Just to clarify, the members of Judas Priest aren't hanging up their spiky leather jackets. After 42 years and 17 albums, the pioneering British metal band is simply putting a stop to the kind of global touring it's undertaken throughout its career. The group's latest go-round, the Epitaph World Tour, is something of a last hurrah, a four-continent trek that has already taken Priest through Europe and South America.
On the eve of the tour's North American leg, frontman Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton -- two of the most revered names in metal history -- sat down with Noisecreep in New York City. The duo discussed Priest's past, present and future, explaining why, after all these years, they're thrilled to tour, proud to play metal and excited about the future.
How's the tour been going so far?
GT: It's been incredible. We started off in Europe, and it was tremendous leg of the tour. We've just done South America, including Venezuela, Columbia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica as well. Mexico. And now here we are in the States, and we're ready for the North American tour.
Anywhere you've never been before?
GT: Venezuela and Costa Rica.
Which continent loves Priest the most?
GT: We're fortunate across the board, really. We're obviously popular in America and throughout Europe -- we've just done a great European tour -- and a lot of the Latin countries, Spanish-speaking countries. We go to these far corners of the planet, places like Turkey or Chile, and 15,000 or 20,000 kids show up, so we're very lucky, really.
Do the politics in certain countries have anything to do with the response from fans?
GT: Not really. I think what people do is they underestimate the popularity of heavy metal. Let's say we go to places like Turkey or Chile -- these far reaches of the planet -- and thousands of kids show up. If there are any differences between countries, they're all forgotten. They're all there for one reason, and that's for metal.
Have there been times on this tour where you've said, "This is too much fun. I don't think I can give this up."
GT: Absolutely, but the emotions runs so high onstage that every night you walk off and think, "How can I give this up?" But there will be a point when we have to call it a day. This is our last world tour, but that doesn't mean it will be our last live performances, and we'll certainly do more albums.
On the eve of the tour's North American leg, frontman Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton -- two of the most revered names in metal history -- sat down with Noisecreep in New York City. The duo discussed Priest's past, present and future, explaining why, after all these years, they're thrilled to tour, proud to play metal and excited about the future.
How's the tour been going so far?
GT: It's been incredible. We started off in Europe, and it was tremendous leg of the tour. We've just done South America, including Venezuela, Columbia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Costa Rica as well. Mexico. And now here we are in the States, and we're ready for the North American tour.
Anywhere you've never been before?
GT: Venezuela and Costa Rica.
Which continent loves Priest the most?
GT: We're fortunate across the board, really. We're obviously popular in America and throughout Europe -- we've just done a great European tour -- and a lot of the Latin countries, Spanish-speaking countries. We go to these far corners of the planet, places like Turkey or Chile, and 15,000 or 20,000 kids show up, so we're very lucky, really.
Do the politics in certain countries have anything to do with the response from fans?
GT: Not really. I think what people do is they underestimate the popularity of heavy metal. Let's say we go to places like Turkey or Chile -- these far reaches of the planet -- and thousands of kids show up. If there are any differences between countries, they're all forgotten. They're all there for one reason, and that's for metal.
Have there been times on this tour where you've said, "This is too much fun. I don't think I can give this up."
GT: Absolutely, but the emotions runs so high onstage that every night you walk off and think, "How can I give this up?" But there will be a point when we have to call it a day. This is our last world tour, but that doesn't mean it will be our last live performances, and we'll certainly do more albums.
Gino DePinto for AOL Music
Do you still enjoy playing the hits?
GT: When you're onstage, you can think, "Oh, do we have to play 'Breaking the Law' again? Do we have to play 'Living After Midnight?'" But when you're onstage, and you feed off the audience, and you feed off the reaction and the roar of the crowd, it's just as enjoyable every night as it's ever been.
Is it hard to please both hardcore fans, who probably want to hear obscure tracks, and more casual fans, who want the hits?
GT: No, it's great. This set we're doing at the moment -- we're doing a track off of every one of our studio albums, which is 17. We're doing 'Never Satisfied,' off 'Rocka Rolla.' We're doing 'Starbreaker.' We're doing 'Blood Red Skies,' which we've never played before. We're tracking the albums through the years, plus all the old favorites, and it's working out really well.
There are always some track we have to leave out. There are always some people disappointed, but I think we've gotten most of it right.
[Rob Halford enters the room]
Rob, thanks for joining us. As we just asked Glenn, have there been times on this tour when you've thought, "I don't want to give this up?"
RH: Well, I don't think we are going to give it up. That's the exciting thing for us. Obviously, there's a bit of poignancy attached to the fact we won't be doing any more world tours, but personally, I'm having one of the best tours ever, in terms of how I feel onstage. I think maybe it's the setlist. I think this is a great way of doing a final world tour, because it's a two hour and 20-minute show, and you're really feeling it from 'Never Satisfied' to 'Nostradamus.' Emotionally, musically, it's like 'This Is Your Life.' You feel like you've given fans the life of the band, and that's quite extraordinary and quite rare.
What's the status on the new album. You've said in other interviews that you've got several songs finished.
GT: Yeah, we started writing in January and February, and we're going to get together with [new guitarist] Richie [Faulkner] and do some writing now, which is going to be exciting. We just need a little bit of time so we can get back in the studio and do some writing. That's the difficult thing, because the schedule is so heavy.
RH: Everybody is coming to us now because there's a sense this is the last world tour. So we're getting offers we didn't get before to go back to certain parts of Europe. Russia is a gigantic country, and we've been asked to go to certian places we've never visited, and that's exciting for us. We just did Venezuela -- Caracas -- and we'd never been there before. It was insane. We love that. We love going to a new country for the first time, because some of the fans are in tears when they see us. "I waited 30 years, and you're finaly here. If it wasn't for the fact you came to me, I would never get a chance to see you play life." So that's very emotional, very empowering.
Are there bands that gave you that same feeling when you were growing up in Birmingham?
RH: I think when I saw [Jimi] Hendrix at the Isle of Wight, or the Who at the isle of Wight, in whatever year that was -- '71 or '72, something like that. I was just [thinking], "God, I wish I could do that."
Gino DePinto for AOL Music
Being a veteran band must be sort of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you're already well established, so you have nothing to prove. On the other hand, any new album will invariably be compared to your classic work. How do you approach a new record?
GT: We never plan it. We just write what comes naturally. We don't sit down and contrive it and say, "We're going to go this way or that way." We obviously did more of that with 'Nostradamus,' because that was a conceptual album, but we're just going to let it roll this time and let the dice fall where they will. It will be an album Priest fans want. We know what they want, and that's what we're going to give them. Part of the album is a thank-you to the fans. We've done a couple of anthems, and Rob has great lyrics saying "thank you" to the fans for all the years. We're just going to let our instincts drive us on the rest and compose as we go along.
Your new 'Chosen Few' record comprises Priest classics picked by some of your famous fans. Did any of their selections surprise you?
I'm citing Geezer from Sabbath choosing 'Living After Midnight.' I thought he'd go for something really dark and evil. Apparently, when we did the Sabbath-Priest Ozzfest tour some years ago, that was the song he'd come from the dressing room to check out.
People were all over the place with their picks -- old stuff, new stuff, etc. That must have been gratifying.
That's what's so cool about this release. All of these friends of ours, they listen to music, obviously, when they're on the tour bus [or wherever]. Who knew that Ozzy likes 'The Ripper?' It's a funny sense of timing. It's exciting.
On this tour, you guys are playing with everyone from veterans Thin Lizzy to relative newcomers Hatebreed. Do you still keep tabs on new metal bands?
I check the iTunes charts every few days, and I'm always listening to snippets on there, the top 100 albums. That's informative, and it gives you a little bit of a cross section of what the world is listening to. It's cool to see that Anthrax is in the top three with their latest release.
So much of what is now known as heavy metal derives from you guys. Are there any aspects of the genre you would rather not take credit or be blamed for?
GT: Not really. In metal, a lot of bands are their own worst enemies. They'll do things just to draw attention to themselves, and you all get tarred with the same brush. As far as we're concerned, we've always flown the flag for metal. We've always been proud to be a metal band. We think it does a lot of good worldwide.
RH: If you're asking for words of wisdom, it's like we've always said: Because there is so much competition -- it is a competition -- the best thing you can strive for is originality, and that's very difficult, especially if you're being pushed to be a top 40 metal band. They have these polls for kids at school: "What do you want to be?" "I want to be famous." "What can you do?" "Oh, I can't do anything, but I want to be famous." That's because they see people who don't do anything be famous. That's just the way of the world. From where we come from, you have to work really hard to become famous. You have to work really hard to do something and offer something that is different and original and special that nobody else does. That's what gave us our growth and the way that we went around the world.
There wasn't really a heavy-metal model you could look to when you were starting out.
RH: There wasn't, because there wasn't anybody else. We would listen to [Led] Zeppelin and [Deep] Purple and the Who, but in terms of metal, there really wasn't anyone else that was defining that sound.
GT: We used to sit there in our slippers by the gas fire, if we had enough coins in the box to keep it going, and knock out tunes. And they turned out to be timeless, and that's a great compliment people pay us sometimes.
Your last album was a concept record about Nostradamus. Do you think this one will be more personal and maybe incorporate the feelings associated with staging a farewell world tour?
GT: Not really. Part of it is a tribute to the fans, and our way of saying thank you, but the rest of the album can go any way. We've got loads of ideas, and we'll just see how they all turn out.
