RIOT
"ROCK WORLD RARE & UNRELEASED 87-95"
Heavy Metal
Year:27.03.2020
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

The album features artwork by Jan Meininghaus and all songs were remastered by Patrick W. Engel.Here's more info on the release and track listing."In Mid 2016 I was asked to organize and catalog the considerable archives of the late Mark Reale, As a lifelong Riot fan this was an exciting prospect. Little did i know this would turn into almost a year of working through cassette tapes (Mostly unlabeled), VHS cassettes and ancient reel to reel formats - from this many never heard before songs and pieces of music were unearthed, of which numerous Riot archives collections and re-issues have been released this past couple of years. This collection contains some until now unheard songs or alternate versions of classic Riot tracks."Enjoy- Giles Lavery, ...

VADER
"SOLITUDE IN MADNESS"
Death Metal
Year:01.05.2020
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

MORE DEATH METAL MADNESS!Polish death metal legends VADER have returned with their 16th studio album, Solitude In Madness. Never one to rest or relax, VADER have done it all over the course of their 37-year history. From playing super-aggressive thrash under the watchful eye of Communist Poland and signing a worldwide deal with popular UK indie Earache Records to touring the globe - after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, of course - and enjoying a near-maniacal fanbase, there’s no stopping the Piotr“Peter”Wiwczarek-led outfit. Proof of that lies in the exceptionally great Solitude in Madness, where speed and power are back as the driving factors in VADER’s fiendish yet proficient death metal. Further evidence can be found in the differences...

CIRITH UNGOL
"FOREVER BLACK"
Heavy Metal
Year:24.04.2020
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

On April 24th, Cirith Ungol will release their new album, Forever Black - their first collection of all-new material in 29 years! Cirith Ungol was formed in Ventura, California in the early 1970s, first appearing on the scene with their self-financed debut album, Frost and Fire, via their own Liquid Flame Records imprint in April 1981. It was obscure and arcane, mysterious and eccentric, epic and expansive, but most of all unfailingly, bone-crushingly heavy, dark and doom-filled.Cirith Ungol went on to release two additional studio albums - King of the Dead and One Foot in Hell - now regarded as stone-cold classics. However, by the early 1990s, the musical climate was shifting away from traditional metal. The band was plagued with lineup instability and then came an unsatisf...

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
"VERMINOUS"
Death Metal
Year:17.04.2020
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

Verminous is The Black Dahlia Murder's most dynamic, rousing and emotional release to date, and it achieves this without compromising one iota of heaviness. "I think this is the biggest evolutionary leap we've ever taken from one album to the next. We stoked the creative fires with 2017's 'Nightbringers' and it's gone much further now in 'Verminous'," states vocalist Trevor Strnad. "It's a very colorful, moody, and charismatic album that experiments with new sounds and ideas without losing the cutthroat Black Dahlia edge. There is a lot of minutiae to digest. Plenty of delicious little Easter eggs woven into the fabric of each song. Each one is a living, breathing entity that will stand on its own as some of the best music this band has ever ...

WITCHCRAFT
"BLACK METAL"
Doom Metal/ Hard Rock
Year:01.05.2020
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

Magnus Pelander’s Witchcraft have existed at the forefront of occult tinged classic rock ever since their formation in the year 2000, when Magnus decided to form the band so that he could record a tribute to his idols Roky Erickson and Pentagram’s Bobby Liebling. The track in question ‘No Angel Or Demon’ was released in 2002 and was the spark that ignited Witchcraft’s now illustrious career from their self-titled debut in 2004 through to the wondrous ‘Nucleus’ in 2016.Now, Magnus takes Witchcraft in a brave new direction, setting forth into entirely new territory. Exhibiting the pure emotion that has always lived at the core of the band’s work, by moving forward alone. The band’s first new album in four years, ‘Blac...

