Author: Crix

Raw crossover mining and lyrics that unleash aggression – Kosto released their debut EP, “Kiitos.”

Finnish-language nu metal band Kosto released their debut EP Kiitos. The band, founded in 2021, has been honing their production in peace until last fall, when Kosto’s career was kicked off with the release of the single Kipupiste. Now, however, the spotlight is on the EP’s opening track, Haaska.

“The EP’s opening track, Haaska, is a previously unreleased song that deals with dangerous communities and sects that take advantage of wounded and already beaten individuals. Over time, it is difficult to break free from them, and manipulation and the threat of mental and physical violence are constantly present. What feelings does an environment like this cause inside a person?”, ponders the text’s author and singer Jarno Hyökyvaara.

“The band was originally founded as revenge against all the evil that has been experienced in life. With their first EP, Kosto and its members thank the perpetrators of the damage that ultimately made Kosto’s existence possible,” says the band’s founder Sami Selei and continues: “With their music, Kosto aims to help relieve aggression and pressure. The lyrics aim to ensure that the songs always have something to say and a position to take.”

The EP also includes the previously released singles En ole, Pahanilmanlintu and Kipupiste, which deal with, among other things, narcissism, addiction and depression as well as the Finnish mentality. You can watch the music videos for the songs here.

Kiitos. -EP tracklist:
1. Haaska
2. En ole
3. Pahanilmanlintu
4. Kipupiste

The band from Valkeakoski-Helsinki-Järvenpää-Jyväskylä has been touring hard during the spring, and has won over a lot of new audiences with these revenge tours. Next, Kosto will move into the studio to record their next EP. The band will return to the stage and for new revenge tours in late summer.

Kosto has also opened a KostosTV online store, where you can buy official Kosto merchandise. The selection includes, among other things, a t-shirt, a beanie, a tote bag, and the Kostosocks, which have been in high demand in advance! As an opening offer until the end of April, subscribers will receive air guitar strings and free shipping, so all you have to do is put on your revenge pants and get ready for revenge!

Kosto is:
Jarno Hyökyvaara (vocals)
Sami Selei (guitar)
Ville Marttila (guitar)
Visu Uimonen (bass)
Tino Jäntti (drums)

INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY

Five Finger Death Punch Celebrates 20 Years of Career with Best Of – Volume 1 Album – First Single Featuring In This Moment’s Maria Brink

Five Finger Death Punch, one of the biggest bands in heavy metal, announces that they will release the Best Of – Volume 1 compilation album on July 18th. The publisher is Better Noise Music. The album celebrates their 20th anniversary and takes a stand against their former record label. The label had sold the rights to the masters of Five Finger Death Punch’s previous albums without informing the band.

“We would have liked to have had a chance to redeem these rights, but we only found out about the deals after the fact. We weren’t really surprised, as these kinds of closed-door deals have become all too common in this industry. Labels buy, sell, and trade artists’ art without any notice or approval. This devalues ​​the songs into soulless products,” comments Zoltan Bathory, one of the founding members of Five Finger Death Punch, and continues:

“Life is a game of chess, though – when Taylor Swift faced the same fate, she responded by re-recording her entire catalog. As a result of this respectable, shameless move, her fans switched from loyalty to listening to new versions of the songs. Our fan base is one of the most loyal on the planet, so we know they will do the same.”

The band also says they have been thinking about how to celebrate Five Finger Death Punch’s 20-year career. When the news of the catalog being sold came as a surprise, they decided to turn it into a positive. The original idea of ​​remixing or mastering wasn’t enough, so the band decided to re-record the songs completely. In the recordings, the band wanted to honor the original recordings and the people who made them, but at the same time they wanted to breathe new life into the songs that fans loved.

The first single from the Best Of – Volume 1 album is a re-recorded version of the hit I Refuse. The new version features a guest appearance by In This Moment singer Maria Brink.

