(RTTNews) - Eric Clapton was voted the top guitar hero at this week's Guitar Nation Live show in London. The poll was taken at a booth hosted by instrument insurance company Allianz Musical Insurance.
"It's great to see that the U.K. still has a strong rock star tradition," Allianz's Claims Manager Robin Stagg told the press.
Two more U.K. natives, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, also made it into the top 5. The top 5 guitarists in the poll were Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Chuck Berry.
Clapton will have the opportunity to prove that he still deserves the title when he goes on tour in the U.K. next year. Slowhand will play shows in Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and Cardiff before participating in a six-night residency at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Robert Plant doesn't want to reform Led Zeppelin because he has moved on with his music.
Robert Plant would rather listen to wailing Berber music than reform Led Zeppelin.
The 'Black Dog' singer dissolved the rock band after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980 and despite frequently being approached about reforming with the group's remaining surviving members - Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones - for a full tour he always turns them down.
The musician insists he is more interested in working on other projects - such as playing with nomadic Berber and Tuareg musicians from the tribes of North Africa.
He said: "It's almost as if people can't see that I have other projects. It's like a woman with white heels and a pencil skirt passing by will attract my eyes, but most will miss it completely.
"But yes, some shrieking Berber music, blues musician Charley Patton, paying your own way to the Sahara to sing - it's insane. But if you want to play with the Tuareg, you've got to get there."
Long-haired Plant - who has a particularly large vocal range and is able to hit particularly high notes - also said the people of the tribes viewed him in a particularly strange way when he went to sing with them, and they weren't too sure of his gender.
He added: "A radio presenter interviewed some of the Tuareg guys and asked them what they thought of me. They said they weren't really sure whether I was a woman or not.
"The whole idea of it was great, their response wasn't that the songs were good, but about the gender of the guy singing them."
"Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio", the revealing memoir of the heavy metal master, will be published in the spring of 2012 via MTV Books.
With nearly five decades of worldwide success and album sales in the tens of millions as the front man of ELF, RAINBOW, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, and, most recently, HEAVEN & HELL, Ronnie James Dio grabbed the mic, took the stage, and led a movement whose influence resonates to this day. In "Rainbow In The Dark", Dio himself will introduce the reader to this incredible life and the over 50 photographs included will provide readers with an unprecedented all-access pass to the rock concert of a lifetime.
The late singer's widow and manager, Wendy Dio revealed in a recent interview that Ronnie James Dio's memoir was three-quarters written before the singer's death and that she has until June 2011 to finish it so that it could be released the following spring.
"Everything Ronnie did, lyrics or anything, was always handwritten," Wendy told VH1 Classic Rock Nights. "He didn't do anything on the computer. So he would handwrite it and then he'd give it to me and then I'd give it to my assistant, she'd type it up. So that's how it went and, of course, I'd read it along the way and it's very, very interesting. It's just interesting the way his stories are; he was a storyteller. Ronnie was always a storyteller and it's just great stories."
"Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio" was sold at auction to Jacob Hoye, Senior Director of Publishing at MTV Books, by Shawna Morey, in her first deal at Folio Literary Management, LLC.
Renowned for his powerful, hard-driving vocals, Dio lends that unique voice to recount his extraordinary journey from early pioneer in a burgeoning music movement to his undisputed reign atop the heavy metal landscape. He was born in a time and to a family so far removed from the hard-rocking world he would dominate for nearly five decades, but his unbounded passion and peerless talent broke barriers and legitimized heavy metal as an alternative art form. His creative genius made him a legend.
During his life, Dio drew on the energy and devotion of millions of fans from around the world for the strength to create, entertain, and give back. In his death, he leaves us with his own voice and his own story to edify and inspire. He also leaves us perhaps his most important legacy, the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up and Shout" Cancer Fund, a non-profit founded by Wendy Dio, to fund and advocate for cancer research and screenings for society's underprivileged.
On May 16, 2010, the day Dio finally succumbed after a lengthy battle with cancer, the music stopped and the curtains were drawn. "Rainbow In The Dark" will open those curtains and reignite the band.
GRAND RAPIDS — At 59, Rob Halford is "still the heavy metal rock 'n' roll gypsy."
That means the frontman for Halford and lead singer for the legendary Judas Priest continues to savor his nights on stage, revving up fans who regard him as "the metal god," even if it takes grueling hours in a tour bus just to get there.
"I'll tell you what's the biggest kick for me is to walk into a cold arena, and all those people have been outside and they're bundled up, and they're ready for a great night of entertainment," he said in a recent phone interview during a Montreal tour stop, after traveling 1,500 miles across Canada from Winnipeg.
"If you can connect in that environment, obviously it's like a green light to say your music is working. ... It's the best feeling in the world."
Touring behind his band's highly praised new studio album, "Halford IV: Made of Metal," Halford has been opening dates on Ozzy Osbourne's North American tour, which stops Tuesday at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena.
"This has been real joy. I wish I could keep doing it," Halford said of linking up with the "Prince of Darkness," something the two metal icons first discussed at last summer's OzzFest. After completing this leg of Ozzy's tour, Halford plans to rejoin Judas Priest early next year for the British metal band's extensive world tour.
Until then, though, he's enjoying the "real bonus" of solo shows with his band — Roy Z, Mike Davis, Bob Jarzombek and Mike Chlasciak — playing older classics as well as new songs from his latest album. Some of those new tunes, including "Like There's No Tomorrow" and "Thunder and Lightning," have gotten a "tremendous reaction" from audiences.
"The music is very adventurous, but it's very simple and direct and straightforward. It's got all the great elements of rock 'n' roll," he said, adding the band may even trot out a Christmas song from 2009's "Winter Songs" album for its December shows.
"I've had a remarkable life in this business ... and to me, the two most exciting things are writing new songs and performing them on stage. The electricity from both of those has never left me. That's what I think keeps me going because, internally, I know there's another song to be written and another show to be done."
Strong voice
It helps that the U.K. singer's versatile voice seems as strong as ever, something he attributes to getting more rest and using in-ear monitors that allow him to hear his voice on stage without screaming or singing louder.
"It used to be, (I was) going crazy and drinking and screaming my head off. I used to have some difficult moments," he conceded. "Now, I approach the whole business about being a singer differently. ... I try to rest my voice as much as I can. Sleep is the big thing. Physical rest is very, very important to singers."
That also allows the self-described "old metal head" to bring more energy to performances to match the liveliness of his bandmates.
"The band is ... red hot right now. They're all over the stage," he said. "It's like Grand Central Station on stage. It's very, very exciting. It's like any band: The more you do it, the more comfortable and confident you are.
"The last thing I want to do is disappoint my fans who've paid their hard-earned cash for tickets. The most important thing is the time you're on stage."
After more than three dozen years in the business — including 16 albums with the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling Judas Priest — Halford credits those "amazing fans" for keeping his music alive and keeping him on the road.
"As I head toward my 60th year, it's pretty amazing," Halford said in a moment of reflection.
