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.
Good evening, Ross. Congratulations on your latest release, The Blood and the Blues. How has the reception been so far?
Ross – Thank you kindly. It’s been good so far. I feel like my music is slow-burning. It may take time to resonate with the right audiences, but when it does, it’s potent. It sits in an in-between place between Blues audiences and fans of darker types of music. The lyrical content can be heavy, uncomfortable at times. It’s art. This makes it slightly niche, I guess. It’s not for everyone, and I am at peace with that. People have come back to my shows, bought the album, and I’m seeing audiences build up all over the UK, so clearly something is working.
The album was released in November, providing listeners with a few months to engage with it. Could you elaborate on how the album will connect with your forthcoming UK tour?
Ross – The overarching motif of my whole creative process at the moment is called The Dark Blues Revival. It’s a phrase I coined to make sense of the collective idea behind my music and how I see it in culture. At face value, it’s about my music having a darker edge—that was the birth of the idea. But it’s grown to encompass the way the music is created, the album itself, and my work both before and after it. I think some of the danger and depth that once defined blues music has been softened over time, and this is my way of pushing back against that. It’s an old-school attitude: live shows, real instruments, human connection. As it unfolds, it’s becoming a deeper artistic identity that takes different forms of expression and connection.
The UK tour starts on February 7th in Kingston upon Thames and finishes in late March in Stoke-on-Trent after several stops across England. What should fans expect?
Ross – Fans can expect an honest, immersive live experience. These shows are about serving the room—dynamic performances that range from stripped-back and intimate to heavy, raw, and full-band where appropriate. The songs from The Blood and the Blues really come alive on stage, often taking on a different energy to the recorded versions. There’s a strong emphasis on atmosphere, storytelling, and connection. No two shows are exactly the same, and that’s a good thing.
What excites you most about performing at venues in England?
Ross – As I’ve said often when this question comes up, performing in the UK is a privilege for me. It’s been tough, don’t get me wrong. The music industry is not an easy place to build a career, never mind from scratch while raising a family. But it’s literally a dream come true. When I travel through the UK to all these cities and venues, I remind myself of being 15 years old, not knowing how I would ever be in the position I’m in now, and I feel deeply grateful. The UK has contributed so much to global culture, and to be part of that heritage—and even its progression today—is a huge deal for me.
You visited England a few years ago, supporting Jack Hutchinson and Dan Patlansky. How did that experience prepare you for British audiences?
Ross – Just to clarify, I had already been working professionally in music in South Africa, but relocating to the UK allowed me to do those shows with Dan, and later Jack. Support slots are a great way to get properly embedded in the industry and start gaining experience here. Both Dan and Jack are phenomenal artists, so it was incredible to share the stage with them and introduce my music to British audiences. It gave me a footing in the industry, showed me that UK audiences are genuinely receptive to my music, and gave me the confidence that what I set out to do had real potential.
Will there be support bands, or will Ross Harding and the Dark Blues perform alone?
Ross – It will be a bit of both, depending on the show. I’m very much about building community and supporting other artists.
Can you share details about your career and how you got started as a musician and singer?
Ross – Music has been a central part of my life from a young age. I started playing guitar at 11 and was immediately drawn into a wide range of influences—from grunge and metal to classical and progressive music. I always knew I wanted to be a musician, even before I had a clear idea of what that would look like.
I built a professional career in South Africa, working across different projects and developing my sound through constant live performance. While that scene shaped me, I eventually reached a point where I knew that, to grow further and build something on a larger scale, I needed to move abroad. The Blues and rock scene there is small, and I wanted to test my work in a more demanding and expansive environment.
Relocating to the UK marked a major turning point. It was a conscious decision to commit fully to this career long-term, refine my artistic identity, and place my music in a cultural context that continues to challenge and inspire me. The Blood and the Blues is described as a modern blues album inspired by Americana, electric blues, and bands like The Black Keys. What influenced your music career?
Ross – That description isn’t entirely accurate. The most direct way to describe how my sound evolved is as a mix of my childhood and teenage influences, and later, the Blues greats. Growing up, I had a very eclectic taste in music—everything from grunge and extreme metal to classical. While the album may share some similarities with Americana-adjacent music, I’ve never really been into that style. The Blues came into my life in my late teens and early twenties, and I see myself as an interpreter of that art form rather than a traditionalist. My background and influences sit outside of the Blues, and that’s what gives my music its own character. I think not growing up immersed in Blues has allowed me to approach it from a different angle.
And finally, what instruments will you be using for the upcoming tour?
Ross – For the solo Dark Echoes shows, I use two Yamaha acoustic guitars running through an old Boss looper pedal and a lot of effects. That’s become my signature solo sound. It’s definitely not “unplugged”—it’s far more layered, atmospheric, and full.
