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Album Review – Helloween / Giants & Monsters (2025)

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Confident and bursting with vigor, these German giants of Heavy Metal and monsters of Rock N’ Roll are back with their breathtaking seventeenth studio album.

With 15 gold awards, six platinum awards and over ten million records sold, German Heavy Metal masters Helloween are celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary with the successor to their critically acclaimed 2021 self-titled masterpiece. Confident and bursting with vigor, the septet formed of frontmen Michael Kiske and Andi Deris, guitarists Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf, and drummer Dani Löble presents one of their most versatile albums to date, titled Giants & Monsters, the seventeenth studio album in their undisputed career. Recorded and mixed by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward at Mi Sueno Studio, mastered by Sascha “Busy” Bühren and Emil Pohjalainen at Wisseloord Studios, and once again displaying a stunning artwork by Eliran Kantor, Giants & Monsters showcases a band that keeps reinventing themselves while staying true to the foundations of Heavy Metal, continuing to challenge seven brimming careers even after four decades.

Mr. Andi Deris begins embellishing the airwaves with his striking vocals in Giants on the Run, a classic Helloween tune sounding fast, electrifying and epic from start to finish, and I must say I love the fact Kai also delivers some vocal lines during the song. Then it’s time for Mr. Michael Kiske to take us back to the glory of the 80’s in Savior of the World, a flawless Power Metal song striking us hard like fire and thunder, with Dani kicking some ass behind his drums; whereas venturing through the realms of Progressive Rock but always rooted in their classic Heavy Metal sonority we have A Little Is a Little Too Much, one of those songs perfect for dancing with your loved ones. The visceral riffs by Kai, Michael Weikath and Sascha set the tone in the Primal Fear-like attack titled We Can Be Gods, flowing majestically until the very end. And Into the Sun, which was originally recorded for their 2021 self-titled album, but scrapped after being altered during production (as the final result wasn’t to their liking), is a charming ballad led by the hypnotizing vocals by Kiske and Andi.

This Is Tokyo, the first single released a couple of months ago, was a very good sign of the classic, old school approach by Helloween with a Melodic Rock/AOR twist, boosting their vocal lines even more while the chorus couldn’t have sounded catchier; and it’s pedal to the metal in the Heavy and Power Metal attack entitled Universe (Gravity for Hearts), with Dani’s fast and furious beats providing Kiske with exactly what he needs to make his vocals soar high like an eagle, resulting in eight minutes of pure metal magic by our beloved German pumpkins. The septet then offers two three-minute songs, the first being Hand of God, showcasing a more experimental sounds mixed with their core essence. Not their best effort, to be honest, while back to a more electrifying sound we have Under the Moonlight, with the guitars by Kai, Weikath and Sascha adding an overdose of Rock N’ Roll to their core sound. There’s still time for one more epic tune by Helloween, the phenomenal Majestic, and the music perfectly reflects the song title, with Kiske taking the lead with his unparalleled vocals while the band’s guitar triumvirate penetrates deep inside our souls with their superb, classic riffs and solos, or in other words, it’s an epic conclusion to such a metallic celebration by Helloween.

After all is said and done, Giants & Monsters presents the experience and musical enthusiasm of a band that can do anything and everything blazes its way, with all creative limits being set aside once and for all. “What keeps motivating us is the fact that we’re extremely different. That generates suspense and creative energy,” explained Michael Weikath, “and if problems do occur, we connect through our passion and our sense of humor. We try not to take ourselves and everything around us too seriously,” added Kai Hansen, before Andi Deris concluded with a bang. “In the end, we’re just seven guys who want to make music and enjoy the incomparable force that arises when we’re together. Helloween is way more powerful than the sum of its parts.” Hence, if you also want to be part of the Pumpkins United army, you can follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy music on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course add their superb new album to your private collection by clicking HERE. Because Helloween are giants of Heavy Metal, they’re monsters of Rock N’ Roll, and while they’re among us we can all rest assured heavy music will remain alive and kicking.

Best moments of the album: Savior of the World, A Little Is a Little Too Much, This Is Tokyo, Universe (Gravity for Hearts) and Majestic.

Worst moments of the album: Hand of God.

Released in 2025 Reigning Phoenix Music

Track listing
1. Giants on the Run 6:20
2. Savior of the World 4:15
3. A Little Is a Little Too Much 3:30
4. We Can Be Gods 5:24
5. Into the Sun 3:39
6. This Is Tokyo 4:16
7. Universe (Gravity for Hearts) 8:22
8. Hand of God 3:44
9. Under the Moonlight 3:07
10. Majestic 8:10

Band members
Michael Kiske – vocals
Andi Deris – vocals
Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals
Michael Weikath – guitars
Sascha Gerstner – guitars
Markus Grosskopf – bass
Dani Löble – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Miss ScarRed

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Hear me, I’m here inside… Take a breath… Bring me to life!

