News

• Out Now! Icelandic Sorcerous Folk Metal HRAFNABLÓT Debut Album "Guðlaugar Saga"

  Sep 11, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

   

  Icelandic sorcerous folk‑metal band Hrafnablót proudly announces the release of their debut full‑length album, "Guðlaugar Saga," available everywhere today, September 11, 2026. The album marks a major milestone for one of Iceland’s most compelling new metal acts, an ensemble known for ritualistic live performances, dramatic storytelling, and a sound forged from the contrasting light and darkness of Icelandic magick.

  
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  Formed in late 2024, Hrafnablót has quickly become a rising force in Iceland’s metal scene, performing at Íslenski rokkbarinn, Lemmy, BIRD, and the Icelandic Sorcery Festival. Their music blends heavy riffs, folk instrumentation, haunting melodies, and both clean and harsh vocals, creating what the band calls their own brand of sorcerous folk metal.

  Giving listeners a sweeping sonic journey inspired by Icelandic nature and folklore, Hrafnablót’s debut concept album "Guðlaugar Saga" follows Guðlaug, a modern‑day woman pulled back into Iceland’s settlement age with nothing but her clothes and a taser. Across seven full songs and two spoken‑word pieces, the album traces her vivid, time‑bending saga, from Spádómurinn, a seer’s whispered prophecy over Icelandic winds, into "Dísablót," where a driving ritual‑bound riff launches her story. "Heljarhlíð" delivers melodic death‑metal intensity and dual vocals as she’s forced into battle, while "Fögnuður" bursts into a celebratory folk‑metal anthem. Darkness rises in "Nornarheimt," the album’s harshest track, as brigands kidnap her, followed by "Svartigaldur," a metallized sea‑shanty built on an old Icelandic folk melody. "Heimþrá" offers a melodic, keyboard‑led moment of homesickness and dark magick, before the saga reaches its climax in "Örlagavegur," an 11‑minute epic of shifting meters and fate as Guðlaug confronts her final choice.

  “When writing the album, we knew right away we wanted to create a strong and cohesive narrative and to feature the stark contrasts present in Icelandic folklore and Sagas. The album features seven songs, along with a spoken word interlude and intro, weaving together influences from Icelandic magick, history, and culture. The sound can most aptly be described as sorcerous folk metal, drawing influence from the contrasting darkness and light of Icelandic folk culture as well as sonic influences from Nordic folk metal, NWOBHM, various gothic and miscellaneous extreme metal genres,” adds the band.

  Recommended for fans of Ensiferum, Nightwish, Wintersun, Skálmöld, and Eluveitie, "Guðlaugar Saga" is now available on all digital platforms, CD, and Vinyl.

  CD, Vinyl - https://elasticstage.com/hrafnablot/releases/gudlaugar-saga-album​

  Bandcamp - https://hrafnablot.bandcamp.com/album/gu-laugar-saga-2​

  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/74tlHFVXjDeUJ8OUUcIHOK

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  Track Listing:​
  1. Spádómurinn - 1:49
  2. Dísablót - 5:44
  3. Heljarhlíð - 6:22
  4. Kappar, Meyjar, Komendur - 1:22
  5. Fögnuður - 5:41
  6. Nornarheimt - 5:21
  7. Svartigaldur - 5:17
  8. Heimþrá - 4:59
  9. Örlagavegur - 11:23
  Album Length: 48:02

  Band Line-up:​
  Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir - Vocals
  Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson - Bass & Backing Vocals
  Ólafur Daði Jónsson - Keyboards & Backing Vocals
  Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson - Guitar & Backing Vocals
  Andri Pétur Dalmar - Drums & Backing Vocals
  Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir - Guitar

  For more info:

  ​https://hrafnablot.is/​

  ​https://www.facebook.com/hrafnablot/​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/hrafnablot​

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• BONEYARD Announces Sophomore Album "Black Static" Out Oct 2026 + Music Video "Before The Fall"

  Sep 10, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Canadian hard‑rock/metal quartet Boneyard will release their long‑awaited sophomore album, "Black Static," on October 23rd, 2026, marking a bold new chapter for the band’s evolving sound and lineup.
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  Built on melodic female‑fronted hard rock, traditional heavy metal roots, and the band’s signature storytelling, "Black Static" expands the world Boneyard established on their 2020 debut "Oathbreaker", a record later re‑released internationally through WormHoleDeath Records and mastered by Grammy‑nominated engineer Maor Appelbaum. Featuring nine dynamic songs ranging from classic metal heaviness to punk‑infused chaos to cinematic Western‑metal storytelling, the new album showcases the creative chemistry of the refreshed lineup, featuring powerful contributions from bassist Lezzy and lead guitarist Garhardt, whose arrival has sparked major anticipation among fans.

