On July 17, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release "Speak Of The Devil" on DVD by OZZY OSBOURNE in North America.
This show was filmed at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in California on June 12, 1982 as part of the delayed continuation of the "Diary Of A Madman" tour following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads a few months earlier. The audio has been digitally restored and remastered and is now available in DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time. "Speak Of The Devil" includes the classics "Mr. Crowley", "Over The Mountain", "Crazy Train", "Flying High Again", "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "Goodbye To Romance" and many more.
The concert is a perfect snapshot of Ozzy Osbourne's live performances in the eighties with dramatic staging and masses of energy with a setlist based around his first two solo albums and a few BLACK SABBATH classics. The lineup for this show features Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Don Airey (keyboards); Tommy Aldridge (drums); Brad Gillis (guitar) and Rudy Sarzo (bass).
"Speak Of The Devil" track listing:
01. Over The Mountain
02. Mr Crowley
03. Crazy Train
04. Revelation (Mother Earth)
05. Steal Away (The Night)
06. Suicide Solution
07. Guitar / Drum Solo
08. Goodbye To Romance
09. I Don't Know
10. Believer
11. Flying High Again
12. Iron Man
13. Children Of The Grave
14. Paranoid
This show was filmed at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in California on June 12, 1982 as part of the delayed continuation of the "Diary Of A Madman" tour following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads a few months earlier. The audio has been digitally restored and remastered and is now available in DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time. "Speak Of The Devil" includes the classics "Mr. Crowley", "Over The Mountain", "Crazy Train", "Flying High Again", "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "Goodbye To Romance" and many more.
The concert is a perfect snapshot of Ozzy Osbourne's live performances in the eighties with dramatic staging and masses of energy with a setlist based around his first two solo albums and a few BLACK SABBATH classics. The lineup for this show features Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Don Airey (keyboards); Tommy Aldridge (drums); Brad Gillis (guitar) and Rudy Sarzo (bass).
"Speak Of The Devil" track listing:
01. Over The Mountain
02. Mr Crowley
03. Crazy Train
04. Revelation (Mother Earth)
05. Steal Away (The Night)
06. Suicide Solution
07. Guitar / Drum Solo
08. Goodbye To Romance
09. I Don't Know
10. Believer
11. Flying High Again
12. Iron Man
13. Children Of The Grave
14. Paranoid
Brought to you by Fangoria, the planet's number one cult film, horror and fantasy culture entertainment magazine, Kiss: Monster - The Official Album And Tour Magazine is a KISS magazine made by KISS fans for KISS fans. Celebrating the upcoming release of "Monster", the band's 20th album and their upcoming summer tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, this glossy, 72-page collector's magazine features dozens of rare, new and never-before-published photographs as well as new interviews with KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, wherein they muse on the past, reflect on the present and look to what lies in store for "the hottest band in the world… KISS!" You'll also get a thorough, critical look at the full KISS discography; a preview of "Monster" written by the band; secrets behind "The Tour"; a look at the design of the new KISS costumes as well as their costumes worn through the ages; Gene and Paul remembering classic KISS albums like "Creatures Of The Night" and "Alive"; in-depth retrospective of the delirious KISS TV movie "Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park" and so much more!
Edited by Fangoria editor-in-chief (and lifelong, card-carrying KISS Army member) Chris Alexander, this towering salute to the ever-evolving KISS mythology is one that every self respecting KISS fan MUST have.
Kiss: Monster – The Official Album And Tour Magazine will be on newsstands everywhere late June and will be available to order through KissOnline.com and Fangoria.com.
Edited by Fangoria editor-in-chief (and lifelong, card-carrying KISS Army member) Chris Alexander, this towering salute to the ever-evolving KISS mythology is one that every self respecting KISS fan MUST have.
Kiss: Monster – The Official Album And Tour Magazine will be on newsstands everywhere late June and will be available to order through KissOnline.com and Fangoria.com.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/kissmonstermagazine.jpg
Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash spoke to Madison.com about being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the fact that the band's lead singer, Axl Rose, refused to be inducted along with the rest of the classic GN'R lineup.
"It was a really nice event all around, and it was a special moment for all the guys that showed up," Slash said. "It was a nightmare going into it, but when it actually happened it was like, 'This is pretty cool.'"
He added, "Going up there you feel very much part of something that is bigger than…all the stories, drugs, the fights and this and that and the other. There was a body of a music that had a significant impact. When you think about where we come from, which is really like sort of the back alleys of Hollywood and being just scourges of the neighborhood…it was like, 'Wow. It was a pretty big thing we ended up doing.'"
When asked what his initial reaction was after reading Axl Rose's open letter to the Rock Hall in which the frontman refused induction, Slash said, "The funny thing is we never would have played had he never written it. I think at one point he alluded he was at least going to go, and so we hadn't really prepared to play at all. We were just going to show up as almost an obligatory thing — more for the fans than anything. But that letter set a fire that was like, 'Okay, (bleep) it. We're going to go play.' So it really almost didn't happen. And if it hadn't been for that special letter, it wouldn't have."
"It was a really nice event all around, and it was a special moment for all the guys that showed up," Slash said. "It was a nightmare going into it, but when it actually happened it was like, 'This is pretty cool.'"
He added, "Going up there you feel very much part of something that is bigger than…all the stories, drugs, the fights and this and that and the other. There was a body of a music that had a significant impact. When you think about where we come from, which is really like sort of the back alleys of Hollywood and being just scourges of the neighborhood…it was like, 'Wow. It was a pretty big thing we ended up doing.'"
When asked what his initial reaction was after reading Axl Rose's open letter to the Rock Hall in which the frontman refused induction, Slash said, "The funny thing is we never would have played had he never written it. I think at one point he alluded he was at least going to go, and so we hadn't really prepared to play at all. We were just going to show up as almost an obligatory thing — more for the fans than anything. But that letter set a fire that was like, 'Okay, (bleep) it. We're going to go play.' So it really almost didn't happen. And if it hadn't been for that special letter, it wouldn't have."
After all of these years, Soundgarden continue to surprise.
"Live to Rise", the group's contribution to Avengers Assemble, the soundtrack for The Avengers, constructs a veritable roller coaster on par with any of the most thrilling fare from Superunknown or Badmotorfinger.
A quintessential Kim Thayil storm of distortion mounts alongside Matt Cameron's pummeling beats and Ben Shepherd's earth-quaking bass. Soon, the song descends into a pensive acoustic verse punctuated by Chris Cornell's ruminations upon loneliness and duty before swelling back into a massive refrain. "Live to Rise" examines darkness, power, and triumph—just like all classic Soundgarden. This is just another example of why they're one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time.
The track also heralds their return, and it's a fitting precursor to their long-awaited new studio album due out later this year. Heartfelt, hypnotic, and heavy, get ready for another trip from the legendary quartet. Rock 'n' roll is set to rise with them.
In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden talks "Live to Rise", new music, his process, finding heavy music, and so much more.
"Live to Rise" tells a story of alienation and perseverance that fits the vibe of The Avengers. There are a lot of intriguing juxtapositions within the song.
Yeah, I couldn't really figure out how to do it any other way [Laughs]. To me, it felt like the riff was the most important thing, first and foremost. It's in the song when it needs to be. The essence of this unimaginable horror is kind of easy for me. It has to be cerebral. It has to come—not from a literal standpoint—but a paranoid standpoint of sitting in a room for too long thinking about things. That's obviously the version I can relate to, but it easily lives in that world of the literal, actual unimaginable horror. It seems to work. More so than most songs, there was a long process for it to come together and be right. I think that has to do with the fact that the song does have to coexist with a very strong and specific entity which everybody already has ideas about, namely the movie. It has to fit in there. That's not something which comes up much for me or Soundgarden. If you're writing a song with your band or you're writing a solo song, anything you come up with is valid. It's you representing you, and that's what people expect. They're your fans, and they want to hear what you think. It's easy. Writing for Soundgarden, I consider Matt, Ben, and Kim my audience. That's who I'm really worried about. I don't think about anybody else. I worry about those three getting behind it, understanding it, and liking it. Then, if we all like it, it definitely seems to work with our audience. With the film, it has to work with us first, then our audience, and next the film. The movie is a very strong and specific part of the process. It's different. It's not always easy.
Well, it's a Soundgarden song at the end of the day. The band's identity shines through.
In a way, there are aspects of having to write with the film's idea in mind. The collaboration probably led to some different moods I otherwise might not have done. I might have, but I might not have. I think that's always good. You have a new combination for the song's destination, and you have to figure out what works for that without really considering it when the conception comes up. For a song to be good, the conception has to be pure and come from somewhere. You have to be excited about it. If it doesn't work for a destination, you move on. That happened in this situation a few times. If there is no destination, anything you write has to be fun, exciting, and cool. Then, if that's the case, you like it and it has a destination later. That's the way we usually do things. This is a good thing for me to do. It helps me realign myself with the notion that music can be anything and there is really no such thing as specific genres unless you decide there is. You can mix genres anyway you want. You can make records with any amount of complexity or simplicity. I think that's the most important thing.
The film touches upon some deeper existential themes of loneliness that you've also explored with Soundgarden and your solo material.
Yeah, I think that's why it probably was a good movie for us to write a song for. Other than the fact it gets our song and band in front of a lot of people, we coexist well with the attitude of the film. Beyond that, there's the idea of the music being associated with product. When is that okay? For us, it's always been okay if it's something we can get behind—if it's a good product. This happens to be a great product. We all saw it as a band. We loved it as a movie. We thought it was great. It's not disappointing. That's really important for us. This is a partnership, and the partner made a great thing. That's good!
What sparks your writing?
Lately, I decide to write and I have an overall mood in mind that has nothing to do with words. It's just a mood. The words come out. Some amount of them comes out immediately. There's some little part of that which is the song, and I can see it. That's easy to recognize. I take that out and start building the song on that. Most of the time, that's how it goes for me, lately. The other way is I'll read something which gets me thinking and flowing lyrically. That doesn't necessarily work right away. I'll read for a little bit and start writing, and it all opens up. Writing periods for me, I'm not someone who walks around with a notebook my whole life and every time I see something I write it down or think about it. I don't really do that. I'm writing and playing music a lot. I'll tend to read when I'm not writing. If an idea strikes me, I'll write it down. I never actually write out whole lyrics until it's time to write lyrics or I'm writing a whole album usually. The reason why is I get into flow, and it's like opening some radio frequency. It takes me a little time to dial in clearly. Once it's in clearly, I can do a lot. If I stop for a week, it gets fuzzy. It takes a lot of concentration to keep that going.
Has that been the process for the new Soundgarden album?
Definitely, it's been a pretty good time. I suppose the actual writing has taken place over the course of a couple years. Initially, we wrote a handful of songs early on in the process. Then, we went on tour a few times. I went on tour. Matt went on tour with Pearl Jam. Ben was working on a solo record. We would take breaks and come back. That was actually good. Otherwise, I have to force myself to take a break for a minute which is usually after beating my head against a wall if I'm having trouble with something. If something doesn't immediately work and the melodies and lyrics don't coexist with the music perfectly, then I can go away from it and come back a couple months later. Then, the problem seems to have solved itself. Having this amount of time to make this record hasn't hurt us. It's been good—especially for the first record back. To not have a ton of pressure put on it with scheduling, release date, and touring is great.
You have the space to be creative.
Yeah, if you consider the time we took off as time when we're doing other things, you condense the amount of time we spent actually working on the record, we probably spent less time working on this record than other records. However, it feels a lot more relaxed.
When did you first discover heavy music?
