Satellite Touring and GLM Artists have confirmed that British/American metal trio Raven is heading back to North American stages for a wide-ranging tour scheduled to run from March through May this year. The outing will include more than 35 dates across the continent, with Slackjaw set to provide support throughout the run.

Emerging from the early ’80s New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, Raven carved out a reputation that extended well beyond the U.K. The band became especially known in the United States for its relentless touring during that era, helping introduce American audiences to rising acts such as Metallica and Anthrax, who gained some of their earliest touring experience alongside them.

Much of Raven’s legacy is tied to a run of influential releases that helped shape heavier styles of metal. Albums like Rock Until You Drop, Wiped Out, and All For One played a key role in laying the groundwork for both speed metal and power metal. Throughout those records, the band consistently pushed boundaries while maintaining a distinct sound and aggressive edge — qualities that translated even more powerfully to their live performances.

The group’s most recent release is the EP Can’t Take Away The Fire, which arrived in February 2025 through Silver Lining Music. The project marked a fresh chapter for the band and set the stage for their return to touring.

Looking ahead to the upcoming shows, Raven vocalist and bassist John Gallagher states:
“After our medical gap year of 2025, we are hungry and itching to get back to doing what we do best — cranking out the megawatts and putting on a Raven metal show for the lunatics out there”.

He continues: “We have a killer band Slackjaw out with us as special guests on these shows and it’s gonna be a take-no-prisoners full-out affair!”

With a long history of high-energy performances and a renewed drive to hit the road, Raven’s latest North American tour is shaping up to be a notable moment for longtime fans and new listeners alike.

Dates Announced With More To Come:

March 18 – Louisville, KY @ Goodwood Whiskey Row
March 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag
March 20 – Kansas City, MO @ Westport Brewery
March 21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Live
March 22 – Dallas, TX @ RBC
March 26 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky
March 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Above DNA
March 29 – Reno, NV @ Club Underground
March 31 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
April 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
April 2 – Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse
April 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon
April 5 – Denver, CO @ The Federal Theatre
April 7 – Lincoln, NE @ 1867 Bar
April 8 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
April 9 – Chicago,IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
April 10 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
April 11 – Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge
April 12 – Hamtramck, MI @ Sanctuary
April 14 – New Kensington, PA @ Preserving Underground
April 16 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
April 17 – Ottawa, ON @ Rainbow Bistro
April 18 – Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti Bar & Spectacles
April 19 – Montreal, QC @ Piranha Bar
April 21 – Albany, NY @ Empire Underground
April 22 – Old Town, ME @ The Old Town Theatre
April 23 – Manchester, NH @ Jewel Music Venue
April 24 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
April 25 – Harrisburg, PA @HMAC
April 26 – Richmond, VA @ Ember Music Hall
April 29 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel Of Bones
April 30 – Greenville, SC @ Radio Room
May 1 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
May 2 – Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social & Supply
May 3 – Bradenton, FL @ Oscura

The post RAVEN Announces North American 2026 Tour “Can’t Take Away The Fire” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Two of Europe’s most distinctive rock acts, Within Temptation and Smash Into Pieces, have unveiled the official Pavel Trebukhin–directed music video for their collaborative new single, “Somebody Like You.” The release marks a notable moment for both bands, bringing together their contrasting styles in a track built around emotion rather than spectacle.

Blending cinematic orchestration with modern rock intensity, the song unfolds as a deeply felt ballad centered on vulnerability, longing, and the universal need for connection. Its tone is restrained but impactful, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics and performances to take center stage.

Built around a 22-piece orchestra, “Somebody Like You” shifts naturally between intimate passages and sweeping, expansive moments. The orchestral arrangements add depth without overwhelming the song, while the distinct vocal approaches from each band complement one another, creating a balance that feels both delicate and grounded.

The collaboration bridges two musical worlds: Within Temptation’s long-standing symphonic sensibility and narrative-driven approach, and Smash Into Pieces’ contemporary, dramatic edge. Rather than competing for space, the bands meet at the emotional core of the track, resulting in a song that feels open, sincere, and resonant.

