Photo Credit: Paulie Moore

Finnish psychedelic rock innovators POLYMOON have released their new single 'I End, You Begin'. This intense, explosive, and fast-paced track serves as the first release from the band’s forthcoming third album Mariposa Magic!, out later this year.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/vUieA5b0NjI

Stream here: https://tr.ee/vesperian_polymoon

'I End, You Begin' is an energetic and direct piece driven forward by accelerating momentum and bursts of force. Riff-driven, intense, and concise, the track stands apart from the band’s earlier work and marks a powerful return — a bold way to kick the doors open and reveal what the band has been working on.

The song originated from an idea developed early in the album process but only found its final form towards the very end of the recordings. From the beginning, the goal was clear: to create a piece as intense and explosive as possible, with energy at its core.

Thematically, 'I End, You Begin' moves through shades of love, desire, and ecstasy. It portrays a deep and intimate connection between two people - both emotional and physical - where boundaries begin to blur and the experience feels almost like breathing: inevitable, consuming, and continuous.

On upcoming album Mariposa Magic!, POLYMOON expand and deepen the psychedelic post-gaze sound they first introduced on Caterpillars Of Creation and Chrysalis. The album is produced by Juho Vanhanen, best known as the frontman of Oranssi Pazuzu, who also worked on the band’s debut Caterpillars Of Creation. Under his guidance, the band broaden their sonic palette while sharpening their distinct identity. The result is an ambitious body of work that further establishes POLYMOON as one of the most distinctive voices in modern psychedelic rock.

Across Mariposa Magic!, shimmering guitars, hypnotic textures, and organically flowing rhythms come together in compositions that feel less like individual tracks and more like immersive experiences. The music unfolds in layers: melodies emerge gradually, expand, and dissolve into a wider, radiant soundscape. The result is a sense of movement and weightlessness that deepens with each listen.

The band’s precise and accomplished musicianship is balanced by a dreamlike, fluid approach, where detail and atmosphere exist seamlessly side by side. The album fulfills the promise of their earlier work and presents POLYMOON as a fully realized entity — confident, ambitious, and unafraid.

Mariposa Magic! is an album to inhabit: rich in detail, endlessly replayable, and rewarding the listener with new shades and moments each time it spins.

Production: Juho Vanhanen
Recording & Mixing: Valtteri Väänänen at Lammaskallion Audio
Mastering: Virtalähde Mastering
Cover Art: Elizaveta Porodina
Graphic Design: Raakel Puukko

POLYMOON are:
Kalle-Erik Kosonen - Vocals
Jesse Jaksola - Guitar, synthesizers
Otto Kontio - Guitar
Marco Menestrina - Bass
Tuomas Heikura – Drums

POLYMOON online:
https://www.instagram.com/polymooooon
https://www.facebook.com/polymooooon

Photo Credit: Robert John

German heavy metal legends ACCEPT kick off their celebration of 50 historic years with a new version of their classic hit, 'Fast as a Shark', originally released on Restless and Wild in 1982. This new rendition of one of the genre’s most iconic songs features metal legends Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, Mikkey Dee, and Billy Sheehan, alongside ACCEPT members Wolf Hoffmann and Mark Tornillo. This metal supergroup performance truly sets the tone for the entire upcoming album, Teutonic Titans 1976-2026, which is to be released on 4th September via Napalm Records. The album serves as both a celebration of the band’s history and the heavy metal genre itself, in which they played a pivotal and highly influential part. 19 timeless tracks, 50 iconic guests - and they’re starting as 'Fast as a Shark'!

Stream 'Fast as a Shark' here: https://youtu.be/R0YOm5-iaO4

Pre-order: https://lnk.to/Accept-TeutonicTitans/napalmrecords

Wolf Hoffmann comments: "This song was so much fun! We even re-recorded the intro in a Bavarian oompah style… a friend of mine lives in Bavaria, and he was in contact with one of those traditional Bavarian woodwind outfits, and they recorded the traditional German folk song ‘Ein Heller und ein Batzen’ for us, which was fantastic. We were lucky to get Phil Anselmo on vocals, Billy Sheehan on bass, and of course Kirk Hammett on guitar, which is amazing, and Mikkey Dee on drums, so that’s a pretty nice supergroup, isn’t it?"

