According to a posting on the BLACK SABBATH fan site Black-Sabbath.com, Tony Iommi's Iommi SG guitar (see photo below) was stolen at the tribute show HEAVEN & HELL performed on July 24 at the High Voltage festival at Victoria Park in London, England.
If you have any information or leads regarding the guitar's whereabouts, contact Iommi's webmaster. A reward is being offered for the instrument's return.
Surviving HEAVEN & HELL members Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice played a very special tribute to their fallen bandmate, Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage festival. The musicians were joined by legendary former DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH man Glenn Hughes and Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, who sings for power metallers MASTERPLAN and has just released his own tribute to Ronnie.
The setlist was as follows (vocalist for each track listed in parenthesis):
01. The Mob Rules (Jorn Lande)
02. I (Jorn Lande)
03. Country Girl (Glenn Hughes)
04. Children Of The Sea (Glenn Hughes)
05. Turn Up The Night (Jorn Lande)
06. Voodoo (Jorn Lande)
07. Bible Black (Glenn Hughes)
08. Falling Off The Edge Of The World (Glenn Hughes)
09. Die Young (Jorn Lande)
10. Heaven And Hell (Jorn Lande, Glenn Hughes)
11. Neon Knights (Jorn Lande, Glenn Hughes, Philip Anselmo)
Check out a professional photo gallery from Express & Star.
http://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2010/07/26/high-voltage-festival-farewell-to-ronnie-james-dio/heaven_and_hell_4469/
Proceeds from this performance will go to the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund.
Immediately following the High Voltage concert, Hughes revealed exclusively to Express & Star that there will be a Dio tribute album, "with some megastars," to raise funds for to the Ronnie James Dio "Stand Up And Shout" Cancer Fund, as well as a major show in Los Angeles in March 2011.
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The German edition of the Metal Hammer magazine celebrated the second edition of its annual awards at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 5-7 in Wacken, Germany. The winner in each category was chosen via an online vote, a musicians' jury, and the Metal Hammer staff. Some of the winning artists were presented with their awards at the festival's main stage, while others sent video messages expressing their gratitude for the honor.
The complete list of winners:
* Best Album: RAMMSTEIN - "Liebe ist Für alle da"
* Best Debut: STEEL PANTHER - "Feel The Steel"
* Best German Band: BLIND GUARDIAN
* Best International: MOTÖRHEAD
* Best Live Act: IRON MAIDEN
* God Of Riffs: Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Legend: Ronnie James Dio
* Maximum Metal: ANVIL and DORO
* Metal Anthem: BEHEMOTH - "Ov Fire And The Void"
* Up and Coming: ELUVEITIE
Video messages from the following musicians and artist representatives are available at this location:
* Wendy Dio on behalf of Ronnie James Dio
* Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD)
* Orion (BEHEMOTH)
* STEEL PANTHER
After debuting their new lineup to a sold-out audience in New York this past May and then traveling to Europe to devastate the masses with shows in 16 different countries in 80 days (including two shows opening for AC/DC), reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT will return to tour the U.S. for the first time in 14 years on a co-headlining tour with KING'S X. ACCEPT's first show will kick off the eleventh annual ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta.
Commented ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffman: "Believe me, this was boot camp, but we loved every minute of it!
"Twelve months ago, there was nothing on the horizon that would have made us believe we would be on the stages of the world again as ACCEPT… and here we are! [New lead vocalist] Mark Tornillo inspires us to get it all out in a way we have not been challenged before. We can't wait to be on stage with him!!!! He is the new kid on the block and he is the reason we are back again. It is such a relief, such vitamin shot!!! And if we could, we would never stop!!!"
When asked what has surprised the band the most about their fans, Hoffman responded enthusiastically, "NO doubt about it, the biggest surprise is the way they make us feel welcomed. Of course we hoped the fans would be happy to have us back — who would not believe that about their fans? — but what is happening here, everywhere we go, is a total knock-out for us. We have not seen fans so happy in a long, long time."
ACCEPT U.S. tour dates:
Sep. 09 - Atlanta, GA - ProgPower USA (no KING'S X)
Sep. 23 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
Sep. 24 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
Sep. 25 - Sayreville, NJ - The Starland Ballroom
Sep. 27 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Sep. 29 - Foxborough, MA - Showcase Live
Oct. 01 - Reading, PA - The Silo
Oct. 02 - Mount Clemens, MI - The Emerald Theatre
Oct. 09 - Chicago, IL - The Arcada
Oct. 12 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
Oct. 13 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
More October shows will be announced soon.
ACCEPT's new album, "Blood Of The Nations", will be released on the following dates:
August 20: Europe (via Nuclear Blast)
September 4: Japan (via Universal)
September 14: North America (via Nuclear Blast)
"Blood Of The Nations" was recorded at Backstage Studio in Derbyshire, England with acclaimed British producer and SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, MASTERPLAN). The CD — which marks the recording debut of the band's latest addition, vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK) — contains the following 12 tracks:
01. Beat The Bastards
02. Teutonic Terror
03. The Abyss
04. Blood Of The Nations
05. Shades Of Death
06. Locked And Loaded
07. Kill The Pain
08. Rollin Thunder
09. Pandemic
10. New World Comin'
11. No Shelter
12. Bucketful Of Hate
ACCEPT 2010 is:
Wolf Hoffmann: Guitar
Peter Baltes: Bass
Herman Frank: Guitar
Mark Tornillo: Vocals
Stefan Schwarzmann: Drums
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine tells RollingStone.com that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of a tour featuring the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — headliners METALLICA alongside MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. "If the opportunity came up again, we would all go for it," says Mustaine, who was was booted from METALLICA in 1983 due to his excessive drug and alcohol use. "I think it would even be cool if it was just us and METALLICA. It was fun for us, great for our career, and great for all the fans because at the end of that night, when I went up and hugged James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist], and I heard how loud that cheer was versus any other time we were playing — that was the [moment] you dream about when you're a kid. The big show — the biggest show you'll ever do."
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.
"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.
Shannon Joy of the LA Music Blog recently conducted an interview with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE). An excerpt from the chat follows below.
LA Music Blog: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY went under a bit of a lineup change this year, with Will Hunt [drums] announced as the replacement for Craig Nunenmacher. How'd Will come into the mix?
