A.V. Club recently conducted an interview with LED ZEPPELIN legend Robert Plant. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
A.V. Club: It seems like this could very well be the start of a new phase for you. Did you think going into "Raising Sand" that it was going to be half as successful as it is?
Plant: There's a huge, huge group of people my age from my village back on the Welsh border who are bereft of music that makes sense to them. And there are less and less avenues of access. And so if something is strong and it can creep into the public eye, or the public ear, whisper in the ear, it re-invokes hope in people my age because there's so little access to stuff.
A.V. Club: Going back to LED ZEPPELIN, are you guys thinking of playing again?
Plant: I think we're probably thinking about talking.
A.V. Club: The 2007 show was pretty well received.
Plant: Well, you know, reception wasn't our greatest concern, ever.
A.V. Club: How did you receive it?
Plant: I was driven to distraction with fear and reminiscences and huge reflections of my mortality and, like, can I do it? Is it best I leave it as it was? Is it some kind of pulsing fun machine? But we had to do it. We had to say goodbye to Ahmet [Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records] properly and that was a great way of putting a lot of things back in the box that were all over the floor.
A.V. Club: Does playing those songs with those people make you feel a little too mortal for your own good?
Plant: No, it's just — I've been there. It's great, but I've been there in that form. And I think everybody feels the same, really. It's not even a talking point. I don't know how many times Stephen Stills has been asked about whether or not he wants to go back to BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. Maybe he and Neil got out in time before it actually had the same kind of effect. But you're sitting opposite me. Do I look like I should be doing that, really? I've still got a twinkle in me.
According to WFRV.com, a brand new festival called Rock USA will take place July 14-16 on the Ford Festival grounds in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Although no acts have yet been officially announced for the event, organizers have a long wish list for bands to perform at Rock USA, including AEROSMITH, TOM PETTY, NICKELBACK and DAUGHTRY.
"We're going to be offering the full three-day ticket for Rock USA at under $40," said Dan Liebhauser, Rock USA organizer. "It's going to be a big value event, with a low ticket price."
According to the Omaha World-Herald, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY was forced to cancel two shows on its current tour after the band's frontman, Zakk Wylde, suffered a blood clot in his leg.
Tonight's (Thursday, September 30) concert at the Anchor Inn in Omaha, Nebraska and Friday's gig at in Clive, Iowa, have been called off, but the group plans on completing the rest of the tour, according to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's publicist,
Wylde was rushed to an Omaha hospital where he remained Thursday night. He is said to be "doing well."
According to the Omaha World-Herald, opening bands CLUTCH, CHILDREN OF BODOM and 2 CENTS performed their sets at the Anchor Inn, where around 1,500 fans turned up for the gig. Those people be able to attend a rescheduled concert for free. Ticketholders are being asked to hold onto their tickets.
Wylde was first hospitalized with blood clots in August 2009, causing BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to drop off last year's "Pedal To The Metal Tour".
Zakk Wylde used to be notorious for his drinking and partying.
Who: Black Label Society with Clutch, Children of Bodom, 2 Cents
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Anchor Inn, 2499 Freedom Park Road
Tickets: $30 at www.etix.com
Information: www.onepercentproductions.com or 341-1313
Tonight
________________________________________
World-Herald music critic Kevin Coffey will tweet from the concert and write a review here on Omaha.com.
The Black Label Society leader and heavy metal guitar god said he used to drink a case or more of beer every day.
"I didn't drink because my dad used to throw me down flights of stairs or my mom and dad didn't hug me enough," the former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist told The World-Herald. "The reason I drink is because I enjoy copping a beer buzz. Ozzy used to ask, 'What in the hell happened last night?' Every night was 'Animal House,' it really was Delta, you know?"
But Wylde stopped. And he didn't go to meetings or rehab.
"How did I quit drinking? I stopped. How do I learn how to play the guitar? I practiced," Wylde said. "I'll still go to Hooters, and you drink the real stuff and I'll drink the fake stuff. I really couldn't care less, dude."
He didn't quit because it was affecting his music or his relationship with his wife or his kids or his health. Wylde said he was "too busy kicking the world's ass" to drink any more.
Wylde has a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. Currently, he's working on a movie, a new line of Marshall amplifiers, a Zakk Wylde-branded acoustic Gibson guitar and two books.
The first is a coffee table book about Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne and Wylde's other forays into the music business. The second is a guitar method book. Wylde said he thinks anyone who reads the book will be able to pick up a guitar for the first time and play.
"It's like me showing you how to juggle. It looks really complicated, but you just have to watch the one ball and you can do it," Wylde said. "I'm putting a DVD in there that shows you how to play my actual solos from Ozzy, Pride & Glory, Black Label Society and everything."
Also part of Wylde's busy schedule is the band's intense touring schedule, which usually includes Ozzfest and long headlining tours. The band performs at the Anchor Inn on Thursday night.
Wylde said the band's first shows have been "slamming," and he's pumped to play for as many chapters of BLS fans as he possibly can. The band is playing many tracks from its recently released album, "Order of the Black."
"Why make a record and only put one song in off the new album?" Wylde said. "You should almost approach it like this is our first album. We should be able to play everything."
Mark Eglinton of The Quietus recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Quietus: "Mustaine: A Life In Metal" has been out a few weeks now. How long was the gestation period for this project?
Dave Mustaine: Well, originally the book was going to be entirely different. It was going to be about the songs — whether it was The Crusades or whatever the subject was — with the focus being on what each one meant, and the various idioms and one-liners within all those songs and also who it was all aimed at.
The Quietus: So what happened?
Dave Mustaine: I turned the finished book in to Sanctuary and then that company folded. They just told me, "We're closing down the publishing company, here's your book back." I just said "Oh, OK," and I thought it was really cool that they had paid me for the book but didn't ask me for the money back. We just went our separate ways, and I had the book. I thought, "Well, so much for my journalism!" [laughs].
The Quietus: But you didn't give up on it?
Dave Mustaine: No I didn't, but when I got a new manager, I talked to him about everything I had dreamed about as far as this book was concerned. Because our management company is one of the biggest in the world, that gave us so much clout both over here in the U.S. and over there, and because of that we went straight to HarperCollins and got a book deal — the Mercedes Benz of book publishers. All the staff at both the U.S. and U.K. offices have been so easy to deal with, and as a result, this whole process has been nothing but fun for me. From when I first introduced myself to my co-writer, until the book was actually released, was probably a year or so.
The Quietus: Given that you've been fairly acerbic with the press over the years, it was surprising to see how restrained you were in dealing with some of the METALLICA issues in the book — very few cheap shots are taken at all, in fact...
Dave Mustaine: I don't think there's ever any point in cheap shots, period. I mean, if you've got an opponent, then get in the ring — don't throw mud back and forth at each other. If you've got something to say, just say it. If it's fighting words, let's get it on. I'm almost 50 now, and when you get to my age, you don't fight any more. When I got my first black belt, I was talking with my sensei, and he was a half Mexican and half Native American. I talked to him and got some great insight into what happens when the Native American chiefs get too old to compete; they have warfare mentally. I loved this guy so much that when I did my side-project MD.45, there was a song on that record called "The Creed", which was about people who knew martial arts and the warrior creed generally. I mean, just because you know a martial art, doesn't mean you know how to fight, and there are a lot of guys with martial arts ranks that wouldn't last ten seconds in a
street fight. That warrior mentality is what I was referring to.
The Quietus: Did you fear legal comeback in any way, when you were dealing with some of the more contentious aspects of your story?
Dave Mustaine: Well, no, because I have already confessed what my part was in all the stuff with METALLICA — both the things that had gone right, and the things that had gone wrong. We're friends now, and my goal wasn't to set the story straight so that people liked me, it was just to set the story straight. I just wanted to say, "Hey, I did that, and also, I didn't do that" — if that makes sense.
Arielle Castillo of the Miami New Times has posted outtakes from this week's print feature interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Miami New Times: ANTHRAX is billed as "special guests" on [the "American Carnage"] tour. Does this mean you're playing a shorter set than MEGADETH and SLAYER?
Scott Ian: When we got asked to do this, the tour was already an existing thing. They were already out there doing this with TESTAMENT opening, and then they were like, "Hey, do you want to come out for a month and do this?" Logistically they couldn't change it around and make it work where all three bands could play an hour-and-a-half. The show was already sold as a package for X amount of hours, and blah, blah, blah. I don't need to bore you with that, but basically there was no way to make it a longer night because the show had been sold as a set amount of hours. We're the special guests, so we'll get everyone nice and warmed up, and then drink beer and watch.
