Internationally acclaimed guitarist, composer, and Firewind mastermind, Gus G., has released his fifth solo album, "Steel Burner." Marking his first solo offering in five years, the record delivers a blistering fusion of modern instrumental metal and carefully curated vocal collaborations with some of heavy music’s most legendary voices. To hera… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

The German metal label Reaper Entertainment is thrilled to announce the signing of Finnish melodic death metal powerhouse Wolfheart. Led by mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen, the band has entered a worldwide agreement for their upcoming releases and will now be part of the growing Reaper family. Since their formation in 2013, WOLFHEART has established itself as a major force in melodic death […]

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In the past few years, the 19-year-old Atlanta rapper Che has emerged at the forefront of the post-Playboi Carti rage-rap wave. He does the fried, chaotic bleepy-staticy thing better than pretty much anyone else, and he finds room for tiny, achy melodies in the midst of all his noise. In 2025, Che made it onto…

The post Che – “Tell U Sum” & “Nosferatu” appeared first on Stereogum.

Rostam officially announced his new album American Stories a little over a month ago. It’s coming out at the beginning of May. He shared the lead single “Like A Spark,” and today he’s back with the follow-up single “Back Of A Truck.” It comes with beautiful video directed by Antony Muse, starring Milo Cassidy and…

The post Rostam – “Back Of A Truck” appeared first on Stereogum.

For years, Scottish outfit Cnoc An Tursa lurked along the periphery of my awareness. I liked the few songs I’d heard, and I frequently saw them referenced while exploring similar artists. Yet their lack of output kept me at a distance; as I expanded my taste for folk metal, I didn’t want to fall in love with a band that had little to no appetite to get in the studio.¹ For Cnoc An Tursa, you can lay aside your concerns, because they’re back after a nine-year wait to unveil third full-length A Cry for the Slain. This new opus perpetuates what Cnoc An Tursa has been doing since the band formed twenty years ago—writing blackened folk bangers fraught with grace, passion, and depth. After a prolonged absence, though, it becomes more and more difficult to bounce back if expectations outpace reality’s limitations. So, given the intervening years, does A Cry for the Slain elicit tears of joy or sorrow?

On A Cry for the Slain, Cnoc An Tursa draws upon the soundscapes of both their prior albums to hatch an experience that exists somewhere between them. Debut The Giants of Auld introduced the world to Cnoc An Tursa‘s distinctive Highland hijinx, melding rousing orchestrations with meloblack might. Of their two previous albums, A Cry for the Slain shares more in common with The Giants of Auld, harkening to the debut’s more direct songwriting than The Forty Five’s melancholic, key-drenched atmospheres. The Forty Five’s solemnity persists on A Cry for the Slain, but its application rings bittersweet as triumphant melodies dance between wistful choirs and forlorn evocations. While all three albums sound unmistakably like them, their latest takes earlier victories and forges them together into Cnoc An Tursa’s best album to date.

Throughout A Cry for the Slain, Cnoc An Tursa fuses ethereal majesty with blackened stylings and traditional melodies to create a gorgeous folk metal tapestry. The band’s allure lies with their finesse as they conjure captivating and earnest music, and the more I spin A Cry for the Slain, the more I appreciate its stark and stunning beauty. Crashing waves and reverb-laden guitars set the tone within the first track, “Na for Ghorma.” The mournful female vocals crescendo into an inevitable trudge that releases into furious trems and grating rasps on follow-up “The Caoineag.” Cnoc An Tursa consistently pits black metal acerbity against contemplative sorrow, deftly wending between complex atmospheres and emotions. This is perhaps best demonstrated on tracks “Baobhan Sith”² and “Alba in My Heart,” where Cnoc An Tursa expertly controls song dynamics and tension with peaks and valleys in volume and pathos. Also, I’d be remiss not to mention my favorite track “Am Fear Liath Mòr,” which boasts an otherworldly quality and dextrous melodic leads that simultaneously remind me of “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Iron Maiden, and Black Cross Hotel, yet still undeniably sounds like Cnoc An Tursa.

