Metallica formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The duo first met through an ad in a Los Angeles-based music newspaper. At the time, Ulrich had little musical experience and no band but managed to secure a slot on an upcoming compilation record called “Metal Massacre”. Metallica’s contribution, “Hit The Lights”, featured Hetfield, Ulrich and lead guitarist Lloyd Grant…

One of Metal’s most important acts, ANTHRAX, are celebrating three decades since their 1984 debut »Fistful Of Metal« , in what has been an unstoppable career. ANTHRAX not only continue to tour the globe relentlessly - including being part of The Big 4, alongside MEGADETH, METALLICA and new labelmates SLAYER - they even find themselves guest-starring in an episode of famous US TV show “Married…with Children”…

German power metal band Primal Fear issue 13th full-length studio album Metal Commando on July 24th, 2020 through Nuclear Blast Records. Bassist and producer Mat Sinner commented: “I don’t want to throw around superlatives, but each of us went to our utmost limits and we are all very happy with the sound and song material. It’s pretty safe to say that this is a top album and maybe even our strongest record to date. It’s the perfect mix between our origins and our current style – a perfect balance and all band members have done an awesome job playing and recording it. For me, Metal Commando is the right album at the right time!” Metal Commando was produced by Mat Sinner, while mixing duties fell to Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark.

Somewhere Far Beyond is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released in 1992 and produced by Kalle Trapp. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Marschall, who also drew the artwork for other Blind Guardian's releases (Tales from the Twilight World, Nightfall in Middle-Earth, etc.). The album saw the band creating its own original sound, while still employing most of their speed/power metal techniques. "The Piper's Calling" contains the first 3 parts of the Great Highland Bagpipe 2/4 March, "The 79th's Farewell to Gibraltar", written by Pipe Major John MacDonald of the 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameronian Volunteers). Part of this composition also appears as a section of the title track, this time played on a different type of bagpipe. The album was acclaimed by power metal fans all across Europe and especially Japan, allowing them to tour for the first time outside Germany. Somewhere Far Beyond was remastered and re-released, with bonus tracks, on 15 June 2007.

After seven years of the release of “Death From Above”, the last album from German Thrash Metallers Pessimist, it’s now time for this five-piece to open a new chapter in 2020. Pessimist are now set to release their brand new offering “Holdout”, featuring 9 tracks of uncompromising thrash metal with a lot of that old-school vibe we all love, making of it a contemporary yet timeless record mainly due to its mercilessly razor-sharp production. War is the main theme on the band’s lyrical concept, and helps the band to consolidate and expand their place in the german and the international thrash metal scene.

With their 2016 come back album "Back To Haunt" the Swiss thrash legends of POLTERGEIST have clearly proven that they still have what it takes. And luckily the guys around front man Angre Grieder are back again. "Feather Of Truth" is the title of the new album, which is in no way inferior to "Back To Haunt", quite the contrary. POLTERGEIST are better, and stronger than ever before !!

The proper follow-up to Among the Living was somewhat disappointing in its inconsistency. While there are some good moments – "Be All, End All" is one of the band's most melodic moments, and several other tracks catch fire – the best thing here is a cover of Trust's "Antisocial," and it doesn't bode well when covers outshine original material…

Opening with a martial drum roll that segues into an opulent orchestral bit, one could be forgiven for thinking that Anthrax have drained the mead and gone full-on Viking metal. As part of the big four, alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, the band has always leaned harder on the sociopolitical side of the thrash spectrum, and For All Kings, despite its Lord of the Rings-worthy opening salvo, is no exception…

Double disc reissue collection of their three demo releases and their lone full length release "From Within" (1994). All 26 tracks have been remastered for this collection. This compilation features all new artwork, extensive liner notes, full lyrics, and enhanced live concert footage.

Tales from the Twilight World is the third studio album by Blind Guardian, released in 1990 by Blind Guardian. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Marschall, who has drawn the artwork for some of Blind Guardian's other releases (Somewhere Far Beyond, Nightfall in Middle-Earth, etc.). It was remastered and re-released on 15 June 2007, with bonus tracks.

The cover art of Anthrax's We've Come for You All depicts the band gripping a circle of hands, as a beam of light shines on them from behind. It can be taken two ways. Vocalist John Bush, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, and new lead guitarist Rob Caggiano might be pulling their fans onto an imaginary stage, to join them in the limelight…

Due for release on the 19th of June via Century Media Records, Gothenburg’s Vampire are back with their third studio album, Rex. The Swedish death metal band formed in 2011 and have since released a demo, a split album with Miasmal, an EP and two full length studio albums. The last of those is 2017’s With Primeval Force. An album that was received well and grew the band’s fanbase, confirming they are definitely a band that can have a long and lasting impact on heavy metal. Vampire have really grown with Rex. It is a phenomenal album full of exhilarating and exciting compositions with very little let up. You can always tell when an album is good when you get lost in it and the 40 odd minutes seem to pass in seconds and that is what happens here. Vampire still hit as hard as ever, don’t worry about that. There are no ballads or acoustic lullabies here for you but they have evolved as all clever bands do. You wont hear many better death metal albums this year so don’t sleep on this one.

This 70-minute concert recording from October 1991, issued after Anthrax had switched record labels, provides a good overview of the band's first seven years, including songs from the albums Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, State of Euphoria, Persistence of Time, and Attack of the Killer B's…

Megadeth fans who felt short-changed by 2005's 17-track Greatest Hits: Back to the Start and crushed beneath the formidable weight of 2007's five-disc Warchest box will revel in the perfectly balanced brutality of Anthology: Set the World Afire, a two-disc (33 tracks) chronological rendering of the heavy metal pioneers' entire catalog. Along with the usual suspects like "Trust," "Peace Sells," "A Tout le Monde," "Hangar 18," "Wake Up Dead," and "Symphony of Destruction," Set the World a Fire includes two previously unreleased live recordings, as well as two demos, one an ultra-rare recording of "High Speed Dirt," a track cut immediately after Dave Mustaine left Metallica. From the raw, Southern California thrash of 1985's Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good! to the tech-heavy, progressive metal of 2007's United Abominations, this Anthology presents a deafeningly clear and succinct argument as to why Megadeth has managed to stick around for so long, while others acts laid down their guns in their wake.