Miami New Times: You had already recorded some of your upcoming album when Joey Belladonna rejoined the band as the singer. What are you going to do with the previous material? Is he going to re-record the vocals, or are you just going to write new material for him to sing?
Scott Ian: Both, all that. We're keeping some of it and Joey's going to re-sing it, and we're writing new stuff.
Miami New Times: Early track lists for the record included covers of songs by REFUSED and ALICE IN CHAINS. Will those still make it?
Scott Ian: We have no idea.
Miami New Times: So were those covers ever supposed to be part of the mix, or was that something totally made up on the Internet?
Scott Ian: Possibly! I don't know.
Miami New Times: Um, so will you be including any covers on the new album, or not?
Scott Ian: I don't know. Who gives a shit about cover songs! We're so far away from that.
A listening party for the debut album from THE DAMNED THINGS — the new band featuring members of FALL OUT BOY (Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley), ANTHRAX (Scott Ian, Rob Caggiano) and EVERY TIME I DIE (Keith Buckley, Josh Newton) — will be held on Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at Angels & Kings (500 East 11th Street between avenues A & B) in New York City.
According to Rock Sound and Metal Hammer, THE DAMNED THINGS will release its first CD in the U.K. on December 13. A U.S. release date for the effort has not yet been announced.
THE DAMNED THINGS made its live debut on June 1, 2010 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, New York.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Ironiclast
02. Excellent Time
03. Bad Blood
04. A Great Reckoning
05. Handbook For The Recently Deceased
06. Fazer (QUICKSAND cover)
07. Grave Robber
08. We've Got A Situation Here
Check out a review of the concert at Spin.com.
Rough-mix versions of two tracks — "We've Got a Situation Here" and "Ironiclast" — from THE DAMNED THINGS can be streamed on the group's MySpace page.
While each individual in the band has experienced their own successes, THE DAMNED THINGS' debut Island/Def Jam album, which combines their love of classic rock anthems and powerful melodies with a heavy metal intensity, turns out to be much more than the sum of the separate parts.
"This is an amalgam of three very different bands," explains FALL OUT BOY guitarist Joe Trohman, who was first introduced to ANTHRAX's Scott Ian three years ago, when the two became fast friends and immediately began writing together. "It seemed unlikely, but it turned out we were on the same page musically. We were both interested in putting together a heavy/classic-rock, blues-oriented, riff-based band while trying to stay away from what makes that sound generic and overplayed."
"We're trying not to over-think it," chimes in Ian. "Nobody's arm is being twisted to be here. We're just doing it as we go along, and this is the natural progression. We're able to do things exactly how we want to do them by keeping it simple and comfortable for everyone."
With Trohman and Caggiano handling the production duties, the group began writing and recording songs mostly in Brooklyn, Chicago, and Buffalo (where Buckley resides). The template began to take shape, combining those elements of classic rock with the heavier aspects of ANTHRAX and EVERY TIME I DIE, and the hook-laden choruses of FALL OUT BOY.
According to Buckley, THE DAMNED THINGS name was inspired by the lyrics in RAM JAM's '70s version of LEDBELLY's "Black Betty".
While they've all experienced a degree of success, every member of THE DAMNED THINGS acts like there's something still to prove, and part of the exhilaration of it is starting over, going back to the reasons they first started playing music.
"I feel like I'm giving birth," laughs Trohman. "It's painful and necessary at the same time for me to get this record made. It's really coming together the way I envisioned it in my head."
"This is still all so new to us," says Scott. "There's no baggage yet. We're still very much in the honeymoon period. I remember what it was like to be in ANTHRAX back in 1984. It's just really exciting to get to do that again. I'm in a new band again. It's a blast."
THE DAMNED THINGS is:
Keith Buckley: Lead Vocals
Scott Ian: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Rob Caggiano: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Joe Trohman: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Andy Hurley: Drums, Percussion
Josh Newton: Bass
Hardcore punk and heavy metal were unlikely bedfellows twenty years ago, but Pantera made it look effortless with their fourth album, proving to be the departure the Dallas quartet needed to winch them out of spandex hell. Celebrating its re-release, Phil Anselmo considers the legacy of Cowboys From Hell and his departed friend Dimebag Darrell
It's the 20th anniversary of Cowboys From Hell and it's no secret you've been estranged from Vinnie [Paul, Pantera drummer and brother of late guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott] for most of the last decade. Did this present an opportunity to work through your issues?
No, Rex [Brown, bass] and I speak quite often but I have not talked with Vince. We work through this lovely young lady named Kim Zide Davis, she's been with Pantera since [1992 album] Vulgar Display of Power. So we all mediate through her and it works fine, she does a great job.
There are two new discs of material to this expanded edition of the album, including an unheard song, the original demos from the Cowboys sessions and a messy cover of Sweet Home Alabama. How did you feel about blowing the dust off that lot after all this time?
When the idea came about that they wanted to do the 20 year anniversary, I was like 'sure, that's great.' Of course, the distributors and record company putting it out want more content. But speaking of that one track, it's got early 1988 written all over it. That song didn't even make Power Metal [Anselmo's first album with Pantera, but the band's third, and last as a glam act] to tell you the truth, it just happened to be the one almost intact song that we had. I think there was another one but it wasn't worth it. If you listen closely enough, there's a certain riff that was later used in another song [This Love].
It's a nice little nod though, to where Pantera would go next with Vulgar Display of Power…
Sure, but figuring that the last song we wrote for Cowboys From Hell was Primal Concrete Sledge, that shows you more of where we were headed, mentally and musically.
Is Cowboys an album you can listen back to and appreciate as a listener today?
To be honest with you, when we were writing all that stuff – when I was there and living it – there's no way I could deduce how people were going to take it. But when I look back at it today, stuff that I felt was really simple ended up being tricky. Stuff that I thought was pretty plain, regular or ho-hum is pretty spectacular. It's an impressive listen. We get asked a lot about the production and whatnot – it being pretty high-end and tinny – all I can say is I think at the time we were really trying to figure out the best way to take the monstrous guitar sound that Darrell had and put it on a record.
You have to understand, you young whippersnappers, back in the day when we did Cowboys From Hell, we recorded that fucker in 1989 – no pro-tools, no tricks or whistles. We had to really track that thing; production in itself was changing and I know Pantera with Terry Date [who would later oversee Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger and Deftones' White Pony] producing and Vinnie Paul knowing what he does – we as a band helped change the production of heavy metal records. Cowboys From Hell was – I would say – a launch pad in many respects – not the actual full figured out article yet but it was a great starting point.
Few bands with Pantera's intensity have managed to pull off a ballad in the middle of an otherwise aggressive record. Was this something you set out to do on Cowboys from the beginning, or was Cemetary Gates a bit of a happy accident?
I think it's a little bit of both. Take for instance that unreleased track on the new Pantera rerelease, The Will to Survive – we knew that was more of a Judas Priest-ish power ballad type thing. But I think that yes, there was a conscious effort being made to – let me tell you straight – perhaps put something more palatable out for listeners with Cemetary Gates. But the way we wrote was so for real and things came in such a natural fashion that at the time it didn't feel like 'hey, we'd better jump on this ballad thing because we need one.' It was just a riff that Dimebag wrote and if you think about it, the intro to the song is three minutes long with the acoustic part. That's a six minute song. So fair enough, you can't say this is a definite radio cut.
Cowboys from Hell is regarded as one of the definitive metal albums of all time, what's yours?
From my generation, British Steel by Judas Priest – such a harsh record for its time. We're talking about the early 80s, man, and British Steel stood alone. There were also Iron Maiden moments, especially Killers – the Paul Di'Anno years – but also Number of the Beast; very, very influential record. When I say this I don't want anyone to take me the wrong way, but for heavy metal, when I was a kid, Black Sabbath was a tremendous influence – everybody wanted to be like Black Sabbath. And I've got to say, Randy Rhoads did a hell of a lot for heavy metal guitar playing, so did Eddie Van Halen. They really bumped the guitar sound to a mainstream level. Just listen to Dimebag's playing, he's so Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, but then Dimebag could play a lot of different ways. Figuring Pantera's such a guitar heavy band, I can't leave those guys out.