As a joint effort, “Somebody Like You” stands out as a defining moment for both artists and is already being viewed as one of the year’s more memorable rock ballads. Its cinematic scale is matched by an emotional clarity that lingers after the final note fades.

Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon Den Adel states: “We are excited and looking forward to release “Somebody Like You” together with Smash Into Pieces. We have known each other for a long time and have been on tour together. This is the perfect song to also finally join forces. Adding an orchestra to this song felt like a small trip down memory lane for us, while at the same time blending perfectly with a more modern rock sound. We’re proud of what this song has become and grateful for the collaboration that brought it to life”.

Smash Into Pieces adds: “18 years ago, we started our careers with one simple goal: to help others, through music, find their own engine, their inner drive, and pursue their dreams. That engine is, and always has been, what makes Smash Into Pieces what we are. Today, we get to share a song with a band that has inspired us, that we’ve experienced some of our toughest and grandest moments live with, and that has ultimately helped form our sound. For the people who change us forever, who carry us through our darkest moments, and leave a mark that can never be replaced, we give you “Somebody Like You””.

They continue: “We want to direct a very special thanks to Sharon Den Adel for her beautiful performance in the video and to Within Temptation for sharing this marvel of a song with us”.

Meanwhile, Within Temptation is also marking a milestone in its career, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its second album, Mother Earth. Described by the band as the “very first chapter of this journey,” the celebration began with a newly recorded acoustic version of “Ice Queen,” the original album’s second single. That track served as the band’s commercial breakthrough and remains one of Within Temptation’s most successful songs across Europe.

The post WITHIN TEMPTATION And SMASH INTO PIECES Drop Official Video For Their New Collaborative Single “Somebody Like You” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The heavy metal visionaries collectively known as AVATAR — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — unleashed their latest masterwork Don’t Go in the Forest  last year on Halloween — how fitting! Listen and get the album HERE.

Avatar then hit the road for their massive North American headline run.

And that was just the beginning of their Herculean international touring schedule.

Avatar will spend the foreseeable future (if not forever) on the road. 

Today, the band announces a Spring 2026 headline tour of North America. It kicks off on April 16 in Sacramento and runs through May 20 in Hampton Beach, NH. It includes stops at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple. 

Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul will serve as support.

Regarding their return to the States, Eckerström offers, “USA. It started off innocently enough. Hiking along on a trail. Sunny. Pleasant. Safe. Then night came, and the trail slowly faded. You can’t go back, as you don’t know where you came from. You don’t even dare to turn around, as you can feel someone, or something, watching. What you were, all the way back in the warm embrace of civilization, doesn’t matter. Here. it’s just you and the trees.”

He adds, “We will be seeing you.”

Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 16 at 10am local time. Get tickets here. 

AVATAR ON TOUR: “DON’T GO IN THE FOREST ’26”: WITH FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE + FROZEN SOUL:
4/16 — Sacramento, CA — Channel 24
4/17 — Los Angeles, CA — Novo
4/19 — Tucson, AZ — Rialto Theater
4/20 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel
4/22 — San Antonio, TX — Aztec
4/23 — Oklahoma City, OK — Criterion
4/25 — Omaha, NE — Steelhouse Omaha
4/26 — Des Moines, IA — Val Air
4/28 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall
4/29 — Moline, IL — The Rust Belt
4/30 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe
5/1 — Milwaukee, WI — Eagles Club Stage
5/2 — Fort Wayne, IN — The Clyde
5/4 — Huntsville, AL — VBC Mars Music Hall
5/5 — Atlanta, GA — Tabernacle
5/6 — Knoxville, TN — Mill & Mine
5/7 — Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues
5/9 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville*
5/10 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz
5/12 — Richmond, VA — The National
5/13 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
5/15 — New York, NY — Palladium Times Square
5/16 — Buffalo, NY — Buffalo Riverworks
5/17 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Weekend*
5/19 — Wallingford, CT — The Dome
5/20 — Hampton Beach, NH — Hampton Beach Casino
*= Festival

