Legendary heavy metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne celebrated his 63rd birthday last weekend at a bash where family and friends surprised the singer with a giant cake that looked like his Pomeranian (pictured below next to the cake).
"Look how cool my dad's cake was, [it] was made to look like the second love of his life Rocky his dog!" tweeted Ozzy's daughter Kelly.
Joining Ozzy at the party were his BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, among other friends.
"We had a party for him last night, all the [BLACK SABBATH] boys [were] there even some of my dads schools friends, it was an amazing night!" Kelly said.
"The sad part is none of us want to eat the cake because it looks so cool!" she added.
Ozzy, whose birthday is December 3, is currently working on his first studio album with BLACK SABBATH since 1978.
"Look how cool my dad's cake was, [it] was made to look like the second love of his life Rocky his dog!" tweeted Ozzy's daughter Kelly.
Joining Ozzy at the party were his BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, among other friends.
"We had a party for him last night, all the [BLACK SABBATH] boys [were] there even some of my dads schools friends, it was an amazing night!" Kelly said.
"The sad part is none of us want to eat the cake because it looks so cool!" she added.
Ozzy, whose birthday is December 3, is currently working on his first studio album with BLACK SABBATH since 1978.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/ozzycake.jpg
Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum predicts that the band's upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will be a "train wreck" because of ongoing tensions between the group's lead singer, Axl Rose, and former guitarist Slash.
The sole remaining original member of GUNS N' ROSES, Rose seemed to rule out any possibility of working with Slash again in a 2009 interview with Billboard. "What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is," he said.
When asked by Australia's TheVine earlier this week about the possibility of a reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup at the upcoming induction ceremony, Sorum said, "It's going to be as big of a train wreck as the SEX PISTOLS, BLONDIE, or any of those other bands. That's my prediction. Or VAN HALEN, which I don't know if you saw, but we [VELVET REVOLVER] were involved in that. Train wreck; it was a complete train wreck. But maybe it won't; maybe it will be a miracle; I hope for that and put out the positive vibrations. But it's coming up pretty quickly. That's in March, so we'll see."
Sorum also commented on Rose's recent interview with VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" in which Axl gave off the impression that the tension between the singer and some of his former bandmates had dissipated quite a bit. "I don't know, man," Sorum said. "You know, I don't want to say, because then this will be all over the Internet and I'll just get a bunch of shit for it. The problem is that a lot of the fans don't even take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I'd rather if Slash had that conversation. And Slash is the quiet one; that's the problem. He's not like me. I'm just like a guy who's a little bit more off the cuff — I kinda say what I'm feeling. Slash will just not say anything and that's the way he likes it. And then I'll open my big ol' mouth and the next thing you know I'm getting slapped around the Internet by all the jackasses on their blog sites — you know what I mean? So it's better if I just go, 'I don't know shit.' Which is the absolute truth [laughs]. They could be in a room right now having a coup around a bonfire, eating samoras, and talking about the resurrection of the Holy Grail. Seriously, like the Illuminati or some shit [laughs], and I wouldn't be invited, you know what I'm saying?"
Sorum joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 as the replacement for original GN'R drummer Steven Adler, who was fired because of drug addiction. While with the Los Angeles-based hard rock group (1990-1997), Sorum recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).
As previously reported, Adler told Rolling Stone that he thinks Sorum should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame along with keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joined the touring lineup around the time Adler exited. The drummer explained, "I do believe that Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed both have every right to be inducted too. Dizzy did play on 'Use Your Illusion', and he's been with Axl longer than anybody. He deserves it. Matt Sorum also played on 'Use Your Illusion'. I think that the seven of us deserve it."
Reed is still a member of GUNS N' ROSES today, having the longest tenure aside from Axl Rose.
Sorum left sometime in the mid-'90s as the rest of the classic version of the group fell apart.
It was announced on Wednesday (December 7) that GUNS N' ROSES will be inducted into the Hall on April 14 in Cleveland, along with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE BEASTIE BOYS, LAURA NYRO, DONOVAN and others.
When asked if he thinks the entire original GUNS lineup will show up at the induction ceremony, Adler said, "Absolutely not," adding that the bad blood between Rose and Slash is the sole factor holding up a full GUNS reunion: "For twenty years, because of some stupid grudge, which I guarantee you that neither of them could even tell you what it was. They don't even know! . . . twenty years of great music wasn't created because of some stupid grudge."
The sole remaining original member of GUNS N' ROSES, Rose seemed to rule out any possibility of working with Slash again in a 2009 interview with Billboard. "What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is," he said.
When asked by Australia's TheVine earlier this week about the possibility of a reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup at the upcoming induction ceremony, Sorum said, "It's going to be as big of a train wreck as the SEX PISTOLS, BLONDIE, or any of those other bands. That's my prediction. Or VAN HALEN, which I don't know if you saw, but we [VELVET REVOLVER] were involved in that. Train wreck; it was a complete train wreck. But maybe it won't; maybe it will be a miracle; I hope for that and put out the positive vibrations. But it's coming up pretty quickly. That's in March, so we'll see."
Sorum also commented on Rose's recent interview with VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" in which Axl gave off the impression that the tension between the singer and some of his former bandmates had dissipated quite a bit. "I don't know, man," Sorum said. "You know, I don't want to say, because then this will be all over the Internet and I'll just get a bunch of shit for it. The problem is that a lot of the fans don't even take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I'd rather if Slash had that conversation. And Slash is the quiet one; that's the problem. He's not like me. I'm just like a guy who's a little bit more off the cuff — I kinda say what I'm feeling. Slash will just not say anything and that's the way he likes it. And then I'll open my big ol' mouth and the next thing you know I'm getting slapped around the Internet by all the jackasses on their blog sites — you know what I mean? So it's better if I just go, 'I don't know shit.' Which is the absolute truth [laughs]. They could be in a room right now having a coup around a bonfire, eating samoras, and talking about the resurrection of the Holy Grail. Seriously, like the Illuminati or some shit [laughs], and I wouldn't be invited, you know what I'm saying?"
Sorum joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 as the replacement for original GN'R drummer Steven Adler, who was fired because of drug addiction. While with the Los Angeles-based hard rock group (1990-1997), Sorum recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).
As previously reported, Adler told Rolling Stone that he thinks Sorum should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame along with keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joined the touring lineup around the time Adler exited. The drummer explained, "I do believe that Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed both have every right to be inducted too. Dizzy did play on 'Use Your Illusion', and he's been with Axl longer than anybody. He deserves it. Matt Sorum also played on 'Use Your Illusion'. I think that the seven of us deserve it."
Reed is still a member of GUNS N' ROSES today, having the longest tenure aside from Axl Rose.
Sorum left sometime in the mid-'90s as the rest of the classic version of the group fell apart.
It was announced on Wednesday (December 7) that GUNS N' ROSES will be inducted into the Hall on April 14 in Cleveland, along with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE BEASTIE BOYS, LAURA NYRO, DONOVAN and others.
When asked if he thinks the entire original GUNS lineup will show up at the induction ceremony, Adler said, "Absolutely not," adding that the bad blood between Rose and Slash is the sole factor holding up a full GUNS reunion: "For twenty years, because of some stupid grudge, which I guarantee you that neither of them could even tell you what it was. They don't even know! . . . twenty years of great music wasn't created because of some stupid grudge."
Lick Library and Andy James have focused on the stunning techniques of virtuoso guitarist John Petrucci to bring you "Quick Licks John Petrucci Progressive Shredding In Em" (RRP £19.99).
Petrucci, a founding member of the progressive metal band DREAM THEATER, is widely respected for his prodigious technique and a gift of engaging melodies. His stock in trade is his astounding ability to weave high-speed alternate picking around complex chord changes. Along with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, John has helped elevate instrumental rock and heavy metal guitar to a whole new level.
Andy James is the U.K.'s own shredder extraordinaire, lead guitarist with the band SACRED MOTHER TONGUE and respected Lick Library teacher. He has created more than 40 killer licks in the style of Petrucci's guitar playing, which can be put together to make a solo that can be played over the backing tracks included on the guitar tuition DVD. The solo incorporates all the ferocious melodies associated with Petrucci's style of playing, in a well-thought-out, structured piece of music. Techniques covered in the guitar lessons are alternate picking, sweeping and string skipping. Andy breaks down each lick, showing you each note and explaining what he is doing as he plays. You can clearly see what each of his hands is doing at the same time, with the Lick Library spilt-screen presentation.