You've become best known for your various other projects – most notably Down – since Pantera's split in 2003. Tell me about the new hardcore band you're playing guitar with, Arson Anthem.
Arson came out of pure boredom, man. Hurricane Katrina wiped us out and pretty much wiped out a lot of the music around New Orleans, Louisiana – the whole area. For so long it got crazy, I wasn't in any specific band at that point in time. I'd just had major back surgery and I was fuckin' itching. The story goes, Mike Williams – the singer from Eyehategod and a very good friend of mine – his house burned down in the riots following Katrina, so after the storm blew over he ended up staying in my apartment above the jam room, which he still lives in. We just had this crazy idea, and Hank [Williams III, Superjoint Ritual] offered to play drums, Collin [Yeo, Ponykiller] offered to play bass and we just said let's see what'll happen.
Hank, when I first met him, was a 15 year old kid drummer in a band. Sure enough he grew and started doing his country thing, and then he did the Superjoint thing with us, playing bass. But little did I know how great a drummer he really was, and let me tell you, the new Arson Anthem full-length is coming out soon. It's really brutal, man. The EP was meant to be hideously raw, we meant it to be hideously loud, so everything you're hearing is purposeful. But the new one makes that looks like child's play, which it is in all reality.
Are there any plans to tour?
Honestly, if it were up to me I'd love to do it. But it's a side band as far as Hank the Third goes, and everybody else has another primary band. In my book, I think this record is so fucking good that it deserves to be toured on. The only thing I can tell you is that Hank has agreed to do some shows in the next few months, but that doesn't promise many. We'll see how the popularity of the record goes. I'd love to come overseas with Arson Anthem.
Reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT will perform at next year's edition of the Helsinki Metal Meeting, set to take place February 17-19, 2011 at the Cable Factory in Helsinki, Finland. The band will appear on Saturday, February 19.
More artists will be announced on October 25 and tickets for the event will go on sale on November 1.
For more information, visit www.fme.fi.
ANGEL WITCH, BAD BRAINS, DORO, THE HAUNTED, MAYHEM, SODOM, THERION and TRIPTYKON are among the confirmed bands for next year's edition of Hellfest, set to take place June 17-19, 2010 in Clisson, France.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ANGEL WITCH
BAD BRAINS
BELPHEGOR
CHURCH OF MISERY
CONVERGE
CORONER
DODHEIMSGARD
DORO
THE EXPLOITED
GRAVE
THE HAUNTED
KARMA TO BURN
MALEVOLENT CREATION
MAYHEM
THE MELVINS
MORNE
MY SLEEPING KARMA
NASTY
ORPHANED LAND
RAW POWER
SEPTICFLESH
SHAI HULUD
SODOM
THERION
TRIPTYKON
THE YOUNG GODS
VALIENT THORR
YOUR DEMISE
A limited-edition three-day pass at a special price of 99 euros is now available. This offer will end on November 30.
According to the organizers, "MAYHEM will be the headliner of the Rock Hard Tent, and will offer a real unique and theatrical show, something dark and grim named 'Liberation by Evil'. The group promises us something macabre which will please and even chock the true black metal fans! A MAYHEM concert like you've never seen before!"
Bill Steer (CARCASS, FIREBIRD, NAPALM DEATH) has joined reformed NWOBHM legends ANGEL WITCH as the band's second guitarist.
ANGEL WITCH 2010 is:
Kevin Heybourne - Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Prestiedge - Drums
Will Palmer - Bass
Bill Steer - Guitar
Due to a band-related family emergency, German metal queen Doro Pesch has been forced to cancel her previously announced September 30 concert in Manchester, New Hampshire. The remaining U.S. dates on Doro's trek will go on as planned, with the first show now taking place on October 1 in Brooklawn, New Jersey.
Said Pesch of the upcoming trek: "I'm so excited to return to American soil and see my American fans again! They will definitely be great shows as the band did all these summer festivals and we are on fire. I can't wait!" Added drummer Johnny Dee: "I'm super psyched to play in the States again! Especially to see so many of our friends in South Jersey and New York. I only wish the tour was longer. Before ya know it, we'll be rocking the Japanese fans the following week!"
Doro Pesch U.S./Japanese tour dates:
Oct. 01 - The Pennant - Brooklawn, NJ
Oct. 02 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Oct. 03 - Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
Oct. 08 - Holiday Shinjuku - Tokyo, Japan
Oct. 10 - Holiday Nagoya - Nagoya, Japan
Oct. 11 - Holiday Osaka - Osaka, Japan
Doro recently put the finishing touches on her biggest project to date — the 2DVD/CD set "25 Years In Rock", featuring the entire 25-year anniversary concert, including guest performances in front of about 10,000 enthusiastic fans in Düsseldorf, Germany as well as a China special, outtakes from Doro's 2500th concert and a whole lot more.
The DVD will be released in Europe via Nuclear Blast on November 26, 2010 and in the rest of the world sometime in 2011.
After a break in 2011, Doro will begin writing material for a new studio album.
"Fear No Evil", the latest album from Pesch, was made available in North America in June 2009 via AFM/Dismanic/Ryko Distribution.
Released in Europe in January 2009 via AFM Records, "Fear No Evil" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 11. This was the highest chart entry for Doro in her home country in almost 20 years.
SIXX: A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside James Michael and D.J. Ashba (GUNS N' ROSES), is putting the finishing touches on its second album, to be released in conjunction with Nikki's new book, "This Is Gonna Hurt". Some of the songs were inspired by the author's photographs; others inspired photographs of their own.
A new video message from Michael regarding the progress of the mixing sessions for the CD can be viewed below.
"I'm here in Nashville, Tennessee at my recording studio where I'm putting the final touches on the last few mixes of the new SIXX: A.M. record," James can be heard saying in the clip. "It has been a long, long, long process, as you know. I know I've promised you guys several times that the record's nearly done or it's gonna be done in a week and the truth is every time I said that I really did believe it. But this shit happens — you go back and you change something or you write another song and the next thing you know, everything gets pushed back. Anyway, at the end of the day, here I am, the last week, the mixes are going fantastic. I'm almost done. Hopefully within a couple of days the final mix will be out of my hair and this record will be in your hands very soon. So thanks for being patient."
HarperCollins imprint William Morrow has set a March 22, 2011 tentative release date for the "This Is Gonna Hurt" book.
"This Is Gonna Hurt" is part photo, part journal — but all Nikki Sixx. It is a collection of compelling snapshots and stories that capture the rage, love, optimism, darkness, and determination that shape his work. Told with the raw authenticity that defined his New York Times bestseller "The Heroin Diaries", "This Is Gonna Hurt" chronicles Sixx's experience, from his early years filled with toxic waste to his success with MÖTLEY CRÜE, his death from an OD and rebirth to his addictions to music, photography, and love.
In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect.com, Sixx stated about "This Is Gonna Hurt", "We're working on the book right now. It's 99 percent finished. It's exciting for me because it's probably got about 150 of my photographs in it as well, so you start to see the tie-in between who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult and then what happened in that journey and how this fucked up brain of mine works."
The New York Times bestselling author of "The Heroin Dairies", Sixx refuses to become a sanitized PSA for suburban mothers; instead, he has found strength and inspiration in his pain and sobriety, and in this raw and powerful book gives us a glimpse inside his sick and dirty mind.
"I've always had an eye for the oddities in life," said Sixx. "Even as a kid I saw the world in my own way and thought most things that were different were beautiful and magical. Even things that other people thought were horrifying and disgusting and weird. . . . People say I have a distorted lens. I think I see things as they really are."
Love story, bad-ass rock tell-all, social commentary, family memoir, "This Is Gonna Hurt" offers the compelling insights of an artist and a man struggling to survive, connect, and find a happy ending — a search that fuels Sixx's being. "I want to take you on the journey I am on, in real time," Sixx writes. "If you don't deal with your demons, they will deal with you, and it's gonna hurt."
"This Is Gonna Hurt" includes a foreword by Sixx's ex-girlfriend, 28-year-old tattoo artist Kat Von D (born Katherine Von Drachenberg) on "Love and Inspiration."
"This Is Gonna Hurt" will include more than two dozen of Nikki's images. He will incorporate the stories behind the pictures and how they came to be, including interviews with the subjects so readers can see "what life is like for those whom society has labeled as freaks."
