Metal Blade releases

2026
09-01-26 Iotunn – Waves over Copenhell
09-02-26 Dvne - Live at Hellfest (incl songs of Etemen Aenka) 
20-02-26 W.E.B. – Darkness alive (live album), single ‘into hell fire we burn’ (live), single ‘morphine for saints’
27-02-26 Necrofier – Transcend into oblivion (single ‘fires of the apocalyps’)
27-02-26 Cryptic shift – single ‘cryogenically frozen’
end March 26 Gradience – single ‘master tot he slave’
end March 26 Monstrosity – Screams from beneath the usrface (single ‘the atrophied’) ) (single ‘banished to the skies’)
10-04-26 Vomitory – In death throes (single ‘for gore and country’) (single ‘wrath unbound’) 
10-04-26 Yoth Iria – Blessed be he who enters (single ‘gone with the devil’)
17-04-26 The last ten seconds of life – The dead ones (single ‘make it to heaven’) (single ‘rat trap’)
24-04-26 Six feet under – Next to die (single ‘unmistakable smell of death’) (single ‘Mutilated corpse in the woods’) (single ‘mister blood and guts’)
08-05-26 Ingested – Denigration (single ‘watch you fold’ ft John Gallagher of Dying Fetus) (single ‘oaths betrayed’)
08-05-26 Yoth Iria – Gone with the devil (single ‘the blind eye of Antichrist’) (single ‘harut, government, fallen’)
10-05-26 Lifesick – single ‘Die with me’ (2024 album ‘loved by none, hated by all’ en 2026 ‘at war with you’ ) single ‘hard to kill’)
15-05-26 Gozu – Gozu VI (single ‘banachek’) (single ‘corinthian leatherface’) 
15-05-26 Slayer, 40th anniversary reissue of ‘hell awaits’
22-05-26 Armored Saint – Emotion factory reset (single ‘close to the bone’) (single ‘hit a moonshot’)
12-06-26 Stormkeep – The noctures of Iswylm (single ‘imperious sanguine eroticism’) (single ‘every man-any man’) (single ‘the black dragons of Iswylm’)
June 26 Allegaeon – single ‘ dark matter dynamics’
25-05-26 Gradience – The Ossuary Lens (single ‘deathwish’)
June 26 Cattle Decapitation ’30 y of inhumanity’ (single ‘dead end residents’)
19-06-26 Endseeker – Coffin born EP (single ‘enemies of peace’) (‘true survivor’, cover David Hasselhoff)
July 2026 The Black Dahlia Murder – Two decades of Nocturnal , 20th anniversary
July 2026 Lifesick – single ‘At war with you’
July 2026 Amon Amarth – acoustic song ‘upphaf’
10-07-26 If these trees could talk – the hidden hand (single ‘sea of glass’) 
17-07-26 Psycroptic – The pulse of annihilation  (single ‘gathering a venomous herd’) (single ‘ashes of a new dawn’)
24-07-26 North sea echoes (w/Ray Alder, Jim Matheoas - Fates Warning) - How to cast a shadow (single 'enjoy the view') (single ‘i’ll leave a light on’) (single 'good enough') 
End July 26 Broken by the screa m’s – ‘Hanakabura’
End July 26 Messa – The spin – single ‘At races (cold cave remix)’
31-07-26 Dry wedding – Arrowhead (single ‘moths’)
August 26 Wayfarer feat. Dave Eugene Edwards – single ‘Perdition’s crossing’
21-08-26 The Night Eternal – Cold velvet (single ‘where this worlds ends’) (single ‘caught in a spell’) (single ‘the veins of time) (single’ eurydice’)
28-08-26 Exumer – death mask Messiah – single ‘allocated savagery’ – single ‘blinding skies’
04-09-26 Gradience – Anomaly (single ‘white noise’) (single ‘undone’) (single ‘agony’)
11-09-26 Harlott – Exsequiis (single ‘the joyful stain’
11-09-26 Dreadnought - Wars of spirit // Wards of light (single 'color of our broken hearts') 
02-10-26 Amon Amarth – The allfather awakens (single ‘’gjallarhorn’) (single ‘eight legs of thunder’)
09-10-26 RAM – Against (single ‘ghost emperor’) (single ‘night blade’)
09-10-26 Wolfbrigade – Howl from underground (single ‘cold war bootlicker’)
16-10-26 Fervence – Constructs (single ‘zenith’)
23-10-26 Entheos – Empty on yhe inside (single ‘golden crown’) (single ‘undone’)

Metal Mondays to a global audience

Even voorstellen - Belgian prog metal quintet Hippotraktor reveal new single 'Builder of Eden'

Annihilist LP out 2nd October (Pelagic Records)

Belgian post-metal quintet Hippotraktor have today revealed their new single 'Builder of Eden', featuring Loic Rossetti, former vocalist of The Ocean.
The single is taken from the band's forthcoming album Annihilist, due 2nd October via Pelagic Records.
Watch: https://youtu.be/3vgbDfNNXk4

The band comment: "For 'Builder of Eden', we joined forces with one of our biggest inspirations, Loïc Rossetti (ex-The Ocean Collective), to create one of the most monumental and heavy tracks on the album.

