Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) has announced the release of IRON MAIDEN founder Steve Harris' debut solo/side project album. Entitled "British Lion" and comprising ten songs that Steve and his collaborators have been working on for the past few years between IRON MAIDEN tours and releases, it is an album that will surprise and delight music fans the world over.
With a decidedly heavy rock-vibe this roaring debut paints with a full palette of sounds; brooding, melancholic, righteously indignant and exuberantly heavy. With Kevin Shirley at the mixing helm — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — this is an album to sink your teeth into.
From the growling riffage of opening salvo "This Is My God" to the heavy forlorn balladry of follow-up "Lost Worlds" which showcases Richard Taylor's soaring vocals, it's clear that "British Lion" is an altogether different beast from MAIDEN.
"Karma Killer", with its dirge-like muscularity, and "Us Against The World", with its massive chorus, demonstrates just how far "British Lion" has flexed Steve Harris' considerable musical muscle. Dovetailed with guitarist David Hawkins' positively gargantuan lyrical guitar melodies, it's a mere hors d'oeuvre ahead of the epic, riffing-feast of "The Chosen Ones", with its swaggering bravado.
"A World Without Heaven", at a breathtaking seven minutes and infused with progressive elements without ever teetering into self-indulgence illustrates perfectly these songsmiths' colossal abilities to create a mood and stay there. Supercharged by Steve Harris' inimitable style, there's an un-cynical vibe here that's as refreshing as it is out of place in today's all-too-categorized music industry.
And as far as the name "British Lion"; "I've always been proud to be British," explains Steve. "I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be. It's a massive part of being me. It's not like I'm flag-waving or trying to preach, this is not a political statement at all. It's like supporting your football team, where you come from. I just think it lends itself to some really strong imagery too, and to me it fits in with the sound."
With IRON MAIDEN, Steve Harris has become one of the most recognized and successful ambassadors for British music on the world stage. Having released 15 studio albums, sold over 85 million records worldwide and played more than two thousand gigs in 58 countries in the band's thirty-five year career, his appeal is truly global.
And now with "British Lion", Steve steps out from IRON MAIDEN's illustrious shadow to present a different side of his musical visions.
Due in the U.S. on September 25 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), "British Lion" will feature the following track listing:
01. This Is My God
02. Lost Worlds
03. Karma Killer
04. Us Against The World
05. The Chosen Ones
06. A World Without Heaven
07. Judas
08. Eyes Of The Young
09. These Are The Hands
10. The Lesson
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/steveharrisalbum.jpg
With a decidedly heavy rock-vibe this roaring debut paints with a full palette of sounds; brooding, melancholic, righteously indignant and exuberantly heavy. With Kevin Shirley at the mixing helm — whose credits include IRON MAIDEN as well as Led ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY and RUSH, among many others — this is an album to sink your teeth into.
From the growling riffage of opening salvo "This Is My God" to the heavy forlorn balladry of follow-up "Lost Worlds" which showcases Richard Taylor's soaring vocals, it's clear that "British Lion" is an altogether different beast from MAIDEN.
"Karma Killer", with its dirge-like muscularity, and "Us Against The World", with its massive chorus, demonstrates just how far "British Lion" has flexed Steve Harris' considerable musical muscle. Dovetailed with guitarist David Hawkins' positively gargantuan lyrical guitar melodies, it's a mere hors d'oeuvre ahead of the epic, riffing-feast of "The Chosen Ones", with its swaggering bravado.
"A World Without Heaven", at a breathtaking seven minutes and infused with progressive elements without ever teetering into self-indulgence illustrates perfectly these songsmiths' colossal abilities to create a mood and stay there. Supercharged by Steve Harris' inimitable style, there's an un-cynical vibe here that's as refreshing as it is out of place in today's all-too-categorized music industry.
And as far as the name "British Lion"; "I've always been proud to be British," explains Steve. "I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be. It's a massive part of being me. It's not like I'm flag-waving or trying to preach, this is not a political statement at all. It's like supporting your football team, where you come from. I just think it lends itself to some really strong imagery too, and to me it fits in with the sound."
With IRON MAIDEN, Steve Harris has become one of the most recognized and successful ambassadors for British music on the world stage. Having released 15 studio albums, sold over 85 million records worldwide and played more than two thousand gigs in 58 countries in the band's thirty-five year career, his appeal is truly global.
And now with "British Lion", Steve steps out from IRON MAIDEN's illustrious shadow to present a different side of his musical visions.
Due in the U.S. on September 25 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), "British Lion" will feature the following track listing:
01. This Is My God
02. Lost Worlds
03. Karma Killer
04. Us Against The World
05. The Chosen Ones
06. A World Without Heaven
07. Judas
08. Eyes Of The Young
09. These Are The Hands
10. The Lesson
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/steveharrisalbum.jpg
On the eve of KISS' massive national tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE, the legendary iconic rock band honors the U.S. military with an intimate concert at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. On July 19, KISS, longtime supporters of the military, will put on their infamous rock show for over 2,000 service men and women. Presenting sponsor Boomer magazine, Virginia's source of entertainment for baby boomers, coordinated the free ticket distribution through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and various military agencies. troops and veterans attending will receive a special commemorative KISS t-shirt.
KISS also teamed up with Hiring Our Heroes, a campaign by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and supported by NBC News that aims to get veterans back into the workforce. KISS has hired a military veteran to be a roadie for their upcoming national tour. KISS co-founder Gene Simmons said that hiring veterans "is the most important thing that we can do." The band held an open call and after receiving over 1,900 applications for the job, Paul Jordan, an army serviceman from Buford, Georgia was chosen. Jordan, who has devoted over 20 years to the military serving three voluntary tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a life-long KISS fan and member of the KISS army who sports a tattoo of Gene Simmons on his chest. Jordan reports for his new job as roadie, with his first full show on July 19.
Following KISS's lead, Boomer magazine held an online contest to support Hiring Our Heroes and hired a veteran to conduct an interview with KISS. Robert Crespo, an Army serviceman, was chosen. Crespo served in Iraq's combat zone and listened to "Kiss Alive Symphony" often while in the desert. "KISS was the motivation to keep going," Crespo explains. Crespo's interview with his idols, KISS, will be featured in the August issue of Boomer magazine.
KISS will release its 20th studio album, "Monster", on October 16 through Universal Music Enterprises. Described in a press release as a "12-track, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll album," the CD features collaborations among all four members — including co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — in an album that shows the band at the top of its game.
KISS also teamed up with Hiring Our Heroes, a campaign by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and supported by NBC News that aims to get veterans back into the workforce. KISS has hired a military veteran to be a roadie for their upcoming national tour. KISS co-founder Gene Simmons said that hiring veterans "is the most important thing that we can do." The band held an open call and after receiving over 1,900 applications for the job, Paul Jordan, an army serviceman from Buford, Georgia was chosen. Jordan, who has devoted over 20 years to the military serving three voluntary tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a life-long KISS fan and member of the KISS army who sports a tattoo of Gene Simmons on his chest. Jordan reports for his new job as roadie, with his first full show on July 19.
Following KISS's lead, Boomer magazine held an online contest to support Hiring Our Heroes and hired a veteran to conduct an interview with KISS. Robert Crespo, an Army serviceman, was chosen. Crespo served in Iraq's combat zone and listened to "Kiss Alive Symphony" often while in the desert. "KISS was the motivation to keep going," Crespo explains. Crespo's interview with his idols, KISS, will be featured in the August issue of Boomer magazine.
KISS will release its 20th studio album, "Monster", on October 16 through Universal Music Enterprises. Described in a press release as a "12-track, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll album," the CD features collaborations among all four members — including co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — in an album that shows the band at the top of its game.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell recently revealed in an interview with the New York Times that there are some 15 songs from the band's earliest days that have yet to be released in any form. Cornell explained, "It was the first 15 we wrote. It was on a cassette that Kim [Thayil, guitarist] always referred to as 'The First 15.'" He added, "We were a band for a couple of years before we really did much (recording) . . . when we would go in to record, we tended to record the newest things we had written, because it was what we were most excited about."
Cornell continued that as a result, some of that earlier material fell by the wayside. He said, "We just got together in our room and started writing songs and did it very quickly. And then we would sit around and discuss what that sounds like, and then over time, I think we would maybe be critical about some of the things we were writing and playing and excited about some of the new stuff we were bringing into the band."
Drummer Matt Cameron told The Pulse Of Radio that the band's approach to making music hasn't changed that dramatically since its early days. "We started out very humbly here in the Northwest and I don't think we've ever really gone too far from those sort of ideals, which were, you know, real do-it-yourself, kind of '80s underground ideals," he said. "And it just feels good to lock up in a room together and write music together and play together that is uniquely our own thing."
After reuniting in 2010, SOUNDGARDEN completed recording earlier this year on its first set of all-new material since 1996's "Down On The Upside". The disc is being prepped for an October release.
The group's new song "Live To Rise" recently topped the Active Rock radio chart. The tune was taken from "Avengers Assemble", the companion soundtrack to the blockbuster movie "The Avengers".
Cornell continued that as a result, some of that earlier material fell by the wayside. He said, "We just got together in our room and started writing songs and did it very quickly. And then we would sit around and discuss what that sounds like, and then over time, I think we would maybe be critical about some of the things we were writing and playing and excited about some of the new stuff we were bringing into the band."
Drummer Matt Cameron told The Pulse Of Radio that the band's approach to making music hasn't changed that dramatically since its early days. "We started out very humbly here in the Northwest and I don't think we've ever really gone too far from those sort of ideals, which were, you know, real do-it-yourself, kind of '80s underground ideals," he said. "And it just feels good to lock up in a room together and write music together and play together that is uniquely our own thing."
After reuniting in 2010, SOUNDGARDEN completed recording earlier this year on its first set of all-new material since 1996's "Down On The Upside". The disc is being prepped for an October release.
The group's new song "Live To Rise" recently topped the Active Rock radio chart. The tune was taken from "Avengers Assemble", the companion soundtrack to the blockbuster movie "The Avengers".
Kenny Herzog of Spin.com recently conducted an interview with Rob Zombie. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On listening to opinions of other people:
Rob: "When you have too many people and you're trying to satisfy everybody's input, you usually end up with something so incredibly generic that it has no point of view. There are different times where I've finished a record and I go, 'This is the single,' and I play it for somebody and they go, 'That's the worst song on the record.' And I'll go, 'What? It's a single,' and we'll launch it, and it's a hit. If I made the right decision, at least I know it's my decision. If I made the wrong decision, at least it's my decision. I always get annoyed when I see bands sometimes crying about 'Oh, well, the label wanted us to do that and someone told us to do that,' like they're the total victims of circumstances. I'm like, 'Hey, fuckhead, you could have said no.'"
On being an overnight success:
Rob: "By the time WHITE ZOMBIE got to the stage where we were playing arenas, we were ready for it because we had played so many shows and done so many tours and had played hundred-seat clubs, to 200-seaters, 300, 400. As a band, we built up to it. But I see that with a lot of new bands, they get success fast and you see 'em on a big stage, and they look lost, like, 'Holy shit, what am I doing up here?' They haven't had the chance to develop the skills to work that type of crowd or room, and what happens is they're terrible, and then usually they fail because people will see them and go, 'They're terrible.' All the classic bands that have been around forever, they came up gradually."
On how getting signed to a label does not automatically make you a rock star:
Rob: "I remember back when WHITE ZOMBIE got signed to Geffen, that's when all the bands were getting signed to Geffen Records. There was this one mistake that a lot of bands made, and they still make it: You're still some unknown band nobody gives two shits about. You just happened to be signed to a label. These bands suddenly copped an attitude, and suddenly they were egotistical and annoying, and they thought they were big shots, but they're still nobody. I remember walking into Geffen Records on the first day, when our record wasn't even out yet, and looking at everybody working in the office and thinking, 'Nobody in this office cares if I become a millionaire rock star. This isn't something that's keeping them awake at night.' So you have to go in there, be nice to people, and hopefully they'll become your friends and you'll all work hard and it will happen. But I think bands that rolled in with a big attitude, like they were some big deal, I just found that very strange."
On listening to opinions of other people:
Rob: "When you have too many people and you're trying to satisfy everybody's input, you usually end up with something so incredibly generic that it has no point of view. There are different times where I've finished a record and I go, 'This is the single,' and I play it for somebody and they go, 'That's the worst song on the record.' And I'll go, 'What? It's a single,' and we'll launch it, and it's a hit. If I made the right decision, at least I know it's my decision. If I made the wrong decision, at least it's my decision. I always get annoyed when I see bands sometimes crying about 'Oh, well, the label wanted us to do that and someone told us to do that,' like they're the total victims of circumstances. I'm like, 'Hey, fuckhead, you could have said no.'"
On being an overnight success:
Rob: "By the time WHITE ZOMBIE got to the stage where we were playing arenas, we were ready for it because we had played so many shows and done so many tours and had played hundred-seat clubs, to 200-seaters, 300, 400. As a band, we built up to it. But I see that with a lot of new bands, they get success fast and you see 'em on a big stage, and they look lost, like, 'Holy shit, what am I doing up here?' They haven't had the chance to develop the skills to work that type of crowd or room, and what happens is they're terrible, and then usually they fail because people will see them and go, 'They're terrible.' All the classic bands that have been around forever, they came up gradually."
