Interview by Ali Williams
Swedish metallers TUNGSTEN have a busy October ahead, although releasing their fifth studio album and embarking on their first European headline tour is a pretty reasonable excuse for having very little spare time. Their latest offering, Ashes, arrived on October 9 through Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music, coinciding with the band’s biggest touring commitment as headliners to date.
Vocalist Mike Andersson recently joined HEAVY‘s Ali Williams for a conversation about the new record, the band’s musical ambitions and the considerable excitement surrounding a tour several years in the making. Since forming in 2016, TUNGSTEN have developed a distinctive approach to melodic metal, incorporating power metal, traditional heavy metal, industrial influences and elements of Scandinavian folk. The band features drummer Anders Johansson, formerly of HammerFall and Yngwie Malmsteen, alongside his sons Nick Johansson on guitar and Karl Johansson on bass and keyboards. With Andersson handling vocals, the four-piece have steadily built an international following through five albums and extensive European touring.
Their latest release follows 2024’s The Grand Inferno, with the band spending much of 2025 developing new material between live commitments before entering the studio towards the end of the year. Across eleven tracks, Ashes explores a broader collection of musical influences while retaining the melodic arrangements and substantial choruses familiar to their audience.
Andersson describes the album as a natural continuation of its predecessor, although listeners can expect a stronger industrial influence alongside the band’s established power metal foundations. It’s an intentional progression, driven by four musicians who have little interest in recording variations of their debut for the remainder of their careers. “If you stick to one kind of sound, it will get boring in time,” Andersson explains. Fortunately, TUNGSTEN have plenty of musical interests to explore. Their drummer even devised a description for the band’s sound, “Anthemic metal,” which accommodates the considerable variety within their catalogue without requiring everyone to agree on a specific subgenre.
The new album offers several examples of this musical flexibility. Opening track Joker introduces the record, followed by Bite My Tongue and Fuego Del Sol, while The North Will Rise features a guest appearance from Sonata Arctica vocalist Tony Kakko. Sunshine Of Fall explores a lighter, more melodic direction, providing contrast to some of the heavier material. The album’s arrival also brought a new music video for Supernova, adding another release to an already substantial collection of singles accompanying Ashes. For TUNGSTEN, broadening their musical approach has become an important part of maintaining their own enthusiasm for songwriting. Each release gives the musicians an opportunity to introduce different influences without abandoning the character they have established since their 2019 debut, We Will Rise.
Beyond the album, October also marks a significant achievement for the Swedish four-piece. After years of supporting established acts, including Firewind, Bloodbound, Sonata Arctica and All For Metal, TUNGSTEN have finally embarked on their first European headline tour. The Anthems Of Steel Tour 2026 began on October 7, with TUNGSTEN sharing co-headlining duties alongside German power metallers INDUCTION, supported by Spanish outfit KILMARA. The twelve-date run takes the bands through Germany, Switzerland and Austria, concluding on October 18 in Selb, Germany. From there, TUNGSTEN continue with their own Ashes Tour 2026, performing five additional headline shows across Sweden and Norway between October 22 and 26. The Scandinavian dates include Lund, Gothenburg, Örebro, Osloand Stockholm, bringing an exceptionally productive month to a close.
With five studio albums available to draw from, the extended headline performances present an opportunity to revisit earlier material while introducing the new songs to audiences who have followed the band’s development. Although TUNGSTEN have already accumulated considerable touring experience, Andersson remains enthusiastic about performing. The different personalities of European audiences are particularly interesting to him. Spanish crowds tend to respond enthusiastically from the opening song, while German and Swedish audiences sometimes require a little more encouragement before revealing their appreciation. Winning over a reserved audience gives him particular satisfaction, especially when the initial restraint eventually disappears.
“We always deliver energy and heartfelt passion on stage. We really love to do what we do,” he explains. There’s a refreshing simplicity to his attitude towards live performance. Andersson believes the audience should see musicians enjoying themselves, rather than four people dutifully completing another evening’s employment. After all, nobody buys a concert ticket hoping to watch a band collectively contemplate what they’ll have for dinner. “We go there and do our shit, you know?”
It’s a rather efficient explanation of the TUNGSTEN approach, and certainly easier to understand than another elaborate argument over the finer distinctions between metal genres. Australian audiences, unfortunately, will have to exercise a little patience. TUNGSTEN have yet to perform Down Under, and although Andersson would welcome the opportunity, no Australian dates have been arranged. He admits the band hasn’t received any offers but would happily consider making the journey should an opportunity arise. For now, the immediate priorities are firmly established. Ashes has arrived, the European headline tour is underway, and TUNGSTEN are enjoying the opportunity to take their latest music directly to their growing audience.
With five albums behind them and their first headline tour now a reality, the Swedish musicians have plenty of reasons to celebrate. Their willingness to experiment has kept the recording process interesting, while the demand for their live performances continues to grow. And if Andersson eventually gets his wish to bring TUNGSTEN to Australia, he’ll discover local metal audiences generally require very little encouragement to make themselves heard.
Ashes is available now through PERCEPTION/Reigning Phoenix Music. For full European tour dates and ticket information head to https://tungstenofficial.net/