Kirk Hammett about 'Fast as a Shark': "A real honor to pay back the great inspiration ACCEPT had for me!"

German heavy metal legends ACCEPT celebrate 50 years of pure power, bringing together the scene’s A-list musicians for a landmark release. Teutonic Titans 1976–2026 stands as a definitive statement of the band’s legacy, forged in steel and driven by unmistakable riffs. Arriving 4th September via Napalm Records, the album delivers some of the most iconic songs ever written in heavy music.

Led by guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, the longtime architect of ACCEPT’s sound, the band are joined by a staggering 50 guests across 19 reimagined versions of their biggest tracks. Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 is ACCEPT’s most ambitious and star-studded release to date, reaching far beyond their country’s borders. Featuring the biggest names in heavy music paying tribute to the German icons, the record cements the band’s standing on the global stage.

This is more than an album; it is a manifesto of metal. Pre-orders are now available in various exclusive formats.
  
Wolf Hoffmann about Teutonic Titans 1976-2026:
“There is no better way to celebrate this 50-year anniversary than to have our musical peers, friends, and inspirations come together with us to record these classic ACCEPT songs, which I am honored and proud to share with the world. I hope everyone enjoys this very special record as much as we all enjoyed making it.”

Chronologically progressing through albums from their formative years, from I’m a Rebel (1980) to Eat the Heat (1989), ACCEPT present their songs with an all-new, all-star lineup, alongside the signature voice of Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann’s unmistakable riffs. By enlisting a Who’s Who of metal, no two songs on Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 are the same. Every track features a different combination of vocals, guitars, bass, and drums, giving each classic a fresh edge.
 
Tobias Forge delivers a commanding performance on the track 'Save Us' (I’m a Rebel, 1980), joined by Ray Luzier on drums. Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, and Mikkey Dee tear through the speed metal classic 'Fast As A Shark' (Restless and Wild, 1982). 'Balls to the Wall' surges with the powerful range of Metal God Rob Halford, alongside the guitar work of Matthias Jabs, while the reimagined 'Love Child' is elevated by Billy Corgan and David Ellefson (both songs from Balls to the Wall, 1983).
 
Other guest stars on ACCEPT’s extraordinary release include K. K. Downing, Bobby Blitz, Hansi Kürsch, Chris Jericho, Ralf Scheepers, Billy Sheehan, Ola Englund, and Jeff Loomis. The album also features a re-recording of 'Hellhammer' (Eat the Heat, 1989), performed by ACCEPT’s current lineup: Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Martin Motnik, guitarist Philip Shouse and drummer Christopher Williams, joined by Jason McMaster on vocals. The album masterpiece was produced, mixed and mastered by legendary producer Zeuss.
 

ACCEPTare:
Wolf Hoffmann – guitar
Mark Tornillo – vocals
Philip Shouse – guitar
Martin Motnik – bass
Christopher Williams – drums

Watch ACCEPT in the UK:

27.08.26 UK - Wolverhampton / KK’s Steel Mill
28.08.26 UK - London / Indigo at The O2

ACCEPT online:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
VK
TIKTOK
NAPALM RECORDS

Tracklisting: 

1. Fast as a Shark
2. Balls to the Wall
3. Aiming High
4. Run If You Can
5. Hellhammer
6. Metal Heart
7. Losers and Winners
8. Save Us
9. Up to the Limit
10. Wrong Is Right
11. Starlight
12. Fight It Back
13. Love Child
14. Breaker
15. Demon’s Night
16. T.V. War
17. London Leatherboys
18. Monsterman
19. Restless and Wild

Slift and Slow Crush will complete the line-up for Pelagic Fest 2026, a boutique festival showcasing Berlin record label Pelagic Records’ take on contemporary progressive, post-rock and experimental heavy music. The two day event takes place on 28th and 29th August at Muziekgieterij in Maastricht, The Netherlands. 

