Legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne told Kevin O'Hare of The Republican that he is considering reuniting with the other members of BLACK SABBATH's original lineup to record a brand new studio album. However, "It's not going to happen for at least a year or two because I've got my tour and an album to do," Ozzy said. "But it's not added to the realms of never ever."
He continued, "I would be a liar if I said to you I wouldn't want to do the ultimate BLACK SABBATH album...
"We never set down when we were kids and went like, 'This is going to be looked upon when we're (expletive) 60 as a milestone in music.' That was not our intention. But it kind of happened.
"I always wanted to be a Beatle and people said, 'Well, BLACK SABBATH is a heavy metal version of THE BEATLES.'
"But I would love to do, absolutely love to do a really great monumental BLACK SABBATH album. Whether we can, I don't know.
"I spoke to Tony Iommi [SABBATH guitarist] about three weeks ago, I spoke to Geezer [Butler, SABBATH bassist] about a week ago, I speak to Bill Ward [SABBATH drummer] all the time. But I won't do it without the other three...
"BLACK SABBATH is four guys as far as I'm concerned. We all depend on each other."
Osbourne and Iommi recently amicably resolved their problems over the ownership of the BLACK SABBATH name and court proceedings in New York were discontinued.
The original SABBATH lineup of Ozzy, Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward has not toured together since the summer of 2005, and last convened for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in early 2006.
In a recent interview with Sunday Mercury, Iommi said that he didn't rule out another reunion with Osbourne. Following the death of singer Ronnie James Dio in May, with whom Iommi had been working recently in the SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL, Iommi told Sunday Mercury, "I spoke to Ozzy while I was in Los Angeles after Ronnie's funeral . . . Ozzy and I have a complicated relationship but we've always kept in touch, no matter what else might have been going on. Would I play with Ozzy again? Who knows? It's weird with me and Ozzy."
Iommi added, "There can be all sorts of shit going on but when we talk, it's like nothing bad has ever happened."
SABBATH did try to record a new album 11 years ago, their first since 1978, but abandoned the attempt after just a couple of songs.
Ozzy released a new solo album, called "Scream", on June 22 and will headline Ozzfest later this month.
Ozzy filed a lawsuit against Iommi in May 2009, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Osbourne sued Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.
The Manhattan federal court suit also charged that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.
Lawyer Andrew DeVore argued that Osbourne signed away all his rights to the BLACK SABBATH trademark after he quit the band in 1979.
Osbourne's lawyer, Howard Shire, called that agreement a "red herring" that was "repudiated" when the singer rejoined in 1997 and took over "quality control" of the band's merchandise, tours and recordings.
The godfather of shock-rock Alice Cooper completed his 2009 "Theatre of Death World Tour" by filming the final show at London, England's legendary Hammersmith Apollo. The concert features many of Cooper's massive hits, including "School's Out", "I'm Eighteen" and "Poison".
Alice Cooper's "Theatre Of Death" is a very different show than anyone has ever seen before. Always expect the unexpected from the unpredictable Alice Cooper… Fans of the ultimate rock 'n' roll showman won't be disappointed as Alice is subjected to guillotines, gallows and much more on his way to being "killed" four times!
Due on September 28, "Theatre Of Death - Live At Hammersmith 2009" DVD will contain the following tracks:
* School's Out
* Department Of Youth
* I'm Eighteen
* Wicked Young Man
* Ballad Of Dwight Fry
* Go To Hell
* Guilty
* Welcome To My Nightmare
* Cold Ethyl
* Poison
* The Awakening
* From The Inside
* Nurse Rozetta
* Is It My Body
* Be My Lover
* Only Women Bleed - I Never Cry
* Black Widow
* Vengeance Is Mine
* Devil's Food
* Dirty Diamonds
* Billion Dollar Babies
* Killer
* I Love The Dead
* No More Mr. Nice Guy
* Under My Wheels
* School's Out
Actor/director Sylvester Stallone was in London last night (Monday, August 9) for the premier of his new film, "Expendables". After the auditions for Alice Cooper's Night Of Fear shows, the legendary rocker met up with Sly and the two spent some time catching up.
A photo of Cooper and Stallone can be viewed below.
Dennis Dunaway, the original bass player of the Alice Cooper group, announced during an interview on WJCU's "Metal On Metal" radio program with host Bill Peters that he and fellow original Alice Cooper group member Neal Smith (drums) are going to be working with Alice on material for the legendary rocker's new studio album, the sequel to "Welcome To My Nightmare".
During the June 19 press conference at the Hellfest in Clisson, France, Cooper stated about his plans for the upcoming record, "I'm very happy with working with [producer] Bob [Ezrin] again. It's 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare', and it's the next nightmare. Thirty years later, he has another nightmare, and this one is even worse than the last one.
"I [hadn't] worked with Bob in a long time. After the 35th anniversary of 'Nightmare', I said, 'Why don't we start writing something else?' And he said, 'Why don't we just do part two?' We'd never done part two, so I went, 'That's a great idea. Let's get me and you together, I think we can still get Steven Hunter and Dick Wagner. We'll put some of the original people on it and add some new people."
When asked what the next album will sound like and if the goal to simply "revisit the past," Cooper said, "I didn't think that we could recreate the sound, but the first three things we did are identical to that era. In fact, we purposely added a few '70s things to it to give it that '70s sound. Without even trying, it sounded just like 'Nightmare'. If we can keep that going, it will really be something. It captures an era."
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Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings have announced the second wave of releases in the monumental 2010 Jimi Hendrix Catalog Project, available October 19, 2010. Legacy's next round of titles from the artist Rolling Stone magazine called the greatest guitarist of all time will include deluxe editions of "Jimi Hendrix Experience: BBC Sessions" and "Jimi Hendrix: Blues", his legendary "Live At Woodstock" performance, and "Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year", the highly collectible Jimi Hendrix Christmas EP.
Originally released in 1994, the "Jimi Hendrix: Blues" album features 11 blues performances recorded by Hendrix between 1966 and 1970 showcasing the guitarist's mastery of the 12-bar form. The new deluxe Legacy edition comes packaged in a six-panel digipak with an expanded, 36-page booklet and includes a bonus DVD featuring an expanded, 30-minute version of "Jimi Hendrix and the Blues" from the Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues series. Directed and produced by Alex Gibney, Janie Hendrix and John McDermott, the film features interviews and live performances not seen in the original PBS television broadcast. A double-disc 12" vinyl LP audiophile edition of "Jimi Hendrix: Blues" will also be available.
The Legacy edition of "Jimi Hendrix Experience: BBC Sessions" brings together recordings from Hendrix's appearances on a variety of BBC radio and television broadcasts from 1967 through 1969. The two-CD "Jimi Hendrix Experience: BBC Sessions" comes packaged in a six-panel digipak and includes a never before released 30-minute bonus DVD documentary. The film features the group's famed January 1969 appearance on "Happening For Lulu" which featured Hendrix interrupting the live broadcast to perform a ferocious rendition of CREAM's "Sunshine Of Your Love" together with interviews with JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding as well as BBC staff producers Jeff Griffin and Bernie Andrews detailing the legendary sessions. The acclaimed 2-CD set includes Hendrix's unique interpretations of such classics as Bob Dylan's "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?", MUDDY WATERS' "Hoochie Coochie Man" [with noted British blues enthusiast
Alexis Korner on slide guitar], THE BEATLES' "Day Tripper" as well as two songs featuring the dream pairing of Stevie Wonder with Hendrix. A single CD "best-of" the BBC Sessions as well as a three-disc 12" audiophile vinyl LP edition of the album will also be available. Both the 2-CD and 3-LP BBC sets feature a previoulsy unreleased version of "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" sourced from the August 24, 1967 of the JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE on "Top of The Tops".
Jimi Hendrix's watershed "Live At Woodstock" album, the artist's most popular live performance, will be reissued in a two-CD set, available in both digipak and brilliant box configurations as well as an audiophile, three-disc 12" vinyl LP edition.
"Merry Christmas & Happy New Year", the Jimi Hendrix seasonal single, features the celebrated 1969 medley of "Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night" and "Auld Lang Syne" backed with "Three Little Bears". "Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" will be reissued as a CD as well as on 7" vinyl in a picture sleeve.
The upcoming wave of 2010 Jimi Hendrix titles culminates in the long-awaited release of "West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology", a definitive career-spanning four-CD box set which tracks Hendrix's remarkable journey from R&B sideman to international stardom. The deluxe set is filled with previously unreleased JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE recordings plus demos, alternate takes and more. The newly curated and assembled Jimi Hendrix anthology will include a new Hendrix documentary directed by the Grammy award-winning Bob Smeaton ("Beatles Anthology", "Festival Express", "Beatles: The Studio Recordings").
"Jimi's music is as alive today as it was 40 years ago, and the success of our most recent releases with Sony Legacy provides thrilling confirmation. We have long maintained that the power of Jimi's music and the power of his message would stand the test of time and provide its own bridge to the future," said Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC. "Being partnered with Legacy enables us to reach a more global audience with that message. And the best is yet to come. What we have in store will propel Jimi into a new decade, with unseen footage and unheard versions of his songs that will absolutely amaze today's music lovers. And we're confident that the distribution is in good hands, opening the door to new and fresh markets. The focus of our endeavors is, and always will be, all about Jimi's music."
"The partnership we've formed with Experience Hendrix to bring Jimi's music to new generations continues to be a potent one and the fan and critical response to our Jimi Hendrix catalog project is so gratifying ," said Adam Block, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Legacy Recordings. "The soul and spirit Jimi's music is truly universal, reaching across time with its eternal vitality, power and beauty."
I am not a guitar player. I would call myself a sloppy-strumming, seven chord-playing noisemaker at best, but not a guitarist. I just wasn't born with the gift, nor did I earn the chops to call myself that illustrious name. Guitarist. I may not know the difference between an arpeggio from Hell or a vibrato from Valhalla, but I will continue to live vicariously through the six, sometimes seven-stringed practitioners who make the music that we love and live to hear.
One night in 1988, while working my usual graveyard shift on the chilly freight dock, I had my Walkman tuned to 105.5 KNAC and I heard at least two tracks from the not-yet-released Ozzy Osbourne album, No Rest for the Wicked. One of the songs was "Demon Alcohol." For me, it wasn't some kind of ramping up process to get Ozzy's new gun, Zakk Wylde, who was just 21 at the time. I was immediately won over by the tone and electrifying power of this guy's guitar. Not knocking Jake E. Lee, his predecessor, but I couldn't help but think that Randy Rhoads was up there in Rock and Roll Heaven hooting at the top of his lungs with ecstatic approval for Zakk. Then I heard "Fire in the Sky" and I became a fan for life.
Truth be told, I've been as giddy as a little girl since I talked to Zakk the other day. Whether he's onstage throwing down one of his spellbinding solos or if he's just sitting down with you shooting the shit, the dude will always leave a lasting impression. Zakk reveals a lot about his music, himself, his relationship with Ozzy, even that imfamous Ozzfest-Iron Maiden egg-throwing incident.
My take away from the "Zakk Attack" is a feeling that God has blessed this man with otherworldly talent and Titanic-sized balls. No human is exempt from life's trials and Zakk has moved through some really challenging ones over the last year or so. Personally, I don't believe in the "Black Label 1-Step Program" that Zakk endorses to stay on the water wagon. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who's been reamed out by King Alcohol or any other life-threatening addiction. But if his program proves to be effective, then more power to him. Read on and draw your own conclusion. But let me conclude my introduction by saying, God Bless b>Zakk Wylde.
KNAC.COM: Hi Zakk.
WYLDE: Charlie! What are you doing, buddy?
KNAC.COM: Alright, man. What's happening?
WYLDE: Getting ready to go to rehearsals for the big, hot rockin' show.
KNAC.COM: For the The Roxy?
WYLDE: Are you going down to the gig?
KNAC.COM: Yeah.
WYLDE: Very cool. It ought to be rockin.' I think the last time I played there, I guess it was '96, when we did that Book of Shadows thing. Had a four-piece string orchestra--a quartet or whatever. I played at The Whisky with Black Label back in '99, maybe? I think we might have played The Troubadour once, too.
KNAC.COM: The Roxy is a small venue. You guys are going to blow it up.
WYLDE: It's going to be a madhouse, dude.
KNAC.COM: How is your health these days?