AXEL RUDI PELL
"SIGN OF THE TIMES"
Hard Rock/ AOR
Year:08.05.2020
(SPV)

The figures speak for themselves: more than 1.7 million albums sold worldwide, 2.6 million streams for the top 10 predecessor  “Knights Call“ (2018). Now AXEL RUDI PELL is about to release “Sign Of The Times“, his 18th (!) studio album in 31 years. But not quantity matters - it’s the quality that counts, stupid!  His consistency enjoys more and more respect and appreciation within the hard & heavy community. Not every time, but with increasing frequency you hear the term ‘cult‘ when it comes to AXEL RUDI PELL. Being the man that he is, he cannot rely on that idea, but “if someone is that successful over such a long period of time, he might as well deserve it.” Sounds down to earth? Well, it was meant that way. “Wh...

BONFIRE
"FISTFUL OF FIRE"
Hard Rock/ Melodic Heavy Metal
Year:03.04.2020
(AFM RECORDS)

- German Hard Rock legends Bonfire are hitting hard with their new studio album “Fistful Of Fire”. “Fistful Of Fire” combines heaviness with great melodies and by that captures the true essence of Bonfire - the embodiment of "Hard'n'Heavy made in Germany" since more than 35 years.- The previous album “Temple Of Lies” reached #29 on the official German charts. Mix and mastering by Tom Müller (John Lord) at Flatliners Recording Studios a long-time partner of Bonfire.The combination of toughness and great melodies suites Bonfire perfectly. The German Hard Rock Legends prove this with their newest studio album “Fistful Of Fire”, which again has all trademarks typical to Bonfire: charismatic vocals, atchy riffs ...

ANI LO PROJEKT
"A TIME CALLED FOREVER"
Symphonic Female Metal
Year:17.04.2020
(SOULFOOD MUSIC)

Ani Lo. Projekt was founded in 2010 by well-known Bulgarian singer Ani Lozanova and her long-term musical partner, drummer Konstantin Dinev (Kossy D.). Their debut "Miracle" saw the light of day with a different line-up in March 2011 which was accompanied by a brilliant gig at Rock Theater in Sofia. Many shows followed, for instance at a biker event with Ian Parry guesting who also participated on "Miracle". 2012 a major line-up change took place when Ani Lo. moved to Germany and Kossy D. to the USA. The singer played some gigs with musicians based in Münster, Germany, for example opening the metal event "Das Schloss Rockt" in June 2017. In 2018 work on the new album began with Kossy producing and recording drums in his studio in San Diego, USA. He came over to Germany to record vo...

DYNAZTY
"THE DARK DELIGHT"
Melodic Heavy Metal
Year:03.04.2020
(AFM RECORDS)

- Seventh album of Sweden's biggest Modern Metal hope Dynazty. “The Dark Delight” combines modern melodic metal sound with excellent chorus driven songwriting. Lead singer Nils Molin is also known for his work with Amaranthe. Mixed and Mastered by: Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica). For Fans Of: Pretty Maids, Amaranthe, H.E.A.T. ...Dynazty was formed in 2008 in the swedish capital and shortly after the arrival of singer extraordinaire Nils Molin the five-piece gained a cult following and the critical acclaim with its epic melodic metal, five great albums and any number of shows. The band started out with their 2009 debut "Bring The Thunder", but after that straying from their early days of 80’s influenced Hardrock, they have dev...

SERIOUS BLACK
"SUITE 226"
Power Heavy Metal
Year:31.01.2020
(AFM RECORDS)

- Highly anticipated studioalbum no. 4 of German-American super band. The members have earned their stripes in bands like Firewind, Rhapsody, Tad Morose, Eedenbridge, Vision Of Atlantis und Dreamscape.- Ruthless riffs meets catchy melodies, driven by a manic rhythm section, and Urban Breed´s top-rated unleashed vocals add the necessary amount of insanity. Mastering by Mika Jussila / Finnvox (Delain, Stratovarious, Children Of Bodom).For eighteen months it was really quiet about SERIOUS BLACK, a comparatively long time for a band that, since its inception in 2015, let a maximum of one year pass until the release of a new album. After three successful predecessors and more than 120 shows worldwide, they used their well-deserved tim...

