Progressive Metal Powerhouse Jinjer Release New Video of Fan Favorite “Fast Draw”

May 5, 2025May 5, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

Grammy Award Winning Hard Rock Band HALESTORM Announce New Album+Tour

April 29, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

Halestorm will waste no time supporting their upcoming sixth studio album, Everest, booking a seven month world tour that includes a lengthy run in the U.S. and Canada between July and October. This is what Halestorm does best, endlessly tour and make sure their millions of fans have multiple chances to see them.

I am intrigued by the first single of Everest, as it sounds more like “Into the Wildlife” style writing and production.

The band recently revealed the first single from their new album titled “Darkness Always Wins” and now we have the full details of their forthcoming release.

Halestorm on the album:

“Our album Everest is a story of our journey as a band, full of beautiful endings and new beginnings. We weave a tangled web of melancholy, frustration, anger, and the vast purgatory of love and love lost. It is a rollercoaster of epic musical detours, great songwriting and completely unhinged twists and turns. EVEREST is an auditory representation of the 4 pillars of Halestorm. Let us introduce ourselves and invite you into our world…if you dare.”

The album is titled Everest and it’s currently on track for an Aug. 8 release date through Atlantic Records. The group worked with producer Dave Cobb on the set.

Check out the album artwork and track listing below and make sure to get in on the album pre-orders.

Halestorm, Everest Album Artwork + Track Listing

halestorm everest artwork — Atlantic Records

Fallen Star
Everest
Shiver
Like A Woman Can
Rain Your Blood On Me
Darkness Always Wins
Gather The Lambs
WATCH OUT!
Broken Doll
K-I-L-L-I-N-G
I Gave You Everything
How Will You Remember Me?

Halestorm Touring Everest

As stated, Halestorm have a heavy tour cycle ahead of them. The group’s 2025 NEverest touring includes dates supporting Iron Maiden and Volbeat, while the band also has shows that feature Apocalyptica, Lindsey Stirling, Bloodywood and Kelsey Karter and the Heroines.

In addition, Halestorm will be one of the bands playing a set at the Ozzy Osbourne / Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning all-day concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England.

Along with the previously announced North American dates supporting Volbeat, the band just revealed a U.S. and Canada headline run featuring Lindsey Stirling and Apocalyptica. Tickets for the run will go on sale this Friday (May 2) at 10AM local time. Check out all the stops below and get ticketing information through the Halestorm website.

Halestorm 2025 Touring

May 15 – Daytona Beach, Fla. @ Welcome To Rockville (festival date)
May 17 – Ocean City, Md. @ Boardwalk Rock (festival date)

European & U.K. Tour Dates

May 27-28 – Budapest @ Sportarena (supporting Iron Maiden)
May 31 – Prague, Czechia S Letany Airport (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 1 – Bratislava, Slovakia @ O’Nepelu Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 3 – Leipzig, Saxony @ Felsenkeller Leipzig (headline date)
June 5 – Trondheim, Norway @ Trondheim Rocks (festival date)
June 7 – Stavanger, Norway @ Viking Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 12-13 – Stockholm, Sweden @ 3Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 16 – Helsinki, Finland @ Olympic Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 18 – Tallinn, Estonia @ Helitehas (headline date)
June 19 – Riga, Latvia @ Palladium Riga (headline date)
June 23 – Lille, France @ Aeronef (headline date)
June 25 – Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 28 – London, UK @ London Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
July 1 – Lausanne, Switzerland @ Les Docks (headline date)
July 2 – Eindhoven @ Effenaar (headline date)
July 5 – Birmingham, U.K. @ Villa Park (supporting Black Sabbath)

