RAINBOW’s “The Temple Of The King 1975-1976” 9CD Boxset Out March 6th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
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RAINBOW – THE TEMPLE OF THE KING 1975 – 1976 is the most comprehensive collection of the opening phase of Rainbow’s career to date, and is the first in a series of anthology sets covering the career of legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The 9-CD set, newly mastered by Andy Pearce & Matt Wortham, is housed in Deluxe 7” packaging featuring a 24-page booklet featuring memorabilia, photos and sleeve notes by music writer Rich Davenport.

The set spans the band’s first two years and includes their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow; their breakthrough record, Rising and the extended German concerts that were compiled as part of the double live album On Stage.

The final two discs comprise rare recordings, many of which are featured on CD for the first time, including band rehearsals, single edits, and rough mixes.

Rainbow was initially formed as a Ritchie Blackmore solo project in the early months of 1975, after a Deep Purple tour of the previous year. On that tour, they were supported by the American band Elf. The singer of Elf, Ronnie James Dio, left an impression on the already legendary guitarist Blackmore. Blackmore asked him to sing on a cover of the song Black Sheep Of The Family. The sessions went so well that a full album began to take shape, with Blackmore and Dio collaborating on original songs. Blackmore had such foresight in this project, he solely financially funded the work and thus began the mystical musical world of Rainbow.  The resulting record, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, was recorded between February and March 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. With Blackmore’s composing prowess and Dio’s mystical lyrics, the band was set to take fans to a new level.

The album’s unusual stylistic blend of hard rock and classical music was partly inspired by Blackmore taking up the cello to help him break free of the confines of conventional guitar chord progressions. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow was a top 15 hit in the UK and top 30 in the US, and was such a positive experience that in the Summer of 1975, that Blackmore left Deep Purple to commit himself fully to Rainbow.

Recruiting bassist Jimmy Bain, keyboard player Tony Carey and ex-Jeff Beck Group drummer Cozy Powell, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow undertook their first tour. By 1976, the band’s name had been shortened to Rainbow, and a second album, Rising, was recorded in February of that year once again at Musicland. Rising, with its iconic sleeve of a fist holding a rainbow in a mystical scene, only features six tracks, including two epic compositions on side two, one of which, Stargazer, is widely regarded as a Rainbow classic and a landmark in hard rock. The original musical stylings are often touted as the 1st neo-classical metal band. It was the perfect melding of Ritchie’s guitar wizardry and Ronnie’s soaring powerful vocals.

Taking the album on the road in 1976, the band added Deep Purple’s Mistreated to their setlist, and song lengths were stretched to include improvisational sections. The band recorded shows in Germany and Japan, which were edited and compiled as the live album On Stage, released in the summer of 1977. Three of the German shows from Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Nürnberg are being released together for the first time outside of Japan on The Temple Of The King 1975 – 1976.

By the end of 1976, Rainbow had established itself as one of the cornerstones of British rock, and, under the leadership of the never-predictable but ever-astonishing guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, would become synonymous with some of the most loved and popular Rock songs of the seventies and eighties. To be continued….

RAINBOW
THE TEMPLE OF THE KING 1975-1976
TRACKLISTING

CD ONE: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain
Self Portrait
Black Sheep Of The Family
Catch The Rainbow
Snake Charmer
The Temple Of The King
If You Don’t Like Rock ‘n’ Roll
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Still I’m Sad

CD TWO: Rising
Tarot Woman
Run With The Wolf
Starstruck
Do You Close Your Eyes
Stargazer
A Light In The Black

CD THREE: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live In Köln 1976 – Kölner Sport Halle 25.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain

CD FOUR: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live In Köln 1976 – Kölner Sport Halle 25.9.1976 – Part 2
Stargazer
Still I’m Sad
Do You Close Your Eyes

CD FIVE: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live in Düsseldorf 1976 – Düsseldorf Philips Halle 27.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow

CD SIX: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live in Düsseldorf 1976 – Düsseldorf Philips Halle 27.9.1976 – Part 2
Man On The Silver Mountain
Stargazer
Still I’m Sad

CD SEVEN: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live in Nurnberg 1976 – Nurnberg Messezentrum Halle 28.9.1976 – Part 1
Kill The King
Mistreated
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Catch The Rainbow
Man On The Silver Mountain

CD EIGHT: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Live in Nurnberg 1976 – Nurnberg Messezentrum Halle 28.9.1976 – Part 2 + Rarities
Stargazer – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Still I’m Sad – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Do You Close Your Eyes – Live in Nurnberg 1976
Getaway (Kill The King) – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Mistreated – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*
Catch The Rainbow – Studio Rehearsals for 1976 World Tour*

CD NINE: Rarities  
The Temple Of The King – Bolivian Mono Mix
Man On The Silver Mountain – Mono Edit
Man On The Silver Mountain – Stereo Edit
Tarot Woman – Rough Mix
Run With The Wolf – Rough Mix
Starstruck – Rough Mix
Do You Close Your Eyes – Rough Mix
Stargazer – Rough Mix
A Light In The Black – Rough Mix
Stargazer – Pirate Sound Tour Rehearsal
Starstruck – Mono Edit
Starstruck – Stereo Edit

*Previously unreleased.