Despite succeeding on so many fronts, A Cry for the Slain flounders on penultimate track “Address to the Devil.” To be fair, it mostly falls victim to the heights of the preceding tracks, which all possess strong identities and exemplary writing. Comparatively, “Address to the Devil” stands out as missing the same soul. It starts promisingly enough, with frenzied tremolos lashing against scathing vocals, but from there the pace decelerates to a deliberate march. Soon enough, the song strips back to a twinkling synth and fabulous bass noodling, providing a solid core that ultimately lacks purpose or a melodic through-line to bring everything together.³ Besides “Address to the Devil,” I have no material complaints. The production and mix are smart and balanced, the forty-four-minute runtime is just right, and A Cry for the Slain’s replayability is relentless.

Cnoc An Tursa breaks their nine-year silence with a bang, and fans of their work should be pleased with A Cry for the Slain. As a newer convert, I’m disappointed I didn’t make the time to discover them earlier, but visiting their prior albums along with the new one has brought me immense, befolkened joy. I hope we don’t have to wait as long for their next outing, but until then, I’m content listening to A Cry for the Slain, knowing that time hasn’t dulled their ability to Cnoc one out of the park.

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Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026

The post Cnoc An Tursa – A Cry for the Slain Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

The name of their newly announced tour may evoke the winter months, but Finnish epic power metal band Ensiferum‘s ‘The Winter Storm Over North America’ is taking place this September. Juuust a little shy of winter, guys.

Set to play American and Canadian venues over a two-week span, the tour will kick off during ProgPower USA in Atlanta on September 9. The whole shebang will come to an end on September 27 in Seattle. Between those dates, they’ll hit venues in Pittsburgh, Calgary, and Vancouver, just to name a few stops. Coming along for the ride will be Firewind.

With their eyes on the coming tour, Ensiferum said they were excited to return to our neck of the woods.

“We are very excited to come back to North America for this tour with Firewind in September. We’ll bring the Winter Storm on the stages! See you guys in the pit!”

The full list of tour dates can be found below. Be sure to check those out, see when they’re playing at a venue near you, and get your tickets today.

ENSIFERUM Tour Dates
w/ Firewind

9/09/2026 ProgPower USA – Atlanta, GA
9/11/2026 Exit/In – Nashville, TN
9/12/2026 Century Music Hall – Fort Wayne, IN
9/13/2026 Thunderbird Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA
9/14/2026 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
9/16/2026 The Roxy @ Mahalls – Cleveland, OH
9/17/2026 Blades Of Steel – Madison, WI
9/18/2026 Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
9/20/2026 Park Theatre – Winnipeg, MB
9/22/2026 Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB
9/23/2026 Arrowhead – Calgary, AB
9/25/2026 Wise Hall – Vancouver, BC
9/26/2026 Hawthorne – Portland, OR
9/27/2026 El Corazon – Seattle, WA

The post Ensiferum Announce ‘The Winter Storm Over North America’ Tour appeared first on MetalSucks.

Greetings, Decibel readers!

It’s an important day for metal, as we’re given the last At the Gates album featuring Tomas Lindberg. Lots to say about that below. But it’s also a day to be grateful for the other releases on this list, especially if you want to hear the future of the melodic death metal as well (scroll to the bottom).

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At the Gates – The Ghost of a Future Dead

The end of life has its own soundtrack for every person, but there’s a tempo that’s common for a certain set of people. As the force of existence reaches its final ebb, some individuals experience a last renaissance. For some, this comes as an explosion of social activity or family gatherings, while others crack open a hidden bottle of creativity and defiance. Although Tomas Lindberg must have gone into his cancer treatment with hopes of remission and recovery, his contributions to this excellent album mark a fitting tribute to his life’s work with At the Gates (and Skitsystem, Disfear, and so many others). At the Gates is a top-tier favorite band of mine, across all styles of music. And I think most fans will agree with me that, even absent the context of its production, The Ghost of a Future Dead is a real triumph.

