CRYPTOPSY
"CRYPTOPSY REISSUE"
Death Metal
Year:31.01.2025
(SEASON OF MIST)

Back at the end of the 2000s, the underground had left Cryptopsy for dead thanks to an album that's best left unspoken. But when the recent JUNO Award winners returned from critic-imposed exile in 2011, they reclaimed their crown as the most vile name in death metal with their self-titled album.Even though he hadn't picked up a guitar in the seven years since his departure from the band, John Levasseur rejoined to help Cryptopsy rediscover the right balance between jazzy experimentation and brutal technical proficiency. Future set list staple "Two-Pound Torch" introduced their patented, squirming fishhook riff. Though no longer a fresh face, Matt McGachy established himself as Cryptopsy's vocalist on the band's self-titled album. Each song uncovers a sordid chapter in C...

YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS
"TIL THE SEA SHALL GIVE UP HER DEAD"
Pirate Heavy Metal
Year:11.04.2025
(NAPALM RECORDS)

Raucous Swedish sea marauders YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS are back, ready to set sail once more with their musical journey 'Til the Sea Shall Give Up Her Dead, out April 11, 2025 via Napalm Records! After monumental performances at renowned festivals like Wacken Open Air 2023 and a successful tour in 2024, the beloved crew of shanty renegades promises an evocative exploration of 18th-century sailors’ lives, weaving haunting ballads and riotous anthems into a vivid tapestry of camaraderie, loss, and fleeting joy amidst the unforgiving waves.Opening the journey is ""The Cranker"", a darkly captivating tale of cursed sailors spiraling into a frenetic dance. Tracks like ""Chained Below"" confront historical horrors with heart-wrenching melodies that amplify the voices of the o...

HELLOWEEN
"MARCH OF TIME - THE BEST OF 40 YEARS"
Melodic Power Heavy Metal
Year:28.03.2025
(ADA - Alternative Distribution Alliance)

Over the years, the legendary Helloween from Hamburg have forged a distinctive path and earned their place as early pioneers of melodic power and speed metal. The band left a lasting impression with the groundbreaking albums Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I and II and today boasts a genre-defining discography that includes 16 studio albums, four live albums, three EPs and 30 singles. With over 10 million records sold and stage appearances with giants such as Iron Maiden, Scorpions and Ozzy Osbourne, Helloween's influence is undeniable and their lasting legacy assured. To celebrate 40 years of this remarkable journey, the band have released a new compilation called March of Time, spanning their entire back catalogue. This collection of 42 hand-picked tracks showcases the band's de...

CRADLE OF FILTH
"THE SCREAMING OF THE VALKYRIES"
Black Metal
Year:21.03.2025
(NAPALM RECORDS)

On their 14th studio opus, CRADLE OF FILTH blend their iconic macabre sound with dark new delights!GRAMMY Award-nominated CRADLE OF FILTH reign supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music – from the depths of the extreme metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself, and are responsible for breaking ground for many of today’s top metal artists with their trademark mixture of blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style. The rule of Filth began in 1991, followed by the unleashing of 1994’s The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh – humble beginnings that expanded into cinematic classics like Cruelty And The Beast and Midian, among others. Now, following the release of 2021’s Existence Is Futi...

GOTTHARD
"STEREO CRUSH"
Hard Rock/ Melodic Metal
Year:21.03.2025
(Reigning Phoenix Music)

The Gotthard towers a majestic 3192 metres above sea level. The legacy of the band Gotthard is just as gigantic and massive. Their trademark cocktail of hard rock power, passion and feeling has lost none of its power even after more than 30 years. This makes their new record ‘Stereo Crush’ seemingly effortlessly one of their best works. For Switzerland's most successful band with 16 number 1 albums and 3.5 million units sold, this is a strong statement!‘Stereo Crush’ is a celebration of life, loud music and the invisible ties that bind Gotthard together. An album for eternity, a flaming commitment to their music and to the people they have been playing it for all these years. With a contemporary production, great anthems and some surprising tricks up...

