[Classic_Rock_Forever] Black Sabbath, Aerosmith/Kiss Tour, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Corrosion of Conformity, Phil Anselmo, The Sword and tons more hard rock and heavy metal news

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BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi, who is currently receiving treatment in England for the early stages of lymphoma, with which he was diagnosed late last year, has issued the following update:

"A little update on how it's all going:

"Well, I've had the last dose of chemotherapy, so hopefully my body will start to get back to normal soon. The steroids were the [worst]. I've now got three weeks of radiotherapy coming up which I'm told can be very tiring, so we'll see.

"A big thanks to [fellow SABBATH members] Ozzy [Osbourne] and Geezer [Butler] for coming over to England; it was a big incentive for me. We managed to work most days and have some great new tracks.

"And, importantly, thanks again for your kind messages. Hope to be seeing you soon."

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system.

BLACK SABBATH will play one U.S. date sometime this summer, according to a VH1 Radio Network interview with Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon revealed, "They're gonna be doing one show in America this summer but I can't say yet because we can't announce it, the promoters have to, but they are doing one show in August here together." The news follows the cancellation of all SABBATH tour dates abroad except for a headlining slot at the U.K.'s Download Festival in June, due to Iommi's battle with lymphoma.

As for whether original Ward will participate in the U.S. show, Sharon said, "We don't know yet, we really don't know. It's up to Bill. The door is open for him to join us, so it's up to him."

Meanwhile, Ozzy, Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler are in London continuing to record their first album together in 33 years, although without Ward it is not the original SABBATH reunion announced last November.

Sharon said about the recording sessions, "It's going good. They're doing really well in the studio. Gosh, they must've written 15 new songs already and it's going great."

She also denied that she was responsible for Ward's current absence from the project, saying, "Everybody's got their own manager, so we have an independent group of people that have come in to manage the project, and I don't, and I get the blame because Bill doesn't want to play with the band; he doesn't like his deal and I get the blame. It's like, 'All right, I'm a big girl, I can take it.'"

Ward has been sitting out the sessions due to being offered what he called "an unsignable contract" in an open letter to SABBATH fans.

Ward posted an update on February 17 in which he said he "remains hopeful" for a positive outcome to the situation.

The rest of SABBATH's scheduled European summer gigs will be replaced by "Ozzy And Friends", at which the singer will be joined by Butler, former Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde and other special guests, including Slash on selected dates.
 
AEROSMITH, America's greatest rock and roll band, will start your summer sizzling and have you dancing around the fires of rock n' roll again. After blowing away audiences in South America and Japan, the Bad Boys from Boston are back to rock America's soul, with "The Global Warming Tour" playing 18 markets beginning on June 16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Support on the trek will come from CHEAP TRICK.

"The old AEROSMITH is back with a new vengeance and we will kick your ass and make out with your mothers," says Steven Tyler.

Joe Perry adds, "Can't wait to bring this band back home. It feels like we've been away too long."

Live Nation is the national tour promoter for AEROSMITH's North American tour. This summer's hottest ticket will go on sale March 30 and 31 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. The first round of tour dates are below with additional dates for a second leg to be announced shortly. Beginning on Thursday, March 29, fans that visit www.livenation.com/aerosmith and RSVP to the presale will have early access to tickets.

Bassist Tom Hamilton says, "After touring Japan and South America last year we're psyched about bringing it all back for the hometown fans. We're going to break out the classics, the hits and maybe even some of the new ones we've been banging out in the studio. Can't wait to get to Minneapolis!"

"The Global Warming Tour" dates (first leg):

Jun. 16 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Jun. 19 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Jun. 22 - Chicago, IL - United Center
Jun. 27 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Jul. 01 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Jul. 03 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
Jul. 05 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
Jul. 07 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest
Jul. 17 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Jul. 21 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Jul. 24 - East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center
Jul. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Jul. 28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Jul. 30 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Aug. 01 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Aug. 04 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
Aug. 06 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
Aug. 08 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome

AEROSMITH is currently mixing a reworked version of its 1991 outtake "Legendary Child" (originally written during the "Get A Grip" sessions) for inclusion in the upcoming summer film "GI Joe: Retaliation" (which arrives in theaters around the U.S. on June 29). The song is also expected to appear on AEROSMITH's long-awaited new studio album, which is tentatively due later this year.

AEROSMITH began work on its first all-new album since 2001 last year, with the rest of the band working on music while singer Steven Tyler made his "American Idol" debut.

The band has been working with producer Jack Douglas, who collaborated with them on classic early albums like "Toys In The Attic" and "Rocks".
 
All 60,000 tickets to METALLICA's three shows at the Sports Palace in Mexico City — scheduled for August 1, 2 and 4 — sold out in less than 90 minutes last week. As a result, the band has added two more dates in Mexico City: August 6 and 7 at the same venue.

The Banamex pre-sale starts Wednesday, March 28 at 11 a.m. CST, with the public on-sale Thursday, March 29, also at 11 a.m. CST.

METALLICA announced on March 15 that the band will unveil what the group's publicist described as a "mind-blowing new stage" in Mexico "that needs to be seen to be believed." The 140-foot-by-50-foot stage will feature "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

The band itself went further in a post at its official web site, saying, "After years in the making, we are beyond excited to finally unveil the all new, out of control, massive stage and METALLI-show . . . Mexico will be the first to see what will be the cornerstone of our touring escapades for years to come."

It is not clear whether this production is the highly theatrical show that the band first discussed back in 2010, with co-manager Peter Mensch saying it would be METALLICA's "equivalent of [PINK FLOYD's] 'The Wall'" and would "blow your mind."

When The Pulse Of Radio asked drummer Lars Ulrich about that idea recently, he said it was one of many projects METALLICA was considering. "That's still circling also," he said. "None of this stuff goes away. I mean, we just throw these balls up in the air and then we try to tackle them one at a time. That one's still in the air, nothing definitive, but it's still circling. None of these things go away, they just get bigger and costlier and overwhelm us more (laughs)."

METALLICA last appeared in Mexico in 2009, playing to over 150,000 fans during three sold-out nights at Foro Sol Stadium that were captured for a live DVD.

The new stage show is said to be twice the size of the production that METALLICA has been using since 2008 on its "World Magnetic" tour.

Before all this happens, METALLICA will headline its own two-day musical event, the Orion Music + More festival, scheduled for June 23-24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Over 20 acts are slated to perform.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have a number of plans in the works for 2012, but apparently a new studio album is not one of them. Guitarist Dean DeLeo told New Jersey radio station WRAT on March 21 that contrary to earlier reports, the quartet are not recording their seventh studio effort. When asked if the band would work on a new disc anytime soon, DeLeo answered, "Possibly, we're just kind of enjoying home life right now and raising our kids and enjoying the loves of our lives."

Word of a new STP album first surfaced as early as the fall of 2010, just months after the band released its self-titled sixth effort.

That 2010 album came nine years after STP's last record, "Shangri-La-Dee-Da", and followed the band's 2008 reunion after a seven-year hiatus.

One thing that's much more likely to happen in 2012 is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of STP's debut album, "Core". While a reissue featuring unreleased and live material could happen, DeLeo hinted that a tour was more likely, saying, "Scott [Weiland, singer] and I were just talking a couple of weeks ago, and we'd really love to go out there and perform ['Core'] in its entirety."
 
