V.a. Heavy Metal

By the end of the 1970s, the original triumvirate of hard rock heroes Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath had either graduated to the arenas of the world, or even split up, whilst the second wave of British heavy rockers, including UFO, Motörhead and Judas Priest, were beginning to fill theatres across the land. Punk exploded in 1976 and 1977, and the DIY ethos that sprang up in its wake soon influenced the grassroots metal bands who had yet to leave their local bars and clubs. Often independently released, some of the bands in this set never made more than one now highly prized and collectable 45 or one-off EP.

Holy Dio: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio is much better executed than most heavy metal tribute albums, even involving Dio himself, who pens an introduction for the liner notes. Most of the bands are culled from the portion of Century Media's stable that's influenced chiefly by British metal, often with a progressive or Gothic touch, which makes them a perfect fit for the tribute's subject. That doesn't mean all of them deliver - there are still a few performances that are too mannered or enslaved to the originals - but, overall, it's pretty effective for a tribute album. Bands present include Fates Warning, Yngwie Malmsteen, Hammerfall, Axel Rudi Pell, Gamma Ray, and Blind Guardian, among others.

Heavy metal legends Judas Priest mark an incredible 50 year career with Reflections – 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music. A new collection of 16 tracks including remastered studio recordings and 7 previously unreleased live cuts from the band’s archive.

Morgul Blade's sophomore album delivers righteous headbanging anthems. Songs like the title track and "Beneath the Black Sails" lean into their love of Tolkien lore, with the arena rock attitude inspired by Dokken and the Scorpions. Other tracks like "Frostwyrm Calvary" attack with the ice cold speed of classic black metal. More ambitious yet are "Razor Sharp" and "Neither Cross Nor Crown," which speak to the band's working class attitude and disdain for zealotry. "Heavy Metal Wraiths" is an instant classic blackened epic heavy metal album.

Legacy Magazine presents tribute to Motörhead. There are Sodom, Entombed, Destruction, Grave Digger, Onslaught and other bands.

Morgul Blade's sophomore album delivers righteous headbanging anthems. Songs like the title track and "Beneath the Black Sails" lean into their love of Tolkien lore, with the arena rock attitude inspired by Dokken and the Scorpions. Other tracks like "Frostwyrm Calvary" attack with the ice cold speed of classic black metal. More ambitious yet are "Razor Sharp" and "Neither Cross Nor Crown," which speak to the band's working class attitude and disdain for zealotry. "Heavy Metal Wraiths" is an instant classic blackened epic heavy metal album.

With its dark, mystical and obsessive sound, Black Sabbath built a unique brand that has influenced countless groups since its inception in the late 60s until today. As usual in our series The Many Faces, we will take you into the fantastic and great world of Black Sabbath. We will revisit his forgotten collaborations, its best songs and the artists (and even music styles) that the band have influenced.
We started with Disc 1, entitled "The Players (and more)" that features musicians who have been part the band. To begin with, who else than Tony Iommi, the founding guitarist and the only member who has been in all the band s formations…