Believe is to release their first DVD on July 21 on Metal Mind Records. Entitled “Hope To See Another Day Live”, the DVD was recorded in November 2007 (Wyspanski Theater in Katowice, Poland) and includes songs from the band’s debut album “Hope to See Another Day” plus a song from their latest release “Yesterday Is a Friend” as well as a song from Mr. Gil’s (Mirek Gil’s former band) repertoire. DVD also includes an interview with Mirek Gil and Believe’s vocalist Tomek Ro?ycki, 2 bonus audio tracks (taken from the “Yesterday is a Friend” album), and more. Also available in a limited swing case edition including an audio CD with the songs recorded at the concert.
Progress Records has made an agreement with ProgRock Records for distribution of Magic Pie albums throughout the USA. Through a license deal with Progress Records (Sweden), ProgRock Records (USA) will release both Magic Pie albums "Motions of Desire" and "Circus of Life" for the US-market. The official date for the American release is August 29, 2008.
Anathema returns in August with their new album, ”Hindsight” on K-scope Music. To mark the release K-scope has launched . The site contains info on the release and forthcoming tour dates, audio samples, downloads and more. In addition to this, for a limited period, fans who sign up to the mailing list will receive a free mp3 of the track Fragile Dreams. The album features old and new favorites from the band’s career, with new arrangements utilizing acoustic, electrical and orchestral instruments to construct the deep, emotional landscapes Anathema have become renowned for. This album will also feature the beautiful cello playing of Dave Wesling from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. A close friend of the band, Dave previously toured with the band in 2004 and is featured on the DVD “A Moment in Time”. The record has been arranged, recorded, performed and produced solely by the band. Anathema has been at the forefront of the UK rock / metal movement for many years. They began their journey as pioneers of melodic heavy music, influencing a myriad of bands to follow them before outgrowing all genres and limitations as they fearlessly explored new territory and new ways to express feeling through sound. They have gained a sizable worldwide following and much critical acclaim. Having played hundreds of shows in over 30 countries on their Natural Disaster tour, they are currently working on the follow up to “Hindsight”, an album of brand new material entitled “Horizons”. This is set to be an album beyond all expectations. “Hindsight” will be released on CD on August 25, 2008, and will be available to download from August 11. The album is preceded by a two track download single which features the brand new track Unchained alongside a new arrangement of Flying. This will be available from all major download platforms from July 28.
Braindance is currently in production for their upcoming release, entitled ”Master of Disguise”, to be available in 2008. Promising to deliver the goods along the same musical lines as “Redemption”, the long-awaited CD will contain tight songwriting, explosive performances, and the illustrative talents of Joe Simko, who's previously done work for GWAR, The Misfits, Ministry and KMFDM.
“Wake the Sleeper is a new studio album from British rock legends Uriah Heep. Out in June 2008 in Europe. The US release date is Agst 28. "Wake The Sleeper" is Uriah Heep’s first studio album in ten years (the first since 1998's "Sonic Origami") and is set to herald an exciting new phase for the band. The album sees Uriah Heep back to their very best and is set to become a future classic — sure to please their dedicated worldwide fan base and fans of progressive rock in general. Recorded in 2007 the album was produced by Mike Paxman (Status Quo). In the words of Mick Box, "We are delighted to be reunited with a major label in Universal music; 'Wake The Sleeper' is an album we are incredibly proud of, and one that we hope the fans will see as one of Uriah Heep best.” This is the band's first album without their long-standing and original drummer Lee Kerslake who sadly had to leave the band due to ill health in January 2007. Filling the drum stool for the very first time is the hugely well-respected Russell Gilbrook (Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and solo fame).
Lineup:
Mick Box - guitars, vocals
Trevor Bolder - bass, vocals
Bernie Shaw - lead vocals
Phil Lanzon - keyboards, vocals
Russell Gilbrook - drums, cocals
Track listing:
1. Wake the Sleeper
2. Overload
3. Tears of the World
4. Light of a Thousand Stars
5. Heavens Rain
6. Book of Lies
7. What Kind of God
8. Ghost of the Ocean
9. Angels Walk With You
10. Shadow
11. War Child
“Nostradamus” by Judas Priest is out now. This double CD outing is a concept album with choirs and orchestras and is their most ambitious creation since “Painkiller”.
Heaven & Hell (Tony Iommy on guitars, Geezer Butler on bass, Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Vinnie Appice on drums) began recording a new studio album, to be released in early 2009. It will be the first new full studio album by Black Sabbath in 14 years. Meanwhile Black Sabbath’s "The Rules of Hell" box set can already be pre-ordered through . It is due to be out on July 22nd, and contains all three existing Dio-era Sabbath studio albums (“Heaven & Hell”, “Mob Rules” and “Dehumanizer”) plus “Live Evil” in its original double CD format.