RH: It'll be who we are, basically. The subject matter can be anything we choose to go for and go with. The essence of it is turning out to be a really great classic Priest metal record.
Judas Priest's 'The Chosen Few' is available now via Sony Legacy. The dates for the Epitaph World Tour are below:
12 October AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
14 October Concrete Street Amphitheater, Corpus Christi, TX
15 October The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
16 October Allen Event Center, Dallas, TX
18 October Ava Amphitheater, Tucson, AZ
19 October Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA
21 October AZ State Fair, Phoenix, AZ
22 October San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino, CA
23 October Hard Rock, Las Vegas, NV
27 October Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, CA
29 October WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA
30 October Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
1 November Shaw Conference Center, Edmonton, AB
2 November Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
4 November Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, UT
5 November 1STBANK Center, Denver, CO
8 November US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
9 November Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield, IL
10 November The Family Arena, St. Louis, MO
12 November The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Chicago, IL
13 November Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
15 November Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
16 November The Armory, Rochester, NY
18 November Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
19 November Cambria County War Memorial, Johnstown, PA
20 November Paul E. Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA
22 November Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
23 November Colisee Pepsi Arena, Quebec City, QC
24 November Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
26 November Sovereign Center Arena, Reading, PA
27 November Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
30 November 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre, Tampa
1 December Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, Miami
3 December Hard Rock Biloxi Hotel & Casino, Biloxi
According to the French SCORPIONS fan club Crazyscorps, SCORPIONS will release "Get Your Sting & Blackout" on CD and Blu-ray this coming Friday, October 14 with exclusive distribution in Europe via the electronics and home appliances retailer Media Markt. Both the CD and Blu-ray contain a recording of the band's April 15, 2011 concert in Saarbrücken, Germany as part of SCORPIONS' ongoing farewell tour. The band performed its greatest hits, including "Wind Of Change", "Blackout", "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Still Loving You", and "Send Me An Angel".
SCORPIONS' setlist for the Saarbrücken concert was as follows:
01. Sting In The Tail
02. Make It Real
03. Bad Boys Running Wild
04. The Zoo
05. Coast To Coast
06. Loving You Sunday Morning
07. The Best Is Yet To Come
08. Send Me An Angel
09. Holiday
10. Raised On Rock
11. Tease Me Please Me
12. Dynamite
13. Kottak Attack
14. Blackout
15. Six String Sting
16. Big City Nights
Encore:
17. Still Loving You
18. Wind Of Change
19. Rock You Like A Hurricane
20. When The Smoke Is Going Down
SCORPIONS' setlist for the Saarbrücken concert was as follows:
01. Sting In The Tail
02. Make It Real
03. Bad Boys Running Wild
04. The Zoo
05. Coast To Coast
06. Loving You Sunday Morning
07. The Best Is Yet To Come
08. Send Me An Angel
09. Holiday
10. Raised On Rock
11. Tease Me Please Me
12. Dynamite
13. Kottak Attack
14. Blackout
15. Six String Sting
16. Big City Nights
Encore:
17. Still Loving You
18. Wind Of Change
19. Rock You Like A Hurricane
20. When The Smoke Is Going Down
MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover will make in-store appearance at Steve's Music store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on October 29 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Drover will take part in a meet-and-greet and sign posters.
MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", is scheduled for release on November 1 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California with producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis), who has previously worked with DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD and STAIND, among others. The artwork was once again created by artist John Lorenzi, who was responsible for the artwork on the last two MEGADETH studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame", as well as the band's 2007 box set, "Warchest"
Seattle progressive rockers QUEENSRŸCHE will play their classic 1988 album "Operation: Mindcrime" in its entirety on ShipRocked 2011, the music and lifestyle cruise which will set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 14 to the tip of Mexico and its popular stretch of gorgeous Caribbean water known for scuba diving, shopping and bars aplenty, and return five days later. Performing Pamela Moore's parts in her seminal role as Sister Mary will be Maria Brinks of IN THIS MOMENT.
"We've always enjoyed performing for our fans in intimate settings and the forthcoming ShipRocked cruise will certainly be one of those occasions," states QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, who returns with the band for their second ShipRocked cruise. "We're calling this one 'Mutiny On The Mindcrime.'"
The special performance of "Operation: Mindcrime", covering all fifteen songs from the album, including such fan favorites as "Revolution Calling", "Operation: Mindcrime", "I Don't Believe In Love" and the closing track "Eyes Of A Stranger", will be in addition to a greatest-hits performance that will take place on another night of the cruise.
Maria Brink is ecstatic about joining QUEENSRŸCHE for the ten-minute song, "Suite Sister Mary". "I am so excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity to sing with QUEENSRŸCHE on the upcoming ShipRocked cruise!" she says. "All of us in [IN THIS MOMENT] are huge QUEENSRŸCHE fans, and Geoff Tate is one of the best lead singers in the business. Getting to sing 'Suite Sister Mary' off the original 'Mindcrime' album is a huge honor. This is going to be a cruise to remember!"
ShipRocked 2011 billing:
BUCKCHERRY
QUEENSRŸCHE
HINDER
HELLYEAH
SEVENDUST
CANDLEBOX
FILTER
LIVING COLOUR
ANOTHER ANIMAL
IN THIS MOMENT
LYNAM
BROKEN TEETH
3 PILL MORNING
CAGE9
THE VOODOOS
The setting is the MSC Poesia (Italy) one of the cruise industry's most acclaimed new super cruise ships. It all begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, visiting the premier Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel. Exuding her Italian roots, the Poesia features include the luxurious Aqua Spa, two pools, four Jacuzzis, a state-of-the-art cardio gym, salon, sushi bar, wine tasting bar, the Teatro Carlo Felice, a beautiful, three-level, Las Vegas-style theater, and additional stages for ShipRocked bands and passengers to enjoy all night long!
Prices start at only $799 per person, based on double occupancy, and include exclusive access to all ShipRocked concerts and special events, deluxe stateroom, meals, ship activities, ship entertainment and much, much more!
Tickets for ShipRocked 2011 are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and are only available at GetShipRocked.com or by calling 1-888-438-9509.
"We've always enjoyed performing for our fans in intimate settings and the forthcoming ShipRocked cruise will certainly be one of those occasions," states QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, who returns with the band for their second ShipRocked cruise. "We're calling this one 'Mutiny On The Mindcrime.'"
The special performance of "Operation: Mindcrime", covering all fifteen songs from the album, including such fan favorites as "Revolution Calling", "Operation: Mindcrime", "I Don't Believe In Love" and the closing track "Eyes Of A Stranger", will be in addition to a greatest-hits performance that will take place on another night of the cruise.
Maria Brink is ecstatic about joining QUEENSRŸCHE for the ten-minute song, "Suite Sister Mary". "I am so excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity to sing with QUEENSRŸCHE on the upcoming ShipRocked cruise!" she says. "All of us in [IN THIS MOMENT] are huge QUEENSRŸCHE fans, and Geoff Tate is one of the best lead singers in the business. Getting to sing 'Suite Sister Mary' off the original 'Mindcrime' album is a huge honor. This is going to be a cruise to remember!"
ShipRocked 2011 billing:
BUCKCHERRY
QUEENSRŸCHE
HINDER
HELLYEAH
SEVENDUST
CANDLEBOX
FILTER
LIVING COLOUR
ANOTHER ANIMAL
IN THIS MOMENT
LYNAM
BROKEN TEETH
3 PILL MORNING
CAGE9
THE VOODOOS
The setting is the MSC Poesia (Italy) one of the cruise industry's most acclaimed new super cruise ships. It all begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, visiting the premier Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel. Exuding her Italian roots, the Poesia features include the luxurious Aqua Spa, two pools, four Jacuzzis, a state-of-the-art cardio gym, salon, sushi bar, wine tasting bar, the Teatro Carlo Felice, a beautiful, three-level, Las Vegas-style theater, and additional stages for ShipRocked bands and passengers to enjoy all night long!
Prices start at only $799 per person, based on double occupancy, and include exclusive access to all ShipRocked concerts and special events, deluxe stateroom, meals, ship activities, ship entertainment and much, much more!
Tickets for ShipRocked 2011 are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and are only available at GetShipRocked.com or by calling 1-888-438-9509.
"The Devil's Rain", the new album from the seminal horror-punk band the MISFITS, sold 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. The Devil's Rain
02. Vivid Red
03. Land Of The Dead (album version)
04. The Black Hole
05. Twilight of the Dead (album version)
06. Curse of the Mummy's Hand
07. Cold In Hell
08. Unexplained
09. Dark Shadows
10. Father
11. Jack The Ripper
12. Monkey's Paw
13. Where Do They Go?
14. Sleepwalking
15. Ghost Of Frankenstein
16. Death Ray
In 1977, at the dawn of the punk movement the MISFITS set out to make an impression, and created a legacy that has truly withstood the test of time. Immortalizing black and white B horror films in their music, the MISFITS developed a ghoulish and totally unique persona of their own that s consistently evolved over the years, while remaining true to its roots. The band s iconic "Fiend Skull" logo has become a staple in pop culture and an instantly recognizable symbol worldwide. Bands across the spectrum of rock have covered their material, including METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and countless others.
Boasting a massive catalog of music old and new, a new lineup (consistently helmed by founding member Jerry Only), and an influence felt around the world, the MISFITS return with their long-awaited, first full-length release of all-new, original material in nearly a decade!
