BMI honors songwriters who have had "a unique
and indelible influence on generations of music makers" as Icons. QUEEN's Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John
Deacon join a list of past honorees that includes 2010 recipient Don
Black, Van Morrison, Donovan, the BEE GEES, James
Brown, Willie Nelson, and more.
Outsized. Operatic. Magisterial. QUEEN defined a new type of rock
superstardom. Vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May,
drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon delivered drama, precision
and, perhaps most of all, timeless songs.
There are numerous BMI Awards between the four members, who are all
songwriters with contributions to QUEEN's repertoire, and consequently,
the world's collective pop culture. Mercury penned "We Are the
Champions", "Somebody to Love" and "Crazy
Little Thing Called Love"; May composed "We Will Rock
You" and "Fat Bottomed Girls"; Deacon wrote "Another
One Bites the Dust"; and along with friend David Bowie, they
all came together to write "Under Pressure".
QUEEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001.
In 2003, they became the first band ever to be inducted into the Songwriters
Hall Of Fame as a group rather than as individuals. The U.K. Music Hall
Of Fame welcomed QUEEN in 2004, while "We Will Rock
You" and "We Are The Champions" have both been
inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991; the following year, remaining
members orchestrated the Freddie Mercury tribute concert for AIDS
awareness, and the Mercury Phoenix Trust (MPT) was established.
To date, MPT has donated more than $15 million to the fight against AIDS
around the world.
BMI represents the songs mentioned above and many others from QUEEN's
legendary catalog in the U.S.
The quartet are all members of British performing right society PRS For
Music.
Hosted by BMI President and CEO Del Bryant; Phil Graham, BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations; and Brandon Bakshi,
Executive Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, Europe & Asia, the BMI London Awards recognize the U.K. and European songwriters and publishers of the
past year's most-performed songs on radio and television in the United States.
Stipe Juras, one of the founders of the Croatian IRON
MAIDEN fan site and a long-time music journalist and writer, has announced
plans to publish two new books — a book about MAIDEN guitarist Adrian
Smith and a special book about the band's fans.
According to Juras, the Smith book will "surpass" his
previously published book on IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris and
will be made available no earlier than on Smith's birthday in February
2012. Those who order the Smith book will get it in a personalized form,
with their name printed on one of the first pages, just like the fan book.
IRON MAIDEN vocalist Bruce Dickinson told U.K.'s Daily
Star that the band will make "at least one more album" to follow
last year's acclaimed "The Final Frontier".
"The Final Frontier" sold 63,000 copies in the United States
in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No.
4.
According to a posting on KISS' official web site,
fans from over 30 states and Canada
(and some from as far away as Switzerland!)
came to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to celebrate the fifth
anniversary of the Kiss Coffeehouse with KISS drummer Eric
Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer.
Tommy and Eric signed for over seven and a half hours straight,
greeting fans and taking photos. After the long autograph session ended, Eric and Tommy went on stage and held a question-and-answer session with the
audience. During the Q&A, it was revealed that the Kiss Coffeehouse will be opening a new restaurant/coffeehouse location in Las Vegas next year. More details about this
exciting development will be posted on KissOnline.com in the months
ahead.
A new radio interview with Singer about the Kiss Coffeehouse's
fifth-anniversary party can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
The Kiss Coffeehouse is a specialty coffee retailer operating at
Broadway at the Beach, an entertainment complex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Its theme revolves around the band KISS, who own the franchise. A number
of items from KISS' stage shows, such as costumes, are also on display
at the establishment.
The Kiss Coffeehouse, which opened to huge crowds in the summer of 2006,
features signature KISS coffees, including Kiss Army Blend and French
Kiss Vanilla, the Kiss Frozen Rockuccino, cookies, brownies and other sinful
sweets.
The grand opening of the store was attended by founding KISS bandmembers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
On July 9, 2006, Lisa-Holly Friedman and Ronald K Marukawa (two
longtime KISS fans) were married on the premises, with Paul Stanley telephoning during the proceedings to wish them well.
METALLICA's self-titled fifth album, known as
"the black album," came out 20 years ago this past Friday (August 12)
and Gibson.com celebrated by compiling a number of quotes from the band
members and others into a brief oral history of the project. According to The
Pulse Of Radio, the record made METALLICA into superstars after
being cult metal heroes for the first eight years of their career, even as it
found the band slowing down and abandoning its thrash metal beginnings for a
more mainstream, yet still heavy, style.
Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone in 1991 about the record's
musical shift, "We felt inadequate as musicians and as songwriters (early
in our career). That made us go too far, around 'Master Of Puppets' and
on '...And Justice For All', in the direction of trying to prove
ourselves. We'll do all this weird-ass shit sideways to prove that we are
capable musicians and songwriters."
Ulrich added about the eight months it took to make the album,
"[Recording] should have gone quicker, in theory, than trying to get
everything note-perfect like we have before. But as usual with METALLICA,
all those theories and normalities go straight out the window. It took us twice
as long to make a record that is twice as loose."
Frontman James Hetfield said, "It was [once] a challenge for us to
jam every riff in the universe into one song and make it work. Now we're pretty
much doing the opposite. Which is even more of a challenge."
The album was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock,
with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc. Rock recalled to Music Radar, "The first three months were difficult.
They were all very suspicious of me. It wasn't a fun, easy record to make. I told
the guys when we were done that I'd never work with them again. They felt the
same way about me."
Ulrich said about Rock in NME, "We'd never really had
anybody push us before . . . We've always thought of ourselves as 'Big Bad
Metallica,' but Bob taught us a new word none of us had ever heard
before: soulful."
"The black album" in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997
record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era. To date, the black album has sold 15,689,000 copies.
Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with
their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the
black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five
singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.
Revolver magazine conducted an interview with METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX for a special issue devoted
to the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal.
Dave Mustaine, who was one of the original members of METALLICA,
was fired from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced
by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve
worldwide success on his own.
When asked what he remembers about writing music with METALLICA while he
was in the group, Mustaine said, "I had always called us, as a
group, the 'Four Horsemen.' Before I was in METALLICA, I really loved
this band called MONTROSE, and their guitarist was Ronnie Montrose.
He went on to form a band called GAMMA. One of their records [1980's
'Gamma 2'] had a shark fin cutting through the grass, which I thought was so
awesome. Anyway, he had a song on there called 'Four Horsemen' that I
did with my band PANIC, which I was with before METALLICA. So
when I joined METALLICA, I had the song 'Mechanix', which I
wrote, and 'Four Horsemen' was a suggestion of mine to do 'cause we were
doing cover songs. So that had planted the seed with James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman]. And one day when we were coming to rehearsal, Lars had just said something about slowing down my song, 'Mechanix'. I had
just gotten to the studio with Cliff [Burton, METALLICA bassist], and we had been listening to LYNYRD SKYNYRD, and I was being a
jerk, so I played 'Sweet Home Alabama' instead of 'Mechanix', and
that's basically the middle part of what would become METALLICA's 'The
Four Horsemen'."
SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and ex-DREAM
THEATER members will take part in the second Metal Masters Clinic,
set to take place September 12 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.
Participating musicians:
* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) - Drums
* Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) - Bass
* Kerry King (SLAYER) - Guitar
* David Ellefson (MEGADETH) - Bass
* Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, ex-DREAM THEATER) - Drums
Sponsored by Samson, Hartke, Zoom and Best Buy Music
Gear, this clinic is free of charge and will begin at 5:00 p.m. Wristbands
will be available on a first-come-first-served basis on the day of the clinic
only, outside the Best Buy Theater, located at 1515 Broadway, West 44th Street.
A minimum of 500 wristbands, with a limit of one per person, will be given out.
So, all attending should get in line early for a chance to witness these
masters of metal in action.
"It's always great working with Best Buy and all of these artists on an
individual basis," says Mark Menghi, Samson's Director of
Marketing. "So, we wanted to put all of them together to create a clinic
experience on a scale that has never been done before."
Ex-GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash (real name Saul Hudson) and his wife Perla will
renew their wedding vows later this month in early celebration of their 10-year
anniversary, according to a posting on Slash's Facebook page.
Slash and Perla have been married since October 15, 2001 and have
two sons. Although Slash filed for divorce last summer, the couple
reconciled a short while later.
Slash and Perla recently put their Los Angeles mansion up for sale with an
asking price of $9.5 million, according to the Real Estalker. The house
is posted as a "pocket listing," meaning it is not accessible to
multiple listing services where more people can locate it. The property,
described as a "faux-Tuscan-type mansion," is in the gated Mulholland
Estates community, where the Hudsons'
neighbors include Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen and Vanna White.
Slash sold many of his personal possessions in March, with a sizeable
portion of the proceeds going to a charity for abused and homeless adolescents.
Singer Geoff Tate of Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE tells Billboard.com that the band is already starting work on its
next album despite having just released its 12th LP, "Dedicated To
Chaos", in late June.
"We kind of have that practice, to jump from one to the next," he
explains. "It's what drives us to get up in the morning, the new music,
writing the music. If we don't do that, we're just resting on our laurels and
playing songs we've played a million times before, and none of us want to do
that."
Tate says QUEENSRŸCHE is currently "putting some sketches
together and discussing direction and that kind of thing," and he expects
some songs will start to surface while the group is on the road. "We have
studios with us at all times," he notes. "If you come backstage at
any given show, we have a room set up, everybody here and there, working away.
It looks like a laboratory. That really keeps the music flowing, too."
"Dedicated To Chaos" sold 8,000 copies in the United States
in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200
chart. The band's previous CD, the epic concept album "American
Soldier", opened with 21,000 units back in April 2009 to enter the
chart at No. 25. This was roughly half the first-week tally registered by QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime II" album, which shifted 44,000 copies
in the United States in its first week of release back in April 2006 to debut
at No. 14 on The Billboard 200 chart.
QUEENSRŸCHE's 2003 effort, "Tribe", sold 20,000 copies
in the first week while 1999's "Q2K", opened with sales of
28,000.
QUEENSRŸCHE's top-selling album by far is 1990's "Empire",
which was certified triple-platinum in October 1994 for sales in excess of
three million copies in the United States. The original "Operation:
Mindcrime" release (1988) attained platinum status in August 1991,
while 1994's "Promised Land" reached the same plateau in
December 1994.
According to the Niagara Gazette, ten people were arrested and face charges
relating to disturbances around the Molson Canal Concert series featuring QUEENSRŸCHE on Friday, August 12 in Lockport, New York.
Lockport police
and Niagara County Sheriff's deputies responded to a fight on Walnut Street at
12:55 a.m. Saturday. According to the sheriff's department report, the patrols
found several people actively fighting.
A 43-year-old Niagara Falls
man was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of
governmental administration.
Police used a Taser on the suspect, who was fighting with another man.
Radio Metal recently conducted an interview with vocalist Geoff
Tate of Seattle
progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE. A couple of excerpts from the chat
follow below.
Radio Metal: I know you're a wine lover and I've read about your Insania wine. You're actually going to take part in the Insania barrel tasting
event in December. Can you tell us more about Insania wines?
Geoff Tate: I started making wine about five years ago. It's something
of a fascination for me, I've been fascinated with it for years now. I first
was introduced to wine through travelling and trying wine all over the world. I
really fell in love with how different wines are, and with the different tastes
of wine from all regions of the world. And I just happen to live in a premier
wine-making area of the United States,
in the state of Washington, which is in the
Northwest part of the United States. We grow really good grapes here, we
have just about any kind of grape that is. We have a wine industry that's
growing up around that. We're actually the second largest wine producer in the
country, behind California.
We have a fairly new line of industry, of course it's very young compared to
other parts of the world. But we're doing well, and the Insania brand is
selling very well. We're very happy with it.
Radio Metal: I know that many American wine lovers really defend
Californian wine and affirm that some of them are as good as some of the best
French wine. Is this your case?
Geoff Tate: You know, wine is very similar to music, I find. Everyone
tastes wine differently, everyone hears music differently. There's lots of
different varieties. Of course the French have been making wine for thousands
of years, so they have a history and a wine culture that's very extensive. The
French wine industry has really been the model for the American wine industry.
We've learned a lot from the way they make wine in France, and we have similar
growing conditions here in Washington state as there are is parts of France —
specifically the area around Cahors and Bordeaux. So there's a similarity there,
in the land and the taste of the wines. Comparatively, I don't know. There's
all kinds of contests and things like that, that they hold to taste these
different wines, and people judge them, kind of like a sporting event. I don't
know how accurate that is. I've always kind of been against the sporting
mentality when it comes to music, and also to wine. I don't think you can
really judge it, because everyone has different tastes. But I like French
wines, Spanish wines, Italian wines. I like some wines from South Africa,
some Chilean wines. I like wine from Washington
state and from California.
I like a lot of different things.
Radio Metal: David Coverdale from WHITESNAKE has his own
brand of wine and James Maynard Keenan from the band TOOL produces his own wine in Arizona.
Have you by any chance tasted their wine?
Geoff Tate: Yes, I tasted several bottles of Maynard's wine. But I
haven't tasted David Coverdale's. I haven't had that yet.
Radio Metal: Is Maynard's wine good?
Geoff Tate: There was one bottle of Maynard's wine that I liked
quite a bit. I think it's very good.
