"Rockers And Rollers: A Full Throttle Memoir", a new 224-page hardcover book by AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, will be made available for the first time in the U.S. on May 24 via It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Brian will make in-store appearances signing copies of his new book at the following locations:
Tuesday, May 24
12:30 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
555 Fifth AVE
New York, NY 10017
Wednesday, May 25
7:00 p.m.
Book Revue
313 New York AVE
Huntington, NY 11743
Thursday, May 26
7:00 p.m.
Bookends
211 E. Ridgewood AVE
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
From "Pink Cadillac" to "Low Rider" to "Little Red Corvette", rock music has always had a racy love affair with cars. And AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson is not only a rock legend, second-to-none at infusing razor-sharp lyrics with the screaming metal energy of a true rock and roller, but also a dyed-in-the-wool car fanatic. Books like "AC/DC: Maximum Rock And Roll" and "Why AC/DC Matters" revealed the secrets of the the world's greatest rock band — now, in "Rockers And Rollers", fans will get a rare, riveting window into Brian Johnson's other driving passion, his love for automobiles. From teenage memories in the backs of beat-up coups to a side career as a racecar driver, Johnson shares his tantalizing life story — a memoir told through his lifelong love affair with cars.
By night, Brian Johnson sings in the biggest rock 'n' roll band on the planet. But by day, AC/DC's frontman drives balls to the wall. Cars and rock 'n' roll — they were made for each other.
When he was a young boy growing up in a working-class English town, Brian developed what would become a lifelong passion for cars, trolling junkyards and even pretending to drive the family car. From there, he steamed up the windows of his old Mini Cooper as a teenager, spent untold time in hygienically challenged tour buses with helpful signs such as No Shitting Allowed. Shagging Expected, was chauffeured in leather-trimmed limos, and raced cars to a checkered flag.
Featuring guest stars Cliff Williams, Malcolm and Angus Young, and many, many others, even Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Rockers And Rollers" is a tribute to Brian's obsession with four wheels. By turns surprising, poignant, funny, and maybe a little bit bawdy, these are the stories of a man who drives as hard as he rocks.
Johnson told Motor Trend magazine that before he traversed the globe many times as a rock star he drove all over the world in his mind as a kid in his bedroom. Since driving represented freedom, he longed to drive, so learning was easy. "I just took to it like a dog to water."
At age six, Johnson's father bought him a steering wheel and put a stick through it. "I put it through the headboard of my bed and put four cushions up. My dad would shake his head. I would drive all over the world. I'd just be sitting there, brrrr!" he made an engine sound. "I could hear my father say to my mother 'We're going to have to do something about him.'"
Back then, rock star was not yet a career option, so Johnson would daydream of one day becoming a bus driver. "I wanted to be a bus driver more than anything," he explained. "When I was in school, I used to look out the window and see the big red double-deck buses driving by. It just looked so free. Then you'd hear, 'Johnson, pay attention when you're in school!' 'Oh, sorry, sorry, mate!'"
On May 12, RockMusicStar.com conducted an interview with SIXX: A.M. frontman James Michael. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
RockMusicStar.com: You just released [SIXX: A.M.'s second album] "This Is Gonna Hurt" last week, and it debuted in Billboard's Top 10. Congratulations!
James Michael: Thanks, man! It's just been a great week. I really had no idea how this was going to be received and we've all been just thrilled with the response so far. The single, "Lies of the Beautiful People", really shot up the charts, and has done really well. People are really connecting with the message of this record, so we couldn't be happier.
RockMusicStar.com: Being that [SIXX: A.M. bandmates] Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba have such demanding, high-profile gigs with MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES, were you confident that a second SIXX: A.M. CD was even going to happen?
James Michael: No. In fact, I think that once we all got off of the road on Crüe Fest, there was some discussion right away, about the fact that the record had been successful, and that we should do another record. At that time, we weren't sure if we even wanted to make another record. It really took us awhile to wrap our heads around why SIXX: A.M. should make another record. That was the first hurdle. It took us awhile to figure out what our purpose was going to be for this new record. Once we started talking about Nikki's photography, and just about the imagery, and the messages [they sent], it just became a mission for us. At that point, all expectations for the record, just went away. Our goal just became to make the most incredible record that we could. We knew that we had to do something special, to follow up the "Heroin Diaries Soundtrack". To do a record without a purpose, just didn't make any sense to any of us.
RockMusicStar.com: From what I've heard and read online from Nikki Sixx, the band doesn't have any plans to tour, in support of the CD.
James Michael: At this point, we have no tour plans. That kind of plays into what SIXX: A.M. is all about. We're an unconventional band. We're kind of the band that isn't a band. We're not the type of band that's going to get into the record cycle/tour cycle/record cycle/tour cycle. That's just not what we're all about. That's not what motivates us. As you pointed out, both of my bandmates are in bands that do a lot of touring. This whole project is not based on that. That being said, we LOVED touring on the first record. To get out and play these songs live would be just an absolute thrill. And the response to the record so far has just been incredible. I know that all three of us have the desire to do it, to get out there and bring this record to life. I would never say never. We certainly have intentions on doing something unique around this record, I just don't know what it is. And it won't be just your typical tour.
RockMusicStar.com: Not everyone might be aware, but you and DJ have been an integral part of MÖTLEY CRÜE's recording process, ever since "Red, White & Crüe". How does it feel to be a "ghost member" of MÖTLEY CRÜE, in the studio?
