The New York Post reports that former U.S. President Bill Clinton will present Keith with the Mailer Prize for Distinguished Biography in New York City on November 8, 2011. Then Keith will also be receiving an award at the "Keeping the Blues alive" awards in Memphis Februar 4, 2012.
The Pulse Of Radio reports: Has singer Robert Plant married his BAND OF JOY bandmate Patty Griffin? According to Ramble On Radio, rumors have been surfacing from Austin that the LED ZEPPELIN singer and Griffin have been seen around town with wedding rings on their fingers, and that Plant introduced Griffin as his wife on at least one occasion. It's been speculated for months that the two artists have been dating, with one source allegedly catching them making out in a Texas airport last May.
When asked if the two had gotten hitched, a publicist for Plant and Griffin said, "Not to my knowledge."
Plant and the current BAND OF JOY — named after his original pre-LED ZEPPELIN group from the Sixties — have spent much of 2011 on the road in support of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, which arrived in September 2010.
Among the ZEPPELIN songs BAND OF JOY have tackled in concert are "Misty Mountain Hop", "In My Time Of Dying", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Houses Of The Holy", "Gallows Pole", "Thank You" and "Rock And Roll".
Plant will join THE WHO members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey in Los Angeles on Friday (November 4) for a press conference launching the UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The program is an outgrowth of Britain's Teenage Cancer Trust, which has been Daltrey's patron charity for years and to which THE WHO have donated much of their time and money.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a special gel that mimics the vibrations of human vocal cords. The project could have profound effects on people with damaged voices, from aging singers to throat cancer patients. Here's what you should know about the project:
How does the gel work?
Doctors inject it directly into the vocal cord area, where it bonds with the existing membrane. Once in place, it responds to breath and muscle tension by vibrating at up to 200 times a second, just like a real vocal cord. The scientists rearranged the molecules in the gel — a type of polyethylene glycol, a compound sometimes found in skin creams — to get it to vibrate at the right speed.
Who can it help?
Potentially, a lot of people. The research is being funded in part by The Who's Roger Daltrey, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and actress Julie Andrews, whose voice was affected by 1997 surgery. They hope the gel will help people with damaged vocal cords to sing again. But it also could be useful to the 13,000 Americans diagnosed with throat cancer each year, or anyone in the 6 percent of the U.S. population with some kind of voice disorder. "It's not just for singers," Daltrey tells Bloomberg. "There are millions of people who have no voice whatsoever."
Could it really help people recover their voices?
It's still too early to tell. Right now, tests on animals suggest the gel could offer new hope to humans with vocal cord afflictions. We might know more soon, as doctors plan test the gel in a cancer patient for the first time in 2012. "It's one of Steven's main ambitions," Daltrey says, "to get this perfected in time to give Julie Andrews her proper voice back."
According to the Associated Press, Lou Reed and METALLICA have tapped award-winning director Darren Aronofsky to helm a music video for their collaborative track "Iced Honey". Scenes for the clip will be shot in the San Francisco Bay Area and will be available for viewing later this month. Also involved with the project as director of photography will be Aronofsky's cameraman, Matthew Libatique, who has worked on all of Aronofsky's feature releases — which include such Oscar-nominated films as "Black Swan" and "The Wrestler" — and has been a cinematographer for several Spike Lee films.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said in a statement Thursday that working with Reed and Aronofsky is "living the dream."
He added, "As if making a record with Lou Reed is not enough, now I get to make a video with Darren Aronofsky, who has been among my very favorite filmmakers since his first movie, 'Pi'." Reed, meanwhile, said he hoped that the video would become "his next 'Black Swan'."
"Iced Honey" is featured on METALLICA's collaborative album with Lou Reed, titled "Lulu", which is likely to sell between 12,000 and 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on November 1 via Warner Bros. Records (one day earlier in the rest of the world through Universal Music). By contrast, METALLICA's last studio effort, 2008's "Death Magnetic", sold 490,000 copies in just a three-day sales window after it came out on a Friday, with sales tracked through the following Sunday.
Even METALLICA's controversial 2003 set, "St. Anger", moved 418,000 copies in its initial week of release, which was also shortened to four days.
METALLICA's previous three studio outings, 1997's "Reload", 1996's "Load" and the 1991 "black album" all earned six-figure first week sales as well.
"Lulu" is based on two plays by early 20th century German author Frank Wedekind about an amoral woman.
Both METALLICA and Reed have downplayed the scathing reviews that the album has gotten, with Reed saying that METALLICA fans are "threatening to shoot me." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich defended the project, saying, "It's not for everyone, but I think it's a fantastic record."
According to DNAIndia.com, four officials of promoter DNA Networks which organized METALLICA's canceled October 28, 2011 concert in Gurgaon (a suburb of Delhi), India were on Thursday sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court.
Police arrested Rajesh Kumar, the general manager of DNA Networks, and his colleagues Umesh Chinara, Ashok Singh and Savio Faleiro over the weekend on reported fraud charges. The police asked DNA's local bank to freeze its account while the investigation was ongoing (although during preparations, DNA had given the local authorities a bank guarantee of $200,000).
A representative for DNA Networks told Pollstar that the cancelation of METALLICA's performance at the Indian Formula 1 motor racing Grand Prix show was caused by an "unruly" section of the crowd climbing over safety barriers and damaging the stage set.
Karuna Prithvi from the DNA's press department told Pollstar it's difficult to explain what sparked the fuss because "it was all so quick."
Prithvi said the company always has barriers in place for its shows and the problem was caused when fans broke through them.
She said unruly fans "vandalized and destroyed" a lot of stage equipment, which meant it was impossible to fix it and get permission for a new show within 24 hours.
Other media reports, however, claimed fans became unruly when the gates opened several hours later than the scheduled opening times. Still other media reports said fans became angry after DNA sold more tickets than the venue's estimated 30,000 capacity and because the organizers failed to inform ticket holders of the cancelation.
METALLICA issued a statement on its web site, explaining it was "deeply disappointed" about the gig's cancellation. The band added, "We arrived in Delhi on Friday very excited and ready to play our first show ever in India at the F1 Rocks concert. However, immediately at the end of our afternoon press conference at a hotel near the venue, we were notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience. And our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans."
METALLICA performed Sunday in Bangalore, India, at the Palace Grounds before an estimated 35,000 fans. METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told the crowd, "India has been a life-changing experience for us."
On Friday, November 11, METALLICA and former THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman Lou Reed will perform live for a special radio broadcast in Germany on 1LIVE that will also be webcast on www.einslive.de and www.metallica.de. Four hundred lucky fans will be in the audience, some even getting a chance to ask the guys about their collaborative project, "Lulu". The broadcast will also air on a number of Germany's public broadcast network stations either live or at a later point, and all participating stations will also host the live stream on their websites.
For more info on the 1LIVE radio live broadcast/online-webcast, or to enter to win tickets to the event held in Cologne, please visit www.einslive.de or www.metallica.de. Met Club (METALLICA fan club) members should log in to www.metallica.com for a chance to win tickets through the Club.
This event will only be webcast in Germany. However, within hours of completion, it will be available on www.loureedmetallica.com in its entirety.
The fans are speaking out, and the results are not looking pretty: according to industry web site Hits Daily Double, "Lulu" is expected to sell between 12,000 and 15,000 copies in the U.S. in its first full week of release. That estimate is based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on Tuesday (November 1). By contrast, METALLICA's last studio effort, 2008's "Death Magnetic", sold 490,000 copies in just a three-day sales window after it came out on a Friday, with sales tracked through the following Sunday.