9 CHAMBERS, the new band featuring
producer/singer/guitarist Greg Hampton (ALICE COOPER, BOOTSY
COLLINS, LITA FORD), ex-MONSTER MAGNET guitarist Ed
Mundell and current GOV'T MULE bassist Jorgen Carlsson, will
release its self-titled debut album on September 27 via Samson Records/E1
Entertainment. The CD's cover art can now be viewed below.
Hampton and Mundell recently recalled how they crossed paths and
came up with the idea of working together. "I used to run into Greg at the bootleg place up at the Pasadena Flea Market," remembers Mundell.
"He'd always be buying MAHOGANY RUSH, FREE, or JIMI
HENDRIX bootlegs!" Adds Hampton,
"I would see Ed and we'd run into each other at NAMM, and
we'd go have dinner. I knew he was sort of looking for other projects to get
involved in, because with the MONSTER MAGNET thing; he had a huge
history."
As one of the trailblazers of the "stoner rock movement" Ed
Mundell's signature guitar sound can be heard on MONSTER MAGNET classic albums "Superjudge", "Dopes To Infinity" and gold-certified "Powertrip". But by late 2010, Mundell had had enough. "It was 18 years with MAGNET. Since 1992, since I
was a kid, barely legal to drink I'd been on the road! The last few years of
touring was just the same old thing. It wasn't treading on any new territory —
we were just playing the same set every night, all the time. And I was just
like, 'I've got to do something else, I'm going to go crazy here.' So I just
needed to take a break. I ran into Greg, and we started playing."
And just like that, 9 CHAMBERS came together — the same way plenty of
classic rock bands did way back when, naturally, and over the love of similar
styles of music. "We just started jamming, and all of a sudden, we wrote a
couple of songs," recalls Hampton.
"The next thing we knew, we wrote six songs or something. It was pretty
organic with the fact that we have a lot of the same guitar players that we
love. We've pretty much got the same record collection. I'd play the verse, and
then hand him the guitar halfway through, and he'd play the rest of it.
Sometimes, you don't even know who's playing what." And as Mundell adds, "All of a sudden, it's 20 songs later! Like, what the hell? We're
mixing now and going, 'God, how many guitars are on there?' We forgot about all
these cool parts."
Rounding out 9 CHAMBERS will be what promises to be kick-ass rhythm
sections, comprised of GOV'T MULE virtuoso bassist Jorgen Carlsson and BLACK SABBATH/DIO/HEAVEN & HELL drummer Vinny
Appice (as schedules permit).
According to Mundell, the creative process regarding songwriting is
coming fast and furious for 9 CHAMBERS. "Even the other day, we
picked up two guitars, and all of a sudden, we had another song. It's like,
'How did that happen?'"
With nearly two albums worth of compositions and ideas to choose from for a
single disc, Hampton
already has several early favorite tracks.
"'It's hard because it's a real 'album-oriented' record. With 'Life
Moves On', the music came together because it's a real fast-cooking tune. Ed and I did the live solos on the floor with each other — the dual leads. That
was the part to me that was the most exciting. The way the bridge came together
was another interesting approach, because Ed was playing an electric
twelve-string with a reverse pedal, and I was playing the straight part that
had a completely different riff and arrangement...two completely different
things that wouldn't even fit if you heard them separately . But when you put
them together it was just amazing. It fit just like a glove."
"On 'Bury Yourself', Vinny's brother Carmine had a
band CACTUS who a lot of '70s bands were influenced by. Carmine and I have been friends forever... Vinny is obvioulsy aware of his
brother's work, but in regards to the riff and the music itself, it was
something that reminded us of that.
"There are also elements of a CREAM and MOUNTAIN thing to it
also. We were listening to a lot of that stuff, ARMAGEDDON, CAPTAIN
BEYOND. It helped keep our mindset. In the song 'One Thing Missing' there are elements of that in the bridge. The solo I played on that was a one
take — the first take. I plugged in, turned it on, and that was it! The title 'Bury
Yourself' came from a George Harrison quote. He once said that 'The
more you say, the more you bury yourself.' He was referring to John Lennon…
when Lennon made the Jesus comment and all that..."
For more information, visit the 9 CHAMBERS official web site.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/9chamberscdofficial.jpg
In a brand new radio interview, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna
refused to say if
the band's "Cryin' Like A Bitch" song was inspired by events of the
2009 Crüe
Fest 2 tour, on which GODSMACK appeared alongside headliners MÖTLEY CRÜE.
When asked directly if the track was written about MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki
Sixx, Erna told Albany, New York's Q103 radio station, "It's very
difficult for
me to restrain myself from answering that
question because as honest as I'd like to be, the other side of me
doesn't want to give anybody the extra exposure, even if it's negative.
So, I'm just gonna plead the fifth."
Back in May, Sixx had the following to say regarding Erna's complaints about
how
GODSMACK was treated on the Crüe Fest 2 tour, "Every person â€" from road
crew, fans and even all the bands on the tour (including [Sully's] band) â€"
was
so happy, but [Erna] just seems to be crying like a bitch," Sixx replied.
"Funny, even his manager told me he's an asshole... Maybe the
problem is just in HIS head... I got no problem with him."
Erna admitted in a webisode for the band's fifth studio album, "The
Oracle",
that "Cryin' Like A Bitch" was inspired by events of Crüe Fest 2, on
which
GODSMACK was billed below MÖTLEY CRÜE. Sully told Artisan News Service at the
time, "There's definitely been some rock-star garbage on this
tour that we just have never seen in our career . . . this was the first time
that I felt like, 'You know what?! If there's gonna be some people that are
gonna treat other people a certain way, then I'm gonna go out
there every night and . . . make sure that we make you look old and fat, and go
home with a nice big fat paycheck."
"Cryin' Like A Bitch" lyrics:
Strut on by like a king
Telling everybody they know nothing
Long lived what you thought you were
Time ain't on your side anymore
And so you tell me I can't take my chances
But I've told you one too many times
And you were cryin' like a bitch
I'm tougher than nails, I can promise you that
Step outta line and you'll get bitch-slapped back
And you can run your little mouth all day
But the hand of god just smacked you back into yesterday
And so you tell me I can't take my chances
But I've told you one too many times
And you were cryin' like a bitch
And you wonder why no one can stand you
There's no denying you were cryin' like a bitch
Blinded by your sacred faded past times, only time is your enemy
Granted a second chance to prove that your arrogance is
Stronger than you'll ever be… it's stronger than you can be [/End of lyrics]
Former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist Bruce Kulick recently spent time in the studio working with
"an incredible artist named Andrew London." Kulick states, "This kid can sing, write, and play guitar and piano in a
refreshing way that I am really excited about being his session guitar player
for. Jeremy Rubolino, who produced [Kulick's latest solo album] 'BK3',
is his producer."
