Swedish heavy metal band LION'S SHARE has released a re-recorded version of its song "Shotgun Messiah", which originally appeared on the 2001 album "Entrance". LION'S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss commented: "Very cool to revisit this fan favorite with an updated production and our current sound nineteen years later. It's amazing how great it fits stylewise ...
Posted in: News
Former TRISTANIA singer Vibeke Stene has teamed up with ex-BORKNAGAR drummer Asgeir Mickelson in a new doom metal band, VEIL OF SECRETS. VEIL OF SECRETS' debut album, "Dead Poetry", is set to be released on CD and vinyl through Crime Records this coming fall. "Dead Poetry" was recorded by Mickelson and mixed by Børge Finstad ...
Posted in: News
On Friday, July 3, Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS will perform live from Studio Gröndal in Stockholm. The band will play songs from its highly successful 2019 "Door To Doom" tour as well as trying out some brand new material. "I got some really cool riffs that would be great to jam away on that ...
Posted in: News
The elder statesmen of epic doom metal have returned hot on the heels of 2019's magnificent "The Door to Doom" with what is essentially part deux to that magnum opus with the brilliant EP titled "The Pendulum". Last year's long player found CANDLEMASS garner the grandest of heavy metal accolades in the form of their ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
Mats Levén will join DENNER'S INFERNO, the new band featuring legendary KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE guitar player and composer Michael Denner, for the group's upcoming festival appearances. Levén is regarded as one of the strongest Swedish hard rock singers with a large vocal register and a strong resume. He spent almost ten years fronting ...
Posted in: News
The official lyric video for the song "Porcelain Skull" from Grammy-nominated classic doom icons CANDLEMASS can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new EP, "The Pendulum", which will be released on March 27 via Napalm Records. The effort is fully comprised of never-before-heard, unused tracks cut from "The Door To Doom" ...
Posted in: News
Grammy-nominated classic doom icons CANDLEMASS will release a new EP, "The Pendulum", on March 27 via Napalm Records. The effort is fully comprised of never-before-heard, unused tracks cut from "The Door To Doom" recording sessions. "The Pendulum" perfectly showcases that these timeless Swedish pioneers are the undisputed kings of epic doom. The opener/title track "The ...
Posted in: News
TOOL was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which is being held tonight (Sunday, January 26) at Staples Center in Los Angeles. TOOL was nominated for "7empest", a track from its 2019 album "Fear Inoculum". Danny Carey (drums) and Justin Chancellor ...
Posted in: News
VIO-LENCE, ROSS THE BOSS, SEVEN WITCHES, TOXIK, AETERNAM and BRUJERIA are among the latest confirmed acts for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Round X of 70000 Tons Of Metal will sail January 7 to January 11, 2020. As always, 70000 Tons Of Metal will be host of some very exclusive ...
Posted in: News
EXODUS, THE FACELESS, WHIPLASH, INCANTATION, HAVOK, EDENBRIDGE, NOVEMBERS DOOM and GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS are among the latest confirmed acts for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. EXODUS will play two very special sets: one "best-of" set and one celebrating the 35th anniversary of its seminal debut album, "Bonded By Blood". Round ...
Posted in: News
GHOST's Tobias Forge and LACUNA COIL's Cristina Scabbia recently answered a number of fan-submitted Christmas-related questions for the viewers of France's Heavy1 TV YouTube channel. Asked which rock musician would make a "cool" Santa Claus, Forge said (see video below): "Just based on looks, I think that Billy Gibbons [ZZ TOP] ...
Posted in: News
On Saturday, April 18, 2020, a worldwide contingent of music fans will convene at Houston's White Oak Music Hall as Pegstar Concerts presents the third annual Hell's Heroes festival. The all-day music fest will showcase a hand-picked selection of international underground metal bands that includes both seminal, genre-pioneers, highly regarded modern day groups and more, ...
Posted in: News
CANDLEMASS, ENTOMBED A.D., HAMMERFALL, OPETH and THE FLOWER KINGS are the five final nominees that are competing for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which will be held February 6, 2020 at Annexet in Stockholm. The bands are all nominated for their most recent releases, all of which ...
Posted in: News
A veteran of bands such as CANDLEMASS, THERION and YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN, and a touring member of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, acclaimed Swedish vocalist Mats Levén has finally released his first solo album under the name of SKYBLOOD. The self-titled album features guest contributions from past and present members of KING DIAMOND, OPETH, THERION and WITCHERY, and ...
