Frontiers/BAM German progressive rock/metal band BEYOND THE BRIDGE has apparently been around since 1999, but for some time they were known as FALLOUT. In 2005 guitarist Peter Degenfeld-Schonburg decided to put some more effort into the band under the title of “The Old Man and the Spirit”. Five years he spent with keyboardist Christopher Tarnow,…
Lion Music/Border LARS ERIC MATTSSON is by now a phenomenon, releasing both new and old music at a ferocious pace. After some initial gigging with others his recording career began in 1987 with the EP “Can´t Go on Without Your Love”. Three more albums followed in 1988, 89 and 91, of which the latter was…
Escape/Sound Pollution Finnish melodic rockers HUMAN TEMPLE return with “Halfway to Heartache”, their third album. Influenced by the likes of DOKKEN and KISS vocalist Janne Hurme and drummer Petri Lehto formed a band. In 1995 Janne was a solo artist in the pop genre and with some success as well. In 1998 history repeated itself…
Frontiers/BAM Most of us will never visit Wowow TV Studios in Tokyo in real life. But together with MR BIG we can transfer ourselves to this living room like place. A string quartet, some invited Japanes fans, and some down-to-earth versions from the bands repertoire are on offer. There are of cause no speedier numbers…
Frontiers/BAM New Yorks TYKETTO came down like a bolt out of the blue in 1991 when they released ”Don´t Come Easy” on Geffen. The single “Forever Young” was well received and their future seemed shiny and happy. But along came grunge and past laurels on Headbanger´s Ball vanished. In 1995 came the belated “Shine”. Danny…
SPV/Playground RUNNING WILD was formed in 1976, and have achieved a unique status. They are still attracting new fans, heralded by the ubiquitous Rock´n´Rolf Kasparek, in spite of soon being a 40 year old band. From the highly acclaimed “Under Jolly Roger” in 1983 onwards the band adopted a highly fashionable pirate image, starting out…
SPV/Playground In the late eighties I first heard a young German band called MAD MAX. The album “Night of Passion” soon became a favorite with me and the guys I hung out with, not least since of the others had a girlfriend who was seventeen… Max Norman had produced and sales must have been healthy….
Limb Music/Sound Pollution Volvo´s dealing in metal all the time, but now they also deal in heavy metal! Back in 2004 production line workers Stefan Jacobsen and Freddy Olofsson met at work, discovering their mutual enjoyment of HELLOWEEN. Two years later their first demo “Land of Dreams” appeared, and they got hold of keyboard player…
78 Productions/Music Buy Mail/SP BANG TANGO was not an ordinary hair metal band, in fact they were only similar in hairstyle. Their first opus, “Psycho Café” was issued by MCA in 1989 and saw the band getting major airplay on MTV´s Headbanger´s Ball. This is their sixth studio album, but counting everything before and after…
GMR Music Nine albums, a variety of fantastic musicians with a pedigree and still they are most major only in Japan. Since vocalist/keyboardist Mikael Erlandsson formed the band together with FAIR WARNING guitarist Andy Malecek they have released nine studio albums plus one live and one best of. Ian Haugland and John Levén of EUROPE…
Lion Music/Digital Venice, Italy, band THE MOOR releases a digital only EP prior to their forthcoming debut full-length album, due out later in 2012. The band seems consistent in incorporating prog rock, metal, death metal (guitars), seventies and alternative music in their own take on the metal genre. Or perhaps they are close to the…
Napalm/Sound Pollution 2010 marked the tenth anniversary of Danish band IRON FIRE. Now the band returns with their seventh full-length album to date, and apparently a steady lineup, which has not always been the case. Band leader and vocalist Martin Steene is the only remaining original member. This new album is said to be filled…