I probably first discovered it with The Beatles—from the certain songs they did that were that way like "Revolution" and "Helter Skelter". Then, that got me into other music. I sort of went the past the stuff every kid listened to like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I got into a period of prog. Prog brought me into AC/DC and The Ramones. It was kind of the antidote. I was learning about music and the notion it can be anything. It can be The Ramones or Yes. Those both can certainly be rock, but they're insanely different! It's like they're from two different planets. Being in Soundgarden, I was listening to Bauhaus. They had a couple of songs with these riffs that were very heavy and these dark moods with the guitar. There were other post-punk bands that did that. It was more from that than anything that Soundgarden started doing it. Once we started doing it, we immediately got Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin comparisons in a positive way. That was actually the first time I started listening to Led Zeppelin without it feeling like I was listening to the music that drive Camaros listen to [Laughs]. I began becoming a huge fan, but it wasn't until after Soundgarden existed. In some way, my understanding of what a heavy song is was definitely born out of Soundgarden's development not out of listening to it first.
To look back on Superunknown, is "Like Suicide" a special song for you?
Yeah, I remember writing the lyrics and originally coming up with the musical idea for it. It was very different. It was definitely one of those songs that comes up when you're going through an exploration. It stands out in a way because of my clear memory of it. I feel like every song, whether I'm writing to someone else's parts or I'm writing a song in its entirety for Soundgarden, there's always some need for exploration. There really is. Otherwise, it's not going to work as a Soundgarden song. If it's something where I understand how all the parts are going to fit and I'm going to play them because I've done it before, that really disqualifies it. I don't know why that is, but I feel like we all have that same notion. I think that's what makes our records unpredictable and pretty eclectic and broad musically and mood-wise.
"Live to Rise", the group's contribution to Avengers Assemble, the soundtrack for The Avengers, constructs a veritable roller coaster on par with any of the most thrilling fare from Superunknown or Badmotorfinger.
A quintessential Kim Thayil storm of distortion mounts alongside Matt Cameron's pummeling beats and Ben Shepherd's earth-quaking bass. Soon, the song descends into a pensive acoustic verse punctuated by Chris Cornell's ruminations upon loneliness and duty before swelling back into a massive refrain. "Live to Rise" examines darkness, power, and triumph—just like all classic Soundgarden. This is just another example of why they're one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time.
The track also heralds their return, and it's a fitting precursor to their long-awaited new studio album due out later this year. Heartfelt, hypnotic, and heavy, get ready for another trip from the legendary quartet. Rock 'n' roll is set to rise with them.
In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden talks "Live to Rise", new music, his process, finding heavy music, and so much more.
"Live to Rise" tells a story of alienation and perseverance that fits the vibe of The Avengers. There are a lot of intriguing juxtapositions within the song.
Yeah, I couldn't really figure out how to do it any other way [Laughs]. To me, it felt like the riff was the most important thing, first and foremost. It's in the song when it needs to be. The essence of this unimaginable horror is kind of easy for me. It has to be cerebral. It has to come—not from a literal standpoint—but a paranoid standpoint of sitting in a room for too long thinking about things. That's obviously the version I can relate to, but it easily lives in that world of the literal, actual unimaginable horror. It seems to work. More so than most songs, there was a long process for it to come together and be right. I think that has to do with the fact that the song does have to coexist with a very strong and specific entity which everybody already has ideas about, namely the movie. It has to fit in there. That's not something which comes up much for me or Soundgarden. If you're writing a song with your band or you're writing a solo song, anything you come up with is valid. It's you representing you, and that's what people expect. They're your fans, and they want to hear what you think. It's easy. Writing for Soundgarden, I consider Matt, Ben, and Kim my audience. That's who I'm really worried about. I don't think about anybody else. I worry about those three getting behind it, understanding it, and liking it. Then, if we all like it, it definitely seems to work with our audience. With the film, it has to work with us first, then our audience, and next the film. The movie is a very strong and specific part of the process. It's different. It's not always easy.
Well, it's a Soundgarden song at the end of the day. The band's identity shines through.
In a way, there are aspects of having to write with the film's idea in mind. The collaboration probably led to some different moods I otherwise might not have done. I might have, but I might not have. I think that's always good. You have a new combination for the song's destination, and you have to figure out what works for that without really considering it when the conception comes up. For a song to be good, the conception has to be pure and come from somewhere. You have to be excited about it. If it doesn't work for a destination, you move on. That happened in this situation a few times. If there is no destination, anything you write has to be fun, exciting, and cool. Then, if that's the case, you like it and it has a destination later. That's the way we usually do things. This is a good thing for me to do. It helps me realign myself with the notion that music can be anything and there is really no such thing as specific genres unless you decide there is. You can mix genres anyway you want. You can make records with any amount of complexity or simplicity. I think that's the most important thing.
The film touches upon some deeper existential themes of loneliness that you've also explored with Soundgarden and your solo material.
Yeah, I think that's why it probably was a good movie for us to write a song for. Other than the fact it gets our song and band in front of a lot of people, we coexist well with the attitude of the film. Beyond that, there's the idea of the music being associated with product. When is that okay? For us, it's always been okay if it's something we can get behind—if it's a good product. This happens to be a great product. We all saw it as a band. We loved it as a movie. We thought it was great. It's not disappointing. That's really important for us. This is a partnership, and the partner made a great thing. That's good!
What sparks your writing?
Lately, I decide to write and I have an overall mood in mind that has nothing to do with words. It's just a mood. The words come out. Some amount of them comes out immediately. There's some little part of that which is the song, and I can see it. That's easy to recognize. I take that out and start building the song on that. Most of the time, that's how it goes for me, lately. The other way is I'll read something which gets me thinking and flowing lyrically. That doesn't necessarily work right away. I'll read for a little bit and start writing, and it all opens up. Writing periods for me, I'm not someone who walks around with a notebook my whole life and every time I see something I write it down or think about it. I don't really do that. I'm writing and playing music a lot. I'll tend to read when I'm not writing. If an idea strikes me, I'll write it down. I never actually write out whole lyrics until it's time to write lyrics or I'm writing a whole album usually. The reason why is I get into flow, and it's like opening some radio frequency. It takes me a little time to dial in clearly. Once it's in clearly, I can do a lot. If I stop for a week, it gets fuzzy. It takes a lot of concentration to keep that going.
Has that been the process for the new Soundgarden album?
Definitely, it's been a pretty good time. I suppose the actual writing has taken place over the course of a couple years. Initially, we wrote a handful of songs early on in the process. Then, we went on tour a few times. I went on tour. Matt went on tour with Pearl Jam. Ben was working on a solo record. We would take breaks and come back. That was actually good. Otherwise, I have to force myself to take a break for a minute which is usually after beating my head against a wall if I'm having trouble with something. If something doesn't immediately work and the melodies and lyrics don't coexist with the music perfectly, then I can go away from it and come back a couple months later. Then, the problem seems to have solved itself. Having this amount of time to make this record hasn't hurt us. It's been good—especially for the first record back. To not have a ton of pressure put on it with scheduling, release date, and touring is great.
You have the space to be creative.
Yeah, if you consider the time we took off as time when we're doing other things, you condense the amount of time we spent actually working on the record, we probably spent less time working on this record than other records. However, it feels a lot more relaxed.
When did you first discover heavy music?
I probably first discovered it with The Beatles—from the certain songs they did that were that way like "Revolution" and "Helter Skelter". Then, that got me into other music. I sort of went the past the stuff every kid listened to like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I got into a period of prog. Prog brought me into AC/DC and The Ramones. It was kind of the antidote. I was learning about music and the notion it can be anything. It can be The Ramones or Yes. Those both can certainly be rock, but they're insanely different! It's like they're from two different planets. Being in Soundgarden, I was listening to Bauhaus. They had a couple of songs with these riffs that were very heavy and these dark moods with the guitar. There were other post-punk bands that did that. It was more from that than anything that Soundgarden started doing it. Once we started doing it, we immediately got Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin comparisons in a positive way. That was actually the first time I started listening to Led Zeppelin without it feeling like I was listening to the music that drive Camaros listen to [Laughs]. I began becoming a huge fan, but it wasn't until after Soundgarden existed. In some way, my understanding of what a heavy song is was definitely born out of Soundgarden's development not out of listening to it first.
To look back on Superunknown, is "Like Suicide" a special song for you?
Yeah, I remember writing the lyrics and originally coming up with the musical idea for it. It was very different. It was definitely one of those songs that comes up when you're going through an exploration. It stands out in a way because of my clear memory of it. I feel like every song, whether I'm writing to someone else's parts or I'm writing a song in its entirety for Soundgarden, there's always some need for exploration. There really is. Otherwise, it's not going to work as a Soundgarden song. If it's something where I understand how all the parts are going to fit and I'm going to play them because I've done it before, that really disqualifies it. I don't know why that is, but I feel like we all have that same notion. I think that's what makes our records unpredictable and pretty eclectic and broad musically and mood-wise.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Dave Mustaine doesn't just answer a question; he commits to it.
Megadeth's founder and frontman is passionate about many subjects -- thrash metal is just one of them -- and once he gets going, Mustaine, 50, is inclined to discuss, detail, explain and elaborate. He talks about his politics. He talks about his faith. He talks about his past as a poor kid in California. He talks about hard rock, tough breaks, health problems and band chemistry. When he's about to emphasize a point or sum up his feelings, Mustaine will take a breath and say, "Long story boring ..." Then he concludes. It's hard to argue with Mustaine, a cordial yet forceful personality. But he's definitely wrong about one thing. His long stories never are boring; they offer compelling glimpses into his life and career. "People like me, we're used to fighting for what we have," Mustaine says. "My mom was a maid; I grew up with a key around my neck, so I could get into the house after school while she was at work. I know about hardship. When I started out, I was homeless. I lived on the streets and panhandled."
DETAILS
Who: Megadeth.
When: 6:45 p.m. May 5.
Where: Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil.
Who: Megadeth.
When: 6:45 p.m. May 5.
Where: Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil.
With Megadeth's music, Mustaine has found a way to rage against the machine, combat injustice, struggle against censorship and fight for the rights he holds dear. "When people in Washington say they're going to take away my guns," he says, "they better bring theirs if they're going to take mine." Agree or disagree, Mustaine's bound to make you think. Conceptually, he's a heavy guy, known for creating heavy records such as "Countdown to Extinction," "Youthanasia," "The System Has Failed" and "Endgame." Nuclear war? He condemns the very idea. Christianity? He's fully embraced it. Drug addiction? He's been trapped there, and made it through the abyss. "People oscillate at different rates of speed," Mustaine says. "When times get tough, when people are stressing a little more, heavy metal becomes more popular. It has the right speed, tempo, vibration and color. When people listen to songs like that, they connect." See for yourself on Saturday, when Megadeth performs in Birmingham at the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil. The band's 6:45 p.m. set -- its first appearance here in more than a decade -- is part of a tour linked to "Thirteen," released in November as Megadeth's 13th studio album.
Megadeth has earned several Grammy nominations, but has yet to take home the trophy. Does leader Dave Mustaine care about awards and ceremonies? "It's relative to where the award comes from," Mustaine says. " I skipped the first seven Grammy Awards. I thought it was kind of hilarious. I went to the eighth. I'd like to win a Grammy, because it's been elusive to me so far. But I don't liken myself to the Susan Lucci of the Grammys. When we win awards and competitions awarded by our peers, that's totally different."
