Activision Blizzard Chief Executive Officer Bobby
Kotick told Forbes magazine earlier this month that he desperately
tried to get the members of LED ZEPPELIN to sign away their rights to a Guitar
Hero game without success.
ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page previously made it clear he that he
had no time for games that don't teach players anything "significant"
about music. He said in 2009, "You think of the drum part that John
Bonham did on LED ZEPPELIN's first track on the first album, 'Good
Times Bad Times'. How many drummers in the world can play that part, let
alone on Christmas morning?" He later softened his tone, stating,
"It's always a possibility that someone who's playing those games may well
want to actually take the step on their own. Or maybe they're already playing
guitar and they play that rock game. Y'know, it's a fun thing to do, you get an
understanding of the timing of music, with that you can have fun with on it. I
think the most important thing is that with an instrument, you should just
really have fun with it and enjoy it."
Speaking to Forbes, Kotick said getting a ZEPPELIN-themed
game was the "number one thing" fans wanted from Activision, but the
firm was unable to convince the band to sign on the dotted line.
"In the case of Guitar Hero, we did the research and it was very
clear people didn't want more '80s heavy metal music," he said. "But
what they wanted was very difficult for us to get from the music companies.
"I'll give you an example: The number one thing that our audiences wanted
in Guitar Hero was LED ZEPPELIN. But we couldn't get LED
ZEPPELIN to consent to give us the rights. And there were a lot of
instances of that, a whole host of artists who just didn't want to give rights
to Guitar Hero, and it was hard to get around that. And then there were
other things... we put things out there that were not ready for prime time and
that today actually would resonate very well with audiences."
Activision announced in February 9 that it was disbanding the unit that
makes its Guitar Hero games. The company blamed declining popularity for
music-based video games and said it would stop all development of the Guitar
Hero franchise for 2011. Activision chief executive Eric
Hirshberg told Wall Street analysts, "We simply cannot make these
games profitably based on current economics."
The Guitar Hero series was launched in 2005 by RedOctane and Harmonix
Music Systems, and distributed by Activision. Players used a
guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing lead, bass guitar, and rhythm
guitar on numerous rock music songs. More instruments and vocals were added to
later editions.
After publishing several editions of the game featuring songs from multiple
artists, Activision released versions based specifically around the music of AEROSMITH, METALLICA and VAN HALEN.
At the time of the release of METALLICA's game, drummer Lars Ulrich pointed to the Guitar Hero franchise as a possible future avenue for
music distribution. "This is gonna be a whole 'nother platform that music
is gonna reach, an audience, and especially a younger audience, over the years.
I mean, we put out our last record, 'Death Magnetic', through Guitar
Hero and it's great. It works on all fronts. And so I think that over the
years, it'll turn into an expected way of releasing records."
Over the past couple of years, however, sales of music-based video games have
slid rapidly, a result of tough economic times possibly coupled with consumer
fatigue over so many editions of the games.
While the first Guitar Hero games and METALLICA's edition sold
well, later titles like "Guitar Hero V" have bombed with
consumers.
Ozzy Osbourne's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne has
confirmed to AOL TV that she will soon be taking a break from the CBS daytime talk show "The Talk" so that she can spend more time
with her husband.
"I've kept it no secret that I really miss my husband," said Sharon. "He'll
have been on tour for 18 months by the time it's over. I've spent a lot of time
away from him. He gets a break at the end of September and so I've asked [the
show] for a little break so I can be with him."
Sharon, who is currently pulling double duty as a judge on "America's Got
Talent" and co-host of "The Talk", won't be making a
complete departure from the talk show and she will remain on the program, just
in a reduced capacity.
"I don't want to give [it] up," she said. "It's a great, great
show. We've all worked really hard over the last year. I'm not going to walk
away from that. I just need some real good quality time to be with my hubby.
"I'm very close to the women on the show," she added about co-hosts Julie
Chen, Sara Gilbert, Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini.
"I didn't think that I would be [because] none of us knew each other going
into it. We just didn't know each other socially."
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN played at the
30th international motorcycle convention — Faro 2011. This gathering,
which is the biggest motorcycle convention in Europe
and is hosted by the Moto Clube De Faro, took place between July 14 and
July 17, with IRON MAIDEN headlining the first night.
MAIDEN's presence in Faro honored a great mutual friendship of many
years of both of the band and the Moto Clube De Faro — the late Manu
Da Silva. Manu was MAIDEN's former roadie and bassist Steve
Harris' personal friend and the manager of Eddie's Bar in Santa
Barbara de Nexe-Faro.
"We want to pay respect to Manu, who was a friend of the band for many
years," Harris said during the performance.
IRON MAIDEN's setlist was as follows:
01. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
02. El Dorado
03. 2 Minutes to Midnight
04. The Talisman
05. Coming Home
06. Dance of Death
07. The Trooper
08. The Wicker Man
09. Blood Brothers
10. When the Wild Wind Blows
11. The Evil That Men Do
12. Fear of the Dark
13. Iron Maiden
Encore:
14. The Number of the Beast
15. Hallowed Be Thy Name
16. Running Free
In a February 2011 statement, Steve stated about performing at the
festival: "We have been trying to schedule to play at this incredible
event for many years and it's fantastic that we have finally got the
opportunity.
"l first met and became friends with the guys from Moto Clube De Faro a long time ago through mutual friend and Eddie's Bar manager Manu Da
Silva, who tragically died five years ago. Manu was for many years a
very good friend of myself and the band so you could say that our playing there
is a tribute to his memory."
The last time MAIDEN played in The Algarve was back in March 1993 during
the "Real Live Tour", so a return visit was well overdue.
Posted:
Saturday, July 23, 2011 11:59 am | Updated: 12:00 pm, Sat Jul 23, 2011.
Cue Simpsons-Comic-Book-Store-Guy voice: Best. Band. Ever!
If you're a good drummer, it's a physically demanding job. To be the greatest,
you must follow a training regimen that goes beyond the lighted stage.
A recent reader's poll in Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed my fellow Canadian
Neil Peart of Rush to be the greatest living drummer, and I,
many drum magazines and TV's "Family Guy" agree. Accordingly,
I endeavored to snag an interview with a man who rarely gives interviews. I
wanted to discover how a rocker — a career not known for promoting health or
longevity — can keep his body a skin-smashing machine after 37 years in the same rock trio
giving calorie-combusting concert performances that would blow the lumbar discs
and ventricles of lesser men.
Getting to meet Peart might be cool too.
The stars, planets and concert tickets aligned. According to Rush publicist
Meghan Symsyk, I hit the "trifecta" needed to qualify for 15 minutes
of Peart's time before the June 30 concert in Vancouver, Canada: I'm writing
for his current hometown paper, I am Canadian and I wanted to talk fitness.
Road trip!
Leaving at an hour so ungodly it would make Linda Blair's head spin around, my best friend, Craig
McArthur, and I commenced a 600-mile, middle-aged-men-in-minivan voyage fueled
by weapon-grade coffee and an all-Rush soundtrack. Arriving in Vancouver, we checked into a Ramada of
dubious quality in an area where I worried about the safety of my 2009 Toyota
Sienna.
After freshening up and working out the kinks of the road with a stroll about
the city and "the best lasagna in town," I walked to Rogers Arena for
the interview, fretting over the possibility that Peart might not actually have a fitness regimen.
But he did not disappoint. The man, it turns out, is a workout warrior, and he
credits this with giving him the endurance to drum the way he does.
I arrived early and was brought to a waiting area backstage where the door was
left open and busy people walked by doing their jobs like it was no big deal.
Promptly on schedule, I was escorted to Peart's dressing room, and as he stood
to greet me, offering a large right hand for me to shake, I noticed he dwarfed
my 6-foot frame.
Knowing time was tight, we commenced the interview quickly, with a momentary
detour to talk about shoes. I have my preferred runners, and it turns out Peart
has his favorite drumming shoes: light, comfortable and with little bumps on
the soles that act as suction cups to give just the right amount of grip. We're
both believers in having the right tools for the job.
I started by asking him if he was active as a child.
"I had spindly little ankles, and growing up in Canada, I couldn't skate," he
said. Just FYI, being able to ice skate is kind of a big deal in this country.
"I was no good at any sports so was very much a pariah through those
adolescent years."
I identified with this: I'd been a teenage spaz who was always picked last for
teams and so am painfully aware of the subdivisions in the high school halls
between the cool kids and the misfits.
I found exercise later in life — and so, it turns out, did Peart. What's more,
he said, "It was actually drumming that gave me the stamina to get into
sports later. I started playing drums at 13, and when I got to the international
touring level … I got interested in cross-country skiing, long-distance
swimming, bicycling … things that require stamina, not finesse. I'm still no
good at ball-and-stick games. If I go play golf with the guys, it's intended to
be a joke."
The depth of his interest in fitness became apparent when he started to talk
about the difference between slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Fast-twitch fibers are the ones that generate massive power and are used in
feats of strength. Even though Peart beats his drums like they're a rented
Hyundai, the force he generates is not to a degree that activates fast-twitch
fibers; it is almost exclusively the work of the smaller, fatigue-resistant
slow-twitch muscle fibers. Unless he decides to bench press his drum kit.
