BRUCE DICKINSON
"THE MANDRAKE PROJECT"
Heavy Metal
Year:01.03.2024
(ADA - Alternative Distribution Alliance)

Renowned around the world as one of the greatest and most distinctive heavy metal vocalists of all time, Bruce Dickinson will be releasing a brand new solo album in early 2024 on BMG Records. Entitled The Mandrake Project it sees him reunited with long-time musical collaborator and producer Roy Z. The Mandrake Project will be Dickinson’s seventh solo album and his first since Tyranny Of Souls in 2005. Dickinson explains, “This album has been a very personal journey for me and I am extremely proud of it. Roy Z and I have been planning, writing and recording it for years, and I am very excited for people to finally hear it.” The Mandrake Project is a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against a backdrop of scientific and occult genius. CD:1. ...

HAMFERD
"MEN GUOS HOND ER STERK"
Progressive Metal/ Doom
Year:22.03.2024
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

When this magisterial sextet's third album Támsins likam emerged in 2018 - ten years after they first entered a rehearsal space - the highly acclaimed and powerfully emotive opus thrust the mourning-suited band onto the world stage. Five years on, the accumulation of plentiful live experience and interpersonal chemistry has had a profound impact on HAMFERÐ's extraordinary fourth LP, Men Guðs hond er sterk, feeding into the artisanal sonic vision of guitarist and producer, Theodor Kapnas.

CD/ LP:

01. Ábær
02. Rikin
03. Marrusorg
04. Glæman
05. Í hamferð
06. Fendreygar
07. Hvølja
08. Men Guðs hond er sterk

UNLEASH THE ARCHERS
"PHANTOMA"
Power Heavy Metal
Year:10.05.2024
(NAPALM RECORDS)

Canada’s most exciting metal band, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, recently ascended to worldwide power metal domination with their dual-concept releases of 2017’s Apex and 2020’s breakout triumph Abyss. The latter won a JUNO Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year, debuted at #1 on the US Current Hard Music and Top New Artist charts, was dubbed by Bandcamp as “a mandatory listen”, and named by Loudwire as one of the best rock and metal albums of the year - crowning the band as “gamechangers within the genre”. Now, the purveyors of futuristically-motivated metal return with their conceptual, AI inspired sixth studio album, Phantoma, out May 10, 2024 via Napalm Records.              &nb...

DRAGONFORCE
"WARP SPEED WARRIORS"
Power Heavy Metal
Year:15.03.2024
(NAPALM RECORDS)

The world’s fastest band, GRAMMY nominated extreme power metal legends DRAGONFORCE, are Warp Speed Warriors!Grammy-nominated extreme power metal pioneers DRAGONFORCE will release their monumental new album and Napalm Records debut, Warp Speed Warriors, on March 15, 2024! The iconic unit is known for their masterful, unparalleled and lightning-fast signature guitar solos that influenced a whole genre. The band around virtuoso guitarists and founding members Herman Li and Sam Totman are highly inspired by a myriad of heavy metal styles, fantasy realms and video games.Formed in 1999, DRAGONFORCE has captivated audiences worldwide with their highly successful records and iconic singles, including the platinum-selling hit "Through the Fire and Flames" - the ultimate challenge for gamers o...

CARNATION
"CURSED MORTALITY"
Death Metal
Year:03.11.2023
(SEASON OF MIST)

For the last decade, CARNATION have been leading the revival of old-school death metal. They’ve brought back spirit-crushing riffs and trampling blast beats with some of the new wave’s most menacing growls.While the Belgian band have always upheld the genre’s time-honored traditions, they never sound dated, either, ‘Cursed Mortality’ pushes them into deeper, darker, more experimental waters. The title track wades into ominous synth tones and even clean vocals.This album isn’t simply a revival. It’s a bold step into future.For fans of (early) ENTOMBED, BLOODBATH, GATECREEPER, SKELETAL REMAINS, GRAVE.CD/ LP:1.Herald of Demise (04:03)2.Maruta (04:07)3.Metropolis (03:24)4.Replicant (03:49)5.Dutroux (03:38)6.Submerged in Deafening Silence (04:26)7...