 
Corrosion of Conformity is a name associated with hard-core, crossover, speed metal, heavy rock. Call them what you want, but their musical transitions over the years are nothing but impressive. This band is a real chameleon, but all of its colors manage to attract a following.

Formed back in 1982, the band began to make waves. The line ups changed over the years, but the three names managed to reappear as the core of the band. Drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, and guitar player Woodroe Weatherman. The trio is responsible for one of the genre defining albums, "Animosity," which they released back in 1985. They were hailed as one of the biggest hopes of the 80s. As the time went by, the band progressed musically, and naturally altered their style. Only to peak once again with "Deliverance" in 1994. That version of the band included Pepper Keenan on guitar and vocals.

In 2010, Corrosion of Conformity returned as the original three piece. The band toured around the United States and Europe, and intended to make a studio record. Now in 2012, the self-titled, album is out, and the band is back on the road promoting the new release. The new album, has all the ingredients C.O.C. was known for over the years. It's a release that's very difficult to pin down stylistically. It fits with everything the band has done thus far, without compromising a single era. C.O.C. certainly plans another record with Pepper Keenan, who is currently on the hiatus from the band. Corrosion of Conformity is an American classic, and there is no doubt about it.

Guitar player, Woodroe Weatherman, shares his thoughts on the new album, and the mechanics behind the band.

As a guitar player, what was the biggest challenge for you to go from the way you play as a trio, as opposed to a quartet?
Woodroe Weatherman:
Well, you know, it's kind of the same thing for me. I've got my hole to fill there, and make enough noise to do it. The three piece is kind of a little bit of a different animal. But, really Pepper, with the singing, he concentrates on that as a four piece. He takes mostly the rhythms stuff, but we have a few parts where we would do some harmonies, and what not. In general, I just do my thing, and it's kind of the same deal to me.
So, the mindset isn't really that much different.
Not so much. I mean, the writing for the new record, we geared it a little bit towards the three piece band. But, that's what we grew up doing. That was the original incarnation of the band, sort of speak.
The new album isn't really a retro album. In fact, it sounds as if this configuration of players continued on through the years, and naturally progressed.
It wasn't an intentional thing, you see. When we first began writing for the new album, I wanted to do a bunch of fast and heavy tunes that were reminiscent of what we did in the past. But, once we started writing, we just went into a direction that we always do, which is whatever comes out, comes out. It's silly for us to plan anything when it comes to the writing. We never really do any pre-conceived kind of music because once we start messing with it, it all goes out through the window, anyway, you know.
 
How long did it take you to write this record?
It really came quick because everybody showed up with a bunch of ideas. Reed (Mullin) had several songs that were kind of done. Mike (Dean) had a few, and I had a bunch of stuff that was sort of halfway there. And we just kind of got together, worked on it, and finished them up. The writing went really quick, and the recording would've gone a lot quicker too. We've actually recorded it very quickly, but then we were like doing shows and stuff in between. We were doing some touring, so it kind of seemed like it took a long time, but we actually did it pretty fast.
Now with three tours, and a record under your belt, how are the people responding to the this version of the band?
It seems pretty damn good to me. I just feel lucky we're able to tour successfully, and have a good time still. Of course having a brand new album out makes a big difference. People actually know the new stuff, and sing along, so that helps. We were actually doing several of the new songs on the two previous tours. But it makes a difference when people know the new stuff.
And what's the initial response like?
Pretty damn good (laughter.) As a matter of fact, Mike and I were just talking about it. We need to create a little bit of negativity, just to get a buzz going. You know how it is on the Internet. There is always gonna be people who will say, "hey, it sucks!" But, I think that's good to have a little bit of a sway back on it.
 
I'm sure everyone who expected a sequel to "Animosity" will be a little bit disappointed that it doesn't sound exactly the same.
And I think that's good to have people from all camps. Have people who love it, people who think it's all right, and some people who think, "they didn't do what I wanted them to do." So, it's good, because we always get that. All through the years, we would do a record, and with every record we always kind of do our own thing. It's never exactly the same thing. And there is always people who go, "that's not what I want my band C.O.C. to be sounding like."
What's so special with the three of you playing together? I mean, even as a four-piece, there is still the three of you that make up the bottom end of the band.
There is some weird rhythms there, you know. Strange timing, and what not. It's just something that we seem to be able to do. Like I've said a bunch of times before, we've just sort of learned how to play our respective instruments together. And that's coming from scratch for the most part, and I think it makes the big difference. Whenever we start playing, we don't have to tell each other what we are thinking, that's already kind of happening anyway.
Despite your music being called hard-core, crossover, or speed metal. There are a lot of odd influences if you listen to the band closely. You can probably track down certain songs to NWOBH bands like Iron Maiden, or so. What is what initially drove you into playing?
I personally grew up in a musical family. My Dad is a musician, so I was exposed to it from an early age. I didn't know that I really wanted to play, but I was exposed to music, and going to the festivals. And I acquired an instrument at a pretty early age. I kind of fell into it, and once I sort of figured out how to play a few things, I went and saw some bands. Bands like Black Flag, and a few others. Once I saw them play, it dawned on me that it was the music I liked, and I'm gonna dive into it, head first, and we did. Next thing I know, we are playing. I think what helped C.O.C. a lot in the early days was that we immediately started traveling. We didn't wait around. Before we even had anything solid out, we were already traveling to other cities and playing shows.
 
Come to think of it, you did exactly the same thing before the new album came out. There is definitely a pattern there.
That's true. That's our thing. You're probably right, yeah. The history repeats itself.
Now the album is of course out, what are your immediate plans?
Tons of touring. Well, that's it. We got a lot of touring for the new album. We got a lot of stuff already going. We already planning a follow up tour for the U.S. We got a couple of European trips planned, and more after that. And hopefully if we continue to have fun like we do right now, we're gonna dive right in, and start writing some new songs.
There is always the four-piece version of the band that is waiting to happen. How far away is that from becoming a reality?
Well, you know, it all depends. The door is open. We're having a blast now. We'll see where it takes us. Like we keep on saying, Pepper is a good friend, we talk all the time. We'll be seeing him in the New Orleans when we play there. He's gonna be in town, so he's gonna come out and party with us. I mean, who knows? Maybe we'll talk about it then. We'll see what his long term plans are. I know, Down, has some stuff coming out. But, we'll see, the door is open. I think we all want to do it at some point, but there is no rush.
 
Do you happen to run into some of the former C.O.C. member like Carl Agell, Phil Swisher, or Simon Bob Sinister?
Well, Carl is around in Raleigh. I don't see him much, but Reed runs into him every once in a while. I had an e-mail from Phil Swisher recently. He's overseas, he actually lives in Europe. We saw Simon Bob out in Los Angeles, not too long back. He came to the show. So, we definitely see folks around.
In the past, C.O.C. was a very politically conscious band. How are the recent political developments influencing your lyrical output?
I think its touched upon pretty adequately on the new record. I mean Mike Dean and Reed, and Pepper for that matter, have crafted the lyrical message to be a little bit less in your face and obvious, and leave a little more of it open, to each person to interpret. Which I think is good, and keeps it from being so dated. I think there is always sort of that political undertone to all of our stuff.
"I'm bursting at the seams here! There are so many films that I want to share," laughs Philip Anselmo from his New Orleans home.

