On May 11, Paolo Bianco of Italy's Musica Metal conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford about the departure of the band's founding member, Kenneth "K.K." Downing; the addition of 31-year-old guitarist Richie Faulkner (LAUREN HARRIS, DIRTY DEEDS); and the group's upcoming "Epitaph" farewell tour. Several excerpts from the chat follow below (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET from the original 15-minute audio, which can be streamed at http://musicametal.blogosfere.it/2011/05/judas-priest-musica-metal-interviews-rob-halford-may-2011.html
On what it feels like to be back playing with JUDAS PRIEST again after taking some time off in 2010:
Halford: "It always feels like it never ended. It feels like the metal has never stopped, which is a great feeling. When we're back in each other's company, and we turn the amps on and the songs start to be played, it's just magic — it's metal magic. And all the ingredients that make good metal are still very much in place — all the passion and the belief and the power of what we do in PRIEST as metal players. It's all good. And, of course, this is exciting because we're doing songs that we've never done before for this show. We're also doing some songs from a long, long time ago that we haven't played for many, many years. So the setlist is gonna be very unusual; it's very much a celebration of the life of PRIEST and music live on stage."
On the new JUDAS PRIEST guitarist, Richie Faulkner:
Halford: "We've been very, very lucky to find a guitar player like Richie, because he's a top man. He really loves metal, he loves PRIEST, and he's got all the parts [down], he knows everything, he knows exactly what he needs to do, and he learned a lot of songs in a very short span of time. So I think that just shows his caliber as a top guitar player. I think he probably still can't believe it's happening. [Laughs] So, yeah, we're very lucky and we're very happy that we found Richie. I think if we hadn't found Richie, we wouldn't be coming back to Italy; we would have had to cancel the tour and think about what to do next. But Richie is doing fantastically well, he's very excited about coming to all these different parts of the world and especially to come and play our own unique style of metal in Italy at the Milan show."
On whether JUDAS PRIEST will do any touring after the release of the band's next studio album:
Halford: "We've never followed the rules in PRIEST and we've always done what we wanted to do. We feel that it's important to make another great British metal-style classic album. So that's coming out next year. All the songwriting is completed. Me and Glenn [Tipton, guitar] wrote all the music. And we've got three tracks that are mixed and mastered and ready to go, so we're trying to figure out the best way to let them out to our fans. And we'll maybe play one or two of them live on this tour anyway, just to whet everybody's appetite and get everybody ready for the full release. So we've got a new record coming out, and that'll probably come out in the summer next year."
On whether he feels a sense of sadness knowing that the band may not be doing any more touring after the "Epitaph" tour:
Halford: "No, I don't think so. And we don't want the fans to feel sad; we want the fans to celebrate with us. I mean, everything comes to an end one way or another; that's just life. The great thing about PRIEST metal music is the metal music will live forever, and that's all that really matters to us in the band. Of course, the fans are the most important part of the life of PRIEST, so I think it's very important that all the Italian metalheads come to see this show. I'm sure at some point we would love to come back to Italy. It's just that there's some uncertainty now about a lot of things as far as the places that we will play and we may not return to. So it's very important that all of our fans come and see the show and have a great time and celebrate the life of PRIEST through the music together."
On whether he can see himself retiring from the music scene:
Halford: "Well, as a singer, you just have to face reality. You can sing forever, but the quality of your voice changes. And it's important for me to know that when I go on stage I can do the work I need to do and do my parts really well. As long as I can do that, I wanna keep doing it. I'm just being cautious. I don't know how long this voice is gonna last. But at the same time, I, personally, am not gonna say, 'By 2015, I' m gonna finish, I'm gonna stop,' because I don't think I can do that. It's not in my system. I love metal too much to say, 'By this time, I'm gonna stop doing the metal work.' One way or another, I think all of us in PRIEST will stay connected to metal; that's important for us all. . . We're just dealing with the physical situation as much as anything else. I mean, we're all in great shape. I think the feeling is 'Let's keep doing it while we're still able to do it as well it needs to be done.' And, as we said, this isn't goodbye;
this is just farewell. This is another massive, massive, very intense world tour for PRIEST. We're just gonna slow things down a little bit now."
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."
The Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund, which was founded in memory of the late singer who died in 2010, has raised over $450,000 for cancer research. Later this year, the fund will team up with Christie's, an international company that offers art auctions and private sales to clients, for a guitar and bass auction in New York City, with all proceeds going to the fund. Almost 100 instruments have been donated, including guitars from many superstars such as Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Sting, METALLICA, SLAYER and Geddy Lee.
Created by Ronnie's wife/manager Wendy, the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund is committed to the early detection and prevention of cancer through facilitating access to medical screening and medical educational programs. The fund supports programs designed to integrate medical knowledge into local communities such as cancer screening programs, education on nutrition in cancer prevention, exercise and overall wellness. The goal of the fund is to reduce the risk of developing life-threatening cancers by offering access to preventative medical services. Furthering the commitment for patients to access to quality medical care related to cancer, the fund seeks to assist families burdened by the cost of caring for loved ones with cancer.
Regarding her decision to form the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund, Wendy said in a December 2010 interview, "We decided, when Ronnie passed... 'cause his goal was he wanted to get well and do a charity and raise money for cancer research. And so when he passed away, I decided I would carry on and do that — giving it to M.D. Anderson, giving it to T.J. Martell [Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research], helping kids out with things. We have a choice of what we can do with that money and it's gotta go to the right place."
AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler's memoir, "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?", debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best seller list.
"Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" came out on May 3 and the outspoken singer is making the press rounds to talk about the book. Speaking candidly about his past drug addictions with People.com, Tyler said, "I blew 20 million. I snorted my Porsche, I snorted my plane, I snorted my house in that din of drugs and booze and being lost." He added, "I kept my medicine cabinet on stage, in a 14-inch drum head, the bottom of which contained . . . one Dixie cup (paper cup) with a straw and blow (cocaine) in it and the other with Coca-Cola and Jack Daniels in it."
But Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio that he also wanted to show a different side of himself in the book. "Being in a band with AEROSMITH, you're kind of depicted as Peck's bad boy," he said. "They love the bad boys of Boston. Everybody's intrigued by the badness of it all. And I just thought, why not just share it with the world the way it really is, and tell them my feelings about my cat, and how addicted to Christmas time I am, and hearing my kids laugh — I don't think they know that side. The press tends to put out the greasy, grimy, gopher guts side of AEROSMITH."
Tyler goes into detail in the tome about the stage injury that led him back to drugs and eventually another stint in rehab in late 2009, during which AEROSMITH flirted with the idea of hiring a new vocalist.
The singer explained to Billboard, "I wanted America to know that I didn't just go off on my own somewhere and buy some street drugs. There really was a story behind it." Saying he got hooked on painkillers after having long-delayed surgery on both feet, Tyler revealed, "I have an addictive personality and I got in trouble again. I did, and shame on me for that."
The video for Steven Tyler's debut solo single, "(It) Feels So Good", premiered on the May 12 edition of "American Idol", on which Tyler is a judge this season. The track hit the radio airwaves on May 9. Tyler also hinted to Billboard that AEROSMITH will perform on "Idol"'s season finale.
GUITAR hero D.J. Ashba went from outsider to rock's inner circle.
Pain is relative. As US rockers Sixx:A.M. looked to the ache of others as inspiration for their new album, the focus of those studies soon turned inwards.
Initially the album, This is Gonna Hurt, was a companion piece to a photography book shot by bassist Nikki Sixx.
Sixx says the portraits are mainly outsiders, a subculture society might deem as freaks.
But the music asks for deeper understanding of those portrayed and, in a wider sense, those on society's fringes.
"We are scraping the raw ending of a nerve," says guitarist D.J. Ashba.
"Beauty is only skin deep. People are so used to turning a blind eye or judging by appearance. We are doing a wake-up call."
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For Ashba, that awakening involved his own memories of a dark and abusive childhood and being an outcast.
"A lot of (the pictures) hit home for me. I had a really bad childhood," Ashba, 38, says.
"My dad was an angry guy. I remember being really little and scared to death."
Born Daren James Ashba, he was raised in smalltown Indiana and Illinois.
"I was judged my whole life, looking like I do, before I became what I became," he says.
"People always looking at me like I never fit in."
Beyond his difficult upbringing, Ashba had to contend with other barriers.
"I played music and believed in my dream and never lost focus. I caught a lot of flack for it," he says.
In one incident, police threatened to confiscate Ashba's gear for practising guitar too loudly.
"I was 16. I moved out and got a little tiny trailer in the middle of a corn field so I could play music.
He laughs: "It was like (the movie) Footloose, in a weird way.
"But I broke out of the mould. 'This is our bubble. Nothing is outside this bubble. Dreams don't exist. There are millions of guitar players: why would you ever want to go to LA?' "
But Ashba left the cornfields and conquered. Today, he is a solo artist, lead guitarist in supergroup Guns N' Roses and Sixx:A.M., a labour of love with Motley Crue star Sixx and singer James Michael.
"Now I go home and it's like the hometown hero. The fact is, I ignored everybody and followed my heart -- that's the key to any success."
But success didn't happen overnight. Ashba chased his dream to LA 20 years ago.
He played in various rock bands and declined offers, mostly with Sixx, to fast-track his career.
"I built my career organically and I think I did it the right way," Ashba says. "I turned down a lot of good gigs because I didn't feel they were right for me.
"It was never about the money or the fame. It was about following my heart and being true to who I am.
"It takes many years of eating ramen noodles, struggling, and never giving up."
Ashba, Sixx and Michael formed Sixx:A.M. in 2007. They had a hit with their debut single Life is Beautiful and album The Heroin Diaries.
Two years later, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose called. Ashba says: "(Guns N' Roses) auditioned for a year and a half on the down-low.
"They saw hundreds of guitarists. It was like going up for a movie role. You have to have the right look, right attitude, right this, right that.
"I had no idea I was on Axl's radar. He told me, 'I've been following your career for 10 years'.
"He knew everything about me. If you stay true, others will see that."
The new Sixx:A.M. album follows an honest path, too, exploring themes such as the beauty myth, poverty gap and rocker redemption, in settings from Hollywood to New Orleans.
"Sixx:A.M. is a side project, a real treat," Ashba says. "We don't write for radio. We don't have to please anyone. We write to make people think."
Outside music, Ashba, who is also a songwriter, producer and graphic designer, owns a creative agency.
He is also blissfully in love with Nicky Whelan, the Mornington beauty turned Hollywood actor.
They live together in LA's San Fernando Valley.
"I had really given up on love when I met Nicky," Ashba says.
