music icon Ozzy Osbourne as he approaches his 60th birthday, has apparently been
completed. The documentary is being directed by Mike Piscitelli and is written
and produced by Jordan Tappis. It will be the first release from Jacko
Productions, a company started by Ozzy's son Jack.
A brief Twitter message from Piscitelli, posted this past Friday (January 22),
reads, "My last shoot day with Ozzy..."
Newly sober, Ozzy has finally reached a point of clarity as he looks back on a
lifetime of unresolved issues, unparalleled success, misdiagnosed diseases,
severed ties, and a recurring dependency on drugs and alcohol. Due in theaters
later in 2010, "Wreckage Of My Past" is a film about reconciling the past and
looking toward the future.
Jack Osbourne is executive-producing "Wreckage Of My Past" along with his
mother, Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's longtime manager.
Jack and Sharon are financing the film themselves.
Filming for "Wreckage Of My Past" began in January 2008. The documentary will
reportedly include interviews with all the principal members of BLACK SABBATH,
the various incarnations of Ozzy's solo band, family and friends. But the trick,
Jack said, was getting them to be truthful. "The hard thing is getting people to
be honest and not have it be a fluff piece, because that's not what we're trying
to do," he told RollingStone.com. "I'm trying to paint a realistic picture of
who my father is. I think 'The Osbournes', to a degree, tarnished the public's
perception of my dad as a bit of a senile, funny, bumbling guy. Yeah, my dad can
be that guy, but it's not him. I think that almost discredited who he is as an
artist. My dad's not an idiot â€" he's nothing short of a genius, in my opinion.
He does have huge flaws, and we're trying to really paint an honest picture of
that."
According to Variety, Jack Osbourne filmed several of his father's concerts,
compiled early archive footage, and was hoping to secure an interview with
Ozzy's first wife. He was planning to put the footage together with Piscitelli
and Tappis before talking to distributors.
"I want people to see John Osbourne as the guy I grew up with, the tormented,
complex musician whose personal demons manifest themselves in so many crazy,
unique ways," Osbourne said. "He's agreed to it but is putting up his guard,
massively afraid of putting his true self out there on display for people to
see."
AC/DC , STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, THEM CROOKED VULTURES and DEFTONES are among the confirmed bands for this year's Download festival,set to take place June 11-13, 2010 at Donington Park, united Kingdom.
The following acts are slated to appear at this year's event:
AC/DC
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
THEM CROOKED VULTURES
DEFTONES
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
MEGADETH
MOTÖRHEAD
WOLFMOTHER
VOLBEAT
More acts will be announced soon.
Andy Copping, Download festival promoter, commented: "Download 2010 will be one for the history books. It will see the return of the world's greatest rock band to the most legendary and spiritual home of rock. We have been pushing for this moment for many years, but for this to become reality alongside the likes of THEM CROOKED VULTURES, MOTÖRHEAD and MEGADETH is the best 30th anniversary of the site we could have dreamed of, it's also going to be a fantastic tribute to Maurice Jones who started this all off back in 1980."
John Probyn, COO Live Nation , added, "The Donington site and its continuing flexibility should take some of the credit for the longevity and success of both Monsters of Rock and Download festival. We are thrilled that our 30-year association with the site will be marked not only with a superb line-up, but also by the expansion of Download 2010 to accommodate more festival-goers than ever."
Weekend tickets for Download 2010 go on on Friday, January 29 at sale 9:00 a.m.
German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS have been confirmed for this year's M3 Rock Festival, set to take place Saturday, June 19 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
CINDERELLA
JETBOY
KIX
L.A. GUNS
NELSON
SCORPIONS
VINCE NEIL
WARRANT
More acts will be announced soon.
Veteran German rock hard rockers SCORPIONS have released the following statement:
"Important message to our fans:
"It was always our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and we were fortunate enough to make music for you — whether it was live on stage or in the studio, creating new songs.
"While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was — and how much fun we were still having in the process. But there was also something else: we want to end the SCORPIONS' extraordinary career on a high note.
"We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we've always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years.
