This mini-album named, "The Alchemy Project" is a very diverse release, with each track taking on the flavour of the internationally renowned guest musician(s) with whom each was written and recorded. This resulted in a release that challenges and expands on what Epica is, while maintaining their trademark sound. Beyond the symphonic hymns you’re used to, you’ll also find progressive melodic death moments, saxophone solos, haunting lullabies with a trio of female voices - and even the heaviest death metal track they've ever recorded! The EP contains a total of seven unique tracks with special guests Fleshgod Apocalypse, Delain's ex-vocalist Charlotte Wessels and Powerwolf's Roel Van Helden, just to name a few.

The German symphonic metal band Beyond the Black return with their fifth full length record, the self-titled Beyond the Black. German Symphonic Metal shooting stars Beyond the Black look back on a stratospheric success story. Already their 2015 debut album hit like a bomb in their home country. Songs Of Love And Death besieged the German Top 15 for weeks and lead up to the band being awarded the Metal Hammer Award 2015 for "Best Debut". It's successor Lost In Forever (2016) entered the German charts on #4 right away and paved ways for a huge tour from Germany over countries like UK, Russia or Japan. Since the band's live debut in 2014 they have played the world's biggest Metal festival Wacken Open Air several times and toured as a support act for heavyweights such as Aerosmith, Korn, Scorpions, Saxon or Within Temptation.

Therion mastermind Christofer Johnsson has never recovered from hearing the choir come in at the end of Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary of a Madman." While 2002's Secret of the Runes, a conceptual work celebrating the nine different worlds of Norse mythology, was technically flawless and endlessly atmospheric, its orchestral and choral wall of sound seemed pasted on rather than successfully integrated into the electric onslaught. After a two-year hiatus, Therion return with not one but two records, the blistering, elegiac, and overall stunning Lemuria/Sirius B. This time around, the Scandinavian heavy metal equivalent of the Moody Blues eulogizing a Viking funeral have mastered their dark art and created the finest record of their career…

Therion's journey from being a standard death metal band to finding their own niche in the field of operatic/symphonic metal was a gradual one. The first two albums had shown only the barest of hints hidden away behind the endless growls, and the eclectic "Ho Drakon ho megas" saw band leader Christofer Johnsson exploring a number of styles while still relying mainly on the sounds which he had shown a preference for up to that point. "Lepaca kliffoth" is the next stepping stone on the way, and while there are some significant changes to report, this really represents the last of the old more than the start of the new.

Before they got into the business of cloning themselves, Therion made quite an interesting appearance on the extensive 90's metal scene. With Theli, Therion reached the end of their progression from a Celtic Frost replica into a highly influential blend of Celtic Frost's pioneering theatrical tendencies with an equal amount of Metallica thrash metal and Sisters of Mercy gothic rock.
Therion will probably not charm you much if you expect great musicianship, both the riffing and the song writing is fairly straightforward. But it is applied to maximum effect: they don't repeat too much here, change tempo and melodies frequently enough and had plenty of ideas to keep your attention to the proceedings. Both the inspiration and the passion for what they were doing ran high in those days…

Secret of the Runes is a concept album whose concept is centuries old. Norse mythology is said to have nine different worlds or planes, and each world gets a track devoted to it. With the lyrics that are sung in several different languages, it's hard to keep up unless you're a UN translator in your spare time. However, the operatic overtures transcend verbal communication, as every song swells and recedes with majestic aplomb, taking the listener on a ride that sounds more like a very loud opera instead of anything with a metallic base. Christofer Johnsson's gothic flair for the dramatic has never been more pronounced than on this, the band's tenth album, and the life he breathes into underground metal will make up for the breath it takes away from its listeners…

Given that Vovin sees yet another round of major changes in the Therion lineup, it's remarkable how consistent frontman Christofer Johnsson's vision remains from record to record. Cut with a symphony choir, this outing continues in the vein of the prior Theli, offering a rich and majestic sound a cut above the genre norm.

After releasing their vibrant fifth studio album,Viridian in 2020, TEMPERANCE – maestros of modern melodic/symphonic metal delight their devotees with the persuasivnew offering Diamanti, to be released on November 19, 2021 via Napalm Records. With Diamanti, the exceptionally skilled Italian outfit once again showcases their extraordinary ability to merge brilliant vocal melodies, hefty power metal guitar riffing and symphonic soundscapes in perfect harmony – all dressed in modern surroundings. This an offering fans of bands like Amaranthe will fall in love with immediately!

With their latest chart-topping studio album, Wanderers (2019), and the recent release of their first ever live BluRay/DVD, A Symphonic Journey To Remember, symphonic metal visionaries VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have, without a doubt, proven that they are on top of the scene. Now, the band sets sail on another adventurous journey and new exciting chapter, marking a turning point of their discography with the upcoming album, Pirates, out May 13, 2022 via Napalm Records. With their eighth full-length, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS deliver their most confident and honest record so far, proving that they have definitely stopped wandering to finally unleash their rebellious side and a free spirit untamed as the seven seas. The band invites its listener to join on a marvelous ride through intriguing soundscapes and hauntingly beautiful melodies along with smashing symphonic heaviness, that musically and lyrically embodies a form of transition and self-discovery.

Animus is the third album by the Italian power metal band Moonlight Haze. Moonlight Haze is a power symphonic metal band from Italy founded in 2018 by Chiara Tricarico and Giulio Capone, vocals and drums/keyboards respectively. The lineup also includes Alessandro Jacobi (also bassist of Elvenking) and Alberto Melinato and Marco Falanga on guitars. Lyrically-wise it's an introspective and intimate work, but at the same time it looks at the world outside - willing to bring a bright message of vitality and rebirth. Hence the title, 'Animus', a Latin word that has different meanings: vital force, conscience, soul, mind and courage as well. The album was released on March 18 via Scarlet Records.

Collecting Nightwish's first three albums and the EP "Over the Hills and Far Away" (which includes six additional songs that were not on the original spinefarm edition) into one package, this boxed set is a nice addition to any fan's collection…

The concept is as bombastic as ever and its tropes are properly secured, though the emphasis on the project’s heavier side may make this album a highlight for fans of Star One and Stream of Passion…