AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler told Women's Wear Daily that he is expecting to see his life depicted on the big screen in the near future.
When asked if there are plans for a biopic based on his recently released memoir, "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" Tyler said, "It's either as soon as the plane goes down, or in my lifetime. I'm thinking since Ron Howard bought my book, his production company is thinking about doing something.'
He added: "My book is called 'Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?' It's collected thoughts. It's all this shit I've been thinking about for 40 years. This whole thing with AEROSMITH has been like a dream come true. It's like it's been plotted out and planned and written about before. Every time something happens, I think, 'Is this a movie?'"
"Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best seller list.
"Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" came out on May 3 and the outspoken singer made the press rounds to talk about the book. Speaking candidly about his past drug addictions with People.com, Tyler said, "I blew 20 million. I snorted my Porsche, I snorted my plane, I snorted my house in that din of drugs and booze and being lost." He added, "I kept my medicine cabinet on stage, in a 14-inch drum head, the bottom of which contained . . . one Dixie cup (paper cup) with a straw and blow (cocaine) in it and the other with Coca-Cola and Jack Daniels in it."
But Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio that he also wanted to show a different side of himself in the book. "Being in a band with AEROSMITH, you're kind of depicted as Peck's bad boy," he said. "They love the bad boys of Boston. Everybody's intrigued by the badness of it all. And I just thought, why not just share it with the world the way it really is, and tell them my feelings about my cat, and how addicted to Christmas time I am, and hearing my kids laugh — I don't think they know that side. The press tends to put out the greasy, grimy, gopher guts side of AEROSMITH."
Tyler goes into detail in the tome about the stage injury that led him back to drugs and eventually another stint in rehab in late 2009, during which AEROSMITH flirted with the idea of hiring a new vocalist.
The singer explained to Billboard, "I wanted America to know that I didn't just go off on my own somewhere and buy some street drugs. There really was a story behind it." Saying he got hooked on painkillers after having long-delayed surgery on both feet, Tyler revealed, "I have an addictive personality and I got in trouble again. I did, and shame on me for that."
When asked if there are plans for a biopic based on his recently released memoir, "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" Tyler said, "It's either as soon as the plane goes down, or in my lifetime. I'm thinking since Ron Howard bought my book, his production company is thinking about doing something.'
He added: "My book is called 'Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?' It's collected thoughts. It's all this shit I've been thinking about for 40 years. This whole thing with AEROSMITH has been like a dream come true. It's like it's been plotted out and planned and written about before. Every time something happens, I think, 'Is this a movie?'"
"Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best seller list.
"Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" came out on May 3 and the outspoken singer made the press rounds to talk about the book. Speaking candidly about his past drug addictions with People.com, Tyler said, "I blew 20 million. I snorted my Porsche, I snorted my plane, I snorted my house in that din of drugs and booze and being lost." He added, "I kept my medicine cabinet on stage, in a 14-inch drum head, the bottom of which contained . . . one Dixie cup (paper cup) with a straw and blow (cocaine) in it and the other with Coca-Cola and Jack Daniels in it."
But Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio that he also wanted to show a different side of himself in the book. "Being in a band with AEROSMITH, you're kind of depicted as Peck's bad boy," he said. "They love the bad boys of Boston. Everybody's intrigued by the badness of it all. And I just thought, why not just share it with the world the way it really is, and tell them my feelings about my cat, and how addicted to Christmas time I am, and hearing my kids laugh — I don't think they know that side. The press tends to put out the greasy, grimy, gopher guts side of AEROSMITH."
Tyler goes into detail in the tome about the stage injury that led him back to drugs and eventually another stint in rehab in late 2009, during which AEROSMITH flirted with the idea of hiring a new vocalist.
The singer explained to Billboard, "I wanted America to know that I didn't just go off on my own somewhere and buy some street drugs. There really was a story behind it." Saying he got hooked on painkillers after having long-delayed surgery on both feet, Tyler revealed, "I have an addictive personality and I got in trouble again. I did, and shame on me for that."
The first-ever Kiss Kruise launched in style Thursday afternoon (October 13) from Miami, Florida with a non-makeup unplugged KISS sail-away concert. Over 2,500 Kiss Army members became inaugural members of the Kiss Navy.
On Friday, October 14, KISS performed its first full-makeup show on the Kiss Kruise, thrilling fans with a set list of KISS favorites that haven't been heard live in years, and in some cases, in decades. The show opened with "Room Service", before continuing with "Two Timer" and a rockin' version of "Comin' Home", which guitarist/singer Paul Stanley said had never been performed live in its original version before this show. Other concert standouts included "Take Me", "All The Way" and an electrifying "Rock Bottom".
Kiss Navy members displayed numerous flags from countries around the world, and as it was also costume party night, many KISS fans came to the show dressed for the occasion.
Here's the setlist from last night's show:
01. Room Service
02. Two Timer
03. Comin' Home
04. Strutter
05. Nothin' to Lose
06. Love Her All I Can
07. She
08. Take Me
09. Goin' Blind
10. Parasite
11. Rock Bottom
12. All The Way
13. Got to Choose
14. Shout it Out Loud
15. Lick it Up
16. C'mon and Love Me
17. Hard Luck Woman
18. Beth
19. Rock and Roll All Nite
On Friday, October 14, KISS performed its first full-makeup show on the Kiss Kruise, thrilling fans with a set list of KISS favorites that haven't been heard live in years, and in some cases, in decades. The show opened with "Room Service", before continuing with "Two Timer" and a rockin' version of "Comin' Home", which guitarist/singer Paul Stanley said had never been performed live in its original version before this show. Other concert standouts included "Take Me", "All The Way" and an electrifying "Rock Bottom".
Kiss Navy members displayed numerous flags from countries around the world, and as it was also costume party night, many KISS fans came to the show dressed for the occasion.
Here's the setlist from last night's show:
01. Room Service
02. Two Timer
03. Comin' Home
04. Strutter
05. Nothin' to Lose
06. Love Her All I Can
07. She
08. Take Me
09. Goin' Blind
10. Parasite
11. Rock Bottom
12. All The Way
13. Got to Choose
14. Shout it Out Loud
15. Lick it Up
16. C'mon and Love Me
17. Hard Luck Woman
18. Beth
19. Rock and Roll All Nite
For over four decades, England's Judas Priest has been making one hell of a heavy metal racket. Formed in 1969, the band didn't find widespread success until the late '70s and early '80s. But classic metal songs such as "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law" (both off the seminal album British Steel) opened the floodgates, and for the better part of a decade, Judas Priest were one of the top metal acts in the world.
Much of that success can be attributed to the band's second lead singer, one Rob Halford. Halford's amazing set of pipes helped Judas Priest gain fans in the mainstream rock market and the band's breakthrough hit, 1982's "You Got Another Thing Coming," demonstrated Halford's power and range.
Late in the '90s, Halford decided to reveal his homosexuality and, to the surprise of many, most metal fans couldn't have cared less.
Speaking from Houston and on his way to North Texas to perform on Sunday at the Allen Event Center, Halford talked to DC9 at Night about Judas Priest's amazing history and the band's likely future.
Is this really going to be the final tour for Judas Priest?
No, it's not. I wish there was another word in the dictionary. It's not goodbye. It's just farewell. We really want to keep going. We've been going at it for forty years. That's our strong suit and it shows the passion of the band. We're just going to cut back on those big world tours. We're going to put a preservation order on what we do. We're still going to be doing shows and recording music. We have started recording a new album.
No, it's not. I wish there was another word in the dictionary. It's not goodbye. It's just farewell. We really want to keep going. We've been going at it for forty years. That's our strong suit and it shows the passion of the band. We're just going to cut back on those big world tours. We're going to put a preservation order on what we do. We're still going to be doing shows and recording music. We have started recording a new album.
The band has sold over 50 million albums. In the early days, could you ever conceive of such worldwide success?
By today's standards, that is an amazing number. It is an endearment given to us by our wonderful fans. We've always had the best fans in the world and it is the fans that will always look after Priest. They keep buying the records and coming to the shows. That's the reason we are still here. It's a combination of the songs that we have made and the band's supporters.
By today's standards, that is an amazing number. It is an endearment given to us by our wonderful fans. We've always had the best fans in the world and it is the fans that will always look after Priest. They keep buying the records and coming to the shows. That's the reason we are still here. It's a combination of the songs that we have made and the band's supporters.
Years ago, MTV named Judas Priest as the second best heavy metal band of all time. Only Black Sabbath was ranked higher. Are you OK with that?
Yes, I am OK with that because we are good buddies with Ozzy and Geezer and Tony and Bill. We have known each other forever. We're even from the same neighborhood. We'll take being second to them. Both bands have had so many extraordinary times together.
Yes, I am OK with that because we are good buddies with Ozzy and Geezer and Tony and Bill. We have known each other forever. We're even from the same neighborhood. We'll take being second to them. Both bands have had so many extraordinary times together.
Why isn't [guitarist] K.K. Downing playing on this tour?
That was a surprise and a shock, obviously. We just had to respect his personal position that K.K. had some other things to do. Now we have a phenomenal guitar player named Richie Faulkner taking up that spot on the stage. He is tearing it up, night after night. He has a sensational stage presence as well as being a great guitarist. We've been all over the world with him and the reaction from fans has been amazing.
That was a surprise and a shock, obviously. We just had to respect his personal position that K.K. had some other things to do. Now we have a phenomenal guitar player named Richie Faulkner taking up that spot on the stage. He is tearing it up, night after night. He has a sensational stage presence as well as being a great guitarist. We've been all over the world with him and the reaction from fans has been amazing.
1980's British Steel was a real turning point for the band, especially in America. What about that album appealed specifically to the American audience?
Well, it was 1980 and it was the start of one of the greatest decades of heavy metal music. Everything changed then. If you look at rock and roll, the history of rock and roll, the beginning of the MTV decade, this was a very special time. At that point, things were just breaking big for Judas Priest. We went into the studio with a handful of songs. We didn't have a lot of material. The band had developed a special bond after working on the previous records. We were red hot. We worked with a great producer, Tom Allom, who really pushed us. He wanted us to keep things simple and direct. He wanted us to be very straight forward with our arrangements. That's how those riffs on "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" came about. When you have a song that is compact and tight and has a melody, than radio wants it. That's what happened with "Living After Midnight" becoming so successful in America. That is still one of the seminal, rock and roll party songs. When we crank that out towards the end of the show, the crowds go crazy.