RAINBOW
THE TEMPLE OF THE KING
1975-1976

9CD BOXSET RELEASING MARCH 6th 2026
ON EDSEL RECORDS
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
https://rainbowband.lnk.to/templeoftheking

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: 
www.ritchieblackmore.com
RITCHIE BLACKMORE INSTAGRAM
RITCHIE BLACKMORE FACEBOOK
RITCHIE BLACKMORE YOUTUBE
RITCHIE BLACKMORE X
RAINBOW FACEBOOK
 RAINBOW INSTAGRAM

OBEY THE SUN Sign Exclusive Worldwide Deal with Eclipse Records, New EP “Desert Ritual” Out April 3rd

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
(Photo Credit: Andras Komives)

Eclipse Records is excited to announce the signing of an exclusive worldwide deal with OBEY THE SUN, a grunge metal band from Hungary. Hot blooded, headstrong, and unapologetic; they give us a hard dose of grit and a blast of attitude with massive riffs, thunderous rhythms, raw soulful vocals, and a desert-soaked feel. The band recently wrapped up production of their second EP album entitled Desert Ritual which will be released via Eclipse Records on April 3, 2026. The album was produced by Attila Horváth (Subscribe, Al Di Meola, Macklemore) the legendary ASH Sound Studio.

Get a sense of the band by watching their “Land of the Dead” music video from their debut EP L.I.R.A. on YouTube:

“Signing with Eclipse Records feels like the beginning of a new chapter for Obey The Sun” says vocalist Tamás Orbán-Ducos. “From the very first conversation, I knew we were on the same page. Their passion for heavy music and their support for emerging artists really stood out to us. We’re beyond excited to release Desert Ritual through Eclipse in 2025, because this record captures everything we’ve become as a band. It’s darker, groovier, and more personal than anything we’ve done before. We can’t wait to share it with everyone and to see where this partnership will take us next “. Guitarist Péter Szmolnik adds “ The moment we all signed it together at rehearsal was simply unforgettable. Sharing that moment with our close friends and families was pure happiness. It still feels unreal to think about, and it reminds us every day that all the effort and persistence were worth it. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s coming next with Eclipse and our new Desert Ritual EP.”

Desert Ritual track listing
01. You Lil’ Shit
02. Cosmic Haze
03. Hellhounds
04. Another Chance

(Cover art: Péter Szmolnik)

Desert Ritual, the latest EP from Obey the Sun, is a heavy, atmospheric blast of grit-n’ groove, featuring a feel rough as sludge with a desert-soaked finish. The songs burst with soulful vocals, massive riffs, thunderous rhythms, and an overall attitude that’s chock full of stunners, starting with “You Lil Shit,” spiced with a groove guitar in delicious alternative dissonance and a strong traditional vocal, both that rasp harder and sweeter measure to measure. Later in the track, we get two bass breakdowns, the second even fatter than the last, and the song ends like a hot rocket right in the rock pocket. “Cosmic Haze” is not just an excuse to get our Floyd on, as it features funky syncopation that quickly turns to nuclear, addictive riffing. The breakdown is a clinic of delicate fingerpicking, and when Tamás goes soft and a bit eerie with his vocal, we don’t know whether it sounds more like ethereal whispers or a shovelful of precious stones and grave soil ticking across the lid of some unholy casket. “Hellhounds” is a masterpiece in dynamics, and it climaxes to inventive chord progressions that give off a wonderful disequilibrium, similar to being on edge watching a Black Mirror episode right before the big moment when all is explained. Moreover, “Another Chance” features a pristine traditional vocal, slowing gaining razz and sass, riding the bass like some magnificent war horse straight into a haven of Krisztián’s hummingbird 16ths that slash magnificent trusses and crossbeams in geometric madness. Desert Ritual was produced, engineered, and mastered by Attila Horvath at Ash Sound Studio, the legacy of the former Supersize Record Studio. The album and singles feature art by Péter Szmolnik. It is scheduled for release on April 3, 2026.

Pre-Save or Pre-Order Desert Ritual at this location.

Obey the Sun lineup
Tamás Orbán-Ducos (vocals), Péter Szmolnik (guitar), Gergő Kelemen (bass), Krisztián Nagy (drums)

For more information about Obey the Sun and their Desert Ritual album, please visit them on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Eclipse Records and follow them on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Tidal now!