Zakk: We knew Will from out on the road, and Craigo — we all love Craig. No one ever quits or gets kicked out of BLACK LABEL, but Craig was just like, "Zakky, if we're not touring year 'round, financially, with my wife and my son, I need to figure out something else to do." So we were like, "All right, Craig." But put it this way, if any of the guys in the Doom Crew or in the band, if they could make more money with Celine Dion, you've got to go for it, and you can always come back. If it's just like, "Oh, dude, we're done with that tour, is there any room for me?" I'd say, "Yeah, we could use another body." The guys can always come back, and that's the beautiful thing about it. But when Craig said he had to split, I'm at the point where I don't have to audition people. We've been doing it long enough, so you know who the guys are and you know who ain't. The prerequisite for being a BLACK LABEL guy is that you can't be a douche bag and you got to
know how to play your instrument. So you know, Will fits that description with flying colors, and he's friends with Craig and everything like that, so everything is awesome.
LA Music Blog: So it's been almost a year since your blood clot issues surfaced…
Zakk: The whole thing was crazy when I got it! I asked the doctor, "Doc, all my years of drinking, could this have affected it?" He said, "Zakk, put it this way: it's a blood thinner. If you got this hereditary, from your parents or anything like that, if anything, with these blood clots, the alcohol saved your life." So I go to the wife, "See sweetie, drinking is good for something!" [Laughs] She was like, "You're dreaming, jackass," needless to say. But the doctor was like, "Seriously, if you're out with the guys, you could be at Hooters watching 'Monday Night Football' getting hammered with the guys. But you're on blood thinners, and you're adding another blood thinner on top of that with the alcohol, and I know you want to have a good time and everything, but you'll just literally start bleeding out. Bleeding out of your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your dick, your ass. And that will be the last time you ever visit Hooters." [Laughs] So basically, at
that point, you're not going to need rehab. It was just like, "Wow! All right, brother!" So I just decided, that's the end of that! Some guy was asking me, "Are you with the 12-step program?" I said, "No. BLACK LABEL one-step program. You're done!" Because seriously, I'm not going to give some guy $40,000 to go, "So, Zakky, how ya doing? How ya feeling today, big guy?" If I'm going to spend $40,000, I'm going to go buy myself a hot rod or a nice Les Paul. I'm definitely not giving it to somebody just to tell me to stop drinking. The hell with that! I've got bills to pay, and my kids are getting ready for schooling, so I could think of a million different things to do with $40,000.
LA Music Blog: Considering you've always been a big drinker, how difficult was it to just stop?
Zakk: You know, you just stop drinking. I had a bunch of other guys that were like, "Man, how'd you stop drinking?" You just stop. What's so hard about that? It's just like saying, "Zakk, how'd you get so good at guitar?" You practice! That's all! Life's simple. You want to lose weight? You cut your calories and you do cardio. That's it! For some people, if you want to keep looking for answers, you can go to college for eight years and try to figure that one out. But you don't need to! I was just watching 'Dr. Phil' the other day, and I don't even know if that guy's a doctor. But the one dude that was on there with his wife, he was banging her sisters, and beating her up, and drinking, and the whole nine. And he goes, "Now, Don, you've probably got to cut out the drinking and beating her up, and you've gotta stop sleeping with her sisters." And the crowd's going crazy! So you see, you can go to college for eight years and have that kind of wisdom.
[Laughs] I'm thinking, "Is this a joke? Is this a 'Saturday Night Live' sketch, because this is ridiculous, man!" It's just like any of those numb-nutted idiots saying that going to prison for eight years was the best thing that ever happened to them. You deserve to stay in prison for the rest of your life with that kind of attitude, you know what I mean? How about don't go to prison at all? That's what you should be thinking. You should know that beating up 80-year-old grandmothers and stealing their purses, and robbing banks and liquor stores, is not really good. It's not cool. So they're like, "After eight years of prison, I realized that." You know why? Because you're an idiot. [Laughs]
Amy Sciarretto of AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with original GUNS N' ROSES and current ADLER'S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
Noisecreep: When you were on Howard Stern, it really touched me when you said that you thought GN'R let you down when they kicked you out, but you admitted that you learned that it was you who let them down. That must be so tough to admit it!
Adler: There was four of them and one of me. The golden rule of drums is hands clapping and feet tapping, and when you are in and out of consciousness, you can't do that to best of your ability. For 20 years, I beat myself up and beat my body up. But I've been working with Dr. Drew. At first, I went to Drew's "Celebrity Rehab" and he asked me if I wanted to do the season before the season that I actually did. I wasn't finished beating myself up. A year went by, he asked me again and I felt differently about it. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to give this a shot. I don't think I can do this to the best of my ability if I don't talk with Slash. He hooked up a meeting with Slash and myself, with no cameras. We got in the room, and I had the opportunity to apologize for all my downfalls, my job in the band, all the drugs. I got to apologize to him for blaming him. I got to say, "It wasn't you, it was me." It was such a weight off my
shoulders. I was able to start moving on with my life. After 35 years of beating myself up, it takes time for body and mind to heal itself. I did the show and I did "Sober House", and I was high on heroin when I showed up. I got arrested and when they got me out of jail and made me watch it, I saw how terrible I looked and it was devastating to me. When you do drugs, they make you feel like you are the best looking person and like you are on top of the world. Then, I saw the tape and I never want to look like that. If there is someone you love and care about having a problem with drugs, show them a video tape them high.
Noisecreep: Where are you at now with your sobriety?
Adler: I have relapsed four or five times in two years. I got almost six months sober now. Part of recovery is relapse. I dust myself off and move forward again. Six months ago, I relapsed on a drug I never did. It was Oxycontin and I never did it before. It was a bad decision and two weeks later, my wife took a picture of me and showed me. I was passed out in a hallway of my house. I took one look at it, called Slash and Dr. Drew and said, "Can you help me?" I wish I realized I had the best people behind me 20 years ago. I had a mild stroke, which affected my speech. It was like I had to go back to kindergarten, to learn how to talk again I have problem with my S's. I got arrested on the show, which was the best thing for me. You might think it's the worst thing, but after 35 years of beating myself up, it takes time to heal. It was either go to jail for one year — and I've been there before and I don't want to go back — or spend 90 days in rehab,
so I went to detox. Every minute is like an hour in rehab ... until you realize you have a nice bed. It's warm and comfortable. They give you three meals a day, and you listen to encouraging words throughout the day. When I was doing drugs, I wouldn't be eating, sleeping.
