Archive for Power Metal

BENEDICTUM – Enlist Jag Panzer Drummer Rikard Stjernquist!

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on March 14, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

(Photo Credit: Mark Briody)

Benedictum and The diabolical mistress “V” Veronica Freeman are proud to enlist new drummer Rikard Stjernquist to the team!

Rikard Stjernquist started his career with Stockholm based Bronze Puppet.   Rikard brings a multitude of talent from his longevity as the drummer for Power Metal legends Jag Panzer of 25 years and nine records to his studio production capabilities.  Rikard will surely assist the team in writing new material for their next release with Frontiers Records worldwide.

Rikard Stjernquist states “I have been very fortunate in my long career to have recorded and performed with some exceptional people / musicians, and Benedictum is no exception.  I’m very excited about the future with Benedictum and having the opportunity to perform for their amazing fans all over the world.  Thank you Veronica Freeman, Pete Wells, and Chris Shrum for this amazing opportunity”

Benedictum played select US dates for the East Coast in late November 2011 in support of their current release “Dominion” out now on Frontiers Records.  Everyone who attended the select dates got a a taste of what the European market already knew.

This year and 2013 will prove to be an exciting year for Benedictum with much more activity in the worldwide.

Coming soon will be more exciting news regarding their next release!

Benedictum is Veronica Freeman (lead vocals), Pete Wells (lead guitar), Chris Shrum (bass) and Rikard Stjernquist (drums/percussion).

Benedictum discography includes “Uncreation”, “Seasons of Tragedy” and “Dominion”.

_______________________________________________

(Source: Frontiers Records)

For more info click on the links below:

BENEDICTUM – facebook

BENEDICTUM – Official Website

LONG LIVE BENEDICTUM.

Stone.

ICED EARTH – Confirmed To Play At the Kalaset Festival, Lulea, Sweden

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock festivals, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , on March 6, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

As reported on The Official Iced Earth Website:

Mark your calendars. Fans in Sweden…get ready! Iced Earth has just been confirmed to play the Kalaset Festival!

More information will be announced on our Tour page when it becomes available.

Date: August 4, 2012

Place: Sweden

City: Lulea

Festival: Kalaset Festival

________________________________________________________

For more info on ICED EARTH, click on the links below:

www.IcedEarth.com

http://www.youtube.com/officialicedearth

For more info on the Kalaset Festival, click on link below:

 http://www.kalaset.se/

LONG LIVE ICED EARTH.

Stone.

CAGE – ‘Hell Destroyer vs. Metal Devil’ Video: Prodigious Power Metal Intensified!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, heavy metal videos, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

CAGE – Originating from San Diego, California, is one hell of an amazing Power Metal / Classic Heavy Metal band globally known as: CAGE. Led by frontman Sean “The Hell Destroyer” Peck and his Metal falsetto, both he and band are an American Metal paragon to hear!

Supremacy Of Steel, the sixth studio album from CAGE, was released back on December 13th, 2011, via music by mail distro on their own Heavy Metal media label imprint. The vinyl release for Supremacy Of Steel will be released on April 27th, 2012, via Pure Steel Records. Hell Destroyer vs Metal Devil is a blazing Power Metal song that never relents for a micro-second. The driving guitars and resounding rhythm section combine with Sean’s vocals, for a pure listen into Power Metal on high!

Listen to the Power Metal brilliance of CAGE and check out the stunning animated video below! “From the Supremacy of Steel album, the final battle between The Hell Destroyer and the Metal Devil”. This is what Power Metal is all about! Metal be thy name!

CAGE:

Sean “The Hell Destroyer” Peck – Vocals

Dave “Conan” Garcia – guitars

Pete “Hands of” Stone – Bass guitar

Steve “MetalBrog” Brogden – guitars

Norm “The Legend” Leggio – drums

________________________________________________

For more info on CAGE, click on the links below:

http://www.cageheavymetal.com

http://www.myspace.com/cageheavymetal

http://www.twitter.com/cageheavymetal

LONG LIVE CAGE.

Stone.

SONATA ARCTICA – ‘Stones Grow Her Name’ Releases In May, More Album Details

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , on February 25, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Finland’s SONATA ARCTICA have named their seventh studio album Stones Grow Her Name. Recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck, the album will be released in Europe on May 18th and in North America on May 22nd.

