Legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne last year landed a gig as a health columnist for England's The Sunday Times and influential U.S. magazine Rolling Stone.
In response to a Rolling Stone reader by the name of Hugh from New Mexico who asked if he should go to one of those "rub 'n' tug" massage parlors given that his girlfriend will never know, Ozzy replied, "A hand job is a very personal thing, and after a lifetime of practice, most blokes get a pretty specific preference for the kind of technique they like. So unless you're acting as a co-pilot and barking out instructions to your dodgy masseuse every two seconds, it might end up feeling more like she's skinning a dead rabbit than driving you wild with forbidden pleasure. In fact, it sounds to me like you've already built this up in your head to the point where it's gonna be an expensive disappointment. You also ain't factored in guilt. It's all very well you telling Dr. Ozzy that 'it doesn't seem wrong' to hire an extra pair of hands to help out in the monkey-spanking department, but I'm afraid to say that if you're anything like me, your conscience won't
agree."
Ozzy Osbourne will publish a new book called "Ask Dr. Ozzy" later this year. The book will be co-written with Chris Ayres, who collaborated with Ozzy on his memoir "I Am Ozzy", and is a spin-off of the singer's ongoing column in Sunday Times in which he offers medical advice.
According to the publisher, the book will "tell incredible survival stories not found in his memoir, offer advice that no human should follow, and shed light on his seemingly superhuman ability to keep breathing." An October 2011 release is expected.
Ozzy last year said that his column in the Times is not meant to be taken seriously. "It's not a serious thing," he said. "I mean, I'm the last person to ask advice about health. It's just, it's not fit to be taken seriously. I mean — and I'm not doing it, I'm not writing the column personally, I've got a guy coming around, the guy who did my book, Chris Ayres, is doing the column. He brings me the column things and I just joke about it, you know. 'Cause if you believe me, you'll end up in the lunatic asylum."
All five members of AC/DC will attend the exclusive world premiere of AC/DC "Live At River Plate" Friday, May 6 at London, England's legendary HMV Hammersmith Apollo. Shot entirely in HD with 32 cameras, the thunderous excitement and intensity of AC/DC "Live At River Plate" will be experienced by fans on the U.K.'s largest movie screen (roughly the equivalent of four double decker buses stacked).
AC/DC "Live At River Plate", a definitive live concert DVD documenting AC/DC's massive "Black Ice" world tour, will be available for purchase on Tuesday, May 10. Shot in December 2009, "Live At River Plate" marks AC/DC's triumphant return to Buenos Aires where nearly 200,000 fans, over three sold-out shows, welcomed the band back after a 13-year absence from Argentina. This stunning live footage of AC/DC underscores what Argentina's Pagina 12 newspaper reported by saying "no one is on the same level when it comes to pure and clear rock 'n' roll." Directed by David Mallet and produced by Rocky Oldham, "Live At River Plate" features 19 songs (110 minutes) as well as behind-the-scenes footage of this massive production coming together among the excitement of anxious fans (see below for full track listing).
AC/DC "Live At River Plate" will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and limited-edition collector's edition with exclusive t-shirt. Additionally the DVD contains a bonus feature titled "The Fan, The Roadie, The Guitar Tech & The Meat," containing interviews with AC/DC, their crew and fans among the excitement of the shows and the city of Buenos Aires.
AC/DC "Live At River Plate" track listing:
01. Rock N Roll Train
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
03. Back In Black
04. Big Jack
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06. Shot Down In Flames
07. Thunderstruck
08. Black Ice
09. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. T.N.T.
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let There Be Rock
18. Highway To Hell
19. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Bonus features:
* The Fan, The Roadie, The Guitar Tech & The Meat
* AC/DC Tour Animation
British metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have announced that original guitarist K.K. Downing has formally retired from the band and will therefore not be joining them on their forthcoming Epitaph Tour. The remaining members of the group respect his decision and naturally all wish him well. Having thought long and hard about how to proceed, singer Rob Halford, guitarist Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis unanimously agreed that they should go ahead with the tour and not let fans around the world down. Fate also stepped in and delivered the perfect replacement — 31 year-old British guitar player Richie Faulkner (LAUREN HARRIS, DIRTY DEEDS). He has blended into the band perfectly and is a great talent who is going to set the stage on fire, according to a press release.
The Epitaph Tour will include songs from every PRIEST studio album and also tracks that they have never before performed on stage plus all the old favorites.
With a new album due to be released next year, the "metal gods" are preparing to tour the planet once more. Heavy metal at its best complete with lasers, lights, bikes and hellfire! It's a show not to be missed!
When questioned about his plans for the future after PRIEST completes its previously announced farewell tour, Downing recently said, "To be perfectly honest, I have not given any thought as to possible case scenarios after the final tour. At the moment though I feel that PRIEST has played its part in music history and feel very proud to have achieved what we have. So there is a good positive feeling inside me and, of course, I feel very indebted to the fans all over the world. As for the future, we probably need the help of Nostradamus."
JUDAS PRIEST's most recent double-disc concept album, "Nostradamus", sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marked the band's highest-ever chart position in the U.S. In Canada, the CD opened at position No. 9 after shifting close to 4,000 units.
JUDAS PRIEST's previous studio CD, "Angel of Retribution", premiered with 58,000 copies in the U.S. back in March 2005 to debut at No. 13.
JUDAS PRIEST announced in December that it will head out on its farewell world tour beginning in 2011. The band intends to hit all major cities across the globe as they sign off on a career that has lasted for nearly 40 years.
Paul Rodgers (BAD COMPANY, FREE, QUEEN) has been added to the list of artists who will contribute versions of songs by Paul McCartney for a new covers album.
THE BEATLES legend is putting together a compilation of his best-known tracks as performed by some of his favorite musicians, including Billy Joel, KISS, THE CURE, Garth Brooks and B.B. King. He has hand-picked the acts he wants to take part in the project and even reportedly arranged for his son James to duet on THE CURE's contribution to the record.
KISS recorded a version of "Venus And Mars/Rock Show" for the set, with the backing tracks all having been recorded by Paul McCartney's touring band. KISS said in a statement, "We consider it an honor to be asked to participate on a tribute to one of the most influential and greatest singer/songwriters of all time. Not to mention, a major force in the most important band of all time, THE BEATLES. Wow!"
METALLICA has been officially confirmed for this year's edition of Quebec's Summer Festival (Festival d'été de Québec). The event runs July 7-17 in Québec City, Québec, Canada, with an amazing 300 shows spanning 11 days, making it Canada's biggest outdoor artistic festival. METALLICA will perform on Saturday, July 16.
This is the 44th year for the festival, which began in 1968 by showcasing local artists, and has since evolved into an annual major attraction featuring the cream of international talent across all genres of music.
Festival d'été de Québec is a major cultural enterprise that generates CAD $25.4 million in added value for Québec and CAD $7.4 million in provincial and federal tax and parafiscal revenues. Still Quebec City's best-loved event, the Festival now draws more and more tourists and foreign media to town.
METALLICA finished out its "Death Magnetic" touring cycle in November in New Zealand and Australia. The band is already confirmed to headline the Rock In Rio festival in Brazil on September 24. "Big Four" dates in California and parts of Europe are also scheduled.
