‘The Bitch is Back ... Live’ is the brand new live album from the queen of hard rock. I was wondering what I was going to hear because she scored her biggest hits in the '80s. Luckily her latest album ‘Living Like A Runaway’ was much better than her comeback album 'Wonderland' (2009). The sound on the album is like it’s live. There is little adjustment to the album, not to the sound and not to the audience (no huge applause).
Hybris is a London based technical thrash metal band witch concept started originally in distant 2002, when Federica (Centurions Ghost) made camp in London and started writing riffs for what would have been an all-female metal band. However, finding the right people seemed to be a big issue.
Actually, I have never been that enthusiastic with any of Coronatus’ previous releases. And to be honest, I will not after this album either. With Recreatio Carminis, this German so-called ‘female fronted’ Gothic Metal act brings forty eight minutes of slightly pathetic orchestrations. It’s a collection of bombastic and symphonic Metal-injected Opera-Gothic songs with classical skilled voices, predictable riffs and rhythms, über-catchy melodies and poppy-approachable structures.
Since its beginnings in 2001-2002, Masterplan seems to have had it’s ups and downs. Founded by former Helloween members Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch who in the beginning were joined with master vocalist Jorn Lande. A bright future seemed to lay ahead of them, as their first album was highly successful, followed by an equally successfully second album ‘Aeronautics’.
I had never heard of Aldo Giuntini or for that matter of the Giuntini Project yet its seems he’s an Italian guitar Wizardand has released three prior Giuntini Project albums between 1993 and 2006.
This German heavy metal band was formed by four friends: Michael Maaß (guitar), Sören Van Heek (drums), V.Leson (bass) and Sven D’Anna (vocals). This line up is still standing to this day what is a rarity to be honest, so they are a true group of musicians and much more important, friends. They have to be, otherwise they wouldn’t be around here for 24 years.
Formed back in 2004, Greece progressive metal band Until Rain released their debut ‘The Reign of Dreams’ in 2009 quickly followed by the EP ‘Pandemic”. Now 4 years later their second album ‘Anthem To Creation’ has seen the light of day. The eleven tracks presented here are characterized with a very complex and experimental structure consequently resulting in multiple spins to get customized. Obviously these guys are very talented and creative musicians and like to show this to the world.
The legendary Czech act Root, with Jiri ‘Big Boss’ Valter (also a founder of the Czech-Slovakian Church Of Satan), must be one of East Europe’s oldest and most influential bands. Together with, let’s say, Vader, Tormentor, Master’s Hammer, Behemoth and a couple of others, Root sort of metalized the musical expressions behind the Iron Curtain.
Does anyone remember the glam metal band Wratchild? They were fronted by none other than Mr. Rocky Shades. But with this new band/line up, he does not completely draw the card of glam/sleaze metal, but have instead mixed in some other elements, but the final conclusion after listening to this album is that is really is a glam/sleaze metal album.
Marcus Jidell you know of course as being the guitarist from Evergrey. Like Yngwie Malmsteen he’s also from Sweden, and a fantastic guitarist. With this album he goes solo. The songs go back to 2005 and were from a project that ended unfinished in 2008. And while I’m absolutely no fan of pure instrumental albums, this one managed to draw my attention.