Kulick's third solo album, "BK3", sold around 1,700
copies in the United States
in its first week of release. The CD landed at 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.
"BK3" was released in Europe in January 2010 via Frontiers
Records and in North America in February
2010 through Twenty 4 Records/Rocket Science Ventures. The first
single from the album, "Hand Of The King", featuring Nick
Simmons (son of KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons), was a
digital-only release available at all online music stores, including iTunes.
Vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill of Irish
pagan metal masters PRIMORDIAL has released the following statement
regarding the band's appearance at this year's edition of the Bloodstock
Open Air festival, which was held August 12-14, 2011 at Catton Hall in
Derbyshire, United Kingdom:
"Firstly I have to thank everyone for their support and dedication during
a very difficult show at Bloodstock on Sunday; we were all deeply
humbled by everyone's response and hearing your voices loud and clear singing
our own songs back to us was moving.
"The simple fact is from one line to the next my voice completely
disappeared. From feeling perfectly normal, within seconds I could not even
whisper. This has never happened to me before in my twenty years of singing.
Slowly my voice came back and if we had another hour left I would have been
able to sing again. It seems to have either been an allergic reaction to
something I ate or drank that morning mixed with a complete dehydration of the
vocal cords.
"Sitting here typing this, I am more or less back to normal. I can only
rationalise it that it happens to the best of us and the law of averages states
eventually it was going to happen if you play enough shows. This doesn't help
the fact that I was and am still gutted we could not give 100% because before
it happened, the show was shaping up to be incredible... we could all feel the
energy and electricity.
"I can only humbly apologise and hope that we can come back very soon to
make it up to all of you. I am only human, and, unfortunately, also are my
vocal cords.
"This all said, we have to thank you all for your understanding,
dedication and support as we were all moved by this and also immense thanks to
the staff and crew of Bloodstock who really showed their worth and
understanding. Much respect to all of you... and hopefully I can chalk this one
down to experience."
PRIMORDIAL's new album, "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand",
was released on April 26 via Metal Blade Records.
Florida-based melodic metallers CRIMSON GLORY have
announced additional dates for the third segment of their 25th-anniversary
European tour. The trek, dubbed "Phoenix
Rising" to reflect the band's vibrant and sudden re-emergence on the
metal music scene, took flight on April 28 at the Dynamo club in Eindhoven, Netherlands. "Phoenix
Rising" has since spanned several countries, meeting with rave reviews
among fans, peers, and press, respectively. The demand for more shows was met
with more dates, the first of which to be confirmed are in Thessaloniki
and Athens, Greece on October 22 and October
23.
Oct. 22 - Thessaloniki, Greece @ Mylos Club*
Oct. 23 - Athens, Greece - Up the Hammers Special
Edition Festival @ An Club*
* Venue is subject to change.
"It's been an amazing experience playing all of our classic songs on tour
for our European fans and we're extremely excited to have this wonderful
opportunity to perform in Greece,"
says lead guitarist Jon Drenning. "It's been several years since we
last performed in their beautiful country, known for its richly storied history
and many legends, and we're looking forward to introducing [new CRIMSON
GLORY singer] Todd La Torre to some of our most die-hard legion of
fans in all the world. Indeed, we think he possesses the skills and potential
for becoming a legend over time too!"
CRIMSON GLORY's last performance in Greece was at the Rockwave open-air festival in 2006 with the band's original singer, Midnight, who
was battling a serious health condition at the time and passed away suddenly
only a few short years later on July 8, 2009.
Singer Todd La Torre comments: "Playing Bang Your Head!!! festival in Germany and Zwarte
Cross festival in Holland
were both amazing experiences for me. There's no feeling on earth like the
energy of a huge crowd, singing all the lyrics and truly embracing our music.
I've also enjoyed the intimate smaller venues we've played on this tour and I
love giving the fans a real up-close and personal experience of CRIMSON
GLORY, which breeds a very special energy between myself, the band, and our
audience."
"We know that our Greek fans in particular loved Midnight dearly, and it
means a great deal to us to have this opportunity to perform again for them
with our new frontman," Drenning adds. "Fans everywhere have
been overwhelmingly gracious towards Todd and to our band as a whole, and I
think that hearing and seeing him show such skillful reproduction and respect
to Midnight's body of work with us will give our Greek fans even more
reason to rejoice and help further open the door to the next triumphant chapter
of CRIMSON GLORY."
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski of SoundSpike recently conducted an interview with Sammy
Hagar (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN, MONTROSE). A couple of
excerpts from the chat follow below.
SoundSpike: Why did you decide to call [CHICKENFOOT's] second
album "Chickenfoot III"?
Sammy: We took a long time before we could get back together because of
everyone's schedules. When we started working on it, we jokingly called it "Chickenfoot
IV" — as a joke. But then when the album was done, we said, "This
is not a joke." We went, "If we say 'Chickenfoot IV', it's
going to put a little bit of a joke twist on it." But it was way, way too
advanced to be "Chickenfoot II". The only song that kind of
bridges the gap is the one you're hearing, "Big Foot". The rest of
the stuff is way in the distance, man. We took a giant step forward and it's
more like a third or fourth CD. We're not joking when we call it "Chickenfoot
III" because we skipped over the dreaded second record.
SoundSpike: Are you going to tour in support of "Chickenfoot
III"?
Sammy: We're trying out at the end of the week on Saturday and Sunday
[August 6-7], [drummer] Kenny Aronoff is coming up and we're going to
play with him for two days. If it works, we're going to go out in November, I
think, and do a buzz tour, play small venues in five cities, [like] New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. Then, we'll
make sure that it works and the chemistry is good. If it is we'll go out with Kenny.
We don't want to just grab a drummer just because he's good and find out that
we don't have the chemistry. CHICKENFOOT is all about the chemistry. You
pick your favorite bass player, drummer, guitar player singer and you don't
necessarily have a great band. It can be a disaster because of chemistry and
people don't get along. It isn't just arguing; it's just the music can start
arguing and doesn't gel. There's been a lot of "supergroups" that
people have contrived and put together in the past. That's why we don't like to
call ourselves a "supergroup." We grew together. When you throw these
people together you don't necessarily get good music. We have to make sure that Kenny brings a different chemistry that works or the same chemistry as Chad [Smith, CHICKENFOOT drummer]. Chad picked him because he said Kenny's just like him. He beats his drum set
to death. He doesn't play them. He beats them to death. At the end of every
show you have to buy a new drum set for these guys. We need that power. Chad,
he's powerful. [Aronoff will] just be on loan anyway. Chad's
handing him the baton and he's going to run for awhile. When Chad can come back, we'll make "Chickenfoot
IV" probably with Chad.
