In the mythology of rock, Jimmy Page is the great guitar wizard, hurling Led Zeppelin's thunder and fire down from the mountaintop. It's an image that the band cultivated, of course, but it wouldn't have stuck if it weren't for Mr. Page's skill, finesse and imagination, which made him one of the most influential guitarists in history.
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Mr. Page, now 66, was never much of a talker, and when he gave interviews he mostly preferred talking about his music instead of about himself. He's still that way. On Sept. 27 Genesis Publications, a British company that specializes in lushly designed rock photo books, will publish "Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page," a 500-page collection of images that Mr. Page selected to represent his career.
Instead of a straight autobiography, it's a career record in pictures, and while there are some candid shots at diners and customs checkpoints on the road, for the most part the book portrays Mr. Page in six-string-Adonis glory onstage. Catherine Roylance, a co-publisher, said Mr. Page immersed himself in the book's design, down to the blue-black hue of the cover. The book, printed and hand-bound in Milan, is limited to 2,500 copies and available only through Genesis (genesis-publications.com), for £445 (about $685).
Mr. Page spoke recently by phone from London with Ben Sisario about the book, Led Zeppelin and how even in his days as a choirboy he was itching to play guitar. Here are excerpts from that conversation.
Q. Why did you decide to do this book, as opposed to a more traditional autobiography?
A. I've been approached to do an autobiography, but I thought that was the least attractive way of doing a book. So I thought it would be quite interesting to do a photographic autobiography. It's the story of a kid who's involved with music, but really the music involved itself with him. It's this conjoining of music and a teenager, and off it goes.
I thought that a career in pictures was really the best way to do it at this stage, but I wouldn't discount the idea of an autobiography. This is usually my defense: When publishing people say, "How about writing a book?," I say, "Yes, I've thought about it, but I'd like a book that came out posthumously." That's probably as good as it's going to get: this visual documentary, and then possibly, if I ever get around to it, doing a book that comes out posthumously.
Q. Was your aim here to correct the record, to present your own version of the story of Led Zeppelin?
A. No, I didn't think that was necessary. Everyone wants to know what happened here and there, and you've got so many people that come forward with explanations — people who give authoritative accounts who were never anywhere near the place. But there's only one thing as far as I'm concerned that remains constant and true, and that's the music. So if you want to use your imagination, please apply it to the music rather than things that maybe surrounded it.
As far as a pictorial record, you can certainly see a little bit behind the music, and you can make your own mind up. I'm not really coloring it too much with what annotations I've made. I didn't want to laden it with controversies. I just wanted the pictures to speak in a way that the music does.
Q. The photos here are almost entirely focused on your career, instead of pictures of your family or your private life.
A. It's purely about the music, and nothing else. It would have been incongruous to have family photos or pictures on the beach. Admittedly I've got some passport stamps from when I went traveling, but it wasn't a travel photo book. No, no. I did take photographs when I went on holiday, but they're not of the sort of quality that you would like them to be.
Q. The tour itineraries make clear how hard the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin worked. And the photos show that you looked very good doing it. Your wardrobe really plays a starring role.
A. I was very keen to show what the workload was with these bands. With the Yardbirds, our tour itineraries were pretty dense. But I particularly wanted to show what Led Zeppelin was doing in 1969, just how much work we were doing. We were recording "Led Zeppelin II" during that tour of America, at studios in the states, and I wanted to show the way it was approached as a work-in-progress album while we were on the road.
Q. What was your relationship with photographers like in those days? Was it collaborative? Antagonistic?
A. I didn't really come from a generation where photographs were taken all the time. It was quite a ritual to have photographs taken, even family ones. I guess that sort of stuck with me. I've never been the one jumping in front of the camera, whereas with other people it's second nature to do that.
Of course, for musicians today, that's one of most important aspects of how you're projecting yourself. Your playing might be good, but you have to look damn good as well, to follow it up. I never really bothered.
I may have been interested in dressing, and how I looked to fit the bill, but I wasn't really making a point of making myself get photographed all over the place. I sort of paid the price for that when doing this book.
Q. The first picture in the book shows you as a 12-year-old choirboy, and it's credited to one Mr. Coffin, the choirmaster. Does Mr. Coffin know what became of you?
A. He's no longer alive, Mr. Coffin, but I guess he was an amateur photographer. I remember we took a little while setting it up, with various angles. And it's a damn good photograph.
The curious thing is, we got in touch with his son-in-law, and he remembers me taking my guitar with me and practicing beforehand, waiting for everyone to turn up for the choir practice. So there we are. There are clues right at that first shot. I was right in the early in stages of picking up the guitar and getting it tuned and stuff, right around that time.
Q. The caption on that picture is, "It might get loud." Has that become your motto since being in the documentary of that title two years ago, or was that just a convenient phrase?
A. It's so goofy, to have a photograph of yourself as a choirboy. [Laughs.] But it's what it is. That's my first point of music — it's the portal, the way in. You're playing music, you're singing — thankfully I stopped singing along the way somewhere. But I thought it was really important to have that. People might think that's humorous, that the choirmaster's name was Mr. Coffin. Dennis Coffin was his name. It's a humorous shot, but it fits in the context of the book, and it's honest.
But what do you put as a caption? Well, "It might get loud." 'Cause it might. And it did.
It's been a banner year for the award-winning "Classic Albums" series. The most recent editions explore ground-breaking releases by TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS and BLACK SABBATH. The latest edition tackles not one, but TWO epic albums from progressive rock powerhouse RUSH. "Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums" will be simultaneously released on DVD and Blu-ray via Eagle Rock Entertainment's Eagle Vision subsidiary on September 28. [MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray]
Continuing the tradition of this celebrated series, "2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums" carries us through the creation of these musical masterpieces via brand new interviews, demonstrations, archive videos, and use of the original multi-track tapes. The titan trio of bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart, joined by original producer Terry Brown, weigh in on the mammoth melodies, resounding riffs, and dynamic drum fills behind these immense aural soundscapes. Many others contribute to the commentary, such as FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins and acclaimed Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke. 112 minutes in total, this DVD digs even deeper with 50 minutes of bonus material not included in the upcoming VH1 Classic broadcast (airing September 8 at 9:30 p.m. and September 9 at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.).
These legendary albums mark pivotal points in RUSH's career. "2112", released in 1976, broke the band into major music chart domination, going #1 in their native Canada and in the Top 75 in the USA, where it was certified triple platinum. "Moving Pictures" added fuel to their rising stardom, opening them up to a mass audience with heavy-hitting hits like "Tom Sawyer". Going #1 and quadruple platinum in Canada, as well as hitting #3 in the USA and the U.K., this 1981 release remains their biggest selling album to date. RUSH is currently performing this album in its entirely on its "Time Machine" tour. "Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures Classic Albums" is a perfect encapsulation of what made these albums successful, and why they are revered to this day.
"The Final Frontier", the brand new studio album from British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN, has topped the official Norwegian chart for the third consecutive week. According to the Norwegian music blog Lydverket, this ties the best chart stretch IRON MAIDEN has enjoyed in any country during the band's 30-year recording career.
"'The Final Frontier' is IRON MAIDEN's first chart-topper in Norway, so it is unique, but three weeks at No. 1. is probably only tied by Finland, where 'The Final Frontier' has remained at the top of the chart for three consecutive weeks, and Sweden, where 'Dance Of Death' spent three weeks at No. 1," said Asbjørn Slettemark, who wrote the article for NRK.no/Lydverket.
Bjorn Rogstad, the general manager of EMI Norway, told Lydverket that "The Final Frontier" has already been certified gold in Norway for sales in excess of 15,000 copies.
"It's hectic here right now," Rogstad said. "We've sold 20,000 copies of 'The Final Frontier', and the next goal is to reach 25,000."
He continued, "Norway is well on its way to become an equally important market for IRON MAIDEN as Sweden and Finland, which traditionally have been IRON MAIDEN's strongest territories out of the Nordic countries. This is partially because IRON MAIDEN have increased the frequency of their visits to Norway, and partially because their previous album — 'A Matter of Life And Death' — made them relevant for an older generation of IRON MAIDEN fans who stopped buying their records. They are now back. But the main reason is, of course, that IRON MAIDEN still delivers albums of high quality; it's all about the music."
He added, "I talked to people at EMI's international office, and they told me three weeks in a row at No. 1 for IRON MAIDEN is unique."
Tord Krogtoft, the head music buyer at Platekompaniet, Norway's largest retail chain with more than 20 outlets across the country, explained IRON MAIDEN's success in Norway in the following way: "There are few bands in the world that are as hard-working and treat their fans as well as IRON MAIDEN. In addition to their work ethic and close relationship with their fans, IRON MAIDEN has a back catalogue that just keeps on selling. Eddie [IRON MAIDEN's mascot] has also been an important element in getting interest from new and increasingly younger fans. They also deliver a good package live, and the band appear as down to earth and solid.
"In a world where KISS suddenly took off their masks — and luckily put them back on again — and METALLICA painted their fingernails and bought contemporary art, Bruce [Dickinson, vocals] and co. wear the same jeans, have the same haircut and sport the same shoes as when they started."
METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"We're getting psyched up for our return to Australia and New Zealand next week . . . It's been six long years since we've visited and we're ready to throw down! The nice people at Universal Music were so darn excited that they actually suggested that we release something special to commemorate this last run of World Magnetic tour dates, so . . . ta-da . . . we present the 'Six Feet Down Under' limited-edition EP! Coming to Trans-Tasman record stores and right here at the Metallica.com store on September 20.
"Here's the story . . . The collective brain trust came up with what we thought might be a kinda fun idea . . . how about some live recordings from each time we have been lucky enough to visit the area? It was all well and good until we realized that we did not start making multi-track recordings of every show until 2004 . . . oops! But you guys, the fans, came to our rescue with some pretty decent bootleg options and we trimmed those down to two songs from each tour in 1989, 1993, 1998, and 2004. In digging a little deeper, it occurred to us that we had tracks that had never before been released as 'live b-sides' (we're not counting the bonus songs on iTunes, okay?) and that that added to the adventure of pulling it all together.
