On November 5 and November 6, Genesis Publications will host an exhibit of images from the "Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page" book and selections from their archive at Elms Lester Painting Rooms, London, England.
"Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page" has become the fastest-selling book in the history of Genesis Publications, having sold-out through pre-orders alone. The book, which documents the iconic guitarist's life from his childhood in music through his legendary career with LED ZEPPELIN to the present day, was personally compiled by Page and features 650 images, many from his personal archive. Jimmy also wrote the accompanying text and helped design the magnificently luxurious binding to create an artefact that is an incredible visual documentary which reflects his vast contribution to music.
Genesis Publications will host an exhibition of images from the book plus selected books from 35 years publishing, at London's Elms Lester Painting Rooms on November 5 and November 6, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
The exhibition is open to the public who will be able to see a collection of works by more than 70 different photographers including such legendary names as Kate Simon, Neal Preston, Ross Halfin and Pennie Smith.
As the book has sold out before its official launch, this will be the only chance to see these exclusive images outside of the limited-edition publication.
For more information, visit Elms Lester Painting Rooms.
Check out the book's official microsite at www.jimmypagebook.com.
In the latest issue of the bi-annual arts magazine Lid, Jimmy Page talks about his new limited edition book, "Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page".
With a portfolio of photographs from the book and contributions from photographers Michael Zagaris and Kate Simon — author of the acclaimed Genesis limited edition "Rebel Music" — the interview, by the book's photo editor Dave Brolan, sees Jimmy go into more depth than ever before about the making of this ground-breaking limited edition.
Kate Simon: '"It makes sense that Jimmy would work with Genesis on a book of this magnitude because they are the most civilized publisher on the planet. Catherine and Nick are lovely people who are as devoted to their craft as Jimmy is to his. Their books are printed on the finest papers and made by craftsmen of the highest calibre. Jimmy was thorough and focused in orchestrating the creation of this book... he's a hard-working artist."
Lid is available to order from the web site www.lidmagazine.net, but a short extract from the interview is available below as a taster.
Dave Brolan: How did you become involved with Genesis Publications?
Jimmy Page: I had actually bought one of their George Harrison and Ravi Shankar books so I was aware of the quality that they strove for. I had seen some of their catalogue so I fully understood the pure quality that was their benchmark — the printing, the binding, and everything else.
Dave Brolan: This is quite unlike any other book though.
Jimmy Page: I rather like to try something that somebody else hasn't done before, even if it's of epic proportions which, quite clearly with the amount of photographers and images that were going to need to be trawled in, this was going to be quite something.
Dave Brolan: It's entirely appropriate that you should choose to do a photographic book as the camera was there right at the beginning of your musical career and is always present in one way or another.
Jimmy Page: I liked the idea of doing something from the first shot where I was involved with music, curiously enough taken when I was a choirboy, by the choirmaster who was an amateur photographer... The whole point here is that it's a life in music and so I can see I'm really living it, the way that I was living it. Considering this starts off properly in 1958 or whatever with the Tony Busson pictures, it's a bunch of kids that have got this rock & roll ethic in their dreams you know? Although those dreams don't necessarily translate beyond a front room in somebody's house, it's living that sort of dream their own way and you can see this attitude, I love those photos.
Dave Brolan: There were thousands of pictures for you to consider, how was the experience, seeing your life from a visual, rather than your more familiar musical point of view?
Jimmy Page: Well, I'll be perfectly honest, as you're collating the photographs there does come a point where you say, 'Well I think I've finished for the day,' because, you know, I'm starting to look...(laughing) Well, you're aging in front of your eyes and of course people don't normally go through that so intensely.
Dave Brolan: How did you decide to caption some of the images?
Jimmy Page: the story behind a picture can sometimes be a little disappointing rather than just looking at it and enjoying it for what it is and making you own conclusions, and I certainly apply that to listening to music too. I don't really want too much imagery around it, I don't want to see videos with music, I want to hear what was going on in the studio, the creative process. So I intentionally kept the written information minimal. There was a lot of reflection and thought about the captioning but I really honed it down so that it didn't become boring to read it again the second time around. It's setting the scene.
Dave Brolan: Overall, do you think the book achieved what you set out to do, your original idea of a career in photographs?
Jimmy Page: What I was trying convey was the whole gathering of time and living, very passionately, my role in music, what became a career in music. And this illustrates all of that so in those terms it's a success.
Check out the book's official microsite at www.jimmypagebook.com.
Joe Siegler of the BLACK SABBATH fan site Black-Sabbath.com has posted an extensive review of the upcoming deluxe-edition reissues of the BLACK SABBATH albums "Seventh Star" and "The Eternal Idol". He writes, "I cannot recommend these albums highly enough. 'Eternal Idol' a bit more due to the inclusion of the long unreleased Ray Gillen album. But both are worthy purchases. Even if you've bought the original releases, the Castle releases, and any other versions. Go grab these. Support Tony Iommi and validate his decision to release these rare Ray Gillen recordings, and buy these."
Read the entire article at Black-Sabbath.com.
Universal Music has set a November 1 U.K. release date for the deluxe-edition reissues of "Seventh Star" and "The Eternal Idol".
After the departure of BLACK SABBATH's third vocalist Ian Gillan following the "Born Again" album (released in 1983) the band effectively split up and the remaining members embarked upon their own solo ventures. However, pressure from record companies and management would dictate the name BLACK SABBATH should forge-ahead and even though guitarist Tony Iommi would by now be the sole remaining original member, his unmistakable musicality and signature guitar sound would prove more than sufficient to keep the heart of BLACK SABBATH alive and beating deep into the 1980s and beyond.
"Seventh Star" (originally released in 1986) saw Iommi recruiting the skills of Dave "The Beast" Spitz and drummer Eric Singer (later of KISS) and for the first time the position of a keyboardist became a visible credit and long-serving back-room operator Geoff Nicholls was finally brought to the foreground as an official member. However, it would be the position of lead vocalist that would have the greatest impact upon the new SABBATH sound and the appointment of ex-TRAPEZE and DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes set interest and expectations high. "Seventh Star" would be somewhat of a departure from what was expected from the BLACK SABBATH name, and the songs on "Seventh Star" are more blues inclined and in the case of the single release, "No Stranger To Love", an altogether more AOR- and radio-friendly breeze is adopted.
This remastered deluxe expanded edition of the album adds the U.S. remix of the "No Stranger To Love" single and also for the very first time on CD, a live performance from London's Hammersmith Odeon in June '86 which features then-unknown American singer Ray Gillen who was brought-in to complete the tour following the departure of Glenn Hughes due to illness.
"The Eternal Idol" (BLACK SABBATH's thirteenth studio album released in 1987) was an altogether harder-sounding record and brought back an "edge" that had been missing from "Seventh Star". Although the album was originally recorded with unknown American singer Ray Gillen, by the time it came to the album release Tony Martin had joined the band and subsequently replaced all the vocal work for the final album.
"The Eternal Idol" remastered deluxe expanded edition adds two single B-sides from "The Shining" — "Black Moon" and "Some Kind Of Woman" — while the second disc brings to CD for the very first time the complete album session originally recorded by the late Ray Gillen.
"Seventh Star" remastered deluxe expanded edition:
Disc One (Original Album):
01. In For The Kill
02. No Stranger To Love
03. Turn To Stone
04. Sphinx (The Guardian)
05. Seventh Star
06. Danger Zone
07. Heart Like A Wheel
08. Angry Heart
09. In Memory...
Bonus Tracks:
10. No Stranger To Love (single remix)
Disc Two (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London, England - June 2, 1986):
01. Mob Rules
02. Danger Zone
03. War Pigs
04. Seventh Star
05. Die Young
06. Black Sabbath
07. N.I.B.
08. Neon Knights
09. Paranoid
"The Eternal Idol" remastered deluxe expanded edition:
Disc One (Original Album):
01. The Shining
02. Ancient Warrior
03. Hard Life To Love
04. Glory Ride
05. Born To Lose
06. Nightmare
07. Scarlet Pimpernel
08. Lost Forever
09. Eternal Idol
Bonus Tracks:
10. Black Moon (single B-side)
11. Some Kind Of Woman (single B-side)
Disc Two ("The Eternal Idol" – Ray Gillen Session):
01. Glory Ride
02. Born To Lose
03. Lost Forever
04. Eternal Idol
05. The Shining
06. Hard Life To Love
07. Nightmare
08. Ancient Warrior
IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was recently invited to take part in a unique project instigated by the Royal British Legion for its official charity single "2 Minutes Silence".
