Mentalist – Earthbreaker
product: Mentalist – Earthbreakerrelease date: 11.04.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world Hardly any other new band has been able to stir up as much dust in the power metal scene in recent years with their first three albums as the Saarbrücken and Stockholm-based formation MENTALIST! After the huge success of their debut “Freedom Of Speech” (2020), the group, consisting of Peter Moog (guitars), Thomen Stauch (drums, ex BLIND GUARDIAN), Kai Stringer (guitars) and exceptional vocalist Rob Lundgren (vocals), only narrowly missed the German Media Control album charts with their 2021 album “A Journey Into The Unknown” (trend charts: 63rd place)! On iTunes, MENTALIST achieved an impressive #2 as the highest position in the metal charts; in the Facebook group “Power Metal” with more than 110K followers, “A Journey Into The Unknown” was voted the best power metal album of 2021. “Empires Falling” (2023) easily topped its predecessor with a long overdue placement in the official German charts and a subsequent German tour in late fall of the same year. The fourth album, entitled “Earthbreaker”, is a little heavier than its predecessors. Even more speed, even heavier riffs and epic moments characterize this melodic masterpiece! Both guitarists Kai Stringer and Peter Moog embellish the compositions in an enchanting way with their virtuoso guitar playing. The intensity of the hooklines and the vocals give you goose bumps. Thomen’s drumming magnetizes with an animalistic impulse. With Oliver Palotai (Kamelot) and Mike LePond (Symphony X), MENTALIST once again received active support on keyboards and bass. Andreas Marschall (Blind Guardian, Running Wild, among others) was once again enlisted to design the artwork, while Bulgarian Dann Valentino was responsible for mixing and mastering. Track list:1. Intro2. Earthbreaker3.March On Legionnaire4. Event Horizon5. Millions Of Heroes6. Lord Of A Wasteland7. All For One8. Mistress Of Pain9. Monkey King10. Together As One11. A New World
JAR – In Truth We Trust
Pride & Joy Music Classixx Vol. 17Ltd. to 500 copies product: JAR – „In Truth We Trustrelease date: 25.04.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: Shop Exclusive Every album has a story, and In Truth We Trust is the only complete album that captures the magic of Ray Alex’s extraordinary and unique voice. Originally released on cassette in 1993, this melodic rock masterpiece—steeped in the classic 80’s AOR rock style! Ray Alex, best known for his powerful vocals, carried the creative spirit of NEPTUNE into In Truth We Trust. Alongside Anders Olsson and Tosh Ason, who not only wrote most of the tracks but also recorded and mixed the album in their own studio, Unicorn Studio. Combining cutting-edge recording techniques at the time with heartfelt storytelling, they delivered a timeless blend of rock anthems and ballads that perfectly capture the golden era of AOR. Tragically, Ray Alex passed away in 2019, but his incredible voice—likened to John Lawton and Elvis Presley—lives on in every note of this album. This re-release isn’t just music; it’s a tribute to Ray’s artistry, the craftsmanship of Anders and Tosh, and the enduring legacy of melodic rock. Rediscover or experience it for the first time, and let In Truth We Trust take you back to where it all began. “In Truth We Trust” will be released on Pride & Joy Music Classixx (Vol.17), and is limited to 500 copies only and with a new artwork. As usual, the Classixx series is only available via shop.prideandjoy.de Track list:1. in truth we trust2. Rain3. grown up in a city4. hold on5. Seriously6. love is a stranger7. Cowboy8. Dreamland9. Rosalie10. hold you in my arms11. tears
Prost – Believe Again
product: Prost – Believe Againrelease date: 25.04.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world PROST is an international project led by Antoine Prost, a passionate guitarist for over 40 years. His influences are diverse, ranging from hard rock to classical music by Bach and Vivaldi. Over time, he has listened bands like MSG, UFO, Night Ranger or Whitesnake, and more recently, Revolution Saints, Degreed, and Brother Firetribe, while also drawing inspiration from the guitar virtuosos of Shrapnel Records, such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert or George Bellas. It wasn’t until 2023 that the PROST Melodic Rock band was born. The decisive encounter with Manos Fatsis, known for his collaborations with City