"Be gentle with us . . . a few of these songs are, well, we'll say 'rough,' which may be an understatement!! They do, however, capture the live moments and hopefully you'll have as much fun listening as we did playing on those nights."
"Six Feet Down Under" track listing:
01. Eye of the Beholder - Recorded live on May 4, 1989 at Festival Hall in Melbourne
02. ...And Justice For All - Recorded live on May 4, 1989 at Festival Hall in Melbourne
03. Through the Never - Recorded live on April 8, 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
04. The Unforgiven - Recorded live on April 4, 1993 at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne
05. Low Man's Lyric (Acoustic) - Recorded live on April 11, 1998 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
06. Devil's Dance - Recorded live on April 12, 1998 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
07. Frantic - Recorded live on January 21, 2004 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney
08. Fight Fire With Fire - Recorded live on January 19, 2004 at the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane
METALLICA originally sold out its 13-show Australian/New Zealand tour within an hour of tickets going on sale. The Australian/New Zealand leg of the World Magnetic Tour 2010 initially sold more than 215,000 tickets, which promoter Michal Coppell said made it the fastest-selling arena tour of the year. The trek has since been expanded to include 19 concerts, starting on September 15 at Melbourne, Australia's Rod Laver Arena and ending at the same venue on November 21.
METALLICA's classic 1986 album "Master Of Puppets" was voted the best heavy metal album of all time in a poll at MusicRadar.com. "Master Of Puppets" earned 20 percent of the more that 6,000 votes registered at the site, with three other METALLICA albums also appearing in the Top 25. IRON MAIDEN's 1982 effort "The Number Of The Beast" placed second, while GUNS N' ROSES' 1987 debut, "Appetite For Destruction", came in third. Other spots in the Top 10 were taken by BLACK SABBATH and AC/DC.
Bloody-Disgusting.com conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson when the band played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on August 19, 2010 as part of the "American Carnage" tour with SLAYER and TESTAMENT.
The final night of MEGADETH's historic month-long "Rust In Peace" 20th anniversary tour has been captured for the "Rust In Peace Live" Blu-ray, DVD and CD, which came out today (Tuesday, September 7) on Shout! Factory.
On March 31, 2010, at this incredibly special show at the legendary Hollywood Palladium, not far from where Dave Mustaine formed the band in 1983, MEGADETH played their landmark, genre-defining 1990 "Rust In Peace" album in its entirety, in addition to other MEGADETH favorites. "Rust In Peace Live" also marks the return of original bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH 1983-2002) to the iconic multi-platinum group after eight years. Ellefson (bass), joins Mustaine (lead vocals, guitar), Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar).
"Rust In Peace Live" features the entire "Rust In Peace" track listing, including all-time classics "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18" along with bonus fan favorites from various other MEGADETH releases such as "Symphony For Destruction", "Peace Sells" and "Skin O' My Teeth".
The 80-minute "Rust In Peace Live" DVD (5.1 Dolby Surround 16:9 Widescreen) and Blu-ray (5.1 DTS Master Audio 1080p High Definition) were directed by Kerry Asmussen (GREEN DAY, JAY-Z, Coachella). The DVD and Blu-ray also includes behind-the-scenes footage, including a rare glimpse of the band rehearsing in their dressing room as they prepare to take the stage.
Following THE CULT's recent successful European tour, which included sharing the stage with IGGY POP & THE STOOGES at Sonisphere (United Kingdom) and Pinkpop (Holland) festivals, the band will release the first of its recent recordings on September 14 on the newly formatted "capsule" collection (the capsule format being the vision of singer Ian Astbury).
Through a partnership with Aderra Media Technologies, THE CULT's capsule will consist of two new songs — "Every Man And Woman Is A Star" and "Siberia" — plus live recordings from the recent internationally sold-out "Love Live" tour, as well as the short film "A Prelude to Ruins" (directed by Ian Astbury and Rick Rogers). The capsule will be available in several formats, including MP3, CD/DVD (DualDisc) and 12-inch vinyl in limited quantities for a limited time. The first song, "Every Man and Woman Is A Star", was debuted at Sonisphere and released the same day as an iTunes exclusive. The latest recordings were guided by legendary producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MASTERS OF REALITY) and are described in a press release as "a mixture of violent guitars, emotive vocal performances with high melody and driving beats."
In an August 20, 2010 interview with the U.K.'s leading classic rock radio station Planet Rock, THE CULT guitarist Billy Duffy spoke about the "capsule" concept and how it differs from the way the band released new music in the past.
"Well, I think you'd have to have been living under a rock for a long time to not notice that the music business has somewhat changed," Duffy explained.
"It's a different way of getting music out there.
"People — not everybody, but a lot of people — are, really, now more comfortable downloading music and the fact that aren't any, really, many record shops or places to buy music in that format anymore is indicative that people's habits are changing with the Internet, and we just felt, as a band, that the idea...
"We did a new album in 2007 in a sort of traditional way — get a record deal with a company and make an album and take out a very bad loan from them and then go and promote it, and blah blah blah. This time we just thought we'd do it a little differently, and we did it on... New Wilderness is our own label. And Ian [Astbury, vocals] felt very strongly that he'd prefer to try and record two or three, four songs and get them out there while they're quite fresh than spending a lot of time trying to write a whole album. It was really Ian's general feeling, which I sort of agreed with; I think people's attention spans are shortening, and I think the idea was... He just wanted to capture the music quickly and get it out there. That was the theory; the practice is not always quite so as easy as putting that into practice. But the idea of the capsule, if you wanna be old-fashioned, you could call it an EP. So rather than doing albums...
"Other bands who operate on a grander scale two, three, four years recording a record, or they sail in from their Carribean hideaways, go on a tour that lasts 18 months, and everybody is really happy with that format. That doesn't really work for THE CULT anymore. So we're just trying to be a little more fluid.
"The people who are buying tangible, what you'd call hard products, like vinyl, they're collectors and they want stuff that has a little bit more depth and content, and that's why it'll be a multimedia package."
In 2009, Aderra recorded several live shows on THE CULT's U.S. and European tours, including a sold-out appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The live recordings were released exclusively through a USB flash drive housed in a dog tag necklace.
The success of this initial project lead to this partnership to release the new capsule material on multiple formats.
THE CULT in 2008 parted ways with Roadrunner Records, the label that released the group's latest album, "Born into This". That CD sold 12,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. It was recorded in London with producer Youth (VERVE, PRIMAL SCREAM).
THE CULT's current touring lineup includes principals Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy alongside bassist Chris Wyse, drummer John Tempesta (ex-WHITE ZOMBIE, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, HELMET) and rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich.
Pat Prince of Goldmine magazine recently conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Goldmine: The new album is just the right thing for old ACCEPT fans. The sound is a combination of "Restless and Wild" and "Balls to the Wall". You have that power metal of "Restless and Wild" in songs like "Locked and Loaded" and "No Shelter", and then the great riffs of "Balls to the Wall" with songs like the title track "Blood of the Nations". It's perfect for fans of your two greatest albums, really. It's easy to like this new era of ACCEPT. When you first told me about ACCEPT's reunion, I didn't know what to expect.
Hoffmann: 99 percent of the people, as it turns out, were skeptics at first, and convinced this wasn't going anywhere. A lot of people flat out said, "Without Udo they aren't ACCEPT. We've been through this before, it can't be done . … blah, blah, blah..."
Goldmine: That was different though. … the album the critics are probably referring to (1989's "Eat the Heat", with David Reece as vocalist). It was a different time then.
Hoffmann: That's what I keep saying. You're absolutely right about that. Just because it didn't work then, doesn't mean it can't work now. And you know how people are. They kind of prejudge us just because they think it can't be done. And now … wow. Boy, we now have people apologizing to us. And it's quite rewarding to see how they have all come around.
Goldmine: Did you intentionally go for that sound of the two classic ACCEPT albums I mentioned?
Hoffmann: Yeah, I think we did. But, then again, you try to be as good as the stuff you've done in the past, and try to recapture that stuff. I think that this time we succeeded because of the unique situation that we're in. We knew what fans wanted much more than ever before. We know better than ever before what ACCEPT stands for. And. to a large part, that's due to Andy Sneap [producer: OPETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, MEGADETH]. Because when he came on board as a producer, he was also coming on board as an ACCEPT fan. He really had a clear expectation of what he wanted from the band.
Goldmine: Well, he knows metal, too.
Hoffmann: He knows the metal of today. He knows all that stuff. But at the same time, he grew up listening to ACCEPT, so he had a clear idea of which songs he favored over others. He made sure early on, in the song selection and the arrangement phase, that we go for the ones he liked best. So I give him a lot of credit, too.
Goldmine: Sneap made the record a good balance. It recaptures the old ACCEPT sound but it's in-tune with today.
Hoffmann: Yeah, it has a modern sound, so that's good. He made sure we had that 2010 sound, but we have all the characteristics of the past. All the good riffs and the gang vocals. He also didn't want it to be too happy or too commercial. He kind of pushed us a little more into the dark side of things, which I think worked out really well. Overall, it was still us writing the songs. But it was a very good collaboration.
Goldmine: How is the songwriting for this album different than when Udo was in the band? You would write the guitar parts and Udo would write the lyrics?
Hoffmann: Oh no, it was totally different. Udo was never around when we did any of that. Udo, he can't write a guitar chord. He can't write a sentence of lyrics. We handed him over the finished product and he just sang on it. My wife Gaby (Hauke) actually wrote all the lyrics back in the day.
Goldmine: True. But I thought she started writing during "Balls to the Wall". She actually started before then?
