The prestigious International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has assembled a distinguished panel of judges for its 2011
competition, including legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and
guitarist Jeff Beck.
The International Songwriting Competition is an annual song contest
whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established
songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels by
promoting excellence in the art of songwriting. With the most prestigious panel
of judges of all the songwriting and music contests in the world, ISC offers exposure of your songs to the most influential decision-makers in the
music industry.
Depending on the category, submissions are judged on the basis of the following
criteria: Creativity, Originality, Lyrics, Melody, and Arrangement.
Production/Recording quality and vocal ability are not criteria.
In addition to cash and merchandise prizes, winners benefit from a multilateral
promotional campaign designed to give international exposure and attention to
their songwriting achievements.
ISC is now accepting entries for the 2011 competition. Now is your
chance to enter what the New York Times calls "the songwriting
competition to take note of" with $150,000 in cash and prizes, including
$25,000 cash for the grand prize winner alone.
"American Idol" executive producer Nigel
Lythgoe announced on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning that AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler, actress/singer Jennifer Lopez and Randy
Jackson will all return to the judges' table for season 11 of the popular Fox reality series.
Lopez will reportedly earn $20 million next season, a nice raise from
the $12 million she is said to have gotten for her first season. Tyler is expected
to get an increase as well.
Despite Tyler's insistence that AEROSMITH would play the finale
of the last season of "American Idol", AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry said in an online posting that the band was "never
asked by producers" to perform at the event. He added that "Brad [Whitford, AEROSMITH guitarist had] a gig that night with [Experience
Hendrix]. [It was] not logistically possible."
Perry did write that AEROSMITH is "looking forward to
playing 'American Idol' next season when our new CD is out and we can
prepare [for] a kick-ass show if they ask us."
According to Women's Wear Daily, AEROSMITH frontman Steven
Tyler is serving as the inspiration and the face of the new Andrew
Charles women's and men's contemporary collection. It is being developed by Music Entertainment Sports Holdings (MESH), a division of LF
USA. Tyler and his 22-year-old daughter, Chelsea, an artist
and aspiring model, will be featured in an ad campaign and Tyler will make personal appearances
when the Andrew Charles women's and men's sportswear is shipped
exclusively to 100 Impulse departments of Macy's.
"To launch it with such an icon such as Steven is amazing,"
said Andy Hilfiger, creative director and president of marketing.
KISS's "Kissology - Vol. 4" DVD box
set will be out in late November, and will include footage from the band's
current tour. Four discs and a bonus disc will be included in the first,
limited edition.
Content will include:
1976 - Houston full "Destroyer" show
1977 - Cobo Hall
1980 – "Kids Are People Too" segment
1983 – U.S. Armed Forces segment on Lick It Up Tour
2002 - Winter Olympics
2007 - "VH1 Rock Honors"
2009 - Cobo Hall full Alive35 show
2009 - "Modern Day Delilah"
2010 - Wetten Dass Medley
KISS's "Kissology - Vol. 3 1992-2000" DVD box set was
certified octuple platinum (platinum certification for a single-disc release is
100,000 copies) back in March 2008.
VH1 Classic Records released "Kissology - Vol. 3 1992-2000" on December 18, 2007. The set contains nearly 10 hours of KISS live on
stage, including songs that didn't make it into the broadcast or CD version of
the MTV "Unplugged" performance; and the much-heralded Queens,
NY Coventry Show from December 1973 — the band's first-ever concert filmed in
makeup in its entirety.
"Kissology - Vol. 3 1992-2000" has been super-expanded to four
DVDs, featuring over 100 live performances, commentary from Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bruce Kulick and Tommy Thayer as well as a
20-page full-color booklet.
One version of the release features a fifth bonus disc of KISS'
performance at the KROQ Weenie Roast on June 15, 1996. Tracks include: "Deuce", "Love Gun", "Calling Dr. Love", "Firehouse", "Shock
Me", "100,000 Years", "Detroit Rock City", "Black
Diamond" and "Rock and Roll All Nite".
Eternal Image, Inc., a public company engaged in the
design, manufacturing and marketing of officially licensed, brand-name memorial
products, today announced that the first of its official KISS cremation
urns is now available for purchase.
KISS is famous for its explosive live performances and outrageous rock
and roll style. In their forty year career, the band has achieved
record-breaking tours, album sales in excess of 100 million, a huge "KISS Army" fan base, and the most memorable look in all of rock history.
"We call this particular KISS urn our 'Monument' model," said Donna
Shatter, VP of operations for the company. "This urn offers fans a
unique expression of their passion for the legendary rock band. It features
full-color images of the band members and the KISS flame logo — all
displayed against a striking black metallic finish."
The Monument model KISS urn is eight inches tall. The company plans to
release three additional urn models later this year.
According to People.com, KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley and his wife Erin welcomed daughter Emily Grace Stanley on Tuesday (August 9) in Los Angeles.
Emily, who weighed in at 7 lbs., 10 oz, joins elder siblings Sarah
Brianna, 2½, Colin Michael, 4½, and Evan Shane, 17, Stanley's
son from a previous relationship.
"Erin and I are once again blessed with the addition of Emily
Grace to our family," Stanley,
59, says.
Due to a band member illness, MEGADETH was forced to
cancel tonight's (Tuesday, August 9) performance at the Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The band apologizes to its
fans and everyone in attendance at tonight's show and hopes to return to Oklahoma City as soon as
possible.
MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", is scheduled for
release on November 1 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos,
California with producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis), who
has previously worked with DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD and STAIND, among others. The artwork will once again be created by
artist John Lorenzi, who was responsible for the artwork on the last two MEGADETH studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame", as well as the band's 2007 box set, "Warchest".
