Geeks Of Doom recently conducted an interview with new JUDAS
PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner. A couple of excerpts from the chat
follow below.
Geeks Of Doom: Were you welcomed into the band?
Richie Faulkner: Absolutely. They've been nothing short of welcoming on
every front, really — on a personal level and a musical level as well. We
arranged some of the songs live to put some extra guitar solos in there to
showcase what I can do and you can't get more welcome than that. You know,
changing arrangements for classic songs like that just to accommodate what you
can do I think that's a great honor to be granted that opportunity.
Geeks Of Doom: That twin guitar sound of K.K. Downing and Glenn
Tipton was integral to JUDAS PRIEST and to metal music.
Richie Faulkner: Absolutely.
Geeks of Doom: Did you feel any pressure to be replacing a part of that?
Richie Faulkner: Not really. I mean, as a fan of the band, I know what
the fans expect. I knew what I had to do, as a player and as a fan of the band,
the job I had to do, if you know what I mean. I've always been in twin-guitar
bands, you know, [and] a fan of PRIEST and it was all the pieces
matching up like a jigsaw puzzle. Like I said, the twin guitar in PRIEST as a fan and also the songs, they all sort of made sense. So it wasn't pressure
in a sense, but it was just kind of a duty to do the best I could for the band
and the fans, really.
Geeks Of Doom: What's the reaction from the JUDAS PRIEST fans
been like?
Richie Faulkner: Well, great, really. I think they've been amazing
welcoming a new guy to the family. I think initially there was some skepticism,
which, that's natural, you know? That's going to occur when someone leaves
after 40 years. People I think have a tendency to fear the worst, even though
they should be trusting the band to pick the right guy, people tend to fear the
worst. So we always knew that within the first week of getting out there on
tour and showing people what we can do, they'd be on our side and they've been
nothing short of amazing, really. They've been really welcoming. You accept,
you understand the skepticism… but two songs, three songs into the set, they've
got their hands in the air, they're singing along, they've forgotten all that.
They're just enjoying the show. So it's been great, really. The crowd
reaction's been amazing.
Geeks Of Doom: That's fair enough. Have you ever spoken to K.K.?
Richie Faulkner: No, I haven't, no. I mean, I've heard various bits and
pieces… what he's posted on the web site, stuff like that and obviously what
the band said. You know, they told me about the situation. I haven't actually
spoken to him personally. I think that I'd like to meet him and talk to him,
but I don't think it would be an important thing for me to talk about. I think
that's the decision he's made and you have to respect that. I'd like to talk to
him about other things maybe what he's doing now or guitars or something, you know?
As I said, he made the decision and I think everyone's got to respect that. And
I think there would be other things to talk about; he probably wouldn't want to
talk about that either, you know what I mean? So [I would] probably talk to him
about motorbikes and guitars and crap like that.
DEF LEPPARD vocalist Joe Elliott has posted
the following message on the band's official web site:
"By now most of you will know that my father passed away after a long
illness, on July 7th, aged 81. This is why some of our shows have been
rescheduled, and quite frankly, why I might have been 'off my game' recently,
and for that I can only apologize.
"Going into the rehearsals and tour, even with a sick father's blessing,
is a lot harder than I imagined it to be, and through all the jokes and smiles
during interviews and indeed up on stage, there's an inherent sadness and worry
you just can't shake... and as we like to say, you can't unscramble an egg, ...
It IS hard to deal with, but you all know, we are the kings of getting on with
it, so we shall prevail.... which brings me back to the title of this piece.
"Last night was the first show back after the enforced break, the first
show I've ever done without a father, and can I say to the good people of Cincinnati, Ohio,
THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT THAT LITTLE BIT EASIER TO DEAL WITH BY BEEING 'SO'
GOOD!!!
"I'll admit, I ran out of gas last night. By 'Photograph' I had
nothing left to give... It WAS emotional, yes, but it was over 100 degrees on
stage, too, which didn't help either, but you guys carried me over the last
part of the show on a wave of goodwill that I will never forget!
"I had to get the first show, wherever it might have been, out of the way,
to help me move on as it were, and after experiencing a reception like we did
last night, I wouldn't have wanted it anywhere else!!!
"I hope the rest of the shows are as good, and I'm sure they will be, but
for now, last night emotionally at least has helped me through the hardest few
weeks of my life, and I thank you all for that.
"Also, I thank everyone who has sent condolence messages to my mum and me,
mainly through the Planet Rock account. Way too many to reply to, so
please take this as a great big THANK YOU!! My old man would be well proud!!! …
as he was when I photographed him sat on Rick's [Allen] kit at
the Don Valley Stadium gig back in 1993. The photograph below is something I
thought I'd like to share with you all.
"Once again, thank you all so very much for your support over these last
few very difficult weeks ..."
John Benson of The Vindicator recently conducted an interview with POISON singer Bret Michaels. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Vindicator: Naturally, 25 years together is an important milestone
for you guys. Should fans be surprised you're celebrating it as an opener?
Bret: It's been incredible so far to be performing on the summer tour
with MÖTLEY CRÜE and the NEW YORK DOLLS with my band POISON.
When I was out solo last fall, I said to the crowd, "Wouldn't it be cool
for POISON and MÖTLEY to do a tour together?" And it all
came together. It's an amazing milestone for us, and seeing all the generations
of fans together is just mind-blowing and awesome. The energy the crowd brings
to the table is great and that, for me, is just the best feeling.
The Vindicator: Any funny memories of MÖTLEY CRÜE from decades
ago? Was there ever a rivalry between bands?
Bret: We're having a blast and we've always had fun. Back when we were
starting out it was just always a great time and full of pyrotechnics and
incredible energy. People love to stir up drama about POISON and MÖTLEY,
but honestly we're just two bands bringing our music to the fans.
The Vindicator: It's been a while since POISON released any new
material. Any ideas when fans can expect your next album?
Bret: I'm not sure when that will happen. But I'm sure that it will one
day. I love writing music, and I love those guys. When the time is right and
the inspiration hits, I'm sure we'll all find ourselves back in the studio
together. Music is, without a doubt, what keeps me going.
On July 17, CHEAP TRICK and its crew, along with
other stage personnel, narrowly averted death when the MNBA Stage roof at the
2011 Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest fell on the stage during their evening
performance. Several thousand fans were also lucky to escape basically
unharmed.
While honored by the concern and support expressed for their well-being, CHEAP
TRICK is as interested in ensuring that no other band or crew experience
the same potentially lethal hazard.
"We simply want to know: what are the companies and organizers doing to
protect the next act and the next audience?" said band manager Dave
Frey. "Every act and every fan ought to be asking the same question
when attending an outside musical event."
While weather likely contributed to the incident, CHEAP TRICK notes that
the multi-ton stage roof that fell on everyone on the stage must be properly
explained, especially when nearby tents and other temporary structures stood
untouched. "Was it a design flaw? Was it an implementation mistake? These
are important questions that must be answered," Frey added.
The incident is now under independent and Ontario government investigation. CHEAP
TRICK is actively participating in those efforts and urges all parties
involved to do the same.
