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<< Specials this month
BANG YOUR HEAD 2006
Many metal heads from all over Europe will travel to a little village called Balingen in Germany on June the 23th and 24th. One of the biggest metal open-air festivals will take place on those dates. The organisation managed to get a diversity of well-known bands for their bill from all the legions of hard rock and heavy metal. What do you think of two headliners like WHITESNAKE and IN FLAMES? And what to think of well-established bands like FOREIGNER, STRATOVARIUS and HELLOWEEN? They will all be there in Balingen on those two days. The Bang Your Head festival is also the scene to find bands that are doing their reunion thing. This year we will be reunited with legends like ARMORED SAINT, VENGEANCE, RAVEN AND COUNT RAVEN. Did you grow up with ANVIL, now is your chance to see them again. Unfortunately bands like Europe, Quiet Riot and L.A. Guns cancelled their plans to come to this festival this summer, but there is still plenty cool stuff around to make the trip worthwhile.
Text: Eddy
The BANG YOUR HEAD festival exists since 1996 now. For the first three years the event took place at the Stefan Hartmann Halle in Tübingen, while in 1999 they decided to do an Open-Air-festival for the first time. In 1996 and 1997 it was only a one-day event. However, due to the fact that the number of visitors grew from year to year, the festival also grew and was stretched to a two days event in 1998. That year 1.800 fans - from all parts of Germany, some surrounding countries and even a few from the land of the rising sun - visited the festival. For sure there would have been even more visitors if the hall hadn't been completely sold out...
To offer all enthusiastic fans the possibility to take part in this event, they made the next logical step: the BANG YOUR HEAD festival took place as an Open-Air for the first time in Balingen. 18.000 people were showing up on two days and turned it to a fantastic happening. A great difference with many other festivals is that there is only one stage at this venue. So if you wish, you can see all the bands perform, you do not have to choose between bands. And there is much more to do, like interviews with bands, special guests and artists. There is a meet & greet area, and a metal exchange (big tent full of records and other collectors items).
All ticket information can be found at: http://www.bang-your-head.de/byhshop/tickets_e.htm
THE COMPLETE LINE UP OF THIS FESTIVAL
WHITESNAKE
We get lucky this month, my wife and I will just be recovered from another festival called The Arrow Rock Festival in The Netherlands when we get a second chance this month to see one of our favourite bands on stage again. On Bang Your Head this band is even one of the headliners. I am talking about Whitesnake. Next to frontman David Coverdale we will see a band which is already more than a year in the same formation, which seems very rare in the case of Whitesnake. On guitar you have super guitarists Doug Aldrich (Dio, Hurricane & Lion) and Reb Beach (Winger & Dokken), bassist Uriah Duffy, keyboard-player Timothy Drury and on drums hitman Tommy Aldridge. If you just bought they new DVD from this band that was recorded in London 2004 then you will already have a little taste of what you can expect from this super band.
Website: http://www.whitesnake.com
IN FLAMES
The other headliner is the Swedish band In Flames. I am not too familiar with their music, I even had to search the internet when I first heard this band was going to be one of the headliners on this festival. I am sure many of you will laugh at me now and thinking: “Uh, never heard of this band before? Man they even played support for a band like Metallica in Madrid for more than 30.000 people?” Whatever, I hope this band will proof to me that they are worthy to be on the most important place of the bill and give a show that I’ll never forget.
Website: http://www.inflames.com
FOREIGNER
Foreigner is one of those band that are very special to me and I am glad they are one the bill of this heavy fest. Last year I already did witness a performance of their ex-vocalist Lou Gramm on the Arrow Rock Festival. I am wondering if their new singer Kelly Keeling will be able to let us forget Lou was ever in this band. It will be great to see ex-Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and Jason Bonham (son of…) in the rhythm section next to Mick Jones. Of course this band will play all their hits including ‘Cold As Ice’, ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ and ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’.