For longtime fans, Mustaine is much more than a frontman; he's the stubborn heartbeat of the band, and the only constant member since Megadeth was formed in the early 1980s. Other players have come and gone, and some of them have famously clashed with Mustaine over the signature sound -- dark, fast and complex -- or the band's apocalyptic themes. "That's the problem when you start a band," he says. "You have to pick the right guys. But things happen. ... We have our lineup and everything's working, and one guy says, 'I want more money.' Or 'I want to write more songs.' The truth of the matter is that it's hard to write songs. You have your whole life to write your first album. After that, it's hard." Difficult, too, is the task of sustaining for about 30 years in the world of thrash and metal. Mustaine, for example, has endured a severe case of spinal stenosis (with herniated discs and bone spurs) and suffered nerve damage in his left arm and hand. Mustaine jokes that his mom always warned him about the dangers of head-banging, but the physical demands of aggressive rock performances have taken their toll. In 2011, he had emergency surgery when his neck and spine problems became overwhelming, during the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Tour. "Last summer during the Mayhem Tour, everything just went south," Mustaine says. "Something had broken in the back of my neck; I had a bone fragment in my spinal column the size of an eraser. The pain when I was moving my neck had me on my knees, sobbing. My son had never seen me this way. My hand went numb. My ring and pinky finger were not communicating with my brain. ... But the surgery was a complete success. I had a disc fused in my neck, and the feeling has returned completely to my left hand. It shows you how God's with me in everything you do." Now that he's healed, Mustaine says, "I take vitamins and supplements and I pray." He's also careful about his stage moves, compensating for the loss of motion -- about 10 percent, he says -- in his neck. "The act of head-banging, when it started, was to play guitar, stand in a wide posture and move your head up and down," Mustaine says. "Now I move my torso a little bit more, and get the desired effect. I make the necessary adjustments I need to keep myself healthy. Really, it's been a blessing in disguise." Just as important, Mustaine says, is that drama inside the band is finally over. He's pleased to share the Megadeth name with a stable lineup of musicians: drummer Shawn Drover, guitarist Chris Broderick and the band's original bassist, David Ellefson, who rejoined the group in 2010. "When you have three other guys with the same mindset and vision, it's like a car with all four tires working," Mustaine says. "That's the good thing about being perceived as a band, knowing that it's not just me."
When ANTHRAX was given the choice of playing this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival main stage or the festival's Jägermeister Stage, the band opted to headline the latter, and to do something special for the crowd.
Explained ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, "We decided to pattern the Mayhem set on the kind of shows the RAMONES used to do: a high-energy, non-stop barrage of hit, hit, hit, hit, hit. No lulls, no filler, totally in your face. We're going to be playing a supersonic-paced set loaded with the best of our best."
"We really like the idea of not 'playing to seats,'" added Scott Ian, "and we want our crowd to have the freedom to move around, to go crazy with us. Plus, we've been on the road together now for about two years, so we're tighter as a band than we've ever been. Our Mayhem set will be a fun, fast and furious 45-minutes, so they'd better have the EMTs on hand."
Since vocalist Joey Belladonna rejoined the ANTHRAX lineup two years ago, ANTHRAX has made one of the most impressive comebacks in rock 'n' roll. As one of the "Big Four," the original architects of speed and thrash-metal, ANTHRAX joined METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH during the summer of 2010 on a series of "Big Four" shows in ten European cities, followed by a "Big Four" show outside of Los Angeles at the Coachella site (April 2011), and the big "homecoming" event for the New York-born-and-bred band members at Yankee Stadium last September.
The band released "Worship Music" on September 13, 2011, its first new album in eight years and the first with Belladonna on vocals in twenty years. "Worship Music" debuted at No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart, received stellar reviews that included being named one of the best albums of the year in countless media outlets.
Explained ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, "We decided to pattern the Mayhem set on the kind of shows the RAMONES used to do: a high-energy, non-stop barrage of hit, hit, hit, hit, hit. No lulls, no filler, totally in your face. We're going to be playing a supersonic-paced set loaded with the best of our best."
"We really like the idea of not 'playing to seats,'" added Scott Ian, "and we want our crowd to have the freedom to move around, to go crazy with us. Plus, we've been on the road together now for about two years, so we're tighter as a band than we've ever been. Our Mayhem set will be a fun, fast and furious 45-minutes, so they'd better have the EMTs on hand."
Since vocalist Joey Belladonna rejoined the ANTHRAX lineup two years ago, ANTHRAX has made one of the most impressive comebacks in rock 'n' roll. As one of the "Big Four," the original architects of speed and thrash-metal, ANTHRAX joined METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH during the summer of 2010 on a series of "Big Four" shows in ten European cities, followed by a "Big Four" show outside of Los Angeles at the Coachella site (April 2011), and the big "homecoming" event for the New York-born-and-bred band members at Yankee Stadium last September.
The band released "Worship Music" on September 13, 2011, its first new album in eight years and the first with Belladonna on vocals in twenty years. "Worship Music" debuted at No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart, received stellar reviews that included being named one of the best albums of the year in countless media outlets.
According to RockOverdose.gr, ICED EARTH's August 19 concert at the ancient Kourion Amphitheater, outside Limassol in Cyprus, will be professionally filmed and recorded for an upcoming CD/DVD release. Tickets for the show are limited to 1,500. The show will be three hours in length and all on-stage scenery and artwork will be uniquely created for this special event. Veteran producer Jim Morris of Morrisound Studios (ICED EARTH, SEPULTURA, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, SAVATAGE) will fly from Tampa, Florida to supervise the entire audio section with the help of the ToneDeaf Recording Studio.
ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.
Produced and directed by Kosch Fabian Film, "Anthem" is the second music video from ICED EARTH's new album, "Dystopia", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
ICED EARTH's previous CD, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", opened with 6,700 units in September 2008 to debut at No. 79.
ICED EARTH's 10th studio offering, "Dystopia", was released in Europe on October 17, 2011 and in the U.S. on October 18 via Century Media Records. Two bonus tracks were also recorded for inclusion on special editions of the album.
ICED EARTH's video for the song "Anthem" was filmed on December 7, 2011 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany.
Produced and directed by Kosch Fabian Film, "Anthem" is the second music video from ICED EARTH's new album, "Dystopia", which sold around 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
ICED EARTH's previous CD, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", opened with 6,700 units in September 2008 to debut at No. 79.
ICED EARTH's 10th studio offering, "Dystopia", was released in Europe on October 17, 2011 and in the U.S. on October 18 via Century Media Records. Two bonus tracks were also recorded for inclusion on special editions of the album.
After four successful sellout years at Prestatyn, Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest have now decided to leave Prestatyn and venture along the North Wales Coast to a bigger more tailored site location.
The new larger haven site at Hafan y Môr in Pwllheli, will see a major hike in quality units along with bigger venues, more eateries and generally wider facilities on site. This also means that both events will effectively be increasing their capacity to bring in an altogether new more tailored rock and metal experience which will commence at Hard Rock Hell 6 in December.
Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest are operated by Chic Festivals SLU, Europe's number one operator of boutique residential festivals. John Davis, MD of Chic Festivals SLU, said, "This is the first step for us in what we see as a natural progression and is all about giving better value and an altogether better experience to the ticket buyer. For many people, Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest are the No. 1 holiday weekend destinations for the rock and metal community and we intend to give them an even better more memorable experience as well as a fantastic spread of great music."
Acts so far confirmed for this year's Hard Rock Hell include Ace Frehley, MOLLY HATCHET, BLACKFOOT, DOGS D'AMOUR, L.A. GUNS, GRAVEYARD, DIE SO FLUID and many more.
For more information, go to www.hardrockhell.com.
The new larger haven site at Hafan y Môr in Pwllheli, will see a major hike in quality units along with bigger venues, more eateries and generally wider facilities on site. This also means that both events will effectively be increasing their capacity to bring in an altogether new more tailored rock and metal experience which will commence at Hard Rock Hell 6 in December.
Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest are operated by Chic Festivals SLU, Europe's number one operator of boutique residential festivals. John Davis, MD of Chic Festivals SLU, said, "This is the first step for us in what we see as a natural progression and is all about giving better value and an altogether better experience to the ticket buyer. For many people, Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest are the No. 1 holiday weekend destinations for the rock and metal community and we intend to give them an even better more memorable experience as well as a fantastic spread of great music."
Acts so far confirmed for this year's Hard Rock Hell include Ace Frehley, MOLLY HATCHET, BLACKFOOT, DOGS D'AMOUR, L.A. GUNS, GRAVEYARD, DIE SO FLUID and many more.
For more information, go to www.hardrockhell.com.
Former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell revealed last week that he is planning to join forces with three other original DIO members to play "some gigs" that will see the musicians performing material from the early DIO records that Campbell appeared on. Campbell, Vinny Appice (drums), Jimmy Bain (bass) and Claude Schnell (keyboards) will be accompanied by singer Andy Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB.
In a brand new posting on his Facebook page, Vivian writes, "Although there have been a couple of inarticulate naysayers, I'm happy that most of you are supportive of my plans to play with the original DIO band. However, in the meantime there's DEF LEP business at hand as we're gearing up for the summer tour. Rehearsals start in just over two weeks and the monkey is all fired up!"
Campbell and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987. Their subsequent relationship was strained, to say the least.
"In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days," Ronnie said a short time before his death in May 2010. "He was — and remains — an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp. A lot of negative things have been said since by both Vivian and me… Now, I regret some of those things. I'm sure he does, too."
Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer for the magazine's May 2012 issue which features a six-page spotlight on DIO, Bain said about Campbell's exit from the group, "Viv did nothing that warranted his removal from the band in what is still considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so from Ronnie and Wendy [Dio, the band's manager and Ronnie's wife]."
Vinny also regretted Vivian's departure although he was a little more diplomatic in his comments on the situation.
"Viv wasn't happy with the business part of the band, and musically wanted to pursue something else," Vinny said. "If he had been happy with the business end of it, he probably would've stayed and made a few more records with us. We had a successful, great band with Viv, and it was unfortunate to change ingredients."
Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".
"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."
Bain, Campbell, Appice, Schnell and Freeman "had a couple of rehearsals" last week "and it sounds great," the bassist said.
He added, "Listening to Vivian playing those songs again has been amazing. He's just so into it doing this, and his enthusiasm has rubbed off on the rest of us.
"Andy isn't Ronnie. How could he be? But what he does bring is his own twist on the vocals."
"Our aim is to do some shows around November, concentrating on the first two DIO albums. It's gonna be great getting back onstage with these guys for the first time in so long."
In a May 2011 interview with Brazil's Roadie Crew magazine, Wendy Dio stated about the controversy surrounding Ronnie's relationship with Campbell (in a 2003 interview Vivian called Ronnie "an awful businessman and, way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry."), "[Vivian] always said that he hated all the albums that he played on with Ronnie, and that was very hurtful to Ronnie. Very hurtful. Would you like someone who said something like that about your albums? He said a lot of things in the press that I don't wanna get into, because it really wasn't Ronnie's feud at all. Ronnie didn't fire him. I fired [Vivian]. He wanted as much money as Ronnie wanted. He thought he was as important as Ronnie was, and that was just wrong. But I don't wanna get into that. It's water under the bridge. It doesn't matter."
In a brand new posting on his Facebook page, Vivian writes, "Although there have been a couple of inarticulate naysayers, I'm happy that most of you are supportive of my plans to play with the original DIO band. However, in the meantime there's DEF LEP business at hand as we're gearing up for the summer tour. Rehearsals start in just over two weeks and the monkey is all fired up!"
Campbell and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last in Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987. Their subsequent relationship was strained, to say the least.
"In my opinion, Vivian no longer had the commitment to the band he had in the early days," Ronnie said a short time before his death in May 2010. "He was — and remains — an excellent guitarist. I never lost sight of how good he was as a musician, but as a person… Well, he was no longer on the same page as the rest of us. That annoyed me hugely. When you've got four people really stretching and straining to do their very best, and one person who's clearly holding back, it makes for an unhappy camp. A lot of negative things have been said since by both Vivian and me… Now, I regret some of those things. I'm sure he does, too."
Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer for the magazine's May 2012 issue which features a six-page spotlight on DIO, Bain said about Campbell's exit from the group, "Viv did nothing that warranted his removal from the band in what is still considered to be a cowardly way. For me, firing Viv was the biggest mistake of Ronnie's career. The problem could've easily been resolved if there had a been a will to do so from Ronnie and Wendy [Dio, the band's manager and Ronnie's wife]."
Vinny also regretted Vivian's departure although he was a little more diplomatic in his comments on the situation.
"Viv wasn't happy with the business part of the band, and musically wanted to pursue something else," Vinny said. "If he had been happy with the business end of it, he probably would've stayed and made a few more records with us. We had a successful, great band with Viv, and it was unfortunate to change ingredients."
Bain also felt that DIO was in decline by the time the band released "Sacred Heart".
"DIO should have gotten better with each album, but what happened was the opposite," Jimmy told Metal Hammer. "The production was watered down with all the keyboards, [and] the songs were not as good because it became harder to satisfy Ronnie's need to complicate arrangement and structure."
Bain, Campbell, Appice, Schnell and Freeman "had a couple of rehearsals" last week "and it sounds great," the bassist said.
He added, "Listening to Vivian playing those songs again has been amazing. He's just so into it doing this, and his enthusiasm has rubbed off on the rest of us.
"Andy isn't Ronnie. How could he be? But what he does bring is his own twist on the vocals."
"Our aim is to do some shows around November, concentrating on the first two DIO albums. It's gonna be great getting back onstage with these guys for the first time in so long."
In a May 2011 interview with Brazil's Roadie Crew magazine, Wendy Dio stated about the controversy surrounding Ronnie's relationship with Campbell (in a 2003 interview Vivian called Ronnie "an awful businessman and, way more importantly, one of the vilest people in the industry."), "[Vivian] always said that he hated all the albums that he played on with Ronnie, and that was very hurtful to Ronnie. Very hurtful. Would you like someone who said something like that about your albums? He said a lot of things in the press that I don't wanna get into, because it really wasn't Ronnie's feud at all. Ronnie didn't fire him. I fired [Vivian]. He wanted as much money as Ronnie wanted. He thought he was as important as Ronnie was, and that was just wrong. But I don't wanna get into that. It's water under the bridge. It doesn't matter."
Radio Metal recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Radio Metal: You've declared about this album ["Phantom Antichrist"] that this is the most epic one that you've made. Do you think that this because you've managed to put all the aspects of KREATOR's music in this record — the gothic parts, the thrash parts, etc.?
Mille: I think so, yeah. Like you said, it features a lot of surprises. It's like an emotional roller coaster, if you know what I mean. You can expect the unexpected when you put the record on — which I think is cool!
Radio Metal: You haven't experimented with your music so much since "Endorama". Is it because you feel restrained by what people expect from KREATOR or is it because you didn't feel the need to experiment to that extent since then?
Mille: We don't really think about these things. If I write music, it's all about the song. I never really think about it. We have a huge fanbase, and a lot of fans are expecting our albums to be very… How can I put this? Very brutal. They expect every KREATOR trademark on one album. As for ourselves, we expect to not get bored! So it's always a nice mix. Being in KREATOR in very exciting, because we can do whatever we want.
Radio Metal: You once said that you're not the kind of person who puts out a solo project and that everything you do, you release under the name KREATOR. You said this to justify the "Endorama" and "Outcast" albums. Can you explain what, according to you, is wrong with releasing a solo album?
Mille: (sighs and laughs) Good question! I know what you mean. If I had the time, I would definitely consider it. But I really don't have the time, because I'm the main songwriter in KREATOR. I have a friend, Tobi [Sammet] from EDGUY, who's got two bands: EDGUY and AVANTASIA. Sometimes I wonder how he does it. He's doing so many things at the same time, and I can't do that. I try, but… It's not that I'm too lazy, but I just put everything I have into KREATOR.
Radio Metal: You've always been cynical towards humanity and you're also known for your left-wing political orientation. I guess what's going on right now in the world and especially in Europe must easily feed the lyrical content. I'm thinking for example about a song like "Civilization Collapse"…
Mille: Yeah, that song was inspired by what we see in Greece right now. Greece is going through a financial crisis, but it could hit any European country. There were a lot of journalists in Germany that would look down on Greece, talk about a broken country and make fun of them instead of being supportive. I think the whole idea of the European Union was to help out one another. Like you said, this time and age give me a lot of inspiration for songs.
Radio Metal: We've been talking a lot about the "Big Four" lately. Are you kind of mad that we don't talk that much about the "Big Three" of German thrash metal?
Mille: (laughs) No, not at all! Like you said, I'm very cynical sometimes, but I only feel very happy for the people who had the opportunity to see the "Big Four." I didn't, because I wasn't in my hometown when they played there. METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH — those are legends. Without those bands, KREATOR wouldn't be here, if you know what I mean. What I said about us blowing away everything the "Big Four" has done over the years was pure provocation.
Radio Metal: You've declared about this album ["Phantom Antichrist"] that this is the most epic one that you've made. Do you think that this because you've managed to put all the aspects of KREATOR's music in this record — the gothic parts, the thrash parts, etc.?
Mille: I think so, yeah. Like you said, it features a lot of surprises. It's like an emotional roller coaster, if you know what I mean. You can expect the unexpected when you put the record on — which I think is cool!
Radio Metal: You haven't experimented with your music so much since "Endorama". Is it because you feel restrained by what people expect from KREATOR or is it because you didn't feel the need to experiment to that extent since then?
Mille: We don't really think about these things. If I write music, it's all about the song. I never really think about it. We have a huge fanbase, and a lot of fans are expecting our albums to be very… How can I put this? Very brutal. They expect every KREATOR trademark on one album. As for ourselves, we expect to not get bored! So it's always a nice mix. Being in KREATOR in very exciting, because we can do whatever we want.
Radio Metal: You once said that you're not the kind of person who puts out a solo project and that everything you do, you release under the name KREATOR. You said this to justify the "Endorama" and "Outcast" albums. Can you explain what, according to you, is wrong with releasing a solo album?
Mille: (sighs and laughs) Good question! I know what you mean. If I had the time, I would definitely consider it. But I really don't have the time, because I'm the main songwriter in KREATOR. I have a friend, Tobi [Sammet] from EDGUY, who's got two bands: EDGUY and AVANTASIA. Sometimes I wonder how he does it. He's doing so many things at the same time, and I can't do that. I try, but… It's not that I'm too lazy, but I just put everything I have into KREATOR.
Radio Metal: You've always been cynical towards humanity and you're also known for your left-wing political orientation. I guess what's going on right now in the world and especially in Europe must easily feed the lyrical content. I'm thinking for example about a song like "Civilization Collapse"…
Mille: Yeah, that song was inspired by what we see in Greece right now. Greece is going through a financial crisis, but it could hit any European country. There were a lot of journalists in Germany that would look down on Greece, talk about a broken country and make fun of them instead of being supportive. I think the whole idea of the European Union was to help out one another. Like you said, this time and age give me a lot of inspiration for songs.
Radio Metal: We've been talking a lot about the "Big Four" lately. Are you kind of mad that we don't talk that much about the "Big Three" of German thrash metal?
Mille: (laughs) No, not at all! Like you said, I'm very cynical sometimes, but I only feel very happy for the people who had the opportunity to see the "Big Four." I didn't, because I wasn't in my hometown when they played there. METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH — those are legends. Without those bands, KREATOR wouldn't be here, if you know what I mean. What I said about us blowing away everything the "Big Four" has done over the years was pure provocation.
Swedish progressive metallers OPETH were forced to cancel their performance last night (Monday, May 7) at the Myth in Maplewood, Minnesota after the band's guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment for a minor cut on his head.
Contrary to online reports, Åkerfeldt did not break his arm in a car accident and he is expected to make a full recovery. The remaining shows on the band's current tour will be unaffected by last night's cancelation.
OPETH has teamed up with MASTODON for a spring North American co-headlining tour. The trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and was scheduled to visit more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12.
Contrary to online reports, Åkerfeldt did not break his arm in a car accident and he is expected to make a full recovery. The remaining shows on the band's current tour will be unaffected by last night's cancelation.
OPETH has teamed up with MASTODON for a spring North American co-headlining tour. The trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and was scheduled to visit more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12.
Swedish progressive metallers OPETH have issued the following statement:
"Many have already learned that yesterday's performances at The Myth In St. Paul had to be cancelled due to [guitarist/vocalist] Mikael [Åkerfeldt] having an accident.
"Right before stage time, Mike bumped his head on the tour bus which resulted in a pretty deep cut that required urgent medical attention. Mike was taken to hospital which he left a little later with eight stitches and a nasty headache. He's doing OK now and we expect him to be up and running (though slightly slower) again for tomorrow's show and onwards.
"Mike and the band were very disappointed not being able to play yesterday but thank everyone for their understanding and for the tons of get-well-wishes Mike has received since. The band also thanks their friends in MASTODON for playing an extended set that hopefully kept all who attended happy."
OPETH has teamed up with MASTODON for a spring North American co-headlining tour. The trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and was scheduled to visit more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12.
"Many have already learned that yesterday's performances at The Myth In St. Paul had to be cancelled due to [guitarist/vocalist] Mikael [Åkerfeldt] having an accident.
"Right before stage time, Mike bumped his head on the tour bus which resulted in a pretty deep cut that required urgent medical attention. Mike was taken to hospital which he left a little later with eight stitches and a nasty headache. He's doing OK now and we expect him to be up and running (though slightly slower) again for tomorrow's show and onwards.
"Mike and the band were very disappointed not being able to play yesterday but thank everyone for their understanding and for the tons of get-well-wishes Mike has received since. The band also thanks their friends in MASTODON for playing an extended set that hopefully kept all who attended happy."
OPETH has teamed up with MASTODON for a spring North American co-headlining tour. The trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and was scheduled to visit more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12.
Swedish progressive metallers OPETH were forced to cancel their performance last night (Monday, May 7) at The Myth in Maplewood, Minnesota after the band's guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment for a cut on his head.
Mikael has now posted the following message on OPETH's official Facebook page:
"Hi guys! I'm writing from beyond the grave.
"Seriously, I was not in a car crash and I haven't broken my arm. All that happened is I hit my head in MASTODON's tour bus as I was getting a new pair of (red) underwear out from my suitcase.
"Wish the story was more rock and roll, believe me.
"Anyways, I split my head open down to the skullbone and had to be taken to the emergency. They gave me a bunch of shots in the wound, cleaned me up and stapled my head shut with 8 metal staples. Head is sore and if I smile it feels like the wound is gonna burst open again, but I'll be on stage by tomorrow again.
"I feel extremely disappointed that we couldn't play at The Myth in Minneapolis, but paramedics told me I couldn't. We will reschedule the show for our next trip to the USA. So all rumors of me being in a car crash are false. I did crash my head into a car, though, well... a bus, really.
"Sorry for disappointing our fans in Minneapolis but I hope you understand. See you next time."
Mikael has now posted the following message on OPETH's official Facebook page:
"Hi guys! I'm writing from beyond the grave.
"Seriously, I was not in a car crash and I haven't broken my arm. All that happened is I hit my head in MASTODON's tour bus as I was getting a new pair of (red) underwear out from my suitcase.
"Wish the story was more rock and roll, believe me.
"Anyways, I split my head open down to the skullbone and had to be taken to the emergency. They gave me a bunch of shots in the wound, cleaned me up and stapled my head shut with 8 metal staples. Head is sore and if I smile it feels like the wound is gonna burst open again, but I'll be on stage by tomorrow again.