James Michael: It's really cool. I'm very proud to part of MÖTLEY CRÜE history in whatever way I can be. But because their career is so vast, and spans such an amazing amount of time, even though I've been integrally involved in a few of their records, I still feel like a blip on their radar. One small part of a vast career, that I'm proud to be a part of. I think in moving forward, we've actually talked about doing some more writing for the next record. I would certainly be excited to be involved in any way that I can. The most exciting thing about it is that the MÖTLEY CRÜE fans are so devoted. They have been incredibly supportive of SIXX: A.M. They just stick with this band. Anything that you do with MÖTLEY CRÜE, people are going to be there to support it and get enthusiastic about it.
QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate will be interviewed on Tuesday, May 17 at Pondera winery in Woodinville, Washington by Banger Films for the forthcoming TV series "Metal Evolution: The Series". The 11-episode series will begin broadcasting on November 11, 2011 in the U.S. on VH1 Classic and in Canada on MuchMoreMusic. Other musicians that are known to have been interviewed for the series include Mike Portnoy (ex-DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), Al Atkins (HOLY RAGE, ex-JUDAS PRIEST) and Timo Tolkki (SYMFONIA, ex-STRATOVARIUS).
"Metal Evolution" is a new series on the history of heavy metal directed and produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, the filmmakers behind the award-winning documentaries "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey", "Global Metal" and "Iron Maiden: Flight 666". The series features the much-debated metal history "family tree" originally shown in "Headbanger's Journey". From shock rock to thrash, from black metal to grunge, this 24-sub-genre genealogical chart — the first of its kind — reveals the vast complex progeny of heavy metal, and serves as the narrative backbone of the series. Using the chart as his road map, our host, metalhead-turned-anthropologist Sam Dunn, will criss-cross the globe, to the northern tip of Norway, the jungles of Brazil, the grim beauty of Birmingham and the pock-marked streets of Detroit, visiting the bars, back alleys, and ballrooms, and even the basement shrines of superfans, to get to the very essence of metal.
"Our goal is to make it the biggest series ever done on the history of this music," Dunn said.
Singer James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has spent the past few weeks in the studio with Canadian producer/engineer Richard Chycki laying down vocals on the band's much-anticipated new album, tentatively due this fall via Roadrunner Records. Chycki writes on his blog, "I gotta tell ya, new DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini (ex-EXTREME, STEVE VAI, ANNIHILATOR) is a monster player on the album. I worked with him on LaBrie's solo album 'Elements Of Persuasion' in 2005 and he was frightening (in a good way!) in the studio back then."
In a recent interview with Music Radar, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess were asked if Mangini contributed to the songwriting on the band's forthcoming CD. "Mike didn't write with us," Rudess replied. "Basically, we got in the studio and did our thing. We wrote songs and sent them to him. He came in and just nailed his parts. He's incredible. I'm finishing my keyboard parts right now, and I'll go to the computer to see how things are lining up, and I'm just speechless. The guy doesn't mess up!" [laughs]
"We had the demos, had them fully written out, and he learned them and added his own stuff," Petrucci stated. "But every time he would do something, if I said, 'Hey, can you do that again?' he'd do it, and it would be perfect. The guy is… he's out of his mind! [laughs] People are not going to believe how great he is."
"But what's really special about him is, he's not just a technician," Rudess added. "Yes, he plays his parts perfectly, but he comes at everything as a total musician. Everything he does has real soul and a depth of feeling."
When asked how not having Mike Portnoy in the recording and writing process changed the band dynamic, Petrucci replied, "It was a lot quieter. [laughs] Mike Mangini's playing style is different. He plays very hard, but he's got a very deep groove. He almost plays behind the beat just a little bit — even through he's right on the money. He's extremely locked in, but if he does do something technical, he's still right there."
(Reuters) - As rock'n'roll reunions go, the current reemergence of Soundgarden after a 13-year split is sadly short of salacious intrigue.
The four members of the hard rock band, working on a new album and preparing to begin a monthlong North American tour in July, did not have to complete prison terms or rehab stints.
And, despite a report in the satirical newspaper The Onion, lead guitarist Kim Thayil was not working as a daytime supervisor at a Cinnabon baked-goods store.
Thayil, 50, who did indeed keep a low profile after the band fell apart in 1997 amid internal tensions, told Reuters on Friday that the foursome remained good friends.
They frequently saw each other socially in their Seattle hometown, including at bars, concerts and each others' homes.
"Any acrimony was toward the band as a collective, not toward any individual," he said. "We're just too interconnected, going back to the '80s with so many mutual friends and family in common."
Still, with singer Chris Cornell pursuing an intermittent solo career and drummer Matt Cameron firmly ensconced in Pearl Jam, any chance of a reunion by one of the biggest bands of the 1990s "grunge" era seemed remote.
Cornell inadvertently dropped the first hint on the first day of 2010 when his cryptic tweet about the relaunch of the band's website and merchandising efforts was misinterpreted as a reunion announcement. Thayil was inundated with calls from people who had read frenzied news reports on the Internet.
MOM, WE'RE NOT REUNITING!
"I spent a lot of time on the phone with my mom," Thayil recalled. "'Are you going to believe what someone told you they saw on the Internet? Or are you going to believe what your son told you? ... We're not back together.'"
Still, Soundgarden's belated move to fix its woefully neglected online presence generated interest from concert promoters. The band accepted some of their offers, and accordingly started dusting off its old songs in rehearsals around March 2010. It played a handful of shows last year including the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.
