If its pure power metal you want, look no further than the upcoming release from the Czech band Eagleheart entitled Dreamtherapy. This hard rocking quintet has been around since 2003 and their veteran status clearly shows on this tight and powerful album.
Founded b guitarist Michal K?s, the core of the band (K?s, bassist Ji?í Fiala, drummer Zden?k Vémola, and singer Vojta Šimoník) was solidified by the time they recorded their first EP, Black Sun, in 2005. Their Helloween and Stratovarius influenced sound helped the band build a loyal following and led to the release of their first full length album, Moment Of Life, in early 2008. Eagleheart toured in support of a number of well-known acts, and in 2009 began work on Dreamtherapy, enlisting the help of producer-guitarist-singer Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween). The band also enlisted second guitarist Michal Jankuliak and in 2010 they hit the studio.
Dreamtherapy is a fine power metal release and a great example of the genre – nicely proving that Eagleheart truly deserve the praise they have received. The music is intense and energetic, fronted by the raspy voice of Vojta Šimoník who at times sounds like Blaze Bayley or Pretty Maids’ Ronnie Atkins. His voice is crisp and clear, very well suited to the power metal style. The twin guitars of the Michals (K?s and Jankuliak) are excellent whether laying down big hooky rhythms or subtle and soaring leads. The rhythms of drummer Zden?k Vémola and bassist Ji?í Fiala are equally solid and their contributions are not small. Eagleheart’s true strength is the teamwork and unity displayed in their tight and veteran sounding performances. The band hits all of the power metal targets – everything from somewhat dark and martial lyrics to massive tempo shifts. The fine contributions (both production and performance) of Roland Grapnow only serve to make a solid effort even stronger.
The quick and almost orchestral keyboard opener “Insomnia” flows right into the first real track, “Shades Of Nothing.” Great raspy vocals, intense guitars and manic drumming set the bar very high for the balance of the album, and Eagleheart delivers. “Taste My Pain” is an aggressive and well-structured song with some interesting musical layering and some pushed-to-the-edge vocals and a great lead break. “Lost In The Dead End” has a brighter epic tone and features some great melodic hooks, a slick bass / drum line and an almost sing-along chorus. Neat harmony vocals open “Creator Of Time” and the band brings in a hint of prog-metal lightness while maintaining a brutal pounding rhythm line.
“Nothing Remains” is a slower cut, almost Amorphis-like at the opening and sort of Metallica-ish as the song progresses. It seems to pull the band a bit out its vocal comfort zone, but the acoustic guitar work and excellent bass line make up for it. “Dreamtherapy” brings the power back up and is quite rightly the title track. The band pulls out all the stops here and everything about this track is spot on. “Burned By The Sun” is another great power track built on an aggressive drum and bass line and it features some beautifully executed technical guitar teamwork. The nuclear apocalyptic “Glass Mountain” seems a little forced at the start, but gets rolling nicely by the chorus. “Wheel Of Sorrow” wraps the album with a different sound – more progressive and bass oriented at the start – but becoming a drum and rhythm guitar showpiece. Unfortunately instead of being a truly epic track, this 12 minute piece is just too drawn out and seems endless. While technically excellent, the band could have trimmed this one by a third without losing anything.
If you are into power metal, Eagleheart’s Dreamtherapy is a must – simply no other way to put it. There is nothing ground-breaking style-wise here, but this album is a distillation of modern power metal to its purest form and it could be held up to the rest of the world as the archetype despite a few easily overlooked flaws.
Dreamtherapy will be out on 24-November-2011 in Europe and 17-January-2012 in the USA on Scarlet Records
Genre: Power Metal
Band:
Vojta Šimoník (vocals)
Michal K?s (guitars, vocals)
Michal Jankuliak (guitars)
Ji?í Fiala (bass)
Zden?k Vémola (drums)
Guest musician: Roland Grapow (vocals, guitar)
Track Listing:
1. Insomnia
2. Shades Of Nothing
3. Taste My Pain
4. Lost In The Dead End
5. Creator Of Time
6. Nothing Remains
7. Dreamtherapy
8. Burned By The Sun
9. Glass Mountain
10. Wheel Of Sorrow
1. Insomnia
2. Shades Of Nothing
3. Taste My Pain
4. Lost In The Dead End
5. Creator Of Time
6. Nothing Remains
7. Dreamtherapy
8. Burned By The Sun
9. Glass Mountain
10. Wheel Of Sorrow
Als ehemaliger Berliner werde ich schon aus Prinzip immer neugierig, wenn eine Veröffentlichung ins Haus flattert, die den Namen meiner Geburtsstadt im Titel trägt. So wie aktuell erst wieder geschehen bei DANIEL COLLETTI’S ELECTRIC BAT CAVE und der Single “Berlin”. Um das schon mal vorweg zu nehmen: “Berlin” lohnt sich auch für Nicht-Berliner.