  “An extension of Oathbreaker, but shaped heavily by the new members involved, Black Static is quite different more diverse, more melodic, and more emotionally charged,” says drummer Jefftimus.

  Lyrically, "Black Static" dives into personal trauma, mental health, human trafficking, generational addiction, and grief, while still weaving in hope, resilience, and empowerment. The album's artwork was once again created by legendary Calgary artist Tom Bagley, who brought their mascot Misty Bone to life on the record's cover.

  The album’s first single, “Before the Fall,” is a melodic‑metal anthem confronting the destructive patterns of global leadership, war, corruption, inequality, and urging unity and change. The video dives into the dark realities of human trafficking and missing and murdered Indigenous persons, blending cinematic grit with emotional weight.
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  ​“A song of hope… recognizing atrocities and creating a new way of thinking by helping each other for the future,” adds Pamtera.
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  Listen to "Before The Fall"​

  Spotify - https://ffm.bio/boneyard

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  Beyond the riffs, Boneyard stands out for its representation: a Métis drummer, a female LGBTQ+ bassist, and a commitment to authenticity and inclusion within the rock and metal scene. Since forming in 2015, Edmonton, AB's Boneyard has performed across Western Canada at Decimate Metalfest, Pembina River Nights, Metisfest, and more.

  Recommended for fans of Halestorm, Saxon, Doro, The Pretty Reckless, and Iron Maiden, "Black Static" will be available on October 23, 2026, digitally and on CD, with a vinyl release to be announced at a later date.

  Show Dates:​
  Oct 23 - Edmonton, AB - The Rec Room (Album Release Show) w/ Daniel Martin & The Infamous

  Track Listing:​
  1. Met You in a Dream
  2. Left Me to Drown
  3. Ready for a Change
  4. Not this Way (Joel's Song)
  5. Blood in the Bond
  6. Before the Fall
  7. Hanging Tree
  8. Compass Points to War
  9. Before the Fall (Piano Rendition)

  Album and Live Band Lineup:​
  Pamtera - Lead Vocals, Guitar
  Lezzy Osbourne - Bass
  Jefftimus - Drums
  Garhardt - Lead Guitar

  More info: https://linktr.ee/boneyardrocks​

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• Black‑Metal Fury Unites With Doom Ritual - ABHORIA & VELNIAS Announce American Southwest Tour!

  Sep 10, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  A storm is gathering in the American Southwest this October as dystopian black‑metal stewards Abhoria and Colorado’s folk‑doom conjurers Velnias unite for a run of immersive, atmospheric, and soul‑rending performances. This rare pairing brings together two forces of extreme music whose approaches differ in texture but converge in emotional weight with Abhoria’s bleak futurism and Velnias’ elemental, existential resonance.

  “We’re so excited to hit the road with our friends in Velnias! These will be the first shows in the Southwest, and we’re looking forward to debuting songs from our forthcoming album alongside older material. It promises to be an evening of extreme metal overindulgence!” adds Trevor Potz - Abhoria.

  Tour Dates:​
  Oct 15 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
  Oct 16 - Amarillo, TX - Rockwell Event Center
  Oct 17 - Dallas, TX - Haltom Theater
  Oct 18 - Austin, TX - The Lost Well
  Oct 19 - Midland, TX - Cotton Flat Records
  Oct 20 - El Paso, TX - Mona Bar
  Oct 21 - Santa Fe, NM - Stom Box
  Oct 22 - Cottonwood, AZ - Queen B’s Vinyl Café
  Oct 23 - Tucson, AZ - Chicago Bar
  Oct 24 - Los Angeles, CA - Knucklehead Hollywood

  Formed in 2018 by guitarist Trevor Portz, Abhoria channels a bleak, aggressive strain of dystopian black metal, fusing dissonant riffcraft, haunting melodic threads, and a suffocating sense of existential isolation. The lineup features vocalist Ben Pitts, bassist Igor Panasewicz, drummer JS, and guitarist Gianni DiGiacomo.
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  Their two albums on Prosthetic Records, Abhoria (2022) and Depths (2024), established the band as a rising force in modern extreme metal. A new full‑length is slated for 2027 via Black Lion Records.