CHEAP TRICK plans to continue pressing for a full accounting of what
happened and is dedicated to ensuring that proper safety measures are taken at
future concerts.
According to DemocratAndChronicle.com, at least five people were accused
of driving drunk after the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival concert
Tuesday night (July 26) at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, New York.
The following people were charged with driving while intoxicated, a
misdemeanor:
* 23-year-old East Rochester woman, who was
also charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of
marijuana, a violation.
* 45-year-old Hamburg, Erie County
woman who was also charged with aggravated DWI, and failure to obey a police
officer and improper turn signal — both traffic infractions.
* An Amherst, Erie
County man who was also
charged driving with a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08 percent and
following too closely.
* 29-year-old Buffalo man who was also charged with driving with a
blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08 percent and third-degree aggravated
unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors, and was ticketed for inadequate
exhaust, a violation.
* 29-year-old North Tonawanda, Niagara County woman who was also charged with
driving with a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08 percent.
As previously reported, 15 people were arrested during Friday night's (July 22) MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and NEW YORK DOLLS concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. Eight people, all
from outside the area, were charged with underage drinking. All were issued
tickets to appear August 15 in Darien Town Court.
According to Austin360.com, SLAYER has been confirmed for the
sixth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest, set to take place November 4-6, 2011 at Auditorium Shores
in Austin, Texas.
The Fun Fun Fun Fest has emerged to be a yearly staple in the Austin music scene. It
offers punk/hardcore, indie rock, hip hop/DJ, and comedy acts. It's centered
around independent music, creativity, and progressive music.
Fun Fun Fun Fest has built a reputation over the past five years for a
friendly, quirky atmosphere (including veggie dog-eating contests and a
mechanical bull), and noteworthy bookings.
According to NME.com, Facebook has denied that it has banned the iconic cover art of NIRVANA's 1991
album "Nevermind" — featuring a naked baby boy floating in a
pool — from being posted from the site.
It was reported yesterday that after product shots of the album — which is
celebrating its 20th anniversary this fall — were uploaded to NIRVANA's Facebook page, the social networking company removed the photo citing a violation of its
Terms of Use. However, representatives for the web site have told NME.com this is not the case.
"The photo on the cover of 'Nevermind' album does not actually
violate Facebook's terms," a statement from Facebook reads.
"Facebook does allow photos of naked children 'that are clearly
unable to stand on their own' in a non-sexual situation — so, in other words,
babies. Why? Put it this way — if a parent wanted to share some photos of a
newborn with their grandparents, we wouldn't want them to not be able to share
them on Facebook."
Due out on September 27, the 20th-anniversary deluxe edition of "Nevermind" will arrive as a remastered CD and digital release, a two-disc set featuring
B-sides and demo recordings, and a "super deluxe" four-CD/one-DVD
limited edition that will include an alternate mix of the album by producer Butch
Vig. This version will also come with a 90-page book and a CD/DVD of NIRVANA's
1991 Halloween gig in Seattle.
A vinyl edition of "Nevermind" will also be released, along
with separate Blu-ray and DVD versions of the Halloween 1991 show.
All but the standard CD will feature dozens of previously unreleased
recordings, obscure B-sides, alternate mixes, radio sessions, studio rarities
and live tracks.
The new mix by Vig will be substantially different from the final album
mix by Andy Wallace that was released commercially.
The Halloween 1991 show is the only known NIRVANA concert shot on film
and has been transferred to a high-definition picture with Surround Sound.
San
Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD will release their new album, "Unto
The Locust", on September 27 via longtime label Roadrunner Records.
The CD was recorded at JingleTown Studios in Oakland, with frontman Robb Flynn producing. The mixing duties were handled by Flynn and Juan Urteaga (EXODUS, SADUS, TESTAMENT, NIGHT RANGER, VICIOUS
RUMORS, HEATHEN, VILE, CATTLE DECAPITATION). (Note:
Due the recent passing of his ex-wife and manager, Colin Richardson [BULLET
FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY, TRIVIUM] was
unable to oversee the mix.)
"Unto The Locust" standard CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
"Unto The Locust" special-edition CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
08. The Sentinel (JUDAS PRIEST cover) *
09. Witch Hunt (RUSH cover) *
10. Darkness Within (Acoustic) *
* Bonus tracks
DVD:
* "The Making Of Unto The Locust" Documentary
An advance mix of the new MACHINE HEAD song "Locust" was released via iTunes on June 14 and was included on an iTunes
Mayhem digital sampler. Download cards for the digital sampler are being
distributed at every date of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival so fans can redeem the song after being summarily kicked in the face by MACHINE
HEAD's always devastating live show.
Flynn previously stated about the meaning of the song, "'Locust' is a metaphor. Locusts fly in a swarm, but they can't control which direction
they fly; they float on the wind, they land, cause massive destruction, and
then float away on the wind to leave you in the aftermath. The song is a
metaphor for a type of person that sometimes comes into your life and has a
similar effect."
Musically, the song is the essence of what MACHINE HEAD have been doing
for nearly two decades. "It feels like the culmination of what we've been
doing for the last 17 years: power grooves, patented MACHINE HEAD harmonics, crushing guitars and dark melodies, but taken to a new level," Flynn said. "It's a natural progression from [2007's] 'The Blackening',
but different than anything on that record. In the past, when we debuted a new
song, it was usually the fastest, thrashiest tune. This time we wanted to go
with something just straight-up heavy."
The song is eight minutes in length, which is not unfamiliar territory for the
band. Flynn even joked, "We still can't seem to write a damn song
under six minutes. But MACHINE HEAD aren't writing music for the radio
or MTV. This is for us. This is for the metalhead who let's music take
him on a journey. This for the metalhead for whom music is the only thing that
matters, to whom music is a savior. The music fan who's going to study every
detail of the artwork, go online and find the lyrics and memorize every word,
and let it take them away from their fucked up life for a while. It's for the
music freak, who maybe just wants to get hammered, air-guitar and sing at the
top of his lungs, and act like an friggin' idiot while starting a moshpit in
their living room with reckless abandon. Because that's who wrote this song,
and that is the only people we care about connecting with."
"Locust" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below
(courtesy of Roadrunner Records).
MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel's track-by-track breakdown of "Unto
The Locust" (courtesy of Sonic Excess):
01. I Am Hell (Sonata In C#) consisting of three parts I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell and III) Ashes To The Sky
Demmel: "I Am Hell", the opener, is actually a sonata.
It's a song in three parts, and it's the pyromaniac song that I was talking
about. You know, it's the most brutal song MACHINE HEAD has ever
written. It's got to at least be eight minutes long. So, it starts off with,
you know, I'm not going to break down the music too much. I mean it's still
pretty early before the record comes out but it's a three-part tune.
02. Be Still And Know
Demmel: "Be Still And Know", which is, uh, kind of a
few riffs that I threw together that kind of got shelved for a minute, got put
away, and got brought back from the dead when I came in one day and those guys
were kind of jamming on it. It kind of got some chest compressions, and it got
brought back to life. Epic jam. It's about struggle, and overcoming struggle,
and knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel is only there if that light
shines inside of you. The title was… Like, my grandmother handed down all of
her grandchildren bible verses in all their Easter cards and Christmas cards.
