The management for HEAVEN & HELL vocalist Ronnie James Dio released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET on August 27 in an attempt to "quash any rumors that [the group] have broken up." The statement read in part, "Tony Iommi has to have surgery on his hand and [needs] some down time for recovery. Therefore DIO [the band] will be performing some dates in the U.K. and Europe in November/December during this time off. HEAVEN & HELL are already making plans for dates next year."
In a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Iommi stated about his upcoming surgery, "I've got to have an operation on my hand, and that's sort of a major thing I need to get done and I've been putting it off now. So we're going to have some time off while I get that done. That'll be a bit of a break, I think. Not for everybody, but it'll be some time off from touring for me for sure."
When asked what happened to his hand, Iommi replied, "The cartilage is gone from the thumb in my fingering hand. It's been like that now, to be honest, for a year and I've been taking anti-inflammatories and all sorts of stuff to try and calm it down, but it's inevitable I've got to have the operation because the bone is rubbing on the bone. Funny enough, I talked to Eddie Van Halen this morning, because he's had the same sort of problem, so I'm seeing him to have a chat about what happened to him. He thinks it's very successful, so we'll see."
Original QUIET RIOT bass player Kelli Garni and Kelle Rhoads, brother of late OZZY OSBOURNE /QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads, are among the musicians who will perform at the Rhoadsfest, set to take place December 6, 2009 at the Whisky A Go Go. Billed as "the best Randy Rhoads tribute show ever," Rhoadsfest will be attended by other members of Randy's family and will feature a performance by Kelle with RHOADS TO OZZ (said to be "the one true authorized Rhoads tribute band"). Six acts will play at the event, which will include special Randy Rhoads features and Rhoads original artifacts on display.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/rhoadstoozz.
Garni recently launched a new social networking site , dubbed the RR Network, for fans of Randy Rhoads.
In 1982, Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.
Gibson Guitar , Epiphone and Monster Cable have partnered to celebrate the launch of two new signature model guitars and pro headphones with a special event in New York on Halloween, October 31, 2009. Zakk Wylde, legendary guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE and founder of the heavy metal band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, is set to perform at a free concert event at the Hard Rock Café New York in Times Square beginning at 8 p.m. The event will feature a major nationwide promotional radio campaign, special online contesting and viral marketing and a first-hand look at the special line of the signature Zakk Wylde Gibson BFG USA guitar and Epiphone Graveyard Disciple. The event is also co-sponsored by Dunlop Pedals.
Gibson's month long promotional "Rocktober" campaign will culminate with two major Zakk Wylde appearances and events in New York City. In addition to the concert performance, Zakk will host a special "meet-and-greet" at New York's renowned 48th street Sam Ash music store from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. the night before, October 30, 2009. Zakk Wylde's Hellfire Halloween Bash concert with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY follows the next day at New York's Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The concert will include V.I.P. guests who won their exclusive "all-access" tickets and the opportunity to meet Zakk through a major nationwide radio contest that will be promoted heavily throughout the month of October. In addition, fans of Zakk Wylde will be offered the opportunity to register for tickets to the event. Interested fans will be given the opportunity to show the world their best "Zakk Wylde" audition through a major YouTube contest launched on Gibson.com in mid-October. Monster
will also be doing major online promotions for their new headphones and giving musicians and fans alike the chance to win a pair of Turbine Pro in-ear speakers and a new Zakk Wylde Gibson BFG guitar from Gibson USA personally signed by the guitar maestro. Look for Zakk's special video message at MonsterCable.com or Gibson.com.
For information on how to register for free tickets, fans can go to MonsterCable.com or Gibson.com beginning on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis and will be limited to two per person per household. Gibson Guitar chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and Monster Cable's head monster Noel Lee will be on hand to award special surprises to some of the guests and partake in media interviews. Winners of the radio promotions will receive a new Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar, a set of Monster's new Turbine Pro in-ear speakers, a set of Dunlop pedals, tickets to the Zakk Wylde's Hellfire Halloween Bash, a special meet-and-greet with Wylde and entry into the Hard Rock Times Square.
The new Zakk Wylde Epiphone Graveyard Disciple is dying to be played. Designed by Zakk in cooperation with Epiphone, the new Graveyard Disciple combines killer sound with equally killer looks. Shaped like a coffin, the edges of the body are tapered and pin-striped in silver giving it a striking visual appearance and depth while providing for a comfortable feel.
As with most all Zakk's guitars, the neck is made of Hard Maple for bright attack and glued into a solid Mahogany body adding a touch of warm and of course, sustain. The neck features a "D" profile, SlimTaper neck with a smooth, satin finish for fast and effortless lead work. It is topped off with a bound, Ebony fingerboard and medium-jumbo frets with easy access to all 22 frets.
The Graveyard Disciple combines an original Floyd Rose tremolo with EMG HZ pickups. The tremolo cavity allows for serious dive bombing as well as pull-ups. The EMG HZ-4A is positioned in the bridge position for optimized lead performance while the EMG HZ-4 is voiced for and positioned in the neck position. Designed to emulate the sound of their active counterparts (the EMG 81 and 85), these HZ's are probably the quietest passive pickups available.
Other features on the new Graveyard Disciple include a multi-bound headstock with mother-of-pearl "cross" inlay, black hardware with premium 16:1 ratio Grover machine heads, Mother-of-Pearl topped metal knobs, Epiphone's non-rotating output jack and Zakk's signature silhouette on the back of the headstock. For added comfort and convenience while playing in the seated position, the guitar features the brilliantly designed and patented Steinberger LegRest. Fold it down and rest it on your leg. Fold it up and it practically disappears. It comes with a custom-made Coffin case featuring the Graveyard Disciple artwork on it. And for this limited edition model, you also get a Certificate of Authenticity.
The new Zakk Wylde Gibson USA BFG Guitar embodies the mammoth tone and over-the-top rock attitude of its name sake and offers all the equipment necessary to undertake your own scorched-earth attack on your local music scene. It features a rough-hewn book matched maple top, a rounded '50s spec neck with ebony fingerboard, sizzling EMG 81 and 85 humbucking pickups all approved by Zakk Wylde himself. The guitar comes in two Zakk-certified finishes to choose from, a Bullseye graphic or Buzzsaw graphic over a satin natural nitro finish all produced by the world's most famous guitar manufacturer, Gibson USA.
