source

Black metal started in the early '80s. It drew influences from thrash metal, but took things to even more extremes. The Norwegian scene quickly grew and was plagued by church burnings and murders in the early '90s. The genre spread across Europe and into North America. Many black metal bands wear corpse paint and stage outfits that make them look evil or threatening.


Musical Style Early black metal was raw and very poorly produced, with blast beat drumming and distorted guitars. The production value improved, but the rawness was still a hallmark of the first wave of black metal. Today's "second wave" bands are more melodic and symphonic with a lot of keyboards, but still very extreme and uncommercial. Image is just is important as musical style in this genre.


Black Metal Vocal StyleMostly high pitched rasps and guttural growls that are completely intelligible. If you look at the lyrics sheets many have pagan or satanic themes. Many vocalist try to sound like a demon or something straight out of hell.


Pioneers
Venom
Venom formed in England in the late '70s and consisted of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon. Their debut album Welcome To Hell was released in 1981 and followed a year later by the album that gave the genre its name, Black Metal.

Mayhem
The Norwegian band is famous because of their music, and infamous because of everything else that went on around them. Vocalist Dead committed suicide and Euronymous was stabbed to death by fellow band member Count Grishnackh. Formed in 1984, they were at the forefront of the increasingly popularity of black metal in Norway.

Doom metal has its origins in the early 70’s, with heavy metal band Black Sabbath playing songs with slow riffing and dark, foreboding lyrics. In the 80’s, bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble, and Candlemass took those elements and warped them into what became known as doom metal. The genre spanned out in the early 90’s to include other musical genres, including death, thrash, and black metal to form a multitude of subgenres. Out of these subgenres came successful doom metal acts such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. Today, the genre is still going strong, especially in the underground scene.

Musical Style:
Doom metal has slower melodies and dark lyrical themes, usually dealing with death, destruction, and feelings of despair and emptiness. The sound is heavy and thick, due in part to the guitar tone, with distortion and downtuning usually prevalent characteristics in the guitar work.

Vocal Style:
Most vocalists sing cleanly, save for some that use either growled or whispered vocals. The singer usually sounds depressed or moody, with a lot of pausing and a heavy-handed approach that emphasizes the gloomy lyrical content.

Pioneers of Doom Metal:

Pagan Altar
Pagan Altar One of the first true doom metal bands, Pagan Altar would quickly fade into obscurity in the early 80’s. Their debut album Volume 1 was not released until 1998, but was originally recorded in 1982, and showcased the early incarnation of doom metal. Along with fellow British band Witchcraft General, Pagan Altar left a lasting impression on the genre, even in their brief time together. The band reformed in 2004, and released two albums, 2004’s The Lords Of Hypocrisy and 2006’s Mythical and Magical.


Witchcraft General
While eventually following the same career path as Pagan Altar (breaking up early, re-forming about twenty years later), the band was able to release a few essential doom metal albums in their original lineup. 1982’s Death Penalty took many cues from Black Sabbath, but slowed down the tempo considerably, save for a few NWOBHM-influenced cuts, like “Free Country.” The band would release one more album, 1983’s Friends Of Hell before disbanding, only to bring the band back to life in late 2006.


Saint Vitus
Over in America, a metal band from California would make their mark in the genre with their self-titled debut in 1984. With epic numbers like “Zombie Hunger” and “Burial At Sea,” the five tracks on their first album would make the band a major underground hit. The band would go on for another decade, releasing quality material, before ending the band in the late '90s.

The origins of metalcore date back to the mid-1980s, where bands like Agnostic Front and Suicidal Tendencies were mixing thrash, punk, and hardcore together. The genre became huge in the late '90s, as a major wave of metalcore bands formed to tear up the metal landscape. Bands like Unearth, Killswitch Engage, and All That Remains have made names for themselves in the mainstream, headlining major festivals and achieving solid albums sales. Today, metalcore is still one of the most popular genres of metal, even with criticism from some in the underground metal community.

Musical Style:
Metalcore is structured linearly, with the songwriting consisting of aggressive verses and melodic choruses. Breakdowns are a vital part of the genre, usually used to invoke moshing at live shows. A good portion of the bands in the genre have recently added in solos and a greater emphasis on technical guitar playing, including a heavy use of palm muting. Double bass drumming is prevalent in the genre as well. The sound is polished and the lyrics range from personal to political issues.

Vocal Style:
Most vocalists scream and growl, with some saving the clean vocals for selected points in the song (chorus, bridge).

Metalcore Pioneers:

Earth Crisis
Formed in 1991, Earth Crisis made a splash in metalcore with their 1995 debut album Destroy The Machines. The album is considered one of the most influential albums towards garnishing mainstream recognition of the genre. Earth Crisis released a few more albums that showcased a cleaner and more refined approach to metalcore before dissolving in 2001.


Shai Hulud
While some today may consider the band to be closer to a hardcore/punk hybrid, Shai Hulud was considered a pioneer of metalcore back in the mid '90s. Their 1997 album Hearts Once Nourished With Hope And Compassion was an anger-fueled journey; however, Shai Hulud brought intelligent lyrics to the forefront of their music, helping them to achieve critical and commercial acclaim.

Progressive metal has its roots in the progressive rock movement of the '70s. In the mid 1980s, bands began to take the basics of progressive rock and add in a heavy metal sound to the equation, forming a new style of progressive music. Progressive metal became huge in the early '90s, with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater having several hit singles that were played regularly on MTV. Since that time, the genre has expanded to include death metal, jazz, and classical elements. Bands have forged their own identities mixing these new elements with what the early pioneers of the genre brought to the table.

Musical Style:
Progressive metal is heavy on technically-sound guitar playing, frequent use of keyboards and complex signature time changes, especially in the drumming department. Bands tend to create a balance between melody and pure aggression. Many bands in the genre play longer songs, some extending over the half-hour mark.