SONATA ARCTICA vocalist Tony Kakko comments:

“Our newest adventure is only a final touch short of being ready. The recordings went extremely well and the mixing is in schedule. Have to say I am enjoying myself greatly. I’ve had a very hard and work- filled two-year period writing the songs while touring extensively with our previous album The Days Of Grays, but it has all been worth it! Yet again, we are introducing new things to keep the music alive and interesting. New elements, styles and new moods, talented guest artists and ideas for the enjoyment of the loyal friends of our music. Can’t wait for you to get your hands and ears on Stones Grow Her Name! Hope to see you all again on tour! Be well!“

The track listing for the standard jewel case version will be:

01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
02. Shitload Of Money
03. Losing My Insanity
04. Somewhere Close To You
05. I Have A Right
06. Alone In Heaven
07. The Day
08. Cinderblox
09. Don’t Be Mean
10. Wildfire II
11. Wildfire III

_________________________________________

(Source: Nuclear Blast News)

For more info on SONATA ARCTICA, click on the links below:

http://www.sonataarctica.info

http://www.youtube.com/user/SonataArctica

LONG LIVE SONATA ARCTICA.

Stone.

NIGHTQUEEN ‘For Queen And Metal’ – An Indelible Debut Album Of Heavy Metal

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news, symphonic metal with tags , , , , , , , on February 24, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

NIGHTQUEEN – Releasing today, February 24th, via Massacre Records, is the debut album from Belgium’s Nightqueen. Fronted by the dynamic vocals of Keely Larreina, this is a band and album that shouldn’t get missed by fans of Symphonic, Epic, Melodic or Power Metal. What am I thinking? It’s all about Heavy Metal in the first place. This debut from Nightqueen begins fittingly with Into The Night, a symphonic intro that elevates the mood, setting the stage for what shall be a momentous and inspiring ride of Melodic Metal.

Nightfall follows, with Keely’s vocals showcasing her impressive range and capacity to sing Power Metal with conviction. Nightfall and Mystical Nights are two songs that truly get this debut album from Nightqueen propelling in the right direction. The Power Metal meets Symphonic Metal combination that Nightqueen executes, springs from the Metal gates rather impressively. Now the path has been paved and Nightqueen erupts with all the Power Metal goodness they can muster with the title track. For Queen And Metal is a fabulous listen into what this band can deliver! Whoa.

Lady Fantasy and Nocturnal Thoughts are sung with powerful eloquence by Keely and she is a voice to hear. Her ability to bring that added convincing emotion to the song is an asset in itself. Guitarists Rex Zeco and Alan Rawson complement one another, adding the muscular melodies with energized leads and solos, not only on these two aforementioned songs, they both execute brilliantly throughout this entire album.

Secret Of The Blind Man encompasses every standout attribute that I admire about Nightqueen. This song is Symphonic, it’s Power Metal and radiates with an epic ambience. I can’t help feeling inspired from this song’s instrumentation. Nightqueen never loses their flare for keeping it Metal on their debut. I hear slivers and shades of Traditional Metal, especially on Majesty. Riffs abound in Majesty and Keely sings as if she should be standing atop a mountain, looking down upon her minions, in an 80’s style music video. Grand stuff it is indeed.

Nightqueen is that band that impresses me from every corner, for if it’s not Keely’s vocals that are captivating me, then it’s the symphonic atmosphere or the masterly drumming of William Blodyn. The keyboards of Daniel Kells amplifies that ever expressive European vibe and flavor. Steven Steele stands tall on bass, giving these Nightqueen songs their booming beats that reveal themselves so plentifully. Then of course, as I’ve previously mentioned, Rex and Alan are an adept guitar duo that can easily steal the Metal show. If there is one complaint I have, it’s I wish Nightqueen was around twenty or so years ago.

For Queen And Metal is one enjoyable debut album to encounter from Nightqueen. This band has no problem in conveying their totality of talent to my ears. I was looking forward to this debut from Nightqueen for many months, now I realize why. If you like what I’ve stated about Nightqueen and their brand of Metal, then there should be no apprehension in the air you are currently breathing… for you are hereby dismissed to venture out and purchase this noble debut from Nightqueen. To me, this group has earned the right to have their name and Metal known across the seas. Hail to Nightqueen!

For Queen And Metal – Track Listing:

Into The Night

Nightfall

Mystical Night

For Queen And Metal

Lady Fantasy

Nocturnal Thoughts

Secret Of The Blind Man

Majesty

Rebel To Rebel

Screaming For Mercy

Dark Fairy

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For more info on NIGHTQUEEN, click on the links below:

http://www.nightqueen.be/

NIGHTQUEEN – myspace

MASSACRE RECORDS

LONG LIVE NIGHTQUEEN.

