Angra

 Today in 2014 Angra released the single Newborn Me

São Paulo, São Paulo,Brazil Power/Progressive Metal 

Status:Active 

Years active: 1991-2007, 2009-present 

Angra are probably the second most well-known metal band to originate from Brazil (behind Sepultura), and released several critically acclaimed albums in the mid to late nineties. Solidly rooted in the European traditional metal mold, their work often resembled a cross of, say, Helloween with the progressive tendencies of a Dream Theater.

After a successful run in the late 90's, a rift developed amongst the members (relating to management of the band), resulting in a split into two groups. Vocalist Andre Matos, bassist Luis Mariutti, and drummer Ricardo Confessori departed, eventually forming Shaman, a band that had a successful run of its own before retiring in late 2006. The remaining members, guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt, recruited three replacements and have carried on, their new style keeping the Euro flavor of previous releases while also being more melodic/hard rock oriented and less progressive.

earMUSIC

Rafael Bittencourt Guitars, Vocals (backing)

Kiko Loureiro Guitars, Vocals (backing)

Felipe Andreoli Bass, Vocals (backing)

Fabio Lione Vocals

Bruno Valverde Drums

1. Newborn Me 05:33

AC/DC

 Today in 2014 AC/DC released the single Rock or Bust

Sydney, Australia Hard rock, blues rock, rock and roll

Status;Active

Years active 1973 (1973)–present

Featuring one of the most recognizeable images in rock (diminutive guitarist Angus Young in his trademark schoolboy uniform), AC/DC has been in the business for more than forty years, scarcely changing their style from album to album but continuing to maintain a large following due to their simplistic yet effective hard rock and energetic live performances. They are undeniably Australia's most well-known rock export, and their style is one of the most recognizeable, and imitated, in the history of hard rock, rising to worldwide superstardom around the time of Highway To Hell, one of their seminal works. They've enduring setbacks in recent years (the failing health of Angus' brother Malcolm, the legal troubles of drummer Phil Rudd, resulting in both taking a leave of absence from the band), but Angus and crew soldier on.

Columbia Records

Brian Johnson – lead vocals

Angus Young – lead guitar, backing vocals

Stevie Young – rhythm guitar

Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals

Phil Rudd – drums

B-side "Play Ball (song)"

"Rock or Bust" is the second single and first track from the album of the same name by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young. It was released for downloads on 17 November 2014, as a follow-up for the band's first officially released single from the album titled "Play Ball".

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was absent from the video shoot for the single, and was replaced by Welshman Bob Richards, who had previously played with Man, Adrian Smith, Asia and Shogun

Nemesea

 Today in 2011 Nemesea released the album The Quiet Resistance

Groningen, Groningen Province, Netherlands Symphonic Gothic Metal (early), Gothic Rock (later)

Status:Active

Years active: 2002 (as Nemesis), 2002-present

A symphonic goth metal troupe based out of the Netherlands, Nemesea were founded in 2002 by vocalist/composer Manda Ophuis and guitarist Hendrik Jan de Jong. Nemesea cut their teeth opening for fellow Dutch brood-rockers After Forever, with whom they were initially compared, before inking a deal in 2003 with independent label Ebony Tears, which would issue the band's 2004 debut album, Mana. Their 2007 crowdfunded sophomore studio LP, In Control, landed Nemesea a distribution deal with Rough Trade, and would eventually steer them in the direction of Napalm Records. Arriving in 2010, Quiet Resistance saw the group adding electronics to its sound, as well as dialing back on some of the neo-classical elements that sugared earlier works, in favor of a more straightforward alt-rock approach. Produced by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, No Doubt), the band's much anticipated fourth studio long-player, Uprise, followed in 2016.

Napalm Records

Sonny Onderwater Bass

HJ Guitars, Lyrics (tracks 2-13), Songwriting (tracks 1-12, 14), Vocals (backing)

Manda Ophuis Vocals, Lyrics (tracks 2-14), Vocals (backing)

Lasse Dellbrügge Keyboards, Electronics, Songwriting (tracks 1-13)

Frank van der Star Drums

Guest/Session

Charlotte Wessels Vocals (track 6)

Marcus Klavan Vocals (track 8)

Matt Litwin Turntables (track 8)

Heli Reissenweber Vocals (track 14)

1. The Quiet Resistance 00:52   

2. Caught in the Middle 04:49   

3. Afterlife 03:12    

4. Whenever 03:31    

5. If You Could 03:53   

6. High Enough 04:13   

7. Say 04:04   

8. It's Over 03:59   

9. I Live 04:30    

10. Stay with Me 03:48   

11. Rush 05:26  

12. Release Me 03:39   

13. 2012 05:57   instrumental

14. Allein 03:58    

  55:51

Release dates:

November 17, 2011 - ESP/FIN/SWE

November 18, 2011 - GAS/BENELUX/ITA

November 21, 2011 - UK & the rest of Europe

November 22, 2011 - USA/CANADA

Official music videos:

— "Afterlife"

— "Whenever"

Recording information:

Drums, bass and vocals recorded in January / March 2011 at Kiksound Studios.

