Within Temptation will release a documentary on May 6th that is a beautiful portrayal of perseverance, resilience and the power of music in the darkest of times. Exclusively available on YouTube, Within Temptation: The Invisible Force offers an intimate and emotional look into the life of the Dutch symphonic metal band at a defining moment in their career and the global situation.
The film stars Within Temptation founders Sharon den Adel and Robert Westerholt and how their support for the war in Ukraine grows from distant solidarity to direct action on and off stage. Deciding to take her support beyond words, Sharon travels to Kiev to meet fans and bring them a message of hope, performing with the Ukrainian GOS Orchestra and Choir at the Atlas Festival in the midst of the war.
During this visit, Sharon met young Ukrainian band BLIND8 and Within Temptation, who were seen on the same stages last year during Within Temptation’s major tour. The documentary also follows the challenges that BLIND8 and the entire tour organization have to go through due to the possible mandatory military service of Ukrainian artists. Sharon was also involved in the song “Labyrinth”, released last year, the music video for which can be watched here.
The documentary reveals how the war affects not only Ukrainians, but also how artists around the world redefine the direction of their creativity and morality. How far can the band go to stay true to their ideals, and what happens when music turns into activism?
On May 16th, Within Temptation will release the documentary’s accompanying single “Sing Like A Siren”, featuring Jerry Heil, who became internationally known as Ukraine’s Eurovision representative in Malmö last year.
Rabbit Cult, a bunny metal duo that spices electronic pop metal with kantele, shot to fame last year as one of the most interesting new bands in the country, and the duo consisting of Salla-Marja Hätinen and Marianne Heikkinen continue to surprise with their single Bunny Anthem. It is also the first song that the Bunnys have produced themselves. The song was mixed and mastered by Oscar Nilsson at Studio Bohus, who has previously worked with The Halo Effect and the Haunted, among others.
“Bunny Anthem is the first song that Marianne composed for Rabbit Cult. I had just broken my collarbone in a car crash, and when I went into surgery I said that Marianne could write us a song in the meantime. Marianne introduced the song to me by saying, ‘This will never be released,’ and I had no idea what to expect, as I had never heard Marianne’s demos before. But I was immediately on fire with this,” says Salla.
So Marianne had to change her mind – fortunately so. The strong contrast between the melody and the lyrics was created quickly, and it was that ironic sense of danger and contradiction that took the song to a new level.
“In retrospect, Bunny Anthem perfectly encapsulates everything that Rabbit Cult and bunny metal represent to us, but when I made this song, I was both excited and a little ashamed at the same time. I wondered if it was possible to make a song like this. And I remember how big a threshold I had to play the demo of the song to Salla, I guess to alleviate my shame I said ‘this is a joke then’”.
Rabbit Cult’s already released singles Cute AF and Pink Rifle have already taken the duo to, among other things, warm up Lordi at the monster shows in Finland, and in May Rabbit Cult will be seen at the new Capital Of Metal export event for Finnish metal music in Tavastia, Helsinki. The summer’s shows also include a performance at the Hellsinki Metal Festival.
Rabbit Cult is:
Salla-Marja – Vocals, kantele and whatever else is needed at any given time
Marianne – Drums, percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals
Finnish heavy rock band I.F.A released the second single Intiaani from their forthcoming second studio album Tiimalasi which is set to be released on August 8th 2025 via Inverse Records.
The band comments: “Right from the beginning, the chorus immediately brought to mind the Indian theme. A chocolate bar commercial started to come to mind, where an old Indian goes to his deathbed on a cliff ledge, but after tasting the bar, he starts laughing. The idea was refined to honor the Indians’ appreciation for nature and add some old Indian wisdom.
Since “Tiimalasi” is a darker and heavier album in terms of themes, “Intiaani” counterbalances that arc with a slightly more major-key song.”
BIOGRAPHY:
I.F.A was founded in 1985 in Vihti. Aapo McMillan and Timo Supperi were the founding members, and Jouni Kaunisto was brought in as a singer. The band’s name was derived from the East German Industriverband Fahrzeugbau (IFA) car brand, whose cars were manufactured between 1948 and 1956.
The music of the early days of I.F.A was punk-influenced. Over the years, the sound took shape into the current heavier form without forgetting the band’s roots. The band’s activities took a break in 1989, until it was reactivated in 1999. The current line-up took shape when guitarist Tom Heskell joined in 2019 and drummer Herra Koivuniemi in 2023.