She used to sign one to each, and mine was Psalm 46, which is, "Be still,
and know that I'm the Lord". Basically, be steadfast. Know that you will
get through, and this shall pass. It kind of fit into the tune and kind of fit
into the chorus. I mean, I got it tattooed on my arm around eight years ago.
So, it's been kind of my mantra through my life. So, I'm really stoked that Robb chose to title the song that.
03. Locust
Demmel: "Locust", is a concept I came up with, based on
a few people I have encountered in my life, just like everybody has. The type
of person that just comes into your life under a different guise, under false
pretenses, to befriend you, be your buddy, be your man, be on your team, or,
you know, to be your lover or whatever. Their goal is just to soak up all your
resources and just to drain you of all you've got, whatever you have to offer.
Once they're discovered, they fly off into the next crop and drain that of
everything. Yeah, it just feels like hell.
04. This Is The End
Demmel: "This Is The End", a burner, one of the faster MACHINE
HEAD songs ever. (laughs) Robb and David [McClain,
drums] got together, and we took a break from everything after touring for
three years. We took about a six-month break, got back together, and wrote this
song. It's really fast. Kind of a death metal song, but it's got the classical
sound like a death metal tune. The whole record has kind of neo-classical feel
to it. The song, Robb's going to have to describe the lyrics. It's
basically about people kind of living and not being able to accept present
times and moving on to things.
05. Darkness Within
Demmel: "Darkness Within", this song is probably the
biggest departure of our record, in terms of when we did "Descend The
Shades Of Night" on "Through The Ashes". It's kind of
a ballad, with acoustic guitars. This one I'm going to leave up to something of
a surprise. All of my friends that aren't kind of into metal say, "Damn,
is that you guys?" It's a beautiful, beautiful song. Still heavy, but us
growing as musicians. It has my favorite, the best solo I've ever done for this
band, so far, dripping with emotion. I'll leave it at that.
06. Pearls Before The Swine
Demmel: "Pearls Before The Swine", which was a song
about addiction. It was a song without lyrics really for a while, without a
concept. We kind of came up with an idea to write about addicts and addiction,
when talking to each other and watching "Breaking Bad" episodes to kind of catch up and start again to see it. (laughs) It's not a
song about hope. It's just a song about being in the throes of addiction, in
its claws, and a lot of my lyrics are in there. So, there's a lot of
descriptive thoughts of addiction. It's not a song of hope for sure. It's not "Stairway
To Heaven". It's not a song of hope for sure.
07. Who We Are
Demmel: And the last song is a song called "Who We Are",
which another song that Robb wrote. He and Dave kind of had it
before I started writing for the record. I took some time off last year to deal
with some personal stuff. This one and the other one I talked about earlier are
the two that Robb had already written and brought. You know, he had all
this music pouring out of him, and he had to get it out…so. Yeah, I don't know
really how to describe those two, so I'm going to refrain from doing that.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/machineheaduntolocust.jpg
Jeffrey
Easton of Metal
Exiles recently conducted an interview with drummer Dave McClain of
San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD. A couple of excerpts from
the chat follow below.
Metal Exiles: It has been a long time since "The
Blackening" came out. What has held up a new record besides touring?
Dave: We toured for three years on "The Blackening" and
when we got off the road last year we went our separate ways. We needed some
family time and to decompress or do whatever before we got back in writing
mode. When we did get back together, it was for a few days a week to see what
we had going on and as the songs started building we were practicing more. We
wanted to get in and write the record, but we did not want to rush it, but this
[Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] tour came on our
radar so we gave ourselves a deadline to get into the studio and get it done so
we got pretty busy towards the end of last year.
Metal Exiles: Considering the length of time you spent on the road for "The
Blackening", do you feel with record sales the way they are that it is
necessary to stay out on the road longer?
Dave: "The Blackening" kept doing better so it just
snowballed for us. Seven years before ,we did not know if we were going to be a
band so we were just soaking it in. Then METALLICA came around the last
year and a half of our tour so we did some random dates with them then it
turned into a full-blown tour. Now with record sales the way they are, it is
all based around live shows, so it is good that we can keep touring and keep it
going.
Metal Exiles: The first single is "Locust", [which
features] a lot of great time changes and [is] very aggressive. Why was this
chosen as the first single and is this a precursor of what we should expect
from the entire record?
Dave: We chose "Locust" because it is, against the
other material, middle of the road. It is between the dark stuff we do and the
fast brutal stuff. "Locust" just turned into a song for us,
just like "Halo" did. We fell in love with the song and when
it came time to pick the single, it was just the obvious choice.
Metal Exiles: Is this record picking up where "The
Blackening" left off, and what new ground are you guys trying to plow?
Dave: We did not have a set plan when we went into writing, but we did
not want to write "The Blackening Part Two". We were not going
to write a bunch of 10-minute songs or three-minute songs; we just went into it
blind. We have this musical freedom that we have enjoyed on the last three
records, starting with "Through The Ashes Of Empires", as we
do not have any outside influences, nobody looking over our shoulder watching
what we are doing.
Metal Exiles: You drummed with SACRED REICH in the early '90s.
What is your best SACRED REICH moment?
Dave: First was just getting the gig with those guys. I was 25 at the
time and they were my favorite band at the time. I auditioned for them and they
told me I had the gig and they were going to be out on the road with SEPULTURA.
It was a dream come true for me. We got to tour with PANTERA on the "Vulgar
Display Of Power" tour when that album had just blown up.
The metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie
Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg
Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob
"Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — is continuing work on its
third album at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio
set up. The group states via Twitter, "We are finishing up the
music this weekend and starting on vocals next week! Our heaviest record yet! Hellyeah!"
In an April 2011 interview with the Artisan News Service, Vinnie Paul stated about HELLYEAH's plans for the next studio CD, "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."
When asked why he thought HELLYEAH resonated with so many fans, Vinnie said, "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."
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.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates were interviewed for the September 2011 issue of Guitar
World magazine (see cover below). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow
below.
Guitar World: Do you believe it was Mike's [Portnoy, ex-DREAM
THEATER drummer who played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's 2010 album "Nightmare" and toured with the band for the latter part of last year] intention to stay on
with [AVENGED SEVENFOLD]?
Gates: I think he definitely wanted to. And it would have been really
nice. He's a great guy and a great drummer, and we consider him family. But
it's just… He's "Mike Portnoy." He's established. He makes a
lot of money. More than we can really dish out, especially at this point. And
my whole thing after Jimmy ["The Rev" Sullivan, AVENGED
SEVENFOLD's late drummer] died was if we were ever going to do this, I
wanted to give a young kid a chance. That would have been a dream come true, to
breathe some new life from a death. And so this feels right. And unfortunately, Mike made some decisions that I don't know if he's super happy with at
this point, and that weren't very conducive to his well being.