MEGADETH's vital, platinum-certified album, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", has been digitally remastered for the first time and expanded for a commemorative 25th-anniversary release in multiple configurations on July 12 by Capitol/EMI. All of the versions, including a 2CD lift-top box, digital album, and a deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set, include a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's first world tour and new liner notes written by MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine and METALLICA's Lars Ulrich. The deluxe box set also includes previously unreleased and rare mixes of the album's tracks and hi-res audio for the remastered album and concert, as well as an expanded 20-page book, plus 8"x10" photos and reproductions of vintage MEGADETH memorabilia. The cover of the box uses a new, unique process of lenticular 3D which reinterprets the original cover, creating the illusion of MEGADETH's Vic Rattlehead character jumping out of the art.
Released in 1986, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" was MEGADETH's second album and the band's first Capitol/EMI release. The acclaimed album thrust MEGADETH into the international spotlight, and it remains a powerful thrash metal staple.
In his liner notes for the new edition, Dave Mustaine reflects on writing the album's title track: "I had written other lyrics by now, but there was something different about 'Peace Sells' because it told my story about my faith; my beliefs; my distrust of government; my work ethic; my integrity. This was MY song."
"If there's a new way, I'll be the first in line"
"Amen!," continues Mustaine. "I was so tired of not shaving, not bathing, not eating, not having a home, a companion, NOTHING. Yeah, I'll be the first in line, but it had better work this time. Well, it was working, thank God, just fast enough for what I needed, but not nearly as fast as I would hope."
"Whether you heard this record for the first time in 1986, or you hear this record for the first time today or tomorrow, 'Peace Sells' is a great heavy metal album," writes Lars Ulrich in his liner notes for the new edition. "Nothing more, nothing less. It has stood the test of time. And will continue to do so."
Dave Mustaine pioneered the hugely successful MEGADETH after his departure from METALLICA. Beginning with the band's 1985 debut album, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!", and evolving through a shifting series of lineups, MEGADETH has crafted a dynamic, intelligent style that combines the aggressiveness of thrash metal, the improvisational nature of jazz, and cynical, articulate, politically-charged lyrics into an innovative mix that has built a rabid worldwide following.
For nearly three decades, MEGADETH has taken heavy metal into the future — musically, lyrically, and culturally. The band has enjoyed great success on Billboard's album and single charts, including three Top 10 titles on the Top 200 Albums chart and four Top 10 Modern Rock singles, "Almost Honest", "Trust", "Breadline", and "Crush 'Em".
With defiance and grace, through unusual quality and intelligence, MEGADETH has raised a generation on a diet of truth serum and bitter pills. Instead of being kicked to the curb for their insolence, they've been rewarded with nine Grammy Award nominations, six gold, five platinum, and one double platinum albums, and three gold-certified DVD releases, in addition to last year's double platinum concert DVD, "The Big 4: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria".
MEGADETH is currently on tour in Europe. On April 23, MEGADETH will again join forces with METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX for The Big Four Festival in Indio, California, and The Big Four have confirmed several European shows for July. MEGADETH will also play more than 20 North American dates in July and August on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with DISTURBED, GODSMACK, MACHINE HEAD, IN FLAMES and TRIVIUM.
"Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?" track listings:
2CD / Digital (Booklet with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich):
Disc 1 (original album, remastered)
01. Wake Up Dead
02. The Conjuring
03. Peace Sells
04. Devil's Island
05. Good Mourning / Black Friday
06. Bad Omen
07. I Ain't Superstitious
08. My Last Words
Disc 2 (previously unreleased 1987 concert)
01. Wake Up Dead
02. The Conjuring
03. Bad Omen
04. Rattlehead
05. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good
06. Looking Down The Cross
07. My Last Words
08. Peace Sells
09. These Boots Were Made For Walkin'
10. Devil's Island
11. Mechanix
12. Last Rites / Loved To Deth
13. Good Mourning / Black Friday
Deluxe 5Disc+3LP Box Set
* Two 8x10 photos / two 8 ½ x 11 reproduced vintage concert flyers / one reproduced vintage ticket stub / 20-page book with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich
Disc 1 (original album, remastered - tracklist above)
Disc 2 (Dave Mustaine mixes & masters for 2004 album reissue - tracklist above)
Disc 3 (Randy Burns mixes, remastered)
01. Wake Up Dead [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
02. The Conjuring [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
03. Peace Sells [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
04. Devil's Island [previously unreleased]
05. Good Mourning / Black Friday [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
06. Bad Omen [previously unreleased]
07. I Ain't Superstitious [previously unreleased]
08. My Last Words [previously unreleased]
Disc 4 (previously unreleased 1987 concert – track listing above)
Disc 5 (hi-res audio: original album + previously unreleased 1987 concert - tracklists above)
LP 1 (original album, remastered – track listing above)
LPs 2 & 3 (previously unreleased 1987 concert – track listing above)
According to SundayMercury.net, legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) will play a homecoming gig in the Midlands region of England this summer.
Slash has booked a date in Stoke-on-Trent, the town where he was brought up.
It will be the first time that the 45 year-old axeman has played the city for many years.
Details of the venue are being kept secret until they are officially announced later this week.
Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal reckons the balance of power has swung from record labels to artists and there has never been a better time to be a musician and he believes the secret to success lies in offering fans something different.
Thal admits he thinks carefully about the best way to release his own music but he says CD sales have plummeted as technology has advanced.
In another RockAAA exclusive Bumblefoot explained:
"I've been preaching that gospel since the 90s – labels can't survive without bands, but bands can survive without labels, so why would you want to sell your soul to the entity that needs you more than you need it?
"Especially now when anyone can have worldwide distribution. You can do it all as simple as with a Cdbaby.com account and a Facebook page. The internet has levelled the playing field, we've all been given the same size gun. The only that separates us now is how well you shoot.
"The album used to be the nucleus, now the parts have shifted – the music is still important but the personal connection is more central.
"CD sales have declined due to technology mostly, there's more convenient ways to get your music and faster bandwidth is allowing for better quality. Although nothing beats having something real in your hands, something with printed art, something that opens, something like Led Zep III with the spinning wheel, Sticky Fingers with the zipper, Magical Mystery Tour with the booklet. Now those things come separate from the music, as merch, for those who want them. We have more options today, that's why CD sales have declined."
The guitarist says the secret to halting the decline of record sales is just to make better albums.
He continued:
"Make better albums or stop making albums. Maybe just release songs while touring – release a new song before each leg of a tour and play it during that leg, and every leg will be fresh, with a constant simmer of new music.
"Just thinking out loud . . . some day I'll be off the stage, bones too brittle and hair too white – at that point I'll do my best to help other bands do their thing, and put creative juices towards finding the best ways to get their music to their fans – give the people what they want.
"When I was making plans to release a song-a-month throughout 2011 I asked, 'What do you want and how do you want it?'
"We shared a lot of ideas, I listened. For each song, you have a choice of hi-res formats, plus an instrumental version. For guitar players I made a Player Pack for each song that has a full transcription of the lead guitar parts – notation, TAB, picking, fingers, a 'backing track' mix to play along to and a 'boosted lead guitar' mix to use as an audio guide with the transcription.
