When we interviewed Tony Iommi for TG210 (on sale 24 December – 20 January), the Brummie guitarist gave us so many great quotes that we couldn't fit them all into our cover feature. Luckily for you, we've put together some choice excerpts for a two-part Tony Iommi online interview. So here's the first part, with Iommi talking about key areas of his gear and tone over the years.
Interview: David West
The Mad Professor
Is it true you started using banjo strings on your guitar after your accident?
"Yes. I had big problems when asking string companies to make me sets of lighter gauge strings. They kept saying they couldn't do it, even though I'd made my own setup from banjo strings. I used banjo strings at first because I was trying to find anything that was light that I could use, and I dropped the gauge down so that I was using a fifth [string] as a sixth. That worked for me. Of course, it was also an art of trying to tune a guitar with lighter strings – old tuning pegs and the lighter gauge – created other problems."
What amps were you using in the early days of Sabbath, around the first album 'Black Sabbath'?
"I think I was using Marshall early on, and then Laney on the first album, but when we first wrote ['Black Sabbath'] songs I was using a Marshall 50-watt. I switched to Laney because they started up around the same time as us and they're a Birmingham company. To be honest, they offered to give us all this gear when nobody else did. What do you say to that? 'OK!' So I used them."
Treble-trouble
What other key pieces of gear did you use back then?
"When I lived in Cumberland, when we did the Mythology thing [Iommi's earlier band], there was a guy up there and I used to use his treble booster called a [Dallas] Rangemaster to give my sound a bit more 'oomph'. A guy from another band up there said, 'I can make that sound better for you'. So he took it off me and brought it back the next day. I don't know what he did to it, but it was really good. I used that treble booster on all the early Sabbath albums and put it into the Laney because it boosted the input and gave it the overdrive I was looking for, which amps in the early days didn't have.
"I used that treble booster up until 1979 when I had a guy come in to build me some Marshalls. They gave me a whole stack of Marshalls and this guy came in and rebuilt them. In the meantime, while he was building these things, he threw my treble booster away. I didn't know until it came to the time when I was looking for it and he said, 'Oh that? I threw it away. It was crap'. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen it from that day on and my amps didn't sound right without it."
Your early Sabbath days were a challenge when finding the right gear for you. You faced some obstacles trying to get a 24-fret guitar designed…
"That's right. Everybody said, 'You can't do 24 frets'. I approached a couple of the big companies but they didn't want to know, so that's why I got involved with [British luthier] John Birch in the early days. I put money into his company so that we could build the 24 fret guitars. John was a bit of a mad professor, but we did it.
"I wasn't bothered about patenting the guitar or anything because I just wanted it for me. As long as it worked for me, that was it, and if anybody else wanted to have one that was fine, too. Also, investing in the guitar company enabled me to try out new ideas. Like, 'let's make some new pickups, rewire this or that'. I could experiment. They'd wind me a pickup, I'd go and try it at a gig, then bring it back the next day and say, 'No, it was crap'. They'd wind another one and I'd try it at the next gig. It was a bit dodgy because I only had one guitar, but that's what we did back then."
We're big fans of your 24-fret Gibson Custom Shop Iommi SG!
"The Custom SG Gibson made for me was based on the guitar I worked on with John Birch and John Diggins. The Custom has 24 frets and we worked on the pickup at Gibson, trying out some winding pickups. They're quite powerful pickups, and funnily enough Gibson were saying that a lot of jazz players are buying the pickups we designed. Apparently, they're really popular in the jazz field."
What do you think of the scooped tone?
"Certainly for chords. For me, that thin sound doesn't really work. It works great for a lot of the widdly-diddly players, but it doesn't seem to work for me. I have to have more of a fatter sound. I just hear it in my head. I can play faster stuff and cleaner stuff with that thinner sound. It's like with a wah-wah when you put it on halfway, you get that sound where you feel like you can play anything. The sound I tend to use, I think of how the band has got to sound and I try to make it fuller."
Are you happy with the tone you have now?
"I'm never, never satisfied. I'll do a tour and think, 'I want a bit more of this and a bit more of that'. I just have that thing where I have to try something else. At the moment I'm having a new pedalboard built. Sometimes I experiment on the road, which is difficult. Last year I ended up using Engl amplifiers and Laney, which were two different sounds altogether. That was last year's experiment. I'm looking forward to the next one!"
Total Guitar issue 210 (on sale 24 December - 20 January) features Tony Iommi on the cover and contains 11-pages of Iommi coverage, including an in-depth interview and a complete tab of 'Planet Caravan'.
According to The Associated Press, musician and artist Don Van Vliet, who performed a complex brand of experimental rock under the name CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, died Friday. He was 69.
The Michael Werner Gallery in New York confirmed Van Vliet's death in California due to complications stemming from multiple sclerosis. The gallery exhibits his paintings.
Van Vliet was probably best known for the album Trout Mask Replica, which was released in 1969 by CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND.
The album's angular, dissonant take on blues rock and Van Vliet's growling, surreal lyrics put him outside the mainstream, but staked his place in rock history.
Rolling Stone magazine recently ranked Trout Mask Replica number 58 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album was produced by fellow experimental rock pioneer FRANK ZAPPA, a high school friend from the desert town of Lancaster, CA.
"Record producers have always been certain that Don Vliet was just a hype away from the big money," according to a 1970 profile in Rolling Stone. "But Beefheart stubbornly continues what he's doing and waits patiently for everyone else to come around."
By shunning commercial success and a more accessible sound, Van Vliet became a role model for subsequent generations of musicians. His music is cited as an influence on the rise of punk, post-punk and new wave. Beefheart is also claimed as a kindred spirit by free jazz musicians and avant-garde classical composers.
In the 1980s, Van Vliet turned full-time to art. He painted in a raw, expressionistic style and showed his acclaimed work widely even as he withdrew from the public eye.
He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years.
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have been confirmed as the headliners of the Sonisphere festival in Spain in 2011. The event, now in its third year, will be held at Getafe Open Air, Madrid on Saturday, July 16.
As previously reported, IRON MAIDEN will headline the Polish installment of the Sonisphere festival on Friday, June 10, 2011 at the 100,000-capacity Bemowo Airfield in Warsaw. According to Antyradio, the biggest rock radio station in Poland, SLIPKNOT and MOTÖRHEAD will also perform at the event, although this has not yet been officially confirmed by the festival organizers.
The so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — has been confirmed as for the French edition of the Sonisphere festival, set to take place July 8-9, 2011 in Amnéville. Also scheduled to appear is SLIPKNOT. The "Big Four" will perform on Saturday, July 9.
METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER were recently confirmed for their first "Big Four" show of 2011, scheduled for the U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival on Friday, July 8. This will be the first gig featuring all four groups since they did a series of shows together in Eastern Europe last summer to massive crowds and acclaim.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said in a statement, "As soon as the 'Big Four' gigs started rolling across Sonisphere festivals in Eastern Europe last summer, we all felt we were part of something special. The vibe within the bands was more than anyone had anticipated and the vibe with the fans was so next level, it completely blew our minds... there was no way this should not happen again!!!"
The so-called "Big Four" are arguably the biggest and longest-lasting acts to emerge from the thrash/speed metal underground of the late '80s, but never shared a stage together until this year.