"Croweology", the first-ever double album of all acoustic material from THE BLACK CROWES, sold around 21,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Released on August 3 via band's label Silver Arrow through Megaforce Records, "Croweology" features new arrangements of their best-loved songs and the band's catalogue picks.
"Croweology" spans THE BLACK CROWES' revered catalog with acoustic renditions of 20 songs from their two decades of cosmic rock 'n' roll. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of their landmark multi-platinum debut, 1990's "Shake Your Moneymaker", "Croweology" gives listeners an intimate retrospective, stripping away these fan and band favorites like "Jealous Again", "Remedy", "She Talks To Angels" and "Wiser Time" to their very essence through brand new recordings, captured in 2009 at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles. Given its scope and bright approach, the Paul Stacey-produced "Croweology" is worth studying for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.
In order to thank fans for 20 years of support, "Croweology" is priced at the cost of a single album. In addition, it is available on vinyl and as an iTunes LP.
The iconic and influential band will kick off a four-month North American tour August 13. The "Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys" trek will wrap December 19 with an epic six-night stand in San Francisco at The Fillmore December 12-19, after which Chris Robinson (vocals/guitar), Rich Robinson (guitar), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Adam McDougall (keyboards) will go on a lengthy hiatus to catch their collective breaths and spend time with their families.
In most cities, the band will perform for three hours: a 90-minute "Acoustic Hors D'oeuvres" set, followed by a 90-minute "Electric Reception with The Black Crowes".
While on tour, THE BLACK CROWES will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 11 at the 32nd annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame awards show. The official induction will feature a live performance by THE BLACK CROWES. Presented by Friends of Georgia Music Festival, Inc., the evening will take place at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in North Atlanta. The event marks the third decade that the non-profit organization has recognized Georgia's accomplished artists and musicians for outstanding achievements.
For more information, visit BlackCrowes.com.
"All Night Long", the new album from Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY sold around 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BUCKCHERRY's fourth studio album, titled "Black Butterfly", opened with around 47,000 units back in September 2008 to land at No. 8.
Even though "Black Butterfly" did not sell much compared to the band's 2006's million-selling comeback effort, "15", Nelson told The Pulse of Radio that he is not giving up on making albums. "I believe in the album as an artform," he said. "I don't think that putting two songs that are gonna be played on the radio and then a bunch of filler stuff — that's not why we do this. But I have lost faith in the number of records sold as an indicator of success, because our audience is growing, our business is growing. Nothing has receded, except the actual number of physical records that are sold. So I don't think that's a true indication of our success."
BUCKCHERRY recently teamed with the Natural Resources Defense Council to send all the proceeds from sales of their new song "Our World" to the NRDC's Gulf Recovery Fund.
A new version of the song, which was taken from "All Night Long", was made available for purchase as an iTunes exclusive. All the proceeds are going directly to Gulf Coast non-profit groups working to help people, wildlife and fragile ecosystems recover from the BP disaster.
BUCKCHERRY will perform on the Thursday, August 12 episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (which will actually air the morning of Friday, August 13).
BLIND GUARDIAN's tenth studio album, "At The Edge Of Time", has entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 2 — the band's strongest chart showing ever in its home country.
Commented vocalist Hansi Kürsch: "Unbelievable. With each new record we get closer to the top and I am quite happy that quality still counts.
"'At The Edge Of Time' is a milestone in our history and I am proud that so many people share this opinion. Our fans are the best!"
"At The Edge Of Time" is now available for pre-order in the U.S. 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.
"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)
When DOWN performed at this year's High Voltage festival at the end of July in London, England (see video below), the U.K. branch of Roadrunner Records sat down with guitarist Kirk Windstein for a quick chat regarding the group's current and upcoming activities. On the topic of the songwriting sessions for DOWN's next album, Kirk stated, "[We've written] two songs and we're really happy with them; kinda getting in that [songwriting] groove now.
"We're at different points in our lives because of our age... We're all in our forties. I have a daughter... and a girl at home... Jimmy's [Bower, drums] got the same thing, Phil's [Anselmo, vocals] got the same thing, Rex [Brown, bass] is married and has twins — a boy and a girl, Pepper [Keenan, guitar] just had his first child...
"Like Phil was just saying, we basically recorded and toured for two and a half years and that's a long time! I think now we're up to 36 countries we played, including twice in Australia, Japan, we did METALLICA summer tour, we hit over in Europe, we did METALLICA first leg of 'Death Magnetic' U.S. tour, we did a bunch of Sonisphere stuff last year with METALLICA, we played with SLIPKNOT, ANTHRAX, SAXON — you name it, so it was like when we got home, we needed a break. We'll email [each other], but nobody will call anybody. Basically, when we get off the plane from the last show on the last tour, we'll get off the plane and it's like (laughs), 'I hate all you motherfuckers, fuck you! Do not call me. Goodbye!' But it's all in fun.
"When you're stuck up each other's ass 24/7 for two and a half years, it's pretty difficult, you need a break, and now everyone feels rejuvenated, fresh, now's the time [to get back into writing].
"We know when the time is right — everyone's got that spark now. But we didn't want to force ourselves to do it if we didn't feel it. I mean, music is emotion. It's got to be real; it's got to be from the heart. We didn't want to force ourselves to do it if we didn't feel the time was right, and now, we've had two great jams, three great jams, wrote two songs, and at the end of the third night it was like, 'Dude! I had fuckin' fun today, it was great!' The spark's back, the desire's back, and it's time to be DOWN."
DOWN's "movie" "Diary Of A Mad Band" has been delayed "due to recent legal issues" and is now expected to surface sometime next year. The set will feature footage of DOWN members "tearing up Europe" — literally and figuratively — on their first European tour. This special DVD/CD collection contains over 130 minutes of live video material and a full, never-before-released concert. (Note: The CD is different from the DVD.)
DOWN bassist Rex Brown has fully recuperated from his fight with pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment.
In October 2008, DOWN released a "deluxe edition" of its critically acclaimed third album, "Over the Under". The deluxe package, which was made available as a Best Buy exclusive, included a DVD with over 30 minutes of previously unreleased live performances and behind-the-scenes footage.
The album was released on Down Records in conjunction with Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group (ILG).
Irish thrashers GAMA BOMB will embark on a headlining European tour in September. The "Graveyard Disturbance" trek will launch on September 16 in Nijmegen, Netherlands, with support for from Danish metallers CROCELL.
