Rolling Stones Gather at Site of First Gig
Band debuted at London's Marquee Club on July 12th, 1962
In honor of their 50th anniversary, the Rolling Stones returned to
the site of their first gig, London's Marquee Club on Oxford Street, for a group
photograph on Wednesday.
It's a rare photo op for the Stones, who were last publicly
photographed together at the premiere of the Martin Scorsese-directed Shine a
Light documentary in 2008.
The band debuted as the Rollin' Stones at the Marquee Club on July
12th, 1962. The lineup was Mick Jagger (vocals), Brian Jones (guitar),
Keith Richards (guitar), Ian Stewart (piano), Dick Taylor (bass) and
Tony Chapman (drums.)
The Stones will celebrate their anniversary tomorrow by attending a photographic
exhibit at the Somerset House in London. The photos will appear in the upcoming
book ROLLING STONES: 50, to be released in the U.S. by Hyperion in October.
"This is our story of 50 fantastic years," said the band in a
statement. "We started out as a blues band playing the clubs and more
recently we've filled the largest stadiums in the world with the kind of show
that none of us could have imagined all those years ago."
Stay tuned tomorrow for more Stones 50th anniversary coverage.
http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/rolling-stones-gather-at-site-of\
-first-gig-20120711/large_main.jpg Keith Richards has confirmed that The Rolling Stones are rehearsing together once again.
The band celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first ever gig today (July 12) and Richards has said that they are now back playing together again after a lengthy break, but could not say when they would be out playing live again.
Speaking to BBC News, Richards said of the band's current status: "There's things in the works - I think it's definitely happening. But when? I can't say yet. We're playing around with the idea and had a couple of rehearsals - we've got together and it feels so good."
Richards also spoke about his amazement that the group had lasted so long, responding to a question about whether he thought The Rolling Stones would ever achieve such longevity, he said: "Never, back then groups used to last about two or three years. You hoped to have a good time and that was that."
He continued: "It's a generation thing, that post-war thing, also technology, when we started we were making 45s and then when you could make albums, that gave us the chance to do more. I never expected to get here, so it's all gravy."
Richards also spoke about his legendary capacity for excess and said that his only real regrets were "taking certain things" and the death of guitarist Brian Jones.
Asked about this, Richards said: "I wouldn't have taken certain things if I'd known what I'd have to do to get off of it. I can't think of any other real regrets. I regret Brian dying, I remember thinking 'Brian, how dare you leave the band' because we were all very close. I can't regret something, I'd go through the hard times again just to keep things as they are."
Finally asked how he would describe The Rolling Stones' career, 50 years after their first gig at London's Marquee Club, Richards said: "Fascinating and raunchy. Let's keep it that way."
Richards was speaking as a new photography exhibition called The Rolling Stones: 50 opens at London's Somerset House.
The free exhibition will be held from July 13-August 27 in the landmark venue's East Wing Galleries and will coincide with the release of a book of the same time. The book will feature 700 shots and words from the band on their history, and will hit UK bookshops today.
The exhibition will show a host of unseen and rare photographs, including more than 70 prints, with live shots, studio images and reportage pictures on display as well as contact sheets and negative strips.
To read more about The Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary, pick up the next issue of NME, which includes a celebration of the band's amazing career. It is on newsstands next Wednesday (July 18) or available digitally.
The band celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first ever gig today (July 12) and Richards has said that they are now back playing together again after a lengthy break, but could not say when they would be out playing live again.
Speaking to BBC News, Richards said of the band's current status: "There's things in the works - I think it's definitely happening. But when? I can't say yet. We're playing around with the idea and had a couple of rehearsals - we've got together and it feels so good."Richards also spoke about his amazement that the group had lasted so long, responding to a question about whether he thought The Rolling Stones would ever achieve such longevity, he said: "Never, back then groups used to last about two or three years. You hoped to have a good time and that was that."
He continued: "It's a generation thing, that post-war thing, also technology, when we started we were making 45s and then when you could make albums, that gave us the chance to do more. I never expected to get here, so it's all gravy."
Richards also spoke about his legendary capacity for excess and said that his only real regrets were "taking certain things" and the death of guitarist Brian Jones.
Asked about this, Richards said: "I wouldn't have taken certain things if I'd known what I'd have to do to get off of it. I can't think of any other real regrets. I regret Brian dying, I remember thinking 'Brian, how dare you leave the band' because we were all very close. I can't regret something, I'd go through the hard times again just to keep things as they are."
Finally asked how he would describe The Rolling Stones' career, 50 years after their first gig at London's Marquee Club, Richards said: "Fascinating and raunchy. Let's keep it that way."
Richards was speaking as a new photography exhibition called The Rolling Stones: 50 opens at London's Somerset House.
The free exhibition will be held from July 13-August 27 in the landmark venue's East Wing Galleries and will coincide with the release of a book of the same time. The book will feature 700 shots and words from the band on their history, and will hit UK bookshops today.
The exhibition will show a host of unseen and rare photographs, including more than 70 prints, with live shots, studio images and reportage pictures on display as well as contact sheets and negative strips.
To read more about The Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary, pick up the next issue of NME, which includes a celebration of the band's amazing career. It is on newsstands next Wednesday (July 18) or available digitally.
AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler has decided to end his role as a judge on "American Idol". The legendary rocker served as a judge during the 10th and 11th seasons of the reality TV singing competition.
"After some long… hard... thoughts… I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit," said Steven Tyler. "I strayed from my first love, AEROSMITH, and I'm back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass — the ultimate in auditory takeover… On November 6, we are unleashing our new album, 'Music From Another Dimension' on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and way beyond the stars… 'Idol' was over-the-top fun, and I loved every minute of it… Now it's time to bring rock back. ERMAHGERD."
"It's been a tremendous honor to have Steven — one of the most prolific artists in the world — on 'American Idol' for the past two seasons," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "He's been a terrific judge, a true friend and great mentor to everyone involved with the show, and we know he'll continue to be a huge inspiration to 'Idol' hopefuls for years to come. We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend, he would go back to the music. We all wish him all the best and would love to have him back on the show anytime."
"Steven Tyler is a real 'Idol,' a rock legend. If you had told me 10 years ago he would be a judge on 'American Idol', I would have thought it impossible," stated "Idol" creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. "The fact that this became a reality and we had the pleasure of him gracing our stage for two seasons makes me very proud. I completely understand his desire to get back to his life as the singer in America's greatest-ever rock band. 'American Idol' will miss him!"
"We're all very thankful and privileged that Steven joined 'American Idol' two years ago," said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia. "A true music icon, he not only brought rock 'n' roll to the show, but also his exceptional taste in spotting and nurturing undiscovered talent. We will sincerely miss his poetic phrases, his remarkable creativity and his unique spirit. We're sad about his departure from the show, but understand his decision to return to music full-time and hope he'll be back to grace the 'American Idol' stage in seasons to come."
"American Idol" is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc. and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
"After some long… hard... thoughts… I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit," said Steven Tyler. "I strayed from my first love, AEROSMITH, and I'm back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass — the ultimate in auditory takeover… On November 6, we are unleashing our new album, 'Music From Another Dimension' on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and way beyond the stars… 'Idol' was over-the-top fun, and I loved every minute of it… Now it's time to bring rock back. ERMAHGERD."
"It's been a tremendous honor to have Steven — one of the most prolific artists in the world — on 'American Idol' for the past two seasons," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "He's been a terrific judge, a true friend and great mentor to everyone involved with the show, and we know he'll continue to be a huge inspiration to 'Idol' hopefuls for years to come. We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend, he would go back to the music. We all wish him all the best and would love to have him back on the show anytime."
"Steven Tyler is a real 'Idol,' a rock legend. If you had told me 10 years ago he would be a judge on 'American Idol', I would have thought it impossible," stated "Idol" creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. "The fact that this became a reality and we had the pleasure of him gracing our stage for two seasons makes me very proud. I completely understand his desire to get back to his life as the singer in America's greatest-ever rock band. 'American Idol' will miss him!"
"We're all very thankful and privileged that Steven joined 'American Idol' two years ago," said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia. "A true music icon, he not only brought rock 'n' roll to the show, but also his exceptional taste in spotting and nurturing undiscovered talent. We will sincerely miss his poetic phrases, his remarkable creativity and his unique spirit. We're sad about his departure from the show, but understand his decision to return to music full-time and hope he'll be back to grace the 'American Idol' stage in seasons to come."
"American Idol" is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc. and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
Earlier in the year, MÖTLEY CRÜE entered drummer Tommy Lee's studio called The Atrium in Calabasas, California to begin recording a new song, "Sex", that will be released to coincide with the band's upcoming summer co-headlining tour with KISS.
Written when the band was together during their residency in Las Vegas last February, "Sex" is the first studio track from the CRÜE since their June 2008 release of "Saints Of Los Angeles".
"Sex" will debut on Friday, July 13 on SiriusXM and be available on Tuesday, July 17 — three days before the tour begins.
An audio sample of "Sex" can be streamed below. Also available is the single artwork.
Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner in March, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx stated about the band's new track, "It sounds very much like it's off of the first record [1981's 'Too Fast For Love']. And that was definitely on purpose. I've been writing very simple riffs for the last year and focusing on how these riffs would work for Vince [Neil, vocals], basically, and took it in the studio with Tommy and Mick [Mars, guitar] and the thing just came alive."
MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest studio album, 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", sold 99,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release. The CD was CRÜE's first studio album since 2000's "New Tattoo", which has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band's previous studio effort with all of its original members was 1997's "Generation Swine", which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, and has sold more than 300,000 units.
"Saints of Los Angeles" was loosely based on the band's memoir, "The Dirt", which was published in 2001.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", was released on November 17, 2009 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.
CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on Crüe Fest 2, the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour, to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.
Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21, 2009.
Written when the band was together during their residency in Las Vegas last February, "Sex" is the first studio track from the CRÜE since their June 2008 release of "Saints Of Los Angeles".
"Sex" will debut on Friday, July 13 on SiriusXM and be available on Tuesday, July 17 — three days before the tour begins.
An audio sample of "Sex" can be streamed below. Also available is the single artwork.
Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner in March, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx stated about the band's new track, "It sounds very much like it's off of the first record [1981's 'Too Fast For Love']. And that was definitely on purpose. I've been writing very simple riffs for the last year and focusing on how these riffs would work for Vince [Neil, vocals], basically, and took it in the studio with Tommy and Mick [Mars, guitar] and the thing just came alive."
MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest studio album, 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", sold 99,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release. The CD was CRÜE's first studio album since 2000's "New Tattoo", which has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band's previous studio effort with all of its original members was 1997's "Generation Swine", which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, and has sold more than 300,000 units.
"Saints of Los Angeles" was loosely based on the band's memoir, "The Dirt", which was published in 2001.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", was released on November 17, 2009 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.
CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on Crüe Fest 2, the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour, to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.
Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21, 2009.
Check out music from Motley Crue - http://www.reverbnation.com/MotleyCrue
MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has spoken out about the Facebook rant he went on last week where he asked fans to stop requesting pictures every time he walks outside.
Speaking to Fuse.TV, Lee revealed what tipped him over the edge.
"My mother passed away recently," he said. "I was picking up her ashes to take them home with me to do a service for my mother. And so I'm at the mortuary, I've got my mom's ashes in my right hand, and my girlfriend, I'm holding her hand with my left hand, and we're walking out. And the fucking lady, the receptionist, goes, 'Oh my god, can I take a picture with you?' And I looked and her and went [takes a deep breath], 'I'm sorry, but I'd rather not.' Then she was like, 'Are you sure?' I'm fucking standing there with my mom's ashes and it's not the fucking happiest day on the planet for me. I couldn't believe it. I go, 'Okay, that's officially the most fucked up thing that has ever happened to me'. I called the manager and said, 'You're not going to believe what just happened. I don't expect you to fire her or anything like that, but that was the most disrespectful bullshit I've ever experienced in my life.'"
He added, "I sat in the car, and I'm shaking, and my girlfriend goes, 'I'm so sorry honey,' and I was speechless. I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't believe a human being just did that."
