On being a technophobe who can't even send an email:
"I don't even know how to turn a computer on. I dictate my e-mails and my assistant Tony loads songs onto my iPod.
"I know how to turn on the iPod, adjust the volume and sort out what I want on it but the rest of it, I'm lost. And they've all got iPhones now. I can't even make a call on one of those. I touch the screen and something else happens!"
On how, after spending the best part of 40 years on drugs and drink, the alcohol and pharmaceuticals began to take their toll:
"I had to come to a decision — do I want to kill myself with drugs and alcohol?
"In the old days, whenever I stopped boozing, I always used to think about the good times I was missing. Now all I think about is how the good times always turned bad.
"I couldn't tell you how much a pint of beer costs now, and I don't want to know. Which is amazing, considering how much my life used to revolve around the pub. I just ain't interested anymore."
On how the book "I Am Ozzy" came about:
"I didn't actually put pen to paper, I got someone (writer Chris Ayres) to ask me questions — what I remember about my childhood, and whatever.
"He would zone in on a specific thing that I was saying and he'd ask me to elaborate on it. Once it started coming out it was quite easy. At the end of the day, it only took about six weeks. It seemed to fly by."
On the possibility of a second volume being released in the future:
"I'd like to do something more in-depth later on,. How can you put my life in 400 pages? I've had such an amazing existence over the years.
"I remember saying to Chris, 'Have you got enough?' He said, 'I've got more than enough, there's a lot of stuff I haven't got room to put in so I'm going to save it for another day.'
"Once I'm talking, it flies out of me."
On going back to Birmingham for last week's book signing where he took to opportunity to look again around his old house and school, Prince Albert, in Albert Road, and Winson Green Prison where he served three months for robbing Sarah Clarke's, a clothes shop in Aston:
"My son, Jack, is doing a documentary film on me and my life. I went down to my old house — it's still there but it's changed so much. The guy who owns it now has done a great job renovating it. It's nothing like it used to be."
On the fact that he has not given up on another BLACK SABBATH reunion despite on-going legal proceedings between him and guitarist Tony Iommi over the use of the band's name:
"With BLACK SABBATH, there's always some litigation going on. We're always having a go at each other, it's like being married, I suppose.
"As for getting back with the band, I never say never anymore. Just not right now. If something came up and it was worth doing it'd be stupid not to do it."
Celia Walden of Telegraph.co.uk recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On his enduring success:
"I'm 61 next birthday, and for some reason people keep wanting to hear me and see me. I don't know what happened to the years."
On how whole periods of his life started to come back when he began to work on his autobiography, "I Am Ozzy":
"I wasn't always a happy-go-lucky guy. I was bad for a very long time: I beat my wife and the rest of it… but the autobiography was cathartic — it helped me get rid of some of the guilt."
On the excesses of previous years:
"The first time I tried cocaine, I remember thinking, 'I've found the meaning of life!' But then I loved morphine and everything else, too. At my worst, I was buying kilos of the stuff every week. That said, by far the most addictive thing I've ever put in my body is tobacco. By the end, I was chewing the gum, smoking the fake cigarettes, wearing the patches and smoking 20 a day. I tried cigars, but within a week I was smoking 30 Cohibas a day, and inhaling. Now I don't do anything anymore. I got bored of always being fucked up on something or other."
On money:
"I was 18 when Sony offered us a deal for BLACK SABBATH . £105 they gave me – and I'd never seen so much cash in my fucking life. From then onwards, I could get drunk morning, noon and night, and nobody would care. There isn't another job in the world where you can turn up pissed as a wheel and not get fired."
On his wife/manager Sharon:
"If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead. My lady's the greatest; I love her. For some reason, the shoe still fits, you know? We fight, of course. You meet these people who have been married 27 years and claim never to have had a cross word: well, I think they must have been living in different countries. Sometimes I look at Sharon and think 'Oh, for fuck's sake, why did I ever look at you to begin with?'"
On how Sharon has retained tight control of her husband's image:
"If I have a pimple on my face, she'll get the doctor round and the pair of them will sit there discussing how to deal with it."
On whether he has had any cosmetic surgery done:
"Oh yeah: I've had my double chin removed, and the fat Hoovered out from around my jawline. But I've never had Botox. My philosophy is that if something makes you unhappy every time you look in the mirror, just do something about it. But it's like tattoos. Once you have one, you have two… Look at Michael Jackson : by the end, his sister La Toya looked more like him than he did."
On what he could possibly have left to wish for:
"A Number One album would be good, and to have a movie made of the book, maybe with Johnny Depp playing me — I'd like that. But really I'd like to go back in time and make better choices. Still, I now know that there is no such place as Utopia. Hell, even if I do make it to heaven, you can bet your life that the toilet will stink."
According to AC-DC.net, AC/DC 's latest album, "Black Ice", has sold more than a million copies in Germany since its October 2008 release, making it the band's most successful LP to date in that territory. "Black Ice" has now been certified quintuple platinum in Germany.
AC/DC has been nominated for four ARIA Awards (Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards) this year. The band was nominated in the following categories:
* Highest Selling Australian Album
* Best Rock Album
* Best Group
* Album of the Year
AC/DC was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988 but has never won an award.
With two 65,000-capacity shows (December and December 4) at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina already sold out, AC/DC has added one more concert at the same venue on December 6. Tickets go on sale this Tuesday, October 13.
AC/DC will release a limited-edition box set called "Backtracks" on November 10. The set, which comes in two versions, will be available on November 10 only through the ACDCBacktracks.com web site. As previously speculated, the "deluxe" package is housed inside a fully operational AC/DC amplifier and will come in a limited, autographed run of 50,000 copies. Included in the set are three CDs of live and studio rarities, two DVDs, a vinyl LP also containing studio rarities, a 164-page coffee table book, fine art lithographs of rare photos, a reproduction of an early AC/DC concert flyer and other memorabilia, including a button, guitar pick, and more.
A standard edition will feature two CDs of live and studio material, a single DVD plus bonus videos.
The first DVD is the long awaited video compilation "Family Jewels 3", which rounds up the group's music videos, live performances, and promotional clips from 1992 to 2009. The second DVD, "Live At The Circus Krone", captures a complete club show that the band played in Munich in 2003.
