[Classic_Rock_Forever] Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Kiss, Metallica, Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, Nikki Sixx, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Marra's Drug, Twisted Sister, Wolfsbane, Tony Martin and tons more hard rock and heavy metal news

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Audiences
across the country will get an unrivaled look into the mind of legendary rock
icon Ozzy Osbourne in "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne", an exclusive in-theater Fathom
event that will be broadcast to more than 400 movie theaters nationwide Monday,
August 29 at 7:30 p.m. (local time). Shot over the course of three years,
audiences will experience the life story of Ozzy, as seen through the eyes of
his youngest child, producer/filmmaker, Jack Osbourne, who worked alongside
directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli.
During
the documentary, Ozzy will recount his troubled youth, his early career with
Black Sabbath and the impact of fame and addictions on his first marriage.
Viewers will also witness the second chapter of his life as a family man with Sharon, during which his
addictions grew to a frightening level, as well as hear Ozzy and his children
explain his attempts at staying clean, ultimately resulting in more than five
years of sobriety. Music fans will also see live performances from around the
world, including rare behind the scenes clips of Ozzy on and off stage, in his
dressing rooms pre-show, to his nights in a series of hotel rooms. Throughout
"God Bless Ozzy Osbourne", audiences are given an inside look into the life of
a rock star, from the good times to the bad.
We
spoke with Jack the day after the film premiere to get an insight on how he
approached the project about his father – The Prince Of Darkness, Ozzy
Osbourne.
Jack,
it's great to catch up with you on the day after your film "God Bless Ozzy
Osbourne" was released. Fan reaction has been through the roof! How are you
feeling about this project the day after it's release?
It's
great! Slowly but surely the stress of this whole project is lifting. It's like Ahhhhhhhhh. Finally. I'm glad people have reacted to it in a positive
way – the people I care about. This movie was made for Ozzy fans and for people
that have an interest in my father.
People
see it's a personal project for you because it is about your dad, but
you financed this with your own cash – right?
Yeah.
I figured it was one of the best ways to tell the story I wanted to tell.
Someone can't exactly come in and tell you not to do something if they haven't
paid for it.
I
would be nervous and maybe even a little hesitant about how to take on a
project like this. Did you approach this as Jack "The Son" or Jack "The
Filmmaker"?
I
think it was a healthy combination of the two. I had to wear both hats with
this. I had to approach it as me telling a story about my father but it's also
me telling a story about Ozzy Osbourne. Standing in the middle of the road was
the toughest thing for me.
As
with any conversation about family there's going to be some stories you may not
want to tell everything you know. Did anything ever come up that you knew you'd
touch on but maybe didn't elaborate on as much?
There
were some things that weren't personal to me but they were for my dad. He
essentially only told us what we wanted to know. That's what we got. He never
looked at us and said "I'm not going to talk about that." If he didn't want us
to know about it he wouldn't have told us. He pretty much answered every
question we fired at him. The toughest part – and not saying he was every lying
– was getting a more honest answer. If you think about it he's probably
been asked every question you can imagine over the past 40 years. He always had
these "go to" answers for everything. It was getting beyond those that took
Mike Piscitelli, the director, a long time.
I
can imagine those "go to" answers were to keep his Ozzy persona in check.
Exactly.
There
have been a few Ozzy documentaries and films over the years. Did any of them
strike you as being way off the mark?
I
don't think they missed the mark on telling the story of Ozzy. They told the
beginning, middle and where he is now. They don't tell the story of John. This
film isn't as much about Ozzy Osbourne as it is about John. That's his real
name and it was all about getting through the BS to get to the core.
I'm
sure you realized there may be some things pop up that you didn't know about.
Did anything come up that surprised you?
There
was nothing uncomfortable I didn't know about. Like I mentioned earlier, I wore
two hats with this project. If anything uncomfortable came up I just approached
it in producer mode and didn't let it affect me in a personal manner. There
really wasn't anything too Earth shattering.
Tell
me about the first time you dad saw "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne".
It
was at the Tribeca Film Festival. He sat next to me in the movie theater. I was
looking over every now and then and he'd get emotional at times and was
laughing at others. It must have been a pretty wild ride for him – especially
to sit there and have Paul McCartney talking about him on a big screen! To him,
that's one of his more crowning achievements.
What
about you? What was it like watching the finished project with your dad?
I
was a little nervous but I was excited. For so long he made fun of me saying,
"When's this movie gonna be made? What's your deal?" He was always riding me
about it. He called it the Chinese Democracy of documentaries!
When
will "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" be available on DVD? Will it have any bonus
features?
It
will be out around Thanksgiving. There's plenty of bonus features. About 25
minutes of extra footage and things of that nature.
Now
that the movie is out and you can take time to look back on the whole project,
what did you learn making this film?
Documentaries
take a lot longer and are a lot tougher than you would ever think! (laughs)
I
know video and film projects are in your blood. What else do you have coming
up?
There's
a lot of things popping up. I would really love to do a documentary on Tommy
Lee. I really want to do that one next. There's been talk about Black Sabbath
horror movies. They're scripted and not about the band. They're more about the
culture of Black Sabbath. I started my own production company called Schweet
Entertainment. We're developing TV shows which is pretty exciting. There's a
lot in the pipeline.
Jack,
I've got to throw this in here or I'll have thousands of metalheads ready to
kick my ass. Is there going to be a Black Sabbath reunion?
(laughs)
Everyone is asking me what's going on! Honestly, I don't know. One minute it's
a possibility and the next minute it's nothing. Last time I spoke with my dad
he was at the house in England
and there was no mention of any Sabbath-ness. (laughs) Things can change.
Sorry
you had to hear that question again, but I had to ask man. (laughs)
No,
no. It's fine. I'm excited that people are ready for this. I think it's good
that all four of them can see the internet chatter about the excitement. That
may be a bit of good inspiration for them.
The
fans are out in full force…
You
got that right. I read online that someone said since Ozzy didn't show up at
the premiere that he must be in some dark castle somewhere recording doomy
tracks. (laughs)
British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will guest
on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob
Coburn on Wednesday, October 5 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are
encouraged to speak with JUDAS PRIEST by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

JUDAS PRIEST will launch the U.S.
leg of its farewell world tour on October 12 in San Antonio and the band promises that it
will go out with a bang. Singer Rob Halford said, "We're pulling
out all the stops. We've built a brand new stage set, we've got all the effects
that people love us for — the lasers, the fire, the bombs, the smoke, new
costumes, and the bike. It's just a full-on metal extravaganza."

Guitarist Glenn Tipton added that the group will play something from
each of its albums, including a few numbers that have never been performed live
before. "Obviously it's the farewell world tour, so we've really gotta put
a lot of the old favorites in there," he said. "We got a lot of
feedback from our web page, we requested what people really wanted to hear, so
we put a set together based on that. Plus we're playing at least one song from
every album and we're doing stuff that we haven't played before, such as 'Never
Satisfied', 'Blood Red Skies' and 'Starbreaker'. So there's a
real mixed bag. Our mission, really, was to play at least song off each album
each year and we tried to pick the songs that everybody wanted to hear.
Obviously they'll always want 'Painkiller', they'll always want 'Hell
bent For Leather'. We've got so many songs, it's really difficult to
choose, and somebody is always disappointed. [But] I think we've covered most
of them."

As for whether this is really the end of JUDAS PRIEST's touring days, Tipton added, "We don't plan on retiring. We've said that this is our last world
tour. It takes a chunk out of your life — 18 months. We won't be doing any more
world tours as such and in many parts of the world, it will be the last time
people will get a chance to see us. But we're not gonna stop. We've got an
album in the can now, we will start to write with Richie, there will be
more albums, and who knows?! There might be a string of dates that we can
manage to do. We're just not gonna do another major world tour. We've been
doing it for 40 years and it's time to let the younger bands have the chance."
The folks at FUNKO have come up with yet another way
to reinvent one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time of all
time... KISS! On September 7, they will release their new line of KISS
Plushies to the masses.

The line consists of four dolls: Gene Simmons "The Demon", Paul
Stanley "The Starchild", Ace Frehley "The
Spaceman", and Peter Criss "The Catman".

Each doll is seven inches tall and is available for pre-order at this location.
They will start shipping to customers on September 11, at which time they will
be available at local FYE stores. Each doll will retail in the $10.99 -
$12.99 price range.

Gene's cynicism and dark elements, as well as his love for comic books. Paul
Stanley became the "Starchild" due to his tendency to be referred
to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." Ace
Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of him wanting to go
for a ride in a space ship and supposedly being from another planet. Peter
Criss' "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Peter had nine lives due to his rough childhood in Brooklyn.
Revolver magazine conducted an interview with METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX for a special issue devoted
to the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal. This section recounts how it
came to be that all of the bands perform "Am I Evil?" onstage
together at "Big Four" concerts, beginning at their Sofia, Bulgaria,
gig last year. It features interviews with METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian and Charlie Benante, SLAYER's Dave
Lombardo, and MEGADETH's David Ellefson.

