German extreme-metal adventurers Firtan have unleashed their second advance cut, "Ascension", taken from the ensemble's forthcoming fifth full‑length, Helios, slated for release on 2 October via AOP Records.
For more than a decade, Firtan have stood as a formidable presence within the German extreme‑metal landscape, captivating audiences across Europe with their intense, shape‑shifting live performances. In autumn 2026, the outfit will deliver their fifth studio album, premiering the material live throughout their Helios tour (see dates below).
Helios charts the brutal path toward enlightenment — not as escape, but as conquest. Named after the sun itself, the record explores what it means to become the strongest, clearest version of oneself in a world engineered for distraction, erosion, and decay.
Musically, Helios fuses the raw, atmospheric ferocity of black metal with the crushing weight of death metal, mirroring the album's central theme: clarity forged through struggle. The evocative presence of both acoustic and electric violin threads through the compositions with melancholic, experimental tones, adding tension and complexity that elevate the band's intricate riffing and unexpected structural shifts. Additional layers of depth arise from the incorporation of various acoustic instruments, ritualistic chants, and analogue synthesisers, enriching the album's immersive and dynamic sonic architecture. Link
Italian doom metal ensemble Messa present a Cold Cave rework of "At Races", a track taken from their critically acclaimed full‑length The Spin, released last year through Metal Blade...
Stockholm‑based post‑punk entity Then Comes Silence present "Remaker Redeemer", the second video track from their forthcoming record Requiem Ballroom, expected on 20 November through...
American alternative industrial‑metal duo Esoterik present their new single “No Absolutes,” a hypnotic, hard‑hitting piece that explores the volatile space between spiritual awakening...
Finnish atmospheric black metal project Beyond Seventh Dimension will release its debut full‑length, Tähtien Ikuinen Suru, on 4 September via Inverse Records. Ahead of the album’s arrival, the...
"We try to support our army as much as possible since we also have friends on the frontline." - Helle Bohdanova
"I'm quite obsessive, and when I work on music, I can overwork and get myself in trouble. I always had a breakdown when I finished an album, because I drove myself to the brink." - Mick Moss
"When you feel something you need to share, creating songs is the best way to do it. You can reflect on yourself so that you can relax and be relieved of that emotion." - Çağla Güleray
"We go searching for sounds and ideas within ourselves and there in our dreams, in the moments when 'we are not here'." - Elena Alice Fossi