He's not kidding either.

The voice of Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual, Arson Anthem and more, as well as founder of House Core Records (http://www.thehousecorerecords.com), is the closest thing that heavy metal, scratch that, music, has to a true "horror historian." His encyclopedic knowledge of horror films and culture is inspiring, and he WILL turn you on to some amazing horror films. That's why we're proud to announce that Phillip will be gracing us with a column highlighting one of his favorite horror films on a monthly basis. Phillip's going to share why he digs the film he chose, when he saw it and, most importantly, why you NEED to see it.

Right now, Philip's hard at work on all things House Core Records. The label has a phenomenal slate of new artists with releases in the works—Arson Anthem, haarp, Warbeast and more—you NEED to check all of them out as well!

He goes on, "I'm looking at probably 5500 box copy cassettes, all original box copies right in front of my eyes right now. There are probably 3000 DVDs over there in the corner, and this is one room [Laughs]."

Bloody-Disgusting.com is proud to announce that Phillip is going to be doing this column, and we're all excited to learn about new flicks through metal's greatest vocalist.

For now, in no particular order, Philip shared a few picks with Bloody-Disgusting.com contributor and Dolor author Rick Florino (www.bookofdolor.com) in this exclusive interview. Check them out below and be on the lookout for the first installment of his column soon!
 
1. The Spiral Staircase
This morning, I watched The Spiral Staircase with Elsa Lanchester and a bunch of old greats—too many to even think of [Laughs]. I love old black and white films.
2. Evil Dead
Growing up in the days of the slasher films and the gore films, Evil Dead, which I know now was a fluke, has to be one of the best flukes in the history of film. I adore that record, just kidding, movie [Laughs]. I say "record" because it was like Slayer's Hell Awaits. It's like they were one and the same. It's not like Hell Awaits was a concept record based around Evil Dead, but the continuity was there within groin, you know what I'm saying? [Laughs] It all made sense. There were visuals there. Evil Dead was a hallmark film in my life.
3. The Old Dark House
The Old Dark House was also a hallmark film for me with Charles Laughton and Melvyn Douglas, not to mention Boris Karloff playing Morgan. As a matter of fact, if I'm not mistaken, that was Karloff's very next role after he'd done the original Frankenstein. That movie was fantastic.
4. The Tombs of the Blind Dead
Recently, I've rediscovered The Tombs of the Blind Dead films. It took me a long time to get into those movies because I guess I missed them the first go-around. It's not Italian; it's a Spanish production. The first two are great. The Ghost Galleon is fair.
5. House By the Cemetary
At the time of Tombs of the Blind Dead, I was really into Lucio Fulci and what he was doing with the absurd, almost nonsensical scripts, but the over-the-top gore. Case in point would be House By the Cemetary. You don't really know what the hell is going on or what he's trying to really say, but there's such a cool feel to the movie and a cool atmosphere that it doesn't matter. Fulci was doing bizarre, really colorful, really interesting to look at films that packed a lot more wallop. Argento might be perhaps more visual. It depends on what you're looking for.
6. Zombi
This is fucking brilliant. It's one of the better zombie films out there—hardcore with gore. There are so many sub genre movies like that which are just over the fucking top man. I'm looking at my wall right now. I could go down a list that's endless [Laughs].
7. Don't Go in the House
I remember seeing Don't Go in the House in the theater. That was a fucking mindblower—very Psycho-themed. In a time where slasher films were very big, this was not a slasher film. The guy burns people to death; he's some sort of necro-arsonist. It's a really fucking intense film. The soundtrack is absolutely great, nothing good happens and it just keeps getting worse [Laughs]. I love shit like that, man.
8. House with the Laughing Windows
One film that pops into my mind that not a lot of people have seen would be House with the Laughing Windows. It's a fucking great movie—bizarre and fantastic.
9. Don't Look Now
Don't Look Now with Donald Sutherland is great!
10. Horror Hotel
They just released Horror Hotel under a new title—City of the Dead. Horror Hotel is a fantastic movie with Christopher Lee. There's a great atmosphere—sexy little girl in the movie. The re-release has a lot of unreleased footage that is fantastic. To see this film in its entirety is great.
11. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
I'm back and forth with Dario Argento. I do like Bird with the Crystal Plumage. I think that's a fine film.
 
THE SWORD has inked a new, multi-album worldwide deal with New York City-based label Razor & Tie.

After releasing three critically acclaimed albums on Kemado Records, the Austin, Texas-based quartet featuring guitarist/vocalist J.D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie, and new drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III will commence recording its fourth album in late June with a projected release date of fall 2012. The new CD will be supported by extensive global touring that will stretch well into 2013.

John Franck, SVP of Marketing for Razor & Tie, comments, "We're delighted to welcome THE SWORD to Razor & Tie. They're a special band and unique signing for us. We're looking forward to making an incredible record together and continuing to grow the band's brand on a global level."

THE SWORD will perform at Orion Music + More — the two-day festival created by METALLICA that will take place on June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

THE SWORD's third album, "Warp Riders", sold around 8,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Warp Riders" marked the first release where the group has worked with an outside producer. Helmed by Matt Bayles (PEARL JAM, MASTODON, ISIS), the album was anchored by an epic science-fiction narrative. The storyline was a psychedelic space opera that explored temporal themes of death and rebirth. "Warp Riders" also found THE SWORD expanding its range from pure metal to include bone-crunching hard rock at large.
Former and current members of KISS, Y&T, JOURNEY and MR. BIG will appear at a Ronnie Montrose tribute concert on Friday, April 27 at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California. The show will also include performances by MONTROSE and GAMMA, both of which were founded by Montrose.

MONTROSE's lineup for the concert will include Sammy Hagar (VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT), Denny Carmassi and Bill Church (all of whom were in the band when they recorded their iconic self-titled debut album), with a special guest appearance by Joe Satriani (CHICKENFOOT).

GAMMA's lineup will consist of Davey Pattison, Denny Carmassi, Glenn Lesch, Tommy Suczek and Marc Bonilla.

In addition, there will be a performance from the RONNIE MONTROSE ALL-STAR BAND featuring the following musicians:

* Neal Schon (JOURNEY)
* Steve Smith (JOURNEY)
* Ricky Phillips (STYX)
* Eric Martin (MR. BIG)
* Eric Singer (KISS, ALICE COOPER)
* Jimmy DeGrasso (Y&T, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MEGADETH)
* Members of TESLA

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 30 at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit TheRegencyBallroom.com.

Ronnie Montrose died on March 3 after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 64 years old.

Born in Denver, Colorado, Montrose's first break when he played Van Morrison's classic 1971 album, "Tupelo Honey". He also appeared on recordings by Boz Scaggs and the EDGAR WINTER GROUP (1972's "They Only Come Out At Night") before going solo under the MONTROSE moniker in 1973 (with a very young Sammy Hagar on vocals). The MONTROSE band released two albums, "Montrose" and "Paper Money", before Hagar left to pursue a solo career. Montrose continued to release albums with the MONTROSE band, but focused his attention mostly on his solo career as well as his other band, GAMMA, which released four albums between 1979 and 2000.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Montrose took some time off from playing and performing to focus on his health.
Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL will release their new album, "Fire From The Sky", on May 15 via Razor & Tie. The CD was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with longtime friend, producer/engineer and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/TIMES OF GRACE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam D., who has previously manned the boards on albums by ALL THAT REMAINS, AS I LAY DYING, UNEARTH, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and EVERY TIME I DIE, was also intimately involved in the writing of the new SHADOWS FALL material.