The post-reunion albums have all had their moments, perhaps three or four songs that stand among the classics of the 1990s. But as an end-to-end listening experience, this album is the best of the bunch. The songwriting is tight, like on At War With Reality, but the hooks are more memorable and varied. The sound has a contemplative and mature character, like that on To Drink from the Night Itself and The Nightmare of Being, but it’s more focused and doesn’t go on as many reflective tangents. In other words, it hits with the thrashy, melodic force of Slaughter of the Soul, but is still haunted by the ghost of the early records.

Oh, and speaking of those early records, next month, Peaceville will be issuing remastered versions of The Red in the Sky is Ours, With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness and Terminal Spirit Disease — a real treat for longtime fans, and long overdue (especially in the case of the first album).

Stream: Apple Music

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Demon Spell – Blessed be the Dark

Yes, Demon Spell openly play a style that’s derivative of Mercyful Fate. No, I don’t care — because it’s so cool. Plus, you can tell when comparing this to Evil Nights that the band is beginning to come into their own in terms of songwriting, which makes them a band to watch closely in the coming years. This many years into its lifespan, it’s hard to conjure originality in metal right from the jump. So I think Demon Spell is onto something in directly borrowing from a legacy style and pushing forward from there.

Stream: Apple Music

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Drouth and Nixil – Toward Dead Temples

Dark and violent split from two purveyors of iconoclastic despair. Nixil brings more of a moody atmosphere, while Drouth brings the storm with a powerful surge of death metal thunder.

Stream: Apple Music

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Pig’s Blood – Destroying the Spirit

An uncompromising, bestial blackened death metal assault. Don’t get the wrong idea from that description, though. Once you get a few songs in, it’s clear these guys have a dynamism to their sound that’s absent from many similar acts. Also, none of the song titles reference goats. That already sets them apart. The riffs help too.

Stream: Apple Music

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Volcandra – Beyond the Will of Mortals

Every once in awhile, you see a band at a smaller venue that immediately makes you think, “These guys should be huge!” That was definitely the case when I saw Volcandra last year with Saidan and Viserion. They’re the kind of band that brings an epic, theatrical flair to their music while still retaining an immediate and brutal edge. Required listening for fans of melodic blackened death metal and early Black Dahlia Murder, but also for devotees of bands like Windir, Kampfar and Falkenbach.

Stream: Apple Music

The post Five For Friday: April 24, 2026 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

The battle cry has been sounded. Finnish folk metal titans Ensiferum have officially announced their return to North American shores for the “Winter Storm Over North America 2026” tour. Set to kick off this September, the trek promises a massive display of melodic death metal and heroic anthems. Joining the horde as direct support is Firewind, the power metal powerhouse led by legendary Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., world-renowned for his tenure as Ozzy Osbourne’s right-hand man.

This tour marks a major milestone for Ensiferum as they continue to dominate in support of their critically acclaimed concept album, Winter Storm.

You can get your tickets at this location.

The “Winter Storm” Legacy: A Pandemic-Forged Concept

Winter Storm, released via Metal Blade Records, represents a bold creative leap for the band. Much of the album’s architecture was built during the global COVID-119 lockdowns, a period that bassist Sami Hinkka described as a “kick in the balls” following the momentum of their previous record. Despite the challenges—including band members taking on day jobs to survive the hiatus—founding guitarist Markus Toivonen and Hinkka successfully crafted a fantasy narrative that pushed the band’s sound into grandiose new territory.

A centerpiece of the current Ensiferum era is the vocal prowess of singer/organist Pekka Montin. His soaring, crystal-clear high notes have become the perfect foil to the band’s traditional grit, with many critics labeling him one of the greatest vocal discoveries of the decade. Produced by Janne Joutsenniemi and mastered by the legendary Jens Bogren, the Winter Storm material is designed for the stage, featuring complex orchestrations and guest appearances that the band is eager to translate into a live environment.

