GRAND MAGUS
"WOLF GOD"
Epic/ True/ Heavy Metal
Year:19.04.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

- MELODIC & HEAVY RIFFS - WOLF GOD WILL PICK YOU UP!The riff gods are back! A little more than two years have passed since the great »Sword Songs« album was released, but GRAND MAGUS can never quench their thirst for action. Accordingly, the Heavy Metal giants started to develop new songs as fast as possible after their last record. Singer and guitarist JB points out their new way of working: “We decided to let go of the current philosophy to record drums first and then bass and then guitar etc. This time, we met up, jammed and created together during the last six months with the goal to record basic tracks live.“ Something, lovers of little details will realize, yet GRAND MAGUS haven't lost their basic philosophy.»Wolf God&...

GEORGE BENSON
"Walking To New Orleans - Remembering Chuck Berry and Fats Domino"
Blues/ Jazz
Year:26.04.2019
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

George Benson gets back to Americana basics on 'Walking to New Orleans', the legendary jazz guitarist's double-barreled tribute to both piano-pounding Crescent City hit machine Fats Domino and the original rock guitar hero and poet, Chuck Berry."I'm a great appreciator of the music made by both of those guys," says Benson, who reanimates their genius with his signature soulful vocals and buttery solos. "Chuck Berry was a great showman and a great musician, and Fats Domino cut nothing but hit after hit after hit."The Chuck Berry songbook is represented on ‘Walking To New Orleans' by "Nadine (Is It You?)," "You Can't Catch Me," "Havana Moon," "Memphis, Tennessee," and "How You've Changed." Fats Domino weighs in with "Rockin&...

D-A-D
"A PRAYER FOR THE LOUD"
Hard Rock/ AOR
Year:28.06.2019
(AFM RECORDS)

- Finally back with a new studio album after 8 years! Mastered by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound (AC/DC, Keith Richards, Greta Van Fleet, Joe Bonamassa) [!]Eight years. That’s how long it’s been since Denmark’s most celebrated rock band D-A-D released their last studio album. But now the wait is over. The band’s legion of fans can start the countdown to May 31st when the Danish rock legends unveil their latest album, 'Prayer For The Loud’. It’s been a long time coming but it has been well worth it!The new album harks back to the core of what D-A-D does better than most: four guys who play thrilling rock music with ferocious energy, catchy songs and an infectious commitment. 'A Prayer For The Loud&rs...

MAJESTY
"LEGENDS"
True/ Heavy Metal
Year:28.06.2019
(NAPALM RECORDS)

The German heavy metal icons used the two years since Rebels well: Next to relentless touring, the fivepiece got busy by pouring all its creativity into new and exciting material. Legends is the ninth MAJESTY studio album and leads all defenders of steel into a post-apocalyptic wasteland where mankind fights for a brighter future. After an atmospheric intro exceptional singer Tarek Maghary and co dive headfirst into epic goodness with ‘Rizing Home‘ and deliver ‘Burn The Bridges‘ with catchy gusto and keyboards. Legends bravely continues down the path its predecessor paved and mixes MAJESTY trademarks such as soaring guitar solos and anthemic choirs with modern soundscapes and a massive, crystal-clear production. That`s how real legends gotta sound!Ger...

PRISTINE
"ROAD BACK TO RUINS"
Classic Rock/ Psychidelic Rock
Year:19.04.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

- GROOVY SOUND & POWERFUL VOICE!The fifth album from Norwegian band PRISTINE showcases the band’s consistent development and increasingly diverse influences. Heidi Solheim, the band’s lead singer and creative mastermind from Tromsø, spanned a wide musical and lyrical range to write eleven songs for »Road Back To Ruin« – the band and her voice are the album’s common threads.The song “Sinnerman” was written during the 2018 tour, and its intensity makes it the perfect album opener. The title track barrels towards listeners with a massiveness that gives the song real weight. As does “Blind Spot”, a song that includes a short intro performed in Arabic by Syrian singer Racha Rizk, which is followed ...