"We want you, our fans, to be the first to know about this.
"Thank you for your never-ending support throughout the years!
"We uploaded the very first snippets from our new album for you here. And now… let's get the party started and get ready for a 'Sting in the Tail'!
SCORPIONS' new album, "Sting In The Tail", will be released in Europe on March 19. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
Check out the cover artwork below.
SCORPIONS recently extended their record deal with Ariola, which is part of the international media conglomerate Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
In a December 2009 interview with the Polish web site Plejada, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker stated about the band's forthcoming CD, "After 'Humanity - Hour 1', which was more in the concept-album [vein], talking about the problems in the world, we said, 'OK, we talked about all these things which [were] happening and now we don't wanna talk again about problems, now we wanna party. We're going back to the roots of the band.
"We have great rock songs — fantastic rock songs — we have great ballads... The mixture if 10 percent ballads and the rest is up-tempo and mid-tempo [material]. And I think we have a great team of people working for us, producer team from Sweden — they're great people — and we're doing this recording in Stockholm and in Hannover, where my studio is.
"It looks great. We have a fantastic sound, because my studio is very good for guitars, and this time we're looking very much also to bring the guitars up, and, of course, with the great voice of Klaus, with the right melodies, giving the right vibe — the typical SCORPIONS sound."
Added singer Klaus Meine: "We recorded the last album in the U.S. This has a more European kind of feel, I think, working in Germany and in Sweden. And we're looking very much forward to releasing this in the spring and we can't wait to play the songs live on stage.
"We tried to find this spontaneous moment — not to overproduce things and to keep things really fresh.
"There are a lot of great songs on this record. And we always had our fans in mind [when putting the material together], especially the tour next year, because we hope many [of the new] songs we can [perform live] on the road."
2009 was the year of the SCORPIONS: they received the German lifetime achievement ECHO, collected many other awards, and undertook a grand tour through Russia, the U.S. and Europe. However, it is 2010 that will set a milestone for the career of the most successful international rock band from Germany. The SCORPIONS will be touring the world for the next two years and performing in the largest venues and stadiums that cross their path. The mammoth tour will be launched for the first time in many years in Germany. "It was important for us to give our fans a chance to celebrate a never-to-forget party with us," said Schenker. Meine added, "2010 is going to be a very special year for the SCORPIONS, so it is an especially good feeling to be able to start this tour at home."
The performances in Germany will be followed by concerts in the U.S., South America, Asia, Russia and various countries in Europe.
SCORPIONS' brand new DVD, "Amazonia - Live In The Jungle" — a live recording of the SCORPIONS concerts in Manaus and Recife, Brazil — is in stores now.
The band's last CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", was produced by James Michael and co-produced by songwriter/producer Desmond Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER.
Veteran German hard rockers SCORPIONS will release their final studio album, "Sting In The Tail", in North America on March 23 via Universal Music Enterprises. The CD was recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).
Check out the cover artwork below.
After the release of the album and a three-year mammoth tour, which will take the SCORPIONS across five continents, the band will end its career. The group broke the news on its web site on Sunday.
"It was always our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and we were fortunate enough to make music for you — whether it was live on stage or in the studio, creating new songs," the band wrote.
"While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was — and how much fun we were still having in the process. But there was also something else: we want to end the SCORPIONS' extraordinary career on a high note.
"We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we've always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years.
"We want you, our fans, to be the first to know about this.
"Thank you for your never-ending support throughout the years!
"We uploaded the very first snippets from our new album for you here. And now… let's get the party started and get ready for a 'Sting in the Tail'!"
In a December 2009 interview with the Polish web site Plejada, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker stated about the band's forthcoming CD, "After 'Humanity - Hour 1', which was more in the concept-album [vein], talking about the problems in the world, we said, 'OK, we talked about all these things which [were] happening and now we don't wanna talk again about problems, now we wanna party. We're going back to the roots of the band.