"I made a Producer Pack that has all the mix stems of the song – 24-bit/48k Stereo WAVs of each part of the song, one of the drums, one of the bass, the rhythm guitar, lead guitar, vocals, backing vocals, whatever's in the song.
"You load the stems into your multi-track software and play with the mix, make your own, hear each track by itself and hear the nuances of each part that was played and sung… options.
"Bands already have lots of choices – we've already got vinyl, CDs, DVDs, audio files, video files, streaming – and listeners have more choices – physical embodiment of the music, downloaded files of music and art and video, streaming services.
"My prediction for what's next? Independent music-in-the-cloud services, where fans can subscribe and get all your music, art, and whatever else, anywhere, any time, without having to download and own a file. Unless you want to own a file. Or a CD. Options."
MOTHER OF the late rock star Phil Lynott introduced two siblings he had never met to a public gathering for the first time last night.
"When I lost Philip, I died with him and I thought that was the end," Philomena Lynott said. "Now, to have these two wonderful people loving me."
She stood beaming beside her son and daughter at an event promoting her updated book My Boy. She had not included the story of these two children, adopted in England as toddlers, in her first version of this book published in 1995.
"I don't walk around ashamed any more that I had two other children," she said.
Despite having been found by her daughter, Philomena (60), and son, Leslie (58), more than 15 years ago, she had kept their existence a secret until after the death of her mother and Philomena's adoptive mother. "I didn't want my mother to know I had two more children as it was bad enough having Philip," she said of the stigma at the time of being an unmarried mother.
"I cared for mother until the end of her days and that is why I am able to tell the second part of my story," she said.
Standing side by side, the similarity between mother and daughter was striking but their lives were starkly different. "My daughter was brought up by a school teacher, she is a school teacher and she is married to a school teacher.
"She lives a very solid village life, goes to church, makes honey and wine, looks after everyone," Ms Lynott said. She said theirs was a "happy reunion".
She proudly described her son Leslie as "something else" and added: "We are all in love with one another."
Despite being separated for decades, Ms Lynott often thought about them and had waited all her life for them to get in touch.
"Whenever it was their birthdays . . it didn't matter where I was. If I was in a theatre, if I was in the height of top society it didn't matter.
"I'd walk into another room and I'd have moments of, 'where are they, are they being treated right, has life been good to them, are they dead'?" she said. "I never thought I would see them again."
Daughter Philomena rang her mother in the 1980s and identified herself by asking if the name Jeanette meant anything (her birth name). Her son, Lancashire lighting consultant Leslie, found her in the 1990s after he heard her interviewed on the radio about her book.
U.K. rock veterans STATUS QUO will release their new album, "Quid Pro Quo", in the U.K. on May 30 through Tesco Entertainment, and in the rest of the world on May 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The CD contains 14 brand new tracks plus the 2010 version of "In The Army Now" and is packaged with a second disc, "The Official Bootleg - Greatest Hits Live", making this serious value for money. "The Official Bootleg" was recorded in Amsterdam and Melbourne last year and offers 10 classic hits specially remixed by Gregg Jackman.
"Quid Pro Quo" will also be available as a limited run of 1,000 deluxe box sets comprising a vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve, the 2xCD version featuring special artwork and 2 extra live tracks, a QUO poster, individually numbered "Quo Quid" banknote, a T-shirt and a set of badges (unavailable elsewhere). The deluxe box sets will retail at £50 and will be available worldwide, with only 500 available exclusively from StatusQuo.co.uk.
The 14 new tracks on "Quid Pro Quo" were produced by Francis Rossi and Mike Paxman, the 2010 version of "In The Army Now" was produced by Pip Williams.
"Quid Pro Quo" track listing:
01. Two Way Traffic
02. Rock 'N' Roll 'N' You
03. Dust To Gold
04. Let's Rock
05. Can't See for Looking
06. Better Than That
07. Movin' On
08. Leave A Little Light On
09. Anyway You Like It
10. Frozen Hero
11. Reality Cheque
12. The Winner
13. It's All About You
14. My Old Ways
15. In The Army Now (2010)
"The Official Bootleg - Greatest Hits Live" track listing:
01. Whatever You Want
02. Down Down
03. Don't Drive My Car
04. Hold You Back
05. Pictures Of Matchstick Men
06. Ice In The Sun
07. Beginning Of The End
08. Roll Over Lay Down
09. Caroline
10. Rocking All Over The World
Extra Tracks (Deluxe Edition):
11. Paper Plane
12. Softer Ride
MAN RAZE — the rock outfit featuring Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD, Simon Laffy from GIRL and Paul Cook of THE SEX PISTOLS — will release a new single, "Over My Dead Body", on May 31 via iTunes worldwide through Rocket Science. The brand new song will be available as a double header, with both electric and acoustic versions.
A video message from MAN RAZE in which the guys discuss the arrival of their new album (currently untitled), due out this summer on Rocket Science, can be viewed below.
MAN RAZE's debut album, "Surreal", was re-released in June 2009 via VH1 Classic Records as a deluxe edition with five previously unreleased bonus tracks.
"Surreal" came out in the U.K. on November 17, 2008 through Surrealist Records. The U.K. version of the CD came with a special European-edition bonus disc.
Mixing the raw energy of the PISTOLS mixed with the immaculate pop rock of DEF LEPPARD, MAN RAZE is a unique clash of '70s simplicity with '80s excess, punk clubs with stadium rock.
"The fun part about MAN RAZE is that musically we can go off in any direction from rock to alternative the next," Phil Collen previously said.
With regards to the band's sound, Collen — who also handles lead vocals — told Rolling Stone magazine, "It's a mix. We go from really hard rock, with obviously big guitars, to dub. I was always into the alternative stuff, a very big fan of THE POLICE. And this is edgy — a lot more aggressive than DEF LEPPARD."
Before joining DEF LEPPARD, London-born Phil Collen played in GIRL, who were one of the great unsung U.K. rock acts of the early '80s (singer Phil Lewis would later front L.A. GUNS — who were at the vanguard of the L.A. sleaze rock scene that eventually produced GUNS N' ROSES). While Phil went on to join DEF LEPPARD he maintained a strong friendship with Simon Laffy, GIRL's bassist. Reconnecting in 2004, and joined by SEX PISTOLS drummer Paul Cook, MAN RAZE was born. Eschewing their illustrious past, the band have spent the past two year getting back to basics, writing and recording — they also played a sold-out show at London's Spitz Club and released a limited-edition EP "Skin Crawl" in October 2005 on their own label, Surrealist Records, in the U.K.
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will perform his 1978 solo album in its entirety during his appearance at the Hard Rock Hell V festival, set to take place December 2-4, 2011 at Pontins in Prestatyn, North Wales. Frehley will headline the event on Saturday, December 3.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ACE FREHLEY
BLACK SPIDERS
BONAFIDE
DAN BAIRD
GIRLSCHOOL
LITTLE CAESAR
MAGNUM
QUIREBOYS
RECKLESS LOVE
TYGERS OF PAN TANG
TYKETTO
WOLFSBANE
Ace's current solo touring band includes Scot Coogan (drums, vocals), Anthony Esposito (bass, vocals) and new guitarist Todd Youth.
