Finnish heavy metal powerhouse Battle Beast has announced that their seventh studio album, Steelbound, will be released in October via Nuclear Blast. Along with the announcement, the band premiered the official music video for the album’s fourth single, “Angel Of Midnight”.
According to a press release, “Angel Of Midnight” is “built on a catchy hard rock riff, bouncing synths, and the soaring, powerful vocals of Noora Louhimo, once again demonstrat[ing] Battle Beast’s mastery in blending infectious hooks with heavy, high-energy metal — a sound that makes you want to dance and headbang all at once.”
Eero Sipilä, the band’s bassist and primary songwriter, shared insight into the song’s creation:
“I really had an internal battle with writing this one. We’re a heavy metal band. Will we be burned at the stake for making a hard rock tune with romantic notions? Then it hit me: We’re Battle Beast — we can do whatever the hell we want. Midnight nods deeply to Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake — all the greats — and makes no qualms about it. So let the feeling carry you, and crank it like it’s 1987.”
Back in May, Battle Beast released “Last Goodbye”, the album’s first single. Sipilä revealed that the song was inspired by a deeply personal experience: “The spark for “Last Goodbye” was lit in the least rock and roll place imaginable: a hospital. In 2020, I spent a few weeks there and met an older woman battling cancer — a fight she’d been waging on and off since 1985. It made me wonder: how much can a person take before they give up? But she never did. She kept showing up, kept pushing through the treatments, kept being around. “Last Goodbye” is a tribute to that human fighting spirit — the will to rise every time life knocks you down. As long as you’re breathing, you’re still in the game.”
In June, the band followed up with the album’s title track, “Steelbound”. Keyboardist and producer Janne Björkroth, who composed the song, explained its meaning: “”Steelbound” is a song that is both heavy and light at the same time. It goes through the walls with a bang, both in terms of composition and lyrics, without forgetting the groove and the little twinkle in the eye.”
He went on to describe the message behind the anthem: “”Steelbound” is a song about all of us. About the power to resist injustice and the respect that belongs to everyone. Sometimes the settings can be a little off, but you can, and should, constantly adjust your attitudes.”
Noora Louhimo also shared a personal connection to the track: “As a child, I was bullied at school, and as an adult, I’ve experienced misogyny and sexism in my professional and private life. Through all these experiences, I’ve become a person who always fights against injustice. “Steelbound” is a power song for all of us trying to navigate difficult life situations and relationships. The song deals with painful things, but at the same time, it gives us strength to keep fighting against the world’s injustices. Let’s rise together, because we are Steelbound!”
The third single, “Here We Are”, arrived in August. Guitarist Joona Björkroth explained the theme behind the track: “”Here We Are” captures that moment after the storm has passed — you’ve faced challenges, been tested, and somehow come through the other side a little stronger, a bit wiser, and perhaps a bit more grounded. Things might not have gone perfectly, but you’ve endured. The song is a tribute to perseverance and resilience — to standing tall just the way you are, nothing more, nothing less.”
Louhimo added: “We’ve all been down in the depths — each of us and all of us together. Still we’ve always gotten back up, even if bruised and bloodied. And here we are still, stronger than ever. No matter how tough the journey, we’re always stronger when we face it together.”
Battle Beast will kick off their European tour on October 17 with their biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena. The tour will feature Dominum as special guests and rising Swedish power metal act Majestica as the opening band. The trek will run through mid-December.
Earlier this year, the band released their first-ever live album, Circus Of Doom – Live in Helsinki 2023, on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. Recorded during their January 27, 2023 performance at the Helsinki Ice Hall, the album captures the full spectacle of Battle Beast’s dystopian carnival-themed stage show. Mixed by Janne Björkroth and mastered at the legendary Finnvox Studios by Mika Jussila, the release is available on all digital platforms and as a limited-edition CD plus Blu-ray digipak.
With Steelbound on the horizon and a major tour planned, Battle Beast continues to deliver their signature mix of power, emotion, and unrelenting energy.