Stone.

PRIMAL FEAR ‘Unbreakable’ – The Time Is NOW To Join The METAL NATION

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal albums, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

PRIMAL FEAR – I guess if I wasn’t listening to this new Primal Fear album so often, I would have written a review on it much sooner. Seriously, Unbreakable has made it mandatory for me, to raise my fists to the air and thank the Metal Gods for Primal Fear and Power Metal. Released on Frontiers Records back on January 20th, this album is a must to the maximum Metal degree.

Once I realized what I took in from this new Primal Fear offering of Power Metal glory, I began to wonder, could 2012 be “The Year Of Power Metal”? With Iron Savior releasing their new album The Landing, (which brought me to tears of Metal joy) and now I’m brought down to my knees from Unbreakable… how else could I describe this year of Metal thus far? Primal Fear has not only delivered an unbelievable album of Power Metal, they’ve also created some of the most amazingly memorable songs of their legendary career. To my Metal blistered ears they have.

Once I realized how unreal golden Bad Guys Wear Black and Metal Nation are for transmitting everything triumphant about Power Metal, there is Strike,Where Angels Die, Give Em Hell, Blaze Of Glory and Marching Again. Metal be thy name does Primal Fear get their point across with their new album… that Primal Fear is not a Power Metal force to reckon with, they are THE Power Metal force. Period. This album from Primal Fear is the Metal beacon that tells us Metalheads that everything is okay and we shall strike down all negative obstacles in our F’n way.

As I see it, you’re either gonna join the Metal Nation, are already a member or decide that you’re gonna take a pass. If you take that nonsensical pass, then stop reading this review now. Then, go take some ex-lax, stick your thumb in your mouth and peruse your VHS library of Shirley Temple movies.

Back to Unbreakable. Sorry about that my true Metal brethren. Hell, you want guitar driven? You want duo guitars? Trading guitar leads and solos that will shock and awe? Wanna hear guitars blazing the old-fashioned way, as in kicking your Metal lovin’ ass like there is no tomorrow? Alex Beyrodt and Magnus Karlsson will take care of it. Are you looking for a premier Power Metal vocalist, one whose name itself equates Metal? Ralf Scheepers is the modern-day Rob Halford. Yes, there is another Metal God and his name is Ralf Scheepers. Now, go take that Metal check and cash it… then tell ’em all that Stone says so.

Spread the Metal word. What word Stone? That the rhythm section of Primal Fear is a Power Metal vehicle sent to us all as a gift from the Thunder God. Mat Sinner (bass) and Randy Black (drums) sound so powerfully perfect together that it’s implausible to think otherwise. There are 12 songs on Unbelievable, (oops, I meant Unbreakable) that are a representation of how Heavy Metal was meant to escalate the psyche-you-out senses in the first place. Metal Nation members know what I mean. Screw the non-believers.

If everything I’ve written thus far sounds like a Metal temptation to you, then you absolutely won’t be able to resist hearing  a Primal Fear ballad. Yes… I stated… ballad. Born Again is the song and it’s quite Metal moving to me. Ralf Scheepers proves he can impact just as effectively singing a ballad as he does belting out extraordinary high notes on a Power Metal anthem. I will say this and not be ashamed: Born Again is a beautiful song from Primal Fear.

Yes, amongst the Power Metal domination I hear on Unbreakable, the Metal jubilation I feel does give a nod to beauty when it’s so eloquently played and sung. Still, bad guys will always wear black and the Metal Nation is a flaming juggernaut, one that shall never be contained nor controlled. Metal be thy name.

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UNBREAKABLE Track Listing:

Unbreakable (Part 1)

Strike

Give Em Hell

Bad Guys Wear Black

And There Was Silence

Metal Nation

Where Angels Die

Unbreakable (Part 2)

Marching Again

Born Again

Blaze Of Glory

Conviction

_______________________________________________

Backing Vocals: Ralf Scheepers, Mat Sinner, Erik Martensson and Oliver Hartmann.

For more info on PRIMAL FEAR, click on the links below:

http://www.primalfear.de

FRONTIERS RECORDS

LONG LIVE PRIMAL FEAR.

Stone.

SABATON – Album Details, Cover Art and Track Listing Revealed for Carolus Rex

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , on February 18, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Swedish epic Power Metallers SABATON have revealed a bunch of details for the bands upcoming album Carolus Rex which will be released May 25 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The lyrics for the CD deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721) and are sung entirely in Swedish.