  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WcwDtBpZnHQDf3aGFUK2i

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  Emerging from the Rocky Mountains of Nederland, Colorado, Velnias took shape in 2006 under the vision of Andrew Scherer and Petras Vaznelis. Their craft unfolds as a ritual expression of the paradox of existence, where the intimate spark of the microcosm meets the vast crucible of the macrocosm. Each performance carries a deep atmospheric pull, marked by meditative weight and a primordial, immersive presence that sets them apart from other extreme‑music acts.

  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3JdmbSa6xA2hOvl9YERRb7

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  ​More info:​
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  ​Abhoria:​
  ​https://abhoria.com​
  ​https://www.instagram.com/abhoriametal​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/AbhoriaMetal​
  ​https://abhoria.bandcamp.com​

  Velnias:​
  ​https://velnias.band​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/VelniasCult​
  ​https://www.instagram.com/velnias.cult​
  ​https://velnias.bandcamp.com

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• SHROUD Announces Canadian Tour Dates w/ HELLRIPPER "Goatkraft & Granite Canada 2026"

  Sep 9, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  L-R - Justin Cournoyer - Bass, Matteo Conti - Guitar and Vocals, Zack Osiris - Drums, Jordan Barillaro - Guitar

  Rising from the shadows of Montreal's extreme‑metal underground, SHROUD proudly announces a run of Canadian tour dates supporting Scotland’s speed‑metal powerhouse HELLRIPPER this November (dates listed below). The announcement follows the release of SHROUD’s debut full‑length album "Pax Nocturna".​
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  A blistering fusion of blackened thrash sharpened by death‑metal aggression and melodic‑metal atmosphere, "Pax Nocturna" marks a defining first chapter for one of Montreal’s most intense and uncompromising new acts. Lyrically, "Pax Nocturna" explores philosophy, anti‑religion, the abyss, and the darkest corners of human existence. Its overarching concept, Satanic Gnosticism, rejects imposed order and corrupt leadership in favour of embracing the chaos from which humanity originates.

  “It’s the acknowledgement that we are our own gods and masters. It is peace within the night. It is Pax Nocturna,” says Conti.

  The album’s artwork draws from the dark fantasy of Yoshitaka Amano, the surreal horror of Zdzisław Beksiński, and the mythic grandeur of The Lord of the Rings, depicting the four members in ritualistic worship of Murmur, Archduke and Lord of Hell.
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  ​SHROUD began when guitarist/vocalist Matteo Conti approached drummer Zack Osiris (Warsenal) during the height of the COVID‑19 lockdowns. With their previous projects stalled and the music scene frozen, the pair began writing in secret, week after week; riffs and ideas evolved into the earliest form of what would become "Pax Nocturna". As the world reopened in 2022, the lineup solidified with Justin Cournoyer on bass and Jordan Barillaro joining after filling in for the band’s first show in November 2022. The chemistry was immediate. SHROUD was born, united, focused, and driven.

  
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  On stage, SHROUD delivers intensity, tightness, and emotional ferocity, already earning them slots alongside Exciter, Midnight, Wraith, Goatwhore, Vitriol, Necrofier, Wormwitch, Spiter, Gudsforladt, Tomarumvoid, Angelus Apatrida, Sorguinazia, and more.

  Recommended for fans of Watain, Dissection, Hellripper, Skeletonwitch, and Necrophobic, "Pax Nocturna", released on June 4th, 2026, is available now on all digital platforms, CD, and vinyl.