The single features noiseless contributions from representatives of our society, including some very famous faces, harnessing the sound of silence in a bid to raise much-needed funds exclusively for the Royal British Legion, a registered charity which supports serving and ex-serving members of the armed forces community who need assistance.
The single takes the form of a silent video with participants shown in quiet reflection and will be on sale from November 7 and the Legion hopes to get it to number one for Remembrance Sunday (November 14), the day Britain pays tribute to members of the armed forces community who have made sacrifices, including today's Afghan generation. It can be downloaded from iTunes on November 7, costing 99p. The concept behind the single being silent is that the Legion felt that the British public would recognize the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance and Remembrance Sunday in particular, or "Poppy Day," as it is often called.
Says Bruce: "When I first heard about the concept of the '2 Minutes Silence' single, my first thought was it was the work of a madman... my second thought was, no — it's the work of a genius! Many people have forgotten what Remembrance Sunday is really about. Hopefully this will serve to create more awareness of this and of those who risk paying the ultimate sacrifice. It's an honor to be involved with this project"
Among others who appear in the video are: Prime Minister David Cameron, the actors David Tennant and Bob Hoskins, Thom Yorke from RADIOHEAD, Bryan Ferry, Alex James, Mark Ronson, tennis star Andy Murray, rugby legend Martin Johnson, comedians Paul O'Grady, Jimmy Carr, Jack Dee and services personnel, including Paul McClintock and Simon Brown, Lance Corporal Ram Patten and Captain Rupert Stevens.
The Royal British Legion is the nation's leading armed forces charity and is best known for the annual Poppy Appeal.
For more information and details of how to download the single, join the official Facebook group.
People who pick up a bottle of Whitesnake Zinfandel probably have little doubt that rock singer David Coverdale has something to do with the De La Montanya winery–produced red. Why else would it bear the name of Coverdale's long-lived heavy metal band, which topped the charts in 1989 with songs such as "Is This Love?" and "Here I Go Again"?
The Britain-born musician's love for wine stretches back to the mid-'70s and his days as the lead singer of seminal hard rock band Deep Purple. Coverdale, no less a rocker at 59, spoke from his home in Lake Tahoe about his favorite bottles and the unexpected success of the wine Coverdale describes as "a bodacious, cheeky little wine, filled to the brim with the spicy essence of sexy, slippery Snakiness."
Wine Spectator: How long have you been interested in wine?
David Coverdale: Being a child of the '50s in England, it was only the aristocracy who could afford to indulge in European pleasantries. I didn't really get to taste wine until an aunt took me to northern Italy when I was 10 or 11. That was just a finger dipped in. The next time, I was an art student of 15 or 16. I and a half-Spanish friend of mine would go to this delicatessen and get a loaf of French bread, cheeses and an old bottle of Chianti, the kind with straw around it. That was a life-changing experience for me in working-class northern England. Of course, when I was blessed with getting a gig with Deep Purple and flying all over the world in private planes and dining in Paris with 13 knives and forks on either side of the place setting, I was introduced to an astonishing array of wines.
WS: The Whitesnake wine is a Zinfandel. Is that a varietal you like?
DC: It's funny. [Winemaker] Dennis De La Montanya is a huge rock and roll fan, and I'm a huge wine fan. A mutual friend, who runs the Vegas Hilton, said, "Well, this could be an interesting cocktail to put these guys together." Dennis recommended a Zin. We had no idea if this was going to do anything, so I agreed to 300 cases. And poof—gone! We had an order for 1,000 cases, so we're putting together a Merlot. You can't stop an express train.
WS: Are you going to make a white wine?
DC: Well, I'm a big Burgundy fan. I'm a total Puligny, Chevalier and Chassagne-Montrachet fan, particularly on special occasions. Those are my favorite wines of all time. I absolutely bathe in it. I [adore] French and Italian wines. You know, I really was introduced in just the last few years to American wines. I was a total European snob. While I could ill-afford it, I got one of the first cases of Opus One, and I was bitterly disappointed with it. It didn't connect with me at all. A lot of the early California wines I found had a metallic aftertaste. It was the only wine where I genuinely needed drinking-water on the side to freshen my palate. But that was a long time ago. Now, I know there are magnificent wines out there. One of my favorite vineyards is a tiny place called Keever. They make a Cabernet Sauvignon. I've found that has kicked many a French trophy-wine's ass. Foolishly, I told my business manager, who has a little wine circle,
and they bought every available bottle of it. I think I've got the last two available bottles of 2006.
WS: You have to be careful about keeping those good wines secret.
DC: Selfish rules! I really do favor the smaller, less-corporate vineyards. To me, [wine is] a living thing. I don't like generic wine. It's got to be something to look forward to. "When's happy hour? 4 p.m.?" Def Leppard and I always say, "It's gotta be happy hour somewhere in the world."
MOTÖRHEAD will issue its long-awaited new studio album, "The World Is Yours", on December 13. The band's first release on the newly formed Motorhead Music label, in association with EMI Music Services, was recorded with longtime producer Cameron Webb.
"The World Is Yours" track listing:
01. Born To Lose
02. I Know How To Die
03. Get Back In Line
04. Devils In My Head
05. Rock 'N' Roll Music
06. Waiting For The Snake
07. Brotherhood Of Man
08. Outlaw
09. I Know What You Need
10. Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye
"The World Is Yours" is the follow-up to 2008's "Motörizer", which sold a little more than 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 82 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album was recorded in part (drums only) at FOO FIGHTERS frontman/ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California with Cameron Webb, who also worked on 2006's "Kiss of Death" and 2004's "Inferno".
METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"If you picked up 'Six Feet Down Under' [METALLICA's limited-edition eight-song live EP, which came out on September 20 in conjunction with the band's tour of Australia and New Zealand], you may have noticed the words 'EP One' on the package and were quick to ask, 'What the hell does that mean?' Well, drum roll please . . . you guessed it, there is indeed an 'EP Two' in the works . . . very clever clue, don't ya think? Look for 'Six Feet Down Under Part II' in Australian and New Zealand stores, along with Metallica.com and Metclub.com, on November 12.
"In our quest to have something unique and special to celebrate our long overdue visit to this part of the world, as well as the final stretch of 'World Magnetic' tour dates, we wanted to release some live recordings from previous tours on EP # 1 and a companion EP from the current 2010 tour. The first time around we called on you to send us your bootleg recordings from those earlier tour dates going back as far as 1989 and we pulled a track list together from the submissions. Once again we went to you, the 'TALLICA faithful, for help and polled Fan Club members from Australia and New Zealand to come up with their top eight picks from all the 41 songs played during the early part of the Trans-Tasman run this year."
"Six Feet Down Under Part II" track listing:
01. Blackened (October 16, 2010 in Brisbane, Australia)
02. Ride The Lightning (October 14, 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand)
03. The Four Horsemen (September 18, 2010 in Sydney, Australia)
04. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (September 15, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia)
05. Master Of Puppets (October 16, 2010 in Brisbane, Australia)
06. ...And Justice For All (October 18, 2010 in Brisbane, Australia)
07. Fade To Black (September 18, 2010 in Sydney, Australia)
08. Damage, Inc. (September 22, 2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand)
Legendary rock band THE CULT prepares to release new music on November 16 via innovative music capsules, heralding a new era of music delivery that will impact the way we hear music for years to come. "Capsule 2: New Blood Deep Cuts" features new songs "Embers" and "Until The Light Takes Us", live recordings of some of the band's huge hits and an intimate look into THE CULT's rehearsal space, with a never-before-seen warm-up performance of "Black Angel".
