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Forge Again Records is proud to announce the long-awaited vinyl debut of Fig Dish‘s 1997 cult classic When Shove Goes Back

Todd Rundgren will play live dates in London, Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow in September

We head inside the Thai metal scene via the country’s biggest rock festival, Rock Alarm. Our hosts? Bangkok metalcore crew Defying Decay

Posted on May 5th 2026, 12:00p.m.

French melodic heavy/power metal band Kingcrown return with “Lost Horizon“, the first single taken from their forthcoming album “Moonfall“, due for release on September 4th, 2026, via Rockshots […]

The post France’s KINGCROWN Unveils Single “Lost Horizon” From New Album “Moonfall” Out Sept 2026 appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Australia’s RATSALAD release their brand new song “North West Coastal Highway” paving the way for the highly anticipated

If these Danes had their way, the entrance to Valhalla would greet the deceased with the sounds of bagpipes, tin whistles, violins, and, of course, your standard heavy metal instruments. Vansind has been marrying Viking metal with folk instruments since 2019. While it took them four years to release their debut, Mørket, they released singles and an EP in trickles while showing off their stuff live. Now, 2026 sees them return with a vengeance on Hævnen. I mean that semantically rather than literally—hævnen is the Danish word for revenge, and Vansind seeks to explore “themes of revenge, betrayal, freedom, and sacrifice.”¹ So put on your best Viking garb and pour yourself a heaping cup of mead as we check out what these Danes have to offer.

Take the melodic death metal of Amon Amarth and mix it with the energetic folk of Finntroll, and you’ve got a good base for Vansind. Despite the darker subject matter at hand, Hævnen is a much more upbeat sort of Viking metal than the likes of Bathory or Thyrfing—in fact, it’s much closer in style to symphonic power metal. Songs follow formulaic structures with catchy choruses and tons of hooks. Vansind has a little Coronatus in them, and their blend of beauty and beast style vocalists bears comparisons to Epica. J. Asgaard takes on the role of the beast, with death growls reminiscent of Amon Amarth’s Johann Hegg, and he allows enough melody to permeate his performance to create a compelling presence. Line Burglin, as Asgaard’s foil, has an uplifting, folky lilt and practically steals the show. Just listening to her part on the showstopping opener “Det Største Offer,” as she accompanies an inspired tin whistle, is pure bliss. Then on “Alvild,” while Asgaard’s growls portend darkness, Burglin’s catchy chorus transports you to a happier place. When Hævnen ends on the lower energy “Skæbnens Tunge Vej,” it’s thanks to her that the track doesn’t feel out of place.

Due to their adherence to unique folk instruments, Vansind has a distinct sound. And boy do they have hooks: guitar hooks, bagpipe hooks, tin whistle hooks, vocal hooks, right hooks, left—whoops! Wrong sport. The promo credits Rikke Klint Johansen with the bulk of the folk stuff, namely bagpipes, tin whistles, and keyboards. She does a commendable job of making those instruments some of the most memorable parts on Hævnen. The whistle in particular, plays a surprisingly prominent role. Along with the opening song, Johansen performs some catchy whistle parts on “Blodhævn” and “Det Sidste Nådeskys.” She’s also excellent on the bagpipes, with some great moments on “Alvild,” “I Yggdrasils Skygge,” and the finale.² And, of course, the heavy metal parts are no slouch either. Danni Jelsgaard’s work on the kit provides a huge boost of energy that never wavers until the final tune. Kirk Backarach and Nikolaj Madsen both play some enjoyable melodic leads (“Det Største Offer,” “Blodhævn,” “Truslen Fra Dybet”) and a nice solo on “Alvild.” Instrumentally, there’s no weak link.

Though tons of fun, Hævnen lacks the edge and daring to really push it into great territory. One issue is Asgaard’s vocals. While overall an enjoyable performance, they feel too polished, monotonous, and lacking in power. Some extra volume and depth from his growls would have helped the tracks carry more weight, but either Asgaard or the mixing falls short. While the formulaic nature of the music serves to highlight the hooks, it also means Vansind plays things a little too safe. Some might also take issue with the song lengths, which mostly run at 5+ minutes. “Det Største Offer,” for example, is the longest at nine minutes, but I personally never felt bothered by this. When the hooks are as great as they are here, it’s tough to complain about repetitive formulas or songs running a little longer than usual.

Vansind have put out an incredibly fun piece of folk metal. “Det Største Offer” currently sits atop my song o’ the year list, and it’s going to be a tough one to top. While the rest of Hævnen doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of that opener, there are plenty of other bangers throughout. This fun sophomore outing instills lots of hope for what Vansind can offer in the future. While the halls of Valhalla promise plenty of ecstasies for warriors slain in battle, Hævnen serves as an adequate substitute for the rest of us, especially alongside a generous helping of mead.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Mighty Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 1st, 2026

The post Vansind – Hævnen Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Posted on May 5th 2026, 11:34a.m.

Marking three decades as one of rock‘s most enduring and beloved bands, BUSH release a more intimate version of “Swallowed.” First

Texas dreamcore heavyweights Colorblind have revealed the details of their highly anticipated debut full-length album.

The album is called ‘Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold’, and will arrive on August 28 via Solid State Records.

It will include the band’s freshly dropped single ‘Pressure’, which is a wicked encapsulation of their atmospheric and visceral sound.

Speaking on the new single, vocalist Travis Moseley has shared:

“Pressure is about the weight of your own mind crushing you from the inside out. This was one of the first songs made for the record. I was really feeling the pressure of signing my first record deal, making my first album, and it was all coming to a head. I’m so grateful to have all of this pressure in my life.”

Take a listen below.

Check out the artwork and tracklisting for ‘Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold’ below.

1) Pressure
2) Car Crash
3) Needle Eye 
4) Chemical Warfare
5) Letdown
6) Misery Loves Company
7) Incomplete
8) Royal Blood
9) Neversleep
10) The Countdown
11) God Complex
12) Lost In Translation
13) Heavy Heart
14) Paradox
15) Cynical

As you can see, there are a whole bunch of previously released tracks making the cut.

If you need a reminder of just why Colorblind have blown up so quickly, take a listen to the triumphant ‘Neversleep’ and ‘Needle Eye’ below.

The post Colorblind Announce Debut Album ‘Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold’ appeared first on Rock Sound.