"We have great rock songs — fantastic rock songs — we have great ballads... The mixture if 10 percent ballads and the rest is up-tempo and mid-tempo [material]. And I think we have a great team of people working for us, producer team from Sweden — they're great people — and we're doing this recording in Stockholm and in Hannover, where my studio is.
"It looks great. We have a fantastic sound, because my studio is very good for guitars, and this time we're looking very much also to bring the guitars up, and, of course, with the great voice of Klaus, with the right melodies, giving the right vibe — the typical SCORPIONS sound."
Added singer Klaus Meine: "We recorded the last album in the U.S. This has a more European kind of feel, I think, working in Germany and in Sweden. And we're looking very much forward to releasing this in the spring and we can't wait to play the songs live on stage.
"We tried to find this spontaneous moment — not to overproduce things and to keep things really fresh.
"There are a lot of great songs on this record. And we always had our fans in mind [when putting the material together], especially the tour next year, because we hope many [of the new] songs we can [perform live] on the road."
2009 was the year of the SCORPIONS: they received the German lifetime achievement ECHO, collected many other awards, and undertook a grand tour through Russia, the U.S. and Europe. However, it is 2010 that will set a milestone for the career of the most successful international rock band from Germany. The SCORPIONS will be touring the world for the next two years and performing in the largest venues and stadiums that cross their path. The mammoth tour will be launched for the first time in many years in Germany. "It was important for us to give our fans a chance to celebrate a never-to-forget party with us," said Schenker. Meine added, "2010 is going to be a very special year for the SCORPIONS, so it is an especially good feeling to be able to start this tour at home."
The performances in Germany will be followed by concerts in the U.S., South America, Asia, Russia and various countries in Europe.
SCORPIONS' brand new DVD, "Amazonia - Live In The Jungle" — a live recording of the SCORPIONS concerts in Manaus and Recife, Brazil — is in stores now.
The band's last CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", was produced by James Michael and co-produced by songwriter/producer Desmond Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI , ALICE COOPER , KISS, RICKY MARTIN , CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER.
Filmmaker and musician ROB ZOMBIE will bring his unique style of film-making to the streets of Miami on an episode of CSI: Miami, to be broadcast Monday, March 1 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The episode begins production today and is Zombie's television directorial debut.
It has just been announced that ZZ TOP legend Billy Gibbons will be featured in Zombie's episode of CSI: Miami .
In the episode, the CSI team discovers that a listening device has been covertly planted at a crime scene, capturing a terrifying soundtrack of the murder and, possibly, the voice of the killer. However, when it's revealed the bug was planted by the team's own Jesse Cardoza, the State's Attorney tosses the taped evidence and uncovers accusations of evidence tampering by Jesse on a murder case in Los Angeles. With the integrity of his team at stake, Horatio Caine and Eric Delko travel to Los Angeles to dig into that murder and clear Jesse's name. While in Los Angeles, Horatio finds himself face to face with secrets from Jesse's past and a dangerous element within the LAPD.
"As writers, we were really pushing to create an interesting backdrop that could lend to Rob Zombie's visual style," says Marc Dube, co-executive producer. "We thought opening the episode at a macabre party, with Miami attendees all wearing stylized masks (a la Eyes Wide Shut ) would be a fun kick-off point for Rob do to what he does best - conveying the cruel and creepy underbelly of humanity."
"I am very excited to be working on a show that has such an intense and unique visual angle on the classic crime drama formula and look forward to putting my own bizarre stamp on the world of CSI: Miami," says Zombie.
A prolific musician, Zombie has multiple gold and platinum records, sales of over 15 million albums worldwide, and has directed over 25 music videos. His next album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2, will be released on Feb. 2nd. His re-imagining of Halloween claimed the highest-grossing Labor Day weekend opening ever, followed by the 2009 success Halloween 2. His film accomplishments also include the critically acclaimed The Devil's Rejects and the cult classic House Of 1000 Corpses. Zombie has made a distinct mark in the music and film worlds with his uniquely sinister point of view that has resulted in success in both arenas.
CSI: Miami ranks among the top 20 programs, averaging 13.6 million viewers and continues to dominate its Monday (10:00-11:00 PM) time period in viewers and key demographics.
