Hot on the heels of his "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" tour, notorious shock rocker Alice Cooper has been confirmed for next year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place August 10-12 at Catton Hall in Walton On Trent, Derbyshire, England.
Unless you've had your head buried in the sand for the last five decades, the godfather of theatrical rock needs no introduction, and needless to say, organizers are delighted to have such a prolific and legendary artist join the Bloodstock line up. Festival booker Vicky Gregory comments: "As Bloodstock organizers, but more importantly, huge fans of Alice Cooper, we are thrilled to have such an iconic artist close proceedings on the Sunday night! We have been after Alice for a number of years and are extremely excited to see him grace the Ronnie James Dio stage and guarantee this will be a performance not to be missed."
An Alice Cooper concert is always a memorable event, and there are few artists out there capable of putting on such a thrillingly entertaining show. Bloodstock attendees are in for quite a treat if the recent shows are anything to go by. From the moment he takes to the stage as a giant spider your senses are assaulted with fireworks, mock executions, simulated sex (with the dead of course), snakes, monsters and zombies, as Alice delivers hit after hit from his decades long career.
With a back catalogue that includes timeless classic such as "Schools's Out", "No More Mr Nice Guy", "Welcome To My Nightmare", "Hey Stoopid", "Feed My Frankenstein" and recent single "I'll Bite Your Face Off", Alice's set at Bloodstock will be impossible to not enjoy, and will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the festival's history for many years to come.
With a world-class headliner already in place and two more to be announced — as well as over 100 bands from across the world of hard rock and metal — there is no festival offering better value, with four day weekend camping tickets available at just £90 if booked by December 15.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
Ronnie James Dio Stage
ALICE COOPER
ANVIL
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
DIMMU BORGIR
HATEBREED
PARADISE LOST
WATAIN
Sophie Lancaster Stage
ANAAL NATHRAKH
ORANGE GOBLIN
METALLICA's collaborative album with Lou Reed, titled "Lulu", sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 36 on The Billboard 200 chart. By contrast, METALLICA's last studio effort, 2008's "Death Magnetic", sold 490,000 copies in just a three-day sales window after it came out on a Friday, with sales tracked through the following Sunday.
Even METALLICA's controversial 2003 set, "St. Anger", moved 418,000 copies in its initial week of release, which was also shortened to four days.
METALLICA's "Re-Load" album sold 435,000 units during its first week in 1997, while 1996's "Load" opened at 680,000. 1991's self-titled "black album" debuted with 598,000 and has since gone on to sell more than 15.7 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Lulu" first-week chart positions:
Australia: #33
Belgium: #30
Canada: #26
Finland: #20
Ireland: #36
Netherlands: #17
Norway: #11
Sweden: #9
UK: #36
USA: #36
Already polarizing fans around the world and earning some of the most scathing reviews of their career, "Lulu" features the former THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman's spoken-word poetry and lyrics combined with METALLICA's musical assault for a jarring experience that doesn't sound like anything METALLICA has ever attempted before. A concept album based on two early 20th century plays by German author Frank Wedekind, 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.
The collaboration between METALLICA and Reed was sparked by their performance together of Reed's "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat" at the 25th anniversary of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009.
The songs were all written by Reed with extensive arrangement contributions by METALLICA.
Only two songs on the album are under five minutes in length, while two are more than 11 minutes long and the closing cut, "Junior Dad", clocks in at 19 minutes.
Both METALLICA and Reed have downplayed the scathing reviews that the album has gotten, with Reed saying that METALLICA fans are "threatening to shoot me." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich defended the project, saying, "It's not for everyone, but I think it's a fantastic record."
MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2009's "Endgame", opened with 45,000 units to debut at No. 9. This was slightly less than the 54,000 first-week tally registered by 2007's "United Abominations", which entered the chart at No. 8. 2004's "The System Has Failed" premiered with 46,000 copies (No. 18) while 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" moved 61,000 units in its first week (No. 16).
"TH1RT3EN" first-week chart positions:
Australia: #13
Belgium: #83
Ireland: #43
Netherlands: #42
Norway: #32
UK: #34
USA: #11
"TH1RT3EN" 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 worked 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".
"TH1RT3EN" marks the recorded return of bassist David Ellefson who was part of the band's classic lineup from 1983 to 2002. In a move that delighted the band's legion of diehards, Ellefson returned to performing live with MEGADETH in early 2010 and has remained a fixture on the stage ever since. This is the first time Ellefson has played on a MEGADETH record since 2002's "Rude Awakening".
MEGADETH filmed the "Public Enemy No. 1" video on September 17 in Santa Clarita, California. The clip was shot on a movie set where old Westerns are filmed.
CD track listing:
01. Sudden Death
02. Public Enemy No. 1
03. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
04. We The People
05. Guns, Drugs & Money
06. Never Dead
07. New World Order
08. Fast Lane
09. Black Swan
10. Wrecker
11. Millennium Of The Blind
12. Deadly Nightshade
13. 13
Limited-edition picture-disc vinyl track listing:
Side A:
01. Sudden Death
02. Public Enemy No. 1
03. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
04. We The People
Side B:
01. Guns, Drugs & Money
02. Never Dead
03. New World Order
Side C:
01. Fast Lane
02. Black Swan
03. Wrecker
Side D:
01. Millennium Of the Blind
02. Deadly Nightshade
03. 13
MOTÖRHEAD was forced to cancel tonight's (Tuesday, November 8) planned concert at Bristol, England's Colston Hall after the band's mainman, Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister (bass, vocals), suffered an injury to his left hand and was unable to play.
The date is part of "The Wörld Is Yours" tour, which featured ANTI NOWHERE LEAGUE and UK SUBS supporting.
"Due to injury, MOTÖRHEAD have cancelled their Colston Hall show tonight. Watch this space for returns/new date info," a message read on the Twitter feed for the venue. "We are working with Live Nation to try to reschedule… We'll let you know when we know what will happen re: rescheduling/refunds."
Remaining dates:
Nov. 11 - Norwich, UK - UEA
Nov. 12 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
Nov. 14 - Newcastle, UK - O2 Academy
Nov. 15 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
Nov. 17 - Nottingham, UK - Royal Centre
Nov. 18 - Manchester, UK- O2 Apollo
As previously reported, MOTÖRHEAD will release "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" on November 14 via Motörhead Music / UDR / EMI.
"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" gives you the complete set from the band's supreme performance in Chile at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago on April 9, 2011, shot by Banger Films and Sam Dunn ("Iron Maiden Flight 666", "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage"). The DVD continues with some tasty morsels from New York's Best Buy Theater and the Manchester Apollo.