The cover artwork for "Fire From The Sky" was designed by Aaron Marsh of Forefathers and can be seen below.

Commented Marsh: "When presented with the idea, I wanted to deliver an aesthetic that would go beyond the 'typical' or 'assumed.' I wanted to embrace a perspective and emotive value that could be carried with the context of the record itself. While I knew this would be challenging and end up stylistic to one degree or another, I still wanted the viewer to get this overwhelming and brooding sense of chaos that could otherwise be imagined when putting themselves in that very scenic situation — supposing this record was the soundtrack to their own apocalyptic movie."

Added SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair: "[I] couldn't be happier with how the artwork for 'Fire From The Sky' came out. Thanks to Forefathers for doing such an amazing job!"

SHADOWS FALL filmed a video for an as-yet-undisclosed new song on March 21 at an abandoned building in Brooklyn, New York.

The band recently wrapped up a string of intimate headlining warm-up shows in select cities before heading to Australia for this year's Soundwave Festival.

Fan-filmed video footage of SHADOWS FALL performing the new song "Fire From The Sky" in Australia can be seen below.

SHADOWS FALL's last album, "Retribution", came out on September 15, 2009. A concert DVD/CD, "Madness In Manila: Shadows Fall Live In The Philippines 2009", followed on October 25, 2010 via Everblack Industries/Ferret Music. The set included over 60 minutes of footage that was shot on April 30, 2009 at the Pulp Summer Slam in Manila, Philippines as well as a live audio CD.
 
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/shadowsfallfire.jpg
 
The metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — is currently in Los Angeles filming videos for two songs off the band's upcoming third album, "Band Of Brothers".

"Band Of Brothers" will be released on June 5 via HELLYEAH's new label home, Eleven Seven Music. The CD was recorded in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE), who also served as engineer.

Having produced track after track of heavy-hitting, in-your-face, feel-good rock and roll on their previous two albums (2010's "Stampede" and 2007's self-titled debut), HELLYEAH takes a slightly different musical direction on "Band Of Brothers". Drawing on their former bands' collective metal roots for inspiration, the influences and style of MUDVAYNE, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE are immediately recognizable in tracks such as "Band Of Brothers", "War In Me" and "Rage Burn", while the party anthem "Drink, Drank, Drunk" retains the essence of earlier HELLYEAH.

Commented HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With 'Band Of Brothers', I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with HELLYEAH in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them."

Added Jeremy Parker, "It's impossible not to have a good time jamming this record. It has the anger and violence of PANTERA and MUDVAYNE, but a party vibe that can only be HELLYEAH!"

In a recent interview with Loudwire, Vinnie stated about "Band Of Brothers", "On our first two records, we were a new band. We really wanted to branch out and expand and experiment with all different styles. We all come from traditional metal bands and backgrounds, so it was a great breath of fresh air to play in a band that was rock 'n' roll, blues and Southern rock. We got that out of our system and got really focused on going back to our metal roots. It's heavy, focused, groove-oriented and I'm excited about it."
 
At the turn of the century, traditional heavy metal forged in the crucibles of Europe had been muscled out of the popular consciousness by an ostentatiously presented, teenaged television marketing campaign known to the world at large as nu-metal. Long haired metalheads hurled their steel cups of mead at speakers in frustration, wondering if the creative wells of their beloved genre had finally run dry, fingers crossed in a futile/paranoid gesture hoping bulldozers from MTV (sponsored by Monster Energy Drink) wouldn't raze Wacken Open Air three to four years hence (Or have a band like say, Korn headline, which would more or less have had the same effect.)
But locked away in Gothenburg's premier metal recording house Studio Fredman, the phoenix like Arch Enemy was preparing a new album with a new, Germanic recruit standing before the microphone. Oft-criticized vocalist Johan Liiva had departed. Angela Gossow entered. She turned how we had always thought about metal on its head.
Though most certainly not the first female metal vocalist, Gossow's apocalyptic screams and blood-curdling shrieks became quite literally a worldwide sensation, the timbre of her growls rousing metalheads to revive a flagging melodic death genre which itself was embracing electronica, the "nu" and singing one could actually understand. Again, Angela will be helming the inexorable metal juggernaut once again as they embark on their fourth headlining tour Down Under, a land she has grown "lot of respect for."
She reveals to us a music industry that had her under a bootheel until she flexed her arms and toppled that conniving, soul-crushing giant looming over her band in a candid, intimate conversation with the AU Review.
Hi Angela, how are you?
Good. Just a bit annoyed with our phone company now…but let's talk about more positive things. We're coming to Australia soon.
Yes – yes you are! It's your fourth trip down, I believe.

Yes, I think it's our third or fourth…I have stopped counting. It's kind of as exciting as ever because It's so far away, Australia…you kinda have to fly around the globe to get there so it's always exciting and we always have a good time.
You're feeling positive about it; what's the rest of the band feeling?
Yeah! Well, when you have to spend the winter in Sweden, I think everybody's pretty fuckin' positive about it to come for Australia for a change. Seeing some nice big blossoming flowers and, I dunno, palm trees, blue sky…people that are friendly and open and funny , I mean because you still have freezing [weather] out here, there are no green leaves anywhere. It has been like this for the last five months. We're getting a bit tired of the European winter.
I can imagine.