Rooted in the horror and sci-fi themes their audience craves, "The Devil's Rain" showcases 16 fiendish, soon-to-be MISFITS classics including "Twilight Of The Dead", "Dark Shadows", "Curse of the Mummy's Hand" and the title track itself. Produced by Ed Stasium (whose credits include the RAMONES' "Road To Ruin" and "Too Tough to Die", as well as the MISFITS 1999 release "Famous Monsters"), the album showcases a jaw-dropping, two-panel front/back cover painting featuring the rebirth of the band's iconic Fiend mascot in an epic setting rendered by Arthur Suydam (known for his immensely popular work on the Marvel Zombies series, among others). The packaging, designed to emulate a CD sized gatefold LP, also features some incredible new MISFITS portraits shot by the legendary Mick Rock. Rock's imagery (which includes David Bowie, Iggy Pop, QUEEN, Debbie Harry, and the RAMONES, to name a few), has become part of the very fabric of rock and roll. Having also served as an on-set photographer for cult-movie classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", Rock lends a perfectly suited eye to view the band s surrealistic and highly theatrical persona.
"The Devil's Rain" is not just a continuation of a historic legacy, it's a total reboot ushering in a new era of terror. In a sense, it's the debut album from the legendary MISFITS of this decade.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. The Devil's Rain
02. Vivid Red
03. Land Of The Dead (album version)
04. The Black Hole
05. Twilight of the Dead (album version)
06. Curse of the Mummy's Hand
07. Cold In Hell
08. Unexplained
09. Dark Shadows
10. Father
11. Jack The Ripper
12. Monkey's Paw
13. Where Do They Go?
14. Sleepwalking
15. Ghost Of Frankenstein
16. Death Ray
In 1977, at the dawn of the punk movement the MISFITS set out to make an impression, and created a legacy that has truly withstood the test of time. Immortalizing black and white B horror films in their music, the MISFITS developed a ghoulish and totally unique persona of their own that s consistently evolved over the years, while remaining true to its roots. The band s iconic "Fiend Skull" logo has become a staple in pop culture and an instantly recognizable symbol worldwide. Bands across the spectrum of rock have covered their material, including METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and countless others.
Boasting a massive catalog of music old and new, a new lineup (consistently helmed by founding member Jerry Only), and an influence felt around the world, the MISFITS return with their long-awaited, first full-length release of all-new, original material in nearly a decade!
Rooted in the horror and sci-fi themes their audience craves, "The Devil's Rain" showcases 16 fiendish, soon-to-be MISFITS classics including "Twilight Of The Dead", "Dark Shadows", "Curse of the Mummy's Hand" and the title track itself. Produced by Ed Stasium (whose credits include the RAMONES' "Road To Ruin" and "Too Tough to Die", as well as the MISFITS 1999 release "Famous Monsters"), the album showcases a jaw-dropping, two-panel front/back cover painting featuring the rebirth of the band's iconic Fiend mascot in an epic setting rendered by Arthur Suydam (known for his immensely popular work on the Marvel Zombies series, among others). The packaging, designed to emulate a CD sized gatefold LP, also features some incredible new MISFITS portraits shot by the legendary Mick Rock. Rock's imagery (which includes David Bowie, Iggy Pop, QUEEN, Debbie Harry, and the RAMONES, to name a few), has become part of the very fabric of rock and roll. Having also served as an on-set photographer for cult-movie classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", Rock lends a perfectly suited eye to view the band s surrealistic and highly theatrical persona.
"The Devil's Rain" is not just a continuation of a historic legacy, it's a total reboot ushering in a new era of terror. In a sense, it's the debut album from the legendary MISFITS of this decade.
JuanCroucier is someone who is true to his word, true to his ideals. That isn't always practical or popular in the world of hard rock/metal but Juan has not wavered and continues to stick to his guns to this day doing things his way. Known for playing bass, singing and writing a great deal of the hits during RATT's multiplatinum era he now runs a recording studio and still stays active with a variety of musical projects. He doesn't do a tremendous amount of interviews so we are honored to catch up with him and get an update on where he's been and what he's thinking. Read on…
Q: Thanks for your time Juan...it's a crime but I haven't seen you since you played here in Rockford,
Illinois on the Reach for the Sky Tour. It was one of my greatest concert memories but suffice to say...it's been a while. Can you start by letting everyone know what you've been up to in case they've been out of the loop?
A: Well, let me start off by saying thank you for this opportunity. For many years now, I have been producing and engineering records out of my studio 'The Cellar.' I started producing bands back in 1987 and among
them, that year, was a band called Love/Hate. I've also kept playing, I'm currently in two bands, one is called 'Juan
Croucier's Dirty Rats,' with Pete Holmes (Black N Blue) and Jon E. Love (Love/Hate), the band plays a lot of the Ratt catalog as well as other originals. The other band is called 'The Hard Rock All-stars,' that band is a cover band with Jaime St. James (Black N Blue), Pete Holmes and Jon E. Love.
Q: Was engineering/producing something you were always working on as a hobby while you were busy
touring/writing/recording with RATT? Do you find it to be anywhere near as satisfying as playing live or is it a lot more work?
A: I have always loved record production. Early on as a musician I was into quite a variety of bands that had very different production styles. From bands like YES and Be Bop Deluxe to bands like Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult.
It was quite obvious to me early on that having a great song was one thing, but having a great song along with a great production behind it, could really make a big difference and make a song amazing.
As a teenager I started writing and recording my own songs. Part of the reason I began to record my songs and not just write them and bring them to my bands was, being a bass player sometimes put me at a bit of a disadvantage
with guitar players and singers in bands. So, if I brought in the song demoed, it was much easier for the other band members to clearly understand the idea and not just have to work off of a bass line with a vocal melody.
The studio brings a different kind of musical satisfaction for me as a singer/songwriter. It's much more of a creative endeavor, much more meticulous. It can really be a lot of work; long hours and so on, but it is also very rewarding. While playing or performing live, is more of an interpretation of the concept of the song and the vibe between
you (the band) and the audience. Both obviously require very different approaches and talents. They both have equally important functions, especially if you are a songwriter who performs his material live.
Q: To me growing up, you're a legend. You were a cog in two of my favorite bands, Dokken
and of course an integral singer/player/writer in RATT. Looking back and reading recent clips these are not only two of the most popular but also most DYSFUNCTIONAL bands ever. Hell, Dokken even named their album that. Recently, even after all these years George and Don were still trading jabs in the press.....the RATT situation isn't much better. They recorded what many people felt was a good album and were barely able to stay together long enough to promote it. As someone who has been outside both situations for a while now, is there something the fans are missing? Why, after all this time can't these bands simply coexist and present a united front to us, the people who have supported them for all these years?
A: Thank you, for the complement. To answer the jest of your question, it's because being in a band is very much like being in a marriage. Often you've heard the politically correct term "musical differences," when band members reach an impasse. But it's really like anything else in life, when two or more people do not naturally get along,
little things can (and usually do) become big problems. Left UN-dealt with, the problems often escalate and after you have a history of not agreeing on things and just not getting along, everything becomes harder than it should be. Also, often times, it really comes down to maturity, collective intelligence and respect for one another. Oh and also, some musicians are just plain disturbed; it's drama in -- drama out. They don't see themselves as others see them, so they don't think they have a problem and it goes on and on, becoming a vicious cycle. Sadly, signs eventually come out and the fans pick up on it… Ironically, a lot of musicians don't realize how closely fans watch them. Bottom line: some things are better left unsaid to fans.
Q: I realize it has been forever and a year but what do you cherish or recall about your involvement in recording Dokken's "Breaking the Chains"? The sound and songs still come off well after all these years.
A: Breakin' The Chains was recorded from a few different sessions over time and put together as a record. Back then, getting into a recording studio was almost impossible for most bands, especially because most bands were broke.
So, we pulled favors and often times worked the graveyard shift (from about midnight on in studios), we did whatever it took. The main sessions for what became Breakin' The Chains were done at Dieter Dierks' (Scorpions Producer) studio in Stommeln Germany and my brother Tom actually played bass on three of the tracks. A studio musician played bass on the rest of the tracks. I wasn't in the band at the time because going to Europe without getting paid, would have meant losing my home (apartment). Don just wanted to get something out and really didn't care how he did it. Those were desperate times for us as a band and succeeding meant everything. We rerecorded some parts of the record and remixed it in the United States for the Elektra release. When we did that, I ended up co-writing
a couple of the songs on that record. I recently listened to that record and I was surprised at how "stiff" the bass tracks felt to me (compared to how I played them), they just didn't sound smooth, although I think Tom did an excellent job on the tracks he played on.
Q: When you went from Dokken to RATT was that considered a lateral move or a definite upgrade back
when it happened....or better question....how did the move affect you personally?
A: I was in Dokken when it was just a three-piece band (in the mid to late '70's). Don and I shared the lead vocal duties. Then about three years later we brought in George Lynch and Mick Brown. I put in a lot of time and effort into Dokken. I can't really explain everything because it would take too long, but once we discovered and brought Michael Wagener to the United States from Hamburg Germany, he started working on rerecording and remixing
Breakin' The Chains. While that was going on, the only gig we did was opening for Motley Crue at The Roxy, when their Too Fast For Love EP came out. I needed to play live, so I could make enough money to pay my bills. That was when I started playing live with Ratt. Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch had been managing Dokken and finally got us a record deal on Elektra. By this time, it was easy to see that George and Don didn't get along at all. I was forced by the band and management to quit Ratt but only after we had recorded the Ratt EP. Therefore, although Dokken had a record deal and Ratt did not, after finally hearing the Ratt EP finished, I took about two weeks and really thought about it and finally went with Ratt (without a record deal) because it was just a much better fit for me as a player and as band mates.