Once you have learnt these incredible licks, you can take them, use them in your own music and develop your soloing to a new level.
To find out more, visit www.licklibrary.com.
Petrucci, a founding member of the progressive metal band DREAM THEATER, is widely respected for his prodigious technique and a gift of engaging melodies. His stock in trade is his astounding ability to weave high-speed alternate picking around complex chord changes. Along with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, John has helped elevate instrumental rock and heavy metal guitar to a whole new level.
Andy James is the U.K.'s own shredder extraordinaire, lead guitarist with the band SACRED MOTHER TONGUE and respected Lick Library teacher. He has created more than 40 killer licks in the style of Petrucci's guitar playing, which can be put together to make a solo that can be played over the backing tracks included on the guitar tuition DVD. The solo incorporates all the ferocious melodies associated with Petrucci's style of playing, in a well-thought-out, structured piece of music. Techniques covered in the guitar lessons are alternate picking, sweeping and string skipping. Andy breaks down each lick, showing you each note and explaining what he is doing as he plays. You can clearly see what each of his hands is doing at the same time, with the Lick Library spilt-screen presentation.
Once you have learnt these incredible licks, you can take them, use them in your own music and develop your soloing to a new level.
To find out more, visit www.licklibrary.com.
Yesterday (Thursday, December 8) marked the seven-year anniversary of the death of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Abbott, one of the most beloved and respected musicians in hard rock, was shot onstage during a DAMAGEPLAN concert at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio by a 25-year-old ex-Marine named Nathan Gale. Gale murdered a total of four people and wounded three others before being killed himself by police officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived on the scene minutes after Gale began his rampage.
Bassist Rex Brown — Dimebag's bandmate in PANTERA, who has also played in DOWN and KILL DEVIL HILL — tells Revolver magazine, "I miss Dime every day that fuckin' goes by. Dime was driven from the time he picked up that guitar. I was around when Darrell couldn't play a barre chord. Then he discovered Ozzy's first two records and he started practicing 11 hours a day. And he just came out to be this protégé.
"It never ceased to amaze me what he was capable of. He always had something in his mind going on musically, and if it wasn't that, it was a prank to entertain himself because he was always entertaining to people.
"He was the best man at my wedding and he was the warmest cat I've ever seen to people that he didn't know. At the same time, I think Dime really needed to take a little break and have a little seclusion from himself and all the craziness. And he would take those times and sober up and get his stuff together and then write all these amazing riffs while he was taking a shit.
"I think about him all the time. I'll come up with something and go, 'Man, what would he think of this?' And I'll never be able to get an answer. But I'm still close to Rita [Haney, Dime's longtime girlfriend]. I was on the phone with her for two hours a few days ago and it always brings a smile to my face when I can talk to her, and she still has the same ideology that Dime had.
"You know, I can't believe it's been this long since he's been gone and I miss my brother."
Bassist Rex Brown — Dimebag's bandmate in PANTERA, who has also played in DOWN and KILL DEVIL HILL — tells Revolver magazine, "I miss Dime every day that fuckin' goes by. Dime was driven from the time he picked up that guitar. I was around when Darrell couldn't play a barre chord. Then he discovered Ozzy's first two records and he started practicing 11 hours a day. And he just came out to be this protégé.
"It never ceased to amaze me what he was capable of. He always had something in his mind going on musically, and if it wasn't that, it was a prank to entertain himself because he was always entertaining to people.
"He was the best man at my wedding and he was the warmest cat I've ever seen to people that he didn't know. At the same time, I think Dime really needed to take a little break and have a little seclusion from himself and all the craziness. And he would take those times and sober up and get his stuff together and then write all these amazing riffs while he was taking a shit.
"I think about him all the time. I'll come up with something and go, 'Man, what would he think of this?' And I'll never be able to get an answer. But I'm still close to Rita [Haney, Dime's longtime girlfriend]. I was on the phone with her for two hours a few days ago and it always brings a smile to my face when I can talk to her, and she still has the same ideology that Dime had.
"You know, I can't believe it's been this long since he's been gone and I miss my brother."
According to a posting on QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's official Facebook page, the band is "deep into makin' [its] new album" for a tentative early 2012 release. The message adds, "Locked away in the desert. & shit yeah. it. sounds. fuckin. killer."
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mainman Josh Homme in May confirmed that the band's long-awaited sixth studio album will be completed by the end of the year. He didn't offer any clues as to the direction of the new album, but revealed that "We're at a weird moment where we really don't feel like we have anything to prove. We just want to play to the people that are into us and we want to play right at them."
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE commemorated the recent reissue of its classic 1998 debut with a limited series of intimate shows at which the band played the record in its entirety, plus B-sides and other rarities and hits from the early QUEENS catalogue up to the present.
QUEENS guitarist Dean Fertita had previously said about the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2007's "Era Vulgaris", "We've got so many ideas started already; I guess we'll see what turns out to be everybody's favorite. It's very much still Homme's band, but I think all of us really feel like we've found our space in it and can contribute to it as well."
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE mainman Josh Homme in May confirmed that the band's long-awaited sixth studio album will be completed by the end of the year. He didn't offer any clues as to the direction of the new album, but revealed that "We're at a weird moment where we really don't feel like we have anything to prove. We just want to play to the people that are into us and we want to play right at them."
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE commemorated the recent reissue of its classic 1998 debut with a limited series of intimate shows at which the band played the record in its entirety, plus B-sides and other rarities and hits from the early QUEENS catalogue up to the present.
QUEENS guitarist Dean Fertita had previously said about the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2007's "Era Vulgaris", "We've got so many ideas started already; I guess we'll see what turns out to be everybody's favorite. It's very much still Homme's band, but I think all of us really feel like we've found our space in it and can contribute to it as well."
Legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth's (SCOPRIONS) Sky Academy seminar is now confirmed for Anaheim, California for January 23, 2012.
Sky Academy was conceived by Uli to provide knowledge and inspiration to those who take guitar seriously and to help them reach a new plateau.
The seminars are designed to open people's eyes to new possibilities and to trigger an awakening of the student's full awareness.
The philosophy and approach of Sky Academy is consistent with the ideals of its founder.
The teaching will center on achieving the student's transition to a noticeably higher level of ability. This includes raising their general and specific musical awareness, as well as facilitating an increase in their technical abilities. The participants will be able to receive invaluable direct insights into the way Uli approaches the art of guitar playing, as well as concerning his philosophy of music in general.
To enroll, go to this location.
In other news, Uli will embark on a North American tour in January, beginning with three shows during NAMM and then picking up again in Milwaukee on January 26.
Confirmed dates so far (more to be added):
Jan. 20 - Corona, CA @ The Marque 15
Jan. 21 - Hollywood, CA @ Key Club (NAMM Jam)
Jan. 22 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Jan. 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
Jan. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Jan. 29 - Toronto, ONT @ The Rockpile
Jan. 31 - New York, NY @ B.B. Blues Club & Grill (with Leslie West)
Feb. 01 - Foxbourough, MA @ Showcase Live (with Leslie West)
Feb. 02 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
Feb. 03 - Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater (with Leslie West)
Feb. 04 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom (with Leslie West)
Feb. 09 - Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
Feb. 10 - Redondo Beach, CA @ The Brixton
Feb. 11 - Oakland, CA @ The Pound West
Feb. 14 - Tacoma, WA @ Backstage Live
Feb. 15 - Seatle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb. 17 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
Feb. 18 - Garden Grove, CA @ The Can
Sky Academy was conceived by Uli to provide knowledge and inspiration to those who take guitar seriously and to help them reach a new plateau.
The seminars are designed to open people's eyes to new possibilities and to trigger an awakening of the student's full awareness.
The philosophy and approach of Sky Academy is consistent with the ideals of its founder.
The teaching will center on achieving the student's transition to a noticeably higher level of ability. This includes raising their general and specific musical awareness, as well as facilitating an increase in their technical abilities. The participants will be able to receive invaluable direct insights into the way Uli approaches the art of guitar playing, as well as concerning his philosophy of music in general.
To enroll, go to this location.
In other news, Uli will embark on a North American tour in January, beginning with three shows during NAMM and then picking up again in Milwaukee on January 26.