Ulrich recently told The Pulse Of Radio that there's no competition among the four bands when they play together. "The only competition is for METALLICA to go out and be the best METALLICA it can be every night, or for Lars to go out and try and make it through without one of his arms flying off or, you know, whatever. So the only competition is just really internal. I think that the bands now are so established that it's just not about, like, 'Let's see if we can blow the other guys off,' or, you know, 'Let's see if they can follow that.'"
It is not clear yet whether more "Big Four" events are planned for next year, although there is strong speculation that more shows in Europe and North America are in the works.
A deluxe CD/DVD package filmed and recorded at a "Big Four" show in Sofia, Bulgaria last June was released in November.
MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson recently spoke to Ultimate-Guitar.com's Robert Gray about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album, tentatively due in late 2011 via Roadrunner Records. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On how much new material has been accumulated at this stage of the songwriting process:
Ellefson: "There's some ideas that we're now starting to individually compose. We're starting to put some things together, but the actual getting together in the studio to really get things started for the next record as far as all of us being in a room with a producer and all that, that is something we're gonna start [in January]."
On how the new songs are sounding:
Ellefson: "We're at a stage where we're just compiling ideas — riffs, lyrics, things like that. Those early ideas often turn many corners and take many new twists before they're finalized on the final album. The seeds of the ideas I think are great, and I think they're really heavy and they're powerful. I don't think MEGADETH fans will be disappointed at all. If the final outcome of what I'm hearing at this point with these seeds of ideas, if these come to fruition like they should, I think we're gonna have ourselves a smoking record. . . . I think, more than the actual material, though... because again, at this point everybody has some individual ideas or some collective ideas that are at least established... More than anything though, I think we're excited about it because we've had such a great year of reconnecting. There've been some huge successes with the 'Rust In Peace' tour and the 'Big Four' DVD, and just coming off of that, it's an exciting
time for us to start and carve out the next chapter of MEGADETH."
On whether his return to MEGADETH after an eight-year hiatus will add a different flavor to proceedings:
Ellefson: "I think so. I think what's nice to a large degree is that Dave [Mustaine] was really the primary writer, if not the only writer, of the past few MEGADETH records, and I think when a band works together as a unit, regardless of who writes it, there tends to be a different flavor and a different style. I think that one of the cool things about where the band is right now as a unit is that it isn't only... Obviously, Shawn Drover [drums] now has been there for awhile, so he's got some experience. He knows how MEGADETH writes, records and operates; he knows how Dave writes, he understands Dave's compositional style, and as well, Shawn has started to contribute some of his own material, like on 'Head Crusher' from the [2009] 'Endgame' record. Now it's kinda cool, though, because there's now me and Dave who both can go back to the seed of MEGADETH, to the origins of it. I think that there's a really cool chemistry right now with Dave and I being
back together. I think our playing has a certain style, and adds a certain tonal quality to MEGADETH. There's a really cool mixture of all the ingredients right now in the kitchen to really whip up something pretty tasty."
On how the next MEGADETH album will compare to "Endgame":
Ellefson: "This much I do know. I'm sure that after playing the 'Rust In Peace' album for the last year, that that will definitely have an influence on the sound of MEGADETH moving forward."
SLAYER and MEGADETH will team up for the "European Carnage Tour 2011" in March/April. Confirmed dates are as follows:
Mar. 13 - Kiev, Ukraine - Expo
Mar. 15 - Moscow, Russia - Olimpiski
Mar. 16 - St Petersburg, Russia - Jubileeny
Mar. 17 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
Mar. 19 - Stockholm, Sweden - Arenan
Mar. 20 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
Mar. 21 - Aarhus, Denmark - SCC
Mar. 23 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest
Mar. 24 - Bamberg, Germany - Stechert Arena
Mar. 26 - Paris, France - Zenith
Mar. 28 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
Mar. 29 - La Coruna, Spain - Coliseum
Mar. 30 - Lisbon, Portugal - Pavilhao Atlantico
Apr. 01 - Barcelona, Spain - St Jordi Club
Apr. 03 - Rome, Italy - Atlantico
Apr. 04 - Padova, Italy - Gran Teatro
Apr. 06 - Zagreb, Croatia - Arena
Apr. 07 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
Apr. 08 - Budapest, Hungary - Arena
Apr. 10 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena
Apr. 11 - Lodz, Poland - Sportshall
Apr. 13 - Basel, Switzerland - St Jakobshalle
Wrapping up one of the most memorable years of the band's career, SLAYER made available a previously unreleased track, "Atrocity Vendor", as part of a special limited-edition seven-inch single. Written by Kerry King, the track was recorded during the 2009 "World Painted Blood" sessions, and was released on "Black Friday," November 26, exclusively through Metal Club, the North American indie store consortium that works to connect the metal community with their local "brick and mortar" record stores.
"Atrocity Vendor" was paired with the Tom Araya/Jeff Hanneman-penned track "World Painted Blood", and released in a clear sleeve on a red vinyl disc. Go to www.mymetalclub.com to find a metal record shop near you.
MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace Live" CD — which captures the final night of the band's historic month-long "Rust In Peace" 20th anniversary tour — has sold more than 12,000 copies in the United States since its September release.
SLAYER guitarist Kerry King joined MEGADETH on stage on October 21 at the Gibson Amphitheater to perform MEGADETH's classic "Rattlehead". This marked the first time in 26 years that Kerry played the song with MEGADETH (King took part in MEGADETH's very first shows in February 1984 as the band's second guitarist).
He's funny, he's polite and he's sweet. Legendary rocker and notoriously media-shy Axl Rose in an exclusive chat with tabloid! reveals why the band has stood the test of time
When Axl Rose and the boys burst onto the stage on Thursday night in Abu Dhabi, you could have already worked out that they were going to rock Abu Dhabi. What you couldn't have known, was just minutes before they set the stage alight, legendary rocker Rose was sipping tea while chatting to tabloid!.
"We better get out there before they tear the house down," said Rose tipping his head acknowledging the gathered crowd cranking up the volume.
"I'll be blaming you. You know that," he added as the entire group broke into laughter and headed off for the show.
According to his manager, Doc Mcghee, Rose has not given an interview for 14 years.
"I don't know what you've done, but you did something right," he said expressing his utter surprise that the red-haired singer was willing to talk.
Media-shy
The American rock star has been notoriously media-shy (read anti-media) since the implosion of the original band — the hitmakers behind seminal rock songs such as Sweet Child O'Mine and Paradise City. Rose even wrote the song Get in the Ring about his disgust for the media and all the lies he claims journalists and publications printed over the years.
But this week was different and as he politely asked for "any kind of tea" from a member of his crew, he settled into his chair and prepared to open up.
As with every good story there's always a bit of drama. You see this story almost wasn't told because while tabloid! knew Rose was in town, it was also made clear, initially, there would be no interview (as has been the case for the past 14 years).
You can therefore understand why a desperate chase across Yas Island (in flip flops) swiftly followed when "that'"call came in to say he said "yes".
"There is a lotta rockin people out there," said Rose looking almost nervous [replace the word rockin with any swear word to get the full effects of the interview]. "Oops, is it bad to say that?" he added before quickly changing the subject.