WYLDE: I'm fine. With the blood clots I had, it's like the weirdest thing. We were out on the road and I said, "Oh man, my leg is killing me." I'd be icing it up and everything like that, doing the normal thing you would do. Like, if your shoulder's hurting you or your back's killing you or whatever. You know what to do. I'd be icing it down everyday and this went on for like almost two weeks, because I'd just like suck it up, have a couple cold ones, just do what I gotta do. That was going on and nothing was getting better, so I it got to the point where the only time I wasn't in pain was if I was laying down and I had my leg elevated and I'd put some ice on it. In the middle of the night, if I stood up to go take a leak, that was a major chore. So we ended up getting an ultrasound, because I knew I didn't break anything. I did the ultrasound and the guy goes, "Oh yeah, you got three major blood clots. I said "How do you get blood clots?" I said, "I'm
42 years old. This is usually reserved for when you start hitting your eighties, right?" He goes "No. Truck drivers get them a lot, airplane pilots get them." So he said I gotta take blood thinners and this and that. He said, "Zakk, if you're drinking now, the booze has got to go. Because you could be sitting here, hanging out with the guys watching Monday night Football, getting hammered or at Hooters or something, and you could just start bleeding out. Between the alcohol and the Coumadin, which is a blood thinner, you could start literally bleeding out your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your dick, your ass, you're done. Finished." And I go, "Okay." I don't think you need rehab for that (laughs).
KNAC.COM: Some people swear by the 12-Step programs for that.
WYLDE: Somebody goes, "Good for you, Zakk. You don't drink. What, are you with a 12-Step program?" I go, "No, the Black Label 1-Step program." Dude, I don't need to hand someone 40,000 dollars of my hard-earned money to tell me, "So Zakk, are you feeling like drinking today." Are you kidding me? Are you that weak? Everyone asks me, "How did you stop drinking?" You just stop. I don't know. You just stop. What do you want me to tell ya? How did you start learning how to take a dump and wipe your ass? Easy. Because you got tired of crapping your pants! Because it stunk. I don't know what to tell you, man. It's like real easy, unless you're that weak. Then, you're a pathetic piece of dirt, man. I go to bars still. I like the whole social thing--hangin' out and talking with people, so I'll still go to pubs with the guys. They'll all be drinking the real stuff and I'll be drinking an O'Douls. I enjoy hanging out with people, you know? Whether we're taking
about sports, religion, politics, music, whatever the hell we're talking about, you just shoot the shit with somebody. I got some of my friends, I swear, you could have an O'Douls in your hand and they're ready to like--they're ready to start doin' heroin. That's pretty sad, dude. It's amazing that you're that weak. To each his own, dude, if you need that kind of support. It's just like me saying, "Hey Charlie. Do you want to be on a diet and get ripped and everything like that and have six-pack abs?" Then I got to be around you all the time, telling you not to eat cake and candy and all this shit food. It's just like, dude, you know what you gotta do. Grow up, dude. I'm not going to sit here and wipe your ass, dude. Just do it. I couldn't care less. You know how it is, Charlie. If I'm a psychiatrist and I say, "Okay, Charlie. Let's talk about why you drink. And you say, "Because I enjoy it." Who doesn't? Have you ever been hammered and had a nice glow
on? It feels good. It's just like the reason why I drink.
KNAC.COM: How hard has it been to adjust without having your liquid helper? When you have a hard day, don't you want to knock back a few beers and get that edge off?
WYLDE: I've never been the classic, you know, like, you watch the old movies and when someone's having a stressful day the first thing they do is grab the bourbon or the whisky or whatever. It could be 12 o'clock in the afternoon and I'll go, "Charlie, you want to go grab a beer?" I would do my usual business throughout the day: lift weights, workout, go pick the kids up from school, whatever. I was never wasted driving around. It's like you have two beers or so and you say, "I'm going to pick up the kids. I'll be back in a little bit." No big deal. You know, when I'm watching the Yankee game, and I'm sitting there with a guitar in my hand and I'm just going over scales and practicing, I'd just have a few beers in there and I'm just chillin' out.
KNAC.COM: For years it was a usual thing for you to have the Pub Open sign lit up with plastic cups and Becks bottles onstage as your musical accompaniment. It has had to be a quite an adjustment for you to all of a sudden be struck sober, hasn't it?
WYLDE: Well, no. Especially getting onstage the first time. I think the first thing I did was that TNA Wrestling thing. "The National Anthem." I didn't have a couple beers in me before I went out and jammed. That was like the first thing I ever did and it was almost like a fight. Right after the first punch, everything's normal. You know what I mean? But before that, your heart's racing, but after you hit the first chord, it's good. So, if I make it sound like everyday I'm just sitting around craving a cocktail...put it this way, you'd have to be an idiot to go, "So Zakk, you wouldn't like a beer right now?" I'd say, "Yeah, of course. I'd love it. Put a case of beer in front of me. Throughout the day, I could drink a case a day, easy.
KNAC.COM: A 24-pack is a good daily allotment. Or good for starters, anyway.
WYLDE: And then, if you're out with guys, you throw a little Crown Royal on top and you're having a good time. You gotta figure, Charlie, with us, everyday you'd go through a case a day. You'd have a couple beers before the gig, and I can't really drink during the show because I'm up there playing. I'd take a swig, if anything, I could use a little mouthful and spit it out, because I'm just wetting my throat. But after the gig, we got a 20-hour drive. Charlie, if you and me were just sitting in front of the bus, in front of the submarine, just listening to tunes--Bob Seger, Elton, all the mellow stuff--then me and you are going to go through a bottle of Crown and a case, like it's nothing, dude. We're sitting in the bus, hanging out, talkin.' It's like, watching the road go buy, listening to great music and relaxing, man. Good times, man.
KNAC.COM: By the time "Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser" came on from Seger's Live Bullet, it would be on, right?
WYLDE: Yeah, without a doubt, man.
KNAC.COM: Something as life altering as a near-death experience with the blood clots, quitting drinking, and, of course, parting ways professionally with Ozzy...
WYLDE: Yeah, and then my father passed away in January, so it was like everything all at once. The running joke with the Black Label colors is, "Zakk, hook me up with the colors." I go, "I don't know if you really want these." Because the running joke is that the good Lord just goes, "Well, this has to fall on somebody. I have to give this shit to somebody. Well, give it to them Black Label guys, They can handle it." (laughs) That's the way to look at everything, so, it's just like whatever road block or obstacle, "Charlie, now for your next mission, if you wish to accept..." It's like, "God, no! I don't want it!" It's like, "Well, tough shit! Here's your next mission!" (laughs)
KNAC.COM: Well it's just one more bridge to cross. as the song goes, right?
WYLDE: Yeah. Exactly, man. Oh my God, Zakk You got the blood clots. You're not playing with Ozzy. He got another guitar player. After that, your father died. And then he died three times from three pulmonary embolisms. That's just before lunch (laughs). I still got the rest of the day to go, baby! (laughs) That's why we're Black Label.
KNAC.COM: I love that attitude, man. You're an optimist. It's the way to be.
WYLDE: And then let's look at how bad it really is. I'm still here, so I can still torture the wife. We got the Black Label Bunker now, so we got this amazing studio, we can make amazing records in it and mix in there as well. What else have we got? We're on the Ozzfest, we're getting ready to do the Black Label Berzerkus, I'm writing a script for a movie that I'm going to direct with the guys, and I'm writing a Black Label Society/Zakk Wylde Guitar Bible. This book will have everything in it. Then, Let's see, what else have we got going on? I'm talking about doing Doom Crew Pubs, a restaurant/sports bar with live entertainment. We're talking about doing those. We got beef jerky, we got hot sauces, we're doing coffee and beer--all under the Black Label moniker. I go like this. I go, "Yeah, things really suck." Are you kidding me? You just gotta General Patton-up. That's why he's such a big hero in Black Label. You just lost a couple tanks. What are you
going to do? You keep filing ahead and keep destroying everything in your path. That's the only thing you can do.
KNAC.COM: I loved that movie, Patton. When I was seven or eight, my dad and I used to go see that movie a lot. That was when movies would run in the theaters for a long time. Blood and Guts. George Patton.
WYLDE: You know the one scene when he went down to the hospital ward he's the ward where guys were missing arms and legs like that. And Patton was talking to the guys. Then the one guy was sitting there complaining of shell shock. (Patton slapped the wounded soldier) I mean he had to apologize for that, because they were like, "Dude, you can't be doing that." And Eisenhower, you know, he was the complete opposite of Patton. It's like your father is. "Well, Dad, I want to play with the guys." He'd say, "You gotta mow the lawn and then you can play all you want. The more you complain and bullshit right now--you could be out there and already done with the lawn." Just go do it. You know, just get the goddamn--G-I-F-D, get it fucking done and you can do whatever you want to do. I mean, Charlie, even if you had a stressful day and you wanted to have a cocktail and you said, "Zakk, I need a drink." I could get you a drink. I know you're not going to get
wasted. Like, "Dude, I need a drink just to chill out." No problem, man. But you're still going to get on with the rest of the day and do what the hell you gotta do, Charlie. God helps those who help themselves, man. The good Lord gave me the gift to play the guitar and play music, but it's up to me to get off my ass and practice. You know what I mean?
KNAC.COM: Yes.
WYLDE: What's that one t-shirt? "It Ain't Gonna Suck Itself," buddy boy (laughs). But it's the truth. You know what you got to do. For me, with my kids, I alwasy tell them, "You're good kids. You're smart enough. You know what the hell you gotta do." I don't have to sit here and General Patton discipline these kids. You know what you gotta do, so don't be an idiot.
KNAC.COM: Is the Wylde family bond stronger than ever?
WYLDE: It always has been. To me, it's just been a bump in the road. Blood clots, my dad dying, the Ozzy thing. I mean, to me, I was there for 23 years. The running joke was, "What really happened, Zakk?" I'm like, "You want to know the real skinny? Well, Oz sat me down and said "Son, we gotta talk to ya." Mom (Sharon Osbourne) came in there, and obviously you know it's not good when they say, "We gotta talk." So, they just said, "You're 43-years old now. You got a wife and three kids. You got a band. It's time to get the fuck out." (laughs) Trust me, I'm not going to be waiting in the unemployment line anytime soon, dude. Do you know what I mean? Put it this way; at any point, anywhere in there, when we did No More Tears, Oz was like, "This is the 'No More Tours Tour.'" So that was the end then, and anything after that was just gravy, you know, like him still wanting to do it. So I've always cherished every moment of it. Your parents are eventually
going to pass away--the circle of life, dude. Mommy and Daddy aren't around to wipe your ass and feed you anymore. You better figure something out. Like, I said, (to) Oz I couldn't be any more grateful--to The Boss. Without Ozzy there would be no Zakk Wylde. There's be no Black Label. There's be no signature guitars. there's be no signature amps, signature pedals, signature strings, I mean, all that stuff, if it wasn't for The Boss.
KNAC.COM: It's all been grace, right?
WYLDE: Yeah. Without a doubt, man.
KNAC.COM: You're not into yoga, The Secret, of any of that gay shit now, are you?
WYLDE: No, I'm not. I never was.
KNAC.COM: Any new additions to your Barbie collection?
WYLDE: (Laughs) Yes, because we'd be out on the road and all the Black Label chapters would just be fucking with me all the time, giving me new Barbie dolls. Dude, I'd get home and I'd have a boxload of fuckin' Barbie dolls. Like when we'd hang out with the Boston Chapter, they know I'm a Yankee guy, halfway into the show--it's tradition now--just the whole Yankees Suck chants starts, for like, about five fuckin' minutes. And I just let em get it out of their system and they keep tossing me Red Sox jerseys that I gotta put on. It's classic, man (laughs). But it's all good times, man.
KNAC.COM: Let's talk about the new album. Obviously, all the Black Label chops and guitar power are there, and the two ballads on the record are as sweet as your ballads can be. I love "Time Waits for No One." That song fucking kills me.
WYLDE: Thanks, brother.
KNAC.COM: It would go without saying that you are really proud of this new record, right?
