Pat Prince of Goldmine magazine recently conducted an interview with legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward. An excerpt from the chat follow below.
Goldmine: Looking back, is there anything you would do different, concerning BLACK SABBATH?
Ward: I don't regret anything that we've gone through or I've gone through personally. I don't regret any of it. I wouldn't do it differently, including all the mistakes … everything. The first trigger instinct that came out when you asked that question was, "Yeah, I'd like to redo certain drum pieces." (laughs) Not redo but work on the sound of certain drum things, back on those first two or three album in particular. Perhaps a better bass drum sound for "Iron Man", things like that. All musicians are like that.
Goldmine: Speaking of "Iron Man", do you think the song itself has become too commercialized, too mainstream?
Ward: For me, I had to kind of let go of any personal grip I might have had on it. It's like, "No, you can't do that. It's underground music and it has to stay true to itself and everything else." And then life happens. The world opens up. The first indication, to me, that "Iron Man" belonged to everybody else was when I heard it being played by a local marching band on a football field. I went, "Oh My God, they're playing 'Iron Man'." To me, that's when it became public. Then it would go too commercial and just get caught up in everything, you know. And it's actually nice these days. I'm not complaining at all because when it went to "Iron Man", the movie, it gives the song a new lease on life and it says to me, "This is still current." So, in that sense, I'll take it as a compliment, you know. But a lot of my self-righteousness, like, "That's not organic, you can't do that," has trimmed down a little bit over the years, towards the songs like "Iron
Man" that have tended to become more commercial over the years, I don't fight as much as I used to, about it now. And when we play these shows together, we always try to play some of the songs we haven't played in years but inevitably we end up coming up with a set that seems to be a little bit of everything for everybody.
Goldmine: What's next for BLACK SABBATH?
Ward: Well, everybody's off working, you know. I've been talking to Tony (Iommi) in recent months so … and I was with him and Glenn (Hughes) at the funeral for Ron (Ronnie James Dio). And I think Terry (Geezer) … Terry is just trying to get past the death of Ronnie and where it's gonna go next. Then Ozzy's embarking on a huge tour. He's going out on the road for quite a considerable amount of time. But I speak to him all the time.
Goldmine: What do you think about Ozzy's new album, "Scream", by the way?
Ward: What I like about his new album, is I like where his voice is at. His voice is as clear as a bell. He's coming through. he has conviction. and he's very clear and he's very precise on everything. His voice is really commanding throughout all the tracks. I think it's very good myself. But as far as SABBATH, BLACK SABBATH, as the original band. I'm not aware of any plans or anything but at the same time, I know we're all conversing to each other. I'm not aware of any walls or bad vibes with anybody. I always have the hope that if everything is okay and everything is amicable then we can tour again. I would love to do that, as long as everything's in order with me. I'd love to move ahead, not only tour but I'd love to make a new record as well, another SABBATH record. That, to me, would be the ultimate. But I would also love to do a longer tour. The last tour we did was nice, it lasted about three and a half months. But the thing is we were so settled
in — and you got to get your joints back together and your muscles, all you have to do to get yourself really well-tuned — by the time we were half way between the last tour I felt really well-tuned and then in no time at all we had to stop, and I was just like, "Fuck!' Let's take this around the world, man. This is great." We had to stop and that was a bit of a pisser. That was the only problem. It takes quite a while to take a 62-year old body and get it to be ready to play in BLACK SABBATH. And me and Ozzy, we are really physical onstage, so we really have to be in shape. And all the reunion dates, as far as playing is concerned, had been beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, onstage it was just the best. I had a really good time. A really good time.
Aug. 14--BURGETTSTOWN -- Ozzy Osbourne is the star. Motley Crue will pull in fans, too.
But it's the third-billed artist, Rob Halford, who clinched the deal for many people to attend Thursday's Ozzfest concert at First Niagara Pavilion.
Halford, the longtime singer for Judas Priest, is regarded as one of the finest vocalists in heavy-metal history. Now fronting his own band, Halford, he telephoned the Times recently for a chat about Ozzfest, Judas Priest, his new clothing line and his favorite sports team.
Halford: Sorry I'm a few minutes late. I've been doing phone interviews for the past four hours and have fallen a bit behind, but I'm sure we can make it through one more and have a good time. You can ask me anything.
The Times: That's no problem. This gave me time to leaf through your Metal God Apparel catalogue. There are some really cool clothes in there.
Halford: Thank you. Yes, we've started a new company, Metal God Apparel. We're finding our feet and have done very well in a short space of time. Of course, I'm a guy who loves to dress up in exciting costumes on stage, and so this was a natural extension of that."
The Times: We'll look forward to seeing what Metal God T-shirt you're wearing when Ozzfest comes to Pittsburgh.
Halford: Yes, Ozzfest. That'll be a dilemma walking out there on stage when it'll probably be 120 degrees. But I'll hack something together I'm sure. Maybe I'll have to use glue or staples. I work with some really talented people who help put together my costumes. Hopefully we'll get it right in Pittsburgh.
Times: There are only six stops on this Ozzfest tour.
Halford: And I have no idea why there aren't so many dates. But six is better than zip, right? And Pittsburgh, well, I'm always pleased to come back to Pittsburgh. The fans have always been so dedicated and supportive for what I do, primarily with Judas Priest. I've often said there's something similar with Pittsburgh -- the attitude -- that reminds me of where I come from in the U.K. That whole industrial sort of thing. When I first came to Pittsburgh in '78, I think, I noticed it then. We go back a long ways together.
Times: You live in Arizona now, right?