Best Of – Volume 1 tracklist:
1. Under and Over It (2025 Version)
2. Wash It All Away (2025 Version)
3. Battle Born (2025 Version)
4. I Refuse (feat. Maria Brink of In This Moment) (2025 Version)
5. Jekyll and Hyde (2025 Version)
6. Wrong Side of Heaven (2025 Version)
7. Lift Me Up (2025 Version)
8. Far From Home (2025 Version)
9. Bad Company (2025 Version)
10. House of the Rising Sun (2025 Version)
11. Gone Away (2025 Version)
12. Remember Everything (2025 Version)
13. Coming Down (2025 Version)
14. The Bleeding (2025 Version)
15. Trouble (Live)
16. Welcome To The Circus (Live)
17. The Bleeding (Live)

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Finnish rockers Leverage share new video “Tales Of The Night” from upcoming album “Gravity” set for release on June 20th

Finnish heavy rock juggernauts Leverage share their latest single and official lyric video, “Tales Of The Night”, taken from their upcoming new album “Gravity”, out on June 20th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

 

Pre-Order “Gravity” HERE

Guitarist Tuomas Heikkinen described the new single: “There’s some Deep Purple’s “Perfect Strangers” vibe in the opening, on purpose.  I also wanted to get that thumping quarter note bass in there, along with the song being pretty 80’s altogether. The song came together fairly easily; it was like one part leading to another like it sometimes is on a good day. By the time I had cued the vocals and wrote the lyrics for Paolo, I knew he would shine on it. And he really delivered, not just the lead but the choirs, too. It came out great”.

Vocalist Paolo Ribaldini added: “This track is Leverage at their most haunting and human. Tuomas weaves harmony and melody with razor-sharp instinct, building an atmosphere that’s both cinematic and claustrophobic. The bass-driven verses stalk the shadows – then the chorus crashes in like a wall. You feel it more than hear it. It’s a song about sorrow, yes, but also empathy, survival, and that raw, almost primal connection to the heartbreak built into being human”.

Leverage’s future seemed uncertain after the untimely passing of singer’s Kimmo Blom in the summer of 2022. However, founding member and main songwriter Tuomas Heikkinen decided the final hour for the band was not in sight yet. Outstanding singer Paolo Ribaldini (Delain, ex-Skiltron) and violinist Lotta-Maria Heiskanen joined with the precise task to renew and refresh the sound of the band.

The resulting album “Gravity”, the band’s sixth full-length in slightly less than twenty years, aptly showcases contemporary heavy rock sound, combining multiple influence from the genre’s golden era with the band’s own unique flair and personality. Plenty of ear-catching melodies delivered skilfully with a pristine top-of-the-line production.

Leverage is neither a power metal band, nor an AOR band, nor a nostalgic tribute to the ’80s. Instead of falling into one category, they have bent and redefined genre frontiers, thus developing their own style of heavy rock. The sonic stamp says “Leverage”, and it speaks louder than words.

Leverage’s history is carved deep into the DNA of the new album “Gravity”: the grand melodic traditions of the debut “Tides” (2007) and the sophomore “Blind Fire” (2008), the symphonic flair of “Circus Colossus” (2009), and the darker, more mature tones of “Determinus” (2019) and “Above The Beyond” (2021) all find new life here. But “Gravity” doesn’t simply revisit the past—it elevates it.

The band’s Mark 3 line-up now includes Tuomas Heikkinen (guitars), Marko Niskala (keyboards), Elias Ojutkangas (drums), Sami Norrbacka (bass), Paolo Ribaldini (vocals) and Lotta-Maria Heiskanen (violin). Watch out for Leverage playing in a town near you!

“Gravity” Tracklist:

1.    Shooting Star
2.    Tales Of The Night
3.    Hellbound Train
4.    Moon Of Madness
5.    Eliza
6.    All Seeing Eye
7.    King Ghidorah
8.    Gravity

Album Line Up:
Paolo Ribaldini – all vocals
Tuomas Heikkinen – guitars
Marko Niskala – keyboards
Valtteri Revonkorpi – drums
Sami Norrbacka – bass
Lotta-Maria Heiskanen – violin

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Australian Heavy Metal Titans TEMTRIS Announce Album “Queen of Crows”- First Single “The World is Bleeding Out”

Temtris are ready to unleash their highly anticipated 8th studio album, “Queen of Crows”, on August 8th, 2025, through Wormholedeath Records. This release includes another special edition Japanese pressing through Wormholedeath Japan!