The mighty MEGADETH will join forces with TESTAMENT and EXODUS for a month-long jaunt that will find these thrash titans crisscrossing the nation on the "Rust in Peace" twentieth anniversary tour. These will be incredibly special shows that will delight MEGADETH fans, as the band will be playing their landmark, genre-defining album, 1990's "Rust in Peace", in its entirety, in addition to other MEGADETH set list favorites.
The tour will kick off on March 1 in Spokane, Washington and will run through the end of the month.
The dates are as follows, with tickets going on sale this Friday, January 29.
March 01 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
March 02 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
March 03 - Medford, OR - Medford Armory
March 06 - Calgary, AB - Big Four (TESTAMENT w/ special guests)
March 07 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre (TESTAMENT w/ special guests)
March 08 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall
March 11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater
March 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theater
March 13 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
March 15 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
March 16 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
March 18 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
March 19 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
March 21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
March 22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
March 23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
March 25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
March 26 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Amphitheater
March 27 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion
March 28 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
March 30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
March 31 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium (TESTAMENT w/ special guests)
MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame", has sold 112,000 copies in the United States since its September 2009 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD was recorded at MEGADETH's brand new, self-built studio in San Marcos, California — Vic's Garage — which was named after the legendary and iconic Vic Rattlehead character. The album was helmed by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and British producer Andy Sneap (EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD).
Roadrunner Records has re-signed guitar legend Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY exclusively for the European territory. The band's as-yet-untitled studio album is due for release this summer.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is preparing to enter Zakk's newly completed mountain-top recording studio to record its latest slab of uncompromising, unfiltered, and unrestrained rock and roll . Recording is slated to start early February and with the new flexibility of having a studio literally outside his home, Wylde expects to deliver his best material yet. "With the home studio I have this flexibility when inspiration hits to lay down new ideas at anytime — day or night — for re-recording later," he says. "This freshness should prove inspiring — and some of these first takes might even make it on the album," he enthuses.
Zakk continues, "I'm ready to work with our BLACK LABEL brothers and sisters at Roadrunner in Europe! They share the same Strength, Determination, Merciless, Forever attitude as BLACK LABEL SOCIETY does so it only seems natural to continue working together!"
Zakk's new studio was built by Zack Fagan of Under The Wire, a Studio City , California-based company which specializes in the installation of commercial and private recording studios and post-production complexes.
E1 Music recently announced the addition of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to its rock and metal roster. The two-album deal covers North America exclusively.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's last studio album, "Shot to Hell" (2006), sold just under 32,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release — less than the 45,000 copies shifted by BLS's "Mafia" (Artemis) back in March 2005 — to land at position No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Skullage" DVD package sold 5,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart. Released April 21, 2009 in three different configurations — CD, DVD and CD/DVD — this collection features the best of Zakk Wylde & Co. This massive greatest hits package is chock-full of live material, music videos, interviews, and a vivid cross-section of brutal and introspective tracks, from amped-up blazers like "Fire It Up" and "Suicide Messiah" to raw power ballads like "In This River" and "Spoke In The Wheel".
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is managed by Bob Ringe at Survival Management.
HOLY RAGE, the band led by original JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Al Atkins, has finished recording six tracks for its as-yet-untitled debut album, which is now tentatively due in April.
As previously reported, HOLY RAGE is putting together a video for the song "A Void to Avoid", featuring a special guest appearance by Bernie Tormé, former guitarist for GILLAN, OZZY OSBOURNE , ATOMIC ROOSTER, and DESPERADO , and current guitarist/vocalist for rock and roll power trio GUY-MCCOY-TORME (GMT).
"A Void to Avoid", along with "Give Them Hell", are bonus tracks on the global release of Al's 2007 solo album "Demon Deceiver" (re-titled "Demon Deceiver... Plus"), which is available worldwide right now, but will also be featured on the new HOLY RAGE album.