On how getting signed to a label does not automatically make you a rock star:
Rob: "I remember back when WHITE ZOMBIE got signed to Geffen, that's when all the bands were getting signed to Geffen Records. There was this one mistake that a lot of bands made, and they still make it: You're still some unknown band nobody gives two shits about. You just happened to be signed to a label. These bands suddenly copped an attitude, and suddenly they were egotistical and annoying, and they thought they were big shots, but they're still nobody. I remember walking into Geffen Records on the first day, when our record wasn't even out yet, and looking at everybody working in the office and thinking, 'Nobody in this office cares if I become a millionaire rock star. This isn't something that's keeping them awake at night.' So you have to go in there, be nice to people, and hopefully they'll become your friends and you'll all work hard and it will happen. But I think bands that rolled in with a big attitude, like they were some big deal, I just found that very strange."
ARTISTdirect.com editor-in-chief Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
ARTISTdirect.com: How is the new material coming along?
Kerry: I haven't worked on it as much as I'd like to. I don't really write on the road. When we're in Europe, I don't go out that often. There are still a number of currencies over there, and you get dicked every time you change money [Laughs]. If I don't have any local money, I'll probably sit in my room. I wrote some lyrics over there. I cleaned up a couple of song ideas we had. We have two finished. They just need to be mixed. I was under the impression we wanted those done so people had access to them [in time] for [SLAYER's appearance at the Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] and then we could play something live, but they're not even mixed yet. By the time they're mixed and mastered, Mayhem will be over. I'd just as soon save them for the record so we don't have to make up more for the record. We've got two others that just don't have leads and vocals. I've got two or three more that are ready to at least be demos. I'd like to get them done in August and September so that means I'd better start finishing my lyrics. [laughs]
ARTISTdirect.com: What topics do "Chasing Death" and "Implode" tackle?
Kerry: For "Chasing Death", as you get older, you're friends start dropping. You're having that new sensation. My guitar tech Armand "Butts" Crump III died earlier this year, and he was 35 years old. Those are the tough ones. Nobody expects a healthy person to just kick off at 35. It's the idea of dealing with this because that didn't happen when we were all 20. It's talking about stuff like that. "Chasing Death" is not directly related to any of my friends dying. It's like people who drink too much. They don't help themselves out so they're chasing death.
ARTISTdirect.com: Your lyrics and guitars always entwine interestingly.
Kerry: The beginning of "Implode" definitely does that. It starts off with a super-heavy riff. The first verse is in that riff, and the song takes off.
ARTISTdirect.com: Where does that song come from lyrically?
Kerry: It's not directly connected to the Mayan Calendar, but everybody always talks about the world ending. Whether it's with war or disease, that's where I went with it.
ARTISTdirect.com: How is the new material coming along?
Kerry: I haven't worked on it as much as I'd like to. I don't really write on the road. When we're in Europe, I don't go out that often. There are still a number of currencies over there, and you get dicked every time you change money [Laughs]. If I don't have any local money, I'll probably sit in my room. I wrote some lyrics over there. I cleaned up a couple of song ideas we had. We have two finished. They just need to be mixed. I was under the impression we wanted those done so people had access to them [in time] for [SLAYER's appearance at the Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] and then we could play something live, but they're not even mixed yet. By the time they're mixed and mastered, Mayhem will be over. I'd just as soon save them for the record so we don't have to make up more for the record. We've got two others that just don't have leads and vocals. I've got two or three more that are ready to at least be demos. I'd like to get them done in August and September so that means I'd better start finishing my lyrics. [laughs]
ARTISTdirect.com: What topics do "Chasing Death" and "Implode" tackle?
Kerry: For "Chasing Death", as you get older, you're friends start dropping. You're having that new sensation. My guitar tech Armand "Butts" Crump III died earlier this year, and he was 35 years old. Those are the tough ones. Nobody expects a healthy person to just kick off at 35. It's the idea of dealing with this because that didn't happen when we were all 20. It's talking about stuff like that. "Chasing Death" is not directly related to any of my friends dying. It's like people who drink too much. They don't help themselves out so they're chasing death.
ARTISTdirect.com: Your lyrics and guitars always entwine interestingly.
Kerry: The beginning of "Implode" definitely does that. It starts off with a super-heavy riff. The first verse is in that riff, and the song takes off.
ARTISTdirect.com: Where does that song come from lyrically?
Kerry: It's not directly connected to the Mayan Calendar, but everybody always talks about the world ending. Whether it's with war or disease, that's where I went with it.
Following their recent movie debut with the title song for the action-western "El Gringo", MANOWAR have confirmed their next soundtrack project, "Soldiers", starring action icon Jean Claude Van Damme.
Van Damme, who is Sylvester Stallone's co-star as an arch villain in "Expendables 2", said about the collaboration, "I met with Joey DeMaio and explained my vision for the entire soundtrack. He will be writing original score as well as bringing MANOWAR songs to the movie."
Produced by Hollywood veteran and long-term Van Damme collaborator, action specialist Moshe Diamant ('The Black Dahlia", "Hard Target", "Sudden Death"), "Soldiers" follows Van Damme on an action-packed quest for righteousness, retribution and resurrection.
"Joey DeMaio has the musical ability to write fighting hymns, soulful ballads and deeply emotional scores," said producer Moshe Diamant.
"We've always had a passion for movies, especially those that celebrate the values that matter for us: righteousness, honor, bravery. Contributing musically to such stories, and working with some of the greatest action heroes in cinema history is an honor and a pleasure. We are ready to deliver a powerful soundtrack to this really great movie," said Joey DeMaio.
"Soldiers" is scheduled for release in the spring of 2013.
MANOWAR recently premiered its twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel". The CD is currently available as a limited Hammer edition in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. An entirely different version of "The Lord Of Steel", loaded with surprises, will be released into international retail in September as CD, vinyl and as a digital album.
MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour with first shows in October across Europe.
Van Damme, who is Sylvester Stallone's co-star as an arch villain in "Expendables 2", said about the collaboration, "I met with Joey DeMaio and explained my vision for the entire soundtrack. He will be writing original score as well as bringing MANOWAR songs to the movie."
Produced by Hollywood veteran and long-term Van Damme collaborator, action specialist Moshe Diamant ('The Black Dahlia", "Hard Target", "Sudden Death"), "Soldiers" follows Van Damme on an action-packed quest for righteousness, retribution and resurrection.
"Joey DeMaio has the musical ability to write fighting hymns, soulful ballads and deeply emotional scores," said producer Moshe Diamant.
"We've always had a passion for movies, especially those that celebrate the values that matter for us: righteousness, honor, bravery. Contributing musically to such stories, and working with some of the greatest action heroes in cinema history is an honor and a pleasure. We are ready to deliver a powerful soundtrack to this really great movie," said Joey DeMaio.
"Soldiers" is scheduled for release in the spring of 2013.
MANOWAR recently premiered its twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel". The CD is currently available as a limited Hammer edition in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. An entirely different version of "The Lord Of Steel", loaded with surprises, will be released into international retail in September as CD, vinyl and as a digital album.
MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour with first shows in October across Europe.
ARTISTdirect.com editor-in-chief Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
ARTISTdirect.com: Did you write any of the new material with the show in mind?
Scott: When we write, we don't really think that way. Once a song is written — or there's even a bare-bones arrangement — there have been many times where we'll say, "I can't wait to play this one live. This is going to be crazy." That's already after something is together, though. I can't say we start with an idea that's going to be crazy live because I don't know how we would do that. If you're trying to do that, I don't know how you'd accomplish it.
ARTISTdirect.com: It seems like you guys are always ready for war when you hit the stage.
Scott: I kind of look at it that way. We're not doing battle with anybody else. It's us and the audience going to war together. If war was fun, that is. [laughs] We want to get on stage and do the best we could possibly do for the people who pay their hard-earned money to see us and want to have a good time. From the time we get on stage, it's our responsibility to show those people how good of a time they can have at an ANTHRAX show. That's really the most important thing to me. All I care about is the show and making sure we're the best band we can be for those 40 minutes.
ARTISTdirect.com: Have you begun writing for the next record?
Scott: I can't say we've officially started writing. There are a couple of ideas from the "Worship Music" sessions that didn't get finished which are close. They still need some work. That's why they're not on the album. I'd think maybe at some point we'll start working on those and take it from there, but our attitude is even though we've been on tour since September when the album came out, it's still so early. We feel like we have a lot of work to do and a long way to go until the end of the cycle for this album. There's no reason to rush anything.
ARTISTdirect.com: Did you write any of the new material with the show in mind?
Scott: When we write, we don't really think that way. Once a song is written — or there's even a bare-bones arrangement — there have been many times where we'll say, "I can't wait to play this one live. This is going to be crazy." That's already after something is together, though. I can't say we start with an idea that's going to be crazy live because I don't know how we would do that. If you're trying to do that, I don't know how you'd accomplish it.
ARTISTdirect.com: It seems like you guys are always ready for war when you hit the stage.
Scott: I kind of look at it that way. We're not doing battle with anybody else. It's us and the audience going to war together. If war was fun, that is. [laughs] We want to get on stage and do the best we could possibly do for the people who pay their hard-earned money to see us and want to have a good time. From the time we get on stage, it's our responsibility to show those people how good of a time they can have at an ANTHRAX show. That's really the most important thing to me. All I care about is the show and making sure we're the best band we can be for those 40 minutes.
ARTISTdirect.com: Have you begun writing for the next record?
Scott: I can't say we've officially started writing. There are a couple of ideas from the "Worship Music" sessions that didn't get finished which are close. They still need some work. That's why they're not on the album. I'd think maybe at some point we'll start working on those and take it from there, but our attitude is even though we've been on tour since September when the album came out, it's still so early. We feel like we have a lot of work to do and a long way to go until the end of the cycle for this album. There's no reason to rush anything.
The influential and legendary British hard rock band TYGERS OF PAN TANG will release a brand new album, "Ambush", on September 24, celebrating a landmark year in the band's history.
"Ambush" features 11 tracks of handsomely crafted melodic rock, recorded and produced by Chris Tsangarides who produced the band's historic "Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Those early efforts were critically acclaimed and similarly revered by fans, as was the TYGERS' most recent LP, "Animal Instinct".
With a truly impressive piece of coverart by Rodney Matthews who originally worked with the band on the iconic "Crazy Nights" album cover and with audio mastering by Ian Cooper ("Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums), some three decades on, the TYGERS have assembled a team which understands and lives up to their heritage.
"Ambush" track listing:
01. Keeping Me Alive
02. These Eyes
03. One Of A Kind
04. Rock & Roll Dream
05. She
06. Man On Fire
07. Play To Win
08. Burning Desire
09. Hey Suzie
10. Mr. Indispensable
11. Speed
Fans can get a free MP3 download of "Speed" and also watch a trailer video at the Rocksector Records web site. They can also find details of how to pre-order the album from August 1, including an option for a special limited edition fanpack.
TYGERS OF PAN TANG is:
Robb Weir - Guitar
Jacopo Meille - Vocals
Dean Robertson - Guitar
Gavin Gray - Bass
Craig Ellis - Drums/Percussion
"Ambush" features 11 tracks of handsomely crafted melodic rock, recorded and produced by Chris Tsangarides who produced the band's historic "Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Those early efforts were critically acclaimed and similarly revered by fans, as was the TYGERS' most recent LP, "Animal Instinct".
With a truly impressive piece of coverart by Rodney Matthews who originally worked with the band on the iconic "Crazy Nights" album cover and with audio mastering by Ian Cooper ("Wild Cat" and "Spellbound" albums), some three decades on, the TYGERS have assembled a team which understands and lives up to their heritage.
"Ambush" track listing:
01. Keeping Me Alive
02. These Eyes
03. One Of A Kind
04. Rock & Roll Dream
05. She
06. Man On Fire
07. Play To Win
08. Burning Desire
09. Hey Suzie
10. Mr. Indispensable
11. Speed
Fans can get a free MP3 download of "Speed" and also watch a trailer video at the Rocksector Records web site. They can also find details of how to pre-order the album from August 1, including an option for a special limited edition fanpack.
TYGERS OF PAN TANG is:
Robb Weir - Guitar
Jacopo Meille - Vocals
Dean Robertson - Guitar
Gavin Gray - Bass
Craig Ellis - Drums/Percussion
JON OLIVA'S PAIN, the Florida-based band led by SAVATAGE mastermind Jon Oliva, has just returned from Europe where it celebrated the 25th anniversary of one of heavy metal's most iconic records, "Hall Of The Mountain King" by SAVATAGE. The band performed the entire album as a special one-time-only treat for the still massive amount of loyal fans, along with songs from the DOCTOR BUTCHER album (by Jon Oliva and Chris Caffery, released in 1995), SAVATAGE and JON OLIVA'S PAIN.
Unfortunately, JON OLIVA'S PAIN was forced to cancel its June 26 concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the last minute due to luggage issues while attempting to fly out of Brussels airport.
A statement from the organizer read: "The Dubai promoter was willing to go far beyond what made financial sense in order to bring the show to Dubai and stick to his commitment, which makes this (cancelation) even more sad for all parties involved."
The one-off show would have been Oliva's first visit to the UAE.
Commented the band: "The Dubai cancelation was an emotional, financial and fan/promoter nightmare that we hope we will never have to live again. And despite what anyone may say... Dubai was the highlight show of the tour for us and sitting in Holland for three days dwelling on the entire situation was exhausting and anxiety-filled for all involved.
