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New band with Tracii Guns and Todd Kerns. 'Solsorte' out September 8 through Frontiers. More details to follow...

New album 'Battlelines' coming September 15 through Frontiers. More news to come...

New album 'Public Address' out July 7 through Frontiers. More info to come ..

New album 'Kingdom Of Illusion' out June 16 through Frontiers. Details coming soon...

New album 'Relaunch III' out July 14 through Frontiers. More details to come...

'Dream Higher' out June 16 through Frontiers. Everybody's excited?!

'Crash Of Life' out June 16 through Frontiers. Details coming soon...

Icon Of Sin: Icon Of Sin Traditional Heavy Metal 4.0/5.0 Facebook Frontiers Music Words: Craig Hartranft Added: 07.04.2021 | Released: 09.04.2021 9 Icon Of Sin is a new musical project from the Frontiers Music label which features the Brazilian singer Raphael Mendes, and a band which includes notable Brazilian musicians Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall). Some readers may know Mr Mendes for his vocal covers of metal songs, especially those of Iron Maiden as some say he has a Dickinsonian timbre to his voice. Mendes is also behind the YouTube video series What If Bruce Dickinson Sang In Other Bands, wherein he sings covers songs by Megadeth, Ozzy, and Journey, among others. Whether Mendes "sounds" like Bruce Dickinson with be in the ear of the listener. Icon Of Sin So, essentially then, Icon Of Sin is an avenue, or platform, for Mendes' significant vocal skills (whether you think he sounds like Bruce Dickinson or not). But since constant readers expect my honest opinion, here's my take on all this. Just follow me now. Simply, Mendes can sound much like Dickinson when he's singing an Iron Maiden song. Mostly, this is for two reasons. One, his voice follows the song melody. Two, the song is written in English, he sings it in English, and we, the listeners, know the song, its music, lyrics, and voice, as an Iron Maiden song (sung in English). Psychologically then, our mind and musical memory adjust to the nuances that don't quite match the original voice. For some Dickinson-Maiden fans this produces cognitive dissonance and a poor reaction. It simply doesn't fit, occuring as poor imitation. But this same theory does not apply to other bands and artists, simply because Dickinson didn't originally sing those song. Those songs just turn out to be songs sung by Brazilian singer Mendes, wherein, at the very least, some listeners will scratch their heads and say, "Who does this fellow sound like?" But he has already told you, in the YouTube series, that he sounds like Dickinson. Oh, such a conundrum we weave. But moving on to Icon Of Son. Here's my thoughts on the band and album. First, the heavy metal music is terrific. For classic melodic heavy metal ala Iron Maiden (and others of that earlier era), Icon Of Sin nails it. From the pacing to the rhythm and groove, the strong song melody to guitar harmony, the catchy refrains to the brilliant guitar solos, this is indeed Maiden-esque heavy metal. Excepting a few odd songs, musically speaking, I liked nearly every song. Night Breed, Virtual Empire, Shadow Dancer, and Clouds Over Gotham are fine examples. Second, while Mendes may sound like Dickinson, but because he's not singing in his native language, the lack of clarity in his enunciation and our unfamiliarity with songs, makes understanding him difficult and perhaps his interpretation dubious. Having lyrics would have been a great help. Perhaps, instead of riding the coattails of Bruce, maybe Mr Mendes should try sounding more like Raphael. This then, for me, begs the question. Since the music is so much Maiden-inspired, instead of having Mendes singing the Icon Of Sin songs, why not invite Bruce Dickinson to sing them. I wonder (if he would even do it) what that might sound like. Probably pretty fandamntastic. But that's just my opinion. All in all, for this listener, the strength of Icon Of Sin and their debut album is the exceptional, contemporary expression of classic, Maiden-inspired, melodic heavy metal (with a notable and favorable Dickinson-style vocalist in tow). Other listeners may feel differently. Recommended.