"I had a vision of finding that one person, falling in love and living happily ever after but after years in LA, in my mind I started to really doubt it. I've been screwed over like the next guy many, many times. It was hard for me to trust it.
"But she came in and took a broken soldier and gave me a lot of love. She taught me there is a lot of unconditional love out there, still."
This is Gonna Hurt is out now.
He's one of the most versatile artists in history seguing from making music to making movies seamlessly and always creating unique, unforgettable, and undeniable art no matter the medium. Right now, Zombie's busier than ever.
He's gearing up for what's bound to be a legendary tour with Slayer aptly titled "Hell On Earth", he just wrapped up a commercial for Woolite, he's contemplating new music, and he's about to get started on his next feature, The Lords of Salem. Even though he's beyond busy, he preserves that palpable passion for every nuance and detail that made White Zombie records like Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head classics. Zombie approaches each work with a pure enthusiasm that's infectious when he speaks and even more infectious when the finished product is ready…
In between all of this, Rob Zombie sat down for an exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino about the commercial, touring with Slayer, The Lords of Salem, and what he keeps learning along the way.
Did you get to apply a lot of your personal storytelling techniques to the Woolite commercial? You have to tell a story in about 30 seconds so it's not that different from what you normally do.
Somewhat! It was an interesting situation to handle. It was just one of those projects that came to me. I wasn't searching out shooting a commercial. A lot of directors do commercials, but most of the time they don't talk about it so you don't realize it. I just thought it was cool so I'd been mentioning it. I was on tour in Australia when it came up. I got a call that this ad agency had pitched this crazy idea to Woolite, and they wanted me to direct it. They essentially wanted a commercial that the first half resembled a horror movie trailer. They needed something along those lines, and they thought I could handle it. It was fun. We shot it over two days in Vancouver. My director of photography who worked on Halloween II came in and worked with me. I like doing things like that for the experience. It was like when I did CSI, I wanted the experience of doing a television show. You just want to have it under your belt. Also, the more direct gigs I can
get between films, I always learn something from everything.
You can take everything you learn and infuse it into the next feature as well.
Yeah, there's always something because every situation calls for a different set of techniques, and it's just a good experience. Experience is the one thing that you always want to be gathering. I don't know how this is useful, but it will be at some point someday.
Your career is a testament to that. Each art form you immerse yourself in will inform the next.
Exactly! It's always good to shake it up and step outside of what you would normally do because it forces you to think about things a different way. If you're always doing the same thing, you fall into a big rut. Whenever these opportunities come up, I'm intrigued. With this commercial in particular, I was more interested in shooting the moments that weren't supposed to be dark and scary because that's a different type of challenge for me. It's something that I wanted people to see. Sometimes, people pigeonhole you. They think, "We didn't call him for that because he doesn't do that." It's nice when you have more diverse things on your resume so to speak.
Where there any commercials you remember being inspired by as a kid?
I'm sure there was stuff, but it's all sort of a blur. Some commercials are absolutely horrible, but some are absolutely brilliant. Like you said, you have to tell a story in about 30 seconds. That's how long this spot was. Some are really funny and cool. There was that famous commercial during this past Super Bowl with the little kid as Darth Vader. It was a great commercial. You're selling a product, but it's cool when it can be done in a skillful, artful way that's actually entertaining as opposed to being just crass like so many commercials are. When they come on, you just groan.
A commercial is even shorter than a song so the narrative is genuinely compact.
If you break it down, we probably told the whole story in a matter of 15 shots or something like that.
Where are you at on The Lords of Salem?
We're in early pre-production. It's a very effects-heavy movie so the effects department had to start much earlier than they have on my other films. They've been working for a month or so now, building and working on things. Once I finish the tour with Slayer, then we'll go into full-blown pre-production with everything. The difference with film as opposed to the other films I've done, the producers on this are the guys who did Paranormal Activity. They have a different company and they run it a different way. I've been working on this movie for a while in different ways. Usually, you're not working at all and the studio goes, "Okay, green light! We need it done by this time" and you're in complete madness. Whereas this time, I've already location-scouted many times so I have a lot of locations. It's a more drawn out process which is good because you get to dig deeper into the project. From the moment Halloween II started to when it was in theaters, it
was a period of about seven months. That's complete madness. You're just racing like maniac every single day to get it done. It's nice to have a little more time to reflect on what you're trying to accomplish. We'll start shooting at the end of the summer.
Are you going back to Massachusetts to shoot?
For some of it probably.
Salem has so much history that has never been really explored in a movie.
And it's a very unique-looking town when it comes to the architecture of the buildings and the streets. I had kind of forgotten. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, and I went back there recently to do some scouting. I forgot how interesting the houses and the buildings were. It's very cinematic. It's a great back backdrop for something like this.
Is the film deeply connected to your song "The Lords of Salem"?
Not really, the film idea actually came first. I had the idea for the movie a long time ago. I started writing the script and, at one point, I was possibly going to do it as a comic. I just get ideas, and I'm never really sure how they're going to manifest themselves eventually. I shelved that for a while, but I still liked the title. Then, it became a song. The song is actually sort of about the Salem Witch Trials. In the last year or so, it popped back up. I found the script, and I thought, "This is pretty cool" so I went ahead with trying to get it made.
You and Slayer do very different things, but you speak to the same audience.
I think it's a good match because it's not unlike the tour with Alice Cooper where both acts are very different, but there's a certain sensibility that crosses over in both audiences. Rather than two full sets of being pounded over the head with the same type of thing, musically we're so different and we complement each other well. It feels like it's going to be a really great tour.