The Dark Blues Band is essentially a trio. I use a Les Paul Custom-style Tokai, an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, a heavily modified black Epiphone Dot, and my two Yamaha acoustics, depending on the venue and the atmosphere of the show. I almost exclusively use my Marshall Origin 50 head and cab, and very occasionally a Kemper head with a Marshall Plexi profile.
For further reading on Ross Harding’s upcoming UK tour, Please visit the link below
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
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.
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 Murderwill be touring in support of their critically acclaimed tenth studio album, Servitude, released in 2024 via Metal Blade Records.
The heavy metal visionaries collectively known as Avatar — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer JohnAlfredsson — 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
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
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*
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
The best female death metal singers might be among the most underrated figures in the genre. While death metal as a whole can be niche, female vocalists have an even harder time getting decent exposure. Therefore, it is not surprising to see a lot of people not familiar with some of the best in the game and what they bring to the table.
All the best female death metal singers also stand out because of their bands’ quality. They complement the extreme focus on the music with an intensity, a gusto, that makes this subgenre so appealing. Moreover, most of them have been releasing quality albums after quality albums for a while now. Furthermore, it is worth pointing out that this list is entirely subjective. If any singer is missing, please don’t take this personally. Let’s begin.
1. Angela Gossow
Gossow on stage.
There is a strong argument to be made that Angela Gossow is the most famous individual among the best female death metal singers. She became Arch Enemy‘s vocalist back in 2000 and started with the band on their 2001 record, “Wages of Sin“, which is a modern classic. Born in Germany and having a background in marketing, Gossow had been trying her luck with several bands until making it with Arch Enemy, becoming a symbol of the band.
Moreover, there are a lot of people who consider her time as the group’s singer as its peak. It is when Arch Enemy‘s brand of melodic death metal reached a considerable peak and her harsh and potent vocals were at the forefront. The fact that she then became the band’s manager only adds to the legacy she has provided for women in extreme metal.
“People wouldn’t buy a record because I’m a woman,”Gossow said to Metal Bite back in 2002. “I mean, they still have to like the music and still have to think the music is good. If somebody gets interested in Arch Enemy because they see a cover or a story with me and wouldn’t have checked out the music before, nothing is bad about this. So, I guess women are still very seldom or kind of rare in the metal scene anyway, so I guess this attracts people.”
2. Rae Amitay
Amitay while playing drums.
Rae Amitay might stand out among the best female death metal singers in the sense that she is also a great drummer. However, during her time in music, mainly with the band Immortal Bird, she is usually focusing on the mic. In that regard, her singing style takes some major influences from black metal, giving the band some of that subgenre as well.
Moreover, Immortal Bird as a whole stands out because of the technical and complex playing style they have. If you are looking for a band that has an ambitious sound, this group is the one for you.
“Is it cool to get behind the kit again live and kind of do that in this setting? Yeah, I missed it,”Amitay said to New Noise Magazine in 2024 about her playing drums again. “In Immortal Bird, I kind of passed the drumming reins over to Matt and his predecessor, Garry Naples, before that because the drumming got very, very, very athletic and technical. And I really love and admire that kind of playing, but I’m just not great at it. It’s not my strong suit.“
“Immortal Bird stopped being a drum thing for me, but I missed playing. And yeah, I hadn’t played live drums in a band since I was with Eight Bells. I’ve been a drum teacher for the last five-ish years, so my love for the instrument has only grown, and I’ve missed playing in a band. So Wretched Blessing was a perfect outlet because we are in complete control over what the drums and the vocals are.”
She also has the project Wretched Blessing, which has a technical deathcore approach, if you are into that. While this band has also released a coupled of EPs, you can listen to Amitay‘s singing and drumming, which is always a joy.
3. Mallika Sundaramurthy
Sundaramurthy these days.
Mallika Sundaramurthy is a busy lady. She is not only one of the best female death metal singers, but also a graphic artist in the video game industry. Moreover, she also runs with her husband the label Ultimate Massacre Productions. It is safe to say that she keeps herself busy while also screaming her head off with her bands.
While she has played with several groups, she is mostly known for her time with the now-defunct Abnormality. This group combined death metal with technical, progressive influences, with her vocals on the more guttural side of things.
“If people have their low expectations, that’s their problem, and if those low expectations are blown out of the water, well… then good,” she said to No Clean Singing in 2016 regarding the expectations people may have with Abnormality. “I’m not concerned with that. We are 100% focused on writing and performing the best extreme and technical brutal music that we can.
She is now a part of the band Emasculator, which plays brutal death metal. While they have only released one EP, 2024’s “The Disfigured and the Divine“, they also deserve your attention.
4. Rachel Aspe
Aspe these days.
Rachel Aspe is a fun case among the best female death metal singers. She went viral in 2012 because of her performance singing Sybreed‘s “Emma-0” in the French television show “Incroyable Talent”. Ever since, she has been singing for several bands in her home country, France, including experimental group Eths from 2013 to 2016.