Commented the band: “For the first time ever we have had an expert to help us out with the theme, the well-known Swedish historian Bengt Liljegren. We have also added some extra time in the studio to find the absolute right sound on ‘Carolus Rex’, and our producer, Peter Tägtgren, says that this album will mark a brand new standard for how a Heavy Metal album should sound like!”

Liljegren’s previously published works include acclaimed biographies of Karl XII among others. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series “Boston Tea Party”.

The album’s release will be followed by a two-year world tour.

_____________________________________________________

CAROLUS REX – Track Listing:

01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. Lejonet Från Norden
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. En Livstid I Krig
05. 1 6 4 8
06. Karolinens Bön
07. Carolus Rex
08. Ett Slag Färgat Rött
09. Poltava
10. Konungens Likfärd
11. Ruina Imperii

(Source: Nuclear Blast News)

For more info on SABATON, click on the link below:

http://www.sabaton.net

http://www.youtube.com/sabaton

LONG LIVE SABATON.

Stone.

IRON MASK: New Album ‘Black As Death’ To See February North American Release Via AFM Records

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Black As Death, the new album from Belgian Neo-Classical Power Metal masters IRON MASK, will be released stateside this February 14th, following its European release in December.

What started as a side project for Magic Kingdom guitar master Dushan Petrossi a decade ago, has taken on a life of its own, IRON MASK eventually becoming the more popular of the two outfits.

Following the release of 2009’s Shadow of the Red Baron, the blistering Black As Death is IRON MASK‘s fourth LP in a decade. Boasting over an hour of the band’s renowned talent through a diverse array of lightning-fast Metal, glorious ballads, dizzying neo-classical arrangements and straightforward Hard Rock thunder. Dushan Petrossi and his band merge exceptional musical prowess with epic accessibility, making Black As Death a must-hear for fans of Firewind, Dio, Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen and Rainbow.

BLACK AS DEATH – Track Listing:

From Light Into The Dark

Black As Death

Broken Hero

Feel The Fire

Genghis Khan

God Punishes, I Kill

Rebel Kid

Blizzard Of Doom

The Absence

Magic Sky Requiem

Nosferatu

When All Braves Fall

(Source: Earsplit PR)

IRON MASK – Lineup:

vocals – Mark Boals (Holy Force, The Codex, ex-Royal Hunt, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, etc.)

vocals – Roma Siadletski (Magic Kingdom)

guitars – Dushan Petrossi (Magic Kingdom)

bass – Vassili Moltchanov (Magic Kingdom)

drums – Ramy Ali (Evidence One, Justice)

keyboards – Mats Olausson (ex-Ark, ex-Yngwie J. Malmsteen, etc.)

* For more info on IRON MASK, click on the links below:

http://www.iron-mask.com

http://www.dushanpetrossi.com

http://www.afm-records.de

LONG LIVE IRON MASK.

Stone.

EDGUY – Special Guest of Deep Purple For 2012 Autumn Tour!

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on January 28, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

The German Superheros EDGUY will be the Special Guest of legendary DEEP PURPLE on their tour in Autumn 2012:

15.11. KÖLN / LANXESS ARENA
16.11. BREMEN / HALLE 7
17.11. HANNOVER / AWD HALL
20.11. KIEL / SPARKASSEN ARENA
22.11. FRANKFURT / FESTHALLE
23.11. OBERHAUSEN / KÖNIGSPILSNER ARENA
24.11. HAMBURG / O2 WORLD
26.11. LEIPZIG / ARENA
27.11. BERLIN / O2 WORLD
29.11. AUGSBURG / SCHWABENHALLE
30.11. MÜNCHEN / OLYMPIAHALLE
01.12. STUTTGART / SCHLEYERHALLE

More EDGUY Shows 2012:

02.02. UK Manchester – Academy
03.02. UK Birmingham – The Library
04.02 UK London – O2 Academy Islington
17.02 FIN Helsinki – Finish Metal Expo
27.04 D St. Wendel / Bostalsee – Walpurgisschlacht Festival
06.06 S Sölvesborg – Sweden Rock
08.06 NL Eersel – E3 Beach
27.06 S Borlänge – Peace and Love
17.07 CZ Vizovice – Masters Of Rock

(Source: Nuclear Blast News)

* For more info on EDGUY & DEEP PURPLE:

Edguy – Official Website

DEEP PURPLE

LONG LIVE EDGUY.

LONG LIVE DEEP PURPLE.

Stone.

