Unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site Black-Sabbath.com has revealed more details about the forthcoming deluxe-expanded-edition reissue of BLACK SABBATH's "Born Again" album. Due in the U.K. on May 30 via Sanctuary, the two-disc effort is expected to feature the following track listing:
Disc 1: (marked as "Original Album")
01. Trashed
02. Stonehenge
03. Disturbing the Priest
04. The Dark
05. Zero The Hero
06. Digital Bitch
07. Born Again
08. Hot Line
09. Keep It Warm
Disc 2:
01. The Fallen (previously unreleased album session outtake)
02. Stonehenge (extended version)
Recorded live at the Reading Festival on Saturday, August 27, 1983 (BBC "Friday Rock Show" broadcast):
03. Hot Line
04. War Pigs
05. Black Sabbath
06. The Dark
07. Zero The Hero
08. Digital Bitch
09. Iron Man
10. Smoke On The Water
11. Paranoid
"Born Again" was the only album by BLACK SABBATH featuring Ian Gillan — who was at the time a solo artist and former singer for DEEP PURPLE — on vocals.
Gillan had first turned down the offer to join BLACK SABBATH but his manager later convinced him to a meeting with Iommi and the band's bass guitarist, Geezer Butler. Iommi and Butler met with Gillan at The Bear public house in Oxford and Gillan officially joined the band in February 1983.
Released in October 1983, "Born Again" was a commercial success. It was the highest-charting BLACK SABBATH album in the United Kingdom since "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and became an American Top 40 hit. Despite this, it became the first BLACK SABBATH album to not have any RIAA certification (gold or platinum) in the U.S.
A Q&A with Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray; the seminal heavy metal group makes its first Tampa stop since 1988 this Sunday at St Pete Times Forum, Tampa
April 11, 2011 at 7:55 am by Joel Weiss
British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden return to Tampa for the first time since 1988, making good on a promise to return to Florida after their triumphant 2009 set in Ft. Lauderdale. Aside from bassist/founder Steve Harris, no one has been a member of Iron Maiden as long as guitarist Dave Murray [pictured below, far left. I spoke to him last week.
ironmaidenwebWhere is Iron Maiden right now?
We're in Argentina at the moment. We've been in South America for quite some time. We've toured all over Brazil, Colombia, Peru. We're actually videoing the show tonight for a DVD that will come out at some point in the future. And it's in a big football stadium here, so there's a lot of people. And then we're heading to Chile and back up to the U.S. next week.
Our neck of the woods.
Absolutely. It's been going absolutely fantastic. It's been a tremendous success down here. We came, we played, and now it's time to keep moving forward.
You guys visited Florida two years ago for the first time since 1995 (I made the eight-hour road trip and it was great). The show on Sunday will be your first time back in Tampa since 1988. Where have you guys been? What's taken you so long to get back here? (laughs)
You know that's (drummer Nicko McBrain's) neck of the woods. I don't know why, really. I know it's been quite a while. Playing Florida on that last tour, the reaction was just fantastic. It kinda just got left off in the past, but we're making up for it. We were in Ft. Lauderdale a couple years ago, back again for these two shows in Florida. So we're making up for it.
Nicko, like you said, has lived in Florida for a while. Did he ever get grief from local Iron Maiden fans that he brought back to you guys? Like, "Guys, we need to go to Florida! We've got to play Florida!"
Yeah, absolutely! That did happen a couple of times actually and he said that exact thing. That's kind of management's decision. They make the shots, we just kinda go along. It was wonderful for them to convince us, yes, let's go down there -- so it worked out good. But he was getting hit up by some of the local people. A lot of people feel left out if we don't go and see them, and then, sometimes they have to come see us and travel a distance. But in the USA in general, like you said, you made that eight-hour road trip or whatever; people don't mind traveling distances. If we can't make it to them, hopefully they come to us.
It's also very cool you got a young Florida thrash band, Black Tide, to open for you guys on your Florida dates. How'd you hook up with those guys?
When we're doing our thing out on the road, a lot of those decisions are made back at the office. Whoever's available. And we like to use local bands when possible in whatever countries we're playing in -- we like to use someone in the local area. It'll be great for them, I'm sure they'll get a great reaction. And good luck to 'em.
ed_force_one_bruceOn this tour, is [frontman] Bruce Dickinson still flying the band around on Ed Force One? (pictured left)
Yes, that's correct. He's not doing all the flights, but he's doing some of them. You can always tell, 'cause he has this beautiful uniform. *Laughs* He's done quite a few of these flights in and around South America. We started off in Russia some while ago, and we've been all over the place, so he's done quite a lot of flights. There's a great crew, we've had a crew change, and it's all done very professionally. It's like going on a commercial, proper flight. Everyone straps in and all the safety measures… We have the luxury of being able to get an express route into the plane and it makes life a lot easier to take this kinda show out on the road.
I know Bruce has had tons of pilot training, he's flown airliners before. When he first started flying the band around, did that take some getting used to?
No, in fact I've flown with Bruce a couple times in those small Cessnas – six seaters. It's quite professional, he knows what he's doing. He flies when we're not touring, he flies all over the place. This is not messing around. This is the real thing! It's great to be able to do something you love doing, and when that co-exists with the band, it works out perfect for everybody! He has a great time flying, and the band and the crew can travel together. There's 50-60 people on the plane any one time plus all the equipment. It just makes it a very good way to travel.
After many years of being mostly ignored by the American media, what did the recent "Best Metal Performance" Grammy Award for "El Dorado" mean to you guys?
We got nominated a couple years back for "The Wicker Man." We've been aware of it, but it's not the thing that would make or break Iron Maiden. We've always done things our own way, touring, making albums. It's a very nice compliment to be acknowledged and to have this award – it's any band's dream to get awards. It's great to just exist as a band and play for an audience. We're very proud of it, we've been around for quite a while, obviously somebody's taken that we've been around for quite a while – maybe that nudged it in the right direction. Not sure who votes on that stuff. Ultimately, it's the Iron Maiden fans at the top of our priority. They come first.
Dave-Murray-530-85Since the last lineup change when Bruce and (guitarist Adrian Smith) rejoined, I think this has been the longest period in the band's history where the same lineup has played together. How has that affected the chemistry and songwriting? [Murray pictured right]
This is it, really. This is how the band will exist in the future. I can't see there being any changes. Ultimately it's the perfect lineup because it does extend back to when Adrian was in the band for the first few albums. And obviously when Bruce was in the band, so this is obviously the strongest and most creative lineup Maiden has ever had. Everything kind of gels and glues together really well. As far as rehearsing and writing, everything fits into place nicely. We just sit down like we always do and work out songs. We wouldn't be changing anymore. This is it – I think we're kinda far along enough now to say. Also, it's my favorite lineup, and also most of the other guys. There's a chance for everyone to play and enjoy what they're doing.
The Final Frontier came out less than a year ago. Any talk about the next record?
A lot of the time you plan ahead, and things tend to get in the way. At the moment it's nice to focus on the here and now. We're on tour, we've got another later this summer, and then we'll all need a rest. Possibly there will be, but it's hard to say at the moment. It definitely won't be next year, anyway. My gut feeling is once we sit down, if everyone's up for it – that's the main thing – then we'll go for it.
Our show is the last on this leg of the tour, also the first time in Tampa in 23 years. Any surprises for us?
A lot's changed in 23 years, so expect lots of surprises! I think with the lineup, we're bringing up a pretty spectacular show. It's everything we can fit on Ed Force One. It's gonna be a big show. Obviously the stage, the production, it's focused on the new album with a lot of the older songs put in as well. Actually we go back to the first album, to the current album, and all spaces in between. The last show on the tour is gonna be a lot of fun, a lot of energy, but it will be one of the highlights because it is the last show. There will definitely be something special happening.
the_final_frontier_coverAnd there are gonna be a lot of very, very excited people in the audience.
