Steven Rosen of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with drummer Jason Bonham about JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE — which celebrates the life and music of Jason's father, the legendary LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: You performed with ZEPPELIN for their one-off reunion show on December 10, 2007. Did your desire to put together the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE grow from that one show? Can you describe what that moment felt like?
Jason Bonham: It's hard to describe in words. It's one of those things when you've been a part of it for such a long time in some form whether it be [on the] sidelines watching your dad be with them. For me it was just a dream come true to sit in that seat as an adult and be kind of treated as an adult with them. I didn't feel like a kid anymore. It was monumental. I mean the reviews say it was good. Obviously there had been things in the past where things hadn't gone as well but this time everyone was prepared; we were all very, very prepared. And really, really hungry to do it and wanted to play and I think everybody, not only myself, wanted to prove something. I think everybody wanted to prove something.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: You bring up an important point, which is the reviews of the show, were glowing and the audience loved it.
Jason Bonham: Everyone was on top form and on top of their game. For me, I'm looking forward to... I hope one day they release the DVD of that or the CD. That would be a wonderful thing for me to have officially something with my name on it that had LED ZEPPELIN above it would be any drummer's dream. Whether I'm related or not, I've had this conversation with quite a few different drummers in the world and I say to them, "You know first and foremost I'm a fan." I became a fan of their music after dad died which was a shame. It was OK when I was a kid; it was a band that dad was in. It wasn't until he passed away that I really wanted to listen to his work and go, "What have I missed out on here?"
Ultimate-Guitar.com: ZEPPELIN have always seemed to be so supportive of you. Jimmy Page is incredibly protective of what he does and yet he's embraced you from the beginning in a number of projects that were sort of ZEP-related. And then to bring you in as the drummer for the reunion show was huge.
Jason Bonham: There's a huge belief that I had that I knew without being too confident, that I'm the only guy for the job. I was strongly committed in my head. I really didn't believe anybody else could do it; I didn't care who it was. Because it's not enough knowing the song: you've got to know them. Anybody can learn the song; you've got to learn the people. You've got to know where it's gonna go; you've got to know how they tick and what they think. But it took me a long time; it took me way longer than dad to figure it out. I read an article, an interview with my dad that I found in my scrapbook that I kept as a child while I was putting together stuff for this EXPERIENCE. I found my childhood scrapbook and there's an interview in there with dad from 1970. He talks about how long he's been playing the drums and he'd only been playing drums six years in 1970. You know? So in the weirdest way, he'd only been playing drums for four years when he did
"Led Zeppelin I". Unbelievable.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: The LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE is obviously about commemorating your father's legacy but it must also bring up a lot of deep memories for you.
Jason Bonham: When I kind of thought about it at first, I never imagined myself doing it. So when I committed to do it and do it this way where it's a very personal storyline — part storyteller/concert with how LED ZEPPELIN's affected me — I ended up delving into the past and mind you it's been very, very emotional. Stories of certain songs I play and give a reason of why I'm doing them and what I remember about it or what was so special about it or some anecdote. So it's not just, "I'm gonna go and play LED ZEPPELIN music." I ended up delving into the past and it's been way too emotional really for a 44-year old guy to sit there and go through stuff and go, "I can't keep doing this."
Ultimate-Guitar.com: So it's been like therapy for you.
Jason Bonham: My mom said, "Jase, for five or six years, you never cried once. You didn't cry at the rehearsal." So it's been hard going through it all but fantastic going through and finding stuff again. One of the things in the interview I found of dad's was I wouldn't have gone searching for stuff like that if I wasn't doing the show. So to read things about me when I'm three or four in dad's interviews when he's going, "Oh, my son plays drums" or "He's gonna be good," is encouraging.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: As you were putting the LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE together, how did you choose the songs? Were they your favorites? Your dad's favorites?
Jason Bonham: I basically had a list that I kinda like would have liked to have done and I was hoping that when I found the right singer he'd be able to do all of them. I was even thinking about getting three different singers. One of the greatest things about LED ZEPPELIN was Robert [Plant, vocals] did change and not in any detrimental way; I think he was one of the successes of the band as well. The fact that he was different at all different periods. If you listen to him on "I" or "II" and listen to "Physical Graffiti" or "Presence", he's still fantastic in a slightly different way. When you think about "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and then you go back to "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", it's just phenomenal. The list of songs that I had that represented each album as I went through each album because there was so many I'd want to do more. I mean we've even rehearsed more than we need and we change at different times; some nights we'll do other ones from
other ones. So I mean I just chose ones that really meant something to me where I still put on now and go, "Wow! It really just still takes my breath away."
Ultimate-Guitar.com: What has the reaction to LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE been like so far?
Jason Bonham: The response has been wonderful; I couldn't ask for anymore. The ticket sales have been phenomenal; it's kind of overwhelming. There's the haters in the world, there's a few, but there are a lot more embracers than that. There are a lot more people that want it than not.
According to YnetNews.com, legendary rock band DEEP PURPLE will return to Israel on May 14 for a performance at the Caesarea amphitheater. The band is also said to be likely to hold another concert in Caesarea on May 15.
The British group already performed in Caesarea and Tel Aviv about two years ago.
Tickets for the concert are on sale at the Castel ticket office in Tel Aviv. Prices range between NIS 360-810.
DEEP PURPLE released a live album last year called "Space Truckin' Round the World Live 68-76". The two-disc set features rare live recordings from various concerts all over the world, including gigs in Tokyo, Paris and San Diego. The compilation, which features multiple band lineups, also features a detailed history of the group, individual concert details and photos. It was released as part of the 10th anniversary of Purple Records — the label that handles the band's music.
DEEP PURPLE's 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", was released in November 2005. It is the fourth studio CD from DEEP PURPLE since guitarist Steve Morse joined the band in 1994. It was also the second album to feature veteran keyboardist Don Airey.
"Rapture of the Deep" was produced by Mike Bradford, who also worked on the band's previous release, 2003's "Bananas".
Legendary rock band WHITESNAKE has scheduled the following tour dates for 2011:
June 02 - Moscow, Russia - Megasport Arena
June 04 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Icearena
June 13 - Newcastle, UK - City Hall
June 14 - Glasgow, UK - Clyde Auditorium
June 16 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic
June 17 - Manchester, UK - Apollo
June 19 - Bournemouth, UK - BIC
June 20 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
June 22 - Milano, Italy - Gods of Metal
June 25 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
June 28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Saska Arena
June 29 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle
WHITESNAKE recently announced the addition of bassist Michael Devin to the group's ranks.
Devin, 35, most recently played in LYNCH MOB alongside new WHITESNAKE drummer Brian Tichy (FOREIGNER, BILLY IDOL, OZZY OSBOURNE, VELVET REVOLVER).
WHITESNAKE's current lineup is rounded out by guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach.
WHITESNAKE is in the studio recording the follow-up to 2008's "Good To Be Bad" for a spring release via Frontiers Records.
According to a press release, WHITESNAKE's next CD will be "a solid, natural progression from the band's last opus, which was awarded by the influential Classic Rock magazine as 'Best Album of the Year' in 2008." "As always, we want to take it to the next level," stated David Coverdale. "I feel that with the last album we achieved a strong WHITESNAKE 'cocktail' that comfortably embraced and mixed all the previous musical aspects and styles of the band's history, while taking our identity a little further... all on one album."