MANOWAR – Headlining Gods Of Metal Italy on June 21st, 2012

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , on January 28, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

As reported on WWW.MANOWAR.COM THE KINGDOM OF STEEL:

This will be the fulfillment of MANOWAR’s promise made 10 years ago to return to Italy in triumph.

“The Italian fans have won; their belief, shown by their non acceptance of false metal is the reason we will finally return.” said Joey DeMaio after the announcement. “There was no compromise on our part and on the part of our loyal fans and there never will be.

There was a war between promoters as to who would bring MANOWAR back to Italy to give the fans what they want and Gods Of Metal won.”

“MANOWAR have a strong and loyal following in Italy and all over the world. This will be MANOWAR’s fourth headlining appearance at Gods Of Metal; no other band has ever done that! 2012 is the celebration of 15 years of GODS OF METAL and the festival is like a home to MANOWAR and we are once again proud to bring the band back to Italy” said Andrea Pieroni, promoter.

“We played our last festival in Italy in 2002 and we promised we would not return until we could give our fans what they deserve and this year that promise will be fulfilled. We vow to crack the earth with power and might,” said Joey DeMaio. “This will be a show which no true metal warrior will want to miss. We are calling all Manowarriors not only from Italy, but from all over the world to join us for earth-shattering, face-melting metal.” continued DeMaio.

“The voices of the Italian fans cannot be silenced, their voices have finally been heard. Other countries will take heed and your voices will be the reason MANOWAR will appear in your country next!” explained DeMaio.

“There will be more news and surprises to be announced!” promised DeMaio and added: “Check out our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/manowar for constant updates!”

LONG LIVE MANOWAR.

Stone.

Mark Reale (RIOT Founder, Guitarist) – Rest In Peace

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news, speed metal with tags , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Mark Reale, founder and guitarist for RIOT passed away on January 25, 2012, at age 56. Mark was also the cofounder and guitarist for the Hard Rock band Westworld. The following is a direct quote from The Official Web Site of Mark Reale:

“Our brother Mark Reale went home to be with our Lord this day, January 25th, 2012 after a long battle and complications from Crohns disease”. You can read more by clicking here: Mark Reale – Official Web Site

RIOT originates from New York City. Mark Reale and RIOT have influenced and shaped the foundation of American Power Metal, not to mention influencing countless musicians and bands the world over. The Heavy Metal of RIOT and musicianship of Mark Reale will forever be one of a kind. Metal Odyssey expresses condolences to the family, bandmates, friends and fans of Mark Reale. May Mark Reale rest in peace.

Mark Reale

1955-2012

NIGHTQUEEN – Brand New Track ‘Nightfall’ Streaming Online Now!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on January 25, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

NIGHTQUEEN – Releasing on February 24th, 2012, is the third full-length album from Belgium’s NIGHTQUEEN. For Queen And Metal will be released on Massacre Records. A brand new track from For Queen And Metal, titled Nightfall, is currently streaming now at: http://www.massacre-records.com.

I highly recommend you check out this new song from NIGHTQUEEN and crank it up LOUD! Metal be thy name…

* For more info on NIGHTQUEEN, click on the links below:

http://www.nightqueen.be/

NIGHTQUEEN – myspace

MASSACRE RECORDS

LONG LIVE NIGHTQUEEN.

Stone.

PHARAOH – Premieres ‘Castles In The Sky’ From Their Forthcoming Album ‘Bury The Light’

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Cruz Del Sur Music officially presents the first track off of the upcoming PHARAOH album Bury the Light. The song, entitled  Castles In The Sky features Mike Wead of King Diamond fame on guitar. To stream Castles In The Sky, visit Cruz Del Sur Music here:  CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC On SoundCloud. Bury the Light is PHARAOH’s fifth album and will be officially released in Europe on February 24th, 2012, and in North America on March 6th. Available formats include CD,  limited gatefold LP and digital. For more, visit http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com.

BURY THE LIGHT – Track Listing:

Leave me Here to Dream

The Wolves

Castles in the Sky

The Year of the Blizzard

The Spider’s Thread

Cry

Graveyard of Empires

Burn with Me

In Your Hands

The Spider’s Thread (reprise)

PHARAOH:

 Tim Aymar – vocals

 Matt Johnsen – guitars

 Chris Black – drums

 Chris Kerns – bass

* PHARAOH originates from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Source: ClawHammer PR)

* For more info on PHARAOH, click on the links below:

PHARAOH – Reverbnation

http://solarflight.net

LONG LIVE PHARAOH.

Stone.