It’s time to make things red, and I mean REALLY RED, here on The Headbanging Moose thanks to our metal lady of this always hot and sunny month of June, but before I say anything about her I have a very easy question for you. Do you know what The Headbanging Moose and Nuking Moose have in common, apart from two badass names and an endless passion for heavy music? The answer is quite obvious, it’s our total admiration for the breathtaking frontwoman Miss ScarRed, also known as Liz, a multi-talented singer, songwriter and vocal coach known for fronting the aforementioned Nuking Moose, as well as another project named Chaos Rising and her own solo band, and a woman who will set fire to whatever stage she steps on with her undeniable talent. In other words, I’m sure you’ll love to see everything “red” after our humble tribute to her.

Hailing from Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, Miss ScarRed is a rising force in the Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore and Deathcore scenes, delivering soaring vocals that walk hand in hand with the heaviness, melody and rage flowing from the music played by her bandmates. Her first official release in the metal world was back in September 2021, when Chaos Rising, a collaborative international Groove/Thrash/Heavy/Melodic Death Metal project formed in 2019 open to every female artist interested in metal music, released the single Prisoner, featuring our beloved diva on vocals (and songwriting) alongside French multi-instrumentalist Stéphanie Nolf (of Syrinx and Unsafe, who’s also by the way the founder and manager of Chaos Rising) on bass and drum programming, British multi-instrumentalist Catherine Fearns on the guitars, and Serbian guitarist Aleksandra Stamenković (aka Alexandra Lioness, of Jenner and Sigma Epsilon) also on the guitars. All releases by Chaos Rising, featuring an array of talented women, can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify under an album titled The Singles, including of course the song with Miss ScarRed on vocals, and I’m sure we’ll soon see another striking song fronted by her under such an amazing and important project for all women who love heavy music.

Apart from her involvement with Chaos Rising, Miss ScarRed was also the vocalist for a Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany-based Symphonic Metal band named Aeternitas between 2021 and 2022, until they disbanded in 2022 after decades of existence, as the band was originally formed back in 1999. Miss ScarRed ended up being their very last female vocalist, having released with them the single Shadows back in November 2021, the band’s last song before calling it quits. I wish we could have more of Aeternitas with her on vocals because the final result in Shadows is really compelling, but of course I understand there are things that happen inside countless bands out there that are out of anyone’s control.

Finally, let’s talk a little about Miss ScarRed’s main band, the ruthless Nuking Moose. Formed in 2013 in Bremen, a city straddling the Weser River in northwest Germany, Nuking Moose play a thrilling fusion of Melodic Death and Groove Metal highly recommended for fans of bands like Jinjer and The Agonist, having released the EP Into the Abyss back in 2018, and the full-length album Ritual, in 2023, this one already featuring Miss ScarRed on vocals. After the pandemic hit, their previous vocalist Lars Michalsky (who had been with the band since 2017) left Nuking Moose in 2022, vacating the position for our red-haired growler to join guitarists Lennart Godt and Lennart Jabben, bassist Kevin “Moshi” Schmidt, and drummer Arne Godt in their quest for heavy music.

“Our old singer moved away for professional reasons and we were forced to look for a replacement. We were lucky that Liz was looking for a new band herself at the same time we were looking for a singer. The internet brought us together and Liz won us over straight away. It was always important to us to have someone on the microphone who could shout/grow but also sing cleanly and melodically. We found Liz to be the right person,” commented the band about their new vocalist, complementing by saying that “the fact that she drove from her home near Hamburg to Bremen for rehearsals every week left no doubt that she was serious about the band. Luckily, she now lives closer to Bremen. In addition to her musical ability, Liz also brought a lot of experience from the professional music business with her. That was a great stroke of luck for us, because the rest of us only got into music as a hobby.”

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After being joined by Miss ScarRed (or in the case of Nuking Moose, they prefer calling her just as Liz), the band was able to reach the desired shape and form of their sound, sounding modern without sounding too polished at the same time, as well as hard and rough but with the melodic touch of Liz on vocals. As already mentioned, Nuking Moose released last year the album Ritual, featuring Liz on vocals, and let me tell you that it’s one hell of an album with no fillers, only killers. In case you’re curious to listen to it, you can find the album in full on different streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, and also watch on YouTube the official video for the title-track Ritual, the lyric video for the song Values, and a “making of” for the entire album.

One name that might eventually pop up whenever you search for information about Nuking Moose is the one of Martin Kesici, and that’s because he’s nothing more, nothing less than Liz’s partner, apart of course for being a rock musician and radio host who became known in 2003 as one of the winners of the casting show Star Search. He’s become a friend of the guys from Nuking Moose, being involved in their day-to-day activities as for example being responsible for the mixing of the live recordings of one of their concerts. And speaking about live recordings, you can enjoy Liz and the boys kicking some ass with the songs Message To The Dead and Rusty Giant, both rehearsal room recordings. “The rehearsal room recordings were not part of a larger release, but we simply wanted to show people out there as quickly as possible after the singer change what we sound like now with Liz. These recordings were not intended to be studio quality – for the sake of simplicity, the drums were programmed on the computer, for example, and the distorted sound of the guitars came from a digital amplifier and not from the tube amps that we actually play,” commented the band.

There’s a lot more information, tour dates, news and other nice-to-know details about Miss ScarRed and Nuking Moose on their official social media channels, including her Facebook, Instagram and Linktree, and the band’s official website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channel, leaving you updated with all things surrounding one of the most promising bands of the contemporary German scene, with of course Miss ScarRed proving why she was chosen by the band to be their new frontwoman and scream for them like there’s no tomorrow. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to dive into a sea of red together with such an amazing vocalist like her?