But even the shows are great; there's a fantastic audience over there. We haven't had one bad show there yet. That's definitely something to look forward to in terms of playing live. It's a good package.
You're playing smaller, club shows this time around – the last few times you've played in the arena-style venues, having toured on the Gigantour in '06 – what's the feeling playing a club show as opposed to an arena show?
On this tour we wanted to pack these places and fill them out, basically. As far as playing the bigger shows or the smaller shows, we actually prefer the smaller shows. It feels a lot more intense, you have the hardcore fans right in your face and you can almost feel the sweat dripping from the ceiling and you don't really get that in arena shows.
If you play the arena shows, yeah, you do have a lot of people showing up but only about ten or twenty percent of the people there really know your stuff. The rest of [the crowd] is just there to check you out. It's more like a promotional gig; like we're presenting the band to a new audience. That's not as intense or as emotional as having your fans being up close and in your face, giving all their energy and singing along to the words and the solos and stuff like that. You know, I think for playing live we prefer the intensity of the club shows. Definitely.
We play festivals all the time in Europe over summer and it's actually a nice contrast to go back to the clubs and meet the hardcore Arch Enemy fans.
You mentioned when you play arena shows the minority of the audience is there to see you – but do you and the band have an expectation in the reaction of your fans at these more intimate venues?
Well, we just hope for a great atmosphere and that we get a lot of love back…and it depends a little bit on what day of the week it is and on which country we're in. People have a tendency to be a little bit more reserved; for example when we play Scandinavia in the middle of the week, we notice this a lot people don't drink and when they don't drink they don't really give that much, they're a bit reserved and quiet. It's better when we hit the clubs on the weekend because everybody is having a good time by then. You get a lot stronger reactions. I think people in Australia are less reserved – we expect them to go fuckin' nuts on a Monday, so here you go.
That is true.
Those are our expectations for Australia. They go crazy on a Monday or Tuesday evening, no regards for the next day, they get battered and bruised, they get whiplash and won't be able to turn their heads and not really caring about the [next day's] work. So we have a lot of respect for Australia.
What's been the fan reaction to [new record] Khaos Legions live?
Actually very, very good – we played four tracks from the album so far over the summer and in the clubs; people know all the words to the songs and its gotten on really really well. We like playing some of these tunes and we're going to keep them in the set for a very long time.
Are fans generally turned on by the new stuff or do they prefer the "classics," in your opinion?
When we just release a new album we only play two new tracks, right at the beginning. People obviously don't know all the songs. If you have a back catalog like we do, people want certain songs on the set list; that happens automatically. There are some fan favorites that you have to play. I think it gets worse for bands that have been around for twenty or thirty years like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest…if they don't play Painkiller or Number of the Beast, they get out of that show, no matter how great the rest of the show was, thinking 'What the fuck?' you know? Same with Metallica, 'why didn't they play anything from Master of Puppets' or something like that, and people get really pissed off. We have that a little bit already happening to us, so that's why we don't offer too many new songs in the set list in the beginning. But now we put three or four new tunes in there because the album's been out for a while, there have been videos and people know them.
Our fans are always very mixed; we always get new fans that have just discovered the band and for them obviously if they just heard Khaos Legions and that's the first ever album they've heard from Arch Enemy then they want to hear those new tracks and they are in the front row going nuts. We don't put too much emphasis on one album, we try to cover them all so everybody is kind of happy in the end.
You've been with the band since before the Wages of Sin record, what's the most noticeable changes in the Angela of twelve years ago and the Angela of today as a lyricist, vocalist and performer?
[pauses] Obviously when you've been in a band that long you get some sort of routine and gain skill in writing of music and the writing of lyrics. It gets easier with time. You hear a song idea and you can figure out 'that's the verse, that's the chorus' – you find the words or a theme very quickly and how to write your lyrics…you get a little bit more routine in that. But every song is new; in some aspects you have to make it from scratch. What gets tougher is that I've covered most of the topics that really, really interest me. It's tough to find a new angle on it or find new things to sing about. You always have to have you ears and eyes wide open. I'm following the developments in the world; politics, news, what's happening, what moves people, cool new books or theories out there – you kind of have to stay quite alert. I don't really think about fairytales, I'm an atheist, I can't really sing about demons or zombies because I don't believe in any of that, I'm not into Viking or pagan or any of that historical stuff. For me it's all about what happens today and what moves people. That kind of is a challenge all the time.
Angela continues with her impressions of the music industry and how it has tempered her spirit for better or worse.
In terms of being a musician and surviving the music business, in the beginning I was excited, and positive and very naïve. I just jumped head-first into the cold water of being in a metal band. In around 2004-05 I was extremely disillusioned; very sad and angry about how the music industry is and how artists are being treated. Then in 2008 I kind of picked myself up again; we fired everybody [on our management team] and we took over; we manage ourselves now. I'm really on a high; I feel we do what we wanna do but we're also in full control.
Now I'm in a phase of attraction and achievement – being proud of what we do. That's also [something] you have to do when you're a musician. I think a lot of musicians are beaten down by that disillusion with the industry – it just kills a lot of people, I think. If you don't have the strength or the knowledge to pick yourself up again and make it out and find a way to make it work or turn things around, to not be a victim all the time.
Not that long ago people used to buy records and now they're more inclined to steal it by downloading it illegally. In the face of an initial romance, then cynicism and now a renewed interest in it, how has the industry changed, and how has Arch Enemy adapted to it?
That's something that actually has a huge impact on bands nowadays, we just really lucked out because at the time ten years ago people actually had to go out to a record store to the CD or vinyl to get to know an album and they bought it so they could own it. Now it's just become some sort of fast food industry for music. You rip it from some torrent and you get this compressed, mp3 quality that you get from there and people don't experience music the way they did. A lot of people don't go very deep into the music, they don't spend much time with the music. They just scroll through a file very quickly and judge whether they like it or not. It's not like something they own and cherish and value any more.
I think that's changed a lot and it's changed how young bands come about now; I hear a lot of bands that sound like plastic and feel like plastic because it's extremely cheap to produce. They just use Pro-Tools and people don't bother making albums any more, it's just EPs or singles, it's all just tracks to put up on their MySpace and we're in this age where they play their music from home.
We do it the old school way, where we put an album together, like Khaos Legions for example, we really think about the artwork, we really think about the booklet and what it will look like; the order of the songs, so you get to have a journey through the album and the music. How we present the band; we think about all of that. It comes to be one entity; one piece of art. I think that's getting lost. The old bands do it because that's how they grew up, you know? The newer bands are in this fast food world of music now. That's when packaging and quality changes. Now it's about quantity and how much you can put out there.
I think it kills a lot of quality bands too; if you start out touring; you aren't making a lot of money on tour, you're basically spending money on tour. If you start on a support slot you hardly make any money, you have to pay for all your own [necessities] so they don't have any income from that side of the business. I think it kills a lot of bands and a lot of bands get even more disillusioned.
For us, we got lucky because we found a way to make it work; we were a strong touring act by then; when this happened in 2005-06 we had established ourselves as a touring live act and we had a good audience that followed us and were proud to come to the shows. Instead of making money from CDs we tour more than ever. But not many metal bands have that option because not many metal bands can tour and have a profit at the end of it. I mean, that could because their management and a whole bunch of people taking their cut from them. My advice is to be self-managed, and try to build yourself a touring income and try to use as little money as possible to [fund] the rest of the business. I don't know how this is all going to go but a lot of really good bands are not going to have a chance to really blossom, you know.
That's a real shame because—
[raises voice] Then we hear stuff like "Dude I downloaded all your albums why aren't you coming around touring? I'll totally come and see your show" – how do you think we support the finance of the flights and other stuff to get to your country if everyone has just downloaded your music! [chuckles]
That's very true, there's a band at the moment and I won't mention which one, that has emailed their fans and said "Look, we want to come to Australia but we need donations to make up the costs."
Then people make fun of that too; 'Look at you begging and blah blah blah,' but yeah, how? There are so many good bands from Australia that never come out here because it's so costly; I've never seen an Australian band out here [in Scandinavia] except for Mortal Sin. I'm sure you guys have got a rocking metal scene there –
Oh yeah, absolutely.
…but they can't get out of there because Australia is quite far away from every other continent and just to fly over is something that most bands can't even afford. So, there you go. Then people say 'Oh, but I never get to see you live.' But you know…that's the reason why. That's why live shows are going to suffer and I think live shows are very valuable; I mean, that's what I remember from my youth. I saw Obituary and Morbid Angel live – that was my first experience when I was sixteen! I still remember these gigs so vividly. There's so many people that won't even get to see a lot of bands nowadays because these bands simply have no financing for it.
Unfortunately we've run out of time – but it's been great talking to you Angela, a real pleasure.
Thank you for the support and spreading the word and we'll see all of you in Melbourne and Swedish-language newspaper Dalarnas Tidningar (DT) from SABATON's hometown of Falun published a report earlier today (Monday, March 26) claiming that the band's current incarnation will go its separate ways, with vocalist Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström planning to continue the group with new musicians.

