In the midst of the "No More Mr. Nice
Guy" world tour, Alice Cooper will treat fans to a special performance at the legendary Whisky a Go-Go on
Thursday, September 15 at 9:00 p.m. Cooper will take the stage of the legendary rock venue on the Sunset Strip for the
first time since Alice Cooper the band
performed there live in 1969 with LED ZEPPELIN.
"The Whisky had an option for a return engagement, but we got busy and it
just slipped our minds," Cooper joked in a statement. "No, seriously, the Whisky gig we did with LED ZEPPELIN is something we all talk about
to this day. It's going to be amazing to go back as a straight ahead L.A. bar band... We might
even take requests. I figure, if we could do it in London, we can do it at the Whisky. And it's L.A., so you never know
who else might show up..."
Earlier this summer, Cooper played the
world renowned 100 Club in London
with special guest guitarist Johnny Depp and received rave reviews. The London Times gave the evening 4 stars, while Kerrang! stated, quite simply, "Truly, this is an amazing gig, priceless. Every Alice Cooper fan deserves to be here."
Cooper will be joined by Steve Hunter, one of rock's great guitarists; Tommy Henriksen, who co-wrote much of
the new release; bassist Chuck Garric;
drummer Glen Sobel; and eminent guitar
prodigy Orianthi, making her debut with
the band. The audience will hear some old-school hits in addition to songs from Cooper's new album "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", the
long-awaited sequel to his 1975 classic "Welcome
to My Nightmare", which is released on September 13.
Guitar World magazine flew all the
way to Milan, Italy on July 6 just to get all of the members of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash
metal — together for a once-in-a-lifetime photo shoot and historic roundtable
discussion.
The cover of the magazine's November 2011 issue featuring the photos and the
article can be seen below.
Following the first U.S.
"Big Four" concert in Indio, California on April 23, a second U.S. show featuring METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX has been confirmed for September 14 at the new version of the legendary Yankee
Stadium in the Bronx, New York City.
Brian Aberback of GlenRockPatch.com recently interviewed SLAYER vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, and MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson about the upcoming show. An excerpt from the
article follows below.
GlenRockPatch.com: What has your
experience been performing the "Big Four" shows?
Araya: "To finally have the four
bands together on one stage, it's a metalhead's dream. I've always been a fan
of the bands. It's rejuvenated the whole metal scene and its re-exposed people
to metal."
Ian: "It's one of the best things
we've ever done, if not the best. METALLICA made this decision to call us all up and ask if we wanted to go have some fun
and be with our friends, and that's what it's been about. The shows we've done
have been incredible and it's an awesome thing for the fans."
Ellefson: "It's a phenomenon
beyond anything any of us could have ever dreamed about. I like how we're
keeping it as these big festival events. There are these types of festivals all
over Europe but we don't have anything of this
magnitude in the states. It's a great night out."
GlenRockPatch.com: What was the common
thread between the four bands that led to the "Big Four" collectively
creating a new style of metal?
Araya: "We started the bands
around the same time, around 1981, and we all came up with this certain sound
and style. That, to me, is what makes it special. And we're still viable to the
music scene 30 years later."
Ellefson: "The common thread is
that we all formed in the early 1980s and we were also the first generation of
kids growing up that had both heavy metal and punk rock records in our record
collections. Ultimately that combination formed thrash metal."
A series of similar shows last summer in Europe was wildly popular, leading to
demand for a U.S.
version. The "Big Four" package also played several more shows in Europe this past July.
All four bands were presented with awards for sales of a hundred thousand
copies of a "Big Four" live DVD which was released late last year.
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The musical collaboration between Lou Reed and METALLICA, "Lulu", will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner
Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world
through Universal Music. The CD was
co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal
Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.
"Lulu" final track listing:
01. BrandenburgGate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)
The idea for these two giants of modern music to work together was born after
the 25th anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of
Fame concerts in New York City in October 2009. METALLICA — singer/guitarist James
Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich,
guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — played with Reed on VELVET
UNDERGROUND classics "Sweet
Jane" and "White Light/White
Heat". "We knew from then that we were made for each
other," Reed says.
After that triumphant performance, Reed suggested they all make a record together. At first they planned to record an
album of Reedfraven's older material,
what Ulrich describes as "some of Lou's lost jewels — songs that he felt he'd
like to give a second spin, and we could do whatever it is we do to some of
those songs." That idea "hung in the air for a couple of
months." Then, a week or two before that session was to begin, "Lou called up and said, 'Listen, I have this
other idea.'"
That idea was to record a series of songs Reed had written for American avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson and German theater group the Berliner Ensemble's production of the "Lulu Plays", which premiered in
April at the Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, founded by Bertolt Brecht. The songs are inspired by German expressionist Frank Wedekind's early 20th century plays "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box", and were a rewrite
of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven", which emerged as a
graphic novel on Fantagraphics Press.
"We were very interested in working with Lou,"
says Hetfield. "I had these giant
question marks: What's it going to be like? What's going to happen? So it was
great when he sent us the lyrics for the 'Lulu' body of work. It was something we could sink our teeth into. I could take off
my singer and lyricist hat and concentrate on the music part. These were very
potent lyrics, with a soundscape behind them for atmosphere. Lars and I sat there with an acoustic and let
this blank canvas take us where it needed to go. It was a great gift, to be
asked to stamp 'TALLICA on it. And
that's what we did."
"We had to bring 'Lulu' to life in
a sophisticated way, using rock," Reed says. "And the hardest power rock you could come up with would have to be METALLICA. They live on that planet. We
played together, and I knew it: dream come true. This is the best thing I ever
did. And I did it with the best group I could possibly find. By definition,
everybody involved was honest. This has come into the world pure. We pushed as
far as we possibly could within the realms of reality."
"It's definitely not a METALLICA album, or a Lou Reed album," adds Hammett. "It's something else. It's a
new animal, a hybrid."
Record Collector magazine's October
2011 issue contains an exhaustive list of 51 collectable METALLICA vinyls and CDs, ranging from the
early Megaforce years via the "Master Of Puppets" and self-titled
(so-called "Black Album") years through to the current post-"Death Magnetic" era. Along the
way, the magazine examines super-limited-edition "Fan Can" items and
unique releases such as the uncut seven-inch picture disc of "Jump In The Fire", which currently
changes hands for around £150 ($250) among collectors. The most valuable item
of all is, according to the magazine, is one that few fans would ever expect. A
page of the feature is shown below.
Order the magazine from www.recordcollectormag.com.
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Bazillion Points Books has revealed
the hardcover jacket artwork and page samples for "Murder In The Front Row: Shots From The Bay Area Thrash Metal
Epicenter", by Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew. This spectacular
large-format 272-page view inside "the metal scene that banged those heads
that did not bang" includes over 400 of some of the earliest color and
black-and-white photos of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, EXODUS, POSSESSED, DEATH ANGEL, LEGACY/TESTAMENT, VIO-LENCE, and many others. The book will be
available December 2011, wherever books and sold, and is available for preorder
now with a limited two-sided exclusive poster-size dustjacket at this location.
During the early 1980s, when heavy metal was defined by MTV and mile-high hair, San Francisco's small community of dedicated headbangers
scorned image and instead risked life and limb in search of the ultimate in
musical thrills. Locals EXODUS and Los Angeles
transplants METALLICA reigned in small
clubs like the Old Waldorf, the Stone, and the infamous East
Bay bastion of heaviness, Ruthie's Inn. Thrash metal upstarts SLAYER and MEGADETH found a second home in the
Bay Area, while a homegrown breed of tempo-crazed teenagers like LEGACY, POSSESSED, DEATH ANGEL, HEATHEN, and VIO-LENCE brought Bay Area thrash metal to critical mass.
Photographers Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew were dodging bodies from the very
start, in front of the stage, backstage, and on the stage itself. They captured
the public victories and private parties of a scene where fans and musical
idols were equally hellbent on faster, heavier music and endless outrageous
fun. Oimoen and Lew fought on the frontline of a war for individuality, snapping
frame by frame as thrash metal was born, along with stagediving, crowd-walking,
and countless other magical moments filled with key local personalities.
Somewhere along the way, Oimoen and Lew's friends in METALLICA, SLAYER, and MEGADETH became legends. Today, the "Big
Four" thrash metal bands pictured in this book are the reigning elder
statesmen of heavy metal. Their fellow ragers in EXODUS, D.R.I., TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, POSSESSED, and FORBIDDEN remain ambassadors of a Bay Area metal scene that continues to thrive and
command fascination around the world.
This stunning volume collects over 400 amazing color and black-and-white
photos, plus passionate personal accounts by Bay Area veterans Harald Oimoen, Brian
Lew, Ron Quintana of "Metal Mania", Gary Holt of EXODUS, Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, and Robb
Flynn of MACHINE HEAD. From DIY
origins to world domination, the Bay Area thrash metal scene screams to life in
these fearless pages.
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Thrash titans ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT, who haven't toured together in
more than a decade, are set to co-headline a U.S.
tour beginning Friday, October 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan
(itinerary below). ANTHRAX will close
all shows, and DEATH ANGEL will be main
support for the entire tour. The coast-to-coast trek will figure to decimate
more than two dozen cities over a five-week period, with both ANTHRAX and DEATH
ANGEL debuting brand new material from their new albums. The ANTHRAX fan club presale begins today at www.anthraxarmy.com, and
the public on-sale kicks off Friday, September 9 at 10 a.m. local time.
"We've been tight with the guys in TESTAMENT for a long, long time," said ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, "so we're really
looking forward to hanging out with them on the road. And all of us in ANTHRAX are big DEATH ANGEL fans, so this is going to be a monster of a good
time — for all of us and for the fans. Plus, with the incredible success of The
Big Four shows over the last year, we wanted to tour with some of the 'second
wave' of thrash bands."
The tour will follow ANTHRAX's Big Four
"hometown" appearance at Yankee Stadium on September 14, with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.
"We're excited to do this tour because ANTHRAX was actually the first band we ever toured with," adds TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy. "It's an accomplishment 20 odd years later
that we're going to do it again. The tour kick-off date is actually about five
days difference from the kick off date of the first tour 20 years ago. The
first time we performed with ANTHRAX,
we only had a total of ten songs, so obviously now we have many songs to pick
from so it will be very different. It's good to see that a lot of the faces in
the bands are the same as back when we first did this original tour 20 years
ago."
ANTHRAX / TESTAMENT / DEATH ANGEL fall 2011 tour dates:
Oct. 14 - Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
Oct. 15 - Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
Oct. 16 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 18 - The Cotillion, Wichita, KS
Oct. 19 - Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
Oct. 22 - Nokia LA Live, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 23 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 24 - House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Oct. 26 - Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
Oct. 28 - South Side Music Hall, Dallas, TX
Oct. 29 - Emo's East, Austin, TX
Oct. 30 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
Nov. 01 - House of Blues, Orlando, FL
Nov. 02 - Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Nov. 04 - House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC
Nov. 05 - Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Nov. 06 - The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
Nov. 08 - Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY
Nov. 10 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 11 - Palladium, Worcester, MA
Nov. 15 - Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
Nov. 17 - Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 19 - Rave, Milwaukee, WI
More shows will be announced.
ANTHRAX's new album, "Worship Music", will be released
on September 13 in North America via Megaforce
Records and three days later in Europe
via Nuclear Blast Records. The album
will be available as a regular CD, digipack, vinyl and MP3 download. Nuclear
Blast is also offering the album as a mail-order edition with a bonus
seven-inch (featuring the REFUSED cover
song "New Noise") and two
different double-LPs: splatter and orange vinyl.
The Japanese version of "Worship
Music", which will be made available on September 14 via Victor Records, will include a remix of the
song "Crawl" as a bonus
track.
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).
