Next Films — the film-production company launched by top reality TV producer Mike Fleiss — in 2009 signed a deal with legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi for "Black Sabbath", a horror movie franchise. The films won't be about the group but will use the title as a jumping-off point. Iommi also will score the movies.
As for the music Tony will put in the films, the guitarist told VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, "[I will] either [be] redoing some of the SABBATH stuff in more of a different vein, maybe, and [writing] some new stuff. So it's open. We haven't actually gotten to the movie part yet where I can say, 'Oh, I can see this bit on this.' And that's another interesting project for me to have a go out. I like a little bit of a challenge. I might be really crap at it, I don't know."
All four original BLACK SABBATH members will reunite for a press conference on November 11 at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California — the same venue where the band made its Los Angeles debut on November 11, 1970 (41 years ago), opening for ALICE COOPER — at exactly 11:11 a.m. They are widely expected to announce that they have begun writing material for a new album in addition to preparing to play their first live shows since the summer of 2005.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and THE WHO guitarist Pete Townshend have written forewords to "Backstage Past", Barry Fey's memoir revealing intimate, shocking and previously untold tales of rock and roll's greatest legends.
As one of the most successful rock promoters of all time, Fey has sold more concert tickets than any other independent promoter in history. Loved by rock stars and adored by audiences, Fey's notorious hot-headed, take-no-prisoners attitude earned him the nickname "The Rockfather."
Now Fey, who dominated the concert promotion industry from the late '60s until his retirement in 1997, pulls back the curtain of his storied career with "Backstage Past", which takes fans into the dressing rooms and behind the scenes to expose the memories, the madness and the music — in colorful fashion as only Fey could tell it.
Says Sharon Osbourne, "He's one of the best promoters worldwide and when combined with his naughty personality — he's wickedly funny — it's the perfect recipe." Adds Ozzy, "He's among a handful of very special people in my life."
His stories and tales of the classic moments, warts and all, are finally revealed in "Backstage Past".
When he saw Jim Morrison inhale fumes from a vat of floor wax; when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards taught him how to snort cocaine; when he was given a jar of blood for Ozzy Osbourne, Fey knew he was living an extraordinary life.
According to President Bill Clinton, "Dozens of the artists who are now in rock's pantheon were first booked by Barry. Music lovers all across America and all around the world have been the beneficiary of Barry's good instincts, his hard work and his creativity."
Fey remarks, "Nothing in my early life would have suggested that I'd become friends with Bono (introducing him to a then-unknown Brad Pitt in 1987) or any of the dozens of other rock legends...I got lucky."
On sale now at Barnes & Noble's Nook, Amazon, and www.barryfey.com, this book is sure to become a "must-read gift" for the holiday shopping list.
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson was to embark on a short tour in February 2012, to recount stories all things automotive from his new book, Rockers And Rollers: A Full-Throttle Memoir.
Unfortunately, Johnson is now scheduled to undergo surgery on his wrist in February, meaning the scheduled dates are now cancelled.
Ticketmaster report that the following dates are now cancelled:
February
7 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
8 - Atlanta. GA - Center Stage Theatre
10 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
11 - Richmond, VA - The National
13 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
15 - Millvale, PA - Small's Funhouse
16 - Covington, KY - Small's Funhouse
18 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at ONC
19 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
21 - Madison, WI - Overture Center
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
AC/DC singer Brian Johnson plans to raise $1,000,000 for for families affected by pediatric cancer. Brian's new "Highway To Help" TEXT To Give Campaign will be raising money through texting and the internet.
During the 24 hours of the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hours Of Daytona (January 28, 3:30 p.m. to January 29, 3:30 p.m.), Brian will be raising funds to provide services to families affected by pediatric cancer.
Brian will be in the following races:
* October 27-30 - Savannah
* November 10-13 - Daytona HSR
* December 2-4 - Sebring Bobby Rahal vintage race series
* January 26-30 - Daytona 24 hours
For more information, go to BrianJohnsonRacing.com.
Johnson has canceled a planned solo tour in support of his recently released book, "Rockers And Rollers: A Full-Throttle Memoir".