Rather than revisit the traditional method of releasing a long form CD, the band is pioneering a new way of providing material. Capsules span multiple media formats including vinyl, digital, USB, CD and DVD formats, and can be purchased at cultcapsulestore.com.
Frontman Ian Astbury explains: We are stepping away from the conventional system. By including new music, live music and film, we are giving our fans the opportunity to own other creative visions. The Capsule is a way of delivering music in bites, quicker and fresher than in the context of an album format."
"Capsule 2: New Blood Deep Cuts"' lead track, "Embers", will be available exclusively on iTunes beginning November 1 for two weeks, while iTunes' exciting new music-oriented social network site called Ping boasts an exclusive on-demand preview streaming of "Embers", the "Black Angel" rehearsal film and new band photos.
For an advanced taste of "Embers", go to this location.
On the heels of their wildly successful Love Live Tour celebrating their 1985 groundbreaking album, THE CULT announces a new run of U.S. dates on their L'America Tour kicking off October 28 in Chicago. U.K. dates begin January 18, 2011 in Leeds. Fans are afforded the unique opportunity of leaving the venue each night after a THE CULT concert with a full recording of the show on a USB flash drive — to relive each incendiary moment.
THE CULT is Ian Astbury (vocals), Billy Duffy (guitar), Chris Wyse (bass), John Tempesta (drums) and Mike Dimkich (rhythm guitar), who worked with producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MASTERS OF REALITY) to bring the new capsule recordings to life.
"Our latest recordings are a mixture of violent guitars, emotive vocal performances with high melody and driving beats," offers Astbury. "Textured metaphysical rock music for the contemporary music head."
THE CULT U.S. 2010 tour dates:
Oct. 28 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
Oct. 29 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
Oct. 30 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Oct. 31 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
Nov. 02 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live!
Nov. 03 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
Nov. 05 - Munhall, PA @ Carnegie Mellon University
Nov. 06 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
Nov. 08 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
Nov. 09 - Melbourne, FL @ Levelz Night Club
Nov. 10 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Nov. 12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
Nov. 13 - Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore Charlotte
Nov. 14 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
Nov. 15 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Nov. 17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
Nov. 18 - South Bend, IN @ Club Fever
Nov. 19 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
Nov. 20 - Milwuakee, WI @ The Rave
THE CULT U.K. 2011 tour dates:
Jan. 18 - O2 Academy Leeds
Jan. 19 - O2 Academy Bristol
Jan. 21 - HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Jan. 22 - Cambridge Corn Exchange
Jan. 23 - O2 Academy Bournemouth
Jan. 24 - Nottingham Rock City
Jan. 26 - Wolves Civic Hall
Jan. 27 - O2 Academy Newcastle
Jan. 29 - O2 Academy Glasgow
Jan. 30 - Manchester Academy
SLAYER will release the "World Painted Blood" translucent red-vinyl seven-inch single on November 26 via Metal Club, a group of record stores throughout the U.S. and Canada that work to connect the vibrant metal community with their local record store. Limited to 2,500 copies, the single will feature the previously unreleased B-side track "Atrocity Vendor" (explicit version). Fans will be able to visit their local Metal Club store for special metal promotional pieces, exciting in-store events, and a series of exclusive Metal Club releases.
Visit www.mymetalclub.com for store locations, news and information on other Metal Club releases.
For the first time in its near-30-year history, SLAYER, the single most distinctive and radical thrash metal band ever, has seen its ten American Recordings albums released as a limited-edition, high-end box set — "The Vinyl Conflict" (American Recordings/Sony Legacy). Ten albums on 11 discs, "The Vinyl Conflict" features the band's entire Def/American Recordings catalogue:
* Reign in Blood (1986)
* South of Heaven (1988)
* Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
* Live Decade of Aggression (1991)
* Divine Intervention (1994)
* Undisputed Attitude (1998)
* God Hates Us All (2001)
* Christ Illusion (2006)
* World Painted Blood (2009)
On August 17, SLAYER's DVDs — 2003's "War at the Warfield" and 2004's "Still Reigning" — were reissued, and, for the first time ever, 1995's "Live Intrusion", having been digitally remastered, is also available on DVD. All three are sold separately at retail and online ($13.98 each), and the limited-edition "Slayer Live DVD 3-Pak" ($29.98), is available exclusively on SLAYER's web site, www.slayer.net.
Artisan News Service spoke with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and SLAYER guitarist Kerry King shortly before King joined MEGADETH on stage last Thursday (October 21) at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, California to perform MEGADETH's classic "Rattlehead". You can now watch the interview below.
"Not very many people know this, but Kerry King played guitar in MEGADETH in the very beginning," Mustaine said. "David Ellefson [MEGADETH bassist] still touts [Kerry] as being the best rhythm guitar player that MEGADETH ever had, which I think is really cool.
"It's funny, because when Kerry played with us, he would still wear his SLAYER colors. We didn't, so we would be there with high-tops and sneakers on and Kerry would be there with nails for days everywhere. [laughs] And I remember going to his house and he was making that thing [nail-studded wristband], man. His dad's sitting on a chair watching TV and Kerry's just sitting there just hammering away, making a pentagram like it was nothing — not a big deal at all. [laughs] And we had a great time, man. He's a really smart player and he was able to learn the stuff that I wrote really quickly, which made a huge impression on David, 'cause he still talks about it."
When asked about his appearance with MEGADETH 26 years after he first played with the band, Kerry said, "I never in a million years thought it would happen. And he asked me in the midst of the first run [of dates featuring SLAYER and MEGADETH]. And I said, 'Let's not get ahead of ourselves. If we're gonna do it, let's do it in Hollywood.' And I just picked up the song two days ago. it's not like 'Am I Evil?' [by DIAMOND HEAD] — I can't pick it up in 10 minutes; there's real intricate riffs I've gotta perform. So I've been working on it; this is the third day now. It sounds pretty good. So it's gonna be cool, man. I've got pictures of me playing with him, man... in '84... What was that, 26 years ago?! And now we're gonna get pictures 26 years later. It's cool."
Regarding the first few shows he played with MEGADETH back in 1984, King said, "Yeah, it was after [SLAYER's] first album [came out]. I was an admirer of Mustaine, 'cause I saw METALLICA play with Mustaine; not many people can say that. And I was blown away by how good that kid was. And I think we didn't really know each other, but we both played B.C. Rich [guitars], so an acquaintance brought it up, 'Hey, why don't you see if Kerry will play with you. And [he] asked me, 'Would you be interested in playing with Mustaine?' And I was a fan of his playing and admired how he played. So I [was], like, 'Yeah, man, I'll help the dude out.' So I played the first five shows. Maybe that's where the original bad blood [between Kerry and Mustaine] came when I left; I don't know. But my band's always been SLAYER. I saw it as an opportunity when we played, 'cause we [MEGADETH and Kerry] mostly played in the Bay Area — I think that's all we played. But if people saw
me, they would associate SLAYER as well. I've always thought about, 'How can I make SLAYER something bigger by doing something on my own?' And that was my thinking when I did [a guest appearance on] the BEASTIE BOYS album, too. I'm like, 'These guys will probably get a video. We're never gonna get a fucking video; we're in a metal band.' And if people see me with my nails and stuff, they'll associate SLAYER with the BEASTIE BOYS, and they'll think SLAYER, so that's just how I think."
Last Thursday night's Los Angeles-area concert was the final show of the Jägermeister Music Tour, featuring the original "Clash Of The Titans" lineup from 1991 — SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.
ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna has scheduled the following solo date:
Dec. 18 - Dingbatz - Clifton, New Jersey
Belladonna was the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the band's classic lineup (alongside Dan Spitz, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante), which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.
