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• Paleface Swiss – Cursed [January 3]
• Ex Deo – Year of the Four Emperors (EP) [January 10]
• The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard [January 10]
• Oni – Genesis (EP) [January 24]
• Obscura – A Sonication [February 7]
• Bleeding Through – Nine [February 14]
• Killswitch Engage – This Consequence [February 21]
• Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between [February 28]
• Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty [March 28]
• Memphis May Fire – Shapeshifter [March 28]
• Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been [April 25]
• Bury Tomorrow – Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience [May 16]

• Stick to Your Guns – Keep Planting Flowers [January 10]

• Dark Fortress – Anthems from Beyond the Grave (live album) [January 17]
• Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth [January 24]

• Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead [January 24]
• Pentagram – Lightning in a Bottle [January 31]
• Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression [February 14]
• Nightstalker – Return from the Point of No Return [March 14]

• Labyrinth – In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye [January 24]
• Majestica – Power Train [February 7]
• Dynazty – Game of Faces [February 14]
• Lacuna Coil – Sleepless Empire [February 14]
• Nachtblut – Todschick [February 21]
• Avantasia – Here Be Dragons [February 28]
• Brainstorm – Plague of Rats [February 28]
• Crematory – Destination [May 2]
• Primal Fear – Domination [September 5]

• Thomas Erak – (AU) [January 31]
• Dream Theater – Parasomnia [February 7]
• Jinjer – Duél [February 7]
• Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis Act III: The Father of Make Believe [March 14]

1. The Gods Made Heavy Metal
That was the first song I’ve ever heard for Manowar. It’s from their ninth album Louder Than Hell and it totally blew my mind how dedicated these guys are. They even made a badass heavy metal song about the time when the “Gods” made heavy metal and saw that it was good, so they said to play it louder than hell and Manowar promised that they would.

2. Hail and Kill
From the epic album Kings of Metal. The melodic intro with Eric Adams’ vocals will give you instant goose bumps. Close your eyes while listening to it till “….hold your head up high”, then you’ll suddenly feel like hailing the king and raiding villages!

3. Die For Metal

“They can’t stop us let ‘em try, for heavy metal we will die”

The Metal Anthem is the name a lot of people call this song. Taken from the Gods of War album, a pure heavy metal song with Manowar’s signature. It’s about a man who quits his job because he needs metal in his life like an eagle needs to fly. Well we all wish that we have his devotion…and a bank account for sure!

4. Courage
This is one of their most powerful ballads. A song about courage and how you can win your battles side by side with the ones you love. It was demoed and played live 10 years before its official release in the Louder than Hell album.

5. Heart of Steel
One of the most touching, motivating lyrics I’ve ever listened to. It’s taken from the album Kings of Metal.

“Stand and fight, Live by your heart, always one more try, I’m not afraid to die”
“Stand and fight, say what you feel, born with a heart of steel”

6. Fighting the World

“Fighting the world every single day, fighting the world for the right to play heavy metal”
“Now people keep on asking if we’re going to change I look ‘em in the eye tell ‘em no way”

Maybe because of such heavy riffs, lyrics and attitude, the album was named after this song. It gives a good example of what’s Manowar are all about.

7. Manowar
This one is taken from their first album Battle Hymns, it sums up what Manowar and their fans are all about. Joey Demaio’s galloping bass line and Eric Adams’ singing will assure you that Manowar were born to live forever more with the right to conquer every soul!

8. Swords in the Wind
A classic Viking inspired song from Warriors of the World. It gives a brief and inspiring idea about the warriors’ battle rituals, and their courage in facing their enemies.

9. Defender
The narrative intro and Eric’s powerful voice singing “Father, father, father I look up to you” makes this one of their very special songs on Fighting the World. I’d recommend listening to it with good headphones.

10. Metal Warriors
Another classic – Heavy metal is the best and if you don’t like it, die – Manowar song. This is one of the heaviest songs on The Triumph of Steel, stating the heavy metal fans’ creed and unity against what we call “False metal”.

