In partnership with YouTube, DEF LEPPARD will play a one-time exclusive "YouTube Presents" club gig at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California on June 6 at 2:30 p.m. PST.
Fans will get in for FREE on a first-come-first-served basis. The performance will be followed by a question-and-answer session of fans with the band. Both the performance and Q&A will be available on YouTube in full, at 12 p.m. PST on June 7.
To celebrate the summer of "Rock Of Ages", DEF LEPPARD has recorded new versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages". The songs will be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and all other digital music retailers June 4.
DEF LEPPARD will make a return to the United States this June with a massive summer tour which will include fellow rockers POISON and LITA FORD.
DEF LEPPARD's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums — including two of the best-selling albums of all time, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Most recently, the band released their first live album, "Mirror Ball: Live & More" last summer, which rose to the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album captures the group's legendary concert experience, bringing together live versions of classic LEPPARD hits such as "Rock Of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin'".
With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) — continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name. For the past thirty years the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them an institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
Fans will get in for FREE on a first-come-first-served basis. The performance will be followed by a question-and-answer session of fans with the band. Both the performance and Q&A will be available on YouTube in full, at 12 p.m. PST on June 7.
To celebrate the summer of "Rock Of Ages", DEF LEPPARD has recorded new versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages". The songs will be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and all other digital music retailers June 4.
DEF LEPPARD will make a return to the United States this June with a massive summer tour which will include fellow rockers POISON and LITA FORD.
DEF LEPPARD's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums — including two of the best-selling albums of all time, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria". Most recently, the band released their first live album, "Mirror Ball: Live & More" last summer, which rose to the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album captures the group's legendary concert experience, bringing together live versions of classic LEPPARD hits such as "Rock Of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin'".
With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, DEF LEPPARD — Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) — continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name. For the past thirty years the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them an institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
Legendary guitarist Slash's (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", sold around 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.
The former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist is now releasing his music through his own label, Dik Hayd Records, and The Pulse Of Radio asked him how that compares to working with major labels in the past. "It's really enabling me to make records and be able to put them out myself so I don't have to do the gamble with the big record companies," he said. "Now as far as like the glory days of the record business, that's something — yeah, I mean, you can miss it, but it's changed so much and most of the companies have turned into such conglomerates, it's pointless to really sort of miss the old days 'cause they're long gone."
Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
Kennedy also sang with Slash and other former members of GUNS N' ROSES when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month.
Slash and his band will head to Europe in June for a month-long tour before starting a new North American run on July 12 in Portland, Oregon.
"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:
01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired
"You're A Lie", the new video from Slash, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in early April at Lot 28 at Universal Studios in California with director Anthony Leonardi III. Leonardi is also helming the first feature film produced by Slash, called "Nothing To Fear", which was recently picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, called Slasher Films, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers. The film began shooting in March in Louisiana, with Anne Heche and others confirmed for the cast.
"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour," explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement."
Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.
The former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist is now releasing his music through his own label, Dik Hayd Records, and The Pulse Of Radio asked him how that compares to working with major labels in the past. "It's really enabling me to make records and be able to put them out myself so I don't have to do the gamble with the big record companies," he said. "Now as far as like the glory days of the record business, that's something — yeah, I mean, you can miss it, but it's changed so much and most of the companies have turned into such conglomerates, it's pointless to really sort of miss the old days 'cause they're long gone."
Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
Kennedy also sang with Slash and other former members of GUNS N' ROSES when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month.
Slash and his band will head to Europe in June for a month-long tour before starting a new North American run on July 12 in Portland, Oregon.
"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:
01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired
"You're A Lie", the new video from Slash, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in early April at Lot 28 at Universal Studios in California with director Anthony Leonardi III. Leonardi is also helming the first feature film produced by Slash, called "Nothing To Fear", which was recently picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, called Slasher Films, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers. The film began shooting in March in Louisiana, with Anne Heche and others confirmed for the cast.
"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour," explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement."
"Apocalyptic Love", the second solo album from legendary guitarist Slash's (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES), has registered the following first-week chart positions:
New Zealand: #1
Canada: #2
Australia: #2
Japan: #2
Switzerland: #3
USA: #4
Sweden: #4
Germany: #5
France: #7
"Apocalyptic Love" sold around 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.
The former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist is now releasing his music through his own label, Dik Hayd Records, and The Pulse Of Radio asked him how that compares to working with major labels in the past. "It's really enabling me to make records and be able to put them out myself so I don't have to do the gamble with the big record companies," he said. "Now as far as like the glory days of the record business, that's something — yeah, I mean, you can miss it, but it's changed so much and most of the companies have turned into such conglomerates, it's pointless to really sort of miss the old days 'cause they're long gone."
Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
Kennedy also sang with Slash and other former members of GUNS N' ROSES when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month.
Slash and his band will head to Europe in June for a month-long tour before starting a new North American run on July 12 in Portland, Oregon.
"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:
01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired
"You're A Lie", the new video from Slash, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in early April at Lot 28 at Universal Studios in California with director Anthony Leonardi III. Leonardi is also helming the first feature film produced by Slash, called "Nothing To Fear", which was recently picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, called Slasher Films, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers. The film began shooting in March in Louisiana, with Anne Heche and others confirmed for the cast.
"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour," explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement."
New Zealand: #1
Canada: #2
Australia: #2
Japan: #2
Switzerland: #3
USA: #4
Sweden: #4
Germany: #5
France: #7
"Apocalyptic Love" sold around 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.
The former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist is now releasing his music through his own label, Dik Hayd Records, and The Pulse Of Radio asked him how that compares to working with major labels in the past. "It's really enabling me to make records and be able to put them out myself so I don't have to do the gamble with the big record companies," he said. "Now as far as like the glory days of the record business, that's something — yeah, I mean, you can miss it, but it's changed so much and most of the companies have turned into such conglomerates, it's pointless to really sort of miss the old days 'cause they're long gone."
Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
Kennedy also sang with Slash and other former members of GUNS N' ROSES when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month.
Slash and his band will head to Europe in June for a month-long tour before starting a new North American run on July 12 in Portland, Oregon.
"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:
01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired
"You're A Lie", the new video from Slash, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in early April at Lot 28 at Universal Studios in California with director Anthony Leonardi III. Leonardi is also helming the first feature film produced by Slash, called "Nothing To Fear", which was recently picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, called Slasher Films, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers. The film began shooting in March in Louisiana, with Anne Heche and others confirmed for the cast.
"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour," explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement."
Last September, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine underwent surgery for stenosis, a neck and spine condition that he says was caused by years of headbanging.
Earlier this month, Artisan News spoke to Mustaine and asked him about how he's doing eight months after the surgery. "It's good," he said. "Leading up to it, it was horrible. But I think probably the thing was the most painful was the stuff people were saying. Like I wasn't really hurt and I was faking it. I was hurt. And when they pulled that bone fragment out of my neck… It's one thing to have a bulging disc and have stuff fused together, but when they find broken pieces of bone in your spinal cord, that stuff causes pain. And I wasn't gonna let it affect me or keep me from going on stage and playing. I probably hurt myself more by going out there like that, but, you know… I don't know if I'm just stubborn or what, but I was always taught the show must go on, and I went up into the point where I had to be hospitalized. Which is kind of rock and roll, if you think about it. [laughs]"
He added, "There are, every once in a while, some sharp pains and stuff like that, if I move it wrong, but it's completely healed. And I don't have any fear. I do have a little bit of apprehension when I'm getting out on stage and I start to get too revved up. 'Cause it's really easy, once that button turns on, for you to go to a place you don't wanna physically go to — you're hanging over the cliff 'cause you're headbanging too much."
As to how he thinks his stage performance exacerbated his condition, Mustaine said, "There's one move I used to do; I used to always snap my head back and forth. . . It wasn't like I was doing it for a dance move or something choreographed or corny like that. It was just a form of expression and I think that's probably one of the positions that I hurt myself in, 'cause it's more of a grinding movement."
Even though Mustaine has fully recovered from his surgery, he does admit that performing live has become more difficult in the months following the procedure. "After the surgery, it's been harder to sing," he said. "They said that that would happen. And it's been harder to sing, which is sad, 'cause I've already had… Singing is not my forté. I try my best to do it, but I'm not a great singer, and like I said, they told me that it was gonna get more difficult, and I didn't believe 'em. So now I'm dealing with it. When I go out there and play, I look at the fans out there and I don't think, 'Well, there's a guy that's seen me 20 times.' I think about, 'What about the person that's seeing us for the very first time?'"
Speaking to Decibel magazine last November, Mustaine stated about his neck injury, "The way [2011's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival] ended, with me being hurt, I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how bad. Nobody knew the writing was on the wall. I pretty much thought, 'Well, I''m hurt, but I'll just take it easy, have a couple of glasses of wine. I'll get through it, get a couple of trigger point injections, get an epidural.' There were a couple of times they gave me a shot in my neck that numbed me up. I saw chiropractors and masseuses all the time. It inevitably gets to the point where you're starting to take medication, and that's never good, because if you're taking something and you never feel the pain… You saw Curt Schilling when he was playing for the Diamondbacks, and Randy Johnson; I can't remember if [Schilling] was playing for the Diamondbacks that time he had the bloody sock or if he'd gone back to Boston or not yet — [he] did some heroic feat where he had his foot put back together and he went out there and played."
He added, "I'm an athlete, as a guitar player and as an onstage persona. But as far as being a musician that has to do hurdles — I don't think most musicians, when they start playing music, think that they're going to be playing this demanding-type music that those of us who are part of the 'Big Four' and all the bands we influenced and kind of created [play]. With the advent of the headbanging — which was not my invention, by any means; I'm not like Al Gore who invented the Internet — there was that whole headbanging thing that came around, it's hurt a lot us… What is headbanging, anyway? It's kind of like chronic whiplash syndrome, isn't it?"
Earlier this month, Artisan News spoke to Mustaine and asked him about how he's doing eight months after the surgery. "It's good," he said. "Leading up to it, it was horrible. But I think probably the thing was the most painful was the stuff people were saying. Like I wasn't really hurt and I was faking it. I was hurt. And when they pulled that bone fragment out of my neck… It's one thing to have a bulging disc and have stuff fused together, but when they find broken pieces of bone in your spinal cord, that stuff causes pain. And I wasn't gonna let it affect me or keep me from going on stage and playing. I probably hurt myself more by going out there like that, but, you know… I don't know if I'm just stubborn or what, but I was always taught the show must go on, and I went up into the point where I had to be hospitalized. Which is kind of rock and roll, if you think about it. [laughs]"
He added, "There are, every once in a while, some sharp pains and stuff like that, if I move it wrong, but it's completely healed. And I don't have any fear. I do have a little bit of apprehension when I'm getting out on stage and I start to get too revved up. 'Cause it's really easy, once that button turns on, for you to go to a place you don't wanna physically go to — you're hanging over the cliff 'cause you're headbanging too much."
As to how he thinks his stage performance exacerbated his condition, Mustaine said, "There's one move I used to do; I used to always snap my head back and forth. . . It wasn't like I was doing it for a dance move or something choreographed or corny like that. It was just a form of expression and I think that's probably one of the positions that I hurt myself in, 'cause it's more of a grinding movement."
Even though Mustaine has fully recovered from his surgery, he does admit that performing live has become more difficult in the months following the procedure. "After the surgery, it's been harder to sing," he said. "They said that that would happen. And it's been harder to sing, which is sad, 'cause I've already had… Singing is not my forté. I try my best to do it, but I'm not a great singer, and like I said, they told me that it was gonna get more difficult, and I didn't believe 'em. So now I'm dealing with it. When I go out there and play, I look at the fans out there and I don't think, 'Well, there's a guy that's seen me 20 times.' I think about, 'What about the person that's seeing us for the very first time?'"
Speaking to Decibel magazine last November, Mustaine stated about his neck injury, "The way [2011's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival] ended, with me being hurt, I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how bad. Nobody knew the writing was on the wall. I pretty much thought, 'Well, I''m hurt, but I'll just take it easy, have a couple of glasses of wine. I'll get through it, get a couple of trigger point injections, get an epidural.' There were a couple of times they gave me a shot in my neck that numbed me up. I saw chiropractors and masseuses all the time. It inevitably gets to the point where you're starting to take medication, and that's never good, because if you're taking something and you never feel the pain… You saw Curt Schilling when he was playing for the Diamondbacks, and Randy Johnson; I can't remember if [Schilling] was playing for the Diamondbacks that time he had the bloody sock or if he'd gone back to Boston or not yet — [he] did some heroic feat where he had his foot put back together and he went out there and played."
He added, "I'm an athlete, as a guitar player and as an onstage persona. But as far as being a musician that has to do hurdles — I don't think most musicians, when they start playing music, think that they're going to be playing this demanding-type music that those of us who are part of the 'Big Four' and all the bands we influenced and kind of created [play]. With the advent of the headbanging — which was not my invention, by any means; I'm not like Al Gore who invented the Internet — there was that whole headbanging thing that came around, it's hurt a lot us… What is headbanging, anyway? It's kind of like chronic whiplash syndrome, isn't it?"
American power metallers ICED EARTH have released the following statement:
"Dear fans, friends and fellow metalheads in India. It is with a heavy heart and deep regret to announce that we will not be performing at the Bangalore Open Air festival on June 16th. Unfortunately, we have been a victim of terminal visa issues for our American band and crew members, despite having followed every step given to us and retaining one of the top immigration firms in the world to do the job. It turns out some of the regulations have changed without this being made known to us and we are now no longer in a position to get the necessary paperwork in place. This has come as a huge disappointment since we were looking forward to performing for and meeting all of you for the very first time in your wonderful country.
"We would like to thank the team of Bangalore Open Air for all their help and support along the way. Unfortunately, things are now beyond the control of the band and the organizers but we sincerely hope all the metalheads in India will continue to support Bangalore Open Air and all the fantastic bands scheduled to play there.
"Finally, a huge thank you to all the Indian metalheads for your kind words and wonderful support. We promise to make every effort to make it to India as soon as humanly possible and bang heads with each and every one of you."
