Animetal USA

Animetal USA (アニメタルUSA, Animetaru Yū Esu Ē) is a Japan-based American heavy metal band formed as a tribute to Eizo Sakamoto's band Animetal. They made their world debut at the 2011 Loud Park Festival, where they performed on stage with Momoiro Clover Z.

The band's original members consisted of lead vocalist Mike Vescera (formerly of Loudness, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Obsession), guitarist Chris Impellitteri (of Impellitteri), bassist Rudy Sarzo (currently with the Geoff Tate lineup of Queensrÿche; formerly of Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake), and drummer Scott Travis (of Judas Priest and Racer X). In 2012, Travis departed the band to tour with Judas Priest and was replaced by Killing Machine and former Slayer and Testament drummer Jon Dette.

History

Their debut self-titled album was released on October 12, 2011, and features English-language heavy metal covers of several anime theme songs, ranging from Dragon Ball's "Makafushigi Adventure!" to Neon Genesis Evangelion's "A Cruel Angel's Thesis". The songs were arranged by Impellitteri and former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman. A second album is in production, having asked their Japanese and American fans to submit requests for songs they should cover on it.

Magic Knight

Magic Knight is a computer game character created by freelance programmer David Jones in his 1985 game Finders Keepers for the Mastertronic budget label. Finders Keepers is a flip-screen platform game released on the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64. The game spawned three more ambitious sequels (also starring Magic Knight) on the Mastertronic Added Dimension budget label: Spellbound (1985), Knight Tyme (1986) and Stormbringer (1987). The three sequels are far less action-orientated, being effectively graphic adventure games that use a basic menu system (dubbed "Windimation") to interact with characters and items instead of typed commands.

Plot

Finders Keepers

The King has ordered Magic Knight to go to Spriteland and bring back a fitting birthday present for the Princess. Magic Knight is transported to the castle in Spriteland and can either amass as much treasure as possible or find a suitable present and return to the King.

Spellbound

The wizard Gimbal has accidentally mixed up a spell and cast himself, Magic Knight and an array of other characters into an unknown castle. Magic Knight must find Gimbal and reverse the spell to return everyone home.

Magic Knight Rayearth

Magic Knight Rayearth (魔法騎士(マジックナイト)レイアース, Mahou Kishi Reiāsu) is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp, an all-female manga artist team consisting of Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona. Appearing as a serial in the manga magazine Nakayoshi from the November 1993 issue to the February 1995 issue, the chapters of Magic Knight Rayearth were collected into three bound volumes by Kodansha, and published from July 1994 to March 1995. A sequel was serialized in the same manga magazine from the March 1995 issue to the April 1996 issue, and was published by Kodansha in three bound volumes from to July 1995 to April 1996. The series follows three eighth-grade girls who find themselves transported from modern-day Japan into a magical world, where they are tasked with rescuing a princess.

Rayearth combines elements from the magical girl and mecha anime genres with parallel world fantasy. The manga was adapted into two anime series in 1994 and an original video animation (OVA) in 1997.