“At my level Spotify would be like a turkey voting for Christmas”: Billy Sherwood, Big Big Train,and other artists who pay it forward helped John Holden return to prog after he’d abandoned his ambitions

“At my level Spotify would be like a turkey voting for Christmas”: Billy Sherwood, Big Big Train,and other artists who pay it forward helped John Holden return to prog after he’d abandoned his ambitions

John Holden
(Image credit: Press)

Assassins, superstitions and the work of Rudyard Kipling have all informed the lyrics on John Holden’s latest album Proximity & Chance, and his guestlist includes John Hackett, Sally Minnear and others.. The British songwriter tells Prog about working with Billy Sherwood, recreating orchestras on a budget and why he keeps a cautious distance from most streaming platforms.


Books, movies and popular song have always insisted it’s true: if you want something enough, it will happen for you. Then again, to suggest it’s all down to dedication and determination isn’t always helpful – doesn’t it inadvertently, insultingly suggest that musicians who are still struggling just aren’t trying hard enough?

Creatives needing inspiration to keep plugging away could take heart from Cheshire-based songwriter John Holden, who launched his career in earnest well into middle age, managed to recruit some major prog names to play alongside him, and has now released his fifth album in six years. All without being able to hold a tune himself on the vocal front: “My voice would strip paint,” he insists. “Honestly awful!”

His new LP Proximity & Chance might also be his best yet, wrapping intriguing topical themes and philosophical food for thought within stirring symphonic prog sounds and compelling songcraft. Not bad for a Yes fan who firmly parked his own musical ambition the best part of 40 years ago.

“I was in a few bands in my early 20s that went into the studio to record a few things in the early 80s,” he says. “But then things like getting married and jobs and mortgages came along and the whole of the musical side just disappeared.”

He eventually ended up running his own recruitment business, only for his dormant passion to belatedly awake. “Around the turn of the millennium I realised I missed playing music. So I bought myself some nice instruments – which I’d never been able to afford when I started – and I began messing around again.”

He used a digital audio workstation (DAW) to record his own material; and when his wife’s yoga teacher needed some music to accompany classes, he offered his services. It turned out she was also a singer, and lent her vocals to Holden’s slowly-evolving songs.

Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

As a fan of Big Big Train, he sent their engineer Rob Aubrey some tracks. “He ripped them to pieces!” says Holden with a grin. “And rightly so.” However, Aubrey’s constructive criticism led Holden to focus on upping his game production-wise, and soon he was putting together what would become his debut album, 2018’s Capture Light.

But while doing so, he chanced his arm again, this time by reaching out to his teenage heroes’ latter-day bassist, Billy Sherwood. “I knew he did production work and I wanted to hear what my stuff would sound like professionally mixed and mastered. So I sent him some tracks. He said he really liked them, but I couldn’t afford him! He said, ‘Can’t you get your label to pay?’ I said, ‘What label?’

“He apologised and said he’d thought my demo was done in a professional studio. That was encouraging! Then he said since I didn’t have much money, he’d do the whole thing for the same rate he usually charges per minute. Really kind of him.

John Holden

(Image credit: John Holden)

“So he worked on the tracks and came back saying, ‘I hope you don’t mind – I thought the guitar solo could be improved, so I’ve done one for you. I’ve added some bass as well.’ Wow!”

So it came to pass that Sherwood contributed to Capture Light, and has also played on several albums since. Holden found the collaboration “opened doors” to talent such as Oliver Wakeman, who appears on the current album, alongside Luke Machin (The Tangent, Karnataka) on guitar, Tiger Moth Tales singer Peter Jones and Sally Minnear on vocals, plus Silent Skies’ Vikram Shankar on piano, and John Hackett on flute.

Not a bad line-up – but on Proximity & Chance, it’s Holden’s vision that remains front and centre on a record whose themes concern the way humanity blindly puts its faith in superstition. People may use phrases like “touch wood” or avoid labelling the 13th floor of buildings, while failing to appreciate the role that fortuitous accidents of geography have played. Holden speaks of being inspired by Professor Brian Cox’s documentaries on how our planet offered the right conditions to nurture human life

Another theme is hubris, as addressed on the tapestry of pastoral folk, hard rock riffs and spiritual lament heard on The Man Who Would Be King (based on the Kipling stories), and Agents, which revisits the Russian agent poisonings in Salisbury a few years ago (‘If you run we will find you… this tourist trap is set’).