HOLY RAGE is:
Al Atkins - Vocals
Scott Dallow - Bass
Chris Johnson - Guitar
Mick Hales - Drums
Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band's first two albums "Rocka Rolla" and "Sad Wings of Destiny", both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic "Victim of Changes", which was a combination of Rob Halford's song "Red Light Lady" and Atkins' own "Whiskey Woman". He also co-wrote "Winter", "Never Satisfied", "Dreamer Deceiver" and "Caviar and Meths".
In 1989 Atkins released his debut solo album, "Judgement Day", to great acclaim. But it was "Heavy Thoughts" and "Victim of Changes" (the latter being his collaborative album with ex-JUDAS PRIEST drummer Dave Holland) that brought him strong sales and critical acclaim around the world. Recently Atkins formed HOLY RAGE and has shared the bill with ex-RAINBOW/MSG singer Graham Bonnet in California.
JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to Al Atkins's autobiography, titled "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal". The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil's book "The Story of Judas Priest: Defenders of the Faith" (Omnibus Press) — was released last spring via Iron Pages.
Legendary rocker Michael Monroe has long been at the forefront of breaking music barriers. This spring he returns with a highly anticipated new group that was announced today (Monday, January 25) at a press conference hosted by pro skater, video director and MTV personality Bam Margera at Swing House Rehearsal & Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA. News about an upcoming album and U.S. tour dates, plus details about the Michael Monroe Mobile Backstage application for mobile devices — the personal hotline between the fans and Monroe's band anywhere in the world at any given time — was unveiled as well.
Michael Monroe's band features bassist Sami Yaffa who has played with a remarkable variety of bands including HANOI ROCKS, NEW YORK DOLLS and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, and guitarist Ginger who has dazzled audiences over the world with his band THE WILDHEARTS. Also on guitar is Todd Youth, the master fretman who has played with many top-tier hard rock ensembles, including DANZIG, MOTÖRHEAD, GLEN CAMPBELL, SAMHAIN, D GENERATION and most recently CHELSEA SMILES. Rounding out the band is drummer Jimmy Clark, whose resume includes providing rhythm for the likes of Deborah Harry (who would later introduce him to Michael Monroe), JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, GLEN BURTNICK, RICK DERRINGER, WYNONNA, BLACKHAWK and THE VAN ZANT BROTHERS. Jimmy also played in Michael's band DEMOLITION 23 which also included Sami Yaffa.
Coming off the HANOI ROCKS rebirth from 2002-2009, Michael Monroe makes his long-awaited mark on America starting with SXSW and West Coast U.S. dates in March with his incredible team of players. In addition to a schedule of exclusive live performances, which also includes East Coast dates in May, Michael Monroe and his band are set to enter the studio in the spring to record a new album for the fall.
Fans can keep up with Monroe and his players via the Michael Monroe Mobile Backstage mobile application available now for free through Apple's iPhone /iPod application store and at www.michaelmonroe.com. With this, Monroe's followers everywhere can experience everything that happens on the road and backstage exclusively in real time through their mobile phone. In addition to viewing and sharing videos, pictures and messages both ways directly with the band, they can comment and rate all material and also connect with other fans. The application works in iPhone, iPod Touch, most of Nokia & Sony Ericsson phones and many of LG's & Samsung's models.
Michael Monroe tour dates:
March 11 - San Francisco, CA @ Paradise Lounge
March 12 - Hollywood , CA @ Viper Room
March 13 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
March 14 - Redondo Beach, CA @ The Brixton March
March 15 - Las Vegas, NV @ Wasted Space @ Hard Rock
March ? - Austin, TX @ SXSW
MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx, who turned 51 in December, has confirmed the end of his two-year relationship with 27-year-old tattoo artist and "L.A. Ink" star Kat Von D (born Katherine Von Drachenberg).
"I want to wish Katherine nothing but the best in her life," Sixx writes on his MySpace page. "She has loved and inspired the hell outta me and I know I have done the same for her in these almost two years we ruled the earth together.
"We are taking a break from our relationship for reasons that we will choose to keep personal. You won't find me saying a bad word about her and I don't believe vice versa… We have too much wonderful history together to ever deface that."
