It's been a busy week for Alice Cooper. Not only did the platinum artist release his latest concert DVD, "The Theatre of Death," but he also kicked off another Halloween Hootenanny Tour with co-headliner Rob Zombie. And there was a bit of news from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which nominated the shock-rock artist for its class of 2011. A decade and a half after first being eligible, Cooper maintains his sense of humor when it comes to finally being considered Rock Hall-worthy.
"I always have made the joke [that] when I finally get in, I'm going to have Pete Rose accept for me just because of the fact he should be in some hall of fame," Cooper tells Billboard.com. "You know, there's a lot of bands that haven't been nominated -- Deep Purple, Cheap Trick. I was in an elite class and being nominated with Laura Nyro, my favorite female writer, and Neil Diamond and Tom Waits and Donovan. Those guys have been around as long as I have."
Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper Up for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cooper feels 2011 could be a big year with a special sequel in the works. It all started when he went to his legendary producer Bob Ezrin ("Billion Dollar Babies," "Welcome to My Nightmare," "School's Out" and "Love It to Death") to mix an audio CD of the 26-track "Theatre of Death," which comes with the purchase. This led to a few songwriting sessions for a new album, tentatively called "The Nightshift."
"We thought the story was good, but we started talking about 'Welcome to My Nightmare,' which I think is our biggest triumph," Cooper says. "He mentioned, 'What if Alice had another nightmare?' And we wrote three songs right there. He got really involved in it. Bob is even darker than I am."
So far the pair have come up with 13 songs, including the ballads "I Am Made of You" and "Something to Remember Me By." In addition, Cooper cut three new songs with original band mates Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and Michael Bruce (guitar). "Welcome II My Nightmare" is scheduled for release next year on Bigger Picture records.
"When I listen to the first 'Nightmare,' I've got all kinds of things going on," Cooper says. "There's a lot of hard rock on it, but it'll go way off in a weird direction in one song and then way off in other direction for another song. So where 'Welcome To My Nightmare' left off, this one starts right up. When it comes out it'll have an entire new production around it, probably as big as the original 'Nightmare' show. It'll be a big moment in my career."
"Halford IV - Made Of Metal", the new album from HALFORD — the band led by JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford — sold around 3,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 160 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 5 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.
HALFORD's previous CD, "Halford III - Winter Songs", opened with 1,400 units to debut at No. 26 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.
"Halford IV - Made Of Metal" was released on September 27 in Europe and September 28 in North America. Produced by Roy Z. and recorded during 2009 and 2010, the CD features 14 new songs penned exclusively by Rob Halford.
Commented Halford: "It has been a long wait for the global HALFORD fan base, and of course I'm very pleased to return with 'Halford IV - Made Of Metal'. It is probably the most personal release of my solo career in terms of my writing and performances.
"'Halford IV - Made Of Metal' hits hard on many musical and emotional levels. I'm certain it will be recognized as one of the band's best releases, and I'm looking forward to performing the new tracks this year and reconnecting the HALFORD band with its legions of metal fans."
"Halford IV - Made Of Metal" track listing:
01. Undisputed
02. Fire and Ice
03. Made Of Metal
04. Speed Of Sound
05. Like There¹s No Tomorrow
06. Till The Day I Day
07. We Own The Night
08. Heartless
09. Hell Razor
10. Thunder and Lightning
11. Twenty-Five Years
12. Matador
13. I Know We Stand A Chance
14. The Mower
According to Scorpions.gr, tonight's (Wednesday, October 6) SCORPIONS concert in Athens, Greece at Peace And Friendship Stadium has been postponed. The band's frontman, Klaus Meine, was diagnosed with acute laryngitis and the doctors suggested he take a break for a week. Promoters Detox and Sportsunited have announced that the show will be rescheduled to a later date.
METALLICA has issued the following update:
"Are you sick of us yet? We sure are!! However, we're here again to tell you about one more release, this one supporting our continued beating of the drums for independent record stores across the country with an exclusive EP available only through the network of approximately 700 U.S. retailers who support Record Store Day.
"We were honored to be part of the first ever annual event celebrating independently owned records stores, a.k.a. Record Store Day, with an in-store at Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California on April 19, 2008 and we're very proud to be a part of another special event with our friends at independent retail.
"The EP includes the nine songs we played the afternoon of June 12, 2008 in the basement at one of the coolest record stores in the nation, Grimey's in Nashville, Tennessee, and is part of the series of 'Live At Grimey's' releases.
"How did this show come about? In late spring of 2008, while we were finishing up 'Death Magnetic', we were also having fun playing a few shows including the Bonnarroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee. As fans of classic, old-school record stores, we knew we just had to visit Grimey's and they were kind enough to invite us to play in their 'basement' club for METALLICA fan-club members and a few friends. As we always do, we recorded the show... and now it comes to you CD and 10" vinyl in a gatefold jacket on 'Black Friday,' November 26.
"Support your local record store... there's a complete list of stores who will be carrying 'Live At Grimey's' here: MyMetalClub.com. The EP will also be available on Metallica.com and MetClub.com."
"Live At Grimey's" track listing:
01. No Remorse
02. Fuel
03. Harvester of Sorrow
04. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
05. For Whom The Bell Tolls
06. Master of Puppets
07. Sad But True
08. Motorbreath
09. Seek And Destroy
Rob Zombie says he's good at multi-tasking. He'll need to be for the foreseeable future.
The shock-rocker is currently co-headlining a Halloween Hootenanny tour with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee Alice Cooper through Oct. 20, is piled high with projects these days. Just out is a special edition of his latest album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2," featuring a cover of Cooper's "School's Out" among its extras, as well as single- and double-disc "Icon" retrospectives. And the "Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses in 3-D ZombieVision" maze is running through October at Universal Studios them parks in Florida and California.
But "the big project on the horizon" for Zombie is his next horror film project, "The Lords of Salem," which he'll write and direct in conjunction with producers of the hit "Paranormal Activity." "They came to me and wanted to work together," Zombie tells Billboard.com. "I didn't even have an idea at the time. They were like, 'If you want to make a movie, if you have an idea we will give you complete control over casting, the script, the final cut of the picture -- everything. You never heard that. Nobody hears that. Everything's a battle, but these guys were like, 'That'll be our deal with you.' And I was like, 'Great!' "
"The Lords of Salem" is drawn from an idea Zombie had some years back about witches executed in the 17th and 18th centuries who return to Salem, Mass., in the present day. "I grew up in Massachusetts," Zombie says, "so the Salem witch trials and all that was always very prevalent. Even when I was a little kid, you take a school field trip and go to Salem to the witch museums and watch re-enactments of the witch trials. I always found it fascinating, so I started writing an idea about...this group of five witches that were killed back then and have come back to modern day Salem to seek revenge."
Zombie is just starting to work on "The Lords of Salem" script and expects to being production in late March or early April. He's also hoping to involve his current band in the film's soundtrack. "I've been thinking about the music in this movie early, early on," he says. "We'll probably do the score this time out -- not rock music, but a score. I know I want music to play a large role."
With more touring ahead -- including a to-be-announced European trek and a run with Iron Maiden on Australia's Soundwave Festival in February and March -- Zombie and company are also starting work on the follow-up to "Hellbilly Deluxe 2," though he says that "we're basically like, 'We need to start planning.' " He does, however, promise that he'll stay on the theatrical tip with his music for the foreseeable future.
"It's been one of those things that we've slowly been building back up to over the years because I'd kind of gotten away from it," Zombie acknowledges. "We just want to keep building shows that are ridiculous. I used to break it all down, go do a movie and then come back to [the music], but now we're gonna try to keep it all kind of going at the same time. You can't tour and make movies at the same time, obviously, but you can do some of the other things at the same time, so we're going to try it."
Reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT will record their October 8, 2010 concert in Cleveland, Ohio for a possible future live release. The show at the Agora will also include performances by KING'S X and Cleveland's own SHOK PARIS.
A poster for the concert was created exclusively for the band by German design artist Claudia von Bihl and can be viewed below.
"If there is any American city being essential in engraving our love for America, it has been Cleveland," says ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. "That is where we had the first impression of being 'KINGS IN AMERICA!' I believe any rock band knows if you make it in Cleveland, you make it anywhere. And so we did. We can't wait to be back!"
"I sure believe that Cleveland will be a historic night," adds ACCEPT manager (and Wolf's wife) Gaby Hoffmann. "Thank you to all of our Cleveland fans who have supported the band over the years. We are looking forward to seeing you again."
The live recording will be done by Cleveland-based Spectrum Sound, with Tony Alberts engineering. Alberts has engineered live recordings from STARZ, ANVIL, TROUBLE, TRIVIUM, RAVEN, PILEDRIVER and JAG PANZER, to name a few.
The show will also be filmed by Metal Fanzine's Ken Kitt.
This will be the band's second official live recording in Cleveland. In 1984 on the "Balls To The Wall" tour, ACCEPT recorded its performance at the Agora Ballroom for the syndicated "King Biscuit Flower Hour" radio program. Over the years the show has become a popular fan favorite. The original broadcast can be heard in its entirety online at Wolfgang's Vault.