of Lights and Odyssey Desperado, marked a major turning point. An instant chemistry was formed between the two artists: Antoine composed the music while Manos wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies. Alongside with them, Greg Aubert, a longtime friend of Antoine, joined the band on bass, and Mats Eriksson, drummer of Degreed, brought a solid and inspired rhythm section. The result? A powerful and intense Melodic Rock album, blending sharp riffs, virtuosic solos, captivating harmonies, and immersive synth layers. With mixing and mastering handled by Mats Eriksson, the album radiates a modern and impactful energy. Tracks like „Lone Survivor“ ,„Believe Again“, „Summer Days“ and „Road of Tomorrow“ capture the essence of the ’80s with their synthetic soundscapes. Others, such as „Cold & Fire“ and „Hearts & Dreams“ delve into a more epic atmosphere. More introspective songs like „Through The Nights“ and „Flame of Hope“ reveal a poignant sensitivity, while „Standing On The Edge“ ,„Comfort Zone“ and „Never Let You Go“ embody a dynamic and engaging US hard rock style. „Believe Again“ is an album crafted for hard rock enthusiasts, seamlessly blending nostalgia with modernity The band is :Antoine Prost – Guitar , KeyboardsManos Fatsis – VocalsGreg Aubert – BassMats Eriksson – Drums Produced by Antoine ProstMusic by Antoine ProstLyrics by Manos FatsisMixed & mastered by Mats ErikssonArtwork & Layout by Antoine Prost Official Website:prosthardrockband.com Track list:1. Lone Survivor2. Believe Again3. Comfort Zone4. Never Let You Go5. Through The Nights6. Hearts & Dreams7. Summer Days8. Road Of Tomorrow9. Cold & Fire10. Standing On The Edge11. Flame Of Hope
Alien – When Yesterday Comes Around
product: Alien – When Yesterday Comes Aroundrelease date: 21.03.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world Alien is a Swedish rock band that has been a cornerstone of the hard rock scene since 1986, known for their melodic hooks, powerful guitar riffs, and the unmistakable voice of Jim Jidhed. Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, the band quickly gained recognition both domestically and internationally, building a legacy of powerful albums and unforgettable live shows. Alien’s self-titled debut album, released in 1988, introduced their melodic hard rock style to the world establishing Alien as one of the standout bands of the late 80s hard rock scene. „Only One Woman,“ one of Alien’s most iconic songs which currently has almost 6 million streams on Spotify alone, became a massive hit and achieved gold certification in Sweden and dominated Swedish radio charts. The song also performed well internationally, receiving heavy rotation on radio stations in Europe, the US and Japan pushing the band higher into the global spotlight. Since then, the band has released several albums, the most recent one, ”Into the future” in 2020, which acclaimed positive reviews for its modern approach to the band’s established style, while still staying true to their melodic rock roots. 2025 marks a comeback with a brand new album coming out. With their new album ”When Yesterday Comes Around” the band takes you back to a glorious time, but with a modern sound. Alien will also play at Sweden Rock Festival on the 4th of June and will also embark on an South American tour in the fall. With a career spanning over three decades, the band continues to evolve and remain a vital force in rock music and the music continues to resonate with fans old and new. With a loyal fan base, a history of chart-topping hits and a reputation for delivering high-quality performances the band continues to tour worldwide and perform at major festivals and clubs. Their signature sound, a distinctive blend of melodic hard rock and AOR, has earned them a place among Sweden’s most enduring and beloved rock acts. Line-up: Jim Jidhed – Vocals, Tony Borg – Guitars, Toby Tarrach – Drums Track list:1. In The End We Fall2. If Love Is War3. Aming High4. Strange Way5. We Are Living6. I Belong7. I Remember8. Signs9. Fall In My Arms10. Coming Home11. Hearts On Fire12. When Yesterday Comes Around13. Awareness (Outro) https://www.facebook.com/Alien.Sweden
Heart Line – Falling Heaven
