My contact over in Texas – Gary ‘Razar’ King – continues to be a busy chap. If you’ve been here before you may be aware of other stuff he’s sent to me such. Gary is the guitarist in Raddar – a long standing band which has a back catalogue of superb heavy/classic rock albums such […]
The post Gary ‘Razar’ King: Hope and Darkness first appeared on New Wave of British Heavy Metal.Blog
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Album Review: Darklore – The Great Elven War
Album Review: Darklore – The Great Elven War
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Out of Brisbane, Australia come Darklore, a band who live and breath the Fantasy elements that dominate their musical output. Blending blackened symphonic metal to the works of J.R.R. and George R.R., these Aussies are back with the sophomore album, The Great Elven War, six years on from debut, The Evils of Man, back before the pandemic.
At seventy-minutes this album is as epic as either The Lord of the Rings or A Song of Fire & Ice, evoking the image of darkened hall, lit only by crackling fires around which tales of heroic deeds are recounted. It’s the kind of fare that the old school Bloodstockers would brandish plastic broadswords and quaff ale from huge drinking horns, having a whale of a time while doing so.
To set the scene, opening chapter, The Hunting Grounds begins with lashing rain, cracking thunder and a howling wolf, before building dark chords and blackened riffs, in the vein of Cradle and Dimmu. It’s the widescreen nature of those bands that Darklore seems to emulate, with the vocals of Raiven Dark adopting the icer tones of Scandinavian forests than the metropolitan bustle of Brisbane.
The Beast of Bauclair takes time in its nine-minute plus run time to add an ambient passage, breaking the lush tune just long enough for a full-bloodied shredding solo, courtesy of Luna, otherwise seen as Slaves of Anubis’ bassist. The North Remembers goes in for some serious power metal vibes while maintaining the overall feel of grim and frostbitten vistas; Horns of Buffira even manages to include a jiggery feel to its huge bluster.
Descendents of the Pale Moon was released as a single late last November, and acts as a sequel to the debut’s The Raven’s Return, expanding on that track’s revenge-driven resurrected knight’s quest for justice against a duplicitous king. Rather than being the normal, run-of-the-mill single fodder, at nearly eight-minutes in length I cannot imagine it getting much repeated airplay on commercial stations. That said, the swirling riffs are fast and furious and dancing keys give a drive and dynamism here and throughout.
Second single, Servants of Sauron, begins with a scream before the keys lay down an orchestral platform for some meaty riffs and, maybe, something of a Celtic feel as the tune wends to its conclusion.
The closing pairing of the title track and The Wrath of the High Heaven both top the ten-minute mark and bring this mythical saga of heroism and bravery to a close.
Like all the best Fantasies, Darklore’s recounting of The Great Elven War is long and multi-layered, with stories of valour and sacrifice a plenty. And, as with all the best Fantasies, it can be over-long at times, and I occasionally found myself wondering whether the extended run-time was wholly justified. But I probably have that thought when tackling literary Fantasy too, so maybe that’s a failing on my part.
The production is faithful to the subject matter, being big and powerful throughout, giving Darklore’s world-building narrative the tools to be as huge as the titular war itself.
In my limited experience of the Fantasy genre, I suspect this is not the last we’ve heard of said Elven War, with the scope to produce many a follow-up story. Just a bit quicker than Mr Martin’s The Winds of Winter, if you please.
The post Album Review: Darklore – The Great Elven War appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
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ERRA Share Seething New Track ‘i. the many names of god’
ERRA have unveiled the first piece of the trilogy of tracks that closes their upcoming album ‘silence outlives the earth’, and it finds them in furious form.
Titled ‘i. the many names of god’, it’s a song that takes us within the heavier side of the band’s repertoire. Pitch black in tone and apocalyptic in stature, it bellows and chugs like the earth is being scorched before your very eyes. There is still a technicality hiding in the cracks, Jesse Cash’s sprawling riffs tickling the ear wonderfully, but it is bombardment that rules the roost here. Heady, harrowing and unholy, it is the band at their most unrelenting and untethered.
Jesse had this to say about it, stating, “‘the many names of god’ is the first in what we consider the trilogy of ‘silence outlives the earth.’ The trilogy represents a distinct shift in tone from the previous songs on the record. We wanted the aesthetic of the track listing to persuade the feeling of that shift. the record transitions to a darker place at this point, and the many names serves to take the heaviest moods expressed in the preceding tracks and visceralize them.”Lost yourself in it below.
‘silence outlives the earth’ will be released on March 08 via UNFD. It will also feature the recently shared ‘further eden’, which sounds a lot like this.
The band are set to hit the road around the album’s release, a co-headliner with Currents. They will be joined by Caskets and AVIANA. Here are the dates:
MARCH
06 – BALTIMORE Nevermore
07 – RALEIGH The Ritz
08 – ATLANTA The Masquerade
10 – TAMPA Ritz Ybor
12 – NASHVILLE Brooklyn Bowl
13 – CLEVELAND House of Blues
14 – PHILADELPHIA The Fillmore
15 – BUFFALO Town Ballroom
17 – TORONTO History
18 – MONTREAL Mtelus
20 – WORCESTER Palladium
21 – NEW YORK Irving Plaza
22 – PITTSBURGH Roxian Theatre
24 – CINCINNATI Bogarts
25 – GRAND RAPIDS The Intersection
27 – DETROIT St. Andrews Hall
28 – CHICAGO House of Blues
31 – MILWAUKEE The Rave
APRIL
01 – MINNEAPOLIS Uptown Theater
03 – LAWRENCE Granada Theater
04 – DENVER Summit Music Hall
05 – SALT LAKE CITY The Complex
07 – SEATTLE The Showbox
08 – PORTLAND Roseland Theater
10 – SACRAMENTO Channel 24
11 – ANAHEIM House of Blues
12 – SAN DIEGO House of Blues
14 – TEMPE The Marquee
15 – ALBUQUERQUE Sunshine Theater
17 – DALLAS House of Blues
18 – HOUSTON House of Blues
19 – SAN ANTONIO Vibes Event CenterThe post ERRA Share Seething New Track ‘i. the many names of god’ appeared first on Rock Sound.