She is currently singing for the band Cage Fight, with her harsh, aggressive vocals standing out. It is safe to say that she is yet to lose a drop of intensity, which has been a constant throughout her career.
“Yeah, I’m exhausted after a gig,” she said to Invisible Oranges regarding her live performances back in 2022. “I’m drained. And this is what I want. I really need this, this is really saving me. When I was in another band for five years, that was keeping everything for me. It was very difficult. But this is really the way I feel strong on stage. I feel like I just give everything and if I don’t have this, it’s just very bad.”
5. Alissa White-Gluz
White-Gluz on stage.
Alissa White-Gluz had a huge challenge in 2013, which was replacing Angela Gossow as Arch Enemy‘s vocalist. However, while she had to win over the fans at the time, she has become not only one of the best female death metal singers, but also one of the biggest names in the genre in recent history. This has also included collaborations with the likes of Tarja Turunen, Angra, Kamelot, Helloween, and many more.
Her singing style, harsh and aggressive, adapted to the material of Arch Enemy, but she is also capable of a more melodic approach. Add to that her stage performances and charisma and you have someone who has had a massive impact on modern death metal as a whole.
“One thing I’ve mastered over the years, also because it’s part of my character already, is not being super-interested in the fame side of things,”White-Gluz said to Metal Hammer back in 2020. “I feel the same playing a huge festival as I did when I played my first show to three people in a bar in Montreal. I just wanted to sound good, look good and for these people to be our fans and go tell their friends so we have more fans next time.
6. Madison Marshall
Marshall on stage.
Madison Marshall might be one of the most underrated names when it comes to the best female death metal singers. She has been going strong with the band Cloud Rat since 2009, playing a brand of the subgenre with strong grindcore influences.
Furthermore, she has contributed to a wide variety of bands, such as Cabbage Heads, Immaculate Conception, The Gulags, and Wild Shape. But there is no denying that Cloud Rat has been her most notorious project thus far. If you want to give that band a chance, the debut, 2013’s “Moksha“, is a good starting point.
7. Larissa Stupar
Stupar is another notorious singer.
Larissa Stupar became known across the extreme metal landscape thanks to her band, Venom Prison. The band focuses on playing a brand of thrash and death metal, with Stupar‘s harsh and powerful vocals being a great complement to their sound. Despite the group being currently on hold, this doesn’t mean they haven’t delivered great records since 2014, such as 2019’s “Samsara“.
“To be honest, I never had a female role model, which I really think is a shame,” Stupar said in an interview with Metal Chondria. “When I was growing up, there wasn’t that many Metal bands that I knew had women in them. The only ones were Evanescence, and they didn’t really consider them an extreme metal band (laughs). So it was for me, it was men. And I never really felt that I was any different from them.”
“For me, women and men have always been equal in my eyes. And it’s only when I started playing in bands that I realized that people don’t treat us the same, which is really a shame. And I think what we need to do, is to destroy the barriers in our heads, where we say that we’re different and that we can do things that others can, because it’s bulls… We can all do anything we want.”
The combination of fast-paced riffs and Stupar‘s aggressive vocals is a major reason why she is one of the best female death metal singers. And she definitely deserves a lot more exposure than what she already gets. Moreover, she sometimes adds some melodic interludes here and there, making her range a lot more varied as a vocalist.
8. Sharon Bascovsky
Bascovsky these days.
To talk about Sharon Bascovsky is to talk about Derkéta. Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sharon and her friends started the band back in the late 80s. Moreover, they were one of the first all-female death metal bands and had a difficult time getting exposure. Hence why they only released demos and singles during the late 80s and early 90s.
“We weren’t expecting the band to get out globally,”Bascovsky said to No Clean Singing back in 2018. “We thought it was just going to be something to share with the friends who had already known us. Then we witnessed the power of tape trading and fanzines when we started getting around 10 letters a day from around the world. The reaction was positive for the most part.”
“I remember there being somewhat of a shock as there weren’t many girls who listened to underground metal, let alone writing it. And a female doing death metal vocals was out of the ordinary. There were some letters that were nasty to us, calling us whores and acting like we were nothing but groupies. They didn’t want to give our demo the time of day because we were females, and we couldn’t understand why they were so angry about it. Thankfully there weren’t many of them and the majority accepted us into their boys club.”
When it comes to Bascovsky, her singing style as one of the best female death metal singers is guttural and powerful. One only has to listen to the band’s debut, 2012’s “In Death We Meet“, to prove this. The album itself is doom death metal with a crunchy and organic production that may appeal to old school fans.
One of the many unsung heroes when it comes to death metal as a whole. If you want some old school extreme metal to listen to, Derkéta is a very good choice.
