Sion, Valais, Switzerland Black Metal (early), Electronic/Industrial Metal (later)
Status:Active
Years active :1987-present
Samael is one of those bands that prefers to follow its own course, rather than latch on to the fashionable style of the day. Their early works are strongly rooted in black metal, but by the time of Ceremony Of Opposites (one of two albums usually regarded as their best), they had forged a dark, almost doomy black metal sound, not terribly complex but haunting and effective. They turned it up a notch with the followup, Passage, with a brighter tone and a slightly increased techno presence. Passage seemed to divide their fan base, many feeling they had lost their way a bit but also many feeling it was by far their best album to date. Though they did record another album after Passage (Eternal, in 1999), the band has kept a rather low profile in recent years, leading some to believe they might have broken up altogether. But in 2004 they re-emerged, with a new album, Reign Of Light, an album which sees the band extending their use of keyboards and electronics, while still retaining the basic dark metal style that is their foundation.
Today in 2010 Poison Sun released there debut album Virtual Sin
Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany Heavy Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 2010-Present
Imagine a merciless rock riff, blazing hook, mixed up with one (female´s) voice that could even melt the coldest iceberg: when the hot new band POISON SUN dives into „VooDoo“ on their vigorous debut feature `Virtual Sin´, it only takes a few seconds for bedlam to break loose! This new band dishes out Metal, the way since this musical divinity was created - with no thrills, but yet, irresistible. You don´t have to be a prophet or have any clairvoyancy(ESP) to predict an overwhelming entrance onto the world stage, for this band!
Don´t be surprised by POISON SUN´s lead singer. Martina Frank´s voice, with its rough, low-key and melodic singing will fester your ears, the way you like it. Martina Frank is THE rock and roll diva prototype, the kind we haven´t heard much of lately and is certainly one of a kind even on the international level. Her very bones are wrapped tup in Rock, Blues and Metal, but listen in to her sensitivity, when she delves into the sensible tunes that grabs, displays her expressions. Martina Frank has worked in sound studios and has earned praise as a back up singer for bands like UFO, Jane and Weinhold. Now the time is ripe for her own new band, teamed up with Hermann Frank.
POISON SUN is a Hannover based band that enriches the german metal scene with their own let-loose and vital versions of traditional power metal. The brains, producer and (along with Martina) songwriter of „Virtual Sin“, is Herman Frank, a well established professional for profound riffing and virtuosic solo styles. The duo Frank/Frank as the driving catalyst can create songs for POISON SUN divined to become simplistic Groove-Monsters. Especially noted should be the energetic sound that Herman Frank´s „Arena 20“ studio has waived it´s magic hand over.
By their side are the notable bassist Stefan Hammer and drummer Florian Schönweitz which round out the band POISON SUN. Both of which were previously active in the Munich Metal band, SILENT DECAY. Both take on the task of capturing the ten songs with the essential groove. A case, that the rhythmic duo conquer and excel the occasion.
You will praise them, when their songs, dripping with brute force, blast through your speakers. Wether it´s the headbanger tunes like „Rednex“ or „Rider in the storm“, or foot-stompin´ marches like „Hitman“ and „Virtual Sin“ or the poetic hymns a la „Princess“ and “For Ever“, or even the breath-taking rendition of the Pointer Sister´s classic „Excited“: POISON SUN will grab your wicked metal soul, which ever direction they´ll lead you. Perhaps we should shout it from the rooftops, this band with their undeniable debut album will be the album that the world will be bowing down to, within the next few months. Will we be worthy of this jewel dawned upon the metal world? We are worthy…
Today in 2010 Metal Inquisitor released the album Unconditional Absolution
Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate,Germany Heavy Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1998-present
Metal Inquisitor originated in the beginning of 1998, as Blumi and Witchhammer decided, to call a real Heavy Metal-Band into life. A short time later they found KronoS (Bass) and El Rojo at the vocal cords, as suitable comrade-in-arms. Middle of 1998 they retreated for a few weekends into their rehearsal room, in order to record three songs on four tracks, which was brought out in form of a demo tape. In 1999 they went to the nostalgic eight-track-studio "Overhead Project" of Joerg "Walli" Walldorf in Koblenz (Germany), in order to record two songs for a single, which in March 2000 under the title "Seven Inches for the Second Attack" has appeared. With the new member T.P., at the second guitar, they have already prepared for a powerful live-sound. At the beginning of March 2000 Witchhammer left the band due to time problems and they found the right successor in Havoc at the drums. In August 2000 a new Demo-Tape was recorded with the same old Four-Track-Equipment as the first Demo was made. After the good resonance's about all Releases Metal Inquisitor took the chance to get a record deal with Iron Glory-Label and released in June 2002 their first full-length Album called "The Apparition". The Reviews of the Album were from "good" to "great", so as the resonance's about the concerts from the following "The Apparition-Tour 2002/2003" through Germany and the adjoining countries too. After their last concert in August 2003 they went back into the rehearsalroom to begin the songwriting for the next album. The Concerts and Festivals in 2004 were absolute fantastic also. They've played among others at the "legendary" Festivals from Rock Hard and Keep It True. After finding a new Label, Hellion Records, Metal Inquisitor released their latest album "Doomsday for the Heretic" in november 2005.
