The Metal Hall of Fame have announced a partial list of Rockstars that will be Inducted in 2025. Sponsored by Sammy Radio, Ellefson Coffee Co.,Troubadour Amplification, with tastings presented by Ghost Tequila and more to announce!
The Annual Metal Hall of Fame Charity Gala, where Industry Executives and fans alike attend “The Most Important Night In Hard Rock And Heavy Metal.” takes place Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at the Grand Theater in Anaheim, CA.
PRE-PARTY 4:00pm- 6:30PM Anaheim House of Blues
CELEBRITY RED CARPET 7:00PM Grand Theater, Anaheim
INDUCTION CEREMONY 8:00PM Grand Theater, Anaheim
2025 INDUCTEES:
Dimebag Darrell (20th Anniversary of Life Celebration/Induction) [With Surprise Guests]
Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy)
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (Misfits)
Rikki Rockett (Poison)
KNAC
Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory)
Dangerous Toys
Jeff Young (Megadeth/ Kings of Thrash)
With live performances by Jeff Young, Kill Devil Hill and a special All-Star Jam at the end of the event!
About the Metal Hall of Fame: The Metal Hall of Fame is a non profit organization, dedicated to forever enshrining the iconic musicians and music industry executives responsible for making Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they continue to inspire fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.
Every January, industry executives and fans attend the Metal Hall of Fame Gala (The most Important Night In Hard Rock and Heavy Metal). All proceeds go to bringing free music programs to help special needs children.
Cleopatra’s marathon Melanie reissue campaign continues apace with the earliest known professional recording of Melanie in concert.
Taped by her husband/producer Peter Schekeryk at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles, Take Me Home– Live at the Troubadour 1969 features five songs recorded a full four months before Melanie’s epochal Woodstock appearance in August 1969, and captures the young chansonnier as she transfixed audience and watching media alike.
Reviewing the show, journalist Stephen MH Braitman wrote, “Her shining quality is a voice that literally weeps with huskiness. Melanie is an original, and what spouts from [her songs is a curiously compelling style….”
Elsewhere, Melody Maker called her as “a cross between Mother Courage and Judy Garland.”
Melanie, on the other hand, described herself as “A loose cannon.” In 2003, she reflected, “I don’t believe Woodstock changed me in the slightest, but it did alter my record label’s perception of me, and the media’s, and the public’s. And that bled into everything else – promotion, photo sessions, and I guess the songs I was writing, because as an artist you can’t help but write for your audience as much as you do for yourself.
“A lot of my earlier songs, my first two albums especially, I think got lost – there were certain songs I’d written, like ‘Beautiful People,’ that resonated with what the label wanted from me, but there were others, like ‘Deep Down Low’ and ‘Take Me Home With You’ [both included here] that were allowed to fall by the wayside.”
Here, they cannot help but demand attention.
Also included on the album is a rare recording of Melanie on tour in fall 1971, with her monster hit “Brand New Key” yet to commence its rise to #1. The response (or total lack thereof) to its appearance testifies to that.
Recorded at the California State College in California, Pennsylvania, it offers a fascinating glimpse of Melanie actually “on the road.” While other live recordings from this 1970-1971 period focus on the most prestigious venues in her itinerary, be they Carnegie Hall, the Montreux Festival or Glastonbury Fayre, here we hear her at what surely felt like just another venue in another town, as she wove her way around the country.
Yet her commitment to her performance is no less wholehearted than any of those better-known shows.
Finnish hard rock and metal legends LORDI are set to release their highly anticipated 19th studio album, “Limited Deadition,” on March 21, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The album is spearheaded by the electrifying lead single, ‘Syntax Terror,’ a track that thrusts listeners into a game-like world with spacy melodies, thunderous riffs, and irresistibly catchy hooks.
Mr Lordi comments: “The writing of this song started out with its main keyboard riff. I played around with those mono sounds, trying to come up with something with a very 80s action movie opening score feel. ‘Syntax Terror’ actually almost became the album title, but then it was discovered that other people have had the same idea way before I did. On the verses I was thinking of JUDAS PRIEST, on the chorus of MANOWAR and – as icing on the cake – Udo Dirkschneider-type of screams to belch out the title. Don’t ask what the lyrics are about. ‘Syntax Terror’ is a very 80s heavy metal style song, painting abstract pictures with every line!”