"Stamina is the force that drives the drumming; it's not really a
sprint," said Peart, who is 46 years older to the day than my 12-year-old
son (see what I did there? I made you do math). "The stamina aspect is
great because you don't lose that with age so quickly. I know there will be a
day when I just can't do it, but at 58 years of age it hasn't come yet. I can
still play as fast and as powerful and as long as I ever could."
To keep up his stamina, he said, he has to pretty much never get out of shape.
More of us need to think this way. So often people want to lose weight for a
high school reunion or a beach vacation — and then commence gaining it all back
as soon as they hit the buffet line or start ordering poolside margaritas. Such
short-term motivation is a far cry from the superior approach of keeping a fit
lifestyle close to your heart all year round.
"If it's
cross-country ski season, I'll be out doing that, or snowshoeing up in Quebec," he told
me. "In my California
home, I go to the local Y and I like doing yoga. It's been hugely beneficial to me in injury
avoidance." I know some yoga fans who are going to love reading that.
He's also an avid cyclist and swimmer. He lifts weights as well but keeps it
light because, again, he's focused on training those slow-twitch fibers.
Even
though he's consistently active, that doesn't mean he's always road ready.
Touring requires an additional level of sport-specific training, a.k.a. endless
drumming.
I get that: I run long distances and lift weights throughout the winter, but
when the snow melts and I break out my bicycle, it still takes a few weeks
before things come together on the bike.
Then Peart showed me his "radical calluses" that he needs to build up
for touring, which are significantly bigger than the ones on my feet from
running. I experienced an attack of callus envy.
"Playing a three-hour Rush show is like running a marathon while solving
equations," he said. "My mind is as busy as it can be, and so is my
body; full output all the time."
Even while he's on tour and working hard on stage in the evenings, Peart still
fits in exercise. Last summer in Colorado,
he took a day off between shows and hiked up one of the fourteeners — a
mountain peak that exceeds 14,000 feet. And I thought I was special when I used
to go for a run after a day of trade show booth duty.
Peart thinks, with apologies to their parents, that drumming is a good physical
activity for kids.
"Years ago I got involved in a charity trying to help troubled kids and
came up with a slogan: 'If you've got a problem, take it out on a drum.' I
can't do it professionally because it's so disciplined — I've got to control the
band and tempos — but there is such a thing as getting a kid's aggression out
on a drum set."
Plus, he said, drumming is a way for young kids to build up stamina without
risking injury from contact sports. And it's a good choice for kids who hate
sports but like music.
For parents dreaming of a golden child with a Johnny Unitas flattop who captains the football team,
a pierced and purple-haired teen pounding out his version of Excedrin Headache
No. 17 on a drum kit may seem like a bad trade. But drumming is physically
active and creative, and it beats having a kid whose passions are Doritos, weed
and Mario Kart.
Just how physically active is it? Peart told of a study done on Clem Burke, the
drummer for Blondie, on the metabolic effects of drumming. The
research, conducted by Marcus Smith of the University
of Chichester in England, found
that Burke's heart rate averaged 140 to 150 beats per minute and at times would
spike as high as 190 — well beyond the recommended "maximum" for his
age (he's now 57). Smith concluded that being a top drummer required the same
stamina as being an elite-level soccer player.
No wonder Peart trains hard. He's also aware of the need to eat "sensibly
and nutritiously" to fuel his endeavors, extolling the virtues of a
healthful breakfast (balanced with a single-malt whiskey after each show).
It was thrilling to hear he takes exercise seriously enough to keep his body a
high-performance machine. Peart is the epitome of fighting a valiant delaying
action against age and refusing to slow down; I see him as a musical Jack LaLanne (hey, it's not like I used Rush lyrics
for my high school graduation quote or anything).
Later that evening, I got to see Peart's athletic performance up close. Acting
as an embedded reporter on the front lines of the Rush concert, I witnessed the
drumming version of LaLanne swimming Long Beach Harbor while towing a string of
70 rowboats.
The band played for 80 minutes, then took a 40-minute break because members
were considerate of their fan base's urgent need to use the bathroom and get
more beer. Then they powered through another 90 minutes. The second set
contained an astounding 71/2 -minute drum solo.
For almost three hours, Peart pounded on his kit with a combination of
disciplined vigor and finesse that mesmerized the crowd of 13,000 fans. One of
the songs the band played was "Marathon"
from its 1985 "Power Windows" album. Peart is also the band's lyricist,
and the closing lines he penned for the song are, "You can do a lot in a
lifetime, if you don't burn out too fast/You can make the most of the
distance/First you need endurance/First you've got to last."
Peart understands that when it comes to making things last, humans are the
exact opposite of mechanical systems. If you own a classic vehicle (say, an
Italian Barchetta-style sports car), to preserve this old machine you need to
keep it in storage most of time, perhaps taking it out only for Sunday drives.
Biological entities are different because we have self-repair built in. And for
a rock drummer to keep his engine responding with a roar for 50-odd years, he
needs to rack up the mileage.
Physically pushing the body makes it better, makes it stronger, makes it last.
Sitting on the couch is what causes it to burn out too fast.
Though he's an aficionado of many endurance activities, Peart admitted he
doesn't like running. But since I do, forgive me this metaphor-o-rama to
describe his penultimate performance for the band's Time Machine tour: He
completed a marathon and wasn't gasping toward the end. His rigorous training
regimen gave him the endurance to sprint across the finish line. Yeah, I'll
proudly wear my concert T-shirt to the gym.
And to my fellow road warrior who put up with my neuroses for that crazy 48
hours: I love you, man.
Fell is a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Calgary, Canada.
DARIENCENTER
— Fifteen people were arrested during Friday night's Motley Crue concert at Darien
Lake Performing Arts Center, Genesee County sheriff's deputie
said.
Eight
people, all from outside the area, were charged with underage drinking. All
were issued tickets to appear Aug. 15 in Darien Town Court.
Other
arrests:
—
Ricky I. McAllister, 24 of 2nd Avenue Albion, Pa., charged with trespass
after allegedly refusing to leave the concert venue after being told to leave
several times. He was arraigned before Darien Justice Graber and remanded
to jail in lieu of $350 bail.
—
Ryan J. Vanandel, 25, of Russ Road, Grimsby Ont. ,charged with
disorderly conduct after allegedly urinating in public. He was released
on $100 bail.
The
following were issued appearance tickets to appear Aug. 8 in Darien Town Court:
—
Thomas S. Ashby, 27, of Wexford Place, Webster, charged with second-degree
harassment after allegedly pushing a concert security guard while being ejected
from the venue.
—
Matthew A. Rodak, 38, of Jerico Road, Bergen,
charged with second-degree harassment after allegedly shoving a security guard
while being ejected from the venue.
—
Christopher M. Jensen, 37, of East Water Street, Waterloo,
charged with trespass after allegedly entering the concert area after being
ejected and told not to return.
—
Jacob A. Steger, 30, of Buffalo Road, Alleghany, charged with disorderly conduct
after allegedly fighting with concert security staff.
—
Regy M. Root, 36, of Coneflower Drive, West Henrietta, charged with trespass after
allegedly entering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to
return.
Frank De Blase of RochesterCityNewspaper.com recently conducted an interview
with MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil. A couple of excerpts from the
chat follow below.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: After 30 years at it, who is showing up to CRÜE shows?
Vince: Well, you look out there and it's not only fans that grew up with
us, but there are 12-year-old and 13-year-old kids with "Shout At The
Devil" T-shirts on. It's really a diverse crowd; an attorney standing
next to a biker and little kids on their dad's shoulders for their first
concert experience. And there are just as many girls as there are guys - maybe
even more girls than guys. Either way we're filling the places up like we
always have.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: What do you suppose is MÖTLEY CRÜE's
lasting appeal?
Vince: People like to talk about us. Individually we're a bunch of
idiots, and together we're one big crazy idiot.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: A big crazy idiot that has survived in spite
of itself.
Vince: Exactly. And when the four of us get together there's really
magic there, and the fans see that when they come hear us play. It doesn't feel
like we've been together 30 years. I still feel like we're playing the Whisky A
Go-Go. We're still the same guys. We feed off the audience. They're going crazy
and we're just having a good time out there.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: Besides outside projects and artistic
endeavors, what's something MÖTLEY CRÜE hasn't done yet?
Vince: We've pretty much done everything. I mean, we're not going to
change styles. MÖTLEY CRÜE is MÖTLEY CRÜE. We're just going to
continue making records and touring. We plan on doing Crüe Fest 3 and
bringing on a whole new batch of bands.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: What is your advice to young bands coming up
in your wake?
Vince: I'd say give 'em a show. Give 'em something to talk about. That's
what we've always been about. When people leave a MÖTLEY CRÜE concert
they go, "Fuck man, now that was cool." If you go out there and stand
there and play your music... That's good for some kinds of bands, but it's not
good for rock 'n' roll.