Proximity & Chance Trailer – YouTube Proximity & Chance Trailer - YouTube

Watch On

Musically he’s also been building a fuller sonic experience, creating a captivating soundscape for the theatrical Burnt Cork And Limelight, wherein piano, timpani and orchestral arrangements create something that could have come from The Phantom Of The Opera, while putting the listener into the head of the assassin who targeted Victorian actor William Terriss.

“I can’t hire a 60-piece orchestra,” Holden explains, “so I have to simulate those sounds. I listen to a lot of music that uses sample libraries and string pad effects to do that – to my ear, it sounds a bit fake. So I’ll record, say, eight separate violins, then mix them together. To me it makes for a truer sound. Trouble is, it takes ages!”

Still not a full-time artist, Holden wakes at 5am to begin work on his music before starting his day job. And despite being a multi-instrumentalist, he is also only too happy to invite outside input. “I know my limitations. If the song needs a really virtuoso piece of playing on guitar, or keyboard, I’ll just get in touch with Dave Bainbridge or Luke Machin; or if I want some amazing keyboards on there I’ll ask Vikram Shankar.

“For vocals, if I can use Pete Jones or Joe Payne or one of these people, it elevates it straight away. I’ll talk them through what I’m after, but I’ll also say, ‘Send me what you would do with it.’ And sometimes I’ll rearrange the whole piece to incorporate that.”

John Holden

(Image credit: Press)

Maybe that’s one of the factors helping Holden’s go from strength to strength. Yet you may find your options to hear it limited, compared to the on-tap basis that of other artists’ music. He hasn’t played live, because, he explains, “to recreate my music you’d probably need more people onstage than would be in the audience. I’m not in this to make money – but I’m also not in it to lose money.”

For similar reasons, if you search his name on Spotify, you’ll draw a blank. “I refuse to put my stuff up for streaming,” he says. “It might do OK for you if you’re Taylor Swift, but at my level it’s like a turkey voting for Christmas.”

For the price of a couple of drinks, though, Proximity & Chance is a VFM investment, and Holden deserves all the remuneration his listeners can offer him, given the inspiring way he built a body of work from nothing. “I’m saying, ‘Look, if I can do it, anyone can do it,’” he says. And who would have the heart to deny him?

Johnny is a regular contributor to Prog and Classic Rock magazines, both online and in print. Johnny is a highly experienced and versatile music writer whose tastes range from prog and hard rock to R’n’B, funk, folk and blues. He has written about music professionally for 30 years, surviving the Britpop wars at the NME in the 90s (under the hard-to-shake teenage nickname Johnny Cigarettes) before branching out to newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent and magazines such as Uncut, Record Collector and, of course, Prog and Classic Rock

“I become a Colossus of Maroussi, I can do anything!”: Michael Stipe on the period when R.E.M. became a stadium band and he embraced his inner showman

R.E.M. live at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1995
(Image credit: Mick Hutson/Redferns)

By 1995, R.E.M. hadn’t toured in six years but you could hardly say the decision to take themselves off the road had caused a downturn in fortunes for the Athens, Georgia quartet. Quite the opposite: during that period, they hunkered down in the studio and released a pair of early 90s classics in 1991’s Out Of Time and quickfire follow-up Automatic For The People, which came out the following year. Both sold in the multi-multi-millions and made R.E.M., already a sizeable, arena-playing band, absolutely huge. Monstrous, in fact.

They were ready to get back out there and their 1994 record Monster was written with big stages and bigger crowds in mind: after the low-key, acoustic-heavy sounds that made up much of Automatic For The People, this was loud, crunching rock music built for mass projection. The tour, which hit the road 30 years ago this week when the band kicked off a near year-long trek with shows in Australia, would also require an about-turn from frontman Michael Stipe, who cut an introspective albeit captivating figure for some of the songs across those two records (OK, maybe he wasn’t so introspective on Shiny Happy People). He was certainly in the mood to embrace his inner flamboyant showman, and a few years ago he told this writer about what it entailed to get into the zone for the band’s biggest shows yet.

“I was so focussed on that tour,” he said. “Performing and being frontman required an immense amount of psychic energy, moreso than being a drummer. I say that with all the love in my hear for every drummer who’s ever sat behind a drumkit but being the frontman requires a different level of psychic energy to carry the crowd, to life them, to pull them up and out when they were not completely present, to really create the mood and the atmosphere that’s required for a successful live performance.”

