2015

Rammstein: Sehnsucht (Rem) [Gatefold / 2 Vinyl LP]

WASP: Golgotha [Gatefold / 2 Vinyl LP]

Pantera: The complete studio albums 1990-2000 [5 CD]

DIGIPAK

180 gram vinyl.<br/><br/>Legendary British heavy metal quintet's 21st studio album boasts a clinically 'heavy' echo of their glorious NWOBHM sound, who never dealt in half-truths or incomplete missions. With previous album Sacrifice they filled your heads with heavy metal thunder, and now Saxon want nothing more than to crush them with their very own, hand-crafted, not-safe-for-children brand new album, Battering Ram. Not. A. Problem. <br/><br/>With Biff Byford singing as well as he ever has, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt making full use of the term 'shredding' with their guitars and the lock-steady rhythm of Nibbs Carter's bass and Nigel Glockler's drums, the future and the past crash together in an ear-scintillatingly engaging, raucous, melodic-yet-classically heavy ten songs collection which will instantly be hailed as a Saxon classic. The title track, with its delectable twin guitar assault heralding the album's commencement, gives the listener an instant crack around the chops, whilst traditionalists will be delighted to hear such a perfect marriage of old, classic Saxon with the newer, fresher invective in such riff-fronted fare as "Destroyer" and "Stand Your Ground", but there are still moments of space and exploration which fans will love. <br/><br/>"This one's a natural progression from Sacrifice," says Byford, "There's a bit less rock'n'roll and a bit more 'heavy' on it. We wanted to keep focused on a style rather than moving around too much."<br/><br/>Produced by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Testament, Exodus Accept) at his Backstage Recording Studios in rural Derbyshire, Saxon were able to hone in and whittle down any excess, finding the sonic space and balance to let Battering Ram's riffs and melodies get the necessary space to scream front and centre.

Scorpions: Love at first sting 1984 (Deluxe/Rem) [Digipack / 2 CD + DVD]

180 gram audiophile vinyl<br/>Insert<br/><br/>The Final Countdown is the third studio album by the Swedish hard rock band Europe, and one of the most glorious launches in history. Released in 1986, the album was a huge commercial success selling over 3 million units in the United States alone, peaking at number 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and reaching high positions in charts worldwide.<br/><br/>Recorded at Powerplay Studios in Zürich, Switzerland, the band worked with American producer Kevin Elson, who had worked with bands like Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Rock The Night" and "Ninja" premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow tour in 1984. Five singles were released from the album: "The Final Countdown," "Love Chaser," "Rock the Night," "Carrie," and "Cherokee."<br/><br/>The song "The Final Countdown" was based on an old keyboard riff that Tempest had composed as early as 1981-82, on a Korg Polysix keyboard he had borrowed from Michaeli. In 1985 bassist John Levén suggested that Tempest should write a song based on that riff. The rest is Pop history.