Mad About Rock

  Today marks the highly anticipated release of III – Candles & Beginnings, the third studio album from AURI — the visionary musical collaboration of vocalist Johanna Kurkela, Nightwish keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. With III – Candles & Beginnings, AURI once again open a portal to an otherworldly soundscape where folk, progressive rock, symphonic textures, world music, pop, and avant-garde elements entwine. At the heart of the album lies Kurkela’s ethereal voice, soaring across lush sonic landscapes crafted by Holopainen’s emotive keyboard playing and Donockley’s eclectic instrumentation. This new release is a tapestry of emotion and imagination, where each track tells its own story — from nostalgic reflections to deeply personal experiences. Coinciding with the album’s release is the launch of the third single, 'Blakey Ridge', accompanied by a brand-new lyric video. Joyful and transportive, the track pays tribute to The Lion I...

  Music has the power to open inner worlds - crafted from voices, sounds, and emotions that resonate deep within the soul. Today, AURI invites listeners into their ethereal soundscape with the release of 'Museum Of Childhood', the second single from their highly anticipated upcoming album, III – Candles & Beginnings, out August 15, 2025. 'Museum Of Childhood' is a vibrantly beautiful composition, stirring emotion and sending shivers down the spine. It is a shining example of AURI’s ability to transport listeners away from the noise of reality into a dreamlike realm of serenity and wonder. Accompanying the single is a stunning music video that immerses viewers in AURI’s enchanted world - where light and shadow dance with emotion and imagination. Open your heart and ears. Let AURI be the beacon of light that guides you through the dreamscape. Johanna Kurkela comments: “As we venture deeper into the enchanting realm of our new album 'Candles & Beginnings', ...

  The ethereal trio AURI returns with their long-awaited third studio album, III - Candles & Beginnings, set for release on August 15, 2025. Propelled by the celestial voice of Johanna Kurkela, the lush sonic landscapes of Tuomas Holopainen, and the boundless instrumental artistry of Troy Donockley, AURI once again invites listeners into a world that defies genre. Fusing elements of folk, progressive and symphonic music with touches of world, pop, and avant-garde, III - Candles & Beginnings promises an immersive journey for the senses. The creative process for this new chapter began in 2023, shortly after the completion of Nightwish’s 2024 opus Yesterwynde. While Troy composed in the serene landscapes of Yorkshire, Tuomas and Johanna crafted melodies and lyrics from their home base in Kitee, Finland—bridging worlds both musically and geographically. As a first glimpse into AURI’s evolving soundscape, the hauntingly beautiful lead single 'Shieldmaiden' is available now, ...

  UK Folk Horror outfit FORLORN explore the element of Earth with their new single ‘Creatress’, which is out now on all platforms. ‘Creatress’ heralds a new dawn for the band after they closed their ‘Sæl’ cycle on a high note in 2023. The track is a marriage of symphonic black metal, bone-rattling low guitars, neck-snapping groove, and ambient soundscapes that further blurs the lines of genre. Centred around the element of Earth and inspired by the ancient norse deity Moder, ‘Creatress’ draws parallels between humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth and women in modern society. Female empowerment has been a core theme that has developed across Forlorn’s offerings; ‘Creatress’ honours the ancient matriarch, a societal archetype often disregarded as worthless, particularly in modern day society. Speaking of ‘Creatress’, vocalist Megan Elliott comments: “This new offering marks the beginning of a new, experimental and visceral journey for Forlorn. ‘Creatress’ delivers an empowering ...

  Montreal’s The Speakeasy just dropped a new video for "Signs of Spring" the closing track on their recently released self-titled debut. Stream the "Signs Of Spring" video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EobaZfuLi9A Stream the album here/order the vinyl (shipping in March): https://bfan.link/the-speakeasy Whether you're a seasoned fan of punk, folk, or anything in between, prepare to have your musical world shaken up by The Speakeasy. Each track on their inaugural LP is a carefully crafted story, weaving together elements of nostalgia, passion, and a touch of the unknown. With their distinctive sound, The Speakeasy invites listeners into a world where musical boundaries dissolve. Hailing from the vibrant punk scene of Montreal's north shore, The Speakeasy is a punk rock quintet best known for their energetic live performances with their blend of heavy skatepunk. With a collective punk rock journey spanning over two decades, the band officially came ...

Solarcyles are a folk metal band from the Netherlands who incorporate Celtic and Scandinavian influences giving them a very alluring and interesting sound. The band describes their music 'an esoteric journey propelled by forces unable to behold'. They formed around five years ago and released their debut EP 'Ethereal Storms' in 2017, I didn't have the pleasure of hearing the EP back when first released but I'm very glad they were bought to my attention now... Intro and opening song 'Hold On To The Sun' is short but impactful being atmospheric and setting the scene for what lies ahead and transitions wonderfully into 'Setting Sun' which blazes to life with fast guitar licks reminiscent of Nightwish instrumentally. We are graced with alluring vocals from Sascha Van Der Meer to accompany the lively folk instruments that are skilful and enchanting as the vocals throughout, this is a very enjoyable and ambient experience. 'Seven Spheres...