JON ANDERSON’s “Survival & Other Stories” & “Earth Mother Earth” Album Reissues Out March 27th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Former YES vocalist JON ANDERSON has teamed up with his current label, Frontiers Music Srl, to re-release two albums from his illustrious career, 1997’s ‘Earth Mother Earth’ and 2011’s ‘Survival & Other Stories.’ Both titles will be available on cd and vinyl as well as streaming and digital download on March 27th. Vinyl copies of both titles are available for pre-order now as part of the Record Store Day Essentials Program. ‘Earth Mother Earth’ is available on green vinyl and ‘Survival & Other Stories’ is available on gold marble vinyl. 

Pre-Order ‘Survival & Other Stories’ HERE
Pre-Order ‘Earth Mother Earth’ HERE

In addition, JON ANDERSON also shares a new visualizer for “Time Has Come,” taken from his album ‘Earth Mother Earth,’ available to view below. 

For more information:
Jon Anderson’s official website HERE
Band Geek official website HERE
Jon Anderson YES Epics and Classics:
Website HERE
Facebook HERE
Twitter – @JonYesEpic
Instagram – @jonandersonyesepicsandclassics
TikTok – @JonAndersonYESEpic
YouTube HERE

Polish Death Metal Trio VOMITVSANCTVS Released New EP “Eaten By Maggots”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

VomitvsanctvS was formed in the spring of 2023 in Ełk as a trio (Reverend Pest – vocals and bass guitar, Preacher – electric guitar, Prophet – drums). The debut album, released on September, 27 2024 by Via Nocturna, is a manifestation of contempt for the clergy and all things sacred. The lyrics explore themes of pervasive manipulation, depression, and the psychosis delivered daily by the media.

Here we return from the Masurian abyss, bringing you rage, pain and madness! We are the festering secretion of contempt — we are VomitvsanctvS!

The new EP created using a DIY approach, combines death metal sound with elements of black metal coldness and a horror-driven atmosphere. Its raw yet precisely grounded production makes the material aggressive but still clear. The lyrics were deliberately stripped of metaphorical soft edges; instead of floating poetically above the problem, they hammer it brutally into the listener. 

“Eaten By Maggots” is not a release about death — but about the moment when anger becomes fuel and revenge becomes catharsis. It is an EP for listeners who do not seek comfort in music, but confrontation.

The mixing and mastering process were handled by guitarist Preacher, and all lyrics were written by vocalist and bassist Reverend Pest. Artwork was done by Jesus Lhysta of Rotted Artist (Codex Nero, Dehydrated, Beleth).

EP titled “Eaten By Maggots” was released December 19, 2025 in digital format on all popular streaming platforms (order here). Together with Forever Misanthropia Youtube channel the band is streaming the EP in full.

TRACKLIST:

1. Morbid Desire
2. Hide & Seek
3. Scraps For Pigs
4. Eaten By Maggots

More info: Facebook | LinkTree

TRUTHSEEKER Releases New Single ‘Where You Belong’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

TRUTHSEEKER, the progressive solo project by Brendan James Hayter, released its new single “Where You Belong” on December 5, 2025. This is the first release from Truthseeker in 12 years, the follow-up to 2013’s “Blue Oblivion”. The single was self-recorded and mixed in October/November 2025 at a rehearsal space in Portland, Maine. This new release is a standalone track released in anticipation of the forthcoming album “The Reflection Fields”.

“Where You Belong” employs minimalistic recording methods and a tape-saturated sound, a motif that has continued to be an inseparable part of the overarching musical statement of Truthseeker. The song also marks the beginning of a more overtly progressive approach than previous works, while honoring the signature Truthseeker sound of nostalgic and heart-swelling melodies cutting through a bass-driven wall of distortion and echo, the sound first heard on the 2011 EP “Weightless at Dawn”.

Says Brendan, “The significance of the title is multi-faceted. On a universal level, this song pays tribute to the lifelong search for a sense of destiny and harmony that one thinks they can find in some special place on Earth. Some people never feel the sense of Home in their heart and they research and wonder forever about place after place, waiting for a sign from within that points to a certain town, state, or country as the place where the heart will find peace and life will find meaning. It’s a restless and somewhat tormenting obsession, and at the same time, the unending wonder of it all, the essence of Wanderlust, can be strangely beautiful.”