After splitting with ANTHRAX, Joey continued to make music with a solo project called BELLADONNA, which released its first self-titled debut in the mid-'90s. A follow-up effort, "Spells of Fear", came out in 1998 and it was heavily criticized for bad production and sloppy musicianship. The third album, or rather the demo recordings for what was supposed to be the third BELLADONNA album that was never recorded in a real studio, was self-released by Belladonna in 2003. It was a return to better songwriting and musicianship and it was well received by the fans.
Belladonna officially rejoined ANTHRAX in May 2010.
BLIND GUARDIAN and BLACKGUARD have been confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which is set to sail from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on January 24, 2011 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will appear at the event.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGENT STEEL
AMON AMARTH
BLACKGUARD
BLIND GUARDIAN
CRIPPER
DARK TRANQUILLITY
DEATH ANGEL
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EXODUS
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
FORBIDDEN
GAMMA RAY
ICED EARTH
KORPIKLAANI
MARDUK
MOONSPELL
NEVERMORE
OBITUARY
RAGE
RAVEN
SABATON
SANCTUARY
SAXON
SODOM
SONATA ARCTICA
SWASHBUCKLE
TESTAMENT
TROUBLE
TÝR
ULI JON ROTH
UNLEASHED
WITCHBURNER
SAXON will play two unique shows. One night they will perform the "Wheels Of Steel" LP in its entirety and on a different night, for the second show, they will play "Strong Arm Of The Law" from start to finish.
70000 Tons Of Metal will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean "Majesty of the Seas" from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.
Make no mistake, 70000 Tons Of Metal is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all-ship heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass and you might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done!
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated drinks at the on-board restaurants and 24-hour room service!
For more information, go to www.70000tons.com.
In the serving spirit of the late, great "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Dimebash 2010 — taking place October 29 at the world-famous Key Club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California — will be giving back to not only the rock community, but to the global fight against cancer, as all proceeds from the show including ticket sales, raffles, merchandise and drink specials will benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. In addition to these charitable items, a DVD of the event will be shot and recorded for near-future release with proceeds from the disc's sales also going towards the fund.
"I'm not at all surprised at the outpouring of support of this event because Dime was beloved by everyone he met," states Monster Energy Music Manager Brent Hamilton. "I'm so thankful to the fans, artists involved and presenters for honoring a hero in the truest sense of the word, while benefiting such an important cause."
Expect to hear plenty of the all-star lineup performing songs that influenced Dime — including those from BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER and IRON MAIDEN — to classic PANTERA tracks and much more of the music that's torn your head off and made you a believer through a "vulgar display of power!"
The all-star lineup to share the stage will include hard rock and heavy metal titans: Dave Grohl of FOO FIGHTERS; Simon Wright from DIO; Brent Smith, Zach Myers and Eric Bass of SHINEDOWN; Kerry King and Dave Lombardo of SLAYER; Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD; Chuck Billy from TESTAMENT; Chris Howorth and Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT; and many more, including some surprises that will surely nail your jaw to the floor. This incredible event is being hosted by radio/television personality Jose Mangin, a veteran of several Dimebag events. In addition, attendees will be able to land some limited-edition merchandise, nab raffle tickets for chances to win some cool collectables and purchase Monster Energy cocktail drink specials, all of which partial proceeds go to benefit the cause. And if the all-star jam with legends and legends in the making isn't enough, special guest opener includes hard rock juggernauts REV THEORY. The metal brotherhood and
community comes together once again to not only help themselves heal, but to also help the world around them. Good guys sometimes do wear black!
Emcee:
* Jose Mangin (Sirius XM)
DJ
* Twiggy Ramirez (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS, A PERFECT CIRCLE)
Drums
* Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA)
* Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, PHILM)
* Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC)
* Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT, MURDERDOLLS, ROB ZOMBIE)
* John Boecklin (DEVILDRIVER)
Guitar
* Paul Phillips (PUDDLE OF MUDD)
* Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD)
* Chris Howorth (IN THIS MOMENT)
* Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD)
* Zach Myers (SHINEDOWN)
* Nick Bowcott (Marshall Amplification)
* Jeff Kendrick (DEVILDRIVER)
* Shane Gibson (KORN)
* Gerry Nestler (PHILM)
Bass
* Chris Howorth (IN THIS MOMENT)
* Eric Bass (SHINEDOWN)
* Elliott Rubinson (Dean Guitars)
* Tony Campos (STATIC-X, ASESINO, MINISTRY)
* Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT)
* Twiggy Ramirez (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS, A PERFECT CIRCLE)
Vocals
* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)
* Maria Brink (IN THIS MOMENT)
* Wes Scantlin (PUDDLE OF MUDD)
* Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD)
* Jose Mangin (Sirius XM)
* Brent Smith (SHINEDOWN)
* Steve Miller (KINDA MAJOR)
* Gerry Nestler (PHILM)
Drummer Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) told "Metal Shop"'s Ralph Cartel in a brand new interview that he has launched a brand new project, tentatively dubbed KILL DEVIL HILL, which includes contributions from former PANTERA and current DOWN bassist Rex Brown.
"I've been working with a new band," Vinny said. "Right now it's called KILL DEVIL HILL. It's a cool thing. This thing just kicks ass. Unknown singer... His name is Dewey Bragg. And Mark Zavon on guitar. And Rex Brown from PANTERA has played on some of the tracks. He's involved in it, too. And it just kills. So this will be out next year. We just hooked up management."
The entire chat, during which Vinny also talks about playing with Ronnie James Dio for much of his career and possible future plans with the remaining members of HEAVEN & HELL, can be streamed below.
KILL DEVIL HILL is:
* Dewey Bragg - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) - Drums
The surviving HEAVEN & HELL members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice played a very special tribute to their fallen bandmate, Ronnie James Dio, on July 24 at the High Voltage festival at Victoria Park in London, England. The musicians were joined by legendary former DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH man Glenn Hughes and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who sings for power metallers MASTERPLAN and recently released his own tribute to Ronnie.
As previously reported, Vinny Appice has joined ARMS OF THE SUN — the project featuring Rex Brown on bass, Lance Harvill on vocals and guitar, and Ben Bunker (GRYN) on guitar.
ARMS OF THE SUN recently completed work on thirteen tracks that were produced and mixed by Terry Date (DEFTONES, PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN). The material is set for release sometime next year through Extreme Music.
Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper has responded to accusations that the debut album from his new band, WHERE ANGELS SUFFER (W.A.S.), consists entirely of previously released recordings from his earlier group, RANDY PIPER'S ANIMAL.
In a statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET earlier today by former RANDY PIPER'S ANIMAL guitarist Chris Laney (real name: Ulf Larsson), the Swedish songwriter/producer/artist said that the material that he co-wrote and produced on the first two RANDY PIPER'S ANIMAL albums — 2006's "Violent New Breed" and 2008's "Virus" — is being re-released on WHERE ANGELS SUFFER's debut CD, "Purgatory", "without being re-recorded or remixed." Laney added that he "owns the mastertape and copyrights on 'Violent New Breed' and 'Virus'" and that the "Swedish record label who released 'Violent New Breed' and 'Virus' owns the license rights on those two albums." He concluded by saying that he "deeply hopes the songlist and songsamples for 'Purgatory'" that were provided on the Amazon.com web site "is a giant misunderstanding."
After Laney's comments were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Piper released the following statement in an attempt to clarify the situation:
"Look before you leap, peeps. Credits on both albums read as follows: songs are written by Chris Laney, Randy Piper and Rich Lewis.
"Rich Lewis and I felt the fans deserved to hear these great tunes here in the USA.
"Chris Laney is a great songwriter and we hope to collaborate with him on another project in the future."
"The WHERE ANGELS SUFFER 'Purgatory' CD is a preliminary album to our new lineup of band members. We are working feverishly on our new songs. In fact, we are gathered together here in Florida as we speak.
"A lot of our fans have never heard 'Violent New Breed' and 'Virus' by RANDY PIPER'S ANIMAL, released on Locomotive Records, so we decided to release it now.
"We will be performing some of the songs from the 'Purgatory' album live in concert on our current tour.
"Locomotive Records closed their doors soon after they launched the record in the European market. Subsequently the record was not released in the USA."