Miss ScarRed’s Official Facebook page
Miss ScarRed’s Official Instagram
Nuking Moose’s Official Facebook page
Nuking Moose’s Official Instagram
Nuking Moose’s Official YouTube channel

Concert Review – Helloween (History, Toronto, ON, 05/23/2023)

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The most beloved pumpkins in the universe finally returned to Toronto after a decade for a flawless night of old school, thrilling Heavy Metal, fists in the air and, believe it or not, a lot of mosh pits.

OPENING ACT: Hammerfall

What a night, my friends! What a night! History was made at History (pun intended) last night when HAMMERFALL and the almighty and unparalleled metal institution HELLOWEEN took the city of Toronto by storm with the US and Canada leg of their United Forces Tour 2023, a dream come true for the thousands of fans who were brave enough to leave the comfort of their homes on a Tuesday night (the second worst day for concerts, only behind Monday) knowing they would be absolutely exhausted today for work or school. The weather was simply perfect, as it wasn’t neither too hot nor too cold, plus of course the fact that History is an awesome venue for a night of old school metal music. Kudos to the security team for being so helpful and polite, including letting me use the bathroom inside, get back out, and then enter with my friend, and kudos also to Embrace Presents for making a dream come true for me personally (and I’ll talk more about that later).

The line for the merch stands was absolutely insane, concentrating perhaps more people than the crowd that was already positioning themselves for the opening act on the floor section, Sweden’s own Heavy/Power Metal horde HAMMERFALL, but as soon as the clock hit 7pm sharp and their concert started I think a good chunk of the fans waiting to buy merch abandoned their spots in line to enjoy the concert (and they made the right decision, of course). Although their latest albums are not something we can call “exciting” or “masterpieces” compared to their early discography, when Joacim Cans, Oscar Dronjak and crew hit the stage they showed Toronto everything they got with a solid setlist, playing songs from their 2022 album Hammer of Dawn as well as classics the likes of The Metal Age, Let the Hammer Fall and Hearts on Fire. The entire band was visibly happy to be in the city playing their music to an avid Torontonian crowd, making us all forget that it was Tuesday night, therefore looking more like a Friday night of fun and metal.

One of the funniest moments was when Joacim was introducing the song Let the Hammer Fall, saying that whenever he said “let the hammer…”, the fans should shout “FALL!”, but apparently a few fans were either sleeping or too slow to understand such “difficult” instructions, making Joacim point to the name of the band at the back of the stage and joke about it, something in the lines of “not sure if you noticed, but our name is Hammer… FALL!” Also, it looked like every single song with the word “hammer” on the title or on the chorus was the cue for Oscar to sport his hammer-shaped guitar, like in Hammer of Dawn and Hammer High. I have no idea if that guitar is good or bad, I mean, how much it impacts his playing skills, but it looked really cool specially when he raised it high in the sky like the hammer of Thor. That was basically a good depiction of the level of energy flowing throughout their set, sounding and feeling as electric as Mjölnir, and leaving their diehard fans avid for maybe a headlining tour in Canadian lands in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
Brotherhood
Any Means Necessary
The Metal Age
Hammer of Dawn
Blood Bound
Last Man Standing
Hero’s Return / On the Edge of Honour / Riders of the Storm / Crimson Thunder (Crimson Thunder 20th Anniversary medley)
Let the Hammer Fall
(We Make) Sweden Rock
Hammer High
Hearts on Fire

Band members
Joacim Cans – vocals
Oscar Dronjak – guitars, backing vocals
Pontus Norgren – guitars, backing vocals
Fredrik Larsson – bass
David Wallin – drums

HELLOWEEN

When I said last night’s concert was a dream come true for me, I wasn’t joking. Finally, after over 30 years being a diehard fan of German Power Metal masters HELLOWEEN, I was able to witness the band live with Michael Kiske on vocals, plus of course the awesome Andi Deris and Kai Hansen, but it was Mr. Kiske who stole the show with his unique voice. None of you have any idea of how much I used to listen to Helloween in my teens (and I keep doing that until today, of course), and how much I dreamed of seeing them live with Kiske. As soon as they hit the beautiful stage at History with their new 12-minute classic Skyfall, from their 2021 self-titled masterpiece, I was already voiceless for screaming the song’s lyrics together with them. By the way, talking about new Helloween songs, during the hard-hitting Mass Pollution, the one and only Mr. Andi Deris, who’s by far one of the most entertaining frontmen in the history of metal music (and owner of a breathtaking voice), made a joke saying he wouldn’t have to translate one of the lines of the song to ask us all in Toronto to “make some noise”, generating some good laughs form the mesmerized crowd and, obviously, a lot of noise for the delight of the entire band.