"Sometimes you stand there and you wonder how it's all happened. It's absolutely a remarkable story."
KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has joined the "NOH8" campaign, started by American fashion photographer Adam Bouska as a response to Proposition 8, the notorious initiative that passed in 2008 and banned same-sex marriage in California. The "NOH8" campaign is a silent protest made up of photographs that feature their subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Proposition 8 or similar legislation.
The campaign has featured photos of more than 5,500 subjects since launching nearly two years ago, starting with everyday Californians and soon expanding to include politicians, military personnel, law enforcement officers, artists, celebrities, and more.
Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES), Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Gene Simmons (KISS) recently joined the "NOH8" campaign to remind everyone that bullying often starts with a joke.
The anti-bullying PSA (public-service announcement) below addresses the issues of bullying and teen suicide, and how we must act to change the behavior that encourages staggering statistics. Just a few of those statistics are included in our video, as well as a message to those who might have been guilty of bullying at one point or another; whether they were aware or not.
If you or someone you know needs help, call The Trevor Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866.488.7386) or visit TheTrevorProject.org.
Check out the anti-bullying PSA below.
Slash and his wife, Perla Hudson, posted a message on YouTube in 2008 in which they spoke out against Proposition 8 shortly after it was passed.
On November 4, 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response.
The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with "NOH8" painted on one cheek in protest.
The NOH8 Campaign has received overwhelming support from around the world, appearing on various local and national news programs and publications. The images are currently being used on various social networking sites to spread the message of equality, predominantly Facebook and Twitter. Eventually the images are expected to be compiled for a large-scale media campaign.
The NOH8 Campaign is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for marriage equality and anti-discrimination on a global level through an educational and interactive media campaign.
For more information, visit www.noh8campaign.com.
Powerhouse American vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens' (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) joined forces with restaurateur Randy Arehart to re-launch the Tap House on Waterloo Road in Akron, Ohio on October 16 to become a "rockin' sports eatery" named Ripper Owens Tap House. Guests such as Wendy Dio, Simon Wright and Don Jamieson from VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" were in the house that evening and it was a special event for both Owens and Arehart.
"It was a great night," Owens told TheSuburbanite.com. "It took a lot of blood, sweat, and hard work to get to this point, and we are just thankful to have everyone come out and have a good time."
"The JUDAS PRIEST memorabila and the various items Tim's collected over the years add to the decor of the place and it was totally a team effort," Arehart said.
"Tim's wife helped with the design, we each collected sports items, Ripper used his contacts in the music industry to provide him with some of the guitars and other items on the walls and it creates an atmosphere that you wouldn't find in any other local establishment."
Read the entire report from TheSuburbanite.com.
Ripper Owens Tap House
491 East Waterloo Road
Akron, OH 44319
www.ripperowenstaphouse.com
According to Interbridge.com's "The Late Night TV Page", TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider will guest on the Friday, December 10 edition of NBC-TV's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon". The program will air at 12:35 a.m. ET (technically early Saturday morning, December 11).
Snider recently spoke to MTV News about his stint as a cast member of the hit Broadway show "Rock Of Ages".
"The entire situation is completely surreal," Snider said. "Imagine an actual Tyrannosaurus on the set of 'Jurassic Park'. They've got an actual '80s guy in a show about the '80s. I know the people who sing those songs were a little uncomfortable the first few nights."
"The biggest difference between a concert situation and a theater situation is that you can't curse out the audience. I'm used to addressing situations. If something is going on in the house that I don't like at a concert, or if the audience is not energized or enthusiastic — or if they're particularly energized and enthusiastic — I will stop a song just to comment on what's going on. I quickly realized that was unacceptable on Broadway. I just have to stay in character and stay in the show."
"While it's a comedy, it's frighteningly accurate. Especially when it comes to frontmen, and how the rest of the band regards them as complete assholes. And I sit there and feel shame. I was a pompous ass. But I feel better now."
On how he landed the gig:
"I would love to tell you that somebody knocked on the door and said, 'We want you!' But the truth is: I was invited to the premiere of the off-Broadway production, where I saw my two songs in the show, and I turned to my wife and said, 'I want to do that. I could play Dennis Dupree.' So I let it be known, and it took two years to get asked out on that date."
THE CULT and MASTERS OF REALITY have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Dauwpop festival, set to take place June 2, 2011 in Hellendoorn, The Netherlands. Also scheduled to appear on the bill is BLOOD RED SHOES.
The so called "early-bird" tickets will go on sale on Saturday, December 4.
For more information, visit www.dauwpop.nl.
Here at RockandMetalnews.com we jumped at the chance to catch up with HELLYEAHs Chad Gray, straight after playing 2 sold out nights in London with Stone Sour and Avenged Sevenfold.
We caught up with HELLYEAH frontman Chad Gray, at Universal studios, discussing all things Metal, basically, Girls, Party, Beer, Tour Buses, the HELLYEAH way
HELLYEAH.com Website
RMN – "How were the last two nights in London, did you guys have a good time playing to the UK crowds?"
Chad Gray – We had an awesome few nights, unbelievable, the crowds are fantastic here.
RMN – "How did the tour come about with Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour?"
Chad Gray – Coming from Mudvayne, our first 8 months of touring was with Slipknot. I've known those guys since around 2000. We did a festival this summer in America with Stone Sour and Avenged Sevenfold, we hung out, got drunk and something came up and we ended up putting it together.
RMN – "How are you guys all travelling about, do you all share a tour bus, or are you all private individuals, travelling separately?"
Chad Gray – Privacy doesn't exist on the road, its 13 dudes on the bus. We are all together the whole band and crew, we roll as a team. We wholly enjoy being around each other, our band and crew, were all friends a big family. I think that's what were trying to put out there with our music too. The hour a day that we get to play is really bringing the fellowship together.
RMN – "So being on the road with Stone Sour and Avenged Sevenfold and yourselves HellYeah, which band parties the hardest?"
Chad Gray – That's a no brainer, HellYeah wins that one.
We kind a travel in a big haze, we drink a lot. Once again that's the vibe we try to bring. There's so much tension in the world now and worry with the economy, especially in America. What our music is trying to promote is self indulgence, were trying to bring back the good time vibe. We promote living in the moment, live every day like it's your last, enjoy your life. Everyone needs a release and that's what HellYeahs here to do.
CHAD GRAY
RMN – It's so refreshing to hear you guys, like to have a good time, have a beer and like to party. You talk to a lot of musicians now days that have stopped drinking, not really optimizing Rock N Roll, which we all love to, read about?"
Chad Gray – You don't want to look back with regret, that I didn't live my life to the fullest. It doesn't come down to money its all about attitude. I think there are misconceptions with musicians, they think that everyone's a Rockstar with a Ferrari parked in the garage. Than aint me, iam not a Rockstar iam a touring musician. What Ive got, ive worked hard for.
RMN – "This year you played Download Festival in the UK, how did that go?"