Frehley's latest solo album, "Anomaly", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.
In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.
Released in September 2009 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.
Amy Harris of Cincinnati, Ohio's CityBeat recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
CityBeat: You said in the book ["This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx"] that you wanted to inspire people. What inspires you to do this?
Nikki: What inspires me? I am so inspired every day. I am inspired by thinkers. I am inspired by rebellion. I am inspired by children. I have been inspired by love. I have been inspired by heartbreak. I try to take everything that comes at me in life. I sometimes go in life, "I am kinda new at this." Then there are times in my life that I didn't handle things… I wasn't very… I didn't handle things right. And even though you stumble, you still kind of get through it. And one thing for me is when people tell me No and tell people No and tell artists that they criticize and judge things and people. And you feel that everybody deserves a chance to take a shot at what they want.
CityBeat: I have been following you on Facebook for a couple weeks and I am amazed that every day when I wake up you are addressing people that are writing to you every single day. And it seems to be very inspiring. You are obviously very inspiring to people. Does that create any type of burden for you? Do you feel a responsibility or weigh on you that people look at you like that?
Nikki: No, I think that it would be a burden if it wasn't honest. And I can honestly tell you that I have been really honest with my feelings and whatever MÖTLEY CRÜE has been to people and through as people has always been really honest. And that is same for me independently and with SIXX: A.M. so as a writer, you just write what you feel and that is what I do every day. I write every single day and I just get it out there. You are not always eloquent with it. I don't think there's an etiquette to what it is that I do with my life. The only thing I can do is be as transparent as possible. I have very few boundaries with things. My boundaries are my family and my home. That's really it. I'm not going to let anybody into my home or my family life or get you deep into that. Or even into my personal relationships and see how deep that goes. But otherwise, I don't feel a responsibility but it seems natural and I just do it. If you go back and look at the
lyrics on our first record, our second record, fourth record, read the lyrics and go into the lyrics of SIXX: A.M. You're going to say, "There's a thread. It's there."
CityBeat: I picked up "The Heroin Diaries" probably about nine months ago and I read it on a plane ride. It seemed hard for me to believe that this same person you were with the girls lined up backstage then was the person who wrote that May 21 journal entry to Kat Von D in this new book. Just this outlook toward women and relationships has evolved a lot. I'm sure the drugs and alcohol had a lot to play in that first book but it was interesting to me how the relationships with women in both books seemed to change.
Nikki: I am in a relationship right now. And my girlfriend said to me recently that one of the nicest feelings she has is that I am completely honest with her. I won't cheat on her and I won't lie to her because I have the experience of doing the wrong thing. So there is the whole thing laid out what you just said, "How could it be the same person?" Well, it's the experience. I think if you go and talk to most people who were in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. You are going to interview them and go, "Wow. I was able to go into your family life and I found out in your 20s you aren't the same person you are now." It's when people are the same person or claim they are the same person, I am let down. And I am going to point out artists and musicians who are, "Yeah it's all the same." I just lost respect for you because you lied to me. You can't lie to your audience. You can't lie to your fans. You have to age gracefully. And that's what I love about Keith
Richards. That's what I love about THE ROLLING STONES. They are aging gracefully. They are falling apart at the seams right before our eyes and they are doing it gracefully. And that's the most beautiful thing that we can do.
MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG) will support BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION — the Anglo-American rock supergroup featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE, BLACK SABBATH), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) — on their U.K. tour.
The dates are as follows:
July 23 - Llandudno, Wales - Cymru Arena
July 26 - Leeds, UK - O2 Academy
July 27 - Newcastle, UK - O2 Academy
July 29 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
July 30 - Manchester, UK - Academy
Inakustik/MVD released MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP)'s "The 30th Anniversary Concert - Live In Tokyo" CD/DVD/Blu-Ray in October. This performance was recorded in January 2010 during the band's 30th-anniversary Japanese tour. On this trek, the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP consisted of Michael Schenker (guitar), Gary Barden (vocals), Simon Phillips (drums), Wayne Findlay (guitar, keyboards), and Neil Murray (bass). The band, in impeccable form, blasts through a track list highlighting all stages of Schenker's career: from UFO and SCORPIONS hits, through MSG classic tracks, to his solo compositions.
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will release its second album, simply entitled "2", in Europe on June 13 via Mascot Records and in the U.S. on June 14, 2011 through the J&R Adventures label.
British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, EXODUS) has revealed to Radio Metalthat he will enter the studio this summer with San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans TESTAMENT to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "The Formation Of Damnation". A late 2011/early 2012 release is expected.
"The new album will most likely be a culmination of 'The Gathering' [1999] and 'The Formation of Damnation', but we're definitely not going to forget who we are or our roots. I think we've found a comfortable spot in our writing style," TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy stated in a 2010 interview.
"The Formation Of Damnation" was reissued on February 23, 2010 in a deluxe tour edition. The two-disc edition includes the band's comeback album plus bonus footage of classic tracks and more.
Prosthetic Records recently re-released TESTAMENT's out-of-print 1995 hometown-show album "Live At The Fillmore" on CD. The LP was reissued digitally last spring.
The "Live At The Fillmore" re-release includes expanded artwork and new layout by Carson Slovak and new liner notes by Robert Deutsch.
Prosthetic previously reissued four TESTAMENT efforts: the acclaimed late-'90s studio albums "Demonic" and "The Gathering"; the re-recordings compilation "First Strike Still Deadly"; and the vintage live album "Live At Eindhoven '87".
Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT have issued the following update:
"Due to recent developments, our bassist and friend Anders Kjølholm has taken a necessary break from the U.S. tour and returned home to Denmark to be with his family. Everyone is doing well, and we ask that you understand this is a personal matter and give Anders and his family the privacy they need. Filling in for Anders and pulling double duty will be our good friend Josh Newton from THE DAMNED THINGS (and EVERY TIME I DIE). We want to thank Josh and THE DAMNED THINGS camp for stepping up and helping us out."
VOLBEAT's latest album, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven", was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) (The Federal Association of Music Industry) for sales in excess of 100,000 copies in Germany.
In a recent interview with Christina Fuoco-Karasinski of Soundspike, VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen stated about "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven", "It's our new release and style-wise we're doing pretty much the same as we did on the three previous albums, flirting around with a lot of different styles. It's not easy to say what kind of style VOLBEAT actually is. You have so many different elements from punk and metal and rockabilly and country. For us, it's never been important to be 100 percent one genre or one style."
When asked about how VOLBEAT came up with its unique sound — which has been described as a cross between METALLICA and ELVIS PRESLEY — Poulsen said, "Mostly my parents would play all music from the '50s. We were listening to Elvis, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry and Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, all the legendary singers from the '50s. They were listening to them all the time. All those kind of melodies, they were always spinning in my head. Even though as a teenager I was really dedicated and hooked on heavy metal, it seems like later on all the melodies form the '50s continually showed up in my mind. So, it was very natural to mix it all up."