Already generating excitement among fans, the single promises to be a highlight in LORDI‘s monstrous catalog. Pre-orders are available here: https://lordi.rpm.link/limiteddeaditionPR
Known for their theatrical style and unique blend of 80s-inspired rock and heavy metal, LORDI‘s latest creation is a nostalgic celebration of retro 80s toys, infused with a fresh and powerful energy. Building on the success of their 2023 album “Screem Writers Guild,”“Limited Deadition” ventures into heavier riffs and faster tempos, creating a soundscape that is both familiar and invigorating.
Recorded at IluSound Studio and Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, “Limited Deadition” was produced by Mr Lordi, mixed by Ilkka Herkman, and mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen. As always, Mr Lordi took charge of the album’s striking artwork and layout, channeling his passion for 80s memorabilia into every detail. “It’s some kind of sibling album to its predecessor,”Mr Lordi explains. “We’re still walking the path of AOR-inspired music, but this time, with a more metal touch in terms of riffs and tempo. We’ve always written what felt right and natural, and this album is no exception.”
The thematic heart of “Limited Deadition” lies in Mr Lordi‘s lifelong obsession with collecting, inspired by the action figures and toys of his childhood. “The album topic of 80s toys is actually just a loose theme, but it’s been accompanying me since I was little. I’ve always been a collector of various stuff, and I’m even some kind of a hoarder. I can’t even remember which my first own toy was, but my obsession basically started with “Muppet Show” dolls, followed by “Star Wars” and “E.T.” figures, with the latter actually being my favourite movie of all time.”
The album opens with ‘SCG XIX The Hexecutioners,’ setting the stage for an exciting blend of cinematic and melodic heavy rock. Tracks like ‘Legends Are Made Of Clichés’ and ‘Skelephant In The Room’ highlight LORDI‘s knack for creating larger-than-life anthems. Meanwhile, the poignant ballad ‘Collectable’ reflects on the fleeting value of physical objects in a digital world, while the title track, ‘Limited Deadition,’ makes a bold statement celebrating collectors and their passion.
“Limited Deadition” – Track Listing:
01. SCG XIX The Hexecutioners 02. Legends Are Made Of Clichés 03. Syntax Terror 04. Skelephant In The Room 05. SCGTV Saturday Night Main Event 06. Killharmonic Orchestra 07. Collectable 08. SCGTV Monstersquad Action Figures 09. Fangoria 10. Hellizabeth 11. SCGTV The Hexecutioners Seasion 12. Retropolis 13. Frighteousness 14. SCGTV Crazee Ralph Promo 15. Limited Deadition 16. You Might Be Deceased
To support the release, LORDI will embark on a global “Limited Deadition” tour, beginning in Finland and expanding internationally. Fans can expect a monstrous spectacle, complete with new tricks and surprises.
“Limited Deadition” will be available on all major streaming platforms and in physical formats on March 21, 2025. Pre-orders for the album and tour tickets are now live. With the explosive single ‘Syntax Terror’ already setting the tone, fans can prepare for an unforgettable addition to the LORDIverse.
LORDI live:
21.03.2025 FI Tampere – Tavara-asema 22.03.2025 FI Helsinki – Tavastia-klubi 25.03.2025 PL Warsaw – Progresja 26.03.2025 PL Gdansk – B90 28.03.2025 NL Amstelveen – P60 29.03.2025 NL Drachten – Poppoadium Iduna 30.03.2025 NL Sittard – Poppodium Volt 02.04.2025 UK Wolverhampton – Wulfrun Hall 03.04.2025 UK Newcastle – NX 05.04.2025 UK Manchester – Academy 2 06.04.2025 UK Glasgow – Galvanizers SWG3 08.04.2025 UK London – Islington Assembly Hall 09.04.2025 UK Bristol – SWX 11.04.2025 FR Savigny-le-Temple – L’Empreinte 12.04.2025 FR Saint-Lô – Le Normandy 13.04.2025 BE Sint-Niklaas – De Casino 15.04.2025 FR Lyon (Villeurbanne) – La Rayonne 16.04.2025 FR Strasbourg (Ostwald) – Le Point d’Eau 17.04.2025 FR Montbéliard – L’Axone
Founded in 1992 by singer, songwriter and designer Mr Lordi, LORDI are one of the major Finnish rock/heavy metal acts of our time. Originally rooted in Rovaniemi (Northern Lapland, Finland), the band achieved their international breakthrough after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ in 2006.