Have you begun working on any new music yet?
I was actually talking about it with John 5 the other day for a long time. We're very excited to get back to it. I feel like it's been a journey back. It's like the long way around. Educated Horses was sort of this weird reformation of the band. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 was edging back to the old days. Now, with the new band, we really want to take it back to the beginning in a weird way—just a dark, crazy Zombie record. It's almost exactly like what I think people would want us to do.
MEGADETH has tapped Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis; DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD, STAIND) to produce the band's new album, tentatively due this fall via Roadrunner Records. The drum tracking for the CD began earlier this month, with the entire recording process expected to be completed by the time the group hits the road this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with DISTURBED and GODSMACK.
Speaking to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine stated about the band's upcoming album, "This is our 13th studio record, and we've already had a bunch of weird things happen. Car problems, stuff disappearing, a guy who worked for me that was the most white-laced guy you could imagine falling out on drugs and disappearing...but this one's got me excited!"
When asked if still seeing people succumb to drugs affects him as an ex-addict, Mustaine said, "I know why some people get loaded because it feels good. Some people get loaded when their teams win, some get loaded when their teams lose, some get loaded when their team's starting a game, some get loaded when nothing's even happening, but that's just a recreational, emotional thing. But when you get to that place when you're strung out [on heroin], that's a bitch, because it's not very gracious. It doesn't discriminate; it will take anybody down."
MEGADETH's platinum-certified 1986 masterpiece, "Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?", has been digitally remastered for the first time and expanded for a special 25th-anniversary release in multiple configurations. It will be released July 12 by Capitol/EMI.
All of the versions, including a 2CD lift-top box, digital album and a deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set, contain a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's first world tour and new liner notes written by Mustaine and METALLICA's Lars Ulrich.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland has admitted that he joined VELVET REVOLVER in 2003 for the money, and now says that it wasn't his best work even if he did like the music. Weiland makes this revelation in an excerpt published at RollingStone.com from his new memoir, "Not Dead And Not For Sale", which arrives on Tuesday (May 17). Weiland joined VELVET REVOLVER, which featured ex-GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum plus guitarist Dave Kushner, after he left STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. They recorded two albums before the band kicked him out for his continuing drug addiction issues.
Weiland writes in his book, "They put some songs on a CD and my wife said, 'They think you'll like what they're doing.' I didn't; it sounded like BAD COMPANY and I never liked BAD COMPANY. A week or so later another CD arrived with songs custom-designed for me."
He continues, "I wasn't sure whether I wanted to hook up with these guys. Duff said, 'There's soundtrack stuff we've been asked to do, and the money's great.' The money attracted me."
Weiland says that upon joining the group, he discovered that they had great chemistry. He writes, "There was so much energy on the stage that at times it felt combustible — anything could happen at any time. We were dangerous."
Nevertheless, the music left him unsatisfied. He says, "I can't call it the music of my soul. There was a certain commercial calculation behind it."
Weiland reunited with STP after VELVET REVOLVER threw him out.
VELVET REVOLVER has yet to find a replacement and may be on a permanent hiatus at this point.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD will headline the second annual Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, set to kick off August 26 and run through October 15. Also scheduled to appear are THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and ESCAPE THE FATE on the main stage. SEVENDUST, BLACK TIDE, ART OF DYING and THE BLACK CLOUD COLLECTIVE will perform on the Best Buy Music Gear stage.
"When we started hearing from our fans they wanted to see us back on Uproar this year, we thought, last year was a blast so let's do it again. The fans are crazy and the bands kick ass," says AVENGED SEVENFOLD's frontman M. Shadows. "We're spending the first half of summer playing some big European festivals so we're going to be ready to get back home and play America's top rock festival."
"We're thrilled to have AVENGED SEVENFOLD back as headliners," adds tour producers John Reese and John Oakes. "Their epic stage show helped elevate Uproar 2010 far beyond the standard outdoor festival. The fans wanted more, and we listened."
The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival will entertain fans with a full afternoon and evening of great rock bands and will also include a concourse midway featuring band autograph signings, vendors and other activities. The festival is being produced by John Reese, John Oakes and CAA in conjunction with Live Nation. Look for tour dates, cities and venues to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival is proud to continue their alliance with Child Find of America, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and resolution of child abduction. In addition, the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival has joined forces with the Road 2 Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing AMA licensed professional motocross and supercross riders with financial assistance if they sustain career-ending injuries. The organization also provides motivational, emotional and spiritual support to these individuals and their families.
A portion of the proceeds of each Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival ticket sold will benefit Child Find of America and the Road 2 Recovery Foundation.
"We're excited to work with the Road 2 Recovery Foundation, since so many of the Uproar crew are fans of Motocross or just love to ride," says Mike Kelso, Marketing Director for Rockstar Energy Drink.
Main Stage:
AVENGED SEVENFOLD
THREE DAYS GRACE
SEETHER
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
ESCAPE THE FATE
Best Buy Music Gear Stage:
SEVENDUST
BLACK TIDE
ART OF DYING
THE BLACK CLOUD COLLECTIVE
Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: You're on tour supporting your solo record "Avalon", which is a real departure from a typical GODSMACK album. When you first decided you were going to do a solo album, did you already know it was going to be more acoustic and laid back, or is that just how it turned out?