Written by: Hazem Mahani of I Wanna Rock Online Show
Edited by: NJ Bakr

1. Richard Wagner

Sorry guys! But Wagner beat them all indeed! Currently, most of the researches and rock historians call him “Father of Metal Music”. Well, we do not have much to say, check this out…

Bands like: Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Manowar, Savatage, Therion, Glenn Danzig, Apocalyptica, Dimmu Borgir and Rammstein.

2. Ludwig van Beethoven

He is awesome of course! And we all have seen many tributes done by many artists and bands, such as: Yngwie Malmsteen,The Great Kat,Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rahowa, Rainbow, Quartz, Apocalyptica, Accept, Theatres des Vampires, Necrophagist, Tourniquet, Lacuna Coil, Viper, Kevin James LaBrie, Dragonland, Dark Moor, Serenity, Eddie Van Halen, Michał Jelonek, Muse, Iris, and many others.

3. Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach is known with his various compositions for organ, orchestral, chamber music, choral, and many other works. He was a big influential for many rock and metal musicians such as Richie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sebastian Bach,Rahowa, Suspyre, and Randy Rhoads. In addition to that, Bach was one of the inspirations in Symphony X’s third album The Divine Wings of Tragedy. 

 

4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The influence of all! He has been an influence and a mentor for many great composers like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Besides that he has a huge impact over heavy metal and rock artists, bands and artists whom tribute and were influenced by his works are: Accept, Savatage, Therion, Evanescence, Scatterbrain (Thrash band), Simone Simons from Epica, Amy Lee, Extreme, Rahowa, Tarja Turunen, Suspyre, and George Lynch.

5. Antonio Vivaldi

The master of the Four Seasons! He got many rock and metal inspired bands and artists like: Children Of Bodom, Dark Moor, Ritchie Blackmore, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Uli Jon Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Douglas R. Docker, Richard Andersson, Extreme and Yngwie Malmsteen.

6. Igor Stravinsky

Stravinsky (also Strawinsky) is a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. His works were influenced bands and artists like: YES, Devin Townsend and Merlin.

7. Pyotr Tchaikovsky

The famous Russian composer had many tributes from many artists around the world. Many rock/metal artists and bands were inspired by his works, such as: Accept, Muse, Emerson Burton from HIM, Jonny Maudling, X Japan, Dark Moor and The Move.

8. Gustavus Theodore von Holst

Holst is a famous English composer, arranger and instructor. He has a big influence on Black Sabbath, Diamond Head, Nile, Symphony X, King Crimson and Led Zeppelin.

9. Niccolò Paganini

This Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer had a big influence on artists like: Timo Tolkki, Richard Andersson, Michael Romeo, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, The Great Kat. The influence has also reached bands like: Angra (Brazilian power metal band), Ulytau (Folk metal band from Kazakhstan), Spelled Moon (American Heavy Metal) and Venturia (French progressive metal band)

10. Béla Bartók

Bartók is a Hungarian composer and pianist. Artists and bands who got inspired by him are: Voivod, Roger Miller and Jeff Buckley.

Edited by: Duha Moussa

Regardless, we will have another list for that; but for now, let’s discover more about people who really helped in modern music development, and worked with international artists and bands that we know and adore their hits. However, 50% of their success returns to their producers. Let’s know those music market masters…

Jimmy Page

Many people know him as the lead guitarist of the legendary classic rock band Led Zeppelin. Actually, the reason that Page created the band was his love to record production as well as putting new recording techniques, which became his legacy that was followed by music makers afterwards. Page spent hours and hours in the studio just trying to record techniques as well as observing the different points and changing microphones access, amplifier and trying new sounds and sometimes creating sound effects! Jimmy Page mainly produced for Led Zeppelin, The Firm and Screaming Lord Sutch bands. In addition, several side projects, one of them was Puff Daddy’s hit ‘Come With Me’.

