MTV Hive conducted an interview with keyboardist Adam Wakeman (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, HEADSPACE) prior to BLACK SABBATH's August 3 headlining concert at this year's edition of the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, Illinois. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
You're several decades younger than the guys in BLACK SABBATH. What's hanging out with them on tour like?
This year, we've only done two shows with SABBATH. It's such a different ballgame to being in Ozzy's band. Ozzy's band is a band, and it's all great. With SABBATH, I'm kind of like the hired keyboard player, shoved off the stage. So it's a bit of a weird one with me, especially after being in Ozzy's band for my ninth year now. The first two years were actually spent with SABBATH. So I was really young, then. But it's great — they're a really nice bunch of guys. When I first started doing it in 2003, when [drummer] Bill Ward was doing it, as well, we rehearsed for a month in the studio in White Horse, and we'd all go out for walks and stuff. Spending time with them — I was surprised at how little they spoke about music.
What are they like to hang out with? Is Ozzy eating crisp apple salads, watching the History Channel, and going to bed at ten o'clock these days?
He's obviously left the curtains open! That's exactly what happens. He's mad on the history and documentary channels. With the SABBATH guys, it's been a while since we've all been touring together. I think with the Ozzy thing, it's slightly different — we tend to fly everywhere, so we're all on the same plane, and there's a good camaraderie. With this, Tony's [Iommi, guitar] coming from England, I'm coming from England, Geezer's coming from Los Angeles, Ozzy's coming from England or L.A. — their schedules are ridiculous. We try to get together for a dinner when we can. I haven't seen Tony since we played Download on the 10th of June. But Geezer's been on the Ozzy tour, so I've spent a lot of time with him. They're all just normal, nice guys. Like the old-school rock royalty that they are. I've played with quite a few pop artists in my time, and very few of them come close to the kind of class of the older generation.
You're several decades younger than the guys in BLACK SABBATH. What's hanging out with them on tour like?
This year, we've only done two shows with SABBATH. It's such a different ballgame to being in Ozzy's band. Ozzy's band is a band, and it's all great. With SABBATH, I'm kind of like the hired keyboard player, shoved off the stage. So it's a bit of a weird one with me, especially after being in Ozzy's band for my ninth year now. The first two years were actually spent with SABBATH. So I was really young, then. But it's great — they're a really nice bunch of guys. When I first started doing it in 2003, when [drummer] Bill Ward was doing it, as well, we rehearsed for a month in the studio in White Horse, and we'd all go out for walks and stuff. Spending time with them — I was surprised at how little they spoke about music.
What are they like to hang out with? Is Ozzy eating crisp apple salads, watching the History Channel, and going to bed at ten o'clock these days?
He's obviously left the curtains open! That's exactly what happens. He's mad on the history and documentary channels. With the SABBATH guys, it's been a while since we've all been touring together. I think with the Ozzy thing, it's slightly different — we tend to fly everywhere, so we're all on the same plane, and there's a good camaraderie. With this, Tony's [Iommi, guitar] coming from England, I'm coming from England, Geezer's coming from Los Angeles, Ozzy's coming from England or L.A. — their schedules are ridiculous. We try to get together for a dinner when we can. I haven't seen Tony since we played Download on the 10th of June. But Geezer's been on the Ozzy tour, so I've spent a lot of time with him. They're all just normal, nice guys. Like the old-school rock royalty that they are. I've played with quite a few pop artists in my time, and very few of them come close to the kind of class of the older generation.
High Voltage Productions, an American production company, has begun pre-production development of an upcoming proposed docu-drama entitled "Bon Scott - The Legend Of AC/DC" as of March of this year. This announcement comes on the heels of a prior announcement back in 2008 that an Australian production company was beginning development of a similar project that has not yet materialized. This project hopes to be the first of its kind.
The screenplay for the film is being written by American singer/writer Rob Liotti who has portrayed Bon Scott for a number of years in his tribute band TNT (see video below) and has wowed thousands of AC/DC fans with his uncanny performances. Liotti is also slated to take on the starring role in the film portraying the late Aussie frontman. One could equate his performance in similarity to what tribute singer Tim "Ripper" Owens did for JUDAS PRIEST.
The plot of the docu-drama is said to examine an integral time period within AC/DC's history as Bon Scott helped to catapult AC/DC to international stardom, but never really got to enjoy the fruits of his labor — even sometimes dealing with bouts of extreme loneliness and isolationism — and ultimately culminating in his untimely death by misadventure in 1980.
"There are a lot of challenges with a project of this type," Liotti said. "One of the biggest challenges is authenticity. This is an American production of an ostensibly Australian-based story. Therefore, dialect is highly important, as well as capturing the true dynamic of the band and its members. Moreover, the Australians claim 'ownership' of the band and Bon Scott, so there are high expectations to be met from the outset. But it is a story that is viable and deserves to be told."
With AC/DC's 40th anniversary coming up and now annual events paying homage to the late Scott, millions of AC/DC fans worldwide are seething for a film of this type so that they might personally explore what has made AC/DC one of the most successful rock bands in history and their late singer an Australian icon.
The screenplay for the film is being written by American singer/writer Rob Liotti who has portrayed Bon Scott for a number of years in his tribute band TNT (see video below) and has wowed thousands of AC/DC fans with his uncanny performances. Liotti is also slated to take on the starring role in the film portraying the late Aussie frontman. One could equate his performance in similarity to what tribute singer Tim "Ripper" Owens did for JUDAS PRIEST.
The plot of the docu-drama is said to examine an integral time period within AC/DC's history as Bon Scott helped to catapult AC/DC to international stardom, but never really got to enjoy the fruits of his labor — even sometimes dealing with bouts of extreme loneliness and isolationism — and ultimately culminating in his untimely death by misadventure in 1980.
"There are a lot of challenges with a project of this type," Liotti said. "One of the biggest challenges is authenticity. This is an American production of an ostensibly Australian-based story. Therefore, dialect is highly important, as well as capturing the true dynamic of the band and its members. Moreover, the Australians claim 'ownership' of the band and Bon Scott, so there are high expectations to be met from the outset. But it is a story that is viable and deserves to be told."
With AC/DC's 40th anniversary coming up and now annual events paying homage to the late Scott, millions of AC/DC fans worldwide are seething for a film of this type so that they might personally explore what has made AC/DC one of the most successful rock bands in history and their late singer an Australian icon.
"Clockwork Angels: The Novel" (ECW Press, September 2012), the landmark literary collaboration between RUSH drummer and lyricist Neil Peart and bestselling sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson, will be officially launched on Thursday, August 23 at the Richmond and John Chapters (142 John Street) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 7:00 p.m. Anderson writes on his blog, "I'll be in Toronto as a guest at Fan Expo throughout the weekend, but this event — open to the general public — will be the first time the novel is available for sale. I will give a talk, answer questions, and autograph books… lots of them, I hope!"
For further details, see chapters.indigo.ca.
The U.S. book launch will be held on August 31 at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia.
ECW Press recently unveiled two exciting special editions of "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" (ECW Press, September 2012). These two numbered special editions of "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" are now available for pre-order.
The Silver Edition, slipcased and autographed by both Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart, will be a beautiful addition to any collection. This limited edition of 300 copies is available from both ecwpress.com/clockworksilver and rushbackstage.com for $74.95.
The Gold Edition is a must have for die-hard fans. Slipcased and signed by both authors, The Gold Edition is accompanied by a lithograph image from the book, signed by artist Hugh Syme, and a unique autographed page of the original "Clockwork Angels" manuscript. Both pieces are presented in an attractive frame with an engraved and numbered plate. With only 302 copies available, the Gold Edition will retail for $299.95, and is available exclusively from rushbackstage.com.
Kevin J. Anderson recently wrote on Facebook, "Most of you are aware of my long-standing friendship with (RUSH drummer) Neil Peart . . . For more than twenty years, Neil and I have wanted to collaborate on something MAJOR, a way we could tie together our imaginations, and at last that's happening. I'm writing the novelization of RUSH's forthcoming album, 'Clockwork Angels'."
Anderson added that he worked with Peart to "flesh out the epic story told over the course of the music," which involves "lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life."
Regarding the book cover, which can be seen below, as well as the rest of the package, Anderson said, "[It is] one of my most beautiful covers ever. The central image is from the forthcoming RUSH album, with the type and cover design by Neil Peart. ECW will publish the hardcover in September (available for preorder now), a full-color volume with paintings and complete lyrics (and the novel itself, of course).
"From the sample pages I've seen already, this will be a gorgeous book.
"The novel is a colorful steampunk fantasy, and I think it has a great deal of heart. Neil and I are very pleased with how it turned out-the creative synergy was amazing.
"'Clockwork Angels: The Novel' follows the story mapped out in the songs of the album, but the book isn't only for RUSH fans (then again, who isn't a RUSH fan???)."
For further details, see chapters.indigo.ca.
The U.S. book launch will be held on August 31 at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia.
ECW Press recently unveiled two exciting special editions of "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" (ECW Press, September 2012). These two numbered special editions of "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" are now available for pre-order.
The Silver Edition, slipcased and autographed by both Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart, will be a beautiful addition to any collection. This limited edition of 300 copies is available from both ecwpress.com/clockworksilver and rushbackstage.com for $74.95.
The Gold Edition is a must have for die-hard fans. Slipcased and signed by both authors, The Gold Edition is accompanied by a lithograph image from the book, signed by artist Hugh Syme, and a unique autographed page of the original "Clockwork Angels" manuscript. Both pieces are presented in an attractive frame with an engraved and numbered plate. With only 302 copies available, the Gold Edition will retail for $299.95, and is available exclusively from rushbackstage.com.
Kevin J. Anderson recently wrote on Facebook, "Most of you are aware of my long-standing friendship with (RUSH drummer) Neil Peart . . . For more than twenty years, Neil and I have wanted to collaborate on something MAJOR, a way we could tie together our imaginations, and at last that's happening. I'm writing the novelization of RUSH's forthcoming album, 'Clockwork Angels'."
Anderson added that he worked with Peart to "flesh out the epic story told over the course of the music," which involves "lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life."
