Swedish Heavy Metal masters WOLF announce their return with a new studio album entitled ‘Shadowland’! The album is set to be released through Century Media on April 1st, 2022! It is their 9th studio effort and the follow up to the 2020 release “Feeding The Machine”.
The artwork was once again handled by the one and only Thomas Holm (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond). Pre-Order will start on January 28th, 2022!
ICED EARTH’s merchandise web store which was offline for about a year, now is back online, which is cheering up their die hard fans! The band’s official page on Instagram is also seems to be active again, however the official website remained outdated!
While whole of the media, including main stream, independents and even metal music websites focusing on the political aspect around the band and Jon Schaffer, we at Metal Shock Finland decided to remain on the music side only! So here are some facts about ICED EARTH and Jon Schaffer:
ICED EARTH’s discography has twelve studio albums in the list, the first one was the self titled one, which was released in 1990 in cassette, CD and LP formats. The last album, ‘Incorruptible’ was released in 2017 and it was the band’s most successful album in their homeland, USA!
ICED EARTH released two live and three compilation albums, four EPs and five singles!
The band has also a covers album in their arsenal, including cover songs from bands like IRON MAIDEN, KISS, JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, ALICE COOPER and BLACK SABBATH!
The band’s most successful studio album in Finland was ‘The Glorious Burden’ which hit the chart point at number 30!
ICED EARTH was formed in 1985 but with a different name; Purgatory which was changed in the next year to what it is now!
Jon Schaffer and ICED EARTH have never been one of those rich bands which could spend lots of money at promos especially in the music videos!
In 1984, the year before forming the band, while in Tampa, Schaffer slept in his car until he nearly lost his life in a car accident!
Along side with ICED EARTH, Jon has also been a member of a few other bands and projects like Demons & Wizards, Sons of Liberty, Jon Schaffer’s Purgatory and Schaffer/Barlow Project!
Legendary Heavy Metal duo ASHES OF ARES, featuring Matt Barlow, announces the release of their third studio album “Emperors and Fools”!
Nine years after forming ASHES OF ARES, Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales return with their third full-length album “Emperors and Fools”. This album sees the duo take the darkness and aggression from their previous album “Well of Souls” to a higher echelon. The writing process began almost immediately after “Well of Souls” was released. As usual, it was a true collaborative effort between the two, with ideas originating from one or the other, then evolving and being refined to what is presented on “Emperors and Fools.” The album flow is designed to keep the listeners on edge while bringing them from fast, heavy, pounding anthems to somber, melancholic, emotional pieces. The album ends with the eleven-minute long epic “Monster’s Lament” which features the long-imagined joining of forces between Matt Barlow and Tim Ripper Owens.
“Emperors and Fools” will be released on January 21, 2022 as digipak CD, limited Turquoise/Black Splatter Vinyl (300 copies worldwide), limited Red/Black Splatter Vinyl (300 copies worldwide) and digital streaming and download format.
• Produced by Ashes of Ares • Mixed and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording, Phoenix, Arizona • Drums recorded by Ed Warrin of LCS Productions • Artwork by Kamil Pietruczynik
TRACK LIST: 1. A City in Decay (Intro) 2. I Am the Night 3. Our Last Sunrise 4. Primed 5. Where God Fears to Go 6. Emperors and Fools 7. By My Blade 8. What Tomorrow Will Bring 9. The Iron Throne 10. Gone 11. Throne of Iniquity (CD Exclusive Track) 12. Monster’s Lament
Ashes Of Ares: Matt Barlow – Vocals Freddie Vidales – Guitars, Bass
Guests: Drums on all tracks by Van Williams Keyboard intro composed by Jonah Weingarten 1st solo “The Iron Throne” by Wiley Arnett of Sacred Reich 2nd solo “The Iron Throne” by Charlie Mark 2nd solo “Monster’s Lament” by Bill Hudson Guest vocals “Monster’s Lament” by Tim Ripper Owens Keyboards “Monster’s Lament” by Brian Trainor
Swedish heavy metal masters, WOLF have recently revealed that writing new music is finished and they started recording new songs for their ninths studio album. Once again the band using Simon‘s SolnaSoundStudio for recordings and as far as we at MSF got aware drums and bass sessions are already done.
