Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with Ronnie James Dio's widow and manager, Wendy Dio, at a massive gathering on December 14 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California to help celebrate the life and music of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) as part of this year's Dimebash. You can now watch the chat below.
All proceeds from the concert went to Wendy Dio's charity Stand Up And Shout, which raises money for cancer research; her husband died of stomach cancer in May 2010.
When asked about what events are planned for 2012 in connection with the Stand Up And Shout charity, Wendy said, "We have a bowling event, which is gonna be going on on May 16, which is the day Ronnie passed away. Celebrity bowlers. Can't tell you names yet. But it's gonna be fun. Bands playing, celebrity bowlers and an inexpensive ticket for fans to come to. Then we have our annual gala, which we did last year at the Playboy Mansion, which is fabulous. It was our first annual thing. It was great; we had a great time. And we're also doing our auction. We have over 100 guitars. It's gona be a huge event. I wanna raise $10 million [for charity]."
Wendy was also asked about the status of "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio", the revealing memoir of the heavy metal master, which was three-quarters written before the singer's death and which will be published in the fall of 2013 via MTV Books.
"I have to deliver it by January 15," she said. "I'm writing the last few pages. I'm finding all the photos to go with it. I deliver it January 15 so it comes out a year and a half later."
On the topic of whether there is any previously unreleased BLACK SABBATH material with Ronnie available that will eventually see the light of day, Wendy said, "Yes. But that's another story, because there are three managers involved. And we have to discuss that, but I'm sure everybody's gonna be great, especially if we give it to the charity."
With nearly five decades of worldwide success and album sales in the tens of millions as the front man of ELF, RAINBOW, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, and, most recently, HEAVEN & HELL, Ronnie James Dio grabbed the mic, took the stage, and led a movement whose influence resonates to this day.
"Ronnie was a very special person," Wendy said. "Not only was he an amazing vocalist, amazing songwriter, he was an amazing person as a human being. He loved people. He loved his fans. He listened when people spoke. A lot of times people don't listen. He listened. He remembered people's names. He remembered their children's names. He was just a very, very special person. He was taken too soon from us. . . I don't think anyone's ever said a bad word about Ronnie except for [former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist] Vivian Campbell. [Laughs]"
All proceeds from the concert went to Wendy Dio's charity Stand Up And Shout, which raises money for cancer research; her husband died of stomach cancer in May 2010.
When asked about what events are planned for 2012 in connection with the Stand Up And Shout charity, Wendy said, "We have a bowling event, which is gonna be going on on May 16, which is the day Ronnie passed away. Celebrity bowlers. Can't tell you names yet. But it's gonna be fun. Bands playing, celebrity bowlers and an inexpensive ticket for fans to come to. Then we have our annual gala, which we did last year at the Playboy Mansion, which is fabulous. It was our first annual thing. It was great; we had a great time. And we're also doing our auction. We have over 100 guitars. It's gona be a huge event. I wanna raise $10 million [for charity]."
Wendy was also asked about the status of "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography Of Ronnie James Dio", the revealing memoir of the heavy metal master, which was three-quarters written before the singer's death and which will be published in the fall of 2013 via MTV Books.
"I have to deliver it by January 15," she said. "I'm writing the last few pages. I'm finding all the photos to go with it. I deliver it January 15 so it comes out a year and a half later."
On the topic of whether there is any previously unreleased BLACK SABBATH material with Ronnie available that will eventually see the light of day, Wendy said, "Yes. But that's another story, because there are three managers involved. And we have to discuss that, but I'm sure everybody's gonna be great, especially if we give it to the charity."
With nearly five decades of worldwide success and album sales in the tens of millions as the front man of ELF, RAINBOW, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, and, most recently, HEAVEN & HELL, Ronnie James Dio grabbed the mic, took the stage, and led a movement whose influence resonates to this day.
"Ronnie was a very special person," Wendy said. "Not only was he an amazing vocalist, amazing songwriter, he was an amazing person as a human being. He loved people. He loved his fans. He listened when people spoke. A lot of times people don't listen. He listened. He remembered people's names. He remembered their children's names. He was just a very, very special person. He was taken too soon from us. . . I don't think anyone's ever said a bad word about Ronnie except for [former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist] Vivian Campbell. [Laughs]"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1imuSOHZ_UY&feature=player_embedded
MARIETTA — Rock legend Alice Cooper, whose original band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, is bringing his world tour, "The No More Mr. Nice Guy" show, to the Cobb Energy Centre at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets start at $37.
In a telephone interview this week from Canada, Cooper talked about the show, his Christianity, the secret to surviving decades as a rock star, how golf helped him overcome an alcohol addiction, and a favorite television series filmed here in metro Atlanta, AMC's "The Walking Dead."
Marietta Daily Journal: You've been doing the "No More Mr. Nice Guy Tour" since May. What's that been like?
Alice Cooper: When we get there (to Cobb), we're down to our last three shows out of 100 cities. We've been 'round the world one and a half times now since May, from Jakarta to Singapore to Australia, South America, Russia, everywhere, and you know, it's nice to get near the end of this tour. We have six months off, and then we go back on the tour with the new "Nightmare" show.
MDJ: Give us a preview of the show.
Cooper: This show's got all the hits in it. I've got a band, probably the best band I've ever had in my life, this band with Orianthi on guitar, you know who played with Michael Jackson. She's that guitar player from Australia, just an amazing guitar player. Steve Hunter from the original "Nightmare" band, who's one of America's classic guitarists. A new drummer, Glen Sobel, who after every show people come to me and they go, "Who is that drummer?" This band, musically, is the best band I've ever had. And then the show, of course, is all the hits, and all of the Alice theatrics sprinkled in. You're going to see a full-out Alice Cooper show. … The show's a lot of fun. If you miss this show, you're going to miss the highest energy show of the year.
MDJ: What do you do to pump yourself up before each performance?
Cooper: Everybody's got an idiosyncrasy. Peter Frampton, before he goes on, likes to iron. He has an ironing board, and he likes to iron things. I don't know, it gets him ready. Roger Daltrey fly fishes; you know he practices fly fishing into a bucket. I sit and watch really bad kung fu movies. I'm talking about C and D movies. If there's anybody I've ever heard of in the movie, then I don't buy it. I want something that's so ridiculously stupid that it's mind-numbing.
MDJ: The unofficial mascot of our county is the Big Chicken. Are we going to have any chicken incidents here?
Cooper: The funniest thing about the chicken was that the audience killed the chicken. We're on stage. Somebody throws a chicken on stage. I didn't bring the chicken. Somebody in the audience did. And being from Detroit — I've never been on a farm in my life — so, it had feathers, it had wings, it should fly. I picked it up and I chucked it in the audience thinking it would fly and somebody would catch it and they would have a great souvenir. The audience tore it to pieces and threw it back on stage, and the next day it was "Alice Cooper kills chicken on stage." But at the time, it was great for the image. Frank Zappa called me up and said, "Did you kill a chicken on stage last night?" I went "No." He said "Well, don't tell anybody. They love it."
MDJ: Are you still on a high from having the band inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame?
Cooper: 2011 was a big year for me. Getting in the Hall of Fame, having "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" out, I did a movie with Johnny Depp in London, "Dark Shadows," and the tour. It's really been a full year, so I'm ready for six months off. The Hall of Fame thing was definitely one of those things that you never quite realize. You think, well, it's going to happen eventually, but who knows when? We got on the ballot the first time, that was our first nomination, and went in on the first ballot. So it was really cool.
MDJ: This question comes from the women in the newsroom. They want to know how much eyeliner you use and if you have a preferred brand.
Cooper: Well, it used to be Maybelline. I used to have my own eyeliner called Whiplash, and that was with Maybelline, but I really use grease paint. It's regular black grease paint, and then the base is MAC.
MDJ: You're 63. What is the secret to surviving as a rock star for as long as you have?
Cooper: It's all on the song writing. All the bands that are still here from the '60s had hits on the radio that were really good songs. I try to tell young bands that all the time. I go, look, your image is important, your stage production is important, but if you don't have the songs, you don't have anything. You have to have the cake before you can put the icing on it. And song writing is everything. We had 14 Top 40 hits. If you don't have those songs, I don't know how far you can go.
MDJ: What is the difference between performing now compared to your twenties and thirties?
Cooper: For one thing, I'm a better singer now, and I've got more energy. I'm actually in better shape now than I was when I was 30. When I was 30, I was drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. I haven't had a drink in 30 years, so at 63 I do five shows a week that are an hour and 45 minutes long and we start in fourth gear. This show is 26 songs that are 90 percent hard-rock songs, so I never stop on stage. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been.
MDJ: Would you say your fans are different from back in the day to now?
Cooper: The crazy thing about classic rock is that music has not changed at all in 45 years. If you go listen to the Foo Fighters or the White Stripes, they're all '70s bands. You could take the Foo Fighters and put them in 1974, and they would fit right in. Musically, nothing has changed. Technologically, how we make records, how we sell records, how we listen to records, that's entirely different. I feel sorry if I were a young band right now. I don't know how you make any money with records. It's just almost impossible. So I tell young bands if I were you, I would be the best live band in your state. That's what you got to go for, because they can't take that away from you. The recording part, though, I just don't see how anyone can make money.
MDJ: Of all your songs, what's your favorite?
Cooper: "School's Out" is still the biggest hit. Probably my favorite song would be a song that wasn't even a hit, "Might As Well Be on Mars" — that was on the "Hey Stupid" album. That might have been the best song I ever wrote.
MDJ: Where does the name "Alice Cooper" come from? I know you named your band that back in the beginning.
Cooper: We tried to come up with a name that was going to pretty much aggravate every parent in America, and it worked. You know, here was this band called Alice Cooper and it wasn't a blond folk singer, it was more like a Clockwork Orange gang. We didn't mind a little violence on stage — that was during the era of peace and love, so we went just the opposite. Instead of calling ourselves some kind of really scary name, we said let's go the other way. Let's call ourselves some little old grandmother name, Alice Cooper.
MDJ: I read somewhere that you are a born-again Christian. True?
Cooper: Yeah. Well, every Christian is born again. It's one of those things where you just have a new life, a new approach to your life. It's not like Scientology where it's all about me, me, me, I'm going to get better, I'm going to get … It's all about more dependence on Christ and one-on-one relationship. There's nothing in the Bible that says I can't be a rock star. When you become a Christian, it doesn't give you like a book of rules. It tells you you can do this. How many Christians are there that are probably snipers or boxers or whatever? Christianity goes through all kinds of jobs, so rock star might be one of the less-offensive jobs.
MDJ: I read that golf helped you overcome an addiction to alcohol. True?
Cooper: Oh absolutely. When I stopped drinking — now God did take away my drinking because I was an alcoholic that was a classic alcoholic and when I got out of the hospital 30 years later I still have never had a craving for alcohol. Every doctor I've been to says that's impossible. And I said, well, that's what a miracle is, it's impossible. I have never been to AA, I've never had a mentor or any of that. It just stopped. It was gone. But being an addictive personality like I am, I had to find something that was going to be a positive addiction, and so the next thing I knew I went out and I hit a golf ball. I was a good athlete when I was a kid, I was a good baseball player, I had good hand-eye coordination. I said, this looks like it would be fun. I hit a seven iron dead down the middle, first swing I ever took, and I went "oh, I'm addicted." So I play golf, even now, six days a week.