Bangalore Open Air is described as India's first-ever heavy metal festival.
The event will feature 12 hours of non-stop music on two stages featuring international bands as well as top Indian metal bands.
"Dear fans, friends and fellow metalheads in India. It is with a heavy heart and deep regret to announce that we will not be performing at the Bangalore Open Air festival on June 16th. Unfortunately, we have been a victim of terminal visa issues for our American band and crew members, despite having followed every step given to us and retaining one of the top immigration firms in the world to do the job. It turns out some of the regulations have changed without this being made known to us and we are now no longer in a position to get the necessary paperwork in place. This has come as a huge disappointment since we were looking forward to performing for and meeting all of you for the very first time in your wonderful country.
"We would like to thank the team of Bangalore Open Air for all their help and support along the way. Unfortunately, things are now beyond the control of the band and the organizers but we sincerely hope all the metalheads in India will continue to support Bangalore Open Air and all the fantastic bands scheduled to play there.
"Finally, a huge thank you to all the Indian metalheads for your kind words and wonderful support. We promise to make every effort to make it to India as soon as humanly possible and bang heads with each and every one of you."
Bangalore Open Air is described as India's first-ever heavy metal festival.
The event will feature 12 hours of non-stop music on two stages featuring international bands as well as top Indian metal bands.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/icedbangalore.jpg
THE CULT's new album, "Choice Of Weapon", sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on May 22 via THE CULT's new label Cooking Vinyl.
"Choice Of Weapon" is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 release "Born Into This", which opened with 12,600 units to debut at No. 70. Longtime THE CULT collaborator and producer Bob Rock (METALLICA, BUSH), who produced one of THE CULT's most successful albums, the platinum-certified "Sonic Temple", put the finishing touches on the foundations that were laid by co-producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E., MASTERS OF REALITY).
The album was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band's Witch Mountain studio between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse.
"We made a great record," Astbury told Billboard magazine. "It's more of a fully realized work. There is a thematic note that goes throughout. I will say one thing about THE CULT. For every piece of territory that we ever got, any piece of success we ever had, we never got a break. We fought for everything. We worked for it. It was authentic. It was always about the music."
Speaking to Austin360.com, Astbury said of "Choice Of Weapon", "I think we went back to a place of instinct. There were no predetermined agendas. We've had periods of stagnation and being stale and repeating ourselves, but I think that's common. With 'Choice Of Weapon', we just said, '(Screw) it! We're going to grab every jewel we can find. We're going to play the ace and go as deep as we can.' There's definitely hard rock moments on this record, but then again, there's moments that are kind of pastoral."
"Choice Of Weapon" is aimed at the heart of THE CULT's loyal following. It reflects the current discontent and destruction of our eco systems, the search for individual meaning against a tide of rampant materialism, narcissism and disconnected lives.
"We're still growing and still developing," Astbury told Austin360.com. "We're still students; we're still inquisitive; we're still passionate. I still think what we're doing is relevant. We still have an awareness of what's going on around us. It's not like I live in a cave."
"Choice Of Weapon" track listing:
01. Honey From A Knife
02. Elemental Light
03. The Wolf
04. Life > Death
05. For The Animals
06. Amnesia
07. Wilderness Now
08. Lucifer
09. A Pale Horse
10. This Night In The City Forever
11. Every Man And Woman Is A Star
12. Embers
13. Until The Light Takes Us
14. Siberia
"Choice Of Weapon" is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 release "Born Into This", which opened with 12,600 units to debut at No. 70. Longtime THE CULT collaborator and producer Bob Rock (METALLICA, BUSH), who produced one of THE CULT's most successful albums, the platinum-certified "Sonic Temple", put the finishing touches on the foundations that were laid by co-producer Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E., MASTERS OF REALITY).
The album was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band's Witch Mountain studio between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse.
"We made a great record," Astbury told Billboard magazine. "It's more of a fully realized work. There is a thematic note that goes throughout. I will say one thing about THE CULT. For every piece of territory that we ever got, any piece of success we ever had, we never got a break. We fought for everything. We worked for it. It was authentic. It was always about the music."
Speaking to Austin360.com, Astbury said of "Choice Of Weapon", "I think we went back to a place of instinct. There were no predetermined agendas. We've had periods of stagnation and being stale and repeating ourselves, but I think that's common. With 'Choice Of Weapon', we just said, '(Screw) it! We're going to grab every jewel we can find. We're going to play the ace and go as deep as we can.' There's definitely hard rock moments on this record, but then again, there's moments that are kind of pastoral."
"Choice Of Weapon" is aimed at the heart of THE CULT's loyal following. It reflects the current discontent and destruction of our eco systems, the search for individual meaning against a tide of rampant materialism, narcissism and disconnected lives.
"We're still growing and still developing," Astbury told Austin360.com. "We're still students; we're still inquisitive; we're still passionate. I still think what we're doing is relevant. We still have an awareness of what's going on around us. It's not like I live in a cave."
"Choice Of Weapon" track listing:
01. Honey From A Knife
02. Elemental Light
03. The Wolf
04. Life > Death
05. For The Animals
06. Amnesia
07. Wilderness Now
08. Lucifer
09. A Pale Horse
10. This Night In The City Forever
11. Every Man And Woman Is A Star
12. Embers
13. Until The Light Takes Us
14. Siberia
In the wake of a series of bizarre rumors about QUEENSRŸCHE's relationship with lead singer Geoff Tate, the band's publicist is downplaying reports of strife in the group.
Metal Talk and Metal Sludge recently reported on unsubstantiated rumors that Tate assaulted guitarist Michael Wilton and pulled a knife on drummer Scott Rockenfield at an April 14 gig in Brazil. The incident allegedly took place after Tate overheard his bandmates discussing plans to oust him from the group.
On Tuesday, four members of QUEENSRŸCHE — Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren — announced a new project called RISING WEST, which will make its live debut on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at the Hard Rock Café in Seattle, Washington. Tate had previously announced his plans to spend the summer focused on a series of solo acoustic shows.
When asked for a comment, QUEENSRŸCHE publicist Jeff Albright stated in an email to Billboard.com, "There's really no 'situation' other than the fact that Geoff Tate is concentrating on his acoustic solo performances this summer while the other members of the band have formed a new outfit called RISING WEST with Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY. Everyone wants to stay busy, try new things and do what they do best . . . and, of course, that's rock in front of the masses. QUEENSRŸCHE are slated to perform select dates throughout the year."
QUEENSRŸCHE's web site lists the band's next scheduled performance for June 11 in Valley City, Utah.
RISING WEST will perform rare and classic hits from the first five QUEENSRŸCHE albums — from the 1983 EP through 1990's "Empire" — and plans on hitting the studio sometime early summer to begin recording its first release.
Geoff entered the studio on February 29 to begin recording his second solo album.
Tate released his first solo CD in 2002 on Sanctuary Records. Self-titled, the LP was a huge departure from the work he had previously done with QUEENSRŸCHE.
Metal Talk and Metal Sludge recently reported on unsubstantiated rumors that Tate assaulted guitarist Michael Wilton and pulled a knife on drummer Scott Rockenfield at an April 14 gig in Brazil. The incident allegedly took place after Tate overheard his bandmates discussing plans to oust him from the group.
On Tuesday, four members of QUEENSRŸCHE — Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren — announced a new project called RISING WEST, which will make its live debut on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at the Hard Rock Café in Seattle, Washington. Tate had previously announced his plans to spend the summer focused on a series of solo acoustic shows.
When asked for a comment, QUEENSRŸCHE publicist Jeff Albright stated in an email to Billboard.com, "There's really no 'situation' other than the fact that Geoff Tate is concentrating on his acoustic solo performances this summer while the other members of the band have formed a new outfit called RISING WEST with Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY. Everyone wants to stay busy, try new things and do what they do best . . . and, of course, that's rock in front of the masses. QUEENSRŸCHE are slated to perform select dates throughout the year."
QUEENSRŸCHE's web site lists the band's next scheduled performance for June 11 in Valley City, Utah.
RISING WEST will perform rare and classic hits from the first five QUEENSRŸCHE albums — from the 1983 EP through 1990's "Empire" — and plans on hitting the studio sometime early summer to begin recording its first release.
Geoff entered the studio on February 29 to begin recording his second solo album.
Tate released his first solo CD in 2002 on Sanctuary Records. Self-titled, the LP was a huge departure from the work he had previously done with QUEENSRŸCHE.
Alice In Chains' co-founder Jerry Cantrell is set to join elite company at the 8th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert on May 31. The vocalist/guitarist, who will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his commitment to the MusiCares MAP Fund and helping other addicts with the addiction recovery process, joins previous event honorees such as Alice Cooper, Chris Cornell, Anthony Kiedis, Dave Gahan, and James Hetfield.
Along with certified interventionist Neil Lasher, Cantrell will be the guest of honor at the annual benefit designed to raise funds for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation. The evening will be hosted by Steve-O and will feature an all-star concert lineup with performances by Alice In Chains, Heart's Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, Billy Idol, Mark Lanegan, Duff McKagan, and a DJ set by Moby.
In advance of the benefit concert, Cantrell discussed the significance of the award, the importance of MusiCares to the music community, progress on the forthcoming new Alice In Chains album, and how collaborating with Elton John on the title track to 2009's GRAMMY-nominated Black Gives Way To Blue brought him full circle.
I saw you play with Metallica at the MusiCares MAP Fund benefit in 2006. That was obviously a special performance, but I know you've been to a number of these shows. Are there any favorite memories for you?
Yeah, that one is obviously a classic. I've been a fan of Metallica and friends with those guys for a long time and that was just great — half Alice In Chains and half Metallica playing together. Obviously, on a more serious note, it's inspiring to see James [Hetfield] take control of his issues, some of the same things I have issues with. And it's just inspiring to see somebody make the effort and make a turn for the better.
Yeah, that one is obviously a classic. I've been a fan of Metallica and friends with those guys for a long time and that was just great — half Alice In Chains and half Metallica playing together. Obviously, on a more serious note, it's inspiring to see James [Hetfield] take control of his issues, some of the same things I have issues with. And it's just inspiring to see somebody make the effort and make a turn for the better.
By accepting this award do you feel like a role model or a positive example?
A better way to look at it is I admire those guys for the effort they make. It's cool to get here, it's cool to know that you can get here and it's nice to be [proof] that no matter where you find yourself in life you've always got a chance to turn it around.
A better way to look at it is I admire those guys for the effort they make. It's cool to get here, it's cool to know that you can get here and it's nice to be [proof] that no matter where you find yourself in life you've always got a chance to turn it around.
When you look at not only your bandmates, but even recent examples like Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, do you feel very fortunate?
A common part of the human experience is if you f*** around with it long enough, it's gonna get a hold of you. That's been the case for me and for a lot of people too. It's not just explicitly musicians, but being a musician and [having] so many friends that are, it's really nice to have an organization like MusiCares to take care of each other. I remember when I first came here in 2003, Buddy Arnold helped me out.
A common part of the human experience is if you f*** around with it long enough, it's gonna get a hold of you. That's been the case for me and for a lot of people too. It's not just explicitly musicians, but being a musician and [having] so many friends that are, it's really nice to have an organization like MusiCares to take care of each other. I remember when I first came here in 2003, Buddy Arnold helped me out.
Tell me about the other artists playing at this year's benefit concert.
Ann and Nancy [Wilson of Heart] are the top of the heap. They've been there for us and we've been there for them too. Any time we got a chance to remind people how important their role has been to music and the world and what that means to us, we're always there for them. I look at them as my older sisters, they've given a lot of great advice and they fought through a lot of adversity and I'm very much looking forward to having them play.
Ann and Nancy [Wilson of Heart] are the top of the heap. They've been there for us and we've been there for them too. Any time we got a chance to remind people how important their role has been to music and the world and what that means to us, we're always there for them. I look at them as my older sisters, they've given a lot of great advice and they fought through a lot of adversity and I'm very much looking forward to having them play.
When they told me I was gonna receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award, they asked me if I would make a little list of the people I would like to see play. I had just seen [Mark] Lanegan out in Silver Lake and he killed it. God, it was amazing. I hadn't seen him in some years and it was a really magical experience, so I gave him a call and asked him. Duff [McKagan]'s been a friend for years and been very involved with our band as well in various ways. And I don't know Billy [Idol] personally, but I do know Billy Morrison and Steve Stevens, the guitar player. I jammed with Steve a couple of times as well.
Your last album, Black Gives Way To Blue, spawned two GRAMMY nominations. What did that mean to you?
Well, we were very happy to be nominated and lose two GRAMMYs again. I think that put us at zero and eight. Hey, look, dude, it's the old cliché, but it's totally true, it's an honor to be thought of. To be considered one of the [best hard rock performances] of the year, we achieved something. But we were very happy with that, we were very happy with the success that we had. It just felt good, it was hard work and it was worth every bit of it. And we're looking forward to doing it again.
Well, we were very happy to be nominated and lose two GRAMMYs again. I think that put us at zero and eight. Hey, look, dude, it's the old cliché, but it's totally true, it's an honor to be thought of. To be considered one of the [best hard rock performances] of the year, we achieved something. But we were very happy with that, we were very happy with the success that we had. It just felt good, it was hard work and it was worth every bit of it. And we're looking forward to doing it again.
Do you think the new Alice In Chains album will be out this year?
It'll depend on when it's done. We started writing stuff last year. I think we're all good with that now, so now it's time to cut it. So we're gonna try to, but if not it'll probably be out early next year. It'll be out about three or four minutes after we're finished [laughs]. Give the record company time to set it up and plan the attack and tour for hopefully a year, year and a half.
It'll depend on when it's done. We started writing stuff last year. I think we're all good with that now, so now it's time to cut it. So we're gonna try to, but if not it'll probably be out early next year. It'll be out about three or four minutes after we're finished [laughs]. Give the record company time to set it up and plan the attack and tour for hopefully a year, year and a half.
So the writing is pretty much done though?