According to Dalarnas Tidningar, it is not presently clear what caused SABATON's most recent lineup to implode, and Brodén, who is also the band's main songwriter, was tight-lipped about possible personnel changes when reached by the newspaper. "I will not comment on it," he said.

When pressed further to confirm or deny the rumors, Brodén said, "I can't say anything as long as the tape recorder is on. But what I can say is that it's sad that such rumors are being spread."

SABATON's new album, "Carolus Rex", will be released in Europe on May 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which will be made available in both English and Swedish, deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721).

The band previously stated about "Carolus Rex": "For the first time ever we have had an expert to help us out with the theme, the well-known Swedish historian Bengt Liljegren. We have also added some extra time in the studio to find the absolute right sound on 'Carolus Rex', and our producer, Peter Tägtgren, says that this album will mark a brand new standard for how a heavy metal album should sound like!"

Liljegren's previously published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".

SABATON will embark on a North American headlining tour next month. The "Swedish Empire Tour 2012" will kick off on April 10 in Tampa, Florida.Sydney.
 
ADRENALINE MOB — the band featuring featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP) and DISTURBED bassist John Moyer — will embark on a European tour in June.

Commented Portnoy: "After having now given the U.S. a taste of the MOB live, I cannot wait to bring the incredible raw energy of this band to Europe and the U.K.! It's going to be a blast to play a bunch of the great festivals that have always been summer highlights for me as well as making the rounds in select cities with our own club shows. It's been a while since I've been in the clubs overseas and I'm looking forward to sweating it out with all my old friends and fans and making a shitload of new ones in the process as well! Make sure to come out and witness the beginning of this brand new chapter for all of us!"

The dates are as follows:

Jun. 08 - Sweden Rock - Sölvesborg, Sweden
Jun. 10 - Nosturi - Helsinki, Finland
Jun. 12 - Studio Club - Krakow, Poland
Jun. 14 - MMC Club - Bratislava, Slovakia
Jun. 15 - Pesca Music Club - Budapest, Hungary
Jun. 16 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
Jun. 17 - Conrad Sohm - Dornbirn, Austria
Jun. 18 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
Jun. 20 - Orion - Rome, Italy
Jun. 21 - Gods Of Metal - Milan, Italy
Jun. 23 – Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessen, Belgium
Jun. 24 - Maroquinerie- Paris, France
Jun. 25 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, GER
Jun. 26 - Knust - Hamburg, GER
Jun. 29 - King Tuts - Glasgow, UK
Jun. 30 - Moho Live - Manchester, UK
Jul. 01 - Academy2 - Birmingham, UK
Jul. 02 - The Junction - Cambridge, UK
Jul. 03 - Koko - London, UK
Jul. 05 - Rockfabrik - Ludwigsburg, GER
Jul. 06 - Theaterfabrik - Munich, GER
Jul. 07 - Matrix - Bochum, GER
Jul. 08 - Bospop - Weert, Netherlands

ADRENALINE MOB travelled to Los Angeles earlier in the month to film a video for the song "Indifferent". The clip, which was directed by Scott Hansen (A DAY TO REMEMBER, UNEARTH, WILLIE NELSON), was shot in the desert in California and throughout Los Angeles and should be making its debut in the next few weeks.

"Indifferent" comes off ADRENALINE MOB's debut album, "Omertá", which sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in Europe on March 19 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

ADRENALINE MOB's first-ever headline tour made stops in various markets, including Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. ADRENALINE MOB also opened for GODSMACK on select dates of the Massachusetts act's headlining tour.

ADRENALINE MOB formed in early 2011 when Mike Orlando approached Allen with some material the guitarist had written. Allen and Orlando refined those ideas, at which time Allen reached out to longtime friend Portnoy to see if he had any interest in playing with them. Portnoy jumped on board and the beast that is known as ADRENALINE MOB was born.

Guitarist Rich Ward (STUCK MOJO, FOZZY) and bassist Paul DiLeo (FOZZY) announced their departures from ADRENALINE MOB in January due to scheduling conflicts with their other projects.
 
HOTEL DIABLO — the new band featuring vocalist Rick Stitch (LADYJACK, ex-ADLER'S APPETITE), guitarist Alex Grossi (QUIET RIOT), bassist Mike Duda and drummer Mike Dupke (both of W.A.S.P.) — will release its full-length debut, "The Return To Psycho, California", in May. The band has been in the recording studio since January. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Taken", "Bury You" and "Wicked Lines".

Professionally filmed video footage of HOTEL DIABLO's January 28 performance at the Key Club in Hollywood, California can be seen below.

HOTEL DIABLO's "Psycho, California" six-song EP was recorded with producer (and former GUNS N' ROSES/ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA guitarist) Gilby Clarke and is now available on iTunes and other online music stores. The entire EP can be streamed on the band's official web site, www.thehoteldiablo.com.

"Psycho, California" is "a collection of stories, true stories, experienced during a time when our lives were filled with mind-altering shots of wretched adrenaline," says Stitch. "Strings got bent, knobs were turned and an uncontrolled visceral energy screamed life" into what has become "Psycho, California".
 
MIDAS FATE, the band featuring former RIOT/MASTERPLAN frontman Mike DiMeo, will release a new album, "Magnificent Rebel", on on July 24 in Europe and July 31 in North America.

The first sample of the forthcoming CD, a song called "Silent Scream", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

MIDAS FATE released the "What Dreams May Come" single in January 2011. It was mixed by Paulo Brancaccio at Diesel Studio and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studio.

MIDAS FATE is:

Mike DiMeo - Lead Vocals, Choir
Vitor Campos - Guitar, Choir
Renato Videira - Bass, Choir
Felipe Vieira - Drums, Choir

Guest musicians:

Christian Trivelatto: Piano, Keyboards
Rafael Videira: Violin, Viola
 
INCITE, the Phoenix, Arizona-based metal band fronted by Richie Cavalera — the stepson of SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY mainman Max Cavalera — has inked a deal with the Bay Area label Minus Head Records. The group is currently in the studio with producer Logan Mader (GOJIRA, SOULFLY, DEVILDRIVER) recording its new album for a late fall release.

"INCITE has a fresh take on thrash, [and] we're excited to be a part of it!" said Minus Head owner Brad Hardie.

INCITE released its debut album, "The Slaughter", in North America on October 20, 2009 and in Europe on November 2, 2009 via I Scream Records.

INCITE's current lineup is as follows:

Richie Cavalera - Vocals
Zak Sofaly - Drums
Kevin "Dis" - Guitar
Luis "Marrufo" - Bass

Richie Cavalera has made a number of guest appearances in the studio and on stage with both SOULFLY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

INCITE will hit the road in the U.S. as the support act for SOULFLY starting on April 13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
 
São Paulo, Brazil-based metallers KAMALA have completed work on their new album, "The Seven Deadly Chakras", with producer Ricardo Piccoli (SHADOWSIDE, HEPTAH BLÜE BARREL) and are currently seeking a suitable record label to release the effort.