"The new songs are in the very familiar and recognizable WHITESNAKE territory of soulful, bluesy, melodic power rock, with a couple of ballads thrown in for good measure," the singer said. "It can't be a WHITESNAKE album without ballads, mate!"
WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel a number of shows on its 2009 summer U.S. tour with JUDAS PRIEST due to David Coverdale being diagnosed with "severe vocal fold edema and a left vocal fold vascular lesion."
According to the Chester Chronicle, former WHITESNAKE guitarist Bernie Marsden will pay tribute to Rory Gallagher and Rory's music tomorrow (Thursday, December 16) at the Jolly Tar in Wardle/Nantwich, U.K. Joining Bernie at the event will be Dave Levy and Rich Newman, who were both members of Rory Gallagher's band, plus local guitar star Jim Kirkpatrick. The evening will conclude with a few classic WHITESNAKE tracks.
The show starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are £12 and are limited to 150.
To book, phone the pub on 01270 528283 or for more details visit JollyTarPub.co.uk.
With its upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, ALICE COOPER is acknowledged as one of the most influential bands in rock history. At inception forty years ago, the group shocked the world so fundamentally that it seems to have taken a preternaturally long time for their incredible talent to be recognized.
In 1970, ALICE COOPER flipped hippie ideals on their head and astonished the world, "driving a stake through the heart of the Love Generation," as the group's namesake put it.?It's arguable that without ALICE COOPER, there might never have been KISS, MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, SLIPKNOT or ROB ZOMBIE... maybe not even David Bowie, or at least not Ziggy Stardust. Heavy Metal took the imagery, punk took the tunes, rock and pop took the showmanship and fans the world over fell in love with the macabre sense of humor. Amazingly, those fans have included legends as diverse as Peter Sellers, Groucho Marx, Salvador Dali and Bob Dylan, who proclaimed Alice as an "overlooked songwriter."? ?These days, artists as diverse as METALLICA and LADY GAGA proclaim ALICE COOPER's enduring influence on them. ?True originals, ALICE COOPER invented the concept of the rock concert as theatre with truly trailblazing stagecraft and showmanship in the early
1970s, with Alice himself continuing as a solo artist since 1975, remaining one of rock's global megastars with well over 50 million record sales to prove it. ?
The surviving band members (guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997), upon hearing the induction news, provided the following comments:
Dennis Dunaway: "This proves that Glen, Neal, Alice, Michael and I (and all of our fans) weren't so crazy after all. I'm absolutely thrilled because, let's face it, this great honor is about as good as it gets."
Neal Smith: "Sometimes, as we were blazing a new theatrical trail in rock, there were moments in the career of our band that overwhelmingly exceeded even our monstrous expectations. Being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Class Of 2011, with my four best friends, Michael, the late Glen Buxton, Alice and Dennis, is one of those incredible moments for our one-of-a-kind rock band."
Alice Cooper: "Take one part YARDBIRDS, one part 'West Side Story', starring Bela Lugosi and Bette Davis, and you have Hellzapoppin! and then POOF !! — and you have ALICE COOPER. Now if you can digest that, and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame can digest that, we will happily be the Hall's arch villains. We are grateful from the bottom of our black little hearts."
Michael Bruce: "The band that couldn't shoot straight strikes again, from having all our hits to being in so many Top 100 all-time polls — be careful what you wish for because with hard work and perseverance and a good group of people like Neal, Dennis, Alice and Glen, you just might get it. It's just a shame that Glen couldn't be here with us to share in it, but we do also share this with (producer) Bob Ezrin and (manager) Shep Gordon, without whom..."
NEW YORK DOLLS will release their fifth full-length album, "Dancing Backward in High Heels", in North America on March 15 via 429 Records and in Europe on March 11 through Global Music. The follow-up to 2009's "Cause I Sez So" was created at Blast Recording Studios in Newcastle, England with producer Jason Hill (LOUIS XIV, THE KILLERS) and features original members David Johansen (vocals) and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar) alongside Brian Delaney (drums), Jason Hill (bass) and Frank Infante (guitar).
"Dancing Backward in High Heels" track listing:
01. Fool For You Baby
02. Streetcake
03. I'm So Fabulous
04. Talk to Me Baby
05. Kids Like You
06. Round And Round She Goes
07. You Don't Have To Cry
08. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
09. Baby Tell Me What I'm On
10. Funky But Chic
11. End Of The Summer
Check out audio samples at this location.
British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have added dates in Czech Republic and Austria to their upcoming farewell tour.
After storming the world for nearly 40 years and taking its very special brand of heavy metal to all four corners of the planet, JUDAS PRIEST has announced plans to embark on a final world tour. However, the mighty PRIEST will certainly be going out strong as it rocks the planet starting in 2011 on the massive "Epitaph" trek — hitting all the major cities throughout the world where it will play the songs that helped make the name JUDAS PRIEST synonymous with heavy metal.
JUDAS PRIEST will be starting its world tour in Europe and has just confirmed the following festivals for 2011:
Jun. 09 - Sweden Rock Festival, Sölvesborg, Sweden
Jun. 11 - Sauna Open Air, Tampere, Finland
Jun. 17 - Copenhell, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jun. 19 - Hellfest, Clisson, France
Jun. 22 - Gods of Metal, Milan, Italy
Jun. 25 - Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, Belgium
Jun. 28 - O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Jun. 29 - Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
Jul. 23 - High Voltage, London, UK
Aug. 05 - Wacken Open Air, Wacken, Germany
Singer Rob Halford told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that PRIEST wouldn't have sustained such a lengthy career without the support of their fans. "It's an ongoing metal love affair that's been solid and kept us going and motivated, quite frankly," he said. "Bands don't exist without the people that support them, and so it is with PRIEST, you know? Without our fans we're nothing, so we love our fans dearly, and we do as much as we can to keep that bond strong and solid."
The earliest version of JUDAS PRIEST was formed in 1969 in Birmingham, England by bassist Ian Hill and guitarist K.K. Downing.
Halford joined in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton joined a year later, completing the core lineup of the band for most of its career.
The group released seven albums between 1974 and 1980, finally hitting it big with 1979's concert set, "Unleashed In The East", and its 1980 studio follow-up, "British Steel".
Halford left the group for a 11-year period between 1992 and 2003, with Tim "Ripper" Owens taking over on vocals for two studio albums and a live set. Halford returned in 2003.
JUDAS PRIEST has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and is considered by many to be the second most influential heavy metal band after BLACK SABBATH.
Halford almost singlehandedly established the "leather and studs" look that became synonymous with metal music for years, while Tipton and Downing established the "twin lead guitarists" sound emulated by countless heavy rock acts.
The CD will be packaged with a bonus DVD filmed during the recording of the album, incorporating previous unseen footage from the bands three sold-out performances at The Cluny venue in Newcastle, and four live audio tracks from the same show.
Sylvain Sylvain stated about the new recording: "I think this is the most creative record that THE NEW YORK DOLLS, and me and David in particular, have ever done. We've worked with a lot of great people and I'm not putting anybody down and I'm not trying to compare it with earlier versions of the DOLLS, but as far as songwriting goes, I think that these are the best songs that we have ever come up with."