Vocal Style:
Vocals are high-pitched and clearly recognizable. Falsettos, high notes, and operatic/theatrical singing are the norm. However, some bands, like Opeth and Cynic, use growls and screams, in the style of death metal.

Progressive Metal Pioneers:

Dream Theater
Dream Theater hit it big with 1992’s Images and Words, behind the single “Pull Me Under.” The band was highly skilled with their instruments, even in the early stages of their career, and their songwriting was top-notch. Fans enjoyed their modern twist on the classic progressive rock sound. Dream Theater would build up a large fan base and continue to grow off the success of Images and Words.


Fates Warning
The heaviest of the three pioneers of the genre, Fates Warning took a heavier approach to progressive rock, stripping it down to the bare essentials. 1988’s No Exit would be the album that showcased the band at their most progressive, with the 20-minute epic “The Ivory Gates Of Dreams” being the band’s magnum opus at the time of its release.


Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche’s third album, 1988’s Operation: Mindcrime, is considered one of the finest concept albums in progressive metal. Leaning towards the progressive side, Queensrÿche’s songs were catchy and upbeat, yet had an edge to them that gave them the extra kick to please fans of the metal side of the genre.

Hair metal was influenced by glam rock from the late '70s and early '80s, inspiring the over the top looks hair bands adopted, including big hair and makeup. Hard rock bands like Slade and Aerosmith helped shape their musical sound. In the U.S., hair metal was popularized on the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles beginning in the early '80s. At the height of its popularity in the '80s, hair bands had huge radio and MTV hits and were one of the most popular genres in all of music.

That spawned numerous copycat bands of lesser talents that diluted the genre, and the nail in the coffin was the rise of grunge music in the early '90s. Many hair bands broke up or went on hiatus during that era, but toward the end of the decade and into the 2000s, nostalgia helped propel hair metal back to life. Bands like Poison, Motley Crue and Ratt still are able to draw large crowds to their concerts, although their new musical material hasn't been as well received.

Musical Style:
Hair metal is very polished and accessible. Big hooks, melodic choruses, and the ever popular "monster ballad" typify the genre. Guitars are also very prominent, with nearly every song having at least one guitar solo. There's also an endless debate on who is and isn't a hair band. Some say Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses are hair bands. Guns N' Roses came from that L.A. scene, but to me don't fall under the hair metal banner because of the edginess of their earlier stuff.

Vocal Style:
Like the music, hair metal vocals are also accessible. They are melodic, and usually relatively high-pitched. Hair metal vocalists rarely get the respect that traditional metal singers do, in part because of the glam looks and accessible songs. But there have been some quality singers in the hair metal genre.

Hair Metal Pioneers:

Motley Crue
Bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee formed Motley Crue in 1981. They soon recruited guitarist Mick Mars, and eventually hired Vince Neil as their singer. The Crue quickly become of the most successful bands to emerge from the Sunset Strip. Their legendary partying drew almost as much as attention as their music. They had a string of successful albums, including Shout At The Devil, Theatre Of Pain, Girls Girls Girls and Dr. Feelgood. After turmoil and member changes in the '90 and early 2000s, the classic lineup is back together, touring and releasing new music.
They also started their own summer touring festival Crue Fest in 2008.

Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot formed in the late '70s, and their early lineup included guitarist Randy Rhoads, who ended up joining Ozzy Osbourne's band before his tragic death in a plane crash. The band's first two albums didn't do much, but their third release Metal Health hit number one on the Billboard album chart, the first heavy metal album to do so. That opened the floodgates, ending up in hair metal's massive commercial popularity.
Quiet Riot's reign of success only lasted a few years, and they had a lot of lineup changes and a couple of breakups. They still toured until recently, when vocalist Kevin DuBrow died of a drug overdose in 2007.


Hanoi Rocks
In Europe, Hanoi Rocks mixed glam rock, punk and the big hair and makeup of vocalist Michael Monroe. The Finnish band got their start in the late '70s and quickly rose through the ranks. They were on the verge of breaking through when tragedy struck. In 1984, drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was killed in a car accident (the car was driven by Motley Crue's Vince Neil). The band was never the same. Their status as a true "hair band" is disputed by some, but there's no doubt they greatly influenced the genre, and should be considered pioneers.

Power metal mixes heavy metal with thrash, speed and symphonic elements. European bands like Helloween and Gamma Ray started the power metal movement in the late ‘80s, with the genre exploding in the ‘90s with Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, and Stratovarius leading the way for future power metal bands. The main sound of the genre hasn’t changed much, with the vocals still soaring high and the guitar solos flying free. Nowadays, bands like Dragonforce and Theocracy are keeping power metal strong, engaging a new generation of metalheads.

Musical Style:
Most guitar work in power metal is played at a fast speed, with thrash-like riffing and wild solos that can go on for an extended period of time. The bassist usually just stays with the rhythm guitarist. The drummer relies heavily on double bass work, adding in some complex fills and cymbal work as well. The keyboard work ranges from band to band, with some bands using the keys for simple melodies, while others create an orchestration effect for the music.
Vocal Style:
Vocalists sing in a high register, quite similar to Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson and Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. Their range is usually wide, with high notes being the norm.

Power Metal Pioneers:

Helloween
In 1987, the two-part epic concept album Keeper Of The Seven Keys put the German power metal band on the map. Both of these albums are really where the birth of power metal began. Taking NWOBHM and adding melodic elements to the sound is what led to Helloween’s early success, and the forward momentum of the power metal genre as a whole.

Blind Guardian
While forming around the same time as Helloween, it wouldn’t be until later releases where the band’s full potential would be unleashed. While they did play power metal in the early days, Blind Guardian tended to lean towards speed metal on 1988’s Battalions Of Fear and 1989’s Follow The Blind.

