According to the unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site Black-Sabbath.com, Universal Music has set a March 19 European release date for the "deluxe-edition" reissues of the first three DIO albums: "Holy Diver", "The Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart". These reissues are being made available worldwide, except in North America, where Warner Bros. owns the rights to the material.
In May 2010, the world of hard rock and heavy metal had lost one of its most gifted and fervent ambassadors, with the passing of Ronnie James Dio. In his position as lead vocalist for rock giants such as RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH, as well as fronting his own eponymous band for nearly three decades, Dio created some of the genres most defining and respected works. Albums such as "Holy Diver", "Sacred Heart" and "The Last In Line" all stand as towering monuments of sheer class and brilliance in the rock pantheon. Dio was also to pave the way in regards to performing live, as few equaled him. With his incredible vocal range, Dio was to preside over countless memorable rock shows, enthralling his millions of fans worldwide.
As well as the original CD being remastered, these reissues each feature a bonus CD containing an expanded booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome and has been endorsed by Ronnie's widow Wendy Dio.
"Holy Diver" was the debut album from DIO, released May 25, 1983. It was hailed by critics as some of his best work and in January 1986 it was awarded silver certification in the U.K. The upbeat sounding "Rainbow In The Dark" was to catch MTV's attention, with the title track also standing out.
"The Last In Line" was the second DIO studio album. It was released on July 13, 1984 and was the first album from DIO to reach platinum status as well as No. 4 in the U.K. chart. This new album showcased the anthemic tracks "We Rock" and "I Speed at Night" as well as the seven-minute epic "Egypt ( The Chains Are On)".
Issued in October 1985, "Sacred Heart" was the third studio album from DIO. The album reached No. 4 in the U.K. chart and was to go on to be certified gold. This was to become a much-loved DIO album, and contained the tracks "Rock N' Roll Children" and "Hungry For Heaven". The stage show that was to accompany this album was hailed as a spectacle, involving a mechanized dragon as well as lasers. Ronnie and his band were to refer to the dragon as Denzil. This was the last studio album to be released by DIO that included guitarist Vivian Campbell.
The first disc in each reissue consists of the original album, remastered by Andy Pearce. The following are details for the bonus disc included with each reissue.
"Holy Diver" - Disc Two (one studio track, along with live recordings)
01. Evil Eyes
02. Stand Up And Shout
03. Straight Through The Heart
04. Stand Up And Shout
05. Shame On The Night
06. Children Of The Sea
07. Holy Diver
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Man On The Silver Mountain
"Last In Line" - Disc Two
01. Stand Up And Shout (live) (B-side of "Last In Line" single)
02. Straight Through The Heart (live) (B-side of "Last In Line" single)
03. Eat Your Heart Out (live) (from "Mystery" single)
04. Don't Talk To Strangers (live) (from "Mystery" single)
05. Holy Diver (live) (B-side of "We Rock" single)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (B-side of "We Rock" single)
07. One Night In The City (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
08. We Rock (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
09. Holy Diver (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
10. Stargazer (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
11. Heaven And Hell (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
12. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
13. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
14. Don't Talk To Strangers (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
"Sacred Heart" - Disc Two
01. Hide in the Rainbow (studio track, originally on the soundtrack to the movie "Iron Eagle")
02. We Rock (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
03. The Last in Line (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
04. Like the Beat Of A Heart (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
05. King of Rock & Roll (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
07. Sacred Heart (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
08. Time To Burn (studio) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
09. Rock 'N' Roll Children (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
10. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
11. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
12. We Rock (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
In May 2010, the world of hard rock and heavy metal had lost one of its most gifted and fervent ambassadors, with the passing of Ronnie James Dio. In his position as lead vocalist for rock giants such as RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH, as well as fronting his own eponymous band for nearly three decades, Dio created some of the genres most defining and respected works. Albums such as "Holy Diver", "Sacred Heart" and "The Last In Line" all stand as towering monuments of sheer class and brilliance in the rock pantheon. Dio was also to pave the way in regards to performing live, as few equaled him. With his incredible vocal range, Dio was to preside over countless memorable rock shows, enthralling his millions of fans worldwide.
As well as the original CD being remastered, these reissues each feature a bonus CD containing an expanded booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome and has been endorsed by Ronnie's widow Wendy Dio.
"Holy Diver" was the debut album from DIO, released May 25, 1983. It was hailed by critics as some of his best work and in January 1986 it was awarded silver certification in the U.K. The upbeat sounding "Rainbow In The Dark" was to catch MTV's attention, with the title track also standing out.
"The Last In Line" was the second DIO studio album. It was released on July 13, 1984 and was the first album from DIO to reach platinum status as well as No. 4 in the U.K. chart. This new album showcased the anthemic tracks "We Rock" and "I Speed at Night" as well as the seven-minute epic "Egypt ( The Chains Are On)".
Issued in October 1985, "Sacred Heart" was the third studio album from DIO. The album reached No. 4 in the U.K. chart and was to go on to be certified gold. This was to become a much-loved DIO album, and contained the tracks "Rock N' Roll Children" and "Hungry For Heaven". The stage show that was to accompany this album was hailed as a spectacle, involving a mechanized dragon as well as lasers. Ronnie and his band were to refer to the dragon as Denzil. This was the last studio album to be released by DIO that included guitarist Vivian Campbell.
The first disc in each reissue consists of the original album, remastered by Andy Pearce. The following are details for the bonus disc included with each reissue.
"Holy Diver" - Disc Two (one studio track, along with live recordings)
01. Evil Eyes
02. Stand Up And Shout
03. Straight Through The Heart
04. Stand Up And Shout
05. Shame On The Night
06. Children Of The Sea
07. Holy Diver
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Man On The Silver Mountain
"Last In Line" - Disc Two
01. Stand Up And Shout (live) (B-side of "Last In Line" single)
02. Straight Through The Heart (live) (B-side of "Last In Line" single)
03. Eat Your Heart Out (live) (from "Mystery" single)
04. Don't Talk To Strangers (live) (from "Mystery" single)
05. Holy Diver (live) (B-side of "We Rock" single)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (B-side of "We Rock" single)
07. One Night In The City (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
08. We Rock (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
09. Holy Diver (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
10. Stargazer (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
11. Heaven And Hell (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
12. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
13. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
14. Don't Talk To Strangers (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
"Sacred Heart" - Disc Two
01. Hide in the Rainbow (studio track, originally on the soundtrack to the movie "Iron Eagle")
02. We Rock (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
03. The Last in Line (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
04. Like the Beat Of A Heart (live) (B-side of "Rock N Roll Children" single)
05. King of Rock & Roll (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
07. Sacred Heart (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
08. Time To Burn (studio) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
09. Rock 'N' Roll Children (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
10. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
11. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
12. We Rock (live) (taken from "Intermission" EP)
SCORPIONS' "Comeblack", a new album of classic rock covers and fresh performances of signature repertoire recorded last year, sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 90 on The Billboard 200 chart.
SCORPIONS' last collection of all-original material, "Sting In The Tail", opened with 18,500 units to land at No. 23. This marked the band's highest chart debut in over 20 years. The CD also landed at No. 6 on the Rock Albums chart.
"Sting In The Tail" was released in North America on March 23, 2010 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
Launched by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in 1965, SCORPIONS forged metal, rock and pop into a sound that's come to signify an entire genre through hard rock anthems like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and hits like "Send Me An Angel", "Wind of Change" and "Still Loving You", selling more than 100 million records in the process.
In January 2010, SCORPIONS announced that the group's "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour, an epic ongoing worldwide rock 'n' roll odyssey in support of 2010's "Sting In The Tail", would be the group's last before retirement. The tour is slated to run through early 2013 with a string of historic farewell blowouts and festival performances scheduled Europe culminating with shows at the Wacken Open Air festival (August 4, 2012) and Munich's Olympiahalle (October 13, 2012).
At some point during the "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour ("We can't remember the day, the month or the hour"), SCORPIONS, enjoying the success of "Sting In The Tail" and the emotional rejuvenation of the farewell tour ("Screaming fans everywhere we went!") decided to record one last classic album. "The idea to go back to the studio was born out of pure excitement," said the band who cut an album mixing covers of rock 'n' roll standards that informed and inspired the SCORPIONS alongside new productions and performances of the songs in the band's core catalog that have proved the most meaningful to the members.
The result, "Comeblack", is, according to the band, "an encore for our die-hard fans, to thank them for all the support for so many years. At the same time, this is a tribute to legendary bands from the sixties, like THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES, who have inspired us to follow our dreams. We hope you like it as much as we do... Rock on and ... Comeblack."
"Comeblack" track listing:
Re-recordings
01. Rhythm Of Love
02. No One Like You
03. The Zoo
04. Rock You Like A Hurricane
05. Blackout
06. Still Loving You
07. Wind Of Change
Covers
08. Tainted Love (GLORIA JONES)
09. Children Of The Revolution (T. REX)
10. Across The Universe (THE BEATLES)
11. Tin Soldier (SMALL FACES)
12. All Day And All Of The Night (THE KINKS)
13. Ruby Tuesday (THE ROLLING STONES)
SCORPIONS' last collection of all-original material, "Sting In The Tail", opened with 18,500 units to land at No. 23. This marked the band's highest chart debut in over 20 years. The CD also landed at No. 6 on the Rock Albums chart.
"Sting In The Tail" was released in North America on March 23, 2010 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
Launched by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in 1965, SCORPIONS forged metal, rock and pop into a sound that's come to signify an entire genre through hard rock anthems like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and hits like "Send Me An Angel", "Wind of Change" and "Still Loving You", selling more than 100 million records in the process.
In January 2010, SCORPIONS announced that the group's "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour, an epic ongoing worldwide rock 'n' roll odyssey in support of 2010's "Sting In The Tail", would be the group's last before retirement. The tour is slated to run through early 2013 with a string of historic farewell blowouts and festival performances scheduled Europe culminating with shows at the Wacken Open Air festival (August 4, 2012) and Munich's Olympiahalle (October 13, 2012).
At some point during the "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour ("We can't remember the day, the month or the hour"), SCORPIONS, enjoying the success of "Sting In The Tail" and the emotional rejuvenation of the farewell tour ("Screaming fans everywhere we went!") decided to record one last classic album. "The idea to go back to the studio was born out of pure excitement," said the band who cut an album mixing covers of rock 'n' roll standards that informed and inspired the SCORPIONS alongside new productions and performances of the songs in the band's core catalog that have proved the most meaningful to the members.
The result, "Comeblack", is, according to the band, "an encore for our die-hard fans, to thank them for all the support for so many years. At the same time, this is a tribute to legendary bands from the sixties, like THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES, who have inspired us to follow our dreams. We hope you like it as much as we do... Rock on and ... Comeblack."
"Comeblack" track listing:
Re-recordings
01. Rhythm Of Love
02. No One Like You
03. The Zoo
04. Rock You Like A Hurricane
05. Blackout
06. Still Loving You
07. Wind Of Change
Covers
08. Tainted Love (GLORIA JONES)
09. Children Of The Revolution (T. REX)
10. Across The Universe (THE BEATLES)
11. Tin Soldier (SMALL FACES)
12. All Day And All Of The Night (THE KINKS)
13. Ruby Tuesday (THE ROLLING STONES)
Guitarist Rudolf Schenker of German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS tells Billboard.com that fans can expect to see a slew of "special" releases from the band after it completes its massive farewell tour in early 2013.
"We have a library in our warehouse where we have a lot of old songs, especially from the days where you had only the possibility of putting eight or nine songs on vinyl," the guitarist says. "We always recorded 13 or 14 songs, so (the rest) are hanging out somewhere in our warehouse. We also have 800, 900 hours of film material from different festivals, from places like (Moscow's) Red Square, the Amazon, the pyramids, going through Russia in 2002..."
He adds, "Of course we want to give this material to the fans. It would be terrible for this material to be hanging in our warehouse and not get out. So when we are finished (touring), we'll take our time and give people some special stuff."
In January 2010, SCORPIONS announced that the group's "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour, an epic ongoing worldwide rock 'n' roll odyssey in support of 2010's "Sting In The Tail", would be the group's last before retirement. The tour is slated to run through early 2013 with a string of historic farewell blowouts and festival performances scheduled Europe culminating with shows at the Wacken Open Air festival (August 4, 2012) and Munich's Olympiahalle (October 13, 2012).
"We have a library in our warehouse where we have a lot of old songs, especially from the days where you had only the possibility of putting eight or nine songs on vinyl," the guitarist says. "We always recorded 13 or 14 songs, so (the rest) are hanging out somewhere in our warehouse. We also have 800, 900 hours of film material from different festivals, from places like (Moscow's) Red Square, the Amazon, the pyramids, going through Russia in 2002..."
He adds, "Of course we want to give this material to the fans. It would be terrible for this material to be hanging in our warehouse and not get out. So when we are finished (touring), we'll take our time and give people some special stuff."
In January 2010, SCORPIONS announced that the group's "Get Your Sting And Blackout" tour, an epic ongoing worldwide rock 'n' roll odyssey in support of 2010's "Sting In The Tail", would be the group's last before retirement. The tour is slated to run through early 2013 with a string of historic farewell blowouts and festival performances scheduled Europe culminating with shows at the Wacken Open Air festival (August 4, 2012) and Munich's Olympiahalle (October 13, 2012).
