The former Arch Enemy singer will joined the band for their upcoming live shows
DragonForce have announced Alissa White-Gluz as their newest member and first frontwoman. In a momentous union of two storied and unstoppable forces, the speed metal titans will now be joined by one of heavy music’s legendary vocalists, unleashing both an intrepid evolution of the genre and the start of a seismic year ahead.
To celebrate, the band has unleashed a brand new single called “Burning Heart,” featuring Alissa’s debut on vocals alongside Marc Hudson.
Stream the official music video below now.
Beginning this Saturday, May 9, at Welcome to Rockville, and Sunday, May 17 at Sonic Temple, DragonForce’s debut live performances with Alissa White-Gluz will also kick off the 20th Anniversary of Inhuman Rampage. As the 2006 album that birthed the Platinum-selling global phenomenon of “Through the Fire and Flames,” which spent 23 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold, Inhuman Rampage introduced the band and their music to tens of millions of new fans and counting. With extensive touring plans to be revealed, and a 10th studio album currently in the works, DragonForce are bringing more listeners than ever into this next chapter of their eternally joyous, adrenaline-filled journey.
“Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we’ve done up to this point,” guitarist Herman Li states. “Twenty years is a long time to do anything, let alone survive the music industry and still be so inspired to continue doing what we love. Together we will honor what made Inhuman Rampage matter, while showing people exactly where we’re going next. Having Alissa in the room changes everything. She doesn’t just sing, she makes all aspects of our music better. And she sounds incredible live! I can’t wait for the fans to see her and hear what we have been working on.”
Through her work with everyone from The Agonist to Kamelot, Arch Enemy and her newly-launched Blue Medusa, Alissa White-Gluz has become an icon synonymous with strength, independence, versatility and creative fearlessness, representing a new standard for women at the highest levels of heavy music. Over two decades spent on the stage, blending ferocious and melodic theatricality with lyrical themes of philosophy, psychology, ethics and the human experience, she has built a history spanning 15+ hours of recorded music, 60+ music videos, 40+ collaborations and 2,000+ concerts across a myriad of subgenres.
“I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment,” Alissa White-Gluz said. “It feels great to showcase all the colors of my voice and utilize all my singing styles in technically challenging, deeply energizing, highly addictive songs. I am so thankful for the amazing support I have been lucky enough to receive from the metal world over this wild career I’ve built; I want to keep pushing my boundaries and delivering exceptional music and live experiences to the fans that I cherish so much.”
Back in March, Alissa formally announced her new band, Blue Medusa. The new project comes on the heels of Alissa’s new solo single, “The Room Where She Died.“ It is only the second solo effort of her career, following 2024’s “A Song to Save Us All.” Now, Blue Medusa have made their debut with “Checkmate.”
Stream the official music video below.
“This is a song where everything just clicked,” Alissa says. “Checkmate is an extremely cathartic song for me. It was created in one of those flow states where the lyrics and melodies and rhythms just write themselves and you get the feeling that you’re onto something powerful. It’s probably the heaviest thing I’ve written in terms of lyrics, and probably the lightest of what we have cooking in terms of sound. I wanted to share the intensity of these feelings with fans and give them something to hold onto. I’m so happy to see so much support for Blue Medusa already; fans can look forward to more dark, heavy, brutal and haunting music very soon.”
Beyond the music, “Checkmate” also highlights White-Gluz’s expanding role as a visual storyteller. Co-directing the music video with Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films – whom she previously collaborated with on high-ranking videos for “The Wolf You Feed” with Nita Strauss and “I Am a Machine” with Kat Von D – she brings a cinematic, detail-driven approach that elevates the track into a fully immersive experience. Built around a unique, outside-the-box concept developed by White-Gluz, the video unfolds within a game of chess, where each move carries deliberate allegory and layered symbolism.
“Blue Medusa is the next evolution of everything I’ve been building toward for years,” says White-Gluz. “It’s my creative melting pot. Everything fans enjoy about the energy, intensity, and performance they’ve always experienced on stage with me over the past two decades is still here, even stronger. That is me, that is who I am and who I’ve always been. And now it’s amplified and unleashed in a fully sovereign artistic vision. Our music has blazing guitar solos, crushing riffs, brutal vocals, fast and aggressive drums, thoughtful melodies and most importantly (to me), really cogitative lyrics.”
With new music coming very soon and live performances already lining up with the band’s live debuts at Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals, Blue Medusa is taking off like lightning and marks the beginning of an exciting new era for metal fans.
Blue Medusa consists of a trio of world-class musicians; White-Gluz has guitarists Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia at her sides. “The musical chemistry I feel with these women is really bringing me back to life. It is so refreshing and exciting,” says White-Gluz of her fellow gorgons. On stage, on drums and bass, White-Gluz hints that two women at the top of their musical game will be joining her; Delaney Jaster and Alicia Vigil respectively.
After confirming her shocking departure from Arch Enemy, vocalist Alissa White-Gluz told fans to “stay tuned for big news in 2026.” Turns out, fans didn’t have to wait until the new year. On November 23, 2025, Alissa revealed “The Room Where She Died.” Now, just about two months into 2026, Blue Medusa have arrived.
In a statement, White-Gluz confirmed that the song is the lead single from her forthcoming album.
“I hope you love this first offering from my upcoming solo album,” Alissa said in a statement. “You can watch the whole video on my YouTube Channel. ‘The Room Where She Died’ is a song that feels truly satisfying to me; like I get to express myself in so many ways that have been dormant for years. This upcoming album is diverse; and I love the idea of opening up this new chapter with this song and video, which I wrote the script for. Can’t wait to share more with you!”
On the same day she released her new single, Arch Enemy announced that they had parted ways with Alissa. The Swedish metal juggernauts released a statement on their official social media channels. White-Gluz joined the band back in 2014 and appeared on the band’s last four studio albums.
“Arch Enemy have parted ways with singer Alissa White-Gluz,” the band said in a statement. “We’re thankful for the time and music we’ve shared and we wish her all the best.”
The group also hinted at their next chapter, saying, “Wherever there is an ending, there is also a beginning. See you in 2026.”
Alissa also released a statement of her own on social media, also hinting at future plans of her own next year.
“After 12 years in Arch Enemy, we have parted ways. I am forever thankful to the thousands of amazing fans I have met along the way. I can’t wait to share what I have been working on with you all. Stay tuned for big news in 2026 and see you very soon.”
Back in 2022, Alissa collaborated with guitarist Nita Strauss on the killer track “The Wolf You Feed.“ The track is one of the best hard rock songs to be released in the last five years. In the press, Nita said that Alissa is one of her favorite vocalists and she had always wanted to collaborate with her. After “The Wolf You Feed” was released, Alissa stated, “Can’t wait to do this again.”