Gamma Ray
When Helloween guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen left the band in 1988, he formed his own project, Gamma Ray. Hansen kept to his power metal roots in his new band, with Gamma Ray eventually becoming an underground hit for fans of the genre. The band is best known for their epic 1995 album Land Of The Free.

Death metal evolved from thrash metal and also took some of the extreme elements of black metal. The fast tempos of thrash were kept, but blast beats were added to make it even more brutal. The aggressive vocals of thrash became the screaming unintelligible "cookie monster" vocals of death metal. The genre arose simultaneously in the U.S., especially in Florida, and in Europe. A multitude of subgenres later splintered off from death metal, such as melodic death metal. Death metal and its variants are probably the most popular form of metal today.


Musical Style : In one word, brutal. Death metal is intense and fast, usually utilizing a double bass drum and dual distorted guitars.


Vocal Style:  The vocals are what make death metal distinctive. Instead of singing, death metal vocalists use a low-pitched guttural growl that is nearly impossible to understand. The lyrical content is almost always dark and/or apocalyptic.


Pioneers:
Death
It only makes sense that a band called Death is a pioneer in death metal. They were part of the Florida scene that spawned the genre in the U.S. The band was started in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner, a true metal pioneer. They released several demos that became popular in the underground and finally released their debut album Scream Bloody Gore in 1987. Death released seven full-lengths before Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001.

Morbid Angel
Also a part of the seminal Florida scene, Morbid Angel got together in 1983. Guitarist and songwriter Trey Azagthoth is the backbone of the band, who have gone through a few different vocalists. Their debut album was 1989's Altars Of Madness. Their signature release was 1991's Blessed Are The Sick, a classic death metal album and a must-own.

Thrash metal is also known as speed metal, and since many of the early thrash bands were from San Francisco, it became known as Bay Area Thrash. It started in the early to mid '80s and was at its peak in the late '80s. Thrash bands were influenced by New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and hardcore punk. Thrash was also the inspiration for later extreme genres such as death and black metal. There was also a strong European thrash scene, especially in Germany where bands such as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction led the way.


Musical Style Thrash is driven by the guitar. It's played at a furiously fast pace with a staccato, percussive guitar sound. It layers fast riffs with higher pitched solos. Many thrash bands use the double bass drum.


Vocal Style Thrash vocals are usually very aggressive and sometimes angry sounding, but unlike death or black metal, they are still understandable.



Pioneers

Metallica
Although there were some artists that incorporated elements of thrash into their music, Metallica's 1983 release Kill 'Em All is generally considered to be one of the first thrash albums. Former member Dave Mustaine wrote some of the songs on that record and went on to form another seminal thrash band, Megadeth. Metallica went on to release several classic thrash albums, and although their style has evolved, they still hold on to their thrash roots.


Slayer
Slayer is a little more extreme than Metallica, and their debut album Show No Mercy was released in 1983. 1986's Reign In Blood is considered by many to be the best thrash album ever recorded. Like Metallica, Slayer has had longevity and continue to show the younger generation how it's done.

To the uninitiated, any loud music is called heavy metal. In reality there are a multitude of heavy metal styles and subgenres. Heavy metal is a wide umbrella characterizing a style of music that is generally loud and aggressive. There are genres that are very melodic and mainstream, and other genres that are extreme and underground. Here's a brief overview of heavy metal and its many styles.

History The term "heavy metal" was first used in a musical sense in the '60s song "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf when they referred to "heavy metal thunder." Although there are debates among experts, most consider groups like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to be the first heavy metal bands. From there the style evolved and branched into many different genres and subgenres. Heavy metal remains a vital force in music today, with sellout concert tours and CDs selling impressive numbers of copies without any radio airplay or MTV exposure.

Musical and Vocal StylesThe backbone of heavy metal is the electric guitar. You can't have metal without at least one guitarist, and many bands have two or more. Certain genres have some quiet and mellow parts, but most metal is loud, intense, fast and aggressive. The vocal styles in heavy metal range from melodic singing to aggressive singing to unintelligible screaming, depending on the genre.

GenresAt the beginning there was just traditional heavy metal. Shortly after it evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres. This site has a series of articles on many of the genres that will give you a more in-depth look at that particular type of metal. As time has gone on, there are literally hundreds of subgenres, but these are some of the main genres of heavy metal:

Avant Garde Metal
Also called experimental metal, it's characterized by unusual and nontraditional instruments and song structures.
Examples: Arcturus, Dog Fashion Disco, Mr. Bungle, Peccatum, Vintersorg

Since its formation in 1982 by Brian Slagel, independent record label Metal Blade has signed bands from all different genres of metal, including death, black, thrash, and progressive. Slagel ran the label by himself for years, and now Metal Blade has offices worldwide, including Japan and Germany. Best known as the starting point of Metallica’s career, Metal Blade has always chosen an eccentric list of talent. Their current line-up includes Cattle Decapitation, Woe Of Tyrants, Cannibal Corpse, Job For A Cowboy, and 3.
Early Days:
Metal Blade Records was formed by Brian Slagel in 1982. Slagel created a compilation album with material from Ratt, Malice, Steeler, and an unknown thrash band by the name of Metallica. This album, called Metal Massacre, would help Metallica get their first big break. A year later, Slagel would begin to release albums by Armored Saint, Warlord, and Slayer, with the latter’s debut album, Show No Mercy, becoming the label’s highest selling album, at that time.
Metal Blade History:
In the early 1980s, Metal Blade was the starting point for several major metal bands, including Metallica, Slayer, and Voivod. During the mid '80s, Flotsam and Jetsam would release their underrated classic debut, 1986’s Doomsday For The Deceiver, on Metal Blade, while Corrosion of Conformity released their influential crossover metal album Animosity on the label.


Metal Blade had a distribution deal with Warner Brothers Records in the late 1980s. However, the partnership fell through in 1992, when Warner Brothers, which was known at the time as WEA, tried to censor the lyrics to GWAR’s America Must Be Destroyed. Brian Slagel was opposed to censoring his artists, and Metal Blade signed with Sony BMG/RED for distributing.


