SPIN.com: Have you always been interested in designing clothing?
Halford: Everything that you've seen me wear over the years comes from sitting down with the people who make my clothes and putting the designs together. I've always been interested in clothing. I'm not a fashionista, but I enjoy wearing cool clothes so it seemed like a natural thing to do. It's also a good extension for my Metal God production company. We want to be a broad-based platform for all production ideas — whether it be music or DVDs or clothing.
SPIN.com: Was it difficult to avoid the cliché of heavy metal style? Stuff like pentagrams and gothic lettering?
Halford: We want to provide something that everyone can relate to. Tremendous amounts of forethought went into the launch phase, so the imagery carries a rock and roll spirit — it's edgy, it's exciting to look at, it's vibrant — but the appeal is broad-based. We want to be very mainstream.
SPIN.com: So there are no plans to put out Rob Halford-brand leather chaps?
Halford: Who knows?! In my gay world, it's all fashion. [Halford came out in 1998.] It's all, "What are you wearing? Where are you going out tonight?" Blah blah blah. I don't mean that to be stereotypical! Anything's possible though.
SPIN.com: Tell me about the holiday album. You've wanted to do this for a while?
Halford: Putting this side of me onto an album is something I've wanted to do forever. When the idea first came out, it wasn't like, "Let's do 'Do Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'." No, I'm not going to do that. We been very selective in picking some beautiful, timeless classics and giving them some great heavy arrangements.
According to Yahoo! Japan and other Japanese media outlets, Anglo-Australian hard rock legends AC/DC will play two shows in Japan in March 2010:
March 12 - Saitama Super Arena (near Tokyo)
March 16 - Kyocera Dome Osaka
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.
Andre Paine of Billboard.biz reports that AC/DC 's Brian Johnson, OZZY OSBOURNE collaborator Bob Daisley, DEF LEPPARD and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange were among those honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) at its London awards ceremony.
The ASCAP Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London tonight (October 14), recognized the most performed works in 2008 by writer and publisher members of U.K. collecting society PRS for Music, who are licensed by ASCAP for the U.S.
In total, 21 song awards were presented throughout the evening. Winners included:
* Bob Daisley for "Crazy Train"
* AC/DC's Brian Johnson for "Back In Black " and "You Shook Me All Night Long"
* DEF LEPPARD and Robert John "Mutt" Lange for "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
Canadian concert promoters Gillett Entertainment Group (Groupe Spectacles Gillett) have launched a countdown on their web site to a "major announcement" that will be made on Monday, October 19 at 7:00 a.m. EST. The accompanying image, which can be seen below, features a close-up of GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose's mouth, which suggests that some Canadian dates may be in the works for the GN'R band.
GUNS N' ROSES is scheduled to play several shows in Taiwan, Korea nad Japan in December:
Dec. 11 - Taipei, Taiwan - Taipei County Stadium
Dec. 13 - Seoul, Korea - Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium
Dec. 16 - Osaka, Japan - Osaka Dome
Dec. 19 - Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome
"Chinese Democracy", the sixth and most recent album from GUNS N' ROSES, was released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14.
The Pulse of Radio reports: METALLICA is in the midst of a North American tour, which stops in Cleveland, Ohio tonight (Thursday, October 15) and winds down December 12 in San Jose, California. Along the way, the band will make a stop in New York City to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall Fame 25th anniversary concerts at the end of this month.
METALLICA has been playing various songs from its catalogue while in concert this fall. Three years ago, METALLICA thrilled European audiences on a summer tour by playing their entire classic 1986 album "Master Of Puppets" from front to back. From the sound of it, METALLICA would be open to doing something like that again. The Pulse of Radio asked frontman James Hetfield if the band would ever like to play another album in its entirety in concert. "It's pretty important that the fan be involved in that, you know," he said. "It was more of a fan's asking for that than us wanting to do it. You know, that was a pretty important album in our career, so pretty historic for a lot of people and that made sense. But as far as, you know — I'd love to play any and every one of them, but you know, it does really come down to the fans really holding that dear to their heart or not."
METALLICA expects to tour through the end of 2010 before taking a break. The band may start thinking about recording a new album in the second half of 2011. The most recent METALLICA set, "Death Magnetic", came out last year.
Shaffee and El Jefe of the WKLS Project 9-6-1 96.1 FM radio station conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett prior to the band's October 4, 2009 concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Watch the chat in two parts below.
When asked about the rumors that METALLICA was assembling a tour that would feature the "Big Four" of the 1980s underground thrash metal scene — itself, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — Kirk replied, "That tour is not gonna happen. I've been hearing that, we've all been hearing that for awhile. I get asked [about] it regularly. And as far as a tour going on, it's not gonna happen. Conflicting schedules, conflicting personalities, [a lot of] conflicting things. It's a good idea, though. And personally, I can see the significance of playing a tour like that, but... it's not gonna happen."
The September 2009 issue of U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine (see cover image below) includes an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine conducted by Jenn Selby. An excerpt from the chat follows.
Terrorizer: Is [MEGADETH's new album] "Endgame" better than [METALLICA's latest CD] "Death Magnetic"?
Mustaine: "Yes."
Terrorizer: Why?
Mustaine: "To me, one sounds like a record and the other sounds like a jam. Plus we have two lead guitar players. In METALLICA you've got one [referring to Kirk Hammett. — Ed], and he ripped me off anyway.
"I was just speaking to Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] about the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame thing [Mustaine was invited to attend METALLICA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April, but didn't get inducted along with his former bandmates. — Ed.], and I said, 'You know what?! I don't give a fuck about you anymore.'
"I used to have this thing that I was secretly pining over one day, getting up there and playing with them again. And I'm thinking, what song would I play? And how could I even stand it?
"I like playing with guys who can keep time.
