Live-Report: AVANTASIA - "Ghostlights" World Tour 2016 (Berlin, March 4th 2016)

It's been three long years now since I saw the Metal Opera Project Avantasia live on stage. It was my third Avantasia show, so I already knew what to expect: over three hours of pure Melodic Metal entertainment with a huge number of guest singers. The guys around mastermind Tobias Sammet started their "Ghostlights" world tour on March 4th 2016 in Berlin. The venue "Huxleys" was sold out as well as other upcoming dates on the entire tour. I have to admit that the venue isn't that big (there is space for around 1.500 people), but Huxleys is still one of my favorite places in Berlin.

CD-Review: Kiske/Somerville - "City Of Heroes"

When the first Kiske/Somerville album was released in 2010 the resonance of fans and press was great , so the question was: will there be a sequel? Everybody was hoping so. In the meantime there was lots of talking. Michael Kiske and producer Mat Sinner told me already in 2013 a new Kiske/Somerville record is on the way and it will be great. But then another two years went by and now "City Of Heroes" will finally hit the stores on April 17th. Can this album keep up to its high expectations?

CD-Review: Unisonic - "Light Of Dawn"

It's really strange how fast time passes by. It's been two years now since the German "supergroup" Unisonic released their selftitled debut album and to me it doesn't feel like such a long time. Speaking about this one Unisonic had to deal with very mixed reactions from the fanbase and critics. After the single "Unisonic" fans expected singer Michael Kiske to return to his Helloween-roots and at the end of the day this album sounded more like a mixture of Hard Rock and AOR instead of Power Metal. But what about the new album "Light Of Dawn"?

Exclusive Interview with Michael Kiske (Unisonic, ex-Helloween, Place Vendome, Avantasia, ...)

When you ask people about the most iconic and most popular singers in Rock & Metal, you'll definitely get to hear his name very often: Michael Kiske! Back in the 80's he coined the genre of Power Metal with his band Helloween. The two Keeper-Records are still classics to many Heavy Metal fans out there and the teenager at the microphone has become a serious singer and songwriter in many ways these days. In promotion of the new Place Vendome album I had the opportunity to talk with Michael about his current activities with this AOR project, his new band Unisonic, the forthcoming Kiske/Somerville album, Avantasia and of course about his very exciting past. Michael Kiske tells his story. Check out what he had to say!

CD-Review: Place Vendome - "Thunder In The Distance"

Since the last ten years Michael Kiske is very active again in the music world. After appearences in Avantasia, Avalon and Unisonic, he decided to do another Place Vendome album. You still remember this project? It's some kind of Pink Cream 69 mixed with AOR in the vein of Toto, Journey and Asia. The previous album "Streets Of Fire" (2009) was a little gem. After four long years, the follow-up "Thunder In The Distance" will hit the stores very soon.