Stream Of Passion confirmed to join The Gentle Storm at three shows

Dutch-Mexican metal band Stream of Passion have been confirmed to join Anneke Van Giersbergen's The Gentle Storm at three shows in October as support. Dates are as follow:

3rd October - Breda, Mezz
9th October - Groningen, Vera
10th October - Ulft, DRU Cultuurfabriek

Stream of Passion online
http://streamofpassion.com
http://facebook.com/StreamOfPassion

Epica announce show in Calgary

Dutch metal titans Epica have announced their first show in Calgary in five years. The event will take place on 20th September at MacEwan Hall with support from Eluveitie and special guests The Agonist. Tickets are available from this location.

Epica online
http://epica.nl
http://facebook.com/epica

Powerwolf premier video for Army of the Night

Wolfish power metallers Powerwolf have recently unveiled the official video for their single, Army of the Night, taken from their upcoming album Blessed & Possessed. The album will be released via Napalm Records in July. The video can be viewed below.

The band commented on the video, saying:

Army Of The Night is one of the many songs of Blessed & Possessed we can't wait to perform live.

Already the very first time we played that song during the songwriting, the energy and dynamics literally blew us away and we felt like this is going to be a must-play. While many of the songs on Blessed & Possessed are very detailed and elaborated, this one is probably one of straightest and most compact Powerwolf songs to date.

Blessed & Possessed track listing:

01. Blessed & Possessed
02. Dead Until Dark
03. Army Of The Night
04. Armata Strigoi
05. We Are The Wild
06. Higher Than Heaven
07. Christ & Combat
08. Sanctus Dominus
09. Sacramental Sister
10. All You Can Bleed
11. Let There Be Night

You can also expect to see our review of Army of the Night in the next couple of days.

Powerwolf online:

http://powerwolf.net
http://facebook.com/powerwolfmetal
http://youtube.com/powerwolfmetal

Crimson Sun sign with Maple Metal Records and reveal new album details

Finnish melodic metal quintet Crimson Sun are known for their in your face style of playing and attitude. Recently, the band signed to Canadian label Maple Metal Records and will release their debut album, Towards The Light, worldwide on 3rd August. As part of the deal Maple Metal Records will re-release the band’s 2013 EP The Border, recorded with the same line up as the new album.

Towards the Light was recorded last Fall at Deep Noise Studios, Kouvola, Fi with Saku Moilanen, and the mastering was done by Jacob Hansen (Epica, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear) in Denmark. The album cover art is by renowned Serbian artist Slobicus Doomicus. An official video for the title track Towards the Light will be streamed online to coincide with the album's release.

Track listing for Towards the Light:

1. The Storm2. Eye of the Beholder3. Awaken4. Towards the Light5. The Herald6. Portrait of a Ghost7. Enter the Silence8. The Spark9. Clockwork Heart10. Memories Burning

Crimson Sun was founded in 2001 by guitarist Joni Junnila, and the band went through various member changes before settling down with the quintet that recorded their EP The Border in 2013. Crimson Sun will be supporting Finnish metallers Poisonblack on a mini-tour in August, with some Fall dates to be announced soon with other artists. Dates are as follow:

14/8 - Dark River Festival 2015, Honkala, Fi w/ Poisonblack, Shear, Ranger, Ghost Brigade
14/8 - Virgin Oil, Helsinki w/ Poisonblack

Crimson Sun online:

http://crimsonsun.net 

[Review] Suddenlash - Shelter

Mainland Europe is home to many talented bands, be it the big hitters of the scene such as Epica or Nightwish to the lesser known forces such as Alwaid and Hydra. It is also home to one band in particular, a band with such an enthralling sound, it's hard to break away from the hypnosis of their music. I am of course, referring to Spanish metal band Suddenlash.

Shelter was released as a single last month (May 2015) and it's taken from the band's album Soul's Revenge. The song begins with the emotive ballad of piano keys before the tragic waltz of orchestration leads the dance towards the blazing vocals and sharp guitar riffs. The vocals and music make for perfect dance partners, each changing with the tempo and atmosphere of the composition. The orchestration that shimmers throughout the track bolsters the emotion and sense of foreboding tragedy, allowing for the heavier elements of the song to go about their business, carefully yet fiercely stepping with the august vocals.

While I have yet to hear the whole album, Shelter is a captivating piece of music and strongly portrays the essence and talents of Suddenlash. I will be very surprised if they're not touring Europe and playing major festivals by this time next year.

Suddenlash online:

http://facebook.com/Suddenlash

http://twitter.com/suddenlash

Heonia and Dakesis confirmed for Valkyrian Festival 2015

French melodic metallers Heonia have been confirmed, alongside Birmingham based progressive power metal quartet Dakesis, to appear on the Valhalla Stage at the final edition of Valkyrian Festival. Heonia and Dakesis will be playing alongside the likes of blackened doom tyrants Severed Heaven as well as Victorian-styled steam punks A Clockwork Opera and dark power metal unit Winter Storm.