Regarding the book cover, which can be seen below, as well as the rest of the package, Anderson said, "[It is] one of my most beautiful covers ever. The central image is from the forthcoming RUSH album, with the type and cover design by Neil Peart. ECW will publish the hardcover in September (available for preorder now), a full-color volume with paintings and complete lyrics (and the novel itself, of course).
"From the sample pages I've seen already, this will be a gorgeous book.
"The novel is a colorful steampunk fantasy, and I think it has a great deal of heart. Neil and I are very pleased with how it turned out-the creative synergy was amazing.
"'Clockwork Angels: The Novel' follows the story mapped out in the songs of the album, but the book isn't only for RUSH fans (then again, who isn't a RUSH fan???)."
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/clockworknovel.jpg
Andrew Cutler of the Rapid City Journal spoke to legendary guitarist Slash ahead of the VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES axeman's appearance at the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
"I just think Sturgis is a great event," Slash said. "I remember being excited to do it with VELVET REVOLVER [in 2007], and finally getting there. It was my first time there. Now I'm really looking forward to it, because VELVET REVOLVER with [lead singer] Scott [Weiland] was always like a hit-or-miss proposition. Whereas with this one coming up, I know it definitely is going to be a monster gig. It's going to be great to be in that environment."
Slash's second album, "Apocalyptic Love", came out in May and the ex-GUNS axeman has been on the road consistently with his band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
The group will head to Australia and New Zealand this month, but will return for a fall headlining North American tour that will begin on September 4 in San Diego and wind down on October 3 in Los Angeles.
"[The album has] been really well received and I was really pleased with the record in the first place; it's great," Slash said. "You never know what exactly is going to happen and I never have any what you'd call expectations, but once it's out there and people sort of dig it for the right reasons, it's always a good feeling."
Slash recently revealed that he and singer Myles Kennedy have already begun working on music for the guitarist's next album, to be recorded sometime next year.
"We are working on material, gathering ideas for another [record] at this point," Slash told Rapid City Journal. "We are sort of like in those early stages where I'm just recording different guitar ideas and I turn Myles on to it. He's thinking about his stuff and what he's going to do with it and so on."
"I just think Sturgis is a great event," Slash said. "I remember being excited to do it with VELVET REVOLVER [in 2007], and finally getting there. It was my first time there. Now I'm really looking forward to it, because VELVET REVOLVER with [lead singer] Scott [Weiland] was always like a hit-or-miss proposition. Whereas with this one coming up, I know it definitely is going to be a monster gig. It's going to be great to be in that environment."
Slash's second album, "Apocalyptic Love", came out in May and the ex-GUNS axeman has been on the road consistently with his band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
The group will head to Australia and New Zealand this month, but will return for a fall headlining North American tour that will begin on September 4 in San Diego and wind down on October 3 in Los Angeles.
"[The album has] been really well received and I was really pleased with the record in the first place; it's great," Slash said. "You never know what exactly is going to happen and I never have any what you'd call expectations, but once it's out there and people sort of dig it for the right reasons, it's always a good feeling."
Slash recently revealed that he and singer Myles Kennedy have already begun working on music for the guitarist's next album, to be recorded sometime next year.
"We are working on material, gathering ideas for another [record] at this point," Slash told Rapid City Journal. "We are sort of like in those early stages where I'm just recording different guitar ideas and I turn Myles on to it. He's thinking about his stuff and what he's going to do with it and so on."
MARILYN MANSON's new single, "Slo-Mo-Tion", will be released next week.
The cover artwork for the effort can be seen below.
The singer took to his Twitter last week to post a couple of photos from the "Slo-Mo-Tion" video shoot. The first tweet stated, "Just finished the #SloMoTion moving picture show." There is no information on who is directing the clip or when the video will be released.
"Slo-Mo-Tion" comes off MARILYN MANSON's new album, "Born Villain", which sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on May 1 via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label Hell, Etc.
MARILYN MANSON's previous album, "The High End Of Low", opened with 49,000 units back in May 2009 to debut at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was roughly half of the first-week tally registered by 2007's "Eat Me, Drink Me", which landed at No. 8 after selling 88,000 copies.
MARILYN MANSON's 2003 album, "The Golden Age Of Grotesque", entered the chart at No. 1 with first-week sales of 118,000.
The cover artwork for the effort can be seen below.
The singer took to his Twitter last week to post a couple of photos from the "Slo-Mo-Tion" video shoot. The first tweet stated, "Just finished the #SloMoTion moving picture show." There is no information on who is directing the clip or when the video will be released.
"Slo-Mo-Tion" comes off MARILYN MANSON's new album, "Born Villain", which sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on May 1 via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label Hell, Etc.
MARILYN MANSON's previous album, "The High End Of Low", opened with 49,000 units back in May 2009 to debut at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was roughly half of the first-week tally registered by 2007's "Eat Me, Drink Me", which landed at No. 8 after selling 88,000 copies.
MARILYN MANSON's 2003 album, "The Golden Age Of Grotesque", entered the chart at No. 1 with first-week sales of 118,000.
According to 9News.com, CINDERELLA canceled its previously announced August 9 concert at Grizzly Rock in Lakewood, Colorado claiming that the stage at the venue was "too small."
The following statement was posted on the official Grizzly Rock Facebook page:
"CINDERELLA told us they didn't fit on the stage (even though the show had been advanced for weeks). They said they would come back at a later date, but who knows. Refunds will be available at the Grizzly Rock, or if you bought on Ticketweb, they are available through them."
A video report from 9News.com can be seen below.
CINDERELLA took a couple of years off from performing after frontman Tom Keifer's left vocal cord hemorrhaged during rehearsal, thereby making it impossible for him to sing.
The band played its first show in over three years on March 19, 2010 at the Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado.
The following statement was posted on the official Grizzly Rock Facebook page:
"CINDERELLA told us they didn't fit on the stage (even though the show had been advanced for weeks). They said they would come back at a later date, but who knows. Refunds will be available at the Grizzly Rock, or if you bought on Ticketweb, they are available through them."
A video report from 9News.com can be seen below.
CINDERELLA took a couple of years off from performing after frontman Tom Keifer's left vocal cord hemorrhaged during rehearsal, thereby making it impossible for him to sing.
The band played its first show in over three years on March 19, 2010 at the Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado.
KILL DEVIL HILL's European headlining tour, which was scheduled to take place in September, has been "postponed" due to "circumstances beyond [the band's] control," according to a post on the group's Facebook page. The band adds, "We truly apologize to all the fans who were hoping to come out and see us. You're all very important to us and we hate having to disappoint you. We plan on getting back to Europe as soon as possible and we hope to see you then!"
KILL DEVIL HILL is the new band featuring legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, KILL DEVIL HILL) alongside Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals.
The self-titled debut album from KILL DEVIL HILL sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort was made available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.
According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."
KILL DEVIL HILL will support legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper this November. This jaunt kicks off November 23 and runs through November 29.
KILL DEVIL HILL is:
* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) – Drums
KILL DEVIL HILL is the new band featuring legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, KILL DEVIL HILL) alongside Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals.
The self-titled debut album from KILL DEVIL HILL sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort was made available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.
According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."
KILL DEVIL HILL will support legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper this November. This jaunt kicks off November 23 and runs through November 29.
KILL DEVIL HILL is:
* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) – Drums
According to a post on the Darker Than Blue web site, Jon Lord's funeral service was held on July 31 at St. Mary's Church in Hambleden, England, and was attended by family and close friends. A memorial service is planned for later in the year in London.
Jon Lord died on July 16 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
Jon Lord died on July 16 at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who was known for his keyboard virtuosity and his reinvention of the Hammond B-3 organ sound, co-wrote such PURPLE classics as "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", among others. Lord and drummer Ian Paice were the only original members to last through the band's initial run from 1968 to 1976. He was on board for their 1984 reunion and stayed on through to his 2002 retirement from the band, after which he's worked primarily in the classical field.
Over the course of his career, Lord also worked with the ARTWOODS, FLOWER POT MEN, PAICE, ASHTON AND LORD, WHITESNAKE and good friend and neighbor, George Harrison.
LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was released from a prison in Prague, the Czech Republic, on August 2, more than a month after he was arrested and incarcerated on charges of alleged manslaughter. Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.
Speaking to MTV News on Friday (August 10), Blythe said, "It's been a little strange ... since I just came home, it's kind of like everywhere I go, people remind me of it ... it's always on my mind. I've been talking a lot about prison, because everybody wants to see me, so I've been visiting my oldest friends and my family, and I'm trying to answer about a thousand text messages that I got when I got out, telling everybody thanks for the good thoughts. I'm slowly easing back into normality. The first day I was home, I woke up and sat on my back deck and just looked around, and everything is just so green, a lot of trees, and I was like 'Wow, it's not cold and angular and concrete like prison was.'"
Blythe added that, if necessary, he will return to Prague to stand trial if he is brought up on official charges.
"I feel that it's the right thing for me to do, to go back [to the Czech Republic] and face trial. I won't be extradited, but ethically I think it's the correct thing for me to do," he said. "So if I start feeling some trepidation about that, I just remind myself that I have to do the right thing ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.
"I believe that I'm 100-percent innocent ... but I also believe as a responsible and compassionate human being, I should go back and, if necessary, and go to trial and give this young man's family some answers," he continued. "They're suffering greatly, and I'm not interested in [making them suffer more]. I will certainly fight for my freedom, and do everything I can, legally, to maintain that, but I'm also not going to hide when these people are undergoing the worst emotional trauma."
Speaking to MTV News on Friday (August 10), Blythe said, "It's been a little strange ... since I just came home, it's kind of like everywhere I go, people remind me of it ... it's always on my mind. I've been talking a lot about prison, because everybody wants to see me, so I've been visiting my oldest friends and my family, and I'm trying to answer about a thousand text messages that I got when I got out, telling everybody thanks for the good thoughts. I'm slowly easing back into normality. The first day I was home, I woke up and sat on my back deck and just looked around, and everything is just so green, a lot of trees, and I was like 'Wow, it's not cold and angular and concrete like prison was.'"