From the official Frontiers Music Facebook page: Frontiers Music Srl is thrilled to announce that a fourth album from the popular melodic rock group Find Me is in the works. Stockholm based producer and drummer Daniel Flores will once again helm the boards and collaborate with respected melodic rock singer Robbie LaBlanc. FIND ME is an ongoing collaboration between Swedish musician, songwriter, and producer Daniel Flores (Issa, The Murder of My Sweet) and singer Robbie LaBlanc (Blanc Faces, ex-Fury). The partnership was put together by Frontiers President, Serafino Perugino with a vision to unleash another AOR behemoth. The new record will once again be a delightful and massive melodic rock album, chock full of mighty anthemic AOR songs with Robbie’s soaring lead vocals and amazing performances from Daniel Flores and his band! Sonically, there will be hints of the classic Journey and Giant sounds as well as of newcomers like W.E.T and Eclipse. The fourth installment from Find Me will no doubt be another unmissable album for the Melodic Rock/AOR crowd from Frontiers. Get ready for the release in late 2021! Combined with a post from Erik Martensson that Eclipse is working on a new album, this has been a great week for music announcements in my world

Which of the various Dio inspired releases do you enjoy the most? My pick is Resurrection Kings - S/T

Release date in June? More info to follow...

New release from one of the greatest prog outfit out there. From Frontiers: German progressive metal masters Vanden Plas Official will release "The Ghost Xperiment – AwakenIng” on October 11th. Watch the music video for 'The Ghost Xperiment' here: https://youtu.be/23BzcW8-zAY | Available on CD, Vinyl, Limited Edition Color Vinyl, & Digital. The album is part one of a two part concept album, with the second album to be released in 2020. The quintet's ninth regular studio production, “The Ghost Xperiment – AwakenIng” continues to underscore the high artistic level of musicianship and lyrical creativity that the band have sustained for so long. Based on an actual documented paranormal experiment, the main character in the story, created by frontman Andy Kuntz, is Gideon Grace, a man who has to fight constantly for his life against the relentless shadows of the “House of Rain” as he wanders through France. Burdened with a heavy weight of sorrow following the agonizing death of his beloved Ivy, Gideon's pain is also his driving force in the war with his demons. He expands his knowledge with books he finds in the library of a German school of metaphysics. It is here that he reads about secret teachers and parapsychological experiments, which become an important foundation from which he can fight against the creatures of darkness. When it comes to the first showdown with said creatures, rather than finding peace, Gideon's battle tears open a hole deep into the abyss of Hell... Musically, Vanden Plas once again offers a perfect combination of heavy and melodic, while the orchestral arrangements here are more in the background compared to the last studio album. At the same time, the quintet comes closer to its original roots, such as “The God Thing” or “Far Off Grace”: more progressive elements in the songs, similar to what one knows from those earlier releases. The six, mostly long, pieces achieve their impressive and fascinating effect through a very band-oriented arrangement, so that the clear and intensive urgency of the songs shines through naturally. The listener is captivated from the start, first by songs that each deserve to be called epic and second through the story told through the lyrics. This recording is once again a product of the band's trusted collaborations with sound engineer Markus Teske at Bazement Studios. “The Ghost Xperiment – AwakenIng”, a phenomenal long player, once again proves why Vanden Plas are among prog metal's elite class. Tracklisting: 1. Cold December Night 2. The Phantoms Of Prends-Toi-Gardes 3. Three Ghosts 4. Devils´ Poetry 5. Fall From The Skies 6. The Ghost Xperiment Line-up: Andy Kuntz - Vocals Stephan Lill - Guitar Günter Werno - Keyboards Andreas Lill - Drums Torsten Reichert - Bass http://www.vandenplas.dehttps://www.facebook.com/VandenPlasOfficial