"I feel extremely disappointed that we couldn't play at The Myth in Minneapolis, but paramedics told me I couldn't. We will reschedule the show for our next trip to the USA. So all rumors of me being in a car crash are false. I did crash my head into a car, though, well... a bus, really.
"Sorry for disappointing our fans in Minneapolis but I hope you understand. See you next time."
According to India Blooms, KREATOR and ICED EARTH will make their Indian debut at the Bangalore Open Air, India's first-ever heavy metal festival, set to take place on June 16.
The festival will feature 12 hours of non-stop music on two stages featuring international bands as well as top Indian metal bands.
Salman.U. Syed, founder of Infinite Dreams, commented, "Bangalore being the heavy metal capital of India is the perfect place to hold the first ever heavy metal festival. Bangalore Open Air will provide metal fans with a never-before experience.
"We are organizing this event in the lines of the metal festivals that take place across Europe which will bring authenticity for sure."
The festival will feature 12 hours of non-stop music on two stages featuring international bands as well as top Indian metal bands.
Salman.U. Syed, founder of Infinite Dreams, commented, "Bangalore being the heavy metal capital of India is the perfect place to hold the first ever heavy metal festival. Bangalore Open Air will provide metal fans with a never-before experience.
"We are organizing this event in the lines of the metal festivals that take place across Europe which will bring authenticity for sure."
The "Run With The Wind" single from German guitarist AXEL RUDI PELL, which was exclusively distributed in Sweden via Sweden Rock Magazine, was certified gold in that country by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. (Note: Each copy of the magazine containing the CD sold in Sweden was counted towards the certification; the single itself was **not** sold separately.)
Axel and his band were presented with "Run With The Wind" gold plaques on the final date of the "Circle Of The Oath" tour at Zeche in Bochum, Germany (see photo below).
Pell played five sold-out gigs on the latest tour, including one show at the Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland (where they set an "attendance record," according to a press release), plus three consecutive concerts at the Zeche in front of over 12,000 enthusiastic fans. A second part of the tour is planned for October 2012.
AXEL RUDI PELL's new studio album, titled "Circle Of The Oath", registered the following European chart positions:
Germany: #16 (highest entry ever in Axel's nearly 25-year solo career)
Switzerland: #30
Sweden: #51 (#5 on the Hard Rock chart)
Austria: #55
Norway: #69
AXEL RUDI PELL — singer Johnny Gioeli, drummer Mike Terrana, keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg, bass player Volker Krawczak and guitarist Axel Rudi Pell — entered the studio in late November 2011 with engineer and co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind, to record "Circle Of The Oath". The CD was released on March 23 in Germany, March 26 in the rest of Europe and on March 27 in the USA/Canada via SPV/Steamhammer.
Configurations: limited-edition digipak including a bonus live track and poster; double gatefold LP with colored vinyl; standard version and download. Also available is a box set including two LPs, a digipack, poster, postcard, sticker and much more, limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. The Guillotine Suite (intro)
02. Ghost In The Black
03. Run With The Wind
04. Before I Die
05. Circle Of The Oath
06. Fortunes Of War
07. Bridges To Nowhere
08. Lived Our Lives Before
09. Hold On To Your Dreams
10. World Of Confusion (The Masquerade Ball Pt. II)
Axel and his band were presented with "Run With The Wind" gold plaques on the final date of the "Circle Of The Oath" tour at Zeche in Bochum, Germany (see photo below).
Pell played five sold-out gigs on the latest tour, including one show at the Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland (where they set an "attendance record," according to a press release), plus three consecutive concerts at the Zeche in front of over 12,000 enthusiastic fans. A second part of the tour is planned for October 2012.
AXEL RUDI PELL's new studio album, titled "Circle Of The Oath", registered the following European chart positions:
Germany: #16 (highest entry ever in Axel's nearly 25-year solo career)
Switzerland: #30
Sweden: #51 (#5 on the Hard Rock chart)
Austria: #55
Norway: #69
AXEL RUDI PELL — singer Johnny Gioeli, drummer Mike Terrana, keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg, bass player Volker Krawczak and guitarist Axel Rudi Pell — entered the studio in late November 2011 with engineer and co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind, to record "Circle Of The Oath". The CD was released on March 23 in Germany, March 26 in the rest of Europe and on March 27 in the USA/Canada via SPV/Steamhammer.
Configurations: limited-edition digipak including a bonus live track and poster; double gatefold LP with colored vinyl; standard version and download. Also available is a box set including two LPs, a digipack, poster, postcard, sticker and much more, limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. The Guillotine Suite (intro)
02. Ghost In The Black
03. Run With The Wind
04. Before I Die
05. Circle Of The Oath
06. Fortunes Of War
07. Bridges To Nowhere
08. Lived Our Lives Before
09. Hold On To Your Dreams
10. World Of Confusion (The Masquerade Ball Pt. II)
A number of acclaimed metal musicians will make special guest appearances during the "Death To All Tour 2012" in benefit of Sweet Relief. This five-city trek, which will feature a majority of DEATH's amazing musicians, will celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, as well as to raise awareness of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund — a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems.
According to the organizers, "There will be guest appearances in each city and some cities may have more than one surprise in store. You never know when or where these guests will be showing up, but you can expect to be seeing the following musicians somewhere on the tour."
* Richard Christy (CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED, DEATH, ICED EARTH)
* Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)
* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)
* Paul Ryan (ORIGIN)
* Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN)
* Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION)
* Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
* Ryan Knight (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
* Emil Werstler (DAATH, CHIMAIRA)
The drums on the "Death To All Tour 2012" will be handled by Gene Hoglan ("Individual Thought Patterns", "Symbolic") and Sean Reinert ("Human"). On bass will be Steve DiGiorgio ("Human", "Individual Thought Patterns") and Scott Clendenin ("The Sound Of Perseverance"). Guitar duties will be shared by Paul Masvidal ("Human"), Shannon Hamm ("The Sound of Perseverance") and Bobby Koelble ("Symbolic"). The vocals will be taken care of by Steffen Kummerer of OBSCURA and Charles Elliott of ABYSMAL DAWN and BEREFT.
The dates are as follows (opening act listed in parenthesis):
June 22 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA (GORGUTS)
June 23 - House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA (GORGUTS)
June 26 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL (GORGUTS)
June 28 - Irving Plaza – New York, NY (GORGUTS)
June 30 - The Beacham - Orlando, FL (ATHEIST)
July 01 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA (ATHEIST)
July 03 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX (ATHEIST)
According to the organizers, "There will be guest appearances in each city and some cities may have more than one surprise in store. You never know when or where these guests will be showing up, but you can expect to be seeing the following musicians somewhere on the tour."
* Richard Christy (CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED, DEATH, ICED EARTH)
* Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)
* Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT)
* Paul Ryan (ORIGIN)
* Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN)
* Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION)
* Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
* Ryan Knight (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
* Emil Werstler (DAATH, CHIMAIRA)
The drums on the "Death To All Tour 2012" will be handled by Gene Hoglan ("Individual Thought Patterns", "Symbolic") and Sean Reinert ("Human"). On bass will be Steve DiGiorgio ("Human", "Individual Thought Patterns") and Scott Clendenin ("The Sound Of Perseverance"). Guitar duties will be shared by Paul Masvidal ("Human"), Shannon Hamm ("The Sound of Perseverance") and Bobby Koelble ("Symbolic"). The vocals will be taken care of by Steffen Kummerer of OBSCURA and Charles Elliott of ABYSMAL DAWN and BEREFT.
The dates are as follows (opening act listed in parenthesis):
June 22 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA (GORGUTS)
June 23 - House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA (GORGUTS)
June 26 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL (GORGUTS)
June 28 - Irving Plaza – New York, NY (GORGUTS)
June 30 - The Beacham - Orlando, FL (ATHEIST)
July 01 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA (ATHEIST)
July 03 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX (ATHEIST)
Canadian rockers DANKO JONES will release their first-ever DVD, "Bring On The Mountain", in the first week of June. The two-disc DVD will feature a 90-minute documentary on the band, a short film based on their three latest videos featuring Elijah Wood, Selma Blair, Ralph Macchio, Jena Malone, Lemmy and many more, as well as all of the music videos they have ever done and a slew of exclusive live clips from some of their most memorable performances from around the world.
The documentary, shot by the Diamond Bros., offers a unique insight into the ups and downs of one of the hardest-working bands around today. The short film, videos and live clips make it a complete package and to say it's a must-have for their fans is an understatement.
A trailer for the DVD can be seen below.
DANKO JONES is currently holed up at Noble Street Studios in its hometown of Toronto recording a new album for a tentative early fall release.
As usual, the band will be keeping busy on the live front as well. A full European tour is already confirmed for the fall with more dates to be announced soon and they will also be doing a string of exclusive festival appearances this summer.
DANKO JONES last year parted ways with drummer Dan Cornelius and replaced him with Atom Willard.
DANKO JONES re-released its latest full-length album, "Below The Belt", on June 21, 2011 as a deluxe reissue featuring two new bonus tracks titled "Guest List Blues" and "Rock N Roll Proletariat". The reissue also includes the recently completed "Below the Belt" music video trilogy, starring Elijah Wood, Selma Blair, Ralph Macchio, Jena Malone, Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Mike Watt (MINUTEMEN, THE STOOGES) and many more. Billboard.com hailed the final installment of the trilogy for "I Think Bad Thoughts", as being "filled with badassery on so many levels" and called it "the ultimate action-film music video."
The documentary, shot by the Diamond Bros., offers a unique insight into the ups and downs of one of the hardest-working bands around today. The short film, videos and live clips make it a complete package and to say it's a must-have for their fans is an understatement.
A trailer for the DVD can be seen below.
DANKO JONES is currently holed up at Noble Street Studios in its hometown of Toronto recording a new album for a tentative early fall release.
As usual, the band will be keeping busy on the live front as well. A full European tour is already confirmed for the fall with more dates to be announced soon and they will also be doing a string of exclusive festival appearances this summer.
DANKO JONES last year parted ways with drummer Dan Cornelius and replaced him with Atom Willard.
DANKO JONES re-released its latest full-length album, "Below The Belt", on June 21, 2011 as a deluxe reissue featuring two new bonus tracks titled "Guest List Blues" and "Rock N Roll Proletariat". The reissue also includes the recently completed "Below the Belt" music video trilogy, starring Elijah Wood, Selma Blair, Ralph Macchio, Jena Malone, Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Mike Watt (MINUTEMEN, THE STOOGES) and many more. Billboard.com hailed the final installment of the trilogy for "I Think Bad Thoughts", as being "filled with badassery on so many levels" and called it "the ultimate action-film music video."
TWISTED SISTER guitarist Eddie Ojeda will join Geoff Tate on stage tomorrow night (Wednesday, May 9) during the QUEENSRŸCHE singer's solo concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.
Tate 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.
Geoff played a handful of acoustic solo dates, billed as GEOFF TATE AND FRIENDS, beginning on January 26 at Anthology in San Diego, California. According to Tate, he performed "acoustic renditions of songs from my solo album as well as some of my favorite QUEENSRŸCHE songs."
In a recent interview with AnthologySD.com, Tate was asked if he is looking into any future solo projects. "I am!" he replied. "I'm actually working on one right now that I hope to have wrapped up pretty soon. This show that I'm doing [on the solo tour] is an acoustic show with some friends of mine who are fantastic acoustic players. We're doing kind of a blend of my last solo album, some QUEENSRŸCHE songs, and we'll toss in some new ones that haven't been released yet. It'll just be a really fun night. Very homey, intimate, we'll probably take requests, things like that."
