German modern metalcore outfit VENUES open the door to an entirely new chapter with their brand new single "EDEN", a fierce and deeply personal statement of liberation featuring an explosive guest performance from The Oklahoma Kid vocalist Tobias Rische, formerly of Alazka and Novelists.
More than simply a new song, "EDEN" represents a breaking point and a rebirth. Built around the refusal to bend, obey or reshape yourself to fit somebody else's expectations, the track captures the moment when inner conflict finally turns into freedom. VENUES leave behind the pressure to constantly become bigger, faster and more successful, choosing instead to reconnect with the instinct and authenticity that made them want to create music in the first place.
Vocalist Lela Gruber explains:
"EDEN feels like the starting point of a new chapter for me — one that stands in complete opposition to the idea of ‘bigger, faster, further.’ We’re all caught in this constant competition where success seems to mean pushing yourself to the edge of burnout. I want to step away from that. To stop comparing myself to everyone around me and return to making music that feels authentic — where the music itself is at the centre.“
That philosophy runs through every second of "EDEN". Lyrically, the song confronts the exhausting process of twisting yourself into a shape that was never yours, silencing your own emotions and living according to expectations imposed by others. The repeated declaration "I won’t bend for anyone" becomes the song's central mantra, drawing a clear line between the person you were expected to become and the person you choose to be.
Musically, VENUES translate that conflict into one of their most immediate and uncompromising tracks yet. Crushing modern metalcore, atmospheric depth and enormous melodies collide as Lela's deeply emotional yet commanding vocals move between vulnerability and defiance. Tobias Rische provides the perfect counterweight, injecting the track with a ferocious burst of energy and pushing its heavier side to new extremes. Together, their contrasting voices turn "EDEN" into a confrontation between pressure and release, control and freedom.
As the song progresses, resistance gradually becomes liberation. Doors are closed on the past, an old internal war reaches its end and the promise of a life beyond comparison and outside expectations finally comes into view. The repeated cry of "Here I come, freedom" captures the essence of "EDEN": not an escape from reality, but a conscious decision to reclaim control over your own identity.
The single also signals a wider transformation for VENUES. Following three albums, Aspire, Solace and the critically acclaimed Transience, the Stuttgart band have continuously evolved their combination of metalcore, post hardcore, alternative influences and huge melodic hooks. Their 2018 debut Aspire was named Album of the Week by Kerrang!, while subsequent releases established VENUES as one of the most distinctive names to emerge from Germany's modern heavy scene.
That evolution has also taken the band far beyond the studio. Through international touring and appearances on major stages including Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze Open Air, VENUES have steadily expanded their audience while building a reputation for emotionally charged and highly energetic live performances.
Now, "EDEN" draws a line beneath everything that came before while carrying those experiences forward. It is the sound of a band questioning what progress actually means and choosing authenticity over endless competition. Heavier where it needs to be, emotionally exposed when it matters most and driven by a renewed sense of purpose, the track introduces a new sound, identity and vision for VENUES.
"EDEN" is not about reaching the next level. It is about tearing down the expectations surrounding you, ending the war within and finding the freedom to create on your own terms. For VENUES, a new era starts here.