Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Nine musicians have been a part of the band's line-up in its history, which has consisted of singer Hansi Kürsch, guitarists André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen, drummer Frederik Ehmke since 2005, and bassist Johan Van Stratum since 2021.
Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper as the only constant member. The band is currently composed of Angelripper, guitarists Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik and Yorck Segatz, and drummer Toni Merkel. Along with Kreator, Destruction and Tankard, Sodom has been referred to as one of the "Big Four" of Teutonic thrash metal. While three of those bands created a sound that would influence the death metal and black metal genres, Sodom's early music style would greatly influence many late 1980s and early 1990s black metal bands more than others.
Blind Illusion is an American progressive thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1978 by lead guitarist and main songwriter Mark Biedermann, the band has had several lineup changes, with Biedermann being the only constant member. Blind Illusion is also notable for featuring Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde, both later of Primus, who performed bass and guitar respectively on their 1988 debut album The Sane Asylum.
Omnium Gatherum is a six-piece melodic death metal band from Finland, founded in the autumn of 1996. Although the band mainly follows the path of the melodic death metal genre, much of their work shows strong influences from progressive metal, especially their later albums.
Angels Cry is the debut album of Brazilian metal band Angra. It was released in 1993 and recorded in Germany at Kai Hansen's studios in Hamburg.
Hirax is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984 under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena, the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with several of their thrash metal peers such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer. The band was an early example of thrash metal, speed metal and crossover thrash, yet inspired by cross-genre influences including blues vocalist Sam Cooke, who De Pena once cited as "the greatest vocalist [De Pena] has ever heard."
Cemetary is a Swedish metal band founded by Mathias Lodmalm in 1989.
Elegy are a Dutch power metal band, founded in 1986 in Eindhoven. Their music is characterized by the fusion of power and progressive metal, which made them the pioneers of the 'progressive power metal' subgenre. The band was plagued by a continuing changing roster, which counts in the current line-up only one founding member. Elegy have currently suspended any recording or live activity.
"I Want Out" is a song by the German power metal band Helloween from the album Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2, that was released as a single in 1988.
Despair is a thrash metal band from Dortmund, Germany.
Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated within German-speaking countries during the 1980s. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, and Brazilian thrash metal, it was one of the major scenes of thrash metal in the 1980s. The Teutons were a Germanic tribe.
The Art of Navigating by the Stars is the sixth studio album by the progressive metal band Sieges Even. It is the first album to feature the vocalist Arno Menses.
Subsignal is a German progressive rock band. The band was originally formed as a side project by Sieges Even members Arno Menses (vocals) and Markus Steffen (guitars). After their main band disbanded, Menses and Steffen recruited former Dreamscape members Ralf Schwager (bass), and David Bertok (keyboards). Sun Caged drummer Roel van Helden was Subsignal's first drummer, but was replaced in 2012 by Dreamscape drummer Danilo Batdorf.
Paradox is a German thrash metal/speed metal band formed in Würzburg in 1986.
Illegimitation is a compilation album released by German Technical Death Metal band Obscura. It was independently released by the band via crowdfunding.
Everlight is the fifth studio album by German progressive metal band Dreamscape.
Arno Menses is a Dutch musician, lead vocalist for the progressive rock band Subsignal.
Soul Secret is an Italian progressive metal band that formed in 2004 in Napoli, Italy.
Decision Day is the fifteenth studio album by the German thrash metal band Sodom, released on 26 August 2016. This is Sodom's final album with guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald, who both parted ways with the band in January 2018, and it would be the last time the band had recorded together as a three-piece, a distinction Sodom had held since its inception. The artwork of Decision Day was designed by Joe Petagno. "Sacred Warpath", a track released two years earlier on the EP with the same title, was also re-recorded for this album.
Turilli / Lione Rhapsody is an Italian symphonic metal band formed on December 5, 2018, by former Rhapsody of Fire members Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione. The lineup also includes former Rhapsody of Fire members Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers, and Dominique Leurquin. Prior to the band's formation, the same lineup performed under the Rhapsody moniker for the 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour, which celebrated 20 years of the original band's existence. On the same day that the band formed, the band started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund their debut studio album.
