AC/DC guitarist Angus Young revealed at the band's "Live At River Plate" DVD premiere last night (Friday, May 6) at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England that there are plans for the group to release a new studio album "within the next couple of years. He said, "Well, at some point we'll be touring again once we get a new album out, which will hopefully be within the next couple of years."
When asked about whether AC/DC could top its "Black Ice" world tour — which saw the band play to more than five million fans and visit 108 cities in 20 months — he replied, "Yeah, definitely." Vocalist Brian Johnson added, "We'll try to make the next tour even better, we'll bloody try."
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was unable to attend last night's event because "his house [in New Zealand] got hit by a storm," according to Johnson.
Check out video footage from the "Live At River Plate" DVD premiere — including a BBC News report — in the YouTube clips below.
Released in October 2008, "Black Ice" was AC/DC's first album in eight years following its 2000 predecessor "Stiff Upper Lip".
"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.
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.
Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency conducted an exclusive Canadian interview with AC/DC guitarist Angus Young and vocalist Brian Johnson about the band's new DVD, "Live at River Plate", filmed in HD during the Australian rock legends' "Black Ice" world tour stop in Argentina in 2009. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
QMI Agency: South American audiences are known for being insane, and the one on the DVD certainly fills the bill. Does crowd response still mean anything after all these years?
Johnson: It certainly does. It gives me goose bumps some nights. You've really got to concentrate on what you're doing, because if you start looking at the crowd, you forget what you're doing.
Young: Some shows, you can feel a buzz before you even come out. It's almost like you don't have to be there. They're already having fun. And you can't hype an audience. It never works.
Johnson: I actually think if you talk to an audience too much, you start to sound like a politician or a union boss. Just shut the fuck up and start playing.
QMI Agency: How far along are you in the process of making another album?
Young: It's still early. But we're hoping that it comes quick. The only formula for when Malcolm [Young] and I write is that there's no formula. Sometimes you have boxes and boxes of ideas — in our case, rooms full of them. It's just a matter of taking the best — and probably because we're brothers, we can easily say, "That's good, that's crap, that's good... "
Johnson: I think if you put a date on something, you put yourself under pressure. As soon as somebody says "late November," it's like, "Oh fuck."
QMI Agency: You guys play the same set in the same order night after night. Doesn't that get boring after 150 shows?
Young: Well, I'm lucky. I've got a switch. I've always had it. I've got another persona. I put on the school suit and I become stronger. I become more powerful. Even my vision becomes better.
Johnson: Fucking Clark Kent, this one is.
QMI Agency: Brian, you were joking about being dead in another eight years...
Johnson: Joking? I wasn't joking!
QMI Agency: Does that mean this tour took a little more out of you than the last one did? You play a pretty physical game.
Young: Well, you get these things that happen. This tour, I had this leg thing. It wasn't a hamstring; I can't remember what it was.
The doctor said it was something like a tube. But funny enough, it was affecting me more offstage. When I went onstage it was fine.
Johnson: But it is physical. What you've got to understand is that we do what a footballer does — but we don't have a week to recuperate. And if we did, I would just sit and smoke! So instead, you keep yourself fit. I go to the gym every other day.
Because you want to keep that level up there — the last thing you want is somebody feeling sorry for you, saying, "Oh, you should have seen them before."
Thing is, I'm being physical, but Angus is doing what I'm doing, and he has to manipulate a fucking banjo at the same time.
That's like what I do — but with a rucksack on your back. To him, it's not a tough gig. But everybody else in the world thinks it is.
EMI has set a June 6 release date for "From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010". A double-CD set spanning twenty years this follows the huge success of 2010's studio album "The Final Frontier" which hit the number one spot in 28 countries around the world. It also became the band's highest-charting album in the USA where IRON MAIDEN have just been awarded their first Grammy for "Best Metal Performance", for the song "El Dorado", taken from "The Final Frontier" album, and which is included in this selection.
A special two-track promo-only CD single is being made available featuring "The Wicker Man", which originally appeared on the album "Brave New World", released in 2000, and was a U.K. Top Ten hit, and "The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg", which was the lead track from 2006's "A Matter Of Life And Death" album.
IRON MAIDEN's current phenomenal global success has seen the band not only scale new-found heights aided by their unique method of touring, using a customized Boeing 757 — named Ed Force One by their fans — to transport band, crew and all their equipment round the world to many new places, but has meant their ever-expanding fanbase now encompasses a brand new generation of metal lovers. "From Fear To Eternity" is a chance for these new fans of the band to explore IRON MAIDEN's rich history, with the highlights of their last eight studio albums distilled into this handy collection, which follows 2009's compilation of their earlier work, the 1980-1990 "Somewhere Back In Time" album.
Perennial favourites to be found on this album include songs also featured in MAIDEN's current "The Final Frontier World Tour" set list; tracks such as "Fear Of The Dark", "The Wicker Man", "Blood Brothers" and "Dance Of Death" sit alongside recent classics "El Dorado" and the hauntingly evocative "When The Wild Wind Blows". It also include singles like "Holy Smoke" and "Be Quick Or Be Dead" together with more progressive thought-provoking album tracks like "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" and "For The Greater Good Of God". This new collection charts the musical development of Britain's most successful metal band as they have evolved their sound, producing longer, more complex songs, gaining huge critical acclaim in the process. Featuring many of the epics for which the band has become renowned, it is accordingly released as a double CD, but will retail for the price of a single album.
The full track listing for the CD is as follows:
Disc 1
01. The Wicker Man
02. Holy Smoke
03. El Dorado
04. Paschendale
05. Different World
06. Man On The Edge (live)
07. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
08. Blood Brothers
09. Rainmaker
10. Sign Of The Cross (live)
11. Brave New World
12. Fear Of The Dark (live)
Disc 2
01. Be Quick Or Be Dead
02. Tailgunner
03. No More Lies
04. Coming Home
05. The Clansman (live)
06. For The Greater Good Of God
07. These Colours Don't Run
08. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
09. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
10. Dance Of Death
11. When The Wild Wind Blows
The first photo of the new JUDAS PRIEST lineup — featuring the band's latest addition, 31-year-old British guitarist Richie Faulkner (LAUREN HARRIS, DIRTY DEEDS) — can be seen below.
Faulkner officially joined JUDAS PRIEST in April as the replacement for the band's founding member Kenneth "K.K." Downing.
Downing issued a statement last month regarding his departure from the legendary heavy metal group on the eve of its farewell tour. Downing said, "It is with much regret that I will not be with you this summer. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your concerns about my health. Please rest assured that I am OK. There has been an ongoing breakdown in (the) working relationship between myself, elements of the band, and the band's management for some time. Therefore I have decided to step down rather than to tour with negative sentiments as I feel that this would be a deception to you, our cherished fans. However, I would urge you to please support the PRIEST as I have no doubt that it will be a show not to be missed."
Singer Rob Halford told French magazine Rock Hard, "K.K. leaving was his own decision, for the reasons he made public on his web site. . . K.K. has his own life to live and we can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do."
Regarding Faulkner's addition to JUDAS PRIEST, Halford said, "K.K. can never be replaced; he's unique, and we didn't want any kind of K.K. copycat. Richie Faulkner came to Glenn's [Tipton, guitar] house to jam, and Glenn simply told me he was absolutely brilliant."