"There never was a time when we said, 'Hey we're a band again'," Thayil said. "(But) I think some time last fall ... we realized we're doing all the things that a band does now, not just designing a website."
That was about the time that the band, at Cameron's behest, entered the studio to turn the new song fragments generated during rehearsals into material for its first new album since 1996's "Down on the Upside." Thayil said the songs are in various stages of completion, with all members contributing ideas. The lineup is rounded out by bassist Ben Shepherd.
Soundgarden has a deal with the successor company to its old A&M Records label, but it is unlikely the album will come out this year.
"If we were to say, 'Let's get this record out by the fall', I think it would put a lot of pressure on us and the quality would at some point suffer," Thayil said. "And the more we enjoy it, the more our fans should end up enjoying it."
Meanwhile, the North American tour kicks off in Toronto on July 2. A fall leg is probable, Thayil said, and the band is drawing up a "wish list" of international dates.
Beyond that, the future is uncertain especially since Cameron's commitments to Pearl Jam take priority, and Cornell also has solo interests, Thayil said. That's fine with him.
"The band is definitely handling its career situation in a lot freer way than it did before," he said. "The way we're doing it is diminished pressure for us. Probably consequently, maybe it's diminished expectation!"
According to a posting on the Michael Schenker News and Tour Information web site, Store For Music will release a new Michael Schenker covers album on June 3.
"Heavy Hitters", the 2005 covers album featured Schenker and a revolving all-star cast of guest musicians. In 2008, it was re-released as a Michael Schenker solo album under the title "Doctor Doctor: The Kulick Sessions" and included four additional tracks — "Save Yourself", "Finding My Way", "Doctor Doctor" (instrumental) and "War Pigs". This latest re-release, entitled "By Invitation Only" contains all the previous cover tracks supplemented with the IRON MAIDEN cover "Run To The Hills" with Robin McAuley, a track which originally appeared on the IRON MAIDEN tribute "Numbers From The Beast".
"By Invitation Only" track listing:
01. Run To The Hills
Vocals: Robin McAuley
Rhythm Guitar: Pete Fletcher (PYMMY LOVE CIRCUS)
Bass: Tony Franklin (THE FIRM)
Drums: Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, BILLY IDOL)
02. Save Yourself
Vocals: Robin McAuley
03. Finding My Way
Vocals: Sebastian Bach
04. All Shook Up
Vocals: Joe Lynn Turner (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)
Bass: Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, DIO)
Drums: Aynsley Dunbar (WHITESNAKE, UFO)
05. Blood Of The Sun
Vocals: Leslie West (MOUNTAIN)
Bass: Rudy Sarzo (DIO, QUIET RIOT)
Drums: Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC)
06. Doctor Doctor
Vocals: Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN)
Bass: Marco Mendoza (SOUL SIRKUS, WHITESNAKE)
Drums: Brett Chassen (BRET MICHAELS)
07. War Pigs
Vocals: Tim "Ripper" Owens (ICED EARTH, JUDAS PRIEST)
Drums: Aynsley Dunbar
Bass: Mike Inez (OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE IN CHAINS)
08. I'm Not Talking
Vocals: Mark Slaughter (SLAUGHTER)
Drums: Aynsley Dunbar
Bass: Jeff Pilson
09. Money
Vocals: Tommy Shaw (STYX)
Sax: Edgar Winter (EDGAR WINTER BAND)
Bass: Tony Levin (PETER GABRIEL)
Drums: Mike Baird (JOURNEY)
10. Out In The Fields
Vocals: Gary Barden (MSG)
Bass: Chuck Wright (QUIET RIOT, ALICE COOPER)
Drums: Brett Chassen
11. Hair Of The Dog
Vocals: Paul Di'Anno -IRON MAIDEN)
Bass: Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE)
Drums; Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO)
12. I Don't Live Today
Vocals: Sebastian Bach (ex-SKID ROW)
Drums: Eric Singer (KISS)
Bass: Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER)
13. Politician
Vocals/Bass: Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, DIO)
Drums: Brett Chassen
German "metal queen" Doro Pesch will be filling in for singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) on the following DIO DISCIPLES tour dates:
June 29 - Milan, Italy @ Magazzini Generali
July 01 - Bilbao, Spain @ Rockstar Live
July 02 - Madrid, Spain @ Heineken
July 03 - Barcelona, Spain @ Bikini
Owens will be unable to make the Italian and Spanish shows as he will be attending his daughter's wedding.
In a recent interview with Rocksalt.mx, Pesch spoke about a new song she has written as a tribute to Ronnie James Dio. "I was always such a big [Dio] fan, like so many other people, [I] just adored him and loved him," she said. "But there's one song, we will be working on that and I think it will be wonderful. But I first want to show it to Wendy Dio [Ronnie's wife/manager] and let her listen to it, so that's one thing. I kind of want to make many versions of that song, I think it's beautiful and I like it a lot . . . It's called 'Hero' and it has a beautiful melody and I would like to make many versions of it, like an acoustic version and a full-blown band version and maybe an orchestral version… and we are just working on it. I definitely want to take care of that one — that song's nice. But first I want to let Wendy listen to it. I'm really hoping… but I'm sure she will like it a lot. Every time everybody is listening to it in the studio
everybody is crying and so — wow — so touching."
In addition to Owens, DIO DISCIPLES features former DIO members Rudy Sarzo (bass), Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar) and Scott Warren (keyboards), along with singer Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, GUN).