Even METALLICA's controversial 2003 set, "St. Anger", moved 418,000 copies in its initial week of release, which was also shortened to four days.
METALLICA's previous three studio outings, 1997's "Reload", 1996's "Load" and the 1991 "black album" all earned six-figure first week sales as well.
"Lulu" is based on two plays by early 20th century German author Frank Wedekind about an amoral woman. METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio he did not read the original material but understood what it was about. "[I] didn't know much about the history, but understood the story of Lulu as this siren that's calling not only men but women, and she's so attractive and — but also man's ruin 'cause everyone just falls for her and she has no regard, no caring for anyone. And making up a backstory about her, about she was abused as a kid so she's turned prostitute, blah blah blah . . . some intense subject matter that still holds true today."
Both METALLICA and Reed have downplayed the scathing reviews that the album has gotten, with Reed saying that METALLICA fans are "threatening to shoot me." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich defended the project, saying, "It's not for everyone, but I think it's a fantastic record."
Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who with over 20 years served is the second only to Axl Rose in terms of tenure, was recently kind enough to speak to us on the eve of the the band's first North American tour (see dates below) in five years.
Reed discussed the criticism leveled at Guns N' Roses for starting their concerts later than most bands, and for spending so much time creating new music. He also explained the common influences that brought him and Rose together, talked about his own upcoming solo album and when fans can expect new GNR music:
So, you're fresh off your South American tour, right? How did that all go?
Yeah, yeah! We got through it, we did all the shows, and it seemed great. It's always great down there, the crowds are always really good in South America and Mexico, man. They like to rock out. It's also nice to have a couple of days off, though!
Do you think too much attention is paid to when your shows start, or how long it takes you to release an album? Isn't it a little silly to talk about stuff like that so much?
As a matter of fact, I never thought about it, but yeah, it is silly. It's a rock and roll concert for Christ's sake! I would think we get more than our share of that, certainly. But yeah, (music) is supposed to be inspired by creativity and good things in life, and having a good time.
Are you writing new material while you're on tour?
I think, you know, all of us, as musicians and those of us that would consider ourselves composers, are always writing. I have a studio I take with me everywhere, and when I'm home that's pretty much all I do. There's so much material that's been recorded in the past, that might put its head up sometime. We're always writing.
So, we can maybe expect to hear some new GNR music soon?
Hopefully, that's the plan. But right now, we're out there rocking 'Chinese Democracy' and some of the older classic songs, maybe some new surprises, and that's that. But I know, there's always something brewing. There should be some new music coming out at some point for sure.
You played many 'Chinese Democracy' songs live before the record came out, but are people reacting to them differently now that they've got the album?
Yeah, a lot of those songs, we've been playing some version of live for about, gosh…10 years. You know, there used to be some head scratching in the crowd, but since the album's come out you can see everyone's getting into it. It's very infectious, too.
You've been in Guns N' Roses for over 20 years now, what were the common musical influences that drew you and Axl together?
I think we're both children of the '70s. We just grew up listening to a lot of the same stuff on the radio. Things aren't like that now. Whatever city you were in had maybe two, maybe three rock stations and that's what you listened to, that's all you got. That being said, to me there was just a lot of great, great music that came out of that time. Anybody that sort of came up around the same time that we did had the same taste too. At least, people that I would choose to hang out and play music with! You just kind of gravitate together, move in the same direction.
Do you think music was better back then?
No, I just think there was less to choose from, and things weren't as categorized. There wasn't all these genres, everything wasn't suddenly assigned something: "OK, this is punk, this is alternative," you know. There was rock and roll, basically.
Would it be safe to assume given how you're a keyboardist, that Elton John was a big shared influence between you and Axl?
(Jokingly) Who? Who's Elton John? No, of course, Elton John. He's one of the best ever, in my opinion. That's probably why he invited him to play with us that one time, at the (1992) MTV VMAs. I forgot about that till just now, that was cool.
Does it all kind of blur together — do things from the last two decades suddenly jump out at you like that?
Sometimes, some things blur together. Other things, are completely gone for good. Some things you try to block out, some things you cherish, some things change in your head over time, you know?
So, your covers band, Hookers N' Blow is over, right? What else are you working on?
I recorded a record last year, called 'Rock and Roll Ain't Easy,' under my name, that should hopefully be coming out the first part of next year. When Guns N' Roses aren't touring I've been out supporting that already.
Are you singing? How would you describe the record?
I am singing, or, crooning as I like to say. It's very rootsy, very groovy, very rocking, a lot of cool piano based songs, and about half of it is guitar-based songs.
Where can people learn more about that record — do you have your own website?
I gotta get on that. I have my Facebook page going, I just don't really look at it that much. I'm still going through therapy from what MySpace did to my life (laughs), once I get past that I'm going to get back on the web!
Guns N' Roses 2011 Tour Dates:
Nov. 4 – Houston, Texas @ Houston Toyota Center
Nov. 5 – Dallas, Texas @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
Nov. 8 – Omaha, Neb. @ Quest Center Omaha
Nov. 9 – Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Lloyd Noble Arena
Nov. 12 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Sprint Center Arena
Nov. 13 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Target Center Arena
Nov. 15 – Chicago, Ill. @ All State Arena
Nov. 17 – East Rutherford, N.J. @ IZOD Center
Nov. 19 – Hartford, Ct. @ Comcast Theatre
Nov. 20 – Wilkes-Barre, Pa. @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 25 – Worcester, Mass. @ DCU Center
Nov. 26 – Camden, N.J. @ Susquehanna Bank Center
Dec. 1 – Auburn Hills, Mich. @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
Dec. 2 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ U.S. Bank Arena
Dec. 4 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
Dec. 5 – Southhaven, Miss. @ DeSoto County Civic Center
Dec. 7 – Youngstown, Ohio @ The Covelli Center
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, November 7 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Mustaine by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).
For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.
MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", is likely to sell between 40,000 and 45,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on November 1 via Roadrunner Records.
MEGADETH's previous CD, 2009's "Endgame", opened with 45,000 units to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was slightly less than the 54,000 first-week tally registered by 2007's "United Abominations", which landed at No. 8. 2004's "The System Has Failed" premiered with 46,000 copies (No. 18) while 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" moved 61,000 units in its first week (No. 16).
"TH1RT3EN" 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 was once again created by artist John Lorenzi, who worked 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".
MEGADETH's video for the song "Public Enemy No. 1" will make its online debut this coming Friday, November 4. The clip was shot on September 17 in Santa Clarita, California on a movie set where old Westerns are filmed. Bassist David Ellefson stated in a video message (see below) about the "Public Enemy No. 1" clip, "We have never shot a video like this before; there's actually animals in the movie and that's all we can say."
On the topic of how the song "Public Enemy No. 1" came together, Ellefson told Music Radar in a recent interview, "We started writing this song during a soundcheck in Croatia last year, and we finished it in Vienna, Austria a short while later. Funnily enough, earlier this year we wrote another song on the record called 'Never Dead' in the same venue in Austria. So that place has magic in it. It's another New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-type song, at least as far as what I do. I loved the early DEF LEPPARD records, and I'm copping a bit of a Rick Savage bass approach on it. I really tried to write around the vocals. I love to hear as much of the band, especially the vocals, when I record a bass part. As a player, I want to be the mortar between the blocks that glue the building together. Once the vocal melody developed, Johnny [K., producer] and I worked with Dave [Mustaine, vocals/guitar], and that allowed me to put down a strong bass part. It was a fun way to record. I had a lot of note choices available to me, and there's a cool moving bassline in the B section of the verse as well as the chorus. As a listener, none of that matters, but hopefully, you'll feel the song jump."