FESTIVAL DATES — 2026:
1/25—1/31 — ShipRocked 
3/15 — Mexico City, MX — Vive Latino 
5/9 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville 
5/17 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple
6/7 — Trondheim, NO — Trondheim Rocks 
6/20 — Dessel, BE — Graspop Metal Meeting

2026 EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR:
2/5 — Stockholm, SE —  Fållan
2/7 — Helsinki, FI — Kulttuuritalo
2/9 — Oslo, NO — Sentrum Scene
2/10 — Copenhagen, DK — Vega
2/11 — Osnabrück, DE — Die Botschaft
2/12 — Brussels, BE — A.B. [SOLD OUT] ^
2/14 — London, UK — Exhibition ^
2/15 — Manchester, UK —  Academy ^
2/16 — Glasgow, UK — Barrowland ^
2/17 — Nottingham, UK — Rock City ^
2/18 — Bristol, UK — O2 Academy ^
2/20 — Amsterdam, NL —  AFAS Live ^
2/21 — Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU — Rockhal ^
2/22 — Zürich, CH — Komplex ^
2/24 — Barcelona, ES  — Razzmatazz ^
2/25 — Madrid, ES — La Riviera ^
2/27 — Lisbon, PT — LAV ^
2/28 — Bilbao, ES — Santana 27 ^
3/2 — Lyon, FR — Le Cube ^
3/3 — Milan, IT — Alcatraz ^
3/4 — Vienna, AT — Gasometer ^
3/5 — Munich, DE — Tonhalle ^
3/6 — Cologne, DE — E-Werk ^
3/7 — Paris, FR — Le Zenith ^
3/9 — Wiesbaden, DE — Schlachthof
3/10 — Zlin, CZ — Sports Hall Datart
3/11 — Warsaw, PL — Stodola
3/12 — Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle
3/13 — Hamburg, DE — Docks
^ Support: Witch Club Satan

SUPPORTING METALLICA — SUMMER 2026:
5/24 — Frankfurt, DE — Deutsche Bank Park 
6/11 — Budapest, HU — Puskas Arena
6/19 — Dublin, IE — Aviva Stadium 
7/5 — London, UK — London Stadium 

The post Avatar Announce Spring 2026 Headline Tour appeared first on Go Venue Magazine.

In the summer of 1518, the city of Strasbourg became the stage for one of the most disturbing episodes in European history. There was no war, no invasion, no natural disaster. Instead, the city was seized by something far harder to explain: a compulsion to dance.

The Dancing Plague of 1518: When People Danced to Death

It began quietly. A woman known as Frau Troffea stepped into the street and started dancing. There was no music, no celebration, no audience. She simply moved—hour after hour, day after day—unable or unwilling to stop. What seemed at first like an isolated oddity soon escalated into a full-blown crisis.

Within a week, dozens of people had joined her. By the end of the month, hundreds of citizens were dancing uncontrollably. Contemporary accounts describe scenes of exhaustion and despair: dancers collapsing, crying out in pain, their feet swollen and bleeding. Some reportedly died from heart failure or sheer physical collapse.

City officials were baffled. Guided by the medical beliefs of the time, they concluded that the afflicted suffered from “overheated blood” and that the only cure was to dance it out. In a decision that would later seem tragically misguided, authorities hired musicians and built wooden stages, encouraging the dancing rather than stopping it. Predictably, the situation worsened.

Only when the death toll began to rise did officials reverse course. Musicians were banned. The dancers were taken to a shrine dedicated to St. Vitus, believed to have the power to cure dancing manias. There, rituals, prayers, and enforced rest were used to calm the sufferers. Slowly, the outbreak faded.

To this day, no single explanation fully satisfies historians. The most widely accepted theory points to mass psychogenic illness, triggered by extreme stress. Strasbourg had endured famine, disease, and social unrest, creating a psychological pressure cooker. Other hypotheses include religious hysteria and ergot poisoning caused by mold-contaminated rye bread, though evidence for the latter remains weak.