Nick Cristiano of Philly.com recently spoke to former THE REPLACEMENTS and current GUNS N' ROSES/SOUL ASYLUM bassist Tommy Stinson about the musician's new album, "One Man Mutiny", which is due
out later this month.
On playing with GUNS N' ROSES and SOUL ASYLUM:
"SOUL ASYLUM, I've known those guys since we all went to school
together, Dave [Pirner, SOUL ASYLUM frontman] and I
anyway. They're good guys and we have a good time playing together. That's more
a labor of love. GUNS is a different thing in that it's a bunch of guys
that come from all walks of life put together in this musical soup, and it has
a whole different thing going on. It's more of a collaborative band thing —
when we write, anyway. GUNS has been nothing but a good gig for me for
12 years now. I started it with no expectations. I didn't think it would last
12 years, but here I am."
On "One Man Mutiny" and whether he will perform THE
REPLACEMENTS songs on his current solo tour:
"I don't ever veer too far from my roots. That's pretty obvious here.
"It seems kind of foolish for me to get up there and sing some of Paul's
[Westerberg, THE REPLACEMENTS leader] songs, even though I played
on them, too. You don't see Keith Richards going out on a solo tour and
playing [THE ROLLING] STONES songs other than the ones he sang
on."
On THE REPLACEMENTS' legacy 20 years after the band's demise:
"I'm totally proud of it. I've got no regrets about it. We left a good
mark. For better or worse, we stuck to our guns for the most part and stayed
true to ourselves. I wouldn't go back. It was pretty . . . brutal. But I have
fond memories of it. It was a good life."
Pat Prince of Goldmine magazine recently conducted an interview with TWISTED
SISTER frontman Dee Snider. A couple of excerpts from the chat
follow below.
Goldmine: "Under the Blade" (1982) was a great album.
It has been said that the production wasn't very good but I love the raw sound.
Snider: You're not alone. There is definitely a body of people — and I'm
not one of them — who feel that "Under the Blade" is the best record
that TWISTED SISTER ever did. It certainly speaks to the time. To me, my
favorite is "You Can't Stop Rock and Roll". I'm not speaking against "Under
the Blade", I'm just saying I don't think it's the best thing we ever
did. I think that we were just getting comfortable with the studio and
understanding what recording was, you know, the process. There's a live
environment and then there's a studio environment and you've got to master
each. I know there's a whole argument where people say 'why should it be
different in the studio?' But the answer is: people are sitting in their
bedrooms or cars and not drinking a beer and jumping up and down like in a live
environment. It's a different environment and you have to recognize that,
you've got to create the right sound for the experience. People alone in a
bedroom as opposed to packed in a concert hall having a couple of beers and
your rocking your ass off. So "Under the Blade", by many, is
considered to be the best thing we ever did. I think it also plays to the whole
new age of heavy metal. A lot of people don't know but we were at the forefront
there, at the time touring with the METALLICAs and the ANTHRAXs
and the MAIDENs … all those bands of that sound and that stuff. It
reflects that time, when we were in the trenches, so to speak.
Goldmine: Do you still listen to vinyl? Do you still have all the TWISTED albums — the EP, the singles, the original issues — on vinyl?
Snider: No, no, I'm not a vinyl guy. I don't have a stereo. I've got an
iPod and I've got an intercom system in the house that has a CD player in it —
which I don't ever use except for Christmas music. I don't listen to music too
much. Like I said, I'm working on a gazillion other things and there's too much
noise going on in my head. People say, "How can you sit here in
silence?" and I say, "I'm not in silence. There is so much noise in
my head." But I saved all the old stuff. I don't fanatically collect my
own stuff. I'm proud of my past, very proud, I have no regrets — maybe a regret
here and there, some things I would have done differently — but I'm not one of
those people who looks back and goes I'm embarrassed by my past. Years ago in Metal
Edge, they used to do a thing where they'd ask a question and then print
the answers from all different artists. (One time) the question was "When
you see your old pictures who do you think?" And every single heavy metal
guy was apologizing. "It wasn't my idea. Everybody was doing it. The
manager made us dress like that. I feel stupid …" Bah, bah, bah, and it
gets to Dee Snider and it's "I think I look cool." That's what
I said. You know why I look cool? I wasn't following anybody. I wasn't trying
to emulate anybody. Nobody was making me. I was doing what I wanted to do and
saying "fuck the rest of you." I was defining the era, not following.
So I look back proudly. Right now I just signed a book deal with Simon &
Schuster and I'm in the middle of writing my book. The talk is to release
it this fall. Right now it looks like it's going to be about the rise and fall
of Dee Snider. Basically, how I wanted be a rock star, what it took to
get there, my struggle and then ultimately taking a tremendous fall, a
devastating fall. Obviously I've come back from it but I think people will take
inspiration from it. It's inspiring and it's a cautionary tale. So I'm working
on that. And I've signed on to do a new record. I'll preface this by saying,
no, it's not metal. It's called "Dee
Does Broadway". I'm taking Broadway show tunes and I'm making them
rock. It's sort of a "Twisted Christmas" taken to Broadway.
But there are some pretty metallic moments there, I'll tell you. "Sweeney
Todd" translates into a metal song amazingly — bass, drums, guitar —
so some of the songs are really metallic, but it's a rock record. I'm doing it
as a solo artist. I'm working on that.
Stephen Tow's new book, "The Strangest Tribe:
How A Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented
Grunge", arrives October 11 from Seattle's Sasquatch Books (paperback, 272 pages, $18.95).
In 1991 Seattle's sound took the world by storm
— but this same storm had been brewing in the Pacific
Northwest for a decade before it hit MTV. "The
Strangest Tribe" is a reframing of this last transformative era in
music. Not just plaid shirts, bleached hair, and angst, grunge is a word used
to describe a rich community of artists and jokers. Stephen Tow takes a
second look at the music and community that vaulted the likes of NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, MUDHONEY, and SOUNDGARDEN to international
fame. Packed with interviews with the starring characters, this book
extensively chronicles the rise of rock 'n' roll's last great statement and
reveals what the music really meant to the key players.
Over five years, Tow conducted 120 interviews with the key players in Seattle's underground
music from the inception of the punk rock scene in the mid-'70s through 1990 —
just before "Nirvanamania."
Tow currently teaches 20th century U.S.,
pop culture and rock history at Delaware
Valley College
in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
For more information, go to this
location.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/strangestbook.jpg
POISON singer Bret Michaels was forced to
cancel his appearance at the XSport Fitness Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half-Marathon Sunday morning
"due to a sudden bout of severe dehydration and the flu."
