Q&A: Rob Halford of Judas Priest
The metal frontman on choosing the best of Judas Priest
By Joanne Huffa
After 40 years, a couple dozen albums and numerous trips around the world, Judas Priest are calling their new tour Epitaph and saying this is the end of their touring life.
With a new record, The Chosen Few, compiling songs chosen by famous fans like Ozzy Osbourne, Lars Ulrich and Gene Simmons, Judas Priest's Rob Halford sat down at his computer to answer a few questions via email.
Your voice is instantly recognizable. When did you first realize you could sing?
When I was a little kid in the school choirs. I remember right from that point how much I loved to sing from the feelings it gave me
What singers influenced you? Is there anyone that would be surprising to your fans?
I think all singers should keep an open mind to all kinds of singers, that way you can learn and develop in ways you might not think of. A surprise singer I admire might be Tony Bennet. His style and performance are unique.
What made you decide to have other people pick (and comment on) the songs for The Chosen Few? It's an interesting take on the idea of a greatest hits or fan favourites album.
Our label and management came up with the idea and we ran with it as we thought it had never been done before. Amazing that all of those famous rock stars should be Priest fans as well. Just shows how we all are in each other's lives with our music.
What's your favourite Judas Priest song? Why?
Victim Of Changes. It has the riffs, the pounding beats. Twin guitars, softer moments. Very bluesy and heavy. The light and shade mirror the band's name truly.
You've been playing with the guys in Judas Priest for 40 years. What is it that you like about being a member of that band? What is the band dynamic like after so many years?
Chemistry makes a band. Call it fate or destiny that brings the players together with their own way of making vocals, drums, bass, guitars. Combined with the writing teams and the never ending possibilities for a new song. All of this, plus the passion and self-belief and determination make a group what it is.
I remember when there was a distinct line drawn between metal fans and punk fans, but bands like Priest and Motorhead were the rarities that it was cool to like regardless of the length of your hair. To what do you attribute your widespread appeal (for lack of a better word, your cool)?
From the start we wanted to put on a show that fans would remember by the looks as well as the sounds. So we invented the leather studs, whips and chains that married perfectly with our music. Times change the looks of bands. We had ours from the mid 70s on and have played around with it here and there, but stayed true to ourselves.
Metal seems a lot more diverse today than it did in the past. Has your audience changed in the past 15 years?
We have grown old together, but every show we play now covers just about all kinds of demographic: from heavy metal kids barely in their teens to guys and gals from our time of life. Metal has no age limit. Never will.
Finally, I'm guessing you haven't lived in England for a long time, but I'm wondering if growing up in Birmingham – with its juxtaposition of industrialism and nature – influenced your music. Do you think there's something about that area that inspired bands to play heavier, faster or louder than others?
We count our blessings that we came about as we did at an exciting time of musical development. Many people say Priest was at the beginning of the scene, which is true. Metal comes from electric prog blues rock and we refined all of that into how we sounded. We guess it's the same for all bands as far as where you come from gets into your music. We lived and breathed the metal of the foundries and factories, so maybe that is in our blood.
Following the news earlier this week that Astraeus Airlines has sadly now ceased operations, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson has disclosed he is currently working on a number of new aviation-related projects, some of which may involve his former Astraeus colleagues. One of his new ventures, which you will already be familiar with, is the upcoming Bruce Air Flight 666 Experience in the Boeing 737 Simulator.
Bruce's commitment to his aviation career remains as passionate as ever, and he wanted to reassure all MAIDEN fans that this includes the continuation of the Bruce Air fan club trips and more touring with Ed Force One at some point in the future.
Comments Bruce: "The good news is that Ed Force One will fly again, and we have time to prepare so there should be no problems the next time we need her. In the meantime, I'll get on with the business of flying until MAIDEN are out on the road again!"
IRON MAIDEN frontman and pilot Bruce Dickinson has vowed to resurrect a U.K. airline which has gone into administration.
Bruce Dickinson will be doing more rather than less in the aviation industry following the closure of Astraeus Airlines with whom he was a Boeing 757 captain.
Gatwick-based Astraeus went into administration on Monday, November 21 — and by coincidence Dickinson was captain on the very last flight, operated on behalf of BMI, from Jeddah to Manchester.
Bruce Dickinson said: "I'm amused that the less well informed seem to be portraying me as having to resort to busking on the streets following the closure of Astraeus. The more astute members of my circle are aware there's rather more going on in my world.
"Firstly, I'm already working on a plan to try to save Astraeus, or at least create a new business with new jobs for my friends and former colleagues at Astraeus. This is a serious plan involving people who are very good at their jobs.
"Frankly, now Astraeus has been relieved of the business model imposed upon it by Icelandic owners, who, to be honest, perhaps did not fully appreciate the way the key commercial aviation markets operated, I see the potential for a viable operation should acquisition of the company prove achievable. There is no reason why the original business model, which established Astraeus as possibly the best and most successful organisation in its sector, cannot be resurrected to the benefit of former employees and airline partners and clients alike.
"Secondly, I am also involved in a project which could mean the creation of as many as 1,500 jobs in aerospace in South Wales. That could be a very good news story.
"Thirdly, I'm a long way into the development of a flight training company — Real World Aviation — which will be perfectly placed to help address the aviation industry's perennial challenge: producing new and qualified pilots. For some reason, even in difficult economic times, there is still a shortage of qualified commercial pilots
"I'm extremely upbeat about these opportunities, particularly the potential for a revival, in some form, of Astraeus. The removal of Icelandic ownership from the mix has removed a huge burden and barrier to the redevelopment potential. The enthusiasm is also fuelled by the deluge of messages I received from the second I switched on my phone after landing the last Astraeus flight on Monday, and, of course, the interest of a number of prospective investors.
"I will be back at the controls of a commercial airliner before I am very much older — but I may also be at the controls of the company that operates that airliner, and others like itYou asked for it, headbangers.
Bruce's commitment to his aviation career remains as passionate as ever, and he wanted to reassure all MAIDEN fans that this includes the continuation of the Bruce Air fan club trips and more touring with Ed Force One at some point in the future.
Comments Bruce: "The good news is that Ed Force One will fly again, and we have time to prepare so there should be no problems the next time we need her. In the meantime, I'll get on with the business of flying until MAIDEN are out on the road again!"
IRON MAIDEN frontman and pilot Bruce Dickinson has vowed to resurrect a U.K. airline which has gone into administration.
Bruce Dickinson will be doing more rather than less in the aviation industry following the closure of Astraeus Airlines with whom he was a Boeing 757 captain.
Gatwick-based Astraeus went into administration on Monday, November 21 — and by coincidence Dickinson was captain on the very last flight, operated on behalf of BMI, from Jeddah to Manchester.
Bruce Dickinson said: "I'm amused that the less well informed seem to be portraying me as having to resort to busking on the streets following the closure of Astraeus. The more astute members of my circle are aware there's rather more going on in my world.
"Firstly, I'm already working on a plan to try to save Astraeus, or at least create a new business with new jobs for my friends and former colleagues at Astraeus. This is a serious plan involving people who are very good at their jobs.
"Frankly, now Astraeus has been relieved of the business model imposed upon it by Icelandic owners, who, to be honest, perhaps did not fully appreciate the way the key commercial aviation markets operated, I see the potential for a viable operation should acquisition of the company prove achievable. There is no reason why the original business model, which established Astraeus as possibly the best and most successful organisation in its sector, cannot be resurrected to the benefit of former employees and airline partners and clients alike.
"Secondly, I am also involved in a project which could mean the creation of as many as 1,500 jobs in aerospace in South Wales. That could be a very good news story.
"Thirdly, I'm a long way into the development of a flight training company — Real World Aviation — which will be perfectly placed to help address the aviation industry's perennial challenge: producing new and qualified pilots. For some reason, even in difficult economic times, there is still a shortage of qualified commercial pilots
"I'm extremely upbeat about these opportunities, particularly the potential for a revival, in some form, of Astraeus. The removal of Icelandic ownership from the mix has removed a huge burden and barrier to the redevelopment potential. The enthusiasm is also fuelled by the deluge of messages I received from the second I switched on my phone after landing the last Astraeus flight on Monday, and, of course, the interest of a number of prospective investors.
"I will be back at the controls of a commercial airliner before I am very much older — but I may also be at the controls of the company that operates that airliner, and others like itYou asked for it, headbangers.
The new MuchMore rockumentary series Metal Evolution — the latest high- volume blast from Canadian filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen — was sparked by fan reaction to their 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, says one of its creators.
"Some people said they wished that film was eight hours long," Dunn, 37, says with a chuckle. "I guess this is our way of saying, 'Here you go.' We have to be careful what we wish for."
Not this time, dude. For fans of the devil's music, Metal Evolution should be as welcome as a Black Sabbath reunion. Hosted by blond scarecrow Dunn — the onscreen half of the duo behind Juno-winning docs like Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage — this definitive guide to all things hard, heavy and hairy charts the course of metal from its roots in classical and jazz to its progressive future. Along with the expected array of vintage clips and new interviews with metal gods such as Rob Halford, Alice Cooper and Slash, the series takes some interesting detours, visiting the Marshall amp factory to probe the birth of distortion and having Dunn's noggin scanned to see how music affects his brainwaves.
Follow QMI Agency's Darryl Sterdan on Twitter!
With the 11-part series (get it?) premiering on MuchMore on Friday, Nov. 25, former anthropology student, one-time metal bassist and new father Dunn got on the blower to discuss his newfound appreciation for nu-metal, hanging out in Iggy's man-cave and Sabbath vs. Van Halen.
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Some highlights:
You've been working on this series for more than two years. How much more work went into this than one of your documentary films?
Well, this series is 11 one-hour episodes on the entire history of hard rock and heavy metal. And each episode is really a documentary unto its own. Because what we discovered is that each metal subgenre — whether it's thrash or shock-rock or glam-metal or grunge — has its own unique story. And its own cast of characters and key people. So it was a lot more work from a research and writing perspective because we had to pin down the key characters and come up with interesting stories. There were a lot of late nights in the writing room with Deep Purple on.
What were the biggest surprises and epiphanies for you?
One that really stands out to me was nu-metal, which emerged in the '90s and was this subgenre that explored hip-hop and included turntables. Guys in bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park didn't look metal. And I honestly despised these bands at the time.
But in doing the episode, I learned there was some value in what those bands brought to the genre because it tested the boundaries of heavy metal. Part of the charm of metal is the musicians' and fans' commitment to the music and the sense of community. But the downside is that can become pretty exclusive and even elitist at times. The nu- metal episode made me realize adding a seven-string guitar and bringing metal back to some sense of groove — which it really hadn't had since Led Zeppelin in the '70s — maybe wasn't such a bad thing.
Just because I'm a crusty, thrash-loving metalhead from the '80s doesn't mean I can tell Linkin Park fans their music isn't important.
Was there one interview that was particularly meaningful?
Meeting guys like Wayne Kramer and Iggy Pop. The MC5 and The Stooges weren't bands I loved growing up, so meeting them really expanded my idea of where metal comes from and the different sensibilities musicians were bringing to the music in the '70s. Iggy is such an icon and one of the all-time great performers, so travelling down to Miami and getting to hang out in his Everglades man-cave in the swamps of Florida was pretty damn cool. It was kind of weird. It felt like a scene out of Dexter — but there was a really nice Porsche outside.
