Finnish melodic death metal giants BEFORE THE DAWN will release their new studio album, Cold Flare Eternal, on September 5th via Reaper Entertainment.
“To create, one must destroy.” This has long been the guiding mantra of Tuomas Saukkonen, one of Finland’s most prolific and influential metal musicians. Over the past two decades, he has shaped the scene through projects like Wolfheart, Dawn Of Solace, and of course, BEFORE THE DAWN.
Following their critically acclaimed Stormbringers full-length in 2023, Cold Flare Eternal captures the momentum of a band reborn. Recorded once again at guitarist Juho Räihä’s studio, the album brings together crushing heaviness, soaring melodies, and the atmospheric beauty of Finland’s dark landscapes. With Cold Flare Eternal, BEFORE THE DAWN delivers a masterclass in modern melodic death metal – raw, refined, and deeply resonant; an intense, emotional, and atmospheric journey into the depths of Nordic metal.
In advance of the record’s release, today the band unveils new single and accompanying video, “Fatal Design” – an intense and atmospheric visual that perfectly captures the essence of the song. The track highlights the album’s central theme: the inner conflict between light and shadow; the urge for control in a world seemingly built from chaos. Saukkonen offers a dark reflection on the cost of one’s own choices composed with surgical precision, driven by heavy melancholy, and powered by a relentless sense of dynamics. The track stands as further proof of BEFORE THE DAWN’s masterful balance between melody and brutality — a dark anthem for those who find beauty in pain. Saukkonen comments, “‘Fatal Design’ shows the heavier side of the album and is an absolute no-brainer as an setlist song for the Fall EU tour. Catchy, heavy like a ten-ton hammer and pushes forward like a freight train.”
Watch BEFORE THE DAWN’s “Fatal Design” video HERE.
“Fatal Design”will be available on all major streaming platforms starting Friday, May 16th HERE.
Watch the band’s previously released video for “As Above, So Below” HERE.
Cold Flare Eternal features cover art by Gogo Melone (Wolfheart, Insomnium, Xandria, Omnium Gatherum) and will be available on CD, LP, and digital formats
Find preorders HERE.
Archaic Flame track listing:
1. Archaic Flame
2. Chaos Sequence
3. Run to You (Bryan Adams Cover)
4. Dying Sun (live)
BEFORE THE DAWN will support Wolfheart on an extensive European tour this Fall. Tickets are available at btdmetal.com. See all confirmed dates below
BEFORE THE DAWN w/ Wolfheart, Suotana, Full House Brew Crew:
9/20/2025 Koba Live – Abadiño, ES **
9/21/2025 Revi Live – Madrid, ES **
9/22/2025 Wolf, Barcelona – ES **
9/25/2025 De Helling – Utrecht, NL
9/26/2025 Kulturwerk – Herford, DE
9/27/2025 Kubana – Siegburg, DE
9/29/2025 Backstage By The Mill – Paris, FR
10/01/2025 Logo – Hamburg, DE
10/02/2025 Hellraiser – Leipzig, DE
10/03/2025 Turock – Essen, DE
10/04/2025 Café Central – Weinheim, DE
10/05/2025 Analog Music Hall – Budapest, HU
10/06/2025 Klub Zaścianek – Krakow, PL
10/07/2025 Collosseum – Košice, SK
10/08/2025 Rock Café – Prague, CZ
10/09/2025 Orto Bar – Ljubljana SI
10/10/2025 Slaughter Club – Milan, IT
10/11/2025 Chollerhalle – Zug, CH
10/12/2025 Club Vaudeville – Lindau, DE
10/13/2025 Backstage – Munich, DE
** BEFORE THE DAWN + Wolfheart only
BEFORE THE DAWN are:
Vocals – Paavo Laapotti
Guitar – Juho Räihä
Bass – Pyry Hanski
Drums – Tuomas Saukkonen
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