Confirmed dates so far (more to be added):
Jan. 20 - Corona, CA @ The Marque 15
Jan. 21 - Hollywood, CA @ Key Club (NAMM Jam)
Jan. 22 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Jan. 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
Jan. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Jan. 29 - Toronto, ONT @ The Rockpile
Jan. 31 - New York, NY @ B.B. Blues Club & Grill (with Leslie West)
Feb. 01 - Foxbourough, MA @ Showcase Live (with Leslie West)
Feb. 02 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
Feb. 03 - Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater (with Leslie West)
Feb. 04 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom (with Leslie West)
Feb. 09 - Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
Feb. 10 - Redondo Beach, CA @ The Brixton
Feb. 11 - Oakland, CA @ The Pound West
Feb. 14 - Tacoma, WA @ Backstage Live
Feb. 15 - Seatle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb. 17 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
Feb. 18 - Garden Grove, CA @ The Can
UNISONIC, the new band featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, ex-HELLOWEEN) alongside Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 and Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer (who has previously played with ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS), will release its debut EP, "Ignition" in late January via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort will include the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at this year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.
The "Ignition" cover artwork can be seen below. Also available is a stream of the song "Unisonic".
A full-length UNISONIC album will be made available in March.
Zafiriou previously stated about the band's decision to sign with earMUSIC/Edel: "We had several promising labels being interested in UNISONIC, but the enthusiasm of Max Vaccaro and his team convinced us that earMUSIC is the right company for us."
After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONIC continued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.
UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.
Commented Kiske: "It feels great to finally bring the band to the studio and record the songs we've been working on. We took our time to grow as a band, but it was definitely worth it and we are very proud of the result."
Added bassist/producer Ward: "We have a bunch of very strong songs and can't wait until people can hear them. Everyone in the band is now looking even more positive into the future."
Regarding Hansen's addition to UNISONIC, Kiske previously said, "After so many years of abstinence, I had a lot of fun doing my first live shows with UNISONIC in summer 2010, so I agreed to do the short world tour with AVANTASIA. It was a great experience to be on stage with all those great artists, but with Kai it was something different: We instantly felt the magic again and had a lot of fun together on and off stage. We both realized that we want to be together in band again. He was interested in the open musical concept of UNISONIC and finally asked me if he can join the band. I talked to my bandmates and they all felt great about it. His talent as a guitarist and songwriter is an enrichment for the band and we are looking forward to his contribution for the music of UNISONIC."
Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.
UNISONIC is:
Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)
Having split with HELLOWEEN in late 1993, Kiske participated in various projects and released several solo albums but had not been part of a real group effort until now.
While collaborating with Ward and Zafiriou on the PLACE VENDOME project five years ago, Kiske found two musical soulmates. They ended up recording two PLACE VENDOME albums before deciding to join forces in a new brand new band. Ward, who had previously produced a record for KROKUS, suggested Meyer as the perfect addition to the group in the vacant guitarist slot.
Kiske, one of the finest and most unique voices in contemporary rock music, explains his motivation of becoming a part of a band again: "Since the PLACE VENDOME productions I was impressed by Dennis Ward's skills as a songwriter and producer. We were occasionally fooling around since then via email that we should do more together in the future, so the idea came up to do a new band. I was generally getting a bit tired of doing everything on my own for so many years, so it just felt like the right thing to do now. We can all only benefit from working together. No matter how good you are solo, four people will always be better than one, I think, if they manage to function together. And a real band is also a very good reason to finally go on tour again."
The "Ignition" cover artwork can be seen below. Also available is a stream of the song "Unisonic".
A full-length UNISONIC album will be made available in March.
Zafiriou previously stated about the band's decision to sign with earMUSIC/Edel: "We had several promising labels being interested in UNISONIC, but the enthusiasm of Max Vaccaro and his team convinced us that earMUSIC is the right company for us."
After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONIC continued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.
UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.
Commented Kiske: "It feels great to finally bring the band to the studio and record the songs we've been working on. We took our time to grow as a band, but it was definitely worth it and we are very proud of the result."
Added bassist/producer Ward: "We have a bunch of very strong songs and can't wait until people can hear them. Everyone in the band is now looking even more positive into the future."
Regarding Hansen's addition to UNISONIC, Kiske previously said, "After so many years of abstinence, I had a lot of fun doing my first live shows with UNISONIC in summer 2010, so I agreed to do the short world tour with AVANTASIA. It was a great experience to be on stage with all those great artists, but with Kai it was something different: We instantly felt the magic again and had a lot of fun together on and off stage. We both realized that we want to be together in band again. He was interested in the open musical concept of UNISONIC and finally asked me if he can join the band. I talked to my bandmates and they all felt great about it. His talent as a guitarist and songwriter is an enrichment for the band and we are looking forward to his contribution for the music of UNISONIC."
Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.
UNISONIC is:
Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)
Having split with HELLOWEEN in late 1993, Kiske participated in various projects and released several solo albums but had not been part of a real group effort until now.
While collaborating with Ward and Zafiriou on the PLACE VENDOME project five years ago, Kiske found two musical soulmates. They ended up recording two PLACE VENDOME albums before deciding to join forces in a new brand new band. Ward, who had previously produced a record for KROKUS, suggested Meyer as the perfect addition to the group in the vacant guitarist slot.
Kiske, one of the finest and most unique voices in contemporary rock music, explains his motivation of becoming a part of a band again: "Since the PLACE VENDOME productions I was impressed by Dennis Ward's skills as a songwriter and producer. We were occasionally fooling around since then via email that we should do more together in the future, so the idea came up to do a new band. I was generally getting a bit tired of doing everything on my own for so many years, so it just felt like the right thing to do now. We can all only benefit from working together. No matter how good you are solo, four people will always be better than one, I think, if they manage to function together. And a real band is also a very good reason to finally go on tour again."
According to TMZ.com, former WARRANT singer Jani Lane left behind no will when he died of alcohol poisoning in August, and now his oldest daughter has asked the court to approve an estate administrator to start figuring things out.
Lane's estate is reportedly valued at $600,000, though it's unclear exactly what it's made up of.
Jani is survived by his wife, Kimberly; a brother, Eric; three sisters, Marcine Williams, Michelle Robinson and Victoria Oswald; a daughter from his first marriage, Taylar Lane; a daughter from his second marriage, Madison Lane; and two stepdaughters, Ryan and Brittany.
Lane suffered from "acute ethanol poisoning" when he died at a Comfort Inn motel room in Woodland Hills, California on August 11.
The singer had battled alcoholism for years and also had a history of alcohol-related arrests. His sister, Vicky Oswald-Ley, told RadarOnline.com that the death of their mother seven years ago affected Lane's battles against alcohol. "She would always talk him into going into rehab and hospitals," she said. "I think when she passed, that desire to stay healthy died too."
"He finally succumbed to that," Steinman said. "He lost his battle over alcohol."
Lane originally left WARRANT in March 1993 but rejoined the band in September 1994. The group went on to record the "Ultraphobic" (1995), "Belly To Belly" (1996) and "Greatest & Latest" (1999) albums and issued and collection of covers, "Under The Influence", in 2001. Jani quit WARRANT again in 2004 before reuniting with the group four years later.
Lane released a solo album, "Back Down to One", in 2003, but shortly after was admitted to a rehab center for alcohol and drug-related exhaustion. He also appeared on VH1's reality series "Celebrity Fit Club".
Lane's estate is reportedly valued at $600,000, though it's unclear exactly what it's made up of.
Jani is survived by his wife, Kimberly; a brother, Eric; three sisters, Marcine Williams, Michelle Robinson and Victoria Oswald; a daughter from his first marriage, Taylar Lane; a daughter from his second marriage, Madison Lane; and two stepdaughters, Ryan and Brittany.
Lane suffered from "acute ethanol poisoning" when he died at a Comfort Inn motel room in Woodland Hills, California on August 11.
The singer had battled alcoholism for years and also had a history of alcohol-related arrests. His sister, Vicky Oswald-Ley, told RadarOnline.com that the death of their mother seven years ago affected Lane's battles against alcohol. "She would always talk him into going into rehab and hospitals," she said. "I think when she passed, that desire to stay healthy died too."
"He finally succumbed to that," Steinman said. "He lost his battle over alcohol."
Lane originally left WARRANT in March 1993 but rejoined the band in September 1994. The group went on to record the "Ultraphobic" (1995), "Belly To Belly" (1996) and "Greatest & Latest" (1999) albums and issued and collection of covers, "Under The Influence", in 2001. Jani quit WARRANT again in 2004 before reuniting with the group four years later.
Lane released a solo album, "Back Down to One", in 2003, but shortly after was admitted to a rehab center for alcohol and drug-related exhaustion. He also appeared on VH1's reality series "Celebrity Fit Club".
