Morgana Lefay is one of the few bands in the '90s to carry on the thrash tradition that had been abandoned by most of its innovators. They first made their mark in 1990 with the independently released Symphony of the Damned. Featuring vocalist Charles Rytkonen, guitarists Tony Eriksson and Tommi Karppanen, drummer Jonas Sonderlind, and bassist... [+] Read More

Morgana Lefay is one of the few bands in the '90s to carry on the thrash tradition that had been abandoned by most of its innovators. They first made their mark in 1990 with the independently released Symphony of the Damned. Featuring vocalist Charles Rytkonen, guitarists Tony Eriksson and Tommi Karppanen, drummer Jonas Sonderlind, and bassist Joakim Lundberg, the release was enough to get them into the underground metal touring circuit, which gave them enough exposure to catch the attention of the Black Mark label. They released several more albums throughout the '90s, eventually dropping Karppanen and Lundberg for Daniel Persson and Joakim Heder respectively, but legal issues with their label disheartened the band enough to disband in 1996. In 1999, the band came back as Lefay and performed for another two years before they broke up again. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Kai Hansen formed Helloween in 1984, playing guitar and singing on the speed-metal band's first four albums. He left in early 1989, however, and founded Gamma Ray with vocalist Ralf Scheepers (formerly with Tyran Pace). The duo intended to record a one-off project that Hansen originated while in Helloween, so they recruited bassist Uwe Wessel,... [+] Read More

Kai Hansen formed Helloween in 1984, playing guitar and singing on the speed-metal band's first four albums. He left in early 1989, however, and founded Gamma Ray with vocalist Ralf Scheepers (formerly with Tyran Pace). The duo intended to record a one-off project that Hansen originated while in Helloween, so they recruited bassist Uwe Wessel, drummer Matthias Burchardt and several other musicians. The album, Heading for Tomorrow, was released in 1990 and proved a hit with fans and critics, so much so that Hansen, Scheepers and Wessel decided to tour the album with added members Dirk Schlacter (guitar) and Uli Kusch (drums). During the tour the Heaven Can Wait EP was released. By 1991, Gamma Ray produced another album of new material, entitled Sigh No More. Following 1993's Insanity and Genius, vocalist Scheepers departed to try out for Judas Priest; he didn't get the gig, but opted to form a new band called Primal Fear rather than return to the fold, leaving Hansen to take over vocal duties on 1995's Land of the Free. Further recordings with Hansen as lead vocalist followed, including 1997's Somewhere Out in Space, 1998's Valley of the Kings, and 1999's Power Plant. Blast from the Past was released in 2000. Gamma Ray returned to a raging New Wave of British Heavy Metal style for 2001's No World Order, and followed that album with the live set Skeleton in the Closet. Gamma Ray returned in 2005 with Majestic, the release of which was accompanied by a world tour. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Colorado band formed in 1981 consisting of guitarist Mark Briody, bassist John Tetley, drummer Butch Carlson, and vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin. Their style was basic British-style metal influenced by bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and they released their debut mini-album in 1983. The band moved to Los Angeles to seek out another... [+] Read More

Colorado band formed in 1981 consisting of guitarist Mark Briody, bassist John Tetley, drummer Butch Carlson, and vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin. Their style was basic British-style metal influenced by bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and they released their debut mini-album in 1983. The band moved to Los Angeles to seek out another guitarist, settling on Joey Tafolla, who contributed a great deal to the group's most memorable material. The group's debut album, Ample Destruction, did not bring success as quickly as Tafolla expected, and he left, eventually joining Alice Cooper's band and recording as a solo artist for Shrapnel Records. Carlson and the Tyrant left shortly thereafter, with the Tyrant briefly joining Riot and later forming his own band, Titan Force. Briody and Tetley reformed the group in 1987 with a new lineup (including vocalist Daniel Conca), and their resulting demo got them a deal with Auburn Records and the opportunity to record a new album. In 1996, the original lineup reunited (with the exception of Carlson, who was replaced by drummer Rikard Stjernquist) for the album The Fourth Judgement [sic], produced by Jim Morris (Death). Age of Mastery followed in 1998, and two years later Jag Panzer returned with Thane to the Throne. The summer 2001 saw the release of another hardhitting metal effort, Mechanized Warefare. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Fashion trends may come and go, but Florida's Iced Earth has remained steadfastly committed to championing the cause of heavy metal through thick and thin. After years of laboring in obscurity and undergoing countless lineup changes, they have slowly emerged as one of the greatest hopes for classic metal in America.

Originally... [+] Read More

Fashion trends may come and go, but Florida's Iced Earth has remained steadfastly committed to championing the cause of heavy metal through thick and thin. After years of laboring in obscurity and undergoing countless lineup changes, they have slowly emerged as one of the greatest hopes for classic metal in America.