The CD cover artwork for "Worship
Music" was handled by renowned comic book artist Alex Ross, who has worked with Marvel Comics and DC Comics and is known for his "Marvels", "Kingdom Come", and "Astro City" illustrations. Ross also did the original
artwork for ANTHRAX's "We've Come For You All" and "Music Of Mass Destruction" albums.
TESTAMENT has set "The Dark Roots Of Earth" as the
title of its new album, tentatively due in October via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD is currently being recorded with
British producer Andy Sneap, who has
previously worked with MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH
ENEMY, NEVERMORE and MACHINE HEAD, among others.
Due to a "serious injury," drummer Paul
Bostaph was unable to take part in the new album recordings but will
rejoin TESTAMENT for future touring
activities. Playing drums on the follow-up to 2008's "The Formation Of Damnation" is Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (ex-DARK ANGEL, ex-STRAPPING
YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, DETHKLOK), with LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler set to make a special guest appearance on a couple of bonus tracks.
DEATH ANGEL will release a DVD entitled "A Thrashumentary" in the
spring of 2012. According to a press release, "A
Thrashumentary" is a combination live video and documentary, all
wrapped up in one thrashing DVD. The footage was directed by Tommy Jones (SOILWORK, KATAKLYSM) and mixed by Chris Clancy of The Studio. The film gives the viewer an in-depth look into one
of the longest-running thrash acts out of the San Francisco Bay
Area, a region known for turning out historic thrash bands such as METALLICA, TESTAMENT and EXODUS.
"Relentless Retribution", the
latest album from DEATH ANGEL, sold
2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD
landed at position No. 10 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. The band's previous
album, "Killing Season",
opened with around 2,300 units back in March 2008. This number was in line with
the performance of its predecessor, "The
Art of Dying", which registered a first-week sales tally of around
2,100 back in May 2004.
IGGY AND THE STOOGES have been
forced to postpone their U.S.
tour due to Iggy Pop breaking two bones
in his foot. The injury happened on August 27 at the Peninsula Festival in Romania and the rocker was told he
will need to rest up for six to eight weeks. This means that the band will not
be able to commence its tour on September 7 as planned.
Commented Iggy: "I hate this, I
hate like hell to cancel or postpone anything. I only saw the doctor because it
hurt so fucking much and I couldn't fix it myself. Please be patient, I am so
excited about these dates on the left coast."
The band will reschedule all shows as soon as it possibly can.
Wayne State University Press will
publish an expanded version of Brett Callwood's
2008 book, "The Stooges: Head On",
in September.
Originally published in the U.K. in 2008, "The
Stooges: Head On" — which features a foreword by Alice Cooper and afterword by Glenn Danzig — has been revised to expand on
the original story and also to consider Ron
Asheton's untimely death in 2009 and his musical legacy, the band's fate
without Ron, and THE STOOGES' long-overdue
introduction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.
Legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) is heading to the U.K. this September to personally
open the finest guitar haven in the south, GuitarGuitar.
He will be at GuitarGuitar's Epsom
store from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 15 for an autograph
signing, and most importantly, to "slash the sash" and open the
largest guitar emporium in the U.K.!
This is a strictly invite-only event but GuitarGuitar is offering a handful of lucky winners the chance to bag a wristband, allowing
them access to meet the man himself. Want to get in?
Log on to www.guitarguitar.co.uk/meetslash to enter.
Sponsored by the legendary Jim Dunlop —
maker of Slash's signature Cry Baby
wah, Slash: The Ribbon — it's sure to
be a momentous event for any guitar fan, so don't delay, enter now to be in
with a chance to witness one of the guitar all-time greats in your back yard!
This exclusive, invitation-only event will celebrate the expansion of GuitarGuitar to Epsom, the fifth and biggest installment
from the GuitarGuitar team who began
their quest to deliver the ultimate selection of guitar products in Edinburgh and now supply the music scenes in Glasgow, Newcastle and Birmingham.
With over 1100 guitars on the wall GuitarGuitar Epsom is a paradise for guitarists; offering all the big names musicians love,
as well as the U.K.'s hottest boutique products.
In addition, to celebrate the opening of the Epsom store, GuitarGuitar has partnered with one of Surrey's foremost charities, Love Of Learning, to make available five exclusive signed Slash signature Dunlop guitar pedals.
The pedals will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis for a limited period
only, at a cost of £200 each. Call Nigel or Mike at GuitarGuitar on 01372 730578 to pre-order your pedal today.
DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED — the band
led by VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan — has scheduled the following dates in the U.K. and
Ireland in November:
Nov. 03 - The Academy - Dublin, Ireland
Nov. 05 - O2 Academy - Oxford, UK
Nov. 06 - O2 Academy - Leicester, UK
Nov. 08 - Relentless Garage - London, UK
DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED recently went
into production for its upcoming feature film "The
Taking". Helmed by Seattle
filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton
Chamberlin, this rock 'n' roll flick is a series of
"vignettes" that explores the lyrical content of LOADED's recently released studio album of
the same title.
In a November 2010 interview with West Seattle
Herald, Chamberlin said that the
film "will be a contemporary version of, say, [THE BEATLES'] 'Hard Day's
Night' meets [LED ZEPPELIN's] 'The Song Remains the Same', with aspects of
documentary, music video, and live performance, all interconnected by an
underlying motivation. The album will serve as the soundtrack." He added,
"Everything will be shot in Seattle
and the Northwest. We hope to use locations in West Seattle and other familiar settings to create these vignettes that
develop organically within them."
Under No Illusion: An Interview with Iced Earth, pt.1
artist website
publisher
buy
Jon Schaffer (guitar) & Stu Block (vocals)
Part 1
________________________________
It seems in recent years that every new Iced Earth album has come alongside
some kind of momentous event in the band's history. The Glorious Burden, in 2004, brought Tim "Ripper" Owens
into the band, replacing fan-favourite singer Matt Barlow. Framing Armageddon (2007), the second
album with Ripper, saw the band embark on a huge two-album concept project
which, in 2008 for the second of the pair of albums, brought about Barlow's
return. And now in 2011, he has again dropped out and the next album will see
another new singer; an unknown quantity as far as the fans are concerned.
But any conversation with or about Iced Earth at the moment can't begin
without a few words on the departing Barlow, long regarded as the defining
voice of Iced Earth. Before retiring from music for a second time this year he
played one final tour with the band on the European Summer festival circuit, an
opportunity they weren't afforded the first time he left. Guitarist, founder and
leader Jon Schaffer sees this as a suitable ending to their professional
relationship. "There's a lot of love there. Matt's a very good friend so it was
the best way for him to go out. As much as when he came back into the band we
had really good intentions, and we thought we could make it work making it kind
of a part-time thing, the record industry has just changed so drastically in
the last three years that to stay viable – and I still have something to say as
a writer – we've still got to carry on, and that means we need to tour. And
we're doing that, Matt understands that, he just can't commit to that. But
Wacken [the final show of the tour] was a great way for him to say goodbye. We
had a great day, man. I was sad to say goodbye to Matt, I got choked up, I got
a little teary because we've spent 15 years of our life together, it's a long
time. It was sad, but I'm excited because, you know, what we've got coming… I'm
re-energised, I'm completely focused and committed, and I finally have a
front-man that is, because it's been almost a decade without a very committed
front-man."
The front-man Jon is of course referring to is Into Eternity vocalist Stu Block,
who joined Iced Earth before the Summer tour with Barlow, and has recorded the
vocals for new album Dystopia,
due out in October. After some try-outs, Block was slotted seamlessly into the
Iced Earth fold, contributing to the new album immediately. "We got a load of
tapes, and there were actually a couple of other singers we had direct contact
with. One from Sweden
and another one from the States. But you know, when I saw the look in Stu's
eyes on an Into Eternity video I was like 'there's something going on there'. I
didn't know about the voice, we had to try that out, but I could see it, you
know? I could just see it, and I was like 'that's the kind of spirit that
belongs in Iced Earth.' Robert [Kampf, Century Media CEO] got in touch because
Into Eternity was on Century, so he got in touch with their old A&R guy, he
got in touch with Stu and connected us. We started out with trying a few old
Iced Earth songs, and when I heard that I was like 'I really need to get this
guy behind a real microphone with a compressor and hear his voice in a better
environment'. I sent him a couple of instrumental new pieces, End of Innocence was the first song we
wrote together, so I sent him that just a couple of days before he came just to
see what he could come up with, and actually what became Dark City also. So I sent him those two
tracks just a couple of days before and, dude, we just gelled instantly. I was
like 'this is it, this is good.'"
" it's been almost a decade without a very committed
front-man "
- Jon Schaffer
Indeed, Jon is very enthusiastic when it comes to recounting the writing and
recording process of Dystopia.
"The thing is man, everyone's been able to contribute before, but I have a
pretty high threshold of quality; I'm not gonna use people's ideas just to be
nice to 'em. It needs to work, it needs to be up to the level that I expect for
all Iced Earth stuff, and he's got that. I mean, I wasn't sure if he was
writing the chorus melodies for Into Eternity at the time, so I asked him that
over the phone because there's big hooks there, and if you've got two guys that
can write a big vocal hook: awesome! Fuckin'-A! Lyrically we worked together on
it. That's the first time I've ever shared lyric duties with anybody. It was
fun! The whole process was fun, and energising, so I'm very happy, very happy
with the result."
The process of trying Stu out on old Iced Earth material, and then
developing the new material, led both men to discover that he was capable of a
lot more than he'd been doing in his career so far. Into Eternity's material
uses death metal growling and very high pitched wails, and not a lot in between
those two extremes, but Iced Earth music requires more than that. "You don't
really write with a singer in mind. You have the song, and then you have to
have a singer that's capable. And every Iced Earth singer, with the exception
of the guy on the first album, was capable of doing what needed to be done for
the songs; they had the range. Stu has a much bigger range than before. He's
discovered his middle voice. We coached him and pushed him and got him to work
in a different area, which is where most of the Iced Earth stuff lives. When
you've got that kind of talent, that's one thing, and when you've got that
attitude, the killer attitude and the willingness to try everything, and to be
coached, then that's something else. And that's exactly what Matt was like too,
when he joined originally. Totally willing to do everything to make it the best
it could be. No ego resistance, no bullshit, no drama, and that's the same with
Stu."
Stu himself has also enjoyed the
path of discovery that has come about through being in Iced Earth. "I knew I
could sing, but I didn't know I could put that buzz behind my voice. I'd never
really done it before, it just came out of nowhere. As a singer I have to be
open to every idea. Especially knowing that these guys have been doing this for
so long. Jon has been doing this for a long time. Why would I fight that?
There's really no point. It's like a new toy. I'm really excited with what I've
been able to develop, and I can't wait to tour it, I can't wait for the rest of
the people to listen to it."
Jon is only too keen to elaborate on that excitement from his point of view
as well, and why he's so enthusiastic about this line-up of the band and this
album; "It's exciting and satisfying for me too because I love it when you've
got somebody who's willing to learn and be coached and when you see that
they're listening to what you tell 'em, and they do it, you see 'wow it works!'
and you see the lights go off, I love it man. I mean, I love producing good
singers, I love being involved in that process; pushing and pushing and seeing
what we can work out. And it's communication that's really important. You have
to be able to communicate to get the best out of any of these guys, whether
it's Hansi [Kursh] or Matt or Tim or Stu. I've had the privilege of working
with some of the best singers ever."
Tim Owens' time in the band was less assured, even though both of the albums
completed with him on vocals are stronger than the resulting final album with
Barlow, and looking back, Jon is able to explain why that was, and why it's
different, and far more positive with Stu. "Tim's an amazing singer. He's got a
natural talent that most people don't have. But the spirit behind it, which is
what I'm talking about when I saw Stu on the videos, is something that didn't
really gel in Iced Earth. It's a different thing, a different kind of energy.