While it might seem like a difficult task to reinvent that fashion staple of heavy metal music fans, the t-shirt, if anyone has the right credentials for the task it's Rob Halford, lead singer of legendary metal band Judas Priest.
Halford just launched Metal God, his signature brand of t-shirts that have all the soft-worn appeal of a vintage concert t-shirt but with all-new original graphics that he's betting will appeal to die-hard metal fans and aspiring rockers alike.
"The imagery is simply an extension of what I do with my music," explained Halford at a preview of the collection on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at a New York hotel in the East Village, not far from dive bars where heavy metal music aficionados like DJ Lady Starlight spin Judas Priest classics. "Metal God" refers to the nickname given to Halford by fans.
"Quite simply, Rob Halford invented heavy metal style," said DJ Lady Starlight, who writes a fashion and music blog chronicling the history of hard rock and airs a heavy metal podcast, "Metal for Muthas," on American Apparel internet radio. "The biker and leather boy look Halford adopted for promoting 'Hell Bent For Leather' in 1978 became the look every metal band emulated going forward."
At Wednesday's preview, Halford was sporting one of his own designs. "If you see something like this thing I'm wearing, with this fantasy mythical creature with a guitar, it says something strong and powerful," he said. "That's just been a natural progression over the years in rock and roll, to try and find a way of saying something about yourself with the item of clothing you're wearing."
"A metalhead is rarely seen without a t-shirt or at least one patch or badge of their favorite bands," said DJ Lady Starlight. Other signatures of heavy metal style, she explained, include studs, spandex, lace and most definitively, elements of fantasy literature and art like chainmail, armor and other Medieval and Renaissance influences.
As such, many of the Metal God t-shirt designs feature mythical creatures, like the Cerberus, a ferocious three-headed dog that guards the gates to the underworld in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Fantasy in heavy metal, said Balford, is "a cool association."
"You can see I'm covered in tattoos of dragons and all this other mythical imagery, and that's again a part of my background as a lyricist," he said. "I've got a very vivid imagination and a lot of characters I create are made up in a fantasy kind of way. They always carry realistic virtues and attributes. So if I'm writing a song like 'Painkiller,' it may be, like, about, this really evil, menacing guy, which is the persona of the creature that you create, but he's doing good. I always have a lot of fun with that."
So far, the collection only features t-shirts, for both men and women, retailing between $55 and $65 – but eventually Halford hopes to branch out, albeit dependent on the economy.
"I think that you have to have a little bit of a leash on what you do, otherwise it's chaos," he said. "But we always see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think we can suddenly stop, Don't make records, don't make clothes, don't make movies. I think we have a responsibility to try and keep that creative optimism going, no matter what we do."
Halford's confident that his particular take on things – he is the Metal God, after all – will distinguish his brand of rock-related apparel.
"I think that my connection is a little bit more personal than some of the other great things that are going on around me," said Halford. "This is a direct connection to me. It's called a 'Metal God' t-shirt. I think we've all got a bit of Metal God inside of us."
He's also hoping to extend the heavy metal spirit beyond just music fans.
"I was talking to someone earlier and they were saying, it's like everybody wants to be a metalhead, but people are like, 'Can I really be one? I don't really know what this is about, but I see it, and I look at what they where and the shows they go to, and I see it on VH1 Classic Metal Mania, and I'm like, wow, it looks so cool,'" said Halford. "But if you're into that rock and roll, edgy, exciting type of passionate world, then I think that these t-shirts and this initial launch have a way of connecting to you as a person."
Greg Prato, the Long Island, New York-based journalist whose writing has appeared in All Music Guide, Classic Rock and Goldmine magazines, conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer on September 30, 2009 in New York City. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
Q: How did the new holiday CD, "Halford III - Winter Songs", come about?
Halford: I just love that part of the season. I'm a Brit, you know — I spend a lot of my time in America, but I think it's the same no matter where you in the world, the season. I think that on a faith-based level, it's very important to me. Having said that, no matter what your faith might be, that time of the year is important to a lot of people on the planet. It was just a personal thing that I've wanted to do forever, and it's blossomed into bringing into an opportunity of a full release. I've been like little things on the side for family and friends for a long, long time. And they were always like, "What about a full CD?" I'm like [makes a face], because you think, "Oh, 'Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer'," and I'm like, "I don't think so, I'm a metal god!" So we looked at hundreds and hundreds of possibilities and we wanted to try as best we could to go into some of the traditional songs that are not that "at the forefront" of the season, and then
give them beautiful arrangements and strong production value. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised. It's very strong in its attitude. The first single came out today, "Get into the Spirit" [hear audio below], which is a real ball-crusher. Having said that, there are things that are completely in the opposite dimension, which is just typical of what I do as a musician, anyway, and mix it up. I want to take it to different emotions — from the full-intense speed stuff to the very lucid moments, the ballad-esque things. It's what I do and what's expected of me. But it's like anything in music — how do you describe it? You have to listen to it yourself. It is a very unusual recording — very different in terms of the overall production. Roy Z, my producer, did a fantastic job.
Q: Planning on playing live shows in support of "Winter Songs"?
Halford: If time permits, yes. I'd like to. It's just finding the opportunity to do that. My solo career is still important to me because, again, it enables me to say and do things that I normally couldn't do elsewhere. PRIEST has always been my main band and always will be, but like other artists that step away to do solo endeavors, it's because you're able to accomplish something musically and emotionally at that place that you couldn't somewhere else. So that's another reason — this is the first HALFORD release in about seven years, and I just wanted to reinforce that the band is still there.
Q: Future projects?
Halford: There's something that I was involved with Jack Black for the Brütal Legend videogame that is coming out October the 16th, that was a lot of fun to do. I liked that experience — doing the voiceover work. I'm an absolute fanatic of "The Family Guy" — I think it's the funniest thing on TV. I've seen what Seth [MacFarlane, "The Family Guy" creator] and the rest of the team do off camera, and it's just basically the same thing as what I did in Brütal Legend. But that's not a "bitchslap" to Seth, because he's a genius. But I've been in that world and would love to experiment more in that world — because I love that element of make believe. Making a character with your voice and then putting it visual, like the two characters I do in Brütal Legend — the Baron and General Lionwhyte. When you see that, it's crazy. I love that type of reaction.
Q: So you're interested in doing further animation work...
