EMI Records is proud of its 30-year, career-long involvement with IRON MAIDEN and the astonishing first-week global chart success of the band's fifteenth studio album, "The Final Frontier", which was released on EMI Records worldwide on August 16. (excluding USA, released by UMe on August 17)
IRON MAIDEN have more than earned their status as one of the foremost contemporary and influential rock bands in the world as they debut at No. 1 in the U.K. (their fourth No. 1 album there, the first being 1982's seminal "The Number of the Beast" album) and 20 other countries to date with "The Final Frontier".
In addition to the phenomenal number of No. 1 debuts in all parts of the world, MAIDEN are currently No. 2 in Australia, Belgium and Holland, No. 3 in Ireland Poland and Turkey, No. 4 in USA and No. 5 in Singapore. The debut at No. 4 on the Billboard chart in the USA is the band's highest-ever chart position.
Having recorded the new album at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas earlier this year, in an historic first for the band, they released "El Dorado", a track from "The Final Frontier", as a free download on the eve of the opening date of their North American tour to huge excitement from their massive fanbase. Following this a cutting-edge video was released for the opening track, "The Final Frontier", produced by the award-winning production company Darkside Animation Films ("Lost in Space", "Gladiator" and "Black Hawk Down") and two innovative computer games were created as companion releases to the album.
Thirty years after their eponymous debut album in April 1980 and with more than 80 million albums sold, IRON MAIDEN are more creatively vibrant, dynamic and relevant than ever, reaching a new pinnacle in their career and still adding legions of new young fans to their ever-increasing following.
They recently completed one of the most successful North American tours of the summer, playing to over 350,000 fans there across 25 concerts, and followed that success across Europe, where they headlined a series of major festivals, including the huge Sonisphere events in the U.K., Sweden and Finland, alongside their own shows, playing to hundreds of thousands more fans. They will hit the road again in 2011 with further extensive touring, headline dates on the Soundwave series of major festivals in Australia already being on sale for February and further shows to be announced over the coming months. MAIDEN are on blistering form and ready to take their music into 2011 and beyond.
All chart positions confirmed to date are as follows:
No. 1 - Arabia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Finland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K.
No. 2 - Australia, Belgium, Holland
No. 3 - Ireland, Poland, Turkey
No. 4 - USA
No. 5 - Singapore
IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood comments: "On behalf of Bruce, Dave, Adrian, Janick, Steve and Nicko, l would like to thank YOU our MAIDEN Clan for all for your phenomenal support — without which these chart entries just wouldn't have happened. You are the BEST."
A new MOTÖRHEAD compilation, "Aces Up My Sleeve - The Collection", will be released in the United Kingdom on October 18 via Spectrum Audio/Universal Music.
2010 celebrates the 35th anniversary since the former HAWKWIND bassist and Jimi Hendrix roadie, put together one of the loudest, nastiest and filthiest-sounding bands of all time to. That man is Lemmy and the band is MOTÖRHEAD.
It seems appropriate to look back once more at the incredible legacy this lot have left us. You'll know all the tracks inside out, including "Ace Of Spades", which is bigger, brighter and better as the years go by. "Eat The Rich" to "Bomber", "Iron Fist" to "Killed By Death", "Overkill" to "Stay Clean"… they're each fully matured and individual, albeit clearly belong to the same band.
This compilation spans the ten-year period from the 1977 single "Leaving Here" (MOTÖRHEAD's first single) to the aforementioned "Eat The Rich". Each track is unique, every song is special. A period of tremendous activity and dynamic from one of our greatest-ever bands.
"Aces Up My Sleeve - The Collection" track listing:
01. Ace Of Spades (album version)
02. Bomber
03. Iron Fist
04. Leaving Here
05. Killed By Death
06. Louie Louie
07. Stay Clean (album version)
08. Overkill
09. Please Don't Touch
10. Dead Men Tell No Tales (album version)
11. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch (album version)
12. Eat The Rich (album version)
13. I Got Mine (album version)
14. Nothing Up My Sleeve
15. Heart Of Stone
16. Motörhead (Live)
17. Damage Case (album version)
18. (We Are) The Roadcrew (album version)
19. Shine
20. Iron Horse / Born To Lose (live)
Shannon Joy of the LA Music Blog recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
LA Music Blog: Do you find it difficult to maintain sobriety while on the road?
Ellefson: I don't. It was difficult for me to turn the corner and transition. It was really, really hard because I didn't want to be strung out and I didn't want to be a junkie anymore, but I also didn't know that I wanted to live this squeaky-clean, sober life. To me, my vision of what it was was just too wholesome and pure, and when you're coming out of the dark, decadent world of drugs and alcohol, to look at having this happy, clean life doesn't always look so good. [Laughs] But once I finally turned the corner, I like to think of it as I got "struck sober." I got blessed with the gift of it, and once that happened, then I was like, "This is awesome!" And fortunately, I've maintained discipline and diligence in a new life here, and as a result, I have not had the temptations or obsessions or anything to go back to the old way of life. It's interesting, because one of the hardest things for me when we were writing "Rust in Peace" and I was getting
clean was that my fingers hurt to even touch the instrument. Especially coming off of narcotics and those kinds of things that I was taking, for my fingers to touch the steel of the string on the neck of my bass — it was actually painful. I was thinking, "Oh my God, I don't know if I'm ever going to want to play music again." And that frightened me, the thought that I might not ever play, or even want to play, again. So I held on to a kind of youthful thought from when I started playing bass when I was 11: I didn't play it for the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, I played it strictly because I loved music. It was all pretty innocent and wholesome, and I started playing because I loved rocking and I loved thrashing. So I had to hold on to the dream of an 11-year-old again to get me back to the inspiration and the fun that it was in the beginning. I thought that as long as I held on to that, that really helped me transition through it until I got detoxed
and cleaned up. And then I really, truly started to enjoy playing again.