Revolver: Famously, most of you got up onstage and jammed on DIAMOND
HEAD's "Am I Evil?" last year in Sofia, Bulgaria.
How did that come together?

Lars Ulrich: I think that we felt we should try and see if we can get
everyone together. Also, there was the whole worldwide satellite thing. It
seemed like an obvious place to share, there was just such a good vibe going
on. We wanted to let the fans get a chance all over the world to share in that
good vibe.

Scott Ian: I think I was sitting in a bar with [SLIPKNOT and STONE
SOUR vocalist] Corey Taylor somewhere a night or two before we
actually did it, and I got a text from Kirk [Hammett, METALLICA guitarist] saying, "Hey, in Bulgaria we're thinking about doing 'Am I Evil?' with everybody, so let your guys know." And I wrote
him back, "Yeah, of course. We're in."

Lars Ulrich: The reason we picked "Am I Evil?" is
because obviously playing a METALLICA song would've seemed a little
selfish. All of the musicians would certainly share that thread in DIAMOND
HEAD in terms of influence. It's probably difficult to find a band that's
more responsible for, or at least indirectly responsible, for thrash metal. And "Am I Evil?" is just a great, anthem-like song that also has
the quality of not being super complicated. So it just seemed like the right
kind of vibe to share with everybody for five minutes that wasn't necessarily
going to send people back to the rehearsal room for days on end. [MEGADETH frontman Dave] Mustaine and a bunch of these guys obviously knew
the riff, too, and it just seemed like a logical choice.

Charlie Benante: The first message I got about it was — I think Kirk sent it to me — "You're gonna play guitar." That was the first
message I got. And it was like, Fucking killer. That would be great. And I
think other people thought, How is the drummer gonna be playing guitar when the
other drummers are doing nothing? So all of a sudden a snare drum got put in my
lap. And I was like, OK, I'm OK with that, too.

Dave Lombardo: I love jamming. I do it all the time at home in Hollywood. So I had a
blast doing it, I wasn't going to turn down this opportunity when all my other
friends were up there. It was like, All right, let's go.

Revolver: What do you remember about rehearsing the song?

David Ellefson: It was great. As soon as I walked into the rehearsal
room, [METALLICA bassist] Robert Trujillo was like, "Hey, Junior,
glad you're here." And he hands me the bass. He was like, "Here, you
jam." And I was like, OK, I guess I'm the bass player in this little endeavor
right now. So I played, and that was fun for me to sit there and be that guy. Lars was the drummer, of course, and so we were kinda hanging by each other, because
he and I have gotten along really well over the years. And I look and I see [MEGADETH guitarist Chris] Broderick, [METALLICA vocalist-guitarist James] Hetfield, Mustaine, Scott Ian, [ANTHRAX frontman] Joey
Belladonna, and everybody standing there. And it was one of those classic
moments. I remember as I kid, I would flip through a guitar magazine and see a
classic photo of Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, and, like, Keith
Richards all being in the same room together. To me, that was our moment.
It was just these guys who have never all stood in a room together before. And
especially with their guitars on, creatively working on something together. And
I gotta say, James Hetfield was a really gracious host. He made it
relaxed and fun and it was cool because we were essentially being invited into
the METALLICA secret chambers. [Laughs] They made it very relaxing and
very easy and very fun.

Lars Ulrich: I might have been the tardy one. Everyone was kind of
standing around, looking at each other. And I was like, "OK, let's play
something." So we started playing [JUDAS PRIEST's] "Breaking
the Law". We just loosened up and started having fun.

David Ellefson: The funny thing was, everyone had been practicing all
day. It's just one simple riff, and we've got everybody backstage at rehearsal
set up in our dressing room as well. So Scott and Charlie and Frank and everybody is coming into our tent, and we're back there jamming and
rehearsing and working on stuff as well. It was one of those things where
everybody wanted it to be just note perfect. Everybody out of passion was just
like, I want this to be the greatest thing ever.
METALLICA lead guitarist Kirk Hammett revealed
to Mojo that he and frontman James Hetfield were both brought to
tears during the sessions for the band's upcoming collaborative album with Lou
Reed, titled "Lulu". Hammett explained that the
outbursts occurred while they were recording a song called "Junior
Dad", saying, "I had just lost my father literally three or four
weeks previous. I had to run out of the control room, and I found myself
standing in the kitchen, sobbing away. James came into the kitchen in
the same condition — he was sobbing, too. It was insane."

The lyrics to the song "Junior Dad" can be found in Lou
Reed's "Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics" book, which
was originally published by Hyperion Books in 2000.

"Junior Dad" lyrics:

Would you come to me
If I was half drowning
An arm above the last wave
Would you come to me
Would you pull me up

Would the effort really hurt you
Is it unfair to ask you
To help pull me up

The window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floating
I'm all choked up

Pull me up
Would you be my lord and savior
Pull me up by the hair
Now would you kiss me on my lips

Burning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening
Now shoots out its tiresome message

Won't you pull me up
Scalding my dead father has the motor
And he's driving towards
An island of lost souls

Sunny - a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness

Oh-or-state of grace
Would you pull me up
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you still kiss my lips
Hiccup: the dream is over
Get the coffee: turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
Psychic savagery [End of lyrics]
According to The Pulse Of Radio, DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott has slammed a fan who criticized the band's choice
of songs to play live while Elliott was just getting over the death of
his father. In an interview with Spinner, Elliott admitted that
he wasn't "at the top of my game" during his first few days back on
the road after his father, who had supported the group since their early days,
died last month. But Elliott also said that one fan's email got under
his skin, explaining, "The guy accused me of being a fraud because on the
first four gigs we did after the break we did exactly the same set. I wasn't
going to say to the guy, 'Well, you know, my father just passed away — let's
just keep it simple for the first week then we can get into the
experiments.'" Elliott added, "He's writing this as if every
single person comes to every gig. But the only people who know what we did are
the ones who go online and look at the set list. So he's a fucking idiot — I
don't mind saying that and please print it. When someone like him says our song 'Love Bites' is just a 'beer break.' I'm like, 'Wow, you're a moron.
Don't bother coming to any of our shows. We don't want people like you.'"

Elliott explained that the band normally chooses its set list based on
what tracks have been big hits in the area they're touring. He said, "We
have to play for the majority. If we don't play 'Photograph' and 'Pour
Some Sugar On Me', we won't get out of the building alive. That pays our
wages — not these idiots who sit in their mother's basement eating Doritos and playing Dungeons And Dragons all day. I'm not interested in those
kinds of people."

DEF LEPPARD is back on the road in the U.S.
through late September, with the band next performing on Friday (August 26) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Out now is DEF LEPPARD's CD/DVD set, "Mirror Ball: Live And
More". The concert collection — which is the band's first — was
recorded during DEF LEPPARD's 2009 tour.
According to Miami's
classic-rock station Big 105.9, GUNS N' ROSES will perform at
AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida on October 29. Tickets go
on sale on Friday, September 9 at 10 a.m. at the box office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800.745.3000.

GUNS N' ROSES made its first U.S.
concert appearance in four years and only one of 2010 when it headlined the
fifth and final night of the Rock 'N Rev Festival at the 70th annual Sturgis
Bike Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 13, 2010.

GUNS N' ROSES last toured the U.S. in 2006, and has not played
any other American shows since the November 2008 release of its "Chinese
Democracy" album.