Since then, the unconventional troops have rocked their way into the spotlight of Europe with charm, unforgettable tunes and elaborate monster costumes, and have become an integral part of the line-ups of globally recognized festivals such as Wacken Open Air (DE) and Masters of Rock (CZ) among others.
LORDI are: Mr Lordi | vocals Kone | guitars Hiisi | bass Hella | keyboard Mana | drums
From out of the shadows once more, Mörk Gryning have returned with a newly blackened opus.
These cultishly beloved lords of the Swedish black metal scene have been a blazing force in the underground since the early ’90s. On their new album, Mörk Gryning refuse to yield to trends, honoring their feral countrymen by carving out raw, apocalyptic symphonies. Fasornas Tid is scrawled in the same sacred and bloody ink as their seminal debut, yet remains drenched in the visceral immediacy of the present.
Fasornas Tid was released yesterday, December 13th on Season of Mist, and you can hear all 12 savage songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Formed in the chilling embrace of ’90s black metal, Mörk Gryning has always carved their own path, paying homage to their forebears while relentlessly pushing forward. Fasornas Tid – which in English means “The Time of Horrors” – dive bombs into a void inner turmoil, full of the insatiable hunger for self-destruction. “Tornet” storms ahead with unbridled fury, featuring the savage vocals of C from AVSLUT, while the title track marks a return to the band’s melodic roots in its relentless harmonies and breakneck tempos.
Both haunting and ferocious, Fasornas Tid paints a dystopian symphony reminiscent of Mörk Gryning’s iconic debut Tusen år har gått…, yet is still unmistakably a product of the now.
Tracklist: 1. Intro (1:13) 2. The Seer (4:03) 3. Tornet (3:59) [LISTEN] 4. Fasornas Tid (3:34) [WATCH] 5. Before The Crows Have Their Feast (4:26) 6. Savage Messiah (4:37) 7. An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon (4:11) 8. Black Angel (3:38) [LISTEN] 9. Barren Paths (1:52) 10. The Serpent’s Kiss (4:19) 11. Det Svarta (3:19) 12. Age Of Fire (4:48) Total runtime: 44:04
Mörk Gryning was founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1993 by Goth Gorgon and Draakh Kimera. Two years later they released their debut album “Tusen År Har Gått” (1995), recorded and mixed at Unisound Studios, by legendary producer Dan Swanö and released by No Fashion. The album is one of the milestones of the ‘90s Swedish Black Metal scene.
The group returned to action in November 1996, working at Sunlight Studios together with Tomas Skogsberg and Dismember’s Fred Estby to craft the “Return Fire” album. Over the following years, three more albums were released, for example “Maelstrom Chaos” with new guitarist Avathar, a scene veteran, recorded at the legendary Grieghallen Studios Bergen, Norway.
Ever since the debut album, “Tusen år har gått…”, Mörk Gryning has refused to follow in the footsteps of others and walked their own paths – something which is made very clear on the 2003 release “Pieces of Primal Expressionism”, an experimental and heavy progressive release recorded at Dug Out, produced by Daniel Bergstrand. After a couple of years of touring and festival performances, the band was put on hold.
Returning to the scene again in 2017, the band performed an exclusive live show in Stockholm playing all the songs from the debut album and some other songs from the back catalogue. This ended in releasing the 4-song live record called “Live at Kraken”. During the pandemic the comeback album “Hinsides Vrede” was released to much critical acclaim with many of the songs today being the backbone of their live shows. A new album is scheduled for release in 2024 and the band is more active than ever.
Line-up: DRAAKH KIMERA – Lead Vocals, Guitar GOTH GORGON – Bass, Backing vocals, Lead Vocals on “Det Svarta” S-L – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals C-G – Drums AEON – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Recording Studio: Wing Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Production Credits: Produced by Sverker Widgren & Mörk Gryning Mixed & Mastered at Wing Studios, Stockholm by Sverker Widgren
Guest Musician: C of AVSLUT on “Tornet” & “An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon”
By Norse Music present an installment of the Nordic Night at Fire In The Mountains (FITM) 2025, held on the tribal lands of the Blackfeet Nation, Montana, US. Besides the already announced headliner Wardruna, the artists featured are Sámi icon Mari Boine, ambient project BardSpec and electronic pop duo Lindy-Fay Hella & Dei Farne.