Radio Metal recently conducted an interview with vocalist Cristina Scabbia of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Radio Metal: ["Dark Adrenaline"] is your second album with Don Gilmore as the producer, while the others were produced by Waldemar Sorychta. What motivated you to switch producers? Do you think Don Gilmore understands better today what your music is about? Is the chemistry between you and Don better?
Scabbia: I think every band usually changes producer with every album. It's always cool to have somebody that can come up with a point of view that's different from the band's. After so many albums with Waldemar, we just thought that we'd learned so much, and that we'd got to the point where we needed to achieve and to learn something different from a different person, a different teacher, a different producer. Don is a very good professional and an amazing person, but he doesn't change our style. The songs were ready; he didn't write anything. But he's really at giving advice that you are free to follow or not. For example, regarding the structure of the songs, some part may have been too long or kind of useless for the song itself, so maybe we could make the part shorter. Or maybe we could rework some parts that weren't that strong in every song. So he's really good at that, but he's not the producer that changes the soul of the band or puts too much input in it.
Radio Metal: The artwork features vials that contain this dark adrenaline. Metaphorically, what do these bottle represent?
Scabbia: We imagined this dark liquid that can be injected inside of you to let you trip. Obviously, we're not talking about drugs. It's not like we're supporting heroin or anything like that. It's just a visual thing that we liked to imagine. In one of the special editions for "Dark Adrenaline", there will be a DVD with six mini videos that we filmed, where we're playing actors. It's not a making-of, but these six videos you will see in the next future will explain more about this "Dark Adrenaline" theme.
Radio Metal: LACUNA COIL never repeat themselves with any album, but this time, "Dark Adrenaline" seems to be a great mixture of all the different parts of the evolution of the band — from the gothic vibe of the early days to the new metal sound of an album like "Karmacode". With this album, did you feel the need to take stock, to recap what you have been doing so far?
Scabbia: No, it was something we realized after we let people listen to the album. It's not something we planned. But whether we like it or not, what we are today is a summary of what we lived in the past. The old-school vibe, the stuff that we did in the past, it's still a part of us, even if we're not looking back. It came up in the songwriting, but we weren't planning that. We weren't planning to recreate something we did in the past, or to create a mix of the old and the new. But it's nice to notice, because it's still us.
Radio Metal: About this new album, you declared in an interview:, "We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower." Do you really mean that? Do you really see other bands getting softer?
Scabbia: Yes, I think so. I see a lot of other bands in our own genre — but I'm not going to name names — that are pretty much following what we did a few years ago. They're going into more melodic, mainstream sonorities, and we're doing the opposite. We're doing something completely different from everybody else. It would have been easier for us, now that we enter the charts at a very high position, to do something even softer, or rock, or radio-oriented. Instead we went into something that is heavier. This album is the heaviest we've ever done. This is not going to make everything easy for us to be played on the radio and to get more support.
Radio Metal: As an established band, maybe that's something you can do more easily…
Scabbia: I don't know. That may be true, but there are so many bands now that if a radio station wants to play a specific style, they have a big variety of bands to choose from. They don't have to play you.
Radio Metal: Can you see yourselves getting even heavier in the future?
Scabbia: I don't know. We found out that we enjoy playing the heavier stuff we wrote during the live shows, because there's more energy. It's easier to let the energy come out when we play something more energetic. I can definitely see ourselves going in this direction, but we still don't know. We won't know until it's time to write the new album and we're inspired by stuff that will happen from now on. We'll see.
Radio Metal: The album was initially supposed to be released in 2011, but the release date was then pushed back to 2012. And yet, most journalists were lucky enough to listen to the album some time ago already. Was there a reason behind this delay or is it just a marketing thing from the label?
Scabbia: It was a marketing thing; it was not up to us. The label just decided to move the release date in January, so they could have more time to work on a better marketing and promotional plan. It also meant more budget. It's always good for a band, especially nowadays, because the funds are really limited. It's good to have a bigger budget to work, to go on tour and to promote the album.
Radio Metal: ["Dark Adrenaline"] is your second album with Don Gilmore as the producer, while the others were produced by Waldemar Sorychta. What motivated you to switch producers? Do you think Don Gilmore understands better today what your music is about? Is the chemistry between you and Don better?
Scabbia: I think every band usually changes producer with every album. It's always cool to have somebody that can come up with a point of view that's different from the band's. After so many albums with Waldemar, we just thought that we'd learned so much, and that we'd got to the point where we needed to achieve and to learn something different from a different person, a different teacher, a different producer. Don is a very good professional and an amazing person, but he doesn't change our style. The songs were ready; he didn't write anything. But he's really at giving advice that you are free to follow or not. For example, regarding the structure of the songs, some part may have been too long or kind of useless for the song itself, so maybe we could make the part shorter. Or maybe we could rework some parts that weren't that strong in every song. So he's really good at that, but he's not the producer that changes the soul of the band or puts too much input in it.
Radio Metal: The artwork features vials that contain this dark adrenaline. Metaphorically, what do these bottle represent?
Scabbia: We imagined this dark liquid that can be injected inside of you to let you trip. Obviously, we're not talking about drugs. It's not like we're supporting heroin or anything like that. It's just a visual thing that we liked to imagine. In one of the special editions for "Dark Adrenaline", there will be a DVD with six mini videos that we filmed, where we're playing actors. It's not a making-of, but these six videos you will see in the next future will explain more about this "Dark Adrenaline" theme.
Radio Metal: LACUNA COIL never repeat themselves with any album, but this time, "Dark Adrenaline" seems to be a great mixture of all the different parts of the evolution of the band — from the gothic vibe of the early days to the new metal sound of an album like "Karmacode". With this album, did you feel the need to take stock, to recap what you have been doing so far?
Scabbia: No, it was something we realized after we let people listen to the album. It's not something we planned. But whether we like it or not, what we are today is a summary of what we lived in the past. The old-school vibe, the stuff that we did in the past, it's still a part of us, even if we're not looking back. It came up in the songwriting, but we weren't planning that. We weren't planning to recreate something we did in the past, or to create a mix of the old and the new. But it's nice to notice, because it's still us.
Radio Metal: About this new album, you declared in an interview:, "We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower." Do you really mean that? Do you really see other bands getting softer?
Scabbia: Yes, I think so. I see a lot of other bands in our own genre — but I'm not going to name names — that are pretty much following what we did a few years ago. They're going into more melodic, mainstream sonorities, and we're doing the opposite. We're doing something completely different from everybody else. It would have been easier for us, now that we enter the charts at a very high position, to do something even softer, or rock, or radio-oriented. Instead we went into something that is heavier. This album is the heaviest we've ever done. This is not going to make everything easy for us to be played on the radio and to get more support.
Radio Metal: As an established band, maybe that's something you can do more easily…
Scabbia: I don't know. That may be true, but there are so many bands now that if a radio station wants to play a specific style, they have a big variety of bands to choose from. They don't have to play you.
Radio Metal: Can you see yourselves getting even heavier in the future?
Scabbia: I don't know. We found out that we enjoy playing the heavier stuff we wrote during the live shows, because there's more energy. It's easier to let the energy come out when we play something more energetic. I can definitely see ourselves going in this direction, but we still don't know. We won't know until it's time to write the new album and we're inspired by stuff that will happen from now on. We'll see.
Radio Metal: The album was initially supposed to be released in 2011, but the release date was then pushed back to 2012. And yet, most journalists were lucky enough to listen to the album some time ago already. Was there a reason behind this delay or is it just a marketing thing from the label?
Scabbia: It was a marketing thing; it was not up to us. The label just decided to move the release date in January, so they could have more time to work on a better marketing and promotional plan. It also meant more budget. It's always good for a band, especially nowadays, because the funds are really limited. It's good to have a bigger budget to work, to go on tour and to promote the album.
Chicago glam rockers THE LAST VEGAS — who made history as the first band to win Guitar Center's On-Stage new music program when they were hand selected by MÖTLEY CRÜE at the world-famous Whiskey A-Go-Go in Los Angeles — released a new EP, "Other Side", on November 29. The effort serves as a sneak peek into what fans can expect from THE LAST VEGAS' forthcoming 2012 full-length album. The as-yet-untitled CD was recorded earlier this year at Groovemaster Studios in the band's hometown and was helmed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, MEGADETH, 3 DOORS DOWN, STAIND, AIRBOURNE). 14 tracks were recorded, with the final track listing and sequencing currently being decided.
THE LAST VEGAS will hit the road in February in support of the upcoming full-length and will play new songs and THE LAST VEGAS favorites on a two-week tour of Spain. Extensive touring both in the U.S. and abroad will follow the Spanish dates, which will see the band on the road for almost all of 2012.