What about Canadian metal? What's our contribution to the genre?
The first and most obvious is Rush. One of our episodes is on progressive metal, and it kind of takes you from bands like Yes and Genesis through to contemporary bands like Mastodon who have taken elements of extreme metal and combined it with that '60s prog-rock.
Rush was really the first band that combined British progressive rock with heavy music. They were one part Yes, one part Led Zeppelin. And an album like 2112 launched a whole new generation of musicians. We did a whole documentary on Rush and I though we had nothing more to say, but we're still giving props to Rush. We just can't get rid of them.
Speaking of having nothing more to say, at this point, even you must be getting tired of talking about metal. What's next?
Yeah, I'm cutting my hair and wearing white from now on. (Laughs) Actually, we've discovered metal and rock may be a niche, but it's a pretty big niche, and a good niche to be in. Neil Young and Leonard Cohen and The Rolling Stones have all had multiple documentaries, but there are still hard rock artists out there whose stories haven't been told — bands like AC/DC or Alice Cooper. In fact, that's our next project: We're doing a documentary on Alice's career, from the beginning right up to his comeback in the '80s. That's one project.
The other is a documentary on the modern history of Satan, of all people. Our exploration of heavy metal has made us realize Satan continues to be a pervasive figure in popular culture through film, literature and music. That's an example of a film that's obviously still rooted in what we've done, but it's much broader. It's not a music film. We're pretty excited about that next step.
Last question: Black Sabbath reunion or Van Halen reunion?
Oh man, that's like asking me to pick the favourite of my children.
I'll be at both shows.
."
KISS' official web site, KissOnline.com, has been updated with the following message:
"Twenty years ago today, our friend Eric Carr passed away after losing his battle with cancer. Over the eleven years Eric spent with KISS, he played over 800 concerts to millions of fans around the world, and he brought joy to and touched the lives of so many people. Here are some thoughts and memories that the band would like to share."
Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals): "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."
Eric Singer (drums): "Eric Carr was a beloved member of KISS for eleven years. His drumming was as powerful as his love and devotion for the fans and remains in the hearts of many to this day..."
Tommy Thayer (guitar): "Eric Carr was a special person and a friend. He would always go out of his way to be friendly and say something nice. I remember the band was mixing 'Hot In The Shade' back in 1989 at Cherokee Studios in L.A. 'Hot In The Shade' was a mish-mash of sorts and everyone was throwing in their two cents on the mix — you know, 'Turn up the guitars, turn up the bass...' I was listening and remember saying to the engineer, 'Where's the drums?' At the end of the night, Eric quietly pulled me aside and said, 'Thanks for mentioning the drums.' He appreciated that... A good guy."
Gene Simmons (bass, vocals): "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."
"Twenty years ago today, our friend Eric Carr passed away after losing his battle with cancer. Over the eleven years Eric spent with KISS, he played over 800 concerts to millions of fans around the world, and he brought joy to and touched the lives of so many people. Here are some thoughts and memories that the band would like to share."
Paul Stanley (guitar, vocals): "At a time when KISS was in the midst of upheaval and turmoil, Eric brought calm and an optimism that refocused our priorities so we could move forward. I can't overstate his contribution to our rebirth. His dedication to his music was only matched by his dedication to his fans. He was a kind soul who couldn't say an unkind word about anyone and I think of him all the time."
Eric Singer (drums): "Eric Carr was a beloved member of KISS for eleven years. His drumming was as powerful as his love and devotion for the fans and remains in the hearts of many to this day..."
Tommy Thayer (guitar): "Eric Carr was a special person and a friend. He would always go out of his way to be friendly and say something nice. I remember the band was mixing 'Hot In The Shade' back in 1989 at Cherokee Studios in L.A. 'Hot In The Shade' was a mish-mash of sorts and everyone was throwing in their two cents on the mix — you know, 'Turn up the guitars, turn up the bass...' I was listening and remember saying to the engineer, 'Where's the drums?' At the end of the night, Eric quietly pulled me aside and said, 'Thanks for mentioning the drums.' He appreciated that... A good guy."
Gene Simmons (bass, vocals): "I never knew anyone more humble in my life. Eric Carr was a kind soul who never said anything bad about anybody. He was also a double threat on drums, and vocals. I miss him."
LITTLE ROCK, AR - Stacie "Mack" McIntosh is not your typical stylist. This is not your typical salon.
About one year ago, two of Mack's friends gave her a shrine dedicated to the band KISS as a gift. It sits in her salon and is about the size of an old-fashioned arcade game, covered in KISS pictures and memorabilia. The shrine's centerpiece is a mock KISS stage, complete with a light show.
Mack says her friends gave it to her, "because we all love KISS, they loved me, and it was a way for them to take their memorabilia and let the world share in all of our love for KISS."
Just one problem: Verizon says the shrine is interfering with their signal. They issued a statement, saying in part: "the interference is minimal and localized ... the device interferes with the spectrum for which we are licensed." Verizon wants Mack to get rid of the machine or at least leave it unplugged.
Her answer?
"What can they do to me? This is my salon," she said. "I pay the bills."
Verizon isn't sure why the machine causes interference. To find out, we asked Tim Huckaby of Weird Art Productions, he built it.
"Actually I have no idea because we just used common materials," said Tim Huckaby.
Here's some more potentially bad news for Verizon. Weird Art Productions is in the process of making two more KISS shrines that could lead to the same problem.
"If that one's already interfering," said Huckaby, "maybe KISS interference might come out of those. Who knows?"
No one knows yet. What we do know is Mack's shrine isn't going anywhere.
"It's not getting unplugged, and you better hope Gene Simmons doesn't hear about it because then you can deal with him," she laughed.
Verizon says their signal actually picks up interference more than you might think. One example they gave is a fast food sign that caused a problem. Typically they ask the owner to help out and it's no problem. This situation happens to be a little different.
If you'd like to see more of Weird Art Productions' work, you can go to their Facebook page.
Stacie "Mack" McIntosh also has a Facebook page you can find here.
About one year ago, two of Mack's friends gave her a shrine dedicated to the band KISS as a gift. It sits in her salon and is about the size of an old-fashioned arcade game, covered in KISS pictures and memorabilia. The shrine's centerpiece is a mock KISS stage, complete with a light show.
Mack says her friends gave it to her, "because we all love KISS, they loved me, and it was a way for them to take their memorabilia and let the world share in all of our love for KISS."
Just one problem: Verizon says the shrine is interfering with their signal. They issued a statement, saying in part: "the interference is minimal and localized ... the device interferes with the spectrum for which we are licensed." Verizon wants Mack to get rid of the machine or at least leave it unplugged.
Her answer?
"What can they do to me? This is my salon," she said. "I pay the bills."
Verizon isn't sure why the machine causes interference. To find out, we asked Tim Huckaby of Weird Art Productions, he built it.
"Actually I have no idea because we just used common materials," said Tim Huckaby.
Here's some more potentially bad news for Verizon. Weird Art Productions is in the process of making two more KISS shrines that could lead to the same problem.
"If that one's already interfering," said Huckaby, "maybe KISS interference might come out of those. Who knows?"
No one knows yet. What we do know is Mack's shrine isn't going anywhere.
"It's not getting unplugged, and you better hope Gene Simmons doesn't hear about it because then you can deal with him," she laughed.
Verizon says their signal actually picks up interference more than you might think. One example they gave is a fast food sign that caused a problem. Typically they ask the owner to help out and it's no problem. This situation happens to be a little different.
If you'd like to see more of Weird Art Productions' work, you can go to their Facebook page.
Stacie "Mack" McIntosh also has a Facebook page you can find here.
In honor of the late Randy Rhoads, famed lead guitarist of OZZY OSBOURNE and QUIET RIOT, his sister Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio and the Rhoads family invite music/wine fans to D'Argenzio Winery (1204 W. Burbank Blvd.) in Burbank, California on December 3. This special gathering, dubbed "A Celebration Of Randy Rhoads", will be a great opportunity for fans and friends to spend time with the Rhoads family and honor Randy. The event will kick off at 3:00 p.m. and will be MC'd by Mr. '80s, Julian Douglas. There will be a special performance by Randy's brother Kelle Rhoads, backed by Ronny North, and some "cool Randy Rhoads stuff" will be on display as well.
"A Celebration Of Randy Rhoads" will include appearances by "special guests" and will conclude with a question-and-answer session with the Rhoads family. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.
Kelle and Ronny North will appear live on the air in the studio at KNAC.com radio with KNAC DJ Craig Williams on November 27 at 6:00 p.m. PST. They will chat about the "A Celebration Of Randy Rhoads" event.
For more information, visit www.dargenziowine.com.
Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio is co-owner of D'Argenzio Winery.
The Rhoads and D'Argenzio families have created a unique and memorable way to honor Randy's legacy, music, and life.
The Rhoads special edition 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was released to the public on August 15, 2010. A release event was held that evening in Burbank, California at the D'Argenzio Winery's tasting room.
This wine is bottled and produced from the world-class wine region Sonoma County in Northern California.
This is a limited-edition wine, available only at the Santa Rosa and Burbank tasting rooms and also through the web site, www.dargenziowine.com.
The Rhoads and D'Argenzio families have created this wine with the same dedication, passion and pride that Randy gave to his music.
"A Celebration Of Randy Rhoads" will include appearances by "special guests" and will conclude with a question-and-answer session with the Rhoads family. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.
Kelle and Ronny North will appear live on the air in the studio at KNAC.com radio with KNAC DJ Craig Williams on November 27 at 6:00 p.m. PST. They will chat about the "A Celebration Of Randy Rhoads" event.
For more information, visit www.dargenziowine.com.
Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio is co-owner of D'Argenzio Winery.
The Rhoads and D'Argenzio families have created a unique and memorable way to honor Randy's legacy, music, and life.
The Rhoads special edition 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was released to the public on August 15, 2010. A release event was held that evening in Burbank, California at the D'Argenzio Winery's tasting room.
This wine is bottled and produced from the world-class wine region Sonoma County in Northern California.
This is a limited-edition wine, available only at the Santa Rosa and Burbank tasting rooms and also through the web site, www.dargenziowine.com.
The Rhoads and D'Argenzio families have created this wine with the same dedication, passion and pride that Randy gave to his music.
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) — has tapped Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE) to mix the band's third album for an early 2012 release. The CD was recorded at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio set up.
Commented Vinnie Paul: "Havin' a blast workin' with Jeremy Parker! These mixes are crushing and I'm back to my trademark drum sound!! Heavy slammin' grooves!"
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.
Commented Vinnie Paul: "Havin' a blast workin' with Jeremy Parker! These mixes are crushing and I'm back to my trademark drum sound!! Heavy slammin' grooves!"
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.
Simply put, Riot is one of the best hard rock/heavy metal bands ever. That's right. EVER. For those of you who don't know, Riot albums such as Fire Down Under (1981), Restless Breed (1982) and Thundersteel (1988) are classic albums of the heavy rock genre. And each album has a different singer on it, a distinct voice, and for years Riot founder/guitarist Mark Reale and the other musicians have been able to shape the songwriting around each vocal style in such a perfect manner.