While Metal Blade has released albums from extreme bands such as Cannibal Corpse and Immolation, the label was also where Goo Goo Dolls got their big break in the early '90s. Metal Blade has also enlisted several underground progressive metal bands in its history, including Spock’s Beard and Symphony X.
Essential Metal Blade Releases:
Various Artists- Metal Massacre
Slayer- Hell Awaits
Cannibal Corpse- Tomb Of The Mutilated
Fates Warning- No Exit
King Diamond- The Spider’s Lullabye
Voivod- War And Pain
Flotsam And Jetsam- Doomsday For The Deceiver
Symphony X- V: The New Mythology Suite
Spock’s Beard- The Light
Mercyful Fate- In The Shadows
Immolation- Close To A World Below
Lizzy Borden- Visual Lie
The Black Dahlia Murder- Nocturnal
As I Lay Dying- An Ocean Between Us
Goo Goo Dolls- A Boy Named Goo
Amon Amarth- With Oden On Our Side
GWAR- Scumdogs Of The Universe


Metal Blade Records Links
History and Releases

Century Media is home to a variety of metal bands, including goth, black, power, black, and hardcore. With offices all over the world, including the United States, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, Century Media is one of the top independent record labels in metal today.
Early Days:
Century Media was formed in Germany in 1988 by Robert Kampf, the singer of thrash/crossover band Despair. Kampf used the label to self-release the band’s album. From there, Century Media expanded to include acts both locally and around Europe. The label started out as a place where death metal bands like Grave and Asphyx first became known in the metal community. The label built its way from the ground up, eventually going international with a United States office.
Century Media History:
Century Media became a major independent label in the 1990’s with the signing of bands like Iced Earth, Eyehategod, and Nevermore. These bands would go on to become quite popular in their respective genres. Century Media continued to expand, opening offices all over Europe and Australia.


Century Media would launch a off-shoot label called Century Black that specialized in releasing or re-releasing black metal albums that may have passed under the noses of most metal listeners the first time through. Century Black would re-release Emperor’s first two albums, 1993’s In The Nightside Eclipse and 1997’s Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk, as well as early albums from Katatonia, Mayhem, and Opeth.


While Century Media is known for signing heavier and more aggressive bands, the label has had success with mainstream acts. Lacuna Coil’s 2006 album Karmacode sold almost half-a-million copies worldwide. Shadows Fall had great success with their 2004 album The War Within, which cracked the Top 20 Billboard charts.
Essential Century Media Records Releases:
Grave - Into The Grave
Asphyx - The Rack
Morgoth - Cursed
Tiamat - The Astral Sleep
God Forbid - IV: Constitution Of Treason
Celtic Frost - Monotheist
Jag Panzer - Thane To The Throne
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Dark Tranquillity - Character
Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion
Napalm Death - The Code Is Red…Long Live The Code
Paradise Lost - In Requiem
Mercenary - 11 Dreams
Strapping Young Lad - City
Bloodbath - Resurrection Through Carnage
Iced Earth - Burnt Offering
s Shadows Fall - The Art Of Balance
Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
Stuck Mojo - Rising
Lacuna Coil - Karmacode


Century Media Records Links
Official Site

Underoath is hitting the road in January, 2011 in support of their latest CD Disambiguation. Openers include Thursday, A Skylit Drive and Animals As Leaders.

Underoath, Thursday, A Skylit Drive and Animals as Leaders Tour Dates:
1/20 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
1/22 Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
1/24 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
1/25 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
1/26 West Hollywood, CA House of Blues
1/27 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
1/28 Las Vegas, NV Hard Rock Café Las Vegas
1/29 San Diego, CA Soma
1/30 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
2/1 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
2/2 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
2/3 Spokane, WA The Knitting Factory
2/4 Boise, ID The Knitting Factory
2/5 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
2/6 Denver, CO The Summit Music Hall
2/8 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
2/9 Chicago, IL House of Blues
2/10 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
2/11 Buffalo, NY The Town Ballroom
2/12 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
2/13 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
2/14 Montreal, QC Metropolis
2/16 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo
2/17 New York, NY Terminal 5
2/18 Worcester, MA The Palladium
2/19 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
2/20 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
2/22 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
2/23 Charlotte, NC Amos' Southend
2/24 Knoxville, TN Valarium
2/25 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
2/26 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
2/27 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution

Times of Grace has announced the touring lineup for their forthcoming debut tour. The core of the band is Jesse Leach on vocals and Adam Dutkiewicz on guitars/vocals, and they will be supported by guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Daniel Struble and drummer Dan Gluszak.

Stroetzel is a familiar name to Times of Grace fans, as he is also guitarist for Killswitch Engage, alongside Adam D., and is an original member who played with Leach while he was singing in KsE. Stroetzel's involvement in Times of Grace was a happy accident, as he assisted his former and current bandmates when they recorded acoustic performances for iTunes and SiriusXM's Liquid Metal late last year. Times of Grace were on the hunt for a live guitarist and Stroetzel just clicked, so he decided to once again pitch in for his friends and act as their touring guitarist. Struble is the former singer of Five Pointe O, a long ago labelmate of KsE, while Gluszak is the former drummer of Envy on the Coast.

"I am honored to work with such quality people and solid musicians and I can already see the synergy developing and it is very exciting. I truly feel blessed," Leach said about the touring lineup.

