West coast metal veterans Metal Church will release “The Final Sermon” (Live in Japan 2019) via Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe) on July 26, 2024. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof, this Special Edition live release features one of the final recorded performances of Mike Howe with Metal Church, which took place over two... Continue Reading →
HALL AFLAME ft. Kurdt Vanderhoof announced a new album
Hall Aflame, the rock band which features Metal Church founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, will release their long-awaited sophomore album ‘Amplifire’ on May 3, 2024 via Rat Pak Records. Originally formed in 1989, the band garnered commercial success with their debut album ‘Guaranteed Forever’, which was well received by fans and industry peers alike and quickly... Continue Reading →
Review METAL CHURCH ‘Congregation of Annihilation’
Metal Church belongs to the forerunners of power- and thrash metal. The band, initiated by Kurdt Vanderhoof, launched a stellar debut in 1984 and it was the cover version of Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star’ which is one of the greatest interpretations of the classic. And it fitted perfectly into the context of the album. ‘The... Continue Reading →
Review ROXANNE ‘Stereo Typical’
'Stereo Typical' is already the third album in Roxanne's career, which is truly special. One or the other may not have heard of the band yet and at the same time the four-piece is not exactly a newcomer. The debut album of Roxanne was already released in 1986 before it became more than calm about... Continue Reading →
Review ELLEFSON/SOTO ‘Vacation in the Underworld’
David Ellefson and Jeff Scott Soto are well-known names in the rock and metal business. The connection between the two musicians came about in a broader sense through the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Soto is one of the voices of the formidable show, and Ellefson took advantage of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's stop in Phoenix to meet his... Continue Reading →
Review ANTHONY GOMES ‘High Voltage Blues’
Canadian born singer and guitarist Anthony Gomes is well known to some blues enthusiasts. In general, Gomes has a fan base across North America. If you don't know the musician at all, you have the chance to catch up on lost ground on September 23rd. 'High Voltage Blues' is the new album by Gomes, which... Continue Reading →
Review TY TABOR ‘Shades’
Kings X frontman Ty Tabor released his next solo album these days. ‘Shades’ is the title of this new record, an album that comes with ten songs and three bonus tracks in the digital and CD format. Four years after ‘Alien Beans’ has been released, the new longplayer shows again why Tabor belongs to the... Continue Reading →
Review GEORGE LYNCH ‘Seamless’
If you didn’t live under a rock for the last decades, you know the name of George Lynch. The axe wizard from Spokane, Washington enriched the most successful Dokken longplayers with his unique guitar sound and was a strong base for Dokken’s success. Also Lynch Mob belongs to the well-sounding monikers in rock with a... Continue Reading →
Review THE CEO ‘Redemption’
A CEO is defined as Chief Executive Officer and the definition is now enlarged with The CEO also being a metal band, hailing from the US. The Georgia-based powerhouse features with Vince Hornsby the bassist from Sevendust, who together with his bandmates Chase Brown, Beau Anderson and Joseph Herman stands for The CEO and band... Continue Reading →
CD review TODD MICHAEL HALL ‘Sonic Healing’
Vocalist Todd Michael Hall is certainly no stranger to rock and metal, as he enriches the Riot V releases with his voice. His time with Jack Starr's Burning Star is also unforgotten and this time Hall has decided to work with another excellent guitarist. Metal Church mainman Kurdt Vanderhoof not only produced Hall's solo album... Continue Reading →
CD review TODD LA TORRE ‘Rejoice in the Suffering’
That Todd La Torre is an excellent singer is known at the latest since he joined Queensrÿche. However, La Torre can not only rely on his powerful voice, but can also build on skills regarding guitar and drums. In a time when touring activities have come to a complete standstill, the frontman has decided to... Continue Reading →
TODD LA TORRE announces a solo album
Postponed touring activities provide a lot of time for bands and musicians. Queensrÿche frontman Todd La Torre used the time to add the final touch to his new solo album named 'Rejoice in the Suffering'. "'Rejoice In The Suffering' was truly a labor of love. It's a pure metal record that certainly showcases a wide range... Continue Reading →
CD review LYNCH MOB ‘Wicked Sensation Reimagined’
'Wicked Sensation' is not only Lynch Mob's best album, it's also their most successful release. After George Lynch and Don Dokken decided to part ways for several reasons, the axeman started with Lynch Mob a band that included in the early years also Mick Brown, known from Dokken too. 'Wicked Sensation' was released thirty years... Continue Reading →
Kurdt Vanderhoof shares details and background of the new METAL CHURCH release
A couple of days ago Metal Church released with 'From the Vault' an interesting longplayer that features new songs as well as cover versions, live songs and other stuff from the archive. Metal Church main man Kurdt Vanderhoof made some time for Markus' Heavy Music Blog to give some insights into the background of the... Continue Reading →
CD review MICHAEL SWEET ‘Ten’
(7/10) Michael Sweet is known as being the frontman of legendary Stryper, a band that got attention due to tossing bibles during live shows, being dressed in their bumblebee like yellow/black striped stage clothing. Next to the releases with Stryper Michael Sweet released solo albums too of which the newest one is entitled 'Ten'. It's,... Continue Reading →