"Cause I Sez So" sold 3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 159 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The NEW YORK DOLLS swaggered onto the New York music scene in the early '70s, influencing a generation with its subversive mix of high-decibel rock and high-heeled androgyny. The original band recorded a pair of milestone records — "New York Dolls" (1973) and "Too Much Too Soon" (1974) — before breaking up in 1977. The surviving members reformed the group in 2004 to much acclaim, but soon lost bassist Arthur Kane to leukemia. Two years later, Johansen and Sylvain reunited again to record the NEW YORK DOLLS' third studio album, "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This".
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/dollshighheels.jpg
The already-larger-than-life Lemmy Kilmister is headed to the big screen this winter, as the acclaimed new documentary "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch" (Damage Case Films/Megaforce) is confirmed for theatrical bookings around the country. The first round of screenings to be announced include New York City (Cinema Village, opening January 28), Austin (The Draft House Downtown, January 14-21), Seattle (Film Forum, February 4-10), Portland, OR (Clinton St. Theater, January 14-21), and Atlanta (The Plaza Theatre, opening January 14). More cities to be announced soon. (Theaters wanting to book "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch" should contact sales@damagecasefilms.com)
Critics around the world can't get enough of "Lemmy". The film won the Best Documentary prize at the In Edit Film Festival in Santiago, Chile last weekend, and it's been a major hit at dozens of other international festivals, including screenings in France, England, Germany, Spain, Australia, The Netherlands, and South Korea. Currently in theaters in the U.K., "Lemmy" has recently sold out screenings in Paris, Berlin and Tokyo, where it was rated by one firm as the second most popular film in theaters last weekend.
The DVD, a-two disc set packed with more than four hours of bonus features, will be released February 15 and will be available for digital download and on Blu-ray. Filmed over more than three years, and directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, "Lemmy" features appearances by artists spanning the musical spectrum, from METALLICA, Ozzy Osbourne and Slash to Peter Hook (NEW ORDER, JOY DIVISION), Mick Jones (THE CLASH) and Jarvis Cocker.
Orshoski told BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "We can't wait for the fans to get their hands on the DVD, which will be a two-disc set in most of the world. The North American version of the film will be the only one to carry all of our bonus content, which we slaved over night and day for something like 35 days straight last summer. We wanted to really serve fans and give them everything that we could. Basically, we designed the U.S. DVD release to be a treasure trove of everything Lemmy. People will get the movie, and then something like four hours of bonus content. More details on that coming soon, but needless to say, the fans will be stoked!"
An official trailer for "Lemmy" can be viewed below.
"Lemmy" will be released in the U.K., Germany, France and Scandinavia on DVD by Entertainment One on January 24, 2011. The film premiered in the U.S. in March 2010 during the South by Southwest at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin.
Peter Hodgson of the I Heart Guitar blog recently conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy Kilmister. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
I Heart Guitar: Your signature Marshall amp is very cool.
Lemmy: The old Marshall stack. It's most gratifying, y'know? It proves I was doing something right, I think. They just took one of my old amps, which has been on the road with me for years, and fucked around with it. They didn't remember making it! They said, "We have no prints for this. We don't know what this is! Have you modified it?" and I said, "No, I've just fitted a new output transformer a couple of times, that was it." They were like, "Oh wow." The Lemmy stack is a bit more toppy than the ones I've got. They made it a bit too much like a Super Lead amp because that was the only one they had a plan for! Hahaha.
I Heart Guitar: I guess you would have seen some very early Marshalls when you were a roadie for Hendrix?
Lemmy: Yeah, I did that for about six, seven months. He used to use a stack of Marshalls and a stack of… what was it… there was a shop in London used to make their own stacks, and he used to have one of those and a Marshall stack… Music City, yeah. They were both really good. He used to link them together, the output of one into the input of the other, so you've got what's known as a slave amp. It was amazing working with him. Imagine, y'know? Fucking Jimi Hendrix, y'know? Jimi Hendrix!
I Heart Guitar: You're pretty well known for using Rickenbacker basses. Have you changed what you use much over the years or is it still the same basic bass?
Lemmy: Well, they made the Lemmy model of that, right, the carved one, and I've been using that for years. I've got a couple of other Rickenbackers as well. I mean, I just like the shape, y'know? And the old ones, you used to have to replace the pickups, because the old pickups were shit, but now they're making the new pickups really good.
I Heart Guitar: What are they like to play? Do you like your basses to play easy or to fight you back?
Lemmy: It's never easy! I sanded the neck down on them to make it a little easier to run up and down the neck, but other than that it's just from the shop.
I Heart Guitar: Your bass style is really distinctive. Where does it come from?
Lemmy: It comes from being a guitar player before I was a bass player, really. I like to do a lot of chords and a lot of fill-ins instead of just "bom-de-bom-de-bom," because that's fucking boring to me. I always wanted to be able to show off like the guitar players do. I think I managed that alright!
Everyone who has ever picked up a tennis racket and rocked out in front of the mirror has dreamed of chucking in their day job to be a rock star instead. And why not? The adoration, the freedom from the nine-to-five grind, the potential for romantic entanglement – it sounds like a pretty fun vocation. Well, the bad news is that not everyone gets to have a career as a rock star, but the good news is that with a little hard work and a lot of covering your bases, you may be able to still carve a living out of six strings and a dream. One guitarist who has managed to do just this is Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.
Thal first made a name for himself in the mid-'90s with his wildly creative solo albums and unorthodox techniques, and since 2006 he's been one of three guitarists in Guns N' Roses, performing on every track of 2008's Chinese Democracy and criss-crossing the world with Axl and Co. While on tour with GN'R in Australia, Thal spoke exclusively to Gibson.com about how to make a career out of music.
He says the key is diversity. "You have to be able to multitask and be multi-faceted," he says. "If you're just going to be a guitar player that plays in a band, your options are going to be very limited. If you're going to play in a band, you should also be able to teach what you know. If you record yourself, then record other people as well and get into the studio thing. If you're taking care of a lot of the business for your band, maybe start doing it for other bands as well and get into that side of things."
Thal advises being actively aware of the many different ways you can apply your various skills, and the ways they feed into each other. "You need to have as many avenues as you can at once, because while one thing is going slow, another thing is going better, and you put it all together and you can pay your bills," he says. "Everything you do lends some assistance or makes you better at everything else."
One of Thal's earliest music-related jobs was as a teacher, and it's a career path he highly recommends. "I took lessons when I was a kid for a good eight steady years of just weekly lessons, very academic," he says. "From there I started teaching out of the basement. Then I started teaching at a music store, and then in my early 20s I set up the music department at a private school. I was teaching music for children there, I set up a jazz band, a choir, music history… a whole music program for this private school. Right before that I was teaching at a music institute that a chain of guitar stores in New York had. At some point I worked my way up to teaching music production and guitar at an actual legitimate college in New York State."
Thal believes that teaching others also can be an invaluable resource for your own playing, vastly increasing your repertoire and forcing you to think about the motives and outcomes of particular musical choices. "What happens is that everything you're teaching, you're also learning," he says. "You're learning songs that you can teach, so now suddenly you have a great repertoire if you want to join a cover band. Everything helps everything else."
