Detectives are still trying to verify whether a diamond ring found during a police raid in South Yorkshire belongs to celebrity Sharon Osbourne.
The £200,000 gem was among a £1 million haul of jewellery found by police during a search of a house in Doncaster.
Police showed the collection on the BBC's Crimewatch programme last week in a bid to find anyone with information on who they belong to.
Moments later Kelly Osbourne, daughter of former X Factor judge Sharon, posted a message on Twitter claiming one of the rings was her mum's wedding band.
She said her 58-year-old mum, married to rock star Ozzy Osbourne, had been 'in tears' at news her ring may have been found.
Kelly, aged 26, claimed it was her mum's Tiffany diamond ring and wrote 'thank you Crimewatch - my mum is over the moon. That's her wedding ring. She cried with joy because she can get it back'.
The Osbourne family home in Buckinghamshire was raided in November 2004 and jewellery worth over £1 million was stolen - including Sharon's wedding ring, which was taken from her bedside table as she slept.
Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy was disturbed by the intruders and chased one of them before grappling with him as he tried to flee through a window at the couple's £3 million mansion.
The multi-millionaire put the burglar in a headlock as he was dangling from the window, but the thief managed to wriggle free and dropped 30ft to the ground to escape being caught.
Graham Wragg, head of South Yorkshire Police's economic crime unit, said his force has not yet been contacted by Sharon or any of her representatives.
"Nobody from Sharon's camp has been in touch with us yet," he said.
"We are waiting for Thames Valley Police to get photographs of what has been reported missing so that we can check against the jewellery we have found."
The 10-carat ring was among a collection of rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces and earrings seized by police when they raided a property in Doncaster as part of a probe into acquisitive crime last August.
Police claim the owner of the house where the jewellery and £13,000 in cash was found has been unable to prove that he is the rightful owner.
The appeal for information on Crimewatch resulted in 56 calls on the night and more afterwards.
Judas Priest are about to embark on a 40th anniversary world tour. Frontman Rob Halford explains to Andy Welch that despite it being their last hurrah, the band will continue to fly the flag for British heavy metal
Judas Priest are a heavy metal band who formed in 1969 in the West Midlands.
Known as one of the most influential metal bands of all time, they helped pioneer the genre, and have sold more than 50 million albums around the world.
They are just about to kick off their 40th anniversary tour, which they have said will be their last ever.
We caught up with frontman Rob Halford to find out more.
For further information, visit www.judaspriest.com
YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON TOUR FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR NOW. HAVE YOU ALWAYS ENJOYED IT?
Yes, absolutely. It's still a thrill for all of us in the band. It's exciting, and it's about connecting with the fans. We've never lost focus on the fact that we've been given this great life by the fans that have supported us all along, and this is our way of saying thank you, by going out on a massive world tour that takes almost two years to complete. We're one of the few British metal acts who can go all around the world.
DO YOU RELISH THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY BETWEEN NOW AND CHRISTMAS?
Well, if you look at the dates on paper, it can seem daunting, but like with everything, there's a beginning, middle and end. The rewards are standing on stage in London, Manchester, Madrid, Oslo or wherever and being with the amazing fans. Everything that goes on in between can be a test, without a doubt, but we're very upbeat on this tour. Firstly because we're able to complete it, and it looked a bit shaky at one point, and secondly because it's celebratory and commemorative. We're going to try to touch on something from every important record we've made over the 40 years. It's going to be a heavy metal party.
THE BAND, ALONG WITH IRON MAIDEN, IS PROBABLY THE ONLY BRITISH METAL BAND WHO CAN TOUR ALL OVER THE WORLD.
That's true. And putting the edge on Judas Priest, obviously, that's because we were there at the very beginning with Black Sabbath in the late 1960s, before the music was even called heavy metal. That phrase, though, when it was coined, has always been very dear to us, and that's definitely the kind of band we are, and it's the kind of music we play through and through. We've always felt like ambassadors of British heavy metal, and have always been very proud to tell the world we're from the West Midlands.
METAL DOESN'T SEEM TO COME IN AND OUT OF FASHION LIKE OTHER MUSIC, IT'S ALWAYS THERE ON THE PERIPHERY WITH A SOLID FAN BASE. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
I think it's because metal is the working man's bread and butter. With metal, it's not about how slim you are, how beautiful you are and doesn't have any discriminating qualities like lots of other musical styles do. It's just wonderful music that appeals to everyone, and at its core, it just has that blue-collar, everyman attraction.
THIS IS THE FINAL WORLD TOUR, BUT IT'S NOT THE END OF THE BAND, IS IT?
No, it's not. You face mortality at certain points in your life, and we're not getting any younger. We want to keep on making music, and we want to keep performing this calibre of show, but we only want to perform at this level. Like a biker, we want to ride off into the sunset, not fall off in front of everyone. You can do that if you're not careful, you need to have a sense of dignity, and we have to maintain that. We will be touring in the future, probably festivals and special events, but we won't be doing these big gruelling tours. There will be a new album late next year, and there is going to be a boxset this year with various bits and pieces in it.
DO YOU THINK YOU GET THE CREDIT YOU DESERVE FOR A 40-YEAR CAREER?
Well, we won a Grammy, which was a very important award for us, but it would be nice to get a Brit, from our own country, you know. We get a lot of respect from the metal community, and the magazines too. We don't want a gold watch, you can keep that, but we do get recognition and I think that's to do with the fact we've taken the music around the world and waved the flag. It's a double-edged sword, though. Part of me wants the recognition, and part of me has always felt like an underdog. Is it really important that we don't get the credit some lesser bands do? I don't know if it is, but as I get older I get more sentimental and think it might be nice to get some more recognition. A gong is a good thing to have, but standing on stage in front of fans is a lot better.
IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson received an honorary doctorate in music from Queen Mary university in London, England on Tuesday, July 19. He was presented by Professor David Baker of the Centre For Neuroscience And Trauma in honor of Dr. Dickinson's contribution to the music industry.
Dickinson, 52, actually received a degree in history from the same college in 1979. His parents wanted him in the army, but he told them that he wanted to get a degree first. "That was what they wanted to hear so that was my cover story," he later said. "When I got down there, I started immediately finding and playing in bands."
Multi-talented Dr. Dickinson is not only a musician and song-writer, author, film script writer and TV broadcaster, also a champion fencer, entrepreneur and commercial airline pilot. In 2006, Dr. Dickinson flew 200 U.K. citizens home from Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in his converted Boeing 757.
Queen Mary is one of the U.K.'s leading research-focused universities, offering a broad range of degrees in humanities and social sciences; medicine and dentistry and science and engineering, with over 14,000 undergraduates, 2,000 postgraduate students and 3,000 staff.
Following fits and starts and a bit of expected drama while plans were being laid down, Saturday at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J., it's the fans that make out most as Mötley Crüe and Poison, with the New York Dolls, bring one of the most-anticipated rock shows of the summer to town.
Rock Music Menu caught up with Crüe co-founder Nikki Sixx to talk about the tour, his new book and what it's like to branch out as an artist — but first, he wanted to make it clear that his band should not be put into the same category as the hair-metal scene that pervaded Los Angeles in the mid-'80s onward.
"We came out in '81; we were really half-punk/half-metal with a bit of pop thrown in there," Sixx said. "We didn't fit the L.A. scene, there was nothing like us; in our audience we had these degenerates from the Valley that were trying to find their next band that they could relate to because the Dead Kennedys weren't around anymore, Fear was just a shadow of itself and there was nothing happening in L.A.
"We were really about Van Halen meets the New York Dolls or Black Sabbath meets the Ramones, so when bands came up behind us and we got lumped in with them, we really didn't like it."