"Chinese Democracy" was made available exclusively through Best
Buy. The long-in-the-making, 14-song CD finally arrived 17 years after the
last full-length collections of original GUNS material, "Use
Your Illusion I" and "II", were released, and nine
years after the non-album track "Oh My God" surfaced on the
soundtrack of the movie "End Of Days".
Two
decades ago, Nikki Sixx traded one addiction for another. With hard drugs
finally behind the Mötley Crüe bassist in 1989, he rediscovered an old
obsession: photography. "Creativity was there for me first, drugs came
second," Sixx told Rolling Stone last night, just before
an onstage interview and lecture at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. "When
you take the drugs out, every day is about creativity, whether it's
songwriting, designing clothes or photography." (View
an exclusive gallery of Sixx's photos.)
He
now carries a camera with him everywhere, and last night revealed the results.
For an intimate crowd of just 200 fans and guests (online ticket requests
exceeded 5,000), Sixx shared images that were provocative and frequently
macabre, as seen in his book This is Gonna Hurt: Photography and Life
Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx (William Morrow), which came out
in April.
"My
girlfriend sometimes says I need to put the camera down when we're in
bed," Sixx said with a laugh. "I have a guitar next to me, and I have
a camera next to me, and I love it."
On
the road, Sixx operates as a street photographer between shows, seeking out
dark corners, and the down and out, in whatever city he's passing through.
(Mötley Crüe wrapped up their world tour at the Sunset Strip Music Festival
last weekend.) At home in Los Angeles, he's a more theatrical image-maker,
casting models and characters for scenes created in his studio, the Funny Farm.
An
admirer of the confrontational work of photographers Diane Arbus and Joel-Peter
Witkin, Sixx said he's often drawn to subjects that are "old, decrepit,
deranged" and outside the mainstream ideal. "I have a wonderful
assistant," Sixx said during his talk with journalist Kristine McKenna, as
his pictures flashed on a digital screen. "I tell her I need four amputees
and a midget and she finds them."
Dressed
in black with a red bandana across his forehead, Sixx said he's accumulated
about 40,000 images on a hard drive, and has begun uploading the images on his
active Tumblr and Flickr sites. "In the
moment, I'm so passionate, but then I move on quickly," he told Rolling
Stone. "I do the same thing as a songwriter – I write it and I have a
lyric and it really touches me, and then we record it and I'm on to the next
thing."
From
the earliest days of Mötley Crüe, the bassist-songwriter was obsessed with the
band's image, badgering photographers at Crüe photo sessions, and posing his
bandmates to recreate an image in his head. "Our whole concept was, how
much can we insult you with how we looked," he recalled.
Some
of his own photographs document the life of a journeyman rock star traveling
with a notorious metal band. One is a simple black-and-white image of the
makeup spread out on his dressing-room table every night. Sixx called it his
"warpaint . . . I get in there and just go crazy."
At
the Annenberg, McKenna asked him, "Does the makeup make you feel more
protected?" 
"My
therapist thinks so," Sixx responded.
There
were many technical questions from the audience, but one fan asked how his
recovery from addiction directly affected the pictures he creates. "It
softened my heart," Sixx said, explaining that even if a subject is
disfigured, "I see the beauty in it. You get clarity as you get sober, and
you get clarity as you get older."
This
weekend, Sixx has a rare photo session with another band, Black Veil Brides, a
flamboyant young metal act with some obvious echoes from early Crüe. "I
talked to the band and I felt passion in their eyes," Sixx said before the
lecture. "I said 'I want to fuckin' push you somewhere between Joel-Peter
Witkin, Diane Arbus and a horror movie,' and they were like, 'Dude, we're
fuckin' so down.' It was beautiful to have someone who was so okay with
anything that I can come up with."
SLAYER's official webstore is offering SLAYER custom condoms for "when you're going 'South Of Heaven.'" Each SLAYER custom condom "matchbook" holds one Durex latex condom. It is
available as a three-pack or six-pack.

For more information and to place your order, go to this location.

Durex condoms continue to be one of the top condom brands. Endless
dedication to research and development, all the time striving for better and
safer sex and the constant discovery of new latex formulas and polymer
materials makes Durex one of the most requested condom brands of all
time. All Durex condoms are FDA-approved and effective against
sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy.
 
A countdown has been launched on MEGADETH's official web site to a
mystery announcement that will be made on Wednesday, September 7 at 9:00 a.m.
EST / 6:00 a.m. PST.

MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", is scheduled for
release on November 1 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos,
California with producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis), who
has previously worked with DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD and STAIND, among others. The artwork will once again be created by
artist John Lorenzi, who was responsible for the artwork on the last two MEGADETH studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame", as well as the band's 2007 box set, "Warchest".

"TH1RT3EN" marks the recorded return of bassist David
Ellefson who was part of the band's classic lineup from 1983 to 2002. In a
move that delighted the band's legion of diehards, Ellefson returned to
performing live with MEGADETH in early 2010 and has remained a fixture
on the stage ever since. This is the first time Ellefson has played on a MEGADETH record since 2002's "Rude Awakening".

The title has several levels of meaning, which leader and guitar deity Dave
Mustaine, who first picked up an axe at the age of 13, revealed in a recent
chat with RollingStone.com, saying, "I was born on September 13th;
this is my thirteenth record. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do
to call it 'TH1RT3EN'."

The band also recorded an original track, "Never Dead",
specifically for the "NeverDead" action-adventure video game
franchise. "Never Dead" will appear on "TH1RT3EN".
Additionally, "Sudden Death" was recorded for "Guitar
Hero: Warriors Of Rock" and will appear on the album.
Damon Martin of SuicideGirlsBlog.com recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

SuicideGirlsBlog.com: So you started writing the new music in 2007.
What's the construction process been for building this new album ["Worship
Music"]?

Scott Ian: When it first started, it was just Charlie [Benante,
drums] and I actually together, there really wasn't a band at that point. Not
that we had broken up, but we had finished the reunion tour in, like, October
'06 and we took a break for the rest of the year. We hadn't stopped in five
years, so we took, like, two months off and then I went to Chicago to meet with Charlie in 2007
with songs with really no plan. We didn't have a record deal staked, we didn't
really know anything. We just knew we had some ideas and let's see how this
starts to turn out. We wrote this record from that point and even once the band
was back together and even through having Dan Nelson in as the singer
for five minutes, and him being gone and now Joey [Belladonna]
being back, the record was written pretty much the same way every ANTHRAX record in our history was written. One major difference recording this record
was once Joey was back in we basically gave Joey the keys to the kingdom
and said, "Look, dude, we want you on this record, we want your voice, we
want your choices, we want your ideas." He did all the vocals, just him
and the producer Jay Ruston. The two of them in the studio without us
hanging over their shoulders telling him what to do, and I think you really
hear it in Joey's performance.

SuicideGirlsBlog.com: ANTHRAX is one of very few bands that have
remained relevant and still popular in so many different eras of music. You
guys are now celebrating your 30th anniversary as a band, what do you believe
has been the biggest factor in fans still following you from your first record
to new fans following you today?

Scott Ian: Other than the obvious of because we rule, I just think
there's an honesty and there's a responsibility to our audience, and there's a
loyalty that goes back and forth between us and the people. Not just ANTHRAX fans, but I just think metal fans in general. I think that's what's been able
to maintain us for 30 years now. I think people really know, they have an
expectation with us and we not only fill those expectations most of the time,
but we end up exceeding the expectations. Like when you go to the store and you
buy this thing you like to eat, when you open that package, it's going to taste
the way you expect it to taste. You'd be really upset if you opened that
package one day and it tasted like shit. That's pretty much where the
responsibility comes in. We love what we do, we love playing this kind of
music, we're fans of this kind of music and I think we as ANTHRAX have a
responsibility to metal in general.

SuicideGirlsBlog.com: ANTHRAX has always been a band that's had a
certain chemistry with their fans, and from the early days 'till now where you
really seem to relate with them through the Internet, you've grown that
relationship over the years. Can you talk to us about that?

Scott Ian: It's always been of the utmost importance to have that
relationship. One of the good things about the Internet, and how a band can use
the Internet, is to even make that relationship closer by really getting rid of
the middle man. Obviously, there's a lot of problems with the Internet and
music, but being able to interact directly with your fans, for me, has been an
amazing thing over the last 10 years. I'm on Twitter all the time, I'm
on there answering people's questions all the time. When I was a kid growing up
and being a fan of the bands I was a fan of, there was no way in a million
years you could like somehow send a question to Gene Simmons and you
were going to get an answer to it immediately. Someone can ask me a question on Twitter and I can respond to that. That must feel amazing as a fan of
somebody to go, "Wow, that guy just took the time out of his day to answer
my question," and I think that's super-important to stay on top of that.
To ignore that tool would be a disservice to your fans.
DANZIG bassist and
former member of SAMHAIN, SON OF SAM and MOURNING NOISE, Steve
Zing, has released the debut album from his project MARRA'S DRUG.

Influenced by everything from heavy punk rock to metal to progressive rock – even
'50s music! — MARRA'S DRUG's first release is heavy, yet at the same
time listener-friendly.

"MARRA'S DRUG's music is indescribable," Zing explains.
"It's very intense — it's not pop punk, and we're not whining."

Perhaps New Jersey-based MARRA'S DRUG music is diverse because all four
bandmembers (Zing, guitarist Steve Falco, drummer John Caton drums, and bassist Danno) did not cut their teeth on the same musical
fare. "We didn't all grow up on punk rock," Zing reveals.
"I grew up on punk and '50s music, like early Elvis, Bill Hailey and Buddy Holly. Falco and Caton dig hardcore metal, Danno is into progressive rock… Our music has each of our signatures, and we put our
own spins into it."