In fact, Thal says some of his solo tracks would not exist if not for their origins in giving guitar lessons. "Someone wanted to get into Latin chord progressions and I got into the whole I-II-V in harmonic minor thing in certain rhythms, and next thing you know it's like, 'Wow, this is a cool thing,' and I ended up making a song out of it."
When it comes time to work on a solo project, Thal pulls together all these skills, and as the owner of a professional studio, he's uniquely placed to take advantage of the many luxuries this brings. "Having my own studio, I can afford studio time, obviously, because it's my studio, and I can pay the bills of owning the studio by recording other people," he says. "So by being an engineer, that allows you to record your own albums and gets you into production, and next thing you know, you're a producer and you're collaborating with other people that come in. Everything becomes this big web where everything is connected in some way, and the more things you do, the more depth it lends to every other aspect of what you do."
The skills of deconstruction and adaptation that one develops as a teacher can also blend with studio nous in interesting and unexpected ways, including TV work. Thal explains: "There will be people for some TV show who don't want to license the real song for something, and they'll come to me and be like, 'Can you make me a song that sounds like Mötley Crüe?' and in five minutes I'll bust something out in the studio and give it to them, and it's an original song that's capturing the vibe of some other artist, and that right there, that's another way that the studio and everything we're talking about comes into play. And now you also have an income stream from the performance royalties of that piece of music. I did it for a sports team, I did it for some shows that have been on MTV once in a while."
Thal says session work today is much different to the glory days of the '70s and '80s. "I could be wrong but I think reading music is less important now and it's more about the ears," he says, adding that producers are more likely to simply e-mail an artist an mp3 and ask them to come up with their own part, rather than provide sheet music or a chord chart. "If it's a jazz thing they will give you a chart, but if it's a rock thing they'll just show you on the spot: 'Alright, just go E to A and back to E.' And as far as session playing, you have to be able to lock into a groove and have great timing. You have to have a good memory and be able to recall arrangements, or jot down your own little chart of weird hieroglyphics that only you understand, or you have to be able to read other peoples' hieroglyphics."
Across his entire career as a professional guitarist/teacher/songwriter/engineer/producer/composer, Thal has observed a simple set of rules for making yourself employable. "Number one, which will be funny coming from a guitarist in Guns N' Roses, is don't be late! That was always my cardinal rule for everything," he says. "In order to be on time you need to be early, then wait in your car for 15 minutes and walk in two minutes before whatever time you're supposed to be there.
"Two: be someone that people want to work with, want to be in a room with and spend 10 hours with. Be relaxed, be calm, don't cause the stressful vibe, just be cool and keep your intensity knob down a bit and just roll with things.
"Three: be overly prepared. If you just need to know the guitar part, make sure you know the other guitar part, too, and the vocals, and the bass, and the drum rhythm and where the accents are. Really know the song inside and out. Know more than you need to know, and be so prepared that you can bring more than is asked of you, if asked. Those three things matter the most: be on time, be cool, and be prepared. And that's for anything."
Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, GUNS N' ROSES) is undergoing surgery on his sinuses after he developed a hole (perforation) in the cartilage of his nasal septum as a complication from years of cocaine use. His wife Susan writes on her Twitter profile, "[I] am thankful and blessed my man is alive today! Kids, don't do drugs! Say a prayer for Duff as he's getting surgery on his sinuses (a hole the size of a quarter from years of abuse). We must live and learn how lucky we are for our health and family and friends. Love you, Duff."
McKagan revealed in a 2004 interview that he was forced to give up his hard-living lifestyle after encountering serious pancreas problems. He said, "I was drinking a gallon of vodka a day, doing cocaine, any pill I could get my hands on, heroin. And on May 10 1994, my pancreas exploded. The pain was like in the war movies, where they say, 'Kill me. Put me out of my misery.' I got out of the hospital, and I started riding my mountain bike; I was shaking so bad I didn't know what to do. The first day I rode for, like, eight hours. I didn't want to be static, or else I would think about drinking. Then I met Benny The Jet, my sensei. He saved my life, got me kickboxing. It's pretty much the most intense workout there is. I face everything in the ring that you face in life. Now I work out six days a week — kickboxing, lifting weights... I'm an extreme person. When I did drugs and drank, I was extreme, and when I go to the gym, it's not just to fuck around."
In a 2009 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Duff stated about his sobriety, "I had a relapse on pills in 2005. It came out of nowhere. It was because of all this bullshit. Xanax was prescribed for me. I was supposed to take one if I had a bad panic attack. I had them in my bag and that was my first mistake. I took one, and the next day, I took two. In only nine days, I was up to 22. That is what guys like . . I do."
ADLER'S APPETITE — the band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler — will release two new singles on December 24 via iTunes. More information will be made available soon.
ADLER'S APPETITE entered the studio last month to begin recording its new album with CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury producing.
The band recently released a new single, "Alive". It is currently available on iTunes as well as via other online music stores. This is the first chance for fans to get the full version of the track.
A radio edit of "Alive" was released on July 29 in conjunction with Adler's tell-all autobiography, "My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses".
"The new songs are coming along great," Adler previously stated. "After the response we got from performing 'Alive' all summer, we are really excited to put out more original music."
"We are really excited to be moving forward with original material," added ADLER'S APPETITE guitarist Alex Grossi (also of QUIET RIOT). "I think people are really going to like the direction we are going in."
ADLER'S APPETITE's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist Michael Thomas (FASTER PUSSYCAT), bassist Chip Z'nuff (ENUFF Z'NUFF) and vocalist Rick Stitch (LADYJACK).
According to UsMagazine.com, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx is currently dating actress Denise Richards, the former girlfriend of BON JOVI's Richie Sambora and ex-wife of actor Charlie Sheen.
Richards, 39, and Sixx, 52, "have been neighbors for years. They have a lot in common and are taking things slowly," a source close to the pair tells UsMagazine.com.
Richards and Sixx were reportedly seen having breakfast at Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas, California on the morning of December 12.
In his recent autobiography, "Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen", MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil took aim at Sixx for his dating habits, writing, "Just like Tommy [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer], [Nikki's] another one of those guys who just love the whole fame thing. He wouldn't have been with the tattoo artist Kat Von D if she wasn't famous. And [former 'Baywatch' actress] Donna D'Errico before her; she was a huge star at the time he married her. He just really likes to see his face in the paper. He likes the press buzz. He likes being that guy from the band with famous girlfriends."
ARSON ANTHEM — the project featuring Philip Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA, SUPERJOINT RITUAL) on guitar, Mike IX Williams (EYEHATEGOD) on vocals, Hank Williams III (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ASSJACK) on drums and Collin Yeo (PONYKILLER) on bass — will embark on a short headlining tour of the Southern U.S. at the end of January 2011. Joining ARSON ANTHEM on the trek will be fellow Housecore Records artists HAARP and WARBEAST.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 25 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
Jan. 26 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Jan. 27 - New Orleans, LA @ The Hangar
Jan. 28 - Forth Worth, TX @ Rail Club
Jan. 29 - Fayetteville, AR @ Drifters
A final show for the tour has yet to be announced.
ARSON ANTHEM's full-length debut, "Insecurity Notoriety", was released on October 12 via Anselmo's Housecore Records.