North American Dates

July 17 – Denver, Colo. @ Ball Arena (supporting Volbeat)
July 19 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 21 – Auburn, Wash. @ White River Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 22 – Ridgefield, Wash. @ Cascades Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 24 – Wheatland, Calif. @ Toyota Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 25 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Kia Forum (supporting Volbeat)
July 26 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 28 – Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (supporting Volbeat)
July 29 – Houston, Texas @ 713 Music Hall (supporting Volbeat)
July 31 – Rogers, Ark. @ Walmart AMP (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 2 – Franklin, Tenn. @ FirstBank Amphitheater (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 3 – Alpharetta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 4 – Tampa, Fla. @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 6 – Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 7 – Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 9 – Camden, N.J. @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 10 – Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 12 – Bangor, Maine @ Maine Savings Amphitheater (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 13 – Gilford, N.H. @ Bank NH Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 14 – Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 16 – Hershey, Pa. @ GIANT Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 17 – Cincinnati, Ohio 2 Riverbend Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 19 – Clarkston, Mich. @ Pine Knob Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 21 – Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 22 – Tinley Park, Ill. @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 23 – Marshfield, Wis. @ Central Wisconsin State Fair (headline date)
Sept. 11 – Salem, Va. @ Salem Civic Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 12 – Cherokee, N.C. @ Harrah’s Cherokee (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 14 – Bridgeport, Ct. @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 16 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ Upstate Medical University Arena at the Oncenter (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 18 – Laval, Quebec @ Place Bell (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 19 – Toronto, Ontario @ Budweiser Stage (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 21 – Madison, Wis. @ Breese Stevens Field (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 23 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 24 – Cedar Rapids, Iowa @ Alliant Energy PowerHouse (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 26 – Welch, Minn. @ Treasure Island Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 27 – Duluth, Minn. @ AMSOIL Arena (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 29 – Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Azura Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 1 – Sioux City, Iowa @ Tyson Events Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 2 – Grand Forks, N.D. @ Alerus Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 4 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Canada Life Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 5 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ SaskTel Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 7 – Calgary, Alberta @ Scotiabank Saddledome (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 8 – Penticton, British Columbia @ South Okanagan Events Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 10 – Vancouver, British Columbis ! Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 11 – Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane Arena (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)

European & U.K. Dates

Oct. 22 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 23 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinehalle 2 (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 25 – Hamburg, DE @ Inselpark Arena (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 27 – Stockholm SE @ Fållan (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 28 – Copenhagen, DK @ The Grey Hall (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 30 – Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 1 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 3 – Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Velkỳ Sàl (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 5 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 6 – Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 8 – Munich, DE @ Zenith (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 9 – Zurich, CH @ Komplex457 (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 11 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 12 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 1 (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 14 – Pamplona, ES @ Totem (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 15 – Madrid, ES @ La Riviera (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 17 – Paris, FR @ Olympia (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 20 – Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 21 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 23 – Birmingham, UK @ bp pulse LIVE (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 24 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 26 – London, UK @ O2 Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)

May 27 – June 28: Supporting Iron Maiden (where noted)
July 5: supporting Black Sabbath
July 17 – August 22: Supporting Volbeat (where noted)
September 11 – October 11: (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
October 22 – November 26: Support from Bloodywood
November 20 – November 26: Support from Kelsy Karter & The Heroines

Hard Rock Band Ginger Evil Drop New Single

April 29, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

If you’re looking for Halestorm meets ‘Foo Fighters meets Fleetwood Mac, Ginger Evil are right in your wheelhouse. Their new single of off their latest album “The Way It Burns” has soul, blues, jazz, and southern rock flavors that died out sadly in the 1970s. The new wave of this Rock is back in 2025 with some killer offers, and Ginger Evil is a catalyst!

BUY/STREAM HERE
Finnish female-fronted rock sensations Ginger Evil are pleased to unveil their new single and official lyric video “Better Get In Line”, taken from their debut album, “The Way It Burns”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.

https://youtu.be/0c2YhJ01YYI?si=QUOY3HN-oKMbXINj

Buy/Stream “The Way It Burns” HERE

The band described the themes of the new track:
“Better Get In Line” tells everything essential that is wrong in the world and what is wrong with people. We are now witnessing democratic countries taking their first steps towards dictatorships, led by multimillionaires who are blinded by their own greed and needs. People who care about nothing but themselves and their own delusional reality. Can’t we prevent this? Everyone needs to make personal choices to ensure that such things do not thrive in any country. Small actions have a big impact when the group is large enough. Do we want to gamble with our future?”

Ginger Evil began as Moonshine Inc. in 2005, in a rehearsal room in Helsinki, Finland. After a couple of years of rehearsal and composing, a fruitless search for a singer meant the songs were put on ice.

Meanwhile, guitarist Tomi Julkunen and bassist Veli Palevaara continued gigging in Finland with The Milestones, including arena shows with Deep Purple and Whitesnake. In the aftermath of their fifth album, those Moonshine Inc. songs from a decade back emerged from hibernation, so the search began again for a vocalist.

The powerful voice of Ella Tepponen was known to Tomi and Veli from many theatre and music projects, and drummer Toni Mustonen was already familiar to everyone. Jamming together found a shared musical passion, and a group creative process soon flourished. Ginger Evil was born.