WYLDE: Yeah, Charlie. It's like asking Jimmy Page which Zeppelin album he's most proud of. He'd tell you that each one represented a different challenge or a different time. Obviously, the first one was the most exciting, because it's like your first girlfriend or whatever. It was like a whirlwind when it started to become successful. But then he would say, "Oh, Led Zeppelin IV. The stars were lined up on that album." He'd probably say, "Yeah, we had a great time with that one." In interviews with Jimmy Page, he says that with Presence they were under so much pressure, and it was their best accomplishment. And that was their least-selling record. That's the beautiful thing about movies, music, and everything like that. You know, with Barbaranne, my wife, I've known her ever since the 6th grade, but I remember when we went to go see that movie, Urban Cowboy. I tried going over her shirt and I got denied, but that was like, 1980 or 1979. But, I remember
that movie. It beings you back in time. Snapshots. Every time I hear "Over the Mountain" I remember exactly where I was, back when it was Randy Rhoads. All my Sabbath records--they just bring back great memories. Even Ozzy always said with albums--they're snapshots in time. He would remember if he had a good time making the album or if he couldn't stand it. He said, "It doesn't matter which album was more successful. If I had a shit time making that record, I don't even want to hear it." He said, "Zakk, with Diary and Blizzard, aside from how the records came out, we had a lot of fun making them."
KNAC.COM: If I went up there to The Wylde Compound and cleaned up around the place, you know, washed the dishes and cleaned up the dogshit, would you give me one of your Les Pauls?
WYLDE: I can't do that (laughs).
KNAC.COM: Not even one of your Epiphones?
WYLDE: No I can't (laughs)
KNAC.COM: You were never as hairy as you are now. I like the chest hair and beard, and of course, I've always found that ruggedness and guitar virtuosity of yours to be very sexy.
WYLDE: Thanks, brother.
KNAC.COM: When was it that you decided to become so hairy?
WYLDE: Right after I did that Rockstar movie I just got tired of shaving and then that's when I said "Fuck this." I grew the beard and ever since then I just like it. And on top of that I didn't feel like shaving anymore.
KNAC.COM: I've been watching Gus G over the last few years and I think he's a really talented player. I have a hard time believing that Ozzy might think that your shoes have been filled, not to mention Randy's or Jake's. What are your thoughts on that?
WYLDE: Well, everybody in the Black Label community's all rooting for Gus. There's no haters. I dig Gus, and I completely support him all the way. Everybody in Black Label supports him all the way. Why wouldn't I? It's like, I play for the Yankees, too. Now he's playing for the Yankees, so I want the franchise to do good.
KNAC.COM: A lot of people don't leave on those terms. It seems like your relationship with Ozzy is a good one.
WYLDE: Put it this way, I'm still part of the family. I still work in the Yankee organization. You know what I mean?
KNAC.COM: There's something that's been hanging out there a while that's caused a lot of people to take sides, when the truth is, we're supposed to be all on the same team. Some of it has been fueled by other parties directly involved in the 2005 Ozzfest Iron Maiden egg-throwing thing. I'm not interested in your opinion of the characters involved, but I'd love to know if you have something you want the heavy music fans out there to know, now that 6 years of water has passed under the bridge.
WYLDE: Well, the whole thing is ridiculous. What it should have been down to is Mom should've just talked with their manager and just said, "Hey, look it. Tell your guy to shut the fuck up. And if he mentions one more thing, you guys are off the tour." That's it. You're done. And if their manager, Rod [Smallwood], went over to them--because they're all fucking grown ups--and said, "Dude, enough of the fucking bagging on The Boss. First off, it's their fucking tour." And that's the end of the conversation. The minute he goes back there and says, "Oh, fuck this. We don't need a reality TV show, fuck Ozzy, this and that, bla bla bla..." then you know what? Pull the power on them right there. Have a guy sitting on the side of the stage every fucking night and the minute he says one bad thing about Ozzy, break his fucking legs and you're off and you're on your way. That's it. Done.
KNAC.COM: So that's what was really going on?
WYLDE: It should have never got to eggs. If anyone ever threw eggs at me, I'd break their fucking legs, dude. I'd stop the show right there and whoever was throwing the fucking eggs--I'd fuckin' morgue them. I wouldn't hospitalize them. I'd fuckin' kill them, right there. I'm looking at both sides. If I was Iron maiden, I'd fuck some people up. And, if I find out who's responsible for it, they're getting fucked up, too. I mean, I'd never go up onstage and start bagging on whoever the headliner is. If anything, all I ever do is thank the band for letting us play with them. When I opened up for Ted Nugent and Lynyrd Skynyrd, I thought, this is such an honor to be playing with these guys. Why would I say anything bad about them? You know what I mean? And on top of that, you're getting paid. It's so fuckin' ridiculous. It's a fuckin' joke. I had no idea. I was just like, "whatever, man." I'm telling you right now--the way I would have handled it would be,
"Hey, guy. You tell your singer to shut the fuck up or hands down, I'll break his fuckin' neck. I'll break his legs first, then I'll break his fuckin' neck. Then you'll have no singer. So he can't say shit. Throw eggs? I'll slit his fuckin' throat, dude. I'd say, "fuck you!" Fuckin' throw eggs? Are you fuckin' kidding me? What, are we in second grade here? Come on. Throw eggs? Throw fuckin' grenades, now. You motherfucker. That whole thing should have just never happened. It should've been, "Tell him to shut up or the guy's off tour." That's it. Then his manager would have said, "Dude, enough of the talking, slagging the headlining act." I mean, how old are we here, dude? How old is Bruce Dickinson? You'd expect that out of an 18-year old, like the Battle of the Bands in high school? What do you think about it?
KNAC.COM: I was there all day and all that night in San Bernardino, really liking the whole thing, up to the point of the egging. And I continued to dig the show afterward. When Black Sabbath went on and did their set, they were totally professional, of course. Ozzy didn't say shit...
WYLDE: I guarantee you that Ozzy didn't even know that that went down. I'm telling you. I know he didn't.
KNAC.COM: Right.
WYLDE: He just sits in the dressing room and he says, "What time are we going on, Zakk?" I would say, "9:30, boss." And he would say, "Okay. See you in a little bit." He doesn't give a shit (laughs). Why should he? I don't get it. Anytime we do these Berzerkus tours, any band that I have out on the road, like Sevendust, we all hang out. We're friends.
KNAC.COM: Did you handpick Children of Bodom, Clutch, and 2Cents for the upcoming Black Label Berzerkus tour?
WYLDE: Yeah, totally. Alexi and I talked about doing it years ago. So now we finally got the opportunity to do it. Alexi--he's awesome. He's the new breed, man. He's the future. Alexi's going to be throwing down with the boys, and the Clutch guys are awesome as well. And 2Cents are an ass-kicking band, too. Everybody should have a good time. I want all the bands to have an ass-kicking time and put on an ass-kicking show. And call it a day.
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine released his long-awaited autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" (formerly "Hello Me... Meet The Real Me"), in the U.S. on August 3 via HarperCollins's It Books imprint (focusing on pop culture, sports, style and content derived from the Internet). The U.K. edition, "Mustaine: A Life In Metal", will hit bookstores in the U.K. on September 30.
Commented Mustaine: "Well, I got the first official American in-store meet-and-greet for my autobiography done [on Monday, August 9] at the Book Revue bookstore in Huntington, New York and the group of about 300 Droogies that were there were fantastic.
"Of course, there were the 'usuals' there that tried to be 'special,' but the bookstore took care of things so that it would be cool for EVERYBODY and so we could take care of EVERYBODY.
"I just gotta laugh, though, watching these bookworms get all bowed up, especially when the 'usuals' are trying to be all 'rebellious,' but I guess even a library has one or two dickweeds to deal with over the course of time.
"I really can't get over how much I enjoyed myself [on Monday] doing all of the press and promotion around this book. I had just a great, great day today. I look forward to the signing [on Tuesday] again, and if you didn't get a chance to meet me [yesterday] there in Long Island, please come to the in-store tomorrow.
"We're close enough now with the shows being almost 'city by city' with this area out here that we're playing, if you don't see me at one of the in-stores you can certainly come a little bit farther and see me at the next one.
"I would like to make something really easy to understand, too. I will gladly sign any of your records, photos, guitars, and stuff like that in the appropriate places. But this is for my autobiography and the bookstore, it's their rules, and that's just how it is.
"If you want to meet and hang out; there are several ways to do this. You can do stuff through the fan club with the meet -and-greets; and if you want a deeper experience than that, you can certainly sign up for 'I Love All Access,' which is the ultimate fan experience.
"We've got something for everybody here at Megadeth.com; just try and be understanding and we'll accommodate you in any way we can.
"NOTE: If you come up to me with a guitar pick guard for me to sign for a Stratocaster (a Fender guitar style or shape) and WE ALL KNOW by now that I play only Dean VMNTs and Zeros, I am going to respectfully decline."
Mustaine has scheduled the following book-signing sessions to promote the autobiography:
August 9
Book Revue
313 New York Ave.
Huntington, NY 11743
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT
August 10
Barnes & Noble
555 Fifth Ave. @ 46th St.
New York, NY 10017
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT
August 10
Bookends
232 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT
August 12
Borders
Wall Street
100 Broadway
New York, NY 10005
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT
August 14
Barnes & Noble
800 Boylston St.
B&N # 2115
Boston, MA 02119
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT
August 15
Barnes & Noble
Rittenhouse Square
1805 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT
August 16
Borders
1201 Boston Post Rd.
Milford, CT 06460
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT
August 18
Joseph-Beth & Davis-Kidd Booksellers
24519 Cedar Road
Lyndhurst, OH, 44124
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT
August 19
Borders
43075 Crescent Blvd
Novi, MI 48375
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT
August 20
Borders
150 N State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT
August 21
Borders
866 Rosedale Center
Roseville, MN 55113
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT
August 23
Rainy Day Books
707 W 47th Street
Unity Temple on The Plaza
Kansas City, Missouri 64112
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT
August 25
Tattered Cover Book Store
9315 Dorchester St.
Highlands Ranch Town Center
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MDT
August 26
Borders
2240 Q St. NE STE 10-K
Albuquerque, NM 87110
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. MDT
August 27
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S McClintock Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MST
August 29
Barnes & Nobles
Mira Mesa
10775 Westview Parkway
San Diego, CA 92126
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT
August 30
Borders
101 S Pine Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. PDT
August 31
Borders
233 Winston Drive
San Francisco, CA 94132
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. PDT
September 1
Borders
2339 Fair Oaks Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95825
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. PDT
September 3
University Bookstore
4326 University Way
Seattle, WA 98105
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT
September 4
Powell's Bookstore
2720 NW 29th Ave.
Portland, OR 97210
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT
Mustaine is the first to admit that he has bottomed out a few times in his dark and twisted speed-metal version of a Dickensonian life. In "Mustaine", he reveals the many highs and lows of this life, including:
* The formation of METALLICA and the key contributions he made for which he was never given full credit.
* The formation and rise of MEGADETH, and his history with David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza.
* The story of his departure from MEGADETH in 2002 and his eventual return.
* His multiple battles with alcohol and drugs, and how Alice Cooper played a role in one of his recoveries.
* The injury that nearly ended his career.
* After years of rejecting religion, how embracing Christianity helped repair his relationship with his family and maintain his sobriety.
* His tumultuous childhood which included several moves from city to city, all in an attempt to avoid his alcoholic father.
METALLICA frontman James Hetfield once observed that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he has been and how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. In "Mustaine", he tells a story that will inspire, stun and terrify.
"Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas' tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.
According to Australia's long-running rock station Triple M, the reunited SOUNDGARDEN will be doing shows in the country in 2011.
The station's music reporter Nui Te Koha revealed that Australian promoters were at this past weekend's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago "trying to lock down these dates but it will happen early this year."
When pressed for exact timings, Nui said it will be "January, February, March next year."
According to The Pulse of Radio, SOUNDGARDEN returned to the big stage this past weekend to close out Chicago's Lollapalooza festival, and in the words of vocalist Chris Cornell — they are back. In between performing such songs as "Blow Up the Outside World", "Let Me Drown" and "Rusty Cage", Cornell told the crowd, "It's good to be back! We just took a little break, but now we're back." That "little break" was more like 13 years, and the group seemed to have made a big return based on the overall flattering concert reviews from Sunday's (August 8) show.
Rolling Stone described SOUNDGARDEN's songs as "epic," noting, "There were no special effects during SOUNDGARDEN's performance on the last night of Lollapalooza — no lasers, no costume changes, no props or hydraulics . . . But the band didn't need any added visuals: SOUNDGARDEN delivered an explosive set of classic '90s songs in front of their biggest audience since their breakup 13 years ago." Spin noted, "SOUNDGARDEN have always been good at big — even their ballads are apocalyptic epics perfectly unsuited to lighter-waving."
