Iron Maiden Japan 1st Press

As one of the most influential bass players in heavy metal, it should come as no surprise that Iron Maiden's Steve Harris' instantly recognizable galloping eighth notes ride high in the mix on his first ever solo outing. British Lion, which was originally the name of the band that Harris and some non-Maiden mates formed in the early '90s to tear through some sword and sorcery-less, dive bar-ready hard rock in the vein of UFO, Deep Purple, and the Scorpions, sounds exactly like its influences would suggest. Toss in a little Rainbow, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, and a tiny smattering of his meal-ticket band and you've got a serviceable slab of unpretentious yet utterly forgettable '80s retro-metal that adheres to every cliché in the book – which is forgivable, as it was brought into this world by one of that book's authors.

A.S.a.P. were a band created by guitarist and vocalist Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden. A.S.a.P. released an album in 1989 entitled Silver and Gold. A.S.a.P. stands for "Adrian Smith and Project", and the full name of the band is incorporated within the band logo, with each word written in tiny font underneath the corresponding letter in the abbreviation. The band also featured guitarists Andy Barnett and Dave Colwell, bassist Robin Clayton, keyboard player Richard Young, and drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr).

Welcome to the World is the second and final Psycho Motel album, released in 1997. It features a different vocalist from the band's first album, 1995's State of Mind. In place of Hans Olav Solli is Andy Makin, whose "dark lyrics and distinctive vocal delivery" differentiate the album from its predecessor. It also features Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Dave Murray of Iron Maiden as guest guitarists. In 2006, Welcome to the World was re-released with two bonus tracks. These tracks contain Solli from the first album on vocals, and were probably recorded just before he left the band in 1997.

PRAYING MANTIS are pleased to announce their 11th studio album, “GRAVITY”! After the positively warm reception to the band's last studio album, 'Legacy' (2015), the new album sees the band returning with an inspired, take-no-prisoners set! “GRAVITY” sees the band keep the same line-up featured on the successful album “Legacy”, featuring Jaycee Cuijpers and Hans in’t Zandt (vocals and drums respectively), who have truly provided a new dimension to the writing process and musical performances.

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present the debut album SOLEDRIVER (Sweet / Del Vecchio), which is a collaboration between two extremely talented and prolific songwriters, musicians, and producers, Michael Sweet (Stryper, Boston, Iconic, Sweet & Lynch) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever, Hardline, Jorn). “Return Me to Light” sees these two incredible talents joining forces to make a killer melodic rock album that only they could create. In their studio work, both Sweet and Del Vecchio have a shared vision of very detailed productions, and both love crystal-clear arrangements. But both never forget the power that a rock album needs to have, so “Return Me To Light” showcases great, powerful deliveries, but nothing overwhelms the vocals and beauty of the melodies. To put it simply, the album is melodic rock in the style of Journey and Foreigner, but on steroids and with the unique Sweet and Del Vecchio sonic stamp on it.

Praying Mantis are now a well-established band of melodic hard rockers. Formed by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in 1973, together with bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, and others they spearheaded the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement. While they did not see the same dizzying heights of success as some of their contemporaries, Praying Mantis nonetheless became one of THE most influential bands of the NWOBHM. The band has remained active over the years and still records and plays live regularly, while evolving their style from their early beginnings to a more melodic hard rock style. - Musically the new album offers the trademark Mantis sound, with twin guitar leads and sterling vocal work from Jaycee Cuijpers, but what really puts this record apart is the stunning quality of the songwriting which offers a credible mix of catchy songs along with superb epics. To round up the tracklisting the Mantis' offer their own spin to the classic Rainbow hit "I Surrender" (penned by none other than Russ Ballard).

Gillan's live performances (Tokyo, London [3 performances], Aachen [Germany], Glasgow) from 1978 to 1982 are summarized on 6 CDs box set. You can also enjoy the competition of successive guitarists such as Bernie Torme who joins Ozzy Osbourne and Janick Gers who will join Iron Maiden later. 2020 24-bit remaster. DSD mastering.