Well, it was 1980 and it was the start of one of the greatest decades of heavy metal music. Everything changed then. If you look at rock and roll, the history of rock and roll, the beginning of the MTV decade, this was a very special time. At that point, things were just breaking big for Judas Priest. We went into the studio with a handful of songs. We didn't have a lot of material. The band had developed a special bond after working on the previous records. We were red hot. We worked with a great producer, Tom Allom, who really pushed us. He wanted us to keep things simple and direct. He wanted us to be very straight forward with our arrangements. That's how those riffs on "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" came about. When you have a song that is compact and tight and has a melody, than radio wants it. That's what happened with "Living After Midnight" becoming so successful in America. That is still one of the seminal, rock and roll party songs. When we crank that out towards the end of the show, the crowds go crazy.
It wasn't long after that album came out that Judas Priest performed at Live Aid. Were you surprised to be invited to play that event?
Yes, we were surprised. But any chance we get to get up on stage and play music, we will always go for it. Live Aid was a tremendous show. But of course, Live Aid was more than that. It was a very important cause. It was an amazing thing for Bob Geldof to organize. There are still a lot of very hungry people around the world. It looks like that may never end. There are still people here in America who are going to bed without food in their bellies.
Yes, we were surprised. But any chance we get to get up on stage and play music, we will always go for it. Live Aid was a tremendous show. But of course, Live Aid was more than that. It was a very important cause. It was an amazing thing for Bob Geldof to organize. There are still a lot of very hungry people around the world. It looks like that may never end. There are still people here in America who are going to bed without food in their bellies.
How scary was the motorcycle accident you had on stage in Toronto in 1991?
These things happen on stage. We're not the first rock and roll band to have an accident on stage. That's just the way it worked out that night. I came out on my Harley and this drum riser got in my way. I banged into it. It was a heavy metal impact and I was thrown off the bike. We were playing "Hell Bent for Leather." You get up and shake it off and you carry on. That happened again in South America, I think. I was hurdled across the stage. I went for a sprawl.
These things happen on stage. We're not the first rock and roll band to have an accident on stage. That's just the way it worked out that night. I came out on my Harley and this drum riser got in my way. I banged into it. It was a heavy metal impact and I was thrown off the bike. We were playing "Hell Bent for Leather." You get up and shake it off and you carry on. That happened again in South America, I think. I was hurdled across the stage. I went for a sprawl.
That was around the same time as the infamous "Subliminal Message" trial. Did you really say that the hidden "Do it" message that the parents claimed was in one of your songs was really a call to buy more albums?
We said that to the judge. We said that if we were going to put subliminal messages on our records, it would be ones saying, "Buy more Priest albums." We weren't trying to make light of a very serious situation [the double suicide deaths of two young men in Nevada]. We just wanted to point out that music is not the reason people do bad things.
We said that to the judge. We said that if we were going to put subliminal messages on our records, it would be ones saying, "Buy more Priest albums." We weren't trying to make light of a very serious situation [the double suicide deaths of two young men in Nevada]. We just wanted to point out that music is not the reason people do bad things.
Was there any pressure from a record label or a management agency on you not to reveal your homosexuality in 1998?
No, it was a personal decision. I've always respected the fact that my band and my management and my label kept their hands off that very private affair. When any of us steps forward and makes such an announcement, it's a very personal choice. Some of us choose to live a life under the radar for different reasons. For me, it was a very empowering thing to set myself free. The biggest thrill was the acceptance of my fans more than anything else. The guys in the band knew. The families knew. The general heavy metal fan did not know. I didn't know how the fans would react. But you have to get your own house in order. Then, you can look at things around you more clearly.
No, it was a personal decision. I've always respected the fact that my band and my management and my label kept their hands off that very private affair. When any of us steps forward and makes such an announcement, it's a very personal choice. Some of us choose to live a life under the radar for different reasons. For me, it was a very empowering thing to set myself free. The biggest thrill was the acceptance of my fans more than anything else. The guys in the band knew. The families knew. The general heavy metal fan did not know. I didn't know how the fans would react. But you have to get your own house in order. Then, you can look at things around you more clearly.
Judas Priest performs with Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society on Sunday, October 16, at the Allen Event Center.
According to Hindustan Times, a number of Facebook pages have popped up that claim to be giving out free tickets METALLICA's October concert in Gurgaon, India on October 28.
However, concert organizers say that authentic tickets can only be purchased from their official web site or ticketing partners. "Any other tickets are hoax and can put the fans in trouble," says Karuna Prithvi of Ticketgenie.com, the official ticketing partner for the concert.
A BPO employee in Bangalore recently fell victim to one such scam when he bought tickets for METALLICA's concert in Bangalore, to be held on October 30. He had come across a Facebook post from someone claiming to have extra tickets and offering to sell them, albeit at an inflated price. He deposited Rs 40,000 (approximately $816) for four backstand tickets (which had a total face value of Rs 6,600, or $135) a month ago, but has yet to receive his tickets.
"It's fine if someone wants to give out the tickets to a friend or a relative, but announcing the sale of tickets at a public portal without formal authorization is an offense," says Prithvi.
According to RadioAndMusic.com, MTV India will broadcast METALLICA's first-ever concert in India. The channel, in association with F1 Rocks, will telecast the one-hour special of historic METALLICA performance one week after the live event.
F1 Rocks and MTV have organized a nationwide band hunt where a lucky band selected through online voting will get an opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the concert. MTV will telecast this nationwide search as four half-hour episodes.
MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said, "MTV reaches approximately 130 million people across 40 million homes and it's a huge thing for MTV to broadcast the most awaited concert in India in association with F1 Rocks. METALLICA concert will boost the Indian economy as international acts tend to do well in the live-music circuit in an emerging economy like India."
METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo revealed the band's plans to play India in an April interview with the Inland Empire Weekly magazine.
"We are going to play India in October," he said. "That should be interesting, playing a place we never thought in our wildest dreams we'd [go] to play. It's an honor for all of us that we get to be a part of that whole music scene as a metal band sharing our music with fans in India at this incredible concert!
DNA Entertainment Networks, which has previously brought international names like IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, SCORPIONS, ROGER WATERS and DEEP PURPLE to Indian shores, was responsible for booking METALLICA's Indian concerts.
However, concert organizers say that authentic tickets can only be purchased from their official web site or ticketing partners. "Any other tickets are hoax and can put the fans in trouble," says Karuna Prithvi of Ticketgenie.com, the official ticketing partner for the concert.
A BPO employee in Bangalore recently fell victim to one such scam when he bought tickets for METALLICA's concert in Bangalore, to be held on October 30. He had come across a Facebook post from someone claiming to have extra tickets and offering to sell them, albeit at an inflated price. He deposited Rs 40,000 (approximately $816) for four backstand tickets (which had a total face value of Rs 6,600, or $135) a month ago, but has yet to receive his tickets.
"It's fine if someone wants to give out the tickets to a friend or a relative, but announcing the sale of tickets at a public portal without formal authorization is an offense," says Prithvi.
According to RadioAndMusic.com, MTV India will broadcast METALLICA's first-ever concert in India. The channel, in association with F1 Rocks, will telecast the one-hour special of historic METALLICA performance one week after the live event.
F1 Rocks and MTV have organized a nationwide band hunt where a lucky band selected through online voting will get an opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the concert. MTV will telecast this nationwide search as four half-hour episodes.
MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said, "MTV reaches approximately 130 million people across 40 million homes and it's a huge thing for MTV to broadcast the most awaited concert in India in association with F1 Rocks. METALLICA concert will boost the Indian economy as international acts tend to do well in the live-music circuit in an emerging economy like India."
METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo revealed the band's plans to play India in an April interview with the Inland Empire Weekly magazine.
"We are going to play India in October," he said. "That should be interesting, playing a place we never thought in our wildest dreams we'd [go] to play. It's an honor for all of us that we get to be a part of that whole music scene as a metal band sharing our music with fans in India at this incredible concert!
DNA Entertainment Networks, which has previously brought international names like IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, SCORPIONS, ROGER WATERS and DEEP PURPLE to Indian shores, was responsible for booking METALLICA's Indian concerts.
According to the Jakarta Globe, the promoter of MÖTLEY CRÜE concert in Jakarta, Indonesia that was apparently never officially confirmed by the band has promised to refund an estimated $60,000 in ticket sales after the show failed to materialize. More than 1,500 people had bought tickets for $40 each by the time the alleged scam was uncovered late last month.
"On Tuesday, we began paying [fans] back," said Astri Darmawanti, chief executive of MLive, adding that 100 ticket buyers had already been reimbursed.
Astri's company organized the concert and announced to media outlets last month that MÖTLEY CRÜE would play its first-ever show in Indonesia on October 8 at Pantai Karnival in Ancol, North Jakarta. Within 24 hours, the band issued a press release insisting that it never made any agreements for a show at Pantai Karnival in Jakarta or anywhere else in the country. The group also advised its fans to be wary of any vendors advertising ticket sales.
Astri said her company would return ticket buyers' money in stages adding that all would be compensated by the end of October.
Central Jakarta district police chief Lt. Col. Angesta Romano Yoyol said that some angry fans had already reported MLive management to the police for fraud. An investigation is ongoing but no suspects have been named.
Astri insisted that the concert was at one point real and that MLive had even deposited Rp 1 billion as a down payment to the band's booking agent. The band, she said, abruptly canceled the show.
"I am now destroyed. This has turned into an attack against me personally. Even those who didn't buy the tickets are saying bad things [about me]," Astri said.
MÖTLEY CRÜE has just completed a tour of Australia and Japan.
The band wrapped one of summer's biggest rock tours as headliners and honorees for the Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) live on Sunset Boulevard on August 20.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's summer trek landed the group on the Billboard "Hot Tours" chart six times since the tour launch, marking it as one of the legendary rock group's most successful tours to date. The 48-city trek tour — which launched on June 24 and wrapped in August — was one of the summer's highest grossing, packing amphitheaters and arenas all summer long, drawing half a million fans.