RochesterCityNewspaper.com: Why does it seem that you guys are the last
of the rock stars?
Vince: It's really weird. A lot of bands just kind of don't care. They
don't care about image, they don't care about the way they look, they don't
care about putting on a show. This is entertainment, and they walk on stage
wearing the same thing they wore getting there. And it loses it. It loses the
magic of being a rock star. I think you're right; we are the last of the rock
stars.
Vocalist Andy Biersack of Los Angeles theatrical
rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES was interviewed by hosts Mark Strigl and John Ostrosky on the most recent episode of the "Talking
Metal" podcast (web
site). During the chat, Andy spoke about working with Mick Mars on the MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist's upcoming solo album, which Andy says will include some real heavy hitters from the music industry. He said,
"I worked on a song with [Mick] for his solo record. It's in the
making. The MÖTLEY guys are always touring and always working. So it's
something that's been a work of his for awhile and hopefully in time he will
complete it. But I will say one thing: Mick Mars is one of the greatest
songwriters I've ever met in my life and had the pleasure to work with. I can't
wait to hear his full album. In terms of this record, he's really worked with
the heavy hitters in the rock and metal industry. So to be a part of that is a
great honor and I can't wait to hear the completed record."
When asked how Mick is doing right now health-wise, Andy said,
"To me, Mick has always been the quintessential member of MÖTLEY
CRÜE. I mean, he's always been the guy, as a kid growing up, he
represented… Obviously, MÖTLEY CRÜE is one of my favorite bands of all
time and I've always respected all the members, but he always really
represented the true outcast in that regard and being a kid who grew up loving
the more punk rock [and theatrical side of rock], the combination of him and Nikki
Sixx has always been something that I really respected. So to go to his
home and be around him, he really still is the same person that you see in
interviews and that you grew up loving. And he really is doing well. You're
sort of fed the story that he's not as strong as he really is by the media or
by the people that say that he's been debilitated by his illness, but he's one
of the most hopeful and kind people I've ever met in the world. He knew,
obviously, that I was a MÖTLEY CRÜE fan and we sat on his back porch and
talked about MÖTLEY CRÜE and talked about favorite songs and everything
and he was more than open and really willing to talk to me about all this kind
of thing. So he really is a true influence and someone that can understand that
there's a young crop of musicians that really wanna [do something different]
with music, and my band being one of them, and him respecting it was great for
me."
Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette recently conducted an interview with POISON singer Bret
Michaels. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
PittsburghPost-Gazette: How did this summer tour [with MÖTLEY CRÜE and NEW
YORK DOLLS] come about?
Bret: Very simple. I was going out solo this year. I have a brand new
tour and CD, Bret Michaels, "Get Your Rock On". I was
going out solo, and we were going to do a couple dates with POISON for
our 25th anniversary. Well, I mentioned at a couple venues that I thought it
would be great if MÖTLEY and POISON toured together for our 25th
and 30th anniversaries. And I took a lot of flack [laughs] from certain members
of MÖTLEY CRÜE who vowed they were never going to do it. Well, here we
are doing it. I look at everything I do as a music fan. I think MÖTLEY and POISON touring together is going to be an amazing summer tour. The
bottom line is, all that matters is that we have a good time and the fans get
completely rocked.
PittsburghPost-Gazette: So what has the relationship been like with the bands over
the years?
Bret: Here's the funniest thing. Vince [Neil, MÖTLEY
CRÜE singer] has toured with POISON many times solo. We get along
great. As far as MÖTLEY and POISON, there hasn't been much of a
connection. This is the first time we've ever done a tour together. I know over
the years that MÖTLEY has a certain way they want to brand themselves or
want themselves to be seen. With POISON, we just want to go out to play
for fans and the people who show up. If there's going to be a friendly
competition as far as wanting to go out and put on a great show, absolutely. As
far as saying anything bad about them, I just don't. As far as getting along,
I'm not around them enough to know or really care how they feel. Even if they
like POISON or don't like me, I'm playing to fans who show up. It
doesn't have to be a lovefest between our two bands. I don't want the fans to
be separated. MÖTLEY fans are POISON fans are rock fans. Music is
a universal language. Look, I've toured with DEF LEPPARD, LYNYRD
SKYNYRD, ALICE IN CHAINS, you name it, KISS, and we've always
had a great time. I think the bottom line, MÖTLEY probably made a couple
bold statements in the press that were probably unnecessary, and I think the
bottom line is, it all came around to us going out and playing to a lot of
fans, and I think it will be the tour of the summer. I know I'm going out there
to have a good time after all I've been through.
PittsburghPost-Gazette: POISON had to wait on the sidelines while you did your
solo thing and got through all this stuff. What's it been like for them?
Bret: Well, let me state this very boldly. I never look at POISON ever on the sidelines. We all grew up together. They all know that in the band,
I'm extremely driven to want to do stuff. And I've never looked at POISON as a sideline, it's just that as we got to a certain point in our career, I
needed to fulfill much more of what I got into it for. I'm very passionate
about creating and touring and doing stuff. If you think about it, we were just
out with DEF LEPPARD two years ago. Last year, they were off. Next year,
I'll be out solo again and we'll come back in '13 and go all the way to our
30th anniversary.
PittsburghPost-Gazette: Will there be any more POISON recordings in the
future?
Bret: I sure hope so, and if not, at least one song. In the meantime,
we've got a new POISON record coming out, a double collection. I want to
make sure the fans understand. I got into music for one simple reason: because
I want to create music. The first thing I built when I bought my ranch was a
studio. I want them to know that I still play music for simply the love of music.
And I think that you find ways to go out there and tour and take it to the
people. And I hope POISON will one day make a new record, but if not,
I'm just going to continue writing and recording my own music, and going out
and playing.
Queensryche is not your typical heavy metal band. In some
ways, that moniker does not truly fit them. Some call them progressive metal,
others hard rock and some just plain old rock n' roll. This difficulty in
describing the band has both helped and hurt them over the years. It has helped
them to remain working, interesting and relevant. It has hurt them because
their main fan base has been metal fans, and, lets face it, the most success
they had was with albums like Operation Mindcrime. Queensryche has taken
the tag that used to be used to describe Blue Oyster Cult, "The Thinking Man's
Heavy Metal Band," to a new level. Now, they may be stretching some of their
hardcore fans patience to the limit with a daring new album that barely sounds
like classic QR.
Geoff Take explains the reason the band changes musical
direction in the interview below. He also discusses why they do what they do
and how album sales are secondary to being a musician. A true artist, Tate
understands that Dedicated to Chaos is not your Mother's Queensryche. It
is something new, out of the ordinary and kinda funky. That said, it works…just
don't expect "Revolution Calling."
________________________________
Jeb: Dedicated To Chaos is a very unique album. It
is not what one would expect from your band. You have a ton of rhythm and not
much hard stuff. There are a lot of styles. I hear Queensryche, U2 and even
Glenn Hughes.
Geoff: That funky stuff is our bass player, Eddie
Jackson. He likes real funky stuff.
Jeb: Has anyone been trying to find the concept behind
the album?
Geoff: [laughter] We really made a conscience decision to
go away from the concept album this time. We had done two concept albums, back
to back. We just wanted to make this a collection of songs.
Jeb: Stylistically, this is a hard one to discuss if one
has not heard the music. It is not a funk album, yet it is funky. It is not a
rock album, but at times it rocks. Was this a conscience choice to take a left
turn from what people expect from Queensryche?
Geoff: Before each record, we all sit down to discuss
what we want to achieve. These conversations can go on for days and days and
days. Sometimes, they get pretty intense. Everybody goes away from the meeting
and they come back with what their version is for what we decided.
We wanted to steer clear of what we have done in the
past. We wanted to break new ground, musically. We wanted to approach what we
have done with our instruments differently. We wanted to focus on our rhythm
section, the bass and drums, and use that as a bed track to build off of.
In the past, we would build off of a vocal or a guitar
riff. We really wanted to steer clear of that. We wanted to give ourselves
something different to do. We wanted a new approach.
Our drummer, Scott Rockenfield, really got into the idea.
He set up his drums completely different than he has ever set them up before in
order to force himself to play differently. That was a real challenge for him.
I did sort of the same thing by moving my studio to a different location and
having a different atmosphere to write in. It was just another one of our
experiments where we tried to push ourselves and move in another musical
direction.
Jeb: I am going to make a comparison. Tribe was an
experiment. It did not work at all. This album seems like you are more
confident than you were then.
Geoff: It was different, then, primarily because Chris
[DeGarmo] was back to record some guitar parts but he wasn't really back in the
band. It was a confusing time.
Chris was one of the main songwriters in the band. He
worked with everybody in the band, individually, and he was very organized in
his approach. Without him, we had to learn how to operate. We are a different
band now. The band has changed. People will realize that we have taken a
different approach to things on this album. That may be what you are hearing.
Jeb: I like the fact that you have been around for
decades but you are still very interested in doing things differently, trying
new things and experimenting.