SLASH, MEGADETH, STEEL PANTHER, RISE AGAINST, BILLY TALENT, FEAR FACTORY, AS I LAY DYING, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, KYUSS LIVES!, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, PERIPHERY, TERRORVISION, GINGER and RECKLESS LOVE have been confirmed for the 10th annual installment of the Download festival, which will take place June 8-10, 2012 at Donington Park, United Kingdom.
The billing is now shaping up as follows:
METALLICA (headliners)
BLACK SABBATH (headliners)
THE PRODIGY (headliners)
ANTHRAX
AS I LAY DYING
AUGUST BURNS RED
BIFFY CLYRO
BILLY TALENT
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
CHASE AND STATUS
DEVILDRIVER
DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT
FEAR FACTORY
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
GINGER
KYUSS LIVES!
LAMB OF GOD
LITTLE ANGELS
MACHINE HEAD
MEGADETH
PERIPHERY
RECKLESS LOVE
RISE AGAINST
SLASH
SOUNDGARDEN
STEEL PANTHER
TENACIOUS D
TERRORVISION
TRIVIUM
UGLY KID JOE
YOU ME AT SIX
The billing is now shaping up as follows:
METALLICA (headliners)
BLACK SABBATH (headliners)
THE PRODIGY (headliners)
ANTHRAX
AS I LAY DYING
AUGUST BURNS RED
BIFFY CLYRO
BILLY TALENT
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
CHASE AND STATUS
DEVILDRIVER
DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT
FEAR FACTORY
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
GINGER
KYUSS LIVES!
LAMB OF GOD
LITTLE ANGELS
MACHINE HEAD
MEGADETH
PERIPHERY
RECKLESS LOVE
RISE AGAINST
SLASH
SOUNDGARDEN
STEEL PANTHER
TENACIOUS D
TERRORVISION
TRIVIUM
UGLY KID JOE
YOU ME AT SIX
Rock On The Range returns for its sixth year boasting a massive lineup covering the rock spectrum. America's premier destination rock festival will be held May 18-20 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio featuring performances from INCUBUS, ROB ZOMBIE, SHINEDOWN, MARILYN MANSON, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, SLASH, MEGADETH, CHEVELLE, CYPRESS HILL, MASTODON and many more.
"INCUBUS is stoked to be joinin' the killer lineup at Rock On The Range this year. We'll see y'all in Columbus," comments Brandon Boyd from festival co-headliner INCUBUS.
"If you thought last time was a blast, then this time we are gonna blow your f#@*ing mind," says co-headliner Rob Zombie.
To get the party started and based on the success of last year's anniversary celebration, the weekend will kick off with the Friday Night 4Play, which is absolutely FREE with every Rock On The Range weekend ticket purchase. The May 18 party will feature performances from HAIRBALL, FOXY SHAZAM, HELLS BELLS and more.
The current lineup for Rock On The Range 2012 is as follows:
INCUBUS
ROB ZOMBIE
SHINEDOWN
MARILYN MANSON
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
SLASH
MEGADETH
CHEVELLE
CYPRESS HILL
MASTODON
THEORY OF A DEADMAN
VOLBEAT
DOWN
THE DARKNESS
HALESTORM
ESCAPE THE FATE
P.O.D.
LACUNA COIL
ADELITAS WAY
BLACK STONE CHERRY
CAVO
ATTACK ATTACK!
TRIVIUM
BOBAFLEX
FALLING IN REVERSE
REDLIGHT KING
ARANDA
EMPHATIC
OTHERWISE
JAMES DURBIN
BLACK TIDE
KYNG
12 STONES
SOIL
RIVAL SONS
EVE TO ADAM
GHOSTS OF AUGUST
Monster Energy returns as one of the driving partners behind the success of Rock On The Range as more than fifteen acts perform on the mammoth Monster Main Stage. Jägermeister also celebrates its fifth year as a key partner while welcoming twelve of the hottest up-and-coming bands to the in-your-face, up close and personal Jägermeister Music Stage. In all, Rock On The Range features three stages, 44 bands, and three days of non-stop rock.
"There are so many incredible bands playing at Rock On The Range this year, and every one of them is significant," says Del Williams, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. "I think this is the most interesting mix of bands that we have had at the festival. The Rangers already know that the weekend is going to be insanely great, but there will be surprises this year and a certain edge to the lineup that will likely create some of the most memorable moments in the 6 year history of Rock On The Range."
Tickets for Rock On The Range go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. EST at the festival's web site, Ticketmaster and the Crew Stadium box office. Two-day weekend stadium general admission tickets once again start at just $99.50 (plus service and transaction fees). A limited number of Rock On The Range pre-sale layaway tickets are also still available through February 29. Visit RockOnTheRange.com for full details and VIP package information.
Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG Live and Crew Stadium, Rock On The Range is a multi-stage music and lifestyle event featuring a potent line-up of bands on three stages. The nationally renowned festival centrally located in the heart of the country has annually drawn weekend crowds in excess of 70,000 since its inception in 2007.
"INCUBUS is stoked to be joinin' the killer lineup at Rock On The Range this year. We'll see y'all in Columbus," comments Brandon Boyd from festival co-headliner INCUBUS.
"If you thought last time was a blast, then this time we are gonna blow your f#@*ing mind," says co-headliner Rob Zombie.
To get the party started and based on the success of last year's anniversary celebration, the weekend will kick off with the Friday Night 4Play, which is absolutely FREE with every Rock On The Range weekend ticket purchase. The May 18 party will feature performances from HAIRBALL, FOXY SHAZAM, HELLS BELLS and more.
The current lineup for Rock On The Range 2012 is as follows:
INCUBUS
ROB ZOMBIE
SHINEDOWN
MARILYN MANSON
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
SLASH
MEGADETH
CHEVELLE
CYPRESS HILL
MASTODON
THEORY OF A DEADMAN
VOLBEAT
DOWN
THE DARKNESS
HALESTORM
ESCAPE THE FATE
P.O.D.
LACUNA COIL
ADELITAS WAY
BLACK STONE CHERRY
CAVO
ATTACK ATTACK!
TRIVIUM
BOBAFLEX
FALLING IN REVERSE
REDLIGHT KING
ARANDA
EMPHATIC
OTHERWISE
JAMES DURBIN
BLACK TIDE
KYNG
12 STONES
SOIL
RIVAL SONS
EVE TO ADAM
GHOSTS OF AUGUST
Monster Energy returns as one of the driving partners behind the success of Rock On The Range as more than fifteen acts perform on the mammoth Monster Main Stage. Jägermeister also celebrates its fifth year as a key partner while welcoming twelve of the hottest up-and-coming bands to the in-your-face, up close and personal Jägermeister Music Stage. In all, Rock On The Range features three stages, 44 bands, and three days of non-stop rock.
"There are so many incredible bands playing at Rock On The Range this year, and every one of them is significant," says Del Williams, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. "I think this is the most interesting mix of bands that we have had at the festival. The Rangers already know that the weekend is going to be insanely great, but there will be surprises this year and a certain edge to the lineup that will likely create some of the most memorable moments in the 6 year history of Rock On The Range."
Tickets for Rock On The Range go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. EST at the festival's web site, Ticketmaster and the Crew Stadium box office. Two-day weekend stadium general admission tickets once again start at just $99.50 (plus service and transaction fees). A limited number of Rock On The Range pre-sale layaway tickets are also still available through February 29. Visit RockOnTheRange.com for full details and VIP package information.
Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG Live and Crew Stadium, Rock On The Range is a multi-stage music and lifestyle event featuring a potent line-up of bands on three stages. The nationally renowned festival centrally located in the heart of the country has annually drawn weekend crowds in excess of 70,000 since its inception in 2007.
Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) and Sean Kinney (ALICE IN CHAINS) are teaming up for their own radio show. Details as to when and where this will air won't be announced for a while, but they'd like to get you involved.
The guys will be doing a segment where they'll answer questions submitted by fans. What they need is for you to e-mail them a brief question about anything: music, movies, food, travel, advice, or even their mutual disdain for milk. They are looking for anything that will get a little conversation going, and also answer the burning questions you've been dying to ask.
So keep it short and to the point, include your name, and e-mail them today at askseanandduff@gmail.com
The guys will be doing a segment where they'll answer questions submitted by fans. What they need is for you to e-mail them a brief question about anything: music, movies, food, travel, advice, or even their mutual disdain for milk. They are looking for anything that will get a little conversation going, and also answer the burning questions you've been dying to ask.
So keep it short and to the point, include your name, and e-mail them today at askseanandduff@gmail.com
Rock drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER, THE CULT) is selling personalized VELVET REVOLVER drum sticks for $75 via his official web site.
Zildjian Matt Sorum Velvet Revolver Drumsticks are the preferred sticks of the volcanic VELVET REVOLVER drummer.
Each stick features oversized proportions for excellent durability and sound projection. The barrel shaped tip offers full tone and great attack. U.S. select hickory. L - 16-1/2". 3/5" diameter.
The autograph will be made out to the first name of the person the sticks are being shipped to. If you'd like to use another name (one name only) please specify the name you'd like to use.
VELVET REVOLVER reunited with singer Scott Weiland for a one-off performance at the January 12 "Love You Madly: A Concert For John O'Brien" at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California. The band played a four-song set — including a cover version of the PINK FLOYD classic "Wish You Were Here" — at the event, which paid tribute to award-winning ASCAP composer John O'Brien, who was found dead in his Chicago hotel room last August.
Sorum achieved fame with GUNS N' ROSES, where he replaced Steven Adler in the band, 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). Starting out as a season musician in Los Angeles in the 1980s, Sorum had his first taste with success as part of THE CULT in 1989. A decade later, after being fired from GUNS N' ROSES, he was reunited with the group and played the drums for their 2001 album "Beyond Good And Evil". Currently, Sorum is the drummer of VELVET REVOLVER, a group he founded in 2002 with former GUNS N' ROSES band members Slash and Duff McKagan. The band has released two albums, "Contraband" (2004) and "Libertad" (2007). On his own, Sorum released a solo debut in 2003 called "Hollywood Zen".
Zildjian Matt Sorum Velvet Revolver Drumsticks are the preferred sticks of the volcanic VELVET REVOLVER drummer.
Each stick features oversized proportions for excellent durability and sound projection. The barrel shaped tip offers full tone and great attack. U.S. select hickory. L - 16-1/2". 3/5" diameter.
The autograph will be made out to the first name of the person the sticks are being shipped to. If you'd like to use another name (one name only) please specify the name you'd like to use.
VELVET REVOLVER reunited with singer Scott Weiland for a one-off performance at the January 12 "Love You Madly: A Concert For John O'Brien" at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California. The band played a four-song set — including a cover version of the PINK FLOYD classic "Wish You Were Here" — at the event, which paid tribute to award-winning ASCAP composer John O'Brien, who was found dead in his Chicago hotel room last August.
Sorum achieved fame with GUNS N' ROSES, where he replaced Steven Adler in the band, 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). Starting out as a season musician in Los Angeles in the 1980s, Sorum had his first taste with success as part of THE CULT in 1989. A decade later, after being fired from GUNS N' ROSES, he was reunited with the group and played the drums for their 2001 album "Beyond Good And Evil". Currently, Sorum is the drummer of VELVET REVOLVER, a group he founded in 2002 with former GUNS N' ROSES band members Slash and Duff McKagan. The band has released two albums, "Contraband" (2004) and "Libertad" (2007). On his own, Sorum released a solo debut in 2003 called "Hollywood Zen".
It is a rock concert by the strictest definition, as a rock band is playing a series of songs over a two-hour stretch for a paying audience.
But it is so much more than that.
Motley Crue is playing it big and wide, weird and small and, naturally, loud.
"It's pretty amazing," Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil says in a phone conversation an hour before returning to rehearsal for the band's "Motley Crue In Sin City" run of shows at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. "I think people are going to walk out of this show going, 'What the (heck) just happened to me?' "
The answer would be prolonged exposure to classic hard rock punctuated by an array of theatrics, pyrotechnics, aerialists, wild video displays, a rollercoaster drum set and even a "little people" version of the band.
"We'll have a Little Crue in there," Neil says of the foursome that features Las Vegas' own Brian Thomas (known as Lucky the Leprechaun at O'Shea's and Lowercase g at Kiss By Monster Mini Golf). "We're going a little more than two hours. It's a long show, full of amazing visuals and stuff you would not expect from a rock concert."
"Motley Crue in Sin City" begins Friday night at the Joint and runs through Feb. 19. Tickets start at $76.80, fees included, and are available at the Hard Rock Hotel website. The series of shows represent the first residency of its type, nearly a month in duration, for a rock band in Vegas.
Without giving away details of the production, Neil says there are nine aerialists and dancers working the show and "people being lit on fire."
"This isn't a thing where we just set up some amps and go out and play," he says. "The production is so over the top, man. It's a full-blown show."
Neil agreed with the suggestion that the shows are similar to the type of productions that permeate theaters and showrooms up and down the Strip.
"It's Cirque meets rock," he says, referring of course to Cirque du Soleil. "This is not a show where you just sit there and look at the stage. It's happening all around you. We're utilizing the whole place, the whole Joint, as the stage. We came up with some of the craziest ideas we could, then went to the engineers to see if it was possible."
Neil says little was left to the imagination, thanks to the vast Joint stage that is the equal of any arena in the country. The 360-degree rollercoaster drum set manned by Tommy Lee, which was a centerpiece of the band's show to open Red Rock Amphitheater last June, is being loaded intact into the Joint.
