Dan DeLuca of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently conducted an interview with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Philadelphia Inquirer: METALLICA spoke out vocally against Napster when the file-sharing revolution began in the late '90s, and you were vilified for it. How do you view that now?
Hetfield: I think everyone did it wrong, from the people inventing the technology to the record companies to the artists. I think the record companies should have embraced the technology rather than turning their back on it, thinking they were untouchable, which obviously set a little more fire under these younger computer geniuses who were inventing this amazing technology. I mean, they did go to them, and the record companies snubbed them. So the artist actually ended up getting, in my opinion, [messed up] because of that confrontation. . . . I think we did the right thing at the moment. I still think stealing is wrong. It's one of the 10 Commandments: Thou shalt not steal. Though it's not as simple as that, it will always go back to that. Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] took the shots. We would have lot of artists coming up and saying. "Thank God, you're standing up," and "Go get 'em." But as soon as we called them out for some support, they were hiding in the shadows, and we were out their on our own.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Did you ever regret how much access you gave the filmmakers in "Some Kind Of Monster", which was made when you were in rehab?
Hetfield: No. We thought we might as well put it out there in a form that's something we can trust. It was just unfolding. We didn't know what we were doing. I was like a piece of raw meat walking around. I didn't know what had just happened to me in my life. I'm grateful that it was captured.
Philadelphia Inquirer: When's the next METALLICA record?
Hetfield: You tell me. I don't know. We're writing here and there, touring, doing the festival thing. I'm looking forward to making the next record. But I don't know when.
Philadelphia Inquirer: METALLICA spoke out vocally against Napster when the file-sharing revolution began in the late '90s, and you were vilified for it. How do you view that now?
Hetfield: I think everyone did it wrong, from the people inventing the technology to the record companies to the artists. I think the record companies should have embraced the technology rather than turning their back on it, thinking they were untouchable, which obviously set a little more fire under these younger computer geniuses who were inventing this amazing technology. I mean, they did go to them, and the record companies snubbed them. So the artist actually ended up getting, in my opinion, [messed up] because of that confrontation. . . . I think we did the right thing at the moment. I still think stealing is wrong. It's one of the 10 Commandments: Thou shalt not steal. Though it's not as simple as that, it will always go back to that. Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] took the shots. We would have lot of artists coming up and saying. "Thank God, you're standing up," and "Go get 'em." But as soon as we called them out for some support, they were hiding in the shadows, and we were out their on our own.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Did you ever regret how much access you gave the filmmakers in "Some Kind Of Monster", which was made when you were in rehab?
Hetfield: No. We thought we might as well put it out there in a form that's something we can trust. It was just unfolding. We didn't know what we were doing. I was like a piece of raw meat walking around. I didn't know what had just happened to me in my life. I'm grateful that it was captured.
Philadelphia Inquirer: When's the next METALLICA record?
Hetfield: You tell me. I don't know. We're writing here and there, touring, doing the festival thing. I'm looking forward to making the next record. But I don't know when.
Rush has released an amazing new album titled Clockwork Angels. Turning the hands of time back to 1997, however, it appeared Rush had come to an end, when in the span of ten months, drummer Neil Peart lost his 19-year-old daughter to a car accident and his wife to cancer.
Such tragedy is not easily overcome by the strongest of personalities, yet, over time, Peart learned to live with the circumstances of his life. Guitarist Alex Lifeson reflects back to that gray time, "We were approaching the end of the third year and things were not looking that good for the band, and we understood it. It was very sad. I think we [bassist Geddy Lee and Alex] were probably both disappointed but there was nothing we could do about it. The conditions were very, very difficult. If Neil had said that he was done with it, then we would have just been done with it and moved on with our lives. The band really was not important at all during that time. It was all about helping our friend get back on his feet and learn to live again."
The first step back was 2002's Vapor Trails. Rush took an extraordinarily long time, fourteen months, recording the album. The album was not an immediate hit. The band's loyal fan base was thrilled to hear Rush back in action, although the music was clearly not the best the band had ever created. One of the most shocking aspects of the album was the lack of guitar solos by Lifeson. This was a man who became famous for his exceptional way of blending melody with balls to the wall musical passages.
"Vapor Trails was really the first album where I really limited the soloing," admits the guitarist. "At the time, I truly didn't want to bring the attention to that point in a song where the guitar takes over and it becomes about the solo.
"I might have been wrong about it, but the way I was feeling, at the time, was that we were coming back from this very dark period and I wanted a sense of unity where no one was showing off or standing out. I wanted it to really be about the three of us. I kind of manifested that whole attitude by not standing out and soloing."
After having a bit of fun with 2004's Feedback where Rush remade classic tunes that had influenced them in their career, the band returned with Snakes & Arrows in 2007. The album was a step in the right direction and charted at # 3 upon its release. No one could have predicted the band would take another five years before releasing another studio album.
Clockwork Angels, however, has proved to be worth the wait. That said, no one can expect Rush to recreate their classic works of Moving Pictures, A Farewell to Kings, 2112 or Hemispheres. Rush has changed over the last 40 years.
What is most unexpected about Clockwork Angels is the band's return to a concept album. The album tells the story of a young man's quest to follow his dreams and all of the good, the bad, the magnificent and the horrible that he encounters along the way. "We did a number of strictly concept pieces, but a long time ago we decided that we'd run that format through. We moved away from that in the late 1970's," explained Lifeson," At the same time, all of our records are all thematic and loosely connected; sometimes it is broader and sometimes it is narrower. Nick [Raskulinecz, Producer] was really pushing for something like that; not specifically a concept but a story."
Clockwork Angels cover art is as fun and interesting as the music on the album. The cover shows a clock with the time 9:12. Hugh Syme, Rush's cover artist of choice, played a fun trick on the cover. If you make the time PM, then the military way of announcing the time is 21:12, as in the band's classic release from 1976. "Hugh Syme is a very clever and able designer," says Lifeson. "He works very closely with Neil on all of the artwork. He has done some really dramatic artwork for this record. It made me smile; I got it."
In reality, Clockwork Angles began years ago but Rush's touring schedule kept the project from being completed. Lifeson comments on working over such a long period of time, "We spread this one out over a couple of years and it ended up being a very nice way to work. It gave us a bit of breathing space, as we wrote in groups of songs. I think that always helps to get a little bit of variety. When you get into the studio and you record everything together then it brings that consistency through it. I think we really achieved an interesting dynamic. We have a lot of songs that are different from each other. I think a lot of the songs are very cinematic and part of the story.
"The first batch we did consisted of five songs that we wrote several years ago. When I think of the songs on the album I think of them in the little groups that we wrote them in."
Rush debuted two songs, "Caravan" and "BU2B" from the new album on their Time Machine tour. "BU2B" differs from the rest of the album as Lifeson built the track up by recording many layers of guitars, "I used my Les Pauls and my Telecasters, which is a combo that I used to use quite frequently. It really was heavily layered with guitars and that was the idea for that song.
"The rest of the album, I really wanted to get away from that and I tried as much as possible to keep it simple. I think that is one of the refreshing aspects of the record. It has a lot of space in it and you can hear the drums clearly, you can hear the bass and the guitar; everything can be loud at the same time."
Two songs on the album feature Lifeson playing instruments he is not publicly associated with. "The Anarchist" is built around a drum pattern he put together and "The Wrecker" sees Lifeson and Lee switch guitar and bass duties during the writing process.
Lifeson talks about "The Anarchist," "The drum pattern on that song is one that I put together and Neil connected with it. I think I come from a different place than Neil does and sometimes he will find what I do as an interesting approach that he would have never thought of himself. It gave him a launching point."
On "The Wrecker" Lifeson admits that by switching things up, both Lee and him learned something about their main instrument, "On the original demo, Geddy played guitar and I played bass. When it was recorded, Geddy played the bass but he learned my bass part. He said, 'I would never play this song like this.'
"I learned something from him from the way he played the upstrokes on the acoustic, as I tend to use mostly down strokes. I found that with the Nashville tuning that he used, the upstroke had a particular effect on the song and the shimmering quality. The song eventually evolved and became a different thing but it is still great when you can evolve and influence each other on your instruments just by looking in a different direction."
With the tour for Clockwork Angels looming in the distance, Lifeson reveals the band is not yet sure what songs, both new and old, will end up making the final set list. "We're still trading emails regarding the set. Right now, the set is probably somewhere around four hours long. Our target is about three hours and ten minutes of music. We need to really pull it back. There are a lot of older songs that we want to bring back for this tour. There are a lot of great classic rock songs that we haven't played in a very long time. We don't what to short change those songs but, of course, you always want to play your most current stuff. It is tempting to look at Clockwork Angels as the whole thing but we will see. We start rehearsals next month and we'll have a better idea of how we want to approach that whole thing."
When asked if Lifeson has ever analyzed exactly what it is that makes Rush, Rush, he paused before admitting, "No, not really. That is a good question. The thing is when you're on this side of the fence, life is pretty normal. What you do is nothing particularly special. We set high standards so we always try to do our best and play our best. All of that percolates through to the rest of your life and how you treat other people and how you live with your family. You have the mark that you want to leave."
While confessing that the band wants to leave their mark, Lifeson concedes that the band is much different in 2012 than they were in 1976, "Youth is a very volatile thing. When we were younger we thought differently about our songwriting and our playing. We set a very high standard for ourselves and we always wanted to reach our goals. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we worked very fast. We, generally, had very little time to work on our records because we were touring so much. Everything that we ended up doing had this really giant ball of energy attached to it.
"Today, we feel a very relaxed confidence about our music and our songwriting and also about our playing. We absolutely respect and trust each other now, more than we ever have. I think that is a very important aspect working the way we work and how we put records together.