After a secret satellite show in Morocco in June, headliners The Ocean will return to the stage with a new lineup for their first ever performance on European shores to give a glimpse of their upcoming album Solaris, due for a September 2026 release. They are joined by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble for an ultra-rare one-off performance, as well as Swedish post rock luminaries Oh Hiroshima and EF, Finish progressive metal act Wheel and many more.

Complementing Pelagic Records’ diverse roster - from serene post-rock to uncompromisingly heavy sounds - a number of guest acts have been invited to further enrich and broaden the festival’s musical landscape. 

Pelagic Fest 2026 is shaping up to be another standout celebration of the adventurous spirit and sonic diversity that have come to define the label.

Along with the final band announcement, the stage splits and times have also been revealed:

Friday 28th August:

16:00 - Preyrs - Small Room
16:45 - Spurv - Big Room
17:50 - Abraham - Small Room
18:35 - EF - Big Room
19:40 - Red Dwarf Star - Foyer
20:25 - Predatory Void - Small Room
21:15 - Wheel - Big Room
22:20 - Som - Small Room
23:25 - The Ocean - Big Room

Saturday 29th August: 

13:40 - Hanry - Big Room
14:30 - Norna - Small Room
15:20 - The Devil's Trade - Big Room
16:10 - Zatokrev - Small Room
17:00 - Lost In Kyiv - Big Room
18:05 - Slow Crush - Small Room
18:55 - Oh Hiroshima - Big Room
20:30 - Otay:Onii - Small Room
21:25 - The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Big Room
22:40 - A.A Williams - Small Room
23:45 - Slift - Big Room 

As a teaser for this year's Pelagic Fest, they has released a venue tour video, filmed at the 2025 edition. Watch here: https://youtu.be/gjf5_VH7cvY

Tickets are availble here: https://muziekgieterij.stager.co/shop/pelagic

More information on Pelagic Records:

Founded in 2009 by post-metal spearheads The Ocean and their Berlin collective, Pelagic Records has grown into one of the most influential labels in the realms of post-rock, post-metal, and progressive/left-field heavy music. Over the years, Pelagic has worked with an impressive roster of artists, including MONO, Årabrot, Sugar Horse, Year of No Light, and Bruit ≤, among many others. Celebrating its 15th anniversary last year, Pelagic Records is focused on further solidifying its legacy by establishing Pelagic Fest as an annual event, an occasion that removes barriers and brings together artists and fans for a captivating celebration of the music that defines the label’s diverse and forward-thinking sound.

Pelagic Records online:
https://pelagic-records.com
https://www.facebook.com/pelagicrecords
instagram.com/pelagic_records
https://pelagicrecords.bandcamp.com/

With 'Flowers To A Knife Fight', Norwegian deathpop punks Blood Command turn betrayal, disappointment and emotional exhaustion into a blazing modern punk anthem built for sweaty clubs and massive festival singalongs alike.

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/bloodcommand

Fueled by explosive energy, razor sharp hooks and the band’s unmistakable blend of punk urgency, pop sensibility and chaotic heaviness, the track captures the moment where heartbreak transforms into defiance. Driven by the instantly memorable refrain “I’m never gonna be that dumb”, 'Flowers To A Knife Fight' channels the frustration of broken trust and fading idols into a massive shout along chorus impossible to shake.

Lyrics about stolen light, empty apologies and losing faith in the people once held closest give the song an emotional rawness beneath its infectious energy. Rather than sinking into bitterness, Blood Command turn personal disappointment into something empowering, loud and unapologetically alive. Bursting with punchy riffs, relentless momentum and the band’s signature deathpop chaos, the single balances aggression and melody with effortless confidence.

Since forming in 2008, Blood Command have built a cult following through their fearless genre bending sound, acclaimed live performances and relentless touring alongside artists such as Refused, Kvelertak and Biffy Clyro. With Kerrang! acclaim and multiple Spellemann nominations under their belt, the band continue to push punk into bold new territory.
 
Catch the band live:
​29.05.2026 I Zinor (Collective ICROACOA) I Montaigu, FR
30.05.2026 I Union Saint Bruno I Bordeaux, FR 
29.07.2026 I Wacken Open Air I Wacken, DE
 
Blood Command online:
https://www.instagram.com/bloodcommand
https://www.facebook.com/Bloodcommand

Hopsydian push emotional extremity and crushing heaviness to new heights with their latest single 'ELYSIUM', a dark and cinematic descent into fractured identity, spiritual abandonment and the violent pursuit of transcendence.