“From Foo Fighters to Fleetwood Mac”, is how the band hears their music, with singer Ella bringing a whole new kind of twist to their rock expression. Once the band got together and songs were taking shape, on board jumped music producer and film director Richard Stanley, known for his work with The Who and John Lennon, heard demos of Ginger Evil and was inspired to co-write lyrics.

In 2022 Ginger Evil signed a deal with Frontiers Music Srl. (Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, TOTO, Whitesnake, Skunk Anansie). Debut album “The Way It Burns” was released on February 14, 2025. Organic and fresh sounding album was something that rock fans had been waiting for since the 90’s; something familiar, something new, something that got their asses shaking once more!

“The Way It Burns” Tracklist:

1.   Rainmaker
2.   Dead On Arrival
3.   Shame Old
4.   Flames
5.   Hands Move To Midnight
6.   Arrowhead
7.   Better Get In Line
8.   Black Waves
9.   Whispers
10.   Not Your Fool
11.   Last Frontier
12.   Wake Me

Line Up:
Ella Tepponen – vocals
Tomi Julkunen – guitars
Veli Palevaara – bass
Toni Mustonen – drums

Follow GINGER EVIL:
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Website

Rockers Teaser Sweet Release New Album

April 29, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

TEASER SWEET – “Night Stalker” HRR 1010
Order Link: https://www.hrrecords.de/TEASER-SWEET

SINGLES/ VIDEOS:
“Deep in the Woods” (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) watch HERE

TRACKLISTING:
01 Intro
02 Night Stalker
03 Deep in the Woods
04 Living in Sin
05 Blue Sky
06 Eat You Alive
07 Turn Me on
08 Killer Machine
09 Cold is the Fire

INFO:
Consisting of vocalist Therese Damberg, her brother Marcus Damberg on guitar, Hampus Steenberg on bass and Kent Svensson behind the drums, Teaser Sweet have already made some waves in the Swedish metal scene.

They originally started out in 2013, when Marcus Damberg asked his sister and former bass player Christoffer Cardell “shouldn’t we start a band?” The initial line-up was completed by Kalle Krantz on drums. Before writing their own material, they used to be playing Kiss cover songs. After recording a demo, they took to the stage and eventually releasing three albums and an EP: »Hit And Run« (2015), »In The Night« (EP, 2017), »Hypnotized« (2018) and »Monster« (2020).

For the new album »Night Stalker« the band has now inked a deal with High Roller Records. Therese Damberg’s powerful yet melodic vocals at times sound like a cross between Acid’s Kate, Leather Leone and Johanna of Lucifer. However, she herself sees it in a different light: “If I must name a female singer, it is Doro Pesch that I love to listen to. Otherwise, it’s male singers that catch my attention, such as Rob Halford with his great feeling and attitude in his vocals.”

When asked about the big number of high-class female-fronted or all-female hard rock and metal bands in Sweden – from Crucified Barbara and Slingblade to Thundermother and The Gems –, the singer searches for an explanation: “Hard to say what the reason is for that. My guess is that Swedish women probably have an ear for hard rock and a confidence to follow their own path. ABBA laid the foundation for female singers from Sweden, and it is natural that hard rock bands have female singers just as there are bands with only men.”

Apart from being influenced by the music of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Dio and even latter-day Europe, a song like “Deep In The Woods”, with its galloping bass work, owes a lot to Iron Maiden. Therese laughs: “You have a really good ear, that’s correct!” Elsewhere, numbers such as “Cold Is The Fire” and “Turn Me On” are also full of great hooks, making »Night Stalker« the band’s best album so far.
MATTHIAS MADER.

Night Stalker is a throwback for the ages, mirroring the melodic power anthems of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Pat Benatar. This is such a great time for an album like this. I enjoyed this album a lot. I think it has great tone, specifically in the guitars. Marcus is a great guitarist. I just discovered this band and they’re fantastic musicians. I felt that the vocals could be stronger compared to the rest of the musicianship. The vocals are at times too much like Lita Ford’s 80s sound, which I do not care for. The bass could be louder too for more of a dynamic range. Overall,Night Stalker has some great high points and rawness that is definitely worth checking out.

