Legendary rocker Alice Cooper has commented on the passing of Dick Clark, the television host who helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream on the "American Bandstand" show. The 82-year-old the youthful-looking television personality, who was dubbed "America's Oldest Teenager," became a national icon in the late 1950s, having hosted "American Bandstand" for more than 30 years.
Said Cooper: "I used to come home from elementary school to watch 'American Bandstand'. It had all the new songs, all the new dances, and it had the happiest guy in the world presenting them to you. I had no idea that later in my career I would know Dick Clark on a professional level. I ran into him some years ago, and he said to me, 'Hey, Coop, if you had your own radio show, what would it be like?' I told him it would be more like the free form FM stations of the '60s, where the DJ's actually played what they liked and demographics didn't play a role. He said, 'Alice, why don't you do it then?' Just like that, my radio show, 'Nights With Alice Cooper', was born. It's been nine years later and I'm still on the air! And let me just add that NOBODY loved rock 'n' roll more than Dick Clark!"
Image below courtesy of AliceCooper.com
This June, IDW Publishing is bringing back the rock group KISS in comic form. Last year, Archie Comics released a story in which Archie Meets Kiss. This time IDW is giving them marquee status.
According to IDW, the series is rooted in KISS fandom, featuring KISS characters like "Wicked" Lester, the Destroyer, She, the Elder, and more, but it will be very accessible to all comic readers.
KISS will be written by Chris Ryall (Zombies vs Robots) with art by Jamal Igle (The Ray) and KISS #1-4 come with a special "solo album" covers by artist Michael Gaydos.
Variant covers will also be available, including a Michael Gaydos "Demon" cover and a KISS photo cover.
KissOnline.com spoke to IDW Publishing's chief creative officer and editor-in-chief Tom Waltz and senior staff writer Chris Ryall last July at the San Diego Comic Con.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: "It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we're fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it's just been something we've always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the '70s, and it's a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with KISS comics but to now write them myself, too."
Tom Waltz: "As Chris states, we tend not to pursue any license at IDW that won't have an editor behind it who is a fan and willing to champion it through the long process of getting it approved and into print. In the case of KISS, Chris and I are not only champions of the license, we're uber-fans of the band and their music, not to mention the KISS comics from various other publishers in the past. Like Chris, I ate up those Marvel KISS comics and to now be able to be a part of the ongoing adventures of our hard-rockin', kabuki-wearin' heroes is a real highlight of my career as a writer/editor."
The four different covers of the first issue of IDW's new KISS comics that will be released in late June can be seen below. The top left hand image is the cover that will be most widely available. The other three are alternate covers that will be released in limited supply.
According to a posting on the RUSH fan site RushIsABand.com, the legendary Canadian rock trio has scheduled the following tour dates for this fall:
Sep. 07 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
Sep. 09 - Washington, DC - Jiffy Lube Live
Sep. 11 - Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
Sep. 13 - Indianapolis, IN - Klipsch Music Center
Sep. 15 - Chicago, IL - United Center
Sep. 18 - Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
Sep. 20 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
Sep. 22 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Sep. 24 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Sep. 26 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Center
Sep. 28 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Center
Sep. 30 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Oct. 10 - Bridgeport, CT - Webster Bank Arena
Oct. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 14 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Center
Oct. 18 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
Oct. 20 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
Oct. 22 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
Oct. 24 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Oct. 26 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagra Center
Oct. 28 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Oct. 30 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Nov. 01 - Atlanta, GA - Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
Nov. 03 - Tampa, FL - 1-800-ASK-GARY Ampitheater
Nov. 13 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
Nov. 15 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavillion
Nov. 17 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Nov. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Ampitheater
Nov. 23 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
Nov. 25 - Phoeniz, AZ - US Airways Center
Nov. 28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Nov. 30 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
Dec. 02 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
The official RUSH tour announcement is expected to made tomorrow (Thursday, April 19).
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 — has announced the addition of Kirk's Crypt.
Drawn to the dark side — metal, mayhem, and things that should not be? This is your chance to experience the chilling culmination of a lifetime of collecting all things creepy at Kirk's Crypt.
Pay your respects to the original fear mongers and get an extraordinary glimpse of METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett's renowned personal collection of rare horror movie memorabilia, classic comics, monster toys, posters and props, and much more.
Video footage of Hammett talking about Kirk's Crypt can be seen below.
An entire stage at Orion Music + More devoted to punk and thrash music — Damage Inc. Stage — will be headlined by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and SEPULTURA, and will feature up-and-comers TORCHE, RED FANG, KYNG, LANDMINE MARATHON, BLACK TUSK, THY WILL BE DONE, and more.
Orion Music + More will feature multiple live music stages plus a lifestyle element that reflects each of METALLICA's bandmembers' many personal interests. METALLICA will headline both nights of Orion Music + More and play "The Black Album" in its entirety one night and "Ride The Lightning" in its entirety the other. This will be the only time the band will perform these albums in North America in 2012.
