Longtime Danish metal outfit HateSphere announced their new album ‘Guillotine’ to be out with Scarlet Records coming October and unveiled the title track as a first taste!
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News Posts
We’re still buzzing about last weekend’s festivities at Alcatraz Festival, but no rest for the wicked with already a first 30 names confirmed for next year’s edition and early bird sales on the way since yesterday! Who are you looking for or hoping for still for the 2027 edition? Let us know in the comments!
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Finland’s black/thrash metal outfit Flame set the release date for their new album ‘Ignis Draconis Daemonicus’ on September 25th via Primitive Reaction and unveiled a first track with ‘Kaosphere’!
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Crossover thrashers Overpower sign with Curch Road Records and shared their latest single ‘Terminus’ to celebrate, just in time for next week’s show at Bloodstock Open Air!
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Texan Judiciary announces their upcoming EP ‘Stalagmite Angels’ to be out in September via Closed Casket Activities and unleashed a pummeling with the single and video ‘Wall of Skulls’!
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Thrash metal icons Forbidden announced their new self-titled album to be out in October via BLKIIBLK and unleashed a new single with ‘Psyclops’!
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Bay Area thrash legends Heathen are celebrating Iron Maiden’s 50 anniversary in style with their take on the classic ‘The Prisoner’, out now via Napalm Records!
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Brazilian extreme metal outfit NervoChaos are releasing their new album ‘Chaosmongers’ in September via Black Lion Records!
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Thrash metal powerhouse Havok announced to have signed to BLKIIBLK and shared their new single ‘Fifth Generation Warfare’!
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German heavy metal legends Accept are celebrating 50 historic years by releasing ‘Teutonic Titans 1976-2026’ with Napalm Records in September and now unveiled the re-recorded ‘Fast as a Shark’ featuring Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, Mikkey Dee and Billy Sheehan! Catch them live this summer at European festivals like Graspop and Hellsinki Metal!
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Photo Reports
Three major legends of Bay Area thrash metal are shaking the ground of festival stages in Europe during summer season 2026: METAL CHURCH, DEATH ANGEL and TESTAMENT. A package that makes the heart of each thrash metal jump, especially if you were young in the 1980s. And this package hasn’t disappointed, especially not when they took the time for a club show at Cologne’s Essigfabrik in Germany – a whole night of the finest Bay Area Thrash Metal!
One night, one band: MACHINE HEAD. The California based combo came to Ludwigsburg to take the audience on an almost 3 hrs ride through the band’s history. Robb Flynn and his fellow bandmates delivered a blasting show with stunning visuals, great sound, flames and lights. It was simply amazing and crowd followed actively with massive circle pits and a large number of crowdsurfers. A truly genuine concert experience!
33 Years after their “last” show, Belgian cult thrash outfit Dead Serious is back and played live in our own venue Asgaard with the support of Steamroller and Phoenix Rebellion! Of course we were there!
German thrash metal legends Kreator brought their massive “Krushers of the World tour” to Helsinki Ice Hall, celebrating their newest album with what stands as one of their largest stage productions ever seen in Finland. Joining them were Bay Area thrash icons Exodus, British death metal pioneers Carcass and powerviolence outfit Nails, making for an exceptionally stacked bill from top to bottom.
A night of pure thrash power in Stuttgart: NAILS, EXODUS, CARCASS and legends KREATOR delivered fire, speed and unforgettable moments on the “KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD TOUR 2026”. Dive into our full photo report and relive the chaos. This night had it all: a full arsenal: towering ghouls, fire, smoke, and a stage show as intense as the music.
“The New Flesh tour” struck down at De Vierde Zaal in Gent, and from the energetic start with Life Cycles, to the technical explosion of Revocation and the crushing intensity of Distant, to the controlled climax of Sylosis… Each band contributed in its own way to a memorable evening, hosted by Return Bookings and yours truly!
To celebrate the 20 year anniversary of their 5th album ‘Kuoleman laulukunnaat’, Mokoma, together with Koljosen Tiekiista struck down at Tavara-Asema in Tampere on Friday the 27th of March for a fantastic show.
Sylosis is currently touring Europe with Revocation, Distant and Life Cycles on “The New Flesh tour”, building anticipation for their upcoming album of the same name! We caught their show at a packed Tavastia in Helsinki and saw it was good!
