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 The band’s official page on Instagram is also seems to be active again, however the official website remained outdated!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!
With full force or full throttle you can translate “Volle Kraft”, the title of the new single by German group DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER who defy pigeonholing with their mix of metal, folkloristic and symphonic elements, and an impressive feel for writing catchy, sing-a-long melodies. “Volle Kraft” is the first glimpse at the successor to 2017’s top 10 charting “Der Rote Reiter”!
Recorded entirely on their own and mixed and mastered by Eike Freese (Chameleon Studios, Hamburg, who worked for bands like HELLOWEEN, DEEP PURPLE, ALICE COOPER), DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER celebrate a stunning return after their ‘Jam Session’ record “The Divine Horsemen” (2021) and promote “Volle Kraft” with a powerful video created with Dariusz Szermanowicz (Grupa13).
Formed back in 1995, Germany’s DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER (= The Apocalyptic Riders) have grown from savage grindcore to a phenomenal act whose style transcends genres. In the artistic realm of the Weimar based quartet there are no rules, anarchy, a free flow of ideas and visions reign supreme!
In celebration of their 25th anniversary this year, Germany’s DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER have released a truly special album with “The Divine Horsemen” – a unique musical experiment: A session that has been recorded without any rehearsals or preparations during two days in autumn 2020.
After recently delivering the official anthem for the Swedish team at the international e-sports world championship. AMARANTHE now follow up with level two and unveil a music video for their latest single “PvP”. Directed by none less than Poland’s Grupa13, who previously worked with the band on ‘Archangel’ or ‘BOOM!1’, the video is a colourful and uplifting way to end another blunt year of the pandemic.
Check out the clip for the modern metal dancefloor filler here, and make sure to keep your eyes open for further surprises from the Swedes in the upcoming weeks.
AMARANTHE were recently forced to postpone their upcoming co-headline tour with BEYOND THE BLACK and you can now catch both bands on one of the following events next year:
06.10.2022 | AT – Vienna, Arena 07.10.2022 | DE – Leipzig, Haus Auensee 08.10.2022 | DE – Ludwigsburg, MHP Arena 09.10.2022 | BE – Antwerp, Trix 11.10.2022 | UK – Manchester, O2 Ritz 12.10.2022 | UK – London, Forum Kentish Town 14.10.2022 | FR – Lyon, Ninkasi Kao 15.10.2022 | ES – Barcelona, Salamandra 16.10.2022 | ES – Madrid, Mon Live 18.10.2022 | FR – Bordeaux, Rock School Barbey 19.10.2022 | FR – Paris, Elysée Montmartre 21.10.2022 | DE – Berlin, Columbiahalle 22.10.2022 | DE – Offenbach, Stadthalle 23.10.2022 | CH – Zürich, X-Tra* 25.10.2022 | IT – Milan, Live Club 26.10.2022 | CH – Lausanne, Metropole 28.10.2022 | DE – Geiselwind, Event Hall 29.10.2022 | CZ – Zlin, MOR Cafe 30.10.2022 | HU – Budapest, Barba Negra 31.10.2022 | DE – Munich, Zenith 02.11.2022 | PL – Warsaw, Progresja 04.11.2022 | DE – Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle 05.11.2022 | DE – Hamburg, Zeltphilharmonie 06.11.2022 | NL – Utrecht, Tivoli Ronda 08.11.2022 | DK – Copenhagen, Amager Bio 09.11.2022 | NO – Oslo, Sentrum Scene 11.11.2022 | SE – Gothenburg, Pustervik 12.11.2022 | SE – Stockholm, Klubben Fryshuset
Nuclear Blast is proud to anounce a new studio album by legendary Swedish high energy rock and roll band THE HELLACOPTERS called “Eyes Of Oblivion,” which is set to be released on April 1st, 2022. It will be the first album since the release of their temporary farewell record “Head Off” in 2008! And boy, y’all are in for a treat!
NICKE ANDERSSON (vocals & guitars) reveals: “The album has 10 songs and although it’s obviously not easy to be objective at all, I think musically it sums up everything we’ve touched upon from the start in 1994 up until now. Some of the songs date back as far as 10 years or more, and some were written more recently. It’s rock and roll played with high energy, so for lack of a better term I say High Energy Rock And Roll. You could say it sounds like The Beatles meets Judas Priest or Lynyrd Skynyrd meets the Ramones but the best way to describe this album is that it sounds like The Hellacopters today.”
To celebrate the kickoff of this new chapter of THE HELLACOPTERS, the Swedes are sharing with you a BRAND NEW SINGLE, the anthemic album opener, “Reap A Hurricane”! The song presents itself as a potential future fan-favourite with all of the juicy riffs and in-your-face swagger you could’ve possibly hoped for, topped off with a captivating chorus that won’t leave your head any time soon. In short – it sounds as if the band had never been away!
“Reap A Hurricane” continues the good old HELLACOPTERS tradition of releasing physical 7inch singles in each album cycle. The 7inch vinyl of “Reap A Hurricane” will be released on February 4th, 2022, and it features an exclusive song called “Done Fighting” on its B-side. The 7inch is available in two different colour variants, red and green, which applies to both the vinyl and the respective cover.