Going onstage each night on a tour that took in arenas and then stadiums across the globe was an experience that Stipe described as “nerve-wracking” but he said at every show, by the third song he’d be firing on all cylinders.

“It’s always the third song. That’s when the adrenaline takes over and I become a Colossus of Maroussi,” he explained, referring to the titular character in Henry Miller’s 1939 novel. “I can do anything. Henry Miller is gonna write a book about me! It’s an absurd journey through adrenaline. Something that all of us will experience at least once in our lives, I experienced as part of my job for the best part of 32 years.”

After a batch of cancelled shows so that drummer Bill Berry could recuperate after suffering a brain aneurysm onstage, the tour resumed in April 1995 and the band arrived in the UK for a run of massive outdoor shows in good nick. Stipe had personally overseen the support slots, which included Blur, The Cranberries (“god bless Dolores and her spirit,” Stipe said) and Sleeper. “We had great opening acts,” he marvels. “I can say that I was always a fan of Blur and so being able to see them perform was a great joy.”

Radiohead also opened up for the Losing My Religion stars, a meeting that led to the new groups becoming well-acquainted and frontmen Stipe and Thom Yorke forging a lifelong friendship. “I went and presented myself to Thom,” Stipe recalled of the first time they spoke. “And then he presented me to the rest of the group. I think we were sunbathing together outside of the dressing rooms. It was a beautiful summer day.”

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Selecting such a stellar support line-up, Stipe explained, was a good way of gee’ing himself ahead of his own performance. “I just watched from the side of the stage three astonishing acts do what they do and raise the bar,” he stated. “Not being naturally competitive is a good thing in these kind of situations because if you’re R.E.M., you have the ability to handpick the opening acts and so you choose bands you want to watch on the stage, but then they’re raising the bar with every performance so I’m sure that’s what was going through my head.”

“Those giant outdoor things,” he continued, “they’re really fun but it takes a different kind of psychic energy to pull the audience towards you through the entire course of a set. You have to really reach the back rows, you have to be at the back of the field, near the toilets, near the T-shirt stands, engaging those people as much as those right up front.”

By that point, Stipe said, he had become the frontman who could do that. “I had become this creature who could do that thing and do it really well. It was terrifying because since 1989, the size of the show had grown immensely.”

In terms of adapting to the now-gigantic setting, the band took inspiration from their old pals U2, Stipe said. “It was presenting it in a way that was pulling from the work they did with Achtung Baby and Zooropa,” he said, “and pulling from glam-rock and the historically British idea of music as theatre and presenting something in a very different way than R.E.M. had before. It was a new experience for us and something I was having a great deal of fun with.”

It was a role that Stipe would successfully inhabit for the rest of R.E.M.’s career. As you can see from their Glastonbury performance below, he was born to be a frontman doing his thing in front of the masses.

R.E.M. – Live from Glastonbury Festival, 1999 (Complete BBC Broadcast) #AtHome – YouTube R.E.M. - Live from Glastonbury Festival, 1999 (Complete BBC Broadcast) #AtHome - YouTube

Watch On

Niall Doherty is a writer and editor whose work can be found in Classic Rock, The Guardian, Music Week, FourFourTwo, on Apple Music and more. Formerly the Deputy Editor of Q magazine, he co-runs the music Substack letter The New Cue with fellow former Q colleagues Ted Kessler and Chris Catchpole. He is also Reviews Editor at Record Collector. Over the years, he’s interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars, including Elton John, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Robert Plant and more. Radiohead was only for eight minutes but he still counts it.

COMBUST To Release Belly Of The Beast Album In March; “Our Own Breed” Single Streaming

COMBUST To Release Belly Of The Beast Album In March;

Back in fall 2023, Combust announced their signing to Triple B Records with a two song promo that hit incredibly hard. Now the New York hardcore band announce their new album, Belly Of The Beast, due out March 7.

Marking the band’s second album and fourth release, Belly Of The Beast is 100% pure hardcore. Recorded with Zach Miller at Landmine Studios, the twelve tracks bounce through unique grooves, menacing riffs, and a tough vocal delivery. The guest heavy record showcases community within the hardcore scene and beyond, with features from members of Terror, Mindforce, Crown Of Thornz, Dmize, Imposter, and rapper Rome Streetz.

Lead single “Our Own Breed,” out now, finds Combust at their best, combining shout-along lyrics, mosh parts, and a few rhythmic twists and turns that will keep you captivated. Vocalist Andrew Vacante’s New York style is contrasted by sinister guest vocals from Imposter’s Rory O’Neill, adding a different dimension to the track.