LA Music Blog: How big of a role has your faith played in being able to maintain an alcohol-free lifestyle?
Ellefson: The faith is everything. It's all of it, in fact, that's the entire reason that I've been able to maintain it. I know it might seem kind of weird for this metal guy to be talking about God and the Lord and all that, but the truth of it is that is it: having a strong faith. And of course, I was raised in a good family, in a good, strong faith growing up. And as soon as I started drinking and partying, not only did it take me away from my faith, but ultimately, it destroyed my dreams of playing rock 'n' roll. That's how screwed up it is —it's not like it made rock 'n' roll better. It even destroyed that. I really had to get it back to pure innocence, and once again, I think that was the irony: here we are in "Rust in Peace", playing this really ripping, hard thrash and rocking out, and the record was so ferocious. And the whole time, it was like I was developing this whole new faith walk, and in my time away from MEGADETH, I really got heavily
involved in that. I started up the Mega Life Ministries out in Scottsdale, and I got involved in a lot of other things. In fact, when we were making the "Risk" album out in Nashville, I had this one worship leader back in Scottsdale ask me if I would sit in with him and play at church one time. So one part of me thought, "Man, that's lame," and the other part went "You know, I could be into sight-reading some charts." [Laughs] So I started doing it, and everything just started taking me down new roads. It's almost like the faith side of my life just kept getting wider and wider, and growing and growing, and getting richer and developing more and more. I realized that I can stand on the stage of rock 'n' roll and thrash with the best of 'em. In fact, my playing gets better the more I spend time developing faith. I realize that the faith has to come first, and the notes seem to naturally follow after.
LA Music Blog: So with that in mind, do you consider your music to now be a direct reflection of your faith?
Ellefson: Music itself is sort of a reflection of the Holy Spirit flowing through you. I hate to sound like a religious geek here, and I don't mean it to sound like that. I know that when I was really whacked and played, there was no music 'cause there was nothing coming out of me, there was nothing coming through me. It's almost like you're a channel for music, so that's why I really admire people who really tap into that. Even Dave [Mustaine] and I over the years — Dave will just pick up his guitar and some riff just falls off his fingerboard, and I'm like, "Geez! How did he come up with that?" It sounds so simple, and I think I could've come up with that, but he did! And I've always admired that about him. So whether you're playing metal or you play whatever kind of music, it's just cool when you see people are able to channel music through them. It's an admiration that I have, and obviously when I create things too, I step back and I go, "Wow, I
don't even know where that came from. It just sort of flowed right out of me."
Seattle-based progressive metallers QUEENSRŸCHE have signed a multi-album, worldwide deal with Loud & Proud Records, a Roadrunner Records imprint focusing on established artists. The band's label debut — their twelfth studio album overall — is tentatively scheduled for a spring 2011 release. Singer and founder Geoff Tate remains the creative nucleus of the band, which continues to make relevant, against-the-grain hard rock that entices fans, both new and diehard.
QUEENSRŸCHE have been — and unquestionably remain — one of the most respected and innovative names in forward-thinking hard rock throughout the course of their nearly 30-year history. Since their inception over 25 years ago, QUEENSRŸCHE have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have performed in over 22 countries.
"We are very happy to be signing with Roadrunner/Loud & Proud. This is the rock label and a place where they are as excited about our music as we and our fans are," Tate said.
"We are excited to welcome QUEENSRŸCHE to the label," stated Loud & Proud president Tom Lipsky. "They have earned global acclaim for their distinctive approach to music and we are confident of a successful partnership with them."
In a recent interview with Attention Deficit Delirium, QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield revealed that the band's upcoming album is taking the Seattle-based metal quintet in some new directions.
"I add a lot of film score elements or sound effects [into my drum work], especially on the new thing we're working on right now," Rockenfield said. "Geoff [Tate, vocals] and I have really spent a lot of time together redesigning the QUEENSRŸCHE thing, which you're going to love. It's huge rock but with a great dance vibe to it, real modern dance. It's kind of like 'Rage' ['For Order'] through a time tunnel, bringing it into the now. There are a lot of electronic elements to it. It's a big rock thing that is going to have a lot of color to it — it's good and really intense."
When asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to QUEENSRŸCHE's 2009 CD, "American Soldier", QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate stated on this past Friday night's (August 20) edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM, "We're about more than halfway through our new album, writing it... In a sense, it is [a concept record]. It's a very contemporary record.
He continued, "'Empire' was a record of the time. Rock music was really the music of the times in 1990. Unfortunately, rock music isn't the music of the times anymore — it's very underground.
"What we're doing with this record is we're taking the 'Empire' song structure, in a sense, where it's very strong songs, very melodic, but we kind of restructured the rhythm section, and Scott's done an amazing job on restructuring that — him and Eddie [Jackson, bass] have just really gone to town, and they've made it very contemporary-sounding.
"These days, in comparison to the old days, people used to sit in their houses and listen to music right in the front room on their stereo system. People don't do that anymore. They plug in and they're mobile and they're moving and they're doing stuff and the music, they're listening to it as they're doing stuff. This music has that feel. It's very contemporary in the sense that it's very rhythmatic. The rhythm structure kind of reflects the way modern life is — we're all busy, we're all doing stuff. And Scott being the incredible drummer that he is, the various time signatures, the feel of the record, it's now — it's very, very now."
QUEENSRŸCHE's Queensrÿche Cabaret tour is being filmed for future DVD release. The trek, which kicked off in late July, was previously described by the group as "Teatro ZinZanni meets Cirque du Soleil, with the band performing their hits and never-heard-before selections accompanied by go-go dancers, burlesque dancers, drag queens, a juggler, ballet dancer, trapeze artist, a contortionist and others. Definitely a fun-filled evening like no other full of freaks and shrieks!"