"The song follows our nameless protagonist as he violently defies his creator, breaking free from the empty burden of existence thrust upon him.
'We are all hypothetical legends, regressed. Overprivileged sons trapped in a numb, mechanical dream.’”

Since emerging from Mechelen, Belgium, Hippotraktor have steadily carved out a singular artistic identity guided by an enduring commitment to exploration. Their music unfolds through carefully sculpted contrasts, where immense rhythmic force exists alongside delicate melodic detail. Moments of overwhelming intensity dissolve into passages of quiet reflection, suspended stillness erupts into visceral power and sonic chaos; their sound is a meticulously crafted interplay between movement and heaviness. Every composition feels organic, themes emerge gradually and transform unexpectedly, as deconstruction, precision and instinct are in constant negotiation. Their sound is defined by intention; every eruption, moment of restraint and subtle shift is embedded in an atmosphere of purpose.

To the joy of ear-splitters and deep-feeling appreciators of post rock, Hippotraktor will release their third studio album Annihilist on 2nd October via Pelagic Records.

Once again Annihilist showcases the band's ability to balance crushing physicality with emotional nuance, whilst pushing further into highly cultivated experimentation. For Hippotraktor, immense sonic weight coexists with remarkable clarity and depth, and through the many shifting passages and moments Annihilist becomes a journey of awe, dissolution, melancholia and rampaging power. At the heart of this album is a sense of collective inspiration. Guitarist Chiaran Verheyden's compositional vision provides the framework for music that is both intricate and instinctive, yet Hippotraktor's identity is forged through the dialogue between all five musicians.

Although often associated with progressive metal, post-metal and sludge, Hippotraktor resist classification. Their music draws freely from multiple traditions while remaining unmistakably their own, blending rhythmic complexity, cinematic atmosphere and deeply human expression into a sound that feels both expansive and immediate. From the visceral, roaring opening of 'Builder of Eden', to the deconstructed finale of 'Courageous Apathy', this album exhibits the vast arsenal at Hippotraktor's disposal.

As an album Annihilist is not only gripping in every moment and turn, but their balance of the intimate and titanic feels deceptively effortless; a testament to their galvanised abilities. Technical accomplishment is never presented as spectacle; every note exists in service of atmosphere, narrative and emotional resonance. Annihilist is undeniably heavy, yet drenched in groove and bittersweet tenderness. It is progressive without becoming self-indulgent, atmospheric without sacrificing immediacy, and emotionally expansive without relying on sentimentality. Hippotraktor craft immersive sonic environments that invite complete surrender, where intricate musicianship and instinctive expression become indistinguishable.

Line Up:
Stefan De Graef – Vocals
Chiaran Verheyden – Guitar
Jakob Fiszer – Bass
Lander De Nyn – Drums
Kristof Du Jardin – Guitar and Vocals

LIVE 15 oct Club Wintercircus, Gent
Track list:
1. I Breathe, I Am

2. Courageous Apathy
3. Builder of Eden
4. Oblivion Walker
5. Annihilist
6. Everything Is Permissible
7. A Different Now
   
   https://hippotraktor.com

Tomorrowland Winter – Alpe d’Huez, where the mountains meet magic
TOMORROWLAND WINTER 2027, ALPE D'HUEZ, WHERE THE MOUNTAINS MEET MAGIC
A week of world-class electronic music, unforgettable skiing and the People of Tomorrow returns to Alpe d'Huez, France.

ALPE D'HUEZ, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 2026 – Imagine waking up to a crystal-clear blue sky, stepping outside into a thick layer of fresh snow and heading up the mountain on a ski lift, alongside one of your favourite DJs. Ski down legendary slopes, enjoy lunch high in the mountains, discover spectacular Tomorrowland stages and, as the sun sets, watch the village of Alpe d'Huez transform into a world of music and magic. Tomorrowland Winter returns to Alpe d'Huez from 20 until 27 March, 2027, bringing together two worlds that were made to be experienced side by side: the freedom of the mountains and the magic of Tomorrowland. All info via www.winter.tomorrowland.com  

PRACTICAL
Tomorrowland Winter 2027
Alpe d'Huez, France
March 20-27

V2 records news – Satchvai – Joe Satriani and Steve Vai unite for ‘the sea of emotion’
SATCHVAI - JOE SATRIANI AND STEVE VAI UNITE FOR "THE SEA OF EMOTION"
ALBUM OUT 6 NOVEMBER VIA EARMUSIC
LISTEN TO SINGLE "MAYHEM"
SatchVai: Mayhem - Single by Steve Vai, Joe Satriani | Spotify
After more than five decades of friendship, musical exchange and separate careers that helped redefine what the electric guitar could do, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have finally made a record together. The Sea of Emotion, the first studio album from SatchVai, will be released November 6, 2026 via earMUSIC. The announcement arrives alongside the release of "Mayhem," the album's blistering new single, out today.