"I played in the Middle East once before," continued Rose needing no prompt. "It was for about 50,000. It was insane. We've been trying to come play again since so tonight is gonna be wow. A lot of rockets and bombs. We're excited we try to go all out," he said ahead of the sell-out gig, the last of the Flash Entertainment-organised Yas Arena Show Weekends.
'Pride'
"For me one of the really cool things is I don't have to get on at everybody in the band. Hey do this, do that, you know. Because they're excited. Everybody takes a certain amount of pride in what they do. Plus they all get on at each other about it anyway. Everybody goes out there and tries to give everything they can. And we stay out there a couple hours more, you know, until we feel the crowd is happy. Or until we feel like we've done a good job. It's kinda like going to the gym or something, you know, you don't leave until you feel like you're supposed to."
There's a slight pause before all four members burst out laughing. "It's just hard to get in the gym," Rose eventually concedes. "Yeah they won't let me smoke on the treadmill," added guitarist DJ Ashba still laughing.
South America, Asia and just off the back of more than 40 gigs across Europe, Guns N' Roses is off to Russia next saying the diversity of an audience never fails to amaze them.
"I think it's a lot to do with the material from the past and a hell of a lot to do with the heart that was put into it then," said Rose his fingers covered with giant rings, each with a new plaster covering the finger underneath.
Heart
"But if we weren't putting the heart into it now, if I wasn't putting my heart into it, the fans, they're not gonna let me get away with it. We have to live up to something, have to work a bit harder because you're living up to the legend or a myth or whatever," he said, deep in thought. "It's more pressure when you're playing to live up to myth."
Guns N' Roses formed in 1985, a time when Rose insists things were very different when it came to restrictions regarding performances.
"In the club days, like '88 and '89, you could fall off stage and that was OK. Then it turned into I can't dive off but other bands can. I'd be doing everything I can not to fall off. I always see the tape on stage. The glow in the dark tape on the edge. I remember when they didn't have it at the LA Coliseum when we opened for The Stones. When the lights went down, I went down."
Multi-cultural crowd
Stopping to listen to the fans getting progressively louder, Rose said he was looking forward to playing to a multi-cultural crowd.
"The diverse crowd aspect is actually the most interesting part for me because I think that pretty much sums up why the Guns catalogue has stood the test of time," he said, still with an ear on the fans.
"It crosses genres, it crosses religious lines, you know. It's music that people can relate to. That there is such a diverse crowd out there it makes it a lot of fun."
Looking up from under the dark lenses of his aviators, Rose broke a smile. "We've crossed a few lines for certain," he said. "And we'll continue that."
VELVET REVOLVER have been on hiatus since singer Scott Weiland left the group in April of 2008, but recently the band has been auditioning vocalists. Drummer Matt Sorum told VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner about the singer search, "We're real close [to finding the right person]. We got a guy that we like but we haven't sat around a table and said to each other, 'Okay, let's shake hands and do this.' Hopefully we'll be able to… I mean, I know this has been going on for a while but the reality of it is [VELVET REVOLVER guitarist] Slash has been on the road [promoting his solo album] for the last year. We only started rehearsing last week after a year off and we're going to rehearse again in January with this particular person."
So what's next for the group?
"After that process, we're gonna sit down and decide if he's the guy and then at that point we'll make a record and go out on the road and tour again," Sorum said. "We all know that we want to make the right record and the right decisions and if it takes another year or two, it probably won't happen, but I feel very confident it's probably going to happen in 2011."
In a recent interview with Artisan News Service, VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan talked about what the hold-up has been with regards to the search for the right replacement for departed frontman Scott Weiland.
"VELVET REVOLVER is not done, we're not finished, and I don't think we've made our best record yet," he said. "We'll tour again, we'll find the guy."
He added, "It's one of those things, if you concern yourself with it [too much, it starts to work against you] because there's a not to pool from out there — for our particular band. There's some great talent — we've heard some really, really good guys — but to get all of us to agree on what that… I don't know if the guy that all four of us want is ever gonna exist, but we've gotta get close."
Regarding a possible replacement for Weiland, McKagan said, "It's gotta be better than it was; it's gotta be as good, at least. And for us, it's gotta be better. And Scott is an amazing vocalist and frontman, so it's gotta be as good or better than that. We can't [step down a notch]."
VELVET REVOLVER has been without a vocalist and on hiatus since dismissing Weiland in April 2008, although there have been rumored candidates to take the job from time to time.
Slash recently finished a tour in support of his debut solo album and will work with VELVET REVOLVER for the rest of this year, before heading out on the road again in January with OZZY OSBOURNE.
VELVET REVOLVER released its first concert DVD on November 16, titled "Live In Houston". The 12-song, 78-minute disc was filmed in 2005 while the band was touring behind its 2004 debut album, "Contraband". In addition to tunes from that record, the DVD also includes songs from its members' other bands, GUNS N' ROSES and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, along with interviews with all five band members at the time.
Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, GUNS N' ROSES) underwent 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. He writes on Twitter, "Thanks for the well wishes on my sinus surgery. All went great! This is NOT from cocaine relapse ([as] was reported somewhere!). Just old scar tissue."
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."
Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER fame will appear on the Rotosound booth at Winter NAMM at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California alongside fellow legendary bassist Billy Sheehan. Billy is regarded by many to have changed the way the bass guitar is played and has been voted best bass guitar player five times by Guitar Player magazine readers. Duff, revered by many musicians all over the world for his unique bass skills, recently rehearsed and performed live with JANE'S ADDICTION and took part in a surprise one-off reunion with GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose. RATT will also make an appearance on the Rotosound stand. They have been touring extensively supporting the SCORPIONS this year, following the release of their first studio album in over a decade, "Infestation". Robbie Crane will be joined by Warren DeMartini and Carlos Cavazo.
Appearance dates and times:
* Duff McKagan
Saturday, January 15 at 1:00 p.m.
* Billy Sheehan
Saturday, January 15 at 2:00 p.m.
* RATT: Robbie Crane, Warren DeMartini, Carlos Cavazo
Saturday, January 15 at 4:00 p.m.
For more information, go to www.rotosound.com.
MÖTLEY CRÜE has been confirmed for next year's edition ofThe Bamboozle festival, set to take place April 29 - May 1 at the New Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
LIL WAYNE
MÖTLEY CRÜE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
A DAY TO REMEMBER
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
LMFAO
A LOSS FOR WORDS
ANBERLIN
ANIMALS AS LEADERS
ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS
BORN OF OSIRIS
BOYS LIKE GIRLS
CHELSEA GRIN
CIRCA SURVIVE
EATMEWHILEIMHOT
FOR TODAY
FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS
I SEE STARS
NEON HITCH
NEW FOUND GLORY (feat. Marky Ramone)
O'BROTHER
OCEANO
RIVER CITY EXTENSION
ROMANCE ON A ROCKETSHIP
RX BANDITS
RYAN CABRERA
SENSES FAIL
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO
TEXAS IN JULY
THE READY SET
THE YOUTH AHEAD
TRANSIT
TWO TONGUES
VANNA
WAKA FLOCKA FLAME
WE ARE THE IN CROWD
Rocker-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie has rolled out his very own line of coffee. His first two blends — French Roast Organic and Peru Organic — are available in 1 lb. bags for $13.99 each (plus shipping and handling) at
http://robzombie.shop.bravadousa.com/Dept.aspx?cp=30708_41622
Rob Zombie French Roast Organic Whole Bean Coffee description: "Our deepest and darkest roasted coffee. This 100% Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified French Roast offering has a surprising characteristic that you'll notice when you purchase whole beans — a hint of speckle. This is because we artistically blend our French Roast with a moderate percentage of different roasts, producing a complex taste profile that no other French-style coffee has in existence. Savor the deepness."