Q: I used to draw the RATT logo on everything I owned. I bought the shirts....poster of the RATT being electrocuted on the studio console, buttons, etc....I have no qualms about admitting this. You were actually my favorite band back in the day. When I finally got to see you live I can still remember sitting all week in anticipation for the show.
Like many people, I have seen Stephen solo and RATT without you and Robbin (R.I.P.) It's not RATT. For some reason I like Stephen solo more than the new "RATT".
I am a KISS and VH fan so I have no problem with lineup changes but there is something completely and totally "off" about any RATT I have seen since that Reach tour. Assuming you could somehow come to an agreement with the RATT co., which seems doubtful, would it STILL sound off to my ears without the mighty ROBBIN CROSBY?
Give me your honest, insider opinion as to the sheer importance of Robbin Crosby and what he meant to RATT.....
A: Well, I "never say never," because I can't predict the future but there have been some very nasty things said and done to me by my former band mates in Ratt. It has destroyed the trust, bond and respect we once had among
each other.
Robbin was an important part of the Ratt chemistry. Despite his demons, he was one of the smarter ones in the band—he got it. He also tried to keep things in the band positive, for the most part. His guitar style and sound juxtaposed with Warren's gave the band a unique contrast. It helped to forge Ratt's signature sound.
Carlos Cavazo was playing in my band (The Dirty Rats) for about a year and a half before Warren called him to ask him to join Ratt. I know for a fact that (although Carlos is a formidable guitar player) Warren called him because he
was playing in my band. I took it personal (as intended) and it's just an example of some of the bad things that have
happened over the years that are pretty hard to ignore and just get over. But I consider Carlos a friend and I understand why he took the offer to join Ratt. He is a fine guitar player, I know that he can cover anything Robbin did (all due respect to Robbin) and he's also a good singer too.
Q: I got a chance to talk to Love/Hate's Jizzy who basically indicated that he thought Bobby's book was a total sham. He said that beyond the obvious proofreading errors there was a general slapdash approach to the whole thing. Have you read it, what do you think of these Rock Star bios and would you ever consider doing one to set the record straight?
A: I have not read Blotzer's "book." I've known Bob since he and I were in Middle School. We actually used to be really good friends before and during Ratt. I can only imagine what he said about me, but considering the source and our post-Ratt relationship, I'm not in a big hurry to read it.
I'm considering writing a book but it's a "dual edged sword" so, we'll see… It seems like a lot of people are writing books and putting out hot sauces these days.
Q: It has been said that you had turned down the offers to do these RATT reunions because you
preferred to keep an eye on family. Do you feel blessed that you weren't raising little ones during the 80s and do you feel like you got a chance to experience a different side of life these last couple decades while still being able to do things musically?
A: Okay, great example of one of the many attempts by them to transmogrify the truth, let me set the record
straight: I have had many offers to go back to Ratt (ironically, sometimes while they were deriding me in the press at
the same time) and the main reason I have not gone back to the band is because we had a very problematic situation in the first place, and nothing had (or has) changed, we don't get along, it's not fun and things that should be easy are hard. Not because of my children. I have two awesome kids that were born while I was in Ratt and that didn't deter me from being in Ratt. Some people like being in tumultuous relationships, I don't. I have been fortunate enough to be able to work in my recording studio, still play in bands and be a father that is present in my children's lives at the same time. It's not, "all about Juan."
Q: I watch the old Ratt the Video to get my classic RATT fix. I love the Japan footage it is AMAZING!! I know the last thing you probably feel like doing is watching that or your New Years Eve show in Japan but........do you ever think of Japan, the fans there, or going back? Mr. Big is absolutely huge over there and you would have to imagine a reunited RATT would be as well....
A: Japan was great! In 1986 Ratt was given an award for being the biggest international rock act in Japan. The fans in Japan were like no other. Ratt and the Japanese fans had a very special connection. I have nothing but love and respect for Ratt's Japanese fans. I'm sure that a reunited Ratt would do very well in Japan.
Q: From what I have heard that your new ALL-Star band that you are doing plays quite a bit of our
hometown boys Cheap Trick....Are you personally a fan of Tom and the band (extra points for saying yes)? I have to mention Cheap Trick as often as Eddie Trunk mentions UFO.
A: Yes! In fact, Jaime St. James andI both love Cheap Trick! I am a big fan of Tom Petersson. He's a very underrated bass player, in my opinion. He's very innovative and plays a critical role in the band. They
opened for Ratt on one of our early tours. It was great to tour together! They're great guys on and off stage.
Years before that, I even tried to get an audition with them after Tom left and before John Brandt got the gig. Ironically, I had replaced John in a band called Micki Free. But at the time, I was playing in a band with Bob James (ex-Montrose) along with Blotzer on drums and Ken Adamany (Cheap Trick's manager) was managing us. When I talked to Ken about a possible audition, (in the hallway at a showcase we were doing) the look he gave me was a, "you're fired" look! Obviously, I never got an audition, and the next time I saw Ken was years later, backstage at a Ratt concert where Cheap Trick was opening for us. But to me, Cheap Trick is an American national treasure.
Just a great band all the way around. The Hard Rock All-stars are proud of playing Cheap Trick songs!
Q: The shows you're playing sound like being onstage is fun again for you. Do you like seeing
peoples faces when you launch into a RATT classic that they might not have heard you sing in 20 years???
A: I only stopped playing live for about five years while I put all my time into my studio, making records for other bands. I started playing live again back in 1997 and have been playing live since then. I guess it's only because I play locally that a lot of people don't know that I never really stopped playing for that long. I love playing with The Dirty Rats, and The Hard Rock All-stars. Both bands are a blast to play in and yes, it's great to see people's reaction when playing songs like Round N Round!
Q: There are a few bands nowadays like the Donnas, Vains of Jenna and some of the other Swedish
groups that proudly fly the RATT flag and cite you guys as an influence. Is the band's legacy secure in your eyes despite all the damage that has been done to the name since you've moved on to other things? When all is said and done can you rest your head knowing you guys made your mark like few bands did?
A: I am very proud of what we did in Ratt! We were "the real thing," and no one can take that away from us. Loud, proud, dysfunctional and dangerous, like it or not, that was Ratt. I'm glad there are bands that understand what we were about and are influenced by that. Now that all is said and done, I can rest my head knowing that I did everything I could to keep the band alive and moving forward, with integrity, as long as possible. But other forces
eventually prevailed and brought about the end of the band in 1992, leaving the drummer and I as owners of the name. Beyond that, you can do your own research on the Internet…
Q: Thank you SO much for making this onetime teenage RATT fan turned writer very happy!
Is there anything else you wanna say to the faithful....any websites or Twitters to plug?
A: Yes! I'm getting ready to start a new solo record, a follow up to my Liquid Sunday solo record. I hope to have it out early next year. In the mean time, you can pick up a copy of the Liquid Sunday record at:
.
Check it out, if you like Ratt, I think you'll like the Liquid Sunday CD as well. I also post show dates on my website
too. Come on out to see us live, both bands (The Dirty Rats and Hard Rock All-stars) kick ass! Thank you, to all the
Ratt/Juan Croucier fans. I really appreciate your support! You guys are the best! Godspeed! www.juancroucier.com
Canadian heavy metal rocker Sebastian Bach -- of '80s band Skid Row fame -- is hardly a wallflower. He's more like a one-man three-ring circus.
The 43-year-old, Bahamas-born, Peterborough, Ont.-raised musician talked candidly in an interview about a number of topics: His divorce in December (which fuelled much of his latest solo album, Kicking & Screaming); Hurricane Irene, which in August destroyed his New Jersey home; his arrests in Peterborough and Toronto last year; and his relationship with his late father, artist David Bierk, who died from leukemia in 2002.
During the interview, Bach would periodically break into song. On this day his songlist included Jesus Christ Superstar (Bach played the big guy in a touring production) and Rough Trade's High School Confidential (he's a huge Carole Pope fan and follows her on Twitter).
It's kind of hard to explain the voluminous energy of the man born Sebastian Bierk, but it's intense -- and entertaining.
"I don't live crazy like I used to," insisted Bach, who nonetheless confessed to having knocked back a lot of red wine the night before.
After having spent a decade in musical theatre, reality TV guest spots, acting roles on TV (Gilmore Girls and Trailer Park Boys) and even dabbling in country music, Bach has returned to his roots for his first new album since 2007: "It's about kicking ass and screaming rock 'n' roll." The new album features a killer guitar player in the form of 21-year-old Nick Sterling from Mesa, Ariz., whom Bach learned about in Guitar World magazine.
"I said to myself, 'Can I be in a band with a guy who's two years younger than my son?' I said, 'What? I'm going to eliminate him just 'cause I could only play with old dudes?' "
In all seriousness, he says his split from his wife Maria Bierk at the end of last year was painful. Together they have two sons (Paris, 23, who attends Rutgers College, and London, 17, who's into rap) and a daughter (Sebastiana, 4).
Bach says he'd been going with Maria since he was 16, so the split "was really hard. A lot of the lyrics have to do with losing your love."