Originally formed as Purgatory by guitarist Jon Schaffer in 1984, the band spent five years in a constant state of flux while paying their dues on the Florida live circuit. They slowly honed their sound by combining '80s thrash influences with the classic metal approach of Iron Maiden. Their 1988 Enter the Realm demo was an underground favorite, and after changing their name to Iced Earth, the band recorded their eponymous 1990 album with a lineup consisting of guitarists Schaffer and Randall Sawver, singer Gene Adams, bassist Dave Abell, and drummer Mike McGill.

Further personnel changes saw the arrival of singer John Greely and drummer Richey Secchiari for 1991's Night of the Stormrider, an ambitious concept album which nevertheless fell on deaf ears. Disheartened, Greely decided to call it quits, but Iced Earth would re-emerge three years later with 1995's Burnt Offerings, released on Century Media Records, and featuring vocalist Matthew Barlow and drummer Rodney Beasley. Constant touring saw Barlow prove himself as the band's first reliable singer, and the band hit their stride with the following year's The Dark Saga. Despite the arrival of a new rhythm section (bassist Keith Menser and drummer Mark Prator), the album showcased the ever-improving consistency and quality of Schaffer and Sawver's songwriting, as well as excellent cover artwork from Spawn comic book creator Todd MacFarlane.

So happy was the band with their current lineup that they returned to the studio in 1997 to re-record the best of their early material with Barlow on vocals, resulting in the appropriately titled Days of Purgatory collection. Schaffer also decided to relocate Iced Earth to Indiana for "strategic reasons," prompting the departure of longtime cohort Sawver before the first sessions of 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes. The album repeated the successful formula of its predecessors, and with new guitarist Larry Tarnowski and new bassist James MacDonough in tow, the band embarked on their most ambitious American and world tour yet. Their performances in Greece (one of the band's largest markets) yielded the double album Live in Athens, released in 1999. Horror Show appeared in summer 2001. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Nevermore straddles the line between power metal, traditional heavy metal, and the contemporary hard rock scene, eschewing the silly theatrics of the "power scene" in favor of a darker tone, while reaping the rewards of melody and the high-flying vocal range of singer Warrel Dane. The roots of the Seattle-based band can be traced back to... [+] Read More

Nevermore straddles the line between power metal, traditional heavy metal, and the contemporary hard rock scene, eschewing the silly theatrics of the "power scene" in favor of a darker tone, while reaping the rewards of melody and the high-flying vocal range of singer Warrel Dane. The roots of the Seattle-based band can be traced back to Sanctuary, with whom Nevermore's Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard recorded two albums. Sanctuary was one of a small handful of late-'80s thrash metal bands to sign with a major label; they even enlisted Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine to produce their debut album. Label-imposed limbo caused the band to grind to a halt, with one member also exiting to pursue more "grunge"-oriented music. Three members of the final lineup of Sanctuary reemerged as Nevermore, inking a worldwide deal with Century Media Records and releasing a punishing eponymous debut album in 1995. The following year saw the band issue a well-received EP, In Memory, that boasted cover tunes as well as Sanctuary material, which pleased many fans.

The Politics of Ecstasy, their second proper album, was a dense, technical masterpiece that displayed the talents of guitarists Pat O'Brian and Jeff Loomis, and drummer Van Williams in particular. But it was with their next opus, the dark and conceptually driven Dreaming Neon Black, that Nevermore really caught the attention of heavy music fans and earned the respect of the heavy metal press. Voted Album of the Year by many publications, 1999's Dreaming Neon Black was a tour de force that highlighted Dane's soaring vocal range. It also included newcomer (and former guitarist for Forbidden) Tim Calvert, who replaced O'Brian when he split to join Cannibal Corpse. After successful tours with Iced Earth and Mercyful Fate, the band knew that they had a tough job ahead of them following up the well-received album. Now a four-piece after the exit of Calvert, Nevermore entered a Texas studio with producer Andy Sneap and crafted a new album that adeptly blended contemporary heavy sounds with traditional heavy metal. Dead Heart in a Dead World was released in 2000, and was supported on the road with a full U.S. tour with Swedish metal band In Flames and labelmates Shadows Fall. ~ Ryan J. Downey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Imaginations from the Other Side teams Blind Guardian with Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen. Since Blind Guardian was always somewhat influenced by Metallica, the match is a natural one, and results in one of the band's better albums, balancing the epic, neo-classical elements of their sound nicely with the power-metal grooves. The band's... [+] Read More