Blythe added that, if necessary, he will return to Prague to stand trial if he is brought up on official charges.
"I feel that it's the right thing for me to do, to go back [to the Czech Republic] and face trial. I won't be extradited, but ethically I think it's the correct thing for me to do," he said. "So if I start feeling some trepidation about that, I just remind myself that I have to do the right thing ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.
"I believe that I'm 100-percent innocent ... but I also believe as a responsible and compassionate human being, I should go back and, if necessary, and go to trial and give this young man's family some answers," he continued. "They're suffering greatly, and I'm not interested in [making them suffer more]. I will certainly fight for my freedom, and do everything I can, legally, to maintain that, but I'm also not going to hide when these people are undergoing the worst emotional trauma."
NIGHTWISH's long-awaited "Imaginaerum" film — based on the band's album of the same name — will be released theatrically in Finland on November 23.
"Imaginaerum" is one of the projects which received grants from the Finnish government institution called the Finnish Film Foundation. The movie, directed by Stobe Harju, about an old man on his deathbed who glimpses a childhood dream in which he refuses to grow old, and fights aging with his imagination, reportedly got $575,000 toward its $3.7 million budget.
During a September 2011 interview with Petri Silas of Finland's Soundi magazine, NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen explained that all the filming for the "Imaginaerum" movie was done in Canada with mostly Canadian actors/actresses. Post-production took place in Canada and Finland. He aso revealed the names of the actors who have two of the main roles in the film: Marianne Farley and Quinn Lord.
Speaking to Loudwire, Holopainen stated about the plot of the "Imaginaerum" film, "Basically it's about this old guy who used to be a composer and he's really sick; he's lying on his death bed in a hospital and he's going through his life, through his dreams — that's the basic storyline. It's all about praising life and life's beauty, imagination and all the strife and the bad stuff we have to face.
"[The storyline] came from the director; I just had the twelve ideas, the twelve visions. He basically wrote the script and storyline around those originally visions and the only one we had to leave out was the 'Ghost River' part, because we didn't have the finance to realize that vision."
Asked if the band appears in the film at all, Tuomas said, "A little bit, we are seen in two different scenes as a band, playing in the background. That's something that I really emphasized to the director, 'Please don't put the band into the movie,' because we want to do a believable story and we have no idea how to act. We are not actors so if your give us some lines and we tried to act, it would look goofy. He insisted to put us into the movie because it's our brainchild, so we're just playing in there as a band; it's a good compromise."
"Imaginaerum" film cast:
* Francis X. McCarthy
* Quinn Lord
* Marianne Farley
* Joanna Noyes
* Ilkka Villi
* Keyanna Fielding
* Ron Lea
* Victoria Jung
* Hélène Robitaille
* Stefan Demers
* Anette Olzon
* Marco Hietala
* Tuomas Holopainen
* Emppu Vuorinen
* Jukka Nevalainen
"Imaginaerum" is one of the projects which received grants from the Finnish government institution called the Finnish Film Foundation. The movie, directed by Stobe Harju, about an old man on his deathbed who glimpses a childhood dream in which he refuses to grow old, and fights aging with his imagination, reportedly got $575,000 toward its $3.7 million budget.
During a September 2011 interview with Petri Silas of Finland's Soundi magazine, NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen explained that all the filming for the "Imaginaerum" movie was done in Canada with mostly Canadian actors/actresses. Post-production took place in Canada and Finland. He aso revealed the names of the actors who have two of the main roles in the film: Marianne Farley and Quinn Lord.
Speaking to Loudwire, Holopainen stated about the plot of the "Imaginaerum" film, "Basically it's about this old guy who used to be a composer and he's really sick; he's lying on his death bed in a hospital and he's going through his life, through his dreams — that's the basic storyline. It's all about praising life and life's beauty, imagination and all the strife and the bad stuff we have to face.
"[The storyline] came from the director; I just had the twelve ideas, the twelve visions. He basically wrote the script and storyline around those originally visions and the only one we had to leave out was the 'Ghost River' part, because we didn't have the finance to realize that vision."
Asked if the band appears in the film at all, Tuomas said, "A little bit, we are seen in two different scenes as a band, playing in the background. That's something that I really emphasized to the director, 'Please don't put the band into the movie,' because we want to do a believable story and we have no idea how to act. We are not actors so if your give us some lines and we tried to act, it would look goofy. He insisted to put us into the movie because it's our brainchild, so we're just playing in there as a band; it's a good compromise."
"Imaginaerum" film cast:
* Francis X. McCarthy
* Quinn Lord
* Marianne Farley
* Joanna Noyes
* Ilkka Villi
* Keyanna Fielding
* Ron Lea
* Victoria Jung
* Hélène Robitaille
* Stefan Demers
* Anette Olzon
* Marco Hietala
* Tuomas Holopainen
* Emppu Vuorinen
* Jukka Nevalainen
The "Imaginaerum" album was released in the U.S. on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.
LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was released from a prison in Prague, the Czech Republic, on August 2, more than a month after he was arrested and incarcerated on charges of alleged manslaughter. Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.
Speaking to MTV News on Friday (August 10), Blythe said, "It's been a little strange ... since I just came home, it's kind of like everywhere I go, people remind me of it ... it's always on my mind. I've been talking a lot about prison, because everybody wants to see me, so I've been visiting my oldest friends and my family, and I'm trying to answer about a thousand text messages that I got when I got out, telling everybody thanks for the good thoughts. I'm slowly easing back into normality. The first day I was home, I woke up and sat on my back deck and just looked around, and everything is just so green, a lot of trees, and I was like 'Wow, it's not cold and angular and concrete like prison was.'"
Blythe added that, if necessary, he will return to Prague to stand trial if he is brought up on official charges.
"I feel that it's the right thing for me to do, to go back [to the Czech Republic] and face trial. I won't be extradited, but ethically I think it's the correct thing for me to do," he said. "So if I start feeling some trepidation about that, I just remind myself that I have to do the right thing ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.
"I believe that I'm 100-percent innocent ... but I also believe as a responsible and compassionate human being, I should go back and, if necessary, and go to trial and give this young man's family some answers," he continued. "They're suffering greatly, and I'm not interested in [making them suffer more]. I will certainly fight for my freedom, and do everything I can, legally, to maintain that, but I'm also not going to hide when these people are undergoing the worst emotional trauma."
Speaking to MTV News on Friday (August 10), Blythe said, "It's been a little strange ... since I just came home, it's kind of like everywhere I go, people remind me of it ... it's always on my mind. I've been talking a lot about prison, because everybody wants to see me, so I've been visiting my oldest friends and my family, and I'm trying to answer about a thousand text messages that I got when I got out, telling everybody thanks for the good thoughts. I'm slowly easing back into normality. The first day I was home, I woke up and sat on my back deck and just looked around, and everything is just so green, a lot of trees, and I was like 'Wow, it's not cold and angular and concrete like prison was.'"
Blythe added that, if necessary, he will return to Prague to stand trial if he is brought up on official charges.
"I feel that it's the right thing for me to do, to go back [to the Czech Republic] and face trial. I won't be extradited, but ethically I think it's the correct thing for me to do," he said. "So if I start feeling some trepidation about that, I just remind myself that I have to do the right thing ... this poor young man's family deserves some answers.
"I believe that I'm 100-percent innocent ... but I also believe as a responsible and compassionate human being, I should go back and, if necessary, and go to trial and give this young man's family some answers," he continued. "They're suffering greatly, and I'm not interested in [making them suffer more]. I will certainly fight for my freedom, and do everything I can, legally, to maintain that, but I'm also not going to hide when these people are undergoing the worst emotional trauma."
LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was released from a prison in Prague, the Czech Republic, on August 2, more than a month after he was arrested and incarcerated on charges of alleged manslaughter. Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.
Speaking to Greg Prato of RollingStone.com, Blythe stated about the support that he received back home during his stint in prison, "It's pretty humbling for me to see this level of support. I knew my good friends in the music industry would stand by me, but a bunch of legends really spoke up for me. Ozzy and Sharon wrote a letter to the judge. It's really overwhelming, because to think someone like Ozzy Osbourne, who was in BLACK SABBATH, which is kind of the reason why I have a job today, even knows that I exist — much less say something on my behalf — is extremely humbling."
Asked if there is any chance that the case will be settled out of court, Blythe said, "There is a chance of that. It's not definite. The Czech legal system works differently. From what I understand, the police have charged me, but the prosecuting attorney hasn't yet. There's different stages to being charged, just like there's different stages of bail. From what I understand, it could get settled out of court, but I doubt it will, especially with the kind of intensity that the prosecuting attorney pursued my continual incarceration with. If I'm called to return to Prague, I will."
Regarding whether he has any trepidation about going back to the Czech Republic and standing trial, Blythe said, "They want to give me five to 10 years, so naturally, there's some trepidation. But the way I feel about possibly going to prison for five to 10 years really has nothing to do with the fact of the matter that it's the right thing for me to do. It's the right thing for me to do and stand trial if called — if only from the ethical viewpoint that this young man's family is sitting there with a lot of questions still."
Speaking to Greg Prato of RollingStone.com, Blythe stated about the support that he received back home during his stint in prison, "It's pretty humbling for me to see this level of support. I knew my good friends in the music industry would stand by me, but a bunch of legends really spoke up for me. Ozzy and Sharon wrote a letter to the judge. It's really overwhelming, because to think someone like Ozzy Osbourne, who was in BLACK SABBATH, which is kind of the reason why I have a job today, even knows that I exist — much less say something on my behalf — is extremely humbling."
Asked if there is any chance that the case will be settled out of court, Blythe said, "There is a chance of that. It's not definite. The Czech legal system works differently. From what I understand, the police have charged me, but the prosecuting attorney hasn't yet. There's different stages to being charged, just like there's different stages of bail. From what I understand, it could get settled out of court, but I doubt it will, especially with the kind of intensity that the prosecuting attorney pursued my continual incarceration with. If I'm called to return to Prague, I will."