Although this was my first time seeing them with the three vocalists from all of their phases, I think it’s during this United Forces Tour that they started “breaking” their setlist in three different acts; the first one with Skyfall as an intro to the entire band and all vocalists; then from the majestic Eagle Fly Free (thank you, Kiske, for such flawless performance during that classic!) until the old school Heavy Metal (Is the Law), Kiske, Deris and Hansen would take turns singing the songs; and finally, from then on they joined forces by singing all remaining songs together. I personally think that was an amazing way to entertain their fans during the entire show, keeping things fresh and vibrant until the very last second. Moreover, one of the nicest moments of their set was when they played the fast and metallic Save Us, not only providing us with one more unforgettable vocal performance by Kiske, but also igniting some sick mosh pits on the floor section. Yes, you read it correctly, mosh pits at a Helloween concert! That’s something you can only see in Canada, I guess! Not only that, Kai Hansen was also responsible for keeping the mosh pits moving well with his medley of old school German Heavy Metal anthems, including Metal Invaders, Ride the Sky, and especially Heavy Metal (Is the Law), and if you’re familiar with those songs you know how furious a circle pit can get while they’re being played, right? Thank you, Kai Hansen, for being so metal!

After such fantastic journey back to the band’s early days, it was time for a serene moment with Forever and One (Neverland), where Kiske and Deris sat down, explained in a funny way that the song was written by Deris for his “beloved ex-wife”, and delivered a passionate and very emotional vocal duet, followed by a soulful solo by Sascha Gerstner. However, that moment of peace didn’t last for too long as right after that it was time for the band to crush us all with their new hit Best Time, an inspiring song that put most of the fans (including myself) to dance so cool it is! And what can I say about the following songs, Dr. Stein and How Many Tears? I personally consider How Many Tears one of the best and most metal songs of all time, and seeing the entire band playing it live to perfection was priceless. And although Michael Weikath, Markus Grosskopf and Dani Löble didn’t talk much during their entire set, they did speak through their instruments, with How Many Tears being the ultimate display of their dexterity, feeling and passion for heavy music. Do I need to say that song ignited some more wicked mosh pits?

The show was almost over, but not before Andi Deris got his famous top hat for their David Lee Roth-like classic Perfect Gentleman, followed by 13 minutes of pure metal awesomeness with Keeper of the Seven Keys. Damn, that was superb! And their coup de grâce came in the form of nothing more, nothing less than I Want Out, a genre-defining masterpiece that became even more thrilling with all the black and orange giant balloons thrown to the crowd. Try imagining mosh pits going on during such classic with those balloons flying around the venue. That’s how perfect the night was, got it? I was exhausted after all was said and done, but at the same time I was ready for more Helloween in Toronto (or anywhere else in the world), and hopefully it won’t take another decade for one of my beloved bands to return to the city. Toronto loves you, Michael Kiske! Toronto loves you, Andi Deris! Toronto loves you, Kai Hansen! Toronto loves you, Michael Weikath! Toronto loves you, Sascha Gerstner! Toronto loves you, Markus Grosskopf! And Toronto loves you, Dani Löble! Please come back to the city for more as soon as possible! You’ve got the POWER to return! You are divine!

Setlist
Halloween (Snippet / Intro)
Orbit
Skyfall
Eagle Fly Free
Mass Pollution
Future World
Power
Save Us
Walls of Jericho
Metal Invaders / Victim of Fate / Gorgar / Ride the Sky
Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
Forever and One (Neverland)
Guitar Solo (Sascha Gerstner)
Best Time
Dr. Stein
How Many Tears

Encore:
Perfect Gentleman
Keeper of the Seven Keys

Encore 2:
I Want Out
For the Love of a Princess (James Horner song)

Band members
Michael Kiske – vocals
Andi Deris – vocals
Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals
Michael Weikath – guitars
Sascha Gerstner – guitars
Markus Grosskopf – bass
Dani Löble – drums

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Album Review – VOLDT / Vandalism (2022)

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A trio of German rockers will attack your senses with their debut album, offering us all 42 minutes of an amalgamation of rock and metal styles that will please all metal enthusiasts with a taste for innovative songwriting.

Raw and sinister, yet diverse and melodic, Hamburg, Germany-based Progressive Metal/Rock band VOLDT has risen from the ashes of several projects to conquer the stage with their bold interpretation of modern metal with an old school vibe. Formed of Al Shirazi on vocals and guitars, Johannes Horas on bass and Wanja Gröger on drums, the trio is ready to rock our world with their first ever full-length album, entitled Vandalism, the follow-up to their 2019 debut EP Voken. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Fabian Großberg, and displaying a Punk Rock-inspired artwork by the band’s own Johannes Horas and Al Shirazi, Vandalism brings to our ears 42 minutes of an amalgamation of rock and metal styles that will please all metal enthusiasts with a taste for innovative songwriting, proving how versatile and dynamic those three German rockers can be.

A wicked laugh by Al kicks off the rocking tune The Great Command, where Johannes fires Primus-inspired bass punches for our total delight while Wanja dictates the pace with his rhythmic and at the same time demolishing beats; and Al continues to slash his stringed axe in Headless Haunting Hound while he declaims the song’s poetic lyrics, blending the melody of Progressive Rock and Metal with the insanity found in Groove Metal. Then enhancing their rage and heaviness it’s time for Killing At the Speed of Light, where Wanja crushes his drums nonstop in the name of Heavy Metal, not to mention Al’s classic riffs, whereas we’re treated to over six minutes of progressiveness in the form of music in Symphony of Suicide, with Al and Johannes hammering their respective guitar and bass from start to finish and with Al once again delivering his Doom Metal-inspired vocal lines.