Details on pre-ordering the set are available at the web site, along with the full track listing.
Among the studio rarities included in the set are alternate versions of a number of early AC/DC tracks, as well as the never-before-released "Love Song", possibly the only ballad the band ever wrote with original singer Bon Scott.
Dickie Peterson, the bassist/vocalist and founding member of BLUE CHEER, passed away this morning (Monday, October 12) at 5 a.m. in Germany. He was 61 years old. Peterson had reportedly been battling prostate and liver cancer, and according to BLUE CHEER's message board, had developed a fatal infection following a surgical procedure to help alleviate his fight.
BLUE CHEER was an American blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has been sporadically active since. Based in San Francisco, BLUE CHEER played in a psychedelic blues-rock style, and was also credited for pioneering heavy metal (their cover of "Summertime Blues" is sometimes cited as the first in the genre), punk rock, stoner rock, doom metal and grunge.
Throughout his life, Peterson's relationship to music has been all-consuming. He was quoted as saying, "I've been married twice, I've had numerous girlfriends, and they'll all tell you that if I'm not playing music I am an animal to live with. . . Music is a place where I get to deal with a lot of my emotion and displaced energy. I always only wanted to play music, and that's all I still want to do."
Despite the fact that BLUE CHEER was considered a pioneer in many different genres, Peterson downplayed the band's influence, stating in an interview, "People keep trying to say that we're heavy metal or grunge or punk, or we're this or that. The reality is we're just a power trio and we play ultra-blues, and it's rock 'n' roll . It's really simple what we do."
Peterson spent much of the past two decades based in Germany, performing with BLUE CHEER and with other groups as well. In 1998 and 1999, he played a number of dates in Germany with the HANK DAVISON BAND and as an acoustic duo with Hank Davison under the banner DOS HOMBRES.
Reuters is reporting:
The wife of AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry doesn't particularly care for the band's recordings, and has never listened to any of their albums in their entirety.
"I am not a fan of Aerosmith's music without the live performance behind it," Billie Perry wrote on her Twitter page on Sunday.
"Honestly I have never listened to 1 CD all the way through. I listen in the studio when they record. I've never put an Aero CD on my player. I did order a few songs from iTunes, but have not listened."
She considers Aerosmith to be one of the greatest live acts in rock 'n' roll, but "… without the live show the songs n lyrics don't move me."
Joe Elliott's ex-wife Karla Elliott recently spoke to Barry Egan of Indepedent.ie about her eight-year marriage (1989-1997) to the DEF LEPPARD singer, whom she began dating in 1986.
"I was madly in love with him," she said, "He was the love of my life." They married in his hometown in the late Eighties. "I remember coming out of the registry office in Sheffield and looking at the wall with all the graffiti on it and going: 'This is romantic!'" she laughed. "I think it was 1989? I'm not sure. I am brutal on remembering dates. I really haven't a clue what date I married Joe. That will tell you something."
She continued, "There were lots of private jets and it was great fun and everything but I think you are either the type of person that adapts to whatever is going on in your life at the time or you're not. I think that's when people run into problems: when they get so caught up in something and they believe it's real. For me, I adapt to whatever is going on in my world. I travelled as a child a lot and stayed in five-star hotels with my parents. So it didn't seem odd to me, that whole life."
She said initially neither Joe nor herself wanted kids. But once Karla was married, she started thinking: 'Maybe it would be nice.'
"That," she said, "is the natural progression of any relationship. But he was adamant that he didn't want any. I think he is very much a Peter Pan-type character," she theorized. "He wants to be young and the centre of attention all the time. And if you have kids you can't be like that. You have to be not selfish. It was interesting to see other band members were having kids and we were still touring. Maybe it is a lead singer thing. It is his choice and he is entitled to it."
Karla claims it was also her husband's choice to have an affair with another woman, Bobbie Tolsma. "I was broken-hearted," she said. "It was such a hazy time for me because I was in such shock."
"I don't want to look bitter," Karla continued. "I'm not. It is all water under the bridge... I don't give a shit about Joe.
"I don't want to drag those emotions up because it is in my past. I look forward. I don't look back and start dwelling on things. That's not the kind of person I am."
Chris Riemenschneider of StarTribune.com recently conducted an interview with METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On the notorious clash of egos between METALLICA's co-founders, singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich:
"There are definitely times there's still that tension.
"The key thing is you really gotta let those two head-butt within reason. That's the magic of what happens in the band. There's a certain energy that bounces off the two of them, and you've gotta let that flow and then offer suggestions or butt in when it's really necessary. The difference is nowadays, the band has figured out a way to defuse anything that could potentially be more destructive."
"James Hetfield, to me, is so special in terms of writing riffs and melodies; he's just an amazing musician. Sometimes, if there's a part he's not picking up right off the bat, he gets a little impatient. That's where you get a little nervous. That's where you'll see a chair fly.
"But, to me, that's all about the passion of putting a song together, and that's one of the beautiful things about this band. There's a lot that goes into this. There's a lot of challenge in what we do, it's not the easiest thing learning riffs or trying to develop a part in a METALLICA song."
On how Rick Rubin pushed METALLICA "outside its comfort zone" during "Death Magnetic " recording sessions:
"The other guys might disagree, but I think the fact that someone like Lars Ulrich had to go to Van Nuys, California — which is very industrial and not glamorous, so you have nothing else to do — I think the angst came out of that. It served as a great creative ground."
On regaining lost ground by going back to the thrashier sound of earlier albums:
"[It] feels right for me personally. The direction — in terms of being progressive, and challenging ourselves again — is very exciting. And it seems that our fans have picked up on it. They're excited about the guitar solos again. The guitar solos had taken kind of a breather there for a couple years. They're back with a vengeance. And the riffs are back and in your face again."
On the way the band goes about touring now (since all of the members are dads now, the band generally performs for a week or two, then takes a week or two off):
"It extends the tour cycle a little longer, but it balances things out well. We've been playing tighter than ever. The new songs are great fun to play live, and we're playing a lot of the old stuff, too. It's almost like we're playing a lot of the old, a lot of the new, and just a little bit of everything in between."
Allen "Slayer" Beck of the "Midnight Metal" show, which airs on Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station, conducted an interview earlier this month with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).