Gone are a slew of formidable members, including vocalists Guy Speranza (left the band in 1982, died of cancer in 2003) and Rhett Forrester (left the band in 1984, murdered in Atlanta in 1994) and guitarist Rick Ventura (left the band in 1984, was a part of the great songwriting on albums like Fire Down Under). Jag Panzer vocalist Harry "Tyrant" Conlin even joined the band for a short period of time. But Riot now releases the album Immortal Soul with the reunited Thundersteel lineup of Tony Moore on vocals, Bobby Jarzombek on drums, Mike Flyntz on guitar and Don Van Stavern on bass and, of course, Reale on guitars.
The following is an interview with guitarist Mark Reale:
I thought Thundersteel was a remarkable comeback album when it came out in 1988. The same can be said for this new album, Immortal Soul, too …no?
Mark Reale: Immortal Soul is basically the follow up to Thundersteel (1998) and Privilege of Power (1990) 20 years later. The sound of the Thundersteel lineup is so identifiable and the songs on the new CD have the same feel and sound but with more of a modern power metal twist. This lineup's writing and performing skills have the same kind of magic we had back when we recorded the Thundersteel album. I couldn't have asked for more, this CD is definitely a great comeback for us and everyone gave it there all and brought their "A" game on Immortal Soul. I'm very proud of the way it came out. The guys did an amazing job and Bruno Ravel did a great mix and production job.
Mark Reale: Immortal Soul is basically the follow up to Thundersteel (1998) and Privilege of Power (1990) 20 years later. The sound of the Thundersteel lineup is so identifiable and the songs on the new CD have the same feel and sound but with more of a modern power metal twist. This lineup's writing and performing skills have the same kind of magic we had back when we recorded the Thundersteel album. I couldn't have asked for more, this CD is definitely a great comeback for us and everyone gave it there all and brought their "A" game on Immortal Soul. I'm very proud of the way it came out. The guys did an amazing job and Bruno Ravel did a great mix and production job.
Since Thundersteel the band has moved into more of a power metal style. How did this evolution occur? Was it at first due to Tony Moore's style of singing?
Reale: The Thundersteel lineup had a certain kind of formula for writing songs and a sound that people loved. Don (Van Stavern) was responsible for a lot of the changes of the sound of Riot during that period because of his background in heavy metal. He wrote most of the songs on Thundersteel and you will hear some of his recognizable style on Immortal Soul. Everybody participated in the writing on this CD. Mike did a lot of excellent writing and lead playing and Bobby of course did his usual awesome drumming and Tony outdid himself lyrically and vocally on this effort. I pretty much took a producer standpoint for a lot of this. I am very proud of these guys and could definitely not have done it without them.
Reale: The Thundersteel lineup had a certain kind of formula for writing songs and a sound that people loved. Don (Van Stavern) was responsible for a lot of the changes of the sound of Riot during that period because of his background in heavy metal. He wrote most of the songs on Thundersteel and you will hear some of his recognizable style on Immortal Soul. Everybody participated in the writing on this CD. Mike did a lot of excellent writing and lead playing and Bobby of course did his usual awesome drumming and Tony outdid himself lyrically and vocally on this effort. I pretty much took a producer standpoint for a lot of this. I am very proud of these guys and could definitely not have done it without them.
How did Tony Moore come back to the band? Why did he leave in the first place?
Reale: When the Thundersteel line up broke up over 20 some odd years ago, Don left first due to managerial conflicts, shortly followed by Tony. We kept the lineup going with the remaining members. During that period Don continued on in various projects, touring and recording, whereas Tony kind of left the scene and was doing stuff on a more grounded level. So I think after 20 years of that, and a home life, and then getting thrown back into the fire it was a little overwhelming at that time for him. We all didn't know how this was going to turn out. But it ended up going from reunion shows to an overwhelming outcry for permanence. He had to step back and re-evaluate his stance during this period. I think he just needed time for this to sink in and that there was such a demand for the group. He had to arrange his personal life's schedule to give it some priority that it was requiring. He also was seeing the people commenting on him singing, everyone wanted a new CD with him on it. After his short departure we had a band pow wow and we decided to give it a shot again. Tony's vocals are a big part of this sound and we were exciting to have him back. You will hear on Immortal Soul how lucky we are to have him back. The vocals sound better than 20 years ago! It's amazing. Hell, the whole band blows me away. Hopefully we can keep this unit together for years to come, God willing.
Reale: When the Thundersteel line up broke up over 20 some odd years ago, Don left first due to managerial conflicts, shortly followed by Tony. We kept the lineup going with the remaining members. During that period Don continued on in various projects, touring and recording, whereas Tony kind of left the scene and was doing stuff on a more grounded level. So I think after 20 years of that, and a home life, and then getting thrown back into the fire it was a little overwhelming at that time for him. We all didn't know how this was going to turn out. But it ended up going from reunion shows to an overwhelming outcry for permanence. He had to step back and re-evaluate his stance during this period. I think he just needed time for this to sink in and that there was such a demand for the group. He had to arrange his personal life's schedule to give it some priority that it was requiring. He also was seeing the people commenting on him singing, everyone wanted a new CD with him on it. After his short departure we had a band pow wow and we decided to give it a shot again. Tony's vocals are a big part of this sound and we were exciting to have him back. You will hear on Immortal Soul how lucky we are to have him back. The vocals sound better than 20 years ago! It's amazing. Hell, the whole band blows me away. Hopefully we can keep this unit together for years to come, God willing.
How is Moore after his emergency surgery? How will it affect his vocal range?
Reale: Tony had emergency oral surgery about three weeks ago and is still recuperating but is in good spirits and doing well so we should be back up and running within a couple months. We were really bummed that we had to cancel (shows) but (it was) something we had to do for Tony. He had an infection in his jaw bone that required a bone graft which complicated the use of the mouth and as you know he needs to be 100% to sing this new stuff. His doctor said he will be fine and able to sing normal again, which is amazing because his vocals still sound great after all these years. I can't apologize enough to the fans, we were as disappointed as they were. Actually we are looking into re-booking a European tour at the top of next year so it's just kind of just postponed.
Reale: Tony had emergency oral surgery about three weeks ago and is still recuperating but is in good spirits and doing well so we should be back up and running within a couple months. We were really bummed that we had to cancel (shows) but (it was) something we had to do for Tony. He had an infection in his jaw bone that required a bone graft which complicated the use of the mouth and as you know he needs to be 100% to sing this new stuff. His doctor said he will be fine and able to sing normal again, which is amazing because his vocals still sound great after all these years. I can't apologize enough to the fans, we were as disappointed as they were. Actually we are looking into re-booking a European tour at the top of next year so it's just kind of just postponed.
Besides Tony Moore, which Riot vocalist did you feel most comfortable with? Was there one who did Riot's music the most justice?
Reale: I think the vocalists have a lot to do with the way I'm writing at the time. Guy had a unique mid-range voice and it was great on the first three records and of course the music changed up a bit when Rhett and his gravelly bluesy styled vocals joined because of the difference of singing style. Mike DiMeo's voice had a more bluesy Coverdale feel and fit the gothic "rainbowish" type tunes best and Tony's voice leads us to write this way, very melodic and aggressive. Tony has one of the best voices and range out in rock today. But other then Tony I would probably say Guy because he was there in the beginning and helped create the Riot legacy and appeared on such iconic records like Rock City, Narita and, of course, Fire Down Under — which is still one of Riot's most popular offering to this date.
Reale: I think the vocalists have a lot to do with the way I'm writing at the time. Guy had a unique mid-range voice and it was great on the first three records and of course the music changed up a bit when Rhett and his gravelly bluesy styled vocals joined because of the difference of singing style. Mike DiMeo's voice had a more bluesy Coverdale feel and fit the gothic "rainbowish" type tunes best and Tony's voice leads us to write this way, very melodic and aggressive. Tony has one of the best voices and range out in rock today. But other then Tony I would probably say Guy because he was there in the beginning and helped create the Riot legacy and appeared on such iconic records like Rock City, Narita and, of course, Fire Down Under — which is still one of Riot's most popular offering to this date.
Audio Fidelity released a high-quality vinyl release of Fire Down Under? It makes a great album that much better. Do you still look back at that album with amazement? That is possibly one of the best heavy albums of all time.
Reale: Fire Down Under — because it basically put us on the map — was so influential on a lot of musicians, and "Swords and Tequila" was such a big song which is still played on radio and we continue to play it live. We actually didn't know that Fire Down Under would become so iconic and influential at the time. We just gathered some great ideas and put them together like we did with Rock City and Narita. We added a new rhythm section in Kip Lemming and Sandy Slavin and the record ended up coming out heavy for that time period standards. The production of that record was very good for that time as well. It was one of those magical moments were everything was clicking musically. The songs, the sound it definitely put us on the map, just as the Thundersteel response was later on in our career.
Reale: Fire Down Under — because it basically put us on the map — was so influential on a lot of musicians, and "Swords and Tequila" was such a big song which is still played on radio and we continue to play it live. We actually didn't know that Fire Down Under would become so iconic and influential at the time. We just gathered some great ideas and put them together like we did with Rock City and Narita. We added a new rhythm section in Kip Lemming and Sandy Slavin and the record ended up coming out heavy for that time period standards. The production of that record was very good for that time as well. It was one of those magical moments were everything was clicking musically. The songs, the sound it definitely put us on the map, just as the Thundersteel response was later on in our career.
I think Riot was one of the handful of bands that were the USA's answer to the NWOBHM at that time period.
Is there any Riot album that you feel came up short?
Reale: Writing-wise… not really. Production-wise … maybe a couple. When I leave the studio I feel very satisfied after the whole composing, rehearsing and recording process. I don't think any particular record fell short. Maybe some didn't sell as well as others but we put the same passion and hard work into every Riot record no matter what lineup it is. Sometimes having to follow up to Riot masterpieces like Fire Down Under and Thundersteel you gotta be on point and strike back with some songs as good or better or people might not receive it as well. Were doing something right to be able to be recording and touring still for over three decades. As long as the people want to hear new Riot music we will be happy to deliver as long as we are able.
Reale: Writing-wise… not really. Production-wise … maybe a couple. When I leave the studio I feel very satisfied after the whole composing, rehearsing and recording process. I don't think any particular record fell short. Maybe some didn't sell as well as others but we put the same passion and hard work into every Riot record no matter what lineup it is. Sometimes having to follow up to Riot masterpieces like Fire Down Under and Thundersteel you gotta be on point and strike back with some songs as good or better or people might not receive it as well. Were doing something right to be able to be recording and touring still for over three decades. As long as the people want to hear new Riot music we will be happy to deliver as long as we are able.
How much do you feel the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement helped the band … a New York band?
Reale: A lot of bands were up-and-coming at the time. I think Riot was one of the handful of bands that were the USA's answer to the NWOBHM at that time period. We basically helped create the US version. I think we helped pave the way and acceptance for this type of music. There are lots of bands big time or local still playing Riot songs especially "Swords and Tequila" and "Thundersteel." Obviously bands like Metallica, Megadeth and HammerFall have shown representation throughout the years and we are truly grateful and honored, especially when you name your band Thundersteel. We were a little before the wave hit but it definitely helped theThundersteel era since it was our heaviest record at that point.
