Few rock bands were as successful as the SCORPIONS by the mid ’80s – headlining arenas/stadiums worldwide, scoring two mega-selling albums (the platinum-certified “Blackout” and the triple-platinum certified “Love at First Sting”) and two hit singles/videos (‘No One Like You’ and ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’). But what quite a few newcomers to the band didn’t realize was that the Scorpions had been regularly recording music since 1972, and that throughout the remainder of the decade, featured two guitarists (Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth) at separate points that are considered legendary amongst the heavy metal masses. And while such albums as “Lonesome Crow,” “Fly to the Rainbow,” “In Trance,” “Virgin Killer”, “Taken by Force”, “Tokyo Tapes,” and “Lovedrive” did not come close to obtaining the commercial success of the aforementioned ’80s era efforts, they inspired and influenced countless renowned musicians.
‘German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the ’70s’ is the first-ever book to focus solely on this period of the band. Interviews include such former members as Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Francis Buchholz, and Herman Rarebell, longtime Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, plus members of other bands that are major admirers, including KK Downing (Judas Priest), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Satriani, Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and Eddie Trunk (‘That Metal Show’), among many others, while Kirk Hammett (Metallica) provides a foreword. Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, who has written for Rolling Stone, Songfacts, and Vintage Guitar, and has authored such books as ‘Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990’s,’ ‘Iron Maiden: ’80 ’81,’ ‘The Eric Carr Story,’ and ‘Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story.’ ‘German Metal Machine’ is his 19th book overall.
‘German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the ’70s’ is available as a paperback version [222 pages, $16.99], a Kindle download [$9.99], a Nook download [$9.99], and an iBook download [$9.99].
The German Folk/Power-Metal heroes WINTERSTORM are set to release their fourth studio album, “Cube Of Infinity”, on August 19th, 2016 via NoiseArt Records.
Today, the band presents the lyric video for the brand new song ‘Through the Storm’.
Check it out here:
The band states: “New ways! Powerful and with new strength we are heading for a adventurous Journey. The storm in us is blowing stronger than ever before. Don’t worry about the hat. ;-)”
The artwork was created by guitar player Michael Liewald:
“Cube Of Infinity” shows that WINTERSTORM by far haven’t reached the end of their journey. Once more, their highly diversified songs lure the listeners into a Fantasy World that becomes a thrilling adventure thanks to the high quality of the musical background. Catchy rhythms, enthralling melodies, and elating refrains make “Cube Of Infinity” a model of how Power Metal should sound in the year of 2016… that will fascinate not only fans of bands such as Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, and Orden Ogan.
WINTERSTORM again skillfully succeed in uniting Folk elements and Power Metal to form a unique and kitsch-free mixture of their own.”Cube Of Infinity” is in schedule to offer a cooling summer storm in the heat of August, drying the sweat of fans with a huge portion of passion and fresh wind. www.winterstormarea.com www.noiseart.eu
EVIL MASQUERADE recently released their 7th studio album “The Outcast Hall Of Fame”. One of the heavier tracks that features Mats Levén (Candlemass, ex. Therion) is now available as a lyric video. Check it out below:
The band recently announced their new permanent vocalist as Nicklas Sonne, who also sang on the new album.
For more information, visit the official EVIL MASQUERADE website here.
Ritchie Blackmore’s RAINBOW Genting Arena UK 25th June 2016
Years have passed since I last went to a big show at the NEC, Birmingham, (I think it was MEGADETH in ’92), so what a band to make it back there for, arriving for the gig of the century on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, to see The Man In Black’s return to rock! The area was packed full of happy looking RAINBOW fans wandering around the Resort World complex, eating, drinking and watching Euro 2016 on the big screen outside.
Walking into the Genting Arena, we were faced with a great band playing on a small stage, going by the name of DAYLIGHT ROBBERY, with quite a crowd watching their set. After of course buying TShirts to mark this legendary event, we went to find our seats, on the side block next to left of the stage was a pretty good view. I hadn’t heard of English rockers MOSTLY AUTUMN prior to them being announced as support for this show, but they put on a great performance at what must have been the biggest show they have played. It’s easy to see why they were chosen for this gig, they fitted in very well with the whole theme of the night and went down really well with the packed out arena.
