The
guitar legend sent a £3,000 cheque to repair Angel Radio's transmitter, knocked
out by the strike in July.
The
station broadcasts pre-1969 music on the Isle of Wight.
Director
Bev Webster said: "We thought the cheque was a joke. But accountants
confirmed it was the real Keith Richards.
"I've
written to say thanks. It is so exciting to think he might be a fan."
A
spokesman for Keith, 67, confirmed he made the donation but would not comment
further.
CNN's Poppy Harlow goes inside the world of KISS — on board the band's plane on the way to a concert, to exclusive backstage
access. She also visits the homes of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley to explore how KISS has become one of the most branded names in the
world.
"Kiss Inc." is scheduled to premiere on CNN Presents on
Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET, replaying at 11:00 p.m. ET.
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.
Songtitles set to appear on "Lulu":
* Brandenburg Gate
* Frustration
* The View
* Cheat On Me
* Junior Dad
* Little Dog
* Mistress Dread
* Pumping Blood
A total of 10 tracks will appear on the final record.
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."
On Sunday September 25 at 3 p.m. EDT, Magna Carta recording artists Dave Martone and Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING
DIAMOND, EIDOLON) will take part in an historic performance that
will be webcast worldwide as part of the "Live At Metalworks" series from Mississauga, Canada.
Magna Carta has long been known for being a leading independent label
producing and distributing some of the best talent on the contemporary music
scene with an emphasis on musical virtuosity. Both Dave Martone and Glen
Drover have produced critically acclaimed albums for the label, showcasing
their world-class talents as guitarists and composers. Dave and Glen individually have developed fans and followers throughout the world who have
been impressed with both their technical abilities and emotional depth as
artists. Both guitarists will be backed by their own group of outstanding
musicians making this both a showcase of amazing talent and an informal
"clinic" for musicians around the globe.
Now Magna Carta will break ground by presenting both artists in a manner
in which very few independent label artists have been seen: live webcasting
with superior audio and video capabilities at no cost to the audience who will
be able to receive the webcast worldwide. One of the foremost webcasting
companies in this field, Orchard TV, will be providing these
technological services.
"Live At Metalworks" refers to the Metalworks group of
companies including award-winning Metalworks Studios the most renowned
and recognized recording facility in Canada for more than 30 years. The
September 25 webcast of Dave Martone and Glen Drover will be
presented from the facility's newly completed North Auditorium. The webcast
will also be available as an archive on the Magna Carta web site as well
as clips being available on YouTube after the live webcast.
Peter Morticelli, president of Magna Carta, says, "With Dave
Martone from Vancouver and Glen Drover from Toronto, we not only have two of the
greatest guitar talents that Canada
has ever produced but we have two musicians that have made their mark
internationally. The September 25 webcast will allow both of these great
players to showcase their abilities to the world via the internet. Magna
Carta is proud to be able to present a milestone event such as this."
The drought is almost over as Anthrax prepare to release their latest studio
album 'Worship Music'. 'Worship Music' is the first album to be released in
eight years, and the first with vocalist Joey Belladonna in twenty one years,
but those eight years have not been without there fair share of ups and downs.
In 2007 the band announced Dan Nelson as their new lead vocalist and soon
got to work on brand new material for what would become 'Worship Music'.
Everything seemed to be moving forward with Dan on vocals but in 2009 they
parted on bad terms with Anthrax releasing a statement regarding his departure
and Dan following up stating that he was forced out.
After trying to reignite the flame with former vocalist John Bush on a
reunion tour, Anthrax would again be at square one when Bush turned down the
opportunity to return full time after refusing to perform material written by
another vocalist.
The band turned their attention to former vocalist Joey Belladonna who
fronted the band during the 80's and early 90's. It was from here Anthrax was
reborn and entered the studio to work on the material that would be released
and form 'Worship Music'.
I recently caught up with Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna to talk about his
return to Anthrax, the band's new album 'Worship Music', the Big Four and his
solo material.
'Worship Music' will be released on 12th September via Nuclear Blast and
Megaforce Records.
Track: The Devil You Know
How excited are you to finally see
a new Anthrax album being released even though you haven't been through the
same rollercoaster of emotions as the rest of the band?
Aw you bet I'm excited. It's like the day I left or they parted ways with
me, it was kind of sad that we couldn't make any new music but here we are
again making music. It's pretty awesome that you can put together a new record
after this length of time.
Do you think this is the perfect
way to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of Anthrax? It does seem like with
all the years that this album was in motion that it was kind of hanging off
until this perfect moment.
Yeah the record is one thing but trying to keep it going and make a future
out of it again is what we are hoping for. This seems like the perfect moment
to cement the future of the band and give fans a line-up that they can be happy
with and stick with.
Yeah with the changes over the
last few years it has been hard to see where Anthrax have been going and what
direction the band would ultimately take if they ended up with a completely
different frontman.
Yeah I believe that. It is hard to really say to your fans and yourself what
the future holds when things are always changing. I certainly hope that this is
it now but there are no guarantees. I will tell you that it is everyone's goal
within the band to now move forward.
That's good to hear that there
will now be some stability because with the chopping and changing over the
years there was a worry that the band may start to lose their identity.
Yeah you're definitely going to get that but then other people will feel
that they like the new guy or they will feel that they have to sit and compare
every aspect of each line-up before focussing on what is most important and
that is the music. Some people might have only heard Anthrax with the change
(with John Bush on vocals) and may have not even known of me before and when
they start to compare it does stink. I suppose everyone does get a little bit of
variety if you want that kind of thing but I don't know, the identity of who
are we has definitely changed. People get to flip the coin with us and they can
look right or left and I can't really change that, I just have to be there to
do what I do and hopefully they dig it. I don't want to compete personally, I
don't feel like I have to compete because I think what I was doing with the
band was really good and that's where I feel like I left the band, not anything
less than that.
As this is the first album in
eight years and also your first with the band in twenty one years, do you feel
any pressure of trying to live up to those former glory days and try emulate
the success that 'Among The Living' had for example?
Well every time you put out something I guess there is a level of
expectancy. It's like the old saying that "you're only as good as your last
record" but yeah, pressure is always interesting, I don't really feel it
because you have just got to do what you do in order to put it together.
Putting songs together is a mystery because as long as we're feeling happy
about it then that is all you can ask for but you still hope it translates at
the same time and there is no way to tell how it will translate until it is
finally released. Usually your gut feeling is pretty good but I didn't really
worry about it because I just had to do what I had to do and I don't take on
any of that pressure if there is any at all.
I suppose you have been doing this
for far too long now so experience helps you past all of that.
Yeah experience is the key. I never used to get too worried about back in
the day either because like I said, I just went in, done my part and if I liked
what I heard and the band liked it then we were all happy.
Yeah, if you put too much focus on
what will make people happy then you lose who you are and you will only end up
disliking your own material.
Exactly and that is the way I roll. You do wonder what songs people will
like more and stuff like that and maybe at times you'll tune into things a
little differently to make it more open but there is plenty of music on this
album which should be appreciated for different reasons. I think we've got our
best songs on this album and sonically it is amazing so I'm definitely psyched.
Joey Belladonna - click to enlarge
Do think that 'Worship Music'
picks off from where you left off with 'Persistence Of Time' or were you
looking at this as a new evolved era of Anthrax so it stands apart?
I think the band has evolved especially with their writing style so there
are some interesting riffs that are now coming up that we probably wouldn't
have had before. I don't think I approached it any differently but it does
appear to sound different. I guess you could say that it does sound like were
we left off and technically it does keep some of that feeling from then but it's
just a new record, I never approached it with the thought of what I did back
then before I left, right here and right now is where I'm at.
