Author: Editorial Team

Nightwish singer Floor Jansen has announced her second solo album, Hytress, due Jan. 15, 2027 via REVAMP Music/Warner Music. Concurrently with the announcement, Jansen has released the album’s first single and music video, “Bring Me Silence,” and confirmed the “Hytress” Tour 2027, bringing her and her full live band to club stages across Europe and South America.

Jansen explains the inspiration behind the single: “The world is constantly demanding your attention. Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming that you can barely hear yourself anymore. “Bring Me Silence” is about that longing for space in your head and system. For clarity, a moment where all is quiet, and you can breathe all the way to your belly again and feel satisfied and at peace.”

On how the song fits within her artistic identity, Jansen adds: “This song is one of the first ones we wrote for the new album. Musically, it feels very natural to me. Metal has always been an important part of who I am. Its power, directness, and intensity are deeply rooted in me as an artist.

“At the same time, my solo work has allowed me to discover more openness and vulnerability. In ‘Bring Me Silence,’ those sides come together in a very organic way.”

Hytress builds on the foundation of Jansen’s debut solo record, Paragon, taking the power and intensity of her metal roots and fusing them with emotional depth and vulnerability. The 12-track album features down-tuned guitars, layered vocal arrangements and Jansen’s signature commanding vocal range. Moving between the fierce energy of her festival shows and the intimacy of her recent sold-out theatre tour, the “Hytress” Tour 2027 will capture the full spectrum of her musical identity.

Jansen confirmed she was cancer-free in November 2022 following surgery to remove a tumor after a breast cancer diagnosis. Born in the Netherlands, she joined her first band, pioneering symphonic metal group After Forever, at age 16; the band released five albums from 2000 to 2007 before disbanding in 2009. Her next band, ReVamp, released two albums in 2010 and 2013. Jansen joined Nightwish as a full-time member in 2013; the band’s first album with her as lead singer, Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015), landed in the Top 10 in multiple countries. Nightwish’s most recent studio album, Yesterwynde, was released in September 2024.

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Denver heavy metal torchbearers Khemmis have unveiled their recent in-studio performance for Seattle’s legendary KEXP, delivering a crushing showcase of the band’s signature blend of doom, melody and classic heavy metal.

Filmed at KEXP’s Seattle studios, the session captures Khemmis in their natural element, bringing the towering riffs and emotional weight of their celebrated live show into one of independent music’s most revered performance spaces.

The performance arrives on the heels of the release of the band’s acclaimed fifth studio album, Khemmis, available now worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records. The eight-song record marks Khemmis” first full-length since 2021’s Deceiver and finds the band channeling more than a decade of evolution into a focused celebration of the heavy music that brought them together.

Featuring the singles “Invocation of the Dreamer,” “Beneath the Scythe” and “Gilded Chambers,” Khemmis further expands the band’s unmistakable sound, balancing monolithic doom, soaring melodies, searing leads, and moments of extreme-metal ferocity across eight tracks.

Khemmis will return to the road next week, joining Swedish doom titans Monolord for a run of U.S. dates beginning August 27th in Chicago. The band will then head overseas in October for the European leg of their Forsake The Light Tour, featuring special guests Celestial Sanctuary on select dates. Tickets and additional information are available here.

After eleven years of albums and global touring, Colorado’s Khemmis have cemented themselves as pillars of modern heavy metal. Yet as they approach their fifth full-length, the band found something newly vital: the simple joy of creating heavy music together. Formed with no expectations, the group’s longevity has become its foundation, with guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson describing the band as a rare source of stability and camaraderie. Since their 2015 debut Absolution, followed by the acclaimed Hunted, Desolation, Doomed Heavy Metal MLP, and Deceiver, Khemmis have built a legacy of towering, spiritual doom that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.