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/hopsydian

Combining relentless modern metalcore aggression with sacred choir elements, towering atmosphere and beatdown loaded riffs, the track balances brutality and beauty with unsettling intensity. Driven by themes of inner ruin, corrupted faith and self deification, 'ELYSIUM' explores the emotional conflict between guilt and empowerment. Lyrics like “Every scar is a vow I survived” and “There’s grace in sin” paint a portrait of someone shaped by pain, no longer searching for salvation but becoming something terrifyingly divine in the process.

The song constantly shifts between whispered confession and explosive defiance, mirroring the psychological collapse unfolding beneath its massive production. Haunting choirs echo like fractured prayers throughout the track, colliding with crushing breakdowns and punishing drums that amplify the tension between sin and transcendence. As the song builds toward its radiant and emotionally overwhelming chorus, Hopsydian create a sound that feels both apocalyptic and euphoric, equal parts spiritual reckoning and violent rebirth. 
 
Catch the band live:
27.06.2026 I Chelsea I Vienna, AT
15.08.2026 I Summer Breeze Open Air I Dinkelsbühl, DE
 
Hopsydian online:
https://www.instagram.com/hopsydianofficial
https://www.facebook.com/hopsydianband

Photo Credit: Pelagic Records

A lot of bands wouldn’t have recovered. From 2022 to 2025, post-metal visionaries The Ocean lost two-thirds of their members, with the lineup that made fan-favourite albums Phanerozoic I (2018), Phanerozoic II (2020) and Holocene (2023) stripping itself away. After a victorious final bow at Hellfest last year celebrating this lineup that had lasted for over a decade, only founding guitarist, songwriter and lyricist Robin Staps, longtime bassist Mattias Hägerstrand and new drummer Jordi Farré (also of Crippled Black Phoenix) remained.

Those who stayed could easily have called it quits, but instead, they rebuilt with and re-emerged with Solaris: the most ambitious album of The Ocean’s 25-year career. A near-70-minute journey to the stars and back, it’s based on late Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s masterpiece of the same name.

The first single from this upcoming album, 'Light Pollution', begins with familiar synth textures that connect seamlessly to its predecessor, Holocene, before gradually picking up momentum and moving in a different direction. The song culminates in a towering, slow-burning finale of orchestral grandeur, suffocating heaviness, and subdued rhythmic complexity.

Solaris will be released via Pelagic Records on 25th September.

Pre-order: https://orcd.co/theocean-solaris

“Orbital motion or particles and grains of sand / is there any meaning in these patterns”, new vocalist Enrico Tiberi sings at the beginning of the song. Orbital motion is not only the gravitationally curved trajectory of a celestial body; in another context — alluding to early scenes in the film Solaris — orbital motion in water refers to the circular or elliptical paths water particles follow as waves pass through, transferring energy without moving the water itself forward.

'Light Pollution' explores the pitfalls of 21st-century technology and humanity’s growing obsession with simulated reality. But do the many technological and social advances of recent decades truly represent progress? “We’ve witnessed several communication revolutions throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, but have we actually become any better at communicating?” comments Robin Staps. “Has there really been forward movement, or has the motion been orbital — have we merely been treading water? Light pollution symbolizes the transparency of the postmodern age, permeating everything and everyone. Everything is constantly visible; we’ve lost the darkness to hide in, and with the relentless glare of communication, we’ve also lost our privacy.”
 
For the music video for 'Light Pollution', The Ocean have enlisted the talents of filmmaker Craig Murray (Mogwai, Converge), to create a narrative arc that combines the arrival of new vocalists Lane Shi and Enrico Tiberi with the song’s lyrics. Murray’s attention to detail is a match for The Ocean; his specificity with regards to costume, design and props elevates the visual accompaniment to 'Light Pollution' to a cinematic level. 