That was right around the time when the higher the hair, the more caked on the makeup and the tighter the spandex, the better the chance that MTV would put an act's video in high rotation. It wasn't a surprise when a Warrant song would rise up the charts along with a Crüe single — and it's something that haunts Sixx to this day.
"You'll see like these '80s rock ballads collections and they call us up and want us to be on it," he said. "Are you on (expletive) glue?! It really is this thing where we really don't have anything to do with that — for us it's always been about sticking to our original path."
It was a surprise then when the tour with Poison was announced, first at a solo show by Bret Michaels, which was then disavowed by Mötley's management, and then again by Michaels on an interview show.
"Everything was fine, until Bret went on Piers Morgan and announced the tour when he knew he was supposed to do it with Mötley Crüe," Sixx said. "It was a Mötley Crüe tour with the New York Dolls and Poison supporting, and that really pissed off my band. We didn't want the tour, because of the reasons not personally, but because of keeping things segregated and then when he went and took it into his own hands that it was like his idea — yeah."
"He was the one on the phone that told me he wanted to do it because his band needs credibility and Mötley Crüe is a credible band — it pissed us off, because we were sucker-punched."
So why even bother? It was the result of a fan poll the band took, Sixx said, that led to the decision. Well, kind of. Poison was actually the third choice.
"The fans chose Guns 'N Roses first, Def Leppard second and Poison third and we're like, "Really?" he said. "We talked to Guns 'N Roses, talked to Def Leppard, talked to Poison who was available and the other two weren't. It just worked out."
Sixx stresses that now, with the jaunt well under way, "everything is fine," mainly because it's the audience who benefits.
"In the end, what happens internally, politically, (expletive) like that, it might be frustrating, but in the end it really does matter what are the fans getting?" he said. "We feel like they're getting the real deal with the New York Dolls, we feel like they're getting to see Poison; they've got four or five hit songs and they've got some great cover songs they've done. They get 45 to 50 minutes and are giving the fans a really great show and then you got Mötley.
"In the end, everybody does win."
Sixx might as well include himself in the win column, as the tour with Mötley Crüe is just one of the many projects he has going on. Back in May he was in town to do a packed book signing at the Walnut Street Barnes & Noble for his third best-seller, "This is Gonna Hurt," which explores his photographic side, featuring pictures of everyone from his bandmates to homeless addicts to the obscenely obese. He provides a running narrative for much of it. Some of it is stream of consciousness while much of it is a more linear narrative.
Some of it is disturbing, but Sixx says he looks at what is beautiful through his lens and is completely honest about it.
"One time I was with somebody and we went some place very nice and I always have my camera with me, and they said, "You didn't take one single picture." And I said, "I didn't see anything that evoked any kind of emotion." And they said, "What about me?" And I said, "Exactly."
"That relationship didn't last."
Joking (or not) aside, Sixx is all about finding what catches his emotion the best — not in the conventional sense, and he uses a flower as an example.
"I'm able to look at a beautiful, full-bloom rose in my driveway and look right next to it and see a withered dead one — and I see them the same," he said. "I photograph them both, and say, 'Look how beautiful the decay is,' because that's actually a representation of what we all have to face."
Like the last book Sixx wrote, "The Heroin Diaries," there is a soundtrack in tandem with "This is Gonna Hurt," courtesy of Sixx; A.M., a musical outing with guitarist DJ Ashba (A) and James Michael (M) which has picked up traction as a separate entity.
"It blew up and we had such a great experience with it event though it was a lot of struggle and we didn't want to tour, then the touring happened and then we didn't think we'd do a second record and then we did because we love each other so much and love making the music," Sixx said. "(This time) it wasn't inspired just by the photography, but the state of mind and everything that happened. I started getting inspired by the songs and going and doing other photography and bringing it back to the band and it creating more conversation about feelings and social commentary and what is beauty?"
"It exploded into this really beautiful thing."
Years and years of drug and alcohol abuse have given way to ten years of sobriety, which Sixx credits not for the things he is pursuing, but that they are actually being completed, because when he's sober, there have been loads of ideas, but substance which distract from bringing them to fruition.
"That's the biggest problem with being a creative person," he said. "God, if I could tell you how many songs I've written in my life, and how many have been finished, you'd be shocked — it's in the thousands. When you're loaded, it's hard to even just be in a rock band. Most people go, "I'm so tired, we went out and toured." And I go, "That's it?" Oh yeah, that's right, because you're partying every night to fill your hours, while all my hours are filled with creative endeavors."
Vince Neil is not a man of many words. This isn't surprising, considering that most of the words he sings with Motley Crue were written by Nikki Sixx anyway. We spoke with Neil from his tour bus in Tampa.
I've read that you guys have something called a drum roller coaster on this tour. How has that been working?
Oh it's great. I mean, people are loving it. It's obviously something different.
When you're rehearsing for the tour, at what point does something like a drum roller coaster come into the picture?
At the very end. ... Our very first U.S. show was Dallas, so we set up in the place where we were playing for like three days, then rehearsed the new set. We did pyro, the roller coaster and then everything else.
On this tour, you let fans select the set lists. Any surprises?
No. I mean, a lot of the songs we knew were gonna be on there, obviously like "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Wild Side" and "[Dr.] Feelgood" and "Home Sweet Home." ... But some of them, like "Smokin' in the Boys Room" was a big fan favorite. We hadn't played that in a long time. And then "Too Young To Fall In Love," which we hadn't played in like 20 years.
Is that because you reached an age where you weren't too young to fall in love?
Well, that song was written 25 years ago. [Laughs] It's just a song, man.
Nikki wrote a lot of the songs. When you sing those words after all these years, do you get something new out of it?
Well, no. I mean, I'm performing. I'm not acting out those words, I'm singing a song. ... That's all.
Has life on the road slowed down over the years, or is it still like the Crue bio, "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band"?
Well, we were a young band. We've been together for 30 years now, you know. ... We're not drug addicts like we were. There are things that you do when you're 20 years old you don't do when you're 50.
You're touring with Poison and the New York Dolls. The first incarnation of the Dolls had imploded by the time the Crue first came out. Tell me how they influenced you.
If you read any of our early bios, the New York Dolls were one of our influences for Motley Crue. The style, not only fashion style, but the song style. If you listen to a lot of stuff on the first record, you can hear some Dolls in there. We love those kind of bands, like the Sweet, that kind of glam, that's what we kind of fashioned ourselves as.
Are there any collaborations on this tour where you guys are sharing the stage with Poison or with the Dolls?
No, no. We do our set, you know. This isn't a jam session. We have a lot of pyro and a lot of visual stuff. We do our job, they do their jobs.
The expanded, commemorative 25th-anniversary reissue edition of MEGADETH's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The platinum-certified set was digitally remastered for the first time and made available in multiple configurations on July 12 by Capitol/EMI. All of the versions, including a 2CD lift-top box, digital album, and a deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set, include a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's first world tour and new liner notes written by MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine and METALLICA's Lars Ulrich. The deluxe box set also includes previously unreleased and rare mixes of the album's tracks and hi-res audio for the remastered album and concert, as well as an expanded 20-page book, plus 8"x10" photos and reproductions of vintage MEGADETH memorabilia. The cover of the box uses a new, unique process of lenticular 3D which reinterprets the original cover, creating the
illusion of MEGADETH's Vic Rattlehead character jumping out of the art.
Released in 1986, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" was MEGADETH's second album and the band's first Capitol/EMI release. The acclaimed album thrust MEGADETH into the international spotlight, and it remains a powerful thrash metal staple.
In his liner notes for the new edition, Dave Mustaine reflects on writing the album's title track: "I had written other lyrics by now, but there was something different about 'Peace Sells' because it told my story about my faith; my beliefs; my distrust of government; my work ethic; my integrity. This was MY song."