What makes the Dancing Plague of 1518 so unsettling is not just its strangeness, but its credibility. This was no oral legend—city records, physicians, and church officials recorded the events in detail. It happened in plain sight, to ordinary people, in a functioning European city.

More than five centuries later, the Dancing Plague remains a chilling reminder that under the right conditions, reality itself can fracture—and entire communities can lose control together.

Listen to Edgar Allan Poets The Noir Rock Band

The post The Dancing Plague of 1518 When People Danced to Death appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.

The Black Dahlia Murder will return to stages this Spring on a US headlining tour. Spring Fling 2026 will commence on April 2nd in Indianapolis, Indiana, and run through May 2nd in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Support will be provided by The Acacia Strain, Disembodied Tyrant, and Corpse Pile.

Comments vocalist Brian Eschbach, “This is set to be a massively heavy trek that will undoubtedly be recounted in the history textbooks for centuries to come. Don’t miss out!”

The “Blastfiend” artist presale begins Wednesday, January 14th at 10:00 AM ET, where exclusive merch bundles will be available. Fans can RSVP at this location. General on-sale date is Friday, January 16th at 10:00 AM ET. See all confirmed dates below.

The Black Dahlia Murder  w/ The Acacia Strain, Disembodied Tyrant, Corpse Pile:  

• 04/02 – Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
• 04/03 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
• 04/04 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH * no Disembodied Tyrant
• 04/05 – Roxian Theatre – McKee Rocks, PA
• 04/07 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
• 04/08 – Archer – Allentown, PA
• 04/10 – The Webster – Hartford, CT
• 04/11 – The Strand – Providence, RI
• 04/12 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
• 04/14 – The Queen – Wilmington, DE
• 04/15 – The NorVa – Norfolk, VA
• 04/17 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY
• 04/18 – Pop’s – Sauget, IL
• 04/19 – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
• 04/21 – Tower Theatre – Oklahoma City, OK
• 04/23 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
• 04/24 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
• 04/25 – House Of Blues – San Diego, CA
• 04/26 – UC Theater – Berkeley, CA
• 04/28 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
• 04/29 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
• 05/01 – Capitol Theatre – Davenport, IA
• 05/02 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI

The Black Dahlia Murder will be touring in support of their critically acclaimed tenth studio album, Servitude, released in 2024 via Metal Blade Records.

The post THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Announces 2026 U.S. Headlining Tour With THE ACACIA STRAIN, DISEMBODIED TYRANT & CORPSE PILE appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The heavy metal visionaries collectively known as Avatar — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — unleashed their latest masterwork Don’t Go in the Forest last year on Halloween and right after they decided to hit the road for their massive North American headline run.

And that was just the beginning of their Herculean international touring schedule.

Avatar will spend the foreseeable future (if not forever) on the road.

Today, the band announces a Spring 2026 headline tour of North America. It kicks off on April 16 in Sacramento and runs through May 20 in Hampton Beach, NH. It includes stops at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple.

Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul will serve as support.

Regarding their return to the States, Eckerström offers: “USA. It started off innocently enough. Hiking along on a trail. Sunny. Pleasant. Safe. Then night came, and the trail slowly faded. You can’t go back, as you don’t know where you came from. You don’t even dare to turn around, as you can feel someone, or something, watching. What you were, all the way back in the warm embrace of civilization, doesn’t matter. Here. it’s just you and the trees.”

He adds: “We will be seeing you.”

Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 16 at 10am local time here.

Avatar’s “Don’t Go in the Forest” Tour with Fleshgod Apocalypse & Frozen Soul Dates:

4/16 — Sacramento, CA — Channel 24
4/17 — Los Angeles, CA — Novo
4/19 — Tucson, AZ — Rialto Theater
4/20 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel
4/22 — San Antonio, TX — Aztec
4/23 — Oklahoma City, OK — Criterion
4/25 — Omaha, NE — Steelhouse Omaha
4/26 — Des Moines, IA — Val Air
4/28 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall
4/29 — Moline, IL — The Rust Belt
4/30 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe
5/1 — Milwaukee, WI — Eagles Club Stage
5/2 — Fort Wayne, IN — The Clyde
5/4 — Huntsville, AL — VBC Mars Music Hall
5/5 — Atlanta, GA — Tabernacle
5/6 — Knoxville, TN — Mill & Mine
5/7 — Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues
5/9 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville*
5/10 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz
5/12 — Richmond, VA — The National
5/13 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
5/15 — New York, NY — Palladium Times Square
5/16 — Buffalo, NY — Buffalo Riverworks
5/17 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple Weekend*
5/19 — Wallingford, CT — The Dome
5/20 — Hampton Beach, NH — Hampton Beach Casino

*= Festival

Festival Dates — 2026:

1/25—1/31 — ShipRocked
3/15 — Mexico City, MX — Vive Latino
5/9 — Daytona Beach, FL — Welcome to Rockville
5/17 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple
6/7 — Trondheim, NO — Trondheim Rocks
6/20 — Dessel, BE — Graspop Metal Meeting

The post AVATAR Announces 2026 North American Tour With FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE & FROZEN SOUL appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Kings of extreme metal Behemoth will return to lay waste to American venues this spring. The band has announced its North American Spring 2026 headline “The Godless IV Tour,” kicking off April 14 in San Diego and running through May 21 in Los Angeles. It includes Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple festival appearances.

Joining Behemoth for this run is a trio of fellow extremists — Deicide, Rotting Christ, and Immolation. This trek marks the band’s first tour of North America in support of the critically acclaimed new opus The Shit Ov God, out now via Nuclear Blast.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 16, at 10 AM local time. Get tickets and information on VIP packages here.

“We announce this coming campaign alongside Deicide, Rotting Christ, and Immolation — a convergence of legends, a true communion of extreme metal’s most resolute forces,” the band declares. “This tour is not merely a series of performances; it is a rite, forged in decades of defiance, conviction, and sonic blasphemy. Each band carries its own altar of destruction, its own scripture written in blood, sound, and will. Together, we summon something greater—an unstoppable procession of darkness across the lands. This is the extreme metal underground standing tall, unbroken, and merciless. Prepare yourselves.”

“The Godless IV Tour” Dates:

04/14 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
04/15 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
04/17 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
04/18 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
04/19 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
04/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Union Event Center
04/22 – Denver, Co – The Fillmore
04/24 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
04/25 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
04/26 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
04/28 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
04/30 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore^
05/01 – Worcester, MA – Palladium&
05/02 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
05/04 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo RiverWorks
05/05 – McKees Rocks, PA – The Roxian Theatre
05/07 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville *
05/09 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
05/11 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
05/12 – Montréal, QC – L’Olympia
05/14 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple *
05/15 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
05/16 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
05/18 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
05/20 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
05/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

* Festival date
^ No Rotting Christ
& No Deicide

The post BEHEMOTH Announce Spring 2026 Headline North American Tour With DEICIDE, IMMOLATION & ROTTING CHRIST appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Five Finger Death Punch has unveiled the opening North American stretch of its 2026–2027 world tour. Presented by Live Nation, the 48-stop run begins 07/20 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey, and concludes 10/23 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. Platinum-selling outlaw country singer Cody Jinks will appear as the special guest in support of his current album, In My Blood. The bill also features Eva Under Fire, the critically praised rock outfit set to release its next album, Villainous, in 2026.

As the band marks 20 years of music, Five Finger Death Punch is also leaning into its long-standing charitable efforts. Known for supporting causes tied to U.S. military veterans, first responders, and their families, the group is expanding that work in 2026 with a new initiative backing Team USA ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. A share of ticket revenue from the 2026 U.S. dates will be directed toward high-performance programs that help American athletes prepare for international competition.

Founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory has chosen USA Judo — the sport’s national governing body in the United States — as his designated recipient, while vocalist Ivan Moody will allocate his portion to the USA Cycling BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle teams.