You know – if that's 23 years, the age of the audience, they probably weren't born! It's nice to see the age group, for us. A lot of the audience, they're like teenagers and energetic and enthusiastic. We can enjoy that energy as well, and we take it and have fun with it.
And it speaks to the timelessness and consistency of Maiden's music.
Since 1980, this is the fifteenth album. So there's been a new album every couple of years. We've been fortunate enough to be able to keep on touring, and maybe the internet has probably helped a lot because of the access fans can get, gather information. Anything they want, really. Downloading songs. So I think that helps a lot as well. A lot of bands are going to more places, different countries. The world's become more developed for musicians to go to because of the access of the Internet. It's all working out, we just have a great time doing this! Onwards and forwards! *laughs*
Speaking of the Internet, how has it impacted a band like Iron Maiden, which known for big rock shows? The degree of rehearsal you have to go through, and then setlists get published for every single show. How do you feel about that? Do you think it takes some of the surprise out of it for fans?
I know that the fans, because it's all up there – sometimes they're out there with cell phones and video and share it up on YouTube before we get back to the hotel. There's not a lot you can do about it. It's just the way things are. Yeah, it has taken the element of surprise out of it. If they want to found out exactly what songs we're playing and so forth. It's just a sign of the times. People want everything, because of e-mail and all, people want everything quick and fast. Now, now, now. You can't deny its existence or you'll get left behind. I think it balances out in the end though. There probably will be less CD sales or people in record stores, but at the same time they're downloading from iTunes – where you can download legally if you like. And people exchange their music catalogues quite freely across the Internet with their shared computers and everything. I think you just have to embrace it, and the only way to do that
is go out there and play and tour and make albums. There's not a lot to do about it really.
Dave, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. We can't wait for the show on Sunday.
Okay, great! Thank you, Joel. See you soon!
Iron Maiden appears with special guests Black Tide, Sun., April 17, 8 p.m., St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, $32.25-$55. Tickets on sale at Ticketmaster.
WHITESNAKE's brand new album, "Forevermore" (Frontiers Records) made its worldwide debut, bowing in the Top 50 of several countries' official charts. In the United States, "Forevermore" came in at #49 on The Billboard 200 chart and landed even higher in a number of European countries.
"Forevermore" first-week chart positions:
Sweden: #6
Finland: #11
Czech Republic: #15
Germany: #16
Switzerland: #17
Austria: #27
Italy: #41
Netherlands #42
Poland: #42
USA: #49
WHITESNAKE's new album, "Forevermore", sold around 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
The effort, which came out in North America on March 29 via Frontiers Records, was made available in four different configurations.
"Forevermore" is available as:
* a single CD
* a CD+DVD combo: the DVD features the "Love Will Set You Free" video, the making of "Love Will Set You Free" video, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary on the recording of "Forevermore"; the CD includes three bonus tracks: "Love Will Set You Free" (alternate mix), "My Evil Ways" (alternate mix with drum solo) and "Forevermore" (acoustic version)
* a double-LP vinyl edition
* a special edition box set which includes the CD, DVD, LPs, as well as a cover litho, a poster and a logo sticker.
"Forevermore" finds founder/singer/songwriter David Coverdale and company returning to their no-holds-barred, bluesiest, sexiest rock n' roll roots. The CD was recorded, produced and mixed by Los Bros Brutalos (Coverdale, guitarist Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre).
"Forevermore" track listing:
01. Steal Your Heart Away
02. All Out Of Luck
03. Love Will Set You Free
04. Easier Said Than Done
05. Tell Me How
06. I Need You (Shine A Light)
07. One Of These Days
08. Love And Treat Me Right
09. Dogs In The Street
10. Fare Thee Well
11. Whipping Boy Blues
12. My Evil Ways
13. Forevermore
METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"We're gearing up for our first 'Big 4' show in the States and our friends over at Sirius XM are too as they launch Big 4 Radio tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12 at 12 p.m. (ET) with 24/7 'TALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX running through Sunday, May 8 at 3 a.m. (ET). The channel will feature highlights of interviews with members of all four bands as well as some of our live recordings, including performances from previous 'Big 4' shows. Sirius XM listeners can also tune in for on-site reports from the upcoming 'Big 4' show in Indio, CA on April 23, 2011.
"You can check it all out by heading over to SiriusXM.com for Internet radio or through the Sirius XM app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch along with several BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphone devices. Big 4 Radio will also air on Sirius channel 27 and XM channel 42 Saturday, April 16 starting at 12 p.m. (ET) through Saturday, April 30 at 3 a.m. (ET).
"On Sunday, May 8, 'Mandatory Metallica' returns! The 24/7 all 'TALLICA all the time channel, including music from the entire catalog, rare cuts and live songs, will be available on Sirius XM Internet radio on Bootlegs, and through the app for all the electronic devices mentioned above for about four months."
For more information about Sirius XM and the channel, head on over to SiriusXM.com.
According to the Beverly Hills Courier, GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose and Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, which once represented the singer, are continuing their mediation efforts to settle dueling lawsuits.
During a brief hearing before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rita Miller, the lawyers for Rose and Azoff said they plan to meet with the mediator, a retired judge, on April 25. Trial is scheduled the next day.
Rose was sued by Front Line Management in March 2010 for nearly $2 million dollars in unpaid commissions, according to the Associated Press. The company filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming that Rose owes the company $1.9 million, or 15 percent of the more than $12 million that Rose has earned from performances in Europe, Canada and South America, based on an oral agreement.
Rose responded by filing a countersuit that claimed Azoff tried to bully Rose into doing a reunion tour with the original GUNS lineup. According to The Pulse of Radio, Rose claimed in his suit that Azoff did everything he could to sabotage the current version of GUNS after Rose said no to the reunion idea last year, alleging that Azoff tried "devising and implementing a secret plan to set up Rose and the band for failure so that Rose would have no choice but to reunite with the original GUNS N' ROSES members."
Rose's suit added, "Upon realizing that he couldn't bully Rose and accomplish his scheme, Azoff resigned and abandoned GUNS N' ROSES on the eve of a major tour, filing suit for commissions he didn't earn and had no right to receive."
The claim also added that Azoff, in his own lawsuit, deliberately used Rose's real name, William Bailey, because it "carries significant emotional damage from Rose's childhood."
In October 2010, Azoff filed an official answer to Rose's charges by asserting 14 affirmative defenses to Rose's claims he breached fiduciary duty, committed constructive fraud and breached a contract. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Azoff states in his response that Rose claims "are barred by statute of limitations; there was a waiver; There was an accord and satisfaction; that Rose consented to Azoff's actions; that Rose failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate the damage; and that any harm that came to Rose was due to the singer's own negligence, fraud or misconduct."
The world premiere of DEF LEPPARD's new single, "Undefeated", will take place tomorrow, April 12 exclusively on Planet Rock's "Rob Birnie Show" (starting at 9 a.m. UK time, 4 a.m. EST, 1 a.m. PST).
"Undefeated" is taken from the band's new live album, "Mirrorball", and is one of three brand new studio recordings. The new album hits stores in the first week of June and contains two discs of live material, three new studio tracks, a DVD of live performances and a documentary about life on the road with the band.
Be sure to tune in to DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott's very own show every Saturday from 6 p.m., only on Planet Rock, on which he plays the music that inspired him over the years.
"Mirrorball" is DEF LEPPARD's first-ever live album and features rock classics such as "Animal", "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph", "Nine Lives" and "Rock Of Ages". The album also brings together three brand new studio tracks — "Undefeated", "Kings Of The World" and "It's All About Believin'" — taking their place with ease within this classic setlist.
"When we decided to do (the live album), it just got said — I don't know by who — 'Why don't we chuck a couple of new songs on the end?' " frontman Joe Elliott told Billboard.com. "And that two became three, and in fairness it could've been four if we'd just had a little bit more time. But we wanted to tour this summer, so any fourth or fifth song we had brewing, we'll save them for the next record."