Despite changes—including members relocating and bassist David Small joining in 2022—the band emerged more focused than ever. Recording again at Flatline Audio in Colorado, the lineup of Hutcherson, Phil Pendergast, Zach Coleman, and Small leaned into renewed trust and chemistry, with distance paradoxically strengthening their bond. The addition of Small invigorated the rhythm section and encouraged experimentation, while the band rediscovered the excitement that defined their early days. That renewed energy fueled a collaborative atmosphere rooted in confidence, inspiration, and the shared thrill of simply playing heavy metal.

The resulting self-titled album is both a celebration and reinvention: a conceptually framed ritual of heavy metal that moves from the pounding “Invocation of the Dreamer” to the climactic “Benediction Tones,” balancing galloping aggression with emotionally resonant anthems. The record embraces extremity, catharsis, and joy in equal measure, complemented by new visual direction from artist Christopher Remmers. Through lineup changes, distance, and a shifting world, Khemmis remain unshaken—leaning into the music that defines them. Their self-titled album is available now via Nuclear Blast, capturing the band in their truest and most energized form.

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German heavy metal torchbearers Mystic Prophecy have announced their brand-new studio album, In Metal, set for release on November 27, 2026, via Perception – Powered by Reigning Phoenix Music. Marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the band, the album announcement arrives alongside the release of its first single, “Robots,” accompanied by an official music video.

With more than two decades of history behind it, Mystic Prophecy has long established itself as one of the driving forces of the German and international heavy metal scene. Following the success of its acclaimed albums Metal Division and Hellriot, the quintet surrounding charismatic frontman R.D. Liapakis, also known for his work as a vocalist with Michael Schenker, now returns with renewed energy, a strengthened lineup, and a record built to hit with maximum impact.

The first taste of In Metal comes in the shape of “Robots,” a hard-hitting statement that turns its attention to one of the defining questions of our time: In an age increasingly shaped by technology, how much control over our own humanity are we willing to surrender?

Vocalist R.D. Liapakis and Dan Baune (guitars) comment on “Robots”: “In this age of technology, our future seems uncertain. We must ask ourselves: How do we keep/protect our humanity? Who decides for us? Or is it too late and we are all Robots already?”

Following Hellriot, Mystic Prophecy is entering its next era with three powerful new additions to the fold. Tommy Gun takes over bass duties, while guitarist Dan Baune, known from NWOBHM act Monument, and drummer Christophe de Combe of Belgian metallers FireForce complete the renewed lineup. Together, they inject even more power, precision and fire into the unmistakable Mystic Prophecy sound.

In Metal was produced by Dan Baune and R.D. Liapakis, with mixing and mastering handled by Henrik Udd. The album stays true to everything that has made Mystic Prophecy a force for more than 20 years while pushing its sound firmly forward. Fans can expect powerful, concise hooks with instant shout-along appeal, technically brilliant riffs and a hard-hitting, monstrous sound. A modern production gives the songs weight, depth and unstoppable headbanging force without sacrificing the band’s classic heavy metal spirit.

In Metal is available to pre-order here.

Whether on stage or on record, Mystic Prophecy has always treated heavy metal as a passionate, ultimate fight: no compromises, no holding back, just pure power. With In Metal, the band is ready to prove once again why it remains at the forefront of international heavy metal. In support of their upcoming album, Mystic Prophecy will hit the road in late 2026, joined by special guests Iron Savior and Generation Steel. Find all dates listed below!

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Rock and metal icon Rob Zombie has unveiled the official music video for “Black Rat Coffin”, another standout track from his acclaimed new studio album, The Great Satan, available now via Nuclear Blast Records.

One of the album’s darker and more sinister cuts, “Black Rat Coffin” delivers Zombie’s unmistakable collision of heavy grooves, twisted imagery and horror-soaked rock ‘n’ roll.

Released earlier this year, The Great Satan finds Zombie firing on all cylinders across 15 tracks, including “Punks And Demons”, “Heathen Days”, “(I’m A) Rock ‘N’ Roller”, “F.T.W. 84”, “The Black Scorpion”, “Tarantula”, and “Black Rat Coffin”.