In a November 2009 interview with Fox News, Kat Von D stated about her relationship with Sixx, "I learn so much from him — this is the most fruitful relationship I have ever had. We read a lot together and we are really into self-help books and wisdom books and it's cool — I am constantly learning from him. We are big fans of the 'Four Agreements', 'A New Earth' and we just finished Dr. Drew's new book which has made the most impact on me recently. He talks about narcissism and healthy ways to handle it. But (being in the public eye) is difficult — anybody who says it's not is lying. Especially being in a relationship with someone who is also in the limelight makes it hard not to pay attention to some of the public's feedback."
MÖTLEY CRÜE singer VINCE NEIL has update his tour schedule as follows:
February
11 - St. Charles, MO – Bottleneck Blues Bar
12 - Kansas City, MO – Star Pavilion
March
12 - Rip Puerco, NM – Rio 66 Casino
April
10 - Wendover, NV – Peppermill Concert Hall
May
15 - Richardson, TX – Wildflower! Festival
June
9 - Columbia, MD – M3 Festival – Merriwether Post Pavillion
July
24 - Sioux Falls, ND – Dakota Rock Festival
Neil is working on his solo effort called Tattoos And Tequila, which is expected to be released in April this year. Tracks set to appear may include covers of THE SEX PISTOLS' 'No Feelings' and the CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL classic 'Who'll Stop The Rain'
RAVEN and HELLS BELLES have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 5-7, 2010 in Wacken, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
1349
ALICE COOPER
ARCH ENEMY
AMORPHIS
ATROCITY
BROILERS
CALIBAN
CANDLEMASS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CORVUS CORAX
CRUCIFIED BARBARA
DEBAUCHERY
DEGRADEAD
DELAIN
DESPISED ICON
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
DIE KASSIERER
EDGUY
EQUILIBRIUM
END OF GREEN
ENDSTILLE
ETERNAL LEGACY
EVILE
FIDDLER'S GREEN
GHOST BRIGADE
GOJIRA
GRAVE DIGGER
HACKNEYED
HELLS BELLES
IHSAHN
IMMORTAL
IMPERIUM DEKADENZ
IRON MAIDEN
KAMPFAR
KATAKLYSM
LAKE OF TEARS
LETZTE INSTANZ
MAROON
METSATÖLL
MÖTLEY CRÜE
NIGHTMARE
ORDEN OGAN
ORPHANED LAND
PRIMAL FEAR
RAVEN
SCHELMISH
SECRETS OF THE MOON
SLAYER
SÓLSTAFIR
STRATOVARIUS
SUICIDAL ANGELS
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
THE OTHER
TIAMAT
TYR
U.D.O.
VARG
VOIVOD
W.A.S.P.
Florida metallers TRIVIUM entered the studio last week to record a new song, entitled "Shattering The Skies Above", as well as a cover version of SEPULTURA 's "Slave New World". According to bassist Paolo Gregoletto, "[guitarist] Corey [Beaulieu] just wrapped up his 'Shattering' solos. Awesome stuff!"
Brendan Crabb (a.k.a. Spiritech) of PyroMusic.net recently conducted an interview with vocalist/bassist Troy Sanders of Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
PyroMusic.net: To me, ["Crack the Skye"] seems to be an album with a lot of contrasts. You've got the more psychedelic, otherworldly ideas included, but then you've got the parallels, such as detailing the death of Brann's (Dailor, drums) sister. Was it an intentional thing, to try and keep things grounded while also taking it into the stratosphere?
Troy Sanders: Yeah, you got it exactly right. Like the constellations, we like to create patterns and tell stories. Creating stories for us is... telling the story is parallel with our band and personal lives and experiences. It's left literal that way and it allows us to create these stories and create a broader picture. Again, I like to use the word multi-dimensional. We like to have that in our sound and our stories. So, it's a way for us to get personal as well as more mystical. So yes, it was very much on purpose and very meticulously thought out, over and over again.
