Ronnie James Dio's Encino, California home, which was put on the market last September, has been named LA Weekly's "Top L.A. Musician Mansion For Sale." According to Curbed Los Angeles, the house (see photos below) has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, has over 5,000 square feet of living space, and was built in the style of an English manor. Features include 200-year old wood floors from France, pub bar from the Kings Arms in Chiqwell Essex, England circa 1820 and custom-stained antique windows from the 18th and 19th centuries. Spacious cooks kitchen with all Viking and Meile products. Master bedroom with antique cathedral windows imported from England circa 1790, hand-painted Griffin wall paper as seen in Greystone Manor, two walk-in closets, hardwood floors and master BA. Downstairs level includes a custom-built music studio.
"Top Ten L.A. Musician Mansions For Sale," according to LA Weekly:
10. Britney Spears
Price: $6,750,000
09. Perry Farrell
Location: Venice
Price: $1.6 million (sold)
08. Christina Aguilera
Location: Hollywood Hills
Price: $6.25 million
07. Mike Ness of SOCIAL DISTORTION
House #1 - Location: Lemon Heights, North Tustin in Orange County
Asking Price: $1,800,000 (lowered from $2,100,000)
House #2 - Location: Newport Beach
Price: $1,295,000
06. Beck
Location: Malibu
Price: $1.65 million (sold)
05. Kevin Griffin, singer/songwriter/guitarist for BETTER THAN EZRA
Location: Silver Lake
Price: $1,499,000
04. Tom DeLonge of BLINK-182
Location: Rancho Santa Fe
Price: $4.995 Million
03. Michael Jackson
Featuring: 7 bedrooms, 7 garage spaces, 12 fireplaces, and 13 bathrooms. 17,171 square foot on a 1.26 acre lot.
02. Kanye West
Location: Hollywood Hills
Price: $3,995,000
01. Ronnie James Dio
Location: Encino
Price: $3,333,000
Dio died of stomach cancer on the morning of May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.
He was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history.
The singer, who was recording and touring with SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009r. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.
Photos below of Ronnie James Dio's Encino, California home by Marco Franchina.
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AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler has recorded a track with Mick Fleetwood, Johnny Lang and Stevie McVie for an upcoming ZZ TOP tribute album. No further details are currently available.
On December 12, Tyler performed with Fleetwood and members of the Los Angeles-based "jam" group CAMP FREDDY at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. Tyler joined CAMP FREDDY for four tracks, including the surf-rock classic "Wipeout", which featured the AEROSMITH singer behind the drum kit (see video below). Mick Fleetwood took over on drums for the FLEETWOOD MAC track "Rattlesnake Shake", followed by Tyler and the rest of the musicians knocking out the AEROSMITH classic "Sweet Emotion" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love".
"We all got together and we had a ball. Steven is a really good drummer," Fleetwood told the Maui News. "He came on and played 'Wipeout' and kicked the hell out of it."
Planet Rock has announced the results from its annual end-of-year listener survey. The survey, conducted throughout December, had listeners vote for their rock music highlights of 2010.
Planet Rock listeners named AC/DC's appearance at Download Festival's as the top rock event of the year while BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION — which features vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, TRAPEZE), drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa — beat ALICE COOPER, IRON MAIDEN and MUSE to top "Band Of The Year", as well as taking the "New Band Of The Year" category. Bonamassa was also named best "Live Act" and "Guitar Hero" for 2010. Elsewhere, "Festival Of The Year" was taken by newcomer High Voltage Festival, narrowly beating two-time winner Download Festival. Finally, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash won "Album Of The Year" with his self-titled effort.
The Los Angeles premiere for the new documentary on MOTÖRHEAD singer and bassist Lemmy Kilmister, "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch", has been confirmed for Thursday, January 13, 7 p.m. at The Vista Theatre.
Lemmy will attend the premiere himself along with numerous other rockers, actors and stars paying homage to the legendary rock icon.
Vista Theatre
4473 Sunset Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
The L.A. premiere of "Lemmy" serves as the official U.S. theatrical launch of the film. The following day, the movie begins showing at select cities across the country. A full list of cities and screening dates is below.
The DVD, a-two disc set packed with more than three hours of bonus features, will be released February 15 via Damage Case Films/Megaforce and will be available for digital download and on Blu-ray. Filmed over more than three years, and directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, "Lemmy" features appearances by artists spanning the musical spectrum, from METALLICA, Ozzy Osbourne and Slash to Peter Hook (NEW ORDER, JOY DIVISION), Mick Jones (THE CLASH) and Jarvis Cocker.
"Lemmy" screening dates:
Jan. 13: Los Angeles, CA (The Vista Theatre)**
Jan. 14-21: Portland, OR (The Clinton St. Theater)
Jan. 14-21: Austin, TX (The Draft House Downtown)
Jan. 14-20: Dallas, TX (The Texas Theater in Oak Cliff)
Jan. 15-20: Atlanta, GA (The Plaza)
Jan. 15: Long Beach, CA (The Art Theatre of Long Beach)**
Jan. 15: Minneapolis, MN (The Riverview Theatre)**
Jan. 17-20: Milwaukee, WI (Times Cinema)
Jan. 21-to be announced: New York, NY (Cinema Village)
Jan. 21- to be announced: Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Jan. 23-24: Nashville, TN (Belcourt Theatre)
Jan. 26: San Antonio, TX (Alama Drafthouse Westlakes)**
Jan. 28-29, Auburn, NY (The Auburn Public Theater)
Feb. 1-2, San Francisco, CA (The Roxie)
Feb. 2: Tucson, AZ (The Loft Cinema)**
Feb. 2: Portland, ME (SPACE Gallery)**
Feb. 2-3: Detroit, MI (The Magic Bag)
Feb. 3: Philadelphia, PA (The Trocadero)**
Feb. 4-10: Seattle, WA (Northwest Film Forum)
Feb. 4-6: Kansas City, MO (Screenland Crossroads)
Feb. 5: Macon, GA (Cox Capitol Theatre)**
Feb. to be announced: Chicago, IL (The Music Box Theatre)**
** One night only
Critics around the world can't get enough of "Lemmy". The film won the Best Documentary prize at the In Edit Film Festival in Santiago, Chile, and it's been a major hit at dozens of other international festivals, including screenings in France, England, Germany, Spain, Australia, The Netherlands, and South Korea. Currently in theaters in the U.K., "Lemmy" has recently sold out screenings in Paris, Berlin and Tokyo, where it was rated by one firm as the second most popular film in theaters.