LINE-UP:
Therese Damberg – vocals
Marcus Damberg – lead guitar
Hampus Steenberg – bass & background vocals
Kent Svensson – drums

ON-LINE:
https://www.facebook.com/teasersweetband
https://www.instagram.com/teaser_sweet
https://www.hrrecords.de/TEASER-SWEET

New Metal Music Friday!

April 25, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

Here are ten new releases you should check out for the weekend!

Ànv by Eluveitie

Ànv is finally here! Eluveitie fans have been waiting since 2019’s Ategnatos, which is one of my favorite Metal albums. It’s hard to follow up such an incredible album, but I think they achieved a similar magic with Ànv. Expect soaring Folk Melodies, haunting vocals from the incomparable Fabienne Erni, even more crazy technical Heavy Metal solos, and more violin epics. This album is just MORE of everything I love about Eluveitie. It’s heavier, darker, catchier, more complex, faster, and more layers of the Folk sound. This album plays loud, so that you can hear all eight musicians individually. The addition of Lea-Sophie Fischer on Violin and Hurdy Gurdy is spectacular. She restores the fast paced technicality on Violin that attributes to so much of Elu’s unique sound. Her playing on this album is mind-blowing. Rafael Salzmann and Jonas Wolf exceed expectations for me on guitars. The solos are crisp, the accents are disturbingly eerie, and the rhythm is so paralyzingly fast. Everything is so well constructed and put together, definitely credited to Jonas’s writing ability. It doesn’t get boring or stale. It captures you, like only Eluveitie can, and it doesn’t let go.

Truth be told, I didn’t expect to love this album, and I absolutely do. I don’t know how they keep raising the bar and stay pure Folk Metal. There’s no formula, but you know it’s authentically Eluveitie. It’s yet another dark and beautiful album from them. The talent of this band is unmatched and legendary, and Ànv is a testament to everything they’ve contributed to music. I love the complexity of it. It’s not predictable in any way. Each song is unique and incredibly emotive. This album is definitely on my list of a Best of 2025.

My Favorite songs: Taranoias, The Prodigal Ones, Awen, The Harvest, All Is One, Aeon of the Crescent Moon

The track is taken from the band’s newest album ‘Ànv.’ Out on all music platforms and in various physical formats via: https://eluveitie.bfan.link/anv.yde

Rivers of Nihil Stun with new single

Their self-titled album out May 25th via Nuclear Blast Records may be my album of the year. Based upon the three singles that I have heard, this album is devastatingly good. I’ve heard songs from them in the past, but none compare to the impact of Water & Time. This new song is one of the best songs I have ever heard in my entire life. This song is a masterclass in composition. They went above and beyond on this song. The full body chills I get when I listen to this song are unmatched. This song is worth tens of thousands of reaction videos. I wish I would’ve filmed my reaction to hearing this song for the first time. My Jaw was on the floor. It took everything I had to keep from tearing up. I said “oh my god” multiple times at every change. Then, the Saxophone solo hit, and I was utterly blown away. You have to sit down and experience this song.

Halestorm Release New Dark Single

So, I am really torn on this one. I really want to like this song. It’s overall a great song, maybe one of their most epic songs ever made. The problem I have with the song, is the obvious similarity of “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins in the intro. I don’t know if it’s a purposeful sampling, but it’s similar enough to make me wonder. I’m not against lawful sampling, but if it’s done without clearly stating, it bothers me. Regardless, this is a great song and well written. A lot of their writing in the past ten years has been a little stale for me, this is something different.

Fit For a King blaze with new track

One of my favorite Metalcore bands of all time is back with a new extremely heavy dramatic track. It’s a bit predictable, considering about 80% of Metalcore sounds exactly like this right now. I like it, it’s just a bit bland and sounds like anything from Volumes, Bury Tomorrow, Bring Me the Horizon, Memphis May Fire, Architects, Devil Wears Prada, I could go on. I like a lot of songs by these bands, I have nothing against Metalcore. I love Metalcore, but the genre is getting extremely watered down and stale to me. What do you think about Fit For a King and the state of Metalcore?

Ozark Based Etched In Embers Releases All That Remains style track

This song really surprised me. I didn’t expect such good melodic vocals and excellent song progression. These guys only started in 2020, so they’re fairly new. I am interested to see where they go with this style.

Heavy Metallers AMBUSH Combine Old Sounds for New Speedy Track

If you like Hammerfall, Helloween, Blind Guardian, Man O War, and Dream Evil, this band is definitely up your alley. This guy’s range is stunning. The solo is reminiscent of Vivian Campbell on Holy Diver. I like it and can’t wait to check out more of their catalog.

