Firewind started touring after the completion of the album in January, in which time they filmed the content for the bonus DVD. They are scheduled to tour supporting Kamelot on their "Rule the World Tour" in April through Europe and then in May on their "Tyranny and Bloodshred" tour through North America with Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, and Divine Heresy. [8]
Release history
Unlike previous releases, The Premonition wasn't first released in the band's homeland, Greece, although it was first announced for release there. [2] Instead, it was initially released in Italy and Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) on 21 March 2008. Then the following day in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On 24 March 2008 it was released in Greece, Denmark, Norway, and to a large portion of the rest of Europe. In Spain and Portugal, it was released on 25 March 2008, and the following day in Sweden, Finland, and Hungary. It was released four days later in France, and was released in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2008. [9] It was re-released on vinyl on 3 March 2010, making this their first vinyl release, and including the Japan bonus track "Ride to the Rainbows End".
Singles
The first single from The Premonition, "Mercenary Man", was released on the band's official Myspace page for streaming almost two months before the album's release on 2 February 2008, [1] and one month before the album's release as a maxi-CD exclusively to Greece on 25 February 2008. [2] In-between the two release dates, the band filmed the music video for the song in Sweden with Patric Ullaeus as the producer. [10] "Mercenary Man" entered the Greek Top 50 Singles chart at #6 and is peaked at #5. Meanwhile, the two singles from their previous album, Allegiance, were still charting in Greece. "Falling to Pieces", which peaked at #11, it was still in at #43, and "Breaking the Silence", which peaked at #16, was still in at #33. [11]
Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album Silverthorn as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist.
Dream Evil is a Swedish heavy metal band, assembled by producer Fredrik Nordström in 1999.
Firewind is a Greek power metal band formed in Thessaloniki in 1998. The group is currently signed to Century Media Records and was originally a small project created by guitarist Gus G. to showcase his demo, Nocturnal Symphony, in 1998. Firewind later became a full band over three years later when they recorded their debut album, Between Heaven and Hell. To date, the band has released nine studio albums and has been met with international success.
Nightrage is a Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band originally from Thessaloniki. They later re-located to Gothenburg, Sweden.
Kostas Karamitroudis, better known as Gus G, is a Greek heavy metal guitarist. He currently plays with his band Firewind. He has also played in Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, Arch Enemy, Dream Evil and Ozzy Osbourne's band.
Between Heaven and Hell is Firewind's first album released in 2002 through Massacre Records in Europe, Leviathan Records in the US, EMI in Japan and Rock Brigade in South America. There were 3 different versions of the cover art, European, Japanese and American. The album was re-released on 10 October 2007 with the European artwork originally designed by Kristian Wåhlin and with 2 bonus demo tracks.
Babis "Bob" Katsionis is the lead guitarist and keyboard player for the heavy metal/power metal bands Stray Gods, Warrior Path, Outloud, and Serious Black; until recently he was part of Firewind but as of 2020 he has since left due to personal reasons. He is considered to be Greece's most successful rock/metal keyboard player, being the only musician to ever win the same category "Best Keyboardist" in Greek Metal Hammer's Annual Readers' Polls for 5 years in a row (2006–2011). He is founder of Progressive Vision Group, a videoclip making company, which has produced more than 90 videos for rock and metal artists since 2002. In 2014 he started his own records label "Symmetric Records" to help bands and artists he produced/worked with in Sound Symmetry Studio release their works. To date, Symmetric Records has 14 official releases, with Warrior Path's "The Mad King" being the most successful.
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.
Mark Cross is an English hard rock and heavy metal drummer. He has played in many bands in his career and is currently based in Athens, Greece. Mark recorded in 1992 an album with Greek singer/songwriter Michalis Rakintzis named "Etsi Maresei".
Nightfall is a Greek extreme metal band from Athens. Formed by vocalist/bassist Efthimis Karadimas in 1991, the group is currently signed to Season of Mist. They are widely considered the forerunners to a "mediterranean way to black metal" together with Inchiuvatu and Moonspell.
Apostolos "Apollo" Papathanasiou is a Swedish heavy metal vocalist of Greek descent, who is currently with the band Spiritual Beggars. He has also sung for Firewind, Meduza, Evil Masquerade, Gardenian, and Richard Andersson's projects Majestic and Time Requiem.
In Sorte Diaboli is the eighth 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.
Only Inhuman is the second studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Sonic Syndicate. Released May 18, 2007 in Europe and on May 22, 2007, in North America. It's also the first album the band released through their new label, Nuclear Blast, as well as the first to feature vocalist Roland Johansson and drummer John Bengtsson as full-time members.
"Mercenary Man" is the third track on the Greek power metal band Firewind's fifth studio album The Premonition. It was released for streaming on Firewind's Myspace page on February 2, 2008 but only physically released as a single in Greece, on February 25, 2008. The song was also released on several models of Walkman in 2008. Also "Mercenary Man" is the track on the band Geordie (band)'s album "Don't Be Fooled by the Name" (1974).
"Breaking the Silence" is the fifth track off Greek power metal band Firewind's fourth studio album Allegiance. It was released as a single to the market of Greece on 2 July 2007. Tara Teresa's vocal performance on the song has been described as "more characteristic of gothic metal and gothic rock than power metal" and compared that of Evanescence's Amy Lee.
"Falling to Pieces" was the first single by Greek power metal band Firewind, released on 13 June 2006 through Century Media Records. The music video was directed by Patric Ullaeus and the song peaked at #11 in the Greek Singles Chart. The song Falling to Pieces is also featured on the metal album "Metal for the Masses".
Live Premonition is the first live DVD by Greek heavy metal band Firewind. It had 22 songs and is released on 2 CDs or 1 DVD. There is also a combo pack available. Songs 3-10 are from the Firewind album The Premonition. All the other tracks with exception of the solos are from prior Firewind albums. The show was filmed on 12 January 2008 and subsequently released on 28 November 2008.
Days of Defiance is the sixth studio album by Greek heavy metal band Firewind. It was released on 25 October 2010 in Europe and 26 October in North America.
We Rule the Night is the fourth studio album by Swedish metalcore band Sonic Syndicate. The album was released on August 27, 2010 through Nuclear Blast and was produced by Toby Wright. We Rule the Night is the first full-length release by the band to feature the vocals of Nathan James Biggs who replaced former singer Roland Johansson who left the band in 2009. However, it is also the last album to feature founding members Richard and Roger Sjunnesson, who both left the band in October 2010 and May 2012 respectively. The band toured Europe to support the album with the "We Rule the World Tour", starting on September 15, 2010 with Christoffer Andersson standing in for Richard.
Few Against Many is the seventh studio album by Greek heavy metal band Firewind. It is the first album to feature ex-Nightrage and Meridian Dawn drummer, Johan Nunez. It was released on 21 May 2012 in Europe and 22 May in North America. This would be Firewind's last album with Apollo Papathanasio as their Vocalist before he decided to quit on 15 January 2013.