Orion Music + More has launched a complete web site where fans are able to explore the full Orion Music + More lineup by clicking any band name for a bio, video, streaming music and more. They will also be able to use the Custom Scheduler to make their own personalized lineup.
Tickets for Orion Music + More are currently on sale for $150 for a two-day pass including all fees. Visit www.orionmusicandmore.com to buy tickets.
Orion Music + More scheduled performers:
METALLICA
ARCTIC MONKEYS
AVENGED SEVENFOLD
MODEST MOUSE
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
ERIC CHURCH
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
FUCKED UP
THE JIM BREUER HEAVY METAL COMEDY TOUR
BEST COAST
HOT SNAKES TITUS ANDRONICUS
GARY CLARK JR.
LUCERO
ROKY ERICKSON
THE BLACK ANGELS
THE SWORD
WOODEN SHJIPS
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
GHOST
LITURGY
SOUL REBELS
Damage Inc. Stage
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
SEPULTURA
TORCHE
LETLIVE
RED FANG
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
KYNG
LANDMINE MARATHON
BLACK TUSK
THY WILL BE DONE
CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED
During an interview aired immediately after the announcement, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich stated about how the bands were selected to perform at Orion Music + More, "Music, to us, is really diverse; it covers all grounds. If you took the four of ours;' iPods and scanned through those, you would find the biggest variety and diversity of music, so we're trying to bring that spirit to this festival."
He added, "A lot of the European festivals, and certainly also Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and so on, in outside lands in America, these festivals are really about diversity and about different experiences. You go there, you go check out bands you don't know a lot about, you go check out bands where it will be the first time you'll experience them. So there's a whole big pile of stuff — from punk to thrash to country to, sort, of alternative, straight-ahead rock, blues. But it's really about diversity."
"We'd love to have people open up their focus. Maybe they come to see us but wind up discovering some blues or country act," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told USA Today.
Added Ulrich: "It's all about balance, keeping things fresh."
"We've done festivals our whole career," said METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield. "We wondered what made those people come back year after year, and it was because it was someplace you had to be. Maybe we can create something like that."
The METALLICA members explained that Orion was named in honor of the band's late bassist Cliff Burton. "Orion" is also the name of the instrumental song from METALLICA's 1986 album "Master Of Puppets", which is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal LPs of all time.
"We've had the idea of doing our own lifestyle festival with lots of diverse music and fun and games for years," said Ulrich. "Finally this year all the practical ducks lined up in a row, and we are beyond psyched to bring Orion to our fans, friends and the curious. After the most incredible of weeks ever in December 2011 celebrating our 30th anniversary at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, bringing the spirit of that week, the looseness of that week, the possibilities of that week, the fan interactive elements of that week, and the (fill in your own blank here) of that week to a festival setting is so exciting we can hardly contain ourselves."
Former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke performed three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony this past Saturday night (April 14) in Cleveland, Ohio. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.
"The rest of the guys/inductees suggested we get Myles to sing," says Slash, "and I thought it was a great idea."
GREEN DAY's Billie Joe Armstrong delivered the induction speech for GN'R, saying, "The first time I saw GUNS N' ROSES on MTV, I thought, 'One of these guys could end up dead or in jail,'" He raved about "Appetite For Destruction", calling it "the best debut album in the history of rock and roll."
"It turned out to be a very special evening," says Slash.
In addition to singer Axl Rose, who announced earlier in the month that he would not attend and was not accepting his induction, other missing members included original guitarist Izzy Stradlin and longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who still plays in the current version of the band.
The 27th Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will air on HBO Saturday, May 5 at 9:00 p.m. EDT/PDT.
Several hard rock musicians have commented on the passing of broadcast legend Dick Clark, the creator and longtime host of the "American Bandstand" show.
Clark became a national icon in the late 1950s, having hosted "American Bandstand" for more than 30 years.
KISS frontman Paul Stanley stated about the 82-year-old the youthful-looking television personality, who was dubbed "America's Oldest Teenager": "As a little boy, I sat transfixed to our television every afternoon and Saturday night watching 'American Bandstand'. Dick Clark was the face of rock and roll and its best ambassador. His decades of successes both in and outside of the music industry are unparalleled. He championed KISS when others turned away and was instrumental in breaking us through his show 'In Concert'. Through the years, Dick was always available when I had a question or wanted guidance. Dick Clark was the rare exception who was a bigger person in real life than the public image or legend that was also to be his legacy. I will remember him with great respect and gratitude."
David Draiman (DISTURBED): "So sad, really thought he might be a vampire. Never seemed to grow old."
Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY): "RIP, a legend, a pioneer of rock and roll, the guy who set the bar for DJs around the world, Dick Clark, you are an important part of history that will never be forgotten!!"
Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE): "RIP to old friend Dick Clark: thanx for bein' part of our Cal Jam TV show."