But there also are a lot of lyrics on the new album that reference Bach's new love, model Minnie Gupta, who is on the cover of the new CD, posing as the eight-armed Hindu goddess Kali Ma. She is shown attempting to drag Bach into the fires of hell.
"I've always liked the Indian artwork of slitting the throats and the blood splurting out," Bach says matter-of-factly. "And (Kali Ma) is the most loving of all goddesses, but with the most terrifying visage. I think any girl would want to grab her man and drag him into hell and slash him with knives."
If you say so, Sebastian.
"It's weird -- like, my life has always imitated art, and my art has always imitated life. Like, I lost my home. My house is condemned, the foundation of the home caved in. (Some lyrics on Kicking & Screaming are), like, prophetic. There's a song, As Long as I Got the Music, which says, 'Broken, stranded, I don't care, as long I got the music, you can't bother me.' And that's all I got right now."
Bach was playing a show with Godsmack in Colorado when he found out his home had been wrecked by Irene. He has since secured temporary residence in Atlantic Islands, N.J., but says he intends to move to L.A.
"My next place is going to be lost by a fire or mudslide," he said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll just go up to North Bay (Ont.), build myself an igloo, call it a day. It's been a good run!"
Returning to Peterborough, it seems, is not in the cards.
"Since (my dad) died in 2002, it's kind of eerie. Most of my family live in Toronto now. It's haunting 'cause (Peterborough is) a little town, so every street, every house, I just remember everything."
Bach wisecracks that he only gets back to Toronto "when I go to jail" -- which happened last November rather unexpectedly. It started when Bach was arrested in Peterborough -- about 140 kilometres northeast of Toronto -- following an altercation with Riley's Olde Towne Pub owner Jim Kakouros. He was charged with assault, mischief and for possession of marijuana. A case will be heard in Peterborough court on Tuesday, when it is expected to be remanded again.
"I went to Peterborough to deal with my dad's estate, and pack up his art and put it in a truck and drive it to New Jersey -- and it was pure misery," he said. "So that was a rough day. One of my friends wanted to sing a song to me, a song at the microphone, and (Kakouros) wouldn't let her. I ended up tackled up from behind so the only thing I could do, of course, was bite the dude. I had to go and take a rabies test to make sure I didn't have communicable diseases. I'm happy to say I am rabies free. I'm not rabid."
Upon his arrest for that incident, police discovered an outstanding warrant against him on a 2004 charge of mischief in Toronto, for trashing a strip club when it refused to take down a photo of his naked ex, taken when she was a stripper in 1988. That matter was quickly settled; charges were dropped and he paid a $250 fine.
Bach finds the humour even in that experience.
"I'll tell you where The Trailer Park Boys is really big -- in jail. At (Toronto's) Don Jail I was in a van handcuffed to all the other people with my hair back. I didn't want anybody else to notice me or anything, and they were talking and I said something, and everybody turns and goes, 'You're the guy on The Trailer Park Boys!' The whole jail went nuts."
Not surprisingly, given the number of stories he has, Bach said he's hoping to write his memoirs sooner than later, with Larry Sloman, the same man who helped pen Scar Tissue, the autobiography of Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis.
"Scar Tissue had a lot to do with Anthony Kiedis' relationship with his dad, and I had a very 'strong' relationship with my dad," Bach said. "(My dad) was a famous painter in Canada, he owned Art Space in Peterborough in the '70s and we came from California, and we were like freaks in Peterborough. The Peterborough Examiner -- all the articles about when my dad first got there, it was like, 'The hippies are coming to town!' I swear."
Bach: 'Axl one of a kind'
Sebastian Bach has a handful of U.S. headlining dates booked before the holidays but with his sometime performing partner Axl Rose going out with Guns 'N Roses again, maybe he'll end up on stage with him too.
"I would play with Guns 'N Roses anytime," Bach told QMI Agency. "And Axl is one of a kind. I was too young to ever see The Doors but when I see old footage of Jim Morrison on stage, Axl has that kind of danger thing going on when he steps up to the mic. He's pretty fascinating."
The two met back in 1989 when Skid Row was opening for Aerosmith at the L.A. Forum. "Axl came down to do the song Train Kept A Rollin' with Steven Tyler and he didn't know the words, and he came to my dressing room and he goes, 'Do you know the words to this?' and I go, 'Yes, I do!' So I sat down there with him. That was a crazy night."
Turns out he also met David Lee Roth, the former Van Halen lead singer.
Adam Warren, vocalist for Chicago deathcore heavyweights OCEANO,will make a guest appearance on the new album from SOULFLY, due in early 2012 via Roadrunner Records. Also scheduled to appear on SOULFLY's follow-up to 2010's "Omen" is DEVILDRIVER/COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara.
SOULFLY's new CD was recorded at a Phoenix, Arizona studio with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with CHIMAIRA, HATEBREED, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE ACACIA STRAIN, BORN OF OSIRIS and SHADOWS FALL, among others. The band's new drummer, David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), described the group's new material on his Facebook page as "crushing, fast thrash, blasting, tribal and fueled by extreme burrito fury. . . The record is sounding fucking SICK. Thrashy as fuck... totally 'Arise' [referring to SEPULTURA's classic 1991 album] on crack and speed."
A new interview with SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY frontman Max Cavalera conducted at the October 8 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida stop of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's North American headlining tour will air on the October 20 edition of WYKKED WYTCH vocalist Ipek's "Wytching Hour" show on Metal Messiah Radio. Clips from the chat can now be seen below.
Kinkade joined SOULFLY a few weeks ago following the departure of the group's longtime skinsman Joe Nunez.
Max Cavalera's son Zyon sat behind the drum kit for the band's July 31 performance at the Lokerse festival in Lokeren, Belgium. The concert also marked the debut appearance with SOULFLY of the band's new bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, PRONG, ASESINO, MINISTRY, POSSESSED), who replaced Bobby Burns this past spring.
"Omen" sold 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart.
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY has just kicked off a North American headlining tour with support from OTEP and EARTH CRISIS.
"Blunt Force Trauma", the sophomore album from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 122 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's debut CD, "Inflikted", opened with 9,000 units to enter the chart at No. 72.
SOULFLY's new CD was recorded at a Phoenix, Arizona studio with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with CHIMAIRA, HATEBREED, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE ACACIA STRAIN, BORN OF OSIRIS and SHADOWS FALL, among others. The band's new drummer, David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), described the group's new material on his Facebook page as "crushing, fast thrash, blasting, tribal and fueled by extreme burrito fury. . . The record is sounding fucking SICK. Thrashy as fuck... totally 'Arise' [referring to SEPULTURA's classic 1991 album] on crack and speed."
A new interview with SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY frontman Max Cavalera conducted at the October 8 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida stop of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's North American headlining tour will air on the October 20 edition of WYKKED WYTCH vocalist Ipek's "Wytching Hour" show on Metal Messiah Radio. Clips from the chat can now be seen below.
Kinkade joined SOULFLY a few weeks ago following the departure of the group's longtime skinsman Joe Nunez.
Max Cavalera's son Zyon sat behind the drum kit for the band's July 31 performance at the Lokerse festival in Lokeren, Belgium. The concert also marked the debut appearance with SOULFLY of the band's new bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, PRONG, ASESINO, MINISTRY, POSSESSED), who replaced Bobby Burns this past spring.
"Omen" sold 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart.
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY has just kicked off a North American headlining tour with support from OTEP and EARTH CRISIS.
"Blunt Force Trauma", the sophomore album from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 122 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's debut CD, "Inflikted", opened with 9,000 units to enter the chart at No. 72.
Guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn of San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD has posted the following message on the band's official web site:
"[20 years ago today] at 'Day On The Green' #19, featuring METALLICA, QUEENSRŸCHE, FAITH NO MORE, SOUNDGARDEN, I started MACHINE HEAD.
"Well, sort of... it was more of a figurative thought as I didn't have a band yet, but after watching / being blown away by METALLICA for the umpteenth time, I decided that I was going to start a side project, as I was unhappy in my then-band VIO-LENCE. Later that night backstage (or maybe while METALLICA was still playing and we were watching from the stage-right backstage bleachers?) I turned to my friend, partner-in-crime and long time VIO-LENCE fan Adam Duce, and said I was going to start a then-unnamed side project and asked if he would like to play bass. He eagerly agreed.
"I had two songs written by then, the heavily GODFLESH-inspired 'Death Church' and 'Blood For Blood', both songs that I had already brought to VIO-LENCE, but they were not interested in jamming either of them. VIO-LENCE had gone through numerous label changes, were unsigned again, thrash was dead, and the vibe in the band at the time was that the new tunes were going to take a more heavy rock/grunge approach, which seemed a bit crazy to me. Though I wasn't thrilled with our new direction, I said I would stay on, and though no one seemed happy about me doing it, starting a side project seemed fairly reasonable considering our circumstances.
"Four months later following a (thoroughly documented) AM/PM gas station brawl after an UNJUST/DEFTONES show (with DEFTONES opening) at the Omni in Oakland, I quit VIO-LENCE and focused on MACHINE HEAD full-time. But that was still four months away, and for now, it was just a thought, an idea, a dream, that metal could be taken to a different, heavier place.
"Did I think that 20 years later MACHINE HEAD would be a Top 25, Top 10 or Top 5 charting band throughout the world? Hell no.
"Did I think MACHINE HEAD would even be going 20 years later? God no!
"Did I think that we could become one of the best American metal bands on the planet? Yes.