Reale: A lot of bands were up-and-coming at the time. I think Riot was one of the handful of bands that were the USA's answer to the NWOBHM at that time period. We basically helped create the US version. I think we helped pave the way and acceptance for this type of music. There are lots of bands big time or local still playing Riot songs especially "Swords and Tequila" and "Thundersteel." Obviously bands like Metallica, Megadeth and HammerFall have shown representation throughout the years and we are truly grateful and honored, especially when you name your band Thundersteel. We were a little before the wave hit but it definitely helped theThundersteel era since it was our heaviest record at that point.
The Donington show (1982) is legendary? Do you think that was one of Riot's best gigs?
Reale: It was definitely an honor to be asked to be a part of history, being one of the very first metal festivals! Along with hard rockin' bands like Rainbow, Scorpions, Priest, April Wine and thousands strong, we were paving the way for bigger things to come in the metal community. We found that Europe really embraced the band and our sound and also keep in mind we were the only American band on this bill. The soundtrack is legendary as well and our song "Road Racin'" appearing on it was an honor. The festival is still going strong under a different name now. I thought it would be a great idea to do it again with the same bands.
Reale: It was definitely an honor to be asked to be a part of history, being one of the very first metal festivals! Along with hard rockin' bands like Rainbow, Scorpions, Priest, April Wine and thousands strong, we were paving the way for bigger things to come in the metal community. We found that Europe really embraced the band and our sound and also keep in mind we were the only American band on this bill. The soundtrack is legendary as well and our song "Road Racin'" appearing on it was an honor. The festival is still going strong under a different name now. I thought it would be a great idea to do it again with the same bands.
What is former Riot guitarist Rick Ventura up to these days?
Reale: I actually haven't spoken with him in awhile. He still lives in NY and plays guitar in projects, I believe. I have talked with a few of the past members and at one point we kicked around the idea of a reunion of the Fire Down Under lineup, but with the death of the great Guy Speranza it wouldn't be possible and seem right. He had such a unique and identifiable voice.
Reale: I actually haven't spoken with him in awhile. He still lives in NY and plays guitar in projects, I believe. I have talked with a few of the past members and at one point we kicked around the idea of a reunion of the Fire Down Under lineup, but with the death of the great Guy Speranza it wouldn't be possible and seem right. He had such a unique and identifiable voice.
How true are the past rumors about the emergence Quiet Riot (in 1983) confusing the consumers and therefore complicating the future of Riot?
Reale: That really had nothing to do with it. We were more heavy hitters and they were more radio-oriented. A few managerial decisions early on held us back from being the band we could have been. We could have been more visible and in the ranks of the top metal bands of our generation, if we had the chance to work with the companies that were interested at the time. Being able to compose and perform all these years is simply awesome and a lot of bands can't say that. I'm very fortunate and have little regrets. Riot has always had that stigma about not breaking out, hopefully with this CD and our great new management we will finally make a bigger break.
Reale: That really had nothing to do with it. We were more heavy hitters and they were more radio-oriented. A few managerial decisions early on held us back from being the band we could have been. We could have been more visible and in the ranks of the top metal bands of our generation, if we had the chance to work with the companies that were interested at the time. Being able to compose and perform all these years is simply awesome and a lot of bands can't say that. I'm very fortunate and have little regrets. Riot has always had that stigma about not breaking out, hopefully with this CD and our great new management we will finally make a bigger break.
The title Immortal Soul is kind of a testament to the Riot legacy; we never die no matter what the circumstances are.
Sometimes a title of an album is window dressing, but the title Immortal Soul is almost a testament to the soul of the band itself. A lot has changed since, say, Thundersteel was released. But Riot has endured through so many changes in the music industry, many trends, many lineups, and has overcome tragedies (i.e., the deaths of important members Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester). What is the secret to the band's endurance?
Reale: The title Immortal Soul is kind of a testament to the Riot legacy; we never die no matter what the circumstances are. This band has bounced back from internal problems with management, member changes, labels and also, like you mentioned, the passing of band members … you name it, but Riot and its music lives on. We are kind of immortal souls. That's why Tony thought that would be a great title for the CD and the Les Paul coming back from the dead on the CD cover. We felt like that kind of summed it up. We have been around for so long and as long as we are able to keep coming back with great music that people enjoy we'll be here for years to come
Reale: The title Immortal Soul is kind of a testament to the Riot legacy; we never die no matter what the circumstances are. This band has bounced back from internal problems with management, member changes, labels and also, like you mentioned, the passing of band members … you name it, but Riot and its music lives on. We are kind of immortal souls. That's why Tony thought that would be a great title for the CD and the Les Paul coming back from the dead on the CD cover. We felt like that kind of summed it up. We have been around for so long and as long as we are able to keep coming back with great music that people enjoy we'll be here for years to come
"Wings Are For Angels" was released earlier this year as part of a Japanese tsunami relief album. How did that come about and what has been the feedback on that. Did the album successfully make money for the relief effort?
Reale: After negotiating the Japanese record deal with Marquee/ Avalon they approached us with the offer. We have a great love affair with the Japanese people and their country and have represented their culture on a few records, not to mention our mascot (The sumo fighter with a seal head) The Mighty Tior or as many people refer to him as Johnny! So it was a no brainer and no hesitation on our decision to help and give back to these amazing and caring people. It's been well received and I'm sure the people are very grateful to all the bands that participated.
Reale: After negotiating the Japanese record deal with Marquee/ Avalon they approached us with the offer. We have a great love affair with the Japanese people and their country and have represented their culture on a few records, not to mention our mascot (The sumo fighter with a seal head) The Mighty Tior or as many people refer to him as Johnny! So it was a no brainer and no hesitation on our decision to help and give back to these amazing and caring people. It's been well received and I'm sure the people are very grateful to all the bands that participated.
How will drummer Bobby Jarzombek's other projects schedule around Riot? Will Riot be his key concentration?
Reale: Bobby definitely juggles a few great bands. He tries to make time for each group although with Riot he is a full fledged member and not just a hired gun. He plays with Halford, Sebastian Bach, Fates Warning and recently the Arch/ Matheos Project so he keeps himself really busy musically. We try to tailor obligations around everyone's busy schedule. Usually we have enough advanced notice to make arrangements for band commitments. He's definitely got a full plate, but we respect him and are grateful that he is a part of this line up because he is very instrumental in this Riot power metal sound.
Reale: Bobby definitely juggles a few great bands. He tries to make time for each group although with Riot he is a full fledged member and not just a hired gun. He plays with Halford, Sebastian Bach, Fates Warning and recently the Arch/ Matheos Project so he keeps himself really busy musically. We try to tailor obligations around everyone's busy schedule. Usually we have enough advanced notice to make arrangements for band commitments. He's definitely got a full plate, but we respect him and are grateful that he is a part of this line up because he is very instrumental in this Riot power metal sound.
Riot thrives onstage … What will the tour to support this album be like?
Reale: The cool thing about Riot is that we have never relied on a giant stage production or gimmicks. We've always been about the music and performance. Joe Perry said it best when he stated, "Let the music do the talking." You will see five awesome musicians doing what they love which is playing from the heart and that are passionate about the live delivery. I can tell you it will be loud and fast with lotsa Marshalls. These guys are top-notch players and am very confident every time I hit the stage with them. You will leave satisfied. We will play a few songs from each album, even some very early stuff that we haven't played in awhile.
Reale: The cool thing about Riot is that we have never relied on a giant stage production or gimmicks. We've always been about the music and performance. Joe Perry said it best when he stated, "Let the music do the talking." You will see five awesome musicians doing what they love which is playing from the heart and that are passionate about the live delivery. I can tell you it will be loud and fast with lotsa Marshalls. These guys are top-notch players and am very confident every time I hit the stage with them. You will leave satisfied. We will play a few songs from each album, even some very early stuff that we haven't played in awhile.
What new song do you feel will win fans over as a classic live?
Reale: Obviously the opening track "Riot." Its kind of an anthem and the chorus is a good sing along. It gives the fans a chance to shout Riot which is a cool thing (laughs). "Wings Are For Angels" is a good burner live and we have already played it on the reunion tour because it was the first song we wrote after reuniting. "Still Your Man –"Johnny's Back" part 2! – will go over well. We will play the most popular songs that fans want to hear live as well. We keep an ear out to see what songs are getting played, charted and requested.
Reale: Obviously the opening track "Riot." Its kind of an anthem and the chorus is a good sing along. It gives the fans a chance to shout Riot which is a cool thing (laughs). "Wings Are For Angels" is a good burner live and we have already played it on the reunion tour because it was the first song we wrote after reuniting. "Still Your Man –"Johnny's Back" part 2! – will go over well. We will play the most popular songs that fans want to hear live as well. We keep an ear out to see what songs are getting played, charted and requested.
DevilDriver var nyligen här som en del av "The eighth plague tour" och varför då inte ta ett snack med sångaren Dez igen. Vi satte oss ner på Klubbens ovanvåning och snackade bl a om familj, indianer och flöjter.
How was Gothenburg yesterday?
Dez: Easy. It was my 10 year anniversary yesterday with my wife too, so we got to go to Peter from In Flames restaurant 2112. If you ever get to go there, it´s amazing! Fine dining, great bar and he´s a great guy.
The reason for just you guys playing there was…?
Dez: We don´t like days off and it wasn´t far to travel so we booked in a show.
Cool! Doing a package tour like this, is it more fun or more of a hassle because it´s more people involved?
Dez: This tour is really well done, so it´s nothing but fun so far! I´ve known Machine Head forever. I met the Bring Me The Horizon guys in Australia with my 13 year old son and we watched them and I´ve known Darkest Hour for a long time and I love their music, so the first night everybody was hanging. I f you went to my back lounge, I had all of the Machine Head´s crew, all of our crew and everybody back there just hanging out. It was cool! It´s good when everybody knows each other. Machine Head took out Coal Chamber back in the day and Coal Chamber took Machine Head out in the States, so we go way back. I´m pleased that they´d have us.
How´s the response been to the latest album? Has it been all good?
Dez: Unbelievable! It came out top 40 in the United States and we´ve gotten radio airplay which is impossible now. Number 9 in Australia and it did really well over here as well. All through the UK and all through Europe. We´re really pleased. We put one out every two years, so you never know what to expect. We´ve put out a lot of music. In 10 years we´ve put out five records and I think it´s due to the fact that we were only together for six months before we got our first record deal and most bands have five or six years before they get their first deal. Their writing process slows down and we´ve just been writing right now. We enjoy what we do!
Yeah, I was gonna ask about that, if you write while on tour?
Dez: We do!
Ok. I just talked to BMTH and they said that they don´t have the time for it or the urge to do it.