Posted in: News
ATHEIST, CARACH ANGREN, CATTLE DECAPITATION and ORPHANED LAND are among the latest confirmed acts for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. Round X of 70000 Tons Of Metal will sail January 7 to January 11, 2020. As always, 70000 Tons Of Metal will be host of some very exclusive performances: French ...
Posted in: News
You don't get to sing with CANDLEMASS and YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN unless you've got one hell of a voice. Mats Levén has done just that, of course, not to mention countless other projects from Leif Edling's psychedelic doom side-project KRUX to neoclassical power metal with Germany's AT VANCE, and so the arrival of his first ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
CANDLEMASS, DEATH ANGEL, I PREVAIL, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and TOOL are among the "Best Metal Performance" nominees at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on on January 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will broadcast live on the CBS television network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. "Best Metal Performance" ...
Posted in: News
The official lyric video for the song "Out Of The Hollow" from SKYBLOOD, the solo project of acclaimed Swedish hard rock singer Mats Levén, can be seen below. Levén says about the track: "It's about someone realizing it's time to move on. Even if it means having to face the dark unknown." His name belongs ...
Posted in: News
The organizers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise have announced that legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker and his band MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST will be aboard next year's edition of the cruise. The one and only original Mad Axeman, the triumphant genius of six strings, will be joined by the following musicians: Gary Barden (Vocals) ...
Posted in: News
If you follow 70000 Tons Of Metal, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise, on social media, you may have noticed that they are notorious for using the term "soon" when it comes to their festival announcements. This year, they really stretched the meaning of "soon," with fans waiting in anticipation for the lineup and sale ...
Posted in: News
DENNER'S INFERNO, the new band featuring legendary KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE guitar player and composer Michael Denner, will release its debut album, "In Amber", on November 15 through Mighty Music. The official music video for the song "Sometimes" can be seen below. Denner says: "The song deals in other words with the sentence 'what ...
Posted in: News
The official music video for the song "The Not Forgotten" from SKYBLOOD, the solo project of acclaimed Swedish hard rock singer Mats Levén, can be seen below. His name belongs to the most influential and illustrious ones in Swedish metal. Levén's distinctive and colorful voice has graced albums by CANDLEMASS, THERION, KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and ...
Posted in: News
Swedish heavy metal band LION'S SHARE has made a new song, "Pentagram", available on on streaming services and digital service providers. LION'S SHARE singer Nils Patrik Johansson explained the lyrical inspiration for the track, saying: "The new single 'Pentagram' is based on a true story about someone I know. All of a sudden, he decided ...
Posted in: News
His name belongs to the most influential and illustrious ones in Swedish metal. Mats Levén's distinctive and colorful voice has graced albums by CANDLEMASS, THERION, KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and AT VANCE. Now, after lending his voice to others for decades, fans can finally witness the charismatic singer's solo album. Under the new flag of SKYBLOOD, ...
Posted in: News
On November 22, doom metal wizards AVATARIUM return with their dark gospel to open another chapter of their hauntingly beautiful otherworld. Only two years after taking the fans by storm with "Hurricanes And Halos", which has been named "album of the month" by magazines worldwide, the Swedes announce the completion of their fourth full-length release. ...
Posted in: News
DENNER'S INFERNO, the new band featuring legendary KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE guitar player and composer Michael Denner, will release its debut album, "In Amber", on November 15 through Mighty Music. Denner is a very well-known name in the international rock/metal scene, as a former guitarist in the two most influential Danish rock/metal bands ever: ...
Posted in: News
EMP Spain conducted an interview with vocalist Johan Längquist and guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman of Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS at this year's Leyendas Del Rock festival in Villena, Spain. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On CANDLEMASS being an "innovative" doom metal band: Mats: "I think ...
Posted in: News
Reactivated U.K. thrashers ACID REIGN will release their first full-length album in 29 years, "The Age Of Entitlement", on September 27 via Dissonance Productions. The cover artwork for the disc was created by renowned artist Mark Wilkinson, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MARILLION. The official music video for the album's ...
Posted in: News
Swedish epic doom metallers SORCERER have entered the studio to begin recording their new album. This will be the band's third LP for Metal Blade and follow-up to the critically acclaimed "The Crowning Of The Fireking", which came out in 2017. A spring 2020 release is expected. Drums were recorded last week at SolnaSound Recording, ...
Posted in: News
