News

• PARADISE Erupts Back In 2026 w/ "Queen of Mars", A First Taste of New Music Since 2020

  Apr 28, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  After years of silence, speculation, and simmering creative energy, Montreal’s cult heavy‑rock outfit Paradise erupts back onto the scene with their first new music since their 2020 self‑titled album. The band announces their long‑awaited return with the upcoming single and music video “Queen of Mars,” marking the beginning of a bold new chapter in their cosmic, riff‑driven mythology.
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  Formed in 2002 during a lightning‑strike moment of inspiration, Paradise built their identity on what they call “volcanic rock”, a molten blend of heavy rock, classic metal, and stoner‑rock undertones. Their early albums "Rock Anthropologists on the Kon‑Tiki Voyage" (2002) and "Hotel" (2005) became underground favorites, fueled by wild creativity, tongue‑in‑cheek concept worlds, and collaborations with icons like Voivod’s Michel “Away” Langevin and the late Denis “Piggy” D’Amour.​
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  Their 2020 self‑titled comeback album re‑established the band with a harder, sharper edge. Now, in 2026, Paradise resurfaces once more, this time with a fully realized retro‑futuristic vision inspired by the sci‑fi imagery of the ’60s and ’70s.
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  The band’s new single, “Queen of Mars,” introduces listeners to a cinematic, hypnotic space‑rock sound that expands Paradise’s sonic universe while staying rooted in their heavy‑rock DNA.
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  The track paints a vivid portrait of a timeless, wandering figure, the Queen of Mars, who embodies freedom, resilience, and cosmic sovereignty. Moving through a desert of memory and isolation, she becomes a mythic symbol of transformation and inner power. Musically, the song blends atmospheric guitars, ritualistic rhythms, and poetic, controlled vocals, landing somewhere between Hawkwind’s cosmic rock, Dozer’s desert‑space textures, and the dramatic sweep of Muse.
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  ​“It’s been a while since we’ve put something out, so I know some fans have been waiting. We’re close to the sound of our last record, but there are surprises. We used ’60s and ’70s sci‑fi imagery to inspire us, sounds and moods from far beyond,” says guitarist Frank Kelly.
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  Kelly remains the band’s primary music writer, working closely with vocalist R.L. Black on lyrics and melodies. For this new material, they also brought in Luc Bourgeois (Sandveiss) to elevate the songwriting even further.
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  ​“We just let it go, whichever song was ready first. We’re doing this for fun and to keep the creativity going. We hope people get it, but honestly, we’re having a blast,” adds Kelly.
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  ​Paradise has 8–9 new songs in the pipeline, all shaped by their signature approach: naming tracks early in the writing process to set the tone and guide the lyrical world. This time, that world is drenched in analog futures, cosmic psychedelia, and B‑movie sci‑fi charm, a natural evolution of the band’s long‑standing love for heavy music, from Judas Priest and Dio to Kyuss and Fu Manchu.
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  ​Paradise’s live reputation remains intact: high‑energy, high‑intensity, and unapologetically fun.
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  “We’re a party band. Just five guys having a blast. So many bands take this too seriously; it takes the fun out of it,” comments Kelly.
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  With their return, fans can expect a renewed sense of adventure, a deeper dive into their cosmic aesthetic, and a sound that continues to evolve without losing the volcanic spark that defined them from day one.​

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/6aF3AuOrjBMl4vcs6xDoV4​

  More info:

  ​https://paradiserockband.com/​

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

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

   

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• NOVA SPEI Confronts Cultural Uprooting of First Nations w/ New Single “Déraciné” From Forthcoming Album "Trinitas"

  Apr 24, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Quebec modern‑metal force Nova Spei continue their bold new chapter with the release of “Déraciné,” the second single from their forthcoming 2026 album "TRINITAS," arriving this Fall 2026. Following the explosive reception of their previous single “Renaissance,” which introduced new vocalist Emmanuelle Desbiens‑Dubois, “Déraciné” pushes the band’s evolution even further, musically, emotionally, and thematically.

  “Déraciné” confronts the painful legacy of First Nations communities, specifically the uprooting of culture, identity, and values through state‑driven abuses. For Desbiens‑Dubois, whose own family heritage is tied to First Nations, the subject matter is deeply personal.
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  ​“The subject was important to Emmanuelle, given her background. It's a topic that is still often silenced by governments, and she wanted to denounce it,” the band explains.
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  Lyrically, the track stands as one of Nova Spei’s most direct and socially conscious works to date. Musically, it blends the band’s signature djent‑infused modern metal with a newly embraced rawness, an intentional shift for the upcoming album.
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  After years of crafting their sound in their own studio, Nova Spei entered a professional recording environment for the first time in their career. Working with producer Francis Perron (Voivod, Martyr), the band discovered a more organic, unfiltered approach that reshaped the entire direction of "TRINITAS."​
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  ​“We started imagining the next album with a modern approach like Sequentis, but Francis showed us how it could sound more raw and alive. When we heard his first rough mix, everything changed.”​
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  The single was mastered by world‑renowned engineer Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Halford, Yes), a collaboration the band still describes with disbelief and excitement.
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  The single’s artwork, created by Filip Ivanovic, visually represents the band’s rebirth and the obstacles that shaped this new era. It mirrors the themes of identity, struggle, and renewal that run through “Déraciné” and the upcoming album.

  Nova Spei was founded in 2012 by guitarist Dany Soucy (Dook, Legion), and the band has spent over a decade carving its place in Quebec’s metal landscape. With more than 100 shows across Quebec and Ontario, radio rotation on major stations, and music featured during Montreal Canadiens games, the band has built a reputation for intensity both on and off stage.
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  The 2025 arrival of Desbiens‑Dubois (vocals) and Cédrick Charland (lead guitar) marked a turning point, one that their forthcoming album "TRINITAS" fully embraces.
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  “Fans will feel the rebirth of the band. The feminine vocal shift brings intensity, emotion, and a new perspective. This album is more organic, more passionate, and more honest than anything we’ve done,” says Soucy.
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  ​"TRINITAS" will represent the third era of Nova Spei, an album built on rebirth, unity, and the rediscovery of the band’s core identity. Recommended for fans of Gojira, Tesseract, Killswitch Engage, Spiritbox, and Architects.

  Add yo your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/5Qr13FuLfLMT4LNHm3rNAs​

  For more info:

  ​https://www.novaspei.com/​

  ​https://www.facebook.com/NovaSpei​

  ​https://www.instagram.com/novaspei

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• HIGHWAY's Return Louder Than Ever w/ New Album "Last Call for Rock’N’Roll" and Heart‑Wrenching Video “Mayday”

  Apr 24, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  France’s high‑voltage hard rockers HIGHWAY proudly announce that their long‑awaited sixth studio album, "Last Call for Rock N Roll," is officially out now as of April 24th 2026, via label Rock City Music, and its release is accompanied by their brand‑new video for the deeply emotional single “Mayday.”​
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  After the acoustic detour of The Journey (2022), HIGHWAY are back in full electric force, revved up, re-energised, and ready to reclaim their place among Europe’s new wave of classic hard rock.

  In stark contrast to the album’s high‑octane anthems, “Mayday” strips everything down to voice and guitar, echoing the intimacy of Simon & Garfunkel. The track is a raw, vulnerable tribute to the passing of a loved one, written as a cathartic scream of pain, love, and memory. It’s not a power ballad. It’s a moment of truth.
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  The accompanying video amplifies the song’s emotional weight, offering fans a rare glimpse into the personal experiences that shaped the album’s lyrical core.
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  "Last Call for Rock N Roll" is a rallying cry for a world in chaos, twelve brand‑new tracks that fuse power, melody, and emotion with the timeless spirit of classic hard rock. Produced and mixed by Brett Caldas‑Lima (Ayreon, Devin Townsend, Megadeth), the album was meticulously crafted over four months at Tower Studio to achieve a sound that is rich, organic, and explosively dynamic.
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  From the electrifying opener “Last Call (For Rock N’ Roll)” to the arena‑ready “Hi‑Way,” the swagger of “¡Bang Bang!”, and the AC/DC‑inspired punch of “D.K/D.C”, the album showcases the full spectrum of HIGHWAY’s identity, authentic, melodic, passionate, and fiercely alive.