According to The Pulse or Radio, GODSMACK has begun announcing dates for its upcoming fall North American tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and DROWNING POOL, with six dates in early October unveiled so far. This will be GODSMACK's first full trek in support of its new album, "The Oracle". The band is known for its large-scale stage shows and drummer Shannon Larkin told The Pulse of Radio the band's got some major plans this time: "It's gonna be different. Very, very cool video with cool video screens that — I can say this, they're, you know, moving video screens," he said. "That's about all I can really give away a little. But it's gonna be an intense thing. We already got the opening number and a couple of gags throughout the show to keep it exciting."
"The Oracle", GODSMACK's fifth album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart earlier this year and has sold 336,000 copies since coming out.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is supporting its second album, "War Is The Answer", and Top 5 cover of the rock classic "Bad Company", while DROWNING POOL is out behind its self-titled fourth record.
GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna is also scheduled to bring out his debut solo album, titled "Avalon", next month.
THE DAMNED THINGS, the new band featuring members of FALL OUT BOY (Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley), ANTHRAX (Scott Ian, Rob Caggiano) and EVERY TIME I DIE (Keith Buckley, Josh Newton), has scheduled the following dates in the United Kingdom:
Oct. 23 - Relentless Garage - London, UK
Oct. 24 - Corporation - Sheffield, UK
THE DAMNED THINGS made its live debut on June 1, 2010 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, New York.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Ironiclast
02. Excellent Time
03. Bad Blood
04. A Great Reckoning
05. Handbook For The Recently Deceased
06. Fazer (QUICKSAND cover)
07. Grave Robber
08. We've Got A Situation Here
Check out a review of the concert at Spin.com.
Rough-mix versions of two tracks — "We've Got a Situation Here" and "Ironiclast" — from THE DAMNED THINGS can be streamed on the group's MySpace page.
While each individual in the band has experienced their own successes, THE DAMNED THINGS' debut Island/Def Jam album, which combines their love of classic rock anthems and powerful melodies with a heavy metal intensity, turns out to be much more than the sum of the separate parts.
"This is an amalgam of three very different bands," explains FALL OUT BOY guitarist Joe Trohman, who was first introduced to ANTHRAX's Scott Ian three years ago, when the two became fast friends and immediately began writing together. "It seemed unlikely, but it turned out we were on the same page musically. We were both interested in putting together a heavy/classic-rock, blues-oriented, riff-based band while trying to stay away from what makes that sound generic and overplayed."
"We're trying not to over-think it," chimes in Ian. "Nobody's arm is being twisted to be here. We're just doing it as we go along, and this is the natural progression. We're able to do things exactly how we want to do them by keeping it simple and comfortable for everyone."
With Trohman and Caggiano handling the production duties, the group began writing and recording songs mostly in Brooklyn, Chicago, and Buffalo (where Buckley resides). The template began to take shape, combining those elements of classic rock with the heavier aspects of ANTHRAX and EVERY TIME I DIE, and the hook-laden choruses of FALL OUT BOY.
According to Buckley, THE DAMNED THINGS name was inspired by the lyrics in RAM JAM's '70s version of LEDBELLY's "Black Betty".
While they've all experienced a degree of success, every member of THE DAMNED THINGS acts like there's something still to prove, and part of the exhilaration of it is starting over, going back to the reasons they first started playing music.
"I feel like I'm giving birth," laughs Trohman. "It's painful and necessary at the same time for me to get this record made. It's really coming together the way I envisioned it in my head."
"This is still all so new to us," says Scott. "There's no baggage yet. We're still very much in the honeymoon period. I remember what it was like to be in ANTHRAX back in 1984. It's just really exciting to get to do that again. I'm in a new band again. It's a blast."
THE DAMNED THINGS is:
Keith Buckley: Lead Vocals
Scott Ian: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Rob Caggiano: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Joe Trohman: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Andy Hurley: Drums, Percussion
Josh Newton: Bass
Legendary Swedish guitarist YNGWIE MALMSTEEN is back in the studio recording a brand new album for a late 2010 release. More information will be made available soon.
Malmsteen released the "Raw Live" DVD on June 29. According to a press release, the set "provides an unprecedented and unique look at the rise of a guitar god. Spanning from 1981 through 1999 and encompassing extremely rare footage of Yngwie's early years in Sweden, this video displays the infancy of Yngwie's prodigious skills well prior to his first worldwide album and travels through Yngwie's masterful career, including his masterful performances from his first solo albums, 'Rising Force', 'Marching Out', and 'Trilogy'. Also included in this unique video are never-released behind-the-scenes footage of Yngwie and newly shot personal touches of Yngwie which open up the viewer to a side of the guitar maestro which is rarely seen by the public."
Yngwie Malmsteen donated his guitar to the city of Bologna during the inauguration of Music Italy Show — Italy's most important trade fair featuring musical instruments, publishing, backstage equipment, DJ and discography — on May 15. The Commissariat of Bologna (Mayor) was present to accept this honor, along with the President of BolognaFiere. Multiple local authorities from the Emilia Romagna region and province and city of Bologna were also in the audience.
The ceremony opened with a performance by the 65-piece Giuseppe Verdi marching band followed by Yngwie signing and presenting his guitar to the city of Bologna.
Yngwie Malmsteen headlined "The Ultimate World Guitar Exhibition" at this year's Music Italy Show, which was held May 15-17, 2010 in Bologna, Italy. Malmsteen also took part in an exclusive clinic on May 18 at Castlebrando in Treviso, Italy — considered to be one of Italy's most impressive medieval castles. Fans got a chance to experience Yngwie's wizardry playing up close and personal.
Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach will support GUNS N' ROSES on a U.K. tour in October. The dates are as follows:
Oct. 13 - London, UK - O2 Arena
Oct. 14 - London, UK - O2 Arena
Oct. 15 - Warwickshire, UK - Leamington Assembly Hall *
Oct. 17 - Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
Oct. 18 - Manchester, UK - MEN Arena
* Sebastian Bach headlining show (no GUNS N' ROSES)
Bach recently posted 100 new photographs, including shots from the set of JOHN RICH's video shoot for his new single, "Country Done Come To Town", and pictures from Bach's recent trip to Norway to perform at the Norway Rock festival.
Bach is currently working on material for his next solo album, which he expects to release sometime in 2011.
Although nothing has been confirmed yet, Sebastian's new CD will likely be made available through Sony Music in Japan.
Bach's current solo band includes guitarists Nick Sterling and Johnny Chromatic, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and bassist Rob DeLuca.
Sebastian last year collaborated with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta on several tracks for Bach's new solo album, with Nick and Charlie Bellmore of the Connecticut band PHANTOMS assisting during the pre-production process. The singer has also written material with John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON).
Bach supported GUNS N' ROSES on the band's recently completed South American and Canadian tours.
Finnish musician/producer Timo Tolkki (REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE, STRATOVARIUS) has clarified the comments he made in a recent interview in which he was quoted as saying that he "could not even imagine in [his] wildest dreams" that the remaining members of STRATOVARIUS "would continue the band without [him] with the same name." He added in the same interview, "My life philosophy is perhaps a bit different than some other people's so when I hear they will continue as STRATOVARIUS, and I owned the name and had contracts with all the musicians, instead of taking them to court, I did the reverse. I gave them everything. Because I really thought, and I continue to think, that the decision to call it STRATOVARIUS without me is morally wrong and I have always stood up for what I believe is right."
In a brand new statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Tolkki says, "Regarding my recent interview with the Argentinian IRON MAIDEN site, I would like to correct what has been written about STRATOVARIUS. If you read the interview, I am not saying that they should not have carried on without me. I just criticized the usage of the name 'STRATOVARIUS' without me and this is explained in the interview quite throroughly. I wish the guys nothing but good and there is a lot of talent in that band. I am happy that they are making music and touring. It is time to move on, for everybody. I was just asked this question and I gave my opinion. That's all."
Tolkki drew up and signed an official waiver on May 20, 2008 giving up all rights to the STRATOVARIUS name. The remaining STRATOVARIUS members — Timo Kotipelto (vocals), Jens Johansson (keyboards) and Lauri Porra (bass) — have since recorded and released a new STRATOVARIUS album with guitarist Matias Kupiainen.
TRIPTYKON, AGENT STEEL and ENFORCER have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Rock Hard festival, set to take place June 10-12, 2011 at the Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
For more information, visit www.rockhardfestival.de.
According to The News Tribune, Stephen Wesley Ungerbuehler — who was known as Steve Unger (MySpace page) when he played bass for METAL CHURCH from 2004 to 2009 — was arrested Monday (August 23) for allegedly leading a three-county marijuana-growing operation in the Washington state. He was charged Wednesday with leading organized crime, unlawfully manufacturing a controlled substance and money laundering. Pleas of not guilty were entered on his behalf.
He's being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Ungerbuehler's attorney, Jay Berneburg, told The News Tribune his client "adamantly denies" the allegations against him. Berneburg said Ungerbuehler is a professional musician who travels and has earned his money legitimately through record sales, concerts and other contracts.
"This is another case of the war on drugs run amok," Berneburg said.
Veteran German thrashers SODOM have completed work on their new album, "In War And Pieces", for a November 23, 2010 release (one day earlier internationally) via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD was produced by Waldemar Sorychta, who has previously worked with TIAMAT, MOONSPELL, LACUNA COIL and SENTENCED, among many others.
In a recent interview with Mattowarrior's Metal Madness, SODOM bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such stated about the upcoming album, "We have a new producer, Waldemar Sorychta of GRIP INC. He's like a fourth bandmember. I told him I wanted SODOM to go back to our roots, and it's important to create an album with an old sound. I don't like productions where the bands sound like all the others. He ha[d] many ideas on how to arrange the album, and vocal lines, etc."
Such previously stated about the group's new material, "There has never been a SODOM album which is so wide-ranged, as powerful and as typically SODOM as this one."
SODOM released its long-awaited new DVD, "Lords Of Depravity - Part II", in July via SPV/Steamhammer.
"Agent Orange", the classic 1989 album from SODOM, was re-released on February 1 (Germany: January 29) via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD comes in a high-class digipack and will include a bonus disc. The extensive booklet contains rare photos and liner notes by bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such. The LP comes as a double gatefold album with printed inner sleeves and three bonus live tracks.
The band's latest album, "The Final Sign of Evil", was released as a double vinyl package on February 1, 2008 via SPV Records. The LP features re-recordings of the material from the German thrashers' classic first EP, "In the Sign of Evil", plus no less than seven bonus tracks, all of which were originally written during the "In the Sign of Evil" era or earlier but were never officially released. As a special bonus, the album featured return appearances by drummer Chris Dudek (a.k.a. Witchhunter) and guitarist Josef "Peppi" Dominic (a.k.a. Grave Violator), both of whom were featured on the original 1984 EP.
SODOM issued the "Lords of Depravity - Part I" DVD in the U.S. on February 21, 2006 via SPV. The first of two double-DVD sets contained the SODOM history from 1982 to 1995 plus live footage from concerts in Sofia and at the With Full Force, Wacken Open Air and Rock Hard festivals.