From Bravewords.com: Frontiers Records has announced the European release of TESLA's brand new studio album, entitled Simplicity, on June 6th. The Sacramento Rockers are back with 14 new songs offering a ride of energy that doesn't come easy for a band of rookies much less a band whose been doing this for over 20 years. Simplicity is Tesla’s seventh all-original studio album which follows a six-year creative break from the release of the previous album Forever More. After a string of shows in the USA in 2013, the band went back into the studio in early 2014 and came out with a new album, which goes straight back to the Tesla roots. The band worked and produced it as they did with Into The Now, their successful come-back album from 2004. Helped by the legendary Tom Zutaut who was the man behind the best Tesla albums, this new album rocks from start to finish, showing a variety of emotions where each song has its own twist - not sounding like another. The first new song off the new album 'Taste My Pain', was released last summer digitally via iTunes and Amazon. The track was recorded during a two-day (June 5-6, 2013) session at J Street Recorders in Sacramento. The new song is, according to the band, "A heavier song with a hard-driving beat and Tesla trademark blazing guitars." Guitarist Frank Hannon says about Simplicity: “I must say that this new Tesla album is really gonna be awesome. We went in more prepared with the songs and ideas way more than Forever More, and the style is pure Tesla back to our roots. I truly believe you guys are gonna love it!” “The opening track is called 'MP3'”, continues Hannon “and starts off with an opus intro that orchestrates into a heavy slow groove with lyrics about technology and how we miss simplicity, vinyl albums, family values... and has a heavy ass riff! Then we segue into a rock n roll song called 'Ricochet' that talks about Uncle Ted... can't wait to play this stuff live!” http://teslatheband.com/newspost/new-album-recording-going-great/ https://www.facebook.com/TeslaTheBand?fref=ts Tracklist: 'MP3' 'Ricochet' 'Rise And Fall' 'So Divine...' 'Cross My Heart' 'Honestly' 'Flip Side!' 'Other Than Me' 'Break Of Dawn' 'Burnout To Fade' 'Life Is A River' 'Sympathy' 'Time Bomb' 'Til That Day' 'Burnout To Fade' (writing demo version)* *Bonus track

Great news! From FB: Finally! Today we are mastering our new album with the always awesome Mats "Limpan" Lindfors. Yes, as for today, the new album is finally DONE! Release date will be announced shortly!

From FB: Fans, friends and crazy people in general! Smiley smile The new FIND ME record is done and sent over to Frontiers Records. Its been a wonderful journey working with new and young musicians/talent that bring in freshness and edge to the songs. Robert LaBlanc delivered his best performance yet, thanks brother for your amazing talent! The new album is more of a band feeling and so I invited Philip Lindstrand and Christopher Fabes Vetter to play guitars, Sören Kronqvist delivered awesome atmospheric keyboards in adition to my keys and drums. Backing vocalist include Robbie Lablanc, Thomas Vikström, Philip Lindstrand, Redas Jefisovas(Michael Palace). There is also a special performance from Angelica as a guest vocalist. I wanna thank all the songwriters, Mark Mangold, Sören Kronqvist, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Tom and James Martin, Philip Lindstrand, Thomas Vikström, Camilla Andersson and Niclas Olsson for the amazing songs and great feedback throughout the process. Please look forward to the official press release from Frontiers Records in the near future. Your friendly neighbourhood producer, Daniel Flores

From FB: Finnish band called OD was founded based on drummer Ossi "OD" Sivula's longtime dream of creating a record full of melodic rock, in 2012. First demos were put together working with several musicians and next few years flew by creating big melodies and searching for the soul and inspiration of the band. In 2014 the core group was joined by bassist Kim Tee, with whom Ossi has been working as a technician for the finnish rock group Brother Firetribe, and Juice Wahlsten, a long time friend and guitarist from another finnish rock band Ancara. The big voice was the last missing piece to create the big bang and Brazilian "Zorro", Dan Vasc was found late fall in 2014. Ossi was amazed after watching a video in youtube where Dan showed off his deep voice and high range vocals and after only 3 hours the first demo song was done! After working through internet for a few months Dan's first ever flight tickets were booked to finish the record in Finland and to finally bring the band infront of the live audiences. Stay tuned to hear more of what's coming!