The thing that set me back is I had some bone spurs [and] cartilage issues in my shoulders. I had the same issue in the other shoulder about six years ago so I've had them both done now. It's a repetitive motion injury from playing. But the repair takes a year [laughs]. So that kind of set us back a little bit, but it takes time anyway — my body started a vacation.
The thing that set me back is I had some bone spurs [and] cartilage issues in my shoulders. I had the same issue in the other shoulder about six years ago so I've had them both done now. It's a repetitive motion injury from playing. But the repair takes a year [laughs]. So that kind of set us back a little bit, but it takes time anyway — my body started a vacation.
Who are those songwriters that are universal to you?
The earliest examples are the ones that got me started [and] that's the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That's what really got me into it. I didn't even know two-thirds of the s*** these guys were talking about, but I felt it. And also I realized this music and these feelings that are coming to me on this piece of plastic have all this weight, all this magic in it and it inspired me to want to do that myself. And then years later to have Elton play piano on [our] last record especially, it's funny how s*** comes around cause that's the guy [who] got me started. It's a really cool thing and it also speaks to the journey of your life, it's going back to what we were talking about with MusiCares. It's a good example not to give up. You never know what is gonna come down the road. There's some pretty cool s*** that happens if you decide to stick around.
The earliest examples are the ones that got me started [and] that's the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That's what really got me into it. I didn't even know two-thirds of the s*** these guys were talking about, but I felt it. And also I realized this music and these feelings that are coming to me on this piece of plastic have all this weight, all this magic in it and it inspired me to want to do that myself. And then years later to have Elton play piano on [our] last record especially, it's funny how s*** comes around cause that's the guy [who] got me started. It's a really cool thing and it also speaks to the journey of your life, it's going back to what we were talking about with MusiCares. It's a good example not to give up. You never know what is gonna come down the road. There's some pretty cool s*** that happens if you decide to stick around.
What does it mean to you to be honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award?
That the award is honoring Stevie, who's an incredible musician and then also a person that made changes and turned his s*** around — it's a hell of an effort. It's nothing easy. It's doable, but it's not an easy thing and I can tell you that from experience. It takes some balls for sure, and it takes some serious effort at times. To receive this, what it means, is I'm very honored. And obviously that it started with Stevie, that's a pretty great thing. As a guitar player you don't get much better than that.
That the award is honoring Stevie, who's an incredible musician and then also a person that made changes and turned his s*** around — it's a hell of an effort. It's nothing easy. It's doable, but it's not an easy thing and I can tell you that from experience. It takes some balls for sure, and it takes some serious effort at times. To receive this, what it means, is I'm very honored. And obviously that it started with Stevie, that's a pretty great thing. As a guitar player you don't get much better than that.
TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider will take part in an exclusive book signing at Hard Rock Cafe´ in Stockholm, Sweden on June 5 between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Snider, who will headline this year's Sweden Rock Festival with TWISTED SISTER, will make a quick stop in Stockholm to meet press and talk about his first-ever autobiography, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic", which was released on May 8 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
For more information about the event, go to this location.
Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic" takes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of fans. As lead singer and songwriter of TWISTED SISTER, Dee Snider became the poster boy for heavy metal, hair bands, and the wild side of rock. Now, in his twisted new memoir, he reveals the real stories behind the crazy makeup, the big hair, and badass hits like "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock". In his journey from every parent's worst teenage nightmare to Renaissance man, Dee avoided the usual pitfalls associated with rock stars. But that didn't stop Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center from targeting him — a fight that led him to testify before Congress with Frank Zappa. He may have been slapped with a Parental Advisory warning label, but, through it all, Snider stayed positive and focused on being the best he could be.
When asked by RockMusicStar what "his angle" was with the book, Snider replied, "First of all, I wrote every word myself. Simon & Schuster (the publisher) didn't want me to do that initially, because nobody does. And if you believe the heroin addicts actually took notes.... Really? They couldn't find their dick, let alone a pencil. I never did any drugs and I've never drank. So I'm really a clean and sober participant, and observer, of the 'decade of decadence.' The book for me, deals with my rise and fall. It starts with the day that I decided I wanted to be a rock star, and then ends with me at my lowest point in my life/career, post-TWISTED SISTER, when I lost everything (in the '90s). I was completely down and out. They made me put an epilogue on it, but I was like, 'Everyone knows that I'm doing well now.' But yeah, the ending is so depressing. The epilogue skips ahead 15 years, where I'm taking my final bow on Broadway, on opening night, reflecting on how far that I've come back in the past few years. The book is really the story of my struggle, my perseverance, and it sort of examines how things happened, for better or for worse."
Snider, who will headline this year's Sweden Rock Festival with TWISTED SISTER, will make a quick stop in Stockholm to meet press and talk about his first-ever autobiography, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic", which was released on May 8 via Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
For more information about the event, go to this location.
Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic" takes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of fans. As lead singer and songwriter of TWISTED SISTER, Dee Snider became the poster boy for heavy metal, hair bands, and the wild side of rock. Now, in his twisted new memoir, he reveals the real stories behind the crazy makeup, the big hair, and badass hits like "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock". In his journey from every parent's worst teenage nightmare to Renaissance man, Dee avoided the usual pitfalls associated with rock stars. But that didn't stop Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center from targeting him — a fight that led him to testify before Congress with Frank Zappa. He may have been slapped with a Parental Advisory warning label, but, through it all, Snider stayed positive and focused on being the best he could be.
When asked by RockMusicStar what "his angle" was with the book, Snider replied, "First of all, I wrote every word myself. Simon & Schuster (the publisher) didn't want me to do that initially, because nobody does. And if you believe the heroin addicts actually took notes.... Really? They couldn't find their dick, let alone a pencil. I never did any drugs and I've never drank. So I'm really a clean and sober participant, and observer, of the 'decade of decadence.' The book for me, deals with my rise and fall. It starts with the day that I decided I wanted to be a rock star, and then ends with me at my lowest point in my life/career, post-TWISTED SISTER, when I lost everything (in the '90s). I was completely down and out. They made me put an epilogue on it, but I was like, 'Everyone knows that I'm doing well now.' But yeah, the ending is so depressing. The epilogue skips ahead 15 years, where I'm taking my final bow on Broadway, on opening night, reflecting on how far that I've come back in the past few years. The book is really the story of my struggle, my perseverance, and it sort of examines how things happened, for better or for worse."
"Elation", the new studio album from GREAT WHITE — Mark Kendall (lead guitar), Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous (lead vocals) — sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on May 22 via Frontiers Records, the 12-song CD marks GREAT WHITE's first effort with Ilous following the band's split with founding singer Jack Russell.
"This is a new birth of the band," Desbrow said. "I wanted to call the album 'Tabula Rasa', which means rebirth, but we went for 'Elation' because of the euphoria in the atmosphere. It's a fresh and healthier start than ever before. I'm like a kid in a candy store."
Kendall, one of rock's most notable guitarists, echoed Desbrow's pure excitement. "The energy in the studio [was] amazing," Kendall said. "This is the most excited I've been since I was nine years old and got my first guitar. It's remarkable to be doing our third record with Frontiers Records and to feel the love and support from Serafino and his team. They are truly part of the GREAT WHITE family."
Lardie, who also served as "Elation"'s producer, applauded the band's teamwork in the studio. He was struck by the group's songwriting approach and enthusiasm, and is certain that fans will embrace the record.
"The difference in this studio experience was simple," he said. "Everyone was completely present and contributed to the making of this album. As a producer, I feel my part is to get the best out of each of us and I got better than anyone's best!"
"Elation" track listing:
01. (I've Got) Something For You
02. Feelin' So Much Better
03. Love Train
04. Heart Of A Man
05. Hard To Say Goodbye
06. Resolution
07. Shotgun Willie's
08. Promise Land
09. Lowdown (bonus track)
10. Just For Tonight
11. Love Is Enough
12. Complicated
"This is a new birth of the band," Desbrow said. "I wanted to call the album 'Tabula Rasa', which means rebirth, but we went for 'Elation' because of the euphoria in the atmosphere. It's a fresh and healthier start than ever before. I'm like a kid in a candy store."
Kendall, one of rock's most notable guitarists, echoed Desbrow's pure excitement. "The energy in the studio [was] amazing," Kendall said. "This is the most excited I've been since I was nine years old and got my first guitar. It's remarkable to be doing our third record with Frontiers Records and to feel the love and support from Serafino and his team. They are truly part of the GREAT WHITE family."
Lardie, who also served as "Elation"'s producer, applauded the band's teamwork in the studio. He was struck by the group's songwriting approach and enthusiasm, and is certain that fans will embrace the record.
"The difference in this studio experience was simple," he said. "Everyone was completely present and contributed to the making of this album. As a producer, I feel my part is to get the best out of each of us and I got better than anyone's best!"
"Elation" track listing:
01. (I've Got) Something For You
02. Feelin' So Much Better
03. Love Train
04. Heart Of A Man
05. Hard To Say Goodbye
06. Resolution
07. Shotgun Willie's
08. Promise Land
09. Lowdown (bonus track)
10. Just For Tonight
11. Love Is Enough
12. Complicated
"Few Against Many", the new album from Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND — who feature in their ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. — sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 28 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.
"Few Against Many" was released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.
Produced by Gus, "Few Against Many" was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE). The young Belgian is regarded by Gus as a "phenomenal talent," and anyone that witnessed him on the band's most recent world tour will no doubt agree.
"Few Against Many" track listing:
01. Wall Of Sound
02. Losing My Mind
03. Few Against Many
04. The Undying Fire
05. Another Dimension
06. Glorious
07. Edge Of A Dream (feat. APOCALYPTICA)
08. Destiny
09. Long Gone Tomorrow
10. No Heroes, No Sinners
The song "Edge Of A Dream" features a special appearance of Finnish cello superstars APOCALYPTICA.
While the album's standard version is available in the CD format as well as LP and also as digital download, "Few Against Many" was also released as limited-edition digipak CD with two special bonus tracks: "Battleborn" and an acoustic version of "No Heroes, No Sinners".
The "Wall Of Sound" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Colin Marshall during the band's recent shows in Greece.
Commented Gus: "We wanted to do a different video this time, instead of the usual indoor studio shootings. So we figured we'd show the band in its comfort zone — on stage. The clip was shot on our most recent shows in Greece this past January and you can witness the mayhem that goes down when we play in our home country! Enjoy!"
FIREWIND 2012 is:
Bob Katsionis - Keyboards, Guitar
Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals
Gus G. - Guitar
Petros Christo - Bass
Jo Nunez - Drums
FIREWIND has already announced a few summer festival appearances (including Summer Breeze in Germany and Czech Republic's Masters Of Rock) and will play three shows in China and Taiwan at the end of August. The band will also embark on a European headlining tour in September/October with support from LEAVES' EYES.
"Few Against Many" was released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.
Produced by Gus, "Few Against Many" was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE). The young Belgian is regarded by Gus as a "phenomenal talent," and anyone that witnessed him on the band's most recent world tour will no doubt agree.
"Few Against Many" track listing:
01. Wall Of Sound
02. Losing My Mind
03. Few Against Many
04. The Undying Fire
05. Another Dimension
06. Glorious
07. Edge Of A Dream (feat. APOCALYPTICA)
08. Destiny
09. Long Gone Tomorrow
10. No Heroes, No Sinners
The song "Edge Of A Dream" features a special appearance of Finnish cello superstars APOCALYPTICA.
While the album's standard version is available in the CD format as well as LP and also as digital download, "Few Against Many" was also released as limited-edition digipak CD with two special bonus tracks: "Battleborn" and an acoustic version of "No Heroes, No Sinners".
The "Wall Of Sound" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Colin Marshall during the band's recent shows in Greece.
Commented Gus: "We wanted to do a different video this time, instead of the usual indoor studio shootings. So we figured we'd show the band in its comfort zone — on stage. The clip was shot on our most recent shows in Greece this past January and you can witness the mayhem that goes down when we play in our home country! Enjoy!"
FIREWIND 2012 is:
Bob Katsionis - Keyboards, Guitar
Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals
Gus G. - Guitar
Petros Christo - Bass
Jo Nunez - Drums
FIREWIND has already announced a few summer festival appearances (including Summer Breeze in Germany and Czech Republic's Masters Of Rock) and will play three shows in China and Taiwan at the end of August. The band will also embark on a European headlining tour in September/October with support from LEAVES' EYES.
The self-titled debut album from KILL DEVIL HILL, the new band featuring legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, KILL DEVIL HILL) alongside Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals, sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 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.
"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort will be available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.
"Kill Devil Hill" track listing:
CD:
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
04. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
05. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
06. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
07. Strange (3:31)
08. Time & Time Again (3:50)
09. Old Man (3:06)
10. Mysterious Ways (2:25)
11. Up In Flames (6:04)
12. Revenge (4:54)
Double Gatefold LP:
Side 1 (14:56)
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
04. Time & Time Again (3:50)
Side 2 (10:21)
01. Old Man (3:06)
02. Mysterious Ways (2:25
03. Revenge (4:54)
Side 3 (10:07)
01. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
02. Up In Flames (6:04)
03. Strange (3:31)
Side 4 (12:56)
01. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
02. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
03. Drawbridge (5:58) (bonus track)
iTunes Digital Download:
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
04. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
05. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
06. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
07. Strange (3:31)
08. Time & Time Again (3:50)
09. Old Man (3:06)
10. Mysterious Ways (2:25)
11. Up In Flames (6:04)
12. Revenge (4:54)
13. Gates Of Hell (acoustic version; bonus track)
According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."
The members of KILL DEVIL HILL previously stated about their songwriting and recording approach, "We are going old school meets new; no sample drums here!!"
KILL DEVIL HILL made its live debut on April 29, 2011 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California.
KILL DEVIL HILL is:
* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) - Drums
"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort will be available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.