Rob Zombie Peru Organic Whole Bean Coffee description: "From the tall peaks of the Andes to the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin, Peruvian coffees are as distinct as their birthplace. Featuring 100% Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified beans, this incredible single-origin coffee supports the battle against social and environmental challenges. Medium-bodied with a tangy fruit finish, our lively Peru has been hand-crafted to realize its complete flavor potential."
According to a posting on the Michael Schenker News And Tour Information web site, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP will play a 20-minute set at the second annual Dean Guitars NAMM Jam on Friday, January 14 at the Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's lineup for the performance will be as follows:
Michael Schenker - Guitar
Wayne Findlay - Guitar/Keyboards
Elliott "Dean" Rubinson (owner of Dean Guitars) - Bass
Robin MacAuley - Vocals
Brian Tichy - Drums
MEGADETH will headline the event, which will also feature a performance by HELLYEAH. The party will open with a star-studded all-star legends jam with some of the greatest guitarists in the business, including Michael Schenker, Leslie West of MOUNTAIN, Michael Angelo Batio and more. And if that isn't enough, the night will be topped of with the always eye-catching Coffin Case/Dean Girl Fashion Show. Popular Sirius XM on-air personality and MTV "Headbangers Ball" host Jose Mangin will MC the evening.
The Dean Guitars NAMM Jam is an invitation-only event. However, the Dean TV crew will be on site, webcasting live from the Grove from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Friday, January 14, so fans at home get a backstage pass to all the action.
For more than twenty years, thrashers have tuned in to the "Headbangers Ball" and on December 18, MTV2 will once again honor the biggest tours, craziest stories and top metal releases of the year with the "Headbangers Ball: The Year in Metal". The half-hour special, which kicks off at midnight, will be hosted by national radio personality José Mangin. The can't-miss half-hour special presentation will feature some of the biggest names in metal, including ANTHRAX, Max Cavalera, IN THIS MOMENT, OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and editors from Revolver and Decibel magazines, who will all be on hand to look back at 2010's defining moments of metal. If that wasn't enough, the show will also provide viewers with VIP access to an exclusive performance from Brooklyn's own LIFE OF AGONY.
José Mangin, who is described in a press release as "one of the most passionate and knowledgeable metalheads on the planet," started his career in radio in Arizona as Metal Director for the University of Arizona's college radio station in Tucson. While attending Pharmacy graduate school in Memphis, he landed a job in radio and ended up choosing a life of rock 'n' roll over medicine. In 2000 José moved to New York City and began his job as a national radio Program Director and on-air personality.
"It's been a lifelong goal and dream to be a part of the holy 'Headbangers Ball', a show that gave me my metal wings when I was a little kid," said Mangin. "I'm far beyond honored to be hosting 2010's 'Year in Metal' special with a team that dominates and has the same goal I do — to infect the world with heavy metal music! As our godfather Ozzy Osbourne always says… 'Let's go f'in CRAZY!!!'"
Since 1987, "Headbangers Ball" has been the heshest and gnarliest horror show on air and online. There's a ton different kinds of metal — from black metal and death metal to industrial metal and speed metal and everything in between — and they're all on "Headbangers Ball". On top of ripping through the most absurdly, obscenely raw and perverse videos in the history of darkness, "Headbangers Ball" also goes one-on-one with the bands, drawing out the secrets of their sinister worlds.
Los Angeles, California and the Downtown Independent Cinema have been selected as the hosts for the first annual Heavy Metal Film Festival, set to take place March 31 - April 3, 2011.
This inaugural event is the brainchild of Samuel Douek, a metalhead since the age of six and director of the Hola México Film Festival. He says, "After the success of films like 'Metal: A Headbanger's Journey', 'Heavy Metal In Baghdad', 'Anvil: The Story Of Anvil', 'Lemmy', 'Until The Light Takes Us', and many others in recent years, the idea is to bring the best films in metal together and give them one home. The primary objective is to bring the metal community together to watch our music on the big screen. There's a bright future for metal films, and I want to have a platform to launch them, promote them, and support them. I also want to have some great [question-and-answer] sessions with directors and maybe even some surprise guests."
There is still an open call for submissions, which can include full-length features, documentaries, shorts, "making-of"s and live concerts. The only required theme is that the footage focus on heavy metal music. Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 4, 2011.
The program for the Heavy Metal Film Festival will be finalized on Friday, February 18, 2011.
For more information about submitting to the film festival or volunteering for the event, please write in to heavymetalfilmfestival@gmail.com. You can also visit the festival's official Facebook page.
DISTURBED had to cancel two weeks of U.S. dates earlier this fall when singer David Draiman was stricken with was reported to be a "throat infection." The band just a completed a tour of Europe and Draiman revealed the exact reason behind cancelation — he was given an overdose of allergy medication. The frontman told Metal Hammer magazine, "I'd been having allergy shot therapy, and in the middle of the touring cycle an injection that was supposed to be administered at 0.05 of a particular concentration was injected at 0.5 — 10 times more than I was supposed to get.
"I had severe anaphylactic shock. Airwaves constricted, blood pressure plummeting. I was on oxygen for hours and still my blood pressure was way, way low. This was the day before we were supposed to play three shows in a row and the residual inflammation that came from the allergic reaction meant that I couldn't heal from it in the middle of the touring cycle.
"My vocal cords were pretty beaten up: seeing them on a stroboscope was pretty scary. They told me if I sang I'd be risking permanent damage."
Draiman in 2006 underwent successful surgery to fix a deviated septum which was making breathing difficult and affecting his vocal abilities on stage.
DISTURBED will return to the stage in the U.S. in January with its fifth "Music As A Weapon" tour.
The band will be joined by KORN, SEVENDUST and IN THIS MOMENT. Just one date has been revealed so far, in Rochester, New York on January 19, but a full schedule is expected soon.
DISTURBED is touring behind its fifth album, "Asylum", and has released a video for its latest single, "The Animal".
AJ Maddah, who is responsible for organizing Australia's Soundwave festival, has slammed AVENGED SEVENFOLD for allegedly refusing to play during the day or clash with festival headliners IRON MAIDEN, despite being billed in tenth place on the lineup poster.
In a series of comments posted on Twitter, Maddah said, "AVENGED have decided, despite having originally confirmed a mid-afternoon spot, that they are now unwilling to play unless it is night time. At the same time, they are refusing to play at the same time as MAIDEN… In other words, they want MAIDEN to play in the afternoon!
"While AVENGED are a massive band, having sold around 8,000 copies of their new album nationally, I won't be able to move MAIDEN's time slot. I have now reached the point where I can no longer mess around 70 other bands and 180,000 ticket holders to appease this band's nonsense. I have every expectation that they will go back on their agreement and cancel."
Earlier today, AVENGED SEVENFOLD issued a statement confirming that it has decided to pull out of Soundwave, explaining that "the band decided that they could not offer fans the live experience they have come to expect and didn't want to disappoint them. AVENGED SEVENFOLD will return to Australia soon to headline their own tour."
