News Posts

Finnish folk metal icons Ensiferum released their latest new album ‘Winter Storm’ via Metal Blade Records a week ago, and now unveiled a video for the track ‘Fatherland’! Catch them live in December with Swallow The Sun in Finland, or in Europe and North America in 2025!

Bloodywood is back! They announced to have signed with Fearless Records for the next chapter of their career, and unleashed the new single ‘Nu Delhi’, a homage to their home city!

Finnish pagan metal artist Vermilia released her first single ‘Vakat’ from the upcoming new album ‘Karsikko’, set for release in early 2025! Catch her the coming week on her Spanish tour, and later this season in Finland for a couple of dates like this year’s Melancholy Mass Festivals in Tampere and Helsinki!

Canadian folk metal collective Forsaken Rite unleashed the epic music video and single ‘Call to War’, another single from their upcoming EP ‘The Forgotten West’, set for release on September 27!

Finnish folk metal titans Ensiferum to release ‘Winter Storm’ full-length in October via Metal Blade Records and unveiled a first single with ‘Winter Storm Vigilantes’!

The esteemed Dutch metal band Slechtvalk signed with MDD Records for the release of their upcoming album this fall, the first after an 8-year hiatus since their last release!

Join Canada’s Forsaken Rite on their epic folk metal quest with their latest single ‘The Storm’!

Finnish folk metal outfit Folkrim shared their new single ‘Suoherran Hovi’, a track from their anticipated new album ‘Embers’, set for release in April via Rockshots Records!

German folk metal sensation Feuerschwanz unleashed ‘The Unholy Grail’, their very first original song written in English, and a track from their upcoming milestone album ‘Warriors’, set for release in May via Napalm Records!

Dark folk/blackgaze outfit Suldusk celebrated the release of their new album ‘Anthesis’ on Napalm Records with the new single and music video ‘Mythical Creatures’!

Photo Reports

Silhouette of the bass player/vocalist of the band Septicflesh backlit by bright light, glowing white in the center and pink to reddish further out. The silhouette is pink to red due to the lighting.

After an exemplary show at Alcatraz this past summer, Septicflesh graced Belgium again with their presence on their “Modern Primitive European tour”, dropping by the DVG Club in Kortrijk. And with support by Equilibrium, Oceans and Scar of the Sun, it was quite the death metal night of epic proportions!

This past summer, Assemble The Chariots released a monumentally epic debut full-length album, a concept album that is the first chapter of a massive world they’re building. And there was only one way to properly celebrate this: by having a release show, playing the album from start to finish live as it’s intended to be listened to. And with the addition of supporting guests acts IA and Lightbearer, it was truly a mind-bending night to remember for a long time! If you want to catch Assemble the Chariots live, this weekend is your shot with their show at Helsinki Techfest this Friday and their first ever arena show with Lost Society in Järvenpää this Saturday!

Pictures of the third day of Alcatraz 2024, with on the Prison Stage explosive shows from Audrey Horne, Soil, Jinjer, Korpiklaani, Gene Simmons Band and Architects!

Pictures of the second day of Alcatraz 2024, with on the Prison Stage explosive shows from Finntroll, Spiritbox, Dio Disciples, Testament, Epica and Europe!

Pictures of the first day of Alcatraz 2024, with on the Prison Stage explosive shows from Dyscordia, Orden Ogan, Beast In Black, Feuerschwanz, Channel Zero, Saxon and Amon Amarth!

An alternative way to celebrate Easter weekend with Rytmihäiriö and Finntroll at their stop at Tavastia in Helsinki on the “Jesus är död, nu ska vi dricka” tour!

The second night of John Smith Rock Frozen 2023 was pretty epic with some of the best of the Finnish scene with Red Eleven, Kiuas, Finntroll, Turmion Kätilöt and headliners Amorphis! Throw on top of that the Swedish up-and-comers of Orbit Culture, and you know it was good!

The Polish black metal institution Batushka brought their unholy sermon to the halls of Helsinki’s Vanha Ylioppilastalo and brought with them the Russian pagans of Arkona, the pretty epic Canadian Aeternam and Latvian vikings of Varang Nord!

Pictures of Lorna Shore, The Hu and Ghost on the last day of yet another great Tuska edition!

Lists

The summer festival season is over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of exciting fests happening over the next couple of months this autumn/winter in Finland, starting with Cult of Darkness today, Helsinki Techfest, and HKI SKEPU FEST VI this month still, Pakanafesterit in October, Hellsinki Industrial Festival and Melancholy Mass Festivals in November, and John Smith Rock Frozen in December! And for the beer and music lovers, several Masis Beer & Metal events spread over the next couple of months all over Finland! Go get your tickets now!

The first Tuska 2023 day is here! In a handful of hours the gates will open and 3 days of heavy music will begin! Besides the headliners and some big names, we’ve picked out about 10 bands and artists we believe you should give a shot while you’re at Tuska this weekend with Vended, Kouta, Foreseen and Miseria Ultima today, A.A. Williams, Orbit Culture, Dirt and Nakkeknækker tomorrow, and Vermilia and URNE on Sunday!

February has some great releases again, and we’re looking forward to albums from artists like Memoriam, In Flames, Paramore, dEUS, Mordkaul, Ulthar, Avatar, The Abbey, Insomnium, Host, Gorillaz and Heidevolk!

7 epic singles again selected by us of last week with Psychonaut, Before The Dawn, Black Mirrors, Wednesday 13, Sowulo, Ciemra and Skyforger! Highly recommended to check them out if you haven’t yet!

A small grab of what we are looking forward to the most of the many exceptional releases coming our way during May 2022!

Album Reviews

Korpiklaani is a great example that music is universal. With their 12 studio album ‘Rankarumpu’, they prove again that they’re a great folk metal band that never disappoints. Out on Nuclear Blast Records.

Norway’s progressive Viking folk black metal quintet Borknagar returns with the stunning new album “Fall”. The 12th studio album captures the essence of Borknagar where the band continues its legacy, released last Friday via Century Media.

Nanowar of Steel’s album is like the quote on their website: We take comedy seriously! Fun but amazing quality metal.

With their second album ‘When Good Men Go To War’ Vexillum takes us on an epic and heroic adventure. Are you ready to set sails and join them?

Nine Treasures combines heavier, danceable parts with more calm traditional Mongolian instrument parts. Mongolian folk metal before The Hu was all the rage.

With new elements and looking back at early successes, Ensiferum created a new epic in their career and will be looked at as one of their best for sure!

After 6 years Tyr is back with a brand new album ‘Hel’. Find out here why it took them so long and why it was worth the wait.

‘The Palms of Sorrowed Kings’ is the 3rd output by the trio who found their niche of combining folk music and medieval black metal.

Get your dwarf on with Wind Rose and their brand new album ‘Wintersaga’!

Certainly people who are interested in following the band or want to explore the more folky side of their sound (and that of their genre-mates) will have a good time with this album.