The song addresses the recent surge of opportunists entering the hardcore scene, as Vacante expands: “Older people who were never a part of this culture or scene try to come in and complain or use it to their benefit just for profit or a resurgence in their washed up pathetic past. Weird social media figures try to backpack off our shit just so they can boost their views and they hop in and hop out and use bands for numbers and clicks. This song is for the ones who reject them.”

You can stream “Our Own Breed” here. Listen below. Pre-order Belly Of The Beast on vinyl through Triple B Records here.

Belly Of The Beast tracklisting:

“Belly Of The Beast”
“Everyone’s Enemy”
“Swallowing Swords” feat. Mindforce
“N.Y.H.C.” feat. Danny Diablo
“Truth Hurts”
“Fear In The Streets”
“Our Own Breed” feat. Rory O’Neill
“Tiger Style II” feat. Ryan Griffith and Rome Streetz
“Crossed Off” feat. Chiqui Rodriguez
“Paid With Pain” feat. Terror
“Distorted Dreams”
“Atlas”

“Our Own Breed”:

Combust is:

Andrew Vacante (Vocals)
Peter Martingano (Guitar)
Alex Basovskiy (Guitar)
Dave Sarnes (Drums)
Eric Hoyt (Bass)

(Photo – Kevin O Bryant)


BRAINSTORM Launch Lyric Video For New Single “Beyond Enemy Lines”

BRAINSTORM Launch Lyric Video For New Single

Brainstorm, the acclaimed Southern German metal band, proudly present the lyric video for their new single, “Beyond Enemy Lines”, from their upcoming album, Plague Of Rats, set to launch on February 28 via RPM.

Continuing the momentum from their successful first single, “Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)”, Brainstorm introduce “Beyond Enemy Lines”. This track is sure to captivate not only the band’s fans but also lovers of high-octane metal music. Featuring intricate guitar tapping, powerful drumming, and majestic orchestration, the song perfectly encapsulates what a leading track in a heavy/power metal album should offer. Frontman Andy B. Franck brings a unique intensity to the song, with lyrics that explore themes of war on a deeply personal level.

“‘Beyond Enemy Lines’ combines many of our trademarks with recent, modern influences. The track has incredible power: it’s fast, goes straight into your neck and also deals with it a lyrical topic that concerns us all very much. Overcoming mental boundaries and trusting strangers or giving them a chance has become very difficult. Escaping into hatred and agitation is easier and promotes violence and wars. This is also a topic for Brainstorm that we would like to take up in order to draw attention. Of course, only a song that has power goes with it. We are very proud of that because this track has exactly that power!,” says Brainstorm.

Watch the lyric video:

In exciting collaboration news, Plague Of Rats features two notable guest artists. Alex Krull of Atrocity and Leaves’ Eyes lends his formidable growls to the track “From Hell”, while Leaves’ Eyes lead vocalist Elina Siirala adds her ethereal vocals to “Your Soul That Lingers In Me”.

Plague Of Rats can be pre-ordered in your preferred physical format [earbook, digipak-cd, coloured vinyl, ticket bundle], pre-saved on your favourite digital service provider (DSP) or pre-ordered digitally (incl. instant-grat tracks “Beyond Enemy Lines” and “Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)”). Pre-order/pre-save here.

Plague Of Rats tracklisting:

“Beyond Enemy Lines”
“Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)”
“False Memories”
“The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)”
“Your Soul That Lingers In Me” [feat. Elina Siirala]
“Masquerade Conspiracy”
“From Hell” [feat. Alex Krull]
“The Dark Of Night”
“Crawling”
“Celebrate Youth” [Rick Springfield cover; excl. digipak/earbook bonus track]
“Curtains Fall”

“Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)” video:

Once caught by “Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)”, which might probably find its way to the band’s future set list, European metalheads should make sure to attend Brainstorm’s 8-date release tour alongside Arion and Stranger Vision, kicking off on the night before the official Plague Of Rats release date in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Excl. CD+ticket bundles here, regular tickets here.

Though Brainstorm have a long history – much like the ancient Indus civilization, the main force behind Plague Of Rats – they’re still in tune with the times. Their latest opus combines signature elements with a fresh, modern edge that’s clearly left its mark on the album. Plus, the band’s ‘attack mode’ approach shines through with a lineup of powerful tracks – no slow songs, no ballads, just pure, high-energy metal. Created alongside their trusted team – Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann for mixing and mastering at Greenman Studios, Gyula Havancsák on artwork, and Alex Kühr on photography – this album delivers ten epic new tracks that will transport fans to the captivating world of India and beyond.