Rick Rubin 

One of the wide known names in Europe and States. This artists didn’t work on a specific genre; he just knew how to get the right tunes for an artist and deliver it to the audience. I guess there’s few of the music industry that Rubin didn’t work with. Yes, any international artist/band you know you will find his name behind them. Some of these are: Johnny Cash, Metallica, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Slayer, RHCP, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Limp Bizkit, SOAD, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, ZZ Top, Audioslave, Rage Against The Machine Danzig, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow. Away from rock music, he worked with Adele, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Public Enemy, Eminem, Lady Gaga and many more…

Bob Rock

Bob is considered to be the man behind the success of Metallica. Yes, Bob was actually the main reason of letting some of Metallica’s riffs reach the fans in a proper sound and song structure. And that was so obvious in ‘A Year and Half in the Life of Metallica’; the documentary film that was made for the recording production for Metallica: ‘Black Album’ shows him giving instructions to the band and sometimes guiding, even arguing with them to work hard and get it right. In addition, he worked with Aerosmith, Motley Crue, The Cult, David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, Cher, Skid Row, Bryan Adams, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Michael Buble, and The Offspring. Besides, he is a well-known audio engineer, so he worked with Survivor, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and many else.

Quincy Jones 

Quincy Jones is considered as the most famous music producer on Earth! Jones started as a producer in the early 50s and was a well-known for his work with the King of Pop Michael Jackson, as well as, Little Richard, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Samuel George – a.k.a Sammy Davis, Jr. – Aretha Franklin, Eddie Van Halen, Will Smith, 2Pac, Ray Charles and hundreds! Besides, he was the producer, composer and conductor of many international hits such as ‘We Are the World’ and ‘Bokra’ – Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me with many Arab artists such as; Shakira, Tamer Hosny, Souad Massi, Marawan Khoury, Latifa, Diana Karazon, and the American hip hop artist Akon. The song was written by Magda Al-Roumi.

Paul O’Neill

For you, who don’t know Paul, he is one of the responsible of creating the genre of progressive metal. O’Neill started as an engineer and worked with many international acts, such as; Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Def Leppard and others. In the 80s, he became the number one promoter for shows in Japan and promoting every tour of Madonna and Sting. The real change happened was with Savatage, which was when he changed the whole concept of the band from just a heavy metal band to become the first influential progressive metal band as well as his other orchestral works with same band members and other musicians in the ranked #1rock orchestra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Tony Platt 

Tony is one of the greatest English sound engineers and record producers. His resume could talk better than we do. Some of his notable works were with; Bob Marley, Buddy Guy, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Gary Moore, Johnny Cash, Samson, Manowar, Celtic Frost, Ronnie James Dio and Anathema.

Dieter Dierks

Most known as the owner of one the best international studios, Dierks Studios (audio and video studios), and the producer for the legendary band Scorpions. Many international artists worked and record there, such as; Michael Jackson, Accpet, Tina Turner, and many others.

R. Kelly 

This could be a name that many readers weren’t expecting in such a list, but this awesome composer, song-writer, arranger, mixer and record producer should be mentioned also. Kelly worked with numerous artists as a producer since the early 90s till now, and he was even the main reason behind many international artists production besides the younger ones. He produced for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, Billy Ocean, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Huston and many else.

Mike Clink

Well, he is a man with not much of a resume but no one can deny he was one of the developers of the hard rock/heavy metal movement. He started as an audio engineer – like many other producers – in the 80s and then found his interest in record production. Clink produced for Gun N’ Roses, Triumph, Motley Crue, Megadeth, UFO, Jefferson Starship, Heart and many others.

Roy Thomas Baker

Baker isn’t only a music producer but he is also a songwriter, arranger and the governor of The Recording Academy – the U.S. organization of musicians, producers and audio engineers. His notable productions were for many legendary bands, such as: Queen, Yes, Jet, Nazareth, Free, Journey, Chris de Burgh, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses as well as motion pictures soundtracks for Heavy Metal in 1982 and American Anthem in 1986.