ACCEPT, in the midst of its "Blood Of The Nations" world tour, will spend two days in Cleveland. The band will make a visit to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during the afternoon of October 7 for a private tour and then host a retail in-store signing session on October 8 at The Exchange in Parma Heights, Ohio (6271 Pearl Road) from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Nuclear Blast will provide free ACCEPT posters, pizza and soft drinks. No purchase is necessary to attend. Fans are encouraged to bring their ACCEPT collectibles for the band to sign. Cameras and video are permitted as well.
Released in North America on September 14 via Nuclear Blast Records, "Blood Of The Nations" was recorded at Backstage Studio in Derbyshire, England with acclaimed British producer and SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, MASTERPLAN). The CD marks the recording debut of the band's latest addition, vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK).
"Our story is this, a little over 12 months ago none of us could have even been thinking about ACCEPT," says Gaby. "And look where we are now and in record time. We wrote an album, produced it, toured in 17 countries from living room size clubs to playing in front of 80,000 people as special guests for our favorite band AC/DC to headlining the Sonisphere festival. On top of all that, we had the highest chart entry in our entire career — wherever we played live. We call it a miracle!"
ACCEPT 2010 is:
Wolf Hoffmann: Guitar
Peter Baltes: Bass
Herman Frank: Guitar
Mark Tornillo: Vocals
Stefan Schwarzmann: Drums
On the outer banks of the Louisiana bayou, the sludge is brewing and bubbling, shrouded in a dense fog, while the "Eyes of the South" are slowly opening. Every couple of years or so, "The Ghosts Along the Mississippi" re-emerge to satisfy the power of the riff and as the.............
Wait! Enough with the cliches, this is not some one trick pony nostalgia band, it's the mighy stoner/sludge-metal super group known as DOWN, and on October 5th, they will be releasing their first official live CD/DVD entitled Diary of a Mad Band. With live tracks and behind the scenes footage during the band's first European tour in the year six, or "VI", Diary of a Mad Band will bring DOWN off the road and into your home, the safest way possible. Composed of EX-PANTERA members Rex Brown and Phillip Anselmo, CROWBAR, EYEHATEGOD, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's Pepper Keen, DOWN has proven to be more than a side project nearly 15 years after the band's 1995 debut NOLA.
Rex Brown is a freight train on bass that can bust through any wall, never missing a thunderous beat. With his signature style and tone, Rex continues to be one of the most respected and emulated bass players in all of hard rock and metal.
Speaking with us on the eve of the release of Diary of a Mad Band, Rex discusses DOWN, PANTERA, along with his new passion, ARMS OF THE SUN, and the musical legacy that he continues to pass down.
"After we finished the tour, we all said that we needed to go make a record,NOW!"
SONIC EXCESS: Diary of a Mad Band is DOWN'S first official DVD and live CD that is set to be released on October 5th. This isn't a typical live DVD filmed in one location, with an extra song added as bonus material. Can you explain how this is a different kind of DVD, and did LED ZEPPLIN'S The Song Remains the Same inspire Diary of a Mad Band?
Rex Brown: I wouldn't say that. We took a film crew, a director, and also a cameraman, on the road. It has a bunch of really different shots of us. We went to Europe with no product out, and we only promoted by using our name (DOWN) alone.
SE: Was DOWN a bit overwhelmed when going over to Europe, with no promotion, and seeing the fans just go nuts?
Brown: They went crazy! It was also very gratifying. We all have been over to Europe with our different bands, but not as DOWN.
SE: Now what took DOWN so long to go overseas? I know you have had huge touring cycles in the US.
BROWN: We just never ventured out much. We toured America and lost touch for about three years.
SE: Are you just as excited as the fans are to have it finally released?
Brown: I'm excited. Diary of a Mad Band was supposed to be out a year ago. We had legal troubles and hassles, from different parties involved, but finally we got it out! I'm happy to have it released.
SE: What do you wish was included in the DVD that did not make the final cut, or what do you wish was left in the editing room that's included in the film?
BROWN: There is tons of footage! Pepper (guitar) had to edit this thing. He was the one who really put the movie together, because the director went to prison, I believe. He was a crazy bastard. Pepper was in the editing room just putting it all together, and that takes time.
SE: In 2002, DOWN recorded a few shows during the "An Evening with Down" tour. Why wasn't the footage ever released or incorporated into the Diary of a Mad Band package?
BROWN: We just wanted to chronicle the year of "VI"; 2006, we call it the year of "VI". We just wanted to film us in Europe, and that was the whole deal; us getting the band back together, wanting to walk again, and then to start running. We just took off. That was the whole premise of that (Diary of a Mad Band). It was a time capsule in that frame of mind.
SE: DOWN is a very powerful live band. Do you think Diary of a Mad Band captures the raw energy of a DOWN gig?
BROWN: Like I said, it's (Diary of a Mad Band) just the chronological order. From the very first show that we tapped, we put it together; then the next show, and so on. You can just see us (DOWN) getting better and better. After we finished the tour, we all said that we needed to go make a record now.
"Once we all get into the mindset, that is when it's game on. We are getting close, but we are not there yet. We all still have something outside that has to be done."
SE: With a new CROWBAR album on the horizon, have DOWN'S recording plans halted, and will you be laying down the bass tracks or producing the record as you did with Lifeblood?
BROWN: I believe they (CROWBAR) just finished recording, and I wasn't a part of that.
SE: Has all the material for the next DOWN record been written, and has anything been recorded in the studio yet?
BROWN: Well, we have about three to six tracks, but what I think we are going to do is bundle these things together and record them. We will put like four tracks into a bundle, for $6.99 or something like that, and start putting those out and doing it all the time. That would be the ideal function of the band, instead of putting that one major record out that can be a pain staking process.
SE: So, instead of going into a barn like you did with Down II, writing and recording in 28 days, you're really taking your time and skipping a full release?
BROWN: Well, we are still going into the barn to get that heaviness and get it as stripped down as possible. We will have to see when we get there. I really can't speculate now, because I know it's not going to be this year; probably next year before anything comes out. With this band (DOWN) it just takes time. We all have different lives and things going on outside of this band. We just did a three-year touring cycle, so we have to get away from it for just a little bit.
SE: Is DOWN no longer viewed as a side project, and is this where everyone would like to put their energy full time?
BROWN: Once we all get into the mindset, that is when it's game on. We are getting close, but we are not there yet. We all still have something outside that has to be done.
"I don't regret anything. Cowboys From Hell was a groundbreaking record, from a band out of Texas desperately trying to get out there and let our talents be shown."
SE: The Cowboys From Hell 20th anniversary edition was recently released. Does it seem like only yesterday that you were in the studio and now looking back? Are you completely happy with your bass tracks on Cowboys?
BROWN: Ohh absolutely. I wish that you could hear them (bass tracks) a little better. It was just hard, number one, to capture that guitar sound live on tape and, number two, getting into the flesh in the mixing with Vinnie's drums. The bass is in there, but you really can't hear it. Dime and I played a lot of the riffs together, but I don't regret anything. Cowboys From Hell was a groundbreaking record, from a band out of Texas desperately trying to get out there and let our talents be shown.
SE: What's your favorite memory from those sessions, or that era, and did you realize how groundbreaking Cowboys From Hell was at that time?
BROWN: We knew from a band's sense and that the four of us where trying to make a great record. We didn't know what it would do. Looking back now, production wise, it was a heavy record that still has the hooks. We just pushed it to the limit and that was every record PANTERA ever did.
SE: And two years later, you took it to a whole new level (pun intended) with Vulgar Display of Power. Can we expect another re-issue in 2012?
BROWN: Ohh yeah. It's going to be the next three. (Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display of Power, and Far Beyond Driven)
SE: No The Great Southern Trendkill?
BROWN: I'm not sure. If it's in demand, we will do it!
SE: Why was the decision made to jump ship on everything prior to Cowboys From Hell, and any regrets during the glam days?
BROWN: Well, we weren't glam. We looked weird with our hair, but we always wrote heavy music. That was just the style of the day. If you grew up in that time, you either had some kind of weight kicking or you were just some band that would play in a garage. We did not want to play in a garage. We wanted to play in front of people.
SE: Many PANTERA fans have been calling for a sort of reunion. What are your thoughts on that?
BROWN: I just don't see it happening. It would be great in one factor, that we would play with Vinnie (drums) again and that it would be all sorted out. But, I think it would be...I just don't think it would be right without Dime (guitar). It was only the four of us, and I don't know anybody that can play like him.
SE: In other words, PANTERA was four core members and four original members only.
BROWN: That's it. I don't think you could replace one and just get up there and do it.
SE: I want to talk with you about ARMS OF THE SUN. You guys are doing a couple of dates in Texas, and I haven’t seen any dates elsewhere. Will you be planning a full tour?
"I have that same spark that I had on Vulgar Display of Power. That's the way I feel about it now. It's not what's to be expected out of me. It's more song orientated and really good music"
BROWN: YEAHH! I'm shopping it to management as we speak! Everything is done on it (the album). We have twelve tracks recorded, sequenced, mastered, the whole bit, and we put it on our own dime. It's something that is a real passion for me. Usually when I do a record, I just turn everything off and do something else, but I have been coming back to this music. It's heartfelt and really good. We should have that out by the first of the year, and hopefully tour; doing radio events around the country and stuff like that. We would also like to go to England and break this thing wide open.
SE: ARMS OF THE SUN doesn't sound like something you do on the weekends to jam with your buddies.
