***HARD TO FIND PROMOTIONAL METAL RELEASE / CD COMES IN A CARDBOARD SLEEVE / CD IN NEW CONDITION / CARDBOARD SLEEVE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION (*NOTE: THE CARDBOARD SLEEVE IS CRISP BUT HAS BEEN CREASED IN 2 SPOTS) / 11 TRACKS OF WELL WRITTEN UNIQUE BLACKENED PAGAN FOLK-VIKING METAL / VERY STRONG MUSICIANSHIP AND GRIPPING STYLE / RELEASED 2007 CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS / RELEASE# CD 8319-2 / ADDITIONAL INFO: You've got a bunch of guys from Finland, singing about trolls and goblins, so what else would you call the band but Finntroll? This highly entertaining sextet has brought forth a unique style, taking a black metal base and mixing in Finnish humppa influences (humppa is a variety of polka), resulting in a sound that simply must be heard. The polka influences are subtle, but they are there for the listening, and they are quite enjoyable and fascinating to hear. Another twist -- they are all Finns, but sing entirely in Swedish. While the image and lyrics don't match, they have a bit in common with Viking metal, as they are both feature predominant keyboards and a similar rousing approach to their stongs. Their albums are short, quick and to the point, and just plain fun to listen to. A great band. Sadly, misfortune has plagued the band since the release of their second album, starting with the forced retirement of vocalist Katla due to a worsening throat condition, and ending with the tragic death of founding guitarist Somnium. Eventually the band regrouped, drafting replacments for both members, and in 2004 released their new album Nattfodd, preceded by the Trollhammaren EP. Thankfully, the core Finntroll sound remains intact, as the band is as manic as ever on Nattfodd. ***

***HARD TO FIND PROMOTIONAL METAL RELEASE / CD COMES IN A CARDBOARD SLEEVE / CD AND SLEEVE IN LIKE-NEW CONDITION / 11 TRACKS OF UP TEMPO STONER ROCK-METAL / EXCELLENT MUSICIANSHIP AND STRONG GROUP VOCALS / RELEASED 2007 CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS / RELEASE# CD 8335-2 / ADDITIONAL INFO: Fu Manchu was once referred to as "the band for those who miss Kyuss". Though not entirely inaccurate (No One Rides For Free, the band's debut, sounds a bit like Kyuss' debut, Wretch), labelling the band as a Kyuss clone does not do them justice. Fu Manchu do have a 70's stoner groove influence, but their songs are more straightforward and lack the drawn-out psychedelics of the later Kyuss albums. Having survived a major split early in their career (two of the foursome left to form the similarly-styled Nebula in 1997), they've retained their popularity and remain a prime stoner rock band. NOT IN STOCK

***HARD TO FIND PROMOTIONAL METAL RELEASE WITH BONUS VIDEO CLIP / CD COMES IN A CARDBOARD SLEEVE / CD AND SLEEVE IN LIKE-NEW CONDITION / 11 TRACKS OF WELL WRITTEN SPEEDY MELODIC POWER METAL FROM THIS GREEK BAND / CD INCLUDES "FALLING TO PIECES" VIDEO CLIP AND FIREWIND DOCUMENTARY / VERY STRONG MUSICIANSHIP, INTENSE GUITAR-WORK FROM FRET WIZARD GUS G., GOOD USE OF SYNTHS AND FORCEFULLY STRONG VOCALS / RELEASED 2006 CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS / RELEASE# CD 8321-2 / ADDITIONAL INFO: Firewind is a band where the line between "band" and "project" is rather gray. This band highlights the guitar wizardry of Greek wunderkind Gus G. (also in Dream Evil), and originally also featured vocalist Stephen Fredrick, late of another Leviathan project, Kenziner. With a name like Firewind and song titles like "I Will Fight Alone" and "Warrior", one might guess this is a power metal band, and one would be quite correct in doing so. Though this is the kind of metal that's much more popular in Europe than America, Between Heaven And Hell foregoes the more upbeat Euro happy power metal style in favor of a more aggressive approach, though one still firmly rooted in traditional 80's power metal. As such, this is an accomplished record yet not one to surprise the listener very often (though the cover of the Scorpions' track "Pictured Life" is a nice touch) -- no, this is solid, expertly crafted heavy metal, with Gus G's flashy guitarwork frequently highlighted and well complemented by Stephen Fredrick's forceful vocals. Firewind is quite recommended for pure, traditional American power metal fans.*** NOT IN STOCK