Geoff: What brought Queensryche together, in the first
place, was our love of music. We all came from musical backgrounds and we all
had a lot of different musical styles that we appreciated. If you had looked at
our record collections then you would have seen that we probably owned every
record that was ever made. We had thousands and thousands of records. The first
time we ever met to discuss things we brought records in with us to reference things.
We were referencing everything from Blue Cheer to Black Sabbath to Liberace to
John Coltrane; we had it all in there. We all fell in love with each other's
taste in music. That is what really has held us together all of these years.
The pure joy of creating music is what drives the band. We couldn't stay
together if we played the same style and just regurgitated our greatest hits
and all that stuff. I don't think that would be very satisfying, creatively.
Jeb: You are still on a label and making CDs. What do you
think the future will hold?
Geoff: This is a very exciting time, as everything is
filled with change and transition. I am not just talking about the music
business. Industry to politics to business, we are in a global transition. On
one hand, it is frightening and scary because we have to figure out how to make
it work. On the other hand, it is exciting and challenging. The world is your
oyster now as nothing is defined. I think you can reinvent yourself and be
anything you want to be and not have to adhere to the old ways of doing things,
which in our case was the record industry way.
They put you in a box and called you a "genre" in order
to market and sell you. You can market and sell yourself now. The idea of
genres is changing. I think the end of all record companies will come in a few
years. They just can't make money. It will be a good thing for the artist,
because we can reinvent ourselves, but it will be a bad thing because it will
put a lot of people out of work.
Jeb: Do you find Loud and Proud is a good label to be
with? I think they do some cool things and have the right idea about bands like
Queensryche in today's marketplace.
Geoff: We went with them because of Tom [Lipsky]. We have
known him for years. We were with him at Sanctuary. Tom said he could do this
and that and then he waved a lot of money in front of us – that never hurts.
Jeb: On your UK tour can people really buy a
bunk and travel with the band?
Geoff: We are offering to let people buy a bunk on the
tour bus and go out on the road with us. We've done that before. We had six
people out with us the tour before last. We had a great time; the people are
fun. It really makes a life memory for them. A lot of that stuff comes from
Susan [Tate], our manager. She dreams it up and works it all out with the label
and makes it happen.
Jeb: If you didn't have the work ethic that you have,
then you would probably have hung it up by now.
Geoff: That is probably true. All of us in the band are
pretty hard workers. I have always been that way. One of the things that
attracted me to the guys in the band, way back when, was the strong work ethic
everybody had. We all were willing to roll our sleeves up and do what it took
to market the band.
Jeb: Kelly Gray produced the album in your hometown of Seattle.
Geoff: Kelly has been a friend of everybody in the band
for years. Scott went to school with Kelly. I was in a band with Kelly before
Queensryche. He has done a couple of albums with us and we really love working
with him. He takes things very seriously and he knows everybody in the band. He
has lived at my house before and I have lived at his house. We're old friends.
Jeb: Being friends with you guys is he still able to put
the producer's hat on and say, "Hold it, guys. That's not right."
Geoff: He is a man of very strong beliefs and he
articulates them very well. If he believes in something then he is not going to
hold back.
Jeb: You also come across that way. You are very
articulate and intelligent. Was compromise easy for you?
Geoff: I have always been into group collaborations. I
like hearing different ideas. Usually, a group idea is stronger than an
individual idea. I have learned to trust that when working with everybody. You
learn what everybody in the bands likes, and what they don't like, and what
they can, and can't do.
Jeb: You are on the Epitaph tour with Judas
Priest.
Geoff: I am sad that Priest is going to quit. They're a
very creative band and I like a lot of what they do. We are very honored that
they asked us to tour with them.
Jeb: When you get back to the States, and you're
headlining, what can people expect from a Queensryche show?
Geoff: Our 30 year anniversary is here. We are going to
do a retrospective and play songs from every album we have ever done. We have a
really cool visual show that looks back at where we have been, where we are at
now, and where we are going. The band is going to be able to play a lot of
different music so it should be enjoyable. We are going clear back to the EP
days.
Jeb: The bad news will be that this is not a cabaret so
there will be no boobs on stage.
Geoff: [laughter] That is unfortunate.
Jeb: Your sales are good for today's age. Do you ever
worry about album sales?
Geoff: I don't really think in terms of numbers. I'm not
a math guy; I'm a musician. Record sales have dried up for everyone. I remember
days where if you didn't sell a million records, then you were a failure. I
have now seen record company guys jumping up and down and high-fiving each
other if they sell 2,000 records. It's kind of a weird thing to think about.
The whole industry is going to fold and there will no record sales. There will
be some type of new technology out there that will come about; we just don't
know what it is yet.
Jeb: Last one: Priest is slowing down, so Halford will
have some time. Maiden is also not as busy, so Dickinson will be around. Maybe this is the
time to form the side project that has been rumored about for all these years –
The Three Tremors.
Geoff: [laughter] Maybe it will finally be time to launch
that project. The Three Tremors comes up in almost every interview I do. I find
that amazing.
www.queensryche.com
Former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy says
that there is a very good reason the already completed debut album from his new
band ADRENALINE MOB won't be released before 2012.
ADRENALINE MOB is the new band featuring Portnoy, SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC
STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward.
The group has been confirmed as one of the support acts for GODSMACK on
the Massachusetts group's post-Rockstar
Energy Drink Mayhem Festival headlining run throughout North America in August.
To coincide with the tour, ADRENALINE MOB will release a four-song EP in
August.
Commented Portnoy: "Most labels require a three-month 'setup' for a
well-promoted release... As it is now late July, delivering the album to a
label TODAY won't get a release 'till October... and basically ALL labels won't
release a new album past October (unless you are MADONNA, LADY GAGA, EMINEM, etc.). So rather than us taking these GODSMACK shows with
NOTHING available and a release not likely 'till January (or so), we decided to
put out an EP to give you all a taste of the MOB now so we can play some
shows and still set up a full-length release!
He added, "Believe me, we are as anxious as you all to hear this
music!"
GODSMACK with ADRENALINE MOB tour dates:
Aug. 16 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
Aug. 20 - Watertown, NY - Watertown Grandstands
Aug. 21 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Colisseum
Aug. 23 - Dubuque, IA - Five Flags Arena
Aug. 24 - Bloomington, IL - US Cellular Colisseum
Aug. 26 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
Aug. 27 - Grand Junction, CO - Rock Jam
The reunited classic "Animosity" lineup of CORROSION
OF CONFORMITY — Mike Dean (bass, vocals), Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin (drums) — has canceled its scheduled appearance tonight
(Saturday, July 23) at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan with CLUTCH.
The group states, "We are still here in Pittsburgh where Reed is receiving
medical attention. Unfortunately, C.O.C. will not be performing with CLUTCH this evening in Flint.
Sorry to all and wish Reed well."
(Note: CLUTCH's performance at The Machine Shop in Flint is unaffected by CORROSION OF
CONFORMITY's cancelation.)
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY entered the studio earlier in the year with
longtime producer John Custer (1991's "Blind", 1994's "Deliverance",
1996's "Wiseblood", 2000's "America's Volume
Dealer", 2005's "In The Arms Of God") to begin
recording the band's new album for a late 2011 release.
In a recent interview with UGO, Dean stated about the forthcoming CD, "The
title is yet to be determined. A self-titled release crossed our minds but the
album title is a game-time decision. October is a good time but if we miss
that, early 2012 would be a fine time for release. 'The Moneychangers', 'River Of Stone' and 'Rat City' are some of the [song]titles
[that will appear on the CD]."
Speaking to Metal Kaoz, Dean described CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's
new material as "familiar but surprising. All of the old influences are
there — hardcore, three generations of heavy rock and no rules as to how to
combine them and make something new and creative."
With the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic "Animosity" album approaching, the original incarnation of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY played its first live show in over twenty years on July 30, 2010 in Asheville, North Carolina.
The reunited trio has recorded a new seven-inch single, "Your Tomorrow
(Parts 1 and 2)", which was made available via Southern Lord's
web site.
Vocalist Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND
GUARDIAN has issued the following update:
"Busy seasons are usually harbingers of great things to come. Festivals,
regular studio work and, above all, the orchestral album are making this a very
exciting summer for us. Let's keep the focus on the orchestral album one more
time. We have spectacular news!
"Every orchestral project needs a concept and such a concept demands a
great story. To get a story that fits together perfectly with our majestic
music, we are joining forces with Germany's best fantasy author Markus
Heitz (check out his 'Die Zwerge' ['The Dwarves'] series). Markus is one of my favorite writers of 'high fantasy.' I have been really amazed by
several of his books over the last years but was finally and completely
convinced about him being the perfect choice for our project by 'Gerechter
Zorn' ('Righteous Wrath') — the first part of his newest trilogy, 'Die
Legenden der Albae' ('Legends of the Albae'). The way he weaves in
different aspects to his splendid universe immediately told me that the quest
for the one to come up with the right story for our music was over. Although
the final completion of this quite unusual cooperation most probably will keep
us busy until 2013, things nonetheless become clearer the more we exchange
ideas. The creation of a great new storyboard and the involvement of such a
suitable concept are the perfect frame for this 'soundtrack/musical-like'
anthems we have come up with over the years. It is absolutely great that Markus
is willing to follow us on such an ambitious voyage.