Halford: I'd love that opportunity. I'm just throwing the idea out — I don't know if anything will come of it. But I certainly enjoyed working with Tim Schafer, the guy that made Brütal Legend. He encouraged me and it taught me a lot of things. A very clever man in terms of how to get the performance out of the artist. I had a lot of fun doing that.
Q: Are you in talks with the people from "The Family Guy"?
Halford: No, I'm just whoring myself on the internet! And Seth might go, "Really, he's a fan?!" I just love that show, because firstly, I'm a liberal — you've got to be in rock n' roll. And it pulls the reins on certain factions gives them a shock — "What does that feel like?" But I love to see how the talent uses the voice, and the voice gets interpreted into all these different characters. Maybe that's something on the horizon — I don't know.
Rick Massimo of The Providence Journal recently conducted an in-depth interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry.
Regarding AEROSMITH's future, Perry said the band is committed to do four shows in late October and early November in Abu Dhabi and Hawaii. "It remains to be seen whether Steven [Tyler, vocals] will be well enough to do those dates; I think he will be … I know he wants to be."
After that, he said, "I think we're going to have to take at least six months off, maybe even longer, to get everybody kind of settled down, let a lot of this [expletive] die down, a lot of the bad press wash away, as it does, and then start up again. And make a really great studio record. We know the fans want it; I know it's what I want, and it's what the other guys want. And then do a tour.
"That's what I hope happens. But in the meantime, I want to be touring with my band."
He seemed to go back and forth between confidence and wariness: "I'd like to see us play for another 10 years. But we're all getting older, and everybody has different lives. But I know that everyone loves playing together. This tour, we were probably playing better together than we've ever played.
"But either way, I'm up for anything, and that's why I can't sit still, and I have a solo album ready to go. And I don't know what the other guys are gonna do while we're waiting, but I wasn't going to waste any time."
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will guest on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball" this Saturday night (technically early Sunday morning), October 3 between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. EST/PST. The episode will include both interview and jam segments conducted by "Talking Metal"'s John Ostronomy, as well as numerous music videos spanning Frehley's legendary career.
Frehley will perform the U.S. national anthem on October 4 when the Kansas City Chiefs play the New York Giants at Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Ace's appearance will take place prior to the game.
Frehley's new solo album, "Anomaly", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also landed at No. 20 in Sweden and No. 52 in Germany.
In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.
Released on September 15 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.
Frehley last year spent time on the road fronting a band that featured second guitarist Derrek Hawkins, drummer Scot Coogan (ex-BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION) and bassist Anthony Esposito (ex-LYNCH MOB).
Be honest: what did you think of Chinese Democracy?
This is probably the 1000th time I've been asked that. I think the players are great. It's got a great drummer. Everybody is great on it. Axl sings great -- yeah, good record.
Axl Rose -- rock's answer to Howard Hughes or misunderstood genius?
I think when you don't talk to the media, then the media starts running a little crazy with things. There was a Rolling Stone story about him that painted him as a Howard Hughes sort of figure and everybody used that as the template to write about Axl. None of it is true. You know, he's just a guy caught up in events.
As were the rest of you in Guns n' Roses. But he's the only one who spent 15 years slaving over an album in his basement.
He was the singer of that band. And that band got bigger than anybody could have imagined. And being the singer you are the focal point, rightly or wrongly. You are. There is nothing that can prepare you for that.
It must have been pretty crazy when G n' R blew up in 87?
Man, the fame part... I remember walking into a grocery store and everybody started freaking out. Into a grocery store! The store I used to go to all the time. You know, nothing prepares you for that. And people deal with it differently. You build up these little defence mechanisms. You can't be a normal guy.
Especially if you're the singer...
Especially being a singer with red hair! You are recognisable everywhere. So yeah, if you call it 'reclusive' -- that's one person's angle on what it was. Or if you want to say, he saved himself, that's another story.
Between the groupies, the drugs and the boozing, it's a miracle you actually had any time to actually make music.
Things were still wide open. Yeah, we were fucking and sharing needles. It was really, really debauched. Not just in our camp but kind of everywhere. It was probably the last great run at sheer hedonism.
Does it get a bit old after a while?
Aids is what really put a damper on it. People were going on around not using rubbers, not using clean needles. It was just kind of a free for all. I don't think it was something anyone grew out of. It would probably be that way still if it wasn't for Aids.
Slash's heart actually stopped beating once and he had to be resuscitated by paramedics. Did you have any miracle escapes?
Oh countless of 'em. Sure. It's a miracle Slash is alive. It's a miracle I'm alive. Or even Axl -- although he was probably the least [hedonistic] of us. He always sort of stayed away from going too deep into it.
The 'hair rockers' of the 80s got a pretty hard time from grunge bands like Nirvana. Coming from Seattle, did that get under your skin?
In one aspect, we weren't included in that. We were such a big band that, sticks and stones can break your bones... you know? But the other aspect was, 'God, I could have stayed in Seattle and been in Soundgarden or Alice in Chains'. I wouldn't even have had to move. I probably wouldn't have had to become a drug addict. Of course, you always want what you don't have. I was in the biggest band in the world at the time. That's not half bad.
Moving to the more recent past, Velvet Revolver parted ways with vocalist Scott Weiland last year. What was that all about?
Nothing against Scott...I'm not saying it was all his fault. But the year before we let him go, it was pretty brutal. I didn't realise how exhausted I was 'til we got home from tour.
And now you're going on the road with your own band, Duff McKagan's Loaded. Is playing clubs a comedown after performing in huge arenas?
When the crowd's right on top of you? I really, really like that. People are hanging off the rafters. It's almost a perfect size
Looking back at pictures of yourself from the G n' R days do you gaze fondly at the perms and the ridiculous clothes, or do you wince slightly?
Hey man, we were the one band of the many bands from that era who wore our hearts on our sleeve. We set trends as opposed to following them. We didn't give a fuck. So when I see pictures, I smile. It was a great time.
Duff McKagan's Loaded play The Academy Dublin, Thursday 8 October. The album Sick is out now.
Words and live image by Simon Milburn
"I'm doing really good," begins a very relaxed and cheerful sounding Megadeth vocalist, Dave Mustaine. Megadeth's latest album, Endgame, is their twelfth studio effort and their first with some new blood in the band, this time lead guitarist Chris Broderick. Whilst Mustaine has surrounded himself with talented musicians throughout his lengthy career, there's no doubting that the chemistry of Mustaine, Broderick, bassist James Lomenzo and drummer Shawn Drover, is truly electric, with many reviews highlighting the impact that Broderick's recruitment has had on the group.