01. Berlin [2:48]
02. Berlin [Detroit Express Mix] [4:11]
03. Berlin [House Mashup Mix] [7:39]
Dec 9, 2011 23:33
All Exclusive Melodic Rock | AOR
Pat Mcgee Releases No Wrong Way To Make It Right
No Wrong Way To Make it Right is the title of Pat McGees new album. The album will be available at all his upcoming shows, including the sold-out show at City Winery in New York on Friday, February 18 and the sold-out show at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on Friday, February 25. Tickets are still available for shows at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT on Thursday, February 24 and The National in Richmond, VA on Saturday, February 26. Tickets are on sale for other upcoming shows, as listed below.
This will be a limited release before I present it online, so if you cannotmake it to a show, place your order now by clicking here:
http://patmcgeeband.shop.musictoday.com/
Pats word about the record
I am so proud of this record for lots of reasons. It is by far my mostpersonal record, touching on subjects I formerly shied away from and at thesame time staying true to what comes naturally to me. It has my heaviest andmost delicate moments ever caught on tape. It truly is a reflection of allthe music I grew up loving and couldn’t hide from--it’s all there in thesetracks. The album represents the perfect blend of all my influences. (Please see my journal below for much more about each of the songs and the making of the album.)
The album is produced by Doug Derryberry, a longtime friend and someone that Iadmired as a wide-eyed 17-year-old taking in the local bands in the DC musicscene. I wrote some of the songs alone at home and some on the road with friends such as: Jason Mraz, Stephen Kellogg, Ryan Newell of Sister Hazel, Keaton Simons, Mike Daly from Whiskeytown and Emerson Hart from Tonic.
No Wrong Way To Make It Right
Juliet
How We Got Here
See You Again
End Of The Innocence
Take A Bow
Done To Me
They Think We’re Not Gonna Make It
The Underworld, a place of fear, segmented into nine planes and ruled by 21 Lords. Artaud Seth, Jawa Seth and Jon take us on a descent into this unreal world. After the debut album "Lib.1" and its follow up "Hypogeum II" released earlier this year, the third long player of the MERCIFUL NUNS is now available: "Xibalba III".
Completely unphased by trends and inclination for ingratiation to the listener Artaud Seth in his role as mastermind behind the MERCIFUL NUNS continues to traverse his chosen musical path. Traditional Gothic Rock produced brilliantly not only in the context of present demands but quite simply seminal for timeless great music.
Goth as a mixture of widescreen epic and massive walls of guitar sound, sacred choir chants, rattling drum computer and Artaud's sepulchral voice permeating through every fibre of one's body, at times plunging its intrinsic despair deep into the heart of the listener. And yet, even this does not adequately describe the musical workings of the NUNS.
The primary objective is to ensure the survival of the Goth-Rock spirit of the 80's and early 90's into the modern era; to not only recollect the sound but also from a lyrical perspective, to recall the origins of Gothic culture. Hence we find in "Xibalba III" mythological themes in the foreground. Where do we come from? How long have we been occupying this Earth? Is there such a thing as Gods from outer space? Such questions and more await the listener.
MERCIFUL NUNS are much more than just the sole legitimate successor of the three musicians' legendary former band GARDEN OF DELIGHT! The NUNS have already attained cult status and must be regarded as seminal for intelligent listening pleasure!
For more info visit the band official facebook, any of our lodges or the official sitewww.mercifulnuns.com
01. The Prophecy [5:46]
02. Radiation [3:35]
03. Dark Trails [4:10]
04. Year Zero [6:06]
05. Ancient Astronauts [4:48]
06. Dwellings Of Gods [4:34]
07. The Return [3:20]
08. In Between Worlds [8:17]
09. 13.0.0.0.0 [Bonus Track] [5:35]
Band Hawkwind
Info: The Xenon Codex (2010R)
Style: Progressive Rock / Space Rock
Years: 1988
Info: CBR 320 kbs
Info: 168,47 Mb
Info: UK
Tracklist:
01 - The War I Survived.
02 - Wastelands Of Sleep.
03 - Neon Skyline.
04 - Lost Chronicles.
05 - Tides.
06 - Heads.
07 - Mutation Zone.
08 - E.M.C..
09 - Sword Of The East.
10 - Good Evening.
11 - Ejection [07-12-1988 Nottingham, Rock City].
12 - Motorway City [07-12-1988 Nottingham, Rock City].
13 - Dragons and Fables [07-12-1988 Nottingham, Rock City].
14 - Heads [07-12-1988 Nottingham, Rock City].
15 - Angels Of Death [07-12-1988 Nottingham, Rock City].
Cage, San Diego’s self-professed American power metal kings, has returned with their sixth album, Supremacy Of Steel. Formed in 1992 during the outbreak of grunge, Cage remained true to their sound. Almost two decades later, Cage has maintained a classic heavy metal vibe.
