The last riffs of the Wacken 2018 edition haven't even been played yet, while an outlook to 2019 kicks-off some extra excitement. First bands have been already announced and here are they are: Sabaton Parkway Drive Demons & Wizards Powerwolf Airbourne Rose Tattoo Within Temptation Meshuggah Krokus Dark Funeral Avatar The 'Wacken days'... Continue Reading →
SOEN announces ‘Lykaia Revisited’
Swedish quintet Soen released their latest album ‘Lykaia’ in 2017 and it’s this fall that the band will launch a renewed version of their third longplayer. ‘Lykaia Revisited’ will be unleashed in a remastered edition on September 14th and will feature a new artwork and three live songs. Tracklist: Sectarian Orison Lucidity Opal Jinn Sister... Continue Reading →
CD review MANTICORA ‘To Kill To Live To Kill’
(6/10) Manticora's lead singer Lars F. Larsen isn't only a vocalist, he's also a writer who took care about the storyline that builds the base for the band's new album 'To Kill To Live To Kill'. It's a horror story he wrote and it's spread over two albums of which the first one will be... Continue Reading →
CD review REDEMPTION ‘Long Night’s Journey Into Day’
(9/10) One of the bands that constantly delivered excellent music over the last few years was prog metal powerhouse Redemption. The band is the brainchild of guitarist Nick van Dyk and debut in 2003 with their self-titled first album. After some years with InsideOut the band released the first album for Metal Blade in 2016.... Continue Reading →
WATCHTOWER vinyl re-release of ‘Control and Resistance’ as limited edition
Music On Vinyl released a limited vinyl version of the Watchtower classic 'Control and Resistance'. The longplayer was originally published in 1989 and belongs to the milestones in progressive metal. Alan Tecchio (v), Ron Jarzombek (g), Doug Keyser (b) and Rick Colaluca (d) combined the brutality of thrash metal and the filigree of progressive metal... Continue Reading →
CD review MICHAEL ROMEO ‘War of the Worlds // Pt. 1’
(9/10) There's some radio silence when it comes to New Jesey-based prog metal band Symphony X that released their latest album 'Underworld' in 2015. Between then and now some of the band members focussed on other bands and projects, like singer Russell Allen that released 'We the People' with Adrenaline Mob. Bass player Mike LePond... Continue Reading →
CD review BLACK SPACE RIDERS ‘Amoretum Vol. 2’
(9/10) Not only that Muenster-based alternative metal band Black Space Riders delivers exquisite records; they also do it in a fast fashion. Six months after having published the terrific ‘Amoretum Vol. 1’ album the next record waits in the starting blocks. ‘Amoretum Vol. 2’ will be unveiled end of July and by this the band... Continue Reading →
CD review OBSCURA ‘Diluvium’
(8/10) Obsurca is mainly the brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Steffen Kummerer who founded the band in 2002. Next to the founder, Obscura today is Rafael Trujillo (g), Linus Klausenitzer (b) and Sebastian Lanser (d). This quartet recorded Obscura's fifth longplayer. 'Diluvium' is the final chapter of a four-album conceptual journey and includes eleven new... Continue Reading →
DVD/CD review ‘Live at WACKEN 2017 – 28 Years Louder Than Hell’
(*/10) To warm-up for the 2018 edition of the legendary Wacken festival Silver Lining Music launches a DVD/CD package entitled 'Live at Wacken 2017 - 28 Years Louder Than Hell'. The comprehensive DVD version features 45 songs of the 2017 Wacken festival, mixed by Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Megadeth, NOFX) and mastered by Andrew Alekej (Motörhead,... Continue Reading →
DVD review HAKEN ‘L-1VE’
(9/10) The recording starts with an excited crowd that welcomes the first samples, marking the beginning of a Haken show that took place st Melkweg in Amsterdam in spring 2017. The concert the last one of Halen‘s 10th anniversary tour that led t through Europe and North America. The main focus of this show was... Continue Reading →
DVD review DEVIN TOWNSEND POJECT ‘Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv’
(9/10) The Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv seems to become more and more a venue for recordings of live shows. Steve Rothery and his band played there as well as Paradise Lost that recorded a show in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The Ancient Roman Theatre provides a great stage set which makes things a bit different compared... Continue Reading →
New HEIR APPARENT album in October
HERE comes a first teaser for the upcoming Heir Apparent album 'View From Below', which will be released on October 15th via No Remorse Records. Stay tuned for more. Tracklist: 1. Man in the Sky 2. The Door 3. Here We Aren't 4. Synthetic Lies 5. Savior 6. Further and Farther 7. The Road to... Continue Reading →
MICHAEL ROMEO presents ‘Djinn’
Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo will launch his solo debut 'War of the Worlds / Pt. 1' on July 27th and 'Djinn' is one song, coming from the tracklist of this longplayer. The tune got a video that can be watched HERE.
CD review HALCYON WAY ‘Bloody but Unbowed’
(6/10) The label sheet that came with Halcyon Ways’s new album ‘Bloody but Unbowed’ mentions Megadeth, Dream Theater, Testament and Chimaira as a source of inspiration for the five guys from Atlanta, Georgia. After having listened to the album several times I think that the mentioned comparison nails it pretty much and what could be... Continue Reading →
CD review CORONER ‘Mental Vortex’ & ‘Grin’ – re-issues
Not only due to the ‚Noise lebt!‘ campaign, but supported by it, Swiss thrash icons Coroner gain momentum again these days. I could witness the trio at this years Rock Hard Festival when the band performed an exquisite gig. Coroner began in 1984 and debut in 1987 with ‚R.I.P‘. What made the band to something... Continue Reading →