BROWN: This is a labor of love for me. It's some serious songwriting.
SE: I guess we are just going to have to keep checking out armsofthesun.com for some material then.
BROWN: Yes, and it's real bad ass. Our webpage is getting a makeover, and we are setting up the business.
SE: How would you describe ARMS OF THE SUN's music to someone who has never heard it?
BROWN: THE BEATLES on acid!
SE: What's the reaction been like down in Texas from the people lucky enough to see ARMS OF THE SUN?
BROWN: Amazing! We have people screaming for it. We are probably going to play a couple of more gigs here. We're not trying to make it into a big scene or anything like that, but the live shows have just been wild.
SE: I can't wait to check this out. Sounds like ARMS OF THE SUN has given you quite a new spark and fire. Would you compare it to the early PANTERA days?
BROWN: I have that same spark that I had on Vulgar Display of Power. That's the way I feel about it now. It's not what's to be expected out of me. It's more song orientated and really good music.
SE: What else do you have going on right now?
BROWN: I'm also a father, and I am taking care of my family. It's nice to be home and to be able to do that. I have twins, a boy and a girl that are 10 years old, so they take up a lot of my time with football, cheerleading and the whole bit. These kids are great kids and sharper than I am.
SE: Do they take after their dad musically?
BROWN: My daughter plays guitar and has lessons once a week. I got my son a drum set for Christmas. When he tells me he wants a teacher, I will bring someone in, but, until the day he does that, I'll let him do it on his own. You have to learn for yourself what you're playing and get used to the feel. He knows how to play regular beats, but I'm not going to push it on him.
SE: Is he playing "Becoming" yet?
Brown: (Laughs) No, that's going to be down the road.
SE: Any last words?
BROWN: For the fans, stick around! There is going to be a lot of great music. Keep the faith and smoke whiskey!
Andrew: It's great to have you Michael. How are you doing today?
Michael: Well, I'm a bit mixed up if you actually want to know. A few things even wrong here and one interview got postponed. So I was not sure what's going on with that, but I'm happy at least that we've found each other today, so that's cool. Apart from that I'm fine and having my coffee.
Andrew: Your new album 7 Sinners is going to release in October. How are you feeling at this point?
Michael: It's got a brilliant sound. It's great stuff, really good and it took some effort to make because we've been recording on 432 hz instead of 440.
Andrew: I was just curious to know how you came up with the album title.
Michael: We have one track on the record called 'Where The Sinners Go' which is a Deris track and I wrote one that's called 'The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner'. So we had a talk and said we're not going to change any of the two tracks we've done but with the term 'Sinner' instead may be we would call the full album something along the line of Sinner. Deris agreed to that. The demo tracks that I had on my iphone, I added in itunes the artwork of the seven-point star, which is a heptagon or heptagram, whatever you want to call it. He liked that design too, and said it's looking good. We thought of somehow putting that on the album cover and call it 7 Sinners, like the 7 points of the star.
Andrew: So the album title came after the album cover?
Michael: Yeah I mean, not necessarily. We had it all in one go. Actually, the cover design came mainly because of the artist's rendition and understanding of the seven-point star.
Andrew: Everybody is saying that this is your fastest and heaviest album. Would you agree?
Michael: It's the fastest and heaviest in years. If you want to compare with Walls Of Jerico which was may be the roughest and fastest that we've done in the beginning, this new one sounds much better than Walls Of Jerico which doesn't quite live up to today's standards. Talking of the drum techniques that Dani has used, he's had ultra fast parts on this one that cannot be compared because you need certain technique to achieve those beats otherwise the drummer wouldn't be able to play that. So, as he is capable of those things, he wanted to show them off.
Andrew: You guys played without a click track on this album. How did that go?
Michael: We didn't use a click track. It's usually what one would use in production. There is a beat running. The drummer plays through it and then you add the bass later on, then the guitars and everything. This time around, Dani used quite a good timing, so what we did was we created a basic track using an editor from what he had. Those patterns and signals were actually used to carry on with the guitars and bass. So no click track was used on this record, and it's kind of strange but comes across as more fresh and lively.
Andrew: You'll be going on tour to promote this record. How is the preparation for that going? I think you're starting a tour in November.
Michael: Yeah the tour starts in November. Right now we are in the process of doing interviews and we're going to shoot a video for 'Are You Metal' on Wednesday in Berlin. Afterwards, we're going to be rehearsing at home, each and everyone on their own. Then there'll be rehearsal teams of two and then later on we enter the rehearsal room in order to bring across the whole thing. We will have special guests Stratovarius at least for the European part, and may be we'll hit for the States and Australia with them. We're just hoping and can't tell right now.
Andrew: Yeah, I was going to ask you about the US tour. So you don't know yet as to when you'll be doing one?
Michael: No, I have no idea. We are definitely looking into having a US leg with possibly even more shows than last time, because everything went great last time around. There's no reason to not add some shows because things were going so good last time. We're looking to find some promoters. It'll be natural to have Stratovarius with us because it's a very interesting band and a nice act to tour with. But I don't know about their schedule and what's happening with them. As far as I know, nothing has been said on that regard.
Andrew: For that last US tour that you just mentioned, you toured here with Gamma Ray. What are your memories from that tour?
Michael: We have a guy based in Nashville, but he's a German. He used to work with Accept and knows the place inside out. He's got lots of experience in the States and that guy took care of organizing the tour and everything. It went down extremely well. We had good places, good clubs, many fans, great accommodation and everything. It was contrary to tours that we tried before which were frustrating and didn't work out as well. So due to the circumstances on the last tour, we're looking to do more.
Andrew: I was talking to Kai Hansen earlier this year and he said he'd love to do another tour with Helloween ...
Michael: Which will eventually come up in the future. Right now, there is nothing exactly in that regard, but like what he said we had a great time with the Gamma Ray guys. It was a special occasion but on the other hand we found out that every member of the respective band knows each other much more than we would have anticipated before. It was just like we were out on a family reunion tour. Everything went fine and smooth.
Andrew: Last year you also put out the Unarmed album to celebrate the 25th anniversary. How was the experience of doing that acoustic segment?
Michael: We were very proud to be able to do something like that. We had the Prague Symphony Orchestra and then we had some other special renditions. Actually, there is a section of fans don't cherish it that much and didn't like it as much as I hoped for, but then on the other hand we had the occasion to do it so we had to. It was an option we wanted to try. You've got to bear in mind that some of us were born in '62. I am a kid of the 60s and 70s. But you've got to respect the fact that there are fans out there that don't like it, but mainly it's the 25th anniversary album and as for the classic orchestra, we think it's great and a few other people think it's great.
Andrew: You said you grew up in the sixties. Which guitarists at the time inspired you the most?
Michael: First of all it was The Beatles and Eric Clapton, and obviously Jimi Hendrix. Other guys that came up later like Eddie Van Halen, Ted Nugent and the likes. As for shredding which came even later, it would be Al Di Meola and Yngwie Malmsteen. When I saw Jimi Hendrix in black and white on TV for the first time. I had never seen anything like it. That was in 1970 and I was eight years old.
Andrew: You put out your last DVD in 2007. Did you record any of the shows on the previous tour with Gamma Ray for a future DVD or something like that?
Michael: No, not really. I'm not sure about a future DVD because with Blu-Ray it's a big difference. I've already asked if there was some way of transferring the original material to Blu-Ray but I guess that would be hard. What we have is full resolution DVD material but none more than the high res HD shots recorded in Japan. There is no plan to transfer what we have on the three continents DVD on to Blu-Ray, so we would have to shoot more. We're going to try on this tour but I think the next natural step would be to try on the tour after this.
Andrew: Michael, thanks a lot for your time and we hope to see you soon!
Michael: Well, thank you and I would like to wish all the readers a very nice day and sorry for my ranting (laughs).
Jimmy Crespo, who is best known for replacing guitarist Joe Perry in Aerosmith from 1979 to 1984, is back in the spotlight with a brand new band called the Jimmy Crespo Project. In addition to Crespo, this band includes an all-star line up which consists of Phil Varone (Skid Row, Saigon Kick) - drums, Kyle Kyle (Bang Tango)- bass, Chris Van Dahl (LA Guns, Aeromyth) and Mike Ellis (Sin City Sinners) - guitar. The Jimmy Crespo Project will be performing their first show on Oct 8 at the Sunset Station staple at Club Madrid in Las Vegas.
Here at RockMusicStar we caught up with Jimmy Crespo to discuss his upcoming band, his time in Aerosmith and much more. Here's what Jimmy had to say.
RockMusicStar: You recently announced that you formed a new band, The Jimmy Crespo Project. What led to you putting this band together?
Jimmy Crespo: Well, I few months ago, I was inching to get back on the road and do something for real. And the question was what can we do that's for real. I've been involved in all kind of projects over the years. But, it came to mind, from my manager Jason Green and a few others, that the Aerosmith's "Rock in a Hard Place" record would be having its 30th anniversary in two years. I didn't even think of that, and a lot of people really enjoyed that record. So I thought, why don't I get a really smoking band together and go out and play some of the songs from that record, because Aerosmith never covers it, they just won't do it. And in addition to that, perform some classic Aerosmith songs as well as some covers and do them our way.