The groovy bass jabs by Johannes will hit you hard in the head in Monsters Of the Sea while Wanja keeps pounding his drums; it loses its grip after a while though, despite being a good composition. Back to a more visceral and frantic mode the trio offers us all Teachings, a song that exhales madness and groove with Al kicking ass with both his sharp riffage and obscure vocalizations, or in other words, it will surely ignite some fun mosh pits if played live by the band. Their second to last blast of Progressive Rock and Metal is entitled Servant, a song that will inspire you to bang your head together with the band or simply close your eyes and enjoy Al’s vocal performance, and lastly, let’s raise our horns one final time to Shame or Glory, presenting hints of 80’s Heavy and Power Metal and an amazing job done by Wanja with his intricate beats and fills.

The talented VOLDT crew is waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can get more details about their career, their music, tour dates and so on, as well as on YouTube and on Spotify where you can stream all of their wicked creations. In addition, don’t forget to show them your utmost support by purchasing their new album from their BandCamp page sooner than you can scream “VOLDT!” In  nutshell, Vandalism is not only a very entertaining album of rock and metal music, but a statement by those three unstoppable musicians from Germany telling us all that they’re among us to stay, always ready to vandalize our ears with their incendiary and innovative music.

Best moments of the album: Headless Haunting Hound, Symphony of Suicide and Teachings.

Worst moments of the album: Monsters Of the Sea.

Released in 2022 Blood Blast Distribution

Track listing
1. The Great Command 4:36
2. Headless Haunting Hound 5:33
3. Killing At the Speed of Light 4:09
4. Symphony of Suicide 6:33
5. Monsters Of the Sea 5:25
6. Teachings 5:18
7. Servant 5:37
8. Shame or Glory 5:14

Band members
Al Shirazi – vocals, guitars
Johannes Horas – bass, backing vocals
Wanja Gröger – drums

Album Review – Running Wild / Blood on Blood (2021)

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The German pirates of Heavy and Power Metal are back with what’s unarguably their strongest album in over 20 years.

The German pirates of Heavy and Power Metal, collectively known as Running Wild, are finally back with an album that lives up to their own legacy, the excellent Blood on Blood. Produced, recorded and mixed by the band’s own mastermind, vocalist and guitarist, the one and only Rock N’ Rolf (aka Rolf Kasparek), and displaying an old school artwork by Jens Reinhold of Zenz-Art, the seventeenth studio album by one of the most important names of the German metal scene to emerge in the early to mid-80’s puts the band back on track after a few bland albums, offering us fans the power and the glory of fantastic albums such as Under Jolly Roger, Death or Glory, Black Hand Inn, Masquerade and The Rivalry. Put differently, if you’re into stories and tales of piracy, or into songs about riding your motorbike wildly and freely, then Rock N’ Rolf and his crew comprised of Peter Jordan on the guitars, Ole Hempelmann on bass and Michael Wolpers on drums have exactly what you’re craving in heavy music with their new opus.

Rolf and Peter begin their incendiary riff attack in the title-track Blood on Blood, an upbeat Heavy Metal tune will put you to headbang within 20 seconds without a shadow of a doubt, whereas Wings of Fire sounds even more traditional than the opening track, with Rolf being on fire with his trademark raspy vocals while Michael dictates the song’s pace, inviting us to hit the road to the sound of such rockin’ tune. Say Your Prayers is another thrilling mid-tempo song mixing old school Heavy Metal with badass Rock N’ Roll, with Rolf’s piercing voice being effectively supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals; followed by Diamonds & Pearls, where albeit their pirate-inspired lyrics might be too cheesy (“Setting all gear, no doubt and no fear / Trailblazers stories were told / Sliding the waves that cover the graves / Of seamen and ships in the cold”), they go along really well with their straightforward Heavy Metal instrumental parts. There’s no time to breathe as Rolf and his crew keep kicking ass in Wild & Free, another fast song about riding free in the name of rock and metal music, with Ole making the earth tremble with his sick bass, not to mention the slashing riffs and solos by Rolf and Peter. Then soulful guitars set the stage for the quartet to shine with their Pirate Metal in Crossing the Blades, showcasing an addictive chorus (“Crossing the blades / Flashing the steel / We will ride, and united we stand / Flashing the blades / Crossing the steel / One for all, and all for one, in the end”) amidst a prancing, beer-drinking, sword-fighting sonority.

Running Wild Blood on Blood Deluxe Box

I personally believe Running Wild shouldn’t try to do any ballads, and One Night, One Day is the ultimate proof that those do not match with their core essence, getting tiresome and bland after a short while, falling flat and sounding way too generic, especially if compared to the rest of the album. Fortunately they get back to a much more thrilling vibe in The Shellback, where Rolf leads his crew of buccaneers inspired by the band’s own early days, with Ole and Michael bringing the groove to the overall result. It’s then time for another rockin’ tune with a powerful vibe that will inspire you to hit the road with your metal brothers, entitled Wild, Wild Nights, where Rolf and Peter are precise as usual with their razor-edged riffs, before the band invites us to join them in an epic journey through The Iron Times (1618-1648), showcasing stunning passages, sharp riffs and solos and pounding beats, all spearheaded by Rolf’s dark, storytelling vocal lines, flowing like an arrow on fire in total darkness until its epic finale. In addition, if you go for the Japanese edition of Blood on Blood you’ll be treated to three very special bonus tracks, those being Stargazed, their cover version for KISS’ classic Strutter (which you can check the original one HERE), and my favorite one Ride on the Wild Side, all worth the investment in this unique version of the album.