The Lollapalooza festival marked SOUNDGARDEN's third gig since the reunion was announced in January. The band will release a hits collection called "Telephantasm" on September 28. There's no word on what will come next. Cornell recently told USA Today that the group is taking its return one day at a time, saying, "I think our goal now is to do what we always wanted to do, which is to — at our own pace and in our own time — just do what we want when we want to do it. Whether it's shows, songs, whatever it might be, records, we'll know when we get there."
Rob Zombie has told AOL's Noisecreep that the full-album format has become impractical, forcing him and other artists to think of new ways to get their music out to the masses.
"I like the thought of the band writing, say, one song a month and putting it up there," Zombie said. "Say we've been on tour for six or eight months and we don't have time to stop and make a whole album. It would be cool to put out two or three songs we've written and then keep going just to keep it energized. And truthfully, when you make a new album ... you go, 'OK here's 11 new songs, five of which we'll never play live. And here's the two or three singles that will always be in the set.' So it could just be a different way to do business that's really sort of like the old way of doing things.
"Back in the '50s and '60s people weren't making albums, they were pressing singles and then an album was basically a collection of all the singles."
Rob Zombie's new album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", sold 49,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was less than 50 percent of the opening tally of Zombie's previous CD, "Educated Horses", which landed at No. 5 on the Billboard chart after premiering with 107,000 units back in April 2006.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" hit stores on February 2 via Roadrunner Records' Loud & Proud imprint, and independent retail stores in the U.S. were offering a bonus free Rob Zombie digital EP download with purchase of the album. The EP featured remixes of the tracks "Jesus Frankenstein", "What?" and "Sick Bubblegum".
"The record industry is dying," Zombie told Noisecreep. "I think they dropped the ball a long time ago and they're never going to recover from it. Everybody loves music, everybody's always gonna want to make music and listen to it, but nobody wants to actually purchase music anymore. That's the trick. So for me, it's a weird time because the music scene is alive and well. It's just the music buying public is not. A year from now, I don't even know if they'll be pressing CDs anymore. Or if they do, stores won't even bother carrying 'em."
Zombie has recorded three brand new songs for the upcoming CD/DVD re-release of "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", which is due out on September 28. The tracks will be the first recorded with Zombie's current touring band, which includes Jordison. A bonus DVD featuring live footage and a 30-minute touring documentary, titled "Transylvanian Transmissions", will also be included.
The three new songs are "Devil's Hole Girls And The Big Revolution", "Everything Is Boring" and "Michael". Also included will be a reworked version of the track "The Man Who Laughs".
ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER and MURDERDOLLS will join forces for the "Halloween Hootenanny" tour in September and October.
BLIND GUARDIAN's tenth studio album, "At The Edge Of Time", is now available for pre-order on iTunes. Sale pricing runs from August 10 to August 23.
The 10-track standard version is available for the pre-order price of $7.99. On August 24 (North American street date), it will increase to $9.99.
The deluxe edition with bonus tracks is available for the pre-order price of $11.99. On August 24 (North American street date), it will increase to $9.99.
The limited-edition digipack version will include a unique download code where fans can gain access to a password-protected page for exclusive BLIND GUARDIAN content.
"At The Edge Of Time" track listing:
01. Sacred Worlds (9:17)
02. Tanelorn (5:58)
03. Road Of No Release (6:30)
04. Ride Into Obsession (4:46)
05. Curse My Name (5:52)
06. Valkyries (6:38)
07. Control The Divine (5:26)
08. War Of The Thrones (4:55)
09. A Voice In The Dark (5:41)
10. Wheel Of Time (8:55)
Limited-edition digipack bonus CD track listing:
* Sacred Worlds (extended "Sacred" version)
* Wheel Of Time (orchestral version)
* You're The Voice (radio edit)
* Tanelorn (Into the Void) (demo version)
* Curse My Name (demo version)
* A Voice In The Dark (demo version)
Enhanced portion:
* Sacred (video clip)
* Studio documentary
U.S. metallers VIRGIN STEELE will release their new album, "The Black Light Bacchanalia", via SPV/Steamhammer on the following dates:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: October 22
Rest of Europe: October 25
USA, Canada: November 9
The effort will be made available as limited-edition digipak, standard CD, double gatefold vinyl and as a digital download.
Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:
* By The Hammer Of Zeus
* Pagan Heart
* The Bread Of Wickedness
* The Orpheus Taboo
* In A Dream Of Fire
* Nepenthe
* Necropolis (He Answers Them With Death)
* To Crown Them With Halos Parts 1 & 2
* The Tortures Of The Damned
* The Black Light Bacchanalia (The Age That Is To Come)
* Eternal Regret
Commented vocalist David DeFeis: "It will be a long album... close to 80 minutes. The album (to be really brief) concerns the reversal of all things. Once conquered by invading cultures, older Pagan deities become the demons f the new religion. The Black Light Bacchanalia is a reversal of the sacred sexual customs, and the final desecration of the 'Goddess Principle,' switching from matrilineal descent to patrilineal descent, with the rise of the idea of the Mountain-Fire God.... And it also has to do with ancient fears such as the fear of the sun not rising...Lyrically it is a kind of continuation of the story I told on the last album...Musically it is quite something else..."
VIRGIN STEELE's new worldwide deal with SPV/Steamhammer includes the reissue of the band's entire back catalogue — from "Noble Savage" onwards. The back catalogue will be made available throughout 2011, with faithfully restored covers and booklets, bonus tracks and liner notes.
VIRGIN STEELE re-released its albums "Life Among The Ruins" (1992), "The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell Part I" (1994) and "The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell Part II" (1995) in October 2008 in Europe through the German label Dockyard 1. All three CDs contain bonus tracks, new booklets and liner notes. The bonus tracks for the "The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell Part II" album consist of two live performances recorded in Germany, while the "Life Among The Ruins" bonus cuts comprise several live acoustic tracks that were recorded in the living room of David DeFeis' house during rehearsals.
VIRGIN STEELE's eleventh album, "Visions Of Eden", entered the Greek national chart at position No. 37 back in 2006. The CD was previously described as "quite epic," clocking in at 79 minutes and 57 seconds.
Andrew: What did you think of Power Of The Riff festival last night?
Mike: The show was very good. It was an all-day affair. A lot of surprisingly good bands, people turned up early and stayed late. I quite enjoyed it.
Andrew: How did you manage playing two sets? Both your bands Righteous Fool and Corrosion Of Conformity played last night.
Mike: I think it was a little bit of a challenge to do that, but we pulled through it. It was fun! Righteous Fool played very early and COC closed up. In between there was a lot of great music.
Andrew: You guys did a couple of shows in NC at the end of July. Those were your first shows in more than twenty years. How did that feel?
Mike: It was surprisingly easy. It was not difficult at all but it feels a little strange when you start thinking about it like that. But it was good times. It's exciting to be playing with Reed [Mullin, drums] again. He hadn't played with COC since 2001 (laughs). It's been a little while.
Andrew: What can you tell the fans about the set list for the current tour?
Mike: What it boils down to is, basically four new songs, the entire Animosity recording and just a little bit from Technocracy.
Andrew: Because you guys played after such a long time, what was the rehearsal like? Was it hard to get together and play those songs again?
Mike: It was kind of unusual and surprising, because for some of the material that we hadn't played in such a long time, in twenty-something years, I remembered every part exactly, verbatim. And then if there was a part that I didn't remember, it was like I completely forgot it. I even forgot what my fingers were supposed to be like on it. It was like I forgot that the part even existed. The Animosity arrangements are a little bit intricate for that type of music and we suffered from a short attention span at that time. So we just keep the songs moving along and tried hard to make it interesting, so there's not that much repetition in it and there's a lot to remember. It is quite different from the more recent COC in that regard, and surprisingly so. So yeah it was a little challenging for sure.
Andrew: You also did a new seven-inch single 'Your Tomorrow', which has a brand new song on it. How did the recording process go?
Mike: Yeah that's two versions of a brand new song, or actually a song that's too long to fit on one side of a vinyl. We just recorded that in June in a barn in Virginia and basically (laughs), I tricked the other guys into recording it. I was claiming that we were only doing this as a demo so I could write my lyrics or whatever. The idea was to not get them into a state of mind where they try to be perfectionists, just to make it easy to get them to play naturally. We set up without much isolation. They were kind of against the idea till I put it together and they agreed to do it, and Greg from Southern Lord suggested that we should have it when we get out on the road, just to set ourselves apart from all that's coming out of the woodwork now, you know, trying to cash in a little bit while we go out and play. So we wanted to have something new and it turned out really well.
Andrew: You started the other band Righteous Fool last year. Was it because of the COC hiatus?
Mike: Yeah, originally Righteous Fool started out as a band with Woody [Weatherman, COC guitarist] but he moved farther out into the country to live in the mountains and actually started doing farming, had a kid and became less available for playing music. So I took a little bit of that material and started playing with Reed for the first time in a very long time. Jason Browning is a friend of his. We started to jam and Reed asked if we could name the band Righteous Fool, and I was like yeah, we might as well. It's a good name.
Andrew: A good name and good music. It was a good show by Righteous Fool yesterday.
Mike: Oh thank you very much. Did you stay the whole day? That was a long day (laughs).
Andrew: I did, and it was tiring! I don't remember the performance by every band that played in between but I definitely remember Righteous Fool. A long day for sure.
Mike: Yeah, definitely!
Andrew: A new COC album is supposed to be in the works. A lot of people must be wondering what's happening with that.
Mike: We actually have five new songs put together enough to perform now and the rest of it is kind of a work in progress. But creatively speaking, I think we're in a process where we're cranking out the music in a natural way and it's coming together. So I think in another couple of months we should be ready to record in earnest. I'm not sure if we're going to keep recording ourselves up there at the farm or we'll go to a fancier facility. I think we have our current take on our classic style in mind. We're definitely expanding on our past identity but we kind of have some new stuff to offer. So I'm excited about it. I want it to come together quickly without over-thinking it.
Andrew: So can we expect more tour dates once the album is recorded and you hit the road proper to promote it?
Mike: Yeah, that's the plan, to do that and also do a full length Righteous Fool recording and keep touring together. Also there is some talk of doing some shows with Pepper [Keenan, Down and ex-COC] in the Deliverance line-up format. That's sort of how this whole thing started. We had some invitations to play High Voltage festival and perhaps do some dates in UK and Europe, and then it turned out Pepper was busy with Down. So we found out we couldn't do that but the fire had kind of been lit under us and we wanted to go out and play. There were some good opportunities. I made the suggestion in just, kind of jokingly, saying that I wish we could play some three-piece shows. Nobody laughed and everybody was really quiet (laughs).
Andrew: I read that you were open to the idea of even recording an album with Pepper. How much truth there is to that?
Mike: Well the truth in that is we want to do a three-piece full-length recording and we're going to do it. But I think our next move after supporting that a little bit, will be to look toward changing it up again and depending on the schedule of Down and Pepper, doing something with him because I think people would be excited to hear that. I thought that 'In The Arms Of God', the last recording that we did with him, was really amazing. I thought he had some good ideas and really enjoyed doing it. We didn't tour enough on it, partially because of Down's schedule and partially because our record company was in the process of going under, also the hurricane Katrina striking at that time. It was bad for Pepper as he had to cancel some dates to get back to normal and all that. So we came out with a really good release but never got a chance to support it. Just the idea of expanding on what we were doing in In The Arms Of God and then bringing Reed back in to
play drums, for me that would be really exciting.
Andrew: This year it's the 25th anniversary for Animosity ...
Mike: (Laughs) Wow! That's crazy.
Andrew: Is that one of the reasons why you're playing it live now and can we expect a special release of the album?
Mike: I don't know if you can expect a re-release because people who own the rights to that record are difficult to do business with. We've tried to get them to re-release it but they claim it's not available but you can buy it on Amazon. I'm kind of confused by that. To me that looks a little shady. I'm not a fan of theirs actually. I'm not sure what's going on with that (laughs). It kind of makes me sad.
Andrew: How would you compare the sound of the new recordings to Animosity for instance?
Mike: I think it sounds like the same band but it's another era. So I think it's compatible and it stands up next to the old stuff. It's may be a little more tuned down and a little more space in it, perhaps even a little melodic but without losing the intensity in my opinion. Well hopefully, that's the idea anyway (laughs).