MARRA'S DRUG's tunes are aggressive, in-your-face and honest. Of course
there's anger in there, which is at the core of any good heavy rock music. Yet
there is also a very subtle underlying melancholy, if you listen closely
enough.

"We don't try to write songs," Zing says. "We do what is
best for the song, whatever it takes to make the best tune possible."

For more information, visit www.marrasdrug.com.
TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider has posted
the following message on his
Twitter profile:

"Well, this blows. Heading to airport for TWISTED show [at the Rock
Jam festival] in Colorado
tomorrow and leaving my family to deal with hurricane. Made sure things were
secure before I left, but still....

"We lived in Florida
during Hurricane Andrew so I know how devastating a hurricane can be. I pray
it's nothing like that, but the news are really revving up the reports of
devastation!

"I wanted to cancel, but the band guilted me into playing. I won't be able
to get back until Monday at the soonest. Feeling terrible."
Reunited U.K. rockers WOLFSBANE — featuring former IRON
MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley — have finished recording their new CD
for a tentative early November release. The band states, "We have 13
tracks 'in the can' and will probably end up with 10 or 11 on the finished
album."

WOLFSBANE — which features Bayley, guitarist Jase Edwards,
bassist Jeff Hateley and drummer Steve Danger — released its
first record in 17 years in April. Entitled "Did It For The Money",
it contained the brand new title track along with re-recordings of four old WOLFSBANE numbers.

Commenting on the reunion, Blaze said, "Although we have done other
things over the years, we always had WOLFSBANE in our hearts and
following our tour with THE QUIREBOYS last year, we had so much fun and
have had so much interest that we decided to get back in the studio."

Formed in 1984 in Tamworth,
England, WOLFSBANE signed to Def American Records, and Rick Rubin produced the
band's first album, "Live Fast, Die Fast", released in 1989. WOLFSBANE's
second release, an EP titled "All Hell's Breaking Loose Down",
followed in 1990. The band's second studio album, "Down Fall the Good
Guys", was released in 1991, giving WOLFSBANE its only U.K. chart
entry, with the single "Ezy" landing at No. 68.

After Def American dropped WOLFSBANE, the band released a live
album, "Massive Noise Injection", through the Bronze label in 1993. The group's third studio album, the self-titled "Wolfsbane",
followed in 1994.

On September 9, 2007, WOLFSBANE reformed for a one-off short set at the Rock
of Ages festival in Tamworth. This was
followed by their first U.K.
tour in 13 years, with the band playing five dates as support for the THE
WILDHEARTS in December 2007. Their next tour came in December 2009
supporting THE QUIREBOYS on the aforementioned "A Little Bit of
What You Fancy 20th Anniversary Tour".
TONY
MARTIN,
is a heavy metal vocalist best known for his work with Black Sabbath from 1987
to 1991 and again from 1993 to 1997. Tony has since been involved in many other
projects (such as the Tony Martin Band, M3, The Alliance, Misha Calvin, The Cage, Giuntini
Project II, Phenomena's Psychofantasy album)… A few days ago I had a chance
to interview Tony about his projects and what he's thinking about
the Music Business in generally…
Hi
Tony, and welcome to Shock Finland!
how are you doing today?
Thanks
.. i'm good.
Well,
there are so many things to ask, however I'd like to talk first about you as a
musician… despite  you're performing almost exclusively as a vocalist,
you're a multi-instrumentalist… you play guitar, bass, drums, violin,
keyboards, harmonica, bagpipes, and pan pipes… so, what is your relationship
with these instruments, and how you "met" them?
They
all come to me by way of curiosity… I never study them.. just pick 'em up and
experiment.. if I can get them to work, I use them….
What
are your musical influences? and what were the bands that made you to want to
become a musician?
Well
I am a child of the 70′s and back then we had so many bands that in general I
listened to them all…. from Sabbath to King Crimson from Slade to T Rex from
Yes to ELP ….. everthing .. today I still listen to music in the same way and
can very easily appreciate the Foo Fighters and Radiohead….. nothing is out of
bounds.
    
Your way of writing lyrics is quite evocative, how do you get into the right
mood for them?
The
music always comes first.. I never write poetry and then find the music to
fit.. so … it's the music that gives me the emotion and then slowly I apply the
words that come to me .. either from stuff I read or sometimes things that just
appear in my head.
If
you could, would you like to change something in your past?
Hard
question to answer……… in short I think the answer has to be NO …. I can think
of lots of possibilities!!! But those are things from where I learned, and that
is how we function as human beings… so I think I have to say NO.
For
many Black Sabbath fans "Headless Cross" (1989) has been the last masterpiece
of the band. What are your memories of that album?
VERY
exciting… and pleased to be on board as I am sure you can imagine… especially
having Cozy Powell on board. All was fine at that point.
Do
you think it's possible to see a reunion tour with Tony and the other Sabs?
At
this point I can't see how…. Sabbath haven't talked to me in 15 years. All of
the albums that I was on was removed from sale completely by them and it would take
unbeleivable changes to get it all back together.
What
do you think about the other Sabbath singers, Osbourne, Hughes, Gillan and Dio?
Don't
have any particular issues with any of them.. I know Ian slightly and got on
well … I know Glen Hughes quite well and get on well …. only met Dio once and
he wasn't happy at the time, I tried talking to him but he was just
unresponsive…. no idea what that was about…. never met any of the others. They
all have a place in the history of the band of course.
Would
you like to tell me about your last work with Clive Jones and the Black Widow?
Ha..
that was fun … completely unexpected….. the guys were great … it was a guest
appearance on one of their songs…. they gave me a set of tracks and asked me to
choose one to sing on… so I did and it ended up really quite good. I never knew
them before… so it was a new experience for me but Clive is a great performer
and player. Great to be involved in it!
Last
month you were in Italy
for a new album of Giuntini Project II, how it's proceeding?
Ahaa!!
… you DID research!!! .. well yes.. we have started .. I did 2 tracks there and
i have 11 to write so I am back at home working on that as we speak…. The
Giuntini thing is very unique … Aldo is not known that well but we have given
it a lot of attention .. he is actually a businessman in Italy and music
is his passion…. well that and football… but he does have some great ideas in
music and I try to give the best I can to make his music work….. mostly it's
great. But I am very pleased to be working on this album, he has come up with
some really cool riffs and we have a couple of covers on this one.
I've
also read that the new The Cage-album with Dario Mollo is almost finished, what
can you tell me about it?
Yes
it's done and ready .. the only issue outstanding is with the label releasing
it and we are in talks with them so hopefully it will be released soon… It is
VERY diverse!!!!! and with many different things on it!!! The Cage is famous
for diversity.. we can do the softest ballad and then the hardest rock, so it
will be interesting to see what the response is.
What
can you reveal me about your project with Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) and
Magnus Rosen (Hammerfall)?
    
I met them earlier this year and went to see them at the invitation of Magnus….
He told me that he and Andy were looking to do a kind of final big thing… and
wondered if I would be interested…. well Magnus is such a great guy and Andy is
too I could not resist the chance to work with them… So we recorded 2 tracks
and they turned out realloy cool…. but the problem at the moment is we all have
previous things to complete before we can get on to any more.. so we are making
plans and hopefully have a new sound for you all to hear later this year.
Tony,
you have 45 years of experience in the music business, and you still have the
flame inside of you… tell me, what is your secret to keep it alive?
I
have been a musician since I was 7 … and I can't get it out of my system… I am
trained in many things…. from electronics to Plumbing!!!  … I even worked
in a sex shop once hahaha!!! that was hilarious!!!  …. but music is the
thing that has kept me …. and the thing that I have been able to live on in
some ways…. it never made me a milionaire and it never will .. but I have had most
of my adult life involoved in it someway or other.
What
is your "A-B-C" to a newcomer band who wants to make it?
   
