Metal

Artist: Felix Laband Label: Compost

Artist: Hirs Label: Sra

Artist: Mendeed Label: Metal Mind

Artist: Valborg Label: Temple of Torturous

Artist: Expenzer Label: Czar Of Bullets

Artist: Gyasi Ross Label: K Records

Artist: Dream Theater Label: Brr

Artist: Novella Label: Omnian Music Group

The hard-rock veterans in Spitfire now release their newest album “Fuel To Burn”! Spitfire was established in the northwest of Norway in 2006 (started as Supermarine Spitfire from 2006-2011) and delivers classic hard-rock that packs a punch. The band has previously released 2 albums, and is in promotion of their upcoming tour with DORO in April releasing their 3rd album “Fuel To Burn”. Since the beginning the band has been through some changes in line-up, due to the tragic death of co-founder and bassist Bjørn “Bønna” Nesse in 2011. Despite this they have managed to get a solid line-up in: Jan Tore Befring «Biff» – vokal Bjørn Ø. Berge «BøB»– gitar Sveinung Igland «Iggy»– bass/vokal Ole Nic. Løbø «Nicky»– trommer «The name of the band gives you a slight hint of the musical direction of this orchestra. The arms and legs of the drummer goes like a whirlwind, while the vocalist possess one of the greatest voices we have heard in a long, long time. Record Label: Spitfire Norway As / Indie Records Style: Hard Rock

digipak. Occultist Blackened Death Metal at it’s best here: Black Flame delivers fiery music that leaves everything smoldering and covered in ash. These Italian bastards want to watch everything burn and their music portrays their hatred and energy very well. Black Flame’s sound isn’t groundbreaking but it’s a testament stating how black metal doesn’t need to always be atmospheric or epic to be good. Like Marduk’s latest album, you’ll be headbanging and air riffing along with the music while you jam Black Flame’s new album. Freshly signed to Avantgarde, these heathens craft some very addicting black metal melodies and haunting passages on “The Origin of Fire”. Having an eerie 90′s black metal sound but they also use a dirty guitar tone, giving the music a death metal feeling to it. The style of song writing definitely gives off a blackened death vibe and vocals remind me Marduk’s style, just loud, raspy and scary. “The Origin of Fire” has a good amount of riffs and medium tempo speeds found throughout the listen of the album. Nothing goes exceedingly fast nor does it out do itself in one genre or another. The blackened death metal is set well and is a good band to check out if you are looking for something within that subgenre. Production is clear, mixing is good (no instrument is louder than the others) and overall song writing is enjoyable to listen to. So set up your sacrificial summoning stones and apply the corpse paint because Black Flame are coming to kick your ass with their brand of fowl music. A good offering of music. You have to listen to this album. Right now. Click on the link below and start headbanging! Record Label: Avantgarde Style: Death Metal

