SHOK PARIS bass player Ed Stephens filled in for Rudy Sarzo at the DIO DISCIPLES show on October 2 at Ripper Owens Tap House in Akron, Ohio. Sarzo traveled home to Los Angeles following the band's September 29 concert in Chicago for a previous commitment with another band and was not able to perform with DIO DISCIPLES at the Akron gig.
DIO DISCIPLES is the new project featuring former DIO members Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar), Scott Warren (keyboards) and Rudy Sarzo alongside singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Toby Jepson (FASTWAY, LITTLE ANGELS, GUN). The band pays tribute to the legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy, who recently posted that "there will never be another Ronnie, but we want to keep his music alive and hope you will support the band and become one of the DIO DISCIPLES."
The Akron show at Ripper Owens Tap House was originally not scheduled on the tour itinerary and announced only a few days earlier following DIO DISCIPLES' September 28 Cleveland date at House Of Blues. Ticket sales were limited to 150 and quickly sold out. This special show offered fans the chance to see and meet the band in a small intimate setting.
"Playing with the DIO DISCIPLES was a really great time," says Stephens. "It was a great honor to be able to be a part of, if even for one night, this very special project that is celebrating the music of Ronnie James Dio. His music and his message had a big impact on my life, and apparently still does. The band was very cool and I got a great vibe right away. That was important to me because I was nervous as hell!
"I got the call from Tim "Ripper" Owens about an additional show at his Tap House restaurant and bar. Rudy Sarzo had a prior commitment and he wondered if I would be able to fill in for him. I was not allowed to say anything to anyone, not even my closest friends.
"I've worked with Tim in the past on a CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED tour and BEYOND FEAR shows in Mexico. He knew that I could learn the songs quickly. I had less than two weeks to get the CHARRED stuff together. I had about the same amount of time to learn this set. Even though I was already familiar with the material, DISCIPLES has different endings, extended sections, and some different arrangements than the original versions of these songs. They took a few songs out of their regular set and we practiced on the bus for the first time together the afternoon of the show.
"The cool and best part of the night were the fans accepting me filling in for Rudy. I felt bad Rudy could not be there, too. He's always been one of my heroes. I hope to meet him one day and thank him for letting me use his bass rig. That thing sounded amazing!"
"Sunday night's show was awesome," adds Ripper Owens Tap House co-owner Randy Arehart. "For the people that witnessed the DIO DISCIPLES in a venue like this, I know this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To have Ronnie James Dio's band here, most of his crew and his longtime personal assistant Steve [Mignardi] created an atmosphere of 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll' and 'Long Live Ronnie James Dio.' We are blessed."
DIO DISCIPLES' setlist for the Akron show:
01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Don't Talk To Strangers
04. Egypt (The Chains Are On)
05. Catch The Rainbow
06. Stargazer
07. The Last In Line
08. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
09. Man On The Silver Mountain
10. Heaven And Hell
Encore:
11. Rainbow In The Dark
12. We Rock
DIO DISCIPLES is the new project featuring former DIO members Simon Wright (drums), Craig Goldy (guitar), Scott Warren (keyboards) and Rudy Sarzo alongside singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Toby Jepson (FASTWAY, LITTLE ANGELS, GUN). The band pays tribute to the legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy, who recently posted that "there will never be another Ronnie, but we want to keep his music alive and hope you will support the band and become one of the DIO DISCIPLES."
The Akron show at Ripper Owens Tap House was originally not scheduled on the tour itinerary and announced only a few days earlier following DIO DISCIPLES' September 28 Cleveland date at House Of Blues. Ticket sales were limited to 150 and quickly sold out. This special show offered fans the chance to see and meet the band in a small intimate setting.
"Playing with the DIO DISCIPLES was a really great time," says Stephens. "It was a great honor to be able to be a part of, if even for one night, this very special project that is celebrating the music of Ronnie James Dio. His music and his message had a big impact on my life, and apparently still does. The band was very cool and I got a great vibe right away. That was important to me because I was nervous as hell!
"I got the call from Tim "Ripper" Owens about an additional show at his Tap House restaurant and bar. Rudy Sarzo had a prior commitment and he wondered if I would be able to fill in for him. I was not allowed to say anything to anyone, not even my closest friends.
"I've worked with Tim in the past on a CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED tour and BEYOND FEAR shows in Mexico. He knew that I could learn the songs quickly. I had less than two weeks to get the CHARRED stuff together. I had about the same amount of time to learn this set. Even though I was already familiar with the material, DISCIPLES has different endings, extended sections, and some different arrangements than the original versions of these songs. They took a few songs out of their regular set and we practiced on the bus for the first time together the afternoon of the show.
"The cool and best part of the night were the fans accepting me filling in for Rudy. I felt bad Rudy could not be there, too. He's always been one of my heroes. I hope to meet him one day and thank him for letting me use his bass rig. That thing sounded amazing!"
"Sunday night's show was awesome," adds Ripper Owens Tap House co-owner Randy Arehart. "For the people that witnessed the DIO DISCIPLES in a venue like this, I know this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To have Ronnie James Dio's band here, most of his crew and his longtime personal assistant Steve [Mignardi] created an atmosphere of 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll' and 'Long Live Ronnie James Dio.' We are blessed."
DIO DISCIPLES' setlist for the Akron show:
01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Holy Diver
03. Don't Talk To Strangers
04. Egypt (The Chains Are On)
05. Catch The Rainbow
06. Stargazer
07. The Last In Line
08. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
09. Man On The Silver Mountain
10. Heaven And Hell
Encore:
11. Rainbow In The Dark
12. We Rock
According to the French SCORPIONS fan club Crazyscorps, German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS will release "Comeblack", a collection of re-recorded versions of the band's classics songs, on November 4 via Sony. The effort will be made available as a CD and on double vinyl.
"Comeblack" track listing:
Re-recordings:
01. Rhythm Of Love
02. No One Like You
03. The Zoo
04. Rock You Like A Hurricane
05. Blackout
06. Still Loving You
07. Wind Of Change
Covers:
08. Tainted Love (GLORIA JONES)
09. Children Of The Revolution (T. REX)
10. Across The Universe (THE BEATLES)
11. Tin Soldier (SMALL FACES)
12. All Day And All Of The Night (THE KINKS)
13. Ruby Tuesday (THE ROLLING STONES)
An audio sample of the re-recorded version of the band's 1984 classic ballad "Still Loving You", re-titled "Still Loving You - Je T'Aime Encore" and featuring a guest appearance by the French 2009 "Pop Idol" winner Amandiner Bourgeois, is currently streaming on the Charts In France web site. The track is expected to appear on the French version of the "Comeblack" album.
"Still Loving You - Je T'Aime Encore" will be available for download in France on October 10.
The "Comeblack" cover artwork can be seen below.
In a recent interview with ArabNews.com, SCORPIONS frontman Klaus Meine stated about the group's future plans, "Our newest project comes out in the next few months. It gives you a chance to experience the SCORPIONS in 3D. You can actually feel the smoke string out of the guitar like it is a live show. It is an incredible experience. The DVD features our concerts in 3D in Germany. We are just about to do the mix and it should be in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia hopefully soon. Indeed, the strong 3D technology makes us feel like pioneers after all these years. (Laughs) We have an album coming out later this year featuring classics. You know our love for them. The '60s was the era for our inspiration. Our movie/documentary also is soon to be released. We have cameras with us on tours, so this documentary is being made during or tours. It also gives you a picture of the SCORPIONS career and journey."
The SCORPIONS' current trek — in celebration of 40-plus years in music — has been a massive success in a soft touring economy, with the group filling many of the arenas they performed at in the United States and Canada.
SCORPIONS' latest album, "Sting In The Tail", sold 18,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marks the band's highest chart debut in over 20 years. The CD also landed at No. 6 on the Rock Albums chart.
"Sting In The Tail" was released in North America on March 23, 2010 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
"Comeblack" track listing:
Re-recordings:
01. Rhythm Of Love
02. No One Like You
03. The Zoo
04. Rock You Like A Hurricane
05. Blackout
06. Still Loving You
07. Wind Of Change
Covers:
08. Tainted Love (GLORIA JONES)
09. Children Of The Revolution (T. REX)
10. Across The Universe (THE BEATLES)
11. Tin Soldier (SMALL FACES)
12. All Day And All Of The Night (THE KINKS)
13. Ruby Tuesday (THE ROLLING STONES)
An audio sample of the re-recorded version of the band's 1984 classic ballad "Still Loving You", re-titled "Still Loving You - Je T'Aime Encore" and featuring a guest appearance by the French 2009 "Pop Idol" winner Amandiner Bourgeois, is currently streaming on the Charts In France web site. The track is expected to appear on the French version of the "Comeblack" album.
"Still Loving You - Je T'Aime Encore" will be available for download in France on October 10.
The "Comeblack" cover artwork can be seen below.
In a recent interview with ArabNews.com, SCORPIONS frontman Klaus Meine stated about the group's future plans, "Our newest project comes out in the next few months. It gives you a chance to experience the SCORPIONS in 3D. You can actually feel the smoke string out of the guitar like it is a live show. It is an incredible experience. The DVD features our concerts in 3D in Germany. We are just about to do the mix and it should be in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia hopefully soon. Indeed, the strong 3D technology makes us feel like pioneers after all these years. (Laughs) We have an album coming out later this year featuring classics. You know our love for them. The '60s was the era for our inspiration. Our movie/documentary also is soon to be released. We have cameras with us on tours, so this documentary is being made during or tours. It also gives you a picture of the SCORPIONS career and journey."
The SCORPIONS' current trek — in celebration of 40-plus years in music — has been a massive success in a soft touring economy, with the group filling many of the arenas they performed at in the United States and Canada.
SCORPIONS' latest album, "Sting In The Tail", sold 18,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marks the band's highest chart debut in over 20 years. The CD also landed at No. 6 on the Rock Albums chart.
"Sting In The Tail" was released in North America on March 23, 2010 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
The musical collaboration between Lou Reed and METALLICA, "Lulu", will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world through Universal Music. The CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.
A variety of physical "Lulu" releases are available for pre-order at LouReedMetallica.com:
** 2CD Package - $19.99
Contents: Double CD with 24-page booklet including all lyrics.
** Deluxe 2CD Poster Set - $119.99
Contents: Limited-run tube including a poster of the "Lulu" mannequin and song lyrics, three high-quality prints of Anton Corbijn photos of Lou Reed and METALLICA, and the double CD of "Lulu" in a unique folding slipcase. Each tube is numbered. Dimensions of the tube are approximately 5.5 inches in diameter by 49 inches long.