Multinational heavy metallers POWERWOLF will release a deluxe vinyl box set entitled "Trinity In Black" on May 6 via Metal Blade Records. The box set includes the three albums "Return In Bloodred", "Lupus Dei" and "Bible Of The Beast" on black 180-gram vinyl; a bonus 10-inch red 180-gram vinyl with four rare tracks; exclusive A2 poster; eight-page full-size booklet; hand numbered collector's certificate; and exclusive woven patch.
The box set is limited to 500 copies and can be pre-ordered at this location.
POWERWOLF recently finished recording its 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.
Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA were joined by the Orquestra Experimental de Repertório (conducted by Jamil Maluf) during their appearance this past Saturday night (April 16) at the Virada Cultural festival in São Paulo, Brazil. Special arrangements were made and songs that were never played before by SEPULTURA were performed at this concert. The band appeared at 11 p.m. on a stage located right in front of 110-year-old Luz train station in downtown São Paulo.
Video footage of the "Roots Bloody Roots" performance from the Virada Cultural concert can be viewed below.
SEPULTURA's management has informed BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the band's Virada Cultural show was professionally filmed and recorded for a forthcoming CD/DVD release.
Virada Cultural is the biggest festival in São Paulo, and it is organized by the Secretariat of Culture of the São Paulo City Council. Over the course of a 24-hour period, locals and tourists divide their time among hundreds of attractions; approximately 330,000 people were expected last year.
A video interview with SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser and Orquestra Experimental de Repertório conductor Jamil Maluf about the concert can be viewed below (in Portuguese, with English subtitles).
SEPULTURA's new album, "Kairos" (an ancient Greek word signifying a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens) is tentatively due this summer via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork for the CD was created by Erich Sayers, a Los Angeles-based freelance digital artist and photographer whom SEPULTURA first met at the band's recent concert at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.
SEPULTURA's new CD was recorded at Trama Studios in São Paulo, Brazil with producer Roy Z. (JUDAS PRIEST, HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, HELLOWEEN). 13 tracks were laid down during the sessions, including cover versions of MINISTRY's "Just One Fix" and THE PRODIGY's "Firestarter".
MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 is currently working on a few different projects to donate money to the people of Japan.
While on tour in Japan, Wednesday 13 and the rest of MURDERDOLLS experienced first-hand the magnitude-8.9 earthquake that rocked the country. It was the fifth most powerful earthquake recorded since 1900.
Commented Wednesday 13: "That was the scariest day of my life, without a doubt. It's almost beyond words to explain what we felt and witnessed.
"Japan is my favorite country to visit, tour and I'm just truly, truly saddened by this tragedy."
Prior to the earthquake, Wednesday 13 was working on a special remix CD, "Re-animated". He has taken five songs from his "Skeletons" CD and given them a new life.
"Re-animated" will feature:
* "Gimmie Gimmie Bloodshed" remixed by Koichi Fukuda (STATIC-X)
* "No Rabbit In The Hat" remixed by Ross Smith
* "Put Your Death Mask On" remixed by Koichi Fukuda (STATIC-X)
* "Scream Baby Scream" remixed by Ross Smith
* "All American Massacre" remixed by Ross Smith
For the first month of release, Wednesday 13 will take a portion of all sales and donate to the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross is currently supporting and advising the Japanese Red Cross, which continues to assist the government in its response.
"Re-animated" will be available in early May.
Columbus, Ohio-based band AMERICAN DOG, featuring former SALTY DOG bassist Michael Hannon, has announced the addition of drummer Michael Harris (H.A.T.E.) to the group's ranks. The band's current lineup is completed by Steve Theado (guitar, vocals).
Commented Harris: "I am very excited to a part of such a talented, hard-rockin' band. Michael and Steve are two of the greatest guys you could meet and I look forward to tearin' it up on the road with them!"
AMERICAN DOG's fifth full-length studio LP, entitled "Mean", came out in 2009. The CD features ten all-new original tracks along with a cover of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's "This Ain't The Summer Of Love".
More big news for attendees of Boston Comic Con this week, as Terminal Press unveils another book debuting at the popular New England show. The latest in a series of comics featuring the killer roster of bands from Nuclear Blast Records is here — "Soilwork: An Evil Upon Us".
"Foreign stars would herald the Devil's arrival. So speak the Carpathian ancients, as a second moon rises and the galaxies align in a strange night sky. But their warnings have gone unheeded, and before the night is through an evil from beyond our world will sweep through the darkened mountains of Transylvania. The last line of defense for the humble people of these hills is a band of six travelers who are far from home. They are the members of SOILWORK — and they're in for a hell of a night."
Following in the footsteps of Terminal Press' "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" and "Exodus: Death Begets Death", the SOILWORK one-shot is a maniacal tale of demon-slaying conceptualized by the band members themselves, and promises to deliver the same level of brutal intensity SOILWORK's fans have grown to love from their albums and live shows.
With a team of talent coming up the ranks from the ZombieBomb! anthology series, "Soilwork: An Evil Upon Us" features a script by Jerry Morrissette, art by Tony Daniel, colors by Lawrence Basso and Jeff Fugelsang, letters by Keith McCleary, and pinups by Rich Woodall, Frank Reynoso and Andrew Houle. Variant covers feature the work of Adam Miller and Josh Morrissette.
"Soilwork: An Evil Upon Us" debuts at Boston Comic Con, April 30 - May 1. Fans will be able to see preview images and more updates in the days leading up to the event at Terminal Press' Facebook page.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/soilworkcomic1.jpg
British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — has completed work on her new solo CD, "The Corruption Of Mercy", for a tentative July release. She states, "[I am] so happy with it and does piss over the last album!"
"The Corruption Of Mercy" track listing:
01 No Paragon Of Virtue
02 The World Won't Hold Your Hand
03 A Matter Of Convenience
04 Silence Please
05 Zombie
06 Pretty With Effects
07 What Lies Before You
08 Sirens
09 The Eyes That Lie
10 The Corruption Of Mercy
Sarah Jezebel Deva's solo debut, "A Sign Of Sublime", was released in February 2010 through Rising Records. The drums on the CD were laid down by Max Blunos, formerly of the U.K. death metal outfit TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED. Other guest musicians that appear on the album include Martin Powell (CRADLE OF FILTH, ANATHEMA, MY DYING BRIDE) and Dave Pybus (CRADLE OF FILTH). The CD was mixed and mastered at Escape Route by Dan Abela.
Innovative metal musician Stephen O'Malley of SUNN 0))) has contributed a lengthy foreword to the upcoming 744-page hardcover book "Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries", an anthology and memoir by Norway's metal godfather Jon Kristiansen.
As a graphic designer during the 1990s, O'Malley befriended Kristiansen during the early 1990s, during the initial rise of Norway's black metal phenomenon. He later designed music packaging for Norwegian black metal artists, including MAYHEM, BURZUM, and EMPEROR.
Says O'Malley: "Discovering Slayer 9 in early 1993 was a significant step in my initial descent into the cultural underground via music, guided by the unique filter of Metalion. Right when it counted, Slayer mag brought the black metal thing into human perspective. Somehow Metalion's interview subjects were always at ease as human beings, projecting less of their anti-superhero or negative rock-star personas. I would say that each and every one of them was honored and pleased to be in the magazine... Slayer mag really is a true cult."