The band released their first album of their long career, which was named Ifandia, self-published for streaming in 2021. Albums 17 songs have been collected over the band’s long career.
Kumarra, Panssarimorsian, Pimeää and Taiteilija singles released in 2023 – 2024 gathered promising streaming numbers as a self-published artist and received airtime on Radio Rock, among others. In 2024, the band signed a recording contract with Inverse Records. The new album is scheduled to be released in 2025.
Finland’s I, Cursed, who combine angry and furious death metal and grindcore, will release a new as yet unnamed EP later this year. Both the single and the EP will once again be released in cooperation with Finnish record labels Inverse Records &Meara Music which is also an agency and event producer based in Ulvila.
The band comments: ” “Disfigurement” gives a hefty and harsh preview of the new I, Cursed EP set to be released later this fall. I, Cursed has updated its production to be more dynamic and organic, closer to how I, Cursed sounds live. “Disfigurement” reflects the mood of the upcoming EP, offering doses of fierce death metal and grindcore. The “Disfigurement” single is accompanied by a rather aggressive and pulsating music video, produced by Soft Neon Audiovisual.”
BIOGRAPHY:
Combining angry and furious death metal and grindcore, I, Cursed, from the Pori / Ulvila area, is a brutal dredging of Ville-Veikko Laaksonen and Eero Haula, known from Atlases, Marto and Oceanwake, among others, which is fed to the Finnish metal scene in an atonal coldness. I, Cursed’s music is a mix of something old and familiar, the HM-2 sound of Swedish grind, and somewhat more modern and crushing production. The line-up of the band in July 2024 is completed by guitarist Nico Brander from Marto and drummer Arttu Leppänen from Atlases and Marto. FFO Coldworker, Gadget, Nasum & Rotten Sound.
Discography:
I, Cursed / Blood Service S/T Split EP 2023 (Meara Music)
Bloodsoaked / Storm Parade Double Single 2023 (Meara Music)
Blades Single 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music)
Sorrower Single 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music)
Death Holograms Single & EP 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music)
Disfigurement Single 2025 (Inverse Records / Meara Music)
Finnish progressive death metal band Sargassus is set to release their debut album ‘Vitruvian Rays’, out in June 13th 2025 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘The Lone Idunn Grows in Shade’ is out now with a lyric video.
‘The Lone Idunn Grows in Shade’ is one of the earliest songs written for the upcoming album. It displays the meditative side of Sargassus’ music, with droning riffs and repetitive motifs with an underlying sense of angst and unease. The song deals with themes of change, rationality and spiritual growth amidst life-changing revelations.
The song’s lyrics tell a story of a priest finding a religion outside of his own faith. While confronting this new, opposing yet strangely similar worldview, he remains unmoved, but his rationality ends up poisoning his faith, leaving him spiraling. The song is a critique of those individuals who turn to wrath in the face of opposition rather than examining their own shortcomings.
The Band Comments: “‘The Lone Idunn Grows in Shade’ is one of those songs that underwent barely any changes since its inception. We are very pleased with the song, as it has it all: dissonance, atmosphere and aggression, all being carried by a dynamic flow throughout the song. Halfway to the song, there’s also Rokio’s brainchild for all the prog fans out there. This one’s bound to be one of Sargassus’ most impactful live songs!”
The band also released an official DRUM playthrough video of their first single Spirit of Gravity. “Let us introduce to you: not gravity blast but “spirit of gravity”-blast! Real take with real audio, of course. The drum playthrough filmed, edited and mixed by Joona Muistola at HAW Studios.”
In a shared musical past, the idea of creating a new musical project together had already been present in the minds of Jochen and David. Flirting with an high amount of heavy/thrash metal with an old school catchy and melodic touch to complete the package. The seed was planted but due to daily concerns of the recruited members the project never found it’s liftoff.
Despite Jochen’s active involvement with ENCHANTRESS and David’s commitment to SHOCKER, a lingering desire to embark on something new persisted.
In 2023 Jochen and David decided to start the creative process, unwilling to let the musical ideas fade away, they took matters into their own hands. David, armed with his guitar and bass, recorded the instrumental components in his home studio. Utilizing contemporary technology, he seamlessly integrated supportive drumbeats with the riffs, creating a foundation that would later be pieced together into a cohesive arrangement with Jochen.