** Deluxe Book 2CD - $109.99
Contents: Limited-run two-book set, each book 12" x 12" square bound with a hard cover. The Anton Corbijn book is 20 pages of photos taken of Lou Reed and METALLICA in Gothenburg, Sweden in the summer of 2011. The lyric book is 28 pages with lyrics from each song along with imagery from the objects collection of WerkbundarchiV Museum Der Dinge, Berlin, Germany. The two "Lulu" CDs are also included in the lyric book. All housed in a clear plastic slipcase.
** Vinyl 2LP Set
"Lulu" final track listing:
01. Brandenburg Gate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)
The idea for these two giants of modern music to work together was born after the 25th anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame concerts in New York City in October 2009. METALLICA — singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — played with Reed on VELVET UNDERGROUND classics "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat". "We knew from then that we were made for each other," Reed says.
After that triumphant performance, Reed suggested they all make a record together. At first they planned to record an album of Reedfraven's older material, what Ulrich describes as "some of Lou's lost jewels — songs that he felt he'd like to give a second spin, and we could do whatever it is we do to some of those songs." That idea "hung in the air for a couple of months." Then, a week or two before that session was to begin, "Lou called up and said, 'Listen, I have this other idea.'"
That idea was to record a series of songs Reed had written for American avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson and German theater group the Berliner Ensemble's production of the "Lulu Plays", which premiered in April at the Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, founded by Bertolt Brecht. The songs are inspired by German expressionist Frank Wedekind's early 20th century plays "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box", and were a rewrite of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven", which emerged as a graphic novel on Fantagraphics Press.
"We were very interested in working with Lou," says Hetfield. "I had these giant question marks: What's it going to be like? What's going to happen? So it was great when he sent us the lyrics for the 'Lulu' body of work. It was something we could sink our teeth into. I could take off my singer and lyricist hat and concentrate on the music part. These were very potent lyrics, with a soundscape behind them for atmosphere. Lars and I sat there with an acoustic and let this blank canvas take us where it needed to go. It was a great gift, to be asked to stamp 'TALLICA on it. And that's what we did."
"We had to bring 'Lulu' to life in a sophisticated way, using rock," Reed says. "And the hardest power rock you could come up with would have to be METALLICA. They live on that planet. We played together, and I knew it: dream come true. This is the best thing I ever did. And I did it with the best group I could possibly find. By definition, everybody involved was honest. This has come into the world pure. We pushed as far as we possibly could within the realms of reality."
"It's definitely not a METALLICA album, or a Lou Reed album," adds Hammett. "It's something else. It's a new animal, a hybrid."
A variety of physical "Lulu" releases are available for pre-order at LouReedMetallica.com:
** 2CD Package - $19.99
Contents: Double CD with 24-page booklet including all lyrics.
** Deluxe 2CD Poster Set - $119.99
Contents: Limited-run tube including a poster of the "Lulu" mannequin and song lyrics, three high-quality prints of Anton Corbijn photos of Lou Reed and METALLICA, and the double CD of "Lulu" in a unique folding slipcase. Each tube is numbered. Dimensions of the tube are approximately 5.5 inches in diameter by 49 inches long.
** Deluxe Book 2CD - $109.99
Contents: Limited-run two-book set, each book 12" x 12" square bound with a hard cover. The Anton Corbijn book is 20 pages of photos taken of Lou Reed and METALLICA in Gothenburg, Sweden in the summer of 2011. The lyric book is 28 pages with lyrics from each song along with imagery from the objects collection of WerkbundarchiV Museum Der Dinge, Berlin, Germany. The two "Lulu" CDs are also included in the lyric book. All housed in a clear plastic slipcase.
** Vinyl 2LP Set
"Lulu" final track listing:
01. Brandenburg Gate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)
The idea for these two giants of modern music to work together was born after the 25th anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame concerts in New York City in October 2009. METALLICA — singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — played with Reed on VELVET UNDERGROUND classics "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat". "We knew from then that we were made for each other," Reed says.
After that triumphant performance, Reed suggested they all make a record together. At first they planned to record an album of Reedfraven's older material, what Ulrich describes as "some of Lou's lost jewels — songs that he felt he'd like to give a second spin, and we could do whatever it is we do to some of those songs." That idea "hung in the air for a couple of months." Then, a week or two before that session was to begin, "Lou called up and said, 'Listen, I have this other idea.'"
That idea was to record a series of songs Reed had written for American avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson and German theater group the Berliner Ensemble's production of the "Lulu Plays", which premiered in April at the Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, founded by Bertolt Brecht. The songs are inspired by German expressionist Frank Wedekind's early 20th century plays "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box", and were a rewrite of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven", which emerged as a graphic novel on Fantagraphics Press.
"We were very interested in working with Lou," says Hetfield. "I had these giant question marks: What's it going to be like? What's going to happen? So it was great when he sent us the lyrics for the 'Lulu' body of work. It was something we could sink our teeth into. I could take off my singer and lyricist hat and concentrate on the music part. These were very potent lyrics, with a soundscape behind them for atmosphere. Lars and I sat there with an acoustic and let this blank canvas take us where it needed to go. It was a great gift, to be asked to stamp 'TALLICA on it. And that's what we did."
"We had to bring 'Lulu' to life in a sophisticated way, using rock," Reed says. "And the hardest power rock you could come up with would have to be METALLICA. They live on that planet. We played together, and I knew it: dream come true. This is the best thing I ever did. And I did it with the best group I could possibly find. By definition, everybody involved was honest. This has come into the world pure. We pushed as far as we possibly could within the realms of reality."
"It's definitely not a METALLICA album, or a Lou Reed album," adds Hammett. "It's something else. It's a new animal, a hybrid."
METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield was interviewed by the Argentinian radio station Rock & Pop 95.9 FM before the band's performance at the Rock In Rio festival in on September 25, 2011 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. You can now listen to the chat below.
(Hetfield's answers below were transcribed from the original audio by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)
On how METALLICA's collaboration with former VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman Lou Reed came about:
Hetfield: "Well, at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, we jammed with him on the 25th-year anniversary, and after the playing, he felt so good, he felt so alive that backstage there were some friends of his coming up to us saying, 'What did you do to him? We've never seen him smile so much.' And then he just yelled down the hallway as we were leaving, 'We should do a record together.' And we thought, 'Yeah, right. Is he talking to us?' [Laughs] But he was serious. He had told us that we're the band he always wanted to have. And I agreed — METALLICA is the band I always wanted to have as well. [Laughs]"
On some METALLICA fans' concern that the band's collaborative album with Lou Reed, "Lulu", will sound nothing like the METALLICA they know and love:
Hetfield: "It's definitely different. This is not the new METALLICA studio record. This is 'Lulu'. And that's why we named it 'Lulu' — it's not METALLICA [and] it's not Lou Reed; it's us together making something called 'Lulu'. I'm sure there's some METALLICA fans that will think that 'This is the new METALLICA record. I don't like it. I'm scared.' And it's not. This is a project that was presented to us that we wanted to challenge ourselves with. I mean, there's some great riffs on there. There's not a lot of singing from me on it. [It's] Lou and his lyrics, with us writing background music for Lou. So that's what we did. There will be fans that it will be difficult for them to understand, but we can't stop being METALLICA, we can't stop exploring what we wanna do as an artist. We don't like limiting ourselves. But we're not doing it just to mess with the fans; that's for sure. If they don't like it, wait until the next record where we're fully focused on METALLICA, which we're actually writing right now."
On METALLICA lead guitarist Kirk Hammett's recent revelation that he and Hetfield were both brought to tears during the sessions for "Lulu" while they were recording a song called "Junior Dad":
Hetfield: "[Kidding around] Yeah, Lou, he dropped his guitar on my foot and I started crying. [Gets serious] No… It was just a moment. When music moves you in a certain way, and I was totally shocked by it. Lou came out and said, 'Oh my God, you two have to listen to this.' And [I was like], 'Yeah yeah yeah, I'll be in there in a minute. I'm eating.' And then I went in and we started listening and, you know, tears started and I couldn't stop them. It was like, 'Oh my God. I have to leave.' I had to leave. Somebody came up to me and said, 'James, you've gotta come to Kirk. He's…' 'Oh, you too.' It hit us, man. That was a sign that it was the right thing to do."
On whether there are any plans for METALLICA and Lou Reed to take their collaboration on the road:
Hetfield: "We would love to do some shows — I don't know how many, I don't know where. How many can we do together? It doesn't need to be 20 shows and it doesn't need to be one show — somewhere in the middle there, I think, to give everyone a taste of it and just see what it's like. It's an intense record and Lou has stated that he doesn't know if he can do the whole thing. But I think he will and I think he certainly can. It's a very unique concept — it's not a METALLICA concert; it's not anthem rock whatsoever. This is kind of lonely... It's like one-person music, in a way… for me. I don't need to listen to it with other people; it distracts me, actually. I like listening to it by myself. So it will be probably small, dark places. [Laughs] Like my mind. [Laughs]"
"Lulu" will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world through Universal Music. The CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.
A variety of physical "Lulu" releases are available for pre-order at LouReedMetallica.com:
** 2CD Package - $19.99
Contents: Double CD with 24-page booklet including all lyrics.
** Deluxe 2CD Poster Set - $119.99
Contents: Limited-run tube including a poster of the "Lulu" mannequin and song lyrics, three high-quality prints of Anton Corbijn photos of Lou Reed and METALLICA, and the double CD of "Lulu" in a unique folding slipcase. Each tube is numbered. Dimensions of the tube are approximately 5.5 inches in diameter by 49 inches long.
** Deluxe Book 2CD - $109.99
Contents: Limited-run two-book set, each book 12" x 12" square bound with a hard cover. The Anton Corbijn book is 20 pages of photos taken of Lou Reed and METALLICA in Gothenburg, Sweden in the summer of 2011. The lyric book is 28 pages with lyrics from each song along with imagery from the objects collection of WerkbundarchiV Museum Der Dinge, Berlin, Germany. The two "Lulu" CDs are also included in the lyric book. All housed in a clear plastic slipcase.
** Vinyl 2LP Set
"Lulu" final track listing:
01. Brandenburg Gate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)
(Hetfield's answers below were transcribed from the original audio by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)
On how METALLICA's collaboration with former VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman Lou Reed came about:
Hetfield: "Well, at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, we jammed with him on the 25th-year anniversary, and after the playing, he felt so good, he felt so alive that backstage there were some friends of his coming up to us saying, 'What did you do to him? We've never seen him smile so much.' And then he just yelled down the hallway as we were leaving, 'We should do a record together.' And we thought, 'Yeah, right. Is he talking to us?' [Laughs] But he was serious. He had told us that we're the band he always wanted to have. And I agreed — METALLICA is the band I always wanted to have as well. [Laughs]"
On some METALLICA fans' concern that the band's collaborative album with Lou Reed, "Lulu", will sound nothing like the METALLICA they know and love:
Hetfield: "It's definitely different. This is not the new METALLICA studio record. This is 'Lulu'. And that's why we named it 'Lulu' — it's not METALLICA [and] it's not Lou Reed; it's us together making something called 'Lulu'. I'm sure there's some METALLICA fans that will think that 'This is the new METALLICA record. I don't like it. I'm scared.' And it's not. This is a project that was presented to us that we wanted to challenge ourselves with. I mean, there's some great riffs on there. There's not a lot of singing from me on it. [It's] Lou and his lyrics, with us writing background music for Lou. So that's what we did. There will be fans that it will be difficult for them to understand, but we can't stop being METALLICA, we can't stop exploring what we wanna do as an artist. We don't like limiting ourselves. But we're not doing it just to mess with the fans; that's for sure. If they don't like it, wait until the next record where we're fully focused on METALLICA, which we're actually writing right now."
