What we can expect for this new year that is about to begin... |

2025 Is Coming To An End… What Will 2026 Bring?

2026 is just around the corner, it waits for no one, but we can expect several new developments in terms of White Metal, some already confirmed and others that will be seen as the coming year unfolds.
It’s true, some things are kept under lock and key. Some are already fully confirmed, others are partially confirmed, and others are rumors or possibilities. Let’s take a brief look at what will happen next year and what could happen. If something goes wrong or doesn’t happen exactly as predicted, don’t blame the messenger. We are only communicating what we know and what the protagonists themselves have told us.
As I write this, I feel like one of those people who write unnecessary but inevitable end-of-year reviews. The typical Christmas and New Year’s article that only late-nighters with nothing better to do than pay attention to a report like this read. So here we go.

First of all, in terms of live music, there are several interesting festivals, but we’re going to highlight two important events. One is “Light The Dark,” taking place on March 20 and 21 in Norrköping, Sweden, with a lineup that makes you feel envious (in a good way) for what’s going to happen there: Wytch Hazel, Les Carlsen, Reign Of Glory (with Mark Boals on vocals), Pantokrator, Opus Irae, Bethesda, Silence The Echo, among others, will be there.
And as if that weren’t enough, in the old continent you can enjoy “Elements Of Rock” from March 13 to 15 at the Stadthofsaal in Uster, Switzerland, with the return of Extol to the stage (which they already did at ProgPower Fest in 2025) and, above all, the legendary Detritus. Narnia, Zebulon, the Italians Metratone and Bloodcrown, among others, will also be there, in another great festival that promises a lot, especially given the excitement surrounding the return to the stage of both Extol and Detritus.

The United States will see a new version of the well-known “Immortal Fest” between September 11 and 13, 2026, in Versailles, OH, with a lot of history in its lineup. Take note: Petra, Les Carlsen, The Daniel Band, The Rex Carroll Band, Arsenal, Fear Not, among others. How many years have all these bands and personalities accumulated? Tremendous!!!

And in Latin America? Not much for now (and let’s not even talk about Argentina). It was only confirmed recently that August will be when Tourniquet hits Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, but not many more details are known yet. We also have Whitecross visiting with Petra in January in Brazil, but not much else, at least as of this writing. Except for what has been mentioned, the rest is rumors, possibilities, and not much else. We’ll wait and see what happens in these parts in 2026.

Speaking of Tourniquet, and strictly speaking of new albums, their next album is possibly one of the most anticipated releases for 2026. Nothing has been confirmed about the release date, title, or anything else, but what is certain is that the new incarnation of this legendary band will make a lot of noise with their new album, which they have been working on for some time now, under the production of Bill Metoyer. Yes, the same guy who produced a gem in Tourniquet’s history, “Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance,” which is the backbone of the new work, according to Gary Lenaire himself.
But in terms of confirmed new albums, we already know that Ignescent will release their next album, “Eternal,” on March 20, 2026, and that Bethesda (the new project between German Pascual—formerly of Narnia—and former Veni Domine members Thomas Weinesjö and Gabriel Ingemarson) will do their thing in the first part of 2026 with their first album. Add to that the Brazilians Apostullus, who promise to make a lot of noise with their new work called “War,” which will also be released early this year.

The above is certain, but there are several bands that have already confirmed (at least to us when we have had some contact) that 2026 will see them releasing new material. Among them we can confirm Narnia, Galactic Cowboys, All For The King, Primal, and Stairway, among others, so we will possibly see them with good news at some point in the new year.
Then, we’ll have to see if Deliverance’s intention to release a new album is finally confirmed, this time with George Ochoa back on board, which in itself is generating a lot of excitement. Living Sacrifice is another legendary band that promises new music. Bruce Fitzhugh recently told us that the band is working on new songs. We’ll see if that translates into a new album, considering that the band, in addition to performing live from time to time, has been reissuing its discography, with “Inhabit” being its latest reissue.

Will there be a new album in 2026 for the legendary Saint? According to Richard Lynch, the band’s longtime bassist, they have between six and seven songs ready to start working on a new album. Meanwhile, Saint has just released a new live DVD and is preparing a re-release of what was their first work, the EP Warriors Of The Son.
Then, yes, there are other bands that may have new albums out in 2026. In principle, Crimson Moonlight, Fear Not, Silence The Echo with their long-awaited and delayed first album, and a few others out there should be among those releasing something new. Sacrificium? There will only be a new album in 2027.
There will surely be many more developments, some that cannot yet be revealed and others that still need to be confirmed, but this is a small part of what we may possibly find in 2026, which is already about to begin…