Tag: manilla road

French Epic Metal Band HERZEL to release debut album “Le Dernier Rempart” on March 19. Pre-orders open today!

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“Le Dernier Rempart” is a unique concept album, born straight from HERZEL’s native region of Brittany.

It will be available on March 19 on Compact Disc, LP and Digital. The LP (Black Vinyl) includes Insert, A2 Poster & Download Code.

CD PRE-ORDER: https://tinyurl.com/y65qg4bx

LP PRE-ORDER: https://tinyurl.com/y3xw8nfj

Le Dernier Rempart is split into two parts. Part one contains two songs dealing with Brittany history along with an instrumental traditional song. Part two is the aforementioned concept about a hero named Herzel, who, through trials and tribulations, eventually delivers Brittany the Sword of the Gods (“L’Epée des Dieux”). It is a concept that could only come from the unique region of Brittany.

Influenced by U.S. metal stalwarts Manilla Road, Warlord, Queensryche, Heir Apparent, Omen and Virgin Steele, as well as Celtic and French traditional music, Herzel was formed by Thomas Guillesser, who was then joined by drummer Ion Philippon, guitarist Kévin Le Vern and bassist Mordiern Le Dissez. Second guitarist Gurvan Lardeux was the last piece to the puzzle, and shortly thereafter, Herzel got to work on its debut demo, Unis dans la gloire, which was released in 2015.

 

LE DERNIER REMPART’s tracklist:

Maîtres de l’océan
La Flamme
Le Dernier Rempart
Barceau de Cendre
L’épée des Dieux
L’Ultime Combat

OLD-SCHOOL METAL ENTHUSIASTS PHAËTHON SIGN WITH GATES OF HELL RECORDS

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Gates Of Hell Records is proud to announce the signing of London, England’s PHAËTHON. The label will release the band’s debut “Sacrifice Doth Call” mini-album on CD and vinyl in Feb 2021.

 

Formed during the plague of 2020 by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Vrath and bassist Aees, with drummer Herr Berthelsen completing the lineup, PHAËTHON is hell-bent on delivering ripping old-school heavy metal of the epic persuasion.

The name PHAËTHON refers to the bastard son of the sun-god Helios, who seized the reins of his father’s chariot, nigh ramming the sun into the earth. Only Zeus’ thunderbolt evaded the planet’s imminent doom. This misguided relationship between man and his invention dominates the lyrical subject matter — be it Mayan human sacrifice, Christian hangings, or conflicts of Apep and Horus.

 

Tribute is paid to old masters like MANILLA ROAD, BATHORY and CIRITH UNGOL, along with the NWOBHM legends such as PAGAN ALTAR, SATAN and JUDAS PRIEST. The resultant five-song “Sacrifice Doth Call” is a bristling testament to these bands and the spirit of classic, timeless heavy metal.

 

“The songs on the EP must have been with me for more than five years,” says Vrath. “I’m always writing music, but never truly found an outlet for them. Two or three years ago I decided enough was enough and asked my good friend Herr Berthelsen to lay down some drums for the tracks really for no other reason than to have them out of my head. Now nothing came of the takes for several years until I finally found the time during lockdown to start working on what would become PHAËTHON. By 2020, I had been practicing my vocals and solos and finally felt confident taking on the project with full force. The results blew us all away and the decision was made to form a band and look for a label…and here we are.”

The current pandemic has provided bands with enough hurdles and logistical issues to last a lifetime. For the members of PHAËTHON, geographic challenges reared their head: Vrath, who is originally from Finland, is based in London; Aees in Greece and Herr Berthelsen relocated to Vancouver and has since been replaced by former Amulet drummer Dave Sherwood.

“Modern technologies allowed us to record our bits remotely, always making sure the sound was true to the cause,” notes Vrath. “I’m usually insistent on sitting in on the mixing, but this time I handed free reign to Cam Shuck Productions who is also based here in London. But, I got to admit Cam did a brilliant job even without me!”

“Sacrifice Doth Call” track listing:

 

Sacrifice Doth Call
Suncrater
Bless Us, O Ra
To The Gallows
The Final Beholder

 

Related links:
https://phaethon.bandcamp.com/

BLAZON RITE to release “Dulce Bellum Inexpertis” MLP in September

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BLAZON RITE – “Dulce Bellum Inexpertis”
RELEASE DATE: SEPT 25, 2020
FORMAT: MLP
PRE-ORDER: https://tinyurl.com/y7zdc35m

 

                                

Primal and epic metal from the dungeons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!
Dungeons and Dragons-influenced metal that deals a deadly dose of NWOBHM and power metal complete with a resounding four-song concept.