"Insecurity Notoriety" track listing:
01. Naught
02. Foul Pride
03. Isolation Militia
04. More Than One War
05. Insecurity Notoriety
06. Pretty Like That
07. Initial Prick
08. Crippled Life
09. Polite Society Blacklist
10. If You Heard This You Would Hit Me
11. Hands Off Approach
12. Has Been/Has Been
13. Primate Envy
14. Death of An Idiot
15. Codependent and Busted
16. Kleptomania
17. Teach the Gun To Love the Bullet
ARSON ANTHEM was brought together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with Mike Williams moving into Anselmo's spare apartment after his home and possessions were destroyed. Through this connection, Williams and Anselmo spent time listening to Anselmo's irreplaceable hardcore music collection. The members relived the days of early '80s hardcore bands, such as DISCHARGE, NEGATIVE APPROACH, SHEER TERROR, and many others. It didn't take long for the music to squash their cabin fever, and inspire them to create a new venture that is now ARSON ANTHEM. Anselmo knew of the underrated-yet-unbridled percussion skills that his and Williams' mutual friend Hank Williams III possessed, causing the contact to be made and the band to come together. Finally, bassist Collin Yeo was recruited, and the sound was born.
"I'm not sure what it is... but when Hank III, Colin, Mike and I get into 'ARSON' mode, time stops," Anselmo states.
"We know the mission is to write unforgiving hardcore inspired by a slew of '80s bands... but the result is its own animal, yet not too terrible removed from the genuine article.
"With that said, 'Insecurity Notoriety' is like listening to an old favorite blast from the skanking past... vicious, snotty, grating and anthemic!
"I know it's typical to call a modern-day hardcore band 'fresh' or 'different,' especially when it's your band, but... it is!
"This effort makes our first EP sound like child's play, as it should.
"Play it over and over! Piss everyone off!"
ARSON ANTHEM's self-titled debut EP was released in February 2008 via Housecore.
DORO, DIABULUS IN MUSICA and SYSTEM DIVIDE have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Metal Female Voices Fest, set to take place October 21-23 at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
AMARANTHE
BENEDICTUM
DEADLOCK
DIABULUS IN MUSICA
DORO
DRACONIAN
ECHOTERRA
HANGING DOLL
LEAVES' EYES
MIDNATTSOL
NEMHAIN
STREAM OF PASSION
SYSTEM DIVIDE
THERION
TRAIL OF TEARS
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS
For more information, visit www.metalfemalevoicesfest.be.
Italian symphonic metal masters RHAPSODY OF FIRE will release an epic monument called "The Cold Embrace Of Fear - A Dark Romantic Symphony" in North America on January 25, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was issued in Europe in October.
Commented RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli: "For this special CD we composed a unique song of around 35 minutes divided in seven 'acts.'
"Looking at the title, you can easily imagine that such long and epic song will show the most cinematic and orchestral side of our band, all our passion for the world of cinema we love so much and that always represented our main influence while composing the RHAPSODY's music.
"Essentially it is a long huge song, sounding very symphonic, full of orchestral sections very soundtrack-oriented, narrations and spoken parts. More than in other cases we tried to create a real movie atmosphere with very dynamic musical results, also thanks to the help of the English actors that gave voice to different charachters. You will just need to close your eyes and explore those new emotional dimensions we wrote the music for."
The lyrics of this monumental, epic symphony are based on the "dark secret saga" and represent a new chapter, directly connected to the band's latest album, "The Frozen Tears Of Angels".
Luca: "After the long journey to the icy frozen northlands at the borders of the known world, while facing concrete natural obstacles and the inner demons lying in the depths of their conscience, the five main charachters reach the ancient gothic fortress of Har-Kuun, a real monument of evil trapped between ice and snow, the mystic place where the Erian's book could be finally found.
"'The Cold Embrace Of Fear' tells about the entrance of those bravehearts in the ancestral world of Har-Kuun and the dramatic search for the holy book of the angels, only possible way to understand something more about the dark secret threatening the whole known world. Also in this case I liked to create particular 'bridges' connecting the new chapter of the saga with our modern life on the basis of symbolism, ancient wisdom and spiritual evolution.
"To someone who knows something about modern psychology and the study of the different 'self,' the hidden geometries and gothic labyrinths of Har-Kuun will reveal themselves very clearly."
Once again, legendary actor Christopher Lee was chosen for the spoken parts as a main narrator. "We couldn't imagine to release something like this without his fundamental participation," Luca says. "Sir Lee is one member of the RHAPSODY OF FIRE's family since a lot of time and we love him not only as an actor but also as man. Because of his great and majestic personality he has surely the aura of a king of the ancient times."
RHAPSODY OF FIRE's latest album, "The Frozen Tears Of Angels", sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 52 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.
PAGAN'S MIND and ALESTORM are the first confirmed bands for next year's edition of the Dokk'em Open Air festival, set to take place May 28, 2011 at Spriens Raard in Dokkum, Netherlands. Raard is a mound in the village Dongeradeel in one of the most beautiful areas of the province of Friesland. A pre-festival party, Dokk'em Rockt!, will take place on May 27.
The festival organizers have issued the following ticketing update: "There are two reasons to buy your tickets now! First because the new government intends to increase the VAT rate on tickets from 6% to 19%. Despite all the actions that are taking place it seems unlikely that this reduction measure will be put aside. Because of this we will regrettably be forced to increase the ticket price increase on January 1. Click here to go to buy early-bird tickets."
For more information, visit DokkemOpenAir.eu.
EVERGREY, AMARANTHE and SONS OF SEASONS (select shows only) have been confirmed as the support acts for American/Norwegian melodic metallers KAMELOT on their upcoming European headlining tour.
The dates are as follows:
Apr. 22 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
Apr. 23 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
Apr. 24 - Antwerp, Belgium - Hof Ter Lo
Apr. 27 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
Apr. 28 - London, England - KoKo
Apr. 29 - Luxemburg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier
Apr. 30 - Luzern, Switzerland - Schüür
May 01 - Milano, Italy - Magazzini Generali
May 03 - Budapest, Hungary - Petöfi Hall
May 05 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic Music Club
May 06 - Krakow, Poland - Kwadrat
May 07 - Berlin, Germany - C-Club
May 08 - Stuttgart, Germany - Longhorn / LKA
May 10 - Köln, Germany - Live Music Hall
May 11 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
May 12 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgårn
May 14 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
May 15 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
EVERGREY will release its eighth studio album, "Glorious Collision", via Steamhammer/SPV on the following dates:
Germany: February 25
Rest Of Europe: February 28
USA/Canada: February 22
"Glorious Collision" is described as "a dynamic goody bag featuring the most diverse material ever released on an EVERGREY album." This diversity is also expressed in the instrumentation of this extremely dynamic studio production which presents the new band members Marcus Jidell (guitar), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Johan Niemann (bass). "It's great to hear what a breath of fresh air Marcus, Johan and Hannes have brought into the band," guitarist/vocalist Tom Englund enthuses. "Although the entire material, except for two songs to which Marcus contributed on the compositional side, had already been decided when we started recording, they all left their own, very personal mark on this album." The great experience of Jidell and Niemann, who have worked with acts such as ROYAL HUNT and THERION, among others, and have now contributed lots of positive energy together with the 20-year-old drummer Van Dahl, can be felt throughout the album.