HAMMERFALL
"DOMINION"
True/ Heavy Metal
Year:18.08.2019
(NAPALM RECORDS)

These Swedes are in fine form and have forged an unforgettable metal manifesto!It will go down as a milestone in the career of HammerFall, of that we have absolutely not even a sliver of doubt.” Brave words – but you better believe, because they`re coming from the one and only gods of heavy metal! Mercilessly galloping opener ‘Never forgive, never forget‘ keeps that promise: The Swedes are in fine form and have forged an unforgettable steel manifesto! Dominion is hungry for blood and ready for battle with 12 new tracks: The title track is pure headbanging frenzy with epic backing vocals, ‘Testify‘ shreds like mad, and just to make one thing clear: ‘(We make) Sweden rock‘! Well, certainly not just Sweden will rock, because all o...

VLTIMAS
"SOMETHING WICKED MARCHES IN"
Blackened Death Metal
Year:29.03.2019
(SEASON OF MIST)

First full length-album by the new cult death metal formation. The band is made of Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (ex-MAYHEM, AURA NOIR, EARTH ELECTRIC), David Vincent (ex-MORBID ANGEL) and Flo Mounier (CRYPTOPSY). Mixed and mastered Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios (GHOST, PARADISE LOST, ULVER, SOLSTAFIR, PRIMORDIAL). Cover artwork by the renowned Zbigniew Bielak (MAYHEM, WATAIN, GHOST, DESTROYER 666, CRAFT and more).A behemoth of death metal extremity, this album sees these titans bring their prodigious talents to bear on a commanding synthesis of their storied histories. VLTIMAS is nothing short of extreme metal royalty, and 'Something Wicked Marches In' is a forceful statement of intent.TRACKLIST CD/ LP:1. Something Wicked Marches In (4...

JORDAN RUDESS
"WIRED FOR MADNESS"
Progressive Rock/ Metal
Year:19.04.2019
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

- Jordan Rudess is the highly acclaimed keyboardist of Dream Theater! Renowned guests include drummer Marco Minnemann, Dream Theater front man James LaBrie, guitarists Vinnie Moore, Guthrie Govan, Joe Bonamassa and John Petrucci among others [!]Wired For Madness is bursting and flowing forth with all of the drama, technique and melodicism that have become Jordan Rudess’ musical hallmarks. It’s a vibrant and pulsating tour de force that blends old-school prog and piano with a ferocious and typically ambitious oeuvre that’s as tasteful and classic as it is outrageously expansive. Renowned guests include drummer Marco Minnemann, Dream Theater front man James LaBrie, guitarists Vinnie Moore, Guthrie Govan, Joe Bonamassa and John Petrucci ...

EXUMER
"HOSTILE DEFIANCE"
Thrash Metal
Year:05.04.2019
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

'Hostile Defiance' is exactly what its title suggests. A 42-minute full on attack, the thrash faction hold nothing back as they unleash hell as only they can, yet with more variety and dynamics than ever before. "We wanted to sonically progress, incorporating more melodic elements in the music as well as more rhythmic variety," states vocalist Mem Von Stein. "We are a lot braver trying to create an up to date and relevant sound that can easily stand alone in today's thrash landscape without sounding trite or a throwback, and we're challenging the listener not to get too comfortable with one specific feel, tempo or pace."'Hostile Defiance' marks EXUMER's third time working with producer Dennis Koehne (Sodom, Melechesh), tracking the album in...

BATTLE BEAST
"NO MORE HOLLYWOOD ENDINGS"
Heavy Metal
Year:22.03.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

“100% heavy metal - 0% bullshit!” - BATTLE BEAST’s formula is simple, but very effective; and with their enormously catchy, riff-laden songs coupled with Noora Louhimo’s unique voice, these young Finns have become a flagship of modern heavy metal over the past few years.With »No More Hollywood Endings«, the group cements their status as unstoppable force, showcasing their magic touch for writing endlessly catchy songs once again, without repeating themselves. This record includes everything the band needed to take the next step to conquer the big halls of the world. In the end, one thing’s for sure: Although BATTLE BEAST’s new record may not purely contain “100% heavy metal”, but definitely “0% bullshit”...

