The list of studio releases from German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell is long. The former Steeler guitarist began his solo career in 1989 with the album “Wild Obsession.” This marked the beginning of an exceptional career that is still ongoing. Pell found his signature sound early on, fusing classic hard rock with metal. This defined... Continue Reading →
ELEGANT WEAPONS announced a new album
Elegant Weapons, the hard rock and heavy metal band led by Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, has released its new single, “Bridges Burn.” The song is the first preview of the upcoming second album, “Evolution,” which will be released on April 24, 2026, via Exciter Records. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/pFNFxf5sS38?si=lsJpIceFp9v3Nh6e The album will be... Continue Reading →
SPIRIT ADRIFT launched a new song
Heavy metal doom giants Spirit Adrift have returned with a cathartic, crushing new single, “Eternal Celestial Energy,” out today via 20 Buck Spin. The long-awaited new music from revered songwriter and frontman Nate Garrett follows the band’s critically acclaimed 2023 album “Ghost at the Gallows” and arrives ahead of their March 20th appearance in San... Continue Reading →
Live report AVATAR, ALIEN WEAPONRY & AGABAS, Docks, Hamburg – March 13th, 2026
It's a rainy night in Hamburg, the perfect setting for an dark and gloomy show at Docks. Gothenburg-based Avatar are currently on the road, and tonight is actually the final show of the “In the Airwaves EU ‘26” tour, so the timing is perfect. A Friday night and a sold-out venue are ideal for a... Continue Reading →
Review VREID “The Skies Turn Black”
Since the release of “Kraft” in 2004, Vreid has established themselves as a major player in the world of blackened metal from Norway. The band from Sognal has released albums regularly, and now it is “The Skies Turn Black” that will hit the shelves. Five years after releasing “Wild North West,” the Norwegians are presenting... Continue Reading →
Live report AMARANTHE, EPICA & CHARLOTTE WESSELS, Inselpark Arena, Hamburg – March 6th, 2026
The Hamburg rock and metal community has nothing but choices tonight. A lot is happening on this Friday evening. The Norwegian rock force Gluecifer is in town, as is Keith Caputo. Die Happy is performing, and Hell Over Hammaburg, a two-day indoor festival, is taking place. As if that were not enough to choose from,... Continue Reading →
Live report SMITH/KOTZEN & SWEET ELECTRIC Gruenspan, Hamburg – March 5th, 2026
Some iconic guitarists are on tour right now. A few days ago, Michael Schenker brought back the great UFO days to Große Freiheit 36, and today, a few meters down the road, Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen are playing a show. With Smith being one of the legendary Iron Maiden guitarists and Kotzen being a... Continue Reading →
Live report HEAVEN SHALL BURN, THE HALO EFFECT, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER & FROZEN SOUL, Inselpark Arena, Hamburg – February 27th, 2025
German metallers Heaven Shall Burn recently released the album “Heimat”, and after playing some release shows at smaller venues, the five-piece band is currently touring larger venues. The band will perform at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena tonight, and they aren’t alone on this tour. They are joined by The Halo Effect, The Black Dahlia Murder and... Continue Reading →
Live report MICHAEL SCHENKER, THE NIGHT ETERNAL, ROOK ROAD & MALVADA, Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg – February 22nd, 2026
It was April of last year when Michael Schenker played a show at Fabrik in Hamburg as part of his “My Years with UFO” tour. This marked the first leg of the tour, which took him to stages across nine countries.A few months later, Schenker returns to Hamburg for another show, this time at Grosse... Continue Reading →
ACCEPT – “Half a Century of Metal” tour announced
Accept, the pioneers of heavy metal, have just announced a new tour. Entitled "Half a Century of Metal", the tour will feature songs from the band's career spanning 1976 to 2026. Accompanying them on the tour will be Dynazty and Tailgunner. The tour includes a show at the Inselpark Arena in Hamburg on 11 December... Continue Reading →
Review TEMPLAR “Conquering Swords”
Templar is a new band. The Stockholm-based quartet was founded in 2020 and released a first demo called "Black Knight" in 2023. This demo caught the attention of Jawbreaker Records. Templar's first EP came via the label and now the debut album "Conquering Swords" is set to hit the shelves in February. Templar is Isak,... Continue Reading →
Review TRIUMPHER “Piercing the Heart of the World”
Triumpher was founded in Athens, Greece in 2019 and launched a promising debut album, “Storming the Walls”, in 2023. This brought the band to the attention of No Remorse Records, the label that launched Triumpher's second full-length album, "Spirit Invictus". With “Piercing the Heart of the World”, the Greek quintet continues its metallic adventure in... Continue Reading →
Live report NAPALM DEATH, WHIPLASH, THE VARUKERS & DOPELORD, Gruenspan, Hamburg – February 14th, 2026
The crushing weight of doom, the anarchic spirit of hardcore punk, the sheer force of thrash metal, and the raw aggression of grindcore—all of it can be experienced tonight at Gruenspan in Hamburg. Grindcore pioneers Napalm Death are currently on their “Campaign for Musical Destruction” tour, joined on the road by thrash metal veterans Whiplash,... Continue Reading →
THRONEHAMMER – new album and tour dates
Doom metal band Thronwhammer has announced a new album. Entitled "Slay | Kill | Erase", the band's latest studio album will be launched this year. The band will also embark on a tour in autumn 2026. Here are the dates: 01.10.2026 Berlin – Neue Zukunft02.10.2026 Hamburg – Bambi Galore03.10.2026 Oldenburg – MTS Records04.10.2026 Dresden –... Continue Reading →
Review INDUCTION “Love Kills!”
Induction is a young and ambitious band whose roots go back to 2014. The band made their debut with a self-titled album in 2019, and two factors have helped them from this early stage. Firstly, Tim Hansen, son of Kai Hansen (Helloween), is in the band. As well as being a talented guitarist, his name... Continue Reading →