During one of their many collaborative sessions, Jochen added vocals to the existing riffs, gradually transforming them into fully-fledged songs.
This process unfolded several times until they found themselves with a collection of completed songs, prompting the inevitable question: “What do we do with this?”
We decided to have the songs mixed/mastered and released under the musical project name NEUROBLADE and naming the EP ‘Desert Claw’.
In summary, this is the genesis of “NEUROBLADE” and where we currently stand.
TRACKLIST:
01. Endless Slaughter
02. Avalon
03. Desert Claw
04. In The Darkness Of My Mind
05. Left Behind
Sweden’s female-fronted symphonic metal powerhouse LAMASHTU continues to push creative boundaries with the release of a genre-defying concept: a music book. Titled The Story of Eli, the band will unveil the first three chapters of this immersive audio experience on April 29–30 and May 1.
Part audiobook, part soundtrack, The Story of Eli invites fans to dive into the rich lore and haunting beauty of the Lamashtu universe. Combining narrative storytelling and original music, this innovative format transforms their 2021 Swedish-language novel Eli and its companion album Tro (Lamashtu’s third release) into a compelling new form of musical expression.
“There are many ways to tell a story,” says frontwoman and writer Sandra Mattsson. “This music book is about merging art forms to deepen the emotional impact — it’s not just music, and it’s not just a book. It’s a complete experience.”
These are the first three chapters (of seven) of the original story, and the band is eager to know if fans want the rest.
Credits:
Written by Sandra Mattsson
Translated by Ian Manning
Production: Ian Manning (recording, mixing, mastering)
Narration: Elias Hartwood
Directed and engineered by Elias Hartwood, Hartwood Voiceover, LLC
Genre-defying metal NYC outfit ARC is sharing a tour recap video from their two support show dates with Visions of Atlantis at the beginning of April in Mechanicsburg, PA, and Brooklyn, NY.
“TRANSMISSION COMPLETE // LOG ENTRY: APRIL 5TH]
Mission: ARC LIVE OPERATION Status: SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED
“On April 5th, ARC deployed a full-scale sonic assault alongside the legendary Visions of Atlantis and the unstoppable force that is Seraina Telli. Frequencies were unleashed, systems overloaded, and the energy was out of this world. We extend our deepest gratitude to Visions of Atlantis and Seraina Telli for sharing the stage and the stars with us. It was an honor to journey through the soundscape together. To all who joined the transmission, you made it unforgettable.
TRANSMISSION LOG CLOSED // STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE SIGNALS,” comments the band.
ARC is also sharing with fans its latest lyric video, “Magnitudes,” in support of its latest EP, “Awaken The Machine”. The track speaks about the part of your brain that shuts everything off so you can conquer anything.
“Robotizing your human aspects and pushing through life as a mindless machine so you can win,” adds the band.
Founded on visionary Sonny Angell’s ambition to create a performance-based band with boundary-pushing music, ARC has rapidly established itself as one of the most innovative acts in modern metal. The band’s philosophy, ‘ARC EVOLVES,’ drives their constant reinvention and elevation of their sound and stage presence. They comment on what is in store:
“We constantly try to raise the bar, enhance our stage show, expand our thematic elements, and experiment with different musical styles. ARC is ambiguously mysterious, ARC is energy and machines. Human interpretations are on stage playing the music, however, ARC is all around us. Information being transmitted from… Somewhere in parts of your brain, you didn’t know you had.”
The band performs with meticulously planned choreography, custom costumes, specialized stage lighting, props, and synchronized on-screen visuals—all managed by a dedicated stage manager who travels with the band exclusively to orchestrate their technical production.
ARC‘s music seamlessly fuses the brutality and melody of extreme metal with retro-futuristic synth-wave electronica, creating an all-out assault on the senses. Their frenetic live shows combine lasers, smoke, blood, sweat, and the band’s relentless energy in a performance experience that must be witnessed to be believed. They are recommended for fans of Rammstein, Dark Tranquility, and Dance with the Dead.