Commented GAMA BOMB bassist Joe McGuigan: "We're seriously looking forward to the 'Graveyard Disturbance' tour: it's been a while since we kicked over some tombstones in Europe. We'll be touring in a slightly different incarnation, though, as our lead guitar player Domo 'The Kid' Dixon will be sitting out touring for the rest of 2010 to concentrate on personal stuff. Our pal and original guitbox player, Kevy Canavan, who played on our first album, 'Survival of the Fastest', will be filling in for Domo on our European and U.S. tours this year. As we're revving up for a major U.S. tour later this year, these will be our final European dates until some point in 2011; we're not sure when."
For a list of upcoming shows, see the poster below.
GAMA BOMB decided to break the mold in 2009 when it released its new album, "Tales From The Grave In Space", online as a free download. Following many requests from fans for a physical release, "Tales From The Grave In Space" was made available on CD and vinyl in January.
"Tales From The Grave In Space" was released on limited-edition vinyl in black (only 700 made) and ultra-limited edition green (only 300 made), as well as on CD. The limited edition CD version of the album also comes with an exclusive bonus EP, titled "Half Cut", which includes five brand new, extra tracks.
For more information, head to www.myspace.com/gamabomb.
New Jerseys pirate thrash metal maniacs SWASHBUCKLE will release their new album, "Crime Always Pays…", on September 10 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Commented singer Patrick Henry (a.k.a. Admiral Nobeard): "'Crime Always Pays...' is our heaviest and fastest record to date. It'll tear your head off of your neck and shove a pegleg in your eye-sockets.
"We're proud to have Nuclear Blast release this malicious metal madness, and we're sure you'll all be pleased with the shennanigans that are about to ensue.
Thrash hard, mosh fast, and leave a decaying corpse swingin' from the noose!"
"Crime Always Pays…" track listing:
01. Slowly Wept The Sea
02. We Are The Storm
03. This Round's On YOU!
04. Powder Keg
05. Where Victory Is Penned
06. Of Hooks And Hornswogglers
07. A Time Of Wooden Ships & Iron Men
08. Crime Always Pays
09. Raw Doggin' At The Raw Bar
10. The Gallow's Pole Dancer
11. Legacy's Allure
12. At The Bottom Of A Glass
13. To Steal A Life
14. You Bring The Cannon, We'll Bring The Balls
15. Surf-N-Turf (For Piratical Girth)
16. Rope's End
SWASHBUCKLE's last album, "Back To The Noose", was released on July 24, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records.
SWASHBUCKLE was one of three winners of the 2008 Nuclear Blast MySpace Bands Contest.
For more information, visit www.swashbuckle.info.
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METAL WARRIORS, the MANOWAR tribute band featuring members of TERÄSBETONI and ANTHRIEL, played its second concert last Saturday, August 7, at Dante's Highlight in Helsinki.
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed at this location. A couple of the clips are available below.
METAL WARRIORS made its live debut at the Sauna Open Air metal festival in Tampere in June 2010.
METAL WARRIORS is:
J. Ahola (TERÄSBETONI, NORTHERN KINGS) - Vocals, Bass
Jari Kuokkanen (TERÄSBETONI, ANTHRIEL) - Drums
Jussi Ojanen - Guitar
Antti Hakulinen (ANTHRIEL) - Keyboards
Next month's issue of Metal Hammer magazine will include a very special BLACK SABBATH tribute CD featuring cover versions of SABBATH classics performed by such artists as CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, AMON AMARTH, APOCALYPTICA and TURISAS. Each track was recorded especially for Metal Hammer and won't be available elsewhere.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. TURISAS - "Supernaut"
02. ABSOLUTE POWER - "Hole In The Sky"
03. CAVALERA CONSPIRACY - "Electric Funeral"
04. AMON AMARTH - "Children Of The Grave"
05. APOCALYPTICA - "Spiral Architect"
06. KARMA TO BURN - "Never Say Die"
07. ORANGE GOBLIN - "Symptom Of The Universe"
08. TURBOWOLF - "The Wizard"
09. TED MAUL - "Killing Yourself To Live"
Bonus tracks:
10. MOURNING TIDE - "We The Creeple"
11. SPIRYTUS - "Bullet Ride"
12. WHAT THE NIGHT BRINGS - "Sewn Shut"
13. DEMAGOGUE - "Encounter"
14. THE BENDAL INTERLUDE - "Cat Spats"
15. RAVENFACE - "The Resurrection"
The magazine will go on sale in the U.K. on August 25.
The Pulse of Radio repors that AVENGED SEVENFOLD had a lot to celebrate this past week its new album, "Nightmare", hitting No. 1 — marking the band's highest-charting debut. The success has likely been bittersweet for AVENGED SEVENFOLD, having lost drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan just last December due to an accidental drug overdose. The guys have since tried to pick up the pieces after his death, eventually tapping Mike Portnoy of DREAM THEATER to not only play on the new album, but also tour with the band this year.
AVENGED frontman M. Shadows tells The Pulse of Radio some more about playing with Portnoy. "Mike is so full of life," he said. "He's such a great guy. You know, he's the leader of DREAM THEATER, so I think it's fun for him to get to sit back and, like, you know, he just gets to play the drums and not worry about things and he's having a good time with it. And then it's a new adventure for us and, you know, that's what it's gonna be. It's never gonna be the same and we're not trying to make it the same. We're just trying to do the best we can and Mike's doing a hell of a job and we're really excited about that."
AVENGED SEVENFOLD will co-headline this summer's inaugural Uproar Festival tour with DISTURBED and STONE SOUR, beginning on August 17 in Minneapolis.
Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will embark on the "The United Kingdom Of Heavy Metal" U.K. tour in November with support from GRAND MAGUS, MALEFICE and CHTHONIC.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 23 - Academy - Manchester, UK
Nov. 24 - Garage - Glasgow, UK
Nov. 25 - Wulfren Hall - Wolverhampton, UK
Nov. 27 - HMV Forum - London, UK
Commented ARCH ENEMY singer Angela Gossow: "Good things don't come easy, do they?
"After an abbreviated tour start under the blackened volcanic ash skies back in April, we had to find new allies for the battle for these rescheduled dates.
"Well, we are back — stronger than ever! With our fellow countrymen and heavy metal masters GRAND MAGUS, U.K. thrashers MALEFICE and black metal artists CHTHONIC, we are ready to conquer the United Kingdom Of Heavy Metal!