“It’s a little-known fact that the United States is one of the only major countries in the world where the government does not fund Olympic and Paralympic athletes or their training programs,” said Bathory. “Our athletes are competing against nations with fully funded teams, while U.S. teams rely almost exclusively on private donations and sponsorships. We believe supporting Team USA is both patriotic and necessary, especially with the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming home in 2028.”

Moody added, “These athletes represent the best of who we are. Dedication, sacrifice, discipline. If we can help level the playing field even a little, we’re all in.”

Funds raised will go to the governing organizations responsible for developing and training Olympic hopefuls in judo and USA Cycling’s BMX disciplines, helping cover key needs such as coaching, travel, equipment, and intensive preparation. With no direct federal funding for these programs, the effort is designed to boost both awareness and financial support for athletes representing Team USA. Five Finger Death Punch says it aims to keep using its success for service — because it matters most when it’s shared.

The 20th-anniversary tour is expected to include fresh songs from the band’s forthcoming tenth studio album alongside the signature tracks that helped shape its fanbase. More international dates are expected after the North American leg.

Tickets for the 2026 shows will start rolling out with artist and Citi presales on 01/14. Additional presales will follow during the week, ahead of the general public onsale on 01/16 at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation.

Five Finger Death Punch 2026 Tour Dates

• 07/20 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
• 07/22 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
• 07/23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• 07/25 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
• 07/26 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
• 07/28 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
• 07/30 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
• 08/01 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
• 08/02 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
• 08/04 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
• 08/05 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
• 08/07 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
• 08/08 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
• 08/10 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
• 08/11 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
• 08/13 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
• 08/15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
• 08/16 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
• 08/18 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
• 08/19 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
• 08/21 – Saint Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
• 09/08 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• 09/11 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
• 09/12 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
• 09/14 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
• 09/16 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
• 09/18 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater
• 09/19 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena
• 09/22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
• 09/24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre*
• 09/25 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater*
• 09/27 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• 09/28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
• 09/30 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
• 10/02 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
• 10/03 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
• 10/05 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
• 10/07 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
• 10/08 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
• 10/10 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
• 10/11 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
• 10/13 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
• 10/14 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• 10/16 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater
• 10/17 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
• 10/19 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
• 10/21 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
• 10/23 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

* Without Cody Jinks

The post FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Announces 2026 North American Leg Of 20th-Anniversary Tour With CODY JINKS & EVA UNDER FIRE appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

If anything is more clear about Soen than their affinity for single-word song titles, it’s their commitment to refining their well-established sonic identity.

Always a unit that’s prefered to tiptoe into the broadening of their sound, the multinational outfit born from Martin Lopez’s exit from the mighty Opeth and the dissolution of Joel Ekelöf’s indie rock band Willowtree continues to cautiously cultivate their voice while expunging what few elements detract from their very Soen-ness, all the while honing in on their singularity.

Reliance, the outfit’s seventh outing, continues the metalward trajectory the Soen has unapologetically taken since 2019’s seminal Lotus, after which the band has shamelessly heavied up an already heavy sound.

Reliance opens with the riff-happy “Primal,” a typically brooding, prog-infused banger of a tune that leaves both metalheads and prog nerds more than just a little satisfied. From the outset, there’s no room to doubt that Lopez, Ekelöf, and their compatriots are in absolute control of both their songwriting chops and their technical proficiency. Proudly rejecting the oft-maligned excesses of progressive metal, Soen has the good sense to keep their song structures relatively simple while letting their progressive creds shine in their meticulous arrangements.

The verses on “Primal,” for example, have multi-instrumentalist Lars Åhlund laying a moody, gentle, and 70s-inspired key arrangement while Lopez carries both Åhlund and Ekelöf with his signature Latin jazz-inspired grooves. The verses continue with Åhlund shedding the ivories in favor of frets as he and British-born guitarist Cody Lee Ford rock some wonderfully direct metallic riffage that subsides just enough for Ford’s funereal textures to fully carry Ekelöf’s powerfully morose voice as it plunges the listener to ever more depressive depths, leaving a hint of hope.