This past Monday night (September 27) at the Paramount lot in Los Angeles, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), UMe and gaming publisher Activision Publishing, Inc. awarded SOUNDGARDEN with a platinum plaque acknowledging the innovative partnership and distribution behind SOUNDGARDEN's newest album in 13 years, "Telephantasm" (A&M/UMe). The multi-label, career-spanning retrospective album was released today inside 1 million copies of the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. SOUNDGARDEN's groundbreaking partnership with Activision marks the first time a newly released music album has been simultaneously bundled with a videogame launch, and it has opened the door to a new type of RIAA certification: recognizing a band's success based on the sale of non-returnable units from a music label to a gaming company, instead of to a traditional retailer.
"Guitar Hero is a huge platform for music, and embracing alternative outlets is essential to an artist's success in today's marketplace," said Kate Harold, Director of Artist & Industry Relations and the Gold & Platinum Awards Program for the RIAA. "This unique partnership between Universal Music Group and Activision demonstrates the value music brings to other industries and is a perfect example of how modern music companies continue to find new ways to reach fans. I anticipate we'll be seeing more and more of these types of partnerships and cross-pollination of industries which benefit everyone, especially music fans."
"Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, SOUNDGARDEN and Universal Music are breaking new ground with this innovative partnership," said David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero. "SOUNDGARDEN's seminal music will be available through all of Guitar Hero's distribution channels — physical retail, digital download through consoles, and the iPhone — proving that Guitar Hero is a platform to bring an interactive music experience to new audiences and fans. We're thrilled to be collaborating with SOUNDGARDEN at such an exciting point in their career."
SOUNDGARDEN's first retrospective, "Telephantasm" includes beloved band hits, deep back catalogue cuts and a never-before-heard unreleased track entitled "Black Rain", taken from the "Badmotorfinger" recording sessions. "Black Rain", called "a grunge grenade" by USA Today, received a 4-star review from Rolling Stone and is currently #8 at Mainstream Rock. AOL Spinner recently premiered the new video for the song . Directed and created by animator Brendon Small from Adult Swim's wildly popular and imaginative show "Metalocalypse", the video takes fans through an epic battle in post-apocalyptic Seattle, Washington between an animated-SOUNDGARDEN-manned translucent robot, and a multi-appendage giant monster. This is the first artist-driven music video based off the show.
Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER lead this year's class of inductees into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. The third annual ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 16 at the famed Oheka Castle, 135 West Gate Drive in Huntington, New York.
The third Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction class includes (alphabetically):
OSCAR BRAND
CAROLE AND PAULA
TEDDY CHARLES
DREAM THEATER
STANLEY DRUCKER
ERIC B AND RAKIM
MORTON GOULD
BOB GRUEN
ROY HAYNES
AL KOOPER
STEVE MARTIN
DONNIE MCCLURKIN
DENIS MCNAMARA
My Father's Place (venue)
EDDIE PALMIERI
LOU REED
THE SHANGRI-LAS
JOHN ZORN
Long Island Music Hall of Fame will also present the 2010 Music Educator of Note Award to a recipient who will be selected by November 1, and will formally present the 2009 Award to the family of Joseph Sugar, who passed away in 2009.
Inductees are selected by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame Board of Directors from an evolving and growing list of people, artists, and entities that were born, raised, founded, or have resided on geographic Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk) for a significant portion of their career. Induction is based on historical importance and the significance of their contribution to Long Island's rich musical heritage.
Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHOF) is a 501(c)(3) museum and membership organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island's musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization defines Long Island geographically as Kings, Queens , Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Hall of Fame sponsors the Long Island Sound Award (LISA), traveling educational exhibits, and a scholarship program. It is also creating a museum home where the story of the Island's musical heritage will be told.
U.S. metal veterans RIOT have once again reunited with Tony Moore — only nine months after announcing that they were parting ways with the vocalist over "differences about how to proceed with the future of the band."
RIOT guitarist Mark Reale — who fell down a few weeks back and twisted his leg bad enough to where he had to go to the doctor — stated, "It sucks this happen with me because, as reported, we are moving forward with Tony Moore on vocals. He came up and burned the four tracks we had ready for him and there's a lot more great tones to choose from! I can't wait to get going again as soon as possible. Tony sounds great!"
RIOT is currently writing material for a new studio album, which is tentatively set to be released in 2011. One of the new songs, "Wings Are For Angels", was performed for the first time at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 6, 2009.
Sony Music reissued RIOT's classic albums "Thundersteel" (1988) and "The Privilege Of Power" (1990) albums in October 2009 via HMV Japan. Each CD was digitally remastered and contains bonus tracks.
German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have canceled their previously announced French tour dates "due to contractual disputes." The band states, "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our fans that have already purchased tickets and hope we can reschedule shows in the future.
"Instead of the shows in France we will play two exclusive shows in Switzerland and the Netherlands!"
The newly added shows are as follows:
Oct. 13 - Uster, Switzerland - Rock City
Oct. 14 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Hedon
The following dates have been canceled:
Oct. 12 - Paris, France - La Scene Bastille
Oct. 13 - Lyon, France - Marche Gare
Oct. 14 - Mulhouse, France - Noumatrouf
Guitarist Henny Wolter left PRIMAL FEAR last month because — in his words — "it just didn't feel like a band anymore." Henny, who is also no longer a member of SINNER (led by PRIMAL FEAR bassist Mat Sinner), is focusing on his new band NITROGODS, also featuring ex-PRIMAL FEAR drummer Klaus Sperling and vocalist Oimel Larcher. The group's self-titled debut album is expected in early 2011.
PRIMAL FEAR recently released a new live DVD, "16.6 - All Over The World" (recorded in various locations between September and November 2009), and a live CD, aptly titled "Live In The USA". Frontiers Records issued the two products separately and as a limited-edition combo on June 22 in the USA. The DVD is filled with an abundance of extra materials, such as an entire bootleg section with funny moments on the road, bootleg footage from various festival appearances and other concerts, all of PRIMAL FEAR's most recent promotional videos, plus the making-of footage for "16.6" and a brand new interview section about the past, present and future of PRIMAL FEAR.
Sludge metal legends CROWBAR have scheduled the following dates:
Oct. 01 - New Orlean, LA - Hangar
Oct. 18 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Oct. 19 - Houston, TX - Numbers
Oct. 21 - Lafayette, LA - Sadie's Downtown
Oct. 22 - Shreveport, LA - Riverside Warehouse
CROWBAR recently entered the studio to begin recording its new album for an early 2001 release via E1 Music.
CROWBAR will re-release three of its influential records — "Crowbar", "Live +1" and "Time Heals Nothing" — on October 5. These three albums are the band's core titles and have influenced many of today's major metal acts, including LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. With each title originally being released in the early Nineties, this will be the first time all three records will be widely available in stores.
CROWBAR debuted two brand new songs during its June 5, 2010 headlining performance at the House Of Blues in the band's hometown.
The self-titled debut album from BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION — the Anglo/American rock supergroup featuring vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, TRAPEZE), drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa — sold 7,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD, which was made available in Europe on Monday, September 20 via Mascot Records and North America on Tuesday, September 21 through J&R Adventures, was produced and mixed by Kevin Shirley (BLACK CROWES, AEROSMITH, LED ZEPPELIN), and mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig. It was recorded at Shangri-La Studios in early 2010.
"Black Country Communion" track listing:
01. Black Country
02. One Last Soul
03. The Great Divide
04. Down Again
05. Beggarman
06. Song Of Yesterday
07. No Time
08. Medusa
09. The Revolution In Me
10. Stand (At The Burning Tree)
11. Sista Jane
12. Too Late For The Sun
All songs are sung by Glenn Hughes, with the exception of "Song Of Yesterday" and "The Revolution In Me", which are both sung by Joe Bonamassa. Hughes and Bonamassa share lead vocals on "Sista Jane" and "Too Late For The Sun". Also included is a new version of "Medusa", the rock classic Hughes originally recorded with his first band TRAPEZE.
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION initially came to fruition when Shirley saw Hughes and Bonamassa join forces on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King of the Blues event. Shirley then recruited Bonham and Sherinian for the project, which is named after the industrial area in the British Midlands where both Hughes and Bonham were born and raised.
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is planning a tour in 2011.
