Genre Tourism · 29/01/2023
185 days till W:O:A 2023. I really need to step it up a notch if I want to write about all the bands on the line-up this year. I am taking too much time with individual bands, trying very much to find something to latch on to, even if there isn't anything. Masterplan last week was a hard one and unfortunately, it is the same with Warkings. Warkings, a power metal supergroup consisting of well established and busy musicians who dabble in various other bands and projects. For Warkings they all...
Genre Tourism · 20/01/2023
194 days till W:O:A 2023. Masterplan is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album Masterplan (2003) in Wacken this year. The band was formed in 2002 by former Helloween members Uli Kusch (drums) and Roland Grapow (guitar). Roland Grapow remains the only founding member in the band as of today. Keyboardist Axel Mackenrott has also been with the band since 2003 and has been involved in all releases except the debut album, where Janne Wirmann from Children of Bodom provided...
Genre Tourism · 12/01/2023
202 days till W:O:A 2023. Today I am writing about yet another metal classic: Jag Panzer's debut album Ample Destruction from 1984. Jag Panzer formed in 1981 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They started playing under the name of Tyrant at first, but had to change their name as this one was already taken. Vocalist Harry Conklin kept his nickname "The Tyrant" though. In 1984 the band recruited Joey Tafolla as their lead guitarist and shortly after recorded their debut album. Ample Destruction was...
Keepers · 22/10/2022
I was beginning to feel relatively secure in my metal knowledge after reading up on so many metal bands. But then a friend of mine told me about Alcest, one of his favourite bands of all time. He sent me a link to Alcest's third studio album from 2012 Les Voyages de l'Âme [The Voyages of the Soul]. I started playing it - and loved it immediately. Les Voyages de l'Âme starts with the incredibly tender guitar intro of Autre temps [Other time]. When vocalist Neige finally starts singing at 1:46...
Genre Tourism · 09/05/2022
Manowar - the self-proclaimed Kings of Metal. Yet another band that plays a significant role in the history of heavy metal. In 1980 Joey DeMaio worked as a bass technician for Black Sabbath and Ross Friedman aka Ross the Boss played guitar in Black Sabbath's support band on the Heaven & Hell tour. By suggestion of Ronnie James Dio they formed a band together with drummer Donnie Hamzik and vocalist Eric Adams who was a friend of DeMaio. They called themselves Manowar. Eric Adams and Joey...
Genre Tourism · 04/03/2022
Although glam metal was the most popular subgenre of metal during the 80s, there was another movement that started in the underground in the early 80s and became commercially successful in the mid 80s: Thrash metal. While glam metal was all about show and the looks and making music to please the masses there were still those guys who did not care about that. In thrash metal the music was more important than the looks and the bands took metal to a more extreme direction. Thrash metal is...