Chad Gray – That was awesome, at Download we played to about 30,000 people. This tour has been amazing for us, our hats off to Stone Sour and Avenged sevenfold, for giving us this opportunity. Out hats also off to our fans in the UK and all around the world.
RMN – "Being all from different bands Pantera, Mudvayne, Nothingface, how long did it take for the chemistry to form and become HellYeah?"
Chad Gray - It took us 7 years to do it, ive been a fan of Pantera since 1991, I didn't know Vince (Vinnie Paul) at all, I has a 15 minute conversation with him on the phone and 3 weeks later I was on plane going down to see him. The first night we got drunk, went to dinner the next day we were in the studio. We were in the studio for a week, we wrote 7 songs in the first 8 days that we were together. He needed to get back to music and me Tom and Greg needed to do something else. The first record was an experiment. We didn't know if we were going to be able to write anything. Sure enough a week later we had 7 songs.
RMN – "How about the second record "Stampede"
Chad Gray – The second time we knew each other a thousand times better, we were on the road and we had that family time and we became a family. There was a natural drive in us, to get the record written and recorded so we could get back on the road. Stampede took us a month and a half to write and produce, it's so easy for us to work together, and we don't butte heads. The whole time were doing this the grill is going, were drinking and hanging out with instruments, its like going to a party and coming out with a song.
RMN – "As a vocalist who do you aspire to, what made you wan to be in a Rock Band"
Chad Gray – I was introduced to great music at a young age, Sabbath, Foghat, all like this 70s stuff, from my mum playing music around the house. . I was a huge Metallica fan early Hetfield was awesome; I was always into heavier stuff. I was kind of a recluse the class clown, I always had long hair, being that guy can sometimes be lonely; I found music was therapeutic to me. I didn't start singer until I was 17/18
RMN – "What was the name of the first band you were ever in?"
Chad Gray – I was in a band called Nocturnal, it was a Metal covers band, like Exodus "Toxic Waltz", and we did some Megadeth some Metallica. We use to cover Pantera "Rise", it was just dudes having fun. We never took it too seriously, not till later with Mudvayne.
RMN –" Listening to Stampede is a real mix of songs, not just in one vein. "
Chad Gray - Unintentionally that's what we were going for, this goes back to the honesty of the band. We've got songs like Polerider and Stampede, is a very versatile record, probably the most versatile ive ever done lyrically. I never had written a song about a girl, a stripper!
RMN – "What's happening next for you guys next year?"
Chad Gray – Were already trying to start making plans to get back to Europe, Australia, and South East Asia. We want to continue the ground work what we have made
RMN - "Is it possible you might be doing a headlining tour in your own right?"
I think it would be awesome, yeah, were defiantly hopefully coming back for Download or possible Sonisphere. We need to come back and continue building the wall.
RMN - "Any Talk of a new album? "
I'm in get on the bus mode at the moment, but when we work, we work pretty quick, it's a matter of us getting together with instruments, having a BBQ grill and a bunch of beer.
With Thanks to Chad Gray, The Noise Cartel and Universal.
Interview Sophie Kaye
Legendary doomsters TROUBLE will play their first show of 2011 at the Bottom Lounge in their hometown of Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, January 22.
TROUBLE is currently working on material for a new studio album, tentatively due next year. The band recently stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the new CD, "[We are] extremely happy with the direction of the songs. Heavy and melodic are the words that describe this work."
In a 2009 interview with Hellbound, TROUBLE guitarist Bruce Franklin stated about the band's forthcoming album, singer Kory Clarke's (WARRIOR SOUL) debut with the group, "There's some stuff like some of the first album — 'Psalm 9' album stuff — and then there's some of the heavy groove stuff, like in the more recent years we've done, and there might be a couple songs that sound even maybe a little bit different than stuff we've done. I don't mean radically different — it's still gonna sound like TROUBLE. It isn't like we've written a couple of songs that don't sound anything like TROUBLE. Maybe it's because with Kory singing it sounds a little different. I think it's going to be a good mix. It's definitely going to have some pretty heavy stuff. It's not the more commercial side of TROUBLE."
He added, "In the early days I'd probably write a lot of the music and there'd be a few songs we'd write together as a band in some cases. Then, in '90s-era TROUBLE we would have that same aspect and then Eric [Wagner, former singer] might have an acoustic song and then that we would take and kind of embellish it and make it more of a song as a band, and that was some stuff we started doing later on. As for this record, this may be the most songs that Rick's [Wartell, guitar] ever had of his on an album — basically Rick's written about half and I've written about half of what's gonna be the new record. So it will be different in that respect."
Berlin, Germany's PitCam Production and More-Metal.com have posted professionally filmed, multi-camera video footage of TROUBLE performing the brand new track "Hunters Of Doom", from the group's forthcoming CD, on November 30, 2009 at the Magnet club in Berlin. Watch the clip below.
Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS will celebrate their 25-year anniversary by performing an extra-long, two-and-a-half-hour set at Debaser Medis in Stockholm on December 18. The band's classic debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metalicus", will be played in its entirety for the first time with the original singer Johan Längqvist. In addition, the group has been in the studio recording a couple of cover songs especially for a limited vinyl maxi that will be sold on the evening of the show. A five-CD "Doomology" box will also be available featuring the following:
CD 1: First-ever concert in Jönköping (1987)
CD 2: Buckley Tivoli (1988)
CD 3: Demos for the white album (2003 - 2004)
CD 4: "King Of The Grey Islands" demos with Mats Levén (THERION, KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on vocals
CD : Miscellaneous demos (Johan Längqvist vocal audition for "Chapter VI") and other rarities.
The price will 250 SEK, but a free 50 x 70 show poster will be included.
"Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" was re-released on fat 180-gram blood-red vinyl in numbered gatefold sleeve on June 28 via Peaceville Records. The gatefold sleeve features the original artwork (red text and skull not white as on the CD) on a matt-laminated sleeve with logo and text on front in spot varnish. It also includes new sleeve notes written by the band.
CANDLEMASS released a new DVD, "Ashes To Ashes - Live", in North America on June 29 via Nuclear Blast Records (April 23 in Europe). The set contains footage of the band's performance at last year's Sweden Rock Festival in front of 30,000 people as well as CANDLEMASS' entire October 2009 concert in Athens, Greece. It also includes a 30-minute interview and two photo galleries. The DVD was released as a CD+DVD, with the Sweden Rock show as the audio CD.
"Death Magic Doom", the latest album from CANDLEMASS, debuted at No. 79 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.
"Death Magic Doom" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 52. The group's previous CD, "King of the Grey Islands", debuted at No. 83 back in June 2007.
Cody Thomas of Revolver magazine recently conducted an interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Revolver: A few years ago, you reunited with [your brother and former SEPULTURA bandmate] Igor to form the CAVALERA CONSPIRACY. You two have a new album, "Blunt Force Trauma", coming out in March. Is it as straightforward as the last album?