PyroMusic.net: The band obviously has a fondness for concept albums, going back to "Leviathan". Do you think with "Crack the Skye" you've taken the concept record prospect as far as you can?
Troy Sanders: Well, "Crack the Skye", it was based around the element of ether. So that kind of... you know, "Leviathan" was water, "Remission" was fire, "Blood Mountain" was elements of earth and now "Crack the Skye" is literally surrounding the element of ether, the dark matter that dominates the universe, you know, outside of our atmosphere. So the book of elements, the chapters are complete and now we can close the book of elements. Where this leads us, we don't know yet, but having a themes throughout our past four records has definitely worked for us. Whether we'll continue on that path, it's too early to tell.
PyroMusic.net: The album has a lot of nuances and requires many listens to fully appreciate. Having gone as far as you have with the progressive influences on this record, would the band ever consider stripping things back somewhat and going for a more straightforward hard rock sound on a future record?
Troy Sanders: You know, every... all of our music is very, it's not really predetermined. None of our ideas are predetermined. We don't get together and go, "Hey, guys, let's put out a brutally heavy album next," or "Hey, guys, let's have a couple of short and sweet songs." It never happens like that. It just, we just let the authenticity reveal itself. Whatever emotions come through our souls and out of our fingers and through our instruments and into our ears, that circle just comes very naturally. Whoever's got an idea, whoever's got a feeling, we just kinda lay it on the table and then begin to elaborate on that and then we go through it meticulously, over and over until we write what we consider a good song. Then we'll do that until we feel we have an album's worth of material. So nothing is talked about or preconceived at all. The musical waters, we're free to float on any musical waters we choose and I have no idea where this band is... I have no
idea where this band's sound is moving towards. When we're done touring the "Crack the Skye" record, we'll go home, rejuvenate our batteries both mentally and physically and then we'll go down to our space, our practice space and just start hashing out whatever ideas people have that we've collected along the way. So it's a big question mark.
PyroMusic.net: Having that kind of approach towards songwriting, at what point did the idea to incorporate more clean vocals into "Crack the Skye" come into the equation?
Troy Sanders: Well, the music was deeper and darker and more personal than anything we've ever created. It was very spacious... a lot of parts were extremely layered and some parts were very spacious. We realized the music not only called for, but demanded better vocals on top to complement the sound of the music itself. So it was nice for us to finally sit back and concentrate as much on vocal melodies, patterns and sounds as much energy as we've spent on the music. We felt like we really needed to step that up and have the vocal lines and patterns match the integrity of the music that we had created. So it just seemed obvious that we needed to step up our game vocally. Create melody and patterns and attempt to create a record that would have a very long-lasting life.
Finnish power metallers KIUAS have finsihed mixing and mastering their fourth album for an April 1 release via Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki by Janne Joutsenniemi, who previously worked with the band on the pre-production of their last album, "The New Dark Age". Mikko Karmila mixed the CD at Finnvox studios while the mastering duties were handled by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers.
A studio diary can be found at this location.
KIUAS' video for the song "The Decaying Doctrine" can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Owe Lingvall of Village Road Film. The song comes off "The New Dark Age", which was released in the U.K. via Spinefarm Records, accompanied by reissues of the first two outings, "The Spirit of Ukko" and "Reformation". All three come with bonus tracks and expanded artwork.
"The New Dark Age" entered the official chart in the band's home country back in March 2008 at position No. 10.