Queen of Crows is a bold, emotion-charged metal album, with nine killer tracks that turn a razor-sharp lens on the actions and consequences of the human condition.
This album delivers thought provoking lyrics delivered with soaring power metal vocal stylings, leading the listener through skillfully crafted musical arrangements, resplendent with the powerful, driving rhythms and duelling guitar wizardry that have become the hallmark of this band’s unique and distinctive sound.

It all starts with the release of the first single ‘The World is Bleeding Out’, with a second single to be announced soon, along with details of national and international tour dates.
The Queen of Crows holds your fate in her hands. Are you ready to face the consequences?!

Stream the single on all platforms: https://orcd.co/theworldisbleedingout

www.temtris.com
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www.instagram.com/temtris_official/
www.youtube.com/@temtris6323

Rock newcomer WOLFRAM releases new single Favorite Enemy

JC Halttunen, who has previously worked with big Finnish stars as a producer and musician, was on the verge of a big surprise earlier this spring: The launch of his own band WOLFRAM with the single SCARS released in March and the ongoing gigs with Brother Firetribe will now be continued with the song Favorite Enemy.

The new song by the band, which combines modern active rock production and old-school band playing, is a dark and groovy piece, the lyrics of which dig into the frustration of an isolated nature in a bubble inside one’s own head.

“As an artist, you are often your own worst enemy and find yourself stuck, on the verge of self-sabotage and lost. From those low points, a new phase of development in life has often begun, which has taken you on a better path. Beating your own demons is often just the right foundation from which to build something new and good. This is just the song at which you can beat them,” JC states and adds:

“Musically, this is a hat tip to the riff bands of the early 2000s. Of course, spiced up with our own Nordic touch.”

Wolfram’s summer gigs will be announced soon.

WOLFRAM is:
JC Halttunen – Guitar / vocals
Heikki Neuvonen – Guitar
Arttu Kuusisto – Bass
Konsta Lehmonen – Drums

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | FACEBOOK

Renegade Angel Unleashes a triumphant battle cry with new single “Steal The Fire”

Melodic heavy metal band Renegade Angel, formed by Finnish mastermind Jani Pöysä, is set to release new EP ‘ Steal the Fire’ later this year by Inverse Records. The eponymous single to EP is out now.

This is Renegade Angel re-forged in steel. Sharper, stronger, and surging with renewed energy. On lead vocals, Tavasci (Ancestry) roars with both fire and finesse, while Finnish guitar virtuoso Samuli Federley lets loose a storm of blistering leads and jaw-dropping solos that push the band’s melodic aggression to new heights.

Jani Pöysā, the band’s mastermind and primary songwriter, brought a sharp creative vision to the track, working closely with Silverio Simioni, whose orchestration, harmonic layers, and arrangement touches helped elevate the song to cinematic heights. The collaboration reflects the band’s growing synergy-and fans can rest assured, the upcoming EP holds even more power-packed anthems that will not disappoint. The flames rise again.

Renegade Angel, champions of Melodic Heavy Metal, return to the battlefield with “Steal the Fire” a thunderous lead single from their forthcoming EP of the same name. Since the acclaimed release of “Jokesters”, the band’s lineup has solidified into a cohesive force of nature, delivering their most focused and ferocious sound to date.

“Since Jokesters, we’ve locked in as a unit,” says Pöysä. “Steal the Fire shows what happens when everyone’s firing on all cylinders. The riffs are sharper, the hooks are massive, and the solos? They’ll scorch you. It’s our most powerful material yet.”

Samuli Federley brings the fire front and center: “This track demanded everything I had-and I gave it. It’s fast, it’s fierce, it’s full of soul. We’ve found our rhythm as a band, and you’ll feel it the second the first riff hits.”

