NIGHTWISH
"DECADES: LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES"
Symphonic/ Folk Metal
Year:06.12.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

It’s Sunday, September 30th 2018. At some point in the afternoon, a light rain begins to fall down on Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. Not that anybody inside the Estadio Malvinas stadium would notice; all day the highly focussed crew is busy setting up the stage in the huge arena, while in the maze of passages down below the band is getting ready for tonight’s performance. This is not your normal band though, and it’s not your normal performance that’s being prepped. In a couple of hours’ time, symphonic metal trailblazers Nightwish will unleash their unique “Decades” show on the huge stage of the Argentinian metropolis. And once again, they will be setting aflame the hearts of thousands of dedicated fans.And that’s exa...

SKYBLOOD
"SKYBLOOD"
Melodic Heavy Metal
Year:22.11.2019
(NAPALM RECORDS)

Mats Levén is one of the most influential and illustrious names in Swedish metal. His dramatic and colorful voice has graced albums by Candlemass, Therion, Krux, Yngwie Malmsteen and At Vance – now, after lending his voice to others for decades, fans can finally witness the charismatic singer’s solo project! Said project has been christened Skyblood and is, according to Mats, “who I am”. The driving force that is ‘Wake Up To The Truth’, the dark and hypnotic ‘Once Invisible’, or exotic entries such as ‘Out Of The Hollow’, triumph in musical finesse and timeless elegance. The eponymous debut is an unchained and exciting affair feeding off of epic and classic metal influences, doom and melodic hard rock.  ...

STRIGOI
"ABANDON ALL FAITH"
Doom/ Death Metal
Year:22.11.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

When PARADISE LOST guitarist Greg Mackintosh put to rest his VALLENFYRE side project in 2018, he closed a difficult, but an ultimately cathartic period in his life. Created as a tribute to his father John, who passed away in 2009, VALLENFYRE originally served as a sounding board for Greg’s grief, but then delved into his nihilistic take on the world. VALLENFYRE’s brief existence was intentional — the band always knew they could go no further than the three studio albums that bore their name. A mere few days after VALLENFYRE played its last live show in September 2018, Mackintosh announced the formation of a brand-new band, STRIGOI.»Abandon All Faith« boasts a wide dichotomy of tracks, from less-than-two-minute d-beat grinders (‘Nocturnal V...

SERENITY
"THE LAST KNIGHT"
Symphonic Melodic Metal
Year:31.01.2020
(NAPALM RECORDS)

SERENITY has captivated fans and audiences for nearly two decades, and they’re showing no signs of stopping! Their brand new album, The Last Knight – inspired by the life of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. – will hit stores on January 31, 2020 via Napalm Records. This album is an absolute must-have for every metal fan! With The Last Knight, SERENITY sets the world on fire with thrilling stories of times long ago, catchy melodies and an unprecedented spectrum of sound that will inspire fans to listen over and over again. For years, the band has been a prime example of epic symphonic and melodic metal, showcasing both distinct heaviness and a lot of heart. SERENITY has redefined themselves without forgetting their roots. Be a part of their grand journey! TRA...

AVATARIUM
"THE FIRE I LONG FOR"
Doom/ Gothic Metal
Year:22.11.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

This autumn our hearts will be enlightened by the fourth studio album of Sweden’s globally praised AVATARIUM. They have no musical boundaries and that plays a vital part in ensuring they have a signature sound. This open-minded, yet doom-laden collective draws elements of folk, jazz and psychedelic brilliance into a grandiose amalgamation that manages to maintain an almost pop-like elegance. After previous album »Hurricanes And Halos« (2017) the band toured the world with their now significant and utterly unique repertoire. Another successful EU headline tour took place in autumn 2017. Next, they focused on crafting the next installment in their catalogue which is titled »The Fire I Long For«.This record showcases the essence of a band who has f...