Soundwave festival dates are as follows:
Feb. 26 - Brisbane, Showgrounds
Feb. 27 - Sydney, Eastern Creek Raceway
Mar. 04 - Melbourne, Showgrounds
Mar. 05 - Adelaide, Bonython Park
Mar. 07 - Perth, Steel Blue Oval
"Nightmare", the fifth album from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, sold 162,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at the top of The Billboard 200 chart.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD's self-titled fourth album opened with 94,000 units back in November 2007, nearly three times what its 2005 effort, "City of Evil", sold in its biggest week on the chart.
"Nightmare" was completed after the death of drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who passed away last December following an overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol.
The band recruited DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy to play on the new album and all the band's 2010 tour dates. Portnoy has since been relieved of his duties and will not be accompanying the group on its upcoming tours.
Orange County, California's AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the following statement:
"For the past few months, we've been blessed with Mike Portnoy's talent and humanity.
"When Mike agreed to tour with us, it was only through the end of 2010. We always knew we'd need to find another solution for 2011 and beyond. And it's time for us to take that next step.
"We know we are not ready to add another permanent member of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. We don't know if we will ever be. But if we do, it will only be with someone who is not only a brilliant drummer, but also someone we've gotten to know well on the road and off, and who you the fans have had a chance to get to know, and hopefully accept. In other words, in this family, we take these steps together, band and our extended fan family.
"We are lucky to be surrounded by so many friends, many of whom knew [late AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer] Jimmy ['The Rev' Sullivan] very well personally, as well as our band and Jimmy's drumming talent and style. These friends have introduced us to several amazing drummers. We have decided to take one of them out starting in January. He will not be a member of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He will be someone you and we are getting to know. Perhaps this drummer will be a fit. Perhaps not. One thing is for sure. Over time we will find someone who helps us continue our quest to make the music we love for the fans we love.
"Mike and the band agree that can't be him. Why? Long before there was an AVENGED SEVENFOLD, there were members of this band who looked up to Mike and, in Jimmy's case, learned a lot from watching Mike play. He is a brilliant writer, producer and, of course, drummer. Because of that, the world and we would always see it as AVENGED SEVENFOLD with Mike Portnoy.
"We take a lot of pride in AVENGED SEVENFOLD being about something greater than any individuals. It's about the music, the fans and the friends and family we have as well as continuing our best friends legacy.
"Please give whoever we try your love and support....and the benefit of the doubt. They won't be Jimmy. Who could be? But he will be himself, with his own special talents and creativity. And that's all we could ever look for.
"Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've done love and support us and help us get back on our feet."
AVENGED SEVENFOLD is slated to hit the road in the U.S. next month as part of the "Nightmare After Christmas" tour, along with STONE SOUR and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD. There is no word yet on whether the band will remain on that tour and enlist a new drummer.
James Sullivan, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's founding drummer, was found dead in his California home last December 28 of a fatal mixture of drugs and alcohol.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that the band was not happy about the public way in which drummer Mike Portnoy's split with his former group DREAM THEATER was played out, which may have soured Portnoy's relationship with AVENGED, ultimately causing his departure from the Orange County, California-based act. "We were actually a little more shocked," M. Shadows said. "We felt that maybe both parties could have handled it a little more internally without being so press release-happy about what had happened between them. Because we're a band that, really, when it comes to news all over web sites or this or that about bands, you know, we don't tweet much, we don't try to put ourselves out that much, and all the drama and controversy wasn't something that we wanted at all."
Florida metallers TRIVIUM are now scheduled to enter Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida on January 16 with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford to begin recording the follow-up to 2008's "Shogun". According to guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy, 17 songs have been written for the new CD, which is tenatively due late spring/early summer via Roadrunner Records
In a July 18, 2010 interview with the WMHB 89.7 FM metal radio show "Metal Mutilation", TRIVIUM guitarist Corey Beaulieu stated about the band's new material, "We've been concentrating more on [making] more to-the-point, catchier songs without going off too much — there's no seven- or eight-minute songs on this one. There's a lot of really cool riffs and a lot of really cool parts, and, obviously, there's guitar solos all over the place. It doesn't sound like 'Shogun', but it sounds like TRIVIUM. It's a got a different feel than 'Shogun' — it's a lot more in your face and heavier and faster. It kind of balances out everything — we've got four or five songs that are all screaming, we've got a couple of songs that are all singing, and huge songs that are kind of a mix — kind of 'Acendancy' [2005] kind of vocal style, [with both] screaming and singing, so there's a good variety, which makes it really interesting to listen to, because each song has
its own thing going on, so they all stand out really well and fit together, too. It's got a good balance of everything, but the energy and the intensity is just a lot more up there. I guess if you compare it to anything as far as being aggressive, it's probably more towards 'Ascendancy' than anything else."
Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA plan to record demo versions of 12 or 13 new songs next week as part of the pre-production process for their next studio album. Roy Z. (JUDAS PRIEST, HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, HELLOWEEN) will produce the band's new CD, which wil be recorded beginning on January 20, 2011 at Estúdios Trama in São Paulo, Brazil. A May 2011 release via Nuclear Blast Records is expected.
The second and third in a series of video clips featuring footage from the writing sessions for SEPULTURA's new LP can be viewed below.
SEPULTURA debuted a brand new song from its upcoming album during its October 17 appearance at the Fúria Festival at HSBC Brasil in São Paulo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.
SEPULTURA will return to North America for a massive headlining tour next April/May in support of their upcoming Nuclear Blast Records debut. Joining them will be a veritable united nations on metal in the form of Austria's BELPHEGOR, Norway's KEEP OF KALESSIN, Poland's HATE, Canada's NEURAXIS, and California's BONDED BY BLOOD. Starting May 23, Seattle's own NEVERMORE will replace BELPHEGOR to finish out the tour.
APOCALYPTICA and HIM are among the nominees in the "Metal Album Of The Year" category at next year's Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent), which will be held on February 26, 2011 at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland. The awards ceremony will be televised on Finnish TV channel YLE TV2 on February 26 at 20:10-21:50 and 22:05-22:35 (live) and will be rebroadcast the next day.
"Metal Album Of The Year" nominees are as follows:
* APOCALYPTICA - 7th Symphony
* HIM - Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice
* MOKOMA - Sydänjuuret
* STAM1NA - Viimeinen Atlantis
HIM and STAM1NA were also nominated in the "Band Of The Year" category, while APOCALYPTICA and HIM are up for the "Music Video Of The Year" award, for "End Of Me" and "Heartkiller", respectively. Elsewhere, STAM1NA's "Viimeinen Atlantis" was nominated for "Album Of The Year" and RECKLESS LOVE is competing for the "Newcomer Of The Year" award.
For a complete list of nominees (in Finnish), visit www.emmagaala.fi.
After over two incredibly action/drama/injury/tour-soaked years of constant insanity, North Carolina sludge crusaders WEEDEATER have completed their long-delayed, yet more anticipated-than-ever, fourth full-length release. The intoxicating ten-track brutalizer, dubbed "Jason... The Dragon", has been scheduled for worldwide release on March 1, 2011 via Southern Lord Recordings.