Website: http://www.foreigneronline.com
STRATOVARIUS
It has been a hard few years for the most well-known band from Finland. There were some internal struggles within this group and it got them all the press they needed the last few years. The problems between the two Timo’s got so out of hand that it only brought negativity to the name. Fans of both guys were fighting each other on the message-board on the official website. Some shows that could not be cancelled anymore brought much shame to this band. A guitarist who was drunk all the time, a keyboard-player who was pissing on his fellow band-members and a vocalist who did not care too much anymore, that’s all in the past now. No one knows if these happenings were some kind of promotional stunt or they were real but they are back now and will give a great heavy metal show again between these mountains in the German land.
Website: http://www.stratovarius.com
HELLOWEEN
Helloween is one of the bands I grew up in the eighties when I was discovering heavy metal. I used to playback on their ‘Wall’s Of Jericho’ album in front of the mirror. Especially the first years when Kay Hansen was still the vocalist gave me much metal power. Even the period when Michael Kiske took over the microphone brought some great records ‘Keepers… I & II’ but when main song-writer Kai left the band this band also died for me. What they are doing today I don’t know, I stopped following them. Still I think it will be great to see this band again after so many years. I am sure that especially the German crowd will give these guys a warm welcome.
Website: http://www.helloween.org
Y&T
Another band I grew up with in the eighties are these guys from California called Y&T. They had some awesome albums out in the eighties like ‘Earthshaker’, ‘Black Tiger’ and ‘Mean Streak’. I always admired their vocalist and lead guitar-player Dave Meniketti. Not often you see the lead-guitarist of a band being the singer too. But Dave can. Just listen to the magnificent solo he does in the ballad ‘I Believe In You’. A great thing too is that he got almost the complete band from the highlight years together again. Leonard Haze is behind the drums again and Phil Kennemore is playing the four-string. The only guy that will not be here is rhythm guitarist Joey Alves. His place has been taken by John Nymann who actually also had a past with this band when they still were called Yesterday & Today. Can’t wait to see this band perform.
Website: http://www.meniketti.com
RIK EMMETT
Rik Emmett we all know from the Canadian band Triumph. This band does not exist any more but the show Rik will give on the Bang Your Head stage is called Rik Emmett: “Playing a night of TRIUMPH music”. That will be a treat for many of you older rock fans. This is the guy about who Steve Morse (Deep Purple) once said: "...amazed at what a great all-round musician he is. On top of that he sings so well. What's in the Canadian water?"
Website: http://www.rikemmett.com
JON OLIVA’S PAIN
Jon Oliva does not need an extra introduction here, we all know what he was capable of when he sung in the legendary Savatage. This big fellow has a voice as a mountain and with Savatage he was responsible for some great metal in the eighties. Unfortunately this band not really could handle the lost of Jon’s brother Criss and since then this band was never the same again. This year Jon will do some festivals in Europe under the name of Jon Oliva’s Pain. I am sure they will not only play tunes from their 2004 ‘Tage Mahal’ album, he owes it to the people who come out to see him to play some Savatage classics too.
Website: http://www.jonoliva.net
DEATH ANGEL
This will be the second time I will see this great Bay Area band on the Bang Your Head stage. I guess the ‘organization’ of this festival could not get enough from these Phillipino newphews and their heavy and thrashy show. This is one of those band that amazed me in their beginnings. I still remember the song ‘Voracious Souls’ played on all those European metal shows you still had on TV in those years. They could be easily be mentioned in one breath next to Metallica, Exodus and Testament. On other amazing thing about this band in their earlier years was their drummer Andy Galeon. This dude was only fourteen years old when he played on the debute of this band. Amazing! Well, he is a man now and I am sure this band will get great response again from the Balingen audience.
website: http://www.deathangel.com
UNLEASHED
There are many bands playing Death Metal but yet so few who truly ARE Death Metal. It’s a sacrilege of sorts to repeat the history of UNLEASHED for their 7th studio album and 15th anniversary again and again. Since the release of the first album "Where No Life Dwells" in 1991, UNLEASHED have been one of the most influential bands of the whole scene and every true Death Metal fan has seen them more than once live on tour. Here they are back in full effect with the new album Sworn Allegiance to show once more who's still on the forefront of the never dying death metal scene. This band will do justice to the name of the Festival, lot’s of people in the audience will truly bang their head with this band.
