Symphonic metal vikings LEAVES’ EYES have revealed the first details about a new album to be released in 2024 with AFM Records! The band’s ninth studio offering will be titled “Myths Of Fate,” and on Friday the band unveiled their album cover artwork, and a music video for the first album single, “Forged By Fire.” Says LEAVES’ EYES band mastermind and singer, Alexander Krull: “Finally the time has come and we can present you our new video, ‘Forged By Fire.‘ We played ‘Forged By Fire‘ on stage at WACKEN as a world premiere and the song was enthusiastically celebrated by the fans ..read more

Shortly before SERENITY is heading off on the biggest tour of their career with heavy metal giants POWERWOLF, the symphonic metal legends have revealed the final single, “The End of Babylon,” from their new studio album, “Nemesis AD,” out November 3, 2023, via Napalm Records! Successor to “The Last Knight” (2020) – which entered the official German album charts at #25 – “Nemesis AD” is the first record featuring Marco Pastorino (TEMPERANCE) as additional guitarist and backing vocalist. “The End of Babylon” represents one of the darker, hea ..read more

Italian symphonic power metal act TEMPERANCE are back not just with a new lineup but also with a new studio offering. Together with professional opera/metal singer Kristin Starkey, who has taken over vocal duties after the departure of Alessia Scolletti earlier this year, and drummer Marco Sacchetto, the five-piece have been busy working on a concept album about a Japanese doll called Daruma and a mystical village called Hermitage. The band’s seventh studio album, “Hermitage – Daruma’s Eyes Pt. 2,” was released on October 20th, 2023, via Napalm Records, and features some high-caliber guests ..read more

Symphonic metal supergroup EXIT EDEN, feat. Clémentine Delauney (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS), Anna Brunner (LEAGUE OF DISTORTION), and Marina La Torraca (PHANTOM ELITE), are back to mesmerize audiences with their second studio album – illustrating strength and female empowerment with the title “Femmes Fatales” – set for release on January 12, 2024, via Napalm Records. EXIT EDEN’s new masterpiece contains its own original compositions as well as covers of international hits and refers to the femme fatale as a symbol of women taking control of their own narratives with autonomy, int ..read more

For some peculiar reason, the Gothic moniker almost always denotes some sort of a derivative of TYPE O NEGATIVE when it comes to metal, whereas, if you really paid homage to the original literary genre, you should be talking about the gloom and doom of both the most brutal side of death metal and the symphonic viciousness of black metal alike. Thus, if I were to introduce the perfect paradigm example of true Gothic metal, I would probably put on the new album, “Of Awakening,” by the German metal extremists, THE CIRCLE. Released on August 18th, 2023, via AOP Records, this offering sure does nai ..read more

When Dutch legends WITHIN TEMPTATION fully updated their sound on 2019’s “Resist” it took me quite a while to reconcile the band I used to know from albums like “The Heart of Everything” (2007) or live concert “Black Symphony” (2008) with this modernized version of the symphonic/Gothic stalwarts. Like most bands out there, they also needed a new outlet for their music when their old style just wasn’t enough. Continuing on this trend but in a more metal direction, “Bleed Out” is catchy and energetic with up-tempo anthems and relevant lyrical themes. The band’s eighth studio album is set for rel ..read more

Swedish symphonic dark metal act ELEINE only know one direction: the band move towards the top step by step! Besides releasing two strong records via Atomic Fire Records in recent times (2022’s “Acoustic In Hell” and 2023’s “We Shall Remain”), the band have performed many shows around the globe with bands such as label mates SONATA ARCTICA, KAMELOT and others, including making their North American live debut alongside MOONSPELL in spring 2023 which will be followed by an appearance at ProgPower USA next year. L-R: Jesper Sun ..read more

Dutch symphonic metal band BLACKBRIAR have always had a flair for the dramatics (and even the macabre) when it comes to the music especially when it comes to the vocals and the lyrics. For me, their stories feel like reading spooky Gothic novels or twisted fairytales, and I absolutely love the sonic universe they have created with their three EPs and debut album, “The Cause of Shipwreck” (2021). With their sophomore effort, “A Dark Euphony,” they have utterly solidified their place on the metal scene. The album was released on September 29th, 2023, via Nuclear Blast Records.   Mergi ..read more

On September 22nd, 2023, I had the chance to attend a BLIND GUARDIAN concert in Saarbrücken, one of the first shows of their tour promoting their new album, “The God Machine.” The opening act was the Israeli prog metal band SCARDUST, led by the charismatic vocalist Noa Gruman. Their performance was nothing short of magical. Noa showcased her versatile vocal skills, ranging from operatic arias to death metal growling. The band played a brief but captivating set, undoubtedly sparking interest in those who saw them for the first time that night. Following their performance, a curtain descended in ..read more

Symphonic metal unit SERENITY unveil a new single, cut from their new studio album, “Nemesis AD,” out on November 3, 2023, via Napalm Records! Heart-wrenchingly emotional yet empowering, “Reflections (of AD)” mesmerizes the listener with its awe-inspiring instrumentation, multifaceted vocals, and brilliant changes throughout the gripping 8-minute track. SERENITY have secured their place at the top of the symphonic metal scene with millions of streams and video views, on top of entering the Official German Album Charts with their previous studio album, “The La ..read more