Before the reunion last year and
after you parted ways with the band in 2007 did you ever see yourself getting back
together with the band or did you think that your time was over?
I guess it was a case of never say never because there were lot of things
going on in the band and a lot of moments were it could have been possible. I
thought there might a shot to do it all again someday and then of course the
reunion came along [in 2005] which was more a case of let's just go out and do
some shows and not take anything too seriously. I always remember the words
"baby steps" being said and that we shouldn't get too excited about being a
band again as we've got to go through all of the motions, let's just go out and
have some fun and whatever it was at the time I just rolled with it. I thought
they were looking for me to stay but I don't think they ever wanted to fully open
the door to me so there was no way for me to get in there and stay there. Then
I read online that they have got another singer and I didn't even hear anything
about it until I saw that so I was never on the cards to come back and
apparently I was never on the cards to come back this time either. If John had
stayed then they probably wouldn't have been bothered to think about me.
I was actually going to ask you
about that considering the fact they had Dan Nelson in first then they had John
and then it was yourself, do you kind of feel like you were a last resort?
It's interesting to think that I'm the last resort and sadly enough I think
that I'm a great choice to have as a last resort [laughs]. It does seem to be
that way as I'm never at the top of their agenda and all I can really do is
smirk as I can't fuss over it or cry over it and nor do I want to do any of the
above.
When they finally asked you to
join full time did you have any sort of sit down with them to discuss
everything that has happened before and how you felt about it or did you just
want to move forward and not dwell on the past?
Yeah we are always trying to make sure that those loose ends are all tied up
if there are going to be any at all. When they first asked if they could get me
to come in and start working on the record I said "yeah I'd like to" but I
wanted to know if I was officially there as a member and will this go down
properly. I had to make sure everything was going to be the way it should be as
it was a little late in the game for me to be jumping on board. We finally got
to the point that I was coming in and we booked some time, me and the producer
Jay [Ruston], after I looked at my calendar and said "well I have these days
open" so we ended up doing like four days then stop, couple of weeks break then
four days and stopping again. We went in and done one song a day and it just
came together. So overall we didn't so much sit down with a set of stipulations
that if they were not met then I wasn't coming in, I just wanted to know my
place. We toyed around with what we were going to be doing but there was
nothing that stopped us from rolling forward to the record.
When you were talking about what
you were going to be doing, did you at any point feel the way that John did in
that because you had no initial input to the album and the creative process
that you would have preferred to have more or less scrapped the album and
started a fresh?
Not really as I didn't have any stipulations regarding that. You know at
first if you are working on a record you would want to be there from the start
and it is nice to be able to analyse everything that you can possibly do with
the record but I don't always think that it is absolutely necessary. Sure you
get a better look at things but that doesn't always result in better results. I
didn't have a problem coming in and we ended up doing so much stuff that it
felt like we had started from the beginning anyway. I had to take every song
from the bottom. We made plenty of changes because there are lots of new
guitars, all new drums, all new bass and new lead and all new vocals so I find
that it was a brand new thing. As far as I saw and heard, the album wasn't done
at all, it was in the process of getting to the point where they would be
recording for real and they might of had a couple of things that could have
been mixed up or whatever but I never heard anything and I think they were far
from being where people think they were.
All of the reports that have been
coming out had all suggested that around 85% of the album had been recorded
before you came in so it was more a case of demos had been put in place?
Well when I came in they had a good layout of the songs and I got a good
idea of the tunes and I was singing, I was literally singing to two tracks, not
like separate stuff, I was singing to two tracks that they gave me of basic
stuff from the get go. I didn't find anything finished at all, in fact there
were times I was singing to the wrong cut [laughs]. They would just turn round
and say "oh you're singing to the wrong thing, we gave you the wrong one for
that but that could kind of work" so they were far from done, not even close to
it. Even if it was to a point where it was more done than not done it still
didn't really factor in to me as I didn't think of it that way. I would know
what is done or what doesn't sound finished I should say, so at the same time
if it was finished then that would have been fine but I never considered
anything they gave me as being complete. I had to listen to all of the music to
see where I was going to sing on there and how it would come together and it
was pretty easy. Whatever I was using as a guide track was good enough for me
as I do at home all of the time. I could finish the guitar and drums for a
track and sing to that today without any bass guitar or any lead guitar as I'm
so used to doing things like that. They could have given me a whole tune but
there would have still been a lot of work to do on that song because it is
empty without the vocal on it and nothing would really happen if we had not dug
in deep and made everything work. You have to make all the elements work
somehow and that won't happen unless things change.
I saw an interview where Scott was
talking about this and he was saying how they wanted to give you as much
freedom as you needed, more or less an open door policy, to come in and change
things as you seen fit to make the songs work.
I made changes but they weren't so much like scrap that part, take that part
out, move this part in, there weren't a lot of enormous changes. I had a
foundation of the riffs and the arrangement was fairly close but there were
times I sang and they decided to re-record to my voice by putting down new
guitar, new bass and new drums. Even 'Fight 'Em [Till You Can't]', we did that
on the road for quite a while, we did that whole song and some others that they
haven't even heard vocal takes that I did which I was really happy about but
there were just so many different kind of things going on. So yeah they gave me
as much freedom as I could take without me wandering off or making so many
changes that they didn't want me to make. I didn't make it hard for them and
they didn't make it hard for me at the same time as I think we work together
quite good. When it came down to finishing the songs we didn't have a whole lot
of time to spend on it and I'm one who doesn't like to spend a lot of time on a
song, I don't tend to dwell on a song for too long before I'd just say let's
write another one. If it is what it is and there are no changes to be made then
fair enough but a lot of time they don't allow you to do a lot things as they
are what they are. If you take a song like 'In The End', I mean god that is a
long song but then if you start thinking "oh that part is too long, why don't we
shorten that" you just need to say stop, it works the way it is and you don't
need to touch it. Back in the day or any other band might say "wow seven
minutes, what the hell are we going to do with that, we need it to be like four
minutes and twenty five seconds" but it's cool the way it is and there is space
to edit it if you want to but why bother.
Worship Music artwork - click to enlarge
How easy did working with Jay make
that process of being able to go in, work on the vocals, find out what areas of
the song needed developed to work vocally and musically and then look to move
forward?
Well Jay and I worked alone and he was very observant of the song and he
knows how I sing so I would just grab the best attitude that I could and go
with it. If there were any kind of cool things that I did he picked up on it
and he would like "wow that's great, do that again" or if I did something that
might have given him another idea then he would let me know. We were passing
ideas back and forth constantly and there were times that I would sing and it
would feel good but we would go again and get to about three takes for every
song. We didn't spend a lot of time working things out so much as he would pick
up on things quickly like timing and he would just tell me to be a little bit
sooner on this part, just normal stuff. He was very cautious of what I was
doing and he was very easy to work with, he never became degrading or pushy or
non-complimentary. I hardly said anything, I just saved it all for when I was
singing so we weren't wasting time with chitter chatter all day talking about
stuff as you can easily get caught up but we just stayed focussed and got down
to business. We used our time as wisely as we could and there were points that
I just didn't want to stop but you have to stop, take a break and eat or
eventually you will start to fade but this was the shortest amount of time I've
ever spent in any session. Sometimes you can go on into the night because
people are just sitting picking and picking at it.
Charlie has been pretty open with
his praise for your vocal performance on this album so do you think that kind
of way of working helped to bring the best out of you?