"You have to be able to trust each other and not hold your own ideas as the most precious. We all try to do the best work we can do as a band. There is no one person more important than the whole. We've learned over forty years that this is the key to our success and our integrity."
Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate made a stop in Portland on June 14th at the Aladdin Theater. Tate performed select cuts from his 2002 album and material from Queensrÿche's back catalog—acoustically. Tate is currently winding down his tour with the Geoff Tate Band. As I went into this interview I was reminded recently that Queensrÿche played their first show ever—at Portland's Paramount Theater 29 years ago. This was confirmed by Tate at one point in our conversation. Oregon Music News caught up with Geoff the day following his performance in Portland; he spoke about his solo tour, his forthcoming solo album, the state of Queensrÿche, the 'Rocklahoma incident' and his thoughts on Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfield and Eddie Jackson forming Rising West.
How did you decide on an acoustic tour vs. an electric show?
Yeah, the idea of doing this started in my living room after dinner one night. I had a dinner party over at my house; I invited several friends we were eating and drinking. After dinner we adjourned to the living room where there were a lot of instruments laying around. We started playing some songs and I thought to myself "hey it would be fun to take this on the road and play some shows." I was gearing up for a solo album at the time so it was a great time because you can break the band in. It's also an opportunity to work out some songs—acoustically because they start on acoustic guitar or piano. I see this as a return to the origins of the song really. We're really having a great time with this because it's a very intimate show. I do a lot of storytelling about each song about their origins and funny humorous stories about my memories of writing the songs. I even take requests from the audience; it's a really different type of presentation that I have ever done before and I'm having a good time with it.
Sounds similar to the VH-1 Storytellers show where you stripped the songs down and have some dialogue in between songs?
Sounds similar to the VH-1 Storytellers show where you stripped the songs down and have some dialogue in between songs?
Yeah, it's pretty much like that. It really connects with the audience in a way that isn't just musical but it's also sets up the story behind each song which is a real treat. I like to hear what an artist was thinking when they wrote a song.
You said you have your band prepared to do 'on spot' requests?
That's correct. This is the first tour since 1990 that I'm not using in ear monitors. I'm just using the speaker wedges. I can actually hear what the audience says! (laughs) I love that because I feel like I can really interact with them; I can joke around or eavesdrop on a conversation and change the direction of the show depending on the audience.
You're doing solo material on this tour along with some Queensrÿche and a Pink Floyd cover of "Wish You Were Here." How did you approach selecting songs for the set? And it sound like you've had the band learn more than 17 songs or so due to the request factor?
You're doing solo material on this tour along with some Queensrÿche and a Pink Floyd cover of "Wish You Were Here." How did you approach selecting songs for the set? And it sound like you've had the band learn more than 17 songs or so due to the request factor?
Yeah, I initially wanted a set with songs that had special meaning to me, songs that I could share the story behind them. The other thing was selecting songs that would fit the atmosphere of an acoustic presentation—there are songs that you simply can't perform acoustically all that well. There are songs that require percussion and since we're not playing with a drummer those were out. So we hand selected songs that met that criteria and that we could do a great rendition of with acoustic guitars, keyboard and bass.
I saw a clip of you doing "Jet City Woman" which has that familiar drum and bass intro. You gave it a different arraignment.
I saw a clip of you doing "Jet City Woman" which has that familiar drum and bass intro. You gave it a different arraignment.
Right, on record it has that drum and bass intro acoustically we start that with piano and voice. "Jet City Woman" goes over really well acoustically.
You've made your acting debut in 'The Burningmoore Incident.' What's the film about? And what was it like doing a film?
You've made your acting debut in 'The Burningmoore Incident.' What's the film about? And what was it like doing a film?
It's a smartly written horror film. I completed it about a year and a half ago it's getting ready for release. I was approached a while ago to act in the film and it was a really wonderful experience. I'm really happy that I tried my hand at acting; it gave me more insight into what goes into making a film. I got to work with stunt coordinators, film directors, the lighting crew and the special affects people. I had a great time learning about all that stuff.
What the projected release date?
What the projected release date?
I have no idea of the exact release date. That's the beauty of acting—you do your thing and you're done. (laughs)
You have a tentative release date of October of 2012 for new solo music. Will it be an eclectic record like the Geoff Tate album released in 2002?
You're going to love this—it's a hard rock record. It will be different at the same time—I'm taking the traditional hard rock instruments and pushing them in a different direction. This record will have a lot of progressive influences, hard rock influences and you heard right it will come out in October.
It sounds like all songs are all written then? Where are you in the recording process at this point?
It sounds like all songs are all written then? Where are you in the recording process at this point?
Yeah, we're just about done recording the album; I've got about another month left of work on it. I'll play Seattle tonight and we've got two more shows left—we'll finish up in Canada. When we return we'll head right back into the studio to finish up the record.
Sanctuary Records your previous label had a tough time marketing the last solo record, didn't they? Were you at all gun shy about doing it another solo record?
Sanctuary Records your previous label had a tough time marketing the last solo record, didn't they? Were you at all gun shy about doing it another solo record?
They had a difficult time marketing everybody's record! (laughs) I'll tell exactly what the situation was—they weren't really a record company. Sanctuary was a money making machine and they went out of business very quickly. I'm glad to be done with that actually. (laughs)
Queensrÿche played Rocklahoma this past Memorial Day weekend. At one point you said to the audience that they 'sucked' were you being sarcastic? Do you think that backfired?
Queensrÿche played Rocklahoma this past Memorial Day weekend. At one point you said to the audience that they 'sucked' were you being sarcastic? Do you think that backfired?
That audience really needed to be pumped up. I don't think that backfired because they got really riled up after that. They really started getting into the show—it worked. I was trying to get them involved; that's my job.
There was a press release issued that you'd be doing solo dates and the rest of the guys were doing Rising West; you'd get together for Queensrÿche dates that are have been booked for 2012. What do you think of Scott, Eddie and Michael doing Rising West? Have you seen any of the clips of the shows from last weekend?
There was a press release issued that you'd be doing solo dates and the rest of the guys were doing Rising West; you'd get together for Queensrÿche dates that are have been booked for 2012. What do you think of Scott, Eddie and Michael doing Rising West? Have you seen any of the clips of the shows from last weekend?
I haven't seen anything or heard that band. I don't know anything about that. We took 2012 to do side projects and solo projects, so that's what we're all doing at the moment. We're planning on regrouping next year. I wish them luck. I hope they're having a great time doing what they are doing this year. I'm happy for them I hope they have success doing it. These guys are my brothers, we've been playing together for about 30 years now—I just wish them the best of luck.
Queensrÿche had a gig opening for Scorpions on June 11th and the rest of the guys were a 'no show.' Is it accurate that they left you essentially high and dry?
Queensrÿche had a gig opening for Scorpions on June 11th and the rest of the guys were a 'no show.' Is it accurate that they left you essentially high and dry?
(pause) That was a situation where it was unfortunate that the rest of the guys in the band couldn't make it—I can't really talk about why. I was very happy to be able to step in and do the show. I'm grateful to the Scorpions to have invited me to do it and it was a very successful show. The audience loved us and we even got a standing ovation at the end of our performance. It was a beautiful summer evening outside playing in an amphitheater—it was one of those shows are very memorable. I'll always remember that show.
Were you in a panic when you found out the rest of Queensrÿche wasn't going to make the show? This was a huge show for Queensrÿche opening for Scorpions.
I wasn't panicking at all. I've done thousands of shows at this point. I'm ready to perform in just about any situation. I was more concerned for the audience. I didn't want them to be disappointed since Queensrÿche wasn't able to play; I didn't want to let people down. There was a possibility that I could do the show and I said "absolutely I'll do it." The fans in Salt Lake City, the promoter and the radio station have all been incredibly supportive of Queensrÿche and my career over the years. I didn't want to leave them high and dry or holding the bag. I didn't want to disappoint people and it was the right thing to do—to play the show. The Scorpions were very supportive and were watching the show; they gave us the thumbs up and high fives after our set.
From a fan's point of view things look bleak for Queensrÿche—you're saying that's inaccurate?
From a fan's point of view things look bleak for Queensrÿche—you're saying that's inaccurate?
When a band takes a little bit of a hiatus and members start doing solo stuff or side projects—the rumors begin to fly. These days with the internet there's so much that gets speculated and talked about. People will go online and make a statement without having knowledge of the situation to back it up. They'll say a lot of things and they keep saying it as if it's true. So to answer your question—it's far from the truth. The rumor mill has just gone crazy. I have to say Ruben this is some of the best publicity Queensrÿche has had in years! (laughs)
When it rains it pours as they say, no?
When it rains it pours as they say, no?
Well it can if you believe everything you read. I think if someone believes what they read on forums and stuff like that—then they're an even bigger fool than the person saying it! (laughs)
That is why I wanted to ask you personally and get from the singer's mouth.
While on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour with ANTHRAX, bassist Frank Bello will be appearing at Hartke, Zoom and ESP-sponsored clinics at select Sam Ash music stores across the U.S. Frank will demonstrate why he uses Hartke, Zoom and ESP gear live and in the studio, as well as hold a meet-and-greet/signing with audience members at the following locations:
Friday, July 6
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
4402 West Cactus Road
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602)863-7746
Saturday, July 14
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
2999 Cobb Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 818-0042
Sunday, July 15
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
8284 Center Run Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(317) 577-3006
Monday, July 23
7:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
11805 Commons Drive
Springdale, OH 45246
(513) 671-4500
Wednesday, July 25
12:45 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
5700 Mayfield Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
(440) 446-0850
Thursday, July 26
7:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
1887 Franklin Mills Circle
Philadelphia, PA 19154
(215) 612-1339
ANTHRAX will issue an EP of cover songs in September to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the release of the band's latest album, "Worship Music". "It started out as what I call 'The '70s EP'," ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante tells Loudwire. "It's made up of some cover songs from our favorite bands — consisting of RUSH, THIN LIZZY, BOSTON, JOURNEY … We're still working on it now, but I think it's gonna be really cool."