"If there's a new way, I'll be the first in line"
"Amen!," continues Mustaine. "I was so tired of not shaving, not bathing, not eating, not having a home, a companion, NOTHING. Yeah, I'll be the first in line, but it had better work this time. Well, it was working, thank God, just fast enough for what I needed, but not nearly as fast as I would hope."
"Whether you heard this record for the first time in 1986, or you hear this record for the first time today or tomorrow, 'Peace Sells' is a great heavy metal album," writes Lars Ulrich in his liner notes for the new edition. "Nothing more, nothing less. It has stood the test of time. And will continue to do so."
Dave Mustaine pioneered the hugely successful MEGADETH after his departure from METALLICA. Beginning with the band's 1985 debut album, "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!", and evolving through a shifting series of lineups, MEGADETH has crafted a dynamic, intelligent style that combines the aggressiveness of thrash metal, the improvisational nature of jazz, and cynical, articulate, politically-charged lyrics into an innovative mix that has built a rabid worldwide following.
For nearly three decades, MEGADETH has taken heavy metal into the future — musically, lyrically, and culturally. The band has enjoyed great success on Billboard's album and single charts, including three Top 10 titles on the Top 200 Albums chart and four Top 10 Modern Rock singles, "Almost Honest", "Trust", "Breadline", and "Crush 'Em".
With defiance and grace, through unusual quality and intelligence, MEGADETH has raised a generation on a diet of truth serum and bitter pills. Instead of being kicked to the curb for their insolence, they've been rewarded with nine Grammy Award nominations, six gold, five platinum, and one double platinum albums, and three gold-certified DVD releases, in addition to last year's double platinum concert DVD, "The Big 4: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria".
MEGADETH is currently playing more than 20 North American dates as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with DISTURBED, GODSMACK, MACHINE HEAD, IN FLAMES and TRIVIUM.
"Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?" track listings:
2CD / Digital (Booklet with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich):
Disc 1 (original album, remastered)
01. Wake Up Dead
02. The Conjuring
03. Peace Sells
04. Devil's Island
05. Good Mourning / Black Friday
06. Bad Omen
07. I Ain't Superstitious
08. My Last Words
Disc 2 (previously unreleased 1987 concert)
01. Wake Up Dead
02. The Conjuring
03. Bad Omen
04. Rattlehead
05. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good
06. Looking Down The Cross
07. My Last Words
08. Peace Sells
09. These Boots Were Made For Walkin'
10. Devil's Island
11. Mechanix
12. Last Rites / Loved To Deth
13. Good Mourning / Black Friday
Deluxe 5Disc+3LP Box Set
* Two 8x10 photos / two 8 ½ x 11 reproduced vintage concert flyers / one reproduced vintage ticket stub / 20-page book with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich
Disc 1 (original album, remastered - tracklist above)
Disc 2 (Dave Mustaine mixes & masters for 2004 album reissue - tracklist above)
Disc 3 (Randy Burns mixes, remastered)
01. Wake Up Dead [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
02. The Conjuring [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
03. Peace Sells [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
04. Devil's Island [previously unreleased]
05. Good Mourning / Black Friday [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
06. Bad Omen [previously unreleased]
07. I Ain't Superstitious [previously unreleased]
08. My Last Words [previously unreleased]
Disc 4 (previously unreleased 1987 concert – track listing above)
Disc 5 (hi-res audio: original album + previously unreleased 1987 concert - tracklists above)
LP 1 (original album, remastered – track listing above)
LPs 2 & 3 (previously unreleased 1987 concert – track listing above)
Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH, which is currently touring with the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and playing a show at Yankee Stadium with METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX on September 14, will stay connected with fans by blasting out personalized video updates on Facebook while touring.
For the first time, fans will get exclusive clips and sneak peeks of behind-the-scenes action via video feeds sent directly to their Facebook wall, allowing them to share the video with their friends through multiple social media channels. StarGreetz enables Mustaine to address fans by name, encouraging purchase of concert tickets, albums and merchandise. Each time the video is played on Facebook, it says the name of the person playing it.
StarGreetz transforms the voices and video images of celebrities and brand personalities into customized, media-rich messages sent directly to consumers via Facebook, Twitter, web pages, banner ads, email, mobile and digital devices, even audio on land lines. All of StarGreetz content incorporates the user name as well as other variables such as location, hobbies, gender, and relationship.
"I know how important it is to connect with our fans, especially during a tour, and StarGreetz makes that happen! For me to speak to hundreds of thousands of MEGADETH fans by name, what could be better than that? It's a killer new way to reach the people who matter most, our fans," said Dave Mustaine.
"By offering personalized greetings from Mustaine himself, where he actually says the fan's name, we provide deep engagement resulting in a stronger bond and increased purchase intent," said Eric Frankel, founder and CEO, StarGreetz, Inc. "Rather than 140-character text based message, Mustaine is pushing personalized video messages. The fact that MEGADETH, one of the most enduring metal bands of our time, is the first to embrace our technology and recognize the implications it has on tour marketing thrills us. Twenty years later, Mustaine is still ahead of the pack."
In addition, Mustaine will be rolling out a line of eCards, eInvitations and ringtones to promote MEGADETH's release of its digitally re-mastered 1986 album, "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" As these products roll out, fans can wish their friends and family a happy birthday, Mother's Day plus a variety of other holiday greetings or invite them to a party through Mustaine. Fans can create these personalized messages, with names and other user-selected information, seamlessly merged into fully-customized messages based on user choices. These will be available for $2.99 each and will be available for purchase at via www.stargreetz.com beginning August 1, 2011.
An interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine will air tonight (Wednesday, July 20) at 10 p.m. EST as part of ABC's "Primetime Nightline: Beyond Belief" "Battle With The Devil" special.
In "Beyond Belief: Battle With The Devil", "Nightline" co-anchor Terry Moran set out to discover how the battle against Satan is being carried out in America, for those who believe that the Prince of Darkness and Author of All Lies is a real presence in the world, a real threat in their lives.
From the Agape church in New York to an exorcism conducted in California, from a Christian ministry attempting to rescue women from the sex trade in Las Vegas to a training class for exorcists in Rome, from Times Square in New York to the "Amityville Horror" house — Moran met people who sincerely believe they are locked in combat with the devil.
State the "Beyond Belief: Battle With The Devil" producers: "We don't set out to prove or disprove the existence of Satan; we simply want to respect the authenticity of the beliefs of the people we met. What we hope we've done is shine a light into a world of spiritual warfare that goes on all around us, and report the amazing experiences of people who are convinced they have struggled not just with the moral reality of evil in their lives, but with a powerful and terrifying supernatural being who promotes and generates that evil: The devil."
Queensrÿche's latest album, Dedicated to Chaos, is a complete about-face from the dark, metallic territory explored on the band's previous two albums, American Soldier and Operation: Mindcrime II. Its songcraft has more to do with the radio-friendly structures of 1990's Empire, while Michael Wilton's guitars are warmer and more textural than anything Queensrÿche has ever recorded. Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate recently spoke to Gibson.com about the new album, angry fans and making music for headphones.
Dedicated to Chaos is very much driven by the rhythm section. Was that a conscious decision?
With each record we sit down and have a pow-wow about what we want to accomplish. Scott [Rockenfield] our drummer and Eddie [Jackson] our bass player had a lot of song ideas that they'd been working on over the last year and they brought them to the table. I found it really interesting and intriguing, and – taking the path of least resistance, which is human nature [laughs] – because they had so much stuff prepared, it was a really nice jumping-off point for collaboration. I think that pushed us into that kind of vibe for the rest of the album. Every record has that jumping-off point. It's either a song or a riff that everybody's really enthused about, or a lyrical direction or a topic that sets everybody rolling. And for this record it was really Scott and Eddie coming to the table with a lot of material.