Johnson was set to recount stories from the book and sing songs with backup from two members of SKID ROW — bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Scotti Hill.
The trek was set to kick off on February, but that is the same month Johnson will undergo wrist surgery.
RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson is among the musicians who will perform at the seventh annual Andy Kim Christmas concert, set to take place on December 14 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Also scheduled to appear are Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning from BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, members of FINGER ELEVEN and Ron Sexsmith.
Montreal-born Kim has sold more than 33 million albums and is the man behind such massive hits as "Sugar Sugar" and "Rock Me Gently". To date, the event has raised more than $60,000 for select charities.
German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS will release "Get Your Sting & Blackout - Live In 3D" on Blu-ray on December 6 via Sony. The disc contains a recording of the band's April 15, 2011 concert in Saarbrücken, Germany using the latest 3D technology, 11 cameras, awesome 5.1 Surround and stereo sound.. The band performed its greatest hits, including "Wind Of Change", "Blackout", "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Still Loving You" and "Send Me An Angel".
"Get Your Sting & Blackout - Live In 3D" track listing:
01. Intro
02. Sting In The Tail
03. Make It Real
04. Bad Boys Running Wild
05. The Zoo
06. Coast To Coast
07. Loving You Sunday Morning
08. The Best Is Yet To Come
09. Send Me An Angel
10. Holiday
11. Raised On Rock
12. Tease Me Please Me
13. Dynamite
14. Kottak Attack
15. Blackout
16. Six String Sting
17. Big City Nights
18. Still Loving You
19. Wind Of Chamge
20. Rock You Like A Hurricane
21. When The Smoke Is Going Down
Bonus material: Behind-the-scenes (approx. 33 minutes)
Technical Specifications:
* Copy protection
* BD50
* Video: MVC1080/24p
* Audio: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 PCM
* Region code: ABC
* Approx. 100 minutes total running time
Commented the band: "3D - a number, a letter. This term, not long ago only known to a few enthusiasts, has been ringing in our ears for a while now. Guitarist Rudolf Schenker brought the topic 3D into play repeatedly, and when the opportunity came to make this new visual chapter happen, as one of the first bands ever, we didn't have to think twice. Naturally, we could have chosen a show in Los Angeles or Moscow for the recording, but this was about a quick decision and a viable implementation on the highest level of technology. Saarbrücken was a very good choice — our fans were simply sensational and gave us the chance to thank them for their many years of support with this project in Germany. However, enough words ... put on the 3D glasses and it's time for ... 'Get Your Sting & Blackout'!!!"
According to This Is Bristol, tonight's (Tuesday, November 8) MOTÖRHEAD concert at the Colston Hall in Bristol, England has been canceled due to an injury to one of the bandmembers.
A Colston Hall spokeswoman said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, this show has been canceled. We currently have no information about a rescheduled date or the returns policy. Please visit the Colston Hall website, Colstonhall.org, for more information, or call the box office on 01179 223686."
MOTÖRHEAD is in the middle of its annual autumn U.K. tour with support from the UK SUBS.
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.
"Around The Wörld Vol. 1" is a blistering DVD containing live footage, interviews and some of the finest moments from the band's 2011 world tour.
Mixed by the band's long-time producer Cameron Webb, "Around The Wörld Vol. 1" is stuffed with the classics Motörfans demand, from "Overkill" to "Ace Of Spades" to "Killed By Death" as well as some old gems like "Over The Top" and new favorites such as "I Know How To Die".
"Around The Wörld Vol. 1" 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.
"Around The Wörld Vol. 1" is a pure testament to the power, glory and sheer voltage of the finest rock 'n' roll played by real legends. Accept NO substitute! And yes, as you guessed, the DVD documentation will be continued next year…
According to Ticketmaster.com, MACHINE HEAD will embark on a U.S. headlining tour early next year with support from SUICIDE SILENCE, DARKEST HOUR and RISE TO REMAIN. So far the following dates have been released:
Feb. 06 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Feb. 08 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Feb. 18 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
MACHINE HEAD'S "Locust" video can be seen below (courtesy of Metal-Hammer.de). The clip was directed by Mike Sloat, who previously helmed MACHINE HEAD's videos for "Imperium", "Days Turn Blue To Gray", "Aesthetics Of Hate", "Now I Lay Thee Down" and "Halo".