"I've heard people say that some of the best METALLICA songs they ever heard was when the guy from SLIPKNOT was playing the drums." (SLIPKNOT's Joey Jordison famously sat in for Ulrich when the METALLICA drummer fell ill and could not make it to U.K.'s Download festival in the summer of 2004.)
Mustaine was a member of METALLICA for around 11 months before being dismissed in 1983 and replaced by Hammett. He did not play on any METALLICA albums and did not attend their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year.
Mustaine went on to form MEGADETH. The band's 12th studio album, "Endgame", was released in September.
Norway's Lydverket blog conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine on August 7, 2009 at the Langham Hotel in London, England.
Before the interview took place, Lydverket reporter Kristin Winsents received clear instructions from MEGADETH's press officer that Dave's past in METALLICA was a strictly forbidden topic of conversation. However, according to Winsents, it was Mustaine himself that broke the "ban," because he evidently still has a lot to say about the group he was fired from 26 years ago.
Watch Winsents' report below. A couple of excerpts follow.
On getting kicked out of METALLICA for allegedly drinking too much:
Mustaine: "I was so hurt by the way that happened. I said, What?! No second chance, no warning? C'mon, we all drink. C'mon.' And [they were like], 'No, that's it. You're gone.' And I was like, 'Alright.'"
On the altercation with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield that led to Mustaine being fired from the band:
Mustaine: "He kicked my dog.
"I was selling pot. When I would go play in concert, people knew that my pot was sitting in my apartment just saying, 'Go ahead and keep me company.' So I was broken in on. People stole everything that I had; all my stash. And I figured, screw this. I'm gonna get some dogs to stay in the apartment when I leave. So I got two dogs and I took one of them up to a rehearsal one time and she put her paws up on Ron's [McGovney, METALLICA's then-bassist] car. And James kicked it right in the side. And I was like, 'What did you do?' [And I was like] 'It's a dog, it's what they do. You don't kick animals.' So we went into the house, and we started arguing some more. And I ended up punching him in the face and I think that was the root of why I lost my job.
"I hated that. I didn't wanna hit him. I cared a lot about James; I really liked him. I still like him. I don't like Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer], but I like [James]."
On being invited to attend METALLICA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April, but not to get inducted along with his former bandmates:
Mustaine: "I think someone would have to be a complete fool to think I was gonna go there and sit in the audience and watch them be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. It was nice that Lars that invited me, but any of the public that thinks I was gonna go... But what are you — stupid?! I'm proud of them, I wish them well, but what do I have to do?! That's masochism."
On his state of mind in 2009:
Mustaine: "When I became a Christian, everyone thought that I was gonna become a pussy. Now, evidently, it backfired.
"Lately, I started really getting into trying to better myself — really, really digging into my past and working with counselors and therapists to really try and free myself of the stuff that holds me back as an artist so that I can be a better artist and an entertainer."
"Honestly, this is one on my finest hours, because spiritually I am at peace so much. I have no problems with anybody. What good is it gonna do for me to sit there and piss and moan about how much excess there was in my life?! There was, there ain't anymore."
****Note: A portion of this interview, in which Mustaine discusses his upcoming autobiography, was released on September 15. This latest clip (see below) was posted on the Lydverket web site on Wednesday, October 14.
Tom Valcanis of The Metal Forge conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King during the band's recently completed Australian tour with MEGADETH . A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On touring Australia with MEGADETH:
"It's been great. I mean, I've been so fuckin' busy. I mean, we've been so busy we haven't even been hanging out after the shows. After we're done, everyone [from MEGADETH has] gone. I've never toured with them before; I'm not sure about their m.o., but yeah. They're like ghosts to us."
On rumors that SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya said in a recent interview that the band's new record, "World Painted Blood", would likely be their third last album before SLAYER hung up their boots and rested their necks permanently:
"I don't even know where that came from. Tom must have said something because I keep fielding questions about it. I don't even know what that means. We don't sit down and talk about shit like that; I hear stuff from the press, but who knows. It could be three; it could just be this one and the next one. It all depends on how long it takes between records. If it takes too long then yeah, the clock's ticking.
"I think it stemmed from [previous record] 'Christ Illusion', because it took us five years to make. I mean, I even said if it takes another five years to make a record, it'll probably be the last one; I mean it'll be ten years with only two records done. But this one was done in three and the next one will be done in hopefully two or three. I'm having fun, and the live show's awesome and we're making up great tunes, kids are coming and having a great fuckin' time."
On the fact that "World Painted Blood" features four different "panels" of a world map on each individual CD, each sold separately (due to pressures from American retailers for "exclusive" content):
"I know fans are crazy and they'll go out and buy them all, but I'd be like, Oh, I got one, it's got all the songs on it, it's all I need.' But a lot of the retailers in America wanted exclusives on songs. Instead of wasting songs in my eyes, Dave [Lombardo, drummer] came up with this idea of why don't we take [the artwork] and split it into four. I mean, what have we got in America; [alternative/underground store] Hot Topic wants their own version, [electronics retailer] Best Buy wants their own version; you know, I'm not going to waste songs like that. I mean, if people are buying songs they should be able to buy the collection. I mean there are two left over though and I'm sure they'll end up on a deluxe edition or a video game or a movie soundtrack somewhere along the line. It was a way of not wasting songs and keeping the retailers happy."
On the claim that they were "responsible for the creation of death metal":
"Well, the thing that I am more proud of than that, well, in my history anyway was bringing the metal and the punk crowd together. I think we were instrumental in that. I remember if you were at a metal show, there were no punk kids there. We were a kind of band that both 'factions' liked. It was trying to get them to co-exist, you know. D.R.I. was a big part of that too, and I think that's important. I mean it might be important to death metal fans and that's great, but I'm not a huge fan of death metal. It's just not my thing."
Malcolm Dome of Classic Rock magazine recently conducted an interview with former ANTHRAX frontman Dan Nelson. The question-and-answer session follows below.