The story began in 1973, when 13-year-old Steve Vai began taking guitar lessons from his 17-year-old teacher, Joe Satriani, in Long Island. Neither could have known where that shared obsession with the guitar would lead. More than 50 years later, after establishing themselves as solo artists and sharing stages around the world through the legendary G3 tours, they have brought their musical histories together on one album.

"We've been planning this since 1973," Vai says with a laugh. "Just unconsciously."
The album came together after a G3 reunion tour created an unexpected opening in their schedules. What began as a suggestion to record a single track quickly expanded when Satriani sent Vai two finished pieces, "The Sea of Emotion, Part 1" and "Part 2." Vai knew immediately that the time had come.

The process was anything but predictable. Although the two musicians share a deep musical history, similar influences and a lifelong understanding of the guitar, they discovered that they write very differently. That contrast became one of the defining elements of the record, with ideas moving back and forth until the songs took unexpected turns.

"The biggest surprise was that we write in completely different ways," Satriani explains. "And that's what made the project so fun and interesting."

The album brings together two musicians who have spent decades developing unmistakable individual voices, while giving each the freedom to push the other somewhere new. Producer and keyboardist Eric Caudieux helped keep the process honest, while a formidable group of longtime collaborators supplied the rhythm section, including drummers Gregg Bissonette, Jeremy Colson, Kenny Aronoff, Matt Chamberlain and Mike Mangini, and bassists Billy Sheehan, Bryan Beller, Philip Bynoe, Matt Bissonette, Marco Mendoza and Henrik Linder.

Across The Sea of Emotion, SatchVai move from the raw rock 'n' roll of "Mayhem" and "Bronco Freight Train" to the darker, cinematic "Old Sins Have Long Shadows," the unruly swing of "Zoot Suit Riot" and the arena-sized "I Wanna Play My Guitar," featuring legendary singer Glenn Hughes.

At the center of the album is the three-part "The Sea of Emotion" suite, which reaches back to the Carle Place school field where the two teenage musicians once spent time dreaming about music. "The Sea of Emotion, Part 3" even begins with a vintage reel-to-reel recording from one of Vai's early lessons with Satriani, a glimpse of two young guitarists still searching for their voices.

"It illustrates just how far we've come," Satriani says. "We're these two kids who haven't found our sound yet, but we've got enthusiasm. We're chasing something, and we're determined."

For Vai, the album ultimately represents something more personal than a meeting of two celebrated guitarists.

"That's when I really feel, like, wow, we really did it," he says. "It's a beautiful coming together of me and my friend in a very intimate musical way. That was the reason we did the record."

THE SEA OF EMOTION TRACKLIST

1. Mayhem
2. Bronco Freight Train
3. Dancing
4. The Feeling I Know
5. Zoot Suit Riot
6. Old Sins Have Long Shadows
7. I Wanna Play My Guitar
8. The Sea Of Emotion Pt. 1
9. The Sea Of Emotion Pt. 2
10. The Sea Of Emotion Pt. 3 / Reflections On A Year And A Half

SATCHVAIBAND.COM

About Joe Satriani
For over three decades, the guitar virtuoso has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. Satriani's studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. He launched his annual "G4 Experience" in 2014 bringing aspiring guitarists together for four days of workshops, mentor sessions and live performances, providing an exclusive learning platform led by him and his accomplished peers. In 2021, he introduced the "Crystal Planet" comic series, a five-part opus interweaving the realms of music and art. The tour documentary "Beyond the Supernova," directed by ZZ Satriani and currently available for streaming, offers an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse that intricately chronicles his life, illuminating the profound dedication that fuels his guitar mastery. His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9. Satriani released his 19th studio album, The Elephants of Mars, in April 2022. It was a busy 2024 and 2025 for Joe Satriani, beginning with the highly anticipated G3 Reunion tour alongside the original powerhouse lineup of Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai. That was followed by the Satch/Vai tour, where the longtime friends not only shared the stage but unveiled a new musical collaboration. Rounding out 2025 and continuing into 2026, Satriani joined forces with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Kenny Aronoff for the Best of All Worlds tour, which sold out arenas across the U.S. and Europe and earned widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike.

About Steve Vai
Steve Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer, considered by many as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In over 45 years in the industry, Vai has sold over 15 million records, received three Grammy Awards, and recorded with music legends like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake and many more.  Vai has also toured extensively and recorded live projects with G3 (collaborating with different touring lineups including Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Lukather) and Generation Axe, a supergroup Vai formed with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. Vai is the author of Vaideology: Basic Music Theory for Guitar Players (Hal Leonard), his inaugural music theory book designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players.  In the recent past, he has travelled the globe supporting his most recent studio album Inviolate, staging performances in 51 counties across the globe. Over the course of his 43 years touring, he continues to visit locations for the first time. His final excursion in 2023 saw Vai perform in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Zallak (Bahrain), Bangalore and Kolkata (India), alongside six new markets in China (Foshan, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing and Hefei).  Beginning in 2024, BEAT (Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Danny Carey and Steve Vai) played 65 North American shows, followed by dates across South America, Mexico and Japan in 2025. In 2026, the band toured Europe before returning to North America for 40 additional performances.