Although PRIEST plans to stop touring after this run, the band will continue to record and intends to issue a new studio album in 2012.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/judaspriest2011.jpg
According to Metro Halifax, METALLICA's concert on the Garrisons Grounds of Citadel Hill in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on July 14 will be officially announced on Monday (May 9). A web site, RockTheHill.ca, has been launched, with text reading "stay tuned" on the home page. What appears to be an image of the Town Clock can also be seen on the site. THREE DAYS GRACE is rumored to be one of the opening acts at the show, tickets for which are expected to cost in the $50-$60 range.
As previously reported, 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.
METALLICA finished out its "Death Magnetic" touring cycle in November in New Zealand and Australia and played in Indio, California on April 23. The band is already confirmed to headline the Rock In Rio festival in Brazil on September 24. "Big Four" dates in New York and parts of Europe are also scheduled.
ANTHRAX's previously announced Japanese tour, which was slated to kick off tonight (Thursday, May 5) in Tokyo, has been "postponed." The band states, "We are currently working to reschedule and hope to announce new Japan dates soon."
Affected shows:
May 05 - Tokyo, Japan @ O-East
May 06 - Tokyo, Japan @ O-East
May 07 - Nagoya, Japan @ Diamond Hall
May 09 - Osaka, Japan @ Big Cat
SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser will play 11 shows with ANTHRAX in July as a temporary replacement for Scott Ian, whose wife, Pearl Aday, is expecting the couple's first baby.
ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke to SoundSpike late last month about the status of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album, "Worship Music", tentatively due in September via Megaforce Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.
"This is years in the making," Benante said of the forthcoming CD. "It's finally at the end stages of it all. I'm very happy. This record is like a labor of love in all the different ways that it took to get here — a lot of blood, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears. It's very emotional to get to this point. Nothing's fabricated here. It's all based on truth."
He continued, "The ANTHRAX car was driving through peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys. Sometimes we just couldn't get out of the valleys. Finally, we went in for a tune-up, and now it's running really well. We're trying to stay up in the peaks. There were so many things that went into this record that made it special. There were so many other things going into it that were not special. We needed to make this record as special as possible. Certain personalities interfered. This record is probably the most emotional record that we've ever had to make."
"Worship Music" will mark the first new ANTHRAX recording to feature singer Joey Belladonna in 20 years.
"I don't want to talk to you and give you all these clichés," Benante said. "I don't want to do that. I want to be as real as possible. Joey sounds awesome and that's the truth. When he sang on the first song, it sounded like ANTHRAX again. I finally knew this is the way it should sound."
Benante added that the album will feature a tribute to JUDAS PRIEST, tentatively titled "Judas Priest".
"Let's say that JUDAS PRIEST was one of the first true heavy metal bands that a lot of the Big Four bands looked up to and almost modeled themselves and their music [after]," he said. "You can hear how JUDAS PRIEST influenced a lot of those bands."
A Conversation with Nikki Sixx
Mike Ragogna: Nikki, you good?
Nikki Sixx: I'm good.
MR: Nice. Okay, let's get right into your new book, This Is Gonna Hurt. Can you tell us about it?
NS: Well, basically, writers write, photographers shoot photos, musicians write music--that's what we do. So, I'm always writing, and a lot of people don't know how aggressive of a writer I am. I actually journal every single day, I write short stories, I write poetry, and I've always been that kind of writer. I'm always collecting information just by walking the planet, and then I kind of grab stuff and download it through my pen and paper--that's kind of how The Heroin Diaries happened. So, I decided I wanted to do a book of photography--a lot of people don't know that I've got quite a large body of photography work, and studio photography too, not just backstage stuff. A lot of the photography is so off the norm that I decided I wanted to kind of explain where I'm coming from without explaining too much because I didn't want to take the mystery away from it.
When I got done, I had five-hundred pages, and it had kind of gone all over the place. I didn't know what to do because I had two-hundred photos that I wanted to publish in an eight by ten book, and I had five hundred pages. So, I found an editor that helped me to find the places where I was repeating myself, and found the stories that really grabbed him, and the ones that weren't really well explained. It was nice to have another person help with that, and when we got done, we had two-hundred fifty pages with both the text and photography, and we felt really good about it. We designed the book ourselves, and we even designed all the paper ourselves. I worked with Paul Brown, who is an amazing photographer who rents space from me. I have two warehouses, one with just equipment, and one that is just a photography studio. This is a big passion for me--writing, writing music, photography, and it all came together in this book.
MR: Nikki, the book is laid out beautifully.
NS: Yes, I feel like I got to know myself a lot during the writing process of it, and I was meeting people during the photography process that really inspired me to become a better person too.
MR: In the book, you talk about family, addiction, and creativity, but you also discuss your relationship with your sister.
NS: First of all, for those that don't know, my sister was born with Down Syndrome, and she was institutionalized in the very early sixties. Me, being just a small boy and being shuffled around between my mother and grandparents, I never knew her. A lot of the messages that were sent to me and I was told that we couldn't ever see her and she wasn't healthy enough to have visitors, so believe it or not, you kind of forget that you have a sibling. I was like three or four years old when she was taken away, and I don't ever even remember her. But I tell you what, that stuff is impacted in your DNA, and on a cellular level, it comes out eventually. I know that I tried to find out where she was and I talk about that in the book. It was really a moment in my photography studio, where I was sitting there, writing this description of my photography, and I almost went into slow motion, where I looked around and realized that everything in that room, all of my
photos, were in one way or another a way of me connecting to her.
MR: The book's vibe, and the way you tell the stories...it was almost like she was the anchor for this book.
NS: I'm finding the part that people are connecting to with this book is that bad stuff happens to good people, and that's just life. We don't like it, but what do you do with it? Whether you're Amy Purdy, who lost her legs, or Goddess Bunny and what he/she has gone through--if you see the documentaries on hulu.com, it's very revealing what these people have been through. And I've been through stuff too, and so have a lot of people who are going to hear or read this video, but the question is, what do you do with it when it's handed to you?
MR: Well, isn't it interesting that you dealt with it in this way, and you're putting a light on it with your status as Nikki Sixx. What's interesting is that society, as a whole, still doesn't seem to be able to deal with people that are less than perfect, hurt in some major way, and people that are going through unfortunate things. We really seem to want that safe, whitewashed image to fall back on, and I suppose that it's just easier than dealing with life.
NS: You know, it's interesting. People go to an animal shelter and pick a dog that's been kicked, beaten, and has lost a leg and an eye, and they'll take that dog home and give it love and support, but they don't do that with people.
MR: Nikki, beautifully said. So, let me ask you about that. Do you think society will turn the corner on that issue, or will it forever plague us?
NS: Well, I think it's always going to plague us, but the youth really has the opportunity to change the tide. It's always been about young people and awareness, whether it was in the '60s, the '70s, or any time in recent history, people can make big statements in groups that people hear. One of the things that I'm loving at the book signings is that so many teenagers are coming up with tears and saying, "I'm inspired." I had a guy deliver a pizza to my radio show yesterday, and he came in to say, "I just want to tell you that I read your book yesterday, and this is my last day delivering pizza." I said, "Well, that's great man. What do you want to do?" He said, "No, you don't understand. My dad bought me this pizza place so I would have something to do, but it's not my passion." I just thought it was interesting, where my book is touching people, just because I'm being honest. I don't put myself on a pedestal--if anything, hopefully, I'm bringing myself
down from one that other people have put me on, and saying, "Hey, check it out. We all have an opportunity to make a difference in our own life." And in the end, if you're making a difference in your own life, you're going to make a difference in someone else's life. It's very much like recovery. When the addict gets recovery, his family gets recovery, right?