On METALLICA lead guitarist Kirk Hammett's recent revelation that he and Hetfield were both brought to tears during the sessions for "Lulu" while they were recording a song called "Junior Dad":
Hetfield: "[Kidding around] Yeah, Lou, he dropped his guitar on my foot and I started crying. [Gets serious] No… It was just a moment. When music moves you in a certain way, and I was totally shocked by it. Lou came out and said, 'Oh my God, you two have to listen to this.' And [I was like], 'Yeah yeah yeah, I'll be in there in a minute. I'm eating.' And then I went in and we started listening and, you know, tears started and I couldn't stop them. It was like, 'Oh my God. I have to leave.' I had to leave. Somebody came up to me and said, 'James, you've gotta come to Kirk. He's…' 'Oh, you too.' It hit us, man. That was a sign that it was the right thing to do."
On whether there are any plans for METALLICA and Lou Reed to take their collaboration on the road:
Hetfield: "We would love to do some shows — I don't know how many, I don't know where. How many can we do together? It doesn't need to be 20 shows and it doesn't need to be one show — somewhere in the middle there, I think, to give everyone a taste of it and just see what it's like. It's an intense record and Lou has stated that he doesn't know if he can do the whole thing. But I think he will and I think he certainly can. It's a very unique concept — it's not a METALLICA concert; it's not anthem rock whatsoever. This is kind of lonely... It's like one-person music, in a way… for me. I don't need to listen to it with other people; it distracts me, actually. I like listening to it by myself. So it will be probably small, dark places. [Laughs] Like my mind. [Laughs]"
"Lulu" will be released on November 1 in North America via Warner Bros. Records and one day earlier (October 31) in the rest of the world through Universal Music. The CD was co-produced by Reed, METALLICA, Hal Willner — who has produced albums for Reed, Marianne Faithfull, and Laurie Anderson, among others — and Greg Fidelman. Fidelman also mixed the record.
A variety of physical "Lulu" releases are available for pre-order at LouReedMetallica.com:
** 2CD Package - $19.99
Contents: Double CD with 24-page booklet including all lyrics.
** Deluxe 2CD Poster Set - $119.99
Contents: Limited-run tube including a poster of the "Lulu" mannequin and song lyrics, three high-quality prints of Anton Corbijn photos of Lou Reed and METALLICA, and the double CD of "Lulu" in a unique folding slipcase. Each tube is numbered. Dimensions of the tube are approximately 5.5 inches in diameter by 49 inches long.
** Deluxe Book 2CD - $109.99
Contents: Limited-run two-book set, each book 12" x 12" square bound with a hard cover. The Anton Corbijn book is 20 pages of photos taken of Lou Reed and METALLICA in Gothenburg, Sweden in the summer of 2011. The lyric book is 28 pages with lyrics from each song along with imagery from the objects collection of WerkbundarchiV Museum Der Dinge, Berlin, Germany. The two "Lulu" CDs are also included in the lyric book. All housed in a clear plastic slipcase.
** Vinyl 2LP Set
"Lulu" final track listing:
01. Brandenburg Gate (4:19)
02. The View (5:17)
03. Pumping Blood (7:24)
04. Mistress Dread (6:52)
05. Iced Honey (4:36)
06. Cheat On Me (11:26)
07. Frustration (8:33)
08. Little Dog (8:01)
09. Dragon (11:08)
10. Junior Dad (19:28)
Benjamin Ricci of PerformerMag.com recently conducted an interview with Tommy Stinson, founding member of the seminal Minneapolis-based rock group THE REPLACEMENTS and current bass player for GUNS N' ROSES and SOUL ASYLUM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
PerformerMag.com: It's been a while since your first solo record came out. Obviously, you've been so busy with GUNS N' ROSES. What inspired you to do another solo record when you have so much else going on?
Stinson: I've been slowly compiling songs over the last few years and it just got to the point where I thought, "Well, I've got these songs here, I should do something with them. I should just finish them up and put them out." And that's how the last one came out, really, the same way. I just compiled enough songs and finally just put something out. And I think in the future, they'll probably come out a little more often than that.
PerformerMag.com: With the GUNS stuff, I've heard that there's actually a lot of down time, but it seems like you guys are always up to something. Is that true? Or has it been overstated in the media that you guys are waiting for Axl [Rose] on a lot of stuff?
Stinson: Yeah, well, there's two ways that's overstated. One is that we're not usually waiting for him. It's a huge production if the monster that it is goes on the road, so it takes time to set it up. But there is a good amount of down time from that, and there is the logistics of it all that you have to deal with. There are logistical issues that don't have a whole lot to do with him either, as far as booking shows and whatnot. So that's when there will be down time.
PerformerMag.com: What does the future hold for GUNS N' ROSES? The rumors are that there's a ton of material written that hasn't seen the light of day. Can you shed some light on that?
Stinson: Ya know, I don't really know. There is a bunch of stuff that was left over from the last record that didn't make it because it wasn't finished. But I'm not sure if Axl has been working on that stuff or not. I would be inclined to think that he probably has been. There's definitely... I mean, when we made the record, there was definitely two full records worth of material there at least. A lot of it's really good, so maybe he'll get around to finishing up some bits and singing and stuff like that. That's kind of where it's been left at.
PerformerMag.com: Now, do you get involved in the writing process with that at all? Is that process collaborative, or is that mostly Axl?
Stinson: The whole process, funny enough, is actually a completely collaborative effort. Even if one guy were to bring a whole song in, he's got to fucking have the rest of the guys chime in, and do their bit on it. And for the good, I think that's worked out really well. As long as everyone gets in the mix, somehow. It's a cool way of doing it. I don't know if it works for everyone, but it worked out great for this last record, anyway.
PerformerMag.com: It's been a while since your first solo record came out. Obviously, you've been so busy with GUNS N' ROSES. What inspired you to do another solo record when you have so much else going on?
Stinson: I've been slowly compiling songs over the last few years and it just got to the point where I thought, "Well, I've got these songs here, I should do something with them. I should just finish them up and put them out." And that's how the last one came out, really, the same way. I just compiled enough songs and finally just put something out. And I think in the future, they'll probably come out a little more often than that.
PerformerMag.com: With the GUNS stuff, I've heard that there's actually a lot of down time, but it seems like you guys are always up to something. Is that true? Or has it been overstated in the media that you guys are waiting for Axl [Rose] on a lot of stuff?
Stinson: Yeah, well, there's two ways that's overstated. One is that we're not usually waiting for him. It's a huge production if the monster that it is goes on the road, so it takes time to set it up. But there is a good amount of down time from that, and there is the logistics of it all that you have to deal with. There are logistical issues that don't have a whole lot to do with him either, as far as booking shows and whatnot. So that's when there will be down time.
PerformerMag.com: What does the future hold for GUNS N' ROSES? The rumors are that there's a ton of material written that hasn't seen the light of day. Can you shed some light on that?
Stinson: Ya know, I don't really know. There is a bunch of stuff that was left over from the last record that didn't make it because it wasn't finished. But I'm not sure if Axl has been working on that stuff or not. I would be inclined to think that he probably has been. There's definitely... I mean, when we made the record, there was definitely two full records worth of material there at least. A lot of it's really good, so maybe he'll get around to finishing up some bits and singing and stuff like that. That's kind of where it's been left at.
PerformerMag.com: Now, do you get involved in the writing process with that at all? Is that process collaborative, or is that mostly Axl?
Stinson: The whole process, funny enough, is actually a completely collaborative effort. Even if one guy were to bring a whole song in, he's got to fucking have the rest of the guys chime in, and do their bit on it. And for the good, I think that's worked out really well. As long as everyone gets in the mix, somehow. It's a cool way of doing it. I don't know if it works for everyone, but it worked out great for this last record, anyway.
Richard Bienstock of Guitar World conducted an interview with ANTHRAX for the magazine's November 2011 issue, which features the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal (METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX) on the cover. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
Guitar World: Fans of the band still seem to be a little confused as to what happened with previous singer Dan Nelson. Did he quit? Was he fired? Was he truly sick, as was stated in the press release?
Scott Ian (guitar): He quit the band, dude. I will stick by the statement I made back in the summer of 2009. He quit. He e-mailed management and he quit the band.
Guitar World: Do you believe he was sick at the time?
Ian: Physically sick? I have no idea. But his words were, "I quit. I'm not doing this. Don't come to my house. Don't try and talk me out of this." Again. Because that wasn't the first time he had quit ANTHRAX; it was the third time. But that was his M.O. He would quit, and then he would make a bunch of demands on us, and we would cave and he would come back.
Charlie Benante (drums): First show we did with him, backstage, big argument, big blowout. It was unbelievable. And from that moment we should have known. And all along, he just kept pulling weird shit. Like, he would call me and not tell the other guys, or call one of them and not tell the rest of us, and just talk shit. At one point he caused a major issue in the band between some of the members. But at the end of the day, it was like, "You didn't say that? What? It was a fucking weird time. But he's a bully and he tried to bully us. And at first we let it happen.
Guitar World: Why? Was it easier than dealing with the prospect of once again being without a singer?
Benante: I think there was a point where we were just so vulnerable, we were on this emotional rollercoaster. So at the end of the day it was more like, "Just give him what he wants. Can we move on?"
Guitar World: After parting ways with Dan, you made an attempt to get John Bush back into the band. How close did that come to being a reality?
Ian: It was something we thought about, but it's not something John was thinking about. It's not where his head was at. We were just projecting, basically. But we did a few shows with John after Dan left us hanging, and yeah, I'd be lying if I said we didn't talk about the possibility of making new music and trying to get him to be on the record. But I think it was something we all knew in the end was like trying to get milk from a horse. It wasn't meant to be. It was not the right road for us to take.
Guitar World: The right road was Joey Belladonna.
Ian: It was, but we didn't know how to approach it, because I think there was some trepidation on our part going back to Joey and being like, "Hey man, you wanna do this?" Because you just don't know. You think things would be so easy being in a band, just, "Fuck yeah! Let's go! Let's play shows and make some records!" But sometimes it's unbelievably difficult. It's worse than dealing with family. [laughs]
Guitar World: Fans of the band still seem to be a little confused as to what happened with previous singer Dan Nelson. Did he quit? Was he fired? Was he truly sick, as was stated in the press release?