“On a personal level, this song is a tribute to the earliest days of my marriage. The riffs and melodies that comprise “Where You Belong” came from 2 long looper-pedal improvisations done on the second night after I relocated to my then girlfriend, now wife’s homeland…Very far away from my own, in another country, and very different. As a long distance / international couple there was a much more urgent and directly shared search for a sense of belonging and destiny in either one person’s world or the other’s. Those ambient guitar improvisations that I managed to capture, really resonate the thoughts and feelings of moving far away and finding a sense of belonging through someone, not somewhere. We’ve moved back and forth together, and to this day we still wonder where it is we should live out our days. On a deeper level though, somewhere in the early days, that burning search peacefully reduced itself to embers, when the sky itself became home. My lady’s company was home. Our cat sitting in my lap was home…”

“I made it a critical goal to finish this recording in time for our 10th anniversary to celebrate this entire journey, and to honor our very recently departed cat who was truly the center of our home no matter which house or apartment we were living in. When she got sick and I was tending to her or bringing her to the vet yet again, for some reason the melodies of “Where You Belong” started circling in my head through the whole experience. For both the warming and painful aspects of recent months, this song needed to be the one I finished first and restart Truthseeker with.”

“It’s been many years, but I never stopped working on new Truthseeker music and defining what exactly the band is or isn’t supposed to be. I continued to improve my drumming to be able to adequately support the new songs I was writing, plus I got a good grasp on tone and recording the types of sounds I wanted to hear, on drums and otherwise. I have my own minimal equipment now but that minimalism is a true passion of mine. I don’t believe in modern music production at all. I used 4 mics on the drums, and the mix of the song is just setting the volume of the tracks and adding reverb, no post-processing and not even a computer involved in the entire process. I intend to keep it this way for all future releases!”

Written, performed, and recorded by Brendan James Hayter, November 2025
Mastered by Aaron Charles at The Cathedral of Psychic Death, November 2025

Brendan is in the process of mixing “The Reflection Fields” and will release more singles from the album in the future. He also has multiple other albums in the works. Brendan hopes to assemble a live band and bring Truthseeker to the stage.

Purchase “Where You Belong”: https://truthseeker1.bandcamp.com/track/where-you-belong

Streaming on Spotify, iTunes and all other major platforms.

Also released under the banner of the Maine-based metal collective Hidden Dawn:
–https://thehiddendawn.bandcamp.com/music
–https://www.facebook.com/share/1ABXppCjKF/?mibextid=wwXIfr
–https://www.instagram.com/hidden.dawn.collective/

FIREBORN Release New Single + Video ‘Dancing With The Villain’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 20, 2025
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Fireborn release the opener “Dancing With The Villain” from their upcoming album “Dreamcatcher,” which will be released on January 23, 2026.

The band is really on a roll right now! The first mega reviews are coming in, a magazine is touting them as the new “Warlock,” and there will soon be great news on the festival front as well. “Dancing With The Villain” is also the second high-quality video from the new album, a song that, in the broadest sense, is also about the recognition of serious musicians.
The video was created by Dream Film Factory.

Digital: save-it.cc/epr/dancing-with-the-villain or SPOTIFY

The album will be released on CD, colored vinyl, and in a strictly limited collector’s box set, and is already available for pre-order at fireborn.epr.rocks.

Vinyl color: Curacao

Collector’s box set: individually numbered, bandana with FIREBORN logo, “Titans Of Fire” patch, and personally signed autograph card.

Tracklist:
01 – Dancing With The Villain
02 – Set The World On Fire
03 – Point Of No Return
04 – Likes For A Life
05 – Pull The Trigger
06 – Little Wanderer
07 – Crisis Of Youth
08 – Dreamcatcher
09 – Flashlight
10 – Out Of The Edges
11 – Human

“We’ll be throwing a release party on January 24, 2026 at @VivaBar (ex Notlösung) in Lörrach, and we’d love to see as many of you there as possible!”

ALL INFOS HERE:
www.facebook.com/share/17cSuUisCF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Biography FIREBORN:
The focus is on Jenny, a singer who captivates audiences with her unique, raspy voice, her wide vocal range, and her ability to effortlessly switch between delicate tones and pure power. She is supported by Dennis (guitar), Raphael (drums), Chris (bass), and Rick (guitar)—a band that doesn’t just play music on stage, but unleashes energy. In 2019—then still under the name Dislike Silence—the band reached the finals of the 37th German Rock and Pop Awards, taking third place in the “Rock” category. The big step followed in winter 2021: recording sessions at Little Creek Studio in Gelterkinden, produced by Schmier (Destruction) and recorded by V.O. Pulver (Pro- Pain, Burning Witches, Nervosa). Their debut album, Reflections, was released in 2023 via the US label Deko Entertainment and not only landed Fireborn on the official rock and metal charts, but also on stages with Silbermond, Burning Witches, Destruction, and other major players in the scene. Musically, Fireborn combine the energy of modern American hard rock with the soul of classic rock – full of atmosphere, emotion, and memorable melodies.

Line-up:
Jenny Gruber – Vocals
Raphael Singh – Drums
Rick Götze – Guitars
Dennis Weber – Guitars
Christian Lehr – Bass

More Info: 
www.fireborn-official.com/
www.facebook.com/Firebornofficial
www.instagram.com/fireborn_band/
linktr.ee/fireborn_band