Friday, July 6
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
4402 West Cactus Road
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602)863-7746
Saturday, July 14
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
2999 Cobb Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 818-0042
Sunday, July 15
1:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
8284 Center Run Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(317) 577-3006
Monday, July 23
7:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
11805 Commons Drive
Springdale, OH 45246
(513) 671-4500
Wednesday, July 25
12:45 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
5700 Mayfield Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
(440) 446-0850
Thursday, July 26
7:00 p.m.
Sam Ash Music
1887 Franklin Mills Circle
Philadelphia, PA 19154
(215) 612-1339
ANTHRAX will issue an EP of cover songs in September to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the release of the band's latest album, "Worship Music". "It started out as what I call 'The '70s EP'," ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante tells Loudwire. "It's made up of some cover songs from our favorite bands — consisting of RUSH, THIN LIZZY, BOSTON, JOURNEY … We're still working on it now, but I think it's gonna be really cool."
Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM have inked a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Nuclear Blast Records. The band, which kicked off a year-long celebration of its 15th anniversary with a successful North American tour alongside labelmates ELUVEITIE, has a new studio album planned for release in 2013.
"We had a good, productive and long run with Spinefarm Records for fifteen years and now it's simply just time for a change," said CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho. "I'm absolutely stoked to start the new chapter of CHILDREN OF BODOM's career with Nuclear Blast and look forward to working with them."
"Personally, I am so excited to get to work with Nuclear Blast again," adds CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith). "We have such good memories from the beginning of our career with them. We know the people already and we know how committed they are in doing metal!"
Nuclear Blast Europe A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker shares: "15 years ago we were introduced to a very young band from Finland who blew us away with their track 'Deadnight Warrior' from their debut album 'Something Wild' — and their music was indeed something wild! Fast-tapping guitar work combined with incredible keyboards and angry vocals… it was the start of the career of CHILDREN OF BODOM. Nuclear Blast released their first three albums outside of Finland: 'Something Wild', 'Hatebreeder', and 'Follow The Reaper', albums that became classics in the history of metal. Unfortunately, after the third album, we went separate ways but we have always been following them and stayed in contact. CHILDREN OF BODOM became a very big band worldwide and now the time has come to welcome them back home! We at Nuclear Blast are very happy to see CHILDREN OF BODOM rejoining the Nuclear family and are looking forward to working their next albums. You can be sure that 'something wild' will come your way!"
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)", a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of CHILDREN OF BODOM's 15th anniversary, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world", plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.
In an interview with MusikUniverse.net, Laiho said that the band is scheduled to commence the songwriting sessions for its next album this fall for a 2013 release. "I have ideas, but I haven't done anything about it," Alexi said. "'Cause the thing is, I can't write when I'm touring; it's not the right kind of environment for me. I know a lot of people do it, but I just can't. And it's OK, 'cause I build a lot of ideas in my head, and my memory sucks, but one thing that I never forget is the riffs; they're always in my head somehow. So it's really not a problem."
"Relentless Reckless Forever" sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2008's "Blooddrunk", opened with 19,000 units to land at No. 22. This number was roughly four times the opening tally of "Blooddrunk"'s predecessor, "Are You Dead Yet?", which premiered with 5,000 units back in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 195.
"We had a good, productive and long run with Spinefarm Records for fifteen years and now it's simply just time for a change," said CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho. "I'm absolutely stoked to start the new chapter of CHILDREN OF BODOM's career with Nuclear Blast and look forward to working with them."
"Personally, I am so excited to get to work with Nuclear Blast again," adds CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith). "We have such good memories from the beginning of our career with them. We know the people already and we know how committed they are in doing metal!"
Nuclear Blast Europe A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker shares: "15 years ago we were introduced to a very young band from Finland who blew us away with their track 'Deadnight Warrior' from their debut album 'Something Wild' — and their music was indeed something wild! Fast-tapping guitar work combined with incredible keyboards and angry vocals… it was the start of the career of CHILDREN OF BODOM. Nuclear Blast released their first three albums outside of Finland: 'Something Wild', 'Hatebreeder', and 'Follow The Reaper', albums that became classics in the history of metal. Unfortunately, after the third album, we went separate ways but we have always been following them and stayed in contact. CHILDREN OF BODOM became a very big band worldwide and now the time has come to welcome them back home! We at Nuclear Blast are very happy to see CHILDREN OF BODOM rejoining the Nuclear family and are looking forward to working their next albums. You can be sure that 'something wild' will come your way!"
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)", a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of CHILDREN OF BODOM's 15th anniversary, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world", plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.
In an interview with MusikUniverse.net, Laiho said that the band is scheduled to commence the songwriting sessions for its next album this fall for a 2013 release. "I have ideas, but I haven't done anything about it," Alexi said. "'Cause the thing is, I can't write when I'm touring; it's not the right kind of environment for me. I know a lot of people do it, but I just can't. And it's OK, 'cause I build a lot of ideas in my head, and my memory sucks, but one thing that I never forget is the riffs; they're always in my head somehow. So it's really not a problem."
"Relentless Reckless Forever" sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2008's "Blooddrunk", opened with 19,000 units to land at No. 22. This number was roughly four times the opening tally of "Blooddrunk"'s predecessor, "Are You Dead Yet?", which premiered with 5,000 units back in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 195.
One of the bands on the Orion Music + More Festival I'm most looking forward to seeing (aside from Metallica) is Volbeat. Volbeat touched down in Toronto to start a lengthy run of North American tour dates with HellYeah and Iced Earth on June 18th. A conflict in shows in Toronto prevented me from seeing Volbeat on this evening, but knowing I would be seeing the band this coming weekend at Orion eased the pain of missing them live in Toronto.
Ironically, it was easier to do press here in Toronto than it would be in Atlantic City at Orion. While talking with Volbeat's tour manager before this interview, he said the press interest for Volbeat at Orion was crazy. I was super lucky to be able to stroll into the Kool Haus, sit down with lead singer and guitarist Michael Poulsen for twenty minutes and not feel rushed in chatting with him. I can't imagine trying to do this interview on the weekend at Orion, and I likely would have gotten half the time, another band-member, and a wash of background noise.
We did the interview in the backstage area of the Kool Haus. Michael had a retro Iced Earth tour shirt on and was tinkering around with a guitar and amp and a recording device when I walked into the room and greeted him.
MB: It's great to see you back in Toronto.
MP: Thank you. It's great to be back here.
MB: If I have my information correct, this will be the second time you have started a tour off in Toronto.
MP: Really?
MB: I think Heavy T.O. last year was you starting a run of dates in North America as well.
MP: Ok.
MB: Do you like it here, or is it just a starting place of convenience for Volbeat?
MP: Well, what we've quickly found out is that the fans in Canada are really good Volbeat fans. We've been here a couple of times now and I can't really remember any band shows here in Canada. And Toronto has always been really good. It's going to be really good to start this tour here. It's something we've been looking forward to.
MB: How long will the tour keep you on the road in North America?
MP: I think this will be five and half weeks; something close to that.
MB: That's a good run.
MP: Yeah, it's ok.
MB: Nice touring line-up too - diversified.
MP: Totally. This line-up I'm really digging it. I'm very proud of it, because when we decided to do this run, our touring management sent out emails to different booking agencies saying that this Volbeat run was going to happen, and that they (we) were looking for support bands. There were some really great names on that list. I was surprised because many of the names on the list that came back could easily do their own run, you know? That was a huge compliment. When I saw Iced earth and HellYeah were on the list, I went "What!?" I'm a huge Iced Earth fan. I'm really good friends with Jon Schaffer. For some time now we've been talking about doing something together, but I wanted to bring Iced Earth to Europe. We play arenas in Europe and it would be cool to have Iced Earth with us there. Iced Earth can headline themselves in America, and do well… do really well. So I was feeling, "You guys don't have to support us". The same thing goes for HellYeah. They've got something cooking now, and they of course have Vinnie Paul. They're our good friends as well and they do good albums.
The whole thing was that we're friends with those guys. I think they all felt like, "We didn't care if it was a supporting show. We just want to play with you guys. It's a great package". We'd been talking about doing this, but every time I brought it up I was talking about Europe. Now that they want to do it in the USA, it's a compliment to us that they want to do it together. We're very, very thankful for that. It's going to be great - great to be among bands that you like and that you like personally. It's friends, and it's really nice.
MB: I've had the unique opportunity to see you in Europe and here in North America. I know that your following is just growing here, but every show you've done in Toronto has been a bigger show. Mod Club, Sound Academy; you're coming here (Kool Haus) to headline – all gradually bigger shows. Your audience seems to be growing every time you come to town so you're doing something right.
MP: It seems like it. That's basically, as you said, the way we've been when we come back. The venues are getting bigger and there are more crowds and more ticket sales. Hopefully it's because people talk together and say, "Check this band out'. We've been very actively touring America and Canada the last couple of years. It seems like we've got something going. We're very proud of it. It couldn't be better than to start here.
MB: Like many people in North America, I was introduced to Volbeat at a Metallica show.
MP: Oh yeah, that's where it actually started because not many people knew who we were at that certain time. There was some underground buzz going on, but after those shows with Metallica, that's when people starting talking like, "Wow, that opening band was actually pretty good". So they started coming to the Volbeat shows when we started headlining and they'd say, "The first time I saw you was at Metallica". That's the biggest promotional tour and band that you can go out with; the biggest heavy rock band in the world. They're great guys. We still are very inspired by those guys. For us, it was good to be part of that package. A lot of guys came back to us and said that they first saw us at a Metallica show.