They are working on the debut album to be released through Frontiers Records. Members: Chas West (Bonham, Tribe of Gypsies, Lynch Mob, Foreigner) Craig Goldy (Giuffria, Dio) Sean McNabb (House Of Lords, Dokken, Great White) Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot) More info to come... Edit 22.2.2017: They changed the name to Resurrection Kings http://heavyharmonies.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=33820&p=719896

New album out April 29th (out now). Review from heavyparadise.blogspot: CAIN’S OFFERING is the brainchild of Finnish guitarist/songwriter Jani Liimatainen (founding member of Sonata Arctica). Cain's Offering is moving perfectly balanced between hard rock, melodic power metal and modern metal and, at the end, achieves to be included as another perfect example of today's living and breathing Finnish music scene. In 2009, the band released its debut album, "Gather the Faithful", that gained some solid reviews from both fans and the metal press. Nowadays, Cain's Offering is back with the brand new "Stormcrow" effort and the sure thing is that will please each and every fan of the melodic metal scene in general. Except of Jani Liimatainen, the others members are Timo Kotipelto (Lead Vocals), Jonas Kuhlberg (Bass), Jani Hurula (Drums) and Jens Johansson (Keyboards). The music of Cain's Offering is special; I mean that this band has something different to offer here. For sure, it's not your ordinary melodic hard rock/metal band. On one hand, they have a lyricism and a 'melancholic' vibe in most of their songs that made Cain's Offering music so special. On the other hand, they sure knows how to write a powerful and in-your-face power metal anthem that will blow your mind! "Too Tired To Run" is a true highlight; an emotional ballad that includes great arrangements, a so sweet melody and amazing performances. "A Night To Forget" is exactly what I mentioned above about Cain's Offering music. It's technical, it's 'dark', it's extremely melodic and, at the end, achieves to leave a sweet taste in your ears. For sure, another very interesting moment here. In "I Will Build You A Rome", the band 'builds' a true melodic power metal anthem while in the instrumental "I Am A Legion" we are dealing with a huge theatrical tune that features some excellent epic pinches. "Rising Sun" is yet another killer song. A fast-paced rocker with a memorable hook and chorus that makes you wanna push the repeat button again and again. Excellent album from start to finish; not a single filler here, just pure melodic hard rock/metal stuff with an updated sound that will blow your mind. Great arrangements, very good songs, powerful and emotional performances, superb guitar work and a tight musicianship makes "Stormcrow" one of the best releases, so far, for 2015. RATING : 9/10 facebook Tracklist: The Best Of Times A Night To Forget I Will Build You a Rome Too Tired To Run Constellation Of Tears Antemortem My Heart Beats For No One I Am Legion Rising Sun On The Shore

New album out July 3rd on Frontiers Records. Tracks: 01. Never Again 02. Rockin’ In The City 03. I Can’t Stop Loving You 04. The Rain’s About To Fall 05. Even Now 06. Tears Will Fall 07. Mad As Hell 08. Sweet Sensation 09. Tonight’s The Night 10. The Quest 11. Stones By The River

From melodicrock.com (Andrew): ECLIPSE – Armagedonize Looks Set To Deliver in February Swedish rockers Eclipse will release their next album Armagedonize via Frontiers Records in February. I’ve just been delivered 4 songs from the album to preview: Stand On Your Feet – This commercial rocker has an immediately likable melody and hook and packs a punch while still delivering on those hooks and a strong chorus. The Storm – Starts with an acoustic guitar before bursting to life with that Eclipse power encased in the last album, but the melodic feel of Are You Ready To Rock. Another really good chorus too. Live Like I’m Dying – Epic heavy ballad with a guitar tone reminiscent of WET’s Comes Down Like Rain. Another full-class, intense Eclipse rock ballad. Love Bites – High energy rocker with a chorus that’s simple, but an instantly likeable and infectious energy. In fact, I’d go as far to say that it is utterly contagious with a 100% infection rate. And these are the first 4 songs I’ve heard from the band’s upcoming album ‘Armagedonize’. If these songs are anything to go by, Eclipse will have another sure-fire winner on their hands in the same kind of sonic style as Bleed And Scream and Are You Ready To Rock MMXIV If there is one thing I immediately pick up it is the strength of Erik Martensson’s vocals, which just seem to be getting better and better. Can't wait to hear more. Stay tuned...