"Let the killing begin… in November!"
In an interview with The Aquarian Weekly, ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott stated about the band's decision to re-record older material for the "The Root Of All Evil" album, "We started talking about doing something like this three, four years ago. The initial idea came from the fans really, they kept asking us if we'd ever consider re-recording some of the older material, this time with Angela [Gossow] on vocals. At first, I couldn't see the appeal of doing it, but as time passed and more and more people were asking about it, we decided to give it a shot, and I must say that it was a fun project. I found it quite refreshing to go in the studio and record the songs and make them sound fresh and exciting."
When asked how faithful the band wanted the "Root" CD to be to the original recordings, Amott said, "We weren't that concerned with staying 100 percent true to the original versions. These are new interpretations of the old songs. If anyone wants to hear the original recordings of the songs, they can listen to the old albums. We wanted to to give our favorites from those early albums an 'extreme makeover' and make them harder and tougher. We wanted the songs to sound like ARCH ENEMY right here and now, a worthy tribute to the first chapter in the band's history."
Vocalist Steve Lee of Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD has released the following statement:
"I want to inform you that I have been involved in a horrible car crash in Italy on Saturday, August 7 while I was on my way home from a little vacation. A car crashed into us on the motorway near Firenze, and it involved six other cars. As cars were slowing down, the person in the car behind us didn't notice that, and crashed into our car. Despite the accident, I want you all to know that I am OK. I guess I must have a 'rock-loving' guardian angel."
GOTTHARD's latest album, "Need To Believe", was certified platinum in the band's home country for sales in excess of 30,000 copies.
The group was presented with the platinum-award plaques on January 9, 2010 at the "Swiss Awards 2009", which also included the TV premiere of GOTTHARD's radio single, "Don't Let Me Down".
GOTTHARD's "Unconditional Faith" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Zagreb, Croatia in the summer of 2009 and it features performance footage filmed inside the boxing ring that was used in a movie in which boxing champion Henry Maske plays the title role of Max Schmeling.
"Need To Believe" was released on September 4, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records.
GOTTHARD has opened for such renowned artists as AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE, BRYAN ADAMS and BON JOVI throughout Europe. The band has also had the honor of performing at the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, is two-time winner of its native country's Prix Walo Award, recipient of Monaco's International Music Award, and has had its music featured on the soundtrack to the European television series "Frankie".
Swedish hard rockers CRAZY LIXX have been confirmed for the second installment of the Stockholm Rock Out festival, set to take place September 10-11, 2010 at Gamla Tryckeriet in Alvik, Sweden.
The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:
CRAZY LIXX (SE)
DAMN DELICIOUS (SE)
DEBBIE RAY (SE)
DIRTY PASSION (SE)
DIRTY PENNY (US)
DYNAZTY (SE)
FATAL SMILE (SE)
GREAT WHITE (US)
JOHN CORABI (US)
KEEL (US)
KILLER CLAN OF F.U.N. (SE)
KILLING TOUCH (IT)
KINGDOM COME (US)
KISSIN' ALICE (SE)
LIZZY BORDEN (US)
M.ILL.ION (SE)
PRETTY BOY FLOYD (US)
ROCK'N'ROLL ALLSTARS (SE)
SHAMELESS (US/DE)
STAR*RATS (DK)
TUFF (US)
U.D.O. (DE)
WASTED SAINTS (SE)
WIG WAM (N)
For more information, visit www.sthlmrockout.com.
TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick has posted the following message on his official web site:
"It's been nearly ten years since my first TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA winter tour. Each year it's been an incredible experience, traveling from arena to arena being an important part of the largest symphonic rock production in history. This year, however, I've decided to make the difficult decision of stepping out of the spotlight (and lasers, fog, fire and snow) and embarking upon new adventures.
"The reasons for this are twofold.
"As one might imagine, the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA winter tour is a demanding one — with long days and an action-packed show that calls for no less than 200% of yourself, often twice a day from the mid-October rehearsals to the final show in January.
"While the awesome response from fans and the collaboration with fellow performers make it beyond worth it, there comes a point, after so many years of annual grueling intensity, for some of us to draw upon that quarter of a year's worth of time and energy in order to launch a renewed focus on our own visions.
"In my case, this process begins with the release of a brand new album (ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO's 'Veritas', due October 15) to be followed by heavy touring, including winter dates in support of RODRIGO Y GABRIELA.
"There are many other endeavors in the works, the information of which will be continually updated online at AlexSkolnick.com. Furthermore, as someone who has been on tour with multiple projects and running on all cylinders during the entire calendar year since 2006, reclaiming this three-month period will open up the option to take breaks once in a while, remember what home looks like, lessen the constant separation from friends and loved ones and recharge my own batteries as needed.
"Of course, I'll miss doing the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour. The stage time, friendships and overall experience has been invaluable.
"I'm grateful to Paul O'Neil and Nightcastle Management for the opportunity, to all the musicians and singers for the good times and to all the fans for the unyielding support; you guys are the best! I look forward to seeing many of you out there in different configurations."
Polish female-fronted traditional heavy metal act CRYSTAL VIPER will release its brand new studio album titled "Legends" on October 22 via AFM Records. As the title suggests, all the lyrics on the CD are based on the original Polish legends from the middle ages. The effort was recorded and mixed at the MP Studio in Poland, with engineer Mariusz Pietka and producer Bart Gabriel.
"Legends" features guest appearances by Rhino (ex-MANOWAR), Stefan Kaufmann (U.D.O., ex-ACCEPT), Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER) and Sven D'Anna and Dano Boland (WIZARD).
CRYSTAL VIPER released a live album, "Defenders Of The Magic Circle: Live In Germany", in June via AFM Records. The CD included the band's entire live set recorded in 2009 at the Magic Circle Festival in Germany along with a bunch of studio cuts.
CRYSTAL VIPER's last studio album, "Metal Nation", was released in February 2009 through Karthago Records (CD version) and High Roller Records (limited vinyl version). The CD was mixed at the Sonic Train Studios (HAMMERFALL, KING DIAMOND, EVERGREY, FALCONER etc.) in Varberg, Sweden by the Grammy-nominated KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque.