MB: They're not an easy band to open for, either.
MP: No. You know, there are certain bands that you just cannot open for, like Metallica, Slayer, and bands like that. But we had a good run and we felt very comfortable. We knew we were going into a heavy task, but we really had a good time.
MB: You did a really smart thing when you were opening for them. You stopped one of your songs and you played about a minute of 'Master Of Puppets' (I think), and then flipped back into the song you were originally playing.
MP: We did? (Laughs) Ok.
MB: So from where I was standing – I was in the crowd of people… and they are all like this (I cross my arms and stand stoically posed) waiting for you to finish; waiting for Lamb of God to finish… waiting for Metallica to come on. And you play, sound perfect, one minute worth of a song they KNOW, and the whole crowd just erupted into: "Right on – you guys can play!" And I think that if nothing else, that probably won over the majority of Metallica fans because if you can do their (Metallica's) music great, then they should also be paying attention to the music you make as well.
MP: Yeah, you know, it's not like I really remember the situation, but sometimes stuff just happens. But yeah, that's the whole beauty of it. You know you're going in there. You know people are waiting for Metallica, but if we, during halfway through the set can win them over, then we can nod and look them in the eye and know that they were having a good time. That's all worth it, you know. We're not trying to ruin anything for them, you know? We're there for 45 minutes and we do our job and we did it really well. It seems like the greatest challenge is to play for the people who are really going to just stand there, like you said. And when the set is over and they cheer, not because it's over, but because you did something good for them – that's when you really feel good when you walk off the stage. "Well, we did it. We convinced them without being something that we are not. We were ourselves - no posers, no bullshit - being who we are and appreciating being on stage." That's where we won over a lot of people.
MB: I don't know a lot about your early days - how you disbanded Dominus and how you decided to form a band that was a little more influenced by country music and rockabilly. How did that come about, and what were your thoughts behind that decision?
MP: Um, I've always been listening to a lot of music from the fifties. That was because of my parents. They were always playing it in the house where we lived. My father was a big collector of Elvis records and videos. The Elvis songs were always in the house, you know? He was also listening to a lot of Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and a little bit of Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and stuff like that. All the performers from the fifties, he was really into, and those songs just became the songs we were listening to. Later on as a teenager, one of my big sisters got a boyfriend who was listening to heavy metal. He was listening to Dio, Black Sabbath and Rainbow and Metallica and Maiden. I started to look at those album covers and think, "Wow, that looks pretty tough, scary and interesting." I started to really go into the underground scene and find out what I liked and what I didn't like; finding all of the underground magazines. I formed my own death metal band called Dominus and started tape trading; being a part of that whole underground family. That was some really cool interesting days, promoting your band with just flyers and sending letters out. There was no internet, so it was all about tape trading, and trading flyers and everything. We released four albums, and I could definitely sense in myself that after four records with Dominus, those melodies from the fifties would keep on popping up. I couldn't really do anything about it in Dominus, because Dominus was more death metal.
MB: Yes, you'd already established your sound.
MP: Yeah. I wouldn't fool around with the fans so its better to just say goodbye to Dominus and let it go. And then I just started writing songs, other songs that became Volbeat songs. That was more about just trying to get all of those melodies out of my head - the fifties melodies. Again, I wanted to stay with the sound I had in Dominus, with distorted guitars and double bass drums and I thought, "Well, since you really can't figure out if you want to be 100% this or 100% that, why be 100% of anything? Just play. If you like the sound you have, then use that sound and just write some songs." That's what I did. A lot of songs we could have intros that sound like country, burst into a metal song, and then it became punk, and suddenly it was rockabilly. You know, all those styles blended together, and that was because I was listening to all that music. The love of it was just the same. There isn't something in there I love more than the other. I listen to all of it. It really didn't matter what music it was as long as it did something to me. I was trying to write songs where I could put all these things in the same band. For me, it was never important when I came up with Volbeat, it was never important that it be 100% metal. It was all about: "this is Volbeat and we blend it all together. We know it sounds ridiculous on paper, but actually it works out pretty good live.
MB: It doesn't sound ridiculous like at all.
(Laughs)
MP: So why change anything? It was all about playing something that we thought was fun and that felt right and felt honest. That's what we did. We started at small clubs and playing for 50 people and now we play arenas with 16,000. I think the accomplishment and street credibility and our unwillingness to change anything – maybe we were just there at the right time, but we also like to believe that we brought something different to the table.
MB: I think you should believe that, because I think that you did.
MP: We started to believe it after the second record. People said that it was very unique. I mean, we don't think so. We know where we got all the stuff from, but…
MB: But nobody else was doing it…
MP: That's just called inspiration, you know? It's been going really good since then. All the inspirations when it comes to the fifties are definitely something to do with my parents because they were always playing that kind of music, and then later on as a teenager discovering the heavy metal scene. And besides that, I was listening to whatever my friends had. If I heard something I liked, I would say, "That's a good song.". I was never embarrassed about it being a pop song by whomever. It was all about whether it was a good song or not. That's how I like to work in Volbeat. There are no limitations. I am always seeking for that melody. It is what it is. Music should be about a passion and that's what it is.
MB: Like many people, I'm going to be heading to Orion Music + More on the weekend.
MP: Yeah.
MB: I think it will be great to check you out down there.
MP: Oh yeah.
MB: The press picture that is on the Orion website just has yourself, Anders and Jon. I'm assuming that Thomas is no longer in the band?
MP: Yeah, we said goodbye to Thomas…
MB: I'm sorry to hear that.
MP: Oh, yeah. Shit happens. We were about to go on the Gigantour with Megadeth and Motorhead. That was early this year.
MB: It was February for us here in Hamilton.
MP: Yes. Stuff happens. People just have to separate, you know? It's just like a marriage. You can work on it and you can try to save it and you can really try to figure out what it is and everything, but sometimes its best that people just separate. It's something like that with bands, too. Sometimes it really works and other times it doesn't. I cannot go into details, because it doesn't really help anything.
MB: That's fair. What I wanted to know was whether Hank (Shermann) was going to play with you on this tour or not?
MP: Oh, yes, Hank is with us. He's been playing with us since Gigantour. We'd just gotten home and we had only been home for a few weeks. There was not time to find a new guitar player. We have only been hiring hank as a stand-in guitar player because he's busy with his own thing.
MB: It's good though. You had Mike (Denner) do guest vocals on your last album.
MP: What? Oh, Michael (Denner), yes. Yeah, he was playing some guitars with us, yes.
MB: There's a connection…
MP: Denner, he recommended Hank when I said we needed a player. I'm a very close friend to Michael Denner and he heard that I fired Thomas and he said, "You should ask Hank to help you out if you're in trouble here. He might be the guy to do that."
MB: That's cool that it worked out.
MP: Yeah, I'm a huge Merciful Fate fan.
MB: Me too.
MP: And a King Diamond fan. (Laughter) So having the opportunity to have Hank with us is great.
MB: Now, if I look at your past release schedule for your last four albums… it's about that time…
(Laughter)
Are you working on some new stuff?
MP: Yeah, yeah. That's actually why I have this amp over there (indicates towards an amp, recorder and guitar to our left). Because when I'm not doing the interviews or whatever, I'm actually composing and writing. So there is some stuff stored in that amp there, so there is a lot of writing backstage. When I come home I'll put it all together. Now and then we jam a little bit during sound checks. We definitely have a lot of new material that we're working on. When this tour is over we have a festival show in Germany. When that is over we will use a half year to write the songs, finish the songs and then get into the studio and hopefully early next year there will be a new album.
MB: Right on. I'm looking forward to that.
MP: Thank you.
MB: One thing that I like on your albums is that you don't really go completely away from your roots. You'll bring in a guest vocalist or guitarist. I like that. Do you think you will continue with that as you go into your fifth album?
MP: Uh, I don't know, because right now I'm only in a writing process. Things can change so much when you're about to close it all in. I think that songs have to come naturally. It has to come in a natural flow. I don't want to force anything. We did this song with Barney from Napalm Death – it just popped up and it seemed right to have him on the song. It's all about the inspiration and the songs themselves. On the last album Beyond Hell we didn't have any ballads. We have them on the three other records. We get asked why we didn't have a ballad on the album, but it just didn't feel right on this one, you know?
MB: But you have that nice little thank you song at the end, basically thanking your fans, which I think is cool. I mean, it's not a ballad, but it's still…
MP: I know what you mean, but that's how it works. I like things to come naturally. I don't want to force anything. On the other way around – when I have the first half of an album written, I almost always know what the second half is going to sound like. No matter what, there will always be riffs or a sound in there that would remind you of my past. I definitely think that on the next record, and I can't say 100% yes to this, but there should be some death metal. There will be elements of death metal influence.
MB: Right on. I would love to know some of the stories around some of the tattoos that you have. You're covered - chest, arms; the works. Do you have any stories about some of them? Do they mean anything special to you?
MP: Oh yeah, I definitely think that if you get a tattoo you should be able to sit down and tell a story about it afterwards. These modern days, I think there are a lot of youngsters who don't really know why they are getting their tattoos. They're just getting them because they think that it looks good. They should get them for what they mean. For me, it's always important to have a story to tell about them if I want to get a tattoo. So I have lots of stories and I cannot finish them all today.
MB: Of course not. You have a lot of stories on you.
MP: I have my wife's name here (base of his forearm, above his hand) and on the other side (same place on his other forearm) it says 'Little E' and then you can ask who is 'Little E'? I was asking that same question when we were on the Metallica tour. James Hetfield came into our dressing room and said, "Where's Little E?" and one of the guys said, "Little E? I don't know who that is?" So Hetfield says, "Oh come on! Where's Little E?" So they ask: "Who's Little E?" And Hetfield says, "That's Michael:Little Elvis, man."