Dez: Some musicians are different and they may have their own way. What I feel is that if you´re a musician, you should write every day, so I write a song every day. I have books and books of lyrics to song structures. The day before our last tour, Jeff my guitar player, gave me a riff and I was like "That´s the first verse of the first song on the next record!". I just heard it and I´ve got the ability to just hear, but we do like to write on the road. If your time is consumed by drugs and booze you don´t have the time to do it, but that´s not what happens within our camp, so we have plenty of time to just sit around and write. Otherwise it would get really boring!
These days, do you use your phone or a computer to record it?
Dez: We bring out some recording equipment. We don´t bring it to Europe because that´s really hard to do. Especially since they charge for every extra seat so you get charged like a fucking million dollars, but in the States we bring it out and set it up and it´s like "Hey, we´ve got an idea!" and just go! It warms my voice up for the show and it´s better than sound checking in the afternoon! That fucks me up because I´m not ready. It blows my voice out for the night.
Speaking of making music, have you heard Metallica´s "Lulu"?
Dez: I have not!
It´s really interesting that it´s been totally slaughtered over the world.
Dez: It´s good that people are being honest! If they don´t like it, so be it.
Could you see yourself doing something completely different music wise?
Dez: Oh yeah and I already do! I do projects with a lot of different people. I have a thing and you can hear it on MySpace and it´s called High Desert Moon! It´s all Native American flute. I own like 30 flutes and play and I´m heavily into Native culture in America. I made a record with a guy named Greg Weiss whose father is responsible for writing some of the biggest tracks in history, like "Rhinestone cowboy" and "Evil woman", so him and I got together and it´s like canyon desert music, man! You gotta check it out! It´s High Desert Moon on MySpace. But I have a project with Mark Morton (Lamb of God) as well and I´m gonna sing on the new Soulfly record and Cancer Bats called me last night and wants me to sing on their shit. Grimfist hit me up in Norway and wants me to come jam on their shit. I like to jam! I like to play music and I like to write music and that´s what I´m all about! So doing something that different, yeah no problem! I´m influenced from everything from Goth to Black Flag.
Coming up with Native American stuff, is that harder than DevilDriver?
Dez: It´s whatever comes out naturally, I´m gonna do. From Coal Chamber to DevilDriver to High Desert Moon to other stuff that I´m working on, it just gotta come out naturally! The High Desert Moon stuff is just something that I feel is a pass life thing.
But where does that interest come from?
Dez: I´ve always been interested and when I was like five or six I was interested too. My mum can remember me being really interested in Native cultures. Before I go on stage I listen to scream singing, Native American scream singing and it just gets me, like ready to go! Puts on the war face for sure!
I studied in Bemidji in Minnesota way back and I went to see a Pow Wow, which was really cool.
Dez: Yeah! I went to the gathering of the nations near my house last year and that was absolutely amazing! In Minnesota, this guy Rolling Cloud… he´s very famous actually. His great great grandfather was like their highest medicine man they ever had. They´re just beautiful people! We crushed them! When the white man came in, they decimated their culture.
Yeah, it´s the same thing everywhere. Like the Aboriginals in Australia.
Dez: Yeah, they decimated them over there. You go to Sydney harbor and it´s amazing, but that was their holy ground they should tear everything down and give it back to the people, really! If you know something is right, how do you stay wrong? There might be a lyric in there… (laughs)
This tour ends in England in early December, what do you do after that?
Dez: Christmas with the family. I have three boys and a great Dane and a Doberman and a wife that I miss very much, so go home and hang out with them for Christmas and then I do Soundwave right after that in February, with Coal Chamber. It´ll be incredible! Two days later DevilDriver goes out in the United States in March with a stacked package. Just a really good package!
Next album?
Dez: We´re probably gonna stop the grind some time after July next year, maybe into October next year. We usually put out a record every two years if we don´t go away and write and go back out on tour, but I have a feeling we´re gonna be taking maybe a year to take off to write and really regroup. I mean, for 10 years straight we´ve earned the name "the hardest working band"! We clock in more shows than any band I can think of.
How do you make that work with a family?
Dez: You have to have a woman that is really behind you and my woman is my best friend. She´s a rock and she knows she has the life of a wife of a sailor. She met me when I was doing it. Most men in America can get maybe three weeks off at home or whatever. I can come home from a tour and have two or three weeks off, go out on tour and then have three weeks off. I actually get more time at home, like home all day. And she likes to travel with me and I took her and the kids last time to Australia and I´m taking them this time to Soundwave and I take them all over Europe as well. There´s some places she´d like to return to and others she doesn´t. She really wants to come to the Scandinavian countries, so next time I come out here I´m gonna bring her!
You should come in the summer!
Dez: Yeah of course, but even the winter I like it here.
It´s cold as hell!
Dez. It´s ok, I like it cold and dark. I light candles in the back lounge.
Is there a big difference between American and European audiences?
Dez: I get asked that a lot.
I just feel that... like Swedes can be a bit more reserved.
Dez: We´ll see tonight! (laughs) We´ll see tonight! They love their metal across the world, but in Europe there´s just something to the fans the way they take to the bands. Fans in the States kind of go through their bands quicker. I watch my son go from Job for a Cowboy to Suicide Silence to Skrillex and now it´s totally about dub step. I wasn´t like that when I was a kid. I heard KISS and I was like "Oh shit!" and I hung on. It is what it is.
Yeah! Well, thank you!
How was Gothenburg yesterday?
Dez: Easy. It was my 10 year anniversary yesterday with my wife too, so we got to go to Peter from In Flames restaurant 2112. If you ever get to go there, it´s amazing! Fine dining, great bar and he´s a great guy.
The reason for just you guys playing there was…?
Dez: We don´t like days off and it wasn´t far to travel so we booked in a show.
Cool! Doing a package tour like this, is it more fun or more of a hassle because it´s more people involved?
Dez: This tour is really well done, so it´s nothing but fun so far! I´ve known Machine Head forever. I met the Bring Me The Horizon guys in Australia with my 13 year old son and we watched them and I´ve known Darkest Hour for a long time and I love their music, so the first night everybody was hanging. I f you went to my back lounge, I had all of the Machine Head´s crew, all of our crew and everybody back there just hanging out. It was cool! It´s good when everybody knows each other. Machine Head took out Coal Chamber back in the day and Coal Chamber took Machine Head out in the States, so we go way back. I´m pleased that they´d have us.
How´s the response been to the latest album? Has it been all good?
Dez: Unbelievable! It came out top 40 in the United States and we´ve gotten radio airplay which is impossible now. Number 9 in Australia and it did really well over here as well. All through the UK and all through Europe. We´re really pleased. We put one out every two years, so you never know what to expect. We´ve put out a lot of music. In 10 years we´ve put out five records and I think it´s due to the fact that we were only together for six months before we got our first record deal and most bands have five or six years before they get their first deal. Their writing process slows down and we´ve just been writing right now. We enjoy what we do!
Yeah, I was gonna ask about that, if you write while on tour?
Dez: We do!
Ok. I just talked to BMTH and they said that they don´t have the time for it or the urge to do it.
Dez: Some musicians are different and they may have their own way. What I feel is that if you´re a musician, you should write every day, so I write a song every day. I have books and books of lyrics to song structures. The day before our last tour, Jeff my guitar player, gave me a riff and I was like "That´s the first verse of the first song on the next record!". I just heard it and I´ve got the ability to just hear, but we do like to write on the road. If your time is consumed by drugs and booze you don´t have the time to do it, but that´s not what happens within our camp, so we have plenty of time to just sit around and write. Otherwise it would get really boring!
These days, do you use your phone or a computer to record it?
Dez: We bring out some recording equipment. We don´t bring it to Europe because that´s really hard to do. Especially since they charge for every extra seat so you get charged like a fucking million dollars, but in the States we bring it out and set it up and it´s like "Hey, we´ve got an idea!" and just go! It warms my voice up for the show and it´s better than sound checking in the afternoon! That fucks me up because I´m not ready. It blows my voice out for the night.
Speaking of making music, have you heard Metallica´s "Lulu"?
Dez: I have not!
It´s really interesting that it´s been totally slaughtered over the world.
Dez: It´s good that people are being honest! If they don´t like it, so be it.
Could you see yourself doing something completely different music wise?
Dez: Oh yeah and I already do! I do projects with a lot of different people. I have a thing and you can hear it on MySpace and it´s called High Desert Moon! It´s all Native American flute. I own like 30 flutes and play and I´m heavily into Native culture in America. I made a record with a guy named Greg Weiss whose father is responsible for writing some of the biggest tracks in history, like "Rhinestone cowboy" and "Evil woman", so him and I got together and it´s like canyon desert music, man! You gotta check it out! It´s High Desert Moon on MySpace. But I have a project with Mark Morton (Lamb of God) as well and I´m gonna sing on the new Soulfly record and Cancer Bats called me last night and wants me to sing on their shit. Grimfist hit me up in Norway and wants me to come jam on their shit. I like to jam! I like to play music and I like to write music and that´s what I´m all about! So doing something that different, yeah no problem! I´m influenced from everything from Goth to Black Flag.
Coming up with Native American stuff, is that harder than DevilDriver?
Dez: It´s whatever comes out naturally, I´m gonna do. From Coal Chamber to DevilDriver to High Desert Moon to other stuff that I´m working on, it just gotta come out naturally! The High Desert Moon stuff is just something that I feel is a pass life thing.
But where does that interest come from?
Dez: I´ve always been interested and when I was like five or six I was interested too. My mum can remember me being really interested in Native cultures. Before I go on stage I listen to scream singing, Native American scream singing and it just gets me, like ready to go! Puts on the war face for sure!
I studied in Bemidji in Minnesota way back and I went to see a Pow Wow, which was really cool.
Dez: Yeah! I went to the gathering of the nations near my house last year and that was absolutely amazing! In Minnesota, this guy Rolling Cloud… he´s very famous actually. His great great grandfather was like their highest medicine man they ever had. They´re just beautiful people! We crushed them! When the white man came in, they decimated their culture.
Yeah, it´s the same thing everywhere. Like the Aboriginals in Australia.
Dez: Yeah, they decimated them over there. You go to Sydney harbor and it´s amazing, but that was their holy ground they should tear everything down and give it back to the people, really! If you know something is right, how do you stay wrong? There might be a lyric in there… (laughs)
This tour ends in England in early December, what do you do after that?
Dez: Christmas with the family. I have three boys and a great Dane and a Doberman and a wife that I miss very much, so go home and hang out with them for Christmas and then I do Soundwave right after that in February, with Coal Chamber. It´ll be incredible! Two days later DevilDriver goes out in the United States in March with a stacked package. Just a really good package!
Next album?
Dez: We´re probably gonna stop the grind some time after July next year, maybe into October next year. We usually put out a record every two years if we don´t go away and write and go back out on tour, but I have a feeling we´re gonna be taking maybe a year to take off to write and really regroup. I mean, for 10 years straight we´ve earned the name "the hardest working band"! We clock in more shows than any band I can think of.
How do you make that work with a family?
Dez: You have to have a woman that is really behind you and my woman is my best friend. She´s a rock and she knows she has the life of a wife of a sailor. She met me when I was doing it. Most men in America can get maybe three weeks off at home or whatever. I can come home from a tour and have two or three weeks off, go out on tour and then have three weeks off. I actually get more time at home, like home all day. And she likes to travel with me and I took her and the kids last time to Australia and I´m taking them this time to Soundwave and I take them all over Europe as well. There´s some places she´d like to return to and others she doesn´t. She really wants to come to the Scandinavian countries, so next time I come out here I´m gonna bring her!