MDJ: Where do you live now?
Cooper: Scottsdale, Ariz. I'm one of the good guys. Married 35 years and never cheated on her.
MDJ: What music do your children listen to?
Cooper: It's funny because kids are sort of scattered all over. Almost every kid that I can think of loves classic rock. Our audience through Europe, through Italy, France, Russia, Germany, was all 15- to 25-year-olds, and they love classic rock. That might be because the new bands that are out are just not producing any classic songs.
MDJ: Was that really you calling up "The Talking Dead" show the other day?
Cooper: I watched the show, and they kind of asked me to call. I'm a big fan of the show anyways. They should do the same thing with "Dexter," where at the end of the show people can call in and ask questions, because it's like a soap opera. You kind of get involved in the characters more than the zombies.
MDJ: Who's your favorite character?
Cooper: I like what's his name? Daryl. The guy that was in "The Boondock Saints." He's great because he's sort of like a guy that would be the real guy. All he knows is being a redneck, and all he really knows is that these are bad things, kill them.
In a telephone interview this week from Canada, Cooper talked about the show, his Christianity, the secret to surviving decades as a rock star, how golf helped him overcome an alcohol addiction, and a favorite television series filmed here in metro Atlanta, AMC's "The Walking Dead."
Marietta Daily Journal: You've been doing the "No More Mr. Nice Guy Tour" since May. What's that been like?
Alice Cooper: When we get there (to Cobb), we're down to our last three shows out of 100 cities. We've been 'round the world one and a half times now since May, from Jakarta to Singapore to Australia, South America, Russia, everywhere, and you know, it's nice to get near the end of this tour. We have six months off, and then we go back on the tour with the new "Nightmare" show.
MDJ: Give us a preview of the show.
Cooper: This show's got all the hits in it. I've got a band, probably the best band I've ever had in my life, this band with Orianthi on guitar, you know who played with Michael Jackson. She's that guitar player from Australia, just an amazing guitar player. Steve Hunter from the original "Nightmare" band, who's one of America's classic guitarists. A new drummer, Glen Sobel, who after every show people come to me and they go, "Who is that drummer?" This band, musically, is the best band I've ever had. And then the show, of course, is all the hits, and all of the Alice theatrics sprinkled in. You're going to see a full-out Alice Cooper show. … The show's a lot of fun. If you miss this show, you're going to miss the highest energy show of the year.
MDJ: What do you do to pump yourself up before each performance?
Cooper: Everybody's got an idiosyncrasy. Peter Frampton, before he goes on, likes to iron. He has an ironing board, and he likes to iron things. I don't know, it gets him ready. Roger Daltrey fly fishes; you know he practices fly fishing into a bucket. I sit and watch really bad kung fu movies. I'm talking about C and D movies. If there's anybody I've ever heard of in the movie, then I don't buy it. I want something that's so ridiculously stupid that it's mind-numbing.
MDJ: The unofficial mascot of our county is the Big Chicken. Are we going to have any chicken incidents here?
Cooper: The funniest thing about the chicken was that the audience killed the chicken. We're on stage. Somebody throws a chicken on stage. I didn't bring the chicken. Somebody in the audience did. And being from Detroit — I've never been on a farm in my life — so, it had feathers, it had wings, it should fly. I picked it up and I chucked it in the audience thinking it would fly and somebody would catch it and they would have a great souvenir. The audience tore it to pieces and threw it back on stage, and the next day it was "Alice Cooper kills chicken on stage." But at the time, it was great for the image. Frank Zappa called me up and said, "Did you kill a chicken on stage last night?" I went "No." He said "Well, don't tell anybody. They love it."
MDJ: Are you still on a high from having the band inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame?
Cooper: 2011 was a big year for me. Getting in the Hall of Fame, having "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" out, I did a movie with Johnny Depp in London, "Dark Shadows," and the tour. It's really been a full year, so I'm ready for six months off. The Hall of Fame thing was definitely one of those things that you never quite realize. You think, well, it's going to happen eventually, but who knows when? We got on the ballot the first time, that was our first nomination, and went in on the first ballot. So it was really cool.
MDJ: This question comes from the women in the newsroom. They want to know how much eyeliner you use and if you have a preferred brand.
Cooper: Well, it used to be Maybelline. I used to have my own eyeliner called Whiplash, and that was with Maybelline, but I really use grease paint. It's regular black grease paint, and then the base is MAC.
MDJ: You're 63. What is the secret to surviving as a rock star for as long as you have?
Cooper: It's all on the song writing. All the bands that are still here from the '60s had hits on the radio that were really good songs. I try to tell young bands that all the time. I go, look, your image is important, your stage production is important, but if you don't have the songs, you don't have anything. You have to have the cake before you can put the icing on it. And song writing is everything. We had 14 Top 40 hits. If you don't have those songs, I don't know how far you can go.
MDJ: What is the difference between performing now compared to your twenties and thirties?
Cooper: For one thing, I'm a better singer now, and I've got more energy. I'm actually in better shape now than I was when I was 30. When I was 30, I was drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. I haven't had a drink in 30 years, so at 63 I do five shows a week that are an hour and 45 minutes long and we start in fourth gear. This show is 26 songs that are 90 percent hard-rock songs, so I never stop on stage. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been.
MDJ: Would you say your fans are different from back in the day to now?
Cooper: The crazy thing about classic rock is that music has not changed at all in 45 years. If you go listen to the Foo Fighters or the White Stripes, they're all '70s bands. You could take the Foo Fighters and put them in 1974, and they would fit right in. Musically, nothing has changed. Technologically, how we make records, how we sell records, how we listen to records, that's entirely different. I feel sorry if I were a young band right now. I don't know how you make any money with records. It's just almost impossible. So I tell young bands if I were you, I would be the best live band in your state. That's what you got to go for, because they can't take that away from you. The recording part, though, I just don't see how anyone can make money.
MDJ: Of all your songs, what's your favorite?
Cooper: "School's Out" is still the biggest hit. Probably my favorite song would be a song that wasn't even a hit, "Might As Well Be on Mars" — that was on the "Hey Stupid" album. That might have been the best song I ever wrote.
MDJ: Where does the name "Alice Cooper" come from? I know you named your band that back in the beginning.
Cooper: We tried to come up with a name that was going to pretty much aggravate every parent in America, and it worked. You know, here was this band called Alice Cooper and it wasn't a blond folk singer, it was more like a Clockwork Orange gang. We didn't mind a little violence on stage — that was during the era of peace and love, so we went just the opposite. Instead of calling ourselves some kind of really scary name, we said let's go the other way. Let's call ourselves some little old grandmother name, Alice Cooper.
MDJ: I read somewhere that you are a born-again Christian. True?
Cooper: Yeah. Well, every Christian is born again. It's one of those things where you just have a new life, a new approach to your life. It's not like Scientology where it's all about me, me, me, I'm going to get better, I'm going to get … It's all about more dependence on Christ and one-on-one relationship. There's nothing in the Bible that says I can't be a rock star. When you become a Christian, it doesn't give you like a book of rules. It tells you you can do this. How many Christians are there that are probably snipers or boxers or whatever? Christianity goes through all kinds of jobs, so rock star might be one of the less-offensive jobs.
MDJ: I read that golf helped you overcome an addiction to alcohol. True?
Cooper: Oh absolutely. When I stopped drinking — now God did take away my drinking because I was an alcoholic that was a classic alcoholic and when I got out of the hospital 30 years later I still have never had a craving for alcohol. Every doctor I've been to says that's impossible. And I said, well, that's what a miracle is, it's impossible. I have never been to AA, I've never had a mentor or any of that. It just stopped. It was gone. But being an addictive personality like I am, I had to find something that was going to be a positive addiction, and so the next thing I knew I went out and I hit a golf ball. I was a good athlete when I was a kid, I was a good baseball player, I had good hand-eye coordination. I said, this looks like it would be fun. I hit a seven iron dead down the middle, first swing I ever took, and I went "oh, I'm addicted." So I play golf, even now, six days a week.
MDJ: Where do you live now?
Cooper: Scottsdale, Ariz. I'm one of the good guys. Married 35 years and never cheated on her.
MDJ: What music do your children listen to?
Cooper: It's funny because kids are sort of scattered all over. Almost every kid that I can think of loves classic rock. Our audience through Europe, through Italy, France, Russia, Germany, was all 15- to 25-year-olds, and they love classic rock. That might be because the new bands that are out are just not producing any classic songs.
MDJ: Was that really you calling up "The Talking Dead" show the other day?
Cooper: I watched the show, and they kind of asked me to call. I'm a big fan of the show anyways. They should do the same thing with "Dexter," where at the end of the show people can call in and ask questions, because it's like a soap opera. You kind of get involved in the characters more than the zombies.
MDJ: Who's your favorite character?
Cooper: I like what's his name? Daryl. The guy that was in "The Boondock Saints." He's great because he's sort of like a guy that would be the real guy. All he knows is being a redneck, and all he really knows is that these are bad things, kill them.
According to NorthFulton.com, drum top autographed by MÖTLEY CRÜE along with two guitar picks were stolen from a house in the Polo Fields in Cumming, Georgia.
The incident took place sometime between 8 a.m. on December 12 and 11:30 a.m. on December 14.
There were no signs of forced entry into the home, which is currently for sale.
According to a Forsyth County Sheriff's incident report, it appears that someone used the real estate key left in a lock box to gain access into the residence.
The stolen items are valued at about $600.
The incident took place sometime between 8 a.m. on December 12 and 11:30 a.m. on December 14.
There were no signs of forced entry into the home, which is currently for sale.
According to a Forsyth County Sheriff's incident report, it appears that someone used the real estate key left in a lock box to gain access into the residence.
The stolen items are valued at about $600.
"I think the path you take on guitar shows your personality," exclaims Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick. "It illuminates who you are as a person in away. For me, there was always a great need to understand exactly what I was doing and why it functioned the way it did. That's what I got through all of the lessons and schooling that I went through."
Now, he's going to impart that knowledge upon a whole new legion of budding shredders at Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat from December 26 until December 30, 2011 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY. He's partnered up with fellow shredder, the legendary Alex Skolnick [Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra] for this innovative and informative winter guitar camp. Students learn a myriad of techniques from these two masters, and they all get to jam together. There's nothing better for a young guitar hero in training…
In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief and Dolor author Rick Florino, Chris Broderick of Megadeth talks "Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat", Th1rt3en, and so much more.
Where did the idea for Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat come from?
It was presented to us. Alex and I have toured a lot together and have hung out a lot. Through having similar collegiate backgrounds, we have that theory knowledge we can converse in and relate to each other. It just made sense when it came up. We were immediately like, "Yeah, let's do it!" I've taught a lot, and I still do to this day. It's really gratifying to see people take the information you've required over the years and be able to utilize it.
For you, what's the best aspect of teaching?
When the students' eyes light up and they understand the concept, that's it right there. When they get a new idea or technique down, you can tell they want to take it home and own it. Then they woodshed and utilize the information. That's by far the most rewarding thing about teaching. I realize that everybody's an individual, and their strengths and weaknesses are who they are. As a teacher, I'm always trying to identify those things as well as their learning traits. I try not to overwhelm the student at first. I try to ease them into it.
In terms of the retreat, how did you choose the class topics?
Because of our backgrounds, we both have ideas of what will help other guitarists and musicians out in a very quick and effective way. I've got a class on chord progressions and harmony, and that's a one to two-year course in college. There's no way we're going to dissect it to that degree, but it will have those tips and tricks. Those quick, go-to ideas can really expand your chord harmony, and that's what I'm looking to convey at that time.
Is it particularly gratifying to stretch outside of metal?
Being immersed in metal, Alex has diversified more into jazz, and I've diversified more into classical. It makes sense for us as players, but it definitely increases your work load when you're trying to convey all of this stuff in a class [Laughs].
Metal is particularly open to expansion given the requisite technicality.
That hits the nail on the head. It's one of the reasons I love metal so much to this day. When people approach me and they get to know me, they realize that I have an appreciation for the music style, how it's created, and the depth that it has. Whereas a lot of people that are into metal are those fans who know everything about the history of the bands. I wish I was more of that. They know when this member came in at that time and what happened at certain concerts. I was more on the musical and instrumental side of things.
Who made you first want to pick up a guitar?
I had a friend in fifth grade that I'd just met. I went to his house and he had a guitar there. I started messing around with it and I could never put it down. Every time I was at his house, I was like, "Let's play your guitar!" He'd say, "Let's go ride Motorcross" or something. I was annoying him constantly [Laughs]. A friend of his sold me his first guitar, which was like this Sears guitar. It was hilarious. It had 18 frets, and I couldn't tune it. The first thing I did was paint it red and throw some black duct tape on it like Eddie Van Halen.
Who were your first guitar heroes?
Van Halen was definitely the first one. It quickly went to Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Jason Becker, and all of the shredders from there.
What are you most excited about on the retreat?
I'm most looking forward to becoming like a guitar family and getting up there together and jamming some songs not only with Alex but the students.
Did Megadeth approach Th1rt3en with one cohesive vision?
I don't think so. We had talked about what we wanted it to do in terms of live performance. We were thinking ahead about how we want these songs to come across when we play them out. That was really it. Once you sit down and start writing, the songs take their own course. Sometimes, you can't deny the way a song wants to go and it almost develops itself. Once you're in the studio, that's what tends to happen.
Do you feel like you're a tighter unit?
Personally, I felt much more in my groove. I was much more relaxed and comfortable in the recording environment.
How did the title track come together?
Well, the title track is almost like a history of Dave Mustaine in a way. He's talking about the thirteen times he's been to the well. It's a reflection of the thirteen CDs prior and the number thirteen and how it correlates to him personally. That was a song that we had written some of the riffs to on tour.
Did you have the opportunity to try anything new in terms of the guitar?
I think it was a lot more open in terms of our guitar tones and I was really happy with that. Whereas last time on Endgame, everything was unified in terms of tones. Dave and I used the exact same tones for everything. This time, we set out to diversify a little bit and add more depth in terms of individual tones. I thought that was awesome. It adds another level of interest into the sound.
Do you and Dave both bring different elements to the sound like a Ying and Yang effect?
I like the Ying and the Yang idea. That's definitely where Dave and I come from. He got his playing from picking up records and CDs and figuring them out anyway he could. My approach was much more schooled. When it comes to our individual solos or main melodies, we get to reflect our individuality at that point. It's got to be cohesive to an extent, but there's a lot of that Ying and Yang idea.
If you were to compare Th1rt3en to a movie, what would you compare it to?
I wouldn't compare it to any single movie. You've got a horror classic in "Millenium of the Blind" and you have some angry documentary about somebody in "Never Dead". Then you have some action adventure in "Sudden Death". That's the thing I like about this CD—it's very diverse.
Now, he's going to impart that knowledge upon a whole new legion of budding shredders at Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat from December 26 until December 30, 2011 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY. He's partnered up with fellow shredder, the legendary Alex Skolnick [Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra] for this innovative and informative winter guitar camp. Students learn a myriad of techniques from these two masters, and they all get to jam together. There's nothing better for a young guitar hero in training…
In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief and Dolor author Rick Florino, Chris Broderick of Megadeth talks "Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat", Th1rt3en, and so much more.
Where did the idea for Skolnick & Broderick's Winter Guitar Retreat come from?
It was presented to us. Alex and I have toured a lot together and have hung out a lot. Through having similar collegiate backgrounds, we have that theory knowledge we can converse in and relate to each other. It just made sense when it came up. We were immediately like, "Yeah, let's do it!" I've taught a lot, and I still do to this day. It's really gratifying to see people take the information you've required over the years and be able to utilize it.
For you, what's the best aspect of teaching?
When the students' eyes light up and they understand the concept, that's it right there. When they get a new idea or technique down, you can tell they want to take it home and own it. Then they woodshed and utilize the information. That's by far the most rewarding thing about teaching. I realize that everybody's an individual, and their strengths and weaknesses are who they are. As a teacher, I'm always trying to identify those things as well as their learning traits. I try not to overwhelm the student at first. I try to ease them into it.
In terms of the retreat, how did you choose the class topics?
Because of our backgrounds, we both have ideas of what will help other guitarists and musicians out in a very quick and effective way. I've got a class on chord progressions and harmony, and that's a one to two-year course in college. There's no way we're going to dissect it to that degree, but it will have those tips and tricks. Those quick, go-to ideas can really expand your chord harmony, and that's what I'm looking to convey at that time.
Is it particularly gratifying to stretch outside of metal?
Being immersed in metal, Alex has diversified more into jazz, and I've diversified more into classical. It makes sense for us as players, but it definitely increases your work load when you're trying to convey all of this stuff in a class [Laughs].
Metal is particularly open to expansion given the requisite technicality.
That hits the nail on the head. It's one of the reasons I love metal so much to this day. When people approach me and they get to know me, they realize that I have an appreciation for the music style, how it's created, and the depth that it has. Whereas a lot of people that are into metal are those fans who know everything about the history of the bands. I wish I was more of that. They know when this member came in at that time and what happened at certain concerts. I was more on the musical and instrumental side of things.
Who made you first want to pick up a guitar?
I had a friend in fifth grade that I'd just met. I went to his house and he had a guitar there. I started messing around with it and I could never put it down. Every time I was at his house, I was like, "Let's play your guitar!" He'd say, "Let's go ride Motorcross" or something. I was annoying him constantly [Laughs]. A friend of his sold me his first guitar, which was like this Sears guitar. It was hilarious. It had 18 frets, and I couldn't tune it. The first thing I did was paint it red and throw some black duct tape on it like Eddie Van Halen.
Who were your first guitar heroes?
Van Halen was definitely the first one. It quickly went to Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Jason Becker, and all of the shredders from there.
What are you most excited about on the retreat?
I'm most looking forward to becoming like a guitar family and getting up there together and jamming some songs not only with Alex but the students.
Did Megadeth approach Th1rt3en with one cohesive vision?
I don't think so. We had talked about what we wanted it to do in terms of live performance. We were thinking ahead about how we want these songs to come across when we play them out. That was really it. Once you sit down and start writing, the songs take their own course. Sometimes, you can't deny the way a song wants to go and it almost develops itself. Once you're in the studio, that's what tends to happen.
Do you feel like you're a tighter unit?
Personally, I felt much more in my groove. I was much more relaxed and comfortable in the recording environment.
How did the title track come together?
Well, the title track is almost like a history of Dave Mustaine in a way. He's talking about the thirteen times he's been to the well. It's a reflection of the thirteen CDs prior and the number thirteen and how it correlates to him personally. That was a song that we had written some of the riffs to on tour.
Did you have the opportunity to try anything new in terms of the guitar?
I think it was a lot more open in terms of our guitar tones and I was really happy with that. Whereas last time on Endgame, everything was unified in terms of tones. Dave and I used the exact same tones for everything. This time, we set out to diversify a little bit and add more depth in terms of individual tones. I thought that was awesome. It adds another level of interest into the sound.
Do you and Dave both bring different elements to the sound like a Ying and Yang effect?
I like the Ying and the Yang idea. That's definitely where Dave and I come from. He got his playing from picking up records and CDs and figuring them out anyway he could. My approach was much more schooled. When it comes to our individual solos or main melodies, we get to reflect our individuality at that point. It's got to be cohesive to an extent, but there's a lot of that Ying and Yang idea.
If you were to compare Th1rt3en to a movie, what would you compare it to?
I wouldn't compare it to any single movie. You've got a horror classic in "Millenium of the Blind" and you have some angry documentary about somebody in "Never Dead". Then you have some action adventure in "Sudden Death". That's the thing I like about this CD—it's very diverse.
RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has posted the following message on his Facebook page:
"I woke this morning to terrible news. We lost a dear friend, band mate and a sweet soul. Tim Garcia, original bass player from our [pre-RATT] band (1977-1980) MICKEY RATT.
"Tim was an amazing bass player. Even the first day auditioning him for the band in 1977 playing [LED] ZEPPELIN's 'Immigrant Song', Chris Hager (ROUGH CUTT, MICKEY RATT lead guitarist) and I were blown away. We found our man. He was so dedicated, read music, played anything we showed him. He remembered every song and parts Chris and I would even forget to this day. We always kicked ass with Tim, and he was always willing to be a partner in crime.
"When I moved the band to L.A. in January 1980, he only played a few shows and returned to San Diego to start a family. He got married, had a child and life sent Tim on another path. We always kept in touch. Tim even played with my solo band a few years back when I couldn't lock in a player to hit the road.
"We recently talked about getting the original band (MICKEY RATT) back together for a one-time reunion.
"I'm deeply crushed today and just wanted to share his brilliance as a great friend, musician (even if not a household name), bandmate and just a great soul.
"Another one gone.
"Life is short. Let's appreciate even those we have trouble understanding due to substance abuse who are our loved ones or friends.
"Rest in peace, Timmy. Your playing is always with us and you did eventually make it on records. MICKEY RATT set the foundation for my band RATT.
"Our music lives on, Tim. Love ya brother.
Pictured below (left to right): Tim Garcia, Stephen Pearcy, Chris Hager, John Turner
"I woke this morning to terrible news. We lost a dear friend, band mate and a sweet soul. Tim Garcia, original bass player from our [pre-RATT] band (1977-1980) MICKEY RATT.
"Tim was an amazing bass player. Even the first day auditioning him for the band in 1977 playing [LED] ZEPPELIN's 'Immigrant Song', Chris Hager (ROUGH CUTT, MICKEY RATT lead guitarist) and I were blown away. We found our man. He was so dedicated, read music, played anything we showed him. He remembered every song and parts Chris and I would even forget to this day. We always kicked ass with Tim, and he was always willing to be a partner in crime.
"When I moved the band to L.A. in January 1980, he only played a few shows and returned to San Diego to start a family. He got married, had a child and life sent Tim on another path. We always kept in touch. Tim even played with my solo band a few years back when I couldn't lock in a player to hit the road.
"We recently talked about getting the original band (MICKEY RATT) back together for a one-time reunion.
"I'm deeply crushed today and just wanted to share his brilliance as a great friend, musician (even if not a household name), bandmate and just a great soul.
"Another one gone.
"Life is short. Let's appreciate even those we have trouble understanding due to substance abuse who are our loved ones or friends.
"Rest in peace, Timmy. Your playing is always with us and you did eventually make it on records. MICKEY RATT set the foundation for my band RATT.
"Our music lives on, Tim. Love ya brother.
Pictured below (left to right): Tim Garcia, Stephen Pearcy, Chris Hager, John Turner
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/mickeyrattband.jpg
According to Argus Leader, the convicted felon who confessed to slashing the throat of a 75-year-old South Dakota hospice nurse claimed that he became involved with a "cult" called the "Black Label Society," which he said was founded by Zakk Wylde, who fronts a band of the same name.
James McVay, 41, is charged with first-degree murder and burglary in the stabbing death of Maybelle Schein.
McVay said he killed Schein in her bed less than 48 hours after being released into a minimum security community transition program June 30.
He later told detectives and Wisconsin television reporters that he killed the woman and stole her car as part of a plot to steal and kill his way to Washington, D.C., to assassinate President Obama.
During a July 2011 jailhouse interview, McVay told WKOW that he cooked up a presidential assassination plot while in solitary confinement in Sioux Falls, where he "sat with nothing but a radio and my own hallucinations."
He stayed in solitary confinement up until the day he was released, and in that month he says he made plans to kill the President.
In a letter to the Argus Leader sent earlier this year, McVay wrote, "Within 36 hours of my arrival at Unit C once again, I was thoroughly intoxicated on dextromethorphan, and had literally pledged my allegiance to Lucifer as I sat under the bridge by Sertoma Park listening to Zak Wild (sic) … waiting for my instructions from on high."
James McVay, 41, is charged with first-degree murder and burglary in the stabbing death of Maybelle Schein.
McVay said he killed Schein in her bed less than 48 hours after being released into a minimum security community transition program June 30.
He later told detectives and Wisconsin television reporters that he killed the woman and stole her car as part of a plot to steal and kill his way to Washington, D.C., to assassinate President Obama.
During a July 2011 jailhouse interview, McVay told WKOW that he cooked up a presidential assassination plot while in solitary confinement in Sioux Falls, where he "sat with nothing but a radio and my own hallucinations."
He stayed in solitary confinement up until the day he was released, and in that month he says he made plans to kill the President.
In a letter to the Argus Leader sent earlier this year, McVay wrote, "Within 36 hours of my arrival at Unit C once again, I was thoroughly intoxicated on dextromethorphan, and had literally pledged my allegiance to Lucifer as I sat under the bridge by Sertoma Park listening to Zak Wild (sic) … waiting for my instructions from on high."
ICED EARTH mastermind Jon Schaffer's SONS OF LIBERTY project has released a brand new five-song EP, "Spirit Of The Times", via iTunes and "other digital channels." Schaffer states, "We have chosen to not involve a record label for now. We wanted to do this directly from us to you."
Schaffer developed SONS OF LIBERTY for the purpose of spreading awareness about the current state of affairs worldwide. Jon's goal for this project is not to sell records, t-shirts or tickets, but rather wake people up and to get them to start researching and talking with each other.
"Spirit Of The Times" track listing:
01. Alive
02. Full Spectrum Dominance
03. Molon Labe
04. Mind Control
05. Spirit Of The Times
The title track can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
Says Schaffer: "It is my sincere hope that this EP will continue to spread brushfires of liberty in the minds of people from all corners of the globe.
"I wish I would have had time to write, record, and mix more songs, but with the intense and demanding schedule that ICED EARTH is requiring from me, this is the best I could do.
"On this recording, I was once again joined by Jim Morris (guitar solos, backing vocals) and Ruben Drake (bass guitar). Jim and I programmed the drums in order to keep recording costs down.
"As you know, SONS OF LIBERTY is about the message and the idea, but there are costs involved to keep it going.
"Though I still encourage you to make copies and pass them out to everyone you can, there will not be a free download available this time around.
"Due to my recording and touring schedule with ICED EARTH, I have not been as present as I would like to be in the cause for liberty.
"Please know that I stand with all of you freedom fighters in spirit, regardless of what race you are, what language you speak, or which God you choose, or not choose, to worship. I will be there when duty calls; count on it.
"The free human spirit is rising all over the planet.
"I've been fortunate enough in my travels to speak with some amazing and very awake people in the last few years, and I can honestly and gladly state, that we are having an effect.
"Continue to educate yourselves, think for yourselves, use your power of discernment, and most importantly; be there for each other.
"Good people all over the world can band together and make this a world of peace and prosperity for all of its inhabitants if only we truly connect with the power and will of the free human spirit.
"Thanks so much for supporting the cause!"
Released in July 2010, SONS OF LIBERTY's debut CD, "Brush-Fires Of The Mind", landed at position No. 132 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.
Fore more information, visit www.sons-of-liberty.net.
Schaffer developed SONS OF LIBERTY for the purpose of spreading awareness about the current state of affairs worldwide. Jon's goal for this project is not to sell records, t-shirts or tickets, but rather wake people up and to get them to start researching and talking with each other.
"Spirit Of The Times" track listing:
01. Alive
02. Full Spectrum Dominance
03. Molon Labe
04. Mind Control
05. Spirit Of The Times
The title track can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
Says Schaffer: "It is my sincere hope that this EP will continue to spread brushfires of liberty in the minds of people from all corners of the globe.
"I wish I would have had time to write, record, and mix more songs, but with the intense and demanding schedule that ICED EARTH is requiring from me, this is the best I could do.
"On this recording, I was once again joined by Jim Morris (guitar solos, backing vocals) and Ruben Drake (bass guitar). Jim and I programmed the drums in order to keep recording costs down.
"As you know, SONS OF LIBERTY is about the message and the idea, but there are costs involved to keep it going.
"Though I still encourage you to make copies and pass them out to everyone you can, there will not be a free download available this time around.
"Due to my recording and touring schedule with ICED EARTH, I have not been as present as I would like to be in the cause for liberty.
"Please know that I stand with all of you freedom fighters in spirit, regardless of what race you are, what language you speak, or which God you choose, or not choose, to worship. I will be there when duty calls; count on it.
"The free human spirit is rising all over the planet.
"I've been fortunate enough in my travels to speak with some amazing and very awake people in the last few years, and I can honestly and gladly state, that we are having an effect.
"Continue to educate yourselves, think for yourselves, use your power of discernment, and most importantly; be there for each other.
"Good people all over the world can band together and make this a world of peace and prosperity for all of its inhabitants if only we truly connect with the power and will of the free human spirit.
"Thanks so much for supporting the cause!"
Released in July 2010, SONS OF LIBERTY's debut CD, "Brush-Fires Of The Mind", landed at position No. 132 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.
Fore more information, visit www.sons-of-liberty.net.
25 years after the release of the legendary "Night Of Passion" album, German hard rock band MAD MAX returns with the original lineup — Michael Voss (lead vocals, lead guitars), Jürgen Breforth (rhythm guitars), Roland Bergmann (bass, vocals) and Axel Kruse (drums) — and a new studio album, "Another Night Of Passion", due on March 23, 2012 (three days later in Europe) via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD was recorded at the Kidroom Studio, which is owned by Michael Voss and where albums from Michael Schenker, VENGEANCE and Gary Barden were previously produced. The cover artwork was designed by the Belgian artist Eric Philippe (RHAPSODY, TNT) and the photos were taken by the famous German photographer Martin Huch.
"The new record could have been a direct [follow-up] to 'Night Of Passion' in terms of its stylistic direction — no ballads, no keyboards, just purebred rock songs – naturally in a contemporary sonic guise," explains MAD MAX guitarist Jürgen Breforth, who recorded the new CD with vocalist Michael Voss, bassist Roland Bergmann and drummer Axel Kruse.
"Another Night Of Passion" will be made available as a jewel case featuring eleven songs, and in a limited-edition digipak, containing the bonus CD "Official Bootleg - Live In Berlin".
Digipak track listing:
CD1
01. Rocklahoma (4:38)
02. 40 Rock (4:21)
03. Metal Edge (3:58)
04. You Decide (3:53)
05. Welcome To Rock Bottom (3:51)
06. Fallen From Grace (5:11)
07. Black Swan (5:05)
08. Back And Alive (3:22)
09. The Chant (4:56)
10. Fever Of Love (4:09)
11. True Blue (2:51)
CD2 (Bonus "Official Bootleg - Live In Berlin")
01. Where The Wind Blows (4:32)
02. Here We Are (4:57)
03. Night Of Passion (4:47)
04. Family Of Rock (4:48)
05. Little Princess (4:05)
06. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (6:02)
07. Open The Eyes (6:55)
08. Don`t Talk It All Over (5:37)
09. Homeless (4:57)
10. Hope To See You (5:02)
11. Fox On The Run (5:59)
Jewel-case track listing:
01. Rocklahoma (4:38)
02. 40 Rock (4:21)
03. Metal Edge (3:58)
04. You Decide (3:53)
05. Welcome To Rock Bottom (3:51)
06. Fallen From Grace (5:11)
07. Black Swan (5:05)
08. Back And Alive (3:22)
09. The Chant (4:56)
10. Fever Of Love (4:09)
11. True Blue (2:51)
MAD MAX will support AXEL RUDI PELL on a European tour in April/May 2012.
MAD MAX has released nine studio albums since 1982 and toured Europe with such bands as DEEP PURPLE, ALICE COOPER, URIAH HEEP, STRYPER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and PRETTY MAIDS.
"The new record could have been a direct [follow-up] to 'Night Of Passion' in terms of its stylistic direction — no ballads, no keyboards, just purebred rock songs – naturally in a contemporary sonic guise," explains MAD MAX guitarist Jürgen Breforth, who recorded the new CD with vocalist Michael Voss, bassist Roland Bergmann and drummer Axel Kruse.
"Another Night Of Passion" will be made available as a jewel case featuring eleven songs, and in a limited-edition digipak, containing the bonus CD "Official Bootleg - Live In Berlin".
Digipak track listing:
CD1
01. Rocklahoma (4:38)
02. 40 Rock (4:21)
03. Metal Edge (3:58)
04. You Decide (3:53)
05. Welcome To Rock Bottom (3:51)
06. Fallen From Grace (5:11)
07. Black Swan (5:05)
08. Back And Alive (3:22)
09. The Chant (4:56)
10. Fever Of Love (4:09)
11. True Blue (2:51)
CD2 (Bonus "Official Bootleg - Live In Berlin")
01. Where The Wind Blows (4:32)
02. Here We Are (4:57)
03. Night Of Passion (4:47)
04. Family Of Rock (4:48)
05. Little Princess (4:05)
06. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (6:02)
07. Open The Eyes (6:55)
08. Don`t Talk It All Over (5:37)
09. Homeless (4:57)
10. Hope To See You (5:02)
11. Fox On The Run (5:59)
Jewel-case track listing:
01. Rocklahoma (4:38)
02. 40 Rock (4:21)
03. Metal Edge (3:58)
04. You Decide (3:53)
05. Welcome To Rock Bottom (3:51)
06. Fallen From Grace (5:11)
07. Black Swan (5:05)
08. Back And Alive (3:22)
09. The Chant (4:56)
10. Fever Of Love (4:09)
11. True Blue (2:51)
MAD MAX will support AXEL RUDI PELL on a European tour in April/May 2012.
MAD MAX has released nine studio albums since 1982 and toured Europe with such bands as DEEP PURPLE, ALICE COOPER, URIAH HEEP, STRYPER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and PRETTY MAIDS.
Rock stars live one of the most unusual lifestyles in the world — always on the road, either touring or recording, working mostly at night and never staying in one place for very long. But according to KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer, musicians like to spend the holidays at home just like everyone else. "It's really much like any Christmas in any home across America or the world," he tells The Pulse Of Radio. "It's nice, 'cause we get to actually be home. You know, we've always said from the beginning that this band will always be home for Christmas. It's a really important time for all of us, and especially now more than ever because we have kids and families."
KORN's 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality", debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard album chart earlier this month, selling 55,000 copies in its first week of release.
The band has scored 11 straight Top 10 debuts, dating back to their second album, 1996's "Life Is Peachy".
For this effort, the veteran act teamed up with dubstep producers and DJs like 12th Planet, Kill The Noise, Noisia, Downlink, Excision and Skrillex to add a whole new electronic layer to their sound.
The band went out on a short run of dates last month to promote the record but has yet to announce its 2012 tour plans.
KORN's 10th studio album, "The Path Of Totality", debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard album chart earlier this month, selling 55,000 copies in its first week of release.
The band has scored 11 straight Top 10 debuts, dating back to their second album, 1996's "Life Is Peachy".
For this effort, the veteran act teamed up with dubstep producers and DJs like 12th Planet, Kill The Noise, Noisia, Downlink, Excision and Skrillex to add a whole new electronic layer to their sound.
The band went out on a short run of dates last month to promote the record but has yet to announce its 2012 tour plans.
STORM CORROSION, the much-anticipated collaboration project between OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt and PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson, earlier in the year completed work on its self-titled debut album for an April 2012 release through Roadrunner Records. Apart from Mikael and Steven, the CD includes guest appearances by Gavin Harrison (PORCUPINE TREE) on drums/percussion, Ben Castle on woodwinds and Dave Stewart on string arrangements.
In a interview with Metal Injection conducted on November 11 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, Wilson was asked how STORM CORROSION is different from his previous collaborations with Åkerfeldt. "Well, the only stuff I've collaborated with Mikael on in the past has been working on his records," Wilson replied. "This is obviously a collaboration, so it's a different approach. We sat in a room together and we wrote music together, rather than taking his music that he'd already written and working it into a record. We actually started from the very basics — composition and arranging."
He continued, "If you'd asked me three months ago about the music, I would have said, 'Expect the last thing you would expect.' But actually, now that [OPETH's new record] 'Heritage' has come out and [Steven Wilson's solo album] 'Grace Of Drowning' has come out, I don't think it's going to be that much of a shock to people, because it's almost like a third part of the trilogy, in a way. If anything, it's even more orchestral, even more stripped down, even more dark, twisted and melancholic… but it certainly feels like it comes from the same place as 'Heritage' and 'Grace For Drowning', which indeed it does because it was written during the same period — it was written during a period that he was playing the tracks that he'd written for 'Heritage' and I was playing the tracks that I had written for 'Grace Of Drowning'. So we were kind of, in a way, egging each other on, encouraging each other to do those particular records, but also at the same time coming up with this music that is now gonna be on STORM CORROSION. So it's a very orchestral record, it's very — as you'd expect — epic, the songs are quite long and they develop in quite unusual ways."
He concluded, "I'm realistic that half the people are gonna hate it and half the people probably will fall in love with it. I'd be happy with that anyway."
Although former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially supposed to be part of the STORM CORROSION project, he did not take part in the recording sessions for the CD. "To be honest, there's just no room for drums on what we've done," Åkerfeldt told Classic Rock magazine last year. "I called Mike up, and he was cool about it. He's got so much going on anyway, and I'm sure we will work together in the future."
In a interview with Metal Injection conducted on November 11 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, Wilson was asked how STORM CORROSION is different from his previous collaborations with Åkerfeldt. "Well, the only stuff I've collaborated with Mikael on in the past has been working on his records," Wilson replied. "This is obviously a collaboration, so it's a different approach. We sat in a room together and we wrote music together, rather than taking his music that he'd already written and working it into a record. We actually started from the very basics — composition and arranging."
He continued, "If you'd asked me three months ago about the music, I would have said, 'Expect the last thing you would expect.' But actually, now that [OPETH's new record] 'Heritage' has come out and [Steven Wilson's solo album] 'Grace Of Drowning' has come out, I don't think it's going to be that much of a shock to people, because it's almost like a third part of the trilogy, in a way. If anything, it's even more orchestral, even more stripped down, even more dark, twisted and melancholic… but it certainly feels like it comes from the same place as 'Heritage' and 'Grace For Drowning', which indeed it does because it was written during the same period — it was written during a period that he was playing the tracks that he'd written for 'Heritage' and I was playing the tracks that I had written for 'Grace Of Drowning'. So we were kind of, in a way, egging each other on, encouraging each other to do those particular records, but also at the same time coming up with this music that is now gonna be on STORM CORROSION. So it's a very orchestral record, it's very — as you'd expect — epic, the songs are quite long and they develop in quite unusual ways."
He concluded, "I'm realistic that half the people are gonna hate it and half the people probably will fall in love with it. I'd be happy with that anyway."
Although former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially supposed to be part of the STORM CORROSION project, he did not take part in the recording sessions for the CD. "To be honest, there's just no room for drums on what we've done," Åkerfeldt told Classic Rock magazine last year. "I called Mike up, and he was cool about it. He's got so much going on anyway, and I'm sure we will work together in the future."
DISTURBED went on an open-ended hiatus earlier this fall, following the completion of the touring cycle for its 2010 album "Asylum".
During this year's Dimebash, which was held on December 14 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California, DISTURBED singer David Draiman was asked by the Artisan News what his plans were for 2012. "To relax, man," he replied. "I'm trying to work with a couple of different bands, doing some production. I'm really just kind of chilling. I wanna go ahead and impregnate my wife and have a baby. [Laughs] You know — be a normal human being for about five seconds."
Draiman married Lena Yada — a Japanese-American model, actress, professional tandem surfer and professional wrestler — on September 25 in Texas. The Pulse Of Radio asked Draiman how he thought becoming a married man might change his music. "You know, I can only imagine that it would give me more inspiration to write," he said. "I think that when you all of a sudden become a family man, and you have more to worry about than just yourself, your concerns, they build, in terms of things going on with the world, in terms of your life, in terms of your fears and your hopes and your dreams. And so I really think it'll be a tremendous catalyst for potential inspiration."
Draiman said in several interviews this past summer that "personal reasons" and the general state of the music industry factored in DISTURBED's decision to take a breather.
DISTURBED has not indicated when it plans to return, although all four members say it's not likely that the group will stay away for good.
DISTURBED released its first-ever collection of B-sides and rarities, titled "The Lost Children", on November 8. The set includes a previously unreleased song called "Mine" as well as a benefit track for the West Memphis Three titled "3", plus tunes that previously appeared only on soundtracks or as bonus cuts on international editions of the group's albums.
During this year's Dimebash, which was held on December 14 at the Key Club in Hollywood, California, DISTURBED singer David Draiman was asked by the Artisan News what his plans were for 2012. "To relax, man," he replied. "I'm trying to work with a couple of different bands, doing some production. I'm really just kind of chilling. I wanna go ahead and impregnate my wife and have a baby. [Laughs] You know — be a normal human being for about five seconds."
Draiman married Lena Yada — a Japanese-American model, actress, professional tandem surfer and professional wrestler — on September 25 in Texas. The Pulse Of Radio asked Draiman how he thought becoming a married man might change his music. "You know, I can only imagine that it would give me more inspiration to write," he said. "I think that when you all of a sudden become a family man, and you have more to worry about than just yourself, your concerns, they build, in terms of things going on with the world, in terms of your life, in terms of your fears and your hopes and your dreams. And so I really think it'll be a tremendous catalyst for potential inspiration."
Draiman said in several interviews this past summer that "personal reasons" and the general state of the music industry factored in DISTURBED's decision to take a breather.
DISTURBED has not indicated when it plans to return, although all four members say it's not likely that the group will stay away for good.
DISTURBED released its first-ever collection of B-sides and rarities, titled "The Lost Children", on November 8. The set includes a previously unreleased song called "Mine" as well as a benefit track for the West Memphis Three titled "3", plus tunes that previously appeared only on soundtracks or as bonus cuts on international editions of the group's albums.
DISTURBED bassist John Moyer recently reached an agreement with Natural Ear Music founder Mike Murphy to take over and reopen Natural Ear Music School at the Music Lab at Oltorf in Austin, Texas.
Natural Ear Music School was established in 1991; it was the first school of its kind, teaching music by ear instead of using sheet music. The teachers are not your normal "music teachers" — they are working members of the Austin music scene, each with a history in the local lore, ready to pass on the tradition of live music performance to the next generation of musicians.
John started teaching at Natural Ear Music in 1999 when his first band was just getting signed. Over the past twelve years, John has played on eight major label releases and has toured the nation and the world countless times over but he always made time in his schedule to teach at Natural Ear Music.
With DISTURBED taking an extended break and the former owner (founder Michelle "Mike" Murphy) busy being mayor of Liberty Hill, Texas, it is a perfect time for John to take over the school.
"I have always loved teaching and I am amazed by the talent of today's youth… especially in Austin," said Moyer.
A five-minute video clip in which Moyer talks about his involvement with the Natural Ear Music School can be seen below.
John lives in South Austin with his wife, Kristen, and his two children, Kiley and Logan.
Natural Ear Music School was established in 1991; it was the first school of its kind, teaching music by ear instead of using sheet music. The teachers are not your normal "music teachers" — they are working members of the Austin music scene, each with a history in the local lore, ready to pass on the tradition of live music performance to the next generation of musicians.
John started teaching at Natural Ear Music in 1999 when his first band was just getting signed. Over the past twelve years, John has played on eight major label releases and has toured the nation and the world countless times over but he always made time in his schedule to teach at Natural Ear Music.
With DISTURBED taking an extended break and the former owner (founder Michelle "Mike" Murphy) busy being mayor of Liberty Hill, Texas, it is a perfect time for John to take over the school.
"I have always loved teaching and I am amazed by the talent of today's youth… especially in Austin," said Moyer.
A five-minute video clip in which Moyer talks about his involvement with the Natural Ear Music School can be seen below.
John lives in South Austin with his wife, Kristen, and his two children, Kiley and Logan.
British vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva — who has toured and/or recorded with CRADLE OF FILTH, THERION, MORTIIS and ANGTORIA — has issued the following update:
"In 2008, I parted ways with CRADLE OF FILTH, to pursue a life in Australia, bum some kangaroos and to go it alone as a solo musician.
"I know a lot of fans were disappointed with the departure and until now, whenever a fan asks, 'Will you ever work with CRADLE OF FILTH again?,' the answer has been NO!!
"Well, last week, Mr. Filth [CRADLE OF FILTH frontman vocalist Dani 'Filth' Davey] sent me an email and after many chats, I have decided to take him up on his offer to participate on [CRADLE OF FILTH's] new orchestral album, 'Midnight In The Labyrinth'.
"[I] hope this will make some of you happy. If it doesn't, well, you will get over it."
Dani previously stated that "Midnight In The Labyrinth" would feature "nine classic CRADLE tunes reinvented as orchestral compositions." He added, "This is no elevator music (or indeed the theme music to 'Schindler's Lift'!), this is a full-on horror film soundtrack in the vein of Danny Elfman, Christopher Young or Jerry Goldsmith. Musical scores to whittle away the evil winter months to…"
Tentatively due in April 2012, "Midnight In The Labyrinth" will feature the following track listing (not final sequence):
* The Forest Whispers My Name
* The Twisted Nails Of Faith
* Summer Dying Fast
* The Rape And Ruin Of Angels (Hosannas In Extremis)
* Funeral In Carpathia
* Thirteen Autumns And A Widow
* A Gothic Romance (Red Roses For The Devil's Whore)
* Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
* Dusk And Her Embrace
"In 2008, I parted ways with CRADLE OF FILTH, to pursue a life in Australia, bum some kangaroos and to go it alone as a solo musician.
"I know a lot of fans were disappointed with the departure and until now, whenever a fan asks, 'Will you ever work with CRADLE OF FILTH again?,' the answer has been NO!!
"Well, last week, Mr. Filth [CRADLE OF FILTH frontman vocalist Dani 'Filth' Davey] sent me an email and after many chats, I have decided to take him up on his offer to participate on [CRADLE OF FILTH's] new orchestral album, 'Midnight In The Labyrinth'.
"[I] hope this will make some of you happy. If it doesn't, well, you will get over it."
Dani previously stated that "Midnight In The Labyrinth" would feature "nine classic CRADLE tunes reinvented as orchestral compositions." He added, "This is no elevator music (or indeed the theme music to 'Schindler's Lift'!), this is a full-on horror film soundtrack in the vein of Danny Elfman, Christopher Young or Jerry Goldsmith. Musical scores to whittle away the evil winter months to…"
Tentatively due in April 2012, "Midnight In The Labyrinth" will feature the following track listing (not final sequence):
* The Forest Whispers My Name
* The Twisted Nails Of Faith
* Summer Dying Fast
* The Rape And Ruin Of Angels (Hosannas In Extremis)
* Funeral In Carpathia
* Thirteen Autumns And A Widow
* A Gothic Romance (Red Roses For The Devil's Whore)
* Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
* Dusk And Her Embrace
Swedish progressive rockers PAIN OF SALVATION have announced the addition of keyboardist Daniel "D2" Karlsson to the group's ranks. The band has also confirmed that Gustaf Hielm (ex-MESHUGGAH) will be the bass player for its February/March 2012 European tour.
Gustaf previously played with PAIN OF SALVATION back in 1994, years before he became involved with CHARTA 77 and MESHUGGAH.
Commented PAIN OF SALVATION mainman Daniel Gildenlöw: "It feels great to have Gustaf on board for the tour. He is truly one of the best bass players I have ever seen, and I can't wait to hear him take on the songs."
Karlsson previously played keyboards for PAIN OF SALVATION in India and handled the bass for the band on tour in South America and in Europe. In addition, he did the lights for PAIN OF SALVATION in Skellefteå.
Stated Gildenlöw: "Through the years we have always had problems finding people who can master ONE instrument well enough to play our songs the way they should be played, so needless to say [Karlsson] has impressed us by playing both the bass and the keyboard with total conviction. Asking him to join the band was a natural step. Also, band meetings were getting boring with only me and Léo there."
Added Karlsson: "To be a part of this band is a real honor. I'm very grateful to have been around PAIN OF SALVATION for quite some time, both as a technician and a musician and a fan of course, and suddenly I'm being a part of them for real. It pays off to work your way up.
"My intentions is not be the 'new' Fredrik, because there's only one. And a damn good one! But I'll do my best to carry the spirit on and bring a new chapter to the history of PAIN OF SALVATION. I'm looking forward to be a part of the future of the best band in the world."
PAIN OF SALVATION's new album, "Road Salt II" was released on September 26 in Europe and was made available on October 11 in North America via InsideOut Music.
Gustaf previously played with PAIN OF SALVATION back in 1994, years before he became involved with CHARTA 77 and MESHUGGAH.
Commented PAIN OF SALVATION mainman Daniel Gildenlöw: "It feels great to have Gustaf on board for the tour. He is truly one of the best bass players I have ever seen, and I can't wait to hear him take on the songs."
Karlsson previously played keyboards for PAIN OF SALVATION in India and handled the bass for the band on tour in South America and in Europe. In addition, he did the lights for PAIN OF SALVATION in Skellefteå.
Stated Gildenlöw: "Through the years we have always had problems finding people who can master ONE instrument well enough to play our songs the way they should be played, so needless to say [Karlsson] has impressed us by playing both the bass and the keyboard with total conviction. Asking him to join the band was a natural step. Also, band meetings were getting boring with only me and Léo there."
Added Karlsson: "To be a part of this band is a real honor. I'm very grateful to have been around PAIN OF SALVATION for quite some time, both as a technician and a musician and a fan of course, and suddenly I'm being a part of them for real. It pays off to work your way up.
"My intentions is not be the 'new' Fredrik, because there's only one. And a damn good one! But I'll do my best to carry the spirit on and bring a new chapter to the history of PAIN OF SALVATION. I'm looking forward to be a part of the future of the best band in the world."
PAIN OF SALVATION's new album, "Road Salt II" was released on September 26 in Europe and was made available on October 11 in North America via InsideOut Music.
Legendary hard rock singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TALISMAN, JOURNEY) is putting the finishing touches on his new solo album, "Damage Control", for a tentative March 2012 release via Frontiers Records. The CD, which "promises to deliver a one-two punch in the standard that is expected from the artist who has mastered the world of melodic and hard rock music through the ages," features guest appearances by Dave Meniketti (Y&T), Jamie Borger (TALISMAN, TREAT), Casey Grillo (KAMELOT) and Joel Hoekstra (NIGHT RANGER). There will be an 11-song standard-CD release of the album, as well as a 14-track digipack version along with a bonus DVD which includes videos and an EPK (Electronic Press Kit).
Soto previously stated about "Damage Control", "I combined the best of my first two solo albums with Frontiers Records and also tapped into the spirits of TALISMAN, SOUL SIRKUS and then some on 'Damage Control'. I have recruited my solo bandmates, new and old, to co-write with me as well as Joel Hoekstra of NIGHT RANGER and Jamie Borger of TALISMAN/TREAT to write and play with me on this. The tracks are amazing and I am sure will please all Jeff Scott Soto fans alike."
Jeff Scott Soto's double live album, "Live at Firefest 2008", came out in December 2010 via Frontiers Records.
Frontiers Records released a live DVD and CD by Jeff Scott Soto on December 4, 2009 in Europe and January 12, 2010 in the U.S. Entitled "One Night in Madrid", the set was filmed at Sala Heineken in Madrid on April 18, 2009 in front of an intimate and enthusiastic audience.
Soto previously stated about "Damage Control", "I combined the best of my first two solo albums with Frontiers Records and also tapped into the spirits of TALISMAN, SOUL SIRKUS and then some on 'Damage Control'. I have recruited my solo bandmates, new and old, to co-write with me as well as Joel Hoekstra of NIGHT RANGER and Jamie Borger of TALISMAN/TREAT to write and play with me on this. The tracks are amazing and I am sure will please all Jeff Scott Soto fans alike."
Jeff Scott Soto's double live album, "Live at Firefest 2008", came out in December 2010 via Frontiers Records.
Frontiers Records released a live DVD and CD by Jeff Scott Soto on December 4, 2009 in Europe and January 12, 2010 in the U.S. Entitled "One Night in Madrid", the set was filmed at Sala Heineken in Madrid on April 18, 2009 in front of an intimate and enthusiastic audience.
Cleveland, Ohio metallers CHIMAIRA have released a free digital EP, "The Age Of Remix Hell", via Multiupload.com.
The track listing for the effort — which, as the title suggests, contains remixed versions of songs from CHIMAIRA's latest album, "The Age Of Hell" — is as follows:
01. Year Of The Snake (Dubba Jonny Mix)
02. Clockwork (Hunter Mix)
03. Year Of The Snake (Allinaline Mix)
04. Losing My Mind (Allinaline Mix)
Guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries will be leaving CHIMAIRA at the end of 2011. Vocalist Mark Hunter says, "We understand that life invades art, everything runs its course, and we have to take different paths. We respect their decision and wish them only the best. We made heavy metal history together and that is all that matters at the end of the day. 'Chimaira Christmas 12' [on December 30] will be their last show, and we've been preparing to make it one that you'll never forget."
"The Age Of Hell" 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 track listing for the effort — which, as the title suggests, contains remixed versions of songs from CHIMAIRA's latest album, "The Age Of Hell" — is as follows:
01. Year Of The Snake (Dubba Jonny Mix)
02. Clockwork (Hunter Mix)
03. Year Of The Snake (Allinaline Mix)
04. Losing My Mind (Allinaline Mix)
Guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries will be leaving CHIMAIRA at the end of 2011. Vocalist Mark Hunter says, "We understand that life invades art, everything runs its course, and we have to take different paths. We respect their decision and wish them only the best. We made heavy metal history together and that is all that matters at the end of the day. 'Chimaira Christmas 12' [on December 30] will be their last show, and we've been preparing to make it one that you'll never forget."
"The Age Of Hell" 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.
Washington D.C. metallers DARKEST HOUR have parted ways with drummer Ryan Parrish and have temporarily replaced him with Timothy Java (DEAD TO FALL). The band states, "Tim did an amazing job on our recent European tour with MACHINE HEAD. As for the future, that's open for discussion — no permanent decisions have been made in any way."
Parrish is currently working with ex-DARKEST HOUR guitarist Kris Norris in a new band called A CANCEROUS AFFAIR.
DARKEST HOUR's sixth album, "The Human Romance", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 185 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
DARKEST HOUR's previous album, "The Eternal Return", opened with 4,700 units back in July 2009 to enter the chart at No. 104.
"The Human Romance" was released in Europe on March 7 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded at a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers.
Wichers previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast".
Parrish is currently working with ex-DARKEST HOUR guitarist Kris Norris in a new band called A CANCEROUS AFFAIR.
DARKEST HOUR's sixth album, "The Human Romance", sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 185 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
DARKEST HOUR's previous album, "The Eternal Return", opened with 4,700 units back in July 2009 to enter the chart at No. 104.
"The Human Romance" was released in Europe on March 7 via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded at a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers.
Wichers previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast".
M.A.N ("Massive Audio Nerve") — the Swedish metal-hardcore-progressive four-piece featuring TRANSPORT LEAGUE/ex-MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich — has parted ways with guitarist Nils Olsson and drummer Andreas Engberg and has replaced them with Mark Black (ex-DREAM EVIL, DRAGONLORD) on and Adde Larsson (BLACK CANDY STORE, ex-ENGEL, URBANDUX), respectively.
M.A.N will enter IF Studios, the IN FLAMES-owned facility in Gothenburg, Sweden, in February 2012 with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, LOK) to begin recording its fourth album, "Cancer Vulgaris". 12 songs will be recorded for the effort, including "Hoax", "This Generation", "Smack Down", "Young Insect", "Death Song", "Grace Of Time", "Lights Out", "Man Slaughter", "Cryosync" and "Sahara".
M.A.N's third album, "Massive Audio Nerve", was released on March 26, 2010 via the German label Tiefdruck Musik. The CD was recorded at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden with engineer Svein Jensen and was mixed by Ulrich Wild, who has previously worked with WHITE ZOMBIE, STAIND, STATIC-X, DEFTONES, PANTERA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others. The mastering was handled by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Encino, California.
M.A.N will enter IF Studios, the IN FLAMES-owned facility in Gothenburg, Sweden, in February 2012 with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, LOK) to begin recording its fourth album, "Cancer Vulgaris". 12 songs will be recorded for the effort, including "Hoax", "This Generation", "Smack Down", "Young Insect", "Death Song", "Grace Of Time", "Lights Out", "Man Slaughter", "Cryosync" and "Sahara".
M.A.N's third album, "Massive Audio Nerve", was released on March 26, 2010 via the German label Tiefdruck Musik. The CD was recorded at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden with engineer Svein Jensen and was mixed by Ulrich Wild, who has previously worked with WHITE ZOMBIE, STAIND, STATIC-X, DEFTONES, PANTERA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others. The mastering was handled by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Encino, California.
SINGLE BULLET THEORY has announced the addition of Nick Bunczk (drums), Patrick Brose (guitar) and Joe Brannigan (guitar) to the group's ranks.
Commented SINGLE BULLET THEORY guitarist/vocalist Matt DiFabio: "We have not had a permanent drummer since the end of our tour with KING DIAMOND in 2003. Once Johnny Sasso ('Route 666' drummer) left the band, we have had a revolving door of temporary drummers live and great guest drummers on our records (Matt Thompson of KING DIAMOND and Acacio Carvalho, to name a few).
"Last year we had announced that Adam Sagan (INTO ETERNITY) would be joining the fold. However, logistically it would be very difficult to arrange for rehearsals and set time aside for weekend shows as Adam lives in Minnesota and we are in Philadelphia.
"Nick is an excellent musician who in addition to crushing behind the kit, he is a drum teacher as well as an accomplished guitarist.
"Nick's addition to the group will bring a lot of piss and vinegar to the old SINGLE BULLET THEORY songs as well as open up a complete 'Pandora's box' for future writing.
"On the six-string front, we have added Patrick Brose and Joe Brannigan. Both are from the south Jersey band OF WRATH AND RUIN and both guitarists are awesome.
"Patrick will be handling 70 percent of all the leads, including re-writing a lot of leads from 'Route 666'. Joe and I (yes, we will have three live guitars blazing) will be handling the rhythms as well as bringing the three-part harmony into the mix.
"I have wanted to have three guitars live ever since we toured with BEYOND THE EMBRACE in 2005. They sounded so fucking heavy live and I thought it was a great idea.
"This is NOT to say that John Ruszin III has quit SINGLE BULLET THEORY. John will be performing live with us on select shows in the Philadelphia area. John will still be a part of the SINGLE BULLET THEORY camp and will be involved in the next record. However, John has a REALLY good job and touring isn't an option for him.
"John is a world-class guitarist and a great friend, I am happy to say he is part of the group.
"SINGLE BULLET THEORY are now scheduling 2012 dates regionally.
"This is without a doubt the strongest lineup I have had in this group.
"Rehearsals are going great and the group has never sounded this heavy.
"We are looking forward to getting out there and supporting our new record, 'IV'."
"IV" was released on September 27 via Goomba Music. The CD contains nine fresh tracks featuring new members John Ruszin III (guitar) and Jeff Kalber (bass). All drum tracks for the effort were recorded at Clay Creek Studio in Newark, Delaware with engineer Nick Rotundo. The remainder of the album was recorded at Ruszin's studio in Wenonoh, New Jersey.
Commented SINGLE BULLET THEORY guitarist/vocalist Matt DiFabio: "We have not had a permanent drummer since the end of our tour with KING DIAMOND in 2003. Once Johnny Sasso ('Route 666' drummer) left the band, we have had a revolving door of temporary drummers live and great guest drummers on our records (Matt Thompson of KING DIAMOND and Acacio Carvalho, to name a few).
"Last year we had announced that Adam Sagan (INTO ETERNITY) would be joining the fold. However, logistically it would be very difficult to arrange for rehearsals and set time aside for weekend shows as Adam lives in Minnesota and we are in Philadelphia.
"Nick is an excellent musician who in addition to crushing behind the kit, he is a drum teacher as well as an accomplished guitarist.
"Nick's addition to the group will bring a lot of piss and vinegar to the old SINGLE BULLET THEORY songs as well as open up a complete 'Pandora's box' for future writing.
"On the six-string front, we have added Patrick Brose and Joe Brannigan. Both are from the south Jersey band OF WRATH AND RUIN and both guitarists are awesome.
"Patrick will be handling 70 percent of all the leads, including re-writing a lot of leads from 'Route 666'. Joe and I (yes, we will have three live guitars blazing) will be handling the rhythms as well as bringing the three-part harmony into the mix.
"I have wanted to have three guitars live ever since we toured with BEYOND THE EMBRACE in 2005. They sounded so fucking heavy live and I thought it was a great idea.
"This is NOT to say that John Ruszin III has quit SINGLE BULLET THEORY. John will be performing live with us on select shows in the Philadelphia area. John will still be a part of the SINGLE BULLET THEORY camp and will be involved in the next record. However, John has a REALLY good job and touring isn't an option for him.
"John is a world-class guitarist and a great friend, I am happy to say he is part of the group.
"SINGLE BULLET THEORY are now scheduling 2012 dates regionally.
"This is without a doubt the strongest lineup I have had in this group.
"Rehearsals are going great and the group has never sounded this heavy.
"We are looking forward to getting out there and supporting our new record, 'IV'."
"IV" was released on September 27 via Goomba Music. The CD contains nine fresh tracks featuring new members John Ruszin III (guitar) and Jeff Kalber (bass). All drum tracks for the effort were recorded at Clay Creek Studio in Newark, Delaware with engineer Nick Rotundo. The remainder of the album was recorded at Ruszin's studio in Wenonoh, New Jersey.
Düsseldorf, Germany-based metallers ELMSFIRE have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's full-length debut, "Thieves Of The Sun", will be released on February 24, 2012.
Formed in 1999, ELMSFIRE hit the stage for the first time in 2002. The band's bassist, Fritz, describes ELMSFIRE's music as "melodic heavy metal which is influenced by thrash and power metal." The group's songs are mostly "about situations and emotions they've experienced," according to a press release.
ELMSFIRE's name is based on the St. Elmo's Fire, which is a weather phenomenon.
The band has previously released two demos and an EP.
ELMSFIRE is:
Doro - Guitar
Fritz - Bass
Patrick - Drums
Morten - Keyboard
Germano - Guitar
Erdmann - Vocals
For more information, visit www.elmsfire.info.
Formed in 1999, ELMSFIRE hit the stage for the first time in 2002. The band's bassist, Fritz, describes ELMSFIRE's music as "melodic heavy metal which is influenced by thrash and power metal." The group's songs are mostly "about situations and emotions they've experienced," according to a press release.
ELMSFIRE's name is based on the St. Elmo's Fire, which is a weather phenomenon.
The band has previously released two demos and an EP.
ELMSFIRE is:
Doro - Guitar
Fritz - Bass
Patrick - Drums
Morten - Keyboard
Germano - Guitar
Erdmann - Vocals
For more information, visit www.elmsfire.info.
German true metal act SACRED STEEL will enter MP Studio in Czestochowa, Poland in February 2012 with producer Bart Gabriel (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, CRYSTAL VIPER, LONEWOLF) to begin recording its eighth studio album, "The Bloodshed Summoning". A late 2012 release is expected.
SACRED STEEL's last studio album, "Carnage Victory", came out in 2009 via Massacre Records. The effort was released with a bonus DVD which contained a full concert from the 2009 edition of the Queens Of Metal festival, a studio report and one live clip from Summer Breeze 2009. The CD was produced by SACRED STEEL, recorded and engineered by Christian Schmid at Music Factory Studio in Kempten, Germany during August/September 2008 and mixed an mastered by Achim Köhler at Indiscreet Audio Studio.
SACRED STEEL is:
Gerrit P. Mutz - Vocals
Jens Sonnenberg - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Jonas Khalil - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Kai Schindelar - Bass
Mathias Straub – Drums
SACRED STEEL's last studio album, "Carnage Victory", came out in 2009 via Massacre Records. The effort was released with a bonus DVD which contained a full concert from the 2009 edition of the Queens Of Metal festival, a studio report and one live clip from Summer Breeze 2009. The CD was produced by SACRED STEEL, recorded and engineered by Christian Schmid at Music Factory Studio in Kempten, Germany during August/September 2008 and mixed an mastered by Achim Köhler at Indiscreet Audio Studio.
SACRED STEEL is:
Gerrit P. Mutz - Vocals
Jens Sonnenberg - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Jonas Khalil - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Kai Schindelar - Bass
Mathias Straub – Drums
New Orleans' GOATWHORE has set "Blood For The Master" as the title of its new album, due on February 14 in North America via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Carving Out The Eyes Of God" was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer with Erik Rutan.
In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, GOATWHORE guitarist Sammy Duet stated that the band's forthcoming CD will feature "the same exact [guitar] sound I used on 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God'. We're just trying to improve on that sound — make it bigger and fatter. That 'Carving' guitar sound was fucking incredible, and that's why me and Rutan spent half the week trying to get it to sound even better, which I believe we achieved. It's gonna have that growly, sub-nuclear kind of sound, but I think it's gonna be almost more refined in a way — but still very nasty."
He added, "The drums are a lot more natural-sounding. A lot of producers today, I don't know; they make the drums sound fake. They sound good, but almost too good. We're just trying to make it sound real and not like a drum machine.
"There's the same amount of solos on 'Carving'; maybe a few more. But there's gonna be a lot of other… I wouldn't exactly call them guitar solos that are gonna be going on underneath the music, but there's gonna be certain things there that will be very different. There's definitely some shit I've never really done before ever that I've just been experimenting with. You have to hear it. It's hard to explain. It's like a solo and not a solo."
"I think a lot of people are expecting us to repeat ourselves, but it's not gonna be like that. We could have easily gone and written 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God Part II' because that album is such a natural feeling for us musically. But we didn't want to do that."
In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, GOATWHORE guitarist Sammy Duet stated that the band's forthcoming CD will feature "the same exact [guitar] sound I used on 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God'. We're just trying to improve on that sound — make it bigger and fatter. That 'Carving' guitar sound was fucking incredible, and that's why me and Rutan spent half the week trying to get it to sound even better, which I believe we achieved. It's gonna have that growly, sub-nuclear kind of sound, but I think it's gonna be almost more refined in a way — but still very nasty."
He added, "The drums are a lot more natural-sounding. A lot of producers today, I don't know; they make the drums sound fake. They sound good, but almost too good. We're just trying to make it sound real and not like a drum machine.
"There's the same amount of solos on 'Carving'; maybe a few more. But there's gonna be a lot of other… I wouldn't exactly call them guitar solos that are gonna be going on underneath the music, but there's gonna be certain things there that will be very different. There's definitely some shit I've never really done before ever that I've just been experimenting with. You have to hear it. It's hard to explain. It's like a solo and not a solo."
"I think a lot of people are expecting us to repeat ourselves, but it's not gonna be like that. We could have easily gone and written 'Carving Out The Eyes Of God Part II' because that album is such a natural feeling for us musically. But we didn't want to do that."
Swedish black metallers NAGLFAR have completed work on their sixth album, "Téras", for a March 2012 release via Century Media Records. The drum tracks on the CD were laid down by Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK).
A brand new track, "Pale Horse", is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
NAGLFAR's current lineup is as follows:
Kristoffer W. Olivius - Vocals
Marcus E. Norman - Guitar
Andreas Nilsson - Guitar
According to a press release, "Téras" is "another prime example of infernal melodic black metal from the vanguards of the scene."
Prior to the new album release, NAGLFAR will issue a strictly limited seven-inch EP featuring one track taken from the upcoming CD as well as a second song exclusive to this single.
A limited-edition version of "Harvest", the 2007 album from NAGLFAR, contained a bonus DVD (featuring four professionally recorded live clips from the Party.San Open Air festival 2006, the video for the track "The Perpetual Horrors" as well as an interview with lead singer Kristoffer W. Olivius). The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith.
A brand new track, "Pale Horse", is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
NAGLFAR's current lineup is as follows:
Kristoffer W. Olivius - Vocals
Marcus E. Norman - Guitar
Andreas Nilsson - Guitar
According to a press release, "Téras" is "another prime example of infernal melodic black metal from the vanguards of the scene."
Prior to the new album release, NAGLFAR will issue a strictly limited seven-inch EP featuring one track taken from the upcoming CD as well as a second song exclusive to this single.
A limited-edition version of "Harvest", the 2007 album from NAGLFAR, contained a bonus DVD (featuring four professionally recorded live clips from the Party.San Open Air festival 2006, the video for the track "The Perpetual Horrors" as well as an interview with lead singer Kristoffer W. Olivius). The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith.
David Gold, a founding member of the Ontario, Canada-based black and doom metal band WOODS OF YPRES, was killed last night (Thursday, December 22) in an accident near Barrie, Ontario. He was 31 years old. A memorial service is tentatively scheduled to be held in Gold's hometown of Sault Ste. Marie on December 28.
WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released on January 31, 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).
Gold previously described "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light" as "a tighter, more effective WOODS OF YPRES for a broader audience of listeners young and old, new and loyal. A satisfying 'press play and drive' kind of album drawing the best from old WOODS, current WOODS and the WOODS yet to come on what will be a milestone album, our sixth in less than 10 years and nearing the 10th anniversary of the founding of the band. We've never sounded better and we'd never been fully satisfied with any recording, until now. 10 songs, just as much about modern life as death, existence, society, the forest, the city, hurt and love. Story-wise picking up where 'Woods' 4 and 4.5 left off, sound-wise evoking the feelings of 'Woods I: Against The Seasons - Cold Winter Songs From The Dead Summer Heat' and 'Woods III: Deepest Roots & Darkest Blues' with modern and futuristic tweaks. There is black metal, there is doom, there are ballads, there is pop, guitar solos, double bass, blasts, techno, dark humor, irony, reality, harmonies, uplifting hope to get you through the moment and crushing, irreversible sadness. I count a total of 7 genres in 10 songs. It's a new WOODS OF YPRES album and I can't wait wait for you to hear it!"
Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.
WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released on January 31, 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).
Gold previously described "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light" as "a tighter, more effective WOODS OF YPRES for a broader audience of listeners young and old, new and loyal. A satisfying 'press play and drive' kind of album drawing the best from old WOODS, current WOODS and the WOODS yet to come on what will be a milestone album, our sixth in less than 10 years and nearing the 10th anniversary of the founding of the band. We've never sounded better and we'd never been fully satisfied with any recording, until now. 10 songs, just as much about modern life as death, existence, society, the forest, the city, hurt and love. Story-wise picking up where 'Woods' 4 and 4.5 left off, sound-wise evoking the feelings of 'Woods I: Against The Seasons - Cold Winter Songs From The Dead Summer Heat' and 'Woods III: Deepest Roots & Darkest Blues' with modern and futuristic tweaks. There is black metal, there is doom, there are ballads, there is pop, guitar solos, double bass, blasts, techno, dark humor, irony, reality, harmonies, uplifting hope to get you through the moment and crushing, irreversible sadness. I count a total of 7 genres in 10 songs. It's a new WOODS OF YPRES album and I can't wait wait for you to hear it!"
Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.
"Asphyxia", the second album from Serbian melodic death metallers SANGRE ETERNA, will receive a worldwide release on February 17, 2012 via the Canadian label Maple Metal Records. The CD features guest appearances by Aleksi Sihvonen (NORTHER), Tapio Wilska (ex-FINNTROLL, NIGHTWISH), Juha Kylmänen (FOR MY PAIN), Jarmo Kylmänen (ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW) and Jovana Karajanov (TALES OF THE DARK…). The 11-track effort was recorded in late 2010 and was mastered in Germany by Stephan Fimmers (NECROPHAGIST).
"Asphyxia" track listing:
01. The End Of Beauty
02. The Masquerade
03. Confession And Death
04. Illusions Of Fate
05. Seventh Angel
06. The Echoes Of My Loss
07. Shattered Sun (Prologue)
08. Lut Gholein
09. Alessa's Dream
10. Asphyxia
11. Seventh Angel (radio edit)
"Asphyxia" track listing:
01. The End Of Beauty
02. The Masquerade
03. Confession And Death
04. Illusions Of Fate
05. Seventh Angel
06. The Echoes Of My Loss
07. Shattered Sun (Prologue)
08. Lut Gholein
09. Alessa's Dream
10. Asphyxia
11. Seventh Angel (radio edit)
David Gold, a founding member of the Ontario, Canada-based black and doom metal band WOODS OF YPRES, was killed Wednesday afternoon (December 21) in a car accident near Barrie, Ontario. He was 31 years old.
According to Ontario Provincial Police, the accident — which involved a vehicle and a pedestrian — occurred at 1:30 p.m. on Highway 400 north of Highway 89.
The police shut down the northbound lanes at Highway 89 and traffic was diverted from the scene as OPP highway safety investigators collected evidence.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
The accident occurred just hours after Gold texted his mother in Sault Ste. Marie that he was on his way home, according to Local2.ca.
There were no other injuries.
WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released in 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).
Earache Records set up a memorial page on its web site after learning of Gold's death.
Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.
The first Serbian band to tour Sweden, SANGRE ETERNA performed at the 2009 edition of the Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia alongside such bands as KATAKLYSM, SABATON, DEATH ANGEL and KEEP OF KALESSIN.
SANGRE ETERNA is:
Ilija Stevanovic - Keyboards, Vocals
Bora Jovanovic - Guitar
Milos Armus - Drums
Zoltan Kovacs – Guitar
Davor Menzildzic – Bass
The video for the song "The End Of Beauty", which will appear on "Asphyxia", can be seen below.
SANGRE ETERNA's debut album, "Amor Vincit Omnia", was released in 2008 through Sleaszy Rider Records.
According to Ontario Provincial Police, the accident — which involved a vehicle and a pedestrian — occurred at 1:30 p.m. on Highway 400 north of Highway 89.
The police shut down the northbound lanes at Highway 89 and traffic was diverted from the scene as OPP highway safety investigators collected evidence.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
The accident occurred just hours after Gold texted his mother in Sault Ste. Marie that he was on his way home, according to Local2.ca.
There were no other injuries.
WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released in 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).
Earache Records set up a memorial page on its web site after learning of Gold's death.
Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.
The first Serbian band to tour Sweden, SANGRE ETERNA performed at the 2009 edition of the Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia alongside such bands as KATAKLYSM, SABATON, DEATH ANGEL and KEEP OF KALESSIN.
SANGRE ETERNA is:
Ilija Stevanovic - Keyboards, Vocals
Bora Jovanovic - Guitar
Milos Armus - Drums
Zoltan Kovacs – Guitar
Davor Menzildzic – Bass
The video for the song "The End Of Beauty", which will appear on "Asphyxia", can be seen below.
SANGRE ETERNA's debut album, "Amor Vincit Omnia", was released in 2008 through Sleaszy Rider Records.
According to TimesLedger.com, Shana Spalding — the 29-year-old lead singer in the New York City-based death metal band DIVINE INFAMY (in which she performed under the stage name of Purgatory) — was convicted on December 13 of armed robbery charges from heists at two high-end New York City boutiques. She will be sentenced January 18, and faces a maximum of 15 years on the top armed robbery charge against her.
Spadling's crime spree drew attention because she was accused of being the so-called "cat woman robber" — a serial stick-up artist who donned clever disguises, including a cat mask, to rob boutiques around the city.
In June 24, 2010, Spalding reportedly held up Arche Shoes on Astor Place (see surveillance video below). The next day, she held up a Body Shop store in Astoria, while speaking in a fake Arabic accent and wearing a burka, reported the New York Post. She was caught two months later in a botched robbery as she fled another SoHo store on Greene St.
Spalding had also told cops that she'd been coerced into the final robbery by a mysterious abductor named "Angel Martinez."
"There is not even a shred of evidence to prove that Martinez exists," said prosecutor Craig Ortner to jurors, according to the New York Post.
Spalding confessed to two Manhattan robberies, but then contended she was innocent at the trial, a Manhattan DA spokeswoman said.
"I think that that happens a lot," the spokeswoman said. "It's not uncommon."
Spalding is being held in the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island.
Spadling's crime spree drew attention because she was accused of being the so-called "cat woman robber" — a serial stick-up artist who donned clever disguises, including a cat mask, to rob boutiques around the city.
In June 24, 2010, Spalding reportedly held up Arche Shoes on Astor Place (see surveillance video below). The next day, she held up a Body Shop store in Astoria, while speaking in a fake Arabic accent and wearing a burka, reported the New York Post. She was caught two months later in a botched robbery as she fled another SoHo store on Greene St.
Spalding had also told cops that she'd been coerced into the final robbery by a mysterious abductor named "Angel Martinez."
"There is not even a shred of evidence to prove that Martinez exists," said prosecutor Craig Ortner to jurors, according to the New York Post.
Spalding confessed to two Manhattan robberies, but then contended she was innocent at the trial, a Manhattan DA spokeswoman said.
"I think that that happens a lot," the spokeswoman said. "It's not uncommon."
Spalding is being held in the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island.
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