Tim has all the physical abilities. In fact it's frightening how easy it is for
him to do the stuff that he does. Like, weird. He has this way of going from a chest-voice,
slipping right into falsetto. He doesn't even really have to work at it. But
Tim was always thinking about the solo career. And dude, go for it, that's
cool. But this is Iced Earth, and I want somebody that's in. There's some kind
of a connection on a higher level with this, I think. I know Stu's committed, I
could tell right away. We're committed to each other and this is a long-term
thing. I know there's been a lot of instability in the line-up over the last
decade and we haven't really had a committed front-man, but we do now. When I
say we're coming back with a vengeance I'm not fucking around."
" I've had the privilege of working with some of the
best singers ever "
- Jon Schaffer
Understandably, without having yet been able to hear anything from the new
album, Iced Earth fans are apprehensive about the band's new singer, where it
might take them, and above all what they're going to sound like. Especially
live with the old material they know and love. From Jon's perspective he feels
like those kind of feelings, and the misapprehensions a lot of people formulate
about the band, are out of his hands and that the true fans will trust that he
and the band won't let them down. "They need to just have faith. I mean, I know
what the fuck I'm doing. All these people who were saying 'I can't believe
you've got a death metal singer, what is this?' Dude, come on, give me a little
more credit. I can't control the illusions that people have about the band. I
deal with the real world of Iced Earth. I cannot control what the journalists
say, or the illusions the fans have about the way things work in the band, or
the creative process, the production process, the songs, bla bla bla. As soon
as the master gets turned in, I'm out! It's illusion world! But I know what the
hell I'm doing, they don't need to worry. I'm back!"
For a band who released three albums in the period from 2004 to 2008, plus a
live DVD, and have toured heavily for the last two years, it's hard to imagine
what Jon is back from, exactly. "For a long time I was in a pretty serious
funk, and really burnt out and really tired," he explains, "I finally took a
vacation and feel more energised and focused than I have probably my entire
career, but certainly more than I have in the last 10/12 years. There's a lot
of positive energy behind this. The fans just need to understand that. You
can't make somebody do something they don't wanna do, Matt doesn't wanna do
this. He's a cop. He was a part-time guy, playing metal on the weekends kind of
thing. That's not what Iced Earth is, Iced Earth is a way of life. I started
this and made this commitment 25 years ago. They need to just have confidence
and have faith, and I know some people aren't gonna like it, that's OK, they've
got the old albums to listen to. We are moving forward, on the other hand."
Under No Illusion: An Interview with Iced Earth, pt.1
artist website
publisher
buy
Jon Schaffer (guitar) & Stu Block (vocals)
Part 1
________________________________
It seems in recent years that every new Iced Earth album has come alongside
some kind of momentous event in the band's history. The Glorious Burden, in 2004, brought Tim "Ripper" Owens
into the band, replacing fan-favourite singer Matt Barlow. Framing Armageddon (2007), the second
album with Ripper, saw the band embark on a huge two-album concept project
which, in 2008 for the second of the pair of albums, brought about Barlow's
return. And now in 2011, he has again dropped out and the next album will see
another new singer; an unknown quantity as far as the fans are concerned.
But any conversation with or about Iced Earth at the moment can't begin
without a few words on the departing Barlow, long regarded as the defining
voice of Iced Earth. Before retiring from music for a second time this year he
played one final tour with the band on the European Summer festival circuit, an
opportunity they weren't afforded the first time he left. Guitarist, founder
and leader Jon Schaffer sees this as a suitable ending to their professional
relationship. "There's a lot of love there. Matt's a very good friend so it was
the best way for him to go out. As much as when he came back into the band we
had really good intentions, and we thought we could make it work making it kind
of a part-time thing, the record industry has just changed so drastically in
the last three years that to stay viable – and I still have something to say as
a writer – we've still got to carry on, and that means we need to tour. And
we're doing that, Matt understands that, he just can't commit to that. But
Wacken [the final show of the tour] was a great way for him to say goodbye. We
had a great day, man. I was sad to say goodbye to Matt, I got choked up, I got
a little teary because we've spent 15 years of our life together, it's a long
time. It was sad, but I'm excited because, you know, what we've got coming… I'm
re-energised, I'm completely focused and committed, and I finally have a
front-man that is, because it's been almost a decade without a very committed
front-man."
The front-man Jon is of course referring to is Into Eternity vocalist Stu Block,
who joined Iced Earth before the Summer tour with Barlow, and has recorded the
vocals for new album Dystopia,
due out in October. After some try-outs, Block was slotted seamlessly into the
Iced Earth fold, contributing to the new album immediately. "We got a load of
tapes, and there were actually a couple of other singers we had direct contact
with. One from Sweden
and another one from the States. But you know, when I saw the look in Stu's
eyes on an Into Eternity video I was like 'there's something going on there'. I
didn't know about the voice, we had to try that out, but I could see it, you
know? I could just see it, and I was like 'that's the kind of spirit that
belongs in Iced Earth.' Robert [Kampf, Century Media CEO] got in touch because
Into Eternity was on Century, so he got in touch with their old A&R guy, he
got in touch with Stu and connected us. We started out with trying a few old
Iced Earth songs, and when I heard that I was like 'I really need to get this
guy behind a real microphone with a compressor and hear his voice in a better
environment'. I sent him a couple of instrumental new pieces, End of Innocence was the first song we
wrote together, so I sent him that just a couple of days before he came just to
see what he could come up with, and actually what became Dark City also. So I sent him those two
tracks just a couple of days before and, dude, we just gelled instantly. I was
like 'this is it, this is good.'"
" it's been almost a decade without a very committed
front-man "
- Jon Schaffer
Indeed, Jon is very enthusiastic when it comes to recounting the writing and
recording process of Dystopia.
"The thing is man, everyone's been able to contribute before, but I have a
pretty high threshold of quality; I'm not gonna use people's ideas just to be
nice to 'em. It needs to work, it needs to be up to the level that I expect for
all Iced Earth stuff, and he's got that. I mean, I wasn't sure if he was
writing the chorus melodies for Into Eternity at the time, so I asked him that
over the phone because there's big hooks there, and if you've got two guys that
can write a big vocal hook: awesome! Fuckin'-A! Lyrically we worked together on
it. That's the first time I've ever shared lyric duties with anybody. It was
fun! The whole process was fun, and energising, so I'm very happy, very happy
with the result."
The process of trying Stu out on old Iced Earth material, and then
developing the new material, led both men to discover that he was capable of a
lot more than he'd been doing in his career so far. Into Eternity's material
uses death metal growling and very high pitched wails, and not a lot in between
those two extremes, but Iced Earth music requires more than that. "You don't
really write with a singer in mind. You have the song, and then you have to
have a singer that's capable. And every Iced Earth singer, with the exception
of the guy on the first album, was capable of doing what needed to be done for
the songs; they had the range. Stu has a much bigger range than before. He's
discovered his middle voice. We coached him and pushed him and got him to work
in a different area, which is where most of the Iced Earth stuff lives. When
you've got that kind of talent, that's one thing, and when you've got that
attitude, the killer attitude and the willingness to try everything, and to be
coached, then that's something else. And that's exactly what Matt was like too,
when he joined originally. Totally willing to do everything to make it the best
it could be. No ego resistance, no bullshit, no drama, and that's the same with
Stu."
Stu himself has also enjoyed the
path of discovery that has come about through being in Iced Earth. "I knew I
could sing, but I didn't know I could put that buzz behind my voice. I'd never
really done it before, it just came out of nowhere. As a singer I have to be
open to every idea. Especially knowing that these guys have been doing this for
so long. Jon has been doing this for a long time. Why would I fight that?
There's really no point. It's like a new toy. I'm really excited with what I've
been able to develop, and I can't wait to tour it, I can't wait for the rest of
the people to listen to it."
Jon is only too keen to elaborate on that excitement from his point of view
as well, and why he's so enthusiastic about this line-up of the band and this
album; "It's exciting and satisfying for me too because I love it when you've
got somebody who's willing to learn and be coached and when you see that
they're listening to what you tell 'em, and they do it, you see 'wow it works!'
and you see the lights go off, I love it man. I mean, I love producing good
singers, I love being involved in that process; pushing and pushing and seeing
what we can work out. And it's communication that's really important. You have
to be able to communicate to get the best out of any of these guys, whether
it's Hansi [Kursh] or Matt or Tim or Stu. I've had the privilege of working
with some of the best singers ever."
Tim Owens' time in the band was less assured, even though both of the albums
completed with him on vocals are stronger than the resulting final album with
Barlow, and looking back, Jon is able to explain why that was, and why it's
different, and far more positive with Stu. "Tim's an amazing singer. He's got a
natural talent that most people don't have. But the spirit behind it, which is
what I'm talking about when I saw Stu on the videos, is something that didn't
really gel in Iced Earth. It's a different thing, a different kind of energy.
Tim has all the physical abilities. In fact it's frightening how easy it is for
him to do the stuff that he does. Like, weird. He has this way of going from a
chest-voice, slipping right into falsetto. He doesn't even really have to work
at it. But Tim was always thinking about the solo career. And dude, go for it,
that's cool. But this is Iced Earth, and I want somebody that's in. There's
some kind of a connection on a higher level with this, I think. I know Stu's
committed, I could tell right away. We're committed to each other and this is a
long-term thing. I know there's been a lot of instability in the line-up over
the last decade and we haven't really had a committed front-man, but we do now.
When I say we're coming back with a vengeance I'm not fucking around."
" I've had the privilege of working with some of the
best singers ever "
- Jon Schaffer
Understandably, without having yet been able to hear anything from the new
album, Iced Earth fans are apprehensive about the band's new singer, where it
might take them, and above all what they're going to sound like. Especially
live with the old material they know and love. From Jon's perspective he feels
like those kind of feelings, and the misapprehensions a lot of people formulate
about the band, are out of his hands and that the true fans will trust that he
and the band won't let them down. "They need to just have faith. I mean, I know
what the fuck I'm doing. All these people who were saying 'I can't believe
you've got a death metal singer, what is this?' Dude, come on, give me a little
more credit. I can't control the illusions that people have about the band. I
deal with the real world of Iced Earth. I cannot control what the journalists
say, or the illusions the fans have about the way things work in the band, or
the creative process, the production process, the songs, bla bla bla. As soon
as the master gets turned in, I'm out! It's illusion world! But I know what the
hell I'm doing, they don't need to worry. I'm back!"
For a band who released three albums in the period from 2004 to 2008, plus a
live DVD, and have toured heavily for the last two years, it's hard to imagine
what Jon is back from, exactly. "For a long time I was in a pretty serious
funk, and really burnt out and really tired," he explains, "I finally took a
vacation and feel more energised and focused than I have probably my entire
career, but certainly more than I have in the last 10/12 years. There's a lot
of positive energy behind this. The fans just need to understand that. You
can't make somebody do something they don't wanna do, Matt doesn't wanna do
this. He's a cop. He was a part-time guy, playing metal on the weekends kind of
thing. That's not what Iced Earth is, Iced Earth is a way of life. I started
this and made this commitment 25 years ago. They need to just have confidence
and have faith, and I know some people aren't gonna like it, that's OK, they've
got the old albums to listen to. We are moving forward, on the other hand."
Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER will take part in an in-store
signing session at Guitar Center (25 West 14th Street) in New York City
on Friday, September 16 at 6 p.m. Attendance is strictly limited to 400 fans,
so in order to guarantee yourself a spot in line, you must go to Guitar
Center starting September 13 and purchase the band's new record, "A
Dramatic Turn of Events"; along with your CD, you'll be given a
wristband which will get you into the event on Friday.