Imaginations from the Other Side teams Blind Guardian with Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen. Since Blind Guardian was always somewhat influenced by Metallica, the match is a natural one, and results in one of the band's better albums, balancing the epic, neo-classical elements of their sound nicely with the power-metal grooves. The band's compositional skill reaches its peak on Imaginations, making it their best and most complex work to date. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Episode is indeed a big step for Stratovarius. It's the album on which they finally reached the sound that would last for years. So everything seems to be all right, except for the fact that Episode doesn't work so well as a whole. There are perfect hits like "Father Time," "Will the Sun Rise," and "Speed of Light," but the rest of the material... [+] Read More

Episode is indeed a big step for Stratovarius. It's the album on which they finally reached the sound that would last for years. So everything seems to be all right, except for the fact that Episode doesn't work so well as a whole. There are perfect hits like "Father Time," "Will the Sun Rise," and "Speed of Light," but the rest of the material fails in comparison, as is isn't as catchy or well put together. But despite these small lacks, Episode is very enjoyable. Each member of Stratovarius is a virtuoso of his instrument, and ever since Fourth Dimension they've played very well together. The best thing, however, is the diverse sound, which compensates for the lack of good songs. So, if you enjoyed the last two Stratovarius albums, you will love Episode. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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The first three records from Kai Hansen's band tried to follow a certain innovation/ evolution within German power metal's restricted scene. Sigh No More, the second of them, does not escape to this noble intention of the former Helloween guitarist. The record shows a band finding its identity through 11 cuts where various influences mark the... [+] Read More

The first three records from Kai Hansen's band tried to follow a certain innovation/ evolution within German power metal's restricted scene. Sigh No More, the second of them, does not escape to this noble intention of the former Helloween guitarist. The record shows a band finding its identity through 11 cuts where various influences mark the route all along its path. It takes a series of bumps, where the peaks mark the creative apex of the group and the low ones border the dullest mediocrity. Probably, Sigh No More is the most innovative and imaginative effort from the German band, and the one that the passing of time digests with greater pride. The work begins with "Changes," a tune with a magnificently constructed refrain. Also, the haunting title song, the experimental "The Spirit," and the powerful "As Time Goes By," a song in which Ralf Scheepers' vocal skills are demonstrated to be enviable, stand out as the album's highlights. But overall, "One With the World" must be recognized as the record's indisputable masterpiece, a wrenching, rather old-fashioned anthemic tune à la Manowar, with a perfect feeling to be shouted at the shows from the band. The rest of the record rambles along some similarly ambitious tracks, but with less brilliant results. After Sigh No More would come the irregular Insanity & Genius and later on Land of the Free, where the German guitarist and his troupe would finally find their longtime sought-after sound, a melody-based power metal sound that would definitively win them fans across genres. That would lead them to release more accessible and predictable albums year after year, less fissured than Sigh No More and surely without the same surprise capacity. [In 2002 the first seven Gamma Ray records were digitally remastered and enriched with bonus tracks, in addition to being displayed in digipack format, with some important visual changes in the original covers. Sigh No More bonus tracks are the unreleased "Heroes" and "Who Do You Think You Are," and a pre-production version of "Dream Healer"]. ~ Robert Aniento, All Music Guide [-] Hide

With their sprawling, progressive balladry mixed with speed metal turns, Nevermore seem to retreat from the consistent power metal stance of Politics of Ecstasy on 1999's Dreaming Neon Black. On this, their third full-length release for the giant indie metal label Century Media, the band slips creatively, rehashing concepts and sonics from their... [+] Read More

With their sprawling, progressive balladry mixed with speed metal turns, Nevermore seem to retreat from the consistent power metal stance of Politics of Ecstasy on 1999's Dreaming Neon Black. On this, their third full-length release for the giant indie metal label Century Media, the band slips creatively, rehashing concepts and sonics from their earlier material. The struggles could be due in part to the group's first lineup change in their six-year history as ex-Forbidden guitarist Tim Calvert joins Warrel Dane (vocals), Van Williams (drums), James Sheppard (bass), and guitarist Jeff Loomis. Slogging through familiar-sounding numbers like "Deconstruction," "All Play Dead," and three other slow-paced, vocal-driven ballads, Nevermore seem to be losing steam. The ex-Sanctuary core of Dane, Loomis, and Sheppard don't stray too far from their earlier work, as the cleanly arpeggiated melodrama takes the forefront much like 1996's In Memory. Fast numbers like "Fault of the Flesh" and "Beyond Within" have a modern thrash spark, suggesting Calvert's influence might have actually been a positive but limited one. Nevermore always produce quality work, especially with regards to their musicianship; however, Dreaming Neon Black, with its slow-paced track list and subpar melodies is not the band's best effort. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide [-] Hide