Slightly later than scheduled, at 8.45pm, the lights went down and ‘Land Of Hope And Glory’ then ‘Over The Rainbow’ started blasting over the PA, signalling the entrance of the band and guitar GOD Ritchie Blackmore! So many fans have been waiting for this ‘return to rock’ moment for the last twenty years and they greeted the band and of course main man Ritchie with deafening cheers as they launched straight into ‘Highway Star’, setting the excellent tone for the night.
Ronnie Romero 25th June 2016
I’ve known vocalist Ronnie Romero since the return of RAINBOW was announced last year and his work with his own band LORDS OF BLACK. Ronnie was a great choice to be the new singer, his voice is exceptional and suits all the material, whether it be DEEP PURPLE or RAINBOW. Ronnie is also a commanding front man and interacted well with the crowd throughout the show.
The other musicians supporting Ritchie consisted of Bob Nouveau on bass, David Keith on drums and Jens Johansson on keyboards, along with two backing singers, one being Candice Night. Even though I know all the previous incarnations of RAINBOW well on recordings, I had never seen the band live before and it did not matter one bit to me that there were no other original musicians playing these shows. I feel the band worked extremely well as a unit and though not very animated (except for Ronnie) that was okay, the musicianship shone through. Not sure if it was just me, but I couldn’t really hear the backing vocals much.
After a few DEEP PURPLE tracks, the band launched into ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’, one of my favourites of the show. Of course nobody could or even wants to replace Ronnie James Dio, but I’m sure would he have loved Ronnie Romero’s vocals on this song, absolutely excellent!
Ritchie Blackmore 25th June 2016
Let’s just get this bit out of the way – as we all know, Ritchie is now 71 years old, so of course combined with his recent surgery, has slowed down since the days of RAINBOW past! Personally, for me it was unbelievable to see such a legend up on that stage, it felt like a momentous and historic occasion where every moment had to be savoured. And Ritchie looked in fine shape, he made his Strat sing all night long! (no pun intended ;)). There were some very cool moments – not once, but twice Ritchie suddenly lay down at the front of the stage and passed a drink to a lucky member of the front row and we heard him speak just once, to introduce Ronnie. He really looked to be having a great time throughout, waving his arm sometimes. The only tiny criticism I have (which isn’t really!) is that he didn’t go to the other side of the stage so I could get a decent photo ;).
‘Soldier Of Fortune’ was another shining moment, full of emotion from both Ronnie and Ritchie, with the crowd singing along in fine voice. ‘Difficult To Cure’ was up next, followed by brilliant bass, keyboard and drum solos.
‘Child In Time’, what can I say, it was absolutely outstanding! Ronnie could easily match Ian Gillan’s voice, this song particularly showcased his amazing vocal range and he has one hell of a scream on him!
Last month we had a special tribute week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the RAINBOW “Rising” album and as I had listened to it so much recently and gathered other artists thoughts on it, it seemed to make it even more special when the drum intro to ‘Stargazer’ kicked in, then that riff! A definite favourite of the whole show, Ronnie delivered the vocals with all of his heart and soul and Ritchie’s slightly changed solo was brilliant. The icing on the cake was to see this classic performed under the 21st century rainbow lighting rig, just stunning!
The night ended all too quickly (unfortunately without ‘Gates Of Babylon’, maybe next time!) with two more DEEP PURPLE classic tracks for the encores, ‘Burn’ and ‘Smoke On The Water’, I’m sure leaving most people feeling the same way as me – we would love to see more from Ritchie Blackmore’s RAINBOW!
Set List:
Recordings – Land Of Hope And Glory
Over The Rainbow
Highway Star
Spotlight Kid
Mistreated
Since You Been Gone
Man On The Silver Mountain
Soldier Of Fortune
Difficult To Cure
Catch The Rainbow
Perfect Strangers
Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
Child In Time
Stargazer
Black Night
Encores:
Burn
Smoke On The Water
Show Rating: 10/10
Ritchie Blackmore’s RAINBOW 25th June 2016
Also, you can watch this short video below, conducted by Metal Shock Finland Chief Editor Mohsen Fayazi, to find out my opinion on the show:
Sweden’s doom/crust/prog-infused death metallers USURPRESS have revealed the first new song taken from their forthcoming album “The Regal Tribe”, which drops on September 23rd via Agonia Records. The new song is called ‘Across The Dying Plains’ and is available in the form of a lyric video, here:
The album’s haunting cover artwork was created by renowned Dutch artist Marald van Haasteren (Bolt Thrower, High on Fire, Baroness, Kylesa) who was given a carte blanche with regards to the visual interpretation of the album’s lyrical concept.“The Regal Tribe” was recorded under the supervision of rising star producer Lawrence Mackrory (FKÜ, Darkane).