Regarding whether he has any trepidation about going back to the Czech Republic and standing trial, Blythe said, "They want to give me five to 10 years, so naturally, there's some trepidation. But the way I feel about possibly going to prison for five to 10 years really has nothing to do with the fact of the matter that it's the right thing for me to do. It's the right thing for me to do and stand trial if called — if only from the ethical viewpoint that this young man's family is sitting there with a lot of questions still."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready and ex-GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER bass player Duff McKagan have begun working with WALKING PAPERS, a new Seattle band launched by former SCREAMING TREES drummer Barrett Martin and longtime Seattle musician Jeff Angell. McKagan plays bass on the band's entire debut disc, while McCready contributes lead guitar solos. The record is due out in October and the first single, "Your Secret's Safe With Me", is streaming at the band's Facebook page.
Martin and McCready previously played together in MAD SEASON, alongside late ALICE IN CHAINS singer Layne Staley. The band is currently being reactivated with new vocals being recorded over tracks originally laid down for an abandoned second MAD SEASON album.
McKagan was born and raised in Seattle and played in a punk band there called 10 MINUTE WARNING before migrating to Los Angeles and joining GUNS.
McCready and the rest of PEARL JAM are also working on their 10th studio album, which should be out sometime in 2013.
Martin and McCready previously played together in MAD SEASON, alongside late ALICE IN CHAINS singer Layne Staley. The band is currently being reactivated with new vocals being recorded over tracks originally laid down for an abandoned second MAD SEASON album.
McKagan was born and raised in Seattle and played in a punk band there called 10 MINUTE WARNING before migrating to Los Angeles and joining GUNS.
McCready and the rest of PEARL JAM are also working on their 10th studio album, which should be out sometime in 2013.
Multinational metallers POWERWOLF have inked a deal with Napalm Records. The band's as-yet-untitled new album is tentatively scheduled for a summer 2013 release.
Commented POWERWOLF guitarist Mattew Greywolf: "We're blessed to have found a mighty and truely believing partner for crusades to come. Among all the labels we had been takling to, Napalm Records were the ones who stood out in means of faith, spirit and dedication to the wolves. We're looking forward to spreading the word of metal together with them in the future. Be prepared!"
Added Markus Riedler, CEO of Napalm Records: "Captain Napalm, the mighty twin-headed eagle, and the wolves have joined forces in order to begin the crusade for the power metal throne. There is no doubt that the ultimate victory of the band cannot be stopped. We are very proud to build a great future together with POWERWOLF. The album will be released in the summer of 2013 and the deafening howl of the wolves will make the competitors freeze with fear."
POWERWOLF's first live album, "Alive In The Night", was recorded exclusively for Metal Hammer, Germany's leading metal magazine. The CD was only available with the April 2012 issue of Metal Hammer.
POWERWOLFs' "We Drink Your Blood" video can be seen below (courtesy of Metal Hammer magazine). The clip was filmed in an ancient monastery church.
"We Drink Your Blood" comes off POWERWOLF's fourth album, "Blood Of The Saints", which was released last August via Metal Blade Records. The CD was made available as a regular CD, a limited-edition digibook 2-CD and on vinyl. The cover art was created by POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf.
Commented POWERWOLF guitarist Mattew Greywolf: "We're blessed to have found a mighty and truely believing partner for crusades to come. Among all the labels we had been takling to, Napalm Records were the ones who stood out in means of faith, spirit and dedication to the wolves. We're looking forward to spreading the word of metal together with them in the future. Be prepared!"
Added Markus Riedler, CEO of Napalm Records: "Captain Napalm, the mighty twin-headed eagle, and the wolves have joined forces in order to begin the crusade for the power metal throne. There is no doubt that the ultimate victory of the band cannot be stopped. We are very proud to build a great future together with POWERWOLF. The album will be released in the summer of 2013 and the deafening howl of the wolves will make the competitors freeze with fear."
POWERWOLF's first live album, "Alive In The Night", was recorded exclusively for Metal Hammer, Germany's leading metal magazine. The CD was only available with the April 2012 issue of Metal Hammer.
POWERWOLFs' "We Drink Your Blood" video can be seen below (courtesy of Metal Hammer magazine). The clip was filmed in an ancient monastery church.
"We Drink Your Blood" comes off POWERWOLF's fourth album, "Blood Of The Saints", which was released last August via Metal Blade Records. The CD was made available as a regular CD, a limited-edition digibook 2-CD and on vinyl. The cover art was created by POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf.
Taking a detour from his main job as lead guitarist for JOURNEY, the multi-talented Neal Schon has put the finishing touches on his latest solo album, "The Calling", to be released on October 23 via Frontiers Records. Produced by and featuring Schon on all guitars and bass, "The Calling" reunites Schon with former JOURNEY bandmate Steve Smith, who lends his virtuoso drum talents to all 12 tracks on the new album.
Schon set up shop at Berkeley's famed Fantasy Studios during a break from JOURNEY's busy touring schedule and recorded the album, completely from scratch, in just four days. After overdubbing multiple guitar and bass parts, Schon recruited two keyboard masters to flesh out the music. Igor Len, an accomplished classical, jazz and film composer who had previously collaborated with Schon, is featured on acoustic piano throughout "The Calling" album.
Grammy Award-winning special guest Jan Hammer (Jeff Beck, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, "Miami Vice" soundtrack) recorded Moog synthesizer solos on two tracks — "Fifty Six" and "Tumbleweeds". Recently, Schon teamed up with Dan Barnett ("Journey: Live In Manila") to produce the video for the first single and title track from "The Calling".
While celebrating the release of "The Calling", Schon will be back on the road with JOURNEY as the band's 2012 tour kicked off July 21 in Southern California and is scheduled to run through December, with most dates featuring special guests PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO and LOVERBOY.
"The Calling" track listing:
01. The Calling
02. Carnival Jazz
03. Six String Waltz
04. Irish Field
05. Back Smash
06. Fifty Six
07. True Emotion
08. Tumbleweeds
09. Primal Surge
10. Blue Rainbow Sky
11. Transonic Funk
12. Song Of The Wind II
Check out audio samples at www.schonmusic.com.
Schon set up shop at Berkeley's famed Fantasy Studios during a break from JOURNEY's busy touring schedule and recorded the album, completely from scratch, in just four days. After overdubbing multiple guitar and bass parts, Schon recruited two keyboard masters to flesh out the music. Igor Len, an accomplished classical, jazz and film composer who had previously collaborated with Schon, is featured on acoustic piano throughout "The Calling" album.
Grammy Award-winning special guest Jan Hammer (Jeff Beck, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, "Miami Vice" soundtrack) recorded Moog synthesizer solos on two tracks — "Fifty Six" and "Tumbleweeds". Recently, Schon teamed up with Dan Barnett ("Journey: Live In Manila") to produce the video for the first single and title track from "The Calling".
While celebrating the release of "The Calling", Schon will be back on the road with JOURNEY as the band's 2012 tour kicked off July 21 in Southern California and is scheduled to run through December, with most dates featuring special guests PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO and LOVERBOY.
"The Calling" track listing:
01. The Calling
02. Carnival Jazz
03. Six String Waltz
04. Irish Field
05. Back Smash
06. Fifty Six
07. True Emotion
08. Tumbleweeds
09. Primal Surge
10. Blue Rainbow Sky
11. Transonic Funk
12. Song Of The Wind II
Check out audio samples at www.schonmusic.com.
Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been a Japanese resident since 2003, has co-written a song on the No. 1 album in Japan, "Gift Of Smap", from the pop group SMAP.
Commented Marty: "The song is 'LA+Love And Peace'. I have played guitar on a few No. 1s before, but this is my first songwriting No. 1 anywhere! The lyrics were written by Satomi, who wrote the fantastic 'Yuki No Hana', which I covered on my first 'Tokyo Jukebox' album."
SMAP is scheduled to begin a five-dome tour of Japan to promote "Gift Of Smap". The trek, which begins on August 23, will end at Sapporo Dome on Christmas Eve.
"Gift Of Smap" is SMAP's 22nd studio album.
Commented Marty: "The song is 'LA+Love And Peace'. I have played guitar on a few No. 1s before, but this is my first songwriting No. 1 anywhere! The lyrics were written by Satomi, who wrote the fantastic 'Yuki No Hana', which I covered on my first 'Tokyo Jukebox' album."
SMAP is scheduled to begin a five-dome tour of Japan to promote "Gift Of Smap". The trek, which begins on August 23, will end at Sapporo Dome on Christmas Eve.
"Gift Of Smap" is SMAP's 22nd studio album.
It's been a year since CHICKENFOOT released its latest album, "III", and fans are already wanting more new music from the supergroup.
CHICKENFOOT drummer Chad Smith, who is busy touring with his main band, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, tells VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner that it may be at least twelve months before another CHICKENFOOT CD sees the light of day.
"I just talked to [singer] Sam [Hagar] over the weekend and, you know, [guitarist] Joe [Satriani] is busy doing his thing, he does this guitar [tour], G3 or something, with other guitar players, and they go around. He's on tour, he's coming back, I'm going to see him in Oakland next week. And I think he wants to make another solo album and I'm busy through April. [So] maybe next year we'll get together [to start putting together the third CD]."
"III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.
CHICKENFOOT's most recent touring lineup included legendary drummer/musician Kenny Aronoff, who was filling in for Smith while Chad was on the road with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.
CHICKENFOOT drummer Chad Smith, who is busy touring with his main band, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, tells VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner that it may be at least twelve months before another CHICKENFOOT CD sees the light of day.
"I just talked to [singer] Sam [Hagar] over the weekend and, you know, [guitarist] Joe [Satriani] is busy doing his thing, he does this guitar [tour], G3 or something, with other guitar players, and they go around. He's on tour, he's coming back, I'm going to see him in Oakland next week. And I think he wants to make another solo album and I'm busy through April. [So] maybe next year we'll get together [to start putting together the third CD]."
"III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.
CHICKENFOOT's most recent touring lineup included legendary drummer/musician Kenny Aronoff, who was filling in for Smith while Chad was on the road with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.
GUNS N' ROSES/SIXX: A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba will appear at the "Off The Deep End" pool party on Saturday, September 1 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ashba says, "It's gonna be insane!"