AMARANTHE (formerly AVALANCHE) — the new project featuring Olof Mörck (NIGHTRAGE, DRAGONLAND), Jake E (ex-DREAM EVIL, DREAMLAND), Andy Solveström (WITHIN Y, EVILDOER, CIPHER SYSTEM), Morten Lowe Sorensen (THE ARCANE ORDER, SUBMISSION) and Johan Andreassen (ex-ENGEL) — has completed work on its as-yet-untitled debut album at Hansen Studio in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, MERCENARY, NIGHTRAGE) for a spring 2011 release via Spinefarm Records.
AMARANTHE vocalist Elize Ryd was selected to fill the female singer spot on KAMELOT's last European tour.
It's Geoff Thorpe's story of power and pain. The quest to change peoples lives with the power of metal music and the fascination of his band in 2011. The guitarist and main songwriter of American power metal act VICIOUS RUMORS says: "The older we get, the more wicked VICIOUS RUMORS sound. We've definitely not slowed down — quite the opposite — we have even more drive. Our fans won't see a single VICIOUS RUMORS show where we don't go to our limits and beyond." Anybody who has been to one of the group's gigs during the past two years knows just what he means. Thorpe's comment not only describes his band's concerts, but also without reservation VICIOUS RUMOURS' latest album, "Razorback Killers" (due out via SPV/Steamhammer in Europe on March 28, 2011 — except in Germany, where it will arrive three days earlier — and in the U.S. on April 5, 2011) and featuring ten breathtaking new songs which transport the traditional VICIOUS RUMORS sound perfectly
into the present. To cut a long story short: this band has never sounded more dynamic than on "Razorback Killers".
The reasons for VICIOUS RUMORS' high-powered performance? Thorpe has a plausible explanation: "The metal is in our blood!!!! Plus we always have an awesome line-up. Larry Howe on drums and vocals, our bassist Stephen Goodwin and guitarist Kiyoshi Morgan, and in Brian Allen we've found the best vocalist you could possibly get for these kind of songs." Brian Allen joined the VICIOUS RUMORS fold one and a half years ago at the recommendation of Matt McCourt (WILD DOGS), a longtime friend whom Thorpe met up with at the Headbangers Open Air. "Matt had praised Brian, and I thought that he'd be perfect for VICIOUS RUMORS," Thorpe said. His assessment soon proved true: from the beginning, Allen showed his great potential during intense rehearsals. "We immediately noticed this raw, pure quality in him," Thorpe said. "Like a snowball, something very big developed very quickly out of small beginnings. During our five-week European tour, Brian got nothing but
positive reactions from our fans."
So Brian Allen and Kiyoshi Morgan are — along with Thorpe, bassist Stephen Goodwin and drummer Larry Howe, of course — two of the elemental parameters which make "Razorback Killers" such a dynamic powerhouse of an album. Three other musicians deserve to be mentioned: the guest guitarists Mark McGee, Eric Peterson and Brad Gillis. "Isn't it fantastic that Mark returned and contributed those amazing solos on two songs?" Thorpe asked. McGee was a band member between 1986 and 1995 and has launched veritable guitar solos on "Blood Stained Sunday" and "Pearl Of Wisdom". "Mark and I trading solos just like the old days," enthused Thorpe, who also can't hold back his delight at Eric Peterson's impassioned solo passages on "Murderball". "Eric has been a friend for many years and is the driving force in TESTAMENT," Thorpe said. "His solo in 'Murderball' is a perfect combination of the whole energy of VICIOUS RUMORS and TESTAMENT, merged into one song." And
last but not least: Brad Gillis, who otherwise makes his living as one of the band leaders in NIGHT RANGER, is one of Geoff Thorpe's close friends and already delivered a number of great solos on VICIOUS RUMORS previous album, "Warball". This time around, Gillis contributed a matchless — as Thorpe calls it — "classic tremolo guitar solo" in "Deal With The Devil". "I remember well when he replaced the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band. Brad has my utmost respect as a friend and colleague," Thorpe said.
So the furious "Razorback Killers" marks the next chapter in the career of VICIOUS RUMORS, whose history is paved with countless highlights: the band took the legendary Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands, by storm with their amazing shows in the summers of 1990 and 1994, floored the 2002 Wacken Open Air, rocked the metal fans at the 2007 Bang Your Head!!! festival and are celebrated frenetically all over the world for their passionate live performances. VICIOUS RUMORS have released ten excellent power metal albums to date, travelled the world over a dozen times — with METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, AEROSMITH and many others — and are now ready to present their latest recording to their fans. "We'll be co- headlining the Keep It True festival in April 2011, one month after the album is released," Thorpe promised. "We'll be touring for the rest of the year in the USA, Europe and Japan, hopefully also visiting countries such as South
America or Australia, where we've never been before."
"Razorback Killers" was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producers Juan Urteaga and Geoff Thorpe.
The track listing is as follows:
01. Murderball
02. Black
03. Razorback Blade
04. Blood Stained Sunday
05. Pearl Of Wisdom
06. All I Want Is You
07. Axe To Grind
08. Let The Garden Burn
09. Rite Of Devastation
10. Deal With The Devil
VICIOUS RUMORS 2010 is:
Larry Howe - Drums
Brian Allen (LAST EMPIRE, MALICE, WILD DOGS) - Vocals
Kiyoshi Morgan - Guitar
Stephen Goodwin - Bass
Geoff Thorpe - Guitar
"All American Nightmare", the third album from Oklahoma hard rockers HINDER, sold 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 37 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Co-produced by drummer Cody Hanson and Kevin Churko (AT THIS MOMENT, OZZY OSBOURNE), "All American Nightmare" continues to follow HINDER's living-life-to-the-fullest and sometimes biographical writing style with anthemic gems filled with the band's rich guitar sound such as "Red Tail Lights" to bluesy southern rock with "What Ya Gonna Do" and "Put That Record On", to the harder-edged lead single "All American Nightmare" and "Strip Tease".
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. 2 Sides Of Me
02. All American Nightmare
03. What Ya Gonna Do
04. Hey Ho
05. The Life
06. Waking Up The Devil
07. Red Tail Lights
08. Striptease
09. Everybody's Wrong
10. Put That Record On
HINDER has released a viral video for the song "Put That Record On". While the track is a tribute to all the artists that the band members grew up listening to, singer Austin Winkler told The Pulse of Radio that someone at the recording studio was not impressed. "It was funny, whenever we were demoing the song, in the chorus it says, 'turn, turn, turn it up loud,' and we're sitting there singing it," he said. "Whoever was next door was like, 'Turn it down!' or went and told somebody to come in here and tell us to knock it off. And I thought it was actually a pretty funny story because we're sitting there singing, screaming if you will, 'turn, turn, turn it up loud,' and we got told to turn it off."
HINDER has sold more than three million albums in the U.S. with its two previous releases, "Extreme Behavior" and "Take It To The Limit", more than six million digital singles, more than six million ringtones, toured the world continuously for the past five years and reinvigorated the rock community with its infectious party lifestyle. The band's epic 2006 debut album, "Extreme Behavior", became a mainstay on The Billboard 200 chart for more than 70 weeks, earned the band numerous honors and accolades as the most successful grassroots-artist development stories of the decade. "Extreme Behavior" launched five successful singles, including the multi-format No. 1 smash "Lips Of An Angel", which earned dozens of chart-topping merit badges and and Active Rock Radio's most popular rock single of 2006 as well as three BMI Awards including "Pop Song of the Year" and "Internet Song of the Year." Their sophomore release, "Take It To The Limit", debuted at No. 4 on
The Billboard 200 and included hits "Use Me" and the Top 40 smash and video hit "Without You".