SLAYER will perform its classic 1986 album "Reign In Blood" in its entirety at All Tomorrow's Parties' second U.K. "I'll Be Your Mirror" event, which is scheduled to take place n the weekend of May 25-27, 2012 at Alexandra Palace, London, England. Joining SLAYER on Friday, May 25 will be influential doom metal pioneers SLEEP and legendary Washington sludge group MELVINS.
On Saturday, May 26, the first-ever ATP festival curators MOGWAI will return to headline, and to curate the rest of the day's lineup. This will be their only show in England in 2012 and their first choice to play alongside them are another great Washington band in the form of the incomparable MUDHONEY.
On Sunday, May 27, the lineup will be curated by ATP, and the first confirmed headliner comes in the form of indie rock legends GUIDED BY VOICES, playing its first U.K. show since reuniting last year. They will be joined by a full lineup of stellar artists, including some very special exclusives.
Acting as sister events to the world famous ATP Festivals which usually take place in holiday resorts, and named after the B-side to THE VELVET UNDERGROUND's original "All Tomorrow's Parties" seven-inch single, "I'll Be Your Mirror" is a series of artist-curated music, film and art events taking place in cities worldwide.
Tickets are on sale via ATPFestival.com from Friday, November 11 at 10 a.m.
Jon Schaffer has been a man with a strong vision for Iced Earth. Surviving the 90's era where power metal truly was an underground phenomenon in North America, he set his sights on touring abroad and slowly building up a fervent following for the band. The 2000's would see Iced Earth attain headline status in their home country, as well as a series of vocal shifts as Tim Owens and Matt Barlow would take turns as the front men of this veteran outfit.
Now in 2011 the time has come for Iced Earth to re-engage their following with a new singer, Stu Block. Many may know Stu's killer range in the Canadian progressive death metal act Into Eternity, and probably wondered if he would be the man to deliver the goods for the band. Based on my continuous playbacks of their new album "Dystopia", there was no better choice than Stu- he has all the power of Matt, the high screams of a Rob Halford as well as a confidence about him that could take Iced Earth to new heights of popularity.
Calling from Honduras guitarist Jon Schaffer appears excited for the next touring onslaught Iced Earth will participate in - so read onward to learn more about the developments behind the band.
IcedEarth_11 (1).jpg
Most people familiar with Stu Block's work in Into Eternity are aware of his impressive death vocals and killer high range pipes- how did you know he would also develop this amazing mid-range that works so well for Iced Earth on this new album Dystopia?
"I didn't know until I auditioned him. That was the defining moment in the audition, to see if he could do that. I looked at the videos that he has with Into Eternity. I really liked the fire in his eyes, the attitude- I felt that he must have a big range because he was doing the Halford highs and the clean, melodic choruses but I didn't know about the mid-range voice that Iced Earth is all about. So I had to make sure he could do it. When he came to audition it was pretty clear to me that he was going to have the right attitude to try everything, to be coached, to be produced and a pretty clear understanding of what Iced Earth is all about. He knew about the different dynamics that our music has, from the epic parts to the raging thrash parts to the melodic, Maiden-ish type parts- it's a roller coaster ride of emotions and any vocalist has to be able to convey that. He's done a great job - I've seen vast improvement in him since we've started together in March. For the first album of him singing in this new way, he did an amazing job and he continues to get better. He's stepping into some big shoes- and this is the kind of music I feel he should have been doing all along. He's got the tools to do it. We're pretty psyched, we have a great time hanging out together, I love Stu- he makes me laugh."
One of the aspects I love about Dystopia is the variety of arrangements and material on display- there is plenty of harmonization for fans to sink their teeth into, as well as a couple of shorter songs like "Boiling Point" and "Days Of Rage" that really evoke the early Iced Earth days. Do you feel a revitalization of Iced Earth and the need to prove to the world you can still be heavy this many years into the group?
"Totally- but I think we've always been heavy. The difference is the energy behind this record is from a revitalized, new love for Iced Earth that was missing for quite a while. There was so much inconsistency with the last 10 years- we haven't had committed front men since Matt left after "Horror Show" and even when he came back he was on a part time basis and we agreed to that. I thought we could make it work but it just didn't work out because the music industry is changing so much. When I had my awakening and a clear understanding of what's going wrong in the world and why we are here, that energized me and made me appreciate Iced Earth more. I had such a change of perspective, there's a lot of positive energy behind this album and it's culminating in the songwriting. Stu is a very positive guy, you add that to the mix and it allows for that kind of thing to happen. I told Jim Morris when I was starting the songwriting for this next record I wanted to strip it back, the arrangements and production to be a kick ass metal record and I am not telling a story with orchestration and vocal stacks, harmonies... of course we can still do that, but I wanted a balls heavy metal record. Stu was very involved with the melodies, lyrics, and some of the stuff he did on his own- we just really gelled as a writing team. You can feel that Iced Earth is back and we mean business. Stu is 10 years younger than me so he's kind of like a little brother, he's got an energy that he's brewing that's infectious. It will be obvious when people see us live that we are back with a vengeance."
Were there any particular challenges you encountered with the writing or recording of this record?
"Not really, Matt. After 25 years I know pretty much what I am doing. There's not really any surprises, you just go in and you do it."
IcedEarth_Dystopia.jpg
What can you tell us about the bonus tracks that will be appearing on the special editions of Dystopia? Is it a tough decision when record labels and different forms of digital media ask you for this extra material- or something you know comes with the territory to ensure better sales?
"Yes, it's something in the past I was very resistant to but now with the dire straits the music industry is in you have to work with the label to help them sell product. That's what it boils down to- they have to come up with a box set with the belt buckle, the patch, all of that stuff to get people to buy those editions of it. Labels are going bankrupt all over the place, retail stores are going bankrupt, the bands are forced to tour more because they have to supplement their income and this is not just metal- it is music in general- and the digital age where people are downloading music instead of paying for it. Times are changing, it's something we have to do to help out until the new model is figured out-which I think will be better for the artists in the long run- but until that happens it's sort of a difficult transitioning period. It's not as hard for Metallica and Iron Maiden, but it's difficult for mid-level bands and it's definitely difficult for the baby bands just starting out. I think the two songs we left off the main album are strong as well- I felt like the album flowed better if those two songs were out. "Iron Will" is a cool song, very different than anything else heard on the album. It's got a positive message to it lyrically and it's really melodic, it's actually our drummer's favorite song. "Soylent Green" is based on the movie from the early 70's, that one is cool also... I don't think they are filler tracks, but maybe not as strong as the songs that made the album. Century Media told me what they needed and I picked a couple of songs that were bonus tracks."