On a busy press day, I caught up with Dave at the band's new studio, Vic's Garage located near San Diego, California (U.S.A.) to talk about being brutally honest, the state of the world, touring with Slayer, that persistent "big four" tour rumour that is doing the rounds, and the band's crushing new release, Endgame.
Megadeth
Mustaine replies with a chipper "Thanks bud!" when I congratulate him on Megadeth's twelfth studio release. It's an album that has been on the receiving end of glowing reviews around the globe, and at this point in his career, surely that is a little surprising. It's true to form sarcastic and jovial Mustaine when asked what he makes of all of this.
"That everybody has amnesia!" laughs Mustaine. "They forgot they hate me. This is like a momentary lapse in kindness and it's gonna go back to the world treating me like I'm a bad husband again any minute."
Jokes aside though and this is a time where Mustaine should be feeling quite proud of himself in his career.
"I am. I'm really happy. This is such a great moment for me. I told the guys in the band that, I said, 'Y'know, James, you've been here before with me at this level with your previous band, with White Lion, and of course with David Lee Roth and Ozzy.' He's always been at that level, that superstar kind of level, although he was never really a band member in those projects. So I was able to say, 'Hey, y'know, we're going back James. It's kind of like doing another tour, No, damnit!' You know what I mean?" Mustaine laughs. "Then I was able to tell Chris and Shawn, 'Listen, be very careful right now. Pay close attention to everything, because this could be over in a second and you want to pay attention and enjoy every single second of the way.' Because this is what we work our whole lives for – to be, y'know, press darlings, to be bands that the fans are a staple in their record collection. You know, it's very rarely
that a record comes around like Endgame does and I'm so blessed to have it be mine. I remember that there were records when we were growing up like The Wall (Pink Floyd, 1979). You had to have The Wall and like, AC/DC's Let There Be Rock (1978). You had to have that record. Then, as soon as Bon (Scott, AC/DC vocalist) died, you had to have Back In Black. If you didn't have Back In Black, you were not a metal fan. By metal standards in the States though, Acca Dacca wasn't a metal band. They were like a rock band. I was listening to Diamond Head and I started getting into Motorhead and Judas Priest which I think was more in the vein of heavy metal than what people would call metal nowadays."
Megadeth
And metal is exactly what Dave and Co. have delivered on Endgame. Our review of Endgame (written by Michael O'Brien) described Endgame as "a great thrash album where every track bears some kind of resemblance to the Megadeth of old with more than a healthy nod sent in the direction of the band's material from the very beginning of their recording history right up to and including 1994's Youthanasia." Ours is another of the many glowing reviews that the album has received.
"I'm honoured, thank you for that. I think that if a guy really is smart enough to ask for help, if he gets people to chip in and want to help, he'd be a dunce not to take the help that they are offering you. I've got three helpers with me in Megadeth and they are all talented band mates and good friends and that comes across in the studio. I think that comes across in the record. Anyone that has this record is going to be experiencing the same kind of exciting metal that we experienced back when Peace Sells (… But Who's Buying?, 1986) came out, when Rust In Peace (1990) came out, when Countdown (To Extinction, 1992) came out. I was there. I know what happened. I didn't have that same feeling that I have with this record on United Abominations (2007) or any record subsequent to Cryptic Writings (1997). Cryptic Writings was the last time I had a really good feeling about a record coming out. You know, you hope, you hope, you hope, you hope,
but you also plan for the worst and the bummer was the trends of sales going down and people burning copies of stuff and whether they burn it and listen to it and eventually legitimize the whole thing by buying the record or if they burn it and continue to burn it and burn it, and deplete the band's operating funds, that affects us when it comes down to sales and that affects the perception of the band. You know, if we would have had a number one record in the States right now, do I think that people would be talking differently to me right now? Absolutely! Do I think that all of our fans have legitimate records in their hands right now? No. But does that mean that I don't love them and respect them? I love them and respect them for a lot of the things they do and I know that a lot of our fans, after listening to stuff, if they've got songs that they've burnt or stuff like that, our fans, more so than just about any other band that I'm aware
of, our fans are different. They're totally different. They are people from all walks of life. It's not a just a particular type that we appeal to and they end up in the long run being more cerebral than a lot of other people, because we have interesting things that we talk about, our lives are really interesting because of what we do, and because of our upbringing, we have a lot of stuff in common with our fans. I've been through the ringer. I don't think I had to die just to say, 'Hey, I died once.' I think I had to have that happen so that I would actually realize that my whole life is way more important than a record. It's about having a relationship with our fans and playing music and traveling around the world and being a bad ass on guitar, but being a decent human being."
Dave has certainly come along way over the years and one thing that stands out is his sheer bloody honesty.
"Well, people have got a lot to hide. I've made it pretty clear with my life that there's been some things that have been pretty good, some things that have been pretty bad. The bottom line is that there's not the same kind of people that were around for me when I was growing up that there are nowadays. This thing that happened with Kayne West in the States – would that have happened back in the '80's? No. No, I don't think so. I personally think that this guy, whatever he is – I don't really know what he does, some hip hop dude or something – I mean, I gotta ask myself, 'Would that have happened back then?' Then I gotta ask, 'What're they thinking?' Why would go and do something like that to this little girl? And here's another thing… the fear that… we see in America that everybody is fighting for equal rights and stuff like that and then you have people that really are great for their cause and then you have other
people that do things like this and really set back their cause, like trying to bring equality to people's colour, and then you see stuff like this. I mean, I gotta ask myself, if that was Beyonce, and some white guy came up and grabbed the mic out of her hand, what do I think would've happened? Probably something different. Now, I'm not racist. I have a wonderful tour manage and my guitar tech, they're both black gentlemen. So, any body misinterpreting what I'm saying right now, don't bother. I'm just saying something about what kind of…what are we doing now? I mean, we've got a guy inside of the House Of Representatives in the United States calling our President a liar? Wow. WOW!"
It seems that the statement 'we live in interesting times' is none more fitting these days.