Well you know all I can say is that I'm very happy that they can enjoy what
I have done and that is all I can ask for. I don't know if it is the best that
I could have done as I think I could have done a whole lot more to be honest
with you as weird as that sounds. I was very cautious of not getting too far
ahead of myself on this album because there are moments I think that I could
have unloaded a little bit more but overall I'm glad that they like it because
it sounds good and it feels good. It's probably going to take a little for it
all to set in with me because I did it so fast, I mean there is stuff that I
cannot even remember doing because I did it so fast.
Does the final album meet your
expectations then or do you think it is actually lacking something if you felt
you could have put more into it?
Yeah so far it is a lot better than I thought it would be when I look at the
final album because parts of the music, lyrics and direction had been thought
about before me and I think I helped as I had a lot of great ideas that I put
in there. Whether it is the parts that me and Jay put down or the other guys
put down, there will always be room for improvement. I think overall I am very
happy but you can't really say how happy you are until you finish it and let it
sit for a little bit. When I write songs it takes me a while, you know when I
hear something and I think it sounds good then I know what will very likely be
one of the better songs but it isn't until I can let it sit and listen to it
that I realise how good some of it is and I think "wow". Usually I can tell
from the start what is going to be good as I'm pretty good at hearing where a
song is going and there were times I walked out of the studio knowing what
songs the guys were going to like when they heard them. So yeah overall I'm
pretty happy and I'm thankful for the response we have already received because
you can never tell how that will turn out.
When you came out of the studio
thinking that the other guys would like these songs, what were some of those
songs or what are some of your favourites?
I'd say 'The Devil You Know' is definitely one of them. 'In The End', 'Earth
On Hell' and of course 'Fight 'Em [Till You Can't]' has been there for a while
and that is another one. 'Crawl' is an interesting song but there are plenty on
there that I dig but those are some of them which hit me. 'I'm Alive' is a cool
tune and oh, there are too many on there to go into all of it but yeah those
are some picks.
'In The End' is actually a tribute
song for [Ronnie James] Dio and also Dimebag Darrell if I remember correctly.
Yeah I didn't even know it when I was given the lyrics to the song and it
just so happened to be the year of his passing. It's a nice thing to have as a
song but even though I didn't write it, Scott put it together, I have been able
to channel those lyrics myself and I thought it came out really good and I'm
happy we have it as a tribute to him.
When we look at some other aspects
of the album one is the artwork which was again created by Alex Ross. He
created something which is very similar to 'We've Come For You All' so was
there a reason to keep it so similar after an eight year gap or did it just
work with the theme?
To be honest with you I'm not really sure where it all came from as it was
in the works before I got back in the band. I didn't get to approve a cover, in
fact I didn't even get to see the cover for a while, hell I wasn't even told
anything about it. It's not for me to say anything other than "oh that's the
cover, interesting, cool!" [laughs].
I have to ask also about the
rosary beads you used as promotion for the album. The idea ties in well with
the worship part of the title but how did it originally spring up or who came
up with the idea?
Yeah I guess the whole idea behind that was just focussed on the whole
'Worship' idea but you know, I guess you can worship anything but man, I don't
know where that all came from either to be honest with you, this is the first
time I'm hearing of these beads [laughs]. This shows that I'm really kind of in
touch but not in touch with this record.
Track: Fight 'Em till You Can't
You've touched on the song 'Fight
'Em Till You Can't' as one of your picks from the album which we've heard from
Scott is all about fighting zombies and demons but I was wondering if that was
written based off fighting some of your own personal demons?
I don't know and I can't say specifically what it's geared towards but the
good thing about it is that I'm able to diverse and I'll just kind of divert
myself from that title and those lyrics just because I don't know. It's cool
the way people hear it and perceive it whether it is completely false or they
are right and just leave it at that but I can't answer that assuming that I
know what led to those lyrics.
The next step in the album cycle
is to tour on it but I've noticed on recent tour dates you have been performing
the song 'Only' from the first Anthrax album with John Bush ['Sound Of White
Noise']. What was the decision that led to this?
They just brought it up with me and asked if I wanted to try it so I said
"yeah I can certainly try" but I would hate to get into too much of the Bush
era as I'd like to do what I can do with what I have done before and with the
new songs and stuff. I don't want to have to go into that catalogue if I can
help it but I don't have a problem doing it, it's neat to try it and it's cool
live as it goes over well and it is a good song.
Would you just prefer then to
avoid doing any song from Bush era or do you think you need to do something to
please some fans?
Personally yeah and it's not like I can't sing it because I can sing most of
it but the more you do other stuff by other people then you have got to start
seeking approval from people over how you do it. If I could just not have all
of that hanging over my head it would be better but I can do it. There always
be somebody shouting "yeah you did ok with that" like as if I need their
approval, I don't, I just prefer to do the song without having to worry like
"hey did I do it ok? You guys think I'm doing it right? What am I doing wrong?"
that kind of thing. I think we have plenty of good songs but you never say
never, I'd prefer to just keep doing what I did before and that is my own
songs. They didn't do a whole lot of my back catalogue, well in the beginning
they did because John came in and we already had such an enormous catalogue of
songs that it needed to be done but eventually they did what they did with
their songs and it's just one of those things. I'm sure that David Lee Roth
(Van Halen) doesn't do many Sammy Hager songs, not that he needs to either
[laughs]. There is always someone who will feel like you haven't covered it
well or something stupid like that so why bother when you don't have to.
Do you think touring might become
difficult for the first little while as Scott has recently become a father and
he might find it difficult to leave for long periods of time?
No it shouldn't become a problem because Frankie [Bello, bass] and Charlie
[Benante, drums] have had children and you just know how to work it so you can
get around touring and things but I don't know how to predict anyone's personal
life when they have a child but it is something that you have got to work at.
There is a lot of convenience and inconvenience but I don't see it being a
major problem. I'm sure that if it was a problem that Scott would know how to
work around it because everyone has needs in the band.
The next Big Four show is at
Yankee Stadium which will be somewhat of special show for yourself and the band
being that you are a New York
band.
Yeah it is quite a big feature for us as you don't get to play that sort of
place as a venue too often. Its home for everybody but it's also a big demand
on family and friends because it becomes a really big burden on everyone to get
everything in and make sure that everything is right with all of the tickets
and that. There is no doubt that it is a special show with a venue that holds
many many fans from the city and to even just be in that stadium as a fan is
one thing but to have your hometown band be in there so to speak is really
cool. To even tell someone that you're playing Yankee stadium is awesome. Even
people that I met yesterday were like "oh you play in a band? That's cool,
where do you play?" and I'm like "well the next gig is in Yankee Stadium" and
they just look at you and say "you're….playing….Yankee Stadium" with no idea
who you are, they just have this look like "how can that be" [laughs].
[Laughs]. So what is the future
for the Big Four because you will be touring on 'Worship Music', Megadeth will
be touring on their new album 'Th1rt3en' when it is released in November and
Metallica are working on their project with Lou Reed before taking a break to
do their next album so are you planning a break from these shows or have you
already got some more plans in the works?
I don't know what's in store right now. It is really hard to say because
Metallica are going to really busy and I don't see anything coming up by the
end of the year at this point for some reason but that's just a prediction.
We'll see but everyone has to continue on doing what they are doing and when it
happens just give us some notice and we'll always be there.
Anthrax - click to enlarge
If you were to pick a favourite
song from the other three bands what would be your picks?
Oh, that's caught me off guard, let me think. I'd say 'Symphony Of
Destruction' by Megadeth, 'Raining Blood' by Slayer and 'Master Of Puppets' by
Metallica.
