Art Gates Records is releasing Reforged Within, a full-length album from IRONWILL, on May 29th, 2026. "The cover represents an intense inner battle…" Each track forms part of a narrative universe that explores the psychological and symbolic dimensions of the Seven Deadly Sins.

ANUBIS' Anthromorphicide is the 2026 album of the band. M-Theory Audio is releasing the album on March 1st, 2026. Guitarist Justin Escamilla has rejoined the group after an absence of a year.

Finland-based DYECREST's Defying Gravity album is out through Art Gates Records on the 24th of April 2026.

SATAN singer Brian Ross is to undergo major and life-saving preventative surgery in April/ May 2026. His recovery will take several months. SATAN has cancelled all planned concerts for 2026 except for the Spanish dates which were already completed.

BraveWords Records is releasing the CRIMSON GLORY album Chasing The Hydra on 17.04.2026. It is the band's first album in 26 years. Making first album appearances with the band are singer Travis Wills and guitarist Mark Borgmeyer. No Remorse Records will sell a deluxe box set edition, limited and hand-numbered to only 100 copies online. The band is touring Europe and appearing at multiple festivals this summer.

VICIOUS RUMORS has fired longtime drummer Larry Howe for his right-wing political views following the cancellation of several German concerts owing to the man's politics. In its statement, the band explained, "As a band we have never agreed with Larry's personal political ambitions. As hard as it is to let an original member go VR can no longer tolerate being punished by association for Larry's personal opinions. They do not reflect the opinion of VICIOUS RUMORS." Howe was completing the band's American dates however.

Switzerland-based THE ORDER has an album, called Empires, through Massacre Records on 27.03.2026.

Japan-based all-girl band LOVEBITES has signed with Napalm Records in Europe for the world excluding Asia, which would issue the band's Outstanding Power album first digitally and then physically in the winter and spring of 2026. The album was issued by Victor in Japan.

POWERRAGE, featuring former EXCITER guitarist John Ricci, will release its debut album, Beast through High Roller Records on 24.04.2026. The album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound.

Rockshots Records is issuing The Human Farm, a sci-fi concept album/opera by progressive metal band VANDERLUST, on April 17th, 2025.

Sweden-based pop and doom-gothic act CRUCELLA has a demo called Behedoom as of February 13, 2026. There is a video for the song Behedoom. The act features co-founders Willy Maturana of '90s' act INTERNAL DECAY and Belinda Blomqvist among others.

Golden Core has released a slipcase CD for Newcastle-based WARRIOR called Boudica & Live At Brofest. This rerelease of the band's album tags the live material recorded at the 2014 Brofest show.

MASTERPLAN will release an album, called Metalmorphosis, through Frontiers on 26.06.2026. There is a video for the song Chase The Light. The band is touring Europe this spring.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has announced it would release a double album, called Good God / Baad Man, through Nuclear Blast Records on the 3rd of April 2026.

Norway-based hard and heavy band SLAAMASKIN has a demo called Endevendt on April 2, 2026. A vinyl edition follows on April 11. The vinyl version expands into an LP by adding a remastered version of the 2016 demo on its B-side. The band will mark the vinyl release with a hometown show at Statsraaden Bar & Reception (Bryggen, Bergen) on April 11, 2026.

EVERGREY is booked to open for IRON MAIDEN on two nights of its Run For Your Lives tour in June of 2026. EVERGREY has also announced the Architects Of A New Weave album through Napalm Records for June of 2026. This is the first album with drummer Simen Sandnes.

W.A.S.P. has announced the 1984 To Headless 2026 Canada and the U.S. Tour with KK’s PRIEST opening. The tour kicks off in California on September 10th and runs through October 31st. W.A.S.P. will be playing songs from its first four albums.

WINGER is following up its farewell tour and last concert in 2025 with four concerts in 2026. These include appearances in Brazil and Mexico.

SCORPIONS is returning to PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in 2026 with a new headlining residency show. Scorpions - Coming Home To Las Vegas will take place from Thursday, September 17 through Saturday, October 3, 2026, and will again feature opening act BUCKCHERRY. This is the band's fourth Las Vegas residency.

The recurring TWISTED SISTER reunion is off. TWISTED SISTER has canceled all of its previously announced 2026 reunion concerts because of "a series of health challenges" facing the 70-year-old singer Dee Snider.

SKID ROW has an agreement with music retailer Sweetwater to search for its next singer. The collaboration is inviting singers from around the world to audition for the chance to become the act's next singer.

BraveWords Records has signed PHIL SOUSSAN (VINCE NEIL, OZZY OSBOURNE, etc.) to a solo deal. The bassist will be releasing an album, called Cosmo Fighters, in 2026. He. played all the instruments and performed all the vocals (with the exception of one track that features Richie Kotzen on guitar and two tracks that feature drummers Carmine Appice and Jay Schellen). The right-winger and Trump fan says, "The songs are really about what is going on in the world; chaos, division and the rise of social media to become an incredible tool that can be used for good, or at the same time a weapon that can be used for bad…"

Canada-based THE MIGHTY ONE has a demo called Shattered through singer Tim Steinruck's 26-8 Music Inc. The band toured Colombia with OBUS in 2025. The band is compared to MEGADETH and FOO FIGHTERS.

TESLA has signed with Frontiers Records. TESLA and EXTREME will support MÖTLEY CRÜE at this summer's The Return Of Carnival Of Sins tour.

Fans of K&F rejoice! TWILIGHT FORCE has signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records. The group has uploaded a song called Magic Of A New Dawn.

SORCERER and early TIAMAT bassist Johnny Hagel is back with a goth rock band called ASHEN SUN. A six-track EP, called Velarium, is available through Desert Plain Records in March of 2026. The band was founded in 2024.

