After almost two years of relative radio-silence, Finnish chart-topping modern metal group Blind Channel are all set to release a brand new studio album on 30th October 2026, via Century Media Records. Standing to be the band’s sixth studio album, the new album is titled Painstream (an easy combination of “Pain” and “Mainstream”) and it explores themes of growth and candid self-reflection, as well as being packed full of explosive energy.
The band has shared some comments on the new album:
“In a world filled with uncertainty, conflict and division, pain is one thing all humans share. Rather than separating us, Painstream explores the ideas that pain can unite us, reminding us of our common humanity. We examine pain from personal, societal and existential perspectives, while also uncovering something unexpected: hope.”
If you haven’t become familiar Blind Channel before, then no worries; it’s likely that you’ve actually stumbled across their work without realising! Blind Channel actually represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2021 with the song ‘Dark Side’. They finished in a respectable sixth place, and I remember having the song stuck in my head for weeks after I watched their performance. The band comprises: Niko Vilhelm Moilanen (vocals), Joonas Porko (guitar), Olli Matela (bass), Tommi Lalli (drums) and Aleksi Kaunisvesi (synths).
So, now that you know the essential info about the band, let’s jump into my highlight tracks as I can’t wait to tell you about this album!
The first track that I’ll be highlighting is ‘Messiah’. Straight away, the intro of this track gives me massive ‘Castle Of Glass’ vibes by Linkin Park; this immediately got my full attention as that’s actually one of my favourite tracks from Linkin Park! The track stays pretty calm and reserved throughout, with Niko’s voice guiding you along a winding path within the song; there’s a much much appreciated little scream of “Messiah!”, which brings everything together before the song comes to a natural close.
My second highlight is ‘Youthanasia’. As might be given away by the clever play on words in the title, this track brings a powerful message as it speaks about “the system” failing us all; we’re all living in the consequences of global warming and yet another recession, and yet the establishment around the world either acts as if these problems are made up or they simply don’t care about the truth. To me, this track is probably THE most important message throughout the album, because if we don’t act, then our future is an apocalyptic and dystopian world. It’s clear to hear and feel the anger as Niko screams (I had almost forgotten just how good of a vocalist he is by the way!) these powerful words that you’d be foolish not to care about.
My third and final highlight track on this album is ‘No Encores In A Swan Song’. I almost can’t put into words just how polished this song sounds and how catchy it is! The instrumentals and the vocals work in harmony alongside witty lyrics; you simply have to hear it yourself! I particularly enjoyed the liberal use of synths and, once again, I can hear a slight inspiration from Linkin Park. It might just be my ears playing tricks on me, but it’s certainly no bad thing!
I found Painstream to be a really strong album overall. When you listen deeply to the whole core of the album, you can really hear and understand just how much this piece of work is about messages of unity, healing and, most importantly, the courage to keep on fighting – even if you fall down, you have to get back up and push on, because if you don’t fight for what you believe in then who will? Aside from the more serious yet empowering messaging, it’s a catchy and enjoyable listen, which isn’t always an easy or comfortable blend. Painstream shows a significant evolution for Blind Channel, as they clearly embrace personal growth while remaining true to their roots with the same intense energy that has defined them from the very beginning. It was seriously refreshing to hear a band operating totally authentically and uncensored – long may it continue!