In researching this interview I listened to Dedicated to Chaos on my laptop, through the stereo and through headphones, and I was really intrigued that you can hear different things, different layers depending on the way you listen to the album.
Yeah, and that, I think, is the beauty of music. You can hear it in a number of different environments and it's going to sound different and give you a different feel, a different experience. It's great that you did that. I respect that you took the time to do that. One of the things we talked about early on with this album is we really wanted to concentrate on the headphone aspect, because people listen to music really differently these days. They don't sit in their room with their stereo system and completely absorb the record like we did when we were growing up. They listen to it passively, and most people listen on their iPods now. They plug in when they're on their way to work or bopping around shopping, doing what they do, and they're listening to music through headphones. So we thought, "Let's just make it that way." We spend a lot of time with headphones on. That's primarily how we compose, so why not take what we listen to and
follow suit with that? We wrote the record on headphones, recorded it on headphones, mixed it on headphones – it's pretty much a headphones thing! We listened to all the demos on headphones as we were working out at the gym or doing what we do, just to make sure it had a good feel to it.
Queensrÿche have an extremely varied back catalog – it all sounds like Queensrÿche but no two albums sound like each other.
In our stuff, we're kind of a difficult band for a lot of people. We try really hard to stay out of categories and genres, and we don't think of ourselves as anything other than Queensrÿche. We don't attach ourselves or our thinking or identity to any genre. But the industry is kinda built around selling a genre. So record companies have a difficult time with us because we don't fit neatly into a little package that they can market. We're always experimenting with our music and pushing it in different ways, adding our musical influences into our writing. A lot of times people find that frustrating. They don't see the art in it, which is beyond me, because that's what I always look for in music. I see music as being strictly art. It's not a competitive sport.
Well, Metallica just announced that they've recorded an album with Lou Reed, and the online reaction has been pretty negative from some fans, even though they haven't even heard it yet! And it's not like this new album is going to go out and delete all the other Metallica CDs – they're still going to be there!
Exactly! And that's what I don't get about human nature: that symptom of just jumping off the deep end and judging something before you hear it or experience it for yourself. It seems bizarre to me. But people do that all the time. They just jump to conclusions. And music is a very personal journey. Not just for the artist but also for the audience. And music takes a while to sink in with people. We all hear it different, and we all experience it different. Some people can listen to an orchestral piece and pick out any instrument and identify what it's playing at any given time, and other people hear music as just a wall of sound. We have that kind of variance and scope. We all hear it different, and we all apply music to our own personal lives. A song becomes the background music for our life for a given period of time. And that times time to be established. It's not something that you just latch onto immediately from hearing a 30 second clip off
iTunes. You've got to live with stuff, and then it becomes very special to you.
For example, Let's Dance by David Bowie. I fell in love with that record. I must have listened to it a thousand times. He came out with an album called Earthling and I immediately bought that album and was incredibly disappointed in the fact that I couldn't relate to it. I didn't think the album was horrible, and I didn't think the album sucked, because Bowie's not going to release an album that's bad. It's just an album that I haven't got yet, y'know? So I put the album away. Six months later I'm in Paris at the Virgin Megastore. The listening station has Bowie's Earthling on it. I put the headphones on and listen to a couple of tracks, and man, it hit me! I got it! I bought the album again so I could have it with me! And I think that's true with a lot of music. It depends on the timing. What headspace you're in, what's happening with you personally – we had an album that came out in 1994 called Promised Land, and so many
people weren't into it.
It's my favorite Queensrÿche album.
It's one of my favorites too! And they'd write in to us, "This is a horrible album! It sucks!" No, the album doesn't suck. You just don't get it! And then the same people would write a couple of years later and say, "Y'know, I really dissed that record when it came out, and I was really vocal about my disappointment, but now it's become my favorite record. I get it. Because since then, this, this and this have happened to me, and I feel the mood the album is expressing now."
The Omega Order is offering an exclusive pre-order bundle for "Worship Music", the long-awaited new album from ANTHRAX, featuring the new CD; "Fistful Of Metal" triple 10-inch picture discs; and an ANTHRAX LP slipmat (only available in this bundle).
"Worship Music" is due in the U.S. on September 13 via Megaforce Records (one day earlier in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records). The band's first studio release in eight years marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the group was 1990's "Persistence Of Time".
According to Amazon.com, "Worship Music" will feature the following track listing:
01. Worship (intro)
02. Earth On Hell
03. The Devil You Know
04. Fight 'Em Til You Can't
05. I'm Alive
06. Hymn 1
07. In The End
08. The Giant
09. Hymn 2
10. Judas Priest
11. Crawl
12. The Constant
13. Revolution Screams
The "classic ANTHRAX-sounding" "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" is a song about killing zombies, and is the one new track that ANTHRAX — Belladonna, guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello — has played live since they Belladonna rejoined the line-up a year ago. ANTHRAX offered the track as a free download last month, and fan comments in chat rooms have been overwhelmingly ecstatic.
In addition, ANTHRAX has revealed the CD cover artwork for "Worship Music". Renowned comic book artist Alex Ross, who has worked with Marvel Comics and DC Comics and is known for his "Marvels", "Kingdom Come", and "Astro City" illustrations, created the original painting for the cover. Ross also did the original artwork for ANTHRAX's "We've Come For You All" and "Music Of Mass Destruction" albums.
The early feedback from press on "Worship Music" has also been simply stellar: Alexander Milas, editor of Metal Hammer called the album "a riff-shitting, fire-breathing, doubt-crushing monster of a record. Welcome back, boys!," while VH1/"That Metal Show"'s Eddie Trunk said, "This album is fucking amazing! Metal album of the year so far! Congratulations. Just killer."
"Worship Music" was produced by ANTHRAX, Rob Caggiano and Jay Ruston and recorded over a four-year period at studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Belladonna's return to the band prompted some of the songs originally recorded to be re-crafted with fresh lyrics or tweaked to better suit his overall vibe and energy. Some of the songs were completely replaced with brand-new songs and, of course, all have Belladonna's inimitable vocal stamp on them.
"Worship Music" is loaded with stand-out tracks. While "Judas Priest" is a nod to the huge influence that band has had on the members of ANTHRAX and metal heads everywhere. "I'm Alive" is beautiful and grand with a build that demands audience participation. "Crawl" is dark and moody, and filled with a lot of the emotion and stress the band was feeling when it was written. "Fight 'Em 'til You Can't" is a song about killing zombies, and who doesn't love a good zombie song? It's the one new track that ANTHRAX has played live since they started touring with Belladonna a year ago, and has been getting tremendous audience response. The song "Earth on Hell" is classic ANTHRAX thrash. "The Devil You Know" is best-described as "an AC/DC groove filtered through an ANTHRAX lens," while "In The End" is epic-sounding and ANTHRAX's way of remembering the late Ronnie James Dio and Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott.
Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Leslie West will join forces for the "3 Guitar Heroes" tour in October/November. Manager Bob Ringe was the mastermind behind the union, and there are some very special surprises up their collective sleeves for this excursion. Following sets by each of these legends, the evening will climax with a jam of all "3 Heroes" on stage together, with special guests earmarked to join them in most markets.
On the plans for this excursion, Leslie West shared, "I am honored to be a part of the '3 Guitar Heroes' tour with Uli Roth and Michael Schenker.
"My manager Bob and I have been discussing a run like this for ages, and when the opportunity came up I hopped on board. That's right — the guy who just had his leg amputated.
"These guys are monster players and this should be a lot of fun."
Added Michael Schenker, "It is very exciting to be part of a tour that has very deeply rooted connections with two guitarists that have been at their best since the start of their careers.