LORDI
"LIMITED DEADITION"
Melodic Power Heavy Metal
Year:21.03.2025
(Reigning Phoenix Music)

LORDI are successfully continuing to give us the creeps in their unique way that is as eerily bizarre as it is catchy. As evinced during the past decades, Mr. Lordi has made a name as director for the band's very own horror cinema ever since. Founded in 1992 by singer, songwriter and designer Mr. Lordi, the band achieved their international breakthrough after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' in 2006. Since then, the unconventional troop has rocked their way into the spotlight of Europe with charm, unforgettable tunes and elaborate monster costumes. Mr. Lordi himself designs and produces LORDI’s complete wardrobe, artwork and videos. Expect the legendary monster man to once again play the leading role in this 19th...

GHOST
"SKELETA"
Hard Rock/ AOR
Year:25.04.2025
(ADA - Alternative Distribution Alliance)

Swedish occult rockers GHOST will release their new album, "Skeletá", on April 25 via Loma Vista Recordings. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", is out now. The "Satanized" music video introduces the new character who will be fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua."Satanized" is described in a press release as "an avalanche of infectious hooks and harmonies is buoyed by a hypnotic shuffle, as the narrator succumbs to dark forces within and without, helplessly acknowledging their own blasphemy and heresy as it inexorably consumes them." By the time the song's opening lines "There is something inside me and they don't know if there is a cure" have moved from the inner monologue of the possessed to the ears of t...

DIRKSCHNEIDER
"BALLS TO THE WALL RELOADED"
Heavy Metal
Year:28.02.2025
(Reigning Phoenix Music)

•    The cult Accept Album Balls To The Wall Rerecorded with guests on each song!•    Guest vocals by Danko Jones, Ylva Eriksson (Brothers Of Metal), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Tim Ripper Owens (KK's Priest, ex-Judas Priest). 40 years after the original release of the legendary classic album Balls To The Wall by the German Heavy Metal sensation Accept, Udo Dirkschneider (former voice of Accept) started working on reviving this classic. "Balls To The Wall Reloaded" features some of Heavy Metal's most famous voices as guests: Joakim Broden (Sabaton), Biff Byford (Saxon), Mille Petrozza (Kreator), Nils Molin (Amaranthe & Dynazty), Michael Kiske (Helloween), Ylva Eriksson (Brothers Of Metal), Danko Jones, Dee Snider (Twiste...

SANHEDRIN
"HEAT LIGHTNING"
Heavy Metal
Year:14.03.2025
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

New York trio Sanhedrin have spent the last decade at the forefront of the American heavy metal scene. Their blend of traditional metal and hard rock sounds combine with a fresh modern energy and perspective. With 2022’s release Lights On, the band had created their most complete work to date. Now they follow it up with Heat Lightning, a diverse collection of songs that capture the band’s wide array of influences with an elevated level of production. When asked how this new album compares to the band’s previous efforts, drummer Nathan Honor explains: “Sonically there’s no comparison. Heat Lightning is the fullest representation of the power of this band. When you take three seasoned musicians with their favorite hand picked instruments, put them in front of tw...

ULVER
"LIMINAL ANIMALS"
Dark Pop/ Progressive/ EBM
Year:07.03.2025
(PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS)

At the end of the roughest year in their history, Ulver is proud to release their thirteenth studio album, titled Liminal Animals. Liminal Animals is permeated by the smell of disaster and documents, with deep concern, a dark and troubled place in a dark and troubled time. The cover art features The Senseless Seven, a 1911 drawing by Austin Osman Spare.