Kip Winger (WINGER): "RIP Dick Clark, we thought you'd live forever! Rockin' the heavens and beyond!
Michael Sweet (STRYPER): "RIP Dick Clark — it was an honor to perform on 'American Bandstand' and to meet you back then. There was no one like you nor will there ever be."
The Pulse Of Radio reports: The upcoming 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of PANTERA's classic 1992 album "Vulgar Display Of Power" includes one incredible surprise for fans of the legendary metal act: a previously unreleased and never-before-heard song called "Piss" which was recorded during the album sessions but left off the final track list. PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott discovered the track, which had been long forgotten, while combing through the band's archives and immediately decided to mix and restore it for the new release.
The Pulse Of Radio asked Vinnie if it was emotional for him to listen to the track and hear his brother, late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, playing on it. "You know, I don't think it was really emotional," he said. "You know, I've learned since he's not been with us to really embrace everything that he was part of and it just puts a smile on my face. And you know, to, 20 years later, not even remember how it went or anything about it, and put it up, you know — it put a big smile on my face and it made me feel good and, you know, he's always with me everywhere I go, and it's special, you know."
"Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot and killed by a disturbed gunman in December 2004, while he and Vinnie were playing a show in Columbus, Ohio with their post-PANTERA band DAMAGEPLAN.
"Piss" was released to radio stations late last week, along with an accompanying video that features PANTERA fans from all over the world moshing, jumping, punching, kicking, and rocking out to the song.
Vinnie Paul said that the song is the only complete PANTERA track in existence that has never been heard before.
The reissue of "Vulgar Display Of Power" arrives on May 15. In addition to the new song and the remastered original album, it features a DVD containing an unreleased live performance filmed in Italy in September of 1992 plus the three official music videos from the album.
The album has been certified double platinum by the RIAA and features several of the group's most iconic songs, including "Walk", "Mouth For War", "This Love" and "Fucking Hostile".
A report by USA Today has revealed that former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown owes $450,000 to the federal government in back taxes and penalties. Five tax liens have been filed by the Internal Revenue Service, including the most recent and largest, for $210,157, in his former home state of Texas in January. The federal government can seize Brown's share of PANTERA's revenue, including royalties from his record and songwriting credits, if a payment plan is not worked out. Brown currently plays in the band KILL DEVIL HILL
VOLBEAT will embark on a North American tour in June with support from ICED EARTH and HELLYEAH.
Commented ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer: "I'm completely stoked, VOLBEAT is one of my all-time favorite bands, and Michael and the boys are great people. There is a lot of mutual respect and admiration, and I think we are in for a hell of a good time! This will be a package that won't soon be forgotten, I'm sure of that.
"I want to thank VOLBEAT for the invitation, and I look forward to many years of laying down the metal as both bands continue to grow and reach new audiences around the world."
The dates are as follows:
June 18 - Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
June 19 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
June 21 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
June 23 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
June 26 - Saint Paul, MN - Myth
June 27 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
June 29 - Weyburn SK - Crescent Point Place
June 30 - Gibbons, AB - Boonstock 2012
July 08 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
July 10 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
July 11 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
July 12 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
July 15 - Colorado Springs, CO - City Auditorium
VOLBEAT recently parted ways with guitarist Thomas Bredahl, who had been a member of the band since 2006.
VOLBEAT last year released "Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven" via Vertigo/Universal on double DVD, Blu-ray, limited double DVD + audio CD, CD, digital download and VOD. The set includes footage from VOLBEAT's sold-out show in front of 10,000 fervent fans at the Forum in Copenhagen, to the House of Blues in Anaheim, California and the Rock Am Ring show in Germany. It's VOLBEAT conquering performance territory Stateside and across Europe, showing fans that the band is just as comfortable, charged and throttled in front of an audience as intimate as 1,100 or as vast as 80,000.
ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.
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.
The release date of "Band Of Brothers", the third album from the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — has been pushed back to July 17 from the previously announced 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.
GODSMACK will unleash its first-ever live album, "Live & Inspired", on May 15 via Universal Republic Records.
"Live & Inspired" features fierce and furious live renditions of numerous hits from the Massachusetts rockers' five studio albums. Their incendiary and infectious shows have become legendary in modern rock, and they continue to impress both critics and audiences alike every time they hit the stage. The group sounds unchained on rousing performances of "Awake", "Keep Away", "Straight Out of Line", "Whatever", "Voodoo", and "I Stand Alone".
This is the first time that's been captured on CD, and bonus tracks of covers that have "inspired" GODSMACK is also going to be included along with it. The four tracks are quite close to the band's collective heart. The band started ripping through local Massachusetts haunts with their renditions of some of these songs, and these recordings bring everything full circle.