"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)
Germanyhas always had a
tradition of providing the music world with some amazingly memorable voices,
especially when it comes to the rock genre.
Singers
such as Klaus Meine, Udo Dirkschneider, Michael Kiske, Ralf Scheepers and Hansi
Kursch have given heavy metal fans a whole lot to cheer about, but besides
these, one name that will always be mentioned in the same vein is that of Doro
Pesch.
Doro
has reigned supreme as the queen of heavy metal for the past 25 years. She
initially fronted the band Warlock in the early to mid-'80s and moved on to
form her own band thereafter. Throughout her career, she has won accolades for
her incredible voice, stage presence and genuine love for the fans, and even
today after all these years, none of these traits have faded away.
In
2008, Doro celebrated her 25th anniversary concert at the ISS Dome in her
hometown of Dusseldorf.
With more than 8,500 people in attendance, the magical, full-documented
performance included a multitude of guest appearances and was recorded in its
entirety for the mammoth 25 Years In Rock 2 DVD/CD set, which includes
the once-on-a-lifetime concert as well as outtakes from other concerts.
25
Years In Rockwill finally be available to North American fans on September 13 via Nuclear
Blast Records.
The
gentle, good-natured, soft-spoken Doro was kind enough to have a chat with me
to talk in detail about this new release and other plans she has in store for
her band.
The 25 Years In Rock DVD/CD package is set to release in North America very soon. It looks like you've put a lot of work into
making it special, so it must be a good feeling that it's finally ready to
release.
Yeah,
I have been waiting for so long! It's a great package. It has two discs, and it
has the anniversary concert we did a while ago with great guests Bobby Blitz
from Overkill, Tarja Turunen and all the ladies of metal, and many others. It's
a lot of metal and it's all in this package. I think the package is nice, it
looks great and the artwork is done by my favorite artist, Geoffrey Gillespie,
who painted some of the other artwork for my albums. I am happy that it's
finally coming out in the States!
I believe the first disc
of the 2-DVD set is the Dusseldorf
concert. Can you specify as to what the second disc offers?
Yeah,
the bonus DVD has all kinds of highlights from my favorite festivals like the
Bang Your Head festival, and, of course, Wacken, which is my ultimate favorite.
Then there is also the China
special, from the time when we went to play in China couple of months ago. There's
something from our 2,500th concert that was last year. In that show we had
great guests like Schmier from Destruction on vocals.
So
yeah, in total it's like 10 hours of pure metal, including some fun stuff like
documentaries as well. I think it's a worthy package to celebrate our 25th
anniversary with the fans. It sums up the last 25 years of our career very
well, I would say.
When
you do shows that are being recorded for a DVD release, is it any different for
the band on stage? I mean, do you perform better because it's being recorded?
Yeah,
I think everybody expects something special from us in such cases, and they
expect it to be the best show we've ever done. The shows we recorded are each
over three-and-a-half hours long, with great guests and stuff, little Warlock
reunions, lights and pyrotechnics and all of that stuff. Having the whole of
Warlock on stage was really one of the biggest highlights for me. It was so huge,
I can never do that again, but on the DVD you will see for yourself that it
looks massive and very impressive. We normally give our 110 per cent for every
single show, but I think that night in Dusseldorf
we gave it 150 per cent.
You
are also doing two shows to celebrate this DVD release in New York and Chicago
in September. So is it going to be a similar sort of set list for these shows?
Yes,
it will be similar and we are expecting some guest musicians. So yeah we will
play these songs and may be a few more songs, depending on how many people we
can get together. We'll try to get couple of friends in New York, couple in Chicago,
and so it will definitely be like a DVD release party, different from all of
our regular shows. We will have special guests for different songs, so I'm very
excited. We definitely want to put on our three-hour set, so it should be
really good.
Other
than those two shows, what plans do you have in terms of touring, specially in
the States?
Yeah,
actually toward the end of the year, we're looking to book some more US dates. Right
now we are wrapping up the summer festivals in Russia,
Czech Republic,
Spain and of course Germany, and
then we're coming back to the States. I hope it will be at the end of this year
or at least may be the beginning of next year, but yeah, it's in the making. I
am certainly pushing for it because I love playing in the States. We have great
fans everywhere but playing here in the States means a lot to me and it's like
playing at home.
A
lot of new festivals have come up in Europe in
the last couple of years, like Sonisphere and others. It must be good to have
so many festivals to pick from.
Yeah,
in Europe we have played in France
at a festival called Hellfest, which is a great festival and it's growing
bigger and bigger every year. This time we played right in front of Judas
Priest and it was awesome! So that's a great new festival and as always,
Germany is coming up with tons of new metal festivals in all kinds of metal
genres, sometimes more hardcore and at other times more traditional metal, or
viking metal, or grindcore (laughs), and there are lots of these different
styles. So as I said, playing in the States is always fun but I really love
playing these festivals.
Your
last studio album, Fear No Evil, came out two years back. You must be
thinking of the next album now. Have you started writing songs for it?
A.
Yes I am already working on it. I've got some really nice songs and ideas in
the making. I'm super excited about it and I'm going to play one new song at
Wacken to get all the metalheads into an anthem. The record is not done yet,
but it's on the way. It's good stuff, about eight or nine songs, and may be it
will come out at the beginning of next year and we will release a single or two
before that. But it's really fun stuff but at the same time powerful and
anthemic. We put our whole heart and soul into it, so it takes us a little
while to finish the album.
Andrew
is a Los Angeles-based writer who has been running his own website, Metal Assault, since early 2010, and has
been prolific in covering the hard rock and heavy metal scene by posting
interviews, reviews and pictures on his website -- with the help of a small group
of people. Besides being hugely passionate about heavy metal, he is an avid
follower of jazz music and recently started a blog called Jazz Explorer to pursue that
interest.
David E. Gehlke of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with
vocalist Tobias Sammet of German melodic metallers EDGUY. A
couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Blistering.com: With all of the work you have done recently with AVANTASIA,
is it easy to get back into EDGUY mode?
Sammet: When we were finishing the last two AVANTASIA albums ["Wicked
Symphony" and "Angel of Babylon"]
and I was leaving the studio after doing the final masters, I was really burnt
out. After such an undertaking, such an adventure, I thought it was perfect. I
still think it is, but when you when you think something is perfect and you
can't do it any better, you lose your motivation for going on. It's always the
same. After four weeks, six weeks, that feeling sets in again. That urge to
create new music and all of the sudden, you're over what you've done in the
past and you're no longer thinking about what you've done in the past. Creating
music is not only a profession for me, it's something I need to do. After a
couple of weeks, it was literally going back to the keyboard, starting from
scratch and starting to compose. It doesn't make a difference if I'm composing
for EDGUY or AVANTASIA…at first I just want to have a great
melody, harmony, riff. Then I arrange it, and then I start to take it to the
other guys, where individually, it starts to take shape over whether it's EDGUY or AVANTASIA.
Blistering.com: So because the last few AVANTASIA albums have
been so successful, does that help you recharge your batteries for EDGUY?
Does EDGUY become more important since you were away from it?
Sammet: [pauses] I've never thought about it [laughs]. AVANTASIA is what I consider, a studio project. Of course, it has become a touring entity
in 2008 and in 2010. And we just did a headlining show in front of 110,000
people, 8:00, prime-time slot at Wacken, so I can't just call it a
studio project. Originally, it was designed to be a one-off studio project. I
never really considered it to be a serious competition to EDGUY. And
still, I don't think it's a constantly operating project because I don't even
know if there will be another AVANTASIA album or tour. I don't really
think about it. What I can say, it was great to have that experience. I have
great memories from [it]. It's great to create that little playground for me
[laughs]. All the things I can't do with EDGUY, like working with ALICE
COOPER and the SCORPIONS, and have all of these musicians on one
album creating this big concept. It's something I enjoy doing. But it's a great
feeling to go back to EDGUY and just do 11 tracks of rock 'n' roll, but
I don't want to say "rock 'n' roll" because heavy metal fans get
upset when I say that even though they're the same thing. [laughs] Okay, I'll
say it: I'm so much heavy metal, I don't even care what the heavy metal people
think. I am the ultimate outlaw [laughs]. I really enjoy going back and writing
11 songs that were in no way connected to each other, just really great rock
'n' roll songs, heavy metal songs, that work on their own, along with the
band-thing, the fantastic five-piece band thing. This is my day-to-day… I don't
want to call it "business," because again, heavy metal fans don't
like that word.
Blistering.com: Well, you look like you're having quite the good time in
the "Robin Hood" video.
Sammet: Usually, I hate shooting videos. Everybody in the band hates
shooting them. You have to wait 12 hours a day to just do your little spot and
do the same thing over and over. This was a little different. The day before
the shoot, we met to have our wardrobes fitted and realized that this is so
much fun, that we're in this surreal setting and we're in this absolutely silly
green tights and leggings. It was ridiculous right from the start. There was
waiting, 24 hours' worth of waiting and the horses were pissed off, we were
pissed off, the director was pissed off because it was raining. [laughs] It was
really a difficult situation, but I think it was most definitely our best video
shoot except for shooting the AVANTASIA video with Klaus Meine (SCORPIONS)
because you can't shoot with Klaus Meine every day. In this case, we had a
great time and you can tell. If you can imagine, five friends, running through
the forest with a bow and an arrow, wearing really silly clothes. It was great
fun. That's a moment when you really know why you're doing this.
Blistering.com: I've always thought it was a really cool thing that
you've maintained your sense of humor from album to album.
Sammet: I think we don't do it on purpose. It's a part of being honest
and natural with ourselves. I think it's very important to maintain a sense of
humor or a tongue-in-cheek attitude or you'd go crazy. We'd become alcoholics,
because this business is so stupid and ridiculous and there's so much
ridiculousness in the whole music circus. You have to maintain your humor, and
I really don't understand why some bands don't show their sense of humor. Let's
face it: There are bands who are doing stupid things and are taking themselves
too seriously, but nobody else does. We play the kind of music where you have
to sing songs about Odin, where grown-up men pretend they're Conan
the Barbarian, wearing silly loin cloths and sing about raping women,
behaving like…some primal creatures and making primal noises, and shaking the
heads and banging their heads [laughs]. It doesn't make sense from an
evolutionary point of view because we should be quite a few steps further. And
still we enjoy doing all of those primal things and behaving in such a primal
way. I don't know… somebody takes it seriously. But if you're past your 40th
birthday, I don't see any reason why I should take it seriously. I think I take
the world hunger problem [as] a very serious manner, but c'mon, this is rock
'n' roll, why would we take it seriously?
"Age Of The Joker", the new album from German melodic
metallers EDGUY, has entered the Media Control chart in the band's home
country at position No. 3.
Commented the group: "Thank you all for getting an original copy of 'Age
Of The Joker' and making this possible. It might have been the strongest
chart week of the year, with seven new albums hitting the album Top10. There
was stiff competition, but YOU were there for us!!! We have given our very best
to deliver the best possible album, but YOU, our fans, are responsible for
making it such a great success. We are in the middle of our rehearsals for the
tour that will kick off on September 23rd and the news hit us in the rehearsing
room, where we are sitting right now! Now we're gonna rehearse so hard, we'll
make sure to blow you all away during the forthcoming live shows and celebrate
the biggest heavy metal party you won't be able to imagine... Be prepared for a
great set with a lot of specials, and we are looking forward to seeing you all.
Thank you, thank you, thank you — and cheerzzz!"
"Age Of The Joker" was released in Europe
on August 29 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint
Park studio (SCORPIONS, PHIL COLLINS) in Hannover,
which was previously described by the group as "a recording temple with a
tremendously great-sounding room." The album features 11 songs with a
total running time of over one hour. The limited-edition digipack contains a
bonus disc with six additional songs.