We Also Recommend – Best Power Metal Bands: Ranking the 13 Greatest Titans Who Define the Genre [2026 Update]

Gus G. and the Firewind Factor

The addition of Firewind makes this one of the most technically proficient double-bills of the 2026 season. Gus G. remains one of the most respected figures in the guitar community, and Firewind’s brand of high-octane power metal is the ideal catalyst to prime the crowd for Ensiferum’s epic storytelling. Apart from the opening night at ProgPower USA, Firewind will be present for the entirety of the North American run.

Tickets for all dates officially go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10 a.m. local time.

“Winter Storm Over North America 2026” Tour Dates:

• Sep. 09: Atlanta, GA (ProgPower USA XXV) *
• Sep. 11: Nashville, TN
• Sep. 12: Fort Wayne, IN
• Sep. 13: Pittsburgh, PA
• Sep. 14: Detroit, MI
• Sep. 16: Cleveland, OH
• Sep. 17: Madison, WI (Blades of Steel)
• Sep. 18: Des Moines, IA
• Sep. 20: Winnipeg, MB
• Sep. 22: Edmonton, AB
• Sep. 23: Calgary, AB
• Sep. 25: Vancouver, BC
• Sep. 26: Portland, OR
• Sep. 27: Seattle, WA *Ensiferum only

Check This Out – 13 Perfect Metal Albums With Zero Skips

To stay locked into the latest tour updates, ticket giveaways, and exclusive interviews with the biggest names in metal, make sure you tune into the Loaded Radio live stream and subscribe to the Loaded Radio Podcast.

TL;DR:

Finnish folk metal leaders Ensiferum have announced a September 2026 North American tour dubbed “Winter Storm Over North America.” Support will come from Gus G.’s Firewind on all dates except the tour opener at ProgPower USA. The tour supports Ensiferum’s 2024 conceptual masterpiece Winter Storm, with tickets going on sale April 24th.

The post Folk Metal Fury: Ensiferum Announces “Winter Storm Over North America 2026” Tour with Firewind appeared first on Loaded Radio.

The post Apotropaic: The Secret Language of Walls and the Architecture of Fear appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.

Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest returns to Denver for its fifth round, tapping the Fillmore Auditorium as home of the world’s loudest, heaviest, most extreme craft beer festival on Friday and Saturday, December 4-5, 2026.

Southern doom supergroup Down make their first Denver appearance in over 12 years to headline Saturday night (December 5), while crossover thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies will unleash their first Denver headline performance in over eight years on Friday night (December 4).

The full band and brewery lineup will be revealed in the coming months, but 2-day and 3-day “Early Bird” passes—which include admittance to a special Pre-Fest at Ratio Beerworks (Larimer Street location) on December 3—are on sale now!

TWO-DAY TICKETS
THREE-DAY TICKETS (INCLUDES PRE-FEST)

“Just Metal” Ticket (21+)

Admittance to the day’s event, but as the name suggests, you just get to see the show—no beer samples.

“Metal & Beer” Ticket (21+)

Admittance to the day’s event plus unlimited* sampling from our diverse lineup of breweries presented by 3 Floyds Brewing. Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver 2026 sampling cups provided.

Limited tickets are also still available for next weekend’s Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly on May 2-3 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, featuring the return of Power Trip, special sets from Municipal Waste (The Art of Partying), Cryptopsy (None So Vile) and Cro-Mags (The Age of Quarrel) as well as killer performances from Kylesa, Necrot, Spirit Adrift and more! Daily lineups and all ticket option details for Metal & Beer Fest Philly 2026 can be found below:

MAY 2 TICKETS
MAY 3 TICKETS
TWO-DAY TICKETS

MAY 2
Municipal Waste (special The Art of Partying set)
Cro-Mags (special The Age of Quarrel set)
Kylesa
Haggus
No/Más

MAY 3
Power Trip
Cryptopsy (special None So Vile set)
Necrot
Spirit Adrift
Blood Monolith 

The post ON SALE NOW 🍻 Early Bird Tickets to Metal & Beer Fest: Denver 2026 ft. DOWN & SUICIDAL TENDENCIES! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.