Watch the video for 'Light Pollution' here: https://youtu.be/iFAc9-6-LSg

With their 12th studio album, The Ocean usher in a new era in the band’s 25-year history. Emmanuel Jessua of Hypno5e and Marco Gennaro join on guitar, while vocalists Enrico Tiberi and Lane Shi (Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Otay:Onii) step in to replace Loïc Rossetti.

For the recording of Solaris, the band further expanded its creative circle with contributions from Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream on modular synthesizers. Jens Bogren, who previously mixed the band’s landmark albums Pelagial and Phanerozoic I and II, once again handled mixing and mastering.

Solaris is arguably the boldest album to bear The Ocean's name so far. It’s musically intrepid, it’s conceptually fascinating and it’s got many vital things to say about the world around us. The band have well and truly resurfaced, and they’ve done so in shimmering form.

Line-up:

Robin Staps – guitar, vocals
Mattias Hägerstrand - bass
Jordi Farré – drums, percussion
Enrico Tiberi – vocals, keys
Lane Shi – vocals
Emmanuel Jessua – guitar
Marco Gennaro – guitar

In addition, the following musicians performed on this record:

Thorsten Quaeschning – keys
Orestis Zafiriou – keys
Simen Eifring – trombone
Jiawei Zhang – vibraphone

Track list:
1. 52°30'11" N, 13°26’12“ E
2. Departure Song
3. Light Pollution
4. Simulacra
5. Belligerence
6. Ultima Esperanza
7. Milk Of My Dreams
8. 51°28'30" S, 73°6'11" W

Photo Credit: Timo Maczollek / Nat Enemede

International symphonic metal legends KAMELOT - renowned for their infectious melodies, cinematic storytelling, and electrifying live performances - return with their haunting new album Dark Asylum, arriving 28th August via Napalm Records. Now 14 albums deep into a genre-defining career - including Haven (#1 Billboard Hard Rock), The Shadow Theory (#2 Billboard Hard Rock, #1 Amazon Hard Rock & Metal), and most recently The Awakening (#2 Billboard Hard Rock and Top 10 on the German charts) - the band continue to stand as a commanding force in modern metal after more than three decades.

Pre-order here: https://lnk.to/Kamelot-DarkAsylum/napalmrecords
 
Set within a shadowed Neo Victorian-era world, Dark Asylum invites listeners beyond the gates of RavenHill Asylum - an imposing institution once built as a grand cathedral, now repurposed into a place where science, faith, and madness uneasily coexist.
 
KAMELOT founder and guitarist Thomas Youngblood commented: “Dark Asylum follows a soul trapped inside a world of masks, fractured memories, and psychological torment, wandering the endless halls of RavenHill in search of truth, identity, and redemption. What begins as a descent into darkness gradually transforms into a journey of awakening, where beneath the fear, illusion, and chaos lies the possibility of healing, hope, and ultimately a path out of the shadows into Sanctuary. The album explores the duality between despair and salvation, blurring the lines between reality and madness through theatrical storytelling, haunting atmospheres, and deeply emotional themes.”
 
Frontman Tommy Karevik adds: “Dark Asylum invites listeners into the hidden chambers of the human mind. A journey where every door reveals a different story, yet all remain deeply connected. At its core, the album explores the duality of human nature: the constant tension between fear and hope, chaos and stillness, destruction and healing. Dark Asylum reflects the struggle to remain sane within a cold and barren world, while ultimately discovering that salvation is not something found externally, but something that already exists within us all. Through self-exploration, awareness, and inner peace, healing becomes possible. This concept opened the door to a more cinematic and haunting sonic landscape, allowing us to experiment with darker, more eerie musical themes.”

Longtime KAMELOT producer Sascha Paeth returns to helm the album, alongside Jacob Hansen, who oversees mixing and mastering.
 
Karevik concludes: “The imagery was intentionally painted with delicate strokes, capturing the fine line between beauty and disorder, and the way chaos and tranquility coexist within the same space. The result is an immersive experience that feels both unsettling and deeply human. A descent into darkness that ultimately searches for light.”
 