Ashba, who moved to Las Vegas in January, recently teamed up with BullyVille.com, the Internet's first anti-bullying social web site and media platform. The guitarist used BullyVille.com himself to reveal his struggles coping with being bullied as a child by his own father.
Ashba joined GUNS N' ROSES in March 2009 following the departure of Robin Finck.
Ashba, who moved to Las Vegas in January, recently teamed up with BullyVille.com, the Internet's first anti-bullying social web site and media platform. The guitarist used BullyVille.com himself to reveal his struggles coping with being bullied as a child by his own father.
Ashba joined GUNS N' ROSES in March 2009 following the departure of Robin Finck.
MPIRE OF EVIL (formerly PRIMEVIL) — the band formed in 2010 by ex-VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals) — finished laying down the drums for its forthcoming second album, tentatively due in November.
After completing a successful U.S. tour with new drummer Marc Jackson (who replaced Antony "Antton" Lant earlier this year), MPIRE OF EVIL in May announced that Marc had joined the group on a permanent basis.
Video footage of MPIRE OF EVIL performing on April 29 at the Maratona Rock festival in Santhià, Italy can be seen below.
MPIRE OF EVIL earlier in the year completed a North American tour with fellow British thrashers ONSLAUGHT.
MPIRE OF EVIL released its full-length debut, "Hell To The Holy", on March 26 via Scarlet Records. The CD boasts 10 brand-new tracks displaying the band's infectious and groovy heavy metal assault, conveying Mantas' thunderous riffs, a huge rhythm section and Dolan's abrasive vocals into a monstrous musical holocaust which will appeal to both old-school and modern metal fans.
Produced by Mantas himself and featuring stunning cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák (ANNIHILATOR, DESTRUCTION, GRAVE DIGGER), "Hell To The Holy" is without any doubts a "must have" album for 2012.
MPIRE OF EVIL released its debut mini-album, "Creatures Of The Black", on October 21, 2011 via Scarlet Records. The CD featured cover versions of four songs that influenced the members of M-PIRE OF EVIL ("Exciter" by JUDAS PRIEST, "God Of Thunder" by KISS, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" by AC/DC and "Motörhead" by MOTÖRHEAD), plus two new songs, "Hellspawn" and "Reptile".
In a 2010 interview with Metality, Dolan stated about the formation of M-PIRE OF EVIL,"Well, I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (DRYLL and DEF-CON-ONE) came together in DRYLL. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services. People kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of, 'Oh, yeah that would be fun perhaps,' but then DRYLL played a show and performed the VENOM track 'Black Metal' [with Antton] and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play, too. So I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we'd see if it worked. It does, very well, but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! [M-PIRE OF EVIL] is old school, I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful. [As to how MPIRE OF EVIL is] different from VENOM, [I'm] not sure. We will inevitably be compared, as we are all ex-VENOM [members] and, of course, Mantas was the main songwriter for VENOM, so... But I feel we are more like classic metal. MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH.... PRIEST and VENOM."
After completing a successful U.S. tour with new drummer Marc Jackson (who replaced Antony "Antton" Lant earlier this year), MPIRE OF EVIL in May announced that Marc had joined the group on a permanent basis.
Video footage of MPIRE OF EVIL performing on April 29 at the Maratona Rock festival in Santhià, Italy can be seen below.
MPIRE OF EVIL earlier in the year completed a North American tour with fellow British thrashers ONSLAUGHT.
MPIRE OF EVIL released its full-length debut, "Hell To The Holy", on March 26 via Scarlet Records. The CD boasts 10 brand-new tracks displaying the band's infectious and groovy heavy metal assault, conveying Mantas' thunderous riffs, a huge rhythm section and Dolan's abrasive vocals into a monstrous musical holocaust which will appeal to both old-school and modern metal fans.
Produced by Mantas himself and featuring stunning cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák (ANNIHILATOR, DESTRUCTION, GRAVE DIGGER), "Hell To The Holy" is without any doubts a "must have" album for 2012.
MPIRE OF EVIL released its debut mini-album, "Creatures Of The Black", on October 21, 2011 via Scarlet Records. The CD featured cover versions of four songs that influenced the members of M-PIRE OF EVIL ("Exciter" by JUDAS PRIEST, "God Of Thunder" by KISS, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" by AC/DC and "Motörhead" by MOTÖRHEAD), plus two new songs, "Hellspawn" and "Reptile".
In a 2010 interview with Metality, Dolan stated about the formation of M-PIRE OF EVIL,"Well, I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (DRYLL and DEF-CON-ONE) came together in DRYLL. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services. People kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of, 'Oh, yeah that would be fun perhaps,' but then DRYLL played a show and performed the VENOM track 'Black Metal' [with Antton] and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play, too. So I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we'd see if it worked. It does, very well, but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! [M-PIRE OF EVIL] is old school, I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful. [As to how MPIRE OF EVIL is] different from VENOM, [I'm] not sure. We will inevitably be compared, as we are all ex-VENOM [members] and, of course, Mantas was the main songwriter for VENOM, so... But I feel we are more like classic metal. MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH.... PRIEST and VENOM."
MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has lashed out at the SeaWorld theme park for putting on nightly "Shamu Rocks" shows that blast music while orcas perform tricks for the crowd. According to PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals), the "Shamu Rocks" shows put these animals in an environment that is even more stressful than the one they already are forced to endure. That's why PETA supporter Lee recently urged the park in San Diego to put a stop to this unnecessary and cruel spectacle.
Lee, along with PETA, sent a letter to John T. Reilly, the president of the theme park's San Diego location, stating in part, "I'm writing to ask you not to play any MÖTLEY CRÜE songs at any of SeaWorld's parks during this sad show. Although we like to torture the human fans who willingly come to our shows, we don't want to be a part of making innocent animals' lives hellish."
Says PETA: "Orcas at SeaWorld are already denied everything that is natural and important to them. These intelligent animals are forced to learn circus-style tricks and are confined to pitifully small concrete tanks, where they have no choice but to swim in endless circles. Like many marine animals, orcas are guided by an intricate sonar system, which is thwarted in small aquarium tanks. Excessive outside noise only adds to the animals' distress, causing them to become fearful and aggressive. Some experts say that a noise level of 70 decibels is too much for the orcas to handle, yet 'Shamu Rocks' shows reach up to 90 decibels. These shows teach visitors all the wrong lessons: that it is acceptable to imprison animals, deprive them of freedom of movement and thought, and use them for our entertainment, despite the risks to their physical and mental health."
In 2010, Lee fired off a letter to SeaWorld over its treatment of the 12,000-pound orca named Tilikum which was involved in the death of three people, most recently Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer with 16 years of experience at SeaWorld. Lee complained about the way SeaWorld got whale sperm from Tilikum, writing, "We know from SeaWorld's own director of safety (as well as videos on the web) that the way you get his sperm is by having someone get into the pool and masturbate him with a cow's vagina filled with hot water.
"Even in my wildest days with MOTLEY CRUE, I never could've imagined something so sick and twisted."
Lee, along with PETA, sent a letter to John T. Reilly, the president of the theme park's San Diego location, stating in part, "I'm writing to ask you not to play any MÖTLEY CRÜE songs at any of SeaWorld's parks during this sad show. Although we like to torture the human fans who willingly come to our shows, we don't want to be a part of making innocent animals' lives hellish."
Says PETA: "Orcas at SeaWorld are already denied everything that is natural and important to them. These intelligent animals are forced to learn circus-style tricks and are confined to pitifully small concrete tanks, where they have no choice but to swim in endless circles. Like many marine animals, orcas are guided by an intricate sonar system, which is thwarted in small aquarium tanks. Excessive outside noise only adds to the animals' distress, causing them to become fearful and aggressive. Some experts say that a noise level of 70 decibels is too much for the orcas to handle, yet 'Shamu Rocks' shows reach up to 90 decibels. These shows teach visitors all the wrong lessons: that it is acceptable to imprison animals, deprive them of freedom of movement and thought, and use them for our entertainment, despite the risks to their physical and mental health."
In 2010, Lee fired off a letter to SeaWorld over its treatment of the 12,000-pound orca named Tilikum which was involved in the death of three people, most recently Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer with 16 years of experience at SeaWorld. Lee complained about the way SeaWorld got whale sperm from Tilikum, writing, "We know from SeaWorld's own director of safety (as well as videos on the web) that the way you get his sperm is by having someone get into the pool and masturbate him with a cow's vagina filled with hot water.
"Even in my wildest days with MOTLEY CRUE, I never could've imagined something so sick and twisted."
According to KCNC-TV, Neil Wharton, the son of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil, and his wife Marie helped organize a concert that will benefit the families of the 12 people killed in the Aurora theater shooting and all those that were hurt. The event, dubbed "Rock Fest For Aurora", will take place this Sunday, August 12 at at the Grizzly Rock in Lakewood, Colorado.
Marie Wharton was friends with one of the shooting victims, Rebecca Wingo. "She was a single mom, [and] she has two beautiful little girls, five and nine," Marie told don't know how to, and this is the way he and I both came up with how to help these people," Marie told KCNC-TV.
Wharton's MÖTLEY CRÜE tribute band ROCK N ROLL JUNKIES will perform at the event, along with seven other local acts.
"We kind of put the call out to the rock community, which is our friends… Every penny that we raise, everything that we make goes directly to the victims' families and that's the least that we could do," Wharton said.
"We want everybody to just come together and be a big family, and that's what we are — a big Colorado family," Wharton said.
Marie Wharton was friends with one of the shooting victims, Rebecca Wingo. "She was a single mom, [and] she has two beautiful little girls, five and nine," Marie told don't know how to, and this is the way he and I both came up with how to help these people," Marie told KCNC-TV.
Wharton's MÖTLEY CRÜE tribute band ROCK N ROLL JUNKIES will perform at the event, along with seven other local acts.
"We kind of put the call out to the rock community, which is our friends… Every penny that we raise, everything that we make goes directly to the victims' families and that's the least that we could do," Wharton said.