"One very interesting aspect certainly is the definite intention to
combine the identity of our music (in a quite different shape) with one of Markus'
most famous, but not completely discovered, worlds and its heroes. I have no
doubt that we will design great new images and come up with nothing but pure
magic. Luckily, Markus was very familiar with our band and music. Since
he is part of the fantasy scene almost as long as we are, he grew up with our
music when he was a die-hard fantasy role-playing gamer in the '80s and '90s.
This, of course, makes my life far easier in exchanging ideas and in explaining
what we need to complete a perfect conceptual album. There is so much
interaction: at one point it is the music dictating the story at other points
it is the story having an ultimate impact on the album's completion. Pure
creativity! In addition, Markus is a very nice and down-to-earth person
who has a very special view on things. Last but not least, he has been very
pleased with the pieces of music we provided him with.
"By now I can feel a certain jealousy coming up within you. We will keep
you updated. The journey has just begun."
"At The Edge Of Time", the tenth studio album from BLIND
GUARDIAN, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week
of release to debut at position No. 108 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD
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.
BLIND GUARDIAN's previous CD, "A Twist In The Myth",
opened with 3,000 units back in September 2006.
"At The Edge Of Time" recently entered the German Media
Control chart at position No. 2 — the band's strongest chart showing ever in
its home country.
German melodic metallers EDGUY have just returned
from the video shoot for "Robin Hood", the opening track from
the band's forthcoming album "Age Of The Joker". Video
director Oliver Sommer (AVANTASIA, NENA, HELLOWEEN)
and the band decided to satirize the Errol Flynn film "The
Adventures Of Robin Hood". The miniature epic was shot in the forest
with a large number of additional actors, starring German TV comedian Bernhard
Hoecker in two different leading roles.
Commented EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet: "When you decide to
do things like that, of course, you have to be aware that you will most likely
make a fool out of yourself. We had to wear tights and looked a bit like four
idiots and one transvestite. But we have come to a point we don't care so much
anymore. We feel like being in a luxury position where the record label gives
us a lot of money to waste for really silly things like sneaking through the
forest and looking like idiots.
"The shooting was one of the funniest days in our career, and that means
something. Although it was hard work — the rain, the mud, soaking wet tights,
angry horses, carriage, a lot of travesty, sword fighting and hurting smile
muscles. You gotta check it out!"
The "Robin Hood" single will be released on August 5 and will
be available as a digital download and on green vinyl.
The video version of the song was cut down to five minutes, but the album
version has a running time of more than eight minutes.
"Age Of The Joker" will be released in Europe
on August 29 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint
Park studio (SCORPIONS, PHIL COLLINS) in Hannover,
which was previously described by the group as "a recording temple with a
tremendously great-sounding room." The album will feature 11 songs with a
total running time of over one hour. The limited-edition digipack will contain
a bonus disc with six additional songs.
"Age Of The Joker" track listing:
01. Robin Hood
02. Nobody's Hero
03. Rock Of Cashel
04. Pandora's Box
05. Breathe
06. Two Out Of Seven
07. Faces In The Darkness
08. The Arcane Guild
09. Fire On The Downline
10. Behind The Gates To Midnight World
11. Every Night Without You
Limited-edition bonus disc track listing:
01. God Fallen Silent
02. Aleister Crowley Memorial Boogie
03. Cum On Feel The Noize (SLADE cover)
04. Standing In The Rain
05. Robin Hood (single version)
06. Two Out Of Seven (single version)
Regarding the band's forthcoming album, EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet recently said, "The new songs sound great, we have thirteen of them, and
we'll pick maybe ten and put them on the album. We have anthemic melodies,
although it's not kitsch.
"When you record anthemic music, you tend to be dangerously close to
kitsch, it's a fine line and I think we balance on that fine line pretty well.
"To cut a long story a little insignificantly shorter: I just think it is
great, and that's what counts. Real music, you know?"
"We were always striving for a powerful but natural sound. I guess we had
a good sound recently, but I think there is always room to improve.
"The more I listen to what's going on in the heavy metal world these days,
the more I long for drums that sound like drums. I want them to sound powerful
without sounding like Atari."
EDGUY will embark on a European headlining tour in September with
support from KOTTAK (the band fronted by SCORPIONS drummer James
Kottak).
EDGUY's last album, 2009's "Tinnitus Sanctus", sold
around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release,
according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 88 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.
Austin, Texas
metal luminaries THE SWORD have been forced to cancel their appearance
at this weekend's Heavy T.O. festival at Downsview
Park in Toronto,
Ontario because their drummer was denied entry
to Canada.
After an amicable split with drummer Trivett Wingo forced THE SWORD to cancel a number of U.S.
tour dates in late 2010, the band last year found someone to fill in for
behind-the-kit duties. Joining them on the road is Kevin Fender, best
known for his work with the Texas
hardcore outfit EMPLOYER, EMPLOYEE.
THE SWORD's third full-length album, "Warp Riders",
sold around 8,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to
debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Warp Riders" marked the first release where the group has worked
with an outside producer. Helmed by Matt Bayles (PEARL JAM, MASTODON, ISIS), the album is anchored by an epic science-fiction narrative. The
storyline is a psychedelic space opera that explores temporal themes of death
and rebirth. "Warp Riders" also finds THE SWORD expanding its range from pure metal to include bone-crunching hard rock at
large. Rather than dampening its sound, the band actually sounds more amplified
than ever, spewing out some of its most scalding riffs to date and channeling
an unearthly bellow from its low end.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, 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. Although singer Corey
Taylor has been unsure of SLIPKNOT's future since Gray's
death, he told HardDrive Radio that the tour made him a little more
optimistic.
He said, "Definitely after this tour, I'm definitely much more positive
than I was. Am I ready to run into a studio? No. Everybody just slow down,
'cause it's still very fresh to me. It still doesn't make sense yet, you know,
there's still a lot of healing that we've got to do before we can get there. Am
I open to more tours? Absolutely. I mean, we've talked about doing something
next year in the States and, you know, letting the fans kind of celebrate as
well. So time will tell."
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."
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.
Young metal heroes TRIVIUM, Gothenburg gods IN
FLAMES, British upstarts RISE TO REMAIN, mysterious metallers GHOST and fresh Norwegian INSENSE will team up for Metal Hammer's Defenders
Of The Faith tour in December. The massive trek with its stellar bill will
be hitting the road on December 1 and tear it up from Southampton to Glasgow over seven shows
until December 8.
"Prepare for the siege on the U.K. that is the 2011 Metal
Hammer Defenders Of The Faith tour," says TRIVIUM's Matt
Heafy. "This is what it's all about: an epic night to celebrate all
that is glorious about the diverse world of metal. This bill is a must-see tour
and has something every fan of modern metal can enjoy."
"We are glad to be part of such an awesome bill on the Defenders Of The
Faith tour," adds Anders Fridén of IN FLAMES. "We
are looking forward to playing the U.K. after such a good time this
summer at Sonisphere."
"Without IN FLAMES, TRIVIUM wouldn't exist," explains Matt.
"So needless to say, the ability to tour with these legends is a dream
come true."
Matt is also excited about the other bands on the bill, and rightly so!
"RISE TO REMAIN are flying the flag for British metal," he
says. "They're up-and-coming stars and good pals of ours too. GHOST are something special; you can feel the electricity and mystery behind
Lucifer's house band. Prepare your souls for the sermon. They are a must-see. INSENSE deliver some pummelling brutality and a sense of catchiness that is all their
own."
"We are incredibly excited to be part of the Defenders Of The Faith tour," says RISE TO REMAIN frontman Austin Dickinson (son of IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson). "Touring with such an
unbelievable and diverse metal ensemble is a great honour, and we look forward
to spreading the Metal Hammer gospel with our buddies in TRIVIUM, and
our new friends in IN FLAMES, GHOST and INSENSE! Get
ready, get stoked!"
As for what TRIVIUM have planned, Matt says that "TRIVIUM plan to crash [new album] 'In Waves' down on the U.K. shores and
we plan on bringing a whole new set and show. This tour will rule."
The dates are as follows:
Dec. 01 - Southampton, England - Guildhall
Dec. 02 - Wolverhampton, England - Civic Hall
Dec. 03 - Manchester, England - Academy
Dec. 04 - London, England - Brixton O2 Academy
Dec. 06 - Glasgow, Scotland - O2 Academy
Dec. 07 - Newcastle, England - O2 Academy
Dec. 08 - Plymouth, England – Pavillions
One of Metal Blade Records' original bands, BITCH,
is back with a special CD/DVD re-issue. The band's classic album "Be My
Slave", which could be seen in the hands of Tipper Gore as she
campaigned to save our children throughout the '80s, has been repackaged with
the "Damnation Alley" EP and a live DVD. The DVD includes BITCH's
performance at the Keep It True festival in Germany in April 2011, along with a
myriad of early '80s live performance and cable access footage. This is a must
for die-hard fans and '80s metal connoisseurs.