WHERE ANGELS SUFFER (W.A.S.). features Chris Holmes (guitar; ex-W.A.S.P.), Randy Piper (guitar; ANIMAL, ex-W.A.S.P.), Steve Unger (bass; ex-METAL CHURCH), Rich Lewis (vocals; ANIMAL) and Stet Howland (drums; ex-W.A.S.P.).
"Purgatory" track listing:
01. Cardiac Arrest
02. Can't Stop
03. Don't Wanna Die
04. Crying Eagle
05. Unnatural High
06. Judgment Day
07. Zombie (CRANBERRIES cover)
08. Lust
09. Violent New Breed
10. Morning After
11. Eye of the Storm
12. Boom
WHERE ANGELS SUFFER tour dates:
Oct. 30 - The Viper Room - West Hollywood, CA
Nov. 04 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
Nov. 05 - Patchogue, NY - Karma
Nov. 06 - West Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Nov. 07 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's
Nov. 12 - Fairfield, OH - Charlie's
Nov. 13 - Imperial, PA - Grim's Roadhouse
Jan. 07 - Seattle, WA - The King Cat Theater
Jan. 08 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
According to Tulsa World, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil will sign autographs and take pictures during a Halloween Eve bash on October 31 at Catoosa, Oklahoma's Hard Rock Hotel and Casino from 7 p.m. to midnight in the Sequoyah Grand Ballroom. A costume contest is also scheduled, with $3,000 going to top prize. Second prize gets $1,000, and the first-place couple gets $1,000. Other prizes will be given out.
The event, which will be open to everyone 21 and older, will feature a cash bar and free snacks, and music from CROSSLAND.
According to The Pulse of Radio, PEARL JAM celebrated its 20th anniversary as a band this past weekend, playing on Saturday (October 23) and Sunday (October 24) as part of Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California. The group actually played its very first gig on October 22, 1990 in Seattle. Singer Eddie Vedder commemorated this on Saturday night, telling the crowd, "It was 20 years ago, last night, our group played our first gig. I wouldn't mention it, but only because, if we wouldn't have had the help or assistance or the camaraderie with a certain guy, I guess we would have made it for about five or six . . . if we wouldn't have had our Uncle Neil looking after us."
Vedder added, "Ordinarily 20 would seem pretty good. But then you're around these kind of guys, and it feels like we're not even halfway there."
PEARL JAM was formed out of the ashes of Seattle act MOTHER LOVE BONE after that band's singer Andy Wood died of an overdose. The bassist for both bands, Jeff Ament, said he considered going to art school instead of starting a new group. "When that kind of got pulled out from underneath my feet I was like, 'OK, what's God telling me here? What am I supposed to do?'" he said. "And so I was really contemplating going to art school at that point because it was really something in the back of my head, and it's still in the back of my head. I could imagine getting a loft in New York or whatever and just painting for six months."
Guitarist Stone Gossard told The Pulse of Radio a while back that PEARL JAM feels like its songwriting is as strong as ever after so many years together. "We're still writing songs in a way that, we don't take it — we haven't started hiring people to write songs for us, or feeling like we can't do it ourselves," he said. "And we keep being rewarded for our work that we do with each other and the chances we take in terms of trusting each other and songwriting and collaboration and all that stuff."
Aside from the Bridge School gigs, PEARL JAM is currently on a break and not expected to work again until sometime next year.
he reactivated MURDERDOLLS — the band consisting of Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT, ROB ZOMBIE) and Wednesday 13 — will embark on a U.K. headlining tour in February 2011. Support on the trek will come from BLACK VEIL BRIDES.
The dates are as follows:
Feb. 02 - Portsmouth, UK @ Pyramids
Feb. 03 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Feb. 04 - Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
Feb. 05 - Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
Feb. 07 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfrun Hall
Feb. 08 - Middlesbrough, UK @ Empire
Feb. 09 - Glasgow, UK @ O2 Abc
Feb. 11 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
Feb. 12 - London, UK @ HMV Forum
Feb. 13 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Feb. 14 - Exeter, UK @ Lemon Grove
Tickets go on sale this Friday, October 29 at 9 a.m.
Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI have announced the addition of drummer Otus to the group's ranks. Otus, whose name stands for "creature," is the tenth member in the LORDI family tree.
Commented LORDI mainman Mr. Lordi: "We are not really sure who or what he is, he is just … a creature, a thing (otus in Finnish). He is a mixture of a butcher, an executioner, an alien, a lizzard and a zombie. Tough dude. And definitely one of the ugliest members in our family..."
Otus will make his debut during LORDI's European tour, "Europe For Breakfast", which consists of 32 shows in 14 countries. The trek will kick off in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 5 and end in Hannover, Germany on December 19.
LORDI parted ways with drummer Kita earlier this month because he "made a decision to pursue his own career publicly as himself, without his alter ego Kita," according to a statement released by the band. "This is in direct conflict with one of the cornerstones of LORDI's image. Therefore it is not possible for him to continue as a member of the band anymore."
Kita's (real name: Sampsa Astala) band STALA & SO. (formerly SO.) is competing to represent Finland in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest.
"Babez For Breakfast", the fifth studio album from LORDI, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 43 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.
LORDI's previous album, "Deadache", opened with 1,700 units back in November 2008 to debut at No. 13 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.
DANIEL LIONEYE — the Finnish band featuring HIM members Mikko "Linde" Lindström on guitar, bass and vocals and Janne "Burton" Puurtinen on keyboards — will embark on its first-ever North American tour as the support act for CRADLE OF FILTH. The trek, which is scheduled to kick off on February 1, 2011 in Houston, will also feature NACHTMYSTIUM and TURISAS.
DANIEL LIONEYE's touring lineup will be as follows:
Mikko "Linde" Lindstrom - Guitar, Vocals
"Migé" Paananen - Bass
Janne "Burton" Puurtinen - Keyboards
Seppo Tarvainen - Drums
Manu - Screams, Backing Vocals
DANIEL LIONEYE's latest album, "Vol. II", was released in North America on April 27 via The End Records.
Formed in 2001, DANIEL LIONEYE's debut album, "The King Of Rock 'N' Roll", was only released in Finland and Germany and was a tongue-in-cheek. psychedelic stoner rock LP. The group supported the effort by playing a handful of festivals in Finland, which resulted in the CD's title track being used as the theme song for Bam Margera's TV show, "Viva La Bam".
According to a press release, "Vol. II" is heavier than the band's previous CD and is being described as "an extreme rock n' roll album with influences from black metal."
"Vol. II" track listing:
01. Euroshaman
02. Flatlined
03. Saturnalia
04. Neolithic Way
05. I Saw Myself
06. The Mentat
07. I Have Never Wanted To Be Number One
08. Who Turned The Lights Out
09. Kiss Of The Cannibal
"Night Blooming Jasmine Will Never Smell The Same" is a collaboration between LIFE OF AGONY singer Keith Caputo and former Elektra and Geffen Records A&R executive Michael Alago, who "discovered and nurtured METALLICA" in addition to signing such acclaimed acts as WHITE ZOMBIE, METAL CHURCH, SPEEDEALER and LOCAL H. The book, in which they share poems, observations and rants, emerged out of their long-standing friendship and their love of the French Decadent Movement (Rimbaud, Baudelaire), the Beat Poets (Ginsberg, Burroughs and Ferlinghetti) as well as American artists such as Charles Bukowski, Jim Morrison and Patti Smith.
This is the first of many collaborations as Michael and Keith are already working on a second book, tentatively titled "Today Is The Day".
Michael and Keith will be touring Europe and the U.S. At each show, they will be reading the entire book, which will also be available for sale and signed after the show.