"On Tuesday, we began paying [fans] back," said Astri Darmawanti, chief executive of MLive, adding that 100 ticket buyers had already been reimbursed.
Astri's company organized the concert and announced to media outlets last month that MÖTLEY CRÜE would play its first-ever show in Indonesia on October 8 at Pantai Karnival in Ancol, North Jakarta. Within 24 hours, the band issued a press release insisting that it never made any agreements for a show at Pantai Karnival in Jakarta or anywhere else in the country. The group also advised its fans to be wary of any vendors advertising ticket sales.
Astri said her company would return ticket buyers' money in stages adding that all would be compensated by the end of October.
Central Jakarta district police chief Lt. Col. Angesta Romano Yoyol said that some angry fans had already reported MLive management to the police for fraud. An investigation is ongoing but no suspects have been named.
Astri insisted that the concert was at one point real and that MLive had even deposited Rp 1 billion as a down payment to the band's booking agent. The band, she said, abruptly canceled the show.
"I am now destroyed. This has turned into an attack against me personally. Even those who didn't buy the tickets are saying bad things [about me]," Astri said.
MÖTLEY CRÜE has just completed a tour of Australia and Japan.
The band wrapped one of summer's biggest rock tours as headliners and honorees for the Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) live on Sunset Boulevard on August 20.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's summer trek landed the group on the Billboard "Hot Tours" chart six times since the tour launch, marking it as one of the legendary rock group's most successful tours to date. The 48-city trek tour — which launched on June 24 and wrapped in August — was one of the summer's highest grossing, packing amphitheaters and arenas all summer long, drawing half a million fans.
MEGADETH has announced their thirteenth album appropriately entitled TH1RT3EN which will be out via Roadrunner Records and in stores November 1st.
After a full summer of appearing on the main stage of the fourth annual 'Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival' where they dominated and decimated the stage alongside Godsmack and Disturbed, and a historic performance on "The Big 4" show in New York at Yankee Stadium with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax on September 14th, Megadeth continues to solidify themselves as one of the most substantial and culturally relevant bands in the world of hard rock music. (There has only been one prior "Big 4" in the US which took place in April in Southern California).
As pioneers in the world of metal they have continuously brought to the table heavy metal music in its rawest form with their distinct, intricate and technically advanced instrumental style and their legion of diehard fans couldn't be more pleased to have a follow-up to 2009's "Endgame" which was one of the band's most celebrated albums. With recurring themes of politics, war, addiction, religion and the challenges of interpersonal relationships, their songs have made us bang our heads both literally as well as figuratively.
In the course of their almost three decades-old career, the band has sold well over 25 million albums globally. They have had nine Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance, five consecutive Platinum and multi-Platinum certifications, and seven Gold certifications. Dave Mustaine's first book in 2010, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir," hit the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover and is now being re-released in paperback. It's a book about Mustaine's many struggles, his fight for survival, final redemption and absolute faith.
Proud of this new endeavor, Mustaine says of the new recording, "This record is the culmination of my work over the thirteen records I recorded. There are moments on "TH1RT3EN" that capture my every emotion, and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew existed!" He goes on to further express that the proudest moments of his musical career thus far are captured on this album.
With the opportunity to speak with virtuoso guitarist for Megadeth, Chris Broderick, one would be hard-pressed to not be intrigued as well as curious about him. Of him, Mustaine has been quoted as saying that when he and Broderick first partnered up, it reminded him of when Ozzy Osbourne met Randy Rhoads. He went on further to say of Broderick that he thought he was the greatest guitarist Megadeth has ever had. In the band's current line-up, Broderick is the youngest member. A former member of Jag Panzer, of which he spent almost a decade, and Nevermore, Broderick joined Megadeth in 2008.
I read that you started playing guitar at the age of eleven and that you practiced for fourteen hours a day during the summers as a teen. That's quite a strict daily routine for a kid. Did you always know that guitar was what you wanted to do for a career?
Yes. As soon as I found the guitar I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I didn't realize the potential of studying guitar and I actually almost dropped out of high school to study it full-time. Then I realized that I could study it in college, as well.
Good thing you stayed in school then!
(Laughs) Yes, definitely.
I also read that you earned a degree in Classical Guitar Music Performance at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. Performing music has truly been your life's work. Was there ever a time that you thought that you might have to do something else?
Yes. Throughout my guitar-playing career there were times that it just wasn't paying the bills and I thought that I'd have to go back to school to study something else. I had actually just enrolled to go and get a degree in Psychology when I got the call to join Jag Panzer. Believe it or not, I almost turned them down, but then thought college will always be here if it doesn't work out.
Clearly this was destined to be your life's path.
I agree.
You have been credited with playing guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals, as well as playing both the violin and the piano. Would you say that you are best on the guitar which is why you have made a career of it, or did you choose this route as it was always your favorite?
I chose the guitar because I was always into metal growing up and I loved the guitar; it can be super angry or beautiful. There are so many different personalities to it and that was what really drew me to it. There is something to love about all of these instruments, I love playing music. But, I would say that the guitar is the most diverse.
The genres that you've been credited as performing musically include all of the metals: Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, as well as Hard Rock. But, you've also been credited as a fan of Classical, Neoclassical and Jazz. I'd say it's safe to say you are a musical enigma. Have you ever performed classical or jazz or are you just a lover of these types of music?
Of the music that I've written on my own, I would say a lot of it is on the verge of a mixture of all, but I haven't performed classical or jazz to any great degree, no.
As a youngster during your fourteen hour practicing sessions, was Heavy Metal always your main aspiration as a guitarist?
Well, I actually divided my practice time up with two hours on the piano, five hours on the classical guitar, five on the electric guitar, and two hours on the violin.
Dave Mustaine recently said in an online interview with Rolling Stone of the new album, TH1RT3EN, which is amazing by the way, that the title came in part because he was born on September 13th as well as the fact that this is the band's 13th album. Does the title mean anything to you personally? What's the main message of the album as you see it?
No, I mean I think the number 13 is cool as far as the mystique behind it, but in truth, I don't attach any personal meaning to it. As far as the album, it is really diverse. Each song is different and each is saying its own thing. I view this album as a compilation as if we pulled a song from each of Megadeth's prior albums. This is why I really like this one.
I personally like tracks 6 and 11 the best, "Never Dead" and "Millennium Of The Blind" respectively. Do you have a personal favorite?
"Sudden Death" is my favorite on this one. The solos were a nice challenge to have to pull off well. When you write a song, you have to become a part of it yourself, so I feel strongly with the album as a whole.
Anything you'd like to say to the many fans out there waiting with baited breath to hear it?
Thank you to all who listen. We know that if it wasn't for all of you, we wouldn't be where we are.
•••••
This new chapter in the band's journey also marks the return of bassist Dave Ellefson who was a member of the band from 1983 through 2002. In early 2010 Ellefson returned to performing live with Megadeth and has since remained a permanent fixture on the stage with his band mates. This album serves as the first time he has played on a MEGADETH record since "Rude Awakening" in 2002.
Included on the new album is an original track, "Never Dead," which was recorded specifically for the NeverDead action-adventure video game franchise. Another track, "Sudden Death," was recorded for 'Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock'.
These heavy metal legends have inspired generations of fans and proved time and again that with faith anything is possible.
Current band members include: Dave Mustaine (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Dave Ellefson (Bass, Backing Vocals), Shawn Drover (Drums, Percussion) and Chris Broderick (Guitar, Backing Vocals).
TRACK LIST FOR TH1RT3EN:
• Sudden Death
• Public Enemy No. 1
• Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
• We The People
• Guns, Drugs & Money
• Never Dead
• New World Order
• Fast Lane
• Black Swan
• Wrecker
• Millennium Of The Blind
• Deadly Nightshade
• 13Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen kicked off his North American tour last night (Thursday, October 13) at Irving Plaza in New York City.
In his review of the concert, Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Music Examiner writes, "As the night wound up, Malmsteen seemed to grow more and more intense, at one point even ripping out the bottom string of his guitar in a moment of passion, then grinding the fretboard against one of the dozens of amplifiers and ampheads filling the stage until raw feedback blasted back at him. That ferocious energy was then opposed by a touching rendition of 'Heaven Tonight', which saw the entire venue singing along to the power ballad.
"Despite an advertised end time of 10:30, the band played almost nonstop 'till 11 p.m., giving fans a spectacular two-hour set that must have satisfied even the most die-hard Malmsteen devotees. Fans exited Irving Plaza with an air of salvation, and some of the louder ones could be heard imitating Yngwie's high-pitched squeals and guitar tapping all the way down to Union Square."
Malsteen's setlist was as follows:
01. Rising Force
02. Never Die
03. Shot Across The Bow
04. Overture
05. Critical Mass
06. Badinerie
07. Far Beyond The Sun
08. Enemy Within
09. Red Devil
10. Damnation Game
11. Baroque & Roll
12. Live To Fight
13. Dreaming
14. Gates Of Babylon (RAINBOW cover)
15. Into Valhalla
16. Trilogy Suite Op: 5
17. Blue
18. Fugue
19. Heaven Tonight
Encore:
20. Black Star
21. Cherokee Warrior
22. I Am A Viking
23. I'll See The Light Tonight
24. Magic And Mayhem
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
Touring lineup:
Yngwie Malmsteen - Guitar, Vocals
Tim "Ripper" Owens - Vocals
Bjorn Englen - Bass
Patrick Johansson - Drums
Nick Marino - Keyboards
Malmsteen's new album, "Relentless", sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
Yngwie's previous CD, "Perpetual Flame", opened with around 2,000 units back in October 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Released on November 22, 2010 via Malmsteen's own Rising Force Records, "Relentless" contains more than 60 minutes of brand new material and showcases the guitar great at his best with the signature virtuosity and mind-blowing technical speed for which he has come to be known. "Relentless" also features striking vocals from Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), who first collaborated with Malmsteen on "Perpetual Flame" (Malmsteen's first album for the Rising Force Records label).
Of the new album, Malmsteen commented, "The album title really says it all. The drive to surpass my own accomplishments can best be described with one word — relentless. After all these years of composing and playing music, I still am passionate about pushing myself to the limit — to the highest, most demanding level of playing possible."