Another year is over and our photographer Tom Treuten is still doing what he loves most: concert photography. Since October 2021 we’re a home for his photographic work and these are some of his personal highlights of 2025 that he hopes you’ll enjoy them as much as him, with pictures of VULVARINE, STEPFATHER FRED, ANKOR, DONOTS, WOLFMOTHER, THUNDERMOTHER, SKINDRED, TUK SMITH & THE RESTLESS HEARTS, SALTATIO MORTIS, PARKWAY DRIVE, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, MOONSHOT, MEGADETH, KISSIN’ DYNAMITE, HELLOWEEN, ENGST, GATECREEPER, ENEMY INSIDE, DISTURBED, DANKO JONES, BEAST IN BLACK, APRIL ART, EMIL BULLS, ELUVEITIE, AVANTASIA, ARCH ENEMY, AMENRA, NITA STRAUSS, and COBRA SPELL!
Metal without borders 🤘 Formosa : Fest : Finland 2025 brought together artists and cultures from Finland and Taiwan, featuring Crescent Lament, Flesh Juicer, Lost Society, Chthoni and Korpiklaani, showcasing the power of music to connect cultures!
Interviews
Today they probably played a killer show at Summer Breeze, but about a month and a half ago, a decade after our first conversation at Tuska, we met up with Stam1na for a genuine full-circle interview about creativity, longevity, Finnish metal and the passion that still drives them after eleven albums.
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Nervosa are back with ‘Slave Machine’ (out now with Napalm Records), and with it comes a band that feels stronger and more united than ever. We spoke with Helena and Hel Pyre about evolution, technology, songwriting, refusing to become slaves to modern chaos and why staying true to yourself matters more than ever.
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Before their show in Helsinki, we spoke with Josh Middleton of Sylosis about their new album ‘The New Flesh’ (out now with Nuclear Blast), the state of modern metal, and chasing that 16-year-old punch-in-the-face feeling again.
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We had a call with Ruben (guitars) and Frederik (bass) of the Belgian modern thrash band Primal Creation to talk about their latest single, the move of Frederik from roadie to active member of the band as the bassist and especially about playing at this year’s Alcatraz Festival opening La Morgue this Saturday!
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At Alcatraz last year, we met up with Timo, drummer of Temptations for the Weak after their show opening up the Swamp stage that day and talked about the festival and their music!
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We talked with June and Eemeli from Mors Subita about their new album ‘Origin of Fire’ (released recently via Out of Line Music) and how taking more time to record and working with Tue Madsen for the mixing and mastering resulted in a more organic, full sound that was aggressive with a touch of old school heavy riffing.
And we laugh about their drummer possibly regretting asking for a song with blastbeats and a fan knowing the lyrics of a new song better than Eemeli at one of their recent shows…
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A chat with the remaining members of Bodom After Midnight about their EP ‘Paint the Sky with Blood’, working with Alexi Laiho and the possible future.
We have a chat with Patrick Walch, the man behind the successful and interesting new label Noble Demon! Check out what he has to say!
A chat with the young misfits of Wake Up Frankie about their upcoming debut EP ‘Green Is The New Black’!
A video interview with Samy Elbanna from Lost Society about Nosturi, the uprising of the new generation and the (Finnish) music scene.
Lists
Forty bands. Four stages. Countless difficult choices. To help you plan your Friday at Alcatraz, we’ve picked six acts that we think are absolutely worth checking out: Igorrr, Combichrist, HEALTH, Vended, Witch Club Satan and Insanity Alert.
Agree with our picks, or did we miss one of your favourites? Let us know!
The first day of Alcatraz is no longer just about pitching your tent and grabbing your first beer.
With all four stages running from Thursday onwards, there’s plenty to discover right from the start. We’ve selected six bands we think you shouldn’t miss: Death Fury, Alestorm, Channel Zero, Imminence, Der Weg Einer Freiheit and Cyclone.
Which one is highest on your must-see list?
Saturday at Alcatraz has no shortage of Belgian talent. 🇧🇪🤘From the progressive soundscapes of Psychonaut and the unstoppable rise of Mantah to the chaos of Brutal Sphincter, the crushing grooves of Your Highness, the intensity of Divided, Ronker and Poseydon, there’s plenty of homegrown metal waiting to be discovered. Find out why each of these Belgian bands deserves a spot on your Saturday schedule. Who are you looking forward to seeing at the festival?
Our Support Your Locals series continues! Friday at Alcatraz is packed with Belgian talent, from hometown heroes Amenra to exciting newcomers making their debut at the event, cult comebacks, anniversary celebrations and everything in between with A Thousand Sufferings, Cowboys & Aliens, Dead Serious, Hope As A Weapon, Hope Erodes, Modder, Sons Of Lioth and Temptations For The Weak. Here’s why these nine Belgian bands deserve a place on your Friday schedule! Who are you looking forward to seeing live?