Hoffmann: She was first involved in "Restless and Wild" to a degree [songwriting credit as "Deaffy" on the songs "Neon Nights" and "Princess of the Dawn"]. Even before her, we had a couple other guys that would go over the lyrics. But Udo never really wrote any lyrics. And Udo never participated in the songwriting. It was usually Peter [Baltes, bass] and myself, and sometimes Stefan (Kaufmann), the drummer at the time. We would work out the songs until we liked the arrangements for weeks and weeks. And then when it was all said and done, Udo would come and take it and perform it. With Mark [Tornillo, vocals] it is different. There was still Peter and myself writing the songs for this stuff, coming up with the basic song structure and chorus idea, the whole framework of the song, and then we gave it to Mark pretty early on. It wasn't all the way finished and he wrote the lyrics around it and sometimes he even did the vocal lines and stuff. Sometmes he
changed them around. Other times he kept them. On few songs he even came up with complete vocal lines and parts and stuff. So it was good teamwork, really.
Goldmine: And you never got any feedback or a response from Udo about this new album? Anything, like "Good job" or "Good luck?"
Hoffmann: Forget that. Yeah, "Good luck"… forget that. On the contrary, he's really weird. Even though he was invited to be part of it, he acts like somebody that was invited to a party, turned us down, and then is pissed off that the party is a success without him. It doesn't make any sense to me but that's how he is.
Goldmine: You would think that reuniting ACCEPT would be a lot more appealing than his work in U.D.O. But hey, who can complain now? It's working out well without him.
Hoffmann: Yeah, I know. I mean, it was weird. We met him recently at a festival in the Czech Republic [Masters of Rock festival], and we were playing that night, and he chose to be there and play a song onstage but not with us. As a guest for LORDI. So he sat around all day at this festival and I went up to him to say "Hi" and wanted to hug him and say, "After all these years…" And he was really weird, like, "Don't touch me. Leave me alone." I don't know what the hell his problem is but I don't have time for it. We do our thing and wish him all the best and let him go.
When Jon Schaffer does something, he does it right. Like creating an eclectic, fan-favorite set list for ICED EARTH's upcoming limited-engagement U.S. tour.
"I wanted to give fans something really special," Schaffer said. "So I put together songs that include some we've rarely played live before, and at least one that reaches back to our first album. Even longtime fans of ICED EARTH are going to be surprised."
ICED EARTH kicks off its four-city U.S. tour on September 10 in Washington DC, followed by Chicago (September 21), New York (September 23), and West Hollywood (September 25).
The touring lineup for ICED EARTH will be
Jon Schaffer - Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matt Barlow - Lead and Backing Vocals
Brent Smedley - Drums
Troy Seele - Lead Guitar
Freddie Vidales - Bass Guitar
But the setlist isn't the only treat in store for fans of ICED EARTH. Schaffer's SONS OF LIBERTY band, featuring Schaffer on lead vocals, makes its live debut on this tour.
"SONS OF LIBERTY is a project that is near and dear to my heart," Schaffer said. "I'm very passionate about it. This is an opportunity for me to speak directly to the people. Hopefully, I can inspire them to look into the message and wake up to what is going on around them."
He continued: "This isn't about me thinking I'm a great singer or front man. In fact, through the rehearsing process my respect has only grown for Matt. Doing lead vocals presents a whole new set of challenges for me."
According to Schaffer, the response to his SONS OF LIBERTY album, "Brush-Fires of the Mind", has been overwhelming. It was only officially released on July 13, but already tens of thousands of copies have been sold and given away on his web site. Hundreds more are downloaded every week.
But as popular as SONS OF LIBERTY has become, it's ICED EARTH that takes center stage this month.
"We haven't been this energized and passionate in a long time," Schaffer said. "We are definitely going to kick ass, and have a lot of fun doing it."
Preparing for the four-city tour isn't all that's been keeping Schaffer busy these days. He's also working on a new ICED EARTH album (scheduled for release next spring), a live DVD (scheduled for release before the end of this year), and a special project he will only say fans will "freakin' love."
The soon-to-be-released DVD is called "Festivals Of The Wicked". It features full-length concerts from several European festivals — namely Wacken Open Air in 2007 (with Tim "Ripper" Owens on lead vocals); and Metalcamp and Rock Hard in 2008 (with Matt Barlow on lead vocals) — a rockin' road movie, a long interview with Jon, and more.
To help him with his many projects, Schaffer recently hired veteran writer Bill Murphy, owner of PurpleCrayon Direct (a marketing and public relations consulting firm that specializes in working with people who make their living in the arts) as global publicity director for ICED EARTH and SONS OF LIBERTY. Murphy's first task was to create an official ICED EARTH Facebook page, and help Jon and his management team create clear and concise communications strategies for ICED EARTH and SONS OF LIBERTY.
Schaffer formed ICED EARTH in Tampa, Florida, in 1984. Since then, he has released 10 studio albums, one live album, two compilations, and three boxed sets. With worldwide sales topping one million albums, ICED EARTH has earned a seat in the pantheon of America's most successful heavy-metal bands.
Powerhouse vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) has confirmed the musicians that will be backing him on his upcoming European tour. They are as follows:
* Andy Boss (PAUL DI'ANNO, ABSOLUTE STEEL) - Guitar
* Jon Vegard (PAUL DI'ANNO) - Guitar
* Are Gogstad (PAUL DI'ANNO, QUEENSTREET, ABSOLUTE STEEL) - Bass
* Rick Hagan (PAUL DI'ANNO, QUEENSTREET, ABSOLUTE STEEL, 21ST CENTURY ROX) - Drums
Commented Owens: "The rehearsals for he solo tour wound up tonight and they went great.
"My backing band is just amazing — all just top-notch players — and has the set as tight as ever.
"I am real excited to be going out on my first ever solo European headlining tour.
"The fans are gonna LOVE this tour and the setlist is special... just a metal night."
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 09 - John Dee - Oslo, Norway
Sep. 10 - By Scenen - Haugesund, Norway
Sep. 11 - Alvik Rock - Alvik, Norway
Sep. 12 - Sticky Fingers - Gothenburg, Sweden
Sep. 14 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
Sep. 15 - Ballroom - Hamburg, Germany
Sep. 16 - K17 - Berlin, Germany
Sep. 17 - Krushfest - Jaslo, Poland
Sep. 18 - Progresja - Warsaw, Poland
Sep. 19 - Alibi - Wroclaw Poland
Sep. 21 - Exit Music Hall - Prague, Czech Republic
Sep. 22 - Randal Club- Bratislava, Slovakia
Sep. 23 - Crazy Mama - Budapest, Hungary
Sep. 24 - Viper Room - Vienna, Austria
Sep. 25 - Club Mocvara - Zagreb, Croatia
Sep. 26 - Arci Tom - Mantova, Italy
Support acts: THUNDERBOLT (entire tour) and CRIMES OF PASSION (after German leg of the tour)
"Play My Game", the first solo album from Owens, landed at position No. 66 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The CD was released via SPV/Steamhammer. The offering consists of around a dozen brand-new tracks that Owens composed himself or together with renowned friends, such as Bob Kulick, Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mike Callahan (ex-EARSHOT) and John Comprix (BEYOND FEAR, RINGWORM).
German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN will embark on the North American leg of the "Sacred Worlds And Songs Divine 2010 World Tour" in the fall. The trek, which is scheduled to kick off on November 19 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and conclude on December 22 in West Springfield, Virginia, will feature support from California's HOLY GRAIL and Florida's SEVEN KINGDOMS.
Commented BLIND GUARDIAN lead vocalist Hansi Kürsch: "Christmas will be a little earlier this year, 'cause the GUARDIAN is coming to town in November and December!
"The band is really excited to announce this upcoming tour. Finally we will get the chance to preach our Sacred Words and play our Songs Divine somewhere near your neighborhood.
"We have prepared a nice package of music and bands for our Northern American followers. Our friends from HOLY GRAIL and SEVEN KINGDOMS will join us on this glorious mission and will have their part in these magical nights to come. Both bands are underground now, but I can feel that the future is theirs. They really carry the spirit of a new American power metal generation.
"Touring the U.S. and Canada does always means a tremendous amount of fun, so we are really anxious to see if the people in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Albuquerque — where we have not played before — can scream as loud as their brothers and sisters in New York, Quebec, Toronto, or Hollywood. We'll soon find out when we meet you at the edge of time.
"Of course, we have to arrange some time in between playing and traveling for some Christmas gift shopping. I am sure I will find plenty of cool 'Star Wars' action figures and I am already aware of some great Christmas shops near Washington where I will be able to get some great atypical Christmas tree ornaments.
"Strange worlds we are living in: The funniest ones sometimes have been produced in Germany, where you can't get them in stores, so the U.S./Canada trip definitely pays off.
"As for books: Last time we ended up in Portland for a day, and whether I'll make it to Powell's (City of) Books, you never know. :-) All in all, I have far too many books which I have not yet read, but I am constantly working on it. Since I am getting older and the saying is: 'The older you get, the less sleep you need,' I am very optimistic I will manage to read them all when the nights are getting shorter."
Confirmed North American dates for the "Sacred Worlds And Songs Divine Tour" are as follows:
Nov. 19 - The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 20 - Nokia Theatre - New York, NY
Nov. 21 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
Nov. 23 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC - Canada
Nov. 25 - Theatre Capitole - Quebec City, QC - Canada
Nov. 26 - Kool Haus - Toronto, ON - Canada
Nov. 27 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI
Nov. 29 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
Nov. 30 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 01 - The Garrick Centre - Winnipeg, MB - Canada
Dec. 03 - MacEwan Hall Ballroom - Calgary, AB - Canada
Dec. 04 - The Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB - Canada
Dec. 06 - Showbox at The Market - Seattle, WA
Dec. 08 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Dec. 09 - Henry Fonda Theatre / The Music Box - Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 10 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Dec. 11 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
Dec. 12 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Dec. 14 - Trees - Dallas, TX
Dec. 15 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
Dec. 17 - The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
Dec. 18 - The State Theatre - St. Petersburg, FL (Florida Power Fest)
Dec. 19 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Dec. 21 - Lincoln Theatre - Raleigh, NC
Dec. 22 - Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
"At The Edge Of Time", the tenth studio album from BLIND GUARDIAN, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 108 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
BLIND GUARDIAN's previous CD, "A Twist In The Myth", opened with 3,000 units back in September 2006.
"At The Edge Of Time" recently entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 2 — the band's strongest chart showing ever in its home country.
Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen has set "Relentless" as the title of his new studio album, due in Japan on November 10 via Universal Music.
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.
Drummer Mike Portnoy of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has released the following statement:
"I am about to write something I never imagined I'd ever write.
"After 25 years, I have decided to leave DREAM THEATER... the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.
"To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision...it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so....
"After having had such amazing experiences playing with HAIL!, TRANSATLANTIC and AVENGED SEVENFOLD this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in DREAM THEATER.
"Please don't misinterpret me, I love the DREAM THEATER guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them... it's just that I think we are in serious need of a little break.
"DREAM THEATER was always my baby...and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985... 24/7, 365... never taking time off from DREAM THEATER's never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was 'off' between cycles)... working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band.
"But I've come to the conclusion that the DREAM THEATER machine was starting to burn me out...and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DREAM THEATER spirit hungry and inspired.
"We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here and there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a 'hiatus' to recharge our batteries and 'save me from ourselves'...
"Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather... I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be...
"While it truly hurts for me to even think of a DREAM THEATER without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way...so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes.
"Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DREAM THEATER and I talked about 'always following your heart and being true to yourself'... Sadly, I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with DREAM THEATER...and I would simply be 'going through the motions,' and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.
"I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come... I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played....
"I'm sorry to all the disappointed DREAM THEATER fans around the world... I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work... I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)... but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within.
"You DREAM THEATER fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me.... (and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future Mike Portnoy projects!)"
Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER have released the following statement regarding the departure of the band's drummer, Mike Portnoy:
"To all of our loyal fans and friends: It is with profound sadness — regret — we announce that Mike Portnoy, our lifelong drummer and friend, has decided to leave DREAM THEATER.
"Mike's stature in the band has meant the world to all of us professionally, musically, and personally over the years. There is no dispute: Mike has been a major force within this band.
"While it is true that Mike is choosing to pursue other ventures and challenges, we can assure you that DREAM THEATER will continue to move forward with the same intensity — and in the same musical tradition — that you have all helped make so successful, and which is truly gratifying to us.
"Fans and friends: File this episode under 'Black Clouds and Silver Linings.'
"As planned, we begin recording our newest album in January 2011, and we'll follow that with a full-on world tour.
"'The Spirit Carries On.'
"All of us in DREAM THEATER wholeheartedly wish Mike the best on his musical journey. We have had a long and meaningful career together. It is our true hope that he finds all he is looking for, and that he achieves the happiness he deserves. He will be missed."
DREAM THEATER supported IRON MAIDEN on a North American tour which kicked off on June 9 in Dallas, Texas and concluded on July 20 in Washington, D.C.
DREAM THEATER's latest album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", sold 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.
DREAM THEATER's last CD, "Systematic Chaos", opened with 36,000 units in 2007 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.
In addition to the standard-version CD, DREAM THEATER's tenth studio album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", was also made available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc, special-edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs.
Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND, led by current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G., will celebrate the release of their new album, "Days Of Defiance", with a limited number of special North American headlining shows. The trek, which kicks off on November 4 and runs through November 7, will feature POWERGLOVE and THE ABSENCE in the support slots.
Commented Gus G.: "We are very happy to announce four special album release shows in North America this fall in support of our new record, 'Days of Defiance'.
"It's been awhile since FIREWIND played North America, as our last tour was spring/summer 2008.
"This is a very special run for us, as it will be the first time we'll play the new songs live. It also might be awhile until we come back for a full North American run, so we REALLY hope to see many of you come out to these shows. We'll be sure to rock you to the ground and that's a promise!"
FIREWIND with POWERGLOVE, THE ABSENCE:
Nov. 04 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
Nov. 05 - Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
Nov. 06 - The Gramercy - New York, NY
Nov. 07 - Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC, Canada
"Days Of Defiance" will be released on October 26 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD's striking cover artwork was designed by the band's longtime partner in all design matters, Gustavo Sazes, and can be viewed below.
Commented Gus: "I'm very excited and cannot wait for our fans to listen to our new album! We feel we've captured great performances and took our songwriting to the next level on this one. There's tons of cool guitar on there and I believe Bob [Katsionis] has finally managed to reach warp-speed with his keyboard solos! Even more seriously, I highly recommend that you listen to this album at a very loud volume.
"As for the artwork, it was once again done by our visual wizard and webmaster extraordinaire, Gustavo Sazes. This time we asked Gustavo to come up with a great landscape scenery, with a more traditional approach and even get the 'pencil' style of artwork on there, but also combine it with more modern stuff. So, he gave us that… with a slight futuristic, sci-fi element and I think the end result is stunning!"
"Days of Defiance" track listing
01. The Ark Of Lies
02. World On Fire
03. Chariot
04. Embrace The Sun
05. The Departure
06. Heading For The Dawn
07. Broken
08. Cold As Ice
09. Kill In The Name Of Love
10. SKG
11. Losing Faith
12. The Yearning
13. When All Is Said And Done
14. Riding On The Wind (iTunes exclusive)
"Days Of Defiance" is described in a press release as "a truly ambitious and dynamic opus featuring some of the most brilliant guitar playing the genre has seen in many years."
The "World On Fire" single was made available for purchase on digital platforms starting on August 17.
Commented Gus G.: "Usually when we write an album we let the music come to us and go with the flow. Maybe that's why our albums have variety and you can hear everything from super-heavy songs to speed-metal shredding to rock anthems and ballads. 'Days Of Defiance' wasn't much different in the making, but this time we recorded almost all of it in our home studios, which allowed us to be more relaxed. That's why I feel the new album features the best performances by all of us. One of our main goals, though, was to get a bit more of an 'unpolished' sound and be more raw. I think we achieved it and that gives an extra heaviness to the overall sound."
FIREWIND's 2010 lineup (from left to right in photo below):
Michael Ehre - Drums
Petros Christo - Bass
Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals
Gus G. - Guitar
Bob Katsionis - Keyboards
"The Premonition", the latest album from FIREWIND, was released on vinyl on March 8 via Century Media Records. The band's first-ever vinyl release contains one bonus track.
FIREWIND recently parted ways with drummer Mark Cross (ex-HELLOWEEN, METALIUM) due to personal differences.
The legendary drummer for the RAMONES, Marky Ramone, will perform a special all-star concert as benefit for the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship for Musicians Institute on Friday, October 8 at the Musicians Institute Concert Hall at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. He will be joined at the event by Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH), Michale Graves (MISFITS), Jeff Duncan (ARMORED SAINT), Marko DeSantis (SUGARCULT) and Andy Hilfiger (bassologist, fashion guru). You will hear the music that defined many generations and inspired many bands.
Marky's setlist is comprised of 31 RAMONES songs such as "Sedated", "K.K.K.", "Psychotherapy", "Blitzkreig Bop", "Pinhead" and more.
"I am much honored to be chosen as an artist for the scholarship program. Music for kids is very important to have," explains Marky.
100 percent of the event proceeds will fund the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship for Musicians Institute.
Online advance sale: General-admission seats (festival seating) are $30, VIP seating is $45 (guaranteed first 3 rows), $99 VIP Backstage (first three rows seating guaranteed; Backstage Pass; after-show meet-and-greet; special Marky Ramone gift bag).
Go to Ticketweb.com to buy tickets.
Walk-up (day of show): General-admission seats (festival seating) are $35, VIP seating is $50 (guaranteed first 3 rows), VIP Backstage not available.
Musicians Institute Concert Hall
1655 N. McCadden Place
Hollywood, CA 90028
Marky Ramone is a member of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, and is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the RAMONES. RAMONES formed in 1974, and are 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 appeared on more than 15 album releases during his tenure (starting in 1978) as a member of the RAMONES.
In his upcoming autobiography, "Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen", MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil takes aim at the band's bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx for allegedly "portraying himself as the Messiah" and "loving the whole fame thing."
On page 78 of the autobiography, excerpts from which are available on the Hachette Book Group web site, Neil writes, "I don't think Nikki has changed much over the years. He still likes to portray himself as the Messiah. Everything is his. Everything is his idea. I'll look at him and think, 'Fuck! He just loves playing that persona.' And my sentiment is: 'I don't really care one way or the other. If he wants to be that, fine.' I do my job, and I fucking have fun. But in Nikki's world, he has to be known as the 'thinker,' or the 'creator;' He needs to be seen as Mr. All-Important. Nikki Sixx, tortured soul. Just like Tommy [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer], he's another one of those guys who just love the whole fame thing. He wouldn't have been with the tattoo artist Kat Von D if she wasn't famous. And [former 'Baywatch' actress] Donna D'Errico before her; she was a huge star at the time he married her. He just really likes to see his face in the paper. He
likes the press buzz. He likes being that guy from the band with famous girlfriends."
Neil doesn't stop there.
"I mean, you should read the e-mails [Nikki] sends about MÖTLEY," Vince continues. "He goes, 'I've crunched the numbers, and we should do this...' And I'm like, 'What? Is he my fucking accountant now? I mean, what the fuck?' He makes these decisions for MÖTLEY CRÜE that I think are just stupid. I call him up and I'll be like, 'You're the worst businessman in the fucking world. You're a fucking idiot!' And he'll be like, 'How can you say that?' And I'll be like, 'Because you are a fucking idiot.' Just because something looks good on paper with your name on it doesn't mean it's going to work."
"Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen" is scheduled for release on September 23 via Grand Central Publishing.
Regarding his autobiography, Vince Neil said in a recent interview with Sonic Shocks, "'The Dirt' was written by four guys; this is MY story. I touched a lot of things in 'The Dirt', but I really didn't get into details; me growing up, my neighbourhood... I grew up in Compton and there were murders and such… It's the story of me growing up, getting into rock 'n' roll, the tragedies in my life, things in and out of MÖTLEY, and it's also ten years on so a lot of things happened since then. It's not only my perspective on my life, a lot of other people are in there: my mom and dad, ex-wives, managers, friends, band members from other bands…"
Vince's new solo album, "Tattoos & Tequila", sold 7,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 57 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Tattoos & Tequila" was issued in Europe on June 4 via Frontiers Records and was made available in the U.S. on June 22 through Eleven Seven Music.