The XSport Fitness Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half-Marathon is a fun run that
offers live, background music for extra motivation as participants run in
support of the American Cancer Society.
UglyScene.com recently conducted an interview with KORN guitarist James
"Munky" Shaffer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
UglyScene.com: The last show that I saw with KORN was close to
the stage and I saw how much of an effort you put into connecting with the
audience.
Munky: I think it is important. With the music you already have a
connection with people, but for them to see you live, it is like it becomes a
tangible object and you become a tangible object that they can see and it all
makes sense. The equation kind of makes sense and that goes for the energy
behind the music making sure that a connection is being made visually as well
as audibly. It's what makes the experience for a live audience member much better
for them to experience a concert. Looking them in the eyes letting them feel
alive. I remember when I was a kid and I would go to some concerts in Vegas,
and I can't even remember what band, but I just remember it was really
important. It's the human contact and really how important it is in connecting
with somebody on the most human level.
UglyScene.com: You can tell in concert that you have a connection with
the audience. The fans really do appreciate that.
Munky: It's sort of like the band feeds from the energy exchange with
the crowd. It goes back and forth and pulsates and they give you energy. On a
day like today, it's been quite a long day and I'm pretty tired, I'm kind of
hoping that they kind of lift me up when I get up there to carry me through the
show. It's fun and exciting and you never know. We are going to go out and play
the same songs that we have been playing but every night it will be different.
The chemistry between the band and the audience, there is so many combinations
of things that everything has to make it fall into place to have a great show.
A few elements can be off and it's really important to me, I think, that live
shows connect, because for a lot of people there are one or two times they go
to concert a year and I want them to have the best time. I want to come off the
stage saying feeling like I gave one hundred percent.
UglyScene.com: In the process of writing songs how does the band
collaborate?
Munky: When we are creating a song, it's somebody comes up with an idea
or a riff. Then we build on that and everybody puts their two cents on and then
it's like when a dog rolls around in a mud puddle and then shakes himself off.
There is still some mud there deep down and those are the ideas that stick. You
know that you want to try everybody's idea and it's tough in a band because you
want your idea to come to life at its fullest and you want everybody else to
try their ideas too. You want everyone to feel confident in playing it,
performing it and recording it and have the same energy. It's a process. I make
it sound like it's difficult but it's really just if it feels good, you play it
and I'll play something that feels good to play too that sounds good and I'll
add that. Everyone throws their own ingredients and their mojo into the pot and
it's magic. I can't really put my finger on it how it happens. It's something
like when an artist or when painter paints and doesn't go, "Oh, should I
put the chair in here or what color should I use?" It is that stillness in
your mind that lets the creative door way through and it's just shutting
everything off and letting it happen naturally. It doesn't involve thought,
really, and it may sound weird, but most great ideas don't come from thinking.
Atlanta
progressive metallers MASTODON will guest on the nationally syndicated
radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday,
September 26 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with MASTODON by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
MASTODON's new album, "The Hunter", will be released in
several configurations that feature an exciting interactive 3D experience known
as Augmented Reality. The technology, created by Los Angeles-based company Total
Immersion, combines virtual and real worlds to create a 3D one-of-a-kind
interactive experience that users can control. Just by using a camera on a
computer, their own face and the cover art on "The Hunter",
the user can turn themselves into "The Hunter" sculpture that
is pictured on the cover.
Though the track "Black Tongue" from "The Hunter" has already made its presence known, "Curl Of The Burl" will
be the first official single from the album and will be digitally released
worldwide on August 16 through all digital music retailers. A video for the
track will be filmed in the near future.
The physical configurations for "The Hunter", which will be
released by Reprise Records on September 27, are as follows:
* Standard CD: Includes the album's 13 tracks, plus a basic Augmented Reality
Experience in which the users head becomes the "creature" on the
album's front cover in full 3D.
* Deluxe Physical CD/DVD: Sold as a 13-song digipack with an alternative cover,
this package includes the standard CD, with the basic Augmented Reality
Experience, plus a DVD that includes a track-by-track, psychedelic visualizer,
the "Deathbound" and "Black Tongue" videos.
* Direct-To-Fan Package: This exclusive package will be comprised of the
complete 13-song digipack album. Additionally, buyers will receive two digital
bonus tracks on day of release (more on that soon). An exclusive insert will be
included which triggers an enhanced Augmented Reality Experience and contains
additional embedded content (again, more on the subject to be revealed
shortly). Also included is a 20" x 30" lenticular poster of the
standard album cover artwork.
"The Hunter" track listing:
01. Black Tongue
02. Curl Of The Burl
03. Blasteroid
04. Stargasm
05. Octopus Has No Friends
06. All The Heavy Lifting
07. The Hunter
08. DryBone Valley
09. Thickening
10. Creature Lives
11. Spectrelight
12. Bedazzled Fingernails
13. The Sparrow
14. The Ruiner (limited-edition bonus track)
15. Deathbound (limited-edition bonus track)
"Curl Of The Burl" will make its online debut on August 6.
The follow-up to 2009's "Crack The Skye" will be MASTODON's
third studio CD to be made available on Reprise Records in the U.S. and
Canada and the band's first to be issued through Roadrunner Records outside
of North America.
The visual companion to the song "Black Tongue", featuring
contemporary American folk artist A.J. Fosik, creator of "The
Hunter" cover art piece, can be seen below.
"The Hunter" was recorded at Doppler Studios in Atlanta with producer Mike
Elizondo. Drum tracks were previously completed in Los Angeles at the legendary Sound City
Studios where NIRVANA's masterwork "Nevermind" was
recorded.
Swedish symphonic power metallers DRAGONLAND have
completed work on their fifth album for a late 2011 release via Germany's AFM
Records. Several different studios were used to track this utterly
ambitious CD, with Jacob Hansen adding his magic touch to the mix at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark. Twelve songs were recorded
during the sessions, and the music itself is based on a deep and emotional
story, picking up where the band's second album, "Holy War",
left off nine years ago. The effort also includes a guest appearance by the
legendary musical stage actor Fred Johanson.
Commented DRAGONLAND guitarist Olof Mörck: "After 'Astronomy',
we knew we needed to explore our music further not to risk becoming a band that
releases music every year cast in the same mold, so the idea from the beginning
was: what would it be like with a metal album based in fantasy that respects
the literary genre, that actually tries to be mature and that enriches said
fantasy world with inspiration from millenias of human mythology?
"To make a neoclassical album filled with overly bombastic clichés of
steel clad warriors was out of the question — instead we explored the themes
and sounds around various fantasy movies, new and old, and also countless
computer RPG soundtracks to infuse the musical aspect with a genuine fantasy
feel, and as previously stated, heaps and stacks of tomes on every mythological
tale from Gilgamesh to the Aeneid provided a genuine and credible backdrop to
the story.