Part anthology, part memoir, and years in the making, "Metalion" includes over 600 reproduction pages from every issue of Slayer mag, spanning from the early 1980s through 2010. In addition, author Jon Kristiansen recounts his life's story, from alienated outsider to central figure in Norwegian black metal to world-weary metal survivor. The book also features over 100 rare photographs, including two color sections and a portrait gallery of photographs taken by Kristiansen himself.
"The greatest heavy metal story ever told" will be available June 6, 2011, wherever books are sold, and is available for preorder now with two bonus limited patches from Bazillion Points Books, "America's smallest but heaviest book publisher."
For more information, visit www.metalionbook.com.
Reunited Los Angeles heavy metal legends MALICE have recruited journeyman metal lead singer James Rivera to front the band. James is the singer and driving force behind HELSTAR, and has been "the guy" for bands like VICIOUS RUMORS, SEVEN WITCHES and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM on numerous albums and world tours.
MALICE is currently rehearsing in Los Angeles and will soon to head to Europe in to co-headline the Keep It True festival in Germany on April 30 and play in Switzerland at Rock City (near Zurich) on May 1.
The band released an album titled "The Rare And Unreleased" last year on Retrospect Records in is hard at work on new material for its long-awaited new studio CD.
MALICE's two Atlantic releases — "In the Beginning" (1985) and "License to Kill" (1986) — are available Stateside on WEA label Wounded Bird and have continued to sell over the years.
For more information, visit MALICE's official web site, www.malicemusic.com.
Greek metallers NIGHTFALL have announced the addition of guitarist Constantine and bassist Stathis Ridis to the group's ranks. The band states, "They both took their baptism of fire in a recent show on April 8 giving their best on stage."
NIGHTFALL's latest album, "Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants", was released on August 31, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Metal Blade Records. The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (OPETH, DEATH, NEVERMORE, KATATONIA).
"Astron Black And The Thirty Tyrants" was recorded at various places, including Soundlodge in Germany, where the bulk of the sessions took place. It was produced by mainman Efthimis Karadimas and drummer Jörg Uken (who has previously worked with GOD DETHRONED, DEW-SCENTED and SINISTER). According to a press release, Jörg's "experience behind the recording desk and his soul in recording both as the new drummer of the band is a great plus for the whole production and for everybody truly into metal drumming the… old classic metal way!"
NIGHTFALL's seventh full-length album, "Lyssa: Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments" was released in 2005 through Black Lotus Records.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/nightfallgr.
SKYFORGER was honored in the "Best Rock Album" category at the 15th annual Gada Balva ceremony (the Latvian equivalent to the Grammy Awards) for the band's "Kurbads" album, originally released on Metal Blade Records in April 2010.
The largest and oldest Latvian music awards show was held February 22, 2011 at the National Theatre in Riga, Latvia and was broadcast live on the Latvian channel TV3.
This marked the first time when a metal band was given this prestigious Latvian music industry award.
In other news, SKYFORGER was honored in the "Best Metal Album" and "Best Metal Band" categories on March 18 at the Latvian Metal Music Awards, organized by the local metal community, with the results determined via an online vote by Latvian metal fans .
Also on the SKYFORGER front, the band has parted ways with guitarist Martins, who has been busy with a new job and could not make the band a priority. His replacement is Egons, who is also member of world famous Latvian post-folk band ILGI. Egons is said to be a professional musician who also works as a producer and recording studio engineer. SKYFORGER states, "Egons has great work attitude and band is already busy working on a new songs."
Adorning the front cover of the inaugural issue of the Norwegian edition of Metal Hammer magazine are none other than the Norwegian kings of symphonic black metal DIMMU BORGIR.
States the magazine: "Both nationally and internationally, DIMMU have become the symbol of Norwegian metal. We wanted to pay tribute to the band and invite them to make history with us!"
April 30 will mark a new era for Norwegian metal fans, as they finally wrap their rotten fingers around the legendary Metal Hammer magazine in their native tongue.
Ever since the first issue in 1984, Metal Hammer magazine has been on top as one of the leading and groundbreaking magazines within the hard rock and metal genre. Metal Hammer Norway is honored to become a part of this amazing history, and is ready to tread new paths for Norwegian and Scandinavian extreme music.
Metal Hammer Norway will be covering Norwegian and international hard rock and metal in the shape of 100 heavy-as-hell pages over 10 issues a year, with double issues in summer and December/January.
The magazine's staff promises to give its readers news, in-depth interviews, studio reports, competitions, album and live reviews in the same high standard and with the same credibility with which Metal Hammer is known for.
In addition, MetalHammer.no online will be a great place for metal fans to meet, and among others get up-to-date on hard and heavy news between magazine releases, check out video and album premieres, discuss music in the forum and participate in competitions.
Editor-in-chief Guro Juul Andersen comments: "Metal Hammer Norway will have a strong focus on Norwegian hard rock and metal. It's very important for us to listen to the underground as much as the more established bands. It's boiling like the wrath of Thor in the Norwegian music scene at the moment, and Metal Hammer Norway will be a great platform to get your band noticed both in and outside of the border! Norwegian metal history holds a tremendous respect around the world, and we look forward to showing the world Norwegian metal's future as well!!"
Veteran metallers OMEN have signed an exclusive digital distribution deal with DSN Music for the release of their new album, "Hammer Damage". The band's eleventh CD is scheduled for a summer release and will be available via online and mobile stores such as Amazon.com, iTunes, Rhapsody.com, Verizon, and hundreds more worldwide.
"We are extremely excited about signing with DSN Music," said OMEN's Kenny Powell. "This release will be a ride straight into the glory days of metal, no compromises, take no prisoners!"
A rough-mix version of a new OMEN song, "Epitaph", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
OMEN enjoyed national broadcast airplay from the famed rock radio network Z-Rock, thanks to the devotion of high-profile jocks like Madd Maxx Hammer, Wild Bill Scott, and Jason Lee Tipton. "OMEN's 'Thorn in Your Flesh' was getting a lot of airplay and their sound created a lot of excitement and generated great phones!" said Tipton. Records sales soared in markets where the Z-Rock network was carried, fueling a national following for the group.
"We are seeing a new generation of rockers worldwide discovering OMEN via digital technology and other forms of entertainment media" said Giuliano.
OMEN's classic single "The Axeman" from their debut release "Battle Cry" was recently featured on the soundtrack for the heavy metal themed video game "Brütal Legend".
OMEN was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983, by lead guitarist Kenny Powell; previously with the rock group SAVAGE GRACE and signed on with Metal Blade Records in 1984, and released their debut album "Battle Cry". In 1985 the second album, "Warning Of Danger", followed, building up OMEN's reputation as one of the forefathers of power metal acts, such as METALLICA, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, and SLAYER. In 1986, OMEN's successes lead to the release of the blockbuster album "The Curse" on Capitol Records. The hit single "Thorn In Your Flesh" from their release "Escape To Nowhere" topped the metal charts in 1985.
OMEN continued releasing an incredible collection of heavy metal masterpieces over the years, as well as building a loyal fan base via successful worldwide tours.