The first dates are as follows:
Oct. 30 - Netherlands - Utrecht, Tivoli
Oct. 31 - Germany - Haldern, Haldernpop Bar
Nov. 01 - Germany - Cologne, Blue Shell
Nov. 02 - Germany - Wiesbaden, Kulturpalast
Nov. 03 - Germany - Munich, Feierwerk
Nov. 04 - Germany - Dresden, Filmtheater Schauburg
Nov. 05 - Germany - Berlin, Roter Salon
Nov. 06 - Germany - Hamburg, Frau Hedi
The long-awaited reissue of NINE INCH NAILS' debut album, "Pretty Hate Machine", will hit stores and digital retailers on November 22 via UMe and Bicycle Music Group.
Mainman Trent Reznor and sound engineer Tom Baker have remastered the LP to make for "a greatly improved sonic experience." In addition, Rob Sheridan "reinterpreted Gary Talpas' original cover to make for a fresh new package," Reznor wrote on the NINE INCH NAILS web site.
He added, "It's been an interesting trip watching the fate of this record float from one set of hands to another (a long and depressing story) but it's finally wound up in friendly territory, allowing us to polish it up a bit and present it to you now. We had fun revisiting this old friend, hope you enjoy."
"Pretty Hate Machine" was originally released on the now-defunct TVT Records.
The new version will include a bonus song, a cover of QUEEN's "Get Down, Make Love".
"Pretty Hate Machine" reissue track listing:
01. Head Like A Hole
02. Terrible Lie
03. Down In It
04. Sanctified
05. Something I Can Never Have
06. Kinda I Want To
07. Sin
08. That's What I Get
09. The Only Time
10. Ringfinger
11. Get Down, Make Love
Frontiers Records has set a December 3 release date for JEFF SCOTT SOTO's double live album, "Live at Firefest 2008".
Firefest has become a pivotal event in the melodic rock season in Europe. Born from the ashes of the Gods of AOR festival, Firefest started in 2004 and not only did it continue the tradition of Europe's finest melodic rock/AOR festivals, but exceeded all previous expectations.
Jeff Scott Soto performed at the Gods festival in 2002, putting on an amazing show that was captured on a live CD/DVD. So when the call came to Jeff about the new and continued version of this proven festival, he wasted no time in answering, "Of course!"
But not all good things come easily… "Unfortunately, the date clashed with my commitments touring with the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA in the U.S. for their annual winter tour," recalls Jeff. "This meant a week of 12-hour rehearsals in the U.S., leaving on a Friday to land in London on a Saturday morning, bee-line it up to Nottingham for four hours in traffic, meet with the band for 30 minutes, as they were wrapping up the ONLY rehearsal we had prior to the show (the last time we had played together was nearly a year prior!), straight to the venue and onstage within the next hour!"
But once onstage, the warmth of the crowd and the energy transmitted by the electricity of the event was such that Jeff and his band stormed through the 70-minute set like gangbusters! It was the first time the songs from the "Beautiful Mess" album were performed in Europe and the last show the original JEFF SCOTT SOTO band — featuring Howie Simon on guitar, Dave Dzialak on drums and Gary Schutt on bass — played together.
In Soto's words: "Here it is in all its glory, a little extra something for you all to help me remember this wonderful night of music and memories."
"Live at Firefest 2008" track listing:
CD1:
01. 21st Century
02. Colour My XTC (prelude)
03. Soul Divine
04. Drowning
05. Our Song
06. DD Solo
07. Guitar Jam
08. Mountain
09. Eyes Of Love
10. Testify
11. Broken Man
CD2:
01. Hey
02. Crazy
03. Piano Medley (If This Is The End, Nobody Said It Was Easy, 4 U)
04. Gin & Tonic Sky
05. I'll Be Waiting
06. Funky Medley (Play That Funky Music, Jungle Boogie, The Roof Is On Fire, Brick House, Shake Your Booty, Kung Fu Fighting, Yo Baby Yo, Macho Man, Ice Ice Baby, Stayin' Alive, Another One Bites The Dust, Walk This Way, My Love, My Friend)
Co-vocalist Richard Sjunnesson will sit out SONIC SYNDICATE's upcoming European tour "for family and personal reasons" and will be temporarily replaced by longtime friend Christoffer Andersson. The group states, "[Christoffer is] well rehearsed, more than qualified and ready to kick ass with us every night!"
SONIC SYNDICATE has been hard at work preparing a setlist of a lifetime, has acquired a "wicked road and sound crew," and has added some surprises to its live show to make this a memorable tour for everyone, according to a press release.
SONIC SYNDICATE's "Turn It Up" video can be viewed below. The clip was allegedly banned from Facebook for violating the popular social-networking site's terms and conditions (which includes agreeing not to post "obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit photos, as well as any photos that depict graphic violence"). In addition, the band's official Facebook profile was deleted and the "Turn It Up" clip was removed from YouTube due to its "offensive content."
"Turn It Up" comes off SONIC SYNDICATE's new album, "We Rule The Night", which was released in Europe on August 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Bohus Sound studios in Kungälv, Sweden with producer Toby Wright, who has previously worked with KORN, SLAYER, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KISS, FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES, STONE SOUR and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others.
In addition to the album's standard version, "We Rule The Night" was made available in a limited-edition digipack featuring two bonus songs and a DVD.
ASPHYX, D-A-D and CRASHDIET have been confirmed for next year's edition of Bang Your Head!!! festival, set to take place July 15-16, 2011 in Balingen, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ASPHYX
CRASHDIET
D-A-D
IMMORTAL
OVERKILL
STORMWARRIOR
Launched in 1996, the Bang Your Head!!! festival has become one of the most prominent metal festivals in central Germany, drawing an audience of thousands from all over the world.
For more information, visit www.bang-your-head.de.
Music-Photocalypse.net conducted an interview with vocalist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR when the band played in Helsinki, Finland on October 15, 2010. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Music-Photocalypse.net: You have opened a new page in the band's history after ICS Vortex and Mustis were given the sack. Was this something that absolutely had to be done in order for the band to go through all the recent innovations?
Shagrath: Based on the fact that there were a lot of changes through the last year in the band, and we are a band [that] always wants to take things into new directions anyway; we would have done that with those people or not. It's a decision we have been thinking [about] before for a long time. We were all about evolving into new directions. We're never afraid of trying out new stuff: wearing [white] is very different from the regular bands in the same genre. But we stick out anyway. We're not merely a black metal band; we're so much more than that. We take the freedom to express ourselves exactly the way we want to, without any other people's approval.
Music-Photocalypse.net: Speaking about atmosphere: DIMMU BORGIR is not just about music, it's also about all those theatrics and visual images.
Shagrath: We originally come from the black metal genre and also the music we have grown up listening to — which is very much '80s heavy metal bands that had a very strong image — and that's how it should be, we think. I mean, the music itself stands on its own feet, but to give people something that kind of relates to the music is very important. And visual aspects always go hand in hand with the music. I grew up listening to bands like KISS, and if I go to a concert and see a band, I want to see a show. If it's just about listening to the music, then I'll just stay at home and listen to the record. So yeah, the visual aspects are extremely important.
Music-Photocalypse.net: So was the new white image mostly your idea?
Shagrath: Yeah, it was my idea in the beginning, but it kind of developed into a certain direction. Based on the fact that we are Norwegians, we also wanted to capture some of the aspects of the so-called Nordic "caveman" type of look, to keep that within the music, I think it's important. So it's done in extreme way. Nobody pays any attention to black anymore, because everybody wears the same shit: same spikes and the same bullet belts, same make up. We've been around for over 17 years and it's always good to make the changes. When I represented the ideas [to] the people, they were not too [much] into it at first, so we had to make the first costumes and that was shown to everybody. Then they said, "Yes! That's the way we're gonna do it." Maybe for the next album we're gonna do something completely different again, there are no limits.
Music-Photocalypse.net: It was announced in the news that Snowy Shaw from THERION joined DIMMU BORGIR and then one day later he left the band. Did he just drop by to pick up some good ideas from you or what?
Shagrath: Don't trust the news. (laughs)
Music-Photocalypse.net: That's why I am asking you.