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“We were bringing in all kinds of influences that other people in metal were scared of”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson re-releases his debut solo album – and his most controversial one
Dolby Atmos reissues of 1990’s Tattooed Millionaire and 1996’s divisive Skunkworks are now available to stream -
“It will blow your socks off”: Bruce Dickinson unveils Dolby Atmos versions of solo albums Skunkworks and Tattooed Millionaire
Bruce Dickinson has released brand-new Dolby Atmos versions of his solo albums Skunkworks and Tattooed Millionaire.
After successfully revamping 1994’s Balls To Picasso last year, the Iron Maiden legend has been doing some more tinkering with his back-catalogue – and he’s now updated 1996’s beloved Skunkworks for its 30th anniversary, as well as his 1990 solo debut Tattooed Millionaire, courtesy of mixer Brendan Duffey.
“It will blow your socks off,” Bruce enthuses of Skunkworks. “It’s a record of which I’m immensely proud. In fact, as the years go by I grow more and more proud of everything that happened on that record. In many ways, it was a bit advanced for its time because we were bringing in all kinds of influences that other people in metal were scared of. It’s very emotional and quite dark in places.”
Meanwhile, he describes Tattooed Millionaire as “kinda the solo album that wasn’t. We had two weeks to write it so myself and Janick Gers just had fun and wrote it round his house. Chris Tsangarides did a great job on the production and now with modern technology we can beef it all up and make it big in Atmos world! The album sonically sounds really good.”
Listen to both LPs now:
Catch Iron Maiden live this year as they take over Knebworth on July 11.
Read this next:
- Protein, squatting and “useless tat”: Life on the road with Bruce Dickinson
- “Fifty years is a long time, it’s an achievement. And long may it continue!” A note from Steve Harris on Iron Maiden’s 50th birthday
- Bruce Dickinson: “We’re all living longer and more effective lives, which is great – as long as you do something with it”
Posted on February 19th 2026, 11:03a.m.
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An Interview With Guitarist Larry Mitchell
Larry Mitchell has toured with Billy Squier, played on Rick Ocasek’s records, and is great friends with, and has shared the stage with, Steve Stevens, Nile Rodgers, and Steve Vai. He’s a player’s player; a session legend, and always in demand. These days, Mitchell is focused on his production work, new music, and boatloads of touring for 2026. The plan is to trek overseas, as he loves to do, hit the festival circuit, and do what he does best: rip it up on guitar and deliver groovy music for concert-loving fans. Mitchell’s outlook is always sunny, and his vibe is
The post An Interview With Guitarist Larry Mitchell appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.
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THE ETERNAL Unveil Lyric Video For “Bleeding Into Light” Following Release Of New EP “Celestial”!
Just weeks after the release of their brand-new, critically acclaimed EP “Celestial”on January 16 via Reigning Phoenix Music, Australian-Finnish dark metal act THE ETERNAL keep the momentum going. The band has now unveiled a lyric video for the haunting track “Bleeding Into Light,” further expanding on the EP’s emotional weight and atmospheric depth. “Bleeding Into Light” stands out as one of […] -
EXTINCTION A.D. Signs with M-THEORY AUDIO – New Single “Dead Men Running” Debuts Online
Independent label powerhouse M-Theory Audio is thrilled to announce the signing of Long Island metal force EXTINCTION A.D. To kick off this new chapter, the band will release their fierce new single “Dead Men Running” on all streaming/download platforms setting the stage for an explosive year ahead. Or watch the lyric video HERE https://youtu.be/qfkWVuRte2c?si=cNz_HsnZaxZJNdHx “The band is […] -
SAVAGE BEAT | Amsterdam Ambassadors of Rock to Release New Video and LP with WAP SHOO WAP RECORDS
Read an exclusive interview with the band now via Psychedelic Baby Magazine now!The post SAVAGE BEAT | Amsterdam Ambassadors of Rock to Release New Video and LP with WAP SHOO WAP RECORDS appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.
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Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age & More Announced For Bourbon & Beyond Festival
Bourbon & Beyond is returning for its 8th year, and the lineup is a sign that it’s going to be a wonderful time once more.
Taking place between September 24-27 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, the fest is a celebration of music, food, drink and life itself.
And on the subject of music, the fest will be topped by both Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age, playing on the first day of the fest. Further down, you’ll also find Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The War on Drugs, Violent Femmes, Plain White T’s, Jet and many, many more.
Danny Wimmer, of Danny Wimmer Presents, had this to say about the event, declaring, “Bourbon & Beyond is built to be the best weekend of your year. Plain and simple. From the second you arrive, everything is designed so you can fully experience what a music festival should be. It’s an escape with soul — a place where you can unplug from real life, let loose, be a kid again, and really live in the moment. You can ride roller coasters at Kentucky Kingdom, discover new artists and see your favorites, sip great spirits, and eat incredible food — and it all just works. At its core, it’s about creating memories. It’s a vacation inside a vacation. This lineup reflects everything Bourbon & Beyond stands for. And I say this with humility and confidence — there is nothing else quite like it in this space. It truly is the best weekend you can have at a festival of this scale.”
Tickets for the weekend are available right now from right here.
The post Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age & More Announced For Bourbon & Beyond Festival appeared first on Rock Sound.