Secret Sphere - Sweet Blood Theory (2008)

Artist : Secret Sphere
Country : Italy
Release : Sweet Blood Theory
Year : 2008
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Sweet Blood Theory sees the band reverting back to their pre-Scent of Human Desire self where all the songs are a bloody mess. I really thought the band finally "got it" with Scent of Human Desire and a decent portion of Heart and Anger.

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Secret Sphere - Scent Of Human Desire (2003)

Artist : Secret Sphere
Country : Italy
Release : Scent Of Human Desire
Year : 2003
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Great chorus, catchy melodies, complex arrangements and with incredible vocal Lines. The music resemble lots of influences from bands like Dream Theater in the Images and Words era, a bit of Labyrinth, Rhapsody and one of my favorite Italian bands Athena. Very talented musicians comprise this band. Great material.

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William J. Tsamis - Sea Of Tranquility (1996)

Artist : William J. Tsamis
Country : USA
Release : Sea Of Tranquility
Year : 1996
Genre : Rock
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Unknown to most but highly regarded amongst those who are digging the hidden gems of the 80s is William J. Tsamis the guitarist and main man of the legendary bands WARLORD and LORDIAN GUARD. In 1996, with WARLORD disbanded and before forming LORDIAN GUARD he privately distributed to friends a tape that included eight songs of instrumental music he wrote between 1993 and 1994. The music of “Sea of Tranquility” is way different from Tsamis’ previous works, as it is his first and only official attempt towards New Age music. After a lot of years we are lucky enough to have this tape released in a proper remastered version in a cd for our own listening pleasure and for the people that wish to have at least a legitimate copy of this. Bear in mind though, that it is only released in 500 copies, has a new cover and extensive liner notes about each song written by William Tsamis. Regard this as a small appetite, for the year to come is going to be full of WARLORD releases and including a brand new album and a live record.

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Tank - War Machine (2010)

Artist : Tank
Country : UK
Release : War Machine [Japan Edition]
Year : 2010
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

Tank originally formed in 1980 and were one of the prime movers of the NWOBHM scene. Sadly they never capitalised on their early promised and the band limped on until 1989 when they disbanded, weary of the music business and consistent line-up problems. However, with grunge successfully out of the way Tank reformed in 1997 and released an album in 2002 at the height of nu-metal’s reign of terror. Poor timing it may have been, but ‘still at war’ did at least keep the band alive and now, in 2010, Tank have unleashed a record that not only cements their reputation as an excellent band but which actually sounds as ferocious as a newly formed band out for blood on their debut. To what factors exactly you could attribute this ferocious desire to run at the head of the pack you could debate forever, but what is clear is that Tank have a newfound sense of purpose that has allowed them to deliver a record ‘war machine’ that more than lives up to its name.

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Wotan (Germany) - Tranquility (1996)

Artist : Wotan
Country : Germany
Release : Tranquility
Year : 1996
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Releasing their debut album during a period of time that was not exactly known to be favorable for thrash metal anymore, Wotan were destined to remain something of a lost cause from the very beginning. Nonetheless, Tranquility is not a bad presentation at all. The album contains fast-moving thrash metal with a ripping guitar sound and harsh vocals, and the result is not particularly worse than any other average offering released up to this point. Curiously the band omit guitar solos completely, though, which is kind of odd as the music is otherwise well played and competent thrash metal. Mainly Tranquility is just hindered by the non-memorable quality of these songs, even though this collection of dense and sawing riffs is respectable.

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Sanctuary (USA) - Refuge Denied & Into The Mirror Black (2010)

Artist : Sanctuary
Country : USA
Release : Refuge Denied & Into The Mirror Black
Year : 2010
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

n 2010, the Iron Bird label released a 2-disc reissue set of American heavy metal band Sanctuary’s 1987 debut Refuge Denied and their 1989 follow-up Into the Mirror Black. Both of these albums are absolute classics and both had been out of print for several years, so this reissue set seemed like a great deal.

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Juvaliant - Inhuman Nature (2010)

Artist : Juvaliant
Country : Austria
Release : Inhuman Nature
Year : 2010
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

On “Inhuman Nature” JUVALIANT present nine tracks of the highest quality in both composition and musicianship. The sheer variety of the tracks on which neither heaviness, melody or bombastic choruses are ignored, high recognizability has been programmed by default. Whichever way you look at it, JUVALIANT and their debut album have come up with a very impressive statement of their musical visions.

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Opeth - Ghost Reveries (2005) [Special Edition]

Artist : Opeth
Country : Sweden
Release : Ghost Reveries [Special Edition]
Year : 2005
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Opeth's Ghost Reveries is a Prog/Death masterstroke, becoming more simplistic in places while expanding the overall template. Having explored their split personalities in great detail on Deliverance and Damnation, Opeth pulls them back together for Ghost Reveries, and in the process they have once again upped the ante on what a Death Metal band can accomplish. While there is a bolder use of instrumentation on this release, the rhythms and time changes have simplified just a bit, giving the songs on Ghost Reveries a more direct impact. Both the harsher and softer aspects have made the band more well-rounded, from the rousing organ in "The Baying of the Hounds," to the use of Middle Eastern polyrhythms in the beautiful "Atonement." But the integration of the two styles does not mean the band has necessarily mellowed.

