Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen has released the official music video for “The Trace Outlives,” the third single from her upcoming album Frisson Noir, which is due June 12 via earMUSIC. Frisson Noir has been described as “the heaviest record of her career and a powerful statement of identity, strength and belonging.”

Inspired by the Japanese phenomenon of “Johatsu,” people who deliberately disappear from their lives, “The Trace Outlives” tells a story of vanishing without a trace, exploring the emotional weight of leaving one’s identity behind to start anew in anonymity, while reflecting on regret, freedom, and the invisible marks that remain even in absence. Rooted in this concept, the song also incorporates the sound of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument resembling a guitar but with a distinctly more percussive character, brought to life by the young talent Sayo Komada.

Musically, “The Trace Outlives” blends crushing heaviness with sweeping symphonic arrangements and operatic elements, staying true to the signature sound we know and love from Tarja, while elevating it to an entirely new level, making it feel like a bold and refined next chapter of her artistry.

“I was looking for a sound that would take me to Japan and found a beautiful ancient instrument that resembles a guitar, but has a more percussive sound – the shamisen, traditionally used in puppet theaters. I invited the young talent Sayo Komada to blend her art with my song,” Tarja shares.

The official music video, released alongside the single today, brings the song’s atmosphere vividly to life through a cinematic visual language, unfolding like a uniquely crafted love story shaped by tension, longing, and emotional depth. With its carefully developed narrative and striking imagery, it translates the track’s intensity into a powerful on-screen experience, merging performance and storytelling into a compelling and immersive whole.

Following the release, Turunen will embark on the international “Frisson” live tour 2026, launching Sept. 30 in Berlin.

Frisson Noir reflects Tarja‘s ongoing dialogue between cinematic orchestration, classical heritage, and the power and intensity of contemporary metal. The album moves between intimate piano passages, dramatic orchestral textures, and
powerful, guitar-driven moments.

At the center of the soundscape is Tarja‘s distinctive voice, moving effortlessly between fragile emotional expression and operatic power. Around it, orchestral arrangements, choirs, and layered instrumentation create a cinematic world that constantly shifts between darkness and light, exploring deeply human themes such as fear, beauty, nostalgia, resilience, defiance, transformation, identity, disappearance, independence, trust, and perseverance.

Across 10 tracks, Tarja delivers intensity, emotion, and strength, joined by special guest Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth), Apocalyptica, Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish), and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Mixed by GRAMMY-winning producer Neal Avron (Linkin Park, Skillet, Disturbed), the album blends a modern, hard-hitting sound with the dramatic and emotional elements that define Tarja‘s unmistakable metal identity.

The album will be available in retail as CD Digipak, Black 2LP Gatefold and Ltd. Purple 2LP Gatefold. The first pressing of all formats is finished with high-quality copper foil and logo embossing. Further exclusive formats as signed editions and a strictly limited Collectors Box Set (incl. Black 2LP Gatefold (180g) with 24-page vinyl size booklet of illustrations, photographs, and lyrics, CD Digipak with 28-page booklet, Box Set exclusive 7″ vinyl single with “I Don’t Care (Tarja Solo Version)” and “I Don’t Care (Dani Mix)”, four Box Set exclusive animal print postcards, Box Set exclusive DIN A2 Frisson Noir poster, and a fine art print signed by Tarja) will be available in the official album store.

The post TARJA TURUNEN  Shares Music Video For Heavy New Single “The Trace Outlives” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Scenius 2026 Riding the wave into gloom ‘n’ doom, Anglo-French duo deal with existential dread and drive their panic to the dancefloor. It took Fabrice Nau and Steve Whitfield some audacity to ask ‘s tour team to join him on … Continue reading →

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Down will return to North American stages this Summer for a two-week headlining tour with support provided by Helmet and Spirit In The Room! The Strap It Down tour begins in Atlanta, Georgia on August 15th and closes in Shakopee, Minnesota on September 4th with a special previously announced performance as direct support to Slayer. The journe… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

The Toronto death metal band Tomb Mold has quite a reputation for pushing the boundaries of their genre; their album The Enduring Spirit was one of our favorites of 2023. Even as that band thrives, the members of Tomb Mold have other things going on. Guitarist Derrick Vella makes dreamy, proggy, spaced-out doom as one…

The post Tomb Mold Members Announce Debut Math-Rock Album As Daydream Plus appeared first on Stereogum.