A… Get a job
    
    B…. Find another way, other than record labels, to get your
music out
    
    C … Stop working for FREE and giving your music away for
FREE …. once the people that like it have it.. there is no one else to sell it
TO!!!
By
the way, how do you spend your spare-time? and what are your favourite
dishes/beverages?
NOOOOOOO!!
thats a crap question and i wont answer it!! haha!
Talking
about the music business of today, is there something that makes you angry? and
if you could would you like to change something?
Ohhhhhhhh
Hell yes!!!!!!!!!! ……… If you think about it.. the artist is the FIRST person
in the chain…. we WRITE the stuff that EVERYONE else earns their living from….
promoters managers labels publishers press … ALL of 'em live off the back of
the thing we create….. but we are the LAST person to get paid…… we are the same
person!!!! All of those people get their cut and percentage and wage which they
STILL take… even though there is far less money in the industry….. which leaves
the artist with nothing. ….. It has to change…. the whole thing.. but it has to
start with the musicians and artists….. firstly as i said…. STOP WORKING FOR
FREE!!!! Its not helping….. STOP GIVING MUSIC AWAY FOR FREE .. its not
helping…… and start changing the contracts and percentages we give away.
….
Labels are NOT the answer…. not these days….. when so much is available to the
individual.. we never had access to the world when i had my last record deal
…..We NEEDED labels .. but not now….. I honestly think they are a hinderence
for most of us….. Time to re think and take back the value of the thing we
create… Music is a worthless art these days…. there is no value in it. .. I
aproached lawyers to find out why we as creators and manufacturers don't have
the same rights as other creators or manufacturers…. they are able to expect a
basic price for the things they make.. but we are not…. it seems that the world
does not like price fixing… and we as a group were concidered to have our own
mechanism that was supposed to give us our basic rights …… contracts ….. but
those are useless today in the download age …. once the artist has got to
change the way we work.. then we have to show the public the VALUE of what they
are taking from us…. and the way i see it is with comparison… take going to the
cinema… you go to see a film and pay 10 bucks for eg.. you see the film and
leave your ten bucks there!!!! if you want to see it again .. YOU PAY AGAIN!! …..
Not so with music…. once you have bought the song…. its yours for
LIFE~!!!!!!!!.. we don't ask you to pay every time you PLAY it!!!!!! …. And
STILL some people think its too expensive… well that's just fuckin crap!!! Also
it used to be that we could earn money from shows.. but in MY experience the
past 5 years.. we now have to pay the PROMOTER just to stand there and sell
it.. and I have had to pay everything between 20 and 50%!!! of the merch!! So
that isn't so attractive either. …. LOTS of things need to change…. and i could
go on for weeks.. !!!!!!!
What
would you like to say to your worldwide fans and our readers?
Stay
loyal … be selective…. enjoy your artists ….. and buy the damn
records!!!!!!!!!! …… oh yeah .. and .. we love you!! …..
 
According to The Gazette, an Iowa man
was arrested and charged with pulling out another man's tracheotomy tube during
a GODSMACK show in Dubuque, Iowa.

38-year-old Darrell Abbott was charged with assault with bodily injury,
public intoxication and interference with official acts after Tuesday night's
incident at the Five Flags Center.

36-year-old Brad Kluesner says he was in the front row at the concert when Abbott allegedly started bothering him.

"He was trying to get past us, he was just kind of pushing," Kluesner said. "I was like, 'You're not going to get past me, go around,'
whatever."

Abbott then grabbed Kluesner, who admits he fought back and
punched Abbott. They were separated by security personnel at the show,
but a few minutes later, Abbott returned.

"The next thing I know I felt fingers on the back of my head and I turned
around as he's grabbing my collar and the back of my necklace for my trache (tracheotomy
tube)," Kluesner said.

Kluesner was taken to a hospital to have the tube inserted back into his
throat.

Abbott is being held on $2,500 cash bond in the Dubuque County Jail.
While in custody, Dubuque
police say Abbott was sitting in a wheelchair and pushed it backwards into an officer. He has since been charged with
interference with official acts for that incident.
Gary Graff of Billboard.com recently conducted an interview with AVENGED
SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows. A couple of excerpts from the chat
follow below.

On the band's plan to take a break after it finishes touring to promote its
fifth studio album, "Nightmare":

"We've always taken a long time [between albums], and everyone's told us
we're stupid for doing that. But I think bands burn themselves out. Look what
happened to DISTURBED; those are good friends of ours, and you just get
caught up in the do a record, tour for two years, do a record, tour for two
years...We're very cautious of making sure that everybody has their time. We
need to go home...and make sure everybody's mentally in the right spot to do a
new record."

"We all hang out with each other. Me and [guitarist Synyster] Gates are married to twin sisters and they're best friends, so it's a total family
thing we have going on. And I have a studio in my house. So does [Gates].
So we'll hang out and lay some stuff down and joke around with it, and eventually
it turns into something for the band — which is a much healthier way to do it
instead of putting a lot of stress on ourselves to meet a deadline or
something."

On AVENGED SEVENFOLD's new drummer, Arin Ilejay:

"[Ilejay] is great. He's 23 now, and the first show he played was
in front of 16,000 people, and from there we went to Rock Am Ring, 80 or
90,000 people in Germany.
As far as personality and his playing, he's our guy, but we haven't been able
to write a record with him yet. So we want to make sure for his good and for
our good that he can write with us and bring something to the creative and be
comfortable in the situation. We're just trying to work towards that, and
hopefully everything works out 'cause we love the guy."
Jamey Jasta of HATEBREED and KINGDOM OF
SORROW has scheduled the following solo shows:

Sep. 08 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
Sep. 09 - Window Rock, AZ - CPR Event Tent
Sep. 10 - Chandler, AZ - Firebird International Raceway (Red, White &
U-Fest)

Jamey Jasta's debut solo album, "Jasta", sold around
4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at
position No. 133 on The Billboard 200 chart. 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.

"Jasta" was released in North America on July 26 via eOne
Music and in Europe one day earlier
through Century Media Records.

During an interview with Metal Assault, Jamey stated about his
solo album, "It's just more of the thrash and rock element in it. I think
there's a lot more clean singing than I'm used to doing. It's a lot of stuff
that I recorded for other artists, but it ended up sounding cool so I just left
it in there. My engineer was really liking the stuff that I was doing. I still
have a lot of guest parts on there — Randy Blythe from LAMB OF GOD, Zakk Wylde, Phil Labonte [of ALL THAT REMAINS], Tim from AS I LAY DYING, Mark Morton from LAMB OF GOD — so
it's just like a fun project before we do the next HATEBREED album."

"I did all of it by myself, except for the guest parts. I did it all
throughout 2008, 2009 and 2010 so it was fun to go back, listen to those old
tracks and go, 'These are still good, let's release them!' I'm just very lucky
that I'm in a position to be able to do this and I'm grateful that the eOne
label is giving it such a great push."

When asked if the release of his solo album will impact songwriting for the
next HATEBREED CD, Jamey replied, "No, not at all. Actually
that's why I wanted to get it out now because the next HATEBREED album
is going to be short, to the point and brutal, and there will be no melody.
This is my one chance to kind of get it out of the system."
Mark Morton of Heavy Metal Examiner recently conducted an interview with
guitarist Thomas Youngblood of Florida-based metallers KAMELOT. A
couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Heavy Metal Examiner: Has being an American band that not only has been
around as long as you have, but also has consistently struggled to get a
foothold on a domestic audience contributed to KAMELOT's openness to
this darker aura?

Youngblood: No, not at all. I mean, six years ago, nobody who sounds
like us would have ever been able to tour the States. It's not quite where we
want it to be, but it's still growing here. I think it's more of an awareness
thing than anything; the country is just so geographically big that it's really
hard to market a band without the mass-marketing that bands like LINKIN PARK used to get. Whereas, in Europe, you can get centralized marketing for Germany, or Holland, or wherever. I think that's been the
main issue with any band that is like KAMELOT. But at the same time,
we're happy where we are. We would like to be bigger in the United States,
of course, but you have to also look at the worst-case scenario. I mean, "Poetry
For The Poisoned" charted in the Top 100, and we are going to continue
to build and grow in America.
I don't think that contributed to the dark ideas that went into the record. It
was more of a reflection of the times — whether it be friends losing their
jobs, losing their homes, whatever, you know? When you get down to it, there's
a lot of bad things going on for people, and it's not really going to lend
itself to writing "be-positive" songs, you know?

Heavy Metal Examiner: With progressive metal fans as ferociously loyal
as they are, I have to ask, did you catch any shit for having Shagrath [from DIMMU BORGIR] participate on "The Black Halo"?

Youngblood: Not as much as I thought we would have. I've got to be
honest; initially I thought the idea was a little bit crazy. It was actually Roy's
[Khan, ex-KAMELOT vocalist] idea… and it worked really well. If
you step outside of any musical taste or genre-predilection (or if you just see
the video or hear the song without really knowing anybody involved), it
actually works perfectly. And that's really all that matters. If you can remove
yourself from genre-favoritism or bias, it only matters that it works for the
song. I actually think that DIMMU BORGIR fans might have had a bigger problem
with it than KAMELOT fans. When you go to a KAMELOT show, you're
going to find different kinds of fans there. Sure, you'll have your prog dudes
with the RUSH shirt and the crossed arms, but you will also have the
gothic girls in the front row. The nice thing is that you have all these
different people coming together to experience this unique kind of music, where
it crosses different genres and age groups. It's just something that we feel
very fortunate about.

Heavy Metal Examiner: Are you bothered at all that your earlier albums
are out of print?