Sully: No, I for sure had a direction. I didn't know what it was going to sound like yet, but I had pieces written, like "Eyes Of A Child", which is the new single, and "Until Then", and so I brought those to the table so when I brought in different members to start to organize the project. But I wasn't really sure what the ultimate sound was going to be like, but I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted it to be very earthly and eclectic and hand drumming and all these authentic acoustic instruments, so on the record if you hear a cello playing, it's an actual cello. If you hear a flute, it's an actual flute, it's not somebody playing on keyboards or that kind of stuff, so I'm very proud of that. It kind of developed very organically, it started with me knowing a couple of people, those people knowing a few more people, and before we knew it we were writing pieces like the song "Avalon", which really set the tone for the project.
NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: I guess the most standout aspect of this record is that it has a female singer, Lisa Guyer, accompanying you on the album, which sounds so fresh because I'm hard-pressed to think of another rock album or group that's done that since JEFFERSON AIRPLANE. How critical are her vocals to the tone of the record?
Sully: Oh, she was a key element in this sound. She was the first one I went to. I knew right out of the box that if I was going to do this thing, I wanted to have a beautiful female singer with me. At first I was thinking of Lisa Gerrard from DEAD CAN DANCE, since that's been a massive influence on me, and if not for bands like that, I wouldn't have come up with songs like "Serenity" and "Voodoo". And so I wanted to go deeper into that genre, open it up a bit more, somewhat alternative and world music-ish but kind of have an edge to it as well. And so I thought of Lisa, I've known this girl fifteen years, she lives down the street from me, and she's just an amazing singer with a four-octave range that just never had her shot. And it almost angers me that she never had her opportunity to really shine. I'm really grateful to have her in the band, and get her career going, and let people she what she does, and she's killing it, man, killing it. When you
see this girl live, you're going to be blown away.
NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: This tour is all seated, unlike a GODSMACK show with mosh pits and what not. Should fans expect something like the solo tour you did a few years ago, or an "MTV Unplugged"-type thing?
Sully: No, not "MTV Unplugged", and not so much what I did on the solo tour; that was more of "an evening with," storytelling kind of thing, but it probably relates to that more than an "MTV Unplugged" kind of thing because even with the solo tour I've done in the past, I was trying to set a mood, a certain tone, and explain to people how powerful music really is. And I think that's what "Avalon" is, I've swelled that solo performance up into a bigger thing, but it's still kind of a trip down the rabbit hole into a journey through music, and I hope it touches people on an emotional level. I know we've come up with a beautiful lighting package for it, I've created some really great video content, and I really think it's going to be an emotional roller coaster for people. It's very powerful on a much different level, nothing like GODSMACK, but powerful emotionally and it's very impressive to me seeing eight people on stage who are all
multi-instrumentalists.
NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: Looking forward a bit, you're headlining [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem fest with MEGADETH and DISTURBED this summer, did you ever think that a band as established as MEGADETH would be opening for you?
Sully: No, not when I was younger that's for sure. I loved MEGADETH, especially their first couple of records, but I never imagined that. But I never imagined a lot of things when I was younger, I never imagined I'd get to sing with BLACK SABBATH, singing "Heaven and Hell" with them, I got to tour with METALLICA for a year and jump on stage with some of my idols in that band, I've definitely hit some milestones along the way that I've never seen coming. I think all in all it's going to be a fun tour, it's going to be a loud tour, and a lot of energy across the board. It'll be a fun summer.
DC4, the Los Angeles-based hard rock band featuring guitarist Rowan Robertson (ex-DIO) alongside brothers Jeff Duncan (ARMORED SAINT, ODIN) on lead vocals and guitar, Shawn Duncan (ODIN) on drums and Matt Duncan on bass, has inked a European deal with Metal Blade Records. The group's third album, "Electric Ministry", will be released this summer. The CD was produced by legendary producer Bill Metoyer, who has worked on a host of classic metal albums by bands such as SLAYER, W.A.S.P., FATES WARNING, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, ARMORED SAINT and D.R.I.
Commented Rowan: "It's an honor to be on Metal Blade Records! I feel that we made a very honest and powerful record and to have it released by a label that shares our love for hard music is a blessing!"
Added Jeff Duncan: "I am thrilled and honored beyond belief! I have been in the Metal Blade family as a member of ARMORED SAINT for most of my career so to have DC4 welcomed into the fold is about as good as it gets!"
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DC4HardRock.
Tree Riddle of the Ann Flint, Michigan radio station Banana 101.5 spoke to SLIPKNOT DJ Sid Wilson earlier this week about the band's current status and upcoming European tour — its first since the death last year of bassist Paul Gray.
