Swiss ethereal metal outfit ILLUMISHADE have released their second new single ‚Heatwave‘, featuring a scorching guest performance from Adrienne Cowan of SEVEN SPIRES. The track marks a bold genre departure built on dark electronic verses, diabolical pitch-bent riffs, and a collision of two powerhouse vocalists. ‚Heatwave‘ is out now on all streaming platforms, accompanied by a music video.Swiss ethereal metal act ILLUMISHADE have dropped their second new single ‚Heatwave‘, enlisting SEVEN SPIRES vocalist Adrienne Cowan for what stands as one of the band’s most daring sonic statements to date. Released on July 17th, the track follows the melancholic, groove-driven ‚Paralyzed‘ from May and signals a clear evolution in the band’s sound — darker, more fractured, and decidedly more volatile.
From its haunting, lurking intro, ‚Heatwave‘ wastes no time establishing its oppressive atmosphere. When the full band crashes in with the weight of a jackhammer, a claustrophobic, earth-cracking riff clears the path for vocalist Fabienne Erni to deliver portents of impending doom. The song refuses to settle into predictable territory, its guitar work growing increasingly glitchy and fragmented as tension mounts toward an inevitable detonation point.
Cowan’s contribution is nothing short of ferocious. Her guttural performance leaves scorched earth in its wake, clashing against Erni’s crystalline power in a way that transforms the track’s central themes — guilt, false hope, and the compulsion to burn everything down — into a visceral, physical experience.
‚Heatwave‘ is the latest indicator of ILLUMISHADE’s bold new direction as a fully independent band. Founded in Zürich in 2019, the group built their reputation on cinematic grandeur and virtuoso musicianship across two albums: ‚ECLYPTIC: Wake of Shadows‘ (2020) and ‚Another Side of You‘ (2024). With their 2025 singles, they are clearly charting a more aggressive and uncompromising course. The band will support SIRENIA on select European dates in November 2026.