"Public Enemy No. 1" comes off MEGADETH's new album, "TH1RT3EN", which is likely to sell between 40,000 and 45,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on November 1 via Roadrunner Records.
MEGADETH's previous CD, 2009's "Endgame", opened with 45,000 units to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was slightly less than the 54,000 first-week tally registered by 2007's "United Abominations", which landed at No. 8. 2004's "The System Has Failed" premiered with 46,000 copies (No. 18) while 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" moved 61,000 units in its first week (No. 16).
"TH1RT3EN" 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 was once again created by artist John Lorenzi, who worked 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".
As an unabashedly devout fan of all things Anthrax and Anthrax-related, I'll be the first to openly admit my disturbingly-intense fascination with the now-legendary quintet's rightful place atop the hierarchy of the Thrash Metal genre. Fueled by the release of the group's stunning commercial breakthrough Among The Living (1987) and the woefully-underrated State Of Euphoria (1988), my already oft-documented feelings were once again 'in full-bloom' with the commencement of the group's ultimately-aborted 2005 reunion. Not surprisingly, when I was initially approached regarding coverage (most notably an interview with iconic frontman Joey Belladonna) of the undeniably brilliant comeback that is the mighty Worship Music (2011) I was once again only more than happy to overindulge…
Todd: At what point did you realize you would again be re-joining the group on a permanent and full-time basis? Was there a particular moment or scenario where everything started to come together as a cohesive unit?
Joey Belladonna: "When I got a call from past management about joining again. I figured we were going to try and move forward. It was really just a matter of working a few of the details out. We're always striving for better business and better communication. Whenever I get that call, I'm always willing to talk. It's not as if we've put ourselves in harms way over the years (laughs). It was just differences with them wanting to get a different singer or work in a different vein. The differences were never really there for me. All I could do was take the call and venture in on a real level versus the reunion where it was like 'Let's go out and do something for the fans, if you're interested. Don't get too serious here. Let's take some baby steps'. …When they went out and got someone else out of nowhere, I was like 'Wait a minute. Where do I stand here?' And I tried to not get too worried about it because by that point, I had been doin' my own thing and I wasn't gonna sit around and wonder why they wanna do things. Even while I'm in the band at this point, I still wonder how sincere everyone is. I can do the best I can and feel good about what I'm doing yet I still have my doubts about how sincere and how serious everyone is about being together, ya know? I think everyone is on their highest regard at this point, but it's so hard to tell. You just think 'What happened back then? Am I supposed to think that way now?' …I just don't talk about anything that happened in the past and just try to stay on the positive side."
Todd: Once the recording process for Worship Music began, how did it compare with your previous endeavors?
Joey: "I went in alone, but overall, I feel we went in as a group because we were finishing a record. (Producer) Jay Ruston and I went in alone. We did four, three, two and four day blocks and then I was done. We did one song a day, three to five hours at a time and really banged them out. It felt great. There's no doubt that there were some very high expectations, it was very serious and I was excited to go in and do a great job. In some ways, it was better than ever because no one was there other than the Producer. I didn't have anyone chitter-chattin' around and there wasn't anyone movin' around and maybe gesturing at what you just did or how you just did our could have done… It was quiet, there was no one there and I just got to focus on what I was doing. It was probably my favorite experience. I don't know if I could go back, to be honest with you. It's like your in the waiting room and you've got to climb that ladder and hope you can make it without any struggle, ya know? It's not that I have a hard time, but when people are overlooking your every move every step of the way… There's always stops and starts regardless because maybe you came in to early or whatever, so you have to try again. There can be a lot of distractions. When I've been doin' stuff in my own home. I go in, sit in a chair and just sing for three hours and I won't have anyone, except maybe someone walking around the room to get something on occasion. Other than that, I don't have to think about stuff like that, so it's the way to go for me."
Todd: Did you initially find it challenging to record vocals for tracks that were already written and/or recorded?
Joey: "I could have done it no matter what. You can give me any band or any record, for that matter. Look at Spreading The Disease (1985). That one was pretty much ready to go as far as having a singer come in and start singing. And that's what I did. We just took one song at a time. I had never even heard of Anthrax, first of all. I had never heard any of their songs or anything. Hell, even "A.I.R." was put together after everything was done. We put that one together from scratch. We put the drums up, then the bass and the guitars. Everything was from scratch, so it's not very hard. It's actually nice when things are laid out, but at the same time, it's also really nice to be there from the beginning because you can say 'That's too long. Why don't you cut that in half so when I sing on it, I don't have to finish it off and run out of room or have the key be messed up', ya know? …And I could have done a lot more on the record, too. It would have been no problem for me to take more chances. I just didn't want to place too much of an emphasis on overdoing my performance. I wasn't trying to super-impress. I was just trying to make sure the songs were really working, ya know? As we went through each day, I looked back and was like 'Can we go back and try this one another way' and they'd be like 'Yeah, we can do that'. Of course then all of the harmonies started coming in and everything started taking shape. Again, I could have done more. Live, I'll probably do some more of that just to have some fun with it."
Todd: It's ironic how your involvement with the group has now effectively come 'full-circle'. Taking that into consideration, what were your overall impressions of the material they had already completed with Dan Nelson?
Joey: "It really is. I've been away from the band for so long. A lot of people have asked me 'Did you just get rid of his vocals', but I didn't even see any of it. The music wasn't even nearly quite ready to go yet. They were far from being ready. Maybe they thought they were, but… (In some cases), I was singin' to just two tracks. They weren't even full cuts of songs. The stuff wasn't even put together. But it was just as well, really. …I didn't hear anything that was finished. I think a lot of the songs weren't even close to being ready to record yet. I'd be damned if they put them together that fast before I got there. We wouldn't have gotten any of these results if they had just laid down and left it where they had it. Again, they could have handed me something completely ready to go, Mixed even, with me just needing to add a vocal and there still would have been plenty of work for me to do to make it completed and right. But that's by far not what happened. There was plenty of work goin' on. Charlie was doin' guitars while I was singin', Scott was doin' guitars during and after I was done and Rob was doin' leads on the bus while it was movin'. …There was all brand-new bass, new guitars, new leads and there were quite a few new drums. There were a lot of new guitars layered in and the vocals are maxed out in many different ways. …I keep tellin' people that even if the record just so happened to be done, I still had to sing on it. It's not as if it was all laid-out for me to do great. In fact, take me off this record and put someone else on there and see what you get with it. Don't even let them hear what I did; just go in and sing and see what you end up with. You'll get a lot different record. It's the same thing with anything else that happened a long time ago. Nothing against anyone else that sang for them, but I could have sang on any of those records. It wouldn't have been that difficult for me to be something different while they were doing The Sound Of White Noise or anything else. Even with singing "Only" (from The Sound Of White Noise), I only listened to it a couple of times before I sang it live. Not that covering something is the best results for a singer, either, but when I look back, I basically could have still been in the band. It's different, but it's not, ya know?"
Todd: In hindsight, do you feel the material on Worship Music would have developed differently if you had been more involved in the songwriting process? I would imagine there were element lost in the whole process...
Joey: "I could say that I agree with you, but I wasn't there to say 'That sounds too that' or 'Why isn't that more Thrashy?' If I had been sitting there listening to someone come up with a riff, I could have said 'I don't like that' or 'I want to try this'. When I come up with something, I'm not thinking about how fast or heavy it needs to be. I think everyone is into trying new things and writing more songs instead of just the cool riffs, ya know?"