Youngblood: [Laughs] Hmm, I guess there are pros and cons to that. Of
course, those records don't really belong to us, because it was a time when the
record deals were really bad. I mean, we haven't seen a penny from those record
sales. But, of course, you want to have your history out there for people to
purchase. So I think it's a bit of a double-edged sword. I think now that we
have our own record label, we're looking at a lot of the back catalogue and ways
we can re-acquire them so we can remaster and reissue them.
Heavy Metal Examiner: How did KMG Recordings come about, anyway?

Youngblood: Well, the idea of having our own record label has been
talked about for many years now. We talked to a lot of labels about releasing "Poetry
For The Poisoned" here in the U.S., and we felt that we didn't
have the belief that we had in the people who wanted to support us with their
own label. So that's what we have now; we have people who understand KAMELOT — they understand our fans. And the record sold in the first week almost double
what the last record sold with the previous record company, so obviously it was
the right decision to make. We keep all the rights, and we keep all the control
over how the band is marketed; because we know our fans more than anybody
sitting in an office who has a hundred other bands to worry about. It was a
risk, but since the album has been out, it was a risk worth taking, and we have
set a precedent for the future.
Veteran progressive metallers ELDRITCH will release
their eighth studio album, "Gaia's Legacy", on September 25
via Scarlet Records. A concept effort dealing with global warming based
on Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth", the
CD sees ELDRITCH going back to its technical progressive roots, with
lots of influences raging from thrash to AOR and a modern approach still in the
band's distinctive style. Frontman Terence Holler wrote all the lyrics
after a deep search of information on every kind of source for the last three
years.

"Gaia's Legacy" track listing:

01. Gaia's Anger
02. Deviation
03. Our Land
04. Vortex Of Disaster
05. Mother Earth
06. Everything's Burning
07. Tonight Out
08. Like A Child
09. Signs
10. Thoughts Of Grey
11. Thirst In Our Hands (Gaia's Lament)
12. Through Different Eyes

"Gaia's Legacy" was produced by Marco Ribecai and Eugenio
Simone at Syncropain Products Studio in Pisa, Italy, and mastered by Göran Finnberg (OPETH, IN FLAMES, EVERGREY, DARK
TRANQUILLITY) in Sweden. FIREWIND's Bob Katsionis, a longtime
fan of the band, is credited as special guest keyboardist on the song "Like
A Child".

ELDRITCH's "Livequake" CD/DVD was released in November
2008 via Diversity Media/LMP. The disc was recorded in March 2008
at Music Street Club in Lugnano, Pisa, Italy. The
two-hour show was split into two equal parts: the first portion featuring songs
from 2001's "Reverse" album and subsequent releases; and the
second half containing material from the first three LPs, with all the keyboard
parts played by former ELDRITCH keyboardist Oleg Smirnoff.

ELDRITCH parted ways with guitarist Rob "Pek" Proietti in October 2009 and replaced him with Rudj Ginanneschi.

ELDRITCH 2011 is:

Terence Holler - Vocals
Eugene Simone - Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Rudj Ginanneschi - Rhythm Guitar
John Crystal - Bass
Raffahell Dridge - Drums
Gabriele Caselli - Keyboards

ELDRITCH released its seventh album, "Blackenday", in
April 2007 via Inside Out Music. The CD featured guest appearances by Ray
Alder (FATES WARNING, REDEMPTION, ENGINE) and Nicholas
Van Dyk (REDEMPTION) on the song "Broken Road".

ELDRITCH made its U.S.
live debut at the ChicagoPowerfest 2006.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/eldgaia.jpg
Canadian thrash pioneers SACRIFICE will release a
vinyl-only demo anthology titled "198666" on October 28
through Canadian label War On Music Records. The limited double vinyl
release will include the legendary "Exorcism" demo tape
(featuring tracks which would later be included on "Torment In
Fire"), the 1986 "Forward To Termination" demo
sessions (including a rare cover of DISCHARGE's "Possibility Of
Life's Destruction"), and the full 1989 "Soldiers Of
Misfortune" demo sessions. This is some of the best early recordings
of any classic thrash act; the tapes sum up the raw power that was early SACRIFICE and showcase the bands evolution from album to album through the '80s. The
double LP release will be strictly limited to 666 hand-numbered copies on
blood-red vinyl in a gatefold jacket featuring the stunning artwork of Hans
Memling.

For more information, visit www.waronmusic.com.

War on Music Records released SACRIFICE's latest work "The
Ones I Condemn" on vinyl in 2010, as well as a limited split
seven-inch with PROPAGANDHI featuring a timeless cover of RUSH's "Anthem".

SACRIFICE is currently working on new material which has been described
by drummer Gus Pynn as "VERY RUSH-influenced."

SACRIFICE has been confirmed for the 11th edition of the Trois-Rivières
Metalfest, set to take place Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15,
2011 at the Bâtisse Industrielle in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford. A few excerpts from
the chat follow below.

On the recording process for her new studio album, which she says is pure Lita:

"Recording has changed so much; it's easier now. You just have to get in
the groove. Touring has changed, too, and the way you sell records. Everything
is online now. Everyone's moving into other things, too. There's a book out for
everybody."

On her early years as a musician with the pioneering RUNAWAYS:

"It was really hard for me, when we broke up after five years together, to
establish myself. I had to go to such extremes because no one would take me
seriously as a guitarist. I was always in my hot pants and [lead singer] Cherie
Currie was running around in her underwear, so I guess it shouldn't come as
a surprise that they didn't look on us as musicians."

On her collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne on "Close My Eyes
Forever":

"Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne fed off each other and it as
wonderful for both of them. I thought she was fantastic, and I asked if she
would be my manager. I was sitting on the Queen Mary, where it's docked now in California, with all
these little restaurants and oyster bars inside, and I gave her a call. It was
crazy, I already had everything in place, I had signed with RCA, but I just
wanted her to fill those shoes. Sharon was a very powerful lady but I figured the worst that could happen is that
she'd hang up on me. [After Osbourne answered with a drawled out, 'Yes,
of course.'] I celebrated on the spot with my oysters and Bloody Marys."

On how band such as THE DONNAS and BIKINI KILL to THE BANGLES and the GO-GOS built their careers on the foundation Ford built in the
business:

"I'm really proud of people who can stand up and follow their dreams, and
if I was part of the soundtrack, well, that's what it's all about. Go for it,
girl!"

On taking time off from playing music when she became pregnant with her first
son:

"I wanted to devote myself to being a mom. I had been touring so long — I
started on the guitar when I was 11 and I was 38 then — and I decided, after 27
years, it was time to disappear. [A second son came along, and now' they're at
the point where they don't need me hanging around all the time. And I missed
rock 'n' roll. It's still great, and there are still people who don't get it.
But when I get out there, yeah, it's the best!"
Joseph Duplantier of French progressive metallers GOJIRA recently spoke to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for
the band's next studio album, which is not expected to arrive until early 2012. Duplantier revealed that, rather than the heavily researched themes of
the last CD, lyrics for the upcoming, yet-to-be-titled effort — which may end
up getting produced by Greg Fidelman (METALLICA, SLAYER, HIGH
ON FIRE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) — are a lot more spontaneous, with
"stream of consciousness"-style "spiritual" compositions.

"I've been about spirituality since the first album," he said.
"It's hard to define what spirituality is, but it's more like getting
closer to [oneself]. It's where each thing we do is sacred; not like going to a
church or when you are with a dying person, but waking up in the morning… I've
tried to take this dimension when I've written the music, like sometimes I
don't even know what I'm going to sing and the words come out fluently. It's
not a concept album like in the past, it's more about being spontaneous with
feeling, and it's more true and honest."

The quartet is currently without a label home, having parted ways with Listenable
Records after the release of 2008's "The Way Of All Flesh".

"Listenable did an amazing job with us, we're very good friends
with the owner and we are still working with them on stuff, but now it's time
for us to move on to something a bit bigger; we need to bring some fresh energy
and new blood into GOJIRA," said Duplantier.

"A few record companies have now put a bit more money on the table, so it
feels like something really important is happening. We don't know where we're
going to go for the next album, but everything is moving and we'll be recording
by the end of the summer."

GOJIRA last year entered the studio to record a new four-song EP, the
proceeds from which will benefit Sea Shepherd, an anti-whaling
organization. The CD will feature guest appearances by Devin Townsend (STRAPPING
YOUNG LAD), Fredrik Thordendal (MESHUGGAH), Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD), Anders Fridén (IN FLAMES) and Max
Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA).

"It's almost finished — it's been almost finished for months now and I
still have gaps to fill with voices," Duplantier told Terrorizer.
"Some of the singers are on tour, so I had to change my plans a bit and
contact different singers. This is something so important to us, it's
completely non-profit and we've spent a lot of time and energy on it already,
but we don't want to release it until we're 100 percent happy with it. Our goal
is mid-September."