When you look at the bands who are
currently out there performing right now, can you see any band or bands that
you think would be capable of being somewhat of a new generation of the Big
Four or have you set such a high level that no-one would ever be able to
emulate that sort of success?
I don't know. I think the level that we have reached is a certain level of
longevity and we've earned the right to be where we are. It is too early to
tell and it's hard to tell if bands will stay together for as long as we all
have in order to build such a catalogue of music. It is just too hard to say at
this moment.
While we're on the subject of the
Big Four I may as well ask you this question. Obviously everyone is talking
about the Metallica and Lou Reed collaboration right now but has there ever
been someone that you would have liked to have collaborated with whether it was
an album or even just one song?
Hmm, good question. I suppose any one of the musicians [from the Big Four]
would be interesting to try and do anything with. I'm sure any one of us
working together would certainly make some good music. I'm not sure if any of
us want to work with anyone in particular as most of the time it just seems
like we're doing our thing and they are doing their thing so it is not
possible. Funny you actually ask me that [laughs]. One time I was in the
elevator with Dave Mustaine and he was working on a record and I turned round
to him and said "so when should I show up to the studio to do some vocals? When
are we going to do something together man?" cause I think he was asking about
the new Anthrax album and I was like "hey I don't know anything yet, no-one has
told me about anything yet" but he says "aw…but…you're working on it or
something like that right?" So I ask him when am I going to show up on his
record and he just looked at me and laughed like it wasn't possible. Why would
any of that be not possible you know but then again I don't know how people
roll or how they feel.
I suppose one of the benefits for
you, in terms of doing some collaborations, is that you always have your solo
material so you can ask for favours and do a little work with people to help
make an album happen at some point.
Yeah that's true.
Are you still planning to release
more solo material in the future?
Yeah definitely. I'm working on some stuff and I have almost a full record
worth of material sitting right here which is very well demoed up but it is
still far from done in its own way. I just keep running out of time whether
someone's schedule is messed up or whatever it is happening at the time and
it's unfortunate. Now of course Anthrax is back on the go so I just don't have
the time to sit for hours with the material but there is definitely some cool
metal here. By the time I get to do these songs I'll probably have a fresh
batch of ideas and songs to put on top of those. Right now I don't like to do
too much as I like to go out and play with my covers band when we can at the
weekend. I'm playing drums and singing some old classics like Rush, Deep
Purple, Led Zeppelin, Journey, Foreigner and all kinds of stuff like The Who
and Pink Floyd. Then I have Belladonna which I tour on and do some shows in and
out of the dates I have with Anthrax so that all keeps me busy. I'd like to put
another record out some day, put something out that I can again call my own as
I have some great ideas.
I was actually going to ask you
about drumming as I saw some pictures recently on Facebook of you behind the
drums but I had no idea that you had a covers band.
I have some dates coming up soon to keep me going until I head back out on
the road with Anthrax. We go out and play for four hours a night, singing all
the cool classic stuff man and it's such a blast, we have so much fun. I pick
the whole line of songs that I like whether it be [Judas] Priest or Free, Cream
or [Jimi] Hendrix, Rush and [Led] Zeppelin, there are just so many songs and
it's such a blast.
Could you ever see yourself
recording an album as part of a band with yourself not on vocals and maybe just
drumming?
Oh yeah I could see that happening. At this point right now I'm not sure
what to do with all of that you know. Do we release a covers record? Well yeah
we could do that but it's always interesting when you put out something that is
just full of cover songs. I think it would cool but it's just one of those
things were I need to try find time and can everyone else find the time to put
it together because I don't want to do something that is just going to be a
week here, a week there and a month there. If I'm going to do it then I'm going
to do it right but I do think it would be really cool to do. It would be very
interesting because that is all it takes, whoever wants to write some music or
play covers and play some music together. I'd love to do it as it would be very
interesting. Fact when I did the [Ronnie James] Dio tribute there we did 'Man
On The Silver Mountain' [from Rainbow's first album 'Ritchie Blackmore's
Rainbow'], that should come out too as that was a really beautiful take and
I've been doing that every night. It's a brilliant thing and I just feel
privileged enough to have a song like that for Ronnie.
Watching the published news regarding ADRENALINE
MOB and the conflict between the DREAM THEATER fans, trying to see
who is right and who is wrong (if that can be ever cleared out), we were
determined not to waste our chatting time with Mike Portnoy fueling all
these statements that have flooded the internet. We wanted to focus on the new
band and learn more about his impressive onstage super group. So, if you want to
treat of 'dirty little secrets' please move on to a tabloid and skip METAL
KAOZ.
________________________________
So, Mike how is the tour so far for
ADRENALINE MOB?
We have just played six or seven shows so this is an ongoing process of the
birth and the beginning of a new band. We have played in small clubs but also
in big places supporting GODSMACK, so got a taste of both 'worlds'.
Did you have the proper time to
rehearse and solidify your sound for the tour?
We did that for a couple of days and in fact it was just what we needed. After
all we are professional musicians and the songs are not that complicated. As
long as everyone does his homework rehearsals are easy.
And now the obvious question; how
ADRENALINE MOB was born?
It started with Mike Orlando and Russell Allen. They started
working together years ago and have co-written these songs. I have been a
friend with Russell for a long time since SYMPHONY X have opened
for DREAM THEATER for many times and we knew we wanted to work together
sometime. So, as soon as I had become available after AVENGED SEVEFOLD, Russ said "Hey check this out, will you be interested in working in this
band?" . The moment I listened to a couple of songs, I was in.
So, you just got in the band?
Yeah, this was not something I put together. They asked me if I wanted to get
in.
Does this also mean that the songs in
the EP were already written before getting in the band?
Well, the EP is just the taste of how the full length is going to sound like.
Most of the songs in the full length album were already written before I had
started working with Russ and Mike. Some of them were developed
after I got in like "Psychoshane" and "Feelin Me". I think we
have 12 songs ready and 8-9 were already written.
Do you have in mind a release date for
the album or even a record deal?
We are actually in the process of find a record label to release it. We are in
the talks with some labels in order to find what is best for this band because
it is a very different one and not something like DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY
X. At this point, we have in mind that the album is going to be out in
January 2012. Having the tour slot with GODSMACK we thought it would be
a nice introduction to the band to self-release an EP for now.
Everyone in this band has a rich
musical background; do you believe that this adds pressure to ADRENALINE MOB as
a band?
It puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the band. First of all, there is a
lot of pressure coming from my side, since this is the first band after DREAM
THEATER and AVENGED SEVENFOLD, so there is a lot of focus on what I
will do next. Also, this is the first 'real' band that Russell has done
outside of SYMPHONY X. And the biggest pressure comes from the fact that
people coming to the show are expecting to watch a Progressive Metal band and ADRENALINE
MOB is NOT. We realize that this is not DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY
X and, in fact, this is the fuckin' point of that. If we wanted to play
Progressive, we could do it in DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY X. This
is a totally new 'beast'. There is a side of me that always loved aggressive,
riff oriented music like PANTERA, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY or SLIPKNOT and things like that. Of course, I still love Progressive music and million
times signature and 20 minutes epic songs, but I have been doing this for 25
years. So, it was time to do something different and this goes also for Russ.
Do you feel that you have to apologize
or explain yourself for this move?
I don't think I have to apologize for this and I am excited and proud of this
band. But I feel that I have to explain and help people to understand that by
this EP is not going to sound like a Progressive Metal band. As long as they
leave that expectations aside and take it for what it is, then there is no
apologize necessary.