Todd: Once the tour with Death Angel and Testament commences, what type of set list will the group be utilizing? Is it safe to assume it will be a 'Greatest Hits' collection buoyed with select Worship Music material?
Joey: "That seems like the obvious thing to do. I don't see us doing a set with "Enemy" (from Spreading The Disease) and six or seven strange tunes. It would be cool, but I don't know if everyone would be interested in that. At the same time, do we all really know those deep songs? I'd be willing to try just about anything, but there's just something about certain songs where they work really well live whereas something else that you just want to hear. People ask for "Lone Justice" all the time, but is it really one of those great 'concert-y' songs? It is, but it's also not "Antisocial" or "Caught In A Mosh". It doesn't have that. Songs like "In My World" (from Persistence Of Time) go over very well, but it's now "I Am The Law", so it's hard. That's the hard part of it. Even when I go out with Belladonna, I'm like 'Man, we could go out and do tons of stuff that we've never done with Anthrax like a song like "Armed And Dangerous" (from Spreading The Disease). Even that's not out of the question, but they don't like doin' that. I would do it because I think it's cool, but I still wouldn't go crazy about doin' something strange. It would be nice to try it, but you couldn't get away with it without people saying 'They were good, but I didn't even know half of those songs', so I believe you have the correct answer."
Todd: Aside from "Only", can the average casual fan expect any additional 'surprises' from the John Bush era? Has the subject of you covering a certain percentage of the material from that era become a point of contention?
Joey: "For me, and I'll say this out loud for everybody, I'm not a huge fan of trying to counter anything that he did or capture all of the songs that he played and they did. When you go down that road, not only do I have to learn the song, but I have to do it in a way that is adequate to him. When he joined, he didn't have much choice. They had one record going and he basically had to do what I did. When I joined, we did all of Fistful Of Metal except two songs. And at that point, I didn't care because I had to do what I had to do and I ripped those songs up nicely. In time, I didn't need that record and he had a bunch of records in front of him where he had to put it together. Whether you felt he captured it or not or if he was adequate live… It would be interesting to take it on, but I always feel like I need to get the approval of the guys. It's like 'Did I do it right? Did I cover it right? Did I sing it correct? Did I phrase that correctly' I don't want to sit around and mathematically put all that together. Now that we have a new record out, the last thing I want to do is look back. But I know somewhere in their minds, they're thinking 'I wonder if we can get him to sing some more of that'. It somehow bothers me that I have to try and cover all that stuff, ya know? There's so much other music that we could do. I don't mind doing "Only". "Only" was quite fine. It just happened to be suitable. If I don't sound like him on a certain song and they say 'Go get that one', I don't want to go get that one because it ain't me and then I gotta try to find me and make that work and then I've got a problem on my hands because people are writin' in and the last thing about this and that and the last thing I want to do is get ridiculed for something. It's a weird spot to be in. It's something I try not to cross if I can help it, but it's a weird thing. And even if I did do that and somebody was writin' in, the other guys are like 'That's fine. The hell with them. You'll be fine' and I'll be like 'That's fine for you, but you're not the one that gotta take it. You just to keep ridin' along. Believe me, I'll find a way to not have to battle that. I just don't wanna. I'm sure even when he did it…;let's face it; he didn't get out of it squeaky clean when he tried to do my stuff. The whole things sucks because they have to sit there and battle a version of their songs, ya know? …Whenever you do some else's stuff, it's never going to be what it needs to be. It would be nice if I could even do it better in a weird way and I'm sure that I can, but that's going to depend on who you are doing the comparison. People and even the band at one time said that they liked The Greater Of Two Evils better, which just kills me. When Scott said 'This is exactly how we envisioned these songs', I was like 'Wow'. I got a real black eye over that one. I was like 'So you're sayin' that everything we did wasn't quite good and wasn't good enough and on top of that, you said that yourself?'. That was brutal. It was tough, man and I gotta tell you, I totally disagree. Let's put it this way; I don't think they could have even gotten those songs if he had been in the band at that time. It is just a hard topic, ya know?
Select Discography
Worship Music (2011) **
The Big 4: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria (DVD) (2010) **
Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert (2007) **
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) (2005) **
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) The Videos (DVD) (2005) **
Alive 2: The DVD (DVD) (2005) **
Alive 2 (2005) **
The Greater Of Two Evils (2004) ***
Music Of Mass Destruction (2004) ***
We've Come For You All (2003) ***
The Collection (2002) **
Classic Anthrax: The Universal Masters Collection (2002) **
Madhouse: The Very Best Of Anthrax (2001) **
Return Of The Killer A's: The Videos (DVD) (1999) **
Return Of The Killer A's (1999) **
Moshers: '86 - '91 (1998) **
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998) ***
Stomp 442 (1995) ***
Live: The Island Years (1994) **
White Noise: The Videos (DVD) (1994) ***
The Sound Of White Noise (1993) ***
Live Noise (DVD) (1991) **
Attack Of The Killer B's (EP) (1991) **
Through Time P.O.V. (DVD) (1991) **
Persistence Of Time (1990) **
Penikuufesin (EP) (1990) **
State Of Euphoria (1988) **
N.F.V.: Oidivnikufesin (DVD) (1987) **
I'm The Man (EP) (1987) **
Among The Living (1987) **
Spreading The Disease (1985) **
Armed And Dangerous (EP) (1985) */**
Fistful Of Metal (1984) *
* features vocalist Neil Turbin
** features vocalist Joey Belladonna
*** features vocalist John Bush
anthrax.com
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland tells Billboard.com that "there is another album coming" to follow 2010's self-titled effort. The group plays three shows in South America this month, then Weiland expects his bandmates to start working on new material. "They usually start before me, just getting some rough ideas together and then putting rough ideas down on ProTools with no lyrics and no melody," he explains. "And then I start listening to it and see if it's just a straight-ahead rock 'n' roll record or if it's more of a concept album like [2001's] 'Shangri-La Dee Da' was. Once we decide that, it should go full speed ahead."
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS reunited in 2008 for a successful world tour following a six-year hiatus.
In a 2010 interview STONE TEMPLE PILOTS drummer Eric Kretz said that having enough songs for an album is not a problem, explaining, "There is never a shortage of material. It's just a matter of sifting through it and working with everyone's schedule." He also said that the group is "looking at . . . trying new ideas of how to present music, especially for downloading."
KYUSS LIVES!, the project featuring three-quarters of KYUSS — the influential American stoner rock/metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California — will play a very special homecoming show on Friday, November 18 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The group will perform an extended two-and-a-half-hour set, featuring songs spanning its entire career. The gig will feature original KYUSS vocalist John Garcia, drummer Brant Bjork, bassist Nick Oliveri plus "a special surprise guest."
Regarding why KYUSS guitarist and founding member Josh Homme is not involved in the reunion, Garcia told Rock Sound, "I have nothing bad to say about Josh — he's extremely intelligent, very smart, a great guitar player, great songwriter, a great vocalist — he is a bad-ass, there is no question, and I love him dearly but he is busy with his own thing. He has THEM CROOKED VULTURES, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, he's a father, a businessman and even if we asked him to do it, I don't think he'd say yes, so I don't want to set myself up for a big fat no which is 99.9 percent what he would say."
KYUSS LIVES! recently revealed that it will record a new studio album following the band's current tour.
