Blind Channel return from hiatus, announce new album “Painstream” and exclusive European comeback show

Finnish rock sensation Blind Channel have officially announced their long-awaited return after a 20-month hiatus. Alongside the announcement, the band revealed details of their sixth studio album, “Painstream”, which will be released on October 30th via Century Media Records, as well as an exclusive European comeback concert at Helsinki Ice Hall’s Black Box on November 14th.

The Oulu-based five-piece describe “Painstream” as their most mature, honest and ambitious record to date. Consisting of twelve tracks, the album explores themes of personal growth, pain and self-reflection while offering what the band calls a message of hope in an increasingly uncertain world.

The album will be previewed by the double single “Diana” and “No Encores In A Swan Song,” which will be released on August 6th. The accompanying music video premieres on August 5th at 10 p.m. (EEST).

Speaking about their return, Blind Channel commented:

“More than a year and a half. Twenty months.

The silence wasn’t just a pause—it was a journey of learning. During that time, we grew and learned to listen. Now we’re back hungrier than ever, with more to say than we’ve ever had before.

Our new album Painstream will be released on October 30th, 2026.

In a world overshadowed by uncertainty, conflict and division, there’s one thing we all share: pain. Instead of separating us, could pain actually unite us and remind us what it truly means to be human?

We explore pain from personal experiences to societal structures and life’s biggest questions. Somewhere along the way, something unexpected begins to emerge: hope.

It’s wonderful to be back.”

The November 14th performance at Helsinki Ice Hall’s Black Box will serve as Blind Channel’s official comeback show and their only European concert of autumn 2026. Finnish metal outfit Atlas will appear as the opening act.

Following the Helsinki performance, Blind Channel will head to Japan before launching an extensive European tour in February 2027.

The band’s breakthrough came after winning Finland’s Eurovision selection UMK in 2021. They went on to finish sixth at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with “Dark Side,” a song that has since accumulated more than 80 million streams worldwide. Their success continued with multiple internationally successful singles, extensive European and North American touring, and six wins at Finland’s Emma Gaala awards.

“Painstream” track listing:

1. Messiah
2. Youthanasia
3. Stars We See
4. Into The Void (feat. Aaron Pauley of Of Mice & Men)
5. Types Of Killing
6. Revolution: Now
7. Me Versus Me
8. Scapegoat
9. Villain In Your Story
10. Diana
11. No Encores In A Swan Song
12. Ache

Upcoming tour dates

2026

• November 14 – Helsinki, Finland
• November 18 – Tokyo, Japan
• November 19 – Osaka, Japan

2027 European Tour

• February 9 – Hamburg, Germany
• February 10 – Berlin, Germany
• February 11 – Warsaw, Poland
• February 12 – Kraków, Poland
• February 13 – Prague, Czech Republic
• February 14 – Leipzig, Germany
• February 16 – Munich, Germany
• February 17 – Vienna, Austria
• February 18 – Milan, Italy
• February 19 – Zurich, Switzerland
• February 20 – Stuttgart, Germany
• February 21 – Frankfurt, Germany
• February 23 – Paris, France
• February 25 – Bristol, England
• February 26 – Wolverhampton, England
• February 27 – Nottingham, England
• February 28 – Glasgow, Scotland
• March 2 – Manchester, England
• March 3 – London, England
• March 5 – Antwerp, Belgium
• March 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands
• March 7 – Bochum, Germany
• March 8 – Cologne, Germany