Warriors Of Metal Fest V Open Air – Forte’, Benedictum and The Last Alliance Are Confirmed!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal festivals, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on January 20, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Warriors Of Metal Festival V Open Air 2012 – Press Release:

We are very excited to announce that the Oklahoma City Power / Speed Metal band FORTE’ have officially confirmed their participation in this year’s Warriors Of Metal Fest V Open Air. FORTE’ released 4 great albums from 1992 to 1999 while signed to Germany’s Massacre Records and self released their Limited Edition “Vae Solis” EP in Sept. 2011! They’ll release their 5th full length album in early 2012.

The incredible Rev Jones who plays Bass for STEELHEART and MSG also plays Bass in FORTE’ and he’s something to behold LIVE! We thank FORTE’ for giving us the privilege to showcase them at our 5th year anniversary Metalfest in 2012!

We are also very happy to report that our American Metal Goddess, Veronica Freeman and our friends in BENEDICTUM have confirmed their return to the Warriors Of Metal Fest stage for a repeat performance in 2012, after being the very first female fronted Metal band that graced our stage in 2011.

The return of Benedictum to WOM Fest V Open Air was made possible in large part due to the generous fan sponsorships of Kent & Kathy Wittwer and DJ Valkyrie Lawson (of Hard Rock Radio Live) who are all WOM Fest fans and saw Benedictum in action this past year at WOM Fest IV Open Air and made this great band only the 3rd one to make a return to our stage besides Cleveland’s Vindicator & Brazil’s Machinage. We welcome Benedictum back to our Metal family in 2012!

Queens, New York’s Epic Metal band THE LAST ALLIANCE was the first band to confirm their participation in our special 5th year Anniversary celebration of True Metal in 2012. The Last Alliance self-produced their debut album “Out Of The Ashes” and are now in the process of recording their sophomore full length saga. It can easily be said that The Last Alliance writes songs that one would expect to hear on an Iced Earth or a Blind Guardian album so we are very excited to showcase this highly talented group of musicians at our festival this year.

The Warriors Of Metal Fest V Open Air will take place on June 29th & 30th, 2012 at the Frontier Ranch, 8836 York Road, Pataskala, Ohio which is just a 20 minute drive East of the capital city of Columbus, Ohio. Tickets for this event are now on sale at the Fest website:

http://www.warriorsofmetalfest.com

Weekend passes for adults (17 and up) are just $50 and Weekend 4-Packs for adults (groups of 4 people) are only $40 per person. Adult single day tickets are $30 for each day and $25 per person in a 4-Pack for a single day ticket. Teenager tickets (11-16) are only $15 for the whole weekend, Friday only or Saturday only. Kids under 11 get in for Free. Camping is free and ticket buyers can also pre-order their Fest T-shirts at the time of their ticket purchase.

LONG LIVE WARRIORS OF METAL FEST.

Stone.

GUN BARREL – Signs To Massacre Records

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Street credibility? Check. Uncompromising sound? Check. Pure enthusiasm? Check.

GUN BARREL don’t breathe new life into the great tradition of Heavy Metal, they inject it with high pressure. These guys combine old school, misfit Rock ‘n’ Roll and Metal attitude in an ingenious way. Being the representatives of this dirty Metal Rock ‘n’ Roll, they really let it rip during their legendary live performances.

You can feel the animal instinct and the heart and soul that make the band skyrocket on stage. If nothing else, this might be due to the fact that GUN BARREL are among the most frequent performers in Germany. Those, who survived the GUN BARREL live drumfire are totally thrilled and become serial offenders. This is unavoidable.

GUN BARREL are always good for a surprise. Acoustic show or full decibel attack; it is not unusual that guest stars such as Andy Brings appear on stage with them, that they contribute songs to several samplers, take a flight to Spanish island Mallorca by the order of Rock ‘n’ Roll or that they give the audience an understanding of their sound at legendary festivals such as Wacken Open Air or Slovenia’s Metalcamp.

GUN BARREL have gone through a lot during the last 10 years; so these dudes became a tough alliance. Rock star affectations? No way. Despite all the glamour, the band remains down-to-earth and continues to look forward – one is still up to much more!

GUN BARREL’s new album Brace For Impact will be released on March 23, 2012 via Massacre Records!

GUN BARREL:

Patrick Sühl – Vocals

Rolf Tanzius – Guitar

Toni Pinciroli – Drums

Tomcat Kintgen – Bass

(Source: Massacre Records)

* For more info on GUN BARREL, click on the links below:

http://www.gunbarrel.de

http://www.facebook.com/GunBarrel

http://www.massacre-records.com

LONG LIVE GUN BARREL.