Keys recorded, produced and arranged in January 2011 at Kiksound Studios.

Guitars recorded at Studio Lobbes.

Kreator

 Today in 2010 Kreator released the Live album Terror Prevails: Live At Rock Hard Festival

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Thrash Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1982 (as Tyrant), 1982-1984 (as Tormentor), 1984-present

Once known as Tormentor, and before that as Tyrant, Kreator rose to prominence in the mid-eighties, joining Sodom and Destruction as the top-ranked German thrash bands of the decade. While albums such as Pleasure To Kill ruled the scene, the nineties found their popularity waning a bit, as albums such as the industrial-tinged Renewal* in 1992 and *Endorama in 1998, met with some critical acclaim but not commercial success, hardened fans seeming to have become disillusioned with straying from the raw, frenetic thrash of their earlier days. But founder Mille Petrozza forged on, and in the new millennium things turned around, with a new lineup in place and renewed vigor and aggression on display on 2001's Violent Revolution, the first of several albums in the 2000's that have found Kreator regaining its place among thrash's elite.

Rock Hard

- Mille Petrozza / vocals and guitars

- Sami Yli-Sirnio / guitars

- Christian Giesler / bass

- Jurgen Reil / drums

1. Choir Of The Damned (Intro) (1:30)

2. The Pestilence (7:35)

3. Hordes Of Chaos (5:07)

4. Phobia (3:22)

5. Enemy Of God (5:51)

6. Impossible Brutality (4:37)

7. Endless Pain (2:34)

8. Pleasure To Kill (3:28)

9. Terrible Certainty (5:15)

First part of the band's appearance at the Rock Hard festival, Gelsenkirchen in 2010.

Given for free as a digipack with the german magazine RockHard (December 2010 - number 283).

Recorded by Rockpalast Mobile.

Mixed at The Barracks (Düsseldorf, Germany).

Mastered at Skyline Tonfabrik (Düsseldorf, Germany).

The second part was released with the June 2012 magazine

HB

 Today in 2010 HB released the album The Jesus Metal Explosion

Forssa, Finland Symphonic Metal/Rock

Status:Split-up

Years active:2002-2016

HB is a Christian band from Forssa, Finland. Formed in 2002, they started playing rock but have since developed a more massive, heavy metal sound, with orchestral/symphonic backgrounds, and have always had a female lead vocalist. HB has grown to be one of the most popular Christian groups in Finland, and with their first English album Frozen Inside released in 2008, they've also had some attention from abroad.

Data Universum Oy

Tuomas Kannisto Bass

Antti Niskala Keyboards, Vocals, Lyrics, Strings arrangements (tracks 2, 5, 6)

Johanna Vocals

Samuel Drums

Bob Kanervo Guitars

Sofia Guitars

Guest/Session

Markus Malin Drums

Janne Karhunen Guitars

Minna Hyvärinen Piano (tracks 4, 7)

Mikko Sorri Piano (track 10)

Lasse Heikkilä String arrangements (tracks 3, 4, 8, 10)

Timo Oikkonen String arrangmenets (track 1)

Juhana Ritakorpi Strings, String arrangements (track 7)

Selina Mattila Unknown (track 4)

Ari Paloheimo Unknown (track 6)

Kaarle Mannila Choirs arrangements, Vocals (backing)

Sami Asp Vocals (backing) (tracks 1, 2, 5, 9)

Johanna Almark-Mannila Vocals (backing)

Matti Puttonen Vocals (backing)

Antti Pitkäjärvi Vocals (backing)

Johanna Boedecker Vocals (backing)

Tuomas Höglund Vocals (backing)

Maria Höglund Vocals (backing)

Kuhankeittäjät Vocals (choirs) (track 4)

Teemu Hämäläinen Strings

Ulla Eirola Strings

Mauri Kuokkanen Strings

John Emanuelsson Strings

Pekka Häkkinen Strings

Ulpu Rusi Strings

Outi Mäkinen Strings

Liisa Vollbehr Strings

Katrin Nachtigall Strings

Luis Perelló Strings

Anna Husgafvel Strings

1. The Jesus Metal Explosion 03:25   

2. Loaded 03:22  

3. It Is Time II 03:28    

4. Hands of Grace 04:22    

5. Nightmare 04:00  

6. Holy Bible 05:09   

7. Abandoned 04:24   

8. King's Design 04:35    

9. Joy upon the Lord 04:35   

10. The Lord of Lords 04:46  

  42:06  

English version of the album Piikki Lihassa.