According to TMZ.com, an "adult woman" has filed a misdemeanor battery complaint with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in which she claims MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil "pushed her in an elevator" at the Las Vegas Hilton around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday night (September 5).
The matter is currently under investigation, the police tells TMZ.com.
TMZ.com reported over the weekend that Neil failed three field sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level almost three times the legal limit during his June 27, 2010 Las Vegas arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Neil has been charged with DUI and speeding and is set to be arraigned on September 27.
Vince was previously arrested in 2007 for suspected DUI but worked out a deal in which he pleaded no contest to reckless driving in exchange for having the DUI charge dropped, according to TMZ.com.
Nevada state law says that people convicted of DUI twice within seven years face anywhere from 10 days to six months in jail.
The singer lives in Las Vegas, where he owns a chain of tattoo shops and a restaurant at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Neil was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation in 1984 after an accident in which he crashed his car, killing passenger Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley of the band HANOI ROCKS. Neil was driving under the influence at that time.
Neil also pleaded no contest to a charge of assaulting a music producer in 2002, and again pleaded no contest in 2003 to charges he attacked a prostitute at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Nevada. In 2004, an arrest warrant was issued after he allegedly hit a sound engineer at a show in Texas.
Vince Neil's 320-page hardcover autobiography, "Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen", is scheduled for release on September 23 via Grand Central Publishing.
HELLYEAH has been forced to cancel its appearance at tonight's Tulsa, Oklahoma stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival at the Bank Of Oklahoma Center "due to weather and flight cancellations keeping a few of us from getting to the show," according to a statement released by the band.
HELLYEAH is headlining the Jägermeister Second Stage at the first annual Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival. Performing on the main stage are DISTURBED and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, along with STONE SOUR and HALESTORM. AIRBOURNE, HAIL THE VILLAIN, NEW MEDICINE and the Jägermeister Battle of The Bands Winner in each city round out the Jägermeister Second Stage bill. The 36-date tour launched August 17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is visiting arenas and amphitheatres across North America before wrapping October 4 in Madison, Wisconsin.
"Stampede", the sophomore album from the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.
HELLYEAH's self-titled debut CD opened with 45,000 units back in April 2007 to land at No. 9.
The "super deluxe" edition of "Stampede" features the album itself, a bonus DVD, a limited-edition lenticular 3D cover with an expanded booklet, a HELLYEAH bull skull, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" and an MP3 download of the full album. The standard "deluxe edition" contains the album, a bonus DVD, instant downloads of the album tracks "Cowboy Way" and "Hell Of A Time" and an MP3 download of the full album.
MURDERDOLLS' sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", sold 8,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 43 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on August 31 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was recorded at a studio in Hollywood Hills, California with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD).
The limited-edition version of "Women And Children Last" is packaged in a unique first-aid kit. It's not your usual first-aid kit — this frightening set includes the CD/DVD edition of "Women And Children Last", an exclusive t-shirt (size L), digital download, autographed booklet, patch, sticker, pill case, plus other gruesome extras.
"Women And Children Last" track listing:
CD:
01. The World According To Revenge
02. Chapel Of Blood
03. Bored 'Til Death
04. Drug Me To Hell
05. Nowhere
06. Summertime Suicide
07. Death Valley Superstars
08. My Dark Place Alone
09. Blood Stained Valentine
10. Pieces Of You
11. Homicide Drive
12. Rock N Roll Is All I Got
13. Nothing's Gonna Be Alright
14, Whatever You Got, I'm Against It
15. Hello, Goodbye, Die
16. Motherfucker See, Motherfucker Do (bonus track)
17. The Funeral Ball (bonus track)
18. A Moment Of Violence (bonus track)
DVD:
Filmed live on June 17, 2010 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California, MURDERDOLLS returned to the stage after seven years away without skipping a beat. Playing a mixture of classics and new favorites, this DVD captures their amazing and triumphant return.
MURDERDOLLS's current touring lineup is as follows:
* Wednesday 13 (WEDNESDAY 13, GUNFIRE 76, BOURBON CROW) - Lead Vocals
* Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT, ROB ZOMBIE) - Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Roman Surman (GUNFIRE 76, BOURBON CROW) - Guitar
* Racci Shay Hart (WEDNESDAY 13, DOPE, GENITORTURERS) - Drums
* Jack Tankersley (BULLETS AND OCTANE) - Bass
"My Dark Place Alone", the new video from MURDERDOLLS,was filmed with director Paul R. Brown, who has previously worked with SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KORN, GODSMACK and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, among others.
Main Man Records has set an October 26 release date for "Remember The Coop! A Tribute To Alice Cooper's Killer Classics".
A press release from the label states: "Before anyone knew who Vincent Furnier was, he fronted a band called ALICE COOPER. Their third album, 'Killer', is considered by most to be their pinnacle, so we thought we'd give it the ol' Main Man treatment. That, of course, was narrow thinking on our part, because as soon as word got out that we were doing an ALICE COOPER album tribute we were swamped with requests for inclusion. That led to a whole second disc of COOPER classics, so overflowing with love and respect that it is now the 'featured' disc while the 'Killer' tribute is sort of a 'bonus.'
"Richard Barone's original band, THE BONGOS, used to play 'Hello Hooray' over the P.A. as they took the stage back in the '80s, so how fitting that he should record a version all these years later. Backed by none other than FRANKENSTEIN 3000, who shared the stage with Richard at our QUEEN tribute CD-release party, it's the perfect song to kick off the tribute. Also fitting is the appearance of Michael Bruce, original guitar player from ALICE COOPER, who is backed by Dimma for two live cuts recorded in Iceland on Halloween in 2002. Another original ALICE COOPER member, bassist Dennis Dunaway, joins Dimma on 'Killer''s 'Halo Of Flies' while his daughters each contribute a song to the 'Killer' disc.
"Other notable contributors include THE RIBEYE BROTHERS (covering a pre-ALICE composition by Mr. Furnier's first band, THE SPIDERS), Deena (SCHOSHKES OF THE CUCUMBERS) & THE LAUGHING BOYS, Jism (TUFF DARTS), WELL OF SOULS (first new recording in over 10 years), COOPER disciples Dead Elvi and Sim Cain (ROLLINS BAND), who plays drums on SCREAM's track.
"Some of Alice Cooper's greatest hits are here, like 'I'm Eighteen', 'Under My Wheels', 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' and 'School's Out', plus plenty of album cuts like 'Public Animal #9', 'The Ballad Of Dwight Fry' and 'Muscle Of Love'. 28 tracks in all; nearly 2 hours of music!"
Disc One: Classics
01. Hello Hooray - Richard Barone with Frankenstein 3000
02. Don't Blow Your Mind - The Ribeye Brothers
03. I'm Eighteen - Deena & The Laughing Boys
04. Public Animal #9 - JISM
05. Under My Wheels (Live) - Michael Bruce with Dimma
06. School's Out - Well Of Souls
07. Is It My Body? - Mutant Monster Beach Party
08. Muscle Of Love - The St. Vitus Dancers
09. The Ballad Of Dwight Fry - Dead Elvi
10. You And Me - Christian Beach
11. Be My Lover - Porro And The Raving Lunatics
12. Teenage Lament '74 - Gin House Bandits
13. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) - Rick Tedesco
14. Billion Dollar Babies - Jack Brag
15. Elected - FourYearBeard
16. Desperado - Graveyard School
17. No More Mr. Nice Guy - The Swales
18. My Stars (Live) - Michael Bruce with Dimma
19. Only Women Bleed - Eye Of The Dawn
20. School's Out - Shawn Mars (bonus track)
Disc Two: Killer
01. Under My Wheels - Blue Fox
02. Be My Lover - Scream
03. Halo Of Flies - Dimma with Dennis Dunaway
04. Desperado - Frankenstein 3000
05. You Drive Me Nervous - Serpenteens
06. Yeah Yeah Yeah - Johny Dey
07. Dead Babies - Ché Monet
08. Killer - Renée Dunaway
"Asylum", the new album from Chicago heavy rockers DISTURBED, sold 179,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous three albums — 2008's platinum "Indestructible" (first-week sales: 253,000), 2005's double-platinum "Ten Thousand Fists" (first-week sales: 238,000) and 2002's platinum "Believe" (first-week sales: 284,000) — also debuted at No. 1.
DISTURBED's best-selling release to date is its 2000 debut, "The Sickness", which has shifted more than four million copies in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Asylum" first-week chart positions so far:
USA: #1
New Zealand: #1
Australia: #2
Germany: #4
Austria: #3
United Kingdom: #7
The "Asylum" limited-edition CD/DVD came with the full album, including two bonus tracks (live recordings of "Down With The Sickness" and "Stricken"), expanded artwork, a DVD with the "Decade Of Disturbed" documentary plus nine "Disturbed Dissected" exclusive instrument video instuctionals, and an exclusive double-sided poster with guitar tabs. It is available only through Disturbed1.com.
The iTunes LP version of "Asylum" also included a download featuring the "Decade of Disturbed" documentary, two bonus tracks (live recordings of "Down With The Sickness" and "Stricken"), an additional exclusive bonus track ("Leave It Alone"), and two "Disturbed Dissected" exclusive instrument video instructionals.
DISTURBED's "Asylum" video can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober), who has previously worked with METALLICA, MASTODON and DEFTONES, among others. Roboshobo also helmed the video for "Another Way To Die", the first single from "Asylum".
A 75-plus-minute film, "Decade of Disturbed" was directed by Rafa Alcantara of Twentyfourcore Productions and it candidly captures the band's ten-year history, with extensive behind-the-scenes and never-before-seen footage. "It basically tells the story of the band, from its inception to present day," says DISTURBED frontman David Draiman.
"The band has had its share of ups and downs along the way and I think we tried to be as open and honest about all of it as we could. It's very insightful and we hope it's something the fans will appreciate."