Like many artists, CELLAR DARLING have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic and the associated lockdown measures and show cancellations. Rather than giving in or just asking for money without offering something in return, they've announced a campaign where they will provide exclusive content to fans straight from their own homes and rehearsal space, culminating in a live-streamed performance at Lucerne's Soundfarm Studio. The campaign will begin on 5 April with a live Q&A session at www.cellardarling.com/lockdown-content The live stream will take place on 3 May at 20:00 CEST | 19:00 BST | 14:00 EDT | 11:00 PDT | 15:00 BRT | 21:00 MSK | 03:00 JST | 02:00 SGT. Fans will be able to watch at www.cellardarling.com/live-at-soundfarm Throughout the campaign, fans can contribute by donating directly to the band. The stream itself is 'pay-what-you-want' and will also be available for free for those who can't afford to contribute. The band comment: "T...

Swiss Prog Metallers CELLAR DARLING unveil the new lyric video for 'Burn' from their latest album 'The Spell', which you can see here: https://youtu.be/MVAtvMCIY_k The band comment: "Just in time for the holiday season and to counteract the cold, we present you with 'Burn', yet another animated video from our concept album 'The Spell', once again created by Costin Chioreanu. This is the 9th video in our ongoing series, in which every one of the 13 album tracks will receive a visual interpretation by Costin. We hope you enjoy it!" The entire album will be visualised with animated music videos to present the whole story of 'The Spell' in the enchanting and unmistakable style of Costin Chioreanu’s visual imagination. The remaining videos will be released later this year to complete the story so far. Watch the story so far: https://bit.ly/2lTFxBC Make sure to catch CELLAR DARLING on their upcoming tour supporting their l...

Witness CELLAR DARLING's haunting progressive concept album 'The Spell' live on their newly announced European shows in October and November 2019. CELLAR DARLING’s concept album, 'The Spell', saw the light of day on March 22nd and immediately catapulted the Swiss trio into ‘album of the year’ candidate territory. Now they are bringing this tale of a girl who falls in love with death on tour! Unmissable shows carried by Ivo Henzi’s groovy riffs, the energy of Merlin Sutter’s powerhouse drumming, and the unforgettable voice of Anna Murphy who takes you through enormous highs and deepest lows as she sings the chapters of 'The Spell'. Experience the new tracks as well as your favourites from the debut album “This Is The Sound” live! Tickets are available at https://www.cellardarling.com/shows 17.10. F Paris - Les Etoiles 18.10. D Dusseldorf - The Tube 19.10. D Hameln - Autumn Moon Festival 20.10. D Frankfurt ...

New Delhi based Indian Folk Metal band BLOODYWOOD has released the official music video for their newest single, "Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)." "Originally created for the upcoming Ubisoft game "Beyond Good and Evil 2", Machi Bhasad is a track with a political message that celebrates the power of a new generation and its potential to be better than the last. Outside the context of the game, this song is intended as both a tribute and a call to action. It's a tribute to musicians and leaders who inspired people like ourselves to think and act in a way that'll benefit everyone. To question an unjust system that serves a few at the cost of the many. It's a call to action for our generation to finish the work started by all those who came before us. To Become the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, and change the world for the better." Raj Against The Machine Tour Dates: 07/13 @ Dong Open Air - Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany 07...

After triumphantly storming the worldwide charts with new album 'Ategnatos', the Swiss folk metal superstars ELUVEITIE are premiering an official lyric video for the track 'Worship' today. Watch the new lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubhf4AAL5Hc Chrigel Glanzmann comments: "Here you go with our second lyric video for a song from our brand new album ATEGNATOS! It's the second part of the two-song cycle of THE SLUMBER and WORSHIP! A radical song with drastic lyrics on a severe topic: the ancient Celtic Sesroneos myth, in which our modern societies can and probably should reflect themselves as much as the people in ancient times could! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do and find some food for thought in it! Special thanks to Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GOD for an excellent performance!" 'Ategnatos' has entered the charts all over the world, including a #3 position in their home country, Switzerland and #11 in Germany. ...