Classic Rock : Let's start with the claim from ANTHRAX that they had to cancel some shows earlier this year, because you told them you were seriously ill.
Dan Nelson: Not true. I never said anything like that. The band decided to pull those dates, and then tried to blame me. I was ready to play the summer shows in Europe and do the SLIPKNOT tour in America after that.
Classic Rock: ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian says that you quit the band, and they accepted your resignation. Is that what happened?
Dan Nelson: I did not quit ANTHRAX. They fired me, and I only found out about it on the internet.
Classic Rock: Why did they do that? Was there an obvious problem between you and the rest of the band?
Dan Nelson: Not that I was aware of. I thought things were going really well. A lot of people commented that this was the best ANTHRAX lineup they'd ever seen. Scott himself said I was the best singer he'd worked with — bar none. So, I don't know what was in their minds. I haven't spoken to any of them since July anyway.
Classic Rock: How do you feel now about the band?
Dan Nelson: Look, I'm not at all bitter, and I hold no grudges. It's their band and they have a right to do whatever they want. I genuinely wish them nothing but success. They're family men who made a career decision, and I hope ANTHRAX gone on to great things. I feel what they now have to do is get back with John Bush — it's the best option for them.
Classic Rock: What happens to "Worship Music", the album you recorded with them? Will it ever come out?
Dan Nelson: I don't know. I hope so, because I really think it's a strong record. But nothing can happen with it without my permission. I co-wrote all the songs on it, mostly with Charlie [Benante, drums].
Classic Rock: You've now moved on, and have a new project with TESTAMENT drummer Paul Bostaph. How did that come about?
Dan Nelson: Paul saw me playing with ANTHRAX in Amsterdam earlier in the year, and when he heard I was free, he contacted me. We met up, and things have gone from there.
Classic Rock: What's the style of the band?
Dan Nelson: It's thrashy and heavy, so will appeal to ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT fans. But has the groove and brutality of PANTERA, and is also very melodic. The guitarist is a kid from the Bay Area named Jeremy Epp, who's an unknown, but sensational. People are gonna love him. We're currently auditioning bassists, and once we have the right person in place, we'll get ourselves a name, demo some songs and take it from there.
The all-star band, HAIL! is at it again. Fresh off their tour of Scandinavia, they have announced the that heralded drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN) will join them for their upcoming dates in November and December.
Bostaph will perform alongside bassist David Ellefson, singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST , YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) and guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) in what could be the most iconic metal lineup ever.
Asked how Bostaph came to play with HAIL!, Ellefson replied, "After Jimmy DeGrasso became unavailable due to his touring commitments with ALICE COOPER , Roy Mayorga came aboard and just slammed for us. His playing throughout the Scandinavian dates was unbelievable, but now he's heading back into the studio with STONE SOUR, so he's unavailable for the next round of shows. We immediately thought of Paul. With Alex Skolnick out playing with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA a small window opened in the TESTAMENT schedule where Paul became available and we jumped at the opportunity."
Kisser chimed in, "Come on, he's Paul Bostaph! Think about it, he's played with three of the greatest thrash bands of all-time, SLAYER, TESTAMENT and EXODUS. What symbolizes more of the spirit of HAIL! than that?! It's an honor to play with him."
Ripper added, "Our goal is to make every HAIL! show a special once-in-a-lifetime event. We strive to make every show different and no two shows have been the same. Look at our set lists on this last run; we must have played 15-20 new songs and half of them we never even rehearsed! I even played a guitar solo one night! We had guest jams with friends from DIMMU BORGIR, MERCYFUL FATE, GORGOROTH, MESHUGGAH, DRAIN STH, KING DIAMOND and we want every fan to know that what they experience at a HAIL! concert will never happen again. We will continue to keep it fresh and exciting and playing with Paul will certainly do that."
Bostaph shared his excitement: "To play with Tim, Andreas and Dave? Talk about an honor, these guys are metal gods! I thought it was super-cool when I first heard about HAIL! and what they were doing. Now to be a part of it is amazing. I'm really looking forward to it and can't wait."
HAIL! plans to announce more tour dates shortly. Stay tuned.
Video footage of HAIL!'s September 7, 2009 concert at the Rock in Copenhagen, Denmark can be viewed below (courtesy of "Metalex1982").
The group's setlist for the Scandinavian tour consisted of the following classics:
01. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD)
02. Territory (SEPULTURA )
03. Symphony Of Destruction (MEGADETH)
04. Grinder (JUDAS PRIEST)
05. Stand Up And Shout (DIO)
06. Walk (PANTERA)
07. Balls To The Wall (ACCEPT)
08. Neon Knights (BLACK SABBATH)
09. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN)
10. Run To The Hills (IRON MAIDEN)
11. Black Metal (VENOM) (with Andreas on vocals)
12. Green Manalishi (JUDAS PRIEST)
13. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST) / Symptom Of The Universe (BLACK SABBATH)
14. South Of Heaven (SLAYER)
15. Peace Sells (MEGADETH)
16. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH)
Encore:
17. Refuse/Resist (SEPULTURA)
18. Whiplash (METALLICA)
BraveWords.com has received the following press release:
Nick "The Evil Twin" Catanese of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and SPEED X has his signature PRS (Paul Reed Smith) guitar scheduled for release at NAMM 2010. The announcement was made by Paul, this past weekend at the three-day PRS bash known as Experience PRS in Baltimore, MD.
Which brings us to Nick's past weekend, and what a weekend it was, with artists the likes of Carlos Santana , Buddy Guy, Dweezil Zappa, Johnny Hiland, Howard Leese (HEART) and many others playing the stage, the Evil Twin found himself right at home.
Pulling 'Hey Baby' and 'Strangle Hold' out of the vault, Nick took lead on stage with the Paul Reed Smith Band, fronted on vocals by not only Paul himself, but Derek St.Holmes (early TED NUGENT), 'Strangle Hold' brought the crowd to a standing "O". Along with some story time with Paul on stage, Nick was definitely in his zone, and it has become very apparent to all, Nick has found a new home in PRS.
