Rush is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Rush. It was released on March 1, 1974 in Canada by Moon Records, the group's own label, before it was released internationally by Mercury Records later that year. Recorded five years after the band's formation, this first release shows much of the hard rock sound typical of many of the popular rock bands emerging earlier in the decade. Rush were fans of such bands as Led Zeppelin and Cream, and these influences can be heard in most of the songs on the album.
Sirens is the debut album by American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 1983. The music on this album is heavier than in later Savatage albums, where the band developed their own style of progressive metal.
Bolt Thrower were an English death metal band from Coventry. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling bands on that label. Their last label was Metal Blade Records. The band had a succession of members, and had toured Europe, the United States, and Australia. Over the course of their 30-year career, Bolt Thrower released eight studio albums, three EPs, one live album, three compilation albums and two demos. On 14 September 2016 the band announced that they were breaking up, following the death of drummer Martin Kearns exactly a year earlier.
Snuff the Punk is the debut studio album by Christian metal band P.O.D. The album was released on January 25, 1994 on Chula Vista, California-based Rescue Records, which was owned by Noah Bernardo, Sr. It was remixed, remastered and re-released with new artwork by indie label Diamante in 1999. The original cover showed a cartoon character with a gun, but the re-released album cover did not.
Somewhere Far Beyond is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released in 1992 and produced by Kalle Trapp. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Marschall, who also drew the artwork for other Blind Guardian's releases. The album saw the band creating its own original sound, while still employing most of their speed/power metal techniques.
Under the Blade is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on Secret Records on September 18, 1982. It was produced by UFO/Waysted bassist Pete Way and featured an aggressive and hard-hitting sound, which was eventually ignored on a remixed re-release by Atlantic Records on July 14, 1985. The re-release also added a remixed version of the song "I'll Never Grow Up, Now!", the band's long forgotten 1979 single. The Atlantic Records release was both a try to capitalise on the commercial success of Stay Hungry and, by then the only official way to get the album as Secret Records was no more. However, bootlegs with the original mix were still in circulation. On May 31, 2016, Eagle Records re-released Under the Blade in a digital remastered form with the original mix finally restored. Under the Blade has sold over two million copies worldwide.
Human is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Death, released on October 22, 1991, by Relativity Records. The album marked the beginning of a major stylistic change for Death, being more technically complex and progressive than the band's previous efforts. The lyrics are more introspective when compared to the gore-based lyrics of Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy or the social commentary on Spiritual Healing. This new style would continue to evolve on all following Death albums. This is the only album to feature Cynic members Paul Masvidal on guitars and Sean Reinert on drums, both only 20 at that time, and the first to feature bassist Steve DiGiorgio.
Hail to England is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Manowar, released in 1984 on Music for Nations.
Focus is the debut studio album by Cynic, released September 14, 1993 through Roadrunner Records. A remastered version of the album was released in 2004.
Becoming the Archetype is an American Christian metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999. They have released five albums on Solid State Records. Dichotomy, which was released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The CD debuted at No. 18 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the top 100 of the Billboard 200. The band was part of the new wave of American heavy metal. After 2012's I Am, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. In 2022, however, the band reunited with the lineup of Jason Wisdom, Seth Hecox, and Brent “Duck” Duckett.
Aletheian are a Christian progressive/melodic death metal band. They formed in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1997 under the name Crutch, and then changed their name to "Aletheian" prior to the 2003 album Apolutrosis. Guitarist Alex Kenis joined Becoming the Archetype in 2007. In the early 2007, Aletheian signed to IronClad Recordings, an imprint of Metal Blade Records.
The Physics of Fire is the second album by the progressive death metal band Becoming the Archetype. Released on May 8, 2007, the album features a departure from the band's previous metalcore sound and shifts to a more progressive death metal sound. While the metalcore influences are still there, they are not as prominent as they were on Terminate Damnation. This is also the first and only album featuring Aletheian guitarist Alex Kenis.
Dreadful Shadows is a German rock band formed in 1993 in Berlin. Initially part of the gothic rock and dark wave movement, the band had developed considerably by the time of the release of their debut album, incorporating metal elements and modern electronics, causing the band to be considered part of the gothic metal genre. Dreadful Shadows disbanded in 2000 to work on separate projects.
Cynic is an American progressive metal band formed in Miami, Florida in 1987 and later re-formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007, where the sole surviving member, Paul Masvidal remains to this day. Cynic incorporates elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of the progressive metal genre. Cynic disbanded in 1994, but they reunited in 2006 and released their second album on November 17, 2008. Traced in Air was released through French label Season of Mist, followed up by an EP titled Re-Traced on May 18, 2010 and an EP titled Carbon-Based Anatomy on November 11, 2011. Their third studio album, Kindly Bent to Free Us, was released on February 14, 2014. In December 2017, after two years of an uncertain future, founding member Sean Reinert confirmed his split from Cynic. Reinert died at the age of 48 on January 24, 2020. Longtime Cynic bass player, Sean Malone, died at the age of 50 eleven months later, leaving Masvidal as the only remaining original core member.
Bruce Fitzhugh is the second and best known lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of Arkansas's Christian metal band Living Sacrifice. The lead vocalist role was left to Bruce shortly after the departure of former lead Darren Johnson and prior to the recording of Living Sacrifice's 1997 album, Reborn. Fitzhugh is featured in Zao's The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD. Fitzhugh's nephew is Drew Garrison, Vocalist for Descended From Wolves and Becoming Saints.
Extraction from Mortality, also known as Extraction, is the debut studio album by the American Christian thrash metal band Believer. It was released on R.E.X. Records in 1989. In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #33 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list.
Jason Wisdom is the lead vocalist and bass guitarist for the Christian progressive death metal band Becoming the Archetype. Though he was born and raised in a Christian home, he states that he was never committed to Christianity until high school. He considers his music as a form of ministry, but wishes to avoid a "preachy" stereotype. His influences include Extol, Living Sacrifice, and Mortification among others. Wisdom is an avid fan of metal music, and Christian metal in particular. He notes that even though his music is Christian metal, many of his fans are not Christians and are many times the ones who defend his music. Wisdom left the band in late November 2011 to take care of his family. Though current 7 Horns 7 Eyes frontman, JJ Polachek, tried out, Wisdom was replaced by former live fill in, Chris McCane. He has recently started a solo project titled Death Therapy, which features no guitars. He currently works for RYFO, a company that helps musicians with places to stay, meals and other such things.
Ultimatum is an American thrash metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Apolutrosis is the debut album of Aletheian, in 2003. The band was originally known as Crutch.
Svalbard are an English hardcore punk band from Bristol, formed in 2011. Following early material they have released three studio albums: One Day All This Will End (2015), It's Hard to Have Hope (2018), When I Die, Will I Get Better? (2020). Their style integrates disparate influences, including post-rock, Blackgaze, Post-Hardcore and black metal.