Elliott composed "Undefeated", which he described to Billboard.com as "a very QUEEN-type vocal thing. It even features piano and stuff." Guitarist Phil Collen's "It's All About Believin'" is "a pop-rock song," while bassist Rick Savage's "Kings Of The World" is "a big, epic, rock anthem that will sound great in arenas and stadiums all over the world — kind of 'We Will Rock You' with guitars, if you like."
"They're all very different to each other," Elliott added. "They don't sound specifically like any previous DEF LEPPARD songs, but they sound like DEF LEPPARD songs. They have to have our identity on them, otherwise they might as well be Tom Waits or R.E.M. We have a signature sound that we're not scared of anymore."
"Mirrorball" track listing is as follows:
Disc 1:
01. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
02. Rocket
03. Animal
04. C'Mon C'Mon
05. Make Love Like A Man
06. Too Late For Love
07. Foolin'
08. Nine Lives
09. Love Bites
10. Rock On
Disc 2:
01. Two Steps Behind
02. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
03. Switch 625
04. Hysteria
05. Armageddon It
06. Photograph
07. Pour Some Sugar On Me
08. Rock Of Ages
09. Let's Get Rocked
10. Action
11. Bad Actress
12. Undefeated (new studio track)
13. Kings Of The World (new studio track)
14. It's All About Believin' (new studio track)
"Mirrorball" will also be available online, marking the first time the band's music will officially be made available for digital purchase. DEF LEPPARD will also be releasing their new community based website in May, which is being developed to be the ultimate DEF LEPPARD fan experience and go-to destination for all things on the band.
Also set for release this summer is LEPPARD's first coffee table book titled "Def Leppard - The Definitive Visual History", with exclusive photos by legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin. The book is released on June 1.
"Mirrorball" will be released through Bludgeon Riffola/Mailboat Records on the following dates:
Germany, Switzerland, Austria - June 3
Rest Of Europe - June 6
North America - coming this summer, exact date to be announced
Nikki Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE founder, bass player, songwriter, and current host of Premiere Networks' syndicated "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" and "The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx" radio shows will open up in a no-holds-barred question-and-answer session on Friday, April 29 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the networking lunch at the Worldwide Radio Summit at The W Hotel in Hollywood, California.
Commented the event organizers: "Nikki is used to putting others on the hot seat during his syndicated shows, but now it's his turn. We're sure Nikki will have plenty to say about the show's most recent guests, his upcoming headlining summer tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE (with support from POISON and special guests NEW YORK DOLLS), and his new book, 'This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx', the follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, 'The Heroin Diaries', to be released on April 12, along with the accompanying soundtrack from SIXX: A.M., to be released on May 3. Trust us — with Nikki sharing his thoughts, insights, and stories in his entertaining and quotable style, this will be a memorable meal."
For more information, click here.
On the heels of the one-year anniversary of "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" and "The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx", Premiere Networks announced it launched the "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" channel on Sirius XM satellite radio. Airing 24/7 on XM Channel 161, Sixx fans now have more opportunities than ever to tune in to Sixx's nationally syndicated radio programs, which air on more than 70 rock/alternative radio stations across the country, as well as the "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" channel on Clear Channel Radio's digital platform iheartradio, in addition to streaming live on SixxSense.com.
About "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" and "The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx": Each night on "Sixx Sense", international rock icon, founder/bassist/songwriter of the world-renowned band MÖTLEY CRÜE and chart-topping band SIXX: A.M., New York Times best-selling author, clothing designer, philanthropist and photographer Nikki Sixx discusses music and lifestyle topics as he gives listeners a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star. Joined by co-host Kerri Kasem, Sixx provides his unique perspective and attitude as the duo welcomes celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters from all walks of life. All this and more are coupled with the radio station's playlist. Nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" broadcasts Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight local time on Rock/Alternative music stations in the U.S. and Canada. The show is complemented by "The Side Show Countdown With
Nikki Sixx", which is available for air Saturday or Sunday between 6 a.m. and midnight local time. Each weekend, the radio host and tastemaker introduces his personal new music picks, as well as plays an array of what's happening on the rock charts, and shares his own special brand of talk radio with celebrities and other guests.
The third annual MTS Rock On The Range Canada is set for Saturday, August 20 at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, centrally located in the heart of Canada. Canada's "Biggest Day of Rock" will feature a stellar lineup, including headliners ALICE IN CHAINS (marking their first headlining appearance in the province of Manitoba), EVANESCENCE (first live performance of the year), SUM 41, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, VOLBEAT, HINDER, ANBERLIN and more.
MTS Rock On The Range Canada — presented by Right Arm Entertainment, Inc. and True North Sports & Entertainment Limited — will include 14 bands on two stages: the Monster Energy Main Stage and the Jägermeister Stage. The full lineup will be announced in the coming months. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. CST at all Ticketmaster.ca outlets. A limited number of "Early Bird Special" tickets will be available for only $29.
"It's always extra special when we can headline in a city where we've never been," says Jerry Cantrell of ALICE IN CHAINS. "I'm pretty sure this will be our first gig ever in Winnipeg, and MTS Rock On The Range Canada is the perfect show for us play. We can't wait."
"MTS Rock On The Range is Canada's premier Rock festival, with a great lineup at an incredibly low ticket price," says event co-producer Del Williams of Los Angeles-based Right Arm Entertainment, Inc. "All the bands have made an earnest pledge to deliver unforgettable performances for the Canadian 'Rangers.' It is going to be personal. The objective is to make August 20 the best day of rock that Winnipeg has ever had."
Kevin Donnelly of True North says, "The growth in popularity of MTS Rock On The Range Canada has been nothing short of amazing. We are thrilled to be able to create such a great mix of beloved established acts along with up-and-coming bands for this year's festival."
"MTS is thrilled to be partnering with the Rock On The Range music festival again this summer," said Stan Kurtas, Vice President, Marketing, MTS. "With such a great lineup of bands, this year's festival is sure to draw crowds from across the province and we are excited to be a part of it."
MTS Rock On The Range launched in 2009, following the success of the U.S. installment of Rock On The Range, the renowned festival which has annually drawn crowds in excess of 30,000 per day since its inception in 2007. MTS Rock On The Range continues to grow, with more than 15,000 in attendance in 2010.
For more information, visit www.mtsrockontherange.ca.
Canadian metal legends ANVIL will celebrate Record Store Day by performing at Sunrise Records in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 16.
About Record Store Day: Record Store Day is managed by the Music Monitor Network and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and celebrates the culture of independent record stores by playing host to in-store events/performances, signings and special product releases on a global scale.
Record Store Day takes place annually on the third Saturday of April.
For more information on exclusive Record Store Day events, products and participants, visit www.recordstoreday.com.
ANVIL threw an intimate, invite-only advance listening party for its new album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", at Toronto, Ontario's new Noble Street Studios during the Canadian Music Week. Several press outlets were given the chance to listen to the CD in its entirety in the studio's state-of-the-art master control room and Hellbound.ca was there to soak it all in, shoot some photos, shoot a couple of quick videos and enjoy a few tasty Steam Whistle beers as well. Check out the report at this location.
"Juggernaut Of Justice" will be released on May 10 via The End Records. The CD was recorded at Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) Studio 606 in Northridge, California with famed producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, AIRBOURNE, FILTER, ATREYU, ALICE COOPER). Prior to the arrival of the new album, The End will release the definitive ANVIL anthology. The collection will be comprised of classics old and new, with some surprises, and will showcase the band's entire career spanning back to 1978.
"Juggernaut Of Justice" track listing:
01. Juggernaut Of Justice
02. When Hell Breaks Loose
03. New Orleans Voodoo
04. On Fire
05. Fuckin' Eh
06. Turn It Up
07. The Ride
08. Not Afraid
09. Conspiracy
10. Running
11. Paranormal
12. Swing Thing
Seattle metallers NEVERMORE have canceled all of their previously announced North American tour dates. An official statement from NEVERMORE will be issued shortly.