Max: Yeah, it's even more. Marc [Rizzo, guitar] was saying, "Some of this shit sounds like CANNIBAL CORPSE." Igor's playing really good. His playing reminds me of when he was in SEPULTURA, top form. Like in "Arise" or "Beneath the Remains", and he was going super-fast and just killer energy from the drums. We wanted to make shorter songs, so a lot of the songs are a-minute-and-a-half or two-minutes long and kind of feel like "Raining Blood" a little bit when you listen to them, which is also different for us. We had one guest song with Roger [Miret] from AGNOSTIC FRONT. He sings in a song called "Lynch Mob" I think he's probably my favorite vocalist out of the whole New York hardcore era.
Revolver: Since we're talking about SEPULTURA, what influenced the beginning of that band?
Max: There was a band in Brazil that made us really want to get serious about starting a band. They were called DORSAL ATLÂNTICA and they were like the Brazilian VENOM. Really heavy, super-Satanic, painted faces, inverted crosses in their forehead and shit. Just crazy shit live. And we were like, "Dude, we've got to get like those guys. Those guys are brutal." That was one of the inspirations that made me go, "If they are Brazilian and they are doing it, then we can do it."
Revolver: SEPULTURA in their current lineup recently announced they'd be playing the album "Arise" in its entirety. But weren't you the primary writer for SEPULTURA around then?
Max: At home I did the same style of writing I do with SOULFLY. I give credit to the guys. Igor came up with a lot of the original beats, like to "Territory". As we got better, he played better. The only musician that didn't improve much at the time was Paulo [Jr., bass]. I think the first album he recorded for was "Roots". Everything else was me and Andreas [Kisser, guitar] doing the bass because he couldn't really play that good. But we were friends, so we were like, "Yeah you can stay in the band, we won't kick you out. When we play, we'll just turn you really down so nobody hears."
Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 4-6, 2011 in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.
The festival billing is now shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
APOCALYPTICA
AVANTASIA
BLIND GUARDIAN
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
KHOLD
MAYHEM
OZZY OSBOURNE
SEPULTURA
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
WARRANT
Wacken Open Air was first held in 1990 as a small event for local German bands. By 1998 the event had become the major festival on the European metal calendar and has included over 70 bands from all over Europe, North America and Australia.
Wacken Open Air is usually held at the beginning of August and lasts three days, during which the festival-goers camp on several large camping grounds surrounding the actual festival area. The 70 or more bands perform across four separate stages over the course of the event.
The 2009 edition of Wacken Open Air set a sales record; it sold out on December 30, 2008. All 70,000 tickets were sold over 200 days before the start of the festival.
Wacken Open Air, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, was honored with a Live Entertainment Award in 2008 in the "Festival Of The Year" category. This award recognizes distinguished achievements in live entertainment and is given out by Live Entertainment Award (LEA) committee.
DREAM THEATER's keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drum great Marco Minnemann appear on the BandCrashers.com platform in a two-hour live online streaming performance on December 15, 2010, from Chicago's premier Plant 10 Studios, at 8 p.m. CST (9 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. PST). The "Musical Mind Meld" features special guest guitarist extraordinaire Daniel Jakubovic who will join Rudess/Minnemann in what is anticipated to be a no-holds-barred improvisational musical excursion through the minds of two of the greatest musicians in the world.
The "Musical Mind Meld" will feature BandCrashers.com's patent-pending multi-camera-angle-adaptive high-def video streaming technology, combined with the real-time-camera-switching user interface, that puts the fan directly in the performance, thereby providing the most innovative, unique and unparalleled live performance experience.
Keyboard magazine voted Rudess 1994's "Best New Talent" and in a career that spans almost three decades, he appears on over 40 other recordings by numerous artists, including David Bowie and the DIXIE DREGS. Since 1999, Jordan Rudess has been an integral member of and creative driving force behind DREAM THEATER, one of the most critically acclaimed progressive hard rock bands in the world with over 10 million units sold. Jordan appears on six DREAM THEATER studio CDs and three DREAM THEATER live CDs and DVDs, and his own eight solo albums, including a complete CD of Christmas music. Jordan will be performing on a vast arsenal of keyboards as well as his Billboard award-winning music creation iPad app, MorphWiz.
Minnemann is revered as one of the most gifted, innovative, and dynamic drummers in the world. His total command of four-way independence is unequaled, and his over-the-top drumming creations are simply mind-boggling. Minnemann's unusual drum kit, which includes an array of multiple foot pedals, gong drum, electronics and unique cymbal configurations, combined with his amazingly extreme interdependence skills, has propelled him to superstar status. He is the winner of numerous awards for his educational drum books and videos and was recently featured on the cover of the prestigious Modern Drummer magazine.
Renowned guitar virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer Daniel Jakubovic, will join Rudess/Minneman. Daniel is the singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band AGAINST THE WALL. Daniel first made a name for himself when Jordan Rudess recruited him to play guitar on his solo album, "Rhythm of Time", with Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore, and Steve Morse.
Fans can watch the performance at either of the following web sites for only $4.99.
* jordanrudess.bandcrashers.com
* marcominnemann.bandcrashers.com
HATEBREED, KREATOR and SICK OF IT ALL have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Paaspop festival, set to take place April 23-24, 2011 in Schijndel, The Netherlands.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
BLØF
DANKO JONES
GOLDEN EARRING
HATEBREED
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES
KREATOR
SICK OF IT ALL
WAYLON
Tickets go on sale on Friday, December 10.
For more information, visit www.paaspop.nl.
Reactivated German thrashers ASSASSIN will release their new album, "Breaking The Silence", on February 25, 2011 via SPV/Steamhammer Records. The CD was recorded with veteran metal producer Harris Johns, who has previously worked with VOIVOD, KREATOR and SODOM, among many others.
"Breaking The Silence" track listing:
01. Breaking the Silence
02. Raise In The Dark
03. Judas
04. Turf War
05. Destroy The State
06. No Fear
07. Kill Or Be Killed
08. Real Friends
09. Strike Back
10. I like Cola
ASSASSIN's spring 2010 concerts in Japan were professionally filmed for a future DVD release.
As previously reported, SPV/Steamhammer will also reissue ASSASSIN's classic LPs, 1987's "The Upcoming Terror" and 1988's "Interstellar Experience".
ASSASSIN reunited in 2002 and performed at the 2003 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival.
The band's third album, "The Club", was self-produced and self-released in 2005.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/assassinbreaking.jpg
Former/current members of such acts as TURBONEGRO, MARILYN MANSON, SATYRICON and EXTOL have joined forces in a new supergroup dubbed DOCTOR MIDNIGHT AND THE MERCY CULT. The band will make its live debut at next year's edition of the Slottsfjell festival, set to take place July 14-16, 2011 in Tønsberg, Norway.
DOCTOR MIDNIGHT AND THE MERCY CULT has already completed work on its debut album, which has been described in a press release as "hard, uncompromising and catchy." A 2011 release is expected.