"Age Of The Joker" track listing:
01. Robin Hood
02. Nobody's Hero
03. Rock Of Cashel
04. Pandora's Box
05. Breathe
06. Two Out Of Seven
07. Faces In The Darkness
08. The Arcane Guild
09. Fire On The Downline
10. Behind The Gates To Midnight World
11. Every Night Without You
Limited-edition bonus disc track listing:
01. God Fallen Silent
02. Aleister Crowley Memorial Boogie
03. Cum On Feel The Noize (SLADE cover)
04. Standing In The Rain
05. Robin Hood (single version)
06. Two Out Of Seven (single version)
EDGUY's new video, "Robin Hood", can be seen below.
Video director Oliver Sommer (AVANTASIA, NENA, HELLOWEEN)
and the band decided to satirize the Errol Flynn film "The
Adventures Of Robin Hood". The miniature epic was shot in the forest
with a large number of additional actors, starring German TV comedian Bernhard
Hoecker in two different leading roles.
W.A.S.P., PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and TANKARD are among the confirmed bands for next year's edition of the Rock Hard festival, set to take place May 25-27, 2012 at the
Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
W.A.S.P.
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ
TANKARD
HELL
PORTRAIT
ALPHA TIGER
MAGNUM
MOTORJESUS
FAITH NO MORE bassist Billy Gould has shot down reports that
the reactivated influential alt-metal actwill perform all of its classic 1989
album "The Real Thing" at the Maquinaria Festival in Santiago, Chile
on November 12.
The band's third LP, "The Real Thing" was FAITH NO MORE's
first release to feature vocalist Mike Patton from the experimental band MR. BUNGLE. On this album, FAITH NO MORE advanced its sound
range, combining heavy metal, progressive rock, hip hop, funk, jazz, and soul.
The Maquinaria Festival is an event which gathers different musical
styles and brings the grandeur of European festivals of music, mixing different
forms of art and consciousness.
Writing on his Twitter profile, Gould said, "News Flash:
Contrary to popular belief, we will not be playing 'The Real Thing' in
its entirety in Chile."
FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton recently told RollingStone.com that he and his bandmates "have [no] plans for a new recording or anything
like that," adding that "we're just taking it slow as it comes."
"Reunions can be done very distastefully I think, and we were all very
worried about that," he continued. "But I think we were all very
surprised with how good it felt. It's a tired old script: band splits up, gets
hard up for cash, goes on tour and records a shitty record. We don't want to be
part of that kind of history."
FAITH NO MORE played the final show of its reunion tour last December at
Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida in Santiago.
In an October 2010 interview with Consequence Of Sound, bassist Billy Gould spoke
about the possibility of the reunited act playing more shows after the Santiago concert. "I
personally can't see us not doing any more shows again, I just don't see
it," he said. "There's no point in not to do it. Why quit now? I
think it's just this tour… We did this tour and that's what we decided to do.
And we did it. We accomplished this goal, it worked out for all of us, and then
we look at each other and say, 'Hey what do you want to do now?' And I think
that's how it's got to be."
Regarding how the reunion tour had gone up until that point, Gould said,
"I was probably the guy who dragged his feet the most in doing this, and
I've got to say it exceeded my expectations 100 percent. It was much better
than my best-case scenario, and my worst case didn't even come into play."
FAITH NO MORE made a comeback in June 2009 with a headlining performance
at the Brixton Academy
in London, England and played sporadic shows
for the next 18 months.
FAITH NO MORE's last LP, "Album Of The Year", came out
in 1997.
On November 23 and November 25, 1988, alternative rock pioneers JANE'S
ADDICTION took to the stage of Chicago's
legendary Metro — the city's destination for exciting new music — to launch
their seminal, ground-breaking album "Nothing's Shocking". On
September 24 and 25, 2011, frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave
Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins, along with Chris Chaney on bass, will return to the venue, partnering with Citi to launch their
newest offering "The Great Escape Artist", now due out
Tuesday, October 18 via Capitol.
These Chicago dates mark the start of a
one-of-a-kind series of two-night stands that will also take place in New York and Los
Angeles. Citi cardmembers will have access to
presale tickets for the Chicago Metro shows beginning Tuesday, September 6 at
10 a.m. Central Time through Citi's Private Pass Program.
For complete pre-sale details, visit www.citiprivatepass.com. Check back for ticket information
on Los Angeles and New York.
Tickets go on sale for the Chicago Metro shows on Saturday, September 10.
The idea of big bands playing small rooms is always a special experience for
the fans, but for JANE'S ADDICTION, this will also take them back to
re-play some of their early classic shows in legendary clubs. JANE'S 1988 two-night stand at the Cabaret Metro for "Nothing's Shocking" are still considered by many Chicagoans as some of the greatest rock club shows
of all time.
JANE'S ADDICTION will also team with Citi to offer Citi cardmembers exclusive VIP packages, custom launch-show merchandise and unique
opportunities to interact with the band.
JANE'S ADDICTION was represented by entertainment marketing consultant Al
Hassas and their manager Peter Katsis.
For "The Great Escape Artist", JANE'S ADDICTION joined
forces with producer Rich Costey (MUSE, FRANZ FERDINAND, INTERPOL),
with TV ON THE RADIO's Dave Sitek on the team. Sitek, best
known for his production work on TV ON THE RADIO, YEAH YEAH YEAHS and THE FOALS, is writing, programming, and playing bass on the album.
JANE'S ADDICTION recently teamed up with Indaba Music to create a
remix contest around "Irresistible Force".
American beer masters New Belgium brewing company have teamed up with
Maryland-based veteran songwriters and touring icons CLUTCH to brew,
bottle and distribute the brand new CLUTCH beer! The 9% alcohol by
volume dark sour ale joins New Belgium's Lips Of Faith Series, adding to
a beer family which already includes the highly popular Fat Tire Ale, which is
now sold in over 32 of the 48 continental United States. The beer is
available in 22 oz. bottles and a limited amount of kegs.
New Belgium and CLUTCH (the band) will officially unleash the ale
at a very special kickoff event at the Red
Palace in Washington D.C.
on Sunday, September 18 at which members of CLUTCH and their label Weathermaker
Music will be present. Admission will be limited.
For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.
CLUTCH has just completed a highly successful North American headlining
tour. The band's schedule for the final few months of 2011 continues with a three-week
European tour beginning in Frankfurt, Germany on Halloween as direct support to
Danish rockers VOLBEAT, which will see the band play large scale venues
in historic European cities like Milan, Paris, Brussels, Munich, Vienna, etc.
Following the dates with VOLBEAT, CLUTCH will embark on a
headlining Scandinavian run that will bring them all the way to Helsinki, Finland.
After the Scandinavian dates, CLUTCH will be back stateside for their
traditional Northeast holiday headline run. It doesn't stop there though —
directly following the holiday shows, CLUTCH will gear up for a
three-week run of the U.K.
as direct support for classic Irish rockers THIN LIZZY.
Roadburn festival organizers have announced that West Coast stoner metal legends SLEEP have been confirmed as the headliners at of next year's event. Also newly added
to the festival's billing is OM, the
band formed in 2003 by the rhythm section of SLEEP.
Commented the organizers: "SLEEP are irrefutably a seminal band of
the stoner rock scene and to our elation they are coming to their spiritual
home of Roadburn to anchor the 2012 festival. Featuring original members Al Cisneros and Matt Pike together with drummer Jason Roeder of NEUROSIS, SLEEP will be playing (a one-off show) on Saturday,
14 April 2012. Al Cisneros will also be appearing with OM together with Emil Amos and Robert A.A. Lowe, bringing their
hypnotic vibrations to Roadburn's mainstage on Thursday, April 12.
"We at the Roadburn festival consider SLEEP to be among the
most important bands influencing today's thriving stoner/sludge/metal scene.
Their vision to combine the powerful riffs of BLACK SABBATH with the
outsider ethics of punk rock turned into an unstoppable amalgamation, one that
catapulted them to international attention within a very short time. Their
rapid rise and unquestionable musical significance is a testimony to the fact
that they tapped into something that resonates inside virtually every fan of
stoner metal today. They truly embody the spirit and power of The Riff."
Roadburn festival 2012, including VOIVOD's special event, will
run for four days — from Thursday, April 12 to Sunday, April 15 (the
traditional Afterburner) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.
For more information, visit www.roadburn.com.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and the Rockstar Uproar
Festival are working with Hartford, Connecticut radio station WCCC to raise funds in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of September 11 this
year. The tour and the band will both make a dollar for dollar match of all
donations up to $10,000 made through the station's official web site from now
through September 11, 2011. All the money will go to the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Fund.
Checks will be presented to both organizations when avenged and the Uproar
Tour pull into Hartford
on Sunday, September 11.
The Uproar Tour might be the last time you'll see AVENGED SEVENFOLD on this touring cycle, which began over a year ago with the release of the
band's "Nightmare" album.
Singer M. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that the group is
thinking about releasing some sort of live package, but nothing's definite yet.
"You know, we've already been recording, but there's no real plans — I
don't want to get kids excited about it yet," he said. "But we've
been recording stuff that we think are rare songs or B-sides that we might not
play coming up, so we're getting stuff together to do a huge, massive live
record, and we're just kind of compiling stuff so that when they do get it,
it's like the ultimate."
"Nightmare", AVENGED SEVENFOLD's fifth studio album,
debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart after it came out in July 2010.
The Uproar Tour's next stop is Detroit on
Friday (September 9), with the road trip wrapping up on October 14 in San Francisco. The bill
also features THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER, BULLET FOR MY
VALENTINE, SEVENDUST and others.
Swedish
power metallers NOCTURNAL RITES are currently rehearsing new songs and
are preparing to start recording them in a few weeks or so. In the meantime,
the band has released "a little trailer to let [the fans] know [the group
is] still alive!" Check out the clip below.
NOCTURNAL RITES previously stated about the material that has been
completed for the follow-up to 2007's "The 8th Sin", "We
have some really dark and aggressive stuff written as well as some more
melodic, so this new album will definitely cater to all aspects of the NOCTURNAL
RITES legacy! [It sounds] a little [like we're going] back to the darker 'Afterlife' [2000] days mixed with some trademark NOCTURNAL RITES catchy melodies —
those that can never go wrong!"
NOCTURNAL RITES previously stated about the material that has been
completed for the follow-up to 2007's "The 8th Sin", "We
have some really dark and aggressive stuff written as well as some more
melodic, so this new album will definitely cater to all aspects of the NOCTURNAL
RITES legacy! [It sounds] a little [like we're going] back to the darker 'Afterlife' [2000] days mixed with some trademark NOCTURNAL RITES catchy melodies —
those that can never go wrong!"
Guitarist Nils Norberg announced his departure from NOCTURNAL RITES in June 2008 and has since been replaced by Chris Rörland (TME]).
"The 8th Sin" in 2007 landed on the Japanese album chart at
position No. 68 (No. 28 on "international" chart).
After
auditioning "147 guitar players" and listening to countless demo CDs,
NWOBHM legends CLOVEN HOOF have finally found their ultimate guitar
hero, Joe Whelan, courtesy of the Express & Star newspaper. Joe's
previous band was called DEMENTIA and his high-octane fluid lead style
will bring a whole new dimension to the band. He is currently working on his
lead breaks on the new CLOVEN HOOF studio track called "I'm Your
Nemesis" and will take part in the band's first "big-budget"
video filming, which will start on September 27.
CLOVEN HOOF last year released a five-song EP entitled "Throne
Of Damnation". It contained three new songs — "Prime
Time", "Running Man" and "Freak Show" — along with reworked versions of "Whore Of Babylon" and
"Night Stalker", the latter of which is featured on the Brütal
Legend game.
