Well here’s a no-brainer for your 2026 heavy rock wishlist. On March 20, Norwegian riffbearers Kal-El will return with the follow-up to 2025’s Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (review here), aptly-titled Astral Voyager Vol. 2. You might recall that just before they launched their US tour this past October — saw them in Brooklyn (review here) — the band premiered a video here for “Juggernaut.” That song shows up at the likely start of side B here, while “Juno” is out today to mark the announcement of the album and the start of the promo cycle, much as the one for the last LP ended.

The info below comes from Bandcamp. Blues Funeral has the release in North America, while Majestic Mountain has it for Europe. I’ll hope to have more to come before it’s out:

KAL-EL return with Astral Voyager Vol. 2, the sequel to the most critically-acclaimed and eminently listenable album in their catalog.

The continuation of a multi-dimensional journey, Astral Voyager Vol. 2 picks up with interstellar bounty hunter Mica evading pursuit by The Nine as she traverses time and space to bring in her marks.

An infectious blast of sci-fi metal and soaring desert anthems, Astral Voyager Vol. 2 is a record about the dangers of manipulation and struggling for individuality against the unseen powers who try to keep us compliant and controlled.

On the heels of their first full US tour, KAL-EL welcome us back to the Astral Voyager universe with Astral Voyager Vol. 2, the second half of their epic riff-exploration to the farthest reaches of the galaxy!

releases March 20, 2026

Tracklisting:
1. Juno
2. The Nine
3. The Prophecy
4. Juggernaut
5. Pan
6. Asteroid

Written and performed by Kal-El
Recorded at Bridge Burner Recording
Engineered by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund
Produced by Kal-El Co-produced by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund
Mixed and mastered by Ruben Willem
Copyright to Darkspace Music

http://kal-el.no
http://kal-el.bandcamp.com
http://instagram.com/kalelband
http://facebook.com/kalelproject

bluesfuneral.com
https://bluesfuneralrecordings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/blues.funeral/
https://www.facebook.com/bluesfuneral/

http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
https://majesticmountainrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords

Kal-El, Astral Voyager Vol. 2 (2026)

Kal-El, Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (2025)

Norway’s Kal-El begin their tour of the US East Coast and Midwest tomorrow, Oct. 16. Today, they’re premiering their video for the new track “Juggernaut,” which heralds the coming in 2026 of their next full-length, Astral Voyager Vol. 2. If you’re not auto-stoked on that prospect by seeing the words alone, just hit up the video. Really. The best argument that anyone has ever made in favor of Kal-El has always been Kal-El songs. I could sit here for the next three hours trying to capture some aspect of the intangible righteousness of what the band does, and on a decent day, I might say something that someone hearing the song could relate to. Hypothetical cookie for me.

But even if that were to happen, there’s nothing I could say that’s going to convey the largesse of the roll that starts “Juggernaut,” or the way the five-piece seem to ‘go-big’ just as much on melody as impact. There is no revolution happening in Kal-El‘s music, and there never has been, and it’s never been about that. “Juggernaut,” in being the first audio from the follow-up to this year’s correspondingly banger Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (review here), is exciting regardless. It’s a celebration of heavy rock itself, of riffs, of volume, of the power of music to move you. I didn’t understand this about the band at first. But they’re songwriters, as they’ve proven over and again, and they prove once more with “Juggernaut.” I look forward to the next record and the many more steamroller grooves to follow.

Astral Voyager Vol. 2 will be out next year on Blues Funeral Recordings and Majestic Mountain Records. Some words on the single and the tour dates follow here, courtesy of the PR wire:

Kal-El, “Juggernaut” video premiere

Kal-El on “Juggernaut”:

“We are thrilled to finally unleash our next album “Astral Voyager Vol. 2” upon the world. “Vol. 2” is perhaps somewhat darker than Vol. 1, but everything is wrapped up in our style of playing and sound: expect heavy riffs, melodic vocals, and thunderous drums. “Juggernaut” is the first single, and it’s just that: a merciless juggernaut pounding every inch of your body with heavy, oh so heavy drums and riffs wrapped up in a wall of sound with the typical melodic KAL-EL vocals.”

Juggernaut is the lead single from the upcoming album ‘Astral Voyager Vol 2,’ set for release in February 2026. ‘Astral Voyager Vol 2 is a co-release by Majestic Mountain Records and Blues Funeral Recordings!

Kal-el will tour the US in October. Catch them on these dates
October 16: The Odditorium – Asheville, NC
October 17: The Pour House Music Hall – Raleigh, NC
October 18: TV Eye – Queens, NY
October 19: Sonia – Cambridge, MA
October 21: MilkBoy Philly – Philadelphia, PA
October 22: The Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD
October 23: Westside Bowl – Youngstown, OH
October 24: The Sanctuary Detroit – Hamtramck, MI
October 25: Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
October 26: X-Ray Arcade – Cudahy, WI
October 28: Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
October 29: The Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
October 30: The Lost Well – Austin, TX

Enjoy, and may the fuzz be with you!

Credits
Video by Drain Hope ( / drainhope )
Written and performed by Kal-El
Recorded at Bridge Burner Recording
Engineered by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund
Produced by Kal-El
Co-produced by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund
Mixed and mastered by Ruben Willem
Copyright to Darkspace Music

http://kal-el.no
http://kal-el.bandcamp.com
http://instagram.com/kalelband
http://facebook.com/kalelproject

bluesfuneral.com
https://bluesfuneralrecordings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/blues.funeral/
https://www.facebook.com/bluesfuneral/

http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
https://majesticmountainrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords

Kal-El, Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (2025)