Archive for September 2, 2025

HELSTAR – Unveil New Single “The Devil’s Masquerade” & Announce The Devil’s Masquerade Tour 2025

Posted in Heavy Metal, Metal, metal albums, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , on September 2, 2025 by Metal Odyssey

Today Texas metal legends HELSTAR unveil their new single, “The Devil’s Masquerade.” The track marks another powerful chapter in the band’s legacy of dark, heavy, and thought-provoking music.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, frontman James Rivera reveals: “Such as the title track, The Devil’s Masquerade is about the movie Annabel and not the devil. However, in the third line of the last verse, it says ‘It’s 3 in the morning, your heart starts to race.’ What a lot of people don’t know is that 3 in the morning is the real evilest time of the night, when the devil or an entity of evil most likely will appear, not midnight.”

With haunting riffs, relentless rhythms, and Rivera’s unmistakable vocals, “The Devil’s Masquerade”showcases HELSTAR at their most intense and uncompromising. The video complements the song’s chilling atmosphere, delivering a visual journey as powerful as the music itself.

“The Devil’s Masquerade” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

STREAM/PURCHASE THE SONG HERE: https://save-it.cc/massacre/the-devils-masquerade

HELSTAR will release their long-awaited 11th studio album, The Devil’s Masquerade on September 12th, 2025 through Massacre Records. The album will be available as a limited Mediabook, Ltd. Vinyl LP in various colors, and digital formats. Pre-orders: https://save-it.cc/massacre/the-devils-masquerade-album

Track listing:
1. Avernus
2. The Devil’s Masquerade
3 Stygian Miracles
4. Carcass For A King
5. The Staff Of Truth
6. Seek Out Your Sins
7. The Haunting Mirror
8. The Black Wall
9. Suerte De Muleta
10. I Am The Way

HELSTAR are set to unleash their power across Europe this winter with their new trek: The Devil’s Masquerade Tour 2025. Known for their fiery blend of classic heavy metal and thrash intensity, HELSTAR will bring their crushing live energy to fans in Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Spain.

Fronted by the iconic James Rivera, HELSTAR promises an unforgettable setlist spanning their storied career, packed with fan favorites and deep cuts alike. This tour marks another chapter in the band’s relentless mission to keep true heavy metal alive on European stages.

The Devil’s Masquerade Tour 2025:
28.11.2025 – Greece, Thessaloniki, Eightball
29.11.2025 – Greece, Athens, An Club
30.11.2025 – Greece, Agrinio, Metal Union
03.12.2025 – Slovenia, Medvode, Klub Jedro
04.12.2025 – Italy, Torino, El Barrio
06.12.2025 – Germany, Oberhausen, Helvete
07.12.2025 – Belgium, Diest, Hell
08.12.2025 – Germany, Munchen, Backstage
09.12.2025 – Germany, Stuttgart, Der Schwarze Keiler
11.12.2025 – Spain, Madrid, Sala Silikona
12.12.2025 – Spain, Valencia, Sala Zulu
13.12.2025 – Spain, Barcelona, Sala Lennon’s
14.12.2025 – Spain, Portugalete, Sala Groove

The Devil’s Masquerade marks a powerful return to the band’s roots, bringing back the classic creative chemistry between James Rivera (vocals) and Larry Barragan (guitars). The album was produced and mixed by Barragan at Hombre Malo Studios, and mastered by Robert Colwell at Colwell Mastering.

Lyrically, The Devil’s Masquerade dives deep into tales of vampirism, demonic possession, and mankind’s downfall – drawing inspiration from cult horror films and series such as Annabelle, Midnight Mass, The Exorcist: Pope, and even classic Twilight Zone episodes. Each track tells a story, blending myth, horror, and symbolism with HELSTAR’s trademark power. 

The song “I Am The Way” features an all-star guest appearance by iconic Texas metal voices Robert Lowe, Jason McMaster, Travis Willis, George Call, Mike Soliz, Christopher Salinas, Drew Brown, Jeff Vandenburg, and Christian Larson.

Frontman James Rivera states: “All I can say is that this album is every Helstar fan’s dream come true. Larry and I went back to the old-school way of working together, and you can hear that energy from the very first track. We’ve taken the bull by the horns, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the magic we’ve always created.”

From their classic debut Burning Star (1984) to milestones like Nosferatu (1989), and more recent releases such as This Wicked Nest (2014) and Vampiro (2016), HELSTAR have carved a unique and enduring legacy in US heavy metal. With The Devil’s Masquerade, the band once again proves their legendary status, delivering a fierce and uncompromising new chapter.

HELSTAR are:
James Rivera – vocals
Larry Barragan – guitars
Mikey Lewis – drums
Garrick Smith – bass
Alan DeLeon JR. – guitars

HELSTAR online:
https://www.facebook.com/Helstar.Metal/
https://www.instagram.com/helstarofficial/

Source: Massacre Records

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Watch: Vogg of DECAPITATED Joined GOJIRA On Stage in Kraków, Poland

Posted in Death Metal, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, music videos, news with tags , , , , , , , on September 2, 2025 by Metal Odyssey

Fans at Tauron Arena were treated to a special moment on August 19th when Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka, guitarist of Polish death metal titans DECAPITATED, joined French metal juggernauts GOJIRA on stage. Vogg stepped in for a blistering performance of GOJIRA’s classic track “From The Sky.”

The collaboration electrified the audience, who erupted as the two forces of modern metal united in Kraków. GOJIRA, known for their crushing riffs and atmospheric intensity, welcomed Vogg with open arms, marking a powerful meeting between two of the most influential bands in contemporary heavy music.

“This was a truly unforgettable night,” said Vogg after the show. “I had the unimaginable pleasure and honor of performing From The Sky with my dear friends from the mighty Gojira. It was one of the most unforgettable and epic moments of my entire music life. I am still blown away by how amazing the time was with them in my hometown of Kraków. I will never forget this day.”