Megadeth's Endgame"Yeah. Well, I mean, the good thing is that every once in a while you have someone like me comes along that can kind of have a little bit of fun with life and that makes people feel good. I'm glad that Endgame is one of those records that makes people feel good. I'm excited beyond belief that people are responding to us. You know, there's a website out here called Blabbermouth, and this website, they've probably caused more harm single-handedly towards me and my band than any other website in the world. I think that's because their fans are pretty discriminate. They know what they want and what they like, and they're probably a little bit less tolerant than some people because I just think there's a kind of a clique that's going on there, too. Having said that, this website, even though they hate my guts, gave me an 8.5 out of ten and said 'It's time for us to take a page out of Professor Mustaine's book. He
appears to have been right after all all along.' And I'm thinking, 'Are you kidding me?'"
After more than a quarter of a century in the industry, no doubt it's still nice to be surprised at this point in one's career.
"Nothing was quite as surprising as having the people of Metal Hammer say that Megadeth is better than Metallica! That was like a kick in the pie hole."
For something like that to be said, surely it's a case of all the planets are aligning or something like that.
"Well, it certainly is. We've got great reviews on Amazon, we've got great reviews on iTunes, we've got great reviews on MySpace, we've got great reviews on YouTube. Everything is just clicking right now. My book is coming out next spring. We picked a great name for it. It had to be, it had to be called 'Hello Me. Meet The Real Me.' It had to be called that! And, with the tour with Slayer coming up, and then coming back to the States, I'm already looking forward to our next trip down under. Right now, this trip is something that came up out of the blue real quick and I'm looking forward to us being able to play on our next Gigantour run down there. We have such a great relationship with the Australian audience. I know that there's gonna be people that are gonna come to this concert that haven't heard Slayer before. I also know that there are gonna be some Slayer fans that haven't heard Megadeth before. So, I'm really excited
about us swapping some fans and their fans getting a chance to listen to us and our fans getting a chance to listen to them. We're not really similar in styles, but as far as the intensity is concerned, we're pretty much towards the redline on both bands and I'm just looking forward to getting there and playing for everybody."
No doubt that the tour announcement of Megadeth playing with Slayer surprised the global metal fraternity. It's the first time these two seminal metal acts have shared the stage since the legendary Clash of the Titans tour from the early 90s. This is something that a lot of thrash fans never thought would happen again.
"It's been a long time, yeah. There's a lot of people, and I'm included in it. But, a lot of that was of my own doing. I just didn't want to play with Slayer because I had said some things that were regrettable and I don't think I was really mature enough at the time to look at my part in it. But, y'know, I have. Since then I've talked to those guys and made amends and I'm trying to live my life differently and y'know, there's gonna be people that are waiting for me to step on my dick and I'm not gonna do that. As far as having something terrible to say, I've got nothing bad to say about those guys. They're a great live band. What I said was regrettable and y'know, it was 19 years ago! God… 19 years ago, man!"
Better late than never, no doubt Australian fans are pumped to see an updated version of the Clash Of The Titans tour finally making its way down here.
"Well, I've always respected the audience down there. It was unfortunate when we had to cancel before but that wasn't my doing. That was the other band members. Y'know, Jeff Young had a little heroin problem and he ran out. So, he didn't want to go down there. Now, any time that I ran out of anything, I either found more or I just kinda roughed it!"
I couldn't not ask Dave about the rumoured tour featuring the "big four" of thrash – Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica and Anthax. But before I've even finished my question, the vocalist is quick to put the rumour to rest.
"It's just a rumour. If it was true, I would be saying something."
But trying to find out just how Mustaine feels about even the suggestion of such a tour proves to be somewhat of a touchy subject.
"Well, this is a Megadeth interview and it's kinda funny that right during the middle of a new release that Metallica is back in my interview. So, I'll just answer this and say it's just a rumour. If it happened, it would be nice. I would tell you if it were happening. It's not happening. If it does happen, I'll be sure and tell you."
Megadeth live in Brisbane, Australia in 2006
Whilst it may appear that I had derailed the interview right in the final moments of our chat, Dave is quick to reassure me that all is well.
"Listen, I'm 48 years old. I'm capable of saying 'no' to a question," laughs Mustaine. "I'm ok. I'm in a great mood, so don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong."
So we can put the internet rumour mill to rest on this one for the moment, and instead just relish in the fact that some lucky punters around the globe will get to see these two metal heavy weights share the stage for the first time in almost two decades.
Megadeth's latest album, Endgame, is out now on Roadrunner Records through Warner Music Australia. For more information on Megadeth, check out www.megadeth.com.
Tom Trakas of the None But My Own blog recently conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
None But My Own: Where is Dave Lombardo, the drummer these days? The kid who grew up a John Bonham and Peter Criss maniac? Where are you as a drummer in 2009?
Lombardo: I feel I'm at the peak of my performance right now. I just feel on top of my game. I feel confident, I'm hitting hard, I'm breaking pedals, snapping sticks and popping snares. I've got this great record behind me, "World Painted Blood" which I'm really, really excited about. So aside from the little ups and downs that a personal life can do to you, my career and my future look very positive.
I personally feel the record you're about to hear, from the guy who's sitting at the helm driving this ship, or this train, or whatever the hell you want to call it... Well. it's going over 150 miles per hour and I'm trying to steer and I feel collectively we're all just at the top of our game!
It feels good, it feels classic, it feels like I said collective it was a very good vibe when we were working on it. I felt if the foundation, which is the drums with no lyrics, with no leads, just rhythm guitar tracks and drums, if that foundation is there and it feels good throughout the whole song… then everything else will just fall into place.
None But My Own: You've done other press where you say "World Painted Blood" sort of conjures up the "holy trinity" of "Reign In Blood", "South of Heaven" and "Seasons In The Abyss", right? So you're saying "World Painted Blood" has a classic feel. When approaching these songs, are you reaching back to an inspiration you haven't reached for in some 20 years? How do you approach this blank canvas and decide what fits the song best?
Lombardo: Well just recently I listened to the song "Expendable Youth" and I'm thinking to myself, "God, the drums suck!"
None But My Own: Huh?
Lombardo: Yeah.
None But My Own: How? I mean they're driving the song, aren't they?
Lombardo: They are, yes, but they're so primitive. It's primitive Lombardo. Now [if] you listen to Lombardo today and the chaos happening all around the music but being controlled by this kind of precision, you can hear not only how much I've grown as a drummer, but how much the band has grown as well. That's what I hear in this new record and I feel it's fully entertaining. It's in the melodies, the way Tom [Araya] sings even if he just jumps up a single note it just makes a world of difference in how the song comes out. Perhaps that's also due to us working with an amazing producer too.