"The album is genuinely a concept album in every aspect, and we will
collaborate with some truly gifted artists who are experts in this genre to
bring our world to life visually.
"Prepare yourself to be engulfed in a world of enchanting phantasy and
songs of swirling magic later this year!"
Songtitles set to appear on the new album incude "The Tempest", "A Stranger I Know", "The Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains" and "A
Thousand Towers White".
DRAGONLAND's fourth album, "Astronomy", was released in
November 2006 via Century Media Records.
Norwegian melodic metallers CYCLOPHONIA have revealed
the cover art for their forthcoming debut album, "Impact Is
Imminent", tentatively due in early 2012 via an as-yet-undetermined
record label.
Commented the band: "Our brand of metal is built around the principle of
great guitar riffs, neck-breaking dual-guitar melodies, equally neck-breaking
and soaring vocal lines; all backed by some massive and groovy bass and drums.
"We are sick and tired of the trend where melodic metal is pussified
beyond belief by insipid, washed-out third-generation copies of those who once
pioneered the genre. Metal is a versatile beast and it can appear in many
forms, but at its core should always be an attitude born from hunger, rage and
a desire to unleash and just wreck everything in sight! Thus we declare our
mission statement: We have come to this planet to kick your fucking nuts to
pieces!!"
A YouTube teaser containing rough-mix samples of a few tracks from "Impact
Is Imminent" can be found below.
CYCLOPHONIA is:
Andreas Angell: Vocals
Kai Joar Kristensen: Vocals
Øystein Kvile Hanssen: Guitars
Håvar Robertsen: Guitars
Kristian Kvile Hanssen: Bass
Nikolai Ursin: Drums
CYCLOPHONIA is currently seeking a suitable record label to release "Impact
Is Imminent"
Guitar virtuoso Joe Stump (HOLYHELL, REIGN
OF TERROR) is working on a new solo album, tentatively due early next year.
According to Stump, "most of the guitars for [the follow-up to
2009's 'Virtuostic Vendetta'] are recorded. I spent some of May and most
of June holed up tracking guitars in my home studio. All melodies, harmonies,
solos, and most of the rhythm guitars are done, leaving just some nylon string
stuff and rhythm guitar overdubs to finish.
He added, "This record is heavier, darker, more classically based and
technical compared to 'Virtuostic Vendetta'.
"With every record I try to step it up and challenge myself, both
playing-wise and compositionally, and I've certainly done that with this
upcoming release."
Three-camera video footage of Joe Stump shredding the axe at a guitar
showcase at Sam Ash in Cincinnati, Ohio in June 2010 can be viewed
below.
"Virtuostic Vendetta" was released in April 2009 via Lion
Music. According to a press release, a strong Ritchie Blackmore (BLACKMORE'S
NIGHT, ex-DEEP PURPLE) vibe is prevalent on the LP, indeed inspiring
one track title "Blackmore's Boogie" as well as an original
ode to the RAINBOW classic "Gates Of Babylon" in "The
Dance Of Kashani". To his credit, Joe doesn't shy away from
hiding his influences. "I never claimed to be re-inventing the
wheel," he said. "I just take the great influence of all my heroes Blackmore, Yngwie, Bach, Vivaldi, Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Uli Jon Roth, Schenker, Paganini and try to craft my own
thing with it. I love guitar and I always try to make records that guitar fans
and hard rock/metal fans will love as well."
"Virtuostic Vendetta" recording lineup:
Joe Stump - Guitar
Jay Rigney - Bass
Jay Gates – Drums
British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH will
release a new mini-album, entitled "Evermore Darkly…", on
October 10 via Peaceville Records. A follow-on from last year's
triumphant "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa" album, the set will
arrive as a CD/DVD package including new tracks and rarities, with a lengthy
on-the-road documentary and ten songs filmed live at this year's Graspop
Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium, as well as the video for the song "Lilith
Immaculate".
The "Evermore Darkly…" CD features brand new musical beast "Thank
Your Lucky Stars", plus a special remix of "Forgive Me
Father", courtesy of ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano, an
extended rendition of "Lilith Immaculate", as well as tempered
demo versions of three "Darkly, Darkly…" songs. The mini-album
closes with a special taster from CRADLE OF FILTH's impending orchestral
project in the form of a haunting, classic reworking of fan favorite "Summer
Dying Fast".
The "Evermore Darkly…" DVD contains footage from summer 2011
when CRADLE OF FILTH embarked on a rapid spat of tours, accompanied by
two eager filmmakers. The resulting documentary, "You Can't Polish A
Turd, But You Can Roll It In Glitter", combined with performance and
interview footage culminates in a forty five minute film of the not so glamorous
reality of life in a touring band at work and play, as they trawl their way
across Europe over eight performances. The DVD includes an interview with
ghoul-guide Dani Filth, interspersed and peppered with live footage and
backstage shenanigans, culminating in the entire hour long set from this year's Graspop Metal Meeting appearance.
According to Dani, "Evermore Darkly…" is "a
much-loved musical stop-gap between albums, a pleasure treasure trove of wild
and wicked wonders primed especially for fans. Something for them to sink their
teeth into this autumn as the CRADLE invasion fleet is primed for future
contagion."
After a string of electrifying warm-up shows that included
sold-out performances in New York City and Los Angeles, BUSH has announced a headlining tour
of North America that will kick off September 13 at the Babcock Theatre in Billings, Montana.
Like their recent packed-house performances, the shows will see BUSH tearing through a thrilling mix of classic hits and brand-new songs from their
upcoming album, "The Sea Of Memories".
Available on September 13, "The Sea Of Memories" was produced by Bob Rock (AEROSMITH, METALLICA) and is the
first BUSH album to be released via the band's own imprint, Zuma Rock
Records, through an exclusive partnership with eOne Music.
Fueled by lead single "The Sound of Winter", the album's off
to a hot start: the track was No. 1 Most Added at Alternative and Rock Radio
two weeks in a row and rocketed onto the Top 10 on the iTunes Alternative Songs
Chart.
On September 27 at 4th & B in San
Diego, BUSH will begin a tour with CHEVELLE and special guests FILTER. Prior to the tour's launch, the band will be
playing a handful of special shows, including August 20 at the Sunset Strip
Music Festival in Los Angeles.
Following the U.S. tour, the
quartet will head overseas for an international run that begins November 3 in Madrid. On September 21, Gavin Rossdale will appear on "Chelsea Lately" and on September 22, BUSH will perform on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno". BUSH has also partnered with I Love All Access to offer a variety of VIP
packages for the tour.