Vengeance: When Mike first came on for "Nightmare",
he was sincerely genuine in the fact that he was there to help us fulfill Jimmy's
legacy, and for that we'll always be so thankful and appreciative. And,
truthfully, he was really the only man for the job. But I think he was also
searching for new things to do, music-wise. I know for a fact he was starting
to lose the romance of DREAM THEATER a little bit. That had been going
on from before he knew us. And then "Nightmare" came out and
it was a Number One album, and the tours were huge, and I think it was exciting
for him. I think his intentions were pretty clear that he wanted to be a member
of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. But we weren't ready to have a new member. And
truthfully, he's not the right fit anyway. When he went and quit DREAM
THEATER, that was something we had no say in, because he's a grown man and
he makes his own decisions. But we had urged against it, fully knowing we
weren't ready to commit to him. But it's his life.
Guitar World: He enjoyed being a part of AVENGED SEVENFOLD.
Gates: Yeah, we had a blast. I think he liked the young energy. Mike's
an outgoing, rock-star type of dude, so he was definitely enjoying the party.
Because it's a different atmosphere than DREAM THEATER. When those guys
play, it's a very intense thing that requires a lot of concentration. It's a
different vibe with us.
Guitar World: How did [the current AVENGED SEVENFOLD touring
drummer] Arin [Ilejay] come into the picture?
Vengeance: We decided to take one day to try out some different guys,
knowing there was a chance that things wouldn't continue with Mike. We
weren't willing to do open auditions or any of that shit, but what we did was
we asked our producer, Mike Elizondo, if he knew of anyone young and up
and coming, and we asked Jimmy's drum tech, Mike Fasano, if he knew
anyone. Then we also auditioned one kid we saw on YouTube playing some
of our songs who we thought was awesome. Arin was Mike Fasano's
guy, and he was the second guy we tried out. He came in and was probably the
skinniest, most nervous kid I've ever seen. We'd never heard of any of the
bands he had played in, knew nothing about him, but he sat down and just
started wailing. It reminded me of John Bonham or something. We all had
these huge smiles on our faces.
Gates: Arin just absolutely fucking nailed it. He came in and
played so fucking tight and knew Jimmy's parts perfectly, all the little
nuances and grooves and techniques. It was amazing.
Guitarist Chris Caffery (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SAVATAGE) will soon release his first commercial hot sauce through High
River Sauces. More details will be made available soon.
High River Sauces was started by music industry veteran, food junkie and
heavy metal cookbook author Steve "Buckshot" Seabury. His
cookbook titled "Mosh Potatoes - Recipes, Anecdotes & Mayhem From
The Heavyweights Of Heavy Metal" (Simon & Schuster) is a
collection of recipes from the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal.
While putting together the cookbook, Seabury found that his passion for
BBQ and hot sauces was shared by many of his favorite icons. After getting such
a great response from his friends and family, he decided to start High River
Sauces.
Seabury recently sat down with Mike Hultquist of Hot Sauce
Madness, a web site that caters to fans of fiery foods and extreme hot
sauces. They discussed his inspiration for creating new recipes, the tour
sauces, goals for the future and his love of heavy music. You can read his
interview and the review of the Hellacious Hot Sauce at this location.
High River Sauces has three different hot sauces that are currently
available for purchase exclusively on this summer's biggest tours; the Willie
Nelson Throwdown Country Tour (Hillbilly Hellfire Hot Sauce), the Vans
Warped Tour (King Scott Hot Sauce) and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem
Festival (The Devils Blood Hot Sauce). Each hot sauce is an artisan sauce
that promises to give fans who love fiery foods a unique culinary experience.
Each recipe captures the finest ingredients, variety of spices and the hottest
of peppers to bring you the exceptional blend of heat and balance of expressive
flavor.
A portion of proceeds from each bottle sold on these summer tours will benefit
the Unite The United Foundation. A charitable organization to help
communities hit by natural disasters throughout the United States. Please check out the
merchandise tables at these tours and pick up a couple of bottles.
Metal Blade Records and Slave Pit Inc. are
once again teaming up to put on the wildest party of this or any other
summer...the 2011 GWAR B-Q is on for September 17 at Hadad's Lake in
Richmond, Virginia, featuring two full stages of rock before the final, climactic
performance from the mighty GWAR. And this will be no ordinary GWAR set (if such a thing could exist...) as original GWAR bass player Mike
Bishop (the first Beefcake the Mighty) will join the band for a very
special set of songs from the "Scumdogs" era, before turning
over the stage to the latest incarnation of the universes most dangerous band!
"After slacking off for easily four or five minutes, the slaves of GWAR are back at it, laboring ceaselessly to satisfy our muddied desire and provide
you with the sick shit you crave," said crass uber-thing Oderus Urungus.
"Everyone is ordered to attend the GWAR B-Q and pay homage to their
undead overlords of necrotic filth, US, the mighty GWAR, and maybe even
join us for a yummy grilled baby-ass."
Main Stage:
GWAR
DARKEST HOUR
KEPONE
MENSREA
DBX
GROUNDSCORE
Second Stage:
BATTLE MASTER
WHITE CROSS
THE OCCULTIST
BLOODY CRACKDOWN
In addition to all this great music, there will be BBQ cook-offs, the return of
The Spew-O-Lympic's and American A-hole competitions, a jousting exhibition
from the Cutthroats Bike Gang, a Bloody T-Shirt contest and of course, all the
wet and wonderful fun that Hadad's Lake offers!!
Don't miss the most insane party in the history of the most insane band to ever
curse this Earth! Get your tickets in advance for only $20 as this gig is sure
to sell out fast. There are a limited amount of tickets available so be sure to
get yours at www.gwar.net.
Tickets will be $25 at the door on the day of the event.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/gwarbq.jpg
EXODUS and DARK FUNERAL have been confirmed to
appear on the Sweden Rock Cruise. The ship Tallink Silja Galaxy will
departs from Stockholm, Sweden on October 6 and make a round trip to Turku, Finland
to return to Stockholm
23 hours later. Also scheduled to appear are Canadian bands ANVIL and HELIX,
with two more acts yet to be announced.
For more information, visit www.swedenrockcruise.com.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/exoduscruise.jpg
ANVIL are true defenders of the faith and they've
never lost sight of their vision to create uncompromising, dyed in the wool
heavy metal. They have been on a rock 'n' roll journey for the past 30 years
and while few bands can make it to the three year mark, ANVIL have
closed in on three decades of the most uncompromised and ear-pleasing metal
known to headbangers. The band's career has developed into a very public rocket
ride into the musical and pop culture stratosphere only recently, though.
Ever since the award-winning documentary "Anvil! The Story of
Anvil" propelled the Canadian band from their respectable, hard-earned
status as a band revered by the likes of METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and GUNS N' ROSES, and not to mention, "Anvil!" director Sascha
Gervasi, who served as a former roadie for ANVIL and was compelled
to make a film about this object of his affection, to a heavy metal feel good
story that attracted an exponential amount of new fans to a heritage band, ANVIL founding members, vocalist/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and
drummer Robb Reiner, have made sure that one thing remains constant. And
that's their dedication to their music.