Ace Frehley -- also known as the "Spaceman" from the band KISS -- has penned a tell-all memoir aptly titled "No Regrets." An interesting read chronicling the rocker's time with the band, the 60-year-old Bronx native's book details how he lived a life of rockstar excess complete with rock 'n' roll every night and parties every day.
Frehley chatted with The Huffington Post, and no, he didn't have kind words for former band mates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
You write that, in the early years of KISS, it was very much a group effort.
Yeah, it was a collaborative effort. Gene and Paul have tried to minimize my and Peter [Criss'] contributions. It was all for one and one for all. We were all just trying to put on the best show and come up with interesting ideas.
And then you became disheartened with the whole rockstar lifestyle.
To me, being a rockstar was getting paid to do something you loved to do, and toward the end it wasn't fun anymore. Part of my disenchantment was probably fed by my addictions though.
Was there a moment you realized you had to stop drinking alcohol?
There were several -- it's just whether or not I followed through with them that was the big question. It took me a while to figure it out. The last one was when my daughter called me on the phone and she did like an intervention with me and after getting off the phone with her, I just said, "Ok, that's it. Time to grow up." I never wanted to grow up. Being in the rock and roll business, nobody grows up. Everybody deflects responsibility.
You're coddled a bit in the industry.
You have a cushion. You always have your bodyguard and your manager. You don't have to be responsible for your actions. I'd be driving down the highway doing 100 miles an hour and I'd get pulled over by a state trooper. I'd give him an 8x10 autograph and he'd let me go. You get to feel like you're above the law. You can get away with anything. You're in a safety bubble and then once that bubble's not there anymore, you tumble and fall.
I love the story about how you met your AA sponsor.
He was one of my arresting officers. Eventually, when I started going to AA on a regular basis, he became my sponsor. Through the ups and downs, he's always been there for me. We still talk to each other at least a couple of times a week.
I can't believe you hated playing, "I Was Made for Loving You." I love that song.
I wasn't a big fan of the song to begin with because it was kind of disco and I felt like we were kind of selling out because I'm a hard rock guitar player. Beyond the fact that I didn't like the song, when we performed it live, I had to make that "chukka, chukka" sound during the majority of the song and I used to get cramps in my wrist, to add insult to injury.
I think it's hilarious that Gene gave the band crabs.
(Laughs) It wasn't that funny at the time. Our road manager would pack all our leather outfits together in one crate and of course they jump from one costume to the other, so we all ended up with it. After that went down, we decided to keep our costumes separate.
Why do you think Gene was so loose with both women and money?
That's a question you'd have to ask Gene. I've never been able to completely figure out Gene. He always told me he'd do anything for money. He said he'd even dress up in a ballerina outfit if somebody would pay him enough money. I never completely understood that ideology. Gene has his good points too, but he falls short in a lot of categories.
So you feel like Gene and Paul were money hungry?
That was where we disagreed. To me, it's more important to make decisions based on what sounded the best and [to them it] was what the quickest way to make money was. We often didn't agree on certain things.
Do you still speak to Gene?
I had lunch with him about four weeks ago. On a superficial level, we've always been friends because of all we've been through. We didn't get into anything heavy; we kept it light and reminisced about the past. I actually gave him part of the book about the time he saved my life -- a couple of times -- from drowning. I figured that would soften the blow for some of the negative stuff.
He saved you from drowning twice?
Once in a swimming pool at a Holiday Inn and another one in a bathroom in a hotel room that was overflowing. I've often wondered why I'm still alive, because by all rights I shouldn't be here. But I guess God kept me alive for a reason. Maybe the reason is to inspire other kids who are in trouble with alcohol and drugs -- maybe they'll try a different path.
Also the shows were becoming very rigid, right?
It felt like a Broadway show. You have to be at a certain place at a certain time or you get your head blown off from a flash pot. It became tedious. It wasn't fun. It became work. The whole reason I went into rock and roll was because I was getting paid to do something that was fun and I enjoyed doing. Towards the end it lost its attraction.
I do love your nickname for cocaine in the '70s.
Yeah, Betty White. Everybody loved it and we could use it on the phone and nobody would have a clue what the hell we were talking about. We'd say, "Is Betty White going to be at the party?"
And now you're sober and engaged.
It's a lot more enjoyable being with someone sober. It's fun to wake up and remember what you did the night before. There's much more depth in our relationship when you can remember what you did and your feelings are real and not brought about by chemicals.
MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx will take part in the next installment of the Musicians Institute Conversation Series presented by Clear Channel Alternative KYSR (98-7FM)/Los Angeles. The event will be held on Friday, November 4 at 7 p.m. in the Musicians Institute Concert Hall.
98-7FM MD Darren Rose is set to host and talk to Nikki about MÖTLEY CRÜE, SIXX: A.M., his photography and his continuous efforts to mentor and encourage today's emerging musicians and artists. A question-and-answer session with the audience will follow.
A live stream of the event can be found here.
Sixx commented: "I'm excited to share my experience at the Musicians Institute. Anytime one artist can pass the baton of information on to another artist, it's a great thing."
Musicians Institute director/marketing Roy Walker commented: "This is going to be an excellent opportunity for our students. Nikki has a lot of wisdom to share with them, many of whom are pursuing careers as full-time working musicians. We hope his conversation and Q&A with our students will inspire them."
Four former members of legendary Bristol thrash metallers ONSLAUGHT have teamed up to play music from the band's most commercially successful album, "In Search of Sanity". THE SANITY DAYS project is intended as a bit of fun for the musicians and an opportunity for fans to hear music that no longer features in ONSLAUGHT's live repertoire.
THE SANITY DAYS was launched by Steve Grice, former drummer and founding member of the ONSLAUGHT, who played on all ONSLAUGHT albums thus far. He is joined in the new project by former ONSLAUGHT guitarist Alan Jordan (2007's "Killing Peace"), bassist Jase Stallard (1985's "Power From Hell" and 1986's "The Force"), and ex-GRIM REAPER singer Steve Grimmett, who fronted ONSLAUGHT for the 1989 album "In Search Of Sanity".
Released on London Records in 1989, "In Search Of Sanity" was the last album ONSLAUGHT recorded before it disbanded. Despite reaching the U.K. Top 50, its mainstream production proved controversial among bandmembers and fans alike. "We were always pleased with the songs, though," states Grice. "Over the past few years, people have nagged me to play tracks from the 'Sanity' album, but we always struggled to get them sounding right without Steve Grimmett's involvement."
Former GRIM REAPER frontman Grimmett lent his powerful voice to ONSLAUGHT for just this one album and now returns as a member of THE SANITY DAYS. "It's been a long time since I sang any songs from 'In Search of Sanity', but this was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," he says. "I have also been asked to play these songs, but it never seemed the right thing to do after ONSLAUGHT got back together."
"I'm really excited to be involved with Steve Grice again, and playing with Al and Steve Grimmett makes it extra special to me," says Stallard. "For the past six years I have been watching ONSLAUGHT's progress, thinking to myself how much I would love to get out and play again. Now this chance has arisen, I intend to enjoy every second of it."
The band already has a number of festival dates in the pipeline, including an exciting trip to Dubai playing with a big American act later this year. "This is going to be a fantastic experience for us," says Grice. "It's one of the biggest and best shows I will ever be part of."
"We just want to go out and have a bit of fun," summarises Jordan. "That's what music is supposed to be about."
Upcoming THE SANITY DAYS shows (more to be announced):
Dec. 04 - Hard Rock Hell IV "Village of the Damned" - Prestatyn, United Kingdom
Dec. 09 - The Mutt Rock Fest 2011 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Jan. 14 - Metal Assault II - Würzburg, Germany
Jul. 26 - Headbangers Open Air - Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany
Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't get away from Five Finger Death Punch right now.