Feb. 01 Baltimore, MD @ The Quarter
Feb.02 Atlanta, GA @ the Masquerade (downstairs)
Feb. 04 Dallas, TX @ The Door
Feb. 05 Austin, TX @ Emo's
Feb. 07 Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile
Feb. 08 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Feb. 09 San Francisco, CA@ Bottom of the Hill
Feb. 11 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb. 12 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Ballroom
Feb. 14 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex - Grand Room
Feb. 15 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Feb. 17 Minneapolis, MN @ Station 4
Feb. 18 Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
Feb. 19 Detroit, MI @ Eagle Theater
Feb. 20 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Feb. 21 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
Feb. 22 New York, NY @ Gramercy TheaterFeb. 24 West Chester, PA @ The Note
Feb. 25 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
Feb. 26 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Feb. 27 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

Montreal based extreme metallers Kataklysm have announced the North American leg of their "Spread the Venom 2010 - 2011 World Tour. "! Joining them will be All Shall Perish, Decrepit Birth, Conducting From The Grave and Abysmal Dawn. It's part of the band's world tour.

Vocalist Maurizio Iacono commented: "Heaven's Venom has been welcomed with open arms by fans and critics alike across the globe. As I mentioned before in interviews, Heaven's Venom is a very personal, aggressive and dark Kataklsym album that hits home. We love this album and want to share its anger with our fans! We want to play places we have never been before and also revisit our loyal supporters while creating some new fans along the way. One thing we know, is that this will be the only time you will be able to see the band on this record or for a long time. So don't say 'I'll catch them the next time' because there might not be a next time. We are thinking of taking along break after this massive trek and who knows what will happen next. So if you are a fan of Kataklysm you have been called to duty!"

Kataklysm Tour Dates:

Canada:
12/03/10 Petit Theatre - Rouyn, QC. CAN
12/04/10 Serbian Hall - Sudbury, ON. CAN
12/05/10 Maverick's - Ottawa, ON. CAN
12/06/10 Place Nikitoutagan - Jonquiere, QC. CAN
12/07/10 L' Imperial - Quebec, QC. CAN
12/10/10 Le Magog - Sherbrooke, QC. CAN
12/11/10 Salle Gaston-Mandeville - Drummondville, QC. CAN

European Tour With Legion Of The Damned, Equilibrium, Manegarm and Milking The Goatmachine:
01/14/11 Music Hall - Geiselwind, DE
01/15/11 Hellraiser - Leipzig, DE
01/16/11 K 17 - Berlin, DE
01/17/11 Vox Hall - Aarhus, DK
01/18/11 Markthalle - Hamburg, DE
01/19/11 Musikzentrum - Hannover, DE
01/20/11 Alter Schlachthof - Lingen, DE
01/21/11 Matrix - Bochum, DE
01/22/11 LKA Longhorn - Stuttgart, DE
01/23/11 Patronaat - Haarlen, NL
01/24/11 02 Islington Academy - Paris, FR
01/25/11 Antipode - Lyon, FR
01/26/11 Z7 - Pratteln, CH
01/27/11 Hafen - Innsbruck, AT
01/28/11 Gasometer - Wien, AT
01/29/11 Posthof - Linz, AT
01/30/11 Majectic Music Club - Bratislava, SK
01/31/11 PPC - Graz, AT
02/01/11 Batschkapp - Frankfurt, DE
02/02/11 Outback - Bad Arolsen, DE
02/03/11 Garage - Saarbrücken, DE
02/04/11 Backstage - Munich, DE
02/05/11 Hof Ter Loo - Antwerpen, BE
02/06/11 013 - Tilburg, NL

North American Tour with All Shall Perish, Decrepit Birth, Conducting From The Grave and Abysmal Dawn:
2/24/11 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
2/25/11 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
2/26/11 Harpo's - Detroit, MI
2/27/11 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
2/28/11 Park Theatre - Winnipeg, MB - Canada
3/02/11 Starlite - Edmonton, AB - Canada
3/03/11 Lake City Bowl - Kelowna, BC - Canada
3/04/11 Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC - Canada
3/05/11 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
3/06/11 Branx - Portland, OR
3/07/11 Slim's - San Francisco, CA (No ABYSMAL DAWN)
3/08/11 The Whisky - Hollywood, CA
3/09/11 Soma - San Diego, CA
3/10/11 Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
3/11/11 El Cien - Amarillo, TX
3/12/11 Ridglea Theatre - Ft. Worth, TX
3/13/11 White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
3/15/11 State Theater - St Petersburg, FL
3/16/11 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
3/17/11 Jaxx - Springfield, VA
3/18/11 Alrosa Villa - Columbus, OH
3/19/11 Evening Star Music Hall - Niagara Falls, NY
3/20/11 Club Soda - Montreal, QC - Canada

South America
04/06/11Circo Volador - Mexico City, MEXICO
04/07/11 Pepper's Club - San Jose, COSTA RICA
04/09/11 Teatro Metro - Bogota, COLOMBIA
04/10/11 Teatro Comfamiliar - Pereira, COLOMBIA
04/17/11 Carioca Club - Sao Paulo, BRAZIL

South Africa:
05/06/11 - Praetoria, S. AFRICA
05/07/11 - Johannesburg, S. AFRICA
05/13/11 - Durban, S. AFRICA
05/14/11 - Cape Town, S. AFRICA

Progressive metal masters Symphony X announce a 2011 headlining North American tour featuring Nevermore, Soilwork, Powerglove and Blackguard. The trek will launch on April 21st in Philadelphia and wrap-up on West Springfield, Virginia on May 22nd.

Symphony X, Nevermore, Soilwork, Powerglove and Blackguard Tour Dates:
04/21/11 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
04/22/11 Best Buy Theatre - New York, NY
04/23/11 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
04/25/11 Metropolis - Montreal, QC - CANADA
04/26/11 Salle Albert Rosseau - Quebec City, QC - CANADA
04/27/11 The Opera House - Toronto, ON - CANADA
04/29/11 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
04/30/11 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
05/01/11 Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
05/02/11 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
05/04/11 Ogden Theater - Denver, CO
05/06/11 Showbox - Seattle, WA
05/07/11 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
05/08/11 The Grand Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
05/10/11 The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
05/11/11 Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
05/13/11 Trees - Dallas, TX
05/14/11 Scout Bar - Houston, TX
05/15/11 Backstage Live - San Antonio, TX
05/17/11 The Club at Firestone - Orlando, FL
05/18/11 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
05/19/11 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
05/20/11 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
05/21/11 Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
05/22/11 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA

Death Angel will embark on their first North American headlining tour in support of their new album Relentless Retribution in early 2011. Joining them will be Lazarus A.D., Early Man, Bonded By Blood and Hexen.