HINDER is Austin Winkler (vocals), Mark King (guitar), Joe "Blower" Garvey (guitar), Mike Rodden (bass) and Cody Hanson (drums).
SEVENTH VOID — the new band featuring TYPE O NEGATIVE guitarist Kenny Hickey and drummer Johnny Kelly — has been added to the LIFE OF AGONY / BIOHAZARD show on Thursday, December 16 at the Best Buy Theatre in New York City. Doors are at 7:00 and SEVENTH VOID is scheduled to hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. The group states, "This will be the last show we'll be playing for a little while!"
SEVENTH VOID had its debut album, "Heaven Is Gone", released in Europe on November 26 via Napalm Records. The CD was made available with brand new cover artwork.
"Heaven Is Gone" was released in the United States on April 21, 2009 via Vinnie Paul's (PANTERA, HELLYEAH) Big Vin Records. The CD sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It debuted at No. 21 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.
Rounded out by bassist Hank Hell (INHUMAN) and guitarist Matt Brown (ex-SUPERMASSIV), SEVENTH VOID continues TYPE O's tradition of slow, heavy riffs and existential lyrics, but with a slightly sludgier, "stonier" flavor.
For more information, visit the band's MySpace page.
TIMES OF GRACE — the new project that reteams KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer extraordinaire Adam Dutkiewicz with original KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse Leach — is getting ready to take the show on the road for the very first time. The band will embark on its inaugural tour, beginning February 1 in Baltimore, Marylnand and wrapping up in its native Boston, Massachusetts on February 27. STRAIGHT LINE STITCH and WAR OF AGES will round out the bill, making for an evening of eclectic hard rock and metal.
Commented Leach: "We are excited after all of these years to see TIMES OF GRACE become a live band! We have a solid group of musicians on board and some killer bands in the works. This is shaping up to be a tour to be remembered, and the first that reunites Adam and I on one stage together again! I couldn't be more pleased to present this band to the world."
Added Dutkiewicz: "Jesse and I are wicked excited to be able to bring our songs to fans live...FINALLY after all these years. We hope you all get a chance to check out the record and come sing along with us when we come to a town near you. Thanks to all of those who support this project, and we hope to see you all very soon!"
The dates are as follows:
Feb. 01 - Baltimore, MD @ The Quarter
Feb. 02 - Atlanta, GA @ the Masquerade (downstairs)
Feb. 04 - Dallas, TX @ The Door
Feb. 05 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
Feb. 07 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile
Feb. 08 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Feb. 09 - San Francisco, CA@ Bottom of the Hill
Feb. 11 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb. 12 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Ballroom
Feb. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex - Grand Room
Feb. 15 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Feb. 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Station 4
Feb. 18 - Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
Feb. 19 - Detroit, MI @ Eagle Theater
Feb. 20 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Feb. 21 - Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
Feb. 22 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Feb. 24 - West Chester, PA @ The Note
Feb. 25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
Feb. 26 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Feb. 27 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
TIMES OF GRACE's debut album, "The Hymn Of A Broken Man", will land in stores on January 18 via Roadrunner Records.
Dutkiewicz and Leach worked together on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's benchmark album, 2002's "Alive Or Just Breathing". That record has become definitive for an entire generation of American metal, with Leach's voice and uplifting lyrics serving as one of the key elements that propelled the album to "modern classic" status. Leach, who went on to sing for the more classic-rock leaning SEEMLESS and who currently sings for the metal band THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL, was always remembered fondly by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans, even though he left the band shortly after "Alive Or Just Breathing"'s release.
While fans will no doubt be thrilled at the concept of the duo reuniting, TIMES OF GRACE is not interested in fashioning "Alive Or Just Breathing Part II". It's an entirely new project and represents a different musical path for both Adam D. and Leach! It is an album of cleansing and catharsis for each of them, where internal demons were exorcised and set to music that's as aggressive as it is melodic.
"In all my life. I have yet to write a record that bares my soul as much as this record does," Leach said. "Adam and I had a real spiritual connection while making this and I know that it comes through in the performances and lyrics. This record has our blood, sweat and tears flowing through it. It is painfully honest at times. In short this record is our catharsis."
Adam D. also commented on what TIMES OF GRACE means for him personally, saying, "Making this record was something completely new for me. It documents some of the most difficult-yet-spirited times of my life in the past three-and-a-half years. A lot of the music and lyrics just came out of me while going through several internal struggles, and writing these songs were the only comfort I could find. I reached out to Jesse to help sing and write these songs with me because of my respect for his musical abilities, and because of our great friendship...one that seems to not change no matter what happens in our lives. In the end, I am very proud of this record, and I feel it has helped me through some of my darkest days. I'm hoping that people will enjoy it, and also that it can maybe help others to keep the most positive mindset, even through the most trying of times."
The track listing for the album is as follows; the song titles reflect the sentiment of catharsis that is the common thread running through "The Hymn of a Broken Man".
01. Strength In Numbers
02. Fight For Life
03. Willing
04. Where The Spirit Leads Me
05. Until The End Of Days
06. Live In Love
07. In The Arms Of Mercy
08. Hymn Of A Broken Man
09. The Forgotten One
10. Hope Remains
11. The End Of Eternity
12. Worlds Apart
13. Fall From Grace
Irish folk metal band CRUACHAN has inked a deal with Candlelight Records. The group's new album, "Blood On The Black Robe", will be released in early 2011.
An audio sample of the new CRUACHAN track "I Am Warrior" — taken from "Blood On The Black Robe" — is available for streaming using the Soundcloud player below.
CRUACHAN's fifth album, "The Morrigan's Call", was released in November 2006 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2004's "Pagan" was recorded at Sun Studios in Dublin.
Vocalist Karen Gilligan left CRUACHAN in late 2008. The remaining members of the band decided not to replace her and returned to their roots by creating extreme folk metal music. They recorded a new three-song demo which was only sent to a select few people.
Brandon Marshall of Sonic Excess recently conducted an interview with guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Sonic Excess: How did the second generation of black metal affect you growing up in Norway? Was it bands like MAYHEM and EMPEROR that inspired you when you were first forming DIMMU BORGIR?
Silenoz: Oh, for sure. I was always looking for the most extreme stuff in a musical sense, but also in a more artistic sense. In 1990-1991, when I got into more heavy music, I automatically felt a kinship with that type of music, and I took it from there, basically.
Sonic Excess: When you write, do you have to channel into a certain part of yourself to draw inspiration, or is it more of a natural process?
Silenoz: Well, it all depends. Sometimes, it has been months and months before I write a small part of the lyrics, and other times, it may take me only a few days to have basic song ideas. So, it all depends, inspiration comes and goes. I can get inspired just by seeing something on the news and channel it differently, then use that as a constructive force, I guess you could call it.
Sonic Excess: Over the years, DIMMU BORGIR has had sort of an interchangeable lineup. Do you find it difficult to work with session musicians and temporary band members due to a lack of chemistry and not entirely understanding the habits of one another?
