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A seismic shift is happening in the world of heavy metal. “Guardians Of Time” brings together a rare coalition of some of the genre’s most formidable musicians. This isn’t a typical collaboration; it’s a bold, creative venture that challenges the conventions of metal.  Crossing genres of power metal, AOR and thrash elements, this album shows a deep creative input from a wide range of metal talent.

“Guardians Of Time” is a statement of intent from some of the most respected names in metal. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about innovation and the future of metal as a creative force. Produced by Stu Marshall, who has worked closely with each vocalist to ensure that their contribution is both individual and integral to the whole, the album represents a new model of collaboration in heavy music.  The CD bonus tracks is an alternate version of the song “Baptise This Hell”, featuring The Aussie Alliance that’s consisting of Louie Gorgievski (Night Legion), Danny Cecati (Wicked Smile), John “Gio” Cavaliere (Black Majesty), Genevieve Rodda (Temtris), Anthony Fox (Temtris) and Aaron Adie (Elm Street). 

CD TRACKLISTING:
1. The Dawn March
2. Guardians Of Time
3. When Will It End
4. Mortal Rites
5. The Inner Me
6. When The Beast Comes Out
7. Arabian Nights
8. Stand United
9. August Runs Red
10. Baptise This Hell
11. The Devil’s Only Friend
12. Baptise This Hell (Alternate Version) [Bonus Track]

LINE-UP:
Stu Marshall – Guitars / Bass (except track 2, 3, 11) / Drums (except track 3, 11) / Orchestral Arrangements
The full list of guest musicians is listed on the attached bio sheet. 

CREDITS:
Producer: Stu Marshall, co-produced by Louie Gorgievski
Mixing: Stu Marshall / Chris Themelco / Clay T
Mastering: Chris Themelco / Monolith Studios
Cover Artwork Design: Alex Yarborough

FOR MORE INFO VISIT:
http://www.stumarshall.com
https://www.facebook.com/empiresofeden

Every album has its own history, and this one not only tells of Voodoo Circle and its musicians Alex Beyrodt (guitar), DavidReadman (vocals), Alex Jansen (bass) and Markus Kullmann (drums), but also – indirectly, of course – of Whitesnake, DeepPurple, Rainbow and Led Zeppelin. Without trying to disguise their influences, Voodoo Circle consciously follow in the footsteps of these iconic acts and their great international status. Their latest album ‘Hail To The King’ doesn’t even try to hide the obvious source of inspiration that spawned the twelve tracks on the recording, but presents with pride, bravura and impressive stylistic confidence the brand of timeless hard rock coined by those groups. Beyrodt: “Our aim is to continue in the great tradition of this music and translate it into a contemporary context.” ‘Hail To The King’ will be out on 15 November 2024 on AFM/Soulfood. Three lead singles including videos, ‘Let It Rock’ (23 August 2024), ‘On The Edge’ (4 October 2024) and ‘Lay Down Your Lovin’ (1 November 2024), will be available ahead of the album release.

The history of ‘Hail To The King’ includes an interesting anecdote: Two of the twelve tracks were penned by former Rainbow keyboardist Tony Carey. Beyrodt remembers, looking back almost 25 years: “At the beginning of the 1990s, we were in Tony’s studio to record material for a Sinner album, including the two Carey compositions, ‘All For One’ and ‘Billy’s Song’, which were only released in Japan at the time. I still remember how, in my mid-twenties, I couldn’t believe that I was standing
in a recording studio with a legend such as Carey, watching him play the Hammond organ for us, headbanging away. Both songs have been at the back of my mind ever since, just waiting for the right moment to record them again. And since I also wanted to listen to the Rainbow side of me for ‘Hail To The King’, that perfect moment seemed to have arrived.”

In addition to Whitesnake reminiscences on ‘Sweet Little Sister’, ‘Castles Made Of Glass’ and ‘The Sound Of The Eagles’ (bringing to mind John Sykes), the new Voodoo Circle opus also features a powerful Led Zeppelin-style hit: ‘Black Country’ tells the story of vocalist/lyricist David Readman’s personal experiences as the son of an British miner. If this puts you in mind of ‘Kashmir’, you’re not far off. Beyrodt: “I’m particularly proud of this number, especially as it was great fun experimenting
with different sounds and guitars at the studio.” Talking of which: As always, Beyrodt proves to be an outstandingly versatile guitarist, adding: “Ultimately, each song decides which guitar I play. The days when musicians stood for one specific type of guitar are long gone. Nowadays, it’s all about doing justice to the song and its story.

The first-rate mix courtesy of Achim Köhler, which – like the impressive cover artwork – captures the spirit of this powerful rock disc perfectly, also underlines this claim. Finally, let’s not forget to mention that Voodoo Circle will be going on tour in November 2024, because one thing is obvious: These songs belong on a stage, where hard rock à la Voodoo Circle is truly at home!