As aforementioned, if you’re into Heavy and Power Metal with a strong pirate vein you’ll have a really good time listening to Blood on Blood, which is available for purchase from the Steamhammer Records webstore or as a very special deluxe box from the Napalm Records webstore, strictly limited to 666 units and including the digipak CD and tape versions of the album, a flag, a pendant, a patch, an autograph card and a chain, or simply click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream the album. “We all know the difficulties the cultural sector was faced with during the lockdown. On the other hand, it also gave me and many other artists some extra time since most releases had to be postponed. I used that time to fine-tune every little detail of my new material. The result is an album that in my opinion is probably the best in Running Wild’s career to date. Every one of the ten songs sounds exactly as I had it in mind when I composed it. I’ve never been happier with a Running Wild record before,” said Rock N’ Rolf himself, and although he might be exaggerating when saying it’s the best Running Wild album ever we must agree it’s indeed a sharp, exciting and detailed piece of work by those German pirates, who are by the way waiting for you to join their crew on Facebook and on Instagram. As the title track says, “one for all and all for one, blood on blood, we stand as one!”

Best moments of the album: Wings of Fire, Say Your Prayers, Crossing the Blades, Wild & Free and The Iron Times (1618-1648).

Worst moments of the album: One Night, One Day.

Released in 2021 Steamhammer Records

Track listing
1. Blood on Blood 4:07
2. Wings of Fire 3:57
3. Say Your Prayers 5:14
4. Diamonds & Pearls 4:44
5. Wild & Free 5:28
6. Crossing the Blades 6:00
7. One Night, One Day 4:59
8. The Shellback 6:11
9. Wild, Wild Nights 4:30
10. The Iron Times (1618-1648) 10:29

Japanese Edition bonus tracks
11. Stargazed 3:40
12. Strutter (KISS cover) 3:05
13. Ride on the Wild Side 4:05

Band members
Rock N’ Rolf – vocals, guitars
Peter Jordan – guitars
Ole Hempelmann – bass
Michael Wolpers – drums

Album Review – Tragedian / Seven Dimensions (2021)

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This multicultural Melodic Power Metal unity hailing from Germany is ready to enlighten our destiny to the sound of their fourth full-length album, presenting to the world a new and reinvigorated lineup.

The esoteric and the obscure. Tales of the eternal fight between darkness and light… Formed by arcane energies. The mysteries that lay beyond human recognition. We are Tragedian, Power Metal that enlightens your destiny!

Formed in 2002 by American guitarist, songwriter and producer Gabriele Palermo, Tragedian are a multicultural metal band from Hamburg, Germany with a range of influences from Heavy Metal to Speed and Melodic Power Metal, taking their favorite elements from each genre and making their own interpretation. Currently comprised of the aforementioned Gabriele Palermo on the guitars together with Venezuelan vocalist Joan Pabón, German bassist Dawid Wieczorek, German keyboardist and pianist  Denis Scheither, and Italian drummer Nicolò Bernini, the band is about to unleash their fourth full-length album, entitled Seven Dimensions, the first with Joan, Dawid and Denis on the lineup. Produced by Gabriele himself, post-produced and mixed by Eike Freese at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, and featuring an ethereal artwork by Polish artist Piotr Szafraniec (Archart Studio), Seven Dimensions takes the band to a different direction of Melodic Metal, showcasing nine new, electrifying anthems plus three previously released tracks reworked by the quintet.

Blazing guitars and whimsical keys kick off the Melodic Metal extravaganza titled Rising Rage, with Nicolò dictating the rhythm with his classic beats in a fast, harmonious and epic manner just the way we like it, and with Joan proving why he was chosen to be the band’s new lead singer. Then more of Gabriele’s slashing riffs and solos penetrate deep inside our ears in Aloneless, where Dawid and Nicolò’s low-tuned, rumbling sounds make a vibrant paradox with Denis’ classy keys. Put differently, it will certainly please all fans of bands like Stratovarius, Rhapsody of Fire and Angra, whereas investing in a more direct sonority, the band blends the electricity of Power Metal with the rebelliousness of old school Heavy Metal and Hard Rock in Out of the Dark, featuring guest guitars by Dan Palmer (Zebra Head, Death By Stereo), and the final result is simply awesome. And putting the pedal to the metal the quintet fires the melodic hurricane Darkest of My Days, where Joan is amazing on vocals supported by the unstoppable drums by Nicolò, not to mention the razor-edge guitar lines by Gabriele.

