progressive groove metal band from Jyväskylä, founded in 2024. Their broad genre palette inspires and drives music forward purposefully on its own path. You can hear nuances of groove, black, thrash, death and progressive metal, as well as reggae, jazz and funk. That unique palette takes the listener on a journey through anger, despair, purification and melancholy. The soundscape is colored by frustration with our society and how far humans have fallen from the natural. KANTØR is a young, fresh and powerful goth-death metal band from Turku. Founded in 2020, the band has grown from a shared passion of friends to an emerging name in the Turku metal scene, aiming for bigger stages. Their music combines melodic death metal and gothic metal with industrial, cathedral and symphonic elements, creating a dark but catchy sound that has been compared to Amorphis, Sentenced and Type O Negative, among others. The band is known for their intense live performance and energetic stage charisma, which has taken them to metal festivals and several cities around Finland.
Founded in 2025, Fatal Renal Failure plays tight and old school style Extreme Death Metal. The band is made up of 3 young guys. Guts is a Death Metal band from Turku. Their music focuses on mid-tempo rhythms, as well as grooving and trotting riffs. The band has already released 2 rock-hard albums, Decay and Nightmare Fuel. These works, which respect the old school vibe, have gained appreciation among the scene.
The bands featured were very interesting and musically skilled, and most of the audience was under 18. As a reporter, I spotted a couple of bands that could grow internationally in the future. Below are some shots from the evening, credits: Cristina Gregori.
The Finnish rising force of modern heavy metal, Crimson Day, is proud to announce the signing of a worldwide distribution deal with WormHoleDeath Records for the release of their highly anticipated new album, Dark Dimension.
Blending crushing riffs, atmospheric depth, and emotionally charged songwriting, Dark Dimension marks a bold new chapter for the band. The album explores themes of inner conflict, alternate realities, and the shadows that shape human existence—delivered through Crimson Day’s signature fusion of melodic intensity and relentless heaviness.
“This partnership represents a major milestone for us,” says the band. “WormHoleDeath understands our vision and the sonic universe we’re building with Dark Dimension. We’re about to push our sound further than ever before.”
With this new release, Crimson Day elevates their production, songwriting, and conceptual scope, offering listeners their most immersive and dynamic material to date. The album promises massive choruses, intricate guitar work, thunderous rhythms, and a dark, almost cinematic atmosphere that defines the band’s evolving identity.
WormHoleDeath will handle worldwide distribution, promotion, and marketing for Dark Dimension, bringing Crimson Day’s powerful sound to an even broader global audience.
Crimson Day is a metal band known for combining modern heaviness with melodic depth and atmospheric textures. Since their formation, they have built a reputation for high-energy performances and emotionally resonant songwriting.
Formed in Tampere, Crimson Day has built a boundary-pushing sound rooted in heavy metal and enriched with melodic depth and cross-genre influences. Since their 2013 debut and early releases through Iron Shield Records, the band has released three studio albums, multiple acclaimed singles, and high-profile covers of Led Zeppelin, Bonnie Tyler, and Shakira, earning strong international fan response and radio airplay across the USA, Brazil, Germany, France, and beyond.
Crimson Day has performed nearly 100 shows across Finland, Germany, Sweden, and the Baltic region, including tours with Herald and support for Wolf. They have also appeared at major festivals alongside leading acts such as Sonata Arctica, Turmion Kätilöt, Turisas, Reckless Love, and Korpiklaani.
Their fourth studio album, Dark Dimension, set for release in 2026, was mixed by Jussi Kulomaa and mastered by Svante Forsbäck, marking a new milestone in the band’s steady rise and expanding international presence.
Crimson Day is:
Milka Uusitalo – vocals
Ari Balzar – lead guitar
Janne Rantanen – guitar/screams
Jesse ”Kämy” Kämäräinen – bass
Janne Ollikainen – drums/percussions
Modern metal band Lavina won the Serbian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Kraj Mene,” chosen by a combination of public and jury votes. “Kraj Mene” was a popular choice, winning both the public and jury votes. In the public vote, it received 29,759 votes, more than double the number of votes received by the second-place song in that section.