Track Listing:
1 – Dark Road – (3:44)
2 – Ghost Lights – (4:22)
3 – Magnitudes – (4:08)
4 – Shadow Life – (5:55)
5 – Kingdom for my Corpse – (4:25)
6 – The Deep End – (3:43)
Album Length: 26:19
Legendary singer Ronnie Romero is pleased to share the live version of “I’ve Been Losing You”, taken from his upcoming live album, “Live At Rock Imperium Festival”, set for release on May 23rd, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
“Live At Rock Imperium Festival” sees Romero delivering an impressive musical performance in front of a huge passionate audience, in one of the biggest European festivals, the Spanish Rock Imperium Festival, including songs from the first solo and some other highlights like the Dio cover “Rainbow In The Dark”.
Ronnie Romero commented on the new single, by saying: “This is probably the song from my solo album the people enjoy and sing along the most in our shows! Catchy and melodic Hard Rock. This is a song I wrote a few years ago, way before I was thinking of a solo album, so it makes me feel very proud, and happy that everyone can listen to it now!”
Talking about the album, he added: “I really wanted to have a live album out, to show everybody how much I enjoy playing music and the capabilities of the musicians I have by my side! It is also a step forward in my solo career. And no better place than my beloved Rock Imperium Festival in Spain! Thanks a lot to Frontiers Music, Manu Giménez, Andy C, and my band for making this possible! I hope that everyone will enjoy this performance!”
The tracklist is mostly based on Ronnie’s latest solo album “Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters”, which marks the first time that Romero has been involved with 100% of the songwriting on an album he sings on.
Romero also co-produced the album with Andy C., marking another first for Romero. While these ‘firsts” certainly add to the excitement for the album, it is the songs that truly take center stage. Romero’s voice is completely at home on this diverse, hard rockin’ set which is certainly going to please any fan of his vocal style and his work with his other bands.
Romero’s voice and prolific musical activity have brought him to the forefront of the hard rock/metal scene where he can be seen/heard with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, The Michael Schenker Group, Lords of Black, The Ferrymen, Sunstorm, and the recently launched Elegant Weapons with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner. With an impressive discography already under his belt, “Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters” is arguably the crown jewel of Romero’s recorded output thus far.
“Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters” follows Romero’s first two solo albums, both covers albums. 2023’s “Raised On Heavy Radio” saw Romero paying tribute to legendary artists from the metal world like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Metallica, and more. It also featured special guests like Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Spirits of Fire), Roland Grapow (Masterplan, Helloween), and more.
Romero’s first solo album, “Raised On Radio”, featured covers of classics that meant something special to Romero over the years and helped forge this talented singer’s musical style. Songs by legendary acts like Survivor, Bad Company, Foreigner, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and more were given Romero’s talented vocal treatment.
“Live At Rock Imperium Festival” Tracklist:
1. Castaway On The Moon
2. I’ve Been Losing You
3. Chased By Shadows
4. Ferryman
5. Too Many Lies Too Many Masters
6. Crossroad
7. Not Just A Nightmare
8. The Last Ship
9. Vengeance
10. Rainbow In The Dark
Line Up:
Ronnie Romero – Vocals
Jose Rubio – Guitars
Fran Gil Torres – Keyboards
Andy C. – Drums
Aurelian Dinca – Bass Guitar/Vocals
Alestorm, the Scottish pirates are back with new music! There will be fast-paced drinking rallies, pirate vibes and sing-alongs that are suitable for both the corner of the pub and the festival stage. The 8th full-length studio album, following the chart-topping Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum album in both Europe and the United States, will be released on June 20th. It will be released by Napalm Records.
The first single from the upcoming album, Frozen Piss 2, was released today.
“‘Frozen Piss 2’ is the first part of a three-track trilogy on the album, which combines the songs into an epic tale of a cursed treasure created by forgotten Sumerian gods, hidden beneath the streets of Bournemouth. The other songs in the trilogy are ‘The Storm’ and ‘Mega-Supreme Treasure of the Eternal Thunderfist’. These songs intertwine, and together they reveal ancient eldritch knowledge that will melt your brain. Enjoy the riffs, the dogs and the amazing guest vocals from Shiori Sasaki!”, the band commented.
The Thunderfist Chronicles tracklist:
1. Hyperion Omniriff
2. Killed to Death by Piracy
3. Banana
4. Frozen Piss 2
5. The Storm
6. Mountains of the Deep
7. Goblins Ahoy!
8. Mega-Supreme Treasure of the Eternal Thunderfist
Alestorm is:
Christopher Bowes – Vocals, Keytar
Gareth Murdock – Bass
Máté Bodor – Guitar
Peter Alcorn – Drums
Elliot Vernon – Keyboards
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