Fans, both new and old, that are hungry for new music can get a physical copy of the "Other Side" EP for free with the purchase of one the band's t-shirts at THE LAST VEGAS merchandise store or in a bundle package at the CM Distro online store. The group will also be offering a free digital EP version of the "Other Side" EP through its official web site until the end of 2011. After that, fans will be able to get the album digitally on iTunes, AmazonMP3 and all other online music retailers.
A video for the EP's title track can be seen below. It was produced by, and stars, legendary Hollywood scream queen Sybil Danning ("Howling II", "Halloween", "Werewolf Women Of The SS").
THE LAST VEGAS has released four albums (2004's "Lick 'Em And Leave 'Em", 2005's "Seal The Deal", 2008's "The Last Vegas" and 2009's "Whatever Gets You Off") in the USA and Europe and toured over 19 countries.
For more information, visit www.thelastvegas.com.
THE LAST VEGAS will hit the road in February in support of the upcoming full-length and will play new songs and THE LAST VEGAS favorites on a two-week tour of Spain. Extensive touring both in the U.S. and abroad will follow the Spanish dates, which will see the band on the road for almost all of 2012.
Fans, both new and old, that are hungry for new music can get a physical copy of the "Other Side" EP for free with the purchase of one the band's t-shirts at THE LAST VEGAS merchandise store or in a bundle package at the CM Distro online store. The group will also be offering a free digital EP version of the "Other Side" EP through its official web site until the end of 2011. After that, fans will be able to get the album digitally on iTunes, AmazonMP3 and all other online music retailers.
A video for the EP's title track can be seen below. It was produced by, and stars, legendary Hollywood scream queen Sybil Danning ("Howling II", "Halloween", "Werewolf Women Of The SS").
THE LAST VEGAS has released four albums (2004's "Lick 'Em And Leave 'Em", 2005's "Seal The Deal", 2008's "The Last Vegas" and 2009's "Whatever Gets You Off") in the USA and Europe and toured over 19 countries.
For more information, visit www.thelastvegas.com.
The fifth in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Relapse", the new studio album from the reactivated MINISTRY, can be seen below. The CD will be released on March 30, 2012 via MINISTRY mainman Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records.
Jourgensen spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his band's decision to reform for a new album and tour, including an appearance at next year's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.
When asked how the resurrection of MINISTRY came about, Jourgensen — who claimed that he was "the healthiest [he's] been in over 20 years" — said, "While I was working on [the BUCK SATAN record], me and Mike Scaccia from RIGOR MORTIS fucked around to pass the time and we had like, 5,6,7 songs and I didn't really want to do anything with them but Mikey was like, 'Dude, these songs are awesome.' They weren't country, they were more like MINISTRY. So he's coming by in September and Tommy Victor's [PRONG; guitar] coming by in October with Tony Campos [SOULFLY, ex-STATIC-X; bass] and we're gonna finish up another MINISTRY album by Christmas called 'Relapse'."
Regarding the sound of the new MINISTRY material, Al said, "We've only got five songs to go. I've been listening to it the last couple of weeks and I wasn't really in the mood, I was just taking it as a joke. Just to pass the time at first but [Mikey's] raving about it. It's like, dude c'mon, this is not about Bush, so… that parts over. The ulcers are gone and Bush is gone so it's time for something new. I think this is actually gonna wind up being the fastest and heaviest record I've ever done. Just because we did it as anti-therapy therapy against the country music we would just take days off and thrash faster than I've done in a long time, faster than Mikey's done in a long time. He just did a RIGOR MORTIS tour and said it was easy compared to this MINISTRY stuff so it's gonna be brutal and it's gonna freak a lot of people out."
MINISTRY's upcoming tour will feature the lineup of Al Jourgensen, Mike Scaccia and Tommy Victor on guitar, Tony Campos on bass, Aaron Rossi on drums, and John Bechdel on keyboards.
Jourgensen spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his band's decision to reform for a new album and tour, including an appearance at next year's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.
When asked how the resurrection of MINISTRY came about, Jourgensen — who claimed that he was "the healthiest [he's] been in over 20 years" — said, "While I was working on [the BUCK SATAN record], me and Mike Scaccia from RIGOR MORTIS fucked around to pass the time and we had like, 5,6,7 songs and I didn't really want to do anything with them but Mikey was like, 'Dude, these songs are awesome.' They weren't country, they were more like MINISTRY. So he's coming by in September and Tommy Victor's [PRONG; guitar] coming by in October with Tony Campos [SOULFLY, ex-STATIC-X; bass] and we're gonna finish up another MINISTRY album by Christmas called 'Relapse'."
Regarding the sound of the new MINISTRY material, Al said, "We've only got five songs to go. I've been listening to it the last couple of weeks and I wasn't really in the mood, I was just taking it as a joke. Just to pass the time at first but [Mikey's] raving about it. It's like, dude c'mon, this is not about Bush, so… that parts over. The ulcers are gone and Bush is gone so it's time for something new. I think this is actually gonna wind up being the fastest and heaviest record I've ever done. Just because we did it as anti-therapy therapy against the country music we would just take days off and thrash faster than I've done in a long time, faster than Mikey's done in a long time. He just did a RIGOR MORTIS tour and said it was easy compared to this MINISTRY stuff so it's gonna be brutal and it's gonna freak a lot of people out."
MINISTRY's upcoming tour will feature the lineup of Al Jourgensen, Mike Scaccia and Tommy Victor on guitar, Tony Campos on bass, Aaron Rossi on drums, and John Bechdel on keyboards.
Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH will release its new album, "The Great Fire", on January 31, 2012 via Rise Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. March
02. Faith In Fire
03. Goodbye To Death
04. Final Hours
05. Starving Vultures
06. Everything You Love Is Gone
07. Walking Dead
08. Devil And Self Doubt
09. Step Back In Line
10. Trail Of Seclusion
11. Deaf Ears
12. One By One
13. Entrenched
14. Back To Life
Check out the cover artwork below.
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.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. March
02. Faith In Fire
03. Goodbye To Death
04. Final Hours
05. Starving Vultures
06. Everything You Love Is Gone
07. Walking Dead
08. Devil And Self Doubt
09. Step Back In Line
10. Trail Of Seclusion
11. Deaf Ears
12. One By One
13. Entrenched
14. Back To Life
Check out the cover artwork below.
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.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/bleedinggreatfire.jpg
UFOMAMMUT, Northern Italy's sorcerers of supernatural and obliterating doom, have completed the recordings for their sixth full-length — their first as part of the Neurot Recordings family. This week we are beyond excited to announce the details of this highly anticipated, mammoth follow-up to their 2010 full-length "Eve", the band's most critically-acclaimed and devastating piece of magic to date... until now.
"Oro" is the title for UFOMAMMUT's follow-up to 2010's "Eve" and is divided into ten massive movements overall which is now confirmed to be delivered in two separate pieces during the coming year. The first chapter, "Opus Primum", will arrive in April, and the second, "Opus Alter", in September. The vinyl versions of both chapters will be handled directly by UFOMAMMUT's own label Supernatural Cat Records, who were responsible for the release of all of the band's previous material. This is the third album in a row the band recorded with Lorenzo Stecconi.
As with all previous UFOMAMMUT albums, the concepts behind "Oro" are expansive and multi-faceted, mutating the Italian palindrome which translates to "gold" with the Latin translation of "I prey." "Oro" explores the concept of knowledge and its power; the magical stream controlled by the human mind to gain control of every single particle of the world surrounding us. "Oro" is the alchemical process to transform the human fears into pure essence; into gold. Although "Oro"'s two chapters will be released months apart from each other, they must be considered as a single track in which the musical themes and the sounds show up and hide, mutating and evolving, progressively and increasingly stratifying culminating in the crushing final movement. "Oro" is like an alchemic laboratory in which substances are flowing, dividing and blending themselves in ten increments from the alembics and stills, culminating into the creation of gold. The band are also in the process of crafting a full video/visual version of "Oro" which will accompany the audio.
Since their inception in 1999, UFOMAMMUT has toured several times, and crossed the oceans to the United States for the first time in 2009 for a tour of the West Coast. The band's live show is supported by the internationally acclaimed video and graphic art of Malleus, a rock artists' collective who conjure the entirety of UFOMAMMUT's visual impact.
2012 will see the band expanding their touring circles wider across the face of the planet in support of "Oro".