Stone.

NIGHTWISH – Second Single From Gold Selling ‘Imaginaerum’ Releases On March 2nd!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news, symphonic metal with tags , , , , , , , on January 14, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

NIGHTWISH – The new, second single out of the successful gold-record Imaginaerum will be the rocking track The Crow, The Owl And The Dove, which will be released on March, 2nd.

Along with the title song, you will also get a previously unreleased song called The Heart Asks Pleasure First (theme from movie ‘The Piano’)! You will find the song in two different versions, including an instrumental one.

The Crow, The Owl And The Dove is featured in three versions: the radio-edit, album version and an instrumental.

You can order the single on CD, or as a vinyl in clear or blue colour, HERE!

(Source: Nuclear Blast News)

* For more info on NIGHTWISH, click on the link below:

www.nightwish.com

LONG LIVE NIGHTWISH.

Stone.

ALMAH – ‘Motion’: Brazilian Metal At Its Very, Very Finest and An Album To Absorb

Posted in album reviews, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , on January 10, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

ALMAH – Releasing in North America on January 17th, via AFM Records, is the third studio album from Brazil’s fantastically talented Metal band: ALMAH. To say this is one Metal album to own in 2012 feels like a call of Metal duty on my part. Angra vocalist Edu Falaschi is paired with his Angra bandmate Felipe Andreoli on bass, with Marcelo Barbosa and Paulo Schroeber on guitars and Marcelo Moreira on drums. Whoa, can both Marcelo and Paulo play them guitars! Metal be thy name. This album boasts some unbelievable guitar driven moments, all which leaves my eyes bugging out of my head. Seriously.

Edu Falaschi has somewhat silently become a premier vocalist in the world of Metal. You may not see Edu’s name on many top-ten lists for vocalists, only make no mistake, he takes a backseat to not many of his peers, in my Metal opinion. As a band, ALMAH can play their Metal fast, heavy and melodic. The glowing appeal about ALMAH is their ability to mix-it-up on Motion. ALMAH does not fall into any tidy comfort zone when it comes to Metal.

Motion opens up with Hypnotized and ALMAH delivers some crunchy and steel reinforced Metal on this song. Add into the mix a muscular rhythm section, backing vocals that elevates the high vibe, with mouth-watering guitars spewing out unyielding riffs, leads and a killer solo and you have… Metal bliss. Late Night  In ’85 is mid-paced and still has the ability to psyche-out my senses. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, Edu can sing and he soars on Late Night In ’85. This song also benefits from an amazing guitar solo at the 3/4 mark, bringing Late Night In ’85 to a glorious finish, simultaneously with Edu’s vocals.

Daydream Lucidity is a marvelous listening journey. This song showcases the melodic vocals of Edu and the guitars of Marcelo and Paulo. With illuminating guitar parts that are shredding and other parts melodic, Daydream Lucidity is a shining moment on Motion. When and Why is atmospheric from its opening note, with a tremendous help from tones created by some brilliant acoustic guitar. ALMAH created a ballad here with When and Why and it resonates emotion courtesy of Edu’s vocals. It makes for a cool and mellow way to close out Motion.

Lyrically smart and coming across so spontaneous are the songs on Motion. This is an ultra-talented band of musicians and ALMAH can take a bow for an album I’ve listened to many times over already. ALMAH has proven there is creativity in Metal without being straight-lined progressive and their new album Motion is not to be ignored… it’s to be absorbed.

MOTION – Track Listing:

Hypnotized

Living and Drifting

Days of the New

Bullets On the Altar

Zombies Dictator

Trace of Trait

Soul Alight

Late Night in ’85

Daydream Lucidity

When and Why

* For more info on ALMAH, click on the links below:

http://www.almah.com.br

http://www.facebook.com/official.almah

http://www.afm-records.de

LONG LIVE ALMAH.

Stone.

SABATON – New Album Details Revealed, Release Party Scheduled For Los Angeles!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , on January 5, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

Swedish Power Metal superstars SABATON just issued the following statement, revealing first details on the bands upcoming album:

“We can now confirm the rumors, the new SABATON album will be called Carolus Rex and in a few days we will start recording it. At the moment we cannot reveal any information about it, other than that it will be available at the end of May this year. We felt it was time for America to get something of a special show and this time the release party will be in Los Angeles, California. This show will be the only US West Coast show and it will be the world premiere of new songs.