"The hatred thrown at the band for having to cancel the show was heartbreaking. Sharbel (our fantastic promoter in Dubai) had risked a lot of money and his reputation on getting us there. Fans from all over the Middle East were traveling to see us play... and we were so excited to be going to such a unique and mysterious place. But, as told before, some asshole supervisor for [the] airline denied 13 of us to board the plane because we had two soft case guitar bags that are ALWAYS allowed on EVERY other airline as carry-ons for reasons of their high value and items that could never be replaced. This super-ASS had every right in his power to allow us on board but demanded we check them into the belly of the plane. He told us that if they were lost or damaged that 'we would be made whole again by filing a report.' But this was just another lie out of his pathetic mouth as we knew that [the] airline's policy clearly states that they are 'NOT responsible for lost or damaged items.' Damage or loss of these guitars would have ended our tour and the loss of prize guitars owned by Jerry and Joe. This was totally unacceptable.
"We ran from ticket counter to ticket counter looking for options. After nearly eight hours, we found an airline willing to allow us to travel with the guitars. The promoter even agreed to pay for entirely new flights for all 13 passengers (14,000 euros) but the band had to come up with the money in cash. We had only been on the road for one show and that kind of money was not available. We all sat on the bus totally pissed, in shock, and counting the loss to fans the promoter and band over and over in our heads.
"JON OLIVA'S PAIN contacted [the] airline on behalf of the promoter to see what we could do to help him get back the money he had spent on non-refundable tickets. We felt we owed it to him to at least try. Our tour manager constructed a detailed and polite email to [the] airline outlining the entire day's events and the rudeness and unwillingness of their 'supervisor' to work with us. We pointed out the incredible amount of financial hardship this has caused to the promoter the fans and the band. And after several days we received a reply. [The] airline stood behind the decisions of their employee but agreed to give the promoter back all of his money he paid for his non-refundable flights. This, my friends, is just another roundabout way of saying, 'We were wrong and you were right,' without having to take responsibility for the cancellation of the show and the financial and emotional loss to all involved...and to avoid any potential lawsuits.
"To Sharbel and the fans, once again we send our sincere apologies. We knew this would have been the highlight of the tour for all of us!"
Unfortunately, JON OLIVA'S PAIN was forced to cancel its June 26 concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the last minute due to luggage issues while attempting to fly out of Brussels airport.
A statement from the organizer read: "The Dubai promoter was willing to go far beyond what made financial sense in order to bring the show to Dubai and stick to his commitment, which makes this (cancelation) even more sad for all parties involved."
The one-off show would have been Oliva's first visit to the UAE.
Commented the band: "The Dubai cancelation was an emotional, financial and fan/promoter nightmare that we hope we will never have to live again. And despite what anyone may say... Dubai was the highlight show of the tour for us and sitting in Holland for three days dwelling on the entire situation was exhausting and anxiety-filled for all involved.
"The hatred thrown at the band for having to cancel the show was heartbreaking. Sharbel (our fantastic promoter in Dubai) had risked a lot of money and his reputation on getting us there. Fans from all over the Middle East were traveling to see us play... and we were so excited to be going to such a unique and mysterious place. But, as told before, some asshole supervisor for [the] airline denied 13 of us to board the plane because we had two soft case guitar bags that are ALWAYS allowed on EVERY other airline as carry-ons for reasons of their high value and items that could never be replaced. This super-ASS had every right in his power to allow us on board but demanded we check them into the belly of the plane. He told us that if they were lost or damaged that 'we would be made whole again by filing a report.' But this was just another lie out of his pathetic mouth as we knew that [the] airline's policy clearly states that they are 'NOT responsible for lost or damaged items.' Damage or loss of these guitars would have ended our tour and the loss of prize guitars owned by Jerry and Joe. This was totally unacceptable.
"We ran from ticket counter to ticket counter looking for options. After nearly eight hours, we found an airline willing to allow us to travel with the guitars. The promoter even agreed to pay for entirely new flights for all 13 passengers (14,000 euros) but the band had to come up with the money in cash. We had only been on the road for one show and that kind of money was not available. We all sat on the bus totally pissed, in shock, and counting the loss to fans the promoter and band over and over in our heads.
"JON OLIVA'S PAIN contacted [the] airline on behalf of the promoter to see what we could do to help him get back the money he had spent on non-refundable tickets. We felt we owed it to him to at least try. Our tour manager constructed a detailed and polite email to [the] airline outlining the entire day's events and the rudeness and unwillingness of their 'supervisor' to work with us. We pointed out the incredible amount of financial hardship this has caused to the promoter the fans and the band. And after several days we received a reply. [The] airline stood behind the decisions of their employee but agreed to give the promoter back all of his money he paid for his non-refundable flights. This, my friends, is just another roundabout way of saying, 'We were wrong and you were right,' without having to take responsibility for the cancellation of the show and the financial and emotional loss to all involved...and to avoid any potential lawsuits.
"To Sharbel and the fans, once again we send our sincere apologies. We knew this would have been the highlight of the tour for all of us!"
American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT have set "Silverthorn" as the title of their new album, due on September 25 (one day earlier internationally) via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD will mark the band's first release with new singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).
In a brand new interview with RockLiveBG, KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai stated about the band's new vocalist, "[Tommy] was already with us on some tour dates as a guest singer, and he was singing on one or two songs. And in the past year, we were considering which singer to take. I was strongly on Tommy's side because he made a huge impression on me. Personality. of course. is really important. and he is a little bit introverted and I like this 'Scandinavian feel' about him and he fits KAMELOT really well."
He continued, "The final decision for him was sending in vocals, lyrics and recorded melody on a ballad that I wrote which is on the album. And it was so great and impressive. We all had goosebumps and when we heard that for the first time we knew immediately that was 'it.' He wrote most of the vocal melodies in the album also."
On the topic of the upcoming CD, Palotai said, "The cover was done by Stephan Heilemann. He also did covers for EPICA and my other band, SONS OF SEASONS. He is one of my best buddies, living in the neighborhood, and in my opinion, he is one of the greatest designers in the whole world. The amount of songs is ... I think 9 or 10 without the interludes. . . It's a concept album and it has a story. In the special edition you will get a little book where the story is described. All the songs will be around the story. It will be something like [2005's] 'The Black Halo'.
Regarding how the upcoming CD compares to 2010's "Poetry For The Poisoned", Oliver said, "To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of 'Poetry For The Poisoned'. For me, 'The Black Halo' is a bit like a reference also when I produce bands in my studio. So we wanted to go back to 'The Black Halo' but also include modern elements, which we included since then. You will never hear from a band, Our new record sucks,' but this record is a real killer and brings KAMELOT back on track. It is exactly what I wanted, and I'm really happy with it. I hope the fans will like it as well."
KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood previously stated about Karevik: "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."
In KAMELOT's 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.
Youngblood on the style and content of the forthcoming KAMELOT 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."
KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.
KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.
In a brand new interview with RockLiveBG, KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai stated about the band's new vocalist, "[Tommy] was already with us on some tour dates as a guest singer, and he was singing on one or two songs. And in the past year, we were considering which singer to take. I was strongly on Tommy's side because he made a huge impression on me. Personality. of course. is really important. and he is a little bit introverted and I like this 'Scandinavian feel' about him and he fits KAMELOT really well."
He continued, "The final decision for him was sending in vocals, lyrics and recorded melody on a ballad that I wrote which is on the album. And it was so great and impressive. We all had goosebumps and when we heard that for the first time we knew immediately that was 'it.' He wrote most of the vocal melodies in the album also."
On the topic of the upcoming CD, Palotai said, "The cover was done by Stephan Heilemann. He also did covers for EPICA and my other band, SONS OF SEASONS. He is one of my best buddies, living in the neighborhood, and in my opinion, he is one of the greatest designers in the whole world. The amount of songs is ... I think 9 or 10 without the interludes. . . It's a concept album and it has a story. In the special edition you will get a little book where the story is described. All the songs will be around the story. It will be something like [2005's] 'The Black Halo'.
Regarding how the upcoming CD compares to 2010's "Poetry For The Poisoned", Oliver said, "To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of 'Poetry For The Poisoned'. For me, 'The Black Halo' is a bit like a reference also when I produce bands in my studio. So we wanted to go back to 'The Black Halo' but also include modern elements, which we included since then. You will never hear from a band, Our new record sucks,' but this record is a real killer and brings KAMELOT back on track. It is exactly what I wanted, and I'm really happy with it. I hope the fans will like it as well."
KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood previously stated about Karevik: "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."
In KAMELOT's 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.
Youngblood on the style and content of the forthcoming KAMELOT 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."
KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.
KAMELOT's recently completed North American, South American and European tours featured guest singer Fabio Lione of RHAPSODY OF FIRE following the departure of KAMELOT's longtime frontman, Roy Khan.
Two songs from the forthcoming solo album from former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo will be made available on a split release with a pair of previously unreleased tracks from WARBEAST. The effort — which will include the WARBEAST cuts "IT" and "Birth Of A Psycho" — is tentatively due in late September.
Anselmo's debut solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", is tentatively due in early 2013 via his record label, Housecore Records. The CD features the former PANTERA frontman backed by guitarist Maziar "Marzi" Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL), drummer José Manuel Gonzales (WARBEAST) and up-and-coming New Orleans bassist Bennett Bartley.
"I wrote every note on the record. I wrote every song," Anselmo recently told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X about his upcoming CD. "Truth be told, I am a creative guitar player. I'm not a technically great guitar player. I've written PANTERA riffs, too. I'll write a riff, but when a guy like Dimebag gets ahold of it, it sounds completely different and probably about 99 to 100 percent better."
He added, "I have a fantastic guitar player named Marzi Montazeri, who… Actually, him and Dimebag had known each other since the middle '80s, late '80s, and I've known Marzi almost as long. And really, Dimebag… He was such a killer, killer, amazing player — we all know this — but Dimebag would show so much respect to Marzi. Just to sit there and watch those two guys jam together back in the old days, or just talk guitars… They just had this amazing mutual respect for one another. So Marzi and I have reunited, and he is really an executioner when it comes to right-hand picking, and his left hand blows mine away completely, and he's a great lead player. And the kid who plays drums from WARBEAST, José Manuel Gonzales, he plays drums on my stuff, too. And I've got a local kid playing bass, named Bennett Bartley. And really, man, I orchestrated the whole thing — my words, my songs — but I let Marzi put his fingerprints, so to speak, all over this whole damn thing. Really, man, it's probably — in my estimation — one of the most intense things I've done, ever. What I love about it is you can't slide it into any one particular slot, but it's just as extreme as extreme gets. So I can't wait to catch some feedback on this sucker."
In a recent interview with the Flint, Michigan radio station Banana 101.5 Rocks, Anselmo stated about his solo CD, "I have written over a dozen very extreme songs that I basically put a lot of thought into as far as genres go. Because extreme music comes in all genres in one way or another, but, of course, my heart is in heavy metal, hardcore, etc. I've done hardcore before, I've done heavy metal before, I've done American-branded black metal before. I've done the genre stuff before. I wanted to create something that, in my mind, is fresh and different, and can't be just slid into a slot. So it is an extremely extreme listen, but it's also, in my opinion, a very different listen. So I'm gonna leave where it belongs, genre-wise, up to all the media experts and all the kids out there and all the people out there that might be buying this record just out of curiosity, or if you're a fan and you wanna check it out. But I'll warn you once again: it is an extreme listen with a lot of involvement. Really, man, I couldn't be happier with it, so far."
Anselmo's debut solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", is tentatively due in early 2013 via his record label, Housecore Records. The CD features the former PANTERA frontman backed by guitarist Maziar "Marzi" Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL), drummer José Manuel Gonzales (WARBEAST) and up-and-coming New Orleans bassist Bennett Bartley.
"I wrote every note on the record. I wrote every song," Anselmo recently told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X about his upcoming CD. "Truth be told, I am a creative guitar player. I'm not a technically great guitar player. I've written PANTERA riffs, too. I'll write a riff, but when a guy like Dimebag gets ahold of it, it sounds completely different and probably about 99 to 100 percent better."
He added, "I have a fantastic guitar player named Marzi Montazeri, who… Actually, him and Dimebag had known each other since the middle '80s, late '80s, and I've known Marzi almost as long. And really, Dimebag… He was such a killer, killer, amazing player — we all know this — but Dimebag would show so much respect to Marzi. Just to sit there and watch those two guys jam together back in the old days, or just talk guitars… They just had this amazing mutual respect for one another. So Marzi and I have reunited, and he is really an executioner when it comes to right-hand picking, and his left hand blows mine away completely, and he's a great lead player. And the kid who plays drums from WARBEAST, José Manuel Gonzales, he plays drums on my stuff, too. And I've got a local kid playing bass, named Bennett Bartley. And really, man, I orchestrated the whole thing — my words, my songs — but I let Marzi put his fingerprints, so to speak, all over this whole damn thing. Really, man, it's probably — in my estimation — one of the most intense things I've done, ever. What I love about it is you can't slide it into any one particular slot, but it's just as extreme as extreme gets. So I can't wait to catch some feedback on this sucker."