product: Heart Line – Falling Heavenrelease date: 21.03.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world Heart Line is back! French AOR/Melodic Rock band Heart Line is back with the third album “Falling Heaven”. With this opus, the group once again confirms its ability to renew itself while remaining as melodic as ever. Sometimes more powerful (We rule the night, Fire in the sky, God has a plan) than its predecessors, this album still is also full of AOR gems (Silent Dreamers, Love song, You crossed the line). Always inspired by the 80’s, with these 12 new tracks the French quintet shows us once again that they are one of the very best groups of the genre. « Falling Heaven » will be released on Pride & Joy Music on March 31st, 2025. Produced by Yvan Guillevic Mastering by Brett Caldas Lima (Tower Studio) Artwork & graphics by Stan W Decker Line up:Yvan Guillevic: GuitarsEmmanuel Creis: VocalsJorris Guilbaud: KeyboardsDominique Braud: BassWalter Français: Drums Track list:1. Fire In The Sky2. God has a plan3. Everytime you smile4. Falling Heaven5. Liar6. You crossed the line7. Silent dreamers8. We rule the night9. I don’t want to live without you10. Wake up11. Love song12. Broken Heart
Sacred Season – No Man’s Land
No Man’s Land (Pride & Joy Music Classixx Vol. 16) product: Sacred Season – No Man’s Landrelease date: 28.02.2025format: CDterritory: Shop Exclusive LINER NOTES Sacred Season? That’s fine melodic rock from Germany. The band from Raisdorf near Kiel in Northern Germany is actually part of the very first Wacken Open Air in 1990. Sacred Season is founded by Marco Schultz (v/g) and Oliver Kukla (d) in 1986 playing in a garage and soon after realizing that bass and keyboards are pretty crucial to their very sound. Thomas Rohwedder and Björn Gust, both on keys, join the ranks. Rohwedder leaves soon after. Little later, Wulf Rathke (b) is on board and the band puts out two demos, “Sacred Season“ (1988) and “Taste Of Paradise“ (1990) with four tracks each, on cassette, both selling 500 copies locally within a year. History sees them playing some small gigs around their hometown of Kiel and the band feels more and more that the time is right for a proper album. An offer by a German major record company is rejected due to their demand to firstly sing German and secondly to replace all musicians except Schultz. Well…friends don’t do that. 1990 sees the band playing some memorable shows, one of which takes places in the course of the reunification celebrations in October 1990 in front of 10.000 people and another one is Wacken Open Air which even sees the four-piece returning in 2014 to celebrate 25 years of Wacken Open Air Festival. Schultz’ father is responsible for the booking back then and by chance sees a flyer of a new festival in the little village of Wacken. He calls them and…they play. They do so under the mis-spelled name of Sacret Season on the festival posters, though. 25 years later that mistake is corrected and to the band’s sheer surprise, their AOR and melodic sounds are well-received by thousands of fans and even a Sacred Season “Meet & Greet“ takes place. “We were not sure who we would meet but the organizers quickly explained“, laughs Schultz. But back to 1990: Several sold-out shows in their hometown of Kiel take place, too, at the time. Then Sven „Willy“ Wilking (d) joins the band replacing Kukla, who joins the Kiel-based hard rock outfit Zötl. Wilking adds some more commercial sounds to the four-piece. The following two years sees several successful talent competition participations like “John Lennon Talent-Award“ or “Yamaha Band Explosion“ and some more which ended up in Sacred Season performing in several TV-Shows like e.g. „Hut Ab!“ with a blistering version of the track “Voices“. “It should have been on the first record but the producers changed too much and we could not stand it anymore, so it was left out of the debut“, Rathke remembers. Nevertheless, this track has always been an absolute fan favorite. In 1993, Gust leaves the band due to personal reasons and Christian Meier is the new keyboarder. Rathke and Meier know each other from school. Meier is crucial in the upcoming recording processes as he co-produces the songs and does everything from mix to master. “Christian joined our ranks and was instantly willing to pay his share to record the first album“, states Schultz. The production of the first CD demands an investment of 10.000 German Mark to which each member equally contributes. The CDs sell fast and even a small amount of money is left to record songs for the second album. In some of the songs Udo Dahmen and Benjamin Hüllenkremer, both ex-members of LAKE, take part in the production process. The year 1994 is a pretty defining one for the band