Duff Goldman from the Food Network's hit television show, Ace Of Cakes and band Soihadto was on hand also. Take a look at the picture above, see the half stack and PRS guitar, it's a cake!
The wrap of this incredible three days is, Paul and the entire staff at PRS, treat and welcome everyone as part of the PRS family, and throw one hell of an experience.
What are you doing Halloween night? May we suggest Black Label Society? Yeap, confirmed Black Label Society will be playing the Times Square Hard Rock Café in New York on October 31st, 2009.
Not sure if due to a holiday weekend, an Eagles home game and the Phillies playoff later the same evening taking precedent, or the Internet spawned fad has come and gone now that everyone and their little brother can attempt DRAGONFORCE music on Guitar Hero, but the audience this run through (Theater Of Living Arts, aka TLA, October 10th) was down considerably from their last jaunt. Appeared to be lots of Dads with their offspring in attendance.
DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB (featuring former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch) will share the stage for the first time ever on November 29, 2009 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. It is not presently clear if additional dates will be scheduled featuring the two acts.
In a recent interview with Kevin "Taz" Conklin of "The Big Dumb Radio Show" (web site), which airs on Kalamazoo, Michigan's 92.5 WZUU FM radio station, Lynch was asked about a possible LYNCH MOB tour in support of the band's comeback studio album, entitled "Smoke And Mirrors". "I'm talking a little preemptively here, but one of the things on the table is a potential DOKKEN-LYNCH MOB tour — kind of like that WWF spectacle where you come out with all that history and get people talking, and that's always good," George said. "And we'll play some DOKKEN songs as well in our set. And they're welcome to play some LYNCH MOB songs, but that's not gonna happen... I'm kidding."
Regarding whether he would make an appearance on stage with his former DOKKEN bandmates if LYNCH MOB were to tour with DOKKEN, Lynch said, "Absolutely. That's be part of the deal. I'd come out at the end and we'd have a little reunion, and it'd be awesome. Me and Don [Dokken] could come out, make out for a while, and then we'd dive into a couple of old DOKKEN songs for old times' sake."
My fervent love of Finland's SONATA ARCTICA has waned with each successive album, yet this performance, as an opening act (limited to eight songs, but actually cut 'Everything Fades To Grey') was a bouncy, enjoyable mix of old and new: something the band had seemingly forgotten. Sure, no old school gems like 'Replica', 'Kingdom For My Heart' or 'San Sebastian', but they did remember '8th Commandment' and a rollicking 'Fullmoon' from the decade ago Ecliptica debut, as well as 'Last Tear Drop Falls'. Opening with 'In Black And White' and clad in an appropriate color choice for Eagles' fans, frontman Tony Kakko truly looked to be enjoying himself, dropping to his knees at the front of the stage to interact with the crowd during 'Flag In The Ground'. Repeatedly criss-crossing the small stage, he got the assemblage to wave their arms back-and-forth overhead during the aforementioned 'Tear Drop'. The onstage levity
including Kakko's attempt at yodeling, which led into a few bars of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' before actually starting 'Fullmoon'. During the lively 'Don't Say A Word' Kakko thrust the mic stand overhead. 'Vodka' saw a couple of local females bring shots to the band, who held an impromptu ceremony on the drum riser. These same ladies would reappear frequently in the Dragonforce set, not even waiting between songs, but rather plying the band with drink as they played!
Given the family nature of the audience, and the Brits' music being in so many homes, if only as the epitome of video game accomplishments, the simulated masturbation, cunnilingus, flipping the bird, guitarist Herman Li's fretboard fellatio and Sam Totman's joking, yet derogatory "Chinese eyes" visuals directed at Li, were sort of surprising. OK, the band is having fun, even self deprecating, as many of the hand gestures were targeted at the admittedly talented guitar tandem of Li and Totman, a competition mocking each other, simply acting out what has undoubtedly been written in reviews across the globe. Still, can't help but wonder (in light of diminished attendance) if there's any cause and effect relationship on a pre-teen audience so reliant on Mom or Dad to go to a show.
A bottle of beer, with long colorful straw, was mounted on each mic stand, "sustenance" never far away. The band is constantly in motion, if Li and Totman aren't spinning, kicking and mugging all over the place, frontman ZP Theart has perfected a water bottle squirting routine, even attempting to force a stream into the upper deck! Opener 'Fury Of The Storm' could be headline to any Dragonforce review, kicking the show off with a manic flair, followed by a pair from last year's Ultra Beatdown; 'Heroes Of Our Time' and 'Reasons To Live'. Throughout the night, an omnipresent fifth of Jack Daniels was passed around onstage and the shot girls worked feverishly. Later, Totman turned the tables on the concubines who'd been serving them throughout the night, demanding to be (re-) paid in flesh (if you know what I mean). When they refused to remove articles of their clothing, the women were summarily dismissed.
'Disciples Of Babylon' and 'Starfire', both from the Valley Of The Damned debut, brought crowd sing along and more blazing speed. Those who say Dragonforce couldn't transcend the theatrics, what about the big stadium anthem 'Starfire', complete with waving lighters? For the keyboard solo, featuring the Korg strap-on, mobile device, Vadim Pruzhanov (he of the day-glo fluorescent pants) was joined by Sonata Arctica's Henrik Klingenberg, in what must be one of the rare incidences (at least since the early '80s New Wave explosion popularized the odd instrument) of two Korgs onstage simultaneously. The manufacturer must be so proud. Pre-recorded vocal bits were triggered from the keys, as well as plenty of notes.