Orshoski told BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "We can't wait for the fans to get their hands on the DVD, which will be a two-disc set in most of the world. The North American version of the film will be the only one to carry all of our bonus content, which we slaved over night and day for something like 35 days straight last summer. We wanted to really serve fans and give them everything that we could. Basically, we designed the U.S. DVD release to be a treasure trove of everything Lemmy. People will get the movie, and then something like four hours of bonus content."
An official trailer for "Lemmy" can be viewed below.
"Lemmy" will be released in the U.K., Germany, France and Scandinavia on DVD by Entertainment One on January 24, 2011. The film premiered in the U.S. in March 2010 during the South by Southwest at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin.
Check out reviews of the film:
* Inside Pulse Movies
* Hollywood Reporter
* Variety
Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski spent three years following Kilmister around the globe — from his Hollywood home to the hockey arenas of Russia.
Hailed as a godfather of heavy metal, 64-year-old Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister has established himself as the living embodiment of rock and roll over the past four decades. After stints with popular Mersey beat band THE ROCKIN' VICKERS and influential psychedelic rockers HAWKWIND, and even a brief time spent as a member of Jimi Hendrix's road crew, Lemmy formed MOTÖRHEAD in 1975.
Going on to record such influential metal classics as "Overkill", "Ace of Spades" and "Bomber", the Grammy Award-winning MOTÖRHEAD and Kilmister's fusion of punk and metal registered a major influence on such bands as METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES and NIRVANA.
Rick Florino of ARTISTdirect.com last month conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). You can now watch the chat below.
Regarding VELVET REVOLVER's search for a new vocalist to finally replace singer Scott Weiland — more than two years after the band fired the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman over his erratic behavior — Slash said, "We've actually moved leaps and bounds in the last month. So we should be making an announcement one way or another [sometime in January]. So it's gonna be interesting going into the third record because we're gonna have a whole different personality as a vocalist. Chances are it's gonna be a lot heavier than anything VELVET REVOLVER has done so far. 'Cause that was the only thing missing for me — the sort or heaviness of it — in the first two VELVET REVOLVER records."
VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum recently told The Pulse Of Radio that after several more auditions the group has finally zeroed in on a possible new singer. "We got somebody that we're really liking a lot," he said. "We can't make the announcement yet because we're 'dating,' you know. We haven't consummated the relationship, we haven't sat down this gentleman and made the agreement together, but we're very excited and I think this could be a real turning point for the band. And I know it's been like this long-winded 'oh, VELVET REVOLVER this, VELVET REVOLVER that,' you know — we're tired of it, believe me. But we don't have the ability to just jump out there with any singer. We can't do it."
Sorum added that the potential new singer was a "known guy" who was "younger and stronger."
The drummer recently told VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner that if everything works out with this candidate, the band will record its third studio album and tour in the New Year. But he did tell VH1, "If it takes another year or two, it probably won't happen, but I feel very confident it's probably going to happen in 2011."
Singers who have been linked to the VELVET REVOLVER job include ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy — who also fronts Slash's touring band — SCARS ON BROADWAY's Frankie Perez and SPACEHOG's Royston Langdon, with both Perez and Langdon known to have auditioned at various points.
Slash recently finished a tour in support of his debut solo album and will head out on the road again later this month as the opening act for OZZY OSBOURNE.
VELVET REVOLVER released its first concert DVD on November 16, titled "Live In Houston". The 12-song, 78-minute disc was filmed in 2005 while the band was touring behind its 2004 debut album, "Contraband".
Rock musician Duff McKagan shares his passion for sports, music and more in a new weekly sports column in the "ESPN Music" section on ESPN.com. The founding member of GUNS N' ROSES and current bands VELVET REVOLVER and LOADED debuted his first column on Wednesday, sharing with ESPN.com readers a little bit about himself, his fandom for his hometown teams in Seattle and more. An excerpt follows below.
"My name is Duff McKagan, and I play rock and roll music. The beer on 'The Simpsons' show was named after me, and not the other way around. (I suppose it is a testament to how much alcohol I used to drink. Yeah, not too sexy, really.) A couple of years ago, I was offered a weekly column for Playboy.com and Seattle Weekly after goofing around in several other publications with an article 'here' and an article 'there'; it is now supposed that I am a writer to some degree.
"I have two bands at the moment: VELVET REVOLVER and LOADED. Some of you may remember me from GUNS N' ROSES. I wish I remembered more from then …. Ha!
"I have played my music in most of our major league sports' venues (football stadiums, basketball and hockey arenas). As a result, I was able to get all of the 'behind the scenes' vistas of these venues that most of us only wonder about. Pretty kick-ass. A whole lot of sports teams use my old band's song 'Welcome To The Jungle' as their war cry. This fact alone could have probably sated some of you sports fans' 'Why him?' inquiry. Honestly though, I am a huge sports fan myself, and am glad and honored to be given a bit of a pulpit here to voice some of my opinions and insights."
Check out the entire debut column at ESPN.com.
When L.A.'s Sunset Strip exploded musically in the '80s, a metal scene began to build on the other side of the States in the city of brotherly love.
Home to legendary venues like the Empire Rock Club, the Trocodero, Bonnie's Roxx, and The Galaxy, Philadelphia and South Jersey bolstered a strong local metal conglomerate that gave bands the chance to strut their stuff almost every night.
Philadelphia first landed on the metal map for homegrown talent when CINDERELLA literally blew the doors off the Empire Rock Club one night in front of Jon Bon Jovi. They signed with Mercury/Polygram Records shortly after this legendary performance. CINDERELLA's signing opened the doors for bands like BRITNY FOX and HEAVEN'S EDGE as the Philadelphia scene began to take off.
Through the years, nights in the Philadelphia area saw clubs and venues filled with a die-hard entourage of passionate and loyal fans waiting for the likes of THE DEAD END KIDS, TANGIER, ROUGHHOUSE and FAITH OR FEAR to be propelled to stardom.
When the big boys like VAN HALEN, OZZY OSBOURNE, GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and RATT tore through Philadelphia, there was no other heavy metal scene like it. The Spectrum and Tower Theater were alive inside and out with everyone united together in music. Before you could blink an eye the jean jackets, long hair, parking lot bashes, metal radio shows, and leather were gone. Flannel and corduroy filled the streets, metal nights ceased to exist, and what once ruled a city fell almost overnight.
What happened to the bands that ruled big hair and rock n roll in Philadelphia, and the identity they created not only for themselves, but for their city?
From the bands to the clubs to the fans; the passion, the stardom, and the lost identity — rediscover a time that defined a generation with the people who made it in "All Ages Sunday: The Philadelphia Metal Scene In The Eighties", a documentary directed and produced by Lou D'Angeli.
Legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, SOULS OF WE) will reunite with original DOKKEN drummer "Wild" Mick Brown for the first time in 15 years for a full North American LYNCH MOB tour.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, George Lynch has recorded over 20 albums, toured the globe multiple times, and is universally acknowledged by his peers as one of the most influential players of his time.
For this once-in-a-lifetime trek, Lynch and Brown will be joined by original LYNCH MOB vocalist Oni Logan and current RATT bassist Robbie Crane for what is truly an all-star band, playing a very special career retrospective set encompassing the best of LYNCH MOB, DOKKEN and rarely performed Lynch solo material.
As a "thank you" to George's fans, one fellow guitarist in attendance at each show will be randomly selected to jam on stage with LYNCH MOB. In addition, there will be a meet-and-greet at each venue open to all ticket holders as an alternative to the high-priced "VIP packages" other artists of Lynch's stature offer. Support on all dates will come from WILLIE BASSE.
The details are as follows:
Jan. 14 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre (Georgy Lynch only - NAMM Jam)
Jan. 21 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
Jan. 22 - Tucson, AZ - Branding Iron Bar & Grill
Jan. 24 - Denver, CO - Casselman's
Jan. 25 - Lincoln, NE - The Grove
Jan. 26 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
Jan. 27 - Indianapolis, IN - Rock House Café
Jan. 28 - Westland, MI - Token Lounge
Jan. 29 - Boilingbrook, IL - Tailgaters
Jan. 31 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Feb. 02 - Cambridge, Ont. Canada - 515 Concert Club
Feb. 03 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
Feb. 04 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Feb. 05 - Newark, DE - The Cube
Feb. 07 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's
Feb. 08 - Buford, GA - 37 Main
Feb. 10 - Kansas City, MO - Crosstown Station
Feb. 11 - Oklahoma City, OK - Samurai's
Feb. 12 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
Feb. 13 - Dallas, TX - Trees
In a recent interview with Metal-Rules.com, Lynch stated about the much-rumored DOKKEN reunion plans, "Don [Dokken, vocals] has been making noises, and we've been having meetings, and we've been doing shows together with LYNCH MOB and SOULS OF WE, we did [the] Loud Park [festival] in Japan together and all this stuff, and it's like, and he said, 'Okay, I'm committing to it,' but we never put it on paper, and so my last few conversations with him is that he sounds like he's trying to get me to be a hired gun. And I told him, 'Dude, I told you from the first moment I'll never do that, I'm not a hired-gun guy.' . . . That was always my problem with him — that he was not an honest, trustful person, and I... He never said what he meant, and never did what he said. And that, to me, is a lack of character, and I don't like playing with people with no character. . . It was that, and that was all related to money. So, it's all a bad way to conduct yourself."
THE DAMNED THINGS — the new band featuring members of FALL OUT BOY (Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley), ANTHRAX (Scott Ian, Rob Caggiano) and EVERY TIME I DIE (Keith Buckley, Josh Newton) — will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, January 17 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with THE DAMNED THINGS by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
"Ironiclast", the debut album from THE DAMNED THINGS, sold 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 1 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.
"Ironiclast" was released in North America on December 14, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Island/Def Jam.
"Ironiclast" track listing:
01. Handbook For The Recently Deceased
02. Bad Blood
03. Friday Night (Going Down In Flames)
04. We've Got A Situation Here
05. Black Heart
06. A Great Reckoning
07. Little Darling
08. Ironiclast
09. Grave Robber
10. Blues Having The Blues
"It's gratifying," Trohman recently told MTV News about the fans' reaction to the new group. "I love the band and love the record, and everybody else in the band loves the band and loves the record, and that's, first and foremost, the most important thing to me. And we all have made music in the past partly for ourselves and partly for other people, so it's nice to see people digging it whether they want to or not. ... I'm actually happy to see that there's people that really, really like it, or don't like it, because of the fact that we're able to invoke some sort of strong feeling. It's a good thing, I think."
"We've Got A Situation Here", the first video from THE DAMNED THINGS, can be viewed below. The clip was written and directed by Brendon Small, the co-creator of Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse".
THE DAMNED THINGS will perform on the Thursday, January 13 episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (which will actually air the morning of Friday, January 14).
THE DAMNED THINGS is:
Keith Buckley: Lead Vocals
Scott Ian: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Rob Caggiano: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Joe Trohman: Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Andy Hurley: Drums, Percussion
Josh Newton: Bass
Maryland rockers CLUTCH will tour North America with the legendary band MOTÖRHEAD and special guest VALIENT THORR. The trek kicks January 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the House of Blues and wraps on March 11 ending in Los Angeles, California at Club Nokia LA Live. In addition to the shows with MOTÖRHEAD, CLUTCH has announced a string of headlining shows. All the dates can be found at
http://www.pro-rock.com/
In other news, Weathermaker Music and CLUTCH are putting the finishing touches on what is sure to be a must-have for any CLUTCH fan, a deluxe double-disc reissue of the classic CLUTCH album "Blast Tyrant". Due on March 29, this limited-edition release includes 25 total songs, over 97 minutes of music, brand new artwork and is available for the fan-friendly price of $15.98. The bonus disc features ten tracks, six of which were found untouched in the deepest realms of the CLUTCH/Weathermaker vault as well as four brand new recordings!
The track listing is as follows:
Disc One:
01. Mercury
02. Profits of Doom
03. The Mob Goes Wild
04. Cypress Grove
05. Promoter (Of Earthbound Causes)
06. The Regulator
07. Worm Drink
08. Army of Bono
09. Spleen Merchant
10. (In The Wake Of) The Swollen Goat
11. Weather Maker
12. Subtle Hustle
13. Ghost
14. La Curandera
15. WYSIWYG
Disc Two (unreleased acoustic and electric studio recordings):
01. Boxcar Shorty's Confession
02. Tight Like That
03. Basket of Eggs
04. The Regulator
05. Drink to the Dead
06. Cattle Car
07. Walpole Man
08. Promoter
09. La Curandera
10. Steve Doocy
For more information, visit Pro-Rock.com.
Catch a special live musical performance by Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo (QUEENSRŸCHE), Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS) and Ben Smith (HEART) this Saturday, January 8 at the Seattle Seahawks playoff game (half time) against the New Orleans Saints at Seattle's Qwest Field. Also scheduled to appear is former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan, according to a posting on Duff's wife Susan Holmes McKagan's Twitter profile.
The game airs on NBC at 1:30 p.m. PST. Check local listings for details.
Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach will perform on tonight's (Wednesday, January 5) edition of NBC-TV's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" show alongside country music superstar Tim McGraw and Sean Lennon (son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono). The program will air at 12:35 a.m. ET (technically early Thursday morning, January 6).
Sebastian announced last week that he and his wife of 18 years "have decided to separate." He added, "In all but every way, we have actually been separated since last April. We have tried to work things out for the sake of our family, but it has become apparent that our differences at this point are irreconcilable."
The couple has been married since 1992 and has three children: sons Paris and London and daughter Sebastiana.
Bach and his wife starred in the "I Married Sebastian Bach" reality show, which was reportedly the top-rated show on VH1 the day it premiered in September 2004. Furthermore, "I Married Sebastian Bach" was the highest-rated show ever in the "I Married…" series and was No. 7 on the Top 100 list of VH1 shows the week it aired.
Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND, who feature in their ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G., recently had to postpone their Japanese headlining tour due to a scheduling conflict. The tour has now been moved to early March and the new dates are as follows:
March 03 - Osaka @ Club Quattro
March 04 - Nagoya @ Club Quattro
March 05 - Tokyo @ Club Quattro
Commented Gus: "As you might or might not have heard, we were recently forced to postpone our upcoming Japan tour dates due to a scheduling conflict. However, the wait is over! FIREWIND will be back in Japan on March 3rd, 4th and 5th to play the announced shows in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo! We want to thank you for your patience and loyalty you've shown us. We will play a very special set for you and we'll set your world on fire!"
FIREWIND bass player Petros Christo was forced to sit out of the band's recently completed North American dates due to a family emergency. Filling in for him at the shows was FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G.'s ex-axe partner in NIGHTRAGE, Marios Iliiopoulos.
FIREWIND's new album, "Days Of Defiance", sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 53 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
The European limited-edition mediabook CD version of "Days Of Defiance" doesn't only come with special packaging, alternate cover artwork and expanded booklet features, it also contains three special bonus tracks, a Gus G. / ESP guitar pick as well as a quality FIREWIND sticker.
"Days Of Defiance" was released in North America on October 26, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD's striking cover artwork was designed by the band's longtime partner in all design matters, Gustavo Sazes.
"Days Of Defiance" is described in a press release as "a truly ambitious and dynamic opus featuring some of the most brilliant guitar playing the genre has seen in many years."
The "World On Fire" single was made available for purchase on digital platforms starting on August 17, 2010. The video for the track was once again directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among many others. Ullaeus oversaw all of FIREWIND's visuals on the band's last two albums.
Charlie Steffens of KNAC.com recently conducted an interview with HELLYEAH/MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
KNAC.COM: You hear people say all the time that if it had not been for their art they would be crazy or would have gone on to live a miserable life. Would you say that music saved your ass?
Gray: Oh, absolutely. It was a great release. It almost killed me. I mean, writing the stuff I did for [MUDVAYNE's] "L.D. 50", you know, when I was writing I wanted to be honest. It's very important to me to be honest and not sugarcoat shit. I've always wanted to be honest with fans and honest within myself and let people know that they're not alone at the same time. When I wrote "L.D. 50" and I realized I had to sing it every day, so I had to revisit that headspace. And it fucked me up, really bad. Especially touring for 22 months. On your first record ever? And this is the first time you go out on the road and start touring and you tour for 22 months? For a green, fresh mind, it was too much. It really got the best of me. I still wrote the same way, but I learned not to let it penetrate so much. I don't have to relive that moment that I'm writing about. If I'm writing about some bad youth experience or whatever I went through. I can climb into that
headspace because I need to do that to write it the right way. So on later records that's what I did. On "The End of All Things to Come", that was probably a way to get away from that. The ideas on that were based on tree of life and balance. I think I might have went that direction to repair myself from what I already had done to myself on "L.D. 50". I wanted to write about something thematic that was going to give me some sort of balance.
KNAC.COM: It's odd and, at the same time, refreshing, to see you up on the HELLYEAH stage smiling and interacting with your audience in a way we don't see when you're wearing your MUDVAYNE hat. I used to watch you and think, "Now, this is one angry motherfucker."
Gray: I'm negative. I travel in this negative kind of bubble. The song "Negative One" — it's kind of known. Here's the negative one. Here's comes the negative one. (laughs) We've had a rough career and stuff I can't even get into. We've really, really taken some lumps and we've really carried a lot of bricks for a lot of different things. You see how this business is and you see a lot of people who you make a lot of money for and you're at the end of the trough going, "Really? You guys are cool with doing this?," knowing I'm not going to make anything. People are getting paid. And it's weird. It's like a really, really weird business. I came to terms a couple months ago — just kind of riffing in an interview, like we're talking right now — there's a difference between what I am and what people think I am. People want to say "rock star." No, I'm not a rock star. A rock star has a Ferrari in a garage at his mansion. I'm a touring musician. I have a
pickup truck, I have a ranch house. I work my ass off. I play in two bands. I'm on the road most of the time. Greg and I produce stuff on the side. People that have millions from doing something don't do as much stuff as we do. I mean, at the end of the day I think we're just hustlers. (laughs) How many things can we get our hands in? How much time do I have and what can I do in that amount of time? I love writing music and I love playing music and I love being involved in music. But there's a sense of me that's definitely a hustler. I'm just trying to put my eggs in as many baskets as I can. I'm just of the mindset to say "sleep when you're dead." I'm young enough to do it right now. Nobody wants to see some 65-year old guy jumping around on stage singing "Dig" or "Hellyeah", for that matter. (laughs) You can hide out in the studio when you're 60, but I don't want to be on stage when I'm 60. I'm not doing that shit. I might pull the throttle back and,
you know, still play or do something. I want to embrace every moment I have now. That's kind of where I'm at in my life, you know?
KNAC.COM: Seeing you in MUDVAYNE, with or without the makeup, and then to watch you in kind of a party, cowboy mode with Vinnie Paul took a lot of us by surprise.
Gray: There's a difference, though. With the cowboy hats and all that kind of shit, our image isn't to be cowboys. I'm not out mending fences and riding the range and roping cattle. It's more of an outlaw, "fuck-everyone" look. I'm from Illinois. I get it. But this band's from Dallas, Texas, and I've always had a kinship with Dallas. I've always had a kinship with Texas, for some reason, since I first started going there with MUDVAYNE. There was something about that state that I loved and there's something about the South I loved. Going down there and writing the records and spending time down there I realize what it is about that state I love. Everybody is just like the people from where I come from. Everybody's down home. Everybody's got their feet on the ground. You'd kill for your fuckin' friends, you'd kill for your fuckin' family, and it's just solidarity, one hundred percent. And that's where I come from. Peoria, Illinois is the home office of
Caterpillar. That's union, dude. That's united autoworkers, bro (laughs). There's a level of solidarity you have in the Midwest, man. In Decatur, Illinois, it was all industry. The whole town was industrially driven. It all that union kind of vibe. I know the South doesn't necessarily have that, but the South believes in family and friends and solidarity.