"20 years ago on this very day (October 12, 1991), MACHINE HEAD was born.
"Happy birthday, MACHINE HEAD."
MACHINE HEAD's new album, "Unto The Locust", sold more
than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's 17-year history. Even more impressively, this is the third consecutive album to show at least a 20 percent increase in sales over its
predecessor, a virtually unprecedented feat for any band or artist, let alone a metal band in 2011. Add to that the fact that MACHINE HEAD's last CD came out four and a half years ago, a period of time that has seen the music market drop by more than 45 percent, and you're looking at something amazing.
"[20 years ago today] at 'Day On The Green' #19, featuring METALLICA, QUEENSRŸCHE, FAITH NO MORE, SOUNDGARDEN, I started MACHINE HEAD.
"Well, sort of... it was more of a figurative thought as I didn't have a band yet, but after watching / being blown away by METALLICA for the umpteenth time, I decided that I was going to start a side project, as I was unhappy in my then-band VIO-LENCE. Later that night backstage (or maybe while METALLICA was still playing and we were watching from the stage-right backstage bleachers?) I turned to my friend, partner-in-crime and long time VIO-LENCE fan Adam Duce, and said I was going to start a then-unnamed side project and asked if he would like to play bass. He eagerly agreed.
"I had two songs written by then, the heavily GODFLESH-inspired 'Death Church' and 'Blood For Blood', both songs that I had already brought to VIO-LENCE, but they were not interested in jamming either of them. VIO-LENCE had gone through numerous label changes, were unsigned again, thrash was dead, and the vibe in the band at the time was that the new tunes were going to take a more heavy rock/grunge approach, which seemed a bit crazy to me. Though I wasn't thrilled with our new direction, I said I would stay on, and though no one seemed happy about me doing it, starting a side project seemed fairly reasonable considering our circumstances.
"Four months later following a (thoroughly documented) AM/PM gas station brawl after an UNJUST/DEFTONES show (with DEFTONES opening) at the Omni in Oakland, I quit VIO-LENCE and focused on MACHINE HEAD full-time. But that was still four months away, and for now, it was just a thought, an idea, a dream, that metal could be taken to a different, heavier place.
"Did I think that 20 years later MACHINE HEAD would be a Top 25, Top 10 or Top 5 charting band throughout the world? Hell no.
"Did I think MACHINE HEAD would even be going 20 years later? God no!
"Did I think that we could become one of the best American metal bands on the planet? Yes.
"20 years ago on this very day (October 12, 1991), MACHINE HEAD was born.
"Happy birthday, MACHINE HEAD."
MACHINE HEAD's new album, "Unto The Locust", sold more
than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's 17-year history. Even more impressively, this is the third consecutive album to show at least a 20 percent increase in sales over its
predecessor, a virtually unprecedented feat for any band or artist, let alone a metal band in 2011. Add to that the fact that MACHINE HEAD's last CD came out four and a half years ago, a period of time that has seen the music market drop by more than 45 percent, and you're looking at something amazing.
German metallers IRON SAVIOR, who feature in their ranks guitarist/vocalist/producer Piet Sielck (URIAH HEEP, BLIND GUARDIAN, SAXON), will release their new album, "The Landing", on November 18 via AFM Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Descending
02. The Savior
03. Starlight
04. March Of Doom
05. Heavy Metal Never Dies
06. Moment In Time
07. Hall Of The Heroes
08. R. U. Ready
09. Faster Than All
10. Before The Pain
11. No Guts No Glory
The song "Heavy Metal Never Dies" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.
IRON SAVIOR's latest album, entitled "Megatropolis", was released in June 2007 via Dockyard 1.
The group performed at the ProgPower USA IX festival in September 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Descending
02. The Savior
03. Starlight
04. March Of Doom
05. Heavy Metal Never Dies
06. Moment In Time
07. Hall Of The Heroes
08. R. U. Ready
09. Faster Than All
10. Before The Pain
11. No Guts No Glory
The song "Heavy Metal Never Dies" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.
IRON SAVIOR's latest album, entitled "Megatropolis", was released in June 2007 via Dockyard 1.
The group performed at the ProgPower USA IX festival in September 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
British progressive metallers THRESHOLD have entered Thin Ice Studios (DRAGONFORCE, PENDRAGON) in Surrey, England to begin recording their ninth album. "We've got about 75 minutes of music at the moment so there's plenty to do," said keyboard player Richard West, who is producing the CD alongside guitarist Karl Groom. "I'm very pleased with the way this album is coming together," added Groom. "It is particularly good to see contributions in writing from more bandmembers."
THRESHOLD's new album marks the return of the band's original vocalist Damian Wilson (HEADSPACE, STAR ONE) who rejoined the group in 2007 following the departure of Andrew "Mac" McDermott, who sadly passed away in August.
THRESHOLD's previous studio album, "Dead Reckoning", was released in 2007 and featured guest vocals by Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH). The CD entered the charts at position 64 in Germany, 95 in The Netherlands and 37 in the U.K. (rock chart).
THRESHOLD's new CD will be released in early 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.
THRESHOLD is:
Damian Wilson - Vocals
Karl Groom - Guitar
Richard West - Keyboards
Johanne James - Drums
Steve Anderson - Bass
Pete Morten – Guitar
THRESHOLD's new album marks the return of the band's original vocalist Damian Wilson (HEADSPACE, STAR ONE) who rejoined the group in 2007 following the departure of Andrew "Mac" McDermott, who sadly passed away in August.
THRESHOLD's previous studio album, "Dead Reckoning", was released in 2007 and featured guest vocals by Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, BLOODBATH). The CD entered the charts at position 64 in Germany, 95 in The Netherlands and 37 in the U.K. (rock chart).
THRESHOLD's new CD will be released in early 2012 through Nuclear Blast Records.
THRESHOLD is:
Damian Wilson - Vocals
Karl Groom - Guitar
Richard West - Keyboards
Johanne James - Drums
Steve Anderson - Bass
Pete Morten – Guitar
Legendary New Orleans metallers EXHORDER have scheduled the following dates:
Oct. 29 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
Oct. 30 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's (w/ ROSE FUNERAL)
EXHORDER's current touring lineup includes bassist Jason VieBrooks (ex-GRIP INC.), who is also a member of the veteran San Francisco Bay Area metal act HEATHEN.
EXHORDER tapped Jorge Caicedo (THE VOID, BUILT TO DESTROY) to play bass for the band's recent shows with RIGOR MORTIS.
The group's previous bassist, Frankie Sparcello, passed away on March 22.
EXHORDER played the first concert with drummer Seth Davis on December 10, 2010 at The Hangar in the band's hometown.
EXHORDER vocalist Kyle Thomas recently said in a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "Even though we have already gotten into the writing process of our new album after working in new drummer Seth Davis, the time to focus on diving in to these songs could not be more imminent. We are aware that this recording is way overdue, but the inspiration could not be more tangible than it is now to deliver this to our fan base."
Oct. 29 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
Oct. 30 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's (w/ ROSE FUNERAL)
EXHORDER's current touring lineup includes bassist Jason VieBrooks (ex-GRIP INC.), who is also a member of the veteran San Francisco Bay Area metal act HEATHEN.
EXHORDER tapped Jorge Caicedo (THE VOID, BUILT TO DESTROY) to play bass for the band's recent shows with RIGOR MORTIS.
The group's previous bassist, Frankie Sparcello, passed away on March 22.
EXHORDER played the first concert with drummer Seth Davis on December 10, 2010 at The Hangar in the band's hometown.
EXHORDER vocalist Kyle Thomas recently said in a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "Even though we have already gotten into the writing process of our new album after working in new drummer Seth Davis, the time to focus on diving in to these songs could not be more imminent. We are aware that this recording is way overdue, but the inspiration could not be more tangible than it is now to deliver this to our fan base."
Mark Osegueda and Death Angel have gone from teenage prodigies to thrash metal veterans. Death Angel consisted of five Filipino-Americans who were cousins. They were an anomaly as they were the youngest thrash metal band in the Bay Area. Metallica's Kirk Hammett produced Death Angel's demo tape. The band shopped the demo and it led to their deal with Enigma Records. They released their debut album, The Ultra-Violence, in 1987. Death Angel has had their share of ups and downs but has come out the other side stronger that ever. Death Angel made a stop in Portland on October 7th at the Hawthorne Theatre. Oregon Music News caught up with vocalist Mark Osegueda for a pre-show chat. In our conversation with Osegueda he spoke about the 1990 break-up, the reunion and their second appearance in Portland in 2011, and their new album, Relentless Retribution.
I dropped the ball on getting an advance interview with you to preview the show.
This will be a retrospect.
Funny you should mention that. I go back to the Frolic through the Park album. I was hooked when I saw the "Bored" video on MTV and come to find out you guys covered KISS' "Cold Gin." One of the producers on Frolic through the Park was Davy Vain. Is that the same Davy Vain from the glam band Vain?
It is absolutely the same guy. We were very good friends at the time and we had the same management. Kat Sudovsky, who managed Death Angel at the time. Davy had done a lot of the production on his demos with his band. Davy had a good ear for melody and we were on an extremely limited budget. We got him and it worked out. We got Michael Rosen to engineer it; he later went on to become a great producer himself. To this day I still run into Davy Vain when I'm in town.
How was it for you guys to have this video on MTV when you were still kids? "Bored" was on the same music channel with videos from Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus.