While they continue to craft new, relevant and exciting hard rock music, it's
their history and their catalog that ensures ANVIL's firm and immovable
place in the annals of metal history. Their status as legends is inarguable,
even though they are still active as ever.
Overall, though, ANVIL don't have their own chapter in the heavy metal
encyclopedia; they have their own volume, thanks to a rich, revered cannon that
old fans continuously revisit, all the while attracting new fans to their lair
with continued quality music. That's how damn good ANVIL are…
…And that's precisely why The End Records, which also released the
band's fourteenth album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", earlier this
year, is choosing to celebrate ANVIL's career with "Monument Of
Metal: The Very Best Of Anvil", a 19-track career retrospective that
will earn "must-own" and "must-hear" status for fans both
fans new and old.
Due on September 27, this set collects choice cuts from ANVIL's career
and the track listing was hand-selected by the members of ANVIL and
spans their three-decade career. It is designed to show you why the
aforementioned likes of GUNS 'N ROSES, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD, ANTHRAX, SLAYER and more have praised ANVIL as pioneers
and way pavers in the heavy metal world. It's a retrospective spanning the
band's entire iconic career and a comprehensive heavy metal history lesson
captured on record.
"This compilation demonstrates the full diversities of the ANVIL's
sound and feel, from the classics though the dark years to the current,"
said rhythm-keeper Reiner about the songs collected in this set.
"These tracks are more to do with power and melody rather than just the
speed aspect, although there relevant gems included here! We could endlessly
compile ANVIL tracks, as most are outstanding in their own rights. I
feel this 'Monument Of Metal' makes a
statement introducing Anvil to new pounders along satisfying the
faithful."
Lips concurred, saying, "This compilation is a great diverse
collection of ANVIL's history. It's a good retrospective of 30-plus
years of the creating and recording of ANVIL's music. These tracks are
among some of our favorites." He did admit that choosing songs was no easy
task, since each of ANVIL's songs is a like a kid to him, saying,
"Picking them was not easy as generally speaking we love everything we've
ever done....otherwise we wouldn't have recorded the music to begin with. This
will serve as a great introduction to ANVIL as well as make for great
listening pleasure for our old diehard fans. Enjoy and stay heavy!!!"
"Monument Of Metal: The Very Best
Of Anvil" track listing:
01. Metal On Metal (re-recorded from "This Is Thirteen", 2009
/ originally from "Metal On Metal", 1982)
02. Winged Assassins (re-recorded, originally from "Forged In
Fire", 1983)
03. 666 (from "This Is Thirteen", 2009)
04. Thumbhang (from "This Is Thirteen", 2009)
05. School Love (re-recorded, originally from "Hard 'N'
Heavy", 1981)
06. Heat Sink (from "Metal On Metal", 1982)
07. March Of The Crabs (instrumental) (from "Metal On Metal",
1982)
08. Plenty Of Power (from "Plenty Of Power", 2001)
09. Mothra (from "Metal On Metal", 1982)
10. Sins Of The Flesh (from "Worth The Weight", 1992)
11. Jackhammer (live) (from "Past And Present; Live In
Concert", 1989)
12. Juggernaut Of Justice (from "Juggernaut Of Justice", 2011)
13. No One To Follow (from "Absolutely No Alternative", 1997)
14. Mad Dog (from "Strength Of Steel", 1997)
15. Bottom Feeder (from "Back To Basics", 2004)
16. Race Against Time (from "Still Going Strong", 2002)
17. American Refugee (from "This Is Thirteen", 2007)
18. Fire In The Night (from "Pound For Pound", 1988)
19. Park That Truck (from "Speed of Sound", 1999)
The bands we remember are always sexy, dangerous,
unpredictable, and wildly over the top. Electro-rock group DIAMOND BABY is all that and more. With their debut single, "The Last Rockstar", DIAMOND BABY are throwing the ultimate 21st century sonic soiree, and
everyone is invited.
"The Last Rockstar" is quite the event. Sliding from a
swaggering beat into seductive crooning, the tune resounds with an anthemic and
propulsive prowess. The track officially hits iTunes in late August.
However, DIAMOND BABY recently released the music video for the
danceable "The Last Rockstar" online, and it immediately went
viral racking up over 100,000 views in a few days.
With "Glee" star Jane Lynch, iconic actress Juliette
Lewis, Verne Troyer, and MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister showing up to the party, the video showcases DIAMOND BABY rocking in
front of a packed crowd of gorgeous faces, while introducing each of the
characters that make up the quintet.
There's Ace Of Diamonds (lead vocals), Lisa The Lover (keyboards), Duke Oz (guitar), Mr. Fitz (bass), and Baron Von
Storm (a.k.a. Matt Sorum; drums). They're all an integral part of
this elegantly entrancing electro rock bash.
"The whole concept of DIAMOND BABY is Studio 54 meets '80s
decadence and New Wave," reveals Ace Of Diamonds. "We wanted
to bring that glitz and glamour back. It's an experience."
That experience has already been lauded and shared online by the likes of Perez
Hilton and Rolling Stone. However, it really comes to life on the
group's forthcoming full-length album (exact release date to be announced).
Ace Of Diamonds goes on, "The undertone of everything is very sexy
and celebratory. It's okay to escape into music. This is about accepting who
you are and going for what you really want in life. You've got one shot, so
take it, go for it."
DIAMOND BABY have certainly gone big on their debut tune, but with their
larger-than-life alter egos and even larger theatrical panache, they're going to
shine. "The visual aspect of the band is crucial," she adds.
"Everyone has an alter ego, and it's all part of the show."
Von Storm echoes that sentiment, "It's time to experiment and have
a good time again."
According to the Mill Valley Patch, CHICKENFOOT/ex-VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar is one of seven residents of Mill Valley — a city
in Marin County, California, located about 4 miles north of San Francisco —
picked to receive 2011 Milley Awards.
The Milleys were created by Abby Wasserman in 1988 to honor one
local person a year for their creative achievements. By 1995, the Art
Commission realized that Mill Valley suffered from an overwhelming
abundance of great artists, and expanded the event to include five recipients.
The 2011 Milley Awards ceremony will take place on October 23.
SLIPKNOT recently completed a three-week European
tour that was the band's first run of dates since the death of bassist Paul
Gray in May 2010. Singer Corey Taylor, who has been unsure of SLIPKNOT's
future since Gray's death, told Artisan News last week that
"It's more about trying to figure out what it means to me in this day and
age. I mean, I know what the original music means to me; it's something that I
will always be proud of. I'm trying to figure out what the next steps are. And
without Paul, and the way that the turmoil in the band is right now,
it's gonna take some time. The tour went really well that we just did, so
that's a step in the right direction. But there's still a lot of things that
we've gotta work on before we can run back in and be like, 'OK, let's do
another album.' It's like, let's slow down a little bit. It's here if we want
it. But if we make the wrong choices for the wrong reasons, then it could all
[snaps fingers] go like that, and I don't wanna be a part of that."