In a recent interview with the Flint, Michigan radio station Banana 101.5 Rocks, Anselmo stated about his solo CD, "I have written over a dozen very extreme songs that I basically put a lot of thought into as far as genres go. Because extreme music comes in all genres in one way or another, but, of course, my heart is in heavy metal, hardcore, etc. I've done hardcore before, I've done heavy metal before, I've done American-branded black metal before. I've done the genre stuff before. I wanted to create something that, in my mind, is fresh and different, and can't be just slid into a slot. So it is an extremely extreme listen, but it's also, in my opinion, a very different listen. So I'm gonna leave where it belongs, genre-wise, up to all the media experts and all the kids out there and all the people out there that might be buying this record just out of curiosity, or if you're a fan and you wanna check it out. But I'll warn you once again: it is an extreme listen with a lot of involvement. Really, man, I couldn't be happier with it, so far."
Guitarist Mick Box of progressive rockers URIAH HEEP has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:
"I was truly shocked to hear that Jon Lord had passed away. Jon was one of the all-time great rock keyboard players and composers, and he had the most amazing Hammond organ sound ever.
"I have known Jon for many years dating back to the late '60s, and he was always the perfect gentleman, and great company.
"The musical world has lost a giant, and his contribution to rock music will live on forever.
"When people have asked me who was my favourite keyboard player, his name was always first on my lips."
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
"I was truly shocked to hear that Jon Lord had passed away. Jon was one of the all-time great rock keyboard players and composers, and he had the most amazing Hammond organ sound ever.
"I have known Jon for many years dating back to the late '60s, and he was always the perfect gentleman, and great company.
"The musical world has lost a giant, and his contribution to rock music will live on forever.
"When people have asked me who was my favourite keyboard player, his name was always first on my lips."
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
Legendary bassist Bob Daisley (pictured below; OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, URIAH HEEP, GARY MOORE) has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:
"[Monday was] a sad day. Jon Lord has 'left the building.'
"Jon put the 'deep' into PURPLE; he contributed greatly to their sound. Whatever he did musically was first-class.
"I feel privileged, honoured and grateful to have been able to work and create with him. He was a great musician and a true gentlemen. He gave his Hammond organ and Leslie speaker a special 'growl.' My joke nickname for him was 'Growly Hammond.'
"Jon has departed, as we all must, but he'll never be forgotten. He was truly one of the greats. He's in the 'real world' now, so rock on, Jon!"
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
"[Monday was] a sad day. Jon Lord has 'left the building.'
"Jon put the 'deep' into PURPLE; he contributed greatly to their sound. Whatever he did musically was first-class.
"I feel privileged, honoured and grateful to have been able to work and create with him. He was a great musician and a true gentlemen. He gave his Hammond organ and Leslie speaker a special 'growl.' My joke nickname for him was 'Growly Hammond.'
"Jon has departed, as we all must, but he'll never be forgotten. He was truly one of the greats. He's in the 'real world' now, so rock on, Jon!"
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has released the following statement regarding the passing of former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord:
?"We're very saddened to hear about the passing of the great Jon Lord. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. He's obviously partly responsible for OPETH ever being formed, so we're in massive debt to him.
"Martin Mendez [OPETH bassist] and Martin Axenrot [OPETH drummer] obviously had the pleasure of working with [see video below], and playing with Lord, and both said it was such an amazing experience. He was a sheer musical genius. Axenrot even said that when he'd asked what bpm (beats per minute) a song was supposed to be in. Lord had said, 'Around 140 bpm,' and started clapping his hands in the desired beat. Axenrot checked with his metronome and sure enough, Lord was clapping in exactly 140 bpm!
"Jon Lord. We love you. Your music lives on and your memory will never fade."
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
?"We're very saddened to hear about the passing of the great Jon Lord. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. He's obviously partly responsible for OPETH ever being formed, so we're in massive debt to him.
"Martin Mendez [OPETH bassist] and Martin Axenrot [OPETH drummer] obviously had the pleasure of working with [see video below], and playing with Lord, and both said it was such an amazing experience. He was a sheer musical genius. Axenrot even said that when he'd asked what bpm (beats per minute) a song was supposed to be in. Lord had said, 'Around 140 bpm,' and started clapping his hands in the desired beat. Axenrot checked with his metronome and sure enough, Lord was clapping in exactly 140 bpm!
"Jon Lord. We love you. Your music lives on and your memory will never fade."
Jon Lord died on Monday (July 16) at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
"Power Chord: One Man's Ear-Splitting Quest To Find His Guitar Heroes" by super metal fan Thomas Scott McKenzie will be released on July 31 via HarperCollins.
According to a press release, "Power Chord" is "the story of one man's epic pilgrimage to gain rock enlightenment from the gods and guitar heroes of the Golden Age of heavy metal. McKenzie set off to make contact with the legendary metal superstars he worshipped in his rural Kentucky youth — men like George Lynch of DOKKEN, Glenn Tipton of JUDAS PRIEST, and Ace Frehley of KISS — hoping to gain wisdom and a better understanding of the electric guitar mystique. The result is a veritable treasure trove of enthralling behind-the-scenes stories and 'where are they now' revelations that will delight anyone who has ever felt a MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES, or BLACK SABBATH song reach out from the speakers and grab them by the ears."
When Scott McKenzie was a young man, he thought he saw God… The deity was all in black with knee-high silver boots, a patent-leather breastplate, and full face makeup, clutching a beautiful, custom Les Paul guitar. Ace Frehley, lead guitarist for the rock group KISS, wasn't God — but hearing his piercing, shrieking, screaming, outrageous guitar solos was a transcendent spiritual experience for a boy from rural Kentucky, making him feel uplifted, a witness to a higher power.
Two decades later, a grown-up Scott McKenzie vowed to meet Ace Frehley in the flesh — as well as the other gods and demigods who have held divine power over a generation of worshipful metal fans: legendary guitar champions like Glenn Tipton and Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD, hallowed names like Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini, and John 5.
"Power Chord" is a chronicle of Scott McKenzie's epic quest to stand in the presence of metal greatness — to meet his omnipotent guitar gods face-to-face and get them to divulge their otherworldly secret.
For more information, go to this location.
According to a press release, "Power Chord" is "the story of one man's epic pilgrimage to gain rock enlightenment from the gods and guitar heroes of the Golden Age of heavy metal. McKenzie set off to make contact with the legendary metal superstars he worshipped in his rural Kentucky youth — men like George Lynch of DOKKEN, Glenn Tipton of JUDAS PRIEST, and Ace Frehley of KISS — hoping to gain wisdom and a better understanding of the electric guitar mystique. The result is a veritable treasure trove of enthralling behind-the-scenes stories and 'where are they now' revelations that will delight anyone who has ever felt a MÖTLEY CRÜE, GUNS N' ROSES, or BLACK SABBATH song reach out from the speakers and grab them by the ears."
When Scott McKenzie was a young man, he thought he saw God… The deity was all in black with knee-high silver boots, a patent-leather breastplate, and full face makeup, clutching a beautiful, custom Les Paul guitar. Ace Frehley, lead guitarist for the rock group KISS, wasn't God — but hearing his piercing, shrieking, screaming, outrageous guitar solos was a transcendent spiritual experience for a boy from rural Kentucky, making him feel uplifted, a witness to a higher power.
Two decades later, a grown-up Scott McKenzie vowed to meet Ace Frehley in the flesh — as well as the other gods and demigods who have held divine power over a generation of worshipful metal fans: legendary guitar champions like Glenn Tipton and Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD, hallowed names like Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini, and John 5.
"Power Chord" is a chronicle of Scott McKenzie's epic quest to stand in the presence of metal greatness — to meet his omnipotent guitar gods face-to-face and get them to divulge their otherworldly secret.
For more information, go to this location.
Drummer Mick Brown (TED NUGENT, DOKKEN) will guest on this coming Friday's (July 20) edition of the "Headbangers At 11" show on the 93.3 KDKB radio station with host Mike Gaube at 11:00 p.m. Arizona time. You can stream the program live via the Internet at www.kdkb.com.
As previously reported, Brown was arrested on July 8 after allegedly stealing a gold cart and driving it recklessly while under the influence of alcohol in Bangor, Maine.
At approximately 9:45 p.m., Bangor police officers Steve Jordan and Jim Dearing were working the concert venue when they were approached by security personnel that there was a problem behind the stage. It was reported that Brown had stolen a golf cart used by Waterfront Concerts, and that Brown was intoxicated and driving it recklessly around the Front Street area. Several people had attempted to stop him but he sped away and was last seen operating the golf cart on the foot path by the Sea Dog restaurant. Officer Jordan reported that about a minute later he observed the golf cart with two women also on board near the Railroad Street grade crossing. As they attempted to stop Brown, he accelerated past them, past a third officer and when a security officer got close enough to stop him, Brown allegedly shoved the officer. At that point two other security officers physically removed Brown from the cart and placed him on the ground. He was arrested. No damage was reported to the cart although two traffic cones were damaged, one still under the cart, significantly so.
Mick Brown, 55, of Cave Creek, Arizona, was transported to the Penobscot County Jail charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, driving to endanger, theft and assault. He was released on $4,000 bail and his initial court date is August 15.
TED NUGENT was in Bangor on July 8 for a performance at the Bangor Waterfront Pavilion with STYX and REO SPEEDWAGON.
As previously reported, Brown was arrested on July 8 after allegedly stealing a gold cart and driving it recklessly while under the influence of alcohol in Bangor, Maine.
At approximately 9:45 p.m., Bangor police officers Steve Jordan and Jim Dearing were working the concert venue when they were approached by security personnel that there was a problem behind the stage. It was reported that Brown had stolen a golf cart used by Waterfront Concerts, and that Brown was intoxicated and driving it recklessly around the Front Street area. Several people had attempted to stop him but he sped away and was last seen operating the golf cart on the foot path by the Sea Dog restaurant. Officer Jordan reported that about a minute later he observed the golf cart with two women also on board near the Railroad Street grade crossing. As they attempted to stop Brown, he accelerated past them, past a third officer and when a security officer got close enough to stop him, Brown allegedly shoved the officer. At that point two other security officers physically removed Brown from the cart and placed him on the ground. He was arrested. No damage was reported to the cart although two traffic cones were damaged, one still under the cart, significantly so.
Mick Brown, 55, of Cave Creek, Arizona, was transported to the Penobscot County Jail charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, driving to endanger, theft and assault. He was released on $4,000 bail and his initial court date is August 15.
TED NUGENT was in Bangor on July 8 for a performance at the Bangor Waterfront Pavilion with STYX and REO SPEEDWAGON.
Finnish horror metallers DIRGE ETERNAL, who feature former TURISAS bassist Hannes Horma on guitar, have announced the addition of drummer Markus Ojanperä to the group's ranks.
Commented the band: "We had a really tight competition between two great drummers, but Markus just convinced us all in the last audition. Only one and a half weeks with us, including two rehearsals, and he already nailed all the song in our set. He's really committed to this and DIRGE ETERNAL is really looking forward to working with Markus. Our first stop will be Suisto-Klubi and after that we will start rehearsing some new songs..."
DIRGE ETERNAL recently completed work on the "Under The Spell" EP at Sound Supreme Studio in Hämeenlinna, Finland. In addition to playing lead guitar on the CD, Horma served as engineer and producer during the sessions.
"Under The Spell"'s release was celebrated with a performance on May 5 at Escape in Riihimäki, Finland.
DIRGE ETERNAL's second music video, "The Slaughterhouse", was premiered on May 4 at the Biorex movie theater in Hämeenlinnna.
Commented the band: "We had a really tight competition between two great drummers, but Markus just convinced us all in the last audition. Only one and a half weeks with us, including two rehearsals, and he already nailed all the song in our set. He's really committed to this and DIRGE ETERNAL is really looking forward to working with Markus. Our first stop will be Suisto-Klubi and after that we will start rehearsing some new songs..."
DIRGE ETERNAL recently completed work on the "Under The Spell" EP at Sound Supreme Studio in Hämeenlinna, Finland. In addition to playing lead guitar on the CD, Horma served as engineer and producer during the sessions.
"Under The Spell"'s release was celebrated with a performance on May 5 at Escape in Riihimäki, Finland.
DIRGE ETERNAL's second music video, "The Slaughterhouse", was premiered on May 4 at the Biorex movie theater in Hämeenlinnna.
KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has revealed to Billboard.com that the band is "getting ready to start writing a new record." According to the singer, the follow-up to 2011's "The Path Of Totality" probably won't embrace the same electronic path that the band's last album did. "Our motto is to keep ever-evolving," Davis says. "I'm sure there'll still be some electronic influence in there, but I don't think it'll be like the last one and go to all those different guys again. We'll switch it up and try to do something new, 'cause that's how we work."
KORN will release "The Path Of Totality Tour - Live At The Hollywood Palladium" on September 4 on both DVD and Blu-ray. The disc captures a sold-out concert on December 6, 2011 during the band's trek in support of its 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality". In addition to the show, the set features interviews with all four members of the group plus a bonus live CD of the concert.
"The Path Of Totality" arrived last December and featured KORN teaming up with dubstep producers and DJs to add a whole new electronic layer to their sound.
Davis told The Pulse Of Radio that he enjoys being in a group that takes risks. "We're one of those bands that take the chance and we really just want to put out music that we like making," he said. "We don't care if the people hate or if the people love it — we just want people to have open minds. I think it takes balls as a band to do something like that and to throw something out different, 'cause most bands are scared and they end up sounding the same every record."
