Highwire Daze Magazine

photo credit: Katharina Schulz German heavy metal torchbearers MYSTIC PROPHECY have announced their brand-new studio album, In Metal, set for release on November 27, 2026, via PERCEPTION – Powered by Reigning Phoenix Music. Marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the band, the album announcement arrives alongside the release of its first single, “Robots,” accompanied by an official music video.

While writing and recording songs for ‘Revolution’, Gabrielle de Val’s next solo album, it soon became apparent that some of these songs were coming out heavier than the AOR/Melodic Rock that the group had previously been doing, especially those that Gabrielle and Bruce Mee wrote together with Tommy Denander: there were Symphonic Rock songs, Power Metal songs and even just straight up Heavy Metal. The solution seemed clear.

Nifelheim Rising — FEJD’s Esko Salow on Rebirth, Reflection, and the Road Ahead Two decades into their journey blending Nordic folk tradition with heavy metal power, Sweden’s FEJD return with Nifelheim via Black Lodge / Sound Pollution — their first album in ten years and a testament to perseverance, craft, and brotherhood.

Photo credit: @caitlinallenphoto Makari Recharged: Fifteen Years and a Brand‑New Chapter Makari’s story stretches back to 2011, when a group of young Florida musicians began shaping the atmospheric, emotionally charged sound that would eventually define them. Fifteen years later, the band has weathered lineup changes, cross‑country moves, creative reinvention, and a decade’s worth of growth — emerging stronger, sharper, and more confident than ever.

The Chandelier Tree: Cillian Leddy on Identity, Ireland, and His Solo Debut At just eighteen, Cillian Leddy stands at the crossroads of two worlds — the sun‑soaked sprawl of Los Angeles and the rich, windswept history of Ireland. Known for fronting the indie‑rock outfit Birdhouse, Cillian now steps into a new chapter with his solo EP The Chandelier Tree, a collection shaped by nature, memory, identity, and the restless curiosity of a young artist finding his own voice.

Gravity Reimagined: Inside First Light’s Journey with Carl Sharples Few bands in the modern AOR/melodic rock world embody heart, history, and genuine friendship the way First Light does.

Andi Kravljaca and Andreas Nergård of Kindred North Kindred North: A New Melodic Horizon — An Interview with Andreas Nergård There’s a new melodic force rising out of Scandinavia, forged by two longtime collaborators finally stepping into a shared spotlight. Kindred North — the AOR‑driven partnership between Norwegian songwriter/drummer Andreas Nergård and Swedish vocalist/guitarist Andi Kravljaca (Seventh Wonder, Hydra) — releases their self‑titled debut on August 21st via Pride & Joy Music.

Pure Power Metal: Burning Sun Discuss Power to Survive and Their Worldwide Journey Burning Sun may be scattered across Hungary, Germany, and Chile, but their passion for pure, unfiltered European power metal pulls every member into the same blazing orbit.

From the Outside: Rufio Return After 16 Years Rufio were never just another early‑2000s melodic pop‑punk band — they were a lightning strike. A burst of youthful urgency, technical guitar wizardry, and wide‑eyed sincerity that hit Southern California like a shockwave and rippled far beyond Rancho Cucamonga. For so many fans, Perhaps, I Suppose… wasn’t just a debut album; it was a rite of passage, a soundtrack to growing up fast and feeling everything at once.

Dark Roasted Rock: Rough Grind Brew a Final Journey Into the Neverending Night There’s a certain flavor to Finnish heaviness — a slow‑burn intensity, a shadow‑steeped grit, a kind of dark roasted rock that Rough Grind have been perfecting for over a decade. With their third album Neverending Night, vocalist and songwriter Sami Haapasalo leads listeners through a world where insomnia stretches into eternity, society grinds its gears against the individual, and the dawn feels just out of reach.