German modern metalcore band Venues has kicked off a new era with the new single “Eden” featuring The Oklahoma Kid vocalist Tobias Rische, formerly of Alazka and Novelists. Stream the song here, and watch the music video below.
“‘Eden’ feels like the starting point of a new chapter for me—one that stands in complete opposition to the idea of ‘bigger, faster, further,'” vocalist Lela Gruber said. “We’re all caught in this constant competition where success seems to mean pushing yourself to the edge of burnout. I want to step away from that. To stop comparing myself to everyone around me and return to making music that feels authentic—where the music itself is at the center.”
Lyrically, the song confronts the exhausting process of twisting yourself into a shape that was never yours, silencing your own emotions and living according to expectations imposed by others. The repeated declaration “I won’t bend for anyone” becomes the song’s central mantra, drawing a clear line between the person you were expected to become and the person you choose to be.
Musically, Venues translates that conflict into one of its most uncompromising tracks yet. Modern metalcore, atmospheric depth and melodies collide as Gruber’s emotional vocals move between vulnerability and defiance. Rische provides the counterweight, injecting the track with a burst of energy and pushing its heavier side to new extremes. Together, their contrasting voices turn “Eden” into a confrontation between pressure and release, control and freedom.
The single also signals a wider transformation for Venues. Following three albums, “Aspire” (2018), “Solace” (2021) and “Transience” (2024), the Stuttgart band has continued to evolve combination of metalcore, post hardcore, alternative influences and melodic hooks. That evolution has taken the band far beyond the studio, through international touring and appearances on major stages including Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze Open Air.