"If you look at what was a smaller version of what we're doing now, it was the 'Carnival of Sins' tour," Neil says, noting the band's 2005-2006 world tour. "This is that show times 100."
Neil says the Crue will churn out the familiar titles, "the hits that people expect," but also songs the band hasn't played in decades.
"We're actually rehearsing now, doing all these different versions of old songs. We'll have an acoustic set inside the show that we rarely ever play. There will be a lot of stuff that, even if you've been to see Motley Crue a bunch of times, will be new for you."
An example is the song "Piece of Your Action" off the band's debut album, "Too Fast for Love."
"We have not played that live for 20 years, but we rehearsed it and went, 'Wow, that sounds pretty great,' " Neil says. "Sometimes we surprise ourselves."
A slice of the show will be left open to guest artists who turn up and will want to jam with the band.
"Some people have actually called us and asked about being in the show, and we're going to have a spot in the show where someone can come up and jam with us," Neil says. "Not every night, but there will definitely be a spot for that."
What remains undetermined is what happens after Feb. 19, when the scheduled Motley Crue run ends. For the hotel and venue to consider extending the run, or adding another at a later date, the show needs to sell well.
"I never really ask about tickets," Neil says, "but I have been told that this is the fastest-selling ticket that the Hard Rock has had, ever (tickets at all levels are still available for opening night). It's more about scheduling."
Neil lives in Vegas, so he's OK with staying and playing. "Absolutely. I would get to go to work and go home at night," he says. But the band is scheduled to tour the summer and fall, with the latter segment of the tour rumored to be a one-two punch of the Crue and Kiss (though nothing official has been announced). The Crue has committed to a set of festival shows in Europe, too.
"It could be a year from now," Neil says, gauging how long it would take for the Crue to return to an extended residency in Vegas. "I was thinking we could just extend it into the summer tour."
Don't rule that out. But first things first, there are aerialists, dancers and a quartet of tiny tribute artists to arrange.
I love how friggin dependable MEGADETH is. 2011 was yet another crushing year for the band culminating with the release of their latest album TH1RT3EN and the announcement that they'd be kicking off the new year with a new and improved GIGANTOUR (also featuring plenty of other acts like fellow legends Motorhead). This year's GIGANTOUR kicks off Jan.26 in New Jersey running all across North America promising all the same Megafun you've grown to expect since Dave and Co. debuted it in 2005. The new album is getting all the accolades Dave and company have continuously received since the landmark RUST IN PEACE album but with an added bonus, the return of longtime bassist David Ellefson. The band has been on an absolute tear on these last 3 studio albums since drummer Shawn Drover joined the band and appears poised to continue doing more than simply living up to their massive legacy. I talked to Shawn about the significance of Ellefson reuniting with Dave Mustaine, the new tour, his trial by fire entry into the band and much more. Read on….
Legendary Rock Interviews: Thanks for calling Shawn. Your performances with the band seem to have really added a new fire to MEGADETH and I love the story of how you joined the band. Do you still recall those feelings of being thrown into the fire and joining the band? You had a gig FIVE days after joining (laughs).
Shawn Drover: Oh hell yeah I remember. It was 2004 and my brother Glen was in the band as their guitar player. They were in rehearsals for their tour and I was in contact with him every day and checking on him and stuff and seeing how things were going. The situation just came up where they didn't want Nick (Menza, former drummer) in the band anymore so I came home and my brother got ahold of me and said "You better sit down" and I was like "Why? What's going on" and Glen was like "Well, they want you on the next plane to come out here" (laughs). This was SIX days before the first day of the tour so to be honest with you that was quite a shock you know and I was just like "Jesus, man" because I was well aware of when the tour was starting. So I called my wife and filled her in real quick and I was on a plane bound for Arizona a few hours later to rehearse with the band. We rehearsed for four days, travelled the fifth day and the sixth day was the first show of the tour. It was quite a daunting task but looking back now I probably wouldn't want to do it any other way. It was pretty cool and I really didn't have TIME to freak out or be nervous or anything like that. I was SO focused on learning the songs that I didn't know yet, they had just put out THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED and I hadn't heard a note of it at all because it was just released. I tried to learn and cram as much material as I could in those four days of rehearsal. The first show was in front of thousands of kids and was off the hook, it was a great show. It's funny because for some reason the barricades weren't up at that venue and the kids were jumping all over the stage and going crazy. I guess nobody remembered to or whatever so it turned into an old school Megadeth thrash show with kids stagediving and the whole bit so I thought that was how it was going to be all the time which was fine by me you know because I am definitely from that era (laughs). Come to find out someone messed up and everyone was like "What happened to the barricade?" and I was like "Oh, ok…." (laughs). It was pretty funny and I have a lot of fond memories of that time. It was nerve-wracking of course but it was so exciting and I was just so focused on learning that it kind of all worked out.
LRI: The band then established its own festival show in 2005 that you are getting set to go out on again, the GIGANTOUR. Was that a pretty big responsibility for the band to try to undertake?
SD: Oh yeah man. Something like that is always a daunting task. You're starting up a new festival from scratch and it takes a while for public awareness to build up and for people to take note of something like the fact that we were even HAVING a festival. Instead of seeing a banner or press release that says "MEGADETH" is says "GIGANTOUR" and at first it's like "Well, what the hell is that?" Having said that, the first tour WAS successful and we had a lot of great bands on it so it did do well but in some certain circumstances there were some circles of fans that weren't even aware MEGADETH was doing it. After the second and third ones came around we were able to generate more awareness about it , by the time the third GIGANTOUR came around it was the most successful one we did. We kind of scaled back the bands a little bit so things seemed to work a little better. We found that if it was four or five bands it was scaled down enough so that people weren't too tired or too drunk or too hot or whatever by the time we were onstage. It's kind of a trial by fire learning experience but it is ALWAYS fun and we're looking forward to this new one for sure.
LRI: I love the UNITED ABOMINATIONS record and I know it kind of launched you guys back on the charts and was a return to form in a lot of people's opinion. You recorded that album with your brother which I'm sure made that even more fun. Was the making of that album something that will always be special to you?
SD: Yes. It's funny because we actually did all the drum tracks and bass tracks in this 16th Century mansion in the middle of nowhere in England which story had it was apparently haunted. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd used to live there with his family and I guess his wife had an exorcism performed on the house because she swore up and down there were spirits. I guess the exorcism didn't take or whatever because they still saw more spirits or occurrences and they hightailed it outta there (laughs). It was then owned by Trevor Horn who was in the Buggles who did "Video Killed the Radio Star" and he turned it into this great studio and was there when we did the drum tracks. We were there for like seventeen days and cut all the drum tracks there and I had a great time. It was amazing doing a record with my brother and I will always have a lot of great memories of those days.
LRI: These last few albums going back to "The System Has Failed" have kind of reaffirmed my faith in the band and you've been a part of it since the new deal with ROADRUNNER. One of the misconceptions about the new album, TH1RT3EN seems to come from this idea that the band is simply mining a lot of old ideas and there's some song credits that go a ways back. Is there any truth to the fact that it consists of a lot of stockpiled riffs from over the years and there's a lot of old ideas on Thirteen?
SD: No, not really. You can't go and write "So Far So Good 2″ or write "Peace Sells in 3D" or any of that in my opinion because it just comes off forced and disingenuous to me. When they wrote those classics that was where they were at and to go back and try to recreate that consciously in the studio this time around would be fooling ourselves. We just went in with a bunch of new tunes and new riffs and tried to make the best record we could which is what we've always done since I have been in this band. I'm sure that was the case before I joined as well. I think if you like a lot of the old stuff you will definitely find some stuff here on the album that you can relate to or enjoy, some people call it old school and that's fine if that's what you take from it. Between David coming back and the fact that Dave Mustaine does have tons of tracks and riffs saved on files on his laptop I can't say 100% that some of the ideas didn't come from some of his old riffs but I can tell you the majority of TH1RT3EN is new stuff we'd either written on the road or in rehearsals. It's been called a modern sounding record but to me that's a dangerous word because it implies different things to different people. To me, TH1RT3EN is just a great sounding record, whether you wanna call it modern or you wanna call it old-school is just a matter of opinion and word choice. The production, is to me what gives it that edge, I think it is the best sounding record SONICALLY that we have ever done which is saying something because they're all pretty good (laughs).
LRI: I am so happy that you guys got back with Ellefson. As an old school fan I am always in favor of retaining as much of that chemistry as possible. Mustaine has said that TH1RT3EN probably has the best overall collection of developed songs that he's ever put on a record. Do you think that reuniting with David and bringing some of that vibe back in helped as far as the overall QUALITY of the songwriting?
SD: I don't know. That's a really good question actually. We would just really go with whatever caught our ear, again, I can't overemphasize we had SO many friggin ideas going into this record. Hundreds and hundreds of guitar riffs and ideas, new stuff, old stuff was all fair game and we would listen to the stuff and try to build from there. If something happened during rehearsals with us and it kind of caught our attention we would be like "Hey, THAT'S cool, let's work on that or put that with this". A lot of the stuff we heard was half completed songs, other things were just 10 second riffs so it really depended, one time we heard a practically completed song so there were just a LOT of different examples and ways that went into the songwriting for TH1RT3EN. We would often get into a room, three or four of us and be like "Okay, today let's just listen to some riffs" and we would spend all day listening to stuff because we would have SO much stuff. That's just how we went about things with this album because we had no shortage of great ideas. To us, it really didn't matter if I wrote the whole song or David did or Chris or Dave did, the only thing that mattered was that it was a good song because we had so much to work with this time around.
LRI: Is it true that you were sort of the middle man or at least involved with Ellefson coming back into the Megadeth camp?
SD: Oh yeah, I was the catalyst for that to be honest. Once I found out that we were going to replace our bass player it was obvious and in my mind that it HAD to be Ellefson because James Lomenzo had been in the band for so long that a lot of fans had become attached to him as well so to make a change again and get someone nobody knew would have been bad. I think the fans REALLY would've screamed foul on that and yeah I DID contact David and say "Man, if you were ever even considering coming back now is the time and now not meaning next week but now meaning NOW." So I was the one who made the phone call initially to him and then I had to kind of convince Mustaine of that too to gauge if he was open to that as well. I kind of spearheaded that whole thing and it wasn't an easy thing to pull off let me tell you (laughs). The same thing really happened with Chris (Broderick, Guitarist) when I found out my brother Glen was quitting it was like "Ok, now what? Who would be a suitable replacement?" and we came up with a short list and submitted it to Dave and management and within a day of Glen quitting they were already talking to Chris about being in the band so I basically spearheaded that as well. I'm the talent scout for Megadeth (laughs).
LRI: Well, you certainly seem to at least have excellent interpersonal communication skills. Give me your amateur psychologist opinion….How do you view the chemistry between the two Daves and how things are going after all these years?
SD: I think they get along great. They certainly have grown up and obviously are more mature than they were 20 and doing the things that they were doing back then (laughs). That was a lifetime ago and people evolve and change, whatever issues they had in the past have been worked out and things are going great. It was all worked out pretty quickly and I think they realized the bigger picture of how great it IS to have the two Daves together. They're the CORE of Megadeth, it's always been like that, despite the various lineup changes over the years Dave and David have always been an integral part of the band. I realized the importance of that when we knew there was going to be a change. It was obviously clear that it would be the best for the organization to have David back in the band.
LRI: You have been a part of so many tours and live albums/DVDs with the band. My favorite was the RUST IN PEACE live album mostly because I was at those original Clash of the Titans shows for that album and your performance just kills. Do you have a favorite of any of the MEGADETH live releases?
SD: Yeah, I agree with you about the RUST IN PEACE-LIVE album, that anniversary DVD/CD was just a lot of fun to be involved in and again, to do that record in its entirety is not an easy thing to pull off or emulate. There are a lot of nuances on that album that if you don't perform them right just messes it all up and makes it not sound right. That was a difficult thing to do but it was SUCH a big payoff when we executed that on a nightly basis. To me that album provides a lot of personal highlights and memories. Also, the "THAT ONE NIGHT" Live thing in Argentina was a lot of fun to do. Every one of our gigs and live albums are fun for me but if I have to pick I would say those two really stand out to me.
LRI: Over the years the band has kind of taken the bull by the horns as far as technology goes. Dave Mustaine may have railed against some of the demons of the techno world in the lyrics over the years but I think that it's awesome the band makes use of new technology. Dave has a new app called "GUITAR PRODIGY" for the Ipad, David Ellefson has his own app "ROCK SHOP" and you guys have always been right there to contribute to the making of a lot of these video games for various platforms. It really helps expose the band to a whole different audience other than just the guys like me pushing forty. Has it been exciting to be a part of?
SD: We've always embraced technology but we don't rely on it and we don't hide behind it. When something like that comes along and it can aid our promotion or help our project we're all in for it but we are aware that there's the potential to abuse that stuff or take it too far as well. Now, technology is a beast stronger than all and some of it isn't for the best artistic purposes, things like AUTOTUNE or all these dumb tricks in the studio to make the "perfect record" and then a band goes out on the road and can't pull it off which kind of defeats the point right?
LRI: I think it's really cool when I see a 14-year-old kid wearing a MEGADETH shirt it's like something that I could never imagine since I was wearing a Megadeth shirt when I was fourteen (laughs). It's pretty cool.