"Kill Devil Hill" track listing:
CD:
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
04. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
05. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
06. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
07. Strange (3:31)
08. Time & Time Again (3:50)
09. Old Man (3:06)
10. Mysterious Ways (2:25)
11. Up In Flames (6:04)
12. Revenge (4:54)
Double Gatefold LP:
Side 1 (14:56)
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
04. Time & Time Again (3:50)
Side 2 (10:21)
01. Old Man (3:06)
02. Mysterious Ways (2:25
03. Revenge (4:54)
Side 3 (10:07)
01. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
02. Up In Flames (6:04)
03. Strange (3:31)
Side 4 (12:56)
01. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
02. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
03. Drawbridge (5:58) (bonus track)
iTunes Digital Download:
01. War Machine (3:09)
02. Hangman (3:40)
03. Voodoo Doll (3:53)
04. Gates Of Hell (4:53)
05. Rise From The Shadows (4:03)
06. We're All Gonna Die (4:26)
07. Strange (3:31)
08. Time & Time Again (3:50)
09. Old Man (3:06)
10. Mysterious Ways (2:25)
11. Up In Flames (6:04)
12. Revenge (4:54)
13. Gates Of Hell (acoustic version; bonus track)
According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."
The members of KILL DEVIL HILL previously stated about their songwriting and recording approach, "We are going old school meets new; no sample drums here!!"
KILL DEVIL HILL made its live debut on April 29, 2011 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California.
KILL DEVIL HILL is:
* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) - Drums
"Stones Grow Her Name", the new album from Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA, sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 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.
"Stones Grow Her Name" has been certified gold in the band's home country for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. Released in Europe on May 18 and in North America on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. The effort was released as a limited-edition digipak, standard jewel case, vinyl and download.
"Stones Grow Her Name" track listing:
01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
02. Shitload of Money
03. Losing My Insanity
04. Somewhere Close To You
05. I Have A Right
06. Alone In Heaven
07. The Day
08. Cinderblox
09. Don't Be Mean
10. Wildfire II
11. Wildfire III
The "I Have A Right" video can be seen below.
Commented SONATA ARCTICA frontman Tony Kakko: "'I Have A Right' was the very last song I wrote for this album. At that point Tommy had already played his last track for 'Stones Grow Her Name', gotten ready to go to sauna AND opened his first beer for that night, when I SMS'd him to check his e-mail and record yet one more 'easy track.' He was mildly pissed. And perhaps fueled by that he nailed the song on the first take. It was a very emotional moment for him, I was told. The song hits home, if you know the subject and can relate to the subject. To put it short, it's a song about how we should not pass the burden we get from the past generation on the shoulders of our future offspring. Children's rights subject. Not the most metal subject ever, I suppose, but then again I think it fits our band well and is pretty universal. Funny to actually have fans from each age group this songs speaks about. Let's see what comes of it.
"Choosing the first single and video from this album was not very easy this time around as we had so many candidates. The best possible problem to have! 'I Have A Right' won the vote.
"The playing parts for this video were shot in our home town Kemi, here in Finland. The location was an old, abandoned school building. Somehow spooky and COLD. It was mid-March. Could say we were lucky the weather was unseasonably warm, yet way below zero.
"Director Tuukka Temonen and his crew did a great job with editing and all the additional footage. All in all, from my point of view, this was the easiest ever SONATA ARCTICA video to make. No 12 hours standing in a room filled with bird shit, no freezing my ass off on the ice in the middle of the sea from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or running in the woods in the middle of the night and not sleeping for 48 hours... had all that with the past videos."
"Stones Grow Her Name" has been certified gold in the band's home country for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. Released in Europe on May 18 and in North America on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. The effort was released as a limited-edition digipak, standard jewel case, vinyl and download.
"Stones Grow Her Name" track listing:
01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
02. Shitload of Money
03. Losing My Insanity
04. Somewhere Close To You
05. I Have A Right
06. Alone In Heaven
07. The Day
08. Cinderblox
09. Don't Be Mean
10. Wildfire II
11. Wildfire III
The "I Have A Right" video can be seen below.
Commented SONATA ARCTICA frontman Tony Kakko: "'I Have A Right' was the very last song I wrote for this album. At that point Tommy had already played his last track for 'Stones Grow Her Name', gotten ready to go to sauna AND opened his first beer for that night, when I SMS'd him to check his e-mail and record yet one more 'easy track.' He was mildly pissed. And perhaps fueled by that he nailed the song on the first take. It was a very emotional moment for him, I was told. The song hits home, if you know the subject and can relate to the subject. To put it short, it's a song about how we should not pass the burden we get from the past generation on the shoulders of our future offspring. Children's rights subject. Not the most metal subject ever, I suppose, but then again I think it fits our band well and is pretty universal. Funny to actually have fans from each age group this songs speaks about. Let's see what comes of it.
"Choosing the first single and video from this album was not very easy this time around as we had so many candidates. The best possible problem to have! 'I Have A Right' won the vote.
"The playing parts for this video were shot in our home town Kemi, here in Finland. The location was an old, abandoned school building. Somehow spooky and COLD. It was mid-March. Could say we were lucky the weather was unseasonably warm, yet way below zero.
"Director Tuukka Temonen and his crew did a great job with editing and all the additional footage. All in all, from my point of view, this was the easiest ever SONATA ARCTICA video to make. No 12 hours standing in a room filled with bird shit, no freezing my ass off on the ice in the middle of the sea from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or running in the woods in the middle of the night and not sleeping for 48 hours... had all that with the past videos."
"Carolus Rex", the new album from Swedish metallers SABATON, sold around 950 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 29 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.
"Carolus Rex" was released on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which was 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 published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".
"Carolus Rex" - English version track listing:
01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. The Lion From The North
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. A Lifetime Of War
05. 1 6 4 8
06. The Carolean's Prayer
07. Carolus Rex
08. Killing Ground
09. Poltava
10. Long Live The King
11. Ruina Imperii
"Carolus Rex" - Swedish version track listing:
01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. Lejonet från Norden
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. En Livstid i Krig
05. 1 6 4 8
06. Karolinens bön
07. Carolus Rex
08. Ett Slag Färgat Rött
09. Poltava
10. Konungens Likfärd
11. Ruina Imperii
The lyric video for the English version of SABATON's new single, "A Lifetime Of War" (Swedish: "En Livstid i Krig"), can be seen below.
SABATON was forced to cancel the first three shows of its current U.S. tour — which was scheduled to start on April 10 in Tampa, Florida — due to delays in obtaining visas over the Easter weekend for the band's four new members.
SABATON recently parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. The band's new touring lineup is as follows:
Joakim Brodén - Vocals
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland (NOCTURNAL RITES) - Guitar
Thobbe Englund (WINTERLONG, RAUBTIER) - Guitar
Robban Bäck (BALTIMOORE, PREY) - Drums
"Carolus Rex" was released on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which was 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 published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".
"Carolus Rex" - English version track listing:
01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. The Lion From The North
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. A Lifetime Of War
05. 1 6 4 8
06. The Carolean's Prayer
07. Carolus Rex
08. Killing Ground
09. Poltava
10. Long Live The King
11. Ruina Imperii
"Carolus Rex" - Swedish version track listing:
01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. Lejonet från Norden
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. En Livstid i Krig
05. 1 6 4 8
06. Karolinens bön
07. Carolus Rex
08. Ett Slag Färgat Rött
09. Poltava
10. Konungens Likfärd
11. Ruina Imperii
The lyric video for the English version of SABATON's new single, "A Lifetime Of War" (Swedish: "En Livstid i Krig"), can be seen below.
SABATON was forced to cancel the first three shows of its current U.S. tour — which was scheduled to start on April 10 in Tampa, Florida — due to delays in obtaining visas over the Easter weekend for the band's four new members.
SABATON recently parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. The band's new touring lineup is as follows:
Joakim Brodén - Vocals
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland (NOCTURNAL RITES) - Guitar
Thobbe Englund (WINTERLONG, RAUBTIER) - Guitar
Robban Bäck (BALTIMOORE, PREY) - Drums
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)", a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of CHILDREN OF BODOM's 15th anniversary, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world", plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.
"'15 Years Of Wasted Youth' is the sound of CHILDREN OF BODOM working hard, partying hard, being relentless and stubborn," says the band's guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho. "We went through many brick walls to get to where we are, and after seven studio albums, two live albums, non-stop touring, bleeding and breaking a lot of bones, I think we are justified in putting this album out. Let the music speak for itself. You have been warned."
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" track listing:
01. Hate Crew Deathroll
02. Shovel Knockout
03. Hate Me
04. Everytime I Die
05. Needled 24/7
06. I'm Shipping Up To Boston (* DROPKICK MURPHYS cover; previously unreleased)
07. Sixpounder
08. Warheart
09. Roundtrip to Hell and Back
10. Trashed, Lost & Strungout
11. Living Dead Beat
12. Deadnight Warrior
13. Blooddrunk
14. Follow The Reaper
15. Are You Dead Yet?
16. Silent Night, Bodom Night
17. Jessie's Girl (* RICK SPRINGFIELD cover; previously unreleased)
18. In Your Face
19. Angels Don't Kill
20. Downfall
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world", plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.
"'15 Years Of Wasted Youth' is the sound of CHILDREN OF BODOM working hard, partying hard, being relentless and stubborn," says the band's guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho. "We went through many brick walls to get to where we are, and after seven studio albums, two live albums, non-stop touring, bleeding and breaking a lot of bones, I think we are justified in putting this album out. Let the music speak for itself. You have been warned."
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" track listing:
01. Hate Crew Deathroll
02. Shovel Knockout
03. Hate Me
04. Everytime I Die
05. Needled 24/7
06. I'm Shipping Up To Boston (* DROPKICK MURPHYS cover; previously unreleased)
07. Sixpounder
08. Warheart
09. Roundtrip to Hell and Back
10. Trashed, Lost & Strungout
11. Living Dead Beat
12. Deadnight Warrior
13. Blooddrunk
14. Follow The Reaper
15. Are You Dead Yet?
16. Silent Night, Bodom Night
17. Jessie's Girl (* RICK SPRINGFIELD cover; previously unreleased)
18. In Your Face
19. Angels Don't Kill
20. Downfall
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD will take part in an in-store signing session on June 12 at 6:00 p.m. at SoundCheck Hollywood in Hollywood, California. More information is available on the flyer below.
3 INCHES OF BLOOD's new album, "Long Live Heavy Metal", was released on March 27 via Century Media Records.
For "Long Live Heavy Metal", 3 INCHES OF BLOOD reunited with producer and engineer Terry "Sho" Murray (CITY OF FIRE, EXHIBITIONISTS), who worked with the band on their seven-inch single, "Anthems For The Victorious".
3 INCHES OF BLOOD teamed up with Kim Thiessen to perfect their artistic vision for the album, which was released as a digipack and when opened, lays out similar to that of a book.
3 INCHES OF BLOOD recently recruited Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY) as its new bassist.
Stroud and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have been working together on a variety of things, and Stroud is beyond pleased to shift his involvement to a creative level.
Starting in June, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD will hit the road with MUNICIPAL WASTE and BLACK TUSK for a U.S. tour, and then head back to Canada for a headlining run.
3 INCHES OF BLOOD's new album, "Long Live Heavy Metal", was released on March 27 via Century Media Records.
For "Long Live Heavy Metal", 3 INCHES OF BLOOD reunited with producer and engineer Terry "Sho" Murray (CITY OF FIRE, EXHIBITIONISTS), who worked with the band on their seven-inch single, "Anthems For The Victorious".
3 INCHES OF BLOOD teamed up with Kim Thiessen to perfect their artistic vision for the album, which was released as a digipack and when opened, lays out similar to that of a book.
3 INCHES OF BLOOD recently recruited Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY) as its new bassist.
Stroud and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have been working together on a variety of things, and Stroud is beyond pleased to shift his involvement to a creative level.
Starting in June, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD will hit the road with MUNICIPAL WASTE and BLACK TUSK for a U.S. tour, and then head back to Canada for a headlining run.
KING KOBRA is busy recording the follow-up to last year's successful self-titled album for an early 2013 release via Frontiers Records.
Commented guitarist David Michael-Phillips: "We've got a high-energy combination of the classic KING KOBRA sound mixed with some of our favorite (heavy) influences: LED ZEPPELIN, WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER. Cool, heavy grooves, great melodies, soulful lead vocals by Paul Shortino, infectious harmonies and hooks...blazing guitars by yours truly and the thundering rhythm section of Johnny Rod and the legendary Carmine Appice! This is the next natural progression of 'Ready To Strike' and our last, self-titled album, 'King Kobra'."
Songtitles set to appear on the next KING KOBRA CD include "In The Night", "Feelin' Fine", "Take Me Back", "Deep River", "Got It Comin'" and "We Go Round".
Formed in 1984 by legendary drummer Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, OZZY OSBOURNE), Los Angeles heavy metal outfit KING KOBRA recorded two critically acclaimed albums for Capitol Records — the 1985 release "Ready To Strike" and 1986's "Thrill Of A Lifetime".
Along with Carmine, the band featured four relatively unknown musicians at the time — David Michael-Philips and Mick Sweda on guitar, Johnny Rod on bass and Mark Free on lead vocals. KING KOBRA toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Mexico playing shows with KISS, IRON MAIDEN, QUIET RIOT, TED NUGENT, QUEENSRŸCHE and AUTOGRAPH.
The band was featured regularly on MTV and performed the theme song for the #1 1986 motion picture "Iron Eagle". After disbanding in 1988, each member continued his career in other successful major-label groups — Carmine to BLUE MURDER (Geffen), Mark Free to UNRULY CHILD (Interscope), Mick Sweda to the BULLETBOYS (Warner Bros.), Johnny Rod to W.A.S.P. (Capitol/EMI) and David Michael-Philips to LIZZY BORDEN (Metal Blade).
The year 2010 saw the band reunite the original classic '85 lineup, replacing original singer Mark Free (now Marcie Free) with veteran lead vocalist Paul Shortino (ROUGH CUTT, QUIET RIOT).
Commented guitarist David Michael-Phillips: "We've got a high-energy combination of the classic KING KOBRA sound mixed with some of our favorite (heavy) influences: LED ZEPPELIN, WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER. Cool, heavy grooves, great melodies, soulful lead vocals by Paul Shortino, infectious harmonies and hooks...blazing guitars by yours truly and the thundering rhythm section of Johnny Rod and the legendary Carmine Appice! This is the next natural progression of 'Ready To Strike' and our last, self-titled album, 'King Kobra'."