Hellion Records
Blumi Guitars (lead)
El Rojo Vocals, Lyrics
Havoc Drums
T. P. Guitars (rhythm)
Kronos Bass
1. Extinction 05:20
2. Casualty Evacuation 04:11
3. Quest for Vengeance 05:45
4. Drowning Death 04:30
5. Betrayed Battalion 05:57
6. Satan's Host 04:12
7. The Arch Villain 06:37
8. Neropolis 06:00
9. Persuader 05:07
10. Suffer the Heretic to Burn 05:41
11. The Path of the Righteous Man 06:55
01:00:15
All music by Blumi, except "Betrayed Battalion" and "The Arch Villain" by Blumi and T. P.
All lyrics by El Rojo.
Some pressings include a patch.
Recording information:
Recorded and mixed at Toxomusic Studio in Koblenz, January -- March 2010.
Today in 2010 Astral Doors released the album Testament of Rock - The Best of Astral Doors
Borlänge,Sweden Heavy/Power Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 2002-present
With power metal still enormously popular in Europe, it's nice to hear a band with a more traditional take on classic metal. Astral Doors formed in 2002 and debuted a year later with Of The Son And Father. Vocalist Patrik Johansson (a veteran of hard rock, having also sung for bands such as Lion's Share and Wuthering Heights) has a husky, powerful voice that is very reminiscient of Ronnie James Dio. Dio is also a fine reference point for the music, along with Rainbow and perhaps a bit of Deep Purple -- in other words, classic heavy metal with a faint 70's edge, due in no small part to Joakim Roberg's tasteful Hammond organ work. Of The Son And Father is very much a sum of its influences, but yet the album comes across as fresh and invigorating rather than stale and dated. Traditional metal fans will no doubt enjoy this band immensely.
Today in 2009 Månegarm released the album Nattväsen
Norrtälje,Sweden Viking/Black/Folk Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1995 (as Antikrist), 1995-present
After wisely discarding their original name, Antikrist, following their first month of rehearsal in late 1995, vocalist Svenne Rosendal, guitarists Jonas Almquist and Mårten Matsson, bassist Pierre Wilhelmsson, and drummer/vocalist Erik Grawsiö came to be known as Månegarm -- the vampire wolf of Norse legend that is prophesied to devour the moon when the time of Ragnarök submerges this world under the oceans! Needless to say, this moniker announced Månegarm's newfound commitment to Viking metal, which they proceeded to refine from their home base of Norrtälje, Sweden, over the course of a pair of demo recordings: 1996's Vargaresa (Wolf's Journey) and 1997's Ur Nattvindar, recorded after the installment of new bandmembers Jonny Wranning (vocals) and Markus Andé (guitar, replacing Matsson).
The second demo saw folk music elements gaining more ground within the band's complex sound, thanks to the addition of violins and female vocals in the studio, and it was this intrinsically Scandinavian new sound that landed Månegarm a contract with Displeased Records a short time later -- although they'd have to audition new singers once again, hiring Stockholm-based Viktor Hemgren, before starting work on 1998's official debut album, Nordstjärnans Tidsålder. The title, which translates to English as The Age of the Northstar, proudly proclaimed the group's Viking metal mission to a host of new fans, who eagerly embraced its striking marriage of black metal ferocity and native folk music, driven home yet again by the session female vocals and violins performed by Ymer Mossige-Norheim and soon to be permanent member Janne Liljequist, respectively.
But hanging onto their male vocalists continued to pose a challenge for Månegarm, so after firing their most recent frontman, Hemgren, halfway through the recording of their sophomore album, Havets Vargar (meaning Wolves of the Sea, in case you were wondering), it was decided that drummer Grawsiö would cope with all vocals for the album that would eventually emerge in the year 2000. This elicited no complaints from the band's faithful fans, so after taking a short break to recharge their creative batteries, the same lineup got to work on next full-length Dödsfärd (Death Journey), which was released in 2003 and boasted both a greater variety of tempos (sub-light speed ones, to be precise) and more clean vocals mixed in with lingering black metal croaks.
Both of Månegarm's now legendary demos were remastered and released on CD in 2004, and their fourth album, Vredens Tid (The Age of Wrath) arrived the following year, quickly being hailed as Månegarm's finest album thus far, and resulting in their first ever concerts on the European festival circuit that summer. Månegarm's next release -- a folk-infested EP entitled Urminnes Hävd (The Forest Session) -- marked the end of their relationship with Displeased, and the start of a new one with Swedish label Black Lodge, which quickly bore fruit in 2007 with the release of the group's sixth album, and arguably best yet, Vargstenen (Wolf Stone).
