Early August also means one thing again this year: Elbriot in Hamburg. The open-air festival at Hamburg’s Grossmarkt has been a fixture on the city’s metal calendar for quite some time now, and once again, it opens its gates for another day of roaring live music. It would be hard to ask for better conditions... Continue Reading →
Review NIGHT RANGER “Best of…”
Night Ranger are without a doubt one of the most recognizable names in melodic rock and AOR. Classic hits like "Sister Christian" and "When You Close Your Eyes" helped propel the band into rock's spotlight during the mid-1980s. Although their most recent studio album, ATBPO, was released five years ago, Night Ranger have remained active. This time, they return with... Continue Reading →
Review TEMPLE OF DREAD “Dreadspawn Dominion”
Temple Of Dread have firmly established themselves as one of Germany's leading death metal bands. Hailing from Spiekeroog, one of the East Frisian Islands, the band has been proving since 2017 that outstanding metal doesn't have to come from major cities only. Their debut album, Blood Craving Mantras, marked the first step for the five-piece from... Continue Reading →
Review PHANTOM CORPORATION / CATBREATH (Split) “Commando / Die By the Claw”
Two representatives of the German metal underground have joined forces to release a split album. The bands in question are Phantom Corporation and Catbreath. Phantom Corporation opens the record. Although the band - featuring scene veterans from Dew-Scented, Weak Aside, and Eroded - has released only two full-length albums so far, the five-piece has already... Continue Reading →
Review FINSTERFORST “Still”
Finsterforst are from Freiburg, Germany, and formed in 2004. Their debut album, Weltenkraft, was released in 2007, and the artwork reflected the band’s sound quite well. The Black Forest is located close to Freiburg and is a popular destination for outdoor activities and recreation. At the same time, the region carries a certain mystical atmosphere, which... Continue Reading →
Review THE LIMIT “Another Drop”
Do doom metal roots and a punk rock attitude really go together? That was the question many people asked in 2021 when The Limit released their new album. At the time, Billy Liebling (Pentagram), Sonny Vincent (Testors), Jimmy Recca (The Stooges), Hugo Conim (Dawnrider), and João Simmons (Dawnrider) delivered Caveman Logic. Now the band returns with Another... Continue Reading →
DIE HAPPY – new album and tour in early spring 2027
Seven years after their last studio album, Die Happy are back. And rarely has a comeback sounded as determined as this one. Empathy Is No Weakness is the title of the band’s tenth studio album - a title that takes a stand while also capturing the essence of what Die Happy have stood for for... Continue Reading →
Review ICONIC “II”
A lineup that brings together well-known names from the worlds of rock and metal does not automatically guarantee great music. Iconic is a project featuring iconic veterans of the scene, and the band’s name alone naturally creates certain expectations. With II, the group now delivers their second studio album. Iconic consists of Nathan James, Michael Sweet, Joel Hoekstra,... Continue Reading →
Out now – GENTLE GIANT “In a Glass House (Remixed)
One of progressive rock’s most daring and influential albums, In a Glass House by Gentle Giant returns in a powerful new form, newly remixed and remastered by Grammy Award-winning producer Eber Pinheiro alongside the band’s own Derek Shulman. Originally released in 1973, In a Glass House stands as a bold artistic statement that pushed the boundaries of composition, musicianship,... Continue Reading →
Review THE SCEPTER “Shadows in the Tower”
There are a lot of great rock and metal bands coming from Canada, thinking about Voivod, Rush, Anvil and so on. Alongside such established names, younger acts like The Scepter are now setting out to make their mark on the world of heavy metal. Founded in 2018, The Scepter released a few singles early on,... Continue Reading →
Review FUTURE PALACE “Resurgence”
Resurgence is already the fourth album from Berlin-based metalcore outfit Future Palace, who formed in 2018. The trio of Maria, Manuel, and Johannes made a strong first impression with their debut album, Escape. They continued building on that foundation with Run and Distortion, before taking the next step with a new record label. Resurgence marks the band's first release through Century... Continue Reading →
Review ALLT “Ataraxia”
Hailing from Karlskoga, Sweden, Allt formed in 2020. After releasing a handful of singles and EPs, the band made a strong first impression with their 2024 debut album, From the New World. Two years later, Ataraxia marks the next chapter in the band's evolution. Their sophomore effort features nine songs and, with a runtime of just 31 minutes,... Continue Reading →
Review SINNER “Boom Bang Goodbye”
The first time a Sinner album landed on my turntable was almost exactly 40 years ago. Back then, the band led by Mat Sinner had just released its fifth album, Comin' Out Fighting, and what came through the speakers made an immediate impression. Sinner has been a fixture in melodic metal ever since, releasing a long... Continue Reading →
GOTTHARD reveal two songs for the FC Lugano
When two institutions with the same roots join forces, the result is more than just a collaboration—it’s a soundtrack for the club, the city, and the fans. With “Lugano My Town” and “Bianconeri Alè,” Gotthard, together with FC Lugano, is presenting two new songs that will define the sound of the Bianconeri in the future.... Continue Reading →
Review V.B.O. “Vice Business Only”
The only thing Wild Rose and V.B.O. have in common is vocalist Francesco Cavalieri. Beyond that, the two projects occupy entirely different musical territory. V.B.O. - short for Vice Business Only - has virtually nothing to do with metal, or even with the melodic hard rock that fans may associate with Wild Rose. That much becomes... Continue Reading →