Their new album, American Capitalist, sold more than 93,000 copies in its first week, landing comfortably in the No. 2 spot on the Billboard charts. And you can't turn on active rock radio for more than 10 minutes without catching the album's first single, "Under and Over It."
Ever the provocateurs, American Capitalist proves all the more potent as it arrives at a time when many feel America's longstanding capitalist ideals are being threatened. With rock music typically being associated with fighting the system, it's a bold statement to take a stand right alongside it.
In light of the controversy, the success of Five Finger Death Punch might be surprising for many, but for guitarist Jason Hook and the rest of Five Finger Death Punch, it's all just part of the plan.
GUITAR WORLD: How's the new material going over live so far?
Dude, we're the luckiest five fucks ever. It's awesome, what can I say? I know everyone goes, "Oh, the tour's going great!" But I can honestly tell you that the way this thing has exploded and the popularity of the band and the way it's increased ... it's all brand new stuff for us and we're really having fun with it.
And of course American Capitalist landed at No. 2 on the Billboard charts recently. Moving more than 90,000 records in one week is pretty impressive for any time, but especially these days when no one's buying records.
Yeah, we have a very specific strategy planned. War is the Answer came out a year and a half ago. We want to keep the cycle short. I think having one record every five years really misses the momentum wave. It's like surfing. You catch a wave and you've got to make sure the waves are timed right so you can stay out there and keep surfing. If you only get one wave and there's no more waves, you ain't gonna make it to the shore.
Terrible analogy, but you have to understand that the first single off the record, "Under and Over It," wasn't really a song that we would have expected to perform at radio because it's so aggressive, there's a lot of swear words in it, it says "Suck my dick" and all this other stuff. But we had a meeting with the label and they were like, "We 100 percent want this as the first single," and we were like, "Alright, fuck it. If that's what you like." Because we didn't know, it was like, "We like all of it, you guys pick."
We didn't expect that radio would embrace that song, but I like it because it's pissed off and it will probably resonate with our fans. If anything, we thought it'd be a strong live number, but that fucking song is No. 3 at Active Rock. For a song that heavy [metal growl], it's incredible.
The album's been generating significant buzz for some time now. Not just since its release, but really since you guys announced the album title. A title like American Capitalist couldn't be much more provacative, especially given the growth of movements like Occupy Wall Street in recent months.
Yeah, and that's what we're good at, man! [laughs] We make people scratch their heads. When we came out with War is the Answer, people were like, "What the hell are these guys doing? What are they trying to say with that?" We spent a year and a half answering that question, and now it seems so coincidental ... you know, we had the idea of American Capitalist months and months before we started recording the record, and now it seems so coincidental that we're now right here in the thick of the Wall Street protests and the economy in the state that it's in, and we're making a bold statement again.
You were still somewhat new with the band when you guys were recording War is the Answer. Do you feel like you were able to contribute more ideas this time around?
Yes and no. I made a very specific deal when I came into the band. I wasn't really needing money. I was touring around with Alice Cooper before I was in Death Punch and making a healthy living as a guitar player. I didn't want that, though. I didn't care about money. I told the guys specifically that the only way I would want to come over to the band is if I could be an equal partner in the creative department.
I have two solo records of my own and my true passion is writing and recording. That's all I really care about, it's not even about the money, I just want to be involved in the writing and recording. And they said, "Done!"
As you mentioned, before you joined the band you were a pretty in-demand session player. What skills did those years of being a session guitarist allow you to bring into the band?
I learned how to adjust quickly. You have to learn different languages, you know? Not just languages in terms of what to play, but effects, amp sounds, guitar sounds. You have to learn how to arrive at somebody's desired request quickly.
I lived through many difficult sessions where the pressure was on. I knew a lot of other session players and I would always ask questions and get tips and tricks. I was taking private lessons for theory. It's discipline, but I made some crazy cash. I did some film score stuff where the rate was like $400 an hour. But it was stressful, and once you're done with the job you're back on the phone trying to find something else.
It's work for hire; it's a service industry. You can never relax. I like the idea of the product industry like Death Punch where you release an album and it belongs to you forever. Also during that time I became like a recording junky. I spent all my money on gear and Pro Tools 24/7 tutorials and became pretty vicious at almost producing and recording engineering. So when I joined the band I was able to roll up my sleeves and go, "Now here's a project I can really apply all those things I taught myself to."
Talk a bit about the songwriting process for this record. I noticed there were more acoustic passages than usual. Were you writing more on acoustics this time around?
That's my fault. The way I work is that I get up really early before anyone else and I have that little quiet period where I go up to my studio with my cup of coffee and I pick up my acoustic guitar and start recording whatever I play. Then I usually put it away and work on something else and come back to it later. Anything that sticks out to me as insteresting, I kind of lift that section off of the recording and put it to a metronome, start building off that idea. That's how I do it, anyway.
It kind of eliminates the brain from getting involved in the heart. If you start to think about it too much then you'll actually cut the creative flow. You have to eliminate the brain part of it and just rely on the gut and the heart. So I would build up those ideas every single morning and then the three of us -- Jeremy, Zoltan and myself -- would get together in the afternoon at Jeremy's house because he's got this fancy electronic drum kit where we can sit down and toss ideas around in a very low-volume, civilized way.
There's no driving to a rehearsal studio where you've got band A and band B on either side of you blasting next door and people stopping you in the hall going, "Oh, Death Punch! Cool, man!" None of that bullshit. We write at home so we can be left alone where we can be comfortable. Everone's got their own Pro Tools rig and Jeremy's got the electronic drum kit, so we can work late, we can work early; it's really a cool process.
So we would bring all these ideas in in the afternoon and whatever we all got exicted about is what we would work on that day. I was bringing stuff in that I wrote in the morning, so naturally it was stuff I had written on the acoustic guitar. But I realized I had to go back and start working in the morning on the electric guitar because I was starting to have too many acoustic-sounding things that were having to be converted.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, "The Pride" has one of the heaviest intros you guys have ever done.
We like aggressive music and that's always the base for what we think should be the Death Punch sound. We try to get a base of hardcore-sounding stuff in there for the energy, but I think we have a blend of that plus the melodic, which maybe sets us apart or gives us a bit of an edge, because it's not abrassive all the way through.
It gives the listener's ears a chance to breathe.
Yeah, a bit of give and take.
When you're writing songs, how do you and Zoltan generally divide up your guitar parts?
On the last record, Zo kind of had his songs and I had mine. Because we were working so quickly it basically worked out that I didn't get too involved with his stuff and vice versa. But when it comes to live, we definitely have to sit down and work out who plays what part. It's a team effort though, there's no weird competitive thing going on there.
I don't care how it gets done, as long as it gets done on the record. If he's got a whole arrangement and the song created, there's no point in my sticking my nose in it just for the sake of it. We give each other that kind of space, and I'm really happy with the way it works.
Do you ever find yourselves falling into more of a traditional lead/rhythm set-up?
I don't know if many people know this, but I've played every lead since War is the Answer, so I guess I'm technically the lead guitar player.
American Capitalist marks the second-straight record you've worked on with Kevin Churko. What does he bring to the table that made you guys stick with him for this album?
Kevin is very hands-on. We kind of consider him the sixth fifth. He played all the bass on the new record, and he's just one of those guys that's a singer/songwriter and plays keys, drums, bass, guitar and sings. He keeps us focused on songwriting and he can fill in the blanks. Like, "Hey guys, I tried a little string arrangement for the one song last night, tell me what you think."