"Locust" comes off MACHINE HEAD's new album, "Unto The Locust", which 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.
MACHINE HEAD has consistently averaged more than 100,000 copies sold in the U.S. for each of its seven albums and has shifted double that overseas (accruing several silver records in the U.K.), resulting in cumulative worldwide sales of more than 2.4 million.
MACHINE HEAD's previous CD, "The Blackening", opened with just under 15,000 units back in April 2007 to debut at No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's 2004 effort, "Through The Ashes Of Empires", premiered with less than 12,000 copies to land at No. 88.
When we interviewed Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia for the new Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue, we talked about a range of topics, from her band's upcoming album, Dark Adrenaline–which will be released on January 24–to her pick for the sexiest hard-rock or metal song. Unfortunately, due to space constraints in the issue, we weren't able to include most of our chat–but that's what the Internet is for! Read what she has to say below.
REVOLVER What are your feelings about the album right now?
CRISTINA SCABBIA I feel fucking great, man. [Laughs] I know that, of course, you know, you couldn't expect a different opinion from me because, of course, I'm part of the project. But I really feel that it is really, really a good album with good songs. I think that it totally captures the essence of Lacuna Coil because it's definitely a mixture of our roots and something completely new. We never repeated ourself with any album, but this one, it's a perfect balance between the old stuff and the new. And the new stuff, it's more obscure than the usual. It's definitely heavier–the sound is way heavier than we did before. A lot of people will be surprised. I think so.
Because of the heaviness of it?
I believe that, you know, it's something that they don't really expect from us. They probably expect us to go, I don't know, more melodic and mellow and actually this is not the direction we are taking. [Laughs] We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower. [Laughs]
Did you guys have specific aims when you went into the studio?
No, not really, because I think that when you are writing songs, it's not about what you want to achieve. You just go with the flow and you just like what you hear. And if you like something, you just, like, work on it. I don't think it would make sense for us just to think about a song or like, Oh, the album is going to sound like that. That wouldn't be honest and that wouldn't be hard, you know? Of course, you kind of know what you want to do, just because you know that's your taste, but you don't really know what's gonna be the final result. You just, you know, put down layers and layers and layers and layers, and then you just hear the result at the very end. Actually, after the mixing you're just like, Oh, wow! [Laughs] It's hard to see things, you know. You just kind of draw the image of what you think it's gonna be, but you don't really know what's gonna be in the end.
Did you guys do anything different this time around?
Well, what we did is that we basically felt free to do what we wanted to in the songwriting period. We wrote a little bit of everything 'cause we didn't really know what clear direction we wanted to follow. We know that we wanted to go heavier and darker because that's we like, that's what we are, but we felt free to throw every idea in the pot. And that gave us an amazing feeling because we were all like, Wow, we are in the position where we can be free to do whatever we want because we never got any pressure from the label or anything. And I'm actually really happy about [that] because we can be artistically free without anybody telling us what to do. And that made us feel great and hungry for more material, and it just ended up that we had so many songs to choose from.
So I believe that probably the difference was that we were really, really artistically creative and really, really, really extremely passionate about it. Not that we weren't in the past, but we just felt that we had more time. We kind of took a little break, so, you know how it is, it's like after you take a vacation, you know, you're full of energy, just want to do a lot of stuff. So after we took a little break form the tour, I guess that all we wanted was to write music and you can totally hear it.
Are you anxious to get back on the road, especially after being in the studio for so long, and play the new material for people?
You know, I love touring because, if you love music, if you're passionate about it, it's the best job in the world, you know? It might be really hard at times because there's no private life anymore, you know, personal life because you're far from the people you love. You can't be in your own bathroom, you know, little things in life. But, you know, I love to travel, I love to find out different cultures and different types of food that I don't know, meet people. I just love that and I love the music we are doing with the band, so that's the best job in the world. And we haven't been touring for a while so it's gonna be fun. Sometime I just wish we could have, you know, like, an insane budget so we could put up like a super theatrical show, very entertaining, but sometimes it's not possible. We have a lot of ideas so we're gonna try to make them real. [Laughs]
What do you think is the sexiest hard rock or metal song?