On how MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame", has been received thus far and his current headspace:
Mustaine: "The public is making it very clear that this is the kind of music they like MEGADETH to play. We're on top of all the charts right now in places we never even imagined. We just got a notice today that we're No. 1 on the AOL Top 40, if you can believe that. [Laughs] I'm thinking, 'I'll take that.' I don't use AOL, but I certainly know that they've got a huge following and a huge fanbase, and, you know, No. 1 is No.1. That's great."
"This is such a great time to be me. The band is cranking, we've got a great lineup, we've got a lot of great songs on this new record. The touring's been the best we've been playing ever. Chris [Broderick; guitar] can do anybody's stuff in the past, and James [Lomenzo] is a fantastic bass player and a better singer than our previous bass players, and that really helps when you've got songs that have melody to them. We were able to score with the secret of being able to be heavy and still have a bit of melody. I think that's the one thing that sets us apart. We kind of went real heavy in the melody direction for awhile, but now we're back on what we feel the most comfortable — playing the thrashy stuff.
"I'm just having fun right now. You probably haven't spent a lot time around me when I've been happy or having fun like this, so it's probably alien to you. And I think a lot of the fans, too. I get such a... not a rise, but kind of a smirk, I guess, when I see people go, 'He smiled.' [Laughs]"
"My career right now is... I've been playing longer... for more than half of my life, and probably nearing three-quarters of it, and that's a long time. That's a really, really long time. And I've learned so much over the years. I got real serious, and then I got real cocky, and then I got real serious again, and then I got real comfortable, which is where I'm at right now."
On how he gets prepared to perform:
Mustaine: "[Laughs] A glass of fine, a couple of insults and making sure my underwear is clean in case I get hit by a car. This is a gift from God; it's certainly not my doing. I pick up the guitar about three days before a tour starts. I have to go back into the studio with the band. We'll play the songs. I have to re-learn everything, and then it'll come back to me, and then we'll go out there and just nail it. Now that's the beauty with Chris and me — I play from my heart and he plays from any place that he wants to. I can say, 'Hey, this is what's going on right here,' and he'll play it, and then I'll listen to him play it, and I'll be like, 'Maybe not.' And then I'll go back and I'll listen and I will [go], 'We've been playing it wrong.' Because Chris is so good and he sounds a lot like me when he plays his rhythm. Not exactly — I've got my own rhythm style — it's just that he sounds like me in rhythm. A lot of people can play better than I
can, but as far as the sound, I can pick up a guitar and make it sound different from someone else. It's all in the hands; it's weird. Like a golf club — I'm sure Tiger Woods can put with a baseball bat."
According to Slayerized.com, SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya blew out his voice prior to last night's (Friday, October 9) concert in Melbourne, Australia, forcing the band to play some its songs as instrumentals or with members of other groups helping out on lead vocals.
SLAYER vocalist Tom Araya was advised by his doctors not to perform at tomorrow night's (Sunday, October 11) show at the Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide, Australia due to severe laryngitis. Tom, his band and crew were on route to Adelaide with the full intention of performing but were forced to cancel the date due to doctor-mandated rest.
Co-headliners MEGADETH have confirmed that they will perform an extended set at the Thebarton Sunday night.
The remainder of the shows will proceed as planned, with SLAYER and MEGADETH performing at Challenge Stadium in Perth this Tuesday, October 13, and SLAYER performing a full set — including the classic "Reign in Blood" album in its entirety — at Luna Park Sydney this Thursday, October 15.
SLAYER extends an apology to their Adelaide fans for their cancellation, and ticket holders who no longer wish to attend can obtain a refund from point of purchase.
Commented MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine : "I was saddened to hear that Tom Araya won't be able to perform [Sunday night], as you know, and that they are going to proceed to Perth to wait for us and the last show here in Australia.
"I wanted to be as gracious and considerate of the circumstances as possible, so yesterday I sent an invitation to Kerry King [SLAYER guitarist] to come up and play a song from back when he played with us in the early days.
"I know that it would require him coming here to Adelaide, and that the band has already decided to proceed to Perth, but I sent the invite yesterday, and I was really hoping that we could do something for the fans of Adelaide and so that the SLAYER fans could at least see their hero in action; even if it is with us.
"There is still several hours before the show, and I would love to see Kerry walk through the doors and say, 'Alright, let's play 'Rattlehead'!' However, I think that the time has passed for him to be able to comfortably travel here. I have my fingers crossed though."
"Thanks for understanding, and we will make the best of it either way."
Rob Zombie 's fourth solo studio album, "Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool", will be released on November 17 via Geffen Records. "Hellbilly Deluxe" was the name of Zombie's first and most successful solo outing, issued back in 1998.
"The plan was always to make this kind of like the sequel to 'Hellbilly Deluxe', but I didn't want to force it," Zombie tells AOL's Noisecreep. "I always figure records dictate their own journey. You might say, 'Oh, we're going to write the heaviest thing ever.' But you get in there and, you know, you might write things that aren't heavy that are great, so you kind of go with it. But this one seems like a great follow-up to that record."
"The record's really varied, just like the first one," Zombie says of the new CD. "There are huge, epic songs with 100-piece orchestras. And then there's something like 'What,' which is just the four of us in a garage literally playing live together and making a big noise."
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" track listing:
01. Jesus Frankenstein
02. Sick Bubblegum
03. What?
04. Mars Needs Women
05. Werewolf, Baby!
06. Virgin Witch
07. Death and Destiny Inside The Dream Factory
08. Burn
09. Cease to Exist
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs
The legendary MISFITS return this Halloween with two brand-new songs, marking the first new original material from the horror rock icons in a decade! The release also marks their first new studio recordings since 2003's "Misfits Project 1950" covers album.
The limited-edition12-inch LP maxi-single showcases a new cover painting rendered by Arthur Suydam (of Marvel Zombies fame) who has rendered the MISFITS world-famous "fiend skull" icon in homage to the zombie films of George A. Romero. The artwork is appropriately suited as both new songs ("Land of the Dead" and "Twilight of the Dead", written by MISFITS founding member Jerry Only), were inspired by the acclaimed director's living dead series.
The first pressing on clear red vinyl is a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, guaranteed to feed the collectible frenzy with MISFITS fiends while supplies last!