SD: It is absolutely cool and vital to the band. That's another thing, like you said, where being able to BE a part of those video games and apps and all that helps. It exposes us to that demographic, there's a lot of us adults that play those games too but it really exposes us to a much younger audience which is all good. If some of those kids see or hear that and it ultimately leads to them coming to our show or buying a record it leads to them being a MEGADETH fan which is fantastic. We're always trying to find a way to reach new fans and that stuff is totally a good avenue to be doing just that.
LRI: What did it feel like to be a part of history when Kerry King joined you guys on guitar for the first time since he was in the band in the early eighties or to be a part of that Mustaine/Metallica scene in Sofia, Bulgaria that was captured for the BIG 4 DVD?
SD: To me it was just a BUNCH of fun. Having Kerry come up when we played the Gibson Ampitheatre show in L.A. was fun because that was literally the first time he had played onstage with Megadeth since he was IN Megadeth which was of course like 1983 or whatever. It was a LONG TIME coming but as the passage of time occurs we can finally have things like that happen. The Sofia, Bulgaria show was beyond cool, the jam with METALLICA and all that stuff just felt like one big party to me. I wasn't there like Dave and David of course who were originally with the band for those initial moments of thrash metal but I was CERTAINLY there as a fan so it was awesome from that perspective. To see all that stuff finally happen after all these years is pretty special and I can see it from a different point of view than they can. There's definitely a part of me in those moments viewing it from a fan perspective like "Wow, I'm up here on the drums with the best seat in the house!" It's a great feeling and it's a great thing to be a part of. All of those BIG 4 shows, every SINGLE show was really special and of course Yankee Stadium, I mean we were the first metal bands to ever play Yankee Stadium so that was historic in of itself.
LRI: The new album has a shitload of good songs on it. I know if I make it out to a show I wanna hear "Whose Life Is It Anyways" and "Wrecker" but obviously with the vast catalog at your disposal you can't play them all every night. Is it a pain in the ass figuring out the setlist at this point?
SD: That's the real problem isn't it man? (laughs). The setlist is a real bitch at this point because we have so many records now and so many good songs including so many songs that people want to or expect to hear. Someone's not going to be happy because one of the songs they wanna hear isn't in there. Right now when we did these last few South American shows we were only doing three songs off the new album, we have to do those 7 or 8 songs like "Peace Sells", "Holy Wars", "Symphony of Destruction", "Wake Up Dead" and all those songs that we'll have to play forever because all those songs are just songs that the fans always wanna hear. We have to play those songs because they're signature MEGADETH so long story short that doesn't leave a lot of room for other material. We would love to play all of the new record of course because we're promoting it but it's just not realistic. We can only hope to keep playing and incorporating more of it into the show, like for instance we just started playing "Guns, Drugs and Money" which is a fun song to play and the fans really seem to dig it.
LRI: I am continuously amazed at not just the heaviness of the new material but also the melodic elements and the catchiness of some of the hooks. I know that might not be popular to say in a MEGADETH interview but it's the truth. If you go back and watch some of the acoustic shows on the dvd ARSENAL OF MEGADETH it really stands out that there's more than meets the eye with the compositions.
SD: It's okay to have melodic components within metal. It can coexist. This band has proven that many times, not every song has to be ultra heavy or even ultra serious all the time and I am more than cool with that. Megadeth has always had that going back to COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION and even before that with "In my Darkest Hour". I'm all for diversity as far as music goes and Megadeth is really one of those bands who can really do a lot of things within the parameters of metal and still not offend a ton of people, we're very fortunate for that.
American metallers ICED EARTH have will play two shows in China in April.
Commented ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer: "The 'World Dystopia Tour' has taken ICED EARTH to places the band has never been before. We are about to open yet another exciting chapter in touring by announcing our first-ever shows in China. Playing Beijing and Shanghai is something we have been looking forward to for a long time. Chinese metalheads: get ready to rage with us!!"
The dates are as follows:
April 11 - Shanghai, China - Mao Live House
April 13 - Beijing, China - Star Live
ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" can be seen below. The clip was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.
"We had a blast making that video," said Schaffer. "I think the fans can see it on our faces. 'Anthem' captures the energy of our live shows, as well as the fun we're having together as a band."
Produced and directed by Kosch Fabian Film, "Anthem" is the second music video from ICED EARTH's new album, "Dystopia", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
ICED EARTH's previous CD, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", opened with 6,700 units in September 2008 to debut at No. 79.
ICED EARTH's 10th studio offering, "Dystopia", was released in Europe on October 17, 2011 and in the U.S. on October 18 via Century Media Records. Two bonus tracks were also recorded for inclusion on special editions of the album.
Commented ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer: "The 'World Dystopia Tour' has taken ICED EARTH to places the band has never been before. We are about to open yet another exciting chapter in touring by announcing our first-ever shows in China. Playing Beijing and Shanghai is something we have been looking forward to for a long time. Chinese metalheads: get ready to rage with us!!"
The dates are as follows:
April 11 - Shanghai, China - Mao Live House
April 13 - Beijing, China - Star Live
ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" can be seen below. The clip was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.
"We had a blast making that video," said Schaffer. "I think the fans can see it on our faces. 'Anthem' captures the energy of our live shows, as well as the fun we're having together as a band."
Produced and directed by Kosch Fabian Film, "Anthem" is the second music video from ICED EARTH's new album, "Dystopia", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
ICED EARTH's previous CD, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", opened with 6,700 units in September 2008 to debut at No. 79.
ICED EARTH's 10th studio offering, "Dystopia", was released in Europe on October 17, 2011 and in the U.S. on October 18 via Century Media Records. Two bonus tracks were also recorded for inclusion on special editions of the album.
OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, the British heavy metal band featuring founding SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, will release its long-awaited album, "Motorbiker", on February 27 via Angel Air Records. The CD was described by Dawson in a recent interview as "what me and Graham do best . . . a hard rock album, maybe metal . . . in that classic SAXON tradition."
"Motorbiker" track listing:
01. Chemical Romance
02. Motorbiker
03. Whippin Boy
04. No Way Out
05. Just Another Suicide
06. Sinternet
07. Ghost
08. Nevada Beach
09. Screaming Eagles
10. World's Gone Crazy
11. Hell In Helsinki
12. Nursery Crimes
After spending a few years battling with Biff Byford and Paul Quinn over the SAXON name, Oliver and Dawson reached a settlement in 2003 with the members of the original band SAXON over the usage of the name and logos belonging to the original partnership.
OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, consisting of Oliver and Dawson, acknowledged that the band featuring Byford and Quinn will continue to be known as "SAXON", and have use of the logo. In return Byford and Quinn acknowledged that OLIVER DAWSON SAXON has a legitimate use of the name in that form.
In a January 2011 interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Graham Oliver revealed that he was writing a book called "Saxon, Drugs, And Rock 'N' Roll: The Real Spinal Tap", which will include a foreword by Harry Shearer (whose character in SPINAL TAP was based on SAXON member Steve Dawson).
Speaking to SouthYorkshireTimes.co.uk, Graham said about the upcoming book, "It promises to be a who's who of the metal scene of the late '70s/early 80s. It's taking a lot of writing and getting quotes off people — like Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD and Ozzy Osbourne."
He added, "My biggest memory of the Hollywood gig we played with METALLICA was that Ozzy Osbourne was in our dressing room. It was just after his 'Blizzard of Ozz' guitarist Randy Rhoads had died and he was inconsolable. We were trying to give him some support, but you just felt helpless and we had to psych ourselves up to go onstage for what was one of our biggest U.S. gigs at the time. I remember spending all night in our dressing room with Ozzy and Sharon when he supported SAXON on one of our European tours and Randy borrowed my Gibson Flying V guitar for his performance. We had jammed together for hours earlier playing Jimi Hendrix stuff. I'll never part with that guitar."
Formed in the late '90s, OLIVER DAWSON SAXON previously recorded and released an album called "Re-Landed", which got a limited release on a local label before being reissued via Angel Air as "Re-Landed..Plus".
"Motorbiker" track listing:
01. Chemical Romance
02. Motorbiker
03. Whippin Boy
04. No Way Out
05. Just Another Suicide
06. Sinternet
07. Ghost
08. Nevada Beach
09. Screaming Eagles
10. World's Gone Crazy
11. Hell In Helsinki
12. Nursery Crimes
After spending a few years battling with Biff Byford and Paul Quinn over the SAXON name, Oliver and Dawson reached a settlement in 2003 with the members of the original band SAXON over the usage of the name and logos belonging to the original partnership.
OLIVER DAWSON SAXON, consisting of Oliver and Dawson, acknowledged that the band featuring Byford and Quinn will continue to be known as "SAXON", and have use of the logo. In return Byford and Quinn acknowledged that OLIVER DAWSON SAXON has a legitimate use of the name in that form.
In a January 2011 interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Graham Oliver revealed that he was writing a book called "Saxon, Drugs, And Rock 'N' Roll: The Real Spinal Tap", which will include a foreword by Harry Shearer (whose character in SPINAL TAP was based on SAXON member Steve Dawson).
Speaking to SouthYorkshireTimes.co.uk, Graham said about the upcoming book, "It promises to be a who's who of the metal scene of the late '70s/early 80s. It's taking a lot of writing and getting quotes off people — like Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD and Ozzy Osbourne."
He added, "My biggest memory of the Hollywood gig we played with METALLICA was that Ozzy Osbourne was in our dressing room. It was just after his 'Blizzard of Ozz' guitarist Randy Rhoads had died and he was inconsolable. We were trying to give him some support, but you just felt helpless and we had to psych ourselves up to go onstage for what was one of our biggest U.S. gigs at the time. I remember spending all night in our dressing room with Ozzy and Sharon when he supported SAXON on one of our European tours and Randy borrowed my Gibson Flying V guitar for his performance. We had jammed together for hours earlier playing Jimi Hendrix stuff. I'll never part with that guitar."
Formed in the late '90s, OLIVER DAWSON SAXON previously recorded and released an album called "Re-Landed", which got a limited release on a local label before being reissued via Angel Air as "Re-Landed..Plus".
Vocalist Oni Logan has reportedly rejoined LYNCH MOB and will sing on the band's upcoming album and tour.
Former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch revealed at last month's NAMM show that he had tapped VAINS OF JENNA frontman Jesse Forte to handle the lead vocals for LYNCH MOB for the foreseeable future.
A short time later, the members of VAINS OF JENNA — who had relocated back to their native Sweden after spending several years in Los Angeles — announced that they were calling it quits.
Forte, who was born in Arkansas but moved to the West Coast at a very young age, has now revealed that he is no longer working with Lynch and will instead move on with a new project.
Says Forte, "I actually won't be working with George on LYNCH MOB. He informed me over the phone that he and Oni have reconciled and have decided to continue on. I wish them the best. Stay tuned for my next project."
Lynch and Logan reformed LYNCH MOB in 2008 and released a comeback album, "Smoke And Mirrors", the following year, but had a falling out in July of 2010 when Logan failed to show up for Houston, Texas gig. "Oni let the band and our fans down," Lynch stated at the time. "He quit the band at 5:30 a.m. before our 7:30 a.m. scheduled flight. He left us high and dry and did not fulfill his commitment. We are saddened and disappointed — but as a band, we are committed to honoring our obligations."
An unknown singer by the name of Chris Romero was recruited for the first two shows of that tour, while Chaz West of BONHAM handled the vocal duties on the rest of the dates.
In a January 2010 interview with PureGrainAudio.com, Oni stated about his return to LYNCH MOB, "I never thought it would happen, honestly. I am glad that it did happen, and now that it has, it is like going back in time and visiting an old friend and kind of just picking up where we left off. This is such a natural thing for me and George. Our chemistry is great, he does the music and I do the lyrics and what you have is 'Smoke And Mirrors'."
When asked how he prepares for the physical demands of a tour, Oni said, "Well, we try to do some different things as opposed to years ago when we were younger. We are pretty level-headed guys and I think we have a way of dealing with touring, for sure. I try to stay fit as much as I can. Obviously, when you are out on the road, you do not get to eat quite as well and you are pretty much sleep-deprived at times. It is all a matter of trying to find ways to keep yourself happy and sane. It is a pretty crazy rock and roll world out there, you know. Fans come out to have a good time, which is great, but there are a lot of things that come along with that as well. We try to keep level-headed and press on, because it is all about the music and nothing else."
Former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch revealed at last month's NAMM show that he had tapped VAINS OF JENNA frontman Jesse Forte to handle the lead vocals for LYNCH MOB for the foreseeable future.
A short time later, the members of VAINS OF JENNA — who had relocated back to their native Sweden after spending several years in Los Angeles — announced that they were calling it quits.
Forte, who was born in Arkansas but moved to the West Coast at a very young age, has now revealed that he is no longer working with Lynch and will instead move on with a new project.
Says Forte, "I actually won't be working with George on LYNCH MOB. He informed me over the phone that he and Oni have reconciled and have decided to continue on. I wish them the best. Stay tuned for my next project."
Lynch and Logan reformed LYNCH MOB in 2008 and released a comeback album, "Smoke And Mirrors", the following year, but had a falling out in July of 2010 when Logan failed to show up for Houston, Texas gig. "Oni let the band and our fans down," Lynch stated at the time. "He quit the band at 5:30 a.m. before our 7:30 a.m. scheduled flight. He left us high and dry and did not fulfill his commitment. We are saddened and disappointed — but as a band, we are committed to honoring our obligations."
An unknown singer by the name of Chris Romero was recruited for the first two shows of that tour, while Chaz West of BONHAM handled the vocal duties on the rest of the dates.