'Operation Ground And Pound' gave way to 'Fields Of Despair', the stage bathed in blue, Herman Li hanging out on the keyboard riser. As if on cue, for 'The Last Journey Home' Sonata Arctica appeared, en masse, to force-feed all Dragonforce some mysterious alcohol. Rather than the usual 'last night of the tour' hijinks, it was a friendly, and aptly timed, parting of the ways (other than the post-gig party at neighbouring Makos bar). The final song of the evening was the debut's majestic title track, as red and green lights streaked the stage.
Scott Alisoglu of MetalManiacs.com recently conducted an interview with SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
MetalManiacs.com: With the new album even though you never went away you still see folks saying things like "SHADOWS FALL is back." That may have more to do with the excellence of the new album than anything else. Have you gotten that vibe?
Fair: Yeah, from other people. We never feel like we ever went away [laughs]. I mean the last record ["Threads of Life"] sold like 120,000 copies, which for a metal band is pretty awesome. We went on tour for like a year and a half. We do feel like this record was a come-out-swinging record sonically. The first tune we wrote was I think "Public Execution" and it kind of set the tone of the whole record of just being a little bit more up-tempo than the last one, a little bit more thrash metal. We also felt like we pushed the melodic envelope pretty far with the last record, so we were trying to do something a little different.
MetalManiacs.com: Do you think some folks felt you went too far in the melodic direction with the last album?
Fair: It's possible because they may have only heard a couple of the video tunes. Like "Redemption" has a very melodic chorus even though it has a technical little breakdown. And "Another Hero Lost" is a straight-up power ballad, so if those are the two songs that people have heard then maybe, but with songs like "Failure of the Devout" and "Dread Uprising" they were as fast and heavy as anything we've ever done. So there may have been a perception based on a few of the singles or whatever. If you can call them singles [laughs].
MetalManiacs.com: Some of the perception too, ridiculously so, is fueled by your signing to Atlantic.
Fair: Exactly! That's always going to happen as well. Any time a band makes a change like that the expectations are going to be, "Oh, they're being forced by the label to do this and that." But with "Threads of Life", people at the label didn't hear it until it was mastered, so their input was completely nonexistent [laughs].
MetalManiacs.com: Let's go back to the Atlantic singing then and get up to date. You mentioned that "Threads of Life" sold 120,000 copies, but I think "The War Within" sold like 250,000 copies on Century Media.
Fair: Yeah, "The War Within", I think, was around 300,000, which was great, but it was also a time when people bought records. The industry, in general, has had such a huge percentage cut just across the board. You see like the number one album in the country now will be like 60 or 70,000, whereas back then it was 100 or 200,000. It's just a different time. Honestly, for a metal band, record sales are at a secondary kind of stage where things are at now. It's really about who is coming to see us play live. But with Atlantic, we had a great experience, but a lot of the people who we signed with were gone. Our A&R guy was no longer there, the president of the label was no longer there, so we kind of felt a little lost there because the people that were there that we felt confident with to put our name down on the contract were no longer there. So a way to change things up was instead of taking the option, we renegotiated for a buyout where we got a chunk
of money up front and then we worked a distro deal with their parent company, which is Warner Bros., through their Independent Label Group. And that's honestly the way a lot of bands are trying to head anyway because you get control of the record now. You can figure out how to spend every dime, the royalty rate is in favor of the band; as opposed to the 10 or 12 percent you used to get, it's now like 75 to 80 percent. It's just a huge difference business model-wise. You flip the pyramid basically. With a traditional record deal the band gets paid last; it's a trickle-down effect and everyone takes their cut along the way. And trying to recoup is difficult because they'll spend money on things that you feel are unnecessary. So now that we're able to make those decisions and after 10 years of the band understanding what we need that works and what we don't need that's a waste we're able to keep a very tight grip on that. That's a great feeling. There are
no excuses anymore like, "Oh, the label should have done this or done that." Well, now it's our fault. The responsibility is bigger too, a little but more daily work, but totally worth it.
MetalManiacs.com: To clarify, explain a bit more how all the pieces fit together, like the Independent Label Group, Everblack Industries, and Ferret.
Fair: Basically, the Independent Label Group is the retail force for us. They're the ones that are putting the records physically in the stores and doing all that, which is something we love having, the leverage of a major label doing that. We wouldn't be able to call up Best Buy and get ourselves in there and all that; that's what they do very well. But as far as the promotion of the band we just feel like the way a major label would do things were really unnecessary for a band like us. And also just waiting three weeks to get an answer sometimes because it had to get across six people down the line… We're used to a little bit more immediacy to get things done. So that's really where it changed. But they still have that leverage to get us in the stores the way we need. Then out of their percentage they hired Ferret Records to do the everyday kind of press and things like that. So we've got a forward thinking DIY kind of label doing all the everyday
stuff, but a major label kicking down doors to get the album in the stores. So it's really a perfect situation.
MetalManiacs.com: And then Everblack…
Fair: That's like our imprint through them. Hopefully, in the future we do want to expand it beyond just the SHADOWS FALL realm. We would love to find other bands and try to work things out, but for right now it's just about getting our record out. In the future we'll see what happens.
MetalManiacs.com: You mentioned the Billboard chart too and "Retribution" landed at, like, number 35. Is that the highest chart position you've gotten?
Fair: "The War Within" might have been a little bit higher, but not by much. That's scary because it's a lot higher than the last one, even though the numbers of actual sales are relatively similar, even a little less. That again just shows you how much the industry has changed from year to year. You can chart higher by selling less [laughs].
MetalManiacs.com: We've seen a lot of that lately, whether it's THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER or CANNIBAL CORPSE or whomever. More metal bands are charting and, granted, it's because it doesn't take as many records to chart, but you wonder if it's also because metal fans still like to buy the CD.