SLIPKNOT concluded its three-week European tour on July 10 with a
headlining set at England's Sonisphere festival. Taylor said he had a good time. "I did enjoy the show," he said. "The
whole tour has been great. Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who
participated in the two minutes of silence for Paulie; he would have
been so proud."
Drummer Joey Jordison also said earlier this year that SLIPKNOT can carry on "with or without" Taylor.
Taylor, for his part, has been touring with his other band STONE SOUR and has indicated that he would like to return to the studio with that group
next.
Western Australia's
masters of progressive metal experimentation VOYAGER have signed with
the New Jersey-based prog metal pros at Sensory Records for the release
of the band's upcoming fourth full-length album, "The Meaning Of
I".
Conceived in 1999 by German-born musician Danny Estrin, VOYAGER is certainly well known throughout the prog metal circuit worldwide, having
carved an incredible, diehard cult fan base since inception. The unit's
previous three albums display their unique and even strange integration of
symphonic, electronic and progressive elements crafted into a seamless,
incredibly executed, multi-genre style all their own, bridging gaps between
metal subgenres and even verging on '80s pop.
The official street date for the incredibly layered "The Meaning Of
I" is set for October 11, 2011. But the band are also aiming this
release to be available to fans in-person at their upcoming performance
September 16 at the annual ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia,
where VOYAGER will share co-headline slots of the massive festival with THERION, IHSAHN, SANCTUARY, DREAM EVIL, LABYRINTH and more.
Just days prior to ProgPower, on September 11, VOYAGER will make
their debut North American performance at a one-off show in New York City
alongside now-labelmates CREATION'S END.
With an impressive history of Australian music awards, as well as many titles
of "album of the month" in Romanian, Finnish, Italian, German and
Belgian music press, VOYAGER's notoriety for their energetic live
performances has captured audiences worldwide. The band have battled
geographical isolation to tour Europe twice, perform at ProgPower Europe 2006
and share stages with diverse acts like NIGHTWISH, STEVE VAI, SOILWORK and ALESTORM.
For more information, visit www.voyager-australia.com.
Reunited '80s Montreal
power metallers SWORD (not to be confused with Texas-based luminaries THE
SWORD) will hold a band meeting next week to discuss the timeline for the
recording and release of the group's third studio album. More information will
be made available soon.
SWORD played its first show in more than 20 years on July 8 in La Baie, Quebec, Canada, in
front of a select few hundred screaming fans. According to the Capitale du
Metal web site, "The show lasted for 90 minutes and featured flawless
interpretations of the band's catalogue, with all four members in great
shape." A second reunion show was held on July 10 at the Imperial Theater
in Quebec City, Quebec,
Canada as the support for
act for ANNIHILATOR's first show in North America
since 1993.
Video footage of the "Stoned Again" performance from the Quebec City show is
available below.
SWORD was formed in early 1985 by brothers Rick Hughes (vocals)
and Dan Hughes (drums), guitarist Mike Plant, and bassist Mike
Larock. After signing with local label Aquarius Records, the band
released its debut album, "Metalized", in 1986 and a follow-up
effort, "Sweet Dreams", in 1987.
SWORD never made much headway south of the border and split up soon
after the release of its sophomore album.
SWORD's sound was previously described as "a muscular brand of
classic metal with tasteful riffs and solos by Plant and infectious
shout-along choruses."
Rick Hughes released a solo album in 2006 entitled "Train
D'Enfer".
Alaskan metallers 36 CRAZYFISTS have canceled their
previously announced European tour which was scheduled to take place in
October/November.
Commented singer Brock Lindow: "It is with great sadness that I am
writing you all to let you know that we will not be able to tour Europe in October this year. I have a family member who
is very ill and I must be at home to help and support my family in every way I
can. We will definitely make it up to all our friends who had planned on
attending the shows. All of you mean everything to us and we are so grateful...
Thanks for your understanding and we will see you with a new album next
year."
36 CRAZYFISTS's latest album, "Collisions And Castaways",
sold around 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut
at position No. 161 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 3 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.
"Collisions And Castaways" was written and recorded between
October 2009 and May 2010. It follows on the heels of 2009's DVD, "Underneath
a Northern Sky", and is the band's second straight effort to feature Steve
Holt in the producer's chair and Andy Sneap handling the final mix.
Yanick Tremblay of Musik Universe conducted an interview with DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan at
the Heavy MTL festival, which was held July 23-24 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat
below.
Donegan addressed the rumors about the band possibly breaking up in a
new interview on Wednesday (July 27) with Dallas
radio station KEGL-FM. The guitarist said, "Ever since the start of
this band, we've always had a game plan of what comes next after each thing. So
it's always been 'write, record, tour, let's go home for a month, let's start
writing again, do the same thing all over again.' So it's always been laying
out future plans. This time around, we just haven't really gotten to those
discussions yet. We know that we're coming to the end of this touring cycle and
we just haven't planned on what we wanna do next."
Donegan would not say that the band was going to stay together, adding,
"I really don't know [if DISTURBED is breaking up]. I don't have a
clear answer because I'm not sure where everybody's head's at at the moment
other than we're having a great time out on tour, we're going out big, we're
carrying big production, we wanna end this on a big note. I think we're not
ready to sit down and have the discussions of when we wanna get back together
or if we're gonna. So we're kind of winging it."
Speculation about DISTURBED's future began two weeks ago when frontman David
Draiman told an Idaho radio station, "This is gonna be the last tour
that the American people get to see us in for awhile, if not indefinitely. We
have some things going on internally, we have some personal things going
on."
Donegan responded, "That might have been taken out of context. It's
been a long marriage for us and we're very fortunate that our career has lasted
well over a decade and going strong. But like I said, this is something new to
us. We're not sure how we're gonna feel coming off the road and not having a
game plan."
The guitarist also confirmed that Draiman will be getting married once
the band's current touring cycle is finished, making him the last member of the
group to tie the knot. He added, "We'll all be going to the wedding."
Donegan concluded by saying, "When we start getting the itch, if
that day comes five months from now or five years from now, then we'll discuss
what we wanna do then. . . I'm just gonna go back to being a fan again and go
out to concerts and look for inspiration again."
DISTURBED is currently headlining the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem
Festival tour, which also features GODSMACK, MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM and others. The show pulls into Burgettstown, Pennsylvania on Friday (July 29).
After a seven-year break, Swedish power metallers MORIFADE make a return to the scene with a brand new studio album entitled "Empire
Of Souls". The CD was recorded at White Light Studio in
Linköping and contains ten tracks featuring the band's latest additions, Kristian
Wallin (vocals; ex-RISING FAITH) and Mathias Kamijo (guitar;
ex-HYPOCRISY, PAIN).
Due on September 9 via Rock It Up Records, "Empire Of
Souls" sees the band "once again manage to create an
extraordinary, first-class power metal album while keeping all their
established trademarks, like great melodies, fantastic guitar riffs, the
atmospheric keyboards of the mighty Fredrik "Frippe" Eriksson and the unique vocals from the Wallin," according to a press
release.