Art Hates You recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Art Hates You: What's the status of the new album?
Drover: We are done and just got the master from our producer last
night. We were just listening to it this morning and we're really pleased on
how it turned out and really excited for everyone to hear it.
Art Hates You: How did Johnny K approach the band versus past
producers?
Drover: Well, the only producer I worked with before then was Andy
Sneap (who produced "Endgame"), who's a real good friend
of mine. Overall, his method on how to do things wasn't really that much different.
He was on par, going in there and listening to the plethora of riffs. Johnny would go in and pick and choose the right parts from all of the riffs.
Sonically, the music sounds a little bit differently than what Andy did,
but you never want two albums, or two songs to sound the exact same.
Art Hates You: How did Dave Ellefson's [bass] return help the
band?
Drover: Him and Dave [Mustaine, guitar/vocals] almost can
read each other's mind and know what each other is thinking at this point. I
think that was the main difference between this and "Endgame".
He just approaches things differently and Dave [Mustaine] knows
what he wants and Ellefson can read it and handle it differently than
former bassists. But it was exciting to watch the two of them together and we
hope the fans dig it.
Art Hates You: There are rumors that Gigantour will be coming
back in 2012. Any chance of the band doing the "Countdown To
Extinction" album in its entirety?
Drover: Gigantour is still being discussed and it will be up to Dave [Mustaine] in the end if it happens or not, but it might. However, I
don't think we want to start going down the nostalgia trip if we start doing an
entire album again every time we have a 20th year anniversary of an album. I
mean, you'll start doing the 20th anniversary of "Cryptic
Writings" or "Risk", and that's not something we want
to do. Or we could have done "Peace Sells" this year for its
25th anniversary. So it's something we don't want to always do. It was cool to
do "Rust In Peace" for the 20th anniversary, but I don't think
we're dying to do something like that again.
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed
yesterday (Tuesday, August 9) by Cindy Scull of the Dallas/Ft. Worth,
Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks.
On why guitarist Marty Friedman won't return to MEGADETH:
Mustaine: "Well, first off, he's not welcome. I mean, it's not that
he's not welcome, it's just that there's no position for him. And Marty's
not as good as Chris [Broderick, current MEGADETH guitarist] is, second off. And Marty wanted to be a pop guitar player.
He left to join a girl in a band in Japan. . . [The MEGADETH lineup featuring Friedman and drummer Nick Menza] wasn't the most
important lineup anyways. The lineup that we have right now has achieved more
than those guys ever did. If you think about it, the groundwork, the building
the band back up from nothing… Marty and Nick got in the band
when the band was already huge."
On his rekindled friendship with his former bandmates, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield:
Mustaine: "I've talked to Lars and James about me and David [Ellefson, MEGADETH bassist] doing a supergroup
record with Lars and James. Well, James never said 'no,'
but it's still kind of out there in the air. I'm gonna keep hammering on him.
It's on my bucket list."
In a 2009 interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine, Hetfield was asked if he was glad to see Mustaine out of METALLICA prior
to the recording of the band's debut album, 1983's "Kill 'Em All".
"I don't know if 'glad' is the right word, but it was necessary," he
replied. "There would have been myself, Lars and [Dave] all
trying to drive and it would have been this triangulated mess. It's obvious
that he had the same drive as us — he went on to do great things in MEGADETH.
The way things are now, the character dynamics, Lars and I are one half
of the scale with Rob [Trujillo, METALLICA bassist] and Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] on the other. They're great idea people but very good at being okay
with someone else driving. It does take that, I think. They're very
un-ego-driven and Lars and I are the other way, it seems. That's what
I've been told. [Laughs] So back then Dave had to go."
ANTHRAX is rumored to be planning a
"surprise" concert either at New York City's
Best Buy Theater or at an as-yet-undisclosed Best Buy store location on
September 12, the day before the band's new album, "Worship Music",
is scheduled to be released in North America.
The rumor was started by ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian who posted this link on
his Facebook page earlier today (Wednesday, August 10) with the
text "These guys rule!!!"
"The Devil You Know", a brand new song from ANTHRAX, was released digitally this past Tuesday, August 8. The
track, which was premiered on last Friday's (August 5) edition of Eddie
Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3
FM, was described by ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano in a recent interview as "a cross between 'Caught In A
Mosh' and an AC/DC song, like 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. It's got
that thrashy rock 'n' roll vibe to it, which I love."
"The Devil You Know" comes off ANTHRAX's long-awaited
new album, "Worship Music", which will be released 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".
The Omega Order is offering an exclusive pre-order bundle
for "Worship Music", featuring the new CD; "Fistful Of
Metal" triple 10-inch picture discs; and an ANTHRAX LP slipmat
(only available in this bundle).
"Worship Music" 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
ANTHRAX, PARADISE LOST, CHIMAIRA, FURY
UK and LAWNMOWER DETH have been confirmed for the Hammerfest IV festival, set to take place March 15-18, 2012 in Prestatyn, North Wales. More acts will be announced soon.
Keyboardist Jordan Rudess of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has issued the following update:
"This summer of touring was a highlight of my 13 years with [DREAM
THEATER]. Still buzzing from the great hangs on the tour bus, memorable
backstage group practice sessions, lots of laughs and a unity onstage that was
apparent to all who came to our shows. Fans welcomed [new drummer Mike
Mangini] with open arms and the audiences were ecstatic. Can't wait to
share this new level of [DREAM THEATER] with the rest of the
world!"
DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events",
will be released on September 13 via Roadrunner Records.