Purchase and stream The Great Satan here.

Rob Zombie is currently on a Summer 2026 co-headline tour with labelmate Marilyn Manson, with support from The Hu and Orgy. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now here.

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Progressive trailblazers Enslaved have officially announced their forthcoming studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Throughout their 35-year journey, across 17 albums, the Norwegian vanguard have continually redefined the boundaries of progressive black metal, weaving Old Norse histories and sacred traditions into complex modern soundscapes. With their latest offering, Enslaved turn their gaze toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.

Alongside this news, the band has unveiled the transcendent new single “Solar Will”, both a paean to a divine spark and a testament to the album title’s fundamental concept: a centre whose reach is infinite. Its accompanying video was created by Kolibri Media, long-term partners of Enslaved based in Bergen.

Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson stated: “There have been sun cults as long as Magic Man has been around (at least). The Sun is a nurturing and terrifying parent that can grant as well as obliterate life totally. Such a classic and awe-inspiring object of our worship and myths requires classic and awesome riffs, Bonham-esque drum grooves, and blistering melodic flares celebrating its horrific glory. This is what that sounds like to me: “Solar Will”!”

Vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson adds: “”Solar Will” explores archetypal conflicts, those that manifest in nature, the cosmos, mythology, and, above all, within the human mind. In this instance, the central struggle is expressed through one of the enduring rivalries found in Norse mythology, embodied by two important, though often somewhat overlooked, figures within the pantheon. Readers familiar with the Norse mythological tradition will likely recognize the identities rather instantly, yet I shall refrain from naming them, allowing each reader the opportunity to engage with and decipher the lyrics on their own. After all, perhaps this is one of the essential functions of lyric writing: to invite interpretation and cultivate a sense of wonder? The conclusion, or more precisely, the absence of one, suggests that, for human beings, chaos and dreams are at least as significant as the realities we perceive through our senses. Ultimately, the work advocates not for resolution, but for the acceptance, assimilation, and shaping of these often contradictory forces.”

Mið is available to pre-order here, in the following formats:

• CD Jewelcase
• CD Digipack (w/ bonus track & sticker)
• LP gatefold vinyl (black, transparent blue, arctic blue pearl, blue/white/dark green/black marbled)

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene’s indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

It’s a rare and remarkable feat that 35 years and now 17 albums in, Enslaved’s horizons continue to expand. Every stage of the Bergen band’s evolution, every new phase entered, has felt like an organic act of discovery and renewal. Their journey has been at once a commitment to a promise that found its embryonic form in the Norwegian black metal scene they emerged from, and a willingness to challenge both orthodoxy and themselves from the off to make that potential manifest.

Enslaved’s new album, Mið, an Old Norse word for ‘centre’, or ‘middle’, marks another departure, and another new beginning. The band has always dealt in states of transition, not least on the thematically linked, mythology-steeped rites of passage that were 2020’s Utgard and 2023’s Heimdal. What lay beyond, however, was… unexpected.

Mið is an album that sheds light on harmonies and dialogues embedded all around us: between the ways of the past and how they can bring enlightenment to the present, between small kernels of truth and their ability to project onto the most universal on canvases, and between band members relying on instinct and each other to create a record that galvanises on every possible level.

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Spanish thrash metal heavyweights Angelus Apatrida are entering a new era, officially signing with Napalm Records. Formed in 2000, the Spanish quartet has spent more than two decades establishing themselves as one of the leading forces in the international thrash metal scene, performing at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop, and Download and building a reputation as a formidable live act.

To kick off their new chapter, Angelus Apatrida unleash “Cycle Of Ruin,” their first single via Napalm Records. The crushing track combines razor-sharp riffs, powerful vocals, and driving mid-tempo grooves before culminating in an explosive guitar solo. It also serves as the first taste of the upcoming three-track EP The Reckoning, arriving November 19, and featuring “Cycle Of Ruin,” “Burn It Down,” and a furious reinterpretation of Sepultura‘s “Propaganda,” the latter being already digitally available on all streaming services.