"Not only is front-woman Betsy a tough-as-nails stone cold fox, but
their first two albums are certified sleaze rock classics. 1983's 'Be My
Slave' is a master class in headbanging S&M soaked leather heavy
metal," says TrueCultHeavyMetal.com.
Fans can watch a clip from the Keep It True performance below.
Due on August 2, "Be My Slave / Damnation Alley" features the
following track listing:
CD
01. Right From the Start
02. Be My Slave
03. Leather Bound
04. Riding In Thunder
05. Save You From the World
06. Heavy Metal Breakdown
07. Gimme a Kiss
08. In Heat
09. Make It Real (Make It Rock)
10. World War III
11. Saturdays
12. Never Come Home
13. Damnation Alley
14. He's Gone
15. Live for the Whip
16. Let's Go
Bonus DVD
- Complete performance at Keep It True XIV festival in Lauda-Königshofen,
Germany on Friday April 29, 2011
- The L.A. Shows:
* Riding in Thunder
* Walls of Love
* Live For The Whip / World War III
* Headbanger
* Skullcrusher
* Make it Real / Riding in Thunder
* Be My Slave
* Hot and Heavy
* Leather Bound (cable access)
* Be My Slave (cable access)
CHICKENFOOT, the supergroup featuring guitar hero Joe
Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael
Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar — will release its sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III", on September 26 via earMUSIC/Edel and from eOne Music in North America in a special 3D designed
package. The CD's lead single, "Bigfoot", is set for release
on August 2.
Produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA), "Chickenfoot
III" and is described by Hagar as "the best record I've
ever made." He tells RollingStone.com, "It's a lot more musical than the
last record – the hooks and the songs are better. Satriani adds,
"We created a record that was deeper and better than the first one . . .
it makes a musician very happy when they can see that they are involved with
something that's very moving forward and life-changing."
Smith will have two new records out within a month of each other, since
the new RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS album, "I'm With You",
arrives on August 30. Smith will not tour with CHICKENFOOT this
time due to his commitments with his main band.
"That's the biggest disappointment about the whole thing," Hagar tells RollingStone.com, adding the band has auditioned several drummers
and have an audition with Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN
FOGERTY, SMASHING PUMPKINS). "He's going to spend a couple days
with this and were just going to jam and if he fits. It's got to be the
chemistry. Kenny can play that's for sure and we all like him. He's kind
of like Chad — he's kind of crazy and he hits so fucking hard that he
beats his drum set to the ground that after every show he needs a new drum
set."
"Chickenfoot III" track listing:
01. Last Temptation
02. Alright, Alright
03. Different Devil
04. Up Next
05. Lighten Up
06. Come Closer
07. Three and a Half Letters
08. Bigfoot
09. DubaiBlues
10. Something Going Wrong
Snippets of "Bigfoot", the new single from CHICKENFOOT — the supergroup featuring guitar hero Joe Satriani, drummer Chad
Smith, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy
Hagar — will be featured in the finale episode of "Aqua Unit Patrol
Squad" this Sunday night, July 24 at 11:45 p.m. on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
The "Bigfoot" single is set for release on August 2.
CHICKENFOOT will release its sophomore album, "Chickenfoot
III", on September 26 via earMUSIC/Edel and from eOne
Music in North America in a special 3D
designed package.
Produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA), "Chickenfoot
III" and is described by Hagar as "the best record I've
ever made." He tells RollingStone.com, "It's a lot more musical than the
last record – the hooks and the songs are better. Satriani adds,
"We created a record that was deeper and better than the first one . . .
it makes a musician very happy when they can see that they are involved with
something that's very moving forward and life-changing."
Smith will have two new records out within a month of each other, since
the new RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS album, "I'm With You",
arrives on August 30. Smith will not tour with CHICKENFOOT this
time due to his commitments with his main band.
"That's the biggest disappointment about the whole thing," Hagar tells RollingStone.com, adding the band has auditioned several drummers
and have an audition with Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN
FOGERTY, SMASHING PUMPKINS). "He's going to spend a couple days
with this and were just going to jam and if he fits. It's got to be the
chemistry. Kenny can play that's for sure and we all like him. He's kind
of like Chad — he's kind of crazy and he hits so fucking hard that he beats his drum set to
the ground that after every show he needs a new drum set."
Calum Robson of RushOnRock.com recently conducted an interview with
vocalist Derrick Green of Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA. A few
excerpts from the chat follow below.
RushOnRock.com: You had a lot to deal with in the past when you received
a barrage of criticism after replacing Max Cavalera. How did you get
through it?
Green: It was pretty overwhelming but then I was really listening to
what people was saying and a lot of times they didn't know what they were talking
about. It would drive me a little bit crazy because I think I'm a versatile
singer and I think I have a lot of range and perform really well live. I know
for a fact that I'm very secure in this, because we wouldn't be able to
continue so long and have gone so far now as much as we have if it wasn't
serious. I just stayed focused with that and kept grinding the music out.
RushOnRock.com: Do you feel sometimes that change can produce immediate
cynicism and perhaps even a fear of what's new?
Green: In general, it's only human nature if anything and every time
people aren't aware of something, they either want to black out, or kill or
just not acknowledge. Change can be a good thing and sometimes you have to
embrace it because it's constantly happening around us, whether you like it or
not. For an artist, it's important to have evolution, because you learn more. I
think that's the point of being here — to learn as much as you possibly can.
We're going through a learning process being in this band, evolving and trying
different things and I think as a listener you want to hear this. To hear music
in a different way, not necessarily the same thing. There are some people who
like to hear the same thing over and over again. That's crazy to me. That's the
definition of crazy!
RushOnRock.com: Having a family now must have changed your perspective,
but you seem pretty content in riding out the days in focusing on them one at a
time. In what way do you think it has changed you?
Green: It definitely makes you proud of other things beside yourself! I
definitely have more of a purpose in being here. I have more of a feeling about
my purpose in life. It's a wonderful thing. Before, many times I would find
myself occupied in my own head about silly things, but now there's such a
greater importance. It's kind of a relief in a weird way. There's more
responsibility but at the same time it's like I know what I have to do.
Unfortunately at times it is separate, but you really have to go all out in
what you do in both.
RushOnRock.com: For a band ever-changing there always will be critics
but you must be accustomed to that now?
Green: For sure, and the new style of music, people are very critical.
Especially in metal music, I find that a lot of people can be very closed-minded
— they want to listen to metal and nothing else, but I'm not like that. I like
doing metal music and having a heavy style, but I don't like to put myself in
such a box and be trapped in it, because I'm not like that. I like to do
different style of music but I think there's always room for evolution in the
music. I love the old classic bands from the past but I like the new bands a
lot too and I'm grateful they're out there exploring and experimenting.
Guitar World magazine recently conducted an interview with
guitarist Fredrik Thordendal of Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH as part of the regular "Dear Guitar Hero" feature (using fan-submitted
questions).
When asked about whether MESHUGGAH has been working on new music and if
he has any new gear he is using, Fredrik said, "Yes, we are working
on a new album and have been for a long time. I'm so excited about this one.
We've always tried to change how we write songs to keep it exciting, but on
recent albums we've also been moving further away from working together as a
band. On this album, though, everyone is working together. Every day that we're
in the studio, we'll play whatever song we're working on, record a demo version
of it to analyze at home, and then come back the next day, talk about it and
try to make it better. I think because of this, it's going to be our best album
yet.
"We don't have a title yet, but when it comes to new gear, this one is
going to be special, to say the least. I'm working with DAR Amplification to
make this ridiculously powerful guitar amp. It's got 100 watts of true Class A
power. The tubes are from Russian MiG 25 fighter planes; they're designed to
survive a nuclear blast and keep the plane flying. It will be the world's most
advanced modern tube amp. But most importantly, it's designed from beginning to
end for the ultimate metal tone, and it sounds awesome. Can't wait for you to
experience it!"
MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake married bassist Ida Evileye (real name: Ida Stenbacka) of the Swedish all-girl hard rock band CRUCIFIED
BARBARA in January in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In an interview with Decibel magazine, Haake spoke about the
progress of the songwriting sessions for MESHUGGAH's follow-up 2008's "obZen".
Regarding the approach to the new music, the drummer said, "Maybe not try
to be as anal about every single little hit [that] has to be super-tight but be
more focused on the vibe of a track and let some of those tiny errors slip
through. I think that kinda breeds a bit of life into a song."
Released in March 2008, "obZen" album debuted at No. 59 on The
Billboard 200 chart and at No. 14 on the iTunes Top Rock Albums chart.
"obZen" was nominated in the "Best Hard Rock"
category at the Swedish Grammis awards, which was held January 7, 2009
at Hovet in Stockholm.
MESHUGGAH's first DVD, "Alive" sold around 3,000 copies
in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on
the Top Music Videos chart.
DISTURBED singer David Draiman has commented
on persistent rumors that the band will call it quits once it completes its
South American tour in August.