Look for the MISFITS (Jerry Only on bass/vocals, Dez Cadena on guitar and Robo on drums) on tour throughout North America between now and late December, where you can expect to hear both new songs performed live in concert. Starting October 30, "fiends" will have the chance to pick up a special clear orange vinyl tour edition of the 12-inch (also limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide), while supplies last. The clear orange vinyl pressing will be on sale exclusively at live MISFITS shows and will not be available in stores.
Both songs ("Land of the Dead" and "Twilight of the Dead") will be available individually for digital download ($0.99 per track) on iTunes and other digital music providers starting October 27.
ANTHRAX (featuring vocalist John Bush), PLACEBO, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, SHINEDOWN, SET YOUR GOALS, ENTER SHIKARI and CLOSURE IN MOSCOW are the latest confirmed bands for the 2010 edition of Austrlia's Soundwave Festival, which will kick off on February 20 in Brisbane.
The complete billing for the event is as follows:
A DAY TO REMEMBER
A WILHELM SCREAM
AFI
ALEXISONFIRE
ALL TIME LOW
ANTHRAX
ANTI-FLAG
ANVIL
BARONESS
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW
CLUTCH
COMEBACK KID
DANCE GAVIN DANCE
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
EMAROSA
ENTER SHIKARI
ESCAPE THE FATE
FAITH NO MORE
FOUR YEAR STRONG
GALLOWS
HIM
ISIS
IT DIES TODAY
JANE'S ADDICTION
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE
MESHUGGAH
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
PARAMORE
PLACEBO
REEL BIG FISH
ROLO TOMASSI
RX BANDITS
SET YOUR GOALS
SHINEDOWN
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
THE ALMOST
THE AQUABATS
THE CREEPSHOW
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
THE GET UP KIDS
THE WEAKERTHANS
TRIVIUM
WHITECHAPEL
YOU ME AT SIX
The dates are as follows:
Feb. 20 - Brisbane, AUS - RNA Showgrounds
Feb. 21 - Sydney, AUS - Eastern Creek Raceway
Feb. 26 - Melbourne, AUS - Melbourne Showgrounds
Feb. 27 - Adelaide, AUS - Bonython Park
Mar. 01 - Perth, AUS - Bassendean Oval
For more information, visit www.soundwavefestival.com.
According to a posting on the Michael Schenker News And Tour Information web site, Japanese concert promoter Zak Corporation has announced the dates for MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's (MSG) 30th anniversary Japanese tour in January. They are as follows:
Jan. 12 - Tokyo, Japan - Nakano Sunplaza
Jan. 13 - Tokyo, Japan - Nakano Sunplaza
Jan. 14 - Nagoya, Japan - Diamond Hall
Jan. 15 - Osaka, Japan - Namba Hatch
The group's lineup for the shows will be as follows:
Michael Schenker - Guitar
Gary Barden - Vocals
Simon Phillips - Drums
Neil Murray - Bass
Wayne Findlay - Guitar, Keyboards
MÖTLEY CRÜE will release another "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", on November 17 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.
The track listing for the package is as follows:
01. Too Fast for Love
02. Shout at the Devil
03. Looks that Kill
04. Too Young to Fall in Love
05. Smokin' in the Boys Room
06. Home Sweet Home
07. Wild Side
08. Girls, Girls, Girls
09. Dr. Feelgood
10. Kickstart My Heart
11. Same 'Ol Situation
12. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
13. Without You
14. Primal Scream
15. Sick Love Song
16. Afraid
17. If I Die Tomorrow
18. Saints of Los Angeles
19. The Animal In Me (Remix)
Seattle progressive rock giants QUEENSRŸCHE have scheduled two "cabaret shows" at the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, Washington on February 4-5, 2010
The following press release announcing the event has been posted on the band's web site:
Ladies and gentleman and "kids" of only adult ages, welcome to what promises to be the spectacle of all spectacles better known as the Queensrÿche Cabaret.
A fun-filled evening like no other full of freaks and shrieks.
What good is sitting alone in your room?
Come hear the music play.
Taste the wine and swing from a vine in a place that's only eclipsed by the echo in your mind.
It'll be Geoff Tate, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Parker Lundgren performing a show-of-shows with a bunch of their friends who have a tendency to only come out late at night.
The Queensrÿche Cabaret will be art, lust, dancing and naughty fun with the band performing their hits and never-heard-before selections accompanied by go-go dancers, burlesque dancers, drag queens, a juggler, ballet dancer, aerial artist, contortionist and much more.
Sit back and enjoy the music and theatrics or be a part of the stage show!
Audience members will have an opportunity to participate… but prior written consent will be required as it won't be for the faint of heart.
It'll be sights and sounds coming at you from all angles like never before!
See some evil, hear some evil, speak some evil and have some fun.
Be prepared… be very prepared.
Life is a Queensrÿche Cabaret, old chum, come to the Cabaret.
There will be fan-club-only parties and events Thursday Friday and Saturday nights, including a Super Bowl party on Sunday for those staying the weekend. Fan-club seats and passes to many, many events will be up in the next week.
According to a new Twitter post by Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), he is in the middle of having a new recording studio constructed in California. Wylde and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmates will spend January/February tracking a new album for a tentative spring 2010 release.
Zakk's wife Barbaranne revealed in a recent online posting that Wylde is suffering from "a rare genetic clotting disorder" for which he is currently receiving treatment in California.
Wylde got the "green light" from his doctor to take part in the Halloween (October 31) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY performance in Times Square (New York City) to promote his new limited-edition Epiphone Graveyard Disciple guitar. Zakk has also scheduled an in-store signing session on October 30 at Sam Ash in New York City to unveil the guitar.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Skullage" DVD package sold 5,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart. Released April 21 in three different configurations — CD, DVD and CD/DVD — this collection features the best of Zakk Wylde & Co. This massive greatest hits package is chock-full of live material, music videos, interviews, and a vivid cross-section of brutal and introspective tracks, from amped-up blazers like "Fire It Up" and "Suicide Messiah" to raw power ballads like "In This River" and "Spoke In The Wheel".
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY announced in June 2007 that it had parted ways with Roadrunner Records.
The group's sole release through Roadrunner was 2006's "Shot to Hell" album.