You should come in the summer!
Dez: Yeah of course, but even the winter I like it here.
It´s cold as hell!
Dez. It´s ok, I like it cold and dark. I light candles in the back lounge.
Is there a big difference between American and European audiences?
Dez: I get asked that a lot.
I just feel that... like Swedes can be a bit more reserved.
Dez: We´ll see tonight! (laughs) We´ll see tonight! They love their metal across the world, but in Europe there´s just something to the fans the way they take to the bands. Fans in the States kind of go through their bands quicker. I watch my son go from Job for a Cowboy to Suicide Silence to Skrillex and now it´s totally about dub step. I wasn´t like that when I was a kid. I heard KISS and I was like "Oh shit!" and I hung on. It is what it is.
Yeah! Well, thank you!
Former EUROPE guitarist Kee Marcello and his manager, TMS Management, are currently "negotiating with a lot of major world famous acts" for the first-ever KeeFest, set to take place June 28-30, 2012 on the Åby racetrack in Mölndal, Sweden, right outside Gothenburg. According to TMS, "It goes without saying that Kee Marcello will be performing — not only with Kee Marcello band, but also with some of his former bands.
"As it has, the location of KeeFest is ideal: Gothenburg is located just 316 km from Copenhagen, 294 km from Oslo, 468 km from Stockholm and 270 km from Malmö.
"Besides Scandinavia, the whole continent is litterally around the corner; Germany is only 500 km away. With only a few hours by car, train or boat we reach over 40 million people.
"The huge audience capacity of Åby racetrack is creating some amazing scenarios: the blues/jazz/folk/acoustic stage (double the size of Ullevi football stadium); the main stage (four times the size of Ullevi football stadium!)."
"As it has, the location of KeeFest is ideal: Gothenburg is located just 316 km from Copenhagen, 294 km from Oslo, 468 km from Stockholm and 270 km from Malmö.
"Besides Scandinavia, the whole continent is litterally around the corner; Germany is only 500 km away. With only a few hours by car, train or boat we reach over 40 million people.
"The huge audience capacity of Åby racetrack is creating some amazing scenarios: the blues/jazz/folk/acoustic stage (double the size of Ullevi football stadium); the main stage (four times the size of Ullevi football stadium!)."
Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH is scheduled to complete work on its new album, "The Great Fire", tomorrow (Friday, November 25). The CD is due in early 2012 via Rise Records.
BLEEDING THROUGH's latest self-titled CD sold around 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BLEEDING THROUGH's previous effort, "Declaration" (2008), opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.
Released on April 13, 2010 via Rise, "Bleeding Through" was recorded at Planet Z Studios in Hadley, Massachusetts with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with MUNICIPAL WASTE, AGNOSTIC FRONT and HATEBREED, among others.
BLEEDING THROUGH's latest self-titled CD sold around 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BLEEDING THROUGH's previous effort, "Declaration" (2008), opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.
Released on April 13, 2010 via Rise, "Bleeding Through" was recorded at Planet Z Studios in Hadley, Massachusetts with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with MUNICIPAL WASTE, AGNOSTIC FRONT and HATEBREED, among others.
Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine conducted an interview with bassist Paolo Gregoletto of Florida metallers TRIVIUM when the band played in Stockholm on November 18, 2011 with IN FLAMES. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
Metalshrine: Have you listened to [the METALLICA and Lou Reed collaboration] "Lulu"?
Paolo Gregoletto: Oh yeah! (laughs)
Metalshrine: What do you think of it?
Paolo Gregoletto: Eehhh, it's really weird.
Metalshrine: Do you understand it?
Paolo Gregoletto: If anyone thinks they understand it, they're on drugs. It's a weird album, man! We listened to it… When the hell did we listen to it? Oh, on the last tour. We did a show in Tampa and a couple of us drove back to Orlando for the night because we were playing there the next day and we listened to most of it. We were just like, "What the fuck is this?" It's so weird. I saw some videos of it live and I don't know, man. If those dudes are happy doing that, then more power to them, because they're still my favorite band, but it's really weird and I think everyone thinks that, too.
Metalshrine: Probably. It's pretty funny that METALLICA fans in general, hate it, but magazines like Mojo and Uncut are giving it rave reviews, like 4 out of 5 and so on.
Paolo Gregoletto: I feel that that's why they were making this album, whether they say it is or not, but I feel it's kind of to make those kind of magazines… I guess, what's the right word? Like metal's kind of the outcast and everyone looks at us like a second-class genre and it's like trying to make those people respect you more. I couldn't give a shit if those magazines would review our albums ever! I would never do an album like that to make them like us. It's so weird.
Metalshrine: I can understand why they're doing it. They've got millions of dollars and they can do whatever they want and they need something to get them out of bed.
Paolo Gregoletto: I've got a good thing to counter that. So does IRON MAIDEN. They've got millions of dollars and when they get out of bed, they play metal and they still pack arenas and they seem like they're having a good time. (laughs) I can understand that they do that and as an artist myself, I definitely don't wanna be constrained to one thing, but I also don't wanna make a non-metal record with TRIVIUM. We've established that we're a metal band and our fans love us for that But METALLICA even said that "a lot of people aren't gonna get it, but we wanna do it." and you gotta respect that they do what they wanna do. And hey, they're playing the "black album" this summer! Every time they do [something questionable], they do something cool. They made "St. Anger" and then they did "Death Magnetic" and it was like, "Alright, they've still got it." They do some interesting things sometimes. They're one of the best live bands by far.
Metalshrine: Have you listened to [the METALLICA and Lou Reed collaboration] "Lulu"?
Paolo Gregoletto: Oh yeah! (laughs)
Metalshrine: What do you think of it?
Paolo Gregoletto: Eehhh, it's really weird.
Metalshrine: Do you understand it?
Paolo Gregoletto: If anyone thinks they understand it, they're on drugs. It's a weird album, man! We listened to it… When the hell did we listen to it? Oh, on the last tour. We did a show in Tampa and a couple of us drove back to Orlando for the night because we were playing there the next day and we listened to most of it. We were just like, "What the fuck is this?" It's so weird. I saw some videos of it live and I don't know, man. If those dudes are happy doing that, then more power to them, because they're still my favorite band, but it's really weird and I think everyone thinks that, too.
Metalshrine: Probably. It's pretty funny that METALLICA fans in general, hate it, but magazines like Mojo and Uncut are giving it rave reviews, like 4 out of 5 and so on.
Paolo Gregoletto: I feel that that's why they were making this album, whether they say it is or not, but I feel it's kind of to make those kind of magazines… I guess, what's the right word? Like metal's kind of the outcast and everyone looks at us like a second-class genre and it's like trying to make those people respect you more. I couldn't give a shit if those magazines would review our albums ever! I would never do an album like that to make them like us. It's so weird.
Metalshrine: I can understand why they're doing it. They've got millions of dollars and they can do whatever they want and they need something to get them out of bed.
Paolo Gregoletto: I've got a good thing to counter that. So does IRON MAIDEN. They've got millions of dollars and when they get out of bed, they play metal and they still pack arenas and they seem like they're having a good time. (laughs) I can understand that they do that and as an artist myself, I definitely don't wanna be constrained to one thing, but I also don't wanna make a non-metal record with TRIVIUM. We've established that we're a metal band and our fans love us for that But METALLICA even said that "a lot of people aren't gonna get it, but we wanna do it." and you gotta respect that they do what they wanna do. And hey, they're playing the "black album" this summer! Every time they do [something questionable], they do something cool. They made "St. Anger" and then they did "Death Magnetic" and it was like, "Alright, they've still got it." They do some interesting things sometimes. They're one of the best live bands by far.
Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen will present a new, Paulo Coelho-inspired song, "Outlanders", at Paulo Coelho Day on November 26 at Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, Kamppi centre, a complex in the Kamppi district in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. The free event is organized by Bazar Kustannus together with Suomalainen kirjakauppa.
"Outlanders" is a song about the secrecy of each exact moment, the importance of enjoying life to its fullest every day. The extracts are taken from Coelho's books: "Alkemisti", "Piedrajoen Rannalla Istuin Ja Itkin" and "Elämä".
OUTLANDERS is also the name of a new project Turunen formed with the German producer Torsten Stenzel. The project brought together people who have found their homes outside their native countries (Tarja now lives in Argentina, Torsten in the Caribbean, and guest guitarist Walter Giardino was born in Argentina, but now lives in Spain; Paulo Coelho has also moved from his native country). Co-operation has created music, and the first song was named after the band, "Outlanders".
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho's best-known works include "The Pilgrimage", "The Alchemist" and "Eleven Minutes". Coelho's books are published in 73 languages to 168 countries and have already sold over 135 million copies. The author was appointed the UN's peace envoy in 2007.
"Outlanders" is a song about the secrecy of each exact moment, the importance of enjoying life to its fullest every day. The extracts are taken from Coelho's books: "Alkemisti", "Piedrajoen Rannalla Istuin Ja Itkin" and "Elämä".
OUTLANDERS is also the name of a new project Turunen formed with the German producer Torsten Stenzel. The project brought together people who have found their homes outside their native countries (Tarja now lives in Argentina, Torsten in the Caribbean, and guest guitarist Walter Giardino was born in Argentina, but now lives in Spain; Paulo Coelho has also moved from his native country). Co-operation has created music, and the first song was named after the band, "Outlanders".
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho's best-known works include "The Pilgrimage", "The Alchemist" and "Eleven Minutes". Coelho's books are published in 73 languages to 168 countries and have already sold over 135 million copies. The author was appointed the UN's peace envoy in 2007.
Genk, Belgium-based female-fronted metallers NIGHTQUEEN have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's full-length debut, "For Queen And Metal", is scheduled for release on February 24, 2012.
A promotional video for the song "Lady Fantasy", which is set to appear on "For Queen And Metal", can be seen below.
NIGHTQUEEN was formed in late 2004 by guitarist and main songwriter Rex Zeco. The formula was simple: strong guitar riffs, upgraded with the modern metal beats and a melodic melody with catchy tunes that are stuck in the head for a long time.
NIGHTQUEEN is:
Keely Larreina - Lead vocals
Daniel Kells - Keyboards
Rex Zeco - Guitar
Alan Rawson - Guitar
Steven Steele - Bass
William Blodyn - Drums
For more information, visit www.nightqueen.be.
A promotional video for the song "Lady Fantasy", which is set to appear on "For Queen And Metal", can be seen below.
NIGHTQUEEN was formed in late 2004 by guitarist and main songwriter Rex Zeco. The formula was simple: strong guitar riffs, upgraded with the modern metal beats and a melodic melody with catchy tunes that are stuck in the head for a long time.
NIGHTQUEEN is:
Keely Larreina - Lead vocals
Daniel Kells - Keyboards
Rex Zeco - Guitar
Alan Rawson - Guitar
Steven Steele - Bass
William Blodyn - Drums
For more information, visit www.nightqueen.be.