"We want everybody to just come together and be a big family, and that's what we are — a big Colorado family," Wharton said.
JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE frontman Jack Russell has posted the following letter to late WARRANT singer Jani Lane, who passed away exactly a year ago today (August 11):
"Dear Jani,
"I cannot believe it has been a year since you left us. I have been sitting here thinking about that day, that horrible tragic day that saddened me and terrified me into having the courage to save my own life.
"I remember meeting you back in the late '80s with your band at the NAMM show. Your first album had just come out and you were all excited, walking around with your heads in the clouds as if you were the first band to ever make a record. It was funny because that was exactly how we acted after our first album came out.
"Next thing you know, we were on tour together. I remember watching your set before we would go on, thinking that you reminded me a lot of myself. I thought you were a fantastic singer with great energy and I could tell that you were having a blast.
"At the last show I hit you in the face with a whipped cream pie and the rest was history.
"Over the years, we became friends and although we were not the kind of friends who watched football together on Sundays, we genuinely loved each other's work and had a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Whenever we had time to catch up over the years, it seemed like yesterday.
"I was laughing thinking about the time at the American Music Awards when we both showed up with black eyes.
"I was always worried about you, but like myself, I thought we were invincible. Unfortunately, I was wrong about both of us.
"If it was not for your passing, little brother, I would not be here. I just wish it did not have to happen the way it did. I miss you, as does everyone you have touched with your life. I know it is beautiful where you are and I will see you again someday my friend.
"Love until then, Jack."
Lane filled in for Russell with GREAT WHITE during the summer of 2010 while Jack dealt with some health issues.
"Dear Jani,
"I cannot believe it has been a year since you left us. I have been sitting here thinking about that day, that horrible tragic day that saddened me and terrified me into having the courage to save my own life.
"I remember meeting you back in the late '80s with your band at the NAMM show. Your first album had just come out and you were all excited, walking around with your heads in the clouds as if you were the first band to ever make a record. It was funny because that was exactly how we acted after our first album came out.
"Next thing you know, we were on tour together. I remember watching your set before we would go on, thinking that you reminded me a lot of myself. I thought you were a fantastic singer with great energy and I could tell that you were having a blast.
"At the last show I hit you in the face with a whipped cream pie and the rest was history.
"Over the years, we became friends and although we were not the kind of friends who watched football together on Sundays, we genuinely loved each other's work and had a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Whenever we had time to catch up over the years, it seemed like yesterday.
"I was laughing thinking about the time at the American Music Awards when we both showed up with black eyes.
"I was always worried about you, but like myself, I thought we were invincible. Unfortunately, I was wrong about both of us.
"If it was not for your passing, little brother, I would not be here. I just wish it did not have to happen the way it did. I miss you, as does everyone you have touched with your life. I know it is beautiful where you are and I will see you again someday my friend.
"Love until then, Jack."
Lane filled in for Russell with GREAT WHITE during the summer of 2010 while Jack dealt with some health issues.
An oral history book about Canadian rockers DANKO JONES, "Too Much Trouble - A Very Oral History Of Danko Jones", by Stuart Berman will be released by ECW Press in October.
The book's official description: "DANKO JONES may be a straight-forward rock band, but their story is anything but. They're a band that has roots in many different music communities — the North American indie-rock scene, the Scandinavian garage-rock scene, the European metal scene — but belong to none of them. They're the only band that's toured with both Blonde Redhead and Nickelback, and they're the only band whose biography could attract a cast of characters that includes Lemmy Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD, Elijah Wood, Ralph Macchio, PEACHES, Dizzy Reed of GUNS N' ROSES, Damian Abraham of FUCKED UP, Jello Biafra of the DEAD KENNEDYS, George Stroumboulopoulous, Alan Cross, Mike Watt and many others.
"'Too Much Trouble' is about more than just DANKO JONES' history — it's an exploration of the rigid politics that govern both underground and mainstream music, and how a band can succeed without pandering to either.
"This is a 15-year saga that goes from college-radio DJ booths to corporate boardrooms, from dingy after-hours boozecans to the biggest festival stages in Europe, marked by encounters with everyone from D.C. riot grrrls to Dublin riot police, from death-metal deities to Hollywood celebrities. And if all this sounds somewhat preposterous, well, as Danko himself would say: this book ain't boastin', it's truthin'."
For more information, visit ECWPress.com.
The book's official description: "DANKO JONES may be a straight-forward rock band, but their story is anything but. They're a band that has roots in many different music communities — the North American indie-rock scene, the Scandinavian garage-rock scene, the European metal scene — but belong to none of them. They're the only band that's toured with both Blonde Redhead and Nickelback, and they're the only band whose biography could attract a cast of characters that includes Lemmy Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD, Elijah Wood, Ralph Macchio, PEACHES, Dizzy Reed of GUNS N' ROSES, Damian Abraham of FUCKED UP, Jello Biafra of the DEAD KENNEDYS, George Stroumboulopoulous, Alan Cross, Mike Watt and many others.
"'Too Much Trouble' is about more than just DANKO JONES' history — it's an exploration of the rigid politics that govern both underground and mainstream music, and how a band can succeed without pandering to either.
"This is a 15-year saga that goes from college-radio DJ booths to corporate boardrooms, from dingy after-hours boozecans to the biggest festival stages in Europe, marked by encounters with everyone from D.C. riot grrrls to Dublin riot police, from death-metal deities to Hollywood celebrities. And if all this sounds somewhat preposterous, well, as Danko himself would say: this book ain't boastin', it's truthin'."
For more information, visit ECWPress.com.
Reunited '80s U.S. metallers LIEGE LORD will be one of the headliners of the Keep It True XVI festival, set to take place April 19-20, 2013 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Koenigshofen, Germany.
According to festival organizers, LIEGE LORD members Joe Comeau (vocals), Tony Truglio (guitars) and Matt Vinci (bass) will perform their classic "Master Control" (1988) in its entirety plus highlights from the first two albums, "Freedom's Rise" (1985) and "Burn To My Touch" (1987).
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AIR RAID
ATTIC
BORROWED TIME
ELIMINATOR
HIGH SPIRITS
HOLOCAUST
JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR
LEGEND
LIEGE LORD
MEDIEVAL STEEL
MIDNIGHT
MORBID SAINT
OCTOBER 31
POSSESSED
QUARTZ
RAZORWYRE
STEEL PROPHET
TORANAGA
According to festival organizers, LIEGE LORD members Joe Comeau (vocals), Tony Truglio (guitars) and Matt Vinci (bass) will perform their classic "Master Control" (1988) in its entirety plus highlights from the first two albums, "Freedom's Rise" (1985) and "Burn To My Touch" (1987).
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AIR RAID
ATTIC
BORROWED TIME
ELIMINATOR
HIGH SPIRITS
HOLOCAUST
JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR
LEGEND
LIEGE LORD
MEDIEVAL STEEL
MIDNIGHT
MORBID SAINT
OCTOBER 31
POSSESSED
QUARTZ
RAZORWYRE
STEEL PROPHET
TORANAGA
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/keeptrue2013.jpg
According to TMZ.com, former KORN drummer David Silveria pleaded "not guilty" earlier this week in an Orange County, California courtroom to a charge of allegedly driving under the influence.
A pretrial date has been set for September.
Silveria told TMZ.com that he had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested for DUI on March 25, claiming that he was taken into custody over a sleeping pill he took the night before.
The 39-year-old musician — who played with KORN for 13 years — said that he took a sleeping pill the night before his arrest to help him with insomnia. When he woke up the following morning, he accidentally rear-ended another car on his way to breakfast in Huntington Beach, California.
Although Silveria says he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer at the scene of the accident, the cops decided to arrest him for DUI after being told about the sleeping pill.
Silveria told TMZ.com at the time that he planned to take responsibility for his actions, insisting, "It was an honest mistake."
Silveria recently joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.
David left KORN in late 2006 in order to focus on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant.
A pretrial date has been set for September.
Silveria told TMZ.com that he had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested for DUI on March 25, claiming that he was taken into custody over a sleeping pill he took the night before.
The 39-year-old musician — who played with KORN for 13 years — said that he took a sleeping pill the night before his arrest to help him with insomnia. When he woke up the following morning, he accidentally rear-ended another car on his way to breakfast in Huntington Beach, California.
Although Silveria says he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer at the scene of the accident, the cops decided to arrest him for DUI after being told about the sleeping pill.
Silveria told TMZ.com at the time that he planned to take responsibility for his actions, insisting, "It was an honest mistake."
Silveria recently joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.
David left KORN in late 2006 in order to focus on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant.
DEFTONES debuted two new songs — "Roller Derby" and "Rosemary" — during a July 28 concert West Hollywood, California. Both tracks are slated to appear on DEFTONES's seventh album, which is tentatively scheduled for release on October 9. The CD will follow up 2010's "Diamond Eyes", which was the group's most successful and acclaimed outing in years.
Speaking to QMI Agency, Moreno said that "Roller Derby" and "Rosemary" are not necesasarily the best indication of what fans can expect to hear on the upcoming effort.
"I don't think those songs are the ones that best represent our record," he said. "They're two different songs, one is a lot more ambient ['Rosemary'] than the other ['Roller Derby'], the other is a lot more aggressive. But they're cool, they balance each other out. The songs already sounded great live before we recorded them. When we wrote the record we pretty much wrote it live."
DEFTONES worked again with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who produced "Diamond Eyes" and has also worked on albums by RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS.
"Internally over the years we've figured out better ways of making records," Moreno told the QMI Agency about completing the new CD faster than usual. "We sort of just dragged them out for so long. We implemented a new regiment to our work ethic. We wrote it all from scratch, we don't write on tour or anything like that. We were ready to go in there [the studio] and see how it feels in the daytime and get to work."
The group also intends to continue their tradition of recording several cover tunes that could end up as B-sides, with Moreno revealing that they've been toying with songs from ELVIS PRESLEY and EARTH, WIND & FIRE, among others.
"The fun stuff is playing somebody else's song and recording it," he said. "We're always open to new stuff. It's fun for us to do something that's out of our element and something you wouldn't expect from a heavier type of rock band. So hopefully it will be something that's a little off the cuff and left of center."