***IMPORTANT***: The tour will still go ahead, with SYMPHONY X, POWERGLOVE and BLACKGUARD playing all dates.
NEVERMORE tapped Dagna Barrera to play bass on the band's recent "Power Of Metal" European tour with SYMPHONY X, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, MERCENARY and THAUROROD after the group's regular bassist, Jim Sheppard, underwent surgery on February 16 to remove a benign brain tumor.
Dagna previously played bass in NEVERMORE singer Warrel Dane's solo project and is also a member of the Seattle-based progressive rock band ONE UNDONE.
When asked how Jim is doing following the operation, Jeff told Austria's Stormbringer.at webzine, "I was talking with him right after he got the surgery. A lot of people don't know, he actually had a brain tumor that was removed from his... you know, head. [laughs] The surgery was very successful and he came out of it with flying colors. So yeah, he's gonna be returning to the band very soon. He just needs time to recover and relax for the time being."
Regarding Dagna's addition to NEVERMORE's touring lineup, Loomis said, "She's really amazing. She's picked up the songs very, very fast. And yeah, I think that was part of it — that she was also playing in Warrel's band, that she decided she would help us out. And we're very fortunate to have her, because she is a friend of ours from Seattle and a great bass player."
On the topic of NEVERMORE's current second guitarist, Hungarian musician Attila Voros, Loomis said, "I think Attila is more of a permanent member of the band now, really, because he's just a perfect fit for the band; he plays all the songs very, very well, so we're very fortunate to have him as well."
He added, "When we lost Chris Broderick to MEGADETH, Attila had found out the news about that, so he started sending videos — these YouTube videos — to us that really showcased his overall playability of the instrument. And I mean, he knew every little nuance of all the NEVERMORE songs, so obviously he spent a lot of time going over all of the stuff. So we're very fortunate to have him, and I think the band has never sounded better; it's really sounding very powerful right now."
Sheppard in 2006 missed a number of NEVERMORE shows after undergoing a minor procedure for Crohn's Disease, a condition he's managed for nearly 20 years. Filling in for Sheppard was longtime friend James MacDonough (ex-MEGADETH, ICED EARTH).
"The Obsidian Conspiracy", the new album from NEVERMORE, sold around 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 134 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 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.
BAD RELIGION, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SYLOSIS, THE ANSWER, CANCER BATS, MY PASSION, PARADISE LOST, KYLESA and ORANGE GOBLIN are among the newly confirmed bands for the U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival, set to take place July 8-10 at Knebworth.
"I'm fucking super excited to be part of the Sonisphere festival in the U.K. with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY," said Max Cavalera. "We have a new album out, 'Blunt Force Trauma', and me and Igor are on fire. We are gonna play stuff from the first CD, 'Inflikted', new stuff, some SEPULTURA and NAILBOMB classics, so it should be a storm of metal coming to Sonisphere U.K. I can't wait!"
"It's really great to be added to the Sonisphere bill," adds PARADISE LOST frontman Nick Holmes. "It's a top lineup this year and I intended to go along anyway, only now I don't have to blag my way in ;) Look forward to seeing you all there for a monster weekend of metal!"
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
METALLICA
SLAYER
MEGADETH
ANTHRAX
BIFFY CLYRO
SLIPKNOT
BAD RELIGION
AIRBOURNE
ALESTORM
ALL TIME LOW
AMPLIFIER
THE ANSWER
ANTERIOR
ARCANE ROOTS
ARCH ENEMY
ARCHITECTS
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
BLACK TIDE
CANCER BATS
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY
THE CRAVE
DEMONIC RESURRECTION
DIAMOND HEAD
FIREWIND
FLETCHER
FOUR YEAR STRONG
FOZZY
GALLOWS
GLAMOUR OF THE KILL
GOJIRA
GRINSPOON
HAYSEED DIXIE
HOUNDS
HOUSE OF PAIN
IN FLAMES
INME
JETTBLACK
KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES
KILLING JOKE
KYLESA
LIMP BIZKIT
THE MARS VOLTA
MASTODON
ME VS HERO
MOTÖRHEAD
MY PASSION
ONE MINUTE SILENCE
OPETH
ORANGE GOBLIN
PARADISE LOST
PARKWAY DRIVE
PERIPHERY
PROTEST THE HERO
PULLED APART BY HORSES
RICHARD CHEESE
RISE TO REMAIN
ROLO TOMASSI
SAINT JUDE
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN
SUM 41
SYLOSIS
TEK-ONE
TESSERACT
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
THE TREATMENT
TITLE FIGHT
THE VIRGIN MARYS
VOLBEAT
WATAIN
WEEZER
YOU ME AT SIX
According to The Pulse Of Radio, KORN will join the ranks of other world-famous Sony Music artists when "The Essential Korn" is released on May 10. The two-disc, 29-song collection will feature classics from the band such as "Blind", "Shoots & Ladders", "Got The Life", "Freak On A Leash", "Falling Away From Me", "Here To Stay", "Alone I Break", "Did My Time" and many more, including the recent "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" from the band's latest effort, "Korn III: Remember Who You Are".
KORN has actually not been with Sony Music for its last three albums. It signed with Sony in 1994 and issued its last record through the company, "Take A Look In The Mirror", in 2003.
Guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer told The Pulse Of Radio that 17 years into its career, KORN still finds new fans by bringing its music all over the world. "Last year we went to South America and we did some shows, and did some countries that — never played before," he said. "Peru and Ecuador, I mean, great, great people — some of the best fans in the world. There was 300 people at the Lima, Peru airport. Man, there were police holding them back! We're like, 'What? Who is it? Oh, it's us? They're here for us?' But seriously, like, you've got to go to them."
Shaffer said last week that KORN is already prepping the follow-up to last year's "Korn III", with the new album possibly out by next spring.
KORN is currently off the road, but will appear at Pointfest in St. Louis on May 15 and Rock On The Range in Columbus, Ohio on May 21 before hitting the European festival circuit.
Veteran all-girl metal outfit KITTIE will enter Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada next week to begin work on its as-yet-untitled sixth album for a summer release via eOne Music. The band will once again work with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier, who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".
Commented KITTIE guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander: "We have been working exceptionally hard these cold winter months, crafting what is to be our six full-length release, and our second for eOne. In some cases these new songs are faster, darker and much more sinister than our previous release. It contains some of the most difficult and personal subject matter I have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of writing."
Added Meier: "The girls have written some incredible and personal songs this time around. They're heavy as shit and relentless. It's a pleasure and an honor to be doing another record with one of the best metal bands of our time."
KITTIE's performance video for the song "My Plague" can be viewed below. The track comes off "In The Black", which sold around 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 132 on The Billboard 200 chart.
KITTIE's previous CD, "Funeral for Yesterday", opened with 9,000 units back in February 2007 to land at No. 101.
"In The Black" was made available in Europe on October 23, 2009 via Germany's Massacre Records.
KITTIE last year took part in the Thrash And Burn tour alongside ASKING ALEXANDRIA, BORN OF OSIRIS, STICK TO YOUR GUNS, IMPENDING DOOM, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD (first half), EVERGREEN TERRACE (second half), GREELEY ESTATES, PERIPHERY, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE and CHELSEA GRIN.
KITTIE is:
Morgan Lander (Guitar, Vocals)
Mercedes Lander (Drums)
Tara Mcleod (Guitar)
Ivy Vujic (Bass)
Vocalist Anders Jacobsson of the Swedish gothic/doom metal band DRACONIAN has issued the following update:
"We are sorry for keeping the lid on during the writing and recording process of this album. It has been a quite hard route, at least for me, to get things right and in order. I guess, most art is flowing without restraint and changes during the time of its construction, and sometimes even the artist him/herself needs time to comprehend it.