(written by Islander) Nearly 20 years into their career, which in the context of metal is akin to a geologic epoch, the Danish band Crocell prove through their latest album that they are at the peak of their powers rather than on a downhill slide. They have used their accumulated experience to create a harrowing […]

The post AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): CROCELL — “SWARM OF INSECTS” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

The long awaited tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Mandylion” finally hit Trezzo Sull’Adda on a hot summery day, in a venue that was packed to the gills with nostalgics of the band’s iconic gothic style. They were not disappointed, as they lived a magical trip down memory lane.

LIZZARD

The ones who were lucky enough to attend the supporting act’s set can testify that Lizzard were the perfect choice to warm up the crowd and introduce the dreamy atmosphere that was about to follow. The French trio, featuring the charismatic Mathieu Ricou on vocals and guitars, the energetic Katy Elwell on drums and William Knox on the bass delighted us with a sophisticated alternative rock mixed with progressive elements, achieved through clean, expressive vocals, stratified guitar loops and energetic rhythms. The 45-minutes-long show included songs from the band’s five albums, showcasing the diversity of their songwriting. 

Setlist:

1. Black Sheep
2. Blowdown
3. Blue Moon
4. Shift
5. Unity
6. Vigilent
7. The Orbiter
8. Tear Down The Sky

THE GATHERING

After 18 years since talented von Giersbergen left the band, old fans of the Dutch rock band could finally see the original lineup on stage, and with the best possible outcome. The dive into the past began with “Mandylion“, the title track, that quickly merged with the popular “Eléanor“, setting the pace for a glorious show. Graphical, hypnotic videos on the background enriched an immersive experience guided by the singer’s enchanting voice, who didn’t age a bit and sounded even more fresh and captivating on every passage, especially on “Fear of the Sea” and “In Motion #1“. The memorable keyboards by Frank Boeijen, the strong guitar riffs of René Rutten and the solid bass lines performed by Hugo Prinsen Geerligs recreated the perfect 90s doom sound that stands the test of time and that can be enjoyed even by new fans. The second guitarist, Jelmer Wiersma, took part in all “Mandylion’”s tracks and “On Most Surfaces“, “Analog Park” and the beloved “Saturnine” that made up the encore together with “Travel“. The star of the whole show was of course Anneke, who was visibly emotional in seeing the crowd happily joining her in singing the airy, melancholic vocal lines, and who jumped and headbang like in the old times, especially on the last songs.

Listening live to a band that has been around for some decades, two things stand out the most: the authenticity and the genuine interest in experimenting for the sake of art in itself. How many bands can explore multiple universes in a single song like The Gathering, nowadays? Is it just a feeling of us aging Millennials and Gen X music lovers, or a product of how society evolved through consumerism and social media? We will probably never know, but we can always be thankful for the masterpieces from the past that we are still allowed to appreciate, even more when they’re impeccably performed live.

Setlist:

1. Mandylion
2. Eléanor
3. From the Sea
4. In Motion #1
5. On Most Surfaces (Inuït)
6. Broken Glass
7. Waking Hour
8. Probably Built in the Fifties
9. Analog Park
10. In Motion #2
11. Leaves
12. Sand and Mercury
13. Strange Machines

Encore: 

14. Travel
15. Saturnine

The post The Gathering arrive in Italy to celebrate the anniversary of “Mandilyon” – live report of their show in Milan first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

Posted on May 27th 2026, 5:09p.m.

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In April 1979, New York punk-scene weirdos the Cramps played at a Washington, DC venue called the LBJ Club, and that must’ve been some show. The Cramps hadn’t released their debut album yet, but they were already pioneering a gothy, theatrical, knowingly kitschy take on rockabilly. The crowd was full of teenagers like young Ian MacKaye and young Henry Garfield, and they were inspired by what they saw. Pretty soon afterwards, MacKaye started his band Teen Idles, and Garfield started his band State Of Alert. Those bands didn’t last long, but then MacKaye formed Minor Threat, while Garfield changed his name to Henry Rollins and became the longest-tenured singer of Black Flag. The DC punk scene evolved a sound that had basically nothing in common with the Cramps, but that show was a major early flashpoint that’s since been acclaimed in about a million scene histories.

The post Ian MacKaye & Henry Rollins Releasing Shelved 1977 Cramps Album Produced By Alex Chilton appeared first on Stereogum.