Canadian heavy metal heroes CAULDRON have entered Rogue Studios in the band's hometown of Toronto to begin recording their new album. Titled "Burning Fortune", the follow-up to CAULDRON's critically acclaimed 2009 debut album, "Chained To The Nite", is due to be released on Earache Records in early 2011.
CAULDRON frontman Jason Decay comments: "We finished up pre-production yesterday at the shit factory and now we're all packed up and ready to load into the Rogue Studios this morning a few blocks away, where we'll begin work on 'Burning Fortune'!
"It's about time, and the nice thing is that we're actually rehearsed for this album, so we're pretty excited to get this thing recorded and out there. We'll also try to do a studio blog update thing to keep you posted on the album progress."
ST. VITUS, INHUME and SCENARIO II have been confirmed for the Eindhoven Metal Meeting, set to take place December 17-18, 2010 at the Effenaar in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Due to the success of the previous installment of the festival (which was sold out a couple of weeks before the event), this year's Eindhoven Metal Meeting will be a two-day event.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
Friday, December 17:
ALCEST
ENDSTILLE
HELSTAR
MAEL MORDHA
MAYHEM
MOONSPELL
PESTILENCE
REPUGNANT
ST.VITUS
THE 11TH HOUR
THE VISION BLEAK
VARG
VICTIMIZER
Saturday, December 18:
CARACH ANGREN
CHIRAW
DEATH ANGEL
EXODUS
FINNTROLL
GORATH
IMMORTAL
IZEGRIM
KREATOR
METSATÖLL
NOTHNEGA
ROTTING CHRIST
SAMAEL
SEVERE TORTURE
SUICIDAL ANGELS
TRIDENT
More bands will be announced soon.
Pre-sales for the Eindhoven Metal Meeting started Saturday, May 1. There will be a so-called combi ticket for the whole event plus separate Friday and Saturday tickets. These give you access to both festival days, including the afterparty.
For more information, visit www.eindhovenmetalmeeting.com.
Mike Meyer of the Phoenix New Times recently conducted an interview with SOULDLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY mainman Max Cavalera. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Phoenix New Times: As the lead singer and primary songwriter for two bands, how does your songwriting process work? Do you sit down with the intention of writing a song specifically for SOULFLY or CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, or do you just write songs and decide later which group they're for?
Max: I write the songs without knowing which band they're for. I just write the songs first. Later on, when I listen to it back, when I'm choosing the songs for the albums, that's when I pick — "Okay, this one goes for SOULFLY, this one goes for CAVALERA CONSPIRACY" — and that seems to work out better. That way I just write nonstop. It doesn't stop my pattern of thought on the writing. I keep writing nonstop. I've got a lot of songs I have not recorded yet. I just write all the time. I'm not one of those guys that writes just for the album. I write all the time, even when I don't have to. I love to just sit down with the guitar and write riffs. It's one of my favorite things to do. I've got tons and tons of songs that I haven't used yet, that I'm gonna use for the next [album] or the one after that. I kind of just listen to them later and then pick and choose which one's gonna go to which.
Phoenix New Times: Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of SEPULTURA's debut album, "Morbid Visions". You're probably sick to death of this question, but will we ever see a reunion of the original lineup?
Max: That's something I don't know. That's a hard one. A lot of people ask me that, and sometimes I feel optimistic. I convinced Igor [Max's brother and former SEPULTURA drummer Igor Cavalera] to do it, 'cause he didn't want to have anything to do with those guys [bassist Paulo Jr. and guitarist Andreas Kisser] ever again. I convinced him to do it for me, and he said he'd do it for me if that was the case, but the other two guys, it's kinda hard. They're still trapped in an old mindset, so it's just something that's gonna have to wait. I mean, it would have been cool to do it next year. There's a lot of cool offers for us around the world. People want to see that reunion, so I just kinda wait and see. In the meantime, I'm super busy with both bands. SOULFLY is going to Israel and China and Australia next month, and I'm going to Brazil with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY for a huge festival in Sao Paulo. So I'm pretty busy with both bands anyway, so I just kinda
wait. If that happens, it's cool. If it doesn't, it's still cool. I'm busy anyway.
International music critics and rock gourmets agree: KING'S X is among the most unusual acts in the history of rock music. Their technical skills are above reproach, and their creativity has impressed fans and media alike. Next to RUSH, there is currently no other rock trio capable of producing such a dense and at the same time transparent sound. The much-anticipated double CD/DVD set, "Live Love in London", showcases prime examples of KING'S X's incredible live show of classic groove rock featuring great melodies with vocal harmonies, driving rhythms and tough guitars. The album is set for an October 26 release through InsideOut Music and will be available as a deluxe DVD+2CD edition in a special embossed package, as well as a 2CD set. A standard DVD-only version will also be available exclusively through CMDistro.com.
"Live Love in London" is the first official DVD release by a band renowned for just such a transcendent rock show! The KING'S X trio of Ty Tabor (guitar, vocals), Dug Pinnick (bass, vocals) and Jerry Gaskill (drums, vocals) have spanned continents and decades together, honing their craft, welcoming their fans in to experience inspired performances that come from their hearts.
"Live Love in London" was shot in January of 2009 at the Electric Ballroom in London, U.K., because, as Tabor states, "London was the first place that accepted KING'S X. It has always been my favorite place to play." Pinnick recalls, "We were touring the U.S., playing for very small crowds, then we went to London; it was the Marquee and it was sold out!" Gaskill agrees, "London was the first place to make me feel like we might actually be a valid band."
