Two years after their comeback album “Blood of the Nations”, which also introduced us the band’s new vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT Quick), Accept are back with “Stalingrad”. It’s always “weird” when it comes to review albums from bands that have marked out metal music generally. I was skeptical and a little bit cautious about this album… not in terms of music quality… but due to UDO’s absence. I’m a big UDO fan and I believe that he should have been with the band in the first place… but I must also admit that Mark has done a hell of a job.
 

From the beginning HACRIDE has been playing an original and unique kind of metal, always pushing the limits further and showing an indubitable talent for song writing. With their third album «Lazarus», Hacride unleashed an epic album with a natural “rockish” sound filled with tortured songs that swing between rage and progressiveness, between revolt and atmosphere.

 

FORTÉ was founded in Oklahoma City in 1987 and in those early stages they band played an abundant amount of shows quickly establishing themselves within the flourishing underground metal scene by opening for bands like Pantera, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Watchtower, Overkill, Savatage and Trouble.

 

Signing to Germany’s Massacre Records the band released four critically acclaimed albums throughout the 90’s with their last, "Rise Above", coming in 1999.

 

Shadowside is Brazilian metal band that was formed in 2001. They have released three studio albums till now (including this one) and they have changed their style over the years from heavy/power metal to groovy heavy metal with lots of modern and alternative elements.

 

Well, I can remember this band since its first days in the scene… I liked the traditional heavy metal approach with various power/speed features and some harsh/high pitched vocals. They were never a band to be nuts about, but they knew how to pay tribute to their metal roots.

 

US-Metal powerhouse ICED EARTH, currently in China for the first time with shows in Shanghai and Beijing this week, are adding on more shows to their massive WORLD DYSTOPIA TOUR. The show in Bangalore, India on June 16th is a first visit to India for the band and the show on August 19th in Limassol marks a much-clamored return to Cyprus, only 8 months after their last show there. The show is being filmed and recorded for an upcoming DVD/CD release.

 

I was taken by surprise as soon as I heard (and saw the video) of the first full track of the album, “World Scum”… it was so fuckin’ heavy & brutal that I just couldn’t believe it. I haven’t heard something like this from Max in ages. It’s true that the new Soulfly is more thrash/death metal oriented than any other album before. At times I can’t help but think how amazing a new original Sepultura album would have been like.

 

Gory Blister are coming from Italy and they have been around since the early 90s… but it was only in 2003 when they eventually released their debut album. This is their fourth full-length album, which is being released under a new label.

 

Mpire Of Evil is what the ex-Venom members, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn (guitar), Antony “Antton” Lant (drums; brother of Venom frontman “Cronos”) and Tony “The Demolition Man” Dolan (bass, vocals) finally call the band. Firstly, it was called Prime Evil but after issues they had with a band of the same name they decided to change it… for everyone’s sake.