Website: http://www.unleashed.se
EXODUS
BEWARE!!! There is a shovel headed kill machine on the loose with Gary Holt sitting behind the wheel – and he is angry! This machine will stop for nothing and is absolutely relentless! Listen to serial killers such as 'Raze', 'Deathamphetamine', 'I Am Abomination', 'Going Going Gone' or '44 Magnum Opus' and you will know exactly what I mean. New partners in crime are:
Paul Bostaph – ex-SLAYER, ex-FORBIDDEN; does he really need an introduction?
Rob Dukes – the new singer and, boy, does he kick ass…imagine a mixture of Baloff, Anselmo and Zetro, that is how Rob sounds like.
Lee Altus – ex-HEATHEN, well known from the bay are and one of the best riffers around.
We will witness yet another band from that famous Bay Area period, a band who lost one of their members to the most famous one Metallica. Yes, Kirk Hammett was once the guitar-player in this group. Actually Exodus stayed true to their beliefs and the chosen genre, Metallica experienced a bit around and found the real pot of gold. But at least the older metal and thrash fans will have a kind of revival of their younger years with one of the fastest bands on this festival.
Website: http://www.exodusattack.com
ARMORED SAINT
Although many associate hard rock from Los Angeles in the early '80s as all glossed up and pop-based (Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, etc.), there were a select few true metal bands to emerge from the same locale, such as Armored Saint. Formed in 1982 and originally comprised of members John Bush (vocals), David Pritchard (guitar), Phil Sandoval (guitar), Joey Vera (bass), and Gonzo (drums, brother of Phil Sandoval), the group specialized in a style of straight-ahead metal that was compared to such New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Saxon, among others. The quintet issued a three-track self-titled EP on the Metal Blade label in 1983, before signing on with Chrysalis. They put out such under appreciated releases as 1984's March of the Saint, 1985's Delirious Nomad, and 1987's Raising Fear and built a fanatical following in their native region, but failed to break through to the big time elsewhere.
Shortly after a switch back to the Metal Blade label in the late '80s, Armored Saint issued their first live recording, 1989's Saints Will Conquer, but bad news was lurking right around the corner. Founding guitarist Pritchard was diagnosed with leukaemia and passed away in 1990. The group pressed on (with newcomer Jeff Duncan taking Pritchard's spot in the line-up), issuing Symbol of Salvation in 1991. But the band decided to call it a day a year later when Bush accepted an invitation to join New York thrash metallists Anthrax. By the late '90s, Armored Saint decided to reunite once more and Bush remained a member of Anthrax and Armored Saint simultaneously (Vera was also doing double duty, as he'd become a member of prog-metallists Fates Warning). The newly re-formed outfit issued an all-new recording in 2000, Revelation, while a double-disc anthology, Nod to the Old School, surfaced a year later. This would be the story till the new millennium according to Greg Prato from All Music Guide. If everything goes right we will witness kind of a classic line-up on the 2006 Bang Your Head fest with these guys in the band: Gonzo Sandoval – Drums, John Bush – Vocals, Phil Sandoval – Guitars, Joey Vera - Bass and Jeff Duncan – Guitars.
Website: http://www.armoredsaint.com
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
Founded in 1981 in Phoenix, Arizona in the US, Flotsam and Jetsam spent their first years changing names and trying out different band settings. Eventually, they won a substantial local following playing support gigs to bands such as {Megadeth}. It was to take until 1986, however, (following an appearance on the ‘Metal Massacre IV’ compilation) until their debut album ‘Doomsday for the Deceiver’ was released.