CLOVEN HOOF re-recorded 24 of its classic songs for a two-part
"best-of" compilation, "The Definitive Part One" and "The Definitive Part Two".
Las Vegas,
Nevada-based metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release their third
album, "American Capitalist", on October 11. The CD was
recorded at The Hideout in Las Vegas, Nevada with
producer Kevin Churko, who helmed Ozzy Osbourne's 2010 effort "Scream".
An 11-track release, including lead single/video "Under And Over
It", this record looks all set to build on the huge, ever-growing
success achieved by albums one and two — "The Way Of The Fist" and "War Is The Answer", both gold records Stateside, having
spawned seven consecutive Top Ten singles at Active Rock.
In addition to "Under And Over It" — a sarcastic, OTT,
genre-celebratin' video for which was directed by Ethan Emaniquis, whose
credits include "Sin City" and "Grindhouse" — the
album also contains such classic FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH moments as "The
Pride", "Coming Down" and "Generation
Dead".
"American Capitalist" will be released as a standard CD, and a
limited-edition deluxe CD format complete with special packaging plus second
disc containing a number of exclusive remixes, including one for "Under
And Over It". Meanwhile, the iTunes version carries the bonus
track "The Tragic Truth".
Commented guitarist Zoltan Bathory: "This record crystallizes the
sound of DEATH PUNCH. The band has really come into its own. Everyone
contributed to the music, and this is what we are capable of as a unit.
"The overall message is to fight for your survival and success. You can be
a zebra or join the lion pride. You have to rebel against your circumstances,
laziness and mediocrity — not the system. The best will make it, and that
notion is genetically embedded within our fabric. If we were all equal,
evolution wouldn't exist. The human spirit encourages us to excel."
Following the October release of "American Capitalist", the
band — completed by Ivan Moody (vocals), Jason Hook (guitar), Jeremy
Spencer (drums), and new-boy bassist Chris Kael — head out on a
major U.S. tour under the "Share The Welt" banner, headlining
a package that also includes ALL THAT REMAINS, HATEBREED and REV
THEORY. This tour starts in mid-October and runs through into November,
with more dates likely to be added.
In terms of international touring, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is planning
to visit Europe in the first quarter of 2012, having already made a very
healthy mark on the other side of the Atlantic with album sales in excess of
100,000, appearances at the Rock Am Ring/Rock Im Park and Download festivals in Germany and the U.K. (the latter on two occasions), a sold-out
headline tour (U.K.), plus a front cover on Metal Hammer magazine
(U.K.).
Concludes Moody: "I literally laid every ounce of blood I had on
the street with this one. We are a people's band. Our fans admire and
understand us because of who we are. We've never tried to be anybody else.
We're FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH."
Canadian
metallers KITTIE have scheduled the following in-store signings:
September 8 at 5 p.m.
FYE
6301 NW Loop 410 Ste. S18
San Antonio, TX 78238-3801
September 14 at 5:30 p.m.
Soundcheck Records
8872 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
September 17 at 5 p.m.
Dimple Records
1701 Santa Clara Drive
Roseville, CA
KITTIE's sixth album, "I've Failed You", was released
on August 30 via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at Beach Road
Studios in Goderich, Ontario, Canada.
The band once again worked with producer Siegfried "Siggy" Meier,
who helmed KITTIE's last CD, 2009's "In The Black".
Guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander previously stated about KITTIE's
new material, "In some cases these new songs are faster, darker and much
more sinister than our previous release. It contains some of the most difficult
and personal subject matter I have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of
writing."
KITTIE is:
Morgan Lander (Guitar, Vocals)
Mercedes Lander (Drums)
Tara Mcleod (Guitar)
Ivy Vujic (Bass)
Progressive rock/metal band CYNIC will release a new EP, "Carbon-Based
Anatomy", on November 11 in Europe and November 15 in North America via Season Of Mist. Unlike last
year's "Re-Traced", this new EP consists exclusively of brand
new material.
"Carbon-Based Anatomy" track listing:
01. Amidst The Coals
02. Carbon-Based Anatomy
03. Bija!
04. Box Up My Bones
05. Elves Beam Out
06. Hieroglyph
The artwork was designed by the great Robert Venosa, the artist behind
the covers of CYNIC's previous releases "Focus", "Traced
in Air" and "Re-Traced".
Paul Masvidal describes this new EP as "both a philosophical as
well as a musical journey, one that begins in the Amazon jungle on the lips of
a shamanic wisewoman (as portrayed by Amy Correia) and ends in
outerspace."
All bass parts on "Carbon-Based Anatomy" were recorded by
one-time CYNIC bassist Sean Malone.
CYNIC last year parted ways with bassist Robin Zielhorst and
guitarist Tymon Kruidenier due to the "logistical challenges of
maintaining a band that is half based in The Netherlands and the other half in
the United States" (drummer Sean Reinert and Masvidal live
in California).
CYNIC last fall completed Decibel magazine's inaugural Hall Of
Fame tour. Historic in every sense, the trek, dubbed "Re-Traced /
Re-Focused Live", saw the band performing Hall Of Fame album "Focus" in its entirety, along with tracks from the group's lauded second album, "Traced
in Air", and more. Direct support came from progressive masters INTRONAUT and DYSRHYTHMIA.
In May 2010, CYNIC released "Re-Traced", featuring
reinterpretations of four songs from the group's critically acclaimed "Traced
In Air" album as well as a previously unreleased song.
Irish metallers STORMZONE will release their new album, "Zero
To Rage", in Europe on November 21
via SPV/Steamhammer.
Commented STORMZONE vocalist John "Harv" Harbinson:
"Apart from being a singer of heavy metal music for many years, I have
also always been a huge fan of heavy metal, and I have no hesitation in saying
that the new STORMZONE album, 'Zero to Rage' is something that as
a singer I am immensely proud of and as a fan I would definitely go out and
buy!"
The track listing for the follow-up to last year's "Death Dealer" is as follows:
01. Where We Belong
02. Zero To Rage
03. Jester's Laughter
04. This Is Our Victory
05. Fear Hotel
06. Hail The Brave
07. Uprising
08. Last Man Fighting
09. Empire Of Fear
10. Monsters
11. Voice Inside My Head
12. Cuchulainn's Story
Formed in 2005 in Belfast by vocalist Harv, STORMZONE recorded its debut album soon after and secured a deal with U.K. rock label Escape Music who released "Caught In The Act" in 2007 (also released by Avalon/Marquee in Japan
in the same year). The LP was a superb hard rock record was also essentially a "studio"
band album with Harv and friends playing all instruments. The cover
artwork for "Caught In The Act" was painted by famous fantasy
artist Rodney Matthews. Rodney has also contributed the artwork
for the new STORMZONE album "Death Dealer".
It was not until later in 2007 that the full STORMZONE lineup was
formed, essentially to tour in promotion of the debut album with all the
musicians being from Belfast.
Most had previously played in local bands except drummer Davy Bates. He
was the sticks-man for legendary Belfast
band SWEET SAVAGE (immortalized when METALLICA covered their "Killing
Time" opus as the B-side of "The Unforgiven").
For two years STORMZONE were on the road playing in Europe,
including support slots with Y&T, WHITE LION, TESLA, GEORGE
LYNCH, and L.A. GUNS. They also made appearances at various
festivals, such as Firefest (UK), Sweden Rock, Lorca Rock (Spain), Z Rock (UK)
and Raismesfest (France), before re-entering the studio in the summer of
2009 to record their second album.
STORMZONE attracted many friends with the debut album including
admiration from legendary producer/DJ Neal Kay who saw in the band the
same early signs of stardom shown by another group he discovered, IRON
MAIDEN! With the band playing live constantly they inevitably hardened up
their sound so the new recordings came out much more aggressive than the first
album but still kept the quality, melody and harmony of before. Co-produced by Neal
Kay, "Death Dealer" was finished towards the end of 2009
and released in April 2010.
STORMZONE is:
Chris Polin - Guitar
Keith Harris - Guitar
John "Harv" Harbinson - Lead Vocals
Graham McNulty - Bass
Davy Bates – Drums
Following
the release of "Evinta" earlier this year, in which the band
marked 20 years of existence with a release of symphonic compositions
re-imagining past MY DYING BRIDE themes, the U.K. doom legends now
present their latest chapter in the form of new EP, "The Barghest O'
Whitby", to be released November 7 through Peaceville Records on CD and limited vinyl.
This single track, 25-minute epic represents the epitome of poetic grace and
funeral soundscapes from one of gothic doom's most celebrated acts. With a
masterful blend of pounding guitar riffs and sombre atmospheric passages, MY
DYING BRIDE embarks on a chilling journey through superstition and
folklore.
Said the band on the origin of the idea, "Carrying straight on from the
success of 'Evinta' found us kind of out of breath for a second; we were
already aware of a new-found love of all things bleak and grey and were eager
to start writing in a more traditional MY DYING BRIDE style. What did
catch us off guard was the increased heaviness and the fresh approach to song
writing. Moving away somewhat with the lyrical theme from our usual feeding
ground, we found ourselves on the rainy moors of Yorkshire
contemplating the story of the Barghest, a supernatural entity hell bent on
revenge. The tale now to be told wove itself into a 25-minute epic which
initially we thought would be a three part EP, but it simply became one very
long song full of everything MY DYING BRIDE and more. The violins
conjure lonely tears atop a chasm of epic British doom."
"The Barghest O' Whitby" was
recorded at Futureworks Studios in Manchester
with longtime production partner and engineer, Mags. The release is the
first to feature violin/keyboardist Shaun Macgowan, and sees the return
of Shaun "Winter" Taylor Steels to the drum stool for this
recording. The cover artwork for "The Barghest O' Whitby" also appears courtesy of
vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe.
"We've never been heavier or more cataclysmically connected to doom metal
as a state of mind; it's no longer just a musical style to us," the band
states.
Music Buy
Mail has set an October 28 European release date for the new VAIN album entitled "Enough Rope".
Davy Vain has a list of accomplishments under his belt few artists today
can rival. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Davy began his rise
as the frontman/songwriter/producer for the band VAIN. Their debut
record, "No Respect" (originally released by Island Records),
continues to receive critical acclaim worldwide having landed them on the cover
of such notable music publications as Kerrang! and BAM. It is
clearly evident from the praise garnered from the music press and more
importantly other musicians, that Davy has an incredible knack for
writing great songs.
As the music industry progressed and changed, Davy explored his
creativity and musicianship even further. Remaining true to his musical
integrity each of his recordings is filled with catchy hooks and choruses,
rampant with melodies, and loaded with fresh and creative guitar sounds. Davy's
voice is one of the most unique, hypnotic and original voices in rock and roll.
It invokes and inspires you with a style that is entirely his own. His recorded
and live performances are electric, raw, and infused with a power and magic
that is as rare today as it was when Davy first started playing out.
"Enough Rope" follows on seamlessly from the glory days of
their debut, "No Respect". Even the upcoming film "Rock
of Ages" with Tom Cruise pays respect to VAIN by
featuring posters and music of this all-time classic band.
"Enough Rope" track listing:
01. Greener
02. Enough Rope
03. Stray Kitten Burns
04. Hot Stage Lights
05. Distance Of Love
06. Cindy
07. Treasure Girl
08. Solid Gold
09. Worship You
10. Vain
11. Triple X
"Enough Rope" is being released on CD and digital format in
Europe and USA by Music
Buy Mail (with an online limited edition) and in Japan by Spiritual Beast/Universal,
followed by a tour in early 2012.