French Prog Metalcore Stun With A dual Language Track

This is one of my favorite songs they have ever released. I’ve been listening to them for a couple years now. I love their chaotic and technical style. I think they’re an underrated band in the genre, along with brothers and sister band Novelists. This is a super emotive song, reminding me of my favorite song by them “Alive”. Love the dynamics and the choir style vocals towards the end. We need a Landmvrks/Novelists tour in the USA.

THE DARKEST PLACE I’VE EVER BEEN, out now! Stream and order: https://arisingempire.com/landmvrks

Portuguese Dark Symphonic Death Metal GODIVA is back!

The legendary Dimmu Borgir adjacent band is back with a new video for blazing track “All Seeing Eye” off of Hubris in 2023. The band formed in 1999, but hasn’t been very active. Hopefully, this video marks a new return for the band. I want more of this. If you like old Dimmu, this is right up your alley

All Girl Trio Blows it Out of the Water

Welsh band Häxan brings a new kind of Rock with absolutely stunning vocals that soar with precision. I have never heard of Häxan, but these girls are spectacular musicians. The guitar solo is tasteful and gorgeously melodic. The bass, like with any power trio, is excellently heard and booming. The song is perfectly constructed. Häxan is the next big thing in Hard Rock, I truly believe they have huge potential

Pre-order here: https://haxan.co.uk

Listen and download here: https://linktr.ee/haxanband

American Family Goes Symphonic Rock With Brand new Epic

LILIAC is a Romanian-American Heavy Metal band made up of members of the Cristea family. I’ve been following this band’s career for awhile now, and I think this is their best song yet. Being that their parents are from Romania, they classify their music as “Vamp Metal” which had me hooked right away. This song was a punch in the face that I need to listen to this band a lot more.

➣ Website: https://www.liliacband.com/music

New Heavy Music Report of the Week

April 16, 2025April 16, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

It has been a hell of a month for me personally. Life has its ups and downs and endless battles, but music is always my shield wall or barrier for all the trials in life. Music is what drives me to rise above it all and continue to fight for a better life. I dread to think what the darkest times would be like without it. While I usually go to my comfort bands during these times, I also like to keep up to date on the world of Metal. And, it’s been a whirlwind of impactful releases and fresh takes in the music industry. Below, I have compiled some of my favorite releases these past two weeks. After I finish this, I will be working on the next installation of my favorite Heavy Metal albums to try to finish up the series. From there, I will go on to discuss my favorite Heavy Metal and Rock songs of all time.

Symphonic Progressive Metal Band Epica Stuns With “Aspiral”

“Aspiral” is a Progressive Symphonic Journey for the ages. It is bold, loud, and tastefully produced. Finally, it’s an Epica album you can hear each member shine on. Each member of Epica has different influences and techniques that attribute to the band’s signature sound. But those individuality qualities have been quite foreshadowed by fifty layers of orchestra and choir that sometimes make me forget they have one of the greatest lead singers in Metal. “Aspiral” is a peak of Epica and Simone Simons’ career. You can finally hear her beautiful Soprano vocals with perfect timbre and intonation. Her Prog writing style also gets to shine on this record. It is one of my top five Favorite Epica records and will be on regular rotation. This is definitely an album of the year contender.

Check out the latest single from “Aspiral”

Order Aspiral: https://epica.indiemerch.com/

Classic Melodeath Band Arch Enemy Freshens the Genre with “Blood Dynasty”

International Melodeath trailblazers Arch Enemy are back with the bombastic “Blood Dynasty”. This album is a surprising fresh take on classic Arch Enemy sounds without delving into thew commercialism. It’s gritty, dark, and moody as ever. My hopes for this album based on the first two singles were low, but Blood Dynasty grabbed me instantly. This is such a departure from Deceivers, which continued the more formulaic sound of War Eternal. While I loved those albums still, I desperately wanted a Classic Arch Enemy album with Amott’s more Thrash style riffs. Blood Dynasty delivers on all fronts, and really pulled me in upon first listen. This is one of AE’s most encapsulating releases of the diverse and long catalog. It is a complete thrill to experience.

One of my favorite songs from Arch Enemy’s career.