The "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" deluxe collector's edition
exclusive pre-order box set includes the following:
* "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album
* Instrumentals of the entire album
* DVD of "The Spirit Carries On" – a 60-minute movie
documenting DREAM THEATER's drummer auditions
* Double-LP set of "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" (180-gram vinyl
in gatefold jacket)
* DREAM THEATER branded custom turntable slipmat
* Litho Print of album cover
* 50 lucky winners will find a DREAM THEATER "Ticket For Life"
(randomly inserted)
* All content housed in a custom box
* Receive a digital download of the album the day before release
CD1
01. On The Backs Of Angels
02. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
03. Lost Not Forgotten
04. This Is The Life
05. Bridges In The Sky
06. Outcry
07. Far From Heaven
08. Breaking All Illusions
09. Beneath The Surface
CD 2
01. On The Backs Of Angels (instrumental)
02. Build Me Up, Break Me Down (instrumental)
03. Lost Not Forgotten (instrumental)
04. This Is The Life (instrumental)
05. Bridges In The Sky (instrumental)
06. Outcry (instrumental)
07. Far From Heaven (instrumental)
08. Breaking All Illusions (instrumental)
09. Beneath The Surface (instrumental)
HEADCAT (formerly THE HEAD CAT), the
high-energy, "take-no-prisoners" combo featuring Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Slim Jim Phantom (THE STRAY CATS) and Danny
B. Harvey (ROCKATS, 13 CATS, LONESOME SPURS), will
guest on the August 30 edition of "The Adam Carolla Show".
For more information on how to download the podcast, go to this location.
As previously reported, HEADCAT will be interviewed on the nationally
syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, August 29 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to
speak with HEADCAT by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
"Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk", the new album from HEADCAT,
sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD
debuted at No. 49 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.
"Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk" was released on July 5 through Niji Entertainment Group, the record label Wendy Dio and her and
late husband Ronnie James Dio formed before his untimely passing.
HEADCAT was formed in 2000 after recording an Elvis Presley tribute special to which all band members contributed.
Slim Jim Phantom (drums, percussion), was born in Brooklyn
and listened to his parents' jazz records. At the age of ten he took up the
drums although he always says that the drums chose him. He is an exceptional
drummer who cemented his place among rock royalty long time ago and inspires
and excites audiences worldwide.
Danny B. Harvey (guitar, piano) is Texas-born and also discovered his
love for music very early. He started playing the guitar at the age of six and
even got a full scholarship to study classical guitar. He developed a finger
picking guitar style that's very unique and based on his idols Merle Travis and Chet Atkins but also a result of his classical-technique education.
Lemmy Kilmister (vocals, bass, harmonica) was born and raised in England and
started to play the guitar at the age of sixteen. With a laughing eye he always
said that he only took the guitar to impress the girls. He is an autodidact and
changed early to bass as he stated he wasn't a good guitar player. After
founding MOTÖRHEAD in 1975 he knows the ups and downs in the business
and has reached the status of an icon all over the world.
Twelve fantastic songs for "Walk The Walk, Talk The Talk" were
chosen easily. HEADCAT prepare to take over the airwaves with their
first single, "American Beat". "American Beat" is a song written in the studio — Lemmy had the words and the rest came
together very quickly. "I Ain't Never" is one of the songs Lemmy really likes and Danny knew it — a real country, rockabilly number, full
of love and ready to take you drifting away. "Let It Rock" is
one of their favorite Chuck Berry tunes — THE ROLLING STONES did
it a lot in their live show in the '70s — HEADCAT plays a different
version. "Something Else" is a classic Eddie Cochran — Lemmy came on stage with the STRAY CATS and jammed on it at a show in the '90s
at Hammersmith Odeon so it came quite natural to take this on the record as
well.
"Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk" track listing:
01. American Beat
02. Say Mama
03. I Ain't Never
04. Bad Boy
05. Shaking All Over
06. Let It Rock
07. Something Else
08. The Eagle Flies On Friday
09. Trying To Get To You
10. You Can't Do That
11. It'll Be Me
12. Crossroads
Lemmy previously stated about HEADCAT, "[It's all about]
having fun. Fun for the sake of it. No ulterior motive. No politics. No gender.
No fucking around! (laughs)"
When asked what each member of HEADCAT brings to the sound of the band, Lemmy replied, "I don't know. You'd be the one to tell me that! . . . Well, you'd
have to because I can't judge it, because I'm in it! (laughs) You can't judge
what you're in the middle of. It's for the outsiders to judge that. It's for
the fans to interpret a song, you know. You can write a song and three
different people will write three different stories. I can't tell you what we
bring to it. We bring what we got."
Sweden's
biggest rock radio station Rockklassiker 106.7 has published a list of
the Top 666 songs of all time, as voted by the station's listeners. Fans voted
in an online poll, submitting their top six tracks of all time, which was then
built into a total top 666.
AC/DC and KISS had the most entries in the top 666 — 28 and 23,
respectively — with METALLICA appearing 21 times, including twice in the
Top 10. GUNS N' ROSES had 18 and IRON MAIDEN had 14, with DEEP
PURPLE coming in with 11 and BLACK SABBATH following closely behind
with 10.
Top 10 songs of all time as voted by the listeners of Rockklassiker 106.7:
01. DEEP PURPLE – "Smoke On The Water"
02. METALLICA - "Enter Sandman"
03. GUNS N' ROSES - "November Rain"
04. AC/DC - "Back In Black"
05. METALLICA - "Nothing Else Matters"
06. IRON MAIDEN - "Run To The Hills"
07. KISS - "Lick It Up"
08. AEROSMITH - "Janie's Got A Gun"
09. JIMI HENDRIX - "Foxy Lady"
10. QUEEN - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
The entire Top 666 can be found at this location.