(Laughter)
He came in with a huge Elvis painting that he just bought in the city and he brought it into me and said, "Hey Little E, this is Big E!" So he gave me the name Little E and I got it tattooed here, as you can see. I've got Elvis' dog tags from the army here (upper left tricep). I've got an eagle here on my hand which my father has tattooed on his chest. He passed away over three years ago now. So it says 'Daddy'. He had the same eagle there and this is his name, Jern, right here (on his fingers just below the knuckles). This one here says 'Mother' and this is my mother's name. That's a good way to go to work. When I hit the strings, I feel like I have my parents with me.
MB: Nice. You have a constant reminder of them right there.
MP: There's a good story with this eagle right here. The first time I was in Memphis, I actually got married at Graceland, a couple of years ago…
Mike: Nice!
MP: They have their own chapel there. But the first time I was in Memphis I rented a car and I wanted to go to Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis was born. While I was driving there was this eagle that kept on following me. I thought: "Wow, that's pretty cool." Suddenly the navigation system turns off and that was the first time I was driving a car in the US. I wondered: "What do I do now?" I only had the address on a navigation system. Of course, there are signs and whatnot, but you can get a little bit confused, right? I just had luck with that eagle. I just followed the eagle as it took a right, and that's what I did with my car and when I was looking up a sign said Tupelo, Mississippi. I like to believe that was my father's spirit showing me the way, and I said that I wanted to get that eagle tattooed on my arm when I got home. So that's what I did. So that's some of the stories. I also have some Johnny Cash stuff. I'm inspired by him as well. I definitely think that if you decide to get a tattoo that you should at least get something where you can tell a small story. Why you did it and where you were at that certain time, you know? It will mean something to you for the rest of your life.
*****
Ironically, it was easier to do press here in Toronto than it would be in Atlantic City at Orion. While talking with Volbeat's tour manager before this interview, he said the press interest for Volbeat at Orion was crazy. I was super lucky to be able to stroll into the Kool Haus, sit down with lead singer and guitarist Michael Poulsen for twenty minutes and not feel rushed in chatting with him. I can't imagine trying to do this interview on the weekend at Orion, and I likely would have gotten half the time, another band-member, and a wash of background noise.
We did the interview in the backstage area of the Kool Haus. Michael had a retro Iced Earth tour shirt on and was tinkering around with a guitar and amp and a recording device when I walked into the room and greeted him.
MB: It's great to see you back in Toronto.
MP: Thank you. It's great to be back here.
MB: If I have my information correct, this will be the second time you have started a tour off in Toronto.
MP: Really?
MB: I think Heavy T.O. last year was you starting a run of dates in North America as well.
MP: Ok.
MB: Do you like it here, or is it just a starting place of convenience for Volbeat?
MP: Well, what we've quickly found out is that the fans in Canada are really good Volbeat fans. We've been here a couple of times now and I can't really remember any band shows here in Canada. And Toronto has always been really good. It's going to be really good to start this tour here. It's something we've been looking forward to.
MB: How long will the tour keep you on the road in North America?
MP: I think this will be five and half weeks; something close to that.
MB: That's a good run.
MP: Yeah, it's ok.
MB: Nice touring line-up too - diversified.
MP: Totally. This line-up I'm really digging it. I'm very proud of it, because when we decided to do this run, our touring management sent out emails to different booking agencies saying that this Volbeat run was going to happen, and that they (we) were looking for support bands. There were some really great names on that list. I was surprised because many of the names on the list that came back could easily do their own run, you know? That was a huge compliment. When I saw Iced earth and HellYeah were on the list, I went "What!?" I'm a huge Iced Earth fan. I'm really good friends with Jon Schaffer. For some time now we've been talking about doing something together, but I wanted to bring Iced Earth to Europe. We play arenas in Europe and it would be cool to have Iced Earth with us there. Iced Earth can headline themselves in America, and do well… do really well. So I was feeling, "You guys don't have to support us". The same thing goes for HellYeah. They've got something cooking now, and they of course have Vinnie Paul. They're our good friends as well and they do good albums.
The whole thing was that we're friends with those guys. I think they all felt like, "We didn't care if it was a supporting show. We just want to play with you guys. It's a great package". We'd been talking about doing this, but every time I brought it up I was talking about Europe. Now that they want to do it in the USA, it's a compliment to us that they want to do it together. We're very, very thankful for that. It's going to be great - great to be among bands that you like and that you like personally. It's friends, and it's really nice.
MB: I've had the unique opportunity to see you in Europe and here in North America. I know that your following is just growing here, but every show you've done in Toronto has been a bigger show. Mod Club, Sound Academy; you're coming here (Kool Haus) to headline – all gradually bigger shows. Your audience seems to be growing every time you come to town so you're doing something right.
MP: It seems like it. That's basically, as you said, the way we've been when we come back. The venues are getting bigger and there are more crowds and more ticket sales. Hopefully it's because people talk together and say, "Check this band out'. We've been very actively touring America and Canada the last couple of years. It seems like we've got something going. We're very proud of it. It couldn't be better than to start here.
MB: Like many people in North America, I was introduced to Volbeat at a Metallica show.
MP: Oh yeah, that's where it actually started because not many people knew who we were at that certain time. There was some underground buzz going on, but after those shows with Metallica, that's when people starting talking like, "Wow, that opening band was actually pretty good". So they started coming to the Volbeat shows when we started headlining and they'd say, "The first time I saw you was at Metallica". That's the biggest promotional tour and band that you can go out with; the biggest heavy rock band in the world. They're great guys. We still are very inspired by those guys. For us, it was good to be part of that package. A lot of guys came back to us and said that they first saw us at a Metallica show.
MB: They're not an easy band to open for, either.
MP: No. You know, there are certain bands that you just cannot open for, like Metallica, Slayer, and bands like that. But we had a good run and we felt very comfortable. We knew we were going into a heavy task, but we really had a good time.
MB: You did a really smart thing when you were opening for them. You stopped one of your songs and you played about a minute of 'Master Of Puppets' (I think), and then flipped back into the song you were originally playing.
MP: We did? (Laughs) Ok.
MB: So from where I was standing – I was in the crowd of people… and they are all like this (I cross my arms and stand stoically posed) waiting for you to finish; waiting for Lamb of God to finish… waiting for Metallica to come on. And you play, sound perfect, one minute worth of a song they KNOW, and the whole crowd just erupted into: "Right on – you guys can play!" And I think that if nothing else, that probably won over the majority of Metallica fans because if you can do their (Metallica's) music great, then they should also be paying attention to the music you make as well.
MP: Yeah, you know, it's not like I really remember the situation, but sometimes stuff just happens. But yeah, that's the whole beauty of it. You know you're going in there. You know people are waiting for Metallica, but if we, during halfway through the set can win them over, then we can nod and look them in the eye and know that they were having a good time. That's all worth it, you know. We're not trying to ruin anything for them, you know? We're there for 45 minutes and we do our job and we did it really well. It seems like the greatest challenge is to play for the people who are really going to just stand there, like you said. And when the set is over and they cheer, not because it's over, but because you did something good for them – that's when you really feel good when you walk off the stage. "Well, we did it. We convinced them without being something that we are not. We were ourselves - no posers, no bullshit - being who we are and appreciating being on stage." That's where we won over a lot of people.
MB: I don't know a lot about your early days - how you disbanded Dominus and how you decided to form a band that was a little more influenced by country music and rockabilly. How did that come about, and what were your thoughts behind that decision?
MP: Um, I've always been listening to a lot of music from the fifties. That was because of my parents. They were always playing it in the house where we lived. My father was a big collector of Elvis records and videos. The Elvis songs were always in the house, you know? He was also listening to a lot of Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and a little bit of Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and stuff like that. All the performers from the fifties, he was really into, and those songs just became the songs we were listening to. Later on as a teenager, one of my big sisters got a boyfriend who was listening to heavy metal. He was listening to Dio, Black Sabbath and Rainbow and Metallica and Maiden. I started to look at those album covers and think, "Wow, that looks pretty tough, scary and interesting." I started to really go into the underground scene and find out what I liked and what I didn't like; finding all of the underground magazines. I formed my own death metal band called Dominus and started tape trading; being a part of that whole underground family. That was some really cool interesting days, promoting your band with just flyers and sending letters out. There was no internet, so it was all about tape trading, and trading flyers and everything. We released four albums, and I could definitely sense in myself that after four records with Dominus, those melodies from the fifties would keep on popping up. I couldn't really do anything about it in Dominus, because Dominus was more death metal.
MB: Yes, you'd already established your sound.
MP: Yeah. I wouldn't fool around with the fans so its better to just say goodbye to Dominus and let it go. And then I just started writing songs, other songs that became Volbeat songs. That was more about just trying to get all of those melodies out of my head - the fifties melodies. Again, I wanted to stay with the sound I had in Dominus, with distorted guitars and double bass drums and I thought, "Well, since you really can't figure out if you want to be 100% this or 100% that, why be 100% of anything? Just play. If you like the sound you have, then use that sound and just write some songs." That's what I did. A lot of songs we could have intros that sound like country, burst into a metal song, and then it became punk, and suddenly it was rockabilly. You know, all those styles blended together, and that was because I was listening to all that music. The love of it was just the same. There isn't something in there I love more than the other. I listen to all of it. It really didn't matter what music it was as long as it did something to me. I was trying to write songs where I could put all these things in the same band. For me, it was never important when I came up with Volbeat, it was never important that it be 100% metal. It was all about: "this is Volbeat and we blend it all together. We know it sounds ridiculous on paper, but actually it works out pretty good live.
MB: It doesn't sound ridiculous like at all.