And all that little stuff is cool, and it's not that we couldn't do it, it's just so time-consuming. We might be writing another section for a song or we might need another song, so we're working on the new stuff and he's bringing the other stuff up to completion. His biggest asset, in my opinion, is his personality. He's a very calm and patient guy, and that makes for real easy recording in the studio.
Let's get to the gear you used on the new album. Talk about your studio setup this time around.
I'm a die-hard Marshall guy and I was using two or three different heads on the record -- a JCM-800 stock, a JCM-800 that I've recorded with forever which I just stick a Boss Overdrive in front of.
Then I have a Voodoo modified Plexi head that is like a gain monster for leads. And then I have the new EVH amp from Fender, the 5150 III. I have a tight connection with the guys at the EVH brand and I begged them to send me over a head and a cab to try out, and it turns out it's a monster amp. I love Ed Van Halen so much, I just couldn't help but having it.
Beyond that I was using a couple of ESP Kamikaze George Lynch guitars for leads because they're just shredder monsters, and then I used my good old Gibson Explorers for the rhythm stuff. Oh, and a Taylor baritone acoustic that they let me borrow that was just perfect for those weird B tunings. You know, acoustic guitars and B are a little gnarly.
So you're in talks with Gibson to have your own signature Explorer?
I've been trying to appeal to them for a long time about doing a signature Explorer. There isn't really anyone pushing that guitar like I think I could. Certainly everyone plays Les Pauls and SGs, but I think the Explorer could really be mine.
They had a flood down in Nashville that wiped everything out, then they had two raids when the Feds came in and shut them down, so it's been a bad couple of years for Gibson. Every time I would get it set up there was a disaster, you know? But I'm taking a last shot at it, and I think it'll go through this time.
And what would Jason Hook do to push the Explorer into new territory?
If you look closely at the three or four Explorers I've done, I scoop away the wood at the top frets for higher fret access, something that I saw Steve Vai do to one of his Strats back in the '80s. It literally looks like he just took a disc sander to it.
The Green Meanie.
Yeah! So I scooped out that area of the guitar so I could get up higher, and I also took a belt sander and beveled the edge that's under my right arm for just a little bit more comfort.
Beyond that, it's pretty stock except that I don't use a front pickup, so I ripped that out. I don't have a pickguard on there. I use conduit casing to run down the open channel to the toggle. The toggle's held on there by a jack plate. It's kind of an interesting, ugly beast.
The new album from Five Finger Death Punch, American Capitalist, is available now.
GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus will play "Satan" in a movie titled "Jesus, The Total Douchebag", which is set to come out on DVD in February 21, 2012.
GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) has released the following statement to MetalSucks:
"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their longtime guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred.
"At this point, there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of GWAR's current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long-term plans.
"At this point, we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today.
"We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so. In the meantime, please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him."
Cory joined GWAR in September 2002. Being a talented producer, he lent his technical skills to the recording of "War Party", and co-produced, as well as co-mixed with Devin Townsend (STEVE VAI, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) GWAR's 2006 release, titled "Beyond Hell". The two albums were recorded at Karma Studios, owned and operated by Smoot.
Smoot was the longest-running Flattus and was in the videos for "War Party", "Bring Back The Bomb", "Womb With A View", "School's Out" and "Eighth Lock". Smoot was considered by GWAR fans to be the "true Flattus", as he was the longest-serving person to portray the character in GWAR history. Smoot also produced the follow-up to "Beyond Hell", "Lust In Space", along with other members of GWAR, and even sang lead vocals on the track "Release The Flies". GWAR's latest release, "Bloody Pit Of Horror", features a 12-minute epic of four songs strung together, which was largely the brainchild of Smoot. Originally he wrote the music for a solo project of his, but by the suggestion of Dave Brockie, it was reworked to become new GWAR material.
Vocalist Randy Blythe of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD has released the following statement regarding the passing of GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot (a.k.a. Flattus Maximus):
"I am very saddened by the passing our friend Cory Smoot (a.k.a. Flattus Maximus) of GWAR. He was an awesome dude and a great guitar player, as well as a talented engineer and producer. I recorded guest vocals for a few projects at his studio (the Kris Norris project, the [Jamey] Jasta solo record) and as a friend he refused to take my money in payment for the sessions. Last session just gave me some killer tracks of HIS solo work and asked me if I ever had time to lay down some vocals for him. I really regret now not having had the opportunity to record those sessions with him. He was always fun to tour with, hang with, and we will be deeply missed, especially in our hometown of Richmond. It was an honor to work with such a kind human being.
"My most sincere condolences to his wife, family, and the rest of the GWAR family.
"Rest in peace, brother. I'll catch you on the flip side."
Smoot was found deceased this morning as GWAR prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death.
Cory joined GWAR in September 2002 and was the longest-serving person to portray the Flattus Maximus character in GWAR history.
SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan and vocalist Corey Taylor have spoken to Billboard.com about the possibility of the band recording a new studio album.
Taylor has been ambivalent about working on new material following the death in May 2010 of the group's bassist, Paul Gray, although Crahan and drummer Joey Jordison have been much more confident about the band recording again.
According to Crahan, he and his bandmates are "just taking our time. Everyone is still getting through the grieving process their way, remembering Paul Gray the way they need to and helping themselves get through this time because it's still very fresh and it's still very serious and hurtful and unbelievable." Crahan adds that "There's no talk of a new record, but there's a lot of stuff that everybody's got. Everybody's got ideas and everybody's writing, but it won't happen until we get together as a band and have a big discussion about what it is we want to accomplish. We lost a very important piece of our enigma, and we're not going to get together and bust through it just to bust through it because everybody wants us to." He predicts that the next album "is going to be very sad. It will have that layer of anger and hate and evil that will come with being just so sad, but... I think a really, really, really special change in our career is coming. I don't think it's going to be better, and I don't think it's going to be worse. I just think it's going to be different. I think that's what we want, and I know that's what Paul would want."
Echoing Crahan's comments, Taylor tells Billboard.com, "We know that everything we do on that album is going to be about Paul. It's going to be very melancholy. It's going to be a more saddened form of rage when it does happen, and it'll be a whole path that we've never gone down before." He adds that he personally is "not as anxious to make a new album as maybe certain people in the band are, and I know a lot of the guys in the band feel the same way I do, whether they want to admit it or not. It just makes more sense to try and figure things out before we try to get into a studio... I don't want to risk losing what we've built because somebody's trying to prove a point."
SLIPKNOT completed a European festival run this past summer, which marked the band's first live gigs since Gray's passing.
Jordison told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he thinks the band's next album could be its most intense. "We're a family, and losing a family member sucks," he said. "But you can't help that, but you need to move on and I think that what we're gonna do might be the most powerful thing that we've ever created."
SLIPKNOT's last record, "All Hope Is Gone", was released in 2008.
Taylor and Crahan recently confirmed that SLIPKNOT will tour the U.S. sometime next spring.
Danish metallers AS WE FIGHT have issued the following statement:
"After 10 years we have decided to end AS WE FIGHT. It has been one hell of a ride with many memorable experiences, but it is time for new adventures for all of us. A huge thank you goes out to all the bands, labels, venues, festivals and partners crossing our road and not least all the people, who came out to our shows making it a time to remember! We are looking forward to go out with a bang with our upcoming tour with THE PSYKE PROJECT, and we hope to see you all."