Today in 2008 Northern Kings released the album Rejoined
Finland Symphonic metal, power metal, progressive metal
Status: On Hold
Years active 2007 - 2010
One of those oddities that could only come about in a culture soaked heavily in the sounds of heavy metal, Northern Kings are a symphonic power metal supergroup. While that may not be an oddity on its own, what has made Northern Kings unique is that they are a symphonic power metal supergroup that exclusively plays covers. And to make it even more peculiar, the band covers songs that were decidedly not metal -- Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero," "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew, and "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits, to name a few. Northern Kings are comprised of four vocalists from some of the leading bands in metal -- Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica, Marco Hietala of Nightwish, Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto of Charon, and Jarkko Ahola of Teräsbetoni. Their first single, a cover of the aforementioned Tina Turner track from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, was a hit in Finland, and their debut album, Reborn, was released in October of 2007. The concept proved to be a success, as the debut full-length managed a Top Ten placement in the Finnish charts.
Warner Music Finland
Marco Hietala - vocals
Tony Kakko - vocals
Jarkko Ahola - vocals
Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto - vocals
with
Erkka Korhonen (of the Ari Koivunen band) - guitar[6]
Mirka Rantanen - Drums
Mikko P. Mustonen - Orchestrations
Two Finger Choir - Backing Vocals
Vili Olila - Piano, Keyboards
Erkki Silvennoinen - Bass
1"Training Montage" (Vince DiCola cover, from the film Rocky IV) - (Instrumental) - 3:36
2"Wanted Dead or Alive" (Bon Jovi cover) - (by Marco Hietala) - 3:56
3"Kiss from a Rose" (Seal cover) - (by all) - 4:56
4"A View to a Kill" (Duran Duran cover) - (by all) - 5:26
5"Nothing Compares 2 U" (Prince cover, although chiefly associated with Sinéad O'Connor) - (by Tony Kakko) - 6:51
9"I Should Be So Lucky" (Kylie Minogue cover) - (by Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto and Jarkko Ahola) - 4:51
10"Killer" (Adamski feat. Seal cover) - (by all) - 4:36
11"Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" (Thin Lizzy cover) - (by Jarkko Ahola and Marco Hietala) - 7:36
12"They Don't Care About Us" (Michael Jackson cover) - (by Marco Hietala and Tony Kakko) - 4:46
Bonus track on the Japanese release.
13"They Don't Care About Us (Orchestral Edit)" (Michael Jackson cover) - (by Marco Hietala and Tony Kakko) - 4:46
iTunes bonus track
Rethroned is the second album by Finnish symphonic metal band Northern Kings. It was released on November 19, 2008, as a CD in Finland and to download via the European iTunes Store. Upon release, the album entered the Finnish charts at number 16.The album was released in Japan on February 25, 2009, with the Michael Jackson cover "They Don't Care About Us" as a bonus track. The iTunes edition included also the orchestral version of "They Don't Care About Us".
The first single and music video released off this album was the Seal cover "Kiss from a Rose" (originally from the soundtrack of the film Batman Forever).The album also includes two other movie-based tracks: "Training Montage" (from Rocky IV) and "A View to a Kill" (from the 1985 James Bond 007 film of the same title).
Today in 2007 Tarja released the album My Winter Storm
Kitee,Finland/Buenos Aires (Argentina)Symphonic Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 2004-present
Tarja Turunen is a Finnish lyric soprano singer, songwriter and composer. She is best known as the original member and the former lead vocalist of Finnish operatic/symphonic power metal band Nightwish, founded by herself, Tuomas Holopainen and Emppu Vuorinen in 1996. She was dismissed from the band after nine years, on October 22, 2005, through an open letter written by Holopainen, that was signed by the other members of Nightwish too. Turunen responded through another open letter, which was posted on her website in both Finnish and English.
Vertigo
Tarja Turunen Vocals, Piano
Doug Wimbish Bass
Alex Scholpp Guitars
Earl Harvin Drums
Torsten Stenzel Keyboards
Guest/Session
Martin Tillman Cello
Kiko Loureiro Guitars (acoustic) (track 19)
Izumi Kawakatsu Piano
Lili Haydin Violin
Tony Turunen Vocals (backing) (track 11)
Kid Crazy Keyboards (track 9)
Tea Tähtinen Vocals (backing) (track 11)
Daniel Presley Vocals (backing) (track 11)
1. Ite, missa est 00:27
2. I Walk Alone 03:53
3. Lost Northern Star 04:22
4. Seeking for the Reign 00:58
5. The Reign 04:07
6. The Escape of the Doll 00:32
7. My Little Phoenix 04:02
8. Die Alive 04:04
9. Boy and the Ghost 04:36
10. Sing for Me 04:16
11. Oasis 05:10
12. Poison (Alice Cooper cover) 04:01
13. Our Great Divide 05:05
14. Sunset 00:36
15. Damned and Divine 04:29
16. Minor Heaven 04:00
17. Ciarán's Well 03:37
18. Calling Grace 03:06
01:01:21
Recorded between 2006 and 2007 at verious studios: Grouse Lodge Studios, Westmeath, Ireland; Can del Sol, Ibiza, Spain; The Village, West Los Angeles, USA; Petrax Studio, Hollola, Finland; Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic, Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland; Remote Control Productions, Santa Monica, USA; Fusão Estúdios, San Paulo, Brazil; Sound Development AG, Zurich, Swiss; Jojo Music Studios, Stuttgart, Germany.
Mixed at Remote Control Productions, Santa Monica, USA.
