Simone Simons, pevka slavnih simfoničarjev Epica, bo izdala debitanski solo album z naslovom Vermillion. Prvi single Aeterna, ki ga je napisala ob pomoči Arjena Lucassena (Ayreon), bo uradno predstavljen danes zvečer ob 18.30 uri na njenem Instagram profilu. Tracklista:

Aeterna
In Love We Rust
Cradle To The Grave (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
Fight Or Flight
Weight Of My World
Vermillion Dreams
The Core
Dystopia
R.E.D.
Dark Night Of The Soul

Avstralski progresivci Teramaze so napovedali enajsti album Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace. Ta je konceptualno nadaljevanje predhodnikov Her Halo (2015) in Sorella Minore (2021) in s tem tudi zaključek te trilogije. Tracklista:

A Place Called Halo
The Will of Eli
Step Right Up
I Mantissa
Madam Roma
Standing Ovation
Hands Are Tied
A Wonderful Fall From Grace

Nizozemski veterani death metala Pestilence bodo 26. aprila pri založbi Agonia Records izdali album Levels of Perception. A to pot album ne bo vseboval novih skladb iz hiše Pestilence, temveč nabor dvanajstih izbranih komadov 38 let trajajoče kariere, ki jih je band tudi na novo posnel. Pred izidom se bo band odpravil tudi na tritedensko turnejo po Evropi. Seznam izbranih komadov je sledeč:

Horror Detox
Mvlti Dimensional
Mobvs Propagationem
Sinister
Dehydrated
Dominatvi Svbmissa
Land of Tears
Necromorph
Deificvs
Twisted Truth
Sempiternvs
Ovt of the Body

Kultni Mercyful Fate so 40. obletnico svojega prvenca Melissa obeležili z njegovo digitalno objavo na Bandcampu.

Britanski progresivneži Sky Empire predstavljajo najnovejši single Wayfarer s prihajajočega albuma The Shifting Tectonic Plates of Power – Part One. Tracklista albuma, ki ga lahko že prednaročite, je takšna:

Prolegomenon: The Encomium of Creation
On The Shores of Hallowed Haven
The Emissary
Into My Father’s Eyes
Wayfarer
The Last Days of Planet Fantasy
House of Cards

Grška black metal zasedba The Magus, ki je nasledila razpadlo kultno black metal zasedbo Necromantia, ker je leta 2019 tragično preminil Baron Blood, je objavila besedilni videospot za naslovni komad prihajajočega prvenca Βυσσοδομώντας. Ta bo izšel 31. oktobra pri The Circle Music Records in je že na voljo za prednaročila. Tracklista:

This is My Church
The Fall of Man
Lux Tenebrarum
Βυσσοδομώντας
Idolatrous Discord
Ama Lilith
Negative Renaissance
The Peacock King
Give the Devil his due: The story

Power metalci Kamelot, ki so marca izdali album The Awakening, predstavljajo najnovejši videospot New Babylon, na katerem je sodelovala tudi Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum, The Dark Side Of The Moon).

Čilski heavy metalci Shadows so danes pri Sentient Ruin Laboratories izdali studijski prvenec Out for Blood, ki ga lahko preverite tukaj. Album obsega naslednje naslove:

Nightstalker
The Ripper
Sacrifice
Dream Paralysis
Into the Nightmare
Forgotten Rites
Out for Blood
Maniac
Fullmoon
Alissa

Ukrajinska post/black metal zasedba White Ward je bila zaradi situacije v Ukrajini žal primorana odpovedati vse načrtovane nastope in turneje. Spodaj lahko preberete izjavo banda:

»Dear friends,

With a heavy heart, we need to inform you that our April tour is canceled. Last 2 weeks we fought for the fate of the tour. We tried all the possible ways, but the system proved to be stronger.

So, let's make it clear about what happened and about the reasons for the cancellation.

Right now “wartime” restrictions are applied in Ukraine, and they include limitations for men in ages 18-60 to cross the border, because it is a range when men are available for military service. So, there is a need to get special permission from state authorities to travel out of Ukraine. During the year 2022 the Ministry Of Culture helped Ukrainian musicians and different artists and assisted in acquiring such permits (for a limited time) and that is why we, and many other bands, were able to play in Europe last year.