Perttu Kivilaakso (APOCALYPTICA), Janne Wirman (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Antti "Hyrde" Hyyrynen (STAM1NA), Janne "Burton" Puurtinen (HIM), Elias Viljanen (SONATA ARCTICA) and Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE) are among the musicians who make guest appearances on "Hirmuliskojen Yö", the forthcoming second album from HEVISAURUS, which is described as one of the the hottest things in Finnish children's music.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, many Finnish parents also like HEVISAURUS, as it differs from adult heavy metal only with respect to the lyrics, and the fact that instead of musicians adorned with heavy metal attire and makeup, the music is performed by four dinosaurs and a dragon.
"Hirmuliskojen Yö" will be released in Finland on September 15 via Sony Music. A single, "Saurusarmeija" (hear audio below), will precede the full-length effort. The CD was once again produced by Pasi Heikkilä and Nino Laurenne, who also helmed HEVISAURUS' debut album, "Jurahevin Kuninkaat".
"Jurahevin Kuninkaat" came out in October 2009 and has since been certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies.
Former VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar), Antony "Antton" Lant (drums; brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals) have joined forces in a brand new band called PRIME EVIL. The group is currently working on material for its debut album, tentatively due in 2011. The CD will feature a guest appearance by another former VENOM member, guitarist Mike Hickey, who may also join the band's touring lineup.
The first part of a new video interview with Dunn, Lant and Dolan in which they discuss the formation of PRIME EVIL can be viewed below.
"Prime Evil" was the name of VENOM's sixth studio album, which came out in 1989 and was the first to feature Dolan on vocals.
VENOM's current lineup consists of Conrad "Cronos" Lant on bass/vocals, Rage on guitar and Danny "Danté" Needham (TONY MARTIN) on drums.
Four years after the release of the critically acclaimed "Generator" album, Italian/Norwegian electro/post black metallers ABORYM are back with their fifth CD. Set for a November 8 European release (November 23 in the U.S.) via Season Of Mist, the new full-length is entitled "Psychogrotesque" and is composed of a single song written by the band's mastermind Malfeitor Fabban and talented new guitarist Hell:IO:Kabbalus.
ABORYM describes the album as a "realistic story about the horrific human aridity and its fragile impotence. A social metaphor, uncomfortable but very current, treated cynically by bassist-singer Fabban through a story set in a mental hospital, which suggests that he used his pen with an absolute commitment and the determination to keep off ABORYM from the banality and clichés both ideological/aptitudinal and musical that saturate the extreme metal scene."
"Psychogrotesque" was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fear No One Studios by Emiliano Natali, with the sound consulting of Marc Urselli (founder of MEMORY LAB and sound engineer for artists like JOHN ZORN, LAURIE ANDERSON, LOU REED, ERIC CLAPTON) at the prestigious Eastside Sound Studios in New York.
September 3 will see three releases by German progressive black metallers SECRETS OF THE MOON pressed on black gold vinyl.
1. "Them Bones / This Inner Soil" gatefold vinyl single
This seven-inch single contains two previously unreleased songs: the ALICE IN CHAINS cover version "Them Bones", recorded during the "Privilegivm" sessions, and the original track "This Inner Soil" from the "Antithesis" sessions. This single is released in a noble, elaborate gatefold cover and is limited to 500 copies.
2. "Antithesis" gatefold 2LP
SECRETS OF THE MOON's third studio album "Antithesis" (2006) will be available on vinyl for the first time. This album will be released as a double LP in gatefold format and will contain the previously unreleased bonus track "Father". Limited to 500 copies!
3. "The Ambience Of A Dead Star" 12-inch mini-album
Another first-time release on vinyl will be the mini-album "The Ambience Of A Dead Star", thus far only available as bonus CD to the deluxe edition of "Carved In Stigmata Wounds" (2004). The artwork is designed specifically for this re-release on vinyl to visually highlight the stand-alone character of the mini album. Limited to 500 copies!
You can pre-order the above-mentioned items at this location.
SECRETS OF THE MOON is working on material for the follow-up to 2009's "Privilegivm" (working title: "Seven Bells") for a 2011 release.
SECRETS OF THE MOON is:
Ar - Guitar
LSK - Bass
sG - Guitar and Vocals
T. Thelemnar - Drums
"Privilegivm" was produced by Markus Stock and was mastered by Peter in De Betou at Stockholm, Sweden's Tailor Maid Production.
SECRETS OF THE MOON belongs to the most prestigious group of bands in the German black metal underground, with their first demo release dating back to 1995. The band was formed out of the ashes of one of the very first black metal outfits stemming from German scene, MARTYRIUM.
North Carlina metallers VANISHER have inked a deal with Tribunal Records. The band's full-length debut, "The History Of Saints", will be released on September 14.
VANISHER may a new band to most, but only in name as within their ranks veterans from BLOODJINN (Pluto Records) and GLASS CASKET (Century Media/Abacus Recordings) reside and they are confidently leading the new pack of metal bands surfacing in North Carolina. While not bearing much resemblance to their former bands, VANISHER has set out to carve a new path and capture audiences with its futuristic metal brand. VANISHER combines an old-school thrash/death metal mentality with an absolutely modern melodic fluency allowing it to succeed in shattering all stylistic barriers. "The History Of Saints" is well rounded in all things relevant in metal today (production/songwriting/artwork) and quickly establishes VANISHER as a band that everyone should keep their eyes and ears on.
The physical release of "The History Of Saints" contains an eight-track bonus CD not available on the digital release.
"The History Of Saints" track listing:
01. Born To Breed
02. I Am Failure
03. The Architect
04. A Wolf In The Fold
05. Oceans
06. Liaisons
07. State Of Adversity
08. Frustrated Static
09. The History Of Saints
10. Cave Dweller
11. Pure Diesel
12. Conviction Cell
Bonus CD:
01. Kings
02. The Road
03. Spiraling Downwards
04. Into The Sands
05. The Staredown
06. Feverish Crimes
07. New Brand Of Justice
08. Reaction
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/thisisvanisher.
Mumbai, India-based "horror" metal band ALBATROSS will release their debut EP, "Dinner Is You", in September via Demonstealer Records. The CD was mastered by acclaimed Swedish guitarist/producer Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND, DEATH, ILLWILL, X-WORLD/5).
According to a press release, "'Dinner Is You' is a sick, sadistic tale of cannibalism and the Kuru disease, which is a nervous system disorder afflicting cannibals, making them laugh uncontrollably. Each song is a spine-chilling story told through skull-crushing metal."