Asked by a fan
via Twitter if it's true that DISTURBED might break up, Draiman replied earlier today (Friday, July 22), "We don't know what we're doing
yet. All I can tell you is that we will be gone for quite a while."
Draiman told an Idaho
radio station on July 13 that the band will not headline a sixth "Music
As A Weapon" tour in 2012 — and is not sure what its plans for the
future are. In the interview with Boise's KQXR, Draiman said, "We don't know what we're doing . . .
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. So I don't know. It's hard to tell . . . But
you're not gonna see a DISTURBED tour for awhile."
Draiman did not elaborate on what "personal" or
"internal" issues the band was dealing with.
He did say that DISTURBED could lease out the "Music As A
Weapon" name for other bands to use.
In an earlier interview with Palm Springs station KCLB, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan made comments similar to Draiman's, saying
that the band has nothing set beyond a South American tour this fall. He
explained, "We're gonna do South America for the first time . . .
And that's really all we talked about. We haven't even discussed anything after
that. It's not that we're tired of it, either. We don't know what it's like to
take a break."
Donegan added that it might be a "shock to the system" for the
band to "go home and then not plan for another tour or plan for the
studio."
DISTURBED is currently headlining the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour, which also features GODSMACK, MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM and others.
Electronic music producer and performer deadmau5 has
announced Excision and Tommy Lee & DJ Aero will join his Meowingtons
Hax tour. The tour runs deep into the fall where these artists will travel
with him to major amphitheatres and venues throughout the U.S. and Canada,
including shows at Denver's Red Rocks
Amphitheatre, the Phoenix Convention Center, Houston's Verizon Wireless Theatre and many
more.
The complete routing can be found at this location.
As DJs and producers, Tommy Lee & DJ Aero's sound is dirty, filthy,
nasty electro-house; and since their musical tastes are not constrained to one
genre, the duo often veers into techno, progressive, breakbeat and even hip-hop
territory. Tommy Lee & DJ Aero are essentially remixing music live,
on-the-fly, when performing as DJs. They're also creating, manipulating and
incorporating visuals into their live DJ sets. This is deejaying as a
multi-media show bordering on performance art. It's what Tommy Lee & DJ
Aero are about.
Due to injuries sustained by vocalist Dani Filth of
British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH at the Léz'Arts Scéniques festival in Sélestat, France, the group has been forced to cancel its
appearance at this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set
to take place August 4-6, 2011 in Wacken, Germany. The bandmembers apologize
and want to let all their fans know that they were looking forward to the show
and they tried all they could to make the concert happen and are very
disappointed to not be able to make it.
According to the Wacken organizers, CRADLE OF FILTH make up for
this year's absence by performing at the 2012 edition of the festival.
Replacing CRADLE OF FILTH at this year's Wacken Open Air is TRIPTYKON — the group formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer,
guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior — who will perform on
the "Black Stage" on Friday, August 4 at 11:15 p.m.
MADBALL bassist Hoya Roc uploaded a photo (see below) to the Lockerz.com social networking site which purportedly shows CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani
Filth being forcibly restrained to the floor, allegedly by a security
guard, at the July 14 Léz'Arts Scéniques festival in Sélestat, France
where both bands performed. Roc's caption accompanying the picture read
as follows: "When metal fantasy goes wrong !! Haha cradle of filth singer
gettin yoked up by security"
In an official statement posted on the Léz'Arts Scéniques web site, festival organizers explained that they were
forced to call upon security and the local police to subdue the
"aggressive and unmanageable" Filth, who had become
"dangerous to himself and others" at the event.
Norwegian singer Liv Kristine (LEAVES' EYES,
ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY) — who has been living in Germany since 1996 with
her now-husband, Alexander Krull, the vocalist for the German band ATROCITY — has released the following statement regarding the reports that Norway had
been rocked by a two-act tragedy — first a downtown Oslo
explosion, then a shooting at a youth camp:
"Norway's soul is hurt. My deepest thoughts go to my home country, to the
victims and their families. Norway
is an amazingly beautiful country and a safe place to live. Such an attack on
our democracy and our peaceful nation must be condemned to the sharpest. Any
form of radicalism must be destroyed at its source. This is terrible and must
never happen again."
In a 2006 interview, Liv had the following to say about her birthplace:
"Of course I still miss Norway, it is the country I have spent most of my
life. Most of all, I miss the sea! Whenever possible, I try to spend some days
at home. I use these breaks to relax and gain new powers, it works
fantastically for me! I love to take [my son] Leon with me on such
occasions; he ought to know about his origins. I also found another, more
artistic way to cope with my homesickness: when you listen to the [LEAVES'
EYES] album 'Vinland Saga', you
will learn about the Vikings and their history. While working on this album, I
could delve into my memories of the wonderful and mysterious Norway."
Philadelphia's SINGLE BULLET THEORY will release its new album, "IV",
on September 27 via Goomba Music. The CD contains nine fresh tracks
featuring new members John Ruszin III (guitar) and Jeff Kalber (bass). All drum tracks for the effort were recorded at Clay Creek Studio in Newark, Delaware with engineer Nick Rotundo.
The remainder of the album was recorded atRuszin's studio in Wenonoh, New Jersey.
"IV" was mixed by John Ruszin III and mastered by James
Murphy (TESTAMENT, DEATH). The record also contains two bonus
tracks from previous sessions, including a guest performance from Matt
Thompson (KING DIAMOND) on a blistering cover of DEATH's "Spirit
Crusher" as well as a revamped version of "The Hurt That Never
Ends" (previously released on SINGLE BULLET THEORY's 2004
record, "Behind Eyes of Hatred".
Described as "a much more musically diverse yet [more] muscular"
effort than the band's previous releases, "IV" features an
eight-minute instrumental track called "Auctioneer Of Souls" as well as guest appearances by Tim Roth (INTO ETERNITY), Jed
Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ZIMMERS HOLE), Jack Frost (SEVEN WITCHES), Mark Simpson (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, BEAUTIFUL
CREATURES) and others.
"IV" track listing:
01. Echoes Of The Past
02. What Have I
03. Letting Go
04. Diabolical
05. Leviathan Smiles
06. Auctioneer of Souls
07. Hands of the Wicked
08. The Wake of Betrayal
09. Samsara
CD bonus tracks
01. Spirit Crusher (DEATH cover)
02. The Hurt That Never Ends
SINGLE BULLET THEORY recently announced the addition of drummer Adam
Sagan (INTO ETERNITY, INFERNAEON, EUMERIA, ECHOTERRA)
to the group's ranks.
Adam will make his debut with SINGLE BULLET THEORY on September
10 during the band's next video shoot.
SINGLE BULLET THEORY 2011 is:
Matt DiFabio - Vocals, Guitar
John Ruszin III - Guitar
Jeff Kalber - Bass
Adam Sagan – Drums
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/sbt4.jpg
Hard rock and heavy metal musicians around the world are
mourning the loss of Amy Winehouse.
The 27 year-old singer was found dead in her London apartment at 4:05 p.m. GMT. There's no
word on the exact cause of death, but Winehouse had been struggling with drug
addiction for many years.
Ted Nugent: "B sure to tell ur
children that Amy Winehouse suicide is insane stupid"
Brian Fair (SHADOWS FALL): "Heard Amy Winehouse died
today. I once ran into her in a hotel lobby in London. It was 7am. I was heading out to the
airport she was just coming in like a trainwreck. She grabbed my hair and was
like 'I fuckin love ur
hair.' With spittle flying. I thought she was a homeless person. I brushed her
off and went and washed my hair. RIP."
Myles Kennedy (ALTERBRIDGE, SLASH):
"It's just my opinion but Amy Winehouse was a very rare talent. So
many songs left unsung. Heartbreaking news."
Rikki Rockett (POISON): "Amy Winehouse - So sad.
Condolences to her closest friends and family. Fame does not give you
happiness. It's a shame Amy couldn't see the part that surpasses that.
The part that she earned and that no tabloid could mar or any critic could ever
take away."
Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE) "Drugs suck. How much clearer does
the message have to be? R.I.P. Amy Winehouse"
Sebastian Bach (ex-SKID ROW): "Dear Amy W, it is a
rough crazy business & there is nothing like being on stage. Once u feel
that, nothing else compares. Your pain is gone RIP"
Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, DEEP PURPLE):
"So sad to hear the news of Soul Sister Amy Winehouse... my heart
goes out to her family...Addiction is cunning, baffling and Powerful... GH"
Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION) "My God! So sad to hear
about Amy Winehouse! My deepest condolences to her friends and family
and fans. You will be missed Amy xoxox"
Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH) "Amy Winehouse...RIP. I wish
you would have said yes, yes, yes. We will miss you."
Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) "27=too young to go. It's one
thing w legends from another era. But when it happens to someone current, it's
freaky, esp. if you're over 27."
Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) "Sad to hear about Amy
Winehouse. I mourn any time one of our own passes on. A tragedy...no doubt.
Truly sad."
Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY): "Amy Winehouse Just
Passed away... She could Fn Sing.. GOD BLESS ?TBLO?"