He added, "For the last couple of years, I've been doing more stuff outside of QUEENSRŸCHE in order to just stretch out. But I'll tell you, even though I've sang shows in front of hundreds of thousands of people and also intimate shows of a few hundred, but whenever I go out to an event or something and someone asks me to sing a song with them, I'm petrified! (Laughs) I don't know much material outside of my own material that I've written, and so if someone asks me to sing 'Danny Boy', I couldn't sing it! Not even if someone offered me a million dollars could I sing that song. So I'm trying to be a bit more versatile and learn more stuff."
Tate 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.
Geoff played a handful of acoustic solo dates, billed as GEOFF TATE AND FRIENDS, beginning on January 26 at Anthology in San Diego, California. According to Tate, he performed "acoustic renditions of songs from my solo album as well as some of my favorite QUEENSRŸCHE songs."
In a recent interview with AnthologySD.com, Tate was asked if he is looking into any future solo projects. "I am!" he replied. "I'm actually working on one right now that I hope to have wrapped up pretty soon. This show that I'm doing [on the solo tour] is an acoustic show with some friends of mine who are fantastic acoustic players. We're doing kind of a blend of my last solo album, some QUEENSRŸCHE songs, and we'll toss in some new ones that haven't been released yet. It'll just be a really fun night. Very homey, intimate, we'll probably take requests, things like that."
He added, "For the last couple of years, I've been doing more stuff outside of QUEENSRŸCHE in order to just stretch out. But I'll tell you, even though I've sang shows in front of hundreds of thousands of people and also intimate shows of a few hundred, but whenever I go out to an event or something and someone asks me to sing a song with them, I'm petrified! (Laughs) I don't know much material outside of my own material that I've written, and so if someone asks me to sing 'Danny Boy', I couldn't sing it! Not even if someone offered me a million dollars could I sing that song. So I'm trying to be a bit more versatile and learn more stuff."
Anthony Morgan of Metal Forces recently conducted an interview with PRONG vocalist/guitarist Tommy Victor. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On working with producer Steve Evetts:
Tommy: "He was really proactive in all aspects of it, including helping a little bit with arrangements. We wanted a guy that was gonna be really in tune with the vocals too. I've pretty much been producing myself vocally for all these years, and I didn't really have anybody pushing me in a certain way. This record has a lot more focus on vocals, guitar playing, and all other aspects too like getting everything designed, and thinking out precisely things that we wanted to do.
"As you get older, I guess you start getting stuck in certain ways and certain bad habits whether vocally or guitar playing wise. Steve was a bit of a disciplinarian in there, something that we needed in order to get a better record than we had put out previously. He's worked a lot with Alexei [Rodriguez] on his drum parts, and the sounds, too. We just tried out a whole bunch of stuff and agreed upon what amps to use, whereas in the past, working with Terry Date, he'd be like, 'Is this your guitar rig? Okay, fine. Let's just use that.' We didn't really try anything with Terry, and he didn't really interfere… That's a bad choice of words, but he didn't have anything to do with the vocals, really. He had me do what I did and that was it, but there was a very big difference on this one."
On bassist Tony Campos (SOULFLY, MINISTRY, STATIC-X) and drummer Alexei Rodriguez (3 INCHES OF BLOOD, WALLS OF JERICHO):
Tommy: "With the last record and touring cycle, we had Aaron Rossi. He wasn't able to tour with us, but we had a tour booked. We were ready to cancel the tour. We had a couple of other guys that wanted to do it that we were rehearsing with, but they weren't working out. A friend of mine then said, 'What about Alexei?' I didn't know whether he would be able to do it, but I knew of him. He was basically there for the tour at first, and the same thing with Tony. We needed somebody we could go on tour with, so inevitably we started working together.
"They just play great, and are super professional. They just do a really great job. There's nothing more you can say about it — absolutely fantastic. There's no limitations with what you can do with somebody like Alexei playing drums. You never fear anything; if I write a really fast song, I'm not worried if somebody is gonna be able to cut it. With guys in the past, we really had to work around everyone's limitations. If anything now we have to work around my limitations, because there are a lot of things that I definitely can't do on guitar and vocals as well. I just do what I do."
On playing guitar and singing:
Tommy: "As far as playing the songs, you're doing two things at once and then soloing on top of it. It's pretty obvious that there's gonna be certain restrictions, unless you're a complete magician. As far as technique, I've learnt as I've gone along. I wasn't even really seriously playing that much when PRONG started. The truth of the matter is I certainly fell into the whole thing. Before 'Primitive Origins' (1987), I had never played a guitar solo in my life; that was just learnt on the spot, and I wasn't even really playing guitar that much before that anyhow. I sang in a couple of cover bands as a bass player, and was really horrible, terrible. I never sang in a band before, really. It wasn't like when I was eight-years-old I said, 'I'm gonna be a rock star,' was learning to play guitar, and had a teacher for years, a vocal instructor, or any of that stuff. That wasn't the case at all. It's not like kids today where their parents want them to be a rock star, and they've had lessons or what have you since they were little kids. That's what I've gotta compete against in a couple of ways, people that have had a lot more instruction and support. I'm limited (laughs)."
On the song "State Of Rebellion":
Tommy: "'State Of Rebellion' is about the fact I don't get involved in political discussions anymore with people. I've been there and it doesn't really help anything. It's almost in that realm where I numb myself and walk the fence a little bit, which isn't a good thing. I started to numb myself from any kind of arguments or controversy. Of course, when you're young and you're more brash, you're quick to get into arguments a lot more. Later on you start to realize that it's not really worth the trouble, and for your own sanity. There are other things that I'd rather spend my energy on, which is taking it easy really. It's just a matter of priorities, but yeah. It's not that I don't have strong opinions on things; it's just that I don't think it's necessary to try to convert anybody, or even express myself that much. It doesn't take precedent over other things in my life anymore."
On his older brother:
Tommy: "He's at the other end of the spectrum — he's very Republican. He starts ranting, and I don't even respond to it. I don't even say anything. I go, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fine. Whatever.' But years ago I would get into arguments with him. I'd be like, 'Shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about', and it's just pointless. I'd rather maintain the relationship than get into these battles with him."
On working with producer Steve Evetts:
Tommy: "He was really proactive in all aspects of it, including helping a little bit with arrangements. We wanted a guy that was gonna be really in tune with the vocals too. I've pretty much been producing myself vocally for all these years, and I didn't really have anybody pushing me in a certain way. This record has a lot more focus on vocals, guitar playing, and all other aspects too like getting everything designed, and thinking out precisely things that we wanted to do.
"As you get older, I guess you start getting stuck in certain ways and certain bad habits whether vocally or guitar playing wise. Steve was a bit of a disciplinarian in there, something that we needed in order to get a better record than we had put out previously. He's worked a lot with Alexei [Rodriguez] on his drum parts, and the sounds, too. We just tried out a whole bunch of stuff and agreed upon what amps to use, whereas in the past, working with Terry Date, he'd be like, 'Is this your guitar rig? Okay, fine. Let's just use that.' We didn't really try anything with Terry, and he didn't really interfere… That's a bad choice of words, but he didn't have anything to do with the vocals, really. He had me do what I did and that was it, but there was a very big difference on this one."
On bassist Tony Campos (SOULFLY, MINISTRY, STATIC-X) and drummer Alexei Rodriguez (3 INCHES OF BLOOD, WALLS OF JERICHO):
Tommy: "With the last record and touring cycle, we had Aaron Rossi. He wasn't able to tour with us, but we had a tour booked. We were ready to cancel the tour. We had a couple of other guys that wanted to do it that we were rehearsing with, but they weren't working out. A friend of mine then said, 'What about Alexei?' I didn't know whether he would be able to do it, but I knew of him. He was basically there for the tour at first, and the same thing with Tony. We needed somebody we could go on tour with, so inevitably we started working together.
"They just play great, and are super professional. They just do a really great job. There's nothing more you can say about it — absolutely fantastic. There's no limitations with what you can do with somebody like Alexei playing drums. You never fear anything; if I write a really fast song, I'm not worried if somebody is gonna be able to cut it. With guys in the past, we really had to work around everyone's limitations. If anything now we have to work around my limitations, because there are a lot of things that I definitely can't do on guitar and vocals as well. I just do what I do."
On playing guitar and singing:
Tommy: "As far as playing the songs, you're doing two things at once and then soloing on top of it. It's pretty obvious that there's gonna be certain restrictions, unless you're a complete magician. As far as technique, I've learnt as I've gone along. I wasn't even really seriously playing that much when PRONG started. The truth of the matter is I certainly fell into the whole thing. Before 'Primitive Origins' (1987), I had never played a guitar solo in my life; that was just learnt on the spot, and I wasn't even really playing guitar that much before that anyhow. I sang in a couple of cover bands as a bass player, and was really horrible, terrible. I never sang in a band before, really. It wasn't like when I was eight-years-old I said, 'I'm gonna be a rock star,' was learning to play guitar, and had a teacher for years, a vocal instructor, or any of that stuff. That wasn't the case at all. It's not like kids today where their parents want them to be a rock star, and they've had lessons or what have you since they were little kids. That's what I've gotta compete against in a couple of ways, people that have had a lot more instruction and support. I'm limited (laughs)."
On the song "State Of Rebellion":
Tommy: "'State Of Rebellion' is about the fact I don't get involved in political discussions anymore with people. I've been there and it doesn't really help anything. It's almost in that realm where I numb myself and walk the fence a little bit, which isn't a good thing. I started to numb myself from any kind of arguments or controversy. Of course, when you're young and you're more brash, you're quick to get into arguments a lot more. Later on you start to realize that it's not really worth the trouble, and for your own sanity. There are other things that I'd rather spend my energy on, which is taking it easy really. It's just a matter of priorities, but yeah. It's not that I don't have strong opinions on things; it's just that I don't think it's necessary to try to convert anybody, or even express myself that much. It doesn't take precedent over other things in my life anymore."
On his older brother:
Tommy: "He's at the other end of the spectrum — he's very Republican. He starts ranting, and I don't even respond to it. I don't even say anything. I go, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fine. Whatever.' But years ago I would get into arguments with him. I'd be like, 'Shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about', and it's just pointless. I'd rather maintain the relationship than get into these battles with him."
After playing its 20th-anniversary celebration concert on April 1 at W2 in Den Bosch, Holland, the "Always…"-era (1992) lineup of the Dutch rock outfit THE GATHERING has announced several club shows in The Netherlands this September.
Commented the band: "Yes! Because we have so much fun playing together, and because we rehearsed so damn hard (would be a shame only doing four shows), THE GATHERING 1992 (aka TG92) will do a short club tour in The Netherlands this September."
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 15 - Simplon - Groningen, The Netherlands
Sep. 16 - Tivoli de Helling - Utrecht, The Netherlands
Sep. 22 - Gigant - Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Sep. 23 - Patronaat (Kleine Zaal) - Haarlem, The Netherlands
Support on the trek will come from THE 11th HOUR, the band led by former GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby.
The "Always…"-era lineup of THE GATHERING will also perform at the following festivals this summer:
Jun. 30 - Dokk'em Open Air 2012 - Dokkum, The Netherlands
Aug. 4-8 - Nirwana Tuinfeest - Lierop, The Netherlands
Fan-filmed video footage of THE GATHERING's April 1 performance at W2 in Den Bosch, Holland can be seen below.
Regarding their decision to recurrect the "Always…" lineup of THE GATHERING, the group previously said, "After years we (THE GATHERING) came in contact again, thanks to Facebook, with the nice people from ACROSTICHON (Corinne and Richard). Of course, we talked a lot about the good old days, especially the ones we had at the Willem II concert hall in Den Bosch. There was a matinee gig every month (I think it was every last Sunday), and we saw some great bands such as CANDLEMASS, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, and, of course, we played there as well. Those days were so much fun. We had a great nostalgic trip talking about those days. Soon we came to the conclusion we would love to do this again!:
THE GATHERING's latest album, "The West Pole", was released in North America on June 2, 2009 via Season of Mist. The CD was issued in most of Europe on May 4, 2009 via the group's own label, Psychonaut Records.