The sexiest metal song. Oooh, that's a tough question. What do you mean with the sexiest one, like, the one that I would use to… I don't know.
Just something that sounds sexy to you.
Oh my God, I don't know if I can consider it metal but I like very much "Closer" from Nine Inch Nails. And I think that anything from Nine Inch Nails would be really, really sexy–I mean, at least if you like that sexy with a little bit of a twist, which I like.
The cover artwork for "Dark Adrenaline", the new album from the Italian heavy rock act LACUNA COIL, can be seen below. The CD will be released on January 24 via Century Media Records.
"Dark Adrenaline" track listing:
01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill The Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End Of Time
07. I Don't Believe In Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion
11. Fire
12. My Spirit
In a new interview with Revolver magazine, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia stated about "Dark Adrenaline", "I really feel that it is really, really a good album with good songs. I think that it totally captures the essence of LACUNA COIL because it's definitely a mixture of our roots and something completely new. We never repeated ourself with any album, but this one, it's a perfect balance between the old stuff and the new. And the new stuff, it's more obscure than the usual. It's definitely heavier — the sound is way heavier than we did before. A lot of people will be surprised. I think so. . . I believe that, you know, it's something that they don't really expect from us. They probably expect us to go, I don't know, more melodic and mellow and actually this is not the direction we are taking. [Laughs] We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower. [Laughs]"
When asked if she and her bandmates specific aims when they went into the studio, Cristina said, "No, not really, because I think that when you are writing songs, it's not about what you want to achieve. You just go with the flow and you just like what you hear. And if you like something, you just, like, work on it. I don't think it would make sense for us just to think about a song or like, Oh, the album is going to sound like that. That wouldn't be honest and that wouldn't be hard, you know? Of course, you kind of know what you want to do, just because you know that's your taste, but you don't really know what's gonna be the final result. You just, you know, put down layers and layers and layers and layers, and then you just hear the result at the very end. Actually, after the mixing you're just like, Oh, wow! [Laughs] It's hard to see things, you know. You just kind of draw the image of what you think it's gonna be, but you don't really know what's gonna be in the end."
LACUNA COIL co-vocalist Andrea Ferro recently told Revolver magazine about the sound of the new CD, "We have different kinds of songs — some are pretty heavy with a really powerful groove and some killer riffs, some have a darker vibe a bit more in our traditional style, and some others are more anthemic. In my opinion, it's a great collection of metal and rock songs."
When asked if the band is trying anything different with the material this time around, Ferro said, "There's a variety of moods; some things which are new, and some which sound like more traditional LACUNA COIL. We were experimenting with the previous album and we learned a lot from that about what is the essence of our 'sound.' We usually never repeat the same record, and that will again be the case this time around. It's 100 percent a LACUNA COIL album, with the benefit of some great inspiration during the songwriting process."
Regarding the band's renewed collaboration with producer Don Gilmore (PEARL JAM, LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE), Ferro said, "After you've spent a few months constantly working on the songs, it's important to have someone like Don come in and give you a sincere opinion of the songs. He is helping us in keeping things fresh, and getting our sound together for 2011. Most of the songs haven't really changed in essence, but he is really good at outlining the most important and interesting details of the music and the lyrics. He also creates a really great vibe while recording."
Season Of Mist has announced the signing of doom legends SAINT VITUS. The band has just completed work on its eighth studio album, its first since 1995, for an early 2012 release.
SAINT VITUS' current lineup features guitarist Dave Chandler, drummer Henry Vasquez, bassist Mark Adams and seminal vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich.
"Making this album was really a blast," says Chandler. "Being able to live in an environment where all we had to concentrate on was the new material, became very inspiring. And along with our new drummer, Henry Vasquez, and label, Season Of Mist, this record has given us a new opportunity to show everyone that we still have more to shove in your face."