Scott Ian (guitar): He quit the band, dude. I will stick by the statement I made back in the summer of 2009. He quit. He e-mailed management and he quit the band.
Guitar World: Do you believe he was sick at the time?
Ian: Physically sick? I have no idea. But his words were, "I quit. I'm not doing this. Don't come to my house. Don't try and talk me out of this." Again. Because that wasn't the first time he had quit ANTHRAX; it was the third time. But that was his M.O. He would quit, and then he would make a bunch of demands on us, and we would cave and he would come back.
Charlie Benante (drums): First show we did with him, backstage, big argument, big blowout. It was unbelievable. And from that moment we should have known. And all along, he just kept pulling weird shit. Like, he would call me and not tell the other guys, or call one of them and not tell the rest of us, and just talk shit. At one point he caused a major issue in the band between some of the members. But at the end of the day, it was like, "You didn't say that? What? It was a fucking weird time. But he's a bully and he tried to bully us. And at first we let it happen.
Guitar World: Why? Was it easier than dealing with the prospect of once again being without a singer?
Benante: I think there was a point where we were just so vulnerable, we were on this emotional rollercoaster. So at the end of the day it was more like, "Just give him what he wants. Can we move on?"
Guitar World: After parting ways with Dan, you made an attempt to get John Bush back into the band. How close did that come to being a reality?
Ian: It was something we thought about, but it's not something John was thinking about. It's not where his head was at. We were just projecting, basically. But we did a few shows with John after Dan left us hanging, and yeah, I'd be lying if I said we didn't talk about the possibility of making new music and trying to get him to be on the record. But I think it was something we all knew in the end was like trying to get milk from a horse. It wasn't meant to be. It was not the right road for us to take.
Guitar World: The right road was Joey Belladonna.
Ian: It was, but we didn't know how to approach it, because I think there was some trepidation on our part going back to Joey and being like, "Hey man, you wanna do this?" Because you just don't know. You think things would be so easy being in a band, just, "Fuck yeah! Let's go! Let's play shows and make some records!" But sometimes it's unbelievably difficult. It's worse than dealing with family. [laughs]
DOWN guitarist Kirk Windstein has confirmed via Twitter that the band is rehearsing in preparation for its next studio session, which is scheduled for later this month.
Windstein in June told Radio Metal that DOWN is planning to release four separate EPs over the course of the next couple of years. "We're going to do four EPs, and they'll all be different," he said. "We have many elements to our sound, so each one will have its own characteristics. Like, for example, this one we're writing right now and are about to start recording will be really hard, with heavy DOWN stuff. Then we'll have a mellow one, then a doom one — you know, slower and doomy stuff. A little bit of everything."
Regarding why the band chose to release four EPs instead of a full album, Kirk said, "The record industry sucks so bad. Nobody buys anything. We're trying to do something different, making it cheaper to buy. People want stuff for free! So six songs, it's cheaper to buy. Same thing for downloading; it will be cheaper to download. Nobody wants to go to the record store and buy stuff anymore. So we're just trying to mix it up and do something different. It will be released on physical EP and digitally as well."
In an interview with The Delaware County Daily Times, DOWN guitarist Pepper Keenan stated about the band's next studio release, "We're kinda goin' backwards now. The first record came out a long time ago, so we're feeling that vibe and heading that way; real simple: stripped down and to the point."
He added, "I think we're going to try and do four EPs, and they're all going to be connected together with artwork. This will allow us to have a frontload, heavy as [expletive] EP, and maybe the second one could showcase some of the acoustic stuff we've been saving for awhile, and then continuing the four of them with a completely different style, and obviously the fourth one would be another doom-laden heavy one."
DOWN recently parted ways with bassist Rex Brown and replaced him with Patrick Bruders of CROWBAR. Keenan stated about the band's latest addition, "[Patrick's] ass-kickin' in the same way [as Rex was]. He plays with his fingers — which is really cool; he's got the whole Geezer Butler thing going on."
Windstein in June told Radio Metal that DOWN is planning to release four separate EPs over the course of the next couple of years. "We're going to do four EPs, and they'll all be different," he said. "We have many elements to our sound, so each one will have its own characteristics. Like, for example, this one we're writing right now and are about to start recording will be really hard, with heavy DOWN stuff. Then we'll have a mellow one, then a doom one — you know, slower and doomy stuff. A little bit of everything."
Regarding why the band chose to release four EPs instead of a full album, Kirk said, "The record industry sucks so bad. Nobody buys anything. We're trying to do something different, making it cheaper to buy. People want stuff for free! So six songs, it's cheaper to buy. Same thing for downloading; it will be cheaper to download. Nobody wants to go to the record store and buy stuff anymore. So we're just trying to mix it up and do something different. It will be released on physical EP and digitally as well."
In an interview with The Delaware County Daily Times, DOWN guitarist Pepper Keenan stated about the band's next studio release, "We're kinda goin' backwards now. The first record came out a long time ago, so we're feeling that vibe and heading that way; real simple: stripped down and to the point."
He added, "I think we're going to try and do four EPs, and they're all going to be connected together with artwork. This will allow us to have a frontload, heavy as [expletive] EP, and maybe the second one could showcase some of the acoustic stuff we've been saving for awhile, and then continuing the four of them with a completely different style, and obviously the fourth one would be another doom-laden heavy one."
DOWN recently parted ways with bassist Rex Brown and replaced him with Patrick Bruders of CROWBAR. Keenan stated about the band's latest addition, "[Patrick's] ass-kickin' in the same way [as Rex was]. He plays with his fingers — which is really cool; he's got the whole Geezer Butler thing going on."
Jay Nanda of the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with RATT singer Stephen Pearcy. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When can we expect "Sucker Punch" to be released, and how does it differ from your other solo records?
Pearcy: Well, there's some really good songs on there. Probably the best I've done in a bit. So I'm wanting to take my time. I put out a few songs on iTunes to get feedback from people, then I went back in and made some changes. I'm hoping it will be done by the end of this month.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: RATT had a lot of momentum going last year in support of "Infestation", headlining and opening for the SCORPIONS. Why did you opt to go the solo route after that?
Pearcy: That's another question. Well, there were some internal happenings. Not with the band or anything, just business. We wanted to take ourselves off the road. Bob [Blotzer, drums] does his thing, and so I decided to do some solo stuff. But we'll get back on it as soon as we can. We'll get Carlos [Cavazo, guitar] and everyone into the mix and start it up again.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When you first started your solo music years ago, what did you set out to do as far as making it sound different than RATT?
Pearcy: Just to play different kinds of music. But it's kind of irrelevant years later. Anything I write, people are going to think RATT. So I just go with it and write the best stuff I can and get out of the box a little bit. My solo stuff is filled with two-and-a-half-minute in-your-face, kick-your-ass songs. It's not meant to be commercial.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: You have Top Fuel Records, and a song and video for "Drive With Me" that has auto racing footage. Is it true that you wanted to be a racer when you were younger but changed to music after you were struck by a car?
Pearcy: Yeah, actually, I'm writing a book right now that's been in the works for two years. There's lots of tales in there that people need to know or haven't known. You know, to get the real opinion. And that's one of them. There's many. It's a real honest book. The kitchen sink is in there. It's time to share because nobody knows what we're about or how you got there or what you went through. I got into music by accident — realistically by accident (laughs).
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: Will your book be a rebuttal to Bobby's or more autobiographical?
Pearcy: Both. Because when I started that band, people got the wrong perspective on so many things. That's why we're on the level we don't wish to be on, by default and admission. But everything I say is going to be honest. Bob took his own side on his book. But it's his own. It's like when I read the Keith Richards' and [Steven] Tyler books, I thought, "That's how I want my book to read."
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: After your solo tour, what can we expect from RATT?
Pearcy: Well, we're definitely going to deliver a new record. Hopefully, we'll get on it sooner than later. Just doing my solo tour now, then the book. I'm staying positive about everything, trying to get things aligned. And when we do, we'll be doing it again.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When can we expect "Sucker Punch" to be released, and how does it differ from your other solo records?
Pearcy: Well, there's some really good songs on there. Probably the best I've done in a bit. So I'm wanting to take my time. I put out a few songs on iTunes to get feedback from people, then I went back in and made some changes. I'm hoping it will be done by the end of this month.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: RATT had a lot of momentum going last year in support of "Infestation", headlining and opening for the SCORPIONS. Why did you opt to go the solo route after that?
Pearcy: That's another question. Well, there were some internal happenings. Not with the band or anything, just business. We wanted to take ourselves off the road. Bob [Blotzer, drums] does his thing, and so I decided to do some solo stuff. But we'll get back on it as soon as we can. We'll get Carlos [Cavazo, guitar] and everyone into the mix and start it up again.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: When you first started your solo music years ago, what did you set out to do as far as making it sound different than RATT?
Pearcy: Just to play different kinds of music. But it's kind of irrelevant years later. Anything I write, people are going to think RATT. So I just go with it and write the best stuff I can and get out of the box a little bit. My solo stuff is filled with two-and-a-half-minute in-your-face, kick-your-ass songs. It's not meant to be commercial.
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: You have Top Fuel Records, and a song and video for "Drive With Me" that has auto racing footage. Is it true that you wanted to be a racer when you were younger but changed to music after you were struck by a car?
Pearcy: Yeah, actually, I'm writing a book right now that's been in the works for two years. There's lots of tales in there that people need to know or haven't known. You know, to get the real opinion. And that's one of them. There's many. It's a real honest book. The kitchen sink is in there. It's time to share because nobody knows what we're about or how you got there or what you went through. I got into music by accident — realistically by accident (laughs).
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: Will your book be a rebuttal to Bobby's or more autobiographical?
Pearcy: Both. Because when I started that band, people got the wrong perspective on so many things. That's why we're on the level we don't wish to be on, by default and admission. But everything I say is going to be honest. Bob took his own side on his book. But it's his own. It's like when I read the Keith Richards' and [Steven] Tyler books, I thought, "That's how I want my book to read."
San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: After your solo tour, what can we expect from RATT?
Pearcy: Well, we're definitely going to deliver a new record. Hopefully, we'll get on it sooner than later. Just doing my solo tour now, then the book. I'm staying positive about everything, trying to get things aligned. And when we do, we'll be doing it again.
Peter Hodgson of IHeartGuitarBlog.com recently conducted an interview with CHICKENFOOT guitarist Joe Satriani. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: The first thing that really struck me about [the new CHICKENFOOT album, "III") was that there's a really identifiable CHICKENFOOT sound. It doesn't sound like a Joe Satriani album, it doesn't sound like a Sammy Hagar album.
Satriani: That's great; I'm so happy to hear you say that. That's something that I've always felt that we were very lucky to naturally stumble upon. But we didn't want to overthink it or intellectualize it. Just do it naturally and let it happen.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: This album is almost like an essay on the right hand of Joe Satriani — there's a lot of great rhythm stuff going on.