Commented KAMALA singer/guitarist Raphael Olmos: "MS Metal Records showed interest in releasing our work in Brazil. We trust in their work, but we're still looking for other proposals, to make sure this albums gets the recognition it deserves."

He added, "'The Seven Deadly Chakras' is a 100% conceptual album. It has 14 tracks, seven being about the seven deadly sins, and the other seven about the chakras. The idea behind the album is that every sin affects the chakras, where one side shows the search for equilibrium and the other shows the dark side of the human being."
Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers DELAIN will release their long-awaited third album, "We Are The Others", on June 1 in the Benelux and Germany; and on June 4 in the U.K. and France through CNR Entertainment and Roadrunner Records. The lead single, "Get The Devil Out Of Me", hits stores on April 13 (April 15 for U.K.) to coincide with the start of the band's European tour.

Commented DELAIN singer Charlotte Wessels: "Getting 'We Are The Others' recorded has been a challenging process. However, I'm absolutely sure that it forced the best out of us. I'm in love with so many of the tracks on this record! Our fans have shown massive support in the run up to the release. Thank you all so much for that! Now that we've got the date fixed and this great new team behind us, I can't wait to get onstage and blow your minds with our new songs. You rock!!"

Described as "the band's most powerful, most atmospheric and intoxicating album to date," "We Are The Others" was helmed by producer Jacob Hellner — renowned for his work with RAMMSTEIN, CLAWFINGER and APOCALYPTICA — while the vocals were tracked with the Epicentre team of Fredrik Thomander and Anders Wikström (SCORPIONS, BACKYARD BABIES).

A new video interview with DELAIN frontwoman Charlotte Wessels about "We Are The Others" can be seen below (courtesy of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine).

DELAIN previously stated about "We Are The Others": "As you might expect from us, this album again offers some interesting collaborations, both in musical and visual terms.

"This record features none less than FEAR FACTORY shouter Burton C. Bell as a guest singer, and visual artist Glenn Arthur provided the cover artwork [see below].

"We met Burton at the Wacken Open Air festival a year ago and stayed in touch afterwards. When we were working on [the song] 'Where Is The Blood', we didn't hesitate to contact him for cooperation. He's done such an amazing job on the song turning the song into a most violent duet; his exceptional, raw voice fits perfectly to this song!

"The cover artwork was created by Glenn Arthur, a California-based visual artist whose work is inspired by art nouveau design and steampunk imagery. Charlotte [Wessels, vocals] is a big admirer of Glenn's work and she dedicated multiple blogs to his art.

"For the artwork of 'We Are The Others', we gave Glenn the lyrics to the song as inspiration.

"We're incredibly happy with how the cover turned out."

Added Charlotte: "From the first time I saw [Glenn's] work, I've been imagining it as cover artwork; something in the way his work is both esthetically very delicate, but always with a dark undertone, fits our music very well."

"We Are The Others" track listing:

01. Mother Machine
02. Electricity
03. We Are The Others
04. Milk And Honey
05. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
06. I Want You
07. Where Is The Blood (feat. Burton C. Bell)
08. Generation Me
09. Babylon
10. Are You Done With Me
11. Get The Devil Out Of Me
12. Not Enough

At first glance, some songtitles on "We Are The Others" may sound mysterious and conspiratorial, but there is a very serious background: The lyrics to the title track were inspired by the hate crime against a British girl named Sophie Lancaster in 2007. She and her boyfriend were beaten comatose by a gang of youths, because of their goth looks, and Sophie later died from her injuries. This tragedy sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Commented Charlotte: "Sophie's story hit close to home for us, being part of a subculture ourselves but it's in no way an individual case; people are discriminated against — all the time, to the point of violence — based on their cultural or ethnic background everywhere.

"'We Are The Others' is our own 'outsiders anthem' for everybody who, deliberately or not, diverts from the norm. Whether it's by looking different, acting different, or choosing a different path in life then is expected from you."

DELAIN recently parted ways with guitarist Timo Somers and replaced him with Bas Maas (DORO, AFTER FOREVER).

DELAIN will embark on a European headlining tour in April with support from TRILLIUM, the metal project masterminded by American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville.
 
Reactivated Boston-based hardcore/punk band BLOOD FOR BLOOD is currently working on pre-production recordings at Mad Oak Studios for its seventh album, its first since 2004's "Serenity".

A couple of photos from the studio can be seen below.

After lying dormant for six years, BLOOD FOR BLOOD made its American return at last year's New England Metal And Hardcore Festival.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD reunited in 2010 for the European Persistence Tour, which also featured SICK OF IT ALL, UNEARTH and EVERGREEN TERRACE.

"The amount letters from our fans were so overwhelming asking when or if we were ever gonna play again," said vocalist Buddha. "It seemed now is the time to make our long over-due return. But, as always, we decide the terms as to what, when, and where BLOOD FOR BLOOD will play. We do what we want and we play 'cause we want to and not 'cause we need to."

BLOOD FOR BLOOD 2012 consists of the longtime core of Buddha, guitarist Rob Lind, and bassist Ian McFarland, along with drummer Neal Dike.

Special guests Billy Graziadei (BIOHAZARD) and Craig Silverman (ONLY LIVING WITNESS) have filled in on guitar for live shows in Lind's absence from the stage due to personal reasons.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD's history began when kindred spirits Lind and Buddha met back in high school. "We were both consumed by a pervasive yet initially directionless hatred and hostility that went WAY beyond even the most troubled adolescent angst," Lind explained. "Music spoke to this turmoil in me. And spoke for it."

Lind found some solace in jamming with any and all musicians he could find, and his friend Buddha was right there along with him. "Eventually I started sticking a mic in his hand so he wouldn't just have to stand there while me and some dudes did bad covers of BLACK SABBATH and THE ANTI-HEROS and CARNIVORE," said Lind. "It turned out Buddha could sing and had a pretty distinctive voice even back then."

The two fell out of touch for a brief period and fatefully found each other once again. The pair immediately reconnected and the seeds of BLOOD FOR BLOOD were sewn. After six albums, the band parted ways for a variety of reasons, from family to business ventures, but the bond the guys formed would never be broken.

"I realized something when I finally met up with them personally after four years or so," Lind recalled. "One way or the other, for better or for worse, we're a fucked up family. I don't mean that in some hardcore, tough-guy way. I mean family in the literal sense. When you've spent so much time together and have been through such intense experiences together, the collective experience transcends friendship and becomes something... larger, something immutable. Family is not necessarily a beautiful, rosy thing. Families can be the source of some of the deepest hatreds and conflicts and resentments. But at the same time, you are still family and nothing changes that. We've only just begun to do what we want to do again, but it's been comfortable and easy and natural."
 
Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) played four shows in London in November 2011 dedicated to his tetralogy album concept — a great journey through Devin's different states of musical moods — which he started in 2009 with the albums "Addicted" (2009) and "Ki" (2009) and finished with last year's "Deconstruction" and "Ghost". The concerts were professionally recorded and filmed for a unique box-set release, which he has decided to call "By A Thread - Live in London 2011".