Halford: Well, I'm currently talking to you from a little apartment that one of my companies owns in San Diego. But yes, I live near Phoenix so I cheer for the Phoenix Suns. We always seem to get to the finals but then we have to play the Los Angeles Lakers and they're like this gigantic, crushing machine that spends hundreds of millions of dollars on players. That's how they win championship rings.
Times: I saw on your website you recently did an interview with MLB.com, so you're a baseball fan, too?
Halford: A little bit, yes. But more so for basketball. Sports for me is really exciting entertainment. It's not too far removed from what we do as rock musicians. That creative process and the way we support each other as a team.
Times: What's the secret to your longevity? You've still got that powerful voice. Do you do anything special to take care of it?
Halford: No, not really. Well, I don't drink, I don't smoke. I try to stay fit as I can for a 59-year-old metalhead. The voice is an instrument so you've got to take care of it. If you bend a guitar string too much it breaks, or if you beat a drum skin too hard it's going to snap. So you got to watch your technique. But it's up to the gods after that. I feel fortunate. It's served me well and done its job.
Times: Many metal fans of an earlier generation -- weaned on the singing of you, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson and the late Ronnie James Dio -- don't like how modern metal bands often have singers with those gruff, guttural voices.
Halford: I don't know how they do it.
Times: But do you like it?
Halford: I wouldn't say I'm a fan of it, but I can appreciate that style of performance. I'm old-fashioned, though. I like to hear a singer sing, if you know what I mean. That's what I'll be doing on Ozzfest. It's going to be great to be back out there with my mate Ozzy. But, yes, I like to hear a good singer sing.
Times: A remixed and remastered version of the Halford album "Crucible" was released recently. Are the remixes subtle, or will fans notice the differences?
Halford: I'd be a liar if I said I was directly in charge of that. That was (Halford guitarist) Ray Z., who's doing magnificently. He produces everything for Halford. We'd been investigating previous material. It was the label's idea to bring that material forward, which a lot of bands are doing these days. And so for "Crucible," it was like putting an old car through the car wash -- it comes out shiny at the other end with a few additives that are useful. That's the thing about rock 'n' roll isn't it? It's not necessarily attached to the present. Something you wrote five years ago can be just as valuable as something you wrote five days ago. That was the case with this music. The dimensions were there, all the energy and excitement.
Times: I reached out to local Rob Halford fans to see what questions they'd ask you. A 13-year-old fan asked if "The Metal God" would ever consider doing a non-metal album.
Halford: Well, don't forget I did a Christmas album last year, "Winter Songs," and had a wonderful time doing it. I did a lot of great classics like 'Come All Ye Faithful" and "We Three Kings." That album's not full of metal. It's got different textures so I dipped my toe into those waters. Having said that though, they do call me the Metal God. I don't think I'm ready for the Frank Sinatra mode just yet.
Times: Another question came from two different fans. They wondered if you're not interacting with audiences as much as you used to. They both mentioned in recent concerts, notably that VH1 anniversary show for Judas Priest's "British Steel" album, that you seemed to be staring down at the stage a lot more than you used to. Is that a concern?
Halford: There's nothing to be concerned about I don't think. (Pauses). I'm just trying to think back to that show. Maybe for a few seconds I was in a zone. I wasn't doing that the whole show. Maybe it just started off like that. That was a great show. It was such a joy and thrill to be with Judas Priest playing that record from start to finish.
Times: Judas Priest's cover choices were intriguing. You picked Fleetwood Mac's, "Green Manalishi," and Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust." Neither song automatically would seem to work as a metal song, but somehow you guys transformed them and claimed them as your own.
Halford: The main reason, and remember those were the days of records, was that our label at the time wanted us to do that. The bosses there were looking for material that could transfer to radio. They asked us, 'Could you find some songs that'll get radio airplay?' So we did 'Diamonds and Rust' and 'Green Manalishi' and "Better By You, Better Than Me" by Spooky Tooth. Can you imagine the poor radio programmer who first got handed a record and was told this is by a band called Judas Priest. It's a cover of Joan Baez. He'd be like, 'Are you kidding me? Have you gone mad?' But those songs have taken on a life of their own and become staples of any Priest show. Great songs will take any kind of interpretation.
Times: They call you the Metal God. Is that a heavy burden? Or do you relish the responsibility of representing heavy metal in every song and show that you do?
Halford: I can't even remember when they first started calling me that. It's great, though. I do think about it and it does have some responsibilities. Sometimes when I meet someone and they say, 'Hey, it's the Metal God!" I'll go, "Where?" They'll go, "It's you," and I'll say "Really?" But I do accept it with good feeling. It makes me think about what I'm trying to do and achieve. It makes me put more effort into it. What's that quote from "Spider-man": 'With great power comes great responsibility.'" (Laughs). Not that I'd compare myself to Spider-man, of course.
What's Up
Event: Ozzfest, starring Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue and Rob Halford.
Time: Noon Aug. 19.
Place: First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown.
Tickets: $30 for lawn; $60 to $155 for pavilion.
Information: livenation.com.
According to the Deep Purple Appreciation Society, an authorized photo book on legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio — best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and his own band DIO — is tentatively due this fall. A donation from each copy sold will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. There will be two editions, with more details to be revealed soon.
Dio died of stomach cancer on the morning of May 16, at the age of 67.
He was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history.
The singer, who was recording and touring with SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer late last year. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance last month at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.
HEAVEN & HELL recently canceled summer tour plans because Dio was not going to be well enough to tour.
The band released a new studio album in 2009, titled "The Devil You Know".
Ronnie James Dio, real name Ronald James Padavona, was born in New Hampshire on July 10, 1942.