“Today we start recording the next WOLF album, which will be released when we can tour again and see you face to face.” stated WOLF‘s vocalist, Niklas Stålvind on April 1st 2021.
WOLF released their eighth studio album, “Feeding the Machine”, on 13 March 2020 via Century Media Records, which was the first album featuring band’s new members, Johan Koleberg on drums and Pontus Egberg on bass guitar.
German rock/metal opera musician, Steve Brockmann will release a new single from his new project, “BROCKMANN’S GUESTHOUZE” on FEBRUARY 5TH.
“I’ve decided to establish “Brockmann’s Guesthouze” as a home for single songs not slated for any of my current projects (like Vision of Choice) – I can record these when I feel like it, without any pressure, and with absolutely no stylistic boundaries. At the moment, I plan to enlist at least one surprise guest vocalist and/or instrumentalist.” Steve stated, “The first song to be released is called “Close to Me, Farther from You”, written with my long time writing partner, lyricist George Andrade. It was the last song that I wrote in 2020, and so it’s only fitting that it be the first I publish in (a hopefully better) 2021.“
Guests on this song are Napoli based, Italian vocalist Alessandro Granato (SirJoe Project, Stamina), who delivered a rich and energetic performance, and German session guitarist Mike Markwitz, who contributed a blistering guitar solo. “Close to Me, Farther from You” will be available for purchase on Bandcamp.
Steve Brockmann, born in 1965 in Kiel (near Hamburg) Germany, has played an active role in Northern Germany’s music scene since the early 1980s. Being the creative head of various bands, he has played gigs on many stages between Germany’s most popular holiday island Sylt (up in the very North) and the orchards of Lower Saxony. Amongst others, he has played support gigs for such rock legends as Uriah Heep, Moody Marsden Band, and Hawkwind. After having spent some time roaming the North and living out his own rock ’n’ roll movie, Steve has since “retired” from the road to mainly concentrate on composing original music for his various projects in his personal studio.
Steve Brockmann Discography Solo instrumental albums: • Don‘t Sing! (2001) • Expected Errors (2007) • 3 (2016) Brockmann/Andrade • Airs – A Rock Opera (2012) Vision of Choice • Mistress of the Gods (2020) • Second Sight (TBA 2021) Singles: • “For Those Who Left, For Those Who Came” (Christmas Eve) (2011) • “New Horizon” – Vision of Choice (December 16, 2019)
BLOODSPOT from Limburg an der Lahn celebrate the raw and dark side of Thrash Metal. Despite genre conventions, the band always expands the emotional boundaries of their sound and more and more incorporates genre-unrelated styles.
Tomorrow, the band will release the second digital single “Potzblitz”. The song will be available on every major streaming platform. The band presents also a new music video of the single. The premiere will take place on Friday, January 22th (10:00am CET) on their YouTube-Channel.
The band states: “Potzblitz” is the first song created for “The Cannibal Instinct”. Black, brutal punk metal. Three chords, fast and straight in the face, with pissed off socially critical lyrics. “Potzblitz” was finished pretty quickly compared to the rest of the album’s material. The goal was to combine classic hardcore punk with thrash riffing, gritty echoes and a death ‘n’ roll feel. After we played “Potblitz” in the rehearsals often on even higher speed, we decided for the album recordings not to overdo it, so that the song does not lose its charackter and lose its groove. The album title embodies, next to all seriousness, the wink, which always resonates with Bloodspot.”
The official video for the the first single “Our Workers Back” can be seen here:
Chief Shock Video
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
Ads
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