Due on June 18 in Europe and June 19 in North America through HevyDevy Records/InsideOut Music, "By A Thread - Live in London 2011" will contain all four shows on four DVDs, plus a five-CD set (the four albums and one disc with all of the encores).

An official pre-release screening event will held on June 5 at the Prince Charles Cinema in London where, over the course of three to four hours, Devin himself will talk all attendees through a summary of all that the DVDs have to offer. Only a limited number of first-come-first-served tickets will be available to a lucky crowd of 250 people. Lucky, because besides being the first to see the DVD they will also have the exclusive opportunity to be the first to purchase the DVD box set two weeks before anyone else can have it. And it'll be signed, no less!

Commented Devin: "The amount of work and memory that went into that event has been captured by an even more herculean event by the folks making the DVDs, and finally I get to see what we did those nights! It's another situation of releasing a product that we think is really cool, and have gone the extra distance to make it worth your while if you're the type that supports by buying physical product... it's great! So if you weren't there, this is as close as you can get... please enjoy and maybe I'll meet you at the screening!"

The screening will be held on Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and tickets are £15 each. Tickets can be purchased at the Prince Charles Cinema via this link. The screening event will be followed up with two acoustic solo shows on June 6 and June 7, both held at London's The Borderline. And then Devin is off to headline the third stage at the Download festival on Friday, June 8.
 
Due to scheduling conflicts, German extreme metal drummer Norman Lonhard (TRIPTYKON, PIGEON TOE) will be unable to join Croatian black metal/extreme metal band GORTHAUR'S WRATH in the studio for the recording sessions of their upcoming sophomore album, "War For Heaven". Sitting behind the kit in the studio will now be another German drummer, Christian Bass, who has previously played with WHITE EYES, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT, NIGHT IN GALES and HEAVEN SHALL BURN. Bass will also be involved in writing the drum parts for the CD, which will be tracked in May at Woodshed Studios in Germany by V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS, TRIPTYKON).

Bass will perform live with GORTHAUR'S WRATH at the Metalfest in Zadar, Croatia, where the band will present new songs and the new lineup on stage for the first time.

Formed in 1998, GORTHAUR'S WRATH recorded four demos before releasing its debut album, "Ritual IV", in early 2011 through the U.K. label Casket Music.

During GORTHAUR'S WRATH's first European tour, the band's leader, Morbid, joined forces with longtime spiritual brother Mara (bass guitar/synths). German guitarist and songwriter Ross Feratu came aboard in early 2011 and is now the lead guitarist and main songwriter for the upcoming album.
 
Legendary Singaporean blackened warbeasts IMPIETY are set to unleash their eighth studio album through Pulverised Records on May 8. Offering up eight grisly tracks, including a cover of BATHORY's "Sacrifice", the aptly titled "Ravage & Conquer" was recorded, mixed and mastered over a course of two weeks at Studio 47 in Singapore and features cover art by renowned illustrator Lord Sickness (SABBAT, WITCHAVEN, ZYGOATSIS).

According to a press release, "Ravage & Conquer" is "savagely innovative, technical, and uncompromising."

Led by frontman Shyaithan, IMPIETY's covenant of chaos remains impenetrable, delivering some of the harshest and most vicious brand of blackened death metal the world has witnessed.

"Ravage & Conquer" track listing:

01. Revelation Decimation
02. Ravage & Conquer
03. Weaponized
04. The Scourge Majesty
05. War Crowned
06. Legacy Of Savagery
07. Salve The Goat
08. Sacrifice (BATHORY cover)

IMPIETY is:

Shyaithan - Bass, Vomit
Nizam Aziz - Lead Guitars
Dizazter - Drums
 
Polish extreme metal veterans BEHEMOTH have scheduled the following in-store signing sessions during the "Decibel Magazine Tour" in April and May:

April 18 at 5:00 p.m.
FYE
5546 S Redwood Rd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84123
www.fye.com

May 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Manifest Discs & Tapes
6239 South Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28217
www.manifestdisc.com/

May 6 at 5:00 p.m.
FYE
100 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19110
www.fye.com

In addition to BEHEMOTH, the the inaugural Decibel Magazine Tour will also include performances by WATAIN, THE DEVIL'S BLOOD and IN SOLITUDE.

BEHEMOTH's "Evangelia Heretika - The New Gospel Three" DVD (2010) — a three-disc set featuring two full shows ("Live In Paris 2008" and "Live In Warsaw 2009"); every BEHEMOTH music video ever made; "Evangelion" tour documentary featuring band interviews plus tons of backstage footage; and a bonus "Live in Warsaw" audio CD — was certified platinum in the Poland for sales in excess of 10,000 copies.

BEHEMOTH recently released a video for the song "Lucifer", off "Evangelion". The Grupa 13-directed clip features Polish singer, guitarist, and poet Maciej Malenczuk, who also contributed guest vocals to the track.
 
German melodic progressive death metal project ANOTHER PERFECT DAY will release a new mini-album entitled "Four Songs For The Left Behind" on April 20 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and May 7 in the rest of the world via Supreme Chaos Records. The follow-up to the project's critically acclaimed debut album, "The Gothenburg Post Scriptum", will contain five songs ranging from death metal to melodic progressive metal.

ANOTHER PERFECT DAY mastermind Kristian "Kohle" Kohlmannslehner, who is also known for his work as producer for such bands as POWERWOLF, CREMATORY, BENIGHTED and FLOWING TEARS, assembled a number of guest musicians to appear on the new CD, including Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE), Julien Truchan (BENIGHTED), Asphodel (PIN-UP WENT DOWN), Frank Nordmann (AGATHODAIMON, ASARU) and Dominic G. Joutsen (HEAVENWOOD, POWERWOLF). The drums on the effort were laid down by Roel van Helden (POWERWOLF, SUBSIGNAL).

Commented Swanö: "I finished my track and I must say it's one of the coolest songs I have ever been a part of in a long time."
 
Norwegian metallers SHOT AT DAWN will release their sophomore album, "White Trash Metal Brigade", on April 13 via Negative Vibe Records. The CD features a guest vocal appearance by Pål Mathiesen (a.k.a. Athera) of SUSPERIA on two tracks.

"White Trash Metal Brigade" track listing:

01. Crush Your Enemies (intro)
02. Battle Royale
03. Welcome To Your Destruction
04. Stop At Nothing
05. White Trash Metal Brigade
06. Shaping Tomorrow
07. Written In Scars
08. Revenge Is a Dish Served In Warm Blood
09. Black Venom
10. Thunders From the North



SHOT AT DAWN's last release was the "Seize The Night" EP, which came out in 2010.

SHOT AT DAWN is:

Jonathan Kjeldsen - Vocals
Christopher Marchand - Guitar
Johannes Boye Venneraasen - Guitar
Espen Hagås - Bass
Aki Johannes Viitala - Drums

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1 comments:

Ticketwood said...

I'm not a huge Kiss fan or anything, in fact I prefer music much louder than them. However I do know quite a few people here in Penticton who are much older than I am, that are members of the Kiss army!
One of them told me that Kiss was originally planning on coming to Penticton, hopefully kiss Tickets are a bit easer to get them "the city" decided that they weren't worth the risk of extra policing etc...
Oh and by the way...the Kiss show in Kamloops sold out in 15 minutes...sure would be nice to have a sell out here once in awhile.

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