KING'S X will embark on a co-headlining run with metal legends ACCEPT in late September. The dates are as follows:
Sep. 23 - The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
Sep. 24 - Ram's Head Live , Baltimore, MD
Sep. 25 - The Starland Ballroom , Sayreville, NJ
Sep. 27 - B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York, NY
Sep. 29 - Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA
Oct. 01 - The Silo, Reading, PA
Oct. 02 - The Emerald Theatre, Mount Clemens, MI
Oct. 06 - Scatz, Middleton, WI
Oct. 08 - The Agora, Cleveland, OH
Oct. 09 - The Arcada , Saint Charles, IL
Oct. 12 - House of Blues, Dallas, TX
Oct. 13 - House of Blues, Houston, TX
KING'S X's 2008 album, "XV", sold 4,450 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 145 on the Billboard 200 chart. This marked the first time in over a decade that the band had cracked the Top 200 in the first week of release.
KING'S X's "Gretchen Goes To London: Live At The Astoria 5.6.90" DVD was released in November 2008 via Molken Music. The set documents the historic show at the Astoria Theatre in 1990 and includes never-before-seen footage. The DVD was produced by Wally Farkas and has a running time of 64 minutes.
Swedish progressive/experimental metallers THERION have issued the following update:
LIFE OF AGONY and THE EXPLOITED have been confirmed bands for the fifth edition of Speedfest, set to take place December 11, 2010 at Klokgebouw in Eindhoven, Holland.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
AIRBOURNE
ANTISEEN
CENOBITES
LIFE OF AGONY
MUNICIPAL WASTE
PETER PAN SPEEDROCK
PRO-PAIN
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
THE EXPLOITED
THE NOMADS
TRIGGERFINGER
More bands will be announced soon.
For more information, visit www.speedfest.nl.
Swedish metallers TAD MOROSE have scheduled the following dates:
Sep. 03 - Folkets Park - Bollnäs, Sweden (Bollnäs Metal Rules)
Sep. 29 - Harry B James - Stockholm, Sweden
Oct. 01 - Monster - Gävle, Sweden
TAD MOROSE in August 2008 announced the addition of singer Ronny Hemlin (STEEL ATTACK) and bassist Tommi Karpanen (ex-MORGANA LEFAY) to the group's ranks.
The band is currently working on the follow-up to 2003's "Modus Vivendi", tentatively due in 2011.
Frontiers Records has announced a worldwide partnership with Swedish hard rockers THE POODLES. The band's concert DVD, "In the Flesh", and accompanying live album, "No Quarter", will be released before the end of 2010, followed by THE POODLES' fourth studio CD in early 2011.
According to a press release, THE POODLES "promises that the forthcoming studio album will be something extraordinary; a modern take on a classic rock and roll epic. Fans of the band will recognize themselves while the journey will take them to unchartered waters. Non-believers will get an opportunity to reappraise their beliefs and take the music of THE POODLES to their hearts." Mats Valentin, the producer of THE POODLES' third album, "Clash of the Elements", will once again helm the new adventure and will take the band further along the road they started on together in 2009.
Since the release of THE POODLES' third studio effort, "Clash of the Elements", THE POODLES has received and discussed several offers from potential collaborators in anticipation of future releases. After long and careful consideration, the band chose to go with Frontiers Records, a powerful independent label with a strong passion for rock music and an equally strong desire to work with THE POODLES and to develop the band's presence in all territories.
THE POODLES are excited and eager to see the new business venture unfold and they have high expectations on what the partnership will bring in the near future. Jake Samuel, the lead singer of THE POODLES, says that "the most important thing in any collaboration is a shared vision of what one wants to accomplish. In our case, that vision must come from a deep love for rock n' roll, mutual respect and willingness to do whatever it takes to reach your goals. I think we have found those qualities in Frontiers Records."
"The tour schedule has changed: The shows in Caracas (Venezuela), Chihuahua and Puebla (both Mexico) have to be cancelled and the show in Santiago de Chile has moved to the Teatro Caupolican. In Europe there will be an additional show — on the 11th of December THERION will play in Istanbul, at Refresh the Venue (which is really named like that).
"We are very sad to announce that the shows in Chihuahua and Puebla in Mexico have been cancelled. The situation with the drug cartels is becoming worse and worse in the north and the local authorities strongly advise against playing concerts in Chihuahua (and, of course, Monterray which also has been rumored we would be playing), so the national promoter in Mexico has decided to cancel Chihuahua as the safety of the band, crew and fans cannot be guaranteed at this point. The Puebla festival has also been cancelled due to some sort of drug cartel-related civil unrest problems. There seems to be no risk for the remaining shows in Mexico and the band hope that there will be other shows to replace the cancelled ones in other parts of the country.
"Seems like the world is going crazy at the moment, as the Caracas show in Venezuela will be cancelled as well. Local promoter is having economic problems and didn't want to risk fucking everything up from what I've heard. So better to cancel and try to replace it with another show in some other country than to risk standing there with thousands of fans buying tickets and maybe making a long journey from another city just to end up with no show happening.
"We hope we will be able to do Venezuela some time in the future; we were really looking forward to playing there."
Just one day after confirming that he has been tapped by Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR to replace bassist/clean vocalist ICS Vortex on the band's upcoming ninth album, "Abrahadabra", and world tour, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (real name: Tommie Helgesson; THERION, DREAM EVIL, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME) announced his departure from the group and return to THERION.
Christofer Johnsson, the creative force behind THERION, released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:
"We are very happy to announce that Snowy has rejoined THERION. We welcomed him back with open arms, and we will now be making a mix between the new show we had planned, and the last one which involved Snowy. We think the merger between the two concepts will be incredible, and we look forward to taking the band's live performance to the next level."
Shaw has been a member of THERION for four years, two studio albums, live DVDs and numerous tours around the world.
Snowy has written and co-written songs for the forthcoming THERION album, "Sitra Ahra", which is scheduled for release this fall through Nuclear Blast Records.
