Folk Metal Duo FORGOTTEN SHRINE Release New Single "Gods Of War," Inspired By The Music Of Skyrim

FORGOTTEN SHRINE traverse dramatic soundscapes and landscapes in the new single release, "Gods Of War." Drawing inspiration from the open-world, mythical realms of Skyrim, "Gods Of War" takes the form of a bard's song in FORGOTTEN SHRINE's characteristic dynamic style. The single is taken from the forthcoming full length Nox Aeterna, set to release independently on November 6, 2026.

Sofia Frasz comments on the origins of "Gods Of War": "I had the idea for this song way before Josh and I even started Forgotten Shrine. I first wrote the lyrics in February 2021, and was thinking about releasing an acoustic Exiled Hope EP at the time. I had wanted to make music that sounded like it could be a Skyrim-style bard’s song, but hadn’t quite found a place for it in the Exiled Hope canon yet. I finally revisited the song shortly after we started Forgotten Shrine, and recorded an updated demo in 2024. Then I sent the demo to Josh, and we embellished and reworked it together."

"Gods Of War" continues the overarching narrative of Nox Aeterna. The album's protagonists, the keepers of an ancient shrine dedicated to art, creativity, and freedom, are well on their way to finding the source of the approaching darkness. They grow weary, however, at the apathy of those they encounter on the road as the impending destruction of all creeps nearer. 

Nox Aeterna was produced, mixed and mastered by Joshua Dalviken. The album artwork was created by Josh Alexander and Joshua Dalviken, with the cover art for "The Parting Glass (Reforged)" created by Josh Alexander and Tricia Alexander. 

About FORGOTTEN SHRINE:
Created by Josh Alexander (Pennsylvania, USA) and Sofia Frasz (Maryland, USA), FORGOTTEN SHRINE fuses the sounds and textures of folk instruments with the power and darkness of metal. Through their genre-crossing arrangements FORGOTTEN SHRINE delve into fantasy realms creating both upbeat songs perfect for embarking on an adventure and heavier offerings for battling shadowy forces. 

Alexander and Frasz combine their compositional styles, instruments and vocal textures to produce dynamic and emotive music. The upcoming full-length sees the duo each take the reins across the track list while ensuring FORGOTTEN SHRINE's core identity remains cohesive. 

FORGOTTEN SHRINE is: 
Josh Alexander - Guitar, Bass, Hurdy Gurdy, Irish Bouzouki, Additional Instruments, Backing Vocals, Composition.
Sofia Frasz - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Lyrics, Composition.

Connect With FORGOTTEN SHRINE: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555238025771&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgottenshrineband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForgottenShrineBand
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0q7rFp0yxvWoxGWqIt21nI?si=p5jz0YOOROOHFy5jxHAW6A
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/forgotten-shrine/1734698132

Symphonic Power Metal Unit DRAGONY Rewrites History with New Album, Viribus Unitis

Pre-order "Viribus Unitis" here: https://smarturl.it/ViribusUnitis-NPR out January 15th On their new album "Viribus Unitis", DRAGONY present a fantastical jo...

Out January 15, 2021 via Napalm Records | Pre-Order NOW

With united forces: DRAGONY unveil the truth and rewrite history!

Founded in 2007 and after releasing three studio records, Austrian symphonic power metal heroes DRAGONY return to their rock opera roots on their brand new album, Viribus Unitis, out January 15, 2021 via Napalm Records. Following up on the conceptual approach of their debut album, Legends, on the new album, the band unveils the true history of their home country. We return to the days when Austria was ruled by emperor Franz Joseph and his wife, empress Sisi – but forget everything you’ve heard and read so far!

Today the band has unleashed an energetic music video for their first single and album opener, “Gods Of War”, setting the stage for their imaginative historical concept to unfold.

DRAGONY about the track:

“The first single "Gods of War" is also the opening track of the album, and sets the stage for the story that is to come: The year is 1867, and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria is forced to accept the terms of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise after suffering losses in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, effectively establishing the dual monarchy that became known as the "k. & k. Monarchy". In this situation, he is questioning whether his empire even has a future, or only its glorious past.

The music for the song was co-written by Tommy Johansson from SABATON & MAJESTICA with his partner in SYMPHONY OF TRAGEDY, Tomas Svedin, with the vocal lines and lyrics having been composed by our singer Siegfried. Musically, it's therefore a very "Scandinavian-sounding" song that adds another texture to the catalogue of DRAGONY, and we are already very much looking forward to playing this one live at future shows!“

SABATON’s Tommy Johansson on “Gods Of War”:

“What DRAGONY did to “Gods of War” is far beyond what I could have expected it to turn out when this song was written. How they play and sing this song is just glorious! It’s so powerful and you can sing along to the chorus right away. I’m happy and honored I got to be a part of DRAGONY, and the song suits well to the rest of this epic album!”

What really happened at the time of the last Habsburg ruler of Austria, his wife and their son, the troubled Archduke Rudolf, is revealed by the symphonic power metal six-piece on their fourth full-length, Viribus Unitis. Let’s clear the assumption that Rudolph died after trying to take his life at castle Mayerling in 1889. No way! Instead, after his mother Sisi is assassinated in 1898 in Switzerland, he subsequently gets in contact with dark powers which, driven by his desire to be with her again, make him turn to black magic and demonology. Now history takes its true course. There are not only zombies and cyberpunks lurking – DRAGONY also managed to prove further entanglements of well-known personalities you could never imagine…

For the exciting adventure cemented in their upcoming album, the Austrians around former VISIONS OF ATLANTIS singer Siegfried Samer are supported by well-known colleagues like Tommy Johansson (SABATON, MAJESTICA, SYMPHONY OF TRAGEDY), Tomas Svedin (SYMPHONY OF TRAGEDY), Michele Guaitoli (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) and Georg Neuhauser (SERENITY) - just to name a selection. Mixing and mastering on Viribus Unitis was handled by Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann of ORDEN OGAN in his Greenman Studios in Germany.

Singer Siegfried Samer on the new album, Viribus Unitis:

"Viribus Unitis marks both a return to our musical roots as well as a next step into the future for DRAGONY, as we are returning to a "rock opera concept" album similar to our debut Legends, but at the same time, we have evolved musically and are delivering what we consider our heaviest and most diverse album to date. And even though we are taking a bit of a creative approach with the source material, the concept story of the album is deeply intertwined with the history of Austria and in particular with the end of the Habsburg monarchy, which is often romanticized in Austria and ingrained in our collective consciousness. We are therefore thrilled to be able to release this very special album on an Austrian label, Napalm Records, and hope that both old and new fans of DRAGONY will enjoy the brand new songs!”

Could DRAGONY’s rewriting of history mark a new revelation of hidden truths previously shrouded in fantasy? Only Viribus Unitis tells all!

Pre-Order Viribus Unitis HERE:

DRAGONY is:

Frederic Brünner - Drums

Herbert Glos - Bass

Manuel Hartleb - Keyboards

Andreas Poppernitsch - Guitars

Simon Saito - Guitars

Siegfried Samer - Vocals