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Haine press release

HAINE Release New Single “Kings/Queens” Ahead of Wacken Open Air 2026


Malta’s modern death metal force return with their heaviest and most focused track to date


Malta’s modern death metal band Haine return with their new single “Kings/Queens”, out July 14th, 2026 across all major streaming platforms.


The single arrives at a defining moment for the band. Following their recent run of releases and ahead of their appearance at Wacken Open Air 2026, where Haine will represent Malta at the Wacken Metal Battle, “Kings/Queens” serves as both a new chapter and a statement of intent. The track was already planned as part of the band’s next release cycle but now lands as the perfect precursor to their Wacken performance before being brought back to Maltese ground for their local audience.


Built around themes of false authority, fragile power and self-appointed importance, “Kings/Queens” confronts the idea of people who carry themselves like royalty while collapsing under the weight of reality. The song takes aim at comfort mistaken for strength, outrage mistaken for identity and crowns that were never earned.


Lyrically, the track is direct and unforgiving. Lines such as “You walk like gods but you break like glass” and “No crown fits a head that hides” establish the core of the song which symbolizes how power without endurance is nothing more than theatre. The lyrics move between accusation, confrontation and collapse, reaching their most vicious point with the line:


“Your crown is made of guilt. Now wear it like a noose.”


Haine's Kings/Queens artwork
Haine's Kings/Queens artwork

Musically, “Kings/Queens” pushes Haine into their sharpest form yet. The track combines deathcore weight, modern death metal aggression, tight rhythmic control and a structure that feels more deliberate than chaotic. Rather than relying only on heaviness, the song builds like a confrontation, moving through tension, release and impact while keeping the band’s identity fully intact.


“Kings/Queens feels like the clearest version of what Haine has grown into. It is our most structured and mature track so far, but also definitely the heaviest. There is a real sense of storytelling in it, both musically and lyrically and it captures the band at a point where everything feels more focused, more direct and more dangerous.”— Claudio Toscano, Haine


The single was mixed and mastered by David Depasquale at SpineSplitter Studio, continuing Haine’s collaboration with the studio while pushing the band’s sound into a heavier and more refined direction.


The artwork was created by Victor Hugo / @iam_vh1. Digitally hand-drawn, the cover directly reflects the song’s theme, showing two crowned figures locked in a screaming confrontation against a distorted gothic backdrop. The stark black-and-white illustration, ink-splattered chaos and blood-red Haine logo turn the artwork into a visual extension of the track itself: hostile, regal, broken and violent.


An official video for “Kings/Queens” will follow one week after the single release.


With “Kings/Queens”, Haine are not easing into their next step. They are sharpening it. The track stands as one of the band’s most complete statements so far: heavier, more structured, more confrontational and fully aligned with the band’s evolution as they prepare to take Maltese modern death metal to Wacken.


Pre-save / stream “Kings/Queens”: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/haine/kingsqueens


HAINE is:

Claudio Toscano — Bass

Jack Aron Pisani — Guitar

Jean Vella — Guitar

Chris Bonello — Vocals

Konrad Saliba — Drums


Links

Official Website: https://www.hainemusic.com/

For interviews, media requests or press assets: band.haine@gmail.com 

 

 
 
 
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