DOCTOR MIDNIGHT AND THE MERCY CULT is:
* Hank von Helvete (real name: Hans Erik Dyvik Husby) (TURBONEGRO) - Vocals
* Tim Skold (MARILYN MANSON, KMFDM, SHOTGUN MESSIAH) - Bass
* Anders Odden (SATYRICON) - Guitar
* David Husvik (EXTOL) - Drums
* Audun Stengel (APOTYGMA BERZERK) – Guitar
Current TRIPTYKON and former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior has posted the following message on his official blog:
"As Andy Siegrist, CELTIC FROST's manager in the mid-1980s, just pointed out to me in a late-night e-mail, 25 years ago [on November30, 1985] CELTIC FROST played the band's first-ever concert in North America. CELTIC FROST consisted of Reed St. Mark, Martin Eric Ain, and myself at the time, and we had been invited to be part of the then-quite-revolutionary World War III festival at the Paladium in Montreal, Canada, where CELTIC FROST shared the stage with headliners VOIVOD and with POSSESSED, DESTRUCTION and NASTY SAVAGE.
"The festival later attained a somewhat mythical status in metal history, and the week spent in Montreal (CELTIC FROST also played a club show in the city) would forever change our lives. In our collective memory (and this very much includes Andy Siegrist), it will always remain one of the most significant events we were granted to experience while being part of CELTIC FROST.
"And then there also was, of course, the infamous Montreal Airport Baby Oil Massacre."
Victor Bullok (a.k.a. V. Santura), guitarist for such bands as TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS and NONEUCLID, will guest on the forthcoming album from the Egyptian-themed Brazilian doom metal band AMARNA SKY. Entitled "Under Sekhmet's Breath", the CD will be, according to mainman Deni Deathnoise, "heavier, more technical and aggressive" than AMARNA SKY's debut, "Rising Heresy". Other guest musicians schedules to appear on the album are Aziza A. Poggi, frontwoman of American prog-metal act DENDURA, and NILE's Karl Sanders. Songtitles set to appear on the effort include "Liturgy Of Power", "Temple Of Iconoclast", "Pain Empire" and "The Last Scribe".
For more information, visit amarnasky.blogspot.com.
Finnish metallers BURNING POINT have parted ways with Metal Heaven, the label that released the band's most recent album, 2009's "Empyre". The group states, "Our plan is to record a six-track promotional CD and send it to the labels all over the world."
BURNING POINT's fourth album, "Empyre", came out in February 2009. The artwork for the CD was handled by Felipe Machado Franco who had previously worked with such artists as ICED EARTH, AXEL RUDI PELL and BLAZE BAYLEY.
BURNING POINT filmed its performance at last year's Jalometalli metal music festival — which was held August 14-15, 2009 at Club Teatria in Oulu, Finland — for a forthcoming DVD.
BURNING POINT is featured on "ReUnation - A Tribute To Running Wild", the tribute to German metal legends RUNNING WILD which contains cover versions of songs exclusively from the albums "The Rivalry" (1998), "Victory" (2000), "The Brotherhood" (2002) and "Rogues En Vogue" (2005).
BURNING POINT is:
Pete Ahonen – Vocals, Guitar
Pekka Kolivuori - Guitar
Jukka Jokikokko - Bass
Pasi Hiltula - Keyboards
Jussi Ontero – Drums
Due to "extreme weather conditions," British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST have been forced to cancel their appearance at the Taksirat Festival in Skopje, Macedonia on Saturday, December 4.
Commented singer Nick Holmes and guitarist Greg Mackintosh: "To all our Macedonian fans who traveled to the Taksirat Festival to see us, it is with deep regret that we announce we cannot make it to Macedonia to play in the festival [on Saturday]. The freak weather in the U.K. has caused us severe travel problems, not only cancellations with our scheduled flights but also problems at our homes.
"Most of us live in the rural part of the North, which seems to have been hit the worst; many of the country roads are still totally closed leaving us unable to travel anywhere at this time. We have been told the promoter will allow us to play at a later date, and we look forward to doing so soon!
"We hope everyone enjoys the festival regardless and hope you have an amazing time this weekend from all of us."
"Draconian Times", the seminal 1995 album from PARADISE LOST, was reissued on vinyl on July 26 via Peaceville Records. This vinyl edition is numbered and limited to 2000 copies and comes on double 180-gram burgundy-colored vinyl in a gatefold sleeve and printed inner sleeves and liner notes from the album's producer, Simon Efemy.
The limited formats of PARADISE LOST's new album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", include two orchestral versions of the album tracks "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" and "Last Regret", which were recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in July 2008.
The limited-edition deluxe two-CD includes special packaging (DVD-sized Mediabook with O-Card in a special leather look) and a bonus track, "Cardinal Zero", on Disc 1 plus a separate bonus CD featuring the "Lost In Prague" tracks. All vinyl lovers will be delighted to hear that the album is available as a limited-edition gatefold LP, including the bonus track "Cardinal Zero", the orchestra mixes on a separate bonus 7" EP, the entire album on CD (in a blank sleeve), and an exclusive poster.
The follow-up to 2007's "In Requiem", "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren.
The album's artwork, which is based upon a "Danse Macabre" woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger (first published in 1538), was created by Stefan Wibbeke at Medialogistics (LACUNA COIL, POISONBLACK).
German goth metallers XANDRIA have issued the following update:
"We have a new singer, although she hasn't being presented to the public yet.
"The search has been long, but it has been worth it! She is the one we have been looking for! We will unveil her to you on December 20 on Xandria.de, but we already have begun working on the finalization of the music for the new album with her, so we hope to enter the studio for recording the new album in the new year as soon as possible."
A teaser video for the singer announcement can be viewed below.
XANDRIA will perform the first concert with its new female singer at the "Classic Meets Pop" event on January 7, 2011 at the Seidensticker Halle in Bielefeld, Germany. The band states, "As the main act of the show, XANDRIA will play one of their songs with the Bielefeld Philharmonic Orchestra (XANDRIA will represent the metal genre there!)."
XANDRIA performed several concerts this past spring with the band's former frontwoman, Lisa Middelhauve, filling in.
XANDRIA in February parted ways with its singer of one year, Kerstin Bischof. The group stated at the time, "Due to occupational and private reasons, [Kerstin] wants to concentrate on her non-musical career in the future and cannot support XANDRIA the way it would be necessary."
Bischof joined XANDRIA in February 2009 as the replacement for Middelhauve, who left the band in May 2008 for "personal reasons." Lisa stated at the time, "My exit has nothing to do with dispute or controversy within the band. It was just time to split."
XANDRIA's "Now & Forever - The Best Of" collection was released in June 2008. The CD contains 20 tracks, including a few rarities like the ballad "Lullaby" from the "India" era and the songs "One Word" and "Drown In Me" (previously unavailable on a XANDRIA album). "Now & Forever - The Best Of Xandria" was also released as a double digipack containing a DVD of the complete XANDRIA show from 2007's Summer Breeze festival, all of the band's promotional video clips and a brand new interview.
XANDRIA's fourth album, "Salomé - The Seventh Veil", was released on May 25, 2007.