"Asylum" track listing:
01. Remnants
02. Asylum
03. The Infection
04. Warrior
05. Another Way To Die
06. Never Again
07. The Animal
08. Crucified
09. Serpentine
10. My Child
11. Sacrifice
12. Innocence
13. Ishfwilf (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)
Bassist Robbie Crane (RATT, ex-VINCE NEIL, ADLER'S APPETITE) will join the touring lineup of LYNCH MOB for the band's upcoming European tour.
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 30 - Nottingham, England - Firefest
Nov. 02 - Sofija, Bulgaria - Rockbar Fans
Nov. 03 - Budapest, Hungary - A38 Ship
Nov. 06 - Weert, Netherlands - De Bosuil
Nov. 07 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Heiniken
Nov. 09 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apollo 2
Nov. 10 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Atelier
Nov. 11 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
Nov. 12 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Rockfabrick
Nov. 14 - Modena, Italy - Matrioska Club
Nov. 17 - Paris, France - Le Divan Du Monde
Nov. 18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers S
Nov. 19 - Västerås, Sweden - Sigurdsgatan 25
Nov. 20 - Oslo, Norway - Smuget
LYNCH MOB's current lineup is rounded out by George Lynch (guitar), Oni Logan (vocals) and Brian Tichy (drums; FOREIGNER, OZZY OSBOURNE, VELVET REVOLVER, WHITESNAKE).
Audio samples of all 13 songs that appear on LYNCH MOB's comeback album, "Smoke And Mirrors", are available for download at HeavyHarmonies.com (scroll down). The CD was released in Europe on September 18, 2009 (October 13, 2009 in the U.S.) via Frontiers Records.
LYNCH MOB's recording lineup on "Smoke And Mirrors" included Logan and Lynch alongside bassist Marco Mendoza (WHITESNAKE, THIN LIZZY) and drummer Scot Coogan (BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION, ACE FREHLEY).
ALICE IN CHAINS singer/guitarist William DuVall tells Billboard.com that there is no reason to assume that the band won't record another album following the success of the gold-certified "Black Gives Way to Blue", which came out in September 2009.
"It would be fairly safe to say that you don't come this far and do all this work just to stop for another 15 years," said DuVall. "We are on a path, and just as it was at the beginning, we still don't know where it's going to lead. We're digging what we're doing and we're very happy with the reception we've gotten, and we respect the fact that this was a tall order to write in the first place, and to fill it is an even bigger deal. So I have a hard time imagining we would go through the ride we've been on the last four, five years just to stop.
"We're excited about the future," DuVall added. "Let's just say that."
According to DuVall, ALICE IN CHAINS has yet to begin piecing songs together for the next studio album, but "there's plenty of riffs flying around." He added, "That was the case when we first started back up. We would just stockpile these fragments, and then some time later we would sift through the mountain of stuff, and that's what became 'Black Gives Way to Blue'. The same thing has been happening since we've been touring 'Black Gives Way to Blue', so it would be only natural to at some point say, 'Hey, we've got a lot of stuff. Let's sift through and see what we've got this time.' "
FULLFORCE — the new Swedish melodic metal project featuring Mike Andersson (CLOUDSCAPE, SILENT MEMORIAL, PLANET ALLIANCE) on vocals, Stefan Elmgren (HAMMERFALL) on guitar, Anders Johansson (HAMMERFALL, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on drums, Carl-Johan Grimmark (NARNIA) on guitar, and Tommy Larsson (HEED) on bass — is putting the finishing touches on its debut album, tentatively due in early 2011 via an as-yet-undetermined record label.
Commented the band: "FULLFORCE [has] been a bit delayed but, the band [is now] entering the end phase of the recording. CJ Grimmark [has] already started to do basic mixes of the songs to be completed by producer Pontus Lindmark. [In addition] Mike is currently in the studio recording the last few songs for the album.
"So, good news is that the album will be completely finished within two months if not earlier.
"Next week FULLFORCE will deliver music to their promoter in Germany, so more news regarding labels and technical details will be announced very soon.
"The band is very, very happy with the outcome of the album and they think it will stand out because of the width musically on the album. There's a strong red thread but, nonetheless, it jumps from straight-forward, catchy heavy metal to more melodic and ethnic updated metal."
FULLFORCE recently posted a new song, "Mythomaniac", on the group's MySpace page.
According to FULLFORCE's official bio, "Mike and Magnus met for the first time in 2006 during the recordings of the PLANET ALLIANCE album. They became very good friends right away both musically and personally so, since the recording of that album Mike and Magnus have often talked about working more together. Same thing goes with longtime friend Stefan Elmgren and Magnus after the departure of the well-known metal band called HAMMERFALL. They also talked often about starting up a new band together, so the course was more or less set in late 2008 when Magnus gave Mike a phone call asking him if he was interested in starting up a new band with him and Stefan."
THE HUMAN CONDITION, the group featuring SACRED REICH guitarist Wiley Arnett and vocalist Eric "A.K." Knutson of the legendary Arizona heavy metal band FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, will play its first full-length show on Saturday, September 18 at club Mardi Gras in Scottsdale, Arizona. The band has decided to take a break from writing new material to hit the stage and have some fun while giving friends and fans alike a glimpse of greater things to come from THE HUMAN CONDITION.
THE HUMAN CONDITION's new lineup made its live debut by performing a surprise five-song set at the Nino Notaro Memorial Concert on February 20 at Club Stratus in Phoenix, Arizona.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM was scheduled to share a stage with SACRED REICH for the first time in nearly 18 years, and about 1,500 of Arizona's core metal family members came together to celebrate the life of Nino Notaro at the event.
For the unenlightened, Nino was an amazingly talented sound engineer that worked with a number of bands — including FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, SACRED REICH, SEPULTURA and SOULFLY — over the years. The event raised money for Nino's daughter Sophie to start an education fund.
When THE HUMAN CONDITION initially took the stage, metalheads in attendance seemed a bit confused to see Wiley strap on his guitar and Eric begin checking the mic. THE HUMAN CONDITION drummer Muley counted off three stick clicks and they were off, and by the second song it was clear there was a new band out of Arizona to consider.
With the addition of Eric on vocals and Johnny Urwin on bass, THE HUMAN CONDITION has returned to the scene with renewed vigor. Anyone that witnessed the debut performance would agree that THE HUMAN CONDITION is fresh, relevant and rooted in a bit of metal history.
For more information, visit www.thehumancondition.us.
Chilean doom metallers PROCESSION will release their new album, "Destroyers Of The Faith", in October. It will be made available on vinyl via High Roller Records and as a digi-CD through Doomentia Records. The cover artwork was created by Claudio Botarro and can be viewed below.
"Destroyers Of The Faith" track listing:
01. Hyperion
02. Destroyers Of The Faith
03. The Road To The Gravegarden
04. Chants Of The Nameless
05. Tomb Of Doom
06. White Coffin
According to a press release, "Destroyers Of The Faith" contains "46 minutes of total doom metal armageddon!"
Two songs from "Destroyers Of The Faith" — "The Road To The Gravegarden" and "Chants Of The Nameless" — are available for streaming on the PROCESSION MySpace page.
Metal Blade Records has set a November 9 U.S. release date for GWAR's "newest and sickest" album yet, "Bloody Pit of Horror".
Commented GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus: "This year sees no end to the torment, and delight, we shall heap upon you ungrateful slobs. Our new album has got some of the heaviest shit we have ever played, and our show is packed with brand-new, never-seen-before acts of violence, bestiality, and political in-correctness. I don't want to spoil anything... wait,yes I do! We are chopping Sarah Palin's tits off and feeding them to Gor-Gor, if he will have them!"
"Bloody Pit of Horror" is reportedly "heavy as fuck", and features songs like "Hail to Genocide", "Storm is Coming", and "Tick-Tits", the latter of which is "a song about a chick whose tits are covered in ticks…big fat gray puffy ones," said Oderus.
Fresh off the amazing experience that was the 2010 GWAR-B-Q, intergalactic snuff-rockers GWAR continue their relentless assault upon all humanity with the announcement of their first run of dates for this fall's "Bloody Tour of Horror".
Catch GWAR on the "Bloody Tour Of Horror" with THE CASUALTIES, INFERNAEON and MOBILE DEATHCAMP starrting on October 2 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Video footage of GWAR's July 4, 2010 performance in Munich, Germany can be viewed below (courtesy of "eblrocknroll").
The new GWAR DVD, "Lust In Space - Live At The National", can now be ordered at Sleazy P. Martini's Hypereal Productions page. The footage for the DVD was filmed at the National Theater in Richmond, Virginia and chronicles GWAR's return to outer space in search of its old Scumdog legion and its battle against Cardinal Syn. The disc contains the band's full 82-minute set, the 10-minute "Behind The Murder" mockumentary, plus a special "features" section, including interview extras, a behind-the-scenes look at special F/X being filmed and a slideshow featuring band shots from the album cover. Two additional DVDs, "Blood Drive 2002" and "War Party 2004" (both also shot by Sleazy P. Martini), are also available at the Hypereal Productions page.
"America Must Be Destroyed", GWAR's 1992 opus, can now be purchased in a special edition digipak that's also crammed with a DVD that includes the seminal GWAR films "Tour De Scum" and "Phallus In Wonderland".
GWAR's latest album, "Lust In Space", sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Feeding The Wolves", the new album from Knoxville, Tennessee's 10 YEARS, sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart.
10 YEARS' sophomore effort, "Division", opened with 28,000 units back in May 2008 to land at No. 12.
The title of 10 YEARS' new record is actually taken from a line in the CD's first single, "Shoot It Out", which singer Jesse Hasek says is about the pressures the band has faced in the music business. "It's a very aggressive song and it's a little bit of angst towards just how they don't leave you alone to be the musicians you are," he tells The Pulse of Radio. "You hear it with a lot of bands, the whole 'jaded' scenario, but it's true, because we're a bunch of musicians that were writing music all on our own with no outside sources affecting us. And then you get, it turns into a profession and you get pulled in all sorts of directions. And we just said, 'Enough's enough, we're just gonna do what we want.'"
The band recently promised that "Feeding The Wolves" would be "the heaviest album they've made in nearly a decade."