When asked why he thinks SAINT VITUS' music continues to resonate, Wino said in an interview, "Because it comes from the gut. The music has that low tone and it hits you in those emotional places. I've always tried to make the lyrics just as interesting as the music. It's always been a little bit dark but I'm not drawn to the happy stuff. I like music that grabs you by the balls."
Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM will embark on a North American headlining tour in celebration of the band's 15th anniversary. Presented by ESP in association with Full Metal Jackie, the quindecennial trek will kick off on January 30, 2012 in Rochester, New York and run through March 4, hitting 26 cities over the course of the five-week jaunt. Support on the trek will come from Swiss folk metal band ELUVEITIE, Boston extreme metal act REVOCATION and Canada's THREAT SIGNAL.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 30 - Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
Jan. 31 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
Feb. 02 - Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI
Feb. 03 - The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 04 - Pop's, Sauget, IL
Feb. 06 - Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
Feb. 07 - Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
Feb. 09 - House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 10 - The Complex, Salt Lake city, UT
Feb. 11 - Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
Feb. 13 - Yost Theatre, Santa Ana, CA
Feb. 14 - House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Feb. 15 - Marquee Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
Feb. 17 - Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
Feb. 18 - Tricky Falls, El Paso, TX
Feb. 19 - The Pavilion, Lubbock, TX
Feb. 21 - Emo's East, Austin, TX
Feb. 22 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
Feb. 24 - Expo Five, Louisville, KY
Feb. 25 - Peabody's, Cleveland, OH
Feb. 26 - Sound Academy, Toronto, ON
Feb. 27 - Metropolis, Montreal, QC
Feb. 29 - Imperial, Quebec City, QC
Mar. 01 - Webster Theatre, Hartford, CT
Mar. 02 - The Paramount Theater, Huntington, NY
Mar. 03 - Starland Ballroom, Sayerville, NJ
Mar. 04 - Ram's Head Live, Baltimore, MD
CHILDREN OF BODOM's new album, "Relentless Reckless Forever", sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2008's "Blooddrunk", opened with 19,000 units to land at No. 22. This number was roughly four times the opening tally of "Blooddrunk"'s predecessor, "Are You Dead Yet?", which premiered with 5,000 units back in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 195.
"Relentless Reckless Forever" was certified gold in the band's home country for first-day sales of over 10,000 copies. The CD was recorded in Finland's Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET).
On November 20, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell will be part of a benefit show at the Largo in Los Angeles, California, with all proceeds will going directly to the School Music Revival foundation of Japan, co-founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto to replace school musical instruments lost to the tsunami of March 2011.
For more information, see the poster below.
DEF LEPPARD has just completed the Japanese leg of its "Mirror Ball" tour. The band will next hit the road in the U.K. in December with MÖTLEY CRÜE and STEEL PANTHER.
MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil pleaded guilty yesterday (Monday, November 7) in Las Vegas Justice Court to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, avoiding a more serious charge of battery constituting domestic violence.
Neil and his lawyer paid a $1,000 fine stemming from a confrontation between the singer and his ex-girlfriend at a Las Vegas casino lounge.
Vince was accused of striking his Alicia Jacobs in the chest with his finger, and of harassing Jacobs' friends, Patricia McCrone and John Katsilometes, who is a Las Vegas Sun columnist and editor.
Neil, 50, who didn't appear in person, could have faced up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted on both charges.
Neil in April completed all of the requirements of his sentence stemming from his DUI case from in June 2010. The sentence ordered him to serve 15 days of jail time, 15 days of house arrest, pay a $585 fine, attend DUI school and attend a victim-impact panel online.
On November 26, Las Vegas' favorite band SIN CITY SINNERS will be joined by special guest Taime Downe of FASTER PUSSYCAT.
This concert will mark the first time original FASTER PUSSYCAT members Brent Muscat (who is part of SIN CITY SINNERS) and Taime Downe have played together in six years! Taime and Brent will peform a few of your favorite FASTER PUSSYCAT songs along with a few rare ones they haven't played live in 20 years!
Come celebrate the opening of the brand new Kings Room (inside The Rio Hotel & Casino) with the show you thought would never happen!
