GOTHIC METAL HALLELUJA

Since the early 1990s, Portugal’s Moonspell have devoted themselves to the dark side. Over the past three decades, the band around frontman Fernando Ribeiro have steadily worked their way into the hearts of all lovers of metallic melancholy with more than a dozen releases. Now they return to Z7 with their new album “Far From God”. Support comes from Danish/Faroese progressive melodic death metallers Iotunn and Spanish atmospheric doom metallers TodoMal.

Even after more than three decades, Moonspell remain a force to be reckoned with, both creatively and on stage. In July 2026, they once again demonstrated their unique abilities with the monumental “Far From God”. Moonspell deliver an album born from five years of creative searching, doubt and, ultimately, self-discovery. Rather than playing it safe, the Portuguese dark metal pioneers have created a work that feels like a rebirth: darker, sharper and even more emotional. Instead of adapting to modern trends, Moonspell remain firmly committed to their identity and substance. Lyrically, “Far From God” moves between Baudelairean poetry, existential guilt and redemption, Christ-like resurrections and the quiet dignity of creatures of the night. Vampires, werewolves and sacred symbolism are not used as an escape from reality, but as expressions of genuine dark emotions: serious, romantic and unfiltered. The album deliberately avoids artificial gloss in favour of sincere imagination, thereby returning to its gothic core. It connects with the darker phase of Moonspell’s classic era while still sounding powerful and contemporary. “Far From God” is not mere nostalgia. It is a statement. A gothic metal hallelujah. Moonspell’s “Irreligious” for the 21st century. An impressive demonstration that the band remains one of the defining forces of its genre – and an album that frees the scene from stagnation and predictability.

Iotunn: The Danish/Faroese metallers released a masterpiece of progressive melodic death metal with “Kinship” in 2024. Their second album continues the mythology-inspired journey of the acclaimed debut “Access All Worlds” while expanding the band’s sonic universe into new realms. In January 2026, they followed it with their first live album, “Waves Over Copenhell”, impressively capturing the intensity and atmosphere of their concerts. Iotunn combine massive riffs with expansive, atmospheric soundscapes, creating powerful, majestic songs that balance melody and heaviness. Driven by Jón Aldará’s distinctive voice, the result is epic metal with depth and grandeur. Their performance at Z7 is not to be missed.

TodoMal: Dark, melancholic and almost cinematic in scope: TodoMal create doom metal that reaches far beyond the boundaries of the genre. Heavy riffs meet soaring melodies, space rock, folk and prog, while the songs unfold slowly and develop a compelling pull of their own. Their current album “Graveyards of Joy” tells of loss and loneliness, but also of hope and redemption – repeatedly finding beauty even in the darkness. What began as a Spanish duo has since grown into a five-piece live band. At Z7, we can look forward to intense, atmospheric and deeply emotional doom metal.