KNAC.COM: What are your plans following this outing with HELLYEAH?
Gray: Music is art. And I have to paint with my brush. I'm not trying to be conceited or anything. It's my music. I have to do it for me first. It's for everybody, but I have to enjoy what I'm doing. I love MUDVAYNE. I always have. It brought me to where I am and it's been an amazing run. I have no idea of what will happen. I'd like to think we'll do something in the future. I'd like to think we'll tour the new record, the self-titled record, that we didn't tour. I'd like to think we'll write another record. But if I gave any of my soul to HELLYEAH when I was in MUDVAYNE — when I had my MUDVAYNE hat on — it wouldn't be fair to MUDVAYNE. I've got my HELLYEAH hat on right now, and if I give any attention to MUDVAYNE, it's not fair to HELLYEAH. They don't coexist. The only thing that they have in common is that there are dudes that play in this band that play in that band. That's it.
Drummer Tyler "The Jeeb" Reiner, the 22-year-old son of ANVIL's Robb Reiner, has joined the Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based death/thrash band called CAYM (pronounced "came").
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/caymmusic.
Tyler Reiner, you could say, was born to pound the skins. He was even literally "rocked in the cradle" as his parents put him to sleep at night with heavy drum solos as nursery rhymes and had a toy snare by his first birthday. He began playing drums at the age of four. Tyler has always had a fascination and love for playing drums but remarkably did not start playing drums seriously until the age of 14! He played in several different bands while in high school and was the drummer for the Toronto based band INVERMIER for five years.
Tyler's main influences (other than his dad) are Buddy Rich, Ian Paice, Keith Moon and Travis Barker. His father's drumming and style preference is clearly evident in his playing. He is also an avid fan of hardcore, punk, jazz and hip-hop styles. He incorporates the combination of these styles into his personal playing style. His drumming has an incredibly well rounded sound that adapts to any style of chorus, verse or breakdown.
QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, January 19 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. The program will feature exclusive live "Rockline" performances with the late QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow and recordings with new vocalist Mark Huff. Fans are encouraged to speak with Banali by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
Video footage of the resurrected QUIET RIOT performing its classic song "Metal Health" during the new band's debut live performance — which took place on November 26, 2010 at Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado — can be viewed below.
The Dalles Chronicle recently conducted an interview with Mark Huff, the San Diego, California-based vocalist who has signed on as lead singer for QUIET RIOT, succeeding Kevin DuBrow, who died in 2007.
"The first thing that strikes me, is that I know it's going to be an uphill deal with the fans," Huff said.
"I knew this was going to be an emotional thing on a lot of levels," he added. "Music is an emotional thing anyway. I've dreamt of an opportunity like this since I was a teen in The Dalles."
A longtime fan of heavy metal, singer Mark Huff came to QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali's attention while fronting a California-based VAN HALEN tribute band (that focused on the "Sammy Hagar era"). A true Cinderella story, Huff auditioned via a cattle call audition, promptly blew Banali away, and got the gig. After getting the blessing from DuBrow's mother to carry on with QUIET RIOT (and to celebrate her son's music), the group was ready to rock once more.
"I've been a voice impressionist of sorts," Huff told The Dalles Chronicle. "Now I'm going to get a chance to put my stamp on things. I'm excited about that."
QUIET RIOT recently re-recorded some its classic songs with Huff on vocals, including "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Metal Health". Huff laid down his tracks at a studio in Woodland Hills, California using one of the last microphones Kevin DuBrow used before his death.
Check out a sample track featuring recorded versions of "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Metal Health" and "Slick Black Cadillac" with Mark Huff on vocals.
QUIET RIOT 2011 is:
Chuck Wright - Bass
Alex Grossi - Guitar
Frankie Banali - Drums
Mark Huff – Vocals
Rhythm guitarist Martin Walczak has left German thrashers DEW-SCENTED "due to changes in his personal life and lack of availability to move forwards with music at this stage." The band states, "It's a shame to see him go, but we certainly wish Martin all the very best with his next goals and tasks in life."
Walczak made his final appearance with DEW-SCENTED at the Winter Metal Meeting in Leer, Germany on December 18.
DEW-SCENTED has recruited "a friend of the band" to play session guitar during the group's European tour with NILE starting on January 20 in Katowice, Poland.
"Invocation", the latest album from DEW-SCENTED, was released in Japan on September 15 via Spiritual Beast. The Japanese edition of the CD came with an alternate coloring of the cover artwork (sort of the "post-apocalypse version") and included four bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are two original songs, "Recall The Pain" (instrumental) and "The Death Of Common Sense", as well as two cover versions that the band recorded during the album session, 'Slaughterhouse' by U.S. power-thrashers POWERMAD and the track "Superstar Destroyer" by GENOCIDE SUPERSTARS from Sweden.
"Invocation" was released on May 24, 2010 in Europe via Metal Blade Records and May 25. 2010 in North America through Prosthetic Records.
SUNSET STRIPPED, which features in its ranks WARRANT members Erik Turner (guitar) and Steven Sweet (drums), will support DRIVIN' N' CRYIN' on Friday, January 7 at Brixton in Redondo Beach, California.
According to a press release, SUNSET STRIPPED "has reproduced some of the most memorable super hits of the [1980s]. They will transport you back to the time when metal ruled the airwaves — when the infamous Sunset Strip was the place to be for live music."
Greek doom metallers SORROWS PATH played a medley of songs (DIO's "Holy Diver", BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Sea" and RAINBOW's "Stargazer") from "the greatest voice of metal, Ronnie James Dio" at the Malta Doom Metal Festival in November 2010. The band was joined during the concert by Leo Stivala from FORSAKEN and REFLECTION.
SORROWS PATH recently recruited Giannis Tziligkakis (OMINOUS SKY) as its new second guitarist.
The band released its debut album, "The Rough Path Of Nihilism", on October 29, 2010 via Rock It Up Records. The CD was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens with producer Vangelis Yalamas, who also played the synthesizer on the effort. The artwork and photography for the album were handled by Seth Siro Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, MOONSPELL, EXODUS).