Also in the works is a GOJIRA live DVD with a bonus section entitled "The
Way Of All Flesh From The Inside", with footage from rehearsals
demoing the album, studio and the tour that was filmed by the bandmembers
themselves.

"It's very lo-fi, but it's real!" enthused Duplantier.
"It's an hour-long movie and I'm even more excited by this than the live
stuff. It will be in our deal with the next record company and will probably
come out January 2012."
According to KORN fan site Kornspace.com, KORN's
experimental recording on which the band is collaborating with a number of dub
step producers/DJs, including Kill The Noise, Excision, Skrillex and 12th Planet, will carry the title of "The Path To Totality" and will be made available on November 15. Songtitles set to appear on the CD
include "Burn The Obedient", "Illuminati", "Kill
Mercy Within", "Narcissistic Cannibal", "Chaos
Lives In Everything" and "Get Up!", the latter of
which can be heard using the SoundCloud player below.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio earlier
in the year that the band was excited by the possibilities of working with some
of the aforementioned artists. "I thought it would be fun to experiment
again and see what we come up with, and maybe come up with something like this
that we're really, really excited about," he said. "We like to
experiment and try things and we're not gonna put out something that we don't
all like. So I think me and [Munky, guitar] and [Fieldy, bass]
and Ray [Luzier, drums] are really, really excited about
this."

KORN's new album, which will be the band's tenth, will follow up 2010's "Korn
III - Remember Who You Are".

Bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu told NME.com about the
new project, "We've collaborated with six or seven producers on the new
record. I've done my parts and I think Jonathan has a couple of vocal takes
still to do, but it's almost done. It's important to stay current and keep on
top of what's going on."

Drummer Ray Lazier told Download that he thought the move toward
dub step meant he might be replaced by a drum machine. He explained,
"Normally it would drive me crazy because I think drum machines are
soulless. But [Davis]
said, 'No, we're going to experiment with triggers,' which I've never done
before. So we actually triggered the sounds Skrillex made with my kit --
I'm actually playing them live. I was excited by that."
Seminal New York City hardcore/metal band BIOHAZARD will hold
open auditions to find a replacement for recently departed frontman Evan
Seinfeld.

Seinfeld left BIOHAZARD in June after the band's new CD was
completed and was temporarily replaced by Scott Roberts, who played on
the band's 2005 "Means To An End" album and has been part of
the BIOHAZARD extended family since.

A statement from the band themselves reads as follows: "ATTENTION
SINGERS!!! You think you got what it takes to be one of the voices for BIOHAZARD?
Send us your music, videos, links, etc., to auditions@biohazard.com and we'll
check you out. Experience is a must, as is the ability to commit 100% to the
life of a full-time touring musician, as the band is booked solid for 2012 and
2013."

BIOHAZARD has set "Reborn In Defiance" as the title of
its tenth studio album, due in Europe before
the end of the year via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band's first new studio CD in six years and the first with the original
lineup — Evan Seinfeld (vocals, bass), Billy Graziadei (guitar,
vocals), Danny Schuler (drums) and Bobby Hambel (guitar) — since
1994's "State of The World Address" was produced by Toby
Wright, who has previously worked with KORN, SLAYER, MÖTLEY
CRÜE, KISS, FEAR FACTORY, IN FLAMES, STONE SOUR and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others.

A song from the album, "Reborn", can be streamed at this location.

Commented guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei: "When we got back
together in 2008, we erased the last memory of BIOHAZARD in people's
heads and replaced it with a new kick-ass memory of what BIOHAZARD was
all about back in the day.

"People heard we used to fuck shit up, but being back together again as
the original BIOHAZARD gave us a chance to re-write history. Now we're
doing it once again with a brand new album.

"Our new album, 'Reborn In Defiance', is everything I love about BIOHAZARD but more....in 2011! 100% ass-kicking in every way.... See you in the
pit!"

In a recent interview with Sweden's Metalshrine, Graziadei stated about the departure of Evan Seinfeld, "It dropped like a bombshell. It kind of came up
from left field. We finished tracking the [new BIOHAZARD] record in late
February and really didn't have much contact with him that much. Everything was
through management and I was working on the mix with [producer] Toby [Wright]
and some additional overdubs and different ideas and some piano and keyboard
stuff. Then a couple of weeks ago he calls up and says, 'I can't do it
anymore!' He's got a bunch of personal stuff and it's mostly secret. But it's
personal between… it's what's going on in his life, but he made a decision and
we weren't happy about it, but we made our decision to continue and keep going.
It would be great if he was here and I know he's proud of the record and as
happy as it came out as we are. We were all there and made it together and
focused equally on it, but rather to let it die out, we said, 'You know what?
Fuck it! We're all psyched and happy and even though things are different it
doesn't mean much has changed!' The heart and soul of the band is still intact
and we're gonna continue."

When asked about how bassist/vocalist Scott Roberts, who played on the
band's 2005 "Means To An End" album, was working out as Evan's
temporary replacement, Billy said, "He's great! He was the guy
[that joined BIOHAZARD] after Bobby [Hambel left]. It took
us a long time to find him, but we knew him and he filled in for us at the last
minute, but he stepped up and did it. It was a tough obstacle to overcome but
we did it. We played Download [festival in England], which was cool and the
next day we played the Metal Hammer boat and that was a phenomenal show!
All the kids were like, "Wow!" and even the editors of the magazine
were like… and they've been doing this for ten years and in the past three of
four years with ANTHRAX and HELLYEAH and they were like,
'Nobody's rocked the boat like you guys did!' It was cool!"
Massachusetts
metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are preparing to enter the studio to begin
working on the follow-up to their 2009 self-titled album. Guitarist Adam
Dutkiewicz writes on the band's Facebook page, "YO! It's Adam D! We're about to
begin writing our new record. Thanks to all of our fans for waiting so friggin'
patiently … now let's turn on the 'riff faucet' and RAGE."

Dutkiewicz and KILLSWITCH guitarist Joel Stroeltzel spent
the last few months touring with TIMES OF GRACE, Adam's
collaborative project with former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse
Leach. That band's debut album, "Hymn Of A Broken Man",
came out in January via Roadrunner Records.

Dutkiewicz recently revealed that he may also be involved in another
group, which he described in an interview as "a death metal side project
with the drummer from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and the singer from CANNIBAL
CORPSE."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio has been busy with his DEATH
RAY VISION, his new project with SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair
and former OVERCAST/SEEMLESS guitarist Pete Cortese.
LEAVES' EYES — the German/Norwegian band formed by
ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and
members of ATROCITY — has released the following statement:

"Some members of the band visited the Summer Breeze festival in Germany
this weekend. We met up with our friends from the Nuclear Blast merchandise stand on the festival grounds and got some rather unpleasant news
on which we'd like to set the record straight.

"We heard the police showed up and confiscated LEAVES' EYES shirts
with a Celtic cross on it. Apparently the police thought the design had
something to do with right-wing symphathies. We also heard some fans were
forced to take their shirt off with the same design and had to give it to the
police as well. Later the police apologised for the mistake and brought back
the shirts to the Nuclear Blast stand, after harrassing the merch people
five times!

"We as a band want to state that we are shocked and disgusted by all what
has taken place. Also, we are amazed by the ignorance of the police in these
matters as clearly LEAVES' EYES have nothing to do with such symphaties,
nor does the design of the t-shirt. Clearly they need to do their homework a
lot better!! We think it is a shame that things like this had to happen at one
of the best metal festivals we know and also the merch guys and girls at Nuclear
Blast, and last but least to our fans!!!!"

LEAVES' EYES' latest album, "Meredead", entered the
German Media Control chart at position No. 32. Released on April 22 in Germany, Austria
and Switzerland
via Napalm Records, the effort was made available exclusively as
limited-edition mediabook CD, including bonus track and bonus DVD "Live
At The Metal Female Voices Fest", strictly limited-edition deluxe box
set and regular jewel case. The deluxe box set (pictured below) is limited to
1,000 copies and includes the mediabook CD including bonus track and bonus DVD, "Live At The Metal Female Voices Fest", plus pendant (Celtic
cross with LEAVES' EYES branding).
"The Age Of Hell", the new album from
Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA, sold more than 7,000 copies in the
United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on The
Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Infection",
opened with 15,000 units back in April 2009 to land at No. 30. This figure was
roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by CHIMAIRA's 2007
album, "Resurrection", which shifted 16,000 copies to enter
the chart at No. 42.

"The Age Of Hell" was released in the U.S. on August 16 via eOne Music; in Germany on August 26; and in the United Kingdom, Australia
and the rest of Europe on August 29 through Long
Branch Records.