(Photo – Reigning Phoenix Music)


“We didn’t know we were creating a new style… we took sounds from anywhere and everywhere”: Tony Visconti, Roger Dean and the making of Osibisa’s debut album

In 2011, Osibisa vocalist Teddy Osei – who died in January 2025, aged 88 – told Prog how the band came to make their self-titled debut album, which pioneered world music in 1971.


Before the term ‘world music’ became trendy, Osibisa were pioneering exactly that style of work – and taking prog rock into fresh new waters in the process.

“It started when I moved from Ghana to London in 1962,” says saxophonist Teddy Osei. “Two years later I formed a band called Cat’s Paw, and we became Osibisa in 1969.”

A deal with MCA was struck after one of the label’s US executives saw them playing in London. Osei, guitarist Wendell Richardson, keyboardist Robert Bailey, trumpeter Mac Tontoh, bassist Spartacus R, percussionist/tenor saxophonist Lasisi Amao and drummer Sol Amarfio teamed up with producer Tony Visconti for their self-titled debut album, released in 1971.

The Dawn (Digitally Remastered Version) – YouTube The Dawn (Digitally Remastered Version) - YouTube

Watch On

“We were very lucky because we already had all the music prepared for the first album,” Osei recalls. “So we were able to record it very quickly. We set up in the studio was as if it was a live show. Every track you hear is a complete performance – not a collection of bits from different takes. So if we made any mistake in a song, we’d just go and do the whole thing again.”

Osei gives Visconti credit for helping to mould the sound in the studio, although his musical input was minimal. “He saw his job as capturing our creativity and energy, and he did help a lot in that way. Because he was already experienced in the studio, he knew how to make sure we got the maximum out of the three weeks it took to record.”

Ayiko Bia (Digitally Remastered Version) – YouTube Ayiko Bia (Digitally Remastered Version) - YouTube

Watch On

Ahead of forging his creative partnership with Yes, artist Roger Dean not only designed the cover, but came up with the band’s memorable logo as well. “I met Roger after our label suggested him for the artwork,” Osei explains. “What we wanted was something to represent Africa, and I came up with the idea for an elephant. Roger went away and worked this image into a more futuristic setting. It’s a very striking sleeve.”

Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

The album got to Number 11 on the UK chart and made it to Number 55 in the US – Osibisa’s best-ever chart position on both sides of the Atlantic. And Osei is proud of what they achieved.

“We didn’t know that we were creating a new style. But I think what’s on there is very African in influence. We took sounds from anywhere and everywhere – jazz, rock, blues, Caribbean music – and fused them into something new, exciting and fresh.”

The Dust Coda announce departure of old frontman, new frontman already in place

Rising London rockers The Dust Coda have lost their founding lead singer, John Drake – who has moved back to his native Australia – and replaced him with former Trident Waters frontman Andrew Knightly. Knightly is also the leader of AK & The Red Kites.

“I first met Andrew many, many years ago when The Dust Coda shared the same stage with one of Andrew’s old bands at North London’s legendary Big Red bar,” says Dust Coda founder and guitarist Adam Mackie. “We hit it off and stayed in touch ever since, following each other’s careers and different music releases.

“From that first meeting I knew Andrew was a great singer, player and all-round musician with an effortlessly cool persona that matches his great personality. He has rock‘n’roll pumping through his veins and when this recent crossroads for the band occurred I knew he’d be a great fit.

“Myself and the rest of the guys are pumped to be working with Andrew and really excited about the TDC future at the start of this new chapter.”

“I am honoured and really excited to be joining The Dust Coda,” says Knightly. “This is a band I’ve always followed from afar and felt would achieve great things. This is one of the UK’s top upcoming rock bands, make no mistake!

“John is a great singer that I have great respect for and to follow in his footsteps is no easy task. But after talking to the band and sitting down with the songs I realised I was the right person to fill those shoes. The band agreed with that summation and we’ve been working really hard behind the scenes. I just can’t wait to get out on the road with these guys and deliver the best version of TDC.”

The Dust Coda’s last two albums, 2021’s Mojo Skyline and 2023’s Loco Paradise, both hit the UK Top 40. The band are now working on a new album, and will hit the road in March with fellow NWOCR travellers Bad Touch. Full dates below.