After over a year of literally crippling injuries to all three of WEEDEATER's members hitting the headlines, including infamous classics like "Dixie Dave blew off part of his foot with a shotgun," or "Keko tore his meniscus this week," and "Shep broke his goddamn pinkie on tour" or even "Dixie nearly died in his ninja-scuba assassin Halloween costume" and more, the band still forged on through these blows for multiple tours — several regional and national headlining tours, as well as supporting DOWN and the MELVINS — to finally complete this record. Although delayed by eight months, the haggard trio infiltrated Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago this past September to pound out "Jason... The Dragon".
As with their Southern Lord debut, "God Luck And Good Speed", the "Jason..." album was mastered by the legendary John Golden at Golden Studios in southern California, unearthing the true grit that this band dumps forth. With no argument to be had, "Jason..." is by far WEEDEATER's most varied and organic recording to date, taking their caustic, chest-collapsing, resin-coated ultrasludge to new otherworldly new realms of delirium just by taking it all closer to home, stripping their tonal onslaught down to acoustic bass at times, perfectly infusing a bit of banjo and piano, and even utilizing some new vocal tactics. Diehards fear not; this IS still WEEDEATER. It's just WEEDEATER at their finest hour... yet.
Check out the Arik Roper-created cover art for "Jason... The Dragon" below.
"Jason... The Dragon" track listing:
01. The Great Unfurling
02. Hammerhandle
03. Mancoon
04. Turkey Warlock
05. Jason....the Dragon
06. Palms and Opium
07. Long Gone
08. March of the Bipolar Bear
09. Homecoming
10. Whiskey Creek
WEEDEATER promises to kick off 2011 hard with this release, having already booked a headlining U.S. tour for February and March, with a European tour in the planning stages to take place shortly thereafter on their way to smoke the hordes at Roadburn, and with countless more tour rampages to be announced throughout the whole upcoming year in support of the album.
For many years, Richmond, Virginia artist/musician Dave Brockie has been known to the world as GWAR's pig-snouted and bellicose lead "throat-thing" Oderus Urungus, playing to semi-packed houses around easily 35 percent of the world. Never one to shy away from using GWAR's success as a way to gain attention for a bewildering variety of side projects, including a glut of bands (X-COPS, DEATH PIGGY, DBX), a variety of bizarre performances (F-Art Players, Chippy the Chippopautamus, Crack-a-thon), and a slew of demented drawings and illustrations, Brockie has now added literature to his already bulging quiver of artistic arrows. Eleven years after its completion, Brockie's sprawling epic of modern war and ancient necromancy, "Whargoul", has finally been released in book form by Eraserhead Press.
The story of the "Whargoul" came to being in the late Nineties as Brockie toured Europe with GWAR. Inspired by some of histories more despicable events, Brockie began drawing and writing about the creature that called itself "Whargoul". The idea of an undying creature that found sustenance in the carnage of war began to flesh itself out in the form of several comics for the now-defunct Slave Pit Funnies, and was stand-out track on GWAR's 1997 album "Rag-Na-Rok". Ultimately Brockie decided the only way the story could truly be told was through a novel, and began hand-writing the book into a journal that was half-filled with pages of microscopic lettering, which he unbelievably lost, forcing him to re-write it from memory on his first lap-top. Brockie finally finished the book in 1999.
"After it was done, I didn't really know what to do with it, so I asked Henry Rollins," said Brockie. "He just kind of stared at me..."
The book ended up on Brockie's long-running web site where people could (and still can) download it free of charge. After languishing here for the better part of a decade it attracted the attention of Eraserhead Press publisher Jeff Burk, who after reading it decided it was good fit for the Eraserhaed/Deadite Publishing roster.
"Brockie finds insight, and ever humor, in our most destructive impulses," Burk said from the Eraserhead Press headquarters in Portland. "It's just what we need. This is not a book for everybody but those who get it will love it. In a world of boring and safe fiction, Whargoul is exactly the kind of book that metalheads, punks, and splatter fans are craving."
CHILDREN OF BODOM and VISIONS OF ATLANTIS 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):
ACCU§ER
APOCALYPTICA
AVANTASIA
BLAAS OF GLORY
BLIND GUARDIAN
CHILDREN OF BODOM
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
HEAVEN SHALL BURN
HAYSEED DIXIE
IN SOLITUDE
JUDAS PRIEST
KHOLD
KNORKATOR
MAYHEM
MOTÖRHEAD
OZZY OSBOURNE
PRIMAL FEAR
RHAPSODY OF FIRE
RUSSKAJA
SEPULTURA
SKÁLMÖLD
SKI KING
SMACK BALLZ
SODOM
STIER
SUBWAY TO SALLY
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
THE PROPHECY²³
TOKYO BLADE
TRIVIUM
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS
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.
EVILE, DIE KASSIERER and 50 LIONS have been confirmed for next year's edition of the With Full Force festival, set to take place July 1-3, 2011 at Flugplatz Roitzschjora in Löbnitz, Germany (near Leipzig).
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
50 LIONS
CARNIFEX
DEEZ NUTS
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
DIE KASSIERER
ELÄKELÄISET
EVILE
ILL NIÑO
KRAWALLBRÜDER
MISERY INDEX
NEGATOR
PARKWAY DRIVE
PETER PAN SPEEDROCK
STREET DOGS
TERROR
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
THE CASUALTIES
British progressive metal act BEECHER have reformed almost five years after splitting up, with plans to play live shows in 2011.
The band has issued the following statement: "Summer 2011 sees the 10-year anniversary of the start of BEECHER. We disbanded suddenly, during our most active period, playing just one 'goodbye' gig, at which more than 100 fans of the band were rejected at the doors of the already over-capacity venue. Having had five years of reflection time, and considering the aforementioned fact that our tenth birthday is fast approaching, we have decided to reform, playing a handful of shows over the course of 2011 — the first of which will take place on April 29th at the Star & Garter, in our hometown of Manchester. The rest are as-of-yet unconfirmed.
"Not only are we excited to do this for ourselves, but we're also keen that any BEECHER fans that didn't manage to see us at the time, get the opportunity to witness what we do best!"
Formed in Manchester, England in 2001, BEECHER released two full-length albums during its career — 2003's "Breaking The Fourth Wall" and 2005's "This Elegy, His Autopsy" — garnering widespread critical acclaim. The band also toured the Europe with the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, NORMA JEAN, DARKEST HOUR, ISIS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and more, building up a loyal fanbase in the process. The band announced its split in early 2006, shortly after the release of "This Elegy, His Autopsy".
BEECHER's first reunion concert will take place at The Star & Garter in the band's hometown of Manchester — the very same place in which the band played its last show before splitting up in February, 2006.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/beecherband.
Long-running U.S. metallers OMEN have parted ways with singer George Call (also a member of the power metal band ASKA).
Commented OMEN mainman/guitarist Kenny Powell: "I loved George singing for OMEN [and] I have great respect for him. However, I made a commitment to OMEN and myself three years ago to try and do the final three OMEN records equal to the first three. I was 53 at the time, I am now 56 and want to accomplish every thing possible before my skills start to diminish. At this rate I will get my first social security check before I finish a new OMEN record. It is simply not acceptable for me to wait any longer. . . At this point in time I must put OMEN above anything else.
"The new record is finally moving forward, and the great thing for me is that it is going to be even better than I thought possible. Matt Story is doing the vocals. He was the person that I wanted all along, [but] it was not possible because of other commitments. He has a great voice and has time to do the OMEN CD now. He has been here every time I have asked and busted his ass to three and four in the morning without a single complaint.