San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL will headline a tour of Eastern Europe in March 2011. The trek will cover Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Greece and the Balkans. Exact cities and dates and support acts will be announced soon.
DEATH ANGEL will embark on their first North American headlining tour in support of their new album, "Relentless Retribution", in January 2011. Meet-and-greet VIP packages for the trek, which includes support from LAZARUS A.D., EARLY MAN, BONDED BY BLOOD, and HEXEN, are now available on Ticketmaster.com and Slotix.com.
The ticket packages include the following:
* General-admission ticket
* Early entry to venue (where available)
* Meet-and-greet with select members of the band
* Individual photo with select members of the band
* Autograph opportunity with select band members
* Commemorative meet-and-greet laminate
* Collectible DEATH ANGEL guitar pick
* Limited-edition poster
* DEATH ANGEL patch
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, limited-edition LP box set and as a digital download. The limited-edition LP box set will be released on November 23 in North America. Each version will have its own unique artwork.
Commented vocalist David DeFeis: "Well... believe it or not... we have actually finished 'The Black Light Bacchanalia' album and sent it off to our label, Steamhammer/SPV for publication/replication.
"It was a mad, wild time these past few weeks and days recording and mixing like banshees! But... we made it.
"A week ago seems like an entire lifetime ago. It seems like every possible situation and change of season has occurred in a matter of hours and days. I personally went through the full dynamic range of emotional upheavals possible. One minute I was on top of the world, the next completely beneath it... and everything in between. Through it all, as we say here in the Land Of Steele... we remained... Invictus!
"As always, when it comes time to actually part with an album and send it off into the world, I get very crazy. I always want to completely re-do it, to go back to the beginning and live with everything longer, but this, of course, is impossible.
"I am always frantic and rushed with every album, but this one was exceptionally challenging. Its birth was very much like how they did it in the long, long past, when people like Chuck Berry or Elvis would record a song, and then it would be immediately pressed and released only a few short hours later.
"After finishing these final mixes, I straight away began the process to send the album over to our label, so I really did not have the opportunity to live with these final mixes, listen back and adjust anything along the way... I trust that all turned out well and can only judge things from my initial gut reaction... which was that everything seems fine and nice and raw!
"In the end, life goes on and all projects must have their completion, and this one is now well on its way to landing in your hands soon. I hope you enjoy it. All of us here in the House Of Steele stand behind it, and think that it makes a very appropriate soundtrack to the coming autumnal season. We poured all our blood, sweat, and energy into these tracks and everything from $200 dollar scotch (a very nice gift from a fan) to 7-11 coffee went into the making of it.
"May it empower you and take you on journeys both strange and beautiful."
Standard Jewel Case Edition:
01. By The Hammer Of Zeus (And The Wrecking Ball Of Thor)
02. Pagan Heart
03. The Bread Of Wickedness
04. In A Dream Of Fire
05. Nepenthe (I Live Tomorrow)
06. The Orpheus Taboo
08. To Crown Them With Halos (Parts 1 & 2)
09. The Black Light Bacchanalia (The Age That Is To Come)
10. The Tortures Of The Damned
11. Necropolis (He Answers Them With Death)
12. Eternal Regret
Limited-Edition Digipak:
CD 1
01. By The Hammer Of Zeus (And The Wrecking Ball Of Thor)
02. Pagan Heart
03. The Bread Of Wickedness
04. In A Dream Of Fire
05. Nepenthe (I Live Tomorrow)
06. The Orpheus Taboo
07. To Crown Them With Halos (Parts 1 & 2)
08. The Black Light Bacchanalia (The Age That Is To Come)
09. The Tortures Of The Damned
10. Necropolis (He Answers Them With Death)
11. Eternal Regret
CD 2
01. When I'm Silent (The Wind Of Voices) (bonus track)
02. Silent Sorrow (bonus track)
03. From A Whisper To A Scream (The Spoken Biography) (spoken by David DeFeis)
Limited-Edition LP Box Set:
LP 1
Side 1
01. By The Hammer Of Zeus (And The Wrecking Ball Of Thor)
02. Pagan Heart
Side 2
01. The Bread Of Wickedness
02. In A Dream Of Fire
LP 2
Side 1
01. Nepenthe (I Live Tomorrow)
02. The Orpheus Taboo
Side 2
01. To Crown Them With Halos (Parts 1 & 2)
02. The Black Light Bacchanalia (The Age That Is To Come)
LP 3
Side 1
01. The Tortures Of The Damned
02. Necropolis (He Answers Them With Death)
Side 2
01. Eternal Regret
02. When I'm Silent (bonus track)
Bonus Materials
* Book in LP format with the complete history of VIRGIN STEELE (written by David DeFeis)
* Extra-large full-color poster
* Sticker
* Postcard
* Jewel case version of the album
All LPs come in printed inner sleeves.
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.
Greek doom metallers SORROWS PATH will release their debut album, "The Rough Path Of Nihilism", on October 29 via Rock It Up Records. The CD was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens with producer Vangelis Yalamas, who also played the synthesizer on the effort. The artwork and photography for the album were handled by Seth Siro Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, MOONSPELL, EXODUS).
"The Rough Path Of Nihilism" track listing:
01. All Love is Lost
i) Lost Innocence
ii) Lost Youth
02. The Beast (S.P.R.)
03. Honestly...
04. Fetish
05. Dirty Game
06. Mr. Holy
07. Getting Closer
08. Queen of Doom
09. Prostitute
10. Hymn of Differentiation
11. Empty Eyes and Blackened Hearts
12. Nihilism
"The Rough Path Of Nihilism" also features a guest appearance by the vocal teacher Eleni Danielson on female vocals.
SORROWS PATH's Achilles Villiotis-directed "Empty Eyes And Blackened Hearts" video can be viewed below.
SORROWS PATH is:
Stavros Giannakos: Bass
Angelos Ioannidis: Vocals
Fotis Mountouris: Drums
Kostas Salomidis: Guitar
Giannis Tziligkakis: Guitar
SORROWS PATH has performed many gigs all over Greece since their birth and their rebirth as well, either supporting well-known metal bands like MEMORY GARDEN, PAGAN ALTAR, SCANNER, CRYSTAL VIPER and BROCAS HELM, or sharing the stage with some of the most popular Greek bands.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/sorrowspathmusic.
"A Public Disservice Announcement", the brand new album from MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM project, sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 153 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"A Public Disservice Announcement" was released on September 21 via Loud & Proud Records, a Roadrunner Records imprint focusing on established artists.
"A Public Disservice Announcement" track listing:
01. Drunk Uncle Pete
02. Time Bomb
03. Louder
04. Fight Song
05. Blame
06. Two Ways
07. Talk Me Off The Ledge
08. Only One
09. All I Wanna Do
10. Back To Before
11. Party Instructions
"A Public Disservice Announcement" features Tommy Lee collaborating with the world. Lee commented, "When I founded METHODS in 1999, the whole purpose of the band was to be all over the place. In keeping with that, this METHODS isn't anything like the last one. There's no hip hop and there's no roster of guest stars. This time, it's me, my band, and the world."
Tommy Lee and his team, including producer Scott Humphrey, singer-guitarist J3 and others, wrote and recorded the songs for the new album, then made the core components of each available for download on www.thepublicrecord.com to anyone who wished to add their playing or otherwise re-interpret the music however they saw fit. Lee listened to every single submission that was uploaded, chose the best, and integrated the actual audio tracks into the album's final cuts. Every single musician whose part was used is credited and thanked on the album.
The song files were made available on The Public Record web site on October 5, 2009. By the end of the submission period in February, 2010, the page was viewed over 1 million times and over 10,000 submissions were uploaded. What came back once the public got its hands on the raw ingredients was truly all over the map — just as Tommy Lee had hoped. The diverse submissions included techno tracks sent in from Japan, hand drum rhythms from India and searing guitar solos from as close to home as San Diego.
FEAR FACTORY will team up with HIGH ON FIRE for "The Industrial Discipline Tour" of Europe in December. Confirmed dates are as follows:
Dec. 04 - Gruenspan - Hamburg, Germany
Dec. 05 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland
Dec. 06 - Den Atelier - Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Dec. 07 - Trix - Antwerp, Belgium
Dec. 08 - Garage - Saarbrucken, Germany
Dec. 09 - Arena - Vienna, Austra
Dec. 11 - Komplex 457 - Zurich, Switzerland
Dec. 12 - Estragon - Bologna, Italy
Dec. 13 - Essigfabrik - Köln, Germany
Dec. 14 - Trianon - Paris, France
Dec. 15 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK
Dec. 16 - QMU - Glasgow, UK
Dec. 18 - Manchester Academy - Manchester, UK
Dec. 19 - Forum - London, UK
Dec. 20 - Academy - Bristol, UK
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).