-Happy new year, friends!“

(Source: Nuclear Blast News)

* For more info on SABATON, click on the links below:

http://www.sabaton.net

http://www.twitter.com/sabaton

http://www.youtube.com/sabaton

LONG LIVE SABATON.

Stone.

IRON SAVIOR ‘The Landing’ – German Power Metal Force Returns, In A Mammoth Way!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, Power Metal, power metal bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on January 4, 2012 by Metal Odyssey

IRON SAVIOR – If there is one grand lesson learned after listening to Iron Savior’s new studio album The Landing, it is proclaimed quite clearly on track #5: Heavy Metal Never Dies. This juggernaut of a German Power Metal band have once again provided as potent a punch of exhilarating Heavy Metal as ever, with The Landing. This new Iron Savior palette of Power Metal bliss will be released in North America on January 17, 2012, on AFM Records. Trust me, this album is a gemstone to seek out. So damn fine is The Landing that it’s brought tears of Heavy Metal joy to my eyes.

My Metal advice for when you are ready to sink your ears and senses into The Landing, is best summed up from these lyrics of Heavy Metal Never Dies: “Turn on the music, let it purify your mind”. In a vast world of Power Metal bands, Iron Savior has reinstated they are to be reckoned with whether you like it or not and The Landing is their Heavy Metal arsenal of 2012… one that cannot be contained nor denied.

Iron Savior fans may have waited four years for this new powerful offering of Heavy Metal thunder, only it was well worth the wait. This is a band that sounds pumped-up and ready for Power Metal battle, from start to finish on The Landing. This album is a total package of Power Metal on high, which features more impressive guitar leads, riffs and solos than I can count. Piet Sielck without any doubt in my Metal mind, belongs with the very best of Power/Heavy Metal vocalists, at commanding a song and bringing it to greater heights.

If there ever was to be a song from 2012 that I will turn to consistently for immediate psyche-you-out Metal gratification, then that song is Hall Of The Heroes. Metal be thy name. Hall Of The Heroes can now enjoy its deserved place on my list of All-Time Favorite Metal Songs. Ring that Metal bell and declare all posers to hell, cause Iron Savior has cast one unbelievable Metal spell with Hall Of The Heroes. Oh, the vocals of Piet Sielck, oh, that guitar solo… oh, that riveting rhythm section, oh, that chorus… simply an amazing song. Simply an amazing album.

If you consider yourself a Metal martyr and Defender Of The Faith… buy The Landing and play IRON SAVIOR very, very, LOUD… while your uncontrollable Heavy Metal pride explodes from your Metal soul, spilling upon all those around you. Metal be thy name… forever.

“In crimson sand, the heroes still stand” – IRON SAVIOR

IRON SAVIOR:

Piet Sielck – lead vocals, guitar

Yenz Leonhardt – backing vocals, bass

Joachim “Piesel” Küstner – backing vocals, guitar

Thomas Nack – drums and miscellaneous percussion

THE LANDING – Track Listing:

Descending

The Savior

Starlight

March Of Doom

Heavy Metal Never Dies

Moment In Time

Hall Of The Heroes

R.U. Ready

Faster Than All

Before The Pain

No Guts No Glory

IRON SAVIOR – THE LANDING Receives 5 out of 5 METAL FISTS.

* For more info on IRON SAVIOR, click on the links below:

http://www.iron-savior.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Savior/32522033805

http://www.afm-records.de

LONG LIVE IRON SAVIOR.

Stone.

Benedictum – Vote for Benedictum at Unleash The Furies, Plus: Benedictum Plays New Years Eve Gig In Las Vegas

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, melodic metal, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on December 27, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

Here are two very current news items on America’s very own… Benedictum. If you haven’t listened to Benedictum’s recent Frontiers Records release Dominion, you are missing out on getting your Metal lovin’ ass kicked! Trust me… Benedictum’s Dominion has kicked my Metal lovin’ass. Metal be thy name.

Vote For Benedictum At Unleash The Furies:

Benedictum – What better way to show your allegiance to the Veronica-led Benedictum than to vote for the band in the “Band of the Month – January 2012” contest over at Unleash The Furies? UTF is a blog dedicated to Female -Fronted Metal You Should Know.

Click here to visit the site and vote! You can vote every day up until December 31. Vote early, vote often!

(Source: Benedictum Official Website)

* For more info on BENEDICTUM, click on the links below:

BENEDICTUM – facebook

BENEDICTUM – Official Website

LONG LIVE BENEDICTUM.

Stone.