"Dinner Is You" track listing:
01. The Great Plague Of The 21st Century
02. The Dining Table
03. In The Court Of Kuru
04. Among the Cannibals
The song "The Dining Table" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
Gothenburg, Sweden-based metal sextet MARIONETTE recently entered Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, BRING ME THE HORIZON) to begin recording its as-yet-untitled third album for a tentative early 2011 release via Listenable Records.
Commented guitarist and backing vocalist Aron Parmerud: "We spent a great deal of time after our last [European] tour with BLESSTHEFALL working on new songs and ended up with over 14 songs. Last month Jimmy [Olausson, drums] came in and nailed each of the songs on drums and from there we began tracking the guitars and bass all at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg. Linus [Johansson, keyboards] and I are working with the ambiance of the music and the keyboards. Alexander [Andersson, vocals] is currently working hard on the lyrics and vocal lines.
"Fans of our 'Spite' [2008] and more so 'Enemies' [2009] albums will find some familiar elements in our new songs. Listeners will certainly hear contrasts between brutal and beautiful, progressive and catchy, and up-tempo and down-tempo. There are more elements that will be very new to our listeners.
"We're eager to perform a few of these new songs live on our upcoming 'The SlaughTour 2010' dates in the U.K. and Denmark, and our recently confirmed shows with fellow Gothenburgers DARK TRANQUILLITY in Sweden and Norway. So come out, see us live, and be the first to hear some new MARIONETTE songs this October and November!"
Sitting behind the kit for MARIONETTE at the upcoming shows will be Robert Johansson (ELDRIMNER).
Jimmy Olausson recently left MARIONETTE to pursue other musical endeavors.
MARIONETTE's sophomore album, "Enemies", was released in Europe in October 2009 via Listenable Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Spit" was recorded with a team of up-and-coming as well as established names in Swedish music, including Pontus Hjelm (DEAD BY APRIL) and two-time Swedish Grammis award-winning producer and songwriter Åke Parmerud. The album was mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, AT THE GATES, BRING ME THE HORIZON) at Studio Fredman and Peter In De Betou (DIMMU BORGIR, ZONARIA) at Tailor Maid Production, respectively, in May 2009.
For more information, visit www.Marionette.se.
Hard-hitting Danish four-piece THE BURNING will release its third album, "Hail The Horde", in Europe on October 22 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE, PURIFIED IN BLOOD), while the drum recordings and mastering were handled by Tue Madsen (SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL). The album features guest vocals by Scott and Bjørn Jensen (DAWN OF DEMISE) and Søren "Nico" Adamsen (ARTILLERY).
"Hail The Horde" track listing:
01. Godless
02. Bait The Hook
03. Nihilist Life
04. Flames Be Your Friend
05. Inverted Cross Syndrome
06. Wolf Moon (feat. Søren "Nico" Adamsen)
07. Hail The Horde (feat. Scott and Bjørn Jensen)
08. Swing The Pendulum
09. Turn Or Burn
10. Metamorphosis
11. Baptized In Bong Water
12. Disownment
Commented THE BURNING frontman Johnny Haven: "We knew that we wanted the Jensen brothers to guest on one of the more rock-oriented songs on the album. And the title track has a simple 'in-your-face' riff that sounds like MÖTLEY CRÜE played on 33 rpm with Grave's guitar sound and their deep growls were a perfect match for that song.
"'Wolf Moon' is the closest thing a band like ours will ever come to a ballad, and Nico's voice goes really well with the DANZIG-inspired chorus. This is also the first THE BURNING song to ever feature acoustic guitar."
THE BURNING previously stated about the new CD: "This is by far the most uncompromising, raw and natural sounding album we have ever done. You can actually tell that it is people playing; we left in small mistakes, and we didn't drum replace or any of that stuff. And the whole thing sounds like you are in the rehearsal room with cabinets and smoking speakers in front of you.
"For the first time ever we wrote more songs than we needed for the album, and out of the 17 we wrote, the 12 best are going on the album.
"Musically the backbone is heavily inspired by mid-Nineties groove metal, mixed with heavy, dirty rock choruses and crossover thrash. Not unlike the albums released by bands like PANTERA, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SEPULTURA and HELMET during the mid-Nineties."
THE BURNING will play songs from the new album next month when the band hits road in Denmark as part of the MTV Headbangers Ball Tour with RAUNCHY and INVOCATOR.
Polish death metal veterans VADER have set "Return To The Morbid Reich" as the tentative title of their next studio album. According to guitarist/vocalist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek, the CD will be recorded in March/April 2011 at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland and it will be released in August/September 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
A short question-and-answer session with Wiwczarek regarding the forthcoming album follows below.
Q: What do you mean by changes in the band's image which you mentioned on one of discussion sites?
Piotr: By image I mean the way the band is promoted, together with the new album, photo session, image itself and type of stage design. Suffice to mention photo sessions to "Black To The Blind" or "Impressions"… Of course I didn't mean any changes in hairstyle or dressing up in very popular lately leather armor. VADER doesn't need to take such steps. We will make the band's death metal nature more visible, though. I don't want to get into details too early. Recording session is planned not until March/April... but it's worth visiting our website during this period. Plenty of news will appear then and we will reveal a few details about the content of the newest album.
Q: Is a draft title of the newest album indicating a comeback to the classic "Morbid Reich" sounds or is it just an initial idea?
Piotr: It's impossible and useless to record the same album once again. I'm sure that even if we recorded a second "Morbid Reich" or previously mentioned "De Profundis", the album wouldn't get similar feedback. Times have changed, people have changed and metal has changed itself. What can be done is to try to capture the feeling of those days just to remind the roots of the band. I don't intend to revive "Morbid Reich" after 20 years. Today nobody — including me — would receive this material as at the beginning of the '90s. Moreover, how could I go back in the guitar playing techniques or forget about my rich musical experience? "Return To Morbid Reich" will be my attempt to revive the gloom of those days accompanying the creation of music and expressionist aesthetics of the 30s. The outcome? I'm curious myself. The difference would be the time devoted to the album even before entering the studio. I'll try to return to the way of working on music
from before the times of "The Ultimate..." I also hope to create something together with Marek [Pajak, guitar] and Pawel [Jaroszewicz, drums].
Q: How do you assess the new band lineup? How is Marek Pajak doing? Is there any chance that he will stay there for some time?