Similarities to Iced Earth, Judas Priest Painkiller-era and King Diamond all come to mind frequently. Vocalist Sean Peck’s high octave screeches might turn some people off, but Halford and King Diamond make a decent living from their falsettos. Some people might also scream Judas Priest or King Diamond rip-off, but those are just two artists that have had an impact on Cage’s sound.
The double guitar attack of Dave Garcia and Steve Brogden, the bottom end assault of Pete Stone, and the thunderous drum display of Norm Leggio (Psychotic Waltz), provides the powerful backdrop to Peck’s air raid siren wails.
Cage’s songwriting and story-telling is part of the band’s strengths. Whether it’s a historical, war-related or horror-themed song, they vividly capture the mood lyrically. Some material verges into cheesy territory or silly comic book scenarios, but otherwise, Cage produce some ass-kicking metal songs.
“Bloodsteel” opens with some heavy reverb-laden tremolo picking and black metal blast beats which then settles into a fast paced metal riff in the vein of ”Jugulator.” One-man black metal band Bitter Frost performs a guest lead guitar spot.
"Metal Empire" is a slightly cheesy ode to heavy metal — fans of Manowar should dig it. "War of the Undead," is one of the fastest and thrashiest songs Cage has ever penned. Peck is a real scream machine the whole way through. A soon-to-be classic Cage song is "The Beast of Bray Road." It has references to “Black River Falls” from their last albumScience Of Annihilation and is about a werewolf.
When it comes to Cage releases, the packaging is top-notch. The brilliant cover artwork of Marc Sasso (Dio, Halford) and the stunning 16-page inside booklet complete with lyrics and artwork by Danial Duarte and Forrest Butler are great visuals to accompany Cage’s aural assault.
Cage has been slugging it out in the metal world for almost 20 years. Some people love ’em, some people hate ’em. But on Supremacy Of Steel, there’s no doubt that Cage is more than capable of delivering the metal goods.
01. Bloodsteel (feat. guest artist BITTERFROST)
02. The Beast Of Bray Road
03. King Of The Wasteland
04. Metal Empire
05. War Of The Undead
06. Flying Fortress
07. Doctor Doom
08. Annaliese Michel
09. Braindead Woman
10. The Monitor
11. Hell Destroyer vs. Metal Devil
12. Skinned Alive (bonus track for Europe)
Tracklist:
1. Another Flower
2. Alone
3. Time 4 Lovers
4. Icy Moon
5. Au Premiere Coup
6. Dangerous Diamonds
7. Take Off
8. Blue Diamond
9. Lovin' Me
10. Sixth Sun
11. Bitter & Sweet
Band Hyper
Info: The Happy Bottom Riding Club
Style: Melodic Rock / AOR
Years: 2000
Info: CBR 320 kbs
Info: 81,01 Mb
Info: USA
Tracklist:
01 - Freetime.
02 - She.
03 - Tammy.
04 - Ride The Pony.
05 - Smile.
06 - She's So Fine.
07 - Power To Do.
08 - She's A Taker.
09 - Go All The Way.
10 - She (Demo).
Band Trick Or Treat
Info: Evil Needs Candy Too
Style: Power Metal
Years: 2006
Info: CBR 192 kbs
Info: 68,38 Mb
Info: Italy
Tracklist:
01 - It's Snake Time.
02 - Evil Needs Candy Too.
03 - Time For Us All.
04 - Like Donald Duke.
05 - Girls Just Want To Havai.
06 - Joyful In Sadness.
07 - Sunday Morning In London.
08 - Who Will Save The Hero.
09 - Back As A Pet.
10 - Perfect Life.
11 - Back To Life.
A 23-minute video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "A Southern Revelation", the seventh album from MY RUIN — the Los Angeles-based band featuring the husband-and-wife rock duo of vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy and multi-instrumentalist Mick Murphy — can be seen below. The CD — which will be made available as a free download and gift to fans starting December 7, 2011 exclusively via www.myruin.net— was produced by Mick Murphy and Joel Stooksbury at Soundtrack Black Studio deep in the snowy mountains just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee in the cold January winter of 2011.
"A Southern Revelation" track listing:
01. Tennessee Elegy
02. Highly Explosive
03. Walk of Shame
04. Deconsecrated
05. Middle Finger
06. Vultures
07. Seventh Sacrament
08. Reckoning
09. The Soulless Beast
10. Mean Street (VAN HALEN cover)
MY RUIN will embark on the "Southern Revelation Tour" to celebrate the release of "A Southern Revelation". Special guests for the trek are British metal heavyweights GODSIZED along with Colchester thrashers and longtime friends SANCTORUM and Nottingham rockers LONG DAY FEAR.
MY RUIN recently announced the addition of drummer Isaac Lee to the group's ranks.
