Calgary Show takes place at 7 p.m. on August 22nd at Dickens Pub. More information to be released for the upcoming show later on Dickens Pub Website: https://dickensyyc.com/events/

ABOUT THE BAND: 

Vancouver, Canada’s traditional heavy metal torchbearers IRON KINGDOM return with the second single from their upcoming sixth studio album “Shadows and Dust,” due out June 6, 2026, marking their first release under their new label partnership with Steel Shark Records (France), which will offer an exclusive EU edition limited to just 300 double‑CD copies. Disc 1 will contain the full “Shadows and Dust” album, while Disc 2 will feature a “Best Of” collection highlighting tracks from Iron Kingdom’s previous five releases. In addition, the label will introduce a third vinyl colour (100 copies) available only to EU fans.
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Following the momentum of their first single and music video “Defenders”, the band now unveils the powerful new track “Blood and Steel”, accompanied by an epic lyric video that dives deep into the album’s themes of endurance, mortality, and the human cost of ambition.

Bassist Leighton Holmes explains further:

“The inspiration for ‘Blood and Steel’ came from two places. One draws from Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the other from imagining myself as a soldier in Alexander the Great’s army, twelve years into a campaign, thousands of miles from home, questioning how I got there. The endless marching, the battles, the weight of the gear… It’s a brutal life, and in a small way, it parallels the blood, sweat, and tears of touring in a band.”​
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Musically, “Blood and Steel” stands apart in the IRON KINGDOM catalogue.

“We wanted the song to feel like a march. It’s very bass‑ and drum‑driven in the verses, with guitars layered in strategic spots. It’s a different kind of song for us, and I think it’s going to add something special to our live sets,” adds vocalist/guitarist Chris Osterman.

Watch and listen to “Blood and Steel” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb8BIzHT3_Q​

Add to your Spotify playlist – https://open.spotify.com/track/6SDL7czZLBENHKRRbFvrQl​
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​“Shadows and Dust” is IRON KINGDOM’s most emotionally charged and thematically dark album to date, ten tracks exploring death, hardship, impermanence, and the resilience required to push through life’s most difficult trials. The cover art, inspired by the story behind “Blood and Steel,” depicts an army marching across a desolate landscape, echoing the album’s central themes of struggle and perseverance.
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​“This album plays in a dark realm. But that’s exactly what will make it accessible to people going through tough times. The music shows hope for a way out. It’s a journey, one we can’t wait for fans to experience front to back,” says Osterman.