He moved to Cortland, New York at a young age, where he began playing with local acts. A street in Cortland, Dio Way, was named after him in 1988.
He released his first single, with a band called RONNIE AND THE REDCAPS, in 1959.
His first heavy rock act, ELF, released three albums and opened for DEEP PURPLE, where Dio's voice caught the ear of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore recruited Dio for his own band, RAINBOW, after leaving PURPLE in 1975.
Dio recorded three studio albums and one live set with RAINBOW before exiting in 1978, including "Rising" and "Long Live Rock And Roll".
He replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven & Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006.
He has also recorded 10 studio albums with his own band, DIO, including a classic 1983 debut, "Holy Diver".
Dio was also behind the HEAR N' AID project, a collection of metal artists who recorded the track "Stars" in 1985 to raise funds for African famine relief.
After the success of the six-part radio series "My ReGeneration", which was hosted by DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott on Planet Rock, the show has now been extended for another 13 weeks. Renamed "The Joe Elliott Show", the program will feature Joe playing the music that has inspired him over the years for an hour every week on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. (U.K. time), with a repeat on Thursday at 10:00 p.m.
"Joe follows the footsteps of many rock stars that have taken to the airwaves at Planet Rock. He joins the ranks of BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi, JETHRO TULL's Ian Anderson, Fish and Gary Moore to name a few," commented Malcolm Bluemel, Planet Rock CEO.
Planet Rock was honored in the "Digital Station Of The Year 2010" category at the recent Radio Academy Sony Awards.
Planet Rock is the home of Alice Cooper's breakfast show, "Breakfast with Alice", and Rick Wakeman's Saturday show.
Planet Rock broadcasts on digital radio, Sky 0110, Virgin Media 924, Freesat 703, online at www.planetrock.com and on iPhone.
According to a 5:27 p.m. EST posting on the official Twitter profile of GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose, all previously announced GUNS N' ROSES dates have been "officially cancelled." No further details are currently available.
***UPDATE:*** Unlike most of Axl's previous Twitter messages, which were posted using an iPhone, this one came via the "mobile web," suggesting that Rose's Twitter account could have been hacked.***
GUNS N' ROSES made its first U.S. concert appearance in four years Friday night (August 13) when it headlined the fifth and final night of the Rock 'N Rev Festival at the 70th annual Sturgis Bike Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. GUNS N' ROSES was joined on the bill that evening by original headliner ALICE IN CHAINS, REV THEORY and CHARM CITY DEVILS.
According to the Rapid City Journal, GUNS N' ROSES took nearly two hours after ALICE IN CHAINS completed its set at 11:00 p.m. to take the stage. Some people reportedly left, not wanting to wait until Saturday morning for Rose and his band to begin performing, while others tossed beer bottles and cans at the stage.
GUNS N' ROSES last toured the U.S. in 2006, and had not played any American shows since the November 2008 release of its "Chinese Democracy" album.
Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) will perform during a pre-game tailgate concert at the New York Jets' home opener on September 13 against the Baltimore Ravens . Slash will be joined by Myles Kennedy, Nicole Scherzinger of the PUSSYCAT DOLLS and Jason Bonham, son of the legendary LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham and currently of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. Scherzinger will also sing the national anthem.
Slash will perform on the plaza just outside the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Robert Gray of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Did what occurred between VELVET REVOLVER and Scott Weiland burn you out on the band concept for a bit?
Slash: No. The band concept is fine, but we had to find a new singer, and I knew that wasn't gonna be the easiest thing in the world to get. I just wanted to take that opportunity to just clear my own head, and just do something by myself. It's as simple as that. I'm still a member of VELVET REVOLVER.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: You've obviously been as part of a solo group for several months now, so how would you describe the differences between being in a solo group compared to when you're usually in a band setup?
Slash: In the studio, it was obviously something that I had to do on my own from the ground up; getting the material together, calling the different singers, getting the material to the singers, setting all that up, finding a producer, hiring a backline — everything. That's way different from doing it with a band, because in a band, you've got the other four guys and you all work together. It's more of a team effort, whereas this was just something where I was responsible for putting the whole thing together. I hired new management to help work out sales and that kind of thing. At this point, I'm on the road and I'm back to the band situation. Although I'm sort of labelled the boss, I still — at this point — treat it like a group. I call the shots, but at the same time, I think of what's best as a whole. It's actually interesting going from doing a solo record to then getting a band to tour, and getting all the material together and going out, and
being in a group again.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: How are you finding being the boss, so to speak?
Slash: I'm not really the kind of person, in no way, shape or form, to play the dictator role. I think everybody I'm working with is very professional, and they know exactly what their roles are. They carry their own weight, and they know what they have to do. I just guide the whole thing, and make some of the decisions (laughs), but I definitely don't treat it like I'm the boss.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: In an interview, you said that two singers you would've liked to have worked with for your solo album were AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine. If you had the opportunity, what type of tracks would you potentially record with them two?
Slash: Actually, I worked with Steven for a second, but it was just a huge conflict of interest with AEROSMITH. The song hasn't been used with anybody else, but there was no chance that the record company was gonna allow us to release it, so we had to let it go. I might go back and revisit that with Steven. The song that I did with M. Shadows [AVENGED SEVENFOLD] was originally an idea that I thought would be great for Dave, but Dave was on the road. I like to work quickly, so I never even pursued the idea because I thought M. Shadows would be cool. He's very melodic as far as heavy metal is concerned, so it just went there. I think Dave is probably one of the metal riff masters though. I think that with a lot of the shit he's done, he's naturally a genius. I used to jam with him back in the day, and with the style of riffs that he does, it would've been an interesting thing. I'm sure Dave and I will get together at some point and do something, but
schedule wise, it wasn't possible at the time. I don't even think he knows (laughs), but I knew he was on tour, so... Anyway...