Gojira (with Vogg!) LIVE From the Sky – Kraków, Tauron Arena, Poland 2025: https://youtu.be/K2Q3xTgUC30

Gojira – “From The Sky” with Vogg (Live at TAURON Arena in Kraków, Poland, 19.08.2025): https://youtu.be/mpBt85iDN0Y

GOJIRA’s performance in Kraków was part of their ongoing tour, bringing their acclaimed sound to audiences across Europe with support from KERRY KING. The addition of Vogg highlighted the band’s close ties with the global metal community and underscored their mutual respect for one another’s artistry.

The night will be remembered as a milestone for Polish fans, witnessing a rare and monumental collaboration on home soil.

About DECAPITATED:

Across eight studio albums, DECAPITATED grew from the adolescent dream of teenagers from a small Central European town to one of the leaders of the metal genre. Each successive album further expands the band’s sound with genre-bending authenticity and integrity. As Metal Injection rightfully observed, “any self-respecting death metalhead knows the name well.”

DECAPITATED’s music is a weapon forged by four young men from a historic medieval-fortified town in Poland, which catapulted them to the top of a worldwide subculture. Like a rose in the devil’s garden, the DECAPITATED story builds triumph from tragedy. The gleeful grotesquery of extreme metal imagery and rifftastic bludgeoning beckons listeners to uncover broader truths.

Vogg and his younger brother, drummer Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka, co-founded DECAPITATED in 1996. The rule-breaking ferocity and invention of their first four albums reinvigorated death metal. Sadly, this era came to a shocking end in late 2007, when the band’s bus collided with a large truck near the Russian border with Belarus. Vitek tragically passed away from his injuries. He was just 23.

Vogg summoned the courage to continue, in honor of his brother and what they created, and returned with a new incarnation of DECAPITATED and the fiercely adventurous comeback album, Carnival is Forever (2011). Anticult (2017) increased the musical diversity without sacrificing their signature sound.

The devoted supporters who traveled to see DECAPITATED on international tours with the likes of Lamb Of God, Meshuggah, and Soulfly over the years will recognize the ever-present pummeling backbone of Cancer Culture (2022). Driven by Vogg’s passion and integrity, the dual emphasis on invention and skill maintains DECAPITATED’s stature as genre-leaders in 2025 and beyond.

Source: C Squared Music

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RISING STEEL – New Album, Legion Of The Grave, Out Now Via Frontiers Music s.r.l.

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, Metal, metal bands, metal music, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , on September 2, 2025 by Metal Odyssey

Rising Steel have released their new studio album Legion Of The Grave, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. To celebrate, they share the new single and accompanying visualizer, “Nightmare”, available now.

Watch the official visualizer for “Nightmare” HERE

Buy/Stream Legion Of The Grave HERE

Lead vocalist Emmanuelson described the new single by saying: “This third single from the new album transports us into a feeling between a sharp hard rock and the heavy of the 80’s revisited with Rising Steel sauce. This song is a perfect balance between power and melody, ultimately pure Rising Steel!”

About the album, the band commented: “Sharpened in both sound and spirit, we returned to a more old-school heavy metal approach – without losing the raw energy and intensity that have long defined our style. Every track hits with precision, driven by razor-sharp riffs, commanding vocals, and an organic production that channels the true passion of real metal.”

“The album explores darker and more introspective themes, focusing on lost identity, inner struggles, and the strength to rise again. With a mix of raw emotion and powerful imagery, we aim to take the listener on a journey through personal battles that reflect broader human experiences. It’s both a statement of resistance and a search for meaning”, they added.

Line Up:
Emmanuelson – Vocals
Steel Zard – Drums
Tony Steel – Guitars
Steff Leadmaster – Lead guitars
Stone warrior – Bass

Rising Steel‘s new album, Legion Of The Grave is their fourth full-length studio effort and it sees the French metallers playing as ferociously as ever, while continuing to evolve their heavy and aggressive sound.

The album was recorded in France by Mathieu Gaud and Steel Zard at Studio de la Plaine (KNT) and Lezard Studio. Mixing duties were handled by Staffan Karlsson and Rickard Bengtsson at Sweetspot Studio in Sweden, known for their work with bands like Meshuggah and Arch Enemy. It was mastered by the renowned Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Finland, ensuring a production that’s as powerful and precise as the music itself.

Legion Of The Grave – Track-list:

1.    Betrayer
2.    King Of The Universe
3.    Black Martin
4.    Legion Of The Grave
5.    Nightmare
6.    Venomous
7.    Messiah Of Death
8.    Dead Mind
9.    Trapped In A Soul’s Garden
10.   Night Vision

Based in Grenoble, France, Rising Steel deliver a “not so” classical heavy metal experience, drawing strong influence from the ‘80s NWOBHM movement, as well as elements of hard rock and thrash. With nods to iconic bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, their music also appeals to fans of Metallica, Accept, Saxon, Grand Magus, Nevermore, and Slayer.

Following the release of their debut EP Warlord (2014) and the full-length album Return Of The Warlord (2016), the band gained traction by sharing stages with acts such as Jaded Heart, Sister Sin, Nightmare, ADX, Nashville Pussy, and Annihilator. This helped increase their international visibility. 

Their second and third albums, Fight Them All and Beyond The Gates Of Hell, both released via Frontiers Music Srl, further cemented their reputation in the European metal scene.

Now, with Legion Of The Grave, Rising Steel return with an explosive offering full of crushing riffs, high-speed rhythms, and no-compromise heavy metal power. It’s a must listen for headbangers seeking pure, unfiltered metal mayhem.

Source: Frontiers Music s.r.l.

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