The song "Wasteland" from the band's 2005 debut, "The Autumn Effect", hit No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart, while "Beautiful" from "Division" reached No. 14.
10 YEARS and SEVENDUST will lead the lineup of the second annual HardDrive Live tour, with SINCE OCTOBER and ANEW REVOLUTION also appearing on the bill.
AVIAN, the melodic metal band featuring guitarist Yan Leviathan, will release a new EP, "The Path", on September 28. The effort features three new songs plus and acoustic version of "The Fear". Two of the songs on the EP — "The Path" and "When The Night's Undone" — will also appear on AVIAN's next album, "Midnight At The Tower", to be released in mid-2011. The other two tracks — "S.S." (instrumental), and "The Fear" (acoustic) — are exclusive to the EP and will not be featured on the band's next album.
"The Path" features AVIAN's new singer Brian Hollenbeck, who took over the vocal reigns from Lance King. Lance decided to leave the band earlier in the year so that he could focus on family and professional obligations. According to AVIAN, "Lance and Brian have very similar vocal styles which should make for a smooth transition."
"The Path" EP will be available at all major online stores such as Amazon.com, CDBaby, and iTunes. It will be available in both physical and digital versions.
"The Path" EP track listing:
01. The Path (4:39)
02. When The Night's Undone (5:26)
03. S.S. (instrumental) (4:56)
04. The Fear (acoustic) (4:31)
Total running time: 19:33
"The Path" EP cover artwork was created by Mattias Norén and can be viwed below.
AVIAN's sophomore album, "Ashes and Madness", was released in Europe in February 2009 via Germany's Silverwolf Productions.
Yan Leviathan assembled AVIAN after being inspired by GAMMA RAY's performance at the ProgPower USA III festival.
Brendan Crabb of Utopia.com.au recently conducted an interview with vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
Utopia.com.au: The latest album seems to have really continued the momentum the band has building again for several records now. What motivates NAPALM DEATH to keep crafting such abrasive, pissed off music after all this time?
Barney: You know, a big thing is made of being pissed off at times. But, for me, it's like I don't need to over-analyze it. Because whether it is correct, whether it's accurate to call it being pissed off, I don't know. It's just a natural feeling; sometimes it's kind of stigmatized to be pissed off and, like, shout about stuff that's… People look at you as some kind of madman, like jumping up and down and just raising your voice. But it's not about that — it's about actually being willing and able to cut through bullshit and see beneath the way that we've been conditioned to accept certain things, just blindly accept them. I think even people that do try and have a bit more insight can sometimes be caught up in that trap as well. None of us are particularly immune to it. So I don't think it's being pissed off, it's just being having your eyes fully opened. I think that comes through on the NAPALM albums. I mean, yes, they are really angry-sounding
stuff, but I think we take the time to also make sure that's there… giving it a bit of flavor as well. I suppose I am over- analyzing it now, but it's really a natural thing for me, it's not something that I necessarily have to step back and go, "Fuck me, I'm really pissed off," you know? (laughs) It's just a natural state of affairs for me. As we get older, as I get older, people say you kind of get a bit more, you sort of mellow out a bit. (But) it's not the way for me.
Utopia.com.au: How does it feel to hear bands who are half your age without that same fury as yours, or perhaps who are faking it by attempting to channel NAPALM DEATH and not really pulling it off?
Barney: Yeah, well, mate, I don't like to sit on a pedestal and look down at other bands and say, you know, "I'm the authority and this is fake and this isn't." I don't think it's for me to say that. I just think that people should know themselves… I wouldn't be so arrogant as to place my own judgment on so-called younger bands or whatever, for one. And for two, I've never tied age to anything. I really can't stand it when bands get criticized just because they've been around for a certain time, the members might be of a certain age. I think that goes for whoever you'd care to consider. It all depends on your perspective and taste is relative, of course, but I've heard some pretty awful bands, in my opinion, but that have either just started out or who have been around for 20 years or 30 years, it's all relative. I'm not going to judge people. I mean, of course my tastes are my tastes and that's the same way as anybody else's tastes. I would hate to
sort of sit and point the finger at other bands down below, I think that would be really fucking arrogant, actually. (laughs).
Utopia.com.au: Is politics and spreading the word in that respect still one of the major driving forces and motivations for the band?
Barney: (Pauses) I mean, people say politics, but really I mean, what is politics at the end of the day? If you take the mainstream definition of it, it's really kind of meaningless in a lot of ways because it just hinges around this kind of mainstream sort of system that's been developed over however many years. To be honest, to most of us, it don't mean shit. In NAPALM, the politics are more about just levels of humanity. I think as human beings we've lost the drive to achieve and strive for human rights. I mean, we're quite readily ticking off our rights to higher powers and governments and other people. We're very willing to do that and I just think, "What the fuck are people doing?" It's just crazy to me. I do find it strange that people argue sometimes about why we should sacrifice rights. We should never sacrifice our rights, you know? Especially in deference to another human being. That's crap (laughs); it really is on the most basic, fundamental
level. So yeah, that's the core principle of NAPALM more than anything and we're trying to somehow alert people to the exploitation of people. That's the point, so politics really is a real misnomer.
Utopia.com.au: How do you look back on 20 years of putting that message across, given the worldwide political climate of recent times?
Barney: Well, I think again that everything's relative and different situations and circumstances have come along. Connecting it to the last question you asked me, I myself have definitely contradicted myself throughout the years. I may have given you a different answer if you'd asked me ten years ago and that's just because over time I sort of refined a certain perspective within myself. And also the actual world circumstances change and situations change, so whether things have got worse or better I don't think is how people should be looking at things, I think you have to say, "Well, which things are affecting people at this time?" Obviously there are hundreds of thousands of different situations, millions even. So I think the reason why can't be answered in a single paragraph of an interview. There are many, many things out there that are affecting people and the world today and the way to deal with them is not easy. But I think we can start by,
again, actually understanding what it is to be a human being and to not have our natural rights taken away from us.
Davide Tiso of Italian avant-garde metallers EPHEL DUATH is back with a new musical project dubbed MANUSCRIPTS DON'T BURN. The project's debut mini-CD will be released in October on Aural Music.
Commented Tiso: "I thought about a one-man band since my black metal days back in the '90s.
"The idea of taking care of every aspect of the creative process has always been something I've been into (see EPHEL DUATH), but with MANUSCRIPTS DON'T BURN I take this to a new limit: not involving anyone in the performing and recording process, too.
"A year ago I started to compose for the Karyn Crisis solo album. I wrote a lot of songs, probably too many and with too much going on: there was no space for vocals. The songs were ready and done, without her voice. I restarted to compose for her from scratch. In the meantime, I remained with enough material to start the solo adventure of above.
"I'm totally absorbed by this new direction; there's something magic about these songs, an extremely positive vibe surrounds them. They have been composed without any kind of effort, like they were already existing and ready to be caught on tape.
"There's something that needs to be spread through these songs: genuine compassionate feelings towards whomever wants to deal with this music.
"This is what I'm proudly doing now, hoping that this new palette will become an important part of my career and last the test of fire (you people) like those manuscripts Bulgakov was talking about."
Strike First Records has announced the signing of the Texas-based hardcore band MESSENGERS. The group's debut EP, "Anthems", will be released on November 9.
MESSENGERS pulled no punches this year when it charged onto the Dallas heavy music scene. In the band's own words, they "just want to be heard," and playing music in the vein of CROWBAR, PANTERA and AGNOSTIC FRONT will get the job done.
MESSENGERS' hometown, Dallas is known for producing heavy music from the likes PANTERA, so it's not unusual that a hardcore band from "The City of Hate" could cross over so seamlessly. Childhood friends Noah, TK, Andy and brothers Chad and Chance have set in motion an unstoppable sound. High-energy, fast-paced, driving tracks dominate "Anthems", and spot-on gang vocals punctuate the songs with uncompromising strength.
MESSENGERS are stalwart supporters of the thrash sounds of yesteryear, but to call MESSENGERS' sound a throwback is to not realize the full potential of the second coming of '80s and '90s hardcore and thrash.
Commented vocalist Chad Paramore: "Signing to Strike First really is a dream come true.
"We have followed Facedown for years and years and it became a huge motivation to us.
"We have seen the bands that shine on Strike First be pushed up to Facedown, so even having this stepping stone makes us that much closer to being a part of the Facedown family. We already feel like we are part of the family. The whole team has treated us with the utmost respect and we could not ask for anything more."
"Misled By Certainty", the new album from Denver, Colorado-based technical death/grind metallers CEPHALIC CARNAGE, sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Released on August 31 via Relapse Records, the follow-up to 2007's "Xenosapien" was recorded at Flatline Audio studios with longtime engineer/producer Dave Otero. The CD is described in a press release as a "50-plus-minute journey into metal's most extreme realms" which "see[s] these veterans takes it to edge before pulling it back with 'Repangea', perhaps their most sprawling and epic work to date."
CEPHALIC CARNAGE will team up with PSYCROPTIC for a co-headlining tour of Europe. The trek, dubbed the "Initiation of The Misled European Tour 2010", kicks off on September 10 in Germany and also includes ION DISSONANCE, HOUR OF PENANCE and DYSCARNATE.
CEPHALIC CARNAGE's previous full-length album, "Xenosapien", was released in May 2007 via Relapse Records. The CD was recorded by the band and Dave Otero at their studio in Denver. The album's artwork was designed by Orion Landau.
Guitarist Lord Ahriman of Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL has issued the following update:
"Recently, you could read about Nils 'Dominator' Fjellström's departure from AEON due to personal/private reasons. Today we can confirm that he'll no longer be part of DARK FUNERAL either. And just like AEON, we won't comment on this subject any further.
"With that being said, I/we see no reason to waste any time here. Besides a new vocalist, we are currently looking for a new drummer, too.
"If you do believe that you have what it takes for the job, please send us a brief introduction and some audio/video files/links of your performance to: vocalist@darkfuneral.se.