According to HMV Japan's online store, the track listing for "Live & Inspired" is as follows:
CD 1 (Live):
01. Straight Outta Line
02. Realign
03. Awake
04. Moon Baby
05. Changes
06. The Enemy
07. Keep Away
08. Speak
09. Voodoo
10. Batalla De Los Tambores
11. Whatever
12. Serenity
13. I Stand Alone
CD 2 (Inspired):
01. Rocky Mountain Way (JOE WALSH cover)
02. Come Together (THE BEATLES cover)
03. Time (PINK FLOYD cover)
04. Nothing Else Matters (METALLICA cover)
About the collection, frontman Sully Erna reveals, "'Live & Inspired' is our way of saying 'Thank you' to all of our fans for believing in us throughout the years, and helping us to become a great live band! Along with this ass-whooping set live from Detroit Rock City, we've also included four cover songs of our favorite hits in the past to show you that, we too, are simply just fans that appreciate nothing more than good old fashion ass-kicking rock 'n' roll! Enjoy!"
Erna told Loudwire in a recent interview, "We were going to do a compilation with this song from Vegas, this song is from Chicago, this one is from Dallas, but I don't know, the more we listened to the Detroit show, the more we kind of figured out that it was a really good show for us."
Erna also said that GODSMACK has nothing but love for the Motor City, explaining, "It's always a great audience, as any rock band will tell you. Playing there is a special kind of fanbase that they have there, they live up to their reputation. They're a great rock audience."
In addition, the quartet encouraged its legion of supporters to be a part of the release. The collection's packaging actually showcases a variety of fan photos. Fans may submit live snapshots of the group on stage, pictures of themselves rocking out at GODSMACK concerts, or photos of their tattoos of the group's iconic logo on the band's official Facebook. Now, the winning photos adorn the album's booklet and packaging.
The album will hit shelves and digital retailers while the band is in the midst of its Mass Chaos Tour with STAIND and HALESTORM. The jaunt commenced on April 13 in Augusta, Georgia at the James Brown Arena.
"Stalingrad", the new album from reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT, sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Blood Of The Nations", opened with around 2,900 units back in September 2010 to land at No. 187.
"Stalingrad" has registered the following first-week chart positions so far:
Germany: #6
Switzerland: #17
Czech Republic: #25
Austria: #32
France: #50
USA: #81
"Stalingrad" was released on April 6 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was once again helmed by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY), who worked on the band's critically acclaimed comeback effort, "Blood Of The Nations".
"Stalingrad"was made available in the following formats:
* Limited CD+DVD
* CD
* 2LP (red) in gatefold
* 2LP (white/red) in gatefold - exclusive Nuclear Blast mailorder edition
"Stalingrad" track listing:
01. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
02. Stalingrad
03. Hellfire
04. Flash To Bang Time
05. Shadow Soldiers
06. Revolution
07. Against The World
08. Twist Of Fate
09. The Quick And The Dead
10. Never Forget (bonus track)
11. The Galley
DVD contents:
Official Bootleg
Live at Bang Your Head!!! 2011
01. Princess Of The Dawn
02. Pandemic
03. No Shelter
Live at Masters Of Rock 2010
04. Teutonic Terror
05. The Abyss
Video clips
06. Teutonic Terror
07. Pandemic
Commented ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffman: "ACCEPT and Andy Sneap have the perfect synergy. This was so clear with 'Blood Of The Nations' and we are excited to continue on that path. Andy is not only an amazing and prolific producer but also a very good friend who has long become a member of the ACCEPT family."
Regarding the musical direction of ACCEPT's new album, Hoffmann told The Rock Pit last year, "We're just gonna have the same attitude, the approach; we're just gonna do more of the same, you know, without it being the same. More similar-style stuff, hopefully fresh new ideas. And I mean, we're not gonna… The intention is not to change it right now. I mean, why would we? . . . But I have to say, it's always easier said than done. It's incredibly difficult to write songs that are sort of reminiscent of the past but they're not, you know, rip-offs of your own music. That sounds incredibly very simple, but it's really not, especially if you have a sort of history of 15 albums or whatever we have. Then there are always similarities that you have to avoid. It can't be too close, but it can't be too far away from it. So it's a pretty fine line that you have to walk sometimes, but, you know, hopefully we'll manage again."
ACCEPT 2012 is:
Wolf Hoffmann: Guitar
Peter Baltes: Bass
Herman Frank: Guitar
Mark Tornillo: Vocals
Stefan Schwarzmann: Drums
Eagle Rock Entertainment/Armoury Records will get heavy on May 29 when it re-releases the double-disc TWISTED SISTER "Live At Hammersmith" as well as "Club Daze 2: Live In The Bars". The two CD packages, sold separately, are an important part of this great band's legacy as it shows just how TWISTED they became over time.
"Club Daze 2: Live In The Bars" starts with two 1984 burners ("Never Say Never" and "Blastin' Fast & Loud") that didn't make their "Stay Hungry" album. Both songs were finally completed in 2001. The next seven tracks were recorded for a 1979 Halloween radio show that never aired. The final four tracks — including TWISTED covers of LITTLE RICHARD ("Long Tall Sally") and CHUCK BERRY ("Johnny B. Goode") — were taken from WLIR and WBAB radio sessions. Bassist Mark Mendoza has remastered all 13 tracks for this release.