DEVIL, the Norwegian heavy doom rock band featuring members of VESEN, RIKETS CRUST, CEASE.AND.DESIST, FUCK YOU ALL and FAUSTCOVEN, inked a deal with the Dutch label Soulseller Records. The quintet's full-length debut is tentatively due next year.
DEVIL, which hails from the Norwegian city Nes (in the province Akershus), plays a mixture of hard rock, heavy and doom metal in the vein of PENTAGRAM and BLACK SABBATH. So far the band has only released one demo, "Magister Mundi Xum" (through Unborn Productions/Iron Bonehead).
Commented DEVIL: "DEVIL is very satisfied with signing [to] Soulseller Records, a label we feel are personal, dedicated and reliable, and we're very much looking forward to presenting DEVIL through Soulseller Records for metal fans out there.
"2011 will be a good year for us, it seems, and with an album featuring great heavy doom rock out hopefully in the spring, we're ready to take this monster on the road, and are looking forward to both recording and live appearances."
DEVIL is:
Field Marshal Eric Old - Guitar
Frank Anden - Drums
Tom Lloyd Garret - Bass
S.E. Toliver Murdock - Guitar
Jimmy C. Rudabaugh - Vocals
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/devilband.
British extreme metal pioneers BOLT THROWER have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Summer Breeze festival, set to take place August 18-20, 2011 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
ARCH ENEMY
BOLT THROWER
CALIBAN
KVELERTAK
PRIMORDIAL
SALTATIO MORTIS
THE HAUNTED
TÝR
VOMITORY
Tickets can be purchased for 72 euros (excluding pre-sale fees, including parking/camping) at Silverdust-Shop.de. The first 10,000 tickets get a free DVD with live footage and impressions from the 2009 edition of the festival.
Atlanta, Georgia-based metallers BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE have completed work on their fourth album, "Celestial Completion", for a tentative March 2011 release via Solid State Records. The CD was produced by Matt Goldman (UNDEROATH, THE CHARIOT, COPELAND) and contains 11 tracks. Dennis Culp of FIVE IRON FRENZY fame lent his trombone skills to a particularly interesting track containing a ska section. Songs will start to be released in January.
"Dichotomy", the third album from BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE, sold around 2,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 18 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.
"Dichotomy" was released in November 2008 via Solid State Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by Kristian Wahlin (AT THE GATES, AMORPHIS, BATHORY, DISSECTION, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THERION, EVERGREY). The album featured guest appearances by Ryan Clark (DEMON HUNTER), Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and a soprano named Suzanne Richter.
Justin Broadrick of seminal post-punk/industrial behemoths GODFLESH has confirmed to Decibel magazine that the band is slowly putting together ideas for a new studio album. "It's something we're discussing all the time, and I do have bits and pieces of material," he said. "But it's something we'd really like to develop. It'd be quite easy to knock out eight to 10 in-character songs and release it as quickly as possible to capitalize on the popularity of the group, but it would feel entirely wrong. If it's another two years until another GODFLESH record, so be it. The most important thing is making a record that stands up with the rest of the back catalogue. I do have this in me again, though."
When asked how GODFLESH's performance at this year's Supersonic Festival, which was held on October 22-24 in Birmingham, England, compared to the band's first reunion gig, which happened four months earlier at France's Hellfest, Justin said, "It's just a different world, a different planet. It wasn't about preparation, because we were well-prepared for Hellfest. I think it was just because the Hellfest thing went so wrong, with a generator blowing up and not having a backup, which mucked up the whole schedule. We were supposed to have an hour's line check behind the stage — not a few minutes onstage in front of everyone who was waiting for us to get on with it. So many things were wrong when we hit the stage — it was strange, because Hellfest really is an admirable organization. It just fell to pieces, though, and so did we because it was the first GODFLESH show in 10 years or whatever. But Supersonic was really amazing — that was how it should
have been. After the show, both Ben [Green] and I said was one of the top 10 GODFLESH shows we'd ever done. We performed really well; the sound was great, the visuals worked out perfectly. We could tell it was appreciated as well. You barely see a mosh pit at shows anymore, and there was a huge mosh pit. There was just a lot of energy. It was our dream GODFLESH show, in a way."
Quality multi-camera video footage of GODFLESH's performance at this year's Supersonic Festival can be viewed below.
GODFLESH will perform its seminal debut full-length album, 1989's "Streetcleaner", in its entirety at the 2011 edition of the Roadburn festival on Thursday, April 14 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. In addition, founding members Justin Broadrick and Benny Green will play the "Tiny Tears" EP, which was conceived as part of the overall "Streetcleaner" vision, in full as well.
"Streetcleaner" was remastered and reissued in a deluxe digipak in Europe on June 21 and in North America on August 10 via Earache Records.
"Streetcleaner" was GODFLESH's second release, proving to be one of the band's finest and most recognized albums and helping them to become one of the most influential industrial bands ever. Now "Streetcleaner" was brought up to date as a special expanded version, with all tracks remastered by GODFLESH founding member Justin Broadrick. The album also includes a bonus disc featuring 12 previously unreleased live tracks, alternate mixes and demos, and comes housed in a deluxe multi-panel digipak with detailed liner notes.
Norway's DØDHEIMSGARD and California's EXHUMED 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
ATHEIST
AURA NOIR
DØDHEIMSGARD
EXHUMED
IMMORTAL
MALEVOLENT CREATION
OKKULTOKRATI
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.
The family of late DEATH/CONTROL DENIED mastermind Chuck Schuldiner is moving ahead with plans to complete and eventually release the long-awaited second CONTROL DENIED album.
Chuck — who passed away in December 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor — began work on the CD, tentatively titled "When Machine And Man Collide", but never managed to finish the effort before his health quickly deteriorated in the months leading up to his tragic death. The remaining members of the group — bassist Steve DiGiorgio, vocalist Tim Aymar, guitarist Shannon Hamm, and drummer Richard Christy — subsequently announced their desire to complete the album and release it in Chuck's memory, but legal hassles between Schuldiner's family and Hammerheart Records (to whom Chuck was signed at the time of his death) put the entire project on hold. (Karmageddon Media — formerly Hammerheart Records — has since issued various incomplete demo recordings as two separate low-quality albums, "Zero Tolerance" and "Zero Tolerance II".)
Chuck's mother, Jane Schuldiner, previously stated about the unfinished recordings: "[Chuck's] last masterpiece deserves more than to be released as unfinished bits of rehearsal room recordings on CD, or to be grabbed for free on the Internet. It deserves to be finished by the rest of the band and to be released on a full-length album, titled: 'When Machine And Man Collide'."
In a new posting on Chuck's official web site, Empty Words, Aymar had the following to say regarding the forthcoming CONTROL DENIED album:
"Those who know Chuck's music from DEATH and CONTROL DENIED have faithfully and patiently awaited the announcement of the completion of Chuck's dying wish, which is to get the final CONTROL DENIED record out to you , and along with my other bandmates, I am extremely happy to be here to fulfill the promise I made a decade ago.