Shagrath: A lot of people ask questions like that. We have never made an official statement that we have any new members in the band. We are three members in DIMMU BORGIR and the other people are just hired to do a job, which was also the case with him. We hired him to play bass on the record. That's it. There's no story behind anything, he's never been a member of DIMMU BORGIR, he was paid to play on the record. That's it, simple and easy. [If you just listen to people], that's how one feather becomes three chickens.
Music-Photocalypse.net: You have probably heard a lot of black metal fans say that DIMMU BORGIR had sold out and became just another commercial band. What would be your answer to these people?
Shagrath: I would just say "Fuck off!" They don't have any idea what they're speaking about. First of all we are very hard-working people, we are very much dedicated to what we do and you can see the result of that. All those whining bitches who shout, "Oh, fucking sellouts," all those bands who do that, for how long are they out [there]? One or two years and then they disappear, fade out. We've been into this business now for over 17 years and more. And nobody can come and tell me that we sold out or whatever. What's fucking wrong with selling records? That's based on the work you do. It's just a bunch of bullshit and I don't think they know what they're talking about. It just doesn't make any sense [what they say]; there are so many stupid people out there.
Washington, D.C. metallers DARKEST HOUR will embark on a five-date Australian tour in January with support from CARNIFEX. Tickets go on sale November 12 at 9 a.m.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 04 - The Hi-Fi - Brisbane, Australia
Jan. 05 - The Factory Theatre - Sydney, Australia
Jan. 06 – Wagga:Open:Air – Music Bowl, Wagga Wagga, Australia
Jan. 07 - The Hi-Fi - Melbourne, Australia
Jan. 08 - Fowlers Live - Adelaide, Australia
Jan. 09 - Amplifier Bar - Perth, Australia
DARKEST HOUR recently entered a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers to begin recording its new album for an early 2011 release via eOne Music.
This time around, the DARKEST HOUR songs were composed a bit differently than was the case in the past. Schleibaum explains, "We have been working on these tunes ever since we left the studio last April.
"'The Eternal Return' was written during a very dark, bleak time for the band and I think that record matches that in both tone and character. Our vision was for it to be an in-your-face, no-frills aggressive assault. The new material shares in that aggression and pushes DARKEST HOUR beyond the unknown."
Wichers, who has previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast", states, "I am very exited to work alongside the DARKEST HOURS guys, and I know from hearing some of their new material that it will be a killer [record]."
Swedish heavy metallers PORTRAIT will enter Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden in mid-November to begin recording their second full-length album, "Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae". Tentatively due in early 2011 via Metal Blade Records, the CD will feature cover artwork by Rok (SADISTIK EXEKUTION) and a guest appearance by Kimmo Kuusniemi from Finnish cult act SARCOFAGUS.
PORTRAIT's latest release was the "The Murder Of All Things Righteous" EP, which came out earlier this year via High Roller. The effort was recorded at Berno Studio in Malmö, Sweden.
PORTRAIT is:
Per Karlsson - Vocals
Christian Lindell - Guitar
Richard Lagergren - Guitar
Erik Jansson - Bass
Anders Persson - Drums
For more information, visit www.portraitband.se.
Finnish metal group TERÄSBETONI — which represented Finland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest — will release its fourth album, "Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita" (English translation: "The World Needs Heroes"), on November 24 via Sakara Records. The CD was recorded in part at HIP Studios in Helsinki, Finland with producers Juha Heininen and Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, THE 69 EYES, LORDI, SENTENCED, APOCALYPTICA).
"Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita" track listing:
01. Myrsky nousee
02. Metalliolut
03. Maailma tarvitsee sankareita
04. Jumalten usva
05. Mies
06. Tunnemme sinut
07. Uudestisyntynyt
08. Thanatos
09. Konstantinopoli
10. Eteenpäin
11. Gloria
Check out the cover artwork below.
Hiilesmaa produced the last two albums from TERÄSBETONI, "Vaadimme metallia" and "Myrskyntuoja", both of which were certified gold in Finland.
TERÄSBETONI's debut LP, "Metallitotuus", was certified platinum in Finland and was honored in the "Metal Album of the Year" category at the annual Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent).
TERÄSBETONI was asked to participate in the Finnish Eurovision qualification of 2008. The band won the public's vote with the song "Missä Miehet Ratsastaa" ("Where All The Men Ride Forth"), from their then-newly-released "Myrskyntuoja" album and proceeded to represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia. TERÄSBETONI went through to the Eurovision Song Contest final and had the prestigious experience of performing for over 100 million viewers!
TERÄSBETONI is:
Jarkko Ahola - Vocals, Bass
Arto Järvinen - Guitar, Vocals
Viljo Rantanen - Guitar
Jari Kuokkanen - Drums
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/ternewcd.jpg
SUICIDE SILENCE's October 28 concert at Soma in San Diego, California and October 29, 2010 show at the Glass House in Pomona, California will be filmed for a forthcoming DVD, according to recent tweets from singer Mitch Lucker.
SUICIDE SILENCE will release a "tour edition" version of their latest album, "No Time To Bleed", in time for the band's European tour with with AS I LAY DYING and HEAVEN SHALL BURN. The new expanded version of the CD will include two rare remixes as well as a full-length bonus DVD.
Bonus content:
* "Wake Up" (Shawn "Clown" Crahan Remix)
* "Disengage" (Big Chocolate Remix)
Bonus DVD:
* 8 live clips
* All 3 promotional videos from "No Time To Bleed"
* 15-minute "No Time To Bleed" track-by-track breakdown
The set comes in an O-card with additional booklet pages and the original North American cover.
"No Time To Bleed" will be released via Century Media Records on the following dates:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: Friday, October 29
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, November 2
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, November 3
Rest Of Europe: Monday, November 1
On June 29, SUICIDE SILENCE reissued the "No Time To Bleed" album in the U.S. as a special "body bag" edition featuring a bonus DVD containing never-before-seen live performance footage.
"No Time To Bleed" sold 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort was made available on June 30, 2009 in a number of different versions.
Deluxe editions of the "Into Eternity" and "Bitterness" albums from reunited Swedish death metallers DESULTORY will be made available via Singapore's Pulverised Records. Initially released via Metal Blade Records in 1993 and 1994, respectively, each record represents an important contribution to Swedish extreme metal history.
To commemorate these two landmark offerings, both discs will be released together with bonus tracks from three DESULTORY demos circa '90 - '91. In addition, each record, originally produced by renowned Sunlight Studio owner/producer Tomas Skogsberg, will be remastered by multi-instrumentalist/producer Dan Swanö at Unisound Studio in Sweden.
Said Swanö of the undertaking: "I've been re-mastering DESULTORY's demos and first two full-lengths. The play time is more than 80 minutes! All the material has been restored to fit nicely together in the same playlist, and it's amazing how much a few small tweaks can change the overall sound from 'demo' to 'album.' A funny anecdote is that I 'forced' the band to go to the home of Tomas Skogsberg in the middle of nowhere and pick up the original DAT tapes of the demos. Maximum quality achieved!"
The front covers and inside booklets have all bean tweaked with a subtle redesign by Greek graphic artist Anestis Goudas of Derz Design (ROTTING CHRIST, I.C.S Vortex, Shagrath) and detailed liner notes by Terrorizer magazine writer Olivier "Zoltar" Badin, with special assistance from DESULTORY frontman/guitarist Klas Morberg.
Commented Morberg: "When I wrote these lines in late September 2010, it was exactly 21 years since the DESULTORY journey began back in 1989. As we're now writing a new chapter in our history by releasing the new album, we would also like to tell the complete story of the past.
"We're really happy to be with Pulverised Records and are able to re-release these records, both brilliantly remastered by Dan Swanö. So, for all of you who've been with us from the start and anyone else who wants to know how it all began...Here it is. Enjoy!"