I feel like you could literally take the entire album and bring it to life in your live set- how difficult will it be to decide what goes in the Iced Earth set list with 10 studio albums to choose from? I know that many European crowds are excited that the epic "Dante's Inferno" from Burnt Offerings will be making a return to the set list...
"Dude, it is a constant pain in the ass I can tell you that. It's harder all the time- this album is going to get a lot of play because it's a new era and I just think that the songs are so hooky. Even if they haven't heard it by the time we go on tour- they are going to understand the songs very quickly. We are going to play between 5-7 new songs every night, we are going to dig back into the catalog too. We have sort of been stuck in nostalgia mode since Matt came back because we really haven't been able to rehearse like we should- we were doing so many one off gigs and the costs of getting everyone together because we are all over the country. Now we are going to do real touring we are going to get together a week before the tour starts in Germany and we have a lot of songs picked. It's going to be a good shot in the arm for people who have been wanting to see some more variety for an Iced Earth set list. I made the decision to include "Dante's Inferno"- we would have done it a year ago, the last time we played it live was during the "Alive In Athens" show and we had to take a keyboard player over to do it. We don't have the kind of budget to take a keyboard player over for one song. We know how much people wanted to hear the song- we had to re-record it with new keyboard parts and now the band can sync up with these new parts."
What was that final show with Matt Barlow like for you and the rest of Iced Earth at Wacken this year?
"Well, I mean it was sad, it was fun, it was an emotional time. I got choked up a few times, I know Matt did. It's the end of an era, man. It was a great day, it was very positive, we had a big party afterwards. Matt and I will very likely do music together again, we talked about it- future projects. You are going to hear Matt do other things, it couldn't work in Iced Earth because we have to function as a touring band- he's limited on how much he can commit to on music."
IcedEarth_11 (3).jpg
It's a tumultuous time for the music industry- what are the keys for Iced Earth to survive and thrive?
"I think it's to plant seeds in new markets, which is what we are going to do with this record. We are playing Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, a real world tour this time. It's about really staying busy and staying focused and on point. Building up a database because there will come a time where we will deal directly with the fan base- the writing is on the wall for the record industry. That's important for us to stay viable because in order for us to exist we have to have income. I know there are people who think all of this should just happen without income but it's a business and we have to make money to function in order to record albums. The paradigm is shifting- I am a survivor and I refuse to be a victim, I'm trying to think ten years ahead and how things are going to change and stay on the pro-active side."
Do you feel like you have to work that much harder in terms of physical conditioning due to your previous back and neck injuries to make it through Iced Earth's intense world touring schedules?
"Yes I'm going to have to, that's for sure. I have a physical therapist going on tour with us for that purpose, and I have been doing a lot of conditioning in the process. Getting ready for the tour- it's a matter of being smart on stage and not getting caught up in the moment. I can't bang my head like I used to, that's what caused all the problems. Realizing that I am not the youngest guy in the world anymore and that I have to take care of my body."
I've read in recent interviews you are happy to have the Festivals Of The Wicked DVD on the market as a true representation of the band playing the European festival circuit, but still haven't released the definitive Iced Earth live DVD. What could fans expect on the next DVD to make it even more special than this last release?
"I think what is special about "Festivals Of The Wicked" is that it's the end of the era. You have the fans that love Tim, and you have the fans that love Matt- and they have a little bit of something on there for both. It is the end of the inconsistency and lineup problems- those days are behind us now. What I really want out of an Iced Earth DVD, and I've tried to get this for years with the "Horror Show" tour- but believe it or not Century Media didn't believe in the DVD format back then- that tour should have been filmed, the stage show was a killer. I want to have a proper headline show filmed by a crew that knows the band's music and can work with us for a few weeks before the actual event to practice filming it. It wouldn't be us playing a festival where we have limited control over what can happen on stage and a generic film crew. If it's a planned event, you can avoid a lot of the production hassles. So our plan is after the next studio album, once we have two studio albums with Stu out, we will focus on another DVD with those albums and everything from "Horror Show" onward, probably with a couple of the classics. We need some time to rebuild the band, we know we've lost some status over the last 5-6 years because "The Glorious Burden" was the biggest selling album and touring we've done in America certainly to date. After doing this world tour it's going to give me a good indicator of where we will go to do the headlining show- it could be Sao Paulo, Brazil."
IcedEarth_11 (2).jpg
Would you ever consider doing any special shows where you perform a classic Iced Earth album front to back in its entirety?
"We've talked about that, it's in the realm of possibility. But I don't know if it's going to be the same to do "The Dark Saga" with Stu as the singer- as much as I know he's capable of doing it, it's not going to have the same feel with Matt. It's like Iron Maiden trying to do "Powerslave" or "Somewhere In Time" with Blaze Bayley- they wouldn't have done that. We'll just have to see how that rolls out."
It seems like the core lineup within Iced Earth is one you are very happy with these days. How important is personal chemistry in the dynamic of a band's growth- and do you think the fans can sense bands who struggle to actually get along and remain professional with their music?
"I'm sure they can sense that. It's important- it depends on what the band's goals are and the spirit is frankly behind the leadership of the band. I'm very happy with this lineup we have a lot of fun together- Stu fits right in and he understands our sense of humor, he hasn't missed a beat. The chemistry on a personal level, we enjoy each other's company and that will always translate well on stage."
http://www.icedearth.com
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The metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — is continuing work on its third album at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio set up. Gray states via Twitter, "So fucking close to being done!! On the homestretch and then mix. Can't wait for ya to hear it!!!"
In an April 2011 interview with the Artisan News Service, Vinnie Paul stated about HELLYEAH's plans for the next studio CD, "We've got some great ideas. We've decided that we wanna heavy it up a little bit on this next record — push it a little further. It's always gonna have the HELLYEAH vibe — a little bit of the Southern vibe, a little bit of the rock and roll vibe, a lot of the metal vibe — you put all together and it turns out to be HELLYEAH."
When asked why he thought HELLYEAH resonated with so many fans, Vinnie said, "I think it's just a real honest band — it's real straight-forward. We're not afraid to show out good-time side. A lot of bands really take their music a little too seriously — it's a lot of death, gloom and all that kind of stuff. And the world ain't so bad. We like to have a good time with our music, so that's what HELLYEAH is all about."
HELLYEAH's sophomore album, "Stampede", sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.