CD/ LP:

1. Ghost Entry
2. A City in the Skies
3. Forgive Us (feat. Nils Petter Molvær)
4. Nocturne #1
5. Locusts
6. Hollywood Babylon
7. The Red Light
8. Nocturne #2
9. Helian (Trakl)

WHITECHAPEL
"HYMNS IN DISSONANCE"
Death Metal/ Metalcore
Year:07.03.2025
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

WHITECHAPEL, who formed in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2006, has seen the core lineup - vocalist Phill Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Zach Householder, and Alex Wade, and bassist Gabe Crisp - intact since 2007, with the exception of drummer Brandon Zackey, who has been playing with the band since 2022. While Hymns In Dissonance follows 2021’s Kin chronologically, the new album is actually somewhat of a sequel to This Is Exile thematically, the three-word title Hymns In Dissonance representing that correlation.The band’s dynamic, brutal musicality serves as a soundtrack to the compelling lyrical story that vocalist Phil Bozeman vividly imagines. “Hymns In Dissonance is a mockery of the true nature of what hymns are,” Bozeman explains. “Hymns are melodious and har...

MANTAR
"POST APOCALYPTIC DEPRESSION"
Black Metal
Year:14.02.2025
(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

MANTAR's new album, Post Apocalyptic Depression, is a raw, stripped-back response to their previous, highly produced work. Guitarist Hanno Klänhardt describes it as a return to their punk roots with a "quick and dirty" recording process using minimal gear and little planning. Embracing the beauty in defying expectations, the album’s opener, “Absolute Ghost,” embodies their energetic, visceral punk 'n' roll sound, perfect for live performances. The album’s haunting cover by Aron Wiesenfeld links back to their debut Death By Burning, symbolizing a full-circle moment for the band. The title captures the exhaustion and disillusionment after mass hysteria - a sense of burnout that’s both deeply relatable and darkly catchy.CD/ LP:01 Absolute Ghos...

AVANTASIA
"HERE BE DRAGONS"
Melodic Power Heavy Metal
Year:28.02.2025
(NAPALM RECORDS)

"Rock and metal flagship AVANTASIA is set to unleash their bombastic 10th studio album and Napalm Records debut, Here Be Dragons, on February 28, 2025! Featuring absolute AVANTASIA essentials such as spellbinding choirs and theatrical symphonic metal elements, multitalented mastermind and frontman Tobias Sammet also surprises fans old and new with plenty of intriguing fresh soundscapes. Here Be Dragons gives the celebrated AVANTASIA sound that has been carefully crafted over a quarter of a century an exciting and powerful spin. The new album is the most consistent and concise piece of art that the band has ever crafted. The band’s impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including the 2019 offering Moonglow that charted at #1 in Germany), gold awards, hundreds o...

DESTRUCTION
"BIRTH OF MALICE"
Thrash Metal
Year:07.03.2025
(NAPALM RECORDS)

"After their 40-year-anniversary tour through South America and Europe German Thrash-Teutons DESTRUCTION take no rest and strike again with their new album Birth Of Malice - out March 7, 2024 via Napalm Records! Founder Schmier once again combines his dual vocal/bass attack with crashing riffs from dual battle axe masters Martin Furia and Damir Eskić, while Randy Black blasts his drums to new heights. As witnessed on their previous thrash-fest Diabolical (2022), DESTRUCTION return with their uniquely raw and brutal sound, delivering merciless songs with a touch more variety and groove this time. All twelve songs straight from the butchers hit with a direct and clean sound - resulting in addictive metal anthems for the next generation of thrashers! Their newest onslaught is ...

BRAINSTORM
"PLAGUE OF RATS"
Power Heavy Metal
Year:28.02.2025
(Reigning Phoenix Music)

When it comes to metal "Made in Germany", there is no way to escape BRAINSTORM. The band will release their new studio album "Plague Of Rats" in early 2025. The album not only marks another milestone in the band's impressive career, but also represents a return to their Indian theme, which was first taken up on "Soul Temptation" (2003). "Plague Of Rats" was produced by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan, Angus McSix), who helped the band transport the raw energy of their live performances into the studio. The album cover was created by Gyula Havanczák, who was responsible for the artwork on previous BRAINSTORM releases. Andy B. Franck emphasizes: "We only work with people we trust 100 percent. This team gives us the freedom to focus on what's important: the music." CD/ LP:1. ...