"Live At Hammersmith" is a double-doozy: a 1984 blockbuster live performance at London's famed Hammersmith Odeon with two bonus covers from Portchester, New York in 1979 — Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" and the 1951 jump blues "Train Kept A'Rollin'" that's been performed by everyone from Johnny Burnette to THE YARDBIRDS to LED ZEPPELIN to Jeff Beck. The Hammersmith show is an action-ball of 14 well-muscled metal jams which includes "We're Not Gonna Take It", "You Can't Stop Rock'n'Roll", "Under The Blade" and "Burn In Hell".
As the legend of TWISTED SISTER continues to expand worldwide and the demand for their live shows growing larger every year, these two discs complete the re-mastering process of the entire TWISTED SISTER catalog on Eagle Rock/Armoury Records just in time for the summer festival season.
"Club Daze" track listing:
01. Never Say Never
02. Blastin' Fast & Loud
03. Follow Me
04. Under The Blade
05. Lady's Boy
06. Come Back
07. Can't Stand Still
08. Honey, Look Three Times
09. You Know I Cry
10. Without You
11. Plastic Money
12. Long Tall Sally
13. Johnny B. Goode
"Live At Hammersmith" track listing:
Disc One:
01. What You Don't Know
02. The Kids Are Back
03. Stay Hungry
04. Destroyer
05. We're Not Gonna Take It
06. You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll
07. Knife In The Back
08. Shoot 'Em Down
09. Under The Blade
Disc Two:
01. Burn In Hell
02. I Am, I'm Me
03. I Wanna Rock
04. SMF
05. We're Gonna Make It
Bonus Tracks:
06. Jailhouse Rock
07. Train Kept A Rollin'
LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, SUICIDE SILENCE and ANTHRAX will join forces for the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival cruise, set to take place later this year. The news was first revealed by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn during an interview with Metal Injection on the "black carpet" of the fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards, which was held on April 11 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, California. You can now watch the chat below.
http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=172763
Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA will embark on an extensive North American tour this fall. Support on the trek will come from ALESTORM, INSOMNIUM, SYSTEM DIVIDE, DESTINY POTATO. EPICA will offer special VIP tickets to all shows, which include VIP meet-and-greet, one-hour-early entry and commemorative poster signed by the band. Tickets go on sale today (Thursday, April 19) exclusively via EnterTheVault.com until May 9, at which point they will be made available through all regular ticketing outlets.
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 23 - Howard Theater - Washington DC
Oct. 25 - Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 26 - Irving Plaza- New York, NY
Oct. 27 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
Oct. 29 - Imperial - Quebec City, QC
Oct. 30 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
Oct. 31 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON
Nov. 02 - [to be announced] - Cleveland, OH
Nov. 03 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 04 - Mojoes - Joliet, IL - TBD
Nov. 05 - Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
Nov. 07 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Nov. 08 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 10 - Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC
Nov. 11 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Nov. 12 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
Nov. 14 - The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center - San Francisco, CA
Nov. 15 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Nov. 16 - House of Blues Sunset Strip - West Hollywood, CA
Nov. 17 - The Marquee - Tempe, AZ
Nov. 19 - Trees - Dallas, TX
Nov. 20 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
Nov. 21 - Backstage Live - San Antonio, TX
Nov. 23 - Headliner's Music Hall - Louisville, KY
Nov. 24 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
Bassist Rob van der Loo (MAYAN, DELAIN) recently joined EPICA as the replacement for Yves Huts.
EPICA's fifth full-length album, "Requiem For The Indifferent", sold 4,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 104 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Design Your Universe", opened with 2,100 units to land at position No. 12 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.
"Requiem For The Indifferent" was released on March 9 in Europe and four days later in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth.
A video for "Storm The Sorrow" was filmed in February and it "will show the band in a way you have never seen before," according to a press release.
SAVAGE CIRCUS, the multinational project featuring Jens Karlsson (vocals; PERSUADER) and Emil Norberg (lead guitar; PERSUADER), has issued the following update:
"After quite a while of silence from SAVAGE CIRCUS, we're again ready to drop some news your way.
"Some of you might have thought 2009's 'Of Doom And Death' was the last thing you'd hear from this band but this is simply not the case.
"After some structural changes in the band, we are ready with a new lineup and we are at the moment in the midst of writing new material for the third album wich should be due at the end of this year.
"Anyway, I suppose you are curious about the new lineup, so here goes.
Jens Carlsson - Vocals
Emil Norberg - Guitar
Mi Shuren - Keyboards
Thorsten 'Toto' Hein - Guitar
"And finally on mighty drumming Mr. Thomen Stauch [ex-BLIND GUARDIAN]!
"Yeah, that's right, he's back!
"As written, new stuff is being written as we speak and we should be able to let you guys hear some clips in some months from now and we'll try to keep you updated along the way as we make progress on the new, for-now-untitled album."
