Since its discovery in the North Pacific Ocean by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1989, there has been a whale that has been wandering alone. Its name is 52 Blue. Some have even called it the 52-hertz whale or Alice. It has been alone for 35 years. The reason is that it vocalizes at 52 hertz (G#1), while other whales communicate within the 15–40 hertz range, meaning they cannot hear it. Its calls receive no response, and it cannot become part of a pod. It cannot even join migrations. Scientists, moreover, have never physically seen it. Its species and gender remain unknown… (Liu, 2024, pp. 1–5)
Bruce Dickinson & Paganini: An Unfinished Rock Opera
Did you know that Bruce Dickinson began working on a rock opera about Paganini in the 1980s — a project that has yet to be brought to life? Now let’s see at what threshold do the “diabolical” classical music composer and violin virtuoso Paganini and Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson converge?
Did you ever wonder why that small or mid-sized metal band you love in recordings sound like “mud” on stage?
It is not talent and the reason behind may surprise you.
An Interview with Jason Bowman of The Yagas
(Güzin Paksoylu – Metal Oda 2025)
New York–based alternative rock/metal band The Yagas have made a powerful entrance into the metal music scene in 2024, generating wide excitement with their haunting sound and the presence of acclaimed actress Vera Farmiga as their vocalist. Their music is powerful, cinematic, and emotionally charged.
The band name Yagas evokes mystery and folklore, drawn from Baba Yaga — the wild witch of Slavic forests, a guardian of thresholds and transformation. Neither wholly good nor entirely evil, she is a figure of ambiguity: luminous and terrifying, destructive and protective. This duality shapes the band’s aesthetic and creative identity.
We spoke with Jason Bowman — drummer of The Yagas and founder of the Rock Academy — about the origins, philosophy, and future of the band.
Echoes of Gothenburg
An Interview with Niclas Engelin of The Halo Effect
(Interview by Güzin Paksoylu – Metal Oda, Istanbul 2025)
There are sounds that define an era — and then there are those that transcend it. The Gothenburg scene was never just a location on a map; it was an emotional landscape where melody and aggression found their fragile equilibrium. With The Halo Effect, guitarist Niclas Engelin and his companions revisit that space of creation — not to relive the past, but to reawaken it with new light.
As they prepare to perform in Istanbul on November 22, we spoke with Niclas about the past and the of the metal scene, and the thrill of live performances.
Since 1990, Wacken Open Air has reigned as one of the world’s most legendary metal festivals. Held annually in the tiny village of Wacken in Northern Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein region (just above Hamburg), this rural open-air experience brings thousands of metal music fans together from all over the globe. By now, visitors are affectionately called “metal pilgrims.”
** METAL ODA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW **
Metal Oda and brutalcore band Mental Maze had a candid chat on metal music, origins of Mental Maze and being a metal band in the Middle East:
Muse and Metal Music: The Surprising Overlap You Need to Know
In 2025, there is an explosion of metal bands scheduled to perform concerts in our country: from Gojira to Avenged Sevenfold, from Guns N’ Roses to Manowar, it is practically a metal overload. Rock and metal enthusiasts, who are trying to process all these concerts while also considering their budget, now find themselves caught in discussions about whether Muse will also come to Turkey. Well, it is the perfect time to explore why the metal community loves the band Muse so much.
*METAL ODA EXCLUSIVE*
Today, I want to take a closer look at Unbelievable Truth, an English rock band that has always resonated deeply with me.
Formed in 1993 in Oxford, England, the band is led by Andy Yorke, joined by Nigel Powell, Jason Moulster, and Jim Crosskey. The name of the band is inspired by Hal Hartley movie “The Unbelievable Truth”, a proper reference for a band making music with a profound emotional weight.