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Are there any other vocalists you'd like to work with in future?
Slash: Really, when it came down to it, I ended up working with everybody I had pegged for the material that I wrote. There's probably a lot of vocalists I could work with if I had the material for them, but I'm not gonna start naming names. Otherwise, things'll blow out of proportion, but there's a lot of people that I admire. It's not like I got every single singer that I like. It was just that the music that I wrote I got the right singers for. If I was gonna do another one of these records, depending on the material, names'll probably spring up.
According to the Universal Music store, Universal Music has set an October 11 U.K. release date for the "The Big Four: Live From Sonisphere 2010" DVD and Blu-ray containing footage of the June 22, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the touring rock festival featuring the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.
As previously reported, Universal Music will release the "The Big Four" regular-edition single DVD and "The Big Four" deluxe-edition two-DVD/five-CD package in Japan on October 13. The deluxe edition includes an event poster, a poster from each band (four posters total) and guitar pick (subject to change). The box size is 20.5 x 15 x 4cm (subject to change).
METALLICA was joined onstage during the show by members of MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX for a performance of the DIAMOND HEAD song "Am I Evil?"
METALLICA frontman James Hetfield, MEGADETH singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine and ANTHRAX vocalist Joey Belladonna took turns singing the song, which has been a part of METALLICA's live set for decades. The event marked the first time that Dave Mustaine had performed onstage with METALLICA since April 9, 1983. An original member of the band, he was fired just weeks before METALLICA recorded its debut album, "Kill 'Em All".
Mustaine, who was replaced by Kirk Hammett, went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.
He still harbored a grudge against METALLICA, however, with some of his feelings coming out in an intense scene with drummer Lars Ulrich in the 2005 documentary "Some Kind Of Monster".
According to Billboard.com, the Sonisphere cinecast from Sofia was beamed via satellite in HD to cinemas and was seen by more than 100,000 fans. It was distributed globally into hundreds of cinemas by New York-based BY Experience.
In the U.K. it was screened in 79 cinemas. "At the Odeon in Leicester Square in London there was a mosh pit, and at the end of the show they had a stage invasion, which is just phenomenal to even think about," promoter Stuart Galbraith told Billboard.com.
More details continue to trickle in regarding the The Big Four: Live From Sonisphere 2010 concert that is being released on Blu-Ray, DVD, DVD Deluxe Version via Universal Music in the UK on October 11th and Universal Japan on October 13th. A North American release date is expected on October 12th.
According to BraveWords.com sources, the Deluxe edition DVD Box set includes five CDs featuring each band's entire live set:
ANTHRAX - one disc
SLAYER - one disc
MEGADETH - one disc
Metallica - two discs
The Deluxe Edition also features an event poster, posters from each band (four posters) and guitar pick (subject to change). The Box size: 20.5 x 15 x 4cm (subject to change).
The package documents the landmark event where Metallica , Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax played together for the first time in their history at the Sonisphere Festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland in front of 100,000 fans this past June 16th. The night also featured the legendary jam cover of the DIAMOND HEAD classic 'Am I Evil?' by all bands.
The band's setlists were as follows:
Metallica:
'Creeping Death'
'For Whom The Bell Tolls'
'Fuel'
'Harvester Of Sorrow'
'Fade To Black'
'That Was Just Your Life'
'Cyanide'
'Sad But True'
'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)'
'All Nightmare Long'
'One'
'Master Of Puppets'
'Blackened'
'Nothing Else Matters'
'Enter Sandman'
Encore:
'Am I Evil? (with the Big Four)
'Hit The Lights'
'Seek and Destroy
Slayer:
'World Painted Blood'
'Jihad'
'War Ensemble'
'Hate Worldwide'
'Dead Skin Mask'
'Angel of Death'
'Disciple'
'South of Heaven'
'Mandatory Suicide'
'Chemical Warfare'
'Raining Blood'
Megadeth:
'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due'
'Hangar 18'
'Take No Prisoners'
'Five Magics'
'Poison Was The Cure'
'Lucretia'
'Tornado Of Souls'
'Dawn Patrol'
'Rust in Peace... Polaris'
'Headcrusher'
'Sweating Bullets'
'Symphony Of Destruction'
'Peace Sells'
Anthrax:
'Caught In A Mosh'
'Got the Time'
'Indians'
'Antisocial'
'Madhouse'
'Only'
'N.F.L'
'I Am The Law'
On September 22nd, reunited hair metal band RATT will be releasing their first-ever live CD plus DVD called Rattn' Live in Japan via Roadrunner. More details will be revealed soon.
Ratt's new album, Infestation, debuted at #30 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and #4 on the Top Hard Music chart.
The band's upcoming tour dates include:
August
13 - Scriba Town Inn Summer Concert - Oswego, NY
14 - Atlantic City Hilton Resort Grand Theatre - Atlantic City, NJ
20 - Northwoods Rock Rally - Glen Fora, WI
21 - Alrosa Villa - Columbus, OH
September
4 - Speaking Rock Event Center - El Paso, TX
17 - Shrine Mosque - Springfield, MO
18 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Maryland Heights, MO
For most headline shows, they will be offering tickets before they go on sale to the general public. This is a first come first serve online ticket ordering system. The maximum order is four tickets.
Sonisphere festival series creator Stuart Galbraith tells the Welwyn Hatfield Times that planning is already well underway for the 2011 event, which is scheduled for the final weeks of July, with the exact dates to be confirmed.