Among the dubstep artists who contributed to the set were 12th Planet, Kill The Noise, Noisia, Downlink, Excision and Skrillex.
Several dubstep artists have opened for KORN on its recent tours, while singer Jonathan Davis even did some opening sets as DJ J Devil.
KORN will release "The Path Of Totality Tour - Live At The Hollywood Palladium" on September 4 on both DVD and Blu-ray. The disc captures a sold-out concert on December 6, 2011 during the band's trek in support of its 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality". In addition to the show, the set features interviews with all four members of the group plus a bonus live CD of the concert.
"The Path Of Totality" arrived last December and featured KORN teaming up with dubstep producers and DJs to add a whole new electronic layer to their sound.
Davis told The Pulse Of Radio that he enjoys being in a group that takes risks. "We're one of those bands that take the chance and we really just want to put out music that we like making," he said. "We don't care if the people hate or if the people love it — we just want people to have open minds. I think it takes balls as a band to do something like that and to throw something out different, 'cause most bands are scared and they end up sounding the same every record."
Among the dubstep artists who contributed to the set were 12th Planet, Kill The Noise, Noisia, Downlink, Excision and Skrillex.
Several dubstep artists have opened for KORN on its recent tours, while singer Jonathan Davis even did some opening sets as DJ J Devil.
"Harakiri", the new solo album from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and political activist Serj Tankian, sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 29 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Harakiri" was released on July 10 via Reprise Records/Serjical Strike.
In a recent interview with CraveOnline.com, Serj stated about the "Harakiri" title track, "[It] refers to the ominous events of early 2011 when close to a million species of bird and fish died, without much satisfactory scientific explanation. The omen was not lost on me. Varied creatures on earth were committing massive harakiri or were being given a sign to leave this place. Why would these intuitive beings closely knit in the fabric of nature leave? What does that mean for us in terms of environmental degradation, events to come, etc.?"
When asked if there is a thematic idea behind the "Harakiri" album, Serj said, "'Harakiri' is not really a concept record, although the idea of harakiri as it relates to death is a central theme. Everything else on the album captures the same time period of life in these times: political and social events, personal stories, humorous interpretations. It tries to convey the massive upheaval of our global life today ripe with injustice, economic inequities, the failing of the massive globalist agenda, and of course revolt."?
"Harakiri", a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide, is the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Imperfect Harmonies", and the third solo release from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman. As with 2007's "Elect The Dead" and "Imperfect Harmonies", Serj produced "Harakiri" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," explained Serj. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." The album will also feature performances by Serj's touring band, THE F.C.C. — Dan Monti on guitar, Mario Pagliarulo on bass, and Troy Zeigler on drums. Dan Monti is also co-mixing and co-engineering the album with Serj. The album was mastered by Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KANYE WEST, BEASTIE BOYS).
"Harakiri" was released on July 10 via Reprise Records/Serjical Strike.
In a recent interview with CraveOnline.com, Serj stated about the "Harakiri" title track, "[It] refers to the ominous events of early 2011 when close to a million species of bird and fish died, without much satisfactory scientific explanation. The omen was not lost on me. Varied creatures on earth were committing massive harakiri or were being given a sign to leave this place. Why would these intuitive beings closely knit in the fabric of nature leave? What does that mean for us in terms of environmental degradation, events to come, etc.?"
When asked if there is a thematic idea behind the "Harakiri" album, Serj said, "'Harakiri' is not really a concept record, although the idea of harakiri as it relates to death is a central theme. Everything else on the album captures the same time period of life in these times: political and social events, personal stories, humorous interpretations. It tries to convey the massive upheaval of our global life today ripe with injustice, economic inequities, the failing of the massive globalist agenda, and of course revolt."?
"Harakiri", a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide, is the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Imperfect Harmonies", and the third solo release from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman. As with 2007's "Elect The Dead" and "Imperfect Harmonies", Serj produced "Harakiri" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," explained Serj. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." The album will also feature performances by Serj's touring band, THE F.C.C. — Dan Monti on guitar, Mario Pagliarulo on bass, and Troy Zeigler on drums. Dan Monti is also co-mixing and co-engineering the album with Serj. The album was mastered by Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KANYE WEST, BEASTIE BOYS).
Southern California hardcore band STRIFE has inked a deal with 6131 Records. The group's new album, "Witness A Rebirth", will be released in the fall.
Some bands leave such an impression on fans that, even after two decades, their sound still resonates deep and wide. STRIFE is just such a band, having once again tapped into the energy that has kept listeners interested for 21 years.
After touring throughout the world in recent years, STRIFE decided it was time to unleash a new batch of songs and break their 11 years streak of recording silence. The groundwork for what would become their newest album, "Witness A Rebirth", had been laid and their collective efforts began down the road to realization.
With producer Nick Jett (TERROR, ROTTING OUT, BACKTRACK) at the helm, STRIFE recruited friend and previous collaborator Igor Cavalera (founding member of SEPULTURA) to perform drums for the album and traveled to Brazil to start the recording process with him. Soon after, they returned to California and put the rest of the pieces into place, including guest vocals by Billy Graziadei (of BIOHAZARD) and Scott Vogel (of TERROR), plus a guitar solo by Marc Rizzo (of SOULFLY). The result serves as a testament to their talent, bridging their past (especially the highly acclaimed album "In This Defiance", with which this album shares four-fifths of the members) with a more contemporary hardcore sound. "Witness A Rebirth" is at once both refreshing and evocative.
As longtime fans, 6131 Records jumped at the chance to release "Witness A Rebirth".
Cavalera previously made a guest appearance on STRIFE's second album, 1997's "In This Defiance".
STRIFE is:
Rick Rodney - Vocals
Andrew Kline - Guitar
Chad Peterson - Bass
Todd Turnham - Guitar
Pepe Magana – Drums
Some bands leave such an impression on fans that, even after two decades, their sound still resonates deep and wide. STRIFE is just such a band, having once again tapped into the energy that has kept listeners interested for 21 years.
After touring throughout the world in recent years, STRIFE decided it was time to unleash a new batch of songs and break their 11 years streak of recording silence. The groundwork for what would become their newest album, "Witness A Rebirth", had been laid and their collective efforts began down the road to realization.
With producer Nick Jett (TERROR, ROTTING OUT, BACKTRACK) at the helm, STRIFE recruited friend and previous collaborator Igor Cavalera (founding member of SEPULTURA) to perform drums for the album and traveled to Brazil to start the recording process with him. Soon after, they returned to California and put the rest of the pieces into place, including guest vocals by Billy Graziadei (of BIOHAZARD) and Scott Vogel (of TERROR), plus a guitar solo by Marc Rizzo (of SOULFLY). The result serves as a testament to their talent, bridging their past (especially the highly acclaimed album "In This Defiance", with which this album shares four-fifths of the members) with a more contemporary hardcore sound. "Witness A Rebirth" is at once both refreshing and evocative.
As longtime fans, 6131 Records jumped at the chance to release "Witness A Rebirth".
Cavalera previously made a guest appearance on STRIFE's second album, 1997's "In This Defiance".
STRIFE is:
Rick Rodney - Vocals
Andrew Kline - Guitar
Chad Peterson - Bass
Todd Turnham - Guitar
Pepe Magana – Drums
"Time I", the long-awaited new CD from Finland's WINTERSUN, will now be released on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.
To celebrate the release, WINTERSUN will play two special shows in Finland. The first concert will take place on Octber 12 at Lutakko in Jyväskylä and the second on October 13 at Nosturi in Helsinki. Support at the shows will come from THAUROROD (Lutakko and Nosturi) and MEDICATED (Nosturi).
Commented WINTERSUN: "We're excited to start the 'Time' world tour from our home country with two shows in October! These two special album-release shows will be our first club gigs in Finland since 2006 and the first time ever 'Time I' songs will be heard live! The show attendees will also be the first ones to have a chance to get a signed copy of the new album.
"During the rest of the summer, we'll be rehearsing the new material and working on a new enhanced live show as well as doing some promo and preparing bonus material for the album. Right after the Finnish gigs, we'll continue on to Heidenfest tour in Central Europe and after that... Well, more shows will be announced soon. Stay tuned and hope to see you at the gigs!"
According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two seprate albums, titled "Time I" and "Time II". He says:
* "All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* "We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* "The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* "Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* "We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"
"Time I" track listing:
01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
I) Rain Of Stars
II) Surrounded By Darkness
III) Journey Inside A Dream
IV) Sons of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time
The second "Time I" trailer can be seen below.
"Time II" will be releaed in 2013.
WINTERSUN will headline this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour, set to take place in October. Support on the trek will come from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.
WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.
To celebrate the release, WINTERSUN will play two special shows in Finland. The first concert will take place on Octber 12 at Lutakko in Jyväskylä and the second on October 13 at Nosturi in Helsinki. Support at the shows will come from THAUROROD (Lutakko and Nosturi) and MEDICATED (Nosturi).
Commented WINTERSUN: "We're excited to start the 'Time' world tour from our home country with two shows in October! These two special album-release shows will be our first club gigs in Finland since 2006 and the first time ever 'Time I' songs will be heard live! The show attendees will also be the first ones to have a chance to get a signed copy of the new album.
"During the rest of the summer, we'll be rehearsing the new material and working on a new enhanced live show as well as doing some promo and preparing bonus material for the album. Right after the Finnish gigs, we'll continue on to Heidenfest tour in Central Europe and after that... Well, more shows will be announced soon. Stay tuned and hope to see you at the gigs!"
According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, there are several reasons why the band's new effort, "Time" is being released as two seprate albums, titled "Time I" and "Time II". He says:
* "All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* "We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* "The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* "Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* "We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"
"Time I" track listing:
01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
I) Rain Of Stars
II) Surrounded By Darkness
III) Journey Inside A Dream
IV) Sons of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time
The second "Time I" trailer can be seen below.
"Time II" will be releaed in 2013.
WINTERSUN will headline this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour, set to take place in October. Support on the trek will come from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.
WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.
SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green makes a guest appearance on the debut album from German thrashers DUST BOLT. Entitled "Violent Demolition", the CD will be released on July 27 via Napalm Records.
According to a press release, DUST BOLT "demonstrate with their debut album that they are hungry, bursting with energy and highly explosive! The love for Bay Area trash metal is evident in the songs of the German quartet, but the use of modern elements gives their sound a highly unique character. The songs are aggressive, furious and reminiscent of old classics by the likes of KREATOR, SLAYER and TESTAMENT.
"DUST BOLT was able to win over nobody less than SEPULTURA's Derrick Green to participate on the track 'Deviance' for the perfect finishing touch! Andrei Bouzikov (MUNICIPAL WASTE) provides the fitting artwork to the excellent debut album."
"Violent Demolition" track listing below:
01. Opulence Contaminated
02. Violent Abolition
03. March Thru Pain
04. Shattered By Reality
05. Toxic Attack
06. Into Madness
07. When Thy Shall Come – Oblivion
08. Pleasure On Illusion
09. Deviance (feat. Derrick Green)
According to a press release, DUST BOLT "demonstrate with their debut album that they are hungry, bursting with energy and highly explosive! The love for Bay Area trash metal is evident in the songs of the German quartet, but the use of modern elements gives their sound a highly unique character. The songs are aggressive, furious and reminiscent of old classics by the likes of KREATOR, SLAYER and TESTAMENT.
"DUST BOLT was able to win over nobody less than SEPULTURA's Derrick Green to participate on the track 'Deviance' for the perfect finishing touch! Andrei Bouzikov (MUNICIPAL WASTE) provides the fitting artwork to the excellent debut album."
"Violent Demolition" track listing below:
01. Opulence Contaminated
02. Violent Abolition
03. March Thru Pain
04. Shattered By Reality
05. Toxic Attack
06. Into Madness
07. When Thy Shall Come – Oblivion
08. Pleasure On Illusion
09. Deviance (feat. Derrick Green)
"Murdered Love", the new album from Christian hard rockers P.O.D. (PAYABLE ON DEATH), sold more than 16,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart.
P.O.D.'s previous CD, "When Angels & Serpents Dance", opened with 34,000 units back in April 2008 to land at No. 9.
The band's 2006 effort, "Testify", registered a first-week tally of just over 54,000 to enter the chart at No. 9.
"Murdered Love" was released on July 10 via Razor & Tie. The band's long-awaited follow-up to "When Angels & Serpents Dance" sees them reunited with longtime producer Howard Benson, who also produced the group's massive "Satellite" album as well as hit CDs for Kelly Clarkson, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DAUGHTRY, THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. The CD cover and packaging was illustrated and designed by Invisible Creature, whose previous credits include the FOO FIGHTERS, NORMA JEAN, Chris Cornell and many more.
The "Lost In Forever" video was shot in the California desert with director Spence Nicholson (BLEEDING THROUGH, THE BLED).
P.O.D.'s previous CD, "When Angels & Serpents Dance", opened with 34,000 units back in April 2008 to land at No. 9.
The band's 2006 effort, "Testify", registered a first-week tally of just over 54,000 to enter the chart at No. 9.
"Murdered Love" was released on July 10 via Razor & Tie. The band's long-awaited follow-up to "When Angels & Serpents Dance" sees them reunited with longtime producer Howard Benson, who also produced the group's massive "Satellite" album as well as hit CDs for Kelly Clarkson, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DAUGHTRY, THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. The CD cover and packaging was illustrated and designed by Invisible Creature, whose previous credits include the FOO FIGHTERS, NORMA JEAN, Chris Cornell and many more.