Satriani: As I was writing the demos for this record, I was once again conscious of trying to not hold back and to use as much as I had to flesh out a lot of the songs. It's a funny thing, because when we're away, we'll maybe be taking a flight somewhere and we'll be talking about what kind of songs we like as a band, and that's one thing, but when we get together to play there's really no time for discussion or any of that stuff. We basically have to record very quickly, and everybody has to bring all their stuff to the table and just do it. And so I hate to talk about it and give the wrong impression and that we thought about it, because we didn't, but I all I can tell you is that I prepared for the experience by making sure that everything I knew how to do was fresh on my fingers and ready to be exploited at a moment's notice. So I like to say that I've taken all the good stuff that I've ever heard from any guitar player and I've tried to learn it and to use it and to understand it. So a lot of my roots come out when I'm making a CHICKENFOOT record.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: I really like the solo in "Up Next" — there's a real art to those kind of solos where you play against a delay pedal where if you play the wrong note it can all go off the rails.
Satriani: That was a spontaneous solo. That was a song that started with a demo of mine. I came up with about ten or twelve songs in August and sent them to the guys before I went out and toured for my last record, and I think something like that was on that demo, so when we finally got together to start tracking in February, I just sort of played something like that and everybody was like, "That's really cool. We should just do that." So every time we got to that section, Chad [Smith, drums] and Mike [Anthony, bass] just really hunkered down to make sure they wouldn't interfere with the delay. That's part of it: I'm being complemented by those guys not being so busy. Then when we go back to the rest of the song they expand their part. But you're very right. You have to be careful with stuff stacking on top of each other, notes that don't belong. But I thought it was a good idea to have something that was sort of crazy-sounding when it comes in, because the rest of the song is very down on the beat, you know what I mean? It's got a stomping kind of quality. So the last thing you expect is some sort of ping-ponging, odd-sounding solo with noises and whatnot. It's funny, I didn't hear the lyrics until all that stuff was recorded, and then after I heard the lyrics I thought, "Wow, the solo actually makes sense with the story that Sam's telling." It was a total coincidence.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: Another one of my favourite guitar moments on the album is that really haunting melody in the chorus of "Come Closer".
Satriani: Oh, that's so cool, I'm glad you picked up on that. That's a song I wrote on a piano one morning when I was looking over some lyrics that Sam [Hagar, vocals] had sent me. We don't usually write that way but as an experiment he wrote a song first without any music and said "Whatever you come up with, let's surprise ourselves." So I came up with this moody piece on the piano, and when I showed it to the rest of the guys they had to create a rhythm around it. So once Mike and Chad had created a groove behind it I realized I had to somehow figure out how to get this piano part onto the guitar. It turned into that sort of secondary melody and it worked out really good. I was very happy that Sam liked singing around it.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: The first thing that really struck me about [the new CHICKENFOOT album, "III") was that there's a really identifiable CHICKENFOOT sound. It doesn't sound like a Joe Satriani album, it doesn't sound like a Sammy Hagar album.
Satriani: That's great; I'm so happy to hear you say that. That's something that I've always felt that we were very lucky to naturally stumble upon. But we didn't want to overthink it or intellectualize it. Just do it naturally and let it happen.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: This album is almost like an essay on the right hand of Joe Satriani — there's a lot of great rhythm stuff going on.
Satriani: As I was writing the demos for this record, I was once again conscious of trying to not hold back and to use as much as I had to flesh out a lot of the songs. It's a funny thing, because when we're away, we'll maybe be taking a flight somewhere and we'll be talking about what kind of songs we like as a band, and that's one thing, but when we get together to play there's really no time for discussion or any of that stuff. We basically have to record very quickly, and everybody has to bring all their stuff to the table and just do it. And so I hate to talk about it and give the wrong impression and that we thought about it, because we didn't, but I all I can tell you is that I prepared for the experience by making sure that everything I knew how to do was fresh on my fingers and ready to be exploited at a moment's notice. So I like to say that I've taken all the good stuff that I've ever heard from any guitar player and I've tried to learn it and to use it and to understand it. So a lot of my roots come out when I'm making a CHICKENFOOT record.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: I really like the solo in "Up Next" — there's a real art to those kind of solos where you play against a delay pedal where if you play the wrong note it can all go off the rails.
Satriani: That was a spontaneous solo. That was a song that started with a demo of mine. I came up with about ten or twelve songs in August and sent them to the guys before I went out and toured for my last record, and I think something like that was on that demo, so when we finally got together to start tracking in February, I just sort of played something like that and everybody was like, "That's really cool. We should just do that." So every time we got to that section, Chad [Smith, drums] and Mike [Anthony, bass] just really hunkered down to make sure they wouldn't interfere with the delay. That's part of it: I'm being complemented by those guys not being so busy. Then when we go back to the rest of the song they expand their part. But you're very right. You have to be careful with stuff stacking on top of each other, notes that don't belong. But I thought it was a good idea to have something that was sort of crazy-sounding when it comes in, because the rest of the song is very down on the beat, you know what I mean? It's got a stomping kind of quality. So the last thing you expect is some sort of ping-ponging, odd-sounding solo with noises and whatnot. It's funny, I didn't hear the lyrics until all that stuff was recorded, and then after I heard the lyrics I thought, "Wow, the solo actually makes sense with the story that Sam's telling." It was a total coincidence.
IHeartGuitarBlog.com: Another one of my favourite guitar moments on the album is that really haunting melody in the chorus of "Come Closer".
Satriani: Oh, that's so cool, I'm glad you picked up on that. That's a song I wrote on a piano one morning when I was looking over some lyrics that Sam [Hagar, vocals] had sent me. We don't usually write that way but as an experiment he wrote a song first without any music and said "Whatever you come up with, let's surprise ourselves." So I came up with this moody piece on the piano, and when I showed it to the rest of the guys they had to create a rhythm around it. So once Mike and Chad had created a groove behind it I realized I had to somehow figure out how to get this piano part onto the guitar. It turned into that sort of secondary melody and it worked out really good. I was very happy that Sam liked singing around it.
Guitarist Henjo Richter of German power metallers GAMMA RAY will be forced to sit out the band's appearance on the Sweden Rock Cruise.
The ship Tallink Silja Galaxy departs from Stockholm, Sweden on October 6 and makes a round trip to Turku, Finland to return to Stockholm 23 hours later.
Comments GAMMA RAY in a statement: "Unfortunately, we are forced to deliver the bad news that Henjo Richter had a bike accident and broke three ribs and the collarbone, so he will not be able to play on the cruise. Since we couldn't find a replacement and did not want to cancel the show and leave our fans disappointed, we have decided to play the show nevertheless and give our longtime live keyboarder Mr. Corvin Bahn (CRYSTAL BREED) some extraspace and a distortion pedal for his organ sounds. So if you're on the boat and around 1:45 a.m. hear something that sounds like DEEP PURPLE playing GAMMA RAY songs, it's us. Hope you'll enjoy this 'show beyond the ordinary.'"
Also scheduled to appear on the Sweden Rock Cruise are ANVIL, DARK FUNERAL, EXODUS, HELIX and HELL.
For more information, visit www.swedenrockcruise.com.
The ship Tallink Silja Galaxy departs from Stockholm, Sweden on October 6 and makes a round trip to Turku, Finland to return to Stockholm 23 hours later.
Comments GAMMA RAY in a statement: "Unfortunately, we are forced to deliver the bad news that Henjo Richter had a bike accident and broke three ribs and the collarbone, so he will not be able to play on the cruise. Since we couldn't find a replacement and did not want to cancel the show and leave our fans disappointed, we have decided to play the show nevertheless and give our longtime live keyboarder Mr. Corvin Bahn (CRYSTAL BREED) some extraspace and a distortion pedal for his organ sounds. So if you're on the boat and around 1:45 a.m. hear something that sounds like DEEP PURPLE playing GAMMA RAY songs, it's us. Hope you'll enjoy this 'show beyond the ordinary.'"
Also scheduled to appear on the Sweden Rock Cruise are ANVIL, DARK FUNERAL, EXODUS, HELIX and HELL.
For more information, visit www.swedenrockcruise.com.
"Unto The Locust", the new album from San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD, has registered the following first-week chart positions so far:
Germany: #5
Austria: #6
Australia: #10
Switzerland: #10
France: #13
Japan: #18
New Zealand: #19
Belgium: #22
Norway: #28
U.K.: #82
"Unto The Locust" is likely to sell between 18,000 and 21,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on September 27 via Roadrunner Records.
MACHINE HEAD's previous CD, "The Blackening", opened with just under 15,000 units back in April 2007 to debut at No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marked MACHINE HEAD's highest Billboard chart number ever. The band's 2004 effort, "Through The Ashes Of Empires", premiered with less than 12,000 copies to land at No. 88.
"Unto The Locust" was recorded at GREEN DAY's Oakland, California's JingleTown Recording compound, with guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn handling production duties for the third consecutive time, and mixing done at JingleTown by engineer Juan Urteaga and Flynn (who flew back to Oakland from the road on every day off during the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival), along with Colin Richardson and his U.K.-based team of Carl Bown and Martyn Ford. "Unto The Locust" was tracked and mixed over the course of four months and saw the band bring in a string quartet by the name of Quartet Rouge, who ended up on no less than three of the album's seven songs.
"Unto The Locust" standard CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
"Unto The Locust" special-edition CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
08. The Sentinel (JUDAS PRIEST cover) *
09. Witch Hunt (RUSH cover) *
10. Darkness Within (Acoustic) *
* Bonus tracks
DVD:
* "The Making Of Unto The Locust" Documentary
Germany: #5
Austria: #6
Australia: #10
Switzerland: #10
France: #13
Japan: #18
New Zealand: #19
Belgium: #22
Norway: #28
U.K.: #82
"Unto The Locust" is likely to sell between 18,000 and 21,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on September 27 via Roadrunner Records.
MACHINE HEAD's previous CD, "The Blackening", opened with just under 15,000 units back in April 2007 to debut at No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marked MACHINE HEAD's highest Billboard chart number ever. The band's 2004 effort, "Through The Ashes Of Empires", premiered with less than 12,000 copies to land at No. 88.
"Unto The Locust" was recorded at GREEN DAY's Oakland, California's JingleTown Recording compound, with guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn handling production duties for the third consecutive time, and mixing done at JingleTown by engineer Juan Urteaga and Flynn (who flew back to Oakland from the road on every day off during the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival), along with Colin Richardson and his U.K.-based team of Carl Bown and Martyn Ford. "Unto The Locust" was tracked and mixed over the course of four months and saw the band bring in a string quartet by the name of Quartet Rouge, who ended up on no less than three of the album's seven songs.
