According to Spin.com, a special 10-inch green vinyl release from JIMI HENDRIX called "Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" will be released as part of "Back to Black Friday." The event aims to take advantage of the country's biggest annual single day of shopping, November 26, a.k.a. Black Friday, and is organized by the creators of Record Store Day, the cooperative project of indie outlets that stock limited edition releases for one day in April.
"Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" features Hendrix's instrumental takes on "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne" and captures the guitar legend and his BAND OF GYPSIES during rehearsal for the famous New Year's Eve 1969 Fillmore concerts.
John J. Moser of the Lehigh Valley Music blog recently conducted an interview with drummer Jason Bonham about JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE — which celebrates the life and music of Jason's father, the legendary LED ZEPPELIN drummer John Bonham. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Lehigh Valley Music: Why do you think LED ZEPPELIN's music has endured so long? It's been 30 years since your father is gone and since they've not been playing as a band. Why do you think it's still so popular?
Bonham: Um, wow. That's one of the big questions I get asked. If I really knew the answer, I would put it in a bottle and sell it. Um, I don't know. I think for me — I can only answer for me; everyone kind of has their own reason — but when you looks at bands from the day and you look at LED ZEPPELIN, they were totally different. Like in the '80s – and I'm not knocking the '80s, I am a big fan of the '80s — there was a certain genre of rock bands that all kind of sound the same. But you put ZEPPELIN on even back in the day with all the '70s artists, they still didn't sound like anybody else then, you know? They've been unique from Day 1, and copied by many. It is truly an honor to be part of this whole thing in my family and then and again I still … my son will come up with his friends and say, "Dad, granddad was in LED ZEPPELIN, right?" And I go, "Yup." And they all go, "Wow" [Laughs]. And we've lived in America for the last five years, and he
wouldn't have gotten that response in England. He thinks it's cool to wear his LED ZEPPELIN shirt to school. And it's like another new wave of fans. But these gigs, the other night there must have been three generations from one family; they're all there rocking out in the front. It was amazing; these two 11-year-old kids in the front, banging their heads like it was an '80s concert. Amazing.
Lehigh Valley Music: Now I have to ask you a little about something you've been asked a whole lot about. After the O2 stadium show in 2007 with LED ZEPPELIN, the expectation was that you guys were going to tour and then it didn't happen. Can you tell me a little bit about what happened there?
Bonham: Well, I was actually working with Jimmy [Page] and John Paul [Jones] after the show, but there was never talk of a tour before the O2, and after the O2, I think that was an idea the press had kind of built on. And there was no ever talk of a tour. I mean, I thought there might be because it was so good, but there was never any talk of it, so the next phone call I got was in March, and then I flew to England to work with Jimmy and John Paul on writing material and to see what we could do musically together — and that was a great time. I flew backwards and forwards a few times in 2008 for writing periods with the two of them. And that was, for me, one of the highlights of my life — to have Jimmy Page turn to you after we played a few ideas of his and John's and then go, "Jason, have you got anything you want to work on?" I'm like, "Are you kidding me!" [Laughs] So you know, those moments I treasure dearly. OK, it didn't tour, we didn't do this.
But I have to be grateful and thankful for everything else I get to do. Every now and again, Jimmy would remind me and say, "Stop being such a fan." [Laugh] "You're in the band now."
Lehigh Valley Music: But I read a whole lot about the fact that Robert [Plant] opted out of continuing on. Is that correct?
Bonham: I think Robert gets a very tough time, gets hit hard because they kind of put it all on him. I've sat with Robert and we spoke very, very personally about my dad and the whole how he feels with it all. And I don't … I totally agree with his side of it 100 percent. Wanting say yes, but … obviously feelings that he had for dad and said, "Jason, you know, when we stopped 30 years ago" — and this was when it was 20-some years ago — "I really feel that that was it, you know? So to get back together now, no matter how great it sounds and how great you play — your dad would be so proud; no one plays the drums like you — but LED ZEPPELIN was with John Bonham. And I'd rather not tarnish the thoughts." I totally got that. I really did. And I felt very strong about his feelings for dad. His time has moved on. [He said] "I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear me say." And I said, "It's not really what I want to hear you say, but inside it is
what I want to hear you say." He said, "There was never going to be anybody else but you if we ever did it. So is that better?" [Laughs] And I went, "I can live with that one."
Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
QMI Agency: Was it tough to make "Scream" after losing Zakk Wylde? He was your guitarist and right-hand man for 20 years.
Ozzy: Let me set something straight: I didn't lose Zakk. It was time for me to move on. I love the guy as much as I've always loved him, and as much as I will always love him. He's like family, you know. I remember when he was in hospital a while back. He had a blood clot in his hip or his leg or something. I sent him an email that said, "Zakk, if you die before me, I'll fucking kill you!"
QMI Agency: Speaking of health, I understand you're writing a health advice column now.
Ozzy: It's just a bit of fun, you know. People ask me questions. Some are really interesting. I can relate to them. One I got recently was about something that drives me nuts. When I use public toilets, I wash my hands after I've been to the fucking bathroom. But then I have to open the fucking door where all those other filthy hands have been. What's the fucking deal with that? I'm not germophobic, but I don't want to touch some door handle that's had more dicks on it than a fucking whorehouse.
QMI Agency: Your son Jack is doing a documentary about you. Is he going to be nicer on you or tougher because you're his dad?
Ozzy: I have not seen a fucking frame of this thing. He's been at it so long I told him he should call it "Chinese Democracy 2". But I've heard it's very good. He's got an interview with Paul McCartney in it, for fuck's sake. But I said to him, "Jack, don't make me out like I'm the nicest guy." Because some people are going to go, "Oh yeah? Well, he was a fucking asshole when he come 'round to my house." I don't mind having everything come out. I've never been shy. I've done some pretty fucking stupid things in my life. Hell, I'm known for that.
QMI Agency: I spoke to Geezer Butler recently and he said he'd love to do one more BLACK SABBATH world tour.
Ozzy: I bet he would. (Laughs) Um, I'm not saying I wouldn't do it. But not right now. I've got another year to finish my tour. And if I do a BLACK SABBATH tour, he's got to promise to stop fucking moaning. Geezer, I love him. But he's always on about something. He's like, "Ohhhhh." And I'm like, "Yeah, great to see you too, Geezer."
Two weeks before the launch of the first leg of his North American arena tour November 12 in Victoria, B.C, Ozzy Osbourne jumped aboard the "crazy plane" for a Halloween weekend that was, well, classic Ozzy.
It all started Friday (October 29) in San Diego at the TedMed convention, where the recently reported results of his recent genome testing were further analyzed. Ozzy then moved onto Washington D.C Saturday afternoon for the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert "Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear" on the Washington Mall where he and Yusuf "Cat Stevens" Islam performed a surprise "Peace Train" vs. "Crazy Train" skit in front of an estimated crowd of 150,000. Not missing a beat, Ozzy jetted to New Orleans to "Bark At The Moon" on Halloween Eve at Voodoo Experience, headlining the Saturday night main stage slot of the three-day festival in City Park with a ferocious set.
At the TedMed convention at Hotel del Coronado, Ozzy was asked what inspired him to have his genome sequenced, a process that unravels the mysteries of his DNA and traces one's roots back thousands of years. "I wanted to find where I was going to die so I could avoid going there," said Ozzy. The findings of Ozzy's genome were originally revealed October 24 in a piece he penned with Chris Ayers for the Sunday Times magazine (U.K.).
"It was the last thing that Dr. Nathan told me that really stuck in my mind," wrote Ozzy. "'You have two versions of a gene known as COMT,'" he said. The first is often called the 'warrior variant,' and the second is known as the 'worrier variant.' A lot of people have one or the other — but not both."
Ozzy — who will kick off his fall North American arena tour November 12 in Victoria, B.C — has now announced a second leg of U.S. dates which will get underway January 16, 2011 in Omaha, Nebraska. The six-week 2011 trek, part of the multi-platinum Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee's in-progress 18-month world tour, will include a pair of intimate shows: January 26 at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix and February 1 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Ozzy's longtime friend and musical collaborator Slash will open all the concerts on the second leg. Tickets for the Live Nation-produced tour go on sale beginning Friday, October 15.
Osbourne recently completed a run of overseas festival appearances and headlining overseas performances including his first-ever concert in Israel: a September 28 Ozzfest show at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
Ozzy's fall dates coincide with the October 5 release of an expanded two-CD version of the "Scream" album. This "Tour Edition" package features seven bonus songs: a mix of previously unreleased tracks and live recordings. Epic also issued a four-sided vinyl edition that includes five bonus tracks: the three aforementioned songs from the "Scream" sessions and the live version of "Let Me Hear You Scream", along with the single version of "Life Won't Wait".
According to Focus On Travel News, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson is among the favorites to win the World Travel Awards "Face of Travel 2010". The award acknowledges the celebrity endorsement that has made the biggest contribution to the travel and tourism industry over the past year. Also nominated are Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham, Kevin Spacey, Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal and Kevin Costner.
The winner will be announced at this year's WTA Grand Final 2010, which takes place at London, England's Grosvenor House Hotel on Sunday, November 7.
Dickinson was nominated for his new job as marketing manager of Astraeus Airlines, which leases aircraft and cabin crew to airlines.
Dickinson, who is a longstanding pilot with Astraeus, told CNN.com in a 2007 interview, "Aviation's been kicking around my family for as long as I can remember; my uncle was in the RAF. But I always thought I was too stupid. I was useless at maths and majored in history at university, so I thought history majors don't become pilots, let alone rock stars. And then our drummer learned to fly so I said if a drummer can learn to fly then anyone can."
He added, "I never dreamed I would end up flying an airliner. I ended up flying IRON MAIDEN around on tour in a little eight-seat, pressurized, twin-engine plane. Basically we were flying round all the world's major airports, flew across the Atlantic and back, which was quite an adventure. At the end I thought I really want to fly something bigger, but I can't afford it — I can't buy my own 707. If I'm going to do that I have to get a job."
On how the thrill of piloting a 757 compares to taking to the stage with MAIDEN:
"It's a different kind of buzz. Obviously you aren't leaping around the flight deck yelling and screaming, but you have to manage situations... Flying at 35,000 feet is an internal thing, really. Whereas 35,000 people, that's just showing off."
On whether he will be hanging up his leopard-skin spandex forever:
"I could never contemplate giving up music. I have to say I've always been interested in planes, the only difference is I started to fly the darn things 15 years ago. I don't see why I should give up either of them. People say 'Why do you need a second job?' I say 'Why do you need to breathe?'"
"Blood Sweat And Beers - Oz Rock From The Aztecs To Rose Tattoo" is Murray Engleheart's second book and followup to 2006's "AC/DC Maximum Rock And Roll". Available now from HarperCollins Publishers Australia, it's a near-400-page chronicle of a powerage that began with Australia's original punk, Lobby Loyde, who in the late 1960s was blowing up amplifiers on such a regular basis that equipment had to be specially constructed that would withstand the volume he dished out. The man who would be king of the Sunbury festivals, former child star Billy Thorpe then took massive amplification to another level, making history along the way when he and the AZTECS pulled as many as 300,000 people to the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne in 1972. The lineage continued with the savage grace of ROSE TATTOO who somehow cranked everything up even higher and from their arty pink haired beginnings morphed into the loudest, most threatening band to ever stalk the earth. Banned
from ABC's TV show "Countdown", they often played in prisons and occasionally had to fight, microphone stands in hand, to get out of the very venues they'd performed in. Endlessly targeted by a police force puzzled — and deeply troubled — by their appearance, they unsettled and deafened audiences and publicans alike. They were Australia's answer to the darkness shrouded THE ROLLING STONES that infamously appeared at Altamont in 1969 and Oz rock's very own underbelly. Then, of course, there were THE ANGELS, the former Fifties-styled rockers who with the aid of leather jackets, sunglasses and spiked hair became Australia's number one live drawcard who turned venues across the country into jam-packed rallies seven nights each and every week with a maximum voltage stage production that curiously had its roots in German theatre.
More than 20 years in the making and featuring exclusive interviews with all the major Australian players including the late Billy Thorpe, Lobby Loyde, Peter Wells, Ian Rilen and Mick Cocks, along with Angry Anderson and Doc Neeson, plus various international heavyweights, "Blood Sweat and Beers" is a rough backseat ride through the bar-brawling, riot inducing and occasionally gun-toting Oz rock culture that existed in the days long before home studios, YouTube and vocational studies in how to rock
METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"Our friends over at Activision, the fine folks who bring you the 'Guitar Hero' games, noticed a small hole in the METALLI-tour schedule in between Australian dates and rang us up to invite us to the launch of their next 'Call Of Duty' game, 'Black Ops'. One thing led to another and next thing we know, we're playing at the party!!! Kinda like that top-secret (yeah, right!) show we did in Austin at the South By Southwest music festival when our 'Guitar Hero' game was released in March of 2009. The end result is that on this Thursday, November 4, we'll be in Santa Monica, California rockin' at the Santa Monica airport, Hangar 8. In addition to celebrating the release of 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops', the event will raise funds for The Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization that helps soldiers transition to civilian life and assists them in establishing jobs and careers. Tickets will not go on sale, but we have a limited number of passes for fan-club
members to attend. If you're a Met Club member and will be in the L.A. area in a few days, head over to www.metclub.com to find out how you can win a pair of tickets.
"A big thanks to the Activision staff for inviting us as we sneak one more show in before the 'World Magnetic' tour ends in Australia."
According to Bay Of Plenty Times, a 17-year-old fan of METALLICA who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last September, met all four members of the band this month through the charitable foundation Make-A-Wish New Zealand.
"They told us it was very hard to meet celebrities and that we should be prepared for an alternative wish but Jed knew what he wanted. I was very proud of him," Jed's father, Dean Roberts, said.
He got to meet each of the band members in a backstage room, with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield staying almost until show time.
"Lars [Ulrich], the drummer, said to Jed, 'I know you might be too sick but how about coming to rehearsal for your own private concert?'" Dean Roberts said.
He had to decline the offer but still went home with autographed guitar picks, drum sticks, DVDs, CDs, books and clothing.
Two months after filing for divorce from his wife of nine years, Perla Ferrar, Slash has filed a request for dismissal in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to TMZ.com.
The ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist, whose real name is Saul Hudson, filed for divorce in late August in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. Slash even went as far as to hire famed divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who has handled the splits of a number of high-profile clients, including Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie and Kiefer Sutherland, according to MTV.com.
Slash and Perla were married in October 2001. This is Slash's second marriage.
Around the time his second son was born, Slash told The Pulse of Radio that becoming a family man helped settle him down. "I never actually was one of those guys that said I'm gonna be single forever and never have children," he said. "I just never made plans for it, so when it happened, it was, like, at the perfect time in my life. It's like, if it had happened a second earlier, I couldn't have handled it, 'cause I was too out there. Then when the kids came, it actually sort of secured me, more than anything."
Slash and Perla were filmed by Hollywood.TV (see video below) on October 21 after they landed at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following "a fantastic and much-needed vacation," according to a posting on Slash's Twitter profile.
According to the West Seattle Herald, Seattle filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton Chamberlin is working on a feature-length film about Seattle rock legend Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) and his band, LOADED. The film is based on the band's upcoming album, which is tentatively due in March 2011 via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
LOADED will perform two songs from the upcoming CD, "We Win" and "Fight On", at the Seattle Seahawks Veterans Day half time show on November 7.
"It's going to be huge," said Chamberlin. "'We Win' is a pulsating anthem reminiscent of 'We Will Rock You', and 'Fight On' is an amazing song about overcoming adversity. These two songs seem perfectly matched for the other veteran-related activities planned.
"My main focus for half time is to shoot how the band gets there and where they head after. It's more about designing a fictitious story line which will be a part of the larger project, and will be a contemporary version of, say, 'Hard Days Night' meets (LED ZEPPELIN's) 'The Song Remains the Same', with aspects of documentary, music video, and live performance, all interconnected by an underlying motivation. The album will serve as the soundtrack.
"Everything will be shot in Seattle and the Northwest," he added. "We hope to use locations in West Seattle and other familiar settings to create these vignettes that develop organically within them."
With over 20 years of touring experience with such diverse acts as RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, MAROON 5, CYPRESS HILL, COLLECTIVE SOUL and WEIRD AL YANKOVIC, FOH (front-of-house) engineer Joel Lonky has seen and solved a wide range of performance issues, but few are so chaotic as his current gig mixing with Rob Zombie. "The show is chaotic and unpredictable," he states. "I don't have the luxury of knowing what will happen next, so I needed a console that would allow me to stay on top of any situation that might arise. The PRO6 turned out to be the ideal solution."
Lonky changed to a PRO6 between tour legs, and not without some trepidation. "The decision to make a change mid-tour was not taken lightly," he recalls. "Our first show after the break was at Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A. with ALICE COOPER — no place to have a 'learning curve day.' Fortunately, the PRO6 is very intuitive. I only had one session of factory training at rehearsal, and felt very comfortable in no time. The show went off great, and I really haven't looked back."
One PRO6 feature that Lonky really appreciates is Area B, which allows him to keep one fader group 'always on top' at the right-hand side of the surface. "I use it for Mr. Zombie's mics and effects returns," notes Lonky. "I can be all over the console, yet still have Rob's priority channels at my fingertips in any scene. It's incredibly convenient."
For the current tour, Lonky utilizes 28 scene presets. Within those scenes, he uses the POP Group buttons for direct access to all the elements. "Several songs have multiple scene presets, which handle various duties," he explains. "It allows me to automate things like effects changes, fader moves, dynamics changes, aux level changes and EQ settings, which are song-specific. I love the POP Groups, too, and use them in every scene, for video rolls, intros, solos, etc. It really makes life easy, if you could ever say that about a Rob Zombie show."
While Joel Lonky is a big fan of the on-board Midas effects engines, he appreciates the fact that the PRO6 is equally adept at connecting to outboard gear. "Rob has done all his releases using very specific effects, which is really critical to getting the real 'Zombie' vocal sound," he explains. "So I carry two Eventide units to access specific pitch-shift algorithms. I also use the onboard Midas pitch shifter, which makes a wonderful doubler. I also love having four different styles of compressor per input channel. That's an amazing feature not found in most digital desks."
Signal routing is amazingly fast and easy," he notes. "And the audio metering on the patching screen is fantastic. You can have the console muted, roll the cursor over the patch point on the menu and see if it is passing audio, plus the source and destination. It's really well thought out."
System routing for the Zombie tour is straightforward, with the left/right mains routed to Matrix 1&2, and Lonky has an aux send for subwoofers, though this is only utilized for fly dates and festivals. "Sometimes the system du jour will be running the subs on an aux, but that's not my preference," Lonky explains. "The PRO6 features a superior hi-pass/lo-pass section that lets me run the PA as a full-range system which, to me, is smoother, and makes alignment and tuning of the subs a breeze."
Overall, Joel Lonky is extremely pleased with the move to Midas digital. "It's really been great," he reports. "The PRO6 has a great analog feel and the navigation is fast and direct, with no need to go through menu layers. Learning it was easier than I anticipated, probably because I was over-thinking it. Really, anybody can get on the PRO6 and be up and running in a minimum of time."
But Lonky saves his highest praise for the analog sound of Midas digital. "It's like my old XL4: warm, smooth and full throughout the spectrum, without any digital harshness," he enthuses. "The inputs can be driven hard like an analog Midas without any of the audio penalties usually associated with a digital front end. The PRO6 has all the features I need for any live audio situation thrown my way, and the sound quality is beyond what I'd hoped for. I can't put it more simply than that."
Drummer Bobby Blotzer of Californian rockers RATT will be a featured guest on "The Jimmy Star Show" radio show on Wednesday, November 3 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
To hear Blotzer live on "The Jimmy Star Show", tune in to W4CY Radio online at www.w4cy.com from anywhere in the world.
"The Jimmy Star Show" is radio's new "hit" show, featuring the coolest in music, entertainment, fashion and pop culture, all from a fun industry insider perspective in a completely live, unedited, fast-paced two-hour conversational format.
RATT vocalist Stephen Pearcy revealed in a recent interview that the band is currently on a break while he and the other members of the group pursue other projects. "We finished a great show in Japan — this huge gig [at the Loud Park festival] with HALFORD and HELLYEAH and a bunch of other bands — and that was great," he said. "So I think we're gonna be on a hiatus for awhile and everybody'll do their own thing and we'll take it from there."
"Infestation", the first studio record in 11 years from RATT, sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on April 20 via Loud & Proud.
"Infestation" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (CHEVELLE, ALTER BRIDGE) at his Virginia studio, marking the first time the band has recorded outside of Los Angeles. The album is full of attitude and of reflection, cycling through a range of emotions. There are party anthems that RATT are known for alongside more contemplative, thoughtful tunes.
MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil is rumored to be one of the celebrities who will appear on the brand new show "Skating With The Stars", which is described as "Dancing With The Stars" on ice (and comes from the same producers).
ABC's "Skating With The Stars" all-star cast will be revealed Tuesday (November 2) during "Dancing With the Stars". The new show is scheduled to debut November 22, with Bethenny Frankel of "Real Housewives Of New York City" and actress Sean Young as two other rumored participants.
You've seen what happens when celebrities take on the ballroom... Now see what happens when they hit the ice on blades of steel, in "Skating With The Stars". The new series from BBC Worldwide Productions will pair celebrities with a world-class ice skater as they prepare to compete in front of a live audience in a televised ice skating competition. The skating pairs will be critiqued by a panel of expert judges and will receive a set of scores based on artistry and technique, and also by viewers at home, with one couple being eliminated each week.
"Skating With The Stars" will kick off its six-episode run with a live premiere episode on Monday, November 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC television network.
"Skating With The Stars" is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Izzie Pick ("Dancing With The Stars" and the U.K.'s "Strictly Come Dancing") and Phil Edgar Jones ("Big Brother" and "Celebrity Big Brother") serve as executive producers. Paul Osborne ("I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" and "Secret Millionaire") will serve as co-executive producer. Alex Rudzinski ("Dancing With The Stars") will direct.
Heavy metal screamer Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, BROKEN TEETH) is set to make Texas history as the first metal artist honored by the South Texas Music Walk Of Fame in his hometown of Corpus Christi.
A vocalist, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter with two gold-certified records under his belt, McMaster is notorious for being one of the busiest musicians in rock and roll. His rock and roll resume dates back to 1982 when he fronted influential progressive metal band WATCHTOWER, later moving on to make headlines with the southern sleaze rock act DANGEROUS TOYS. In recent years, Jason has been channeling his talent into the Austin-based hard rock act BROKEN TEETH, having released five albums since the band's formation in 1999; along with two albums from his NWOHB-influenced band IGNITOR, and various tribute bands. His impact on the Texas rock and metal scene was previously recognized in 1998, with an induction into the Texas Music Hall Of Fame.
The South Texas Music Walk of Fame honors six new Texas artists every year, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that kickstarts the annual WaterStreet Market Music & Arts Festival in Corpus Christi, Texas. McMaster will officially be inducted in June 2011.
Jason is currently finishing up a tour of the Midwest with BROKEN TEETH before embarking on ShipRocked alongside other rock acts, including VINCE NEIL, CINDERELLA, TESLA and SEVENDUST. ShipRocked will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on November 11-14, 2010 onboard the MSC Poesia. This year's cruise will feature two Bahamas port stops in both Nassau and the amazing private island of Coco Cay Bay.
New Jersey thrashers WHIPLASH will make a special guest appearances on November 6 at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey for the first annual "Dingbatz Metal Massacre" to perform a handful of the classic thrash hits from "Power and Pain" and "Ticket To Mayhem". Other acts scheduled to appear at the event, which will be hosted by WSOU 89.5 FM (Seton Hall's Pirate Radio), include headliners GENERATION KILL (featuring EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes) along with UNDIVIDED and LETHAL STRIKE.
For more information on how to win free tickets, tune in to 89.5 FM this coming Wednesday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. You can also listen online at www.wsou.net.
WHIPLASH recently parted ways with Pulverised Records, the Singaporean label that released the band's 2009 album, "Unborn Again". The group is currently writing new material and preparing to hit the road in March 2011.
"Unborn Again", the latest album from WHIPLASH, was released last fall via Pulverised Records. The CD was recorded at Mozart Studio with Harris Johns. The band mixed and mastered the album at Spiderhouse Studio. The cover artwork was created by Ed Repka (DEATH, ATHEIST, MEGADETH, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, POSSESSED, etc.).
WHIPLASH is a three-piece power trio hailing from New Jersey. The band was assembled back in 1984 when Tony Portaro (guitar, vocals) and Tony Scaglione (drums) joined forces, recruited Tony Bono on bass and released their first CD, "Power and Pain", in 1985 on Roadrunner Records. The debut CD was followed up by their first live performance at Ruthie's in Berkley, California with POSSESSED and DEATH ANGEL.
WHIPLASH's current lineup:
Tony Portaro - Guitar/Vocals
Joe Cangelosi (ex-KREATOR) - Drums
Rich Day Bass (ex-PRIMAL SCREAM) – Bass
Guitarist Michael Angelo Batio (ex-NITRO) will perform at the Rhoadsfest II, set to take place December 4, 2009 at Paladino's in Tarzana, California. Billed as "the best Randy Rhoads tribute show ever," Rhoadsfest II will be attended by other members of Randy's family and will feature a performance by the guitarist's brother, Kelle Rhoads, with RHOADS TO OZZ (said to be "the one true authorized Rhoads tribute band").
In 1982, Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/rhoadsfest.
This Wednesday, November 3 at 4 p.m. (EDT), "Metal Meditation" host Hare-Krushna will interview award-winning independent filmmaker and founding drummer for the band OVERKILL, Rat Skates. Join Hare-Krushna and Rat as they discuss Rat's current film project, "Welcome To The Dream".
"Welcome To The Dream" is an independent film that takes a look at the realities of the music world, including record deals vs. DIY, drug abuse, suicide, pay-to-play, and many more serious topics that affect current and future musicians as well as fans of music.
"Welcome To The Dream" covers multiple genres, and features established artists from all walks, as these issues plague not only metal, but the music industry as a whole.
Film synopsis: "'We want to be the biggest band in the world' is the battle cry from the young musicians in this film. When asked how they will do it, the overwhelming response: "We just copy what the bigger bands are doing.'
"Bigger bands…mostly broke and suicidal. Signing with a major label the goal, understanding the contract optional. Paying to play, at any price. Kids wait in line to follow; the media's amplification of glory and dismissal of reality creates a dangerous dream, and the nightmare of undefined stardom continues to crash and burn into the cemetery where Hendrix, Joplin, Cobain, Bonham and other gifted young artists now rest.
"The Internet has changed the recording industry, but was has NOT changed? Was it the powerless addiction for the artist to share his creativity that fed the industry monster to begin with? Will their roster of fears remain the vulnerability that kills them?
"Afflicted with a stardom-obsessed diet and fed by the media controlled menu, the young artist races faster than ever to be seen though the window of disposable talent with reckless abandon. If fame and fortune is "the dream," then why are Artists suicidal when they live it? Will the happiness machines of drugs and alcohol maintain eternal partnerships with the celebrity-addicted ego? Is art itself now a permanent tenant to the landlord of capital?
"This film highlights a celebrity roster of 'dream survivors,' who shine the spotlight of reality away from the stage. Can they save their young followers from the dangers that await, or will the light at the end of the tunnel be just another train wreck?"
CURSE OF THE NORTH — the new band featuring e-3 INCHES OF BLOOD bassist Nick Cates alongside two former members of the Seattle band BLACK HOUSES, Christiaan Morris and Patrick Taylor — has entered Studio Litho in Seattle, Washington with producer/engineer Matt Bayles (MASTODON, ISIS, THE SWORD) to begin recording its debut full-length album. The group has set up a recording blog and is running contests via Facebook and MySpace for fans to acquire demos that have been done over the last few months leading up to the record.
"Song Of The False", a previously unreleased demo track from CURSE OF THE NORTH, was premiered during a recent episode of the "Raise The Fist Of The Metal Child" podcast. Also aired were the two CURSE OF THE NORTH songs that are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page, "The Horsemen" and "When the Wind Blows".
PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson recently spoke to the U.K. branch of Roadrunner Records about his much-anticipated collaboration project with OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt, tentatively dubbed "Storm Corrosion". You can now watch the chat below.
On how the songwriting sessions for "Storm Corrosion" are progressing:
Wilson: "In March we started [working on the material for it]. It's sporadic, because we get together once every three months. [Mikael] comes over to my studio and we work for a few days and we get really drunk on red wine, go buy and loads of records and then come back, and if we're lucky, do, like, ten minutes work. But the incredible thing was that although, comparatively, we haven't worked that long, what we produced we were so happy with, and we are so happy with. It's nice to know that what we always suspected was that when we actually got together, it was gonna be quite easy. It was also in the back of your mind, thinking, 'Maybe it won't work.' Maybe it [was] just built up so much [in my head before we started writing songs], and it was so easy. So easy. And the music was so crazy and so inspiring to both of us. So I think that was good to feel, like, 'It's gonna work.' So we have about, I'd say, 25 minutes of music [written] so far. We're
getting together again in November to do another piece or two. Drink some more wine, buy some more records... So that's kind of a work in progress, and I don't know when that will come out. Then it would be great to do some shows around that, too, but he's [Mikael] gonna be back with OPETH next year at some point, so it may not be feasible. But certainly the record [should be ready to be recorded and released by then]."
On the similarities and differences between PORCUPINE TREE and OPETH and how they play into the new project:
Wilson: "The funny thing is that the music we're making together is actually nothing like either of us made before. Because I think we both had this idea of this kind of music that we knew we couldn't get our bands to play, but that we both kind of understood where we were coming from. 'Cause we have this kind of passion [for] very experimental, obscure records, almost orchestral in their scope. And we wanted to make a record like that for a long time. It's a long way from metal and it's a long way from anything that, I think, Mikael has ever done, including the 'Damnation' record [from OPETH]. I think a lot of people thought, 'Oh, it's gonna be like 'Damnation'.' It's not; it's a long way from that, too. And it's actually a long way from anything I've done; [it's] possibly closer to aspects of things I've done, but really quite distinct from anything I've ever [released]. [It's] very orchestral, lots of strings, lots of guitars and vocals, too. Lots of
very long songs that kind of go in different directions that you don't necessarily expect them to go in — almost theatrical in a way. And we both kind of admitted to ourselves that there are a lot of fans out there that are probably gonna hate it. But we're doing it for us. The one thing we didn't wanna do is get together and do a prog-metal supergroup, which would have been so easy to do — and kind of expected, in a way. And, you know, we might do that anyway one day. But this time around, we thought, 'Let's just do this [kind of] record.' Some people will love it and some people will not, and that's OK, because, in a way, I don't think we wanted to just give what was expected, and we're certainly not doing that."
On whether Steven and Mikael are self-producing the new project:
Wilson: "Right now, we kind of fall into my studio at midnight and work through the night and just... It's great, because in many respects, Mikael is the closest I know to someone who is... How do I put this? He's the equivalent of me in his band. He's like the captain of the ship and we kind of understand each other — all the frustrations of being in that position, all the stresses and pressures of being in that situation — so because of that, there's no ego thing at all — yet! [Laughs] But we're both kind of control freaks, in a way, so that's kind of a strange situation to be, where you're working with someone where you don't feel any of those issues and you have that complete trust. So we're just like... [I go], 'Here, you have the guitar. Do something amazing.' And he does. And then I'm like, 'Oh, I've got an idea for that,' and I do some keyboard thing. And he's like, 'That's amazing! I love that.' And so it's really... It sounds like we're
kind of blowing each other the whole time... [Laughs] But it's just so much fun. And that's the important thing — I think it's fun. Because there's no ego and there's no pressure. Because people don't know what to expect. And we've kind of already resigned ourselves to the fact that we're gonna do something that people are gonna hate, anyway. I mean, I'm exaggerating... I'm sure a lot of people are gonna dig it. But people are gonna be surprised by it. We're not giving people what they expect, so there's little pressure, really — there's very little pressure. It's just literally swapping instruments and I'm kind of recording it on my own system."
In a recent interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock, Åkerfeldt stated about the writing process for the "Storm Corrosion" CD, "I got together recently with Steven at his house, and we wrote a new tune straight away. Of course, with the two of us involved, it was 10 minutes long. And it came out so well that we started working on a second one as well."
Although DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially supposed to be part of the project, it now appears that he will no longer be involved.
"To be honest, there's just no room for drums on what we've done so far," Åkerfeldt said. "I called Mike up, and he was cool about it. He's got so much going on anyway, and I'm sure we will work together in the future."
Maryland-based experimental, progressive metal six-piece PERIPHERY will embark on a massive North American tour in November/December alongside DARKEST HOUR, VEIL OF MAYA and REVOCATION.
Commented guitarist Misha Mansoor: "We are currently preparing for a long tour with DARKEST HOUR, VEIL OF MAYA and REVOCATION, which is going to be a blast and we can't wait to get back out there to play for everyone. Also, we encourage everyone to come and meet us at our merch booth after each and every show to come and hang with us. We love hearing feedback from our fans and getting a chance to meet new people. We also will have a fresh new, longer setlist with a brand-spankin'-new song and a few fun surprises just for this tour. We are also giving lessons on our respective instruments (a lot of days are already booked!), so please come out early to see us and jam with us. Contact us on MySpace or Facebook if you are interested in lessons.
"I am also really happy to announce that PERIPHERY is well into the writing process for our upcoming EP. We have tracked most of the instrumentation and vocals and are making final tweaks on everything but you guys are in for a treat. There will be some re-tweaked material, some rare material and some brand new material on it so there will be something for everyone. We have also been working on material for our second full-length now, so that we can have as much time to refine it before we record the final product. Our goal with our music is to cover as much ground as possible while staying true to our sound, and hopefully evolve from previous work all at once. It's a tall order but a fun challenge nonetheless, and we are doing our best to ensure that the new material will fulfill that goal.
"We want to thank all of our fans for their love and support. We would be nowhere without you and we want to be able to meet you all and thank you in person, so be sure to come out to the shows and hang out with us. We also want to thank DARKEST HOUR for giving us the opportunity to be on this very special tour with them and it is such an honor for us. You guys are in for a treat. See you there."
The self-titled debut album from Washington D.C.'s PERIPHERY sold around 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 128 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 2 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.
Combing the complex atypical rhythms and technical precision of math rock with the sensational brutality of progressive metal, PERIPHERY's self-titled debut was released on April 20 through Sumerian Records.
Founded in 2004 by guitarist Misha Mansoor, PERIPHERY seems to always be drawing from a constant stream of inspiration. To date, the band has recorded over 100 songs and continues to deliver new tracks on a regular basis, each time pushing the envelope on its compositional structures.
Taking the DIY approach to getting their music heard, PERIPHERY garnered the attention of metal fans across the globe by deciding to make all of its songs available to listeners online. Inspired by its fans' feedback and fervent requests, the band frequently adds new music and video blogs, constantly cultivating a stronger online presence.
"Icarus Lives!", the new video from PERIPHERY, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed in Boston with Killswitch Productions directors Mike Pecci and Ian McFarland (FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH).
PERIPHERY is:
Spencer Sotelo - Vocals
Misha Mansoor - Guitar
Alex Bois - Guitar
Jake Bowen - Guitar
Tom Murphy - Bass
Matt Halpern - Drums
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/periphery.
LD/50 — the San Francisco, California-based band featuring Glen Alvelais (TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN) on guitar, Clark Brown (GEEZER) on vocals, Terry Goss (SCORCHED-EARTH POLICY) on bass, and Tony Providence (A BAND CALLED PAIN) on drums — has scheduled the following dates:
Nov. 06 - Reno, NV @ Knuckleheads
Nov. 11 - Concord, CA @ The Time Out
Nov. 13 - Fresno CA @ Audies' Olympic Tavern
Commented Alvelais: "We've worked our asses off for this live show and the people at these shows are in for a treat. Singer Clark Brown is not only hittin' the lowest growls I've ever heard, he's bringing the melody to each song. Bass player Terry Goss is really gonna turn some heads when people get aload of how phenomenal his playing is."
According to a press release, LD/50 (which is the abbreviation for "Lethal Dose at 50%") is "like a culture of extreme that has steadily built their fan base to the point of iconic recognition. . . The band has a unique style of perfecting the groove. Mixed with thrash explosive guitar and solos, LD/50 is a band that is not afraid to go into a ballad-style song with growling, screaming vocals and then run into a melodic guitar solo and end with a tricky syncopated rhythm."
Brown, who sang on the last two solo albums from BLACK SABBATH bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler — 1997's "Black Science" (released under the GEEZER banner) and 2005's "Ohmwork" (under G/Z/R) — previously stated about involvement with LD/50, "I tell ya, when Glen called me up to get this thing going, I was fuckin amped!!! I was a big fan of FORBIDDEN back in the day. I remember covering 'Forbidden Evil' in one of my old bands."
He added, "This new stuff we are writing has really brought the best outta me. Every new song Glen hands me is getting better and better. I am constantly blown away. It makes my job so easy as a singer. The vocals just flow outta me like fuckin' water!
"I love the dynamics that we are creating; it can be heavy as fuck, to melodic and mellow but always moving and pulling the listener from one end of the spectrum to the other.
"This first album is gonna flatten the fuck outta the norm and really give the people something to chew on...no bullshit!!"
For more information, visit www.ld-50.com.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD is currently on tour with STONE SOUR and HELLYEAH across the U.K. Bassist Johnny Christ took time out of his busy schedule to chat to Miss Bomb in an interview that can be heard every Thursday on "The Bombshell Rock Show" throughout November at 9 p.m. at www.phoenixradio.co.uk. Below is a short excerpt from the chat.
Miss Bomb: What are the current expectations for the U.K. tour?
Johnny Christ: I think its going to be a great tour because there is a really good bill to come out here, co-headlining with STONE SOUR, and HELLYEAH are going to be playing all the shows. And then we got some of these places where we could bring a lot of our staging so we are excited about that and it's probably going to be a big party for the next two weeks.
Miss Bomb: [Current AVENGED SEVENFOLD touring drummer] Mike Portnoy has just announced his departure from DREAM THEATER. What were your feelings when you heard the news?
Johnny Christ: It was pretty crazy. He came backstage and told us and it was like, "Wow!" I can't really imagine DREAM THEATER without Mike Portnoy, so, you know, as a fan, it was pretty crazy news. As far as it goes with us (AVENGED SEVENFOLD), that was his decision that he made and had nothing to do with our reflection of anything and we don't even know what's going on yet. So, you know, to have him do that was pretty nutty (laughs), but I guess its something he's been thinking about for a long time coming.
Miss Bomb: Now he released a statement as well shortly after asking fans not to blame AVENGED SEVENFOLD for his departure. How did that make you feel?
Johnny Christ: We liked that, you know. We were worried, we didn't want some of the DREAM THEATER fans to like, "Oh, yeah, those AVENGED SEVENFOLD guys." But, like I said, it wasn't the case at all. We didn't ask him to do that; it was just kind of his thing.
This month's issue of Germany's Metal Hammer magazine — due out November 17 — will contain an exclusive SODOM CD, "The Art Of Killing Poetry", featuring three new songs, plus the band's German classics and a live recording of "Bombenhagel" from the Wacken Open Air festival.
The track listing is as follows:
01. In War And Pieces
02. The Art Of Killing Poetry
03. Feigned Death Throes
04. Die Stumme Ursel
05. Stalinorgel
06. Mantelmann
07. Ausgebombt
08. Wachturm
09. Verrecke
10. Bombenhagel
The digipack version of "In War And Pieces", the new album from German thrash metal veterans SODOM, features the following:
* CD 1: the studio album
* CD 2: bonus live CD (Wacken 2007)
* 16-page booklet
"In War And Pieces" will be released in North America on January 11, 2011 and in Europe on November 22, 2010 via SPV/Steamhammer.
"In War And Pieces" track listing:
01. In War And Pieces
02. Hellfire
03. Through Toxic Veins
04. Nothing Counts More Than Blood
05. Storm Raging Up
06. Feigned Death Throes
07. Soul Contraband
08. God Bless You
09. The Art Of Killing Poetry
10. Knarrenheinz
11. Styptic Parasite
The "In War And Pieces" track is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
For bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such, his thrash metal band SODOM is a perfect vehicle to bluntly take a stand. Like few other musicians on this scene, he personifies — along with down-to-earthiness and honesty — a healthily critical position on political authorities and decision-makers from finance and industry. On their latest album, "In War And Pieces", SODOM focuses on the worst excesses of power: arrogance, greed, spotlight-seeking, fanaticism, corruption, cowardice and oppression. Tom strates, "I've always written about what's going on in the world, about the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can't change anything politically that way, but I would like to at least comment on the situation and generate an awareness of this deplorable state of affairs. Being a singer in a metal band allows me to voice my anger to a large audience."
This uncompromising attitude marks the eleven songs on sodom's latest album which could hardly sound more dynamic and violent. "In War And Pieces" owes its bloodcurdling energy largely to producer Waldemar Sorychta (GRIP INC., ENEMY OF THE SUN), whose great skill and commitment were instrumental in creating the album's — as Tom calls it — "phat, brutal and open" sound. With Sorychta's support, Angelripper (vocals, bass), Bernemann (guitar) and Bobby Schottkowski (drums) succeeded in adding new impulses to their music without watering down the band's long tradition. "Waldemar is a great musician himself and has done some brilliant work, especially on the guitar sound," Tom explains. "He knows how to get the absolute maximum out of a speaker."
As brutal as the production is the diverse songwriting on "In War And Pieces", a kind of tour de force through the whole history of thrash metal, featuring harsh arrangements, melodic solos and raging vocal attacks. "I feel that we sound more contemporary and structured than we did on our recent releases," Tom analyzes. "At the same time, there are also references to recordings such as 'Persecution Mania' and 'Agent Orange'. After VENOM, SODOM were the world's first angry band, and nothing has changed that." Tom lists as examples the impressive title track, as well as "The Art Of Killing Poetry" with its ultra-deep guitar atmospheres and the German-language song, 'Knarrenheinz', which holds up the tradition of classics such as 'Bombenhagel' and "Ausgebombt". "Knarrenheinz is the mascot on the album cover, that's why I felt he deserved his own lyrics," Tom grins. Talking of album covers: the artwork was designed by Eliran Kantor, who enjoys an excellent
reputation on the scene thanks to his work for renowned acts such as TESTAMENT, GWAR and MEKONG DELTA.
For the first time in its 19-year history, the Moondance Jam rock festival will be broadcast on television. America's premier television provider DIRECTV will air the 2010 festival exclusively on The 101 Network. Blaze TV filmed performances during the festival last July 15-17 and is producing ten one-hour shows featuring Moondance Jam main-stage acts. The programs will air as part of the DIRECTV Concert Series and begin airing on The 101 Network this November.
Here is the schedule so far (more shows will be added soon):
* Saturday, November 20: REO SPEEDWAGON
* Monday, November 22: REO SPEEDWAGON
* Saturday, December 11: BUCKCHERRY
* Monday, December 13: BUCKCHERRY
* Saturday, December 18: SAMMY HAGAR
* Monday, December 20: REO SPEEDWAGON
* Monday, December 27: JONNY LANG
This news comes as the staff and fans of the festival continue to mourn the passing of festival founder Bill Bieloh. Bill died in the morning hours of September 24. His legacy can never be put into words, but perhaps a small part of what he meant to the bands, fans and staff of the Moondance Jam festivals will be apparent when you watch these performances from the 2010 festival.
The 101 Network, DIRECTV's exclusive entertainment channel, is a unique television experience that is available to more than 18.5 million DIRECTV subscribers.
Swedish rock band CIRKUS is putting the finishing touches on its sophomore album, "Cityslicker", for an early 2011 release. According to the group, "the idea of a 'Cityslicker' album was born during the last tour in the States that had a personal effect on the whole band. Then the band asked a Spanish artist and a great friend of CIRKUS, Elena Vila, to implement the ideas into artwork which can only be described as amazing."
"Cityslicker" is currently being mixed and mastered by Jeff Northrup, who has previously worked with MONTROSE and XYZ, among others. Also involved in the album's production is Jay Messina (KISS, AEROSMITH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT).
The follow-up to 2008's "Let The Madness Begin", "Cityslicker" promises to be "a groundbreaking throwback to all the classic old albums. If you grew up on classic rock music and are missing the old days of cranking up the stereo or putting on a headset and rocking out then you definitely should pay attention to this band. This is their defining effort."
Lead vocalist Roux'd and guitar player Snetan created CIRKUS back in 2006 and have always have been the heart, brain, soul and engine of the band.
For more information, visit www.cirkusmusic.com.
Due to "technical problems during the manufacturing process," the release date of "Anthropocentric", the new album from THE OCEAN has been pushed back to November 19 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy; and November 22 in the rest of Europe. The CD will be released as a limited digipak containing special packaging with two dials on top of the digipak visualizing the concept of the two CDs.
"Anthropocentric" was completed at Studio Mecanique in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the same facility where the band's previous effort, "Heliocentric", was recorded and mixed. The new CD was mastered on August 25 by Svante Forsbäck in Helsinki.
Musically, "Anthropocentric" feels somehow heavier than "Heliocentric". "The sound is more dense and maybe a tad more raw, which suits the songs perfectly", comments guitar player Jonathan Nido. The album covers a similar sonic and dynamic range as "Heliocentric", also including a number of calm, acoustic moments — but these are for the most part orchestrated with guitars, and not so much with piano and string section. The focus is on the heavy songs. "The album is a pretty big production, and still has a very earthy, organic feel to it", says Staps. "We have spent a great deal of time on the basic sound this time around, drums, bass, guitars and vocals… and at this stage I am pretty confident that this will pay off in the end!"
As far as the concepts behind "Anthropocentric" are concerned, the focus is on man and his place in the universe: at the center, as many fundamental Christians still claim today, or more likely a dust particle in its periphery? All lyrics are circling around this question. "'Anthropocentric' will continue the critique of Christianity, inspired by the questions that Dostoyevsky asked and some of the answers that Friedrich Nietzsche and Richard Dawkins gave," says Staps.
At the base of the album are three songs with the titles "The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III". These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in Fjodor Dostoyevsky's novel "The Brothers Karamasov": a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by giving him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers. "This long dialogue, which for the most part is rather a monologue of Ivan, is so complex and recondite that one could easily find
inspiration for 10 concept albums about Christianity in it," explains Staps.
Only six guest musicians appear on the album, all classical musicians, most of whom can be heard on the CD's final cut. "Anthropocentric" is an effort by THE OCEAN's consolidated nucleus. "It is the first album where all members have actively partaken in the songwriting," says Staps.
"Anthropocentric" track listing:
01. Anthropocentric
02. The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness
03. She Was The Universe
04. For He That Wavereth…
05. The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts
06. The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith
07. Sewers Of The Soul
08. Wille Zum Untergang
09. Heaven TV
10. The Almightiness Contradiction
11. The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption
The last track is a bonus track which will only appear on the vinyl and the limited European deluxe digipak version.
Over a decade ago, Toontrack's Drumkit From Hell, or "DFH" as it is affectionately known to musicians and producers around the world, was first introduced. This masterfully recorded, multi-sampled drum instrument has since then become the industry standard in drum production tools for metal artists all across the globe. So it was decided that it was time to head back into the depths hell and see what other drum kits could be found. Just as Toontrack suspected, hell indeed had yet another rhythmic beast waiting or it to unleash upon the metal music production world — only this beast is two-headed!
Meet the new Metalheads EZX expansion library for EZ Drummer.
One world-renowned drummer, Tomas Haake, member of the extreme metal band MESHUGGAH.
One in-demand producer, Daniel Bergstrand, whose mixing and producing credits include the likes of IN FLAMES, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, SOILWORK and MESHUGGAH, just to name a few.
Two incredible drum sets, assembled and recorded to metal perfection, ready to bring your metal productions to the next level. And, for the first time in Toontrack history, it has included separate mix channels in the EZ Drummer mixer, containing kick and snare drum samples designed by Daniel Bergstrand, that augment these already amazingly recorded drums.
Twelve classic MESHUGGAH songs, captured flawlessly via MIDI by Tomas Haake himself, organized both as full songs as well as song parts so you can customize, dissect and use his grooves and drumming brilliance to inspire or create your next grand metal composition.
Commented Toontrack: "We here at Toontrack also decided that since our company has such deep roots in the metal music community, we are going to dedicate an entire month to it! So, November is officially 'Metal Month' exclusively at Toontrack. Nothing but new metal products, metal artists, metal interviews, and metal mayhem all month long. So throw your devil horns up in the air, turn the music to eleven, and make sure you log on to www.toontrack.com beginning November 1 to be a part of the metal celebration. Metal fans, November is for you!"
AM CONSPIRACY — the band fronted by former DROWNING POOL vocalist Jason "Gong" Jones — and independent label Burnhill Union Records have reached a mutual agreement to part ways. The Orlando-based outfit, which is currently in the studio doing pre-production for its as-yet-untitled album, had expressed unhappiness over the alleged "lack of support" given by Burnhill Union to the band and label's debut record over the last several months. Burnhill Union subsequently informed the band's manager, Mark Mollé at Diablo Artist Management, that the label had no intention of exercising its contractual option to issue the group's next studio album.
Commented Jones: "We kind of knew this was coming. It makes no sense for a label to sign us, pay Randy Staub [METALLICA, STONE SOUR, HINDER] to mix [single] 'Pictures', pay us to cut the first full-length release for the label, and then not push the album to radio... which was promised from day one! "
He continued, "We're super-disappointed with the way the album was handled, and have no issues with moving on to greener pastures. It's just sad that we created something that so many people in the industry said was so good, and then it never got the proper attention. The label's only A&R rep, Shaun Glass, was recently let go, due to the label's decision that they no longer needed an A&R person, and were not going to sign any more bands. They wouldn't spend the money needed to push the acts signed to Burnhill and let go of the only person who was interested and looking out for the bands. That said it all for us.
"We didn't want to come back for a second record! We've got another batch of great songs, and there's gotta be a label out there that will do the right thing if we sign with them. Maybe 'Pictures' will see the airwaves down the road."
The self-titled debut album from AM CONSPIRACY was released in January.
For more information, go to www.myspace.com/amconspiracy.
Fresh from touring Northern Europe with TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED, Italian horror-inspired extreme metal act STIGMA has entered the studio to record a yet-to-be-titled digital-only EP, set for December release via Pivotal Rockordings. Recording is being overseen by engineer Simone Mularoni while mixing and mastering duties will be handled by the Bombs Of Death Productions duo of BLEEDING THROUGH singer Brandan Schieppati and ANAAL NATHRAKH mainman Mick Kenney.
STIGMA recently shot a video for the song "The Undertaker" with director Salvatore Perrone (A DAY TO REMEMBER, EVERGREEN TERRACE, SUICIDE SILENCE). The track comes off the band's sophomore album, "Concerto for the Undead", which was released on April 30 in Europe and May 4 in North America via Pivotal Rockordings. Check out a trailer for the clip below.
The follow-up to 2008's "When Midnight Strikes!", "Concerto for the Undead" features lyrics centered on the cult-classic comic book series Tales From the Crypt and includes an additional guest vocal appearance by Jamie Hope (ex-THE RED SHORE). The CD was produced at Fear Studio by BRING ME THE HORIZON guitarist Jona Weinhofen and was mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, CRADLE OF FILTH, SYLOSIS). The artwork for the album features stunning comic illustrations of the band's now patent horror-themed lyrics and was created by Andrea Berton of Corefolio Design (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WINDS OF PLAGUE).
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/stigmahc.
Vocalist Jay Gordon of ORGY, the "death pop" band from Bakersfield, California, has issued a statement denying his former bandmates' assertion that they have been fired from the group. He says, "This has NOT been about breaking up the original band ORGY.
"I owned the name ORGY and licensed it to the band at the beginning.
"Although Ryan [Shuck, guitar], Amir [Derakh, guitar], and I had been talking about ORGY touring this summer (which now has come and gone), it didn't feel to me that was going to happen. JULIEN-K [which features Ryan and Amir] had decided to go on tour to Europe instead.
"Now that everyone is working on different projects (some have SEVERAL), I needed to be able to move forward to revive the ORGY brand. In order to make that happen, for legal reasons, I had to send them a letter to inform them that as of October 26, 2010 the partnership would be terminated. In the letter I stated that if we were to tour, that everyone would still be paid equally, with no changes. So honestly, I can't see how they would arrive at what they wrote.
"Everyone has been so busy with their different projects I figured this was the only way for me to continue on with the name. I started this band, and I don't want to let it fall to the wayside completely.
"They mentioned being my brothers, so I am a little confused on why they did not call me about the situation before putting out a press release, implying things based on speculation that simply aren't true."
In response to Jay's latest comments, Derakh has released the following statement:
"Last time I spoke to Jay Gordon on the phone (before he sent us papers ending the ORGY partnership) he was working on a 'Blue Monday' cover with other musicians. In his words, 'it was already done' and he asked only me to play on it.
"This was a deal I brought to the band a year earlier and we all turned it down because we thought it was lame idea redoing a cover again. He was now doing it without us...
"I was not interested in working on this especially if none of the other band members were involved.
"Yes, Jay Gordon owns the name, but ORGY has and always will be the sum of all of its parts and I will never be a side artist in ANY band. Period.
"Also, on that same phone call Jay told me he intended on releasing music under the name ORGY that he was already working on. After that, we received his letters terminating the ORGY partnership with all the original members.
"These are the facts. Read them how you will."
ORGY was shot out of the hard-rock cannon in 1998 with the band's platinum album, "Candyass". Its ear-candy hooks, crushing riffs and razor-edge electronic sonics laid the scorched-earth groundwork for 2000's gold "Vapor Transmission" and 2004's "Punk Statik Paranoia". The videos for "Blue Monday", "Stitches" and "Fiction (Dreams in Digital)", meanwhile, created an indelible visual impression of post-punk artifice; the hair, the makeup, the costumes — all conspired to shroud the band in a cloak of dark menace.
After the release of 2000's "Vapor Transmission", ORGY left Reprise Records and had already severed ties with KORN's Elementree Records, which issued ORGY's first two albums. Gordon then started his own independent record label, D1 Music, which released the band's third album, "Punk Statik Paranoia", in 2004.
Swedish metallers PAIN, who are led by HYPOCRISY mainman Peter Tägtgren, have issued the following update:
"What the hell is going on?! Well… It's been a while since the last update and we thought it was about time to let you in on a couple of things.
"The last couple of months every one of us has been pretty busy with anything but PAIN. As you may know, Peter has been concentrating on HYPOCRISY this year and recently came home from a successful tour in South America. David [Wallin, drums], who just got signed up with Zildjian, is working for Unique Pyrotechnic along with doing a lot of different stand-in club shows in Sweden. Johan [Husgafvel, bass] became a dad in August [mother is his girlfriend, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon. — Ed.] (best wishes from us all), and the more time spent away from PAIN means the more time spent with his family. Michael [Bohlin, guitar] is working with different side projects along with his work for Digidesign.
"Now, the following months will be dedicated to PAIN and to finish the new songs. Up 'till today eight songs are more or less ready to go, and at least three or four more are needed before we can start recording. Our plans are to start the recordings in late 2010 or early 2011, and have the album ready for a worldwide release sometime in May 2011. After that, we're about to hit the road and do as many of the summer festivals as we can. Of course, there will be a headline tour as well, and if everything works out we'll even break new grounds. Work has also begun with designing a new stage set that will be something out of the average.
"As you may understand we're more eager than ever to record this album, make it the best, and play it for you live. So stay tuned and visit our websites for continuous information, studio reports, album details, and the first show dates for 2011."
"Cynic Paradise", the latest album from PAIN, sold around 300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort was made available in North America on June 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The North American version of the LP features an alternate cover and a bonus live CD recorded on March 23-24, 2009 at the Zenith in Paris, France during the band's European tour with NIGHTWISH.
"Monkey Business", the latest video from PAIN, can be viewed below. The clip was shot at the band's aforementioned March 2009 shows in Paris.
"Cynic Paradise" was released in Germany in October 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to "Psalms of Extinction" (which was released in 2007 via Roadrunner) features "eleven gems offering a vast variety of styles and influences which are even new for PAIN," according to a press release. NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon makes a guest appearance on two tracks — "Follow Me" and "Feed Us". The artwork was created by renowned artist Travis Smith (AMORPHIS, OPETH, NEVERMORE).
Falkenberg, Sweden-based metallers BY NIGHT have completed work on their third album for a tentative early 2011 release. The band states, '[The new CD is] so heavy [we] can't believe it."
BY NIGHT's sophomore album, "A New Shape of Desperation", was released in September 2006 via Lifeforce Records. The follow-up to 2005's "Burn the Flags" was recorded at StudioMega in Varberg, Sweden and was mixed by Chris Silver and Johan Öhrnborg. Artwork was handled by Henric Carlsson from BY NIGHT's Lifeforce labelmates NIGHTRAGE.
Vocalist Matt McChesney of Daytona Beach, Florida's THE AUTUMN OFFERING has released the following statement:
"Due to Tommy [Church, guitar] leaving the band, as well as a million other things, we have decided to take a long break. Possibly just end it, depending on what happens. We haven't been dropped by our label or anything, we are just burnt out.
"There is no reason to go on and on with bullshit, we are all friends. All you guys know we love you. Personally, I wish everyone well in whatever they choose to do. As for myself, I have a new band with Jesse Nunn [guitar]. We will enter the studio next month with producer Logan Mader [SOULFLY, MACHINE HEAD, DEVILDRIVER, GOJIRA] to start our new record. It's not going to be a metal band, as I am personally done with metal for awhile. I'm disgusted with the state of it, and I don't want to be a part of it.
"I've always been a well-rounded musician, and the early '90s movement of bands such as SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS have always held a special place in my heart. I've always wanted to front a rock band, and I'm excited to start. There's been quite a bit invested into this project by some powerful people, so the pressure is on. We plan to deliver. I'm sure whatever Brian [Sculley, drums] and Tom decide to do, it will be rad. They are great musicians. Matt Johnson has become quite the engineer, I'm sure he will leave his mark.
"We want to thank Victory Records for putting out our records, and the hard work put in by all our various managers and booking agents. Take care everyone, it's been a blast."
THE AUTUMN OFFERING's new, self-titled album was released on August 31 via Victory Records.
Raleigh, North Carolina-based progressive metalcore quintet BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has entered the studio to begin recording a new EP for an early 2011 release. Early video footage from the recording sessions can be viewed below.
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's latest album, "The Great Misdirect", sold 13,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 36 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"The Great Misdirect" was released on October 27, 2009 via Victory Records.
Vocalist Tommy Rogers told Noisecreep about BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's Jamie King-produced follow-up to 2007's "Colors", "It's definitely a step forward for us, I think. I don't know ... when we write records, we never want to repeat ourselves, and we definitely have done that. So, I was worried when we started writing this record that we were just going to end up with something that sounds like 'Colors', and that's definitely not the case."
According to Rogers, "The Great Misdirect" is "more dynamic than we've ever been." The band, he said, tried "different things" on this record, resulting in a rather equal mix of "mellow stuff and more intense stuff. It's definitely BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME," Rogers added. "That's the coolest thing about our records. No matter what we do, it still sounds like us."
Los Angeles, California-based band VOLUMES has inked a deal with Mediaskare Records. The group's debut EP, "The Concept Of Dreaming", will be released on November 16.
"We are stoked to announce that we have signed to Mediaskare Records, joining a great team and a roster of bands we look up to," stated VOLUMES guitarist Gus Farias. "VOLUMES is looking forward to spreading our sound alongside fellow artists like THE GHOST INSIDE and BETRAYAL. Look out for our EP and come give us house warming at our new permanent residence; the road."