Order “Blood Dynasty” Here: https://linktr.ee/blooddynasty

New Video From Legendary band MESSA

Order “The Spin” Here: https://www.metalblade.com/messa/

About MESSA; https://www.metalblade.com/messa/#bio

New Live Video Clip From “An Evening With” Haken

Order An Evening With and Discover More Haken Here: https://hakenmusic.com/

Doom Metal Epic Featuring the Famous Heiki Langhans

Taken from the album “We, The Dead” to be released on May 9, 2025 by Meuse Music Records.

Instrumental Post Rock Stun with New Gorgeous Track

Preorders Available here: https://www.welostthesea.com/

Brand New Power Metal Track Speeds With Classic Blind Guardian-esque vox

Swedish Melancholic Rock Legends Return With Doomy Prog Track

Order their new album here; https://lnk.to/KAT-NAEOTWS

TechDeath Juggernauts Release New Track with Legend

shadowofintent.com

Swedish Proggers Release Chaotic New Deftones Influnced Track

Order their new album here: https://www.vildhjartastore.com/product-category/dar-skogen-sjunger-preorder/

Melodeath Power Group Release New Single and new Album

What new releases did I miss? What have you been spinning lately? Let me know below in the comments!

New and Improved Femme Metal Valkyries Channel

April 16, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

Looking for new content that showcases the world of women in Metal? Below is a link to a new Youtube channel featuring compilation videos made by me that highlights the best of the Valkyries in Metal. If you have any ideas for a video, let me know what you’d like to see on the channel! I plan on making a lot of compilation videos of women in Rock and Metal that are the best in the scene. None of these videos are made using AI, I do it all by myself. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun and has been very rewarding.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_FtvqoaiRJDGWNEktNwpfQ

Ultimate Guide To Women In Rock and Metal

April 8, 2025May 5, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

On Metal Valkyrie, I have been determined for a decade to share the absolute best of Women in Rock and Metal. Now there’s more women than ever in heavy music, and many bands are dominating the scene. Bands like Lacuna Coil, Halestorm, Evanescence, Spiritbox, Jinjer, Linkin Park, and The Warning are at the top of their game. If you haven’t heard this bands, you probably live under a rock and resemble a mushroom at this point, but there are so many bands that aren’t receiving the same press or play volume as those pinnacle bands. So in honor of Women’s History Month (which was actually last month) I decided to make an ultimate guide of 50 great bands with women in them that are pretty new or just relatively unheard. It took hours and hours to come up with a good diverse list, because there’s so much out there, but sadly there is very little promo for most of these bands. Please Record Companies, start picking up and promoting these bands! They all have the “IT” factor in multitudes of ways and deserve more marketing value. The future is female!

50. Vulvarine: An All Girl Hard Rock Throwback from Vienna.

49. Cobra Spell; All Girl Spain Based Heavy Metal band, Dio would be proud!

48. Dawn of Ouroboros; A Jazz Black Metal Atmospheric blend from Oakland California

47. MESSA; Italian Doom Metal/Rock Brings Some Jazzy Atmospheric to Desolate riffs and Vocals

46. PLUSH: All Girl rock band all under the age of 28 brings 90s Hard Rock and Soulful Chris Cornell Vox. The most underrated Rock band on the planet.

45. Heathen Heretic; Swiss Black Death Atmospheric Metal with Soaring Melodies and Folky Goodness.

44. SCARDUST: Israeli Insane Progressive Power Band With one of the most dynamic Vocalists

43. Frantic Amber: All girl Melodic Death Metal from Stockholm with Serial Killer themes

42. Glimmer Void: Italian Alternative Rock band with Prog Influences

41. LINX: An Industrial Rock band from Canada Bringing Fresh sounds to a 90s Genre

40. Pave: An Alt Rock Pop Band Bringing some Pvris sounds with punchy drums

39. Beyond the Black: German Symphonic Metal band fuses Modern Rock with Arena rock and great riffs

38. Rolling Quartz: Korean Rock band with funky riffs and technical guitar solos

37. Infinitas: Swiss Fantasy Symphonic Metal band with soaring melodies

36. Frozen Crown: Italian Power Metal with insane technicality akin to Unleash the Archers and Sonata Arctica

35. Eleine: Swedish Dark Symphonic Metal with Black Metal bleakness and Arch Enemy riffs

34. DOGMA: An American based All Girl version of Ghost with profane and occult themes

33. Ankor: A Spanish/Greek Alternative Metal Powerhouse with a dynamic female lead and one of the best female drummers of all time