In Bringer of Dreams, featuring guest vocals by Wade Black (Crimson Glory, Leatherwolf), after a not-so-promising start the music fortunately evolves into another solid feast of Melodic Power Metal by Tragedian, with Joan and Wade bringing joy to our hearts with their dynamic vocal duo; and it’s time for a power ballad led by Joan’s passionate vocals and Denis’ melancholic piano notes entitled Crying in the Rain, also presenting background female vocals which bring an additional touch of finesse to the overall result, albeit going on for too long. Back to a more imposing and epic musicality, Nicolò kicks ass once again on drums while Gabriele keeps extracting sheer adrenaline from his axe in Enlightened, all spiced up by a classic Stratovarius-inspired keyboard solo by Denis, followed by an avalanche of classic riffs and nonstop drums in Forevermore, with the groovy bass punches by Dawid bringing thunder to the music. Needless to say, it can’t get any more melodic than this.

Destiny sounds relatively generic compared to the rest of the album, which doesn’t mean it’s a bad song, though, it’s just that it falls flat after a while despite the solid instrumental pieces blasted by the quintet. Then Joan showcases all his vocal potency and range is his mother tongue in Para Siempre (Forever), a very entertaining tune (and of course very special and personal for Joan himself) that results in a lecture in Spanish Melodic Metal; and those power metallers are never tired of embellishing the airwaves with their stylish sounds like what they do in The Journey, where Gabriele and Denis are once again in absolute sync form start to finish. Guest vocalist Zak Stevens (Savatage, Circle II Circle) adds his touch of melancholy and epicness to the inspiring ballad Forces of the Light, where we’re invited to let Tragedian’s enfolding music soothe our souls while Joan and Zak give a lecture in vocal performance, closing the digital edition of the album. However, you should definitely go for the CD version of Seven Dimensions, as the bonus tracks Crying in the Rain (duet version) and Forces of the Light (full orchestral version) are definitely worth the investment in the physical edition, especially the orchestral version for the embracing ballad with Zak Stevens.

As already mentioned, the addition of Joan, Dawid and Denis to Tragedian’s lineup brought a new share of epicness, melody and creativity to Gabriele’s brainchild, with Seven Dimensions perfectly depicting the band’s renewed energy throughout each one of the albums’ ten vibrant tracks (or twelve, if we also count the two bonus tracks of the CD version). Having said that, let’s all show the guys from Tragedian how much we admire their music, and that they’ve chosen to follow an exciting path in this new phase of their career by giving them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming more of their music on Spotify, and especially by purchasing a copy of Seven Dimensions or by streaming it in full by clicking HERE. This is first-class, international Melodic Power Metal that deserves our attention and recognition, my friends, and let’s hope Gabriele and his melodic army keep delivering sheer awesomeness to all of us with all of their future releases, always displaying their refined techniques, and of course, their passion for heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Rising Rage, Out of the Dark, Forevermore and Forces of the Light.

Worst moments of the album: Crying in the Rain and Destiny.

Released in 2021 Pride & Joy Music

Track listing
1. Rising Rage 4:19
2. Aloneless 4:03
3. Out of the Dark 3:42
4. Darkest of My Days 3:42
5. Bringer of Dreams 5:35
6. Crying in the Rain 4:48
7. Enlightened 5:01
8. Forevermore 4:13
9. Destiny 4:19
10. Para Siempre (Forever) 3:37
11. The Journey 4:32
12. Forces of the Light 6:35

CD Edition bonus tracks
13. Crying in the Rain (duet version) 4:49
14. Forces of the Light (full orchestral version) 4:50

Band members
Joan Pabón – vocals
Gabriele Palermo – guitar
Dawid Wieczorek – bass
Denis Scheither – keyboards, piano
Nicolò Bernini – drums

Guest musicians
Wade Black – vocals on “Bringer of Dreams”
Zak Stevens – vocals on “Forces of the Light”
Dan Palmer – guitars on “Out Of The Dark”

Metal Chick of the Month – Ela

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ELA ROCKS!

Hailing from the charming Stuttgart, capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state and known for the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche headquarters and museums, our metal chick of the month of August is ready to set fire to The Headbanging Moose with her powerful vocals, stunning looks and deep passion for Hard Rock, Rock N’ Roll, and Heavy and Power Metal. Furthermore, you’ll certainly find her evolution in music quite interesting, from her mellower, radio-friendly Pop Rock early days to her current ferocious beast mode, blasting first-class Heavy Metal for our absolute delectation, always ready to rock like there’s no tomorrow. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the raven-haired vocalist Michaela “Ela” Eichhorn, or if you prefer you can simply call her Ela, frontwoman for German Melodic Heavy Metal band ELA and a woman that beautifully represents the power and importance of women in contemporary metal music.

You won’t find a lot of personal details about our dauntless Ela on the internet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to read, learn and enjoy about her. Let’s say that if you want to know more about Ela, all you have to do is search for her own band ELA, as in the end the two can be considered the same entity. In other words, there’s no Michaela Eichhorn without ELA and vice-versa, which means we’ll be focusing on Ela’s career with her band on this humble tribute to this talented German singer, starting with the band’s inception over ten years ago, in the year of 2006. As a matter of fact, we can go a bit further than that, to the year of 2004, when Ela was part of a Karlsruh, Baden-Württemberg-based band named Com’n Rail, with whom she released the full-length album Out of My Universe that same year (and you can still buy the album from Amazon or from Discogs).