"The Age of Hell" track listing:

01. The Age Of Hell
02. Clockwork
03. Losing My Mind
04. Time Is Running Out
05. Year Of The Snake
06. Beyond The Grave
07. Born In Blood (feat. Phil Bozeman)
08. Stoma
09. Powerless
10. Trigger Finger
11. Scapegoat
12. Samsara (feat. Emil Werstler)

CHIMAIRA 2011 is:

Mark Hunter - Vocals
Rob Arnold - Guitar
Matt DeVries - Guitar
Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Bass
Sean Zatorsky (DAATH) - Keyboards/Samples
Austin D'Amond (BLEED THE SKY, THE ELITE) – Drums

Although D'Amond is sitting behind the kit for all of CHIMAIRA's
current shows, the drum tracks on "The Age Of Hell" were laid
down by the CD's producer, Ben Schigel, who has previously worked with DROWNING
POOL and WALLS OF JERICHO, among others. The effort was mixed by Chris
"Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, MURDERDOLLS, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD).
While on holiday in Paris, France, PAIN mainman Peter Tägtgren met French celebrity Cécile Siméone, a
folk singer, TV anchorwoman and actress. After few bottles of wine, they
decided to meet the next day to work on a song.

PAIN's "My Angel", featuring Cécile Siméone,
will be available on iTunes in September. A trailer for the
collaboration can be seen below.

PAIN's latest album, "You Only Live Twice", was
released on June 3 in Europe and June 21 in North America
via Nuclear Blast Records.
Nuclear Blast Records has announced the signing of Pennsylvania quintet TEXASIN JULY for all European
territories. The band's latest album, "One Reality", which
came out in North America in April via Equal Vision Records, will be
made available in Europe on October 7 with
bonus material. Furthermore, the group will go on tour with labelmates TASTERS shortly after the CD's release.

Commented the band: "TEXASIN JULY is thrilled that we have been given the opportunity to work with
such a great label overseas!

"Last year when we traveled to Europe for
the month of July, it was one of the best experiences this band ever had.

"We are looking forward to the tour in October/November with our new
labelmates, TASTERS, very much.

"We worked extremely hard on our new CD, 'One Reality', and are
very thankful that our European fans will now have the opportunity to purchase
our CD in stores near them, with exclusive content, and at a fair price, now
that we are working with Nuclear Blast. Our good friends, twice-over
tourmates, and U.S. labelmates, WE CAME AS ROMANS have also joined Nuclear
Blast, and it's so nice to join them on Nuclear Blast, and so nice
to be labelmates, once again!

"We are grateful to be part of the Nuclear Blast family, and we
welcome them to the TEXASIN JULY family."

"One Reality" sold around 3,300 copies in the United States
in its first week of release to debut at position No. 173 on The Billboard 200
chart. The CD landed at position 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.
Century Media Records has announced the signing of U.K. death
metal band VALLENFYRE.

Just like SONNE ADAM from Israel, VALLENFYRE debuted
with a seven-inch single on the underground label Imperium Productions and also shares a similar approach of mixing classic death metal with doom and
in case of VALLENFYRE some British crust on top.

Commented Jens Prueter, head Of A&R, Century Media Records Europe: "I was already blown away by VALLENFYRE's
old-school orgy of doomy and crusty death metal riffs when I heard the first
demo last winter and the new seven-inch sounds even better. So I couldn't
hesitate to offer them a deal straight away. That's how we signed GRAVE and ASPHYX over 20 years ago — and we all know that it was a good
decision. So welcome to another chapter of Century Media's death metal
legacy.

"VALLENFYRE's debut album, 'A Fragile King', is already
recorded and will be released in late October 2011.

"If you like a mix of early ENTOMBED, CELTIC FROST, AUTOPSY and AMEBIX, you should hurry up to buy the last few copies of the 'Desecration' seven-inch single, which was limited to only 500 copies by Imperium
Productions."

For more information, visit www.vallenfyre.com.
 
COLDWORKER — the Örebro, Sweden-based
"blasting" death metal band consisting of current and former/current
members of such acts as NASUM, RELENTLESS, RUIN and PHOBOS — has inked a deal with Listenable Records. The group's third album, "The
Doomsayer's Call", will be released this winter. The CD was recorded
in part at Soundlab Studios in the group's hometown and will feature 13
songs. Mixing took place at Unisound studios with Dan Swanö (OPETH, KATATONIA, DISSECTION).

"The Doomsayer's Call" track listing:

01. A New Era
02. The Reprobate
03. The Glass Envelope
04. Flesh World
05. Murderous
06. Pessimist
07. Monochrome Existence
08. Vacuum Fields
09. Living is Suffering
10. The Walls Of Eryx
11. Violent Society
12. Becoming The Stench
13. The Phantom Carriage

Commented COLDWORKER drummer Anders Jackobson: "There's
often talk about 'the difficult second album.' Well, history has told me time
and again that the third album is usually the most memorable in a band's
discography.

"We have all put more than 100% each into this album, writing songs that
will stand out on their own as well as have a natural place on the album,
spending many hours in three different recording studios just to get the best
out of ourselves and so on.

"The album is definitively 'the next step' for COLDWORKER, with
developed songwriting and performances that are the best we can muster. It's
really a band effort as all five members of the band have written songs, and
likewise all five of us have opinions about what the final album should
be."

Fan-filmed video footage of COLDWORKER performing the new song "Becoming
The Stench" on February 5, 2011 in Örebro, Sweden
can be viewed below.

"Rotting Paradise" was released in the U.S. on May 13,
2008 via Relapse Records.

COLDWORKER is:

Joel Fornbrant - Vocals
Anders Bertilsson - Guitar
Daniel Schröder - Guitar
Oskar Pålsson - Bass
Anders Jakobson – Drums
 
Fresh off the 2011 Warped Tour and armed with what
the U.K.'s Metal Hammer called the band's "most ferocious release
to date," rising metalcore darlings THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA announce "Dead
Throne Tour: North America 2011", the first North American leg of the
band's 2011 - 2012 worldwide tour. The 37-date headline trek kicks off on
November 3 in Milwaukee and will criss-cross the
U.S. and Canada over a
six-week period. "Dead Throne Tour: North America
2011" will feature WHITECHAPEL, ENTER SHIKARI, and FOR
TODAY on all dates.

The "Dead Throne Tour" will come on the heels of the band's
October headline trek through Australia
that kicks off October 20 in Perth, taking the
band to Adelaide, Melbourne,
Sydney, and Brisbane.

These North American dates are in support of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's
fourth album, the highly-anticipated "Dead Throne" (Ferret),
produced by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE mad genius Adam Dutkiewicz, and set
for a September 13 release. With "Dead Throne", the band —
frontman Mike Hranica, guitarist and clean vocalist Jeremy DePoyster,
guitarist Chris Rubey, bassist Andy Trick, keyboardist James
Baney and drummer Daniel Williams — has turned a corner by turning
up the aggression and turning on the emotions. The new album erupts with what THE
DEVIL WEARS PRADA has merely hinted at in the past — it is a brilliant,
emotional, captivating and brutal journey that tackles issues of failed
relationships and the perseverance of faith.

"We aim to give listeners and fans something they can enjoy, but we'll
also always make songs we personally stand behind," said Hranica.
"We'd write differently if we were purely trying to sell albums, that's
just not how it works for us. No compromises."
Dates for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's "Dead Throne Tour: North
America 2011" are as follows:

Nov. 03 - The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 06 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Nov. 07 - Epic, Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 08 - The Garrick, Winnipeg, MB Canada
Nov. 10 - Edmonton Events Center, Edmonton, AB Canada
Nov. 11 - MacEwan Ballroom, Calgary, AB Canada
Nov. 13 - Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC Canada
Nov. 14 - Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
Nov. 15 - Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
Nov. 17 - Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
Nov. 18 - The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
Nov. 19 - SOMA, San Diego, CA
Nov. 20 - Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 21 - Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
Nov. 23 - Saltair, Magna, UT
Nov. 25 - Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
Nov. 26 - Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK
Nov. 27 - House of Blues, Dallas, TX
Nov. 28 - Backstage Live, San Antonio, TX
Nov. 29 - Warehouse Live Ballroom, Houston, TX
Nov. 30 - House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
Dec. 02 - Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL
Dec. 03 - Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dec. 04 - House of Blues, Orlando, FL
Dec. 05 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
Dec. 07 - Amos' Southend, Charlotte, NC
Dec. 08 - The National, Richmond, VA
Dec. 09 - The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
Dec. 10 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 11 - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
Dec. 13 - Best Buy Theatre, New York, NY
Dec. 14 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA
Dec. 15 - Metropolis, Montreal, QC Canada
Dec. 16 - Kool Haus, Toronto, ONT Canada
Dec. 17 - Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
Dec. 18 - Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH

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