Speaking to Fuse.TV, Lee revealed what tipped him over the edge.
"My mother passed away recently," he said. "I was picking up her ashes to take them home with me to do a service for my mother. And so I'm at the mortuary, I've got my mom's ashes in my right hand, and my girlfriend, I'm holding her hand with my left hand, and we're walking out. And the fucking lady, the receptionist, goes, 'Oh my god, can I take a picture with you?' And I looked and her and went [takes a deep breath], 'I'm sorry, but I'd rather not.' Then she was like, 'Are you sure?' I'm fucking standing there with my mom's ashes and it's not the fucking happiest day on the planet for me. I couldn't believe it. I go, 'Okay, that's officially the most fucked up thing that has ever happened to me'. I called the manager and said, 'You're not going to believe what just happened. I don't expect you to fire her or anything like that, but that was the most disrespectful bullshit I've ever experienced in my life.'"
He added, "I sat in the car, and I'm shaking, and my girlfriend goes, 'I'm so sorry honey,' and I was speechless. I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't believe a human being just did that."
As first rumored on May 3, MARILYN MANSON and ROB ZOMBIE are hitting the road together this fall, co-headlining the "Twins Of Evil" tour. Debauchery, theatrics, ghoulish imagery, and a full-on assault of all the senses are what's in store for fans when the tour kicks off, first in the U.S. and then with a 10-country sweep through Europe.
Kicking off September 28 when both Zombie and Manson co-headline the first day of the Desert Uprising festival in Phoenix, Arizona, expect defiant rock 'n' roll showmanship in the form of these unholy rollers with the first U.S. date wrapping in Dallas on Halloween, October 31.
"Finally! Why did the most obvious tour take so long to happen? Who knows? Who cares? It's happening now," stated Zombie. "If good taste is the chief enemy of great art, then we should be able to fill the Louvre with this fucking tour. Be prepared for something wicked this way a-coming."
"I have sympathy for the Whore of Babylon that gave birth to these twins of evil, and this abomination of a tour," says Marilyn Manson. "There is no babysitter, and there is no repairing her womb. If Rob Zombie doesn't fuck you up, then I surely will. Hide all drugs and firearms… I'm coming to town," Manson stated.
J Devil, the DJ alter ego of KORN's frontman Jonathan Davis, will support the MANSON/ZOMBIE dates with his chaotic electro-metal. "I like to think of J Devil as the 'anti-christ' of EDM," he said. "To play alongside Zombie and Manson is going to be a fucking sinister night all around, and an unbelievable theatrical experience. I can't wait."
For the "Twins of Evil" tour, Zombie and his band of maniacs — John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish — will bring their elaborate, multi-media production, complete with hair-raising theatrics, animatronic robots, oversized LED screens, a non-stop collage of psychotronic monster film clips, a spectacular light show, a gigantic robot with flames shooting out of its body, pyrotechnics, insane guitar riffs and vicious beats.
The current ROB ZOMBIE lineup includes guitarist John 5, who was a member of Manson's band from 1998 until 2004, and drummer Ginger Fish (real name: Kenneth Robert Wilson), who quit MARILYN MANSON in February 2011.
In a recent interview with Metal Insider, John 5 stated about his working relationship with Manson, "I think the public portrays it as, 'Oh, he had a hard time with Manson.' But I didn't really at all, it was just portrayed that way. I haven't really had a hard situation with any of [the people I've played with so far]. With what people see on YouTube with Manson [where John 5 can be seen fighting with Manson. — Ed.], I had a death in the family. I was a mess at that time, and a lot of people don't know that. So that's why certain things occurred. . . I mean, that was something that I shouldn't have done. It was something where I had a death in the family and it was a really hard time in my life, and it was tough. It's life, you know? But I think the public's perception is like, 'Oh, do you guys get along?' Yeah, we talked and there's no hard feelings at all. And I wish nothing but the best for him, that's for sure."
U.S. leg:
Sep. 28 - Desert Uprising Festival, Ashley Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Sep. 29 - 48 Hours Festival, Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 01 - USANA Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 02 - 1st Bank Center, Denver, CO
Oct. 04 - Topeka Expo Center, Topeka, KS
Oct. 08 - Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln, NE
Oct. 09 - Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, MN
Oct. 11 - Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
Oct. 12 - DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
Oct. 13 - US Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington, IL
Oct. 15 - Covelli Center, Youngstown, OH
Oct. 16 - The Armory, Rochester, NY
Oct. 19 - Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Oct. 20 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
Oct. 21 - Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
Oct. 23 - Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
Oct. 25 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 30 - Reliant Arena, Houston, TX
Oct. 31 – [to be announced, Dallas, TX
European leg:
Nov. 26 - London, UK
Nov. 27 - Manchester, UK
Nov. 28 - Glasgow SECC, UK
Nov. 29 - Birmingham, UK
Dec. 01 - Luxembourg
Dec. 02 - Bochum, Germany
Dec. 03 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dec. 05 - Stockholm, Sweden
Dec. 06 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Dec. 08 - Vienna, Austria
Dec. 09 - Munich, Germany
Dec. 10 - Basel, Switzerland
Dec. 12 - Bologna, Italy
More dates will be announced soon.
Kicking off September 28 when both Zombie and Manson co-headline the first day of the Desert Uprising festival in Phoenix, Arizona, expect defiant rock 'n' roll showmanship in the form of these unholy rollers with the first U.S. date wrapping in Dallas on Halloween, October 31.
"Finally! Why did the most obvious tour take so long to happen? Who knows? Who cares? It's happening now," stated Zombie. "If good taste is the chief enemy of great art, then we should be able to fill the Louvre with this fucking tour. Be prepared for something wicked this way a-coming."
"I have sympathy for the Whore of Babylon that gave birth to these twins of evil, and this abomination of a tour," says Marilyn Manson. "There is no babysitter, and there is no repairing her womb. If Rob Zombie doesn't fuck you up, then I surely will. Hide all drugs and firearms… I'm coming to town," Manson stated.
J Devil, the DJ alter ego of KORN's frontman Jonathan Davis, will support the MANSON/ZOMBIE dates with his chaotic electro-metal. "I like to think of J Devil as the 'anti-christ' of EDM," he said. "To play alongside Zombie and Manson is going to be a fucking sinister night all around, and an unbelievable theatrical experience. I can't wait."
For the "Twins of Evil" tour, Zombie and his band of maniacs — John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish — will bring their elaborate, multi-media production, complete with hair-raising theatrics, animatronic robots, oversized LED screens, a non-stop collage of psychotronic monster film clips, a spectacular light show, a gigantic robot with flames shooting out of its body, pyrotechnics, insane guitar riffs and vicious beats.
The current ROB ZOMBIE lineup includes guitarist John 5, who was a member of Manson's band from 1998 until 2004, and drummer Ginger Fish (real name: Kenneth Robert Wilson), who quit MARILYN MANSON in February 2011.
In a recent interview with Metal Insider, John 5 stated about his working relationship with Manson, "I think the public portrays it as, 'Oh, he had a hard time with Manson.' But I didn't really at all, it was just portrayed that way. I haven't really had a hard situation with any of [the people I've played with so far]. With what people see on YouTube with Manson [where John 5 can be seen fighting with Manson. — Ed.], I had a death in the family. I was a mess at that time, and a lot of people don't know that. So that's why certain things occurred. . . I mean, that was something that I shouldn't have done. It was something where I had a death in the family and it was a really hard time in my life, and it was tough. It's life, you know? But I think the public's perception is like, 'Oh, do you guys get along?' Yeah, we talked and there's no hard feelings at all. And I wish nothing but the best for him, that's for sure."
U.S. leg:
Sep. 28 - Desert Uprising Festival, Ashley Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Sep. 29 - 48 Hours Festival, Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 01 - USANA Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 02 - 1st Bank Center, Denver, CO
Oct. 04 - Topeka Expo Center, Topeka, KS
Oct. 08 - Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln, NE
Oct. 09 - Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, MN
Oct. 11 - Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
Oct. 12 - DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
Oct. 13 - US Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington, IL
Oct. 15 - Covelli Center, Youngstown, OH
Oct. 16 - The Armory, Rochester, NY
Oct. 19 - Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Oct. 20 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
Oct. 21 - Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
Oct. 23 - Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
Oct. 25 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 30 - Reliant Arena, Houston, TX
Oct. 31 – [to be announced, Dallas, TX
European leg:
Nov. 26 - London, UK
Nov. 27 - Manchester, UK
Nov. 28 - Glasgow SECC, UK
Nov. 29 - Birmingham, UK
Dec. 01 - Luxembourg
Dec. 02 - Bochum, Germany
Dec. 03 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dec. 05 - Stockholm, Sweden
Dec. 06 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Dec. 08 - Vienna, Austria
Dec. 09 - Munich, Germany
Dec. 10 - Basel, Switzerland
Dec. 12 - Bologna, Italy
More dates will be announced soon.
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/zombiemansontour.jpg
QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren announced on June 20 that they were parting ways with singer Geoff Tate and recruiting powerhouse vocalist Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY as his replacement. The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup has already performed live, having played two successful shows in their home city of Seattle under the name RISING WEST.
The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup will make its official live debut as the headliner of the last day of this year's Halfway Jam, which is set to take place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota. Also scheduled to appear at the three-day event are ENUFF Z'NUFF, LYNCH MOB, STRYPER, BANG TANGO, TRIXTER, JACKYL, BLACKFOOT, MOLLY HATCHET and .38 SPECIAL.
In a brand new posting on his Facebook page, Todd writes, "[I] would like to say what a joy it is working with all of the guys in QUEENSRŸCHE. Furthermore, I would very much like to say how great Parker is as a bandmate and a new friend. Not only does he have great guitar skills, but he is a great songwriter, and perhaps one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He deserves the full respect of the fans, old and new, as he has not only learned all of [former QUEENSRŸCHE singer] Chris DeGarmo's parts, but he really is such a team player with NO ego at all. [I] just wanted to share that sentiment."
Lundgren was briefly married to Tate's stepdaughter Miranda (they have since divorced).
In a sworn declaration filed in connection with QUEENSRŸCHE's legal dispute with Tate over the use of the band's name, Lundgren said, "When Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and I performed QUEENSRŸCHE material with Todd La Torre, it was the most positive and enthusiastic response that I have seen in my entire run with the band, both from the crowd and amidst the band. We played the older, heavier material that the fans always ask for and that we are never able to play. The shows sold out both nights and the merchandise sold out immediately. We had nothing but positive reviews and the fans loved it. We had fans fly to Seattle for the shows from all around the world, some even as far as Japan. What was even more uplifting than the crowd's reaction was the band's reaction. I have never seen bigger smiles on the guys' faces while we played the shows. The positivity continued long after the shows as we started hanging out, going to dinners, going to shows, and most importantly writing music together as a band, which I never experienced while Geoff Tate was in the band. Everyone, including the new singer Todd La Torre, is on the same page. We want to play the same kind of music, and stay true to the QUEENSRŸCHE legacy."
When asked in a recent interview with RollingStone.com if his former bandmates will be able to play shows as QUEENSRŸCHE before their legal dispute over the group's name is resolved, Tate said, "Well, they shouldn't. Definitely. It's a situation where, in my opinion, they're doing everything the wrong way. If there was a dispute over who is in the band, or who owns the band name, I think that stuff should all be worked out before they try to book gigs with the name QUEENSRŸCHE."
He added, "I'm forced to engage in a lawsuit with them now. This is not something I want to do at all. I want to make records and I want to tour and live a creative life. I don't want to be bogged down in some legal hassle. My God, but they're forcing me into it. I have no other way to go. I can't give up my life's work and walk away from it. These are my ideas, my concepts, my life, that I'm writing about. What are they gonna do — hand it to some kid to sing?"
The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup will make its official live debut as the headliner of the last day of this year's Halfway Jam, which is set to take place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota. Also scheduled to appear at the three-day event are ENUFF Z'NUFF, LYNCH MOB, STRYPER, BANG TANGO, TRIXTER, JACKYL, BLACKFOOT, MOLLY HATCHET and .38 SPECIAL.