"Empire Of Souls" track listing:
01. Bleeding For Lust
02. A Cry From Void
03. Come In Blood
04. Fear Breeder
05. My Silent Serenade
06. Road Of Deception
07. Recemblance Of Hate
08. Impact Of Vanity
09. Strenght In Solitude
10. The Dark Resignation
11. A Sinister Mind (IceWarrior edition bonus track)
MORIFADE 2011 is:
Kristian Wallin (ex-RISING FAITH) - Vocals
Robin Arnell - Guitar
Mathias Kamijo (ex-HYPOCRISY, PAIN) - Guitar
Henrik Weimedal - Bass
Fredrik Eriksson (ex-TAD MOROSE) - Keyboards
Kim Arnell - Drums
MORIFADE was previously signed to Holland's Karmageddon Media (formerly Hammerheart Records), the label that issued the band's last
album, "Domi<>nation" (2004).
Lion Music has set a September 16 release date for GRÖNHOLM's
sophomore album, "Silent Out Loud". Featuring 10 tracks full
of infectious vocal melodies over dynamic musical backdrops, the CD is an
impressive collection of songcraft topped off with a powerful production and
mix.
GRÖNHOLM is built around the songwriting skills of Mika Grönholm (guitar, bass and keyboards), with vocals once again handled by Markku
Kuikka (STATUS MINOR) and drums from Tom Rask. This core trio
of musicians is joined by "special guests" Billy Sherwood (ex-YES)
and Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT), who add some extra
dynamics to backing vocals, and in the case of Sherwood, help add his
trademark lush "YES-style" vocal harmony sheen to the likes of "Out From The Nest", among others.
While the new offering, aside from a greater emphasis on guitar, has a sound
not too dissimilar to its well-received predecessor, "Eyewitness Of
Life", it sees Mika take a heavier approach to his songwriting,
utilizing a downtuned B tuning for all stringed instruments. Mika comments, "All the songs on 'Silent Out Loud' are tuned down to low
B. Sometimes B-tuning is used for roaring vocals or lighting fast guitar parts,
but no, not this time. With this tuning I was seeking more power and energy to
my riffs."
"Silent Out Loud"'s first six tracks are all up-tempo numbers
where the new tuning is given a fine showing between the hard rock riffs with
some prog-influenced melodies.
As the album nears its conclusion, we see an instrumental offering in "Giant
Step", which clears the minds palette for the acoustic flavor that is
heard on the final three tracks, with album finale, "Away",
also getting an orchestral arrangement.
Lyrically, Mika Gronhölm drew on "silent" thoughts in his head
and once put onto paper in lyric form become "out loud," hence the
album's title.
Writing for "Silent Out Loud" began in May 2010 and was
completed four months later. Mika's approach was to "simply sit
down and record riffs and ideas to an mp3 player and those riffs that maintain
attention on repeated plays get worked on into bodies of songs." Once the
tracks had taken shape, the recordings took place in January 2011. In contrast
to the debut, Tom Rask's drums were recorded first this time round and Mika then built the final tracks around the drum work. Markku Kuikka recorded
his vocals in his home studio in a short three-day stint. March 2011 saw the
arrival of the guest vocal tracks from Billy Sherwood (chorus parts on "Cross" and "Out From The Nest") and Marco Hietala (lead vocals
on "Vanity"). The band then had to wait until April 2011 for Janne
Tolsa to become available to mix and master and the results show the wait
was justified. Mika then mixed the last three songs at his home studio
"because they were easy and quick to do." In addition, a promotional
video for the opening track, "Cross Of Mind", has been shot
and can be viewed below.
"Silent Out Loud" track listing:
01. Cross Of Mind
02. Distorted Eyes
03. Under My Star
04. Vanity
05. Out From The Nest
06. Race Is On
07. Giant Step
08. Set The Stones
09. Dawn Of A Dream
10. Away
São Paulo, Brazil-based thrash metallers MUSICA DIABLO have parted ways with SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green.
Commented MUSICA DIABLO guitarist André NM (also of NITROMINDS):
"It was very hard for us to take this decision, but Derrick being
very busy for the last two years was making things hard especially to perform
live. Lately we have been demoing for the new album, even Derrick was
trying to do have an input on the process while on tour with SEPULTURA,
but fact is that we all (including him) came to a conclusion that is not
possible with the busy agenda from his other band to make things work as we
wanted. We are now looking for a new singer to prepared and finish the material
we have and get the band on the road again. As for Derrick, we all wish
him and SEPULTURA the best luck with their new album, 'Kairos'."
In addition to AndréNM, MUSICA DIABLO features bassist Ricardo Brigas, guitarist André Germani Curci (KORZUS, THREAT) and drummer Edu Nicollini (NITROMINDS).
The band's self-titled debut album came out on May 28, 2010 via SAOL / H'Art / Zebralution. The CD's cover artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes,
who has previously worked with ARCH ENEMY, GOD FORBID and OLD
MAN'S CHILD.
"Musica Diablo" was released in South America with different artwork from the version that was made
available in the rest of the world.
MUSICA DIABLO completed a 12-day European tour in May and June 2010.
Dayal Patterson of The Quietus recently conducted an interview with guitarist Olavi
Mikkonen and vocalist Johan Hegg of Swedish death metallers AMON
AMARTH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Quietus: So has the success of the band changed things a lot for you
in the sense that you can now devote so much more of your time to the band?
Olavi Mikkonen: We have so much time to write songs now since we don't
do anything else other than playing in AMON AMARTH. We have much more
time now than when we had day jobs and we had to rehearse in the evening. Now
if we rehearse for one month, it's more hours than normal bands that maybe
rehearse like twice a week or whatever.
The Quietus: So going back to the writing process, did it worry you when
you found you had this writing block?
Olavi Mikkonen: No, it comes and goes all the time, but usually I
already have ideas before we start writing together, I have ideas that I have
gathered at home. You know, whenever this touring cycle is over, it's time to
start presenting new stuff. And this time I didn't have anything, I was totally
empty. Luckily, Johan had ideas. My ideas more or less came during the summer
and that's when we were close to actually recording, so it was kinda too late
already, because we already had such a great album, we didn't need them. But
now I actually have some songs already ready for the next album.
Johan Hegg: As long as the material that comes out sounds good, and we
feel we can all work with it, it doesn't matter who wrote it. Anybody who
contributes something that sounds good and is interesting is welcome to
contribute. We would be stupid otherwise. We've never been rigid with that,
it's just that we've always had a very high standard. But I think Johan [Söderberg, guitar] and the others have become more comfortable with
writing stuff that suits our sound over time, because the stuff that he would
come up with in the beginning wasn't always stuff that fitted our band, but the
songs he writes now could fit any AMON AMARTH album. So I think he grew
into it, really. The more songs he produces that makes it on the album, the
more confident he gets, which we are all very happy with as it gives us more
opportunity to create more stuff.
The Quietus: You've stuck very much to your guns throughout your career
lyrically but also musically. There are few bands who can genuinely be
described as heavy who also manage to be so uplifting and whose tunes are so,
well, hummable. What have been your main inspirations?