TYR
"HEL"
Epic/ Pagan/ Viking/ Folk Metal
Year:08.03.2019
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

With Hel, the Faroe Islands' Týr provide even more irrefutable evidence that they stand at the vanguard of Scandinavian metal. Their eighth full-length is a collection of ruthlessly melodic and irresistibly compelling progressive folk metal that will immediately resonate with any who have followed the band at any point over the two decades of their storied career.Conceptually, the album is informed by a combination of mythology, personal experience and observations of current international events, making for a multifaceted experience that can be processed and understood on many levels. Starting not with a specific story to tell but with an atmosphere in mind, Joensen prefers not to disclose too much detail when it comes to lyrics, keen for listeners to have a cha...

AXEL RUDI PELL
"XXX ANNIVERSARY LIVE"
Hard Rock/ AOR
Year:07.06.2019
(SPV)

“XXX Anniversary Live”, his 30th album release in as many years, will see the light of day on June 7th 2019. A milestone by all accounts and a stunning document of his most recent tour which he did not plan at all, but the recordings, from Bochum and Budapest among others, were so good that he felt he just couldn’t scrap them. They are a worthy follow-up to “Magic Moments”, his 3-hour anniversary show at the ‘Bang Your Head’ festival in 2014, where he celebrated 25 years as a solo artist. BTW: Pell is planning to bring out another studio effort in spring 2020. The Swiss clock from the Ruhr area is till ticking. CD1:1. The Medieval Overture (Intro) 1:482. The Wild And The Young 4:413. Wildest Dreams 6:124...

ELUVEITIE
"ATEGNATOS"
Epic/ Pagan/ Viking/ Folk Metal
Year:05.04.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

ATEGNATOS – THE NEW ELUVEITIE ALBUM HAS A DARK AND SEVERE ATMOSPHERE!We all wade through archetypes. We all ARE archetypes. Distant echoes of a life both primeval and noble. To embrace these archetypes, to accept them not only as a part of life but as life itself is what some may call enlightenment, some peace of mind. ELUVEITIE call it »Ategnatos«. And by using their longest gap between two Metal albums to gather momentum, they just forged their strongest album around it.A work based on archaic archetypes and the ancient concept of renewal, »Ategnatos« unfolds an elemental force to be reckoned with. No wonder the album follows a decidedly darker, monumental tone that suits them very well. Of course, ELUVEITIE have long found their v...

CELLAR DARLING
"THE SPELL"
Progressive Folk/ Metal
Year:22.03.2019
(NUCLEAR BLAST)

- CELLAR DARLING FEED US WITH MORE EPIC & PROGRESSIVE STORYS!CELLAR DARLING’s second full-length »The Spell« weaves a dark fairytale for the modern era, told through heavy yet intricate, progressive folk rock, enchanting visual art and utterly immersive storytelling. The band began in 2016 after Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars and bass) left Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE, which they had all played in for over a decade. But they weren’t ready to end their musical journey together yet, and embarked on a new and different path.On »The Spell«, CELLAR DARLING have cemented their sound. Juxtaposing darkness and light, the album soars with melody, pummels with heavy...

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN
"BLUE LIGHTNING"
Neo Classical Heavy Metal
Year:29.03.2019
(MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

- Limited edition box with 2 bonus tracks and Yngwie-themed coasters (2x), sticker, postcard and 4 guitar picks [!] - Amongst the Top 10 Electric Guitar players of all time by TIME Magazine! Released 20 studio albums in a career spanning 40 years [!]To call Yngwie Malmsteen a 'maestro' or 'virtuoso' is to state the obvious. But such terms don't do sufficient justice to either his talent or impact. There are innumerable guitarists who have copied a small part of the vast musical spectrum that defines him, but nobody comes close to achieving what he has over a period of nearly four decades.Now, with 'Blue Lightning', the man highlights not only his enduring dexterity and diversity, but also pays homage to those from the...