Debut album out in August through Frontiers Records. From FB: Tåve and Erik Mårtensson (of Eclipse and W.E.T.) joined forces in 2012 and began recording what was to become the first Adrenaline Rush album, featuring live oriented tracks with strong melodies, powerful guitars and interesting arrangements. The guys were hand-picked from bands around Stockholm, all having different backgrounds but each an important piece of the puzzle. Everything is finally in place and the band is ready to take the show on the road. "Hope to see you this summer. Until then.. enjoy the Rush!" Adrenaline Rush: Tave Wanning - lead vocals Ludvig Turner - lead guitar, vocals Alexander Hagman - guitar, vocals Soufian Ma'Aoui - bass, vocals Marcus Johansson - drums https://www.facebook.com/adrenalinerushofficial http://www.adrenalinerush.se/

Jeff Scott Soto's new band/project. From FB: Here you go folks, check out all the info as I don’t need to repeat myself here…the slamming tune was co-written with Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob, who is also playing all the guitar work here! The new album is HEAVY, its a new band, a new dawn and direction for me, for us…for SOTO! SOTO - Inside The Vertigo Press Release and Bio SOTO, a new band which is the culmination of one of today's premier Rock frontmen and vocalists, Jeff Scott Soto, cast with a union of hotshot young musicians to bring you a slamming blend of melody and muscle in some of the freshest power metal to surface in years present their debut album, Inside The Vertigo. Jeff explains, ''I've been in the game for a long time but my roots started more on the heavier side of the tracks, I thought it was about time I came home to visit the family and stick around for a while!''. The band is comprised of Jeff's most current solo band, who he insisted on making this musical merge with him. Jorge Salan (lead guitar), BJ (keys, guitars), David Z (bass) and Edu Cominato (drums). Soto adds ''these guys come from different parts of the world and bring their own influence to make this band very special. From the US to Europe to South America, we have an exciting mix of style and prestige that keeps us all on our toes''. A neurotic blend of power metal, prog, groove-laden huge guitars, hooks and production, SOTO is a contender in today's modern Rock arena while capturing the essence of strong songwriting simultaneously. Jeff adds, ''the past 5 or more years have spurred me a plethora of anger and frustration, I'm actually quite pissed off about a lot of things, SOTO is my outlet to release some of this pent up emotion. We realize there are a lot of folks young and old who may be sharing these thoughts so this is especially for them too. We're not reinventing the wheel here, we're just creating an outlet for where our hearts are both musically and mentally…I’m just not in a 'touch your golden hair' mood right now!''. Songs like Break, The Fall, Wrath, Narcicisstically Yours and Final Say are perfect vehicles of raw emotion. Songs like When I'm Older, Karma’s Kiss, to the title track Inside The Vertigo and the 9+ minute epic End Of Days advocate a modern day reality/wake-up call. Produced by Jeff Scott Soto, the album features tracks co-written with his bandmates as well as a of his famous friends/colleagues. Collaborators include guitarists Gus G (Firewind, Ozzy), Jason Bieler (Saigon Kick), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob) and Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger/TSO), all of whom perform on their penned tracks for the album. Others appearing as guests/co-writers are Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Connor Engstrom, Tony Dickinson, Leo Mancini, Hugo Mariutti and Gary Schutt. The album was recorded during the latter months of 2013 and mixed/mastered in Boston by Soto's long time engineer and friend John Ellis. ''Everyone from John to my amazing co-writers to some of my bandmates, especially Edu who was extremely instrumental on helping me stay on course musically, get overall credit for creating this album. I oversaw it as a whole knowing the vision I wanted to capture but I truly had a lot of help from my bros that appear on this masterpiece!'' exclaims Soto. Watch for the SOTO release Inside The Vertigo to drop within the second half of 2014 followed by extensive touring and appearances throughout 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb7K_CqA0D8