"In Waves", the new studio album from Florida metallers TRIVIUM, is likely to sell between
20,000 and 25,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release,
according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based
on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on August
9 via Roadrunner Records.
TRIVIUM's previous album, "Shogun", opened with just
under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at position No. 23 on The
Billboard 200 chart. The CD followed up "The Crusade", which
registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to land at No.
25.
"In Waves" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida
(with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida)
with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin
"Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown. A two-disc
special edition is also available. It features five bonus tracks, plus a DVD
with a 40-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary, as well as an exclusive
concert filmed in a warehouse located in Orlando, Florida, which is the band's
stomping grounds. This concert features the first performances of tracks from "In
Waves", along with TRIVIUM classics.
After a triumphant tour with JOURNEY that saw FOREIGNER play to tens of thousands of new fans and earn great critical acclaim, FOREIGNER announces the release of a brand new album, "Acoustique".
FOREIGNER first saw success throughout the world with their
groundbreaking debut album that featured chart hits such as "Feels Like
The First Time" and "Cold As Ice", and scored
multiplatinum sales and a world tour. The band went on to sell over 70 million
albums, driven by some of the most important songs in the classic rock era. "I
Want To Know What Love Is" was a worldwide number one hit and "Waiting
For A Girl Like You" is in the Top 50 of Billboard magazine's
"All Time Greatest Pop Songs." The rocking side of FOREIGNER was always key to their success, and songs like "Hot Blooded",
"Dirty White Boy", "Urgent" and "Juke Box
Hero" took the band to new levels.
"Acoustique" will be released on Edel's international
rock label, earMUSIC, on September 23. It takes a fresh look at some of FOREIGNER hits and offers some unique surprises. The stripped down version of these great
songs shows FOREIGNER in an entirely new light, and the release will be
supported by unplugged tour dates and multiple television appearances. FOREIGNER inject new life into all their hits, pay tribute to Elvis Presley with a
unique recording of "That's All Right" and throw in a couple
of previously unreleased tracks. "The Flame Still Burns" was
co-written by Mick Jones for 1998 cult rock movie "Still
Crazy", where it was performed by Jimmy Nail. Mick won
the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for that song. The album features a
brand new song, "Save Me", which was co-written with Mick
Jones' stepdaughter and well-known DJ and musician, Samantha Ronson.
"Acoustique" will also be available in a special
limited-edition box set that includes a DVD and a CD of brand new full rock
versions of FOREIGNER's greatest hits by the current line-up. The DVD
features a full-length live concert in high definition that was recorded in Chicago earlier this year and some bonus features that
include one of FOREIGNER's first acoustic performances at Schloss
Kronberg in Frankfurt that inspired the making
of the "Acoustique" CD.
"Acoustique" features Mick Jones on guitars and vocals; Kelly Hansen, lead vocals and percussion; Jeff Pilson, guitars
and vocals and Tom Gimbel, guitars, saxophone and vocals. The quartet is
joined by Michael Bluestein on keyboards and vocals, and Mark
Schulman on drums for the rock recordings of the hits and the DVD.
CD: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged
01. Long, Long Way From Home
02. Cold As Ice
03. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
04. Double Vision
05. Fool For You Anyway
06. Say You Will
07. Starrider
08. Waiting For A Girl Like You
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That's All Right
12. Save Me (brand new song! electric version)
13. I Want To Know What Love Is (electric version)
14. When It Comes To Love (electric version)
Limited-edition box set:
CD1: Acoustique - The Classics Unplugged
01. Long, Long Way From Home
02. Cold As Ice
03. The Flame Still Burns (brand new song!)
04. Double Vision
05. Fool For You Anyway
06. Say You Will
07. Starrider
08. Waiting For A Girl Like You
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Juke Box Hero
11. That's All Right
CD 2: Juke Box Heroes - Brand New Rock Recordings Of Foreigner's Greatest Hits
01. Save Me (brand new song!)
02. Feels Like The First Time
03. Cold As Ice
04. Long, Long Way From Home
05. Hot Blooded
06. Double Vision
07. Head Games
08. Dirty White Boy
09. Urgent
10. Waiting For A Girl Like You
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Juke Box Hero
DVD: Live In Chicago 2011 85 min. show filmed in HD + bonus material
01. Double Vision
02. Head Games
03. Cold As Ice
04. Waiting For A Girl Like You
05. When It Comes To Love
06. Blue Morning, Blue Day
07. Dirty White Boy
08. Starrider
09. Feels Like The First Time
10. Urgent
11. I Want To Know What Love Is
12. Hot Blooded
13. Juke Box Hero
ARTISTdirect editor Rick Florino recently conducted
an interview with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH vocalist Ivan Moody. A
couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
ARTISTdirect: After you record a song does it take on a life of its own
and evolve? Has [the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH single] "Under
And Over It" undergone that process yet?
Moody: They absolutely do evolve. When I wrote the song, it was more of
a lashing out. As I've listened to it and to other people's reactions more, it
tempers the inherent anger, releasing it in a fun and witty way instead of
letting it sit inside and fester. We just played in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
and a kid walked up to me and said, "That has got to be the wittiest song
I've ever heard in my life." I think that was the coolest compliment I've
ever received. It shows that somebody's actually listening to it beyond the
aggression of the scream or how hard the guitar is. He was listening to what I
was saying and he got it. Singers like Maynard James Keenan [TOOL]
and Mike Patton [FAITH NO MORE] have such a great way of
executing sarcasm. At the same time, you know there's a certain amount of
seriousness. To know someone else got that out of the song is a pretty proud moment
for me.
ARTISTdirect: What's most special about "Under And Over It" for you?