Doomsday for the Deceiver was rough and heavy and all around a good example of the early American Thrash movement. Unfortunately, Flotsam and Jetsam suffered a serious blow later the same year as bassist and songwriter Jason Newsted left the band to join their more well-known colleagues in Metallica, who had lost their bassist in a bus accident. The remains of Flotsam and Jetsam soon recovered, however, and recruited a new bassist, Troy Gregory (following a short appearance by Mike Spencer). In 1988, this new incarnation of Flotsam and Jetsam released No Place for Disgrace. This time, guitarist Michael Gilbert wrote most of the material, and proved that the loss of Jason Newstead hadn't drained the band of their song writing talents. Just as the debut album, No Place for Disgrace featured good, solid Thrash Metal. Without a doubt, the end of the eighties were not good times for up-and-coming Thrash acts, and some time later, Flotsam and Jetsam were dropped by their record label. Flotsam and Jetsam continued to release albums throughout the nineties, but they never quite reached up to the standards of their first two albums. Anyway, I have some good memories of them performing live on the Aardschok Day in the end of the eighties and I will be one of the people in front of the stage checking them out to find out if they have past the test of time.
Website: http://www.flotsam-and-jetsam.com
VENGEANCE
Bang Your Head has always been the festival of reunions and for me, a Dutch guy, this one will be very special. When I was a young metal head this was the band that would be most likely the group that would be performing some where in your Dutch backyard. I think this lot would be the most famous heavy band that ever came out of our Cheesy country. Vengeance brought the roots for a guy called Arjan Lucassen who got renewed fame with projects like Star One and Ayreon. Unfortunately their drummer died not so long ago so they will have a new guy called Hans In ‘t Zandt behind the kit. This Hans is also drummer in bands like Cooper Inc, Steve Fister’s tour band and Parris, a Thin Lizzy tribute band. There will be some special guests attending this particular show.
Website: http://members.lycos.nl/vengeance
LEATHERWOLF
This was once one of my favorite bands of all time. Back in the days they had released their first few records they were high in my list next to bands like Vicious Rumors, Queensryche and more. Very special was the fact this was a band with three lead-guitarists. Not thinking of Iron Maiden now? Oh yes, but Leatherwolf already had this kind of set up many many years before. It’s a pity that the voice of Michael Olivieri is gone but it will be something to check this band out with their latest member Wade Black on the microphone. Some of you might know him from Crimson Glory. This band has the famous by-name of being called the ‘Triple Axe Attack’. I do not know if Wade Black is handling a six-string but let’s find out on the Bang Your Head stage this year. For this band this performance will be just on the right moment of time, they are just about to released their so long awaited new album which will be called ‘World Asylum’.
Website: http://www.leatherwolfmusic.com
RAVEN
Raven were considered one of the brightest hopes in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but bad decisions and musical inconsistency would de-rail their once-promising career, turning the trio into just another small -- albeit important -- footnote for this important genre.
Raven formed in late 70's Newcastle, England by brothers Mark (guitar) and John Gallagher (bass/vocals) along with drummer Rob "Wacko" Hunter. Signing with independent Neat Records, the trio joined label mates Venom in laying the groundwork for what would become known as thrash metal by picking up where '70s noise mongers Motorhead had left off. Not as satanically-inclined or downright silly as Venom, Raven were much better musicians and played with the raw energy and reckless power that epitomized the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. As the movement approached its peak in 1981, Raven rode its crest with the self-labelled "athletic rock" of their album, Rock Until You Drop, still considered a classic of the genre.
Subsequent Neat releases -- Wiped Out, All for One and Live at the Inferno -- weren't quite as focused but helped the band solidify their fan-base and attract the attention of Atlantic Records. Unfortunately, signing with the major record company marked the turning point of Raven's fortunes as 1985's disappointing Stay Hard saw the band opting for an overtly commercial direction. Raven gradually relinquished their pop-metal aspirations, but by the time they attempted a full return to their roots with 1988's Nothing Exceeds Like Excess, their momentum had been irretrievably lost, along with drummer Wacko. The group has continued to record throughout the '90s on a variety of independent labels with new drummer Joey Hassewander, without anything close to mainstream success. On Bang Your Head you will see the Gallagher brothers bringing back some good old stuff from the past. The older audience will have some memories, the younger ones will be stunned by the power of these oldies.