In a January 2010 interview with PureGrainAudio.com, Oni stated about his return to LYNCH MOB, "I never thought it would happen, honestly. I am glad that it did happen, and now that it has, it is like going back in time and visiting an old friend and kind of just picking up where we left off. This is such a natural thing for me and George. Our chemistry is great, he does the music and I do the lyrics and what you have is 'Smoke And Mirrors'."
When asked how he prepares for the physical demands of a tour, Oni said, "Well, we try to do some different things as opposed to years ago when we were younger. We are pretty level-headed guys and I think we have a way of dealing with touring, for sure. I try to stay fit as much as I can. Obviously, when you are out on the road, you do not get to eat quite as well and you are pretty much sleep-deprived at times. It is all a matter of trying to find ways to keep yourself happy and sane. It is a pretty crazy rock and roll world out there, you know. Fans come out to have a good time, which is great, but there are a lot of things that come along with that as well. We try to keep level-headed and press on, because it is all about the music and nothing else."
British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST will release their new album, "Tragic Idol", on April 24 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CDwas recorded in part at The Chapel studios in Lincolnshire, England and features cover art by by Parisian designer Valnoir, who has previously worked with MORBID ANGEL, LAIBACH, ULVER and WATAIN, among others.
Commented guitarist Gregor Mackintosh: "The [new CD was] again produced by Jens Bogren and is influenced by classic doom metal and classic metal. I would say it is more melodic than the last record whilst retaining the heaviness. There are lots of guitar solos and melodies. The album will contain such track titles as 'Honesty in Death', 'Theories from Another World', 'In this We Dwell' and the title track, 'Tragic Idol'."
In other news, PARADISE LOST will embark on a U.K. headlining tour this April. To celebrate the event, PARADISE LOST will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show) which you can purchase online from the band's web site.
Commented singer Nick Holmes: "This is a pretty extensive U.K. tour for us. I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play"
The dates are as follows:
April 16 - Cardiff, England - Great Hall 2
April 17 - Southampton, England - The Brook
April 18 - Folkestone, England - Quarterhouse
April 19 - Colchester, England - Arts Centre
April 20 - Stoke, England - Sugarmill
April 22 - York, England - The Duchess
April 23 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tuts
April 24 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
April 25 - Wolverhampton, England - Slade Rooms
April 26 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
April 27 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
April 29 - London, England - Scala
April 30 - Norwich, England - Waterfront
PARADISE LOST's last full-length effort, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", came out in October 2009.
The band recently released the "Draconian Times MMXI" DVD via Century Media.
Sony Music reissued PARADISE LOST's seminal 1995 album "Draconian Times" through the "Legacy" series; featuring the entire digitally remastered album, including a 5.1 Dolby Surround mix in a brand-new collector's edition digipak box set, so fans could hear the album like never before. Along with this release, the band performed "Draconian Times" live at a series of seven exclusive gigs this past spring in Utrecht, Bochum, London, Paris, Athens, and Thessaloniki.
"Draconian Times MMXI" features the London show at The Forum on April 1, 2011, a documentary from the whole tour filmed by the band's bass player Steve Edmondson, interviews about the history of "Draconian Times" with producer Simon Efemey, Nick Holmes (vocals), Greg Mackintosh (guitar), Aaron Aedy (guitar), Steve Edmondson (bass) and Andy Farrow (manager since 1990) and the two promo videos from PARADISE LOST's latest album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us".
Commented guitarist Gregor Mackintosh: "The [new CD was] again produced by Jens Bogren and is influenced by classic doom metal and classic metal. I would say it is more melodic than the last record whilst retaining the heaviness. There are lots of guitar solos and melodies. The album will contain such track titles as 'Honesty in Death', 'Theories from Another World', 'In this We Dwell' and the title track, 'Tragic Idol'."
In other news, PARADISE LOST will embark on a U.K. headlining tour this April. To celebrate the event, PARADISE LOST will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show) which you can purchase online from the band's web site.
Commented singer Nick Holmes: "This is a pretty extensive U.K. tour for us. I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play"
The dates are as follows:
April 16 - Cardiff, England - Great Hall 2
April 17 - Southampton, England - The Brook
April 18 - Folkestone, England - Quarterhouse
April 19 - Colchester, England - Arts Centre
April 20 - Stoke, England - Sugarmill
April 22 - York, England - The Duchess
April 23 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tuts
April 24 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
April 25 - Wolverhampton, England - Slade Rooms
April 26 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
April 27 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
April 29 - London, England - Scala
April 30 - Norwich, England - Waterfront
PARADISE LOST's last full-length effort, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", came out in October 2009.
The band recently released the "Draconian Times MMXI" DVD via Century Media.
Sony Music reissued PARADISE LOST's seminal 1995 album "Draconian Times" through the "Legacy" series; featuring the entire digitally remastered album, including a 5.1 Dolby Surround mix in a brand-new collector's edition digipak box set, so fans could hear the album like never before. Along with this release, the band performed "Draconian Times" live at a series of seven exclusive gigs this past spring in Utrecht, Bochum, London, Paris, Athens, and Thessaloniki.
"Draconian Times MMXI" features the London show at The Forum on April 1, 2011, a documentary from the whole tour filmed by the band's bass player Steve Edmondson, interviews about the history of "Draconian Times" with producer Simon Efemey, Nick Holmes (vocals), Greg Mackintosh (guitar), Aaron Aedy (guitar), Steve Edmondson (bass) and Andy Farrow (manager since 1990) and the two promo videos from PARADISE LOST's latest album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us".
"Dark Adrenaline", the new album from the Italian rock/metal band LACUNA COIL, sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous CD, "Shallow Life", opened with 21,000 units back April 2009 to land at No. 16.
LACUNA COIL's 2006 album, "Karmacode", premiered with 34,000 copies back in April 2006 to enter the chart at No. 28. It has since sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S.
The band's 2002 album, "Comalies", has shifted more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Dark Adrenaline" was released in North America on January 24 via Century Media Records. The CD was helmed by acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and "deliver[s] the melodic, sensual, metallic rush for which the band has come to be known," according to a press release.
Fans both old and new have a variety of options to choose from, as "Dark Adrenaline" was released in numerous formats, including standard-edition CD and vinyl, deluxe edition digipak with a bonus DVD, sticker, poster and guitar pick and as an iTunes LP with expanded packaging, five bonus audio tracks and video. The Metal Club edition features exclusive artwork designed by the band and will be limited to 3,000 units. The Hastings edition features a bonus 10-track LACUNA COIL sampler, and the Amazon digital edition comes with a free five-track sampler. Finally, for true fans of the band, is the "Darkest Adrenaline" box set, which includes both the digipak and vinyl versions of the album along with a hardcover photo book, a LACUNA COIL custom syringe pen and ink, a lyric pad, signed lithographs created by the band and more, all housed in a LACUNA COIL medical box. This box set is limited to 500 pieces and is available exclusively through CM Distro.
"Dark Adrenaline" track listing:
01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill The Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End Of Time
07. I Don't Believe In Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion
11. Fire
12. My Spirit
The "Trip The Darkness" video can be seen below. The visually stunning performance clip was directed by Sitcom Soldiers (FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, THE BLACKOUT).
In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia stated about "Dark Adrenaline", "I really feel that it is really, really a good album with good songs. I think that it totally captures the essence of LACUNA COIL because it's definitely a mixture of our roots and something completely new. We never repeated ourself with any album, but this one, it's a perfect balance between the old stuff and the new. And the new stuff, it's more obscure than the usual. It's definitely heavier — the sound is way heavier than we did before. A lot of people will be surprised. I think so. . . I believe that, you know, it's something that they don't really expect from us. They probably expect us to go, I don't know, more melodic and mellow and actually this is not the direction we are taking. [Laughs] We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower. [Laughs]"
When asked if she and her bandmates had specific aims when they went into the studio, Cristina said, "No, not really, because I think that when you are writing songs, it's not about what you want to achieve. You just go with the flow and you just like what you hear. And if you like something, you just, like, work on it. I don't think it would make sense for us just to think about a song or like, Oh, the album is going to sound like that. That wouldn't be honest and that wouldn't be hard, you know? Of course, you kind of know what you want to do, just because you know that's your taste, but you don't really know what's gonna be the final result. You just, you know, put down layers and layers and layers and layers, and then you just hear the result at the very end. Actually, after the mixing you're just like, Oh, wow! [Laughs] It's hard to see things, you know. You just kind of draw the image of what you think it's gonna be, but you don't really know what's gonna be in the end."
The band's previous CD, "Shallow Life", opened with 21,000 units back April 2009 to land at No. 16.
LACUNA COIL's 2006 album, "Karmacode", premiered with 34,000 copies back in April 2006 to enter the chart at No. 28. It has since sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S.
The band's 2002 album, "Comalies", has shifted more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Dark Adrenaline" was released in North America on January 24 via Century Media Records. The CD was helmed by acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and "deliver[s] the melodic, sensual, metallic rush for which the band has come to be known," according to a press release.
Fans both old and new have a variety of options to choose from, as "Dark Adrenaline" was released in numerous formats, including standard-edition CD and vinyl, deluxe edition digipak with a bonus DVD, sticker, poster and guitar pick and as an iTunes LP with expanded packaging, five bonus audio tracks and video. The Metal Club edition features exclusive artwork designed by the band and will be limited to 3,000 units. The Hastings edition features a bonus 10-track LACUNA COIL sampler, and the Amazon digital edition comes with a free five-track sampler. Finally, for true fans of the band, is the "Darkest Adrenaline" box set, which includes both the digipak and vinyl versions of the album along with a hardcover photo book, a LACUNA COIL custom syringe pen and ink, a lyric pad, signed lithographs created by the band and more, all housed in a LACUNA COIL medical box. This box set is limited to 500 pieces and is available exclusively through CM Distro.
"Dark Adrenaline" track listing:
01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill The Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End Of Time
07. I Don't Believe In Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion
11. Fire
12. My Spirit
The "Trip The Darkness" video can be seen below. The visually stunning performance clip was directed by Sitcom Soldiers (FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, THE BLACKOUT).
In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia stated about "Dark Adrenaline", "I really feel that it is really, really a good album with good songs. I think that it totally captures the essence of LACUNA COIL because it's definitely a mixture of our roots and something completely new. We never repeated ourself with any album, but this one, it's a perfect balance between the old stuff and the new. And the new stuff, it's more obscure than the usual. It's definitely heavier — the sound is way heavier than we did before. A lot of people will be surprised. I think so. . . I believe that, you know, it's something that they don't really expect from us. They probably expect us to go, I don't know, more melodic and mellow and actually this is not the direction we are taking. [Laughs] We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower. [Laughs]"
When asked if she and her bandmates had specific aims when they went into the studio, Cristina said, "No, not really, because I think that when you are writing songs, it's not about what you want to achieve. You just go with the flow and you just like what you hear. And if you like something, you just, like, work on it. I don't think it would make sense for us just to think about a song or like, Oh, the album is going to sound like that. That wouldn't be honest and that wouldn't be hard, you know? Of course, you kind of know what you want to do, just because you know that's your taste, but you don't really know what's gonna be the final result. You just, you know, put down layers and layers and layers and layers, and then you just hear the result at the very end. Actually, after the mixing you're just like, Oh, wow! [Laughs] It's hard to see things, you know. You just kind of draw the image of what you think it's gonna be, but you don't really know what's gonna be in the end."
"Unbreakable", the new album from German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.
As previously reported, "Unbreakable" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 31. The group's previous CD, 2009's "16.6 (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead)" , opened at No. 46, while 2007's "New Religion" premiered at No. 60.
Released on January 24, 2012 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Unbreakable" was tracked in part at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).
According to a press release, "Unbreakable" "combines the skills of the strongest PRIMAL FEAR lineup ever with a well-balanced 'back-to-the-roots" vibe and an ambitious learning process during their longest tour so far. Classic and ultra-fresh PRIMAL FEAR riff-rockers like 'Strike', 'Give 'Em Hell' or the high-speed track 'And There Was Silence' will hit the bulls-eye, like the rhythm paced metal anthem, first single and new video clip 'Bad Guys Wear Black'. Less experiments, more rock! But there will be a nine-minute epic journey with a lot prog approach named 'Where Angels Die', a classic wonderful ballad 'Born Again' and the melodic power bomb 'Metal Nation'."
Commented singer Ralf Scheepers: "The plan was to record an album for the fans with rough metal riffs, screaming vocals and good melodies ...and finally it became a monster — a tough 'bang-your-head' metal album called 'Unbreakable'."
"Unbreakable" track listing:
01. Unbreakable (Part 1)
02. Strike
03. Give 'Em Hell
04. Bad Guys Wear Black
05. And There Was Silence
06. Metal Nation
07. Where Angels Die
08. Unbreakable (Part 2)
09. Marching Again
10. Born Again
11. Blaze Of Glory
12. Conviction
13. Night Of The Jumps (Bonus Track)*
14. Bad Guys Wear Black (Video)*
* Only available in the first pressing in digipak
The digital-only single "Bad Guys Wear Black" was made available for download on December 5. The single also includes "Metal Nation" in an exclusive single mix.
As previously reported, "Unbreakable" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 31. The group's previous CD, 2009's "16.6 (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead)" , opened at No. 46, while 2007's "New Religion" premiered at No. 60.
Released on January 24, 2012 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Unbreakable" was tracked in part at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).