None But My Own: I must admit, all the records you've done in your career, I've never heard you speak so highly of a producer like you have with Greg Fidelman.
Lombardo: I feel he worked with me, and I can only speak for myself but I noticed he also did this with them too, but he worked with me the way Rick Rubin worked with me on all the old records. I don't know if this was Greg's technique or what, but he helped me develop the very best possible drum tracks…simply by their performance. Not in the editing stage or with a computer, nothing like that, he coached me. He was right there with me, very positive. Together we focused, I mean really focused on detail as well as sounds and if that meant a snare hit or an extra kick drum sound that's what was done.
None But My Own: As you're explaining Greg's role in the studio I'm getting this vibe where he motivated you to become a more technically efficient drummer. Would this be true?
Lombardo: A good producer makes a band sound good in the studio, but makes them sound even better after. He definitely did pull something out of us indeed, and that's what I heard directly from Rick Rubin after the sessions.
None But My Own: Looking back to [2006's] "Christ Illusion", I know that album was written, then you'd tour and then come back and write more, demo it, then go out again etc. etc. Do you feel that the album, I guess, suffered from maybe over-thinking the material? Where maybe you lived too long with the material before it was laid to tape?
Lombardo: Maybe. It's hard to say really. I think I work the best by just getting in there and nailing it down. I hate to use the words "under pressure," because to most people that's a negative, this was more of a "let's-just-do-it" feel, more motivation than anything.
None But My Own: How cool is it that this long into the journey you're still getting this band wide motivation?
Lombardo: Well, I think the nature of the circumstance of us going into the studio with only half the material we needed, I think it helped the situation. It did something to our natural way of functioning, for sure. It was very positive; it was great.
Veteran Los Angeles metallers ARMORED SAINT will enter Tranzformer Studios in Burbank, California on October 12 to begin recording their sixth full-length album. The SAINT will be working with Bryan Carlstrom, who will once again handle engineering duties, with the band's very own Joey Vera (bass) in the producer's chair. Joey and Bryan will mix the record, which is scheduled for release in early 2010 via Metal Blade Records.
The as-yet-untitled CD will feature the following songs, among others:
* Black Feet
* Chilled
* Loose Cannon
* Blues
* La Raza
* Head On
* Get Off The Fence
* Left Hook From Right Field
Tranzformer Studios is owned by Dave Jerdan (ALICE IN CHAINS, JANE'S ADDICTION), who produced ARMORED SAINT's 1991 classic "Symbol of Salvation" and Carlstrom, who engineered the same album.
Commented ARMORED SAINT vocalist John Bush: "About a year and a half or so ago, Joey asked me if I'd be interested in writing some songs. I was in the right mind finally, so I said, 'Send me something.'
"To be quite honest, I wasn't thinking in terms of ARMORED SAINT but more like just writing rock music. I felt pretty free with that mentality and the ideas felt very organic.
"With every passing song, things improved and next thing we knew we had about eight songs demoed. Although the idea of sparking something completely new was appealing, it became clear that if it was Joey and I the reality was, let's not kid ourselves; this is ARMORED SAINT.
"So here it comes. Embracing my inner R&B singer and coupling that with our influence of the great Seventies hard rock bands we grew up on."
Added Vera: "John and I began writing over 14 months ago, and in the beginning we had only a general musical direction in which we were going. Once we decided to keep writing and with more of an intention of turning it into an ARMORED SAINT project, we were faced with a few questions. One was how does this new music we're writing fit into the current musical styles of today? And should we care? We quickly answered the latter. We realized we should do what we always did and that is to write good songs. And for ourselves first.
"We are not unaware of our parameters in which we have created over the past 25 years, but we are also not afraid to take chances and simply do what we do best.
"The idea of trying to continue where we left off over 10 years ago since our last release is not very appealing to me. I have to let go of what I did in 1991 and in 2000. Nothing at all against what we've recorded in the past but my head is in a different place now. Trust me; I still want to kill your senses with music, but just in a different way."
To get a taste of what the new ARMORED SAINT album will sound like, check out a demo version of "Loose Cannon" (performed with a drum program) in the YouTube clip below (also available for download as a ZIP file at this location). "Loose Cannon" gives fans a glimpse into ARMORED SAINT's writing process and is also a nice taste of what's to come on the band's forthcoming full-length studio release.
Fans can keep up with the band in the studio through Twitter at this location.
To celebrate ARMORED SAINT's recent first-ever tour of Australia, Riot! Entertainment, in conjunction with Metal Blade Records, produced an exclusive tour best-of compilation to combat the lack of ARMORED SAINT product on the market. This killer compilation covers the band's entire career and features such classic tracks as "March of the Saint", "Last Train Home", "Symbol of Salvation", "Hanging Judge". etc.
The CD is now available to international buyers by clicking here. For wholesale enquiries, contact John Howarth at john@riotact.com.au.
The band's current lineup is the same as the one on 2000's "Revelation" and 1992's "Symbol of Salvation" LPs:
John Bush (vocals)
Jeff Duncan (guitar)
Phil Sandoval (guitar)
Joey Vera (bass)
Gonzo (drums)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada metallers 3 INCHES OF BLOOD have issued a statement regarding the passing of their former bassist Brian Redman .
Redman died last Saturday night (September 26) in a motor vehicle accident near his home in Tacoma, Washington.
Commented the band: "We are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and former bandmate, Brian Redman .
"Brian was an outgoing and charismatic person who was great friends with most people he met. We couldn't help but smile or laugh when he was around. He had such a likable personality but also had a knack for putting serious things into perspective.
"While in the band, Brian played a big part. He joined the band shortly after signing a big record deal, and endured the turmoil that followed after recording our 'Advance and Vanquish' album. For a time, the band's future was uncertain, but Brian was unwavering in his desire to play this music with us. He was loved by many and enjoyed life to the fullest.
"Goodbye, Brian, our fallen brother. You will be greatly missed."
According to Weekly Volcano's "Spew" blog, Redman recently returned to Tacoma after living in Southern California for a short stint.
Before he left for California, he tended bar at Doyle's Public House in Tacoma and fronted the rock band the DIRTY KNOCKERS.