SIN CITY SINNERS features Todd Kerns (SLASH, AGE OF ELECTRIC), Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT), Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB) and Michael Ellis. The band will release "A Sinners' Christmas" on November 25. The CD will feature guest appearances by Frank Dimino (ANGEL), Jizzy Pearl (L.A. GUNS, RATT, LOVE/HATE), George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, SOULS OF WE), Slim Jim Phantom (HEADCAT, THE STRAY CATS), Louie Merlino (BEGGARS & THIEVES), Jimmy Crespo (AEROSMITH), Pete Loran (TRIXTER), Ron Keel (KEEL) and Sammy Serious (THE ZEROS). The CD was recorded, mixed & mastered at Hit Track Studios in Las Vegas and produced by Brent Muscat and Tom Parham, and executive-produced by Jason Green.
SIN CITY SINNERS will celebrate the release of "A Sinners' Christmas" with a Las Vegas party and toy drive on November 25 at Club Madrid (inside Sunset Station Casino). Admission is FREE, but the SINNERS encourage everyone who is able to bring a new unwrapped toy to be collected by the marines for Toys For Tots.
In 2010, SIN CITY SINNERS released two CDs of original music, "Exile on Fremont Street" and the all-acoustic "Broken Record". The SINNERS' music video, "Goin' To Vegas", received the 32nd annual Telly Award and the track "Numb" was nominated for an AVN award for "Best Original Song".
Roadrunner Records announced today the addition of French metal behemoths GOJIRA to the label. The band is universally recognized as one of the most talented and extreme art-metal acts on the scene today. GOJIRA is one of those rare bands that comes along every couple of years and takes everything you know about metal, twists it, reimagines it and comes up with something wholly unique. It's doubtful you've heard anything like GOJIRA before. The band makes that much of an impact with its music and approach.
GOJIRA is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier, who has a previous relationship with Roadrunner, having played bass on CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's debut "Inflikted", along with guitarist Christian Andreu, bassist Jean-Michel Labadie and drummer Mario Duplantier, who is also Joe's brother!
"We are so stoked to walk with the legendary Roadrunner," Joe said about the new partnership. "We discovered SEPULTURA, MACHINE HEAD, DEATH, FEAR FACTORY and so many other great bands thanks to these guys. Roadrunner has been a great source of inspiration for us as metal fans. It's an honor to be part of this family today as a band. We feel we'll get the right support at the right moment in our career. We cannot wait to release our new record and get back on the road."
The band's Roadrunner debut will be its fifth album overall. It was 2005's "From Mars to Sirius" and 2008's "The Way of All Flesh" which established GOJIRA as a metal force of nature and a key player in the scene. The band will record in New York City, also the label's headquarters, in November 2011, with a spring 2012 release date being eyed. Joe Duplantier will serve in a co-producer capacity along Josh Wilbur, who's worked with LAMB OF GOD.
"I've been a huge GOJIRA fan ever since their monumental 'From Mars To Sirius' album and have been actively pursuing them ever since," Roadrunner Senior VP of A&R Monte Conner said. "I am thrilled to finally be welcoming them to the Roadrunner family. GOJIRA are one of the best bands in metal today, with a sound and style all their own. Their live shows are unreal, from the level of playing, to the intensity, to the Godzilla-like stomp that hits you in the chest."
Duplantier revealed that, rather than the heavily researched themes of the last CD, lyrics for the upcoming, yet-to-be-titled effort are a lot more spontaneous, with "stream of consciousness"-style "spiritual" compositions.
"I've been about spirituality since the first album," he said. "It's hard to define what spirituality is, but it's more like getting closer to [oneself]. It's where each thing we do is sacred; not like going to a church or when you are with a dying person, but waking up in the morning… I've tried to take this dimension when I've written the music, like sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to sing and the words come out fluently. It's not a concept album like in the past, it's more about being spontaneous with feeling, and it's more true and honest."