Angelus Apatrida said about the signing: “Now it’s time to turn the page! Napalm Records had been chasing us for years, and now the time has finally come. From day one, we felt their excitement, ambition, and understanding of who Angelus Apatrida is and where we want to go next. We’re still as hungry as ever, and it feels amazing to finally call Napalm Records our new home! And we’re not coming empty-handed! The Reckoning is our new three-track EP and the first release of this new chapter. Produced by the band, recorded by our homie Juanan López, and mixed and mastered once again by our longtime partner in crime Zeuss, it’s aggressive, heavy, uncompromising, and exactly where we are right now.”

“And it all starts with ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. We knew the first song of this new chapter had to make a statement, and ‘Cycle Of Ruin’ felt like the obvious choice: Fast, relentless and straight to your face, a fresh and modern take on the old-school thrash metal that has always been at the heart of this band. And we wanted the video to capture that same energy, so we threw a real pool party, brought a bunch of friends together and let the madness happen. This is ‘Cycle Of Ruin’. Enjoy it! We couldn’t think of a better way to start this new journey. A cycle ends. Another begins. Welcome to THE RECKONING!”

Pre-order The Reckoning here.

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Bruce Dickinson has a new video out, and it’s a companion piece to one already making the rounds. Following the acclaimed clip for Dickinson‘s solo track “Tears of the Dragon” earlier this year, “Change of Heart” arrives as its counterpart. The video was shot in São Paulo, Brazil, in September 2025, with Dickinson teaming up with directors Leo Liberti and Antoine de Montremy on the emotionally weighted film.

Dickinson performs the track in an abandoned building in the city, joined by guitarist Philip Näslund, while the visuals build a narrative around resilience amid decay, chaos and suffering.

The footage moves through scenes of contemporary life featuring people of varied ethnicities and backgrounds, painting a picture of a society too distracted and disconnected to notice suffering happening in plain sight.

Threaded through the video is a child carrying William Blake‘s painting The Good and Evil Angels. The child acts as a quiet observer rather than a judge, offering no verdict, just a steady presence meant to prompt reflection on the choices people and society are making.

Dickinson explained the concept behind the video: “When we shot a video for ‘Tears of the Dragon’ in Brazil last year, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to also shine a light on the song ‘Change of Heart.’ This song has always been very special to me with the wonderful new arrangement of it on the More Balls to Picasso album, its message and power feels even more enhanced. We used the William Blake painting because he devoted much of his work to the eternal tension between innocence and experience, freedom and spiritual enslavement, consciousness and alienation, and I’m very aware that my own work often deals with the same subjects. So having the young boy in the video, carrying that particular painting is a very deliberate choice. The child embodies that primal awareness, capable of seeing what adults have learned to ignore.”

The finished video complements the song’s writing and performance well.

This new take on “Change of Heart” stands out on last year’s More Balls to Picasso, which reworked the original 1994 recording of Balls to Picasso through remixing, remastering and re-recorded parts. The result reintroduced the album as a fully realized, ambitious record and drew wide praise, giving Dickinson‘s once-overlooked original vision new life.

Dickinson‘s next solo album is tentatively slated for early 2027 through BMG.

Most of the record, Dickinson‘s eighth solo effort, was tracked this past January and February at Dave Grohl‘s Studio 606 in Northridge, California, with producer Brendan Duffey — the same producer behind the reworked More Balls to Picasso, which came out in July 2025. Duffey is now mixing the follow-up to The Mandrake Project at his own facility, Brendan Duffey Audio, in Jupiter, Florida.

The album was recorded with Dickinson‘s touring band: keyboardist Mistheria, drummer Dave Moreno, bassist Tanya O’Callaghan, and guitarists Chris Declercq and Philip Näslund. In February, Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser shared photos with Bruce Dickinson at Studio 606, revealing he contributes percussion to the new LP.