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VA - Defenders Of Metal Volume II: The Darkside (2005)

Artist : Various Artists
Country : Various
Release : Defenders Of Metal Volume II: The Darkside
Year : 2005
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

True Heavy Metal, lots of guitars and screaming vocals, rippin' guitar solos and thundering drums.

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Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys (1989) [Japan Edition]

Artist : Steve Stevens
Country : USA
Release : Atomic Playboys [Japan Edition]
Year : 1989
Genre : Hard Rock
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

This is an awesome debut from Steve Stevens, who was formely Billy Idol's guitar slinging mad man. Stevens goes crazy in songs like Pet The Hot Kitty, but shines with grace and fluid style on songs like Desert Sands. As a guitar player, I would have to say that Steve Stevens has to be one of my all time favorites. I would recommend it to anyone....

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VA - Defenders Of Metal Volume 1: The Seduction (2003)

Artist : Various Artists
Country : Various
Release : Defenders Of Metal Volume 1: The Seduction
Year : 2003
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

This great collection of true metal bands you may have never heard of (unless you've read some of their reviews here on RoughEdge.com) is nearly 80-minutes of the purest heavy metal you're likely to find anywhere.
With bands from the USA (the awesome Jesters Moon included), the U.K., Sweden, Italy, Austria and Poland, "Defenders of Metal" is a great place to discover a new band, especially if you're a fan of true or pure metal.

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Wicked Lester - Better Off Dead (1998)

Artist : Wicked Lester
Country : USA
Release : Better Off Dead
Year : 1998
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

A real gem of US Power Metal. As traditional as possible despite it was released in 1998 !!! Brilliant guitar riffs and even more brilliant melodies topped by a vocalist whose aggressive voice is the top of the cream. Sounds like he was born in hell. This band sounds like a mixture of old Savatage, W.A.S.P. and Wicked Angel.

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Steel Lace - Steel Lace (1995)

1. Z End
2. The Witch
3. Taste Of A Tear
4. Hands Of Time
5. Unholy Laughter
6. Lonely
7. Fallen Angels
8. Burnin' Flame
9. Conviction
10. Rise Once More

Artist : Steel Lace
Country : USA
Release : Steel Lace
Year : 1995
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Classic US Power Metal and a vocalist with a high-ranged voice.

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Outworld - Outworld (2006) [Reissue]

Artist : Outworld
Country : USA
Release : Outworld [Reissue]
Year : 2006
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Outworld is the debut album by the American progressive metal band Outworld. It was released on November 13, 2006 by Replica Records. The Japanese version of the album includes a bonus track entitled, "Polar".

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Overdrive (Sweden) - Let The Metal Do The Talking (2008)

Artist : Overdrive
Country : Sweden
Release : Let The Metal Do The Talking
Year : 2008
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

OVERDRIVE is one of the oldest Swedish Metal bands around and released - for your info - their last studio album nearly a quarter of a century ago, and before crying out what the hell all these relics want from my life? I should warn you all these relics know how to perform 'real' Heavy Metal music, since you seem to be 'trapped' to what various labels/managers/media display as 'Metal'. So, do not act fast and reject but just take the chance to hear some vivid in-your-face metallic rage.

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DragonForce - Twilight Dementia (2010)

Artist : DragonForce
Country : UK
Release : Twilight Dementia
Year : 2010
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 320

Info:

Titled ‘Twilight Dementia’ and produced by longstanding DF collaborator Karl Groom along with band guitarists Herman Li & Sam Totman, this double live set is now confirmed for a September 13th 2010 release on Spinefarm Records and Roadrunner Records (US, Canada).

Featuring 13 tracks, including such pivotal numbers as ‘Fury Of The Storm’, ‘Operation Ground And Pound’, ‘My Spirit Will Go On’, ‘Valley Of The Damned’, ‘Heroes Of Our Time’ & ‘Through The Fire And Flames’, this exercise in soaring vocals & advanced guitar pyrotechnics was recorded across 19 UK shows, with the very best takes lovingly compiled and mixed by Groom, Totman & Li.

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Alexis - Birds Of Prey (2010)

Artist : Alexis
Country : Chile
Release : Birds Of Prey
Year : 2010
Genre : Heavy Metal
File Type : mp3 VBR

Info:

ALEXIS plays a form of Power Metal though not every song fits that description. The song "Birds Of Prey" is very slow and plodding, not Power Metal at all. The song “Metalizer II” is definitely Power Metal. It is a fast song with screaming vocals and crunchy guitar and some double bass. The production is clean and shows off the skill of Christian Rodriguez.

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