as the debut album comes out, accompanied by more shows and by now the four-piece is nothing but a well-established live act. “Sacred Season“ with its rather dark artwork, which is inspired by Dream Theater’s “Images & Words“, one of the band members’ favorite album at the time, is a rare gem of German melodic rock. Tracks like “Change Your Heart“, “I Won’t Forget“ or “Childhunter“ easily still stand the test of time. In-between the two albums, Sacred Season puts out an EP called “So Much“ as part of a charity project comprised of four tracks from the two albums, two of them unreleased back then. The second album “No Man’s Land“ (1998) is a bit tough in the making as the band thinks the best songs have been used for the debut. Nevertheless, a few “leftovers“ are taken and refurbished as well as new material is written after the release of “Sacred Season“. The sound is slighty better or let’s say it’s more mature and finally even “Voices“ is on board. “Times were totally different back then because of the fact that, even though the studio, we worked in, took in new equipment back then, everything was still not digital like nowadays“, Meier explains. The artwork of “No Man’s Land“ is done by Oliver Wilking, brother of Willy. By the way, both albums arouse a considerable amount of interest in Japan, too, spreading the word about the German band on the other side of the world but a stock market crash at the time and last but not least modern rock already lurking around the corner end the dream of making Sacred Season big in a commercial way by giving them a record deal. “We always knew about being quite late with our sound“, the band members admit. „A song like ‘Voices‘ would have worked on radio end of the eighties, for sure.“ In the meantime, the band is a regular guest on many local festivals and stages throughout the country, establishing a great reputation as a fine live act playing their AOR and melodic rock sound. And they do so when basically no one else does. Times indeed are rough for polished, keyboard-driven AOR and partly high-pitched vocals end of the Nineties… There is no decision to end the band but soon after “No Man’s Land“, the members in Sacred Season happen
Sacred Season – Sacred Season
Sacred Season (Pride & Joy Music Classixx Vol. 15) product: Sacred Season – Sacred Seasonrelease date: 28.02.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: Shop Exclusive LINER NOTES Sacred Season? That’s fine melodic rock from Germany. The band from Raisdorf near Kiel in Northern Germany is actually part of the very first Wacken Open Air in 1990. Sacred Season is founded by Marco Schultz (v/g) and Oliver Kukla (d) in 1986 playing in a garage and soon after realizing that bass and keyboards are pretty crucial to their very sound. Thomas Rohwedder and Björn Gust, both on keys, join the ranks. Rohwedder leaves soon after. Little later, Wulf Rathke (b) is on board and the band puts out two demos, “Sacred Season“ (1988) and “Taste Of Paradise“ (1990) with four tracks each, on cassette, both selling 500 copies locally within a year. History sees them playing some small gigs around their hometown of Kiel and the band feels more and more that the time is right for a proper album. An offer by a German major record company is rejected due to their demand to firstly sing German and secondly to replace all musicians except Schultz. Well…friends don’t do that. 1990 sees the band playing some memorable shows, one of which takes places in the course of the reunification celebrations in October 1990 in front of 10.000 people and another one is Wacken Open Air which even sees the four-piece returning in 2014 to celebrate 25 years of Wacken Open Air Festival. Schultz’ father is responsible for the booking back then and by chance sees a flyer of a new festival in the little village of Wacken. He calls them and…they play. They do so under the mis-spelled name of Sacret Season on the festival posters, though. 25 years later that mistake is corrected and to the band’s sheer surprise, their AOR and melodic sounds are well-received by thousands of fans and even a Sacred Season “Meet & Greet“ takes place. “We were not sure who we would meet but the organizers quickly explained“, laughs Schultz. But back to 1990: Several sold-out shows in their hometown of Kiel take place, too, at the time. Then Sven „Willy“ Wilking (d) joins the band replacing Kukla, who joins the Kiel-based hard rock outfit Zötl. Wilking adds some more commercial sounds to the four-piece. The following two years sees several successful talent competition participations like “John Lennon Talent-Award“ or “Yamaha Band Explosion“ and some more which ended up in Sacred Season performing in several TV-Shows like e.g. „Hut Ab!