In a brand new posting on his Facebook page, Todd writes, "[I] would like to say what a joy it is working with all of the guys in QUEENSRŸCHE. Furthermore, I would very much like to say how great Parker is as a bandmate and a new friend. Not only does he have great guitar skills, but he is a great songwriter, and perhaps one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He deserves the full respect of the fans, old and new, as he has not only learned all of [former QUEENSRŸCHE singer] Chris DeGarmo's parts, but he really is such a team player with NO ego at all. [I] just wanted to share that sentiment."
Lundgren was briefly married to Tate's stepdaughter Miranda (they have since divorced).
In a sworn declaration filed in connection with QUEENSRŸCHE's legal dispute with Tate over the use of the band's name, Lundgren said, "When Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and I performed QUEENSRŸCHE material with Todd La Torre, it was the most positive and enthusiastic response that I have seen in my entire run with the band, both from the crowd and amidst the band. We played the older, heavier material that the fans always ask for and that we are never able to play. The shows sold out both nights and the merchandise sold out immediately. We had nothing but positive reviews and the fans loved it. We had fans fly to Seattle for the shows from all around the world, some even as far as Japan. What was even more uplifting than the crowd's reaction was the band's reaction. I have never seen bigger smiles on the guys' faces while we played the shows. The positivity continued long after the shows as we started hanging out, going to dinners, going to shows, and most importantly writing music together as a band, which I never experienced while Geoff Tate was in the band. Everyone, including the new singer Todd La Torre, is on the same page. We want to play the same kind of music, and stay true to the QUEENSRŸCHE legacy."
When asked in a recent interview with RollingStone.com if his former bandmates will be able to play shows as QUEENSRŸCHE before their legal dispute over the group's name is resolved, Tate said, "Well, they shouldn't. Definitely. It's a situation where, in my opinion, they're doing everything the wrong way. If there was a dispute over who is in the band, or who owns the band name, I think that stuff should all be worked out before they try to book gigs with the name QUEENSRŸCHE."
He added, "I'm forced to engage in a lawsuit with them now. This is not something I want to do at all. I want to make records and I want to tour and live a creative life. I don't want to be bogged down in some legal hassle. My God, but they're forcing me into it. I have no other way to go. I can't give up my life's work and walk away from it. These are my ideas, my concepts, my life, that I'm writing about. What are they gonna do — hand it to some kid to sing?"
During a May 2012 interview with Artisan News, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine admitted that he is concerned about expressing his political views in public or in the media for fear of backlash against the band. You can watch parts of the chat in the four-minute report below.
On erroneous media reports in February that he endorsed Republican Rick Santorum for president:
Mustaine: "I was talking about the Republican party months and months ago, and somehow some guy got hold of the story and said that I endorsed Rick Santorum. Well, I didn't; I never said that. I knew Rick and I talked to him on the phone a couple of times, but I didn't endorse him. And [Rick] knew that I didn't endorse him. And [Rick] told me, 'I'm really sorry that all this happened. I've been watching how you handled it through this whole thing,' and he thought that I did a good job handling it. 'Cause I didn't say, 'F that guy.' And I didn't cower and say, 'Oh, I don't like the Republicans. I'm an Obama guy.' It's really weird that the music industry and the film and television industry, you almost gotta be a Democrat. It's like if you're a Republican, you're kind of like a guy that people don't really wanna hear from, because they look at Republicans like people who complain. But I'm an independent, not a Republican — I've never been a Republican. I've always said that. I don't belong to any party — I'm non-partisan. And for me, the sad thing is, instead of voting for the best man, I have to vote for the lesser of two evils."
On the danger that his opinions could get him into trouble in this political climate and hurt him economically:
Mustaine: "What I think about the president or the job he's doing, does it really matter? If I say how I really feel, I'm gonna get blackballed — people are gonna talk bad about me and my career's gonna suffer. And that in itself is a shame because since when in America can't you talk freely about things that you like or don't like? And why should I have my business taken away from me because I don't like somebody? And that's one of the fears I have — if I say how I really feel about stuff that people are not gonna wanna come see us in concert or not gonna wanna buy our records. But it's like, man, I've been talking about how I feel about government since I first had my first record. I don't like government. I think that… Much like our founding fathers in the beginning who knew that you needed government but that the people were in control… The government works for us, and I think people have forgotten that."
On whether his opinions have gotten him into trouble in the past:
Mustaine: "Well, not to the extent of [someone like] Ted Nugent. I can understand his anger. We're not very similar, but we do have a lot of things that we have in common. I try and be a little bit more hospitable with trying to explain stuff. 'Cause I know that I'm imperfect, and if I'm imperfect, that means that my opinions are gonna be imperfect, too. Some of them are gonna be right on the money, but a lot of them aren't."
On erroneous media reports in February that he endorsed Republican Rick Santorum for president:
Mustaine: "I was talking about the Republican party months and months ago, and somehow some guy got hold of the story and said that I endorsed Rick Santorum. Well, I didn't; I never said that. I knew Rick and I talked to him on the phone a couple of times, but I didn't endorse him. And [Rick] knew that I didn't endorse him. And [Rick] told me, 'I'm really sorry that all this happened. I've been watching how you handled it through this whole thing,' and he thought that I did a good job handling it. 'Cause I didn't say, 'F that guy.' And I didn't cower and say, 'Oh, I don't like the Republicans. I'm an Obama guy.' It's really weird that the music industry and the film and television industry, you almost gotta be a Democrat. It's like if you're a Republican, you're kind of like a guy that people don't really wanna hear from, because they look at Republicans like people who complain. But I'm an independent, not a Republican — I've never been a Republican. I've always said that. I don't belong to any party — I'm non-partisan. And for me, the sad thing is, instead of voting for the best man, I have to vote for the lesser of two evils."
On the danger that his opinions could get him into trouble in this political climate and hurt him economically:
Mustaine: "What I think about the president or the job he's doing, does it really matter? If I say how I really feel, I'm gonna get blackballed — people are gonna talk bad about me and my career's gonna suffer. And that in itself is a shame because since when in America can't you talk freely about things that you like or don't like? And why should I have my business taken away from me because I don't like somebody? And that's one of the fears I have — if I say how I really feel about stuff that people are not gonna wanna come see us in concert or not gonna wanna buy our records. But it's like, man, I've been talking about how I feel about government since I first had my first record. I don't like government. I think that… Much like our founding fathers in the beginning who knew that you needed government but that the people were in control… The government works for us, and I think people have forgotten that."
On whether his opinions have gotten him into trouble in the past:
Mustaine: "Well, not to the extent of [someone like] Ted Nugent. I can understand his anger. We're not very similar, but we do have a lot of things that we have in common. I try and be a little bit more hospitable with trying to explain stuff. 'Cause I know that I'm imperfect, and if I'm imperfect, that means that my opinions are gonna be imperfect, too. Some of them are gonna be right on the money, but a lot of them aren't."
Epicenter, Southern California's rock festival, will return to Irvine, California's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Saturday, September 22. Alt rock icons STONE TEMPLE PILOTS are slated to headline the fourth annual event with their only area performance of the year.
Joining STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on the Epicenter 2012 bill will be DEFTONES, BUSH, SCARS ON BROADWAY, CHEVELLE, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, ESCAPE THE FATE, DEAD SARA, CRASH KINGS, BEWARE OF DARKNESS and HYRO DA HERO.
Co-produced by Right Arm Entertainment and Live Nation, Epicenter 2012 will feature multiple stages, including the Monster Energy Stage in the heart of Epicenter's vendor village. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for this all-day event.
Tickets for Epicenter 2012 will go on sale Saturday, July 14 at 10 a.m. They will be available at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, at select Live Nation and Ticketmaster retail outlets, and via Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone (800.745.3000).
Go to www.EpicenterFestival.com for all festival information.
"With this being the lone So Cal appearance from the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2012 and the first area appearances of the year from DEFTONES, SCARS ON BROADWAY and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, Epicenter has truly become Southern California's Rock Festival. Epicenter is packed this year with a killer mix of iconic and new bands that reflects the best in rock music," says Gary Spivack of Right Arm Entertainment.
"Epicenter 2011 was a huge highlight of our all-important summer season," says Rich Best, Executive Vice President of Booking for Live Nation's Southern California division. "We are thrilled to team with Right Arm Entertainment once again and look forward to establishing Epicenter as the region's perennial rock event year after year."
Joining STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on the Epicenter 2012 bill will be DEFTONES, BUSH, SCARS ON BROADWAY, CHEVELLE, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, ESCAPE THE FATE, DEAD SARA, CRASH KINGS, BEWARE OF DARKNESS and HYRO DA HERO.
Co-produced by Right Arm Entertainment and Live Nation, Epicenter 2012 will feature multiple stages, including the Monster Energy Stage in the heart of Epicenter's vendor village. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for this all-day event.
Tickets for Epicenter 2012 will go on sale Saturday, July 14 at 10 a.m. They will be available at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, at select Live Nation and Ticketmaster retail outlets, and via Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone (800.745.3000).
Go to www.EpicenterFestival.com for all festival information.
"With this being the lone So Cal appearance from the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2012 and the first area appearances of the year from DEFTONES, SCARS ON BROADWAY and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, Epicenter has truly become Southern California's Rock Festival. Epicenter is packed this year with a killer mix of iconic and new bands that reflects the best in rock music," says Gary Spivack of Right Arm Entertainment.
"Epicenter 2011 was a huge highlight of our all-important summer season," says Rich Best, Executive Vice President of Booking for Live Nation's Southern California division. "We are thrilled to team with Right Arm Entertainment once again and look forward to establishing Epicenter as the region's perennial rock event year after year."
On July 28, Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL will perform a very special show at the unique outdoor Dalhalla venue in Rättvik, Sweden. This concert will serve as the 15-year celebration of the release of HAMMERFALL's debut album, 1997's "Glory To The Brave".
The following very special guests will join HAMMERFALL at the show:
* Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), who was HAMMERFALL's vocalist from 1993 to 1996.
* Stefan Elmgren (FULLFORCE), who was HAMMERFALL's guitar player from 1997 to 2008.
* Jesper Strömblad (founding member of IN FLAMES), who was an original member of HAMMERFALL as well as a longtime songwriter for the band.
The Swedish all-girl hard rock band CRUCIFIED BARBARA will be the opening act.
The concert will be professionally filmed and recorded for a future DVD release.
The members of HAMMERFALL announced in March that they were take an extended break immediately following their festival appearances this summer.
"It has been an unbelievable first 15 years, to say the least," said guitarist Oscar Dronjak, "and now we are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us."
There will be no HAMMERFALL activities in 2013, but the band promises to return strong the following year. "The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014," explained singer Joacim Cans.
HAMMERFALL will celebrate its 15th anniversary at two special shows this summer: July 28 at Dalhalla in Sweden, and a week later at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. Joacim stated: "Obviously, the gig to attend is the one in Dalhalla; that will be the biggest and most special show we have ever done! But we will not forget that it all started at Wacken for us once upon a time." The German festival was the first show HAMMERFALL ever played outside Sweden and marked the beginning of the long and passsionate relationship the band has enjoyed with the German metal fans. "This is why we have decided to pull out all the stops for these two shows, and really make them special," Oscar said, "It will be a fitting end to the first 15 years of our career."
HAMMERFALL's new album, "Infected", sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
HAMMERFALL's previous CD, "No Sacrifice, No Victory", opened with 1,400 units to land at No. 38 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.
"Infected" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2 (right behind LADY GAGA!). The CD was released in Europe in May 2011 and was made available in North America in June via Nuclear Blast Records. Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the members of HAMMERFALL then traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SCORPIONS, MEAT LOAF). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing any of the essence of the band's sound.
HAMMERFALL was among the five final nominees that competed for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which was held February 14, 2012 at Kungliga Operan in Stockholm.
The following very special guests will join HAMMERFALL at the show:
* Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), who was HAMMERFALL's vocalist from 1993 to 1996.
* Stefan Elmgren (FULLFORCE), who was HAMMERFALL's guitar player from 1997 to 2008.