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.
OMEN 2011 is:
Kenny Powell - guitars
Andy Haas - bass
Matt Story - vocals
Wampa - drums
Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (ex-DARK ANGEL, ex-STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, DETHKLOK) will be filling in for FORBIDDEN drummer Mark Hernandez at the band's upcoming headlining appearances this Thursday at Inferno Festival in Norway and this Saturday at Metropole Ruhr Fest in Germany.
Commented Hernandez: "It is with true disappointment I inform the fans and friends of FORBIDDEN that I will be unable to play both of the headlining festivals this coming weekend. I have a personal family obligation I must attend to. I want to put to rest any thought that I am leaving the band, and will hope to see the faces I miss now later on in the summer touring season. I am very honored to have the mighty Gene Hoglan stepping up to help out and do these shows for me. Without a doubt, everyone in attendance will get a 110% FORBIDDEN show!"
Added Hoglan: "I'm real excited to be heading over to Europe with my bros in FORBIDDEN this week for their appearances at the Inferno fest in Oslo, Norway and the Metropole Ruhr Fest in Bochum, Germany. We've been great friends for eons, and Craig [Locicero, guitarist] has been my absolute brother since we toured in DEATH together way back when. Not to mention that I'm a seriously diehard fan of theirs. For me, each one of their records was better than the last, and that's really saying something. From 'Forbidden Evil' to the astonishing monument that is 'Green', I'd be hard-pressed to name another band who made the unexpected turns of their evolutionary process sound so damn righteous the way these guys did for me. I'm also real proud to be attempting Mark Hernandez's killer parts off their roaringly brilliant 'Omega Wave'. Savage drumming on their latest, indeed. My work is definitely cut out, without a doubt. And I know Mark is excited to return as
well. If you are headed to the Inferno fest or the Metropole Ruhr Fest (that just rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?), I'm looking forward to ripping some evil FORBIDDEN metal for you."
FORBIDDEN recently announced its second headlining tour of North America. Joining them on the road will be tech-death thrashers REVOCATION, traditional heavy metal champions WHITE WIZZARD, and Colorado-based thrash merchants HAVOK.
"Omega Wave", the new album from FORBIDDEN, sold around 950 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 27 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.
"Omega Wave" was released in Europe on October 22, 2010 and in North America on October 26, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. It was recorded at Sonic Room/Audio Voyage Studios in Livermore, California, produced by FORBIDDEN guitarist/songwriter Craig Locicero with Tim Narducci, and mixed by Sean Beavan (SLAYER, MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS).
FORBIDDEN's current lineup consists of Russ Anderson on vocals, Craig Locicero on guitar, Steve Smyth on guitar, Matt Camacho on bass and Mark Hernandez on drums.
Oakland, California is no stranger to punk rock — the Bay Area is a countercultural mecca, after all, and has given rise to some of the most revered bands in American punk rock and metal. Tankcrimes Records also calls the joint home, and true to form, have just released yet another 'banger from a handful of local dudes.
KICKER, the newest band of troublemakers to emerge from the area's punk scene, is made up of some of its oldest members — fronted by punk rock lifer Pete the Roadie (OG punk rock roadie for SUBHUMANS, AMEBIX, etc.) and composed NEUROSIS' Dave Ed, as well as a couple of "other old guys" who happen to have played in a couple little bands called DYSTOPIA, and FILTH. Everything about these guys — from the logo to the music to their fuck-you attitude — is as genuine as it gets. KICKER stay true to their roots, spitting out snotty, classic punk rock for fans of SOA, SUBHUMANS, cheap beer, and the year 1982. Their debut seven-inch single, "Innit", was mastered by Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound, and is now available from Tankcrimes.
Take a listen to the title track here.
The "Grey Hair" special edition of the seven-inch single is limited to 100 and comes in a screen printed jacket on heavy stock grey paper with grey vinyl and a sticker. The remaining 400 copies of "Innit" are available in screen printed jackets on heavy recycled chip board with black vinyl and a sticker. Only wax is real!
KICKER have a slew of new releases planned for the coming year, with two new seven-inch singles due out on Inimical and Life is Abuse Records later this month. In addition, Tankcrimes will be releasing their full-length LP this fall. The as-yet-untitled slab is currently in the mixing stages after being recorded with Bart Thurber (SPAZZ, CAPITALIST CASUALTIES, PLUTOCRACY) at House of Faith in Oakland, California.
"Innit" track listing:
01. Innit
02. Wrong Things
03. Two Hats
Eight years after the release of "Blot", legendary Viking metal act EINHERJER will issue its comeback album on September 2 via Indie Recordings. The CD was recorded at Studio Borealis and was produced by EINHERJER's Frode Glesnes. Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET) has mixed the effort.
EINHERJER will play live at the Indie Recordings label night at John Dee in Oslo on Wednesday, April 20 during the Inferno Festival.
EINHERJER was one of the very first bands to use the Viking thematic and the Norse mythology in metal, and are one of the founders of this now widely acclaimed metal sub-genre. Their name also has its roots in the Norse mythology as EINHERJER is a Viking's life after death. When a Viking was slain in battle, he was brought up to Valhalla by the Valkyries to join the army of Einherjers and help the Gods in their clash against the Giants in the age of Ragnarok.
EINHERJER disbanded in 2004 after the release of its album "Blot" through Tabu Recordings. EINHERJER reformed in 2008 and a year later played the Wacken Open Air, Ragnarock and Kaltenbach festivals, along with other select dates on the Paganfest 2009 tour. EINHERJER is currently putting the finishing touches on its fifth studio album, which will be still in the spirit of the band's previous releases.
American death metal act FATHER BEFOULED has inked a deal with Dark Descent Records for the release of the group's third album, "Revulsion Of Seraphic Grace", on CD and LP formats. The effort will be recorded in August 2011 and is tentatively due before the end of the year. A new split seven-inch single with Chile's DEMONIC RAGE will be made available in May, featuring the FATHER BEFOULED song "Abolition of the Seraphic Vestige".
Formed in 2006 and quickly amassing a solid fan-base with its breed of lurching, abysmal and suffocating death metal, FATHER BEFOULED has released two critically acclaimed full-length albums (2008's "Obscrus Nex Cultus" and 2010's "Morbid Destitution Of Covenant") and several EPs and splits.
Commented frontman and original member Justin Stubbs: "Dark Descent is the face of real, underground, hard-working death metal.
"We were looking for a deal for this next album following our split with Relapse, and Dark Descent stepped up and laid out exactly what we wanted. We could not be happier. Matt and Dark Descent are in the fray to provide us with the support we need to produce a killer album. Expect nothing less than what we are known for, which is serpentine, suffocating death metal. We are picking up precisely where 'Morbid Destitution Of Covenant' left off. We got our legs under us on that one. Expect 'Revulsion Of Seraphic Grace' to be the defining album of our career."
The band plans to play a few select shows to coincide with the release late in the year.
Florida-based blackened death metal warriors INFERNAEON have announced the departure of vocalist Brian Werner.
