Ronnie Atkins, that’s one of the most iconic frontmen in rock and metal. The Danish singer is renowned as a crucial part of Pretty Maids and also enriched the Nordic Union releases with his voice, not to forget his contribution to Avantasia’s great longplayers and live shows The shock came when it was announced that... Continue Reading →
CD review BAEST ‘Necro Sapiens’
Baest's new album 'Necro Sapiens' is the first small disappointment in 2021. Impressing with the debut 'Danse Macabre' and 'Venemum', the new album is in nuances a further evolution, but also lacks the last punch. Baest stands for death metal that can be placed somewhere between Entombed and Bolt Thrower. That they also go to... Continue Reading →
CD review WITHERFALL ‘Curse of Autumn’
Witherfall from Los Angeles, CA have been active for some time now. Everything started in 2013 in California and four years later, the band could present with 'Nocturnes and Requiems' a remarkable debut album. Inspired by the positive feedback, Witherfall continued in 2018 with their sophomore album 'A Prelude to Sorrow', which was released via... Continue Reading →
CD review ENFORCED ‘Kill Grid’
Just when you think that Iotunn have with 'Access All Worlds' delivered a strong candidate for the newcomer album of the year, the next candidate is already lurking around the corner - Enforced. The are guys from Richmond, Virginia and what they deliver with their first longplayer is a blast. The five musicians are not... Continue Reading →
CD review HELSTAR ‘Clad in Black’
Dracula and vampires are bloodsuckers and one could think that this release is not aiming for the red elixir of life but at the wallets of fans. This thought is wrong. If you look at 'Clad in Black' soberly, you get one song that was already released as a single, two new songs and three... Continue Reading →
KREATOR’s ‘Under the Guillotine’ boxset out now
If you talk about heavy metal from Germany, then there is certainly no way of avoiding Kreator. Founded in 1984, Mille and his bandmates are among the spearheads of German thrash metal, with numerous classics featuring the band's discography. While a new album is still awaited and the planned tour had to be postponed once... Continue Reading →
CD review BONFIRE ‘Roots’
Bavaria's metal and rock veterans Bonfire have regained strength over the past few years. 'Temple of Lies' and 'Fistul of Fire' are evidence of a band that has picked up momentum. Singer Alexx Stahl certainly added his share to this positive development, as Bonfire mainman Hans Ziller has now again a good frontman next to... Continue Reading →
CD review IOTUNN ‘Access All Worlds’
Maybe some of you are already familiar with Iotunn, as it was in 2016 when the guys released their first EP 'The Wizard Falls'. The release was self-produced and it was a springboard for the band. Metal Blade Records took notice of the quintet from Denmark and after agreeing on a contract nothing stood in... Continue Reading →
CD review ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN ‘The Darkest Skies are the Brightest’
Anneke van Giersbergen's start with The Gathering in 1994 changed a lot for the Dutch singer. With her fascinating voice, van Giersbergen was an enrichment for the band and the popularity of both, band and van Giersbergen, grew constantly. However, other bands are also closely associated with the name of the singer, thinking of Vuur... Continue Reading →
CD review EPICA ‘Omega’
It was on January 12, 2020 that Epica, on their way back from the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, stopped in New York City to play a show at the venerable Webster Hall. The author of these lines was fortunate enough to see the concert in person, and at the time no one thought it... Continue Reading →
CD review EVERGREY ‘Escape of the Phoenix’
Next to Stockholm, Gothenburg is certainly the epicenter when it comes to metal from Sweden. One of the bands based in Gothenburg is Evergrey. In contrast to the melodic death metal wave that rolled over the city in the 90s, Evergrey have dedicated themselves to the more complex worlds of metal right from the start.... Continue Reading →
CD review ALICE COOPER ‘Detroit Stories’
The master of shock rock, Alice Cooper, has a level of popularity that many can only dream of. Far beyond the rock/metal scene, Vincent Damon Funrier, the real name of Alice Cooper, is known not only as a musician but also as an actor. The "we are not worthy" scene with Wayne and Garth from... Continue Reading →
CD review MOONSPELL ‘Hermitage’
After the first single release, which was the title track, curiosity for Moonspell's new album was aroused. But step by step. The first time I ever listened to Moonspell was when the Portuguese opened for Tiamat in 1995. Impressed by the intensity of their music, the band's sound has stuck with me to this day,... Continue Reading →
CD review LONG DISTANCE CALLING ‘Ghost’
Relatively soon after the release of 'How Do We Want To Live' it was apparent that Long Distance Calling would have to postpone the planned 'Seats & Sounds' tour one more time. It was however possible for the band to play a few live shows towards the end of summer 2020 before concerts became impossible... Continue Reading →
CD review SIGGI SCHWARZ ‘The Fire Inside’
The name Siggi Schwarz is most probably not known to the broader public, but experts of refined guitar music should have heard the name at least once. The musician, who is based in Heidenheim an der Brenz, already has a significant number of solo releases to his credit. In addition, Schwarz also works with greats... Continue Reading →