Three tracks from "The Concept Of Dreaming", along with special pre-order packages, have been posted on the band's official MySpace page.
ANNEX THEORY, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-based metal act featuring former QUO VADIS vocalist Trevor Bernie, has completed work on a new EP, to be released digitally this winter. The effort was mastered by TESSERACT's Acle Kahney.
According to a press release, ANNEX THEORY "combines high-level musicianship with catchy choruses and heavy grooves." The band has opened for PORT AMORAL, DESPISED ICON, MISERY INDEX and ELECTRO QUARTERSTAFF, among others.
ANNEX THEORY is:
Trevor Bernie (ex-QUO VADIS) - Vocals
Sam Jacobs - Guitars
Wade Forshaw - Gutars
Matt Rutowicz - Keyboards
Jordan Fehr - Bass
Adam Jefkins - Drums
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/annextheory.
Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, ex-THE GATHERING) will perform with Belgian composer, singer and guitarist Tom Pintens (ex-ZITA SWOON) and electro artist Krause on Saturday, November 13 at the W2 venue in Den Bosch, Holland. The special set is part of a project by Muzieklab Brabant and is being staged during the November Music festival.
Anneke has just released a new live album entitled "Live In Europe". According to the singer, "the vast majority of the CD's 12 songs were recorded during our spring 2010 tour in France and Spain. The touring band consisted of Ruud Jolie (guitar), Jacques de Haard (bass) and Rob Snijders (drums). Yours truly sang, shook her booty and played piano and guitar. My front-of-house engineer Erik-Jan Dodd recorded and mixed the album. I'm really excited that the energy of a live show is captured well on this release!
"There [are] three brand new up-tempo songs on it: 'Fury', 'Laugh It Out' and a song called 'Who I Am'. I wrote that one together with Devin Townsend while we were working on his 'Addicted' album. I've also re-recorded an old favorite of mine: 'Shrink'. I wrote this song when I was 19 years old and I first recorded it for a demo I made in 1992. It ended up on THE GATHERING's album 'Nighttime Birds' (1997) and now it's revived on 'Live in Europe'. It's a song dear to my heart and I'm proud to share it with you in a new arrangement.
"I had already chosen a picture for the album cover when Mehmet Turgut sent me a photo from a shoot I did with him in Turkey earlier this year. I fell in love with that shot instantly! Arda Aktas made a beautiful cover design."
"Live In Europe" track listing:
01. Intro
02. The World
03. My Girl
04. Who I Am
05. Day After Yesterday
06. Hey Okay!
07. Fury
08. Beautiful One
09. Adore
10. I Want
11. Laugh It Out
12. Witnesses
13. Shrink
ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN & AGUA DE ANNIQUE's third album, "In Your Room", was released on October 30, 2009. The 12-song effort was written entirely by Anneke except for two tracks: "Just Fine" was co-written with Devin Townsend and "Adore" was composed by AGUA DE ANNIQUE bassist Jacques de Haard and Cyril Crutz.
AGUA DE ANNIQUE has released three albums so far: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009) and "In Your Room" (2009).
MORBID ANGEL, TAAKE and BELPHEGOR have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Party.San Open Air festival, set to take place August 11-13, 2011 at its new location in Schlotheim/Flugplatz Obermehler, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
BELPHEGOR
ENSIFERUM
HAIL OF BULLETS
MORBID ANGEL
NACHTMYSTIUM
NEGURA BUNGET
TAAKE
South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE have scheduled the following dates in Scandinavia and Baltic states:
Feb. 17 - (DEN) Copenhagen - Amager Bio
Feb. 18 - (SWE) Goteborg - Musikens Hus
Feb. 19 - (NOR) Oslo - Betong
Feb. 20 - (SWE) Stockholm - Klubben
Feb. 22 - (FIN) Tampere - Klubi
Feb. 23 - (FIN) Helsinki - Nosturi
Feb. 24 - (EST) Tallin - Tapper
Feb. 25 - (LAT) Riga - Melna Piektdiena
Feb. 26 - (LIT) Vilnius - Mulen Ruzas
Support on the trek will come from MELECHESH, BIBLEBLACK, PRESSURE POINT and GOAT THE HEAD.
NILE's new video, "Permitting The Noble Dead To Descend To The Underworld", can be viewed below. The clip was filmed, edited, produced and directed by Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez of D.O.W. Studios.
"Those Whom The Gods Detest", the latest album from NILE, sold 3,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 160 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 3 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.
Produced and mixed by Neil Kernon (NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, QUEENSRŸCHE), along with a drum-recording job by Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, VITAL REMAINS, GOATWHORE), "Those Whom the Gods Detest" features the band's strongest production and perhaps its best material to date. The cover artwork was created by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, whom NILE guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders had previously worked with on his second solo album, "Saurian Exorcisms".
MISERY INDEX and DECAPITATED have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Neurotic Deathfest, set to take place April 29-30, 2011 at 013 and MIDI theatre in Tilburg, Holland.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
ATHEIST (US)
AUTOPSY (US)
CARNIVORE DIPROSOPUS (CO)
CRIPPLE BASTARDS (IT)
DECAPITATED (PL)
EXHUMED (US)
GENERAL SURGERY (SE)
GRAVE (SE) (special "Into The Grave" set)
KRAANIUM (NO)
MACABRE (US)
MISERY INDEX (US)
NOX (NL)
PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT (NL)
ROMPEPROP (NL)
WORMED (ES)
A total of 42 bands will perform at the event on four stages.
A new addition to the Neurotic Deathfest is a campsite which gives visitors an opportunity to get affordable accommodation near the festival. The campsite is located on Safaricamp Beekse Bergen, just outside Tilburg, and is limited to 600 people. Transportation from and to the campsite will be available during the festival.
For more information, visit www.neuroticdeathfest.com.
New Jersey-based doom/death metal act EVOKEN has been confirmed for a special one-off performance at the 2011 edition of the Roadburn festival, which will run for three days, from Thursday, April 14 to Saturday, April 16 at the 013 venue and Midi Theatre in Tilburg, Holland. There will be an additional afterburner event on Sunday, April 17, 2011.
EVOKEN was supposed to play the 2010 Roadburn festival, only to get stranded at an airport after volcanic ash clouds grounded planes around the world. EVOKEN is now scheduled to play on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the 013 venue.
Since 1992, EVOKEN has been combining dark, haunting, atmospheres with soul-crushing riffs and the heaviest, thickest productions within the metal genre. With each song, prepare your voyage into landscapes of misery-drowned subterranean worlds where the music of wayward souls is eternally played by avatars of Orpheus. EVOKEN displays an unparalleled mastery of extreme doom/death metal, establishing the band as one of the leaders in this genre.
Sponsored by Terrorizer and Germany's Rock Hard, the 2011 edition of the Roadburn festival will include GODFLESH's performance of its seminal debut full-length album, 1989's "Streetcleaner", in its entirety, SUNN O)))'s special event, headliner SWANS, CANDLEMASS celebrating 25 years of doom (including a performance of the "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" album in its entirety; featuring original vocalist Johan Längquist), WOVENHAND and WARDRUNA (the dark ambient folk project led by former GORGOROTH drummer Kvitrafn).
For more information, visit www.roadburn.com.
Norwegian black-folk metallers GALAR, whose second full-length album, "Til Alle Heimsens Endar", was released on Dark Essence Records in March of this year, have announced the band's live lineup. Joining founder members M. Kristiansen (screams and rhythm guitar) and A. B. Lauritzen (clean vocals and bassoon) are Specter (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS) on lead guitar and Phobos (GRAVDAL, AETERNUS, MALSAIN) on drums. An announcement regarding a bass player is expected soon. This, of course, will not affect Phobos and Specter's commitment to GRAVDAL in any way.
Based in Bergen, a town noted for its prolific, and increasingly important, music scene, GALAR was, until now, a two-man studio band, which used guest musicians from various musical disciplines to perform on "Til Alle Heimsens Endar", a concept album based around the "Heimskringla", Snorri Sturluson's history of Norwegian Kings. With appearances from Phobos on drums, Ricardo Odriozola on first and second violins, Hans Gunnar Hagen on viola, Siri Hilmen on cello, Morten Nome on double bass, and Cecile Langlie on female vox, "Til Alle Heimsens Endar", which means "until the ends of all worlds," is an album that is strongly evocative of the traditions of both black metal and folk music, but with an original sound and feel that is very much GALAR.
The band has been rehearsing the new live lineup for several months and both Kristiansen and Lauritzen are looking forward to taking their music to a live audience.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/galarmetal.
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