FEAR FACTORY's current lineup — featuring original FF members Dino Cazares (guitar) and Burton C. Bell (vocals) alongside bassist Byron Stroud (who was credited on the last two FEAR FACTORY albums in addition to touring and recording with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and ZIMMERS HOLE) and legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, TESTAMENT) — made its live debut on December 4, 2009 at Espaço Lux in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil.
"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.
According to the East Anglian Daily Times, the manager of the biggest live venue in Ipswich in Suffolk, England has denied that British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH have been banned from appearing there.
In a recent interview, CRADLE OF FILTH singer Daniel Davey (a.k.a. Dani Filth; pictured below) said his band was told many years ago it was not allowed to appear at the Regent Theatre. "It was a long time ago," Dani said. "Despite some of the bands you get playing at the Regent, we have never been allowed to play there.
"I think they thought our fans would destroy the venue — which is a bit silly. Of course the closest we get is the UEA in Norwich."
David Mansfield, theatre manager, told the East Anglian Daily Times he hadn't actually heard of CRADLE OF FILTH, but he said he was not aware of any ban in place for them or any other act. "Technically, there are certain grounds on which we can't take an act here, but it's generally more to do with legal issues and the appropriateness of artists," he said.
"My suspicion is it wouldn't be viable for them (CRADLE OF FILTH) to come here because they wouldn't sell enough tickets."
METHODS OF MAYHEM self-titled debut was released in 1999 and was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States alone. The album featured Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock and Fred Durst, among others. METHODS OF MAYHEM's set was a featured highlight of 2000's Ozzfest.
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, the reunited cult early 1990s progressive metal band from El Cajon, California, will embark on a European tour as the support act for NEVERMORE and SYMPHONY X in February/March 2011.
The dates are as follows:
Feb. 25 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
Feb. 26 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
Feb. 27 - Antwerp, Belgium - Hof Ter Loo
Feb. 28 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
Mar. 01 - Toulouse, France - Phare
Mar. 03 - Barcelona, Spain - Apollo
Mar. 04 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
Mar. 05 - Florence, Italy - Viper
Mar. 06 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
Mar. 07 - Milan, Italy - Magazzini Generali
Mar. 08 - Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg - Kulturfabrik
Mar. 10 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Cvetlicarna
Mar. 11 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
Mar. 12 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
Mar. 13 - Würzburg, Germany - Posthalle
Mar. 14 - Bad Arolsen, Germany - Outback
Mar. 16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
Mar. 17 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
Mar. 18 - Geiselwind, Germany - Music Hall
Mar. 19 - Tilburg, The Netherlands - O13
Mar. 20 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Melkweg
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ's current lineup includes four of the five original members.
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ 2010 is :
* Devon Graves (a.k.a. Buddy Lackey) - Vocals
* Brian McAlpin - Guitar
* Steve Cox - Guitar
* Ward Evans - Bass
* Norman Leggio - Drums
Original guitarist Dan Rock is not taking part in the reunion and is being replaced by Steve Cox, who previously played with PSYCHOTIC WALTZ on the band's 1996 tour.
Commented Devon Graves: "I am blown away by the response over [the reunion of] PSYCHOTIC WALTZ. I am really looking forward [to it]! In the meantime, please don't overlook my other band, THE SHADOW THEORY. We have a new album out this November (October for the U.S.). This album could be the highpoint of my career (so far). My intention is to be in both bands for the future. Enjoy THE SHADOW THEORY while PSYCHOTIC WALTZ writes the new album. You have time."
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ's last studio album, "Bleeding", was released in 1996. Scott Burns engineered the effort, which was mixed by Dan Rock and Woody Barber.
In the years that followed PSYCHOTIC WALTZ's demise, Rock recorded two instrumental albums with his project DARKSTAR. In the meantime, Norm Leggio and Steve Cox created the band TEABAG, while Buddy Lackey launched his own group, DEADSOUL TRIBE, where he performs using his real name, Devon Graves.
Finnish metallers AMORPHIS have entered Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki to begin recording their tenth studio album, to be released in early 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Reactivated late 1980s Portland, Oregon-based thrash metal/hardcore band WEHRMACHT is putting the finishing touches on a new EP, "Fast As A Shark Attack", to be released in time for the group's upcoming European tour. According to guitarist John Duffy, the CD will feature "brand new, kick-ass recordings" of "Shark Attack", "United Shoe Brothers" and a "killer" cover of ACCEPT's "Fast As A Shark".
WEHRMACHT's European trek, which kicks off on November 12 in Belgium, will be preceded by a huge farewell gig for the club Satyricon with POISON IDEA and many other bands on October 31. WEHRMACHT states, "We will definitely miss our old stomping ground as this venue holds many great memories for us."
In the mid-'80s when most west coast metal bands in America were copying either METALLICA or MÖTLEY CRÜE, WEHRMACHT had a different approach which set them apart! By 1986 the band's self-distributed demo cassette and an appearance on the "Speed Metal Hell" compilation series had gained the group considerable acclaim in the metal underground. Music publications such as England's Metal Forces and the Netherlands' Aardschok were among many to praise WEHRMACHT's original sound.
In 1987, New Renaissance Records released WEHRMACHT's debut album entitled "Shark Attack". Although "Shark Attack" was well received by the metal underground, until 1999, it was never available in America on compact disc.
After "Shark Attack", the band set out to record their second album. That album, "Biermacht", was released in spring of 1988 on CD, LP, and cassette. Despite substantial pre-orders for "Biermacht", many record shops and distributors returned the products to the record company after discovering a song entitled "Suck My Dick" was listed on the album's cover. Many distributors also complained about the cover artwork.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/wehrmachtband.
Finnish gothic metallers TO/DIE/FOR have parted ways with drummer Tonmi Lillman. According to vocalist Jape Perätalo, "Tonmi is very great drummer and recorder and musician, but he is having so much other things to do also. TO/DIE/FOR is a thing I wanna do with all of heart and that's why I decided to be free, and do it without Tonmi again. It is sad, but I have my life, too, and I cannot just wait and wait all the time. Of course there is other reasons, too, but [no] personal problems. I love him as a friend always."
Perätalo added, "Trying to it with Tonmi it would take too long and [the next TO/DIE/FOR] album would not come before 2020... or do it sooner with guys who are living more near me, rehearsals would be easier, etc. etc. Many reasons."
TO/DIE/FOR's new lineup:
* Jape Perätalo - Vocals
* Santtu Lonka - Drums
* Juppe Sutela - Guitar
* Josey Strandman - Bass
* Antti-Matti "Antza" Talala (ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW, FLESHTONE, KALMAH) - Guitar
* Jussi-Mikko "Juska" Salminen (NEW DAWN FOUNDATION, TIAGA, HIM) - Keyboards
The new TO/DIE/FOR lineup will make its live debut on October 23 at the Icehall in Kouvola, Finland. In addition, the band will enter the studio on October 5 to begin recording its sixth album for an early 2011 release. Several tracks will be laid down during the initial sessions, including "Cry For Love" (IGGY POP cover), "Death Comes In March", "Into The Storm" and "Bittersweet Bleeding Heart".
TO/DIE/FOR released a "best-of" collection, "Epilogue From The Past - Best Of", on January 27 via Spinefarm Records. Included on the set was the brand new song, "Angelica", which is slated to appear on the group's next studio album.
In December 2009, TO/DIE/FOR uploaded a demo version of a new song, "Unknown III", to the band's MySpace page. The track is one of four cuts — alongside "Angelica", "My Hysteria" and "Sad" (working title) — which were used to procure new management and a record deal.
TO/DIE/FOR played in Lebanon on November 13, 2009 at Forum De Beyrouth.
TO/DIE/FOR's fifth album, "Wounds Wide Open", was released in Finland in October 2006. The follow-up to 2005's "IV" was recorded by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studios and by Jari-Jukka Nippala at Sonic Image, and was mixed at Sweden's Abyss Studios by Peter Tägtgren (DIMMU BORGIR, CELTIC FROST).
