Finnish gothic/progressive metal force Rioghan pushes deeper into the unfolding narrative of their upcoming Frozen EP with the release of the new single “Chapter IV: 520”, a track that arrives hand‑in‑hand with a visually striking music video and marks another bold step in the band’s evolving artistic arc.
“Chapter IV: 520” continues the EP’s concept of a single, continuous emotional journey. While the cycle began with Rioghan’s haunting reinterpretation of Madonna's "Frozen", the new material dives far beyond a simple cover project. The EP is built on poetry written by vocalist Rioghan Darcy, forming a narrative that moves from emotional paralysis to renewal.
Darcy describes the EP as a meditation on brief but transformative moments: "A frozen heart cracks open, warmth returns, tears fall, and—finally—love is allowed back in. Wings unfurl, light breaks through, and the themes of the previous album Kept are released, closing one chapter and opening another."
The number 520, drawn from internet slang meaning “I love you”, becomes a symbolic turning point in the EP’s storyline. Musically, it stands among the EP’s most infectious and immediate pieces, weaving together modern metal, dark pop atmospheres, and progressive textures.
The newly released music video amplifies the track’s emotional weight, pairing Rioghan’s signature melancholy with cinematic imagery that mirrors the EP’s thawing‑heart narrative. It’s a visual extension of the band’s evolving identity—moody, expressive, and unmistakably theirs.
In true boutique fashion, Rioghan will issue the Frozen EP in an extremely limited vinyl run of only 25 copies. Each blue‑and‑white marble vinyl is part of a five‑edition micro‑series (five copies per edition), each with its own unique cover art. The package includes: a necklace, a signed poster, a handwritten lyric sheet, A collector’s dream, and likely gone in a heartbeat.
Frozen EP drops on 10 April. The record was recorded and mixed by guitarist Teemu Liekkala, and mastered by Grammy‑nominated engineer Robin Schmidt, ensuring a polished yet emotionally raw sonic landscape.
Rioghan’s momentum continues on the road as well, with a spring schedule that includes supporting grandson and co‑headlining dates with I Am Your God—a strong signal that the band’s rise within the Finnish metal scene is only accelerating. Link
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"You know, the music and songs just come, and we don't distance ourselves from the music that comes out." - Jyrki 69
"We were outsiders, and nobody knew what the fuck was going on. We just listened to this extreme music that nobody else liked, and that made us very strong..." - Mikael Stanne
"With this approach, we're in the minority nowadays, but it's precisely this niche and the emotions that were..." - Arkadiusz Wachowicz
"The whole thing for us with the lore we have created is inspired by Greek Mythology and the stories of Atlantis." - Phil Primmer
