Various Artists "Nuclear Blast Allstars - Into The Light (Germany, Nuclear Blast, NB 1799-2)"

Into the Light is a compilation album from Nuclear Blast Records to commemorate their 20 years as a record label. Produced by Rage guitarist Victor Smolski, with singers Tobias Sammet (of Edguy), Peter "Peavy" Wagner (Rage) - who has also written the lyrics for all songs -, Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Mats Levén (Therion), Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer (Destruction), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Andi Deris (Helloween), Oddleif Stensland (Communic), Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish, ex-Tarot), and Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish). It features a variable collection of "All Stars" much in the same vein as Roadrunner United. The whole album was written by Victor Smolski (however, two songs, "In the Picture" and "Slaves to the Desert" – originally "Slaves of the Desert" – are remakes of songs he had already recorded with Mind Odyssey), who also recorded all the guitars, some bass and keyboards. The drums were done by Volker Schultz and André Hilgers.

It was followed by a "twin" album called Out of the Dark. "Into the Light" focuses on the Power Metal side of Nuclear Blast, "Out of the Dark" on their Melodic Death side.

Tarja Turunen is the only singer in the album that is not (and wasn't at that time either) from Nuclear Blast. She is only included because of her past with Nightwish, one of the best known bands from Nuclear Blast.

Track listing

Disc 1 - 20 Years Nuclear Blast

All lyrics are written by Peter "Peavy" Wagner of Rage; all music is composed by Victor Smolski

1. "Dirty Wings" (feat. Tobias Sammet of Edguy) 04:53
2. "Terrified" (feat. Peter "Peavy" Wagner of RAGE) 04:01
3. "Ruling the World" (feat. Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica) 02:55
4. "Death is Alive" (feat. Mats Leven of Therion, Krux, At Vance) 06:21
5. "Bloodsucker" (feat. Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer of Destruction) 03:21
6. "Slaves to the Desert" (feat. Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian) 06:49
7. "A Perfect Day" (feat. Andi Deris of Helloween) 04:00
8. "Eternally" (feat. Oddleif Stensland of Communic) 05:37
9. "Inner Sanctuary" (feat. Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish, ex-Tarot)) 04:29
10. "In the Picture" (feat. Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish) 07:28

Total length: 49:47

Disc 2 - 20 Years Nuclear Blast: Bonus CD

1. HammerFall - Hearts on Fire (03:54)
2. Helloween - The Madness of the Crowds (04:14)
3. Gotthard - El Traidor (03:36)
4. After Forever - Sweet Enclosure (05:05)
5. Ride the Sky - New Protection (03:23)
6. Thunderstone - Forevermore (04:21)
7. Threshold - Slipstream (04:55)
8. Amorphis - The Smoke (03:39)
9. Candlemass - Devil Seed (05:45)
10. Sirenia - The Other Side (03:55)

Total length: 42:43

On the US edition of the album, track 5 on bonus CD is the final mix of Ride the Sky's "New Protection" instead of a rough mix.

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at VPS Studios in Hamm, Germany.

Threshold "Legends Of The Shires"

Legends of the Shires is the eleventh studio album by progressive metal band Threshold, released on September 8, 2017. It is the first album to feature vocalist Glynn Morgan since the band's second album Psychedelicatessen; Morgan returned to Threshold following Damian Wilson's departure in 2017.

The album is a concept album about "a nation trying to find itself" according to lyricist Steve Anderson. However, they admit that their intent in many cases was to have 2 different parallel stories or interpretations -- for example, in addition to the nation-based theme, that the songs be just as applicable on a personal level.

Track listing

All tracks written by Karl Groom and Richard West, except where noted.

Disc one

1. "The Shire (Part 1)" 2:04
2. "Small Dark Lines" 5:25
3. "The Man Who Saw Through Time" (Richard West) 11:52
4. "Trust the Process" 8:44
5. "Stars and Satellites" (Richard West) 7:21
6. "On the Edge" (Steve Anderson) 5:21

Disc two

1. "The Shire (Part 2)" 5:25
2. "Snowblind" 7:04
3. "Subliminal Freeways" (Richard West) 4:52
4. "State of Independence" (Richard West) 3:38
5. "Superior Machine" 5:01
6. "The Shire (Part 3)" 1:23
7. "Lost in Translation" 10:20
8. "Swallowed" (Richard West) 3:54

Total length: 1:22:24

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at Thin Ice Studios, Surrey, England.

Mastered at Finnvox, Helsinki, Finland.

Threshold "March Of Progress"

March of Progress is the ninth studio album (and sixteenth overall) by progressive metal band Threshold. It is the first studio album on which original lead vocalist Damian Wilson sings since his return in 2007. It is also their second album on their current label, Nuclear Blast. The Limited Edition includes a bonus track, "Divinity."

Track listing

1. "Ashes" – 6:51 (Groom/West)
2. "Return Of The Thought Police" – 6:09 (Groom/West)
3. "Staring At The Sun" – 4:25 (West)
4. "Liberty, Complacency, Dependency" – 7:48 (Groom/West)
5. "Colophon" – 6:00 (West)
6. "The Hours" – 8:15 (West/Anderson)
7. "That's Why We Came" – 5:40 (Wilson)
8. "Don't Look Down" – 8:12 (Groom/West)
9. "Coda" – 5:24 (Morten)
10. "The Rubicon" - 10:25 (Groom/West)
11. "Divinity" (Bonus Track) (Morten) - 06:27

Bonus track on Limited Edition US (NB-2342-2) and Digipack (NB-2342-0) releases.

Recording information:

Recorded at Thin Ice Studios and Eightspace Studio

Mastered at Finetune, Netherlands.