It was extremely exciting for us. I remember we were waiting to hear from MTV when the "Bored" video was going to air and our management called and said, "They're playing it tonight!" I remember it vividly like it was yesterday. We shot a video for the debut album, The Ultra-Violence, for the song "Veracious Souls" that was supposed to air on MTV but never made it due to a lyric. It aired on Much Music in Canada and got airplay in Europe. So when "Bored" got played it was really, really exciting for us.
Then from there you created enough of a buzz that Geffen Records came sniffing around. They signed you and in 1990 you released Act III. You used Max Norman, who was establishing a name for himself in hard rock and metal, to produce the record.
That was a slick-sounding record, wasn't it? (laughs)
How much say did you had in the direction of Act III?
Geffen pumped a lot of money into that project. It was our first major-label record; we had a lot of say in it but so did Geffen. Originally we wrote about ten songs for the album we said, "we're ready to record." They wanted to listen to what we had and they said, "No, no, no. You need to do some more writing." We went back and wrote another five songs and brought them back to them and they kept pushing us. We did get frustrated with Geffen, but in the end we must have written something like 30 songs during those sessions. I think by Geffen pushing us like that we came up with an incredible album that we're very proud of to this day. It was due to the budget that they gave us that we were able to move up from a Davy Vain to a Max Norman. We grew up listening to Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, so to get a guy like Max was incredible. Working with Max was phenomenal. He has a great ear and as you know, is an amazing producer. Max was able to bring out the best in all of us. Working with Max was the first time we were pushed in the studio.
The year after, in 1991, Death Angel broke up. What lead up to this?
We started off so very young . We garnered a lot of attention which lead to us being signed to Enigma Records and then Geffen Records. We didn't have a lot of experience; we found our attorney in the yellow pages. We looked in the yellow pages and saw a guy that was an entertainment attorney and we said, "That's our guys!" (laughs)
We didn't know any better at that point. In short, we signed a bunch of bunk deals. It's not a bunk deal if you're the label. We signed a lot of bad deals and that haunted us for the first part of our career. When it came time to generating decent money, we weren't seeing any of it. All that money was going to litigation; that ate at the band from the inside out. It was hard, we were packing venues while on tour, generating good money, but when we'd come home from the road we were living with our parents. Nothing added up. It ate at the core of the band. At the height of our rise we had a bus accident. For me, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I went up to the guys in the band and I said, "I'm out." The guys decided that they wanted to continue without me and they formed The Organization. It was a departure from Death Angel but they did that for a while.
Death Angel reunited for Thrash of the Titans, which was a benefit for Chuck Billy of Testament who was battling cancer. Prior to your appearance at that benefit had you guys talked about getting the band back together?
It had been brought up a few times before, but I blatantly turned it down. It was brought up by the guys several times but I turned it down. I had closed the book on Death Angel. It might be selfish, but when I closed the book on metal, it died. I have since learned the opposite: Metal has gotten massive since we broke up. I'm more proud now than ever that I play in a metal band. I think sometimes you have to get the hell away from something to appreciate it and know just how much it means to you.
How was it getting back on stage with the Death Angel guys after a few years?
I had been on stage many times prior to that with Rob (Cavestany) and Andy (Galeon) in a band called Swarm. I love being on stage. The difference between being onstage as Death Angel and anything else is like night and day. It's like comparing a rocket ship to a Yugo! (laughs)
The reunion lead to The Art of Dying, which was a terrific effort after being away for a while. That album certainly removed any doubt that you were back.
(laughs) That was the plan, but I'd be lying to you if I said it was an easy album to write. People hold this band and the name very close to them; we put out those three albums and then we were gone. No one held the name Death Angel closer to them than us. There was some pressure in writing that Death Angel record. We have five different interpretations of what a Death Angel album in 2004 should sound like. We weren't always necessarily on the same page but in the end we put out a great record.
Sounds like you experienced a lot of growth as a band.
Oh, like you wouldn't believe. We have all grown as musicians, people, and though we went our separate ways, it was an interesting mix, but it was good. I think the fact that we had mutual respect for one another helped in working things out from the past.
The follow-up was 2008's Killing Season. That was an album that had people a little worried due to the selection of Nick Raskulinecz, who is known for producing stuff that is more in the rock arena like Rush or Velvet Revolver.
Right, he also worked with The Foo Fighters too. Picking him to work on Killing Season was a conscious decision as well. I should say he was the one that wanted to work with us; typically we wouldn't have the budget to work with him. He made it happen so we could. It was something that we were looking for which was another big, polished-sounding record. He's a great guy, he has a great ear. His albums have a very polished sound. I might say that Killing Season could use a bit more fangs to it than it has.
You're on a streak with the latest album, 2010's Relentless Retribution. You've dialed things up a couple of notches. You're on roll.
Knock on wood. (knocks on tour bus counter)
I hope that's wood.
It is! (laughs) I'll be honest, with Relentless Retribution we have started a new roll. Let me put it to you this way: The two albums before it was us getting our feet wet. The stuff from Relentless Retribution and beyond will be us blasting the fucking door apart and us letting everybody know we mean business.
You brought Jason Suecof on board to produce Relentless Retribution.
Speaking of rolling! (laughs)
This guy is another big-name producer who has gone from working with The Black Dahlia Murder to just about everyone. He's a musician himself and has showed off his skills in Charred Walls of the Damned with Richard Chisty and Tim "Ripper" Owens. He played on the track "Truce." What was it like working with him?
It was a great experience and yet another incredible experience. The guy is an absolute freak! (laughs) He's a great person and this was a incredible record that we made with him. This album needed to happen and I don't think it could have happened without him. The songs were there, he was responsible for the sound. I can say that he added to the bite of the songs. He helped us change a few things around. Everything came together for a reason and he's someone that I definitely like working with and would work with again.
"Pighammer", the debut solo album from STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static, sold 4,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 97 on The Billboard 200 chart.
STATIC-X's last CD, "Cult Of Static", opened with 19,000 units back in March 2009 to land at No. 16.
The band's's previous album, "Cannibal", registered a first-week tally of more than 30,000 copies back in April 2007 to enter the chart at No. 36. This represented a slight drop from the 35,000 copies sold by the band's "Start a War" LP, which came out in June 2005 and debuted at No. 29.
Static recently spoke to Revolver magazine about "Pighammer", which was released on October 4 via Dirthouse Records.
"I've wanted to do a solo album since 2000 when I was writing songs for the 'Machine' record," Wayne said. "Even in those early years of STATIC-X, there was a pattern emerging where I would spend all my free time writing songs for STATIC-X and the other guys in the band spent their free time working on their other projects. I was a bit jealous that they had time to do more than one thing, but, being the band's main songwriter, I knew that if I were to do a solo album, I would have to put STATIC-X on hold, and it wasn't until recently that I've been willing to do that. After the 2009 'Cult Of Static' touring cycle ended, I felt that, as a band, STATIC-X had accomplished everything we set out to accomplish, and now I could finally take the time to do my own thing and make a record that is completely my vision without compromising for anyone or anything."
When asked what he wanted to do differently with his solo project than what he has done with STATIC-X, Wayne said, "Mainly, I didn't want to compromise. Don't get me wrong: I love the great times I had with STATIC-X, but sometimes the writing/recording process was frustrating for me. I would spend months by myself writing and recording demos, then hand them over to the band, then we would rehearse for weeks during which time everyone changed parts and added their own ideas. By the end of the process, I always felt some of my original vision and passion was lost. This time I wrote and recorded everything on my own, playing all the instruments myself, and did not compromise with anyone."
According to a press release, "Pighammer" "has a disarming raw quality of heavy driving guitar riffs and lyrics that will take hold of your bowels and into the mind of Static's dark past and warped mind. This is blatant, as the first single, 'Assassins Of Youth', was inspired by Wayne Static's last days of drugs and partying.
"The 'Pighammer' concept conjures up bizarre images," Static explains. "It's about a mad plastic surgeon, with a pig fetish, that likes to convert hot chicks into pigs. It is the total opposite if what a plastic surgeon would do. He has this crazy hammer device made from a pig foot. The images of the surgery in the CD package are only a dark comedic visualization of the real theme of the album, which is my transformation."
"Pighammer" track listing:
01. Pighammer
02. Around The Turn
03. Assassins Of Youth
04. Thunder Invader
05. Static Killer
06. She
07. Get It Together
08. Chrome Nation
09. Shifter
10. Slave
11. The Creatures Are Everywhere
12. Behind The Sky
STATIC-X's last CD, "Cult Of Static", opened with 19,000 units back in March 2009 to land at No. 16.
The band's's previous album, "Cannibal", registered a first-week tally of more than 30,000 copies back in April 2007 to enter the chart at No. 36. This represented a slight drop from the 35,000 copies sold by the band's "Start a War" LP, which came out in June 2005 and debuted at No. 29.
Static recently spoke to Revolver magazine about "Pighammer", which was released on October 4 via Dirthouse Records.
"I've wanted to do a solo album since 2000 when I was writing songs for the 'Machine' record," Wayne said. "Even in those early years of STATIC-X, there was a pattern emerging where I would spend all my free time writing songs for STATIC-X and the other guys in the band spent their free time working on their other projects. I was a bit jealous that they had time to do more than one thing, but, being the band's main songwriter, I knew that if I were to do a solo album, I would have to put STATIC-X on hold, and it wasn't until recently that I've been willing to do that. After the 2009 'Cult Of Static' touring cycle ended, I felt that, as a band, STATIC-X had accomplished everything we set out to accomplish, and now I could finally take the time to do my own thing and make a record that is completely my vision without compromising for anyone or anything."