According to a press release, "Unbreakable" "combines the skills of the strongest PRIMAL FEAR lineup ever with a well-balanced 'back-to-the-roots" vibe and an ambitious learning process during their longest tour so far. Classic and ultra-fresh PRIMAL FEAR riff-rockers like 'Strike', 'Give 'Em Hell' or the high-speed track 'And There Was Silence' will hit the bulls-eye, like the rhythm paced metal anthem, first single and new video clip 'Bad Guys Wear Black'. Less experiments, more rock! But there will be a nine-minute epic journey with a lot prog approach named 'Where Angels Die', a classic wonderful ballad 'Born Again' and the melodic power bomb 'Metal Nation'."
Commented singer Ralf Scheepers: "The plan was to record an album for the fans with rough metal riffs, screaming vocals and good melodies ...and finally it became a monster — a tough 'bang-your-head' metal album called 'Unbreakable'."
"Unbreakable" track listing:
01. Unbreakable (Part 1)
02. Strike
03. Give 'Em Hell
04. Bad Guys Wear Black
05. And There Was Silence
06. Metal Nation
07. Where Angels Die
08. Unbreakable (Part 2)
09. Marching Again
10. Born Again
11. Blaze Of Glory
12. Conviction
13. Night Of The Jumps (Bonus Track)*
14. Bad Guys Wear Black (Video)*
* Only available in the first pressing in digipak
The digital-only single "Bad Guys Wear Black" was made available for download on December 5. The single also includes "Metal Nation" in an exclusive single mix.
OUTLOUD, the international rock band featuring Bob Katsionis (FIREWIND), Chandler Mogel (ex-TALON) and Mark Cross (ex-FIREWIND, HELLOWEEN), will release a new six-song EP, "More Catastrophe", at the end of March. The effort will contain three brand new songs plus the previously released Christmas single "Last Days Of December", a Flamenco version of the song "Falling Rain" and a piano-and-vocals version of the track "We Run". The EP will be available at OUTLOUD's upcoming shows in Greece, as well as in stores and digitally across Europe via AOR Heaven.
Commented OUTLOUD vocalist Chandler Mogel: "We wanted to give the fans a little something extra this time around. These songs pick up where the last album left off and at the same time serve as a road sign as to where we're going. Hopefully this will hold everyone over until the third album is ready, which we're currently starting work on."
"More Catastrophe" also will also be available via the band's official web site.
"More Catastrophe" track listing:
01. Saints On Fire
02. Cross The Line
03. Mr. Long Gone
04. Last Days Of December
05. Falling Rain (flamenco version)
06. We Run (for piano and vocals)
Commented OUTLOUD vocalist Chandler Mogel: "We wanted to give the fans a little something extra this time around. These songs pick up where the last album left off and at the same time serve as a road sign as to where we're going. Hopefully this will hold everyone over until the third album is ready, which we're currently starting work on."
"More Catastrophe" also will also be available via the band's official web site.
"More Catastrophe" track listing:
01. Saints On Fire
02. Cross The Line
03. Mr. Long Gone
04. Last Days Of December
05. Falling Rain (flamenco version)
06. We Run (for piano and vocals)
Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, February 29 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Satriani by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
"Satchurated", the new concert film from Joe Satriani, will hit select North American theaters in March. This is the first 3D theatrical concert film release with brilliant 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound and will preset the ultimate cinematic experience that you don't want to miss.
"Satchurated" was filmed live on "The Wormhole Tour" in support of Satriani's new album, "Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards", at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada on December 12, 2010. The film is directed by award-winning filmmakers François and Pierre Lamoureux, who have directed and/or produced concert films and music documentaries for RUSH, THE WHO, SLIPKNOT, DEEP PURPLE and others.
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
"Satchurated", the new concert film from Joe Satriani, will hit select North American theaters in March. This is the first 3D theatrical concert film release with brilliant 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound and will preset the ultimate cinematic experience that you don't want to miss.
"Satchurated" was filmed live on "The Wormhole Tour" in support of Satriani's new album, "Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards", at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada on December 12, 2010. The film is directed by award-winning filmmakers François and Pierre Lamoureux, who have directed and/or produced concert films and music documentaries for RUSH, THE WHO, SLIPKNOT, DEEP PURPLE and others.
The self-titled debut album from UNISONIC — the 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 be released on March 30 (nine days earlier in Japan) via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort will be made available in the following configurations:
Europe & rest of the world:
* CD jewel case
* CD limited edition Mediabook format with and extended booklet plus bonus track
* Vinyl and CD package limited edition
Japan:
*CD jewel case
* CD limited-edition digipack plus bonus track (exclusive for Japan)
The cover artwork, which was created by graphic artist Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD), can be seen below.
UNISONIC's video for the song "Unisonic" can be seen below. According to a press release, the clip, which was directed by Häusler, "shows a powerful band performance at a magnificent ballroom in Heidelberg, Germany."
UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort includes the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.
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."
Europe & rest of the world:
* CD jewel case
* CD limited edition Mediabook format with and extended booklet plus bonus track
* Vinyl and CD package limited edition
Japan:
*CD jewel case
* CD limited-edition digipack plus bonus track (exclusive for Japan)
The cover artwork, which was created by graphic artist Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD), can be seen below.
UNISONIC's video for the song "Unisonic" can be seen below. According to a press release, the clip, which was directed by Häusler, "shows a powerful band performance at a magnificent ballroom in Heidelberg, Germany."
UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort includes the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.
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."
SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor spoke to Artisan News about his collaboration with Dave Grohl on the FOO FIGHTERS frontman and ex-NIRVANA drummer's upcoming documentary about the studio where NIRVANA recorded its landmark album "Nevermind".
Before Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California closed its doors as a commercial studio in May 2011, it was used by a number of legendary musicians, including FLEETWOOD MAC, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton and NINE INCH NAILS. The studios on Cabrito Road off the 405 freeway have been refurbished and are now rented out to producers, though the Skeeter family still owns and manages the place.
Grohl has been vocal about his appreciation for the role the studio has played in furthering his career and has reportedly acquired the 1970s Neve sound board that served many artists, telling a member of the Skeeter family, "Thank you so much for the opportunity to own the board. I wouldn't even have the computer I'm sending you this e-mail on if it wasn't for this board."
Sandy Skeeter told the Daily News last September, "I think there were a few other things that went into the ['Nevermind'] record beside the board, like [NIRVANA's] songwriting and their playing and production. But he's just the right person to have the board."
Earlier this month, Grohl opened up about the upcoming film in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, saying, "When Sound City closed last year, it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list of people that recorded there reads like a virtual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame... We recorded 'Nevermind' there back in 1991."
He continued, "That funky old place had the best drum room in world. The drum sound at the beginning of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' — that's Sound City.
"I decided to make a film about that feeling you get when you put five guys in a room, hit 'record' and the hair on the back of your neck stands up."
He added, "Expect some epic jam sessions."
Artisan News caught up with Taylor earlier in the month at the first-ever Rock & Roll Roast at The Grove in Anaheim, California and asked him about the experience of working with Grohl (see video below).
"[Dave is] doing a documentary about the legendary board from Sound City that everybody and their mom recorded on — everybody from 'Nevermind' to, actually, [SLIPKNOT's] 'Iowa'," Corey said. "And he's slowly but surely gotten all these people together to make music on that board again. And he called me. He was like, 'Would you like to do a tune?' I was like, 'Are you serious? I'm on a plane right now.' And it's really cool, because it's me, Dave and Rick Nielsen [CHEAP TRICK] on one tune. And I'm like, 'Ahh…. Excuse me?!' It's just a huge check mark on my bucket list, let's put it that way. And I'm really ecstatic. It's a really good tune."
Other musicians that are expected to take part in the documentary include RATT's Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini, as well as REO SPEEDWAGON frontman Kevin Cronin.
Before Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California closed its doors as a commercial studio in May 2011, it was used by a number of legendary musicians, including FLEETWOOD MAC, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton and NINE INCH NAILS. The studios on Cabrito Road off the 405 freeway have been refurbished and are now rented out to producers, though the Skeeter family still owns and manages the place.
Grohl has been vocal about his appreciation for the role the studio has played in furthering his career and has reportedly acquired the 1970s Neve sound board that served many artists, telling a member of the Skeeter family, "Thank you so much for the opportunity to own the board. I wouldn't even have the computer I'm sending you this e-mail on if it wasn't for this board."
Sandy Skeeter told the Daily News last September, "I think there were a few other things that went into the ['Nevermind'] record beside the board, like [NIRVANA's] songwriting and their playing and production. But he's just the right person to have the board."
Earlier this month, Grohl opened up about the upcoming film in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, saying, "When Sound City closed last year, it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list of people that recorded there reads like a virtual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame... We recorded 'Nevermind' there back in 1991."
He continued, "That funky old place had the best drum room in world. The drum sound at the beginning of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' — that's Sound City.
"I decided to make a film about that feeling you get when you put five guys in a room, hit 'record' and the hair on the back of your neck stands up."
He added, "Expect some epic jam sessions."
Artisan News caught up with Taylor earlier in the month at the first-ever Rock & Roll Roast at The Grove in Anaheim, California and asked him about the experience of working with Grohl (see video below).
"[Dave is] doing a documentary about the legendary board from Sound City that everybody and their mom recorded on — everybody from 'Nevermind' to, actually, [SLIPKNOT's] 'Iowa'," Corey said. "And he's slowly but surely gotten all these people together to make music on that board again. And he called me. He was like, 'Would you like to do a tune?' I was like, 'Are you serious? I'm on a plane right now.' And it's really cool, because it's me, Dave and Rick Nielsen [CHEAP TRICK] on one tune. And I'm like, 'Ahh…. Excuse me?!' It's just a huge check mark on my bucket list, let's put it that way. And I'm really ecstatic. It's a really good tune."
Other musicians that are expected to take part in the documentary include RATT's Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini, as well as REO SPEEDWAGON frontman Kevin Cronin.
MUNICIPAL WASTE frontman Tony Foresta makes a guest appearance on the new album from PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION, the band featuring members of D.R.I., DEAD HORSE and VERBAL ABUSE. Tony wrote lyrics to, and sang, one song and added backing vocals to many of the other tunes on the CD, which was recorded in Austin, Texas.
D.R.I. frontman Kurt Brecht, who sings in PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION, asked Tony over six months ago if he would consider helping out on the PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION CD. There has also been talk of Brecht making a guest appearance on an upcoming release from Tony's side project IRON REAGAN.
"I had one tune on the album that I was really having problems with," says Brecht. "I was not happy with my lyrics or the delivery on the studio recording. I knew the song deserved better. Tony wrote new words and changed the phrasing to really save the day."
The release of the PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION album should coincide with the arrival of the new MUNICIPAL WASTE LP as well as the 30-year anniversary tour of D.R.I. Talk about perfect timing!
PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION is:
Kurt Brecht (D.R.I.) - Vocals
Greg Martin (DEAD HORSE) - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Ronny Guyote (DEAD HORSE) - Drums/Backing Vocals
Scott Sevall (DEAD HORSE) - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Bubba D. (VERBAL ABUSE) - Bass/Backing Vocals
D.R.I. frontman Kurt Brecht, who sings in PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION, asked Tony over six months ago if he would consider helping out on the PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION CD. There has also been talk of Brecht making a guest appearance on an upcoming release from Tony's side project IRON REAGAN.
"I had one tune on the album that I was really having problems with," says Brecht. "I was not happy with my lyrics or the delivery on the studio recording. I knew the song deserved better. Tony wrote new words and changed the phrasing to really save the day."
The release of the PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION album should coincide with the arrival of the new MUNICIPAL WASTE LP as well as the 30-year anniversary tour of D.R.I. Talk about perfect timing!
PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION is:
Kurt Brecht (D.R.I.) - Vocals
Greg Martin (DEAD HORSE) - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Ronny Guyote (DEAD HORSE) - Drums/Backing Vocals
Scott Sevall (DEAD HORSE) - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Bubba D. (VERBAL ABUSE) - Bass/Backing Vocals
Bassist Nalley Påhlsson has left reunited Swedish hard rockers TREAT for "personal reasons." He says in a statement, "I will now focus more on the band THERION and my own band that hopefully will see the light of day with an album out in 2013 that I will record with other great names from the rock-music business."
Twenty-five years after the release of their sensational debut album, "Scratch And Bite", and eighteen years since their last self-titled studio album saw the light of day, TREAT returned with a brand new CD, "Coup De Grace", in March 2010.
According to a press release, "Coup de Grace" was a collection of songs that is so much more than just kick-ass, sing-along rock 'n' roll songs. They are more a sort of mini-autobiographies from five grown men reflecting on life.
"This album is a statement of who we are today," explainsed guitarist Anders Wikström. "We're older… yeah, perhaps even wiser. We look at our lives and the world around us in a different way. I wanted to reflect that in our lyrics. I mean, we're all fathers and we raise our kids in a world that's in a turmoil. There's a lot of pressures, fears and tough expectations."
"We got back together in 2006 because we all missed playing together. We released a compilation album and did a tour, but we weren't sure what to do next. In 2008 we all felt that we had an album to do," continued Wikström. "I started demoing songs and in May 2009 we were ready to hit the studio."
Twenty-five years after the release of their sensational debut album, "Scratch And Bite", and eighteen years since their last self-titled studio album saw the light of day, TREAT returned with a brand new CD, "Coup De Grace", in March 2010.
According to a press release, "Coup de Grace" was a collection of songs that is so much more than just kick-ass, sing-along rock 'n' roll songs. They are more a sort of mini-autobiographies from five grown men reflecting on life.