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Posting on his Facebook page earlier this month, the departed Drake wrote, “2024 was pretty epic. Left London after 20 years. Left my band of 13 years. Made a solo record with my long-time collaborator Chass Guthrie.”

The first fruits of the collaboration were the acoustic Descending Love, released in November, and another stripped-back song, Different This Time, which came out last month. Both are from the upcoming Trial Separations EP. Drake’s debut solo album will also be released this year.

Different this Time Full ( Lyric Video) – YouTube Different this Time Full ( Lyric Video) - YouTube

Watch On

The Dust Coda / Bad Touch: 2025 co-headline tour

Mar 06: Norwich Waterfront
Mar 07: Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Mar 08: Newcastle Northumbria University
Mar 09: Glasgow Cathouse Rock Club
Mar 10: Manchester Club Academy
Mar 12: Birmingham O2 Academy2
Mar 13: Cardiff The Globe
Mar 14: London O2 Academy Islington

Tickets are on sale now.

THE 7TH GUILD Feat. RHAPSODY OF FIRE, VISION DIVINE, SKELETOON Vocalists – “La Promessa Cremisi” Music Video Released

THE 7TH GUILD Feat. RHAPSODY OF FIRE, VISION DIVINE, SKELETOON Vocalists – “La Promessa Cremisi” Music Video Released

The 7th Guild has released a visualizer video for “La Promessa Cremisi”, second single taken from the debut album Triumviro to be released on February 21 by Scarlet Records – a song that will guide the listeners to the majesty of operatic music through the lyrics written in Italian, expressing true passion and resolute will. A bittersweet reminder of how life and death could be perceived by someone cursed by an endless punishment.

The 7th Guild saw the light in 2021 as side-project of Skeletoon’s frontman and songwriter Tomi Fooler. The idea at its base was to put together a powerful trio of singers in the vein of the legendary Three Tenors (Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo & José Carreras).

Rhapsody Of Fire’s Giacomo Voli and Vision Divine/Derdian’s Ivan Giannini joined Tomi Fooler to create this magic trio. The band has been completed with a strong line-up that includes the blazing drumming of Michael Ehré (Gamma Ray, The Unity), who forms a granitic rhythm section with Francesco Ferraro (Freedom Call, Bloodorn) on bass. 

Simone Mularoni (DGM), who also produced the album at his Domination Studio, is the genius man behind the guitars, while the cinematic orchestration are vividly painted by Daniele Mazza (Ancient Bards) and Alessio Lucatti (Vision Divine, Deathless Legacy) is the majestic chief keyboard wizard.

Catchy power metal melodies are melted with a symphonic music style, giving the perception of an operatic composing process. Emerging sound passes through classic orchestral arrangements with bombastic cinematic patterns, resulting in a wonderful choral result. References to the sounds of early Rhapsody Of Fire, Andre Matos and latest Helloween appear here and there among the unique style developed by Tomi Fooler & Co.

Produced by Tomi Fooler and Simone Mularoni, and featuring the regal artwork of Thomas Ewerhard (Avantasia, Amon Amarth, Therion), “Triumviro” will be released in the following formats:

– digipack CD
– digital

Preorder here.

Artwork by Thomas Everhard:

Tracklisting:

“Holy Land”
“The 7th Guild”
“Glorious”
“La Promessa Cremisi”
“In Nomine Patris”
“Time”
“Guardians Of Eternity”
“The Metal Charade”
“Fairy Tale” (Shaman cover)

“La Promessa Cremisi” video:

(Photo: Mattia Antonelli)


Croatia’s MANNTRA Releases New Single “Teuta”

Croatia’s MANNTRA Releases New Single “Teuta”

Croatia’s folk metal juggernauts, Manntra, return with a thunderous new anthem, “Teuta”, a powerful ode to strength, legacy, and rebellion. Originally scheduled for February, their 8th studio album, Titans, will now be unleashed on March 14, 2025, via Napalm Records, due to production-related delays.

Renowned for their unique fusion of ancient Balkan musical heritage with raw metal power, Manntra continues to build on a legacy that includes seven explosive albums and unforgettable performances at iconic festivals like Wacken Open Air. From headlining stages to sharing the spotlight with legends like In Extremo, the band has cemented their place as a force to be reckoned with in the global metal scene.