• Public Enemy No. 1
• Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
• We The People
• Guns, Drugs & Money
• Never Dead
• New World Order
• Fast Lane
• Black Swan
• Wrecker
• Millennium Of The Blind
• Deadly Nightshade
• 13Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen kicked off his North American tour last night (Thursday, October 13) at Irving Plaza in New York City.
In his review of the concert, Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Music Examiner writes, "As the night wound up, Malmsteen seemed to grow more and more intense, at one point even ripping out the bottom string of his guitar in a moment of passion, then grinding the fretboard against one of the dozens of amplifiers and ampheads filling the stage until raw feedback blasted back at him. That ferocious energy was then opposed by a touching rendition of 'Heaven Tonight', which saw the entire venue singing along to the power ballad.
"Despite an advertised end time of 10:30, the band played almost nonstop 'till 11 p.m., giving fans a spectacular two-hour set that must have satisfied even the most die-hard Malmsteen devotees. Fans exited Irving Plaza with an air of salvation, and some of the louder ones could be heard imitating Yngwie's high-pitched squeals and guitar tapping all the way down to Union Square."
Malsteen's setlist was as follows:
01. Rising Force
02. Never Die
03. Shot Across The Bow
04. Overture
05. Critical Mass
06. Badinerie
07. Far Beyond The Sun
08. Enemy Within
09. Red Devil
10. Damnation Game
11. Baroque & Roll
12. Live To Fight
13. Dreaming
14. Gates Of Babylon (RAINBOW cover)
15. Into Valhalla
16. Trilogy Suite Op: 5
17. Blue
18. Fugue
19. Heaven Tonight
Encore:
20. Black Star
21. Cherokee Warrior
22. I Am A Viking
23. I'll See The Light Tonight
24. Magic And Mayhem
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
Touring lineup:
Yngwie Malmsteen - Guitar, Vocals
Tim "Ripper" Owens - Vocals
Bjorn Englen - Bass
Patrick Johansson - Drums
Nick Marino - Keyboards
Malmsteen's new album, "Relentless", sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
Yngwie's previous CD, "Perpetual Flame", opened with around 2,000 units back in October 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Released on November 22, 2010 via Malmsteen's own Rising Force Records, "Relentless" contains more than 60 minutes of brand new material and showcases the guitar great at his best with the signature virtuosity and mind-blowing technical speed for which he has come to be known. "Relentless" also features striking vocals from Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), who first collaborated with Malmsteen on "Perpetual Flame" (Malmsteen's first album for the Rising Force Records label).
Of the new album, Malmsteen commented, "The album title really says it all. The drive to surpass my own accomplishments can best be described with one word — relentless. After all these years of composing and playing music, I still am passionate about pushing myself to the limit — to the highest, most demanding level of playing possible."
Reunited U.K. rockers WOLFSBANE — featuring former IRON MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley — have finished mixing their new album for a January 2012 release.
Commented guitarist Jase Edwards: "I don't have much of an idea about what 'people' want or expect from a WOLFSBANE album. But I can say this: it's a TRUE through-and-through 'SBANE record. Full of unashamed ROCK music! (I fuckin' love rock music!) With an updated sound and some curveballs thrown in, too. I think it's gonna be a real feast of a listen. It is for me! I hope it is for you, too! [I'm] VERY proud [of] it!"
WOLFSBANE's new CD will be available from Wolfsbanehms.com as well as via the merchandise stand on the band's upcoming tour.
WOLFSBANE — which features Bayley, Jase Edwards, bassist Jeff Hateley and drummer Steve Danger — released its first record in 17 years in April. Entitled "Did It For The Money", it contained the brand new title track along with re-recordings of four old WOLFSBANE numbers.
Commenting on the reunion, Blaze said, "Although we have done other things over the years, we always had WOLFSBANE in our hearts and following our tour with THE QUIREBOYS last year, we had so much fun and have had so much interest that we decided to get back in the studio."
Formed in 1984 in Tamworth, England, WOLFSBANE signed to Def American Records, and Rick Rubin produced the band's first album, "Live Fast, Die Fast", released in 1989. WOLFSBANE's second release, an EP titled "All Hell's Breaking Loose Down", followed in 1990. The band's second studio album, "Down Fall the Good Guys", was released in 1991, giving WOLFSBANE its only U.K. chart entry, with the single "Ezy" landing at No. 68.
After Def American dropped WOLFSBANE, the band released a live album, "Massive Noise Injection", through the Bronze label in 1993. The group's third studio album, the self-titled "Wolfsbane", followed in 1994.
On September 9, 2007, WOLFSBANE reformed for a one-off short set at the Rock of Ages festival in Tamworth. This was followed by their first U.K. tour in 13 years, with the band playing five dates as support for the THE WILDHEARTS in December 2007. Their next tour came in December 2009 supporting THE QUIREBOYS on the aforementioned "A Little Bit of What You Fancy 20th Anniversary Tour".
Commented guitarist Jase Edwards: "I don't have much of an idea about what 'people' want or expect from a WOLFSBANE album. But I can say this: it's a TRUE through-and-through 'SBANE record. Full of unashamed ROCK music! (I fuckin' love rock music!) With an updated sound and some curveballs thrown in, too. I think it's gonna be a real feast of a listen. It is for me! I hope it is for you, too! [I'm] VERY proud [of] it!"
WOLFSBANE's new CD will be available from Wolfsbanehms.com as well as via the merchandise stand on the band's upcoming tour.
WOLFSBANE — which features Bayley, Jase Edwards, bassist Jeff Hateley and drummer Steve Danger — released its first record in 17 years in April. Entitled "Did It For The Money", it contained the brand new title track along with re-recordings of four old WOLFSBANE numbers.
Commenting on the reunion, Blaze said, "Although we have done other things over the years, we always had WOLFSBANE in our hearts and following our tour with THE QUIREBOYS last year, we had so much fun and have had so much interest that we decided to get back in the studio."
Formed in 1984 in Tamworth, England, WOLFSBANE signed to Def American Records, and Rick Rubin produced the band's first album, "Live Fast, Die Fast", released in 1989. WOLFSBANE's second release, an EP titled "All Hell's Breaking Loose Down", followed in 1990. The band's second studio album, "Down Fall the Good Guys", was released in 1991, giving WOLFSBANE its only U.K. chart entry, with the single "Ezy" landing at No. 68.
After Def American dropped WOLFSBANE, the band released a live album, "Massive Noise Injection", through the Bronze label in 1993. The group's third studio album, the self-titled "Wolfsbane", followed in 1994.
On September 9, 2007, WOLFSBANE reformed for a one-off short set at the Rock of Ages festival in Tamworth. This was followed by their first U.K. tour in 13 years, with the band playing five dates as support for the THE WILDHEARTS in December 2007. Their next tour came in December 2009 supporting THE QUIREBOYS on the aforementioned "A Little Bit of What You Fancy 20th Anniversary Tour".
As mentioned in our show review of Opeth's recent tour, opinions are split on the Swedish band's latest risk-taker, Heritage, and their current touring cycle, which shows the band playing a death-less set, focusing on the softer, progressive side of their personality. While yours truly feels both album and tour to be brilliant musical bravery at its finest, not everyone agrees. I was able to catch up with frontman/guitarist/songwriter Mikael Akerfeldt to get his thoughts on both Heritage and our beloved prog rock obsessions. Enjoy! \m/G.
How has it been dealing with fans' devotion to the band with this touring cycle, taking into account some people's refusal to accept change?
Well, everything is pretty much as normal for us. Being on this tour, the only thing that's been not business as usual is having this set list which fits in with our newer songs off Heritage. Some fans are disappointed by the fact that I'm not screaming on this album and tour, yet some seem to like it. Our fans, by this time, are kind of ready for this kind of thing. We've been around for a while, so for us to do this sort of thing is not outrageous to me. It makes perfect sense.
Same here. This was the album and tour I was hoping you'd do. To me, if someone doesn't understand this side of Opeth, than they truly don't understand the band.
Yeah, it's funny as we're talking right now about how you love Heritage, and I was just responding to a fan letter in a magazine where the guy absolutely HATED it. He was saying we should split up, that this album 'isn't Opeth' and blah blah. In a way, I want everyone to love it, of course, but in a way I'm glad that it's causing such divisive emotions. Some people are really getting into it, and some hate it with a passion.
At the end of the day, do you feel it's a matter of bands doing what they want to do? I mean, with a band like Opeth, you would think fans would embrace this sort of change.
I thought that we made it pretty clear early on that we like change, and that we're not going to stay in the same spot for all eternity. I'm surprised when people—especially if they've been with us a long time—are surprised by a direction we've taken. I expect more from my fans, and that's one of the reasons why we did this album; we felt this was as much of an 'Opeth record' as any other, and I'm hoping it will be that way for the fans, too. I'm hoping they have more of an open mind than most metal fans.
I think most of them do. I think people who are hyper critical of it are the exception, rather than the rule.
I think so too. I think there are obviously people who have problems; who see us as 'traitors to metal' or something, as if we're turning our backs. I can understand, because I've been one of those guys myself, but for me it's different when you're in the midst of it, creatively.
It was easy for me to love Heritage, because I'm a prog rock lifer, as I know you are, as well. I wanted to get deeper into your thoughts on that—what are your favorite periods in prog? The Canterbury Scene? The Italian bands? What's closest to your heart?
That's a really difficult question, because I usually classify progressive rock by country. You have the Italian bands and the British scene, the German Krautrock scene, the U.S. scene and everything in between. My favorite period would be between 1969 and 1974, I think. In the mid-seventies you had all these new keyboard sounds on the market, but I love the simple kind of set up: guitars, drums, Mellotron/Hammond Organ. I'm not sure what country was my favorite. The Italian scene was super heavy, but it was also heavily influences by the British bands like Genesis, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator. So the original scene from England was the end which I first started collecting, and it seems like you're never done! There are new bands popping up from the past every day for you to discover.
Are there any bands that you think might surprise people to hear as influences for Opeth? I've always heard, particularly here on Heritage, a bit of Moody Blues going on.
I love the Moody Blues! If you're looking for 'odd' bands who influence us, ABBA is one.
Dude, I love ABBA.