UFOMAMMUT is:
Poia - Guitars And Effect
Urlo - Bass, Vocals And Synths
Vita - Drums
Ciccio - Soundlord
Lu – Visuals
"Oro" is the title for UFOMAMMUT's follow-up to 2010's "Eve" and is divided into ten massive movements overall which is now confirmed to be delivered in two separate pieces during the coming year. The first chapter, "Opus Primum", will arrive in April, and the second, "Opus Alter", in September. The vinyl versions of both chapters will be handled directly by UFOMAMMUT's own label Supernatural Cat Records, who were responsible for the release of all of the band's previous material. This is the third album in a row the band recorded with Lorenzo Stecconi.
As with all previous UFOMAMMUT albums, the concepts behind "Oro" are expansive and multi-faceted, mutating the Italian palindrome which translates to "gold" with the Latin translation of "I prey." "Oro" explores the concept of knowledge and its power; the magical stream controlled by the human mind to gain control of every single particle of the world surrounding us. "Oro" is the alchemical process to transform the human fears into pure essence; into gold. Although "Oro"'s two chapters will be released months apart from each other, they must be considered as a single track in which the musical themes and the sounds show up and hide, mutating and evolving, progressively and increasingly stratifying culminating in the crushing final movement. "Oro" is like an alchemic laboratory in which substances are flowing, dividing and blending themselves in ten increments from the alembics and stills, culminating into the creation of gold. The band are also in the process of crafting a full video/visual version of "Oro" which will accompany the audio.
Since their inception in 1999, UFOMAMMUT has toured several times, and crossed the oceans to the United States for the first time in 2009 for a tour of the West Coast. The band's live show is supported by the internationally acclaimed video and graphic art of Malleus, a rock artists' collective who conjure the entirety of UFOMAMMUT's visual impact.
2012 will see the band expanding their touring circles wider across the face of the planet in support of "Oro".
UFOMAMMUT is:
Poia - Guitars And Effect
Urlo - Bass, Vocals And Synths
Vita - Drums
Ciccio - Soundlord
Lu – Visuals
It was announced earlier in the week that GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot died from a coronary artery thrombosis brought about by his pre-existing coronary artery disease.
Cory, who had played the character of Flattus Maximus for over ten years, was discovered dead on the band's tour bus on November 3 of this year. He was 34 years old.
The band, which will continue as a four-piece until the current tour schedule is complete, has officially retired the character of Flattus Maximus, and has announced no plans regarding a new GWAR-tarist.
GWAR frontman David Brockie — better known to the band's legion of fans as the alien overlord Oderus Urungus — told the Daily News that he knew his friend definitely wasn't the hard-partying type who'd end up a heavy metal drug cliché.
"For a rock and roll musician to die on a bus on the way to a border crossing ... there was a real breath of relief that rippled through the metal community when we found out it was a normal death," he said.
Brockie and his bandmates returned to the stage — in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — just 36 hours after Smoot's passing — because it kept their minds off the fact that Smoot's body was stuck in a morgue in North Dakota for almost a week, not being released to Cory's wife, Jamie, until the coroner fully examined the body.
"We went out there to do the soundcheck and it was just on," said Brockie of the Edmonton show. "All of a sudden, we had a new appreciation for everything.
"Because he's not here, we're going to have do everything a million times better than we've ever done before. The audience wasn't just going to let us fail."
He added, "[Cory] will always be a part of our band. As I'm talking to you, I'm sitting here staring at a plaster cast of his head.
"In his short 34 years, he had a huge impact. It'll take a long time to get the credit he deserves, because he was wearing 40 pounds of rubber and makeup when he played."
Metal Blade and GWAR have since set up the Smoot Family Foundation to raise funds for Cory's wife, Jaime, and their unborn child. Donations can be made here.
MENSREA, CANNABIS CORPSE and DAVE BROCKIE EXPERIENCE are among the artists who will perform at the upcoming Cory Smoot memorial concert, set to take place on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia.
For more information, go to this location.
Smoot joined GWAR in 2002 and first appeared on the band's 2004 album "War Party". He was the fifth guitarist to play the character of Flattus Maximus, known by his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet.
Born August 25, 1977, Smoot previously played in metal bands MISGUIDED and LOCUS FACTOR and continued to play with MENSREA, in addition to establishing his own solo project, THE CORY SMOOT EXPERIMENT.
Cory, who had played the character of Flattus Maximus for over ten years, was discovered dead on the band's tour bus on November 3 of this year. He was 34 years old.
The band, which will continue as a four-piece until the current tour schedule is complete, has officially retired the character of Flattus Maximus, and has announced no plans regarding a new GWAR-tarist.
GWAR frontman David Brockie — better known to the band's legion of fans as the alien overlord Oderus Urungus — told the Daily News that he knew his friend definitely wasn't the hard-partying type who'd end up a heavy metal drug cliché.
"For a rock and roll musician to die on a bus on the way to a border crossing ... there was a real breath of relief that rippled through the metal community when we found out it was a normal death," he said.
Brockie and his bandmates returned to the stage — in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — just 36 hours after Smoot's passing — because it kept their minds off the fact that Smoot's body was stuck in a morgue in North Dakota for almost a week, not being released to Cory's wife, Jamie, until the coroner fully examined the body.
"We went out there to do the soundcheck and it was just on," said Brockie of the Edmonton show. "All of a sudden, we had a new appreciation for everything.
"Because he's not here, we're going to have do everything a million times better than we've ever done before. The audience wasn't just going to let us fail."
He added, "[Cory] will always be a part of our band. As I'm talking to you, I'm sitting here staring at a plaster cast of his head.
"In his short 34 years, he had a huge impact. It'll take a long time to get the credit he deserves, because he was wearing 40 pounds of rubber and makeup when he played."
Metal Blade and GWAR have since set up the Smoot Family Foundation to raise funds for Cory's wife, Jaime, and their unborn child. Donations can be made here.
MENSREA, CANNABIS CORPSE and DAVE BROCKIE EXPERIENCE are among the artists who will perform at the upcoming Cory Smoot memorial concert, set to take place on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia.
For more information, go to this location.
Smoot joined GWAR in 2002 and first appeared on the band's 2004 album "War Party". He was the fifth guitarist to play the character of Flattus Maximus, known by his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet.
Born August 25, 1977, Smoot previously played in metal bands MISGUIDED and LOCUS FACTOR and continued to play with MENSREA, in addition to establishing his own solo project, THE CORY SMOOT EXPERIMENT.
Pioneering '90s alt-rock act JANE'S ADDICTION has been forced to cancel its appearance at tonight's Not So Silent Night concert at Oakland, California's Oracle Arena due to drummer Stephen Perkins' undisclosed family emergency. Performing in JANE'S ADDICTION's place will be local pop-punk heroes GREEN DAY. Also scheduled to appear are FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, MUMFORD & SONS and BUSH, among others.
Tickets, priced at $39.50-$150, are available for this event at the venue box office.
JANE'S ADDICTION's new album, "The Great Escape Artist", sold around 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The CD is JANE'S ADDICTION's first all-new studio effort since 2003's "Strays", which opened with more than 110,000 units to enter the chart at No. 4.
"The Great Escape Artist" is only JANE'S ADDICTION's fourth album of original material in 20 years.
The current JANE'S ADDICTION lineup features original members Stephen Perkins, Perry Farrell on vocals and Dave Navarro on guitar.
Tickets, priced at $39.50-$150, are available for this event at the venue box office.
JANE'S ADDICTION's new album, "The Great Escape Artist", sold around 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The CD is JANE'S ADDICTION's first all-new studio effort since 2003's "Strays", which opened with more than 110,000 units to enter the chart at No. 4.
"The Great Escape Artist" is only JANE'S ADDICTION's fourth album of original material in 20 years.
The current JANE'S ADDICTION lineup features original members Stephen Perkins, Perry Farrell on vocals and Dave Navarro on guitar.
Irish rockers THERAPY? will release their 13th album, "A Brief Crack Of Light", on February 6, 2012 via Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Blast Studios in Newcastle and was produced by the band and Adam Sinclair. The artwork was created by acclaimed artist Nigel Rolfe, who previously worked on THERAPY?'s "Troublegum" and "Suicide Pact - You First" albums. A single, "Living In The Shadow Of The Terrible Thing", will precede the full-length effort on January 23.