Before getting to write the music for
this band, did you have in mind of its musical direction?
Mike and Russ had that in their minds and as I said the minute I
listened to the track "Undaunted",I texted Russ and told
him that I wanted to join them. I always wanted to do something aggressive,
heavy but at the same time melodic with grooves, riffs and high energy music.
You will see at the show tonight that there will be really performers on stage.
And with no disrespect to SYMPHONY X or DREAM THEATER I will say
this is a very different stage presentation. I mean, with DREAM THEATER I was the most animated performer like Russ is for SYMPHONY X but
in this band I should say I am the most 'mellow'… everybody is running circles
around me all the time. It is a nice, different and refreshing environment.
After this string of live dates, what
is next?
We are going to work on the release of the full length album and do whatever it
takes to get it out there and if some more touring comes our way before that,
we will love to do it because we enjoy doing it. The current tour is like an
introduction of the band; playing in small clubs, giving the people that
intimate feeling just like a showcase of what is about to come.
Have you missed playing in small
clubs?
I like them both. I mean, I like the comfort and being spoiled in big arenas,
but I definitely enjoy the intimate interaction in a club. And usually with all
the side projects I have done it is usually shows in small clubs.
You have also another project on the
making with John Sykes?
Actually, I have two. The other one is something I have been working before ADRENALINE
MOB with Steve Morse, Neal Morse, Casey McPherson and Dave
LaRue. I did that in January and the release date is going to be set up.
And something that is to come with me and Jonh Sykes thatwe plan
to start working this fall.
Do you have a name for this project?
Well, we do but we haven't announced it yet.
Ok, fair enough. So, how can you keep
yourself focused by working in three different things?
Well, I am a workaholic and even when I was in DREAM THEATER,I
juggled a million things outside the band, so now without DREAM THEATER I
am going to juggled a million and one things... (laughs). At this point
of my career being free agent, I can do whatever I want and work with different
people and musical outlets. These bands are very different with each other; ADRENALINE
MOB is a heavy riff oriented band, the thing I have with Steve Morse and Neal Morse is alternative pop with progressive elements and what I will
be doing with Sykes it will be classic Rock like DEEP PURPLE, LED
ZEPPELIN or PINK FLOYD, so I don't think anyone class with each other
in terms of the audience. And in terms of my schedule? Well, I have to juggle
them (laughs).
So, what have you prepared for us today? Are you gonna play the
entire EP and then?
Well, we are going to play the entire full length album, plus some cover songs.
Will you include MAIDEN's "Flight Of Icarus"? [we heard that
during the soundcheck]
(laughs) We did that only for the soundcheck...
Will the album include any cover songs?
Actually, it will and this is the only thing we won't be playing tonight
because we want people to hear it for the first time from the album. And it
will be something you won't ever expect from us and I cannot tell you the
title...
That's ok, I understand. So, how did you choose to cover BLACK
SABBATH's "Mob Rules"?
As soon as we had come up with the ADRENALINE MOB name, right then I
said "Now, we have to cover "Mob Rules"" (laughs). Not
only because it's a perfect fit for the band's name, but it is also a great
musical fit because Russ can do a great job with Dio songs.
Yeah, he does! What about the production of the new album; will Russ
and Mike be doing that just like they did for the EP?
The album has been recorded but has not been mixed and produced. We are still
debating on who is going to produce and mix it.
Well, Mike we have pretty much covered
all of our questions. Do you have something to add?
Well, I am pretty excited with this band and I am also grateful for the fans
who are standing beside me and, you know, understand my vision and my musical
needs to branch out and do different things.
Have you been facing 'haters' along
this process?
Absolutely I have. It has been a tough year for me watching DREAM THEATER fans
turning their backs on me, which is unfortunate because I have been the most
fan-oriented artist you'll ever meet. And during my time with DREAM THEATER,everything I did was for the fans. So, it is sad when I see someone turning
his back on me. But again, there is a big number of fans who have been very
supportive and for those people I am so eternally grateful and I will continue
trying to make them proud fans.
Thank you very much for taking the
time to talk to me.
No thank you, I appreciate it. Thanks brother.
Just
how do you start an introduction for an interview with a legend of the rock
scene such as Phil Lewis? Well how about with the impact he has had on my
own life for starters? Phil was the lead singer in one of the most influential
bands of my teenage years. Girl, a band that crossed glam rock style with punk
rock attitude and with his ice cool image and unique banshee vocal style he
soon had his picture in all of the nation's tabloids, largely I guess due to
his girlfriend at the time being Britt Ekland. All this got my teenage
brain thinking that maybe one day I should start my own band. I mean who
knows? Perhaps Britt might be on the rebound sometime soon eh? It also
helps that Girl also made some fantastic music to stand testament to my fawning
praise some thirty odd years on, but the mark that band left on my life was an
indelible one, and as such I became what you might call a bit of a "Phil
Lewis fan".
By
1982 Girl were failing to pieces and via a stint fronting The New Torpedoes it
wasn't long before Phil picked up the vocal job in Torme, a band that also
featured the one and only Bernie Torme on guitar.
Failing
to set the UK
alight with Torme in spite of becoming a huge underground cult band, it was in
1985 that Phil, finally found his true spiritual home as lead singer in L.A
Guns, and I suppose the rest you pretty much know.
It
was a great honour and a privilege to get to speak with Phil and exchange
Emails for what became the foundations of this interview, and it was also a
great pleasure to witness him front his childhood heroes The Heavy Metal Kids
back in May for what will no doubt be one of my gigs of the year come the time
to compile my final list.
Anyway
enough of my wittering and on with the interview action as ladies and gentleman
I give you the one and only Phil Lewis.
Hey
Phil firstly many thanks for taking the time to talk with us at Uber Rock when
things must be more than a little busy for you preparing to hit the road in the
US and then the UK again later in the year with LA Guns. You've just
announced a set of dates for you and Steve Riley's LA Guns what's happening
with the line up right now?
Phil:Right now I'm driving from Cleveland to
Lapeer Michigan.
Last night we played an outdoor festival with Jackyl, that went very well they
always put on a hell of a fun rock show tonight we're playing with Steelheart.
(I'm
inserting a letter here from the promoter to our agent from this specific show
just so you can we had a great time)
Sirs
Well,
Steelheart is great. Very respectful and polite. Everyone dressed appropriately
for a family festival. Very pleasant to work with.
However,
LA Guns is and was HORRIBLE. The Lapeer Days Festival and Chamber of Commerce
is extremely unhappy with them. And embarrassed! They brought ladies with them
that looked like the belonged in a strip club. The tour manager uses vulgar
language and was violent with the sound company's back line. He was throwing
stuff around the sound company's truck and kicking equipment. The band was
awful. They had to be told three times they could not have beer on stage. It is
an outdoor festival in a downtown area. The police regulate the city ordinance
not the festival or the chamber. They still took it on stage with three police
officers standing behind the stage. After the performance they went down in the
hospitality suite. I was on main stage getting things ready for Steelheart. A
security guard came to tell me I had to go to the suite because the front man
of LA Guns stripped his clothes off. He was not pleasant and very rude. He had
to be told by three different people to get dressed. Including by a police
officer. There were children down stairs. LA Guns were not happy they were not
the headliner. I did not pick the line up that way. So needless to say...if we
could get our money back we would ask for a full refund. And we are considering
not using ARM next year. You said they were an easy band to work with. I felt
like I was watching a bunch of two year olds. It was not good at all.
Diana
You
can't make this stuff up can you.
Anyway
back to the interview................