GOJIRA have kept busy in between albums. They recently recorded the four-song "Sea Shepherd" EP, with all proceeds benefiting the Sea Shepherd charity. Sea Shepherd is a Washington State-based nonprofit marine conservation organization which employs direct action tactics to protect sea life. One of the songs, "Blood and Salt", recently surfaced on a Metal Hammer U.K. sampler CD. Release details on that EP, which is loaded with A-list metal guests like MASTODON's Brent Hinds, LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe, SOULFLY's Max Cavalera and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's Devin Townsend, to name a few, are yet to be determined.
In other GOJIRA news, the band will perform as part of Australia's Soundwave Festival, which is slated for February 2012.
Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has inked a deal to write the theme song for a "major" new movie. He writes on his Facebook page, "It was a rare time when I actually worked out the entire solo. Little did I know that the movie people would have me change the whole song's key three times by the time we did the actual tracking. That made the already unorthodox solo even stranger, thankfully, and just by luck, in a very good way. I am stoked!" He adds, "One thing I have learned over time is that ALWAYS when you do additional work to accommodate the 'big picture' that seems unnecessary at the time, your music comes out better for it. ALWAYS. You heard it here first, friends!"
Friedman's new solo album, "Tokyo Jukebox 2", was released in Japan on September 14 via Avex. The CD picks up where Friedman's 2009 effort, "Tokyo Jukebox", left off, with even more adventurous arrangements of his favorite Japanese songs. Recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, the album features Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL) on drums.
"Tokyo Jukebox 2" stretches the boundaries of guitar interpretation beyond anything Marty has released to date.
Hungarian extreme metallers EKTOMORF are working on a very special "acoustic" album for a tentative January release via AFM Records.
EKTOMORF's latest album, "Redemption", was released on December 17, 2010 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Antfarm studios in Århus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen, who has previously worked with DARK TRANQUILLITY, THE HAUNTED and HEAVEN SHALL BURN, among others.
Miami-based hard rock group BLACK TIDE has released "Al Cielo", a Spanish-language EP featuring three songs from its latest DGC/Interscope Records album, "Post Mortem". Re-recorded versions of "Let It Out", "That Fire" and "Into The Sky" make up the EP as "Déjalo Salir", "That Fire (Español)" and title track, "Al Cielo". Fans can preview and download the tracks on BLACK TIDE's Facebook page or on iTunes.
BLACK TIDE kicks off a run through the Midwest and South with HALESTORM and others November 18.
In addition to BLACK TIDE, this summer's edition of Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival featured AVENGED SEVENFOLD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SEVENDUST and more.
"Post Mortem", the sophomore album from BLACK TIDE, sold 5,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on August 23 via DGC/Interscope Records.
"Post Mortem" was written and recorded in the summer of 2010, and is the follow-up to 2008's "Light From Above", which garnered instant critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Spin, Revolver and more.
METSATÖLL, the four-piece outfit from Estonia, will release its fifth studio album, "Ulg", on December 5 via Spinefarm Records.
"Ulg", meaning "The Howl", was recorded from top to tail amongst the forests of southern Estonia, with legendary Finnish sound engineer Mikko Karmila (whose credits include CHILDREN OF BODOM and NIGHTWISH, and who worked with METSATÖLL on their previous album, "Aio") coming on board to help the band prepare for this mighty task, before handing over to sound engineer Keijo Koppel to complete the recordings.
"Ulg" track listing:
01. Agu (Daybreak)
02. Sõjasüda (Warheart)
03. Küü (Serpent)
04. Muhu Õud (Muhu Dread)
05. Kivine Maa (Land Full Of Stones)
06. Rabakannel (Bog-harp)
07. Isata (Fatherless)
08. Kahjakaldad (Sacrificial Shores)
09. Tormilind (Shearwater)
10. Ulg (The Howl)
11. Eha (Dusk)
On February 24, 2012 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist will release a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection will present the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.
Here are some of the names taking part in "Illud Divinum Insanus - The Remixes":
* Xytras
* Tim Skold
* SKINNY PUPPY/cEvin Key
* PUNISH YOURSELF VS SONIC AREA
* TREPONEM PAL
* LAIBACH
* TAMTRUM
* MIXHELL (Igor Cavalera)
* TOXIC AVENGER
* MICROPOINT
MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marks MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination".