"We have lost a friend, family member, lover, musician and all-around good person," posted Doyle's Public House co-owner Russ Heaton on his bar's web site.
Brian Redman was in 3 INCHES OF BLOOD between 2004 and 2006 and appeared on the band's 2004 album, "Advance and Vanquish" (Roadrunner).
RadarOnline.com reports that former ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Starr was arrested Monday (September 28) in Los Angeles on a drug charge.
Starr is currently being held at the Bauchet Street Jail in downtown L.A..
His bail is set at $100,000 and he is due for arraignment at the Pasadena Superior court on October 14.
Earlier this year, Starr was selected as a cast member for the third season of the VH1 reality series "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew". Hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, the season will consist of eight episodes that follow the real-life experiences of celebrity patients undergoing detoxification and treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center. Joining Starr are country singer Mindy McCready, actress Mackenzie Phillips ("One Day at a Time"), former Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss, NBA great Dennis Rodman, Lisa D'Amato ("America's Next Top Model"), former Miss United States Teen Kari Ann Peniche and Joey Kovar ("Real World Hollywood").
The new season of "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" is scheduled to premiere in January.
Starr joined the New York City-based ALICE IN CHAINS tribute band FACELIFT on stage on May 9, 2009 at Sullivan Hall in New York City to perform three songs — "Man In The Box", "Would?" and "Them Bones". According to the members of FACELIFT, Starr "was in great shape and form. [His] performance was flawless and this just about squashes all rumors of his prior poor health condition. The crowd response was amazing as crowd-surfing and high-decibel applause was present."
Back in April 2005, Seattle's KIROTV.com reported that Mike Starr was arrested in Seattle for vandalizing a car.
A man named Phillip told KIROTV.com that he spotted a man pulling the hood ornament off his vehicle.
He said he recognized the man as Michael Christopher Starr and called police. Starr was arrested for "investigation of property destruction and theft."
Starr, 43, a founding member of ALICE IN CHAINS, had been in legal trouble before in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City. His past charges include DUI, reckless driving, and various drug charges.
Back in April 1994, Starr was sentenced to 30 days in the Houston jail for
misdemeanor drug possession. Starr was arrested at Houston's Intercontinental Airport while trying to check in for a flight to Los Angeles with a suitcase he had stolen from the baggage claim area. Authorities searched him and found he was carrying marijuana.
Finnish goth metallers THE 69 EYES will film a video for the song "Dead N' Gone" this weekend in San Francisco, California. The clip will once again be directed by MTV superstar and close friend Bam Margera. According to singer Jyrki69, "it'll be VERY dark."
THE 69 EYES will kick off a North American headlining tour on Monday, October 5 in San Francisco, California. Support on the five-week trek will come from DOMMIN and THE BECOMING.
"Dead N' Gone" is the second single off THE 69 EYES's new album, "Back In Blood", which has sold 2,300 copies in the United States in its first two weeks of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD was issued in Europe (excluding Finland) on August 28 via Nuclear Blast Records (September 15 in the U.S. through The End Records). It was tracked with the Grammy-winning producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET, FU MANCHU) and features a guest appearance by MONSTER MAGNET's Ed Mundell. The recording process took place both in Helsinki and Los Angeles.
BLOODBATH, SONATA ARCTICA, VIRGIN STEELE, ORPHANED LAND and KATATONIA have been confirmed for next year's installment of the Rock Hard festival, set to take place May 21-23, 2010 at the Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ARTILLERY
BLOODBATH
BULLDOZER
EVILE
KATATONIA
KREATOR
NECROS CHRISTOS
ORPHANED LAND
SABATON
SONATA ARCTICA
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
VIRGIN STEELE
DARKANE and BLOOD TSUNAMI are among the confirmed bands for the first annual Oslo Underground Thrashfest (O.U.T.), set to take place October 9-10 in Oslo, Norway.
The festival billing is as follows:
Friday, October 9:
BLOOD TSUNAMI
INQUESTED
VIOLATED
Saturday, October 10:
DARKANE
SOULSCARRED
IMBALANCE
Long-running Venice Beach, California thrash/punk band SUICIDAL TENDENCIES has scheduled the following dates:
Nov. 13 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Nov. 14 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst
Nov. 21 - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Center Studios (We the People Festival)
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES in January released a video for the band's new single, "Come Alive". Vocalist Mike Muir told the Great Falls Tribune about the song's lyrical content, "There's a lot of people ... their heart's beating and they've got brain waves, but they're not livin.' It's about taking control and standing up and realizing that you're always gonna have an excuse to sit back and wait and see what happens. You've gotta take control. I've gotta take control. I don't want someone else to have that control, and I'll do my best to fight to keep them from having it."
"Come Alive" is included on "Year Of The Cycos", the first album from the SUICIDAL crew featuring all-new tracks from the "cycos." The CD is available from ST's "Suicyco Street Team" web site.
Drummer Dave Hildago Jr. played his last show with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES in September 2008 at the We The People festival in Los Angeles. His full-time replacement is Eric Moore , who previously played with the long-running SUICIDAL side project INFECTIOUS GROOVES. According to the group, "Eric has an unbelievable mixture of power and finesse and the band is extra excited about the upcoming tours."
A brand new SUICIDAL TENDENCIES studio album is expected in late 2009 or early 2010.
BARREN EARTH, the new Helsinki, Finland-based project featuring members of KREATOR, MOONSORROW, SWALLOW THE SUN and MANNHAI, will release a four-song EP, "Our Twilight", on November 9 in Europe and November 17 in North America via Peaceville Records. According to a press release, the EP "opens with the title track, a fine exploration of brooding doom metal and prog sensibilities. Following this is 'Jewel', an exclusive bonus track taken from the album recording session from summer 2009. The second half of the EP comprises of two tracks, the epic 'The Flame of Serenity' and 'Floodred' — recorded in the summer of 2008 and specially remixed for this release by Dan Swanö (KATATONIA, OPETH, NOVEMBRE) at Unisound, who also provides additional keyboard parts on 'The Flame of Serenity'."
Check out the "Our Twilight" mini-site at
http://www.peaceville.com/barrenearth/ourtwilight/
British extreme metal veterans AKERCOCKE will play a headline set at London's Camden Underworld on Friday, October 16, supported by a stellar lineup of underground metal talent that includes HADES LAB, INGESTED, DIMINISHED FIFTH and HIDEOUS MISCREATION. This will be AKERCOCKE's only autumn appearance as the London four-piece is currently ensconced in its own Goat Of Mendes Studios, preparing its sixth, as-yet-untitled album. The London gig may feature new material from the sessions, which have yielded music described by frontman Jason Mendonça as "cortex-shredding slabs of sonic malevolence."