IRON SAVIOR mainman Piet Sielck left SAVAGE CIRCUS last year. He explained in a statement, "I am proud of what has been achieved, but I just cannot imagine myself doing songwriting and production more or less completely alone for a third time. This has drained too much energy in the past, which was needed in more important spots. I am not willing to make such a sacrifice again."
SAVAGE CIRCUS's second album, "Of Doom And Death", was released in October 2009 via Dockyard 1 Records.
SAVAGE CIRCUS fired Thomen Stauch in August 2007 due to personal differences.
The band released a DVD, entitled "Live in Atlanta", through Dockyard 1. The live footage was filmed in 2006 at the ProgPower USA VII festival in Atlanta, GA.
SAVAGE CIRCUS issued its debut album, "Dreamland Manor", in North America in March 2006 via Century Media Records. The North American version of the CD, which was released in Europe in August 2005, includes the "Evil Eyes" video.
"Harakiri", the new studio album from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and political activist Serj Tankian, will be released July 10 on Reprise Records/Serjical Strike. Look for a teaser video with a snippet of the first single, "Figure It Out", on Serj's web site next week.
"Harakiri", a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide, is the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Imperfect Harmonies", and the third solo release from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman. As with 2007's "Elect The Dead" and "Imperfect Harmonies", Serj produced "Harakiri" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," explains Serj. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." The album will also feature performances by Serj's touring band, THE F.C.C. — Dan Monti on guitar, Mario Pagliarulo on bass, and Troy Zeigler on drums. Dan Monti is also co-mixing and co-engineering the album with Serj. The album was mastered by Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KANYE WEST, BEASTIE BOYS).
Serj reveals each of the songtitles in a statement describing "Harakiri" below. The song names are in order and in bold:
"The Cornucopia of love/hate affairs with Gaia have made us scream 'Figure It Out! CEOs are the disease." Where abusive capitalism's only fate is human/environmental devastation. The Ching Chime, diminutive drama of a gangsta Butterfly revealed that humanity's tears actually outweigh yearly rainfall on the planet.
"We have witnessed Harakiri on a grand scale tearing out the Occupied Tears of victims preyed on by victims turned aggressors creating a Deafening Silence through which we hear a voice plead, 'Forget Me Knot, my child.'
"Reality TV has become the searing indictment of a society best described as the Uneducated Democracy. The daughters of the evolution Weave On with blood dripping down their guilty hands onto the flag as the word republic is replaced by empire."
Much of the new record was written in 2011, which was an incredibly busy year for the diversely talented musician and what Serj describes as "the busiest, most productive year of my life so far." In February, the rock musical "Prometheus Bound", which he composed all of the music for, opened at the Oberon Theater at Harvard in Boston to rave reviews. 2011 also saw Serj release his second poetry book, "Glaring Through Oblivion". He toured with SYSTEM OF A DOWN across three continents, performed with the Opera Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia, where he also had political meetings with heads of state and hosted non-profit events. He then performed his first ever concert in Lebanon, the place of his birth, with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra. When he returned to the U.S., he finished writing four records: a jazz record, an electronic record he wrote with his friend Jimmy Urine of MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, a full classical symphony called "Orca", and the new solo rock record that he is currently mastering.
"The year 2011 started with a fire. Some kids in Piha, New Zealand were setting off fireworks that landed on my neighbor's property and lit the whole hill on fire. I knew it was going to be a hell of a year and it certainly was," says Tankian. "Within five days of that, reports came out about birds and fish dying in massive numbers globally. The omen was not lost on me. Varied creatures on earth were committing massive hara-kiri (the Japanese term signifying ritualistic suicide.) Do they know something we don't about the coming times or the sustainability of the environment? That is the day I started writing this record."
The symbolism of entire species eradicating themselves on a large scale struck Serj emotionally, and is an underlying theme on the entire record. He took that idea and went to work writing, incorporating all of the experiences of his chaotic year to make a different kind of record. "The record is different than any I've made as a solo artist," he says. "It is much more driving and punk-oriented, with influences ranging from goth to electronic to '80s vibes, dynamically heavy rock to epic melodic songs. Lyrically, it spans the gauntlet of themes from personal, political and philosophical to spiritual, humor and love."
He also tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," he says. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results."
"The Fatal Feast", the fifth studio album from the Richmond, Virginia crossover act MUNICIPAL WASTE, sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 3 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. The band's previous effort, "Massive Aggressive", opened with around 2,100 copies back in September 2009 to debut at No. 10 on the Heatseekers chart.
"The Fatal Feast" was released on April 10 in North America and April 13 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Justin Osbourn of Slasher Design and can be seen below.