German Heavy Metal Guitar Wizard Axel Rudi Pell celebrated his 25th anniversary as a solo artist with a once-in-a-lifetime performance at the ‘Bang Your Head’ Festival on July 11th 2014, in Balingen, Germany, featuring a stellar line-up of famous invited friends (alongside his current band line-up), in front of over 15,000 fans. Now every fan worldwide can watch that amazing show: ‘Magic Moments – 25th Anniversary Special Show’ on 3CD, 3DVD and Blu-Ray, capturing the whole show (one that is unlikely to ever be seen again in this constellation). A whole host of legendary guest vocalists, including former ARP Band singers Rob Rock (1991) and Jeff Scott Soto (1991-1997), plus Dougie White (Yngwie Malmsteen, Rainbow), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, MSG), John Lawton (Uriah Heep), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) and Michael Voss (Mad Max, Bonfire) as well as current (1998 – Present) front man Johnny Gioeli, graced the stage on that amazing night. Former drummer Joerg Michael (Running Wild, Stratovarius), celebrated tub thumper Vinnie Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath), and ex-Rainbow keyboard player Tony Carey, as well as the entire original line-up of Axel’s first band, Steeler, also took to the stage during the three hour set. It took almost a year to set everything up. “The actual organisation started in the summer of 2013 when the promoter and I went public with the idea of this event,” Axel tells with obvious relief. He´s still happy about how things have turned out. With a little help from his friends at his booking agency, the Bochum guitarist set up an extraordinary line-up. “It was mostly all about personal contacts”, because after more than 30 years in the business Axel Rudi Pell is not only well-known, but also well-respected in the worldwide rock community, so the affix “& Friends“ is not one of those usual exaggerations. Almost all of his favoured candidates agreed on this one July date. As Axel is an early bird, the whole organisation was fairly easy. Of course there were rehearsals, but only one day before the show. Over fifty minutes worth of footage from those remarkable sessions are featured on the DVD and Blu-ray versions of this package. During those sessions Axel realized that something unique was happening. “Everybody involved had a blast and was right on track,” he remembers. Unfortunately, Doogie White had a prior engagement with Michael Schenker on that rehearsal day, but was replaced with ARP frontman Johnny Gioeli. And except for Charlie Huhn, who had already agreed to play a gig in the USA with his current band Foghat, Axel´s former singers turned out in full force. After a historical four-song Steeler reunion at the beginning of the show. Axel´s current lineup put on a best-of show with a blisteringly atmospheric version of the Neil Young classic “Hey Hey My My“ and a few epic ARP classics like “Mystica“, “The Masquerade Ball“, “Casbah“ and “Into The Storm“. You could feel those goose bumps spring up, and the climax was still to come: after a furioso battle between drum gods Vinnie Appice and Bobby Rondinelli, a long list of rock legends took the Balingen stage: stepping in for Joe Lynn Turner, who was tied up with business affairs, Pretty Maids frontman Ronnie Atkins performed a superb version of Deep Purple´s “Black Night“, including audience sing along. Then John Lawton, the former voice of Uriah Heep, demonstrated why he still deserves a lot of “Sympathy“ (Uriah Heep), and he was still looking for some “Tush“ (ZZ Top). When ex-Rainbow keyboard player Tony Carey joined in for an emotional “Mistreated“, the now available Doogie White and Johnny Gioeli set the roof on fire. Graham Bonnet, another Rainbow veteran from the glorious “Down To Earth“ era, remembered the good old times with “Since You Been Gone“ and, of course, the aforementioned “Long Live Rock´n´Roll“. At the endAt the end of those three hours plus, all guests (and friends!) gathered on stage for the grand finale “Smoke On The Water“, drawing a legendary evening to a spectacular close Record Label: Steamhammer Style: Rock

Artist: Acretongue Label: Dependent Records

mini LP. From NOCTURNAL BLOOD mastermind Ghastly Apparition (aka THP-SOH) comes his most intense and personal project yet: THE HAUNTING PRESENCE and their brand-new, self-titled 12 MLP. THE HAUNTING PRESENCE have steadily perfected their churning, coruscating craft over the course of a debut demo, a subsequent EP, a split with MUKNAL, and recently featured on the recent Black Twilight Circle compilation. Now, with The Haunting Presence MLP, the band truly comes into its own, exhibiting a hideous, ghoulish intensity that's far removed from now-typical bestial metal cliche whilst utilizing similar rudiments. Throbbing with gutted low-end and grinding string, THE HAUNTING PRESENCE here explode into black-holed oblivion across the record's six sinister tracks, prominently displaying THP-SOH's truly possessed ululations, particularly his now-patented (and quite insane) vocal intros. For black/death metal that deviates from the standard template, it's not surprising that THP-SOH takes a unique lyrical approach. In his own words, THE HAUNTING PRESENCE strictly is a representation and demonstration of my paranoia, perversions, madness, psychological understandings, connection with negative feelings/thoughts, the energy being produced through these meditations, sounds and words. These songs and words are more or less representing my meditations, dreams/nightmares - sleep paralysis, lucid, out of body, etc - horror, the supernatural/higher existence, sleep deprivation, fears, and concern for the modern world. Record Label: Hells Headbangers Style: Death Metal

Artist: Morbid Angel Label: Earache

The lush and over-sized earbook (28x28cm) incl. bonus CD with four bonus tracks. With the release of their 15th studio album due on May 29th, HELLOWEEN are set to further cement their title as the founding fathers of German melodic speed metal. The band's first self-titled EP was released in 1985, making their new album »My God-Given Right« the celebratory marker for their impressive 30 year career. »My God-Given Right« was recorded between October 2014 and February 2015 at the bands very own MiSueno Studio in Tenerife, with long term producer Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, HAMMERFALL) handling production and recording duties. Style: Metal

Artist: Able Tasmans Label: Flying Nun / Captured Tracks

Artist: Obsequiae Label: 20 Buck Spin (Soulfood)

Composer: Loudblast Label: Listenable Records (Edel)

Artist: Witchwood Label: Jolly Roger