"The West Pole" marks the recording debut of new THE GATHERING singer Silje Wergeland, who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI. It also includes two very talented guest vocalists, Anne van den Hoogen and Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION), along with other guest musicians.
Commented the band: "Yes! Because we have so much fun playing together, and because we rehearsed so damn hard (would be a shame only doing four shows), THE GATHERING 1992 (aka TG92) will do a short club tour in The Netherlands this September."
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 15 - Simplon - Groningen, The Netherlands
Sep. 16 - Tivoli de Helling - Utrecht, The Netherlands
Sep. 22 - Gigant - Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Sep. 23 - Patronaat (Kleine Zaal) - Haarlem, The Netherlands
Support on the trek will come from THE 11th HOUR, the band led by former GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby.
The "Always…"-era lineup of THE GATHERING will also perform at the following festivals this summer:
Jun. 30 - Dokk'em Open Air 2012 - Dokkum, The Netherlands
Aug. 4-8 - Nirwana Tuinfeest - Lierop, The Netherlands
Fan-filmed video footage of THE GATHERING's April 1 performance at W2 in Den Bosch, Holland can be seen below.
Regarding their decision to recurrect the "Always…" lineup of THE GATHERING, the group previously said, "After years we (THE GATHERING) came in contact again, thanks to Facebook, with the nice people from ACROSTICHON (Corinne and Richard). Of course, we talked a lot about the good old days, especially the ones we had at the Willem II concert hall in Den Bosch. There was a matinee gig every month (I think it was every last Sunday), and we saw some great bands such as CANDLEMASS, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, and, of course, we played there as well. Those days were so much fun. We had a great nostalgic trip talking about those days. Soon we came to the conclusion we would love to do this again!:
THE GATHERING's latest album, "The West Pole", was released in North America on June 2, 2009 via Season of Mist. The CD was issued in most of Europe on May 4, 2009 via the group's own label, Psychonaut Records.
"The West Pole" marks the recording debut of new THE GATHERING singer Silje Wergeland, who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI. It also includes two very talented guest vocalists, Anne van den Hoogen and Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION), along with other guest musicians.
"Tension: 25 Years Underground", a documentary by Rudy Childs, was honored in the "Best Sidebar Film" category (films with a rock and roll theme) at the Desert Rocks Film And Music Event, which was held May 4-6 in Victorville, California. The competition was fierce with films from around the globe and from different genres such as a U2 fan's documentary "General Admission: Layin' It On The Line For U2", the United Kingdom's "Subsource Dubumentary", San Francisco's "Haight Ashbury - The Beat Of A Generation" and Australia's "Joe Camilleri: Australia's Maltese Falcon". But in the end it was "Tension: 25 Years Underground" that took home the prize. It was a very exciting moment for Rudy Childs and the rest of the TENSION band who just finished playing to metalheads at their first-ever gig in Germany at the sold-out Keep It True festival. The band is planning their keep their latest trend of success alive and will be performing on the East Coast at the yet-to-be announced festival Heavy Metal Picnic 2 this fall.
There is nothing more exciting than being on the threshold of a new type of music. "Tension: 25 Years Underground" takes us back to 1978 when teenagers Tom Gattis and Marty Friedman (later of HAWAII and MEGADETH) met and formed the rock band DEUCE (later known as TENSION). These kids churned out a style of music that underwent a complete metamorphosis — growing from punk-inspired rock 'n' roll, into classic heavy metal at a time when that genre of music was way under the radar of most rock fans.
"Tension: 25 Years Underground" takes us through the entire decade of the band's existence, beginning as teenagers practicing in their legendary rehearsal space "The Barn," through securing a record deal, and on to their unfortunate demise in 1988. Interwoven throughout the band's storyline are sidebars touching on rock culture, music and censorship, topics important to the band during their tenure. Painstakingly constructed from new interviews, music and vintage concert footage, this film reveals the engrossing story of an innovative band that simply existed in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Despite their trials and tribulations, TENSION's members have achieved success in their own personal ways, which have become rewarding in itself. With this film, their musical legacy lives on.
A trailer for "Tension: 25 Years Underground" can be seen below.
TENSION is:
Tom Gattis (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
Billy Giddings (Drums)
Michael Francis (Bass/Vocals)
Petio Petev (Lead Guitar)
In a 2003 interview, Friedman stated about DEUCE, "DEUCE was me and my friends back in Washington D.C. The only member that any of you may know is Tom Gattis, who went on to sing and play guitar in TENSION and WARDOG. He also did a KISS compilation album with me. He is one of my best friends in the world. We were the core of DEUCE. We were kind of punk, kind of rock and roll, but at the same time we loved tricky little guitar parts. All the band members were between 14 and 17, but we had a huge fan base in our area, mainly beacuse we put on a show every night at our rehearsals. We never really rehearsed, we just made our 'practices' a 'concert' and a big party for everyone. We all learned a lot from that." He added, "I quit DEUCE because my father got transferred to Hawaii and I had to move."
There is nothing more exciting than being on the threshold of a new type of music. "Tension: 25 Years Underground" takes us back to 1978 when teenagers Tom Gattis and Marty Friedman (later of HAWAII and MEGADETH) met and formed the rock band DEUCE (later known as TENSION). These kids churned out a style of music that underwent a complete metamorphosis — growing from punk-inspired rock 'n' roll, into classic heavy metal at a time when that genre of music was way under the radar of most rock fans.
"Tension: 25 Years Underground" takes us through the entire decade of the band's existence, beginning as teenagers practicing in their legendary rehearsal space "The Barn," through securing a record deal, and on to their unfortunate demise in 1988. Interwoven throughout the band's storyline are sidebars touching on rock culture, music and censorship, topics important to the band during their tenure. Painstakingly constructed from new interviews, music and vintage concert footage, this film reveals the engrossing story of an innovative band that simply existed in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Despite their trials and tribulations, TENSION's members have achieved success in their own personal ways, which have become rewarding in itself. With this film, their musical legacy lives on.
A trailer for "Tension: 25 Years Underground" can be seen below.
TENSION is:
Tom Gattis (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
Billy Giddings (Drums)
Michael Francis (Bass/Vocals)
Petio Petev (Lead Guitar)
In a 2003 interview, Friedman stated about DEUCE, "DEUCE was me and my friends back in Washington D.C. The only member that any of you may know is Tom Gattis, who went on to sing and play guitar in TENSION and WARDOG. He also did a KISS compilation album with me. He is one of my best friends in the world. We were the core of DEUCE. We were kind of punk, kind of rock and roll, but at the same time we loved tricky little guitar parts. All the band members were between 14 and 17, but we had a huge fan base in our area, mainly beacuse we put on a show every night at our rehearsals. We never really rehearsed, we just made our 'practices' a 'concert' and a big party for everyone. We all learned a lot from that." He added, "I quit DEUCE because my father got transferred to Hawaii and I had to move."
EMI Label Services has announced a deal with British metal act SACRED MOTHER TONGUE to release their forthcoming second album. Due to be unveiled later this year in a series of releases, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's sophomore effort, produced by Scott Atkins, is a quantum leap forward, showcasing a band coming of age in spectacular style.
Since forming in 2007, the band have picked up critical acclaim alongside a dedicated fanbase with singles such as "Two Thousand Eight Hundred" and their debut album, "The Ruin Of Man", released in 2009. Touring with the likes of LAMB OF GOD and EVILE and performing at Download, Sonisphere, Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest over the past three years, the band have been honing their craft ready for the next step in their musical evolution.
And now the first taste of what is to come can be viewed in the shape of a lyric video for the brand new track "Seven". Shot overnight in a forest deep in Wales, it's the opening salvo in SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's ascent to the highest echelons of British metal, powered by the kind of sky-scraping rock music that will take them around the world. You can view that video below.
And with their first step on the international scene being a headline tour of China later this month, including a slot at the prestigious Hang Zhou West Lake Music Festival, the band are coming out all guns blazing.
Their stunning sonic arsenal features the bruised power of vocalist Darrin Smith, whose two-year battle with severe depression forms the lyrical basis of the new album, and guitarist Andy James, whose six-string skills have gained him worldwide acclaim both from his peers and on YouTube where his guitar tutorials now have over 4 million views.
Completed by Josh Gurner on bass, famed for his stage-diving antics whilst still shredding the fretboard, thus creating the infamous "Josh Pit," and drummer Lee Newell, who is also the rhythmic powerhouse behind FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM's live performances, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE are renewed, revitalized and ready to take on the planet.
A London showcase gig will be announced soon along with full details of their debut EMI release.
Since forming in 2007, the band have picked up critical acclaim alongside a dedicated fanbase with singles such as "Two Thousand Eight Hundred" and their debut album, "The Ruin Of Man", released in 2009. Touring with the likes of LAMB OF GOD and EVILE and performing at Download, Sonisphere, Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest over the past three years, the band have been honing their craft ready for the next step in their musical evolution.
And now the first taste of what is to come can be viewed in the shape of a lyric video for the brand new track "Seven". Shot overnight in a forest deep in Wales, it's the opening salvo in SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's ascent to the highest echelons of British metal, powered by the kind of sky-scraping rock music that will take them around the world. You can view that video below.
And with their first step on the international scene being a headline tour of China later this month, including a slot at the prestigious Hang Zhou West Lake Music Festival, the band are coming out all guns blazing.
Their stunning sonic arsenal features the bruised power of vocalist Darrin Smith, whose two-year battle with severe depression forms the lyrical basis of the new album, and guitarist Andy James, whose six-string skills have gained him worldwide acclaim both from his peers and on YouTube where his guitar tutorials now have over 4 million views.
Completed by Josh Gurner on bass, famed for his stage-diving antics whilst still shredding the fretboard, thus creating the infamous "Josh Pit," and drummer Lee Newell, who is also the rhythmic powerhouse behind FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM's live performances, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE are renewed, revitalized and ready to take on the planet.
A London showcase gig will be announced soon along with full details of their debut EMI release.
Gothenburg, Sweden-based metal sextet MARIONETTE has been forced to cancel its three shows on the "Slay The UK" tour with THE ALGORITHM due to an injury in the band.
"Anton sustained an arm injury at work on Friday rendering him unable to play guitar effectively," says MARIONETTE in a Facebook posting. "Therefore, we are forced to cancel the upcoming U.K. dates while he recovers. We write this with the heaviest of hearts and wish Anton a speedy recovery."
"Anton sustained an arm injury at work on Friday rendering him unable to play guitar effectively," says MARIONETTE in a Facebook posting. "Therefore, we are forced to cancel the upcoming U.K. dates while he recovers. We write this with the heaviest of hearts and wish Anton a speedy recovery."
Frontiers Records has set a July 2 North American release date (June 29 in Europe) for the second album from the Irish hard rock band MILLION $ RELOAD entitled "A Sinner's Saint".
Formed in Northern Ireland in 2005, MILLION $ RELOAD started immediately to develop their craft by playing live in the local club circuit leaving behind them a trail of fans hungry for more. Their catchy anthemic tunes soon gained them a recording deal, which culminated with the release of the debut album "Anthems Of A Degeneration" in 2008. A tour-de-force of vast hooks, killer riffs and moments of joyous, snake-hipped abandon, with shades of everyone from AC/DC and AEROSMITH through to THIN LIZZY and THUNDER confirming that these young Irishmen know their history and salute it with style, while also displaying a powerful and compelling character and atmosphere that is all their own.