Website: http://www.ravenlunatics.com
VICTORY
Another German band that will hit the stage is the in 1984 founded Victory. They came from the roots from another band called Fargo and brought in the members Fargo Peter Knorn, Tommy Newtom, John Lockton and Bernie Van Der Graaf. Thanks to Rudolf Schenker they found home at the same management as the Scorpions. This action did set of their career. On CBS records they lauched their first self-titled debut which caused some provocation because on the cover was a naked lady spreading her legs in the ‘V’ for Victory position. This album brought the guys some American successes with a long tour and performances on big open air festivals in the USA. In the eighties and nineties this band was consired to be one of the best rock exports coming out of Germany. When singer Charlie Huhn left the band his place was taken by new singer Fernando Garcia. The album they recorded with him called ‘Culture Killed The Native’ brought them some chart successes in their home country. After that the guys in the band took more time to do things aside for instance Tommy Newton got much fame as a producer. So the band went down to some slower activitybut in 2003 on the Wacken Festival the band got its revival. And now they are back and they will give a great show in Balingen
Website: http://www.victory-music.com
COUNT RAVEN
Of the several Sabbath-inspired bands on the Hellhound label, Sweden's Count Raven was probably the most representative of the classic doom sound for which Hellhound was renowned. The band comes dangerously close to cloning (especially with the vocals being very Ozzy-like) but in general the songs are strong enough to overlook this. After four albums (all pretty similar in style), a deteriorating working relationship between founder Dan Fondelius and the other two members forced the band to fold in March of 1999. Fondelius went on to form a new band by the name of Doomsday Government, but little was heard from this band. However, the band was reported as back in action in spring 2004, with touring plans in place and possible future recording plans in the works as well. Let’s see what these three men are capable of when they hit the German stage.
Website: http://www.countraven.com
POWERWOLF
POWERWOLF have come to reveal their faces to the world of metal! Fronted by Romanian vocalist Attila Dorn, who graduated from his classical opera studies at the academy of Bucharest, POWERWOLF are a rising star in the cosmos of metal music. Founded by the brothers Charles and Matthew Greywolf, the band spent a long time in the dark until the Greywolf brothers met Attila Dorn in Romania. Attila was fascinated by the Greywolf brothers’ musical visions and didn’t hesitate to follow them to Germany to join their band – this was the birth of the mighty POWERWOLF. Back in Germany they immediately started writing songs under the influence of Dorn’s old Romanian stories. The nine songs on the first POWERWOLF opus represent the band’s passion for timeless metal art: be it the classic heavy pounding riffs in the opening song “Mr. Sinister”, the tribute to the heroes of 80s metal in “Black Mass Hysteria” or the doomy heaviness of songs like “The Evil Made Me Do It” or “Lucifer In Starlight” – POWERWOLF unite all their various influences to a passionate new style without denying the heritage of their heroes. Completed by Falk Maria Schlegel on organ and the semi-French drummer Stéfane Funèbre, the band spent months of hard work developing their vision of POWERWOLF until they finally travelled to Sweden to record their debut album “Return In Bloodred” at the famous Studio Fredman with none other than star producer Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, IN FLAMES, SOILWORK…). Crowned by Attila Dorn’s vocals the songs possess an original yet very catchy touch. Dorn, who grew up in socialist Romania, didn’t get in touch with metal music until a few years ago, which resulted in his quite open minded approach to this kind of music and moreover his widespread background of unusual influences. “I was amazed how good the combination of my classical vocal background and my new found passion for heroic metal music fitted together when we started writing songs,” says Dorn, who also brought his long time fascination for ancient Romanian mystery into the band. “The first thing he talked about when we met was about the symbolic meaning of our family name,” remembers bass player Charles Greywolf. With his fascination for werewolf and vampire stories, Attila felt there was a certain magic between the Greywolf clan and his own story, a magical element which shines through in their music in every single note. “Some might think that it’s a worn out thing to talk about werewolves and mystery. It might be for Western European people who have never seen the beauty of Transylvania and have never looked into a wolf’s eyes. But I don’t talk about it because I have seen one or two films about it, it is a part of me, it is a part of my traditional inheritance and culture. Romanians always had an intense relation to the ancient stories.” “Return In Bloodred” should be a kick in the ass for every fan of heavy music: proud, mighty, mystical and powerful – this is how the wolf howls… and you will learn how to howl with them!!! The year of the wolf has begun! You better take their word for it, because they’ve come to take your souls!