(Laughs)
MP: So why change anything? It was all about playing something that we thought was fun and that felt right and felt honest. That's what we did. We started at small clubs and playing for 50 people and now we play arenas with 16,000. I think the accomplishment and street credibility and our unwillingness to change anything – maybe we were just there at the right time, but we also like to believe that we brought something different to the table.
MB: I think you should believe that, because I think that you did.
MP: We started to believe it after the second record. People said that it was very unique. I mean, we don't think so. We know where we got all the stuff from, but…
MB: But nobody else was doing it…
MP: That's just called inspiration, you know? It's been going really good since then. All the inspirations when it comes to the fifties are definitely something to do with my parents because they were always playing that kind of music, and then later on as a teenager discovering the heavy metal scene. And besides that, I was listening to whatever my friends had. If I heard something I liked, I would say, "That's a good song.". I was never embarrassed about it being a pop song by whomever. It was all about whether it was a good song or not. That's how I like to work in Volbeat. There are no limitations. I am always seeking for that melody. It is what it is. Music should be about a passion and that's what it is.
MB: Like many people, I'm going to be heading to Orion Music + More on the weekend.
MP: Yeah.
MB: I think it will be great to check you out down there.
MP: Oh yeah.
MB: The press picture that is on the Orion website just has yourself, Anders and Jon. I'm assuming that Thomas is no longer in the band?
MP: Yeah, we said goodbye to Thomas…
MB: I'm sorry to hear that.
MP: Oh, yeah. Shit happens. We were about to go on the Gigantour with Megadeth and Motorhead. That was early this year.
MB: It was February for us here in Hamilton.
MP: Yes. Stuff happens. People just have to separate, you know? It's just like a marriage. You can work on it and you can try to save it and you can really try to figure out what it is and everything, but sometimes its best that people just separate. It's something like that with bands, too. Sometimes it really works and other times it doesn't. I cannot go into details, because it doesn't really help anything.
MB: That's fair. What I wanted to know was whether Hank (Shermann) was going to play with you on this tour or not?
MP: Oh, yes, Hank is with us. He's been playing with us since Gigantour. We'd just gotten home and we had only been home for a few weeks. There was not time to find a new guitar player. We have only been hiring hank as a stand-in guitar player because he's busy with his own thing.
MB: It's good though. You had Mike (Denner) do guest vocals on your last album.
MP: What? Oh, Michael (Denner), yes. Yeah, he was playing some guitars with us, yes.
MB: There's a connection…
MP: Denner, he recommended Hank when I said we needed a player. I'm a very close friend to Michael Denner and he heard that I fired Thomas and he said, "You should ask Hank to help you out if you're in trouble here. He might be the guy to do that."
MB: That's cool that it worked out.
MP: Yeah, I'm a huge Merciful Fate fan.
MB: Me too.
MP: And a King Diamond fan. (Laughter) So having the opportunity to have Hank with us is great.
MB: Now, if I look at your past release schedule for your last four albums… it's about that time…
(Laughter)
Are you working on some new stuff?
MP: Yeah, yeah. That's actually why I have this amp over there (indicates towards an amp, recorder and guitar to our left). Because when I'm not doing the interviews or whatever, I'm actually composing and writing. So there is some stuff stored in that amp there, so there is a lot of writing backstage. When I come home I'll put it all together. Now and then we jam a little bit during sound checks. We definitely have a lot of new material that we're working on. When this tour is over we have a festival show in Germany. When that is over we will use a half year to write the songs, finish the songs and then get into the studio and hopefully early next year there will be a new album.
MB: Right on. I'm looking forward to that.
MP: Thank you.
MB: One thing that I like on your albums is that you don't really go completely away from your roots. You'll bring in a guest vocalist or guitarist. I like that. Do you think you will continue with that as you go into your fifth album?
MP: Uh, I don't know, because right now I'm only in a writing process. Things can change so much when you're about to close it all in. I think that songs have to come naturally. It has to come in a natural flow. I don't want to force anything. We did this song with Barney from Napalm Death – it just popped up and it seemed right to have him on the song. It's all about the inspiration and the songs themselves. On the last album Beyond Hell we didn't have any ballads. We have them on the three other records. We get asked why we didn't have a ballad on the album, but it just didn't feel right on this one, you know?
MB: But you have that nice little thank you song at the end, basically thanking your fans, which I think is cool. I mean, it's not a ballad, but it's still…
MP: I know what you mean, but that's how it works. I like things to come naturally. I don't want to force anything. On the other way around – when I have the first half of an album written, I almost always know what the second half is going to sound like. No matter what, there will always be riffs or a sound in there that would remind you of my past. I definitely think that on the next record, and I can't say 100% yes to this, but there should be some death metal. There will be elements of death metal influence.
MB: Right on. I would love to know some of the stories around some of the tattoos that you have. You're covered - chest, arms; the works. Do you have any stories about some of them? Do they mean anything special to you?
MP: Oh yeah, I definitely think that if you get a tattoo you should be able to sit down and tell a story about it afterwards. These modern days, I think there are a lot of youngsters who don't really know why they are getting their tattoos. They're just getting them because they think that it looks good. They should get them for what they mean. For me, it's always important to have a story to tell about them if I want to get a tattoo. So I have lots of stories and I cannot finish them all today.
MB: Of course not. You have a lot of stories on you.
MP: I have my wife's name here (base of his forearm, above his hand) and on the other side (same place on his other forearm) it says 'Little E' and then you can ask who is 'Little E'? I was asking that same question when we were on the Metallica tour. James Hetfield came into our dressing room and said, "Where's Little E?" and one of the guys said, "Little E? I don't know who that is?" So Hetfield says, "Oh come on! Where's Little E?" So they ask: "Who's Little E?" And Hetfield says, "That's Michael:Little Elvis, man."
(Laughter)
He came in with a huge Elvis painting that he just bought in the city and he brought it into me and said, "Hey Little E, this is Big E!" So he gave me the name Little E and I got it tattooed here, as you can see. I've got Elvis' dog tags from the army here (upper left tricep). I've got an eagle here on my hand which my father has tattooed on his chest. He passed away over three years ago now. So it says 'Daddy'. He had the same eagle there and this is his name, Jern, right here (on his fingers just below the knuckles). This one here says 'Mother' and this is my mother's name. That's a good way to go to work. When I hit the strings, I feel like I have my parents with me.
MB: Nice. You have a constant reminder of them right there.
MP: There's a good story with this eagle right here. The first time I was in Memphis, I actually got married at Graceland, a couple of years ago…
Mike: Nice!
MP: They have their own chapel there. But the first time I was in Memphis I rented a car and I wanted to go to Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis was born. While I was driving there was this eagle that kept on following me. I thought: "Wow, that's pretty cool." Suddenly the navigation system turns off and that was the first time I was driving a car in the US. I wondered: "What do I do now?" I only had the address on a navigation system. Of course, there are signs and whatnot, but you can get a little bit confused, right? I just had luck with that eagle. I just followed the eagle as it took a right, and that's what I did with my car and when I was looking up a sign said Tupelo, Mississippi. I like to believe that was my father's spirit showing me the way, and I said that I wanted to get that eagle tattooed on my arm when I got home. So that's what I did. So that's some of the stories. I also have some Johnny Cash stuff. I'm inspired by him as well. I definitely think that if you decide to get a tattoo that you should at least get something where you can tell a small story. Why you did it and where you were at that certain time, you know? It will mean something to you for the rest of your life.
*****
American/German symphonic metallers KAMELOT have announced the addition of Scandinavian singer Tommy Karevik to the group's ranks.
The general public may not be overly familiar with the 30-year-old Swede Karevik, but people in the industry know him as the immensely talented frontman of the Swedish band SEVENTH WONDER.
Commented KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood: "We had around 800 candidates for the vacant position, among them a number of really renowned musicians, and having to reject them really wasn't easy. We want to thank all the applicants, thank you for your understanding and we wish you all lots of success in the future!"
In their search for a new singer, Youngblood found YouTube to be an amazing tool: "I listened to a clip of a studio production featuring Tommy and have to confess that his performance really amazed me," he said. "His approach to melodies and themes suits KAMELOT perfectly, and during our European shows we had plenty of opportunity to find out what a great guy he is."
Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour (see footage below). Tommy states: "The tour was a lot of fun and I met a lot of nice people and got some good experience. The guys were super nice and we had a great time together! By then I was really into the band's music and had fallen in love with the amazingly loyal and dedicated fans at every show."
Karevik is thrilled about his new position. "I am so honored to now be a part of this family and I can`t wait to move into the new era of the band together with the guys," he said. "I fully understand that this comes with great responsibility and that it will be a big challenge for me as a singer as well as a person, but you can rest assured I will give it my all. From this day, a new journey has begun and I am really eager to meet you all along the way to share my passion for this music!"
Youngblood on the style and content of the concept album: "The new songs sound more symphonic and melodic than our last two studio recordings. The material brings to mind albums such as 'Karma' (2001) and 'The Black Halo' (2005). In addition, this will be the best production that KAMELOT have ever delivered. Because while other acts tend to opt for low-budget productions due to the difficult market situation, we have gone the opposite way: the new album will be a real statement, in terms of our compositions as well as in terms of our sound."
"Our new album marks another step and a new chapter for KAMELOT and our amazing fans!"
KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.
The general public may not be overly familiar with the 30-year-old Swede Karevik, but people in the industry know him as the immensely talented frontman of the Swedish band SEVENTH WONDER.
Commented KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood: "We had around 800 candidates for the vacant position, among them a number of really renowned musicians, and having to reject them really wasn't easy. We want to thank all the applicants, thank you for your understanding and we wish you all lots of success in the future!"