Moody: The verses are so powerful. It's just like the old saying,
"The grass is always greener on the other side." People have heard it
a hundred times but music is an industry. It's really hard to get through this.
You have so many fingers in everything you do. Opinions are thrown at you
constantly, and your life is basically on display. That chorus is me saying,
"If you really truly want it, this is what's going to come with it. I'd
love to trade you for just one day." There are some days where I'd love to
wake up, work the job the rest of the world's doing, live the same schedule
they are, and be able to sleep in my bad every night. That's not a reality for
me, though. It's an amazing job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the
world. At the end of the day, it's just as taxing as anything else in life.
ARTISTdirect: Audiences don't realize how grueling touring in a band is.
Moody: Everybody says, "It's the hurry up and wait game." The
music industry is all about hurry up and wait. One time, we were talking to Rob
Zombie backstage, and he looked at me and said, "Just remember that
you never get paid for that hour you're on stage. You're getting paid for the
23 hours of bullshit you have to deal with getting there". I thought that
was genius, and I've always tried to keep that in my head.
ARTISTdirect: Do you feel like this is always what the band was meant to
sound like?
Moody: When we started out, we didn't know how to be diverse yet.
Through time, we learned each other. We got the chance to dig into our roots on
this album and not necessarily write for what radio was going to like or what
some shmuck in the middle nowhere is going to get. We wanted to put all of our musical
references into a piece of art and see how it comes out. It's night and day
from the stuff we started doing. It still has some of the same elements that
have drawn people in from day one.
ARTISTdirect: You also preserve that metallic side.
Moody: I'm a metal kid at heart. That's where it all started with PANTERA, BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER, CROWBAR, and KYUSS. I love
metal. It pisses the world off, and it's one of the greatest forms of music for
that reason.
ARTISTdirect: Does setup the next batch of songs, too?
Moody: We're not going to stop there. I live and breathe music. This is
all I've ever wanted in my life. If anybody thinks we're making four or five
albums and walking away from it, they're highly mistaken and we're going to
prove them wrong. We're going to be here for a long time to come.
Joseph Hudak of TimesLeader.com recently conducted an interview with POISON drummer Rikki Rockett. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On POISON's Pennsylvania
roots:
"I still have a connection to PA. It's a great place to grow up, filled
with really good people. I'm proud to be a PA boy."
"When we first started, we couldn't get into bars, let alone play them, so
we would rent VFW halls and skating rinks and go to Maryland to play bars there, where the
drinking age was 18. That's how I can always flush out who actually came to see
us. They'll go, 'Man, I used to come see you guys play a bunch of bars in PA.'
No, you didn't!"
On why he thinks POISON has endured:
"I've thought about this long and hard. And I think it's all about
perseverance. We are some persevering sons of bitches. That's what got us here
in the first place, and that's what keeps us here. It's knocking against the
wall over and over again until you get through. And we've never lost our sense
of that. . . The music has withstood the test of time, and that's a huge part
of [POISON's longevity]. You can say they sounded a little trendy [in
the '80s], but not really. The song structures are really more like '70s song
structures."
On touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE:
"I'm not trying to show up MÖTLEY CRÜE. I don't look at what Tommy
Lee does and then try to steal something from him. It's just not like that.
And he doesn't do that. They have their thing, and we have ours.
"MÖTLEY brings their own catering people, and they always have
vegetarian stuff every day. I am accommodated for very well out here.
"I had a mom who was very compassionate, and I kept that in mind as I grew
up. … I don't want to be involved in some of the things people do to animals.
I'd rather rescue them and do things to save them. That's how I'd prefer to
live my life."
On not taking his legacy too seriously:
"I've always told this band, 'Listen, your name is always going to be
affiliated with POISON. It can either be a cross to bear or a beaming
light, so you might as well make the best out of it. If I got in a car wreck
and died today, it doesn't matter what I have done in my life, it'll say: 'Rikki
Rockett of POISON.' That's what it's going to read."
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist and political
activist Tom Morello spoke to Rock Sound magazine about the current unrest in the U.K. He had the
following to say on the matter:
"I have been following matters in the U.K. rather closely and I think it's
no accident that over the course of the last year we've seen this kind of
social unrest around the globe from the Arab Spring, to the riots in Spain and
Greece caused by the austerity measures and the 100,000 people seen on the
streets of Wisconsin as working-class people stood up for their union rights.
"When people have the opportunity to look forward to a bright future with
educational opportunities, safety, security and a positive economic outlook,
they do not take to the streets and riot.
"When people are standing at the lip of the abyss, looking into a future
of poverty, deprivation and crime, that is when the powder-keg is set to be
lit.
"As the gap between rich and poor grows more grotesque around the globe,
it's really no surprise that the incidents we've seen in the U.K. recently
are occurring.
"I originally found out about the unrest through emails and tweets from
friends in the U.K.
who were referencing certain RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE songs. How it
impacts me emotionally is that firstly I'm concerned for the safety of
everybody involved, but overall, it just deeply stirs the fire of my anger at
the gross injustice that exists around the globe. In the midst of these
austerity measures you know that the U.K.'s
billionaires are not turning their yachts in but the people in communities
across the U.K.
find themselves living in desperate economic conditions with no future to look
forward to. On the one hand. I'm concerned for safety. but at the same time I
understand.
"I think it's part of a bigger global picture. The people who run this
planet just don't deserve to, and as long as the profit motive is primary in
setting world affairs you are going to have this kind of gross inequality and
this kind of response.
"Something's got to give and I would not exempt what's happening in the U.K. from the
rest of the world. The circumstances are different in each place but the
overarching desire of humanity to stand against tyranny and want a decent life
for themselves and their family in universal."