Andrew: COC have had guest musicians like James Hetfield and Warren Haynes. Can we expect anything like that on the new album?
Mike: Actually that's a good idea. I'll let you know. I think Pepper Keenan might be a good choice (laughs). But I think it's sort of a duelling drummer scenario with Stanton Moore and Reed Mullin. May be they could be head to head on the cover of Modern Drummer (laughs). I'd just like to really get the drum geeks on board.
Check out Corrosion Of Conformity's official website.
Oakland, California power trio HIGH ON FIRE has announced a North American headlining tour. The massive fall expedition — dubbed the "Sanctioned Annihilation Tour" — will feature support from TORCHE and KYLESA and is set to launch on September 27 at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California.
As part of the tour, HIGH ON FIRE will perform amongst the featured acts at a host of high-profile music festivals, including Chicago's Riot Fest, Nova Scotia's Halifax Pop Explosion, Florida's Ye Old Fest and Austin, Texas's Fun Fun Fun Fest.
As previously reported, HIGH ON FIRE has been confirmed for the 2011 edition of the Soundwave festival. Billed as Australia's "biggest metal and rock festival" and set to take place in late February and early March of next year, Soundwave will feature HIGH ON FIRE alongside such names as IRON MAIDEN, SLAYER, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SOCIAL DISTORTION, MONSTER MAGNET, ROB ZOMBIE and more.
Sep. 29 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Sep. 30 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
Oct. 01 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 02 - Albuquerque, NM - The Launchpad
Oct. 03 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
Oct. 05 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre
Oct. 06 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
Oct. 08 - Rock Island, IL - Rock Island Brewing Company
Oct. 09 - Urbana, IL - Canopy Club
Oct. 10 - Chicago, IL - Metro (Riot Fest)
Oct. 11 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird
Oct. 13 - Covington, KY - Historic Southgate House
Oct. 14 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
Oct. 15 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
Oct. 16 - Rochester, NY - Water Street
Oct. 17 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
Oct. 19 - Halifax, NS - The Paragon Theatre (Halifax Pop Explosion)
Oct. 21 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
Oct. 22 - Providence, RI - Club Hell
Oct. 23 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
Oct. 24 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Oct. 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Starlite Ballroom
Oct. 27 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Oct. 29 - Gainesville, FL - Common Ground (Ye Old Fest)
Nov. 07 - Austin, TX - Waterloo Park (Fun Fun Fun Fest)
"Frost Hammer", the new video from HIGH ON FIRE, was filmed on location in both Los Angeles and New York City with director Kevin Custer for Toaster in the Tub. The clip showcases intense performance footage of the award-winning band juxtaposed alongside "the epic tale of a warrior's sojourn to the cold and barren Plateau of Leng where he secures the fabled Frost Hammer that will be used to enact the final rites and complete the dark rebirth and reign of the Frost Child."
HIGH ON FIRE's new album, "Snakes for the Divine", sold around 8,600 copies in its first week of release in the United States to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. The follow-up to 2007's "Death is this Communion" was made available in North America on February 23 via E1 Music. The album was recorded at The Pass Studios in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman and is described in a press release as "HIGH ON FIRE's magnum opus, capturing every nuance of the legendary band's ongoing musical progression and evolution into one of heavy music's all-time greats."
The "Snakes for the Divine" album artwork was brought to life by longtime HIGH ON FIRE cover artist Arik Moonhawk Roper.
German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER will release their new album, "The Clans Will Rise Again" in Europe on October 1 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded between mid-May and mid-July at the Meadow Studios, which is owned by GRAVE DIGGER's new guitarist Axel Ritt, and Principal Studios, where all of GRAVE DIGGER albums since 1995's "Heart Of Darkness" have been tracked. It was produced by Chris Boltendahl and mixed by Jörg Umbreit.
According to a press release, "Chris Boltendahl, Jens Becker, Stefan Arnold, HP Katzenburg and Axel Ritt offer an explosive mixture of the typical GRAVE DIGGER riff metal, combined with awesome epic chorus hooks, which will fascinate the fans from the very first note.
"'The Clans Will Rise Again' is a loose sequel of the 'Tunes Of War' album, but this time not a concept album about the Scottish history, rather a work about Scotland, its mysticism and its people."
"The Clans Will Rise Again" track listing:
01. Days Of Revenge
02. Paid In Blood
03. Hammer Of The Scots
04. Highland Farewell
05. The Clans Will Rise Again
06. Rebels
07. Valley Of Tears
08. Execution
09. Whom The Gods Love Die Young
10. Spider
11. The Piper Mcleod
12. Coming Home
13. When Rain Turns To Blood
Check out the cover artwork below.
GRAVE DIGGER will celebrate its 30th anniversary at this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 5-7, 2010 in Wacken, Germany. The band will perform its seventh and most successful album, "Tunes Of War" (1996), in its entirety at the event and will be accompanied by "illustrious guests," such as the 20-headed BAUL MULUY PIPES & DRUMS BAND from Hamburg, German metal queen Doro Pesch, BLIND GUARDIAN lead singer Hansi Kürsch and the metal a capella ensemble VAN CANTO. There will also be a special elaborate stage set with an extraordinary pyro show.
Wacken Open Air will mark the first and final time GRAVE DIGGER will play the entire "Tunes Of War" album live. The band will also perform some of its other "greatest hits," such as "Ballad Of A Hangman", "Heavy Metal Breakdown" and "Excalibur" at the end of its set.
GRAVE DIGGER's latest album, "Ballads Of A Hangman", was released on January 9, 2009 via Austria's Napalm Records.
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Guitarist Olof Mörck of Swedish power metallers DRAGONLAND has issued the following update:
"There has passed some time since we published a demo teaser track for all of you to hear, and first of all; the reactions up 'till this day have been nothing short of amazing; thank you for your continued support! Much water have flown under the proverbial bridge since then, and thusly I figured it was time to issue an update about the comings and goings inside the DRAGONLAND camp!
"We have been hard at work with the new material since around uploading the demo song, and the last five months or so we have kicked things into overdrive. A majority of the new album stands completed, and as 'Shadows' indicated, it is a glorious return to our roots from at least a lyrical side.
"I have spent the last years drawing up concepts and polishing details about the story, but in general I can say that it will dark fantasy with quite a genuine touch! Classical mythology and literature such as 'The Odyssey', 'The Aenid', Shakespearian drama and the epic 'Gilgamesh' stands as main influences, and lends depth and credibility to the story.
"I know there are a multitude of metal fans who love the fantasy concept but are outright embarrassed with how the medium is usually transferred into the metal context; clichéd and without any finesse or depth. This album and its lyrics is a deliberate attempt to speak to these individuals — and anyone else willing to share the journey.
"Musically, this album sure does not stray backwards, quite the opposite. More bombastic, orchestral and progressive is how I would like to describe the material, and we have gone far to ensure the music accompanies the epic described within the lyrics.
"I would also like to share some of the song titles that will appear on the new album: 'The Tempest', 'A Stranger I Know', 'The Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains', 'A Thousand Towers White'.
"Expect momentous sonical vistas from phantasic worlds when this journey starts in 2011!"
A one-minute trailer for the forthcoming fifth album from DRAGONLAND can be viewed below. The one-minute clip was created by Steve Nix and features the band's new song "The Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains".
DRAGONLAND's fourth album, "Astronomy", was released in November 2006 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2004's "Starfall" was recorded at Studio Fredman (IN FLAMES, HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR) in Gothenburg with producer Fredrik Nordström. The cover artwork for the CD was created by art wizard Niklas Sundin, who had previously worked with ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES, and DARK TRANQUILLITY, among others.
Jaime St. James (BLACK 'N BLUE), Juan Croucier (ex-RATT), Jon E. Love (LOVE/HATE) and Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE) have joined forces in a new "supergroup" called the HARDROCK ALLSTARS. According to a press release, the band "plays a refreshing mix of hard rock, pop and metal from the '70s and '80s. They have paid meticulous attention to the detail of the songs, and have a 'take-no-prisoners' attitude to their live performances."
"We have taken our time in selecting classic hard rock songs that have not been over played by other bands and also mixed in some of the biggest hits from our personal bands; current and past," Croucier says. "This is an authentic lineup of seasoned veterans, the kind of band that you would have seen in the early '80s playing the Hollywood clubs of the day and we perform on stage like everything depends on it."
HARDROCK ALLSTARS made its live debut at Club Vodka's eight-year celebration at the Key Club in Hollywood, California. "This being our first time on stage, from my point of view, we tore the roof off the place," St. James says. "If this is any indication of what's to come, get ready for an ass-kicking."
Upcoming HARDROCK ALLSTARS shows:
Aug. 20 - Harpers Bar and Grill - Tarzana, CA
Aug. 28 - Angels Roadhouse - Yucaipa, CA
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San Francisco Bay Area metallers VICIOUS RUMORS will kick off a new European headlining tour on October 8, 2010 in Würzburg, Germany, preceded by a warm-up show two days earlier at the Avalon Ballroom in Santa Clara, California.
A list of upcoming dates can be found at this location.
VICIOUS RUMORS is back in the studio recording its 10th album for an early 2011 release. Guitarist/leader Geoff Thorpe and the rest of the band have 12 new crushing tracks which they are laying down at recording Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga. Special guests Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT, DRAGONLORD) and Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER, OZZY OSBOURNE) will handle the insane guitar solos along with Geoff and VICIOUS RUMORS' other guitarist, Kiyoshi Morgan.
VICIOUS RUMORS' current lineup is completed by drummer Larry Howe, bassist Stephen Goodwin and the group's latest addition, vocalist Brian Allen (LAST EMPIRE, MALICE, WILD DOGS).
VICIOUS RUMORS will co-headline the Keep It True festival in Germany in April 2011 with a special tribute to late VR singer Carl Albert featuring Kevin Albert on vocals (Carl's son), along with appearances by other former members of the band.
FEAR FACTORY and THE SWORD will open for METALLICA on the following dates:
Sep. 15 - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
Sep. 16 - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
Sep. 18 - Sydney, Australia - Acer Arena
Sep. 21 - Christchurch, New Zealand - CBS Canterbury Arena
Sep. 22 - Christchurch, New Zealand - CBS Canterbury Arena
Sep. 25 - Tokyo, Japan - Saitama Super Arena
Sep. 26 - Tokyo, Japan - Saitama Super Arena
LAMB OF GOD and BARONESS will provide support for METALLICA on all New Zealand and Australia shows in October-November.
FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Mechanize", was released in the U.S. on February 9, 2010 via Candlelight Records. The CD, which was co-produced by the band with Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, PARADISE LOST), was mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, SKINNY PUPPY).
Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI have just released the first single from their upcoming fifth studio album, "Babez For Breakfast". "This Is Heavy Metal" is available for just .69¢ through all digital providers, including The Omega Order, and features cover art created by LORDI mainman Mr. Lordi.
"I wanted to paint a picture which at the same time crystallizes something of the essence that is of '80s metal and also as pays a visual tribute to many of our own idols of that era," commented Mr. Lordi. "So, to be able to fit them all in, I created a Frankenstein monster made out of bits and pieces of members of TWISTED SISTER, KISS, W.A.S.P. and ALICE COOPER, to name only a few."
He continued, "The song itself is written in the same train of thought and appreciation. I wanted to write a song that is heavy metal according to LORDI. The riff should sound familiar from the first second you hear it and you should be able to sing along the chorus already when it comes out the second time.
"Most of our favorite bands come from the U.S., with only few exceptions.
"Someone once said that LORDI must be the most American band in Finland. I think that is quite correct.
"The whole concept of our band, both musically and visually, is heavily influenced by American pop culture, comics, horror films and music."
LORDI will release its fifth studio album, "Babez For Breakfast", on September 14 in the U.S., September 15 in Europe and on October 27 in Japan. The CD was recorded in early 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee with highly regarded producer Michael Wagener, who has produced albums for artists as varied as OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER and JANET JACKSON and mixed METALLICA's classic "Master of Puppets".
Check out the cover artwork below.
In other news, LORDI has just released a game for a popular iPhone mobile phone. The game, titled Lordi The Game, was made available worldwide on Monday, August 9, 2010, the day before "This Is Heavy Metal" arrived in the U.S. The game features two songs from "Babez for Breakfast": "This Is Heavy Metal" and a song titled "I Am Bigger Than You".