HELLYEAH's self-titled debut CD opened with 45,000 units back in April 2007 to land at No. 9.
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY is among 20 new bands who have been confirmed for the 20th-anniversary edition of of the Big Day Out festival, set to take place in January/February 2012 in New Zealand and Australia.
The 20 new bands join previously announced headlining acts SOUNDGARDEN, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, KASABIAN, BATTLES, CAGE THE ELEPHANT, GIRL TALK, ROYKSOPP and FOSTER THE PEOPLE on the bill.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 20 - Auckland, NZ
Jan. 22 - Gold Coast, AUS
Jan. 26 - Sydney, AUS
Jan. 29 - Melbourne, AUS
Feb. 03 - Adelaide, AUS
Feb. 05 - Perth, AUS
For more information, visit www.bigdayout.com.
"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.
"Blunt Force Trauma" was once again tracked with ex-MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, who co-produced the LP with Max. Logan also mixed the follow-up to the band's debut album, "Inflikted", which has sold less than 50,000 copies in the United States since its March 2008 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Opeth have rolled off the US leg of their Heritage tour to take on UK fans still debating the switch from growling death metal to user-friendly prog rock.
Rushonrock editor Simon Rushworth talked exclusively with founder member and driving force Mike Akerfeldt.
rushonrock: Was Heritage an easy album to record or were there times when you doubted yourself?
Mikael Akerfeldt: I did write a couple of songs just trying to find my feet and they were metal sounding songs and not very good songs. So I started again from scratch. I came up with an idea for The Lines Of My Hand straight away and that set the tone. It was 180 degrees from what I was writing before but once I'd written that song I felt I could do anything and the album was completed in six months.
rushonrock: As a body of work does Heritage stand up to the very best of Opeth's back catalogue?
MA: First of all I love playing the new songs live. Maybe it's just because they're newer than the other songs we're playing but they feel so much fun. We're having a really good time playing these songs and they seem to go down well with the fans. In terms of the atmosphere at the shows it doesn't feel any different than it has done in the past.
rushonrock: How do you incorporate the new material into the set?
MA: We mix the new songs in from time to time rather than play a bunch together. But we've chosen older songs that go well with the new material. There's clean singing all the time – no screaming. We have a fair number of songs that fit together well from across our career. We have 25 songs for this tour and we play 12 or 13 each night. Five or six of them are from the new album.
rushonrock: Is it the end as far as Opeth and screaming and/or growling vocals are concerned?
MA: I can't say really. I've never turned my back on anything and I'm not going to start now. It's not like I don't like that style of vocal delivery any more. But I just can't develop any more as a singer if I keep on screaming. In fact I think I got worse at that as the years went by. But if the future songs require those vocals then that's what I'll deliver. It seems like a long shot at this stage.
rushonrock: How important is a Steven Wilson mix to Opeth?
MA: Steven just happens to be a good friend of mine as well as a very good engineer and producer. I haven't met anyone who can touch him in that respect. We get along great and he's always done a great job with Opeth in the past. He's been a huge help to us but maybe a little less so with Heritage. He wasn't actually getting into the songs as much this time. But he's hugely influential to me. I suppose the biggest tribute I can pay to him is that Steven Wilson is the only guy I would ever let tamper with my work!
rushonrock: All the talk before the release of Heritage was that it would be the album that divided Opeth fans. Have you seen evidence of that?
MA: It has been very well received by the people who've come out to the shows. On the net I'd say the opposite is true but that's no surprise. On the net people are hating Heritage but I've stopped trying to seek approval for my work altogether. It probably has divided the fan base a little. But I'm hoping Opeth fans are a little more open minded than they're being portrayed. We've been out seven weeks on this tour so far and there haven't been too many heckles: we do hear the odd 'play something fucking heavy' chant but I don't listen to any of that. I look at where the record is in the charts around the world and I'm not complaining. Of course I'd like everyone to buy the record but if they don't then the main thing is that everyone in the band is very proud of Heritage. If you're looking at where the album's charted then I suppose you'd say it's been a success but t doesn't mean that much to me.
rushonrock: How do you plan to deliver the more technical songs from Heritage in the live show?
MA: I thought that might be a problem. But it's not been difficult at all. The live versions of the new songs sound closer to the originals than many of the other songs. We have a new keyboard player who's really into the different sounds we create and he's got lots of kit. When he plays it's like he has four arms. He's doing a lot to make sure the current live show is something very special. But we'd never record anything that we didn't think we could pull off live.
rushonrock: Is Sweden the most creative and productive rock and metal nation in the world right now?
MA: Probably. There are a lot of bands across all genres making good records right now. I'm not too much into the scene over there but I do hear about this band and that band and the impact they're having. We have a long history of great metal bands in Sweden – as a country it's always spawned a lot of good bands and that's the same to this day. I can't really say that the quality is top notch all of the time but if you go looking it's not difficult to find something to like!
rushonrock: Of the British bands you've listened to down the years which have influenced you the most?
MA: I listen to some British bands on a daily basis. I'm a huge fan of early Judas Priest and all things Sabbath and Purple. When Iron Maiden first burst onto the scene I was a huge fan for a time. I loved Angel Witch, Saxon and all of that NWOBHM stuff. In 1980 I was only six-years-old but I'd bought my first Maiden album – The Number Of The Beast – when I was eight.
rushonrock: It sounds as if you were more than just a casual fan of metal…
MA: I was already a fan of Maiden by the time I had that record. I grew up in a small community and there were only three streets but I had lots of friends who had older brothers and who were into metal. One of my friend's brothers gave me his entire Judas Priest collection and I think they enjoyed the fact that they were schooling me in metal. I recorded everything I could get my hands on onto cassette tape and I built myself a tidy little collection. Records were so expensive when you were just a kid and so I was part of a group of friends who'd pool our resources as best we could.
Catch Opeth with support Pain Of Salvation across the UK at the following venues:
08 Nov 2011 O2 Academy Bristol
09 Nov 2011 O2 Academy Newcastle
11 Nov 2011 Manchester Academy
12 Nov 2011 O2 Academy Birmingham
13 Nov 2011 O2 Academy Brixton
Tickets available via: www.livenation.co.uk
German metallers RAGE entered Twilight Hall Studio in Grefrath, Germany last month to begin recording their 21st studio album, tentatively titled "21", for a March 2012 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The recordings are once again being helmed by Charlie Bauerfeind, who has previously worked with SAXON, BLIND GUARDIAN, HAMMERFALL and HELLOWEEN, among others. Songtitles set to appear on the 10-track CD include "Psycho Terror", "Forever Dead", "Twenty One" and "Serial Killer".