Fair: Exactly. Pop fans don't need the cover art or the liner notes because there is not much to it. It is usually a picture of the person on the front and sometimes the lyrics aren't even in there. For a metal band you take the artwork a lot more seriously, you want fans to read the lyrics… Especially for me, you'd want to run out and read all this stuff and get the cool artwork and keep the CD. I think metal fans are still doing that more than other genres. Our release was such a huge week for metal bands. You had MEGADETH, ourselves, EVERY TIME I DIE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, and all of that on the same day. It was great to see everyone taking over the charts kind of. I think that's a sign that metal fans are one of the last bastions of actual record sales.
MetalManiacs.com: How do you feel overall that "Retribution" stacks up against your other releases?
Fair: Honestly, I know every band says they love their new record the most, but for us that's really how it should work. I feel like this is the best we've played in the studio, the best we've sounded in the studio, and the songwriting is a perfect balance of all our influences. At 10 years as a band, you start to read each other's minds, everyone understands their role, and what they do well and what they bring to the table. And also how not to step on each other's toes; when to let certain things to take the forefront. You also get a confidence where you're not worried about letting all the influences out. You're going to have all the melodic death metal and thrash metal influences, but we're not afraid to show the rock and roll side, we're not afraid to bring in those arena rock melodies and stuff like that too. I think as soon as you have that confidence you stop second guessing yourself and you really let the inspiration come out much more the
natural way. So to me this is my favorite record that we've done and hopefully the next one will destroy it [laughs].
According to a posting on MASTODON's official Twitter profile, the band's October 17, 2009 concert at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois will be recorded for future release. More information will be made available soon.
MASTODON recently confirmed that they are working with composer John Powell and director Jimmy Hayward on the score to "Jonah Hex ", the comic-book Western/horror film starring Josh Brolin in the lead role, with support from John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Fassbender and Michael Shannon. The movie is based on the DC comic series about a horribly scarred antihero who is "a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood."
MASTODON guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds makes a cameo appearance in the film, which is being directed by former Pixar animator Jimmy Hayward for a June 18, 2010 release.
Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Examiner conducted an interview with vocalist Ivan Moody and drummer Jeremy Spencer of Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH prior to the band's October 11, 2009 performance at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. Watch the chat below.
When asked for their opinion of Internet forums, and in particular BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Spencer responded, "I think it's entertaining. People that tend to talk a lot of stuff on that [site], I guess, hating or whatever, but it just makes me laugh, man."
After Elliot mentioned that he first found out about FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH through reading BLABBERMOUTH.NET and how he has seen the site give the band "a lot of love" over the years, Ivan replied, "Really? I must be reading the wrong [articles] then. I always get [comments from] the 13-year-old kid who lives in his grandma's basement playing Dungeons & Dragons hating on my music. I'm like, 'Go masturbate, get a role model, do something.'"
Levin's review of the Starland Ballroom show can be found at this location.
"War Is The Answer" — the sophomore album from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH — sold 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD follows up FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2007 debut, "The Way Of The Fist", which has sold 356,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"War Is The Answer" was released in the U.S. on September 22 via Prospect Park Records. The CD was produced by the band and Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, IN THIS MOMENT), and was mixed by Randy Staub (METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, NICKELBACK).
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH kicked off "The Shock And Roar Tour" on September 22 in San Francisco. Joining them on the bill are SHADOWS FALL, OTEP and 2 CENTS.
Canadian hard rockers HELIX will release their new album, "Vagabond Bones", on November 17 via Perris Records in the U.S. and through
Universal/Fontana in Canada. Singer Brian Vollmer has been collaborating with Sean Kelly (CRASH KELLY) on material for the CD, which was mixed by engineer Aaron Murray.
Two songs from the album — "Vagabond Bones" and "Hung Over But Still Hanging In" — are available for streaming in the YouTube clips below. Vollmer says, "The soundtrack for 'Hung Over' [in the YouTube clip below] is not the finished master track. The mastered version is the one that has Russ 'Killer Dwarf' Russell singing a duet with me on the track."
"Vagabond Bones" tentative track listing (not final sequence):
01. The Animal Inside (Won't Be Denied)
02. Go Hard or Go Home
03. Vagabond Bones
04. Monday Morning Meltdown
05. When The Bitter's Got The Better Of You
06. Hung Over But Still Hanging In
07. Best Mistake I Never Made
08. Make 'Em Dance
09. Jack It Up
Vollmer's track-by-track description of "Vagabond Bones" can be found on the band's official web site.
The classic '80s lineup of HELIX — Brent "The Doctor" Doerner on lead guitar, Greg "Fritz" Hinz on drums, Daryl Gray on bass, and Brian Vollmer on vocals — recently reunited and is planning to hit the road throughout western Canada in November. Vollmer says, "We have dates coming up in the Canadian Maritimes (Moncton, Frederiction, Barrington, Chester) that fall the day after the official [CD] release date. We'll probably test drive a few of the new tunes while we're out there, as well as getting to know each other on the road again. After all, before our last two dates, the four of us haven't played together since the early '90s. This, coupled with more dates back in Ontario in December, will warm us up for next summer's festivals."
HELIX has been active in the past several years with several releases. The band's most recent collection of original material, "The Power of Rock and Roll", came out in 2007. Their latest CD, "A Heavy Mental Christmas", was made available in all Canadian Wal-Mart stores last November and received airplay worldwide. The CD also received great reviews from the critics.
MARKY RAMONE'S BLITZKRIEG, the band led by former RAMONES drummer Marky Ramone, has scheduled the following dates:
Saturday, October 24 @ 7:00 p.m.
El Mexicano Rock Fest: El Tri, La Cuca, Marky Ramone
Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, CA
Price: $40
Saturday, October 31 @ 8:00 p.m.
Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, Mount Pleasant, MI
Price: $15
Marky Ramone is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the legendary RAMONES. Marky appeared in the cult classic film "Rock n Roll High School" in 1979, performed over 1700 shows and recorded over 15 albums (studio, live) with the RAMONES. In 2002, Marky and his bandmates became the first punk rock ensemble to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Six years and going strong, Marky's radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio was rated the #2 show on the Faction channel in 2009. Also appearing on various TV shows (including Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and IFC's "Z Rock"). Marky shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to tour the world with his new band, MARKY RAMONE'S BLITZKRIEG, also featuring Michale Graves (ex-MISFITS) on vocals, Alex Kane on guitar and Clare B on bass. The band plays all the classics that lead to Marky's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame!