"Shot to Hell" sold just under 32,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release — less than the 45,000 copies shifted by BLS's "Mafia" (Artemis) back in March 2005 — to land at position No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The current members of KISS have released a statement in response to original KISS drummer's revelation that over the last year he's battled breast cancer. Now cancer-free, Criss posted a message on his web site to inform people about it and encourage men and women to get checked — just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. He wrote, "In '08, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but with (early detection) my great doctor Alex Swistel and staff and the Lord above, who always looks over me, I am cancer-free today!!!" Criss added: "I wanted to let you know men get it like women do. Don't be afraid to let someone know if you have a lump. Do the right thing for you and your loved ones and get it checked. Man or woman, there is no discrimination with breast cancer ... we all don't have nine lives."
In an open letter to their former bandmate, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons — along with current KISS drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer — wrote, "We were all shocked to learn of your recent bout with breast cancer, but so relieved to hear that you are now cancer-free. Thank you for sharing this personal matter by posting this important message and alerting everyone to breast cancer awareness and the need for early detection. We're in your corner and wish you continued good health."
KISS is among the potential nominees for the upcoming Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductions. Criss is glad to be part of it, noting, "I would like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the nomination and recognition of the original KISS. As a founding member, I am deeply grateful to the Hall Of Fame for their consideration. It would be an honor and a dream come true to be inducted."
Criss first left KISS in 1980. Since then he's worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a few gigs in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.
A. Lee Graham from Classic Rock Revisited spoke with guitarist George Lynch (LYNCH MOB, SOULS OF WE, ex-DOKKEN) recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:
Classic Rock Revisited: Why reform Lynch Mob after all these years?
Lynch: "Well, I guess all the planets aligned. I don't have control over anything, but you know things kind of lined up when the singer decided that he was ready. I've always been ready, so, you know, it all kind of happened in the right time at the right place. It the larger world, the timing was right for us, so it made sense."
Classic Rock Revisited: Hearing it, it sounds like a logical follow-up to Wicked Sensation. It sounds like if it wasn't recorded in the same session, it at least has continuity.
Lynch: "It's the second record Oni and I did together, so it's the second record we would have done after Wicked. But we had 17 years to think about it."
Classic Rock Revisited: Had you guys kept in contact over the years?
Lynch: "Yeah, of course. I mean, sporadically but with large gaps. We did a tour back in the late '90s, I believe, early 2000s and I think we did a couple of tours. I can't remember. We released Syzygy in the mid-'90s. There's been some time passed and new did a few things here and there, but nothing serious."
Classic Rock Revisited: Also, I'd heard about Lynch Mob actually doing a tour with the original Dokken lineup. Is that true?
Lynch: "It looks like it might happen. No, hey, we shouldn't even be talking about that because none of that's for real yet. Until it's for real..."
Read more here.
Since 2003, over $10 million has been raised for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund through the Freedom Concerts and generous donations from the Sean Hannity Show and its listeners. The Scholarship Fund is designated for the education of children of U.S. service members who have been killed or 100% permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident. All net proceeds from ticket sales (after musical talent, production, promotion and venue expenses) are donated to the Scholarship Fund, aiding greatly in this effort to assist hundreds of families who have lost their loved ones while they were protecting and defending our nation and our freedoms.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD will headline nine shows in August 2010 in support of this great cause. Check the tour dates page for show dates. Click here for details and ticket info.
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has scheduled the following dates in Finland:
Dec. 11 - Espoo, Finland - Barona Areena (w/ ALICE COOPER )
Dec. 12 - Turku, Finland - Carabia
Dec. 13 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone
Bach's backing band for the shows will include 19-year-old guitarist Nick Sterling and HALFORD/RIOT drummer Bobby Jarzombek, who has been touring and recording with the vocalist since 2005.
Sebastian announced in July that he was "on the lookout for band members in the guitar and bass positions in [his] band." He said, "I am looking for musicians who love to play and create new music. Who need to play music. Who live to play music. I cannot make a good album when I have to pay all the band members to rehearse. I simply cannot afford to pay a musician to sit down and write a song with me. I myself have never once been paid to rehearse, or write a song. I do it because I love it.
He continued, "I do not understand the mentality of some of the musicians I have worked with, who demand payment to rehearse, to get better, to sharpen their craft in order to destroy the whole world on big stages and in the studio. In my mind, a good musician, a true musician, LOVES to rehearse, plays all the time, because they want to get better. Not individually. As a BAND.
"I am not saying I don't want to ever play with the 'Angel Down' guys again. On the contrary, they all know I would love to get crackin' on some new sounds with them right now. But they are all busy, or worse, I can't get ahold of them. The official word from the guitar and bass player in my current band, through management, is, 'Call us when there's some gigs.' What they don't get is, my heart is not just into playing the old music right now, my heart is always in creating new music and putting out another CD. Then there will be tons of gigs."
Bach is one of eight celebrities who will be attempting to shed unwanted weight on "Celebrity Fit Club "'s seventh season, which VH1 recently began filming.
According to Reality TV World, "Celebrity Fit Club"'s seventh-season cast members are former "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic" co-star Kevin Federline; his pre-Britney Spears ex Shar Jackson ; "Project Runway" first-season winner Jay McCarroll; R&B star Bobby Brown; former "Charles in Charge" star and "Baywatch" babe Nicole Eggert; Bach; "High School Musical"'s Kaycee Stroh; and "Bad Girls Club" alum Tanisha Thomas.
VH1 renewed "Celebrity Fit Club" for a seventh season in June, and it will follow a similar "boot camp" format to its spring 2008 sixth installment and feature the celebrities attempting to shed weight with the help of "drill sergeant" Harvey Walden and nutrition and diet expert Dr. Ian Smith.
"Celebrity Fit Club"'s seventh season will premiere on Sunday, February 14, according to People.
Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has issued the following update:
"First, let me say thank you so much to all the musicians who sent in demo packages and emailed mp3's and pictures, thanks so much.
"It's really hard for me to replace band members after spending years on the road with the same guys. I don't look forward to it, but I am very lucky to have so many guitar and bass players who want to jam . I have every one of your packages and emails saved in case I gotta go through this again!
"After searching for 'my Randy Rhoads' for the last couple of decades, I am very excited to introduce to you a guitar player whom I feel has what it takes to take on the world of rock n' roll and beyond...
"Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for... Mr. Nick Sterling!
"After flipping through a recent issue of Guitar World magazine (good place to find guitar players, it turns out!), I saw an ad for an amplifier that featured Nick Sterling. After I found Nick's websites, I could not believe how talented this guy was... He sings, plays all guitars and basses, and all the drums on his recordings! Now that's something I know very few people are capable of. His songs rock, he plays great... I was very interested in making some music with this dude. I contacted him through his MySpace page, and soon we were emailing song ideas back and forth.
"Now, a month or two after our initial contact, I am proud to say we currently have two demo songs recorded, and are about to start on our third.
"Nick is younger than I am. The reason I dig his tunes is that, to me, rock n' roll is all about the spirit of the 'youth gone wild,' and honestly, some musicians, as they get older, tend to 'write older.' I am simply far too in love with rock n' roll, still, to change my 'musical direction' right now. I just want to keep making albums that have tons of energy, are melodic, cool, groovin' and fit into the catalog of what I have put out so far. Nick's songs and vibe fit perfectly alongside such tracks as 'Youth Gone Wild', '18 & Life', etc.
"Now that we have got some songs together, it's time to get back out on the road!
"We have been asked to play in Helsinki Finland with the legendary Alice Cooper on December 11! I am so very excited to rock again! I love Alice and I can't wait to do a show with the man. We will also be headlining Turku, Finland December 12 at Caribia and Tampere, Finland December 13 at Pakkahoune. We are trying to finalize a gig on Dec. 8 or 9 in Budapest, Hungary. There will possibly be more gigs as well! We will do all the classic SKID ROW tunes you know and love, along with 'Angel Down' tracks and some brand new ones you have never heard before!
"This will be Nick's first-ever trip to Europe, so hey, give him a warm welcome, he is gonna need it coming from Arizona to Finland in December! Brrrr!!
"Joining us on drums and bass are Bobby Jarzombek and Rob DeLuca.
"It's great to have players who stick with me, through it all, in this crazy business. Such dedicated and professional players as Bobby and Rob are hard to come by and I consider myself fortunate to share stages around the world with these cats, going on five years now.
"On second guitar will be either Johnny Chromatic or Charlie Bellmore.
"I have a bunch of new music with Charlie Bellmore that I am dying for you all to hear, but Johnny has done the set hundreds of times, so it might be better to have just one new guitar player live instead of two. But Johnny is very busy with his band down in Florida, so I am still undecided on who take to Finland on second guitar. Both Johnny and Charlie shred like cheese graters, so don't worry, our band will kick your ass, Finland! Get ready!
"As soon as we get back from Europe, it's full speed ahead on the new CD! We have at least 12 songs ready to record and we are not stopping the writing process. We plan on starting to record the next record as soon as we can. Also look out for the first-ever Sebastian Bach Blu-ray coming your way soon (also to be released on DVD)! Details [as soon as possible]!"
The following Twitter exchange took place earlier today (Saturday, October 10) between ALL THAT REMAINS/ex-SHADOWS FALL frontman Phil Labonte, SHADOWS FALL vocalist Brian Fair and Labonte's girlfriend Jorie Salyers, who attended last night's (Friday, October 9) SHADOWS FALL/FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH concert at the Bourbon Street Ballroom in Baltimore, Maryland:
Phil Labonte's Twitter username = philthatremains
Brian Fair's Twitter username = brianshadfall
Jorie Salyers' Twitter username = stupadgurl
Phil Labonte: Sweet, Brian from shadows fall was trying to fuck my girlfriend tonight. Thanks to Ivan from 5FDP [FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH] for sticking up for me. So much 4 home <3
Brian Fair: Some people need to get their shit together. Learn before you speak.
Brian Fair: @philthatremains you couldnt be more wrong
Phil Labonte: @brianshadfall I hope WE are ALL wrong and it was just a HUGE stupid misunderstanding.
Brian Fair: @philthatremains learn to think before you speak i cant baby sit everyone
Phil Labonte: @brianshadfall the last thing in the world that I need is YOU to babysit me. I'm on the "outside" of the drama. Your the one who's accused.
Brian Fair: save the drama for your mama.
Phil Labonte: And I'll RT I hope we are ALL wrong and this is one HUGE misunderstanding.
Jorie Salyers: Kinda bummed. Phils pissed ab last night. I guess I should be too, as I was the target, but I'm just trying not to lose everything atm
Jorie Salyers: @brianshadfall No drama! So we'll let everything lie. I did tell phil all you said, so you're aware. No need for ME to lie to him.
An ex-Marine, Labonte was a member of SHADOWS FALL between 1995 and 1997 and appeared on the band's debut album, "Somber Eyes to the Sky". He was reportedly asked to leave SHADOWS FALL due to "musical differences" and was replaced by Fair, who made his recording debut with the band on 2000's "Of One Blood".
Like Labonte, Salyers spent time in the United States Marine Corps. She was deployed to Iraq earlier this year.
Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI will embark on a North American headlining tour in January. Support on the trek will come from SWASHBUCKLE, TÝR and WHITE WIZZARD.
The dates are as follows:
Jan. 08 - Palladium - Worcester, Massachusetts
Jan. 09 - Club Soda - Montreal, Quebec
Jan. 10 - Opera House - Toronto, Ontario
Jan. 11 - Blondie's - Detroit, Michigan
Jan. 12 - Jaguar Club - Chicago, Illinois
Jan. 13 - Peabody's - Cleveland, Ohio
Jan. 14 - Gramercy Theater - New York, New York
Jan. 15 - The Sterling Hotel - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Jan. 16 - Jaxx - Springfield, Virginia
Jan. 17 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, North Carolina
Jan. 18 - Masquerade - Atlanta, Georgia
Jan. 19 - Czar - Tampa, Florida
Jan. 21 - Emo's - Austin, Texas
Jan. 22 - Ridglea Theatre - Ft. Worth, Texas
Jan. 23 - The Flytrap Music Hall - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jan. 24 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jan. 25 - Club Red - Tempe, Arizona
Jan. 26 - Key Club - Hollywood , California
Jan. 27 - Ramona Main Stage - Ramona, California
Jan. 28 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, California
Jan. 29 - Satyricon - Portland, Oregon
Jan. 30 - Studio Seven - Seattle, Washington
Jan. 31 - Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, British Columbia
"Karkelo" (English translation: "Pleasure" or "Party"), the sixth album from KORPIKLAANI, was released on June 26 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland.