"The Fatal Feast" track listing:
01. Waste In Space
02. Repossession
03. New Dead Masters
04. Unholy Abductor
05. Idiot Check
06. Covered In Sick/The Barfer
07. You're Cut Off
08. Authority Complex
09. Standards And Practices
10. Crushing Chest Wound
11. The Monster With 21 Faces
12. Jesus Freaks
13. The Fatal Feast
14. 12 Step Program
15. Death Tax
16. Residential Disaster
Both the digipack and vinyl editions will include the bonus track "Eviction Party".
"The Fatal Feast" features guest appearances by John Connelly (guitarist and vocalist for NUCLEAR ASSAULT), Steve Moore (who plays bass and synthesizers for ZOMBI), and vocalist Tim Barry (ex-AVAIL).
The "The Fatal Feast" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed with director Jeff Speed of Halo Of Flies in Los Angeles on the former set of the space western television series "Firefly".
Commented MUNICIPAL WASTE vocalist Tony Foresta: "We've been wanting to work with Jeff again since we did the 'Sadistic Magician' video with him years ago. We felt that his vision and talent was exactly what we needed to help tell the tale of this cannibalistic space voyage. We hope this video makes people headbang, laugh, and puke all at the same time."
Added guitarist Ryan Waste: "As a huge sci-fi horror movie enthusiast, it was amazing to work on this type of film set. Jeff Speed and his crew have really raised the bar with this video and we couldn't be happier. Prepare for space terror and feast on our latest clip!"
Jeff Speed shares the following about working with MUNICIPAL WASTE for a second time: "One glimpse at this video and you will understand why my brother Chris [Speed, production designer] and I love to work with these guys. Anything goes! They have a great sense of humor, shredding tunes and bloodlust that is only matched by our own. Accepting the invitation to collaborate on more debauchery with MUNICIPAL WASTE was a no-brainer. A cannibalistic space voyage?! Where do we sign? We had a lot of fun making this vid and we were thrilled with the end product. I hope the world is hungry because the 'feast' will be festering on their plates and minds for a long time. Thanks for the opportunity, dudes! The Speed brothers will always be down to spill blood with the WASTE!"
HALESTORM's new album, "The Strange Case Of…", sold 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 10 via Atlantic.
HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio that the band is often in awe of its fans' devotion. "We've experienced some absolutely out-of-their-minds rock fans, and I have to say that with the utmost respect," she said. "You have to respect the crazy ones, and the ones that will drive six hours to see a 30-minute set or camp out in the wintertime to get their ticket. Seriously, it's a huge part of what we do and it's a huge part of what any band does."
According to Lzzy, fans are "going to be hearing and tasting a lot of different sides of HALESTORM" on "The Strange Case Of…", adding, "It's us really not boxing ourselves in. On our last record, we were trying really hard to make sure everything is consistent, that there was a theme, everything was on 10. With this new one, we just kind of let it be what it was going to be . . . this record is a lot more human than the last record. I decided to be brave on this record and go to all extremes."
Hale told The Pulse Of Radio that the writing process for "The Strange Case Of…" was split in two distinct halves. "We went into it right off the road, so the first half of the record that we wrote was very… We were writing some of the most aggressive songs that we've ever written, I'm screaming my head off, you know," she said. "And then halfway through, started writing some of the most personal songs that, you know, we've ever written, and some things that I've never talked about before, and it's interesting — there's two definite sides and very real sides to what we do and who I am."
Hale also said about the new disc, "With this record, we had just a better concept of our fans and a lot of what we did was inspired by them and the feeling that we got during our live shows.? Also, the music is bridging the gap between what we do live and what we can do in the studio."
"The Strange Case Of…" follows up HALESTORM's acclaimed 2009 self-titled debut, which featured the hits "I Get Off" and "Familiar Taste Of Poison".
"The Strange Case Of…" track listing:
01. Love Bites (So Do I)
02. Mz. Hyde
03. I Miss The Misery
04. Freak Like Me
05. Beautiful With You
06. In Your Room
07. Break In
08. Rock Show
09. Daughters Of Darkness
10. You Call Me A Bitch Like It's A Bad Thing
11. American Boys
12. Here's To Us
The band will be the openers for the Mass Chaos tour, starring GODSMACK and STAIND, which starts on April 13 in Augusta, Georgia.
"Plains Of Oblivion", the second solo album from former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis, sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 179 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 2 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.
"Plains Of Oblivion" was released 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.
"Plains Of Oblivion" track listing:
01. Mercurial (feat. Marty Friedman)
02. The Ultimatum (feat. Tony MacAlpine)
03. Escape Velocity
04. Tragedy And Harmony (feat. Christine Rhoades)
05. Requiem For The Living (feat. Attila Voros)
06. Continuum Drift (feat. Chris Poland)
07. Surrender (feat. Ihsahn)
08. Chosen Time (feat. Christine Rhoades)
09. Rapture
10. Sibylline Origin
Loomis and his solo band are currently taking part in a 24-date, coast-to-coast U.S. tour with PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, THE SAFETY FIRE and TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE.