“Teuta” showcases Manntra at their best, blending lyrical storytelling with relentless energy. The song draws inspiration from the legendary Illyrian queen Teuta, evoking the fearless spirit of her seafaring warriors. The track is both a rousing battle cry and a tribute to the unity and freedom of her people, who ruled the Adriatic waters. Thunderous riffs, majestic melodies, and anthemic chants mirror the courage and determination of those who dared to tempt fate and conquer the unknown.

Prepare for the storm – Manntra is here to remind the world why they are the vanguard of Folk Metal, ready to unleash Titans upon the world in 2025.

Manntra on the new single “Teuta”:

“‘Teuta’ is the second single from Titans. Imagine a stormy open sea with armies leaping from ship to ship in an epic battle. The song, its mood, and the history behind the lyrics create a perfect combination to immerse everyone in this war!”

Formed in 2012 around mastermind Marko Matijević Sekul, the band has proven to be extremely productive as Titans is already their eighth studio album. Over the years the quintet developed their trademark sound by combining raw metal riffs and hard-hitting industrial sounds with traditional folk instruments, unleashing a relentless storm of catchy metal hymns. Manntra’s high energy soundscape is skillfully built by supposed opposites: authentic folk instruments like pipes and mandolins interwoven with raspy male vocals and an uplifting industrial metal sound.

With their newest masterpiece they clearly take no prisoners as the album sets off with the title track “Titans” delivering forceful rhythms and powerful drumming. This continues on tracks like “Higher” or “Riders In The Dawn” kicking off with strong intros. Like no other, Manntra manage effortlessly to transport the ancient tunes into modern times by combining its folk elements with synths like on “My Sandman” or the album closer “Nav” delivering massive melodies.

But Manntra also stay true to their roots with “Teuta” telling the story of a legendary Illyrian queen who reigned in Croatia around 200 BC and “Unholy Water (Voda)” containing a catchy chorus and intense female folk vocals delivering a hymn like melody with lyrics partly in Croatian. The same can be witnessed on the extremely groovy and catchy “Heart Of The Storm”, while uplifting “Skal” is a song to get every folk party started. A clear highlight are the combined songs “Forgotten Pt.1” and “Forgotten Pt.2” which are true industrial metal masterpieces that seamlessly cross genres, heavily leaning towards electronic elements, while maintaining their very own soundscape.

Overall Titans convinces with an enormous hit-density and sets a clear mark, delivering proud hymns and in-your-face metal songs that are undeniable, proving that Manntra are on the very top of their game, ready to enter the next level of their promising journey!

Titans will be available in the following formats:

– 1 Vinyl Bundle (Tote Bag, Autograph Card, Drinking horn, Patch, Invitation Card “Online Meet & Greet” – Napalm Records mail order only – strictly limited to 300)
– 1 CD Bundle (Tote Bag, Autograph Card, Drinking horn, Patch, Invitation Card “Online Meet & Greet” – Napalm Records mail order only – strictly limited to 300)
– 1 LP Marbled Orange / Black – Napalm Records mail order only – strictly limited to 200
– 1 LP Black Vinyl
– 6p Digipak + Booklet

Pre-order here.

Titans tracklisting:

“Ceremony”
“Titans”
“Teuta”
“The Heart Of The Storm”
“Unholy Water (Voda)”
“Skal” (Miracle Of Sound Cover)
“Higher”
“My Sandman”
“Riders In The Dawn”
“Forgotten Pt.1”
“Forgotten Pt.2 – The Ritual”
“Nav”

“Teuta”:

“Skal” video:

Experience Manntra live.

Manntra are:

Marko Matijević Sekul – Vocal / Synth / Guitar / Pipes
Andrea Kert – Drums
Zoltan Lečei – Bass
Zlatko Štefančić – Guitar / Mandolina / Pipes
Dorian Pavlović – Guitar / Acoustic

(Photo – Franz Schepers / Marko Ristić)


Australia’s VALHALORE Release “Horizon” Single And Video; Beyond The Stars Album Due In April

Australia's VALHALORE Release

Following their recent signing with ROAR, Australia’s Valhalore has released a first track taken off their new studio epos entitled Beyond The Stars, which will be out on April 11, along with the reissue of their self-released debut album Voyage To Eternity.

Since their formation in 2013, Valhalore conquer the world with their unique blend of melodic death, power, and symphonic metal, infused with epic folk influences. A first album appetizer, the single “Horizon”, is available for streaming/download here. Watch a video below.