"Jens Bogren of Fascination Street [studios in Örebro, Sweden] sprinkled his magic over the songs during the production and mixing process and each and every song found its way. We are grateful to have such a committed producer and we can only feel blessed by the experience to once again have made another album reality at Fascination Street.
"The new album is called 'A Rose For The Apocalypse' and deals with a vast dilemma we're all facing as one species; the horrors and contradictions we've created in our 'nature-divorced' system. The title refers to the collapse of this structure, built by mindless human opinion. It also refers to the necessity of its demise. We are trying to capture the gloom of its realization. I don't know if we'd want to call this a conceptual album, but most songs certainly deal with the same topic in one way or the other. I've reached a point in my life when my eyes remain open.
"To most of you, 'A Rose For The Apocalypse' might appear a darker, more threatening album compared to the previous [album], 'Turning Season Within'. And yes, it is different in several ways, but DRACONIAN remains the same.
"I have often said that our new work resembles a mix between the old and the new DRACONIAN and will unite fans of both preferences. While listening to this album, I feel a lot of history comes together in one place, at least sound-wise.
"Our old friend Olof Göthlin contributes with some of his excellent violin skills on the album. Cover and layout is created by the amazing Seth Siron Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, ROTTING CHRIST, MOONSPELL).
"We sincerely hope we've created an album that will make impact on our beloved fans. Thank you for keeping up, sticking by us and maintained your faith in DRACONIAN."
"A Rose For The Apocalypse" will be released on June 23 via Napalm Records. A limited digipack version of the CD with one bonus song will also be made available.
DRACONIAN's last album, "Turning Season Within", in 2008 entered the album chart in Sweden at position No. 68. The CD was recorded at Fascination Street studio during September 2007 and features a guest appearance by NOVEMBERS DOOM vocalist Paul Kuhr.
Multinational heavy metallers POWERWOLF have finished recording their as-yet-untitled fourth album. This time the pack invaded none less than five studios and two churches to get their latest metal hymns in shape!
In total, more than 70 people participated in the genesis of the follow-up to 2009's "Bible Of The Beast". Guitarist Matthew Greywolf comments: "Halelujah, it's done! After countless days of struggle, we have finally finished the work on the upcoming album. Still hard to believe the recording-crusade has come to an end — but holding the result in hands we feel more than proud and satisfied. We can promise you a goddamn great piece of wolfish metal insanity!"
The new POWERWOLF CD will be released in July — right in time for the band's live celebrations at Germany's Summer Breeze and Slovenia's Metalcamp festivals.
POWERWOLF last year parted ways with drummer Stefane Funebre and replaced him with Tom Diener.
"Bible Of The Beast", the latest album from POWERWOLF, entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 76. The CD was released on April 27, 2009 in Europe via Metal Blade Records. Mixed by legendary producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, HAMMERFALL, ARCH ENEMY) the opus was said to be POWERWOLF's heaviest album to date.
Swedish sleaze- and punk-influenced metal band SISTER has revealed the artwork and track listing for its Metal Blade Records debut, "Hated", due out in Europe on June 6.
The band talks about the first single and title track, "Hated": "It's a song about when people close to you fuck things over for you, making your life miserable till the degree that you can't take it anymore. You get so pissed and frustrated that you start to hate them and want them to hate you too. You want them to despise you and you use that anger as fuel to pull yourself back up. Feed you till you're up on the top again. We've also had a lot of people that have worked against us over the years and this track and album title is kind of a statement as well. A big fuck you to those people. So it's both the title track and the anthem of the album. It was a song that took form real quickly and pretty much put together in one evening in the rehearsal. It just came natural and it felt right to have a heavier, low tempo song after some time of writing a lot of fast maybe more punk feeling songs. Though, this one still has the punk edge like all our work of
course."
"Hated" track listing:
01. Radioactive Misery
02. Body Blow
03. Bullshit & Backstabbing
04. Hated
05. Motherfuckers (Like You)
06. Werewolves on Blackstreet
07. Spit On Me
08. The Unlucky Minority
09. Would You Love A Creature
10. Too Bad For You
11. Drag Me to the Grave
The cover art for "Hated" was created by Kim Oktavia, who is an artist/tattoo artist in Stockholm, Sweden, and photographer Axel Engström, also from Stockholm. The band comments; "The cover art for the album are made of us and our close friends Kim Oktavia and Axel Engström. Kim is the band's tattoo artist pretty much as the whole band gets their tattoos at her studio. She worked with the pictures that we took with Axel and really made them come to life. We did the layout with Axel afterwards and we are stoked over the result. The final cover and booklet blows our minds every time we see it. We have taken photos with Axel a lot times and it felt right to work with people that really understand what we want and are on the same page all the time. So it couldn't have been better and when everybody sees the result they will see what we mean."
SISTER, which hails from the Stockholm/Jönkoping area of Sweden, formed in early 2006, working hard to build up a name as a strong act both live and in the studio.
SISTER consists of four members — Jamie on vocals, Lestat on guitars and backing vocals, Rikki on bass and backing vocals, and Cari on drums and backing vocals — who combine the sounds of punk, glam, rock, and metal with an end result sounding something like the bastard child of GG ALLIN and GUNS N' ROSES.
SISTER is:
Jamie - vocals
Lestat - guitar & backing vocals
Rikki - bass & backing vocals
Cari - drums & backing vocals
For more information, visit www.sisteronline.net.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/sisterhated.jpg
Brenna Gray, the widow of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray, was interviewed for the January/February 2011 issue of Revolver magazine, which remembers many of hard rock and metal's most dearly departed. Previously unpublished parts of the chat have now been posted at RevolverMag.com. A couple of excerpts follow below.
Revolver: When did [Paul] start slipping [into drug addiction] again?
Brenna: You know, I couldn't tell you. He was great. It was kind of like the old saying, "Idle hands do the devil's work." And I think I kind of started noticing after the [SLIPKNOT touring] cycle [in support of the "All Hope Is Gone" album], after the tour was over, which was Halloween [of 2009], their last show in Vegas. He was fine, and I got pregnant right before Christmas, and he was just so happy. I mean, I'd never seen him more happy, honestly. But I wouldn't say I really noticed anything until six weeks prior to his death. And I knew something was going on, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Because he would be fine one day, and the next he wouldn't. So I was kind of unsure, like, Hmm, something's not adding up here. And it wasn't 'til that Saturday that I realized what was going on when I found things in my home. Then he passed away that Sunday. So I really had no time to really make a move. That Saturday I said, "Hey, we need to do something.
We need to fix this." And he agreed, and he was getting ready to go out on tour with [metal cover-band supergroup] Hail. And he said, "I'll go get help after I come back from this tour." And I just said, "You're not going." And I called his manager, and I said, "You need to cancel this tour. He's not going." And I just think it was a little too late. I think there's nothing anyone could have done. And it's just a big shock because I don't think any of us really knew this time. I mean, he played a good game. And it just happened so quickly that it was literally a blink of the eye. I had no idea. No idea. And once we found out he had a really bad heart disease, I mean…he was sick and none of us knew about it. None of us knew about it. And I think that was the most upsetting thing to me was that I didn't knew. 'Cause I always knew, and I always brought him back when things were starting to take a turn. But this time I just couldn't do it. I couldn't tell
you what led him to do it. What was going on in his life? I have no idea, no clue.
Revolver: Just the demon of addiction.
Brenna: It is, and a lot of people don't understand it. People are so cruel. I try not to feed into it, but I read so many awful things on the Internet. And it's just like people don't understand it. And if they can learn anything from this, it's that it is a sickness. And he didn't do this on purpose. And he would have never ever put himself in this situation if he knew this was going to happen. I mean, you and I can say, "Of course something like this can happen." But we're not addicts. If I can let anybody know and learn from this, that's what I want to do. 'Cause people don't get it, and it's sad 'cause so many people are having their lives taken by it.
Revolver: There should be a lot more compassion.