Deepening the immersion of RavenHill, Dark Asylum will be released on a plethora of exciting platforms including standard gold, solid silver, and classic black vinyl editions, certified vinyl with the white label, white splatter, and blood filled variants, the latter of which are each paired with an official 24 page booklet. Multiple CD digipak available, with the 2 disc version including an instrumental version of the album, alongside cassette and digital options.

KAMELOT push further into cinematic and atmospheric territory on Dark Asylum, diving deeper into theatrical darkness while preserving the signature hooks that define their sound. Candlelight trembles along towering arches and cold stone corridors as you are greeted familiar spectres: Avantasia mastermind Tobias Sammet, Eluveitie’s Lea-Sophie Fischer, Visions of Atlantis’s Clémentine Delauney, Decessus frontwoman and current reigning Miss World Chile champion Ignacia Fernández, Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold, and Billy King. Identity fractures, reality bends, and control slips into unseen hands, guiding its central figure through a descent into psychological darkness that ultimately leads toward transformation… and perhaps sanctuary. From the cinematic sweep of 'Ashen World' to the introspective depth of 'Sanctuary', and the layered mystique of 'Ivy, My Dear', Dark Asylum unfolds as a fully immersive journey, blending orchestral grandeur, haunting melodies, and theatrical storytelling into one cohesive vision.

Will you find sanctuary?
Or will you wander its halls for eternity?

UK tour dates with Exit Eden and Temperence:
01/11/26 UK - London / Shepherd's Bush Empire
03/11/26 UK - Manchester / O2

KAMELOT are:
Tommy Karevik - Vocals
Thomas Youngblood - Guitars
Oliver Palotai - Keyboards
Sean Tibbetts - Bass
Alex Landenburg - Drums

KAMELOT online:
WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM || NAPALM RECORDS

Dark Asylum tracklist:
1. Sanctorium
2. Ashen World (feat. Ignacia Fernández)
3. ⁠Dark Asylum
4. Sanctuary (feat. Clémentine Delauney & Ignacia Fernández)
5. Nocte Veritas
6. One Last Masquerade (feat. Tobias Sammet)
7. ⁠Ivy, My Dear
8. Godlike Alchemy
9. The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm)
10. Kaleidoscope
11. Enigma (Think of Me)
12. Cassandra’s Disease
13. Beneath the Moon (Tunglið) (feat. Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir, Sólveig Sara Leupold, Lea-Sophie Fischer)
14. ⁠The Puppet King
15. ⁠Sanctum Requiem    

Dark Asylum will be available in the following formats:

1-LP White Label Edition, incl. LP-Sized Booklet 24 pages, Certificate, Covercard – strictly limited (Napalm exclusive)

1-LP Liquid BLOOD FILLED Vinyl, incl. LP-Sized Booklet 24 pages, Certificate– strictly limited (Napalm exclusive)

2-CD 36 pages Earbook, incl. Instrumental Album – strictly limited (Napalm exclusive)

1-LP Zoetrope Vinyl, incl. LP-Sized Booklet 24 pages – strictly limited (Napalm exclusive)

1-LP White Splatter Vinyl, incl. LP-Sized Booklet 24 pages – strictly limited (Napalm ROW exclusive)

1-LP Solid Gold Vinyl – strictly limited (Napalm ROW exclusive)

1-LP Marbled Oxblood Red/Black Vinyl – strictly limited (Napalm US exclusive)

1-LP Solid Silver

1-LP Black Vinyl

Digipak CD

Cassette

Photo Credit: Andy Ford

Portuguese dark metal pioneers MOONSPELL return with 'Cross Your Heart', the next haunting chapter from their forthcoming studio album, Far From God, which will be released on 3rd July via Napalm Records.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/YxNpXNKU0aE

Stream single and pre-order the album here: http://lnk.to/Moonspell-FarFromGod

'Cross Your Heart' follows the release of the album title track 'Far From God' which received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans worldwide, with both the single and its official music video rapidly gaining strong streaming numbers across platforms. Where 'Far From God' explored tragic vampiric romance and the spiritual decay of modern gothic metal, 'Cross Your Heart' turns its gaze toward the endless roads that connect and separate us. Blending the classic atmosphere of the band’s legendary Irreligious era with a modern and sharper edge, the song unfolds as a dark, melancholic and emotionally gripping anthem. Driven by brooding melodies, grounded riffing and emotional depth, 'Cross Your Heart' pairs Fernando Ribeiro’s unmistakable vocals with a reflection on mortality, memory and the fragile nature of life spent in motion.