Piotr: This decision belongs not only to me but to Marek himself as well. We're getting on really good and after a decent number of gigs played together we both know what the work in VADER looks like. I believe that we'll record more albums together. So far Pajak has confirmed that working with a professionalist and realist is a real pleasure.
Q: The idea of playing the whole album "De Profundis" is wonderful. Will you repeat it during upcoming gigs over in the USA too?
Piotr: The idea had several sources. Over a year ago Wacek came up with idea of playing "De Profundis" at concerts. However it seemed a bit inflated idea to me. A few weeks ago, however, I had an interview during which it got mentioned that it had been 15 years since the album release. Performing "legendary" albums as a whole during gigs has already been practiced by SLAYER, JUDAS PRIEST and METALLICA... so why not VADER? It's not only a classic in our discography but also an important album in the history of Polish metal (I say it not out of pure vanity; it's our fans' opinion). What's more, it will be a great diversification to the whole concert set. If it'll work out — we'll return to other albums in the future. A premiere would be the August tour across Poland. We're going to carry it on over to the USA during the tour with IMMOLATION. Not to mention the fact that the American division of Nuclear Blast particularly liked the whole idea. I wonder
myself how the album will sound after so many years... and what will be the feedback of our maniacs.
AVA INFERI, the Portugal-based band whose lineup includes Norwegian guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), has announced the addition of guitarist André Sobral to the group's ranks.
Comments Eriksen: "André has been on stage with us a couple of times already, and has proved himself worthy (of membership). We now feel that the band is reinvigorated and most ready for bigger challenges, having found the important 'equilibrium' on all levels."
In other news, AVA INFERI recently entered TopRoom Studio in Norway to lay down the drums, bass and guitars for eight brand new songs. Eriksen states, "The [forthcoming AVA AINFERI] album, scheduled for a early 2011 release (on the one and only Season Of Mist), has actually been ready for a while, at least in terms of compositions. But instead of doing the usual 'rush,' we have now used time to our advantage, ensuring nothing slips our attention. I actually remember I made the first riff for 'By Candlelight & Mirror', one of the new songs, already back in March last year, giving the song more than a year to mature into what we feel is optimal.
"It might be a cliché to proclaim this these days, but we truly feel that this material is by far the most interesting and mature we have produced so far. And easily the most raw material as well. It's somewhat typical AVA INFERI, as I really believe we have our own brand of gothic doom by now, but it definitely has a few changes to it.
"The songs are more straight-forward, some of them a tad shorter than what's expected from these shores (set aside 'The Heathen Island', which closes inn at approximately 10 minutes), some downright spooky and dirty, others immeasurably dark even strangely beautiful, but most importantly, they all ooze of an all-consuming power.
"We really believe that with this album we have created the ultimate AVA INFERI record so far!"
AVA INFERI's third album, "Blood Of Bacchus", was released in Europe in May 2009 via France's Season Of Mist. The CD featured guest appearances by Kristoffer Rygg (ULVER), Live Kostöl (PANTHEON I), Fredrik Söderlind (PUISSENCE) and the "amazing piano talent" Arne Martinussen.
Swedish black metallers MARDUK have been confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which is set to sail from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on January 24, 2011 and return four days later. A total of 40 acts will appear at the event.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGENT STEEL
AMON AMARTH
DEATH ANGEL
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EXODUS
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
FORBIDDEN
ICED EARTH
MARDUK
MOONSPELL
OBITUARY
RAVEN
SAXON
SODOM
SONATA ARCTICA
SWASHBUCKLE
TESTAMENT
TROUBLE
ULI JON ROTH
WITCHBURNER
SAXON will play two unique shows. One night they will perform the "Wheels Of Steel" LP in its entirety and on a different night, for the second show, they will play "Strong Arm Of The Law" from start to finish.
70000 Tons Of Metal will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean "Majesty of the Seas" from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.
Make no mistake, 70000 Tons Of Metal is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all-ship heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass and you might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done!
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated drinks at the on-board restaurants and 24-hour room service!
For more information, go to www.70000tons.com.
Atlanta-based quintet DAATH will release its third, self-titled full-length album on October 26 via Century Media Records. Drummer Kevin Talley (ex-CHIMAIRA, DYING FETUS) began laying down his tracks in Atlanta on June 7 with renowned producer Mark Lewis (ALL THAT REMAINS, TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER) and co-producer Eyal Levi (guitar) at the helm.
Metal Mark from Skulls N Bones recently spent some time in the studio with DAATH and compiled a video series documenting the recording process. You can now watch the second episode below.
Commented vocalist Sean Z.: "This album will definitely be the most real thing this band has put out to date. It's on a level everyone can relate to. The lyrics have taken a brand new direction and the music compliments the insanity creating a fucking masterpiece of a way different kind."
DAATH's sophomore album, "The Concealers", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 35 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.
"The Concealers" was released in April 2009 through Century Media Records (via a partnership with Roadrunner Records). The album was produced and mixed by Jason Suecof and Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEVILDRIVER).
HARADWAITH, the German black metal band featuring former ENDSTILLE frontman Iblis, will release its debut album, "Creating Hell", in October via Black Bards Entertainment. The CD was recorded at Jak's Hell studio in Germany, where all the ENDSTILLE albums were tracked.
HARADWAITH is:
Iblis - Vocals
Raudhrskal - Guitar
Slaktare - Guitar
Vorst - Bass
Erebor - Drums
Montreal technical death metal outfit DERELICT has begun writing material for its new album, tentatively due next year through Year Of The Sun Records. The CD will follow DERELICT's full-length debut, "Unspoken Words", which was released in 2009.
Commented frontman Eric Burnet: "After a long tour and the stress of lineup changes, writing new stuff is really reminding us what we do this for. We've found a renewed energy and drive to create for DERELICT, and Jordan, Max, and I are all collaborating on the new material. Musically we're continuing in the technical death metal vein, but we're letting ourselves be free to experiment with whatever elements we feel like including. 'Unspoken Words' is a very fast and driving record, so while we want to keep that part of our sound at the forefront, we also want to look at developing other feels through different tempos, the use of more chord-based progressions in places, and a diverse vocal range."
Since the release of "Unspoken Words", DERELICT has toured its native country relentlessly, making two 6,000-mile round trips and multiple shorter stints in support of the CD.
DERELICT's "Machete" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Brantford, Ontario by director Justin Peeler of Frontline Pictures.
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