Website: http://www.powerwolf.net
HELLFUELED
Well, the Bang Your Head organisation did not managed to get Ozzy on this bill so why not invite a band who is more Ozzy than Ozzy ever was. Well just joking here but if you want a description of the music from these Swedish guys there is no other intro better than the use of Ozzy’s name. I am sure your are going to enjoy this music as the band plays some good old fashioned hard rock with no compromise.
Website: http://www.hellfueled.com
PRETTY MAIDS
A surprise for me and one of the last additions to the festival is once again a band from my youth, the Danish Pretty Maids. This is their story:
This is the year of 2000 and Pretty Maids are a well-established name not at least because of the mega chart-breaker "Please Don't Leave Me" but Pretty Maids have worked hard to get here. To start with the beginning we have to make a journey through time. Back in 1981 a young man from Horsens was crazy about Heavy Rock and his guitar. His name was Ken Hammer and he was not alone with his interest in the music. With his friend Ronnie Atkins the two of them soon started what would turn out to be the foundation of Pretty Maids The band Pretty Maids was formed. In the beginning copy songs was the basics in the bands material, but shortly this wasn't good enough. Ken Hammer and Ronnie Atkins started to write their own songs and as every other beginner Pretty Maids had a dream of releasing their own material and play live gigs.
In 1982 they recorded a demo tape at their own expenses which they presented to several record companies. As it often is no Danish record company dared to gamble on an unknown Danish heavy production. Pretty Maids therefore ended up at an English record company. In 1983 the EP "Pretty Maids" was released on Bullet Records. Then things developed. In December the same year Pretty Maids toured England and was by the English music press proclaimed as the new Heavy band of the year. The success was so overwhelming, that the record company had to set up a fan club. Pretty Maids also supported the legendary band Black Sabbath on their Scandinavian Tour in 1983. The breathtaking way that Pretty Maids delivered the goods was so impressing that Ian Gillian, who at the time was the lead singer in Black Sabbath and a former member of Deep Purple, recommended Pretty Maids to a radio producer in London. It concluded in a 4 track live recording at the famous "BBC Friday Night Rock Show".
At the beginning of 1984 Pretty Maids was signed to CBS Records. The EP was remixed and released throughout Scandinavia. At spring the sameyear Peter Collins (guitar) and John Darrow (bass) was sacked and replaced by Ricky Hansson (guitar) and Allan Delong (bass). In June Pretty Maids started the recordings of "Red, Hot And Heavy" in The PUK Studios in Denmark with producers Billy Cross and Tommy Hansen. It was released in October 1984 and achieved great sucess all over Europe. Before Pretty Maids went on tour Ricky Hansson was out and Peter Collins was drawn back.
After touring the rest of 1985 Pretty Maids went to USA in July 1986for the first time. They ended up at The Bearsville Studio inWoodstock, NY and recorded "Future World" with producer Eddie Kramer (Kiss, Jimi Hendrix among others). Ken & Ronnie went to San Fransisco and teamed up with Kevin Elson (Europe, Journey) who mixed 4tracks. Back in Copenhagen Ronnie and Ken finished the rest of the album with Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica). "Future World" was released all over the world in April 1987 and was followed up by a world tour. The tour included 3 weeks as opening act for Deep Purple as well as the Monsters of Rock Festival in Germany. "Future World" was the commercial break though. Heavy routing on MTV as well in Europe and in USA - riding high charts in France and Germany.
In the spring of 1988 Pretty Maids started working on new material and in January 1989 they went back to USA and met with producer Roger Clover (Deep Purple, Rainbow etc). Together the three of them arranged a pre-production of the fourth album. In March the recordings started in the PUK studio in Denmark and the album was scheduled for release in August same year. This unfortunately did not happen as drummer Phil More was involved in a car accident during the recordings. The accident was of such seriousness that everything had to be postponed and the release was pushed until 1990. Everybody in the band was shocked but the recordings started again when Ian Paice from Deep Purple came in from London and offered his assistance. In August 1989 Ken and Ronnie went to the Hit Factory Studios and spent 3 weeks and a hell of a lot money mixing the album with Roger Clover. The result was not quite what the band expected and in September Ken, Ronnie, Roger and Henrik Nilsson met at Werner Studio in Copenhagen and remixed the album and at the same time Alan Owen left the band for personal reasons. "Jump The Gun" was released April 1990 and Phil More was back and Pretty Maids went on tour after three years of silence. They visit Japan in September 1990 for the first time. After a numerous of concerts throughout the world and support for Alice Cooper Ricky Marx, Allan Delong and Phil More left the band for various reasons.