“ with a blistering version of the track “Voices“. “It should have been on the first record but the producers changed too much and we could not stand it anymore, so it was left out of the debut“, Rathke remembers. Nevertheless, this track has always been an absolute fan favorite. In 1993, Gust leaves the band due to personal reasons and Christian Meier is the new keyboarder. Rathke and Meier know each other from school. Meier is crucial in the upcoming recording processes as he co-produces the songs and does everything from mix to master. “Christian joined our ranks and was instantly willing to pay his share to record the first album“, states Schultz. The production of the first CD demands an investment of 10.000 German Mark to which each member equally contributes. The CDs sell fast and even a small amount of money is left to record songs for the second album. In some of the songs Udo Dahmen and Benjamin Hüllenkremer, both ex-members of LAKE, take part in the production process. The year 1994 is a pretty defining one for the band as the debut album comes out, accompanied by more shows and by now the four-piece is nothing but a well-established live act. “Sacred Season“ with its rather dark artwork, which is inspired by Dream Theater’s “Images & Words“, one of the band members’ favorite album at the time, is a rare gem of German melodic rock. Tracks like “Change Your Heart“, “I Won’t Forget“ or “Childhunter“ easily still stand the test of time. In-between the two albums, Sacred Season puts out an EP called “So Much“ as part of a charity project comprised of four tracks from the two albums, two of them unreleased back then. The second album “No Man’s Land“ (1998) is a bit tough in the making as the band thinks the best songs have been used for the debut. Nevertheless, a few “leftovers“ are taken and refurbished as well as new material is written after the release of “Sacred Season“. The sound is slighty better or let’s say it’s more mature and finally even “Voices“ is on board. “Times were totally different back then because of the fact that, even though the studio, we worked in, took in new equipment back then, everything was still not digital like nowadays“, Meier explains. The artwork of “No Man’s Land“ is done by Oliver Wilking, brother of Willy. By the way, both albums arouse a considerable amount of interest in Japan, too, spreading the word about the German band on the other side of the world but a stock market crash at the time and last but not least modern rock already lurking around the corner end the dream of making Sacred Season big in a commercial way by giving them a record deal. “We always knew about being quite late with our sound“, the band members admit. „A song like ‘Voices‘ would have worked on radio end of the eighties, for sure.“ In the meantime, the band is a regular guest on many local festivals and stages throughout the country, establishing a great reputation as a fine live act playing their AOR and melodic rock sound. And they do so when basically no one else does. Times indeed are rough for polished, keyboard-driven AOR and partly high-pitched vocals end of the Nineties… There is no decision to end the band but soon after “No Man’s Land“, the members in Sacred Season happen
Heaven’s Reign – Northern Lights
product: Heaven’s Reign – Northern Lightsrelease date: 28.02.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world Heaven’s Reign are a powerhouse of classic rock energy, hailing from the UK and deeply inspired by the golden era of rock and roll. The band features three founding members of Rollin Thunder (Rik Cayton, Ian Lynan, Ste Birch), Faster than Bulls (Ricky Moss) & Sketcher/Deep Cellar (Gaz Birch) Collectively the band shared stages with legends like Bryan Adams, Blue Öyster Cult & UFO. Cementing their reputation for high-energy, electrifying shows. They’ve also been featured on major radio stations like BBC Radio One and highlighted in renowned publications such as Total & Classic Rock magazine. Their upcoming album, Northern Lights, captures the band’s raw energy, featuring songs like „City Sights“ and „Listen to Your Heart.“ With powerful riffs, infectious rhythms, and lyrics that celebrate freedom, live music, and the thrill of the weekend, the album promises to be a rock anthem for the ages. The title track and “Here We Go Again” will be released as singles in advance. Recorded at RT Studios & Inspire studios. UK. Mixing, mastering, and programming by Dražen Kecman from Cirith Ungol Studio Bosnia And Herzegovina. Track list:1. City Sights2. Here We Go Again3. Fire In My Blood4. Lady Of The Night5. Born To Fly6. Northern Lights7. Listen To Your Heart8. Bad Boys9. The Good Die Young10. Never Again https://www.facebook.com/heavensreignuk
