The Metal Inferno - Prog, Power & Heavy Metal - September 2026
September's Metal Inferno brings together a fierce lineup across Heavy, Progressive, and Power Metal.
Featuring Quantu, Phornax, Kai Hansen, Gamma Ray, Myrath, Salava, Thobias Wiklund, Johnny Gioeli, Blackment, Cepheidae Variable, Apotheus, and Battersea.
This month, I’m checking out new Heavy Metal releases, discovering the artists and bands pushing the genre forward and keeping things exciting. From the crushing riffs and sheer intensity of Heavy Metal to the soaring melodies and epic scale of Power Metal, and the technical musicianship of Progressive Metal.
Once again, it’s the independent artists and lesser-known bands that continue to impress, delivering ambitious, creative, and powerful music that proves you don’t need a huge following or a major record label to make a serious impact.
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The Metal Inferno - Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal
Submit your music for October 2026 to <info+metal.submissions@musicngear.com>
Quantum - Trascender
This is a cool Heavy Metal/Power metal track. The singer has serious chops! He has no problem hitting notes in the high register and has a great baritone as well. The drummer is super solid, playing a heavy groove throughout and changes to a heavy halftime beat towards the end of the song.
The guitars have a great metal tone and sound like they are tuned down. A super interesting part of the song is the first chorus, where it sounds like a vocoder is being used, which isn’t usually associated with Metal. A very cool track!
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Phornax - Hells Paradise
This Heavy Metal track mixes elements of speed metal and power metal. The fast double-bass drum beat creates a heavy atmosphere instantly. The distorted guitars create a thick wall of sound that is filled with aggression. The singer is incredible, hitting notes in the upper register in full voice.
Wait till the 3.17 mark for the guitar solo with is not just about shredding but also filled with musicality. A really great band of talented musicians!
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Kai Hansen, Gamma Ray - Born with a Hammer
This song has elements of Heavy Metal and Power Metal. The vocals on this track are simply flawless! There is no need for Auto-Tune when you have logged up thousands of hours touring and recording in the studio.
I was very impressed by the high quality of production on this song. The changes in dynamics really let you hear the nuances in the vocals. The guitars and bass play complex changes in a song that is over 8 minutes long.
An excellent example of high-quality songwriting in a world obsessed with having a short version of everything.
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Myrath - Shape of My Heart
This song is incredibly hard to categorize. It has elements of Power Metal, pop, and Prog. This tune is actually a cover of a Sting tune from the 1990’s. The strings in the intro create an almost cinematic soundscape feeling. Although it’s not played fast like traditional metal, it has great unison guitar parts and spurts of double bass. This is a very creative cover by some musicians with serious chops!
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Salava - Devil's Crop
This mid-tempo Power Metal tune is great at creating an unsettling atmosphere. Although at a slower tempo, the minor and diminished chords make it sound aggressive. The production has created a great drum sound that is high in the mix. The guitar plays a really musical solo at the 2.20 mark, full of vibrato and what sounds like sweep picking. This is a cool band!
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Thobias Wiklund, Johnny Gioeli - The Light Streaks from the Sky
This track has all the classic staples of a great Power Metal tune. Soprano vocals, doubled guitar parts playing unison and harmony lines, and an intricate drum groove. The song really builds and crescendos during the guitar solo.
There are some great unison accents with the whole band towards the end of the song. This is a combination of great songwriting and high-level musicianship.
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Blackment - Ground Zero
This keyboard-heavy Power Metal song has some great and complex changes. The drum groove is a solid straight 8th-note beat to begin with, but after the bridge changes into a double-bass assault. The vocalist has an excellent range, never straining to hit high notes and crushing low tones in full voice.
There are some intricate melodies on the guitar which are doubled to give that classic Power Metal sound.
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Cepheidae Variable - The Waiting Storm
This Heavy Metal song has some elements of Black Metal mixed in. The intro starts with a sinister guitar riff that sounds like it is in dropped D tuning. The drummer creates a heavy groove with his large China Cymbal. The singer is versatile in the low and high register. The distorted guitars play some great melodic unison lines.
Although this song is short for Metal, coming in under 3 minutes 30 seconds, the intensity is there from the first bar.
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Apotheus - Boundaries
This Melodic Prog Metal band has an incredible drummer! The song starts with a halftime groove laced with double bass. There are many complex changes the band goes through in this song. I like the second guitar part, which is mixed low but really gives the song momentum. The band shift gears towards the end of the song, playing a heavy riff that goes into 3/4 timing. You will love this band if you like bands like Tool and Helmut. Check this out!
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Battersea - Black Waves
This Heavy Metal/Progressive metal track has many complex changes. It starts with the drummer playing a blast beat, which goes into a halftime groove during the verse. The production is stripped back, allowing all the instruments to breathe. There are multiple guitar parts, and it sounds like there is a guitar part that is run through a heavy delay or flanger to create a wall of sound. The minor key signature makes the song sound extra aggressive.
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About Magesh Magesh
Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour.
He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk
Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com
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