Blue Medusa — Blue Medusa

After more than a decade fronting Arch Enemy, Alissa White-Gluz has started something of her own. It's called Blue Medusa.

A fresh start

White-Gluz is a Canadian vocalist. She was a founding member and singer of the metalcore band the Agonist, then joined Arch Enemy in 2014, replacing Angela Gossow. With Arch Enemy she made four studio albums, War Eternal, Will to Power, Deceivers and Blood Dynasty, and two live albums.

Arch Enemy announced her departure on November 23, 2025. The same day, she released a solo single, "The Room Where She Died," under the name Alissa. Its music was written by Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai, and White-Gluz wrote and recorded all the vocals.

The band

White-Gluz announced Blue Medusa on March 8, 2026, International Women's Day. The core of the band is a trio: White-Gluz with guitarists Alyssa Day, of Mindscar and In Absentia, and Dani Sophia, formerly of Lindemann. Bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Delaney Jaster joined them for live shows.

Checkmate

The debut single, "Checkmate," arrived on March 20, 2026. It was written by White-Gluz, Day and Sophia. White-Gluz co-produced it with Kile Odell, who mixed and mastered it, and she co-directed the video with Vicente Cordero.

"Checkmate is an extremely cathartic song for me," White-Gluz said. "It was created in one of those flow states where the lyrics and melodies and rhythms just write themselves."

"Crocodile" and "Flying Monkey" followed, each with its own official video.

Two bands at once

Blue Medusa isn't White-Gluz's only new project. On May 6, 2026, the British power metal band DragonForce announced she had joined as their second lead vocalist.

Where to start

Start with "Checkmate," then go on to "Crocodile" and "Flying Monkey" to hear the band take shape.