Lyrically. “Steal the Fire” draws inspiration from the myth of Prometheus-who defied the gods to bring fire to mankind. It’s an anthem of rebellion, sacrifice, and reclaiming power. A call to rise. To take back what’s ours. The age of fire has come. Will you answer the call?

LISTEN to the single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/renegade-angel-steal

Line-up:
Vocals: Eduardo Tavasci
Guitars: Samuli Federley
Bass: Aleks Dolgy
Synth and orchestration: Silverio Simioni
Drums: Vangelis Moraitis
Music, lyrics, arrangement: Jani Pöysä
Mixing, mastering, and co-arrangement: Silverio Simioni

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/AngelRenega
https://renegadeangelfinland.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/renegadeangel2020

Legendary heavy metallers Stryper share new video “Unforgivable” from their latest album ‘When We Were Kings’ out now

The Legendary STRYPER is sharing a fresh track called “Unforgivable” along with a new music video, available below. The track appears on their 2024 epic album, ‘When We Were Kings,’ available via Frontiers Music Srl.

Michael Sweet comments on the track:

“’Unforgivable’ is the song that went under the radar, yet many fans responded and said it was one of their favorites. It has a groove like no other, and we’re very excited to be able to release it as a single/video. We can’t thank you all enough for supporting all the new music and helping the band achieve 40+ years of success.”

STRYPER’s current lineup includes original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox, along with bassist Perry Richardson. Their latest album, ‘When We Were Kings,’ shows the band creating their finest and most powerful music yet.


About the album, ‘When We Were Kings,’ Sweet adds:

“I feel that it really captures our classic sound, but also captures our most recent sound. We’ve definitely grown as a band and evolved quite a bit so it’s important to have both.”

Looking ahead, STRYPER is also working on a Kickstarter-funded documentary film directed by Chris Atkins. With career album sales exceeding 10 million worldwide and a history of Billboard Top 40 hits, STRYPER continues to record, tour, and perform for devoted fans globally.

Order ‘When We Were Kings’ HERE

‘When We Were Kings’ Track List:

1. End Of Days
2. Unforgivable
3. When We Were Kings
4. Betrayed By Love
5. Loves Symphony
6. Trinity
7. Rhyme Of Time
8. Raptured
9. Grateful
10. Divided By Design
11. Imperfect World

STRYPER are:
Michael Sweet – Lead Vocals/Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Robert Sweet – Drums & Percussion
Oz Fox – Vocals/Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Perry Richardson – Vocals/Bass

Paul McNamara – Organ, Keys, Moog
Additional Background Vocals: Charles Foley & Keith Pittman

Produced by: Michael Sweet
Studio: Spirithouse Recording Studio
Recorded by: Danny Bernini
Additional engineering and editing: Kenny Lewis / Mixed Emotions Music
Mixed by: Danny Bernini
Mastered by: Alex Saltz

All songs written by: Michael Sweet

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EXPECT ACTION WHEN THE MIGHTY THOR MEETS MERV GRIFFIN

Long ago and far away, an aspiring young Canadian rocker named John Thor was performing at Las Vegas’s newly refurbished Aladdin Hotel, in the Bicentennial-themed Red Hot and Blue show… the Strongman Star, they called him, and with good reason.
A champion body builder, becloaked and be-glittered, exploding hot water bottles with his breath alone, wielding a hammer and bathed in pyrotechnics, even veteran rock fans (and yes, that includes the KISS army) had never seen anything like Thor.
And neither had America at large, at least until this vision in muscle and mayhem turned up on the Merv Griffin show in June 1976, to perform a cover of a recent single by UK glam rockers The Sweet that itself might have been written for him.  It was called “Action,” and it was killer.
Thor recalls, “Merv saw me perform at the Aladdin Hotel and invited me to appear on his show, live from Caesars Palace.”
It was a stunning appearance, although Thor acknowledges that things did not go quite to plan. For the last few years he had been touring with fellow Canadians The Imps – so-called, he says, because they were “small characters. During the show, I would hold Frank Soda up with one hand and dance while he played his lead guitar break midway through ’Action,’ which was our signature tune.”  (Another crowd pleaser was when Thor would have bricks broken on his chest with a sledgehammer.)