SORROWS PATH is:
Stavros Giannakos: Bass
Angelos Ioannidis: Vocals
Fotis Mountouris: Drums
Kostas Salomidis: Guitar
Giannis Tziligkakis: Guitar
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/sorrowspathmusic.
Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH have issued the following update:
"We wanted to let everyone know that tracking for the new album has officially begun! We're currently at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts tracking drums with our sit-in drummer for the album, Justin Foley of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED.
"Foley was an obvious choice for this album for many reasons, but mainly because of his abilities and knowledge of heavy music as well as his long time friendship with the band. A decade-plus of friendship has made this an easy transition for the band, Foley and our producer/engineer [and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist] Adam [Dutkiewicz].
"In other news, we have decided to change the mixing engineer for the album to Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM) from Audiohammer Studios. Mark is another longtime friend of the band and we're excited to hear what he can do with our sound on record.
"Guitarist Buz McGrath added this irrelevant comment about working with Mark: 'Mark Lewis mixed me a drink once and i woke up in a swamp covered in antifreeze.'
"As we said before, we're aiming at a mid-to-late June release for the album, followed by massive world touring.
"Below is a snapshot of the hard drive of the tunes being tracked (just working titles, of course)."
As previously reported, UNEARTH recruited drummer Branden Morgan of MISERY SIGNALS to sit behind the kit for the band's recent European dates as part of the Persistence Tour.
UNEARTH last fall parted ways with drummer Derek Kerswill due to "creative differences." The band stated at the time, "The differences between Kerswill and the band started off as subtle, but became increasingly obvious over the past few months and it was time for both parties to go their separate ways."
Capital Chaos has uploaded video footage of Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH performing the song "Black Hearts Now Reign" on October 13, 2010 at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California.
Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will release their fourth album, "Delta", via Napalm Records on the following dates:
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, BeNeLux, Italy: February 25
Spain, Finland, Sweden: February 23
Rest Of Europe: February 28
USA, Canada: March 15
The CD was recorded Dreamscape Studios in Munich, Germany and marks the debut of the band's new singer, Maxi Nil, who joined the group in 2009.
"Delta" track listing:
01. Black River Delta
02. Memento
03. New Dawn
04. Where Daylight Fails
05. Conquest Of Others
06. Twist Of Fate
07. Elegy Of Existence
08. Reflection
09. Sonar
10. Gravitate Towards Fatality
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will support RHAPSODY OF FIRE on a number of European dates in early 2011.
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS last year parted ways with bassist and founding member Mike Koren and replaced him with Mario Lochert (EMERGENCY GATE).
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS in 2007 split with the group's Minnesota-based vocalist, Melissa Ferlaak, and her now-husband, guitarist Wolfgang "Wops" Koch, due to "musical differences." Koch has since been replaced by the returning guitarist Werner Fiedler, who was responsible for much of the songwriting on the group's first two records.
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS's previous album, "Trinity", was released in May 2007 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Dreamscape Studios and was mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The CD's cover artwork was created by Anthony Clarkson, who has previously worked with BLIND GUARDIAN, HYPOCRISY and EXODUS, among others.
Metal Hammer magazine spoke with vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey of British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH earlier today after Dani was dropped from the race to be named one of the top 10 icons of the U.K.'s Suffolk county despite receiving the most votes in an online poll.
The Suffolk Icons site was launched by Choose Suffolk, a partnership aimed at putting the county "on the map." The organization asked people to submit their photographs of landscapes, people or products for the Suffolk Icons contest.
Filth, 37, recorded 13,025 votes, 11,806 more than the nearest rival image.
However, all the public votes now appear to have been ignored by the judges at Choose Suffolk who are instead re-staging the poll with a shortlist of only 20 approved images — and no Filth.
Metal Hammer: Were you surprised to wake up this morning and be all over the national newspapers?
Dani: "I've been in The Sun for worse. It didn't include Jesus or the government this time so I was slightly relieved but it's all been very weird. The whole thing was weird from the off, in concept, anyway. I feel quite knocked by the whole thing. They've tried to do one thing to prove a point that Suffolk is diverse or whatever and when it's not the painting of Suffolk they expected, they withdrew it."
Metal Hammer: Is it annoying that 13,000 people have had their views swept under the carpet by Choose Suffolk?
Dani: "It is, actually. Somebody in The Daily Express or The Daily Mail had said something about it being rigged by our fans but I thought, 'How do you work that one out?' We had 13,000 fans vote and Ipswich Town Football Club are in the running, so why didn't all of their fans vote? There must be hundreds of thousands of fans of tractors, why didn't they vote? So, that's a load of cobblers as well."
Metal Hammer: Did you read that Choose Suffolk had said they wanted somebody that was "symbolic of Suffolk and extend across the county and beyond its borders?" Having played to, quite literally millions of people across the world over 19 years, was that a bit insulting?
Dani: "Who did they want? Sade, or someone? Yeah, we have done that and I have banged on about Suffolk quite a bit, which is in their favor, at least."
Metal Hammer: It's disrespectful to both you personally and metal as a whole when we're just, kind of, swept under the carpet.
Dani: "Yeah, totally. The opportunity was there for everyone to vote and everyone had an equal chance, like playing the lottery, if you can't expect to win it."
After stints with KMFDM, MARILYN MANSON and SKOLD VS. KMFDM as producer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist, Tim Skold will return this spring with his first full-length solo album in 15 years. Delivering a snarky CD single prelude on April 12, setting the stage for a May 10 full album release, SKOLD steps up once again, supplying sonic solvent for the huffing social cynics.
Gestating through production and composition with such artists as KMFDM and MARILYN MANSON, producing feats like the #1 Billboard-charting album "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" (featuring the song "mOBSCENE", which was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance") and the critically acclaimed "Eat Me, Drink Me", Skold arrived prodigiously throughout 2009, having dispatched the album SKOLD VS. KMFDM and three new solo teaser tracks — "I Will Not Forget", "Bullets Ricochet" and "A Dark Star" — garnished with validation by accolades of TV placement in shows like "NCIS" and "FlashForward", and rabid fan consumption.
The product of an active 2010, the May album and its first single, "Suck", are munitions ready to go and renowned label Metropolis Records has signed on as gunner to make sure those salvos hit on target. The April CD single raises a flag taken up by cohorts and allies like COMBICHRIST, KMFDM, 16VOLT and FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, who have shown up to contribute their own remixes of the track.
Always one to fight on all fronts, 2010-turn-2011 will also see Skold continuing with the new Scandinavian metal/hard rock supergroup DOCTOR MIDNIGHT AND THE MERCY CULT. Already finished recordings with the lineup of underground heroes Hank von Hell (TURBONEGRO), Anders Odden (CELTIC FROST, SATYRICON), Audun Stengel (APOPTYGMA BERZERK) and David Husvik (EXTOL) look set to form an album band of brothers in the new year.