"I honestly feel that 'Hammer Damage' will shock the metal world.
"Look for the new CD by early spring, and then we can start touring again. I think Greece should be the first stop!"
OMEN in 2008 released a live album, "Into the Arena: 20 Years Live", which contained previously unreleased recordings of the band's original lineup.
OMEN appeared at last year's Keep It True XII festival on April 24-25, 2009 at the Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany.
CRADLE OF FILTH, THE HAUNTED and TSJUDER 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):
ACCU§ER
APOCALYPTICA
AVANTASIA
BLAAS OF GLORY
BLIND GUARDIAN
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CRADLE OF FILTH
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
HEAVEN SHALL BURN
HAYSEED DIXIE
IN SOLITUDE
JUDAS PRIEST
KHOLD
KNORKATOR
MAYHEM
MOTÖRHEAD
OZZY OSBOURNE
PRIMAL FEAR
RHAPSODY OF FIRE
RUSSKAJA
SEPULTURA
SKÁLMÖLD
SKI KING
SMACK BALLZ
SODOM
STIER
SUBWAY TO SALLY
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
THE HAUNTED
THE PROPHECY²³
TOKYO BLADE
TRIVIUM
TSJUDER
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS
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.
Drummer Lars Janosch has left German metallers THE VERY END "due to changes in his private life" and has been replaced by Daniel Zeman (ENEMY OF THE SUN).
A photo of the band's new lineup, taken on the set of the video shoot for the song "A Hole In The Sun", can be viewed below.
Commented Janosch: "Due to private reasons, I won't be able to play with THE VERY END for the time being. This decision has been made by the band and myself after a considerable time. Of course I'll be at hand with help and advice for my boys as far as my family life permits me to do so! Thanx to all fans for a great time!!!"
Added THE VERY END: "With mixed feelings we announce the departure of our drummer Lars. The band does not only lose a founding member, but first and foremost a friend. Yet the decision was mutual and for the benefit of THE VERY END. We wish Lars and his family all the best! On the other hand, we are very happy to already welcome a new and likewise great drummer — Daniel Zeman! Daniel has already been taking part in the video shoot for 'A Hole In The Sun' and will make his live debut as a firm THE VERY END member at our January 2011 release shows!"
Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "A Hole In The Sun", the new Filmefahrer Pictures-produced video from THE VERY END, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's sophomore album, "Mercy & Misery", which is scheduled for release on January 14, 2011 in Germany, January 17 in the rest of Europe and January 25 in the U.S. via SPV (E1 Music in the U.S.). The was produced by THE VERY END and Waldemar Sorychta (SENTENCED, SODOM, TIAMAT, LACUNA COIL) and features cover artwork by Björn Goosses (THE VERY END vocalist) of Killustrations.
"Mercy & Misery" track listing:
01. Memento
02. Ball And Chain
03. The Leper
04. Rat Nation
05. Dead Is The New Alive
06. Letters To The Living
07. A Hole In The Sun
08. For All Things Undone
09. Vultures
09. Immigrant Song (LED ZEPPELIN cover)
10. Three Zero Nine
11. Blacklisted
The limited-edition digipak includes with a "massive set-your-balls-on-fire-version of the '80s disco hit 'Maniac'!"
THE VERY END is:
Björn Goosses (voice)
René Bogdanski (guitars)
Volker Rummel (guitars)
Marc Beste (bass)
Daniel Zeman (drums)
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/theveryend.
Michael Scondotto, vocalist for veteran New York hardcore act INHUMAN, has teamed up with the members of another Brooklyn-based hardcore band, SHUTDOWN (Victory Records), to form THE LAST STAND.
THE LAST STAND has self-released a four-song CD (500 copies
made). A track from the effort, "Opportunities Lost & Found", is available for free download for free at www.thelaststandnyhc.com.
In February 2011, a limited-edition five-song seven-inch EP from THE LAST STAND will be released via 1124 Records.
Commented Scondotto: "THE LAST STAND was formed by four old friends for a sole reason, the love of hardcore music.
"INHUMAN is taking a brief hiatus with Joseph James recording the new AGNOSTIC FRONT record and Hank Hell touring with SEVENTH VOID, so the timing was right for the formation of THE LAST STAND.
"While INHUMAN and THE LAST STAND both within the same genre, I think they are coming from different places, with INHUMAN representing the darker side of life and THE LAST STAND being a more positive hardcore band."
THE LAST STAND is:
Michael Scondotto - Vocals
Dion DeNardo - Bass
Steve DellaCroce - Guitar
Jimmy McCormack - Drums
On December 24, Germany's DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER will premier a track from the band's upcoming album, "Moral & Wahnsinn", via MySpace.
Commented the band: "On our way back home from Poland — where we just shot our new video clip — we had the idea to make our fans who are impatiently waiting for the new album a special Christmas gift. With an exclusive new song we wanna say thank you for a great year and start the countdown to the album release!"
"Moral & Wahnsinn" (English translation: Morality & Insanity) will be released on February 25, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Die Boten
02. Gib Dich Hin
03. Hammer Oder Amboß
04. Dir Gehört Nichts
05. Dr. Pest
06. Moral & Wahnsinn
07. Erwache
08. Heimkehr
09. Wir Reiten
10. Hört Auf
11. Ein Liebes Lied
The band previously stated about the effort: "Now that we are finished in the studio, we have the fantastic feeling that we have created something very unique, something that has never been done before. The album unifies all of our musical extremes and strengths with a brutal lyrical intensity that reflects all the highs and lows of human insanity. But the album also speaks to the morality that hides in each and everyone of us. Insanity is a fantasy, morality is hard, dry reality."
A trailer for the album can be viewed below.
Parallel to the album's release, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER will embark on a headlining tour. For each of the shows, 300 strictly limited and collectible hardcover tickets will be made available exclusively via the band's web site at www.reitermania.com. Regular tickets will be sold through normal ticketing outlets.
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER had its latest album, "Licht", released in the U.S. in November 2009 via The End Records. The U.S. version of the LP comes with six bonus tracks (two studio, four live) and "stunning" new album art, including an alternate cover.
Finnish "battle metal" warriors TURISAS will release their third album, "Stand Up And Fight", via Century Media Records on the following dates:
Finland, Japan: February 23, 2011
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: February 25, 2011
Rest Of Europe: February 28, 2011
Australia, New Zealand: March 4, 2011
North America: March 8, 2011
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. The March Of The Varangian Guard
02. Take The Day!
03. Hunting Pirates
04. ß??et??! - p??s????!
05. Stand Up And Fight
06. The Great Escape
07. Fear The Fear
08. End Of An Empire
09. The Bosphorus Freezes Over
Finnish "battle metal" warriors TURISAS 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
CORVUS CORAX
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
FARMER BOYS
HAIL OF BULLETS
HAYSEED DIXIE
J.B.O.
KALMAH
KAMPFAR
KVELERTAK
PRIMORDIAL
SALTATIO MORTIS
SKELETONWITCH
THE HAUNTED
TURISAS
TÝR
VOMITORY
WITCHERY
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.
Swedish black metallers MARDUK 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
CORVUS CORAX
EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS
FARMER BOYS
HAIL OF BULLETS
HAYSEED DIXIE
J.B.O.