* Jesper Strömblad (founding member of IN FLAMES), who was an original member of HAMMERFALL as well as a longtime songwriter for the band.
The Swedish all-girl hard rock band CRUCIFIED BARBARA will be the opening act.
The concert will be professionally filmed and recorded for a future DVD release.
The members of HAMMERFALL announced in March that they were take an extended break immediately following their festival appearances this summer.
"It has been an unbelievable first 15 years, to say the least," said guitarist Oscar Dronjak, "and now we are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us."
There will be no HAMMERFALL activities in 2013, but the band promises to return strong the following year. "The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014," explained singer Joacim Cans.
HAMMERFALL will celebrate its 15th anniversary at two special shows this summer: July 28 at Dalhalla in Sweden, and a week later at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. Joacim stated: "Obviously, the gig to attend is the one in Dalhalla; that will be the biggest and most special show we have ever done! But we will not forget that it all started at Wacken for us once upon a time." The German festival was the first show HAMMERFALL ever played outside Sweden and marked the beginning of the long and passsionate relationship the band has enjoyed with the German metal fans. "This is why we have decided to pull out all the stops for these two shows, and really make them special," Oscar said, "It will be a fitting end to the first 15 years of our career."
HAMMERFALL's new album, "Infected", sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
HAMMERFALL's previous CD, "No Sacrifice, No Victory", opened with 1,400 units to land at No. 38 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.
"Infected" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2 (right behind LADY GAGA!). The CD was released in Europe in May 2011 and was made available in North America in June via Nuclear Blast Records. Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the members of HAMMERFALL then traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SCORPIONS, MEAT LOAF). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing any of the essence of the band's sound.
HAMMERFALL was among the five final nominees that competed for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which was held February 14, 2012 at Kungliga Operan in Stockholm.
The organizers of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival have announced the inaugural installment of the "the first and the biggest metal cruise in Europe," the Full Metal Cruise, which promises to bring the real festival feeling to the sea from May 5 to May 12, 2013.
The Full Metal Cruise starts in Hamburg and enters the harbors of Southampton (United Kingdom), Le Havre (France) and Amsterdam (Netherlands). After seven days full of sea and relaxing and metal and party feeling, the ship then returns to Hamburg with a special show at the harbor anniversary fest.
While there will be big fireworks and a special show on onboard, the cruise will return to the harbor and this will be one of the many things leading to a great overall experience for every metal-sailor!
The special features of this metal cruise:
* Drinks and food are included
* No difficult travelling to the starting point — Hamburg, the gateway to the world!
* Concerts take place onboard and onshore
* Interesting shore excursions for every metal-heart
More than 20 high-quality bands from the metal and rock scene will perform on three stages at the Mein Schiff 1. Certainly there will be everything which provides you with festival fun onboard: meet-and-greets, metal karaoke, movie nights, metal comedy, workshops for musicians and much more.
In the many lounges onboard, the metalheads can party and meet the artists — nowhere else it is possible to have such a direct connection to the musicians. Furthermore, metalheads can book shore excursions with more concerts at the harbors.
The lineup of the shows at the seaports and onboard of the cruise will be announced soon.
"Heavy and hard music and a cruise don't conflict with each other," says Wacken boss Thomas Jensen. "With the Full Metal Cruise, we want to bring a real metal festival to the sea!"
For more information, visit www.full-metal-cruise.com.
The Full Metal Cruise starts in Hamburg and enters the harbors of Southampton (United Kingdom), Le Havre (France) and Amsterdam (Netherlands). After seven days full of sea and relaxing and metal and party feeling, the ship then returns to Hamburg with a special show at the harbor anniversary fest.
While there will be big fireworks and a special show on onboard, the cruise will return to the harbor and this will be one of the many things leading to a great overall experience for every metal-sailor!
The special features of this metal cruise:
* Drinks and food are included
* No difficult travelling to the starting point — Hamburg, the gateway to the world!
* Concerts take place onboard and onshore
* Interesting shore excursions for every metal-heart
More than 20 high-quality bands from the metal and rock scene will perform on three stages at the Mein Schiff 1. Certainly there will be everything which provides you with festival fun onboard: meet-and-greets, metal karaoke, movie nights, metal comedy, workshops for musicians and much more.
In the many lounges onboard, the metalheads can party and meet the artists — nowhere else it is possible to have such a direct connection to the musicians. Furthermore, metalheads can book shore excursions with more concerts at the harbors.
The lineup of the shows at the seaports and onboard of the cruise will be announced soon.
"Heavy and hard music and a cruise don't conflict with each other," says Wacken boss Thomas Jensen. "With the Full Metal Cruise, we want to bring a real metal festival to the sea!"
For more information, visit www.full-metal-cruise.com.
Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced the September 25 release of the Gary Moore CD, DVD and Blu-ray title "Blues For Jimi".
This release captures a unique concert featuring Moore playing Jimi Hendrix tracks, including such classics as "Purple Haze", "Foxy Lady", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Hey Joe", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and many more. Filmed at the London Hippodrome on October 25, 2007, it was part of the launch for the Jimi Hendrix "Live At Monterey" program.
At the end of the night, Gary was joined by Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox of THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE for three tracks. The full lineup for this show was Gary Moore (guitar, vocals); Dave Bronze (bass); Darrin Mooney (drums) with Billy Cox (bass on tracks 9-11, and also vocals on the first two of those) and Mitch Mitchell (drums on tracks 9-11).
Both Gary Moore and Mitch Mitchell have passed since this concert took place, which makes the recording of this incredible night so special. Gary Moore was one of the finest British guitarists of all time and is one of the few players who could pay homage to Jimi Hendrix's groundbreaking and truly distinctive guitar style. This is a stunning tribute from one master guitarist to another.
"Blues For Jimi" track listing:
01. Purple Haze
02. Manic Depression
03. Foxy Lady
04. The Wind Cries Mary
05. I Don't Live Today
06. My Angel
07. Angel
08. Fire
09. Red House
10. Stone Free
11. Hey Joe
12. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
This release captures a unique concert featuring Moore playing Jimi Hendrix tracks, including such classics as "Purple Haze", "Foxy Lady", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Hey Joe", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and many more. Filmed at the London Hippodrome on October 25, 2007, it was part of the launch for the Jimi Hendrix "Live At Monterey" program.
At the end of the night, Gary was joined by Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox of THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE for three tracks. The full lineup for this show was Gary Moore (guitar, vocals); Dave Bronze (bass); Darrin Mooney (drums) with Billy Cox (bass on tracks 9-11, and also vocals on the first two of those) and Mitch Mitchell (drums on tracks 9-11).
Both Gary Moore and Mitch Mitchell have passed since this concert took place, which makes the recording of this incredible night so special. Gary Moore was one of the finest British guitarists of all time and is one of the few players who could pay homage to Jimi Hendrix's groundbreaking and truly distinctive guitar style. This is a stunning tribute from one master guitarist to another.
"Blues For Jimi" track listing:
01. Purple Haze
02. Manic Depression
03. Foxy Lady
04. The Wind Cries Mary
05. I Don't Live Today
06. My Angel
07. Angel
08. Fire
09. Red House
10. Stone Free
11. Hey Joe
12. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
In cooperation with natural cosmetic expert Rutano, German traditional metallers GRAVE DIGGER have released their own 2-in-1 shampoo/shower gel combination. The product will be manufactured as a valent aluminum finish and will be available at the GRAVE DIGGER online shop soon.
GRAVE DIGGER will release its new album on August 31 in Europe and September 4 in North America via Napalm Records. A six-song mini-CD, "Home At Last", will precede the full-length effort on July 27 in Europe and August 7 in North America.
"Home At Last" track listing:
01. Home At Last
02. Rage Of The Savage Beast (non-album track)
03. Metal Will Never Die (non-album track)
04. Ballad Of A Hangman (live in Wacken 2010)
05. Excalibur (live in Wacken 2010)
06. Heavy Metal Breakdown (live in Wacken 2010)
Check out the cover artwork below.
GRAVE DIGGER's new CD was recorded at Principal Studios in Münster, Germany. The band laid down at least 10 new original compositions as well as "a cover version of a male, 'not-heavy-metal' artist," which the group said "won't be another German 'Schlager' song... it will be 150 percent pure GRAVE DIGGER metal. Again we transferred the spirit of the '80s into the sound of 2012."
GRAVE DIGGER will release its new album on August 31 in Europe and September 4 in North America via Napalm Records. A six-song mini-CD, "Home At Last", will precede the full-length effort on July 27 in Europe and August 7 in North America.
"Home At Last" track listing:
01. Home At Last
02. Rage Of The Savage Beast (non-album track)
03. Metal Will Never Die (non-album track)
04. Ballad Of A Hangman (live in Wacken 2010)
05. Excalibur (live in Wacken 2010)
06. Heavy Metal Breakdown (live in Wacken 2010)
Check out the cover artwork below.
GRAVE DIGGER's new CD was recorded at Principal Studios in Münster, Germany. The band laid down at least 10 new original compositions as well as "a cover version of a male, 'not-heavy-metal' artist," which the group said "won't be another German 'Schlager' song... it will be 150 percent pure GRAVE DIGGER metal. Again we transferred the spirit of the '80s into the sound of 2012."
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/gdiggergel.jpg
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/gravediggerhome.jpg
Canadian metal legends ANVIL are working on material for their 15th studio album, tentatively due next year. The band's guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow states, "Six new songs so far!! All killer no filler!! Building songs is building the future!!"
ANVIL's latest album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", was released in Europe on June 20, 2011 (three days earlier in Germany) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.
In an interview with MusicFrenzy.net, Lips stated about the departure of the band's longtime bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) and the addition of Sal Italiano, "It's so much more a relaxed, comfortable feeling on the stage. Sal steps back for me to do the front thing rather than trying to compete with it, or be a distraction to it. It's comfortable — it makes it very comfortable when everybody realizes what it all is and there's no bad vibes, which is… I mean, vibes between the members is everything and the ill feelings that we had around us are gone."
Italiano is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed '80s heavy metal group CITIES.
Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band's albums, including "This Is Thirteen" and the group's latest release, "Juggernaut Of Justice", on which he wrote and sang the song "This Ride".
ANVIL's latest album, "Juggernaut Of Justice", was released in Europe on June 20, 2011 (three days earlier in Germany) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.
In an interview with MusicFrenzy.net, Lips stated about the departure of the band's longtime bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) and the addition of Sal Italiano, "It's so much more a relaxed, comfortable feeling on the stage. Sal steps back for me to do the front thing rather than trying to compete with it, or be a distraction to it. It's comfortable — it makes it very comfortable when everybody realizes what it all is and there's no bad vibes, which is… I mean, vibes between the members is everything and the ill feelings that we had around us are gone."
Italiano is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed '80s heavy metal group CITIES.
Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band's albums, including "This Is Thirteen" and the group's latest release, "Juggernaut Of Justice", on which he wrote and sang the song "This Ride".
HOTEL DIABLO — the new band featuring vocalist Rick Stitch (LADYJACK, ex-ADLER'S APPETITE), guitarist Alex Grossi (QUIET RIOT), bassist Mike Duda and drummer Mike Dupke (both of W.A.S.P.) — has inked a worldwide deal with Scarlet Records for the physical release of its full-length debut, "The Return To Psycho, California". Entertainment One will distribute the CD in the U.S.
"The Return To Psycho, California" was produced by Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES, ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA), with additional production by Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES).
"We are very excited to be working with Scarlet Records," says Grossi. "In the past couple of years, they have really grown to become a major force in the European rock and metal market, and coupled with the muscle of Entertainment One here in the U.S., we feel that 'The Return To Psycho, California' will reach the audience it was meant to."
"The Return To Psycho, California" is also available digitally via iTunes, Amazon and other online music retailers.
"The Return To Psycho, California" track listing:
01. Taken
02. Set It Off
03. What You Do To Me
04. Psycho, California
05. Bury You *
06. Wicked Lines *
07. All These Years
08. Wonderwall (OASIS cover)
09. Trigger
10. Bury You (alternate version) *
11. What You Do To Me (alternate version)
Produced by Gilby Clarke
* Produced by Matt Starr
"The Return To Psycho, California" was produced by Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES, ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA), with additional production by Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES).