So, I started putting the band together and I got Phil Varone of Skid Row, Saigon Kick on drums and Kyle Kyle of Bang Tango on bass. I also got Chris Van Dahl, who is a superb singer and he's been doing the Aeromyth thing, which is an Aerosmith tribute band. Months ago we hooked up and talked about maybe doing something, but I didn't know if he wanted to step out of the Aerosmith tribute band. But, then he moved out to Las Vegas where I live, so it all of a sudden all came together. I then got Mike Ellis from the Sin City Sinners on guitar; they are a very popular band here in Las Vegas.
When we all got together for the first time, we put together a rough set list and said let's try it and see what happens. And it clicked, it really worked. So we have been rehearsing for our first gig which is Oct 8th.
RMS: Are there any plans to do more gigs anytime soon?
JC: Oh yeah, we have an agent working on getting us shows. The goal is to get us around the country and maybe even around the world.
RMS: That's an awesome idea. Many Aerosmith fans really like the "Rock in a Hard Place" record. It will be cool to hear those songs live. Do you plan on performing the entire record?
JC: At this moment, it looks like we are going to do half of it for our Oct 8th date. But, for future dates we will be playing for 1½ hours, so we will be doing almost all of it. Probably everything with the excepton of "Push Comes to Shove." But, Chris can sing any of that stuff. He does a great job and is an amazing frontman. I'm tickled pink about it.
RMS: Yeah, I think Chris Van Dahl is the perfect lead singer for this band.
JC: I totally agree.
RMS: What was it like for you to revisit the "Rock in the Hard Place" record after all these years?
JC: I worked very hard on that CD. I fought tooth and nail to get those songs out of Steven Tyler.
RMS: From what I read about that time period of the Aerosmith, it seems like you were the only one in the band that was level headed at that time.
JC: It seemed that way. (Laughs) It was tough times. It was difficult, but we got through it. For years, I didn't even listen to that record because it brought back too many bad memories. Everything ended on a sour note. But a lot of healing goes on as years go by. And the fans have surprised me, coming out of the woodwork and telling me how much they love that record. Especially, the fans that picked up on Aerosmith in the early 80's, they were really affected by it. So after hearing this praise for all these years, I felt that I should go back on listen to the record again. And I rediscovered that there was some really good stuff on there. But those were some intense times when making that record.
RMS: I read that it cost over 1.5 million dollars to make the "Rock in the Hard Place" record and that was back in 1981-82. That's really a lot of money.
JC: Well, it took two years to make that record. Steven Tyler was having issues, problems during that period. He was in and out of drug mayhem. He was getting in accidents. Who knows if that was just his way of getting out of doing things or whatever it was. But we couldn't get him locked down and he wouldn't let anyone in the band write any lyrics. It had to be all him during that time. Of course, later on he started accepting other people's songs. But when I was there, he was the "guy" in charge to decide what Aerosmith would sound like. And everything revolved on "when can Steven do it." "Can he do it today? No, he's in the hospital." I mean it was all this. It was drama. So CBS Records kept picking up the tab. And then they would send us out on tour to help cover the expenses. But just here and there, but not a real tour that would bring in money. So that's how we broke the bank.
RMS: How did the other band members deal with this at the time. Were they fed up with Steven?
JC: They were hanging in there tough. They believed in Steven and in Aerosmith. They were very supportive. Especially, during the first part when we were writing a lot of the music at their studio, the Wherehouse. That was their rehearsal place in Waltham, MA. So we would get there early and just write for weeks. This was without Steven. We would write and record and bring the tapes to Steven, where ever he was to see if they were potentials. That's how we did all the tracks. Then after that period, that's when it all fell apart. But the guys, Tom and Joey were just hanging tough. Brad Whitford left right after we recorded "Lightning Strikes."
RMS: Yeah, that's the only track on the record that he is credited for playing on.
JC: Yeah, he played rhythm guitar on that.
RMS: Did he leave out of frustration or because of his new band that he had with Derek St. Holmes?
JC: I really can't answer that truthfully. I can only surmise that it was a little of both. I think that he was frustrated and he was into his other project and thought that he might do better in that.
RMS: Was there any material from the "Rock in the Hard Place" sessions that wasn't used. Or did you pretty much exhaust everything for the record.
JC: There were a lot of ideas. But, there were maybe only a handful of extra tracks recorded that didn't make it. I've heard of one of them floating around on a bootleg. Also, one of them "Riff n' Roll' ended up on the "Pandora's Box" box set. I think that there were two or three others and I don't know where they ended up.
During Steven's downtime, I think he was in the hospital recovering from something, maybe a motorcycle accident. I put together a band called Renegade with Tom and Joey. We were going to make a record, but that got canned right away because Steven came back to life, miraculously.
RMS: Wow, how much of that record was actually recorded before it was canned?
JC: About four or five tunes. It's floating around. I know who has the tapes. So there's a possibility of something going on with that, if I get all the legal issues out of the way. But with everything going on, it is a possibility.
RMS: It would be interesting to hear that.
JC: Yeah, we will see. Especially, with the Jimmy Crespo Project going it would be a good time for it. I'm also not too sure how long we are going to keep the band name the Jimmy Crespo Project, but we're going to use it for now.
RMS: Really, I love the name.
JC: Well, it's too much like the Joe Perry Project , but I thought that it was kind of funny. You know we are always at odds. But we're not.
RMS: From what I've read, I think that Joe Perry has a lot respect for you as a guitarist.
JC: My last couple of months with them, I sat down with Joe and put down all of the nonsense and we just had a good kick, a conversation, and we just hit it off. Every time we would meet before that there was all this nonsense that wasn't even true. We were never at odds, never. At the time, it was the hard core fans that couldn't stand that Joe wasn't in the band. And that someone replaced their guy. I totally get it.
RMS: How were you informed when they decide to get Joe Perry back in the band?
JC: Well, let me take it back a year prior to that moment. The last year that I was with them, I was giving the option of staying or leaving because there was no more money , no more touring , CBS wouldn't shell out a dime for the new record because Steven at the time was so non productive. And because "Rock in a Hard Place" didn't sell the millions of records that they were use to Aerosmith selling. After the 1.5 million they spent and didn't recoup, they just put a stop to all money. So there was no money coming in, no touring. So, I had a choice to stay and help get Steven to start writing again or whatever. I stayed for that period, but it became a moot point. He would just not do it. We would make attempts at getting him in the studio and listening to the stuff that I had written and that others had written, but he just wouldn't do it. After nine months of that nonsense, Steven and Joe started talking about getting the original band
back together and get some interest back from CBS to support that. I was informed by their manager David Krebs that they were going to go with the original line-up. And I said that I think that that's a great idea. I was totally burnt at the time. I know that there was no way that I could make Aerosmith happen. It wasn't in my power. It would have to be some other miraculous person or the original band. It made sense to me. Even though it really sucked for me, because I felt like I failed and I really don't like that. But, it was the right thing to do.
RMS: But you did make you mark in one of the greatest bands in rock. That has to feel good.
JC: Yeah, in retrospect it does. I keep thinking if this came up again, would I still do it knowing what I know now… and hell yeah I would. There's no way you can turn down a gig from the biggest band. I would hate to be thinking when I'm 65 of what would have happened if… So, I just took the question out of equation. I just did it and I know that I would at least make one record with them if not anything else. That was my goal going into it.
RMS: How difficult was it after Aerosmith to find your footing. Did you go through depression or anything like that?
JC: It wasn't really depression it was more like… I went from being in huge band like Aerosmith to being tossed into a world of 80's rock. You know the big hair and striped pants, and all the glamour, which I'm not and Aerosmith wasn't. Aerosmith may have influenced those bands, but they were not one of them. So I was thrown into that world, which I really didn't fit in. The transition was difficult and a bit strange for me.
I got involved with Adam Bomb for a while and that was fun. But it was all his music, so it was kind of cool because I could just go in there and play. But that fell apart after a while and then I did something with Billy Squire, I did the "Here and Now" record and tour. That was for about a year. And then I didn't do a whole lot. I moved to L.A. and did a lot of recordings, but nothing really specific until 1995 when I did a two year tour with Rod Stewart. But, it was just recently that I've gone back to writing and recording .
RMS: Where you surprised that down the road, years after you left the band that Steven Tyler was finally able to get his act together and sober up.
JC: Yeah, totally happy. I had some extortionary moments with him when he was sober. He's a cool guy. He's so talented, it's ridiculous. I learned so much just being around him. He was a cool down to earth guy when he was one on one. I spent many hours with him. When he wasn't messed up or high he was an amazing person, extraordinary. But then you add the color of drugs and that turned the ship really quickly. But he was great and I really liked him a lot.
RMS: My last question for you Jimmy is, how do you think Steven Tyler will do as a judge on American Idol?
JC: I think that he'll do great. He loves that shit. I know that a lot of people are saying that he went corporate, but he already when corporate years ago. Listen to the last few albums. They're corporate, but there still good. But, I think that Idol is a good thing for him. He can kick back and do the talking and it will be fun for him. I think that people will get a kick out of him. It will be entertaining. He will always find a way to get his message across.
for more on the Jimmy Crespo Project check out www.JimmyCrespo.com
According to The Pulse of Radio, MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil opens up in a new interview with Popeater about some of the more controversial passages in his newly released memoir, "Tattoos & Tequila". Among Neil's targets in the book are the other members of the CRÜE themselves, with Neil writing that he dreads when one of them calls because there's always an "ulterior motive." Asked about this, Neil explains, "For a while there was always an ulterior motive for everything that was done and I still think that way. When decisions are made about something I always try to figure out the angle. I don't completely trust them but I don't think they completely trust me either . . . That's with all MÖTLEY business, not just the band."