"When I was around 14 years old, I saw a guy on stage playing amazing guitar. It was Uli, and he was around my age. Three years later while with the SCORPIONS, I chose to join UFO and found the best possible replacement in Uli. I knew my brother Rudolf and Klaus were in good hands.
"When I was 16 years old, Leslie West was one of my favorite guitarists. He had just recorded 'Theme For An Imaginary Western' with MOUNTAIN, a song featuring one of my all-time favorite lead-breaks on it. Looking back, Leslie is the last guitarist I ever copied seeing that from when I was 17 on, I went completely my own way.
"So, here we are after all these years on stage together, celebrating the phenomenon — rock guitar."
The "3 Guitar Heroes" tour is booked by Wayne Forte and Ben Shprits at Entourage Talent, and managed by Bob Ringe of Survival Management.
The itinerary includes appearances in:
Oct. 06 - Norfolk, CT Infinity Music Hall & Bistro
Oct. 08 - Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct. 09 - Plymouth, NH The Flying Monkey
Oct. 12 - Foxborough, MA Showcase Live
Oct. 13 - Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
Oct. 14 - New York, NY Irving Plaza
Oct. 15 - Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Oct. 16 - Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre At Westbury
Oct. 19 - Baltimore, MD Sound Stage
Oct. 20 - Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Oct. 21 - Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Oct. 22 - Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
Oct. 26 - Milwaukee, WI The Pabst Theater
Oct. 27 - Chicago, IL House of Blues
Nov. 04 - Dallas, TX House of Blues
Nov. 05 - Houston, TX House of Blues
Nov. 11 - Las Vegas, NV Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
Additional dates will be announced shortly.
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" features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen.
Speaking to VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner, Michael compared the new CHICKENFOOT album to the band's 2009 self-titled debut. "I would describe it as having more meat to it," he said. "It's a lot more in depth. I think as a band we've evolved quite a bit, as far as vocally and musically, we've gotten a little bit deeper and a little darker on things, but there's still the upside and the fun rock side to it because it's not all seriousness. You know, we're in this business to have fun and entertain."
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.
"You know, Chad won't be able to tour with us because he's going to be on tour himself with his other band and we're not looking for anybody to replace Chad but we will find someone to fill in," Anthony told VH1 Radio Networks. "The album is coming out September 27th and we're planning on maybe doing some, we call them the road-test shows. We'll do maybe some theaters and stuff like that in certain areas on the West Coast, Midwest and maybe the East Coast for press and stuff like that and then probably a full-blown tour happening early next year."
Michael went on to explain if Chad will be a part of the group's bigger tour next year.
"It looks like he's going to be tied up for a while but the door is always open," he said. " You know, if Chad's got a day off and his wife's not begging him to come home, we'll grab him and we'll pull him out and say, 'Hey, come on, play a few shows.' So, I have a feeling that he will do some stuff with us but I want people to know that he's not being replaced in a band and we've just got someone filling in for him because, you know, nobody can replace someone like that guy."
"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. Dubai Blues
10. Something Going Wrong
Seattle grunge legends ALICE IN CHAINS have commenced work on the follow-up to 2009's gold-certified album "Black Gives Way To Blue" (Virgin/EMI), according to longtime friend Ann Wilson of HEART.
In a conversation yesterday with Ultimate Classic Rock, Wilson mentioned that she had visited ALICE IN CHAINS this weekend at the recording studio where they're working on their new album, which currently does not have a title and is reportedly set for release in early 2012.
Wilson said that the band sounds "amazing" on the new material and enthused about guitarist Jerry Cantrell and the band, stating, "How can Jerry not sound amazing, but I mean, it really does — they're a monster."
"Black Gives Way To Blue" was the first all-new ALICE IN CHAINS album since 1995 and the first to feature singer/guitarist William DuVall. DuVall told The Pulse Of Radio last year that he expects the band to take a lot less time to make a follow-up. "You don't come this far and do all this work just to then stop for (laughs), for another 15 years or, you know, stop forever or whatever," he said. "We are on a path, and just as it was in the beginning, we still don't know where it's gonna lead. But we're digging what we're doing and we're very happy with the reception that we've gotten."
ALICE IN CHAINS began touring again in 2006 and DuVall officially became a member of the band before recording began on "Black Gives Way To Blue".
ALICE IN CHAINS (guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, guitarist/vocalist William DuVall, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez) spent 2010 performing a string of sold-out headlining tours around the world in support of "Black Gives Way To Blue". Fueled by lead single "Check My Brain", which rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart, "Black Gives Way To Blue" entered Billboard's Top 200 at No. 5. They maintained momentum with follow-up hit "Your Decision", which also shot straight to No. 1.
ALICE IN CHAINS currently has two shows scheduled in August, including an appearance at the third annual MTS Rock On The Range Canada on Saturday, August 20 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"Kairos", the new album from Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA, sold around 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
SEPULTURA's previous CD, "A-Lex" — the group's first LP to be recorded without either of the founding Cavalera brothers (Max and Igor; on guitar/vocals and drums, respectively) — opened with around 1,600 units back in January 2009.
"Kairos" (an ancient Greek word signifying a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens) was released in Europe on June 24 and in the United States on July 12 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork for the CD was created by Erich Sayers, a Los Angeles-based freelance digital artist and photographer whom SEPULTURA first met at the band's concert at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.
Commented Kisser: "This album is inspired by ourselves, SEPULTURA, our whole history and all the experiences, after 26 years of a career, with many changes inside and outside the band, we are still here, in 2011, touring, playing, recording and doing what we love the most, to live for music. This is the kind of feeling on 'Kairos', all the lyrics are talking about us, our families, relationship with managers, labels, press and the fans, our experiences on stage and touring the world. It is a very intimate album, very personal views. Sound-wise, it has a little bit of everything we did in the past, plus new elements that we always bring to every new SEPULTURA album."
Track-by-track descriptions of the songs on "Kairos":
01. Spectrum
Kisser: "The first song of the album expresses what the album is all about, our experience being SEPULTURA, all the stuff we saw and lived in these 26 years. The way we see the world, the way we experienced the world, the whole spectrum of our living. The riff is very simple, yet very powerful, it sets the tone for the whole song, kind of an hypnotic effect, it was the first riff that I wrote for 'Kairos' and it turned out to be the first song of it."
02. Kairos
Kisser: "The title track, what we talked about here is a very special concept of time, which is not chronological but a specific moment of opportunity and change, the present is what it is, the past is a collection of 'kairos' moments and the future a consequence of the present, it is a very powerful concept which gave us the possibility to talk about ourselves and what is SEPULTURA today, NOW. It is a song with three different vibes, starts with a heavy, slow riff, then goes to an intermission, which is the lead part and then it ends with an upper beat with heavy picking riff."
03. Relentless
Kisser: "This song talks about our endless fight to keep our music going, regardless of any difficulties we had passed or are passing, nothing is easy and demands a lot of energy and work. We never lost sight of our goals and we never stopped, with integrity and respect. The music brings more of the old feeling of trash metal, raw and direct."
04. Just One Fix
Kisser: "A MINISTRY cover, a band that was very influential on SEPULTURA's music on the early '90s, we toured with them in 1992, it was a great tour where we learnt a lot. MINISTRY showed a new way of playing heavy/aggressive music, pioneers of the industrial metal style."
05. Dialog
Kisser: "On this song is like we are having a conversation with ourselves, looking inside, making a balance of all these years, the ups and downs of our career and life in general. A very honest look in the mirror, facing our weak and strong points, accepting certain things that cannot be changed and move forward always. Is a kind of a dark vibe in the music, with clean guitars and a speaking style vocals, then going to a heavy part with crushing double bass drumming.