"With the recent departures from the band I/we understand if this may cause some worries and/or confusion amongst you all, but you can be rest assured that everything is under total control! It's not like anyone have left the band on bad terms, but unfortunately, sometimes things like this is inventible, and needs to happen to secure the survival of a band. And there is absolutely no doubt in my/our mind that once the new lineup is complete. We will be a stronger and better band than ever.
"Musically, we will continue in the same paths. I'm still main responsible for all the songwritings, including the drums. So you have nothing to worry about there. However, a new lineup will naturally color the sound in some ways, but I'm totally confident that it will only be for the better.
"I've recently started writing and demoing new stuff in my home studio. And just like I (and Chaq Mol) did when I/we worked on the pre-production for 'Angelus Exuro pro Eternus', I'm not only nailing down the guitar parts, I'm also programming the drums. So far it sounds totally fucking killer (of course!). However, at this point it's obviously still too early to say in what direction we'll be heading with the new material/album. We'll keep everything wide open until the new lineup is complete. And once complete, we'll continue to work on the new album as a full band. And this time I hope that everyone will be able to contribute with some killer material to make this to the best and strongest DARK FUNERAL album to date!"
Bassist B-Force recently left DARK FUNERAL. The band has already found "a new and totally amazing bassist; a bassist who lives and breathes DARK FUNERAL in its purest form," according to Lord Ahriman. "We will, however, wait until everything is settled before we present him to all of you, so please be patient."
DARK FUNERAL played its final show with vocalist Magnus "Masse" Broberg (a.k.a. Emperor Magus Caligula) on August 21, 2010 at the Summer Breeze festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. "Since this was a very special performance in many ways, we not only put on our biggest pyro show ever, we also captured this gig with 10 cameras (including one crane)," said Lord Ahriman. "So you can be sure to expect a DVD release from this killer show in the near future."
Broberg announced his departure from DARK FUNERAL in July, explaining that "my life has taken a new turn lately, and I am also getting married this year, whereof my priorities in life lie somewhere else." Guitarist and founding member Lord Ahriman added, "I understand when people change course and get new priorities in life. And I fully respect that. Life moves on, after all, and so will DARK FUNERAL.
"Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus", the latest album from DARK FUNERAL, was released in North America on January 26, 2010 via Regain Records. The CD, which was made available in most European countries between November 18, 2009 and November 27, 2009, was recorded at Abyss Studio in Grangärde, Sweden with famed engineer and legendary producer Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY). Nine songs are featured on the effort, which is being described in a press release as "the band's most technical and varied album to date. And while still being true to their roots, they have taken a great step forward in the evolution of their brand of fine Swedish black metal. 'Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus' is, from the very beginning to the end, a hell ride you simply don't want to miss!"
The "Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus" cover artwork was created by Morbid (Daniel Valeriani).
"Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus" was released in a couple of different formats, including a two-disc limited edition containing one CD and one live DVD. The bonus live DVD features approximately 55 minutes of previously unreleased material professionally filmed with six cameras during the band's 15th anniversary show at the Peace & Love festival on June 28, 2008 in Borlänge, Sweden. The album also includes two versions (soft and hardcore) of the band's brand new video, "My Funeral".
Guitarist Tony Lazaro from U.S.-based death/black metallers VITAL REMAINS has issued the following update:
"As the leader of VITAL REMAINS and on behalf of the whole band, it is with deep regret that I hereby inform all of you that as consequence of information broadcasted through several news media here in the United States last week relating to the violence in México and an alert issued by our government warning American citizens against travelling to México. With that said, several members of the band, fearing for their safety, have opted for postponing our visit to México and as consequence of that the band has been forced to cancel the shows booked for the month of September in Mexico.
"We apologize to all the fans and promoters and regret this decision and hope that in a near future we will to book a new visit to Mexico and make it up to all of you.
"Thanks for all your understanding and support."
Restrain Records in 2007 released a high-quality double-vinyl presentation of VITAL REMAINS' latest abum, "Icons of Evil". The set includes 'brutal blasphemy spread over three sides, with the fourth side bearing an engraving," according to the band. "Comes in a gatefold cover with printed lyric sleeves!"
VITAL REMAINS' DVD, entitled "Evil Death Live", came out in 2007 via Metal Mind Productions. The disc includes footage of VITAL REMAINS' performance at the Metalmania Festival 2007 on April 24, 2007 in Katowice, Poland as well as an interview with Tony Lazaro (one of the band's founders) and Dave Suzuki, live bootleg material and many other surprises. Also available is a limited DVD+CD swing case edition, featuring a bonus CD containing songs recorded at the Metalmania gig.
Swedish death metallers EVOCATION will release their third album, "Apocalyptic", on October 29 via Cyclone Empire Records. The cover artwork (see below) was created by Xaay (BEHEMOTH, NILE, VADER) and it "fit[s] both the title, 'Apocalyptic', and our musical achievements just perfect," says the band. "We are blown away by the effort and feeling [Xaay] gave it."
"Apocalyptic" track listing:
01. Sweet Obsession
02. We Are Unified Insane
03. Infamy
04. Parasites
05. Reunion In War
06. Psychosis Warfare
07. Murder In Passion
08. It Is All Your Fault
09. Curse On The Creature
10. Apocalyptic
The song "Sweet Obsession" is available for streaming on the EVOCATION MySpace page.
EVOCATION's second album, "Dead Calm Chaos", was released on October 31, 2008 via Cyclone Empire. The CD featured guest appearances by Anders Björler (AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED) and Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö (BLOODBATH, EDGE OF SANITY). The album was recorded in the band's own studio under the watchful eye of guitarist Vesa Kenttäkumpu.
EVOCATION is:
Thomas Josefsson – Vocals
Janne K. Bodén – Drums
Vesa Kenttäkumpu – Guitar
Marko Palmén – Guitar
Martin Toresson – Bass
Finnish death metallers DESECRESY have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of their recently completed debut album, "Arches Of Entropy". Due in November/December, the CD was recorded between January and August 2010 and "perfectly captures the darkness and heaviness of the 10 songs there included, resulting in one of Finland's heaviest albums ever," according to a press release.
DESECRESY was formed in 2009 by Tommi Grönqvist (all instruments) and Jarno Nurmi (vocals), both whom previously played with the now-defunct Finnish act SLUGATHOR.
The music of DESECRESY is described as "a crushingly heavy type of death metal with a dark and eerie atmosphere inspired by bands like ABHORRENCE, BOLT THROWER, ASPHYX, DERKETA, RIPPIKOULU, GRAVE, INCANTATION, ROTTREVORE... and in general getting inspiration from '90s death metal, although DESECRESY doesn't settle just to be a so called 'old-school' band. Their aim is to make death metal as it should be, not as it once was."
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/desecresy.
Dallas, Texas-based death metal band THE FAMINE has completed work on its new album, "The Architects Of Guilt", with producer D. Braxton Henry (ex-DEVOURMENT). Mixing duties were handled by Jason Suecof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER). A fall release via Solid State Records is expected.
THE FAMINE in January announced the departure of lead singer and co-founder Chris "Kris" McCaddon. Nick Nowell, who had been handling bass duties for THE FAMINE since 2008, has since taken over as the band's new vocalist. The group also recruited a new bassist, Jon Richardson (SABOTEUR, THE MONARCH).
THE FAMINE previously stated that its upcoming CD will be "heavier than [THE FAMINE's 2008 full-length debut] 'The Raven And The Reaping' in every way and will build on the intensity that 'The Raven And The Reaping' established. Lyrically, this record will almost be an anarchic indictment of what we have become as a world, country, and individuals and the path that got us here. We touched on this on the last record as well."
Released in May 2008 via Solid State Records, "The Raven and the Reaping" was recorded with Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, AGONY SCENE) and was described as "an album of urgent metal with plenty of chunky riffs; the music is at once blustery yet totally memorable."
Danish extreme metallers CORPUS MORTALE are preparing to enter Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark with producer Jacob Olsen (PANZERCHRIST) to begin recording their third album for an early 2011 release.
In other news, CORPUS MORTALE will embark on a short Eastern European tour in late September. A list of confirmed dates can be found at this location.
Commented the band: "We really look forward to [the upcoming tour] since we haven't played those countries before and we've only heard good things about the crowds those places.
"We'll be going with Hungarian band MALEDICTION plus various local support acts. . . Furthermore, our forthcoming Scandinavian tour with ABYSMAL TORMENT and INSISION is beginning to take shape. Three shows are already [announced] and if everything works out as planned we have four-five more in store for you freaks."
CORPUS MORTALE released its second full-length album, "A New Species of Deviant", in September 2007 via Neurotic Records. The CD features the artwork of the label's in-house artist Joel Sta.
ABRAXAS, the new death metal band featuring Makoto Mizoguchi (PYREXIA, INTERNAL SUFFERING, HATE ETERNAL) on guitar and bass, Mike Hrubovcak (MONSTROSITY, VILE, DIVINE RAPTURE, I.C.E., AZURE EMOTE) on vocals and Lance Wright (VILE, QUINTA ESSENTIA, TEMPLE OF BLOOD) on drums, has completed work on its debut album, "Damnation", due later in the year.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Astaroth (intro/instrumental)
02. Through Blood We Return
03. Crowned Rebellion
04. A Species Untrue
05. Ingrowing Masochistic Perversion
06. Folding For Our Demise
07. Leviathan Of Blood And Fire
08. Damnation Uncreation
09. Universal Collapse
10. Receptacle Of Sin (acoustic instrumental)
11. To The Wall (SEPULTURA cover)
12. Eternally Erased (re-recording; bonus track)
13. Agony Absolution (re-recording; bonus track)
The song "Leviathan Of Blood And Fire" is available for streaming on the official ABRAXAS MySpace page.
Session drums on the album were performed by Justin Dipinto (MALEVOLENT CREATION, PYREXIA, MORTAL DECAY, DIVINE RAPTURE).
ABRAXAS released its debut four-song EP, "Wretched Existence", on December 15, 2009 via Relapse Records. The effort was also made available as a T-shirt bundle, featuring the amazing artwork of Drew Elliott (NECROPHAGIA, GOREAPHOBIA, AMORPHIS).
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