Brenna: Right. I guess I can kind of understand, but they're just so close-minded. They're like, "Oh, typical rock star who has money and fame and a wife and a child on the way. Why would you do something like this?" If he could control it, he would. I've had talks with him over the years, and he just wanted to be done with it. But it's a life-long disease, that even if he stays clean for the rest of his life, he'd still have the disease. I mean, it was a full-time job for him. He had to completely rearrange his life and it's hard. It's really hard. And people just don't want to get it. They're close-minded, and they can just fuck off in my book.
When asked by a music-business student in Belfast what his opinion is on online file-sharing and its effect on the music industry, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman Greg Puciato offered the following lengthy response via his official web site:
"I don't see file-sharing as an evil… it's silly to say that it has any intrinsic properties of good and evil at all anyway. It's just a new form of technology that evolved outside of what the record industry and intellectual property law structure was prepared for at the time. That having been said… I think it's necessary to swim with the tide and not against it. I think it's time to accept and acknowledge that the CD is a dead format. Maybe not dead in the way of the 8-track but dead in the way vinyl is. A CD now, should be thought of as a collector's item, or a preferred way of listening if that is the individual's preference, in which case he is already in the minority as most music is listened to via the MP3 format. A CD certainly sounds better than an MP3, just as a vinyl does, but it just lacks the infinitely superior convenience of the digital format. As Internet gets faster and hard drives get bigger, even 320 [kilobytes per second] MP3s
(which I am totally fine with for 90% of my listening) will be replaced by larger more sonically accurate files like WAVs or FLAC, so eventually a CD will hold no sonic vantage point at all, and will simply be a relic that we once used to transfer digital files. A relic that is no longer NEEDED, but like I said, may be 'cool to have' in the way vinyl is. I buy vinyls and limited versions of albums that I really like or really mean something to me… and stick to MP3 for the rest. Most people who listen to pop music only listen to singles anyway, and for that point most pop artists only really make singles anyway…the rest of the album is padding around the singles. Chances are if I hear some one-hit-wonder pop song I don't really want or need the album. So the digital format is simply far more suited for the majority of people's tastes. A killer full album is rare, and I think people know that.
"The issue, obviously, isn't the technology but the way in which it's completely blindsided the world of intellectual property and the commerce/profit/royalty structure that the industry previously had in place, which, while usually grossly unfair to the artist and needing to change anyway, at least still upheld the concept that songs possessed a monetary value.
"It's tricky to get into trying to 'police' the Internet because the glory of the internet is that it really isn't policed at all. The torrent sites and things like that can claim that they really have no legal responsibility for the things that are being torrented on them, in the way that Yahoo! or Google can say that they aren't responsible for what is being emailed back and forth from people with Yahoo! or Google email accounts, or if I can read the recipe for meth by using one of their search engines.
"All of that being said, the choice of whether to release music for free, should be the artist's, just as if I ran a coffee shop and wanted to give away free coffee samples or have a free-coffee day, that should be my choice, not the choice of the consumer. At no point would it be acceptable for the consumer to just come in and take the coffee… but that is exactly what would happen to the seller of any good if there were no laws or means of or threat of enforcement of those laws. I think that a lot of people would have a natural conscience enough to just feel bad about stealing the coffee/groceries/auto parts/whatever is being sold…and would pay anyway. However, like anything, once you do something once with no consequence, you do it again, and then again, and then eventually feel nothing. Even harder is trying to get people to pay who have grown up NEVER paying (many kids now). As 'uncool' as it sounds, though… something needs to happen. Artists
would not be able to survive, and the whole argument of 'well, they can still tour and sell merch' ONLY holds up at all because people have to BUY tickets and merch! If you could just walk into our show for free and then also just walk away from our merch table and grab a shirt for free…. we would just be done. People only spend around twenty percent of what they spent ten years ago on music…so I'm sure you can imagine that it has cut into our financial means more than substantially, as well as music stores, companies, producers, etc. I've watched someone like Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN producer… among many other bands) for example… absolutely one of the best at his craft… and I've seen how he has had to accept less and less pay for doing the same amount of work. This is someone who doesn't have the ability to go on tour and sell merch. The amount of revenue a record company/band expects to generate or does generate is the only
indicator of how much he receives. People don't think of that when they use the whole 'well, a band can still tour' argument. Any argument is just an argument to appease a guilty conscience and try to pretend that it isn't wrong… because we all still just wanna be able to get things for free.
"Having said all of that, I think the corner is about to turn. You can get movies just as easily as albums, and I think now that the movie industry is about to be hugely impacted by file-sharing, and eventually the book/written industry as well (since the advent of the kindle and people reading books on their iPads), people are having a major 'oh shit' moment. I think that what, realistically, needs to happen, is a combination of things.
"First off, bands and record companies need to let go of the idea of the CD as the product. The CD is not the product, it's a means to distribute the product, and that means, like I was saying before, needs to be accepted as being outdated, and treated as a collector's item. Bands and record companies need to embrace the idea of most of the quantity of their sales coming from digital, and then have a selection of ALL limited other versions. Limited CD, more limited digipack that comes with cooler shit, even more limited vinyl, and then an extremely limited box set or something rad that is just for the real blood and guts fans, and then just random limited album related things that are cool for the band to do and cool for the fans to have. It strengthens the bond between band and fans and just feels so much better to do anyway.
"Second, and this is already happening and will continue to increase, Internet service providers need to monitor heavy users and see if there is illegal content being downloaded at large volumes like artist discographies and so forth. If they do see that is happening, they should send a warning letter and then on the second time suspend service for a period of time.
"The intellectual property laws need to change so that torrent sites aren't under the same bracket as email providers. Sending one message or a song to one other person or some of your friends is clearly different than hosting an album or movie for an infinite number of people to download. Right now on BTJunkie the 'Option Paralysis' album [by THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN] is being downloaded/leeched by 9 people. At ten bucks an album, that's ninety bucks. An hour from now it will be 10 new people. Two hours from now, 7 new people…. and so on. Our album's been out for a year. A year ago the number of people downloading it was far more. That revenue loss doesn't just affect us, but the entire industry, and we are nothing compared to larger bands as far as total revenue, but the percentage of loss hits bands of our size much harder than it does a Walmart band. A torrent site should be held accountable for illegal trading of copywritten [sic] material and
cease-and-desist or immediate shutdown orders should be sent to those found to be major violation.
"Record companies need to take precaution and hire private companies that do nothing but kill Mediafire links and torrents. Those companies DO exist and have recently worked records like the SLEIGH BELLS record and the last DEFTONES last album and those records were nearly impossible to find online in the first couple of months.
"Most importantly, bands need to do good shit! Be a real band, give a shit about what you are doing, have high standards and quality control and have pride in releasing good material in quality formats.
"This is a giant conversation that is only gonna get more interesting as technology continues to transform the industry. Most people will have iPhones. Most people will use their iPhones as iPods. Most people if they want a song they hear, will use an app to identify the artist, and immediately download it to their iTunes for 99 cents or whatever. Everything is moving at light speed now and everyone needs to catch up to the times or face extinction, and that is the cold reality but I embrace it…there just needs to be protection of the creator/inventor/artist or else there will be no content for people to enjoy.
"File-sharing is amazing because it eliminates the need for a middle-man distributor like a record company and allows instant and easy transfer from artist to listener. Without protection, though, it doesn't just cut out the middle man, it cuts out the artist.
"This was a bit of a ramble but it's a subject near and dear to my heart as it is how me and most of my friends make the meager living that we do.
"People need to stop with the whole misinterpretation of 'giving shit away for free is punk as fuck' attitude. Yeah… 'giving' it away IS punk as fuck. It's only giving when it's your choice to give it, though. TAKING shit from someone who didn't want you to have it for free… that is the opposite of punk and the opposite of supporting any kind of scene or movement that you claim to."