MR: Of course.
NS: When we change the way our head works and we sort of readjust our perspective on life and realize that our perspective on life is our life, it's then that everyone around us is affected. Now, if you're doing this by hundreds of thousands of people, you actually change the course of history.
MR: Maybe that's the thing, keeping the fire going.
NS: I think you do have to keep the fire going. It does take someone like Bono. Bono has said the same things that a lot of people have said, but because of U2, because he's the lead singer in a rock band, and because he's been very active, he can activate people to do stuff, like other celebrities and people who are in the trenches. That's kind of what it's always been about. John Lennon is another great example.
We have political sides, we have environmentalists, we have people that are pro-people, we have people that are pro-animals, but in the end, I think everyone is really trying to do good stuff. One of the things that I'm enjoying seeing from kids is that they go, "I can look anyway I want to look, I can listen to any kind of music that I want to listen to, and I can be a great person." It's misdirected judgment from people when they say, "If you have tattoos, you're a scumbag. If you have long hair, you're a loser. If you're in a rock band, you're this, if you're a mechanic, you're that." It's this judgmental attitude we have that my book is really putting a light on and saying, "Hey man, check it out." By the way, I'm the first to tell you that I can sometimes be very judgmental too. I get judgmental of conservatives, and I've got to stop it. It's hard when you have a mouth like mine, where I just sometimes spit out whatever is in my brain. So, you have
an opportunity to have a lot of fun in life, do a lot of fun things, look anyway you want to look, and do for a living anything that you want to do. But you also have an opportunity to sort of bring some awareness out, and that's what I'm digging.
MR: Yeah. I think where liberals get in trouble is that we do demonize folks like Sarah Palin, and people like Donald Trump, although they do play on peoples' ignorance. I think that's our button, and it makes us crazy.
NS: I'll be the first to tell you, I am not motivated by politics, and I'll be the first to tell you that George Bush was the worst President that we've ever had in our country. But how do I know that because I don't know anything about politics. It's the same thing as somebody saying, "Well, all rock stars are drug addicts," and I go, "Well, wait a minute, I'm not, but I was." So, it's interesting, you know, and I think it's just a little glimmer of awareness here.
MR: The interesting thing about your journey is that it's an ongoing one.
NS: It is for all of us. In the end, we're going to be a collection of short stories, so to speak, right?
MR: Right.
NS: I was talking to some friends today, and they were saying, "You know, so many musicians have all these great stories. And then some people really know how to project into the future, maximize every opportunity, and manifest their future." And I go, "That's cool, too." But one thing that a lot of people don't do is live in the moment. I have to, every day, sit down and sort of refocus on the moment because as a creative person, I get going in an entrepreneurial sort of way, almost. If you leave me in a room long enough, I'll redecorate the room.
MR: (laughs)
NS: It's really bad, and it's really annoying. Back to your original question, is this slow progress in motion? Absolutely. It is for all of us. Only in America do we not look at our elderly as the extreme wise.
MR: It's one of the worst offenses but it's not global, is it?
NS: Well, I was talking to a Japanese journalist recently and I said, "It amazes me, when I'm in your country, the amount of respect the elderly get," and she said, "The older you get, the more respect you get." That's because that means you have more experience, and experience usually equals wisdom, right?
MR: Right.
NS: In America, from what I've seen, it's like we see age as slowing the system down instead of really milking it for what it is, which is a lot of wisdom and a lot of experience. So, I think that's kind of where I'm heading--the older I get, the wiser I would like to get.
MR: I think that, especially in the entertainment industry where youth and beauty are overly revered, I think that just perpetuates and even spreads the problem.
NS: Well, it's very interesting you bring that up because there was one woman in my life that I thought was extremely beautiful, and that was my grandmother. She had more lines on her face--it was the most unbelievable thing--and I always have had this kind of baby face. It's only in the past five to ten years that my face has started to show some bite to it, and I just love that look. When I see Keith Richards, I see a life. I do love that, and I think that we could understand that the actual perfect gloss is one version of beauty, but it's not the only version.
MR: And it's nice that your photography shows a variant of that, and it goes even further.
NS: Yeah, and I think that it's important. Some people are like, "So, you're only beautiful if you're f**ked up," and I'm like, "No, that's not the point at all." I think it's just about leveling the playing field. A beautiful model, if she is a beautiful person, is beautiful because she is a beautiful person inside. The outside is eventually going to weather and crack, hopefully--that's part of the beautiful process. But you can have an old withered man, and that doesn't mean that he's beautiful if he's evil inside. I just think it's really about trying to look inside. When I meet people, I really try to see inside you. It's hard, you know. It's hard.
MR: Nice. Going back to my question before about your journey, are James Michael and DJ Ashba with you on this journey?
NS: Absolutely, one-hundred percent. All the music was made by James, DJ, and myself. The music component to the book is equally important. They do stand on their own, independently, but they absolutely do go together.
MR: Nikki, what advice do you have for new artists?
NS: My advice for new artists is learn the legal system. If you know the legal system, it's sort of like knowing who you're getting into bed with. If you want to get in bed with sharks, at least understand what you're getting into bed with. I think that if you know the legal system, and you know how to protect yourself, the big concept for me in making music, is not one or two hits, it's twenty, thirty, forty hits, and seventy or one-hundred songs. The only way to do that is to be financially secure enough that you don't have to do things. Desperate people do desperate things. You don't want to be a desperate artist, it doesn't look good, and fans deserve more. So, understand your legal position, and know that side of the business as you're learning how to be a better songwriter and artist, and in the end, we'll have better quality art if we're not relying on the bank. If you have your own money, you're protected, and you're safe, then you make music
like you did when you were a teenager, and that's just to do it because you love it.
MR: Looking back at your early Mötley Crüe days, and then looking at yourself now, what is your favorite aspect of being Nikki Sixx now over the Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe days?
NS: I'm able to be more open-minded to other artists. There was a time in my life when I had such a sneer, if you weren't one of the five bands that I loved, then you were in for my tirade. I'm not like that now, I'm very much more open-minded.
MR: And what does the immediate future hold for you?
NS: The immediate future is a book tour, the Sixx:A.M. album hitting the streets, Mötley Crüe tour, and my radio show, Sixx Sense, which happens Monday through Friday, and I have a weekend show. So, I'm a very busy man, I have four kids, I'm very lucky, very grateful, and shortly, you'll probably hear rumblings of another book because I'm working on it right now.
MR: Nice. And I'm very lucky and grateful you shared some time for an interview, Nikki. Thank you so much, good luck with everything.
NS: Thanks man, have a nice day.
Tracks:
1. This Is Gonna Hurt
2. Lies of the Beautiful People
3. Mare You With Me Now
4. Live Forever
5. Sure Feels Right
6. Deadlihood
7. Smile
8. Help Is On The Way
9. Oh My God
10. Goodbye My Dear Friends
11. Skin
Metal.de has published a brand new interview with RUNNING WILD mainman Rock'n'Rolf Kasparek. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Metal.de: "The Final Jolly Roger", a DVD with the final show at Wacken Open Air 2009, will be published shortly. Afterwards RUNNING WILD will definitely be history. What are you feeling at this moment? Melancholy? Or do you even feel relieved in some way?