Galbraith is reluctant to increase the U.K. leg of the tour too much above the 60,000 mark for fear of ruining the festival's current friendly vibe.
"I don't want to see Knebworth get much bigger," he says. "I like it this scale.
"I think if we go much past 55,000 to 60,000 people we will start to lose the atmosphere.
"I'd much prefer to have an inclusive festival where we can camp the full capacity at the festival and have people here all weekend.
"One of the major differences we had this year from last year was that a good quarter of our audience arrived here on the Thursday."
Marky Ramone, legendary drummer for the RAMONES, will perform a special all-star fund-raising concert on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 8 p.m. in the Musicians Institute Concert Hall in Hollywood, California. The show is a benefit for the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship for Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.
"I am very honored to be chosen as an artist for the scholarship program. Music for kids is very important to have," explains Marky.
General-admission seats (festival seating) are $30, VIP seating is $45 (guaranteed first three rows), $99 VIP Backstage (first three rows seating guaranteed; backstage pass; after-show meet-and-greet; special Marky Ramone gift bag).
Walk-up (day of show): General-admission seats (festival seating) are $35, VIP seating is $50 (guaranteed first three rows), VIP Backstage not available.
Musicians Institute Concert Hall
1655 N. McCadden Place
Hollywood, CA 90028
For tickets, visit Ticketweb.com.
Marky Ramone is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the RAMONES, which is often cited as the first punk-rock group. Marky is the only living member of the longest-running RAMONES lineup, which featured Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Marky. He has performed over 1,700 shows and has more than 15 album releases under his belt as a member of the RAMONES.
LITTLE FEAT co-founder Richie Hayward has passed away after contracting pneumonia as he battled liver cancer.
The jam band drummer, who has played with ERIC CLAPTON and ROBERT PLANT , died yesterday (August 12) at a hospital near Vancouver, Canada. He was 64.
His publicist, Bridget Nolan, tells the Associated Press, "He was waiting for a liver transplant."
Hayward formed Little Feat in 1969 with frontman Lowell George, Bill Payne and Roy Estrada and the band became known for songs such as 'Willin''.
They split in 1979 following the death of George, but the surviving members staged a successful reunion in 1987 and have been touring ever since.
Hayward's last performance with the group took place on July 11.
Legendary Swedish metallers SILVER MOUNTAIN will reunite for a one-time-show only at Pildammsteatern in Malmö, Sweden on September 4, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.silvermountainrules.com.
Formed in 1978, SILVER MOUNTAIN was initially an instrumental group based around the duo of bassist Pär Stadin and vocalist/guitarist Jonas Hansson. Among the band's earliest members were keyboard player Jens Johansson and his drummer brother Anders Johansson, both of whom would later join Yngwie Malmsteen.
According to MusicMight, SILVER MOUNTAIN's debut commercial release with the Johansson brothers came in the form of the track "She Needs" on the 1982 GS Music compilation "Skånsk Rock".
The brothers quit to join Yngwie Malmsteen after the "Shakin' Brains" album came out in 1984. There are bootlegs culled from jam sessions circulating from this period that feature the Johansson brothers, Yngwie Malmsteen and Per Stadin.
For 1985's "Universe" album SILVER MOUNTAIN added NORDEN LIGHT singer Christer Mentzer and re-recruited Martin Hedener on drums.
A SILVER MOUNTAIN reformation album, "Breakin' Chains", was issued by the Japanese Avalon Marquee label in 2001.
Canadian hard rock veterans HELIX are putting together a compilation album consisting of songs that were released between 2000 and 2010, including three tracks that originally appeared on singer Brian Vollmer's solo album.
The track listing for this CD is tentatively as follows:
* I'm A Live Frankenstein
* X-Ray Eyes
* King Of The Hill
* Get Up!
* Fill Your Head With Rock
* Cyberspace Girl
* The Animal Inside
* Make 'Em Dance
* Hung Over (But Still Hanging In)
Bonus tracks:
* The William Tell Overture
* It's a Long Way To The Top If You Wanna Rock N' Roll (AC/DC cover)
In other news, HELIX will enter the studio in September to record an acoustic CD of "all the HELIX hits." That album is expected to feature the following track listing:
* No Rest For The Wicked
* Heavy Metal Love
* Rock You
* Make Me Do (Anything You Want)
* Gimme Good Lovin'
* Wild In The Streets
* Dream On
* Good To The Last Drop
* That Day Is Gonna Come
* Touch Of Magic (JAMES LEROY cover)
"Monday Morning Meltdown", the latest video from HELIX, can be viewed below. The clip was shot earlier this year with director Francis Coral Mellon of RedDustFilms.net. It was produced and edited by Brent Doerner, with additional cameras by Pat Portelance.
"Monday Morning Meltdown" comes off HELIX's latest album, "Vagabond Bones", which was released in Canada via Universal/Fontana and in the U.S. through Perris Records. Vocalist Brian Vollmer collaborated with Sean Kelly (CRASH KELLY) on material for the CD, which was mixed by engineer Aaron Murray.
HELIX has been active in the past several years with several releases.
The band's previous collection of original material, "The Power of Rock and Roll", came out in 2007.
British thrashers ONSLAUGHT have set "Sounds Of Violence" as the title of their fifth album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Germany's AFM Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Killing Peace" will be recorded and mixed at Hansen Studio in Ribe, Denmark with acclaimed Danish producer Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, MERCENARY, VOLBEAT, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) starting on August 16.
Commented ONSLAUGHT guitarist Nige Rockett: "'Sounds of Violence' is a very fitting title for the new recording.
