Ukrainian metal quartet IGNEA released their second full-length album, Monumental, on October 23, 2026, via Napalm Records! Following 2023's Dreams of Lands Unseen, the band return with a nine-track collection exploring nostalgia, forgotten places, lost futures and the emotional weight of personal and collective memory.

Floor Jansen has released her new single, ‘Everything Is Moving On’ on October 23rd, accompanied by a music video that looks back on her time with Nightwish. The release arrives shortly after the vocalist announced her departure from the Finnish symphonic metal band, bringing a new focus to a song about change, moving forward and making choices for yourself.

London-based symphonic metal band Tristyn released their new single “Stone on Stone,” earlier this month and we are loving it.

Released on September 18, 2026, the track explores the struggles of moving to a major metropolis, adapting to a new culture, overcoming challenges, and starting over in pursuit of a dream.

Manchester’s Square Wild are a powerhouse of progressive and experimental hard rock, drawing on influences from blues and funk to metal, reggae and beyond. The band describe their music as difficult to pigeonhole, combining heavy riffs and groove-laden rhythms with progressive dynamics and a punk ethos.

Their debut album, Otherling, takes its name from a word for something that exists just outside definition. Square Wild have often been told that their music feels different and doesn’t sit comfortably within one genre or scene. Rather than trying to change that, the band have embraced it as part of their musical identity.

Lithuanian band BLACK SPIKES are set to release their new album, Ydos, on August 28, 2026, via Napalm Records. Following their double nomination at Lithuania's MAMA Music Awards, the band deliver a ten-track exploration of human flaws and vices.

Adele De'Ath has released her new single Razorwings, available now following its release on 14 August 2026.

The Sheffield-based solo artist and vocalist in Echoes of Obsidian draws directly on deeply personal experiences for the track, addressing the child abuse she experienced and the resulting self-harm she experienced during her teenage years and young adulthood.

Sheffield/Manchester based six-piece Contraptions have just released their debut EP, Postmodern Postmortem, bringing together progressive metal, melodic metalcore and skacore in a broad musical mix and it’s just a little bit fabulous.

23rd May 2026 was a momentous day for Femetalism, as the mighty Northern Oak took to the stage for the first time in over ten years.

We've followed Northern Oak since the very early days of this blog. When we first heard them play, we were instantly blown away by the music, the lyrics, and the genuinely brilliant people who made up the band. We followed them to Bloodstock in 2011, Craig photographed them in the Peak District, and we've kept in touch over the years through their subsequent music and projects.