"Evermore
Darkly…",
the new mini-album from British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH, will
be released in North America on October 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to last year's triumphant "Darkly,
Darkly, Venus Aversa" album 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". Artwork
comes courtesy of Natalie Shau, whom also worked on "Darkly,
Darkly, Venus Aversa".
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.
"Evermore Darkly…" track listing:
01. Transmission From Hell?
02. Thank Your Lucky Scars
03. Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned) - Elder Version
04. Lilith Immaculate (Extended Length)
05. The Persecution Song - Elder Version
06. Forgive Me Father (I'm In A Trance)
07. The Spawn Of Love And War - Elder Version
08. Summer Dying Fast ("Midnight In The Labyrinth" breadcrumb
trail)
"Venus Diversa" DVD:
01. "Lilith Immaculate" Promo Video
02. "You Can't Polish A Turd…But You Can Roll It In Glitter" Rockumentary
03. "Burning Down Graspop", Dessel, Belgium, June 25, 2011
Live Footage
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."
Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of GYPSYHAWK, a
band which hails from Pasadena, California and is part of the
so-called Modern Wave Of Classic Heavy Metal. Combining the sound of THIN
LIZZY, HAWKWIND and DEEP PURPLE with contemporaries like THE
HELLACOPTERS, somehow just a few average dudes with a penchant for riffs
have set out to return music to the people that really appreciate it. GYPSYHAWK is a band's band, a fan's band, and a flat-out rock and roll band when music
needs it most.
Commented the band: "Metal Blade Records has been making the hits
since before most of us were born. They inherently had a latent inspiration on
all of us, cranking out some of the most inspirational sounds to come out after
the '70s. To be part of this family doesn't leave much to be desired. In the meantime,
we'll be doing our best to live up to the Metal Blade legacy and couldn't be
more eager for everything we've been working for during the last two and half
years."
"GYPSYHAWK captures the epic '70s hard rock riffs of such great
'70s bands as THIN LIZZY and JUDAS PRIEST with their own updated
twist. We are excited to be working with such a gifted band and look forward to
their first album on Metal Blade," comments Michael Faley of Metal Blade Records.
Fronted in true Phil Lynott style by singer/bassist Eric Harris (former bassist of Ohio blackened thrashers SKELETONWITCH), GYPSYHAWK's
foursome is rounded out with guitarists Andrew Packer and Erik
Kluiber, and drummer Ian Brown.
GYPSYHAWK is:
Andrew Packer - Guitar
Eric Harris - Bass and Voice
Ian "P.P. Rider" Brown - Drums
Erik "Ron Houser" Kluiber – Guitar
With a newly rejuvenated lineup and its signature sound intact, San Francisco's HAMMERS
OF MISFORTUNE has returned with "17th Street", a brash and
heartfelt song cycle, blending the best elements of NWOBHM, thrash, doom, and
American folk music while somehow sounding unlike any of these.
Due in Europe on October 24 (three days earlier in Germany), "17th
Street" takes the band's inimitable sound to a new level, creating an
emotional gravity that only further accentuates the band's formidable
songwriting chops. "I can see how someone could find it an upbeat
record," says John Cobbett, guitarist and producer of the band,
also of underground metal legends LUDICRA and SLOUGH FEG.
"There are glimmers of hope there. But if you listen carefully to each
song, you'll find that each one has its own point of view; you might find hope,
or something very different, very dark."
From tomorrow (Tuesday, September 7) on, you can hear the first single "The
Grain", which has been made into a lyric video.
Fans can now pre-order a copy of the album, which is available on both CD and
double LP gatefold vinyl.
"17th Street" track listing:
01. 317
02. 17th Street
03. The Grain
04. Staring (The 31st Floor)
05. The Day the City Died
06. RomanceValley
07. Summer Tears
08. Grey Wednesday
09. Going Somewhere
HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE is:
John Cobbett: Guitar
Chewy Marzolo: Drums
Sigrid Sheie: Organ, Piano, Vocals, Flute
Leila Abdul-Rauf: Guitar, Vocals
Joe Hutton: Vocals
Max Barnett: Bass
Metal Blade Recordshas announced the
signing of Swedish heavy metallers RAM. The band's third album, "Death",
will be released in early 2012. The CD was recorded at Welfare Sounds
Studios in the group's hometown and was mastered by Dragan Tanaskovic at Bohus Sound.
Comments the band: "We are very pleased and proud to sign with a metal
label that has done so much for heavy metal and has such an amazing legacy. We
are also very pleased to become labelmates with our good friends and fellow
Swedish old-school headbangers PORTRAIT and IN SOLITUDE. Now with
the Blade of metal behind our backs the conquest of demolition continues! HEAVY
METAL TYRANNY!"
"Death" track listing:
01. Death...
02. ...Comes From The Mouth Beyond
03. I Am The End
04. Release Me
05. Defiant
06. Frozen
07. Under The Scythe
08. Hypnos
09. Flame Of The Tyrants
10. 1 7 7 1
"Death" features a guest appearance by Swedish
multi-instrumentalist Freddie Wadling who has had a very successful solo
career in addition to having played with such cult acts as THE LEATHER NUN, BLUE FOR TWO and FLÄSKKVARTETTEN.
U.K. metallers INTENSE have inked a deal with Pure Legend Records. The band's third album, "Shape
Of Rage", was once again recorded at Thin Ice Studios with Karl
Groom (THRESHOLD) at the helm.
Commented the label: "With INTENSE, we are proud to have another
high-level band at Pure Legend Records combining outstanding songwriting
with superb vocals and the special note a band divides from others. Again, the
fans of the band will not be disappointed and a lot of new fans will be able to
check out really unique songs made by musicians who find always new surprising
ideas."
Added INTENSE vocalist Sean Hetherington: "The guys and I
are extremely happy to sign to a label such as Pure Legend Records. We
already feel part of the family and together we have high hopes for our albums
getting great exposure and for us to get out and share our music with as many
people as possible. I already feel that the guys at Pure Legend will
make this a reality. There are exciting times ahead for Intense fans old and
new."
Karl Groom worked on INTENSE's previous two albums, 2004's "Second
Sight" and 2007's "As Our Army Grows".
RAM vocalist Oscar Carlquist previously stated about the band's
new album, "Again we are pushing the envelope of the RAM sound.
"This album differs quite a bit from our 2009 release, 'Lightbringer';
the sound is rawer and has a strong nerve and honest live-like feel, but still
it is extremely powerful. It was produced by me and Harry Granroth (guitars) and Per Stålberg and Olle Björk and recorded at Welfare
Studios here in Gothenburg. Dragan Tanaskovic is also a huge part of
this by contributing massive power in the mastering process. Song-wise, we are
showing new sides of the band.
"The album is a 10-song sonic rollercoaster displaying an array of
different styles, emotions tempos and aggressions, but all within the concept
of traditional heavy metal, of course.
"In all honesty, I can't choose one single song that is representative of
the sound of the album as a whole. We are really pleased with this album that
feels like a really cool direction to take from 'Lightbringer' and we
can't wait to blast these new song live!"
RAM last year parted ways with bassist Christian Strömblad and
replaced him with Tobias Pettersson from the underground black metal
band VORNTH.
RAM is:
Oscar Carlquist - Vocals
Morgan Pettersson - Drums
Harry Granroth - Guitar
Daniel Johansson - Guitar
Tobias Petterson – Bass
British
crossover thrashers SSS, who recently released their new album, "Problems
To The Answer", have announced the addition of two new members to the
band.
Joining the group are Stu Taylor (guitar) and Dave Archer (drums), who both also play in Liverpool-based stoner metallers THE BENDAL
INTERLUDE, and who replace outgoing members Pete Broom and Dave
Fergusson.
A photo of the new lineup can be seen below (left to right: Foxy, Dave
Archer, Stu Taylor, Mark Magill).
Commented Stu Taylor: "To have joined SSS is great. Having
been in a band with Foxy before, we are used to each other's working
methods. Mark is an experienced bass player and we immediately gelled as
a band. Gonna be good times to come — new songs, new tours, new experiences. We
can't wait."
Added SSS frontman Foxy: "The untimely departure of two
members of SSS prior to the release of 'Problems To The Answer' was unfortunate. However, in that time we have found a new drummer and
guitarist. Stu and Dave are a solid unit. Having been in a band
with them before and to have watched them shred Liverpool
for years, they were the natural choice. We are made up; they have joined up.
With the prospect of touring and writing new material, it's an exciting time
for SSS and we can't wait to get out and finally play again."
After a couple of months of solid rehearsals, the band is ready to get out on
the road and has confirmed its first shows with the new lineup. More dates are
due to be announced soon.
See SSS band live at the following shows:
Sep. 07 - Manchester, UK - Star & Garter (w/ CANNABIS CORPSE)
Sep. 23 - Nottingham, UK - MG Ballroom (w/ GAMA BOMB, ONSLAUGHT)
Oct. 07 - Leeds, UK - The Well (w/ SICK OF IT ALL)
Oct. 28 - Lisbon, Portugal - Vans Off the Wall Music Night
"Problems To The Answer" features 25 snarling tracks and is
available now on CD and limited-edition picture-disc LP. The album is also
available worldwide on iTunes.
Dutch female-fronted symphonic rock outfit DELAIN has completed the
songwriting process for its third studio album, tentatively due in the spring
2012 via Roadrunner Records. The group is currently recording the
as-yet-untitled opus at various studios in Stockholm, Sweden.
Behind the production desk is Jacob Hellner, renowned for his work with RAMMSTEIN and APOCALYPTICA, alongside the Epicentre team of Fredrik
Thomander and Anders Wikström (SCORPIONS, BACKYARD BABIES).
Commented the band: "After loads of touring activity and some turmoil with
the record company, it's great to finally be in the process of getting the
album together. More so in such legendary places with people involved in such
legendary records. We've written some killer material and these are best
possible circumstances to make it come to life."
DELAIN in April announced the addition of guitarist Timo Somers to the group's ranks. The band said in a statement, "Timo's been
rehearsing with us for quite some time and we're very confident that we've
found the best possible new DELAIN team member in him; this guy's got
music in his blood."
The band was last year joined by bassist Otto "The Baron"
Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (DETONATION).
DELAIN's second album, "April Rain", was released in
North America on June 30, 2009 via Sensory Records (with U.S.
distribution through Ryko and Canadian distribution through Sonic
Unyon). The North American version of the album features a bonus track — "Come
Closer" — which was previously only available on the limited-edition
digipack version of the LP.
"April Rain" benefitted from the return of NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala who provided male vocals on two tracks,
as well as world-renowned cellist Maria Ahn.
James Durbin, the 22-year-old rocker from Santa Cruz, California
who was one of the finalists on the last season of "American Idol",
has inked a deal with Wind-Up Records (EVANESCENCE, CREED).
Commented Gregg Wattenberg, Wind-Up's Chief Creative Officer,
"When the possibility of signing James Durbin to Wind-Up Records came up, we knew it was a no-brainer. James is a rock star. We're all
excited to have him as part of the family and can't wait to let his fans hear
his debut album."
Durbin performed JUDAS PRIEST's classic songs "Living
After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" with the
British heavy metal legends themselves during the "American Idol" May finale.
Durbin sang the JUDAS PRIEST classic "You Got Another
Thing Coming" on the March 1 edition of "Idol" (see
video below). His rendition marked the first time, according to AEROSMITH singer and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler, where a JUDAS
PRIEST single was performed on the "Idol" stage.
Asked if there was any trepidation about letting Durbin take on their
1982 hit, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton told MTV,
"None whatsoever, I mean, if you look at what James has done for
heavy metal, you've got to say thank you, you know? It's just bringing metal to
the front, making it, metal, accessible for people. It's a good thing."
As for whether there will ever be a collaboration between the fourth-place
finalist and the British band, PRIEST singer Rob Halford was
optimistic, saying, "Yeah, anything's possible."
