Out of the "Big Four" of Thrash, Who Is The Most Metal?

Out of "the big four" of thrash... who is THE MOST METAL?  What makes a band metal? Can a band "out metal" all the others? We know that inquiring metal heads from around the world want to know! That's the topic on this week's "Loudini Hard Rock & Metal Circus Podcast. It's on like donkey kong!  Featured Loudini Artists:   Almanac   Bridge to Mars  Beast In Black 

Almanac

After 15 years and 10 CD’s as guitarist, producer and composer for the German Heavy Metal institution RAGE and with hits penned by him like “Down”, “Soundchaser”, “War of Worlds”, “Straight to Hell” (well-known from the German blockbuster movie “Manitou’s Shoe”), “Carved in Stone”, “Forever Dead”, “Empty Hollow” and “Cleansed by Fire”, Victor Smolski now continues his musical career with his new group ALMANAC. 

The guitar virtuoso’s composition “Suite Lingua Mortis”, released first on the successful 2006 RAGE record “Speak Of The Dead”, built the Classical foundation for the new, more versatile yet even playful LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA sound and their LMO release in 2013, which scored a big success by outselling all most recent RAGE releases and charted in Germany at #24 on the official album charts. 

In comparison to RAGE, LMO offered fresh song material entirely composed by Smolski, a new musical concept combining Heavy Metal with Classical music, songs written especially for band & orchestra plus several male and female singers sharing the lead vocal job. 

This successful story now continues with ALMANAC who add a powerful touch of heaviness to LMO’s unique sound. The Belarus-born guitarist with this new group is joined by former LMO band members Jeannette Marchewka (vocals), the “Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia” with Enric Garcia on keyboards and “White Russian Symphony Orchestra”. 

New members are Tim Rashid on bass and Athanasios "Zacky" Tsoukas on drums. 

The two singers David Readman (PINK CREAM 69) and Andy B. Franck (BRAINSTORM) complete the line-up. 

For all the members of ALMANAC the debut album is a new, exciting, and very interesting chapter that has now begun. Traditional power metal in conjunction with classical music, world music with a modern sound are making ALMANAC an absolute listening experience.

Fans with an interest in deeper subjects including history and culture will also be able to dive into a new world with their first album, which combines historic and modern parallels that will surprise many. 

From the warlike nomadic horsemen in the steppes of Russia, to the Tsardom, Ivan the Terrible, warlike Cossacks who dominate the Tatar, the siege of Constantinople and the Mongol invasion are stories about battles, wars, intrigue, conquest, terror, power and love that can be heard vocally using the different styles of the singer’s voices. 

ALMANAC has signed a record deal with the world’s leading Heavy Metal label Nuclear Blast.

ALMANAC's debut album »Tsar« is a new, exciting, and very interesting chapter that has now begun. Traditional power metal in conjunction with classical music, world music with a modern sound make ALMANAC for an absolute listening experience. ALMANAC's debut album »Tsar« ( release date March 18th 2016 through Nuclear Blast ) has entered the charts at the following positions: Germany #74, Swiss #87

Since the band was founded two years ago, ALMANAC played around 50 shows in 10 different countries, their first CD "Tsar" was also nominated at the Metal Hammer awards as best debut album 2016. Actually, the band members are working on a new CD production.

Press contact

markus.wosgien@nuclearblast.de

Booking agent

ITM Agency, Germany

fsuepfle@itm-agency.com

www.itm-agency.com

Bridge to Mars

"Quality from start to finish, Bridge To Mars have the potential to make some serious waves in the world of classic rock with this debut album"

Jim Rowland, Uberrock

Not just a copy of course,Bridge To Mars have made their own wonderful way. They learned from a master, they run with the best, they make a stupendous noise.

All aboard!

9 out of 10

Steve Swift, Powerplay magazine UK

"Bridge To Mars is spot on target. If you like the genre, you will love this album"

Craig Hartranft, Dangerdog

"So I think it’s fairly obvious that I rather like this release and if 70’s rock / hard rock is your bag , then you will too."

Dan Mann, Rockposer

"All in all a killer debut for this power trio, a band I’d really like to see live, where I think the songs will really come alive. Highly recommended!"

Janne Starck

So, on closing, if your into MetalCore, Djent, Thrash metal etc. then you may think this isn’t gonna be your cuppa tea. However, like everyone else who is into Rock or Metal or every genre and era, you will always listen to the likes of Zep, Cream, The Who etc., and if you liked these, then you will love Bridge To Mars. This albums sound, has its roots well and truly planted in the late 60’s and 70’s early classic rock, psychedelia era, but with an all important 2016 contemporary take on it. This is one classy album. Buy it! You sure as hell won’t be disappointed.

Would I buy it? – Yes, and I did, and so should you!

Would I recommend it? – Most definitely!

Would I pay good money to see them live? – Without hesitation. JJ Marsh is without doubt one of the greatest guitarists to grace this planet.

Overall –

Rating – 5 out of 5

John J O´Neil, Firestorm.com

10 out of 10 cd review by Sleazethiscity, France

5 out of 5 cd review by Radio-Barbarossa, Germany

8 out if 10 cd review by Sweden Rock magazine, Sweden

Etc.....etc.

BRIDGE TO MARS, a three-piece powerhouse from Stockholm, Sweden. 

JJ MARSH: Regular co-writer and guitar player with Glenn Hughes for 13 years and played on a number of his albums, and also recorded and toured with Glenn and Joe Lynn Turner's 'Hughes Turner Project' (HTP). Has also played with the Swedish band Spellbound. 

THOMAS BROMAN: Worked with many artists and bands including Great King Rat, The Electric Boys, Send No Flowers, Magnus Lindberg, John Norum, Silver Ginger 5, Glenn Hughes, Hughes Turner Project, Firebird, Joe Lynn Turner, Michael Schenker and many more.

ROBERT HANSEN: Also bass player in the swedish progressive band Beardfish and has been a part of many other projects.

Beast In Black

A five-piece Helsinki based heavy metal band BEAST IN BLACK was founded by Anton Kabanen soon after he had parted ways with BATTLE BEAST in 2015. The international line-up consists of Yannis Papadopoulos (voc), Mate Molnar (bass), Sami Hänninen (drs), Kasperi Heikkinen (gtr) and Anton Kabanen (gtr, voc). 

By the end of 2015 the band had already played their first gig as an opener for NIGHTWISH without even having their debut album out yet. The making of the album was in progress and it was completed in the summer of 2017. 

A record deal was made with NUCLEAR BLAST almost immediately after the completion of the album. The debut album titled "BERSERKER" is set to be released in November 2017 and it continues in the style of Anton's previously composed works which include the first three Battle Beast albums. 

And let it be mentioned that one of the essential themes on this debut is a Japanese manga and anime "BERSERK". 

The album cover art deserves a special mention as well, since it marks the return of the collaboration between Anton and Roman Ismailov who was the original illustrator and graphic artist for Battle Beast. 

The time is drawing near. The newborn Beast is back with a vengeance, rising from the abyss with fortitude to spew its unrivaled heavy metal fury all over the world! 

The Beast is back, the Beast In Black!

Influences

Judas Priest, Manowar, W.A.S.P., Accept, Black Sabbath

Press contact

philipp.adelsberger@nuclearblast.de

Booking agent

EUROPE (excluding Finland & Scandinavia) 

Contra Promotion GmbH 

Enrico Karolczak 

+49-234-96292-0 

ek@contrapromotion.com