Kasparek: Neither of it. The thing is that I had already been thinking about it for several years, and when I then was offered this show at Wacken, I thought: "OK, that's perfect: 30 years RUNNING WILD, 20 years of Wacken — what a great occasion to end my work with RUNNING WILD." I already knew two or three years earlier that I wanted to go into a different direction on the long run. I have been doing RUNNING WILD professionally for more than 20 years, and the band exists for about 30 years. It was just time to move on and start something new. Therefore I didn't feel any melancholy at all when I played the show at Wacken. I played this show like I played any other show with RUNNING WILD before, because, as I said, I already had made the decision to disband the band some years before.
Metal.de: Everybody, without exception, was wondering why you didn't invite any former band members to the farewell show, who could have played one or two songs as special guests. I'm quite sure none of the guys would have said "no"...
Kasparek: Very simple. I'm not a person who lives in the past — I live in the present for the future. Those people used to be part of the band a long time ago. And the band, the guys who were part of it on this very evening, they wanted to play this show and wanted to finish the RUNNING WILD chapter together with me. I don't like bringing up former musicians, who haven't been in the band for 20 years or so, back on stage. And it would have been complicated concerning the organization prior to the show and its timing as well. I just wanted to perform as many songs as possible and give a two hour show, which is usually not common at a festival. We got a special permission for these songs from Holger (editor's note: Holger Hübner, organizer of Wacken Open Air), because we wanted to play this final show. I also gave thanks to those who had been part of the band over the time. Hats off to all those who worked on this project. But, like I said, when the
band is on stage, you only see people who are currently part of it.
Metal.de: Will RUNNING WILD really be history after the release of the live DVD or is there a chance of a comeback sometime, if not live then maybe with a new album?
Kasparek: To be honest, I'm currently not thinking about this at all, because in the future I'm going to do a lot of other things. By the way, I finished working on the live DVD in July 2010 already, and at the moment I am in touch with Dirk Illing, who is doing the front cover artwork. It's almost done, just one more meeting with the guys doing the editing, and the DVD is finished. And there is another project in planning and several producers would like to do it and several record companies have already indicated their interest respectively. As the old albums from Modern Music and later Sanctuary Records are unavailable, because Universal Music is not interested yet in republishing them again, we had the idea of producing a double CD as a best-of album. And as I got back the copyright for the songs in 2006, I can record some old songs — at least 22 or 23 tracks — completely new. This is definitely a project I want to finish this year in order to
publish it at the latest next year. This will be a good opportunity for newer fans to buy these songs, for example from the albums "Death Or Glory" or "Port Royal" and so on.
"The Final Jolly Roger" will released on June 24 via Golden Core/ZYX and will be made available as a double CD, separate DVD or a special "deluxe" three-disc box set comprised of the other two formats packaged together.
"The Final Jolly Roger" track listing:
DVD:
01. Intro
02. Port Royal
03. Bad To The Bone
04. Riding The Storm
05. Soulless
06. Prisoner Of Our Time
07. Black Hand Inn
08. Gates Of Purgatory
09. Battle Of Waterloo
10. Der Kaltverformer
11. Raging Fire
12. Whirlwind
13. Tortuga Bay
14. Branded And Exiled
15. Raise Your Fist
16. Conquistadores
17. Under Jolly Roger
CD 1:
01. Intro
02. Port Royal
03. Bad To The Bone
04. Riding The Storm
05. Soulless
06. Prisoner Of Our Time
07. Black Hand Inn
08. Gates Of Purgatory
09. Battle Of Waterloo
10. Der Kaltverformer
11. Raging Fire
CD 2:
01. Whirlwind
02. Tortuga Bay
03. Branded And Exiled
04. Raise Your Fist
05. Conquistadores
06. Under Jolly Roger
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach and his new, young, virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling will take part in a special acoustic performance on the WZZO Rothrock Stage this Thursday, May 12 at 4 p.m. Win invites all this week by listening to Tori Thomas during the "5 O'Clock Happy Hour". The performance will be streamed live via the Internet at this location. It will also be broadcast live on the WZZO radio station in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
In other news, Sebastian states, "I am so beyond thrilled to announce we will be playing PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 23rd and Nikon at Jones Beach Ampitheater in Wantagh, New York on August 24th with WHITESNAKE and TESLA! LITA FORD is on the bill as well! Gonna be a killer show and I can't wait to play the big stages in my hometown area! See ya soon New Jersey and New York!"
Bach recently entered a Los Angeles studio with Sterling, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, SHINEDOWN, ATREYU, FILTER) to record Bach's next CD, tentatively due this fall via the Italian label Frontiers Records.
Bach previously stated about his new solo material, "This CD will follow along the lines of 'Skid Row', 'Slave To The Grind', 'Subhuman Race' and 'Angel Down'. If you like rockin' guitar riffs, high-energy songs and performances, deadly drums of doom, and ear-shattering screams, we got your rock right here!" He also described the songs as "heavy, interesting, classic sounding, modern sounding, completely rock 'n' roll — just how we like it!"
KYUSS LIVES!, the project featuring three-quarters of KYUSS — the influential American stoner rock/metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California — has announced a very special show to take place on Thursday, June 30 at club 013 in Tilburg, Holland. Dubbed "An Evening With Kyuss Lives!", the concert will feature two 90-minute sets from the band, with no support acts.
What can fans expect? Obviously a lot of classic songs but also spontaneous jam sessions; songs that normally are NOT on the band's set list and one hell of a light show.
KYUSS LIVES! will unleash its desert rock fury on the U.S. for the first time in over 15 years this fall. The eagerly anticipated near-total return of the California rock pioneers follows the blanket success of the group's sold-out spring European tour which has proven to be a feast of recognition for the band. Due to unprecedented demand, the legendary musicians — bassist Nick Oliveri, drummer Brant Bjork and singer John Garcia along with guitarist Bruno Fevery, who most recently played with Garcia in the GARCIA PLAYS KYUSS project — have announced two very special U.S. shows to take place this fall in New York and California. Openers THE SWORD will get each evening started before KYUSS LIVES! delivers its titanic grooves.
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 23 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Oct. 08 - Pomona, CA - The Fox Theater
In a recent interview with UGO, Oliveri was asked how the idea for KYUSS LIVES! came about. "MONDO GENERATOR was on tour — we went to Europe and did a festival in France called Hellfest, and John Garcia and the guitar player, Bruno Fevery, were playing a version of KYUSS called GARCIA PLAYS KYUSS, and he was going out," he replied. "He hadn't toured for a bit and wanted to go out and do some KYUSS stuff. They were headlining one of the side stages, and Brant Bjork's band was playing, and MONDO GENERATOR was playing on the same day. John asked us to come up and play some songs with him, so me and Brant up and did it, and it felt really great. It was great to play those old tunes — we hadn't thought about them for a long time. I think Brant being the first drummer that I ever interacted with as a musician — I played in their bedrooms playing these songs — kind of just felt normal and natural. I got a call from him when I came home, saying, 'Hey
man, do you want to do some more shows?' And I said, 'Yeah man, that sounds cool. Let's do it.' So that's how it started — John was doing it and it was getting good response from people that never got a chance to see any version of KYUSS at all. We didn't realize there were so many people that wanted to see it, so it's been a pleasant surprise and it's been a lot of fun."