06. Mask
Kisser: "Here we attack the people from the Internet, that have nicknames and they never show their faces, people that slay everybody without showing their credentials, hiding behind a mask to speak loud. The music I wrote on the road, on the 'A-Lex' tour, the only one done like that, Jean [Dolabella, drums] have his recording gear with him and I play some riffs on the guitar, creating the structure for the song, very thrash as well!"
07. Seethe
Kisser: "This song is a leftover from the 'A-Lex' sessions. There were two songs that did not were on the album and one of them we decided to use it for this one. It is a very raw, violent song, that still resembles the vibes of the 'Clockwork Orange'. We wrote an extra heavy slower part in the middle and re-recorded in the 'Kairos' sessions, same studio but different era and a different producer. Is just pure trash with aggressive lyrics.
08. Born Strong
Kisser: "A song to our families, then and now, moms, dads, sisters, brothers, grandmas, wives and kids. Since the day we were born, taking care of our first steps in this world and showing the right path, education and love. Today we have our own families and that is what keeps us with motivation and strong; without them we are nothing. The music comes from a very old riff, when Derrick [Green, vocals] joined SEPULTURA, back in '97. He brought this riff that we hated at that time but now it worked out great. It was the right moment for it."
09. Embrace The Storm
Kisser: "A song about persistence and faith, not being scared about the worst moments in life, they are a part of our growing as humans and we do not fear any storms that might happen in life. We overcome the bad times with a lot of work and learning with our mistakes. The music has a kind of melodic riffs, with a little of Ozzy/Rhoads influence, and is very heavy!!"
10. No One Will Stand
Kisser: "Here we try to express our feelings when we are on stage, making the analogy of war, going to battle every night, we take no prisoners, total destruction. Conquering a new territory every time we go out on tour, leaving our mark, exchanging a wonderful type of energy with the crowd, the best experience for any musician, to be on stage. The song is very fast, very trash with the influence of the early hard core bands and attitude. It is very old school."
11. Structure Violence (Azzes)
Kisser: "This song is a collaboration with the French percussive group LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX, a brutal heavy group that makes a huge sound with oil gallons and some electronic pads, it is amazing. We managed to record the song in different studios, we in Brazil, them in France, and the result is fantastic. The more organic sounds of SEPULTURA mixed so well with their heavy machinery sounds. We did the lyrics on the three languages, Portuguese, English and French, and it was inspired by the uprising in the Arab world, specially the crisis in Egypt, who took off from power the dictator Mubarak and started a whole wave of protests in other countries."
CD/DVD Digipak + iTunes Bonus Tracks:
01. Point Of No Return
Kisser: "This song is from the 'Kairos' sessions and we felt didn't have room on the running order of the album, so we decided to leave that as a bonus track. It has some elements of our past in it, like dissonant riffs and more traditional leads. The lyrics talk about the point we are in history, with all the global warming and the saturation of natural resources, for some things, there are no more hopes."
02. Firestarter
Kisser: "PRODIGY was a challenge for us but we are used to do that, after all, we did U2, BOB MARLEY, NEW MODEL ARMY, DEVO, among others, stuff that don't have too much in common with heavy metal, although PRODIGY is very heavy and intense, with influence from metal and punk. It is a great song and I can't wait to perform that live."
SEPULTURA's new CD was recorded at Trama Studios in São Paulo, Brazil with producer Roy Z. (JUDAS PRIEST, HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, HELLOWEEN). 13 tracks were laid down during the sessions, including cover versions of MINISTRY's "Just One Fix" and THE PRODIGY's "Firestarter".
"Kairos" track listing:
01. Spectrum
02. Kairos
03. Relentless
(2011)
04. Just One Fix (MINISTRY cover)
05. Dialog
06. Mask
(1433)
07. Seethe
08. Born Strong
09.Embrace The Storm
(5772)
10. No One Will Stand
11. Structure Violence (Azzes)
(4648)
"Kairos" deluxe edition track listing:
01. Spectrum
02. Kairos
03. Relentless
(2011)
04. Just One Fix (MINISTRY cover)
05. Dialog
06. Mask
(1433)
07. Seethe
08. Born Strong
09. Embrace The Storm
(5772)
10. No One Will Stand
11. Structure Violence (AZZES)
(4648)
Bonus tracks:
12. Firestarter (THE PRODIGY cover)
13. Point Of No Return
* Plus bonus making-of DVD
According to WatertownDailyTimes.com, city officials in Watertown, New York — located approximately 70 miles north of Syracuse and 30 miles south of Canada — are concerned that GODSMACK's upcoming performance on the city-owned Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds could cause some of the same problems encountered during last month's TRAGICALLY HIP concert.
City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said on Monday that GODSMACK attracts a bad element and it's more complicated and less of a security risk than an indoor concert.
Since GODSMACK is scheduled to perform on the fairgrounds baseball field, it will be more difficult to control security, city officials said Monday night.
Promoter Sebby Abbate of AMP Entertainment told WatertownDailyTimes.com he plans to hire 40 security workers at the GODSMACK show, which is expected to have an attendance of around 6,000.
Jefferson County Fair Director Bob Simpson told Centralny.ynn.com, "The main issues we had at the TRAGICALLY HIP concert was the type of crowd that we had and the fact that there was a lot of pre-concert partying going on."
Watertown Wizards owner Paul Simmons said, "We'll have security out there. Port-a-pottys were big issues. You turn 6,000 people loose at TRAGICALLY HIP, open the gates, the first thing they've got to do is go to the bathroom. That was a problem."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor did an extensive interview with HardDrive Radio in which he revealed that the band is definitely planning to release a concert DVD and cover songs EP in one package sometime before the end of the year. Taylor went into detail about the project, saying, "We shot a concert last year on the co-headlining tour that we did with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, and we shot it in Brighton (England), and we've been trying to get it together ever since and it's just been insane. There's been so much work and we just haven't had a chance to kind of get a handle on it. But we've been talking about doing a covers EP forever. This is just a kind of a cool way to put something cool out that the fans will dig."
Taylor added that each member of STONE SOUR will get to pick one song for the covers EP.
The singer also said that the recent run of European festival shows he did with SLIPKNOT have warmed up him more to the idea of the group making a new record, but still cautions that it's not happening anytime soon.
Taylor did say that SLIPKNOT will do some more touring, possibly in the U.S. this time around.
Taylor is promoting his new book, "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good", by doing appearances where he reads, performs a few songs and signs copies of the book. He also has some solo shows coming up, on August 4 and August 5 in Las Vegas.
Greek/German heavy metallers MYSTIC PROPHECY will release their seventh album, "Raven Lord", on November 25 via Massacre Records. The CD is being recorded at Prophecy Music Factory studios with singer/producer Roberto Dimitri Liapakis (MYSTIC PROPHECY, SUICIDAL ANGELS, VALLEY'S EVE, INSIDEAD) and will be mixed by Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES). The effort will mark the recording debut of the band's new drummer, Claudio Sisto, who joined MYSTIC PROPHECY in June 2010. The artwork will be created by Jonas Kawalek, who previously with the group on their fifth album, "Satanic Curses".
Songtitles set to appear on "Raven Lord":
* Raven Lord
* Cross Of Lies
* Endless Fire
* Damned Tonight
* Reckoning Day
* Die Now!!!