MARKY RAMONE'S BLITZKRIEG is currently in the studio working on its first release, which will be available early 2010.
For more information, go to www.myspace.com/markyramone.
The new band calling itself FEAR FACTORY — featuring original FF members Dino Cazares (guitar) and Burton C. Bell (vocals) alongside bassist Byron Stroud (who played on the last two FEAR FACTORY albums in addition to touring and recording with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and ZIMMERS HOLE) and legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, TESTAMENT) — has set "Mechanized" as the title of its new CD, tentatively due in February 2010. "[The name] fits the vibe of the album very, very well," Bell told Sergio Alvite of Mexico's Search & Destroy in a brand new interview, which can be streamed using the audio player below.
The CD, which co-produced by the band with Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, PARADISE LOST), was recently mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, SKINNY PUPPY).
Regarding "Mechanized"'s musical direction, Bell said, "It has the raw aggression of what 'Soul Of A New Machine' [1992] was but it has... I would say it has the maturity of 'Obsolete' [1998]. When I say 'maturity,' I mean that it has the songwriting skills that 'Soul Of A New Machine' did not have whereas 'Obsolete' did."
FEAR FACTORY has secured a brand new deal with an as-yet-undisclosed record company following a split with Liquid 8 Records, the label that issued the group's last two albums — 2004's "Archetype" and 2005's "Transgression".
In a June 14, 2009 appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program "Speed Freaks", FEAR FACTORY drummer Raymond Herrera — who is not part of the above-mentioned lineup — stated about the group's current status, "[Guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers and I are] actually still in FEAR FACTORY. There's a big legal battle going on right now. Essentially, what's happened is Dino and Burt have become friends again and they decided to start a new band, and furthermore, they decided to call it FEAR FACTORY. They never communicated with us about it, and they're acting like there was never any contract, but there's four members that are Fear Factory Incorporated — which is the four of us — so it's almost like them two against us two, so it's kind of a stalemate. Moving forward, I don't know what's gonna happen with the trademark, so to speak. It's kind of a weird situation, but it's not a situation that we created that was weird."
Regarding why Christian and Raymond aren't involved with the new FEAR FACTORY lineup, Bell told Rock My Monkey "The fact that I have not worked with Raymond and Christian for the past three years as FEAR FACTORY is for this one reason — it's that I did not want to be involved with their manager. Her name is Christy Priske and she happens to be Christian's wife. During the 'Transgression' mixing session, her and Raymond started a love affair that lasted for a couple years. As [she was the] manager of FEAR FACTORY, this was completely unacceptable to me."
Dino's tenure with FEAR FACTORY ended in March 2002 after Bell announced his departure from the group, allegedly telling his bandmates at the time, "Look, guys, I'm not into it anymore, I don't wanna play in the band anymore, I don't wanna play with you guys, and I especially don't wanna play with you, Dino."
FEAR FACTORY eventually reformed without Dino and released two more studio albums, the aforementioned "Archetype" and "Transgression".
ARKAEA — the new band featuring Wolbers and Herrera alongside vocalist Jon Howard (THREAT SIGNAL) and bassist Pat Kavanaugh (THREAT SIGNAL) — released its debut album, "Years In The Darkness", on July 14 via E1 Music (formerly Koch Records).
"Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere", the new album from cyber rockers POWERMAN 5000, sold 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan . Issued on October 6 via Mighty Loud!/Fontana, the collection 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 frontman 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
GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle has commented on the September 29, 2009 incident when he was hit in the face with a liquid-filled cup during his stint as the fill-in guitarist for LAMB OF GOD while supporting METALLICA in Dallas, Texas.
In a statement released to MetalSucks, Doc says, "I'm sure many of you have seen the video of me getting pegged on stage while I was on METALLICA tour filling in for Mark [Morton] from LAMB OF GOD. Although 95% of the comments were really supportive, I just wanted to clarify a few things about the incident.
"First off, it was a beer, not a water. A big ol' tall boy plastic cup of beer, and whoever threw it must have been a quarterback, because it was full and hit me square in the eye at full steam. It felt like I got sucker-punched. I had a mark by my cheek bone and it was swollen all night. I'm surprised I didn't have a black eye.
"The way it hit me is probably the reason why I reacted the way I did. I'm no tough guy, but I wasn't really thinking; I just reacted.
"I really don't know what I would've done if anyone would've have owned up to throwing it, but I have no clue if I would've hit the person. I can say that I'm not violent at all, and don't think violence is a productive way to solve problems.
"I'm glad nothing came of it, but obviously the person was pretty cowardly to throw it and not own up to it.
"Anyway, shit happens. I just think it's kind of funny how it spread on the Internet. Beer in the face and all, it was still more than an honor to play with LAMB OF GOD and open for METALLICA."
Video footage of the above-mentioned incident can be viewed below. In the top clip, Doc can be seen setting his guitar down and going down to the barricade to confront the person who threw the cup. LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe then jumps down to stop Doc from going into the crowd.
When asked about GOD FORBID's plans for the future, Coyle recently told D-Lux Denim Brand, "We're currently trying to lock down our headlining U.S. tour, which I think is gonna [happen in] November [and maybe going into] December a little bit. So we should have that in the works in the next few weeks. And we'll probably go back to Europe next year for another tour. And we'll probably be looking for a new record label and trying to figure out what the future's really gonna hold. We don't wanna tour too much on a record that's not really supported by the record label. So, I think, [we'll] do one or two more tours, then kind of start thinking about the future."