But Neil adds about his bandmates, "It's not that I don't like them — we love each other . . . Everybody has their quirks and some are more irritating than others."
As for managers, Neil is briefer, saying, "They're all scum."
Neil also calls troubled actor Mel Gibson a "great guy" and admits he was surprised to hear the recent tapes of Gibson making racist and threatening remarks to his girlfriend, saying, "He's a friend and I've never seen that part of him. When we used to hang out we would drink and smoke cigars."
According to The Pulse of Radio, CHICKENFOOT may lose drummer Chad Smith to his full-time job with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, but guitarist Joe Satriani says he has a few replacements in mind already. Satriani told MusicRadar.com. "Were Chad not able to be in the band because of the CHILI PEPPERS, I think it would be fun to get somebody really outrageous like Tommy Lee. He's a great drummer, a lot of fun and a crazy personality. We've had some guys sit in from time to time. Some names that have been thrown around are (Paul McCartney drummer) Abe Laboriel Jr. and (LED ZEPPELIN drummer) Jason Bonham — they'd be really great."
CHICKENFOOT frontman Sammy Hagar told The Pulse of Radio that he and Smith have a chemistry that's hard to duplicate. "Him and I, the way we bounce off each other, we make the whole world go round," he said. "And it's not on a creative level, it's just really on a personality level and the way it creates an energy within the band and it makes like a carnival ride. And without Chad I'm not sure we have that."
Satriani added at Music Radar that he thinks Smith will be available in January to record the second CHICKENFOOT album, but might not be able to tour with the band after that.
CHICKENFOOT's self-titled debut disc came out in June 2009 and was certified gold for sales of more than 500,000 copies.
Smith and the CHILI PEPPERS have not released an album since 2006's "Stadium Arcadium". The band parted ways with guitarist John Frusciante last year, replacing him with Josh Klinghoffer, and are reportedly working on their 10th studio effort now.
Mansons Guitar Shop has announced the legendary bass player John Paul Jones (LED ZEPPELIN, THEM CROOKED VULTURES) will appear at this year's Mansons Guitar Show taking place Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24 at Riverside Leisure Centre, Exeter Devon, United Kingdom.
The 2010 Mansons Guitar Show is set to be both the biggest and best show yet with a record number of exhibitors confirmed including virtually every great guitar company on the planet. Manufacturers will be bringing their best model examples to exhibit at the prestigious weekend with several U.K.-exclusive launches confirmed. A great mixture of the small independent guitar companies are rubbing shoulders with large corporates, and the presence of guitar legends such as John Paul Jones from LED ZEPPELIN means Mansons Guitar Show is undoubtedly the U.K.'s premier guitar lovers' event.
Mansons Guitar Show is set to be one of the most unique in terms of prize-winning opportunities and has grown even greater this year. For 2010 Ampeg are giving away a bass rig signed by its roster of bass artists that includes members of THE ROLLING STONES, PETER GABRIEL, BLACK SABBATH, KING'S X, ALICE IN CHAINS, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, and many others. Marshall will be offering a signed amplifier by one of their legendary artists and Avid Distribution are giving away one of their Eleven Rack systems worth nearly £800. Acoustic players are equally well looked after with Faith and Freshman Guitars offering mouth-watering prizes. You can win these prizes through the charity raffle at the show, charity auction or through an exclusive Express And Echo giveaway.
Mansons clinic, demonstration and performance room will be running flat out throughout the weekend. Martin Barre (JETHRO TULL), Walter Trout (blues legend), Jerry Donahue (THE HELLECASTERS), Jan Akkerman (FOCUS), Alex Hutchings, Jas Morris ("Guitarist Of The Year" winner), Stuart Clayton (CARL PALMER BAND), Chris George (Marshall official demonstrator), and flying in exclusively for the Mansons Show, U.S. bass artist Michael Manring (Zon Guitars), will all be appearing at the show.
Louisiana rockers LILLIAN AXE are seeking a new singer following the recent departure of Ronny Munroe (ex-METAL CHURCH). All submissions MUST include the following to be considered:
01. Three-song demo CD
02. DVD containing your recent live performance
03. Two photos (color and black-and-white)
04. Your bio containing your musical resume.
All submissions should be sent to:
Love & War Records
PO Box 130
Hicksville, New York 11802-0130
Attn: A&R
Please keep the packages at the following size (10"l x 2"w x 10"h). All submissions become the property of Love & War Records and will not be returned to the sender.
Commented the band: ""As you may have heard by now, or if you haven't, Ronny Munroe will not be the lead singer of LILLIAN AXE due to prior commitments beyond anyone's control. We wish him the best in his future endeavors. We remain on great terms and the band is already in auditions with several new singers. Steve [Blaze, guitar] has already written several new songs for the new album that we will record in 2011.
"Unfortunately this means that we will have to postpone our tour to support [the latest LILLIAN AXE album] 'Deep Red Shadows'. We were planning on touring at the end of October - November in the USA and in Europe in January.
"As soon as the new singer is chosen, the band plans to record a new song for immediate download to introduce him. Then LILLIAN will do a string of warm-up dates while working on the next album slated to be released in May/June of 2011.
"In March 2011, the new Cuba Gooding Jr. movie 'Hit List' will be released and it features '47 Ways To Die' from 'Deep Red Shadows' as the main opening song in the movie during the opening credits and start of the movie."
LILLIAN AXE's tenth album, "Deep Red Shadows", was released on July 20 via Love & War Records. The CD, which featured Munroe's predecessor Derrick LeFevre on vocals, was recorded at Sound Landing Studios in Covington, Louisiana and was produced by guitarist Steve Blaze, mixed by Rob Hovey and mastered by Ty Tabor of KING'S X. The song "47 Ways To Die" was mixed by Sylvia Massy, who is best known for her work with TOOL, GREEN JELLY, POWERMAN 5000 and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. Tabor is the special guest on the song "The Quenching Of Human Life", adding an "amazing" guitar solo to the track.
Ash Sivils, who created the artwork for LILLIAN AXE's last CD, 2009's "Sad Day On Planet Earth", was responsible for designing the new album cover.
The Toronto Zombie Walk will host its eighth annual zombie walk on Saturday, October 23. The walking dead will begin their 5 kill-o-meter lurch across Toronto from Trinity Bellwoods Park to Christie Pits Park at 3 p.m. Pre-festivities start at 12 p.m. and include Henry's Photo Booth to preserve all your undead memories, Creeped Out's annual Blood Booth, prize give-aways to die for and a dubbing of the 2010 Toronto Zombie Walk grand marshal, Oderus Urungus, at 3 p.m.
Oderus Urungus, chief scumdog of marauding mutant metal impresarios GWAR, will be dropping by Trinity Bellwoods Park to be given the newly minted title of Honorary Grand Marshal. Oderus will start the zombie walk by making an opening announcement to the ravenous undead hordes before sending them forth with the new tradition of The Throwing of the Severed Head.
Registration for the Toronto Zombie Walk is free and open to all. Participants can register for the walk in advance on the Toronto Zombie Walk web site or in person at Eyesore Cinema or Starstruck Entertainment or they can register on the day of the event at the walk.
After the walk, the Toronto Zombie Walk will host a film showing of "Return Of The Living Dead" (1984) at The Bloor Cinema at 7 p.m. Prices for the movie are $10 for the living and $8 dollars for registered (toe-tagged) undead. The night will be concluded with a special after party at the Bovine Sex Club.
The first documented zombie walk was held in Toronto in October of 2003 with seven zombies. The 2009 Toronto Zombie Walk drew an estimated 5,000 participants. The non-participating public also gets involved in the event, by coming out to watch, photograph, and videotape the participants from start to finish. The Walk was recently listed in June 2010 issue of Toronto Life magazine as one of the 50 reasons to love Toronto.
"Static Impulse", the new solo album from DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie, sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 14 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.
"Static Impulse" was released on September 28 (one day earlier internationally) via InsideOut Music. The CD marks LaBrie's first solo effort in over five years and is sure to please his legion of diehard fans, as well as win over many new devotees in the process.
"Static Impulse" track listing:
01. One More Time (4:16)
02. Jekyll Or Hyde (3:46)
03. Mislead (4:18)
04. Euphoric (5:09)
05. Over The Edge (4:20)
06. I Need You (4:11)
07. Who You Think I Am (3:57)
08. I Tried (3:58)
09. Just Watch Me (4:18)
10. This Is War (4:30)
11. Superstar (3:32)
12. Coming Home (4:29)
13. Jekyll Or Hyde (demo) (3:48) *
14. Coming Home (alternate mix) (4:23) *
* Limited-edition digipak bonus tracks
Former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy has accused the group's lead singer, James LaBrie, of being "insensitive" and "disrespectful" for proclaiming in a recent interview that the remaining members of DREAM THEATER were "not sad at all" about Mike's departure from the group.