Although Thor performed without the band in Vegas, he requested that The Imps also appear on the Griffin show. “I would fly them out from Canada. But Merv said an emphatic ‘no,’ as he felt the band was too heavy for prime time. So the Mort Lindsey Orchestra backed me up instead.”
Another misfortune, however, proved most providential.  “I was set to wear my white sequined jacket for the Griffin show, an Elvis-looking outfit which was popular in Vegas at the time. But just before the show, the jacket went missing. Possibly stolen, so I switched over to my unique stars and stripes glam superhero outfit, complete with hammer and cape. And I’m glad I did, because it established and represented the Thor character I was developing. It got showcased on national TV.”
So yes, long ago and far away. But “Action” not only retains its place in Thor’s heart, it also opens his new album Rock The Universe, and it’s his latest single as well.  Which is great news for everyone because the accompanying video – you guessed it!  
Clips from the Griffin show are cut throughout the video, but so is footage of today’s Thor taking another step back into the past by reuniting with Frank Soda.  “It’s an opportunity to make things right, many years later. It imagines that Frank and the Imps appear in Las Vegas and join me on stage, this time to see what it might have been like had we done this back in 1976.”
As for Rock The Universe itself, the action does not end with “Action.”  Eleven tracks, all covers, range across the the classic rock spectrum, from an impassioned take on Eric Burdon’s epic “Sky Pilot” and The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times,” to a spellbinding medley of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” and “Black Night,” and a raucously riffing take on The Yardbirds’ “Heart Full Of Soul.”  
“In the 1970s I toured extensively, over 300 days a year across North America, and Rock The Universe is chock-full of songs from that era. These are favorite songs of mine that we played each night, and thus enabled myself and the band to become seasoned performers.
“It also gave me the opportunity, almost 50 years later, to join forces again with Frank Soda to lay down those magical tracks we played live from yesteryear, that would fuel our tours. Songs by our heroes.”  Kevin Stuart Swain (who also produced the album), Al Harlow (Prism) and Ray Roper (Stonebolt) complete the line-up, and when Thor describes their performances as “stellar,” it’s not hyperbole.
A thunderous take on The Beatles’s “Back In The USSR” is as fab as the foursome that performed the original; and, in case anyone should need a break from the mayhem,Thor also takes on one of the most underrated ballads in Ray Davies’s entire Kinky kanon, the 1966 b-side “I’m Not Like Everybody Else.”
Another one, incidentally, that could have been written for him. “Since I was a child, I was never looked at by others as being normal. I loved Superheroes and would wear a Superman costume underneath my regular clothes at school. And change into Superman at recess. I also loved monsters and I would scare my nieces and nephews as I would transform myself into Frankenstein. Through my life, I was always regarded as “different”.
“During my whole life walking the earth, I never followed the beaten path. I was always defiant, non-conforming and plainly different from the rest. I have always seemed to find my own individual identity. So “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” is my anthem.
“After all how many of those classmates from school still wear Superhero costumes and put out albums at 72 years old?”

Finnish melodic death/doom metal band Shadecrown released the second single ‘Tear-blind’ from the upcoming fourth album 0

Finnish Viitasaari based melodic death/doom metal band Shadecrown is set to release their fourth studio album 0 on July 25th 2025 via Inverse Records. 

The second single ‘Tear-Blind’ featuring Sheila Bernal on guest vocals and Vilma Peltokangas on Cello is released today.

The band comments single:
“Tear-blind is the story of a man reaching the end of his life, wishing that his last days would not be filled with the sorrow and pain of his loved ones. His last wish is to try to enjoy the moments we share while he is still here.”  