Heonia and Dakesis are also in the process of organising a few UK dates around the time of the festival.

Valkyrian Festival will take place on 21st November at The Venue and The Riverside in Selby. The event is sponsored by Femetalism.co.uk. Advance tickets are a mere £10 and can be purchased here. Further details can be found at this location.

Cathar confirmed to support Diamond Head

Liverpuddlian folk metallers Cathar have recently announced that they will be supporting NWOBHM legends Diamond Head at the Live Rooms in Chester. The show will take place on 25th June. Tickets are priced at £15 and can be purchased from this location.

Cathar released their debut EP The Grimoire earlier this year. You can read our review of it here.

Cathar online:
http://facebook.com/catharofficial

Nightwish announce North American tour for 2016

Finland's premier metal outfit Nightwish have announced a 26 date headlining tour of North America in 2016. The tour will start on 19th February in Sayreville, New Jersey and is scheduled to hit six Canadian cities plus Pittsburgh, Anaheim and New Orleans before finishing up in Tampa, Florida on 23rd March. Joining Nightwish again on the North American continent will be Dutch metallers Delain, who have just been on tour with Nightwish around North America.

Advance tickets for the confirmed tour dates are now on sale exclusively at EnterTheVault.com. A limited number of VIP meet-and-greet tickets (which include a poster signed by the band and a tour program) are available for each show for purchase. Tickets will go on sale 6th June at all other outlets.

Tour dates are as follow:

19th Feb - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
20th Feb - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT
21st Feb - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
22nd Feb - Music Hall - London, ON
24th Feb - Carnegie Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA
25th Feb - LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH
26th Feb - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI
27th Feb - Rave - Milwaukee, WI
29th Feb - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
1st Mar - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB
2nd Mar - O'Briens Events Center - Saskatoon, SK
3rd Mar - Winspear Center - Edmonton AB
5th Mar - MacEwan Hall Ballroom - Calgary, AB
6th Mar - Wilma Theatre -Missoula, MT
7th Mar - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
08th Mar - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
10th Mar - Knitting Factory - Reno, NV
11th Mar - City National Civic of San Jose - San Jose, CA
12th Mar - The Grove - Anaheim, CA
14th Mar - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
15th Mar - City Auditorium - Colorado Springs, CO
16th Mar - Uptown Theater - Kansas City, MO
18th Mar - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
19th Mar - Aztec Music Hall - San Antonio, TX
20th Mar - New Orleans Civic Theatre - New Orleans, LA
21th Mar - Iron City Live - Birmingham, AL
23th Mar - The Ritz - Tampa, FL

Nightwish online:

http://nightwish.com
http://facebook.com/nightwish

Aonia confirmed to support Leaves' Eyes in Sheffield

Midlands and Yorkshire based Gothic power septet Aonia have been announce to support Norwegian-German metal titans Leaves' Eyes at The Corporation in Sheffield on 6th November. Also on the bill are Battlebeast and Dynosis.

Tickets for the show are £13 in advance and are available from all the usual outlets as well as The Corporation's website.

Commenting on the announcement, Aonia co-vocalist Melissa comments:

This is a huge honour for us to be supporting one of the best symphonic metal bands on the planet. We're massive fans of the band are are really looking forward to playing with Leaves' Eyes!

With a recent appearance at The Dames of Darkness with Sirenia and many more, Aonia are becoming a recongised name on the British metal scene. The band will also embark on a UK tour next week with Lost Effect and Alwaid. Dates are as follow:

27th May - HULL - O'Rileys
28th May - LEICESTER - The Shed
29th May - DUDLEY - Rock Zombie
30th May - LEEDS - Temple of Boom (Lost Effect will not be at this show)
31st May - SHEFFIELD - South Sea Live

Aonia online:
http://aonia.co.uk
http://facebook.com/aoniauk
http://twitter.com/aonia_band

Leaves' Eyes announce collaboration with London Voices

Norwegian-German metallers Leaves' Eyes have recently announced that they'll be working with the London Voices choir for their upcoming album. The announcement came as a post on the band's official Facebook page and reads as follows:

Dear Fans & Friends,
fantastic news! We proudly announce the collaboration with choir ensemble London Voices for the upcoming Leaves' Eyes album! Choir master, Terry Edwards, and the superb London Voices choir have been been working on blockbuster movies e.g. "Lord of the Rings", "Star Wars", "The Hobbit", "Harry Potter" or "Interstellar". Moreover, they added the perfect epic strength and spirit to our music! The recordings took place at the famous Angel Studios in London.
Stay tuned for more details of the upcoming Leaves' Eyes album!

Leaves' Eyes recently headlined The Dames of Darkness Festival in Bilston and will return to the UK in November. Further details about the tour can be found at this location.

Leaves Eyes' online:

http://leaveseyes.de
http://facebook.com/leaveseyesofficial
http://twitter.com/Leaves_Eyes