The band comments: “Inspired by a particularly beautiful sunset during the Covid-19 lockdowns, ‘Horizon’ is a song about hope for a brighter future. It explores the feelings of isolation we all felt during this time, and watching precious moments pass us by, yet somehow still wanting to create a life that is memorable beyond our time on earth.”

Starting January 17, the band will support the Swedish heavy metal templars of HammerFall as a special guest on tour:

January
17 – Melbourne, Australia – Northcote Theatre
18 – Sydney, Australia – Manning Bar
19 – Brisbane, Australia – The Triffid

Founded by guitarist Anthony Willis and vocalist Lachlan Neate, Valhalore swiftly became an unstoppable force in the Australian metal scene. Since their inaugural live performance in late 2015, the band’s unique sound has resonated with audiences both domestically and abroad.

The year 2017 marked a pivotal moment for Valhalore with the release of their debut album, Voyage Into Eternity. The band celebrated this opus with a sold-out launch show in Brisbane and two successful national tours, “Voyage Across Australia” and “Viktoberfest”.

Breaking international ground in 2018, Valhalore toured Japan alongside world-renowned acts Ensiferum, Trollfest, and Wind Rose. Upon their return, the band showcased their versatility with the release of the acoustic EP Solace & Solitude, and their 2019 single “Legacy”. Between releases, Valhalore continued to conquer Australian stages, touring with Kamelot and Trollfest in 2018, and Kalmah in 2019. Two European tours, including an eagerly-anticipated appearance at Wacken Open Air 2020, were regrettably cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, undeterred by the global turmoil and prevailing uncertainties, Valhalore spent the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021 recording their second studio album. In November 2022 Valhalore took their live show to new heights, performing sold-out shows across Australia with UK’s Alestorm and with Arch Enemy later in February 2023. In February 2024, the band hit the road with Germany’s Blind Guardian and will support HammerFall in early 2025 in Australia, while making final preparations for their long-awaited sophomore album Beyond The Stars.

With each performance and release, Valhalore continues to carve a unique path through the metal landscape, leaving an indelible mark on fans worldwide. The saga unfolds, and Valhalore’s journey is poised to reach even greater heights in the years to come.


MAESTRICK Releases “Lunar Vortex” Single Feat. Former KAMELOT Singer ROY KHAN

MAESTRICK Releases “Lunar Vortex” Single Feat. Former KAMELOT Singer ROY KHAN

Brazilian progressive metallers Maestrick have shared their new single and accompanying video “Lunar Vortex”, featuring Roy Khan, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.

After the symphonic synthwave of “Ethereal” and the prog-meets-Tim Burton vibes of “Upside Down”, Maestrick is embracing modern metal in their new single “Lunar Vortex”. Influenced by artists like Architects, Caligula’s Horse and Skrillex, the track features downtuned riffs contrasting with electronic tones, clean and screamed vocals (a first for Maestrick), and brings a very special guest in Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot) in a beautiful duet with Fabio Caldeira. This is the first time Roy appears in a video that’s not of his own band.

Vocalist Fábio Caldeira comments: “Roy was a big influence on how I wrote the melodies for this song, so when the opportunity to have him in the album became a reality, we knew it would work very well. He delivered an emotional and energetic performance, both vocally and in the video. We couldn’t be happier with the result.”

“While I was in Brazil, last year, I hooked up with my friends from Maestrick to record “Lunar Vortex” with them. Wonderful people and awesome song. I hope everyone enjoys it!” adds Roy Khan.

Founded in São José do Rio Preto/SP by three friends, Maestrick have been active since 2006 and bring in their sound elements of rock and progressive heavy metal, Brazilian regional music, world music and classical music.

The band have released two albums in Brazil, Europe, United States and Japan, and are recognized for drinking from different artistic aspects – cinema, plastic arts, visual arts and literature – for their compositions, which results in a unique and, according to specialized critics, innovative style.

Not surprisingly, Maestrick captivates movie fans, notably those of Tim Burton, George Méliès, Guillermo del Toro, and Christopher Nolan. In music, it attracts listeners of both modern rock/metal, such as Muse, and also of more niche styles within metal, such as Dream Theater, Haken, Jinjer, Spirit Box, and classics like Queen, Yes, and Gentle Giant.

“Lunar Vortex” featuring Roy Khan:

“Upside Down”:

Lineup:

Fábio Caldeira – Lead Vocal/Piano, Synths and Orchestrations
Guilherme Carvalho – Guitars/Vocal
Renato “Montanha” Somera – Bass/Vocal
Heitor Matos – Drums and Percussion/Vocal