After several concerts all over Germany to promote Out of My Universe in the following years, Com’n Rail split up in 2006, with Ela finally founding what’s known today as ELA. However, as already mentioned, the band’s first releases, those being the EP’s Out of Time and Little Lies, both released in 2008, and the full-length albums Passion, from that same year, and Make My Day, from 2009, showed a much smoother side of Ela, offering her fans a fusion of classic Hard Rock with pop and alternative music. Ela’s debut EP Out of Time featured German musician J.R. Blackmore (the son of Ritchie Blackmore and his former German wife Margit, and known from bands like EBC Roxx and Over the Rainbow) on the guitar, with the invitation originating from Ela herself after listening to one of his instrumental pieces during a radio interview in Hamburg and falling in love with his refined technique. Upon returning home that night, she sent an email to Mr. Blackmore inviting him to participate in her album, he obviously accepted the invitation, and two weeks later the single Out Of Time was recorded (check out the official video shot at the legendary rock club Headbangers Ballroom in Hamburg HERE), with the full EP featuring the aforementioned single, a couple of original songs  by Ela and instrumental pieces by Mr. Blackmore, and a cover version for UFO’s Queen of the Deep. As a consequence of the very positive feedback received from fans and the specialized media, the duo went on a fairly extensive European tour after the release of the EP, not to mention the official video was played on many German music channels such as iMusic1 TV, Hit24, Deluxe TV and Streetclip.Tv.

The year of 2008 also witnessed the release of her first full-length album Passion, which you can listen in full on YouTube, again drawing excellent feedback and very positive reviews from the media. This was Ela’s first cooperation with Martin Engler of Mono Inc., which also happened in her next album. Songs like After the Rain and Out of Time achieved great success among fans of her music, the first single Little Lies made it onto several radio playlists for several weeks, her cover versions for Credence Clearwater Revival’s Who’ll Stop the Rain and Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me were simply amazing, and Bleed got its own official video, shot at a castle for Ela’s own delight. “I’m a huge fan of castles, and it was my utmost wish to film on the historic grounds of a fortress. Just the masonry is ever so fascinating, and for a song like ‘Bleed’ I couldn’t have imagined any other location”, said our talented frontwoman.

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In 2009 Ela was back in action with a more rockin’ sonority with the album Make My Day, featuring re-recorded songs form her previous releases, and new songs like Here to Stay, Who (Won’t You Tell Me) and Right for the Devil, and once again featuring Martin Engler on drums, percussion, keyboards, programming and other arrangements. Ela had a few nice words to say about this heavier and harder version of her music. “The atmosphere in a studio is different to the one on stage, where you’re being swept away by the energy of your fans. Before you pick a song for an album, you work for weeks on that tune until it is to your perfect liking. However, and I think I speak for many of my musician colleagues here, after a while you may dislike this song and/or you suddenly get new ideas for it. Music has a lot to do with emotions, so I think that your own feelings play a major role here. When you know that you’re due to play live shows, it gets you in a different mood, you feel changed. I can only speak for myself, but I felt an overpowering urge to bring these songs across way harder – well, I guess, I simply wanted to ROCK more,” she commented, already pointing to a heavier future for her band.

Although Ela might not have released any new material under her own band until 2015, in 2010 she founded together with J.R. Blackmore and keyboardist Tony Carey (Rainbow) the project EBC Roxx,  having released the album Winners Vol.1 that same year,  with the song Silver Arrows being the anthem to accompany the first race of Mercedes Formula 1 pilots Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg that season. Then after a short hiatus Ela returned in 2015 with her band ELA showcasing a more visceral and metallic sound in Nervous Breakdown, featuring among several hard and heavy songs a medley of two of Slade’s biggest classics, Cum On Feel the Noize and Gudbuy T’Jane. Produced by Jörg Uken (Soundlodge Tonstudio) and mixed by Sascha Paeth (Avantasia, Beyond the Black, Edguy), Nervous Breakdown led Ela and her bandmates to promote the album on a tour with the iconic band Bonfire, proving once again she was on the right path in heavy music.

In 2016 Ela and her henchmen got even more metal with the release of the EP Out Of This World, presenting a much harder sonority closer to the Symphonic Metal played by bands such as Nightwish and Lacuna Coil, as you can see in this live version of the song This Kaleidoscope from 2017. Then in 2017 ELA finally achieved its most metallic form with the release of the full-length opus Second Reality, featuring powerful songs like Deadly Sins, therefore explaining why the album stayed in the Top 20 of the German Rock and Metal Charts for weeks. Ela’s metal side received so much praise from fans, critics and media from all over the world her band even toured around Germany as a supporting act for the one and only Grave Digger, not to mention Ela’s guest vocals in 2019 in the title-track Facing the Demon, from the album Facing the Demon, by German Melodic Heavy Metal act Reternity. Having said all that, you might be asking yourself what’s next for Ela, right? Well, no one knows exactly what our dark-haired singer will bring to our avid ears in the future, but we can rest assured it’s definitely going to rock our world.

ELA’s Official Facebook page
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ELA’s Official YouTube channel