"This album is a statement of who we are today," explainsed guitarist Anders Wikström. "We're older… yeah, perhaps even wiser. We look at our lives and the world around us in a different way. I wanted to reflect that in our lyrics. I mean, we're all fathers and we raise our kids in a world that's in a turmoil. There's a lot of pressures, fears and tough expectations."
"We got back together in 2006 because we all missed playing together. We released a compilation album and did a tour, but we weren't sure what to do next. In 2008 we all felt that we had an album to do," continued Wikström. "I started demoing songs and in May 2009 we were ready to hit the studio."
Reformed Swedish hard rockers SKINTRADE will release a "best-of" album on March 21 via Universal Music. The CD will include three new songs and 12 classics.
SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group's self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles "Sick As A Dog" and "One By One" were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV's "Headbangers Ball". The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for "Best Hard Rock Album" and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of "Best Video." The follow-up CD, "Roach Powder", came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles "Snap Goes Your Mind" and "Flies" were played regularly on MTV.
Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden's and Europe's biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.
The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band's chemistry was very much intact.
In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the '90s.
SKINTRADE 2012 is:
Matti Alfonzetti - Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth - Bass
Håkan Persson - Drums, Backing Vocals
SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group's self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles "Sick As A Dog" and "One By One" were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV's "Headbangers Ball". The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for "Best Hard Rock Album" and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of "Best Video." The follow-up CD, "Roach Powder", came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles "Snap Goes Your Mind" and "Flies" were played regularly on MTV.
Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden's and Europe's biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.
The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band's chemistry was very much intact.
In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the '90s.
SKINTRADE 2012 is:
Matti Alfonzetti - Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth - Bass
Håkan Persson - Drums, Backing Vocals
After playing 350 shows internationally during their "World Domination Tour" with such bands as DIO, W.A.S.P., QUEENSRŸCHE, DORO and LORDI in support of their last album, "World Domination", Swedish hard rockers FATAL SMILE spent over a year writing and recording songs for the follow-up effort. Entitled "21st Century Freaks", the new CD was recorded in the tour buses, hotel rooms and studios all over the world before eleven songs were singled out and re-recorded during 2011.
Ten top names tried out for the mixing job, all mixing the song planned as the second single of the album. The band put together a jury of friends to pick out their favorite mix, which turned out to be mix No. 5, not knowing it was mixed by FATAL SMILE's own drummer Philty and guitarist Mr. Y!
According to a press release, "this time [the bandmembers] have done everything on their own to make it the ultimate FATAL SMILE album, from recording and engineering to producing and mixing the album and the result is massive, with 'in-your-face' songs and a 'larger-than-life' sound!"
"21st Century Freaks" was produced by Mr. Y, engineered/recorded by Philty and mixed by the two of them together. The mastering duties were handled by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors at Cutting Room Studios.
The first single, "Welcome To The Freakshow", will be released in March, to be followed by the full-length album on April 27 via Metallville Records. A massive world tour will follow.
FATAL SMILE is:
Mr. Y - Guitar
Blade - Vocals
Alx - Bass
Philty - Drums
Ten top names tried out for the mixing job, all mixing the song planned as the second single of the album. The band put together a jury of friends to pick out their favorite mix, which turned out to be mix No. 5, not knowing it was mixed by FATAL SMILE's own drummer Philty and guitarist Mr. Y!
According to a press release, "this time [the bandmembers] have done everything on their own to make it the ultimate FATAL SMILE album, from recording and engineering to producing and mixing the album and the result is massive, with 'in-your-face' songs and a 'larger-than-life' sound!"
"21st Century Freaks" was produced by Mr. Y, engineered/recorded by Philty and mixed by the two of them together. The mastering duties were handled by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors at Cutting Room Studios.
The first single, "Welcome To The Freakshow", will be released in March, to be followed by the full-length album on April 27 via Metallville Records. A massive world tour will follow.
FATAL SMILE is:
Mr. Y - Guitar
Blade - Vocals
Alx - Bass
Philty - Drums
Los Angeles-based hardcore band STRIFE will head down to Brazil next week to start recording its as-yet-untitled new full-length album. The group has enlisted longtime friend Igor Cavalera (SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) to play drums on the CD, which will be produced by TERROR drummer Nick Jett (TAKE OFFENSE, LIONHEART). The effort will be laid down at Mix Nova Studios in Brazil, with additional recordings set to take place at Blood Tracks Studio and Sunset Lodge in Los Angeles. Producer Matt Hyde (HATEBREED, SLAYER) will take care of the mastering duties.
Commented STRIFE guitarist Andrew Kline: "This album is going to be our best release yet… We have been working on pre-production tracks for the last few months, and the songs are amazing. This record is more along the lines of [1997's] 'In This Defiance', but with a harder and a little more modern edge. Plus Igor's drumming is really going to take everything to the next level."
A final release date, label, cover art and additional information will be revealed in the near future.
Cavalera previously made a guest appearance on STRIFE's second album, 1997's "In This Defiance".
Commented STRIFE guitarist Andrew Kline: "This album is going to be our best release yet… We have been working on pre-production tracks for the last few months, and the songs are amazing. This record is more along the lines of [1997's] 'In This Defiance', but with a harder and a little more modern edge. Plus Igor's drumming is really going to take everything to the next level."
A final release date, label, cover art and additional information will be revealed in the near future.
Cavalera previously made a guest appearance on STRIFE's second album, 1997's "In This Defiance".
MODELSAINT — the Los Angeles, California-based band featuring vocalist/guitarist Skyla Talon (KILLINGBIRD, SCUM OF THE EARTH) and drummer Dan Laudo (PRONG) — will release its debut album, "Into The Dirt", on May 1 through their own Famous & Faithless label. The CD will feature a guest appearance by BLACK VEIL BRIDES guitarist Jinxx on the track "Never Be Sober".
"Into The Dirt" track listing:
01. Starin' Down A Loaded Barrel
02. The Devil Is Real
03. Top Of The World
04. Never Be Sober (feat. Jinxx)
05. The Fallout
06. Simple Life
07. Sin
08. Deadlove
09. 1, 2, 3 (We're Ready To Go)
10. Powerless
MODELSAINT was conceived from the mind of Hollywood musician Skyla Talon. Most recently Skyla was on full time guitar duty as a member of SCUM OF THE EARTH, a band fronted by guitarist Riggs, formerly of ROB ZOMBIE.
Drummer Dan Laudo, from the legendary metal band PRONG, teamed up with Skyla early 2010 to help create what true hard rock fans have been demanding.
Early 2011, the band added Kevin Lewis to the mix. With extensive touring under his belt in previous bands such as FACTORY 81 and LIFTPOINT, and working as a tattoo artist at Kat Von D's High Voltage Tattoo, he's no stranger to rock and roll!
Rounding out the lineup is the Chicago-based guitarist K Kyle, who's barely old enough to drink but ready to kill.
Heavily influenced by the hard rock of the '80s, MODELSAINT has updated the style into its own.
For more information, visit www.modelsaint.com.
"Into The Dirt" track listing:
01. Starin' Down A Loaded Barrel
02. The Devil Is Real
03. Top Of The World
04. Never Be Sober (feat. Jinxx)
05. The Fallout
06. Simple Life
07. Sin
08. Deadlove
09. 1, 2, 3 (We're Ready To Go)
10. Powerless
MODELSAINT was conceived from the mind of Hollywood musician Skyla Talon. Most recently Skyla was on full time guitar duty as a member of SCUM OF THE EARTH, a band fronted by guitarist Riggs, formerly of ROB ZOMBIE.
Drummer Dan Laudo, from the legendary metal band PRONG, teamed up with Skyla early 2010 to help create what true hard rock fans have been demanding.
Early 2011, the band added Kevin Lewis to the mix. With extensive touring under his belt in previous bands such as FACTORY 81 and LIFTPOINT, and working as a tattoo artist at Kat Von D's High Voltage Tattoo, he's no stranger to rock and roll!
Rounding out the lineup is the Chicago-based guitarist K Kyle, who's barely old enough to drink but ready to kill.
Heavily influenced by the hard rock of the '80s, MODELSAINT has updated the style into its own.
For more information, visit www.modelsaint.com.
"Resolution", the new album from Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD, sold around 52,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Wrath", opened with around 68,000 units back in March 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This figure was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by 2006's "Sacrament", which shifted around 63,000 units to debut at No. 8. It also represented almost double the amount of records sold by its predecessor, "Ashes Of The Wake", which premiered with 35,000 copies in September 2004.
"Resolution" was released in the U.S. via Epic and internationally through Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at various studios in Virginia and New York with producer Josh Wilbur, who worked on the band's last effort, 2009's "Wrath".
"Resolution" features 14 songs and comes in a digipack with artwork by longtime art director Ken Adams.
"Resolution" track listing:
01. Straight For The Sun
02. Desolation
03. Ghost Walking
04. Guilty
05. The Undertow
06. The Number Six
07. Barbarosa
08. Invictus
09. Cheated
10. Insurrection
11. Terminally Unique
12. To The End
13. Visitation
14. King Me
"Resolution" was released in the U.S. via Epic and internationally through Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at various studios in Virginia and New York with producer Josh Wilbur, who worked on the band's last effort, 2009's "Wrath".
"Resolution" features 14 songs and comes in a digipack with artwork by longtime art director Ken Adams.
"Resolution" track listing:
01. Straight For The Sun
02. Desolation
03. Ghost Walking
04. Guilty
05. The Undertow
06. The Number Six
07. Barbarosa
08. Invictus
09. Cheated
10. Insurrection
11. Terminally Unique
12. To The End
13. Visitation
14. King Me
PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, JEFF LOOMIS, and THE SAFETY FIRE will joined forces for a North American tour in March/April. The month-long run kicks off in Chicago, Iliinois on March 25 and wraps in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 22.
The dates are as follows:
Mar. 25 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Mar. 26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
Mar. 27 - Dallas, TX - Trees
Mar. 28 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Mar. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine
Mar. 31 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
Apr. 01 – West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
Apr. 02 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Apr. 03 - Portland, OR - The Branx
Apr. 04 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Apr. 06 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
Apr. 07 - Denver, CO - Summit
Apr. 09 - St. Louis, MO - Pops
Apr. 10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
Apr. 11 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Apr. 12 - Columbus, OH - The Outland Ballroom
Apr. 13 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
Apr. 14 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Apr. 16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Apr. 17 - Orlando, FL - The Social
Apr. 18 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater
Apr. 20 - New York, NY - Gramercy
Apr. 22 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
PROTEST THE HERO's latest studio album, "Scurrilous", released in March 2011 in North America via Vagrant Records.
Maryland-based experimental, progressive metal band PERIPHERY has entered the studio to begin recording its sophomore full-length album for an early 2012 release via Sumerian Records.
Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis will release his sophomore solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", on April 10 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.
The dates are as follows:
Mar. 25 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Mar. 26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
Mar. 27 - Dallas, TX - Trees
Mar. 28 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Mar. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine
Mar. 31 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
Apr. 01 – West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
Apr. 02 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Apr. 03 - Portland, OR - The Branx
Apr. 04 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Apr. 06 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
Apr. 07 - Denver, CO - Summit
Apr. 09 - St. Louis, MO - Pops
Apr. 10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
Apr. 11 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Apr. 12 - Columbus, OH - The Outland Ballroom
Apr. 13 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
Apr. 14 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Apr. 16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Apr. 17 - Orlando, FL - The Social
Apr. 18 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater
Apr. 20 - New York, NY - Gramercy
Apr. 22 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
PROTEST THE HERO's latest studio album, "Scurrilous", released in March 2011 in North America via Vagrant Records.
Maryland-based experimental, progressive metal band PERIPHERY has entered the studio to begin recording its sophomore full-length album for an early 2012 release via Sumerian Records.
Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis will release his sophomore solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", on April 10 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.
German hard rock outfit HARD RIOT has inked a deal with Pitch Black Records. The band's debut album, "Living On A Fast Lane", will be released on April 10.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Get Ready
02. Hellfire Rock
03. Don't Need You
04. No Surrender
05. Tears In The Rain
06. Turn On The Lights
07. Nothing But You
08. Take Me Down
09. Hard Way Down
10. Black Widow
11. Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw
Formed in 2006 in the city of Heilbronn, Germany, HARD RIOT consists of four young friends who share the same passion — hard-rockin' music. Their powerful stage presence and performance has landed them with numerous live shows over the past few years and many devoted fans. In 2009 HARD RIOT released a self-financed five-track EP ("The Hidden Truth") and in 2011 they entered Maranis Studios in Backnang, Germany, relying on the excellent skills of producer Vagelis Maranis who oversaw the entire recording and production of their debut album.
HARD RIOT is Michael Gildner on vocals, Andreas Rockrohr on guitar, Mario Kleindienst on bass and Carmine Jaucci on drums. Their influences include AC/DC, METALLICA and the SCORPIONS.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Get Ready
02. Hellfire Rock
03. Don't Need You
04. No Surrender
05. Tears In The Rain
06. Turn On The Lights
07. Nothing But You
08. Take Me Down
09. Hard Way Down
10. Black Widow
11. Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw
Formed in 2006 in the city of Heilbronn, Germany, HARD RIOT consists of four young friends who share the same passion — hard-rockin' music. Their powerful stage presence and performance has landed them with numerous live shows over the past few years and many devoted fans. In 2009 HARD RIOT released a self-financed five-track EP ("The Hidden Truth") and in 2011 they entered Maranis Studios in Backnang, Germany, relying on the excellent skills of producer Vagelis Maranis who oversaw the entire recording and production of their debut album.