BRODEQUIN
"HARDBRINGER OF WOE"
Death Metal
Year:22.03.2024
(SEASON OF MIST)

-    Dying Fetus’ vocalist and guitarist John Gallagher, who named Instruments of Torture one of the most brutal death metal albums ever.-    After 20 years of peaceful silence, Brodequin have returned with fresh instruments of torture. The Brothers Bailey are back with a new drummer, a new label and their long-awaited fourth album.-    This album is a journey into this lost period of history where brutality and beauty coexist.-    Artwork is 'The martyr of fanaticism' by José de Brito (1895).With BRODEQUIN, what you see is what you get. After all, the band are named after a French medieval torture device. Of course, BRODEQUIN come with their own history. Brothers Jamie and Mike Bailey have been banging thei...

VIPASSI
"LIGHTLESS"
Progressive Metal
Year:26.01.2024
(SEASON OF MIST)

Building on the foundation laid by their debut album 'Sunyata,' a title that loosely translates to emptiness or voidness, VIPASSI showcases their exceptional artistry on their sophomore release, 'Lightless,' a record that delves into the timeless theme of light versus dark. Named after the twenty-second Buddha, VIPASSI aptly characterizes the band's aura of absolute clairvoyance. This quality is vividly mirrored in their prodigious technical musicianship, setting them apart as instrumental superstars. 'Lightless' is a testament to their evolution, showcasing a level of maturity that is awe-inspiring in the realm of instrumental progressive metal.  What truly distinguishes VIPASSI is their ability to craft an immersive musical narrative that transcend...

SUICIDAL ANGELS
"PROFAN PRAYER"
Thrash Metal
Year:01.03.2024
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

Newly re-signed Greek thrashers SUICIDAL ANGELS return to Nuclear Blast for their 8th studio album ‘Profane Prayer’. Releasing their first album in 2007, Suicidal Angels cut their teeth supporting Kreator and Celtic Frost in Greece before joining MTVs Headbangers Ball Tour alongside Kreator, Exodus and Death Angel in 2010. After the brooding guitar intro, first single ‘When The Lions Die’ bursts out with ultra tight rhythms and euphonious guitar accents, showcasing the band at their most memorable.

CD:

1 When the Lions Die
2 Crypts of Madness
3 Purified by Fire
4 Deathstalker
5 Profane Prayer
6 The Return of the Reaper
7 Guard of the Insane
8 Virtues of Destruction
9 The Fire Paths of Fate

TEMIC
"TERROR MANAGEMENT THEORY"
Progressive Metal
Year:17.11.2023
(SEASON OF MIST)

TEMIC are just one album in, but to reach this point, this supergroup had to navigate quite the career maze. These guys have played with Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, Neal Morse, SHINING and Maraton. But it wasn’t until the world shut down in 2020, that keyboardist Diego Tejedia and guitarist Eric Gillette got around to starting a band together.  Their idea wasn’t exactly simple: orchestrate their love for high-energy electronica and killer melodies into a modern prog-metal band. But by recruiting vocalist Fredrik Klemp and Simen Sandnes on drums, Temic manage to pull that concept off Terror Management Theory is layered with twists and turns. “Count Your Losses” crushes out tech riffs by the ton, while “Falling Away&rd...

LENNY KRAVITZ
"BLUE ELECTRIC LIGHT"
Blues/ Classic Rock
Year:24.05.2024
(ADA - Alternative Distribution Alliance)

Timeless. Explosive. Romantic. Inspiring. How else to characterize Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz’s 12th studio album? Kravitz’s mastery of deep-soul rock ‘n roll is a long-established fact. As a relentless creative force—musician, writer, producer, actor, author, designer—he continues to be a global dynamic presence throughout music, art and culture. Blue Electric Light is an impassioned suite of songs, that broadens this distinction and is the latest contribution of a man whose music—not to mention his singular style—continues to inspire millions the world over. On the album, Kravitz's talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist resonate as he wrote and played most of the instruments himself, with long-time guitarist Craig Ro...