The refrains further intensify the insidious sense of bleakness as Lopez’s suddenly direct 4/4 approach leaves us feeling as if this desolation is merely a part of everyday existence, Ekelöf’s unexpected death roar punctuating the rage at resignation. Banality of evil? Try the banality of despondence.

“Primal” is the ideal opener for Reliance because it encapsulates the essence of Soen’s current state. The myriad voices that embody the Soen choir – texture, heaviness, a kinship with the retro, and the overall intimation of accepted defeat – sing in tense harmony with no single voice ever subjugating another. Verses within verses cede ground to an array of approaches to this thing we call “rock music,” with the smoothness and effortlessness of a transmission in a form so pure and so distinctly Soen, I would welcome the opportunity to distill it. This one song, in all its complex simplicity, is the Soen sound. And we get to experience it nine more freaking times over the course of this phenomenal record without ever feeling like we’ve just got the same song on repeat.

Things slow down for the third entry, the languid “Discordia,” a spacey piece of atmospheric progrock that evokes predecessors as disparate as ELP and Mortiis, with some well-placed djent breaks thrown in just to fuck with the listener’s anxiety. Not satisfied with simply communicating their feelings, Åhlund and Ekelöf deftly tap just the right veins to stir our unease throughout this melancholic mire. It’s not enough for them to just tell us they’re sad: they leave us no option other than to feel their sadness ourselves. Call it weaponized empathy if you want, but it simply is not possible to master this ability while also sucking.

“Indifferent” is a lovelorn, string-laden lament that picks up where Soen’s acoustic/orchestral live album Atlantis left off. Where that album succinctly reinterpreted selections from the band’s past in order to accent their despair, “Indifferent”  does so from its inception. Ekelöf strips down to his very soul in this sonically naked dirge, accompanied only by Åhlund’s piano, that aforementioned string section, and a brief solo by Ford.

Clocking in at barely three and a half minutes, “Indifferent” demystifies the art of balladry by rejecting the saccharine slop that makes so much heartbreak music completely unpalatable. Instead, Soen once again incarnates their dejection to us rather than just whining about how much heartache blows. There may never be another Anathema to define what breakup music could be when done right, but Soen is rising to the challenge without it having been issued, and the prospect of Soen further exploring this path in the future is as appetizing as it is harrowing.

“Drifter” and “Vellichor” have Åhlund adding electronics to his arsenal of ambient weirdness, where both he and Ford toss in a nod to Pink Floyd for good measure, while Ekelöf’s almost rap-like staccato in “Axis” further expands his already noteworthy dynamics, while Lopez and the rest of the band flex their metal might.

Meanwhile, “Huntress” kicks off with an almost doomy riff before Ekelöf whispers the first verse in a way that will neither excite ASMR-philes nor annoy the rest of us. Ekelöf’s delivery on “Huntress” establishes as an undeniable fact that power, conviction, and fluidity can carry more weight than any amount of formal training. So powerful is his elocution that it’s actually an indictment against the insistence that a mile-wide range is even necessary to be an effective singer.

It must be stressed, though, that Reliance is not a groundbreaking album by any stretch. Soen are not reinventing metal here, nor are they redefining themselves. Like a well-trained chef, they start with a thoughtfully crafted base, set it ablaze in order to reduce it to its essentials, and then build on that. Soen’s genius is not in their considerable technical ability or in the opulent arrangements they could easily master but opt to forgo. Nah, their genius lies in how they take that mountain of musical mastery and reduce it to a molehill without sacrificing its mass. If progressive metal at large is a meticulously choreographed Wushu sequence, then Soen is the musical equivalent of a one-inch punch.

Release Date: January 16th, 2026
Record Label: Silver Lining Music
Genre: Progressive Metal

Musicians:

• Joel Ekelöf / Vocals
• Martin Lopez / Drums
• Lars Enok Åhlund / Keyboards and Guitar
• Cody Ford / Lead Guitar
• Stefan Stenberg / Bass

Reliance Tracklist:

1. Primal
2. Mercenary
3. Discordia
4. Axis
5. Huntress
6. Unbound
7. Indifferent
8. Drifter
9. Draconian
10. Vellichor

Order the album here.

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