Former ARCH ENEMY vocalist Alissa White-Gluz has officially launched her new band BLUE MEDUSA with the release of debut single "Checkmate", accompanied by a music video co-directed by White-Gluz herself and Vicente Cordero. The band was formed on International Women's Day (March 8) and delivers a sound described as a hybrid of melodic heavy metal and death metal.
The lineup features guitarists Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia, with bassist Alicia Vigil (DRAGONFORCE) and drummer Delaney Jaster (STITCHED UP HEART) rounding out the live lineup. White-Gluz, who parted ways with ARCH ENEMY in 2024 after a decade fronting the Swedish melodic death metal giants, clearly has no intention of playing it safe: "It's probably the heaviest thing I've written in terms of lyrics, and probably the lightest of what we have cooking in terms of sound."
The implication is clear — if "Checkmate" is the lightest material in BLUE MEDUSA's arsenal, the rest of their forthcoming catalog promises to be genuinely crushing. The band is already booked for major US festival appearances including Louder Than Life and Aftershock Festival in fall 2026. No album announcement has been made yet, but "Checkmate" is available on all streaming platforms now.