Due to U.S. tour commitments, Santa Barbara, California metallers DEVILDRIVER have been forced to cancel their appearance at this 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.
Bassist Jonathan Miller quit DEVILDRIVER last month, calling it "the most difficult decision of my life" but "something that I needed to do for myself."
In December 2010, Miller announced that "the drugs and alcohol" "finally caught up" with him after spending the bulk of the last decade on the road with DEVILDRIVER. He added that "the damage [was] catching up with [him] mentally and physically" and that he was going to enter "an intense rehabilitation program" in January "in order for [him] to reclaim [his] health and the person who [he] once was." He also stressed that he needed "to make a change so that [he could] save [his] own life and keep the friends that [he] still [had] left."
Filling in for Miller on the road with DEVILDRIVER for the past few months has been the band's tour manager, Bubble (a.k.a. Aaron Patrick), who has previously played with BURY YOUR DEAD.
"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, former SEETHER guitarist Troy McLawhorn has rejoined EVANESCENCE. McLawhorn first joined EVANESCENCE in 2007 after original guitarist John LeCompt left the band. He departed EVANESCENCE a year later and got the job with SEETHER, only to quit last month over what he said online was "personal friction" with one of the other members.
It wasn't long ago — February, in fact — that Morgan told The Pulse Of Radio about how much he enjoyed writing music with McLawhorn. "Troy's playing is a lot more melodic than a lot of the stuff we've had before.," he said. "When I write something, he'll complete that thought, which is amazing. It's like, you know, he'll do things that — if I had to go back and do overdubs like I did on the last album, he does them better, you know what I mean? So it's really exciting when that sort of thing starts coming together."
Adding an extra layer of tension to all this is the fact that SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan and EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee had a nasty break-up in late 2005 after dating for over two years.
Here is what Morgan wrote on his Twitter feed (edited for clarity) about McLawhorn joining EVANESCENCE: "Interesting news about our old guitarist. Can anyone guess? No, he's not coming back. He went to another band. Little anti-Shaun club. Any more guesses? . . . So, good fucking luck to Amy Lee and Troy. They deserve each other. Wankers! . . . I am hurt and offended. We will go on and we will make ya'll proud."
SEETHER has indicated that McLawhorn will not be replaced for the moment.
EVANESCENCE will enter the studio next week to begin recording its fourth album, after scrapping an earlier attempt last year. The band has not issued new music since 2006's "The Open Door".
SEETHER's fourth album, "Holding On To Strings Better Left To Fray", comes out May 17. The first single is called "Country Song".
SEETHER is currently on the road and next plays Baltimore on Friday (April 15).
Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of comedian and fellow metalhead Jim Florentine.
Florentine is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, voice artist, and performer, who is currently co-hosting VH1 Classic's hit heavy metal talk show series "That Metal Show" alongside Eddie Trunk and now Metal Blade labelmate Don Jamieson.
Florentine is best known for his work on Comedy Central's show "Crank Yankers" where he performed the voice of Special Ed, a mentally challenged teenager, and Bobby Fletcher, a despicable, alcoholic slob who is the older cousin of Ed. Florentine recently opened up the "American Carnage" tour for ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, and SLAYER in arenas across the country.
Comments Florentine: "Performing in front of 13,000 SLAYER fans every night was insane! It was like emceeing a rape!"
Florentine also appears in the feature film "A Little Help" (in theaters June 24) starring Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesley of "The Office") and Chris O' Donnell ("Scent Of A Woman"). He plays the character Brian, who is Jenna Fischer's love interest in the film. "A Little Help" has already won "Best Film" awards in several different film festivals and fans will get a chance to see Florentine when he hits the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on June 22 to promote the movie.
"Being a fan of the Metal Blade label since its inception, it is truly an honor to be part of the family now. I will try my hardest to make the heaviest comedy album ever. So expect plenty of fat jokes!" comments Jim Florentine.
Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel adds: "I have always been a big fan of comedy and Jim is a great comedian. He is also a metalhead and friend so I am so excited to welcome him to the Metal Blade family!"
For more information, visit JimFlorentine.com.
Finnish metal/hard rock outfit AMORAL has completed work on its fifth studio album. "Beneath" was recorded at Sound Supreme studios in Hämeenlinna, Finland, and was produced by Janne Saksa and guitarist Ben Varon. The CD will be released in late 2011, with the first single out by the beginning of summer.
"I'd describe the album as 'three steps forward, one step back,'" says Varon. "There are several nods to our past in form of long songs, intricate riffs and growling vocals. But the main focus is still on the strong melodies, big choruses and catchy riffs, just as was on our last album, 'Show Your Colors'."
"Beneath" marks the recording debut of AMORAL's new guitarist Masi Hukari. Hukari — who joined the group late in the songwriting process — immediately wrote two songs together with Varon, both which ended up on the album. Another first is that, from now on, AMORAL has two lead guitar players.
"Masi is such a talent, it would have been a crime to make him 'just' the rhythm guitarist," Ben explains. "It's been killer to be able to do lead trade-off for the first time in the band's history, for example. Masi is responsible for many of the guitar highlights of the album."
The band documented the recording of "Beneath" in their studio blog, which was updated daily during the session. You can check out the blog at this location.
AMORAL will end its months-long break from playing live by doing a one-off show at On The Rocks in Helsinki on June 3. The idea is to break in the new guitarist, as well as try out several brand new songs onstage for the first time.
"Surtur Rising", the latest studio album from Swedish death metal tyrants AMON AMARTH, sold approximately 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week, landing at the #34 on The Billboard 200, #6 on the Billboard Top Independent Album, #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Music Albums and #10 on the Indy/Small Chain Core Store chart.
In Germany, "Surtur Rising" sold over 14,000 units, entered the Top 100 chart at #8 and is in the official Media Mark charts at #14 in its second week (# 8 in the first week). In addition, the CD came in at #19 on Canada's Top 200 chart, #5 on the Independent chart and #2 on Hard chart. The record is #1 in Canada on iTunes' Top Metal albums, and also charted on the following: #16 Top 200, #3 Top Rock and #1 Top Metal. In the U.S., the record ranked in at #2 on iTunes' Rock Album chart and #20 in the Top 200 (overall album chart).
Here's an overview of the top chart positions for "Surtur Rising" that have been revealed by now:
Germany: #8
Sweden: #8
Austria: #12
Finland: #16
Canada: #19
Switzerland: #20
U.S.: #34
Czech Republic: #35 (1st week); #34 (2nd week)
Denmark: #37
Norway: #55
Benelux: #62
United Kingdom: #75
Commented the band: "We can't thank our fans enough for showing their appreciation of our music and making this album our most successful release to date. We are looking forward to performing the songs from 'Surtur Rising' live and delivering a powerful, crushing set! See you on tour, cheers!"
Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim ("flame land") and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, "Surtur Rising", which came out in North America on March 29 via Metal Blade Records, features 10 tracks of sword-wielding, fist-pumping, hyper climactic battle anthems. The album was once again recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and features strikingly brutal cover art by Tom Thiel.
Since the release of their second full-length album "Til Alle Heimsens Endar" last year, Norwegian black-folk metallers GALAR have been recruiting session musicians in preparation for the band's live debut. With founders M. Kristiansen (screams and rhythm guitar) and A. B. Lauritzen (clean vocals and bassoon) now having been joined by Specter (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS) on lead guitar, Phobos (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS, MALSAIN) on drums and Simon Futterlieb on bass, GALAR will perform on April 19 at the legendary Elm Street Rock Cafe in Oslo. Also appearing will be Dark Essence Records labelmates SULPHUR and the Oslo-band FORCEFED HORSEHEAD.
Starting out originally as a two-man studio project in Bergen, GALAR used guest musicians from a variety of musical genres to record "Til Alle Heimsens Endar" (English translation: "Until The End Of All Worlds"), an album with the sound and feel of both black metal and folk metal. The CD is said to be a concept effort based around Snorri Sturluson's history of Norwegian kings the "Heimskringla". As well as their live drummer Phobos, other guests on the album include Ricardo Odriozola on first and second violins, Hans Gunnar Hagen on viola, Siri Hilmen on cello, Morten Nome on double bass, and Cecile Langlie on female vocals.