Australia-based rock, hard rock and pop band GREYSTONE CANYON has an album called Something Borrowed… Something New through Rockshots Records since December of 2025. It is another one of those cover version releases.

Art Gates Records is issuing 7, a full-length album by Québec City, Canada-based "modern progressive hard rock" band MR. WEATHER on March 13th, 2026. There is a lyric video for the song The One.

Flash poll. Which one is the most trendy, er, hip and everyone has to do: Masks, cowboy hats, "orchestrations" instead of keyboards or being "cinematic"?

HYPOSTASIS - BIRTH OF A MASK
Before hitting play on Birth Of A Mask, an Italian band called Mascharat was on. That band's name and conceptual themes are mask-related and here is a Greek band with a full-length demo called Birth Of A Mask. The Mascharat guys missed out it seems.
There is an immediate difference between the soft keyboard-damaged intro and the sharp fangs of the opening song Remains Of Me. Birth Of A Mask features an impressive bass and drum sound. No twiggy thin drums for these guys. This has oomph. What's more this was recorded at the band's home studio! The vocals and guitar also have a very good sound, but the rhythm section is a cut above. The band describes itself as progressive and it is borderline correct. There is a fair amount of hard rock, heavy metal and, yes, influences from Pain Of Salvation, Eliminator and Evergrey in Hypostasis. There is some Dream Theater (those lingering notes) and even Warlord here. The Craving is spooky and hints at metalcore sadly, albeit it is in passing. The female voice on this song reminds one of Tokyo Blade's Man On The Stair. The band is tight, the instruments, and multiple layers of vocals, well recorded and the vocalist versatile and able to handle English with aplomb. Silver Stars offers emotional vocalising and incredible electric and acoustic guitarring. Impressive stuff. Pain Of Salvation would be proud had they written this song. The band can turn on a dime and alter moods at will. The singer tells a story, but never loses the plot or bores the listener with pomposity despite the grandiosity. What he lacks in range, he compensates for with expression or energy. Still, he has some decent range too as heard on the song Mirror. Visions is likely my favourite track however.
The weakness here is not much of a weakness, but this is full-length. Many independent bands commit the same mistake as many others in that they release a full-length whereas their best cuts should have formed an EP instead. The songs themselves occasionally repeat the same riff over and over. The backing female vocals have an unneeded presence here. Still, the songs are punchy and short for the most part. The exception is the closing cut Phoenix, which is eight minutes long. There is creativity here, but the quartet keeps sight of the objective. - Ali "The Metallian"

DARKLORE - THE GREAT ELVEN WAR
The band calls itself "fantasy metal," but I'd bet if Sauron ever heard this bunch, he'd dump them in his dungeon and throw away the key(board). Surely, something so poppy would not have the muster to fight in the name of evil… Well, perhaps the band's claim is not that its style is fantasy metal, but rather that it’s a fantasy that it is metal!
Laden with the weakness that are synthesizers here, there and everywhere, the band's keyboard-damaged treble symphonic rock also features singing reminiscent of Mortis (although, the singer does push lower occasionally) in an act that nevertheless thinks its music is black and death metal! Imagine if the bunch heard actual black and death metal. Then what would happen? They'd perish? Spontaneously combust? Be instantly vaporized in a poof?
In terms of analogies, the saccharine laden and syrupy synth-heavy band is for fans of the likes of Kalmah and Eternal Tears Of Sorrow, yet with even more synthesizers. Indeed, dummy burger fans would like this. There are the synthesizers, the thin-sounding drums and simple riffs galore. In fact, in the course of 8 tracks, there are 70 minutes of it. There is also a lyric video for Descendants Of The Pale Moon, which is a good time to mention that the band's lyrics span the gamut of fantasies from LOTR to zombies and more.
One exception to the gist of this review is the impressive second half of The Beast Of Beauclair, where the keyboards are banished and some accomplished bass playing rears its head. This one is different. Still, don't get your hopes up. Tracks like Wrath Of The High Heavens follow and the acoustic/operatic/Classical start is as sublime as last week's milk left outside. - Ali "The Metallian"

UNCHOSEN ONES - DIVINE POWER FLOWING
Second full-length by this Spanish band that since forming in 2020 has more than double the number of EPs and singles than full-lengths. A band compared to, among others, Kamelot and Firewind, is not exactly a good match to be promoted by Blood Fire Death management. Using terms like "epic," "opus" and "bombastic" further emphasizes this contradiction. The opener is Idols And Kings and starts with an intro of sorts that feels like a nod to Iron Maiden, but then immediately transitions to something that may be termed melodic heavy metal. Not unlike most bands that fit the aforementioned description, the musicianship is there and proficient. Fran Romero showcases his skills enough to add catchiness via the guitar. Javier Calderon's vocals are simple and somewhat predictable for the style the band play. The stated "internal battles" lyrical theme comes to the fore on The Void. Cursed Without A Cause lets Christian Marco introduce himself on keyboards openly and more freely. The melodic in melodic heavy metal is therefore more pronounced, as is the Kamelot influence. However, Calderon does not reach the heights of either Roy Khan or Tommy Karevik. Whirligig Saw, Caught By The Wind and Divine Power Flowing pay homage to manga and video games, Unchosen Ones' other stated love. All with varying levels of heavy metal. Whirligig Saw, for example, is closer to the power metal end of the spectrum. Synthetic Wave Horizon is unsurprising with its dose of catchiness heard elsewhere and throughout Divine Power Flowing. Midnight Mass is somewhat of a departure and has a more solid rhythm and could be the recommended track. Death And Deliverance closes the album providing another four minutes with this "gifted quintet". Visit https://unchosenones.es/ and do make a choice. - Anna Tergel