Lamb Of God Vii: Sturm And Drang (2015) [deluxe Edition]

Rebel Heart was introduced to the world with an indiscipline uncharacteristic of Madonna. Blame it on hackers who rushed out a clutch of unfinished tracks at the end of 2014, a few months before the record's scheduled spring release. Madonna countered by putting six full tracks up on a digital service, a move that likely inflated the final Deluxe Edition of Rebel Heart up to a whopping 19 tracks weighing in at 75 minutes, but even that unveiling wasn't performed without a hitch: during an ornate performance of "Living for Love," she stumbled on-stage at the BRIT Awards…

German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN will release their tenth studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", in Europe on January 30, 2015 and in North America on February 3, 2015 via Nuclear Blast. Four and a half years in the making, the follow-up to 2010's "At The Edge Of Time" was recorded at Twilight Hall Studio in Grefrath, Germany and produced by Charlie Bauerfeind (SAXON, HAMMERFALL, HELLOWEEN). The CD showcases BLIND GUARDIAN's collaborative work with three different classical choirs: one from the Czech Republic (Prague), one from Hungary (Budapest), and one from the United States (Boston). Two grand orchestras — each featuring 90 musicians — also lend their brilliant talents to the new recordings with absolutely spellbinding results. Transporting listeners via a mysteriously powerful red mirror into an otherworldly dimension that includes tyrants, gods, and the Holy Grail, the ten songs comprising "Beyond The Red Mirror"'s story lines revolve around the young protagonist we first met twenty years ago in the 1995 tracks "Bright Eyes" and "And The Story Ends".

Originally intended as a side-project, Subsignal were founded back in 2007 by former Sieges Even members Arno Menses (Vocals) and Markus Steffen (Guitars). The first result of this collaboration was a song called ‘A Wallflower On The Day Of Saint Juliana’ which eventually appeared under the title ‘Eyes Wide Open’ on the 2007-Sieges Even-output ‘Paramount’. After Arno and Markus had left the band in the summer of 2008, they immediately started to look for adequate musicians to turn the project into a functional ‘real’ band. The first to join was Ralf Schwager (Bass), who was known for his work with German progmetal outfit Dreamscape. The line-up was completed by the Dutch drummer Roel van Helden (Sun Caged) and keyboarder David Bertok (also Dreamscape).

What many promise, but few can guarantee is what the loud and proud WHITESNAKE have always delivered and with their 12th studio opus The PURPLE Album once again their hard core fans are about to be surprised again by the ‘SNAKE. Recorded & mixed by legendary frontman and Whitesnake founder David Coverdale with Co-Producers Michael McIntyre and Snake guitarist Reb Beach and at Hook City Studios in Reno Nevada, ‘The PURPLE Album’ draws on the songs from the three DEEP PURPLE Mark 3 and 4 studio albums featuring Coverdale. “BURN”, ”STORMBRINGER” and “COME TASTE THE BAND”.

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have set "Resolution" as the title of their new album, due on January 24, 2012 via Epic Records (one day earlier internationally through Roadrunner). The CD was once again helmed by producer Josh Wilbur, who worked on the band's last effort, 2009's "Wrath".One of the tracks that will appear on "Resolution" includes an orchestra and a choir. "There's opera singers, a whole symphony going on… It's crazy," drummer Chris Adler told Gun Shy Assasssin about the song, which features the band's vocalist, Randy Blythe, singing slowly over the opening. "We were trying to figure out how to not be black metal but do something totally different. I think we succeeded," Adler said.

Rick Wakeman's third solo album is among his best, as he employs his vast array of keyboards to their full extent, musically describing the characters pertaining to the days of King Arthur's reign. With orchestra and choir included, although a little less prevalent than on Journey, he musically addresses the importance and distinguishing characteristics of each figure through the use of multiple synthesizers and accompanying instruments. "Lady of the Lake" is given a mystical, enchanted feel, perpetrated by a more subtle use of piano and synthesizer, while the battle of "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight" is made up of a barrage of feuding keyboard runs and staccato riffs, musically recounting the intensity of the duel. But it's on "Merlin the Magician" where Wakeman truly shines, as the whimsy and peculiarity of this fabled figure is wonderfully conjured up through the frenzy of the synthesizer.