TRACKLISTING:
01. Lay Down Your Lovin’
02. Let It Rock
03. On The Edge
04. Sweet Little Sister
05. Castles Made Of Glas
06. Stand Your Ground
07. Black Country
08. Billy’s Song
09. Strangers In The Night
10. All For One
11. The Sound Of The Eagles
12. Hail To The King

LINE-UP:
Alex Beyrodt (Guitars), David Readman (Vocals), Alex Jansen (Bass), Markus Kullmann (Drums)

VOODOO CIRCLE Live:
13.11.2024 (GER) Bensheim, Musiktheater Rex
14.11.2024 (GER) Göttingen, Exil
15.11.2024 (GER) Regensburg, Eventhalle Airport
16.11.2024 (GER) Waldbronn, Soundcheck One
17.11.2024 (GER) Dortmund, Musiktheater Piano

For More Info Visit:
https://www.voodoocircle.de/
https://www.facebook.com/voodoocircle/
https://instagram.com/voodoocircleofficial/
https://www.afm-records.de/en/

Sweden’s glam/sleaze powerhouse, Confess, drop new single and video for “Spitfire.” 

We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of “Spitfire,” the latest single from sleaze metal powerhouse Confess. This song is the bands first released since 2020. Available on all digital platforms worldwide starting September 27, this hard-hitting track is a testament to the band’s signature blend of raw energy, gritty guitar riffs, and sing-along choruses.

Lead singer John Elliot says – “Spitfire” is a high-octane anthem that has everything a classic Confess song needs. It’s packed with heavy and dirty riffing, aggressive vocals, and anthem like choruses. I’m sure this track won’t leave any heads unbanged.

Stream “Spitfire” Now: https://open.spotify.com/album/1ybi5UEnEBIhNdR4Gj1fkO?si=VVJWXeC-SWCztxsSNpdv1A

Confess is:

John Elliot – Lead Vocals

Ludwig Nordlander – Bass

Samuel Samael – Drums

Blomman – Guitar

https://linktr.ee/confessofsweden

instagram.com/confessofsweden 

Email: info@confess.se

Another autumn day in the life of a vagabond, taking long walks outside under grey clouds after too much of reality. Meanwhile, another great talent—Megamass—is playing in my ears with their latest EP at maximum volume, and I stopped believing in coincidences for some time now. Let’s begin.

Ukraine has been a home for around 10 years until the war separated us (for now). During those years, I had the chance to know and meet many great talents from all over the country, and although the name always felt familiar, Megamass was carved into my memory by Eugene Abdukhanov of Jinjer, who named them as his top Ukrainian band in heavy music. After quite a long time and only remembering them for their modern sound and hardcore/prog-core style, I was recently introduced to their latest EP with three new songs. Today marks my fourth listen after exploring their Spotify and previous releases.

First and foremost, I have to admit that Divide and Liberate! had an impact on me that I won’t forget. I feel like I now have a clear sense of their capabilities, character, and music style. While showcasing impressive musicianship and production value, this album also confirms how accurate Eugene was in highlighting them as top talent from his country.

Character-wise, the album embodies a post-modern progressive metal concept with its musicality, subject matter, production, and sound. It’s one of the most polished/processed sounds, reminiscent of Jinjer or Space of Variations.

Musically, the album was highly satisfying to me during all my listens, even though I don’t usually listen to this genre in my personal time. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Megamass’ unfamiliar-sounding musical language, which also featured long and progressive compositions. With this EP, the band got me excited with their similarities to TOL (my all-time favorite metal band from Ukraine) in terms of songwriting and perspective. Megamass simply proves they have the creativity, knowledge, and vision to create music as brilliant as them. All three songs feature thrilling examples of post-modern heavy music, led equally by instrumentals and vocals.

Production-wise, the album undoubtedly represents industry-leading work, though with a question mark that I’ll mention later. It’s loud, brutal, dark, clear, and super dynamic, incorporating vocals, guitars, drums, and additional electronic elements that recall demonic sounds from hell. It is a top-notch production from start to finish.

On the other side of the coin, I would like to share some thoughts, even though the album ranks as impressive for me.

Firstly, I would argue that the work lacks an important detail that often separates the greats from the goods: the presence of a leading vocalist. Divide and Liberate! takes an approach that provides equal emphasis to both instruments and vocals, which I experienced as a disadvantage. The album has all the magic in both vocals and instrumentals, and I could appreciate the fine characterization in each vocal style, guitar tone, and drum tone. It truly is a marvelously detailed work. Yet, many times I expected the vocals to take the lead—whether through volume or the confidence of the vocalist. These expectations weren’t met, and I couldn’t get enough emotional impact from the music, I must admit. It reminded me of Gojira’s latest album Fortitude, where the vocals are not prioritized. In this case, I would strongly argue that this band needs a stronger vocal presence, which would change the entire picture. Just think about the difference a strong vocalist makes in Tol’s Flag—for me, it’s night and day. (important note: My words do not reflect on the current vocalist’s capabilities, only on the role itself.)

Secondly, the music unfortunately did not sound good on cheap stereos, particularly on my iPhone speakers, requiring a certain level of sound quality for the optimal experience.

In conclusion, Megamass is undoubtedly a fantastic collective that, in my eyes, deserves international recognition. And without hesitation, Divide and Liberate! will help lead the way, leaving a lasting mark in listeners' memories. Her Name is War earned its place in our Monsters of Metal Underground playlist on Spotify. Thank you for reading.

Megamass on the web:

Megamass

The Official MegamasS YouTube Channel. Made in Ukraine We play music mixture of punk, hardcore, djent, metal and grunge styles / www.facebook.com/megamassband / www.instagram.com/megamass_official_page/

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MegamasS

MegamasS. 2.331 vind-ik-leuks · 60 personen praten hierover. Sport rock/hardcore from Kyiv, Ukraine. Our video is out! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MegamassBandVideo

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