German Hardrockers BERSERKER will donate 18.000€ to the Berlin cancer charity for children on May 25. November 2011 BERSERKER front man Schröder was diagnosed with cancer, now he is cancer-free. In 2012 the band collected money for this charity at their concerts and will also continue to do so in the future. Slayer´s Jeff Hanneman is dead: he passed away at about 11AM on May 2nd near his Southern California home because of liver failure due to an infection after a spider bite. More info: www.facebook.com/slayer
R.I.P. Jeff! Festivals cancelled: ROCK AM SEE (GER) takes a break in 2013 "lacking attractive headliners"; BURNING SEA in Croatia had to succumb to a new tax regulation; yet purchased BS-tickets can also be used to visit METALDAYS in Slowenia.
The Siberian Jay music video "I´m Holding" featuring Mikko Sirén from Apocalyptica on drums - we reported about the videoshoot in our "1h with" Special - can be watched here: http://youtu.be/C-hSNurZVcs
DRAKKAR formed in 1996 and, obviously, they borrowed their name from the Vikings, who called their dreaded fast warships the same. The modern DRAKKAR ship is commanded by Dario Beretta – guitar, Davide Dell´Orto - vocals, Corrado Solarino - keyboards and Simone Cappato - bass.
The band´s latest release, When Lightning Strikes, is an epic body of work. The songs tell a futuristic story but that´s not really important here because most of the songs could also easily stand for themselves. Conspicuous by their variety and captivating ideas, the Italians impress with stunning drumming, cleverly metered and power riffs that here and there quickly switch with acoustic guitars (Revenge Is Done). Skillfully, they use the keyboards to introduce the listener to their stories, additionally they are used as a wall of sound or in duels with drums and guitar (My Endless Fight). Above all sits a powerful voice, which can convince in the slower parts, too.
Overall, I believe it is a very good album with a rich sound and Melodic Power Metal of a very special kind.