The band will perform in the first semifinal in Vienna on May 12th, during the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Lavina is a six-member powerhouse from Niš, Serbia, formed in the middle of 2020 that redefines the boundaries of modern metal. After forming, the members spent most of the time writing and recording the songs for the band’s debut album—ODYSSEY, which was released in November 2022.
Blending heavy guitar riffs with cold electronic textures and raw, introspective lyrics, the band has toured extensively across Europe, performing at festivals like Sziget and Eurosonic.
Lavina is best described as a mix of wide range of metal and rock influences with a dramatic and poetic sensibility. A truly unresting group of musicians, Lavina challenges their perception of metal by ever-changing influences and energetic, larger-than-life live performances.
Line-Up: Luka Aranđelović (vocals)
Pavle Samardžić (guitar)
Andrija Cvetanović (guitar)
Nikola Petrović (bass)
Pavle Aranđelović (keys)
Bojan Ilić (drums).
Following the release of their new album ‘Deuil‘, French post-metal architects Sick Sad World has just unveiled a stunning new music video illustrating the track “Bargaining” — a cinematic exploration of the soul’s desperate attempt to negotiate with loss.
Extracted from a concept album that spans 41 minutes across only five tracks, the “Bargaining” video serves as the atmospheric centerpiece of the record’s narrative. It mirrors the track’s slow-burn tension and crushing emotional weight, utilizing cinematic imagery to navigate the “inner collapse” that defines the grieving process.
This visual journey functions as a visceral soundtrack to profound loss, charting a slow, deliberate ascent where every movement is given the space to breathe, collapse, and eventually, heal.
The sonic odyssey of ‘Deuil’ begins with “Denial”, a nine-minute descent into a suffocating atmosphere of hypnotic guitars and pained, primal cries, before transitioning into the melodic clarity and rising intensity of Bargaining, which acts as a desperate plea for hope against fate.
The descent continues through the dark, leaden weight of Depression and its heartbreaking interlude, leading directly into the crushing riffs and raw agony of Anger—a moment of pure power that evokes the atmospheric titans of the genre, from Memories Of A Dead Man to Cult Of Luna. Finally, the cycle breaks with Acceptance, where relentless double-pedal percussion eventually gives way to luminous melodies, closing the album on a defiant note of hope.
Boasting a production that is massive, powerful, and pristine, Deuil captures a band at the height of their technical and emotional prowess. It is more than an album; it is a conceptual immersion that demands the listener take the time to truly feel every shadow and every spark of light.
Resumption is the new doom metal project from Wilhelm Lindh (The Gardnerz, ex-Tristitia, ex-Pandemonium, ex-Allameda). This project bridges the gap between the crushing groove of Bolt Thrower, Broken Hope, Pyrexia, Acheron (US) and the suffocating slow atmosphere of Funeral (Nor).
Resumption’s lyrics address the harrowing realities of mental health and anti-religious sentiment.
The debut album, “The Respite,” out digitally on April 17th, is dedicated to Wilhelm’s father, who hated metal music but always supported his son’s musical aspirations.
We had the opportunity to speak with Wilhelm the mastermind behind the project and learn more about his music, the upcoming album, and the future.
With the debut album A New World, Norwegian act Terravia is positioning themselves as a new comet in the prog sky. After several shows around their hometown of Trondheim throughout the past year – which culminated in a support gig with Conception at their show in Trondheim last October – the focus has been on completing their debut album. With the album out, the band is now ready to address a larger audience.
We had the chance to talk with Øystein and Anders about the origin of the band, their influences, the debut album and live shows.
A free music event called Metal Pizza Night to celebrate my 40th birthday, was held at Annis Cultural Center in Pori on February 7.
Five metal bands performed; Artkills, What Awaits Us, Eartheria, Lust For Lily, and Memoira.
The event was live-streamed and can be watched on YouTube.
The evening was a success. Aside from a technical issue during one band’s performance, everything went smoothly. The bands delivered excellent performances, showcasing their talent.
Here some photos from the night.
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