In their search for a new singer, Youngblood found YouTube to be an amazing tool: "I listened to a clip of a studio production featuring Tommy and have to confess that his performance really amazed me," he said. "His approach to melodies and themes suits KAMELOT perfectly, and during our European shows we had plenty of opportunity to find out what a great guy he is."
Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour (see footage below). Tommy states: "The tour was a lot of fun and I met a lot of nice people and got some good experience. The guys were super nice and we had a great time together! By then I was really into the band's music and had fallen in love with the amazingly loyal and dedicated fans at every show."
Karevik is thrilled about his new position. "I am so honored to now be a part of this family and I can`t wait to move into the new era of the band together with the guys," he said. "I fully understand that this comes with great responsibility and that it will be a big challenge for me as a singer as well as a person, but you can rest assured I will give it my all. From this day, a new journey has begun and I am really eager to meet you all along the way to share my passion for this music!"
Youngblood on the style and content of the concept album: "The new songs sound more symphonic and melodic than our last two studio recordings. The material brings to mind albums such as 'Karma' (2001) and 'The Black Halo' (2005). In addition, this will be the best production that KAMELOT have ever delivered. Because while other acts tend to opt for low-budget productions due to the difficult market situation, we have gone the opposite way: the new album will be a real statement, in terms of our compositions as well as in terms of our sound."
"Our new album marks another step and a new chapter for KAMELOT and our amazing fans!"
KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.
Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with Hamburg, Germany-based earMUSIC, has announced the release of the first ever live solo album from Finnish singer Tarja Turunen. Entitled "Act I", the release will be unleashed to North American fans on September 4 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format. The cover artwork can now be seen below.
The first ever live audio/video offering from the former NIGHTWISH soprano, "Act I" is a mammoth undertaking recorded and filmed with 10 HD cameras at the breathtaking Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina in March 2012. With an elaborate track listing of solo tunes, NIGHTWISH classics and various covers, including a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera", Gary Moore's "Over The Hills And Far Away", WHITESNAKE's "Still Of The Night" and a variety of video extras, "Act I" provides a full-fledged bill of fare to every diehard Tarja fan.
Comments Turunen of the offering: "Those two nights in Rosario were a huge emotional drive to me personally," adding that she was many times "ready to burst into tears."
"Act I" track listing:
CD 1
01. Anteroom Of Death
02. My Little Phoenix
03. Dark Star
04. Naiad
05. Falling Awake
06. I Walk Alone
07. Little Lies
08. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
09. Nemo (NIGHWISH)
10. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
11. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
12. In For A Kill
CD 2
01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. Oasis / The Archive Of Lost Dreams
08. Crimson Deep
09. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
10. Die Alive
11. Until My Last Breath
12. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)
DVD 1
01. If You Believe
02. Anteroom Of Death
03. My Little Phoenix
04. Dark Star
05. Naiad
06. Falling Awake
07. I Walk Alone
08. Orpheus Hallucination / Orpheus In The Underworld
09. Little Lies (band jam)
10. Little Lies
11. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
12. Nemo
13. Rivers Of Lust
14. Minor Heaven
15. Montañas De Silencio
16. Sing For Me
17. I Feel Immortal
18. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
19. In For A Kill
20. Toccata And Fugue D-minor (BWV 565) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
21. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
22. Die Alive
23. Until My Last Breath
24. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)
DVD 2
01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. The Reign
08. Oasis/The Archive Of Lost Dreams
09. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
Blu-ray track listing is the same as DVD 1 and 2.
"Act I" cover art will be revealed at a later date.
In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."
Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.
DVD:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/tarjaact1cover1.jpeg
The first ever live audio/video offering from the former NIGHTWISH soprano, "Act I" is a mammoth undertaking recorded and filmed with 10 HD cameras at the breathtaking Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina in March 2012. With an elaborate track listing of solo tunes, NIGHTWISH classics and various covers, including a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera", Gary Moore's "Over The Hills And Far Away", WHITESNAKE's "Still Of The Night" and a variety of video extras, "Act I" provides a full-fledged bill of fare to every diehard Tarja fan.
Comments Turunen of the offering: "Those two nights in Rosario were a huge emotional drive to me personally," adding that she was many times "ready to burst into tears."
"Act I" track listing:
CD 1
01. Anteroom Of Death
02. My Little Phoenix
03. Dark Star
04. Naiad
05. Falling Awake
06. I Walk Alone
07. Little Lies
08. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
09. Nemo (NIGHWISH)
10. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
11. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
12. In For A Kill
CD 2
01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. Oasis / The Archive Of Lost Dreams
08. Crimson Deep
09. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
10. Die Alive
11. Until My Last Breath
12. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)
DVD 1
01. If You Believe
02. Anteroom Of Death
03. My Little Phoenix
04. Dark Star
05. Naiad
06. Falling Awake
07. I Walk Alone
08. Orpheus Hallucination / Orpheus In The Underworld
09. Little Lies (band jam)
10. Little Lies
11. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
12. Nemo
13. Rivers Of Lust
14. Minor Heaven
15. Montañas De Silencio
16. Sing For Me
17. I Feel Immortal
18. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
19. In For A Kill
20. Toccata And Fugue D-minor (BWV 565) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
21. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
22. Die Alive
23. Until My Last Breath
24. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)
DVD 2
01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. The Reign
08. Oasis/The Archive Of Lost Dreams
09. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
Blu-ray track listing is the same as DVD 1 and 2.
"Act I" cover art will be revealed at a later date.
In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."
Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.
DVD:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/tarjaact1cover1.jpeg
Blu-ray:
Swedish hard rockers BULLET will release their new album, "Full Pull", on September 14 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gutterview Recorders in Solna, Sweden with producers Nicke Andersson (HELLACOPTERS, ENTOMBED) and Fred Estby (DISMEMBER). The band states, "We think this is going to be our best album thus far. Expect the hardest-rocking BULLET album yet recorded!"
"Full Pull" track listing:
01. Midnight Oil
02. Full Pull
03. Running Away
04. All Fired Up
05. Rolling Home
06. In The Heat
07. High On The Hog
08. Rush Hour
09. Freeriding
10. Gutterview
11. Warriors
Bonus track:
12. Get On
A new single, "Full Pull", will be released on July 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. The single will be available digitally and on vinyl, with various colours.
The track listing is as follows:
Side A: "Full Pull"
Side B: "Get On"
BULLET's third full-length album "Highway Pirates", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3.
"Highway Pirates" was mixed by Tobias Lindell, who has previously worked with such Swedish rock bands as EUROPE, MUSTASCH and HARDCORE SUPERSTAR.
"Full Pull" album:
"Full Pull" track listing:
01. Midnight Oil
02. Full Pull
03. Running Away
04. All Fired Up
05. Rolling Home
06. In The Heat
07. High On The Hog
08. Rush Hour
09. Freeriding
10. Gutterview
11. Warriors
Bonus track:
12. Get On
A new single, "Full Pull", will be released on July 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. The single will be available digitally and on vinyl, with various colours.
The track listing is as follows:
Side A: "Full Pull"
Side B: "Get On"
BULLET's third full-length album "Highway Pirates", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3.
"Highway Pirates" was mixed by Tobias Lindell, who has previously worked with such Swedish rock bands as EUROPE, MUSTASCH and HARDCORE SUPERSTAR.
"Full Pull" album:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/bulletfullpullcd.jpg
"Full Pull" single:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/BulletPullSingle.jpg
U.K. based modern thrash heroes SYLOSIS have completed work on their new album, "Monolith", with Romesh Dodangoda at Monnow Valley Studio in Wales. The CD will be released on September 7 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Commented SYLOSIS vocalist and guitar player Josh Middleton: "Some people might not have expected us to come out with a new album so quickly but we already had a few songs written for this album by the summer of 2010.
"We've spent as much time writing this album as any of the others and I think we're all the most proud we've ever been.
"'Monolith' is the best representation of us as a band in terms of our diverse influences and stylistically it's what we've always been aiming for. A mixture of thrash, big doomy riffs and dark atmospherics and ambience.
"Overall, 'Monolith' has a darker vibe to anything we've done in the past, both lyrically and musically. It's a concept album which is just something I like to help guide me writing the lyrics. I like the fact that I can write about personal issues but dress them up in a way that people might not know exactly how they relate to me (if at all in some instances).
"The idea for the concept was very loosely inspired by the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's quite far fetched but it's about this guy who loses his wife and tries to bring her back from underworld. This giant monolith starts to grow out of her tomb. The most prevalent theme beneath it all is sort of accepting that you might not be as nice a person as you once thought. It sounds really cheesy but everyone has a darker side to their personality in terms of being selfish, manipulative or dishonest.
"A lot of metal lyrics are always 'you're this, you're that, you suck' and in a lot of cases it's probably really hypocritical. Some of the lyrics on this album are about owning up to those flaws and almost reveling in it.
"Some parts of the album is us covering new ground but everything that people have come to love about our band is still present. It's not necessarily a change in direction or something we're moving more towards, it was just about making a unique vibe for this album as a whole. There's a real urgency to a lot of this material and the really natural and honest production helps mirror that. We really wanted more of a 'live session' feel. Both Romesh and Jens [Bogren; mastering] have done a great job in giving this album a unique sound. Too many bands these days rely on technology and it can just suck all the life and personality out of the music."
Commented SYLOSIS vocalist and guitar player Josh Middleton: "Some people might not have expected us to come out with a new album so quickly but we already had a few songs written for this album by the summer of 2010.
"We've spent as much time writing this album as any of the others and I think we're all the most proud we've ever been.
"'Monolith' is the best representation of us as a band in terms of our diverse influences and stylistically it's what we've always been aiming for. A mixture of thrash, big doomy riffs and dark atmospherics and ambience.
"Overall, 'Monolith' has a darker vibe to anything we've done in the past, both lyrically and musically. It's a concept album which is just something I like to help guide me writing the lyrics. I like the fact that I can write about personal issues but dress them up in a way that people might not know exactly how they relate to me (if at all in some instances).