32. Miss Krystal; Insanely good Industrial Rock and Pop composer from Phoenix, Arizona

31. Phantom Elite; Modern Metal Powerhouse from Netherlands/Germany with chuggy guitars and soaring high vocals

30. Novelists; Camille Contreras breathes new life into famous Prog Metalcore from France. One of the best bands on this list, in my opinion

29. Oceans of Slumber; Texas Southern Doom Metal with Blues and Soul from below. One of my absolute favorite bands of all time

28. The Beaches: Canadian Alt-Rock with a throwback 1970s to 1980s sound

27. The Last Dinner Party: Fantastic Alt-Rock band with Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, and Blondie sounds and a great vocalist.

26. Elysion; A Greek Gothic Metal band akin to Lacuna Coil, Moonspell, and Tiamat. They released one of my favorite albums of the decade a couple years ago

25. Ad Infinitum: Swiss Modern Metal band with Symphonic aspects and constantly evolving their sound

24. About Monsters: German Alt-Rock Post-Hardcore band with modern metal breakdowns and lower pitched vox

23. MEER: 8 Piece Pop Progressive Orchestra With Dynamic Dual Female and Male Vocals. The talent in this band is staggering

22. Pure Reason Revolution: Prog Rock group from Great Britain with Chloe Alper on backing vocals, keyboard, and bass

21. Calva Louise: A British Metal/Electronic/Alternative Rock Group that keeps you guessing

20. Walk In Darkness: Italian Symphonic Metal with premium technical vocals and Beauty and the Beast dueling vocalists

19. Too Hot For Leather: Nashville based Southern Rock band with gorgeous well-controlled vocals.

18. Eva Under Fire: Chicago Based Hard Rock band with some of the best vocals I’ve ever heard

17. Fortune Teller; A UK Based Power Metal band with no bs

16. Seven Kingdoms: Florida based Power Metal band with great 80s Arena Rock sound. One of my favorite bands of all time. Hits you right in the feels

15. Lutharo: Canadian Heavy Metal band with Arch Enemy influences. One of the best bands I have ever seen live

14. LYRRE: Polish 4 piece band with a lead singer who’s an expert on the Hurdy Gurdy

13. Seven Spires: American Symphonic Metal band with Dimmu Borgir influences and Berkelee College of Music Graduates

12. As December Falls: UK Alt-Rock Prog Metal band brings some interesting touches from J-Metal

11. Holy Wars; American Alt-Rock Indie band brings teeth to Pop hooks

10. Conquer Divide; American All-girl Rock Band turns it up to Metalcore on staggeringly good new record. They’re like a much heavier Modern Metal version of Tonight Alive

9. Meerkat: Dutch Rock band with Proggy drums and immense groove

8. Solarcycles; Dutch Symphonic Folk Metal band with modern and smooth delivered vocals, reminds of old Within Temptation

7. Never Obey Again: Absolutely incredible Italian Modern Metal band. So glad I discovered these guys! The influence of Lacuna Coil is rarely talked about, but it’s evident in most of the Metal bands on this list.

6. Black Spikes- A Lithuanian female fronted Modern Metal band fusing Alt-Metal, Death, and Black Metal for a unique sound

5. Illumisade; A Swiss Symphonic Metal band with metalcore riffs and classically composed songs with Eluveitie’s Dynamic female vocalist Fabienne Erni. I have no idea why this band isn’t enormously famous. There’s nothing else like them on the planet

4. The Birthday Massacre; Canadian Dark Wave Gothic Rock band with entrancing synths and vocals

3. BRUTUS; French band fronted by a female drummer. A power post-hardcore trio of the ages. One of my absolute favorite bands on this list.

2.Infected Rain; Modern Heavy Metal band with dynamic vocalist Lena Scissorhands and impossibly fast chuggy bassist Alice Lane. Fantastic band formed in Moldova in 2008. Love this band.

Number 1, Last One for now: Alt- Metal Electronic band with Elder Scrolls lore

That’s 50 insanely awesome Rock and Metal bands featuring Women! Who should I add to the list and who are your favorites? Comment below and let me know if I made an oversight on a great band.