"Musically and lyrically, this is definately the most brutal and intense ONSLAUGHT album to date. It's full of machine-gun riffs, ferocious drum patterns and some pretty fucked up lyrical content.
"This album was never meant to be pretty. It's not a concept album by any measure but there's a definite theme to the whole package, right through from the sleeve design to the music and onto the words;, it's violence all the way.
"There's a lot of hate in 'Sounds of Violence' and a whole lot of reality in there, too, much of it straight from the heart."
An audio sample of the pre-production/demo version of the new ONSLAUGHT song "Born For War" can be heard at the band's MySpace profile.
ONSLAUGHT recorded its performance at the Damnation Festival on November 22, 2008 in Leeds, U.K. for a live CD, "Live Damnation", which was released on July 20, 2009 through Candlelight Records.
An e-card for the album can be accessed at this location.
ONSLAUGHT's last studio album, "Killing Peace", was released in March 2007 via Candlelight Records. The CD was recorded at Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE).
THE GATES OF SLUMBER and EARTHEN GRAVE (featuring renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine and Ron Holzner of TROUBLE fame) are among the confirmed bands for the Day Of The Doomed Fest, set to take place June 18, 2011 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This one-day event will play host to the best doom metal bands from around the nation.
The Day Of The Doomed Fest billing is shaping up as follows:
THE GATES OF SLUMBER
ORODRUIN
EARTHEN GRAVE
BLACK PYRAMID
BACKWOODS PAYBACK
ADMIRAL BROWNING
REVELATION
PALLBEARER
For more information, visit the Day Of The Doomed Fest's official Facebook page.
Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT have issued the following update:
"To our U.S. fans: We'll be playing the first handful of our U.S. shows without Thomas [Bredahl] on guitar. Immigration is giving him a real hard time because of an incident concerning theft of a barstool back in the day. He wasn't exactly a juvenile delinquent or anything, but to Homeland Security it's all the same. We hope to have him on board shortly. Our guitar tech will stand in for the time being and we'll, of course, keep you updated."
VOLBEAT will release its fourth album, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven", in Germany on September 10 and in most parts of Europe on September 13 via Vertigo/Universal. The CD was once again recorded at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen. The cover artwork was created by illustrator Karsten Wrysand and can be viewed below.
Commented the band: "It's been a long process, but damn well worth it. The artwork for 'Beyond Hell/Above Heaven' is done and we're absolutely very proud of it."
"Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" track listing:
01. The Mirror And The Ripper
02. Heaven Nor Hell
03. Who They Are
04. Fallen
05. A Better Believer
06. 7 Shots
07. A New Day
08. 16 Dollars
09. A Warrior's Call
10. Magic Zone
11. Evelyn
12. Being 1
13. Thanks
"Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" features guest appearances by MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Michael Denner, NAPALM DEATH's Mark "Barney" Greenway and KREATOR's Mille Petrozza. Additionally, Jacob Oelund of the Copenhagen rockabilly outfit TAGGY TONES and songwriter Hanrik Hall swung by the studio to lay down some seriously swinging double bass and harmonica.
"We were listening to those guys when we were 14, 15 years old, and we have definitely not forgotten them for inspiring us," VOLBEAT singer/guitarist Michael Poulsen told Revolver magazine about Greenway and Patrozza's contributions to the new album. "They know VOLBEAT — they like our records. We had the opportunity to talk to those guys during the last three years touring around Europe. And to actually have them on the record is really a great compliment. What they did in the studio to the VOLBEAT sound is amazing."
Regarding the title of VOLBEAT's new album, Poulsen previously stated, "The title refers to the overall theme of the album, and it continues the storyline from where [the last VOLBEAT CD] 'Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood' left off…"
VOLBEAT is "very excited" about the new material, "carrying the songs into both extreme metallic territory, punk variations and some very catchy stuff at the same time," according to a posting on the band's web site.
Added Poulsen: "We have fast, slow and mid-tempo songs. We still blend different styles of punk, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, country — we still keep it very open, it's just music! I cannot say too much about it right now, but we're really excited about it and it's going to be very, very cool. Again, we're going to give people something they haven't heard before. We always try to do something special and different on each and every album."
Professionally filmed video footage of VOLBEAT performing a brand new song, "Fallen", at the Rock Am Ring festival, which was held June 4-6, 2010 in Nürburgring, Germany, can be viewed below.
"A Warrior's Call" is a track recently recorded by VOLBEAT as a tribute to Danish boxer Mikkel Kessler (who is also featured on the cut).
"Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood", the third studio album from VOLBEAT, received a U.S. release in March 2009 via Mascot Records.
Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI have been confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which is set to sail from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on January 24, 2011 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will appear at the event.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGENT STEEL
AMON AMARTH
DEATH ANGEL
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EXODUS
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
FORBIDDEN
ICED EARTH
KORPIKLAANI
MARDUK
MOONSPELL
OBITUARY
RAVEN
SAXON
SODOM
SONATA ARCTICA
SWASHBUCKLE
TESTAMENT
TROUBLE
ULI JON ROTH
WITCHBURNER
SAXON will play two unique shows. One night they will perform the "Wheels Of Steel" LP in its entirety and on a different night, for the second show, they will play "Strong Arm Of The Law" from start to finish.
70000 Tons Of Metal will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean "Majesty of the Seas" from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.
Make no mistake, 70000 Tons Of Metal is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all-ship heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass and you might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done!
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated drinks at the on-board restaurants and 24-hour room service!
For more information, go to www.70000tons.com.
Richmond, Virginia's MUNICIPAL WASTE will embark on a European tour in December. Support on the trek will come from Californian metallers SAVIOURS and Boston crossover thrashers RAMMING SPEED.