Recording information:

Drums recorded at Petrax

Guitars recorded at Villvox

Strings recorded at Headline, Soundtrack, Volume

Vocals recorded at HooBee Oy, Fantom Studio, and Takajärvi-Soundworks

Vektor

 Today in 2009 Vektor released the album Black Future

Tempe, Arizona (early); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (later)

Progressive Thrash Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 2002-2004 (as Locrian), 2004-present

Thrash metal continues to thrive well into the new millennium, though thankfully Arizona's Vektor isn't going the stale retro route. The band self-released Demolition in 2006 and have since released a followup, Black Future, on the up-and-coming thrash label Heavy Artillery. Though the band now dismisses Demolition as little more than a demo and not a true representation of their sound, it does show quite a bit of promise and is not bad at all in its own right. Sure, it's a bit rough around the edges, and the production isn't what it should be, but their brand of progressive-laced Germanic thrash has something going for it. No doubt Black Future is the place to start when trying these guys out.

Heavy Artillery Records

David DiSanto Guitars, Vocals

Erik Nelson Guitars

Blake Anderson Drums

Frank Chin Bass

1. Black Future 05:03   

2. Oblivion 04:54   

3. Destroying the Cosmos 06:47   

4. Forests of Legend 10:16  

5. Hunger for Violence 05:30   

6. Deoxyribonucleic Acid 04:45   

7. Asteroid 06:49    

8. Dark Nebula 10:28   

9. Accelerating Universe 13:31   

  01:08:03

Edition with coloured Heavy Artilley, redcontacts on back cover, and "Builtbyicon" Matrix on disc.

Recording information:

Recorded at Villain Recordings in Phoenix, AZ. 

Helix

 Today in 2009 Helix released the album Vagabond Bones

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Hard rock, heavy metal

Status:Active

Years active 1974–present

The Canadian heavy metal band Helix formed in 1974 in Kitchener, Ontario; comprising singer Brian Vollmer, guitarists Brent Doerner and Paul Hackman, bassist Keith Zurbrigg, and drummer Brian Doerner, the group debuted in 1979 with Breaking Loose. White Lace & Black Leather followed two years later, and was the first Helix release to feature new bassist Mike Uzilac and drummer Leo Nebudeck; with 1983's No Rest for the Wicked, the group signed to Capitol, substituting Nebudeck for another new drummer, Greg "Fritz" Hinz. Bassist Daryl Gray replaced Uzilac in time for the follow-up, Walkin' the Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Rock You"; 1985's Long Way to Heaven, meanwhile, topped the charts in Sweden. After touring in support of 1987's Wild in the Streets, Brent Doerner quit Helix, and the remaining quartet resurfaced with Back for Another Taste. In 1992, Hackman was killed when the group's van rolled down a 40-foot embankment after a concert in Vancouver; Helix forged on, however, with Brent Doerner returning to the lineup long enough to record 1993's It's a Business Doing Pleasure, which also featured guitarist Greg Frazer. In 1998, Helix -- now comprising Vollmer, Gray, Hinz, and guitarists Mark Chichkan and Gary Borden -- issued Half Alive. A collection of B Sides arrived in 2002, followed by the full-length Rockin' in My Outer Space in 2004. Power of Rock N Roll arrived in 2007.

Univerasal

Brian Vollmer - vocals

Sean Kelly - guitar, bass, background vocals

Brent "The Doctor" Doerner - guitar, background vocals

Steve Georgakopoulos - guitar

Brent "Ned" Niemi - drums

Rob MacEachern - drums

Greg "Fritz" Hinz - drums

Daryl Gray - bass, background vocals

Cheryl Lescom - vocals

All songs written by Brian Vollmer, Sean Kelly and Moe Berg except where noted.

The Animal Inside (Won’t Be Denied)

Go Hard or Go Home (Vollmer, Kelly)

Vagabond Bones

Monday Morning Meltdown

When the Bitter's Got the Better of You (Vollmer, Kelly)

Hung Over But Still Hanging In (duet with Russ Graham of Killer Dwarfs)

Best Mistake I Never Made (Vollmer, Kelly)

Make 'Em Dance (Vollmer, Gord Prior, Steve Georgakopoulos, Kelly)

Jack It Up (Vollmer, Kelly, McConnell)[7]

Unreleased tracks

It's a Long Way to the Top (AC/DC cover featuring Brent Doerner, Greg Hinz and Mike Uzelac)

Vagabond Bones is a studio album by heavy metal band Helix, released on November 17, 2009. It is Helix' 12th full-length studio album and 21st album released overall. It contains performances from members of the 1980s Helix lineup: Brian Vollmer, Brent Doerner, Daryl Gray and Greg Hinz, as well as former member and co-producer Sean Kelly. Kelly departed Helix during the production of Vagabond Bones, prompting the reunion of the 1980s band. Kelly remained on hand to finish the record before leaving to tour with Nelly Furtado.

During the early stages of recording, frontman Brian Vollmer reunited the surviving members of the No Rest for the Wicked lineup (Brent Doerner, Mike Uzelac, and Greg Hinz) to record a new version of the AC/DC classic "It's a Long Way to the Top", to be included as a bonus track. The track was dropped, and it appears unlikely that it will ever be released due to legal reasons. The CD was originally to be titled It’s Rock Science, NOT Rocket Science!, before being changed to Vagabond Bones after one of the songs on the album