"Unto The Locust" standard CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
"Unto The Locust" special-edition CD track listing:
01. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02. Be Still And Know
03. Locust
04. This Is The End
05. Darkness Within
06. Pearls Before The Swine
07. Who We Are
08. The Sentinel (JUDAS PRIEST cover) *
09. Witch Hunt (RUSH cover) *
10. Darkness Within (Acoustic) *
* Bonus tracks
DVD:
* "The Making Of Unto The Locust" Documentary
NIGHTRAGE guitarist Olof Mörck will be forced to sit out the band's "Frets Of Fury" tour with FIREWIND, WHITE WIZZARD and ARSIS throughout the U.S. and Canada in October. Filling in for him during the trek will be former CELLADOR/CIRCLE II CIRCLE guitarist Bill Hudson.
Commented Hudson: "It'll be a blast! NIGHTRAGE is a killer band and Marios [Illiopoulos, NIGHTRAGE guitarist] has one of the best right hands I've ever seen/heard, so it was a real challenge to learn the material. I have very close friends in every other band on this tour and I certainly look forward to being on the road with them."
NIGHTRAGE's fifth album, "Insidious", was released on September 27 (one day earlier internationally) via Lifeforce Records. The CD features guest appearances by Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), Tomas S. Englund (EVERGREY), Apollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), John K (BIOMECHANICAL) and the band's former frontman Tomas Lindberg (also known for his work with AT THE GATES, THE CROWN and LOCK UP). Lindberg appeared on the band's first two albums — 2003's "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos" — before being replaced by Jimmie Strimell, who sang on 2007's "A New Disease Is Born".
The "Insidious" cover art was created by Gustavo Sazes (MORBID ANGEL, ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND, SONIC SYNDICATE, GOD FORBID) of Abstrata Art.
NIGHTRAGE is:
Antony Hämäläinen - Vocals
Marios Iliopoulos - Guitar
Olof Mörck - Guitar
Anders Hammer - Bass
Johan Nunez - Drums
Commented Hudson: "It'll be a blast! NIGHTRAGE is a killer band and Marios [Illiopoulos, NIGHTRAGE guitarist] has one of the best right hands I've ever seen/heard, so it was a real challenge to learn the material. I have very close friends in every other band on this tour and I certainly look forward to being on the road with them."
NIGHTRAGE's fifth album, "Insidious", was released on September 27 (one day earlier internationally) via Lifeforce Records. The CD features guest appearances by Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), Tomas S. Englund (EVERGREY), Apollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), John K (BIOMECHANICAL) and the band's former frontman Tomas Lindberg (also known for his work with AT THE GATES, THE CROWN and LOCK UP). Lindberg appeared on the band's first two albums — 2003's "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos" — before being replaced by Jimmie Strimell, who sang on 2007's "A New Disease Is Born".
The "Insidious" cover art was created by Gustavo Sazes (MORBID ANGEL, ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND, SONIC SYNDICATE, GOD FORBID) of Abstrata Art.
NIGHTRAGE is:
Antony Hämäläinen - Vocals
Marios Iliopoulos - Guitar
Olof Mörck - Guitar
Anders Hammer - Bass
Johan Nunez - Drums
SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor will be hitting the road this winter, with shows in the U.S and Canada. "An Evening with Corey Taylor" concerts will feature Corey performing an acoustic set along with a spoken-word segement, and he will also take part in a fan question-and-answer session at each stop.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 14 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
Nov. 15 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 17 - Bronze Peacock at HOB - Houston, TX
Nov. 18 - Trees - Dallas, TX
Nov. 19 - Gothic Theater - Denver, CO
Nov. 21 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
Nov. 22 - Varsity - Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 23 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 25 - Eagle Theatre - Detroit, MI
Nov. 26 - Double Door - Chicago, IL
Dec. 01 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC
Dec. 02 - Mod Club - Toronto, ON
Dec. 04 - Middle East - Boston, MA
Dec. 05 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
Dec. 06 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 07 - The Met - Providence, RI
Dec. 09 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
Dec. 10 - Sound Stage - Baltimore, MD
Dec. 12 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Dec. 13 - The Social - Orlando, FL
The audio version of Corey Taylor's book "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good" was released on September 26 in the U.S. and Canada. Order from Amazon.com at this location.
Taylor said that his publisher was originally not interested in an audiobook version of "Seven Deadly Sins", but that a deluge of requests changed that.
The book made the New York Times hardcover non-fiction best sellers list after it came out last month, debuting at No. 26.
Taylor has been promoting the book by doing appearances where he reads, performs a few songs and signs copies.
Released in the U.S. on July 12 via De Capo Press, "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good" sees Taylor speaking directly to his fans and sharing his worldview about life as a sinner. While the 256-page hardcover book is Taylor's personal story, it's also described as "a larger discussion of what it means to be seen as either a 'good' person or a 'bad' one."
Taylor in August tweeted that he is working on a new album with STONE SOUR, whose third full-length effort, "Audio Secrecy", came out a year ago.
SLIPKNOT recently completed a three-week European tour that was the band's first run of dates since the death of bassist Paul Gray in May 2010.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 14 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
Nov. 15 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 17 - Bronze Peacock at HOB - Houston, TX
Nov. 18 - Trees - Dallas, TX
Nov. 19 - Gothic Theater - Denver, CO
Nov. 21 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
Nov. 22 - Varsity - Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 23 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 25 - Eagle Theatre - Detroit, MI
Nov. 26 - Double Door - Chicago, IL
Dec. 01 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC
Dec. 02 - Mod Club - Toronto, ON
Dec. 04 - Middle East - Boston, MA
Dec. 05 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
Dec. 06 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 07 - The Met - Providence, RI
Dec. 09 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
Dec. 10 - Sound Stage - Baltimore, MD
Dec. 12 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Dec. 13 - The Social - Orlando, FL
The audio version of Corey Taylor's book "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good" was released on September 26 in the U.S. and Canada. Order from Amazon.com at this location.
Taylor said that his publisher was originally not interested in an audiobook version of "Seven Deadly Sins", but that a deluge of requests changed that.
The book made the New York Times hardcover non-fiction best sellers list after it came out last month, debuting at No. 26.
Taylor has been promoting the book by doing appearances where he reads, performs a few songs and signs copies.
Released in the U.S. on July 12 via De Capo Press, "Seven Deadly Sins - Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good" sees Taylor speaking directly to his fans and sharing his worldview about life as a sinner. While the 256-page hardcover book is Taylor's personal story, it's also described as "a larger discussion of what it means to be seen as either a 'good' person or a 'bad' one."
Taylor in August tweeted that he is working on a new album with STONE SOUR, whose third full-length effort, "Audio Secrecy", came out a year ago.
SLIPKNOT recently completed a three-week European tour that was the band's first run of dates since the death of bassist Paul Gray in May 2010.
The 10th-anniversary edition of SOIL's breakthrough album "Scars" — featuring the hits "Halo" and "Unreal" — will be made available digitally on October 10 through Sony Music. The release will feature the rare B-side "Center" and the previously unreleased track "Damaged You" from the "Scars" recording sessions.
SOIL is preparing for a 12-date U.K. co-headlining tour with PUDDLE OF MUDD.
Due to the high demand from fans, VIP packages will be available through SOIL's Facebook site. The package will include a pre-show autograph/photo session, along with a specialized metal laminate and 8x10 photo.
SOIL will return to the U.K. in October with a lineup that will include the band's original lead singer and founding member Ryan McCombs (on loan from DROWNING POOL) and fellow founding members Tim King (bass) and Adam Zadel (lead guitar) along with former STAIND drummer Jon Wysocki
Commented Wysocki: "I'm looking forward to joining my friends in SOIL on this tour. I've known these guys for a long time and always loved their music. I'm honored to be playing on this tour with the band for the amazing European fans. Looking forward to seeing you at the shows. Don't miss this one!"
SOIL has confirmed a setlist comprised of select cuts from the "Scars" and "Re.de.fine" albums, along with a surprise song from the debut "Throttle Junkies" release.
Tour dates:
Oct. 14 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Oct. 15 - Conventry, UK @ Kasbah
Oct. 16 - Wrexham, UK @ Central Station
Oct. 18 - Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
Oct. 19 - Middlesbrough, UK @ Empire
Oct. 21 - York, UK @ Fibbers
Oct. 22 - Peterborough, UK @ Club Revolution
Oct. 23 - Manchester, UK @ Moho Live
Oct. 25 - Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
Oct. 26 - Cardiff, Wales The Coal Exchange
Oct. 27 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Oct. 28 - Southampton, UK @ Talking Heads
SOIL's current lineup includes Zadel and King alongside the band's latest additions, Jordan Lee (ex-SILVERGUN) and Mike Tignino (drums; CHAINWAX).
The band's's latest album, "Picture Perfect", sold 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on the Hard Music chart. The CD was released in the U.S. on October 20, 2009 via Bieler Bros. Records and three days later in Europe through AFM Records/Soulfood.
SOIL is preparing for a 12-date U.K. co-headlining tour with PUDDLE OF MUDD.
Due to the high demand from fans, VIP packages will be available through SOIL's Facebook site. The package will include a pre-show autograph/photo session, along with a specialized metal laminate and 8x10 photo.
SOIL will return to the U.K. in October with a lineup that will include the band's original lead singer and founding member Ryan McCombs (on loan from DROWNING POOL) and fellow founding members Tim King (bass) and Adam Zadel (lead guitar) along with former STAIND drummer Jon Wysocki
Commented Wysocki: "I'm looking forward to joining my friends in SOIL on this tour. I've known these guys for a long time and always loved their music. I'm honored to be playing on this tour with the band for the amazing European fans. Looking forward to seeing you at the shows. Don't miss this one!"
SOIL has confirmed a setlist comprised of select cuts from the "Scars" and "Re.de.fine" albums, along with a surprise song from the debut "Throttle Junkies" release.
Tour dates:
Oct. 14 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Oct. 15 - Conventry, UK @ Kasbah
Oct. 16 - Wrexham, UK @ Central Station
Oct. 18 - Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
Oct. 19 - Middlesbrough, UK @ Empire
Oct. 21 - York, UK @ Fibbers
Oct. 22 - Peterborough, UK @ Club Revolution
Oct. 23 - Manchester, UK @ Moho Live
Oct. 25 - Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
Oct. 26 - Cardiff, Wales The Coal Exchange
Oct. 27 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Oct. 28 - Southampton, UK @ Talking Heads
SOIL's current lineup includes Zadel and King alongside the band's latest additions, Jordan Lee (ex-SILVERGUN) and Mike Tignino (drums; CHAINWAX).
The band's's latest album, "Picture Perfect", sold 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on the Hard Music chart. The CD was released in the U.S. on October 20, 2009 via Bieler Bros. Records and three days later in Europe through AFM Records/Soulfood.