* Wings Of Destiny
* Eyes Of The Devil
* Miracle Man (OZZY OSBOURNE cover)
MYSTIC PROPHECY mainman Roberto Dimitri Liapakis previously stated about "Raven Lord": "MYSTIC PROPHECY is now more than ever in a turning point in their history. 'Fireangel' overcame our expectations and our fans have shown us their support in the best possible way. The tour we did with STRATOVARIUS gave the band the chance to get a very good sense of unity and groove which is generated by every member contributing to whole which finally is presented to the fans. This is what will make a difference in our upcoming album. The feeling of unity, amongst us, enhances the effect we bring out. More power, more feeling, more combined ideas, more diversity, but all in the thread that goes through it all which is MYSTIC PROPHECY. Two minds work better than one, so imagine all five of us contributing equally to the final result. I am confident that we'll do our best to express what's in our souls and hope the fans like it. Up 'till now we seem to have a common
ground so this album will only enforce this bond with our fans and help us create new ones."
"Fireangel", the sixth album from the MYSTIC PROPHECY, entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 77.
MYSTIC PROPHECY in 2008 announced the addition of DESCENDING/ex-NIGHTRAGE guitarist Constantine to the group's ranks.
Veteran all-girl Canadian metal outfit KITTIE has set "I've Failed You" as the title of its sixth album, due on August 30 via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. The band once again worked with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier, who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".
"I've Failed You" track listing:
01. I've Failed You
02. We Are The Lamb
03. Whisper of Death
04. What Have I Done
05. Empires (Part 1)
06. Empires (Part 2)
07. Come Undone
08. Already Dead
09. Never Come Home
10. Ugly
11. Time Never Heals
According to Mxdwn.com, GWAR lead singer Oderus Urungus — who last year was named the official "Interplanetary Correspondent" for the "Red Eye" late-night/early-morning talk show on the Fox News channel — is no longer able to appear on the program because of negative backlash from right-wing conservatives.
GWAR has been decapitating replicas of politicians during its legendary live show and the "Bloody Tour Of Horror" was no exception as it featured Oderus Urungus and the rest of the band tearing apart Lady Gaga and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (see video below). Apparently the Sarah Palin constituents and supporters caught wind of the nightly slaying and the political blogs and web sites were overwhelmed with comments about Palin's untimely demise.
During a recent visit to New York while on tour with GWAR, Urungus sat down with "Red Eye" host Greg Gutfeld and learned he was no longer invited back to the show because of the band's treatment of the mock Palin.
Even though GWAR has been "beheading" politicians for years, Fox apparently wasn't bothered by the activity until Palin's likeness was attacked.
Writing on his Twitter page, Urungus said, "I got canned because Sarah Palin complained that we disemboweled her. The nerve of that woman!" He added, "Sound off like you got a pair if you think it sucks that I am not on 'Red Eye' anymore!"
Oderus previously stated about the criticism GWAR received for its Palin "decapitation," "Is this what American politics has come to? We have killed every president since Reagan, regardless of party affiliation, and the proof of it is all over the net...but the right-wing teabag numbnuts are getting their knickers in a twist over somebody that doesn't even hold office, and in fact left her office as Alaskan governor in order to concentrate on her reality show...and is this woman actually being considered as a potential president? Why does the agenda of the right require that America be viewed as a global laughing stock? Because between Wikileaks and the attention this idiot gets, that is exactly what you are... Besides, we don't even kill her, just rip her in half, and honestly she seems to love it! Anything for attention, I suppose."
Nuclear Blast Records has set a March 9, 2012 European release date for the next studio album from Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA. The band has just entered Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth to begin pre-production for the CD.
EPICA's latest album, "Design Your Universe", landed at position No. 12 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.
"This Is The Time", the latest single from EPICA, was released digitally on October 15, 2010. A video for the song, which was written for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was filmed in March 2010 was in Hilversum, The Netherlands.
California metallers DEVILDRIVER may be forced to cancel their appearances at this coming weekend's Heavy MTL and Heavy T.O. festivals in Canada due to an injury suffered by the band's bassist, Aaron "Bubble" Patrick (ex-BURY YOUR DEAD).
DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafaratweeted the following earlier today: "Canada hold on and offer prayer as our bass player injured himself and we are awaiting if we will make these 2 shows or not ! KeepU Informed"
Heavy MTL and Heavy T.O. will both be held July 23-24, with Heavy MTL taking place at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec and Heavy T.O. occurring simultaneously at Downsview Park in Toronto, Ontario.
Bubble joined DEVILDRIVER as the replacement for Jonathan Miller, who quit DEVILDRIVER in March, calling it "the most difficult decision of my life" but "something that I needed to do for myself."
"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Musicians Institute students will be part of a special stop of the Summer Slaughter 2011 tour as members of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL and DARKEST HOUR visit for a hands-on clinic on Saturday, July 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students in the Guitar, Bass, Drum and Vocal Performance programs will be schooled in metal as members from each of the bands share techniques and impart first-hand wisdom of life on the road before the tour takes full swing.
Kicking off July 22 in Los Angeles, the Summer Slaughter 2011 tour features THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL and DARKEST HOUR along with SIX FEET UNDER, DYING FETUS, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK, OCEANO and FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE.
Musicians Institute has established itself as a world leader in contemporary music education, providing cutting-edge resources in its state of the art facilities located right in the heart of Hollywood, the capital of the world music industry. Its dynamic curriculum is current, comprehensive and compatible with the needs of students who not only desire to study music, but also build a career in the music industry with the knowledge they learn on-campus.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/sslaughter2011.jpg
Multi-national thrashers NIGHTRAGE will release their fifth album, "Insidious", on September 27 (one day earlier internationally) via Lifeforce Records. The CD features guest appearances by Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), Tomas S. Englund (EVERGREY), Apollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), John K (BIOMECHANICAL) and the band's former frontman Tomas Lindberg (also known for his work with AT THE GATES, THE CROWN and LOCK UP). Lindberg appeared on the band's first two albums — 2003's "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos" — before being replaced by Jimmie Strimell, who sang on 2007's "A New Disease Is Born".
The "Insidious" cover art was created by Gustavo Sazes (MORBID ANGEL, ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND, SONIC SYNDICATE, GOD FORBID) of Abstrata Art and cane be seen below.
Commented the band: "We recorded the music at Zero Gravity studios on Athens, Greece with our great friend Terry Nikas at the helm. He did a fantastic job and provided us with an amazing environment and atmosphere to make the best record possible.
"Antony [Hämäläinen] had the pleasure as well to work on the vocals in a very different setting with Ryan Butler at his Arcane Digital Recording studio in Arizona. Ryan has been assisting us with demo sessions since the last album and it felt very natural for us to try the final product with him. We then went to Studio Fredman located in Gothenburg, Sweden for the mix and master. Our longtime producer Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd worked long and hard to make the best out of what we gave them.
"We have recorded sixteen songs overall, and, as we promised before, our guest players actually need no introduction."
"Insidious" track listing:
01. So Far Away (intro)
02. Delirium Of The Fallen (w/ Apollo Papathanasio)
03. Insidious (w/ Tomas Lindberg)
04. Wrapped In Deceitful Dreams (w/ Gus G. and Tom S. Englund)
05. Hate Turns Black
06. Sham Piety (w/ Tomas Lindberg)
07. Cloaked In Wolf Skin
08. This World Is Coming To An End (w/ Tomas Lindberg, Apollo Papathanasio)
09. Utmost Ends Of Pain
10. Poignant Memories
11. Hush Of Night
12. Poisoned Pawn
13. Solar Eclipse (Prelude) (w/ John K)
14. Solar Corona (w/ Gus G. and Tom S. Englund)
15. Emblem Of Light (outro) (w/ John K)
Japanese bonus track and digital-only bonus:
16. Photograph (DEF LEPPARD cover; w/ Apollo Papathanasio)
Current NIGHTRAGE vocalist Antony Hämäläinen made his recording debut with the band on 2009's "Wearing A Martyr's Crown".