GOD FORBID's new album, "Earthsblood", sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan , to land at position No. 110 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD debuted at No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
GOD FORBID's previous album, "IV: Constitution of Treason", entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 119 in September 2005 after shifting 8,300 units.
Swedish melodic metallers NOCTURNAL RITES have issued the following update:
"We are sorry to inform our South American fans that the [previously] announced tour will not happen. We are very sorry about this, but it was out of our hands and not our decision to make. We will try our best to organize something for next year. We have lined up a few other shows, though. More news on those at a later date."
NOCTURNAL RITES is currently writing material for the follow-up to 2007's "The 8th Sin". The band states, "We are slowly but steadily advancing and the new stuff is shaping up really nicely. We have some really dark and aggressive stuff written as well as some more melodic, so this new album will definitely cater to all aspects of the NOCTURNAL RITES legacy!
"We are really excited to record, but we've always said that we'll not rush things, so we'll take our time and make sure we are 100% on the money before we nail the songs in the studio."
NOCTURNAL RITES previously described the new songs as "a little back to the darker 'Afterlife' [2000] days mixed with some trademark NOCTURNAL RITES catchy melodies — those that can never go wrong!"
Guitarist Nils Norberg announced his departure from NOCTURNAL RITES in June 2008. "I have decided to lay down the guitar as my interest for music kind of cooled down the last years," he said in a statement. A replacement axeman has not yet been announced.
HE GATES OF SLUMBER, SOTHIS, CESSATION OF LIFE, TAUNTED, and METAVENGE have been confirmed for the third installment of the Gates of Metal open-air festival, set to take place May 21-22, 2010 at the Recreation Plantation Camprounds in Dripping Springs, Texas (30 miles outside of Austin).
The festival will feature over 40 metal acts encompassing every metal genre, (classic, true, power, thrash, black,doom, and death metal) on two outdoor stages in a European-style, camping, open-air setting.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
HELSTAR
RUTHLESS
RESISTANCE
THE GATES OF SLUMBER
SOTHIS
CESSATION OF LIFE
TAUNTED
METAVENGE
For event information, performance schedule, sponsorship or vendor booth sign-up, contact Paul at themetalmachine2003@yahoo.com.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/gatesofmetalfestival.
German death metallers FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING will release their long-awaited fourth album, "The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection", on October 16 via Cyclone Empire Records . The CD's cover artwork, which was once again created by Sascha Ehrich, can be viewed below.
"The Everhaunting Past / Chapter IV - A Splendid Retrospection" track listing:
01. Ahead! (Prologue) (01:36)
02. Vast (05:49)
03. Run Ashored In The Yesteryears (04:50)
04. Destination: Outcast (04:49)
05. Deadlight (04:29)
06. A Raintime Illustration (02:48)
07. A Voice Says: "Destroy!" (04:02)
08. The Exiled Choir (05:13)
09. Below All That Is Mortal (05:06)
10. It's Me, The Grotesque (05:11)
11. Diabolical Monologue (04:38)
12. One Last Border Yet To Cross (Epilogue) (04:04)
FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING recently announced the addition of bassist Christopher Körtgen (SMILODON, CHAOS HD) to the group's ranks.
The band's last album, "Sterling Black Icon", was released in March 2006 via Metal Blade.
BLOOD DUSTER, TRAP THEM, CIRCLE OF DEAD CHILDREN, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION, JUCIFER, MALIGNANCY, DEFEATIST, SURROUNDINGS, ROTTENNESS and THE COMMUNION have been confirmed for next year's Maryland Deathfest, set to take place May 28-30 at Sonar in Baltimore.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
16
ASPHYX
AUTOPSY
BIRDS OF PREY
BLOOD DUSTER
CAPITALIST CASUALTIES
CAPTAIN CLEANOFF
CIRCLE OF DEAD CHILDREN
COFFINS
CONVERGE
DECEASED
DEFEATIST
ENTOMBED
EYEHATEGOD
FANG
FUCK THE FACTS
GORGUTS
GOROD
GRIDE
GRIDLINK
HAEMORRHAGE
HOWL
IMPALED
INCANTATION
INGROWING
JESUS CRÖST
JUCIFER
MAGRUDERGRIND
MALEVOLENT CREATION
MALIGNANCY
MASSGRAVE
MELECHESH
NAGLFAR
NAZXUL
NECROPHOBIC
OBITUARY
OBLITERATION
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PORTAL
POSSESSED
PUTRESCENCE
ROMPEPROP
ROTTENNESS
SADISTIC INTENT
SINISTER
SODOM
STORMCROW
SULACO
SURROUNDINGS
THE CHASM
THE COMMUNION
TOMBS
TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION
TRAP THEM
VERBAL ABUSE
WATAIN
WOLFBRIGADE
The concept of Maryland Deathfest is simple: to bring to the United States the best and most extreme bands the underground has to offer. Never conforming to trends, or being limited by genre restrictions, Maryland Deathfest is a showcase of what extreme music, both new and old, is capable of. With an emphasis on diversity, the festival brings together the very best death metal, grindcore, black metal, thrash, experimental and hardcore bands from all around the world. With bands from all over the U.S. and Canada, and exclusive fly ins and rare appearances from some of the most in demand bands from Europe, Australia, and Japan, the diversity of the lineup is only surpassed by the diversity of Maryland Deathfest's rabid fan base, who annually travel from all over the world for a weekend of fun and music.
Since Maryland Deathfest's inception in 2003, festival organizers Ryan and Evan have continued to strive to bring together some of the most legendary bands in the scene and some of the most talked about up-and-coming bands in the underground for an unparalleled experience. Combining the DIY attitude of two young metal fans who are actually part of the scene instead of trying to exploit it, with a refreshing professional touch, Maryland Deathfest is year after year given high marks for being one of the best-run and most organized festivals around.
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For MetalHeads Who Want To Have there say!
Long Live The Power Of METAL!!!
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