"We are very excited to be working with Scarlet Records," says Grossi. "In the past couple of years, they have really grown to become a major force in the European rock and metal market, and coupled with the muscle of Entertainment One here in the U.S., we feel that 'The Return To Psycho, California' will reach the audience it was meant to."
"The Return To Psycho, California" is also available digitally via iTunes, Amazon and other online music retailers.
"The Return To Psycho, California" track listing:
01. Taken
02. Set It Off
03. What You Do To Me
04. Psycho, California
05. Bury You *
06. Wicked Lines *
07. All These Years
08. Wonderwall (OASIS cover)
09. Trigger
10. Bury You (alternate version) *
11. What You Do To Me (alternate version)
Produced by Gilby Clarke
* Produced by Matt Starr
SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya (pictured below) 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 Fitz Madrid, afternoon DJ at the Phoenix, Arizona radio station 98 KUPD, Araya said (hear audio below), "[Randy did] what anybody in a band would do — a kids gets up on stage and you push him off, and that's where the discrepancy is. I haven't seen [video footage of the alleged incident], and [the people that have supposedly seen it] said it's pretty obvious in the video clip what was going on and what happened. I haven't seen it, so I can't tell you what I think. But it's like anything else — a kid gets on stage, and you push him off. And whatever happens to him down there afterwards… First [and] foremost, they have security there so kids don't get on stage. But they also have security there so the kids don't hurt themselves when they come over the [barricade or when they try to come up on stage]. So it's like a two-deal thing."
He added, "I feel sorry for [Randy], 'cause now he's stuck in this spot. It's kind of hard to say if it would have been a different outcome had he not touched the kid or if it'd still be the same outcome. I hope that it gets settled and I hope that he can get home. That's just not cool."
He continued, "Nowadays, you have to really think about that kind of shit. I hate to say this, 25 years ago, stuff like that, if it happened, it happened. Nowadays, if it's happened, everybody's discovered that they have 'rights.' Rights are great, but you also have to share in the responsibility. You have to be a responsible person. You have to be responsible for your own action. Randy has to be responsible for his action of whatever he did. But the kid has to be responsible for the action he took upon himself to get up on the stage. [He] took the initiative to do that. [The security] guys [apparently] said, 'No, you can't do that.' And apparently [the kid] tried several times [to get up on stage].
"To me, we all carry the burden of our own responsibility — being responsible for our own actions and ourselves; we all share in that. Everybody needs to understand that, and that's something that people don't understand these days. Now, whenever something happens, it's like, 'You did this to me.' It's like, 'Well, we told you not to go there and you did it ten times. And the tenth time, we're like, 'OK, buddy. How you're gonna get it through your thick skull? Get the fuck out.' You know what I mean?!"
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 Fitz Madrid, afternoon DJ at the Phoenix, Arizona radio station 98 KUPD, Araya said (hear audio below), "[Randy did] what anybody in a band would do — a kids gets up on stage and you push him off, and that's where the discrepancy is. I haven't seen [video footage of the alleged incident], and [the people that have supposedly seen it] said it's pretty obvious in the video clip what was going on and what happened. I haven't seen it, so I can't tell you what I think. But it's like anything else — a kid gets on stage, and you push him off. And whatever happens to him down there afterwards… First [and] foremost, they have security there so kids don't get on stage. But they also have security there so the kids don't hurt themselves when they come over the [barricade or when they try to come up on stage]. So it's like a two-deal thing."
He added, "I feel sorry for [Randy], 'cause now he's stuck in this spot. It's kind of hard to say if it would have been a different outcome had he not touched the kid or if it'd still be the same outcome. I hope that it gets settled and I hope that he can get home. That's just not cool."
He continued, "Nowadays, you have to really think about that kind of shit. I hate to say this, 25 years ago, stuff like that, if it happened, it happened. Nowadays, if it's happened, everybody's discovered that they have 'rights.' Rights are great, but you also have to share in the responsibility. You have to be a responsible person. You have to be responsible for your own action. Randy has to be responsible for his action of whatever he did. But the kid has to be responsible for the action he took upon himself to get up on the stage. [He] took the initiative to do that. [The security] guys [apparently] said, 'No, you can't do that.' And apparently [the kid] tried several times [to get up on stage].
"To me, we all carry the burden of our own responsibility — being responsible for our own actions and ourselves; we all share in that. Everybody needs to understand that, and that's something that people don't understand these days. Now, whenever something happens, it's like, 'You did this to me.' It's like, 'Well, we told you not to go there and you did it ten times. And the tenth time, we're like, 'OK, buddy. How you're gonna get it through your thick skull? Get the fuck out.' You know what I mean?!"
TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick has posted the following message on his official web site:
"It was at an elaborate breakfast buffet in an upscale Manila hotel — courtesy of a Filipino concert promoter — where I first had an in-depth conversation with Randy Blythe. Sure we'd run into each other before, always at a show, in a big crowd but never one on one. Minutes earlier, we'd noticed each other sitting alone at tables and got a kick out of seeing someone else from our respective bands that had risen early and headed to breakfast with a paperback in hand. One of us, I forget who, waved the other over to his table.
"Soon we were deep in discussion of shared passions for not just books but also spicy cuisine, adventurous travel, diverse music and films. It was a mutual favorite movie, 'Lost In Translation', that solidified this bromance — if you will. We each own the film, have seen it numerous times, frequently quote it and both love the soundtrack that consists of ambient textures and indy rock not typically listened to by metalheads. It was good to find someone else in the metal world that prefers a good thought provoking, artistic, independent film over dark fantasy, horror and violent action movies.
"To my pleasant surprise that morning, Randy turned out to be someone that defies stereotype, is an independent thinker, well read, articulate and unafraid to express honest opinions. Whenever we've hung out since, it is not as the singer of LAMB OF GOD and the guitarist of TESTAMENT, but simply as two guys that have a lot of common interests.
"A few months later, I went to see chef/author/TV personality Anthony Bourdain on a book tour — Randy and I are both die-hard fans. When I met Bourdain, I passed along a message from Randy and got each of us a personalized copy of Bourdain's latest book 'Medium Raw', in which Bourdain drew a picture of a chef's knife and a personal inscription. Randy returned the favor by giving me an incredible book by computer programmer/musician Jaron Lanier — a technological manifesto covering the positive and negative implications of the modern computers and the Internet, entitled 'You Are Not A Gadget'.
"This is the Randy Blythe I know — bookish, passionate, smart someone that, like myself, is a nerdy intellectual oddball who just happen to be in a well-known metal band. That scowling, scary face in his band's publicity photos and live shots? An onstage persona.
"As I write this, Randy sits in a Czech prison, unjustly accused of manslaughter, denied bail and facing a 5-10 year sentence. He was arrested on sight at the Prague airport, without warning. Apparently two years prior, a fan succumbed to head injuries weeks after attending a LAMB OF GOD concert. While this is a tragic unfolding of events, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that Randy is not to blame.
"As of this writing, it has now been more than two weeks. It's getting more difficult by the day to think of a friend unfairly locked away in a foreign jail, kept from family, loved ones, liberty and life. One is reminded of films like 'Midnight Express' and novels like Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' (the type of creative works that Randy appreciates on a deep level, but surely never thought he'd have to live through).
"At this point, all we can do is try to stir up noise, keep tweeting, petitioning and drawing more attention to this case and hopefully get this great, well-deserving guy out of jail. There are a few petitions going around, including this one from Change.org It can't hurt to tweet media and government figures, including the State Department Bureau Of Consular affairs, @TravelGov, an official U.S. agency that describes its purpose as 'protecting lives and interests of U.S. citizens overseas.' So far not a peep out of them.
"Adding to the frustration, this case is barely making a dent outside of Randy's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. As of yet, there has been no national TV coverage of the case, despite brief mentions in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Rolling Stone (shortly after the arrest, with little or no follow-up). One can't help wonder if prejudice against metal and its reputation could have something to do with this. As one fan, @GarthGreen13, posted on Twitter: 'Justin Bieber gets speeding ticket & its headlining news, Randy gets put up 4 MANSLAUGHTER in another country, nothing.'
"One would like to think that simply being an American citizen comes with certain inalienable protection against mistreatment by foreign justice systems, especially those of European Union countries such as the Czech Republic. And it would seem like being a four-time Grammy-nominated singer would help. Apparently not."
"It was at an elaborate breakfast buffet in an upscale Manila hotel — courtesy of a Filipino concert promoter — where I first had an in-depth conversation with Randy Blythe. Sure we'd run into each other before, always at a show, in a big crowd but never one on one. Minutes earlier, we'd noticed each other sitting alone at tables and got a kick out of seeing someone else from our respective bands that had risen early and headed to breakfast with a paperback in hand. One of us, I forget who, waved the other over to his table.
"Soon we were deep in discussion of shared passions for not just books but also spicy cuisine, adventurous travel, diverse music and films. It was a mutual favorite movie, 'Lost In Translation', that solidified this bromance — if you will. We each own the film, have seen it numerous times, frequently quote it and both love the soundtrack that consists of ambient textures and indy rock not typically listened to by metalheads. It was good to find someone else in the metal world that prefers a good thought provoking, artistic, independent film over dark fantasy, horror and violent action movies.
"To my pleasant surprise that morning, Randy turned out to be someone that defies stereotype, is an independent thinker, well read, articulate and unafraid to express honest opinions. Whenever we've hung out since, it is not as the singer of LAMB OF GOD and the guitarist of TESTAMENT, but simply as two guys that have a lot of common interests.
"A few months later, I went to see chef/author/TV personality Anthony Bourdain on a book tour — Randy and I are both die-hard fans. When I met Bourdain, I passed along a message from Randy and got each of us a personalized copy of Bourdain's latest book 'Medium Raw', in which Bourdain drew a picture of a chef's knife and a personal inscription. Randy returned the favor by giving me an incredible book by computer programmer/musician Jaron Lanier — a technological manifesto covering the positive and negative implications of the modern computers and the Internet, entitled 'You Are Not A Gadget'.
"This is the Randy Blythe I know — bookish, passionate, smart someone that, like myself, is a nerdy intellectual oddball who just happen to be in a well-known metal band. That scowling, scary face in his band's publicity photos and live shots? An onstage persona.
"As I write this, Randy sits in a Czech prison, unjustly accused of manslaughter, denied bail and facing a 5-10 year sentence. He was arrested on sight at the Prague airport, without warning. Apparently two years prior, a fan succumbed to head injuries weeks after attending a LAMB OF GOD concert. While this is a tragic unfolding of events, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that Randy is not to blame.
"As of this writing, it has now been more than two weeks. It's getting more difficult by the day to think of a friend unfairly locked away in a foreign jail, kept from family, loved ones, liberty and life. One is reminded of films like 'Midnight Express' and novels like Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' (the type of creative works that Randy appreciates on a deep level, but surely never thought he'd have to live through).
"At this point, all we can do is try to stir up noise, keep tweeting, petitioning and drawing more attention to this case and hopefully get this great, well-deserving guy out of jail. There are a few petitions going around, including this one from Change.org It can't hurt to tweet media and government figures, including the State Department Bureau Of Consular affairs, @TravelGov, an official U.S. agency that describes its purpose as 'protecting lives and interests of U.S. citizens overseas.' So far not a peep out of them.
"Adding to the frustration, this case is barely making a dent outside of Randy's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. As of yet, there has been no national TV coverage of the case, despite brief mentions in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Rolling Stone (shortly after the arrest, with little or no follow-up). One can't help wonder if prejudice against metal and its reputation could have something to do with this. As one fan, @GarthGreen13, posted on Twitter: 'Justin Bieber gets speeding ticket & its headlining news, Randy gets put up 4 MANSLAUGHTER in another country, nothing.'
"One would like to think that simply being an American citizen comes with certain inalienable protection against mistreatment by foreign justice systems, especially those of European Union countries such as the Czech Republic. And it would seem like being a four-time Grammy-nominated singer would help. Apparently not."