"We just wish him all the best," he added. "He's got such an
extraordinary voice. He's got such a genuine and lovable personality. He's the
real deal, James, and we wish him the best. Good for you, James!"
Durbin told USA Today in May that he was planning to record an
album, with what he described as a "[DIO] 'Holy Diver', [BLACK
SABBATH] 'Neon Knights'-type" feel. "I potentially heard
my first single yesterday," he said, adding that it "still has a
heavy edge and is radio friendly." He also wrote a song with James
Michael (SIXX: A.M., SCORPIONS, MÖTLEY CRÜE) and
frequent AEROSMITH collaborator Marti Frederiksen.
MetalSucks, in conjunction with Live Nation, has announced The
Metal Suckfest. The festival will take place at New York City's Gramercy Theater and will
feature 20 bands over the course of two days, November 4 and November 5. MUNICIPAL
WASTE will headline the first night, while CYNIC will close the
festival the following evening.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
Friday, November 4:
MUNICIPAL WASTE
GOD FORBID
TODAY IS THE DAY
HOWL
BLACK TUSK
MAGRUDERGRIND
RAMMING SPEED
PRIME EVIL
Saturday, November 5:
CYNIC
OBSCURA
THE RED CHORD
A LIFE ONCE LOST
SCALE THE SUMMIT
FIGHT AMP
ROSETTA
ULTRAGEIST
The remaining four bands to play the festival will be announced soon.
Tickets go on sale via Live Nation starting this Friday, September 9 at
10 a.m.
A Polish bishop has called for public protests following the employment of
what he claims is a "satanic" rock star, BEHEMOTH frontman Adam
"Nergal" Darski, by the Polish version of the hit American
singing competition "The Voice", appropriately named "The
Voice Of Poland".
Bishop Wieslaw Mering, head of the diocese of Wlocawek in northern
Poland, lashed out at national television station TVP for its hiring of Darski,
who was found innocent last month of offending religious feelings in connection
with a September 2007 incident when he reportedly called the Catholic Church
"the most murderous cult on the planet" during the band's performance
in Gdynia and tore up a copy of the Bible, calling it "a book of
lies."
The full text of Mering's statement — which was translated to English
exclusively for BLABBERMOUTH.NET by Thomas Rutkowski — follows
below.
"Appeal to Priests and Faithful of the Wroclawian diocese in the matter of
opposing promotion of Satanism in Polish public television.
"Sisters and Brothers,
"I was stunned to silence: public service television, paid for by our
taxpayers' money; Dutied to respect those values held as universal, Truth, Good
and Justice; that should serve the comprehensive betterment of mankind, the
building of peaceful society, objectivism and moral order — is planning to let
'Nergal' (Adam Darski) — who hides neither his involvement with
Satanism or his contempt for Christianity — star in public television this fall
of 2011 on the Channel 2 show 'The Voice Of Poland'.
"A blasphemer, Satanist and lover of evil incarnate will have free use of
the public television screen to spread his poisonous teachings!
"Non possumus! - As the Polish bishops once cried when Cesar by force
tried to place himself on the altar. We cannot pretend that nothing is
happening, even if they should call us reactionary, intolerant Catholics or
some sort of 'berets!' No! As citizens we have the right to voice our opinions.
"I ask the members of my assembly for the courage to defend the rights of
God; I beg and ardently urge all youth and adults:
* Openly show your disagreement with Nergal's presence in Polish public
television by protests directed at the direction of TVP Channel Two;
* Sign the petitions at the Polish Catholic journalists' webpage at:
www.ksd.media.pl;
* Pray, especially to Saint Michel the Archangel least let the name of God be
publicly insulted in the country of Poland, and let this prayer also encompass
the blasphemer who 'Knows Not What He Does';
* Actively join the clergy in acts of protest, and help bolster their efforts;
We have the full rights of citizenship in our country and thus have the right
to make our views public;
* Bring attention to this matter throughout the diocese, be very firm, but
cultured;
* Use any and all available means of communication for this act of protest, the
pulpit, parish tracts, church meetings, local radio and local television
stations;
* Help the faithful become aware that we are a very powerful force of influence
and can affect what is shown on the screen — even if it comes to the civil
disobedience of refusing to pay subscription dues should our requests and
appeals fall on deaf ears.
"We cannot be silent, when the belief of those faithful to Christianity is
allowed to be challenged in this drastic way. Very recently, Nergal was
'absolved' in public court for humiliating the Holy Scriptures saying it is
'Shit you can plow into the ground and bury!' he also called the church 'a
criminal sect.'
"We cannot be silent, neither from fear, nor wanting to please the whims
of God's personal enemy, nor from any motives of political correctness or
indifference. As Christ tells us: 'In this world you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome the world.' (John 16,33)
"To all who are concerned in matters of God — most heartfelt of
blessings."
In a recent interview with Terrorizer magazine, Nergal stated
about his new television gig, "It's going to be fun. The first black metal
judge ever in history doing a mainstream thing, you know? People are going to
freak out! Some are going to love it, some are going to fucking hate it. But
that's what this music has always been about, right? To provoke, to cause
different opinions. The more extreme opinions, the better, I think."
He added of the attention he has received in his home country, "This
so-called celebrity life is not my environment at all, but I am a part of it if
I want it or not. So it's been crazy. Then the whole case with my sickness and
me getting out alive [Nergal was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2010
and underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure in December. — Ed.], it just
brought some extra attention to it. And there's definitely some people that
want to make some money on it because it's a cool story for them to write about
and stuff, but I was like, 'Okay, if they're going to make money, I want to
have my share, too.' I was away from music and away from being active live for
a good year, so yeah, I need to get something in return!"
It was previously reported in the Polish media that the producers of "The
Voice Of Poland" were hoping that Nergal's presence on the program would attract a new
audience as well as improve its chances of competing against rival television
talent-show franchise "X Factor".
The American version of "The Voice" was a big hit for NBC and helped breathe new life into the careers of coaches Adam Levine, Blake
Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green.
Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE have begun recording
their twelfth studio album at Sonic Ranch studios in Texas with producer Erik Rutan. The
band has spent months writing the album and has recorded at Sonic Ranch in the past, but never with Rutan at the helm. More details on the
album, including art, songs, title and more will be revealed in the months to
follow. For now, the band is hard at work forging their next death metal
offering.
Commented bassist Alex Webster : "After having spent the past seven
months writing and rehearsing new material, we're very excited to finally begin
recording. We've had great success working with Erik Rutan on our past
two albums so we've decided to work with him again, but to keep things fresh we
decided on a change of location — we're returning to Sonic Ranch studios
in Texas,
where we've recorded several albums in the past. We are psyched to see how this
combination works out- we feel it's pairing that could result in our best album
yet."
Erik Rutan worked with CANNIBAL CORPSE for both "Kill" (2006) and "Evisceration Plague" (2009) and is returning for a
third time. Rutan states, "I am super excited to work with CANNIBAL
CORPSE for our third album together. We are determined to make the best
album we possibly can. Everyone is very focused and the new material is
awesome. There is a great blend of classic, old-school CANNIBAL CORPSE with a newer, more heavy, dynamic and aggressive approach. I look forward to
the challenge of making one heavy as hell record!"
CANNIBAL CORPSE's latest album, "Evisceration Plague",
sold 9,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. This
was more than 50 percent higher than the opening tally of the band's previous
CD, "Kill" (2006), which landed at No. 170 after shifting more
than 6,000 copies. In 1996, CANIBAL CORPSE's "Vile" premiered at No. 151, with more than 6,100 copies sold.
"Global Evisceration", the fourth DVD from CANNIBAL CORPSE,
sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut
at position No. 17 on the Top Music Videos chart. The disc also landed at No. 5
on the Canadian chart.
Released on March 15 via Metal Blade Records, "Global
Evisceration" was shot and edited by director Denise Korycki (Wild
Wind Productions) who also worked on the group's "Centuries of
Torment - The First 20 Years" DVD in addition to releases from such
other bands as AS I LAY DYING, MASTODON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and SUPERJOINT RITUAL.
"Global Evisceration" contains one disc and is approximately
three hours long with artwork by the infamous Vince Locke. The main
program includes full live-song performances from two live shows: the Gothic
Theater in Englewood, Colorado
on May 3, 2010 and Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 8, 2010. It
also contains bonus performances and extra segments, including
behind-the-scenes footage covering CANNIBAL CORPSE's tours in support of
the "Evisceration Plague" album.
SUFFOCATION has been confirmed for next year's edition of the 70000
Tons Of Metal cruise, which will set sail from Miami,
Florida to Cayman Islands
on January 23, 2012 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will perform
on the cruise.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AMORPHIS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PESTILENCE
SAMAEL
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH
Ticket prices start at $666 plus $289 taxes and fees per person and include all
onboard entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals at
the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24-hour room service.
For more information, visit www.70000tons.com.
Former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has issued
the following update:
"Life is a crazy roller coaster ride, man. The ups and downs we go through
are enough to drive us insane if we let them.
"I'm sure all of you know the story of my separation from KORN many
years ago and the victories and struggles I've been through since. Through it
all, I've noticed something really cool happen in me the last few years. I've
actually grown to accept and appreciate the struggles in life so much, because
without them, there would be no victories.
"Recently, I have split from my record label Driven Music Group and
I have faced many new struggles in my life. However, I've also been traveling
the world with my band (Valentine, Dan and J.R.) playing
for you, my amazing fans! I am so excited to announce that a new chapter in my
life is finally here and I'm so thankful that all of you can be a part of it!
"I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time for new music from us,
and honestly, so have we! Which is why we're so excited to tell you that we've
been writing and recording with Jasen Rauch, one of the top producers
and former guitarist of RED.
"It feels amazing to be back in the studio and making new music!
"A new EP will be out early next year, and we cannot wait for you to hear
what we're working on! It is definitely some of the best music I've ever been a
part of.
"The good news is, you won't have to wait until next year for new music
though. On October 4th, we will be releasing our new single called 'Paralyzed'.
I hope you love the song as much as we do! We are definitely getting great
feedback so far. A video for 'Paralyzed' will also be released around
the same time. The single will be available at iTunes and other digital
download sites. It will be sent out to radio stations as well.
"Can you guys please do us a huge favor? Please spread the word about the
October 4th release date of 'Paralyzed' and call your local radio
stations and ask them to play it. Use any means necessary to get the word out —
word of mouth, flyers, and obviously Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and any other social sites out there! We really appreciate all of your help.
"As most of you know, this isn't only about selling our music. There is a
much higher purpose with what we do, so please help us pour some love into
people's lives.
"We also want to let you know we will be headlining the 'Over My Head
Tour' presented by Mocha Club this September. We're excited to
travel throughout the Western United States
with our homies in PROJECT 86, SPOKEN, and THE WEDDING.
There will also be VIP packages available for each date of the 'Over My Head
Tour'. Packages will include a meet-and-greet, a collectible tour lanyard,
an autographed poster, early entry, a photo opportunity with the bands and
more. Look for more information about the tour on our website and Facebook page.
"In October, we're gonna hit the road again with RED, ECHOES THE
FALL and ICON FOR HIRE. Check out our website, BrianHeadWelch.net,
for tour dates. It's gonna be a long two-month tour, but I'm stoked because,
for the first time ever, my daughter Jennea will be joining us on the
road full-time!
"We're really looking forward to seeing all of you on the road, so come on
out to say what's up and rock with us!
"We will be offering our email subscribers exclusive, sneak peeks at our
music before next year's release.
"If you have not signed up for our emails, go to BrianHeadWelch.net and sign up today. Don't miss the opportunity to hear our new music first!
"Thank you all so much for your support! We seriously love you all!"
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