Fernando Ribeiro comments on the track: “Reminiscent of Irreligious with a modern and dark twist, this gothic metal song tells us about the shrines that we can frequently find on the roads of all countries in the world and that are erected as a painful memory to those who departed in car and bike crashes, often too soon, every time too painfully. Like a band who made miles upon miles and a few crashes themselves, we are privileged observers of the daily and nightly life on the roads, the promised cities, the bitter disappointments, the anguish of a portable life. Before such powers we can only cross our heart and hope to live enough before our time does come.”

Born out of five years of creative searching, doubt and ultimate rediscovery, the album marks a powerful return for the band. Far from playing it safe, MOONSPELL deliver a work that feels like a rebirth: darker, sharper and emotionally unfiltered. Rather than bending to modern trends, the band double down on identity and substance, presenting a bold and beautiful statement of Gothic Metal in its purest form: dark, romantic, dramatic and unapologetically heavy.

Thematically, Far From God moves through Baudelairian love, existential guilt and redemption, Christlike resurrections and the quiet nobility of creatures of the night. Vampires, werewolves and sacred symbolism are not escapism here, but vehicles for genuine dark emotion: solemn, romantic and unfiltered. The album rejects artificial gloss in favour of fantasy grounded in sincerity, rediscovering the heart of Gothic Metal in its most authentic form.

"To create Far from God we had to wait for the muse,” Ribeiro admits. "Again, she didn’t failed us and revealed herself in the most mysterious and beautiful ways to us. It took us five long years of hit and miss, of despairing to the point of thinking we didn’t have it anymore and why should we at all create new music. But I’m glad we persisted. Far from God is a true crusade against the decline of the style in the past few years, a darkly crafted statement that MOONSPELL is here to stay and to claim our throne. No politics, no socials, no intervention, just sickly romantic love, vampires, werewolves so we can all die of beauty, in peace and elegance. Goth bless you.”

MOONSPELL’s forthcoming magnum opus – produced with Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost among many others) – shines like a black diamond, luminous yet shadowed in texture and colour, both musically and sonically. It reconnects with the darker spirit of MOONSPELL’s classic era while sounding powerful and contemporary. Far From God is not nostalgia; it is a statement. A Gothic Metal hallelujah. MOONSPELL’s 21st century Irreligious. It’s not only a powerful reminder that MOONSPELL remain a defining force in the genre they helped shape, but an album that will truly save gothic ,etal from boredom and predictability.

MOONSPELL live in 2026:
20.06.2026 (BE) Dessel – Graspop Metal Meeting
10.07.2026 (FI) Kotka – Dark River Festival
16.07.2026 (PL) Bolków – Castle Party Festival
02.08.2026 (BU) Plovdiv – Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv (Opus Diabolicum Orchestra Show)
06.08.2026 (DE) Schlotheim – Party.San Metal Open Air
28.08.2026 (RO) Câmpulung Muscel – Posada Rock Festival
18.09.2026 (UK) London – Cosmic Void Festival
19.09.2026 (TR) Istanbul – Bosphorus Open Air Metal Fest


MOONSPELL online:
https://www.moonspell.com
https://www.facebook.com/moonspellband
https://www.instagram.com/moonspellofficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/MoonspellYT
https://label.napalmrecords.com/moonspell
 
MOONSPELL are:
Fernando Ribeiro – Vocals
Ricardo Amorim – Guitars
Pedro Paixão – Keys
Aires Pereira – Bass
Hugo Ribeiro – Drums

Far From God track list:
1. Cross Your Heart
2. Far From God
3. Biblical
4. The Great Wolf in the Sky (ft. Alicia Nuhro on strings)
5. Your Promise of Light
6. For the Love of Mortals
7. Our Freedom to Fall
8. Reconquista