The "Lost In Forever" video was shot in the California desert with director Spence Nicholson (BLEEDING THROUGH, THE BLED).
Decibel magazine recently conducted an interview with vocalist Silje Wergeland of Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Decibel: How will "Disclosure" differ from "The West Pole"?
Silje Wergeland: It's fresher, braver, more confident and honest, deeper, newer.
Decibel: You released "Heroes For Ghosts" as a single a long while ago. Was it released to keep interest up? Usually, singles are album-lead material, but this time you pushed it out way early. Sort of unorthodox.
Silje Wergeland: Yes, you are right. We decided to not do it for any other reason than release it because we wanted to! The song is way too long for a "normal" single, but that didn't matter. We never released it to try to get it on radio or on TV. We know their limits of about three minutes to get airplay, and knew we'll never get there anyways. It was only marketed through our Facebook, Twitter and webpage, so very low key. THE GATHERING has its own label [Psychonaut], but we are not very business-focused. It is still all about the music and art. We were just so happy with it and wanted to share it with the world.
Decibel: What if anything particular inspires THE GATHERING at this point? You're on your 10th album now, so I'm wondering if it's more comfort that keeps the engine running or is the creative vision still strong?
Silje Wergeland: I can assure you that the creative vision is still the strongest part. We work really hard to reinvent ourselves all the time and not repeat "the old days." I think you can see it quite clearly on most of our older work that we are not a band that uses the same recipe on every new release. We always pay attention to "what's new" in the musical soundscape and try to make something we haven't done before. I think that inspires us the most.
Decibel: How will "Disclosure" differ from "The West Pole"?
Silje Wergeland: It's fresher, braver, more confident and honest, deeper, newer.
Decibel: You released "Heroes For Ghosts" as a single a long while ago. Was it released to keep interest up? Usually, singles are album-lead material, but this time you pushed it out way early. Sort of unorthodox.
Silje Wergeland: Yes, you are right. We decided to not do it for any other reason than release it because we wanted to! The song is way too long for a "normal" single, but that didn't matter. We never released it to try to get it on radio or on TV. We know their limits of about three minutes to get airplay, and knew we'll never get there anyways. It was only marketed through our Facebook, Twitter and webpage, so very low key. THE GATHERING has its own label [Psychonaut], but we are not very business-focused. It is still all about the music and art. We were just so happy with it and wanted to share it with the world.
Decibel: What if anything particular inspires THE GATHERING at this point? You're on your 10th album now, so I'm wondering if it's more comfort that keeps the engine running or is the creative vision still strong?
Silje Wergeland: I can assure you that the creative vision is still the strongest part. We work really hard to reinvent ourselves all the time and not repeat "the old days." I think you can see it quite clearly on most of our older work that we are not a band that uses the same recipe on every new release. We always pay attention to "what's new" in the musical soundscape and try to make something we haven't done before. I think that inspires us the most.
Vocalist Cam Pipes of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Pipes said, "I haven't seen the video of the alleged incident, but I find it strange that it's only being brought to light two years later. Must suck to be in jail in a foreign country especially under questionable circumstances. I hope Mr. Blythe doesn't get a raw deal on this."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Pipes said, "When a fan gets on stage and doesn't immediately jump off, I usually give a nudge or a little push to get them on their way and they jump off after that. The odd time a fan will hang out too long dancing around or stand there with his arms up and I'll have to forcibly shove them off the stage."
He added, "I understand that fans are gonna stage dive — it's a part of metal — but there's very little space on stage as it is for the band to perform, so if you have to get up there, get off as quickly as you can, don't interfere with what the band is doing."
On the topic of whether he has ever injured a fan while performing, Pipes said, "People hurt themselves in the pit and when they stage dive, too. I've pushed people off the stage and seen them not get caught too well and maybe hit the ground hard or awkwardly, but I've seen it happen more when I didn't have to push them off at all. When a fan gets up on stage, they've made the choice to get off it somehow, so if they get hurt jumping off, just like when they get hurt in the pit, they have no one to blame but themselves."
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Pipes said, "I haven't seen the video of the alleged incident, but I find it strange that it's only being brought to light two years later. Must suck to be in jail in a foreign country especially under questionable circumstances. I hope Mr. Blythe doesn't get a raw deal on this."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Pipes said, "When a fan gets on stage and doesn't immediately jump off, I usually give a nudge or a little push to get them on their way and they jump off after that. The odd time a fan will hang out too long dancing around or stand there with his arms up and I'll have to forcibly shove them off the stage."
He added, "I understand that fans are gonna stage dive — it's a part of metal — but there's very little space on stage as it is for the band to perform, so if you have to get up there, get off as quickly as you can, don't interfere with what the band is doing."
On the topic of whether he has ever injured a fan while performing, Pipes said, "People hurt themselves in the pit and when they stage dive, too. I've pushed people off the stage and seen them not get caught too well and maybe hit the ground hard or awkwardly, but I've seen it happen more when I didn't have to push them off at all. When a fan gets up on stage, they've made the choice to get off it somehow, so if they get hurt jumping off, just like when they get hurt in the pit, they have no one to blame but themselves."
Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Vinnie Paul's brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the co-founder and lead guitarist of PANTERA, was killed on December 8, 2004 while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaking to Loudwire about Blythe's incarceration, Vinnie said (see video below), "I'd just like to say, to start with, it's a bad situation all the way around. I mean, some situations are kind of screwy here and there; [but this is] a bad situation all the way around. I don't know anything about their laws over there [in the Czech Republic], I don't know exactly what happened, but, to me, it seems like [Randy is] being made some kind of scapegoat."
He continued, "After seeing what happened first-hand to my brother, none of us thought that there was an evil bone in that guy's [Nathan Gale] skin when he came up on stage — he looked like a security guard or a cop — and ten seconds later, four people are dead. So you don't know what these people's intentions are when they come up on stage. Slash has been attacked on stage… several [other] people [as well]. You just don't know. You don't know if that's gonna be a high five, or a loose cannon with a fucking knife. So, if [Randy] did anything to protect himself, he had a right to, as far as I'm concerned. There's no way I could picture Randy Blythe wanting to harm anybody — he's the fucking nicest guy in the fucking world. It's just a bad situation. And we feel for the person that died; obviously, that's a tragedy. But, once again, like I said, we don't live there, we don't know exactly what happened, but it sure does look like [Randy is] paying a price for something that maybe he didn't do."
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Vinnie Paul's brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the co-founder and lead guitarist of PANTERA, was killed on December 8, 2004 while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaking to Loudwire about Blythe's incarceration, Vinnie said (see video below), "I'd just like to say, to start with, it's a bad situation all the way around. I mean, some situations are kind of screwy here and there; [but this is] a bad situation all the way around. I don't know anything about their laws over there [in the Czech Republic], I don't know exactly what happened, but, to me, it seems like [Randy is] being made some kind of scapegoat."
He continued, "After seeing what happened first-hand to my brother, none of us thought that there was an evil bone in that guy's [Nathan Gale] skin when he came up on stage — he looked like a security guard or a cop — and ten seconds later, four people are dead. So you don't know what these people's intentions are when they come up on stage. Slash has been attacked on stage… several [other] people [as well]. You just don't know. You don't know if that's gonna be a high five, or a loose cannon with a fucking knife. So, if [Randy] did anything to protect himself, he had a right to, as far as I'm concerned. There's no way I could picture Randy Blythe wanting to harm anybody — he's the fucking nicest guy in the fucking world. It's just a bad situation. And we feel for the person that died; obviously, that's a tragedy. But, once again, like I said, we don't live there, we don't know exactly what happened, but it sure does look like [Randy is] paying a price for something that maybe he didn't do."
Bassist Josh Gilbert of San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to Superskum.com at the Englewood, Colorado stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on July 8, Gilbert said (see video below), "I feel really bad for Randy, 'cause I personally watched the video [of the alleged incident]. In my opinion, from being in similar situations on stage when a fan wouldn't leave [the stage after making his way up there], sometimes, whether it's the band or security or whoever, you wanna get them off the stage 'cause you have to play and you have to keep yourself safe and do your thing. So I feel really bad for Randy, 'cause I feel like maybe true justice isn't actually being served to him right now. I feel like everyone outside of the Czech Republic right now is scratching their heads at why he's still in prison. He's posted bail. Everyone has seen the videos and it ultimately comes down to [it being] a conflict with the [alleged victim's] family. I'm sure they're looking for someone to blame and it's a really sad situation. But you also can't just interfere with the process of justice like that, in my opinion. Maybe there's something I'm missing, 'cause no law major, but from the way it seems, it seems like he posted bail, and they're using this incident that happened on stage to claim that this guy would be danger to someone on a plane to just come home. I think it's really unfair. It's a really sad situation."
He added, "We all send our thoughts out to Randy, 'cause he's a great guy — we've toured with them a few times. He's a great dude and I hope he gets out as soon as possible."
The cover artwork for AS I LAY DYING's new album, "Awakened", was created by Metastazis with Tiffanie Uldry. Due on September 25 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to Superskum.com at the Englewood, Colorado stop of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on July 8, Gilbert said (see video below), "I feel really bad for Randy, 'cause I personally watched the video [of the alleged incident]. In my opinion, from being in similar situations on stage when a fan wouldn't leave [the stage after making his way up there], sometimes, whether it's the band or security or whoever, you wanna get them off the stage 'cause you have to play and you have to keep yourself safe and do your thing. So I feel really bad for Randy, 'cause I feel like maybe true justice isn't actually being served to him right now. I feel like everyone outside of the Czech Republic right now is scratching their heads at why he's still in prison. He's posted bail. Everyone has seen the videos and it ultimately comes down to [it being] a conflict with the [alleged victim's] family. I'm sure they're looking for someone to blame and it's a really sad situation. But you also can't just interfere with the process of justice like that, in my opinion. Maybe there's something I'm missing, 'cause no law major, but from the way it seems, it seems like he posted bail, and they're using this incident that happened on stage to claim that this guy would be danger to someone on a plane to just come home. I think it's really unfair. It's a really sad situation."
He added, "We all send our thoughts out to Randy, 'cause he's a great guy — we've toured with them a few times. He's a great dude and I hope he gets out as soon as possible."
The cover artwork for AS I LAY DYING's new album, "Awakened", was created by Metastazis with Tiffanie Uldry. Due on September 25 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).
Vocalist Travis Ryan of San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Ryan said, "If that video [of the alleged incident that led to Daniel's death] we've all seen is true and legit, then anyone that watches that video and still thinks [Randy] is guilty of manslaughter has not a brain in their head or really need to get their eyes checked out, because what I'm seeing is one giant-ass security guard directly behind the kid and Randy's hand barely touching the kid. I haven't heard about anyone indicting the security guard. Where the hell is HE in all this? What the fuck is going on here!?!?! I just don't get it. We must be seeing the wrong video or something. Why is it so hard for people to see that this guy didn't 'throw' that kid off the stage, resulting in his death? It seems like someone is playing favorites here or something because if anyone is more guilty than the other, it's that fuckin security guard who looks like a goddamn tank that rushes up behind the dude. Unless Randy has eyes on the back of his head, he's not even looking in the kid's direction."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Ryan said, "It depends. I usually don't do anything. I guess it depends on how they're acting. Some go out of their way to say, 'Look at me! Look at me!' through their actions, and I can't stand that. Those that physically get involved with you in any way can take a hike, unless it's a simple arm around the shoulder or something. Bottom line, though, is that's [the band's] stage and you must take accountability for your actions. If you go up there three times, expect that on the third time someone is going to be waiting to send you off. Not out of maliciousness or violence, but because you're directly and repeatedly involving yourself in a territory that is considered by the club, the performers, and even the rest of the fans, as trespassing."
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Ryan said, "If that video [of the alleged incident that led to Daniel's death] we've all seen is true and legit, then anyone that watches that video and still thinks [Randy] is guilty of manslaughter has not a brain in their head or really need to get their eyes checked out, because what I'm seeing is one giant-ass security guard directly behind the kid and Randy's hand barely touching the kid. I haven't heard about anyone indicting the security guard. Where the hell is HE in all this? What the fuck is going on here!?!?! I just don't get it. We must be seeing the wrong video or something. Why is it so hard for people to see that this guy didn't 'throw' that kid off the stage, resulting in his death? It seems like someone is playing favorites here or something because if anyone is more guilty than the other, it's that fuckin security guard who looks like a goddamn tank that rushes up behind the dude. Unless Randy has eyes on the back of his head, he's not even looking in the kid's direction."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Ryan said, "It depends. I usually don't do anything. I guess it depends on how they're acting. Some go out of their way to say, 'Look at me! Look at me!' through their actions, and I can't stand that. Those that physically get involved with you in any way can take a hike, unless it's a simple arm around the shoulder or something. Bottom line, though, is that's [the band's] stage and you must take accountability for your actions. If you go up there three times, expect that on the third time someone is going to be waiting to send you off. Not out of maliciousness or violence, but because you're directly and repeatedly involving yourself in a territory that is considered by the club, the performers, and even the rest of the fans, as trespassing."
German symphonic metallers XANDRIA have parted ways with bassist Nils Middelhauve.