Upon the 2019 formation of Blazon Rite, guitarist and primary songwriter James Kirn had quite the simple, but universal edict: He wanted “heads to bang.” While such an approach has defined metal for the past 40 years, Kirn wanted to put his twist on the genre by combining his love of obscure ’70s hard rock and power metal while exploring the vast fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. In the span of a few months, Blazon Rite had assembled and recorded the four songs that would comprise their debut four-song EP, Dulce Bellum Inexpertis, which is being released worldwide via Gates of Hell Records.

Recorded and mastered by Rich Scott at 8th House Recordings in 2019, Dulce Bellum Inexpertis finds Blazon Rite (who are rounded out by bassist-turned-vocalist Johnny Halladay, drummer Ryan Haley and bassist, lead guitarist and keyboardist, Pierson Roe) expertly crafting punchy, anthemic numbers that jousts between vintage, NWOBHM-inspired metal and dramatic European acts such as Blind Guardian and Helloween.
Dulce Bellum Inexpertis is highlighted by a Kirn-created concept that follows a man’s transformation from a warrior pledged to an earthly cause to a wilderness wanderer to ultimately being a king on earth under the will of a mysterious horned demi-god. Here, the co-mingling of Dungeons and Dragons and epic metal come together in perfect harmony. Kirn uses the D&D world as a backdrop to tell stories ranging from solitude, love and passion, to anger and aggression — the perfect backdrop for the EP, with all four cuts serving as the perfect introduction to the epic power metal world at large.

2020 started off fast for Blazon Rite — the independent release of Dulce Bellum Inexpertis was immediately embraced by the underground metal scene, drawing both surprise and elation from the band. But, like so many of their contemporaries, Blazon Rite must bide their time until live shows resume. (To date, the band only has one live appearance to their credit.) Until tha happens, Dulce Bellum Inexpertis is the primal, adventurous true heavy metal soundtrack to the quarantine!

 

French Epic Metallers HERZEL Join GATES OF HELL RECORDS

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Gates of Hell Records  is proud to announce the signing of French epic metallers HERZEL. The label will release the band’s first studio album sometime in 2020.

HERZEL was formed in 2013 by vocalist Thomas Guillesser, who was then joined by drummer Ion Philippon, guitarist Kévin Le Vern and bassist Mordiern Le Dissez. Second guitarist Gurvan Lardeux was the last piece to the puzzle, and shortly thereafter, HERZEL got to work on its debut demo, “Unis dans la gloire”, which was released in 2015.

Influenced by U.S. metal stalwarts MANILLA ROAD, WARLORD, QUEENSRŸCHE, HEIR APPARENT, OMEN and VIRGIN STEELE, as well as Celtic and French traditional music, HERZEL offers a unique angle to epic metal. Their songs are sung entirely in French, but fans of the aforementioned bands will no doubt find something special lurking within HERZEL’s sound.

“We think that the ‘unique’ sound of HERZEL comes out from the different types of music we listen to and the fact that we don’t put up walls during the composition process,” says Philippon. “We want it to be sometimes like U.S. metal with fast and catchy riffs, other times more melodic and epic with ideas that come from Celtic or prog music. Ultimately, we want to play music that sounds epic, that tells the story of heroes, of legends from Bretagne.”

HERZEL was brought to Cruz Del Sur’s attention by one of the first fans of the band, Luis Ruvio. At the 2018 installment of the Keep It True festival in Germany, Ruivo introduced Philippon to Cruz Del Sur owner Enrico Leccese. “Since I already knew of the label, I knew Cruz Del Sur would be a good fit for our band,” notes Philippon. “A few months later, we traded a few more messages and that was it”.

Since the 2015 release of “Unis dans la gloire”, HERZEL has been gradually working on new songs. Philippon estimates there has been occasions when the band has spent six months or up to a year working on compositions, fine-tuning the riffs, melodies and vocal lines. But, the finish line is drawing near: HERZEL has completed the songwriting process for their first-ever full-length album.

“It will be an album with five new songs,” says Philippon. “Three of the songs will be part of a trilogy about a hero called ‘Herzel.’ Just like the demo, the lyrics will be a melting pot of legends and historical facts that took place in Bretagne.”

VULTURES VENGEANCE ANNOUNCE DEPARTURE OF GUITARIST NAIL; ENLIST REPLACEMENT TONY L.A.

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Italian epic fantasy metal outfit VULTURES VENGEANCE have announced the departure of long-time guitarist Nail.

Comments the band: “After seven years, Nail has decided to leave the band due to personal problems. We wish him all the best in his life and future career endeavors. He’s an extremely talented musician and his technique and personality were essential in the development of both the ‘Rising’ demo and ‘Where The Time Dwelt In’ EP.

“It hasn’t been easy to find an adequate replacement, but after a long search we’re happy to introduce Tony L.A., a great guitarist and the perfect personality for a band like VULTURES VENGEANCE. ”

“The new album’s songs are complete and in the coming months we will begin work on our first full-length.”

For booking, contact vultures.vengeance@gmail.com