Check out a studio report at Rage-On.de.
As a direct consequence of RAGE's decision to release orchestral compositions under the LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTER banner in the future (with the first album due in 2012), the bandmembers will fully concentrate on producing their "hardest" album to date.
RAGE's latest CD, "Strings To A Web", was released in February 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.
German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have completed mixing and mastering their new album, "Unbreakable", which is scheduled for a January 20, 2012 release via Frontiers Records. The CD was tracked at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).
"Unbreakable" will feature the following songs:
* Blaze Of Glory
* Marching Again
* And There Was Silence
* Night Of The Jumps
* Give 'Em Hell
* Born Again
* Where Angels Die
* Bad Guys Wear Black
* Strike
* Metal Nation
* Conviction
* Raise Some Hell
A video for the song "Bad Guys Wear Black" was shot at an "amazing" location in Nürnberg, Germany and will make its online debut soon.
Regarding the musical direction of the new PRIMAL FEAR album, vocalist Ralf Scheepers told Greece's Rock Overdose, "You can really expect an album which is somehow skipping back again to the very basics of PRIMAL FEAR, with very rough metal riffs and screaming vocals and good melodies on it. So people can really expect a pure PRIMAL FEAR album with melody and beating drums and very harsh guitars."
He added, "Of course, every musician will somehow advertise his own album, but I'm really convinced that people will like this one, because it's got very catchy hooklines and it's a really 'bang-your-head' metal album.
"When you look back on the [PRIMAL FEAR] back catalog, from the very first album to this album now, I think there were quite some changes — on 'Seven Seals', for instance, and also when we came [out with] 'New Religion'. We somehow now have a combination in between a good, bombastic sound with more back-to-the-basics guitar riffing stuff. Also we have two ballads on it, which are not [really] ballads. There's one mid-tempo song with some acoustic guitars in it and one song which has a little bit more keyboards. It's still not an acoustic-guitar ballad— it's still with drums and stuff — so I think it's a pretty tough album [overall]."
PRIMAL FEAR recently asked fans to submit suggestions for the new CD title and received more than 500 responses.
25 years after the release of the legendary "Night Of Passion" album, German hard rock band MAD MAX returns with the original lineup — Michael Voss (lead vocals, lead guitars), Jürgen Breforth (rhythm guitars), Roland Bergmann (bass, vocals) and Axel Kruse (drums) — and a new studio album, "Another Night Of Passion", due at the end of March 2012 via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD was recorded at the Kidroom Studio, which is owned by Michael Voss and where albums from Michael Schenker, VENGEANCE and Gary Barden were previously produced. The cover artwork was designed by the Belgian artist Eric Philippe (RHAPSODY, TNT) and the photos were taken by the famous German photographer Martin Huch.
Commented Olly Hahn, A&R representative at Steamhammer: "I saw the band back in 1987 where they supported STRYPER and they blew me away.
"'Night Of Passion' is a hard rock gem and I'm sure that also 'Another Night Of Passion' will not disappoint any fan who likes classic melodic hard rock."
Added MAD MAX guitarist Jürgen Breforth: "Exactly 27 years ago we were close to sign a deal with SPV/Steamhammer and I'm totally glad that we could fix this now in 2011. With SPV on our side, the new studio album and the original lineup we are ready to burn the stage again!"
MAD MAX will support AXEL RUDI PELL on a European tour in April/May 2012.
MAD MAX has released nine studio albums since 1982 and toured Europe with such bands as DEEP PURPLE, ALICE COOPER, URIAH HEEP, STRYPER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and PRETTY MAIDS.
Photo (left to right): Roland Bergmann (MAD MAX), Axel Kruse (MAD MAX), Olly Hahn (A&R, Steamhammer), Michael Voss (MAD MAX), Jürgen Breforth (MAD MAX)
Rumor has it that VAN HALEN will appear at the November 30 Grammy Nominations Concert at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater to announce that they will perform at the actual Grammy Awards in February. The buzz around town is that they will also use this opportunity to announce details of their pending album and tour.
Former VAN HALEN members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are now in CHICKENFOOT, along with guitarist Joe Satriani and touring drummer Kenny Aronoff.
VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner asked Michael if he was interested in hearing VAN HALEN's announcement, and Kenny chimed in with some intriguing news.
"At this point, I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested," Michael said. "I'm interested to hear what their new album will sound like when it comes out." Aronoff added: "I was in the studio when they were recording, I mean… I know my buddy who started producing it, John Shanks, and then I know the guy who was mixing it, Ross Hogarth, and I was hearing all kinds of stories."
Kenny went on to reveal that working for VAN HALEN can be tough and that the band still isn't as reunited as they could be.
"They played one song for me and it was good, but the thing I was hearing was stuff like, you know, it's the whole… I just heard the classic stories, my buddy finally was told to leave, the producer, and he heard about how people would get fired and he was like, 'It happened to me, too!'" Kenny said. "And then the engineer would deliver the mixes. There was the David Lee Roth camp and there was the brothers' camp."
During an announcement regarding the hour-long nominations concert, the Recording Academy said the show would feature "a special live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place." The organization later dropped either an extremely blatant hint or the greatest red herring in the history of rock music with the following tweet: "Who do u predict the reuniting band will be @ The Grammy Noms... Does this hint make u wanna 'Jump' and 'Dance the Night Away?'"
Meanwhile, MelodicRock.com is reporting a few additional rumors: that VAN HALEN filmed a video for the forthcoming album's first single a few weeks ago in L.A., and that the album could include a cover tune, with David Lee Roth demoing several in New York City to send to the band back in L.A. to select from.
The four original members of BULLETBOYS — Marq Torien on vocals, Mick Sweda on guitar, Lonnie Vencent on bass and Jimmy D'Anda on drums — have reunited for a one-night-only New Year's Eve weekend show on December 30 and have selected Hollywood, California's Club Vodka at the legendary Key Club on the Sunset Strip as the location.
The 10th-anniversary reissue of SLIPKNOT's second album, "Iowa", sold 3,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 136 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD has shifted 1.17 million units so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
SLIPKNOT had impacted the music scene in revolutionary, unpredictable ways and established itself as a way of life for its fans with their self-titled 1999 debut. But "Iowa" was the album that further proved the band had fully arrived and had no intentions of leaving. It was the band's statement that that they would continue to make music their way, according to their rules and always for their fans, with their middle fingers pointed firmly at the rest of the world.