Regarding why KYUSS guitarist and founding member Josh Homme is not involved in the reunion, Garcia told Rock Sound, "I have nothing bad to say about Josh — he's extremely intelligent, very smart, a great guitar player, great songwriter, a great vocalist — he is a bad-ass, there is no question, and I love him dearly but he is busy with his own thing. He has THEM CROOKED VULTURES, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, he's a father, a businessman and even if we asked him to do it, I don't think he'd say yes, so I don't want to set myself up for a big fat no which is 99.9 percent what he would say."
KYUSS LIVES! recently revealed that it will record a new studio album following the band's current tour.
KYUSS, the inventors of Desert Rock, have been in the last ten years much more popular than when they were still around in the early Nineties. So, due to massive public demand over the years to play songs from his old cult band KYUSS, John finally made the decision to give the fans what they want.
Formed in Göteborg, Sweden, in 1993 by guitarist Oscar Dronjak, HammerFall have been a dominating force in power metal ever since the release of their debut album 'Glory to the Brave' in 1997. Fast forward 14 years the band are now preparing to release their eighth studio album, 'Infected', to the world and while some see it as another album in the bands career, it appears that 'Infected' is in fact a new chapter and the beginning of a new era for HammerFall.
Recently I had the opportunity to submit questions to drummer Anders Johansson about the new album and to look at several points which seem to address my idea of a new chapter in HammerFall. Read on for his thoughts about the band, the controversy surrounding their album artwork and what he would do if he had to stop creating music.
HammerFall Anders Johansson Interview: HammerFall Anders Johansson
HammerFall - Anders Johansson
There will be a number of questions below which relate to this idea but I wonder if my thought has any merit when I say that 'Infected' marks a new significant new chapter in the career of HammerFall? It is one of my favourite albums by the band but it seems to feel that there is a lot going on within the band that makes this feel like a new chapter or era for your music.
I think you are correct.
There is a lot of change, but mainly in the way we recorded. First, starting with the foundation for the bass and drums we went away from the previous strict and controlled feel as I didn't even rehearse the songs. I'm an old studio musician so I just wrote down the basic arrangement and improvised through the songs in the studio and we didn't bother to change what I came up with. Before they wanted everything more controlled and in my ears it was boring; now there is more of a rock 'n' roll feel to it. When we added the bass Fredrik played a bit more; he played a more aggressive style which he usually does and it felt good. I remembering hearing him with his own band DeathDestruction and thinking that he played better with them; now he plays as good with HammerFall as well.
What can you tell us about the direction you decided to take musically with this album? While it does keep that HammerFall feel, at times it does feel faster and certainly I suppose a little less rehearsed?
Yes, no rehearsing at all.
This album is faster than any other HammerFall record and there are not as many harmony vocals this time around. Personally I always disliked the backing vocals and I always told Joacim that he shouldn't be afraid of showing his real voice. I think the vocal producer James Michael had the same idea and now Joacim is sounding better than ever before.
Was there anything new to this album in the way you wrote or recorded it?
No, not that I think writing wise but recording wise yes. Basic track in studio Bohus with Tobias Lindell and the overdubs (except vocals and mix) in HammerFall's own rehearsal room with Pontus Norgren as producer. Oscar was co-producing.
As the band moves on and matures, do you look to evolve and push your sound to another level do you always look at new methods of writing, recording or styles of playing which may give you that edge and something new to your sound?
I think we have found a good way now.
'One More Time' is the lead single, what made you choose the song and would you say this is your favourite or the top song from the album? A personal favourite of mine is 'Bang Your Head' simply because it does get you banging your head and gets you in a good mood.
I agree, it was not my personal choice as I also wanted 'Bang Your Head'. I think 'One More Time' is one of the poorer songs on the album but it might be because that style doesn't fit Joacims' voice as well as it does on other tracks.
You have been working with Charlie Bauerfeind for a number of years with your albums and now you have switched to James Michael. Was there any significant reason for the change and what do you think he brought to the table?
I think we felt he was a bit too perfect and that he wanted things too nice. He was a talented and hard-working man though, he just had a different idea from me about the feel of the music. I remember feeling that in the studio, when recording with him and Oscar that they were both being hard headed, I was just a robot playing more or less a basic beat. No input was wanted from me; I just went in and did exactly what they wanted but now it was more free and loose. I played what I personally wanted (well, sometimes of course I played what Oscar wanted…it is after all his band).
The artwork for the album has stirred up a lot of controversy, what is the story behind the legal actions and reception of the biohazard logo?
Well, again I disagreed with everyone else. But I'm just the drummer :-)
We first had a cover with Hector and I really liked it but for some reason they didn't and then a bunch of things happened. I remember thinking when I first saw the Biohazard cover "Oh, no. It looks like the band Biohazard made an album called HammerFall!" Then they added these hands after someone from the Biohazard band freaked out and threatened to sue HammerFall.
Luckily the music is good and maybe in the end that will be all right, I think so anyway. Maybe it was time to get rid of the same old stuff as I thought the previous albums all kind of looked the same but in the end hopefully it will be all good.
The departure of your mascot Hector has caused a little backlash from fans. Why did you decide to remove him?
It was all because they didn't like the cover with him. They thought he looked like a sissy as we had some guy posing with the helmet, it was a real photo. I liked it though.
Maybe they were right…what if Hector looked like a sissy? It'll be all ok in the end since it's a strong album.
This is your eighth studio album release on Nuclear Blast, how good has it been having the one home for so long which has treated you more like a family for your releases?
Without Nuclear Blast we wouldn't be here. They are a huge reason HammerFall is where HammerFall is today.
As a band firstly what continues to fuel your music after so many years; is there still an ultimate message goal or direction HammerFall wishes to progress in? You joined and made your first album, Renegade, with the band in 2000 and this is now your seventh album with the band so do you still see a lot more to come.
It seems the guys have matured and the band is heading in good direction. My role has always been a bit "just the drummer" and all the direction and goals for the band are planned by the leaders Joacim and Oscar.
HammerFall Infected Artwork 300x300 Interview: HammerFall Anders JohanssonAs a drummer you've had a long and great career with HammerFall, Silver Mountain, Yngwie Malmsteen and others. What still motivates you to this day to keep performing?
I think it's because I still have something unique to give.
If you had to leave music tomorrow what do you think you would do with yourself?
I would start a business, maybe as an electrician.
Your booked to play Bloodstock in support of the album this year, are you looking forward to that date? Do you look forward to playing in the UK?
Always look forward to the UK; great polite people with nice fish and chips and pubs. It's a great place.
What are the plans after the release of the album, will you be looking to tour as much as possible or do you have anything special in store?
Festivals first then we are touring. I have a feeling, due to illegal downloading, the industry is changing fast. All bands want to do now is tour in order to make up for lack of royalties but now there is no real meaning behind it, because if a band is not well known in a region then there is not that much of a point in going there to support the release. It's a catch 22 situation.
Thanks for taking time to answer some questions, please feel free to add anything you wish below.
Thank you for reading this and taking interest in HammerFall.
