German symphonic metal veterans Xandria have unveiled “Northstar,” the third single from their forthcoming album Eclipse, out August 7 via Napalm Records. And yes, before you ask — it’s exactly as cinematic as you’re hoping.

Built around Celtic tin and low whistles courtesy of longtime collaborator McAlbi, “Northstar” braids folk textures into heavy guitars and orchestral grandeur, landing somewhere between a symphonic metal anthem and the swelling crescendo of a Disney movie’s third act. That’s not an accident. Band mastermind Marco Heubaum says the melody literally came to him in a dream.

“‘Northstar’ is a very special song to me. The melody came to me in a dream, and when I woke up, I immediately recorded it,” Heubaum explains. “I soon realized that I had never written anything quite like it before — it really felt like something magical coming from a dreamworld. The song has the wondrous atmosphere of a magical Disney movie, and I think you can feel that all the way through. It takes you on a little journey, with a bright light waiting beyond the darkness.”

Watch the official video here: https://youtu.be/1rL7_c_yn90

Eclipse marks Xandria’s most ambitious and outspoken record to date, a follow-up to 2023’s chart-conquering The Wonders Still Awaiting, which crashed the Official German Album Charts at #9. Across 11 tracks, the band swings between ’80s-inspired metal riffs, low-tuned modern crunch, cinematic orchestration, Celtic folk, dark electronics, and even a Pink Floyd-indebted guitar solo — because why stay in one lane when you can drive through all of them?

The guest list is stacked. Subway to Sally violinist Ally Storch appears on “Lore,” while Hollywood pianist Richard Z. Wang (a Hans Zimmer studio alum) contributes to “The Last Generation,” which also features a children’s choir. The Sofia Session Orchestra & Choir — of His Dark Materials fame — return, with orchestrations handled by film composers Lukas Geppert (Nobody 2, the latest Final Destination) and Ishaan Tyagi (Wuthering Heights).

Thematically, Eclipse doesn’t hedge. It’s a defiant statement for reason, empathy, and democracy — three things Xandria correctly note are currently taking a beating.

Eclipse Track Listing:
1. Syzygy
2. Eclipse
3. Colours
4. The Shannon’s Home
5. The Grand Delusion
6. Wave of Tanis
7. Northstar
8. Masquerade
9. The Last Generation
10. The Poetry of the Real World
11. Lore

The album will be available in a range of formats, including a limited 3-CD Earbook with a bonus disc of orchestral versions, splatter and solid gold vinyl variants, a 2-CD Digipak, and a T-shirt bundle — all available via the Napalm Records mailorder.

Xandria will bring Eclipse to stages across Europe this fall on a mammoth 32-date run, kicking off September 16 in London and wrapping October 23 in Hamburg, with stops in the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, and Belgium along the way.

Xandria Live 2026:
9/16 — London, UK — The Dome
9/17 — Glasgow, UK — Slay
9/18 — Manchester, UK — Academy
9/19 — Birmingham, UK — O2
9/21 — Kortrijk, BE — DVG Club
9/22 — Paris, FR — Nouveau Casino
9/23 — Nantes, FR — Le Ferrailleur
9/24 — Barcelona, ES — Razzmatazz 3
9/26 — Albacete, ES — Ginetarock
9/27 — Montpellier, FR — Secret Place
9/28 — Toulouse, FR — Le Rex
9/29 — Lyon, FR — Rock’n Eat
9/30 — Munich, DE — Backstage Halle
10/1 — Zagreb, HR — Boogaloo Club
10/2 — Milan, IT — Legend Club
10/3 — Salzburg, AT — Rockhouse Bar
10/5 — Cluj-Napoca, RO — FORM Space
10/6 — Bucharest, RO — Quantic Club
10/8 — Sofia, BG — Pirotska 5 Event Centre
10/9 — Belgrade, RS — Zappa Barka
10/10 — Budapest, HU — Analog Music Hall
10/12 — Berlin, DE — Lido
10/13 — Warsaw, PL — Hydrozagadka
10/14 — Kraków, PL — Zaścianek
10/15 — Prague, CZ — Distrikt Prague
10/16 — Dresden, DE — Blauer Salon
10/18 — Cham, DE — L.A. Live Style Cafe
10/19 — Frankfurt, DE — Das Bett
10/20 — Pratteln, CH — Z7
10/21 — Stuttgart, DE — Im Wizemann Club
10/22 — Nuremberg, DE — Hirsch
10/23 — Hamburg, DE — Bahnhof Pauli

Eclipse arrives August 7 via Napalm Records. Follow the “Northstar,” pre-order the album, and grab a ticket before the tour rolls through your city.