The "Iowa" 10th-anniversary edition includes plenty of extras for the maggots and beyond to feast upon. Disc One comprises the original "Iowa" album along with a remix of "My Plague" as an added bonus track. Disc Two includes the full live audio from the legendary "Disasterpieces" DVD, where the band's 2002 show at the London Arena was captured by 30 cameras and released as a concert film. The DVD includes "Goat", a new film directed by M. Shawn Crahan featuring never-before-seen interviews and footage showing the madness that surrounded the "Iowa" era, plus four music videos.
The official track listings are as follows:
Disc 1:
"Iowa"
01. (515)
02. People = Shit
03. Disasterpiece
04. My Plague
05. Everything Ends
06. The Heretic Anthem
07. Gently
08. Left Behind
09. The Shape
10. I Am Hated
11. Skin Ticket
12. New Abortion
13. Metabolic
14. Iowa
15. My Plague (New Abuse Mix)
Disc 2:
Disasterpieces - Live In London 2002
01. (515)
02. People = Shit
03. Liberate
04. Left Behind
05. Eeyore
06. Disasterpiece
07. Purity
08. Gently
09. Eyeless
10. Drum Solo
11. My Plague
12. New Abortion
13. The Heretic Anthem
14. Spit It Out
15. Wait And Bleed
16. 742617000027
17. (sic)
18. Surfacing
Disc 3:
* Goat (hour-long film capturing the insanity of Iowa, directed by M. Shawn Crahan.
Music Videos:
* My Plague
* Left Behind
* The Heretic Anthem (Live)
* People = Shit (Live)
The special-edition CD/DVD reissue of SLIPKNOT's self-titled debut album — which came out in September 2009 — sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first, shortened week of release (the set came out on Wednesday, September 9 whereas new albums usually go on sale on Tuesdays in the U.S.). The album has shifted more than two million units domestically, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
SLIPKNOT completed a European festival run earlier this summer, which marked the band's first live gigs since bassist Paul Gray's passing.
SLIPKNOT's last record, "All Hope Is Gone", was released in 2008.
Corey Taylor tells Billboard.com that STONE SOUR's follow-up to 2010's "Audio Secrecy" will be "probably the biggest thing we've done in our career."
"Right now we're just working on demos...and a pretty grandiose idea that I've been kind of chewing on for a long time," Taylor says. "On a musical scale, artistically, visually, we're going to swing for the fences with this one. If we can pull it off, it would be really cool and...put a lot of people in their place. I'm really excited to get working on it."
According to Taylor, STONE SOUR will hit the studio in 2012, between SLIPKNOT's run on February's Soundwave Festival in Australia and a summer tour of North America that's slated to kick off in mid-June. "We've got a lot of great ideas already," Taylor says. "We've got some people we're looking to work with. Once we have more information on it, we'll let everybody know."
Drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) sat behind the kit for STONE SOUR during the band's appearance at the Rock In Rio festival on September 24 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
STONE SOUR's regular drummer, Roy Mayorga, was at home awaiting the birth of his first daughter.
STONE SOUR canceled a number of tour dates this past spring after Mayorga suffered a stroke following a gig in Des Moines, Iowa.
Mayorga joined STONE SOUR in 2006 after the band's previous drummer, Joel Ekman, was forced to leave the group in order to spend time with his son, who was diagnosed with brain stem cancer.
Taylor did an extensive interview with HardDrive Radio earlier in the year in which he revealed that STONE SOUR is definitely planning to release a concert DVD and cover songs EP in one package. Taylor went into detail about the project, saying, "We shot a concert last year on the co-headlining tour that we did with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, and we shot it in Brighton (England), and we've been trying to get it together ever since and it's just been insane. There's been so much work and we just haven't had a chance to kind of get a handle on it. But we've been talking about doing a covers EP forever. This is just a kind of a cool way to put something cool out that the fans will dig."
Taylor added that each member of STONE SOUR will get to pick one song for the covers EP.
DISTURBED has released its first-ever collection of B-sides and rarities, titled The "Lost Children", which arrived on Tuesday (November 8). The set includes a previously unreleased song called "Mine" as well as a benefit track for the West Memphis Three titled "3", plus tunes that previously appeared only on soundtracks or as bonus cuts on international editions of the group's albums.
Guitarist Dan Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio where the idea for calling the album "The Lost Children" came from. "People always ask what's our favorite song on the albums or whatever, and we've always referred to them as our children, because we can't pick a favorite — they're all so personal to us," he said. "So it's always been a difficult thing for us to even decide what stays off the album. In our minds it was never because we felt that these are the weakest songs, that's why they stay off — a lot of them, if not all of them, were strong enough to stand on their own and we kept them off to think that maybe we can use them in another area."
DISTURBED went on an open-ended hiatus earlier this fall, following the completion of the touring cycle for its 2010 album "Asylum".
Singer David Draiman said in several interviews this past summer that "personal reasons" and the general state of the music industry factored in DISTURBED's decision to take a breather.
DISTURBED has not indicated when it plans to return, although all four members say it's not likely that the group will stay away for good.
HAIL! — the supergroup featuring a rotating list of musicians, including current and former members of SEPULTURA, JUDAS PRIEST, TESTAMENT and MEGADETH — will play nine shows in Russia in December. The dates are as follows:
Dec. 02 - Megapolis, Irkutsk
Dec. 04 - Che Guevara, Krasnojarsk
Dec. 05 - Moscow, Kemerovo
Dec. 06 - Che Guevara, Barnaul
Dec. 07 - Rock City, Novosibirsk
Dec. 09 - Tele Club, Ekaterinburg
Dec. 10 - DKZhD, Magnitogorsk
Dec. 11 - Xleb, Moscow
Dec. 12 - Planetaryi, Ryazan
HAIL!'s lineup for this tour will include drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN), vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, BEYOND FEAR) , bassist James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) and newest member, guitarist Glen Drover (MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT).
"After seeing how crazy the Russian fans were when we played here in June 2010, we're certainly excited to come back," said Lomenzo.
"Consistent with the HAIL! philosophy of constantly expanding into new territories, we are playing in six new cities this year (plus returning to Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk).
"Touring with HAIL! is a lesson in world geography!"
Added Bostaph, "James and Glen had their MEGADETH reunion a few weeks ago in Turkey and it's been awhile since I played with Glen, so I'm looking forward to our TESTAMENT reunion. We're going to have a great time, so dress warm, grab a bottle of vodka and come join for a night of mayhem!"