MARKO HIETALA
"PYRE OF THE BLACK HEART"
Hard Rock/ Prog Metal
Year:24.01.2020
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

Today, Finnish singer/bassist Marko Hietala announces his signing with Nuclear Blast for his upcoming solo album "Pyre Of The Black Heart", that is set to released on January 24th. Hietala himself describes the style of the upcoming release as "Hard Prog".About the goal behing his solo album, Marko Hietala comments, "Well, let's put it this way: NIGHTWISH is without any doubt my main band, and thanks to income from that direction, I don't have to be that commercially aware... What I mean is that when I was coming up with the musical thoughts for this solo record, I was able to do simply anything without limits. So if I had a goal, it was to not have any kind of limits, but to prepare an unpredictable, spontaneous, adventurous, ferocious and intimate solo record. An...

GARY MOORE
"LIVE FROM LONDON"
Hard Rock/ AOR
Year:31.01.2020
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

-  Recorded December 2, 2009 @Islington Academy in London at Planet Rock's Xmas Party. The recording features all his best songs and hits, such as Oh, Pretty Woman, Parisienne Walkways and off course Still Got The Blues. This official release is coordinated and selected by the Gary Moore estate to keep his legacy alive. Live From London is showcasing one of blues-rock’s biggest names in an intimate club setting, bottling a performance that stands amongst Moore’s very best!Some shows are so momentous, they pass into rock ‘n’ roll folklore. When Gary Moore stepped onto the stage of London’s Islington Academy on December 2nd, 2009, it was a true one-off, showcasing one of blues-rock’s biggest names in an intim...

HEATHEN
"THE EVOLUTION OF CHAOS 10TH YEAR ANNIV. REISSUE"
Thrash Metal
Year:31.01.2020
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

The 1980s San Francisco Bay Area scene was a seismic moment in the world of metal and part of that moment was Heathen. The band return 31st January with the 10th Anniversary remastered reissue of ‘The Evolution of Chaos’ via Mascot Records. The release will be available on CD+DVD, 2LP and digitally with a previously unreleased bonus track ‘Seasons of Purgatory’. The CD/DVD will be accompanied by a 2 hour ‘Making of’ documentary on the album as well as a live performance from 2009s Thrash Domination, Japan.When the album was originally released back in January 2010 it was the bands first album of new material in 18 years and saw them ride a wave of the resurgent Thrash scene. The line-up consisted of vocalist David White, guitarist Lee Altu...

ENTRAILS
"RISE OF THE REAPER"
Death Metal
Year:11.10.2019
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

On October 11th, Entrails will release their new album, Rise of the Reaper, Entrails formed in 1990/91. Their goal was to follow the scene that Stockholm brought to light around the time with bands like Dismember, Entombed, Grave and many more that cemented the brilliant Swedish death metal sound from T. Skogsberg's Sunlight studio.For their latest opus, Rise Of The Reaper, Marc from Art Wars media design created the cover art and layout, while Dan Swanö handled mixing and mastering duties. Dan brought back the massive wall of sound that Entrails is known for. Fans can expect another classic album from the group, with touring to follow in late 2019 and beyond!TRACKLIST CD/ LP:1. Rise of the Reaper (Intro)2. For Hell3. Miscreation...

CATTLE DECAPITATION
"DEATH ATLAS"
Death Metal
Year:22.11.2019
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

Cattle Decapitation have never shied away from confronting the awfulness wrought upon the natural world by the human race, and Death Atlas is their bleakest offering to date. The cover art says it all: a stooped, skeletal Grim Reaper carrying the burnt-out husk of our planet on his back. "The core concept of this record is humanity's insignificance despite what we've convinced ourselves," explains vocalist Travis Ryan. "That's kind of why this album cover takes place in space, to remind you that 'the universe always finds a way to purge'. In the grand scheme of things, our species is merely a fleeting thought." This imagery is backed up with a ferocious soundtrack, which includes elements of death metal, grindcore, black metal, sludge, doom, drone - with Ryan&ap...