Pomona, California thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD have parted ways with vocalist Jose Barrales and have replaced him with Mauro Gonzales (MUTANTS OF WAR).
Commented the band: "After five long years of hard work and dedication, our vocalist and friend Jose Barrales has decided to part ways with the band due to personal and financial reasons. We all wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors! We have, however, moved forward and found a great replacement for the upcoming tours. He is a friend, fan and a great singer named Mauro Gonzalez from local band MUTANTS OF WAR. We have been rehearsing with Mauro non-stop for the upcoming 2010 calendar and can't wait to hit the road! Refreshed and recharged BONDED BY BLOOD is ready to crush your face in like never before! Be sure to catch us all at our upcoming tour dates with EARLY MAN / EVILE and OVERKILL / FORBIDDEN / GAMA BOMB!"
Barrales stated: "Since BONDED BY BLOOD is leaving on tour today, I've decided to let you all know that I have left the band. It was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in a very long time and it crushes me to do so, but I just couldn't continue any longer.
"For the past two to three years, I have been struggling with financial, personal, band and family problems that seemed to get even more chaotic as time went by.
"I don't really want to go into detail on my personal reason on why I left the band; what I really want to say in this announcement is thank you — thank you to all the bands, fans and friends that helped me out on the road, thank you for believing in me and BONDED BY BLOOD, thank you for all the support.
"As for BONDED BY BLOOD, they will continue without me. For the past couple of weeks they have been rehearsing with a good friend of ours, Mauro Gonzales, from the band MUTANTS OF WAR. I only hope you guys treat him with the same respect you treated me.
"As for me, I will be around. I will never leave the music world, but for now, I need to fix some problems of my own.
"I hope you respect my decision and hope one day I can be on stage once again.
"One last thank you to everyone at Earache: Dig, Dan, Ali, Talita, Al, Summer, Rich and Ant. Ruben, Jerry, Juan and Alex: you guys will never be forgotten, best five years ever. Give them hell, fuckers!"
Metal Mark of SkullsNBones.com conducted an interview with Jose Barrales when BONDED BY BLOOD played at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia on September 3, 2010. You can now watch the chat below.
BONDED BY BLOOD's "Prototype: Death Machine" video was filmed with director Dave Vorhes and "sees [the band] gearing up as a group of rebels as they fight to reclaim planet Earth from the clutches of an evil alien race called The Crong," according to a press release.
"Prototype: Death Machine" comes off BONDED BY BLOOD's new album, "Exiled To Earth", which sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 86 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.
"Exiled To Earth" was released on August 10 in North America and August 16 in Europe via Earache Records. The effort was made available as a limited-edition CD with a free patch, limited-edition colored vinyl, and a special, low-priced CD version.
Pitch Black Records has announced the signing of ALEXIS, the solo project of INQUISICION/WITCHBLADE member Freddy Alexis. ALEXIS' debut album, "Birds of Prey", is scheduled for release on November 19.
One of the founding members of INQUISICION and later WITCHBLADE, charismatic singer and songwriter Freddy Alexis has been enjoying a large following in his home country of Chile.
With a large number of releases in his background and the thrill of opening shows for such acts as GAMMA RAY, KREATOR and twice for IRON MAIDEN, Freddy Alexis is now returning with his new solo project, ALEXIS.
Joined by his old songwriting friend Gabriel Hidalgo, Freddy has created an album that marks a new metal beginning for him and his bandmates; an album full of solid, melodic power metal and passionate performances.
The CD version includes three bonus tracks of older compositions remixed and remastered and will be released worldwide through Pitch Black Records and Twilight-Distribution. It will also be available for digital download through several major digital music providers.
"Birds of Prey" track listing:
01. Intro
02. Shadows
03. Golden Path
04. Friendly Fire
05. Birds of Prey
06. Breaking the Spell
07. Metalizer II
08. Forest
09. Without You (remix/remaster)
10. The Witchblade (remix/remaster)
11. Killing Truth (remix/remaster)
Earache Records has announced the signing of North Carolina's HOUR OF 13 to a worldwide recording deal.
HOUR OF 13 has built up a formidable reputation in underground circles with its potent brand of occult-inspired doom-laden metal. The band recently performed its debut show at the "Dublin Doom Day" festival in Ireland, to rapturous response.
HOUR OF 13 will play its first U.S. show in New York on October 16.
Commented guitarist and founder Chad Davis: "We, HOUR OF 13, are proud to have become part of the Earache Records legacy. The support the label has shown to a host of influential bands over the years has been essential to the growth of real, original music, and we could not be more pleased to have become one of those bands. This is a monumental step for HOUR OF 13, and we're glad to have Earache on our side."
Earache will re-release HOUR OF 13's last album, "The Ritualist", in early 2011.
Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE will embark on the "God Is Dead – To Hell With God Tour" in February/March 2011. The Bloody Disgusting-sponsored trek, which is scheduled to kick off on February 15, will feature support from BELPHEGOR, BLACKGUARD, NEURAXIS and PATHOLOGY.
The dates are as follows:
Feb. 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Feb. 16 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
Feb. 17 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
Feb. 18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Feb. 19 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
Feb. 20 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Feb. 21 - New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
Feb. 22 - Quebec City, QUE - Imperial de Quebec
Feb. 23 - Montreal, QUE - Cafe Campus
Feb. 24 - London, ONT - Music Hall
Feb. 25 - Toronto, ONT - Opera House
Feb. 26 - Chicago, IL - Reggie Rock Club
Feb. 27 - Detroit, MI - Blondie's
Feb. 28 - Louisville, KY - Headliner's Music Hall
Mar. 01 - Tulsa, OK - Marquee
Mar. 02 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
Mar. 04 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Mar. 05 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
Mar. 07 - Las Vegas, NV - Cheyenne Saloon
Mar. 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Key Club
Mar. 09 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
Mar. 10 - Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse
Tickets for the tour are now on sale exclusively via EnterTheVault.com until October 14 at which point they will be made available via all normal ticketing systems. VIP tickets include early entry and a pre-show meet-and-greet with DEICIDE.
DEICIDE's new album, "To Hell With God", is being produced by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA) at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida and is scheduled for an early 2011 release via Century Media Records.
DEICIDE's last CD, "Till Death Do Us Part", sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
Swedish death/black metallers APOSTASY have parted ways with guitarist Ludvig Johansson.
"I have decided to leave the band for personal reasons," says Johansson in a statemeent. "It has been a hard decision to make, and there's no hard feelings involved. It's been a great time and I wish all the guys in the band the best luck in their future endeavors."
APOSTASY recently announced the addition of drummer Thomas Olsson (THE PROJECT HATE, KAMTJATKA) to the group's ranks.
Several new songs from APOSTASY are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The tracks will appear on the group's forthcoming third full-length album, "Nuclear Messiah", which will be released later in the year.
"Nuclear Messiah" was recorded in part at Ballerina studios in Umeå, Sweden.
Vocalist Fredric Edin previously stated about the upcoming CD, "It's been a rocky road for us when we lost [guitarist] Henrik [Johansson], but now we are stronger than ever and can guarantee you folks that this will surely be the most brutal and most technical we have ever made, so what I want to say is: We don't slow down like everybody else does, we just accelerate and make it more brutal. It is worth waiting for!"
APOSTASY made national headlines in Sweden in 2006 when the group's guitarist Henrik Johansson was stabbed to death by his girlfriend. At 3:55 a.m. on March 9, 2006, the 19-year-old girlfriend dialed 112 (the Swedish equivalent of 911 in the U.S. or 999 in the U.K.) and said that her boyfriend was lying bleeding on the floor in the couple's apartment in Kramfors, Sweden. When the paramedics and police arrived, Henrik Johansson was already dead.
"Ominous", the debut album from THE WRETCHED END, the new Norway-based band featuring guitarist Samoth (EMPEROR, ZYKLON) and bassist Cosmo (MINDGRINDER) alongside Swedish drummer Nils Fjellström (DARK FUNERAL, IN BATTLE, AEON), will receive its North American premiere on October 9 at The Bunker @ Hard Luck (812 Dundas St.) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Besides spinning his latest project, Samoth will guest-DJ at the event, alongside DJs Mz SteeLe ("Metal Spins") and Miss Barbrafisch ("Satan Takes A Holiday", "Fistful Of Metal").