In other HAIL! news, dates have been confirmed in February for the band's first shows in Brazil. Additionally, they are evaluating possibilities for March 2012 and interested promoters are invited to contact band management at kingabba@aol.com.
This celebration of the band's career will feature all the BULLETBOYS hits plus plenty of surprises. It is also being filmed for a live DVD, so fans in attendance will be documented along with the band.
BULLETBOYS was one of the prominent bands in the flourishing Hollywood metal scene during the late 1980s, with numerous smash hits such as "Smooth Up In Ya", "For The Love Of Money" and "Hang On St. Christopher" off the group's platinum-selling classic self-titled debut and follow-up, "Freakshow", dominating both MTV and radio airwaves.
Legendary gore metal pioneers NECROPHAGIA have announced plans to release a new full-length album titled "Whiteworm Cathedral" on Halloween 2012.
NECROPHAGIA's most recent CD, "Deathtrip 69", came out on May 17 (one day earlier internationally) via Season Of Mist. The band's fifth official full-length effort was recorded at Last House On The Left Studios in Ohio with vocalist Killjoy and guitarist Boris Randall handling production duties. The cover concept and title track were based on the "Manson family" ordeal of the late 1960s.
"Deathtrip 69" featured guest appearances by Maniac (SKITLIV, ex-MAYHEM) and Casey Chaos (AMEN).
Greece's rockyourlife.gr recently conducted an interview with DARKANE's drummer Peter Wildoer where he spoke about his experience in the auditions for DREAM THEATER's new drummer, the future of DARKANE and the financial and political crisis in Greece. You can read the interview bellow:
Hello from Greece Peter. How are you?
I am good actually. How about you?
Well we have this huge political crisis in Greece and everything is crazy around here. All major networks cover the latest news.
Yes, I know. I was watching the latest headlines all day long. It's very sad that things turned out that bad for you guys. I hope that this crisis will not affect your future in the Eurozone.
Actually, this was never the issue for the Greek people. This happened because of our political decisions.
I know. And this thing is affecting the whole world. It's been crazy. First it was Ireland, now Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Especially Italy with the third largest economy in Europe! That's capitalism. And you know, people do not know the whole truth and this is why they get so angry on the streets.
I am very much interested and I will be on the news tonight. Fingers crossed that everything will be all right and things will get better in Greece.
Thank you very much. Let's talk about music now. How did you experience the DREAM THEATER auditions? It was something new to everyone.
To me it was something crazy. I was actually playing a gig in France on September 2010 with DARKANE and I received an email from James LaBrie asking me if I was interested in doing an audition for DREAM THEATER. A couple of days back I learned that Mike Portnoy has left the band. I replied that of course I am interested to play with the coolest band on the planet. The whole experience was crazy, and of course when I got the songs, to play those songs… its only about 30 minutes of music but there is a lot of stuff going on in those songs. When I got them it was about a month prior to the auditions and I practiced. I worked full – time. I had to practice during evenings, weekends. It was amazing and I'm just so happy that I had the opportunity to be there in the audition.
Did you feel at any point that the competition was hard, maybe over the top?
Definitely! When I got the list I just started laughing because on that list, many of those guys are my drumming heroes, my inspiration I turned to. I have all their books, their instructional DVDs, I mean I ve been their fan for so long and suddenly to be on the same list with those guys was just crazy. Before the auditions I e-mailed all the other drummers telling them that whatever happens in that audition Im just very happy to be part of this. It's actually quite amazing to send an email to drummers such as Virgil Donati and get an answer.
Then there was this documentary DVD release about the auditions. Do you believe that this was a good move from the band or that these auditions should be kept "inside the DREAM THEATER family"?
To be honest I actually thought that it was really cool! I had the opportunity to see what the other drummers did. I only wish there was more for everybody's playing. I would have loved to see more from the other drummers as well. The whole thing was meant to be released as a bonus DVD for the band's new studio album. We actually did not know that there was going to be a documentary on the internet. It was kind of dramatic thing but I was very happy to see the other drummers, the whole DREAM THEATER team, their management, the crew and personally I am very happy with what I did in the audition and how I sounded. I was one of the underdogs, one of the least known drummers and to me this was a great opportunity and a great promotion… I mean this video on YouTube has passed 1 million views so for me it was very important in terms of promotion.
Many people saw it like a TV reality thing. And it was more focused on Mike Mangini and Marco Minnemann.
Exactly, but I am fine with that. It was between those guys in the end so I think that it was fair. I am totally fine with that.
Do you think that this DVD has captured the feeling of these auditions?
Yes! Actually is quite good even though it has only a few minutes from every drummer. I think it has captured the whole spirit. To me for example, I was there for more than 4 hours but for sure it has captured what happened there. I can only talk for myself as you can imagine and I think it is a very cool documentary.
Despite the fact that you were the underdog, you have made it to the top 3. What did go wrong and you didn't get the job?
There are a couple of things. To me Mike Mangini was the perfect pick for DREAM THEATER. The guy was meant to be on DREAM THEATER, I can tell you that. From his playing to his approach to music is very similar to the other members of the band. He grew up listening to bands like RUSH, GENESIS exactly the same stuff that Petrucci and Rudess and the other guys in the band grew up listening to. As for me, I grew up listening to DREAM THEATER. I am 15 years younger than those guys. Also, I live in Europe and Mike Mangini lives in Boston, like two hours with the train from New York where the band is, except from James LaBrie who lives in Canada.
But I think that the main thing was what John Petrucci said on the documentary that Marco Minnemann and Mike Mangini set a certain level of musicianship. They are amazing musicians and fantastic drummers and personally I think that they showed this "stage presence". I did what I usually do with DARKANE, things such as headbanging and to me it was a bit weird because these two guys were standing calm playing the stuff.
Would you change that if you had the chance?
Yes definitely. I would put more of this "stage presence" but as I said those two guys and all the other drummers… everybody are so talented and everything needs to be perfect and Mangini is such a cool guy, such a nice guy, hence to me there is no surprise that DREAM THEATER pick him as their new drummer.
In August we have interviewed Jordan Rudess and he said that the choice of the new drummer was not a question of who was the best musician. There were factors such as the age of the drummer, the level of commitment, the place of residence that also played influential role in their decision. Taking into account the thing that you said earlier, do you think that your age or the fact that you live in Sweden was deterrent to choose you?