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The Avedis Zildjian Company recently announced that Jason Bittner of SHADOWS FALL has joined its family of artists. Regarded as one of the best metal drummers of his generation, Bittner is widely recognized for his double bass skills, ability to play complex patterns at high speeds, and extensive knowledge of jazz and Latin drumming styles. He is often credited with "bringing the groove back to metal drumming." An accomplished teacher and author, Bittner will headline Zildjian's U.S. clinic tour in May 2011.
"I've been attracted to Zildjian cymbal sounds for years," said Bittner. "I bought my first 18" A Zildjian crash ride when I was only 11 years old. I feel that I'm coming home with my new relationship with Zildjian, and I look forward to spending the next decade and beyond with them."
Commenting on the upcoming clinic tour, Bittner said, "The clinic tour will feature play-alongs, free-form playing, educational content, and fun. I'm hoping to have a few SHADOWS FALL tracks from my new record to share with fans on the tour. Zildjian cymbals are featured in these new recordings. They've already become a part of my sound. It's really been a seamless transition for me."
Below are the clinic tour dates (contact the dealer for specific times and ticket info):
May 09 - World of Music - Erie, PA
May 10 - Ken Stanton Music - Atlanta, GA
May 11 - Drum Headquarters - St Louis, MO
May 12 - Memphis Drum Shop - Memphis, TN
May 13 - Midwest Drum & Percussion - Wichita, KS
May 16 - West LA Music - West Los Angeles, CA
May 17 - Donn Bennett Drum Studio - Bellevue, WA
May 19 - Daddy's Junky Music - Syracuse, NY
May 23 - Parkway Music - Clifton Park, NY
"We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Jason to the Zildjian family," said John DeChristopher, VP artist relations and event marketing worldwide. "He's the complete package: a phenomenal player and student of the instrument, a great educator and role model for younger players, and a highly respected artist among his peers and the drumming community overall. We're very excited about his future with Zildjian, and we're looking forward to hitting the road in May for Jason's first clinic tour as a Zildjian artist."
A native of Albany, New York, Bittner attended Berklee College Of Music and played with STIGMATA, one of the biggest hardcore bands on the New York scene, for seven years. In the fall of 2001, Bittner joined SHADOWS FALL. For the past 10 years, he has toured extensively with the band and released "The Art Of Balance"; "The War Within" (debuted at #38 on Billboard and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance"); "Fallout From the War"; "Threads Of Life" (Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance"); and "Retribution", one of the band's most powerful albums to date that debuted in Billboard's Top 40.
Bittner has been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2004 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Up-And-Coming Drummer; the 2005 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Best Recorded Performance for the SHADOWS FALL album "The War Within" and #1 Metal Drummer; and for the second consecutive year, the 2006 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Metal Drummer. Bittner's book, "Drumming Out Of The Shadows", which was co-authored by Joe Bergamini, received the #2 award in the DRUM! magazine reader's poll for Best Educational Book.
MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 has scheduled one show this summer — Wednesday July, 13 at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California.
"I had been staring at the calendar for awhile and wondering what I was going to do while MURDERDOLLS take a break so Joey [Jordison, MURDERDOLLS guitarist] could focus on SLIPKNOT," Wednesday said. "I noticed that there was one Wednesday the 13th left in the year, and I always get 'Happy Wednesday the 13th' messages from all of the fans throughout the year when it comes around. So it hit me, why not do a Wednesday 13 show on Wednesday the 13th? And, of course, the show would have to be at the Whisky a Go Go, since it's right down the street from home now. I'm looking forward to dusting off the old songs and props for what will be a very fun night to remember."
This one-off show will feature special, very limited merchandise.
Wednesday 13's special remix CD, "Re-animated". will be released on May 10.
"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.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan has said in a new interview with Rolling Stone if fans assume they've heard all the unreleased material from the band's history, they'd better think again. Corgan explained, "I've gone on some message boards to see what fans are saying, and they think they've heard everything and they haven't. There's a lot of stuff we have that no one's ever heard."
Corgan made his comments following the announcement that the entire PUMPKINS catalog will be reissued over the next few years, in deluxe editions with bonus content. The singer and guitarist said that for the band's 1991 debut, "Gish", "There are something like 30 demos from even before the album was made. So a lot of that stuff needs to be remixed, and there's a lot of good versions of things and unheard stuff."
The first reissues, of "Gish", 1993's "Siamese Dream" and 1994's "Pisces Iscariot", will arrive this fall. Each is expected to include one full disc of bonus material.
The PUMPKINS are also working on a new album called "Oceania" that will also surface this fall. The disc is considered part of the larger project called "Teargarden By Kaleidyscope" that they started in late 2009.
Corgan said about "Oceania", "My friends said that it reminds them of what they always liked about the PUMPKINS, but it sounds fresh. It has a familiarity to it, which is kind of hard to put your finger on it, but at the same time, it doesn't sound like, 'Oh, it's the same.'"
The PUMPKINS also plan to tour later this summer and fall, although dates and cities have yet to be announced.
THE GREAT AMERICON, the brainchild of two-time Grammy-nominated artist Sin Quirin, will release its self-titled debut EP later this month. The band's music is described in a press release as "heavy and fast-paced, with machine-like drums and crushing, yet hooky guitar riffs."
THE GREAT AMERICON will join COMBICHRIST on select West Coast dates will hit the road extensively later in the year.
Guitarist/producer/songwriter Sin Quirin, based out of Los Angeles, has been a major player in the industrial, rock, and metal scene. He is best known for his contributions to bands such as MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS, and LORDS OF ACID, and has toured all over the world….most notably, performing in front of hundreds of thousands of screaming fans at many of the major festivals in Europe.
Josh Bradford delivers a commanding and intense vocal performance for THE GREAT AMERICON, with a stage presence unlike any other. Josh, based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, has previously sung for REVOLTING COCKS, as well as his own band STAYTE, and was even a guest vocalist for the band MINISTRY.
Clayton Worbeck, also based out of Vancouver, is a master at programming and keyboard performance for THE GREAT AMERICON. What Clayton adds creates a hybrid of heavy, guitar-driven rock combined with a technological, mechanical force. Clayton has also performed in REVOLTING COCKS and STAYTE.
Salvador Krk, drummer for THE GREAT AMERICON, attacks the drums with brutality. His hard-hitting rhythms will drive any mosh pit into a state of frenzy. Salvador Krk is best known for his contributions to LORDS OF ACID but he also has an extensive background in rock and metal.
Karma Cheema, the band's newest addition, is thunderous on the bass guitar. He is also well respected for his role in the bands AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE and OTEP.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/thegreatamericon
"Substratum", the debut album from ANATOMY OF I — the project featuring vocalist/guitarist Michael Dorrian, drummer Dirk Verbeuren (SCARVE, SOILWORK) and bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, TESTAMENT) — is tentatively due on July 1.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Organic Machine
02. Harvest The Fallen
03. Drowning
04. Dimensions
05. Washed Away
06. Fluid River
07. Banished Messiah
08. Substratum
09. As Eternity Ends…
10. Bound In Flesh
Video footage of mixing/mastering engineer and full-time shredder Simone Mularoni (EMPYRIOS, DGM) playing his guest solo on the track "Bound In Flesh" can be viewed below.
Commented Dorrian: "For the mix, we went with engineer extraordinaire Simone Mularoni at Fear Studio (Italy), who was recommended to me by my good friend Sym (MODERN AGE SLAVERY, EMPYRIOS).