"When I first talked to Chuck about auditioning for a new band he was working on, an extension of his former band DEATH which he called CONTROL DENIED. We first talked over the telephone, and he was not at all like what I had expected him to be. My bandmate, co-writer and dear friend Jimmy Dofka from PSYCHO SCREAM had turned me on to DEATH a few months before, and the picture I had in my mind of Chuck, judging only by how precise and beautifully violent that music is, was of a brutal tyrant. I mean, after all, just listen to Gene Hoglan's drumming and the command of Chuck's blood-soaked screaming, and you'll know what I mean.
"Well, I was delightfully wrong. The voice on the phone was just a guy like me, an easy-going, slow-talking hippie with a burning passion for metal. We both understood the seriousness of the business at hand, but neither of made it seem anything but exciting and fun, and that was awesome. That's just what professionals do. We talked about our tastes in music and inspirations and our idols.
"We were definitely on the same page. He said he wanted me to audition because from what he'd heard already from PSYCHO SCREAM, my voice had all the qualities he had been looking for since he began his journey into metal. There's a bit of everyone we both liked in there, a bit of Dio, Halford, Tyler, Gillan, Bonnet, all the best screamers in the biz. With that in mind, we set a date and I flew down to meet him and do the audition. I thought maybe there was a chance he was blowing a bit of smoke up my ass, because that's just what some people do. But no, as it turns out, he was one of the few people in this biz that didn't.
"I arrived at Orlando international [airport] and just grabbed my stuff at the luggage return, when Chuck, Scott, Chris and Shannon came running and screaming through the hallway like pack of wild dogs yelling, 'Tim Scream, Tim Scream,' my new nickname which later, at the house I found inscribed on a half gallon bottle of Jim Beam. They mugged me of my luggage, lifted me up and threw me in the air like a rag doll.
"I knew this was gonna be a hell of a week already.
"Surprisingly, we jumped into the car and they had the PSYCHO SCREAM tape in the player, and they were singing along like they'd known it forever. We got to the house and there it was... the ominous bottle with the letters J and B scratched out and the rest of the letters Sharpied in to spell out Tim Scream.
"We got to work right away...on the booze, and then we listened to a bunch of stuff from Chuck's vinyl collection.
"Once we got rolling in the studio, the work went smooth as buttermilk. We knocked out three songs in two-and-a-half days rather than the five we expected, so Chuck mixed down the tunes and when he was finished he called me into the kitchen. He poured us each a shot of Tim Scream, handed me one and said, 'We're all very happy about this, and if you want the job, I won't even call Halford back.'
"I could not believe what I had just heard. He not only wanted a voice like one of my all time greatest idols, he had planned on auditioning him after me. But that's how he said it. That's just what bosses do.
"The police showed up at our first practice as a band. Chuck was polite, but firm in his conviction when he said, 'You might think you know who you came here to hassle, but you don't know I'm probably the only person on this street whose house is paid for and my taxes are paid as well, I've been all over the world with my band and that's how I bought this place and not how these people who called you tell their children who say shit to my nephew at school and send him home crying. I just paid like 10 grand to soundproof my home so these people would not hear us, and now you're telling me it's too loud? What is the law? I'll abide [by] it.' He wanted to know because that's just what good neighbors do.
"So, at the end of the week it was time to say goodbye and I waited for the call from Chuck to find out the progress on his soliciting the demos. I waited, and worked my engineering job at Soundscape, and my management job at a home-improvement company sales office. Several family members had passed away, including my mom, and I was laid off from work, and Chuck did find a record deal with Nuclear Blast America, but it was for DEATH. I wasn't sure why he didn't contact me, but finally I got an email from Liz at Nuclear Blast and she told me Chuck lost my number and needed to talk with me about CONTROL DENIED. Then a friend brought over a copy of [DEATH's] 'The Sound Of Perseverance' and showed me the liner notes. Chuck had written to me through the liner notes that he lost my number. This is immortalized. Then when I went to pick up the phone to call him, it rang, I answered and it was him. It wasn't the first time it happened; it happened before and
several times after this. It happens with other friends, too. That's just what spiritual connections do.
"I met up with the whole DEATH lineup when they finally hit Pittsburgh, and hung out with them for the rest of the night. This was my first time meeting Richard Christy, our drummer. Chris had already decided to move on, and that was OK, because we all knew how much he loved CONTROL DENIED, but he just couldn't hang around waiting and he joined up with another project. Richard I had already heard with his previous band BURNING INSIDE, because they are on the same compilation CD as PSYCHO SCREAM, so technically we were already on the same record together, although in separate bands.
"Well, Richard and I couldn't have hit it off any better. We're both practical jokers. Richard devised a plan to mess with the tour manager. He took a candy circus peanut, stuffed it into the neck of a Heineken bottle and popped the lid back on, and handed it to me. He said, put this in the cooler and when I tell you, grab it and give it to this guy. So the tour manager jumps on the bus and says, 'Somebody get me a beer,' and I handed him the Heiney. He popped off the top and tried to take a swig. Upon further inspection, he noticed something odd and that was my cue. 'Oh my god, there's a fucking mouse in it. Holy shit, it's a fucking mouse.' He just about vomited when we let him in on the joke. I showed them down the street to the 'O' to get some greasy-but-good-greasy pizza and we joked and talked some more and later, Richard said to me, 'You got a lot of balls fucking with the tour manager the first time we've met.' I waited for the punch line... 'So
you're gonna fit right in with this bunch.' Yep, I already knew it.
"So I went back home again, and a month or so later , I packed my bags for Orlando. This time, it was to demo some new tunes since a few of the ones on the CONTROL DENIED tapes had been 'DEATH-ized' and recorded on 'The Sound Of Perseverance'. We demoed and wrote and re-demoed and re-wrote and we rehearsed with the band and.. barbequed. AAAAAAh yeah, carnivores, all of us. We love carnage, and Chuck was our master chef.
"Being a former chef by trade, I was impressed. He loved coffee and bagels too, so it became our morning ritual. Gourmet coffee, bagels and cream cheese, Jerry Springer and Southern rock. To get fired up before we hit the studio, we had our breakfast watching Jerry Springer to laugh at the stupidity, and we ordered up MOLLY HATCHET from the local radio station. When HATCHET came on, we'd crank it up and sing along at the top of our lungs like complete idiots. It was such a blast, so... not what you'd expect from such a prominent figure in the music business, yet that's why it all worked. How could anyone in the world have an ego tantrum or a pissing contest after behaving in such a manner? Impossible.
"Wait, I haven't even mentioned catfish sandwiches or Bethanne [Chuck's sister] yet. This story gets better.