The storytellers of CELLAR DARLING released their sophomore studio album 'The Spell' on the 22nd March 2019 and carry you away into the tale of an unnamed girl who is birthed into a world that is full of pain, damaged and debilitated by the human beings that inhabit it. We follow her as she searches for meaning in life when suddenly she meets and falls in love with death. This haunting concept album sees the band taking a turn towards heavy progressive rock while still not neglecting their folk roots. The band states: "Today we release 'The Spell' - a concept album based on the old motif of "Death and the Maiden", but with our own unique story of a girl who falls in love with the personification of Death. For the first time we wrote music according to a lyrical concept, we let the words of the story guide our melodies and rhythms and fully immersed ourselves in this fictional world. Now we invite you to do the same - dream, interpret, make it your ...

New Delhi based Indian Folk Metal band BLOODYWOOD has released the official music video for their single, "Endurant." The viral metal trio first caught their US fans' attention with their metal rendition of the Indian folk song " Ari Ari ," but has developed a sustained base of hard core followers with blistering original tracks fusing traditional Indian instrumentation with brutal guitars and mixed vocal stylings. Check out the new video below: "'Endurant' is a song for those who've faced or continue to face bullying in any aspect of life. We wanted to be as realistic and practical as possible with our message, which is why the song urges to endure and come out stronger rather than retaliate or fight back with force. The video, while maintaining the message of the song, also tries to establish that bullies are not another breed." - Karan Katiyar https://www.facebook.com/bloodywood.delhi/ https://www.youtube.com/bl...

2018 will go down in the history as an important year for KORPIKLAANI. The band celebrated its 15th anniversary, released their 10th album 'Kulkija' and finally wrapped up the year with a successful North American tour in December. 2019 will be just as busy. The Finnish Folk Metal Superstars will start the year with an 8-date Finnish tour and will be joined on stage with a brass section from Lahti Sinfonia. With KORPIKLAANI attracting a wide and varied audience, it is especially nice that the tour includes also two all-ages shows at Nosturi in Helsinki and Finlandia Klubi in Lahti. The show in Helsinki will be opened by WALTARI and the Norwegian TROLLFEST, while all Finnish shows will also be supported by PROFANE OMEN who recently released their latest album 'Ooka'. After the Finnish tour, KORPIKLAANI will continue their worldwide 'Kulkija' -tour with a month-long European run with TURISAS and TROLLFEST and in May, the band will once again head down to Austr...

Orlando based Gothic Folk Metal band URN has released the official music video for their single, "Silently, I'm Still Screaming," off of their 2015 released LP, Epiphany. The band's newly announced members, keyboardist Cleve Hall (SyFy’s “Monster Man”) and drummer Eric James Peterson (ex-Electric Hellfire Club) are featured in “Silently, I’m Still Screaming” from their Epiphany LP released on Dark Moon Records. "Many fans had given feedback that this song was one of their more favorites off of the album, so we wished to honor them by doing this video. We also wished to showcase our guitarist, Christopher Migdalski's lead work on this song, as he has been a role model for those afflicted with Parkinson's Disease and how to overcome disabilities to still pursue his life dream. Our hope is that this will inspire those to continue on in their battle and achieve whatever dreams/goals that they have." - URN Check out the video below: Stream ...

Now under the guiding wing of (UK/US) label Engineer Records, the Kent (UK) based alchemist of alternative folk-rock unleashes his official video single for 'Pushing Me Away'. Currently writing and producing material for release later this year, Steve Hewitt has honed his song & stage craft through extensive gigging both in the UK and overseas raking in support slots with the likes of Star Sailor, Toploader, The Hoosiers and Newton Faulkner. Adding further to his credentials, the accomplished musician has toured in the US with the Reed Brothers. Blending a diverse mix of genres and influences into his music, the young Steve Hewitt developed his love for music and creativity during his mid-teens. Reclusively refining his guitar and vocal skills in his garden shed, Steve immersed himself in the song-writing finesse of Bob Dylan, The Smiths, James Morrison, Ben Howard, Fink, John Legend and his frequent vocal comparator David Gray. What emerged from this education wa...

CELLAR DARLING LAUNCH TOUR/BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO FOR 'REBELS' Switzerland's New Wave Of Folk Rock, CELLAR DARLING, are still on tour with LACUNA COIL to present their debut hit album This Is The Sound. After over seven weeks on the road, the band compiled a video of backstage and soundcheck moments, travel footage and of course live sequences that you can now watch here to the sound of their hauntingly melancholic rock hymn 'Rebels': https://youtu.be/t6KEA-Oiup0 The debut album This Is The Sound was released on June 30th 2017 via Nuclear Blast records. Pick up your copy: Nuclear Blast store: Limited Edition Gatefold Double Vinyl + signed insert CD + signed insert Digibook CD + signed insert http://nblast.de/CDThisIsTheSoundNB Limited Edition Gatefold Double Vinyl + signed insert CD + signed insert Digibook CD + signed insert http://nblast.de/CellarDarlingShop Digital version: http://nblast.de/CDThisIsTheSoundIT ICYMI: Avalan...