"Over the course of the last decade, Simone has recorded/mixed numerous bands, ranging from rock and prog to power metal, death metal, etc... he understood the balance that we were aiming for, finding the right compromise between heaviness and subtle dynamics."
ANATOMY OF I is :
Michael Dorrian - Vocals, Guitar, Guitar Synth
Steve Di Giorgio - Fretless Bass
Dirk Verbeuren - Drums
For more information, visit www.anatomyofi.com.
Boston metallers RAVAGE recorded their performance last night (Thursday, May 5) at Ralph's Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts. Select tracks from the show will be featured on the band's forthcoming release, "15 Years Underground", to be made available later this year in a format yet to be determined. S
Commented RAVAGE singer Al Ravage: "We' like to thank the fantastic crowd and everyone from the Society For World Wide Ravage who ventured out to support us and to support the great five-year tradition of Metal Thursdays shows at Ralph's Diner — the longest-running and best live underground metal series of shows in the country, and probably the world.
"Not everything went on without hitches and glitches — it was a typically mad and crazy RAVAGE show, but we made it through, and despite one unfortunate incident during which a friend of ours almost had his face ripped off in the mosh pit, everyone emerged OK and unscathed for the most part, and had a great time.
"We look forward to sharing some songs from this night of metal madness with all of you in the near future."
RAVAGE's forthcoming collection of recordings will feature some new studio tracks as well as cover songs, live tracks, demos and rarities stretching back to the band's first live gig in 1996. Further details will be released soon.
RAVAGE's latest album, "The End of Tomorrow", was released in August 2009 via Metal Blade Records. The CD featured cover art by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH, AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE).
Legendary guitar and piano/keyboard virtuoso Tony MacAlpine's new self- titled album, to be released June 21 on Favored Nations, marks a highly-anticipated return to solo work after a prolific decade of output with his bands, including prog-metal-fusion trio PLANET X; Grammy-nominated jazz fusion outfit CAB; power metallers RING OF FIRE; as well as performing keyboard and guitar duties in Steve Vai's double platinum DVD-selling live band "The Breed" from 2001-2006.
"When I set out to write a new album, I quickly realized that my urge to once again create and define myself as a solo artist had returned with a vengeance," said MacAlpine. "This is my strongest album to date. I can't wait to hit the road and play it live."
Recorded in his home studio in Pasadena, California, "Tony MacAlpine" is the musician's 11th solo album. Featuring 12 tracks of guitar-laden progressive instrumental metal — MacAlpine performing seven- and eight-string guitar, keyboards, bass and programming, along with drum legends Virgil Donati (PLANET X, VIRGIL DONATI BAND) on tracks 1, 5, and 10; and Marco Minnemann (ADRIAN BELEW, NECROPHAGIST) on tracks 3, 4, 8 and 12. Bassist Philip Bynoe (STEVE VAI, RING OF FIRE) also appears on track 2. The album was mixed by Ulrich Wild (DEFTONES, STATIC-X, DETHKLOK) and mastered by former chief mastering engineer of A&M Studios, Dave Collins.
One of the guitarists at the forefront of the virtuoso guitar movement of the mid-80s, 2011 marks Tony's 25th anniversary of groundbreaking guitar work (his seminal 1986 debut album "Edge Of Insanity" was recently ranked #4 in Guitar World magazine's "Top 10 Shred Albums Of All Time"), in a career spanning 11 solo albums, 13 band albums, and countless guest appearances, in genres diverse as metal, progressive fusion, neoclassical, jazz and classical piano.
The album's opening tracks "Serpens Cauda" and "Ölüdeniz" are available now for FREE download in high quality MP3 at Tony's web site.
Tony plans to tour the album in the USA, Europe and South America later this year and 2012.
"Tony MacAlpine" track listing:
01. Serpens Cauda (4:23)
02. Ölüdeniz (5:16)
03. Fire Mountain (4:23)
04. Dream Mechanism (4:18)
05. Ten Seconds to Mercury (4:35)
06. Flowers For Monday (3:05)
07. Angel of Twilight (5:03)
08. Pyrokinesis (3:56)
09. Blue Maserati (4:41)
10. Summer Palace (4:36)
11. Salar de Uyuni (5:40)
12. The Dedication (4:22)
DEATH's legendary fourth album, "Human", will mark its 20th anniversary with an official reissue on June 21 in North America (June 27 internationally) via Relapse Records. The LP was entirely remixed by longtime DEATH producer Jim Morris and remastered by Alan Douches (MASTODON, CONVERGE, MISFITS). This special 20th-anniversary edition of the album will come complete with expanded packaging featuring liner notes from Morris as well as former DEATH/current CYNIC guitarist Paul Masvidal and over an hour of newly unearthed, previously unreleased early demo tracks.
"Human" will be available on two- and three-disc sets as well as digitally.
Commented Morris (pictured below): "[This was] an awesome experience for me." He added, "We were contacted by Chuck Schuldiner's intellectual property lawyer, Eric Greif, the former manager of DEATH."
Added Eric Greif: "The former DEATH guys Paul Masvidal (guitar), Sean Reinert (drums) and Steve DiGiorgio (bass) are all 'ecstatic' about the prospect of a heavier mix, where all the instruments can be heard and modern technology utilized. Jim said he took into account everything he and Chuck agreed upon during the making of 'Symbolic' (1995) and 'The Sound Of Perseverance' (1998) as his guide for what he believed Chuck would want from such a remix. I myself am thrilled."
Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH joined the long-running English gothic rock band FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM on stage earlier tonight (Friday, May 6) in Katowice, Poland to perform the song "Penetration". This marked Nergal's first performance since undergoing a bone marrow transplant last December. He says, "I don't remember when the last time I was THAT nervous. First of all, I had to join one of my favorite bands ever, true legends, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM… Secondly, I'm still not 100% in shape so I didn't know how my body would react. I would risk saying I'm maybe 60% of what I used to be… but still progressing!
"Anyway, we did a song 'Penetration' together with Carl McCoy and Co.
"What a blast, I have to tell you. I had a serious adrenaline rush and it was such a boost of energy I can't even describe. My mouth dried out after 30 seconds so I could hardly breathe but the energy wouldn't let me stop. I was carried away. The moment I saw the crowd, I felt this double-bass pounding underneath my feet… I was in trance.
"I'm counting days 'till we come back with BEHEMOTH full-time. Five months to go…huh."
BEHEMOTH will return to the live stage in October — marking the band's first public appearances since Nergal was diagnosed with leukemia last August.
In a recent interview with Metal Sucks, Nergal stated about BEHEMOTH's upcoming touring activities, "The October shows are just to get warmed up. Then we might do some shows in Australia and Asia — that's the plan. Then the priority for early 2012 is a European tour, then shortly after that, a U.S. tour. This is our top priority for the next year and we're going to fucking do it!"
He added, "Just wait and see us on the stage. You'll see. I'm not going to reveal anything about it, but we … It's not gonna just be BEHEMOTH. It's not like time stood still for us, like we were frozen in time and are just going to appear with the same entourage and in the same outfits. No. We're going to come back, we want to remind people of our existence obviously, but we want to make a fucking impact, an impression. We want to show them that, hey, we are still fucking evolving. We're not just hoping that you'll come to see us because I was sick. Fuck that. I'll be better soon and we're going to deliver!"
Speaking to Revolver magazine last month, Nergal said, "We just decided to play some so-called comeback shows in Poland just to warm up and see how we feel, just to be onstage again together. And I really hope that it's going to turn out great and that it's going to cause other tours and stuff. We have plans until the summer of next year. We already have some cool offers. We're talking to our agents. There's some really, really cool ideas. I don't want to reveal anything yet, but once we're done with October shows, and we feel good about it, and there's chemistry onstage, we definitely want to continue the 'Evangelion' touring cycle. There's still some markets we didn't even touch. We've done over 100 shows so far to 'Evangelion'. We're going to do another 100 at least, and then we can focus on the next record.
"To be honest, we can't wait to hit the stage again. I'm so fucking anxious. I'm so excited, so psyched about it. I have dreams about coming back onstage. I dream about BEHEMOTH shows. It's insane, I know, but I can't tell you how much it's a relief to the band and how much it means to us."
DYING FETUS will release a limited-edition mini-LP this summer. Entitled "History Repeats…", it marks the band's 20th anniversary and sees the group covering tracks from artists who have influenced them (NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, PESTILENCE). "History Repeats…" also includes a brand new DYING FETUS track exclusive to this release. The mini-LP is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide and set for a July 19 North American release through FYE stores and Relapse mailorder exclusively. Additional information and pre-orders are available here.
"History Repeats…" track listing:
01. Fade Into Obscurity (DEHUMANIZED cover)
02. Unchallenged Hate (NAPALM DEATH cover)
03. Gorehog (BROKEN HOPE cover)
04. Rohypnol (DYING FETUS original exclusive to this release)
05. Unleashed Upon Mankind (BOLT THROWER cover)
06. Twisted Truth (PESTILENCE cover)
07. Born In A Casket (CANNIBAL CORPSE cover)
DYING FETUS will take part in the 2011 Summer Slaughter tour with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DARKEST HOUR, SIX FEET UNDER, and more. This month-long trek will kick off on July 22 in Los Angeles, California and conclude in Dallas, Texas.
"Drive", the fifth album from POISONBLACK — the Finnish band featuring former SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala — has entered the official chart in the group's home country at position No. 3. Released in Scandinavia on April 27 via Hype Records, the CD was recorded at Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST).
"Drive" track listing:
01. Piston Head
02. Mercury Falling
03. A Good Day For The Crows
04. Maggot Song
05. From Now-Here to Nowhere
06. Sycophant
07. The Dead-End Stream
08. Futile Man
09. Scars
10. Driftwood
The album's first single, "Mercury Falling", is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
Madsen previously mixed POISONBLACK's 2006 effort "Lust-Stained Despair".
"Of Rust And Bones", the fourth album from POISONBLACK, entered the official chart in the group's home country at position No. 6.
EMMURE, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, IN THIS MOMENT and BORN OF OSIRIS are among the confirmed bands for The All Stars Tour, which will run from July 22 to August 22.
The complete lineup for the trek is as follows:
EMMURE
ALESANA
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
BLESSTHEFALL
FOR TODAY
IN THIS MOMENT
BORN OF OSIRIS
THE GHOST INSIDE
AFTER THE BURIAL
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
CHELSEA GRIN
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
ATTILA
FOR ALL THOSE SLEEPING
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE (select dates)
Exact cities and dates will be announced soon via the tour's Facebook page.
American death metallers DISGORGE are hard at work on their fifth full-length album, "And The Weak Shall Perish", for a late 2011 release via Unique Leader Records. The band, which had been on hiatus since 2006, is recording the new CD with the following lineup:
* Levi Fuselier - Vocals
* Ricky Myers - Drums
* Erik Lindmark (DEEDS OF FLESH) - Guitar
* Derek Boyer (SUFFOCATION, DECREPIT BIRTH) - Bass
Songtitles set to appear on "And The Weak Shall Perish" include:
* "Through Mutilation Comes Salvation"
* "Of Maggots And Decay"
* "Embalmed In Cryptic Fluid"
* "Plagued By Faith"
* "Saints Of Genocide"
* "Vomiting The Larvae"
* "Erosion Of Mortality"
* "And The Weak Shall Perish"
* "Tomb Of Diabolical Manifestations"
* "Deranged Epidemic" (re-recording)
Commented Myers: "First let me start by apologizing to DISGORGE fans around the world for the long period of time we took off. The passing of [bassist] Ben [Marlin in 2008 following a battle with cancer] hit us all hard and was very difficult to accept.
"When someone passes on that is close to you that you played music with toured and worked with, they become family and I was unable to move on as quickly as others. I could not see myself playing the songs that me, Ben and Diego [Sanchez, guitar] worked so hard on to look over and not to see Ben there playing with us.
"I will never be over the passing of Ben, but I know he would want DISGORGE to move on and that is what we are doing.
"Unfortunately, Diego will not be a part of the new album; he has other projects going on. I have the utmost respect for Diego, he is like a brother to me and he was a huge part of DISGORGE and my life but I must continue what I have known for nineteen years and that is DISGORGE.
"When DISGORGE was formed in 1992, we set out to make the most brutal music we could and nothing will ever change that no matter who is playing the instruments. This album will be no different. It will be some of the sickest and fastest work ever laid down by DISGORGE.
"There will be a lot of questions, so let me start by saying this: Yes, DISGORGE will be touring, and yes, DISGORGE will be playing old songs, songs you haven't seen DISGORGE play before.
"We are all very excited about this and we can't wait for fans to be gutted once again."
Swedish death metal veterans DISMEMBER will play their first concert since 2008 as the headliners of Death Feast Open Air festival on June 23 in Hünxe, Germany. They have been added to the event as the replacement for GORGUTS, which has been forced to cancel all of its previously announced summer festival appearances.
Commented DISMEMBER: "This will be our only show in 2011, and our first since 2008 and we feel extremely excited to hit the stage once again for some serious headbanging. We will do a set that covers our whole career, from 'Like An Ever Flowing Stream' from 1991 up until the self-titled album released in 2008, so get ready for some serious Swedish death metal!!"
Regarding the cancelation of GORGUTS' appearance at the Death Feast Open Air, the band leader Luc Lemay said in a statement, "First, I would like to apologize for this cancellation to your event and for any problems this could encounter in the process of setting up your festival. This decision was not easy to take.
"After many meetings and good faith to make this situation constructive for the band, I came up choosing the option of not participating to any festival this summer.
"The whole idea about GORGUTS doing a European summer festivals tour was born last year with having in mind the release of our new record for the beginning of the summer. But believe me, we were expecting our record deal to be negotiated and agreed on before Christmas or at the beginning of 2011. But as I'm writing this letter, I was not able to sign the contract yet with our record company.
"As you know, these procedures can take proportions that we don't expect and then compromising all the activities around the band. So by not having a record coming out this summer, with no strong promotion from a label to push our new record, I've decided to wait until these parts of the puzzle get solved before hitting the road again with my new band.
"Don't get me wrong, I sincerely appreciate the fact that each of you were interested in GORGUTS for your festival but it will be all for the better when the new record will be release."
This year's Death Feast Open Air will be held on June 23-25 in Hünxe, Germany. A complete list of participating artists can be found at www.deathfeast.de.
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