UFO are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1968. They became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal. The band's current lineup includes vocalist Phil Mogg, lead guitarist Vinnie Moore, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Neil Carter, bass guitarist Rob De Luca, and drummer Andy Parker. They have gone through several line-up changes, leaving Mogg as the only constant member, and had two hiatuses. The band are also notable for featuring former Scorpions guitarist and MSG founder Michael Schenker, who was a member of UFO from 1973 to 1978 and again, occasionally, between 1993 and 2003, when Moore replaced him. In May 2018, Mogg announced that he would retire from UFO after one last tour as a member of the band in 2019.
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released fifteen studio albums, four DVDs and five live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after founding guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008, there are no founding members of the band that remain. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.
Black Majesty is an Australian power metal band formed in 2001 as Kymera. Founding members were Cory Betts (ex-Pegazus) on bass guitar, Steve Janevski on guitar and Hanny Mohammed (ex-Catwitch) on guitar. After the release of a three track sampler album they signed a five-album contract with German-based label, LMP Records. The group released their fifth studio album, Stargazer, in July 2012.
Gwar, often stylized in all caps as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Following the death of frontman and lead singer Dave Brockie in 2014, the group has continued without any of its founding members.
Visions of Atlantis is a metal band from Styria, Austria, founded in 2000. Inspiration came both from successful symphonic power metal band Nightwish and from the myth of Atlantis.
Darkest Hour is an American heavy metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1995. Though failing to break through early in their tenure, the band has received acclaim for their albums Undoing Ruin, Deliver Us, and The Eternal Return. Deliver Us debuted at number 110 on the Billboard album charts, with sales of 6,600, and their more recent effort The Eternal Return garnered them an even higher position in the Billboard album charts at number 104. Their latest album Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora charted at 42 on the Billboard 200, a peak for the band, and it marked a stylistic shift in the band's discography.
Jeff Loomis is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore. In November 2014, it was announced he was to be the new guitarist for Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy.
The Syn are an English band that were active from 1965 to 1967, and then reunited as a progressive rock band in 2004. The band was founded by Steve Nardelli, Chris Squire, Andrew Pryce Jackman, Martyn Adelman and John Painter. Chris Welch, in his book, Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes wrote, "The Syn were very similar to Yes in fact. It was very much a precursor of Yes."
Suidakra is a German melodic death metal band from Düsseldorf, Germany. During their twenty-year career, they have performed over 200 live shows for several European and Russian tours, as well as a North American tour. They are known for their use of traditional instruments to augment their sound, such as the bagpipe, banjo, and tin whistle.
Bleed the Sky is an American metalcore band formed in Orange County, California, United States, in 2002.
Ten are an English melodic hard rock band which were formed in 1995. Up until December 2018, the band have released fourteen studio albums, four compilation albums, four EPs, a double live album, nine music videos and four lyric videos, with the latest one being "The Esoteric Ocean", from their 14th studio album Illuminati. In March 2016, the band announced their return to Frontiers for a multi-album deal, starting with the release of their thirteenth studio album entitled Gothica and a reissue of their back catalogue in box-set format, entitled Opera Omnia. The band's fourteenth studio album entitled Illuminati, was released in November 2018, through Frontiers Records, while the box set Opera Omnia, followed some months later, to huge critical acclaim.
Betzefer is an Israeli groove metal band, originating from the community settlement Maccabim-Re'ut. The band was formed up in 1998 and was signed to Roadrunner Records from 2005 to 2007. Betzefer is notable for becoming Israel's first heavy metal band to have released its debut album on a major heavy metal label.
Picture is one of the first Dutch heavy metal bands. Formed in 1979, they were especially popular in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy for their live performances, and still have a fan base in South America, Mexico and Japan.
Takara is an American rock band, formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, California. Since 1992, Takara has recorded 6 studio albums for several different record labels in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Founding member and lead guitarist Neal Grusky, and bassist Carl Demarco have remained permanent fixtures in the band since its early days.
The Fading is an Israeli based melodic death/thrash metal band, founded in 2000 under the name Excessum. The band released two EPs before winning the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle contest, earning them a contract with Wacken Records, where they released their debut album In Sin We'll Find Salvation on August 3, 2009.
Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group have released two EPs and five full-length albums.
Oracles is a Belgian band formed, by the couple Sven de Caluwé and Miri Milman and featuring members from Israel, Netherlands, Greece and the US. On March 13, 2014, the band had announced an indefinite hiatus and disbanded after a messy divorce between Sven and Miri, but reformed in December 2014 as Oracles, with Sanna Salou, from Dimlight, on vocals. In 2020, Miri Milman reformed System Divide,and released a new single.
Almana Shchora is a heavy metal band originating from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Eternal Gray was a technical death metal band originating from Tel Aviv, Israel. The band was known as one of the most respected bands in the Israeli heavy metal scene, and has gathered very positive feedback abroad. On December 22, 2012, after 11 years of activity, band leader Dory Bar-Or announced that he has decided to put the band to an end.
Wild Adriatic is an American rock band formed in Saratoga Springs, New York in 2011. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2011, followed closely behind by two more EPs. Their first full-length album, Big Suspicious, was released in January 2014. In May 2015, they released the EP Never Enough, which features a cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers and their first single "Strange Persuasions".
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