Nils, who joined the band in 2004 just after the release of XANDRIA's second studio album, "Ravenheart", made the decision to leave the band primarily for personal reasons.
"It gradually became obvious that some points of view vastly grew apart, concluding in Nils' determination to not continue in XANDRIA anymore," the band said in a statement. "Especially since all members are friends first and foremost, any more compromises had been even more hurtful."
The remaining members of XANDRIA are sad about Nils' decision but are respectful of his choice.
XANDRIA is currently seeking a new bassist. If the band is unable to secure a replacement for Middelhauve in the coming weeks, he will step in and play any previously scheduled shows until a new bassist has been found.
XANDRIA's new album, "Neverworld's End", was released in North America on March 6 via Napalm Records.
XANDRIA in December 2010 announced the addition of Manuela Kraller to the group's ranks.
XANDRIA performed several concerts in 2009 with the band's former frontwoman, Lisa Middelhauve, filling in.
XANDRIA in February 2011 parted ways with its singer of one year, Kerstin Bischof. The group stated at the time, "Due to occupational and private reasons, [Kerstin] wants to concentrate on her non-musical career in the future and cannot support XANDRIA the way it would be necessary."
Bischof joined XANDRIA in February 2009 as the replacement for Middelhauve, who left the band in May 2008 for "personal reasons."
Nils, who joined the band in 2004 just after the release of XANDRIA's second studio album, "Ravenheart", made the decision to leave the band primarily for personal reasons.
"It gradually became obvious that some points of view vastly grew apart, concluding in Nils' determination to not continue in XANDRIA anymore," the band said in a statement. "Especially since all members are friends first and foremost, any more compromises had been even more hurtful."
The remaining members of XANDRIA are sad about Nils' decision but are respectful of his choice.
XANDRIA is currently seeking a new bassist. If the band is unable to secure a replacement for Middelhauve in the coming weeks, he will step in and play any previously scheduled shows until a new bassist has been found.
XANDRIA's new album, "Neverworld's End", was released in North America on March 6 via Napalm Records.
XANDRIA in December 2010 announced the addition of Manuela Kraller to the group's ranks.
XANDRIA performed several concerts in 2009 with the band's former frontwoman, Lisa Middelhauve, filling in.
XANDRIA in February 2011 parted ways with its singer of one year, Kerstin Bischof. The group stated at the time, "Due to occupational and private reasons, [Kerstin] wants to concentrate on her non-musical career in the future and cannot support XANDRIA the way it would be necessary."
Bischof joined XANDRIA in February 2009 as the replacement for Middelhauve, who left the band in May 2008 for "personal reasons."
SYLENCER, the Chicago-based act featuring Markus Johansson (lead guitar, lead vocals) and Johnny Rox (bass), has released a trailer for its upcoming debut album, "A Lethal Dose Of Truth". The CD features guest appearances by some of hard rock and heavy metal's brightest stars, including Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER), Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX, THE DAMNED THINGS), Brendon Small (DETHKLOK), Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND), Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK), and nearly a dozen others.
Due on September 4, "A Lethal Dose Of Truth" will be released in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via dPulse Recordings/Ovrtone Music Group, Inc., with the band making the CD available in the rest of the world independently via their newly formed record label, Sylencer Records, Inc.
The trailer, which features segments from all sixteen songs appearing on the debut, includes performances from all four drummers appearing on the album: Kevin Talley, Gene Hoglan, Sean Reinert, and Marco Minnemann. Other guest performance clips are included in the trailer as well.
Talley recently joined SYLENCER as an "official member." (Talley appears on thirteen of the sixteen tracks on the album.)
Launching with the album trailer, is the announcement of the debut album's pre-sale, which is available directly from the band at this location. Pre-ordering the album in either a digital or physical/digital format includes an immediate download of four of the album's sixteen songs, and enters you to win a Gibson USA Explorer that was used in the making of the album.
Comments Johansson: "The past six years have been a relentless pursuit to reach this point, and we are extremely proud to have completed this album entirely on our own. It has been a long and sometimes wild journey, with more ups and downs than we would've liked, but here we are, still standing. Working with all of the guest musicians on this record has been more than an amazing experience, and we are honored to have had them lend their talents to our debut album. To have accomplished this without a label, without financial backing; as two musicians with one collective goal, is beyond surreal and a dream come true."
SYLENCER is:
* Markus Johansson - Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals
* Johnny Rox - Bass
* Kevin Talley (DAATH, CHIMAIRA, DYING FETUS) - Drums
Guest Appearances:
* Gene Hoglan - Drums (SYL, DETHKLOK, ZIMMERS HOLE, DEATH, DARK ANGEL)
* Brendon Small (DETHKLOK/METALOCALYPSE) - Lead Guitar
* Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND, DEATH) - Lead Guitar
* Michael Angelo Batio (NITRO) - Lead Guitar
* Roland Grapow (HELLOWEEN, MASTERPLAN) - Lead Guitar
* The Heathen (ZIMMERS HOLE) - Vocals
* Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Lead Guitar
* Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX) - Lead Guitar
* "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (ROB HALFORD, SEBASTIAN BACH, PAINMUSEUM) - Lead Guitar
* Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH) - Bass
* Sean Reinert (CYNIC, AEON SPOKE, DEATH) - Drums
* Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT) - Keyboards
* Steve Smyth (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE) - Lead Guitar
* Christian Lasegue (JAG PANZER) - Lead Guitar
* Marco Minnemann (NECROPHAGIST, PAUL GILBERT, KREATOR) – Drums
* Larry Tarnowski (ICED EARTH) - Lead Guitar
For more information, visit www.sylencermusic.com.
Due on September 4, "A Lethal Dose Of Truth" will be released in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via dPulse Recordings/Ovrtone Music Group, Inc., with the band making the CD available in the rest of the world independently via their newly formed record label, Sylencer Records, Inc.
The trailer, which features segments from all sixteen songs appearing on the debut, includes performances from all four drummers appearing on the album: Kevin Talley, Gene Hoglan, Sean Reinert, and Marco Minnemann. Other guest performance clips are included in the trailer as well.
Talley recently joined SYLENCER as an "official member." (Talley appears on thirteen of the sixteen tracks on the album.)
Launching with the album trailer, is the announcement of the debut album's pre-sale, which is available directly from the band at this location. Pre-ordering the album in either a digital or physical/digital format includes an immediate download of four of the album's sixteen songs, and enters you to win a Gibson USA Explorer that was used in the making of the album.
Comments Johansson: "The past six years have been a relentless pursuit to reach this point, and we are extremely proud to have completed this album entirely on our own. It has been a long and sometimes wild journey, with more ups and downs than we would've liked, but here we are, still standing. Working with all of the guest musicians on this record has been more than an amazing experience, and we are honored to have had them lend their talents to our debut album. To have accomplished this without a label, without financial backing; as two musicians with one collective goal, is beyond surreal and a dream come true."
SYLENCER is:
* Markus Johansson - Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals
* Johnny Rox - Bass
* Kevin Talley (DAATH, CHIMAIRA, DYING FETUS) - Drums
Guest Appearances:
* Gene Hoglan - Drums (SYL, DETHKLOK, ZIMMERS HOLE, DEATH, DARK ANGEL)
* Brendon Small (DETHKLOK/METALOCALYPSE) - Lead Guitar
* Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND, DEATH) - Lead Guitar
* Michael Angelo Batio (NITRO) - Lead Guitar
* Roland Grapow (HELLOWEEN, MASTERPLAN) - Lead Guitar
* The Heathen (ZIMMERS HOLE) - Vocals
* Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Lead Guitar
* Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX) - Lead Guitar
* "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (ROB HALFORD, SEBASTIAN BACH, PAINMUSEUM) - Lead Guitar
* Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH) - Bass
* Sean Reinert (CYNIC, AEON SPOKE, DEATH) - Drums
* Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT) - Keyboards
* Steve Smyth (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, NEVERMORE) - Lead Guitar
* Christian Lasegue (JAG PANZER) - Lead Guitar
* Marco Minnemann (NECROPHAGIST, PAUL GILBERT, KREATOR) – Drums
* Larry Tarnowski (ICED EARTH) - Lead Guitar
For more information, visit www.sylencermusic.com.
Western Massachusetts heavyweights THE ACACIA STRAIN will release their new album, "Death Is The Only Mortal", on October 9 via Rise Records. The CD is being produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.
Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."
THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.
Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.
THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.
Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."
THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.
Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.
THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.
Legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, Wylde said, "The whole thing is, [Randy is] a good dude. Nobody really knows what happened over there but Randy would never hurt a fan. A freako jumps on stage, he has every t-shirt, every record, he's a fan — one of your guys. And you never hurt one of your guys. So it just sucks all the way around and I hope he gets out soon. But look, things are changing today and we all have to be careful."
He continued, "Ever since [late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist] Dimebag [was murdered onstage], I start to think, fans should not get up on stage. I know with a lot of the hardcore shows and all of the 'wall-of-death' bullshit that fans want to go physical, but if you encourage that as a lead singer, you better be ready to take responsibility. We don't even throw drumsticks out anymore since someone got hit in the eye and sued. Fuck, I remember Ozzy, at an Ozzfest show in Phoenix. Some bonehead lady has like a one-year-old there. Leave the fucking kid home! Or I'll take care of the baby backstage! Just get out of the heat, you idiot! Oz sees her, feels bad for the kid because Oz is a good guy, and tosses a bottle of water down. It hits the kid. Bam! $80,000 lawsuit. So I don't know what all the answers are. But at Yankee Stadium, if you run on the field, you don't just get escorted out. You get arrested. So maybe things need to get a little more serious from security. Yeah, I know stage diving is part of the experience at certain shows — so it's a tough call — but more people will get hurt if nothing changes."
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, Wylde said, "The whole thing is, [Randy is] a good dude. Nobody really knows what happened over there but Randy would never hurt a fan. A freako jumps on stage, he has every t-shirt, every record, he's a fan — one of your guys. And you never hurt one of your guys. So it just sucks all the way around and I hope he gets out soon. But look, things are changing today and we all have to be careful."
He continued, "Ever since [late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist] Dimebag [was murdered onstage], I start to think, fans should not get up on stage. I know with a lot of the hardcore shows and all of the 'wall-of-death' bullshit that fans want to go physical, but if you encourage that as a lead singer, you better be ready to take responsibility. We don't even throw drumsticks out anymore since someone got hit in the eye and sued. Fuck, I remember Ozzy, at an Ozzfest show in Phoenix. Some bonehead lady has like a one-year-old there. Leave the fucking kid home! Or I'll take care of the baby backstage! Just get out of the heat, you idiot! Oz sees her, feels bad for the kid because Oz is a good guy, and tosses a bottle of water down. It hits the kid. Bam! $80,000 lawsuit. So I don't know what all the answers are. But at Yankee Stadium, if you run on the field, you don't just get escorted out. You get arrested. So maybe things need to get a little more serious from security. Yeah, I know stage diving is part of the experience at certain shows — so it's a tough call — but more people will get hurt if nothing changes."
Blake Judd (pictured below) of Chicago-based extremists NACHTMYSTIUM is one of a number of musicians who have come out in support of LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who is facing manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Blake said, "I think it's really, really fucked up that Randy is being held on fucking manslaughter charges for pushing a kid off a stage into a crowd of people who are obviously stage diving. The crowd catches people when they dive or get pushed off the stage at a show that packed, I've watched it happen a million times. It was NOT Randy's intent to hurt that kid. Regardless, though, the kid shouldn't have been on the fucking stage in the first place, and if you ask me, that kid is dead because the club's security failed to do its job of keeping the band (especially a super-high-profile band like LAMB OF GOD) and the fans separated. That kid should have never been able to get on stage. If he was passed up by the crowd from crowd surfing, then the stage security should've been there to pull him down like they do at any professional venue I've ever played where this kind of thing is occurring, get the kid down on his feet and usher him down the front of the stage on the floor behind the gates (that should've been there, not sure if they were or not in this situation but I'm assuming they were) back into the crowd or kicked outside for violating the club's policy about stage diving, crowd surfing, etc., if they have one — which all clubs should, to prevent things like this from happening. You can have a plenty good time at a rock concert without doing stupid shit like that."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Judd said, "This has only happened once that I can remember. Strange scenario… we were playing in Vilnius, Lithuania and some teenage guy (probably 18-19) ran on stage at full speed directly at me with some large object in his hand that I couldn't see what it was. I immediately turned and got, like, into a stance where I was ready to have someone try to tackle me or attack me, and it turns out it was some crazy fan with a record and a marker (?!) who literally felt it was the appropriate time to get an autograph from me, whether I liked it or not, right after our first two songs on stage in our set there that night. I was super pissed at first and I started writing "fuck off" on the kid's record, but I felt bad, so he has a record that says "Fuck Blake Judd," signed by me. [laughs] The situation was startling, however, and I certainly spoke with the promoter after the show about his security, as it was a rowdy and rather large crowd to begin with. This is the only time I can remember something like this happening to me."