During an appearance on the September 28, 2010 edition of the "Used Bin Radio" show, LaBrie was asked if he was "sad" over Portnoy's decision to leave DREAM THEATER, the band Mike formed and led for 25 years. "You know what?! I'm not sad at all," LaBrie replied. "I've gotta be honest with you. I think that everyone out there needs to know that there's four guys in the band that are... We're excited, we're really looking forward to the next chapter. And I think one of the other things that everyone really has to remember is that there's four more-than-capable guys there. We're all extremely... I know everyone is out there going, 'Holy shit! Is this guy full of himself or what?' But I wanna say it like it is. There's four very capable people in the band, and we're all talented and we all know what we're doing, and we're all capable of doing everything and keeping DREAM THEATER exactly what it's been and bringing it to another level and bringing it to
uncharted waters, but I think very exciting and fulfilling waters. So, no, we're not down. I can guarantee you none of us are down. We're actially pretty excited... and very positive."
Earlier today, a registered user of Portnoy's official forum asked the site's moderators if threads about LaBrie's upcoming solo tour were being deleted from the MikePortnoy.com site. Portnoy himself then chose to respond, writing, "I'm afraid your eyes are not playing tricks on you."
He continued, "I was willing to ignore that the [DREAM THEATER] guys insisted all [Mike Portnoy]-related stuff be removed from DreamTheater.net [DREAM THEATER's official web site].... but then on Monday reading the Blabbermouth headlines with James [LaBrie] insensitively proclaming they are 'not sad at all' about my departure from DREAM THEATER, I cannot in 'happy' standing promote his solo tour....
"I am so sad it comes to this, but I am even more shocked and hurt by James' completely disrespectful quote."
[Note: The thread containing Mike's comments has since been deleted from Portnoy's forum.]
A short time after Mike's quote appeared on the MikePortnoy.com site, LaBrie released the following statement in an attempt to clarify the comments that were attributed to the singer in the "Used Bin Radio" interview:
"It seems there is a misunderstanding.
"When I said I was not sad with Mike's departure, it, unfortunately, leaves plenty of room to misconstrue such words.
"No one can tell you or me how to think and feel.
"Initially with Mike's departure I was extremely upset, down and shocked. But one needs to deal and work through these emotions in order to arrive at a more positive and optimistic place. That is where I am now and was when the interview took place.
"Let me put it more plain and simple. Life does not afford us the luxury to wallow in our sorrow. You have to deal with the situation at hand and make it a productive and positive endeavor. In other words, onward and upward.
"Mike made it perfectly clear why he chose the current path. I would much rather his words be the definitive answer.
"In the end, does it really matter what our views are? Other than human curiosity, it doesn't change a thing.
"I have said my piece and believe there is no room for misinterpretation.
"I will give no further weight to this subject; all has been said."
Mixed and mastered by Jens Borgen (OPETH, KATATONIA), "Static Impulse" features LaBrie's longtime songwriting partner and keyboardist Matt Guillory; Peter Wildoer from Swedish thrashers DARKANE on drums and screaming vocals; Marco Sfogli on guitar; and Ray Riendeau (HALFORD) on bass.
"Musically speaking, 'One More Time' is sort of a marriage of old-school progressive elements and modern melodic death metal," Guillory told Noisecreep. "We wanted to have a drastic contrast between what's going on in the verses and what's going on in the choruses. There's almost a pop feel near the end where both James' vocals and my vocals start layering in different ways. Lyrically, the song is about dealing with the loss of a loved one."
Jeffrey Easton of Metal Exiles recently conducted an interview with guitarist Thomas Youngblood of American/Norwegian power metallers KAMELOT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Metal Exiles: I have to start out by saying that this ["Poetry For The Poisoned"] is the best work KAMELOT has put out to date. The work ethic is amazing.
Thomas: You know, In a time when bands are selling fewer records we continue to grow in terms of fans and record sales. It's a testament to our fans and working very hard, growing with album and hopefully doing things right.
Metal Exiles: Speaking of selling records, you are no longer on SPV, correct?
Thomas: That is true. In Europe we are on earMUSIC, a division of Edel, which is a major label in Europe. In North America we started our own label called Kamelot Media Group and we are distributed by E1. It is really exciting for us to have our own record label and it may be a sign of the times for other bands in the future.
Metal Exiles: How easy, or hard, is it to do your own thing in America and still have good record sales?
Thomas: First of all, you have to have people working for and with you that believe in the band. We have amazing people working with us that know what they are doing and we got the numbers for the first week of sales of "Poetry For The Poisoned" and we almost doubled what we did for our last record on SPV. It is a cool thing to do our own label and decide where the money goes. We know our fans better than anybody sitting in a record company office, we know the right ways to market the band.
Metal Exiles: As far as the direction, this is possibly KAMELOT's most diverse album. It seems to me with "The Black Halo" KAMELOT started turing away from traditional power metal and with this album it seems to be a darker affair. Did this come out in the writing or was it intentional.
Thomas: Each record has its own thing and we do not set any goals or directions, it just evolves with the songwriting. I will agree with you — it is possibly the most diverse album since "Karma"; it has every element that makes KAMELOT who we are. For some of the newer fans it may take longer to get into this album but for the older fans they love it.
Metal Exiles: For awhile I gave up on power metal because I knew what was coming. The formula was the same, the guitar gallops, the chorus, all of it.
Thomas: You become stuck because people get afraid to try something different. "It has worked so far, so let's stick with the formula." What happens is what you said — fans can start guessing what the next part is going to be and you do not want to get stuck in that camp either. For us, I think we are at a point in our career that we can experiment and try new things. We want to make sure the album has the KAMELOT signature but at the same time challenge ourselves and our fans for different sounds. You really do it hear it though with the emo mallcore bands that have the clean and rough vocals. Normally I do not like talking shit about bands because everybody works hard to get where they are at, but you have to change it up and challenge yourself and the listeners to something different.
Metal Exiles: You guys had to cancel your [North American] tour which I was very much looking forward to. I think Michael Eriksen [the vocalist from the Norwegian metal band CIRCUS MAXIMUS who was supposed to fill in for Roy Khan during the tour] is a great singer but I understand why you pulled the plug. Do you have current tour plans or is everything on hold for awhile?
Thomas: I am waiting to hear back from Roy as he is going to the doctor again this week and see how it goes from there. We have tour dates set up for March in Europe, South America in April and then we come back to the U.S. again to make up those dates. The whole band was bummed out about not doing the U.S. If it is indefinite, we will just have to bring in someone to fill in the dates and see what happens after that.
North America's progressive metal masters SYMPHONY X are currently recording their Nuclear Blast debut and follow-up to 2007's "Paradise Lost", which has sold over 60,000 copies in North America. Lead vocalist Russell Allen has finished laying down his vocal tracks and the band is moving on to record keyboards, bass, and guitar solos.
Comments Allen: "I just want to say how excited I am about the new album. It's gonna kill! The songs rock and the performances by my fellow bandmates are simply amazing." Guitarist Michael Romeo adds: "We love the fans, and we know we haven't been as on top of things with the updates this year as we should have, but when it's down to the wire and we're going 24/7 trying to wrap things up, then that's what we're focused on.
"We really think the fans will like this album; it has been, by far, more work (and harder work) than any other album, period."
Allen and SYMPHONY X drummer Jason Rullo both recently became fathers for the second time. Jason is now the proud father of a beautiful baby girl and Russell and his wife now have a beautiful baby boy.
In other band news, the SYMPHONY X fan club has been shut down and is currently being revamped. "We anticipate that it will be ready for new members around the same time as the new CD is released, if not a bit sooner," says the band's webmaster. "Existing/previous members should have either already received info on the change to a permanent membership setup and an invite to the new fan club mailing list or will be receiving it soon. If you are an existing/previous SYMPHONY X fan club member and have not received this notification, please contact Jax (jax@symphonyx.com) for more information."
Fans are encouraged to submit questions for the soon-to-be-updated FAQ section of SYMPHONY X's web site. Send questions in to symxfaq@gmail.com with "FAQ" in the subject line.
Formed in 1994 in New Jersey, SYMPHONY X has seven studio albums and one live album to its credit.
SYMPHONY X has scheduled the following dates for 2011:
Apr. 22 - Best Buy Theater (formerly Nokia Theater) - New York, NY
Apr. 25 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC, Canada
May 10 - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles, CA
Vocalist Steve Lee of Swiss hard rock veterans GOTTHARD was killed when a tractor-trailer skidded into his parked motorcycle on a rainy Nevada highway northeast of Las Vegas. He was 47 years old.
According to Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Joe Fackrell, Lee was in a group of motorcyclists — which also included Lee's girlfriend, Brigitte Voss-Balzarini, and GOTTHARD bassist Marc Lynn — that stopped on the side of northbound Interstate 15, about 50 miles north of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to put on rain clothing at about 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday (October 5).
The semitrailer swerved and the trailer slammed into a parked Harley-Davidson motorcycle that hit Lee.
Lee, who had a British father and Swiss mother, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Lee had reportedly arrived in the States over the weekend and had begun a biking tour of the country with a group of friends.
Bassist Chris von Rohr of fellow Swiss hard rock veterans KROKUS told Switzerland's daily newspaper Blick, "I am speechless; I don't know even know what to say. I express my deepest condolences to his parents."
An official statement on the matter from the band's management and record company is expected later today.