KORPIKLAANI's previous CD, "Korven Kuningas", came out on March 21, 2008. The CD entered the album chart in the band's home country at position No. 16.
Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will join forces with San Francisco thrash legends EXODUS for the "Tyrants of Evil" North American tour in January/February. Also appearing on the bill are ARSIS and MUTINY WITHIN.
Confirmed dates are as follows:
Jan. 20 - Towson, MD @ Recher Theatre
Jan. 21 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Jan. 22 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre
Jan. 23 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
Jan. 25 - Montreal, QC @ Le Medley
Jan. 26 - Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Imperial
Jan. 27 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Jan. 29 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Jan. 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Rock
Jan. 31 - Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick Centre
Feb. 02 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom
Feb. 03 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center
Feb. 06 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
Feb. 08 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center @ The Grand
Feb. 09 - West Hollywood , CA @ House of Blues
"The Root Of All Evil", the new album from metallers ARCH ENEMY, recently entered the Media Control chart in Germany at position No. 84. Released on October 6 in North America via Century Media Records, this special collection features re-recorded versions of songs from the band's first three LPs — "Black Earth" (1996), "Stigmata" (1998) and "Burning Bridges" (1999). Acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS) mixed and mastered the CD, which was recorded at a few different locations in Sweden and produced by ARCH ENEMY with Daniel Erlandsson and Rickard Bengtsson handling the engineering.
Nuclear Blast Records has set a January 15 release date for "Shovel Headed Tour Machine (Live At Wacken And Other Assorted Atrocities)" from EXODUS. The package will contain the band's July 2008 performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, plus a documentary following the band through the last five years of touring as well as bonus footage, with photo galleries and all of the group's promotional videos. The set will consist of two DVDs plus an audio CD of the Wacken performance.
The German edition of Metal Hammer magazine conducted an interview with EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt at this year's installment of the Graspop Metal Meeting, which was held on June 26-28, 2009 on the festival grounds of the Boeretang in Dessel, Belgium.
When asked about EXODUS' plans for a new studio album, Holt said, "Hopefully we're hitting the studio around November 1 with Mr. Sneap [British producer Andy Sneap; MEGADETH , NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY]. It's gonna be sick. We have four [songs] recorded [and left over] from the last session [for 2007's 'The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A'], and I've got, like, nine [other tracks] I'm working on, and Lee [Altus, guitar] has a bunch of stuff. But this next album is gonna blow people's minds."
Regarding the upcoming CD's musical direction, Holt said, "There's a couple of twists on this. I try not to repeat every album. I mean, we did 'Tempo Of The Damned' [2004], [which was] a little more old-school, and we did 'Shovel Headed Kill Machine' [2005], which was really brutal and fast, and then 'The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A' [2007], [which] was, like, longer and more epic songs. So this album's gonna have some different stuff to it. Maybe a little more dual-guitar stuff, 'cause I've been playing with Lee for quite awhile now — a little more dual-guitar harmony shred stuff. "
Having completed successful gigs in Japan, U.S., Bulgaria and Mexico, ALCATRAZZ featuring Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MSG, IMPELLITTERI) will embark on a tour of Europe in November/December. The trek will consist of dates in Germany, Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Since ALCATRAZZ never toured in Europe in the '80s, this is going to be the band's first short tour to see European fans and to play a set of ALCATRAZZ classics!
Although Graham has played many solo gigs in Europe in the past, the ALCATRAZZ gigs will feature a different setlist, so don't miss a chance to catch the band near you.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 25 - Kult 8034 - Germering, Germany
Nov. 26 - Zeche Carl - Essen, Germany
Nov. 27 - The Rock Temple - Kerkrade, Netherlands
Dec. 02 - Orpheum - Graz, Austria
Dec. 03 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
Dec. 04 - Exit Chmelnice - Prague, Czech Republic
ALCATRAZZ featuring Graham Bonnet recently parted ways with drummer Glen Sobel and replaced him with Dave Dzialak (JEFF SCOTT SOTO).
ALCATRAZZ's current lineup is:
Graham Bonnet - Lead Vocals
Howie Simon - Guitar /Vocals
Dave Dzialak - Drums
Tim Luce - Bass/ Vocals
Graham Bonnet interviewed in Brazil - July 2009:
Swedish metal act STEELWING (formerly SCAVENGER) was awarded a record deal with Boomer Entertainment and Nuclear Blast Records as part of a band contest launched by the Austrian management and booking company Rock The Nation.
This unique competition was presented and promoted by all leading European metal magazines, including the German, Italian, Spanish and Greek editions of Metal Hammer; Terrorizer (U.K.); Metallian (France); Scream (Norway); Rock Tribune (Belgium); Spark (Czech Republic); and the Dutch webzine LordsOfMetal.nl.
Commented STEELWING: "There's a HUGE interest in our upcoming album , and getting such a great response from heavy metal fans all over the world makes us even more eager to make it a rock-solid debut!
"What's going right now is that we've been working our asses off, finishing all the tracks for the album. The songs are all written, and we're preparing to enter the studio in a couple of weeks. We'll be recording the album at Deep Blue Studios with our friend and longtime producer Nicko DiMarino."
For more information, visit the band's MySpace page
POWERMAN 5000 frontman Spider recently told AOL Music's Noisecreep that he has mixed feelings about the name of his forthcoming album, "Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere". "[The album's title], depending on your mood, is the dumbest album title ever or the grandest, most profound thing I've ever said in my life," he said in a video interview which can be viewed below.
"Really the inspiration for the title was the inspiration for most of the album — getting back to all of the things that made me who I am today — nonsense, science fiction , comic books, horror movies. It sounded like a great science fiction novel. Like great science fiction, it's fun, it's cool, but it has the hidden social commentary, which is kind of what the whole album is like. On the surface it's very fun, loud, electro metal. There's some moments of thoughts in there as well."