AS WE FIGHT's video from the split-album release "Ebola" with THE PSYKE PROJECT, which was released earlier this year, can be seen below.. The clip for the track "Save Me" includes footage from the recent release-party in addition to production of the spraypainted artwork for the 2xLP vinyl release.
AS WE FIGHT/THE PSYKE PROJECT tour dates:
Nov. 04 - Aalborg Metal Festival, Aalborg - DK
Nov. 05 - Harders, Svendborg - DK
Nov. 11 - The Rock, Copenhagen - DK
Nov. 18 - Kulturellen, Herning - DK
Nov. 19 - Templet, Lyngby - DK
Nov. 25 - Bygningen, Vejle - DK
Nov. 26 - Konfus, Esbjerg - DK
Dec. 02 - Kulisselageret, Horsens - DK
Dec. 03 - Studenterhuset, Aarhus - DK
"Meet Your Maker", the third album from AS WE FIGHT, was released in May 2009 through Dockyard 1 Records. The CD was produced and mixed by Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE, KOLDBORN) and mastered by Ziggy (ILLDISPOSED, RAUNCHY, MERCENARY).
Razor & Tie has announced the addition of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida rockers NONPOINT to its label and publishing rosters. The band has been on a major roll recently, having wrapped up a two-year tour in support of their album "Miracle" with a triumphant show in front of 6,000 fans at Wisconsin's at Taste of Madison. The "Miracle" tour also saw other exciting benchmarks for the band, including performances at the Metal Hammer Awards, U.K.'s Download festival and Australia's Soundwave Festival, where they were the recipients of an MTV Soundie Award (courtesy of MTV Classic Australia). NONPOINT also re-established itself at Active Rock radio, with its hit "Miracle" breaking into the Top 15.
NONPOINT is already deep into writing its forthcoming album, having demoed over two dozen songs. The new CD is currently slated for a spring of 2012 release.
"We couldn't be happier or more excited about our upcoming new partnership with Razor & Tie," commented NONPOINT vocalist Elias Soriano. "Their aggressive staff and fresh plan of attack has us excited to get this record on the shelves and on the airwaves because I know they will reach for greatness and are as proud of being a part of this project as we are. We're very much looking forward to the next album cycle."
NONPOINT is managed by Izvor "Izzy" Zivkovic (Split Media) and represented for touring by Tim Borror and Anthony Paolercio for The Agency Group.
NONPOINT's latest album, "Miracle", sold around 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 60 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Miracle" was released in Europe on June 14, 2010 via Powerage Records. The CD was made available in the U.S. on May 4, 2010 via the band's own 954 Records in partnership with Rocket Science Ventures / RED / Sony.
South Carolina-based extreme metal band LECHEROUS NOCTURNE has announced the addition of vocalist Brett Bentley to the group's ranks. The band states, "Brett is a beast front man and we are glad to have him in the fold!"
LECHEROUS NOCTURNE will enter SoundLab Studio in Lexington, South Carolina on December 10 with longtime engineer Bob Moore to begin recording its third album. A tour with DEICIDE in support of the new record will kick off in March 2012.
Vocalist Jason Hohenstein announced his departure from LECHEROUS NOCTURNE in July, telling BLABBERMOUTH.NET in a statement, "I was writing/arranging in preparation of the new record when I was asked to leave." He added, "I did not quit! I want to make that perfectly clear."
LECHEROUS NOCTURNE's second album, "The Age of Miracles Has Passed", was released in October 2008 via Unique Leader Records.
Century Media Records has announced a partnership with Swedish black metallers MARDUK and the band's record label, Blooddawn Productions.
Morgan Håkansson, owner of Blooddawn Productions, guitar player and founding member of MARDUK, as well as bass player in DEATH WOLF, comments: "It's with great pleasure that I can announce the cooperation between MARDUK and Century Media as we enter into a long-term deal.
"After over 20 years as a band and the last 10 years on Regain Records, we decided to march on. We have received an enormous amount of offers. But in the end, we see Century Media as the best partner and best platform for us to operate from. Century Media has a strong foundation and the vision that we have been looking for.
"So from this November day, MARDUK as well as my label Blooddawn Productions, including the band DEATH WOLF, are in league with Century Media."
Jens Prueter, head of A&R at Century Media Records in Europe, states "We always had a soft spot for bands with a history: legendary bands like CELTIC FROST, NAPALM DEATH, PARADISE LOST, SICK OF IT ALL, etc. Bands that helped to define a whole genre and who haven't been afraid to follow their own vision — with all consequences. Therefore I feel honored to announce the new worldwide cooperation between Century Media Records and Blooddawn Productions.
"MARDUK released their groundbreaking demo 20 years ago and laid the foundation of Swedish black metal — so 2011 marks a historic anniversary to start with a new team to continue their path."
MARDUK completed the "7 Bowls Of Wrath" North American tour in early June.
The band's latest EP, "Iron Dawn", was made available at the Maryland Deathfest on May 27 (May 30 in the rest of the world via Regain Records) and at the six North American shows that followed.
According to a press release, the songs included on "Iron Dawn" differ from the concept that is being created for the next full-length album. Therefore this EP was made available as a special treat for all MARDUK legionaries out there.
"Wormwood", the eleventh album from MARDUK, sold around 650 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 99 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.
Terry Butler (DEATH, MASSACRE, SIX FEET UNDER, DENIAL FIEND, OBITUARY) and Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo (MANTAS, DEATH, MASSACRE, M INC.) will celebrate the 20th anniversary of MASSACRE's classic "From Beyond" album by embarking on a European tour in January/February 2012. Dubbed "Army Of Darkness", the trek will feature additional performances from MACABRE (replacing Swedish death metal veterans GRAVE, who say they never confirmed their participation in the trek) and MASTER.
Commented MACABRE's Corporate Death: "We are really excited by this upcoming tour. MACABRE, MASSACRE and MASTER, three bands that started a really long time ago and all have their sound. The fans are in for a treat and we are going to have a great time on this tour ourselves."
Added Rozz: "[I am] really looking forward to this tribute to MASSACRE. It has been over 20 years and a lot of hair loss since Terry Butler and I have jammed together, and it's going great, along with Mike Mazzonetto (drums) and Ed Webb (vocals). This is going to be a great time with old and new friends, and the 'From Beyond' tracks have never sounded this heavy/brutal."
Stated Butler: "We are very excited to be bringing the fans a proper MASSACRE show and tour. We've been working our asses off to fine tune a few things and bring you the best show possible. It's been a long time, but better late than never. It makes it even better to be touring with legendary friends MACABRE and MASTER. This is going to be a killer show for the fans."
MASSACRE's touring lineup:
* Mike Mazzonetto (M INC., PAIN PRINCIPLE) - Drums
* Ed Webb (DIABOLIC, GENERICHRIST, DESTINED TO RUIN) - Vocals
* Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo – Guitar
* Terry Butler - Bass
MASSACRE's tentative setlist for the tour:
01. Chamber Of Ages
02. Succubus
03. Defeat Remains
04. From Beyond
05. Cryptic Realms
06. Provoked Accurser
07. Dawn Of Eternity
08. Bio-Hazard
09. Warhead
10. Corpse Grinder
A revamped version of MASSACRE — consisting of DENIAL FIEND members Sam Williams (guitar), Curt Beeson (drums; NASTY SAVAGE), along with ex-MASSACRE/DENIAL FIEND members Terry Butler (bass), Steve Swanson (guitar) and Kam Lee (vocals) — completed a European tour in late 2007.
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