Reactivated seminal technical metal pioneers ATHEIST have canceled their previously announced European tour which was scheduled to
take place this month.
Commented the band: "Unfortunately, ATHEIST drummer Steve Flynn was forced to remain in the U.S.
for an unavoidable personal commitment. This happened at the very last minute
and has been communicated to you all as quickly as possible. Several options
were entertained — fill-in drummer, shifting dates and others. However, on such
short notice, these proved to be impossible. The band wishes to express its
most heartfelt apologies for this happening. ATHEIST will do whatever it
can to make it up to the fans and promoters who have worked so hard to support
the band for these 25 years."
Professionally filmed video footage of ATHEIST's entire June 19, 2011
performance at Hellfest in Clisson, France can be
viewed below (courtesy of Arte [Association Relative à la Télévision
Européenne], a Franco-German TV network).
ATHEIST recently announced the addition of guitarist Jason Holloway to the group's ranks following the departure of Jonathan Thompson, who
took a job in the medical field. Both Holloway, 27, and new ATHEIST bass player Travis Morgan, 20, have taken part in the American, and
European tour dates thus far on the band's "Jupiter" world
tour and "have brought a lot of new energy to ATHEIST,"
according to frontman Kelly Shaefer.
ATHEIST is continuing to support its critically acclaimed new album, "Jupiter",
the band's first studio CD in 17 years. The group's first show of the year took
place on February 12 at the Cabana Inn in Sarasota, Florida, on the 20th
anniversary — to the day — of the loss of the band's original bass player Roger
Patterson. The concert marked the group's debut appearance with new bass
player Travis Morgan.
"Jupiter" landed at position 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.
"Jupiter" was released on November 9, 2010 (one day earlier
internationally) via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at LedBelly studios in Atlanta, Georgia with engineer Matt
Washburn and was mixed by Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER). The cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who
has previously worked with TESTAMENT, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR,
among others.
ANOTHER ANIMAL — the band featuring GODSMACK members Tony Rombola on guitar, Robbie Merrill on bass and Shannon
Larkin on drums — is preparing to release a new single, "Fall Of Rome". The track
was mixed by Dave Fortman (MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE), who
produced the latest album from GODSMACK, "The Oracle".
Speaking to NaplesNews.com, Larkin described "Fall Of Rome" as "a
heavy, charged track about the recent overthrowing of lame leaders and
governments by the ones with the real power: the people. Egypt, Tunisia
and now Libya
are repeating history before the eyes of the world stage, and this song is like
an oppressed person talking directly to an unjust dictator saying
'enough!'" He added, "If the song does well enough at radio, we will
tour in the fall and make a new record as well."
ANOTHER ANIMAL also includes original GODSMACK guitarist Lee
Richards and former UGLY KID JOE frontman Whitfield Crane. Larkin told The Pulse of Radio that he personally wanted to bring Crane into the band to repay him for giving Larkin a job with UGLY KID JOE during the peak of that band's success. "He took me out of one of the
darkest places in my life, when I was ready to just quit the music
business," he said. "Well, Whit was in his own dark place, so
I got to call him and say, 'Dude, guess what? I have this side project, so I'm
offering you a chance now to be back on a major label and get your voice on the
radio again. I was able to return a favor that was life-changing for me."
ANOTHER ANIMAL's self-titled debut album came out in October 2007 and
was supported by a tour with ALTERBRIDGE.
MUDVAYNEand HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett have co-written and
produced "Victim", the first single from a new group called MAN
MADE MACHINE. The track is taken from the Phoenix,
Arizona
quintet's upcoming debut album, "Become", which is due out
next month and has also been produced by Gray and Tribbett. The
CD was mixed by Jeremy Parker, known for his work with EVANESCENCE and GODSMACK.
"It was an honor and a great learning experience to work with guys of
their caliber," states MAN MADE MACHINE vocalist Joe Cotela.
"We have all looked up to them for years now. They really brought out the
next level in all of us as musicians."
Though MAN MADE MACHINE claims to have been approached by "numerous
labels," the band ultimately chose Razor & Tie as its new home.
"We're glad that we've been given an authentic opportunity for MAN MADE
MACHINE. Razor & Tie is the record label we've always
wanted," affirms bassist Justyn Sena. "The opportunities we're
getting out of our label and management now is indicative of the success that
we've always desired as a band."
"Become" is described in a press release as "a powerful,
hard rock roller-coaster ride, soaring through diverse, yet autobiographical
songs." "The lyrics are vulnerable. There are introspective lyrics,
as well as lyrics that make you feel invincible," explains Cotela.
"There are also a handful of songs about partying and feeling like a
badass. This is an honest record, not just on the sensitive tracks, but the
party tracks as well. The album is reflective of the different sides of our
personalities."
A combination of hard work, perseverance and good fortune has brought MAN
MADE MACHINE to where they are now. "We always knew where we wanted to
be today, and now we have a new lease on everything," says Sena.
"We knew that if we stuck it out, we would eventually get to this point;
it was inevitable. If you don't quit, you'll get there. We never left an option
open for ourselves to fail, and we're in a good position now because of
that."
MAN MADE MACHINE is:
Joe Cotela - Vocals
Justyn Sena - Bass
Matt Reinhard - Drums
Marc Hernandez - Guitar
Steve Siminski - Guitar
"Mosh 'N' Roll", the new album from BURY
YOUR DEAD, sold around 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of
release to debut at position No. 141 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed
at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists
the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who
have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Mosh 'N' Roll" track listing:
01. Slaughterhouse Five
02. Nothing Is Lost Save Honor
03. Bluebeard
04. The Sirens Of Titan
05. Deadeye Dick
06. Timequake
07. Sun Moon Star
08. Slapstick
09. Mother Night
10. Jailbird
11. Mosh 'N' Roll
The "Slaughterhouse Five" video can be seen below. The clip
was filmed on June 19 at Frankie's in Toledo, Ohio.