Guitarist Tore Moren and bassist Nic Angileri have left JORN, the band led by Norwegian powerhouse vocalist Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN, AVANTASIA), in order to focus on their solo careers and other projects. Their replacements have not yet been announced.
"Live And Let Fly", the new video from Lande, can be seen below. The song comes off the singer's new album, "Bring Heavy Rock To The Land", which entered the official Swedish chart at position No. 34. The CD was released on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Frontiers Records.
"I think this album follows a similar Jorn tradition like those before, more heavy rock oriented than metal," says Jorn. "But, as usual, it's not one musical expression all the way through the album, but a variety of musical landscapes within the categories of rock and metal."
A winning formula should not change, so Jorn has again worked with Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark, who mixed the album, ensuring the right edge to the rich guitar and vocal sound that is now trademark to all JORN releases. The lineup sees the return of Jimmy Iversen on guitar who also appeared on "Spirit Black".
As usual, in addition to the original material, Jorn offers some interesting covers. This time, MASTERPLAN's "Time to Be King" and Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind" are the ones to get the Jorn treatment.
"When we wrote 'Time To Be King', I heard a different and more rock-oriented arrangement in my mind," says Jorn, "so after the MASTERPLAN album was released, I couldn't stop thinking about how it would sound if it was recorded with this other arrangement. I don't know which one's better, I have ended up liking both versions. As for Christopher Cross, I have always loved 'West Coast'-oriented music and bands like 10CC, PAGES, SANTANA, LITTLE RIVER BAND, EAGLES and so on. So I thought 'Ride Like The Wind' would be a good song to do Jorn style. SAXON also released a version of this song in the '80s, and the arrangement we made ended up beeing a mix between the original version and SAXON's. It's also a fun song to sing and play."
Jorn Lande's strong and diverse voice and solid songwriting skills have now become legendary in the hard rock world. In a career spanning over close to 40 album releases, as frontman for ARK and MASTERPLAN, in addition to featuring on spectacular projects such as NOSTRADAMUS "The Rock Opera", BEYOND TWILIGHT "The Devil's Hall of Fame", Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA and AYREON.
"If you buy a Jorn album today, you know what you will get," states Jorn Lande. You are guaranteed to get your adrenaline going with the riveting sound that has solid roots in classic hard rock/heavy metal music, such as DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and WHITESNAKE.
The title track, "Bring Heavy Rock To The Land", was released as a single worldwide on May 14. A video for the song was directed by Thomas Tjäder (PRETTY MAIDS, IN FLAMES) and can be seen below. Jorn says, "The title track has really a strong Jorn trademark. It was a natural choice for a title track, I felt the same about 'Lonely Are The Brave' back in 2008. Sometimes one song's got the magic and you just know it. 'Bring Heavy Rock To The Land' is such a song and regardless of how the whole album is evaluated by critics, I feel that this song will live on and become an essential Jorn classic!"
"Live And Let Fly", the new video from Lande, can be seen below. The song comes off the singer's new album, "Bring Heavy Rock To The Land", which entered the official Swedish chart at position No. 34. The CD was released on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Frontiers Records.
"I think this album follows a similar Jorn tradition like those before, more heavy rock oriented than metal," says Jorn. "But, as usual, it's not one musical expression all the way through the album, but a variety of musical landscapes within the categories of rock and metal."
A winning formula should not change, so Jorn has again worked with Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark, who mixed the album, ensuring the right edge to the rich guitar and vocal sound that is now trademark to all JORN releases. The lineup sees the return of Jimmy Iversen on guitar who also appeared on "Spirit Black".
As usual, in addition to the original material, Jorn offers some interesting covers. This time, MASTERPLAN's "Time to Be King" and Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind" are the ones to get the Jorn treatment.
"When we wrote 'Time To Be King', I heard a different and more rock-oriented arrangement in my mind," says Jorn, "so after the MASTERPLAN album was released, I couldn't stop thinking about how it would sound if it was recorded with this other arrangement. I don't know which one's better, I have ended up liking both versions. As for Christopher Cross, I have always loved 'West Coast'-oriented music and bands like 10CC, PAGES, SANTANA, LITTLE RIVER BAND, EAGLES and so on. So I thought 'Ride Like The Wind' would be a good song to do Jorn style. SAXON also released a version of this song in the '80s, and the arrangement we made ended up beeing a mix between the original version and SAXON's. It's also a fun song to sing and play."
Jorn Lande's strong and diverse voice and solid songwriting skills have now become legendary in the hard rock world. In a career spanning over close to 40 album releases, as frontman for ARK and MASTERPLAN, in addition to featuring on spectacular projects such as NOSTRADAMUS "The Rock Opera", BEYOND TWILIGHT "The Devil's Hall of Fame", Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA and AYREON.
"If you buy a Jorn album today, you know what you will get," states Jorn Lande. You are guaranteed to get your adrenaline going with the riveting sound that has solid roots in classic hard rock/heavy metal music, such as DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and WHITESNAKE.
The title track, "Bring Heavy Rock To The Land", was released as a single worldwide on May 14. A video for the song was directed by Thomas Tjäder (PRETTY MAIDS, IN FLAMES) and can be seen below. Jorn says, "The title track has really a strong Jorn trademark. It was a natural choice for a title track, I felt the same about 'Lonely Are The Brave' back in 2008. Sometimes one song's got the magic and you just know it. 'Bring Heavy Rock To The Land' is such a song and regardless of how the whole album is evaluated by critics, I feel that this song will live on and become an essential Jorn classic!"
Harley Flanagan, who founded the legendary hardcore band the CRO-MAGS at the age of 14 and toured with the band for some twenty years, was arrested in New York City on July 6 on charges of attacking several members of the new CRO-MAGS lineup during the CBGB Festival. Flanagan, who had been a panelist at one of the event's seminars, allegedly attempted to attend the concert of his former band. Neither Harley Flanagan nor Parris Mayhew, the two founding members of the band, is still in the CRO-MAGS.
According to news reports, William Berario, 45, was slashed above the eye and bitten on his cheek, and Michael "The Gook" Couls, 33, was cut on his arm and stomach during the incident, which happened around 8:30 p.m. Flanagan was seen in photographs posted on BoweryBoogie.com being wheeled from the venue by EMTs. He was reportedly taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for a broken leg and was charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
New York Natives sat down with Flanagan for an exclusive interview about the events of July 6.
According to Harley, he was invited to the Webster Hall gig and had a VIP pass which he used to enter the venue. He says he went there with "the best of intentions" hoping to mend years of bickering and make the fans happy. After he was invited to the backstage dressing room, he says that instead of being welcomed, as he expected to be, he was jumped by a group of men.
"When I saw that door get pulled shut, I was literally fighting for my life," Harley said. "I was afraid these guys were going to kick me half to death, roll me down the back steps and that no one would see it... and there would be no witnesses and that would be that....and all I could think about was getting home safe to my kids... I wanted to save my life, to protect myself and these guys were trying to do me in.
He added, "I was getting the shit beat out of me. It was like an old-fashioned biker beatdown. . . And at that point everybody started screaming and I saw the door of the dressing room open and I started screaming, 'Security, security,' and I saw somebody pull the door shut to keep security out. And in my mind, I thought to myself, 'Fuck, these dudes, their intention is to fuck me up, they don't want no one to see it they're trying to beat the shit out of me... So what I did was defend my life.
He continued, "I'm getting the shit beat out of me. Then at that point that's when the bouncers managed to get in the room and I ended up getting dragged out into the balcony area, which is where everybody says the mêlée took place but no the mêlée took place in the dressing room behind a locked door where I was getting jumped people by myself."
Read the rest of Harley's account, and check out exclusive photos, at New York Natives.
According to news reports, William Berario, 45, was slashed above the eye and bitten on his cheek, and Michael "The Gook" Couls, 33, was cut on his arm and stomach during the incident, which happened around 8:30 p.m. Flanagan was seen in photographs posted on BoweryBoogie.com being wheeled from the venue by EMTs. He was reportedly taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for a broken leg and was charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
New York Natives sat down with Flanagan for an exclusive interview about the events of July 6.
According to Harley, he was invited to the Webster Hall gig and had a VIP pass which he used to enter the venue. He says he went there with "the best of intentions" hoping to mend years of bickering and make the fans happy. After he was invited to the backstage dressing room, he says that instead of being welcomed, as he expected to be, he was jumped by a group of men.
"When I saw that door get pulled shut, I was literally fighting for my life," Harley said. "I was afraid these guys were going to kick me half to death, roll me down the back steps and that no one would see it... and there would be no witnesses and that would be that....and all I could think about was getting home safe to my kids... I wanted to save my life, to protect myself and these guys were trying to do me in.
He added, "I was getting the shit beat out of me. It was like an old-fashioned biker beatdown. . . And at that point everybody started screaming and I saw the door of the dressing room open and I started screaming, 'Security, security,' and I saw somebody pull the door shut to keep security out. And in my mind, I thought to myself, 'Fuck, these dudes, their intention is to fuck me up, they don't want no one to see it they're trying to beat the shit out of me... So what I did was defend my life.
He continued, "I'm getting the shit beat out of me. Then at that point that's when the bouncers managed to get in the room and I ended up getting dragged out into the balcony area, which is where everybody says the mêlée took place but no the mêlée took place in the dressing room behind a locked door where I was getting jumped people by myself."
Read the rest of Harley's account, and check out exclusive photos, at New York Natives.
Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will embark on the "Guitar Universe 2012" European tour in October. Support on the trek will come from Israel's Yossi Sassi (ORPHANED LAND) and France's Stéphan Forté (ADAGIO).
Commented Marty: "Yossi and I became friends on my 2011 solo tour. We came up with the idea of putting together a concert tour with decidedly unique and exotic guitarists, each from a different part of the world with their own ethnic sound and approach to their music.
"I didn't know just how cool Middle Eastern flavors could mix with amazing rock guitar playing until I heard Yossi Sassi. I was quite impressed.
"Stéphan Forté will give you an idea what an absolute guitar wizard from France sounds like.
"The tour will happen in October and everyone is in for a once-in-a-lifetime collection of artists from separate corners of the world, and a truly inspiring treat."
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 09 - Colmar, France - Le Grillen
Oct. 10 - Zoetermeer, Holland - Boerderij
Oct. 12 - London, UK - Underworld
Oct. 13 - Dublin, Ireland - The Village
Oct. 15 - Paris, France - Divan du Monde
Oct. 16 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur
Oct. 17 - Bilbao, Spain - Kafe Antzokia
Oct. 19 - Lisbon, Portugal - Side B
Oct. 20 - Madrid, Spain - Ramdall
Oct. 21 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
Oct. 22 - Toulouse, France - Connexion Live
Oct. 23 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
Oct. 24 - Toulon, France - Le Vox
Oct. 25 - Prato, Italy - Keller Platz
Oct. 26 - Milan, Italy – Carlito's Way
As previously reported, three recent albums by Marty Friedman — whose groundbreaking work with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY continues to receive international acclaim to this day — will be released in North America by Prosthetic Records on August 14. Two of the titles — 2010's "Bad D.N.A." and 2008's "Future Addict" — have until this year only been available in Japan, where Friedman now lives, while 2006's acclaimed "Loudspeaker", originally released Stateside by Shrapnel Records, will be made available domestically once again. You can head over to the Prosthetic store now to pre-order a bundle consisting of all three titles.
Friedman rose to prominence when he co-founded the revolutionary guitar band CACOPHONY with his friend Jason Becker. From there, he joined metal legends MEGADETH in 1990, who would soon go on to write and record the thrash metal classic "Rust In Peace". Throughout his decade-long stint with the iconic group, during which the band sold 10 million albums worldwide, aside from lending his unmistakable "exotic" sound to the band, Friedman co-wrote the music to several notable songs, including the title track to the multi-platinum "Countdown To Extinction", "Youthanasia"'s fierce opening statement "Reckoning Day" and "Cryptic Writings"' haunting "Trust".