Regarding the public comments of other members like percussionist Shawn Crahan and drummer Joey Jordison, who have insisted that they want to make a new album, while singer Corey Taylor has remained mostly ambivalent about the band's future beyond the already scheduled dates, Wilson said, "There's a lot of politics involved. We've been doing this thing for awhile now so there's a been a lot of changes in a lot of people. I guess it's just gonna depend on how we get along together when we're out on the road and whether we're able to talk it out with each other and figure all these things out that really don't have anything to do with the band but have more to do with personal issues inside the band — between each other as humans. So it's a complicated thing, man. I wish I could candy-coat it and say that everything's cool and everything is gonna be great, but it's a constant battle out there, and especially when you're choosing to do music, because your
message spreads so far and to so many people and so many people depend on what you've gotta say. And as that pressure builds, you wanna make sure that you're maintaining this message that you're trying to put out there, this positivity. And if you're not getting the equal balance of that from everybody that you're involved with in doing it, then it's hard to keep pushing that message out in a truthful and positive way that it's supposed to be. So it's just a matter of getting us all on the [same] page with each other and the only way, really, to do that is to get out there and play some shows and get together on the road. 'Cause that's how we know each other. We know each other from being home, but we grew up, we became men, we became adults on the road together. So it's gonna be an interesting summer. [Laughs]"
He added, "I think the most important thing to remember is that SLIPKNOT will always exist — whether with or without the guys in the band — and I think that's been proven since the passing of Paul and how much support we've gotten from the fans and how much greater he's become in spirit form. And with that being said, we — us nine — will always be SLIPKNOT, we'll always have our energy out there. No matter what we're doing, we're still gonna have the same minds, we're still gonna have the same outlook on life and the things that we grew up with our fans with and the way of life we have with them — not caring what anyone thinks about your lifestyle and just going for years — that's always gonna be spread by us, whether we're doing it together or separately. And we will always all be SLIPKNOT. I love all the guys like family; they're my brothers. So [I have] nothing but love for everybody and nothing but great hopes for the future."
Taylor said in a recent interview with a Grand Rapids, Michigan radio station that SLIPKNOT's upcoming European tour is a "baby step" to see where the group goes next. Taylor said, "Nothing is happening immediately; I can tell everyone that. We have no plans for an album, we have no plans to do anything other than this tour at the moment. But if it goes well, if everyone is able to kind of pull together and really do what's right for Paulie, then we'll see what happens."
On the topic of the seemingly conflicting public comments about SLIPKNOT's future made by other members of the group, Taylor added, "The only thing we've really sat down together as a band and talked about was the tour, and what we're gonna do and whatnot. But I'm not the guy who's gonna sugarcoat anything, I'm not the one who's gonna spoonfeed false hope to the fans, especially about something like this. If this tour doesn't work, this band might be over — straight up. And I'm not gonna lie; I'm not the guy that's going to lie to the fans."
Taylor did tell The Pulse Of Radio that even if this is SLIPKNOT's last tour, he'd like to see the band play the U.S. one last time. "It really depends on what happens in Europe," he said. "If it's meant to go on, it'll be very obvious to us within the first show. But even if it was our last tour, it would be good to, you know, at least do a U.S. run and just kind of let the audience say goodbye."
Jordison said in a recent interview that the band will carry on "with or without Taylor," although it should be noted that the interview with Taylor was conducted before Jordison's remarks were made public.
STONE SOUR has released the following statement:
"It is with regret that we have decided to cancel the remaining dates on our current headline tour. Our friend and drummer, Roy Mayorga, suffered a minor stroke a couple of nights ago after our show in Des Moines. He's doing great and is expected to make a 100% recovery. We apologize to all the fans and look forward to getting back out on the road with Roy in the coming months."
STONE SOUR bassist Shawn Economaki was forced to leave the band's current tour to deal with undisclosed "personal issues." For some of the recent shows, STONE SOUR continued to play with a replacement bassist.
STONE SOUR took part in the "Avalanche Tour" with SKILLET, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, HALESTORM and ART OF DYING.
The band's third album, "Audio Secrecy", has sold 171,000 copies in the United States since its September 2010 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Multinational metallers POWERWOLF have set "Blood Of The Saints" as the title of their fourth album, due in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on July 29; and August in the rest of Europe via Metal Blade Records in Europe. The CD will be released as a regular CD, a limited-edition digibook 2-CD (exact content to be revealed shortly) and on vinyl. The cover art was created by POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf.
Commented Greywolf: "We're really excited about this album. It's been a hard piece of work, but it was so goddamn worth it.
"I think on 'Blood Of The Saints' we really delivered a striking balance of mighty melodic stuff and some serious wolfish metal madness, all dressed up in some highly catchy tunes.
"We can hardly wait until the album is finally out and we can celebrate these tunes together with all of you. Be prepared!"
"Blood Of The Saints" track listing:
01. Agnus Dei (Intro)
02. Sanctified With Dynamite
03. We Drink Your Blood
04. Murder At Midnight
05. All We Need Is Blood
06. Dead Boys Don't Cry
07. Son Of A Wolf
08. Night Of The Werewolves
09. Phantom Of The Funeral
10. Die, Die, Crucified
11. Ira Sancti (When The Saints Are Going Wild)
POWERWOLF will take part in the next edition of the Power Of Metal Tour 2011 alongside SABATON, GRAVE DIGGER and SKULLFIST.
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Singer Anette Olzon's pre-NIGHTWISH band, the Swedish AOR act ALYSON AVENUE, will release its third album, "Changes", on June 19 through the group's own label Avenue of Allies. The CD was co-produced by Chris Laney (real name: Ulf Larsson), who has previously worked with H.E.A.T., CRAZY LIXX and BRIAN ROBERTSON, among others. Guest musicians on the album include Olzon, Mike Andersson (CLOUDSCAPE, PLANET ALLIANCE), Michael Bormann, Rob Marcello (DANGER DANGER, MARCELLO - VESTRY) and Tommy Stråhle.
Mats Edstöm (SHIVA) wrote one song on the album and Fredrik Berg (STREET TALK, BLOODBOUND) co-wrote another track with ALYSON AVENUE keyboardist/songwriter Niclas Olsson.