In Lordi The Game, the player takes the role of Mr. Lordi, who has to banish the undead from the underworld. The player plays to the beat of LORDI's songs. The milieu of the game varies from a cemetery to a flight crash area. At each level of the game, monsters are seen in a different look.
The game includes six levels with three levels of difficulty each. When the player has passed one level of difficulty, the game will present exclusive images of the band members. This material is not available elsewhere.
Mr. Lordi, who lent his voice to the game, commented: "The entire band is happy to be able to step into the game world. The nicest thing in this game is that the player is able to step into Mr. Lordi's imaginary boots and swing the ax, which I swing on stage. This is LORDI's life, a continuous battle from day to day."
He added, "We are happy that we are able to serve our fans on this sector too."
Lordi The Game was released through Lapland Studio Oy Ltd. The company CEO Ilkka Immonen stated about their new cooperation with LORDI, "I find it great that we are able to work together in the game world. Mr. Lordi and I have known each other for a long time and this is only a beginning to our long partnership. Our story will continue also on other game formats."
LORDI debuted "This Is Heavy Metal" during the band's headlining appearance at this year's Gods of Metal festival, which took place June 25-27 in Torino, Italy.
ALTER BRIDGE has set "AB III" as the title of its third album, tentatively due in September.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Slip To The Void
02. Isolation
03. Ghost Of Days Gone By
04. All Hope Is Gone
05. Still Remains
06. Make It Right
07. Wonderful Life
08. I Know It Hurts
09. Show Me A Sign
10. Fallout
11. Breathe Again
12. Coeur D'Alene
13. Life Must Go On
14. Words Darker Than Their Wings
Lead singer Myles Kennedy told The Pulse of Radio that the follow-up to 2007's "Blackbird" will be a "darker" effort. "There is certainly a common thread throughout the, almost the entire record," he said. "It's lyrically a pretty dark album, probably the darkest record I've been a part of. Just a lot of questions personally that I had over the last few years, just things I was struggling with, and it was a very cathartic record for me, just to kind of get that all out. I mean, that's generally the way I personally like to write lyrics, for things that are honest and from the heart."
Although Billboard reported that the band has signed a new deal with Roadrunner Records, that may be for Europe only with the group remaining on the Universal label in the U.S.
ALTER BRIDGE plans to hit the road in October after the album is out, starting with a European tour.
A spring 2011 supporting slot with GODSMACK is planned for next March.
Kennedy is currently touring with Slash as his live lead vocalist, after singing two numbers on the guitarist's debut solo album.
The instrumental members of ALTER BRIDGE are touring this summer in their other band, CREED.
Fresh off the amazing experience that was the 2010 GWAR-B-Q, intergalactic snuff-rockers GWAR continue their relentless assault upon all humanity with the announcement of their first run of dates for this fall's "Bloody Tour of Horror". Make sure you catch GWAR this fall in support of their newest and sickest album yet, "Bloody Pit of Horror", on Metal Blade Records.
When asked about the bands brutal touring and release schedule, which would put a lesser band into the ground, GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus said, "Nothing less than the utmost display of blatant aggression will suffice to appease the lust of our fans, especially in this, our extra-violent 25th anniversary. It is patently unfair to compare our exploits with that of other bands...they are, after all, only human..."
Tickets are available for fan club members starting Wednesday, August 11 and the general public Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21.
Catch GWAR on the "Bloody Tour Of Horror" with THE CASUALTIES, INFERNAEON and MOBILE DEATHCAMP:
Oct. 02 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Oct. 04 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
Oct. 05 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
Oct. 07 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
Oct. 08 - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor
Oct. 09 - Orlando, FL - Firestone Live
Oct. 10 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Oct. 11 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
Oct. 12 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
Oct. 13 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Oct. 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
Oct. 15 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
Oct. 16 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium - Rock N Shock Festival *
Oct. 17 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Telus
Oct. 19 - Moncton, NB - Club Oxygen
Oct. 20 - Halifax, NS - The New Palace
Oct. 22 - Quebec City, QC - Theatre Imperial
Oct. 23 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Oct. 24 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
Oct. 26 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
Oct. 27 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Oct. 28 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
Oct. 29 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
Oct. 30 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
Oct. 31 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Nov. 02 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
Nov. 03 - Little Rock, AR - The Village
Nov. 04 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
Nov. 05 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Nov. 06 -Austin, TX - Waterloo Park - Fun Fun Fun Fest *
* Festival appearances
Swiss thrashers CATARACT have unveiled the cover artwork of their new album, "Killing The Eternal", due in Europe on September 27 (three days earlier in Germany) via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Antfarm studios in Aarhus, Denmark with longtime producer Tue Madsen.
Commented singer Federico "Fedi" Carminitana: "We're more than happy to announce that after almost one incredible month at the Antfarm studio in Denmark, our next full-length is finally ready! Recording, mixing and mastering is done and we can't wait for the record to be released!
"Once again we had the honor and great pleasure to work with our longtime companion and mastermind Tue Madsen in the beautiful city of Aarhus. We spent awesome and creative days in a small house at the beach near Aarhus, watching football, eating and recording our new songs. We also shot some pics and small clips of our work at the Antfarm, which you will soon be able to see online on our Facebook and MySpace site.
"This is definitely the most heavy, intense and brutal stuff that ever erupted out of CATARACT!"
The limited first digipack edition of "Killing The Eternal" will feature 13 songs, including the bonus track "Spawned By Illusions".
"Killing The Eternal" track listing:
01. Never
02. Lost Souls
03. Reap The Outcasts
04. Killing The Eternal
05. Failed
06. Urban Waste
07. Makind's Burden
08. Hollow Steps
09. Drain, Murder And Loss
10. The Faith You Have Misused
11. Black Ash
12. Spawned By Illusions (digipack bonus track)
13. Allegory To A Dying World
CATARACT will play a CD-release show on October 22 at the Dynamo Club in Zürich.
CATARACT's self-titled fifth full-length album was released in March 2008.
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German power metal band LANFEAR will enter the studio on September 10 to begin recording its a-yet-untitled sixth album for an early 2011 release. According to the group, the forthcoming CD "will contain nine songs plus intro" and is described by the group as "the heaviest LANFEAR album to date." LANFEAR adds, "Of course, we know that every band tells the same on their new material. Since we never did so, it seems as if you can really trust us. We'd never lie to you..."
LANFEAR's fifth album, "X to the Power of Ten", was released in August 2008 via Locomotive Records.
The band's fourth CD, "Another Golden Rage" (2005), was recorded at Dreamscape studios and featured a lyrical theme that was a continuation of the story which began on the title track of 2003's "The Art Effect".
According to LANFEAR's official bio, the band "play[s] powerful and melodic metal with a progressive edge. Originality, subliminal details and intelligent songwriting combined with haunting melodies and the constant urge to evolve — that's what it's all about! Certainly not the easy way to success in the superficial pseudo-scene of these days — but LANFEAR don't give a fuck! No breakdowns, no kilts, no horns, no makeup, no image, no rockstar-dom, no support by mass media — no hot air! LANFEAR play[s] 100% underrated metal exclusively!"
RAM, the traditional Gothenburg, Sweden-based heavy metal band featuring drummer Morgan Pettersson (ex-B-THONG), has entered Welfare Sounds Studios in the group's hometown to begin recording its new album for an early 2011 release.
RAM recently parted ways with bassist Christian Strömblad and replaced him with Tobias Pettersson from the underground black metal band VORNTH.
RAM's second album, "Lightbringer", came out on June 19, 2009 via Germany's AFM Records. The CD was produced by Johan Reivén and was mixed at Studio Bongo in the group's hometown. The follow-up to 2005's "Forced Entry" was mastered at Studio Bohus Mastering by Dragan Tanaskovic.
RAM's full-length debut, "Forced Entry", was recorded at Black Path studios and was mixed at Gothenburg's Brewhouse facility. Mastering duties were handled by Göran Finnberg.
Upcoming RAM shows:
Sep. 03 - Sigurdsgatan 25 - Västerås, Sweden
Sep. 04 - Folkets Hus - Sundsvall, Sweden
Sep. 11 - Gloria Kulttuuriareena - Helsinki, Finland
Oct. 02 - Sandernäckerhalle - Steinenbronn, Germany
Oct. 27 - Musikens Hus - Gothenburg, Sweden
Oct. 29 - Kulturbolaget - Malmö, Sweden
Guitarist Paulo Schroeber of the Brazilian progressive power metal band ALMAH — the side project of ANGRA members Edu Falaschi (vocals) and Felipe Andreoli (bass) — has completed work on a new guitar video lesson, to be released on DVD before the end of the year. The 90-minute lesson contains various guitar parts composed by Paulo for the ALMAH album "Fragile Equality" accompanied by the guitarist's comments, as well as footage of Paulo displaying his equipment (Condor instruments and Orange amplifiers).
ALMAH recently completed another leg of the "Fragile Equality Tour", having played a number of cities in the band's home country, with the final show taking place in June at Marreco's Fest in Brasilia.
ALMAH's sophomore album, "Fragile Equality", was released in October 2008 via AFM Records.
ALMAH's recording lineup for "Fragile Equality" was as follows:
Edu Falaschi - Vocals
Felipe Andreoli - Bass
Marcelo Barbosa - Gutar
Paulo Schroeber - Guitar
Marcelo Moreira - Drums
ALMAH released its debut CD in the U.S. in July 2007 via Candlelight.
Oklahoma City's AURORA SKY has finished recording a new EP at the famed The Mix Room Studios in Burbank, California with Grammy Award-nominated producer Ben Grosse (SEVENDUST, FUEL, ALTER BRIDGE).
Along with core bandmembers Andrew West (vocals, guitar; ex-FEAR THE CLOWN), Chris Shy (guitar; ex-FEAR THE CLOWN), and Arjavh Aleson (keyboards, programming), the session featured guest appearances by bassist Corey Lowery (DARK NEW DAY, STEREOMUD, STUCK MOJO), drummer Glen Sobel (SIXX: A.M., IMPELLITTERI, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES), and programming wiz Justin Walden (KORN, GODSMACK, SEVENDUST). Final mastering duties are being handled by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, SHINEDOWN, PAPA ROACH).
Regarding his collaboration with AURORA SKY, Lowery recently told AOL's Noisecreep, "They sent me music and I thought the singer had a good voice and the guitarist Chris is driven musically. And the bands that have drive are the bands I want to work with. They have such a new modern sound — singer has great melody lines, popping off great guitar rhythms and it's all coming together. They are taking a huge step and growing up fast in a short amount of time.
AURORA SKY's new single, "Just Like You", will go for commercial Active Rock radio adds on August 24.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/auroraskymusic.
Restricted Release, in cooperation with Angle Side Side, has set an October 12 North American release date for "Awaken", the full-length debut from Rhode Island-based THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL. "Awaken" is the first metal album from vocalist Jesse David Leach since his departure from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.
Recorded in 2009, "Awaken" was originally available for physical purchase via direct band merchandise outlets. Through the new cooperation, the album will now be accessible via proper retail outlets throughout North America.
"We all couldn't be more than happy that this record has gained enough attention to make it to this level of exposure," comments Leach. "We are proud that our DIY band and our self produced/released record has the potential to reach so many more listeners. Our hope is that a great deal of people will be able to see the passion and message we carry with our music. Fight the good fight!"
Produced by guitarist Marcus De Lisle and mixed by Sean Small, "Awaken" has already received significant media attention. The album has generated substantial support from college and commercial specialty radio programs across the country. As part of an early radio campaign, "Awaken" peaked on FMQB/Friday Morning Quarterback's metal chart at position No. 7 and impressed CMJ/College Music Journal stations, peaking at No. 20 on the tip magazine's weekly metal chart.
PARADISE LOST, JETTBLACK, BLACK SPIDERS and REVOKER have been confirmed to appear on the Jägermeister stage at the U.K. edition of Ozzy Osbourne's travelling festival, Ozzfest, which will be held on September 18 at London's O2 Arena. In addition to Ozzy, the main-stage lineup for the event will include KORN, MURDERDOLLS, STEEL PANTHER and SKINDRED.
Ozzfest U.K. 2010 lineup:
OZZY OSBOURNE
KORN
MURDERDOLLS
STEEL PANTHER
SKINDRED
PARADISE LOST
JETTBLACK
BLACK SPIDERS
REVOKER
No other European Ozzfests are planned for this year.
