Warkings have shared a new single, a power metal cover of Opus classic ‘Live Is Life‘, as the Austrian outfit gear up for a summer of European festival shows.
The cover sees the band honour fellow Austrians Opus, whose 1984 original became an international hit. Warkings turn it into a power metal anthem with a charming 80s vibe, the kind of singalong built to leave a melody lodged in your head long after the show. The band describe how the song took on a life of its own once played live, with their warriors and shield maidens singing every word back at them until it became part of their battle hymn arsenal.
It follows fifth album Armageddon, released in summer 2025, which stormed the top 10 of the German and Austrian charts. A concept record journeying through some of history’s most pivotal conquests, from the Viking raid on Lindisfarne to the fall of the Knights Templar, it featured guest turns from Orden Ogan and Subway To Sally, and was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen.
Since forming in 2018, Warkings have built a devoted following on the festival circuit, sharing stages with the likes of Powerwolf, Hammerfall and Subway To Sally and chanting their anthems at Europe’s biggest events, including Wacken Open Air. Fronted by The Tribune alongside sorceress Morgana le Fay, the band trade in theatrical, larger-than-life power metal, and a new live anthem feels tailor-made for the season ahead.
We’ve a soft spot for power metal that fully commits to the spectacle, and a Warkings take on ‘Live Is Life‘ is exactly as gloriously over the top as it sounds.
‘Live Is Life‘ is out now.