With the loss of three member the future looked quite uncertain for Pretty Maids at the dawn of 1991 but after a few weeks of considering Ken and Ronnie refused to pack it in and started to write new material again and during the spring they recruited two new members. Michael Fast (drums) and the quite younger Kenn Jackson (bass). With this new four piece line up as well as a lot of regained energy Pretty Maids once again teamed up with producer Flemming Rasmussen determined to make a strong and quick follow up to the 1990 'Jump The Gun' album. The result was released in April 1992 and was called Sin-Decade. It received a boisterous welcome as the previous albums and with the single 'Please Don't Leave Me' riding high in the charts Pretty Maids toured Europe and Japan from August and throughout the year. 1992 also saw the release of the acoustic album 'Offside', which was recorded during the summer the same year.
During the spring of 1994 material for the next album was completed and in July Pretty Maids once again hooked with producer Flemming Rasmussen for the recordings that led to the 'Scream' album - released in Japan in 1994 and in Europe in 1995. 'Scream' proved that Pretty Maids was back on the tracks, keeping up with traditions with a much more guitar oriented and hard hitting album than the last one. In the summer they played a couple of festivals throughout Europe and in autumn the long awaited first official Pretty Maids live album 'Screamin' Live' was released. The album was some sort of a live document from the previous tour and was recorded on a hot night in the famous Tivoli Garden in Copenhagen. Apart from an appearance at the Roskilde Festival(DK) as well as a few other sporadic gigs Pretty Maids spent most of 1996 recharging their batteries and writing new stuff for their next album. Finally in November Ronnie and Ken teamed up with Tommy Hansen whom all the way back in 1984 produced the legendary 'Red, Hot And Heavy', to see if the old chemistry still was there - it was!
The next album "Spooked" was released in April 1997 and the band kept the promises they made in several interviews and returned with a heavy music attack of Danish dynamite: 'Spooked' was highly praised by fans and critics throughout the world and immediately regarded as a Pretty Maids classic.
After these numerous studio albums and a world wide career 1998 was the time for a best-of collection gathering the pieces of the past on one album "The Best Of: Back To Back" was released in October 1998. After that Pretty Maids recorded a new studio album entitled "Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing". On this record Pretty Maids consequently followed their proven style. From fast Metal attacks to grooving mid tempo rockers or emotional ballads. Now, Pretty Maids has released their new album "Carpe Diem". Enjoy it!!! Tired of reading, forget all this, just enjoy the show they will put down, you wont regret it!
Website: http://www.prettymaids.dk
ANVIL
In April of 1973 Steve (Lips) Kudlow and Robb Reiner began their journey for fame and fortune on the long hard road of rock music. It was during this time that Lips and Robb began to create their distinctive sound that would become one of the most influential music to ever come out of Canada in the heavy rock genre of music. When they teamed up with Dave Allison and Ian Dickson in 1977 they became LIPS and later the “speed metal gods” ANVIL that the world got acquainted with. In 1980 the foursome released an independent album: LIPS - HARD 'N HEAVY. It was a self produced and manufactured album. Shortly after, the band was signed by Attic Records and at that time they changed their name to ANVIL. The band and record company didn’t want any possible confusion with the disco band Lipps Inc. Since then they made it clear the name Anvil could not be forgotten anymore. For years…
Website: http://www.anvilmetal.tk
As you can see, the organization of the Bang Your Head Festival has managed to put up a line up that cannot be ignored. We have a good chance that this Festival and its line-up will blow away all the other festivals. Expect a full report from me in the July issue of Lords of Metal in vision and words.
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