Yeah, they're genius! We had dinner with Agnetha Faltskog during the recording process! David Crosby is a big influence for this album, as was Joni Mitchell. Scott Walker is a constant in my life, as well.
Having listened to Opeth since Orchid, I can hear—and you've made mention—of the influence from Camel and Andy Lattimer's guitar work. How do you feel about turning fans onto bands like this through your music, or through mentioning them on stage?
I do that all the time. I'm just one of those guys—it doesn't matter that I'm in a band myself—at the pub or at a party: if we're talking music, I'll always tell people to listen to Camel. I love turning people on to new music. I used to work in a record store, and that was a great job for me. Selling records was secondary to me! That's what the progressive rock scene does to people. You don't only LISTEN to the music; you get really anal about it. You get into 'the scene.' I'm like that anyway, and I love it; I'll be that way until my dying days, pushing bands like Comus. It's actually started to catch on too. I'll see people at our shows wearing Camel or whatever; it's really great.
If the word 'progressive' can be defined as 'doing whatever the hell you want,' how do you feel it's been redefined by bands like Porcupine Tree, Muse or Leprous from Norway—redefining the progressive scene for a new audience?
There aren't TOO many of those bands around, it seems, but there does seem to be a scene for that. I think the 'pure' progressive scene is probably more progressive than ever, because there's more references to bands like us than there was in the seventies. For instance, we come from the death metal background, which has enabled us to create our own brand of progressive rock. In a way, to stand for death metal roots is what sets us apart from progressive bands of the day, with the scene as a whole sounding 'more progressive' than ever.
Opeth: ever the trailblazers
How early in advance did you feel that Heritage was going to be different, and moving in this direction?
I knew even before I started writing, because I felt a bit concerned about our future, because we were somewhere on the outskirts of metal. I felt like I didn't want to do a contemporary sounding metal record, that we didn't belong there, or anywhere else, really. This gave me some concern, because I didn't' really know what I wanted to do; I just knew that whatever music was coming out of me next was going to be different.
When Watershed was released, I felt that it was excellent, but that the mellower, more progressive songs were very different from the heavier tunes. There wasn't much meeting in between. Did you feel that way too at all in hindsight?
Watershed was a strange record, because the first song I wrote was "Heir Apparent," which was the heaviest, most death metal sounding track on the album. That's usually when I go into a writing period; where I want something really heavy. But then as I progressed in my songwriting, all of a sudden I have songs like "Burden" and "Hessian Peel" songs which weren't particularly 'metal' sounding. It was a strange period for me writing that record. I feel that it worked, in the end, but you could clearly see that my head was elsewhere than the metal scene. At that point, something had to happen; I couldn't write another Watershed record.
I really felt that you were in two different places, as far as what you wanted to do. When it comes to bands, if fans want to hear the old records, they HAVE the old records. Do you feel that fans sometimes WANT their music 'safe' and to hear the same thing over and over?
I think that they do, in a way, but they also don't. Every record we've put out has been records that WE'VE wanted to listen to, and we've been fortunate that others have wanted to hear them, as well. We get people who think we should progress MORE, but at the same time they don't want that, so it's kind of difficult to know exactly what the fans want. When I finished writing Ghost Reveries, for example, I felt that it was a GUARANTEED success; that EVERY Opeth fan was going to love the album…which, obviously, they didn't. I can't stop caring. I care about the fans. It's impossible to care about the fan as a collective, because you're going to get so many divided opinions about what you should or shouldn't do, what's good and what's bad. You're forced, at some point, to just stop listening, because it becomes one big fucking mess.
AC/DC have never progressed. They don't want to. They want to release the same record, and rock out, and that's great. Their fans want that, and the band agrees. The problem with those kinds of bands who stay the same, however, is that they're known and loved for the stuff they've done thirty years ago. Their new album is never relevant, which is a position I would HATE to be in. You put out a new record, and it sounds like the old records, but watered down. The fans don't want to hear that, they want to hear the original.
And it's tough when you have a new record that you're PROUD of, and people get up and go to the bathroom when you play a new song.
It happens now. It happens that people don't want to hear our new songs, but we forcefeed them! We're playing these songs. Like it or not, that's what we're doing. People are going to be disappointed, but fair enough: there's nothing we can do about it. We want to do it OUR way.
Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have been forced to cancel their appearance at the 48 Hours Festival, the-day destination music festival set to take place Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16 on the Luxor Festival Grounds, located on the east side of Las Vegas Blvd. across from Luxor, in Las Negas, Nevada.
Commented the band: "We are sorry to inform fans that due to a family illness BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will be unable to perform at the 48 Hours Festival in Las Vegas. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are extremely sorry to disappoint their fans, but know that the 48 Hours Festival will be an energetic event. The band are looking forward to playing for all their Vegas fans in 2012 in support of a new album."
48 Hours Festival will feature performances from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, GODSMACK, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, SICK PUPPIES, ESCAPE THE FATE, SEVENDUST, ADELITAS WAY, REV THEORY, 10 YEARS, ART OF DYING and many more.
Along with performances from the hardest rocking bands, 48 Hours Festival powered by Rockstar Energy Drink will also provide a one-of-a-kind social experience where pleasure seekers can get a taste of the seven deadly sins all weekend! The Rockstar Metal Militia will be throwing down their big air freestyle motocross chaos with multiple daily jump shows. The festival's second stage will highlight some of rock's best up-and-coming groups to kick off the party, while the main stage will have, in true Vegas style, spectacular lighting and amazing production.
Commented the band: "We are sorry to inform fans that due to a family illness BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE will be unable to perform at the 48 Hours Festival in Las Vegas. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are extremely sorry to disappoint their fans, but know that the 48 Hours Festival will be an energetic event. The band are looking forward to playing for all their Vegas fans in 2012 in support of a new album."
48 Hours Festival will feature performances from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, KORN, GODSMACK, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, SICK PUPPIES, ESCAPE THE FATE, SEVENDUST, ADELITAS WAY, REV THEORY, 10 YEARS, ART OF DYING and many more.
Along with performances from the hardest rocking bands, 48 Hours Festival powered by Rockstar Energy Drink will also provide a one-of-a-kind social experience where pleasure seekers can get a taste of the seven deadly sins all weekend! The Rockstar Metal Militia will be throwing down their big air freestyle motocross chaos with multiple daily jump shows. The festival's second stage will highlight some of rock's best up-and-coming groups to kick off the party, while the main stage will have, in true Vegas style, spectacular lighting and amazing production.
CHILDREN OF BODOM and ALESTORM have 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:
ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ATHEIST
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
RIOT
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.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ATHEIST
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
RIOT
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.
First off! If I´m not mistaken it´s been four years since your last album?
Tuomas Holopainen: Yeah, it was since September in 2007.
Right, so it´s getting close to the style of Def Leppard!
TH: (laughs) Even Guns N´Roses! (laughs)
What´s the reason for it taken so long? Was it that you just took a break or was it a difficult album to make?
TH: Basically for two reasons. The first one is that we had a two year tour after "Dark passion play" and I´m just the kind of personality that cannot do two things at the same time. I guess I´m a typical male, (laughs) when it comes to stuff like that. When I´m on tour I can´t do songs. I can gather ideas here and there, but the actual songwriting doesn´t suit me if I have in the back of my mind that I have to go out on tour in a week, so we had to wait two years and then start the actual songwriting process and at the moment we have this movie project going on and it took a lot of effort to get the financing for that figured out, so this is basically why it took so long.
When it comes to recording an album, the sequence in the way you record the songs, is the first song you record the first one on the album or is it just random?
TH: No, it´s whatever. The way we work is that I always do this rehearsal tape for the whole band. All the songs that I´ve done, as professionally as I can because the music that we do is really, really complex and when you try telling the guys and the girl what the song is gonna sound like in the rehearsal room… you know, "Play this riff and there´s gonna be horns and choirs!", it just doesn´t do the trick. Nobody has that imagination, so that´s why I do it like that when we start rehearsing. Then we rehearse the songs with the band and do a demo and then after the second demo, we start doing it.
The way the songs end up on the album, the order of them, do you have that long before you start recording them?
TH: Oh yeah! Especially for "Imaginaerum". Before we even started rehearsing the songs , I knew the order of the songs for the album, because the movie is so heavily based on the album, that we needed to know the order of the songs and that was quite a challenge actually, to make the drama work even though we didn´t know how they would end up sounding.
What came first? Did the movie idea come first or the album?
TH: The movie idea came first. It was the very first thing that came into my mind. It was the summer of 2007 and we had just finished "dark passion play" and I started to think "What´s gonna be next?". This is so insanely diverse and big that we need to come up with something original for the next album and it just occurred to me that we have always been on the cinematic side with things so why not put it into realization and do an actual movie and make a soundtrack based on the movie? That´s how the original idea was born.
Cool! I´ve only heard it just now, but for me it is a bit more theatrical sound wise and there´s songs that are quite diverse and I wrote down that "Slow love slow" has a bit of a jazzy feeling to it and then "Turn loose the mermaids" has a bit of a Western feel to it…
TH: Yeah, Ennio Morricone!
Exactly! And then you have "Rest calm" with some pretty heavy riffing at the beginning and then it kind of mellows out and the riff came back.
TH: I like to think of it as a free and twisted and warm album. There´s a lot of light at the end of the tunnel on this album, unlike "Dark passion play". But it´s also really weird and twisted. This is because all of the songs were made for the movie and there´s a scene in the movie that takes place in a jazz club, like a 30´s jazz club and some weird stuff is going on there so I just thought, "Ok, this needs to be something like David Lynch and 'Twin peaks'! Ok, we´ve never done a jazz song so let´s try it!". (laughs) And there´s a scene in the movie which happens in a ghost circus where everything is really weird. It´s like a nightmare of this little kid, so… "A circus, ok!". (Tuomas starts singing something similar to circus music and claps on his knees. Editor´s note) That´s why the songs sound what they sound like. They were made for certain scenes.
Did you write the script as well?
TH: I had the original ideas of the scenes, but we actually had to hire a professional screenwriter, because I have no idea of how to write a script, I just had the idea and the story. A guy called Mikko Rautalathi who did the transcript.
Is it different making a movie than an album or is it kind of the same?