Far From God  will be available in the following formats:
- 2CD 24p Mediabook (ft. Bonus CD: Demo Versions)
- 1CD Jewel Case       
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl Black (ft. Lyric Sheet & Printed Innersleeve)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl Solid Viola (ft. Lyric Sheet & Printed Innersleeve)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl S053 Splattered Creme Black (ft. 24p Booklet + Printed Innersleeve)
- Wooden Boxset (ft. Mediabook 2-CD + A5 Band Photo + Flag + Cross Pendant + Handnumbered Certificate of Authenticity)
- 2CD 24p Mediabook + Shirt Bundle
- 1-LP Gatefold WHITE LABEL (ft. 12'' 24p Booklet, Certificate [dated handumbered], Covercard)
- Digital Album                            
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl CIRC002 (ft. Lyric Sheet + Printed Innersleeve + Vertical Poster A3 Cover + Band Photo Postcard) - Bandshop exclusive

Photo Credit: Shane Eckert

Finally, the time has come, the first look into thrash legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM’s new album Rats In The Temple, out 28th August via Napalm Records. The album’s title track is a ghoulish hit packing sweeping guitarmonies, thunderous drums, and exalted frontman Eric A.K. Knutson’s haunting wail. After four trailblazing decades, countless world tours, and 15 groundbreaking studio albums, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM remain refined and revered.

Watch 'Rats In The Temple' video here: https://youtu.be/DLwxt85T3u0
 
Eric A.K. Knutson says about the track:
“We’re super excited to release the first single from the album, which is very fittingly the title track, ‘Rats In The Temple’!  This song has a lot to say, and we hope the fans love the song as much as we do. This is possibly one of the most technically challenging songs FLOTSAM has ever recorded, and we look forward to delivering this song live as well!”

Pre-order the album here: https://lnk.to/FlotsamAndJetsam-RatsintheTemple/napalmrecords

Thrash metal icons FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, known for their trailblazing blend of blistering thrash and soaring power metal - established on breakthrough records like the Kerrang!-championed classic Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986), No Place for Disgrace, (1988), and Cuatro, (1992) and refined in their current renaissance with the German chart-climbing The End of Chaos, (2019), Blood in the Water, (2021), and I Am the Weapon, (2024) - are back with their newest diamond, and Napalm Records debut, Rats In The Temple, out 28th August.

With nearly four decades on the scene, countless world tours, and appearances at prestigious festivals like Wacken, Graspop, Bloodstock, Alcatraz, and Rockhard, they’ve carved their sound down to a fine point, piercing listeners with earth-shattering blast beats, scorching guitars, epic string arrangements, and exalted frontman A.K. Knutson’s unmistakably haunting wail. 
 
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson about the album:
“This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!”

Rats In The Temple opens strongly with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of 'Harvesting The Hate' and 'Damnation', before delving into thrash virtuosity on 'Absolution'. The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like 'Blame The Knife' and 'Rats In the Temple', then continue to flex their metal muscle on 'The Ghost Behind My Door' and 'First on the Spike', invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummelling modern menace. 'The Edge of Nowhere' builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into 'Last Rites', another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem 'A Taste For War', their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. 'Her Blood Your Pain' brings ornate, medieval guitarmonies before 'Anthem For The Broken' goes full balls to the wall, and 'Going Down That Way' hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. Rats In The Temple remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band's metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences. 

Churning like magma beneath the Earth, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and Rats In The Temple sees the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awe-inspiring blaze. For fans new and longstanding, you cannot escape them; they’re through the walls.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are:
​​Eric A.K. Knutson - Vocals
Michael Gilbert - Guitars
Steve Conley - Guitars
William Bodily - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums
 
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Online:
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
NAPALM RECORDS

Tracklist:
1. Harvesting the Hate
2. Damnation
3. Absolution
4. Blame the Knife
5. Rats in the Temple
6. The Ghost behind my Door
7. First on the Spike
8. The Edge of Nowhere
9. Last Rites
10. A Taste for War
11. Her Blood your Pain
12. Anthem for the Broken
13. Not Going down that Way

Rats In The Temple Will Be Available in The Following Formats:

2-LP Gatefold (White Label Edition), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Splattered Vinyl), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Solid Red), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Black)
1-CD Digisleeve
Digital Album