Jeff is being accompanied on the stage by the following musicians:
* Joe Nurre (SHADED ENMITY) - Guitar
* Gregory Macklin (SYSTEM DIVIDE, ORDINANCE) - Bass
* Anup Sastry (INTERVALS, SKYHARBOR) - Drums
Danish modern metallers MNEMIC will release their fifth album, "Mnemesis", in Europe on June 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark with longtime producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL). The cover artwork was created by Metastazis (MORBID ANGEL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, PARADISE LOST, ULVER) and can be seen below.
Commented guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie: "The arrival of 'Mnemesis' is getting closer and closer. With this said, we are announcing the full track list of the album, and later on we will be releasing some tunes for you all to hear. In other news we are actually going on tour next month! More precisely we are taking a run out in Europe, and later this year we are hitting Australia for the very first time. We're very excited about this, and looking forward very much to be playing in this corner of the world!"
"Mnemesis" track listing:
01. Transcend
02. Valves
03. Junkies On The Storm
04. I've Been You
05. Pattern Platform
06. Mnemesis
07. There's No Tomorrow
08. Haven At The End Of The World
09. Ocean Of Void
10. Blue Desert In A Black Hole
11. Empty Planet (bonus track)
MNEMIC last year parted ways with drummer Brian "Brylle" Rasmussen and guitarist Rune Stigart and replaced them with Brian Larsen and Victor-Ray Salomonsen, respectively.
MNEMIC 2012 is:
Guillaume Bideau - Vocals
Mircea Gabriel Eftemie - Guitar
Victor-Ray Salomonsen - Guitar
Simone Bertozzi - Bass
Brian Larsen - Drums
MNEMIC's fourth studio album, "Sons Of The System", was released in Europe on January 15, 2010 and in North America on January 26, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.
CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz will serve as a special guest judge for Round 5 of Heavy MTL's "Battle Of The Bands" where the heaviest and loudest bands in Montreal, Quebec, Canada compete for a chance to win one of two prized spots on the Heavy MTL 2012 lineup at Parc Jean-Drapeau from August 11 to August 12.
Round 5 will take place at Les Katacombes (1635 St. Laurent) on Wednesday, May 16 with the following competing bands: BOOKAKEE, CROSSTITUITION, FIRST FRAGMENT and THROUGH DEATH for the death metal / grindcore night.
"Demonocracy", the new studio album from Arizona death metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY, sold 4,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 87 on The Billboard 200 chart.
JOB FOR A COWBOY's sophomore full-length CD, "Ruination", opened with around 10,600 units back in July 2009 to land at No. 42.
Released on April 10 via Metal Blade Records, "Demonocracy" was produced by Jason Seucof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, TRIVIUM) who recorded the band's blistering "Ruination" full-length, at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, and features another strikingly detailed concept cover by artist Brent Elliott White.
"Demonocracy" track listing:
01. Children of Deceit
02. Nourishment Through Bloodshed
03. Imperium Wolves
04. Tongueless and Bound
05. Black Discharge
06. The Manipulation Stream
07. The Deity Misconception
08. Fearmonger
09. Tarnished Gluttony
With the critical praise and fan adoration bestowed upon 2009's "Ruination", it would have been easy for the band to rest upon their proverbial laurels and serve up "Ruination Part II". But from the moment "Demonocracy" roars to life, it is wholly evident that this is a far more musically accomplished beast that takes their signature sound to the next level. From the abrasive blast of opener "Children Of Deceit" to the disconcerting strains of "The Deity Misconception" or the brooding, heart-wrenching closer "Tarnished Gluttony", this is a record drenched in equal parts misanthropy and naked rage, and from start to finish they suspend the listener by the throat.
A key factor in this progression was the change in the band's ranks, which finds vocalist Jonny Davy, drummer Jon "Charn" Rice, and guitarist Al Glassman joined by guitarist Tony Sannicandro. In addition, CEPHALIC CARNAGE bassist Nick Schendzielos replaces Brent Riggs. Having initially brought Sannicandro and Schendzielos on as touring musicians, the members immediately gelled, and first wrote together on 2011's "Gloom" EP, sealing the deal and securing their places as full-fledged members of the band.
Guitarist Tony Sannicandro believes he made a very natural addition into the band's ranks, and he's proud to bring his intricate style to JOB FOR A COWBOY's instantly recognizable sound. "I think I bring more of an old-school guitar approach to the band," he says. "Obviously, before the band got me, there wasn't a lot of lead work. The new album has a solo on every song. I think I've done the best work of my life on there."
No one can doubt Schendzielos' musical pedigree and formidable skills, and the bassist is looking to really make a mark through his work with the band. "It's really invigorating that the cats in JOB FOR A COWBOY are into my style because there is such a great expanse of uncharted territory for bass in metal," he states. "CEPHALIC is notorious for our chaotic and vigorous live performances alongside an expansive and dilatant range of metal stylings. I'm bringing all that experience with me and combining it with the talents of these splendid men to make my best bass work to date."
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