Trishula – Becoming The Enemy
product: Trishula – Becoming The Enemyrelease date: 24.01.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world UK guitarist and songwriter Neil Fraser previously has worked/recorded with the likes of TEN, Rage of Angels/Ged Rylands (Tyketto), Tony Mills (TNT, SHY). Trishula started out as Neil’s solo project back in 2015. Fraser had previously worked with Welsh vocalist Jason Morgan in the band Rage of Angels, so Jason was Neil’s first choice for lead vocal duties when it came to assembling the band members for Trishula. It took another 4 years of song writing from 2015 before the debut album ‘Scared to breathe’ was released in 2019. Whilst recording the debut, the UK based group were joined by Neil’s long-time friend and MAGNUM keyboard player Rick Benton and bass player Dan Clark from the Rebecca Downes Band. One year after the release of the debut, Trishula released their second album ‘Time waits for no man’ in 2020. It was at this point that Neil Ogden (DEMON) became their new drummer. A third album, ‘We all fall down’, was released in 2022. The brand new fourth CD is titled ‘Becoming the enemy’ and the first one to be released on the band’s new label Pride & Joy Music. Recorded at: Farmyard Studios, Resonance Music College, Loud Noises ProductionProduced, Mixed & Mastered by: Sheena SearAlbum cover artwork by: Alina SliwinskaCD Booklet design by: Ingo Ertl Line up: Neil Fraser: Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals; Jason Morgan: Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals; Rick Benton: Keyboards; Dan Clark: Bass Guitar; Neil Ogden: Drums. Track list:1. Wardance (Long live the rising)2. Will heaven ever give us what we need3. When I gave you everything4. The walls of Eden5. The long goodbye6. You’re my detonation7. Here comes the night8. Wait for a minute9. Down down down10. Hold my hand Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neilfraserguitarist
Mikael Erlandsson – The Second 1
product: Mikael Erlandsson – The Second 1release date: 24.01.2025format: CD & digitalterritory: world Mikael Erlandsson has spanned a long career in the music business and today is a household name when it comes to quality Melodic Rock. Erlandsson was the frontman of the super group Secret Service for 12 years singing their smash hits ”Oh Susie” and ”10 o’clock Postman“ in packed arenas all over the world. The world class singer also released albums with Phenomena, Radioactive, Sapphire Eyes, Heartbreak Radio, Salute, Love Under Cover amongst others but is best known for his work with his own bands ”Last Autumns Dream” (14 albums) and ”Autumn’s Child” (5 albums so far). Autumn’s Child will return with a new release in 2026. Additionally to this, Erlandsson also appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest finals for Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Latvia. The Swedish artist has had a successful solo career as well, which started started with his smash debut album ”The 1”in 1994 that sold enormous copies over the world. Erlandsson to this day released 6 solo albums and now returns with a new one entitled ”The Second 1”. The title is of course aspiring to the fact that it is exactly 30 years since his first soloalbum ”The 1”. Therefore the Swede recorded the real follow-up to his first solo album in the same feel of ”The 1” capturing his own unique style of songwriting. This time, he teamed up with producer Mats M.P. Persson (Roxette) for the mixing & mastering – just as it was for his solo debut 30 years ago! Keyboards & all vocals – Mikael ErlandssonGuitars – Rasmus Ehrnborn & Mikael Erlandsson Drums – Richard JohnssonBass – Mats Mp Persson & Martin Olsson Track list:1. Evil Eye2. Call My Name3. Ricochet4. Paper Moon5. CircusFlamenco In The Snow7. Bug8. C’est La Vie9. Put Some Love In The World10. Knocking On A Broken Heart11. Geronimo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikael.erlandsson1