Songtitles set to appear on the next KING KOBRA CD include "In The Night", "Feelin' Fine", "Take Me Back", "Deep River", "Got It Comin'" and "We Go Round".
Formed in 1984 by legendary drummer Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, OZZY OSBOURNE), Los Angeles heavy metal outfit KING KOBRA recorded two critically acclaimed albums for Capitol Records — the 1985 release "Ready To Strike" and 1986's "Thrill Of A Lifetime".
Along with Carmine, the band featured four relatively unknown musicians at the time — David Michael-Philips and Mick Sweda on guitar, Johnny Rod on bass and Mark Free on lead vocals. KING KOBRA toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Mexico playing shows with KISS, IRON MAIDEN, QUIET RIOT, TED NUGENT, QUEENSRŸCHE and AUTOGRAPH.
The band was featured regularly on MTV and performed the theme song for the #1 1986 motion picture "Iron Eagle". After disbanding in 1988, each member continued his career in other successful major-label groups — Carmine to BLUE MURDER (Geffen), Mark Free to UNRULY CHILD (Interscope), Mick Sweda to the BULLETBOYS (Warner Bros.), Johnny Rod to W.A.S.P. (Capitol/EMI) and David Michael-Philips to LIZZY BORDEN (Metal Blade).
The year 2010 saw the band reunite the original classic '85 lineup, replacing original singer Mark Free (now Marcie Free) with veteran lead vocalist Paul Shortino (ROUGH CUTT, QUIET RIOT).
Maryland-based experimental, progressive metallers PERIPHERY will release their sophomore album, "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal", on July 3 via Sumerian Records. The CD will feature guest appearances by John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER), Guthrie Govan (THE ARISTOCRATS) and Wes Hauch (THE FACELESS).
Commented PERIPHERY guitarist Misha Mansoor: "We put so much hard work and time into this album and we thank all of you for your continued support and patience. The album clocks in at sixty-nine minutes exactly and has tons of brand new material, so I assure you it is well worth the wait. Make sure to keep on the lookout for the first track which we will be releasing in the coming weeks."
"Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" track listing:
01. Muramasa
02. Have A Blast (feat. Guthrie Govan)
03. Facepalm Mute
04. Ji
05. Scarlet
06. Luck As A Constant
07. Ragnarok
08. The Gods Must Be Crazy!
09. Make Total Destroy
10. Erised (feat. John Petrucci)
11. Epoch
12. Froggin' Bullfish
13. Mile Zero (feat. Wes Hauch)
14. Masamune
PERIPHERY supported DREAM THEATER for two U.S. shows last October and a full-length European tour in January and February.
In a September 2011 interview with Metal Assault, Mansoor stated about Petrucci, "John Petrucci is the reason why I have a seven-string. John Petrucci is who I wanted to be when I started taking guitar seriously. I learned all the songs off [1999's] 'Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory' and played them horribly. But it really challenged me and showed me… I wanted to be him… I wanted to be John Petrucci so badly. I didn't even wanna be like him; I just wanted to be him. And I figured if I learned every song and solo, I'd get in his head and figure out how he wrote the amazing parts that he did and I'd understand how to be a better musician. I kind of got over that eventually when I realized I just didn't have the technical prowess to pull that off. But it definitely made a very big mark on me in many ways — in his approach to lead playing and arrangements and songwriting, in riff writing… everything. He's just such a balanced player and such a huge influence to me."
Bassist Tom Murphy last year announced his departure from PERIPHERY "to pursue something new." Adam "Nolly" Getgood of RED SEAS FIRE has been filling in on bass while Mark Holcomb took up his position as the full-time guitarist on the band's most recent tour.
Commented PERIPHERY guitarist Misha Mansoor: "We put so much hard work and time into this album and we thank all of you for your continued support and patience. The album clocks in at sixty-nine minutes exactly and has tons of brand new material, so I assure you it is well worth the wait. Make sure to keep on the lookout for the first track which we will be releasing in the coming weeks."
"Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" track listing:
01. Muramasa
02. Have A Blast (feat. Guthrie Govan)
03. Facepalm Mute
04. Ji
05. Scarlet
06. Luck As A Constant
07. Ragnarok
08. The Gods Must Be Crazy!
09. Make Total Destroy
10. Erised (feat. John Petrucci)
11. Epoch
12. Froggin' Bullfish
13. Mile Zero (feat. Wes Hauch)
14. Masamune
PERIPHERY supported DREAM THEATER for two U.S. shows last October and a full-length European tour in January and February.
In a September 2011 interview with Metal Assault, Mansoor stated about Petrucci, "John Petrucci is the reason why I have a seven-string. John Petrucci is who I wanted to be when I started taking guitar seriously. I learned all the songs off [1999's] 'Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory' and played them horribly. But it really challenged me and showed me… I wanted to be him… I wanted to be John Petrucci so badly. I didn't even wanna be like him; I just wanted to be him. And I figured if I learned every song and solo, I'd get in his head and figure out how he wrote the amazing parts that he did and I'd understand how to be a better musician. I kind of got over that eventually when I realized I just didn't have the technical prowess to pull that off. But it definitely made a very big mark on me in many ways — in his approach to lead playing and arrangements and songwriting, in riff writing… everything. He's just such a balanced player and such a huge influence to me."
Bassist Tom Murphy last year announced his departure from PERIPHERY "to pursue something new." Adam "Nolly" Getgood of RED SEAS FIRE has been filling in on bass while Mark Holcomb took up his position as the full-time guitarist on the band's most recent tour.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/peripheryiinew.jpg
Cleveland, Ohio thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTOR have parted ways with guitarist Pat Rabid and bassist Jamie Boulder. Rabid was a founding member in 1983 and played on the band's classic "Maximum Destruction" debut album, released in 1985 via Auburn Records. Boulder joined in 2002 and appeared on the "Sonic Bullet" (2003), "Forever In Leather" (2007) and "Storm Of Steel" (2007) releases.
Commented DESTRUCTOR vocalist/guitarist Dave Overkill: "Pat Rabid has left the band, citing personal issues, and is unable to keep his position. Jamie Boulder has also decided to leave. Jamie fronts his own metal band, MIDNIGHT, and decided to bow out shortly after Pat's announcement.
"Sometimes change happens but the heart and soul of DESTRUCTOR continues to beat fast and strong. Matt [Flammable, drums] and I wish them both the best and are thankful for their years of service to the band. We will be replacing the bass and guitar positions and are looking forward to being ready to support the new record shortly. Live shows are being tentatively planned, along with select auditions in the weeks to follow. Rest assured, DESTRUCTOR is here to stay and Matt and I are positive and moving forward with conviction. Stay tuned for updates to follow and as always keep the faith!"
DESTRUCTOR is finishing up the recording of its new studio album, "Decibel Casualties", at Supernatural Sound in Kirtland, Ohio. Tomasz Scull, guitarist for the band VENOMIN JAMES and owner of the studio, is engineering.
"We've had some recording delays due to the personnel problems," adds Overkill. "There is just some vocals and a little guitar work to tweak before mixing will begin. I am confident this will be the best DESTRUCTOR release to date. There is so much energy to the songs and the production will be what our fans have come to expect from us."
DESTRUCTOR's most recent lineup (left to right in photo below):
Pat Rabid - Guitar
Jamie Boulder - Bass
Matt Flammable - Drums
Dave Overkill - Guitar, Vocals
Commented DESTRUCTOR vocalist/guitarist Dave Overkill: "Pat Rabid has left the band, citing personal issues, and is unable to keep his position. Jamie Boulder has also decided to leave. Jamie fronts his own metal band, MIDNIGHT, and decided to bow out shortly after Pat's announcement.
"Sometimes change happens but the heart and soul of DESTRUCTOR continues to beat fast and strong. Matt [Flammable, drums] and I wish them both the best and are thankful for their years of service to the band. We will be replacing the bass and guitar positions and are looking forward to being ready to support the new record shortly. Live shows are being tentatively planned, along with select auditions in the weeks to follow. Rest assured, DESTRUCTOR is here to stay and Matt and I are positive and moving forward with conviction. Stay tuned for updates to follow and as always keep the faith!"
DESTRUCTOR is finishing up the recording of its new studio album, "Decibel Casualties", at Supernatural Sound in Kirtland, Ohio. Tomasz Scull, guitarist for the band VENOMIN JAMES and owner of the studio, is engineering.
"We've had some recording delays due to the personnel problems," adds Overkill. "There is just some vocals and a little guitar work to tweak before mixing will begin. I am confident this will be the best DESTRUCTOR release to date. There is so much energy to the songs and the production will be what our fans have come to expect from us."
DESTRUCTOR's most recent lineup (left to right in photo below):
Pat Rabid - Guitar
Jamie Boulder - Bass
Matt Flammable - Drums
Dave Overkill - Guitar, Vocals
Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock recently conducted an interview with former VENOM and current MPIRE OF EVIL guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
69 Faces Of Rock: VENOM's legacy is unquestionable.
Dunn: There is definitely a legacy, there is a heritage there, and it had a massive influence as well. I've met so many people on this tour, who say to me, "oh my God, do you realize what you've done for metal?" It's incredible that I get that reaction.
69 Faces Of Rock: And then there is always a new generation of kids discovering the original VENOM.
Dunn: Oh yeah, definitely. We've had young guys in the audience, and I've met tons of people after the show. In Seattle and Portland especially. There were fathers bringing their sons, so that's a new generation of fans. And to think those young guys are going back and paying homage re-discovering all the early stuff. I mean, most of them were not even born when "Welcome to Hell" came out, you know, but they are re-discovering all this stuff. And it can only be a good thing at the end of the day.
69 Faces Of Rock: When you look back at all the music you wrote over the years, especially VENOM's golden years, how do you see your musical growth?
Dunn: I hope I've grown up, and evolved, and progressed. I'm very proud of the new album, but it's still me writing the songs. I mean, I still got the same attitude. When we did the MPIRE album, we wanted to do anything we pleased. We wanted to put the album out, hoist the flag, and see who salutes! And the reviews so far are amazing. The reviews had been absolutely amazing. I mean, we took a lot of risks on the album. There is a track on the album called "Devil", which is a big heavy blues track. I play slide guitar, all that kind of stuff. When I had the idea for that song, I wanted to play the blues, and pay homage to Robert Johnson, the crossroads, and all the old blues players. You see, everything we do as musicians comes from the blues. The other thing that I wanted to say in that song was VENOM created black metal, but before we took its influences from BLACK SABBATH, and there was BLACK WIDOW. But way, way before that there was some guy sitting on the porch in the Delta with an old acoustic whaling about the devil. So it's nothing new, and that's what I'm trying to say in that song. The opening line is, "A widow on the Sabbath day."
69 Faces Of Rock: VENOM's image was very much in your face, shocking, often thought-provoking. How much of that was a gimmick?
Dunn: We've always said that we wanted to be the band that we would like to see on stage. And we've said that if you took every heavy metal cliché, put it in a big pot, stir it all up, then pour it out, it's gonna spell VENOM. That was always our thing.
69 Faces Of Rock: And the satanic aspect of the band?
Dunn: That was an absolute shock value. Nobody had taken it that far before. I mean, yeah, I've read the Satanic Bible. We all had an interest in the sort of darker side, if you'd like. I mean, my grandfather, when I used to go to his house, he let me stay up late, and watch all the old horror films. It was that kind of thing, so I had that sort of background. But I mean, the whole thing, the name VENOM, the way we wanted to portray it, and everything was all new. It was all there before Cronos joined the band. It was an already made thing to step into, really. The songs were written, everything was there. But, I've got no particular religious beliefs. I think religion causes more problems than anything else. I get asked this a lot, especially from people who are into the black metal thing. They want to know your views on it all, but I'm still into the music. That's what it's about for me. Yeah, I like presenting things with a certain image, making it look as good as you possibly can. And that was the whole thing with the VENOM thing as well. The stage show, the pyro, the way we looked. It's nothing new when you think about it, nothing drastic.
69 Faces Of Rock: VENOM's legacy is unquestionable.
Dunn: There is definitely a legacy, there is a heritage there, and it had a massive influence as well. I've met so many people on this tour, who say to me, "oh my God, do you realize what you've done for metal?" It's incredible that I get that reaction.
69 Faces Of Rock: And then there is always a new generation of kids discovering the original VENOM.
Dunn: Oh yeah, definitely. We've had young guys in the audience, and I've met tons of people after the show. In Seattle and Portland especially. There were fathers bringing their sons, so that's a new generation of fans. And to think those young guys are going back and paying homage re-discovering all the early stuff. I mean, most of them were not even born when "Welcome to Hell" came out, you know, but they are re-discovering all this stuff. And it can only be a good thing at the end of the day.
69 Faces Of Rock: When you look back at all the music you wrote over the years, especially VENOM's golden years, how do you see your musical growth?
Dunn: I hope I've grown up, and evolved, and progressed. I'm very proud of the new album, but it's still me writing the songs. I mean, I still got the same attitude. When we did the MPIRE album, we wanted to do anything we pleased. We wanted to put the album out, hoist the flag, and see who salutes! And the reviews so far are amazing. The reviews had been absolutely amazing. I mean, we took a lot of risks on the album. There is a track on the album called "Devil", which is a big heavy blues track. I play slide guitar, all that kind of stuff. When I had the idea for that song, I wanted to play the blues, and pay homage to Robert Johnson, the crossroads, and all the old blues players. You see, everything we do as musicians comes from the blues. The other thing that I wanted to say in that song was VENOM created black metal, but before we took its influences from BLACK SABBATH, and there was BLACK WIDOW. But way, way before that there was some guy sitting on the porch in the Delta with an old acoustic whaling about the devil. So it's nothing new, and that's what I'm trying to say in that song. The opening line is, "A widow on the Sabbath day."
69 Faces Of Rock: VENOM's image was very much in your face, shocking, often thought-provoking. How much of that was a gimmick?
