British thrash veterans TORANAGA UK have signed with Fireflash Records and announced a run of European tour dates this October supporting fellow UK thrash institution ONSLAUGHT and THE PROPHECY 23, marking a fresh chapter for a band that first built its reputation in the late 1980s.
Formed in Bradford, West Yorkshire, TORANAGA earned cult status through two albums, "Bastard Ballads" (1988) and "God's Gift" (1990), records that fused thrash metal's speed with New Wave of British Heavy Metal songwriting and BLACK SABBATH-indebted riffing. The band went dormant after its label at the time, Chrysalis, was absorbed into EMI, with guitarist Andy Mitchell relocating to Australia and frontman Mark Duffy pursuing other projects during the extended layoff.
TORANAGA reactivated under the name TORANAGA UK in 2024, and the band has steadily rebuilt momentum since, releasing the "A New Order" EP in May 2025 — which paired new material with re-recorded versions of the band's early tracks — followed by the standalone single "Crash And Burn" in March 2026. The current lineup pairs Duffy with guitarist Liam Mulpetre, bassist Richard Doney and drummer Toby Wallace.
Duffy confirmed the band is deep into work on its next full-length release. "We are in the final stages of the recording and mixing of our new album," he said, signaling that October's tour dates will likely double as a platform to preview material from the upcoming record.
Fireflash Records owner Markus Wosgien framed the signing as a coup for the label, which has built a reputation for reviving attention around veteran metal acts. "I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome yet another legend to Fireflash — one who still has plenty to say," Wosgien said, positioning TORANAGA UK alongside other heritage signings on the label's roster.
The October tour puts TORANAGA UK directly in front of European thrash audiences via ONSLAUGHT's headlining draw, giving the reactivated band a high-visibility platform as it works to translate renewed label backing and steady new-music output into a broader audience nearly four decades after its formation.