"A Brief Crack Of Light" track listing:
01. Living In The Shadow Of The Terrible Thing
02. Plague Bell
03. Marlow
04. Before You, With You, After You
05. The Buzzing
06. Get Your Dead Hand Off My Shoulder
07. Ghost Trio
08. Why Turbulence?
09. Stark Raving Sane
10. Ecclesiastes
Issued in March 2009 via Global Music, THERAPY?'s last studio album, "Crooked Timber", was produced by Andy Gill, a founding member and guitarist for the English rock group GANG OF FOUR, considered among the most influential post-punk bands. Gill also produced much of GANG OF FOUR's output, and albums for many other artists, including the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE JESUS LIZARD, THE STRANGLERS, THE FUTUREHEADS, MICHAEL HUTCHENCE, KILLING JOKE and THE YOUNG KNIVES.
THERAPY? released its first-ever official live album, "We're Here To The End", in November 2010 via Global Music.
"A Brief Crack Of Light" track listing:
01. Living In The Shadow Of The Terrible Thing
02. Plague Bell
03. Marlow
04. Before You, With You, After You
05. The Buzzing
06. Get Your Dead Hand Off My Shoulder
07. Ghost Trio
08. Why Turbulence?
09. Stark Raving Sane
10. Ecclesiastes
Issued in March 2009 via Global Music, THERAPY?'s last studio album, "Crooked Timber", was produced by Andy Gill, a founding member and guitarist for the English rock group GANG OF FOUR, considered among the most influential post-punk bands. Gill also produced much of GANG OF FOUR's output, and albums for many other artists, including the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE JESUS LIZARD, THE STRANGLERS, THE FUTUREHEADS, MICHAEL HUTCHENCE, KILLING JOKE and THE YOUNG KNIVES.
THERAPY? released its first-ever official live album, "We're Here To The End", in November 2010 via Global Music.
British black metal pioneers VENOM have been confirmed for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which will set sail from Miami, Florida to Cayman Islands on January 23, 2012 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will perform on the cruise.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ATHEIST
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PRETTY MAIDS
RIOT
SAMAEL
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VENOM
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH
Ticket prices start at $666 plus $289 taxes and fees per person and include all onboard entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals at the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24-hour room service.
For more information, visit www.70000tons.com.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ATHEIST
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PRETTY MAIDS
RIOT
SAMAEL
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VENOM
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH
Ticket prices start at $666 plus $289 taxes and fees per person and include all onboard entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals at the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24-hour room service.
For more information, visit www.70000tons.com.
San Diego's ADESTRIA has inked a deal with Artery Recordings, the joint venture between The Artery Foundation and Razor & Tie. The band's full-length debut was recorded with producer Nick Sampson (IN FEAR AND FAITH) and will be released in the spring of 2012.
Alternative Press magazine selected ADESTRIA as the No. 5 best unsigned band before the group caught the attention of Artery Recordings.
The young band (18-21 years) has toured extensively, including stints with new labelmates VANNA and CLOSE TO HOME as well as with IN FEAR AND FAITH and A LOSS FOR WORDS.
ADESTRIA is:
Matthew Alan Anderson (vocals)
Christopher Ray Hardison (bass)
Michael Jason Yanez (drums)
Russell George Klein Jr. (guitar)
Brian Kimble Stump (guitar)
Michael Anthony Colasardo (keyboards)
ADESTRIA is managed by Mike Milford and Ramin Niroomand of The Artery Foundation.
Alternative Press magazine selected ADESTRIA as the No. 5 best unsigned band before the group caught the attention of Artery Recordings.
The young band (18-21 years) has toured extensively, including stints with new labelmates VANNA and CLOSE TO HOME as well as with IN FEAR AND FAITH and A LOSS FOR WORDS.
ADESTRIA is:
Matthew Alan Anderson (vocals)
Christopher Ray Hardison (bass)
Michael Jason Yanez (drums)
Russell George Klein Jr. (guitar)
Brian Kimble Stump (guitar)
Michael Anthony Colasardo (keyboards)
ADESTRIA is managed by Mike Milford and Ramin Niroomand of The Artery Foundation.
According to Lambgoat, DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD and IMPENDING DOOM will join forces for the Metal Alliance Tour in March/April 2012.
So far, the following dates have been released:
Mar. 17 - St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
Mar. 22 - Danvers, MA @ The Palace Ballroom
Mar. 27 - St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
Apr. 06 - Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theater
"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on February 22 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and was mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England.
THE FACELESS is currently putting the finishing touches on its third album for a tentative February release via Sumerian Records. Guitarist Michael Keene described the CD as "the most musical and progressive record we've made." He added, "Since recording 'Planetary Duality', the goals of THE FACELESS have changed a bit. You can still expect a fast, technical and blistering record, but I personally am less focused on a musical aesthetic and more on musicality and making an expressive, unique, moody and expansive record. Speed picking, flying double bass and skin melting guitar solos are certainly still in order. However, you can also expect more clean vocals with big harmonies, some unique instrumentation, dark moody passages, interesting keyboards, synth guitars, vocoder and sequenced segments. It's going to be the most focused and depressive FACELESS record to date."
DYING FETUS' latest album, "Descend Into Depravity", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. Released on September 15, 2009 via Relapse Records, the follow-up to 2007's "War Of Attrition" was recorded at Wright Way Studios in Maryland with producer Steve Wright.
JOB FOR A COWBOY recently finished recording its next album for an early 2012 release via Metal Blade Records. The CD was laid down at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER), who helmed the group's latest EP, "Gloom".
So far, the following dates have been released:
Mar. 17 - St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
Mar. 22 - Danvers, MA @ The Palace Ballroom
Mar. 27 - St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
Apr. 06 - Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theater
"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on February 22 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and was mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England.
THE FACELESS is currently putting the finishing touches on its third album for a tentative February release via Sumerian Records. Guitarist Michael Keene described the CD as "the most musical and progressive record we've made." He added, "Since recording 'Planetary Duality', the goals of THE FACELESS have changed a bit. You can still expect a fast, technical and blistering record, but I personally am less focused on a musical aesthetic and more on musicality and making an expressive, unique, moody and expansive record. Speed picking, flying double bass and skin melting guitar solos are certainly still in order. However, you can also expect more clean vocals with big harmonies, some unique instrumentation, dark moody passages, interesting keyboards, synth guitars, vocoder and sequenced segments. It's going to be the most focused and depressive FACELESS record to date."
DYING FETUS' latest album, "Descend Into Depravity", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. Released on September 15, 2009 via Relapse Records, the follow-up to 2007's "War Of Attrition" was recorded at Wright Way Studios in Maryland with producer Steve Wright.
JOB FOR A COWBOY recently finished recording its next album for an early 2012 release via Metal Blade Records. The CD was laid down at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER), who helmed the group's latest EP, "Gloom".
Guitarist-turned-bassist Youri Raymond of Canadian extreme metallers CRYPTOPSY has issued the following statement:
"I am officially announcing my departure of the band CRYPTOPSY. At this time, we feel it's in the best interest of both the band and I to part ways.
"As a musician, moving from guitar to bass was a great challenge, but honestly, I never really felt comfortable in that position and my motivation in general was stagnating.
"I'm now moving forward and will release an album in 2012 on guitar/lead vocals with my band, UNHUMAN, and I hope Jon, Matt, Chris, Flo and the new guy who will fill in in the bass spot the very best with the upcoming album and what might be the 'real' CRYPTOPSY coming back!
"Thanks again, fans and friends, for your endless support!"
Lead guitarist and songwriter Jon Levasseur rejoined CRYPTOPSY in May.
"The Unspoken King", CRYPTOPSY's sixth full-length and first to feature new vocalist Matt McGachy, was released June 24, 2008 to a wide array of reactions. Drummer Flo Mounier explained his intention in reshaping the dynamics of the band to Decibel magazine: "I'm a fan of different sorts of music, and I think it's most fun when a band puts out an album that has elements of everything; you get this thing called diversity, not boredom. That's what we're trying to do. Still, I think people are going to be surprised how brutal this album is."
"I am officially announcing my departure of the band CRYPTOPSY. At this time, we feel it's in the best interest of both the band and I to part ways.
"As a musician, moving from guitar to bass was a great challenge, but honestly, I never really felt comfortable in that position and my motivation in general was stagnating.
"I'm now moving forward and will release an album in 2012 on guitar/lead vocals with my band, UNHUMAN, and I hope Jon, Matt, Chris, Flo and the new guy who will fill in in the bass spot the very best with the upcoming album and what might be the 'real' CRYPTOPSY coming back!
"Thanks again, fans and friends, for your endless support!"
Lead guitarist and songwriter Jon Levasseur rejoined CRYPTOPSY in May.