Eric Avery (ex-JANE'S ADDICTION) "Another tragedy. The
spectacular demise of a very talented woman is finished. Amy Winehouse found dead in her London
flat."
On July 22, Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted an
interview with vocalist Chris Barnes of Florida death metallers SIX FEET UNDER.
You can now watch the chat below.
SIX FEET UNDER's current lineup includes guitarist Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA)
and drummer Kevin Talley (DAATH, MISERY INDEX, CHIMAIRA)
alongside vocalist Chris Barnes and guitarist Steve Swanson. CHIMAIRA guitarist Matt DeVries is handling bass duties on the road, but it not
expected to become an official member of SIX FEET UNDER.
When asked about the musical direction of the material SIX FEET UNDER has written for its next album, Barnes said, "The music is gonna
be, really, kind of an accelerated version of what we were doing before —
faster-paced, more interesting time signatures as well as really wild choruses
and some heavy vocals. I think people are really gonna be interested in this
album. It's something different, but it's something the same. The feel of it is SIX FEET UNDER, but we've pushed it and added some horsepower."
Bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall announced their
departures from SIX FEET UNDER in January. Butler has since joined OBITUARY as a permanent member.
SIX FEET UNDER's "Wake The Night! Live In Germany" DVD was released on January 31
in Europe (three days earlier in Germany)
and February 1 in North America via Metal
Blade Records. The set consists footage of the band's August 8, 2009
performance at the Party.San Open Air festival in Bad Berka, Germany. The
gig was filmed by Roax Films with nine cameras and recorded in 5.1
Surround Sound, picture size 16:9.
SIX FEET UNDER's current touring lineup is:
* Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA) - Guitar
* Kevin Talley (DAATH, MISERY INDEX, CHIMAIRA) - Drums
* Chris Barnes (CANNIBAL CORPSE) - Vocals
* Steve Swanson - Guitar
* Matt DeVries (CHIMAIRA) - Bass
Reformed industrial metal pioneers GODFLESH will make
an exclusive North American appearance at the MarylandDeathfest X festival, set to take place May 24-27, 2012 at Sonar in Baltimore.
In a late 2010 interview with Decibel magazine, GODFLESH's Justin
Broadrick confirmed that the band is slowly putting together ideas for a
new studio album. "It's something we're discussing all the time, and I do
have bits and pieces of material," he said. "But it's something we'd
really like to develop. It'd be quite easy to knock out eight to 10
in-character songs and release it as quickly as possible to capitalize on the
popularity of the group, but it would feel entirely wrong. If it's another two
years until another GODFLESH record, so be it. The most important thing
is making a record that stands up with the rest of the back catalogue. I do
have this in me again, though."
When asked how GODFLESH's performance at last year's Supersonic
Festival, which was held on October 22-24, 2010 in Birmingham, England,
compared to the band's first reunion gig, which happened four months earlier at
France's Hellfest, Justin said, "It's just a different
world, a different planet. It wasn't about preparation, because we were
well-prepared for Hellfest. I think it was just because the Hellfest thing went so wrong, with a generator blowing up and not having a backup, which
mucked up the whole schedule. We were supposed to have an hour's line check
behind the stage — not a few minutes onstage in front of everyone who was
waiting for us to get on with it. So many things were wrong when we hit the
stage — it was strange, because Hellfest really is an admirable
organization. It just fell to pieces, though, and so did we because it was the
first GODFLESH show in 10 years or whatever. But Supersonic was
really amazing — that was how it should have been. After the show, both Ben [Green] and I said was one of the top 10 GODFLESH shows we'd ever
done. We performed really well; the sound was great, the visuals worked out
perfectly. We could tell it was appreciated as well. You barely see a mosh pit
at shows anymore, and there was a huge mosh pit. There was just a lot of
energy. It was our dream GODFLESH show, in a way."
GODFLESH performed its seminal debut full-length album, 1989's "Streetcleaner",
in its entirety at the 2011 edition of the Roadburn festival on April 14
at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. In addition, founding members Justin
Broadrick and Benny Green played the "Tiny Tears" EP, which was conceived as part of the overall "Streetcleaner" vision, in full as well.
"Streetcleaner" was remastered and reissued in a deluxe
digipak in Europe on June 21, 2010 and in North America
on August 10, 2010 via Earache Records.
"Streetcleaner" was GODFLESH's second release, proving
to be one of the band's finest and most recognized albums and helping them to
become one of the most influential industrial bands ever. Now "Streetcleaner" was brought up to date as a special expanded version, with all tracks
remastered by GODFLESH founding member Justin Broadrick. The
album also includes a bonus disc featuring 12 previously unreleased live
tracks, alternate mixes and demos, and comes housed in a deluxe multi-panel
digipak with detailed liner notes.
Former MANTAS, DEATH and MASSACRE vocalist Kam Lee has joined forces with ex-OBITUARY/SIX FEET
UNDER guitarist Allen West in a brand new death metal band called CORPSE
ROT.
Regarding how the name of the group was chosen, Kam said, "Believe
it or not, this name has not been used [by any other band before]. (Note: This
statement appears
to be inaccurate. — Ed.) How is that even possible? And how I came up with
the name… I was joking with Allen. I'm like, 'Allen, I'm kind of
known for the song 'Corpse Grinder'. You're kind of famously known for 'Slowly
We Rot'. Let's just put the two together and see if there's a fucking band
with that name. Nah, there's no band with that name."
More information on CORPSE ROT will be made available soon.
Kam Lee performed MASSACRE's "legendary" 1991 debut
album, "From Beyond", in its entirety for one night only on
Saturday, July 16 at the "A Day Of Death" festival at Club
Infinity in Williamsville, New York. Fan-filmed video footage of the
concert can be seen below.
As previously reported, Lee's former MASSACRE bandmates — Terry
Butler (DEATH, MASSACRE, SIX FEET UNDER, DENIAL
FIEND, OBITUARY) and Rick Rozz (MANTAS, DEATH, MASSACRE, M INC.) — will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of MASSACRE's
classic "From Beyond" album by embarking on a European tour
later this year.
Lee last month issued the following statement regarding his appearance
at "A Day Of Death":
"The editors of Glorious Times approached me in February about a
special event they wanted to do in July. They knew, of course, that MASSACRE would never reform, but they asked me if I would give in this one time and
perform the entire 'From Beyond' album, not for money, but as a special
gift to the fans.
"Although it would have been great for the fans to see a full-fledged MASSACRE reunion, my former bandmates opted to just defame and slander me for agreeing
to do something for the fans.
"My performance is to be the finale at 'A Day of Death', a one-day
festival put on solely as a gift to fans of true death metal. This has always
been planned as the last time I will ever perform 'From Beyond' and I
fully intend to remain true to that commitment.
"I wish to thank the editors of Glorious Times for giving me the
opportunity to do this. However, now those same former bandmates (who had
nothing but negative things to say about me for doing this special event for
the fans) have decided to do their own MASSACRE tribute in Europe.
"After my special performance and their 'tribute' tour, perhaps we can
finally put MASSACRE behind us and let the fans remember the once-great
band as it should be remembered... as one of the top bands of its genre.
"Billy Andrews, Allen West and Mike Borders started MASSACRE all those years ago and have watched as time and time again it has risen from
the grave only to die a quick death. With these special performances let's hope
that MASSACRE can finally die an honorable death."
A revamped version of MASSACRE — consisting of DENIAL FIEND members Sam Williams (guitar), Curt Beeson (drums; NASTY
SAVAGE), along with ex-MASSACRE/DENIAL FIEND members Terry
Butler (bass), Steve Swanson (guitar) and Kam Lee (vocals) —
completed a European tour in late 2007.
Finnish melodic black metallers CATAMENIA will enter Mastervox
Studios in Oulu, Finland in late September to
re-record select songs from their back catalog for an upcoming compilation
album, to be released in early 2012. The set is expected to include guest
appearances by the band's previous vocalists Ari Nissilä, Olli
Mustonen and Mika Tönning.
CATAMENIA recently recruited keyboardist Jussi Sauvola (SILENT
THRENODY, DECROWNED).
CATAMENIA last December announced the addition of vocalist Juha-Matti
Perttunen (ALL AGAINST) to the group's ranks. The band also parted
ways with Ari Nissilä (guitar, vocals), Toni Kansanoja (bass/backing vocals), Kari Vähäkuopus (clean vocals) and Mikko
Nevanlahti (drums) and replaced them with Mikko Hepo-oja (bass), Tony
Qvick (drums) and Sauli Jauhiainen (guitar).
The new CATAMENIA lineup is:
Riku Hopeakoski - Guitar
Mikko Hepo-oja - Bass
Tony Qvick - Drums
Sauli Jauhiainen - Guitar
Juha-Matti Perttunen - Vocals
Jussi Sauvola - Keyboards
CATAMENIA's most recent album, "Cavalcade", was
released in February 2010 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded and
mixed by Kari Vähäkuopus at Mastervox Studios in Oulu, Finland
and was produced by CATAMENIA. POISONBLACK/ex-SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala makes a guest appearance on the album's opening
track, "Blood Trails".
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