Commented the band: After much forethought, INFERNAEON has decided to part ways with our singer Brian Werner. He was planning on leaving the band after our appearance at the Babylon Rising festival in Puerto Rico, and it was decided afterwards that it would be beneficial if he carried out those plans.
"INFERNAEON is in no way breaking up, and we would like to thank our fans and tell them that we are working on some new material and we plan to be back on the road as soon as possible."
INFERNAEON's latest album, "Genesis To Nemesis", was released on August 31, 2010 via Prosthetic Records. The CD was recorded at Erik Rutan's Mana Recording Studios (GOATWHORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL) in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer Brian Elliott. The cover artwork was created by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco.
"Genesis To Nemesis" features guest appearances by Oderus Urungus (GWAR), Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL), John Zahner (SAVATAGE), Bill Hudson (COLDERA, CELLADOR, CIRCLE II CIRCLE, POWER QUEST) and John Slaughter (COLDERA, SKINDUSTRY).
"Genesis To Nemesis" picks up where 2007's "A Symphony of Suffering" (which Metal Hammer described as, "brave, unflinchingly inventive and jackhammer-heavy from beginning to end,") left off, with a devastating mix of Floridian death metal and symphonic, sinister European black metal.
"Genesis To Nemesis" is the first recording with new guitarists Taylor Nordberg and Steven Harger, as well as bassist Mike Poggione.
GALLHAMMER — the Japanese extreme metal group that draws on black metal, doom metal, and crust punk — will release its third studio album, "The End", on May 31 via Peaceville Records. A mini-site for the CD containing an album teaser, desktop background, free song download, and more can be accessed at this location.
According to a press release, "The End" "evolves further from the foundations of GALLHAMMER's previous effort, 'Ill Innocence', and its debut, 'Gloomy Lights', with an album of disturbing and dark drone music, consisting of a hypnotic bass and drum combination mixed with the band's raw black metal and punk origins."
Founding member Vivian Slaughter (bass/vocals) describes the overall album direction as "strange and psychedelic experimental sounds of doom."
The CD was recorded at Void)))Lab in Tokyo in October 2010 and was mastered in Oslo, Norway in February 2011 by Vivian and Maniac (SKITLIV, ex-MAYHEM).
"The End" track listing:
01. The End
02. Rubbish CG202
03. Aberration
04. Sober
05. Entropy G35
06. Wander
07. 108=7/T-NA
The release of "Ill Innocence" in 2007 brought GALLHAMMER to the attention of the metal world with its uncompromising and raw blackened doom sounds. The band followed the release with multiple European tours, culminating in cover stories with the U.K.'s Terrorizer and Zero Tolerance magazines.
GALLHAMMER is:
Vivian Slaughter – Bass, Vocals, Saxophone
Risa Reaper – Drums, Vocals??
Guitarist/vocalist Mika Penetrator left GALLHAMMER last year to concentrate on her other band.
GALLHAMMER's DVD release, "Ruin of a Church", captured the band live and in scintillating form at Colchester Arts Centre, a stunning venue on the site of a deconsecrated church, on their 2007 European tour. The DVD includes additional footage from the tour, plus promo videos, gallery, and an intriguing video interview with the band. The audio mix and production was executed by Justin Broadrick (NAPALM DEATH, GODFLESH, JESU).
CANNABIS CORPSE — the Richmond, Virginia-based old-school death metal band featuring Philip "Landphil" Hall (bass) from MUNICIPAL WASTE and his brother Josh "HallHammer" Hall (drums) — has completed work on its brand-new full-length album, "Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise". The CD will be issued on July 12 via Tankcrimes, the label that issued the band's "The Weeding" EP back in 2009.
On "Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise", CANNABIS CORPSE has ventured even further down the left-hand path to pay homage to those other masters of death, MORBID ANGEL and DEICIDE. Tongue-in-cotton-mouthed-cheek titles like "Lunatic of Pot's Creation" and "Immortal Pipes" keep the party rolling, but don't be fooled: CANNABIS CORPSE is not a joke band. Sure, they'll fire up a bowl and chug a beer, but then they'll rip your face off with a brutal old-school death metal assault, the likes of which haven't been seen since the seeds of the genre first began to grow.
Mixed by Erik Rutan at Mana Studios and mastered by Alan Douches at West Side Music, "Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise" was recorded by the band's own Phil "Landphil" Hall, and reeks of DIY putrefaction.
In other news, CANNABIS CORPSE has several dates booked for the coming months; the band features various members of MUNICIPAL WASTE, PARASYTIC, BATTLEMASTER, and VOLTURE, so you know these dudes can throw down live.
TAAKE, one of Norway's leading black metal bands, will release a mini-CD on April 26 which will serve as a taster for the new full-length album, due in September. "Kveld" contains five tracks, four of which are classic TAAKE songs which have been especially recorded live in the studio with the band's current live lineup, and a new track, "Nordbundet", which will also feature on the upcoming fifth full-length CD, "Noregs Vaapen".
"Kveld" track listing:
01. Nordbundet
02. Motpol
03. Hordalands Doedskvad 1
04. Over Bjoergvin Graater Himmerik 4
05. Nattestid Ser Porten Vid 1
"Kveld" will be released in digipack format and limited to 500 copies on founder and frontman Hoest's own label Svartekunst Produksjoner. The digital version of the MCD will be available through Dark Essence Records, which will also release "Noregs Vaapen" later in the year.
"Kveld" was recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen with producer Bjornar E. Nilsen,
TAAKE will play several festivals this year, including Party.San Open Air in Germany, Metalcamp in Sloveina and the SWR Barroselas in Portugal. Additionally, the band will hit the road on April 21 for a short tour with Dark Essence labelmates VULTURE INDUSTRIES, where fans will be able to get hold of the MCD, which is not being distributed through normal channels, in advance of the release date.
Canadian extreme metallers IMMERSED have inked a deal with Unique Leader Records. The band's debut album, "In The Ire Of Creation", will be released on August 2.
Formed in 2008 by Mike Chambers (guitar), Stefan Kushneriuk (drums), Stephan Meloche (guitar) and Mark Phillips (vocals), IMMERSED made its debut with a three-track self-titled demo. 2010 saw the addition of Gareth Allix (bass) which led to IMMERSED teaming up with Chris Bradley and Christian Donaldson (Garage Studios) to begin work on the aforementioned CD.
Fusing elements from death metal and black metal, IMMERSED is determined to spread its brand of brutal, blackened death metal worldwide.
In 2011 new members Aaron Homma (guitar) and Matt Milford (bass) joined the fold, thus introducing IMMERSED's fastest, most technical lineup to date.
Z Records has announced the signing of OMEGA, the new band featuring the vocal talents of Lee Small (SHY, PHENOMENA). The group's debut album will be released on September 5.
Debemur Morti Productions has announced the signing of NUNFUCKRITUAL, a Norwegian horde consisting of Teloch (NIDINGR, MAYHEM), Espen T. Hangård (KILLL, NOPLACETOHIDE), Dan Lilker (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D., ANTHRAX) and Andreas Johnson (TYRANT, THE BLACK). The band is currently working on its debut album, which will be mixed and mastered by Tom Kvålsvoll (DHG) at Strype Audio studio. Christian Sloan Hall will create the front cover.
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