According to Publisher's Marketplace, "Light & Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page", by Guitar World editor-in-chief Brad Tolinski, went to Crown at auction in a "significant deal."
Using the Publisher's Marketplace "deal key," a "significant deal" is a book deal that garners $251,000 - $499,000.
Following are quotes from Jimmy Page as told to Brad Tolinski in various interviews over the years.
"I really don't like showing people how I play things; it's a little embarrassing because it always looks so simple to me." - Jimmy Page, as told to Brad Tolinski, Greg Di Benedetto and Andy Aledort in the December 1993 edition of Guitar World.
"I can't speak for others, but for me drugs were an integral part of the whole thing, right from the beginning, right to the end. And part of the condition of drug taking is that you start thinking you're invincible. I'll tell you something that is absolutely crazy. I remember one night climbing out of a nine-story window in New York and sitting on one of those air conditioning units, looking over the city. I was just out on my own and I thought that it might be an interesting thing to do. It was totally reckless behavior. I mean, it's great that I'm still here to have a laugh about it, but it was totally irresponsible. I could have died and left a lot of people I loved. I've seen so many casualties." - Jimmy Page, as told to Brad Tolinski in the July 2003 edition of Guitar World.
"We were never a band that did 96 takes of the same thing. I had heard of groups that were into that kind of excess around that time. They'd work on the same track for three or four days and then work on it some more, but that's clearly not the way to record an album. If the track isn't happening and it creates some sort of psychological barrier, even after an hour or two, then you should stop and do something else. Go out: go to the pub, or a restaurant or something. Or play another song." - Jimmy Page, as told to Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Benedetto in the January 2002 edition of Guitar World.
"[We] did record a lot of shows, but many of the board tapes were stolen from me many years ago. They were sort of 'relieved' from my house in the early Eighties when I wasn't there. All of that stuff, along with the recordings of our rehearsals, were stolen and surfaced as bootlegs, which is a drag." - Jimmy Page, as told to Brad Tolinski in the July 2003 edition of Guitar World.
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It's now official: There will be no Ozzfest in 2011. The venerable heavy rock and metal festival, started in 1997 by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, has gone through a number of changes over the last few years as a result of economic woes and more competition from events like the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem and Uproar festivals. Now for the second time in three years, Ozzfest will not take place at all this summer. Ozzy said, "No, [there will be no Ozzfest] this year. I just finished a lengthy arena tour of the U.S., so I've decided to tour Europe this summer instead."
Last year's Ozzfest was a short, six-date run that featured OZZY, MÖTLEY CRÜE, HALFORD, DEVILDRIVER and NONPOINT.
There was no Ozzfest in 2009, while the 2008 edition was a one-day "destination" event in Dallas, Texas, starring OZZY, METALLICA, APOCALYPTICA, KORN's Jonathan Davis and more.
Even with a still-sluggish economy, the summer festival schedule is packed with events and tours like Mayhem, Uproar, Lollapalooza, the MÖTLEY CRÜE/POISON and ROB ZOMBIE/SLAYER double bills, and others.
JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill recently spoke to Germany's Metal Hammer magazine about the departure of the band's founding member Kenneth "K.K." Downing and the group's latest addition, 31-year-old British guitarist Richie Faulkner (LAUREN HARRIS, DIRTY DEEDS).
On Richie Faulkner:
"He was recommended to us by a mutual friend.
"For those fans who are concerned that we will no longer sound like PRIEST [without K.K.], you can put your minds at rest. Richie Faulkner is a fabulous guitarist and the perfect replacement for K.K. Downing. You will miss nothing from the show and the sound."
On K.K. Downing:
"We have done everything in our power to persuade Ken to stay in the band. He no longer had the enthusiasm to keep going."
On the forthcoming "Epitaph" farewell tour:
"We are looking forward to it. We have a great show, a great set list and a very good new guitar player. "
On whether "Epitaph" is really JUDAS PRIEST's final tour:
"I don't think these will be our last-ever performances. But there will be no more two-year tours after this. However, we still have a lot of touring ahead of us, and if anyone asks us — why shouldn't we continue playing?"
A promise for the fans:
"Rob Halford is still able to sing all the songs as before."
JUDAS PRIEST has been focusing on the forthcoming tour — doing press, photos, sorting out stage sets, special effects, and stage clothes etc. In addition, the bandmembers have started music rehearsals this week so are now poised and getting ready to roll. According to a posting on the group's official web site, "everyone is looking forward to travelling round the world again with the PRIEST machine!"
JUDAS PRIEST's "Epitaph" world tour will kick off on June 7 in Tilburg, Holland.
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.
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JUDAS PRIEST, KORN, OPETH and MORBID ANGEL are among the confirmed bands for this year's edition of Copenhell, the first big, outdoor metal festival in Denmark, set to take place June 17-18 in Copenhagen.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
JUDAS PRIEST
KORN
OPETH
MORBID ANGEL
MAYHEM
KYUSS LIVES!
DEICIDE
GWAR
ANVIL
ALL THAT REMAINS
DOCTOR MIDNIGHT & THE MERCY CULT
PROTEST THE HERO
BAPTIZED IN BLOOD
KVELERTAK
ROLO TOMASI
THE BURNING
Expect thrash, nu, speed, power, doom, prog, death, black, and a little something in between.
Like last year, the festival is situated in the raw and atmospheric terrain of Refshaleøen close to downtown Copenhagen. "As for the placement of festival in the city of Copenhagen, in the part that blends nature with abounded factories and harbor buildings was just a truly fabulous setting for this kind of festival," wrote e-zine Metal Revolution.
Copenhell is more than just music. In the entire festival area the metal culture is thriving with all kinds of bizarre and alternative performances. A man suspended from hooks through the skin and fire eating girls in hot pants were part of Copenhell 2010, and 2011 is set to be populated with even more weird and wonderful attractions. When the music stops, people hang out at the site or in the large beer tent Biergarten. Here you can compete in death karaoke or just guzzle and rant, while DJs pamper the ears with metal old and new. Together with documentary film institute CPH:DOX you can enter the DOX:HELL cinema, watching metal documentaries and some metal-friendly blockbusters in the cinema located in the old wharf buildings. Every time a band takes to the stage, a 35-meter flame will be shot into the air, literally putting Copenhell on the Copenhagen horizon.
Last year the festival's mascot was designed by Joe Petagno, well known for making illustrations for MOTÖRHEAD and many others. This year, Ed Repka — who is behind the covers of DEATH, VENOM and the most classic albums with one of last year's headliners MEGADETH — has taken over the black feather. The Copenhagen plague epidemic in 1711 that killed a quarter of the city's population inspired Ed to draw our new friend, Copenhell's mascot 2011: "Plague Doctor."
This black-clad guy is most easily recognized by his plague mask protecting him from infection and to relieve him from the stench of corpses in the streets. In addition he has in one hand a little spear for blood-letting, and in the other a torch to burn the corpses that have not been dragged out of town. He is, in other words, ready for Copenhell.
The price of it all is 595 DKK. Of course camping near the site is possible. You can buy a tent package for two for 895 DKK. including a tent, two sixpacks and breakfast for Saturday and Sunday. Travel is really easy — go by car, bus 40 from Copenhagen City Hall Square.
According to CBC News, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson will pilot some Icelandic Express flights in the jet the British rock band used for touring. The discount airline is leasing Ed Force One — the customized Boeing 757 used by IRON MAIDEN to transport the band, its 60-member crew and 12 tons of equipment as they tour the world — and some flights will be piloted by Dickinson, who also happens to be a commercial pilot.
As previously reported, IRON MAIDEN's official photographer John McMurtrie has been on the road with the band since Ed Force One first took to the skies back in January 2008, capturing not only the "Somewhere Back In Time World Tour" but also the current "Round The World In 66 Days" leg of "The Final Frontier Tour". This extensive coverage is soon to be made available in the form of a glossy, hardback IRON MAIDEN photographic book. Tentatively entitled "On Board Flight 666", it will be published by Orion Books later this year and will feature hundreds of stunning photos which give an exclusive, behind-the-scenes pictorial documentation of the tours. Many of the images will be accompanied by captions, allowing the reader a first-hand glimpse into life aboard Ed Force One and its groundbreaking exploits on this intimate visual journey into the world of MAIDEN.
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School's finally out for Alice Cooper.
The 63-year-old shock-rock icon says he's truly made the grade by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
"People asked what it feels closest to, and I said graduation," explains the Coop from his Phoenix home. "It's like you're graduating to the next level. It really is.
"The real honour is that you're nominated and voted in by your peers, not the general public. Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and Jeff Beck get a ballot. So if you get voted in, it's by your teachers. We learned every Beatles song growing up, we learned every Stones song, we learned every Kinks, Yardbirds and Who song. Those guys were like our professors."
But Alice won't be taking the summer off to hit the links. He'll be working hard as ever -- and kicking it old-school. Along with his No More Mr. Nice Guy Tour (which includes a handful of Canadian stops), he's reuniting with his original bandmates -- guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith -- on the forthcoming CD Welcome 2 My Nightmare, a sequel to his 1975 concept album produced by none other than Bob Ezrin. Toss in a new archival box set -- fittingly titled Old School -- and it's clear Cooper is homecoming king this year. Here's what he had to say about all of it, along with his thoughts on Vince Gill's guitar pickin', Lady Gaga's artistic merits and more.
Congrats on being in the Rock Hall. What was that night like for you emotionally?
You know, I got to the point where I didn't take it on an emotional level. Because the original band and I had to play, we had to treat it like a show. I told them, 'The audience is Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon -- every major rock star is out there. And the reason we're here is because we did something they didn't do -- we upset everything. Let's not disappoint them.' That's the way you have to be. It would be awful if we went up there and said, 'Gee, I hope you like us.' Alice has got to come out with the attitude of: 'You're mine!' It's the same on this upcoming tour: I treat it the same way I treated it in 1972. You have to give it everything you've got.
How does this No More Mr. Nice Guy tour differ from the last Canadian tour you did with Rob Zombie?
It'll be different visually again. But we're playing all the hits. We're kind of in the same position as classic rock bands like The Who and The Stones are -- out of 28 songs we play, 20 are songs you have to do or the audience will be really disappointed. The audience wants School's Out and Billion Dollar Babies and 18 and all those songs. But for the real Alice fans, I try to find four or five songs they're not expecting. And we're going to do a couple of songs from the new album that nobody's heard.
That's my cue to ask what Welcome 2 My Nightmare is all about.
Basically, we wondered, what would happen if Alice had another nightmare 30 years after the last one. I had contacted Bob about producing a different album -- I wanted to finish Along Came a Spider -- but we got to talking about Nightmare, and we just immediately started writing songs. Pretty soon Bob said, 'We have to do Part 2.' I've tried to get as many people from that album back. I got Steve Hunter, who played all the solos. Dick Wagner and I wrote some songs. Dennis, Neal and Mike are on it. Then I added a bunch of people you would never expect, like Vince Gill, who plays lead on two songs. He's the Jeff Beck of country. He made my head spin.
Are we heading for a full-blown reunion tour of the original band?
I don't think so. We are doing shows together, but in a limited way. It's really hard to do 100 cities -- doing five shows a week and going around the world is physically draining for me, and I'm in really good shape. So we're just doing a few things. I would like to do some clubs. I would like to go back and play the Whiskey with the original band. I think they're up for that. You know, it was a very unique situation with the original band: When we broke up in '74, there was no animosity or lawsuits or 'I hate that guy.' We just drifted. We called it a hiatus, and that became a breakup. But we were never out of touch. We knew there would be a reunion someday; we just didn't know when. The Hall of Fame thing became a great opportunity.
You're also releasing the box set Old School. What's in that?
It goes from 1964 to 1974. And they found what are, to me anyway, a lot of embarrassing tapes -- rehearsals and high school gigs and really bad recordings. I would like to go in and remix all of it and recut some of it. It's the artist in me. Back when I was drinking, I made three albums I don't remember doing -- Zipper Catches Skin, Special Forces and Dada. I wrote, recorded and performed those albums, and don't remember 99% of it. I would love to recut some of that, because there were some great songs. I might still do that. The Blackout Albums, I'll call it.
I saw a photo of you backstage with Lady Gaga recently. What did you talk about?
She gave me one of her tour programs, and on the cover she wrote, 'Dear Alice, thank you for letting me steal your show.' She said, 'You have no idea how much we reference you.' Which I thought was really sweet. And I think hers may be the best show I've seen. Really. Not only is she this character the same way Alice is, but she sings, she plays piano, she directs the show, she does all the art. I respect her as an artist the same way I respect Bowie. She is really in that class.
Alice Cooper Canadian Tour Dates
May 14 | Quebec City | Pavillon de la Jeunesse
May 16 | Ottawa | Civic Centre
May 17 | Hamilton | Hamilton Place
May 18 | Sudbury | Sudbury Arena
May 20 | Rama | Casino Rama
Packing an armory of steel-coated riffs and songwriting swagger, British hard rock legends SAXON will release their 19th studio album titled "Call To Arms" on May 23 via Militia Guard Music, UDR and EMI. Recorded at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, U.K. and Brighton Electric Studios in Brighton, U.K., the 11-track album was co-produced by singer/songwriter Biff Byford and Toby Jepson (LITTLE ANGELS). Featuring Byford on lead vocals, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt on guitars, Nibs Carter on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums, "Call To Arms" is bang on-the-money brilliant SAXON music, a confident embrace of the aura and writing values from their early years married perfectly to a modern SAXON crunch.
"This is probably the best album we've written and recorded in the last 20 years," states Biff Byford unapologetically. "I know a lot of bands say that, but 'Call To Arms' really does feel like that to me. It's the perfect embrace of our past with a great modern edge."
Between the furious riffage of "Hammer Of The Gods" all the way through to "Ballad Of The Working Man", SAXON also found time to invite fans to sing on the nostalgic stomp of "Back In '79" thanks to a Byford brainwave the night before recording.
"We put something up on our website 24 hours before recording the track in Brighton, and funnily enough we had exactly 79 people show up on time to sing on the song. It was a fantastic result which is a direct tribute to 'Denim & Leather' where we did the same exact thing."
There is also a guest appearance from keyboard legend Don Airey (RAINBOW, ELO, OZZY OSBOURNE, DEEP PURPLE) on "When Doomsday Comes".
"We were at the American embassy in different lines queuing for our visas and by the time we'd got them, Don had agreed to come and play on the song," chuckles Byford.
It will also feature alongside the track "No Rest For The Wicked" in the forthcoming movie "Hybrid Theory", a sci-fi thriller which follows a group of British soldiers who find themselves in a life or death battle with an enemy far beyond their wildest nightmares. The film is directed by James Erskin, who made "One Night In Turin" about England at the World Cup in 1990.
"We've done our darker albums, our full-on metal albums, we've been to those spaces and experimented with them and people came on the journey with us," says Byford, "and with 'Call To Arms' you have the culmination of those 10 years and the 20 years before it. I love this album. I love the songs. I love the sounds. It's right on the money."
"Call To Arms" track listing:
01. Hammer Of The Gods
02. Back In '79
03. Surviving Against The Odds
04. Mists Of Avalon
05. Call To Arms
06. Chasing The Bullet
07. Afterburner
08. When Doomsday Comes (Hybrid Theory)
09. No Rest For The Wicked
10. Ballad Of The Working Man
11. Call To Arms (orchestral version)
Shannon Joy of the LA Music Blog recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
LA Music Blog: DEF LEPPARD are back from a brief hiatus with "Mirrorball", the band's first official live release. Why wait until now to put out a live offering?
Collen: We actually didn't get the time up until now. It's always been album-tour-album-tour, and believe it or not, this was the first real break we've had in thirty years. You get off tour, and it's pretty much straight into recording another album. So it never really seemed valid or the right time, but now it's absolutely perfect. We had a year off, and we record every show, so we were able to gather all the stuff up and there you go — choose the best stuff.
LA Music Blog: The album actually features a few new studio songs as well. How does this new material compare to the band's past work?
Collen: You know, it's really interesting. When you put any band's greatest hits on, even if the stuff was recorded in a span of two decades or even longer, you can still tell that it's the same band. So I think they sound obviously DEF LEPPARD; they sound very much like classic DEF LEPPARD, whatever that is, or whatever that may be. (Laughs) But you know, you listen to it for like ten seconds and you go, "Oh yeah, that's DEF LEPPARD."
LA Music Blog: You've been in the industry since the mid-'70s. Any chance of slowing down?
Collen: No, because physically, I feel better than I did when I was twenty. (Laughs) It's amazing, the whole myth about slowing down — people ask "How do you do it?" and it's consistency. I'm really physically active, working out and doing everything, and that just keeps you really young. I know guys ten years younger than me that can't walk properly because they've adopted a lifestyle where they drive everywhere, they're sitting on their computer, and they don't even walk anywhere. It's the complete opposite for me. I can actually wake up at six in the morning and do a head kick, which is six-foot-five, without stretching, and that's just the consistency. (Laughs) It's not that I'm a freak or anything. It really is a matter of just being consistent about it, and I just love the way it feels. And the other part is that it kind of looks cool as well. (Laughs) So the main thing is that. Like I said, I know guys — guys I went to school with, or even
younger than that — and they can't get up. They've got back problems, and their legs hurt, and this and that, and I have nothing like that at all. So as long as I keep doing this, then I should keep doing that. (Laughs)
LA Music Blog: How are you able to maintain consistency on the road?
Collen: Oh, that's easy. You get so much down time. It's the same as singing or playing guitar, you know? That's something I do all the time. I always have a guitar floating around, or I'm working out all the time, and that could be anything, you know, running up a flight of stairs and doing push-ups. You get bored in the day, and instead of just sitting there eating or something, I'll go and exercise. On tour, it's even more consistency. I'll work out three times a day when our trainer's out. He gets us in the morning, we'll do stuff in the afternoon, and just before we go on stage, I'll do some more. The more you do it, the better you seem to feel, but you can overdo it, so you've got to know what your own personal line is.
LA Music Blog: DEF LEPPARD is hitting the road with Heart this summer in the States. Is there anything else that you have planned for the rest of the year?
Collen: Yeah, we actually kick off the whole thing in Donington. We're doing the Download festival, which is a big rock festival in England. I think we're headlining that on the 10th of June, right before we come to the U.S. That's always fun. We did it a few years ago, and it's thrilling, actually. It's huge, 85,000 people I believe last time. It's a blast. So we'll kick off with that, and typically what happens with a DEF LEPPARD tour is that you add dates on, you know? You start the tour, and all of a sudden a promoter from Japan or Australia will phone up and go, "Do you want to play here?" and it's like, "Yeah, sure," so that's really how that works. Also, in the breaks — we typically take two weeks off every six weeks — everyone goes home and sees their families or things like that. In those two weeks, I'll be getting the MAN RAZE thing going, and hopefully we can play some club shows or things like that. I'm really looking forward to that as
well.
METALLICA doesn't often grant permission for the use of its songs in movies, making just a handful of exceptions over its nearly 30-year career. But the group likes an upcoming independent feature called "Hesher" enough to let the filmmakers use some of the band's music.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays the title character, and co-star Rainn Wilson of "The Office" recently spoke to ARTISTdirect.com about how METALLICA's music factored into the film, with Wilson even calling METALLICA "THE BEATLES of heavy metal." Watch the interview footage below.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt recently admitted he based much of his character's behavior on late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, who died when METALLICA's tour bus crashed in Sweden in 1986, and he was stunned when his rock idols recognized the similarities without prompting.
Gordon-Levitt said, "They dug the movie. It was a real honor and I took a lot of inspiration for this character from the basis of some of their early albums, this guy named Cliff Burton, who played on 'Master Of Puppets' and 'Ride The Lightning'. And when the band saw it, they were like, 'You know what?! He reminds us of Cliff,' and we didn't even tell them that's what we were going for. And they let us use their songs and I was actually moved because I grew up headbanging to METALLICA."
"Hesher" arrives on May 13 in theatres. The film also stars recent Oscar winner Natalie Portman.
The movie is a dark comedy-drama about a disturbed young man, played by Levitt, who wreaks havoc in the lives of a boy and his father after the death of the boy's mother.
Gordon-Levitt previously said about the "Hesher" film "I loved making this movie, and I love how it turned out. It's hilarious, but it's not just funny, it's smart, it's sad, it's hopeful, it's heartfelt, and it fuckin' rocks . . . And, I'm humbled to say, METALLICA themselves liked it so much they gave us their music, they never give their stuff to movies!"
The film's title on all its advertising and marketing materials is done in the style of the METALLICA logo.
Rob Zombie recently welcomed ex-MARILYN MANSON drummer Ginger Fish into the current lineup of his band, replacing Joey Jordison, who is leaving to return to SLIPKNOT. The Pulse Of Radio asked Zombie if he could hear a difference in the group's sound with the new man on the kit. "It's hard to describe how they're different," he said. "I mean, you know, Joey's a very, like, more of a power drummer I would say, you know, just a more bombastic sort of drummer, and Ginger's more of a, kind of like a groove-style drummer. It's kind of funny 'cause as with anything, either style seems to work really well with our music, so it's good."
Fish played his first shows with Zombie back in February while Jordison was touring Europe with his side band MURDERDOLLS. Jordison rejoined Zombie's band for some headlining U.K. dates before departing again.
Until his departure from MARILYN MANSON in February of this year, Fish was Manson's longest lasting band member, having played with the shock rocker since 1995.
Fans will get to see Fish on the road with Zombie this summer, when Zombie co-headlines a string of North American dates with SLAYER. The trek begins on July 20 in Reading, Pennsylvania, finishing up on August 6 in Seattle.
Zombie is also gearing up to begin shooting his next film as a director, "The Lords Of Salem", and also recently directed a Woolite commercial and a special for Comedy Central titled "Tom Papa: Live In New York City".
For thirty years, metal band Anthrax has been revered as one of the leaders of its genre. Part of the Big Four with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, they are the instigators and pioneers of thrash metal. For over a year now, the Big Four tour and festival appearances have been the greatest live music draw for rock and metal fans.
It has been ten years since Anthrax lead guitarist Rob Caggiano first joined the metal superiors. Currently he has a lot on his plate: the Big Four, a new Anthrax album, and his other band, The Damned Things; but Rob was kind enough to stop for a chat. I encountered a funny, humble guy during the most fruitful period of his music career.
Geeks of Doom: Hi Rob, how are you?
Rob Caggiano: I'm good, man. Just been crazy, crazy busy doing the Big Four stuff and The Damned Things. There's a lot going on! [laughs] We're also trying to finish the Anthrax record too. It's been fucking hectic.
Geeks of Doom: Awesome. We'll get on to the new album later. There are no Anthrax live dates until you come to Europe to play the Big Four shows and the Sonisphere festivals. What are you up to in the meantime?
Rob Caggiano: The Damned Things are playing in a few days actually. We're going to do this big festival here in Ohio called Rock On The Range and then we're doing a few other shows surrounding that. Then we go to Europe to do the festivals; we're doing Download and stuff like that with The Damned Things in June. Going to jump from that right into the Big Four stuff.
Geeks of Doom: You've been playing Big Four shows for over a year now, how are you finding it?
Rob Caggiano: Oh they're amazing. We did a short little tour in Eastern Europe with the Big Four line up and it was phenomenal. And obviously we just did the one in Indio, California, which was amazing, it was like 60,000 people there or something like that. I don't know if you know, we're actually doing Yankee Stadium in New York now, September 14th. That's like the dream gig for me! Being a New Yorker and a Yankee fan, that's like a dream gig for all of us!
Geeks of Doom: How will you cope without Scott Ian in July? Did you know Andreas [Kisser, Sepultura guitarist] before he agreed to cover?
Rob Caggiano: Yeah, we've known Andreas for a long time. He's a great guitar player. It's definitely going to be a little strange having an Anthrax show without Scott Ian. But I think Andreas is definitely going to pull it off and it's going to be fun. I mean it is what it is; Scott's having a baby, we've got to understand and respect that.
Geeks of Doom: But Andreas is a great replacement! Ok, if you could pick one band to make a Big Five, who would you choose?
Rob Caggiano: One band to make a Big Five? That's an interesting question! Wow. The Beatles! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: [laughs] Do you think that would go down well with Anthrax fans?
Rob Caggiano: Yeah, absolutely! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: Were you a fan of Anthrax before you joined? And how did it all happen?
Rob Caggiano: We were all basically friends just from the New York music scene, you know, and we had a lot of the same friends in the music circle here. I've been a fan of Anthrax forever so basically grew up listening to that stuff. I don't know, one thing led to another and there was an audition and it just kind of happened. I definitely made it clear to them that I wanted to play! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: It worked out very well! Were you a fan of a particular era; the Joey Belladonna era or John Bush era?
Rob Caggiano: You know, that's an interesting question. I like both eras of the band. You know, obviously Among The Living is one of my favorite records of all time. But so is Sound of White Noise. So I like both eras.
Geeks of Doom: You worked with John Bush for a long time, so were you excited last year to get to work with Joey?
Rob Caggiano: Yeah, you know I didn't really know what to expect from Joey. Prior to that the only line up as far as Anthrax goes that I was involved in was with John Bush. I was real comfortable with that because John's an amazing singer, he's a great guy. I really didn't even know Joey. I met Joey once in New York a while ago, but I didn't really know him so I didn't know what to expect. But we did the first show in Poland and it was phenomenal. He's singing better now than he ever sang, I think, and the band sounds killer with him in it. He's a great frontman, we're really psyched to have him on board.
Geeks of Doom: Awesome. Your first Anthrax album, We've Come For You All, was their first album in five years. So going into that were you excited, did you feel any pressure?
Rob Caggiano: Yeah I was really excited. You know, at that point I hadn't been in the band too long. And as it turns out I ended up actually producing the record as well, and recording it. It was definitely an interesting experience, you know, wearing two hats, no pun intended! [laughs and points to his trademark cap] But yeah, making that record was great, we had a lot of fun doing it. It took a long time. I think every Anthrax record takes a long time at this point! [laughs] But we're really proud of that one and I think the fans really dig it.
I'm super excited about the new one. We're basically coming down the home stretch on that and it's sounding great. We're shooting for September release.
Rob CaggianoGeeks of Doom: Going back to W.C.F.Y.A. briefly; again, your first album and that had guitar parts by Dimebag and additional vocals by Roger Daltrey. Did you get to meet them, did you like what they did?
Rob Caggiano: Well, yeah. They didn't really come to the studio to track. Dime basically did it at his own studio and sent it over to us and we were just corresponding like that. I mean everything Dime does, Dime did, is phenomenal. He's an amazing guitar player. He was also a really good friend of the band so yeah, that was great. [With] Roger Daltrey, Scott was there when he did his vocals. It would have been great, I wish I was there! It would have been really fun!
Geeks of Doom: How did The Damned Things come about?
Rob Caggiano: Basically it started when Scott [Ian] met Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy a few years ago through a mutual friend. They started talking about possibly doing a side project, just a "have fun" kind of thing and they started throwing riffs back and forth and one thing lead to another. They asked Andy Hurley, the drummer of Fall Out Boy, to be a part of it and he agreed, so those guys started jamming. Then they asked Keith Buckley [lead singer from Every Time I Die] to join, and he agreed! [laughs] With every step it started to turn into a more serious thing and then they asked me to be involved. At the time there weren't too many songs written, I think there were about four ideas that were demoed. Then when they asked me to join, Joe and I really sat down and started writing and arranging and really finalizing the music and basically got a whole record written pretty quickly. At that point it definitely wasn't "side project" any
more, it was a real thing and it was something that we all wanted to focus on a hundred percent. So, here we are! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: On The Damned Things' album Ironiclast you produce, co-write, arrange, play bass, amazing lead guitar — was that always the plan from the start or did you make it clear to the others that you wanted to do that?
Rob Caggiano: Actually, that's another good question. I think what happened was, as soon as I got in the band we started working on the music and I started putting together some real proper demos of the songs so we had something to actually play for the record label. I think we all just had a lot of fun doing it and the demos came out really good too. So it was just kind of a natural progression. As far as the bass playing goes, we didn't have a bass player at the time. We had no idea who was going to be playing bass! [laughs] So I ended up just playing bass which I do all the time anyway in the studio for different projects. But yeah, I think the record came out really good, it's a fun album, we had a blast making it and we're all really proud of it as well.
Geeks of Doom: I think it's a good album, I really like it. Did you enjoy dressing up as a superhero for the video of "We've Got A Situation Here"?
Rob Caggiano: Yeah, you know what, that was a really great experience. We had a lot of fun doing that video! [laughs] I can't even watch it, it's so funny, I crack up laughing!
Geeks of Doom: I read that you're a big fan of horror movies and vampire books especially. Do you have any plans to get involved in those areas?
Rob Caggiano: I would love to do a score for a horror movie. I would love to start doing some of that stuff at some point in the future. It's always been kind of a dream of mine to do some movie scoring. Yeah, I would love to. Or I could play a vampire in a movie; not too far of a stretch! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: Anthrax has been going for about thirty years now and it's survived a huge amount of line up changes but still you create great music that's definable as Anthrax music. As someone who's been both sides of that, what would you put that down to?
Rob Caggiano: To start with, like you said, the band's been around for thirty years and, yeah, there's definitely been a lot of turbulence and different singers and line up changes and all that stuff. But the core of the band has always stayed the same, which is Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, and Frankie Bello. I think that, in and of itself, equates to the Anthrax sound being consistent throughout the years. I think that's a big part of it.
Geeks of Doom: Scott Ian once said it was because he is a "tenacious Jew" and a "stubborn prick." Would you agree with that?
Rob Caggiano: Tenacious Jew?! [laughs] Scott's a great guy. Is he a stubborn prick? I don't think he's a stubborn prick actually. I think he's got very strong opinions. He definitely speaks up and stands up when he believes in something. So I don't consider that being a stubborn prick to be honest! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: His words, not mine! You started taking guitar seriously after listening to Back In Black by AC/DC. What was it about that album that made you want to start taking guitar seriously at only nine years old?
Rob Caggiano: Angus Young. There's something about his guitar playing that just lit a fire inside me and I was hooked ever since. And then very soon after that I got turned onto Eddie Van Halen, and that really sealed the deal! [laughs] Obviously Back In Black is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, still to this day. [There are] very few records that can compete with that. And the guitar playing is unbelievably good.
I'm one of the biggest AC/DC fans and it definitely started with that record. I was really young at the time, I wish I was able to see the band with Bon Scott, that would have been amazing because I love all that old stuff as well.
Last year Anthrax was in Australia doing the Soundwave festival and we were lucky enough to have a day off and AC/DC was playing down there, one of the arenas. So we all went to the show and it was fucking great! It was so cool. To see them there, you know, actually in Australia, it was so amazing.
Geeks of Doom: They said recently they will do another tour. Very exciting! Ok, let's go back to the Big Four again; where has been your favorite show so far?
Rob Caggiano: I'd have to say the first one, the one in Poland. Just because of all the excitement and because it was the first show I think. That show was magical for us. A really good show. My favorite moment of the whole thing was the Bulgaria show and we all got up on stage with Metallica to do "Am I Evil?" for the first time. That quite possibly is the most fun I ever had in my life! [laughs] … just to be up on stage with Metallica and Megadeth and Slayer at the same time is like … talk about a dream! [laughs]
That was definitely a fun show. Although we had a lot of technical [and] sound problems at that show. It was a hard show for us because we had a lot of sound problems, monitor problems. The stage sound was definitely screwed up and my amp was making all kinds of noises. I think Charlie had some monitor issues as well. It was a weird show for us. But when we walked back to the dressing room we were all a little bummed out because it sounded so weird on stage and then the guy that recorded it from Metallica's camp came into our dressing room and was going to show us the footage, you know, because we had to approve it because it was going to be broadcast in the movie theatres that day! So we watched it and it actually sounded really good. Couldn't believe it was the same show! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: Yeah, it looked and sounded great on the DVD. And just to round up, can you tell us a bit about Worship Music, what we can expect in September?
Rob Caggiano: Worship Music is going to be a crushing Anthrax record. It's got all the elements. There's moments where it has the spirit of Among The Living, at the same time it's also a progression from We've Come For You All, certain aspects. Joey sounds phenomenal on the record, so excited about it. All of us have been working on these songs for so long, this record's taking forever! But it's great to actually finally hear a lot of these tunes finished and with the right vocalist singing! [laughs]
Geeks of Doom: Rob, thank you so much.
Rob Caggiano: Oh, thank you, man. It was fun!
Joe Bosso of MusicRadar.com recently conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess about the departure of the band's founding drummer Mike Portnoy and addition of Mike Mangini. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
MusicRadar.com: You've all been free to explore outside projects, but how did you initially feel about Mike's [Portnoy] plan to play with AVENGED SEVENFOLD? Did you think it might be too much time away from DREAM THEATER?
Rudess: "Mmmm. There were a lot of feelings in the band about Mike's plan. We had a lot of discussions about that. Various people had differing feelings, too. My first thought was, Wow, that seems like a great opportunity. He'll go out and play with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, and that'll result in a lot of their fans coming back and checking out DREAM THEATER. So, at first, I didn't have a problem with it. [to Petrucci] You had a problem with it, though…"
Petrucci: "Yeah, I did. I remember he told me he was going to play on their album, which was OK by me. I thought, Oh, that's cool. But then he told me he was going to go on tour with them, and I remember telling him, 'I don't think that's such a good idea, Mike.' We had some pretty intense conversations about it. But you know, I can't control what Mike does or what anybody wants to do. Going on the AVENGED tour was his decision, but I made it very clear how I felt about it. Doing projects, that's fine. We all do outside things. But playing in somebody else's band, and to that degree… that's different. I thought it was treading dangerous waters, for sure."
MusicRadar.com: He went off with AVENGED, but in December, when it became clear that he wasn't staying in that band, he came to you guys and asked if he could rejoin.
Rudess: "Yeah, that was a very challenging time. It was several months later, and what basically happened was…[pauses] You know, just to give you an idea of how deep this was to lose him, how difficult it was…after we got off the phone with him, when he told us what was going to happen, that he was leaving…I literally sat on the steps of my studio and cried. This is a guy who's a friend of mine, who we all love and admire. We didn't want to see it come crashing down. The whole thing brought me to tears. But we all realized that we had to find a way to keep going. This is our business. We enjoy it, we love it — how do we keep doing this? So we went into motion. Through us putting our heads together, we decided, OK, we've got to find another drummer. And that resulted in us finding these seven amazing drummers to check out. And that, too, was also very emotional: How do you bring a new guy into a situation where you've been with somebody else for
so long? It was a very heavy thing."
Petrucci: "It was sort of like when somebody dies. After you're done crying, the planning kicks in: 'OK, we've gotta do this, we have to arrange the funeral and put everything in order.' Even though we were in shock and were filled with a lot of emotions, we knew we had to carry on."
MusicRadar.com: But still, Mike asked to rejoin…
Rudess: "Yes, well, OK, so we put everything together. We got the drummers in, which everybody knows, and we filmed the audition process and put a lot of care into the documentary. So after that whole process, we found somebody who we thought was great — Mike Mangini. 'Oh my God, this guy is fantastic! This can work. We can do it.'"
Petrucci: "And something I should point out — Mike Mangini's life changed dramatically. He was a professor at Berklee, and he had to give notice that he was leaving. He's got a wife and two kids — the whole thing. So he came down and we started making a record. Everybody was supportive at the label. Things were feeling good. We had our feet on the ground again. And then Mike asked if he could get back in..." [He shakes his head]
MusicRadar.com: It was too late.
Rudess: "Yeah. You know, Mike Mangini resigned from Berklee. You can't just tell him… We were in motion with him. We were invested in Mike Mangini and our future. Everything was going full steam. So Mike Portnoy came to us and asked to rejoin: 'Hey, guys I've reconsidered, I've made a…a mistake.' It was like, 'Oh my God, you can't do this to us. You can't pull the rug out from under us like this.' It was…[sighs] it was hard. Here we went through this whole drama, and we finally found this new guy who we were happy with. At a certain point, you just throw up your hands and go, 'This can't be happening!'" [laughs]
Legendary singer and bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) has just released his long-awaited autobiography, "Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star", via Foruli Publications. The book, co-written with Joel McIver and featuring an introduction by METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, is being made available in a luxury first edition complete with rare photos and an exclusive 10-inch vinyl EP featuring the following all-new recordings:
* "What Is A Woman's Role?" (TRAPEZE, written by Hughes)
* "Holy Man" (DEEP PURPLE, written by Hughes, David Coverdale, Jon Lord)
* "Dying To Live" (brand new acoustic Glenn Hughes track)
Speaking to FaceCulture about his autobiography (see video below), Hughes said, "In the '70s and '80s, I was a very notorious drug addict, I was a very famous cocaine addict. I don't say that to be arrogant, but I was one of the first rock stars to become, 'Oh, Glenn Hughes, he's a cocaine addict.'"
"There are things that I never told anybody until the book. Let's just say that I disappeared in the '90s for awhile and nobody knew where I was and I didn't tell anybody. People thought I was actually on a boat in the Mediterranean and I wasn't — I was somewhere else. I was basically being another person under another name being completely isolated and it almost killed me."
"I wanted to experiment. I wanted to be alone and I wanted to live under a different name and I wanted to travel alone with no one [knowing] where I was. I only disappeared five or six times in three years… Let's just say that I was on my journey."
"When I got sober a long time ago, and let's just say that I wanted to experiment with other drugs and other things and other people and I wanted to be anonymous. I wanted to go under another name and I wanted to travel. I wanted to do it without [being] in the public eye in my hometown in the country where I live; I wanted to disappear and there is no greater city in the world to go dark than Amsterdam. If you want weird, it's here. And the fact of the matter is, it got so fucking weird that it scared the shit out of me. Let's just say that I went to the edge of the cliff of insanity.
"I had this clarity moment where I said, "Well, I can either jump over here and go insane…' — 'cause I was really, really going insane — and I just turned back and became the man that I am now."
A launch event for the book will be held tonight (Thursday, May 12) in London, England. The evening will feature a solo acoustic set by Glenn, a preview of the book packages, and the opportunity to meet Glenn, co-author Joel McIver and the team at Foruli.
"Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star" features contributions from Hughes' friend and comrade in DEEP PURPLE David Coverdale, his lifelong musical collaborator Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH and a host of others, including Angie Bowie, John Varvatos and the members of THE KLF (with whom Hughes scored a global hit in 1991).
The publisher, Foruli Publications, is a globally-recognized specialist in collectable, high-quality books.
For more information, visit www.foruli.co.uk.
Legendary singer and bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) has just released his long-awaited autobiography, "Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star", via Foruli Publications. The book was co-written with Joel McIver and features an introduction by METALLICA's Lars Ulrich.
An invite-only launch event for the book was held earlier tonight (Thursday, May 12) at Idea Generation Gallery in Shoreditch, London, England. The evening featured a solo acoustic set by Glenn, a preview of the book packages, and the opportunity to meet Glenn, co-author Joel McIver and the team at Foruli.
Glenn's set consisted of the following five songs:
01. Coast To Coast
02. Holy Man
03. I Found A Woman
04. Too Late To Save The World
05. Cold
The luxury first edition of "Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star" includes an exclusive 10-inch vinyl EP featuring the following all-new recordings:
* "What Is A Woman's Role?" (TRAPEZE, written by Hughes)
* "Holy Man" (DEEP PURPLE, written by Hughes, David Coverdale, Jon Lord)
* "Dying To Live" (brand new acoustic Glenn Hughes track)
Speaking to FaceCulture about his autobiography (see video below), Hughes said, "In the '70s and '80s, I was a very notorious drug addict, I was a very famous cocaine addict. I don't say that to be arrogant, but I was one of the first rock stars to become, 'Oh, Glenn Hughes, he's a cocaine addict.'"
"There are things that I never told anybody until the book. Let's just say that I disappeared in the '90s for awhile and nobody knew where I was and I didn't tell anybody. People thought I was actually on a boat in the Mediterranean and I wasn't — I was somewhere else. I was basically being another person under another name being completely isolated and it almost killed me."
"I wanted to experiment. I wanted to be alone and I wanted to live under a different name and I wanted to travel alone with no one [knowing] where I was. I only disappeared five or six times in three years… Let's just say that I was on my journey."
"When I got sober a long time ago, and let's just say that I wanted to experiment with other drugs and other things and other people and I wanted to be anonymous. I wanted to go under another name and I wanted to travel. I wanted to do it without [being] in the public eye in my hometown in the country where I live; I wanted to disappear and there is no greater city in the world to go dark than Amsterdam. If you want weird, it's here. And the fact of the matter is, it got so fucking weird that it scared the shit out of me. Let's just say that I went to the edge of the cliff of insanity.
"I had this clarity moment where I said, "Well, I can either jump over here and go insane…' — 'cause I was really, really going insane — and I just turned back and became the man that I am now."
"Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star" features contributions from Hughes' friend and comrade in DEEP PURPLE David Coverdale, his lifelong musical collaborator Tony Iommi of BLACK SABBATH and a host of others, including Angie Bowie, John Varvatos and the members of THE KLF (with whom Hughes scored a global hit in 1991).
The publisher, Foruli Publications, is a globally-recognized specialist in collectable, high-quality books.
For more information, visit www.foruli.co.uk.
According to DOWN's official Facebook page, the acclaimed New Orleans band — which features in its ranks CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist), bassist Rex Brown (ex-PANTERA), guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR), and vocalist Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ex-PANTERA) — has begun demoing material for its next release at Anselmo's home studio/rehearsal facility. Windstein writes, "Great jam with DOWN [Wednesday] evening [May 11]!!! Demoed a brand new tune, and it rocks!"
In a recent interview with The Delaware County Daily Times, Keenan stated about DOWN's next studio release, "We're kinda goin' backwards now. The first record came out a long time ago, so we're feeling that vibe and heading that way; real simple: stripped down and to the point."
He added, "I think we're going to try and do four EPs, and they're all going to be connected together with artwork. This will allow us to have a frontload, heavy as [expletive] EP, and maybe the second one could showcase some of the acoustic stuff we've been saving for awhile, and then continuing the four of them with a completely different style, and obviously the fourth one would be another doom-laden heavy one."
Brown was unable to join DOWN for the band's recent shows and was temporarily replaced by CROWBAR bassist Patrick Bruders. Speaking to The Delaware County Daily Times, Pepper stated about Brown, "Rex is not gonna be with us [on the road for the upcoming shows]. He's got things he needs to deal with, and we gave him an ultimatum and he's trying to work things out. We've got Pat from CROWBAR playing bass, and he's ass-kickin' in the same way. He plays with his fingers — which is really cool; he's got the whole Geezer Butler thing going on."
When asked if Rex was still considered a part of DOWN, Pepper replied, "I don't know what to really say on that; he's not out of the band, but he's not playing with us live."
Keenan accidentally hit Anselmo in the head with his guitar during DOWN's headlining performance on April 28 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. The incident took place in the middle of the third song of DOWN's set, "Lifer", which Anselmo dedicated to his late PANTERA bandmate "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.
Artisan News Service conducted an interview with Vinnie Paul Abbott (HELLYEAH, PANTERA) on the "black carpet" of the third annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which was held on April 20 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California. You can now watch the chat below.
When asked about HELLYEAH's plans for the next studio album, Vinnie said, "We've got some great ideas. We've decided that we wanna heavy it up a little bit on this next record — push it a little further. It's always gonna have the HELLYEAH vibe — a little bit of the Southern vibe, a little bit of the rock and roll vibe, a lot of the metal vibe — you put all together and it turns out to be HELLYEAH."
On why he thinks HELLYEAH resonates with so many fans:
"I think it's just a real honest band — it's real straight-forward. We're not afraid to show out good-time side. A lot of bands really take their music a little too seriously — it's a lot of death, gloom and all that kind of stuff. And the world ain't so bad. We like to have a good time with our music, so that's what HELLYEAH is all about."
On whether there are any more reissues from his former band, PANTERA, on the way:
"We're gonna continue to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of each record as it comes up. We just had the 20th anniversary of 'Cowboys From Hell'. It was a pretty special thing for us to get to put out such a cool package for the fans and everything. Two years from now, when it's time for 'Vulgar Display Of Power' to roll around, we'll do the same thing. And then two years from then… So it's just a way to really celebrate the legacy of that band."
HELLYEAH's sophomore album, "Stampede", sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.
HELLYEAH's self-titled debut CD opened with 45,000 units back in April 2007 to land at No. 9.
Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic recently conducted an interview with POISON singer Bret Michaels. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
The Arizona Republic: Are you looking forward to the MÖTLEY CRÜE tour?
Bret: There was a lot of controversy between MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON, just some comments they had made about how "We're not gonna do that kind of tour." I had said something on stage, like "Wouldn't it be awesome if for POISON's 25th anniversary and MÖTLEY CRÜE's 30th, for there to be a tour we did together?" And a couple of the members of their band made some pretty derogatory comments. I just said, "The hell with it. I'm gonna do my own tour." Then, Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] said, "I'm really sorry about some of the comments some of the members made. I really want to do this." So I think it's gonna be a great tour.
The Arizona Republic: How have the members of POISON been getting along?
Bret: You couldn't put four more different people in a room and try to make a band, so when that chemistry is on and it works, it's unbelievably great. There's just this fire and this energy. And when it goes bad, it goes horribly bad. We've had knock-down drag-out fistfights on stage. But now? Today? Even though we still have four completely different personalities, I think we're getting along a lot better.
According to TMZ.com, Sebastian Bach was arrested for marijuana possession in New Jersey. The former SKID ROW singer was pulled over for "failing to keep right" on a highway in Monmouth County, New Jersey at 3:32 a.m. on Tuesday, and during the stop, the officer conducted an investigation and discovered weed.
The 43-year-old Bach was arrested for possessing less than 50 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sebastian was hauled in to a local jail and was eventually released pending a future court hearing.
Bach was charged assault, possession of marijuana and mischief on November 15, 2010 after he allegedly bit the hand of a bartender trying to throw him out of Riley's Olde Towne Pub in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
A surveillance video posted on TMZ.com showed the singer smashing his wine glass on the ground morning and walking towards the entrance of the establishment after he was asked to the leave the bar due to his allegedly rowdy behavior.
A staff member reported Bach bit him on the hand while he was trying to restrain Bach until police arrived.
Bach was in Peterborough dealing with the estate of his father who passed away.
Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL will sign copies of their new album, "Infected", on Thursday, May 19 at Media Markt Bäckebol in Gothenburg, Sweden beginning at 5 p.m.
To mark the occasion, Media Markt Bäckebol will sell a special edition of the CD with extra bonus tracks for a very special price (99 SEK).
On April 6, Nuclear Blast Records released a limited-edition picture seven-inch version of "One More Time" from HAMMERFALL's upcoming album "Infected". The vinyl is limited on 500 copies and sold through the Nuclear Blast mailorder only. On the B-side of the single there is a live version of "Hallowed Be My Name" recorded at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2009. The digital version of the single contains an additional instrumental version of "One More Time".
"Infected" will be released on May 20 in Europe (Nuclear Blast Records. Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the members of HAMMERFALL then traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SCORPIONS, MEAT LOAF). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing any of the essence of the band's sound. "James helped us create something that was new and exciting while still in the line of our heritage", Oscar Dronjak, guitar player and founder of the band, explains.
The album consists of eleven songs, and the limited first edition will also include a bonus DVD with unreleased video material of five of the "Infected" tracks.
"Infected" track listing:
01. Patient Zero
02. Bang Your Head
03. One More Time
04. The Outlaw
05. Send Me A Sign
06. Dia De Los Muertos
07. I Refuse
08. 666 - The Enemy Within
09. Immortalized
10. Let's Get It On
11. Redemption
"One More Time", the new video from HAMMERFALL, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE, EVERGREY and KAMELOT, among many others.
JANE'S ADDICTION performed last Friday (May 6) at the seventh annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert — a dinner and concert benefitting the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment.
Regarding the band's forthcoming album, "The Great Escape Artist", JANE'S ADDICTION guitarist Dave Navarro told the Artisan News Service at the event, "We've definitely stepped into another direction. It still has a lot of what I love about JANE'S ADDICTION, which is hypnotic, tribal, ritualistic energy, but with a touch of a new direction. I'm really excited about it. It's probably one of the more gratifying creative efforts that I've been a part of."
Due in August via Capitol Records, "The Great Escape Artist" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Rich Costey (MUSE, FRANZ FERDINAND, INTERPOL), with TV ON THE RADIO's Dave Sitek on the team. Sitek, best known for his production work on TV ON THE RADIO, YEAH YEAH YEAHS and THE FOALS, is writing, programming, and playing bass on the album.
They have been seen on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", have collaborated with music icons, including SMASHING PUMPKINS leader Billy Corgan, and heard around the world on World Wrestling Entertainment. Now, after four years since the release of their last project, BLINDSIDE is partnering with INO Records/RED to unveil their sixth album, "With Shivering Hearts We Wait", on June 7.
"When we decided it was time to make another record, everyone's perspective was really renewed and we're super pumped right now to be doing the band again," frontman Christian Lindskog said. "We just needed to break away from music for a bit because it starts to define who you are when you should be finding it in a higher purpose."
After taking time to be with their families and reenergize after over a decade of touring the world and releasing material, the Swedish natives reconnected with producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, PAPA ROACH, FLYLEAF) to deliver an evolved artistic sound that still harkens back to band's signature styles. Benson helmed the Elektra Records collections "Silence" (2002) and "About A Burning Fire" (2004) and helped create what is said to be their most compelling collection to date.
"The similarities between 'With Shivering Hearts We Wait' and past projects is that we're always striving to get the right songs for a project and the spirit is still BLINDSIDE," assures Lindskog. "But this album is very different in the sense that it took us a lot longer to write and record it. We used to get everyone in a room and start jamming, but this time we started with an acoustic framework that was eventually translated into rock n' roll songs."
"There are definitely some new elements, such as putting strings or an electronic sound over a really bombastic song," adds guitarist Simon Grenehed. "We wanted to make the record sound big and didn't feel like there were any boundaries."
Introducing strings and electronic elements, BLINDSIDE's rock n' roll styling turns epic and bombastic on many of the songs. One such song, "Our Love Saves Us", will act as the albums debut single, impacting radio this month. BLINDSIDE are currently offering an MP3 download of the song at www.withshiveringheartswewait.com.
"With Shivering Hearts We Wait" track listing:
01. There Must Be Something In The Water
02. My Heart Escapes
03. Monster On The Radio
04. It's All I Have
05. Bloodstained Hollywood Ending
06. Our Love Saves Us
07. Bring Out Your Dead
08. Withering
09. Cold
10. There Must Be Something In The Wind
BLINDSIDE is:
Christian Lindskog: Vocals
Simon Grenehed: Guitar
Tomas Näslund: Bass
Marcus Dahlström: Drums
Relapse Mailorder is the only North American outlet to offer the deluxe, limited-edition wooden box set of MORBID ANGEL's brand new album, 'Illud Divinum Insanus". The box set includes the "Illud Divinum Insanus" CD in a real leather-bound book, "Illud Divinum Insanus" on double, 180-gram vinyl, two black candles with red wax blasphegrams, incense and incense burner, an exclusive MORBID ANGEL poster and full-color t-shirt. The box itself is a wooden six panel box with pull-out drawer and engraved markings. All of the items have been made exclusively for this limited edition and will not be available separately.
The "Illud Divinum Insanus" box set will be released in North America on June 21 and is available for pre-order at this location.
"Illud Divinum Insanus" will be released on June 7 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes and can be viewed below.
"Illud Divinum Insanus" track listing:
01. Omni Potens
02. Too Extreme!
03. Existo Vulgoré
04. Blades for Baal
05. I Am Morbid
06. 10 More Dead
07. Destructos Vs. the Earth / Attack
08. Nevermore
09. Beauty Meets Beast
10. Radikult
11. Profundis - Mea Culpa
"Illud Divinum Insanus" will be available in the following formats:
* Wooden foldout box
* Metal starpak CD (outside North America)
* Deluxe digipak CD (North America only)
* Double gatefold LP with download card
* Jewel case CD
* Digital download
In a recent interview with AOL's Noisecreep, MORBID ANGEL bassist/vocalist David Vincent stated about "Illud Divinum Insanus", "It's awesome, absolutely awesome. I just want the damn thing out, but it's hurry up and wait. That's the story of the business. I wish it was out immediately. We are doing special packaging for it, and that doesn't help my anxiety of wanting to get it out."
He continued, "We made a masterpiece. I am going to call it that. There is not one bad track on this record. Of course I am going to say that, but I don't normally say such things. It is very unique and very diverse. We didn't go through the normal channels with production, so it's that's much more special because of the decisions we made."
He added, "We have grown out of the moniker of death metal. We call ourselves extreme music. There are too many boxes to put it in — so many descriptors! We play extreme music and it encompasses everything from incredibly fast and articulate fretboard gymnastics to the sickest, most moaning of riffs, to the usual things we do. We take it for a twist."
The "Nevermore" single will be made available on May 16 as a digital download and seven-inch vinyl single. The B-side is an exclusive version of new song "Destructos Vs. The Earth", remixed by COMBICHRIST.
"Sometimes you've got to burn the past to rise up from the ashes," sings BURN HALO frontman James Hart. What started out as Hart's solo project has been laid to rest and reborn in BURN HALO's sophomore album "Up From The Ashes". Due out June 28 on Rawkhead Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group) and produced by Colby Wedgeworth, this new collection confirms BURN HALO's evolution from being essentially a solo project by former 18 VISIONS singer/songwriter James Hart to a full-blown, collaborative band. The music has grown too, and now marries the anthemic, radio-ready hard rock of their 2009 self-titled debut to metalcore flourishes reminiscent of 18 VISIONS.
The band — James Hart (vocals), Joey Roxx (guitar), Brandon Lynn (guitar), Aaron Boehler (bass), Dillon Ray (drums) — is already receiving early radio support for the first single, "Tear It Down", from stations such as SiriusXM's "Octane," WIIL (Chicago), KHTQ (Spokane), WCCC (Hartford) and WJJO (Madison). A video for the song will be hitting the TV and Internet airwaves before the end of the month. A behind-the-scenes teaser clip was recently posted on the band's YouTube page and can be seen below.
"We wanted our own identity," says singer James Hart. To achieve that, BURN HALO would collaborate in the studio for the first time. "This album is us. This is BURN HALO," states guitarist Brandon Lynn. Bassist Aaron Boehler was the first to initiate the writing process with drummer Dillon Ray. Brandon and lead guitarist Joey Roxx quickly followed suit and began compositions of their own. It was Brandon who was the real architect in the musical direction of the new album. "Most of the songs we were writing early on were very standard rock songs," says James. "I had written an old song called 'Dakota' that was much more aggressive and a lot heavier," says Brandon. "To me, 'Dakota' is the most important track on the album," explains James. "Without that track, we don't have the album we have." The path was clear and what they would pave out from there would be 11 bone-crushing rock songs that touch on every edge of the rock/metal spectrum.
The future wasn't always so clear for BURN HALO. It took quite a while for their current lineup to come together. "There were just a couple of things that never felt right," said James of touring prior to the recent band additions. It was bassist Aaron Boehler who brought friend and fellow Tulsa, Oklahoma resident Brandon Lynn to the band in 2009 when the band needed a fill-in on rhythm guitar. "It just felt right after one rehearsal," James said of Brandon joining BURN HALO. In early 2010, it was Aaron again who had targeted his best friend and previous band mate Dillon Ray to take over on the drums. "The three of us living in Tulsa just gave us a great opportunity to work on the songs for tour," Aaron states. "I had been lobbying for Dillon to join the band since day one."
Songs from the band's debut album, which went on to sell over 25,000 copies, were heard frequently on WWE and ESPN, as well as the season finale of "Friday Night Lights". It also spawned the hit single "Dirty Little Girl", which features a guest appearance by AVENGED SEVENFOLD's Synyster Gates. Alternative Press had described the album as "...a raucous collection of arena-ready rock songs..." while Outburn had praised: "...this self-titled debut doesn't just rock a little, this disc is loaded with sing-along anthems that will get stuck in your head for days...this is a must have record that will spend more time spinning in your player than sitting on the shelf. 9 out of 10."
On the touring front, the band has already racked up a slew of dates with bands such as AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, BUCKCHERRY and PAPA ROACH. They'll be hitting the U.S. concert trail this summer, with dates currently being confirmed.
"Up From The Ashes" track listing:
01. Tear It Down
02. Up From the Ashes
03. Stranded
04. Threw It All Away
05. Alone
06. Stuck in a Rut
07. Give Me a Sign
08. Dakota
09. Rest My Soul
10. I Won't Back Down
11. Shine
"Human Violence", a brand new song from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE, will be premiered this Friday, May 13 at 5 p.m. EST on SiriusXM radio's "Liquid Metal" and will be replayed through the weekend. The track comes off the band's new album, "The Black Crown", which will be released on July 12 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded with heavyweight producer Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, EVERY TIME I DIE, HATEBREED) and also features the following songtitles, among others: "Cancerous Skies" and "Fuck Everything".
"'The Black Crown' is our most mature, well-produced, and well-written record as a band," SUICIDE SILENCE singer Mitch Lucker told AOL's Noisecreep. "People should come see us play songs from it live on [this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] this summer, or buy it when it comes out!"
Lucker also revealed that "The Black Crown" will be SUICIDE SILENCE's third and final release for longtime label Century Media Records. Lucker noted that the band will be free agents after the release of this album.
SUICIDE SILENCE's last album, "No Time To Bleed", sold 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort was made available on June 30, 2009 in a number of different versions.
"No Time To Bleed" was recorded with acclaimed producer Machine (LAMB OF GOD).
British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — has inked a three-album deal with Listenable Records. Her new solo CD, "The Corruption Of Mercy", will be released in Europe on June 20. She states, "[I am] so happy with it and does piss over the last album!" The cover art for the album was created by CRADLE OF FILTH artist Matt Lombard and will come in a slipcase due to its slightly "dark/close-to-the-mark" nature.
"The Corruption Of Mercy" track listing:
01 No Paragon Of Virtue
02 The World Won't Hold Your Hand
03 A Matter Of Convenience
04 Silence Please
05 Zombie
06 Pretty With Effects
07 What Lies Before You
08 Sirens
09 The Eyes That Lie
10 The Corruption Of Mercy
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/sarahcorruption.jpg
According to Tampa Bay Online, drummer Donald Tardy of Tampa, Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY has more than 140 cats. They're feral cats, and according to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, they're among an estimated 200,000 roaming Hillsborough County.
Tardy tends to more than 20 colonies, some with as few as two cats, others with nearly 30. He carefully protects their locations; some people are capable of unimaginable cruelty, while others find colonies a convenient place to dump unwanted cats. Every day he checks on "my gang," feeding the cats and, when necessary, getting them veterinary care.
"It's kind of wild when you think about it: This crazy metal dude who head bangs and plays death metal spends hours every day feeding and caring for wild cats," says Tardy. "It cracks me up just thinking about."
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