But a working algorithm that allows to control the “way back” was not created and responsibilities related to the violations of the permission terms - were nowhere written. And that is why some impudent people just used this opportunity to run out of Ukraine and decided not to come back. Very few cases are known, but after the last one, which raised a lot of noise and dissatisfaction in the media, the Ministry Of Culture decided to implement immediate changes and new rules, even for artists who have already sent a request for permit weeks before an accident - we have sent such request on February, 20th. That is the reason why many Ukrainian bands like Schizogen, Bezlad, The Hypnotunez, Kazka, and many more have already canceled or almost canceled their tours. Some bands were affected when they were already at the border and shows should take place the next day, but due to new rules, they were not allowed to leave Ukraine!

The new rules suppose some additional documents to a request. In our case, every member of the band has his own difficulties in acquiring that, even with an immediate start - there is no guarantee that the process will be successful and accomplished in time. Also, that is anyway not a guarantee that the request will be approved - our colleagues` request was refused even with all the requested documents. So, we just can't get this permission and it is over.

We have tried everything, and the media noise was our last hope. But it hasn’t worked, unfortunately. Months of work, preparations, money - all this is now in vain.
We sincerely apologize to our fans, promoters, and everyone who helped us with this tour. We hope that one day we will make this tour real, and you will wait for us. We will still try to figure something out before Hellfest and August festivals, but no new tour announcements till the end of the war will be made.

But, the one and only responsible for this is russia. They broke everything by invading our country, killing our children, bombing our cities, destroying our culture, and applying all fascist methods to destroy us and we will never forget what they DID and are still DOING!«

Finski sludge metalci Radien so posneli video za pesem Näkijä, ki je del njihovega prihajajočega drugega albuma Unissa palaneet. Plošča bo izšla 19. maja pri Svart Records.

Domači atmosferični black metalci Dekadent so objavili posnetek Live in Orto. Gre za posnetek dela njihovega nastopa na letošnjem festivalu Dirty Skunks Fest: 20 Years of Stench. Band je posnel šest komadov:

Wanax Eternal
Pinela
Zastor Magnum
Raided
A Cry of Revolt
The Renaissance of Purity

Finska simfonična enočlanska black metal zasedba Argenthorns je podpisala z založbo Avantgarde Music, pri kateri bo izšel prvenec z naslovom The Ravening. Album naj bi izšel 21. aprila in bo zajemal naslednje komade:

Hänen Salissaan Kastoimme Unenhoureet Vereen
The Manor of the Demon Duke
In the Hoary Shadows of the Blighted Gardens
I Incursion II A Procession of Spectres
Malefic Chronicle
Wings of Psychomachia
The Grand Hallowing of the Tyrant
Elpyminen

Italijanski doom metal veterani Abysmal Grief so podpisali s kultno založbo Avantgarde Music, pri kateri bodo konec marca izdali kompilacijo Despise The Living, Desecrate The Dead. Ta obsega neizdan material, ki je nastal med letoma 2016 in 2021:

White Coffins (2021)
Mortician (2020)
A Forest Mass (2019)
Missa Est (2018)
March Macabre (2018)
The Curse Of The Toad (2018)
Estremo Dolore (2017)
Arcanum Magisterium (2017)
Ancient Obituaries (2016)

Ameriški blackened doom projekt Crawl bo 3. februarja pri Profound Lore izdal album Damned, s katerega predstavlja skladbo 10,000 Polehammers. Damned sicer zajema naslednje naslove:

Renaissance Of Worthlessness
…This Lesser Form
10,000 Polehammers
Poisoned And Shadowmad

Enočlanska black/death/doom metal banda Tchornobog in Abyssal sta v petek izdala skupni album The Vomiting Choir | Antechamber of the Wakeless Mind pri založbi Lupus Lounge. Miks in mastering splita je opravil Stephen Lockhart v studiu Emissary, naslovnico pa je naslikal Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration).