Search Results: finland

• Finland's AITHEER's Debut Album "The Serpent" Pushes Boundaries of Extreme w/ Prog and Cinematic Depth

  Feb 21, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Rockshots Records is proud to announce the release of "The Serpent", the highly anticipated debut full-length album from Aitheer, set to arrive today February 21st, 2025. Following their 2020 EP "Sleeper", the Finnish progressive metal band expands its sonic vision with an album that pushes boundaries, blending extreme metal intensity with intricate progressive arrangements and cinematic depth.

  Formed in 2017 by Niko Löfman (vocals, guitars), Antton Kasslin (drums) and Roope Kytölä (bass), Aitheer has evolved from a jam-based project into one of Finland’s most daring progressive acts. "The Serpent" represents a culmination of years of musical exploration, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Harri Petjakko at Studio UG in Finland between 2020 and 2024. The album’s sound is vast and unpredictable, combining black metal aggression, jazz-infused complexity, classical influences, and ethereal ambient textures into a singular, ever-shifting experience.

  At its core, "The Serpent" is a theatrical and immersive journey, moving through moments of chaos and serenity, heaviness, and melody, all bound by Aitheer’s uncompromising artistic vision. Tracks like "The Dance of Twins" exemplify the band’s ability to weave extreme metal with folk-inspired acoustic passages and jazz-laden saxophone solos, while pieces such as "Law" blend haunting piano arrangements with explosive, math-rock-inspired climaxes. Instrumental interludes like "Prologue", "East" and "Flame" introduce rich atmospheric elements, adding depth and contrast to the album’s progressive structures.

  For fans of Meshuggah, The Ocean, King Crimson, and Vangelis, "The Serpent" offers a challenging yet deeply rewarding listening experience that defies categorization. The band embraces a cinematic approach, creating an album that flows like a soundtrack—each track unfolding with unpredictable twists, rich textures, and emotional depth.

  With its genre-bending sound and fearless composition, "The Serpent" is more than just a debut—it is a statement. Aitheer solidifies its place among the most forward-thinking acts in progressive metal, delivering an album that demands exploration and rewards those willing to embark on its sonic journey.

  "The Serpent" will be available on all streaming platforms and in physical formats from February 21st, 2025 via Rockshots Records.

  Album Order - https://rockshots.eu/products/aitheer-the-serpent-cd​

  Digital (Spotify, Apple Music) - https://lnk.to/zPFXXP

  Single Stream- "The Serpent" - https://youtu.be/VOz76T4xOWA

  YouTube Album Stream - ​https://bit.ly/3EJrua8

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  Track Listing:​
  1. Prologue
  2. The Dance of Twins
  3. East
  4. Law
  5. Clairvoyance
  6. The Serpent
  7. Flame

  Band Lineup:​
  Niko Löfman: Vocals (studio, live), Guitar (studio, live), Bass (studio), Keyboards (studio)
  Lassi Enqvist: Guitar (studio, live), Keyboards (studio)
  Toni Paananen: Drums (studio, live) / Toni Paananen - Drums (studio, live)
  Andrea Ferrantelli: Bass (live)

  Album Artwork Credits:​
  Art of the front cover painted by Iiris Astraya.
  Graphic Design by Jarmo Sainio.
  Photography by Niko Löfman, Lassi Enqvist, Roope Kytölä, Andrea Ferrantelli, and Anssi Kippo.
  Logo by Niko Löfman.

  ​For more info:

  ​https://www.rockshots.eu​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/Aitheer

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• Out Now! HIGHWAY QUEEN's New EP "Extendead Play" + Music Video "Lies"

  Jan 17, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Rockshots Records is proud to announce the release of Highway Queen’s new EP, "Extendead Play", a fresh chapter in the Finnish rockers' journey through melodic hard rock and metal-infused soundscapes. The EP will be available on all major platforms as of January 17th, 2025.

  "Extendead Play" continues to showcase Highway Queen’s signature style, blending 80s-inspired hard rock with modern melodic elements, powerful riffs, and dynamic rhythms. This new collection of songs dives deeper into the band’s ability to tell stories through music, with lyrics that explore themes of anger, lust, bitterness, and longing. The EP captures the brutality of life, both good and bad. An official music video for the track "Lies" is out today adding a visual dimension to the band’s compelling storytelling.

  Since their formation in late 2019, Highway Queen has been a rising force in the melodic hard rock scene. After the successful release of their debut album, "Bitter Soul" in 2022, the band has continued to evolve and refine their sound. The songs on "Extendead Play" like those on "Bitter Soul" were recorded and produced by Aleksanteri Kuosa, who has also worked with bands such as Waltari and Before The Dawn. Their music is recommended for fans of melodic hard rock, heavy rock, and the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM).