As a graphic designer and artist, Snowy was hired to oversee the visual aspects and help improve THERION's stage act and performance for the "Gothic Kabbalah" world tour 2007 and the band's 20th-anniversary tour.
"Sitra Ahra" will be released in North America on October 26 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed at the legendary Polar Studios in Stockholm by Lennart Östlund (LED ZEPPELIN, ABBA). The cover artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard, who worked on all of the band's most recent releases in addition to collaborating with EDGUY, AVANTASIA, RAGE and HAMMERFALL, among others.
"Sitra Ahra" was mastered in New York and it features the following track listing:
01. Sitra Ahra
02. Kings Of Edom
03. Unguentum Sabbati
04. Land Of Canaan
05. Hellequin
06. 2012
07. Cu Chulain
08. Kali Yoga III
09. The Shells Are Open
10. Din
11. After The Inquisition: Children
THERION recently recruited Christian Vidal from Argentina as the band's new guitarist.
Vidal made his live debut with THERION on June 4, 2010 in Mexico City.
Christofer Johnsson announced in May 2009 that vocalist Thomas Vikström (ex-CANDLEMASS) had become a permanent member of THERION.
THERION's latest CD/DVD, "The Miskolc Experience", was released in June 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records.
2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the U.K. doom titans MY DYING BRIDE. To commemorate two decades of doom and gloom, the band embarked upon a project to re-work familiar melodies and themes from MY DYING BRIDE's extensive catalogue into long, flowing symphonic compositions, including new vocals and passages from vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe. These arrangements have been brought to life, in cooperation with keyboard maestro Johnny Maudling (of BAL-SAGOTH fame), and will be released as "Evinta" this fall on Peaceville Records.
"'Evinta', a project almost 15 years in the making, an idea that has sat smouldering and never really had a reason to burn alive until now," explains guitarist Andrew Craighan. "Nine albums worth of darkness recreated anew to mark 20 years of MY DYING BRIDE. Music arranged to the soundscapes of sorrows past. Finally the 20th anniversary allows us to release this music in a form it has been desperately, woefully waiting for. Enjoy the darkness."
"Evinta" will be available as both a two-disc and special three-disc set, each disc its own sprawling classical work spanning a large period of MY DYING BRIDE's album material. The three-disc set will also be accompanied by a specially limited 72-page hardback book, featuring rare images and photographs from the band's personal archive from over the years.
To coincide with this 20-year celebration, MY DYING BRIDE will also re-release a vinyl version of one of the band's most respected early works, "Turn Loose the Swans", which will be limited to 2,000 numbered copies, and features the original vinyl cover artwork design and gatefold sleeve.
MY DYING BRIDE has been the leading light of doom metal since their debut album, "As the Flower Withers", was released on Peaceville Records back in 1992. Influenced by acts such as CELTIC FROST and CANDLEMASS, the band's heavy atmospherics have carved a huge worldwide following over the years and they remain at the pinnacle of the genre.
MY DYING BRIDE is:
Aaron Stainthorpe - Vocals
Andrew Craighan - Guitar
Hamish Glencross - Guitar
Lena Abé - Bass
Dan Mullins - Drums
Shaun Macgowan - Keyboards/Violin
Having just returned from a successful tour in Europe with DESPISED ICON, including a devastating set at Germany's Summer Breeze festival, Michigan's unstoppable sons of molten melodic death metal THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are ready to hit the road again in the U.S. in support of their fourth crushing opus, "Deflorate". THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's headlining tour begins Tuesday, September 28 in Columbus, Ohio at Skully's and finishes up on Saturday, October 16 in Toledo, Ohio at the Headliners. Support on trek comes from New Orleans, Louisiana natives GOATWHORE and Riverside County, California's ARKAIK. The upcoming headline run marks the last leg of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's "Deflorate" touring cycle; once the band returns home they will begin writing and recording their next full-length album.
Tickets go on sale this weekend.
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER with GOATWHORE and ARKAIK:
Sep. 28 - Columbus, OH - Skully's
Sep. 29 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
Sep. 30 - Brooklyn, NY - Europa
Oct. 01 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
Oct. 02 - Bucksport, ME - The Kave
Oct. 03 - Quebec, QC - Imperial de Quebec
Oct. 04 - Montreal, QC - Petit Café
Oct. 05 - Ottawa, ON - Ritual
Oct. 06 - Toronto, ON - The Wreck Room
Oct. 07 - Lemoyne, PA - Championship
Oct. 08 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
Oct. 09 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox Laundrolounge
Oct. 10 - Charlotte, NC - The Casbah
Oct. 12 - East St. Louis, MO - Pop's
Oct. 13 - Des Moines, IA - The Vaudeville Mews
Oct. 14 - DeKalb, IL - House Café
Oct. 15 - Grand Rapids, MI - Mixtape Café
Oct. 16 - Toledo, OH - Headliners
"Deflorate" sold around 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 43 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Released on September 15, 2009 via Metal Blade Records, "Deflorate" boasts THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's brand of seamlessly mixed Swedish influenced blackened thrash and pounding American death metal muscle, and sees one of metal's most outstanding underground outfits at the peak of its unmitigated musical brutality.
"Deflorate" was produced by THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, Mark Lewis (DEICIDE) and Jason Suecof (BENEATH THE MASSACRE, JOB FOR A COWBOY), with mixing duties handled by Suecof. According to a press release, "Deflorate" is "a multifaceted death trip: beautiful, evil, and morbidly addicting. THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's fourth thrashing epic sees no punch pulled, no gravestone unturned, no soul uncorrupted."
Icelandic extreme metal band CHANGER will release a new album, "Darkling", in early September. The CD contains eight crushing new songs, a new version of the track "Feelings: Deleted" from the "Inconsistency" EP (2001), and a cover version that the group is keeping a secret for the time being.