TH: It´s kind of like creating emotions and visions out of nothing, so there are a lot of similarities, but it´s even a bigger hassle. We were two weeks in Montreal shooting the movie, just about a month ago, so it´s all filmed now. We just got a glimpse of what making a movie is about. It was an unbelievably interesting experience!
Well, you read about movies that sometimes the shoot the last scenes first…
TH: That´s what they did now! Everything was scheduled to the minute. "This scene requires these actors and they will be picked up at this hotel, by this driver at this hour and get make up by these two hairstylists and these makeup artists.". It´s an unbelievable puzzle and I don´t know who handles it all, but everything worked and everything was on schedule and within budget, but just the whole hassle of everything, so interesting. And just really long days. We had to be there at six o´clock for makeup and then the acting started and they were building sets all the time.
Sounds like a lot of people were involved?
TH: There was like 40 people all the time. One guy just building the props. The director says "We need a compass that spins all the time and we need it in about four hours for the scene. Can you do it?". So the guy just went and made one and came back, "Is this good?". "Yeah, it´s good but just make it a bit more brown!". And there was just one guy working the smoke machine all the time. That´s all he ever did. There were two guys who just drove the band and that´s all they did. People Just had their things that they were doing. They were proud of it and they did it perfectly and that´s why everything worked. I was just standing in the corner, "Four years ago I had an idea! Fuck! I never ever thought it would come to this.".
That´s gotta be pretty cool, to see it come to life, so to speak? To have an idea and then see it come to life in front of you?
TH: It was one of the most emotional moments in my life, because to be honest, getting the finance for this movie and getting it altogether, getting people convinced, was harder than anything I´ve ever done. Especially the finance . At one point everybody almost gave up . I had to go to the band and sell my house, almost. I wanted to do this movie and if it came to selling my house, I would do that. A lot of drama involved. Finally we got the financing and we got the production and we were there doing it and it happened. It was just "Wow!". Then it turned into melancholy. We actually got this done and so, "Now what?".
Well, that figures!
TH: The journey´s always more rewarding than the destination.
Probably! Are you guys doing any acting as well?
TH: Not really and that was something that I emphasized to the director and the screenwriter from the very beginning, "Don´t put us there!". This is supposed to be a credible and believable drama movie with a lot of fantasy, "So don´t put the band there!". He insisted that we were shown because it´s a Nightwish movie, so in two scenes we play as a band and then I have this very little role of an older guy, but none of us have any lines, but you can see us in cameo roles.
The plan for it then? Is the plan to show it in movie theatres or is it going to be on a DVD? Is it going worldwide?
TH: They´re hoping for the best and I think it´s gonna be a theatrical release at least in Finland and Canada since it´s a Finnish – Canadian production, but I have my doubts about the commercial success of this because it´s a bit more on the cult side. The main thing is just that we get it done and I think it´s gonna be a really good movie, but I don´t really see a big commercial success to it, but you never know. When it comes to distribution, all the people just want to see the trailer first, before they make any decisions if they take it to the theatres. We´ll have to wait until January for that.
It´ll be really interesting to see.
TH: It´s a really weird concept.
The title of the album? I read somewhere that there were rumors saying it was gonna be called "Wind embraced". Is that true? Was that ever a title?
TH: No! It´s the first time I hear this. I´ve never heard of it before.
Ok, we blame Wikipedia for that one! Where did the title come from and were there other titles floating around?
TH: No, it was "Imaginarium" from the very beginning. I wanted to make a thematic movie and album about the power of imagination and the roller coaster of life. All the wonders and all the good stuff and all the bad stuff and it just occurred to me. Originally I thought of something like "Imagine", but "No, that´s the John Lennon song and that´s too obvious. Something to do with imagination… imaginarium, that´s it!". Then we had some troubles with that word from a couple of companies and they asked us if there was any way that we could change it, so we just changed a few letters and it was "Imaginaerum". That´s the story.
Later on when the album is released and the movie is out, will the movie in any way be represented in the live show? Actors, theatrical stuff?
TH: We will try to bring the movie alive in some way in the live shows, but nothing concrete because the movie won´t be ready until April or May and we start the tour in January. I would assume that there will be some props from the movie onstage and there might be some screenshots from the movie if we bring screens, but nothing too big.
Are you gonna start in Finland?
TH: The album release show will be in Los Angeles on the 21st of January.
What place?
TH: The Gibson Amphitheater. After that we´re gonna do a tour in Finland and Europe and Russia. Then comes the festival season and then America, South America, Japan. That´s the plan.
So you´ll be busy for another two years?
TH: One year! (laughs) We decided in the band, "Let´s cut it in half!".
Yeah, I guess it takes its toll on you to be on the road for two years?
TH: It was a bit too much. It´s real easy to admitted now that we were all a bit naïve when it came to touring last time, but we had a new singer and the pressure was huge, concerning her and then we decided to do this insane tour and then there was her divorce at the same time. There were a lot of different things within the band and the crew. People started dropping like flies at some point, so we decided it was worth the effort and we had a lot of wonderful times, but at some point it just felt like it was not worth it. I have no idea how Metallica did it after the "Black album".
Well, they later on did "Some kind of monster" and needed therapy. It´s fascinating and I recently talked to Gilby Clarke and the "Use your illusion tour" was one crazy thing that lasted for three years and you read about all the craziness and he said that you kind of live in your own world where there are no rules and no obligations and you pretty much do what you wanna do.
TH: Exactly!
And you take advantage of it and do stuff that you might not have gotten away with in other places.
TH: Yeah, and then the fact that three out of five band members have families with many kids and you call them and they say "Why are you not at home? Don´t you love us anymore? When will you be home?", so all this combined with living in this fantasy world, it really messes with your head.
And then you´re gonna play in Sweden?
TH: yeah, we´re gonna play in Gothenburg and it´s gonna be the first show on the European tour.
No Stockholm?
TH: The schedule is so limited and there´s a whole planet to tour, so we just basically do one show in many countries and this time it´s Gothenburg.
Ok, Tuomas! Nice talking to you!
TH: Nice talking to you!
Tuomas Holopainen: Yeah, it was since September in 2007.
Right, so it´s getting close to the style of Def Leppard!
TH: (laughs) Even Guns N´Roses! (laughs)
What´s the reason for it taken so long? Was it that you just took a break or was it a difficult album to make?
TH: Basically for two reasons. The first one is that we had a two year tour after "Dark passion play" and I´m just the kind of personality that cannot do two things at the same time. I guess I´m a typical male, (laughs) when it comes to stuff like that. When I´m on tour I can´t do songs. I can gather ideas here and there, but the actual songwriting doesn´t suit me if I have in the back of my mind that I have to go out on tour in a week, so we had to wait two years and then start the actual songwriting process and at the moment we have this movie project going on and it took a lot of effort to get the financing for that figured out, so this is basically why it took so long.
When it comes to recording an album, the sequence in the way you record the songs, is the first song you record the first one on the album or is it just random?
TH: No, it´s whatever. The way we work is that I always do this rehearsal tape for the whole band. All the songs that I´ve done, as professionally as I can because the music that we do is really, really complex and when you try telling the guys and the girl what the song is gonna sound like in the rehearsal room… you know, "Play this riff and there´s gonna be horns and choirs!", it just doesn´t do the trick. Nobody has that imagination, so that´s why I do it like that when we start rehearsing. Then we rehearse the songs with the band and do a demo and then after the second demo, we start doing it.
The way the songs end up on the album, the order of them, do you have that long before you start recording them?
TH: Oh yeah! Especially for "Imaginaerum". Before we even started rehearsing the songs , I knew the order of the songs for the album, because the movie is so heavily based on the album, that we needed to know the order of the songs and that was quite a challenge actually, to make the drama work even though we didn´t know how they would end up sounding.
What came first? Did the movie idea come first or the album?
TH: The movie idea came first. It was the very first thing that came into my mind. It was the summer of 2007 and we had just finished "dark passion play" and I started to think "What´s gonna be next?". This is so insanely diverse and big that we need to come up with something original for the next album and it just occurred to me that we have always been on the cinematic side with things so why not put it into realization and do an actual movie and make a soundtrack based on the movie? That´s how the original idea was born.
Cool! I´ve only heard it just now, but for me it is a bit more theatrical sound wise and there´s songs that are quite diverse and I wrote down that "Slow love slow" has a bit of a jazzy feeling to it and then "Turn loose the mermaids" has a bit of a Western feel to it…
TH: Yeah, Ennio Morricone!
Exactly! And then you have "Rest calm" with some pretty heavy riffing at the beginning and then it kind of mellows out and the riff came back.
TH: I like to think of it as a free and twisted and warm album. There´s a lot of light at the end of the tunnel on this album, unlike "Dark passion play". But it´s also really weird and twisted. This is because all of the songs were made for the movie and there´s a scene in the movie that takes place in a jazz club, like a 30´s jazz club and some weird stuff is going on there so I just thought, "Ok, this needs to be something like David Lynch and 'Twin peaks'! Ok, we´ve never done a jazz song so let´s try it!". (laughs) And there´s a scene in the movie which happens in a ghost circus where everything is really weird. It´s like a nightmare of this little kid, so… "A circus, ok!". (Tuomas starts singing something similar to circus music and claps on his knees. Editor´s note) That´s why the songs sound what they sound like. They were made for certain scenes.
Did you write the script as well?
TH: I had the original ideas of the scenes, but we actually had to hire a professional screenwriter, because I have no idea of how to write a script, I just had the idea and the story. A guy called Mikko Rautalathi who did the transcript.
Is it different making a movie than an album or is it kind of the same?
TH: It´s kind of like creating emotions and visions out of nothing, so there are a lot of similarities, but it´s even a bigger hassle. We were two weeks in Montreal shooting the movie, just about a month ago, so it´s all filmed now. We just got a glimpse of what making a movie is about. It was an unbelievably interesting experience!
Well, you read about movies that sometimes the shoot the last scenes first…
TH: That´s what they did now! Everything was scheduled to the minute. "This scene requires these actors and they will be picked up at this hotel, by this driver at this hour and get make up by these two hairstylists and these makeup artists.". It´s an unbelievable puzzle and I don´t know who handles it all, but everything worked and everything was on schedule and within budget, but just the whole hassle of everything, so interesting. And just really long days. We had to be there at six o´clock for makeup and then the acting started and they were building sets all the time.