  
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  The album also marks a turning point for HIGHWAY with the arrival of two new members, Cerise Pouillard (bass), known from the acclaimed AC/DC tribute Ladies Ballbreaker and Florian Arnaud (guitar), a powerhouse musician who completes the long‑awaited return of twin guitars. Both contribute backing vocals, elevating the band’s signature harmonies to new heights.
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  ​“With this lineup, the live sound is going to be massive. Big vocals, big energy, big production. You’re not ready,” adds guitarist Ben Chambert.

  
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  Formed in 1999 by brothers Ben and Romain Chambert after being “thunderstruck” by AC/DC’s Live at Donington, HIGHWAY have spent more than two decades refining its craft. With over 500 shows across Europe, support slots for Michael Schenker Group, Gotthard, Jeff Scott Soto, Kissin’ Dynamite, Nashville Pussy, and more, and a growing reputation, the band has become a defining force in Europe’s modern classic hard rock revival.
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  ​“This is our most personal, emotional, and mature record. We took the time we never had before, and we’re incredibly proud of every detail,” adds Ben.

  
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  Exploring themes of love, loss, resilience, nostalgia, and the pursuit of freedom. "Last Call for Rock’N’Roll" blends the band’s roots, AC/DC, Queen, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, with their own melodic identity and modern production.
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  ​"Last Call for Rock’N’Roll" is now available via the label Rock City Music, with physical distribution
  by FTF-Music and digitally from Virgin Music.

  CD Digipack and exclusive collector LP at https://highwayshop.sumupstore.com/​

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/album/1njIM62jUDeg4Td3iGSBHq​

  More info: https://linktr.ee/highway_the_band

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• AFTER INFINITY Shares New Single “King With No Crown” ft. Guest Vocals Paolo Ribaldini (Delain, Leverage, Seraphiel)

  Apr 21, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Finnish melodic metal act After Infinity return with "Beyond Eternity", a sophomore release that consolidates and expands the project’s identity with a sharper focus on compositional depth, vocal diversity, and emotional range. Conceived and led by guitarist and songwriter Zsolt Szilagyi, the album builds on the foundation of the band’s 2024 debut, pushing further into progressive structures while retaining a strong melodic core.

  The album campaign kicks off with “King With No Crown”, featuring Paolo Ribaldini on vocals and accompanied by an official lyric video. Built on heavy guitar work and dramatic orchestrations, the track channels themes of rebellion against illegitimate power. Alongside it, the band will also unveil “Hands of Time” as a standalone single, featuring Aitor Arrastia (Metal De Facto) on vocals - a 12-minute progressive composition that represents the most ambitious and conceptually expansive piece of the entire record.

  Rather than relying on a fixed vocalist, "Beyond Eternity" embraces a rotating cast of performers, transforming each track into a distinct narrative space. The album features six different guest singers, each contributing a specific tonal identity while remaining anchored to a cohesive sonic framework defined by layered orchestrations, dynamic guitar work, and carefully structured arrangements.

  Musically, the record operates at the intersection of power metal, heavy metal, and progressive metal, balancing immediacy and complexity. High-impact compositions driven by tight riffing and symphonic textures coexist with more restrained moments, including piano-led passages and atmospheric interludes. This contrast is structural: each track is designed to fulfill a precise role within the album’s flow, avoiding redundancy and reinforcing a continuous sense of variation.

  Lyrically, "Beyond Eternity" explores a wide emotional spectrum, moving between anger, resistance, introspection, and hope. While “King With No Crown” embodies collective uprising, other tracks shift toward personal reflection and existential questioning. The closing “Hands of Time” expands this vision into a philosophical exploration of time, the origins of the universe, and the meaning of existence itself, reinforcing the album’s progressive dimension.

  From a production standpoint, the album maintains a consistent sonic identity while allowing individual performances to retain their character. Produced by Zsolt Szilagyi, the record features mixing handled primarily by Benjamin Connelly with mastering by Jasse Kesti, ensuring clarity across its dense arrangements and multi-layered instrumentation.