Like I said, I definitely think that the fact that I live in Sweden played a role. I mean, I have a family and a son that is 6 years old and if I was the guy I would have to move to New York and leave a lot of things behind. Since Mike Mangini did such a good job and since he lives only a couple of hours away, it is very easy for the band. I would do the same thing. As about the age, Jordan is more than 15 years older than me, other guys in the band are 8 or 9 years older. Mangini is up there, about the same age so it makes sense. Also musically, they have the same taste of music and they grew up with the same bands. All of them are one generation before me. Plus I come from a different background since I am more into thrash and death metal. The fact that I am European is also an issue worth to mention.
Have you heard their new album yet? What are your thoughts about it?
I only heard 3 songs because I am waiting for the deluxe edition of the album. I think the songs are very cool and I definitely believe that for the next record things will be even better because Mike Mangini has a lot of crazy great drumming ideas. I think that with this in mind DREAM THEATER will evolve as a band.
There is also one other thing. To me the best record that James LaBrie has ever recorded is "Static Impulse". I think that his vocals on that record are awesome. I believe that on the new album he has done also a great job. The vocals are way better in the new record.
Do you feel that he sounds more creative now that Mike Portnoy left the band? Don't you forget that Mike did a lot of screaming vocals in the previous DREAM THEATER albums.
Exactly and I feel that James had "Static Impulse" on his mind. I know that the other guys in DREAM THEATER feel that this was a very good album. So, I think that maybe they gave him more room and everything turned to be great.
Many Swedish bands like IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED and even OPETH have softened their sound in the last years. On the other hand, DARKANE are becoming heavier and more progressive. Would you, as a band, ever considered to change your sound and become softer and even more commercial?
There actually two parts on that. When we recorded our second album "Insanity" back in 2000 all other Swedish bands slowed down and became more melodic. We are a thrash metal band although we ve always been interested also in progressive music. In a way this crazy album was our statement to the fans.
Don't take me wrong however; I am not talking about a sell out here. I love all those bands and I really like the new OPETH album. It's just that we love the music we do in DARKANE. We never plan the songs that we are going to do in the next record. We go with the flow and whatever happens. Our last album "Demonic Art" for example is most probably out fastest record. We were definitely in that mode…
Speaking of "Demonic Art", which was released back in 2008, are there any plans for a new record?
Well, we have 8-9 songs ready for our new record which is going to be heavier, more progressive but not that fast as "Demonic Art". With Lawrence back in the band the vocals have changed a bit because previously when we worked with Jens and Andreas we never had so many ideas because it was Klas or myself who were producing the vocals and writing the vocal lines but with Lawrence he is taking care of all these things so that would be a huge change for the new record I think.
When should we expect it?
There were personal issues inside the band so we haven't started recording yet. People got sick and marriages were ruined so it took us a lot of time. On the same time we ve been building our new studio which is almost ready now. I also did the "Static Impulse" record, went to the DREAM THEATER auditions and that took me a lot of time also. Plus everybody has families and works full-time day jobs so as you can imagine there have been a lot of things going around.
The plans are to start recording drums before Christmas and then we will continue with the guitars and bass and then Lawrence will do the vocals. Hopefully, our goal is to release it before the summer festivals. Hopefully it's going to be mixed by someone else. I don't think that we are going to handle the production and mixing. It's faster this way and we want to have a really powerful production this time.
Now with Lawrence back in the band all the original members of DARKANE are back again. This is something that we don't see usually out there.
We're all friends. Even with Andreas and Jens we've been friends before DARKANE. Christopher and I have been playing in the same band for 22 years and we are the best of friends, we love hanging out on tour and although its sounds like a cliché it is like a second family after all these years. And with Lawrence we have the same background, like I said earlier; it is the same with DREAM THEATER and Mike Mangini.
Apart from DARKANE, are there any future projects for you?
I have already recorded two songs for Marco Sfogli's new solo record, the guitarist for James LaBrie; I will also record the drums for Matt Guillory's solo record, the keyboardist of James LaBrie, and also I will be part for James LaBrie's bass player, Ray Riendau's new project STAR MONARCHY.
I also have a new project on the line with some friends here in Helsingborg. This band will be a MEW meets MARS VOLTA band with weird rhythms, modern melodies. I think that many bands lose the sense of melodies. We want something with great vocal parts, great melodies and underneath there will be some great rhythms and stuff going on.
I am also planning to start an online drum school and I think I will be able to do it by the end of next summer, depending on how much time I have.
This is a huge trend among musicians don't you think?
Yes, I believe it is a great chance to teach. I teach mathematics and drums in a college here in Sweden and I have about 20 students. With the online lessons I will have the possibility to teach thousand drummers and I think this is a very cool trend. There are many drummers out there who often ask me how to play some songs of "Static Impulse" record or how to play some DARKANE songs so I think it is cool to offer them online lessons.
COLDWORKER — the Örebro, Sweden-based "blasting" death metal band consisting of current and former/current members of such acts as NASUM, RELENTLESS, RUIN and PHOBOS — will release its third album, "The Doomsayer's Call", this winter via Listenable Records. The CD was recorded in part at Soundlab Studios in the group's hometown and will feature 13 songs. Mixing took place at Unisound studios with Dan Swanö (OPETH, KATATONIA, DISSECTION).
The cover artwork for "The Doomsayer's Call" was created by the Swedish artist Pär Olofsson who has previously worked with such bands as MALEVOLENT CREATION, IMMOLATION, IMMORTAL, EXODUS and DYING FETUS.
Stated COLDWORKER: "The work Pär did for us followed our strict instructions and perhaps not his usual style, but we are all extremely happy with the result."
"The Doomsayer's Call" track listing:
01. A New Era
02. The Reprobate
03. The Glass Envelope
04. Flesh World
05. Murderous
06. Pessimist
07. Monochrome Existence
08. Vacuum Fields
09. Living is Suffering
10. The Walls Of Eryx
11. Violent Society
12. Becoming The Stench
13. The Phantom Carriage
Commented COLDWORKER drummer Anders Jackobson: "There's often talk about 'the difficult second album.' Well, history has told me time and again that the third album is usually the most memorable in a band's discography.
"We have all put more than 100% each into this album, writing songs that will stand out on their own as well as have a natural place on the album, spending many hours in three different recording studios just to get the best out of ourselves and so on.
"The album is definitively 'the next step' for COLDWORKER, with developed songwriting and performances that are the best we can muster. It's really a band effort as all five members of the band have written songs, and likewise all five of us have opinions about what the final album should be."
"Rotting Paradise" was released in the U.S. on May 13, 2008 via Relapse Records.
COLDWORKER is:
Joel Fornbrant - Vocals
Anders Bertilsson - Guitar
Daniel Schröder - Guitar
Oskar Pålsson - Bass
Anders Jakobson – Drums
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