DARKTHRONE
"PRE-HISTORIC METAL"
Black Metal
Release date: 08.05.2026
(Peaceville)

THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM OF PRIMITIVE METAL FROM THE NORSE CAVEMEN. 

In a year which marks the 40th anniversary since the initial formation - under the moniker of Black Death - of what would subsequently grow into influential genre legends, 2026 marks the return of the imperishable Norwegian duo of Fenriz & Nocturno Culto for their new opus of high calibre old metal, under the banner of ‘Pre-Historic Metal’. As Fenriz himself proclaims of the title’s symbolic origin, “Prehistoric is a loose term. I just figure it’s our VIBE, our take on things & it’s more a statement that we use old style to create something new”. ‘Pre-Historic Metal’ contains eight tracks of primal epics & gargantuan riffs with organic...

ROBBEN FORD
"TWO SHADES OF BLUE"
Rock/ Blues
Release date: 27.03.2026
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

Robben Ford returns in exceptional form with Two Shades of Blue, a record defined by its sophistication, taste, and timeless musicality. The album will be released on 27 March via Provogue/Artone.

Robben is a man in motion. Scan the five-time Grammy nominee’s back catalogue – a half-century hot-streak that darts between jazz, rock, fusion and blues – and you’ll find a musician in a constant state of metamorphosis. Spin new album Two Shades Of Blue – a transatlantic modern classic that shapeshifted as the sessions unfolded – and you’ll feel the risks taken and rules broken. “I have that curse,” smiles the 74-year-old guitarist. “I don’t have two records that sound the same…”

With a ...

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
"SCEADUHELM"
Post/ Progressive Dark Metal
Release date: 17.04.2026
(SEASON OF MIST)

Crippled Black Phoenix was formed in 2004 by Justin Greaves as an ever-evolving musical project driven by emotional inquiry and moral tension. Across two decades, the project has built a singular catalogue rooted in human fragility, endurance, and resistance to complacency. 

Sceaduhelm represents the project’s most inward-looking and austere statements to date. Written and recorded between 2023 and 2025, the album turns away from grand historical narratives to examine emotional erosion, fatigue, and quiet collapse. Rather than a traditional concept record, it unfolds as a unified psychological space, where repetition, restraint, and unease carry as much weight as melody. The songwriting favours slow builds and unresolved tension, resisting catharsis in favou...

JUDAS PRIEST
"THE BEST OF JUDAS PRIEST"
Heavy Metal
Release date: 19.06.2026
(SONY)

JUDAS PRIEST has announced the upcoming release of "The Best Of Judas Priest", a career-spanning collection celebrating one of the most influential and enduring bands in heavy metal, out via Sony Music on June 19, 2026.

The mighty JUDAS PRIEST has defined and redefined the sound and imagery of heavy metal for more than five decades. With over 50 million albums sold worldwide and more than 2.5 billion global streams across their catalogue, their impact on music and culture remains unmatched.

This special collection of songs brings together some of the band's globally revered recordings, including "Breaking The Law", "You've Got Another Thing Coming", "Electric Eye", "Turbo Lover" and "Painkiller". Together, these tracks represent key moments from across their...

YES
"AURORA"
Progressive Rock
Release date: 12.06.2026
(INSIDE OUT)

Yes first began sketching out ideas for what would become ‘Aurora’, the process was loose and exploratory. There was no preconceived concept at the start, just a collection of musical fragments that gradually began to find one another and take form. Among these early sketches was a piece titled “Aurora,” and it quickly became clear that the name carried certain gravity. It suggested light, emergence, and a sense of vastness, qualities that resonated deeply with the band. As Steve Howe explains: “Making this record was joyful, a chance to play, explore and give everything to the music. It's always been about collaboration, somebody can write a song, but until everybody puts their contribution in it isn't really a Yes song. We’re not trying to ec...

VOIVOD
"SYMPHONIQUE"
Thrash Metal
Release date: 05.06.2026
(CENTURY MEDIA)

After more than 40 eventful years of existence, Canada's progressive sci-fi metal innovators Voïvod return with “Symphonique”, a special live release together with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. “Symphonique” features a carefully curated Voïvod best-of setlist composed of 12 songs/ 73 minutes with classical musical arrangements by a full symphony orchestra, recorded live on June 4th, 2025 at the Grand Théâtre in Québec City, Canada. “Symphonique” functions like epic piece of cinema, showcasing Voïvod’s pioneering futuristic metal with the strains of a symphony orchestra. A highly effective natural symbiosis, which successfully takes the listener on yet another fantastic journey, never fearing unexplored terri...