Vocalist Arabella Vitanc joined ALYSON AVENUE in June 2009.
Video footage of ALYSON AVENUE performing the song All This Time" on May 29, 2005 at KB in Malmö, Sweden can be viewed below. The clip in question features Olzon (then known by her married name Anette Blyckert; she has since divorced) alongside Niclas Olsson (keyboards and songwriting), Thomas Löyskä (bass), Tony Rohtla (guitar) and Fredrik Eriksson (drums).
Olzon made her recording debut with NIGHTWISH on the band's sixth album, "Dark Passion Play", which came out in September 2007.
Sacramento, California's WILL HAVEN will release its new album, "Voir Dire" on October 11 via Bieler Bros. Records. The follow-up to 2007's "The Hierophant" marks the return of the band's original vocalist Grady Avenell, who rejoined WILL HAVEN in October 2009 after a two-year break. The CD will also feature SLIPKNOT percussionist Chris Fehn handling bass duties, following the departure of Mike Martin, who left the group to focus on family life.
According to a press release, "Voir Dire" "builds upon the bands great sonic history but is by far the biggest, most ominous, riff-laden WILL HAVEN release to date.
The band is expected to play select shows in London, Paris, New York, Sacramento and Los Angeles later this year, with dates to be announced shortly.
"The Hierophant" was released in June 2007 through Bieler Bros. Records. The CD was WILL HAVEN's first release since 2001's critically acclaimed "Carpe Diem". It was also the group's first and only effort with singer Jeff Jaworski (formerly of RED TAPE).
Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND) and Tomas Englund (EVERGREY) have been added to the list of musicians who will make guest appearances on the new album from multi-national thrashers NIGHTRAGE, tentatively due late September via Lifeforce Records. Floga Records from Greece will make the effort available on limited-edition vinyl.
NIGHTRAGE recently completed work on 15 songs during the pre-production phase for its as-yet-untitled fifth album, which the band plans to officially start recording in June.
NIGHTRAGE's forthcoming album will feature a guest appearance by the band's former frontman Tomas Lindberg (also known for his work with AT THE GATES, THE CROWN and LOCK UP). Lindberg appeared on the band's first two albums — 2003's "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos" — before being replaced by Jimmie Strimell, who sang on 2007's "A New Disease Is Born".
Current NIGHTRAGE vocalist Antony Hämäläinen made his recording debut with the band on 2009's "Wearing A Martyr's Crown".
NIGHTRAGE is:
Antony Hämäläinen - Vocals
Marios Iliopoulos - Guitar
Olof Mörck - Guitar
Anders Hammer - Bass
Johan Nunez – Drums
Vincent Cavanagh of the U.K. atmospheric rock band ANATHEMA has issued the following update:
"This week, due to circumstances outside of our control, the full band will not be able to travel to the U.S. to perform with BLACKFIELD. Despite making every effort and exploring all avenues to make this trip possible, we were not able to find a solution.
"Our fans are our number one priority and so as not to let you down, we've generated enough support to keep most of our American Dream alive but this does still mean a few unavoidable changes to the plan.
"We wanted to let you know that instead of the full band appearing, myself and Danny [Cavanagh] will now be performing acoustically. We're really excited as it's our first time in the States and with absolute respect for fans who have bought tickets, we want to go over and give you a great show. Even though we'll be focusing mainly on the newer material, we're still ready to play some of the old songs if people want to hear them! In fact, to us, these acoustic gigs are more special and exciting in a way — they are less structured and more improvised than a full band show — there's room for a bit of freedom on the night. Additionally, due to the unprecedented style of these shows we have decided to record these rare acoustic performances for forthcoming special releases and exclusive online content.
"We really feel this is just the beginning OF ANATHEMA's U.S. story and Danny and I are looking forward to meeting everyone. We will be on the merchandise stand after every performance to greet you all and we will do our best to make sure the full band gets to tour in the USA as quickly as possible, perhaps even headlining before the end of the year.
"Whilst we realise this is a significant change from the original plan and we are disappointed that we can't perform with the full band, we are thrilled that we can still play to our fans in the USA. In true ANATHEMA spirit, the show WILL go on."
"We're Here Because We're Here", the eighth studio album from ANATHEMA, will receive its long-overdue U.S. release on June 7 on The End Records. A special, limited-edition deluxe edition will include three bonus tracks, a seven-inch single with two unreleased tracks, and a DVD 5.1 Surround Sound version of the album, along with the stereo version, both mixed by Steven Wilson of PORCUPINE TREE.
"We're Here Because We're Here" deluxe edition track listing:
01. Thin Air
02. Summer Night Horizon
03. Dreaming Light
04. Everything
05. Angels Walk Among Us
06. Presence
07. A Simple Mistake
08. Get Off Get Out
09. Universal
10. Hindsight
Bonus tracks:
01. Angels Walk Among Us - Demo Mix
02. Presence - Demo Mix
03. A Simple Mistake - Demo Mix
Special limited edition will include the above plus:
Seven-inch single:
01. Dreaming Light - Orchestral Version
02. Universal - Orchestral Version
DVD:
5.1 Surround Sound & High Resolution 24-bit stereo album mix
Download Track:
* Everything - Demo Mix
"We're Here Because We're Here" was originally released in May 2010 via Kscope Records. The self-produced CD was mixed by Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE) and features the exquisite string arrangements of Dave Stewart (STEWART/GASKIN, PORCUPINE TREE) and mastering skills of legendary Jon Astley (THE WHO, LED ZEPPELIN). The song "Angels Walk Among Us" features subtle backing vocals by Ville Valo of HIM.
