Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The band has been through numerous lineup changes over the years; vocalist Shagrath and rhythm guitarist Silenoz are the only original members who still remain, with lead guitarist Galder being a longstanding member.
HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.
Blackwater Park is the fifth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on March 12, 2001, in Europe and a day later in North America through Music for Nations and Koch Records. The album marks the first collaboration between Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson and the band, as Wilson had been brought in to produce the album. This contributed to a shift in Opeth's musical style. The songs "The Drapery Falls" and "Still Day Beneath the Sun" were released as singles.
Old Man's Child is a Norwegian black metal band from the city of Oslo. The band is the brainchild of Galder who is the only permanent member of the band.
Death Cult Armageddon is the sixth studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 9 September 2003. It has since sold over 100,000 copies in the United States; the first album under Nuclear Blast to do so; and debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 169. The song "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" was released as a single with an accompanying music video. This would also be the last album to have Nicholas Barker on drums.
Stigmata is the second studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. The album was Arch Enemy's first to see worldwide release, in Europe and North America on Century Media Records, and in Japan again on Toy's Factory records. Stigmata features session drummer Peter Wildoer, who had also appeared in Christopher Amott's solo project Armageddon on the 1997 album Crossing the Rubicon, shortly before the recording of the album. The album was reissued on 25 May 2009, featuring a new layout, packaging, and bonus tracks. Stigmata not only contains a title track, but a track named after their previous album as well. The Sri Lankan metal band Stigmata named themselves after this album. The album was reissued again on 28 April 2023 in various formats, along with a visualiser for “Bridge of Destiny”.
Dødheimsgard is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed in 1994. Dødheimsgard originally played black metal, but 1999's 666 International saw them change their style into experimental and avant-garde/industrial metal. In 2000, they shortened their name to DHG.
Revelation 666: the Curse of Damnation is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Old Man's Child, released on 13 March 2000.
Armageddon is a Swedish melodic death metal band, led by Christopher Amott of Arch Enemy.
Crossing the Rubicon was an album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Armageddon, released in Europe on the now defunct Wrong Again Records, and in Japan on Toy's Factory records in 1997. The album features Christopher Amott of Arch Enemy, as well as former Arch Enemy members Peter Wildoer and Martin Bengtsson. The album was only released in Japan, briefly in Europe, and is extremely hard to find.
Allegiance is the fourth full-length studio album by Firewind, first released on 10 July 2006. Vocalist Chitral Somapala was replaced by Apollo Papathanasio and Stian L. Kristoffersen made way for Mark Cross on drums, ending the previous tradition of changing line-up between albums. It was recorded at JM Studio, Mölnlycke, Sweden, in February 2006, mixed by Fredrik Nordström with Patrik J. Sten in Studio Fredman, Göteborg, Sweden, in March 2006, then mastered by Peter In de Betou at Tailor Maid productions in Stockholm.
Karl Peter Wildoer is a Swedish musician who is the drummer for Darkane, Electrocution 250 and Grimmark. He has also drummed for the bands Armageddon, Majestic, Pestilence, Silver Seraph, Arch Enemy, Time Requiem, Soilwork, Gardens of Obscurity and Dawn of Oblivion amongst others. He has been tagged to perform sessions drums on Old Man's Child's latest album, Slaves of the World. He is the drummer/harsh vocalist of the James LaBrie solo records Static Impulse and Impermanent Resonance. He also joined the experimental metal trio Electrocution 250 along with Todd Duane and Lalle Larsson, with which released the album Cartoon Music from Hell.
Redeemer is the second studio album by Swedish band Machinae Supremacy, released on 28 March 2006. Originally planned for release by Music by Design Records in 2005, it was delayed when the label ceased to exist.
In Sorte Diaboli is the seventh studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released in 2007. It is the band's first concept album. A site on the Nuclear Blast website was created for In Sorte Diaboli, in which a new promotional photo can be seen and an audio sample can be heard. This would be the last album by Dimmu Borgir to feature ICS Vortex, Hellhammer and Mustis.
Rise of the Tyrant is the seventh studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. It was produced by Fredrik Nordström and released on 24 September 2007 via Century Media.
The Premonition is the fifth full-length album by Firewind and their only album to feature the same line-up as its predecessor. Gus G. said "we basically kept the Allegiance 'winning team' together" much to the apparent surprise of fans.
Booze, Broads and Beelzebub is the second studio album by Norwegian heavy metal band Chrome Division. It was released on July 18, 2008, through Nuclear Blast. The band announced that they had finished recording the album on January 15, 2008, on their MySpace blog, and announced the title and the planned release date on May 14, 2008, which was picked up on by heavy metal news sources. The album took seven days to record at Studio Fredmann in Gothenburg, starting on January 7, 2008. Before either of the blog announcements, bassist Björn Luna said in an interview that Chrome Division's next album would be released on Nuclear Blast, explaining that the band have a three-album contract with the label, and Blabbermouth.net confirmed that the album would be released on Nuclear Blast.
The Cancer Empire is the second major label release by Swedish metal band Zonaria and the first to be released on their new label, Century Media Records. It was recorded at Studio Fredman with Fredrik Nordström. Commented singer Simon Berglund:
The Cancer Empire refers to a nation that infects the world around it by spreading lies and deceit in order to dominate. For us it has a realistic reflection on the world today.
Above is the eighth studio album from the Swiss heavy metal band Samael, released on 6 March 2009 by Nuclear Blast.
A Valediction is the sixth studio album by the German technical death metal band Obscura. It was released by the music label Nuclear Blast on 19 November 2021.
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