Slechtvalk is one of my favorite Metal bands and they released their fourth full length album: A Forlorn Throne. Are they continuing the road they've travelled for the last year or is there more…

Illuminandi is a seven-piece gothic folk metal band from Poland.

This musical style incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs alongside cello and violin melodies. It also contains elements of extreme metal, classical music, European folk music and progressive rock.

In God We Trust – Roads Not Taken 

It just goes to show that you can’t always trust your first impressions! I thought that a band called ‘In God We Trust’ would be from America (especially as those words are on their currency). Instead IGWT are a five-piece band from Marl in Germany. Having started out as a pop punk act in September 2007, they found themselves gravitating towards melodic hardcore.

Sons Of God – Hogtie’n The Devil EP

There are several bands around that are called Sons Of God. If you are in any doubt which band I’m referring to – this is the brutal, doom-laden one.

Crave are from Northern Ireland and have been in existence since 2004. They released ‘Carve’ in 2005, ‘Waiting Games’ in 2007 and are launching ‘The Front Line’ in the summer of 2010. The band is composed of Scott McKeown (bass & lead vocals), Trevor Brimage (guitar & vocals), Andy Bell (guitar) and Dave Benson (drums). Their sound is influenced by Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, and Alter Bridge.

What happens when you have time on your hands on a rainy day ......... obviously you go off and record an EP

Stevie K is from Lisburn in Northern Ireland.

After supporting Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) he was inspired to write this album

In Heavens Eyes are a rarity - one of the few christian metal bands in India

Lets give them our support

Mortification re-release 'Break The Curse' as a CD and DVD package

Destroy Nate Allen are a folk punk duo known for their interactive live performances

The year 2010 will be remembered as the year my view on Greece changed. The stereotype image of sun, sea and islands will likely remain, while the actuality of economic crisis, the bloody strikes and that amazing retirement at 53(!) will likely be forgotten somewhere in the next couple of years. But I can’t imagine that I will ever forget the joy I found in ‘No Tuning Back’, the fifth album of InnerWish.

Babylon Mystery Orchestra release their fifth controversial album

As I Lay Dying return with a metalcore masterpiece

This is one album that you do not want to miss. It is already being hailed as the best album of 2010.

Saint are back at full force on Hell Blade

With a classic power metal sound that is often compared to Judas Priest

It's been a while but on the 19th of February this year, Eluveitie released their latest album, Everything Remains (as it never was).

Back in the 80’s, Mass seemed to never really get out of the shadow of genre-friends Stryper and Guardian, but still ‘Voices In The Night’ brings back good memories to old-school-rockers. It’s exactly that audience that will be pleased by ‘Sea Of Black’, the new album by this classic rockers.

Stairway are from the UK and play classic NWOBHM. They first appeared on the "White Metal Warriors" compilation in 1991.

This is their fifth album and it is currently being played on radio stations in Britain and France.

Sonia Vannest returns with a hard rock album

It features performances by Michael Sweet and Tracy Ferrie of Stryper.

Do you think melodic power-metal is for softies? Do you think of death, thrash and hardcore as just the training for the life of extremities? Than Exhale might be your thing. This grindcore-act from Sweden just released their sophomore album ‘Blind’.

The Good Book teaches us clearly to count our blessings. In the region of melodic hard music, the past months brought us many reasons to keep counting… and Ulterium Records just gave us the next blessing: ‘Focus’, Audiovision’s long awaited sophomore album.

Second album from Wrench In The Works

Brutal metalcore 

The Netherlands count an estimated 60.000 bands, that all want to perform on a regular basis and all want some acknowledgement by the local crowds. LOAD is based in Meppel and with their second album ‘Flames In Seconds’, they take the next step in getting their music out there.

The average metalhead will agree with me that metal is timeless. At least… in our dreams that is… Occasionally, metal evolves as time passes on. In many cases, it will cause revival of old memories. And then there is a handful of releases that will actually put you in a time-machine, bringing you back in history. ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’ of Last Rites is such a release, that pushes you back to early nineties…

Demon Hunter' are back with their fifth record 'The World Is A Thorn'. Released through 'Solid State Records' earlier this month. Which was produced by 'Aaron Sprinkle'. Those who are familiar with 'Demon Hunter’s' previous work will quickly be able to tell that 'Aaron' didn’t change the group’s sound in any drastic way. 

Flatfoot 56 are celtic punks from Chicago

They are often compared to Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys

The album is released on 30 March 2010

Shortly after Frontiers Records gave us new AOR-joy with the resurrection of Mastedon, they bring us ‘Promise Land’, the fourth album from melodic hardrockers Giant. Guitar-master Dann Huff didn’t join the reunion, so the replacement had some big shoes to fill…

Conduit are based near Birmingham, UK and have a debut album of post-hardcore rock on Whirlwind Records

Last year the Swiss Thrash/Death metal band Disobedience released their EP “of Shadows and Mercy”.

Take It Back! are a hardcore punk band

Their second full-length album is released by Facedown Records

Thought provoking lyrics calling us to action

For decades, Germany has been privileged with great classic-metal-acts and it seems, the tide will not be turning soon. In fact, Helloween and Gamma Ray will get good company when Sinbreed will conquer Europe after the release of their debutalbum ‘When Worlds Collide’ on March 26th.

Selah are from Denmark

They have played at the Green Light District Festival and are friends with Andreas Larsen

Scandanavian metal with death/unblack metal vocals

Symphonic black metal anthems

For fans of Origin, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Crimson Moonlight and Cradle Of Filth

Onward To Olympas are a hardcore/metalcore band on Facedown Records

Grave Robber

Horror punk with theatrics

For fans of Alice Cooper and The Misfits

Retroactive Records have re-released Crime Scene Earth 2.0

All vocals are now sung by Josh Kramer

Recommended for fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Barren Cross

Narnia are a Swedish progressive and power metal band.