Dunn: We've always said that we wanted to be the band that we would like to see on stage. And we've said that if you took every heavy metal cliché, put it in a big pot, stir it all up, then pour it out, it's gonna spell VENOM. That was always our thing.
69 Faces Of Rock: And the satanic aspect of the band?
Dunn: That was an absolute shock value. Nobody had taken it that far before. I mean, yeah, I've read the Satanic Bible. We all had an interest in the sort of darker side, if you'd like. I mean, my grandfather, when I used to go to his house, he let me stay up late, and watch all the old horror films. It was that kind of thing, so I had that sort of background. But I mean, the whole thing, the name VENOM, the way we wanted to portray it, and everything was all new. It was all there before Cronos joined the band. It was an already made thing to step into, really. The songs were written, everything was there. But, I've got no particular religious beliefs. I think religion causes more problems than anything else. I get asked this a lot, especially from people who are into the black metal thing. They want to know your views on it all, but I'm still into the music. That's what it's about for me. Yeah, I like presenting things with a certain image, making it look as good as you possibly can. And that was the whole thing with the VENOM thing as well. The stage show, the pyro, the way we looked. It's nothing new when you think about it, nothing drastic.
VEXT — the new New Jersey/New York-based heavy rock band featuring singer Tommy Vext (DIVINE HERESY, SNOT), guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi, and the rhythm section of the now-disbanded MUTINY WITHIN (Andrew Jacobs on bass and Bill Fore on drums) — will release its debut EP, "Impermanence", on July 3.
"Impermanence" track listing:
01. Exit Wounds
02. In The End
03. Crush
04. Hourglass
The cover artwork of "Impermanence" can be seen below. Also available is a stream of the EP's first single, "In The End".
VEXT is:
Tommy Vext - Vocals
Angel Vivaldi - Guitar
Andrew Jacobs - Bass
Bill Fore - Drums
All copies that are pre-ordered will be autographed by the bandmembers. The EP will also be available on iTunes and many other digital retailers.
VEXT will play a pre-release show on June 12 at Sullivan Hall in New York City.
These four musicians came together in search of a different sound since they had all been previously involved with more extreme metal projects. How they came to know one another is a quite unconventional.
On the evening of September 19, 2010, Vext was the victim of a brutal attack at his home in Brooklyn. Having suffered severe injuries to his skull, abdomen and an open compound fracture to his left arm, Tommy was rushed to the ER. With medical bills soaring above seventy-five thousand dollars, his friends in the music scene banded together to help raise funds.
Enter Roadrunner recording artists MUTINY WITHIN. "We heard that GOD FORBID was doing a benefit concert for Tommy and when we found out why, we immediately jumped on the bill," says Jacobs. A few months later, Andrew introduced Tommy to Bill. After seeing Fore perform with the Angel Vivaldi band, it became apparent to Tommy that Angel and Bill were the missing pieces to this new musical effort.
"Impermanence" track listing:
01. Exit Wounds
02. In The End
03. Crush
04. Hourglass
The cover artwork of "Impermanence" can be seen below. Also available is a stream of the EP's first single, "In The End".
VEXT is:
Tommy Vext - Vocals
Angel Vivaldi - Guitar
Andrew Jacobs - Bass
Bill Fore - Drums
All copies that are pre-ordered will be autographed by the bandmembers. The EP will also be available on iTunes and many other digital retailers.
VEXT will play a pre-release show on June 12 at Sullivan Hall in New York City.
These four musicians came together in search of a different sound since they had all been previously involved with more extreme metal projects. How they came to know one another is a quite unconventional.
On the evening of September 19, 2010, Vext was the victim of a brutal attack at his home in Brooklyn. Having suffered severe injuries to his skull, abdomen and an open compound fracture to his left arm, Tommy was rushed to the ER. With medical bills soaring above seventy-five thousand dollars, his friends in the music scene banded together to help raise funds.
Enter Roadrunner recording artists MUTINY WITHIN. "We heard that GOD FORBID was doing a benefit concert for Tommy and when we found out why, we immediately jumped on the bill," says Jacobs. A few months later, Andrew introduced Tommy to Bill. After seeing Fore perform with the Angel Vivaldi band, it became apparent to Tommy that Angel and Bill were the missing pieces to this new musical effort.
Anders Eek, a founding member of Norwegian cult doom band FUNERAL, was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday, May 29.
While Eek remains in stable condition, further tests need to be done in order for doctors to decide the next step.
Eek will spend the next few days in the hospital, in accordance with the doctor's orders.
Although very fatigued, Eek is confident he will be able to get back on his feet soon.
FUNERAL recently completed work on a new studio album, "Oratorium", due later in the year via Grau Records.
The band's last CD, "As The Light Does The Shadow", came out in September 2008 through Indie Recordings.
While Eek remains in stable condition, further tests need to be done in order for doctors to decide the next step.
Eek will spend the next few days in the hospital, in accordance with the doctor's orders.
Although very fatigued, Eek is confident he will be able to get back on his feet soon.
FUNERAL recently completed work on a new studio album, "Oratorium", due later in the year via Grau Records.
The band's last CD, "As The Light Does The Shadow", came out in September 2008 through Indie Recordings.
The cover artwork of "Precession", the debut album from SYMBOLICA — consisting of Gus Monsanto (vocals; ex-ADAGIO, REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE), Marcelo Moreira (drums; ALMAH), Zeka Junior (guitar), Diego Bittencourt (guitar) and Lucas Pavei (bass) — can be seen below. The CD will be released in the beginning of June.
"Precession" was recorded at The House Of Symbolica Studio, the band's own studio in Urussanga, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
"Precession" was recorded at The House Of Symbolica Studio, the band's own studio in Urussanga, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Drummer Mark "Bam Bam" McConnell, who was a member of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach's touring band from 1997 to 2005, passed away on Thursday, May 24 in a Gainesville, Florida hospital. According to unconfirmed online reports, the musician's liver and kidneys had shut down, which led to partial brain damage.
McConnell's niece Erin McConnell, who is always referred to as his sister because they grew up together (raised by his mom), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding his passing:
"On May 24, we all lost an amazing, incredibly talented and dedicated musician, Mark 'Bam Bam' McConnell.
"Mark's passing came as a complete shock to us all.
"The past few days have been intensely overwhelming in every respect. As his family, our focus has been directed at making sure we keep Mark's best interests in mind and to follow his wishes.
"We would like to thank everyone for respecting our privacy and giving us the time we need.
"Mark was taken from us too soon, but he lived life to the fullest and on his own terms.
"To all of us, Mark leaves behind his love and kindness, along with the humor and passion for music that he shared with everyone — family, friends and fans alike. He will never be forgotten.
"For the music industry, Mark leaves behind a legacy. He was and will always be one of the most gifted drummers in the world. His passion and madness behind the drum kit were unmatched. He played with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and everyone who had the opportunity to make music with him will tell you what an honor it was. Mark's spirit will live on forever in the hearts of many and through his music.
"We would like to send out our deepest appreciation to everyone for all the support, prayers and shared memories of Mark. This has helped us through our darkest time and even made us smile, along with filling our hearts with so much warmth. The response has been overwhelming, and if Mark could see the outpour of love on his behalf, he, too, would be in awe. We know that all of Mark's friends and fans are grieving and heartbroken by this loss. Know that Mark loved all of you, and you are all in our hearts and prayers. "
In a 1999 interview, Bach stated about McConnell, "He is on fire. When we toured in '98 with PANTERA, Vinnie Paul was like, 'Man, how many fuckin' pieces does your drummer have?' And for Vinnie Paul to say that. . . And Mark has always been a powerhouse. I am the luckiest guy in the world because I have Anton Fig from David Letterman's band on all of the studio tracks for 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive' and Mark on all of the live stuff, two of the greatest drummers in the world."
McConnell's niece Erin McConnell, who is always referred to as his sister because they grew up together (raised by his mom), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding his passing:
"On May 24, we all lost an amazing, incredibly talented and dedicated musician, Mark 'Bam Bam' McConnell.
"Mark's passing came as a complete shock to us all.
"The past few days have been intensely overwhelming in every respect. As his family, our focus has been directed at making sure we keep Mark's best interests in mind and to follow his wishes.
"We would like to thank everyone for respecting our privacy and giving us the time we need.
"Mark was taken from us too soon, but he lived life to the fullest and on his own terms.
"To all of us, Mark leaves behind his love and kindness, along with the humor and passion for music that he shared with everyone — family, friends and fans alike. He will never be forgotten.
"For the music industry, Mark leaves behind a legacy. He was and will always be one of the most gifted drummers in the world. His passion and madness behind the drum kit were unmatched. He played with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and everyone who had the opportunity to make music with him will tell you what an honor it was. Mark's spirit will live on forever in the hearts of many and through his music.
"We would like to send out our deepest appreciation to everyone for all the support, prayers and shared memories of Mark. This has helped us through our darkest time and even made us smile, along with filling our hearts with so much warmth. The response has been overwhelming, and if Mark could see the outpour of love on his behalf, he, too, would be in awe. We know that all of Mark's friends and fans are grieving and heartbroken by this loss. Know that Mark loved all of you, and you are all in our hearts and prayers. "
In a 1999 interview, Bach stated about McConnell, "He is on fire. When we toured in '98 with PANTERA, Vinnie Paul was like, 'Man, how many fuckin' pieces does your drummer have?' And for Vinnie Paul to say that. . . And Mark has always been a powerhouse. I am the luckiest guy in the world because I have Anton Fig from David Letterman's band on all of the studio tracks for 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive' and Mark on all of the live stuff, two of the greatest drummers in the world."
Indiana progressive metallers THE CONTORTIONIST will release their new album, "Intrinsic", on July 17 via eOne/Good Fight Music. The CD was produced and recorded by Eyal Levi (DAATH, JOB FOR A COWBOY) and Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER) at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.
Commented THE CONTORTIONIST vocalist/keyboardist Jonathan Carpenter: "On 'Intrinsic', we've found ourselves focusing on the songwriting as well as the new textures and melody we're striving for. Each song has its own identity and flow, but the album is fun to listen through in order cause of the conceptual ties."
"Intrinsic" track listing:
01. Holomovement
02. Feedback Loop
03. Causality
04. Sequential Vision
05. Geocentric Confusion
06. Dreaming Schematics
07. Anatomy Anomalies
08. Cortical
09. Solipsis
10. Parallel Trance
THE CONTORTIONIST broke onto the scene a few years ago and has quickly earned the title as one of the most musically inclined bands in the progressive metal genre.
In their brief but accomplished career, the band has supported a wide variety of acts, including PERIPHERY, ALL SHALL PERISH, THE ACACIA STRAIN as well as headlining the inaugural edition of the Summer Slaughter Survivors Tour in 2011. The band is currently finishing up tour dates in Canada and will continue to stay on the road throughout the rest of the year.
THE CONTORTIONIST is: Robby Baca (guitar), Jonathan Carpenter (vocals, keyboards), Joey Baca (percussion), Cameron Maynard (guitar), Christopher Tilley (bass).
Commented THE CONTORTIONIST vocalist/keyboardist Jonathan Carpenter: "On 'Intrinsic', we've found ourselves focusing on the songwriting as well as the new textures and melody we're striving for. Each song has its own identity and flow, but the album is fun to listen through in order cause of the conceptual ties."
"Intrinsic" track listing:
01. Holomovement
02. Feedback Loop
03. Causality
04. Sequential Vision
05. Geocentric Confusion
06. Dreaming Schematics
07. Anatomy Anomalies
08. Cortical
09. Solipsis
10. Parallel Trance
THE CONTORTIONIST broke onto the scene a few years ago and has quickly earned the title as one of the most musically inclined bands in the progressive metal genre.
In their brief but accomplished career, the band has supported a wide variety of acts, including PERIPHERY, ALL SHALL PERISH, THE ACACIA STRAIN as well as headlining the inaugural edition of the Summer Slaughter Survivors Tour in 2011. The band is currently finishing up tour dates in Canada and will continue to stay on the road throughout the rest of the year.
THE CONTORTIONIST is: Robby Baca (guitar), Jonathan Carpenter (vocals, keyboards), Joey Baca (percussion), Cameron Maynard (guitar), Christopher Tilley (bass).
Chicago-based multinational extreme act AGAINST THE PLAGUES has issued the following update:
"We are currently wrapping up the production of the new AGAINST THE PLAGUES album. As we are nearing the release, we felt that it was time to reveal the album's title and details. We decided to call this collection 'The Quaternion' since the album features four extensive pieces that correspond to one conceptual idea. This concept underlines the theme and philosophy of AGAINST THE PLAGUES. We feel that over the past six years, the listeners of 'extreme metal' have been denied and robbed of the essence of metal's original intentions, class, and quality. We are hoping, with this album, that perhaps yesterday's listeners will revive their estranged relationship with extreme music. We also hope that new ears will catch a glimpse of this craft before it completely dies out in North America."
Due this summer, "The Quaternion" will feature the following track listing (not in final running order):
01. Man's Modern World
02. Theokratia
03. The Praetorian Icon
04. Enemy Herein
AGAINST THE PLAGUES is:
* Varyen Chylinski (FOREST OF IMPALED, DAMNATION) - Drums
* Marco Martell (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE) - Guitar
* Marcin "Novy" Nowak (BEHEMOTH, VADER, ROAD'S END) - Bass
* Orlando Logan "Plague Healer" Perez (ex-VEX, WHORE OF BABYLON - Vocals
AGAINST THE PLAGUES' debut album, "Decoding The Mainframe", was released in Europe on March 31, 2010 via Vic Records.
AGAINST THE PLAGUES in 2010 parted ways with guitarist Adrian Adamus (FOREST OF IMPALED, CORPHAGY). According to the band, Adrian left AGAINST THE PLAGUES "in order to focus on his personal/family life." Guitar duties in AGAINST THE PLAGUES are now being handled by Marco Martell (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE, KULT OF AZAZEL), who previously played bass for the group.
"Decoding The Mainframe" contains re-recorded versions of all eight songs from AGAINST THE PLAGUES' self-released CD, "Architecture of Oppression". The tracks were remastered and mixed by Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, AEON, DISSECTION, KATATONIA, MARDUK).