  With "Extendead Play" Highway Queen reaffirms their position as torchbearers of melodic rock with a modern edge, delivering music that resonates with the heart and soul. Prepare to turn up the volume and join the ride as Highway Queen takes you on another electrifying musical journey.
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  ​LISTEN to the EP at https://lnk.to/dPX0pF​

  [embed]https://youtu.be/Lb-DQVPGPuk[/embed]

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  Track Listing:​​
  1. Lies
  2. I Will Take You To Hell
  3. Come To Me
  4. I'm Calling You
  ​
  ​Album Credits:​​
  All songs written by
  - Virpi Kääriäinen: lyrics
  - Teemu Kääriäinen, Virpi Kääriäinen: music
  - Arrangements: Teemu Kääriäinen, Virpi Kääriäinen, Aleksanteri Kuosa, Juha Skog & Henri Backman
  - Produced, engineered & mixed by Aleksanteri Kuosa
  - Mastering: Svante Forsbäck
  ​
  ​Highway Queen are:
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  Virpi Kääriäinen: vocals
  Teemu Kääriäinen: guitars
  Juha Skog: bass & backing vocals
  Henri Backman: drums

  For more info:​
  ​www.rockshots.eu​
  ​www.highwayqueenband.com​
  ​www facebook.com/highwayqueenband​
  ​www.instagram.com/highwayqueenband​

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• AS I MAY Release New Scary Single "Never Stop Dreaming" Influenced by Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Series

  Oct 4, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  The Finnish horror squad AS I MAY is back with a killer new single "Never Stop Dreaming". The song is inspired by the Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Series and combines modern low riffs with a little taste of deathcore synths to bring horror chills and atmosphere to haunt your listening experience. If 80- horror movies, down-tuned riffs, and big choruses are something that you're looking for, this is for you.

  The band comments on the track:

  "We all are big fans of Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Those were the first real horror movies when we were kids. I think maybe a couple of us were too young to watch those movies and also got nightmares from them, so Freddy has stayed with us all this time."

  "Never Stop Dreaming" was mixed and mastered by Christoph Wieczorek (Sawdust Recordings).

  Listen to "Never Stop Dreaming" at the following links:

  ​Spotify - https://spoti.fi/4euumEP

  ​

  In additional news, As I May had a line change-up in early 2024 when Jani Valhola stepped out from the ranks and was replaced with Jere Koponen.

  Lasse comments on Jani's departure:

  "Yeah, it's sad to do any lineup changes. I have played with Jani for over 2 decades in different bands. Jani has been building his own mixing business for many years and it has got really strong ground now and he has tons of work with it. We have toured in 14 countries and played in many great venues, festivals, etc. together. So he has seen a lot. He has been struggling to find time for all of this. So it's natural to keep following your dreams and build a bigger business. It's really hard to try too many things well at the same time. We are all really going to miss him and wish him the best of luck in the future. He says thanks to all of the fans that came to see us live and listened to our music"

  Formed in 2016 in Mikkeli, Finland, As I May's music is all about combining metal/death-core and vibes from horror movies to create a soundscape they dub HorrorCore.The band is known for big melodies, huge choruses, and hard-hitting riffs. As I May is one of the front-running acts in the new wave of Finnish metal bands being exported. Touring all over Europe, they have made a name for themselves along with over a million streams for their albums 'Karu' (2022) (Uprising Records) and 'My Own Creations' (2019) (Rock Shots Records, Spiritual Beast "Japan").

  AS I MAY is:
  Lasse Hiltunen - vocals, guitars
  Jere Koponen - vocals, guitars
  Tipi Nokelainen - vocals, bass
  Leevi Räsänen - drums

  For more info:​
  ​Facebook.com/asimay.official​
  ​Instagram.com/asimay_official

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• Finnish Thrashers MUTANT BLAST new single “Acid Rain”

  May 13, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

  Mutant Blast, the force behind a unique metal thrashing death ‘n’ roll sound, is gearing up for their new album planned to be released September 2024 on Rockshots Records.
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  The upcoming album promises a fresh blend of death’n’roll, thrash metal, and heavy metal, showcasing Mutant Blast’s evolution since its formation in August 2020. With influences ranging from classic metal to ‘90s extreme crunching, the band has crafted a distinctive and powerful sound that sets them apart in the metal scene.
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  The second single, “Acid Rain” taken from the upcoming album called “Soulsteeler”, is a very catchy and forward-rolling song with great melodic riffs delivering a high-energy experience with nods to action, movie references, and current world events. Here resonates a strong image reminiscent of Annihilator’s old production.
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  Digital - https://lnk.to/marbt​

   

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  Mutant Blast anticipates a positive reception from fans, expressing confidence in the album’s strong songwriting and memorable tracks. The band’s unique blend of genres, described as both fresh and unique, aims to captivate audiences with a powerful and steel-driven musical journey. Stay tuned for the new single called “Acid Rain” and the highly anticipated full-length album set to unleash in 2024.
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  Be prepared for tones of death’n’roll, thrash metal, heavy metal, and a little bit of hard rock & death metal. Old-school metal is the thing!

  For more info:​
  ​Rockshots.eu​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/mutantblastband​

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

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