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Bush‘s The Sea of Memories is getting a 15th-anniversary makeover, with a reissue landing on September 25 that pairs a new 2026 remaster with nine bonus tracks and expands the release to two CDs and three LPs.

The 2011 album cemented Bush‘s reputation as one of rock’s steadiest hitmakers, built around Gavin Rossdale‘s emotionally charged vocals and the band’s signature push-pull of muscle and hook. This edition aims to give the record its most complete presentation yet.

Along with the singles “The Sound of Winter” and “Baby Come Home,” the reissue will ship in two formats: a deluxe 2CD jewel case package, and a limited 180-gram heavyweight 3LP gatefold pressing built with collectors in mind. Both were put together to honor the album’s legacy while giving it the strongest possible audio treatment.

The Sea of Memories has held its place as one of the more consequential records in Bush‘s catalog, and this reissue positions it as both a nostalgia trip for longtime listeners and an entry point for anyone discovering the album for the first time.

The Sea Of Memories track listing:

1. The Mirror Of The Signs
2. The Sound Of Winter
3. All My Life
4. The Afterlife
5. All Night Doctors
6. Baby Come Home
7. Red Light
8. She’s A Stallion
9. I Believe In You
10. Stand Up
11. The Heart Of The Matter
12. Be Still My Love

Bonus tracks:

1. Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. The Year Of Danger
3. Ghost
4. Lay Down Your Guns
5. The Sound Of Winter (Junior Sanchez Remix)
6. The Afterlife (Remix by Washroom & Bass Over Babylon)
7. All Night Doctors (Original Edit)
8. Landslide (Live from the Bridge School Benefit)
9. Float (Acoustic)

Vinyl edition:

LP 1 + 2: The original album (remastered)
LP 3: Bonus 12″ featuring all nine bonus tracks

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Colorado thrash metal quartet Havok have announced a 26-date North American headlining tour for fall 2026, joined by support from Hellripper, Slackjaw and Xoth. The run marks Hellripper’s first-ever U.S. tour.

Havok comments: “We’re thrilled to bring this killer package to the States and end the run in Havok’s hometown. This will be Hellripper’s first time touring the USA, so you won’t want to miss this. Slackjaw and Xoth will get the party started properly. We can’t wait to see everyone on the road. Buy your tickets early!”

The tour kicks off Oct. 21 at Metro Music Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, and concludes Nov. 20 at Gothic Theatre in Denver, Colorado. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

The trek follows Havok’s recently announced signing with BLKIIBLK, the heavy music imprint of Frontiers Label Group. The band also recently released their debut single for the label, “Fifth Generation Warfare.”

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Richie Kotzen has a new song out, “Ivory Queen”, now available and backed by an official lyric video.

Kotzen broke down the meaning behind the track in a video message, saying: “‘Ivory Queen’ is not a woman. It’s just a metaphor for the sort of embodiment of approval that many folks seek, external validation, and the constant chase of that. So that’s really what the song’s about. The lyrics are written out on the YouTube channel. We put up the YouTube video today. And that’s it. New song, if you’re interested. It’s out.”

It’s the second surprise drop from Kotzen this year — back in May, he quietly put out another new track, “Catch a Star,” with zero advance notice.

Staying sharp as a songwriter has always mattered to Kotzen just as much as his reputation as a guitar virtuoso and live powerhouse. Over the course of his career he’s put out more than 20 solo albums spanning a wide range of styles, and his stints with Poison and Mr. Big put him in front of a much bigger audience. In 2012 he helped launch The Winery Dogs, a project that’s built a catalog of hard rock records laced with blues influence.

Kotzen‘s résumé stretches back to 1988, when he signed with Shrapnel Records as a teenage guitar prodigy and began building parallel careers as a solo artist and a band member. These days he also splits time as one half of Smith/Kotzenalongside Iron Maiden‘s Adrian Smith — between the solo output and the collaborations, there’s rarely a quiet stretch in Kotzen‘s output.

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