Olavi Mikkonen: I would say traditional heavy metal, combined with the
heaviness of BOLT THROWER, some DEATH and SLAYER. I would
say it's a mix of all that and I think it's the same now as it was 20 years
ago. But of course we were there when AT THE GATES came, the album
"Slaughter Of The Soul" was a big thing for everyone in Sweden. Then
ten years ago I heard RAMMSTEIN for the first time and thought that was
pretty cool. But I would say the foundation is still traditional heavy metal
and old school death metal together.
The Quietus: With the last album being such a success, was there ever a
temptation — or perhaps suggestion from outside the band — to maybe make the
music more accessible in order to further expand your audience?
Olavi Mikkonen: We would never change style or anything like that just
to get more famous, or try to be commercial or on the radio or whatever.
Personally I would like to maybe make an even more brutal album next time, but
that is something time will have to tell. But if I was trying to play music for
the sake of money I would definitely not play this type of music. The way we
see it, we are fortunate that we can do what we do and still make a living. You
cannot be honest with your art and write honestly if you do not really believe
in the music yourself. And if you're not writing music that you yourself
believe in, how can you convince the fans?
Johan Hegg: Obviously we've evolved but we don't want to ever really
change. We get better at our instruments and at arranging songs to make them
more interesting, but I think it's important for us to know who we are and it
seems that fans enjoy that and like the fact that they know what they get with
an AMON AMARTH album. Of course, every so often we get accused of being
boring or something, but I think it's worse when bands you love change too much
and you don't recognize them at all. So for me it's mainly important that we
like what we do.
Olavi Mikkonen: We don't really aim too much to make each album
different, but of course we try to add some fresh elements. For us the most
important thing is to be as much AMON AMARTH as possible!
POISON drummer Rikki Rockett has released the
following statement:
"We are playing a venue [Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre in Toledo, Ohio]
affiliated with the zoo tonight [Thursday, July 28]. For the record, I am not
in favor of zoos. It's another example of exploitation of animals for profit. I
am not going to make this show about that issue, however. This is about POISON and the fans. I am simply stating my stance on zoos and I think that it's
essential that I do."
Rockett has previously worked with Los Angeles-based Last Chance for
Animals (LCA) to expose the Animal "B" Dealer Rings and Puppy
Mill atrocities. Rockett has been returning to his native state of Pennsylvania every September to help rally support to
stop the puppy mills around Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
"You don't have to be an animal rights activist to see how these rodeos
hurt the animals," he previously said. "It isn't a matter of
perspective or opinion — animal suffering, injuries and death are all part of
rodeos."
Rockett specifically decries the use of electric shock, buck straps, and
spurs regularly used in rodeos, known as "Tools of Torment" to animal
advocates. As the rodeo industry has attempted to expand, the need to put on a
more exciting show has resulted in more abuse, especially since some events are
partly scored on how wild an animal acts.
According to New York Daily News, fisherman in Indonesia on Thursday
discovered the body of Daniel Bobis, drummer for the Long Beach, New
York hardcore/metal/punk band CIPHER (Facebook
page), who went missing Sunday morning after wiping out on a wave.
Search crews in West Lampung, Sumatra, said the fishermen pulled the body of Bobis,
who was also a teacher at Long Beach High School and surf team coach, from
waters about 20 miles from the remote break he was surfing when he went
missing. According to information his wife posted on Facebook on Sunday,
the leash on his board broke as he surfed in an area known for its 12-foot
waves.
In a statement on Facebook, Bobis' good friend and fellow Long Island surfer Sean Persall confirmed the
news, "Daniel Bobis has passed away. No further details have been
provided, nor are necessary at this time. We are all deeply saddened by the
loss of this amazing husband, teacher, surfer and friend to so many."
Denmark's ANUBIS GATE will release its new, self-titled album on September 13 via Nightmare
Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Hold Back Tomorrow
02. The Re-Formation Show
03. Facing Dawn
04. World In A Dome
05. Desiderio Omnibus
06. Oh My Precious Life
07. Golden Days
08. Telltale Eyes
09. River
10. Circumstanced
According to a press release, "Anubis Gate" is "the most
beautiful album the band has yet emerged with. The songwriting stands stronger
than ever. This time emphasized by the fact that Henrik Fevre, who was
largely responsible for writing the vocals on the previous albums, gets to sing
the songs he wrote himself, injecting the emotion and meaning into the lyrics
that he had in mind when writing them. Once again produced by Kim Olesen and Jacob Hansen, and with a stunningly great mix done by the latter,
this album brims with the twin guitar attack of Jesper M. Jensen and Kim
Olesen's guitars, the rich emotion of Henrik Fevre's voice, the rich
soundscapes of Kim Olesen's keyboard work and the dream rhythm section
of Morten Sørensen's drumming and Henrik Fevre's bass playing. 'Anubis
Gate' isn't an album that's about endless keyboard/guitar unison soloing.
It's all about the songs. . . This album displays ANUBIS GATE at the top
of their game while in no way rehashing the last two albums. Quite to the
contrary, this album sees the band taking new turns whilst retaining the core
of all the albums that came before."
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/anubiscd.jpg
"The Black Crown", the new album from California deathcore
masters SUICIDE SILENCE, has entered the German Media Control chart at
position No. 63.
The CD sold around 14,400 copies in the United States in its first week of
release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous album, "No Time To Bleed", opened with 14,000
units in July 2009 to land at No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"The Black Crown" was released in North America 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 features guest
appearances by KORN singer Jonathan Davis and SUFFOCATION frontman Frank Mullen.
"The Black Crown" track listing:
01. Slaves To Substance
02. O.C.D.
03. Human Violence
04. You Only Live Once
05. Fuck Everything
06. March To The Black Crown
07. Witness The Addiction (feat. Jonathan Davis)
08. Cross-Eyed Catastrophe
09. Smashed (feat. Frank Mullen)
10. The Only Thing That Sets Us Apart
11. Cancerous Skies
The cover artwork for "The Black Crown" was created by the
Delaware-based freelance graphic designer and illustrator Ken
"K3N" Adams, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD.
The self-titled debut album from Norway's THE KONSORTIUM has
entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 96. The
effort was made available via Agonia Records as a limited heavy vinyl,
digipack CD and a limited fan metal pack CD.
"The Konsortium" was recorded over a one-year period at SOS
Studio in Stavanger and Crystal Canyon
Studio in Oslo
and it features Teloch from MAYHEM and NIDINGR on guitar,
and guest vocals by Erlend Hjelvik from KVELERTAK. The CD was
mixed by Ashley Stubbert (PEARL JAM, THE WALKABOUTS, THE
SUPERSUCKERS, NASHVILLE PUSSY) and was mastered by Tom Kvålsvoll at Strype Audio.
According to a press release, THE KONSORTIUM performs "black metal
with various thrash, avant-garde and non-metal influences creating [its] own
atmosphere and identity. THE KONSORTIUM features various members. Some
of them better and some of them [not as well] known to the metal (but not only)
community."
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