From melodicrock.com: Harem Scarem are Launching their new album 'Thirteen' on Pledge Music! Canadian melodic rock legends Harem Scarem have launched their new album "Thirteen" on Pledge Music, with a campaign cleverly called "Thirteen Weeks to Thirteen"! "This is our 13th studio album and our first in 6 years, and we're really excited to share the experience with our fans. Over the next 13 weeks, we're going to bring you inside our recording process, rewarding 'Pledgers' with weekly video updates, special sneak peeks, behind the scenes footage and Q&A sessions where we answer your questions about the album. The campaign has launched now! Check out the limited edition packages like guitar lessons from Pete, a private listening party for 20 fans at Vespa Studios, and even the custom guitar that Pete used on the album! So why are we doing this? Well, basically we were out on tour last year and we ran into and reconnected with all of our fans and were actually very pleasantly surprised about the level of interest in the band. It’s been 6 years since our last studio album and we’re feeling rejuvenate and couldn’t be more excited about the new tunes! We’re about to start recording now and we’re going to bring you inside and show you how we do it. To get started, week #2 is going to be a question-and-answer with us. So leave your questions in the comments section and will be a recording video answers to the ones we pick and we’ll see you next week! Head over to www.pledgemusic.com/HaremScarem and watch our video, check out the packages, and be a part of the making of Thirteen! Thanks for all the support!

From bravewords.com: The release of the brand new studio album from Royal Hunt, entitled Devil’s Dozen, is set for August 21st in Europe and North America. With keyboardist and songwriter André Andersen still at the helm, Royal Hunt have once again created an album that combines the basic sound and core values of classic rock with progressive rock and more current musical elements. After selling approximately 1.7 million albums globally and touring the world numerous times, the band’s still going strong… and now gets to release their 13th studio album, The Devil's Dozen. André Andersen says: “We're very pleased to be able to present our new, thirteenth studio album. While staying on course with all traditional Royal Hunt's musical values this one contains quite a bit of variety – from an up-tempo, double kick driven “May You Never (Walk Alone)” to the bluesy “Heart On A Platter” and probably our best ballad to date – “Until The Day”. Counting in Royal Hunt's usual attention to details – playing wise as well as production wise – I'm sure that any fan of symphonic/melodic yet hard rocking music will be pleased with our latest offering.” The new recording stays true to the original, larger-than-life Royal Hunt sound, with imaginative instrumentation, intricate arrangements, soaring vocals and catchy, massive choruses. Yet, the addition of classical musicians/instruments and contemporary, modern day production elements move to twist the outcome into a unique sonic palette. The album is chock full of carefully crafted songs, recorded and mixed by a team who combined crystal clear sonics with a weighty punch. Featuring once again the talents of the awesome US singer DC Cooper – who, after numerous requests from fans and promoters worldwide decided to reunite with the band in 2011 – Royal Hunt features – besides André Andersen on keyboards - long time member Andreas Passmark on bass, Jonas Larsen on guitar and new drummer Andreas Habo Johansson (ex Narnia). royalhunt.com facebook Tracklist: So Right So Wrong May You Never (Walk Alone) Heart On A Platter A Tear In The Rain Until The Day Riches To Rags Way Too Late How Do You Know (bonus track)

From Michael Sweet's facebook: Here's a little insight on "Fallen": The album was written and arranged very quickly (9-10 days actually). This by no means reflects on the quality of the album. It's some of our best material to date and so far those who have heard it have said the very same. Chris Jericho texted me and said that Yahweh may be the best song since reuniting. Kevin (our publicist) said that the ballad is our new "Honestly"! There are songs on this album that coincide with sitting down and reading the bible. The music is heavy and the lyrics are bold and powerful, some taken right from scriptures. Sonically I think this is our best sounding album to date! Everything is crystal clear. The highs are crisp and the lows are tight and punchy. The more I listen, the more excited I am for all of you to hear it!!! We will be announcing a track listing/song titles soon and once we have a date to release the first song (and which one) you'll be the first to know. Love you all and I hope you're ready for "Fallen" M