Hosting a Nordic Night Showcase at FITM is rooted in the aim to create shared cultural experiences such as performances and workshops. Celebrating the variety of cultures present at the 2025 edition, strengthening internationalcommunity, reflecting on shared values and the connection to the natural world through these experiences, is a reminder that our cultures are one and the same, born out of the grounds we walk on. More information on the workshops will follow later.
Simon Fülleman, co-founder of By Norse states: “I vividly remember working on ‘On Wings over Utgard’ FITM curation alongside Ivar Bjørnson in 2022. I couldn’t attend but was honored to work with many dedicated people to bring unique bands to an even more unique location. Since then, we stayed in touch in different ways, like Wayfarer joining the Enslaved European Tour in 2023. Some bonds go deeper than you think, and they bring you back together to build upon what has been sown along time ago. Now, with FITM moving to the sacred Blackfeet Lands, things fell into place even more. The values, the nature, the scenery, the people, the cause, everything is aligned with what I am, and we are standing for. So having the opportunity to curate a part of the festival with friends again is nothing short of amazing. This time I will make it to the festival. So should you!”
Laetitia Abbenes, project leader for the Nordic Night Showcase adds: “Ever sincehearing about FITM, I’ve felt our shared love for music, the natural world, the similar mindset and the cause were something I would like to contribute to insome way or form. I’m glad we now get to do so by bringing a delegation of the By Norse family to the Blackfeet Nation during the festival and celebrate with this wonderful, cross-continent community. I can’t wait for these worlds to meet, learn from and inspire each other at Red Eagle Campground.”
Shane McCarthy, music curator at Fire In The Mountains concludes: “As our festival grows, the experience is only as strong as the people who apply their vision to it. It has been no small honour to forge a partnership with ByNorse Music, whose ideas and contributions have gone beyond simple collaboration with their artists. We are delighted to have them as guest curators – selecting artists from their roster to perform as a part of the inaugural event at Red Eagle.”
The showcase is an aspect of the earlier established partnership between the Blackfeet Nation, Fire In The Mountains, the non-profit TheFirekeeper Alliance, AISAmusic & By Norse Music, and Wardruna. These parties aim to have a positive impact on both the Blackfeet community and those who gather on the festival grounds next July.
Fire In The Mountains is set to take place in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, on July 25 – 27, 2025 in the Blackfeet Nation, Montana, US. Standing by the indigenous community hosting the festival,this will be an event without alcohol.
MANDOKI SOULMATES’ music video for their new single “I Am Because You Are” places bandleader Leslie Mandoki in a cinematic dreamscape where he’s taking a long, wistful look in the mirror, a melodic rumination and re-examination of life’s twists and turns.
This is the follow up single to the previous Mandoki Soulmates single release, The Wanderer both of which are part of a major expansion of the offerings associated with the Soulmates’ groundbreaking new album, A Memory Of Our Future, which now also includes a limited X-mas edition of the album on deluxe audiophile white vinyl.
What if music could give us the opportunity to rewrite the future?
Mandoki Soulmates puts this question at the heart of their latest acclaimed album, A Memory Of Our Future, which has attracted worldwide attention as a musical masterpiece, in Europe, and particularly in the USA and UK: Called “A modern-day Jazz Progressive Rock masterpiece” by Goldmine Magazine, and said by Forever Music “the album of the year,” fans and music press alike have hailed the album for carrying the flag for the future of Prog Rock through its timeless and socio-politically relevant musical messages conveyed in a super high-end audiophile format, in what band leader Leslie Mandoki calls, with a sly smile,“a revenge of the analog.”
After this summer’s simultaneous release of the new album and packed-house European concert successes with the full line-up of this “band of bandleaders” playing the album live, A Memory Of Our Future is receiving accolades for the compositional maturity of its songs, the virtuosity of the performances from Europe’s favorite supergroup of jazz-and prog-rock legends, as well as for the audiophile analog production with a deeply American feel, generating great enthusiasm from Stateside listeners.
The relevant music media unanimously emphasizes the musical world-class level and the stylistic, even epochal relevance of the work. International broadcasters such as Sinclair Broadcast Group as well as major rock music magazines such as The Classic Rock describe A Memory Of Our Future as “an instant progressive rock classic”. At the same time, the artistic excellence of the iconic band members and the analog production are highlighted as in The Final On Vinyl “Each song is a masterpiece, a testament to the band’s musical prowess and creativity” or American Songwriter “There are many heavy hitters who contributed to the album, which was recorded, appropriately enough, using analog production.”