During his tenures with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY, Friedman recorded four solo albums for the seminal guitar label Shrapnel Records. He continued making solo albums after he left MEGADETH in 2000, releasing seven — including "Music For Speeding", which was released in the U.S. by Steve Vai's Favored Nations in 2003 and supported by an American tour alongside Chris Poland and Alex Skolnick — over the past decade alone. Until now, most of those releases have been unavailable outside of Japan, where Friedman moved in 2003.
In Japan, Friedman became an enigma of sorts: Armed with a fluency in the Japanese language, he left a platinum-selling American band to start from nearly zero to pursue his longtime dream of becoming a unique part of the Japanese domestic music world. That mission was accomplished, for between his solo releases and works with Japanese musicians, Friedman has performed at the largest venues in Asia, including three shows at Budokan, and played on and wrote several Japanese Top 10 hits, including a #1 single in 2011 and a #3 single in 2012.
At the same time, Friedman also became a popular Japanese television personality who not only hosted several programs, but was even featured in national ad campaigns for Fanta and Sumitomo Bank. He estimates he has made well over 400 network TV appearances in Japan, including three televised sold-out solo performances with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Although Friedman has focused on his Japanese music career for the past several years, he has recently remained active in the international metal scene by guesting on albums by the likes of Jeff Loomis, SKYHARBOR and FIREWIND; by voicing the character of "Mr. Gojira" on Cartoon Network's "Metalocalypse"; and through periodic tours outside of Japan, including a 22-country European trek with his solo band last year.
Yossi Sassi will release his debut solo album, "Melting Clocks", in the U.S. and Canada via End Of The Light Records, with distribution through DisManic and eOne Distribution.
"Melting Clocks" was released in other parts of the world in March via Verycords. The CD, which was produced and composed by Sassi, features guest appearances by several known musicians, including former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman.
Familiar to numerous music fans all over the world by his unique trademarked signature sound, Sassi blends east with west, rock with world music, melodic tunes with progressive passages, and traditional folk instruments with roaring electric riffs.
With over 20 years of experience as a producer, composer/arranger and founding member of ORPHANED LAND, Yossi continues to soar to new horizons.
Yossi is known for being the constant explorer of sound and musical boundaries, driving inspiration from different cultures around the world. Yossi plays 17 (!) different types of guitars and traditional instruments, and has been invited to play live and share the stage with artists such as METALLICA, Marty Friedman, Steven Wilson, Yehuda Poliker and many others.
Yossi has cooperated and recorded with artists from Kuwait to Portugal. He is a veteran performing artist, with hundreds of global shows and major festivals in his record.
"The Shadows Compendium", the first instrumental solo album from Stéphan Forté, was released in North America on February 28 via Listenable Records. The CD, which came out in Europe in November, was mixed by Kevin Codfert at XFade studio in Paris, France. Stéphan and Kevin previously worked together on the production of ADAGIO's fourth album, "Archangels In Black".
"The Shadows Compendium" features several other guests, such as Jeff Loomis, Glen Drover, Daniele Gottardo and Derek Taylor.
Stéphan previously stated about "The Shadows Compendium", "When I decided to record this album, it was obvious that I wanted to work with Kevin again. We both know each other so well that sometimes we don't even need to talk while mixing. Kev knows perfectly what I want and I am 100 percent happy with the mix he did on this album. It has been a real work in common since not only he mixed it, but also did the drums programming and, of course, played all the keyboards and piano. On the bass, same thing — it was clear that Franck [Hermanny] would do the bass. He is one of the most skilled bass player I know in metal, he is in ADAGIO with me since day one and just like Kevin, he's one of my best friends, so it could not have been done differently!"
Commented Marty: "Yossi and I became friends on my 2011 solo tour. We came up with the idea of putting together a concert tour with decidedly unique and exotic guitarists, each from a different part of the world with their own ethnic sound and approach to their music.
"I didn't know just how cool Middle Eastern flavors could mix with amazing rock guitar playing until I heard Yossi Sassi. I was quite impressed.
"Stéphan Forté will give you an idea what an absolute guitar wizard from France sounds like.
"The tour will happen in October and everyone is in for a once-in-a-lifetime collection of artists from separate corners of the world, and a truly inspiring treat."
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 09 - Colmar, France - Le Grillen
Oct. 10 - Zoetermeer, Holland - Boerderij
Oct. 12 - London, UK - Underworld
Oct. 13 - Dublin, Ireland - The Village
Oct. 15 - Paris, France - Divan du Monde
Oct. 16 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur
Oct. 17 - Bilbao, Spain - Kafe Antzokia
Oct. 19 - Lisbon, Portugal - Side B
Oct. 20 - Madrid, Spain - Ramdall
Oct. 21 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
Oct. 22 - Toulouse, France - Connexion Live
Oct. 23 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
Oct. 24 - Toulon, France - Le Vox
Oct. 25 - Prato, Italy - Keller Platz
Oct. 26 - Milan, Italy – Carlito's Way
As previously reported, three recent albums by Marty Friedman — whose groundbreaking work with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY continues to receive international acclaim to this day — will be released in North America by Prosthetic Records on August 14. Two of the titles — 2010's "Bad D.N.A." and 2008's "Future Addict" — have until this year only been available in Japan, where Friedman now lives, while 2006's acclaimed "Loudspeaker", originally released Stateside by Shrapnel Records, will be made available domestically once again. You can head over to the Prosthetic store now to pre-order a bundle consisting of all three titles.
Friedman rose to prominence when he co-founded the revolutionary guitar band CACOPHONY with his friend Jason Becker. From there, he joined metal legends MEGADETH in 1990, who would soon go on to write and record the thrash metal classic "Rust In Peace". Throughout his decade-long stint with the iconic group, during which the band sold 10 million albums worldwide, aside from lending his unmistakable "exotic" sound to the band, Friedman co-wrote the music to several notable songs, including the title track to the multi-platinum "Countdown To Extinction", "Youthanasia"'s fierce opening statement "Reckoning Day" and "Cryptic Writings"' haunting "Trust".
During his tenures with MEGADETH and CACOPHONY, Friedman recorded four solo albums for the seminal guitar label Shrapnel Records. He continued making solo albums after he left MEGADETH in 2000, releasing seven — including "Music For Speeding", which was released in the U.S. by Steve Vai's Favored Nations in 2003 and supported by an American tour alongside Chris Poland and Alex Skolnick — over the past decade alone. Until now, most of those releases have been unavailable outside of Japan, where Friedman moved in 2003.
In Japan, Friedman became an enigma of sorts: Armed with a fluency in the Japanese language, he left a platinum-selling American band to start from nearly zero to pursue his longtime dream of becoming a unique part of the Japanese domestic music world. That mission was accomplished, for between his solo releases and works with Japanese musicians, Friedman has performed at the largest venues in Asia, including three shows at Budokan, and played on and wrote several Japanese Top 10 hits, including a #1 single in 2011 and a #3 single in 2012.
At the same time, Friedman also became a popular Japanese television personality who not only hosted several programs, but was even featured in national ad campaigns for Fanta and Sumitomo Bank. He estimates he has made well over 400 network TV appearances in Japan, including three televised sold-out solo performances with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Although Friedman has focused on his Japanese music career for the past several years, he has recently remained active in the international metal scene by guesting on albums by the likes of Jeff Loomis, SKYHARBOR and FIREWIND; by voicing the character of "Mr. Gojira" on Cartoon Network's "Metalocalypse"; and through periodic tours outside of Japan, including a 22-country European trek with his solo band last year.
Yossi Sassi will release his debut solo album, "Melting Clocks", in the U.S. and Canada via End Of The Light Records, with distribution through DisManic and eOne Distribution.
"Melting Clocks" was released in other parts of the world in March via Verycords. The CD, which was produced and composed by Sassi, features guest appearances by several known musicians, including former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman.
Familiar to numerous music fans all over the world by his unique trademarked signature sound, Sassi blends east with west, rock with world music, melodic tunes with progressive passages, and traditional folk instruments with roaring electric riffs.
With over 20 years of experience as a producer, composer/arranger and founding member of ORPHANED LAND, Yossi continues to soar to new horizons.
Yossi is known for being the constant explorer of sound and musical boundaries, driving inspiration from different cultures around the world. Yossi plays 17 (!) different types of guitars and traditional instruments, and has been invited to play live and share the stage with artists such as METALLICA, Marty Friedman, Steven Wilson, Yehuda Poliker and many others.
Yossi has cooperated and recorded with artists from Kuwait to Portugal. He is a veteran performing artist, with hundreds of global shows and major festivals in his record.
"The Shadows Compendium", the first instrumental solo album from Stéphan Forté, was released in North America on February 28 via Listenable Records. The CD, which came out in Europe in November, was mixed by Kevin Codfert at XFade studio in Paris, France. Stéphan and Kevin previously worked together on the production of ADAGIO's fourth album, "Archangels In Black".
"The Shadows Compendium" features several other guests, such as Jeff Loomis, Glen Drover, Daniele Gottardo and Derek Taylor.
Stéphan previously stated about "The Shadows Compendium", "When I decided to record this album, it was obvious that I wanted to work with Kevin again. We both know each other so well that sometimes we don't even need to talk while mixing. Kev knows perfectly what I want and I am 100 percent happy with the mix he did on this album. It has been a real work in common since not only he mixed it, but also did the drums programming and, of course, played all the keyboards and piano. On the bass, same thing — it was clear that Franck [Hermanny] would do the bass. He is one of the most skilled bass player I know in metal, he is in ADAGIO with me since day one and just like Kevin, he's one of my best friends, so it could not have been done differently!"
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/friedmanuniverse.jpeg
POISON singer Bret Michaels will guest-host America's most-listened-to pet talk, "Animal Radio", on Saturday, July 14, noon eastern on SiriusXM satellite radio channel 166 as well as 102 AM/FM affiliates.
Bret Michaels first rose to fame playing in the band of POISON and then became a reality star, spokesperson, businessman and philanthropist. Bret has recently teamed up with PetSmart, creating his own line of pet toys and accessories called Pets Rock Collection.
Bret claims it is fun to do his collection. He mentions that, "I'm one of those guys that's a dreamer. I dream up these crazy ideas and I get creative, and then I almost reel myself back in when I know it's getting ridiculous!" He says his Pet Rock Collection is very rock 'n' roll. He actually calls it "rock and my country because I'm sort of a combination of both — rock and I've also had crossover country singles as well."
When asked if he created the dog dresses for his line, he admits that he had a little bit of help from his daughters. They actually had a friend's Chihuahua model some of the clothes. He states, "It's funny because when you dress an animal up, being very realistic, some of them love it and they're like okay — and others look at you like, 'What are you doing?'"
For more information, visit AnimalRadio.com.
Bret Michaels first rose to fame playing in the band of POISON and then became a reality star, spokesperson, businessman and philanthropist. Bret has recently teamed up with PetSmart, creating his own line of pet toys and accessories called Pets Rock Collection.
Bret claims it is fun to do his collection. He mentions that, "I'm one of those guys that's a dreamer. I dream up these crazy ideas and I get creative, and then I almost reel myself back in when I know it's getting ridiculous!" He says his Pet Rock Collection is very rock 'n' roll. He actually calls it "rock and my country because I'm sort of a combination of both — rock and I've also had crossover country singles as well."
When asked if he created the dog dresses for his line, he admits that he had a little bit of help from his daughters. They actually had a friend's Chihuahua model some of the clothes. He states, "It's funny because when you dress an animal up, being very realistic, some of them love it and they're like okay — and others look at you like, 'What are you doing?'"
For more information, visit AnimalRadio.com.
Swiss metallers SYBREED will film a video for the song "The Line Of Least Resistance" on July 22-23 in Paris, France with director Benjamin Cappelletti. The track comes off the band's fourth album, "God Is An Automaton", which will be released on September 24 in Europe and October 2 in North America via Listenable Records. The follow-up to 2010's "The Pulse Of Awakening" was recorded at Downtone Studio in Geneva and was once again mixed in Los Angeles by Rhys Fulber, who has previously worked with FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, FEAR FACTORY and PARADISE LOST, among others. The artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton (SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, SEPTICFLESH) and can be seen below.