Selfmadegod Records will release "This is Not a Threat, It's a Promise", the new album from Belgian cult grind "mince core" band AGATHOCLES, in mid-October. The 27-song CD was recorded at Soundshape Studios in Belgium, where the band has recorded most of its releases to date, such as the classics "Razor Sharp Daggers", "Grind Is Protest" and "Black Clouds Determinate".
GRAVE, PESTILENCE, THE ROTTED and VOMITORY are among the confirmed bands for the fifth-anniversary edition of the Death Feast Open Air festival, set to take place June 23-25, 2011 in Hünxe, Germany
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
GRAVE (SWE) (special 20th-anniversary set)
PESTILENCE (NDL)
THE ROTTED (UK)
VOMITORY (SWE)
DEVOURMENT (USA)
KATALEPSY (RUS)
NUCLEAR VOMIT (POL)
INHUMATE (FRA)
SUFFERAGE (GER)
GOREZONE (GER)
BLOODSOAKED (USA)
For more information, visit www.deathfeast.de.
AGATHOCLES frontman Jan AG comments: This album contains all elements which AGATHOCLES uses to create their brand of mince core. Going from raw punk to d-beat to old-school straightforward grind, backed up with three different vocal styles. This time the lyrics deal with topics like losing your job and waiting for the repo man, scenesters, elections, the worldwide economic crisis, modern technology and the rise of Big Brother, and more. Get ready for another old-school, raw, mince core blast!"
"This is Not a Threat, It's a Promise" track listing:
01. Black Tea
02. Houses Of Fraud
03. Straight Lane
04. Bits And Chips
05. Reduce The Pain, Refuse The Gain
06. People's Property
07. Gaszilla
08. Soap And Joke
09. Hyvää Paivää
10. Financial Cris-Ass
11. Motherfucker (Swing That Axe)
12. Go With A Blow
13. Monkey Business
14. Troops Of Rhumania
15. Cut Off
16. God Save The Real Green Crocodile
17. Fangs Feasting On Funds
18. Cleptocracy
19. De Kiezer Heeft Nooit Gelijk
20. Aside
21. Ulkopuolinen
22. Stuck@Dumb.Com
23. More Patches Than Brains
24. Gallows Eve
25. After The Battle
26. Will Gone, Lobotomy Done
27. Manipulotiek
For more information, visit www.agathocles.com.
Jason "Plunger" Sica, vocalist of the New Jersey death metal band ABACINATE, was found dead this past Tuesday, September. He was 25 years old. The rest of the group has released the following statement on the matter:
"ABACINATE is incredibly sad to announce that on Tuesday morning, September 28th 2010, our vocalist Jason 'Plunger' Sica, 25, was found dead. He died at the home of one of his friends, in his hometown of Edison, New Jersey.
"Jason was a dear friend and a true brother to all of us. He was an amazing talent, a loving personality, and a true gentleman with a heart of gold. The remaining members of ABACINATE are deeply, deeply saddened by his loss.
"Before his untimely demise, Jay was immortalized on our most recent recording. It is the first and only recording that will actually be released with Jay performing the vocal duties for ABACINATE. The album, set to be released in late 2010, is dedicated to Jay and all of his loved ones.
"Although Jay was only a member of the ABACINATE roster for about one year, we soared to new heights together, and experienced much success and prosperity that we had yet to achieve in the prior years of our existence as a band. Jay had the pleasure of doing two U.S. tours, many festivals, and an LP with us during his short run. We are very proud and honored that we were such a huge part of his life.
"As of right now, ABACINATE plans on taking a short hiatus in order to collect our thoughts and get through this terrible time in a healthy way. We will having a benefit show for Jay somewhere in NJ in the upcoming months in order to raise funds for his family, and to say goodbye to him with the rest of the music community in a proper way. Details for this benefit show will be provided as we solidify the plans.
"Jay's family and all of us here at the ABACINATE camp would like to express our appreciation to anyone and everyone who reached out to us during this difficult time to extend their sympathy. All the friends we have made on the road, the bands, and the fans have been so kind and loving. For that, we cannot thank you enough.
"Our thoughts, wishes, and deepest sympathy go out to Jay's family every moment of every day.
"Rest in peace, Jay. You will NEVER be forgotten. Thank you for letting us be a part of your life.
"We love you, Plunger.
"R.I.P. Jason Sica 3/14/85 - 9/28/10 Forever in our hearts."
Canadian grind/metal unit FUCK THE FACTS has announced the addition of guitarist Johnny Ibay (PARTY TANK, DRUDGERY) to the group's ranks.
Ibay has been touring with FUCK THE FACTS as a session member since 2008.
Commented FUCK THE FACTS founder Topon Das: "After touring the world with us for the past two and a half years, we finally welcome Johnny 'Beige' Ibay (a.k.a. Jibay) into the FUCK THE FACTS family the only way we know how... (see video below)"
Das added, "Welcome home, Beige. We couldn't find anyone better in the past three years, so we're gonna keep ya, buddy."
Ibay is featured on FUCK THE FACTS' "Disgorge Mexico: The DVD", which was released independently earlier in the year.
FUCK THE FACTS' "Wake" video was created by the Copenhagen, Denmark-based director Michael Panduro (Siegfried Productions), who has previously worked with PSYOPUS and Denmark's indie pop band NO AND THE MAYBES. The song comes off the band's self-released "Unnamed" seven-inch EP.
"Disgorge Mexico: The DVD" features the entire set from the "Disgorge Mexico" CD-release show where the band played the album from start to finish for the first and only time. The whole show was filmed with multiple cameras and then edited by Phil Pattison of Nictophobia Films. The DVD also includes "Disgorge, Mexico: The Movie", a film by David Hall of Handshake Inc. (TODAY IS THE DAY, JUCIFER, SIGH, HAIL OF BULLETS). Hall describes it as "a substance abuse art house riff on the destructive and volatile nature of love."
"Disgorge, Mexico: The Movie" is a violent, hallucinatory depiction of one woman's strange journey, set to the soundtrack of FUCK THE FACTS' "Disgorge Mexico".
"Disgorge Mexico: The DVD" is limited to 500 copies (first 100 copies come with a bonus disc) and like the band's recently released "Unnamed" seven-inch EP, is an exclusively independent release only available through the FUCK THE FACTS webstore.
Japanese extreme metallers METAL SAFARI will finally release their long-awaited sophomore album, "Prisoner", via Spiritual Beast Records.
Centered around award-winning future guitar hero Hiro, emotional screaming beast Ina, and young powerhouse drummer Yazu, along with their big friend Jun on bass, they were "proud to be independent," releasing demo recordings on the Internet, shooting music videos on their own, and handing more than 20,000 demo CDs to the fans of national/international metal acts, all without any support from labels.
With the release of the debut album, "Return To My Blood", in May 2006, METAL SAFARI gained more and more public attentions, resulting in an appearance at the biggest rock festival in Taiwan, Formoz Festival 2006. The momentum continued, and METAL SAFARI went out on a six-date headlining Asian tour in 2007, playing in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, where they headlined the Modern Sky Festival 2007. The popular demands also brought them to Europe, where they participated in 12-date tour throughout Poland alongside of such acts as VIRGIN SNATCH, THY DISEASE, and MAHAVATAR. METAL SAFARI earned its place in the history of Japanese metal as the first-ever extreme metal band played in the mainland China, and also as the first metal band to ever tour in Poland (after visual-kei rockers DIR EN GREY). These are ALL done independently, without any support from labels.
Domestically, METAL SAFARI participated twice in Ju-Ongaku-Sai (heavy music fest), the biggest festival of Japanese metal/hardcore bands, first as one of the main-stage acts and then as the headliner. METAL SAFARI also supported THY WILL BE DONE and CALIBAN on their Japan tours, and shared the stage with such acts as LOUDNESS, EDGE OF SPIRIT, SUNS OWL and BLOOD STAIN CHILD. Not only did these activities put them at #7 of domestic independent bands of all genres, #1 of metal bands, #1 of hardcore bands, and #1 of thrash bands in "Top Artist Chart" on MySpace.com, but METAL SAFARI became the most-awaited Japanese band to play at Loud Park, the biggest metal festival in Japan.
Now, with a new albumm, "Prisoner", and a deal with Spiritual Beast, they are ready to take the world by storm!!
A short video trailer of the album can be seen below.
For more information, visit www.metalsafari.com.