"London is in for a shock on October 16," Mendonça told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "The new material is AKERCOCKE at our most advanced. We've been labelled death metal, black metal and progressive metal over the last decade, and those labels all have their merits — but the new songs start from there and ascend to a higher, more ambitious and far more punishing plane. Our aim is always to extol the beauty of the voluptuous female form, the ineffable intelligence of the Satanist and the importance of a good tailor — and all of these things will be celebrated to their logical conclusion at the Underworld."
Mendonça is joined in AKERCOCKE by Matt Wilcock (guitar, ex-THE BERZERKER), Peter Benjamin (bass, ex-CORPSING), Martin Bonsoir (keyboards) and David Gray (drums). The band will releasing its debut DVD, "A Decade of Devil Worship", and new album in 2010.
Video footage of AKERCOCKE performing the song "Leviathan" live at UK Deathfest on May 3, 2009 at Leeds University Union in Leeds, U.K. can be viewed below (clip uploaded by Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").
AKERCOCKE's music video for the song "Axiom" was directed by Erica Herbert of HSI London (NIRVANA, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE). Her surrealist vision is the perfect compliment to AKERCOCKE's brutally beautiful sound. Deemed "a unique and beautiful visual outing" by frontman Jason Mendonca, "Axiom" leaves the realm of mere music video and enters the realm of pure art.
"Axiom" comes off AKERCOCKE's latest release, "Antichrist" (2007), which is said to be "yet another step forward in AKERCOCKE's ever-evolving journey into darkness."
HYPOCRISY, the Swedish extreme metal band led by guitarist/vocalist Peter Tägtgren (also of PAIN), will release its new album, "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity", in Europe on October 23 and in the U.S. on November 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The North American mail-order version of "A Taste of Extreme Divinity" will feature three exclusive bonus tracks. A pre-order for the album is now available at this location in various formats and bundle packages.
"A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" track listing:
01. Valley Of The Damned
02. Hang Him High
03. Solar Empire
04. Weed Out The Weak
05. No Tomorrow
06. Global Domination
07. Taste The Extreme Divinity
08. Alive
09. The Quest
10. Tamed "Filled With Fear"
11. Sky Is Falling Down
Bonus tracks:
12. The Sinner
13. Taste the Extreme Divinity (2008 Demo)
14. Valley of the Damned (2008 Demo)
A second trailer for "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" can be viewed below.
HYPOCRISY will kick off a U.S. tour in support of "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity" on November 5, with ENSIFERUM as the headliner.
HYPOCRISY reissued its 2002 album "Catch 22" under the title "Catch 22 V2.0.08" in May 2008. Peter Tägtgren re-recorded the guitar parts, his vocals and remixed and remastered the LP for the new version of the album, which featured bonus material.
The band previously stated about its decision to re-release the CD, "We still think it is a great fucking album but it got slammed and misunderstood because of the vocal style and the drum sound and so on."
HYPOCRISY's latest album, "Virus", came out in September 2005 via Nuclear Blast Records.
SODOM, WATAIN, CAPTAIN CLEANOFF, CAPITALIST CASUALTIES, MAGRUDERGRIND, OBLITERATION, SULACO, PUTRESCENCE, FANG and VERBAL ABUSE have been confirmed for next year's Maryland Deathfest, set to take place May 28-30 at an as-yet-undisclosed venue in Baltimore.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
16
ASPHYX
AUTOPSY
BIRDS OF PREY
CAPITALIST CASUALTIES
CAPTAIN CLEANOFF
COFFINS
CONVERGE
DECEASED
ENTOMBED
EYEHATEGOD
FANG
FUCK THE FACTS
GORGUTS
GOROD
GRIDE
GRIDLINK
HAEMORRHAGE
HOWL
IMPALED
INCANTATION
INGROWING
JESUS CRÖST
MAGRUDERGRIND
MALEVOLENT CREATION
MASSGRAVE
MELECHESH
NAGLFAR
NAZXUL
NECROPHOBIC
OBITUARY
OBLITERATION
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PORTAL
POSSESSED
PUTRESCENCE
ROMPEPROP
SADISTIC INTENT
SINISTER
SODOM
STORMCROW
SULACO
THE CHASM
TOMBS
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.
Phoenix death/grind quintet LANDMINE MARATHON has set "Sovereign Descent" as the title of its new album, due in early 2010 via Prosthetic Records. The CD was recorded at guitarist Ryan Butler's Arcane Digital Recording Studios, where he's recorded past efforts from the band, as well as MISERY INDEX, PHOBIA, THE FUNERAL PYRE and many more. The album will be mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (CONVERGE, HATEBREED, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) in New Windsor, New York. The cover art is being handled by acclaimed artist Dan Seagrave, who's previously worked with ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, MORBID ANGEL, SUFFOCATION and many, many more.
Swedish death metallers INSISION have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Neurotic Deathfest, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at 013 in Tilburg, Holland.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
CARCASS
DEFEATED SANITY
DYING FETUS
DR DOOM
INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY
INSISION
HUMAN MINCER
NAPALM DEATH
NOX
KICKBACK
VIRAL LOAD
A total of around 40 acts will perform at the two-day event.
For more information, visit www.neuroticdeathfest.com.
Norwegian black metallers 1349 have cancelled their appearance at the Devil's Revenge Festival, set to take place October 3, 2009 at Alfred Fischer Halle in Hamm, Germany. The band says in a statement that it was forced to pull out of the event "due to severe organizational problems at the forefront of the event on the part of the responsible organizers." The group adds, "Everybody involved and the band tried its best and everything possible to solve the concerned issues, but unfortunately no agreement could be achieved. 1349 and Twisted Talent regret the latest proceedings and want to make sure that there will be no iteration of this situation."
------------------------------------
For MetalHeads Who Want To Have there say!
Long Live The Power Of METAL!!!
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavyMetalHeaven/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavyMetalHeaven/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:HeavyMetalHeaven-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:HeavyMetalHeaven-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
HeavyMetalHeaven-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
No comments:
Post a Comment