Sounds like a lot of people were involved?
TH: There was like 40 people all the time. One guy just building the props. The director says "We need a compass that spins all the time and we need it in about four hours for the scene. Can you do it?". So the guy just went and made one and came back, "Is this good?". "Yeah, it´s good but just make it a bit more brown!". And there was just one guy working the smoke machine all the time. That´s all he ever did. There were two guys who just drove the band and that´s all they did. People Just had their things that they were doing. They were proud of it and they did it perfectly and that´s why everything worked. I was just standing in the corner, "Four years ago I had an idea! Fuck! I never ever thought it would come to this.".
That´s gotta be pretty cool, to see it come to life, so to speak? To have an idea and then see it come to life in front of you?
TH: It was one of the most emotional moments in my life, because to be honest, getting the finance for this movie and getting it altogether, getting people convinced, was harder than anything I´ve ever done. Especially the finance . At one point everybody almost gave up . I had to go to the band and sell my house, almost. I wanted to do this movie and if it came to selling my house, I would do that. A lot of drama involved. Finally we got the financing and we got the production and we were there doing it and it happened. It was just "Wow!". Then it turned into melancholy. We actually got this done and so, "Now what?".
Well, that figures!
TH: The journey´s always more rewarding than the destination.
Probably! Are you guys doing any acting as well?
TH: Not really and that was something that I emphasized to the director and the screenwriter from the very beginning, "Don´t put us there!". This is supposed to be a credible and believable drama movie with a lot of fantasy, "So don´t put the band there!". He insisted that we were shown because it´s a Nightwish movie, so in two scenes we play as a band and then I have this very little role of an older guy, but none of us have any lines, but you can see us in cameo roles.
The plan for it then? Is the plan to show it in movie theatres or is it going to be on a DVD? Is it going worldwide?
TH: They´re hoping for the best and I think it´s gonna be a theatrical release at least in Finland and Canada since it´s a Finnish – Canadian production, but I have my doubts about the commercial success of this because it´s a bit more on the cult side. The main thing is just that we get it done and I think it´s gonna be a really good movie, but I don´t really see a big commercial success to it, but you never know. When it comes to distribution, all the people just want to see the trailer first, before they make any decisions if they take it to the theatres. We´ll have to wait until January for that.
It´ll be really interesting to see.
TH: It´s a really weird concept.
The title of the album? I read somewhere that there were rumors saying it was gonna be called "Wind embraced". Is that true? Was that ever a title?
TH: No! It´s the first time I hear this. I´ve never heard of it before.
Ok, we blame Wikipedia for that one! Where did the title come from and were there other titles floating around?
TH: No, it was "Imaginarium" from the very beginning. I wanted to make a thematic movie and album about the power of imagination and the roller coaster of life. All the wonders and all the good stuff and all the bad stuff and it just occurred to me. Originally I thought of something like "Imagine", but "No, that´s the John Lennon song and that´s too obvious. Something to do with imagination… imaginarium, that´s it!". Then we had some troubles with that word from a couple of companies and they asked us if there was any way that we could change it, so we just changed a few letters and it was "Imaginaerum". That´s the story.
Later on when the album is released and the movie is out, will the movie in any way be represented in the live show? Actors, theatrical stuff?
TH: We will try to bring the movie alive in some way in the live shows, but nothing concrete because the movie won´t be ready until April or May and we start the tour in January. I would assume that there will be some props from the movie onstage and there might be some screenshots from the movie if we bring screens, but nothing too big.
Are you gonna start in Finland?
TH: The album release show will be in Los Angeles on the 21st of January.
What place?
TH: The Gibson Amphitheater. After that we´re gonna do a tour in Finland and Europe and Russia. Then comes the festival season and then America, South America, Japan. That´s the plan.
So you´ll be busy for another two years?
TH: One year! (laughs) We decided in the band, "Let´s cut it in half!".
Yeah, I guess it takes its toll on you to be on the road for two years?
TH: It was a bit too much. It´s real easy to admitted now that we were all a bit naïve when it came to touring last time, but we had a new singer and the pressure was huge, concerning her and then we decided to do this insane tour and then there was her divorce at the same time. There were a lot of different things within the band and the crew. People started dropping like flies at some point, so we decided it was worth the effort and we had a lot of wonderful times, but at some point it just felt like it was not worth it. I have no idea how Metallica did it after the "Black album".
Well, they later on did "Some kind of monster" and needed therapy. It´s fascinating and I recently talked to Gilby Clarke and the "Use your illusion tour" was one crazy thing that lasted for three years and you read about all the craziness and he said that you kind of live in your own world where there are no rules and no obligations and you pretty much do what you wanna do.
TH: Exactly!
And you take advantage of it and do stuff that you might not have gotten away with in other places.
TH: Yeah, and then the fact that three out of five band members have families with many kids and you call them and they say "Why are you not at home? Don´t you love us anymore? When will you be home?", so all this combined with living in this fantasy world, it really messes with your head.
And then you´re gonna play in Sweden?
TH: yeah, we´re gonna play in Gothenburg and it´s gonna be the first show on the European tour.
No Stockholm?
TH: The schedule is so limited and there´s a whole planet to tour, so we just basically do one show in many countries and this time it´s Gothenburg.
Ok, Tuomas! Nice talking to you!
TH: Nice talking to you!
Former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans will sign copies of his new book, "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC", tomorrow night (Saturday, October 15) at Back In The Day, Melbourne, Australia's "home of hard rock." Also appearing will be Australia's longest-running AC/DC tribute band DIRTY DEEDS, with the collectable AC/DC wine also up for grabs.
Back In The Day has been operating since 2003 and has played host to many an after-party for touring bands, including shows by THE POOR, CANDY HARLOTS and, more recently, L.A. GUNS.
For more information, visit www.backintheday.com.au.
The final cover image for the North American edition of "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC" can be seen below. The first-ever book by a member of Bon Scott-era AC/DC is due in November from Bazillion Points books and is now available for pre-order at www.dirtydeedsbook.com.
Mark Evans recorded countless rock anthems with AC/DC on the groundbreaking releases "High Voltage", "TNT", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock", and the '74 "Jailbreak" EP.
At nineteen years old in 1975, Mark Evans joined AC/DC, one of the hardest-working and loudest barroom bands in Australia. In the next few years AC/DC recorded a string of bestselling albums, and Mark found himself headlining world tours and living the life of a bona fide rock star. His memoir, "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC", is the first bio written by a band insider during the early years, giving insight into the struggles and camaraderie that fueled the rise of hard rock's most successful group. His likeable stories capture the energy and essence of Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Phil Rudd, and the late Bon Scott. Rock and roll icons like George Harrison, Gene Simmons, Phil Lynott, Alice Cooper, Ronnie Wood, Ahmet Ertegun, and members of METALLICA feature as well.
Back In The Day has been operating since 2003 and has played host to many an after-party for touring bands, including shows by THE POOR, CANDY HARLOTS and, more recently, L.A. GUNS.
For more information, visit www.backintheday.com.au.
The final cover image for the North American edition of "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC" can be seen below. The first-ever book by a member of Bon Scott-era AC/DC is due in November from Bazillion Points books and is now available for pre-order at www.dirtydeedsbook.com.
Mark Evans recorded countless rock anthems with AC/DC on the groundbreaking releases "High Voltage", "TNT", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Let There Be Rock", and the '74 "Jailbreak" EP.
At nineteen years old in 1975, Mark Evans joined AC/DC, one of the hardest-working and loudest barroom bands in Australia. In the next few years AC/DC recorded a string of bestselling albums, and Mark found himself headlining world tours and living the life of a bona fide rock star. His memoir, "Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC", is the first bio written by a band insider during the early years, giving insight into the struggles and camaraderie that fueled the rise of hard rock's most successful group. His likeable stories capture the energy and essence of Malcolm Young, Angus Young, Phil Rudd, and the late Bon Scott. Rock and roll icons like George Harrison, Gene Simmons, Phil Lynott, Alice Cooper, Ronnie Wood, Ahmet Ertegun, and members of METALLICA feature as well.
Chuck Ruff, the American rock drummer best known for his drum duet with Edgar Winter and THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP on the 1972 No. 1 hit instrumental "Frankenstein", passed away in San Francisco, California on October 14 after a long illness.
In 1977, Ruff joined Sammy Hagar and performed on the albums "Street Machine" (1979) and "Danger Zone" (1979), including the song "Bad Reputation", which is featured in the film "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".
Commented Hagar: "I lost one of my old bandmates, Chuck Ruff, [on Friday]. Chuck was my drummer on 'Danger Zone' and 'Street Machine' and many many live tours together. I have only memories of great times and great music with Chuck.
"My condolences to his family, friends and loved ones."
In 1977, Ruff joined Sammy Hagar and performed on the albums "Street Machine" (1979) and "Danger Zone" (1979), including the song "Bad Reputation", which is featured in the film "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".
Commented Hagar: "I lost one of my old bandmates, Chuck Ruff, [on Friday]. Chuck was my drummer on 'Danger Zone' and 'Street Machine' and many many live tours together. I have only memories of great times and great music with Chuck.
"My condolences to his family, friends and loved ones."
PAPA WHEELIE, the "stoner punk metal" crew consisting of former METALLICA/VOIVOD bassist Jason Newsted (a.k.a. Jaylor) on guitar/vocals, Steven Wiig (a.k.a. Swiiglor) on drums and Joe Ledesma (a.k.a. Joefus) on bass, has scheduled the following dates:
* Oct. 22 - Time Out Sports Bar - Concord, CA (w/ BEER DRINKERS, HELL RAISERS)
* Oct. 27 - Red Devil Lounge - San Francisco, CA (w/ ANVIL)
* Oct. 29 - 9 Lives - Gilroy, CA (w/ RIVALS, RELAPSE)
* Nov. 05 - Fourth Street Tavern - San Rafael, CA (w/ KNIGHT DRIVE)
* Nov. 19 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco CA (w/ KYUSS LIVES!, THE SWORD, BLACK COBRA
PAPA WHEELIE originally emerged from a mountain biking-based friendship between Jason and his friendly neighborhood bike shop owner Joe Ledesma, and was founded on the simple premise that at least two bikers must be jamming together for it to be justified as a PAPA WHEELIE session.