For more information, visit www.skold.com.
OVERLORDE guitarist Mark "M.E." Edwards will perform a set of original and cover instrumentals this Friday, January 7, 2011, at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey. He will be opening for the IRON MAIDEN tribute band SANCTUARY, featuring Mark's OVERLORDE bandmate Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas on vocals. As a special treat, Bobby will join Mark at the end of his instrumental set for some vocal covers. They plan to perform "Lights Out" by UFO and "Long Live Rock And Roll" by RAINBOW. This will be the first time ever that Bobby has joined Mark on stage outside of OVERLORDE, and the first time they have performed together since OVERLORDE's show in Chicago in May 2005. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and "M.E." starts at 9:30 p.m. There is a $10.00 cover charge. You must be 21 and older for admission.
For more information and directions to the show, contact Dingbatz at (973) 471-1145, or visit www.dingbatznj.com.
London metallers THE DEFILED have been confirmed as openers on the U.K. leg of the upcoming MURDERDOLLS tour. Also appearing on the bill is BLACK VEIL BRIDES.
Commented THE DEFILED frontman Stitch D.: "We can't wait to be a part of this tour! Having been fans of MURDERDOLLS for some time, it's gonna be great to be sharing the stage with 'em every night. It'll be our first outing in 2011 promoting our new album, so we're looking forward to be playing more new stuff! The amount of hairspray and make up used between the three bands on the bill could reach new heights! Who needs an ozone layer anyway?"
THE DEFILED's debut album, "Grave Times", is scheduled for release on Valentine's Day 2011 via Raise The Game Records. The CD will also be covermounted on the next issue of Metal Hammer magazine, which hits the shelves on January 12, 2011, putting the debut album straight into the hands of tens of thousands of metalheads.
Commented THE DEFILED keyboard player The AvD: "We had been gearing up to release our new album for ages. We were at the final mixing stages when we got a call from Hammer asking us if we would like to release it as a covermount on the magazine in the New Year. For us it was a no-brainer. We have always said that we don't give a fuck about record sales, we just want our music to be heard by as many people as possible and I can't think of a better way to do that other than this! So we are very proud to announce that we are giving out our album for free on Metal Hammer's January issue!"
THE DEFILED tour dates with MURDERDOLLS and BLACK VEIL BRIDES:
Feb. 02 - Portsmouth, UK - Pyramids
Feb. 03 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront
Feb. 04 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
Feb. 05 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
Feb. 07 - Wolverhampton, UK - Wulfrun Hall
Feb. 08 - Middlesbrough, UK - Empire
Feb. 10 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Abc
Feb. 11 - Manchester, UK - Academy
Feb. 12 - London, UK - HMV Forum
Feb. 13 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Feb. 14 - Exeter, UK - Lemon Grove
Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH entered the studio in October to begin recording the follow-up to 2007's "Dark Passion Play".
Commented bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala: "At the moment I have most of the bass tracks for the new album recorded. I started already a few weeks back, but I've been taking my time with the recordings. It's the luxury of having your own equipment and a former job as studio engineer. For now I've been taking it pretty easy for the last two weeks. The holiday season and all that goes with it, you know...
"Right now I'm collecting my inner plutonium for the critical mass again. I always do that before recording something. After all, we're not a pop band, and these songs need some really serious explosives. Too bad you can't hear them yet...
"I just had to twist the knife here. I'm a sadist also.
"The songs are really good, by the way...
"Of course we all would like to see this project finished, released and out for all the world to hear.
"The success we've been blessed or cursed with is demanding in its own ways. Everything has to be planned in long term. All the parts of releasing albums, videos and tours have to match carefully when you get to this stage of things. And so we all get fed up with the waiting.
"Try to be patient and we'll do our best to reward you later on."
According to NIGHTWISH, "Emppu [Vuorinen] is nearly done with his guitar recordings, having done four comp tracks to all the songs plus half of all the leads. (The solos and acoustics are best left to record AFTER the orchestral and choir sessions). Marco is also finished with his bass recordings so now we basically just wait for [arranger] Pip [Williams] and Tuomas [Holopainen, keyboards] to get the orchestral arrangements sorted out for the London sessions in February."
Regarding the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon recently wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."
The pre-production sessions for the new NIGHTWISH CD took place in "the deepest countryside of Finland," where most of the band spent several weeks finalizing the song arrangements and recording their instrumental parts.
NIGHTWISH played a special homecoming show in September 2009 at the sold-out, 11,000-capacity Hartwall Arena in Helsinki to mark the end of the band's colossal "Dark Passion Play" two-year world tour.
NIGHTWISH is not expected to play any more concerts until the release of the band's next studio album.
Poland's Metal Mind Productions will release an exclusive box containing the full discography of one of the best death metal bands around — Holland's SINISTER — on February 14 in Poland, February 21 in Europe and April 5 in the USA. Entitled "Altered Since Birth", the set contains eight studio albums, a live DVD, a compilation of demo tracks, plus a booklet containing a full biography based on an exclusive interview, the complete discography, lyrics to all songs and a selection of amazing archive photos. The cover artwork was created by the well-known Polish graphic designer Graal.
According to the label, "This Dutch band has been polluting the scene with its vile and marvelously brutal music for over 20 years, which easily makes them one of the most recognizable European extreme bands of all times. The group's impressive discography of nine LPs and one DVD is a testimony of undying devotion to brutal aggressive music. This collection captures the true essence of SINISTER, delivering 10 discs of powerful and mind-crushing death metal."
The box includes the following albums:
CD 1 - Demo-Nica (compilation)
CD 2 - Cross The Styx
Bonus tracks:
01. Epoch of Denial (live)
02. Cross the Styx (live)
CD 3 - Diabolical Summoning
Bonus track:
01. Sadistic Intent (live)
CD 4 - Hate & Bastard Saints
Bonus track:
01. To Mega Therion (live)
CD 5 - Aggresive Measures
Bonus tracks:
01. Into the Forgotten (live)
02. Enslave the Weak (live)
CD 6 - Creative Killings
Bonus track:
01. Bleeding Towards the Wendigo (live)
CD 7 - Savage Or Grace
Bonus track:
01. Barbaric Order (live)
CD 8 - Afterburner
Bonus tracks:
01. The Grey Massacre (live)
02. Men Down (live)
03. Altruistic Suicide (live)
04. Afterburner (live)
CD 9 - The Silent Howling
DVD - Prophecies Denied
SINISTER recently announced the addition of bassist Joost van der Graaf (CYPHER, CREEPMIME) to the group's ranks. The band states, "We practiced now a couple of times together and it's going fucking amazing... The band is really happy with him and we cannot wait to show this to you by one of our live gigs."