It's
the busiest time of the year for us. It's trying but great fun, I love being
out on the road. Next week we're back in LA for the Jani Lane tribute with Great White and
Quiet Riot. And then we're off to Korea
for the first time, and from there we fly to Norway
for a European run that includes France, another country LA Guns
have never played in. Viva la France Vive la Anarchy.
And
you're playing some really intimate dates on your upcoming UK tour, what's
the idea behind that?
(Laughing
loudly) 'Intimate', that's a polite term for small. It's been a while since we
played outside the US.
I'll be honest, Tracii bringing one crap version after another over there
hasn't exactly enhanced the band's reputation, but it's just got to the now or
never point. It's time to give the fans the real deal. All original songs
played amazingly well with the voice that's on the record. I'm glad people are
already responding favorably. I just heard our show in Glasgow has already sold out, so I guess
people know the difference.
It's
been six years now since 'Tales from the Strip' (which I thought was a real return
to form for you guys by the way) surely we are due a new LA Guns album from you
guys sometime soon?
We
have the songs and we have the same dream team that produced 'Waking The Dead',
'Rips The Covers', and 'Tales', Andy Johns and Bruce Whitkin. Right now I'm
working on a new solo record that's long overdue. After that I'd love to get
back in the studio. Recording 'Tales' was an amazing experience. We did very
little pre production, and I wrote most of my parts on the fly, but we knew
quite early on we had the makings of a great record
Keeping
with LA Guns for a moment you've obviously read my recent live review of
Tracii's version and seen his comments about only wanting to work with you guys
again if the "money was right" what do you think or have to say about
the stance Tracii has taken over the L.A Guns brand and legacy?
Honestly,
I want double what he's asking to put up with his crap, and no one out there is
offering that kind of dough, so no. We sound great. Stacey's an amazing
guitarist, we have great chemistry, and we proved with 'Tales' we don't need
Tracii anyway. Tracii's been running his version of the name into the ground
and hasn't released a single new song in the six years he's been doing it. It's
sad actually. He's a brilliant guitarist he should be doing better.
What
I find refreshing from your current line-up's point of view is that your
website features all the line ups of the band, and all the history of LA Guns
whatever the singer, whilst Tracii however really seems to have a selective
memory....
I
will forever be grateful for Tracii giving me the gig that changed my life.
It's hard to explain how much fun we had together when I joined the band, but
he's a fickle dude, and it wasn't long before the honeymoon was over. We were
kinda stuck with each other for a while, and we had little in common, most of
all music. I admit that on the first record it was a salvage job, and I think I
did pretty well, but 'Cocked And Loaded' had some very good songs Tracii and I
wrote together. But by 'Hollywood Vampires' I got back into writing
complete songs like 'Over The Edge' and 'Crystal Eyes' and bringing them in to the
band. During the recording of 'HV' and 'VC', I never saw Tracii in the studio;
he just snuck in with his posse and laid his solos on finished songs.
Anyway
enough of L.A Guns just for now, you've also been involved with the legendary
Heavy Metal Kids recently fronting some shows in Croatia and London (which I
was lucky enough to be at). How was that for you?
A
dream come true to be honest. I was the world's biggest HMK fan, and after Girl
got signed I became friends with Gary Holton, who actually sang lots of backing
vocals on 'Sheer Greed'. It was magic befriending my idol. He was such an
enigmatic guy; I learned so much from him. We shared lots of things, including
a few girlfriends. I was devastated when he died. I lost him and Phil
Lynott - both dear friends and peers, and all from the same horrible heroin the
Iranians were flooding the streets of London
with after their currency was deemed worthless by the revolution they were
escaping from. At one point it was cheaper to get high on smack than it
was beer.
Anyway
I loved the HMK, and when I heard they reformed I was very curious. And
as soon as I heard 'Hit The Right Button' I became excited and got in touch via
Myspace and half joking/half serious offered my services. I never knew
anyone else from the band except Gary,
and I never heard back from them for about a year.
Is
it true it all came about due to Joe Elliott?
Yes,
in a way it's true. Joe and Phil were also huge HMK fans and were at a show in London where Joe got up
and sang 'She's No Angel', and after the show he suggested me, and then the
penny dropped. They got in touch and offered me the gig. It was a lot of work learning
their entire set, but well worth it as soon as we started the very first
rehearsal. The guys were golden, and it's truly one of the highlights of
my career, singing in the band that I worshiped when I was a teenager. I hope
we can do more shows in the future. I was so heavily influenced by Gary, it was an amazing
compliment when Ronnie Thomas referred to me as "the sorcerer's
apprentice", really gave me chills. I love hearing all the funny Gary stories from the
guys. I miss Gary,
but I feel him living on through me whenever I play his music. It's hard to
explain.
There
are some great pictures I've seen of you and Gary Holton on Facebook.
Gary
Holton and Alex Harvey, who also sang some backing vocals on 'Sheer Greed',
were my two biggest heroes. They were such larger than life characters; I
was spellbound when ever I was around them. I think they both were a huge
influence on my fledgling rock and roll persona.
I
also have to say you fitted the position of Artful Dodger perfectly Phil can we
expect to see anymore shows with you at the helm?
I
really hope so.
And
of course you brought your own touch to the line up by adding a cracking cover
of The Angels 'Marseilles' to the set list for those shows, a song which you
last did with LA Guns on the 'Rip The Covers Off' album.
Yes
thanks, but to be honest the band had no idea what a fan I was of theirs, and I
hope pleasantly surprised that I knew their songs so well and didn't really
need to do any covers in the set.
So
who else influenced you to do what you do? I mean Girl were really like
no one else in the UK at that time (OK maybe Japan were kinda similar) and
Torme etc were all bands well ahead of their time, I guess
Bingo!!!
Japan
were Girl's biggest influence without a doubt, I loved their first two records,
and me and the band would attend any local shows they played like a religious
event. It's funny now, but back then I thought they were going to be the
next Beatles. I was sickened to watch them get appalling abuse from the
Blue Oyster Cult crowd when they opened for them at Hammersmith Odeon, but to
their credit they completed their set in spite of being covered in spit and
beer. Little did I know, I was in for the same kind of treatment quite
soon after.
Long
story short but Girl were once due to play my hometown back in the early
Eighties with Def Leppard, but the show got pulled due to the local Council
receiving complaints about people enjoying themselves too much at a previous
month's show by Saxon (laughing).... How much has the live music scene changed
in the time since the days of those early shows?
Really?
Strange story. It's way different now that we've become mainstream, not too
many pissy nightclubs and roadhouses, more casinos even cruise ships, and our
fans have grown with us and have higher standards and have much more money now.
What
was it about the UK that
finally made you relocate to the US back in the mid Eighties?
It
was very frustrating not being taken seriously by the UK music
industry. We (Torme) were selling out every show we played, with lines
around the block and die-hard fans loyal to the band. We were getting
stellar press, and still no label had the guts to invest in a rock band. After
a while it became obvious if we didn't release something we would lose the
momentum. Which we did, and things got bad between us due to frustration.
I proved them wrong when I joined L.A Guns and our record went gold very soon
after its release in the States and did very well in the UK. I think if
Torme had been signed, I might not have left England.
The
evolution of L.A Guns is a pretty well documented these days (with the Internet
and everything) but what can you tell us about your time in the band that no
one else knows (not yet of course)?
With
the exception on one member who shall remain nameless, I've remained very good
friends with everybody that's ever been in the band, even if they were only in
for a very short time. Chris Holmes, Kerri Kelly, Brent Muscat all life
long friends and fellow rock soldiers.