This features the new vocalist, German Pascual.

100 Philistine Foreskins are a punk band from Scotland. The band contains former members of Voice of the Mysterons and The Exploited.

Preacher are German punks

The split EP is out on Handmade Overkill

Darkness Before Dawn is a 5 person metal band from Glendalein the USA. It’s a combination of Death, Black and modern Metalcore. Lets hear whether the rumors are true.

Ultimatum is a thrash metal band from New Mexico

‘Lex Metalis’ (Latin for "Metal Is Law") is the band's fifth full-length release

Rodent Emporium is an alternative punk rock band from Scotland

And they use humour to get their messages across

Second album by the hard rockers on Dreamt (a division of Facedown)

High voltage rock from the band that references Bon Scott era AC/DC

Hello Ahhnold, I’m Back again! ”What? Back Again? Oh no!!!!!” This is Double Brutal!!! Double as much, double as good!

Sleeping Giant release their second album on Facedown Records

Mason Summers are an american punk band

So what can we expect from these punk rockers who have a sticker stating “Because friends don’t let friends go emo”

If your ultimate doom experience never exceeded listening to old Trouble albums, try listening to ‘After The Fall’. These Forsaken guys from Malta will shake up old memories and relight the fire that once loved slow rhythms.

The London-based, Filipino-British threesome Firefalldown bring their own brand of music to the UK underground scene, combining elements of indie rock, skate punk, and funk.

Neviah Nevi release their second album of death metal on Wounded Records

One of the few death metal bands with a female growler

Seventh Angel return after 15 years.

Thrash and doom for fans of Celtic Frost, Believer and Candlemass

Abel - The Honest Love

Indie rock outfit signed to Dreamt Music, a division of Facedown Records

Second album from the Michigan thrash & death metal band

Greatly improved second album from the Swedish rockers

European power metal with gothic tinges

For Today are a metallic hardcore band

"Portraits" is their second release on Facedown Records

Sleep For Sleepers (formerly known as The Red Coterie)

They describe themselves “as a hybrid of the grace and poise of Copeland with the energy and charisma of Number One Gun”

Lumina Polaris (Latin for “Northern Lights”) is a six piece metal band from Oulu in Finland

This is their second full-length album

In 2008, while Morphia was planning their farewell-show in The Netherlands, one country north, David Sandvik and Benny Roste were preparing to fill in ‘the empty spot’. Only one year later this Norwegian band called ‘In Grief’ releases ‘Deserted Soul’ through Bombworks Records and does a serious attempt to steal the hearts of Morphia’s grieving fans…

Sympathy has something to prove. After three releases on European labels, the Canadian death-metal-act found a new home on the US-label Bombworks. ‘Anagogic Tyranny’ is the disc that should win the hearts of American metalheads, even more than the former releases did.

‘My Disgrace is a band like no other. Bridging the gap between prog metal and grunge, yet not selling their souls in the process. Unlike many new bands copying the trends of today, My Disgrace is setting the pace for a new generation of powerful, meaningful and relevant modern metal’… At least, that’s what My Disgrace says about themselves… What do we think of their 'Rise'?

Melodic/progressive metal from Finland

From the Finnish forests another band was discovered. This time it is a hardrock band with influences from the 80s. The band released an EP in March.

The ‘official’ comeback for Stryper already happened a couple of years ago, but their new album ‘Murder By Pride’ is the one that really makes us believe there’s gonna be more to the story than just re-living the first five albums over and over. The new chapter has begun...

The world is a global village, and it helps a lot if you can make yourself understood. I already have English as a second language, but I still often think about expanding my knowledge of foreign languages. Spanish, Chinese and French would be helpful. And after hearing ‘Sota’ by Minea, I feel an urge to explore Finnish…

The Devil Wears Prada have been signed to Ferret Records (the home to Zao, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Gwen Stacy).

This is their third album of metalcore 

Zao return after a three year break

Awake? is their tenth studio album

For years, Crimson Thorn, had the gorest, dirtiest grunts in the Christian death-metal-area. Recently, Impending Doom seriously tried to take over the crown. But before we crown them... don’t underestimate the grunting power of Brazilian foursome Krig. Their new album might cause some new shocks...

Boarders are an Italian band that started off as a Megadeth tribute act, before coming to faith and writing their own material

The World Hates Me was released in 2007 and re-released in 2009

Ecthirion is a new initiative from the United Kingdom, creating a big scene of theatrical orchestra-sounds with black-metal-screams, monk-choirs and bombastic guitar-riffs. The one question that keeps popping up… it’s great, but how will they pull this of in a live-performance...?

Bill Menchen and his long-standing friend, Robert Sweet (Stryper) return with a new project

The sound is muscular hard rock and classic metal, similar to recent releases by Bride and V-Rats

Only 5 years after being born, Grave Forsaken already releases it’s fifth disc: ‘This Day Forth’ on Soundmass. Are these Australians so productive because songs just ‘keep coming to them’? Or don’t they take enough time to finalise the songs before they enter the studio again? Let’s have a look…

The guys are based in South Wales, UK

They are now ready to unleash their first full length release of metallic hardcore on Strike First Records (a division of Facedown)

Static Fuse is a classic hard rock project

"Redd” Sonia Sauruk is on vocals with Ian Keith Hafner on guitar and bass

One hootin' and hollerin' good time is the only way to describe The Tug Fork River Band.

Their debut full length entitled "Catch for Us the Metal" is over forty minutes of eardrum bursting Heavy Southern Metal. 

So gear up for the hunt cause the Metal is coming your way on Wounded Records.