The Jakarta Post reports that British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN will perform in the Indonesia cities of Jakarta and Bali in February 2011, a local promotor said on Sunday. "They [IRON MAIDEN] have confirmed it," Tommy Pratama, a promoter from Original Production, according to TempoInteraktif.com.
The Jakarta show will likely take place on either February 17 or February 18, with the Bali concert to follow two days later.
Rod Smallwood, IRON MAIDEN's longtime manager, told The New York Times that more than 800,000 copies of the band's latest album, "The Final Frontier", had been shipped to retailers around the world by the end of August, with the group having sold about 85 million records in its 30-year career.
"A lot of bands could learn a lot from MAIDEN," Smallwood said. "MAIDEN is essentially about the relationship with the fans, and nothing comes between that. They don't want to be rock stars. They just enjoy playing for the fans."
According to David Kassler, chief operating officer of EMI for Europe, digital tracking services showed only small levels of illegal downloading of "The Final Frontier", which is attributable in part to the fact that IRON MAIDEN's songs do not fit the mold of a radio single — three of them, on the newest release, are more than nine minutes long.
"You'd expect some people to be pirating, but they don't," Kassler told The New York Times. "They want the physical album. They love the artwork, the lyrics. It's something they want to show their friends and family."
According to Stuff.co.nz, one of two METALLICA fans appeared in a New Zealand court earlier today (Monday, October 4) to answer charges that they scaled the fence around an arena and impersonated staff in a bid to meet the band in Christchurch.
19-year-old student Christopher John Sage admitted pulling the stunt on September 22, hours before METALLICA was due to play at the CBS Canterbury Arena in Addington.
Police prosecutor Sergeant John Taylor told the court that Sage and a friend climbed a fence into a restricted area behind the arena where staff stored their bags.
"The defendant pretended he was a member of staff and was given a uniform. He then attempted to gain entry to the back area of the stadium," Taylor said.
The master of monster mayhem is back to unleash two new ghoulish delights with the best of Rob Zombie's psycho-metal music in tow. "Icon" (Geffen/UMe) is a double assault with a 12-track single-CD and 24-track double-CD versions available in stores now. Revising as well as updating his previous collections with tracks from his most recent super-smash studio masterpiece album — the Top 10-charting "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" — the single-CD (exclusive to Walmart) offers an overview of his solo career while the double-CD (exclusive to Best Buy) adds tracks from his seminal days with WHITE ZOMBIE.
Whether it's the single CD or double CD, "Icon" represents the best of rock's most frightful vision of the dark side.
Rob Zombie's "Icon" is part of the new "Icon" series of albums from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) featuring the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history.
Rob Zombie's "Icon" single-CD version track listing:
01. Superbeast
02. Dragula
03. Living Dead Girl
04. Feel So Numb
05. Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)
06. Scum Of The Earth
07. House Of 1000 Corpses
08. Foxy Foxy
09. American Witch
10. The Devil's Rejects
11. What?
12. Mars Needs Women
Rob Zombie's "Icon" double-CD version track listing:
Disc 1
01. Thunder Kiss '65
02. Black Sunshine
03. Super-Charger Heaven
04. More Human Than Human
05. Feed The Gods
06. The One
07. The Great American Nightmare
08. Superbeast
09. Dragula
10. Living Dead Girl
11. Demonoid Phenomenon
12. Meet The Creeper
Disc 2
01. Feel So Numb
02. Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)
03. Scum Of The Earth
04. House Of 1000 Corpses
05. Foxy Foxy
06. American Witch
07. The Lords Of Salem
08. Let It All Bleed Out
09. The Devil's Rejects
10. What?
11. Sick Bubblegum
12. Mars Needs Women
Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper kicked off the Halloween Hootenanny tour last Thursday (September 30) in Los Angeles, hitting the road together for three weeks and winding down October 20 in Nashville. The trek follows a short seven-gig run the pair did together this past summer. Zombie shared with The Pulse of Radio some inside info on what Alice likes to get up to while out on tour. "Here's the thing: he loves to shop, so he's always shopping," Rob told The Pulse of Radio. "So every day he would show up at the gig with a new gift for me. First day he came back with a, it's a little pig that when you turn it on it rolls around on the floor laughing hysterically like it can't breathe. And then the next day he brought me a VANILLA ICE tour shirt. Which I don't think he thought I would wear, so of course I wore it the next day to the meet-and-greet we did together just to prove a point."
Zombie and Cooper's tour stops on Monday night (October 4) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Zombie announced last week that his next movie as a director will be called "The Lords Of Salem". It's a thriller set in contemporary Salem, where the inhabitants receive a demonic visit from a 300-year old coven of witches. Zombie will write the script while on his upcoming concert tour circuit, and will shoot next year.
The rocker/filmmaker released a deluxe edition of his latest album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2", last Tuesday (September 28). It contains three new tracks, an alternate version of "The Man Who Laughs", a brand new video for "Mars Needs Women", a live version of Cooper's classic "School's Out" performed with Cooper, and a 30-minute DVD featuring a tour documentary.
To celebrate the release of its seventh book, Royal Flush will hold a special signing event at New York City's own Forbidden Planet (840 Broadway, New York, NY 10003) with cover star Rob Zombie on October 11. The acclaimed musician and filmmaker will be signing copies of Royal Flush Book Seven and "Hellbilly Deluxe 2 - Special Edition" (out now on Roadrunner/Loud & Proud). Zombie will be signing for fans who purchase both Royal Flush Book Seven and the "Hellbilly Deluxe 2 - Special Edition" at Forbidden Planet for the package price of only $25.
Royal Flush Book Seven is available for purchase online exclusively at
http://royalflushmagazine.com/merch
and will hit stores throughout the U.S. and Canada on October 12. Part pop culture mag, part rock art carnival, part comic book, and all irreverent fun for serious fans, Royal Flush is an annual, collectible magazine known for its provocative humor, stylish design and innovative art. "Royal Flush displays more creativity in its first 25 pages than most publications do in a year," according to MediaPost.
The Royal Flush Rob Zombie cover portrait was painted by legendary heavy metal album artist Ed Repka, best known for his cover work for MEGADETH. A limited-edition lenticular hologram cover (only 1,000 made!) will be available exclusively at Barnes & Noble.
Too big for one magazine, Royal Flush Book Seven features a flip-side cover with film legend Danny DeVito and the entire cast of the hit TV show "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" illustrated by veteran Royal Flush artist Patrick McQuade.
Both cover stars agree that Royal Flush Book Seven is not to be missed. "Royal Flush might be the craziest thing I've ever seen," says DeVito. "This is amazing."
"Royal Flush is awesome," says Zombie. "There aren't any magazines like it. It's great to leave around forever because there is so much stuff to read."
The colossal Book Seven, a double-barreled, double-sized salute to both TV and B movies, plus the usual batch of comics, underground art, satire and pro-wrestling tomfoolery including an exclusive interview with Danny McBride about "Eastbound & Down" Season 2 and his upcoming movie "Your Highness", with a bonus look at the men who inspired McBride's "Eastbound & Down" character Kenny Powers by baseball author Dan Epstein.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/zombieflush1.jpg
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/zombieflush2.jpg
According to the Simon & Schuster web site, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER frontman Scott Weiland's long-awaited autobiography, "Not Dead & Not For Sale", has had its tentative release date pushed back to April 12, 2011. Weiland, 42, collaborated on the project with David Ritz, the "Sexual Healing" lyricist who has co-written autobiographies for the likes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and more recently Don Rickles. The book, which will be made available via the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, will reportedly include stories about Weiland's rise to rock stardom, his battles with drugs, and his life now that he's "sober."
In a November 2007 interview with Reuters, Weiland said that he was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of chronicling his eventful life to date.
"It's a weird thing," he said. "You make a lot of records, write a lot of songs, but all of a sudden you go into a whole different vein, and it's a little bit scary to dive into."
On August 29, Weiland told ExploreMusic host Alan Cross in Toronto that he is working on a Christmas album. He said, "It'll be very traditional. You know, strings, upright bass, jazz horns, piano, and guitar." While he was unsure about the exact track listing for the CD, he revealed that he is recording a reggae version of "The Little Drummer Boy". "I'm sort of picking various versions of these songs, because they've been covered so many times, but my favorite versions — with a little twist," he said.
The upcoming album isn't Weiland's first foray into holiday music. Last December he released his cover version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" — made famous by Judy Garland in "Meet Me in St. Louis" — as a single. He also performed the song on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" back in 2006.
Weiland's rendition of the song is available for purchase via iTunes.
Regarding Weiland For English Laundry, his clothing collaboration with English Laundry designer Christopher Wicks, which features rock-inspired wovens, vests, t-shirts, pants, hats, ties and scarves, Weiland told Cross, "I think that fashion and music really go hand-in-hand. If you look at Elvis Presley through the '60s where it really took off — Jimi Hendrix, THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO — fashion influenced rock and roll, which influenced fashion. Whenever they're synonymous with each other, that's when there's a real possible movement that can happen. The last real movement that happened in rock and roll was grunge. It may not have been the most glamorous of fashion movements, but it was a real movement within rock and roll."
Weiland also told Cross that he hopes to turn his passion for fashion design into a long-term career as he doesn't want to be "a slave to the road" anymore. "I'd like to tour when I want to tour, but I really prefer making albums," he said. "I love performing when I want to, I detest the feeling when it comes down to punching in the clock every night. It's difficult in the rock business for everyone, so I am trying to branch out into other artistic endeavors like fashion."
Anthrax is coming to town, but there's no need to break out that Hazmat suit. The enduring thrash-metal band is interested only in spreading the word of hard rock.
click image to enlarge
Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna, Charlie Benante and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax are part of the Carnage tour.
Andy Buchanan
Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store
"Once you're infected by this type of music, you have no choice but to love it for the rest of your life," says Scott Ian, the group's goateed founding guitarist. "It gets in your soul, your heart and your gut, and you never forget it."
And local headbangers likely won't soon forget Saturday's final concert of the season at Montage Mountain, a historic lineup that unites three of thrash's most influential and popular groups: Slayer, Megadeth and, of course, Anthrax.
For the enduring New York City band, formed in 1981, the string of shows is especially commemorative. The tour marks the first U.S. dates since singer Joey Belladonna re-entered the fold in May. As the vocalist during Anthrax's most-successful period, the curly-haired front man howled his way through albums such as 1985's "Spreading the Disease" and 1990's "Persistence of Time" before he was replaced by Armored Saint's John Bush in 1992.
"They are both such integral parts of this band," Ian says of his past and present singers. "But, at this point, it doesn't matter to me if it's Joey or John. I've been doing this for so long that it just feels like Anthrax to me. The whole is greater than the individual parts."
Still, Ian is happy to be reunited with Belladonna just as this version of Anthrax — drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, guitarist Rob Caggiano, Belladonna and Ian — is experiencing a renewed popularity. During the summer, the quintet blazed through Europe with Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica, the revered "Big Four."
"We're lucky that we have Joey, and it feels really good," Ian says. "A lot of that has to do with the fact that he came back to the band and we got to do the Big Four shows. What an amazing way to kick off this next phase of Anthrax. Having those dates under our belt put everybody in a good frame of mind, as far as how great this band is and what we can do moving forward."
What that future holds is a new CD with Belladonna (its first in 21 years with him on the mic), the sprawling 20-date trek with Megadeth and Slayer, and maybe, just maybe, some Stateside shows with the complete "Big Four."
In a recent interview with a U.K. rock magazine, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich hinted at American gigs.
"It's super exciting to hear Lars talking publicly about it. They're the ones who will make it happen. They're the ones who made it happen the first time around," Ian says. "The irony is that the four big U.S bands of thrash metal haven't played a U.S. date yet. But we spent a lot of time together in Europe this summer, all four bands hanging out, and everybody is on the same page. Everybody wants to do more."
Of course, Ian also will have to find time in his busy schedule. Along with his Anthrax allegiance, he also plays rhythm guitar in Pearl, the rock band fronted by his wife, Pearl Aday. The group recently opened for '70s survivors Heart in Los Angeles.
"I love doing that so much, and I've been able to do it because the schedules have worked out. Eventually the time will come where I have to fire myself. I'm not looking forward to that," he says with a laugh. "But the reality is that Anthrax will get too busy again, and I can't be two places at one time."
Perhaps he can turn to his father-in-law for some life-on-the-road advice: Aday's dad is the iconic Meat Loaf. Ian brushes the suggestion aside, stressing that the "Bat Out of Hell" showman is just a member of the family.
"It's like having anyone as your father-in-law. It's not like he's on stage when you're hanging out with the guy," Ian says. "We actually had dinner with him last night, and all we talked about was fantasy football. He's just a regular guy who happens to be a legendary rock star."
Just like Ian, an average dude and hard-core Yankees fan who happens to be a guitar hero to a devout army of metalheads.
"To me, hard rock and heavy-metal music will never go away. Besides the fact that it's just so good, this type of music has the best fans in the world," he says gratefully. "They will look deeper and try harder to find things they want to listen to, because you can't hear this on the radio. You have look for this stuff. And that's what makes our audience so much better."
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) — has set "Ironiclast" as the title of its debut album, due in the U.K. on December 13. A U.S. release date for the effort has not yet been announced.
A listening party for "Ironiclast" will be held this Thursday, Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at Angels & Kings (500 East 11th Street between avenues A & B) in New York City.
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
MetalSucks recently conducted an interview with Kirk Windstein of CROWBAR, DOWN and KINGDOM OF SORROW. Windstein addressed the recent news surrounding his decision to drop off KINGDOM OF SORROW's Ozzfest stint in favor of treating his alcohol problem. He also explained the myriad delays that affected the upcoming DOWN DVD, "Diary Of A Mad Band", which comes out tomorrow but was originally filmed in 2006; updated fans about the forthcoming new CROWBAR album; and commented on CROWBAR's legacy as a band that influences today's young crop of metal bands. Excerpts from the chat follow below.
On whether he has leaned on his bandmates for support and advice during the recovery process:
Windstein: "Yeah, totally. I've talked to Rex [Brown, DOWN bassist] about it because he's dealt with a lot of problems himself. There's not a person in any of my bands that hasn't experienced it from time to time with the exception of Nicky and Charlie from KINGDOM OF SORROW (the drummer and guitar player); they've never had a drink or tried a drug in their life. Everyone else in my bands, in DOWN and Jamey [Jasta] from KINGDOM and the guys in CROWBAR, have all at times had issues with stuff. Every person is different, and it's a matter of keeping yourself healthy and not letting it get out of control. For me, it got out of control. Would I be a fool and a liar to sit here and say that I don't think about it? It's a normal thing to always think that you can control it. That's what the battle of it is. It's like, 'Okay, I'm home. I'm detoxed. I get it. I'm in the right headspace. I'm physically and mentally in the right place and headed in the right
direction.' It's a matter of you realizing that you doing what you need to do is basically what it comes down to."
On when fans can expect to hear a new DOWN album:
Windstein: "2011 I would say. Yeah. Something for sure. We're not even there yet, so I think that's totally feasible. Obviously not this year because it would have to be signed, sealed, delivered and done already. It's not there by any means. It's always going to happen and DOWN is always going to be there. So that's a good thing."
On the progress of the recording sessions for the new CROWBAR album:
Windstein: "As far as where we're at with the recording of the record, I should be finishing guitars tonight. I'm going there with the intention of them being finished on the 12 tracks. There is one mellow, instrumental segue piece that I'll probably finish up maybe this weekend. I started vocals and have a lot of lyrics written already. There is one more thing to be done on bass. The drums have been complete [for a while]. So we're really moving along well. It's just a matter of finishing everything up. Zeuss is going to mix it for us. He mixed the last KINGDOM and also tracked and mixed the first KINGDOM. He's done quite a bit of stuff for HATEBREED and a lot of other bands. I'm looking forward to getting it out and getting on the road. With that said, with the new CROWBAR record we're also going to have a 10-song live CD with two unreleased studio bonus tracks — brand new bonus stuff that'll be released through Housecore, which is Phil's [Anselmo]
label. There are some re-releases in the back coming out through him as well. So I'm looking forward to that too. There's a lot going on with CROWBAR right now, which is good. I like to keep all three bands busy, man."
On the sound of the new CROWBAR record:
Windstein: "Basically, just CROWBAR in the year 2010 is basically what it is. It encompasses every influence and every style that CROWBAR has ever done through the course of the previous 8 studio records — over the course of the last 20 years. Some of the stuff sounds very similar to our very early stuff and some of it is stuff that we've never done before. It's just CROWBAR. It's heavy. It's aggressive. It's dark. It's fast at times. It's very melodic and super doom metal at times. It's a real thunderous collection of tunes. I'm very excited about it."
Nate Jones of Time magazine recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Time: You're semiestranged with the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE, but you're still the front man of the band and you still tour with them all the time. How does that work?
Vince: We're still family. We still, basically, love each other. It was a business decision for me. When I was — depending on how you look at it — fired or I quit the band [in 1992], I was a part of Mötley Crüe Inc. And I chose not to come back into that [in 1997]. I looked at myself as a free agent on a football team. I didn't have to be worried about any corporate decisions. All I had to do was show up and sing.
Time: In 2005, you had a reality show on VH1 about getting plastic surgery. Not many people from your generation have been so open about it. Why were you?
Vince: It was a point in my life where I wasn't doing anything. I remember getting a phone call, I was sitting at the pool at the Ritz-Carlton, drinking — which I'd been doing for the last few months — gaining weight and not doing anything productive. And the phone call [to do the show] came and I was like, "Maybe this is the fire under my butt that I needed." And it worked. It was nothing to be ashamed of.
Time: Your book has a happy ending. If you're not riding off into the sunset, it's at least you more stable and more mature. But since you've written it, you've gotten divorced and had run-ins with the law. [Neil was arrested for a DUI in June.] Do you think that undercuts the message at the end?
Vince: No, because you're really only getting one side of a story on things that have happened to me recently. Until you get the full facts and stuff, you can't go by that. Things have been great in my life — except I'm getting divorced. That's the main one.
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach and his solo band will play a "warm-up" show for their European tour tonight (Sunday, October 3) at the The Local 269 in New York City starting at 9:00 p.m.
The Local 269
269 East Houston
New York, NY
Commented Bach: "Come see us rehearse for the tour tonight! [Bach guitarist] Nick Sterling takes his first bite outta the Big Apple! Guitar players are stupid who miss this!"
Bach will support GUNS N' ROSES on a number of dates in the U.K., Spain and Portugal during October.
Bach recently posted 100 new photographs, including shots from the set of JOHN RICH's video shoot for his new single, "Country Done Come To Town", and pictures from Bach's recent trip to Norway to perform at the Norway Rock festival.
Sebastian is currently working on material for his next solo album, which he expects to release sometime in 2011.
Although nothing has been confirmed yet, Sebastian's new CD will likely be made available through Sony Music in Japan.
Bach's current solo band includes guitarists Nick Sterling and Johnny Chromatic, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and bassist Rob DeLuca.
Sebastian last year collaborated with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta on several tracks for Bach's new solo album, with Nick and Charlie Bellmore of the Connecticut band PHANTOMS assisting during the pre-production process. The singer has also written material with John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON).
The newly revamped lineup of the NWOBHM band TOKYO BLADE — featuring Andy Boulton (guitar) John Wiggins (guitar), Andy Wrighton (bass) and Steve Pierce (drums), alongside new singer Nicolaj "Nick" Ruhnow (IRONY, VOIVITTU, DOMAIN, HELLFORT) — has set "1000 Men Strong" as the tentative title of its new album. The CD, which will be mixed in "approximately three weeks," is being helmed by veteran British producer Chris Tsangarides, who has previously worked with THIN LIZZY, Y&T, FREE, BLACK SABBATH, IAN GILLAN, JUDAS PRIEST, OZZY OSBOURNE and ANVIL, among others.
Commented the band: "We are treating ['1000 Men Strong'] as [our] third album, or the third album that should have been, so to speak. We view it as the natural follow-up to [1984's] 'Night Of The Blade' as the songs hark back to the glory days of NWOBHM.
The group added, "We have deliberately recorded the whole thing in a very live manner in just over a week (real time) as albums were recorded [back in the early '80s]. No keyboards, no bullshit — just 100% heavy metal helped considerably by the talent of our new vocalist, Nicolaj, and classic heavy metal producer Chris Tsangarides."
TOKYO BLADE in July parted ways with vocalist Chris Gillen — only eight months after announcing Gillen's addition to the group.
TOKYO BLADE's current lineup is:
Andy Boulton (guitar)
John Wiggins (guitar)
Andy Wrighton (bass)
Steve Pierce (drums)
Nicolaj "Nick" Ruhnow (vocals)
DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie will embark on a North American solo tour this winter. LaBrie wll perform material from his side project MULLMUZZLER as well as his two solo albums, 2005's "Elements Of Persuasion" and his newest CD, "Static Impulse", which was released last week via InsideOut Music.
Commented LaBrie: "[Keyboardist] Matt [Guillory], [guitarist] Marco [Sfogli], [drummer/vocalist] Peter [Wildoer], [bassist] Ray [Riendeau] and I are extremely psyched to announce a tour in support of the new album, 'Static Impulse'. Everyone that played on the disc will be on stage. This is going to be a very powerful and memorable evening. Just us and the fans doing what we both love doing. You will hear songs from MULLMUZZLER, 'Elements Of Persuasion' and, of course, the latest, 'Static Impulse'. Come out and support this U.S./Canada tour and let's have a blast. We will hit you like a sledgehammer, but I promise it won't hurt... See you out there. Goooooooooo!!!!!"
Added Guillory: "James, Marco, Ray, Peter, and myself are all really excited about touring the U.S. and Canada in support of our new album, 'Static Impulse'. The response we've been getting since the album was released has been so amazing. We can't wait to play this stuff live. This is going to be a lot of fun. We look forward to seeing everybody on the road!"
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 26 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
Nov. 27 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
Nov. 29 – New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
Nov. 30 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Dec. 02 - Montreal, QUE - Club Soda
Dec. 03 - Toronto, ONT - Opera House
Dec. 04 - Detroit, MI - Blondies
Dec. 06 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Dec. 07 - Chicago, IL - Reggie Rock Club
Dec. 08 - Minneapolis, MN - Station 4
Dec. 10 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Dec. 11 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pen
Dec. 14 - Los Angeles, CA - Key Club
Dec. 15 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater
Dec. 16 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
Dec. 18 - San Antonio, TX - Backstage Live
Dec. 19 - Dallas, TX - Trees
Dec. 20 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
Tickets for the trek go on sale today exclusively via EnterTheVault.com where fans can purchase both regular and VIP tickets for the trek. VIP packages include entrance to the venue one hour early, a meet-and-greet with James LaBrie and a signed tour poster.
"Static Impulse" marks LaBrie's first solo effort in over five years and is sure to please his legion of diehard fans, as well as win over many new devotees in the process.
"Static Impulse" track listing:
01. One More Time (4:16)
02. Jekyll Or Hyde (3:46)
03. Mislead (4:18)
04. Euphoric (5:09)
05. Over The Edge (4:20)
06. I Need You (4:11)
07. Who You Think I Am (3:57)
08. I Tried (3:58)
09. Just Watch Me (4:18)
10. This Is War (4:30)
11. Superstar (3:32)
12. Coming Home (4:29)
13. Jekyll Or Hyde (demo) (3:48) *
14. Coming Home (alternate mix) (4:23) *
* Limited-edition digipak bonus tracks
Mixed and mastered by Jens Borgen (OPETH, KATATONIA), "Static Impulse" features LaBrie's longtime songwriting partner and keyboardist Matt Guillory; Peter Wildoer from Swedish thrashers DARKANE on drums and screaming vocals; Marco Sfogli on guitar; and Ray Riendeau (HALFORD) on bass.
"Musically speaking, 'One More Time' is sort of a marriage of old-school progressive elements and modern melodic death metal," Guillory told Noisecreep. "We wanted to have a drastic contrast between what's going on in the verses and what's going on in the choruses. There's almost a pop feel near the end where both James' vocals and my vocals start layering in different ways. Lyrically, the song is about dealing with the loss of a loved one."
Vocalist James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER was interviewed on the September 28, 2010 edition of the "Used Bin Radio" show. During the chat LaBrie discussed his new solo album, "Static Impulse", as well as the recent departure of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow below (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).
Q: What it is that [DREAM THEATER is] looking for in a new drummer — a technically proficient guy?
LaBrie: "Oh, absolutely. I mean, that comes first and foremost. I can assure you that all these guys [that are going to be auditioning for the drummer slot] are monsters on the kit — they are absolutely phenomenal. They are more than capable of playing everything that DREAM THEATER's done — from day one to [what we're doing now]. So they're more than capable, technically speaking. They're scary. So what are we looking for? We're looking for a few things. We wanna make sure that that person can completely absorb and represent everything that DREAM THEATER is about as far as the drums and the attitude and the personality and the chemistry; those points have to be there. These guys [that are set to audition for the band] are more than capable of playing the songs and blowing us away with their technical prowess, but we're looking for the guy that has the right chemistry and the right personality — even the right kind of flow behind the kit. And he's
got [to have the right] look and we just [have to] feel comfortable around [him]. And that's really the ingredients that these guys have to have."
Q: Are you sad, James? I mean, this is a huge shift in the world of DREAM THEATER and progressive rock. It's a fucking earthquake.
LaBrie: "You know what?! I'm not sad at all. I've gotta be honest with you. I think that everyone out there needs to know that there's four guys in the band that are... We're excited, we're really looking forward to the next chapter. And I think one of the other things that everyone really has to remember is that there's four more-than-capable guys there. We're all extremely... I know everyone is out there going, 'Holy shit! Is this guy full of himself or what?' But I wanna say it like it is. There's four very capable people in the band, and we're all talented and we all know what we're doing, and we're all capable of doing everything and keeping DREAM THEATER exactly what it's been and bringing it to another level and bringing it to uncharted waters, but I think very exciting and fulfilling waters. So, no, we're not down. I can guarantee you none of us are down. We're actially pretty excited... and very positive."
Q: The relationship with the fans of DREAM THEATER has mainly emanated from Mike. So how does that get distributed now? Does it get distributed or does one guy sort of take it all on?
LaBrie: "Absolutely, it gets distributed. it gets distribtued and we all know that we have to now all be a part of that. And that's how it's gonna be distributed. It's gonna be all of us being the contact for our fans, it's gonna be all of us really making sure that there's that face-to-face [interaction] going on constantly [and] consistently. We're all ready for it. We've already started it — we're all on our various web sites, I'm on Twitter and I'm talking to people a lot and just saying what's going on and what's happening with my solo stuff, what's happening in the DREAM THEATER camp."
Q: So that means in the future of DREAM THEATER we're gonna see a lot more press interviews with John Myung [bass]?
LaBrie: "You know what?! I believe you will."
Q: I didn't even know he knew how to talk. I've gotta be honest...
LaBrie: "Neither did we. But lately he's really been extremely involved and very much a beacon for us, because he's right in there going, 'I was thinking about this,' and 'I was thinking about that,' and it's kind of cool; it's refreshing."
ALICE CHAINS' October 8 concert at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington as part of the BlackDiamondSkye tour will be filmed in 3D with current 3D camera technology, according to a posting on the band's Facebook page.
The BlackDiamondSkye tour also features DEFTONES and MASTODON.
The trek is named after each of the three bands' latest albums — ALICE IN CHAINS' "Black Gives Way To Blue", DEFTONES' "Diamond Eyes" and MASTODON's "Crack The Skye".
The tour hit New York City's Madison Square Garden on September 24. Fan-filmed video footage from that show can be viewed below.
ALICE IN CHAINS debuted the music video for the band's new single, "Lesson Learned", at Yahoo! Music on September 22. The clip was directed by Paul Matthaeus, who created the provocative and groundbreaking main titles for the hit HBO vampire series "True Blood", as well as previous HBO hit "Six Feet Under". The video is comprised of more than 6,000 still pictures stitched together to create a stop-frame animated clip in which a young man and woman slowly reveal their physical and emotional scars.
ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall, who replaced late frontman Layne Staley in 2006, told The Pulse of Radio that "Lesson Learned" is especially meaningful to the band. "You know, it obviously has a lot of resonance for the people in this band and hopefully for a lot of others," he said. "It's just this idea that life gives you scars, and it's a matter of how you bear those scars and, you know, what you do with your future, having been wounded. It's just a theme that kind of runs through the entire album."
Staley died in April 2002 of a drug overdose, while ALICE IN CHAINS remained inactive from 1996 to 2006.
"Lesson Learned" is taken from ALICE IN CHAINS' 2009 album, "Black Gives Way To Blue". It's the third Top 5 single from the album and the 13th Top 10 hit of the band's career.
"King Of The Kill", the 1994 album from Canadian melodic thrash metal pioneers ANNIHILATOR, has been reissued in Europe.
Following the recent release of ANNIHILATOR's critically acclaimed, self-titled new album, Earache Records is reissuing six LPs from the band's illustrious back catalogue. "King Of The Kill" is the fourth full-length effort in the series to be released, following "Carnival Diablos", "Criteria For A Black Widow" and "Waking The Fury".
"King Of The Kill" is available now on CD in a custom slipcase and features two bonus songs and a bonus spoken-word track from ANNIHILATOR guitarist and mastermind Jeff Waters. Also included is a bonus guitar workshop video with Waters.
"King Of The Kill" reissue track listing:
01. King Of The Kill
02. 21
03. Bliss
04. Second To None
05. Hell Is A War
06. Annihilator
07. Fiasco
08. The Box
09. Bad Child
10. In The Blood
11. Speed
12. Catch The Wind
13. Only Be Lonely *
14. Slates *
15. Words From Jeff Waters *
* Bonus tracks
Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI have released the following statement:
"It is our unfortunate task to inform that Kita [drums] is no longer a member of LORDI.
"Kita has made a decision to pursue his own career publicly as himself, without his alter ego Kita. This is in direct conflict with one of the cornerstones of LORDI's image. Therefore it is not possible for him to continue as a member of the band anymore.
"LORDI will continue as always, masked and costumed, consisting of monster personas. Also, the upcoming tour will happen as planned.
"We thank Kita for the years he has been an important part of the band and our successes and wish him all the best in his future."
As previously reported, STALA & SO. (formerly SO.), the Finnish melodic rock band which features in its ranks Kita (real name: Sampsa Astala) on vocals and ex-LORDI bassist Kalma (real name: Niko Hurme; also known by his current stage name Nick Gore), is competing to represent Finland in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. There will be three weekly semifinals in January 2011, each featuring five artists. From every semifinal, three songs will proceed to the final. Finnish broadcasting company YLE will then pick a wild card among those artists who were eliminated in the semifinals to complete the final lineup of ten songs. During the final, three songs will be selected to proceed to the superfinal (to be held on February 12), where the Finnish entry for the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest will be chosen.
Formed in 1997, STALA & SO. consists of the following musicians:
Stala (real name: Sampsa Astala) - Vocals
Nick Gore - Bass
Sami J. - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Pate Vaughn - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Hank - Drums
STALA & SO.'s new album will see the light of day sometime in early 2011. The CD was created by the power trio of Stala, Sami J. and Nick Gore, with a little help from a few carefully selected "hired guns."
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/showbyso.
LORDI won the prestigious 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with the band's "Hard Rock Hallelujah" anthem. The song swept Eurovision with 292 points, the highest score in the competition's history.
"Babez For Breakfast", the fifth studio album from LORDI, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 43 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.
LORDI's last album, "Deadache", opened with 1,700 units back in November 2008 to debut at No. 13 on the Top New Artist Albums chart
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/kitasolo.jpg
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/kitavocals.jpg
Former METAL CHURCH frontman Ronny Munroe has announced his departure from LILLIAN AXE — less than four months after he joined the Louisiana-based band.
"I'm sorry to announce that I have had to step down from my position as lead vocalist of LILLIAN AXE," Munroe writes in a statement. "My commitments to my other bands have made it impossible to give LILLIAN AXE the time and dedication that it truly deserves.
"I want to thank Steve Blaze [guitar] and the rest of the LILLIAN camp for the opportunity to front such a great band and I wish them all the best for the future."
LILLIAN AXE's tenth album, "Deep Red Shadows", was released on July 20 via Love & War Records. The CD, which featured Munroe's predecessor Derrick LeFevre on vocals, was recorded at Sound Landing Studios in Covington, Louisiana and was produced by guitarist Steve Blaze, mixed by Rob Hovey and mastered by Ty Tabor of KING'S X. The song "47 Ways To Die" was mixed by Sylvia Massy, who is best known for her work with TOOL, GREEN JELLY, POWERMAN 5000 and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. Tabor is the special guest on the song "The Quenching Of Human Life", adding an "amazing" guitar solo to the track.
Ash Sivils, who created the artwork for LILLIAN AXE's last CD, 2009's "Sad Day On Planet Earth", was responsible for designing the new album cover.
Italian sleaze rockers HOLLYWOOD KILLERZ have inked a deal with logic(il)logic for the release of their new album, "Dead On Arrival". The CD, which is due on December 11, "is a major step in the history of this band," states lead singer Harry. "It really represents ourselves and what we've been through to become what we are today. It contains some HOLLYWOOD KILLERZ classic tunes like 'Grey Celebrations' or 'Lovecrash' as well as new songs written exclusively for this album. It's a decadent glampunk cocktail, often angry, sometimes intimate and sometimes cheerful. In conclusion, it's the perfect soundtrack for a quiet weekend of disorder."
"Dead On Arrival" track listing:
01. 700.000
02. Grey Celebrations
03. Luxury Depression
04. Girls ® Dead
05. How (Could I)
06. Going Down
07. Somewhere Out Of This Mind
08. All Tomorrow's Parties
09. Over And Over
10. Through The Sand
11. Our Memories May Be Right
12. Lovecrash
13. More Than It Hurts You
HOLLYWOOD KILLERZ will hold a "Dead On Arrival" CD-release party on in the band's hometown of Turin at the United Club. Also scheduled to appear is SUPERHORRORFUCK.
The "Grey Celebrations" video can be viewed below.
logic(il)logic is Street Symphonies Records' new sub-label dedicated to metal and rock in all possible forms.
For more information, visit www.hollywoodkillerz.net.
German metal band THE CLAYMORE will support W.A.S.P. on the following dates:
Oct. 20 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin Music Hall
Oct. 21 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
Oct. 23 - Burglengenfeld, Germany - VA Zentrum
Oct. 24 - Wörgl, Austria - Komma
Oct. 25 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik
THE CLAYMORE will release its third album, "Damnation Reigns", in Europe on October 22 via Black Bards Entertainment. The CD features guest appearances by Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and Victor Smolski (RAGE).
THE CLAYMORE is:
Andreas Grundmann (Vocals)
Kai Schwittek (Guitar)
Sebastian Busacker (Guitar)
Christian Köhle (Bass)
Hardy Kölzer (Drums)
THE CLAYMORE's second album, "Sygn", came out in 2008.
For more information, visit TheClaymore.de.
Bassist James Lomenzo (MEGADETH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) will replace Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) at the special all-star benefit concert for the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship for Musicians Institute on Friday, October 8 at the Musicians Institute Concert Hall at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. Sheehan regrets that he must pull out of the event due to unforeseen commitments in Europe and sends his apologies to all. "I'm a real big fan of the RAMONES and this was unexpected. Good luck on this amazing concert!" he said. Also newly confirmed for the event are Todd Morse from THE OFFSPRING and Billy Close, punk-bass extraordinaire and a founding member of THE FREEZE (East Coast punk band).
The following musicians were previously confirmed to perform at the concert: Wayne Static (STATIC-X), Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING), Mike Stone (ex-QUEENSRŸCHE, PETER CRISS), Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Michale Graves (MISFITS), Jeff Duncan (ARMORED SAINT), Marko DeSantis (SUGARCULT) and Andy Hilfiger (bassologist, fashion guru). You will hear the music that defined many generations and inspired many bands.
Marky's setlist is comprised of 31 RAMONES songs such as "Sedated", "K.K.K.", "Psychotherapy", "Blitzkreig Bop", "Pinhead" and more.
"I am much honored to be chosen as an artist for the scholarship program. Music for kids is very important to have," explains Marky.
100 percent of the event proceeds will fund the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship for Musicians Institute.
Online advance sale: General-admission seats (festival seating) are $30, VIP seating is $45 (guaranteed first 3 rows), $99 VIP Backstage (first three rows seating guaranteed; Backstage Pass; after-show meet-and-greet; special Marky Ramone gift bag).
Go to Ticketweb.com to buy tickets.
Walk-up (day of show): General-admission seats (festival seating) are $35, VIP seating is $50 (guaranteed first 3 rows), VIP Backstage not available.
Musicians Institute Concert Hall
1655 N. McCadden Place
Hollywood, CA 90028
Marky Ramone is a member of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, and is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the RAMONES. RAMONES formed in 1974, and are often cited as the first punk-rock group. Marky is the only living member of the longest running RAMONES lineup, which featured Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Marky. He has performed over 1,700 shows and has appeared on more than 15 album releases during his tenure (starting in 1978) as a member of the RAMONES.
Kevin Imor, the 45-year-old guitar technician for the reactivated New Jersey thrashers WHIPLASH and the lead singer for the metal bands ARCH DEMON CHOIR (MySpace page), WITCHES OF MOODUS and SPLATTER PATTERN, died on September 25 a in an apparent drowning accident in the Moodus Reservoir, a lake in Middlesex County in the state of Connecticut.
Commented WHIPLASH guitarist/vocalist Tony Portaro: "Kevin was a large part of our lives. He toured the world with WHIPLASH as my guitar tech and was the lead vocalist in ARCH DEMON CHOIR, WITCHES OF MOODUS and SPLATTER PATTERN.
"I was lucky and honored to join him in the SPLATTER PATTERN video shoot two weeks ago. He was scheduled to split the vocals with me and return to my studio on Sunday to record my single, 'Thrashing Halloween'. On Saturday we were shocked to hear that he had passed in a drowning accident in a lake in Moodus, Connecticut.
"Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, band members and all whose lives he touched."
According to East Haddam Today, Imor had presumably entered the water to try to swim out to the island from the old cemetery located on the upper Moodus Reservoir, on East Haddam-Colchester Turnpike. He and his friends had come down to spend the day, as his parents previously had a cottage ("bungalow") in the area.
For more information on Imor's apparent accidental drowning, read this East Haddam Today article.
In 1986, PRIMUS mainman Les Claypool auditioned for the then-vacant bassist slot in METALLICA following the death of the group's previous bassist, Cliff Burton. Recalling the experience in the VH1 "Behind The Music" special, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield remarked that Claypool was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and that Les "should do his own thing."
In a brand new interview with Citypages, Claypool was asked if there was any truth to Hetfield's comments. "I'd say, that's an untrue story," Claypool said. "I mean, James said on VH1 'Behind The Music' that I was just too good, but ah, he and I were hanging out quite a bit during that time when they did the VH1 interview. And I said, 'What the hell are you guys talking about, you didn't want me, you thought I was a freak!' And he just laughed. Ya know, I showed up with a bleach blonde mohawk and wearing baggy skater pants, and two different colored tennis shoes. They were all in black with tight pants and the whole bit... But they have a great guy now; they've got Robert Trujillo, who's one of the nicest guys in the business."
Kristen Dunleavy of myYearbook recently conducted an interview with bassist Stevie Benton of Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
myYearbook: "Feel Like I Do" was your biggest radio hit off of your most recent self-titled album. When recording that album, was the band under a lot of pressure to succeed like you did with your debut release?
Stevie: You always want to have success, because the minute you don't, the music business moves pretty quick and you just get run over. We never tried to compare what we're doing now with our first record. Dave [Williams; late DROWNING POOL singer] is no longer with us and he was one of a kind. For a singer in our band to hold himself to that guy's standards would be impossible. If anybody ever met him, he was the life of every party, always the center of attention, always a wild and crazy guy. Nobody could keep up with him. We try to do our own thing and live up to the name as best we can.
myYearbook: What do you think it is about "Feel Like I Do" that made fans connect with it?
Stevie: You know, that's one of the few times in our entire career where we sat down, had a plan and had it actually work. When we started throwing ideas around in the rehearsal room about that song, we liked the vibe; we wanted it be a very interactive, fist in the air, sing the chorus kind of song. That's how the song came to be, with complete crowd participation in mind. To now have the song be successful and play it live every night and to see that happen is unbelievable. I can't believe we pulled it off. We usually fly by the seat of our pants 'cause that's the best way. Usually when we have a plan, it's absolutely a disaster, so to have something come together for us what kind of a shock, really.
myYearbook: You recorded your last two albums with singer Ryan McCombs. Can you see the band recording with him five, 10 years from now?
Stevie: You know, it would be nice to have a permanent lineup in the band. But after Dave passed, it's hard to ever look at any other singer as permanent. It would be great if it happened and we were able to record with Ryan forever, but I don't want to say that because I'm afraid I might jinx it. As soon as you start saying, "Oh yeah, this is the way it's gonna be forever," that's when things fall apart. But we'll see, fingers crossed everything will hold together and work out for us.
myYearbook: DROWNING POOL has gone through a lot of changes since the band first started out. Do you feel that your music reflects whatever the band has been going through at any given time?
Stevie: Yeah, that's what we've always written our songs about — personal life experiences; we really don't know anything else. We write about what's going on with us and we try to keep it vague enough that fans out there can hear it, relate to it and somehow apply it to their own lives.
myYearbook: Many hard rock musicians have conflicting views on where the genre is headed these days. What's your take?
Stevie: I'm digging it. I'm happy with the whole active rock scene in general; it's really strong right now. About five to seven years ago, radio spins for alternative rock bands , not hard rock bands, were way up. But that's flip-flopped, so we're riding high right now. I hope it stays like this for a long time because we we're a hard rock band, we're not one of those bands that crosses over and you can hear us on alternative radio and college radio. We'll never fit into that mold so I hope the rock scene really stays strong and sticks around for a while.
Davey Lee, the San Antonio, Texas-based guitarist for the metal bands REVEREND and BYFIST, died this past Friday morning (October 1) of a heart attack . He had played the guitar since the age of 15.
REVEREND has released the following statement regarding Davey's passing:
"With sad and heavy hearts we want to let all of our friends and fans know that Davey Lee, our lead guitarist, passed away Friday morning [October 1] at 10:00 a.m. from a heart attack. We will greatly miss his sense of humor, his love and dedication to his family and friends , metal music and to BYFIST/REVEREND.
"You will be sorely missed, Davey, but we know you will keep on rockin'!!!
"A viewing will be held on Tuesday [October 5] from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Grime's Funeral Home, located at 1214 Mulberry St. in Bandera, Texas. A Wednesday funeral service will be held at The Little Rock Church on 8589 State Highway 16 in Pipe Creek, Texas (time to be announced) with a gravesight ceremony at the Pipe Creek Cemetary after the church service."
REVEREND last year announced the addition of vocalist Robb Steele (TRANSLUCENT EXISTENCE, BYFIST, BITTUR HARVEST) to the group's ranks.
Former REVEREND/METAL CHURCH singer David Wayne died on May 10, 2005 due to complications from injuries he sustained in a head-on automobile accident several months earlier. He was 47 years old.
Vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey of British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH has issued the following update:
"Dear, dear FILTH-ites,
"It seems autumn is well and truly upon us, judging by the deluge of rain and sloppy leaves dancing across the manor lawn. Still, it means the album and that most joyous of occasions, Halloween, are just around the corner, barely a skeleton of a month away.
"We've been particularly busy here in the CRADLE camp in the few weeks or so, firstly with working towards the completion of all the album formats artwork-wise, and secondly, with the associated press trips and heavy phoner schedule that a new release always brings. It has been absolutely rampant, but fun, and very surreal.
"Germany was great as all the interviews the first day were conducted from the skyline bar of the hotel, affording us 180-degree views of Berlin on a warm September afternoon and a steady stream of chilled Chardonnay and thick German beer. Then the evening saw us ensconced in an Addams Family-style kitschy eatery called 'White Trash' (uncanny…) with a flock of journalists, including the near-legendary Thomas Clausen, chugging back cocktails and reminiscing on Eighties metal, as gourmet burgers and onion rings the size of your head were devoured. The next day interviews were held two doors down at the Last Cathedral bar, with its faux medieval vibe and dungeon-esque interior. Incidentally this will be the venue for the band's visit on October 29th, when we will be accompanying an official playback of our new album, following a live appearance on German MTV for our latest video, 'Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)'.
"The following week saw Paul [Allender, guitar] and I take in Finland, France and Belgium, with a much-looked-forward-to trip to Milan being cancelled due to the bloody French air strike… still, a day off in Brussels all the more made up for our loss of temperate weather, spaghetti and tutti fruity ice-cream; getting slowly spannered outside a very posh hotel watching the paparazzi, being taken for a great Thai dinner and then winding up the evening by seeing 'The Runaways' at a cinema in English being order of the day.
"Still, there's the States to come in a few weeks with a mini launch-party attached, plus a whole heap of radio interviews and photo shoots in the meantime, from home and from inside the foul murk of London.
"Which reminds me, for all those who thought I had glitter on my face during the recording of our last video, think again, it was actually road gravel! Slightly more macho I think, a face full of grit and dirt!
"The ultimate fan edition of the album is looking really stunning, too. A couple of days ago I finished putting the 64-page booklet together with Peaceville's resident graphic artist Matt Vickerstaff, and it looks unbelievable! Aside from the huge high-quality artwork and photos littered throughout, I've written a short story of the album to accompany the lyrics, and there's plenty of nifty extras to go with it.
"And lastly, thank-you to everybody who has voted for me on the Suffolk Icons web page (Suffolk Icons), I know it's a bit of a laugh and that no-one really can compare to the grandeur of ducks or a disused Victorian swimming pool, but it is really an eye-opener for a lot of people who live in my county who have never heard of CRADLE OF FILTH or indeed crypt-crawling death-rock (lol!), or the absolute drivel spouted on the web page about me and mine. And for of all out there in the great cosmic beyond who haven't voted for me yet, I hereby promise that if I become Major of Ipswich, England, I'm turning it into Halloween Town and you're all welcome to visit! So there, vote!
"And so, my ennobled peers, I guess that's all I have for now. Look out for another taster from the album come Wednesday, a new, fully operational website on the near horizon, plus all the readable interviews that should surface following our intrepid voyages abroad."
Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have been forced to cancel tomorrow night's (October 5) concert at Lupo's in Providence, Rhode Island after the band's frontman, Matt Tuck, was taken ill. ESCAPE THE FATE will now be headlining along with BLACK TIDE and DRIVE A in the support slots. Tickets to the show are still available for only $10. The doors will open at 7 p.m. and the show kicks off at 8 p.m.
If you purchased a ticket at Lupo's for the show, use your ticket and get $15 back at the door or refunds at point of purchase.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently tapped award-winning filmmaker Nigel Dick (GUNS N' ROSES, BLACK SABBATH, DEF LEPPARD, NICKELBACK) to direct the videos for its songs "Fever" and "Bittersweet Memories".
"Fever", the third album from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, sold 71,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. "Fever" also landed in the Top Five in Australia, the U.K., Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the U.K. it reached No. 5 on sales of 21,965.
"Fever" pairs BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE with producer Don Gilmore, best known for his work with LINKIN PARK and GOOD CHARLOTTE.
Dose Of Metal recently conducted an interview with Swedish drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot (BLOODBATH, OPETH, WITCHERY). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Dose Of Metal: You've been playing with BLOODBATH since "Nightmares Made Flesh". What is the biggest difference between playing with Peter Tägtgren and Mikael Åkerfeldt?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: The biggest difference, I guess, is that I know Mikael a lot better than Peter and we've play in the same band together for a while now. We've done quite a lot of touring and concerts together, ya know. I have never played live with Peter, from what I can remember. Very nice guy, though... and good voice, too!
Dose Of Metal: What is the biggest difference between playing for BLOODBATH, WITCHERY and OPETH?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: It's very different when it comes to the music I would say. When we go out on tour with OPETH, we'd be out for two years, and play 200-250 shows a year. That makes it very different to the other bands with which we only do a couple of shows, if even that. I guess BLOODBATH and WITCHERY is a bit more physical than OPETH. At least for me it is.
Dose Of Metal: How do you feel about the term "supergroup" in relation to BLOODBATH?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: Good, I guess. I personally don't call it the "supergroup," but if someone wants to call it that, it's fine with me.
Dose Of Metal: BLOODBATH have done a couple of dates at festivals this year. Are there plans to do a full-on BLOODBATH tour in the future?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: Don't think so. Everyone is occupied with their main bands, I think. KATATONIA tours a lot now, and OPETH are working on a new record. Hopefully there is time for a new BLOODBATH record at some point...
Dose Of Metal: How hard is it to get a decent shower during tour?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: It depends on where in the world you are. We don't have shower problems with OPETH that much. I've done some wicked tours in Europe with SATANIC SLAUGHTER in the Nineties when we slept in a minivan for two weeks. There weren't even enough seats for everybody to sit in while we drove. One time one of the tires exploded on the German autobahn and we almost crashed. Pretty hard tour. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll... hehe.
Dose Of Metal: You've been in OPETH for four years now. What was it like to step into Martin Lopez's footsteps?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: Actually my first show was 8th of August, 2005. But as a member, I guess it has indeed been four years. I've played a lot of songs from OPETH's earlier days live, both with Anders and Martin on drums on the records. It's always a good challenge to make 'em sound as good as possible live.
Dose Of Metal: Mikael Åkerfeldt recently stated that OPETH are currently writing for their upcoming album. How far are you with the songwriting yet?
Martin "Axe" Axenrot: I'm not involved with the actual songwriting but Mike sent me a demo with a few tracks that he'd written so far and I'm working out the drum part from my own home. Can't wait to hit the studio and start recording!
Acclaimed guitarist Jeff Kollman (COSMOSQUAD, CHAD SMITH'S BOMBASTIC MEATBATS, GLENN HUGHES) will debut his new band, PERVADELIC, on Tuesday, October 5 at the Baked Potato in Studio City, California. The group — which features Kollman on vocals and guitar, along with co-guitarist Michael "Fish" Herring, bassist Jesse Stern, and drummer Jono Brown — will be playing "all-original would-be hits" from its upcoming release, "Songs For Pervs". Showtime is 9:30 p.m.
In other news, Kollman and Brown have put the finishing touches on the 10-song JKB sophomore album, "Empower Devour", due out this fall. The follow-up to 2006's "Bleeding The Soul" features appearances by JKB alumni Kevin Chown (CHAD SMITH'S BOMBASTIC MEATBATS, TARJA TURUNEN) on bass and Charlie Waymire (SPEAK NO EVIL) on drums. Special guests include drummers Shane Gaalaas (B'Z, COSMOSQUAD) and Joel Taylor (ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, OHM) on one track each.
"Empower Devour" track listing:
01. Tight Like A Fist
02. Shinedown
03. Midnight Sun (Tribute to Jimi)
04. Swim In The Madness
05. Captivity
06. Time To Die
07. Circle Of Doom
08. I Wonder
09. Devastate
10. The Day Of Reckoning
Also on the Kollman-related front, the BOMBASTIC MEATBATS — which features in its ranks Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, GLENN HUGHES), Kevin Chown, Ed Roth (MONTROSE, GLENN HUGHES), and Jeff Kollman — will issue its sophomore disc, "More Meat", on October 19 via Warrior Records/Universal. The band will make a live appearance on the "Mark & Brian Show" on KLOS 95.5 in Los Angeles on October 26 and play the Baked Potato that same night. Another L.A.-area MEATBATS show is scheduled for October 29 at Harper's in Tarzana, California. The group is also set to play its first-ever East Coast dates in November.
Finally, Kollman will return to Japan from November 29 to December 2 for a string of concerts teaming up with rising young guitar star Yuya Komobuchi; Japanese session great Koji Hasegawa will feature on drums.
For more information, visit www.jeffkollman.com.
Irish rockers GLYDER have called it quits. Guitarist Bat Kinane writes on his official blog, "Things changed for GLYDER before the making of the third album and since then it's been a struggle to keep going. Signing with SPV seemed like the Holy Grail, but the year it took to finalize the deal saw us all move in different directions. Financial strain and other factors wore away at the band for the past two years. The band seemed to be surrounded by incompetent people who did not fulfill their roles.
"I don't want to make personal attacks on anyone or get in to bitter feuds but you all know the story of the rotten apple and that's part of what happened to GLYDER. It's a long story and as my ties to the band are deeper than music, I won't be airing my dirty linen in public.
"I am a little sore as I put so much effort into this band but I will be taking a positive approach to the future and continuing on writing, recording and performing, blogging and doing what I do.
"I have material written for what was to be GLYDER's fourth album. I am a serious songwriter and I have chosen to make music my career so if any international bands out there want a serious player to get involved with my options are open."
Bat Kinane released a new solo album, "A Lifetime To Kill", in Ireland on October 1. The set will be made available in other territories over the coming months, and can be purchased via PayPal from BatKinane.com.
GLYDER's third album, "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", came out on April 26 via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD featured stunning Mark Wilkinson artwork and a guest solo on the title track by one of rock's finest guitarists, Dave Menketti from Y&T.
GLYDER began its musical journey in 2004 at the annual Phil Lynott tribute gig "Vibe for Philo" in Dublin. Three albums and two EPs later, GLYDER had developed a very distinguishableand unique sound, blending its classic rock influences with a fresh and modern sound.
Over the past five years, GLYDER has toured Europe with some of the finest names in rock, including THIN LIZZY, WISHBONE ASH, DIO, W.A.S.P., THUNDER, FISH, Y&T, MICHAEL SCHENKER, HAWKWIND, GOTTHARD, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and THE ANSWER. In 2007 they played at Gods of Metal in Italy with MÖTLEY CRÜE and VELVET REVOLVER, Sweden Rock Festival in 2008 with DEF LEPPARD and WHITESNAKE, Raismes festival in France 2008 with SAXON and ULI JOHN ROTH and Hard Rock Hell 2 in Wales 2008 with THIN LIZZY. GLYDER played its first headline tour in Spain in 2008 and headlined to 10,000 rock fans in India in October 2008 proving that it can win over any audience in any live situation.
In August 2009 GLYDER opened for METALLICA in Marlay Park Dublin.
GLYDER was:
Tony Cullen - Vocals and Bass
Bat Kinane - Guitars and Backing Vocals
Pete Fisher - Guitars
Davy Ryan - Drums
For more information, visit www.glydermusic.com.
THENCE, the new Finnish band featuring SHADE EMPIRE members Juha Sirkkiä and Erno Räsänen, will release its debut album, "These Stones Cry From The Earth", in late 2010/early 2011 via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The drum tracks for the CD were laid down in 2009 by Sami Niittykoski (SHADE EMPIRE, SILENTIUM, MORIA). The album, which is a nearly hour-long epic consisting of only one song. was mixed by Aksu Hanttu (ENTWINE, POISONBLACK, KORPIKLAANI) and mastered by Hannu Honkonen at Noisework Productions.
According to a press release, THENCE's music could be described as "a combination of rock, metal, prog and also a touch of jazz and blues" with similarities to such bands as KATATONIA, ANATHEMA, PORCUPINE TREE and PINK FLOYD.
THENCE is:
* Juha Sirkkiä - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Grand Piano, Harmonica
* Erno Räsänen - Drums, Percussion, 12-String Guitar
For more information, visit www.thence-ambience.com.
Finnish thrashers MY FUNERAL will release their debut album, "Carnal Obduction", on November 10 via Violent Journey Records. The CD was recorded at Studio Watercastle by Arttu Sarvanne and was mastered by Hannu Honkonen at Studio Noisework.
"Carnal Obduction" track listing:
01. Horn Crowned King
02. Death Attraction
03. Legions
04. God Overdose
05. Servant Of Grave
06. Call Of War
07. One-Night Kill
08. Age Of Violence
09. Zodiac Inversion
10. Tortured To Death
MY FUNERAL is:
Ilkka Sepponen - Vocals
Joonas Kiviniemi - Guitar
Joonas Paananen - Guitar
Toni Kemppainen - Bass
Hannu Sivusuo - Drums
MY FUNERAL's last release was the "Death" EP, which came out in 2009.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/myfuneral.
Houston, Texas-based progressive-instrumetalists SCALE THE SUMMIT have entered Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (DEVILDRIVER, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) to begin recording their new album for an early 2011 release via Prosthetic Records.
Commented guitarist Chris Letchford: "We have been home writing for quite some time now and I'm excited to say that we just made it to Orlando this morning to start work on our next record with with Mark Lewis. I have been a fan of the production work that he has been doing for many years now. I love the 'hugeness' of the recordings he does and I felt that is what was missing from our last record.
"We're all really excited to be working with Mark on this one. We have been working out a lot of new dynamic ideas for this new record and I know he is the guy to really help us capture all of it.
"We'll be doing 12 songs this time, all of which are really a step up from our latest album.
"I can't wait to get these songs finished and released for everyone to hear."
SCALE THE SUMMIT's Prosthetic Records debut, "Carving Desert Canyons", came out last year. The CD was recorded at New Jersey's Nut House Recording Studio with producer Tom Beaujour.
"Carving Desert Caravans" was the follow-up to SCALE THE SUMMIT's self-financed full-length debut, "Monument", which received critical praise upon its release in 2007.
Letchford released a guitar instructional book, "Chris Letchford's Guitar Technique Book", on January 2, 2010 via the band's official web store. The book includes 52 custom exercises that Chris has written out for six-string guitars. It is described in a press release as "a perfect book for building your chops and mastering the fingerboard! Great for all styles of music, from classical to metal, rock, latin, jazz, and country. [The book is] also spiral bound, which makes it stay open when laying flat or on a music stand!"
Georgia's THE CHARIOT will release its new album, "Long Live", on November 23 via the band's new label, Good Fight Music. The CD was produced by Matt Goldman (UNDEROATH, MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE, FOUR LETTER LIE), who previously worked with THE CHARIOT on "Wars And Rumors Of Wars" (2009), "The Fiancée" (2007), "Unsung" EP (2005), and "Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead And Nothing Is Bleeding" (2004).
Silje Wergeland, vocalist of the Dutch alternative rock act THE GATHERING, will join TRISTANIA on stage during the band's October 7 concert at Garage in Bergen, Norway.
Silje, who has successfully worked with THE GATHERING since 2008, started her career as a singer in TRISTANIA guitarist Gyri Losnegård's former band, OCTAVIA SPERATI, in 2000. OCTAVIA, which has been creatively "on hold" for the past two years and only occasionally performing at a few special events, did several tours in the U.K. from 2005 to 2008, and even played a few shows with TRISTANIA vocalist Kjetil Nordhus and his former band, GREEN CARNATION.
Commented Silje: "I am honored to be singing with the nice guys and gals of TRISTANIA here in my hometown, Bergen. I've been following the band since Gyri joined them and really like their new sound and album 'Rubicon'. It will be great fun to play with Gyri again as with Kjetil, Mariangela and the rest of the band."
"Year Of The Rat", the new video from TRISTANIA, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's sixth album, "Rubicon", which was released in August via Austria's Napalm Records.
TRISTANIA in 2007 announced the addition of Italian singer Mariangela "Mary" Demurtas to the group's ranks. Losnegård was added to the lineup in 2008.
Guitarist Dan Rock has rejoined PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, the reunited cult early 1990s progressive metal band from El Cajon, California. The group, whose lineup now includes all five original members, 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 is :
* Devon Graves (a.k.a. Buddy Lackey) - Vocals
* Brian McAlpin - Guitar
* Dan Rock - Guitar
* Ward Evans - Bass
* Norman Leggio - Drums
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.
Pitch Black Records has announced the signing Norwegian melodic metallers PICTURES OF PAIN. The group's debut album, "The Reckoning", will be released on November 26. The CD was mastered by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque at his Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden.
PICTURES OF PAIN is a melodic metal band with a unique sound and style. Their influences cover a wide spectrum of different metal genres, ranging from slow to hard and aggressive (often extreme), with the vocals alternating between clean, screaming and growling.
Originally formed in 2005 the band has so far released two demos and has performed live numerous times and supported bands like VOLBEAT, KAMELOT, DORO, SCAR SYMMETRY, KEEP OF KALESSIN, ENSIFERUM, LEAVES' EYES, and others. In March 2007 PICTURES OF PAIN made it to the finals of the Wacken Metal Battle.
The CD version of "The Reckoning" will include two older demo tracks as a bonus and will be available worldwide through Pitch Black Records and Twilight Distribution. It will also be available for digital download through several major digital music providers.
"The Reckoning" track listing:
01. Betrayal
02. Far Beyond
03. Eternal Rage
04. Deviator
05. Sign of Times
06. Years of Disgrace
07. The Reckoning
08. Final State
09. From the Ashes (demo '06)
10. Guardian of Tears (demo '05)
Greek death metallers HOMO IRATUS (also written as one word, HOMOIRATUS) have acquired a new singer, Alex (HUMAN REJECTION), for the band's upcoming shows and future recordings.
Alex (pictured below) made his live debut with HOMO IRATUS on September 30 when the group supported NAPALM DEATH in Thessaloniki, Greece.
HOMO IRATUS recently released a self-financed EP, "Truth Conquers All", and is currently writing material for a new full-length CD.
HOMO IRATUS is:
Alex (vocals)
Angelos (bass/back vocals)
Argyris (drums)
Kostas (guitar)
HOMO IRATUS's second full-length album, "Apocalypse", was released in 2004 via Crimes Against Humanity Records.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/homoiratusofficial.
Guitarist Riku Hopeakoski of Finnish melodic black metallers CATAMENIA has issued the following update:
"I'm sad to inform you all about huge and unfortunate lineup changes in the band. Ari [Nissilä, guitar/vocals], Toni [Kansanoja, bass/backing vocals], Kari [Vähäkuopus, clean vocals] and Mikko [Nevanlahti, drums] decided to part ways with CATAMENIA because of their project bands, businesses, lack of inspiration and time, personal issues, etc.
[Addressing now-former members directly] "I had a great time with you and hope nothing but the best for you. We'll always be true friends, no question about it! You've been my family for years and you will always be part of it, now and in future! There are no words to describe, but only: thousands of sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart, guys — it was a damn awesome journey with great unforgettable memories! THANK YOU!!!
"But now some happier news. The first new attachment for the band is our ex-bassist Mikko Hepo-oja. He was our bassist during 'Winternight Tragedies' era. Also two new members join the band — drummer Tony Qvick and guitarist Sauli Jauhiainen. Also the new vocalist will be informed quite soon. So, all in all: we're back in business!"
The new CATAMENIA lineup is:
Riku Hopeakoski - Guitar
Mikko Hepo-oja - Bass
Tony Qvick - Drums
Sauli Jauhiainen - Guitar
[To Be Announced] - Vocals
"Cavalcade", the latest video from CATAMENIA, can be viewed below. The song is the title cut of the band's most recenr album, which was released on February 26 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Kari Vähäkuopus at Mastervox Studios in Oulu, Finland and was produced by CATAMENIA. POISONBLACK/ex-SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala makes a guest appearance on the album's opening track, "Blood Trails".
The cover artwork was created by REKH and can be viewed below.
CATAMENIA's previous CD, "VIII - The Time Unchained", came out in October 2008 via Massacre Records. The cover artwork was created by Anthony Clarkson.
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