CHANGER's founder and drummer Kristjan B. Heidarsson put CHANGER back together in late 2008 with a new lineup after the band had unexpectedly split up at the end of 2007. Joining Kristjan are vocalist Haraldur Anton Skulason (ex-MUNNRIDUR, ex-DENVER), bassist Arnar M. Ellertsson (ex-PALMPRINT IN BLOOD, MOLDUN), Polish guitarist Rob-D (ex-ABUSED MAJESTY, CINIS), and returning guitarist Hordur Halldorsson (formerly known as Hudson).
CHANGER has been busy these last two years, playing gigs in Iceland and England, in addition to writing and recording.
Commented the band: "It should be noted that 'Darkling' is not the death metal album that was intended for recording and release in 2008. We have returned to our thrash metal roots, and added a whole new bunch of twists that are sure to make many people's heads turn."
"Darkling" was recorded by Silli Geirdal and Jakob Thor Gudmundsson, mixed by Birgir Orn Arnason, and mastered by Slawek and Wojtek Wieslawski at Hertz Studio in Poland.
"Darkling" track listing:
01. Four
02. Too Many Scars
03. Keepers Of The Lies
04. Affliction (ballad)
05. Avoid The Winds
06. Misanthropy
07. [surprise cover song]
08. Feelings: Deleted
09. The Darkling (instrumental)
10. Reality: The End
CHANGER will tour Iceland in September in support of the album and is planning a short European tour in November.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Shanna Spalding, a 28-year-old lead singer in the New York City-based death metal band DIVINE INFAMY (in which she performs under the stage name of Purgatory), was arrested Wednesday and charged with two robberies. She is suspected of being the so-called "cat woman robber" — a serial stick-up artist who dons clever disguises, including a cat mask, to rob high-end boutiques around the city.
According to DIVINE INFAMY's MySpace page, Lord Draconia and Gengis Khan play guitar and Ruin plays drums in the band that plays black metal or death metal music. The band, which is not currently signed to a label, is scheduled to play at the Water Grill in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Saturday night (August 28).
Spalding, who lives in Woodside, Queens, is suspected of robbing four shoe and beauty stores in Manhattan and Queens between April and June. She is currently awaiting arraignment.
The appearance of Norwegian black metallers TROLL at the Aronnesrocken Festival in Alta, in the north of Norway, on August 20, stirred up the ire of the local branch of the ultra-conservative Christian Democratic Party, who are one of the supporters of the festival, and who have threatened to withdraw their support for the festival as a consequence. Their objections, as is usually the case when it comes to black metal bands, center on the use of Satanic or anti-Christian lyrics, which have been, once again, freely quoted out of context.
TROLL issued the following statement regarding the matter: "We are not at all worried by what has been said about us by the Christian Democratic Party in Alta, and the local press, and the only reason we have chosen to speak out is because of the threat made to withdraw support from Aronnesrocken, a festival simply trying to provide a variety of bands that would satisfy everyone's tastes and make sure that everyone has a good time listening to some great music.
"Like most black metal bands, indeed, like metal in general, we are used to religious and political factions trying to get themselves some free publicity by using us. And, of course, publicity works both ways, so we must thank them for the excellent promotion we have received over the past few days.
"We admit to being a little surprised, though, that people who are in a position of power, and therefore supposedly more intelligent than the rest of us, think that anyone would take our lyrics as a literal call to call to kill. It's arrogant and insulting of them to assume that the average person is that unintelligent. What does worry us, though, about this bullying stance is the fact that not only is the Christian Democratic Party trying to dictate what individuals should and should not listen to, but by denying them the right to explore different viewpoints expressed in our, or anyone else's lyrics, they are denying them the right to make an informed decision as to what beliefs they ultimately decide to follow. And let's face it, this should worry everyone. What comes next? Will the bookshops in Alta be told what books they can stock? Just look around at what is happening in the parts of the world where religion dominates the state, and ask yourself
if that is what you want in your own backyard.
"The ultimate irony is that anyone in Norway should even take such a view on black metal at all. Norway is famous the world-over for its black and extreme metal bands, and is acknowledged as the leader in the genre, and, one has to say, benefits from the revenues it generates. Cities like Oslo and Bergen, for instance, put on internationally renowned festivals where black and extreme metal bands are heavily featured. These festivals are consistently sold out, and attract audiences from all over the world, as well as receiving considerable international press coverage. Local businesses benefit hugely from the influx of visitors, and for anyone to take a stand that could deny the people and businesses of Alta the same benefits as Oslo and Bergen, and all the other Norwegian towns that hold festivals, makes no sense. The threat by the Christian Democratic Party to withdraw their support from Aronnesrocken is incomprehensible, and once again, people should
be asking themselves, 'What comes next?'"
TROLL was formed in 1992 and released three critically acclaimed full-length albums, one of which, "Drep De Kristne", is acknowledged as one of the classic black metal releases. The band took an "extended break" before reforming in 2007 and releasing "Neo-Satanic Supremacy" on Napalm Records in early 2010.
TROLL recently asked fans to vote for a track from the album which would be used on the next video, and ironically, given the circumstances in Alta and Christianity's persecution of witchcraft throughout the ages, the track the fans overwhelmingly voted for was "Burn the Witch".
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/troll.
Swedish death metal masters DIABOLICAL have announced the addition of bassist Dan Darforth to the group's ranks.
DIABOLICAL released its third full-length CD, "The Gallery of Bleeding Art", in November 2008 via ViciSolum Productions. According to a press release, "the band are taking their innovative death metal a huge step further. They plunge the listener into the darkest corners of the human mind, bringing restrained aggression and cravings for vengeance to life in this masterpiece."
0 comments:
Post a Comment