The dates are as follows
Aug. 17 - Stubbs - Austin, TX (KROX radio show)
Aug. 18 - Congress Theater - Chicago, IL
Aug. 19 - KRBZ Radio Show - Kansas City, KS
Aug. 20 - Sunset Music Fest - Los Angeles, CA
Sep. 13 - Babcock Theatre - Billings, MT
Sep. 14 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
Sep. 15 - Neptune - Seattle, WA
Sep. 16 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
Sep. 18 - Roseland - Portland, OR
Sep. 20 - GAMH - San Francisco, CA
Sep. 27 - 4th & B - San Diego, CA *
Sep. 28 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA *
Sep. 29 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV *
Oct. 01 - First Bank Ctr - Denver, CO *
Oct. 06 - Fillmore - Detroit, MI *
Oct. 07 - PNC Pavilion - Cincinnati, OH *
Oct. 08 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI *
Oct. 10 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA *
Oct. 11 - Paramount Theatre - Huntington, NY *
Oct. 13 - Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ *
Oct. 14 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA *
Oct. 15 - House of Blues - Boston, MA *
Oct. 17 - Fillmore - Washington, DC *
Oct. 18 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *
Oct. 19 - House of Blues - Orlando, FL *
Oct. 21 - Concrete St - Corpus Christi, TX *
Oct. 23 - Verizon Theatre - Grand Prairie, TX *
Oct. 25 - Pharr Events Ctr - Pharr, Texas *
Oct. 27 - Dos Amigos - Odessa, TX *
Oct. 28 - Sunken Gardens - San Antonio, TX *
* shows with CHEVELLE and FILTER
Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of
Swedish occult rockers NOCTUM.
NOCTUM was formed in September 2009 by Tobias Rosén (bass), David
Indelöf (vocals/guitar) and Gustaf Heinemann (drums) during the
growing of the globally well-known classic rock scene inspired by the late '60s
and '70s. After a short while Per Wikström (guitar) came along.
In October of 2009 they recorded their first songs and after only two weeks
they signed with the German record label High-Roller Records for the
release of their full-length debut. The resulting effort, "The
Séance", was laid down in less than 24 hours at Studio Oblivion and was issued through High-Roller Records (vinyl) and Stormspell
Records (CD) in September 2010.
With a new album out and great criticism from papers/promoters worldwide, NOCTUM decided to make its first trip to Germany for a couple of dates in
April 2011. After their first tour, they went into the studio once again to
record the upcoming EP, "The Fiddler", including two brand new
tracks and one classic PENTAGRAM cover, "Lazy Lady".
Commented NOCTUM: "We're very pleased to announce a new chapter in NOCTUM's
history! We have now signed a worldwide record deal with one of the leading
record labels, Metal Blade Records! We're thrilled to work with such
experienced people — people who started out as regular tape-traders back in the
days and worked their way to the top among thousands of labels. People who have
managed to stick around and keep the fire burning, stronger than ever before.
This is a new beginning, Stay tuned."
NOCTUM recently parted ways with guitarist Per Wikström and is
currently seeking a replacement.
NOCTUM is:
David Indelöf (Vocals/Guitar)
Tobias Rosén (Bass)
Gustaf Heinemann (Drums)
For more information, go to this location.
Örebro, Sweden-based metallers SAINT DEAMON have
announced the addition of drummer Oscar Nilsson to the group's ranks. He
replaces founding member Ronny Milianowicz, who left the band earlier in
the year.
Commented the SAINT DEAMON: "Oscar is from Gothenburg, the
metal heart of Sweden.
He has been hanging with us for the last couple of gigs — since Ronny's
defection earlier this spring —and man he knows how to work those drums, In
almost no time not only did he manage to learn the songs, but also put his own
touch to them in an all good way. We were all blown away as soon as the intro
for 'My Judas' faded on the first gig."
SAINT DEMON is working on material for its third album, tentatively due
next year via Frontiers Records.
The band's last CD, "Pandeamonium", came out in May 2009. The
effort was produced by Roy Z (JUDAS PRIEST, HALFORD, HELLOWEEN, BRUCE DICKINSON) and Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISELOST, AMON AMARTH), "Pandeamonium".
THE WRETCHED END — the Norway-based band featuring
guitarist Samoth (EMPEROR, ZYKLON) and bassist Cosmo (MINDGRINDER) alongside Swedish drummer Nils Fjellström (DARK
FUNERAL, IN BATTLE, AEON) — is preparing to enter Strand
Studio in Oslo begin recording its sophomore album, tentatively titled "Inroads",
for an early 2012 release via Nocturnal Art Productions/Candlelight
Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Death by
Nature", "Cold Iron Soul", "Blackthorn
Winter", "Fear Propaganda", "Hunger", "Throne Renowned Of Old", "Tyrant of the
Mountain", "Deathtopian Society" and "The
Haunting Ground".
According to a press release, THE WRETCHED END's music "can best be
described as 'deathrash,' taking elements from both death metal and thrash
metal. Many of the songs are quite groove-orientated, and also offer a melodic
side. Influences range from the flavors of old-school as well as a more modern
death/thrash metal sound."
THE WRETCHED END was formed in 2008 as creative collaboration between Samoth and Cosmo, who previously worked together on the infamous death-punk
project SCUM. Cosmo also played with ZYKLON as a bass
player when ZYKLON toured Europe as
special guest for MORBID ANGEL in 2001. The two had long spoken about
collaborating on an extreme metal project. Throughout 2008 most of the material
for the debut album was composed and by spring 2009 a full pre-production demo
consisting of 11 tracks was recorded.
The drums for THE WRETCHED END's debut album, "Ominous",
were recorded in September 2009 at the Strand Studio in Oslo, Norway.
The recording sessions continued through the end of 2009 and the CD was
completed in the first half of 2010.
DECOMPOSTER, the new project featuring FINNTROLL frontman Mathias Lillmåns and guitarist Samuli Ponsimaa, has
announced the addition of bassist Vesa Wahlroos (AJATTARA) to the
group's ranks.
DECOMPOSTER is:
Mathias Lillmåns (FINNTROLL) - Vocals/Bass
Samuli Ponsimaa (FINNTROLL) - Guitar
Mika Aaltonen - Guitar
Rainer Tuomikanto - Drums
Vesa Wahlroos (AJATTARA) - Bass
DECOMPOSTER has released two demos of "groovy, old-sounding death
metal" so far: 2009's "Futile" and 2010's "Warmaker".
DECOMPOSTER's mission statement: "A product of four unselected
(in)human beings, sharing the same burning desire. A desire for something
profound, something organic, something loud. A desire for good old death metal
as it was back in the days, complete with the rough soundscape and lyrics about
war and death."
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