GALAR's live debut in the band's hometown of Bergen will take place on April 29 at the Ungdomsklubben Bizarre, supported by one of the new generation of local upcoming black metal bands, HADENS, and hardcore thrashers QUAVILA.
Vocalist Johan Hegg was interviewed on the January 28-30, 2011 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. When asked about the title of AMON AMARTH's new album, Hegg said, "Surtur is a very intriguing character in the Scandinavian mythology. Basically, he's one of the oldest existing beings in the Universe. He was there when the Universe was created and also at the end of the world, [during the events of] Ragnarök, which is like the Norse Armageddon, he will arise to burn everything. So he's kind of responsible for... He was there when the world was created, but he's also responsible for when the end comes. He's connected with flames and fire... He's a fire giant, so to speak."
Regarding the the new CD's production, he said, "I think that we felt that with the previous album [2008's 'Twilight Of The Thunder God'], it was good production, but we felt it kind of lacked a little bit of an edge. It's nothing that we noticed right away; it's kind of when you listen to the album for a little while, you realize that it felt like something was missing from the production. We wanted a bit more aggression, a little bit more guitar in the production to make it more heavy and aggressive — an angrier sound, almost — so that's definitely something what we went for. Also kind of trying to explore the more brutal side of the songwriting, so that also came into play."
On the topic of once again working with producer Jens Bogren, Hegg said, "He's very meticulous, he's very thorough in his work, and he cares very much about the production and we felt that when we sat down and talked to him about some of the stuff that we wanted to develop and [achieve] with this recording, we felt that he really had good ideas and we felt that he had a commitment to the band and to the recording that was really something that we wanted to have other than the production. And he's just a great guy to work with; he's almost like a slavedriver when you're in the studio, but then again he gets results, and that's also what we need — somebody to kick us in the butt to get things the way they should be. [Laughs]"
Seminal grindcore/extreme metal outfit BRUTAL TRUTH (Kevin Sharp: vocals, Dan Lilker: bass, Richard Hoak: drums, Erik Burke: guitar) has completed work on its brand new full-length album, "End Time", with Doug White at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, New York. The self-produced CD was mixed by Jason P.C. at Goatsound Studios and is currently being mastered by Scott Hull at Visceral Sound. Songtitles set to appear on "End Time" include: "Celebratory Gunfire", "Crawling Man Blues", "Old World Order", "Killing Planet Earth", "Gut-Check", "Addicted", "Drink Up", and "Control Room". A late summer release via Relapse Records is expected.
"Evolution Through Revolution", the first full-length album in 10 years from BRUTAL TRUTH, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 65 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.
BRUTAL TRUTH released the "Evolution In One Take: For Grindfreaks Only! Volume 2" CD on December 22, 2009 via Relapse Records.
"Evolution In One Take…" is an audio recording of the band playing the "Evolution Through Revolution" album from beginning to end in one live take at Mark It Zero studios with engineer Dan O'Hare.
"Evolution In One Take…" comes with a limited-edition patch and is strictly limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. Additional release details can be found here.
BRUTAL TRUTH released its first-ever DVD, "For the Ugly and Unwanted - This is Grindcore", in Europe on June 22, 2009 via Season of Mist (June 2 in the U.S.). The disc contains a full show shot with five cameras at the Obscene Extreme Festival 2007 in Czech Republic and four more full shows from the "Sounds of the Animal Kindgom" tour as extras.
Texas-based mythological occult metal trio ABSU is hard at work on "Abzu", the follow-up to the band's 2009 self-titled album. The new CD is being tracked at Nomad Recording Studio in Carrollton, Texas and will be mixed by J.T. Longoria (KING DIAMOND, SOLITUDE AETERNUS).
Commented drummer/vocalist/lyricist Proscriptor: "The entire rhythm section has been successfully tracked and all that remains are mellotron passages and vocal lines. Before attempting the final mix, we plan to transfer the rhythm section onto two-inch tape to thaw out its digital timbre. With this record, we are appending dirtier elements of psychedelia and fusion. Lyrically, it will descend deeper into Enki's lower world as well the Enochian Magic(k) System." He added, "I can tell you this album will definitely not be a 'natural progression' from previous releases, but a feat of metaphysical conquest and murkiness."
"Abzu" is the second of a three-part series that features ABSU's signature sound in maniacal fashion. Having recently completed a string of American dates with IMMORTAL, the band, featuring guitarist Vis Crom and bassist/vocalist Ezezu, performed a cross section of its extensive catalog to enthusiastic audiences. ABSU sold out of merchandise well before the six-date journey concluded in San Antonio late February.
Planned for release later this year, "Abzu" will tap the expertise of Polish artist Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, DESTROYER 666) and Costin Chioreanu (AVA INFERI, GRAVE, DEMONICAL) to assemble the album's packaging. "In the past, we have utilized the talents of Belgium artist Kris Verwimp," said Proscriptor, "but now we're aesthetically detouring into more mystifying, Thelemic realms: musically and lyrically."
"Abzu" track listing:
01. Ontologically, It Became Time & Space
02. Circles of the Oath
03. Abraxas Connexus
04. Skrying in the Spirit Vision
05. Earth Ripper
06. A Song for Ea including:
a. E-A
b. A Myriad of Portals
c. 3rd Tablet
d. Warren of Imhullu
e. The Waters – The Denizens
f. E-A (Reprise)
WORLD UNDER BLOOD, the melodic death metal side project featuring CKY guitarist/vocalist Deron Miller alongside Tim Yeung (MORBID ANGEL, DIVINE HERESY, VITAL REMAINS, HATE ETERNAL) on drums, Risha Eryavec (DECREPIT BIRTH) on bass, and Luke Jaeger on guitar, will release its long-awaited debut album, "Tactical", on July 26 via Nuclear Blast Records. Deron states, "[The CD is] just about done and it sounds fucking incredible."
In an early 2010 online posting, Miller stated about the WORLD UNDER BLOOD debut, "The goal for the eight original tunes that ended up on this album was that they would all be super-fast, extremely brutal and harsh, catchy, melodic, and occasionally offensive and disturbing. I also had to make sure that the entire band was satisfied with their work.
"Tim Yeung is easily the most impressive drummer in the world. He thinks that some kid is going to come along and dethrone him speed-wise, but as far as writing, arrangements, creative input and immediate knowledge of song structure, he will never be beat. It's like the guy can read my mind. I present a somewhat intricate song to him and 50 minutes later we're demoed and done."
"Tactical" tentative track listing (not final sequence):
* Dead And Still In Pain
* Under The Autumn Low
* A God Among The Waste
* Pyro-Compulsive
* I Can't Stand His Name
* Into The Arms Of Cruelty
* Revere's Tears
* Purgatory Dormitory
* Wake Up Dead (MEGADETH cover; bonus track)
* Alliance Or War (MALEVOLENT CREATION cover; bonus track)
Guitarist-turned-producer James Murphy, who worked on "Tactical", previously stated about the project, "WORLD UNDER BLOOD bridge a gap between genres that has never been bridged.... a few have tried with mixed results, but this is the first real resounding success of fusing brutal, blasting death metal with a melodic American rock vibe and it opens a door that will turn into a floodgate... I'm very happy to have been picked by Deron to mix this project ... he really pulls it together on this one musically and Tim's performance is stellar as well."
WORLD UNDER BLOOD is:
* Deron Miller (CKY) - Guitar/Vocals
* Tim Yeung (DIVINE HERESY, VITAL REMAINS, HATE ETERNAL) - Drums
* Risha Eryavec (DECREPIT BIRTH) - Bass
* Luke Jaeger - Guitar
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/worldunderblood.
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