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Blog Categories promo Bjarte K. Helland Announces New EP Scorched — Out May 2, 2026 via F.T.A.T.P

Bjarte K. Helland Announces New EP Scorched — Out May 2, 2026 via F.T.A.T.P Thursday April 30 2026, 11:26 AM

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Bjarte K. Helland Announces New EP Scorched — Out May 2, 2026 via F.T.A.T.P

Bergen, Norway — Norwegian drummer and composer Bjarte K. Helland is set to release his new progressive metal EP Scorched on May 2, 2026 , delivering a rhythm-driven, cinematic take on modern instrumental metal that pushes the drum kit right to the front where it belongs.

Built from a composer’s mindset and a drummer’s instincts, Helland’s solo project flips the traditional progressive script. Instead of guitars leading the charge, Scorched is shaped from the kit outward, creating a heavy, dynamic, and atmospheric sound world where rhythm dictates structure, tension, and release.

Fans of technical and fusion-driven progressive metal will feel right at home alongside the energy of Liquid Tension Experiment, the futuristic precision of Planet X, and the modern complexity of Animals as Leaders.

Helland, known for his work with FastLoaders, Pitch Black Mentality, and Quadrasonic, brings a wide musical background into this release, blending progressive metal, fusion, and experimental instrumental styles into something both aggressive and cinematic.

A heavier evolution

The upcoming EP features collaborations with internationally respected musicians including Billy Sheehan, Jarle H. Olsen, James Pulli, Yas Nomura, and Tore Christer Storlid , adding extra weight and depth to an already ambitious project.

Helland explains the direction behind the release:

“ Scorched is my second solo EP and the first time I recorded and mixed the drums in my own studio, which gave me a much closer connection to the sound and the direction of the release. Compared to my previous EP, this one moves further toward the heavier side of progressive metal, while still keeping the melodic and cinematic elements that are important to me as a composer. The title captures both the erosion of the rule-based world we once relied on globally, and the reality that growth often comes through challenging and transformative experiences. Each track explores a different aspect of that tension, from the fierceness of Lupus Ferox to the more eclectic atmosphere of Embers Eternal .”