"The Line Of Least Resistance" will made available for streaming on Monday, July 16 at 6 p.m. CET via SYBREED's official Facebook page.
Seth Siro Anton previously commented on his artwork for "God Is An Automaton": "My works are distorting dream mirrors of the body and soul. Human nature attracted often to specific art forms which are essentially attracted by the reflected dream world. On SYBREED new artwork, I tried to decode-externalize the architect of the blackest light, an automated God, an ironic priest which is fighting between two different levels of reality. An ironic synthesis combination of modern classicism. It was a great challenge and pleasure trying to visualize their new masterpiece."
SYBREED last year recorded a new song called "Challenger", which was released for download exclusively on iTunes. The track was enhanced with three "ass-kicking" remixes from BAK XIII, Voicians and Drop.
The "Challenger" EP was a standalone release, meant to serve as a sneak preview of the "catchy" kind of material SYBREED was working on for its next CD.
"The Pulse Of Awakening" was released in North America in July 2010 via Listenable Records.
"The Line Of Least Resistance" will made available for streaming on Monday, July 16 at 6 p.m. CET via SYBREED's official Facebook page.
Seth Siro Anton previously commented on his artwork for "God Is An Automaton": "My works are distorting dream mirrors of the body and soul. Human nature attracted often to specific art forms which are essentially attracted by the reflected dream world. On SYBREED new artwork, I tried to decode-externalize the architect of the blackest light, an automated God, an ironic priest which is fighting between two different levels of reality. An ironic synthesis combination of modern classicism. It was a great challenge and pleasure trying to visualize their new masterpiece."
SYBREED last year recorded a new song called "Challenger", which was released for download exclusively on iTunes. The track was enhanced with three "ass-kicking" remixes from BAK XIII, Voicians and Drop.
The "Challenger" EP was a standalone release, meant to serve as a sneak preview of the "catchy" kind of material SYBREED was working on for its next CD.
"The Pulse Of Awakening" was released in North America in July 2010 via Listenable Records.
Founding NEUROSIS guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly is preparing to release his new solo album in North America via Neurot Records on August 14.
The past two years have seen Scott Kelly touring across three continents, besides recording for and releasing a split seven-inch single with Wino and the most recent "Songs Of Townes Van Zandt" tribute album with Wino and fellow NEUROSIS mate Steve Von Till. The highly anticipated new full-length sees Kelly once again digging deep into very personal territories as on his previous solo works, including his lauded "Spirit Bound Flesh" and "The Wake", yet forges a brand new path as fellow musicians Noah Landis (NEUROSIS) and Greg Dale join this new venture as SCOTT KELLY AND THE ROAD HOME. Jason Roeder (NEUROSIS, SLEEP) and Josh Graham (A STORM OF LIGHT) make guest appearances on the album's seventh track "The Field That Surrounds Me" and the cover art for the album was completed by Thomas Hooper.
The eight tracks found on the new opus, entitled "The Forgiven Ghost In Me", was recorded by Landis, and runs deep with over forty minutes of foreboding Americana over eight new anthems, showcasing the ever-evolving artist brandishing some of his most expressive hymns of pain, reflection and redemption to date. Scott Kelly stated about the album: "This record continues my passion for acoustic experimentation, this time with a more fleshed out sound and a more diverse use of musicians and instrumentation. But in the end, as I have stated before, this is all about the songs in their rawest form. The stories that they reveal and the emotions that run rampant through my heart."
"The Forgiven Ghost In Me" track listing:
01. A Spirit Redeemed To The Sun
02. The Forgiven Ghost In Me
03. In The Waking Hours
04. Within It Blood
05. We Let The Hell Come
06. The Sun Is Dreaming In The Soul
07. The Field That Surrounds Me
08. We Burn Through The Night
The past two years have seen Scott Kelly touring across three continents, besides recording for and releasing a split seven-inch single with Wino and the most recent "Songs Of Townes Van Zandt" tribute album with Wino and fellow NEUROSIS mate Steve Von Till. The highly anticipated new full-length sees Kelly once again digging deep into very personal territories as on his previous solo works, including his lauded "Spirit Bound Flesh" and "The Wake", yet forges a brand new path as fellow musicians Noah Landis (NEUROSIS) and Greg Dale join this new venture as SCOTT KELLY AND THE ROAD HOME. Jason Roeder (NEUROSIS, SLEEP) and Josh Graham (A STORM OF LIGHT) make guest appearances on the album's seventh track "The Field That Surrounds Me" and the cover art for the album was completed by Thomas Hooper.
The eight tracks found on the new opus, entitled "The Forgiven Ghost In Me", was recorded by Landis, and runs deep with over forty minutes of foreboding Americana over eight new anthems, showcasing the ever-evolving artist brandishing some of his most expressive hymns of pain, reflection and redemption to date. Scott Kelly stated about the album: "This record continues my passion for acoustic experimentation, this time with a more fleshed out sound and a more diverse use of musicians and instrumentation. But in the end, as I have stated before, this is all about the songs in their rawest form. The stories that they reveal and the emotions that run rampant through my heart."
"The Forgiven Ghost In Me" track listing:
01. A Spirit Redeemed To The Sun
02. The Forgiven Ghost In Me
03. In The Waking Hours
04. Within It Blood
05. We Let The Hell Come
06. The Sun Is Dreaming In The Soul
07. The Field That Surrounds Me
08. We Burn Through The Night
Arizona extreme metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY are currently readying for their month-long Summer Slaughter trek, set to commence next week in Los Angeles. Bassist Nick Schendzielos will be forced to sit out part of the run due to a family emergency. The band will be joined temporarily by THE RED CHORD guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie.
Comments Schendzielos: "On June 28, immediately after landing in Boston to rehearse for Puerto Rico/Summer Slaughter, my girlfriend was in a head-on collision on her scooter. She sustained very serious head and bodily injuries. I flew right home, and we've been in the ICU for a week and are still in the hospital to make sure everything is okay. She needs 24/7 supervision for at least two weeks once we get out of here, so I'm very grateful to announce that Gunface from THE RED CHORD is going to help me out filling in on Summer Slaughter until I can meet back up with it. We love the dude very much and it's going to be really cool for both JOB FOR A COWBOY and THE RED CHORD fans to see. Enormous thanks for understanding this difficult situation and I'll be back as soon as possible!"
Adds McKenzie: "I'm excited to be playing with JOB FOR A COWBOY on this tour. Great dudes in this band as well as in the bands on Summer Slaughter. Playing bass is a little different for me but definitely an interesting challenge. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out on the road again. Nick's bass work is incredible and I'm working hard to get all of his parts down. Sending positive vibes out to him and his lady."
JOB FOR A COWBOY's new album, "Demonocracy", sold 4,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 87 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's sophomore full-length CD, "Ruination", opened with around 10,600 units back in July 2009 to land at No. 42.
Released on April 10 via Metal Blade Records, "Demonocracy" was produced by Jason Seucof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, TRIVIUM) who recorded the band's blistering "Ruination" full-length, at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, and features another strikingly detailed concept cover by artist Brent Elliott White.
Comments Schendzielos: "On June 28, immediately after landing in Boston to rehearse for Puerto Rico/Summer Slaughter, my girlfriend was in a head-on collision on her scooter. She sustained very serious head and bodily injuries. I flew right home, and we've been in the ICU for a week and are still in the hospital to make sure everything is okay. She needs 24/7 supervision for at least two weeks once we get out of here, so I'm very grateful to announce that Gunface from THE RED CHORD is going to help me out filling in on Summer Slaughter until I can meet back up with it. We love the dude very much and it's going to be really cool for both JOB FOR A COWBOY and THE RED CHORD fans to see. Enormous thanks for understanding this difficult situation and I'll be back as soon as possible!"
Adds McKenzie: "I'm excited to be playing with JOB FOR A COWBOY on this tour. Great dudes in this band as well as in the bands on Summer Slaughter. Playing bass is a little different for me but definitely an interesting challenge. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out on the road again. Nick's bass work is incredible and I'm working hard to get all of his parts down. Sending positive vibes out to him and his lady."
JOB FOR A COWBOY's new album, "Demonocracy", sold 4,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 87 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's sophomore full-length CD, "Ruination", opened with around 10,600 units back in July 2009 to land at No. 42.
Released on April 10 via Metal Blade Records, "Demonocracy" was produced by Jason Seucof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, TRIVIUM) who recorded the band's blistering "Ruination" full-length, at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, and features another strikingly detailed concept cover by artist Brent Elliott White.
Montreal's RAGE NUCLEAIRE has inked a deal with Season Of Mist. The band, whose influences range from early EMPEROR and IMMORTAL to ANAAL NATHRAKH and MYSTICUM, will release its debut album, "Unrelenting Fucking Hatred", in the fall. The CD was completed in September 2011.
RAGE NUCLEAIRE was formed by legendary vocalist Lord Worm (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and includes guitarist Dark Rage (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and bassist Alvater (ex-FROZEN SHADOWS) in its ranks.
The band issued the following statement: "If anyone had ever told us that some day we'd be signed to Season Of Mist, we'd have laughed at them. The point is, being accepted into the Season Of Mist family, along with such ungodly notables as ARCKANUM, MAYHEM and DEATHSPELL OMEGA, is like being given a Sith name — it feels great to be part of Season Of Mist's evil empire."
RAGE NUCLEAIRE has already commenced work on its second album, tentatively titled "Annihilation Frenzy".
RAGE NUCLEAIRE was formed by legendary vocalist Lord Worm (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and includes guitarist Dark Rage (ex-CRYPTOPSY) and bassist Alvater (ex-FROZEN SHADOWS) in its ranks.
The band issued the following statement: "If anyone had ever told us that some day we'd be signed to Season Of Mist, we'd have laughed at them. The point is, being accepted into the Season Of Mist family, along with such ungodly notables as ARCKANUM, MAYHEM and DEATHSPELL OMEGA, is like being given a Sith name — it feels great to be part of Season Of Mist's evil empire."
RAGE NUCLEAIRE has already commenced work on its second album, tentatively titled "Annihilation Frenzy".
Swedish black metallers NAGLFAR have unveiled their new touring lineup. It is as follows:
Kristoffer W. Olivius - Vocals
Marcus E. Norman - Guitar
Andreas Nilsson - Guitar
Efraim Juntunen (PERSUADER, GUILLOTINE) - Drums
Alexander "Impaler" Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - Bass
Commented the band: "We've been preparing for the last couple of months and are now ready to tear these shows apart."
Upcoming NAGLFAR dates:
Aug. 09-11 - Party san, Schlotheim, (D)
Aug. 18 - Summer Breeze, Dinkelsbühl, (D)
Sep. 08 - Meh suff! Metal festival, Hüttikon, (CH)
NAGLFAR's sixth album, "Téras", was released in March via Century Media Records. The drum tracks on the CD were laid down by Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK). Century Media Records also released a two-track NAGLFAR seven-inch EP, "An Extension Of His Arm And Will", on February 27. This EP was strictly limited to 500 hand-numbered copies and was exclusively available at www.cmdistro.com.
According to a press release, "Téras" is "another prime example of infernal melodic black metal from the vanguards of the scene."
Kristoffer W. Olivius - Vocals
Marcus E. Norman - Guitar
Andreas Nilsson - Guitar
Efraim Juntunen (PERSUADER, GUILLOTINE) - Drums
Alexander "Impaler" Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - Bass
Commented the band: "We've been preparing for the last couple of months and are now ready to tear these shows apart."
Upcoming NAGLFAR dates:
Aug. 09-11 - Party san, Schlotheim, (D)
Aug. 18 - Summer Breeze, Dinkelsbühl, (D)
Sep. 08 - Meh suff! Metal festival, Hüttikon, (CH)
NAGLFAR's sixth album, "Téras", was released in March via Century Media Records. The drum tracks on the CD were laid down by Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK). Century Media Records also released a two-track NAGLFAR seven-inch EP, "An Extension Of His Arm And Will", on February 27. This EP was strictly limited to 500 hand-numbered copies and was exclusively available at www.cmdistro.com.
According to a press release, "Téras" is "another prime example of infernal melodic black metal from the vanguards of the scene."
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