"We are currently wrapping up the production of the new AGAINST THE PLAGUES album. As we are nearing the release, we felt that it was time to reveal the album's title and details. We decided to call this collection 'The Quaternion' since the album features four extensive pieces that correspond to one conceptual idea. This concept underlines the theme and philosophy of AGAINST THE PLAGUES. We feel that over the past six years, the listeners of 'extreme metal' have been denied and robbed of the essence of metal's original intentions, class, and quality. We are hoping, with this album, that perhaps yesterday's listeners will revive their estranged relationship with extreme music. We also hope that new ears will catch a glimpse of this craft before it completely dies out in North America."
Due this summer, "The Quaternion" will feature the following track listing (not in final running order):
01. Man's Modern World
02. Theokratia
03. The Praetorian Icon
04. Enemy Herein
AGAINST THE PLAGUES is:
* Varyen Chylinski (FOREST OF IMPALED, DAMNATION) - Drums
* Marco Martell (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE) - Guitar
* Marcin "Novy" Nowak (BEHEMOTH, VADER, ROAD'S END) - Bass
* Orlando Logan "Plague Healer" Perez (ex-VEX, WHORE OF BABYLON - Vocals
AGAINST THE PLAGUES' debut album, "Decoding The Mainframe", was released in Europe on March 31, 2010 via Vic Records.
AGAINST THE PLAGUES in 2010 parted ways with guitarist Adrian Adamus (FOREST OF IMPALED, CORPHAGY). According to the band, Adrian left AGAINST THE PLAGUES "in order to focus on his personal/family life." Guitar duties in AGAINST THE PLAGUES are now being handled by Marco Martell (MALEVOLENT CREATION, DIVINE EMPIRE, KULT OF AZAZEL), who previously played bass for the group.
"Decoding The Mainframe" contains re-recorded versions of all eight songs from AGAINST THE PLAGUES' self-released CD, "Architecture of Oppression". The tracks were remastered and mixed by Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, AEON, DISSECTION, KATATONIA, MARDUK).
Swedish modern metal band ONE WITHOUT is making its new EP, "Numbers", available over a four-week period, with one song released for free each week through the online music promotion platform OKDJ. Each track is being released on the same day and same time each week starting on Sunday, May 27 at 8 p.m. GMT, and will end with the full EP being released on all bigger online music stores (and Spotify) on June 24.
Using the OKDJ platform, ONE WITHOUT will issue a weekly prize to the top promoter for each track using OKDJ's Top Promoter game. Prizes will include merchandise and CDs.
Song release schedule:
May 27 (Week 1): "The Lies"
Jun. 03 (Week 2): "Systematic Suffering"
Jun. 10 (Week 3): "Numbers"
Jun. 17 (Week 4): "Involuntary Suicide"
Jun. 24: Full EP release
Commented ONE WITHOUT guitarist Kenny Boufadene: "The 'Numbers' EP is a taste of what direction ONE WITHOUT are going in with the upcoming third album. It will be totally free to download through OKDJ, and if you want to buy it to support us, you will get the chance on the 24th of June when it is released on iTunes, Spotify and all bigger online music stores."
"Numbers" was produced, mixed and mastered by Joonas Niskanen and Kenny Boufadene, with cover art by Markus Mönttinen.
ONE WITHOUT previously released two albums, 2011's "Sweet Relief" and 2009's "Thoughts Of A Secluded Mind", has toured with DEAD BY APRIL, EVERGREY, KATATONIA, MARIONETTE and the GENITORTURERS, been featured in numerous magazines and radio shows and shared stages with bands like SOULFLY, EPICA, DORO, KRYPTERIA, PARADISE LOST, CARPARK NORTH, and ALL ENDS.
ONE WITHOUT is:
Catrin Feymark - Vocals
Kenny Boufadene – Guitar, Screams
Joni "Jupiter" Kaartinen - Bass
Joonas Niskanen - Guitar
Håkan "H-Can" Strind - Drums
For more information, visit www.onewithout.com.
Using the OKDJ platform, ONE WITHOUT will issue a weekly prize to the top promoter for each track using OKDJ's Top Promoter game. Prizes will include merchandise and CDs.
Song release schedule:
May 27 (Week 1): "The Lies"
Jun. 03 (Week 2): "Systematic Suffering"
Jun. 10 (Week 3): "Numbers"
Jun. 17 (Week 4): "Involuntary Suicide"
Jun. 24: Full EP release
Commented ONE WITHOUT guitarist Kenny Boufadene: "The 'Numbers' EP is a taste of what direction ONE WITHOUT are going in with the upcoming third album. It will be totally free to download through OKDJ, and if you want to buy it to support us, you will get the chance on the 24th of June when it is released on iTunes, Spotify and all bigger online music stores."
"Numbers" was produced, mixed and mastered by Joonas Niskanen and Kenny Boufadene, with cover art by Markus Mönttinen.
ONE WITHOUT previously released two albums, 2011's "Sweet Relief" and 2009's "Thoughts Of A Secluded Mind", has toured with DEAD BY APRIL, EVERGREY, KATATONIA, MARIONETTE and the GENITORTURERS, been featured in numerous magazines and radio shows and shared stages with bands like SOULFLY, EPICA, DORO, KRYPTERIA, PARADISE LOST, CARPARK NORTH, and ALL ENDS.
ONE WITHOUT is:
Catrin Feymark - Vocals
Kenny Boufadene – Guitar, Screams
Joni "Jupiter" Kaartinen - Bass
Joonas Niskanen - Guitar
Håkan "H-Can" Strind - Drums
For more information, visit www.onewithout.com.
End Of The Light Records will release the 20th-anniversary edition of ORPHANED LAND's very first recordings, "The Beloveds Cry", in North America on July 17. Originally issued in 1993, this limited digipack adds liner notes along with freshly remastered original recordings and two bonus tracks.
"We are very proud to release the 20th anniversary edition of 'The Beloveds Cry' as this is our youth, first ever recording as ORPHANED LAND," said ORPHANED LAND frontman Kobi Farhi. "We have recorded it when we were 17 years old and financed it from pocket money we got from our parents. This always bring some nice, old memories and dreams we had back then, and it's great to see we achived many of them in our 20-year career. I think this edition is a must to every ORPHANED LAND fan."
"The Beloveds Cry" track listing
01. Seasons Unite
02. Above You All
03. Pits Of Despair
04. The Beloved's Cry
05. My Requiem
06. Orphaned Land - The Storm Still Rages Inside
07. Joy (remix) (bonus track)
08. Mercy (bonus track)
"The Beloveds Cry" will be distributed by DisManic via eOne Distribution.
ORPHANED LAND's concert DVD, "The Road To OR-Shalem", was released last fall via Century Media Records.
"We are very proud to release the 20th anniversary edition of 'The Beloveds Cry' as this is our youth, first ever recording as ORPHANED LAND," said ORPHANED LAND frontman Kobi Farhi. "We have recorded it when we were 17 years old and financed it from pocket money we got from our parents. This always bring some nice, old memories and dreams we had back then, and it's great to see we achived many of them in our 20-year career. I think this edition is a must to every ORPHANED LAND fan."
"The Beloveds Cry" track listing
01. Seasons Unite
02. Above You All
03. Pits Of Despair
04. The Beloved's Cry
05. My Requiem
06. Orphaned Land - The Storm Still Rages Inside
07. Joy (remix) (bonus track)
08. Mercy (bonus track)
"The Beloveds Cry" will be distributed by DisManic via eOne Distribution.
ORPHANED LAND's concert DVD, "The Road To OR-Shalem", was released last fall via Century Media Records.
Mythological occult metal artisans ABSU regretfully announce the cancelation of their set at this weekend's Chaos In Tejas festivities, where they were confirmed to headline the show at Red 7 this Saturday with support from TERRORISM, LOSS, MORBOSIDAD, ARES KINGDOM and BLACK WITCHERY.
Immediately following their bludgeoning performance at the opening night of this year's sweltering installment of Maryland Deathfest this past Thursday night, ABSU drummer/vocalist Proscriptor had to rush back to Texas due to a knee infection. Following two instantaneous surgeries, Proscriptor will be in good health and back to 110 percent efficiency by the mid portion of June, but not in time to perform as scheduled on Saturday night.
This cancelation is disheartening to the band for the moment, as they were fully planning on leveling all in earshot at the performance this weekend; however, this procedure will now ensure that the band will be fully operational for the previously mentioned forthcoming ABSU live assaults throughout North and South America, which are being confirmed now to be announced in the weeks just ahead. Stay tuned to be inundated with new information on said events.
Immediately following their bludgeoning performance at the opening night of this year's sweltering installment of Maryland Deathfest this past Thursday night, ABSU drummer/vocalist Proscriptor had to rush back to Texas due to a knee infection. Following two instantaneous surgeries, Proscriptor will be in good health and back to 110 percent efficiency by the mid portion of June, but not in time to perform as scheduled on Saturday night.
This cancelation is disheartening to the band for the moment, as they were fully planning on leveling all in earshot at the performance this weekend; however, this procedure will now ensure that the band will be fully operational for the previously mentioned forthcoming ABSU live assaults throughout North and South America, which are being confirmed now to be announced in the weeks just ahead. Stay tuned to be inundated with new information on said events.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/absuchaos.jpg
Metal Army's recent addition to our ranks, Victor M. Ruiz (Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast) chatted with SIX FEET UNDER front man and death metal legend CHRIS BARNES. Together they discussed 6FU's brand new release Undead (Metal Blade). Barnes is always 100% honest in his delivery at the mic and the same goes for his answers to our questions! Enjoy!
MAA: In 93 when you put this band together as a side project did you figure it would still be around almost 20 years later?
CB: Oh yeah man, I had a really good idea that this band was going to be well accepted. Like the first group of songs I got and started working on, I could see the crowd really liking the music in the live situation. So, I felt it was going to be a good long term thing for myself.
MAA: The word pioneer is associated to so many people, but it's obvious that thousands of singers have and will continue to emulate a style you helped make popular decades ago. Did you ever think what you were doing would be so influential?
CB: No, I don't even think of it now, when you say that it makes me cringe a little bit (laughs). I don't really think about things like that. I don't think I'm really responsible for that, but if people want to associate me with that, I'm ok with it. I'm just glad people enjoy it.
MAA: A lot of the topics covered on the new album Undead are not new to the band, how much of a challenge is to take some of these themes and make them new again?
CB: It's not that difficult, there's millions of ways to kill people. I haven't written a million, but I've written maybe a couple of hundred, it's pretty much infinite. When I sit and write lyrics, I just take it as if it is the first song I've ever written. I really listen to the music, because I write to the music, it really takes me on a journey and speaks to me. What it's saying to me, I really look into that, and bring out the story, following the vibe of the actual music.
MAA: Given some of these themes, does it surprise you when people can't differentiate between Chris Barnes the entertainer and Chris Barnes the person? Do they expect you to only talk about death and murder all of the time?
CB: (Laughs) I don't know, I guess some people are surprised when they meet me, and sit down and actually talk to me. Yeah, you know it not all I really talk and dwell on. That's my secret life that I give you guys, that I let you into. It's the calm normal guy next door that you have to watch out for. Sometimes I feel that there is some disappointment with some fans, you know faces (they make) when they meet me, and we hang out, they expect something other than what they get, and I can't be anyone else than the person I am. It is what it is, and I just try to have fun no matter the situation.
MAA: Has your motivation changed at all over the years?
CB: No, not at all, I'm motivated by creating music that I really enjoy myself. That's really my motivation to create something that I'm really interested in.
MAA: So much is brought up about the lineup on this album, especially the connection to CHIMAIRA, was there ever any doubt in your mind that this lineup jell and work so well on this album?
CB: I didn't doubt it, Rob was the first guy I decided I wanted to work with, once I decided that I wanted to sit down, and work on the album. I've known him for years, and I know what a conscious, focused song writer he is. His ability as a musician is amazing, I've always had that in the back of my head for years. I always thought, I'd like to work with him one day, and Kevin as well. So you know I really had high hopes, and everything I had hoped for came through with this album. We created a really great group of songs for the album.
MAA: What separates Rob as a song writer from other people you've worked with in the past?
CB: Like I said, focus, a consciousness to song writing, he's a very intelligent guy, and he understands that there is more to writing a song then writing guitar parts, you he know how to work with a band. He really understands what I work off of, in the sense of knowing what makes me tick as a vocalist, and a song writer, and he gets what I syncopate my vocal versings against. By doing that it's a very conscious, very focused and is a very easy way of writing to the music he creates. He really knows where my pocket is, and that's really important.
MAA: So if it's up to you this will be a long lasting musical relationship?
CB: Oh yeah, Rob is going to remain a song writer within the band for as long as he wants, there are already three other tracks ready for the next album.
MAA: With the last album you self-produced it, with Undead you went with Mark Lewis and Jason Suecof to help steer certain aspects of the album, how important was their contribution to the album?
CB: They're just as important as everyone else on this album. We went outside of the band and tried to do things a little different. Even with the production we did things differently, with as much care as everything else that we concentrated on with this release. They're both good friends of ours, and I've worked with Mark on previous releases that he's mixed for us. He's just a great guy, I love his way of handling things, it's just great. And Jason he really came into this thing, and did the mix on the record, and just understood exactly what myself and Rob Arnold needed from this production, and pulled all of these elements together, with everyone's tastes and likes and made sure they were incorporated in the album. I couldn't be happier with the production, it is the best production we've ever had on an album.
MAA: Was there anything different you tried in the studio this time around?
CB: Yeah, I wanted to make sure that we had a relaxed atmosphere, and was not rushed to work on things and try to get the best performances out of myself that I could. I always do those things, but I was even more intent on getting that done, and I was able to due to the fact that I recorded all of my vocal tracks over the course of a year and two months. I was able to write a song, and go in and record the vocals as we went. I tried a lot of different vocal techniques in the studio; a lot of things were I would try different tones and vocal tones. I had different ways of achieving this without using studio equipment, which I've never been a fan of, you know processing my vocals to achieve a dynamic effect to it. So I used acoustic techniques that I developed myself over the years on the studio. This time since I had more time I could experiment more with things, like microphone placement, and other things that I had the urge to try. Those things worked well, especially where the double tracking of the vocals, you know an extra vocal track in the back to syncopate against.