"The Unspoken King", CRYPTOPSY's sixth full-length and first to feature new vocalist Matt McGachy, was released June 24, 2008 to a wide array of reactions. Drummer Flo Mounier explained his intention in reshaping the dynamics of the band to Decibel magazine: "I'm a fan of different sorts of music, and I think it's most fun when a band puts out an album that has elements of everything; you get this thing called diversity, not boredom. That's what we're trying to do. Still, I think people are going to be surprised how brutal this album is."
Maryland extreme metallers DYING FETUS have entered Wrightway Studios in Baltimore with longtime producer Steve Wright (SLIPKNOT, MISERY INDEX) to begin recording their new album for a mid-2012 release via Relapse Records. The will feature nine tracks and is "a 'return to roots,' with production focused slightly more on slam than in the band's last few works," according to a press relase. "Thematically, the album is set to be a good old-fashioned piece of social and political commentary in the style of DYING FETUS as we have come to know."
Commented DYING FETUS guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher: "The last album had some groove in it, but [it] was basically a lot of tech; this one is a return to form of older DYING FETUS albums, so to speak — more modern production, though, of course. Everything's tight, the sound is crushing, the drums are amazing."
In other news, DYING FETUS has announced a series of special South American shows which will take place in mid-January. The band has also been confirmed for next year's Maryland Deathfest and France's Hellfest.
DYING FETUS plans to tour extensively in support of its new album and will announce more dates shortly.
DYING FETUS' latest album, "Descend Into Depravity", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Commented DYING FETUS guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher: "The last album had some groove in it, but [it] was basically a lot of tech; this one is a return to form of older DYING FETUS albums, so to speak — more modern production, though, of course. Everything's tight, the sound is crushing, the drums are amazing."
In other news, DYING FETUS has announced a series of special South American shows which will take place in mid-January. The band has also been confirmed for next year's Maryland Deathfest and France's Hellfest.
DYING FETUS plans to tour extensively in support of its new album and will announce more dates shortly.
DYING FETUS' latest album, "Descend Into Depravity", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 4 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
33 bands from the Polish rock and metal scenes will take part in a charity tour, "Covan Wake The Fuck Up Tour 2012", to help former DECAPITATED singer Adrian "Covan" Kowanek.
On October 29, 2007, a tour bus accident claimed the life of DECAPITATED drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka, and gravely injured Covan, who has yet to make a full recovery.
The following bands are going to perform in 10 biggest cities in Poland:
HUNTER
DECAPITATED
FRONTSIDE
VIRGIN SNATCH
CHAINSAW
CORRUPTION
TRAUMA
THY DISEASE
QUO VADIS
PARRICIDE
MASACHIST
NEOLITH
ANAL STENCH
MADE OF HATE
TOTEM
CIRYAM
BUTELKA
DEIVOS
MILCZENIE OWIEC
ALASTOR
CALM HATCHERY
BEHEADING MACHINE
THE SIXPOUNDER
HEART ATTACK
OGOTAY
REDEMPTOR
LOSTBONE
THRASHER DEATH
DEVON
EMPATIC
The tour will start on January 19 January in Pod Palma club in Rzeszow and will finish on January 28 January at Kwadrat club in Krakow. This final concert will be narrated by the famous satirist Adam Grzanka from the "Chatelet" cabaret.
At each concert there will be a merchandise sale of a special "Covan Wake The Fuck Up" collection. All proceeds from these sales and ticket sales will be transferred to directly to Adrian's family.
For more information, go to www.wakeupcovan.com.
On October 29, 2007, a tour bus accident claimed the life of DECAPITATED drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka, and gravely injured Covan, who has yet to make a full recovery.
The following bands are going to perform in 10 biggest cities in Poland:
HUNTER
DECAPITATED
FRONTSIDE
VIRGIN SNATCH
CHAINSAW
CORRUPTION
TRAUMA
THY DISEASE
QUO VADIS
PARRICIDE
MASACHIST
NEOLITH
ANAL STENCH
MADE OF HATE
TOTEM
CIRYAM
BUTELKA
DEIVOS
MILCZENIE OWIEC
ALASTOR
CALM HATCHERY
BEHEADING MACHINE
THE SIXPOUNDER
HEART ATTACK
OGOTAY
REDEMPTOR
LOSTBONE
THRASHER DEATH
DEVON
EMPATIC
The tour will start on January 19 January in Pod Palma club in Rzeszow and will finish on January 28 January at Kwadrat club in Krakow. This final concert will be narrated by the famous satirist Adam Grzanka from the "Chatelet" cabaret.
At each concert there will be a merchandise sale of a special "Covan Wake The Fuck Up" collection. All proceeds from these sales and ticket sales will be transferred to directly to Adrian's family.
For more information, go to www.wakeupcovan.com.
Swedish death metallers DEMONICAL have announced a new drummer and guitar player.
Commented the band: "We have hereby officially parted ways with drummer Ronnie Bergerståhl and replaced him with Fredrik Widigs. Fredrik has been our stand-in drummer during the past autumn, hence making him the obvious choice for the throne and full time position. Besides that, we are also thrilled to announce that our session live-guitarist Pablo Magallanes has become an official member of DEMONICAL.
"We want to thank Ronnie for all the years in the band and wish him the best for the future! We welcome Fredrik and Pablo into DEMONICAL, with this new and strong we are more than ready for 2012 and everything it will bring."
Added Bergerståhl: "As most of you know by now, I decided to sit out the DEMONICAL tour which took place in October/November. I thought about it for months before the tour started and in my heart I basically decided already then to quit the band. However, I gave it some time but now I have taken the last final decision: I will quit DEMONICAL! The main reason is that it is getting harder and harder to combine two touring bands like DEMONICAL and GRAVE — to give them equal priority — and as DEMONICAL will be doing a shitload of festivals and shows in 2012 and GRAVE will release a new album (with extended touring to follow) it will be impossible.
"There is absolutely no hard feelings between me and the guys in DEMONICAL; we will still be doing lots of Hadderajjan together after this, hehe!
"I'm really excited to see who's going to take my place in the band but I know that they won't settle for anything or anyone but the best!"
Stated Fredrik Widigs: "It's a great privilege for me to be a part of DEMONICAL and after the much successful Eastern Death Infernal Tour 2011, I'm very eager to continue to spread the Swedish death metal darkness. The march for victory has only begun!"
DEMONICAL's third album, "Death Infernal", was released on April 15 via Germany's Cyclone Empire Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden under the watchful eye of DEMONICAL frontman Sverker Widgren. Other individuals taking part in the creation of "Death Infernal" were Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media and photographer Soile Siirtola.
Commented the band: "We have hereby officially parted ways with drummer Ronnie Bergerståhl and replaced him with Fredrik Widigs. Fredrik has been our stand-in drummer during the past autumn, hence making him the obvious choice for the throne and full time position. Besides that, we are also thrilled to announce that our session live-guitarist Pablo Magallanes has become an official member of DEMONICAL.
"We want to thank Ronnie for all the years in the band and wish him the best for the future! We welcome Fredrik and Pablo into DEMONICAL, with this new and strong we are more than ready for 2012 and everything it will bring."
Added Bergerståhl: "As most of you know by now, I decided to sit out the DEMONICAL tour which took place in October/November. I thought about it for months before the tour started and in my heart I basically decided already then to quit the band. However, I gave it some time but now I have taken the last final decision: I will quit DEMONICAL! The main reason is that it is getting harder and harder to combine two touring bands like DEMONICAL and GRAVE — to give them equal priority — and as DEMONICAL will be doing a shitload of festivals and shows in 2012 and GRAVE will release a new album (with extended touring to follow) it will be impossible.
"There is absolutely no hard feelings between me and the guys in DEMONICAL; we will still be doing lots of Hadderajjan together after this, hehe!
"I'm really excited to see who's going to take my place in the band but I know that they won't settle for anything or anyone but the best!"
Stated Fredrik Widigs: "It's a great privilege for me to be a part of DEMONICAL and after the much successful Eastern Death Infernal Tour 2011, I'm very eager to continue to spread the Swedish death metal darkness. The march for victory has only begun!"
DEMONICAL's third album, "Death Infernal", was released on April 15 via Germany's Cyclone Empire Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, UNANIMATED, DESTRÖYER 666) in Alvik, Sweden under the watchful eye of DEMONICAL frontman Sverker Widgren. Other individuals taking part in the creation of "Death Infernal" were Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media and photographer Soile Siirtola.
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