Ex-Rainbow, Deep Purple and Dio members form Purple Rainbow: Joe Lynn Turner has announced his plans to join Purple Rainbow. It features a lineup of musicians who were part of several of the most influential bands in hard / classic rock: From Deep Purple and Rainbow to Black Sabbath and Dio:
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow / Deep Purple) – vocals
Tony Carey (Rainbow / Planet P. Project) – keyboards, bass pedals
Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow / Black Sabbath) – drums
Craig Goldy (Dio) – guitars
Tony Carey explains, "Now, the members of Purple Rainbow have fulfilled a personal and professional dream and stepped into the spotlight to present the music that is our passion. Driven by our love of performing and their desire to revive the golden years of hard rock, we're staging a return to authentic music that comes from the heart and soul." The list of memorable songs from their collective Discographies is never-ending and includes: Man on the Silver Mountain, Stone Cold, Stargazer, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, Street of Dreams, Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, Burn and many more. The band is currently looking to book concerts in 2009.
Keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck (Blue Oyster Cult) reissues the remastered version of his critically acclaimed solo album “ZKG” with two bonus tracks, one of which, the piano ballad Rain in Florida, features Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, and the other is a piano improvisation. The album?s tentative release date is July 16, 2008.
Signal To Noise Ratio is about to record "Mitologia Epoki Maszyn" ("The Mythology of the Machine Age") – their second full-length album. The band’s debut CD, "Stan Nieustalony", is available from MALS Records as well as from various online CD stores.
Lou Reed’s “Berlin”, a film directed by Julian Schnabel, will go on general release on Friday 25th July in cinemas nationwide including London’s Renoir Cinema and Curzon Soho, Arts Picturehouse Cambridge, Filmhouse Edinburgh, Watershed Bristol, Showroom Sheffield and will open at the Tyneside Cinema Newcastle on 15th August.
Art Cinema is the name of a new Danish *supergroup*, founded in the autumn of 2007 by prog veterans Robin Taylor (Taylor's Universe, Taylor's Free Universe, solo) and Michael Denner (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate). After working together on the much praised album, “Soundwall” (released as Taylor's Universe with Denner), the two gentlemen decided to form a group working through material by songwriter Jesper Harrits. The result will be due in the summer of 2008. Art Cinema's music is a mix of almost every corner on the Prog palette: pop, metal, jazz, avant-garde, electronic and ambient music. First of all it's melodic, song-based music, but don't forget: Taylor was there. Lineup: Robin Taylor (keyboards, guitars, percussion), Michael Denner (guitars), Jon Hemmersam (guitars), Flemming Muus Tranberg (bass), Bjarne Holm (drums), Jytte Lindberg (vocals), Louise Nipper (vocals), Carsten Sindvald (saxophones) and Pierre Tassone (violins).
Thursday 27th November – Manchester, Men Arena
Friday 28th November – Birmingham, Nec
Saturday 29th November – Wembley, Arena
Monday 1st December – Sheffield, Arena
Tuesday 2nd December – Cardiff, Arena
Wednesday 3rd December – Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
Thursday 4th December – Glasgow, Secc
Saturday 6th December – Belfast, Odyssey Arena
Former Sudanese child soldier turned rapper, Emmanuel Jal, received rave reviews for his explosive performance of the song Emma with the Soweto Gospel Choir at the 46664 Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Concert’ in London’s Hyde Park on June 27th. He was introduced by Peter Gabriel who proclaimed him as “having the potential of a young Bob Marley.” ‘Emma’ will be released as a digital download single on iTunes from 22nd July. Taken from Jal’s new critically acclaimed album “Warchild”, ‘Emma’ is dedicated to the British Aid worker Emma McCune, who rescued Emmanuel Jal from a continued existence as a child soldier. Emma adopted Emmanuel and smuggled him to Kenya to begin a new life, where he could grow up safe and get an education. Sadly, a few months later Emma died in a car accident. A film based on Emma’s life, ‘Emma’s War, directed by Tony Scott (Enemy of the State), is due for theatrical release in 2009.
“Hideout” is the second studio album of the prog-rock band After from Wloclawek, Poland. Featuring Colin Bass (Camel) and Jozef Skrzek (SBB), their first CD “Endless Lunatic” oscillates towards neo-prog-rock. “Hideout” is the album that reflects young people's fascinations of heavier prog-rock playing.