SINISTER released its new album, "Legacy of Ashes", on December 17, 2010 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany with producer Jörg Uken (GOD DETHRONED, OBSCENITY).
SINISTER's current lineup is rounded out by Aad Kloosterwaard (vocals), Alex Paul (guitar) and Edwin Van Den Eeden (drums).
TRIPTYKON — the group formed by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior — will perform a classic HELLHAMMER song for the first time since 1985 at the first edition of the Metal Assault Festival, set to take place on January 8, 2011 at Posthalle in Würzburg, Germany.
When asked in a recent interview with Hellbound if there were plans for TRIPTYKON to break out any HELLHAMMER songs, Tom replied, "We're working on 'Messiah' and will put it in our set soon. Maybe one day we'll bring out 'The Third Of The Storms'. We couldn't have done that with the last lineup of CELTIC FROST because people just acted it. But in TRIPTYKON we've played it a few times and it sounds fantastic and authentic."
The Metal Assault Festival running order is as follows:
TRIPTYKON - 23:25 end
ANGEL WITCH - 22:05 - 23:05
ONSLAUGHT - 20:45 - 21:45
DESASTER - 19:25 - 20:25
TRANCEMISSION - 18:05 - 19:05
VANDERBUYST - 17:00 - 17:45
STONE VENGEANCE - 16:00 - 16:45
STRIKER - 15:00 - 15:45
SKULL FIST - 14:00 - 14:45
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/metalonmeta.
Irish dark metal masters PRIMORDIAL are set to conquer Europe with their spiritual, mythological music-art. They will be supported by the U.S. classic metallers WHILE HEAVEN WEPT and the French circle of ALCEST. The dates are as follows:
May 27 - Dessau, Germany - Metalfest Open Air Germany
May 28 - Mining am Inn, Austria - Metalfest Open Air Austria
May 29 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Metalfest Open Air Switzerland
May 30 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
May 31 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornrosje
Jun. 01 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
Jun. 02 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
Jun. 03 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Stuk
Jun. 04 - Budapest, Hungary - Metalfest Open Air Hungary
Jun. 05 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Metalfest Open Air Czech Republic
The third in the reissue series from PRIMORDIAL, "Spirit The Earth Aflame", came out in July 2010 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was originally released in 2000 and was now re-released as a two-disc digipack.
PRIMORDIAL released its first-ever DVD, "All Empires Fall", in the U.S. on March 16, 2010 via Metal Blade Records. Disc 1 of the two-disc set is the centerpiece of the DVD and features a full PRIMORDIAL headline show recorded live on January 24, 2009 in the band's hometown of Dublin, Ireland. The concert was filmed with five cameras and has an exceptional vintage look due to the hard work in post-production. Disc 2 features live clips from the band's appearances at Ragnarök Festival (Germany), Hove Festival (Norway) and Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium) in 2008. The second disc also contains a band documentary with all the inside stories and loads of ancient footage from the early stages of the band. The documentary has a playing time of approximately 60 minutes. Interviews with all band members and rehearsal footage complete the second disc of the set.
Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE will release a new DVD, "Global Evisceration", on March 15 via Metal Blade. According to the label, the set will contain approximately two hours and 49 minutes of material, including footage from the May 3, 2010 concert at Gothic Theatre in Englewood, Colorado and the May 8, 2010 performance at Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The DVD will also include bonus performances and extra segments, as well as behind-the-scenes footage covering the "Evisceration Plague" tour cycle.
The performance footage for "Global Evisceration" was shot and directed by Denise Korycki (Wild Wind Productions), who also helmed the band's "Centuries Of Torment - The First 20 Years" DVD.
On October 29, Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation released "Best Of Cannibal Corpse", featuring note-for-note transcriptions of 13 fan favorites from CANNIBAL CORPSE.
"Centuries of Torment", which came out July 2008, was certified platinum in Canada in 2009 just before the crushing release of the band's new album, "Evisceration Plague". The DVD sold 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on the Top Music Videos chart.
THE EVIL AMIDST, the South Florida-based "all-star" death metal band featuring members of MALEVOLENT CREATION, HATE PLOW and KULT OV AZAZEL, will soon film a video for the song "Decreator". The track comes off THE EVIL AMIDST's debut album, "Lords Of The Nine", which was released digitally via iTunes on September 29, 2010. The album was produced by Brian Elliott (CANNIBAL CORPSE, VITAL REMAINS) at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Commented guitarist Gio Geraca: "'Decreator' is the song that embodies what THE EVIL AMIDST is all about. We feel it effortlessly combines the subgenres that influence us as a band and musicians, and we are looking forward to getting started on what we expect will be a dark and somewhat sinister video."
In other news, Geraca has landed an endorsement deal with Blackstorm Strings. He said, "These strings are absolutely made with metal in mind, and are by far the best-sounding 'metal' strings I've found!"
THE EVIL AMIDST is:
* Gus Rios (MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Drums
* Gio Geraca (MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Guitar
* Lenny Warmbrandt (HATEPLOW) - Vocals
* Xaphan (KULT OF AZAZEL) - Guitar
* Sean Young - Bass
For more information, visit the group's MySpace page.
Swedish death metallers VOMITORY have set "Opus Mortis VIII" as the title of their eighth full-length album, due in the spring via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Leon Music Studios outside Karlstad, Sweden with producer Rikard Löfgren.
Comments the band: "On Sunday, December 19th, we completed the work on the eighth VOMITORY album that we have entitled 'Opus Mortis VIII'! It's our eighth musical work of death, so we think it's a very fitting title and we have some nice things going on artwork-wise for this one.
"Producer and studio owner Rikard Löfgren has done a tremendous job to get the best sounding VOMITORY album to date — no competition! We are so fucking happy with the result. The production is absolutely top-notch and the material offers diversity and dynamics that you haven't quite heard from VOMITORY before. You will get 14 songs altogether and roughly 54 minutes playing time."
Löfgren co-produced VOMITORY's last two albums.
VOMITORY recently posted its cover version of NAPALM DEATH's "Mass Appeal Madness" on MySpace. The song was recorded at Speedball studios in Karlstad, Sweden in April 2005. It was engineered by Johan Carlsson and mixed by Henrik Larsson in Malmö, Sweden.
VOMITORY's seventh album, "Carnage Euphoria", came out in May 2009 via Metal Blade Records.
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