Silenoz: Yeah, it's like you really don't know until you have been on tour for three months, unless you know the person from before. The person could be the best guitarist, drummer, or whatever, and that's cool, but you have to get along on a personal level as well. We have had our fair share of lineup changes over the years. That has been for different reasons, why people have come and gone, but I think it's because people lose focus after a while and take things for granted and become dicks.
Sonic Excess: Has there been any discussion about performing live shows with a full orchestra and choir in selected cities?
Silenoz: Yes. We are actually working on that at the moment, with a one-off show in Norway this spring. I think it's going to happen, but it takes a lot of planning. There is a lot of stuff that needs to be worked out, but it's possible, and it's time for us to do something like that. We have wanted to do it in the past as well, but the timing hasn't been right. Now, with the band as it is now, we are the tightest we have been with any lineup we have had so far. If it goes well, then there is no reason why we can't take it around the world with selected dates, because, let's face it, touring with an orchestra is not really feasible, except for some cities, let's say for example, Los Angeles, Sydney, Tokyo, or whatever (tour dates). It would have to be the bigger cities.
Sonic Excess: So, I'm assuming the show in Norway will be recorded for a CD and DVD?
Silenoz: Oh, for sure. It will be a whole documentary and everything. It will be something really special. It is something a lot of the fans would like to see also.
Sonic Excess: DIMMU BORGIR is a progressive band by nature, never releasing the same album twice. Do you think it is important for a musician to grow and mature musically?
Silenoz: It is very important, but, then again, you look at bands like AC/DC, who still sell out arenas in Europe. I don't know if you can call their music progressive, because, if you have one AC/DC album, in a way you have all of them. For us, it is different, because it is natural. For some bands, it is natural to progress, and, for others, it is natural to stay where they are. For some bands that works and for some bands it does not work. For us, it wouldn't work, because we could easily do another "Enthroned Darkness Triumphant", but what would be the challenge in that? It also wouldn't make "Enthroned Darkness Triumphant" that special of an album, because then you would have two. It doesn't make sense for us from an artistic point of view.
Sonic Excess: I'm glad you brought that to point, because no two DIMMU albums sound the same.
Silenoz: I don't think so either. You can pull out the new record ("Abrahdabra") and still hear it's us. I feel like we kept the trademark, and that, of course, is important, but if you sit down and decide what type of music you are going to make, of course it is going to go wrong. It has to come naturally; it has to flow naturally. When I hear bands say our next album is going to be like this or that, I think, "Don't go there; just to with the flow." We have a formula, if you can even call it a formula. Whatever we think sounds cool, we keep.
NECRONOMICON and NEURAXIS will co-headline next year's edition of the Drummondville Metalfest, set to take place on February 5, 2011 at Salle Gaston Mandeville in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
NECRONOMICON
NEURAXIS
REANIMATOR
EXHULT
HEAR MY WORDS
IN THE SIGHT
Two more acts will be announced soon.
$15 in advance/$20 at the door. This is an all-ages event.
Bassist Diego "D" recently announced his departure from NECRONOMICON in order to undertake "different professional and personal projects" that he wouldn't be "able to do simultaneously with [his previous] band duties."
NECRONOMICON's latest album, "The Return Of The Witch", was released in June via Austria's Napalm Records. The CD was mastered with reputed engineer Maor Appelbaum (HALFORD, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION) and features guest appearances by Arianne Fleury (ex-AUGURY) and Roxanne Constantin (NEGATIVA, QUO VADIS), among others.
NEURAXIS will release its sixth album, "Asylon", in North America on February 15, 2011. The cover art was created by artist Dennis Sibeijn of Damnengine Artwork, who worked with the band on its previous CD, "The Thin Line Between", as well with JOB FOR A COWBOY, CHIMAIRA and more.
"Asylon" was recorded at Wildsound Studio with producer Chris Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, THE LAST FELONY, THE AGONIST). Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Savior And Destroyer", "Left To Devour", "V" and the title track.
NEURAXIS will support SEPULTURA on a spring North American headlining tour. In addition, NEURAXIS will hit the road with death metal masters DEICIDE in February and March.
Northern California-based crossover veterans CONDEMNED? will release their brand new album, "Condemned 2 Death", on February 11, 2011 in Europe and March 8, 2011 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Prairie Sun Recording Studios with producer Billy Anderson (NEUROSIS, MR. BUNGLE, CATTLE DECAPITATION, CATHEDRAL, EYEHATEGOD). As an added bonus, the effort will contain a second disc of rarities, including the band's long-out-of-print Nuclear Blast release "Humanoid or Biomechanoid?".
"Condemned 2 Death" track listing:
Disc 1
01. Big Time Game Hunting
02. Aggressive System
03. Thoughts Of Equality
04. Practicing For War
05. Crutch
06. Anti-social
07. Cavern In Mind
08. Cleansing Pool
09. Emotional Blurr
10. Crucified
11. Ocean
12. Save Thy Brother
13. D-Day
14. When Worlds Collide
Disc 2
01. Intro
"Condemned To Death" (1983-84)
02. Gartland's Pit
03. Pain Of Mind
04. Media Control
05. Dismember Me
06. Blood River (Scotty of VERBAL ABUSE/HOLLYWOOD HATE's first vocal appearance)
07. The Assassin (Scotty)
08. Bang Your Maidenhead
09. Wired
"Death Sentence" (1985)
10. Condemned 2 Death Sentence
"Humanoid Or Biomechanoid?" (1986)
11. Big Time Game Hunting
12. Emotional Blurr
13. Crutch
14. A Cavern In Time
15. Icy Minds
16. When Worlds Collide
17. Satan's Sandals
18. Tidal Wave
19. Face Yourself
20. Humanoid Or Biomechanoid?
"Condemned/Attitude" (1987)
21. Homeless Crew
22. No Boundaries
23. 3rd World Child
Live "Senseless Death" compilation
24. No Blind Power
25. D-Day
26. Deadly Euphoria
27. Big Time
"Something Scaley" (1989-93)
28. River Of Life
29. Movement
30. Fool's Fable
30. Outro
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/c2dcondemned2death.
Norway's legendary black metal duo DARKTHRONE and Britain's independent heavy metal powerhouse Peaceville Records will continue to re-release new editions of classic DARKTHRONE albums, from the recently acquired Moonfog Productions catalogue titles. To celebrate the release of the next two titles to be reissued, "Goatlord" and "Ravishing Grimness", the band and label are calling on fans to create new artwork for the now-classic albums.
DARKTHRONE guitarist/vocalist Nocturno Culto issued the following statement: "We are pleased to announce that Peaceville/Snapper has bought the entire Moonfog catalogue of DARKTHRONE, that is seven albums in total. The plan is to release these albums within the next year, with new distro network and fresh thinking around these albums.
"There are two albums that will have entirely new cover artwork: 'Ravishing Grimness' and 'Goatlord'. This is a decision that is made by Fenriz and myself. And the idea now is that we are making a competition out of this. If you now feel the urge to contribute to this competition, you are most welcome to send in your art to Peaceville. Only serious contributions will reach Fenriz and me to decide upon. Thank you in advance, we're looking forward to this."
Submissions should be e-mailed to competition@peaceville.co.uk before January 31.
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