Finnish melancholic dark rock/metal icons AMORPHIS will take part in a signing session at Musamaailma in Helsinki, Finland this Friday, October 7 from 5:00 p.m. to to 6:00 p.m.
For more information, go to this location.
For more information, go to this location.
Thrashgiving, Las Vegas' annual concert to feed the needy, will happen for a third time on Saturday, November 19 at The Cheyenne Saloon. All proceeds from the event will be donated to The Rescue Mission to aid the homeless for the holiday.
This year's lineup will be headlined by the reformed late '80s Los Angeles thrashers EVIL DEAD, featuring members of AGENT STEEL and ABATTOIR. Joining them is a hand-picked bill of quality young thrash metal from California — BONDED BY BLOOD, FUELED BY FIRE, EXMORTUS, BLESSED CURSE (formerly known as DEVASTATOR), and DESECRATE — alongside local openers LIFE'S TORMENT and TOXIC ARTILLERY.
Tickets are only $10 in advance or $13 at the door ($1 off if you bring a sealed can of food).
Advance tickets are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com.
AMORPHIS' latest album, "The Beginning Of Times", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 16 — the best chart position ever scored by an AMORPHIS album in that country.
As previously reported, "The Beginning Of Times" landed at position No. 1 on the Finnish chart.
Released on May 27 via Nuclear Blast Records, "The Beginning Of Times" is described as "the most challenging AMORPHIS album so far in terms of both music and lyrics." Its central character is the iconic hero of Finnish mythology, Väinämöinen, whose tale has been masterfully retold by lyricist Pekka Kainulainen.
"The Beginning Of Times" was produced by the band; vocals were recorded under the guidance of Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT) in his home studio in Kuopio. Like its predecessors, the album was mixed by Mikko Karmila. Its cover artwork shows Travis Smith's magnificent interpretation of the mythological birth of the world from a goldeneye's egg.
AMORPHIS will be direct support for NIGHTWISH at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on January 21, 2012. Also appearing on the bill will be DOMMIN. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.
This year's lineup will be headlined by the reformed late '80s Los Angeles thrashers EVIL DEAD, featuring members of AGENT STEEL and ABATTOIR. Joining them is a hand-picked bill of quality young thrash metal from California — BONDED BY BLOOD, FUELED BY FIRE, EXMORTUS, BLESSED CURSE (formerly known as DEVASTATOR), and DESECRATE — alongside local openers LIFE'S TORMENT and TOXIC ARTILLERY.
Tickets are only $10 in advance or $13 at the door ($1 off if you bring a sealed can of food).
Advance tickets are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com.
AMORPHIS' latest album, "The Beginning Of Times", entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 16 — the best chart position ever scored by an AMORPHIS album in that country.
As previously reported, "The Beginning Of Times" landed at position No. 1 on the Finnish chart.
Released on May 27 via Nuclear Blast Records, "The Beginning Of Times" is described as "the most challenging AMORPHIS album so far in terms of both music and lyrics." Its central character is the iconic hero of Finnish mythology, Väinämöinen, whose tale has been masterfully retold by lyricist Pekka Kainulainen.
"The Beginning Of Times" was produced by the band; vocals were recorded under the guidance of Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT) in his home studio in Kuopio. Like its predecessors, the album was mixed by Mikko Karmila. Its cover artwork shows Travis Smith's magnificent interpretation of the mythological birth of the world from a goldeneye's egg.
AMORPHIS will be direct support for NIGHTWISH at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on January 21, 2012. Also appearing on the bill will be DOMMIN. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.
Niklas Kvarforth, founder and frontman of Swedish extreme metallers SHINING, has announced details of the upcoming release of a solo project that will chart fifteen years of his often controversial musical career. "Fifteen Years Of Absolute Darkness", scheduled for release via Spinefarm Records on December 7, will feature 15 tracks from various bands on which Kvarforth has guested on vocals. Included are tracks from bands such as GRAVDAL, BETHLEHEM, THE VISION BLEAK, DEN SAAKALDTE, as well as a previously unreleased alternative version of SHINING's "Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel". The double CD will come with a lavishly illustrated booklet which contains Kvarforth's comments on all the tracks.
"Fifteen Years Of Absolute Darkness" track listing:
Disc 1
01. KKOAGULAA - Excerpt 4
02. DIABOLICUM - Salvation Through Vengeance
03. MANES - Bli Med Mig
04. IN LINGUA MURTUA - Cold Void Messiah
05. MONUMENTUM - The Colour Of Compassion
06. SHINING - Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel (alternative version)
07. HJARNIDAUDI - A Darkblue Afternoon
08. LIVSNEDAD - Fobisk Sälta
Disc 2
01. THE VISION BLEAK - I Dined With The Swans
02. GLORIOR BELLI - The Night Scalp Challenger
03. FUNERAL DIRGE - Alpha Sans Omega
04. GRAVDAL - Mishandlet
05. NEKROS - The Black Serpent
06. BETHLEHEM - Yesterday I Still Died Today
07. DEN SAAKALDTE - Mesias
Three tracks of from "Fifteen Years Of Absolute Darkness" can be heard using the SoundCloud player below.
"Fifteen Years Of Absolute Darkness" track listing:
Disc 1
01. KKOAGULAA - Excerpt 4
02. DIABOLICUM - Salvation Through Vengeance
03. MANES - Bli Med Mig
04. IN LINGUA MURTUA - Cold Void Messiah
05. MONUMENTUM - The Colour Of Compassion
06. SHINING - Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel (alternative version)
07. HJARNIDAUDI - A Darkblue Afternoon
08. LIVSNEDAD - Fobisk Sälta
Disc 2
01. THE VISION BLEAK - I Dined With The Swans
02. GLORIOR BELLI - The Night Scalp Challenger
03. FUNERAL DIRGE - Alpha Sans Omega
04. GRAVDAL - Mishandlet
05. NEKROS - The Black Serpent
06. BETHLEHEM - Yesterday I Still Died Today
07. DEN SAAKALDTE - Mesias
Three tracks of from "Fifteen Years Of Absolute Darkness" can be heard using the SoundCloud player below.
KATATONIA's ultra-rare 1994 mini-album of death/doom metal mastery, "For Funerals To Come", will be released on vinyl on November 7 (CD release to be confirmed) through Peaceville Records. "For Funerals to Come" contains the trademarks of early era KATATONIA with the haunting guitar melodies and slow tempo combining with the tortured vocals of Jonas Renkse to create an aura of melancholy and gothic darkness. This edition of "For Funerals To Come" contains two extra tracks — "Black Erotica" and "Love Of The Swan" — and features new liner notes from co-founding member, writer and guitarist Anders Nyström and is limited to only 1,500 copies. Pre-order your copy directly from Peaceville now.
KATATONIA's May 6, 2011 concert at Koko in London, England was professionally filmed/recorded for a future DVD release. The show, which was part of the 20th-anniversary "Last Fair Day Gone Night Tour 2011", saw the band perform two sets. The first set consisted of a performance of the entire "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" album front to back. The second set was a mixture of carefully picked songs from the band's extensive catalogue.
KATATONIA released special editions of the critically acclaimed albums "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and "Night Is The New Day" on April 25. The 10th-anniversary edition "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" was presented in deluxe mediabook packaging, as a two-disc edition containing tracks from the now hard-to-find singles "Teargas" and "Tonight's Music". The reissue of 2009's "Night Is The New Day" includes bonus tracks from the "The Longest Year" EP. Both titles were presented with newly updated cover artwork courtesy of original artist Travis Smith.
KATATONIA's May 6, 2011 concert at Koko in London, England was professionally filmed/recorded for a future DVD release. The show, which was part of the 20th-anniversary "Last Fair Day Gone Night Tour 2011", saw the band perform two sets. The first set consisted of a performance of the entire "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" album front to back. The second set was a mixture of carefully picked songs from the band's extensive catalogue.
KATATONIA released special editions of the critically acclaimed albums "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and "Night Is The New Day" on April 25. The 10th-anniversary edition "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" was presented in deluxe mediabook packaging, as a two-disc edition containing tracks from the now hard-to-find singles "Teargas" and "Tonight's Music". The reissue of 2009's "Night Is The New Day" includes bonus tracks from the "The Longest Year" EP. Both titles were presented with newly updated cover artwork courtesy of original artist Travis Smith.
Scion A/V has announced the release of a new five-track digital EP and music video from Yonkers, New York-based death metal veterans IMMOLATION. "Scion A/V Presents: Immolation - Providence EP" will be available as a free download via www.scionav.com. The EP will also be distributed for free in CD and vinyl formats at shows during the IMMOLATION North American tour 2011 and at select Scion partner retail locations.
According to a press release, "Providence" "showcases [IMMOLATION's] trademark harmonic dissonance, along with their militaristic and complex rhythms while losing none of their signature menace."
"We're excited to be working with such a unique band such as IMMOLATION," says Jeri Yoshizu, manager of sales promotions for Scion. "Their drive and diligence scream just as loud as their vocal, and we wouldn't have it any other way."
"Scion A/V Presents: Immolation - Providence EP" track listing:
01. What They Bring
02. Illumination
03. Still Lost
04. Providence
05. Swallow The Fear
IMMOLATION's Tommy Jones-directed video for the song "A Glorious Epoch", can be viewed below. The track comes off the band's eighth album, "Majesty And Decay", which was released in March 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 29 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Majesty And Decay" was recorded Millbrook Sound Studios in New York with longtime producer Paul Orofino. Mixing duties were handled by Zack Ohren, who has previously worked with DECREPIT BIRTH, SUFFOCATION and ALL SHALL PERISH, among others.
"Majesty And Decay" is the third consecutive release featuring IMMOLATION's current lineup:
Ross Dolan - Bass, Vocals
Robert Vigna - Guitars
Bill Taylor - Guitars
Steve Shalaty – Drums
According to a press release, "Providence" "showcases [IMMOLATION's] trademark harmonic dissonance, along with their militaristic and complex rhythms while losing none of their signature menace."
"We're excited to be working with such a unique band such as IMMOLATION," says Jeri Yoshizu, manager of sales promotions for Scion. "Their drive and diligence scream just as loud as their vocal, and we wouldn't have it any other way."
"Scion A/V Presents: Immolation - Providence EP" track listing:
01. What They Bring
02. Illumination
03. Still Lost
04. Providence
05. Swallow The Fear
IMMOLATION's Tommy Jones-directed video for the song "A Glorious Epoch", can be viewed below. The track comes off the band's eighth album, "Majesty And Decay", which was released in March 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 29 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Majesty And Decay" was recorded Millbrook Sound Studios in New York with longtime producer Paul Orofino. Mixing duties were handled by Zack Ohren, who has previously worked with DECREPIT BIRTH, SUFFOCATION and ALL SHALL PERISH, among others.
