NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – September 16, 2026
FLAMESTRIKE Unleashes New Single “Unholy March”
Debut Album “The Unholy March” Out January 29th, 2027 via Rockshots Records
Italian epic power metal band FLAMESTRIKE is ready to march into a new chapter with “Unholy March”, the first single from their forthcoming debut album “The Unholy March”, set for release on January 29th, 2027 via Rockshots Records.
The song throws the listener straight into a dark tale of death, betrayal, and vengeance. “Unholy March” follows a fallen commander who, after making an unholy pact, returns from beyond the grave at the head of an army of the dead. Determined to reclaim his sovereign’s throne by force, his march ultimately brings destruction upon the kingdom and ushers in a new age of darkness.
Musically, the track introduces the core identity of FLAMESTRIKE, combining the epic and heroic character of classic power metal with the heavier influences that have shaped the band’s sound.
The band comments:
“We wrote the kind of epic, powerful, and engaging music that we ourselves would want to hear. Throughout the album you’ll find fantasy worlds, fearless heroes, evil entities, and endless battles, all shaped by the different musical backgrounds that make us who we are as a band.”
Listen to “Unholy March” on all digital platforms: https://lnk.to/A50bp9
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG5Mox-L_tg
Rooted in the European power and epic metal tradition while drawing inspiration from heavier, symphonic, and extreme sounds, FLAMESTRIKE forges a style built around powerful riffs, heroic melodies, and fantasy-driven atmospheres.
Their forthcoming debut album “The Unholy March” is not conceived as a single concept story, but its songs share recurring themes of battle, revenge, triumph, and the inevitability of fate. The stories do not always unfold from the perspective of the traditional hero, leaving room for darker characters, defeat, and morally ambiguous outcomes.
The band adds:
“We want this album to be an immersive listening experience, something capable of transporting the listener directly onto the battlefield or inside the walls of a medieval tavern. Every track remains deeply connected to our epic and symphonic trademark.”
Formed in Vercelli, Italy, in 2008, FLAMESTRIKE initially came together through a shared passion for power and epic metal. After starting out performing songs by some of the genre’s defining bands, the musicians gradually began replacing covers with their own material.
Their first self-produced EP, “Dark Clouds On The Obsidian Tower”, arrived in 2021. Following several line-up changes, FLAMESTRIKE returned in 2024 with the singles “Where Glory Awaits” and “The Death Scythe Has Come”, both included on the forthcoming album.
For fans of: Blind Guardian, Manowar, Ensiferum
In 2026, the band signed with Rockshots Records, setting the stage for the release of their first full-length.
Pre-order “The Unholy March” (Out Jan 29, 2027):
https://rockshots.eu/products/flamestrike-the-unholy-march-cd
Track Listing:
1. Heralds Of The Fallen King – 1:28
2. Unholy March – 4:19
3. Where Glory Awaits – 8:56
4. The Death Scythe Has Come – 4:20
5. Lindisfarne – 5:57
6. Enslaved By The Steel – 5:38
7. Flamestrike – 7:48
8. A Rainy Forest Where The Minstrel Rests… – 2:01
Album Length: 38:40
FLAMESTRIKE is:
Marco Caputo: Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Choirs
Emmanuele Iacono: Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Fabrizio Amapane: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Choirs
Alessio Marchetto: Bass
Luca Traversa: Drums & Percussion
Album Credits:
Recorded at Edge Of Darkness Studio, Robbio, Italy
Produced, mixed, and mastered by FLAMESTRIKE
Cover artwork by Kaijie Huang
More info:
https://rockshots.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/FlamestrikeOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/flamestrikeofficial
BIOGRAPHY:
Formed in Vercelli, Italy, in 2008, Flamestrike grew out of a shared passion for the epic and power metal scene. Their roots can be traced back to the previous year when a group of university students and recent graduates came together to play songs by some of their favourite bands, including Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Manowar, Virgin Steele and Edguy.
That early incarnation lasted only a few months, but it brought together bassist Marco Caputo and drummer Marco Canella, who would go on to become the founding members of Flamestrike. After recruiting a new line-up, the two officially formed the band in April 2008. The name itself reflected another passion they shared at the time: fantasy literature. While going through a seemingly endless list of characters from their favourite fantasy sagas, they eventually settled on Flamestrike, the name of a dragon from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Dragonlance Chronicles.
Initially, the band returned to the stage with a set built around power and epic metal covers, playing venues and events throughout the local area. It was not long, however, before original music began to take over. Between 2009 and 2010, Flamestrike started writing their first songs, firmly rooted in the same epic and power metal tradition that had inspired the band from the beginning.
By the end of 2010, Flamestrike had built up a substantial body of original material, but the departure of three of the five members brought the band’s progress to an abrupt halt. Caputo and Canella remained, and after a brief period of uncertainty, the line-up began to take shape again in early 2011 with the arrival of guitarists Emmanuele Iacono and Alessio Marchetto. At the same time, Caputo expanded his role, taking over lead vocals while continuing to play bass.
This four-piece line-up gave Flamestrike the momentum to move forward, both on stage and as songwriters. In 2012, keyboardist Fabio Sguazzotti joined the band, restoring the line-up to five members and remaining with Flamestrike until 2015.
Another important transition came that same year when Caputo decided to step away from bass and devote himself entirely to vocals. Riccardo Rondolotto subsequently joined as the band’s new bassist, beginning four years of rehearsals, live performances and continued songwriting. In 2019, both Marchetto and Rondolotto eventually left Flamestrike to pursue other musical paths.
Reduced to a three-piece, Caputo, Canella and guitarist Emmanuele Iacono used this transitional period to begin recording the original material that would eventually become the band’s first EP. By mid-2019, Flamestrike had once again completed their line-up with the addition of Fabrizio Amapane on second guitar and Ivan Bovio on bass.
The following two years brought an entirely different challenge. Although the band remained stable and united throughout 2020 and 2021, the disruption caused by the pandemic inevitably slowed down their activities. After almost two years of work, delays and interruptions, October 2021 finally saw the digital release of “Dark Clouds On The Obsidian Tower“, Flamestrike‘s first EP of original material. Featuring five tracks, the release marked the band’s first major step from years of songwriting and live activity towards a fully realised recording project.
In 2022, another chapter in Flamestrike‘s history came to a close when founding drummer Marco Canella left the band for personal reasons after fourteen years. He was succeeded by Luca Traversa, formerly of Alltheniko and a longtime friend of the band. With Traversa behind the kit, Flamestrike began shaping the material that would form their debut full-length album.
The first glimpse of this new chapter arrived in 2024 with two singles: “Where Glory Awaits“, released in March, followed by “The Death Scythe Has Come” in December.
A further line-up change followed in 2025, when Ivan Bovio parted ways with Flamestrike by mutual agreement. His departure opened the door for the return of Alessio Marchetto, who rejoined the band five years after leaving it. This time, however, he returned in a new role, taking over bass duties and bringing a familiar face back into the Flamestrike ranks.
In 2026, Flamestrike reached a new milestone by signing with Italian label Rockshots Records, setting the stage for the release of their debut full-length album in early 2027.
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