Okay
lets move on to another facet of your long and illustrious career for a minute,
please tell us what was the idea behind you taking up the role of Doctor Gorgon
in the movie 'Witchmaster General'? (The premise of an evil witchdoctor who you
can hire for a murder on demand certainly sounds interesting....)
Jim
Haggerty, the writer and director of the film, has been a fan since I snuck him
and his mates backstage when they were teenagers when we were on tour with
AC/DC. I guess the actor he had for the part didn't work out, and he
offered me the role. I didn't know at the time it was for the
starring role, I thought it was just a tiny cameo part. I freaked out
when I received the script. It was a challenge. I like challenges.
Can
we expect any other venture into the field of acting Mr Lewis?
I
thought I did a pretty good Gary Holton. Yes?
If
we were to do the random five tracks on Phil Lewis' I Pod/I Phone MP3 player
right now what would come up?
Honestly.........
Lots
of classical music. I love Beethoven. The seventh symphony is my
favorite piece of music, I get chills whenever I hear it. Lots of HMK. I
absolutely love 'Hit The Right Button', and in my honest opinion 'Whiskey' is a
masterpiece. I like sexy dreamy music like Mazzy Star. My favorite new
band is VOJ. Jesse Forte is the best new singer in L.A, they're a very
exciting band to watch now that he's fronting them. And I'm a huge Robert
Johnson fan, I can't get enough of that raw early blues stuff, and when I fancy
a laugh I listen to The White Stripes.
And
just to finish things off as I do with most interviews I do these days are
there any messages you would like to share with your fans worldwide right now?
Thanks
for the support. I admit I was a crap singer when I started, with no idea
how to write a decent song, but fan support really helped maintain my
enthusiasm and kept me going and eventually made something out of me. I
couldn't have done it without the support of fans. The press and industry hated
Girl, but we had the most loyal fans a young band could ever ask for.
And
with that we'd like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us at Uber
Rock, we'll hopefully catch up with you on the UK tour so until then we wish
you all the best Phil.
It's
all good. Thanks guys
And
it's not just the U.K either Phil and his version of L.A Guns (what many might
refer to as the definitive version) will be touring Europe
pretty much solidly throughout September and October, and you can check out all
the dates and band news via their website. See you down the front punks!
http://laguns.net/
ANOTHER ANIMAL — the side project started by GODSMACK members Tony Rombola on guitar, Robbie Merrill on bass and Shannon
Larkin on drums — has been confirmed for ShipRocked 2011, the music
and lifestyle cruise which will set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on
November 14 to the tip of Mexico and its popular stretch of gorgeous Caribbean
water known for scuba diving, shopping and bars aplenty, and return five days
later.
ShipRocked 2011 billing is shaping up as follows:
ANOTHER ANIMAL
BROKEN TEETH
BUCKCHERRY
HELLYEAH
HINDER
IN THIS MOMENT
LIVING COLOUR
LYNAM
QUEENSRŸCHE
RIVAL SONS
SEVENDUST
SICK PUPPIES
ASK4 Entertainment's Alan Koenig promises "ShipRocked
2011 will be five days of wall-to-wall music, giving fans the rare
opportunity to listen to and hang out with rock stars on a luxury cruise ship.
With the confirmed artists onboard (and additional acts to be announced),
there's enough music for whatever your heart rate can withstand." Main
support comes from L.A.'s IN THIS MOMENT, led by the vocal pyrotechnics of Maria Brink. And
the organizers are happy to have returning late-night favorites LYNAM,
as well as the inescapable Texas
thunder of BROKEN TEETH, led by the affable Jason McMaster, and
new sensation RIVAL SONS and their brand of '70s-style guitar groove.
The setting is the MSC Poesia (Italy)
one of the cruise industry's most acclaimed new super cruise ships. It all
begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
visiting the premier Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel.
Exuding her Italian roots, the Poesia features include the luxurious Aqua Spa,
two pools, four Jacuzzis, a state-of-the-art cardio gym, salon, sushi bar, wine
tasting bar, the Teatro Carlo Felice, a beautiful, three-level, Las Vegas-style
theater, and additional stages for ShipRocked bands and passengers to
enjoy all night long!
Prices start at only $799 per person, based on double occupancy, and include
exclusive access to all ShipRocked concerts and special events, deluxe
stateroom, meals, ship activities, ship entertainment and much, much more!
Space is limited so early booking is encouraged to guarantee your cabin.
Tickets for ShipRocked 2011 are being sold on a first-come, first-served
basis, and are only available at GetShipRocked.com or by calling 1-888-438-9509.
Although ANOTHER ANIMAL's 2007 debut album failed to interest the
public, the group, which also features original GODSMACK guitarist Lee
Richards and ex-UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane, will
release a new song called "Fall Of Rome" this fall. Larkin told the Naples News that if the single takes off, a new album could be
in the works.
The Pulse Of Radio asked Larkin last year if he thought there
would ever be a second ANOTHER ANIMAL outing. "I'm not sure about
the ANOTHER ANIMAL project," he said. "You know, we love the
record still, we had a Top 10 hit at rock radio and we had a great, great time
doing it. But for whatever reasons, the people didn't go out and buy the record
so, you know, the label wasn't like, 'You guys got to get back to the studio
and make another record!' So it's still out there, and if everybody goes out
and buys that record, we'll make another one."
Larkin told Naples News that "Fall Of Rome" is "a heavy, charged
track about the recent overthrowing of lame leaders and governments by the ones
with the real power: the people. Egypt,
Tunisia and now Libya are
repeating history before the eyes of the world stage, and this song is like an
oppressed person talking directly to an unjust dictator saying enough!"
The drummer added, "If the song does well enough at radio, we will tour in
the fall and make a new record as well."
GODSMACK ended a three-year hiatus last year with the release of its
fifth studio effort, "The Oracle".
GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna issued his first solo album, "Avalon",
last September and toured behind it this past May and June.
American power metal band VAINGLORY, which features
in its ranks vocalist Kate French (CHASTAIN) and lead guitar
virtuoso Corbin King, has scheduled the following dates:
Oct. 08 - Sweetwater Live - Duluth, GA (w/ ABYSS, THE WORLD'S FARE)
Oct. 10 - Masquerade – Atlanta, GA (w/ FIREWIND, ARSIS, WHITE WIZZARD,
NIGHTRAGE)
VAINGLORY recently announced the addition of second guitarist Jerry
Tharp to the group's ranks.
VAINGLORY in April made a new track, "Ballistic",
available via the group's ReverbNation TuneWidget. The song will appear
on the follow-up to 2007's self-titled "Vainglory" album,
entitled "Manifesting Destiny", which is expected in the
coming months. A video for "Ballistic" will be filmed later
this month.
According to a press release, "The sound of ['Manifesting Destiny']
will be a bit different than the previous in that the songs are heavier,
tougher, the choruses bigger, and feature the best performances from all the
bandmembers." Other songtitles set to appear on the album include "Epidemic", "Manifesting Destiny", "Comin' Back", "Force
Centrifical", "Spit", "Time of
Reckoning", "Getchu Some", "Waste Of
Skin", "Dead To Me" and "To My Face".
French previously stated about "Manifesting Destiny",
"It is KICK-ASS!! No fancy frills, no guest appearances, no pricey names
backin' us up, no name-droppin' or regurgitated, fake, money-making BULLSHIT,
but if you wanna hear US do what we do, with no sugar-coating, THE REAL DEAL...
that is what your gonna get and it is IN-YOUR-FACE, total groove-oriented HEAVY
METAL!!!"
She added, "This CD, it's much different than anything I've done vocally.