ATROPHY
"ASYLUM"
Thrash Metal
Year:15.03.2024
(MASSACRE RECORDS)

"Asylum" is the next evolutionary step for ATROPHY.

Keeping the speed of "Socialized Hate" and the grooves of "Violent By Nature", the album adds a big dose of heaviness to the mix resulting in a satisfying aural kick to the face.

The lyrical focus is still focused on societal ills, from the insurrection to the brainwashing performed by the major news networks, and then also the obvious results from these on the people just struggling to live their lives.

CD/ LP:

1. Punishment For All
2. High Anxiety
3. Seeds Of Sorrow
4. Distortion
5. Bleeding Out

6. American Dream
7. Close My Eyes
8. The Apostle
9. Five Minutes 'Til Suicide

ALTERIUM
"OF WAR AND FLAMES"
Melodic Power Heavy Metal
Year:08.03.2024
(AFM RECORDS)

Since ALTERIUM released their first single "Drag Me to Hell", the power metal community screamed for a full album by the Italian newcomers. After four long months, the wait is finally over: ALTERIUM are here with their debut album "Of War and Flames". The previous singles have already foreshadowed, what to expect: potent vocals, explosive instrumentals, and a dash of gothic mystique to create an unforgettable experience in fantastic realms!

CD/ LP:

1. Drag Me to Hell
2. Siren's Call
3. Of War and Flames
4. Firebringer
5. Crossroads Inn

6. Shadowsong
7. Crystalline
8. Heroine of The Sea
9. Chasing the Sun
10. Bismarck

WALTER TROUT
"BROKEN"
Blues/ Classic Rock
Year:01.03.2024
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

- Broken features guest appearances by Will Wilde, Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Beth Hart (on the title track).All of us are broken. But no-one is beyond repair. It’s a philosophy that Walter Trout has lived by during seven volatile decades at the heart of America’s society and blues-rock scene. Even now, with the world more fractured than ever – by politics, economics, social media and culture wars – the fabled US bluesman’s latest album, Broken, chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life but refuses to succumb to them. “I’ve always tried to write positive songs, and this album is not quite that,” considers the 72-year-old of an all-original tracklisting that rages and soothes. “But I always hold on to hope. I think that’s w...

MESSIAH
"CHRISTUS HYPERCUBUS"
Thrash/ Speed Metal
Year:01.03.2024
(High Roller Records)

Switzerland has always been a fertile breeding ground for Extreme Metal. Messiah were formed in 1984 and issued two truly ground breaking records on Chainsaw Murder Records, »Hymn To Abramelin« in 1986 and »Extreme Cold Weather« a year later. In the early 1990s Messiah signed to Karl Walterbach’s Noise Records label and issued three more full-length albums: »Choir Of Horrors« (1991), »Rotten Perish« (1992) and »Underground« (1994) before going their separate ways.In 2018, Messiah decided to reform in the original line-up of their Noise Records albums with Andy Kaina on vocals, Steve Karrer on drums, Patrick Hersche on bass and band founder R.B. Brögi on guitar. Lavish re-issues of »Hymn To Abramelin« and &ra...

SONATA ARCTICA
"CLEAR COLD BEYOND"
Melodic Power Heavy Metal
Year:08.03.2024
(ATOMIC FIRE)

SONATA ARCTICA return to their power metal roots on “Clear Cold Beyond”.SONATA ARCTICA have been many things in their storied career. Finnish power metal messiahs, relentlessly touring powerhouses, champions of sublime melody. First and foremost, however, they have been stalwarts in showcasing the magic and the enchantment flowing through heavy metal. They have been embodying the majesty and serenity of Nordic nature since their foundation in 1995 and have been spellbinding their world with ten records, EPs and countless tours."Clear Cold Beyond" easily is the most relentless SONATA ARCTICA record to date, a spectacular resurgence of their trademark, lightning fast power metal forged far, far north. "We’ve felt for a while now that we’d need to get heavier again aft...