"I met Chuck's sister at the country club she worked at. I had mentioned that I loved catfish, so they highly recommended the catfish sandwich. OH MY God! Good catfish, but I mean Bethanne. It took maybe five minutes to realize how awesome a gal she is. Not only is she a sight for sore eyes, she's sharp as a whip, funny as hell, a practical joker as well, and did I mention whip? Later on I saw another side of Bethanne I admire even more. DO NOT TRY TO HURT HER. I swear to that thing people swear to, if you try to hurt Bethanne, we're all gonna step aside and let her loose on you. I mean, I'd rather go toe to toe with Chuck Norris than piss her off. But seriously, when it comes down to it, she's the best sister in the world.
"OK, back to the barbequing.
"So, it was Valentine's Day. Chuck and I are two bachelors spending the day together because we're two weeks into rehearsals and still wrapping up the demos. Chuck bought chickens and steaks and I bought prawns and lobster tails and we're preparing a feast for ourselves and the rest of the cast of carnivores who were en route. Just as they rolled in for dinner and practice, Chuck brought me the phone. 'It's your dad,' he said. I almost swallowed my tongue. 'Huh?' My dad only calls me when bad things happen like when someone dies. 'You have to come home,' my dad said. 'Little Danny died.'
"My youngest brother was Chuck's age; this could NOT be real. The guys heard what just happened and they huddled around me and kept me from falling apart; that's just what brothers do. Chuck yelled, 'What bag do you want to take?' Oh fuck, this IS real. 'Don't worry, Bethanne and mom are gonna book you a flight and I'll get you to the airport right away.' It seemed like maybe three seconds but it must have been an hour or so, that she had the flight booked. That's just what sisters do. Chuck got me to the airport, and explained the story of his brother Frank, and why he named his band DEATH in order to turn such a horrible, negative feeling into something positive. 'Take your time, as long as you need, and when you get back, I want you to put everything you're feeling right now into this record, for yourself, for your brother and for mine, and from now on we have each other, we are brothers in pain, and it's our obligation to the fans to give them what
we honestly feel.' I did, because that's just what singers do.
"Midway through recording, Chuck started having a problem with severe headaches and neck pain. Well, he'd been a guitarist for half his life and a headbanger at that, and he'd just come home a month before from a long-ass tour and had been spending more time than I would want to screaming at the record company about how they planned on launching this band. So I recommended he see a chiropractor to adjust his neck and get the blood flowing and that should have taken care of the headaches, too. Well, it would have, if the problem hadn't been a malignant brain-stem tumor that took his life two years later. That's just what cancers do. I know survivors, but I'm sure their survival were inevitable and were not recovery or a cure from any sort of treatment. These are people who had so much money that the doctors tried to kill them slower in order to get all their money, and the 'treatments' weren't strong enough to kill them, so their cancers probably went
away on their own. That is also just what cancers do. And don't try to tell me otherwise, because I'm sure you don't know how to fucking cure cancer.
"So here comes the fun part. Before Chuck passed away, shortly after his first surgery he was well enough to write and track his parts, Richard's drums, Shannon's solos and a vocal template for me to go by for each of the songs. He called me shortly after he'd worked on getting the band off of Nuclear Blast because they did not execute several key factors of the contract such as advertising, and small things like FORGETTING TO PUT A FUCKING BARCODE ON THE FIRST 10,000 UNITS??? I've explained all this in great detail time and time again on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, so stop by sometime, search my name or CONTROL DENIED and you'll find plenty from back then. There was a war of words between myself, the new label Hammerheart, who was not financially stable enough to back any promises they had made, and Chuck tried to get that bogus deal settled, and get off that suicide rig, but he died first. leaving his grieving family to contend with the legal battle for nine
grueling years. The company was finally forced to admit the deal was fraudulent, but they took the Schuldiners through hell first. That's just what record companies do. A lot of them anyway, but I think we've finally found a home that Chuck would be very proud of at Relapse.
"Enter Eric Greif. He is formerly Chuck's attorney, and considered a brother just like we brothers in the band, and like all brothers sometimes it meant arguments and fighting, and sometimes it meant making up and being best friends again. That's just what brother do, too. Well, Eric has been around the block, so to speak, as far as representing musicians, and he has made great progress on behalf of CONTROL DENIED, DEATH and the Schuldiner legacy. He's now the president of Perseverance Holdings Ltd. and Mutilation Music (BMI) which means basically that he is on board in Chuck's stead, to make sure his intellectual property is managed and his wishes are carried out. He's really kicking some ass since he's come on board. Both DEATH and CONTROL DENIED are now signed with Relapse, one of metal's most respected record companies. There are reissues of several DEATH records and is working to get most of DEATH's records reassigned to Relapse. The CONTROL DENIED
CD 'The Fragile Art Of Existence' is re-released as a three- CD set, and a two-CD set, both with loads of special tracks and pictures and notes from the band. It just gets better and better every time I talk with him. That is just what good attorneys do!
"Eric gave me a call yesterday to let me know the time has come. Did you hear that? No, you probably can't believe I just said it. THE TIME HAS COME!!! Our producer, Jim Morris at Morrisound in Tampa, Florida who brought to life notable albums by DEATH, CONTROL DENIED, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SAVATAGE, ICED EARTH, SEVEN MARY THREE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE, MORBID ANGEL, DEMONS AND WIZARDS, END-TIME ILLUSION, and OBITUARY, just to name a fraction of the killer artists on their roster, has contacted Eric Greif, informing the members of CONTROL DENIED that he is ready to begin laying out the planning and scheduling to complete Chuck Schuldiner's legacy, 'When Machine And Man Collide'. You heard it right, and you heard it straight from the horse's (hey, wait a minute) mouth. This record will see the light of day and be in your hands sometime in 2011 and Jim will make certain it's every bit as awesome as Chuck ever wanted and then some!!! That's what the
Morrises do."
"Go now and carry this message to the metal masses and keep the metal flowing! That's what metal crusaders do. And we love you for it!!!
Bizarre Swedish black metal buzz band GHOST will dispense its debut directive, "Opus Eponymous", in North America on January 18, 2011 via Rise Above Records. The release of the album will assist the abhorrent agents in spreading their "unholy gospel" and "tricking mankind into believing the end is ultimately a good thing via the ever so popular rock music medium."
GHOST's "Opus Eponymous" is a daringly fascinating combination of satanic rock music merged with an almost unthinkable pop sensibility; this is black metal at its most original and deceiving apex. Musically rich and teeming with an undeniably authentic classic metal aura (described "as if the last three decades of heavy metal history never existed"), "Opus Eponymous" baits and ensnares with its undeniable accessibility while "majestically weaving a melodic spell of evil through the senses until listeners become utterly possessed and open to any diabolical suggestion."
Enveloped in a shroud of mystery and standing anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of GHOST deliver litanies of pulsating heavy rock and stimulating lyrics which "glorify and glamorize the disgusting and sacrilegious". The music and philosophies of GHOST specifically target "individuals who have a void in their life perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset" (research suggests these are most likely adolescents); this dearth can then be alluringly filled by GHOST's music and philosophies, "so that in time the easily manipulated will come to share the views and goals of the Coven's ministry and can prepare their own plans for the downfall of humanity."
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