"MILLION DOLLAR RELOAD sound is the culmination of our individual influences: no-frills, balls-to-the-wall, straight-up rock and roll," says singer Phil Conalane. "Loud guitars , big vocals and the odd guitar solo with killer hooks. We have a definite sound, it's not a new sound and we are not trying to re-invent the wheel, there are no delusions of grandeur in M$R. We know what we are about. All of us have our own personal influences that clearly can be heard in our songs, AC/DC, AEROSMITH, early GN'R. We don't try to emulate those bands, we have our own take on modern day rock n roll, but they are definitely a big influence."
The band toured heavily in support of the album and shared stages with THUNDER, THE DARKNESS, BUCKCHERRY, PAPA ROACH and more. This has further pushed the band's abilities and focused their songwriting abilities. The result is the new killer album, "A Sinner's Saint", which has sparkled the attention from the Italian label Frontiers Records which immediately signed the band upon hearing the new stuff the Irish five-piece created.
Indeed, from blistering, cocksure sing-alongs like "Blow Me Away", "Bullets In The Sky" and "Wicked", through to the irresistible bluesy ballad "Broken", "A Sinner's Saint" is a flawless exercise in smart, sassy songwriting and a superb showcase for the electrifying chemistry that exists between these five musicians. You can't keep a band this good, or an album this strong, down for long, and now that they have started to build momentum once again, MILLION $ RELOAD must surely be on the road to rock 'n' roll glory. They've got the balls, the belief and the tunes to make it happen.
"Rock 'n' roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!" grins Phil Conalane. "It's nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock 'n' roll, but it's been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock 'n' roll really is! We're the real deal and we're here to stay!"
"A Sinner's Saint" track listing:
01. Fight The System
02. Bullets In The Sky
03. Blow Me Away
04. Can't Tie Me Down
05. Broken
06. I Am The Rapture
07. Wicked
08. Smoke N Mirrors
09. Headrush
10. Pretty People
11. It Ain't Over
12. Protest (bonus track)
Formed in Northern Ireland in 2005, MILLION $ RELOAD started immediately to develop their craft by playing live in the local club circuit leaving behind them a trail of fans hungry for more. Their catchy anthemic tunes soon gained them a recording deal, which culminated with the release of the debut album "Anthems Of A Degeneration" in 2008. A tour-de-force of vast hooks, killer riffs and moments of joyous, snake-hipped abandon, with shades of everyone from AC/DC and AEROSMITH through to THIN LIZZY and THUNDER confirming that these young Irishmen know their history and salute it with style, while also displaying a powerful and compelling character and atmosphere that is all their own.
"MILLION DOLLAR RELOAD sound is the culmination of our individual influences: no-frills, balls-to-the-wall, straight-up rock and roll," says singer Phil Conalane. "Loud guitars , big vocals and the odd guitar solo with killer hooks. We have a definite sound, it's not a new sound and we are not trying to re-invent the wheel, there are no delusions of grandeur in M$R. We know what we are about. All of us have our own personal influences that clearly can be heard in our songs, AC/DC, AEROSMITH, early GN'R. We don't try to emulate those bands, we have our own take on modern day rock n roll, but they are definitely a big influence."
The band toured heavily in support of the album and shared stages with THUNDER, THE DARKNESS, BUCKCHERRY, PAPA ROACH and more. This has further pushed the band's abilities and focused their songwriting abilities. The result is the new killer album, "A Sinner's Saint", which has sparkled the attention from the Italian label Frontiers Records which immediately signed the band upon hearing the new stuff the Irish five-piece created.
Indeed, from blistering, cocksure sing-alongs like "Blow Me Away", "Bullets In The Sky" and "Wicked", through to the irresistible bluesy ballad "Broken", "A Sinner's Saint" is a flawless exercise in smart, sassy songwriting and a superb showcase for the electrifying chemistry that exists between these five musicians. You can't keep a band this good, or an album this strong, down for long, and now that they have started to build momentum once again, MILLION $ RELOAD must surely be on the road to rock 'n' roll glory. They've got the balls, the belief and the tunes to make it happen.
"Rock 'n' roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!" grins Phil Conalane. "It's nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock 'n' roll, but it's been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock 'n' roll really is! We're the real deal and we're here to stay!"
"A Sinner's Saint" track listing:
01. Fight The System
02. Bullets In The Sky
03. Blow Me Away
04. Can't Tie Me Down
05. Broken
06. I Am The Rapture
07. Wicked
08. Smoke N Mirrors
09. Headrush
10. Pretty People
11. It Ain't Over
12. Protest (bonus track)
The first official photo of CALL ME NO ONE — the new project featuring SEVENDUST drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist Clint Lowery — can be seen below. The group's lineup is rounded out by bassist Rek Mohr (HURT) and guitarist Alan Price (SOULS HARBOR, SHINEDOWN).
CALL ME NO ONE's debut album, "Last Parade", will arrive on June 5. The CD's first single, "Biggest Fan", will be available to purchase on iTunes on April 24.
"Last Parade" track listing:
01. The World Is Dead
02. Thunderbird
03. Soapbox
04. Hillbilly
05. Alls Well
06. Biggest Fan
07. Please To Meet You
08. Broken Record
09. War Song
10. Last Parade
The record will also include two bonus tracks.
Rose told The Pulse Of Radio that CALL ME NO ONE has turned into something bigger than he and Lowery first envisioned. "This isn't really a side project. This is another band," he said. "I mean, other people have done it, but I guess that the closest thing we could compare it to is like STONE SOUR to SLIPKNOT, you know. I mean, we're gonna go ahead and do this, then when this runs its course, it should be right on time for SEVENDUST to get back and rolling."
Lowery recently described the sound of CALL ME NO ONE as "kind of NINE INCH NAILS meets FOO FIGHTERS."
SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby also recently launched a new project, joining forces with CREED/ALTER BRIDGE drummer Scott Phillips in a new outfit called PROJECTED.
PROJECTED has already entered the studio to begin recording its debut disc, to be made available later in the year.
SEVENDUST itself will begin writing its ninth studio effort this summer, with plans for an early 2013 release. SEVENDUST issued its most recent outing, "Cold Day Memory", in April 2010.
CALL ME NO ONE's debut album, "Last Parade", will arrive on June 5. The CD's first single, "Biggest Fan", will be available to purchase on iTunes on April 24.
"Last Parade" track listing:
01. The World Is Dead
02. Thunderbird
03. Soapbox
04. Hillbilly
05. Alls Well
06. Biggest Fan
07. Please To Meet You
08. Broken Record
09. War Song
10. Last Parade
The record will also include two bonus tracks.
Rose told The Pulse Of Radio that CALL ME NO ONE has turned into something bigger than he and Lowery first envisioned. "This isn't really a side project. This is another band," he said. "I mean, other people have done it, but I guess that the closest thing we could compare it to is like STONE SOUR to SLIPKNOT, you know. I mean, we're gonna go ahead and do this, then when this runs its course, it should be right on time for SEVENDUST to get back and rolling."
Lowery recently described the sound of CALL ME NO ONE as "kind of NINE INCH NAILS meets FOO FIGHTERS."
SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince Hornsby also recently launched a new project, joining forces with CREED/ALTER BRIDGE drummer Scott Phillips in a new outfit called PROJECTED.
PROJECTED has already entered the studio to begin recording its debut disc, to be made available later in the year.
SEVENDUST itself will begin writing its ninth studio effort this summer, with plans for an early 2013 release. SEVENDUST issued its most recent outing, "Cold Day Memory", in April 2010.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/callmenooneband.jpg
PROJECTED, the new project featuring SEVENDUST members John Connolly (guitar) and Vince Hornsby (bass) alongside ALTER BRIDGE/CREED drummer Scott Phillips and guitarist/vocalist Eric "Erock" Friedman (a.k.a. Erock; TREMONTI), is currently mixing a song called "12804", which is a "song I wrote as my tribute to Dimebag Darrell," says Connolly. He adds, "My daughter Jordan, who is 7, has declared the song a single! I guess I gotta agree. Probably my favorite song on the [forthcoming PROJECTED] record."
The songtitle "12804" is a reference to the December 8, 2004 date, which is when former PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot and killed onstage while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
PROJECTED's debut release is expected to be made available later in the year.
Connolly describes PROJECTED's musical direction as "not super heavy. . . somewhere closer to FOO FIGHTERS/A PERFECT CIRCLE. It's sorta heavy, just not real metal. I guess. The songs are pretty badass, though."
PROJECTED is:
John Connolly (SEVENDUST) - Guitar, Vocals
Vince Hornsby (SEVENDUST) - Bass
Scott Phillips (ALTER BRIDGE, CREED) - Drums
Eric Friedman (a.k.a. Erock; TREMONTI) - Guitar, Vocals
The songtitle "12804" is a reference to the December 8, 2004 date, which is when former PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot and killed onstage while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
PROJECTED's debut release is expected to be made available later in the year.
Connolly describes PROJECTED's musical direction as "not super heavy. . . somewhere closer to FOO FIGHTERS/A PERFECT CIRCLE. It's sorta heavy, just not real metal. I guess. The songs are pretty badass, though."
PROJECTED is:
John Connolly (SEVENDUST) - Guitar, Vocals
Vince Hornsby (SEVENDUST) - Bass
Scott Phillips (ALTER BRIDGE, CREED) - Drums
Eric Friedman (a.k.a. Erock; TREMONTI) - Guitar, Vocals
Spanish modern metallers JOTNAR have inked a deal with Murdered Music/Coroner Records. The band's debut EP, "Giant", has just been released via Coroner.
"Giant", which includes five tracks of melodic death metal with old-school and modern influences blended together, wasmixed and mastered at Perfect Fifth Studio in Canada.
"Giant" track listing:
01. Perfect Lie
02. In Process
03. I Am Giant
04. Never Fall Silent
05. Soil My Soul
06. I Am Giant (exclusive digipak bonus video)
JOTNAR will perform at the Rock Bitch Boat festival in Sweden at the end of October and soon will be able to announce its participation in one of the biggest festivals in Europe.
After the Rock Bitch Boat festival, JOTNAR will promote "Giant" with a mini-tour of Sweden, before coming back to Spain for a promotional tour.
"Giant", which includes five tracks of melodic death metal with old-school and modern influences blended together, wasmixed and mastered at Perfect Fifth Studio in Canada.
"Giant" track listing:
01. Perfect Lie
02. In Process
03. I Am Giant
04. Never Fall Silent
05. Soil My Soul
06. I Am Giant (exclusive digipak bonus video)
JOTNAR will perform at the Rock Bitch Boat festival in Sweden at the end of October and soon will be able to announce its participation in one of the biggest festivals in Europe.
After the Rock Bitch Boat festival, JOTNAR will promote "Giant" with a mini-tour of Sweden, before coming back to Spain for a promotional tour.
New York City's unholy black metal warriors BLACK ANVIL have begun writing their follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Triumvirate". The band has begun tracking rough demos for the new full-length and plan to record in early 2013.
Commented bassist/vocalist Paul Delaney: "This is a darker, deeper record than our previous releases and a natural progression down the chosen path. Musically, and lyrically… we will take our form to the next level."
In other news, BLACK ANVIL has announced a string of dates with Sweden's controversial black metal kings WATAIN. The shows kick off on May 14 in Poughkeepsie, New York and wrap on May 18 in Detroit, Michigan.
Commented bassist/vocalist Paul Delaney: "This is a darker, deeper record than our previous releases and a natural progression down the chosen path. Musically, and lyrically… we will take our form to the next level."
In other news, BLACK ANVIL has announced a string of dates with Sweden's controversial black metal kings WATAIN. The shows kick off on May 14 in Poughkeepsie, New York and wrap on May 18 in Detroit, Michigan.
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