MORBID ANGEL's previous album, "Heretic", opened with around 3,900 units back in October 2003. That CD has shifted more than 30,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Illud Divinum Insanus" was released on June 7 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes.
When asked in a recent interview with Finland's Kaaos TV how the material from "Illud Divinum Insanus", has been going over live, David Vincent said, "[The fans] love it live. A few people, maybe some of the songs on the record are a bit too extreme for them, but by and large it's a great record. It's doing really well. A lot of excitement. We're happy to play all these songs live. Obviously, [in] the set we also include a lot of the other classics. This way everyone will have a chance to hear a lot of the different songs that they wanna hear."
Regarding whether he and his bandmates expected to get such a mixed reaction to "Illud Divinum Insanus" during the making of the CD, Vincent said, "Well, the only thing we do is make music and we're creative. We don't think about these things so much. We do what we do. My work is done, other than we perform. But the studio is done. We made a record that broke down a lot of boundaries and included some stuff that was never included before. But we've always done these kind of things. It should be no surprise to anyone that we always do crazy things, 'cause we crazy."
Just the third date of a month long tour, legendary black metallers MAYHEM touch down at the Trocadero, in Philadelphia, bring a package of underlings in tow that included (most notably), fellow Norwegians KEEP OF KALESSIN and Poland's HATE. No visible signs that longstanding televangelist/con-man Bob Larson's exorcism had any lasting effects on bassist Necrobutcher, nor his corpse-painted mates, although somehow circuits got crossed, keeping BraveWords.com at bay until KOK went on.
This is not the first time abroad for the Keepers, however the highly touted youngsters learned a few things on their last trip and rather than bludgeon an unsuspecting (and, more importantly, unfamiliar) crowd, the Norwegians opted for the iron fist in a velvet glove routine: subtle brutality, a triumphant take on black metal, complete with solos and guitar breaks. In conversations with fans who'd also seen the Norge quartet on previous occasions, this was a more melodic set, unfortunately composed solely of material off Kolossus and Repitillian (how about a little Armada, for the diehards?). While Thebon is the frontman, band founder/guitarist Obsidian C (a pendant with his namesake black gemstone hanging from his neck) introduced 'Judgement', with a typically Norwegian conservationist's verbosity. Opening with 'Kolossus', it was three across the front of the red lit stage the rest of the night, Thebon endlessly pinwheeling his blond mane, and occasionally lashing the cymbals with his mic chord. Other highlights were 'Dragon Iconography' and the closing 'Ascendant'. Now, if they can secure a tour in front of a few more people, even if Philly was receptive, considering THIS was not the Norwegian band they'd come to see.
A few days late for Halloween, Attila Csihar, looking one part ALICE COOPER (singing to a rotted skull) and one part KING DIAMOND (although not in either's league), saw the MAYHEM frontman's bloody jumble of make-up appear like he'd been in a fight or maybe the huge crucifix/insect design around his neck had smacked him in the face. His cape attired owed as much to papal vestment as SS officer. Scrims adorned with the Reaper, multiple lightning bolts and stylized (almost military regalia) insignias were placed on each side of the stage, a giant backdrop of the MAYHEM logo hanging from the rafters. Kicking off with 'Silvester Anfang' and 'Deathcrush' the same one-two punch that opens their '87 debut (considered THE original black metal moment), musically, they stood in stark contrast to their countrymen, preferring screams and dissonant volume (much to the rapturous approval of a close knit coven). 'Cursed In Eternity', 'Ancient Skin', 'My Death' and 'Illuminate Eliminate' formed a solid core of the middle of the set. Not much in the way of visuals, but that's not what black metal is supposed to be about, as envisioned 25 years ago. 'A Time To Die', alongside the now decade old favorite 'View From Nihil' kept those in the pit happy, but was nothing compared to exhuming old school classics 'Buried By Time And Dust' backed with 'Carnage'! Still, the ultimate "blast from the past" comes in the form of the now standard closing duo 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' and 'Pure Fucking Armageddon'. A more apt epitaph you'd be hard pressed to find.
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