  The collaborative dimension is central to the project’s evolution. Alongside Szilagyi, the album features orchestrations by Gideon Ricardo and bass performances by Ville Koskinen, while an extensive list of guest vocalists - including Paolo Ribaldini, Mika Tauriainen, Sara Strömmer, and Aitor Arrastia - reinforces the album’s multi-faceted identity without compromising its coherence.

  Following a well-received debut praised for its songwriting and musicianship, After Infinity refine their approach with "Beyond Eternity", delivering a record that prioritizes compositional intent, variation, and emotional impact over formula. The result is a work that moves fluidly between melodic accessibility and progressive ambition, positioning the band within the contemporary European metal landscape with a clearly defined artistic direction.

  Listen: https://lnk.to/LktetC​

  ​

  "Beyond Eternity" will be released this Fall 2026 via Rockshots Records.

  For fans of: Sonata Arctica, Symphony X, Helloween

  After Infinity Line-up:

  Zsolt Szilagyi: Guitars, Synths, Drum Programming, Backing Vocals
  ​Gideon Ricardo: Orchestrations, Synths
  ​Ville Koskinen: Bass

  Guest Vocalists:

  • Paolo Ribaldini (Delain, Leverage, Seraphiel)
  • Aitor Arrastia (Metal de Facto)
  • Nitte Valo (Dreamtale, ex-Battle Beast)
  • Mika Tauriainen (Entwine, Shamrain)
  • Sara Strömmer (Shereign, ex-Fear of Domination)
  • Leonard F. Guillan (ex-King Company)

  More info: https://www.rockshots.eu | https://www.instagram.com/afterinfinityofficial | https://www.facebook.com/afterinfinityofficial

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• VANDERLUST's New Sci-Fi Metal Opera "The Human Farm" + Video “Viral Escape”

  Apr 17, 2026 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Following the release of their new concept album "The Human Farm", Italian metal band Vanderlust presents the official music video for “Viral Escape”, one of the record’s most intense and representative tracks.

  Built on high-speed momentum and sharp, dynamic arrangements, “Viral Escape” captures a crucial turning point within the album’s narrative. As the rebellion against the Coelacanth spreads across multiple planets, the track mirrors the urgency and scale of a coordinated uprising, where communication becomes the catalyst for collective action. The escape plan, encoded under the name “The Cave”, propagates across worlds, transforming isolated resistance into a unified movement toward freedom.

  Musically, the track stands as one of the album’s most powerful statements, blending the band’s melodic metal foundation with intricate structures, progressive nuances, and a strong sense of forward drive. It is a defining example of Vanderlust’s evolving identity: energetic yet controlled, refined yet aggressive, always serving the narrative arc of the concept.

  Taken from "The Human Farm", a sci-fi concept album exploring the tension between protection and freedom, “Viral Escape” highlights the band’s ability to merge storytelling and composition into a cohesive listening experience. The album unfolds as a continuous journey, where each track contributes to a broader narrative shaped by philosophical questions and dystopian scenarios.

  With the release of the official music video, Vanderlust offers listeners a deeper insight into the storyline behind the track, emphasizing the thematic core of the album while reinforcing the connection between music and narrative.

  ​

  "The Human Farm" is out now as of April 17, 2026, via Rockshots Records.

  CD - https://rockshots.eu/products/vanderlust-the-human-farm​

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/album/1egDAUCkQQNRBm8kh0rx8D​

  Track Listing:
  ​1. Humanity 2.0 - The Human Farm
  2. Golden Shackles
  3. The Turning Point
  4. Connection Failed
  5. Viral Escape
  6. … Find Them!
  7. Battlefield
  8. From The Cave - Fuga
  9. Drive
  10. Reborn … Again
  11. Humanity 3.0: The New Canaan
  ​
  ​Line-up:​
  Ricca "ZP" Morello: Vocals
  Francesco "Franz" Romeggini: Guitars, Backing Vocals
  David Cantina: Bass
  Giacomo Mezzetti: Drums, Backing Vocals

  More info:
  ​https://rockshots.eu/​

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

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