Released on October 6 via Mighty Loud!/Fontana, "Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere" finds the band returning to the hard groove of their earlier work which included hits like "When Worlds Collide" and "Nobody's Real". "We made this record with a clear vision and a purpose," explains Spider. "We wanted to reclaim a sound we created and represent certain influences as only a band like POWERMAN 5000 can. While writing, we would watch 'Godzilla' or 'Ultraman' films to ensure the sonics were on point. We knew that this record needed to sound like the footsteps of a giant robot!"
He adds, "On the surface, this album is a big fun electro metal romp...though there are bigger concepts hidden within. A quote from HG Wells sums it up best; he said, 'Man is the unnatural animal, the rebel child of nature.' That is an ongoing theme in the songs, our inability to find a place in our own world. I couldn't be happier with the results. I finally feel like we have made a record that not only is exactly wanted we wanted it to be, but also a record that the fans are going to love!"
POWERMAN 5000 recently completed filming a video for the band's new single, "Super Villain". The clip was directed by Robert Hall ("Laid to Rest", "Fear Clinic"), and accompanied by award-winning cinematographer and director of photography Brandon Trost ("Halloween II ", "Crank 2"). The video also features actor Johnathon Schaech ("Quarantine", "Living Hell", "That Thing You Do") as the "Super Villain".
"Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere" track listing:
01. Intelligent Creatures
02. Show Me What You've Got
03. Super Villain
04. V Is For Vampire
05. Do Your Thing
06. Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere
07. Time Bomb
08. Get Your Bones
09. Make Us Insane
10. Technology Eats Its Young
11. Horror Show
POWERMAN 5000's current lineup:
Spider One (Michael Cummings) - lead vocals
Velkro (Dave Pino) - lead guitar
Evan 9 (Evan Rodaniche) - rhythm guitar
X51 (Gustavo Aued) - bass
GFlash (Gordon Heckaman) – drums
British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH have been confirmed for next year's Hammerfest II festival, set to take place March 11-13, 2010 at Pontins, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales, United Kingdom.
The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:
ATTICA RAGE
DEVILDRIVER
ICED EARTH
NAPALM DEATH
PANIC CELL
SKINDRED
Also new next year will be the charity stage "Metal Aid", which has now been totally confirmed as voted by the Hammerfest forum:
GODSIZED
HELLFIGHTER
HURON
ISOLYSIS
MARSHALL LAW
THE MORE I SEE
ZICO CHAIN
The original Hammerfest brought together some of the biggest names in metal for a truly memorable weekend at Pontins, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales. Headliners OPETH, SEPULTURA and SAXON were joined by the likes of HAMMERFALL, PARADISE LOST, SKINDRED, CATHEDRAL, ARCHITECTS and many more…
In addition to the usual Friday and Saturday night lineup, Hammerfest II will also feature an extra night's entertainment on Thursday, March 11. This comes included in VIP packages or can be purchased separately with Gold or Silver packages.
Hammerfest II is put together by Hard Rock Hell (the people behind the hugely successful Hard Rock Hell in 2007, Hard Rock Hell II in 2008 and forthcoming Hard Rock Hell III in December 2009) and the legendary Metal Hammer magazine.
Hammerfest II will be an event not to be missed. The festival will include a bumper lineup of established metal and rock acts — with celebrated veterans rubbing shoulders with the metal scenesters of today — alongside the future of metal's upcoming talent, as championed by Metal Hammer.
Hammerfest II is open to anyone aged 16 and over.
For further information and ticket sales, visit www.hammerfest.co.uk.
U.K.-based extreme metal veterans BOLT THROWER have issued the following update:
"BOLT THROWER are currently planning a short European tour in spring 2010. So far we are looking at playing shows in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and the U.K. As soon as the gigs are confirmed they will appear on the [band's official] website, so keep checking for more info."
Video footage of BOLT THROWER performing at the Rock Area festival in Loreley, Germany on August 22, 2009 can be viewed below (courtesy of "666maelstrom666").
BOLT THROWER indefinitely postponed plans to record a new studio album after the band realized that the new stuff it had written "just doesn't match up" to the group's last CD, "Those Once Loyal". "We have a lot of pride in our back catalogue, and we refuse to turn into one of the many bands (like the ones we grew up listening to) who end up releasing crap, and we're also not prepared to compromise by instead releasing an album of cover versions or a 'best-of' album," BOLT THROWER explained in a statement.
BOLT THROWER in 2006 completed a European tour in support of "Those Once Loyal", which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 76 — the group's highest-charting release in Germany so far. The follow-up to 2001's "Honour, Valour, Pride" was recorded at Andy Faulkner's Sable Rose studios and was the band's first album since the return of original vocalist Karl Willetts as a full-time member.
Montreal extreme metallers DESPISED ICON have issued the following update:
"After relentlessly touring the U.S. and Europe from September 25 to November 21, playing 52 shows in support of our new record in the fall, we'll finally make our way back home and get ready for a few album launch shows in Canada. We'll be teaming up with CRYPTOPSY, THE ACACIA STRAIN, TRAPPED UNDER ICE and BLIND WITNESS during the first weekend of December.
"[We] can't think of a better way to finish off the year!"
The dates are as follows:
Dec. 03 - Ottawa, ON @ Babylon
Dec. 04 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Dec. 05 - Montreal, QC @ Medley
Dec. 06 - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial
"Day Of Mourning", the new album from DESPISED ICON, sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 162 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 6 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.
"Day Of Mourning" was released on September 22 via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Yannick St-Amand, while the mixing duties were handled by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE AGONY SCENE, SCARLET, DUFRESNE, BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE, SPITFIRE, TWELVE TRIBES). The whole thing was mastered by Alan Douches (MASTODON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NILE).
DESPISED ICON earlier in the year released a DVD entitled "Montreal Assault Live". The disc features a "stellar" multi-camera shoot from the band's sold-out hometown show, alongside a new hour-long documentary and all of the band's promotional video clips.
Don Decker, legendary lead singer and songwriter of ANAL BLAST and longtime Midwest promoter, died today (Sunday, October 11) at 2:17 a.m. According to his friends, the passing was "peaceful." He was 41 years old.
The cause of death has not been made public, but Decker reportedly received a liver transplant last year.
Decker will be remembered for his uncompromising adoration of heavy metal, his promotion business in Minnesota, which almost single-handedly jumpstarted the Minnesota metal scene, and his violently obscene lyrics for the group ANAL BLAST — which he said was "the most stupid band in the world."
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