In the first part of our annual Support Your Locals at Alcatraz series, we take a closer look at Thursday’s Belgian bands, from legends like Channel Zero, Cyclone and Enthroned to exciting names such as Aeveris and Death Fury. Which Belgian act are you looking forward to seeing most?
Sure, the lineup is stacked. But if you ask us, Alcatraz is about so much more than the bands on the poster. From the atmosphere and the people to the food, the party spots and all those little moments between the shows, here are our 8 reasons why we think Alcatraz 2026 is a festival you shouldn’t miss.
It’s been 10 years since our very first Tuska visit, and it has become a yearly event in our planning. With Tuska 2026 on the horizon, we took a look at the things that have us counting down the days until we’re back at Suvilahti. If you somehow still haven’t decided to get your tickets and join us there, hopefully we can convince you to go for it 🤘
Belgium may be small, but when it comes to summer festivals, it punches well above its weight. From heavy and alt fests Graspop and Alcatraz to the more commercial Pukkelpop and Rock Werchter, the concert series of Lokerse Feesten and Live Is Live to the small and cosy Rock Zottegem and Parkpop Oostkamp, we’ve selected eight Belgian summer events that are reason enough to visit our home country in 2026. Which one is already on your calendar?
For the second day of Alcatraz 2025, our team picked out 8 bands we believe you shouldn’t miss out on with Myrath, KNIFE, Baest, Drowning Pool, Rivers of Nihil, Nailbomb, Caliban and Avatar! What bands are you really looking forward to for this Friday at Alcatraz? Let us know in the comments!
The first day of the third edition of Hellsinki Metal Festival is filled with an impressive line-up of metal bands of almost every subgenre, completed with some special ones. Of course you need to go see King Diamond headlining tonight, but there is so much more to discover, so our editorial team picked out 7 bands that they think you definitely shouldn’t miss out on with Rabbit Cult, Gost, Kanonenfieber, Forbidden, Fear Factory, Candlemass and Moonsorrow! What bands are you really looking forward to today? Let us know in the comments!
Album Reviews
Left to Die offers an aggressive cavernous sound; the veterans recapture the evolution of Mantas and the early years of Death. If you consider yourself a fan of old-school death metal, rest assured “Initium Mortis” offers a true passion for raw 80s metal. Out since July 17th via Relapse Records.
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Ripper offers a brutal slab of relentless 80s death/thrash metal. The band keeps its formula within a deranged intensity where the musical approach does not veer from relentless onslaught. “Towards Rebirth” was released via Dark Descent Records on July 24th.
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“Dissonance Theory” is incredibly dynamic where the songs are packed with grooves and technical riffing steeped in the aesthetics of Coroner’s sonic formula. This is a great comeback album from one of Switzerland’s best acts. Out since October 17th via Century Media Records! Catch them in the summer of 2026 at European festivals like Alcatraz Festival!
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Ready for some time travel? Yes? Okay, listen to the latest album ‘Faster Than Death’ from HIRAX. Keeping true to their tradition of fast, sharp, furious and powerful thrash metal, out tomorrow Friday February 27 via Armageddon Label!
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Molder’s death/thrash savagery is perfected on their third studio album “Catastrophic Reconfiguration”, out via Prosthetic Records since November 8th.
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Sweden’s powerhouse The Crown returns with a solid album “Crown of Thorns”, delivering their trademark of aggressive death/thrash metal, out via Metal Blade Records!
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After thirty years Adorior slithers out from the depths of hell to convey its satanic wicked album ‘Bleed On My Teeth’ through the medium of raw fucking metal. Out via Dark Descent Records and comes highly recommended for fans of Slayer, Absu and Angelcorpse!
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Fans of death/thrash metal should check out Norway’s death/thrash metal outfit Sovereign’s first full-length album, “Altered Realities”. The album is recommended for fans of Death, Pestilence and Nocturnus, out now via Dark Descent Records!
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Virginia’s thrash metal/crossover act Enforced returned with an infectious thrash metal record that will be a strong contender for the albums of the year lists. For those who are hunting for some quality music to go nuts on, “War Remains” is highly recommended. Released via Century Media Records.
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Leper Colony ticked all the boxes when it comes to firm delivery and the at most quality of songwriting. All in all, the self-titled debut album incorporates the raw and inspiring riffs of old-school serious ass kicking death/thrash metal. Out via Transcending Obscurity Records.
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