Speaking to QMI Agency, Moreno said that "Roller Derby" and "Rosemary" are not necesasarily the best indication of what fans can expect to hear on the upcoming effort.
"I don't think those songs are the ones that best represent our record," he said. "They're two different songs, one is a lot more ambient ['Rosemary'] than the other ['Roller Derby'], the other is a lot more aggressive. But they're cool, they balance each other out. The songs already sounded great live before we recorded them. When we wrote the record we pretty much wrote it live."
DEFTONES worked again with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who produced "Diamond Eyes" and has also worked on albums by RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS.
"Internally over the years we've figured out better ways of making records," Moreno told the QMI Agency about completing the new CD faster than usual. "We sort of just dragged them out for so long. We implemented a new regiment to our work ethic. We wrote it all from scratch, we don't write on tour or anything like that. We were ready to go in there [the studio] and see how it feels in the daytime and get to work."
The group also intends to continue their tradition of recording several cover tunes that could end up as B-sides, with Moreno revealing that they've been toying with songs from ELVIS PRESLEY and EARTH, WIND & FIRE, among others.
"The fun stuff is playing somebody else's song and recording it," he said. "We're always open to new stuff. It's fun for us to do something that's out of our element and something you wouldn't expect from a heavier type of rock band. So hopefully it will be something that's a little off the cuff and left of center."
Svart Records has set an August 24 release date for "Symphony Of Shadows", the first-ever set of all-new material by BEDEMON, the band regarded by many as the original true U.S. doom band.
Inspired by the goriest of fright films and the most menacing of music at the time, guitarist/composer/journalist/author Randy Palmer churned out the very first doom songs written on North American soil. This understated innovator recruited the help of his bandmates, PENTAGRAM co-founders Geof O'Keefe (drums) and Bobby Liebling (vocals) as well as schoolmate Mike Matthews (bass). Throughout the 1970s, the band recorded numerous sinister, doom-drenched slabs of metallic gold — BLACK SABBATH were Palmer's idols — that illegally floated around on sub-standard bootlegs for decades. Finally, in 2004 to much fanfare, these rough, never-intended-for-public recordings were collected, repaired, and released as "Child Of Darkness: From The Original Master Tapes".
Since then, BEDEMON has seen a surge in popularity due to their intertwined history with the original PENTAGRAM, in addition to their music being featured in the critically acclaimed award-winning documentary, "Last Days Here" (Sundance Selects/914 Pictures), chronicling the life and times of PENTAGRAM and original BEDEMON vocalist Bobby Liebling.
Literally a decade in the making, BEDEMON now proudly issues their sophomore release, "Symphony Of Shadows". Shortly after completing recording of the basic rhythm tracks in April 2002, band founder Randy Palmer was involved in a tragic car accident and passed away in August of that year. O'Keefe, Matthews, and new vocalist Craig Junghandel worked with recording engineer Shawn Hafley over the next decade to finish the project both in tribute to Randy and also because they felt so passionately about the strength of the material; the result is nine bone-crushingly heavy slices of pure '70s-flavored doom metal.
Clocking in at just under 60 minutes, "Symphony Of Shadows" will be released as both a single CD and deluxe 2-LP vinyl set, chock-full of photos, lyrics, liner notes, and intimate stories from the surviving members of this very special band.
Of the album, drummer/guitarist/composer Geof O'Keefe says, "This is dedicated to Randy. His songwriting is so far advanced beyond the 'Child Of Darkness' material. The album sounds like a classic '70s metal release, which is very intentional!'
Svart Records president Tomi Pulkki heard the album and knew it was perfect for Svart, saying, "As a label that is perhaps best known for releasing PENTAGRAM and REVEREND BIZARRE on vinyl, I didn't think twice when the chance to work with BEDEMON was offered. We're happy to help bring their final opus to the world."
"Symphony Of Shadows" track listing:
01. Saviour
02. Lord of Desolation
03. Son of Darkness
04. The Plague
05. D.E.D.
06. Kill You Now
07. Godless
08. Hopeless
09. Eternally Unhuman
Inspired by the goriest of fright films and the most menacing of music at the time, guitarist/composer/journalist/author Randy Palmer churned out the very first doom songs written on North American soil. This understated innovator recruited the help of his bandmates, PENTAGRAM co-founders Geof O'Keefe (drums) and Bobby Liebling (vocals) as well as schoolmate Mike Matthews (bass). Throughout the 1970s, the band recorded numerous sinister, doom-drenched slabs of metallic gold — BLACK SABBATH were Palmer's idols — that illegally floated around on sub-standard bootlegs for decades. Finally, in 2004 to much fanfare, these rough, never-intended-for-public recordings were collected, repaired, and released as "Child Of Darkness: From The Original Master Tapes".
Since then, BEDEMON has seen a surge in popularity due to their intertwined history with the original PENTAGRAM, in addition to their music being featured in the critically acclaimed award-winning documentary, "Last Days Here" (Sundance Selects/914 Pictures), chronicling the life and times of PENTAGRAM and original BEDEMON vocalist Bobby Liebling.
Literally a decade in the making, BEDEMON now proudly issues their sophomore release, "Symphony Of Shadows". Shortly after completing recording of the basic rhythm tracks in April 2002, band founder Randy Palmer was involved in a tragic car accident and passed away in August of that year. O'Keefe, Matthews, and new vocalist Craig Junghandel worked with recording engineer Shawn Hafley over the next decade to finish the project both in tribute to Randy and also because they felt so passionately about the strength of the material; the result is nine bone-crushingly heavy slices of pure '70s-flavored doom metal.
Clocking in at just under 60 minutes, "Symphony Of Shadows" will be released as both a single CD and deluxe 2-LP vinyl set, chock-full of photos, lyrics, liner notes, and intimate stories from the surviving members of this very special band.
Of the album, drummer/guitarist/composer Geof O'Keefe says, "This is dedicated to Randy. His songwriting is so far advanced beyond the 'Child Of Darkness' material. The album sounds like a classic '70s metal release, which is very intentional!'
Svart Records president Tomi Pulkki heard the album and knew it was perfect for Svart, saying, "As a label that is perhaps best known for releasing PENTAGRAM and REVEREND BIZARRE on vinyl, I didn't think twice when the chance to work with BEDEMON was offered. We're happy to help bring their final opus to the world."
"Symphony Of Shadows" track listing:
01. Saviour
02. Lord of Desolation
03. Son of Darkness
04. The Plague
05. D.E.D.
06. Kill You Now
07. Godless
08. Hopeless
09. Eternally Unhuman
According to The Pulse Of Radio, JANE'S ADDICTION guitarist Dave Navarro has a reputation as a wildman, with drug use, directing porn films and various other activities all part of his past. But Navarro has taken things a step further by going in for flesh hook suspension. In a video posted online, Navarro is seen having large metal hooks inserted into the flesh of his back, after which he is attached to a rig and suspended in the air. The axeman seems to have taken his band's call for people to do "outlandish things on stage" on their current tour very seriously.
One commenter on YouTube wrote: "Dave, much better doing this than getting hooked on chemicals again. Whatever it takes."
There's no word on whether Navarro will actually pull this stunt off during the second leg of the band's Theatre Of The Escapists tour, which kicks off on Saturday (August 11) in Boston and runs well into late October.
JANE'S ADDICTION has been touring in support of 2011's "The Great Escape Artist", the band's first full-length set of new material in eight years.
Frontman Perry Farrell — who also hosted the festival he co-founded, Lollapalooza, last weekend — recently said that it won't take so long for JANE'S to make its next CD, adding that he'd like to finish it within the next six months.
One commenter on YouTube wrote: "Dave, much better doing this than getting hooked on chemicals again. Whatever it takes."
There's no word on whether Navarro will actually pull this stunt off during the second leg of the band's Theatre Of The Escapists tour, which kicks off on Saturday (August 11) in Boston and runs well into late October.
JANE'S ADDICTION has been touring in support of 2011's "The Great Escape Artist", the band's first full-length set of new material in eight years.
Frontman Perry Farrell — who also hosted the festival he co-founded, Lollapalooza, last weekend — recently said that it won't take so long for JANE'S to make its next CD, adding that he'd like to finish it within the next six months.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, PAPA ROACH got a scare last month when frontman Jacoby Shaddix developed some vocal issues that needed to be addressed before hitting the road with the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival tour. Shaddix gave Loudwire an update on his condition, saying, "I think I'll be all right. I've got a speech and vocal therapist at the current time to learn how to sing through this and work through this and take care of myself. Really it's just a matter of having a little bit more discipline than I'm used to, you know, as far as vocal rest and warm ups and cool downs and all that kind of stuff."
GODSMACK was forced to cancel a European tour because of singer Sully Erna needing to rest his voice. Shaddix, who was informed last month that he had a node forming on his vocal cords, said of Erna, "I wish him well. I know it's not fun dealing with it. But if you get hooked up with the right people and you start doing the right things, you're going to be all right."
The Uproar Festival, which also features SHINEDOWN, STAIND, P.O.D., REDLIGHT KING, ADELITAS WAY and others, gets underway on August 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
The vocal scare is the latest in a series of struggles for Shaddix, who has also dealt with marital strife and recurring addiction issues in the past year or so. He told The Pulse Of Radio that all his problems found their way into the new PAPA ROACH album. "I was a mess. I'm a mess," he said. "You know, I was in the process of getting sober again and I just, you know, I'm a wreck. I'm a rock 'n' roll freight train. I'm a VH1 story. It came through on the record, you know, so there's desperation, there's hope, exhilaration, there's empowerment...it's a myriad of emotions. You know, there's songs on this record that I listen to and I'm just — they hit so deep to me, I'm like, 'God, I don't even want to listen to that song right now.'"
The band's new studio set, "The Connection", is due out on October 2. First single "Still Swingin'" arrived late last month.
PAPA ROACH's last full-length studio effort, "Metamorphosis", arrived in spring 2009, while half of 2010's "Time For Annihilation: On The Record & On The Road" consisted of fresh studio material as well.