“The Regal Tribe” is the follow up to “Ordained” (2014) which saw USURPRESS leave their deathcrust path for more uncharted territories. During the composing of the new album, the band was plagued by mental disorders/depressions and life threatening illnesses in the member’s immediate families, most notably vocalist/lyricist Stefan Pettersson’s battle with his bone marrow cancer. Therefore “The Regal Tribe” is a heavier and darker, yet more varied, complex and thoughtful effort than their previous albums. This concept album is a tragic story about life versus death, about vanity and the relentless passing of time and is by far USUPRESS’ most ambitious output to date.
Pettersson states: “We decided early on to discard the traditional way of songwriting/arranging and compose The Regal Tribe one piece at the time, starting with the first riff in the first song and ending with the last riff in the 10:th song. That way we hoped to avoid the album becoming repetitive and stale and instead more fluent and powerful. Listening back to the finished album, I’m convinced we did the right thing. This is the album we have always sought to do”.
Since their formation in 2010, USURPRESS have gained a reputation as a creative and hardworking band that in a relative short time already have built up an extensive back catalogue of albums, EP’s and splits. Their aim has always been to constantly evolve and expand their soundscape, always looking forward in a restless and tireless way. Pettersson: “Although we are very proud of all our previous works, we never look back. Dwelling on the past does not interest us at all. We started to write The Regal Tribe a couple of weeks after Ordained was released and we started to draw up the blueprints for our next album before we started to record The Regal Tribe. This is how we do things, we don’t wait for inspiration, we get inspiration from creating”.
“The Regal Tribe” is also the last USURPRESS album to feature original drummer Calle Lönnberg who left the band shortly after the recording and was replaced by internationally renowned sticksman Mathias “Matte” Modin (Firespawn, Raised Fist, ex-Dark Funeral, ex-Defleshed).
Available formats:
– Digipack CD.
– Black LP.
– Green LP (limited to 100 copies).
– T-shirt in two versions.
– Digital.
Track listing:
I: Beneath the Starless Skies
II: The One They Call the Usurpress
III: Across the Dying Plains
IV: The Mortal Tribes
V: The Halls of Extinction
VI: Throwing the Gift Away
VII: Behold the Forsaken
VIII: On a Bed of Straw
IX: The Sin that Is Mine
X: In the Shadow of the New Gods
Line-up: Stefan Pettersson – vocals Påhl Sundström – guitar Daniel Ekeroth – bass Calle Lönnberg – drums
Upcoming shows:
August 20th (SWE): Howl from the Grave Open Air Festival, Stockholm
(with Interment, Bombs of Hades, Sorcery, Lik, Coffin Creep, etc)
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/607830372706508/
From Classic to Rock and Select Strings Foundation are proud to present the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF) a donation in the amount of $50,000 as a result of the “From Classic to Rock” concert event benefiting public schools.
“From Classic to Rock” was an intimate concert that brought together platinum selling rock stars with world-renowned classical musicians. The special event consisted of a one-of-a-kind concert, auction, and an epic red carpet after-party! Musicians involved with the event contributed their time, energy and musical talents to support programming funded by PEF including school music, art, physical education, library and STEM programs, and much more! Private donations are still critical in maintaining music education in public schools across the country. For more information on the Peninsula Education Foundation go to: http://www.pvpef.org. Classic to Rock is Organized and Produced by: Marten Andersson, Yutong, Robert DeLeo, Stan Sharp, Chester Bennington.
The video, produced by high-school student Dilan Mistry can be viewed below:
CONCERT PERFORMERS:
Stone Temple Pilots Chester Bennington from Linkin Park Gary Wright (Multi platinum artist and writer of Dream Weaver and Love is Alive) Yutong (Pacific Symphony, LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) Stan Sharp (Long Beach Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) Marten Andersson (Lizzy Borden and George Lynch) Chas West (Bonham and Foreigner) Monte Pittman (Madonna and Solo Artist) Jane Lee (Accomplished songwriter/pianist) Lauren Mayhew (Singer/Actress)
Extraordinary guest musicians: Christopher Lennertz, Stephen Chesney, Joi Simpson, Benjamin Zelico, Trameka Richardson, Sean Bart and the Peninsula high school choir.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 