LISTEN to Tear-Blind single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/shadecrown-tear-blind

Biography:
The Finnish Shadecrown is a versatile melodic death metal band founded in Viitasaari in 2012, whose melancholic melodies and lyrics tell stories about the dark side of life. The band has released three full-length albums so far: Agonia 2016, Riven 2019, Solitarian 2021. The fourth album 0 will be released in 2025.

WATCH music video of first single ‘The Art of Grieving’ https://youtu.be/pPIwGDcOgRQ

Line-up:

Jari Hokka – Vocals
Joonas Vesamäki – Guitar
Tomi Tikka – Guitar
Saku Tammelin – Keyboards
Janne Salmelin – Bass & clean vocals
Kalle Varonen – Drums

Guest female vocals: Sheila Bernal
Guest Cello: Vilma Peltokangas

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/shadecrownband
https://www.instagram.com/shadecrownband
https://shadecrown.bandcamp.com

Ramonda announce debut album “The Walls Are Crumbling Down” set for release on July 18th

Argentinian singer Santiago Ramonda is pleased to announce the release of his debut album “The Walls Are Crumbling Down”, out on July 18th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The first single, “Gone”, is out now, offering a taste of the upcoming record.

 

Pre-Order “The Walls Are Crumbling Down” HERE

Talking about the first single, Santiago Ramonda commented: “I think this song is a deep reflection on the importance of living in the present and taking advantage of the opportunities that come our way. The lyrics are emotional and resonant, and the melody is catchy and memorable. I like how the song invites us not to wait too long to do what we want, and not to let fear or uncertainty hold us back from making decisions and enjoying life. The song has a powerful and relevant message for anyone looking to live more authentically and fully”.

Describing the album, Ramonda added: “This album is a battle cry for all those who love rock and refuse to let it die. With this album, we want to keep the flame of classic hard rock alive and take it to new places. For all those fighting to keep the spirit of rock alive, this album is a message of hope and resilience. And to see my name on that banner is a dream fulfilled, an honor that drives me forward with passion and dedication. I especially want to thank having had the opportunity to work with Alessandro Del Vecchio, a great honor for me that has enriched this project in an invaluable way. We will keep on rocking, and with you, we will take it to the top again!”

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present the upcoming debut album from Ramonda, the first solo release by the brilliant Argentinian singer Santiago Ramonda.

Ramonda already caught the attention of the melodic hard rock scene with Stormwarning’s debut album and he’s here again, under the direction of Serafino Perugino, president of Frontiers Records, to prove his immense vocal talent, crafting an album of melodic rock gems!

Santiago started as a guitarist and then became a singer, developing his skill primarily through practice and self-knowledge. Although he has received valuable advice and guidance from some experts, including Iván Sencion, his growth as an artist has been largely self-directed.

In 2020, as a result of a cover of Joe Lynn Turner’s “Prelude/Endlessly” published on his YouTube channel, Santiago began to catch the attention of some players in the global melodic rock scene. Guitarist Stuart Smith (Heaven & Earth), whom the label has a long relationship with, shared Santiago’s YouTube videos with the label.

“The Walls Are Crumbling Down” is a solid album, showcasing songs with big choruses, a wide range of vocal arrangements, Santiago’s tone is the perfect balance between vocal extension and a warm bluesy digression (“Blue Heart Of Stone” is a clear example) and an amazing guitar work by Suraz Sun, guitar player from Girish And The Chronicles.

Songs like “The Walls Are Crumbling Down” and “Don’t Look For Love” are just a mention in between all the great tracks featured in the album!

“The Walls Are Crumbling Down” Tracklist:

1.    Under The Moonlight
2.    The Walls Are Crumbling Down
3.    Don’t Look For Love
4.    Fight Fire With Fire
5.    Blue Heart Of Stone
6.    Without Love
7.    High Voltage Hearts
8.    Gone
9.    Bad Girl
10.    The One To Blame
11.    World’s Gone Crazy

Line Up:
Santiago Ramonda – Vocals
Suraz Sun – Guitars
Silvia Pistolesi – Bass
Alessandro Del Vecchio – Keyboards, additional guitars
Nicholas Papapicco – Drums

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