Polish female-fronted traditional heavy metal act CRYSTAL VIPER will enter MP Studio in Poland in December with producer Bart Gabriel (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, LONEWOLF, SABBAT) and sound engineer Mariusz Pietka to begin recording its fourth album, "Crimen Excepta". The concept effort about holy inquisition, black magic and witches, where fiction will be mixed with historical facts, will be released on April 27, 2012, via AFM Records.
CRYSTAL VIPER will play its last German show of 2011 at the 15 Years Metal Addiction - AFM Festival on Saturday, November 26 at Markthalle in Hamburg.
CRYSTAL VIPER's last album, "Legends", was released in October 2010 via AFM Records. The CD's lyrics were based on the original Polish legends from the middle ages. The effort's cover artwork was painted by the French artist Chris Moyen, who has previously worked with SLAYER, TRIVIUM, BEHERIT and BLASPHEMY.
CRYSTAL VIPER will play its last German show of 2011 at the 15 Years Metal Addiction - AFM Festival on Saturday, November 26 at Markthalle in Hamburg.
CRYSTAL VIPER's last album, "Legends", was released in October 2010 via AFM Records. The CD's lyrics were based on the original Polish legends from the middle ages. The effort's cover artwork was painted by the French artist Chris Moyen, who has previously worked with SLAYER, TRIVIUM, BEHERIT and BLASPHEMY.
CADAVERIA, the Italian band featuring former OPERA IX vocalist Cadaveria and ex-OPERA IX drummer/NECRODEATH vocalist Marçelo Santos (a.k.a. Flegias), will release its fourth album, "Horror Metal", on January 31, 2012 via Bakerteam Records, a division of Scarlet Records which aims "to discover and offer support to the best talents of the hard rock and heavy metal international scene."
"Horror Metal" track listing:
01. Flowers In Fire
02. The Night's Theatre
03. Death Vision
04. Whispers Of Sin
05. Assassin
06. The Days Of The After And Behind
07. Apocalypse
08. The Oracle (Of The Fog)
09. Requiem
10. This Is Not The Silence
11. Hypnotic Psychosis
The group's long-awaited follow-up 2007's "In Your Blood" (released on French extreme metal label Season Of Mist) has been described by Cadaveria as "the most obscure, raw and horror-filled work ever produced by the group."
"Horror Metal" track listing:
01. Flowers In Fire
02. The Night's Theatre
03. Death Vision
04. Whispers Of Sin
05. Assassin
06. The Days Of The After And Behind
07. Apocalypse
08. The Oracle (Of The Fog)
09. Requiem
10. This Is Not The Silence
11. Hypnotic Psychosis
The group's long-awaited follow-up 2007's "In Your Blood" (released on French extreme metal label Season Of Mist) has been described by Cadaveria as "the most obscure, raw and horror-filled work ever produced by the group."
Bassist Lars Lindén of Swedish thrashers CARNAL FORGE has issued the following update:
"Since all the members have chosen to drop off CARNAL FORGE due to different reasons to work on new projects, CARNAL FORGE will take a pause and the band will be put on ice for an unspecified time.
"I don't know if there will ever be another CARNAL FORGE album or if we'll play live again. I sure do hope so and I will work for it, but only the future will tell.
"The material of 20 songs, that I over the last year have written for CARNAL FORGE's seventh album, will now be put a into a new thrash metal project called DELERIUM. Working album title for the debut is 'Friendly Fire'. Album cover and songtitles are set, but to be revealed later on. At the moment I'm recording pre-production versions of all of the new songs in my home studio.
"It's great fun to be back on my main instrument, guitar, again."
CARNAL FORGE's latest video, "Blood War", can be viewed below. The clip was was filmed in October 2009 and was edited by vocalist Peter Tuthill.
"Blood War" was written, recorded and produced by CARNAL FORGE in the band's own studio in Sala, Sweden. The track was mixed by guitarist Dino Medanhodzic.
CARNAL FORGE in January 2010 parted ways with drummer Stefan Westerberg and replaced him with Chris Barkensjö (CONSTRUCDEAD, ex-GRAVE).
CARNAL FORGE is:
Peter Tuthill - Vocals
Dino Medanhodzic - Lead Guitar
Petri Kuusisto - Lead Guitar
Lars Lindén - Bass
Chris Barkensjö - Drums
CARNAL FORGE's latest album, "Testify for My Victims", was released in the U.S. in May 2007 via Candlelight Records.
"Since all the members have chosen to drop off CARNAL FORGE due to different reasons to work on new projects, CARNAL FORGE will take a pause and the band will be put on ice for an unspecified time.
"I don't know if there will ever be another CARNAL FORGE album or if we'll play live again. I sure do hope so and I will work for it, but only the future will tell.
"The material of 20 songs, that I over the last year have written for CARNAL FORGE's seventh album, will now be put a into a new thrash metal project called DELERIUM. Working album title for the debut is 'Friendly Fire'. Album cover and songtitles are set, but to be revealed later on. At the moment I'm recording pre-production versions of all of the new songs in my home studio.
"It's great fun to be back on my main instrument, guitar, again."
CARNAL FORGE's latest video, "Blood War", can be viewed below. The clip was was filmed in October 2009 and was edited by vocalist Peter Tuthill.
"Blood War" was written, recorded and produced by CARNAL FORGE in the band's own studio in Sala, Sweden. The track was mixed by guitarist Dino Medanhodzic.
CARNAL FORGE in January 2010 parted ways with drummer Stefan Westerberg and replaced him with Chris Barkensjö (CONSTRUCDEAD, ex-GRAVE).
CARNAL FORGE is:
Peter Tuthill - Vocals
Dino Medanhodzic - Lead Guitar
Petri Kuusisto - Lead Guitar
Lars Lindén - Bass
Chris Barkensjö - Drums
CARNAL FORGE's latest album, "Testify for My Victims", was released in the U.S. in May 2007 via Candlelight Records.
ENGEL — the Gothenburg, Sweden-based quintet featuring guitarists Marcus Sunesson (THE CROWN) and Niclas Engelin (PASSENGER, ex-GARDENIAN, IN FLAMES), vocalist Mangan Klavborn, drummer Jimmy Olausson (ex-MARIONETTE) and bassist Steve Drennan (LOCUS) — will enter Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark next week to begin recording its third album, "Blood Of Saints", for a spring 2012 release. According to the group, the new CD "is going to be a good mixture between both [previous ENGEL efforts] 'Threnody' [2010] and 'Absolute Design' [2007], but with some new angles as well! If you liked 'Threnody', you will LOVE 'Blood Of Saints'!"
ENGEL played two shows with <Hellmans Drengar, the all-male choir from Gothenburg, Sweden, at Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg on September 9 and September 10.
The band recently recorded two songs with Hellmans Drengar. One of the tracks, "In Darkness", was released as a single.
"Threnody" was released in Europe on November 8, 2010 and in the U.S. on January 11, 2011 via Season Of Mist. The CD was issued in Japan on April 20, 2010 via Avex.
ENGEL recorded "Threnody" at PUK studio in Gjerlev, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL).
The band was previously signed to SPV Records which issued ENGEL's debut album, "Absolute Design", in 2007.
ENGEL played two shows with <Hellmans Drengar, the all-male choir from Gothenburg, Sweden, at Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg on September 9 and September 10.
The band recently recorded two songs with Hellmans Drengar. One of the tracks, "In Darkness", was released as a single.
"Threnody" was released in Europe on November 8, 2010 and in the U.S. on January 11, 2011 via Season Of Mist. The CD was issued in Japan on April 20, 2010 via Avex.
ENGEL recorded "Threnody" at PUK studio in Gjerlev, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL).
The band was previously signed to SPV Records which issued ENGEL's debut album, "Absolute Design", in 2007.
Barry Anderson of Metal Storm conducted an interview with vocalist/bassist David Vincent of Florida-based death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL on November 21, 2011 in Sheffield, England. You can now watch the chat below.
On the fan reaction to MORBID ANGEL's "controversial" new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporates industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound:
Vincent: "I still think it's a great record. And I stand by that. And other people just need to… They'll figure it out. A lot of them actually have, which… That's also a good thing."
On how willing some of the other MORBID ANGEL bandmembers were to change to a more industrial/electronic-inspired direction on the new album:
"It's not a question of changing. We've always pooled from different sources, and we've always sort of decided in the moment, in a very artistic fashion, what it was that we were gonna do . . . There were some very interesting ideas on the table, and we all worked hard to bring those ideas to fruition."
On what MORBID ANGEL's expectations were, prior to the new album's release, with regards to the fan reaction to the CD:
"There's not that much that thought [being put] into things. We're artists and we just sort of do what we do. We do stuff that feels interesting, and that's what we do. Our responsibility is more to that than it is to sort of test the winds and see what should we do and get a panel of experts up there. We've never been that band."
On having MORBID ANGEL's new album extensively scrutinized by the band's fan base:
"It's part of the territory. When you stand up and you raise your hand, then you're gonna have people that are going to be swayed by that; they're gonna have, perhaps, some commentary or an opinion in many different directions, and [that's] good. I'm glad that people think about things. I'm glad that they take the time to form an opinion. That's part of the message of the band — to think for yourself — and has been since day one."
On whether MORBID ANGEL's current touring and recording drummer Tim Yeung is a permanent member of the band (Tim replaced Pedro "Pete" Sandoval last year after Pete underwent back surgery for a deteriorating disc problem):
"Permanent is an interesting word. When we got Tim to do this record — everybody knows what the story is on that — it was to do the record and to do the subsequent touring for the record. So that's what I'm prepared to discuss this evening. Tim is a very capable drummer, a very talented fellow. He's a good friend, and I feel very pleased that his schedule worked out, as such, that he could do this, 'cause we're having a good time."
On whether he paid attention to MORBID ANGEL's recorded output during the years that he was away from the band and what he thought of those albums:
"Trey [Azagthoth] is a very gifted guitar player — he always has been — and there's some great material on there. In fact, we've been working over the past few months, working on what sort of material we can take from that period of time and add to the set. I mean, our set is already too long — I keep getting told that every night — so it's just like, 'What do you replace in order to put in these other things?' But yeah, [there's some] great material [on those albums]."
On the fan reaction to MORBID ANGEL's "controversial" new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporates industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound:
Vincent: "I still think it's a great record. And I stand by that. And other people just need to… They'll figure it out. A lot of them actually have, which… That's also a good thing."
On how willing some of the other MORBID ANGEL bandmembers were to change to a more industrial/electronic-inspired direction on the new album:
"It's not a question of changing. We've always pooled from different sources, and we've always sort of decided in the moment, in a very artistic fashion, what it was that we were gonna do . . . There were some very interesting ideas on the table, and we all worked hard to bring those ideas to fruition."
On what MORBID ANGEL's expectations were, prior to the new album's release, with regards to the fan reaction to the CD:
"There's not that much that thought [being put] into things. We're artists and we just sort of do what we do. We do stuff that feels interesting, and that's what we do. Our responsibility is more to that than it is to sort of test the winds and see what should we do and get a panel of experts up there. We've never been that band."