GOD DETHRONED
"ILLUMINATI"
Death Metal
Year:07.02.2020
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

The immutable power of the Netherlands' greatest blackened death metal band, God Dethroned, rings true on new album, Illuminati - their most varied material to date. With a cover by Polish master Michal 'Xaay' Loranc (Nile, Evocation), Illuminati is conversant in the tenets of death metal - experimental where it needs to be, and indomitable in spirit. It's the kind of album that will bestow the Dutch heroes with accolades and push them acrossEurope (first with Obscura - see dates below) and then the rest of the globe (planning for North and South America is under way) throughout 2020.God Dethroned's Henri Sattler checked in with the following comment about Illuminati: "Freemasons, occultists and conspiracy theory enthusiasts pay attention! God ...

METAL CHURCH
"FROM THE VAULT (CD)"
Heavy Metal
Year:10.04.2020
(NAPALM RECORDS)

  In April 2020 the band will release a very special album via Reaper Entertainment. "From The Vault" is a collection of previously unreleased songs from the Mike Howe era.  ( New Studio Tracks, B-Side Tracks From The Damned If You Do Sessions, Cover Songs, USA Bonus Tracks From The XI Album )    Born out of the West Coast metal scene of the 80’s, METAL CHURCH quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra Records, they released two critically acclaimed albums. Their self-titled release »Metal Church« established the band as one of the pioneers of the thrash/metal scene. The All Music Guide had this to say about the debut: “The band’s incredibly tight musicianship is a highligh...

TESTAMENT
"TITANS OF CREATION"
Thrash Metal
Year:03.04.2020
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

The time has arrived for TESTAMENT to unleash new thunder to the masses and reveal their thirteenth studio album: Titans Of Creation. Just as the elements of this planet thrive within all living creatures, each musician in TESTAMENT represents a necessary component of this latest musical endeavour. Still filled with a massive and unstoppable energy since their last release, TESTAMENT has taken their style to the next level and present an album that is loyal to the roots of traditional thrash metal while still bringing alluring, brilliant, and progressive ingredients to the table. Bass is showcased, new vocals are introduced, and as expected, the guitarwork of Peterson and Skolnick is greatly complex and mesmerizing.In 2020 the days of writing an album all together in one roo...

AD INFINITUM
"CHAPTER I - MONARCHY"
Symphonic Female Metal
Year:03.04.2020
(NAPALM RECORDS)

AD INFINITUM presents a dark symphonic ceremony to ring in a new era!AD INFINITUM sets the stage for your darkest nightmares with their smashing debut Chapter I: Monarchy. The album grabs your demons by the horns, boasting energetic and uncompromising symphonic metal set atop a rousing journey throughout history. Escaping the Black Death and transporting you to another era, standout track “Marching on Versailles” breaks in with smashing drums and forceful guitar riffs. Melissa Bonny’s multi-faceted vocals fill every fiber of the anthemic “Demons” — from powerful, fragile highs to deep growls, the track will send shivers down your spine. The energetic and equally melodic soundscapes of the vigorous ballad “Fire and Ice“ perfectl...

CANDLEMASS
"THE PENDULUM"
Doom Heavy Metal
Year:27.03.2020
(NAPALM RECORDS)

"The Pendulum" - the masterful new EP by the undisputed kings of epic doom, staving off your hunger for more until CANDLEMASS' next full-length hits!Grammy-nominated classic doom icons CANDLEMASS don't even need to drop a full-length for every release to prove they belong at the top of an entire genre and beyond. Fully comprised of never-before-heard, unused tracks cut from the The Door To Doom recording sessions, the band’s masterful new EP, The Pendulum, perfectly showcases that these timeless Swedish pioneers are the undisputed kings of epic doom.The fully-mastered EP opener/title track “The Pendulum” charges in with a melodic, head-swinging, thrashy rush - setting the stage for the raw, unfiltered steamrolling demo cut, "Porcelain ...