MAA: Is there anything you need to do to get your voice in shape and ready to record or go out on the road?
CB: Just get my daily dose of cannabinoids, and having as much rehearsal time as possible before going on tour or into the studio.
MAA: Are you surprised by the notoriety your cover songs have received?
CB: Well, the Europeans always love TNT in the live setting in the festivals, at first that did surprise me, it's a heavy version. The did sort of surprise me, but it's fun doing all of that stuff.
MAA: Does it surprise you that most of the bands you've covered have been considered a metal band at one point, but to younger fans of metal no longer consider some of these bands to be metal bands?
CB: I haven't given that much thought; guess that's kind of interesting. It's not something that bothers me. Cause you know what? What are labels? If they fade out so what, at least it's good music. But I understand people want to put labels on something, they want to belong to something. I was one of those kids growing up. You want to associate to something, I was a metal head, I wanted to be known as a metal head, it was the most fun thing about growing up. Music was everything to me growing up, it still is, although in a different way now.
MAA: What do you feel is the biggest death metal cliché?
CB: Wow, I don't know, I don't really find anything to be cliché in death metal. I think it is what it is, and people make it what they want to make it. I always thought of death metal as being an open range, you sort of do what you want. Nothing that another band has done has really bothered me, I think there is room for everything. People want to stick to thinking a certain way regarding what death metal is, just portraying that, that's cool too. There is always room for the purists, and those that want to experiment. It's always been an interesting style to me.
"Undead", the new album from Florida death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER, sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 183 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 5 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.
SIX FEET UNDER's previous collection of original material, 2008's "Death Rituals", opened with around 2,300 units to enter the Heatseekers chart at No. 14.
"Undead" was released on May 22 through Metal Blade Records. The 12-track CD was produced by Mark Lewis (DEICIDE, DEVILDRIVER) and mixed by Jason Suecof (WHITECHAPEL, JOB FOR A COWBOY), at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.
In conjunction with the release of "Undead", SIX FEET UNDER will embark upon a near three-week run of live rituals this June. Dubbed the "18 Nights Of Blood Tour", the beatings will begin in Atlanta, Georgia on June 8 and ravage its way across the country before coming to a close on June 29 in Tampa, Florida. Support will be provided by DYING FETUS and REVOCATION.
SIX FEET UNDER's European tour will kick off on August 11 in Jaromer, Czech Republic and will conclude on August 18 in Hamburg, Germany. Support on the trek will come from DEW-SCENTED.
SIX FEET UNDER last week announced the addition of Swedish rhythm guitarist Ola Englund (FEARED, SCARPOINT) to their legendary ranks. Englund, who will make his first official appearance with the band on the "18 Nights Of Blood Tour" next month, takes the place of Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA).
SIX FEET UNDER recently parted ways with bassist Matt DeVries and replaced him with Jeff Hughell, formerly of the Santa Cruz, California technical death metal band BRAIN DRILL and Concord, California death metal group VILE, and currently of RECIPROCAL.
Bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall announced their departures from SIX FEET UNDER in January 2011. Butler has since joined OBITUARY as a permanent member.
SIX FEET UNDER's previous collection of original material, 2008's "Death Rituals", opened with around 2,300 units to enter the Heatseekers chart at No. 14.
"Undead" was released on May 22 through Metal Blade Records. The 12-track CD was produced by Mark Lewis (DEICIDE, DEVILDRIVER) and mixed by Jason Suecof (WHITECHAPEL, JOB FOR A COWBOY), at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.
In conjunction with the release of "Undead", SIX FEET UNDER will embark upon a near three-week run of live rituals this June. Dubbed the "18 Nights Of Blood Tour", the beatings will begin in Atlanta, Georgia on June 8 and ravage its way across the country before coming to a close on June 29 in Tampa, Florida. Support will be provided by DYING FETUS and REVOCATION.
SIX FEET UNDER's European tour will kick off on August 11 in Jaromer, Czech Republic and will conclude on August 18 in Hamburg, Germany. Support on the trek will come from DEW-SCENTED.
SIX FEET UNDER last week announced the addition of Swedish rhythm guitarist Ola Englund (FEARED, SCARPOINT) to their legendary ranks. Englund, who will make his first official appearance with the band on the "18 Nights Of Blood Tour" next month, takes the place of Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA).
SIX FEET UNDER recently parted ways with bassist Matt DeVries and replaced him with Jeff Hughell, formerly of the Santa Cruz, California technical death metal band BRAIN DRILL and Concord, California death metal group VILE, and currently of RECIPROCAL.
Bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall announced their departures from SIX FEET UNDER in January 2011. Butler has since joined OBITUARY as a permanent member.
In a recent interview with RockOverdose.gr, Karl Sanders of South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE revealed that the band will film a video for the song "Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame" this August in Greece.
Although it has not yet been confirmed, it is likely that the clip will be shot in Meteora, which is said to be the largest and most important complex of monasteries in all of Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The monasteries are built on spectacular natural sandstone rock pillars at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly, near the Peneios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. Meteora is home to six monasteries and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
"Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame" comes off NILE's seventh full-length album, "At The Gate Of Sethu", which will be released in Europe on June 29 and in the U.S. on July 3 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Those Whom The Gods Detest" was once again produced and mixed by Neil Kernon, who has previously worked with NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, QUEENSRŸCHE and DEICIDE, among many others. The CD artwork was handled by a true genius of darkened visuals, Seth Siro Anton (SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, SEPTICFLESH).
Commented NILE mastermind Karl Sanders: "Seth Siro Anton has designed the cover. I have been a fan of SEPTICFLESH a long time, and as Seth expressed interest, I knew that he would deliver a great job. I would say his work is easily the best we've ever had. He has captured the darker side of the sound of NILE and reflected the music and ideas, the heart and soul of NILE are forming. Seth is a very talented man and understands exactly who we are."
Added Seth Siro Anton: "It is no secret that I admire the powerful stylistic lines of the magical symbols that still transmit the aura of ancient Egypt, preserving in time the ancient mysteries. Also, I am fascinated from the final frozen moment of the flesh captured in an eternal sleeping stasis, at the completion of the mummification process. So, with a great pleasure I accepted the challenge, to visualize the new masterpiece of NILE, 'At The Gate Of Sethu'."
In a recent interview with CobraMetal.net, Sanders stated about "At The Gate Of Sethu", "Well, we started [working on it] in May of last year (2011) after we finished our European tour. We worked on that fucking record for 10 months straight, to the exclusion of all else. (Laughs) Long hours, every day."
Regarding the new album's concept, Karl said, "It's in similar territory to other NILE records in that a lot of it stems from Ancient Egyptology and sort of has underlying modern themes tied in. We haven't abandoned our identity and I don't believe you should fuck over your fans. If your fans like what you do, and you change too much of what you do, fans don't like it. What matters to me is when I'm out on tour and I meet the actual fans and they share their thoughts…those are the people that I listen to. There's a lot of new ideas within the realm of what we do that we tried to incorporate. We studied real hard on the guitar and have lots of new riffs and musical ideas. There are a lot of surprises on the record."
When asked if fans can expect any guest appearances on the new NILE CD, Karl said, "Jon Vesano is all over this record. (Our former singer and bass guitarist who we're still good friends with.) Jon did some guest vocals on "Those Whom The Gods Detest" and it made us realize all over again all the things we really liked about Jon's vocals. We wanted to incorporate some of his insanity. [laughs] He's wicked, man. He knows how to channel that inner possession. He finds a way to summon it. It's great stuff."
"At The Gate Of Sethu" track listing (North American/European digipack):
01. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame
02. The Fiends Who Come To Steal The Magick Of The Deceased
03. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh
04. When My Wrath Is Done
05. Slaves Of Xul
06. The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu
07. Natural Liberation Of Fear Through The Ritual Deception Of Death
08. Ethno-Musicological Cannibalisms
09. Tribunal Of The Dead
10. Supreme Humanism Of Megalomania
11. The Chaining Of The Iniquitous
Bonus:
12. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame (instrumental)
13. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh (instrumental)
"At The Gate Of Sethu" track listing (European jewel case):
01. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame
02. The Fiends Who Come To Steal The Magick Of The Deceased
03. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh
04. When My Wrath Is Done
05. Slaves Of Xul
06. The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu
07. Natural Liberation Of Fear Through The Ritual Deception Of Death
08. Ethno-Musicological Cannibalisms
09. Tribunal Of The Dead
10. Supreme Humanism Of Megalomania
11. The Chaining Of The Iniquitous
Although it has not yet been confirmed, it is likely that the clip will be shot in Meteora, which is said to be the largest and most important complex of monasteries in all of Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The monasteries are built on spectacular natural sandstone rock pillars at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly, near the Peneios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. Meteora is home to six monasteries and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
"Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame" comes off NILE's seventh full-length album, "At The Gate Of Sethu", which will be released in Europe on June 29 and in the U.S. on July 3 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Those Whom The Gods Detest" was once again produced and mixed by Neil Kernon, who has previously worked with NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, QUEENSRŸCHE and DEICIDE, among many others. The CD artwork was handled by a true genius of darkened visuals, Seth Siro Anton (SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, SEPTICFLESH).
Commented NILE mastermind Karl Sanders: "Seth Siro Anton has designed the cover. I have been a fan of SEPTICFLESH a long time, and as Seth expressed interest, I knew that he would deliver a great job. I would say his work is easily the best we've ever had. He has captured the darker side of the sound of NILE and reflected the music and ideas, the heart and soul of NILE are forming. Seth is a very talented man and understands exactly who we are."
Added Seth Siro Anton: "It is no secret that I admire the powerful stylistic lines of the magical symbols that still transmit the aura of ancient Egypt, preserving in time the ancient mysteries. Also, I am fascinated from the final frozen moment of the flesh captured in an eternal sleeping stasis, at the completion of the mummification process. So, with a great pleasure I accepted the challenge, to visualize the new masterpiece of NILE, 'At The Gate Of Sethu'."
In a recent interview with CobraMetal.net, Sanders stated about "At The Gate Of Sethu", "Well, we started [working on it] in May of last year (2011) after we finished our European tour. We worked on that fucking record for 10 months straight, to the exclusion of all else. (Laughs) Long hours, every day."
Regarding the new album's concept, Karl said, "It's in similar territory to other NILE records in that a lot of it stems from Ancient Egyptology and sort of has underlying modern themes tied in. We haven't abandoned our identity and I don't believe you should fuck over your fans. If your fans like what you do, and you change too much of what you do, fans don't like it. What matters to me is when I'm out on tour and I meet the actual fans and they share their thoughts…those are the people that I listen to. There's a lot of new ideas within the realm of what we do that we tried to incorporate. We studied real hard on the guitar and have lots of new riffs and musical ideas. There are a lot of surprises on the record."
When asked if fans can expect any guest appearances on the new NILE CD, Karl said, "Jon Vesano is all over this record. (Our former singer and bass guitarist who we're still good friends with.) Jon did some guest vocals on "Those Whom The Gods Detest" and it made us realize all over again all the things we really liked about Jon's vocals. We wanted to incorporate some of his insanity. [laughs] He's wicked, man. He knows how to channel that inner possession. He finds a way to summon it. It's great stuff."
"At The Gate Of Sethu" track listing (North American/European digipack):
01. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame
02. The Fiends Who Come To Steal The Magick Of The Deceased
03. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh
04. When My Wrath Is Done
05. Slaves Of Xul
06. The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu
07. Natural Liberation Of Fear Through The Ritual Deception Of Death
08. Ethno-Musicological Cannibalisms
09. Tribunal Of The Dead
10. Supreme Humanism Of Megalomania
11. The Chaining Of The Iniquitous
Bonus:
12. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame (instrumental)
13. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh (instrumental)
"At The Gate Of Sethu" track listing (European jewel case):
01. Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame
02. The Fiends Who Come To Steal The Magick Of The Deceased
03. The Inevitable Degradation Of Flesh
04. When My Wrath Is Done
05. Slaves Of Xul
06. The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu
07. Natural Liberation Of Fear Through The Ritual Deception Of Death
08. Ethno-Musicological Cannibalisms
09. Tribunal Of The Dead
10. Supreme Humanism Of Megalomania
11. The Chaining Of The Iniquitous
Canadian blackened death metal blasphemers WEAPON have completed the recording of their long-awaited Relapse debut entitled "Embers And Revelations". The band entered the studio on March 18 to record the CD along with producer Terry Paholek at The Physics Lab in their hometown of Edmonton, Canada. Continuing on the same scathing path as their previous works, the upcoming release, planned for the fall of 2012, is sure to be their most vicious and all-out evil offering to date.
Commented WEAPON guitarist/vocalist Vetis Monarch: "WEAPON loyalists can expect no-holds barred, satanic death metal that the band displayed on its previous work, but further refined and sharpened to ferocious perfection. 'Embers And Revelations' will be the apex of malice via music."
WEAPON has confirmed a three-week tour with black metal legends MARDUK and 1349, with additional support from WITHERED. The trek begins this Saturday, June 2 in Baltimore, Maryland and ends on June 20 in San Diego, California. Immediately following these dates, WEAPON will headline a string of shows with support from WITHERED, HOD, NIGHTBRINGER and BLASPHERIAN on select dates.
Commented WEAPON guitarist/vocalist Vetis Monarch: "WEAPON loyalists can expect no-holds barred, satanic death metal that the band displayed on its previous work, but further refined and sharpened to ferocious perfection. 'Embers And Revelations' will be the apex of malice via music."
WEAPON has confirmed a three-week tour with black metal legends MARDUK and 1349, with additional support from WITHERED. The trek begins this Saturday, June 2 in Baltimore, Maryland and ends on June 20 in San Diego, California. Immediately following these dates, WEAPON will headline a string of shows with support from WITHERED, HOD, NIGHTBRINGER and BLASPHERIAN on select dates.
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