The epic record is nine tracks that are melodic, technical, and progressive. Led by main composer and guitarist Andy Sartori, with vocalist Scott Board, drummer Dino Castano and bassist Rod Viquez, the band sets the mood for something more than just singing over music.
With grandiose instrumentals and heroic vocals, Sartori creates complex, melodic tunes that command attention. They are heavily influenced by classical baroque music, so the band stands as the symphony behind Andy Sartori as the ‘maestro’. What sets these guys apart from other bands is their music composition. Andy Sartori explains further:
“We use a lot of arrangements that you won’t find any other bands doing. Lots of vocals, lots of guitar quartets, duets, and harmony arrangements. My writing is based on positive vibes, positive lyric content, no criticism, no anger, and I write sometimes about spiritual content in the matter of being a better human and about life experiences, personal and in general along with influence from movies and stories I enjoy… sometimes.”
Track Listing: 1. Evil Hearts (3:02) 2. One Distant Heart (3:57) 3. From Hell To Heaven (4:10) 4. Little Aria In G Major (Instrumental) (0:37) 5. Devil In Disguise (3:54) 6. Through The Eyes of My Soul (3:48) 7. Castles of Lost Souls (Instrumental) (4:18) 8. Battles In The Distant Lands (3:42) 9. Dragon’s Fire (2:57)
Band Line Up: Andy A Sartori: Guitars Scott Board: Vocals Rod Viquez: Bass Dino Castano: Drums
Album Credits: Mixed and engineered by Joe DeMaio at Shorefire Recording Studios, Long Branch, NJ
Drums Recorded and Mixed by Giuseppe Di Giola and Dino Castano at Valentino Recording Studios, Puglia – Italy
Mastered by Leon Zervos at Studio 301, Sidney – Australia.
Art Cover by Antonella Troiano.
All songs composed and written by Andy A. Sartori in cooperation with Dino Castano, Scott Board and Rod Viquez
Produced by Andy A. Sartori. 2007/2021 All Rights Reserved.
Italian legendary Speed/thrash metallers CELTIC HILLS have finished recording their upcoming album, entitled “Huldufólk“, containing 10 tracks + 2 bonus tracks, coming out in 2022 via Elevate Records. It will be the successor of “Mystai Keltoy”. After “Mystai Keltoy”‘s critical and sales success, writing a new album entailed a great responsibility: following in the footsteps or evolving towards something different?
There are also other news: The drummer Simone Cescutti after this job leaves the band to pursue a career as a singer and guitarist with his own band! So, to greet his fans, he sings a song called “Living out of the Egg”. The other texts dedicated to the history of Friuli are “After the Earthquake” which speaks of the strength and courage of the Friulian people in rebuilding the territory devastated by the earthquake of 6 May 1976. “The Gate of Hollow Earth” tells of the legends of the mountains behind the city of Pordenone where there would be a secret entrance to the hollow earth. The album ends with the track “Villacher Kirktag” which tells of the Beer Festival in the city of Villach in Austria where every first Saturday of August Friulian boys go to party getting drunk and harassing beautiful Austrian girls! The text is sung in English with “notations” in Friulian and Austrian.
The album was produced also this time by Michele Guaitoli singer of Temperance and Vision of Atlantis in the studios of the Groove Factory in Udine and for the realization of the cover again the talented Sheila Franco.
Just recently band’s singer and guitarist Jonathan Vanderbilt announced the guest guitarist, Gabriele Pala (Karnak, Azure Agony, Goldenseed), playing two solos in the album for the songs ‘Green Forest’ and ‘Gate of Hollow Earth’. In addition to being a very good guitarist, Gabriele is an expert connoisseur of Chapman Stick, an instrument played with the tapping technique.
Earlier Jonathan revealed on “Huldufólk”: “Again this time we will talk about Friuli, and the theory is at work that the location of the American Air Force Base Aviano is used to control an ancient access to the underground world, which has been used by the pagan gods since ancient times. The magical rites of the inhabitants of the mountains and the places where elves, fairies and gnomes once lived among the people are revealed. There are already definitive titles such as The Sound of the Earth in F sharp minor. A text tells how you can use the beneficial energy of the trees at dawn to strengthen your energies, but there will be no lack of historical events that accompany every CELTIC HILLS album.”
2021 has been a very positive year for CELTIC HILLS! The reviews of the ‘Mystai Keltoy’ album have been many, published on the major world newspapers and all with an average rating of around 9.
“Mystai Keltoy” (which is an enigmatic name that alludes to the Eleusian Mysteries) was released on May 15th 2021 via Elevate Records, and it’s inspired by themes ranging from ancient alien civilizations, European pyramids, legends and historical facts of Friuli, as you can already guess from the album cover. The disc was recorded and produced at the Groove Factory in Udine by Michele Guaitoli, a prominent name for being the lead singer of Temperance, Vision of Atlantis, Era.
The cover is hand painted by Sheila Franco, the same girl who painted Blood Over Intents, and represents the myth of the ancient visitors. Jonathan Vanderbilt played and recorded the album with Panico Custom instruments, the Italian sponsor of custom lutherie of Luca Panico di Ravenna, a guitar specially created with the specifications requested by the Canadian guitarist.