GODSMACK was forced to cancel a European tour because of singer Sully Erna needing to rest his voice. Shaddix, who was informed last month that he had a node forming on his vocal cords, said of Erna, "I wish him well. I know it's not fun dealing with it. But if you get hooked up with the right people and you start doing the right things, you're going to be all right."
The Uproar Festival, which also features SHINEDOWN, STAIND, P.O.D., REDLIGHT KING, ADELITAS WAY and others, gets underway on August 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
The vocal scare is the latest in a series of struggles for Shaddix, who has also dealt with marital strife and recurring addiction issues in the past year or so. He told The Pulse Of Radio that all his problems found their way into the new PAPA ROACH album. "I was a mess. I'm a mess," he said. "You know, I was in the process of getting sober again and I just, you know, I'm a wreck. I'm a rock 'n' roll freight train. I'm a VH1 story. It came through on the record, you know, so there's desperation, there's hope, exhilaration, there's empowerment...it's a myriad of emotions. You know, there's songs on this record that I listen to and I'm just — they hit so deep to me, I'm like, 'God, I don't even want to listen to that song right now.'"
The band's new studio set, "The Connection", is due out on October 2. First single "Still Swingin'" arrived late last month.
PAPA ROACH's last full-length studio effort, "Metamorphosis", arrived in spring 2009, while half of 2010's "Time For Annihilation: On The Record & On The Road" consisted of fresh studio material as well.
After a warmly approved debut release ("Nihilistic Vision" from 2009) and a major European tour with SODOM, DIE HARD returns with nine new compositions of old-school thrash metal. The Swedes' new album, "Conjure The Legions", will be released in Europe on September 25 and in North America on November 6 via Agonia Records.
A promotional video teaser featuring song samples from "Conjure The Legions" can be viewed below.
"Conjure The Legions" will be made available as a digital download, jewel-case CD and on black vinyl and limited to 66 copies yellow vinyl. Prior to the album's arrival, Agonia Records will also release a special EP from DIE HARD entitled "Antichrist". The EP includes two exclusive tracks: an alternate version of song "Antichrist" and a VENOM cover.
"Conjure The Legions" track listing:
01. Conjure The Legions
02. Masters Of Deceit
03. Satanic Uprise
04. Thrash Them All
05. Cold Scythe
06. Sanctify The Morbid
07. Antichrist
08. Stand Up
09. Robe And Crown
DIE HARD is:
Harry - Bass/Vocals
Simon - Guitar/Vocals
Perra - Drums
A promotional video teaser featuring song samples from "Conjure The Legions" can be viewed below.
"Conjure The Legions" will be made available as a digital download, jewel-case CD and on black vinyl and limited to 66 copies yellow vinyl. Prior to the album's arrival, Agonia Records will also release a special EP from DIE HARD entitled "Antichrist". The EP includes two exclusive tracks: an alternate version of song "Antichrist" and a VENOM cover.
"Conjure The Legions" track listing:
01. Conjure The Legions
02. Masters Of Deceit
03. Satanic Uprise
04. Thrash Them All
05. Cold Scythe
06. Sanctify The Morbid
07. Antichrist
08. Stand Up
09. Robe And Crown
DIE HARD is:
Harry - Bass/Vocals
Simon - Guitar/Vocals
Perra - Drums
Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski, a Polish heavy metal musician who is worldly renowned by his signature drumming for bands such as VADER, MASACHIST, AZARATH, NEOLITHIC, INSIDIOUS DISEASE, PYORRHOEA, VESANIA, HUNTER and BLACK RIVER, will hit Australian soil next month.
Currently drumming for DIMMU BORGIR, whom he joined prior to the release of 2010's "Abrahadabra", Daray will held drum clinics followed by meet-and-greet sessions with his fans.
Please note there are two ticket classes during this tour, and as such, signing of merchandise, CDs, etc., requires a "meet-and-greet VIP" ticket.
For more information, see the poster below.
Two more dates have since been added to the tour:
* Thursday, September 27
Jubilee Hotel, Brisbane
* Saturday, September 29
Burleigh Underground Drummers
In a 2008 interview with Metal-Rules.com, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz was asked how he would rank Daray against all the other drummers the Norwegian black metal band has worked with over the years. "I would say that he is the most steady and consistent drummer I've ever played with, no matter what," he replied. "He's extremely reliable, hard-working, determined and he really, really pushes himself, you know? Even if he plays a really killer show and the rest of us have nothing to complain about, he still is not happy. It's not good enough. That's the attitude we need, you know? After all, the drummer is the engine in the band and you won't get anywhere if you only have oil and gas…you need the engine to work too…so… he's awesome."
Drum-cam footage of Daray performing the song "The Serpentine Offering" with DIMMU BORGIR at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival, which was held June 6-9 in Sölvesborg, Sweden, can be seen below. Also available is footage of Daray playing the track "Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse" with DIMMU BORGIR at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival, which was held June 8-10 on the Pannonia Fields in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria (near Nickelsdorf and the Hungarian and Slovak borders).
Currently drumming for DIMMU BORGIR, whom he joined prior to the release of 2010's "Abrahadabra", Daray will held drum clinics followed by meet-and-greet sessions with his fans.
Please note there are two ticket classes during this tour, and as such, signing of merchandise, CDs, etc., requires a "meet-and-greet VIP" ticket.
For more information, see the poster below.
Two more dates have since been added to the tour:
* Thursday, September 27
Jubilee Hotel, Brisbane
* Saturday, September 29
Burleigh Underground Drummers
In a 2008 interview with Metal-Rules.com, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz was asked how he would rank Daray against all the other drummers the Norwegian black metal band has worked with over the years. "I would say that he is the most steady and consistent drummer I've ever played with, no matter what," he replied. "He's extremely reliable, hard-working, determined and he really, really pushes himself, you know? Even if he plays a really killer show and the rest of us have nothing to complain about, he still is not happy. It's not good enough. That's the attitude we need, you know? After all, the drummer is the engine in the band and you won't get anywhere if you only have oil and gas…you need the engine to work too…so… he's awesome."
Drum-cam footage of Daray performing the song "The Serpentine Offering" with DIMMU BORGIR at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival, which was held June 6-9 in Sölvesborg, Sweden, can be seen below. Also available is footage of Daray playing the track "Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse" with DIMMU BORGIR at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival, which was held June 8-10 on the Pannonia Fields in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria (near Nickelsdorf and the Hungarian and Slovak borders).
Western Massachusetts metallers THE ACACIA STRAIN will release their new album, "Death Is The Only Mortal", on October 9 via Rise Records. The CD is being produced by guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz at his Western Massachusetts studio.
"Death Is The Only Mortal" track listing:
01. Doomblade
02. Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow
03. Go To Sleep
04. Brain Death
05. The Mouth Of The River
06. Dust And The Helix
07. Victims Of The Cave
08. Time And Death And God
09. The Chambered Nautilus
10. House Of Abandon
The cover artwork can be seen below.
Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."
THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.
Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.
THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.
"Death Is The Only Mortal" track listing:
01. Doomblade
02. Our Lady Of Perpetual Sorrow
03. Go To Sleep
04. Brain Death
05. The Mouth Of The River
06. Dust And The Helix
07. Victims Of The Cave
08. Time And Death And God
09. The Chambered Nautilus
10. House Of Abandon
The cover artwork can be seen below.
Regarding the decision to have Laskiewicz helm the new album, vocalist Vincent Bennett previously said, "You all love DL, so it makes sense for us to go ahead and do the album this way and keep it heavy right from the source of where this all comes from."
THE ACACIA STRAIN in April released a new song, "Servant In The Place Of Truth", via iTunes and Amazon.
Having recently signed a new deal with Rise, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's latest CD, "Wormwood", sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 67 on The Billboard 200 chart.
THE ACACIA STRAIN's previous effort, "Continent", opened with 5,600 units to land at No. 107.
THE ACACIA STRAIN released its first live album, "The Most Known Unknown", in June 2011 via Prosthetic Records.
With a new album, "Gâst", set for release later this year on Selfmutilation Services, Danish black metallers BLODARV have debuted a second track from what will be the band's fourth full-length album. Unlike the previous song, "I Blaek Og Blod", which recently had its debut as a music video, the lyrics to the new cut, "Surrounded By Dust", are in English.
The music and lyrics of BLODARV have always represented a very personal aspect of founder and frontman Hugin's life and beliefs. Writing both in English and Danish he gives voice to his deepest thoughts and emotions through his poetry, which in turn becomes the lyrics to his music.
According Hugin, "Surrounded by Dust" is, in a way, much more representative of the album as a whole.
"The 'I Blaek Og Blod' video caught some of our fans by surprise as the track is not as dark as they have come to expect from us, but as always in BLODARV we create various atmospheres, to fit the music to the lyrics, and 'Surrounded by Dust' takes us firmly back into the darkness," he said. "It is, in fact, one of the slower tracks on the album and is one of my personal favorites. We finished recording the guitars for the track on the 5th of August and mixed and engineered it over the next few days, so it's 'smoking hot" in every sense of the word."
BLODARV's next live appearance will be at the Club Sick in Odense, Denmark on September 15 as the support act for IMPALED NAZARENE.
The music and lyrics of BLODARV have always represented a very personal aspect of founder and frontman Hugin's life and beliefs. Writing both in English and Danish he gives voice to his deepest thoughts and emotions through his poetry, which in turn becomes the lyrics to his music.
According Hugin, "Surrounded by Dust" is, in a way, much more representative of the album as a whole.
"The 'I Blaek Og Blod' video caught some of our fans by surprise as the track is not as dark as they have come to expect from us, but as always in BLODARV we create various atmospheres, to fit the music to the lyrics, and 'Surrounded by Dust' takes us firmly back into the darkness," he said. "It is, in fact, one of the slower tracks on the album and is one of my personal favorites. We finished recording the guitars for the track on the 5th of August and mixed and engineered it over the next few days, so it's 'smoking hot" in every sense of the word."
BLODARV's next live appearance will be at the Club Sick in Odense, Denmark on September 15 as the support act for IMPALED NAZARENE.
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