RUNNING WILD
"CROSSING THE BLADES"
Heavy Metal
Year:06.12.2019
(SPV)

It’s been three years since Running Wild wowed their fans with their (still) current album Rapid Foray. Three years in which a lot of water has passed under the metal galleys of time and the fans’ requests for new songs have become more and more vociferous. To ease the wait so that his supporters won’t have to hold out until early summer 2020, Running Wild captain Rock´n`Rolf Kasparek has come up with a real masterstroke: on 6 December 2019 – Saint Nicholas Day! – the band have a special little gift for their fans and will release the EP Crossing The Blades on Steamhammer/SPV, featuring four brand-new tracks, including an exciting cover of the Kiss classic, ‘Strutter.’ The Crossing The Blades EP will be available on CD, 12&rdqu...

ANGEL WITCH
"ANGEL OF LIGHT"
NWOBHM
Year:01.11.2019
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

Angel Witch's 1980 eponymous debut on Bronze records created shockwaves that would resonate throughout the nascent realm of thrash, doom and death metal. Now, nearly four decades later, the band remain custodians of a style that transcends era and archetype.Angel Witch's current line-up is comprised of Kevin Heybourne (vocals, lead guitar), Jimmy Martin (rhythm guitar), Will Palmer (bass), Fredrik Jansson Punkka (drums) - the nucleus of which (Heybourne & Palmer) first formed eleven years ago, delivering 2012's critically acclaimed album, As Above, So Below.The long-awaited follow-up to this record will finally arrive on November 1st via Metal Blade Records. Angel Witch comments: "It's hard to believe it's been almost a decade s...

SLAYER
"THE REPENTLESS KILLOGY"
Thrash Metal
Year:08.11.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

Formed in 1981, SLAYER are one of the most respected and well-known metal bands on the planet. With a dozen proper full lengths under their belt, including 2015's Nuclear Blast debut "Repentless", SLAYER's catalog remains an unfathomably important installment in music's history. The 2-CD digipak release contains a full live show from The Forum during their Repentless tour in 2017 with tracks spanning the bands career.“The Repentless Killogy” features SLAYER’s entire live set performed at the Los Angeles Forum on August 5, 2017, and was directed by Wayne Isham who has directed videos for artists including METALLICA, FOO FIGHTERS, Michael Jackson, Kelly Clarkson, and Britney Spears. Presented in front of one of the most striking stage productio...

SODOM
"OUT OF THE FRONTLINE TRENCH"
Thrash Metal
Year:25.11.2019
(SPV)

- 3 more new songs with the amazing new line-up. Incl. 1 live song plus 1 re-recorded classic!In addition to ‘Genesis 19’, ‘Out Of The Frontline Trench’ features two more new tracks, namely the title song and ‘Down On Your Knees’. Both are about the horrors of World War I. Tom: “Postcards and letters from my granddad, which I discovered among the things he left behind when he died, and some TV documentaries have given me a vague idea of what it must have been like for soldiers back in those days to leave their trenches and face those life-threatening battles.”‘Out Of The Frontline Trench’ is rounded off by a re-recorded version of the Sodom classic ‘Agent Orange’ (the s...

BLIND GUARDIANs TWILIGHT ORCHESTRA
"LEGACY OF THE DARK LANDS"
Symphonic Melodic Metal
Year:08.11.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

Some things just need time. Rome, for example, wasn’t built in a day. Also a certain professor Tolkien didn’t write »The Lord Of The Rings« over a weekend in Oxford. BLIND GUARDIAN are very well aware of this fact. Known for their tendency to brood over their refined concept albums like a dragon over its treasure, they manage to surpass themselves in terms of bombast, depth and grandeur every single time. Thus, if such a fantasy metal icon is announcing a gargantuan project of unseen proportions, we had better be ready for a storm.Finally, »Legacy Of The Dark Lands« has arrived, and is rendering the world utterly speechless. Recorded with the unleashed omnipotence of the soundtrack-experienced Prague Filmharmonic in Prague’s Rudolfin...