I wanted to show every kind of metal vocal style I can do, and I can do it ALL.
From death to screamo to the Halford highs, to sissy L.A. girl fairy princess (I don't do that on
this, though), but it is still me. Don't be too shocked, I think you'll like
it. Not too much, but just enough of everything."
VAINGLORY's self-titled CD was released in Europe
in April 2007 via MTM Music.
Minneapolis, Minnesota-based hard-rock/industrial act AMERICAN
HEAD CHARGE has reformed and will embark on a short U.S. tour, dubbed "Tourette",
in October. So far the following shows have been announced:
Oct. 20 - Mankato, MN - Buster's
Oct. 21 - Kalamazoo, MI – [to be announced]
Oct. 22 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew
Oct. 23 - Duluth, MN - Clyde Iron Works
Oct. 24 - Toledo, OH - Frankie's
Oct. 25 - Barrington, IL - Penny Road Pub
Oct. 26 - Des Moines, IA - People's
Oct. 27 - Barnesville, MN - The Mainline Tavern
Oct. 28 - Fargo, ND - The Nestor Tavern
Oct. 29 - Burnsville, MN - Primetime
AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE 2011 is:
Cameron Heacock - Vocals
Chad Hanks - Bass
Justin Fowler - Keyboards, Backing vocals
Karma Singh Cheema - Guitar
Christopher Emery - Drums
AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE announced in August 2009 that it was disbanding due
to Heacock's "inability to continue on a musical career path."
The band's sophomore album, "The Feeding", came out in
February 2005.
AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE released a DVD/CD entitled "Can't Stop the Machine" in April 2007 on Nitrus Records via Fontana/Universal. The
90-minute DVD chronicled HEAD CHARGE's career with a poignant tribute to
deceased guitarist Bryan Ottoson, insightful interviews and no holds
barred live footage. The companion CD featured unreleased tracks and a remix of
the HEAD CHARGE classic "Just So You Know" by Wired All
Wrong.
AVA INFERI, the Portugal-based band whose lineup
includes Norwegian guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), has announced the addition of drummer Sasha
Horn (NOVEMBERS DOOM) to the group's ranks.
Commented Rune: "After having had some contact with Sasha over the last few years, I am now very happy we have come to this joint
conclusion. The last of the lost keys has been recovered!
"I have for some time now wanted to strengthen the fundament of the band,
to go deeper and to include some heavier and more powerful elements into the
sound of our creations. I truly believe that Sasha possesses the
necessary qualities to make this happen, and I am highly confident about the
next steps in our path together."
Sasha had this to say about joining the band: "I was ecstatic
beyond belief when this opportunity was brought to me, and needless to say, I
jumped at the chance! I'm a huge fan of what AVA INFERI has created, and
we anticipate wonderful things as a result of this new union."
In other news, AVA INFERI has inked a deal with the London, England-based booking agency Mythology-Live (whose roster includes such bands as ELECTRIC WIZARD, ULVER, MAYHEM and many more). Mythology has a worldwide reputation for providing
unique, cutting-edge music — delivering a vast array of talent to promoters in Australia, Asia, Europe and South America.
AVA INFERI's fourth album, "Onyx", was released in
February via Season Of Mist.
Abyss Records is reissuing the long-out-of-print "Boil(ing)" LP from Houston, Texas thrash legends DEAD HORSE.
Limited to 1,000 copies on transparent-with-red-and-black-splatter 180-gram
vinyl, it comes with a 18-inch-by-24-inch poster, four-inch vinyl sticker and
free download card.
Go to this location to reserve your copy today. This item will
not ship until October 22.
In other news, Abyss Records and DEAD HORSE have just made the
brand new "Farm Road 666" t-shirt design available at the label's
webstore.
DEAD HORSE has returned after nearly 15 years of silence! Since
disbanding in 1996, the raging tones of DEAD HORSE have never stopped
ringing in the ears of the faithful and now the group is back to show a new
generation of maniacs what true thrash is all about. On October 22, at
Warehouse Live in Houston, DEAD HORSE will take the stage for the first time since its breakup.
Also appearing on the bill will be VENOMOUS MAXIMUS, BOWEL and LEGION.
SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren will join the
Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend in London, England
this fall for several exclusive live performances. With a schedule of four
shows in four days, Verbeuren will be at the helm on two of these
limited engagements. Each concert will consist of one album performed in its
entirety, in which "Deconstruction" and "Ki" will feature Verbeuren. The performance dates are November 10-13, 2011
and tickets are currently available on HevyDevy.com. All shows will be filmed for a future DVD
release.
It has been a busy summer for Verbeuren, with multiple SOILWORK festival
appearances across the globe, recording with renowned ex-NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis, and current studio work with technical thrash
metallers POWERMAD. Additionally, Verbeuren has created "Library
Of The Extreme Volume III" in his personal Die Crawling Studio,
which is due out this fall. "Volume III" is the follow-up to Verbeuren's
acclaimed MIDI libraries "The Metal
Foundry" and "Library Of The Extreme Vol. I & II",
released through Toontrack.
For more information, visit www.dirkverbeuren.com.
American avant garde folk metal band AGALLOCH and Britain's most necro black metal act ANAAL
NATHRAKH have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Inferno festival, set to take place April 4-7, 2012 at the Rockefeller and John Dee
venues in Oslo, Norway. Also scheduled to appear on
the bill are BORKANAGAR, ARCTURUS and WITCHERY.
The Inferno metal festival has become a true black Easter tradition for
metal fans, bands and music industry from all over the world with nearly 50
concerts every year since the start back in 2001. The festival offers exclusive
concerts in unique surroundings with some of the best extreme metal bands and
experimental artists in the world, from the new and underground to the
legendary giants. At Inferno you meet up with fellow metalheads for four
days of head banging, party, black-metal sightseeing and expos, horror films,
art exhibitions and all the unholy treats your dark heart desires.
For more information, visit www.infernofestival.net.
CANNIBAL CORPSE, BEHEMOTH, SUFFOCATION, MORGOTH, NAPALM DEATH and ACHERON are among the confirmed
bands for next year's edition of the Neurotic Deathfest, set to take
place March 2-4, 2012 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
CANNIBAL CORPSE
BEHEMOTH
SUFFOCATION
MORGOTH
NAPALM DEATH
ACHERON
MISERY INDEX
LEGION OF THE DAMNED
CARNIFEX
BENEATH THE MASSACRE
SUICIDAL ANGELS
WITHIN THE RUINS
MOLOTOV SOLUTION
A total of over 50 top acts will perform at next year's event.
Ticket sales will commence on September 17 at 10:00 a.m. CET.
For more information, visit www.neuroticdeathfest.com.
San Diego-based deathcore band CARNIFEX is in the
studio recording its new album, "Until I Feel Nothing", for an
October 25 release via Victory Records. Produced by Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING), the follow-up to 2010's "Hell Chose Me" "captures an in-your-face extremity that drips with malice and ferocity,
solidifying the effort as the most anticipated album of the year,"
according to a press release. The cover artwork was created by famed comic book
illustrator Menton3 (Silent Hill, Monocyte) and can be
seen below.
During the writing process for the new CD, CARNIFEX "aimed to
redefine their extreme sound, resulting in their most brutal album to date. The
dark, blasphemous approach to 'Until I Feel Nothing' results in an
abrasive record, complete with blood-curdling screams and razor-sharp guitar
riffs — the kind only CARNIFEX is able to flawlessly deliver."
"Hell Chose Me" sold around 3,100 copies in the United States
in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 4 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.
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