Introducing my brand new @discord server! Join Metal Valkyries on Discord to Discuss and share your favorite Metal bands, your favorite front women in Metal, and share your own blog posts and sites here.

https://discord.gg/J4vxcC7z

New Heavy Music Report April 1st 2025

April 1, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

This Spring has been nuts with amazing release after the next. I’m still catching up on albums released and compiling a list of my favorites so far, but it’s taking a lot more time than expected. It is also Women’s History month, which should absolutely include women in music! I am planning on writing an article about the history of women in heavy music, a topic I have never delved into sadly. So, a lot of writing yet to be completed. For now, here’s some new fresh bangers to fuel the rest of the week!

Berlin Emo Band Stuns With Paramore-esque Track

Southern Hard Rock Band Brings Some Soul

British Heavy Metal band Carries a Torch for Original Power Metal

Canadian Epic Death Metal band Premiers new video

Italian Symphonic Power Metal band release INCREDIBLE new ballad

Chicago Hard Rock band reignites with new bass chunky single

Evanescence Premiers New Track for Devil May Cry Netflix Series

All Girl Swiss Hard Rockers Drop new catchy single

Swedish Glam Rock Trio Nails it with Halestorm-like new track

My Favorite Song of this list; Darkgaze Kardasehev

Modern Hard Rock Act WUCAN Return With Video for New Single “Irons In The Fire”

March 24, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

LONG BRANCH RECORDS
NEWS
Modern Hard Rock Act WUCAN Return With New Single + Video
“Irons In The Fire”

Watch the Official Music Video HERE[Photo Credit: Edgar Kohn]

“WUCAN have the best rock singer in the universe right now, completely original songs, unparalleled energy, more joy playing music than all Scandinavian snot rock bands combined, intelligent lyrics, great charisma – and the absolutely perfect production for this kind of music.” — DEAF FOREVER

“Original, exciting and challenging at the same time. Open your ears!” — ROCK HARD

“The band is so juiced up rock-wise that no one could get the idea that there are Germans at work here”— AUDIOThree years after the release of their latest studio album Heretic Tongue, modern hard rock act WUCAN returns with new single and video “Irons in the Fire”.

In good old WUCAN fashion, musically, the band is moving forward with heavy beats, loud guitars, and epic vocals, ensuring that no rock fan can stand still. The new single is an undeniable headbanger that still holds surprises for longtime fans and leaves no wishes unfulfilled in terms of sound diversity. All in all, a song for all music lovers and, as always, with a touch of surprise that makes WUCAN songs… WUCAN songs.

Singer Francis Tobolsky comments:
“I wrote ‘Irons in the Fire’ as a little toast to all those who refuse to be beaten down by the adversities of the world and keep pushing forward,”

Watch the Official Music Video for “Irons In The Fire” HERE

Francis continues:
“How does the saying go? ‘Diamonds are made under pressure?’ It sometimes feels like that when you pursue a goal and have to overcome obstacles and hurdles to fulfill your dream. Every setback shapes us, every defeat carries a chance within it, and it takes iron will and a good dose of passion to withstand this pressure,”

“‘Irons in the Fire’ was the first song we wrote for our upcoming album. We recorded it in 2024 with our homeboy Max Power in a studio in Berlin. After Heretic Tongues, we floated through jams for a while and were still unsure where the journey with the new album should go. When Tim brought this riff to a rehearsal, we let ourselves be carried away by it. At a certain point, one part flowed organically into the next. It felt really good when the song was finished and already hinted at the direction the new album would take.”

Stream “Irons In The Fire” HERE

The band says:
“For the video shoot, we rented an old glass factory in Weißwasser, DE and an old brewery in Medingen near Dresden, DE, capturing the cold and raw atmosphere that these professions bring with them”

“In the glass factory, we shot the performance scenes with cold hands in the shadow of the large old machines,” the band furthers. “In Medingen, we went all out and literally smashed TVs, dishes, tables, and even a toilet. The images and scenes that emerged show the fun we had! The video was once again produced by Armin from Massengrab Records, to whom we have entrusted our projects since Heretic Tongues. This time, his colleague Hans and photographer Edgar Kohn were also involved. We would like to thank Hafenstube Telux and the Ostpol team for providing the filming locations. Also, thanks to Massengrab Records, Ravierfilms, and Edgar Kohn for the production.”

CATCH WUCAN LIVE:
June 19 — Netphen, DE — Freak Valley Festival

WUCAN are:
Francis Tobolsky – Vocals / Guitar / Flute / Theremin
Tim George – Guitar
Philip Knöfel – Drums
Alexander Karlisch – Bass WUCAN online:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIK TOK
WEBSITE

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