It was only two months ago that Lee was involved in "a horrible car crash" in Italy while he was "on [his] way home from a little vacation." He subsequently released a statement through GOTTHARD's record label in which he said of the August 7 incident, "A car crashed into us on the motorway near Firenze, and it involved six other cars. As cars were slowing down, the person in the car behind us didn't notice that, and crashed into our car. Despite the accident, I want you all to know that I am OK. I guess I must have a 'rock-loving' guardian angel."
Formed in 1990, GOTTHARD's last 11 albums all charted at No. 1 in Switzerland. The band's latest CD, "Need To Believe", was certified platinum in the group's home country for sales in excess of 30,000 copies.
GOTTHARD was presented with the platinum-award plaques on January 9, 2010 at the "Swiss Awards 2009", which also included the TV premiere of the band's radio single, "Don't Let Me Down".
GOTTHARD's "Unconditional Faith" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Zagreb, Croatia in the summer of 2009 and it features performance footage filmed inside the boxing ring that was used in a movie in which boxing champion Henry Maske plays the title role of Max Schmeling.
"Need To Believe" was released on September 4, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records.
GOTTHARD has opened for such renowned artists as AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE, BRYAN ADAMS and BON JOVI throughout Europe. The band has also had the honor of performing at the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, is two-time winner of its native country's Prix Walo Award, recipient of Monaco's International Music Award, and has had its music featured on the soundtrack to the European television series "Frankie".
GOTTHARD's record label, Nuclear Blast Records, has released the following statement regarding the passing of the band's singer, Steve Lee:
"The world has lost one of its greatest rock singers: GOTTHARD frontman Steve Lee was killed accidentally during a motorcycle trip in the USA on Interstate 15 between Mesquite and Las Vegas and died at the scene.
"The GOTTHARD singer had flown to the U.S. with some biker friends just this weekend to fulfil a long-cherished dream for which he'd never had the time due to his heavy touring schedule for many years. It was to be two weeks through the States on a Harley-Davidson.
"The 21 Swiss bikers started their journey on Sunday on a total of 12 motorcycles. On Tuesday, October 5, about 50 miles from Las Vegas, the group had stopped at the roadside to put on their rain gear as it had started to rain. On the slippery road, the trailer of a passing truck began to skid. The driver attempted evasive action but his trailer clipped five of the motorcycles parked at the roadside; one of them hit Steve Lee. Rescue services attempted resuscitation but efforts were stopped after 20 minutes. At 16:13 local time, Steve Lee was pronounced dead.
"Among the passengers were GOTTHARD bassist Marc Lynn and Lee's girlfriend Brigitte Voss Balzarini.
"All other fellow riders were unharmed.
"Steve Lee was 48 years old.
"With Steve Lee, we not only lose one of the world's best rock voices but also an extraordinary personality.
"Despite his enormous success, the Ticino singer had retained a very subtle eye for detail and often impressed the people around him with his sensitive observation. Due to his personality, he had a serious outlook, without losing his sense of humour and lust for life.
"Steve Lee met his environment with respect but always had, in his gentle way, a very simple, personal touch. He understood like no one else how to enjoy without going too far — to him, alcohol and parties were things he met with level-headedness.
"The singer sold several million albums throughout his career with GOTTHARD, several of them reaching platinum, double or triple platinum status. And yet all this bears no relation to the human greatness of Steve Lee on a daily basis."
os Angeles metal quintet HOLY GRAIL will host a release/listening party for its debut full-length, "Crisis In Utopia", on Friday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Vacation Vinyl in the Silverlake neighborhood of the band's hometown. The album — which streets the following Tuesday, October 26 — will be played in its entirety before members of the group take to the turntables and spin some of their favorites. Heavy metal burger truck Grill 'Em All, winners of the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race", will be on site serving their gourmet grub and there will be Colt 45 available for attendees over 21. The event is free and is all ages. Copies of "Crisis In Utopia" will be available during the party.
Vacation Vinyl is located at 3815 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
HOLY GRAIL recorded "Crisis In Utopia" with ex-NINE INCH NAILS member Danny Lohner; the album was mixed by Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) and mastered by PIG DESTROYER's Scott Hull.
HOLY GRAIL will hit the road this fall supporting BLIND GUARDIAN. The band previously toured with AMON AMARTH, EXODUS, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, and more.
New Jersey-based metallers MUTINY WITHIN have pulled out their previously announced North American tour with Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA.
Commented MUTINY WITHIN in a statement: "After weeks of discussions, we've decided to cancel our current touring plans in order to focus all of our efforts to writing the second MUTINY WITHIN album.
"Touring with EPICA would have been amazing and we were really looking forward to it.
"This wasn't easy for us and we apologize to everyone who was looking forward to seeing us again.
"After a year of touring, we feel it's time to get all of this new material demoed and recorded. We've started writing and we don't want to stop.
"We hope you all understand and support us, because we are excited to bring you brand new music.
"As far as touring goes, we are exploring opportunities for early 2011, and not just in America. We do have a few temporary drummer replacements lined up for any possible upcoming dates/tours, but we are still holding auditions for a permanent member. Send an e-mail to MWdrumauditions@gmail.com if you or anyone you know is interested.
"Wait until you guys hear the new songs!"
MUTINY WITHIN recently canceled its participation in the NEVERMORE U.S. tour after parting ways with its drummer, Bill Fore.
The self-titled debut album from MUTINY WITHIN sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 41 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.
"Mutiny Within" was released on February 23 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at Bieler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida with producer Jason Bieler (SIKTH, SKINDRED, DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, NONPOINT) and was mixed by Jeff Rose and Martin "Ginge" Ford of Nott-In-Pill studios in Newport, Wales, United Kingdom.
The initial sessions for the CD took place at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof, who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS, GOD FORBID, TRIVIUM and DEVILDRIVER, among many others.
"Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children", the new album from the Cleveland, Ohio art-metal collective MUSHROOMHEAD, sold over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 44 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Savior Sorrow", opened with 17,000 units back in September 2006 to land at No. 50.
"Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children" track listing:
01. Come On
02. Inspiration
03. Slaughterhouse Road
04. I'll Be Here
05. Burn the Bridge
06. Holes in the Void
07. Harvest the Garden
08. The Harm You Do
09. Your Demise
10. The Feel
11. Darker Days
12. Do I Know You?
MUSHROOMHEAD's "Come On" video can be viewed below. The clip was directed by David "House" Greathouse and Robert Kurtzman's Creature Corps.
As one of the leaders of the alterna-metal movement since its inception in 1993, MUSHROOMHEAD is one of the more unique and adventurous hard rock bands on the planet today. It's also one of the most DIY units. The septet has written, produced and recorded its own music, conceived and designed all of its album artwork and photography, stage shows, props and merchandise and also produces, directs, films and edits all of its music videos and DVDs. The band's extreme performance style has garnered it an enormously devoted cult following and its cornucopian sound — a forceful yet melodic, underground yet accessible merging of hard rock, heavy metal, hardcore punk, industrial and soundtrack-worthy ambience — has seen it move upwards of 900,000 records worldwide.
MUSHROOMHEAD has headlined venues the world over and shared the stage with metal magnates such as OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE, SLAYER, DEFTONES, LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED, MESHUGGAH and DOWN.
You might know Devon Graves from the alt-metal band DEADSOUL TRIBE — or you might be more familiar with his real name, Buddy Lackey. He spent 11 years working as frontman and singer-flute player for one of the original prog-metal bands, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ.
Throughout the journeys of touring with DEADSOUL TRIBE, Devon met many musicians who really stood above the crowd. One day he began to wonder: "What would it be like to play in a band made of the very finest players I have met along the way?"
So like Dr. Frankenstein did, by sewing the greatest, strongest pieces of the greatest strongest men and then adding a sick and demented brain to create his monster, so it is the same with Devon's creation of his monster THE SHADOW THEORY who are featuring some of the finest musicians that Devon could possibly gather:
* Demi Scott - Keyboards
* Arne Schuppner (COMPLEX 7) - Guitar
* Kristoffer Gildenlöw (DIAL, ex-PAIN OF SALVATION) - Bass
* Johanne James (THRESHOLD, KYRBGRINDER) - Drums
Four years in the making, THE SHADOW THEORY will releasing its first studio album on Devon's longtime home InsideOut Music. "Behind the Black Veil" is a sinister roller-coaster ride of sound and lyrical imagery combining elements of thrash, psychedelic and symphonic metal fused with folk and prog-rock undertones. Devon's first "concept album" ever, it tells a horror story of a man who wakes from one nightmare into another, into another until he can no longer tell where the dream ends and reality begins… Or if he was ever dreaming at all.
THE SHADOW THEORY's "Behind the Black Veil", both frightening and compelling, is sure to be a standout amongst the vast myriad of music releases this year. THE SHADOW THEORY will be a touring band and is already looking into possible touring in early 2011.
"Behind the Black Veil" track listing:
01. I Open Up My Eyes (7:04)
02. The Sound of Flies (4:40)
03. Ghostride (5:32)
04. Welcome (5:02)
05. By the Crossroads (5:35)
06. Selebrate (3:17)
07. Snakeskin (3:48)
08. Sleepwalking (5:17)
09. The Black Cradle (5:15)
10. A Candle in the Gallery (3:57)
11. A Symphony of Shadows (7:55)
"The Sound Of Flies" is available for streaming on the THE SHADOW THEORY MySpace page.