"Majesty And Decay" is the third consecutive release featuring IMMOLATION's current lineup:
Ross Dolan - Bass, Vocals
Robert Vigna - Guitars
Bill Taylor - Guitars
Steve Shalaty – Drums
Whirlwind noise-grinders ANAL CUNT (A.C.) will release a posthumous two-CD collection of all their earliest works entitled "The Old Testament" on November 22 via Relapse Records. The last completely authorized A.C. release showcases the band's earliest and most forceful work. In addition to the infamous "5,643 Song EP" and the bands early split releases, "The Old Testament" includes A.C.'s first demo (from April 1988) and last session in 1991, neither of which have been heard by anyone outside the band. It also contains liner notes penned by charismatic founder and songwriter Seth Putman shortly before his death, as well as an epilogue from original A.C. drummer Tim Morse, tons of never-before-seen early photos, and much more.
In a June 2011 interview, Putnam stated about the collection, "The recordings from 1988 to 1991 represent the older A.C. sound.
"When the band started, the goal was to be the fastest, noisiest band around and to have absolutely no trace of musicality at all — no lyrics, no song titles, no music written for the songs…. Over time, some musical parts were added here and there.
"The original A.C. influenced countless other bands, and was the only band [of its kind] that actually toured and played out regularly."
Added Morse, "The releases this year have turned out to be far more important than anyone ever could have imagined. They officially mark the end of A.C., forever. The band [Seth] started 23 years ago became our lives. And as we all know, all things, including lives, must end. But as a memorial to both Seth and A.C., we are all blessed to have had experiences as amazing as this."
A.C. courted controversy and melted minds with its unique brand of noise for over twenty years. Love them or hate them, the outrageous outfit built a cult following worldwide and became one of the most talked about underground bands of our time.
In a June 2011 interview, Putnam stated about the collection, "The recordings from 1988 to 1991 represent the older A.C. sound.
"When the band started, the goal was to be the fastest, noisiest band around and to have absolutely no trace of musicality at all — no lyrics, no song titles, no music written for the songs…. Over time, some musical parts were added here and there.
"The original A.C. influenced countless other bands, and was the only band [of its kind] that actually toured and played out regularly."
Added Morse, "The releases this year have turned out to be far more important than anyone ever could have imagined. They officially mark the end of A.C., forever. The band [Seth] started 23 years ago became our lives. And as we all know, all things, including lives, must end. But as a memorial to both Seth and A.C., we are all blessed to have had experiences as amazing as this."
A.C. courted controversy and melted minds with its unique brand of noise for over twenty years. Love them or hate them, the outrageous outfit built a cult following worldwide and became one of the most talked about underground bands of our time.
Norwegian black metallers 1349 will release their first-ever live DVD, "Hellvetia Fire - The Official 1349 Bootleg", on October 24 via Candlelight Records. The disc was filmed at Bikini Test La chaux De Fonds in Switzerland in 2005 and features a special guest appearance by Tom G. Warrior (HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST, TRYPTIKON).
"Hellvetia Fire - The Official 1349 Bootleg" track listing:
01. Hellfire
02. Riders Of The Apocalypse
03. Majhicanalenheten
04. Nekronath
05. Chasing Dragons
06. Satanic Propaganda
07. I Am Abomination
08. Aiwass-Aeon
09. Sculptor Of Flesh
10. The Ursurper
11. Slaves To Slaughter
12. Hellfire
The critically acclaimed album "Demonoir" by 1349 will be reissued as a limited box set as part of the Indie Recordings Norwegian Collector's Edition Series. It contains seven bonus tracks, including an unreleased track that did not appear on the expanded edition or the limited edition, 12-page booklet, poster, guitar pick, a patch and autographed photo card. The box is handnumbered and limited to 1000 copies worldwide.
For U.S. fans, the box set will be available only on FYE on November 25.
"Demonoir", the fifth full-length album from 1349, was recorded at Studio Nyhagen, deep in the woods in Norway with Tom G. Warrior (HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST), who showed the greatest respect for the task and played a key role as motivator and catalyst. His technical role of the recording was that of a co-producer, but far more important was his presence and understanding of what a challenging project "Demonoir" was.
1349 is:
Ravn - Vocals
Archaon - Guitar
Seidemann - Bass
Frost – Drums
"Hellvetia Fire - The Official 1349 Bootleg" track listing:
01. Hellfire
02. Riders Of The Apocalypse
03. Majhicanalenheten
04. Nekronath
05. Chasing Dragons
06. Satanic Propaganda
07. I Am Abomination
08. Aiwass-Aeon
09. Sculptor Of Flesh
10. The Ursurper
11. Slaves To Slaughter
12. Hellfire
The critically acclaimed album "Demonoir" by 1349 will be reissued as a limited box set as part of the Indie Recordings Norwegian Collector's Edition Series. It contains seven bonus tracks, including an unreleased track that did not appear on the expanded edition or the limited edition, 12-page booklet, poster, guitar pick, a patch and autographed photo card. The box is handnumbered and limited to 1000 copies worldwide.
For U.S. fans, the box set will be available only on FYE on November 25.
"Demonoir", the fifth full-length album from 1349, was recorded at Studio Nyhagen, deep in the woods in Norway with Tom G. Warrior (HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST), who showed the greatest respect for the task and played a key role as motivator and catalyst. His technical role of the recording was that of a co-producer, but far more important was his presence and understanding of what a challenging project "Demonoir" was.
1349 is:
Ravn - Vocals
Archaon - Guitar
Seidemann - Bass
Frost – Drums
"KUR-NU-GI-A", the first proper demo by the legendary Swedish death metal band EDGE OF SANITY fronted by Dan Swanö (also of NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH, ODYSSEY, PAN-THY-MONIUM) has been made available as a 12-inch picture-disc vinyl via Black Mark. The recording, which was originally released in 1990, was remixed by Dan.
Commented Swanö: "I always felt we grew up a bit too fast, We got caught up in the growing death metal scene and tuned down the guitars and bought the 'right' distortion pedals and tried to be the new ENTOMBED.
"This demo showcases the original sound of EDGE OF SANITY. During this period we still listened to a lot of progressive and challenging metal of all kinds and I still believe the songs have their true version on this demo.
"I transferred the original 4-track cassette masters using state-of-the-art digital technology, and remixed them and finally gave them the sound I dreamt of giving them 21 years ago. The dream of finally having this classic recording released on 12" picture disc has come true."
Commented Swanö: "I always felt we grew up a bit too fast, We got caught up in the growing death metal scene and tuned down the guitars and bought the 'right' distortion pedals and tried to be the new ENTOMBED.
"This demo showcases the original sound of EDGE OF SANITY. During this period we still listened to a lot of progressive and challenging metal of all kinds and I still believe the songs have their true version on this demo.
"I transferred the original 4-track cassette masters using state-of-the-art digital technology, and remixed them and finally gave them the sound I dreamt of giving them 21 years ago. The dream of finally having this classic recording released on 12" picture disc has come true."
The complete discography from the melodic Swedish death metal act A CANOROUS QUINTET will be released for the time time on vinyl via The Crypt.
Although not as well known and some of the other bands in the Swedish death metal scene, A CANOROUS QUINTET features members from such prominent acts as AMON AMARTH, NIDEN DIV. 187, OCTOBER TIDE and GUIDANCE OF SIN.
Formed in 1991, A CANOROUS QUINTET released the "The Time Of Autumn" demo followed by a mini-CD, "As Tears", and two full-length albums, "Silence Of The World Beyond" and "The Only Pure Hate". The band split up in 1999 before reforming in 2005 under the name THE PLAGUE and later changing its name to THIS ENDING.
Strictly limited to a one-time-only pressing of 500 hand-numbered copies, these amazing slabs of wax come housed in a 350-gram, semi-gloss printed, gatefold jacket featuring the original "As Tears" cover artwork, lyrics, new extensive liner notes by Linus Nirbrant and Mårten Hansen, and exclusive band photos. In addition the layout uses original elements just like the original MCD release, for complete attention to detail — even down to the typeface. In addition to the classic 1995 MCD, this LP features the 1993 "The Time Of Autumn Demo" taken from the original DAT recording. Included in all 500 copies is a luxurious 24" x 36" (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm) poster of the "As Tears" cover artwork. 300 copies will be made available on 180-gram magenta vinyl.
Although not as well known and some of the other bands in the Swedish death metal scene, A CANOROUS QUINTET features members from such prominent acts as AMON AMARTH, NIDEN DIV. 187, OCTOBER TIDE and GUIDANCE OF SIN.
Formed in 1991, A CANOROUS QUINTET released the "The Time Of Autumn" demo followed by a mini-CD, "As Tears", and two full-length albums, "Silence Of The World Beyond" and "The Only Pure Hate". The band split up in 1999 before reforming in 2005 under the name THE PLAGUE and later changing its name to THIS ENDING.
Strictly limited to a one-time-only pressing of 500 hand-numbered copies, these amazing slabs of wax come housed in a 350-gram, semi-gloss printed, gatefold jacket featuring the original "As Tears" cover artwork, lyrics, new extensive liner notes by Linus Nirbrant and Mårten Hansen, and exclusive band photos. In addition the layout uses original elements just like the original MCD release, for complete attention to detail — even down to the typeface. In addition to the classic 1995 MCD, this LP features the 1993 "The Time Of Autumn Demo" taken from the original DAT recording. Included in all 500 copies is a luxurious 24" x 36" (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm) poster of the "As Tears" cover artwork. 300 copies will be made available on 180-gram magenta vinyl.
Pennsylvania/New York-based death metal band FUNERUS will release its second album, "Reduced To Sludge", on November 22 via Ibex Moon Records. Violent and brooding, this eleven-track nightmarish beast was engineered by Sam Inzerra, Jim Roe and John McEntee. Drums and guitars were recorded at Neanderthal Studios in Plainfield, New Jersey while the bass and vocals were recorded at Aries Studio in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The CD was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH, ODYSSEY, PAN-THY-MONIUM). The cover artwork was created by Dusty Peterson (SIX FEET UNDER, CATTLE DECAPITATION, BLOODBATH).
FUNERUS — which consists of INCANTATION guitarist John McEntee, bassist/vocalist Jill McEntee and drummer Sam Inzerra (MORTICIAN, MORPHEUS DESCENDS) — has made the track "Sound Of Oil" available for streaming on the group's Facebook page.
Commented John McEntee, "I feel we were able to capture the natural FUNERUS essence on this album. It continues in the same vein of the first album, 'Festering Earth', in heaviness and songwriting. I think it will be well received."
FUNERUS — which consists of INCANTATION guitarist John McEntee, bassist/vocalist Jill McEntee and drummer Sam Inzerra (MORTICIAN, MORPHEUS DESCENDS) — has made the track "Sound Of Oil" available for streaming on the group's Facebook page.
Commented John McEntee, "I feel we were able to capture the natural FUNERUS essence on this album. It continues in the same vein of the first album, 'Festering Earth', in heaviness and songwriting. I think it will be well received."
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