Because of Sarzo's commitment to BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) will join the band for the European dates until Rudy becomes available.
Wright (AC/DC, DIO, UFO, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, RHINO BUCKET) played drums in DIO for 1990's "Lock Up The Wolves" album. He left the band in 1991 when Ronnie James Dio rejoined BLACK SABBATH. Wright returned to DIO in 1999 and remained the band's drummer until Ronnie's death. Vinny Appice was the DIO drummer from 1993 to 1999.
On guitar is longtime DIO member Craig Goldy (ROUGH CUTT, GIUFFRIA, DAVID LEE ROTH, DIO) who made his DIO debut on 1987's "Dream Evil" album.
On keyboards is 15-year DIO and HEAVEN & HELL veteran Scott Warren. Scott made his DIO debut on 1996's "Angry Machines" album.
On bass is the multi-talented James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, HAIL!, WHITE LION, DAVID LEE ROTH).
On vocals is Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, BEYOND FEAR, ICED EARTH, HAIL!, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED).
Joining Owens on vocals from Manchester, U.K. is Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS, FASTWAY, GUN, TOBY AND THE WHOLE TRUTH).
Commented Ronnie James Dio's widow and manager Wendy: "There will never be another Ronnie, but we want to keep his music alive and hope you will support the band and become one of the DIO DISCIPLES."
Über Rock recently conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Über Rock: I've listened to the album, and I love it, there's some good head crunching stuff on the album with a great production, so let's start with who produced it?
Udo: Stefan Kaufmann [former ACCEPT drummer and current U.D.O. guitarist] produced the album. He's produced U.D.O. since the "Faceless World" album; he's been doing it a long time. What can I say about Stefan and I? We're like one person. When we start writing songs, we start with the lyrics first then when we have the story you know much better what kind of music to put around the lyrics maybe a sad song yes, maybe a funny song. Strange thing is it's almost like we don't have to talk to each other, you know?! And that was like that also in ACCEPT; everyone writes — Wolf [Hoffmann], Peter [Baltes] and Stefan and I — but that's a different story. (laughing) I'm happy with Stefan, definitely.
Über Rock: Were you surprised by a new ACCEPT album? It's been very successful.
Udo: Yeah, it's been very successful. Of course, there has been a very big hype around it, and they did a very good tour, and, of course, people wanted to see what they were doing. We'll see what they do in the future when they don't have ten years to write an album.
Über Rock: Back in ACCEPT days, you did some very successful albums, then suddenly you went solo. Why did you do that and what made you want to put out a solo album at that time?
Udo: After the "Russian Roulette" album, the rest of the guys wanted to be more commercial and they wanted to break the American market, I don't know… I mean, we were already selling one and a half million records there, and they played me the songs and I said, "Guys, I cannot sing these songs. This is too commercial." But at that time, you know, there was always a lot of business people around and what can I say?! It was like they wanted to have another singer with a more American style, blah blah blah....
Über Rock: It was quite a big move on your behalf to go solo at that time, quite a big risk.
Udo: Yeah, and so in a way the solo album was already written, the "Animal House" album, as they wanted to be friendly at this time it was made very easy for me to go solo. It was like, "Yeah, OK, you can use these songs. It's OK, we don't need them for the new album, we want to do something completely different." So that was the start of U.D.O.
Über Rock: You've done your solo career you moved away from ACCEPT, but you did do a tour with the guys back in 2005, and even before those dates you announced that this would be a short few dates and that was it.
Udo: Yeah, at this time we had finished recording the U.D.O. album "Mission No. X" and then some guy from Rock Hard was calling me on the U.D.O. tour saying can you maybe do a festival tour with ACCEPT. I didn't really want to say "no" so we started talking. And then it was like OK but we don't want to do anything of the latest albums just play up to the "Russian Roulette" album and do all the classic stuff.
Über Rock: Did you enjoy it yourself?
Udo: Ummm…. Yes (long pause), but not always. I mean, U.D.O. had been booked to play a festival in Germany called Bang Your Head!!!, and they were not really happy that U.D.O. was doing a festival show, and I was like, "Come on, guys, U.D.O. is not dead," and after this festival I will carry on with U.D.O. it was clear from the very beginning. For me I think at this time it was like closure in my heart it was still beating (laughing) it was to play this festival with U.D.O. then the next day play Graspop [Metal Meeting] with ACCEPT. It was like I suddenly knew I wanted and liked U.D.O. more. Nothing happened, you know, we had a lot of fun on that tour talking about the old days, blah blah blah, but I don't know how can I explain it. It's just the feeling wasn't right, you know, so then after that festival thing...yeah.
Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND — who feature in their ranks OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) — have announced their first-ever North American headlining tour, dubbed the "Frets of Fury". The trek kicks off on October 9 and features support from ARSIS, WHITE WIZZARD and NIGHTRAGE.
Commented Gus: "We couldn't be happier to announce our first full North American tour!
"It's been over three years since FIREWIND toured from coast to coast across the U.S. and we're coming back stronger than ever with a killer package.
"We put a lot of thought into who we wanted to go out with us and truly believe that each band on this bill brings something special to the table making this a very diverse lineup. However, shredding guitar driven metal remains the prominent feature across the board. In fact, there's more to it than just that, as this package is somewhat of a musical family tree.
"Not many people know this but ARSIS' guitarist James Malone and I went to Berklee together back in 1998. We had an instrumental band together for awhile, which later became FIREWIND.
"James is a kick-ass shredder and I'm glad our bands are finally touring together.
"Also, most people don't know that I played in NIGHTRAGE for few years. I did two albums with them and their main-man Marios Iliopoulos is a phenomenal guitar player. He also filled in on bass for FIREWIND this year, when Petros was unable to tour.
"NIGHTRAGE is one of my favorite bands and you definitely got to come down early to check them out.
"WHITE WIZZARD are currently making noise worldwide and they're definitely a band to watch out for as well.
"We're proud to have these great bands on board with us, making this such a high-quality package for all metal fans.
"We will also offering special VIP ticketing options for each show on this tour that will allow you access into a private meet and greet with the band, a signed poster and limited-edition laminate."
FIREWIND's latest album, "Days Of Defiance", sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 53 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.
"Days Of Defiance" was released in North America on October 26, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD's striking cover artwork was designed by the band's longtime partner in all design matters, Gustavo Sazes.
TIMES OF GRACE, featuring former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach alongside current KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, has announced that Matt Bachand, guitarist extraordinaire of SHADOWS FALL, will serve as the touring bassist for TIMES OF GRACE's upcoming trek across Europe as well as its much anticipated return to the U.S. market. TIMES OF GRACE will serve as main support for UNDEROATH on the forthcoming American trek dubbed "Illuminato(u)r".
Since SHADOWS FALL has toured with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE many times and since both bands came up together in the burgeoning Massachusetts metal scene in the early part of the 2000s, it makes complete sense for Bachand to strap on the bass and step into this role. Bachand is taking over for Daniel Struble, who is unable to make the particular road trip due to personal matters he must imminently address; Struble, who was a member of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's one-time labelmates FIVE POINTE O, played bass on the band's first-ever U.S. tour last winter. Guitarist Joel Stroetzel, also of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, and drummer Dan Gluszak constitute the rest of the touring lineup for these upcoming treks. Clearly, it remains all in the family for TIMES OF GRACE.
"Losing Daniel was a blow to the TIMES OF GRACE camp, but we knew he had to do what was best for him and his family," said Leach. "Having Matt show interest in joining the touring lineup could not have been a better fit! I have been a fan of Matt's voice and guitar work for many years. I am honored and very stoked to have him join us on tour to play bass and sing backup vocals. Matt is a great guy, and someone Adam, Joel and I have all known for years. Personality-wise and as a musician, it clicks so well. I am certain Matt will add a great vibe and bring his own style to the live show!"
Bachand concurred, saying, "I am very excited to be a part of TIMES OF GRACE. Not only will it be great to get onstage with some old friends, but I am looking forward to something new musically as this role as bassist will be a very different experience from my role as guitarist of SHADOWS FALL."
Dutkiewicz also weighed in on Bachand, saying, "I'll miss the crap out of Dan, but I'm so stoked to be bro-ing down with our longtime beer-swilling bassist bud Bachand. Come out to the shows and prepare to flex!"
The "Illuminato(u)r", also featuring STRAY FROM THE PATH and LETLIVE, winds through the country for a little over a month, kicking off on July 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina and wrapping in mid-August.
Arizona-based thrash metal veterans SACRED REICH have announced their one and only U.S. show for 2011.
Having last playing the Midwest in 1996, SACRED REICH is returning to the "Windy City" after 15 years to destroy the masses yet again. Sharing the stage for this special engagement are Chicago's own JUNGLE ROT (who recently inked a deal with Victory Records) and CROSS EXAMINATION (Organized Crime Records).
The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 28 at Reggie's Rock Club, located at 2105 S State St. Tickets are limited and selling fast. Get yours at Ticketfly.com or in person at the Reggie's Rock Club box office.
The remastered edition of SACRED REICH's classic 1992 album "Independent" was released as a digipack and jewelbox on March 15, 2010 via Displeased Records. The first 2,500 copies contain a free SACRED REICH patch.
Bonus tracks:
* "A Question" (from "A Question" EP)
* "Let's Have A War" (FEAR cover from "A Question" EP)
* "Who's To Blame" (from "A Question" EP)
* "The Big Picture" (MDC cover from "Open Book" EP)
* "Crawling" [radio edit] (from "Crawling" EP)
Displeased Records' reissue of SACRED REICH's classic album "The American Way" came out in February 2009. With upgraded layout, to-the-point remastering plus unreleased pre-production demo bonus tracks and a video clip, this new and improved CD reissue is an essential addition to every thrash metal collection!
"The American Way" was made available in a limited digipak version and standard jewel case version. The first 2,500 copies came with a free logo patch.
MACHINE HEAD drummer Dave McClain rejoined his former SACRED REICH bandmates on stage at the Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 22, 2009 to perform the classic SR song "Independent". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below (clip uploaded by Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").
McClain was a member of SACRED REICH from 1991 to 1995. He played on the "A Question" EP (1991) and the "Independent" (1993) and "Heal" (1996) albums before leaving to join MACHINE HEAD.
Keith Loria of The Stamford Times recently conducted an interview with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On his debut solo album, "Avalon":
"It was important for me to show who I am now. When I am home, I'm not a guy who is banging shots and drinking beers all night and standing on the bar and being a maniac. I have those moments, but I also have moments where I want to lie on the couch with a comforter and eat chicken soup and watch movies and just be in my sweat pants all day and be mellow. I wanted to reflect that in my music."
"The goal is to try and touch people on an emotional level. It's built off seven other world-class musicians. I have a classically trained cello player from Bulgaria, one of the original guys from DEAD CAN DANCE, who came over from Ireland; and Lisa Guyer, who has a four-octave bluesy background voice. It's very cool and different."
"Back in the day, when PINK FLOYD did 'Dark Side Of The Moon' and those sort of records, it was an experience. You put the record on, and you would never put the needle in the middle of the album. You would start at the beginning and play the whole record. That's what I feel like 'Avalon' is — a musical journey down the rabbit hole and it really touches you on an emotional level."
On the differences between GODSMACK and his solo material:
"I was a very young, angry boy at the time as I was writing a lot of that stuff but I've grown so much over the last 15 years. This big machine like GODSMACK really built my career, but through that birthed this beautiful side of me that I knew was always there but I just had to tap into at some point."
"Of course there will always be the knuckleheads who can't accept any type of music but metal. ... but for sure, it's drawing a different demographic of people, but also the fan base I had. If history has taught us anything, it's that sometimes very beautiful things come out of something very dark."
On how his solo performances differ from those of GODSMACK:
"It's going to be a very distinct departure from GODSMACK. This is not about pyro and all the bells and whistles and who can jump higher off the drum rise and things like that. This is a very kind of seductive, beautiful, scenic, cinematic kind of show."
On whether his GODSMACK bandmates been supportive of his solo effort:
"They all wished me luck and we have gotten through a lot of difficult times with much difficult problems through the years. They may wonder if this thing goes, will GODSMACK be done, but I have reassured them that I have no reason to kill GODSMACK. That would be stupid for me to do. It's not only my bread and butter, but it's the other side that I need. I would only be half a man if I didn't have both."
Joe Lawler of DesMoinesRegister.com last week conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor about Paul Gray's death, Corey's hesitancy about SLIPKNOT's future and Taylor's new book tackling the seven deadly sins. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On whether he is excited to perform with SLIPKNOT again:
"I hope it goes well, I guess, but at the end of the day, it's about [late SLIPKNOT bassist] Paul [Gray] and what he meant to this band and the fans. People need to stop being so overly eager and let us take this one step at a time. I'm not a guy you want to force into a corner. I'll walk away."
On the writing process for STONE SOUR's latest album, "Audio Secrecy":
"I think the real thing that changed for me is how far I was willing to go talking about things I was going through up to that point. I was letting go of the aggression attached to relationships with women, my family and friends. I decided to stop playing it safe and let these dogs loose. At the end of the day it was easier for me to drop the chain and not worry about anyone else's feelings. It was more important to sort out my own."
On his first book, "The Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Goods", which covers topics like his troubled family life growing up, knowing it didn't always present them (or himself) in the best light:
"When you're the main character, you've got to go there. I didn't have the best life growing up, but I don't blame them. I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't go through that. I know I couldn't hold back and had to really go there. That's how I've always written, lyrically, and from the reaction I've seen, people really enjoy that."
MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 entered a studio in Irvine, California on Friday, May 13 to begin recording his fourth solo album titled "Calling All Corpses".
Currently taking a break from MURDERDOLLS while the band's guitarist Joey Jordison concentrates on his SLIPKNOT duties, Wednesday 13 is laying down 15 new songs for a tentative October release.
Wednesday 13's special remix CD, "Re-animated", was released on May 10.
"Re-animated" features:
* "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
The track "Scream Baby Scream" is now available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.
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.
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."
Colorado-based prog-metal veterans LEVIATHAN have announced the addition of singer Brice Cave to the group's ranks.
LEVIATHAN will play another show at The Toad Tavern in Littleton on June 3, to be followed by the band's appearance at this year's edition of Headbangers Open Air festival, set to take place July 28-30, 2011 in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany.
LEVIATHAN recently released its fifth official album, "At Long Last, Progress Stopped To Follow". The CD, which contains about 59 minutes of brand new music, was produced, engineered, and mixed by JCL at Killarney Street Studios in Aurora, Colorado. The cover artwork was created by Martin Schröder.
LEVIATHAN last year remastered and repackaged its critically acclaimed "Leviathan" EP (1991) and "Deepest Secrets Beneath" album (1993) on a single disc. A previously unreleased instrumental track called "Asylum" — which was originally intended for a bonus import disc from RTN Records — was also included.
Finnish thrashers ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION have announced the addition of vocalist Jarno Samppala and guitarist Jussi Arkela to the group's ranks.
Samppala, who is the brother of ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION drummer Jussi Samppala, replaces longtime vocalist and original bandmember Mika Luoma.
Regarding his departure from the group, Mika said in a statement: "I feel it's the fair thing to do, now that new ambitions have risen. The core of the band have worked hard in the past months. My lack of time and motivation would only stand in the way of four other musicians' chances. Thanks to everyone in the past few years for support and helping start the new ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION chapter."
Arkela previously made a guest appearance on ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION's album "Gallery Of Pain".
The addition of Jussi Arkela now means that ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION has a full lineup and is ready to start playing out.
The first chance to see ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION live after a long break is the Rotta Festival (Rottavestivaali) in Nummijärvi, Finland on Saturday, August 20.
ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION is:
Jarno Samppala - Vocals
Kimmo Osmo - Guitar
Jussi Arkela -Guitar
Pasi Osmo - Bass
Jussi Samppala (TYRANT DISCIPLE) – Drums
Reactivated Florida-based melodic metallers CRIMSON GLORY have released a statement following the overwhelming success of their recent 25th-anniversary European tour:
"We are incredibly proud and pleased with how well our shows were received in Europe! The fans were amazing and really impressed us with how sincere and genuine they were. We truly have the most passionate, loyal fans in the world! It was so great to see people who were at the first shows twenty five years ago, to hear how they've grown and changed, and to see the insane amount of photos, records and memorabilia that they brought with them.
"Everyone was on-point; our friends in TRIOSPHERE and CIRRHA NIVA were great company and delivered excellent shows, but the real star of this tour was new [CRIMSON GLORY] vocalist Todd La Torre.
"Todd blew the doors off of every venue we played, and proved himself every night, from the first show to the last! The fans, club owners, promoters and press, were all amazed by him and impressed by the band's performance overall. Todd rose to the challenge presented to him and exceeded everyone's expectations! The amount of love and acceptance shown to him by our fans was overwhelming, and there were many whom he met who could only whisper 'Thank you,' with tears in their eyes.
"There is no doubt that Todd is the perfect fit for CRIMSON GLORY, and we all agree that [late CRIMSON singer] Midnight would be extremely proud of him and his performance of all our classic songs.
"We would also like to take a moment to again express our sincere apologies to our friends and many fans in Milan, Italy. We were very saddened to learn of the Milan show's short-notice cancellation, and to this end we wish to remind you all that this was a situation that was outside of CRIMSON GLORY and the tour, and completely beyond our control.
"We want to personally thank every one of you who made the long trip to the Pratteln and Essen shows, and we are making plans to return to Italy in summer or autumn 2011.
"We are eager to get back out on the road again, and we will be announcing more dates shortly. CRIMSON GLORY will also be going back into the studio to continue work on our new record, tentatively scheduled for release in early 2012.
"Thank you all again for making the beginning of our 25th-anniversary tour a smashing success!"
Chile's Blitzkrieg conducted an interview with guitarist Jon Drenning and vocalist Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY before the band's April 28, 2011 concert in Zoetermeer, Holland. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage from the Zoetermeer show.
British black metal pioneers VENOM have set "Fallen Angels" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in August/September via Universal Music. The CD was mixed with producer Tom Belton at his London studio and will contain 13 new "classics."
Regarding what fans can expect to hear from the next VENOM studio LP, bassist/vocalist Conrad "Cronos" Lant told The Quietus, "The new tracks are tremendous. Basically, if you think of the way [former VENOM drummer] Antton [Antony Lant, who is also Cronos' brother] was playing, especially on the last album 'Hell', he is a nu-metal drummer and comes from that kind of background. He's hung 'round VENOM most of his life and it was just good to introduce him to the whole VENOM concept of playing like the way [original VENOM drummer] Abaddon used to play. Basically Abaddon came from a rock background and then basically developed a black metal, speed metal, thrash metal style. The nu-metal drumming is very different and it was a steep learning curve for him. At the end of the day he's got his own style and he wants to be known for what he's done and not be in my shadow, which is totally understandable. Some of the guys we had coming to the rehearsals were not
ex-CRADLE OF FILTH but they were still, 'I've been in this band, I've been in that band,' but they were all far too young, you know. We were looking for someone in their thirties upwards who understood rock music."
When asked how the new songs compare to those off "Hell", Cronos said, "I would say more like those off 'Metal Black'. More like our earlier stuff. 'Hell' was getting a bit too much like session tracks. Too . . . polished. And polish isn't a good word for VENOM songs. VENOM songs need to be off the cuff, loose, a little bit thrash. Once you start polishing songs up a bit much you end up going in the wrong direction. There's a spontaneity about VENOM songs that I've always loved. When we're coming up with new VENOM songs there's one thing that I always try and keep in mind: 'Is that kid in his bedroom on his knees playing air guitar and going 'Yeah! Get in!'' You know? I'm not interested in Joe Satriani sitting there and discussing whether it's technically correct or not! That's the last thing on my mind."
VENOM in 2009 completed a tour of Mexico and South America — the band's first with the group's latest addition, drummer Danny "Danté" Needham (TONY MARTIN).
Renowned drummer Steve Bolognese (BAPTIZED IN BLOOD, ex-INTO ETERNITY) has been officially named Mike Mangini's replacement at the Berklee College Of Music.
Berklee College Of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip hop, reggae, salsa, rock, heavy metal, and bluegrass, in addition to its traditional jazz courses. It offers degrees in composition, contemporary writing and production, film scoring, jazz composition, music business/management, music education, music production and engineering, electronic production and design, music therapy, performance, professional music, and songwriting.
Commented Bolognese: "As the world knows, Mike Mangini has joined DREAM THEATER as their new drummer.
"Mike was my drum teacher for years, beginning back in 2000. He is one of the most talented, dedicated drummers in the world, and also one of the most inspirational teachers one could ask for. Unfortunately, Mike, or any of us for that matter, cannot be in two places at once. Therefore, he has recommended me to teach his classes at Berklee. It's an amazing opportunity and I'm totally honored.
"Mike is obviously irreplaceable, but I'm going to do my best to share the invaluable information that Mike has taught me. It always feels great to share the knowledge with aspiring students."
Jarkko Ahola of the Finnish metal groups TERÄSBETONI and NORTHERN KINGS will team up with the Air Force Band and Navy Band of the Finnish Defence Forces for a four-concert tour as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and QUEEN.
Commented Ahola: "Since it's been 20 years since the death of Freddie Mercury and it's been huge 40 years of QUEEN, we wanted honor their great music by arranging QUEEN's finest songs to the big orchestra."
The tribute tour will take place in November and will consist of the following dates
Nov. 11 - Paviljonki, Jyväskylä
Nov. 12 - Tampere Hall, Tampere
Nov. 17 - Savoy-teatteri, Helsinki
Nov. 18 - Turku Concert Hall, Turku
TERÄSBETONI's fourth album, "Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita" (English translation: "The World Needs Heroes"), entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 14. Released on November 24, 2010 via Sakara Records, the CD was recorded at HIP Studios in Helsinki, Finland and Yellow House Studios in Hämeenlinna, Finland with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, THE 69 EYES, LORDI, SENTENCED, APOCALYPTICA).
KillYourStereo.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Mike Muir of the long-running Venice Beach, California thrash/punk band SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
KillYourStereo.com: Is there anything you can tell us about the new album?
Muir: One of the things we've realized is when you're young and put out your first record and start playing it to people, you are never thinking about thirty years down the track. I mean that's twice as old as you are at the time. What we've learned is that when we do a new record, we know what we're doing, we know it will be a great record and we're not going to worry about what people are listening to at any given time. We just have to make sure we like it and we're not trying to be some kind of a tribute to something else. An album has to be a statement of what we believe in. Consequently, I think our music has obviously held up against the test of time. The new record will be the same; we're not going to try and fit in with what other people are doing. It's something that we are going to think very strongly of and that 10, 20 years later it will still sound good to someone who is hearing it for the first time. I think that's the most important thing.
KillYourStereo.com: How long have you been writing new material for?
Muir: Well, we have our own studio back home in the States and being our own label and with the way music is now, we don't have to worry about putting something out by a certain time. Right now we have so much music, and we'll play stuff and people will be like, "Fuck, what's that?" and one of us will be like, "I don't know, man, just some stuff I've been working on" and then (they would ask) "When's it coming out?" and we'd be like, "I don't know, man. I don't even know if it will!" We're not really worried about "the game" as much as we are about the music. I think that will probably come across when the next record comes out. Probably early next year, I would imagine. I think in October I'll be doing a CYCO MIKO record which will have a taste of new SUICIDAL, old unreleased SUICIDAL, new INFECTIOUS GROOVES, old INFECTIOUS GROOVES and a bunch of other stuff as well. I think that will give people a taste of what's to come and also surprise a few people
with some of the stuff that we never put out.
KillYourStereo.com: Have you got anything planned for the band's 30th anniversary?
Muir: Nah not at all, I can't see us doing anything like that. I'm not a ribbons-and-balloons kind of guy, I think my last birthday party I was 8 years old! I don't really get into that kind of thing. I'm not a sentimental sort of person.
KillYourStereo.com: Do you think since [former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist] Robert Trujillo joined METALLICA, many new kids discovering METALLICA and doing the bookwork have latched on to your band that way?
Muir: Not really, man. It's hard to say, really. We've done shows and met the younger people who have been like, "Oh, dude, I brought my little cousin to come check you guys out and now he loves you guys." I've never heard someone say, "Dude, METALLICA's my favorite band so I'm coming to see you guys." [laughs]
NILE drummer George Kollias is writing and recording a solo album in between drum clinics and touring cycles. Due in September, the CD, which is primarily set to show off some of George's craziest metal drumming to date, is being completely written and recorded by George, including the guitars, bass, keys, vocals, and percussion, and it will also feature a DVD of the recording process.
Kollias' latest YouTube video, which can be viewed below, shows off the blistering speed of George's hands and feet around the kit, through his quick fills and fast footwork, as well as showing his multi-talented musical ability through his guitar work and other instrumentation.
Commented Kollias: "The drumming will be crazy on this album; I will push it like never before, since the whole idea is to write something based on drums anyways. Although I will pay attention a lot to the music in general, and I arranged to have some of the best guitarists in the world playing some guest solos for the songs, which is great! The mixing will be done in Florida, at Mana Studios, [by] Erik Rutan, one of the best producers today. He worked on the last NILE album, next to Neil Kernon, our main producer. This is just a first demo…. nothing final yet… but the final thing will be crazy and will sound incredible!!"
Bassist Jon Bakker will be forced to sit out the upcoming European tour by Norwegian old-school black metallers KAMPFAR due to undisclosed "family issues." The band says in a statement, "Initially we were reluctant to perform without his presence, but we are lucky to have a solid replacement lined up. Endre Moe, known from TRAIL OF TEARS, is an old friend and has been on the road with us many times before. The step up to bass duties is a natural one, and after a weekend of intense rehearsing we're happy to say that this solution will be a very good one."
KAMPFAR's European tour will kick off on May 27 in Bochum, Germany. Also appearing on the trek are SECRETS OF THE MOON, VREID and KRAKOW.
KAMPFAR has been confirmed as direct support for VREID on a North American tour which is slated to begin in late August and run through mid-September. This will be KAMPFAR's very first time touring on North American soil, and the latest volley of dates supporting new album "Mare", released last month by Napalm Records. Entitled "The Black Path Of America Tour 2011", the tour will also feature NECRONOMICON. Founding KAMPFAR vocalist Dolk had the following to say: "After a decade and a half, we will finally hit the States and Canada, and after several offers to go there have been turned down — KAMPFAR will finally join our 'American Horde.' It will be a meeting in honor and deep respect towards all those that have never lost their faith in us over there! It will be an inferno when we join forces in August and September!"
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