"Into Eternity" reissue track listing:
01. Into Eternity
02. Depression
03. Tears
04. The Chill Within
05. Visions
06. Twisted Emotions
07. Forever Gone
08. Passed Away
09. Asleep
"Bitterness" reissue track listing:
01. Life Shatters
02. Left Behind
03. A Closing Eye
04. Taste Of Tragedy
05. Bleeding
06. Among Mortals
07. Enslaved
08. Winter
09. Cold Bitterness
Bonus tracks:
"From Beyond" (Demo '90)
10. Eternal Darkness
11. The Awakening
12. Cease To Exist
13. Insanity
"Passed Away" (Demo '90)
14. Passed Away
15. The Chill Within
16. Death Unfolds
"Visions" (Demo '91)
17. Forever Gone
18. Depression
19. Visions
DESULTORY lineup:
Klas Morberg - Vocals, Guitars
Håkan Morberg - Guitars
Johan Bolin - Bass
Thomas Johnson – Drums
German death metallers DISBELIEF have recruited drummer Corny Althammer (AHAB, DEADEYEDSLEEPER) and guitarist Wolfgang Rothbauer (IN SLUMBER, THIRD MOON). In addition, Alex Hagenauer (SOUL DEMISE) will join DISBELIEF as a session member on the band's upcoming "Christmas Metal Tour" with SIX FEET UNDER, LIES and HASTUR in December.
Drummer Kai Bergerin recently left DISBELIEF due to "private" reasons which make it "impossible" for him to embark on long tours. Guitarist Witali Weber, on the other hand, exited the group "because of personal differences."
DISBELIEF'd 20th-anniversary album, "Heal", was released on May 21 via Massacre Records. The CD contains eight songs, including three cover versions and a remake of the classic track "Shine". The first album to be recorded and mixed by the DISBELIEF members themselves, "Heal" also features four original compositions which "are meant to be a tribute to bands who influenced us a lot over those two decades concerning their music and attitude!!" according to the group.
"Heal" was released with a bonus DVD containing footage of a complete DISBELIEF show from the Walpurgis Metal Days in 2009.
DISBELIEF's "Protected Hell" album was released in April 2009 via Massacre Records. The LP, which was recorded at MX studio in Buchen, Germany with producer Michael Mainx, was made available as a limited-edition digipack and regular jewel case CD.
Spain's UNCONSECRATED rise from the grave to deliver a brand new seven-inch vinyl EP courtesy of Dark Descent Records. "Slave To The Grave" delivers four original tracks of bludgeoning, skull-fracturing death metal with a thundering guitar tone and gut-ripping vocals reminiscent of the Swedish death metal glory days!
Limited to only 500 copies, "Slave To The Grave" will be unearthed on October 31. Pre-orders are being taken now at DarkDescent.net.
Of the 500 copies being pressed, 100 will be on green vinyl with gold/yellow opaque swirl and be available exclusively through the Dark Descent Records webstore and 400 copies will be on pitch black vinyl.
"Slave To The Grave" track listing:
Side A
01. Buried In The Crypt
02. Exhumating Profaned Flesh
Side B
01. Slave To The Grave
02. Breath Of Desolation (Outro)
One track from the EP, "Buried in the Crypt", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
RADIANCE, the solo project of Sami Raatikainen (NECROPHAGIST, ex-CODEON), has released its debut album, "The Burning Sun". The conceptual effort consists of a single 49-minute song and features guest vocalists Mats Levén (KRUX, ex-THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Noora Häkkinen (NORADRENALINE). The album was produced, mixed and mastered by Sami Raatikainen.
The entire CD is available for streaming and digital purchase at music.radiance.fi.
"The Burning Sun" track listing:
01. Lambda 475
02. The Burning Sun
03. Lambda 610
04. 0
05. Downward Spiral
06. Lambda 690
07. Conclusion
Sami Raatikainen joined NECROPHAGIST in 2006 and has since played numerous tours with the band around the globe.
For more information, visit www.radiance.fi.
The members of Norway's renowned progressive/psychedelic black metal band ENSLAVED have announced the winners of their first-ever video contest. Fans around the world were asked to create and submit a video for the track "Ethica Odini" from the band's Billboard-charting new album "Axioma Ethica Odini", which was released in Europe on September 27 and in North America on September 28.
Guitarist/songwriter Ivar Bjørnson comments on the competition: "First and foremost we wish to thank everybody who has taken part in this contest. We have seen many exciting visual interpretations of our musical and conceptual universe; some of them stood out from the rest and we are really happy to announce the three winners of the competition. Also, we would like to take the opportunity to apologize for the delay in announcing the results. We have simply been outmaneuvered by touring and poor internet access on our touring trek throughout the last month. Thank you for your patience, and hope you will enjoy watching our new videos as much as we do!"
Vocalist/bassist/lyricist Grutle Kjellson adds: "Thanks a lot to all you great people that used your talent, passion and precious time on this contest! You should know that we are very proud of you all, and that we really appreciate your efforts! You are not afraid to bleed, not afraid to dream!"
The members of ENSLAVED have awarded first place to Luka Bajt (LookaB) from Slovenia. View the video below.
Clean vocalist/keyboard player Herbrand Larsen comments on the winning video: "[It] is original. It's not a typical metal video and originality is always appreciated. It uses elements from the [album] cover, both shapes and colors… something that connects the video with the aesthetics used in the cover [art]. Speed and motion suits the riffs and the tempo in the song. I'm very impressed, especially thinking of the pressure of time all the directors had to work under."
Drummer Cato B. adds: "The winning video had a clear concept and a defined script, and [it] also carried along some elements from the album cover. In addition, the video captured the mood of the song, plus was original and well-crafted. Congrats, Luka!"
Lead guitarist Ice Dale further comments: "I liked the atmosphere in the video and the way it affected the song. It reminded me of the TOOL videos which are personal favorites of mine. The use of colors from the cover artwork was also cool and gave it the right vibe. The video stands out from the rest and deserves to be the video for 'Ethica Odini'! Well done and congratulations!!!"
Luka's winning entry will be branded as an "official" video for "Ethica Odini" and featured the band's official YouTube channel. In addition, ENSLAVED will use the video in a live setting. Luka Bajt will also receive:
* ALL VERSIONS of "Axioma Ethica Odini", including the limited-edition wooden box, autographed by the band.
* A special "thank you" video from ENSLAVED.
* Two guest list spots + a meet-and-greet session with ENSLAVED at a live concert.
* Band merchandise.
Second place has been awarded to Gildo Iacovella (TheSpiral8) from Italy. View the video here.
Gildo's winning entry will be branded as an "official" video for "Ethica Odini" and featured the band's official YouTube channel. Gildo Iacovella will also receive:
* A special "thank you" video from ENSLAVED.
* Two guest list spots + a meet-and-greet session with ENSLAVED at a live concert.
* Band merchandise.
Third place has been awarded to Miller Arias (Hammerheart) from Colombia. View the video here.
Miller's winning entry will be branded as an "official" video for "Ethica Odini" and featured the band's official YouTube channel. Miller Arias will also receive:
* A special "thank you" video from ENSLAVED.
* Band merchandise.
Vocalist Jason Peppiatt of Tasmania's technical death metallers PSYCROPTIC will be unable to accompany the band on its upcoming U.S. tour with NILE, EX DEO, KEEP OF KALESSIN and PATHOLOGY due to the imminent arrival of his newborn son. He will be temporarily replaced by Zdenek Simecek (GODLESS TRUTH).
"A month or so after we confirmed the U.S. tour, I was greeted with the excellent news that I would be a new father, halfway through the tour no less," commented Peppiatt. "Since I could not miss the birth, and I couldn't exactly drive from the U.S. to Tasmania, I talked it through with the rest of the guys and decided to ask Zdenek in to fill for the last tour of the 'Ob(servant)' album for me.
"Zdenek has been a longtime friend of the band and is a super-talented vocalist, so I'm happy to have him in my shoes for this run.
"I'll be working hard demoing the new material while at home (as well as changing nappy's), and I'll see you all in 2011!"
PSYCROPTIC's latest album, "Ob(Servant)", was released in Europe on September 26, 2008 and in North America on October 14, 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2006's "Symbols of Failure" was mixed and mastered by former MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader (DIVINE HERESY, GOJIRA) and was recorded once again by guitarist Joe Haley.
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