HARD RIOT is Michael Gildner on vocals, Andreas Rockrohr on guitar, Mario Kleindienst on bass and Carmine Jaucci on drums. Their influences include AC/DC, METALLICA and the SCORPIONS.
Music from METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH, ARCH ENEMY, DIMMU BORGIR, HIM, CHILDREN OF BODOM and SARCOFAGUS is featured in "Out Of The Darkness", the new ballet spectacular from Australia's "premiere metal ballet company" Brutal Ballet, which combines classical ballet with heavy metal music.
Brutal Ballet founder, choreographer and dancer Bridie Mayfield's unique performance style, bringing the separate sides of the dark beauty of ballet and metal together has been previously described as "a captivating visual extravaganza that would titilate an audience regardless of musical accompaniment... music and ballet comparing and contrasting with remarkable sophistication."
"Out Of The Darkness" is a journey through the various genres of metal, from the dark and brutal to the classic and melodic, featuring music from some of the best metal bands in the world.
"Out Of The Darkness" will make its European debut on February 7 at Sello Sali in Espoo, Finland.
Mayfield last year wowed audiences in the U.S. when she opened the Heavy Metal Film Festival in Los Angeles, performing classical ballet to a song by FEAR FACTORY (see video below).
According to Gothic Beauty magazine, Mayfield came up with the inspiration to dance classical ballet to heavy metal music from her love of metal and her experience from Ballet Deviare, which is New York's premier heavy metal ballet company.
"Since I was small I always made up dances to music I loved, so when I started getting into metal it was no different to me," she said. "When I heard about Ballet Deviare in New York, I realized dancing to metal was accepted by metal fans and knew I had to either join them or start something myself, and I knew someone else wasn't going to start a metal ballet company here. I managed to pull together enough dancers to start trying out some of the choreography."
Brutal Ballet founder, choreographer and dancer Bridie Mayfield's unique performance style, bringing the separate sides of the dark beauty of ballet and metal together has been previously described as "a captivating visual extravaganza that would titilate an audience regardless of musical accompaniment... music and ballet comparing and contrasting with remarkable sophistication."
"Out Of The Darkness" is a journey through the various genres of metal, from the dark and brutal to the classic and melodic, featuring music from some of the best metal bands in the world.
"Out Of The Darkness" will make its European debut on February 7 at Sello Sali in Espoo, Finland.
Mayfield last year wowed audiences in the U.S. when she opened the Heavy Metal Film Festival in Los Angeles, performing classical ballet to a song by FEAR FACTORY (see video below).
According to Gothic Beauty magazine, Mayfield came up with the inspiration to dance classical ballet to heavy metal music from her love of metal and her experience from Ballet Deviare, which is New York's premier heavy metal ballet company.
"Since I was small I always made up dances to music I loved, so when I started getting into metal it was no different to me," she said. "When I heard about Ballet Deviare in New York, I realized dancing to metal was accepted by metal fans and knew I had to either join them or start something myself, and I knew someone else wasn't going to start a metal ballet company here. I managed to pull together enough dancers to start trying out some of the choreography."
Vocalist Brandan Schieppati of Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH has shared his feelings on the current state of the underground music industry, saying that "playing hardcore and metal is not a career move" and that none of the up-and-coming bands will ever become "rich" through making this kind of music.
In an interview with AOL's Noisecreep to promote BLEEDING THROUGH's just-released new CD, "The Great Fire", Schieppati revealed, "There's a track on the new album called 'Goodbye To Death' which is about how bands, record labels, and management companies, pat themselves on the back before they even really accomplish anything."
He continued, "When BLEEDING THROUGH first starting doing this, you would hear people gloat about stuff like selling 400,000 albums, or selling out huge venues, but it's so different now. Now you'll hear bands say, 'We made it! We sold $700 in merch tonight!' It's a joke.
"I think people are too busy celebrating the short term, rather than the long term — and that's [disconcerting]. I've never wanted to be in a band that had a few fantastic years and then went away. We've definitely had years that were better than others. It's never been the kind of thing where we would break up as soon as we stopped drawing 1000 people at our shows. We've always done this to please ourselves, and not as some delusion of grandeur."
He added, "I hear about bands dropping out of high school because someone told them they had to do that so they can tour full time and become rich. It's scary. This stuff — hardcore, metal, punk — it has a short shelf life. So you're going to throw your education away so someone else can make money off of you? It's just wrong.
"No one is buying records anymore. So these newer bands need to know that there won't be another METALLICA. Those level bands are just not going to pop up anymore. You have to play this kind of music because you love it. Playing hardcore and metal is not a career move."
BLEEDING THROUGH's 2010 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 2008 effort, "Declaration", opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.
In an interview with AOL's Noisecreep to promote BLEEDING THROUGH's just-released new CD, "The Great Fire", Schieppati revealed, "There's a track on the new album called 'Goodbye To Death' which is about how bands, record labels, and management companies, pat themselves on the back before they even really accomplish anything."
He continued, "When BLEEDING THROUGH first starting doing this, you would hear people gloat about stuff like selling 400,000 albums, or selling out huge venues, but it's so different now. Now you'll hear bands say, 'We made it! We sold $700 in merch tonight!' It's a joke.
"I think people are too busy celebrating the short term, rather than the long term — and that's [disconcerting]. I've never wanted to be in a band that had a few fantastic years and then went away. We've definitely had years that were better than others. It's never been the kind of thing where we would break up as soon as we stopped drawing 1000 people at our shows. We've always done this to please ourselves, and not as some delusion of grandeur."
He added, "I hear about bands dropping out of high school because someone told them they had to do that so they can tour full time and become rich. It's scary. This stuff — hardcore, metal, punk — it has a short shelf life. So you're going to throw your education away so someone else can make money off of you? It's just wrong.
"No one is buying records anymore. So these newer bands need to know that there won't be another METALLICA. Those level bands are just not going to pop up anymore. You have to play this kind of music because you love it. Playing hardcore and metal is not a career move."
BLEEDING THROUGH's 2010 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 2008 effort, "Declaration", opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based metallers WRETCHED have entered the studio to begin recording their third full-length album, "Son Of Perdition", for a March 27 release via Victory Records. The CD is being produced by Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, HE IS LEGEND, FOR TODAY) at The Basement Studio in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Last year, WRETCHED solidified its lineup with the addition of industry veterans Adam Cody (GLASS CASKET) and Andrew Grevey (LOCULUS) taking the positions of vocalist and bassist, respectively. "Son Of Perdition" marks the first official appearances by Cody and Grevey since their inception into WRETCHED.
The band took "a huge step forward, musically," on the new record, confirms guitarist, and one of the two founding members, Steven Funderbunk. He adds, "Lyrically, the fans can expect an apocalyptic-type theme that portrays a very personal experience. This record will include some of our darkest and most mature material written to date." "Son Of Perdition" also exposes a "more melodic approach to the Wretched sound," says Funderbunk. "A lot of the drums are harmonically matched with a lot of the guitar riffs. We also used a lot of cool chords we haven't used in the past. It's far more rhythmic and grooves more than our previous records."
WRETCHED will support "Son Of Perdition" on this spring's Metal Alliance Tour beginning in March, hitting 31 cities across the U.S. and Canada.
Last year, WRETCHED solidified its lineup with the addition of industry veterans Adam Cody (GLASS CASKET) and Andrew Grevey (LOCULUS) taking the positions of vocalist and bassist, respectively. "Son Of Perdition" marks the first official appearances by Cody and Grevey since their inception into WRETCHED.
The band took "a huge step forward, musically," on the new record, confirms guitarist, and one of the two founding members, Steven Funderbunk. He adds, "Lyrically, the fans can expect an apocalyptic-type theme that portrays a very personal experience. This record will include some of our darkest and most mature material written to date." "Son Of Perdition" also exposes a "more melodic approach to the Wretched sound," says Funderbunk. "A lot of the drums are harmonically matched with a lot of the guitar riffs. We also used a lot of cool chords we haven't used in the past. It's far more rhythmic and grooves more than our previous records."
WRETCHED will support "Son Of Perdition" on this spring's Metal Alliance Tour beginning in March, hitting 31 cities across the U.S. and Canada.
"Global Flatline", the seventh studio album from Belgian death metalers ABORTED, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 27 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.
"Global Flatline"Century Media Records. The CD was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, PESTILENCE, HATESPHERE) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. The artwork was once again created by Justin Osbourn from Slasher Design.
"Global Flatline" track listing:
01. Omega Mortis
02. Global Flatline
03. The Origin Of Disease
04. Coronary Reconstruction
05. Fecal Forgery
06. Of Scabs And Boils
07. Vermicular, Obscene, Obese
08. Expurgation Euphoria
09. From A Tepid Whiff
10. The Kallinger Theory
11. Our Father, Who Art Of Feces
12. Grime
13. Endstille
The regular jewel-case edition of "Global Flatline" will include 12 tracks while the limited-edition digipack will have 14 tracks.
"Global Flatline" features several guest vocalists, such as Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), Julien Truchan (BENIGHTED), Jason Netherton (MISERY INDEX), and Keiijo Niinima (ROTTEN SOUND). Their comments follow below.
Trevor Strnad: "It's a pleasure to offer my vocals to Sven and the guys... The new material is fucking sick and I'm glad they would let me be a small part of it. Cheers to the masters of gore, ABORTED!"
Julien Truchan: "I'm so honored to be a part of ABORTED's new baby! So far, what I heard sounds absolutely devastating, sick and furious. Their best album for sure!"
Jason Netherton: "When I got the track for the guest vocals, we loaded the files up and immediately our ears melted! A face-ripping, next-level entry for a new decade of death metal-it was a sheer pleasure to contribute some screams, and I am completely stoked to hear the entire album as soon as it drops!"
"The Origin Of Disease" video can be seen below. The clip was shot in the U.K. last summer with director Phil Berridge of Creative Junky Media (CEREBRAL BORE).
"Global Flatline"Century Media Records. The CD was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, PESTILENCE, HATESPHERE) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. The artwork was once again created by Justin Osbourn from Slasher Design.
"Global Flatline" track listing:
01. Omega Mortis
02. Global Flatline
03. The Origin Of Disease
04. Coronary Reconstruction
05. Fecal Forgery
06. Of Scabs And Boils
07. Vermicular, Obscene, Obese
08. Expurgation Euphoria
09. From A Tepid Whiff
10. The Kallinger Theory
11. Our Father, Who Art Of Feces
12. Grime
13. Endstille
The regular jewel-case edition of "Global Flatline" will include 12 tracks while the limited-edition digipack will have 14 tracks.
"Global Flatline" features several guest vocalists, such as Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), Julien Truchan (BENIGHTED), Jason Netherton (MISERY INDEX), and Keiijo Niinima (ROTTEN SOUND). Their comments follow below.
Trevor Strnad: "It's a pleasure to offer my vocals to Sven and the guys... The new material is fucking sick and I'm glad they would let me be a small part of it. Cheers to the masters of gore, ABORTED!"
Julien Truchan: "I'm so honored to be a part of ABORTED's new baby! So far, what I heard sounds absolutely devastating, sick and furious. Their best album for sure!"
Jason Netherton: "When I got the track for the guest vocals, we loaded the files up and immediately our ears melted! A face-ripping, next-level entry for a new decade of death metal-it was a sheer pleasure to contribute some screams, and I am completely stoked to hear the entire album as soon as it drops!"
"The Origin Of Disease" video can be seen below. The clip was shot in the U.K. last summer with director Phil Berridge of Creative Junky Media (CEREBRAL BORE).
German death metallers FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING have entered the studio to begin recording their fifth album, tentatively titled "The Art Of Coming Apart", for a 2012 release via Cyclone Empire. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Trapping The Unseen", "Hours Of Suffering" and "Memorial Stone".
The drums for the new FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING album were recorded at the band's own Soundtunnel studio in November 2011, with Stefan Weimar and Sascha Ehrich currently in the process of laying down the guitars.
Commented Sascha: "The guitar tracks [are turning] out great. We are very happy giving life to each of the songs, adding melody licks and gimmicks. Actually, even we are curious how the new songs will finally sound like. In any case, it's typical FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING stuff."
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING's fourth album, "The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection", came out in October 2009 via Cyclone Empire. The CD's cover artwork was once again created by Sascha Ehrich.
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING in 2009 announced the addition of bassist Christopher Körtgen (SMILODON, CHAOS HD) to the group's ranks.
The band's third album, "Sterling Black Icon", was released in March 2006 via Metal Blade.
The drums for the new FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING album were recorded at the band's own Soundtunnel studio in November 2011, with Stefan Weimar and Sascha Ehrich currently in the process of laying down the guitars.
Commented Sascha: "The guitar tracks [are turning] out great. We are very happy giving life to each of the songs, adding melody licks and gimmicks. Actually, even we are curious how the new songs will finally sound like. In any case, it's typical FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING stuff."
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING's fourth album, "The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection", came out in October 2009 via Cyclone Empire. The CD's cover artwork was once again created by Sascha Ehrich.
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING in 2009 announced the addition of bassist Christopher Körtgen (SMILODON, CHAOS HD) to the group's ranks.
The band's third album, "Sterling Black Icon", was released in March 2006 via Metal Blade.
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