Kalmah "Swamplord"

Kalmah is a melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland that formed in 1998. In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. The word "kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as "to the grave" or "to the death."

Swamplord is the first studio album by the Finnish melodic death metal band, Kalmah.

Pasi Hiltula is credited as a session musician in the liner notes, but is considered a full-time member of the band.

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed in September, 2000 at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland.

Mastered at Finnvox by Mika Jussila.

King Diamond "Give Me Your Soul...Please"

Give Me Your Soul...Please is a concept album by King Diamond released on June 26, 2007. The album's concept and cover art are both based on a painting titled "My Mother's Eyes." The black cat featured in the album is based on King's own cat, Magic.

In the July/August issue of UK metal magazine Zero Tolerance, King elaborated on the themes of the album, being a story of two dead children, murdered by their father, relating their tale to him. He stated that cases of parents killing their children and then themselves were a large influence, citing such an incident which occurred in Dallas four days before the interview took place. Coincidentally, the music video for: Give Me Your Soul was also released the day after the highly publicized Chris Benoit double murder and suicide.

At the beginning, a sister and brother are waiting in the afterlife. The brother is to go to Hell, so the sister decides to find another soul for him so that he can follow her to Heaven ("The Dead"). She takes off to a house in Neverending Hill, where King Diamond lives with his black cat, Magic ("Never Ending Hill"). The girl tries to contact him for help but she only manages to haunt him ("Is Anybody Here?", "Black Of Night"). As the darkness grows, objects are moving on their own, lights flicker ("Shapes Of Black") and the temperature drops to freezing levels ("Cold As Ice"), and haunted by the body-less ghost with only a head ("The Floating Head"). King uses black magic to contact the girl ("The Cellar", "Pictures In Red"). She reveals that her father chopped up her brother with an axe, splashing her with his blood, then choked her to death before shooting himself in the head. The "Thirteen Judges" mistakenly think that the brother committed suicide, so she needs to find a soul free of sin for him ("Give Me Your Soul"). She wants Diamond's soul but, since she finds him full of sin when she gazes at him, he pleads with her to leave and find another soul before sunrise ("The Girl In The Bloody Dress"). The girl decides to come to 'THIS house' (implying a visit at the listener's home) ("Moving On").

The track "Never Ending Hill", was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance but lost to Slayer's "Final Six." The album peaked at #174 on the Billboard 200. Also the album charted in the Finnish Charts (peaked at #25) and in the Swedish Charts (peaked at #28).

A music video was filmed for "Give Me Your Soul". Depicting King and his bandmates as ghosts, it tells the story of the girl and her brother being killed by the father. It premiered on MTV's Headbanger's Ball on Wednesday February 27, 2008.

Track listing

All songs written by King Diamond, except where noted.

1. "The Dead" 1:56
2. "Never Ending Hill" Diamond, Andy LaRocque 4:36
3. "Is Anybody Here?" 4:12
4. "Black of Night" Diamond, LaRocque 4:00
5. "Mirror, Mirror" 4:59
6. "The Cellar" Diamond, LaRocque 4:30
7. "Pictures in Red" Diamond, LaRocque 1:27
8. "Give Me Your Soul" Diamond, LaRocque 5:28
9. "The Floating Head" Diamond, LaRocque 4:46
10. "Cold as Ice" 4:29
11. "Shapes of Black" 4:22
12. "The Girl in the Bloody Dress" 5:07
13. "Moving On" 4:06

Recording information:

Recorded at Los Angered Recording, Gothenburg – Sweden, Nomad Recording Studios, Dallas, TX. – USA, Solnasound Recording, Sweden.

Mixed at King's House.

Mike Wead's guitar parts recorded at Solnasound Recording, Sweden.

Mastered at Nomad Recording Studios.

Warlock "Triumph and Agony"

Triumph and Agony is the fourth and final studio album by the German heavy metal band Warlock, released on 5 September 1987.

The album was recorded in the US with producer Joey Balin and a different band line-up in comparison with the previous album True as Steel, which had made the name of Warlock known outside of Europe. Peter Szigeti and Frank Rittel were replaced in 1987 by the American musicians Tommy Bolan and Tommy Henriksen respectively. The album also features British drummer Cozy Powell on some tracks.

The song "All We Are" received some airplay on American metal radio stations and its video clip shot by director Mark Rezyka had good rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball. Many songs of this album are still performed live by Doro's band.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Doro Pesch and Joey Balin, except where noted.

Side one

1. "All We Are" 3:19
2. "Three Minute Warning" 2:30
3. "I Rule the Ruins" 4:03
4. "Kiss of Death" (Pesch, Niko Arvanitis, Balin) 4:08
5. "Make Time for Love" 4:45

Side two

1. "East Meets West" 3:34
2. "Touch of Evil" 4:18
3. "Metal Tango" (Pesch, Arvanitis, Balin) 4:24
4. "Cold, Cold World" (Pesch, Arvanitis, Balin) 4:01
5. "Für Immer" 4:12

2011 CD edition bonus tracks

1. "East Meets West" (live) 3:45
2. "Angels with Dirty Faces" 3:58
3. "Under the Gun" (Pesch, Jon Levin, Tommy Henriksen, Balin) 3:51
4. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (Gene Simmons) 5:17

Giuffria "Silk + Steel"

Silk + Steel was the second album released by 1980s arena rock band Giuffria in 1986. It was produced by Pat Glasser, who was at the time also the producer of Giuffria's MCA labelmates Night Ranger. The band covered "I Must Be Dreaming", a Willy DeVille song that went to No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record's peak position on The Billboard 200 was No. 60 on June 21, 1986.

Track listing

All tracks by Gregg Giuffria and David Glen Eisley, except where indicated

1. "No Escape" - 5:29
2. "Love You Forever" - 4:00
3. "I Must Be Dreaming" (Willy DeVille) - 4:24 (Mink DeVille cover)
4. "Girl" - 4:29
5. "Change of Heart" - 3:35
6. "Radio" (Giuffria, Eisley, Cordola) - 4:27
7. "Heartache" - 3:48
8. "Lethal Lover" (Giuffria, Eisley, Cordola) - 4:21
9. "Tell It Like It Is" - 4:06
10. "Dirty Secrets" - 4:41

2000 remastered edition bonus track

1. "Say It Ain't True" - 3:45 (from the soundtrack of the movie Gotcha!)

Fargo "No Limit"

German hard rock band from Hannover formed in 1973. Band name changed to Victory in 1984. 

No Limit is their second album.