Commented MUNICIPAL WASTE drummer Dave Witte: "I can't wait to get back to Europe in December. We have some killer bands coming with us. SAVIOURS and RAMMING SPEED make this one hell of a package. Seeing as we had to sit out the summer dates, it will be about 10 months since we've been to the Europe, for the first time in about five years... So, no worries people, we're making good on ourselves and will return full speed ahead!"
Catch MUNICIPAL WASTE live on tour in Europe with SAVIOURS and RAMMING SPEED at the following shows:
Dec. 03 - Belfast, UK - Spring & Airbrake
Dec. 04 - Dublin, Ireland - Whelans
Dec. 05 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
Dec. 07 - Paris, France - Glazart
Dec. 08 - Cologne, Germany - Underground
Dec. 09 - Gent, Belgium - Minus One
Dec. 10 - Essen, Germany - Cafe Nova
Dec. 11 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Speedfest (no support)
Dec. 13 - Bristol, UK - Fleece & Firkin
Dec. 14 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
Dec. 15 - Glasgow, UK - Ivory Blacks
Dec. 17 - London, UK - Academy 2
Dec. 18 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi (no support)
MUNICIPAL WASTE's video for the song "Acid Sentence" can be viewed below. Fangoria film crews helmed this gruesome clip, which is sure to be a favorite with MUNICIPAL WASTE and Fangoria fans alike.
"It seemed like a perfect fit," says video director David McKendry. "The Fangoria staff has always been huge WASTE fans, and when we heard they wanted to shoot a horror-oriented video, we knew Fango had to be part of the action."
Bass player Phil Hall stated, "I have been a big fan of Fangoria for years, so when I heard they were interested in producing a music video for MUNICIPAL WASTE, I was stoked. Just like any metalhead, I am a fan of classic horror movies and who else would know that genre better than Fangoria! I think the dark and gritty vibe of the new video fits the atmosphere of the song very well. I hope all the WASTE fans out there get a kick out of it!"
"Acid Sentence" comes off MUNICIPAL WASTE's most recent album, "Massive Aggressive", released by Earache Records. Based on the legendary serial killer John Haigh, the song/video center around a serial killer who bathes his victims in acid. The clip was shot over several weeks in May and June of 2010 and features the band as well as plenty of Fangoria-style gore. The gore and body parts were provided by the world-renowned Dapper Cadaver, whose fine gore craftsmanship has graced TV shows like "Bones" and "Dexter".
Witte on the collaboration: "It was a huge thrill to work with Fangoria as they've been totally supportive to many artists over the years, from Clive Barker to Romero and beyond, people who have uncompromising visions with their art and are pros all across the board. To me, as a fan and a musician, I couldn't be more thrilled that Fangoria wants to support what we are doing with our music."
MY RUIN, the Los Angeles duo consisting of vocalist Tairrie B. and multi-instrumentalist Mick Murphy, has issued the following update:
"It's with heavy hearts and deep regret due to circumstances beyond our control we are being forced to postpone and reschedule our L.A. and London shows as well as our European tour dates. This is all we can tell you as we are unable to go into the details of this decision at this time.
"The tour will be rescheduled for early 2011, with more U.K. dates added. All of the pre-sale tickets which have been sold for the London show on September 24th will remain valid and can be used for the new London date which we will be announcing soon. We are going to keep our event for the London show posted on Facebook< and will be posting a flyer with the new date and venue soon. The same goes for the afterparty event.
"For those of you who have purchased tickets for the L.A. show via Ticketmaster, the Whisky has told us you will be receiving a letter regarding the cancellation and will be reimbursed. We cannot reschedule this until we have our tour re-confirmed.
"As you know, MY RUIN takes pride in being an independent and professional band with a strong DIY ethic and we realize [as we know you do] things like this happen all the time to bands both big and small but this is the first time in the 10-year history of our band that we have had to cancel a tour, not to mention two very special shows in L.A. and London.
"Thank you all for your continued love and support.
"We are both sorry about this situation and hope you will understand that we did everything within our power to prevent this from happening."
MY RUIN will release its sixth full-length studio album, "Ghosts And Good Stories", on August 21 via Tiefdruck-Musik.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Diggin' For Ghosts
02. Long Dark Night
03. Excommunicated
04. Eyes Black
05. Money Shot
06. Abusing The Muse
07. La Cuidad
08. Suicide Tuesday
09. Saviourself
10. Malediction
11. Repose
12. Turned Out
13. Death Knell
Tairrie B recently stated about "Ghosts And Good Stories", "We went about making this album in a different way. We decided not to rush things but rather take our time and enjoy ourselves. Not only did Mick write the music and play all the instruments on the new album but he also co-produced and mixed it with longtime friend Josh Lynch at Entourage Studios in North Hollywood and Weapons of Mass Productions in Santa Monica, California.
"Our recording sessions were very organic and was nice to have the freedom to create and produce the album we wanted to make with no heavy-handed pressure or deadlines from the label but instead lots of support. Tiefdruck Musik owner Daniel Heerdman really loves and understands our music and band as does everyone at the label which is something we have not felt from a label in a long time and it's a welcome surprise.
"While I was creating the album artwork, I wanted the feeling to be otherworldly and dark, unlike anything we have done in the past and to set the mood for the music, which I think it does.
"The new cover art [see below] is actually a vintage portrait from my family album. It is a photo of my great grandparents in front of their home taken sometime in the early 1900s which has been slightly altered.
"I came across the image last year as we were recording our new album and it just sort of spoke to me in a very haunting way. I was drawn to it over and over again while coming up with the album's title, which is taken from the lead track 'Diggin' for Ghosts'.