"Behind the Black Veil" release dates:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Friday, November 19
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, November 23
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, November 24
Rest Of Europe: Monday, November 22
Australia/New Zealand: Friday, November 26
North America: Tuesday, January 25
"Axioma Ethica Odini", the eleventh studio album from progressive/psychedelic Norwegian black metallers ENSLAVED, sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 16 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.
"Axioma Ethica Odini" was released in Norway on September 20, in the rest of Europe on September 27 and in North America on September 28.
ENSLAVED's Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson recently gave an in-depth explanation of the "Axioma Ethica Odini" artwork to the visitors of the web site of the German edition of Metal Hammer magazine. You can watch the clip at this location.
The CD's cover artwork was created by the Norwegian artist Truls Espedal, who has painted every ENSLAVED album cover since 2001's "Monumension".
"Axioma Ethica Odini" track listing:
01. Ethica Odini
02. Raidho
03. Waruun
04. The Beacon
05. Axioma
06. Giants
07. Singular
08. Night Sight
09. Lightening
"Axioma Ethica Odini" was made available as a special edition in gatefold seven-inch format with the entire album on CD and a seven-inch vinyl single as a bonus, as well as a regular jewel case and double vinyl. The bonus seven-inch single includes the songs "Jotunblod (Doom)" and "Migration".
ENSLAVED's eleventh studio album was recorded at three different studios in Bergen, Norway: 1) Duper; 2) Earshot (belonging to ENSLAVED members Herbrand Larsen [keyboardist/backing vocalist] and Ice Dale [lead guitarist]); and 3) Peersonal Sound (owned by rhythm guitarist/songwriter Ivar Bjørnson). It is the follow-up to 2008's "Vertebrae", which sold over 1,100 copies its first week of release in North America and debuted on the American Billboard Hard Music chart at No. 11 and on the Heatseekers chart at No. 49. In ENSLAVED's native country, "Vertebrae" entered the official chart at No. 20 and earned the band its third consecutive Spellemann award (the largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show, which is often referred to as the country's equivalent to the American Grammy Awards). "Vertebrae" also won Terrorizer magazine's coveted "Album of the Year" award for 2008.
Florida death metal veterans MALEVOLENT CREATION and the French "black fantasy shoegazer metal" act ALCEST have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Inferno festival, set to take place April 20-23, 2011 at the Rockefeller and John Dee venues in Oslo, Norway.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALCEST
AURA NOIR
IMMORTAL
MALEVOLENT CREATION
PENTAGRAM
SOILENT GREEN
The Inferno metal festival has become a true black Easter tradition for metal fans, bands and music industry from all over the world, with nearly 50 concerts every year since the start back in 2001. The festival offers exclusive concerts in unique surroundings with some of the best extreme metal bands and experimental artists in the world, from the new and underground to the legendary giants. At Inferno you meet up with fellow metalheads for four days of headbanging, party, black-metal sightseeing and expos, horror films, art exhibitions and all the unholy treats your dark heart desires.
For more information, visit www.infernofestival.net.
Finnish extreme metallers IMPALED NAZARENE will release their eleventh full-length album, "Road To The Octagon", on November 20. The CD was recorded at Hellhole studio in Helsinki with the band's soundman Tero Kostermaa and was mastered by Mika Jussila. The artwork for the album was created by Darkgrove Design and can be viewed below.
"Road To The Octagon" track listing:
01. Enlightenment Process (2:19)
02. The Day Of Reckoning (2:26)
03. Corpses (2:46)
04. Under Attack (2:45)
05. Tentacles Of The Octagon (1:33)
06. Reflect On This (2:17)
07. Convulsing Uncontrollably (2:14)
08. Cult Of The Goat (3:10)
09. Gag Reflex (3:01)
10. The Plan (2:00)
11. Silent And Violent Type (2:18)
12. Execute Tapeworm Extermination (2:11)
13. Rhetoric Infernal (4:24)
Total running time: 33:30
"Road To The Octagon" will be released in CD and gatefold LP formats and will be made available as a digital download.
IMPALED NAZARENE's video for the song "Enlightenment Process", will make its online debut on October 8. The clip was shot by the guys from Filmokratik. The band will also make the "Enlightenment Process" digital single available for free download on November 19. This single will contain the title track plus re-recordings of two IMPALED NAZARENE songs from the "Suomi Finland Perkele" and "Ugra-Karma" albums — "Ghettoblaster" and "Kali-Yaga" — both which were laid down during the "Road To The Octagon" sessions. Osmose Productions will also release a seven-inch vinyl version of those three songs, limited to 1,000 copies.
IMPALED NAZARENE recently parted ways with longtime guitarist
Jarno Anttila. The band has since decided to continue as a four-piece.
IMPALED NAZARENE's 20th anniversary show at Henry's Pub club in Kuopio, Finland on November 20, 2010 will be filmed for a forthcoming concert DVD.
IMPALED NAZARENE's last album, "Manifest", was released in October 2007. The CD was recorded and mixed at Sonic Pump studio by Tapio Pennanen, and was mastered at Finnvox studio by Mika Jussila. The cover artwork and layout was handlded by Ritual.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/impaledroadcd.jpg
BLOOD STAIN CHILD, the Japanese cyber-melodeath band with contemporary Japanese music culture influences, has inked a deal with Coroner Records for the release of its fifth album. Tentatively due in the spring, the CD is being produced, mixed and mastered by Ettore Rigotti (DISARMONIA MUNDI, SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE, DESTRAGE, STIGMA) at his The Metal House studios.
In other news, BLOOD STAIN CHILD was recently joined by two new members: Greek vocalist Sophia and drummer Gami (ex-YOUTHQUAKE). The group's new lineup has already completed pre-production on the new material and the recording sessions for the fifth studio album have begun.
BLOOD STAIN CHILD's previous CD, "Mozaiq", was mixed by Tue Madsen (SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL) and was released in Europe and America by Dockyard1/Locomotive.
The November 3 concert by the Norwegian "blackjazz" outfit SHINING at Rockefeller in Oslo will be professionally filmed with six cameras for a very special "Live Blackjazz" DVD, to be released next year.
SHINING's Jørgen Munkeby comments: "Making a live DVD is something the band have been looking forward to for years, and we will make sure it will be a very special and memorable evening for you all!"
In June 2010, SHINING surprised the ever-growing international jazz-metal scene by taking home the fabled "A-Ha Grant" after first "shocking the living shit" out of the audience of 80,000 people and about one million TV viewers. Even more shocking was the fact that the members of A-HA, the most successful pop act ever to come out of Norway (remember "Take On Me"?), themselves chose SHINING as their favorite band. In addition to giving SHINING one million Norwegian Kroner, A-HA invited SHINING to open for them at their big farewell arena concert on August 21 in Oslo, Norway.
This famed performance of their single "The Madness and the Damage Done" is available on YouTube. See what happened when SHINING won $150,000 in the clip below.
Over the course of its impressive 10-year career, SHINING has created its own unique and bizarre hybrid of jazz and extreme metal, which is easily distinguishable from the musical world of their Swedish labelmates sharing the same band name.
Battle Creek, Michigan-baseed black metal outfit WINTERUS has inked a deal with Lifeforce Records. The band will enter the studio on December 1 to begin recording its full-length debut, "In Carbon Mysticism", for an early 2011 release. Lead singer Christopher Erich Neu will handle the production and engineering in his studio in Michigan while the mastering will be handled by Ken Sorceron (of ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and ABORTED). U.S. and European tours will follow the CD's release.
"We are extremely proud to announce that WINTERUS has officially joined the Lifeforce Records family," stated Christopher Erich Neu. "Stefan and his crew strongly believe in the music we are creating and they understand the raw and organic nature of the band."
Added bassist Matthew Dilliner: "On this [upcoming] album we are looking to push the boundaries of black metal further than they have ever been before by creating intense sonic landscapes alongside classic black metal and death metal influences.
"We hope that our honesty and passion is well-received.
"I think Christopher will do an amazing job tracking and producing the record and we are also extremely pleased to be working with Ken Sorceron as he will handle the mixing and mastering duties."
Comtinued Christopher Erich Neu: "Following the release of our album, WINTERUS hopes to tour extensively. We have partnered with Marco and Avocado Booking for European territories and hope to be overseas as soon as we possibly can. North American touring will also begin as soon as we find the right agent."
Formed in December 2009 under the name THE ANCIENT, WINTERUS recorded and released a five-song EP, "A Frozen Pat", in May to critical acclaim. Soon after, the EP caught the attention of Lifeforce Records and WINTERUS was signed to a multi-album deal.
WINTERUS cites IMMORTAL, ENSLAVED, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and IN FLAMES as key influences to creating the band's chilling atmospheric sound and ominously heavy tone. Blue lights and mystic fog line the stage as the band performs their intense brand of metal at near trance-like precision. Radiating maturity, WINTERUS covers themes of brutal honesty, isolation, philosophy, and real human emotion. Experimentation and melody are also highly encouraged as WINTERUS creates genre-defying psychedelic landscapes and pummeling metal textures.
WINTERUS is:
Christopher Erich Neu - Lead Vocals
Matthew Dilliner - Bass, Vocals
Nathan Barnes - Guitar, Vocals
Dominic Simmons - Guitar
Cody McCoy - Drums
For more information, visit www.winterus.net.
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