Ozzfest U.K. will feature a revolutionary "lower-tier" ticketing scheme that will allow ticket buyers to purchase tickets that will be valid for the especially enlarged standing area and lower-tier seating.
AC/DZ, the San Francisco Bay Area-based AC/DC tribute band formed by legendary thrash singer Steve "Zetro" Souza (TENET, DUBLIN DEATH PATROL, EXODUS, LEGACY) and executive producer Walter Morgan (organizer of the Thrash Of The Titans 2001 benefit concert), has enlisted Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT) and Tim Calvert (FORBIDDEN, NEVERMORE) to play guest guitar solos on the group's forthcoming debut album. Also scheduled to appear on the CD is Glen Alvelais (LD/50, TENET, FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT).
AC/DZ's lineup also includes Jon Allen (SADUS, TESTAMENT) on drums and Elena Luciano Repetto (BOMB SCARY, MOTHER EARTH, IMAGIKA) on bass. Rhythm guitarist Rob Toto (RIGHTEOUS SIRE, POWERAGE, HIGH VOLTAGE), who was announced as a member of the band last week, has had to bow out of the project due to "scheduling conflicts." A replacement guitarist will be announced soon.
AC/DZ is currently in talks with Old School Metal Records to release the upcoming album. The band will go into the studio in the fall and plans to issue the effort in early 2011.
AC/DZ's album will feature the following songs, among others:
* Live Wire
* Sin City
* Touch Too Much (feat. Tim Calvert)
* Problem Child
* What's Next To The Moon (feat. Eric Peterson)
"I've always had a very close relationship with AC/DC growing up; they influenced me heavily and this will mean a great deal to me," Souza told BLABBERMOUTH.NET.
"I can't wait to go on stage and just have some fun, interact with the fans that love the same music that we all grew up on.
"We plan on putting on very entertaining, high-energy visual show as well as recording an album and being as true to the original music as we can be, but with a very metal edge.
"I love performing, and this is another just another side of me, paying tribute to one of the bands that helped define me as a singer."
AC/DZ is putting out an open audition call for a gifted guitar player (male or female) to play the role of Angus Young for future live performances. All applicants must be highly energized on stage and confident in this special role.
If you are interested in auditioning for AC/DZ, send your bio and/or audition videos, web links, etc. to stevenzetrosouza@gmail.com.
More information will be posted soon at www.myspace.com/acdz.
Three weeks after returning from Germany where the band spent time going over every new song with longtime collaborator Waldemar Sorychta (MOONSPELL, LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT, GRIP INC.), Swiss industrial black metallers SAMAEL are ready to record their new album. The sessions officially start today (August 10) and should last an entire month. Regular updates will be posted on the band's official Twitter profile.
TRIPTYKON, the group formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior, will follow its highly acclaimed debut album, "Eparistera Daimones", with the release of "Shatter", an all-new five-track EP, on October 25 (Europe) and October 26 (North America).
At a playing time of approximately 28 minutes, "Shatter" will consist almost entirely of previously unreleased music.
The EP's track listing is as follows:
01. Shatter
02. I Am The Twilight
03. Crucifixus
(Recorded during the "Eparistera Daimones" album sessions in 2009. "Crucifixus" appears in a newly mixed and mastered version.)
04. Circle Of The Tyrants (live)
05. Dethroned Emperor (live)
(Cover versions of CELTIC FROST songs, recorded live during TRIPTYKON's headliner performance at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands, on April 16, 2010. "Dethroned Emperor" features guest lead vocals by Nocturno Culto of DARKTHRONE/SARKE.)
TRIPTYKON's "Shatter" EP will be available through Century Media Records (under license from Prowling Death Records Ltd.) as CD, digital download, and 12" vinyl (at 33? rpm). The EP will further contain the lyrics to all songs as well as detailed liner notes and credits.
TRIPTYKON will tour North America with 1349 and YAKUZA in October.
"Eparistera Daimones", the debut album by TRIPTYKON, registered the following first-week chart positions in Europe:
Germany: #81
Switzerland: #73
Finland: #28
"Eparistera Daimones" sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 27 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.
"Eparistera Daimones" was released as a deluxe mediabook CD edition (including a 28-page booklet and extensive liner notes) as well as a gatefold double LP via Century Media Records under exclusive license from Prowling Death Records Ltd..
"Eparistera Daimones" is not only musically a leviathan. Remarkably, the album also features the epic artwork by renowned Swiss artist H.R. Giger and New York-based surrealist Vincent Castiglia.
In an exceptionally rare gesture, H.R. Giger has granted TRIPTYKON the use of his dramatic painting "Vlad Tepes" (work no. 412, 200 x 140 cm, acrylic on paper on wood, 1978). It is the artist's first authorized appearance on an album cover in 17 years, and the second time he collaborates with Warrior (following CELTIC FROST's "To Mega Therion" album in 1985).
Vincent Castiglia contributes "Triptykon", a specially created portrait of the members of the group, painted in the artist's own blood (86 x 86 cm, blood/iron oxide on archival paper, 2009). As Castiglia aptly put it, the amalgamation of works by H.R. Giger, Vincent Castiglia, and TRIPTYKON on "Eparistera Daimones" forms a creative triptych in itself.
TRIPTYKON consists of V. Santura (guitar, vocals), Norman Lonhard (drums, percussion), Vanja Slajh (bass), and Tom Gabriel Warrior (voice, guitars). The group has unambiguously stated that it pursues the continuation and further development of the path Warrior began in HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST.
For further information, visit www.triptykon.net.
SAMAEL's latest album, "Above" (2009), entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 99.
In an interview with Beyond the Dark Horizon, SAMAEL's Vorph stated about "Above", "It is like an enhanced version of our three or four first albums, maybe the missing link between 'Ceremony of Opposites' and "Passage". With the 'Era One' project we've tried to work on different influences, [and] with 'Above' we stripped everything down. It is a metal album through and through. . . 'Above' is a little bit of a tribute to our early years as a band and to our first influences. If you listen to our two last albums, you can tell our roots go beyond that but 'Above' is a good résumé of what pushed us to start playing music in the first place."
Karlstad, Sweden-based metal/rock band SPARZANZA has inked a deal with Spinefarm Recors. The group will enter Leon Music in September to begin recording its fifth album for an early 2011 release. SPARZANZA will once again utilize the services of producer Rikard Löfgren, who helmed the band's last two CDs and has also worked with such other artists as HELLFUELED, VOMITORY and DEATHSTARS.
In other news, SPARZANZA has released its latest video, "My World Of Sin", which was shot in January in Falun, Sweden. The song comes off SPARZANZA's fourth CD, "In Voodoo Veritas", which came out in Finland in April 2009 via Black Cult/Kabuki Records.
The band last year announced the addition of guitarist Magnus Eronen (MOANING WIND, SPACE PROBE TAURUS, CAPRICORN) to the group's ranks. Eronen joined SPARZANZA as the replacement for David Johannesson, who quit the band in 2008 to join MUSTASCH.
SPARZANZA's third CD, "Banisher of the Light", was released in March 2007 via Black Cult Records. The album included the song "Dead Rising", featuring an appearance by THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving.
Dolving previously worked with SPARZANZA as the group's producer.
Several tracks from the soundtrack to nail'd — the off-road racing game where speed, risk and adrenaline combine with insane track design to deliver the ultimate thrill ride — are available for streaming on MySpace.
Illustrious names from the contemporary metal scene have come together to compose a soundtrack designed to melt faces and fuel the madness needed to succeed in a game where fearlessness and aggression are virtues.
nail'd's original soundtrack features songs written and performed by:
* Raymond Herrera (FEAR FACTORY, ARKAEA)
* Christian Olde Wolbers (FEAR FACTORY, ARKAEA)
* Patrick Lachman (DAMAGEPLAN, DIESEL MACHINE, HALFORD)
* Wayne Static (STATIC-X)
* Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED, KINGDOM OF SORROW)
* Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES)
* Jed Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD)
* John Boecklin (DEVILDRIVER)
"nail'd's very existence is defined by the act of giving a giant middle finger to the laws of physics and boring realism," said Deep Silver's Jon Schutts, while practicing power chords on a guitar made of human souls. "When you've got a game like nail'd where you take every edge of your seat moment you've ever experienced and cranked it up to eleven, you need a killer soundtrack. We got the best musicians out there to help define the sound of nail'd and they literally blew us away."
In addition to the original songs, nail'd also features licensed music from SLIPKNOT, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, BACKYARD BABIES, RISE AGAINST, AMERICAN SIXGUN, AGGRESSIVE CHILL and SLAVES ON DOPE.
Developed by Techland, nail'd will be released for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC in the fourth quarter of 2010.
For more information, visit naild.deepsilver.com.
Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS will release their fifth album, "For We Are Many", on October 12 via Prosthetic Records/Razor & Tie. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include include "For We Are Many", "Waiting", and the album's first single, "Hold On". The follow-up to 2008's "Overcome" was produced by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who previously helmed ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" (2006) and "This Darkened Heart" (2004) releases.
"Jason [Suecof, who helmed 'Overcome'] was great, but we didn't want to go to Florida again, and we worked with Adam on two of our other records, and it was really cool," ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Phil Labonte told Revolver magazine. "Plus, we're all homebodies, and working with Adam allowed us to stay in New England."
According to Labonte, fans of "Overcome" won't be disappointed, but "For We Are Many" will also offer a few surprises. "There's a song with a talk box on it and a couple of cool riffs that remind me of MESHUGGAH," Labonte told Revolver. Also, there's more PANTERA-ish, southern stuff than we've ever done.
"I love it when people hear something we've done and go, 'Wow, that's ALL THAT REMAINS?'"
While fans wait for the new album, they can find several of their favorite songs from ALL THAT REMAINS' latest album, "Overcome", on the Rock Band Network for the Xbox Marketplace. The new songs that are now available for download are "Days Without", "Undone" and "Forever In Your Hands".
ALL THE REMAINS had its first Top 10 hit at rock radio with "Two Weeks", a song from "Overcome".
Formed in 2008, THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL's eclectic sound is rooted in metal/hardcore, with the bandmembers citing AT THE GATES, MESHUGGAH and EDGE OF SANITY as major inspirations. The group, featuring guitarists Jake Davenport and De Lisle, bassist Nick Sollecito, drummer Jeff Pitts, and Leach, also draws heavily from their combined interests in jazz, punk, and experimental music. The band's lyrics are fueled by political outrage; a passion that forms the backbone of the band and sets them apart from their peers.
THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL is expected to announce a series of new live shows to support the retail release of "Awaken". In the meantime the band has already started writing material for its second album which it plans to release in early 2011. Sollecito notes, "Our new material is definitely a step up from our previous stuff. We are really excited about it and can't wait till we hit the studio to get it all together."
"Awaken" track listing:
01. Awaken
02. Lords of War
03. Voices Forming Weapons
04. Choir of Angels
05. We the People
06. These Colors Bleed
07. Our Own
08. The Kingdom
THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL is:
Jesse Leach - Vocals
Jake Davenport - Guitar
Marcus de Lisle - Guitar
Nick Sollecito - Bass
Jeff Pitts - Drums
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/theempireshallfall.
British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH have been confirmed for this year's Supersonic Festival, set to take place October 22-24 in Birmingham, England.
"We are very much looking forward to playing Supersonic this year," stated NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury. "It's always great to play a hometown gig, and with this festival being so diverse musically it's going to be even more fun for us as we rarely get the chance to play such events — and on the same stage as SWANS; well, what can I say?"
Moving from its previous July weekend date to October from 2010 onwards, Supersonic will once again take place in and around the Custard Factory in the heart of Eastside of Birmingham, utilizing converted factory warehouses and art galleries and offering up-close, intimate settings to showcase some of the most exciting music out there.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
BLUE SABBATH BLACK FIJI
BONG
CAVE
DEMONS (w/ Sick Llama)
DOSH
DRUMCORPS
EAGLE TWIN
GNAW
GNOD
GODFLESH
HALLOGALLO 2010
JAILBREAK (feat. Chris Corsano + Heather Leigh)
JAMES BLACKSHAW
LICHENS
MELT BANANA
NAPALM DEATH
NECRO DEATHMORT
OvO
PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES
PCM
PEOPLE LIKE US
SWANS
TWEAK BIRD
VOICE OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS
For more information, visit www.supersonicfestival.com.
Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE will hit the road for a 17-date run in November with support from DYING FETUS, VITAL REMAINS and DEVOURMENT. The trek will launch on Friday, November 5 in Wilmington, North Carolina at The Soapbox Laundrolounge and will wrap on Monday, November 22 in Asheville, North Carolina at The Orange Peel.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 05 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox Laundrolounge
Nov. 06 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
Nov. 07 - Birmingham, AL - Zydeco
Nov. 08 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
Nov. 09 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
Nov. 10 - Lexington, KY - Buster's
Nov. 11 - East St. Louis, MO - Pop's
Nov. 12 - Des Moines, IA - People's Court
Nov. 13 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
Nov. 14 - Madison, WI - The Annex
Nov. 16 - Columbus, OH - Skully's
Nov. 17 - Williamsville, NY - Infinity
Nov. 18 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Nov. 19 - New York, NY - Santos Party House
Nov. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
Nov. 21 - Washington, DC - DC Rock & Roll Hotel
Nov. 22 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
CANNIBAL CORPSE filmed two shows in early May for an upcoming DVD release. The concerts were shot and directed by Denise Korycki (Wild Wind Productions), who also helmed the band's "Centuries Of Torment - The First 20 Years" DVD.
"Centuries of Torment", which came out July 2008, was certified platinum in Canada last year just before the crushing release of the band's new album, "Evisceration Plague". The DVD sold 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on the Top Music Videos chart.
Satanic metal warlords SATAN'S HOST are currently at Flatline Audio with producer Dave Otero working on the band's ninth studio album, entitled "By The Hands Of The Devil", to be released next year by Moribund Records.
Following the departure of vocalist Eli Elixir and the return of Leviathan Thisiren (a.k.a. Harry Conklin of JAG PANZER and TITAN FORCE) into the SATAN'S HOST grotto on vocals, the band performed in Germany at the Keep It True festival in April and has done some local Colorado shows to prepare for the new album.
According to a press release, "founding six-string sorcerer Patrick Evil, with his cornucopia of über-evil riffs, has been at the top of his game with all-new tracks that will devour the weak at heart and those who try to dismiss this true metal virtuoso. Anthony 'Evil Hobbit' Lopez, making his second appearance on the drums of doom, has taken the groove to a new hellish high, and with the addition of Margar on bass, SATAN'S HOST have taken their musical journey to new, darker realms with deeper and broader themes and lyrical content."
Commented Patrick Evil, "I think this will be our greatest album to date. Our ninth release for our 25th aniversary — how much better can it get than that?"
POISONBLACK — the Finnish band featuring former SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala — has scheduled the following dates:
Aug. 19 - Oulu, Finland - Juhlateltta
Aug. 21 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
Sep. 09 - Pori, Finland - Bar Kino
Sep. 10 - Turku, Finland - Klubi
Sep. 11 - Kouvola, Finland - Rytmikatti
Sep. 17 - Kuopio, Finland - Henry's Pub
Sep. 18 - Joensuu, Finland - Kellari
Sep. 24 - Tampere, Finland - Yo-talo
Sep. 25 - Helsinki, Finland - Virgin Oil
Nov. 04 - Dordrecht, Netherlands - Bibelot
Nov. 05 - Geiselwind, Germany - Music Hall
Nov. 06 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer Kert
"Of Rust And Bones", the fourth album from POISONBLACK, entered the official chart in the group's home country at position No. 6. The follow-up to 2008's "A Dead Heavy Day" was recorded with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who has previously worked with such acts as HIM, SENTENCED, AMORPHIS and ENSIFERUM.
Commented the band: "The main goal was, while recording, to have nothing more or less than two guitars, drums, bass and keyboards with vocals on top. Basically, record how we sound as a band. A lot of music was recorded 'live,' with everyone playing the song instead of Tarmo playing drums with only one guitar and a click track. A couple of songs were played totally naked.
"It's amazing how you really get into your instrument and the song when you don't have any clothes on... Hiili also played a big part in getting us in the right mood for each song.
"Lyrically the album is dealing with the uncontrollable craving for alcohol and boredom, frustration, hate, love and the fact that eventually everything will go down the drain."
The cover and booklet artwork was created by Teemu Hostikka.
The limited-edition CD digipak featuring the bonus track "Half Past Dead" was released in Finland and Germany only.
"A Dead Heavy Day" also entered the Finnish chart at position No. 6.
HAIL OF BULLETS — the Dutch death metal band featuring GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby, THANATOS guitarists Stephan Gebédi and Paul Baayens, former PESTILENCE/ASPHYX singer Martin Van Drunen and former HOUWITSER bass player Theo van Eekelen — has set "On Divine Winds" as the title of its second full-length album, due in North America on October 12 via Metal Blade Records (one day earlier internationally). The group recorded 11 songs plus an intro for the CD, which, like its predecessor, was produced by Ed Warby was mixed by Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE).
HAIL OF BULLETS' debut album "…Of Frost And War" was a concept album about the Eastern front war of Germany. "On Divine Winds" is another concept effort, this time covering the Pacific battles between Japan and the USA.
Comments Van Drunen: "This time HAIL OF BULLETS takes on the Pacific War. The expansion of the Empire of Japan throughout Asia, introducing a full scale war using all forces combined. The massive strike back of the Americans, whose marines bravely fought many tough and bloody battles on now forgotten insulate islands spread throughout the whole Pacific. This led to desperate Japanese defense tactics such as Kamikaze, human bullets and suicidal Banzai charges. Until, finally, incendiary bombings brought the empire to its knees."
The album title "On Divine Winds" is a translation of the Japanese word "kamikaze," as kami stands for "God" and kaze means "wind."
"On Divine Winds" will feature 12 tracks on the limited first digibook edition and 11 song on the regular jewelcase version.
"On Divine Winds" track listing:
01. The Eve Of Battle
02. Operation Z
03. The Mukden Incident
04. Strategy Of Attrition
05. Full Scale War
06. Guadalcanal
07. On Coral Shores
08. Unsung Heroes
09. Tokyo Napalm Holocaust
10. Sugar Loaf Hill (bonus track on limited first digibook edition)
11. Kamikaze
12. To Bear The Unbearable
HAIL OF BULLETS' "Warsaw Rising" EP was released on July 17, 2009 (in Europe) via Metal Blade Records. Featuring two brand new tracks, one cover and three live recordings, it was made available as a six-page digipack and in a strictly limited edition of 2,000 copies only!
"Warsaw Rising" contained the new songs "Liberators" (an ode to one of the most magnificent bombers ever built) and the title track (which tells the tragic tale of the bloody 1944 Warsaw uprising). A "massive" cover of the TWISTED SISTER classic "Destroyer" and three tracks from the BULLETS' earth-shattering performance at the 2008 Party.San Open Air festival were also included.
"…Of Frost And War", the debut album from HAIL OF BULLETS, was released in Europe in May 2008 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded in February/March of 2008 at Excess Studios in Rotterdam, Holland and was mixed and mastered in Sweden by Dan Swanö.
HAIL OF BULLETS was formed in late 2006 through a mutual love for old-school death metal bands like AUTOPSY, BOLT THROWER, MASSACRE, CELTIC FROST and DEATH. In the summer of 2007, the band entered a Rotterdam studio to record a four-song promotional CD, which was also mixed by Swanö.
Candlelight Records has set an October 12 North American release date for "Quietly, Undramatically", the new album from WOE. Recorded at Gradwell House in Haddon Heights, New Jersey with additional tracking completed at frontman Chris Grigg's BS1 in Philadelphia, the CD is the first to feature a full band ensemble comprised of members from ABSU, WOODS OF YPRES, THE GREEN EVENING REQUIEM, INFERNAL STRONGHOLD and RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER.
Formed in 2007, WOE originally began as a solo project of Philadelphia-based multi-instrumentalist Chris Grigg. Popular site Metal Review called WOE's debut, "A Spell For The Death Of Man" (2008, Stronghold Records), "easily 2008's most criminally overlooked album."
Grigg reveals, "'Quietly, Undramatically' is a major step forward for WOE. Not only is it our first release for Candlelight Records but the debut of WOE: the band as opposed to WOE: the solo project. The performances of Evan Madden (drums) and Shane Madden (bass) bring WOE to a whole new level. It is a much more mature album, featuring dynamics and ideas that WOE has never been able to tackle before. We are all very excited for this album's release and the subsequent live performances in support of it!"
"Quietly, Undramatically" is WOE's first release for England's Candlelight Records. The album reunites the band with designer/illustrator Justin Miller. "Justin and I have worked together on different projects for years now and he has never let me down," says Grigg. "I consider his art an additional song on the album — the most important song, the one that ties it all together. Sound is what I do, sight is what he does, and it is a relief to know that Woe's presentation is handled with such feeling."
"Quietly, Undramatically" track listing:
01. No Solitude
02. The Road From Recovery
03. Quietly, Undramatically
04. A Treatise on Control
05. Without Logic
06. Full Circle
07. Hatred is Our Heart
WOE will celebrate the album's release with a free performance, along with labelmates KRIEG, at Philadelphia's Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street) on October 28.
Swedish black metallers WATAIN, who were scheduled to tour North America with BEHEMOTH in November, have issued the following update:
"As some of you might have heard, BEHEMOTH have been forced to cancel their North American tour.
"To put an end to rumors and speculations regarding how this affects WATAIN's touring plans, know this: THERE IS NO ESCAPE, WE ARE COMING.
"Exact dates and further information will be [announced] soon."
WATAIN's fourth album, "Lawless Darkness", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 26 and dropped to No. 37 the following week.
"Lawless Darkness" sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 42 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.
"Lawless Darkness" was released in Europe on June 7 in a limited three-panel digipack edition with die-cut and a cover of DEATH SS' "Chains of Death" as a bonus track.
"Reaping Death", the new CD single from WATAIN, which was exclusively distributed in Sweden via Sweden Rock Magazine, was certified gold in the band's home country on April 21 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. (Note: Each copy of the magazine sold in Sweden was counted towards the certification.)
WATAIN will embark on a European headlining tour in the fall. Support on the trek will come from DESTROYER 666. A U.S. run with BEHEMOTH will follow in November.
Death metallers FATHER BEFOULED have inked a deal with Relapse Records for the release of their new full-length album, "Morbid Destitution Of Covenant". Due on September 14, the CD was recorded in May at Elektro Sound in Cooper, Texas.
Commented the band: "It goes without saying, given the sound we craft, we could be none more honored to be part of the Relapse roster, and firmly rooted in the history of American death metal. Without the existence of Relapse, there quite simply would not be a FATHER BEFOULED, and more importantly, there would not be so many bands that the label spawned. We feel extremely confident in our decision to work with one of the labels that helped this sound ooze from the primordial…"
According to FATHER BEFOULED, "Morbid Destitution Of Covenant" is "a venomous excursion into the depths of the ethereal: serpentine riffing, discordant and eerie melodies, thunderous, abysmal vocals, and a deafening drum roar. We feel we have crafted the ultimate unholy sum of our parts. There is no comparison to the FATHER BEFOULED of the past; with 'Morbid Destitution Of Covenant' we have found FATHER BEFOULED. The husk has been shed and a new being shall stand arisen. However, there shall be no speak of a sound changed, yet purely the cancer has metastasized into a hewn, black nexus of our own oblivion."
In other news, FATHER BEFOULED's debut album, "Obscurus Nex Cultus", and 2008 EP, "Profano ad Regnum", are now available digitally at iTunes. The band has also just released a limited-edition seven-inch single, "Rotting Godless Throne", via Nuclear War Now.
FATHER BEFOULED will take part in the Sacrifice Of The Nazarene Child festival this October in Houston, Texas.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/fatherbefouled.
Finnish doom/death metallers SHAPE OF DESPAIR, the band featuring ex-AMORPHIS/current AJATTARA singer Pasi Koskinen, will release a new EP, "Written In My Scars", in October/November via Solarfall Records.
The CD cover artwork can be viewed below.
SHAPE OF DESPAIR's self-titled album was released in August 2005 via Spinefarm Records. The low-priced CD contained rare and unreleased material from the group, including tracks from the band's first demo, "Alone in the Mist", and a new song called "Sleeping Murder", which was recorded over a four-day period late March 2005 at Sundicoop Studios in Savonlinna, Finland.
SHAPE OF DESPAIR's third album, "Illusion's Play", was released in Europe in September 2004 through Spikefarm Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Angels of Distress" was recorded at Hellhole studios in Helsinki, Finland.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/shapewrittenep.jpg
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