"The idea for the concept was very loosely inspired by the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's quite far fetched but it's about this guy who loses his wife and tries to bring her back from underworld. This giant monolith starts to grow out of her tomb. The most prevalent theme beneath it all is sort of accepting that you might not be as nice a person as you once thought. It sounds really cheesy but everyone has a darker side to their personality in terms of being selfish, manipulative or dishonest.
"A lot of metal lyrics are always 'you're this, you're that, you suck' and in a lot of cases it's probably really hypocritical. Some of the lyrics on this album are about owning up to those flaws and almost reveling in it.
"Some parts of the album is us covering new ground but everything that people have come to love about our band is still present. It's not necessarily a change in direction or something we're moving more towards, it was just about making a unique vibe for this album as a whole. There's a real urgency to a lot of this material and the really natural and honest production helps mirror that. We really wanted more of a 'live session' feel. Both Romesh and Jens [Bogren; mastering] have done a great job in giving this album a unique sound. Too many bands these days rely on technology and it can just suck all the life and personality out of the music."
Swedish metal masters extraordinaire MESHUGGAH will be taking their sonic arsenal and production that has already bulldozed U.K. and USA to mainland Europe on "The Ophidian Trek" tour, which launches November 22 in Hamburg, Germany. Direct support for all 19 shows will come from Nuclear Blast labelmates DECAPITATED; opening each night will be C.B MURDOC from Sweden.
States drummer Tomas Haake of MESHUGGAH: "After two amazing tours in the U.K. and North America, we are now warmed up and ready to give Europe their share of the MESHUGGAH 'Ophidian Trek' tour. For this stretch we're proud to announce two magnificent bands to accompany us — Poland's pride DECAPITATED and Sweden's C.B MURDOC: two bands that push the boundaries of extreme metal!!
"To any and all of you European fans of MESHUGGAH, we hope to see you out there!! And you will want to come early, 'cause you don't wanna miss out on the sheer skill and complete awesomeness of our support bands!!!"
DECAPITATED guitarist/founding member Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka adds: "I would have never thought that we'd have the honour to share stage with MESHUGGAH on two tours in one year but it looks like we will!!! Yes, we are happy to announce that DECAPITATED will be the direct support for the upcoming MESHUGGAH European tour together with C.B MURDOC!!! We are excited as fuck and we cannot wait for these 20 awesome shows!! All the best for all fans, see ya soon."
MESHUGGAH's "The Ophidian Trek" dates with DECAPITATED and C.B MURDOC:
Nov. 22 - GER Hamburg - Markthalle
Nov. 23 - B Antwerpen - Trix
Nov. 24 - F Nantes - Stereolux
Nov. 25 - ES Durango - Plateruena
Nov. 27 - PT Porto - Hard Club
Nov. 28 - PT Lisbon - Paradise Garage
Nov. 29 - ES Madrid - Penélope
Nov. 30 - ES Barcelona - Salamandra 1
Dec. 01 - F Bordeaux - Le Krakatoa
Dec. 02 - F Paris - Bataclan
Dec. 04 - CH Zürich - Komplex
Dec. 05 - IT Milan - Alcatraz
Dec. 06 - GER Munich - Backstage Halle
Dec. 07 - AT Vienna - Arena
Dec. 08 - GER Berlin - C-Club
Dec. 09 - NL Eindhoven - Distortion Festival
Dec. 11 - GER Frankfurt - Batschkapp
Dec. 12 - LUX Esch-Sur-Alzette - Kulturfabrik
Dec. 13 - GER Köln - Essigfabrik
States drummer Tomas Haake of MESHUGGAH: "After two amazing tours in the U.K. and North America, we are now warmed up and ready to give Europe their share of the MESHUGGAH 'Ophidian Trek' tour. For this stretch we're proud to announce two magnificent bands to accompany us — Poland's pride DECAPITATED and Sweden's C.B MURDOC: two bands that push the boundaries of extreme metal!!
"To any and all of you European fans of MESHUGGAH, we hope to see you out there!! And you will want to come early, 'cause you don't wanna miss out on the sheer skill and complete awesomeness of our support bands!!!"
DECAPITATED guitarist/founding member Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka adds: "I would have never thought that we'd have the honour to share stage with MESHUGGAH on two tours in one year but it looks like we will!!! Yes, we are happy to announce that DECAPITATED will be the direct support for the upcoming MESHUGGAH European tour together with C.B MURDOC!!! We are excited as fuck and we cannot wait for these 20 awesome shows!! All the best for all fans, see ya soon."
MESHUGGAH's "The Ophidian Trek" dates with DECAPITATED and C.B MURDOC:
Nov. 22 - GER Hamburg - Markthalle
Nov. 23 - B Antwerpen - Trix
Nov. 24 - F Nantes - Stereolux
Nov. 25 - ES Durango - Plateruena
Nov. 27 - PT Porto - Hard Club
Nov. 28 - PT Lisbon - Paradise Garage
Nov. 29 - ES Madrid - Penélope
Nov. 30 - ES Barcelona - Salamandra 1
Dec. 01 - F Bordeaux - Le Krakatoa
Dec. 02 - F Paris - Bataclan
Dec. 04 - CH Zürich - Komplex
Dec. 05 - IT Milan - Alcatraz
Dec. 06 - GER Munich - Backstage Halle
Dec. 07 - AT Vienna - Arena
Dec. 08 - GER Berlin - C-Club
Dec. 09 - NL Eindhoven - Distortion Festival
Dec. 11 - GER Frankfurt - Batschkapp
Dec. 12 - LUX Esch-Sur-Alzette - Kulturfabrik
Dec. 13 - GER Köln - Essigfabrik
Swedish death metal veterans GRAVE will release their 10th studio album, "Endless Procession Of Souls", on August 27 in Europe via Century Media Records. The cover artwork for the CD was once again created by Costin Chioreanu, who also worked with GRAVE on the previous two studio albums. In addition to designing the cover artwork, Costin was responsible for some of the extra art for the inside of the CD booklet and the vinyl.
"Endless Procession Of Souls" was recorded at GRAVE's own Studio Soulless and was previously described by GRAVE guitarist/vocalist Ola Lindgren as "a mix of our latest two releases with some more old-school, groovy 'Soulless' parts."
According to a press release, "Endless Procession Of Souls" "promises to be yet another death metal masterpiece in GRAVE's revered catalog, featuring nine tracks of uncompromising no-bullshit death metal, flawlessly executed by the sole survivors of the real legendary Swedish Dödsmetal scene. 'Endless Procession Of Souls' combines the brutality of GRAVE's last two studio albums with the groove of 'Soulless' and — of corpse — a lethal dose of 'Into The Grave' darkness."
"Endless Procession Of Souls" track listing:
01. Dystopia
02. Amongst Marble And The Dead
03. Disembodied Steps
04. Flesh Epistle
05. Passion Of The Weak
06. Winds Of Chains
07. Encountering The Divine
08. Perimortem
09. Plague Of Nations
10. Epos
GRAVE — who just completed a tour of South America — will hit the road in Europe again in September with Century Media labelmates SONNE ADAM. This will be followed by GRAVE's trip across the Atlantic where they will join forces with MORBID ANGEL and DARK FUNERAL for a North American tour.
GRAVE recently parted ways with its guitarist of three years, Magnus Martinsson.
GRAVE's current lineup is as follows:
Ola Lindgren - Guitar/Vocals
Mika Lagrén - Guitar
Ronnie Bergerstål - Drums
Tobias Cristiansson – Bass
GRAVE's November 12, 2011 concert at Club Distortion/Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden was filmed for future release. The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its classic 1991 debut album, "Into The Grave", by performing the LP in its entirety, along with "another handful classic tunes."
GRAVE in September 2011 completed a North American headlining tour with support from BLOOD RED THRONE, PATHOLOGY and GIGAN.
"Endless Procession Of Souls" was recorded at GRAVE's own Studio Soulless and was previously described by GRAVE guitarist/vocalist Ola Lindgren as "a mix of our latest two releases with some more old-school, groovy 'Soulless' parts."
According to a press release, "Endless Procession Of Souls" "promises to be yet another death metal masterpiece in GRAVE's revered catalog, featuring nine tracks of uncompromising no-bullshit death metal, flawlessly executed by the sole survivors of the real legendary Swedish Dödsmetal scene. 'Endless Procession Of Souls' combines the brutality of GRAVE's last two studio albums with the groove of 'Soulless' and — of corpse — a lethal dose of 'Into The Grave' darkness."
"Endless Procession Of Souls" track listing:
01. Dystopia
02. Amongst Marble And The Dead
03. Disembodied Steps
04. Flesh Epistle
05. Passion Of The Weak
06. Winds Of Chains
07. Encountering The Divine
08. Perimortem
09. Plague Of Nations
10. Epos
GRAVE — who just completed a tour of South America — will hit the road in Europe again in September with Century Media labelmates SONNE ADAM. This will be followed by GRAVE's trip across the Atlantic where they will join forces with MORBID ANGEL and DARK FUNERAL for a North American tour.
GRAVE recently parted ways with its guitarist of three years, Magnus Martinsson.
GRAVE's current lineup is as follows:
Ola Lindgren - Guitar/Vocals
Mika Lagrén - Guitar
Ronnie Bergerstål - Drums
Tobias Cristiansson – Bass
GRAVE's November 12, 2011 concert at Club Distortion/Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden was filmed for future release. The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its classic 1991 debut album, "Into The Grave", by performing the LP in its entirety, along with "another handful classic tunes."
GRAVE in September 2011 completed a North American headlining tour with support from BLOOD RED THRONE, PATHOLOGY and GIGAN.
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