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD's May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Speaking to SkullsNBones.com, Blake said, "I think it's really, really fucked up that Randy is being held on fucking manslaughter charges for pushing a kid off a stage into a crowd of people who are obviously stage diving. The crowd catches people when they dive or get pushed off the stage at a show that packed, I've watched it happen a million times. It was NOT Randy's intent to hurt that kid. Regardless, though, the kid shouldn't have been on the fucking stage in the first place, and if you ask me, that kid is dead because the club's security failed to do its job of keeping the band (especially a super-high-profile band like LAMB OF GOD) and the fans separated. That kid should have never been able to get on stage. If he was passed up by the crowd from crowd surfing, then the stage security should've been there to pull him down like they do at any professional venue I've ever played where this kind of thing is occurring, get the kid down on his feet and usher him down the front of the stage on the floor behind the gates (that should've been there, not sure if they were or not in this situation but I'm assuming they were) back into the crowd or kicked outside for violating the club's policy about stage diving, crowd surfing, etc., if they have one — which all clubs should, to prevent things like this from happening. You can have a plenty good time at a rock concert without doing stupid shit like that."
When asked what he does when a fan jumps on stage and doesn't jump off, Judd said, "This has only happened once that I can remember. Strange scenario… we were playing in Vilnius, Lithuania and some teenage guy (probably 18-19) ran on stage at full speed directly at me with some large object in his hand that I couldn't see what it was. I immediately turned and got, like, into a stance where I was ready to have someone try to tackle me or attack me, and it turns out it was some crazy fan with a record and a marker (?!) who literally felt it was the appropriate time to get an autograph from me, whether I liked it or not, right after our first two songs on stage in our set there that night. I was super pissed at first and I started writing "fuck off" on the kid's record, but I felt bad, so he has a record that says "Fuck Blake Judd," signed by me. [laughs] The situation was startling, however, and I certainly spoke with the promoter after the show about his security, as it was a rowdy and rather large crowd to begin with. This is the only time I can remember something like this happening to me."
Noisography conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist David Vincent of Florida death metal legends MORBID ANGEL at the first annual charity metal event Spread The Metal Festival, which took place July 5-6 in Halifax, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.
"I live to do what I do. I don't think that it's a choice to do it, I think it's a calling, it's like a vocation," Vincent said during the interview. "There is no better feeling than going out and entertaining people and being able to take their minds off the doldrum day-to-day for just even a moment and putting a smile on their face. Now having said that, what we do, it's difficult, it's a lot of work, and we attack it tirelessly and with great effort, because it's what we do, it's who we are as people. So we get up there and it's always important, to me, to stand on that stage and give 100 percent of what I have, all the time."
He continued, "How I define a good time is when we play music and people appreciate it. It's not how big of a venue it is, it's not where the venue is located necessarily, it's how many friends we have in the audience and how much we're able to give them MORBID ANGEL."
MORBID ANGEL recently announced that it will play a set of "all-time classic songs" on it upcoming European tour with KREATOR, NILE and FUELED BY FIRE, which kicks off on November 1 in Antwerp, Belgium.
On February 24 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist released a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection presents the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.
MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marks MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination".
"I live to do what I do. I don't think that it's a choice to do it, I think it's a calling, it's like a vocation," Vincent said during the interview. "There is no better feeling than going out and entertaining people and being able to take their minds off the doldrum day-to-day for just even a moment and putting a smile on their face. Now having said that, what we do, it's difficult, it's a lot of work, and we attack it tirelessly and with great effort, because it's what we do, it's who we are as people. So we get up there and it's always important, to me, to stand on that stage and give 100 percent of what I have, all the time."
He continued, "How I define a good time is when we play music and people appreciate it. It's not how big of a venue it is, it's not where the venue is located necessarily, it's how many friends we have in the audience and how much we're able to give them MORBID ANGEL."
MORBID ANGEL recently announced that it will play a set of "all-time classic songs" on it upcoming European tour with KREATOR, NILE and FUELED BY FIRE, which kicks off on November 1 in Antwerp, Belgium.
On February 24 (February 28 in North America), Season of Mist released a compilation of remixed tracks from MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus". Far from being just revamped versions of the seminal extreme metal band's newest songs, this collection presents the work of 39 artists from the electro / industrial, techno and club scene.
MORBID ANGEL's latest album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 141. The effort marks MORBID ANGEL's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination".
After 12 years, a sleeping death-metal monster praised by the likes of SLIPKNOT, DEVILDRIVER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY and more, has awoken from the bowels of Chicago. BROKEN HOPE has announced not only its highly-anticipated comeback, but also its direct-support position on the upcoming Carnival Of Death tour, brought to you by Rock The Nation and sponsored by Fender. The new tour features headliners OBITUARY, as well as additional support from DECREPIT BIRTH, JUNGLE ROT and ENCRUST.
The Carnival Of Death tour marks OBITUARY's first full U.S./Canadian tour run as a four-piece with legendary death metal alumnus Terry Butler (DEATH, SIX FEET UNDER, MASSACRE, DENIAL FIEND) on bass. For this special journey, the band — vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarist Trevor Peres and Butler — are working on compiling a special fan-generated set-list that will delve deep into their back catalog to include tunes predominantly off their renowned first three full-lengths: "Slowly We Rot", "Cause Of Death" and "The End Complete". To help the band map out their setlist, fans have been asked to drop by their official Facebook and Twitter pages with their song picks.
Notes drummer Donald Tardy: "I'm looking forward to giving North American fans an opportunity to see OBITUARY live again. It has been way too long. With the addition of our brother Terry Butler, this now four-piece band is solid as a rock, tighter than ever and ready to throw down! I hope everyone comes out to see the Florida boys onstage. It's sure to be a good time."
Adds Butler: "This is my first full length tour of North America with OBITUARY and I'm extremely excited, to say the least! Being part of OBITUARY and this tour is a great honor for me. Plus the special setlist will certainly crush!"
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 08 - Haven Lounge - Orlando, FL
Sep. 10 - Empire - Springfield, VA
Sep. 11 - Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
Sep. 12 - Bogie's - Albany, NY
Sep. 13 - Imperial - Quebec City, QC
Sep. 14 - Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC
Sep. 15 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON
Sep. 16 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Sep. 17 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Sep. 19 - Osborne Village Inn - Winnipeg, MB
Sep. 20 - The Exchange - Regina, SK
Sep. 21 - Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB
Sep. 22 - The Level Nightclub - Kelowna, BC
Sep. 23 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Sep. 25 - The Alley - Reno, NV
Sep. 26 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
Sep. 27 - Key Club - West Hollywood, CA
Sep. 28 - El Rey Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
Sep. 29 - Trees - Dallas, TX
In a recent statement, BROKEN HOPE guitarists Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass said, "For over a decade, we've listened to fans worldwide who've asked us to return. We've listened to our peers in bands who seen us at shows and said, 'When is BROKEN HOPE coming back?' Well, you have finally been heard, and frankly, we just miss it too goddamn much — the clubs, the metal, but especially you: the diehards, the most.
"We decided as a first step to return back to the place that always felt like home: the road! So we are proud to announce that this fall, BROKEN HOPE will join forces with OBITUARY and join the Carnival Of Death tour! This tour will solidify that extreme music is still alive and well, we are ready, focused, and hungry to show you what we have in stored for you all! Moreover, we cherish and promote the legacy of our fallen brother, vocalist Joe Ptacek, as we travel from show to show and honor him, he will not be forgotten. With this being said, we would like to introduce Damian Leski of GORGASM on vocal duties, who will handle the tough task for the upcoming tours. Be ready to be 'Swamped in Gore'!!!!"
BROKEN HOPE was formed in 1988 by guitarist/chief-lyricist Jeremy Wagner while he was in high school. In 1991, after releasing two demo tapes, BROKEN HOPE secured a recording contract with an independent record label which released "Swamped In Gore" worldwide. "Swamped In Gore" was the first death-metal album to ever be recorded digitally. By 1993, BROKEN HOPE quickly signed to Metal Blade Records and released four albums: "The Bowels of Repugnance", "Repulsive Conception", "Loathing", and the Metal Blade re-release of "Swamped In Gore". The band's third album, 1995's "Repulsive Conception", reached CMJ New Music Monthly's Metal Top 25 chart, as did the follow-up, 1997's "Loathing".
The first four albums during the Metal Blade years are great examples of BROKEN HOPE's original fury and they are the albums that etched BROKEN HOPE's place in death-metal history. The first ten years of BROKEN HOPE's existence were filled with non-stop writing, touring, and constant visibility with these albums. By the end of the '90s, BROKEN HOPE parted ways with Metal Blade and went through lineup changes. The band produced one last album before the decade closed, the 1999 release, "Grotesque Blessings". After North American and European tours for the album and a few unsatisfactory lineup changes, the band went on hiatus in 2000.
On January 20, 2010, original BROKEN HOPE vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. Before his death, Ptacek met with Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass to discuss the resurrection of BROKEN HOPE. A plan was in motion with these three members to make the band a functioning reality. After taking some time off after Ptacek's death to reconsider their next moves, BROKEN HOPE signed with Hard Impact Management And Booking with the intention to make the band a full-time monster again. Now, BROKEN HOPE continues onward with main songwriters Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass keeping the beast alive… brutal as ever… and with live tour dates worldwide.
The Carnival Of Death tour marks OBITUARY's first full U.S./Canadian tour run as a four-piece with legendary death metal alumnus Terry Butler (DEATH, SIX FEET UNDER, MASSACRE, DENIAL FIEND) on bass. For this special journey, the band — vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarist Trevor Peres and Butler — are working on compiling a special fan-generated set-list that will delve deep into their back catalog to include tunes predominantly off their renowned first three full-lengths: "Slowly We Rot", "Cause Of Death" and "The End Complete". To help the band map out their setlist, fans have been asked to drop by their official Facebook and Twitter pages with their song picks.
Notes drummer Donald Tardy: "I'm looking forward to giving North American fans an opportunity to see OBITUARY live again. It has been way too long. With the addition of our brother Terry Butler, this now four-piece band is solid as a rock, tighter than ever and ready to throw down! I hope everyone comes out to see the Florida boys onstage. It's sure to be a good time."
Adds Butler: "This is my first full length tour of North America with OBITUARY and I'm extremely excited, to say the least! Being part of OBITUARY and this tour is a great honor for me. Plus the special setlist will certainly crush!"
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 08 - Haven Lounge - Orlando, FL
Sep. 10 - Empire - Springfield, VA
Sep. 11 - Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
Sep. 12 - Bogie's - Albany, NY
Sep. 13 - Imperial - Quebec City, QC
Sep. 14 - Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC
Sep. 15 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON
Sep. 16 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Sep. 17 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Sep. 19 - Osborne Village Inn - Winnipeg, MB
Sep. 20 - The Exchange - Regina, SK
Sep. 21 - Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB
Sep. 22 - The Level Nightclub - Kelowna, BC
Sep. 23 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Sep. 25 - The Alley - Reno, NV
Sep. 26 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
Sep. 27 - Key Club - West Hollywood, CA
Sep. 28 - El Rey Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
Sep. 29 - Trees - Dallas, TX
In a recent statement, BROKEN HOPE guitarists Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass said, "For over a decade, we've listened to fans worldwide who've asked us to return. We've listened to our peers in bands who seen us at shows and said, 'When is BROKEN HOPE coming back?' Well, you have finally been heard, and frankly, we just miss it too goddamn much — the clubs, the metal, but especially you: the diehards, the most.
"We decided as a first step to return back to the place that always felt like home: the road! So we are proud to announce that this fall, BROKEN HOPE will join forces with OBITUARY and join the Carnival Of Death tour! This tour will solidify that extreme music is still alive and well, we are ready, focused, and hungry to show you what we have in stored for you all! Moreover, we cherish and promote the legacy of our fallen brother, vocalist Joe Ptacek, as we travel from show to show and honor him, he will not be forgotten. With this being said, we would like to introduce Damian Leski of GORGASM on vocal duties, who will handle the tough task for the upcoming tours. Be ready to be 'Swamped in Gore'!!!!"
BROKEN HOPE was formed in 1988 by guitarist/chief-lyricist Jeremy Wagner while he was in high school. In 1991, after releasing two demo tapes, BROKEN HOPE secured a recording contract with an independent record label which released "Swamped In Gore" worldwide. "Swamped In Gore" was the first death-metal album to ever be recorded digitally. By 1993, BROKEN HOPE quickly signed to Metal Blade Records and released four albums: "The Bowels of Repugnance", "Repulsive Conception", "Loathing", and the Metal Blade re-release of "Swamped In Gore". The band's third album, 1995's "Repulsive Conception", reached CMJ New Music Monthly's Metal Top 25 chart, as did the follow-up, 1997's "Loathing".
The first four albums during the Metal Blade years are great examples of BROKEN HOPE's original fury and they are the albums that etched BROKEN HOPE's place in death-metal history. The first ten years of BROKEN HOPE's existence were filled with non-stop writing, touring, and constant visibility with these albums. By the end of the '90s, BROKEN HOPE parted ways with Metal Blade and went through lineup changes. The band produced one last album before the decade closed, the 1999 release, "Grotesque Blessings". After North American and European tours for the album and a few unsatisfactory lineup changes, the band went on hiatus in 2000.
On January 20, 2010, original BROKEN HOPE vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. Before his death, Ptacek met with Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass to discuss the resurrection of BROKEN HOPE. A plan was in motion with these three members to make the band a functioning reality. After taking some time off after Ptacek's death to reconsider their next moves, BROKEN HOPE signed with Hard Impact Management And Booking with the intention to make the band a full-time monster again. Now, BROKEN HOPE continues onward with main songwriters Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass keeping the beast alive… brutal as ever… and with live tour dates worldwide.
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