BURY YOUR DEAD has just completed the "Over The Limit II
Tour" with support from EVERGREEN TERRACE, FOR THE FALLEN
DREAMS, IN THE MIDST OF LIONS, THICK AS BLOOD, HUNDREDTH, BETRAYAL, and MURDER DEATH KILL.
BURY YOUR DEAD recently parted ways with vocalist Myke Terry and
replaced him with the group's previous frontman, Mat Bruso.
In an interview with HeadbangHere.net, Bruso stated about "Mosh
'N' Roll", "A lot of people as built it up as the return to BURY
YOUR DEAD's roots. I don't know if it's a return to BURY YOUR DEAD's
roots. That first demo that they put out with Joe Krewko and Mark singing on it is one of my favorite things I've listened to my whole life. When
I first got to sing with BURY YOU DEAD, I was definitely singing with my
favorite band ever, and it's not necessarily bad, it's the same vibe. I would
say it's comfortable between 'Cover Your Tracks' and 'Beauty And The
Breakdown'. We are fucking super-proud of it. [It has] straight-up heavy
parts and two-step parts, it's just like any other record. It was written to be
played live. When you listen to it, it's cool it's great to sing along with the
words, but it's written to be played live so we can slow it the fuck down,
speed it up, and have people just smash each other. It's not necessarily a
defining moment. I'm super-proud to be a part of it and to be back. For me it's
another time for me to say any fucked up thing I want to."
"Hell Over Sofia - 20 Years Of Chaos And
Confusion", the new DVD from Swedish extreme metallers HYPOCRISY,
will be released on October 14 via Nuclear Blast. The disc will contain
footage of the band's February 27, 2010 concert at the Blue Box club in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Guitarist Mikael Hedlund states, "It was a show that had
everything! The crowd was helping us doing one of our best shows ever in our
history and it was recorded with several cameras. The DVD will also contain a
one-and-a-half-hour documentary that will show you our 20 years of chaos and
confusion."
He adds, "We would like to give our fans the true story of the past and
give them all the details what have happened on our journey over all these
years. There are secrets that never have been told plus pictures and clips that
never have been shown. This DVD will give you the full cover of HYPOCRISY!"
A report on the DVD shoot can be found at Tangra Mega Rock. Photos are available at this location.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Valley Of The Damned
02. Hang Him High
03. Fractured Millennium
04. Adjusting The Sun
05. Eraser
06. Pleasures of Molestation / Osculum Obscenum / Penetralia
07. Apocalypse / The Fourth Dimension
08. Killing Art
09. A Coming Race
10. Let The Knife Do The Talking
11. Weed Out The Weak
12. Fire In The Sky
Encore:
13. The Final Chapter
14. Warpath
Encore 2:
15. Roswell47
Ohio-based metallers SKELETONWITCH will contribute a brand new, previously unreleased song, "Tragedy Of
Days", to Decibel magazine's subscriber-only flexi disc series.
The track was recorded during the sessions for the band's new album, "Forever
Abomination", with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, HATEBREED)
and will only be available through Decibel.
"Forever Abomination" will be released in October via Prosthetic
Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Breathing The Fire" 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.
The album will be issued in three formats: digital download; a six-panel,
plastic-free digipak; and a triple-gatefold LP (which in turn will be available
in several color variants). More details are available at ForeverAbomination.com.
Michigan's
unstoppable sons of molten melodic death metal THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will be back on the road this fall on a headline run that sees the band hitting
cities not reached on its current tour. Support on the trek will come from Oakland, California's ALL
SHALL PERISH and Richmond, Virginia's CANNABIS CORPSE.
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 06 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone (scaled)
Oct. 07 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls
Oct. 09 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
Oct. 10 - Providence, RI - The Met
Oct. 13 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
Oct. 14 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox
Oct. 17 - Corpus Christi, TX - House of Rock
Oct. 19 - Lubbock, TX - Jakes
Oct. 20 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
Oct. 21 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 22 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
Oct. 23 - Farmington, NM - Top Deck
Oct. 25 - Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory
Oct. 26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
Oct. 27 - Des Moines, IA - The Wheelhouse
Oct. 28 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
Oct. 30 - Lansing, MI - The Loft
"Ritual", the latest studio album from THE BLACK DAHLIA
MURDER, sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of
release to land at position No. 31 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's
previous CD, "Deflorate", opened with around 12,000 units to
enter the chart at No. 43.
Released on June 21 via Metal Blade Records, "Ritual" is a collection of 12 tracks that see the band staying true to their sound and
style while progressing in both writing and musicianship. Guitarist Ryan
Knight has delivered truly searing leads that will without a doubt daze and
lay waste the ears of both loyal BLACK DAHLIA diehards and burgeoning
fans alike. Music for "Ritual" was recorded in early 2011 in Detroit, Michigan,
with Mark Lewis (DEICIDE, UNEARTH) and the band producing.
The vocal-recording sessions and mixing took place at Audiohammer in Sanford, Florida
with Jason Suecof (BENEATH THE MASSACRE, JOB FOR A COWBOY, ALL THAT REMAINS) at the helm.
Massachusetts
rockers STAIND will release their self-titled seventh album on September
13 via Atlantic Records (one day earlier internationally through Roadrunner).