"The album starts off very doomy and ends with a slow, spoken-word dirge over a musical soundscape that ties it all in from beginning to end but the record as a whole is definitely very brutal and up tempo with lots of rock riffs and my trademark scream vocals."
When asked about the theme of the new album in a recent interview for Devolution magazine in the U.K., Tairrie said, "I would say that 'Ghosts and Good Stories' is definitely a concept album and one which is quite reflective and apocalyptic on many levels. It didn't necessarily start off that way but it eventually began to write itself into a bit of an intimate portrait of our life as a band in and around the city of Los Angeles.
"Over the years religious imagery has played a huge part in my lyrical content and I have often left things open to interpretation but with this record it has gone from being more of a cryptically metaphorical aesthetic to highly confrontational in some instances."
Italian metallers STAMINA have inked a deal with IceWarrior Records (a division of Rock It Up Records) The band's second studio album, "Two Of A Kind", will be released on October 8.
"Two Of A Kind" features two special guests: Danish singers Henrik Brockmann (ROYAL HUNT, EVIL MASQUERADE, MISSING TIDE) and Kenny Lubcke (NARITA, ROYAL HUNT, CORNERSTONE). The CD contains 13 tracks (including three bonus cuts) and has a running time of about 65 minutes. The limited "IceWarrior edition" comes with an exclusive bonus track.
"Two Of A Kind" track listing:
01. Intro
02. Eyes Of The Warrior (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
03. Burn Your Fears (feat. Henrik Brockmann)
04. Too Tired To Live (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
05. Power Of Love
06. Supremacy
07. Maker Of The Universe (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
08. Mystery
09. Black Moon
10. Heart Of The World (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
Bonus tracks:
11. Maker Of The Universe (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
12. Too Tired To Live (feat. Kenny Lubcke)
13. When The Feeling Is Real
STAMINA is:
Luca Sellitto - Guitar
Giorgio Adamo (ex-MIND KEY) - Vocals
Andrea Barone - Keyboards
Roberto Chiumiento - Bass
Additional musicians:
Alessandro Beccati (VITALIJ KUPRIJ, SCENARIO) - Drums
Umberto Spiniello (MARTIRIA) - Drums (on "Intro" and "Eyes Of The Warrior")
Alfina Scorza and Ilaria Adamo - Female Backing Vocals
Matteo Parisi – Cello
Dark Essence Records has set a September 27 release date for "Head Up High", the sophomore album from Norwegian metallers THE BATALLION. The follow-up to 2008's "Stronghold Of Men" was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studio, the central Bergen studio owned by VULTURE INDUSTRIES' Bjørnar E. Nilsen and ENSLAVED's Herbrand Larssen and Arve Isdal, and was once again produced by Bart Schlagermeister (Bjørnar E. Nilsen).
"Head Up High" track listing:
01. Mind My Step
02. Head Up High
03. When Death Becomes Dangerous
04. Within the Frame of the Graveyard
05. Thick Skinned and Weatherbitten
06. Each Man For Himself
07. Undertakers
08. Paces
09. Where There Is Smoke There Is Fire
10. The Roaring Grandfather
11. Bring Out Your Dead
The songs "Head Up High" and "Each Man For Himself" are available for streaming on THE BATALLION's MySpace page.
Formed in Bergen in the summer of 2006, THE BATALLION's hugely experienced musicians hail from some of the most legendary bands in Norway — OLD FUNERAL, GRIMFIST, TAAKE, BORKNAGAR, ST. SATAN, DEATHCON and BOMBERS. The members' shared love of traditional metal drew them together to form a band that epitomizes the spirit and feel of the genre; from the choice of stage names — with Stud Bronson on guitar and vocals, Lust Kilman on guitar, Colt Kane on bass and Morden on drums, to the authentic sound of their music and their headbanging live performances.
THE BATALLION will appear at this year's Southern Discomfort Festival in Kristiansand on September 18 and will hold a release party for "Head Up High" at Inside Rock Cafe in Bergen on October 15.
Legendary Polish extreme metal band MAGNUS will release its new album, "Acceptance Of Death", on September 15 via Witching Hour Productions. The CD was recorded in three different studios: Tower, DSP and ATK. Mixing and mastering duties were handled by Marcin Bors at Fonoplastykon Studio.
"Acceptance Of Death" will be made available as a 10-panel exclusive digipack and 12-inch picture LP (hand-numbered and limited to 500 copies)
MAGNUS recently inked a deal with Witching Hour Productions covering the release of two new studio albums and reissues of all recordings from the '90s.
01. False God
02. Appear
03. Spirits
04. Essence
05. Worm
06. To Understand Death
07. Private Religion
08. Nothing More
09. When You Rest 6 Feet Under
10. They'll Bury
11. Mournful Song
12. Just Like Life
13. There's No Use Lamenting
Comments mainman/lead singer Rob Bandit: "'Acceptance Of Death' is the same MAGNUS you know from previous albums as it was recorded mostly by the same people who created 'I Was Watching My Death' or 'Alcoholic Suicide', friends who understand each other, who follow the same path, who are bound with 20 years of friendship. However, since those early releases the earth revolved thousands of times — which had an impact on our paranormal minds — so expect MAGNUS of XXI century, reborn MAGNUS that is still uncompromising, honest and true".
Formed in 1987, MAGNUS recorded three albums in the '90s and played live with such acts as NAPALM DEATH, DEICIDE, GOREFEST, MORBID ANGEL and CANNIBAL CORPSE. The group disbanded in 1997 and reformed earlier this year.
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