NIGHTRAGE is:
Antony Hämäläinen - Vocals
Marios Iliopoulos - Guitar
Olof Mörck - Guitar
Anders Hammer - Bass
Johan Nunez – Drums
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/nightrageinsid.jpg
"Carnival Is Forever", the fifth studio album from Polish technical death metallers DECAPITATED, sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 11 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.
"Carnival Is Forever" was released in North America on July 12 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD's cover art was created by Lukasz Jaszak and can be seen below. The follow-up to 2006's "Organic Hallucinosis" was recorded at Radio Gdansk Studio in Poland with producer Wacek Kieltyka and engineer Arkadiusz "Malta" Malczewski. Drums were tracked with Daniel Bergstrand (BEHEMOTH, MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, KEEP OF KALESSIN, DEFLESHED), who also handled mixing duties.
"Carnival Is Forever" track listing:
01. The Knife
02. United
03. Carnival Is Forever
04. Homo Sum
05. 404
06. A View From A Hole
07. Pest
08. Silence
The "Carnival Is Forever" special-edition CD/DVD digipak (featuring different artwork) contains "making-of" video footage from the album recording sessions.
"The Black Crown", the new album from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE, 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 CD, "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 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.
Commented DECAPITATED guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka: "[The album cover is] very intriguing and quite strange for a metal album but surely staying in memory. A vital thing is that it's a photo. We did not want any computer graphics this time or anything artificial or plastic. The same regards the production of the album. We had actually been thinking about getting a painting for the cover but unfortunately we couldn't do it. Maybe next time."
Regarding the album title, Vogg previously said: "Carnival: war, rape, lies, pathology, evil displayed through certain events and situations of the latest years in the world. Is Forever — I guess it doesn't need explaining. Both in the text and the title, there is bitter irony. The author of the title and all lyrics is Jarek Szubrycht (LUX OCCULTA, author of "No Mercy", the world's first biography of thrash metal legends SLAYER."
DECAPITATED's new album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in all territories except the band's home country where the group made the CD available via its own label.
DECAPITATED's lineup includes Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka on guitar, Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (THORNS OF IVY, TONE INTIMACY) on drums, Rafal Piotrowski (KETHA, FORGOTTEN SOULS) on lead vocals, and Filip "Heinrich" Halucha (VESENIA, ROOTWATER, UNSUN, MASACHIST) on bass.
Athens, Ohio's SKELETONWITCH will release its new album, "Forever Abomination", on October 11 via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Breathing The Fire" was recorded at a Los Angeles studio with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, KREATOR). The effort will include the track "The Infernal Resurrection", the demo version of which appears as the B-side on the final seven-inch of a limited-edition vinyl trilogy. This marks SKELETONWITCH's first recording with the group's new drummer, former DEMIRICOUS skin-pounder Dustin Boltjes.
SKELETONWITCH will take part in a fall North American tour alongside ARCH ENEMY, DEVILDRIVER and CHTHONIC, and has just confirmed "off-date" shows along with DEVILDRIVER. The band will play several Midwestern shows next week, before heading to Europe for a run of dates which include performances at several of the continent's biggest metal festivals.
SKELETONWITCH's latest album, "Breathing the Fire" (2009), debuted at No. 151 on The Billboard 200 chart and No. 2 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. It was SKELETONWITCH's second full-length release for Prosthetic Records, with whom the band recently extended its recording deal.
NERVOSIA, the Arizona-based progressive melodic death and black metal band featuring "musical visionary" Jonathan Chunglo (DARKENED DREAMS, RED TEAR MEMORY) and Antony Hämäläinen (NIGHTRAGE, SLAVES FOR SCORES, BURN YOUR HALO), has completed work on its debut EP, "Apathy's Throne", for a tentative late September release through iTunes, Amazon, Zune, Rhapsody and "a few other online sources." A limited physical CD version of the EP will also be made available.
"Apathy's Throne" was recorded at Arcane Digital Recording (PHOBIA, EXHUMED, LANDMINE MARATHON, MISERY INDEX) with Ryan Butler and is currently being mixed and mastered at Studio Fredman (DIMMU BORGIR, IN FLAMES, SOILWORK, OPETH, DARK TRANQUILLITY, AT THE GATES, NIGHTRAGE) in Västra Frölunda, Sweden by Fredrik Nordström.
NERVOSIA's musical style is described as "a blending of different genres but keeping a consistent theme throughout...METAL! Influences range from anything of classical contemporary origins to the most extreme of death and black metal and everything in between."
NERVOSIA features additional contributions from VEHEMENCE guitarist Jacob Green.
For more information, visit the NERVOSIA web site.
Guitarist/vocalist Patrick Mameli of resurrected Dutch death metallers PESTILENCE has released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET clarifying some of the more controversial comments he made in a recent interview with Blistering.com and apologizing if he offended anyone with his previous remarks.
Regarding PESTILENCE's plans to tour the U.S. in support of the band's latest album, "Doctrine", Mameli told Blistering.com, "I love the States and I embrace it with all of my heart. But I think with coming over to the States, it's almost like giving birth to a child. You guys were there on the moon before the Russians, yet you can't get a [good] show going. [What I mean by that] is the promotions are bad, the equipment is bad; touring there is bad because of bad promotion. It's bad promoters, really. I really want to come over there but we need good promoters who will promote the shit out of shows so there can be a good crowd going. I know there's a ton of people over there who want to attend a PESTILENCE show. I mean, I really, really want to come over to the States because I love 'em, but goddamn, make sure you get your promoters right so we can come over there."
When asked by Blistering.com what is more annoying, when the metal media asks him questions about former PESTILENCE vocalist Martin Van Drunen or why he brought PESTILENCE back after all these years, Mameli said, "I think it's more annoying to talk about Martin Van Drunen because he's a fucking douche bag."
During the same interview, Mameli was asked, "If you could beat up one person, who would it be?", to which he replied, "Any fucking person on Blabbermouth," before clarifying, "The fucking chat room people who make all those fucking comments."
Earlier today (Wednesday, July 20), Mameli sent the following written statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in response to the criticism that he received for the Blistering.com interview:
"To all the Blabbermouth readers:
"First off, some people can really see the actual joke behind this. Of course Martin isn't a douche bag. He's one of the best death metal vocalists out there. I haven't spoken with him in years. So no need to bash him. The interviewer asked me a question and I replied what he wanted to hear, just to get a reaction.
"It's too simple. They always want to talk about the past and hope that I say shit.
"And, of course, I ain't beating up people that post on Blabbs. There's too many of you guys, hahah. I'm a father and have two sons. I would never lower myself into fighting. The fact is, with this headline, it shows once more how messed up this Internet journalism is.
"Did you not think that I knew this was going to go on Blabbs? It shows how fora like this work and want to stir up shit. That's my point. And we can see that some guys that always bash PESTILENCE and me on Blabbs now get the opportunity to ventilate once more. Always the same guys.
"The people around me that really know me personal, including the band, know that I never take myself and this music industry too seriously. That's how we can survive in this scene.
"Also, I stated that I love the U.S. Nothing wrong with the metalheads out there. We just got bad routing, promotion and transportation. Great to be travelling through the whole U.S. with an RV. Once more, that shows that we're in it for the love of the music and not the money.
"So sorry if I offended anyone. This was really not my intention."
PESTILENCE's new album, "Doctrine", was released in North America on July 19 via Mascot Records. The eleven-track CD was recorded and mixed at Woodshed Studio in southern Germany with engineer Victor Bullok (TRIPTYKON, DARK FORTRESS). The artwork was designed by Marko Saarelainen.
PESTILENCE 2011 is:
Patrick Mameli - Guitar/Vocals
Jeroen Paul Thesseling - Fretless Bass
Patrick Uterwijk - Guitar
Yuma Van Eekelen - Drums
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