After the successful launch of the album, Leslie Mandoki and his Soulmates have followed up with a burst of creative output, first with the movingly heartfelt video for the single The Wanderer, and now with the emotional, elegiac I Am Because You Are, which will be released on December 9.
This will be followed with the release of a full concert video experience, captured live during the summer tour with 16 cameras and high-end audio, the post production for which was just wrapped up by Leslie Mandoki.
On November 29, a strictly limited deluxe X-mas edition of the album A Memory Of Our Future has been released worldwide on White X-mas Vinyl for the highest sound quality. Produced completely in the analog domain, audiophiles have lauded the production quality of A Memory Of Our Future, and coming shortly, the album will also be available on ¼” studio master tape for the ultimate analog audiophile experience.
For bandleader Leslie Mandoki, this album is not just a collection of songs, but a musical manifesto for today’s world. “Every song has a special genesis,” he says, “because it’s not we composers and lyricists who write the songs, it’s life!” Some songs on A Memory Of Our Future clearly have autobiographical echoes.
The subject of the new video, I Am Because You Are is perhaps Mandoki’s most personal song yet—a melodic meditation of aging and changing over the years. In the video, love, loss, and struggle are contrasted with the perseverance to stay by each other’s side and the intertwined existence as a developing entity. The video’s swirling dreamscapes of flashbacks and flashforwards combine to show the complexity of a radical intensive love of life, and to ask us to think about how we have become who we now consider ourselves to be—separately and together down the line through sunny and dark days.
My life’s journey is a series of decisions, developments and learning processes, and I Am Because You Are is a chronicle of one aspect—deep and meaningful encounters and cross roads with all that goes with them. Along the way I have founded a family—being a father is the most magnificant role of my life and my greatest responsibility, the most beautiful commitment. I have always tried to give my children deep roots and strong wings so that when the time comes, they can realize themselves and live their own dreams. When they look back on their own lives, as I’ve done in I Am Because You Are, my fondest hope is that they’ll feel, as I do, that in spite of the vagaries of life, it’s been worth it.”
Musically, I Am Because You Are tells its story of self-reflection in singer-songwriter mode—something of a stylistic departure for the Soulmates, who are usually found more in the Prog and Jazz Rock world. Mandoki explains, “Such a personal, contemplative, and open-ended song like I Am Because You Are calls for more of a troubadour or wandering minstrel character—it’s a story told by a man of my time and my experience, and as the verses and choruses delve further into the pathos of reality, because this is my utopia for realists, the production also blossoms into almost a sing-along, chorale style, bringing the listener into the story even more intimately. And as a band, it felt natural and gave us a chance to show our musical range in new ways, which is something we’re always looking for.”
Ultimately, Mandoki reflects, “this, and all my songs, are grounded in my autobiographical reflection, in which a panorama of life, music and art has emerged from a tiny glimmer of hope—still to this day—all with the help of friends, family, colleagues and of course my Soulmates.”
Through the end of 2024 and in the first months of 2025, Mandoki Soulmates will be releasing more videos for songs from their current album, A Memory Of Our Future. Regular postings on the band’s YouTube channel during the fall/holiday season will include videos for new singles as well as new concert videos.
A Memory Of Our Future is characterized not only by its music, but also by its profound philosophical and socio-political poetry. The album is a beacon of quality and artistic integrity that touches people worldwide. Fans and music critics praise the band’s commitment to exploring new avenues of expression while maintaining musical sophistication and richness of thought.
Leslie Mandoki states, “The wonderful thing about A Memory Of Our Future and this way of making music is that we can overcome the melancholy of current trying times together. Music also opens our eyes to the future, and encourages positive thinking and optimism. That gives us strength and drives us forward, even in this challenging time of great divides we have to build the bridges and hold the torch in the dark.”
Thus, even after more than three decades, the Soulmates never tire of raising their voices: Says Mandoki, “We must not retreat, we must not bury our heads in the sand, otherwise we are heading for a future of dystopias. We need more courage to leave our comfort zones and stand up for what we believe is right and rebel against what we know is wrong—to fight against division, fake news, hatred and hate speech and to stand up for truthfulness, intergenerational justice and humanity!
Courage is calling for people like us! Stay Loud for a future in freedom and peace!
Music has always been humanity’s greatest unifier, and now more than ever we need it to unite us.
Together, across generations—for a common future in a better world.”
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )