AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry and singer Steven Tyler were interviewed on today's (Monday, September 24) edition of ABC's "Good Morning America". You can now watch the segment below.
Asked about the rumored tension within the band over Tyler's stint as a judge on the reality-TV singing competition "American Idol", the vocalist said, "It was the biggest show on TV. And every night millions of people got to see that big lip, singer guy from AEROSMITH sing up there, you know, being what he is. And it didn't hurt AEROSMITH. They were a little jealous in the beginning that I took it." This prompted Perry to interject and correct Tyler, telling the frontman, "I was upset because, I had to read about it in the press. But I wasn't jealous you were on the show; I was glad you were on the show."
Tyler announced his departure from "Idol" in July after serving as a judge for two seasons on the hit Fox program. The AEROSMITH frontman explained that he wanted to refocus on his music career.
Having recently completed the North American leg of the "Maiden England World Tour", one of the most successful rock tours of the summer, IRON MAIDEN will now be storming across Europe in 2013 playing stadiums, major festivals and arenas with this critically acclaimed show. The first date to be announced is at the U.K.'s Download festival on Saturday, June 15 when MAIDEN return to the legendary Donington Park to headline for a record fifth time! (following 1988,1992, 2003 and 2007).
That achievement is equally significant as 2013 is the 25th anniversary of MAIDEN first topping the bill there in 1988 when the festival was known as Monsters Of Rock attracting 107,000 fans, which is still the highest attendance ever at Donington. This was during their "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" tour, from which the current tour draws much of its inspiration for both set list and production as seen in the 1988 long form concert video "Maiden England", making this Download appearance even more unique!
Part one of a new video intervie with MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson conducted by Metal Hammer magazine about the upcoming Download appearance and the band's past Donington performances can be seen below.
Said Dickinson: "We were completely overwhelmed by the reaction from our North American fans to the 'Maiden England' tour, which was our most extensive tour there for many years. Some of the cities we played we hadn't visited in over twenty years so had no idea what to expect! But the opening night in Charlotte was packed to the rafters and the crowd was amazing. This continued throughout making the whole tour very special. We had a lot of fun playing the older songs there and the fans seemed to love the set list and Eddie's various incarnations! We all can't wait to bring this show to our European fans."
"We're absolutely over the moon to be headlining Donington again. The idea of returning exactly 25 years later with a show inspired by that same 1988 'Seventh Son' tour was too good an opportunity to be missed! And, thanks to modern technology, we've been able to update and improve on the original production. We will be bringing a huge new lightshow, stage set, various incarnations of Eddie, plenty of pyro and all kinds of other exciting stuff for the fans. And, of course, treating the fans to lots of their favourite songs from that period!
"We've had many great times at Donington and there is always a wonderful mix of bands and a really wild crowd who love their metal, all of which makes for a memorable show and fantastic party atmosphere!"
Added MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris: "We know how popular the 'History Of Maiden' tours are with fans of all ages, so we want to take the show to as many places as we possibly can around Europe, taking with us the full production we had in North America. We had a huge amount of fun with the set list as we got to play songs we'd not played in a very long time like 'Seventh Son', 'The Prisoner' and 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers', as well as fan favorites like 'The Trooper', 'Aces High', 'The Number Of The Beast', 'Wasted Years' and 'Run To The Hills'. The opening leg of the tour was so enjoyable for the whole band we're really looking forward to taking it to our fans in Europe, and, of course, Donington".
Many more European dates will be announced over the next few months.
http://youtu.be/tAuFWPI4ob8
Want to keep the horror excitement going after Halloween is over?
METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett presents a Day Of The Dead/"Too Much Horror Business" book-release event. Wear your finest ghoulish and ghastly costumes and come to Public Works in San Francisco, California on Thursday November 1 at 9 p.m. PT to celebrate all things horror. Come join Kirk for zombies, burlesque dancers, horror face painting, special guests Judgement Day and a live set by Bay Area favorites DEATH ANGEL. Also featuring DJ sets by Motion Potion and guest MC Nikki Blakk.
Tickets go on sale for a special Met Club (METALLICA fan club) exclusive limited presale Wednesday, September 26 at 10 a.m. PT at a special clubber price of $9.99. Met Club members can login to Metallica.com for details on how to purchase a ticket. Limit two per person. Must be 21+ to attend.
Ticketfly.com general ticket on-sale is Friday, September 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. PST beginning with a very limited "early bird" price of $9.99 then full price of $13.99.
Public Works is located at 161 Erie Street (off Mission St. between Duboce and 14th St.) in San Francisco.
As previously announced, Hammett has scheduled the following signing events to promote his book, "Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection":
Oct. 11 - Barnes & Noble - Tribeca Store - New York, NY - 6 p.m.
Oct. 13 - New York Comic Con - Abrams Book Booth - New York, NY - 11:45 a.m.
Oct. 13 - New York Comic Con - Tokyo Toys Booth - New York, NY - 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 25 - Barnes & Noble - The Grove - Los Angeles, CA - 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 - Monsterpalooza - Burbank, CA - [time to be announced]
Oct. 27 - Chiller Theater - Parsippany, NJ - [time to be announced]
Nov. 20 - Books Inc - Opera Plaza, San Francisco, CA - [time to be announced]
Hammett spoke recently with the San Francisco Chronicle about "Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection", which is due out in October. The oversized 228-page hardback book documents Hammett's love of all things related to the horror genre and features more than 300 photos of items from the collection of horror memorabilia he has accumulated over the years. The book also includes three lengthy interviews with Hammett, who also wrote the captions for many of the photos.
Hammett told the Chronicle, "I've been into [horror] stuff since I was five years old . . . My love for this stuff is insane and totally obsessive-compulsive. It's just one of those things. I'm still waiting to outgrow it or get tired of it or get bored with it. But it does not seem to happen."
The guitarist figures that he may have the second best horror memorabilia collection in the world, but until now only his family and close friends have seen it.
Hammett has two young children and he has been slowly showing them the monster movies he grew up on. He explained, "The other day (my kids and I) watched 'Bride Of Frankenstein', and they loved it."
He added that during a recent viewing of "Ghostbusters", "I said to the younger one, 'This is a little scary, but I'll be sitting right next to you.' And he goes, 'You don't have to do that, Dad. I'm tough.'"
http://www.blabbermouth.net/soulflypremiere/kirksfbookevent.jpg
British heavy metal legends SAXON have begin mixing their new album with producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, ACCEPT, NEVERMORE, EXODUS and ARCH ENEMY, among many others. The follow-up to 2011's "Call To Arms" will feature cover artwork by longtime SAXON artist Paul Raymond Gregory and is tentatively due in February 2013.
SAXON in April released "Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken", the no-fat-no-bullshit-100%-pure CD/DVD featuring DVD highlights from the band's Wacken shows in 2004, 2007 and 2009 comprising thirty songs, plus a live CD from Glasgow in 2011. Each set captures the Barnsley-bred British heavy metal legends delivering classic after classic, from "Denim & Leather" to "Metalhead" to "Heavy Metal Thunder" to "Princess Of The Night" to "Crusader" in front of 75,000-pluds loyal, ravenous fans, who have come to expect (and receive) the levels of performance SAXON have been delivering for 32 years.
"Heavy Metal Thunder - Live - Eagles Over Wacken" is available in a variety of formats, including the Golden Ticket D2C/Direct To Consumer Box.
Strictly limited, this exclusive package contains the "Best Of Wacken" DVD, plus the full and complete SAXON Wacken Open Air performances from 2004/2007/2009 each on a separate DVD, plus a SAXON flag.
"Call To Arms" sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 51 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The digipack version of "Call To Arms" included a glorious bonus — a free seven-track CD, "Live At Donington 1980".
ANTHRAX has released the following "open letter" to its friends and supporters:
"To our fans and everyone who has supported ANTHRAX and [the band's latest album] 'Worship Music':
"It was a little more than a year ago — September 13, 2011 — that 'Worship Music' was released, and all of us in ANTHRAX can't believe how much has happened since then.
"Our friends in the press gave the album great reviews, and so many writers singled it out as one of the best metal albums of the year.
"Our label just told us that 'Worship Music' has just passed the 100,000 mark on albums sold [in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan].
"Since 'Worship Music''s release, we've played 107 concerts all over the world — in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, South America, and the U.K. — we've gone home to New York to not only play Yankee Stadium as one of the 'Big Four', but had September 14 named 'Anthrax Day' in The Bronx, where Charlie [Benante, drums], Frankie [Bello, bass] and Rob [Caggiano, guitar] grew up.
"We've been so lucky as a band, and we know we're able to do what we do because of you, our fans, and all of our supporters in the press, at radio and retail, online, on the road, everywhere.
"We've had one of the best years of our career, and we share it all with you. So thank you for making the ANTHRAX's 'year of 'Worship Music'' the best! More to come!"
ANTHRAX recently spent time in the studio recording several cover versions of some of their favorite rock classics, to be included with the upcoming re-release of "Worship Music".
In addition to RUSH and BOSTON covers, ANTHRAX is also recording its versions of AC/DC's "T.N.T.", JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" and BLACK SABBATH's "Neon Knights". The latter song is expected to appear on the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album which is being assembled by the singer's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio.
A copy of the declaration from Century Media Records' European Label Manager Antje Lange that was included with the lawsuit filed by a New Jersey attorney on behalf of the label that collectively targets more than 4,000 people for allegedly using peer-to-peer networks to unlawfully distribute "Dystopia", the most recent album by the U.S. metal band ICED EARTH, can be found below. The label has also filed a similar lawsuit against thousands of individuals who have allegedly illegally downloaded "Dark Adrenaline", the 2012 album from the Italian band LACUNA COIL, according to NorthJersey.com.
The declaration reads, in part: "I, Antje Lange, declare, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United Kingdom, as follows:
"I am the European Label Manager of Century Media Ltd. ('Century Media'), the Plaintiff in the within action. I make this Declaration in support of this application for a preliminary injunction restraining the unauthorized distribution by Defendants of the copyrighted record album 'Dystopia' via a torrent network on the Internet.
"Century Media is a record label. One of our artists is the band ICED EARTH. We promote and distribute the works of ICED EARTH, including 'Dystopia'. Century Media holds the exclusive right to distribute 'Dystopia' worldwide.
"'Dystopia' was first published in the United Kingdom in October 2011, selling approximately 6,000 copies in the first week and earning a spot on Billboard's Top 200 chart in its first week of sales. 'Dystopia' is the subject of a valid copyright registration in the United States Copyright Office. 'Dystopia' is the subject of a valid copyright registration in the United States Copyright Office.
"At no time has Century Media authorized the distribution of 'Dystopia' on the Internet via peer-to-peer networks. Each of the Defendants in this action that has distributed the work has done so without the permission of Century Media and in violation of our exclusive rights of distribution."
In a typical illegal-downloading case, a lawyer hires a company to search for Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the use of file-sharing software such as BitTorrent. Once the IP addresses have been harvested, the lawyer's clients file suit naming defendants as John Doe. They then seek to have mass subpoenas issued for the Internet providers associated with the harvested IP addresses in order to obtain the name and address of the owner of the IP address on the date it was harvested. Once identified, an Internet account holder typically faces the prospect of settling the case for a few thousand dollars or hiring a lawyer to fight the charges.
Shortly after learning of the lawsuit, ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer issued a statement distancing himself from the action, saying, "We all know the music industry is changing. We have been adapting to this model by embracing legal streaming services such as Spotify and by bringing our music to places we have never played before by touring our proverbial asses off.
"As much as we respect that the labels are having a harder time selling music, we feel this is a misguided effort and want to make sure our fans know we would have not given our consent would we have been asked."
Nuclear Blast Records made headlines earlier in the year when it filed a lawsuit against 80 users of the BitTorrent network over illegal music downloads of an album by Oakland, California-based extreme metallers ALL SHALL PERISH. The lawsuit was not only brought without the band's permission, but also without their knowledge.
After members of ALL SHALL PERISH made it clear that they did not want to participate in the legal proceedings, Nuclear Blast voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice.
"It's tough. If you get one of these letters you've been put in a difficult and unfair spot," said Rebecca Jeschke, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based civil-liberties group, referring to the notices that go out once a John Doe has been identified.
"In many of these situations," she added to NorthJersey.com, "the goal doesn't seem to be to fight infringement; it seems to be to get settlements. That's where the money-making is."
In December 2008, the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) abandoned its litigation campaign against file sharers after having targeted some 18,000 individuals, usually naming dozens or hundreds of defendants per suit.
Most of the defendants settled out of court for a few thousand dollars rather than risk Copyright Act fines of up to $150,000 per purloined music track.
ADLER, the new band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, will release its debut album, "Back From The Dead", in North America on November 26 via New Ocean Media. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, DOKKEN) and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR), the CD consists of 11 tracks, ranging from adrenaline-pumping rockers ("Back From The Dead", "Own Worst Enemy", "Another Version Of The Truth") to arena-rock anthems ("Good To Be Bad", "Blown Away") to powerful, heartfelt ballads ("Waterfall", "Just Don't Ask"). The album features guest appearances by Adler's former GUNS N' ROSES bandmate Slash and ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5.
ADLER is comprised of Steven Adler, frontman Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC), guitarist Lonny Paul (ADLER'S APPETITE), and bassist Johnny Martin (CHELSEA SMILES).
"The process of making this record was incredible," states Bunton. "Our musical influences are all over the place and this record is a perfect reflection of everything that we love about rock 'n' roll."
"I'm so proud of this record," adds Adler. "This is the record I've been wanting to make for over 20 years and now I've finally found the band with the perfect chemistry to make it happen!"
"Back From The Dead" track listing:
01. Back From The Dead
02. Own Worst Enemy
03. Another Version Of The Truth
04. The One That You Hated
05. Good To Be Bad (featuring John 5)
06. Just Don't Ask (featuring Slash)
07. Blown Away
08. Waterfall
09. Habit
10. Your Diamonds
11. Dead Wrong
The CD's first single, "The One That You Hated", is out now on iTunes and the accompanying video can be seen below.
In a recent interview with Bloody-Disgusting.com, Bunton stated about "The One That You Hated", "That was actually the first song that me and Lonny wrote together, and the last song that we recorded. How it came about was we were just sitting in Lonny's living room with a couple of acoustic guitars, and I had the music and the verses, I just didn't have the chorus, and once it got to the chorus, Lonny just started singing 'I'm the one that you hated,' and I was like, 'That's it, that's awesome!' So it came together really naturally and really quick. And the funny thing is, it's the first single, but it's not like it's the best song on the record or anything like that. Literally, Steven was about to go into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and he said, 'You know, Slash has got his thing and Duff [McKagan] has got his thing, but nobody's heard anything from me for a long time. I would like my fans to know what I'm up to.' So, literally, we just pointed at a piece of paper with all of the songs that we had recorded on it, and went, 'Eeny meeny miny moe,' and that's the one that we picked. And we shot the video, and the cool thing about it is VH1 just added the video two weeks ago. So they've been playing it, which is very cool."
ADLER will make its live debut with KISS on the Kiss Kruise, which is setting sail October 31 - November 4, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas onboard the Norwegian Pearl..
"I can't wait to start playing live with this band," states Paul. "To play our first few shows with KISS is simply amazing!"
http://youtu.be/gPEu2fhNONM
According to The Pulse Of Radio, PEARL JAM singer Eddie Vedder blasted Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney over the latter's "47 percent" comments during a fundraiser for incumbent President Barack Obama. Romney has drawn harsh criticism for comments he made at a May fundraiser, which were disclosed last week on a video, in which he characterized the approximate 47 percent of the U.S. population that doesn't pay federal income tax — while still paying a number of other taxes — as people who saw themselves as victims entitled to government handouts.
Speaking at the Obama fundraiser, during which he also played a short solo set, Vedder said, "It's very upsetting to hear a presidential candidate be so easily dismissive of such a ginormous amount of the population."
Vedder added that a government-sponsored training program for security guards helped him early in life, allowing him to make a living while also pursuing his dream of becoming musician.
He explained, "It was that job which allowed me to keep affording to guitars and microphones. For me, it all began with that ability to get the proper training for a decent job."
Vedder then introduced President Obama, who thanked the musician and said, "For you to share that story with us, Eddie, speaks volumes not only about you but about this country. That story captures better than anything what this campaign is about and what this country is about."
Vedder played his set on mandolin, performing "Rise", "Without You", a cover of James Taylor's "Millworker" and Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World".
The event, which took place at the home of Lisa DeBartolo, daughter of former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., raised $1.7 million from its 85 guests for the President's re-election.
Vedder, who's become very politically outspoken in the past decade, told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he was reluctant to voice his opinion earlier in his career. "I've always been wary, you know, speaking from some kind of a podium as a singer in a rock band," he said. "First of all, I think it's ridiculous that it should be left to the singers of rock bands to have to bring up these issues. But then again, the arts are always going to reflect society, and there could be a responsibility there."
J DEVIL, the nefarious DJ alter ego of KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, has pulled out of his previously announced support slot on the ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON co-headlining "Twins Of Evil" tour. According to a statement posted Jonathan's Facebook page, the singer's doctors have ordered him to refrain from any travel and performing for the next few weeks while he recuperates from exhaustion following his recent eight-week overseas tour with KORN. "Jonathan is really bummed right now and regrets having to disappoint anyone, especially his fans and his good friends Marilyn Manson and Rob," the statement adds.
J DEVIL recently played his own headlining dates and took part in five stops with the touring Identity Festival.
"I started doing (electronic music) for fun. I didn't now what was gonna happen with it," Davis told Billboard.com in a recent interview. "Making electronic music and learning to produce and learning my new instrument — laptop, I call it — has been an amazing thing. I'm learning and I'm having fun playing my own tunes. I've really had to re-train myself. It's totally different than writing rock songs."
He added, "There's always haters and people going, 'What the fuck is he doing?!' But there have been people who have taken me on and helped me. A lot of the big DJs have helped me, and most of the people have been pretty open and digging it. I just did a gig during the Grammys or something and Skrillex showed up to watch my set, and I've gone on tour with my friend Sluggo and had Datsik and Downlink have me show up at their shows and play with them onstage. It's just fun; I love that scene, I love the kids, I love everything about it, and I'm so happy to be part of it."
The debut J DEVIL EP will be released later this year on Steve Aoki's Dim Mak label.
SLIPKNOT DJ Sid Wilson will replace J DEVIL, the nefarious DJ alter ego of KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, as the opening act on the ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON co-headlining "Twins Of Evil" tour. Davis canceled his participation in the trek after doctors ordered him to refrain from any travel and performing for the next few weeks while he recuperates from exhaustion following his recent eight-week overseas tour with KORN.
The "Twins Of Evil" tour is scheduled to kick off on September 28 in Phoenix, Arizona.
In a recent interview, Wilson spoke about how he wanted SLIPKNOT to be different from a lot of the nü-metal bands using turntables in the late 1990s. "I'm a musician," he said. "A lot of times, people don't respect the turntable as being a musical instrument, or a turntablist as a musician, but that's because they don't know enough about how the sound manipulation is occurring. You can create notes by how fast or how slow, how long or how short the movements are on the record. You can make the sounds last as long as you want, and you can create very subtle degrees of manipulation. You can create the same range of manipulation with a turntable as you could with a guitar. There's all the same factors involved — how long you hold the note, how hard you hit the string; how fast or how slow you move your hands. All these same factors apply to scratching on a turntable. My thing is to always approach it as making the turntable part an element of the song, instead of, you know, the 'featured DJ' part … The turntable should complement everything else that's going on in the music. It shouldn't be like a solo part — for me, it wasn't about the spotlight. The attention might have been on me at that moment, but it was really about doing something that's going to push the groove of the song a little bit further."
Wilson's debut solo album, "Sid", was released in September 2011 via iTunes and other Internet retailers. The CD featured Wilson on lead vocals and saw him departing from his usual role as a DJ in both SLIPKNOT and as DJ Starscream.
Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM have commenced the songwriting process for their new album, tentatively due in early 2013 via the band's new label home (excluding Japan), Nuclear Blast Records. The group's drummer, Jaska Raatikainen, writes on his Facebook page, "We have some songs ready and I must say that they really sound great — very inspiring, dark and also little 'black' [metal]-ish. We have been joking about [CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist] Alexi [Laiho], that one day he will come to rehearsals with corpsepaint :-) ! So dark the songs have been."
CHILDREN OF BODOM released a photo book, "Roadkill", on August 8 via Hatecrew.com. The first 666 copies are numbered and personally signed by the band.
Photography for "Roadkill" started in 2007. It includes exclusive material of life on the road, shows, promo shoots, recording sessions, album cover production and the worldwide "hate crew," as the band's fans are affectionately known. The book also contains comments and diary entries by the band and the photographer, Jussi Hyttinen of FLC415.
CHILDREN OF BODOM was forced to cancel several shows in July — including those in Oslo, Norway and Malmö, Sweden — after Laiho was rushed to the hospital with extreme stomach pain.
After spending a week and a half receiving treatment in Oslo, Alexi was released from the hospital and the band performed at this year's Ilosaarirock festival, which was held July 13-15 in Joensuu, Finland.
CHILDREN OF BODOM's most recent release was "Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" , a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of the band's 15th anniversary. The set spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world", plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.
LAMB OF GOD guitarist Willie Adler has posted a video of his home recording studio online. It can be viewed below.
Willie explained that while his setup may not be the most elaborate, it is sufficient for all his home recording needs. "It's basically what I use to write riffs and record music and demos and basically just have fun with," he said.
Willie uses Samson Zoom products and revealed that he would be heading to the company's headquarters today (Monday, September 24) to help with concepts for equipment. "We'll basically talk about how I incorporate these products into my daily writing process and explain how I use them in order to benefit my writing," he explained.
After a successful reunion with singer Randy Blythe at the two Knotfest shows in mid-August, LAMB OF GOD has announced a 38-date fall U.S tour starting October 30 in Phoenix, Arizona. Joining LAMB OF GOD as direct support for the entire tour is IN FLAMES. HATEBREED will be joining the package from October 30 until November 19, at which point HELLYEAH will replace them for the remainder of the shows. British band SYLOSIS will open all dates.
Blythe was released from a prison in the Czech Republic on August 2, more than a month after he was arrested and incarcerated. Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a 2010 incident in which a fan attending a LAMB OF GOD show died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage. Blythe's predicament galvanized the heavy rock community, with artists across the hard rock genre pledging their support.
Rat Pak Records has set an October 31 release date for "Slave To The Empire", the debut album from T&N (formerly TOOTH AND NAIL), the new project featuring current and former members of DOKKEN: George Lynch, Jeff Pilson (bass) and Mick Brown (drums).
"Slave To The Empire" contains eight new original songs and four re-recorded classic DOKKEN songs that feature sensational vocal performances by Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, DIO DISCIPLES), Doug Pinnick (KING'S X), Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW) and Robert Mason (WARRANT, LYNCH MOB). The drum tracks on the new, original compositions were laid down by Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER).
"Slave To The Empire" track listing:
01. Slave To The Empire
02. Sweet Unknown
03. Tooth And Nail (feat. Doug Pinnick)
04. It's Not Love (feat. Robert Mason)
05. Rhythm Of The Soul
06. When Eagles Die
07. Into The Fire (Jeff Pilson)
08. Alone Again (feat. Sebastian Bach)
09. Mind Control
10. Kiss Of Death (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens)
11. Jesus Train
12. Access Denied
Audio samples of all the songs are available in the youTube clip below.
In a recent interview with Guitar International, Lynch stated about T&N, "We actually did two records. The first one, which will be released in September, and then the band will go out on the road at the beginning of October. We'll do a short West Coast tour, then play Loud Park festival in Japan as well as visit a few other Asian cities before heading to Europe for a couple weeks. Then it's back to the States and we will finish up before Christmas."
Earlier in the year, T&N was forced to shorten its name from TOOTH AND NAIL for legal reasons. The band stated, "We cannot keep [the name] as TOOTH AND NAIL as there is a label that has it trademarked. [Fans] can still call us TO$%H AND NA$L... We can't."
Regarding how T&N came together, Pilson said in an August 2011 interview, "The DOKKEN [original lineup] reunion has been scrapped, and I take a lot of the initial responsibility for that because of my schedule and commitment to FOREIGNER. . . Then George asked me about working with him on the next LYNCH MOB record — and I jumped at the chance. He and I started writing, got into a groove and wrote an album's worth of stuff, all with the intention of Oni [Logan, LYNCH MOB singer] writing lyrics and it being their next record. Brian Tichy laid down some incredible drums at his studio (and co-wrote some music on one track) and we had an incredibly strong start. Then Oni just wasn't feeling the music as being LYNCH MOB, so it was shelved. We figured it'd be the start of another LYNCH/PILSON record some day. Then, actually, it was Brian who had the idea that Mick, George and I should do a band, similar to what HEAVEN & HELL was to BLACK SABBATH, and call it TOOTH AND NAIL. Because of everything else we have going, it'll be just a recording project at first, but sure sounds fun. We'd record the classics keeping true to the originals but make them fresh and organic. Then the idea of doing new songs came up, and it grew from there."
He added, "I have absolute belief that the music George and I make together (along with Brian Tichy in this case) is real and inspired, and that's what it's really all about. So out of a mess of a reunion attempt, I think we'll end up with a really fabulous record, and what could be better than that?"
When asked if T&N is basically DOKKEN without Don, Pilson said, "Don is, and will always be, the singer of DOKKEN and an invaluable part of the DOKKEN chemistry. No one ever wants to take that away or dispute it one iota. But the three of us do have time tested amazing chemistry, and because we were writers on these songs, I feel we have a lot to express. If anything I think this will be a show of respect for Don, not some kind of competition. I only hope people enjoy it in the spirit for which it's intended . . . Don't think of this as DOKKEN without Don... that's misleading. Think of it as a band with great chemistry coming up with new music that excites them, and also paying tribute to DOKKEN — music which the members all are heavily invested in emotionally."
For pre-orders and audio samples, visit www.slavetotheempire.com.
A new AVENGED SEVENFOLD song entitled "Carry On" can be streamed below. The track will be featured on the soundtrack to the video game "Call of Duty: Black Ops II", due out on November 13.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD previously contributed a song called "Not Ready To Die" to the content pack for "Call Of Duty: Black Ops", the wildly successful seventh installment in the "Call Of Duty" video game series developed by Treyarch Studio and published by Activision.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD's fifth album, "Nightmare", was certified gold for sales of more than half a million copies.
The record was the band's first following the death of drummer and songwriter James "The Rev" Sullivan in December 2009 from a drug overdose.
In January 2011, AVENGED SEVENFOLD named former CONFIDE member Arin Ilejay as the band's new touring drummer, replacing Mike Portnoy (ex-DREAM THEATER).
Before GUNS N' ROSES begins its upcoming residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal will fly out to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for a special performance with local band POINT OF VIEW for the release of their debut album, "Revolutionize The Revolutionary".
Commented Thal: "My first time in Dubai was with GUNS N' ROSES in December 2010. It was a real eye-opener as to how much local bands there rocked — first hearing our support act JULIANA DOWN, and soon after getting acquainted with the band POINT OF VIEW. POINT OF VIEW were releasing their debut album, 'Revolutionize The Revolutionary', and sent me a copy. The first song kicked in with this RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE/PANTERA groove. Great recording, great playin', lyrics with a message, great album, and they did it all DIY, which I've always been supportive of. Proceeds from their album will be going to animal welfare, something I'm also very supportive of. So when their album release concert was confirmed for early October a few weeks before GUNS N' ROSES was hitting the road again and the idea of getting on stage with them came up, I was happy to do it."
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Swedish glam rockers CRASHDÏET have completed recording their new album at Kingside Studios outside Stockholm with producer Otto Wellton. The CD, which has not yet been mixed, is tentatively scheduled for release in January 2013.
A snippet of the demo version of the new CRASHDÏET track "Change The World" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The clip was filmed in New York City.
The new CRASHDÏET CD can be preordered at this location.
CRASHDÏET has been touring quite a bit in the last two and a half years, opening up for such bands as MÖTLEY CRÜE, OZZY OSBOURNE, MICHAEL MONROE and WEDNESDAY 13, and traveling everywhere from Australia to USA to Brazil.
CRASHDÏET performed a new song "Anarchy" for the first time on June 7 when they played at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland as the support act for MÖTLEY CRÜE.
The band's third CD, "Generation Wild", was recently released on vinyl. This gatefold LP features the new bonus track "Hollywood Teaze" as well as updated artwork.
"Generation Wild" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3.
CRASHDÏET in 2009 announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.
The band parted ways with its previous vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.
Almost two years to the day since their last show, Ashland, Kentucky female-fronted hard rockers HYDROGYN will come back to the live stage at Callihan's Pub & Grill in their hometown for a special event on November 3. The one-off "storyteller night" will mark the first time the band has ever done this type of show and will include songs spanning HYDROGYN's entire career. The concert will be professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD and CD release.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 28 at 11 a.m. EST and are $10 each.
To get your tickets, call 606-585-0586.
HYDROGYN's fourth album, "Private Sessions", was released in Europe on April 20 through Music Buy Mail. 13 songs were recorded for the CD at guitarist Jeff Westlake's Ridgeline Studio in Ashland, Kentucky and Patrick Liotard's Peek Studio in Boisseron, France.
Swedish extreme metallers SHINING will continue their highly successful collaboration with KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque's Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden,
Both the SHINING EP "Lots Of Girls Gonna Get Hurt" and the band's soon-to-be-released full-length album, "Redefining Darkness", were produced and recorded by Andy at Sonic Train.
Pre-production for the next SHINING album will happen in September 2013 and the recording will start around November 2013.
Originally planned for January-February 2013, the pre-production has been postponed as SHINING is busy with promotion and tour plans. This also means that Sonic Train Studios still have some highly sought-after studio time available for 2013.
SHINING's eighth album, "Redefining Darkness", is due out on October 29 through Spinefarm Records.
SHINING recently announced the addition of two new touring members — Euge Valovirta on guitar and Rainer Tuomikanto on drums.
SHINING in May released an EP of cover songs with a choice of material that came as a surprise to many of the band's fans. The four-track EP, titled "Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt", included tracks from KATATONIA, KENT, IMPERIET and POETS OF THE FALL.
Finnish "battle metal" warriors TURISAS have entered the studio to begin recording their fourth album for an early 2013 release.
The first in a series of video updates from the studio can be seen below.
TURISAS earlier in the year toured North America as part of "PaganFest: America Part III", the band's first-ever U.S. headlining run. Joining the Finnish sextet on their triumphant return to the States was a gathering of bands from across the world: Scotland's ALESTORM, Russia's ARKONA, and the U.S.'s very own HUNTRESS.
"Stand Up And Fight", the latest video from TURISAS, was filmed in February 2011 in the California desert with director Iain Sclater. Influenced by the film "Mad Max" and the band's own image, the video was a thrilling new look at TURISAS in the band's first-ever U.S.-shot music video.
"Stand Up And Fight" is the title track of TURISAS's third album, which entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 5. The CD was released in North America in March 2011 via Century Media Records.
Former NEVERMORE drummer Van Williams has echoed comments made by the band's ex-guitarist, Jeff Loomis, regarding a possible reunion of the group's classic lineup, saying "time heals all wounds."
In a recent interview with Rock. Nothing But…, Loomis stated about his current solo career and his departure from NEVERMORE, "A lot of good things came from NEVEMORE, and I wouldn't be here playing music today if wasn't for NEVERMORE. But I think every book has its ending, and when one chapter closes, another one opens up. So it's kind of an end of an era for me, regarding NEVERMORE. I'm starting off fresh doing my own thing now, so really I'm just playing the music that I'm writing for my project. Kind of putting NEVERMORE aside. 18 years in a band is a long time my friend. [laughs] It had to have its ending. I kind of just wanted to start a new musical direction with my life. I'm not saying that NEVERMORE will never get back together or do some sort of reunion, or a festival kind of thing in the near future, but at this given moment in time, it's just kind of set aside. We'll see what happens in the future."
Asked about Loomis' comments by a fan on Facebook, Williams replied, "Jeff and I speak all the time, so those comments are no surprise to me and I would have to agree with him to a degree. Bands split up and mend over time, so I wouldn't rule the thought out. They say time heals all wounds, and it has for most bands. It's not like anyone spit on anyone or anything, so we do have that going for us. [I'm] just not sure of his definition of 'near [future],' though. [The reunited] SANCTUARY [which features in its ranks NEVERMORE frontman Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard] is doing their thing, Jeff is doing his and I'm stoked to be working on ASHES OF ARES [with former ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow], PURE SWEET HELL and a couple other musical appearances to later be announced. I guess time will tell either way, I'm just enjoying life for the now."
In an August 2011 interview with Greece's Rock Overdose, Dane stated about NEVERMORE's split with Loomis and Williams, "Well, I didn't separate from Jeff; Jeff separated from me — that was his choice. And he, I think, wants to focus more on being a guitar hero and doing solo records. And this whole thing, this split with Jeff…. I mean, I could give a shit about our drummer — we never got along anyway — but Jeff was one of my best friends. And it's like going through a very painful divorce. I'm still very upset about the way it happened, because I didn't know that they were quitting the band until I saw on Blabbermouth. And that's not the way you treat your friends. We could have talked. And that was really, really shitty. I still talk to Jeff sometimes, but he's in his own world right now, so good luck to him. I love him — he's like my brother, but… There's not a whole lot I can say about that."
Regarding NEVERMORE's future, Warrel said, "NEVERMORE is still a band. We're still going to use Attila [Vörös], the guitar player that was playing with NEVERMORE when all this happened. And I think we have a new drummer — I'm still deciding. The guitar players that are submitting their YouTube videos to me for auditions, some of them are just fucking phenomenal. And I'm kind of humbled by all this, because I didn't realize that they are so many talented kids out there. Replacing Jeff is hard, so it's gonna be a slow process. And I will not replace Jeff until find the perfect guitar player — someone that can write songs and someone that can play solos. Sometimes there is somebody that can really compose good music and sometimes there's another one that can really shred on the guitar, so there has to be a balance. I'm gonna approach this carefully, because I don't want to stain the legacy of the band. NEVERMORE was my baby and has always been my passion for years. I'm still hurt over the way things fell apart, but you pick yourself up and just focus on what you're doing in the moment. But NEVERMORE is still a band; there was just two people that quit."
Former DIRGE WITHIN singer Jeremy "Jerms" Genske has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:
"I would first like to thank anyone that bought, stole, or downloaded DIRGE WITHIN music. I don't care how the music got out there as long as it did, so I thank you all sincerely! And to all the people that came out to the shows, rocked the pits with me during our sets, bought merch, and hung out with me at the merch table after shows, all your contributions were what gave us our (whatever limited) success. It was an honor to play for you and meet you all, and I'll never forget it.
"Now, I know this is definitely old news by today's standards, but I felt like it was time to set the record straight and let my voice be heard, other than on a CD.
"The band's 'unofficial' statement about me came as a shock. And when I say 'the band's,' I really mean [that of guitarist Shaun] Glass. To me, and [to] anyone [else] with a brain, it came off as a drama-filled, fact-less rant designed to make me look like the bad guy. A bunch of 'facts' twisted and molded to his benefit. Which is fine, and not at all unexpected if you know his history.
"The truth of the matter is our debut album, 'Force Fed Lies', came out a little over three years ago, and in that small time, five members total and all four original members have left the band. Only one constant remains, and it's not very hard to figure out where the problem truly lay.
"Don't get me wrong, I used to love being in this band and am still very proud of the music I helped to create while in the band, but I honestly couldn't do it anymore. The unprofessionalism, drama, backstabbing and bad business practices that surrounded this band and its 'leader' became too much for me to handle. It was, quite literally, destroying my passion and love for writing and performing music, and I couldn't let that happen.
"Yes, I had to miss that STATIC-X show in Chicago on August 23rd. I had a prior engagement that I could not miss. I was asked by a dear friend to stand up with him in his wedding. Six months prior, I respectfully informed Shaun and the guys about this. I told Shaun regarding the week leading up to the wedding, to please not book any shows just for that time period. It didn't seem too much to ask. So what happened? A last-minute show was booked. When I reminded him that I could not play the show that night because of the rehearsal, I was met with two hours or more of yelling, bashing, and disrespectful comments such as, 'No one cares about you. You can be replaced in a heartbeat, bud.' Ultimately I was given an ultimatum, play the show or else. I chose 'or else.'
"A band is supposed to be a family, and you don't disrespect your family like that.
"Among various other reasons, this all boiled down to disrespect and unprofessionalism. So many bridges have been burned during my tenure with the band and so many people that have tried to help this band get to the next level have been pushed aside as insignificant. People used for favors. Various labels, management, producers, publicists, merch companies, ect. who have done their part eventually turned a blind eye and a deaf ear because of it. I did not want to be a part of that situation anymore, and be associated with that kind of behavior.
"I am beyond thankful for everything being in this band has given me.
"I am not a 'rock star' nor will I ever claim to be one. I am a musician who was given some incredible opportunities. I've gone on some great tours with bands that have become great friends, seen so many things on the road, got my name out there, and met some kick-ass fans. It's unbelievable that I got to have three albums released worldwide. And yes, Shaun helped put me in that position. I wouldn't say otherwise. As hard as it was, it was just time for me to walk away.
"Again, I want to thank everyone that believed in me and believed in DIRGE WITHIN. It truly means the world to me.
"I sincerely apologize to anyone that this may negatively affect in any way. I had a blast with you all and I look forward to what the future brings. 'Til we meet again!
"With much gratitude and respect, Jeremy"
Polish black/death kings BEHEMOTH will support German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN on June 4, 2013 at Impactfest in Warsaw, Poland.
Commented BEHEMOTH singer/guitarist Adam "Nergal" Darski: "A few months ago, my friends from DEATHSTARS supported [RAMMSTEIN at their] concert in Ergo Arena [in Poland], [and] I was jealous… Today, on behalf of BEHEMOTH, I may proudly announce that we will share the stage with the one of the most important worldwide rock bands: RAMMSTEIN. It's going to be the first show in Poland that we'll play after the long time and it is already now more than likely that we present the brand new songs that we're now strongly working on. And — special thanx to Steven and Live Nation Poland for reliance. We worked together on 'Big Four' on Bemowo and we're looking forward to meet them again. It's an honor!"
Darski recently told Terrorizer magazine about the songwriting process for BEHEMOTH's next CD, "We've changed our attitude with this album. We've cut down all the analyzing and thinking about the music. This album will be very instinct-driven and whatever comes out of our system will come out naturally on the record."
In an April 2012 interview with Metal Blast, Nergal offered more information about BEHEMOTH's mindset going into the next album. "We want to take our time and not rush ourselves in any way," he said. "It looks like it might be the most important album in our career. I want to make the most honest record and I won't be bending to anyone's rules or expectations, including [BEHEMOTH's record labels] Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast. Every next BEHEMOTH album is a surprise and is never the same. . . We don't want to stress ourselves because the music business and the direction it takes is not as I would like it to be. That means we will be going against the current again and just do as we will and please. Whatever we do is going to be BEHEMOTH, 100%. It is the state of our will and nobody can deny it. I can tell you that we aren't going to come out with a reggae or country album; it's going to be BEHEMOTH, it's going to be extreme. But don't be surprised if people listened to it and said, 'Fuck, they did it. It's so amazing.' [Laughs] That's what I like to say when I listen to my own music. I love to surprise myself. I hate things that are predictable. I want to surprise myself and surprise other people, as well. . . Don't get me wrong, I am a huge AC/DC fan and I expect AC/DC to be AC/DC, but don't expect BEHEMOTH to put out another 'The Apostasy', 'Demigod' or 'Evangelion' album, because that will not happen."
Swedish death metal overlords AEON have unveiled the details of their fourth studio offering, "Aeons Black". Set to drop on November 20 via Metal Blade Records, the mammoth 15-track effort was recorded at Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden, engineered, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Garageland Studios) and featuring cover art by Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin (BATHORY, AT THE GATES, DISSECTION, EMPEROR).
Commented AEON founding guitarist Zeb Nilsson: "This is definitely our most varied album to date; it has heavier songs, yet it also has lots of fast blastbeats and double bass drumming. It's groovier this time, which I think we lacked on our last album, 'Path Of Fire', which was fast-paced almost all the way through. That, and the amazing mix by Ronnie Björnström, makes me feel pretty confident that this album will appeal to more people than our previous albums. And no, we have not gone softer in any aspect; it's just easier to catch with all this grooviness. It's metal right up your ass!"
The first single from "Aeons Black", the album's title track, can be streamed below. Guitarist Daniel Dlimi says of the tune: "'Aeons Black' is the first song that I started to work on as we begun writing for this album, and it's also one of the very last to get finished. My goal was to create a somewhat heavier, odder, not-so-typical 'AEON' song. Once happy with the musical arrangement, I handed it over to [vocalist] Tommy [Dahlstöm] to let him write some lyrics and vocal patterns for it. He managed to get it even darker and more eerie. The lyrics are all about how everything living eventually must face the inevitable, which is death. There will be no savior, no heaven nor hell... just a pitch black, silent empty void."
"Aeons Black" track listing:
01. Still They Pray
02. The Glowing Hate
03. The Voice Of The Accuser
04. I Wish You Death
05. Garden Of Sin
06. Neptune The Mystic
07. Nothing Left To Destroy
08. Passage To Hell
09. Aeons Black
10. Dead Means Dead
11. Sacrificed
12. Aftermath
13. Blessed By The Priest
14. Maze Of The Damned
15. Die By My Hands
AEON is:
Tommy Dahlstöm - Vocals
Zeb Nilsson - Guitar
Daniel Dlimi - Guitar
Arttu Mallki - Drums
Marcus Edvardsson – Bass
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