Vocalist Mark Osegueda commented: "We are so excited, and proud to finally be doing our first headlining tour of North America since, the now infamous, Act III tour of 1990! We have put together a line up of bands that we feel will give all the fans what they deserve! An all out blow showcasing all the best elements of thrash metal found today! Ending of course with a full headlining set by Death Angel that we promise will leave everyone feeling relentlessly and sonically ravaged! See you on the road! In the pit! And at the bar!"

Death Angel, Lazarus A.D., Early Man, Bonded By Blood and Hexen Tour Dates:

1/30/11 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
01/31/11 The Cabsbah - Charlotte, NC
02/01/11 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
02/02/11 Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
02/03/11 Rocko's - Manchester, NH
02/04/11 Club Hell - Providence, RI
02/05/11 Montage Music Hall - Rochester, NY
02/06/11 Mod Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
02/07/11 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
02/08/11 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
02/09/11 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
02/10/11 Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
02/11/11 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
02/12/11 Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
02/13/11 Numbers - Houston, TX
02/14/11 Emo's - Austin, TX
02/15/11 White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
02/16/11 Rail Club - Ft. Worth, TX
02/18/11 Club DV8 - Tucson, AZ
02/19/11 Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
02/20/11 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
02/21/11 Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
02/22/11 The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
02/23/11 Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
02/24/11 The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA
02/25/11 Lost on Main - Chico, CA
02/26/11 Slim's - San Francisco, CA

April West Coast Tour:
04/08/11 Last Day Saloon - Santa Rosa, CA
04/09/11 Dante's - Portland, OR
04/10/11 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
04/11/11 Biltmore - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
04/12/11 Dickens - Calgary, AB - CANADA
04/13/11 Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB - CANADA
04/14/11 The Exchange - Regina, SK - CANADA
04/15/11 The Osbourne Village Inn - Winnipeg, MB - CANADA
04/16/11 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
04/18/11 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
04/19/11 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
04/22/11 Ventura Theater - Ventura, CA
04/23/11 Avalon Theater - Santa Clara, CA

German thrashers destruction will be returning to North America in support of their new studio album, Day Of Reckoning, due out in the U.S. and Canada on March 8th, 2011 Openers will be Australia's Destroyer 666.

Destruction bassist/vocalist Schmier: "It feels fantastic to return to North American shores for the first time after our return to Nuclear Blast with a new album as brutal as Day Of Reckoning on our backs. This is the strongest material we have written since (2001's) The Antichrist and we are burning to present these shredding songs and introduce our new 6.6 foot tall drum animal Vaaver live! Of course, all the Destruction classics will be there; we know what our faithful fans want and we will serve them well! You will feel the force of the strongest lineup we have ever had. Experience the true power and the rigorous precision of German Thrash Metal live this spring! "

Destruction Tour Dates:
4/26/11 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC Canada
4/27/11 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
4/29/11 Oakland Metro Opera House - Oakland, CA
4/30/11 The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA
5/1/11 Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
5/3/11 Oriental Theater - Denver, CO
5/5/11 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
5/6/11 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
5/7/11 Harpo's - Detroit, MI
5/8/11 Maverick's Bar - Ottawa, ON, Canada
5/9/11 Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC, Canada
5/10/11 Bourbon Street - Baltimore, MD
5/11/11 B.B. King Blues Club & Grill - New York, NY
5/13/11 Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
5/14/11 Respuesta - Santurce, Puerto Rico
5/16/11 The Rail - Fort Worth, TX
5/17/11 Mug Shots - Austin, TX
5/18/11 Numbers - Houston, TX
5/20/11 Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
5/21/11 Angel's - Yucaipa, CA
5/22/11 Key Club - West Hollywood, CA

Legendary thrashers Sepultura will return to the U.S. for a headlining tour in April/May of 2011. Joining them will be Austria's Belphegor, Norway's Keep Of Kalessin, Poland's Hate, Montreal Canada's Neuraxis and California based thrashers Bonded By Blood. Starting May 23rd, Nevermore will replace Belphegor to finish out the tour.

"We are very happy to play once again in the US, especially after a long time away from the American and Canadian stages," commented guitarist Andreas Kisser. "We're also excited to start working with our new label Nuclear Blast. They have a rich history in the heavy music business and we are honored to have such a partner. We are currently working on a new record, that will be released together with the American dates, so it will be our first tour for the new album. Hope to see you all at the shows! We will play the whole history of the group and we're going have a blast! See you on the Sepultour 2011!"

Sepultura and Angra:
1/13/11 House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
1/14/11 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA

Sepultura, Belphegor, Hate, Keep Of Kalessin, Neuraxis and Bonded By Blood Tour Dates:
04/18/11 The Opera House - Toronto, ON - CANADA
04/19/11 Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC - CANADA
04/20/11 Club Soda - Montreal, QC - CANADA
04/22/11 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
04/23/11 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
04/24/11 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
04/25/11 The Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
04/26/11 Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
04/27/11 The Club at Firestone - Orlando, FL
04/28/11 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
04/29/11 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
05/01/11 Clicks - Tyler, TX
05/02/11 Scout Bar - Houston, TX
05/03/11 Trees - Dallas, TX
05/05/11 Jake's - Lubbock, TX
05/06/11 Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
05/07/11 The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ (w/ D.R.I.)
05/08/11 Club DV8 - Tucson, AZ (w/ D.R.I.)
05/09/11 House of Blues - San Diego, CA
05/10/11 The Knitting Factory - Reno, NV
05/11/11 The Grand Ballroom at Regency Center - San Francisco, CA
05/12/11 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
05/13/11 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
05/14/11 The Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
05/16/11 Gothic Theater - Englewood, CO
05/18/11 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
05/19/11 Reggies Rock Club - Chicago, IL
05/20/11 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
05/21/11 Montage Music Hall - Rochester, NY
05/22/11 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH

Sepultura, Nevermore, Hate, Keep Of Kalessin, Neuraxis and Bonded By Blood Tour Dates:
05/23/11 Expo Five - Louisville, KY
05/24/11 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
05/26/11 The Zoo - Winnipeg, MB - CANADA
05/27/11 The Exchange - Regina, SK - CANADA

05/28/11 Dickens - Calgary, AB - CANADA
05/29/11 Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB - CANADA
05/31/11 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC - CANADA

Iron Maiden with their crew and many tons of equipment, will once again be boarding Ed Force One in February 2011 to fly 50,000 miles round the globe on their continuing mammoth Final Frontier World Tour, playing 29 shows and visiting 26 cities in thirteen countries across 5 continents with vocalist Bruce Dickinson again in the pilot's seat. The band released The Final Frontier earlier this year.

Says Dickinson, "We were taken aback by the fantastic reaction from everyone to EF1 during the 2008/09 World Tour. As our fans all know from the "Flight 666" film, which documented the trials and tribulations we underwent in order to get the whole project literally off the ground, the end result was well worth all the effort and complex logistics we had to deal with! The band and crew enjoyed themselves so much traveling that way, it seemed only logical to set up this part of The Final Frontier tour in the same way so we could get to see as many fans as possible all over the World, only this time we're pushing the boundaries even further and going to more places Maiden has never been before... in true Frontier style!! We very much look forward to playing in Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea for the first time, as well as revisiting our fans everywhere else.

"The set list will be different to this year's tour. Of course we will play more songs from the new album and some other recent material, but we will include a healthy dose of older fan favourites as we will be playing to so many new faces who we know will want to hear those songs live for the first time. We will cram into the plane as much of the production we used this year as is physically possible, including of course Eddie, and intend to replicate the spectacular light show in as many places as we are able. All in all it promises to be a fantastic trip for everyone!! So see you all soon".

Iron Maiden Tour Dates:
2/11/11 Moscow, RUSSIA Olympiski
2/15/11 Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium
2/17/11 Jakarta, INDONESIA Stadium Utama Gelaro Bung Karno Senayan
2/20/11 Bali, INDONESIA Garuda Wisnu Kencana
2/23/11 Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Hisense Arena
2/24/11 Sydney, AUSTRALIA Entertainment Centre Thu 24 Sydney, AUSTRALIA Entertainment Centre
2/26/11 Brisbane, AUSTRALIA Showgrounds (SOUNDWAVE FEST)
2/27/11 Sydney, AUSTRALIA Eastern Creek Raceway (SOUNDWAVE FEST)
3/4/11 Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Showgrounds (SOUNDWAVE FEST)
3/5/11 Adelaide, AUSTRALIA Bonython Park (SOUNDWAVE FEST)
3/7/11 Perth, AUSTRALIA Steel Blue Oval (SOUNDWAVE FEST)
3/10/11 Seoul, KOREA Chamsil Gymnasium
3/12/11 Tokyo, JAPAN Super Arena
3/13/11 Tokyo, JAPAN Super Arena
3/17/11 Monterrey, MEXICO Banamex Theatre
3/18/11 Mexico City, MEXICO Foro Sol
3/20/11 Bogota, COLOMBIA CC Sapo
3/23/11 Lima, PERU Estadio San Marco
3/26/11 Sao Paulo, BRAZIL Morumbi Stadium
3/27/11 Rio De Janeiro, BRAZIL HSBC Arena
3/30/11 Brasilia, BRAZIL Nilson Nelson Parking Lot
4/1/11 Belem, BRAZIL Parque De Exposicoes
4/3/11 Recife, BRAZIL Parque De Exposicoes
4/5/11 Curitiba, BRAZIL Expotrade
4/8/11 Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA Velez Sarsfield
4/10/11 Santiago, CHILE Estadio Nacional
4/14/11 San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA Coliseo De Puerto Rico
4/16/11 Sunrise, Florida, USA Bank Atlantic Center
4/17/11 Tampa, Florida USA St Pete Times Forum
6/30/11-7/3/11 Roskilde, DENMARK Roskilde Festival
7/1/11 Gothenburg, SWEDEN Ullevi Stadium
7/6/11 Oslo, NORWAY Telenor
7/8/11 Helsinki, FINLAND Olympic Stadium
7/10/11 St Petersburg, RUSSIA SKK Peterburgskiy

Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan recently ruminated on what bands are considered metal and what bands are not. While speaking to UGO.com about his new album with Loaded, The Talking, McKagan weighed in on the metal question.

“See, I don’t know what is ‘heavy metal,’” he said. “I was on That Metal Show yesterday, and they were [discussing] heavy metal drummers... and they didn’t have John Bonham. ‘Well, he’s not metal.’ But then they had Bill Ward from Black Sabbath. But if heavy metal is Slipknot, it would probably be Joey [Jordison]; he’s killer.”

McKagan went on to question if Led Zeppelin could be considered metal, but removed GN’R from the metal camp.

“What else is metal? If Led Zeppelin is metal, then hands down, John Bonham. But Guns N’ Roses is not – I would say we were not a metal band,” he said. “Metal to me when I was coming up was like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. That was metal. And Motörhead wasn’t metal to me.

“I think there is – with metal purists – a definite line. I’m probably like some dumb ass poking my nose into something I don’t know much about.”

Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are collectively known as thrash’s Big Four – the cornerstones upon which the entire thrash movement is built, and the compass one uses to orient oneself when navigating the turbulent waters of that aggressive, precise, angry, powerful metal variant.

But thrash does not begin and end with those four bands. For each one of the Big Four there are dozens more who trod similar ground but never quite made the leap to superstardom. Here are the great thrash bands that came mighty close to dislodging one of the Big Four but didn’t quite get over the line.


1. Exodus

Another classic Bay Area thrash stalwart, Exodus was formed in 1980 by Kirk Hammett and Paul Baloff, with Hammett’s guitar tech Gary Holt stepping up to the co-axeman role early in the group’s history. While Hammett went on to bigger things with Metallica, Holt and Co. released the classic Bonded by Blood in 1985, and a few more albums before calling it a day after 1992’s Force Of Habit. A 2001 reunion led to several new classics, including 2010’s brutal Exhibit B: The Human Condition. Most recently, Holt was drafted into Slayer to sub for Jeff Hannemann while he recovers from surgery.


2. Sepultura

The brainchild of Brazilian brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera, Sepultura’s early lo-fi works were underground classics but the band started to shrug off the Slayer influences with Beneath the Remains in 1989. By the time Arise was released in 1991, Sepultura were poised to become the new kings of thrash, and their 1996 hit Roots was one of the few metal albums to survive the ’90s intact. Sepultura, however, did not: Max left to form Soulfly that same year, and Iggor left in 2007. The brothers reunited in the thrash-influenced Cavalera Conspiracy in 2007 and the band is preparing to release their second album, Blunt Force Trauma.


3. Annihilator

Another classic thrash band from Canada, Annihilator are led by virtuoso guitarist Jeff Waters, a huge influence on modern metal heroes Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom) and Willie Adler and Mark Morton (Lamb of God). Waters has played V-style guitars throughout almost his entire career, and currently dishes out ferocious thrash riffs on his signature Epiphone Annihilation-V guitars. Annihilator’s most recent release is a self-titled 2010 album that features a cover of Van Halen’s “Romeo Delight.”


4. Death Angel

These Bay Area thrash icons were formed in 1982 by cousins Rob Cavestany, Dennis Pepa, Gus Pepa and Andy Galeon. Right as they were poised to hit the big time with 1990's Act III, Galeon was sidelined by a traffic accident and the band were never quite able to capitalize on the buzz surrounding them. After a hiatus lasting most of the 1990s, the band returned in 2000, and their most recent thrashfest is 2010’s Relentless Retribution.


5. Bathory

Essentially a one-man band apart with occasional contributors brought in under a revolving door policy, Bathory was the creation of Quorthon, who formed the band when he was 17 years old in 1983. Bathory’s albums were typically quite lo-fi but Quorthon never let the limitations of his 4-track recording medium affect his songwriting or playing. Tragically, Quorthon passed away of heart failure aged 38 in 2004.


6. Voivod

A prog-inspired thrash outfit from Quebec, Canada, Voivod also tempered their metal with an occasional punkish edge, and were not afraid to delve into political post-apocalyptic science fiction themes in their lyrics. Although there are gems on all of the band’s albums (including those made after original guitarist Dennis “Piggy” D’Amour passed away in 2005), Nothingface (1989) and Angel Rat (1991) are held in particularly lofty regard among prog-thrash connoisseurs.


7. Overkill

Featuring the inimitable vocals of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, Overkill was at one time the musical home of future Anthrax lead guitarist Dan Spitz, and they hit the big time with The Years Of Decay in 1989. Produced by Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden, White Zombie), the album combined stellar production with complex song structures. It was followed up in 1991 with Horrorscope, which featured new guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant, who teamed up for a particularly memorable cover of Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein. The band is still active today, and their most recent release is 2010’s Ironbound.


8. Kreator

Founded in Essen, Germany, in 1982, Kreator built on the sound of early thrash influencers Venom (see honorable mentions below) and punched it up with more precision and aggression. Guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza is one of the most furious rhythm guitarists in the genre, and is no slouch when it comes to soloing either. Check out the band’s 2009 release Hordes Of Chaos or their 1989 classic Extreme Aggression.

9. Sacred Reich

These Phoenix, Arizona, thrashers were fiercely political in their lyrical approach and equally aggressive in their raw, in-your-face production. Drummer Dave McClain joined in 1991 and went on to join Machine Head in 1995, while founder Phil Rind has reconvened Wiley Arnett, Jason Rainey and Greg Hall to play occasional shows. The 1993 album Independent is an excellent entry point into the band’s particular brand of aggressive thrash.


10. Forced Entry

This Seattle-area thrash band’s sound was so ahead of its time that only now are bands like Cynic catching up. Guitarist Brad Hull was a technical monster, writing cracking riffs punctuated with staccato harmonics and a fat, warm, midrange-heavy tone in an era when everyone else scooped the mids right out. Hull was also a wild man when it came to whammy bar tricks. The band’s crowning glory is 1991’s As Above, So Below, which was reissued in 2009 after many years out-of-print.

Announced plans to release a new  "The Best Of 1990-2010" compilation album. From Fear To Eternity : The double-CD.
The band started releasing studio albums in 1980, and they seem to get more popular with time. Their most recent studio album is 2010's The Final Frontier which went One in 29 countries. In the US The Final Frontier reached its peak position of Four by selling 63,000 units in America.

Their upcoming compilation album will highlight songs from their last eight studio albums, which follows 2008's compilation of their earlier work, the 1980-1990 Somewhere Back In Time album.

The announcement of From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010 comes on the heels of Iron Maiden's first ever a Grammy Award in the Best Metal Performance category for "El Dorado" from The Final Frontier.

Even though From Fear To Eternity will be a double-disc release, it will only be sold at the price of a single album. The album will also be available as a Digital Download Album and as a Limited Edition Triple Vinyl Picture Disc.

source