  CD / Vinyl - https://shroudmtl.bandcamp.com/album/pax-nocturna​

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/album/5dfAWpVKaWlsdSBYNZ8L1H​​

  Tour Dates: Hellripper w/ Shroud​
  Nov 25 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
  Nov 26 - Quebec City, QC - La Source De La Martiniere
  Nov 27 - Ottawa, ON - Dominion Tavern (Capital Punishment Festival)
  Nov 28 - Toronto, ON - Supermarket Bar & Variety

  Track Listing:​
  1. Pax Nocturna (0:43)
  2. The Eternal Void (5:09)
  3. The Zealot (5:15)
  4. Merciless Tyrants (5:59)
  5. Darkest Night (4:45)
  6. Diablivion (5:28)
  7. Death Blows Over (4:18)
  8. All Creation (5:29)
  9. Abaddon (7:55)
  Album Length: 45:05

  Album and Live Band lineup:​
  Matteo Conti - Guitar and Vocals
  Jordan Barillaro - Guitar
  Zack Osiris - Drums
  Justin Cournoyer - Bass

  More info:

  ​https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086688022343​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/shroud.mtl

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• Ottawa's CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Festival Announces First Wave of Bands for 2026 Lineup! w/ The Creepshow, The Damn Truth, Beyond Creation and lots more!

  Sep 9, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Capital Punishment Festival unleashes its first wave of Canadian bands for the 2026 edition, returning to Ottawa, ON, November 26th to 29th across four cornerstone ByWard Market venues: 27 Club, Dominion Tavern, Rainbow Bistro, and Avant‑Garde Bar. Presented by Chord Productions and supported by Ottawa Tourism, the festival continues its mission to amplify Canada’s underground heavy‑music community with four nights of multi‑genre chaos.
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  This year’s edition marks the festival’s biggest expansion yet, with more venues, more artists, and more Canadian talent from across the country. Full festival passes are only $50, granting access to every show across all participating venues.

  “Events such as Capital Punishment play an important role in strengthening Ottawa’s profile as a dynamic cultural destination,” says Michael Crockatt, President & CEO of Ottawa Tourism.

  “Ottawa Tourism supports this unique music experience through its Nightlife Tourism Development Fund for its efforts in attracting visitors, animating our ACE District, and drawing music enthusiasts from across the region and beyond to enjoy our diverse music ecosystem. By bringing together acclaimed underground artists and local talent, the festival creates opportunities for visitors to explore the city, discover local businesses and venues, and contribute to the economic activity that helps sustain a vibrant and welcoming downtown experience,” adds festival organizer Christina Kasper of Chord Productions.

  The 2026 lineup launches with a massive cross‑country roster spanning metal, punk, hardcore, rock, rap, and extreme underground acts with The Creepshow, Lost, The Damn Truth, Beyond Creation, Hellripper, Insurrection, DBC, Barf, Ghoulunatics, Global Holocaust, Entropy, Reanimator, Thunderkok, Guhn Twei, Gland, Scaffold, Peer Pressure, A Scar for the Wicked, Catastrophic Hemorrhage, Soulthief, Northwalk, This Hell With You, This Disaster, Dissentient, Last Retch, Hatred Reigns, Raider, Bitter, Stregoneria, Noor, Human Compost, Mortuary Slab, Duskwalker, Dr. Bob Wrestling, The Divetones, Drowning in Blood, Feral Union, Rising Flame, Refuse, The Space Between, Ratpiss, Jetsam, The Vanishing Act, Acid Rot, Mindreader, Shroud, Warsenal, The Scepter, Dismal Aura, Touched Fables, Sociably High, Glom, BornBroken, Pop Culture Icons, Goat!, Insanity of Sorrow, Bury the Past, Rotual, Hempress, Drofnosura, Backyard Witchcraft, Nature Pleads Revenge, Ghost of a King and Dethrone.

  More bands will be announced as the festival approaches.

  Festival Passes are available as of September 9th at https://ottawacapitalpunishment.eventbrite.ca​

  Facebook Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/2032256174123331​

  Capital Punishment Festival 2026​
  Presented by Chord Productions
  Supported by Ottawa Tourism
  November 26–29, 2026
  Ottawa, ON - ByWard Market
  Venues:
  Rainbow Bistro (76 Murray St.)
  Dominion Tavern (33 York St.)
  27 Club (27 York St.)
  Avant‑Garde Bar (135 Besserer St.)

  More info: https://ottawacapitalpunishment.com

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