Produced by Johnny K – known for his work with 3 DOORS DOWN, DISTURBED,
and SEVENDUST, not to mention his Grammy Award-nominated
collaboration with STAIND, 2008's "The Illusion Of
Progress" — and mixed by the legendary Chris Lord-Alge, the CD
stands as STAIND's most intense and powerful work to date. The album is
heralded by the new song, "Eyes Wide Open", as well as "Not
Again", the first official single from "Staind".
Standard CD:
01. Not Again
02. Eyes Wide Open
03. Falling
04. Wannabe
05. Throw It All Away
06. Now
07. The Bottom
08. Take A Breath
09. Paper Wings
10. Something To Remind You
Special-edition digipack CD/DVD:
01. Not Again
02. Eyes Wide Open
03. Falling
04. Wannabe
05. Throw It All Away
06. Now
07. The Bottom
08. Take A Breath
09. Paper Wings
10. Something To Remind You
11. Spleen (Live)
12. For You (Live)
+ Bonus DVD including "Making Of The Album" documentary
STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok said in a new interview at GuitarWorld.com that making the band's new CD was a "miserable" experience because
the band was on a tight deadline. After demoing "17 or 18" songs in
December, the group reconvened in January to begin recording the disc with
producer Johnny K. Mushok explained that things starting going
wrong at that point, saying, "During the sessions, it was clear Jon [Wysocki, drums] wasn't ready or on the same page, and the motivation
wasn't where it needed to be. After thinking long and hard, we decided to do
something different and decided to split up and do all the parts
separately."
Mushok added, "I worked up at a studio in Springfield and Aaron [Lewis,
singer] worked in his barn, and that's how we kind of finished the record. It
was the first record we had a deadline with the label. They wanted the finished
product by May 1st, so we had to get it done. We thought we weren't going to be
able to do it, but we did and turned it in and they accepted it and were happy
with it . . . It ended working out, but I would not like to live January to
April of this year again. It was miserable."
Even though he was working in his own studio in his barn, Lewis told The
Pulse Of Radio that being at home did not make the project any less
stressful. "There was so much other mental fatiguing things that were
going on," he said. "I mean, I was away from home for most of it
anyways, 'cause I was playing solo shows on the weekends, coming home during
the week and working until three 'clock in the morning in the studio, and it's
definitely the most outwardly stressed out I think I've probably ever
been."
STAIND ended up parting ways with Wysocki during the making of
the album. A permanent replacement has yet to be named.
"Staind" has already earned advance acclaim from ARTISTdirect,
which hailed the album as a "timeless masterpiece," praising Lewis'
vocals for "reach(ing) heights that only legends can touch."
"Dum Spiro Spero", the eighth studio album
from the unique, artful Japanese rock band DIR EN GREY, sold around
3,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at
position No. 135 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position 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.
"Dum Spiro Spero" (translates to the Latin phrase "While
I breathe, I hope") was released on August 2 via The End Records.
DIR EN GREY — vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die,
bassist Toshiya and drummer Shinya — is inspired by sorrow, pain
and anger either personally experienced or witnessed in others. The band
strives to maintain this theme in their videos which further push the societal
envelope.
The themes from the new video and album also happen to directly coincide with
the recent turmoil in their native Japan. Toshiya explains, "We
live in a world where we don't know what is the truth and what we should
believe in. We just wanted to put some hope into the music we created."
Kaoru adds, "And, the title is what we can say to the world as the people
of Japan."
The title translates to the Latin phrase, "While I breathe, I hope."
In our time when heavy rock music has become diversified, DIR EN GREY's
deep and extensive, unique perspective is once again borderless, uncategorized.
This record which encapsulates the band's present will not only secure
tremendous support from the hardcore devotees, but will surely gain recognition
from heavy rock fans, including guitar enthusiasts and Western-music-obsessed
music fans.
DIR EN GREY released "Dum Spiro Spero" as a standard
CD, a double LP (both featuring the same 14 tracks) and a deluxe CD which
features the two bonus tracks. Also available is the limited edition bundle,
which features:
* The deluxe version of the CD (with the two bonus tracks)
* The double LP
* Digital download of album
* An exclusive t-shirt design
* An autographed poster (while supplies last).
"Dum Spiro Spero" track listing:
01. Kyoukotsu No Nari
02. The Blossoming Beelzebub
03. Different Sense
04. Amon
05. "Yokusou Ni Dreambox" Aruiwa Seijuku No Rinen To Tsumetai Ame
06. Juuyoku
07. Shitataru Mourou
08. Lotus
09. Diabolos
10. Akatsuki
11. Decayed Crow
12. Hageshisa To, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami
13. Vanitas
14. Ruten No Tou
Deluxe edition bonus tracks:
15. Rasetsukoku
16. Amon (symphonic version)
Relapse Records has announced the signing of the
blackened death metal juggernaut WEAPON.
WEAPON (Vetis Monarch: guitars and vocals, Kha Tumos:
bass, Apostle VIII: guitar, The Disciple: drums) previously
released two full-length albums, including the acclaimed "From The
Devil's Tomb" (2010).
WEAPON is currently writing the follow-up to "From The Devil's
Tomb" which promises to be a more vicious strain of the group's
all-out-evil blackened death.
Vetis Monarch commented on the recent signing and upcoming album: "WEAPON is ready to take over the world, and our signing with a legendary label like Relapse
Records is a key element in achieving that goal.
"We are in the process of writing the follow-up album to 'From The
Devil's Tomb', and all our supporters can rest assured that the new
material is a direct continuation of the sinister and violent music we have
delivered thus far."
WEAPON has confirmed a handful of western Canada tour dates for later this
month alongside TOXIC HOLOCAUST and HOLY GRAIL. The band will
also perform at this year's Rites of Darkness Festival in early December
in San Antonio, Texas
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