When asked what he wanted to do differently with his solo project than what he has done with STATIC-X, Wayne said, "Mainly, I didn't want to compromise. Don't get me wrong: I love the great times I had with STATIC-X, but sometimes the writing/recording process was frustrating for me. I would spend months by myself writing and recording demos, then hand them over to the band, then we would rehearse for weeks during which time everyone changed parts and added their own ideas. By the end of the process, I always felt some of my original vision and passion was lost. This time I wrote and recorded everything on my own, playing all the instruments myself, and did not compromise with anyone."
According to a press release, "Pighammer" "has a disarming raw quality of heavy driving guitar riffs and lyrics that will take hold of your bowels and into the mind of Static's dark past and warped mind. This is blatant, as the first single, 'Assassins Of Youth', was inspired by Wayne Static's last days of drugs and partying.
"The 'Pighammer' concept conjures up bizarre images," Static explains. "It's about a mad plastic surgeon, with a pig fetish, that likes to convert hot chicks into pigs. It is the total opposite if what a plastic surgeon would do. He has this crazy hammer device made from a pig foot. The images of the surgery in the CD package are only a dark comedic visualization of the real theme of the album, which is my transformation."
"Pighammer" track listing:
01. Pighammer
02. Around The Turn
03. Assassins Of Youth
04. Thunder Invader
05. Static Killer
06. She
07. Get It Together
08. Chrome Nation
09. Shifter
10. Slave
11. The Creatures Are Everywhere
12. Behind The Sky
REVERENCE, the new power metal band featuring vocalist Todd Michael Hall (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, HARLET), guitarist Bryan Holland (TOKYO BLADE, ARREST), drummer Steve "Dr. Killdrums" Wacholz (SAVATAGE, CRIMSON GLORY), bassist Frank Saparti (TOKYO BLADE, OVERLOADED, MINDCANDY), and lead guitarist Pete Rossi, will enter Metro 37 studio in Detroit in mid-November to finish recording its debut full-length album for an early 2012 release via Razar Ice Records (with distribution throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia). The CD will be mixed and mastered at Sight 16 studios in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Sid Garcia at the helm. Working songtitles set to appear on the album include "Too Late", "Vengeance Is Mine", "Gatekeeper", "Revolution Rising", "Monster", "Lost Generation" and "Phantom Road".
REVERENCE is:
Todd Michael Hall - Vocals
Bryan Holland - Guitar
Frank Saparti - Bass
Pete Rossi - Guitar
Steve Wacholz – Drums
REVERENCE is:
Todd Michael Hall - Vocals
Bryan Holland - Guitar
Frank Saparti - Bass
Pete Rossi - Guitar
Steve Wacholz – Drums
Athens, Georgia-based melodic metallers THEOCRACY will release their new album, "As The World Bleeds", on November 25 in Europe via Ulterium Records and on November 21 in North America through Nightmare Records. The effort will also be released as a double gatefold vinyl edition, strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide.
"As The World Bleeds" track listing;
01. I Am
02. The Master Storyteller
03. Nailed
04. Hide in the Fairytale
05. The Gift of Music
06. 30 Pieces of Silver
07. Drown
08. Altar to the Unknown God
09. Light of the World
10. As the World Bleeds
Check out an album teaser below.
THEOCRACY is heading to Europe for an eight-date headlining tour starting October 21 that will take the band through Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
"As The World Bleeds" track listing;
01. I Am
02. The Master Storyteller
03. Nailed
04. Hide in the Fairytale
05. The Gift of Music
06. 30 Pieces of Silver
07. Drown
08. Altar to the Unknown God
09. Light of the World
10. As the World Bleeds
Check out an album teaser below.
THEOCRACY is heading to Europe for an eight-date headlining tour starting October 21 that will take the band through Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
Miami purveyors of hard rock TORCHE have inked a deal with Volcom Entertainment. The band's as-yet-untitled new album is currently being recorded at Miami's Pinecrust studio for a spring/summer 2012 release. The CD will be mixed by Kurt Ballou of CONVERGE.
Next month, TORCHE will release a limited-edition split 12-inch single with PART CHIMP that will be available at the group's recently-announced tour stops and online via Chunklet. The TORCHE side of the split features three GUIDED BY VOICES covers. The cover features artwork by the world-renowned sci-fi illustrator Trevor Claxton.
TORCHE's collection of singles, aptly titled "Songs For Singles", was released in September 2010 via Hydra Head.
Next month, TORCHE will release a limited-edition split 12-inch single with PART CHIMP that will be available at the group's recently-announced tour stops and online via Chunklet. The TORCHE side of the split features three GUIDED BY VOICES covers. The cover features artwork by the world-renowned sci-fi illustrator Trevor Claxton.
TORCHE's collection of singles, aptly titled "Songs For Singles", was released in September 2010 via Hydra Head.
Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA performed last night (Tuesday, October 11) at Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland without frontman Mark Hunter, who came down with a severe stomach flu. Taking over on lead vocals was the band's samplist/programmer Sean Zatorsky, who also sings for DÅÅTH.
Commented Hunter: "I would like to extend thanks to the fans in Baltimore for understanding my absence from last night's gig. I wound up with a severe stomach flu and was throwing up every few minutes. Then I went to the hospital. They gave me fluids and meds."
Commented Hunter: "I would like to extend thanks to the fans in Baltimore for understanding my absence from last night's gig. I wound up with a severe stomach flu and was throwing up every few minutes. Then I went to the hospital. They gave me fluids and meds."
Over 20 years after the release of their self-titled debut album, ABOMINATION — the acclaimed 1990s death/thrash metal band formed by MASTER mainman Paul Speckmann — will have its early material re-released on November 4 via Nuclear Blast. The two-CD set includes the albums "Abomination" (1990) and "Tragedy Strikes" (1991) as well as rare demos and EP.
The track listing is as follows:
CD1:
Abomination:
01. The Choice
02. Murder, Rape, Pillage and Burn
03. Reformation
04. Redeem Deny
05. Possession
06. Suicidal Dreams
07. Life And Death
08. Victim Of The Future
09. Tunnel Of Damnation
10. Follower (Bonus CD)
11. Impending Doom
Demo (1988):
12. Over The Edge
13. Reformation
14. Impending Doom
15. Curses Of The Deadly Sin
16. Tunnel Of Damnation
17. Follower
CD2:
Tragedy Strikes:
01. Blood For Oil
02. They're Dead
03. Pull The Plug
04. Will They Bleed
05. Industrial Sickness
06. Soldier
07. Kill Or Be Killed
08. Oppression
Final War (EP):
09. Face In The Crowd
10. You Could Be Next
11. Take A Sip Of Power
12. Man Created God
13. Mistaken Reality
Demo (1987):
14. Victim Of The Future
15. Social Outcast
16. Raping The Grave
17. Possession
18. Doomed By The Living
19. The Truth
Check out a commercial below.
When asked about ABOMINATION's split and the possibility of a reunion, Speckmann stated in a 2009 interview, "Management played a big part in the fall of ABOMINATION and [the band's record label] Nuclear Blast made many mistakes as well. As for a reunion, this will never happen as guitarist Dean Chioles died of multiple sclerosis many years ago and this was a sad loss for all."
Regarding what significance ABOMINATION has had for him personally and musically, Speckmann said, "ABOMINATION was a group that experimented with many genres of music and wasn't afraid to try new ideas out and this was a chance to try out many of my crazy changes and the band would successfully implement them in their songs. I had the pleasure of bringing my ABOMINATION vision to Europe one time only for 26 performances and I will never forget this."
The track listing is as follows:
CD1:
Abomination:
01. The Choice
02. Murder, Rape, Pillage and Burn
03. Reformation
04. Redeem Deny
05. Possession
06. Suicidal Dreams
07. Life And Death
08. Victim Of The Future
09. Tunnel Of Damnation
10. Follower (Bonus CD)
11. Impending Doom
Demo (1988):
12. Over The Edge
13. Reformation
14. Impending Doom
15. Curses Of The Deadly Sin
16. Tunnel Of Damnation
17. Follower
CD2:
Tragedy Strikes:
01. Blood For Oil
02. They're Dead
03. Pull The Plug
04. Will They Bleed
05. Industrial Sickness
06. Soldier
07. Kill Or Be Killed
08. Oppression
Final War (EP):
09. Face In The Crowd
10. You Could Be Next
11. Take A Sip Of Power
12. Man Created God
13. Mistaken Reality
Demo (1987):
14. Victim Of The Future
15. Social Outcast
16. Raping The Grave
17. Possession
18. Doomed By The Living
19. The Truth
Check out a commercial below.
When asked about ABOMINATION's split and the possibility of a reunion, Speckmann stated in a 2009 interview, "Management played a big part in the fall of ABOMINATION and [the band's record label] Nuclear Blast made many mistakes as well. As for a reunion, this will never happen as guitarist Dean Chioles died of multiple sclerosis many years ago and this was a sad loss for all."
Regarding what significance ABOMINATION has had for him personally and musically, Speckmann said, "ABOMINATION was a group that experimented with many genres of music and wasn't afraid to try new ideas out and this was a chance to try out many of my crazy changes and the band would successfully implement them in their songs. I had the pleasure of bringing my ABOMINATION vision to Europe one time only for 26 performances and I will never forget this."
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