THE HELLACOPTERS were formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Dregen (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). At that time Andersson was renowned in the metal scene for his work in well-known Swedish death metal band ENTOMBED and Dregen had built a reputation as co-founder and guitarist of his main band BACKYARD BABIES.
Next to THE HIVES and THE BACKYARD BABIES, THE HELLACOPTERS are considered one of the most important and influential Swedish rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s – they achieved two Gold certifications, won the Swedish Grammy and a Kerrang! award, have amassed 100 million streams to date and have supported and toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Black Sabbath, ZZ Top or the Foo Fighters. They have released seven albums, ranging fuzzed-out & supercharged garage punk on “Supershitty To The Max!” (1996) & “Payin’ The Dues” (1997) to perfectly crafted & soulful high-energy rock’n’roll with a strong vintage vibe on the following albums, “Grande Rock” (1999), “High Visibility” (2000), “By The Grace Of God” (2002) and “Rock & Roll Is Dead” (2005). A compilation of cover songs called “Head Off” was released in 2008 and marked the band’s last album before ultimately dissolving. In addition THE HELLACOPTERS have released almost four dozen singles, splits and EPs until this day, most of which got the limited 7inch or 10inch vinyl treament, making them a vinyl collector’s dream … or worst nightmare.
THE HELLACOPTERS reunited in 2016 to play a few shows for the 20th anniversary of their debut album, and have proven an unstoppable force ever since, performing at Sweden Rock Festival, Psycho Las Vegas, Download, Hellfest, Roskilde, Ilosaarirock, among others. In October 2021 they announced that they had signed a deal with Nuclear Blast Records and a new album would be in the works for Spring 2022.
On December 24th, in the tragic year of 1914, in the middle of a cold night: After 6 months in the muddy trenches, the war still hasn’t come to an end and on Christmas Eve, the soldiers were missing home even more than on any other day and started quietly singing Carols. Although an official truce was declined from the governments, an eerie silence haunted the empty battlefields on the morning of December 25th. That was when the British and German soldiers slowly crawled out of their trenches to wish each other a merry Christmas, take photographs, play games and even exchanged a few gifts.
In this animated story video, SABATON depict this one-of-a-kind event during the First World War that should later be known as “Christmas Truce”. The brand new video was unveiled during the band’s ongoing Christmas Advent Calendar on their social media channels and website.
“This is the story of the Christmas Truce & this is why we wrote our latest single”, bassist Pär Sundström comments. “We now give you a different way of experiencing our music and the history behind it!”
The new video was produced by Yarnhub who also created the animated story videos of
A new edit of Christmas Truce has also been released on Friday and is now available on all streaming platforms. You can listen to it here: https://music.sabaton.net/ChristmasTruce
“Christmas Truce” foreshadows the tenth masterpiece of SABATON, “The War To End All Wars”, that will be released on March 4th, 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Once again, SABATON will dive deep into the atrocities, miracles and happenings around WWI and take the listener to an emotional and exciting ride of 11 tracks.
When Poland’s metal masters BEHEMOTH unleashed their livestream upon the world in 2020, they raised the bar to a new level, with one of the most ambitious, incendious, and blasphemic broadcasted shows throughout the pandemic. Never before had anyone tried to bring such a cinematic happening into one massive show that took place in an abandoned church in rural Poland, right during the darkest times of the pandemic lockdown. A year since the show’s premiere, In Absentia Dei is still as epic as it was in September 2020 and returns in a range of deluxe formats for fans to relive the heretic chef d’oeuvre that took place on that fateful night.
In Absentia Dei is available in different formats here, including 2CD jewel case; 2CD/Blu-ray digibook; black/white melt vinyl (U.S. exclusive); gold/white melt vinyl (U.S. exclusive).
In Absentia Dei is available as digital album, digibook and 3xLP vinyl in various colors. All Metal Blade Records triple LPs come with a premium 20-page booklet.
In addition, the band has unveiled another clip from the show. Watch “Slaves Shall Serve” here.
“In Absentia Dei – one of two pandemic endeavors that we managed to accomplish,” the band’s Nergal states. “We set the bar so high and you were right there with us, legions. You can now recreate the magic of that night whilst we wait to reunite in person! Get your copy and join us, the lord shall not be present…“
The show was said to set a new standard for streaming events in the future and this was something BEHEMOTH set out to achieve from the start. Produced by Grupa 13, In Absentia Dei was presented as a show of four parts, woven with high-production theatrics and even hellish flames emanating from all parts of the sacred building.
BEHEMOTH released their latest full-length, I Loved You At Your Darkest, in 2018 to vast critical acclaim. The album marked a milestone in the history of the band, being not only their most successful album, but also an audiovisual masterpiece. From its detailed, blasphemous artwork, to the highly vicious, yet deeply emotional tracks, BEHEMOTH once again played with fire and ignited a wildfire burning the narrow-minded bigotry of Christianity down to the ground.
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 ) 