CELTIC HILLS were born in 2010, in 2020 they sign a recording contract with Elevate Records with which they released the album “Blood over Intents” and the EP “Schrage Musik” both in 2020. In 2021 another album is out “Mystai Keltoy” produced and recorded by Michele Guaitoli singer of Temperance, Vision of Atlantis and Era. The style played is difficult to place in a single vein of metal, as there are many influences ranging from death to power, with sound elements that can also recall a certain type of 90’s thrash. The singing is quite varied, and for some listeners it may seem unusual in a metal band. power, speed and good melodic lines distinguish the band from others. Between 2010 and 2020 they released “Horns helmet fighters” and for the Slovak Music Globalliance they came out on international compilations on volumes 2,3,4.
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!
Finnish funeral doom icons SHAPE OF DESPAIR will be releasing their brand new full-length, ‘Return to the Void,’ on February 25, 2022 via Season of Mist! The band is now sharing the brand new single, “Dissolution,” which can be heard at THIS LOCATION.
‘Return to the Void’ is available for pre-orders HERE. Pre-save the album across your favorite streaming platform HERE.
The album’s cover artwork was created by Mariusz Krystew.
Tracklist: 1. Return To The Void (09:14) 2. Dissolution (08:59) 3. Solitary Downfall (11:06) 4. Reflection In Slow Time (08:08) 5. Forfeit (08:00) 6. The Inner Desolation (11:48) Total: 0:57:15
A RISING FORCE is an all-original Minnesota rock act that announce they have signed a new 2 album deal with Dark Star Records/SONY/Universal and will re-release their first album “Undertow” on February 18, 2022. The third single for the title track “Undertow” was released on December 17th, with a brand new music video that has a memorial to their late record company President and friend Bill Chavis and can be viewed below.
“We were incredibly excited to be a part of the Dark Star/SONY/Universal family. There were 3 labels interested in picking the band up after the untimely passing of Bill and Lori Chavis from HighVolMusic. After navigating the legal challenges and getting an artist release from our current contract, we settled on the label we felt that would best serve the band. We are looking forward to our future relationship, and getting out on the road to promote our new music” — Leni DiMancari, Guitarist
Undertow is the title track and name of their latest release, and this song has it all, awesome drum and bass grooves, killer guitar riffs, double harmony guitar leads, hard rock vocals and even chants “Hey” “Hey” yeah, this song just rocks, hands down. — Jeffrey A. Swanson / President of Dark Star Records
‘A RISING FORCE’ signed their initial record deal with HighVolMusic in December of 2020 in the middle of a pandemic. The band collectively have had multiple albums released over the years, MMA nominations & awards, and national and international touring backgrounds. Their debut CD ‘Undertow’ was originally released in May of 2021, and spawned 3 singles including ‘Love and War’, “Crushed” and “Yesterdaze Hell”.
Over 2021, the band has performed to over 20 thousand fans and sold out of the first pressing of the album Undertow. Guitarist Leni DiMancari became part of the ESP artist roster, and bassist Brian Lorenson became endorsed by DNA bass amps.
Both “Crushed” and “Yesterdaze Hell” from the album reached the 97 Underground top ten, charting at #2 and #5 for the entire month of August. Unfortunately, the untimely death of their record company President and Vice President Bill and Lori Chavis to Covid 19 put the release of their next single and video for the title track “Undertow” and the band’s future on hold, forcing the band to navigate through the legal challenges of retaining full ownership of their assets and rights to their music back.
They are currently in pre-production for their next studio Album to be released in the late Spring of 2022. The music is guitar-driven commercial hard rock combined with 4-part harmonies, and all fronted by an arena rock lead vocalist.
A Rising Force are Mark Westlund- Lead Vocals, Guitars Lane Allen- Drums, Vocals, (Lead Vocals on Retribution) Brian Lorenson- Bass, Vocals Leni DiMancari- Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards
Recorded at Winterland Studios & Logic Studios September/October 2020. Produced & Engineered by Brian Bart and Leni DiMancari. Mastered at Logic Recording and Programming. Executive Producer: Ten 13 Entertainment LLC
All songs written & arranged by Westlund, Lorenson, Allen & DiMancari- A Rising Force. Lyrics by Leni DiMancari and Lane Allen on Retribution. Publishing- Ten 13 Entertainment LLC/DiMancari/BMI. Note*Uncle Toms Cabin written by J Lane, A. Shore, J. Dixon, S. Chamberlain, E. Turner, J. Cagle BMI.
Members of Haken, Dream Theater, Protest the Hero, Cradle of Filth and Inhuman Condition have ventured south of Lapland for this festive version of a Slayer classic.
“Seasons Greetings In The Abyss” combines the music of Slayer with sleigh bell celebration, with alternate lyrics penned by artist and illustrator Dan Goldsworthy (Accept, Alestorm and Sylosis) and Charlie Griffiths of Haken, who also both take on guitar duties. Vocals are delivered by Canadian croon-maestro Rody ‘angel of breath’ Walker of Protest the Hero and tuba (yes tuba!) is supplied by Haken drummer Ray ‘nin blood’ Hearne. Cradle of Filth’s Dani-el ‘awaits’ Firth and Inhuman Condition drummer Jeramie ‘klerry’ Kling fill out the core-ensemble and special guest Jordan ‘captor of synth’ Rudess shows no mercy with a face mashing keyboard solo.
Griffiths had this to say about the collaboration: “Injecting this song with some Christmas cheer worked better than any of us expected! Apparently Jeff Hanneman loved Christmas, so hopefully he would approve of our tribute and I hope we help to spread some musical merriment during yet another Christmas of uncertainty in the pandemic abyss. Thanks to all the guys for joining in with the fun and to Scott Atkins for mixing! Eternal gratitude to the all the members of Slayer and we wish everyone a Merrytory Yuletide! – Haken
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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
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