German extreme metallers BETHLEHEM have announced the addition of vocalist Malte Langenbrinck (CHAOS INVOCATION) to the group's ranks.
Langenbrinck will make his live debut with BETHLEHEM at the Under The Black Sun festival, set to take place July 1-2 in Bernau/Helenau (near Berlin), Germany.
BETHLEHEM's sixth full-length studio album, "A Sacrificial Offering To The Kingdom Of Heaven In A Cracked Dog's Ear", was released in June 2009 via Red Stream Records. The LP was a re-release of BETHLEHEM's 1998 effort, "S.U.i.Z.i.D.", but remastered and remixed, along with re-recorded vocals by Niklas Kvarforth (SHINING).
Kvarforth announced his departure from BETHLEHEM in March, citing "the rapid growth of [SHINING] over the last year, and the commitment that SHINING now requires of me." He said in a statement, "BETHLEHEM is still my all-time favorite band and I wish them all the best for the future."
Red Cord Records has announced the signing of the South Carolina-based female-fronted melodic death metal band YOUR CHANCE TO DIE. The group's second album, "Suscitatio Somnus", will be released on August 16. The CD was recorded with renowned producer Jamie King (THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME).
In existence since 2007, YOUR CHANCE TO DIE has created a sound "blending death metal with hauntingly beautiful melodies to develop music that is truly unique," according to a press release. YOUR CHANCE TO DIE has a great live show that employs passion and a brutal sound that will leave you breathless and begging for more."
In 2009, YOUR CHANCE TO DIE independently released its full-length debut.
YOUR CHANCE TO DIE is:
Melissa "Missi" Avila - Vocals
Oscar "Coca" Avila - Guitar
Daniel Todd - Drums
Joshua Crawley - Bass
Chase Crouch - Guitar
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/yourchancetodiesc.
According to Metal Zone, Brian Petrowsky, former vocalist/guitarist of the long-defunct Danish death metal band INIQUITY, passed away at the age of 37. His body has since been cremated.
Petrowsky was featured on INIQUITY's debut album, "Serenadium" (1996), considered by many fans and critics to be a cult release, not the least because of Brian's unique vocals.
Israeli "dark death metal" act ETERNAL GRAY has inked a deal with Season Of Mist. The band's second album, "Your Gods, My Enemies", was recorded at Studio Underground in Sweden and will be released in the fall.
Commented ETERNAL GRAY guitarist Dory: "We are very positive that this partnership will bring us to new levels, having set a high self-standard with our debut, 'Kindless'.
"Our forthcoming album, 'Your Gods, My Enemies', is now in good professional hands and you guys can rest assured we did our best to make it sound fresh, rich and strong, a timeless piece that we're very proud of.
"Being alongside bands such as MORBID ANGEL, MAYHEM, CYNIC and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, to name but a few, we feel it's our obligation to continue working hard and step by step take ETERNAL GRAY to the top of death metal's elite.
"We expect and are ready for a full, busy schedule that will include touring, working on new material and generally keep providing you with the best we can on all fronts together with the Season Of Mist family."
ETERNAL GRAY's debut album, "Kindless", came out in 2002 via Listenable Records.
Known for its relentless touring and one-of-a-kind, fearless live show, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE — the Shreveport, Louisiana quintet now transplanted to Los Angeles , California — has announced a change in musical direction. The group's foray into black metal is exemplified by its newly designed logo and band photos.
"We were sick of getting lumped in with 'scene' and 'whatever-core' bands, so we decided to embrace our roots and just go straight black metal on the new album," says guitarist Steven Bradley. "I'd say 90 percent of the new record is straight-up black metal, so we had to change our image to match... Because, of course, that's just as important, if not more so, than the music."
Check out more photos at this location.
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE recently completed work on its second album at the band's former house in Birmingham, Alabama. Guitarist Steven Bradley told Alternative Press about the 10-song effort, "In terms of [a] heavier style of music, we don't really know how to do anything other than ADD heavy music with random whatever parts thrown in. If people enjoyed the last full-length, they would, I assume, enjoy this one. It's the same style, but taken in each direction further — it's got the heaviest stuff we've ever done and also has the catchiest stuff we've ever done and then weird stuff. I never know how to describe our music.
"Not that we're METALLICA, but we have our little style of music that we always seem to write," he continued. "I don't know; I feel like it might not be the best thing alive, but I definitely feel like we have our own style of putting things together, so I don't know that we'll ever stray too far from that, I suppose."
He added, "We know what we like — and whether we want to or not, [we] have a certain way that we seem to always do things. There's] not a pre-decided structure or anything, but you can pretty much always count on having some heavy stuff, some softer, epic stuff and some random jazz or weird things thrown in. If people are down for that, then they should be down for this."
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE's new album is due this summer via Century Media Records.
The band's last CD, "It's All Happening", sold 4,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 121 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE last year released the "It's All Happening" (Century Media Records) three-disc deluxe reissue CD, which includes the "It's All Remixed" bonus CD and DVD, featuring a variety of remixes and exclusive video. The "It's All Happening" bonus DVD includes song stems for listeners to create their own remixes as well as in-studio webisodes, tour journals, music videos and additional video content.
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