In the early stages of the project, Jason started out playing the drums — a period during which a number of guest performers were sitting in on guitar, including Raymond Anthony, Ken Ingersol, Jason Wisenor... and some guy from the Midwest named Steven Wiig. The project's current lineup came together when Steven Wiig finally decided to move out to Northern California and Jason decided to reshuffle the deck. Jason now took over the guitar, Joe continued to play bass, and Steve officially joined the project full-time on drums.
By September 2000, PAPA WHEELIE had transformed into a full-on stoner rock-lovin' power trio that would eventually spawn the psychotic alter-egos of Jaylor, Swiiglor and Joefus. PAPA WHEELIE's motto (taken from the infamous Fathor Wheelor) is "Upon the same ground twice shalt not thy Wheelie tread!" The premise is that whatever the group plays on the day has never been played before and will never be played again. No pre-written material. Nothing scripted, nothing planned. Simply raw, unadulterated music from The Chophouse as it bleeds. No overdubs. No B.S. According to Swiiglor, "Simply put, we just turn the amps up high, the lights down low and let it rip."
Steven Wiig is Lars Ulrich's former personal assistant who earlier this year sued the METALLICA drummer claiming years of unpaid overtime.
* Oct. 22 - Time Out Sports Bar - Concord, CA (w/ BEER DRINKERS, HELL RAISERS)
* Oct. 27 - Red Devil Lounge - San Francisco, CA (w/ ANVIL)
* Oct. 29 - 9 Lives - Gilroy, CA (w/ RIVALS, RELAPSE)
* Nov. 05 - Fourth Street Tavern - San Rafael, CA (w/ KNIGHT DRIVE)
* Nov. 19 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco CA (w/ KYUSS LIVES!, THE SWORD, BLACK COBRA
PAPA WHEELIE originally emerged from a mountain biking-based friendship between Jason and his friendly neighborhood bike shop owner Joe Ledesma, and was founded on the simple premise that at least two bikers must be jamming together for it to be justified as a PAPA WHEELIE session.
In the early stages of the project, Jason started out playing the drums — a period during which a number of guest performers were sitting in on guitar, including Raymond Anthony, Ken Ingersol, Jason Wisenor... and some guy from the Midwest named Steven Wiig. The project's current lineup came together when Steven Wiig finally decided to move out to Northern California and Jason decided to reshuffle the deck. Jason now took over the guitar, Joe continued to play bass, and Steve officially joined the project full-time on drums.
By September 2000, PAPA WHEELIE had transformed into a full-on stoner rock-lovin' power trio that would eventually spawn the psychotic alter-egos of Jaylor, Swiiglor and Joefus. PAPA WHEELIE's motto (taken from the infamous Fathor Wheelor) is "Upon the same ground twice shalt not thy Wheelie tread!" The premise is that whatever the group plays on the day has never been played before and will never be played again. No pre-written material. Nothing scripted, nothing planned. Simply raw, unadulterated music from The Chophouse as it bleeds. No overdubs. No B.S. According to Swiiglor, "Simply put, we just turn the amps up high, the lights down low and let it rip."
Steven Wiig is Lars Ulrich's former personal assistant who earlier this year sued the METALLICA drummer claiming years of unpaid overtime.
UNISONIC, the new band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, ex-HELLOWEEN) alongside Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 and Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer (who has previously played with ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS), has inked a deal with earMUSIC/Edel.
Commented Zafiriou: "We had several promising labels being interested in UNISONIC, but the enthusiasm of Max Vaccaro and his team convinced us that earMUSIC is the right company for us."
UNISONIC's debut EP will be released in January 2012, followed bya full-length album in the early spring.
After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONICcontinued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.
UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.
Commented Kiske: "It feels great to finally bring the band to the studio and record the songs we've been working on. We took our time to grow as a band, but it was definitely worth it and we are very proud of the result."
Added bassist/producer Ward: "We have a bunch of very strong songs and can't wait until people can hear them. Everyone in the band is now looking even more positive into the future."
Regarding Hansen's addition to UNISONIC, Kiske previously said, "After so many years of abstinence, I had a lot of fun doing my first live shows with UNISONIC in summer 2010, so I agreed to do the short world tour with AVANTASIA. It was a great experience to be on stage with all those great artists, but with Kai it was something different: We instantly felt the magic again and had a lot of fun together on and off stage. We both realized that we want to be together in band again. He was interested in the open musical concept of UNISONIC and finally asked me if he can join the band. I talked to my bandmates and they all felt great about it. His talent as a guitarist and songwriter is an enrichment for the band and we are looking forward to his contribution for the music of UNISONIC."
Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.
UNISONIC is:
Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)
A demo version of the "Souls Alive" track from UNISONIC — which doesn't feature Kai Hansen — can be streamed below. The song was first performed at the band's debut concert, which took place on June 5, 2010 at Live Music Hall in Mörlenbach, Germany. The show also marked Kiske's first live appearance in 17 years.
Commented Zafiriou: "We had several promising labels being interested in UNISONIC, but the enthusiasm of Max Vaccaro and his team convinced us that earMUSIC is the right company for us."
UNISONIC's debut EP will be released in January 2012, followed bya full-length album in the early spring.
After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONICcontinued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.
UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.
Commented Kiske: "It feels great to finally bring the band to the studio and record the songs we've been working on. We took our time to grow as a band, but it was definitely worth it and we are very proud of the result."
Added bassist/producer Ward: "We have a bunch of very strong songs and can't wait until people can hear them. Everyone in the band is now looking even more positive into the future."
Regarding Hansen's addition to UNISONIC, Kiske previously said, "After so many years of abstinence, I had a lot of fun doing my first live shows with UNISONIC in summer 2010, so I agreed to do the short world tour with AVANTASIA. It was a great experience to be on stage with all those great artists, but with Kai it was something different: We instantly felt the magic again and had a lot of fun together on and off stage. We both realized that we want to be together in band again. He was interested in the open musical concept of UNISONIC and finally asked me if he can join the band. I talked to my bandmates and they all felt great about it. His talent as a guitarist and songwriter is an enrichment for the band and we are looking forward to his contribution for the music of UNISONIC."
Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.
UNISONIC is:
Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)
A demo version of the "Souls Alive" track from UNISONIC — which doesn't feature Kai Hansen — can be streamed below. The song was first performed at the band's debut concert, which took place on June 5, 2010 at Live Music Hall in Mörlenbach, Germany. The show also marked Kiske's first live appearance in 17 years.
Terry Butler (DEATH, MASSACRE, SIX FEET UNDER, DENIAL FIEND, OBITUARY) and Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo (MANTAS, DEATH, MASSACRE, M INC.) will celebrate the 20th anniversary of MASSACRE's classic "From Beyond" album by embarking on a European tour in January/February 2012. Dubbed "Army Of Darkness", the trek will feature additional performances from GRAVE and MASTER.
MASSACRE's touring lineup:
* Mike Mazzonetto (M INC., PAIN PRINCIPLE) - Drums
* Ed Webb (DIABOLIC, SUPREME EVIL) - Vocals
* Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo – Guitar
* Terry Butler - Bass
MASSACRE's tentative setlist for the tour:
01. Chamber Of Ages
02. Succubus
03. Defeat Remains
04. From Beyond
05. Cryptic Realms
06. Provoked Accurser
07. Dawn Of Eternity
08. Bio-Hazard
09. Warhead
10. Corpse Grinder
Commented Butler in a statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Rick and I are very excited about bringing MASSACRE to Europe. We want to give the fans (new and old) a chance to hear MASSACRE again. This is not a 'farewell tour' or a 'reunion tour.'"
Added Rozz: "I would just like to say I am involved in this tribute to MASSACRE, a band that I spent many years of my life in, in a few different ways, and have written many songs for. I now have been invited by Terry Butler to be involved in this tribute. This is not, and there never will be, a reunion. This, to me, is a few friends, new and old, paying tribute to part of Terry Butler and my past, so let's have some fun, and put these 20-plus-year-old tracks in overdrive, This will be the most powerful/heavy/brutal MASSACRE live gig in the history of the band, in my opinion."
The rest of the touring band's lineup will be announced soon.
A revamped version of MASSACRE — consisting of DENIAL FIEND members Sam Williams (guitar), Curt Beeson (drums; NASTY SAVAGE), along with ex-MASSACRE/DENIAL FIEND members Terry Butler (bass), Steve Swanson (guitar) and Kam Lee (vocals) — completed a European tour in late 2007.
MASSACRE's touring lineup:
* Mike Mazzonetto (M INC., PAIN PRINCIPLE) - Drums
* Ed Webb (DIABOLIC, SUPREME EVIL) - Vocals
* Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo – Guitar
* Terry Butler - Bass
MASSACRE's tentative setlist for the tour:
01. Chamber Of Ages
02. Succubus
03. Defeat Remains
04. From Beyond
05. Cryptic Realms
06. Provoked Accurser
07. Dawn Of Eternity
08. Bio-Hazard
09. Warhead
10. Corpse Grinder
Commented Butler in a statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Rick and I are very excited about bringing MASSACRE to Europe. We want to give the fans (new and old) a chance to hear MASSACRE again. This is not a 'farewell tour' or a 'reunion tour.'"
Added Rozz: "I would just like to say I am involved in this tribute to MASSACRE, a band that I spent many years of my life in, in a few different ways, and have written many songs for. I now have been invited by Terry Butler to be involved in this tribute. This is not, and there never will be, a reunion. This, to me, is a few friends, new and old, paying tribute to part of Terry Butler and my past, so let's have some fun, and put these 20-plus-year-old tracks in overdrive, This will be the most powerful/heavy/brutal MASSACRE live gig in the history of the band, in my opinion."
The rest of the touring band's lineup will be announced soon.
A revamped version of MASSACRE — consisting of DENIAL FIEND members Sam Williams (guitar), Curt Beeson (drums; NASTY SAVAGE), along with ex-MASSACRE/DENIAL FIEND members Terry Butler (bass), Steve Swanson (guitar) and Kam Lee (vocals) — completed a European tour in late 2007.
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