Los Angeles, California: In an unprecedented gathering of rock and metal royalty, Cleopatra Records proudly announces the April 24 release of Black Flame, Nuclear Messiah’s thunderous, all-star concept album.
Built around the visionary guitar mastery of Chris Poland, the legendary former Megadeth guitarist whose emotive phrasing and fusion-driven technique helped redefine modern metal, Black Flame is a sonic prophecy uniting 36 of the most iconic musicians in rock and metal history across five decades.
Produced by Cleopatra founder Brian Perera, Derek Hughes, and Jürgen Engler, with A&R direction by long-term Cleopatra Records consultant John Lappen, Nuclear Messiah stands as both resurrection and revelation — a celebration of musicianship, legacy, and unrelenting fire.
And keeping its seat warm while we await the main attraction, a new single peels off the full length masterpiece, and it’s a monster!
The heart of Nuclear Messiah, Chris Poland’s melodic fluidity, experimental phrasing, and sheer command of tone have inspired generations. From Megadeth’s Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? to his work in OHM and Damn the Machine, Poland’s guitar sound remains one of the most distinctive in modern music.
“Chris isn’t just a guitarist — he’s a spirit of sound,” says Perera. “Nuclear Messiah was built around his brilliance and brought to life by an army of legends who share his passion and precision.”
But he is not alone. “Electric Burn” alone also features fellow Megadeth alumni Marty Friedman and Chris Adler, alongside Blue Öyster Cult bassist Joe Bouchard and Ross The Boss/Let Us Prey frontman Marc Lopes, for a soul-searing slice of molten metal - and, as the climactic track on this already scintillating album, you know it’s going to be mega.
Dramatic, too, is the video, sliced from Kazy Tauginas’s multiple award-winning award winning movie Mirror Life: Modern Zombies, in which the world is blighted by a new pandemic that makes Covid look like a summer sniffle.
“‘’Electric Burn’ is just that…this song is on fire,” says Chris Poland. “Chris Adler is smokin’ hot and the rest of the band follows suit. I mean, come on, freakin’ Marty Friedman is on this track. It’s one of my favorites.”
As for the album itself, “This record has so many metal icons playing on it,” he continues. “It’s really a must for any metal head’s record collection.”
He’s not wrong, either. Blazing out from William Shatner’s commanding spoken introduction, a staggering lineup represents every era of heavy music, from Vanilla Fudge to the Kings of Thrash, via Guns N’Roses, Uriah Heep, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, UFO, Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Thor, Testament, Night Ranger, the Michael Schenker Group, Yes and more.
Eye-opening covers, too, will be ripping open your ears - Lucifer’s Friend, May Blitz, NWOBHM heroes Holocaust and the immortal Uriah Heep (a killer take on “Look At Yourself”); and, while the remainder of the album is all new material, each song composed by the line-up that performs on it, reflecting, too, upon the history of hard rock, prog and metal - a living timeline of rock and metal, from the pioneers of the past to the trailblazers of today.
It’s more than a collaboration. It’s a metal summit, the multi-generational union of the artists who shaped the evolution of heavy music itself.
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/nuclearmessiah_electricburn
CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=nuclear+messiah+black+flame
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/nuclearmessiah_blackflamealbum
Track listing
1. The Prophet Of Fallout feat. Chris Poland & William Shatner
2. Devil Won't Let Go feat. Chris Poland, Ronnie Romero, Vinnie Moore, Vinny Appice, Don Airey, Steve Di Giorgio
3. Death Or Glory feat. Chris Poland, Thor, Bob Daisley, Glen Drover, Fred Aching
4. Ride The Sky feat. Chris Poland, Arthur Brown, Vinny Appice, Alan Davey
5. Dice And Thunder feat. Chris Poland, Rick Wakeman, Ronnie Romero, Bumblefoot, Steve Di Giorgio, Fred Aching
6. For Mad Men Only feat. Chris Poland, Pat Travers, Joe Lynn Turner, Alan Davey, Shawn Drover
7. Nuclear Messiah feat. Chris Poland, Lance Lopez, Greg Walker, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Vinny Appice, Don Airey
8. Look At Yourself feat. Chris Poland, Sebastian Bach, Derek Sherinian, Bob Daisley, Mick Box, Carmine Appice
9. She's So Evil feat. Chris Poland, Joel Hoekstra, David Ellefson, Don Airey, Andrew Freeman, Simon Wright
10. Black Flame feat. Chris Poland, Ronnie Romero, Jonathan Cain, Phil Soussan, Glen Drover, Chris Adler
11. Electric Burn feat. Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, Joe Bouchard, Marc Lopes, Chris Adler
Nuclear Messiah’s “Electric Burn” Is Lit Up By Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, Joe Bouchard, Marc Lopes and Chris Adler. Album Black Flame Lands On April 24