On having MORBID ANGEL's new album extensively scrutinized by the band's fan base:
"It's part of the territory. When you stand up and you raise your hand, then you're gonna have people that are going to be swayed by that; they're gonna have, perhaps, some commentary or an opinion in many different directions, and [that's] good. I'm glad that people think about things. I'm glad that they take the time to form an opinion. That's part of the message of the band — to think for yourself — and has been since day one."
On whether MORBID ANGEL's current touring and recording drummer Tim Yeung is a permanent member of the band (Tim replaced Pedro "Pete" Sandoval last year after Pete underwent back surgery for a deteriorating disc problem):
"Permanent is an interesting word. When we got Tim to do this record — everybody knows what the story is on that — it was to do the record and to do the subsequent touring for the record. So that's what I'm prepared to discuss this evening. Tim is a very capable drummer, a very talented fellow. He's a good friend, and I feel very pleased that his schedule worked out, as such, that he could do this, 'cause we're having a good time."
On whether he paid attention to MORBID ANGEL's recorded output during the years that he was away from the band and what he thought of those albums:
"Trey [Azagthoth] is a very gifted guitar player — he always has been — and there's some great material on there. In fact, we've been working over the past few months, working on what sort of material we can take from that period of time and add to the set. I mean, our set is already too long — I keep getting told that every night — so it's just like, 'What do you replace in order to put in these other things?' But yeah, [there's some] great material [on those albums]."
Barry Anderson of Metal Storm conducted an interview with vocalist/bassist David Vincent of Florida-based death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL on November 21, 2011 in Sheffield, England. You can now watch the chat below.
On the fan reaction to MORBID ANGEL's "controversial" new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporates industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound:
Vincent: "I still think it's a great record. And I stand by that. And other people just need to… They'll figure it out. A lot of them actually have, which… That's also a good thing."
On how willing some of the other MORBID ANGEL bandmembers were to change to a more industrial/electronic-inspired direction on the new album:
Vincent: "It's not a question of changing. We've always pooled from different sources, and we've always sort of decided in the moment, in a very artistic fashion, what it was that we were gonna do . . . There were some very interesting ideas on the table, and we all worked hard to bring those ideas to fruition."
On what MORBID ANGEL's expectations were, prior to the new album's release, with regards to the fan reaction to the CD:
Vincent: "There's not that much that thought [being put] into things. We're artists and we just sort of do what we do. We do stuff that feels interesting, and that's what we do. Our responsibility is more to that than it is to sort of test the winds and see what should we do and get a panel of experts up there. We've never been that band."
On having MORBID ANGEL's new album extensively scrutinized by the band's fan base:
Vincent: "It's part of the territory. When you stand up and you raise your hand, then you're gonna have people that are going to be swayed by that; they're gonna have, perhaps, some commentary or an opinion in many different directions, and [that's] good. I'm glad that people think about things. I'm glad that they take the time to form an opinion. That's part of the message of the band — to think for yourself — and has been since day one."
On whether MORBID ANGEL's current touring and recording drummer Tim Yeung is a permanent member of the band (Tim replaced Pedro "Pete" Sandoval last year after Pete underwent back surgery for a deteriorating disc problem):
Vincent: "Permanent is an interesting word. When we got Tim to do this record — everybody knows what the story is on that — it was to do the record and to do the subsequent touring for the record. So that's what I'm prepared to discuss this evening. Tim is a very capable drummer, a very talented fellow. He's a good friend, and I feel very pleased that his schedule worked out, as such, that he could do this, 'cause we're having a good time."
On whether he paid attention to MORBID ANGEL's recorded output during the years that he was away from the band and what he thought of those albums:
Vincent: "Trey [Azagthoth] is a very gifted guitar player — he always has been — and there's some great material on there. In fact, we've been working over the past few months, working on what sort of material we can take from that period of time and add to the set. I mean, our set is already too long — I keep getting told that every night — so it's just like, 'What do you replace in order to put in these other things?' But yeah, [there's some] great material [on those albums]."
On the fan reaction to MORBID ANGEL's "controversial" new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporates industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound:
Vincent: "I still think it's a great record. And I stand by that. And other people just need to… They'll figure it out. A lot of them actually have, which… That's also a good thing."
On how willing some of the other MORBID ANGEL bandmembers were to change to a more industrial/electronic-inspired direction on the new album:
Vincent: "It's not a question of changing. We've always pooled from different sources, and we've always sort of decided in the moment, in a very artistic fashion, what it was that we were gonna do . . . There were some very interesting ideas on the table, and we all worked hard to bring those ideas to fruition."
On what MORBID ANGEL's expectations were, prior to the new album's release, with regards to the fan reaction to the CD:
Vincent: "There's not that much that thought [being put] into things. We're artists and we just sort of do what we do. We do stuff that feels interesting, and that's what we do. Our responsibility is more to that than it is to sort of test the winds and see what should we do and get a panel of experts up there. We've never been that band."
On having MORBID ANGEL's new album extensively scrutinized by the band's fan base:
Vincent: "It's part of the territory. When you stand up and you raise your hand, then you're gonna have people that are going to be swayed by that; they're gonna have, perhaps, some commentary or an opinion in many different directions, and [that's] good. I'm glad that people think about things. I'm glad that they take the time to form an opinion. That's part of the message of the band — to think for yourself — and has been since day one."
On whether MORBID ANGEL's current touring and recording drummer Tim Yeung is a permanent member of the band (Tim replaced Pedro "Pete" Sandoval last year after Pete underwent back surgery for a deteriorating disc problem):
Vincent: "Permanent is an interesting word. When we got Tim to do this record — everybody knows what the story is on that — it was to do the record and to do the subsequent touring for the record. So that's what I'm prepared to discuss this evening. Tim is a very capable drummer, a very talented fellow. He's a good friend, and I feel very pleased that his schedule worked out, as such, that he could do this, 'cause we're having a good time."
On whether he paid attention to MORBID ANGEL's recorded output during the years that he was away from the band and what he thought of those albums:
Vincent: "Trey [Azagthoth] is a very gifted guitar player — he always has been — and there's some great material on there. In fact, we've been working over the past few months, working on what sort of material we can take from that period of time and add to the set. I mean, our set is already too long — I keep getting told that every night — so it's just like, 'What do you replace in order to put in these other things?' But yeah, [there's some] great material [on those albums]."
The next chapter in Relapse's DEATH reissue campaign is "Vivus!", a deluxe two-CD collection compiling two separate DEATH concerts, both of which were recorded in 1998. Disc One features the band at the height of its prowess, tearing the roof off the infamous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California, while Disc Two is a brilliant recording of the band on the festival stage at Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Holland.
"Vivus!" will be made available on February 28 in North America, March 2 in the Benelux and Germany, and March 5 in the rest of Europe.
"Vivus!" follows the recent Relapse Records reissues of "Individual Though Patterns", "The Sound Of Perseverance" and "Human". Like those reissues, this collection will contain extensive liner notes from DEATH insiders and never-before-seen photos of the band.
"Vivus!" track listing:
Disc 1 - Live In Hollywood (1998)
01. The Philosopher
02. Spirit Crusher
03. Trapped In A Corner
04. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow
05. Crystal Mountain
06. Flesh And The Power It Holds
07. Zero Tolerance
08. Zombie Ritual
09. Suicide Machine
10. Together As One
11. Empty Words
12. Symbolic
13. Pull The Plug
Disc 2 - Live In Eindhoven (1998)
01. The Philosopher
02. Trapped In A Corner
03. Crystal Mountain
04. Suicide Machine
05. Together As One
06. Zero Tolerance
07. Lack Of Comprehension
08. Flesh And The Power It Holds
09. Flattening Of Emotions
10. Spirit Crusher
11. Pull The Plug
"Vivus!" will be made available on February 28 in North America, March 2 in the Benelux and Germany, and March 5 in the rest of Europe.
"Vivus!" follows the recent Relapse Records reissues of "Individual Though Patterns", "The Sound Of Perseverance" and "Human". Like those reissues, this collection will contain extensive liner notes from DEATH insiders and never-before-seen photos of the band.
"Vivus!" track listing:
Disc 1 - Live In Hollywood (1998)
01. The Philosopher
02. Spirit Crusher
03. Trapped In A Corner
04. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow
05. Crystal Mountain
06. Flesh And The Power It Holds
07. Zero Tolerance
08. Zombie Ritual
09. Suicide Machine
10. Together As One
11. Empty Words
12. Symbolic
13. Pull The Plug
Disc 2 - Live In Eindhoven (1998)
01. The Philosopher
02. Trapped In A Corner
03. Crystal Mountain
04. Suicide Machine
05. Together As One
06. Zero Tolerance
07. Lack Of Comprehension
08. Flesh And The Power It Holds
09. Flattening Of Emotions
10. Spirit Crusher
11. Pull The Plug
Swedish death metal juggernaut THE FORSAKEN has signed a European deal with the German label Massacre Records. The band's fourth album is tentatively due in the spring. The CD, which will be mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, will feature the same trademark THE FORSAKEN sound and hellish groove established on previous releases ("Manifest Of Hate" [2001], "Arts Of Desolation" [2002] and "Traces Of The Past" [2003], all of which were released worldwide via Century Media Records), as well as showcased during European road work with such bands as NILE, THE HAUNTED, GRAVE, SOILWORK and CALIBAN.
THE FORSAKEN's current lineup consists of almost all original members, the latest addition being guitarist Calle Fäldt (ex-DERANGED, FEARED CREATION), who replaces Stefan Holm. A full-time member since winter of 2010, Calle is a perfectly adjusted wheel in the machinery of THE FORSAKEN, fitting perfectly both in his string execution and in the band's chemistry.
THE FORSAKEN 2012 is:
Anders Sjöholm - Vocals
Patrik Persson - Guitars
Calle Fäldt - Guitars
Stefan Berg - Bass
Nicke Grabowski – Drums
THE FORSAKEN's current lineup consists of almost all original members, the latest addition being guitarist Calle Fäldt (ex-DERANGED, FEARED CREATION), who replaces Stefan Holm. A full-time member since winter of 2010, Calle is a perfectly adjusted wheel in the machinery of THE FORSAKEN, fitting perfectly both in his string execution and in the band's chemistry.
THE FORSAKEN 2012 is:
Anders Sjöholm - Vocals
Patrik Persson - Guitars
Calle Fäldt - Guitars
Stefan Berg - Bass
Nicke Grabowski – Drums
"Strix Maledictae In Aeternum", the new album from the Italian symphonic black metal band OPERA IX, will be released on January 24, 2012 in Europe and February 28, 2012 in North America via Agonia Records. The CD, which is described in a press release as "a great opera dedicated to the dark ages of medieval witchcraft," was recorded at the Occultum studios, owned by the OPERA IX guitarist Ossian, and was mastered at the Necromorbus Studio in Alvik, Sweden. The artwork was created by Kris Verwimp.
"Strix Maledictae In Aeternum" will be released as a digipack CD and on limited-edition vinyl.
OPERA IX was previously signed to Displeased Records.
"Strix Maledictae In Aeternum" will be released as a digipack CD and on limited-edition vinyl.
OPERA IX was previously signed to Displeased Records.
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