KALMAH
KAMPFAR
KVELERTAK
MARDUK
PRIMORDIAL
SALTATIO MORTIS
SKELETONWITCH
THE HAUNTED
TURISAS
TÝR
VOMITORY
WITCHERY
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.
According to reports in the Polish media, Adam "Nergal" Darski, the 33-year-old leukemia-stricken guitarist/vocalist of the Polish extreme metal act BEHEMOTH, underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure earlier tonight, having found a donor that was a genetic match. He will spend the next four weeks in an isolation room at the hematology division of Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne (UCK) in Gdansk to avoid any infection while his immune system is low.
In a recent online posting, Nergal stated that the search for a suitable bone marrow donor "would have been difficult to achieve if it wasn't for the support of so many people . . . The concerts for charity have been organized all over the world and people of show business, bands and, most of all, the fans got deeply involved. You are beyond great! One of you made my transplant possible, but remember, your attitude may save many others in need."
Every year, more than 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, and a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated person is their best or only hope for survival. There is no data available on how many people die waiting for a match, but only four out of 10 patients receive the needed transplant.
BEHEMOTH's "Evangelia Heretika" DVD was released in the U.S. on November 9 via Metal Blade Records, in Poland via Mystic Records, and in the rest of Europe through Nuclear Blast. It contains three discs featuring two full shows ("Live In Paris 2008" and "Live In Warsaw 2009"); every BEHEMOTH music video ever made; "Evangelion" tour documentary featuring band interviews plus tons of backstage footage; and a bonus "Live in Warsaw" audio CD.
Paragon Records has announced the release of "Return To Abandoned", the long-awaited new full-length from Ukrainian black metal horde KHORS. On "Return To Abandoned" KHORS yields harsher, brooding sounds of its earlier work while mixing in the melancholy and spacious atmosphere of 2008's unsung dark black gem "Mysticism". Inarguably the most majestic journeythe band has taken its listeners on thus far, "Return To Abandoned" will appeal to old and new fans alike.
KHORS was formed by former ASTROFAES bassist Khorus in August 2004, with an aim to create gloomy, powerful, atmospheric black metal. Sometime later, guitarist/vocalist Helg (RUNES OF DIANCEHT) and drummer Khaoth (TESSARACT, ASTROFAES, HATE FOREST) joined the fold. The band was later rounded out by guitarist Warth. Contrary to rumors, KHORS is not attached to any politically motivated groups or extremists. For fans of KAMPFAR, MOONSORROW, BORKNAGAR, etc.
"Return To Abandoned" track listing:
01. The Arrival (Intro)
02. Lost Threads
03. Asgard's Shining
04. Song of the Void
05. The Fog (...and Grief Still Moans)
06. Mysteries Cosmos
07. The Seas Burn of Omnipotence
08. Sacrament of Buyan
Earlier this fall, Paragon reissued "The Flames Of Eternity's Decline" and "Cold", KHORS' now classic first two full-lengths — originally released in 2005 and 2006, respectively, as a two-CD set with new layout, nine bonus tracks and a rare early video from the band. Though KHORS has long progressed musically, these early recordings still brim with the unique atmosphere of pagan black metal the band was built upon.
For more information, visit www.khors.info.
ROTTEN SOUND's brand new full-length album, "Cursed", will be released on March 15 via Relapse Records (except in Finland, where it will arrive on March 16 through Fullsteam Records). The 16-track follow-up to 2008's "Cycles" was recorded at Nordic Audio Labs and is lyrically themed around the six curses of mankind.
Singapore grindcore trio WORMROT will enter TNT Music Productions in January to record a brand new album entitled "Dirge" for a spring release via Earache Records.
WORMROT frontman Arif Rot is highly excited about the band's new material and wants the world to know about it: "We are definitely stoked to get this album out.
"We are working extra hard on this one. Extra fucking harder than [we did on] 'Abuse'.
"We are currently in the rehearsal studio still writing songs and making some minor adjustments and whatnot.
"If you are digging 'Abuse' and also from our latest split with I ABHOR, then you might dig the new album. "
WORMROT's debut album, "Abuse", is available now worldwide, featuring 23 tracks of pure grindcore plus a bonus disc with an additional 34 tracks of demos, EPs and splits.
Earache Records has announced the signing of Scottish death metal band CEREBRAL BORE to a worldwide recording deal.
CEREBRAL BORE is a young, talented group which formed in 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland and has built up a formidable reputation for its extreme brand of death metal.
The band is comprised of frontwoman Simone "Som" Pluijmers, a 19-year old from the Netherlands with an inexplicable talent for brutal death metal vocals, along with guitarist Paul McGuire, bassist Kyle Rutherford and drummer Allan McDibet.
CEREBRAL BORE has issued the following statement: "It's hard to describe how proud we are to sign with Earache Records. Being at the same starting blocks as bands like CARCASS, MORBID ANGEL, DECAPITATED and NAPALM DEATH is something that we have always worked hard since the beginning to achieve, and finally being at this point with the band, to us is just phenomenal.
"Going from having just one EP to having our debut album on a major death metal label used to be something we dreamed about, and it's hard to believe that it's actually happening! So we can't wait to get out on tour in 2011 and promote our debut album under the Earache banner."
CEREBRAL BORE has toured relentlessly around the globe, with appearances at such popular death metal festivals as Neurotic Deathfest in the Netherlands, Obscene Extreme in the Czech Republic and the Central Illinois Metalfest in the USA, as well as performing in countries such as Israel, Russia and more. The band also recently played at Earache Records' 2010 Christmas party in Nottingham, England.
CEREBRAL BORE's self-released 2010 debut album, "Maniacal Miscreation", is due to be re-released by Earache in the new year before the band works on its follow-up.
CEREBRAL BORE's music video for the track "The Bald Cadaver", which has been featured on the U.K.'s Scuzz TV, can be viewed below.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/cerebralbore2.
Vocalist Niklas Kvarforth of Swedish black metallers SHINING has released the following statement regarding the delayed release of the band's seventh album, "VII / Född Förlorare":
"As everyone is more than aware, 'Shining VII' has been delayed an unacceptably long time. There have been a lot of rumours as to why this should be, so we have decided to set the record straight once and for all.
"Despite the fact that the album was recorded two years ago, it has still not been mixed. Our producer has been concentrating on recording other artists instead of finishing the job on 'Shining VII'. This is despite the fact that Indie Recordings has put up a lot of money to get the album finished and has supported our efforts in every way possible. It is not SHINING's fault and it is not Indie Recordings' fault that the album still has not appeared, and I am sure you will understand when we say that nobody wants this album released more than ourselves and Indie. Rest assured that we will be taking steps to ensure that it appears sooner rather than later.
"No doubt some of you will be wondering whether the tour with WATAIN will still go on, since the album will not be out by then, but we have no plans to cancel and it will go ahead as planned."
"Shining VII - Född Förlorare" (English translation: "Born Loser") track listing:
01. Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel
02. Tiden Läker Inga Sår
03. Människa O'Avskyvärda Människa
04. Tillsammans Är Vi Allt
05. I Nattens Timma
06. FFF
Making guest appearances on the album are Erik Danielsson (WATAIN), Peter Bjargo (ARCANA) and NORDMAN.
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