IHSAHN, DEATH ANGEL and EYEHATEGOD are among the newly confirmed bands for this year's installment of the Inferno festival, set to take place March 31 - April 3, 2010 in Oslo, Norway.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ÅRABROT
BELPHEGOR
BENEDICTION
BLODSPOR
COMO MUERTOS
DEATH ANGEL
DEMONIC RESSURECTION
DESTRÖYER 666
EXUMER
EYEHATEGOD
FAUSTCOVEN
FINAL FANTASY
FINNTROLL
FORTID
GRAVDAL
IHSAHN
IRR
JARBOE
KVELERTAK
MADDER MORTEM
MARDUK
MAYHEM
MISTUR
MONGO NINJA
MONOLITHIC
NACHTMYSTIUM
NECROPHAGIST
NIFROST
OBSCURA
OPEN CASKET TERROR
RAGNAROK
RAM-ZET
SARKOM
SCRIBE
SERENITY TRACE
SHINING (N)
SPEARHEAD
SVARTTJERN
TAAKE
THE KOVENANT
THE PSYKE PROJECT
THRONE OF KATARSIS
TORTURE DIVISION
TRIBULATION
VOID OV VOICES
VOMITORY
Few Norwegian music festivals can equal the international status that the Inferno festival now holds. The festival, voted as one of the 10 best in the world by the readers of Terrorizer magazine, continues to grow and is considered the Norwegian metal community's most important gathering.
For four days during Easter, people fly in from England, Sweden, Germany, Italy, the USA and even India to experience extreme metal in Norway's capital.
The festival was started in 2001 by BORKNAGAR guitarist Jens Ryland who wanted the Norwegian metal community to come together for a celebration of extreme music.
The motto of the new MOLLY HATCHET release, "Justice" (due on May 31 via SPV/Steamhammer), was coined by guitarist Bobby Ingram years ago. "Southern rock ain't no fake or hype!" was his comment on the basic philosophy of the band from Jacksonville, Florida. This basic honesty, which runs like a thread through the band's career, remains one of MOLLY HATCHET's outstanding features to this day. In 2010, the group's six musicians play every single note with lifeblood and conviction, giving their countless fans hand-made rock music that operates totally without computers or digital samples.
Recorded in December 2009 and January 2010 by engineer Tommy Newton and produced by Bobby Ingram in Germany, "Justice" consists of 12 songs in total and is a representative cross-section of over thirty years of band experience. Cornerstones on this album are the title track, which — according to Ingram — is a successor to epic songs like "Fall Of The Peacemakers" and "The Journey", and the song "Fly On Wings Of Angels", which the band wrote for young murdered victim Somer Thompson. For Ingram, "Justice" is a very special album as it reflects the most important aspect of a rock act: "We do what we have to do: we play music and take it on the road."
The current HATCHET lineup consists of Bobby Ingram (guitar), Phil McCormack (vocals), John Galvin (keyboards), Dave Hlubek (guitars), Tim Lindsey (bass) and Shawn Beamer (drums). Simultaneously with the release of "Justice" MOLLY HATCHET will announce its upcoming extensive world tour. Ingram states, "When we're on tour we meet the most passionate Southern rock fans everywhere. We feel that we've succeeded in catching this passion on 'Justice', showing the world that Southern rock and MOLLY HATCHET still operate on full throttle."
Left to right in photo: Andreas Rennmann (Brinkmann & Partner), Bobby Ingram (MOLLY HATCHET), Olly Hahn (SPV), Frank Uhle (SPV), Phil McCormack (MOLLY HATCHET)
Brazilian metallers ANGRA are currently writing and rehearsing material for a new studio album which is expected to be released in the second half of 2010. The The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2006's "Aurora Consurgens" will be a conceptual effort and will include 10 songs.
Commented singer Edu Falaschi: "We are looking forward to finishing the rehearsals and to start the recording of the new album! Be prepared to hear one of the best albums in the history of ANGRA! It's secure! It will be a real masterpiece and [it will be followed by] the best tour of ANGRA! Power and quality, everything with the same magic like in the best moments of the band's history!"
ANGRA's current lineup includes drummer Ricardo Confessori (SHAMAN), who returned to ANGRA following the departure of Aquiles Priester (HANGAR).
The band took part in a massive Brazilian tour with SEPULTURA in May 2009.
ANGRA 2010 is:
Eduardo Falaschi - Vocals
Kiko Loureiro - Guitar
Felipe Andreoli - Bass
Rafael Bittencourt - Guitar
Ricardo Confessori - Drums
Falaschi recently launched his new official international fan club. The fan club offers its members a lot of exclusive material, including news, tabs, lyrics, wallpapers, screensavers, pictures etc. The service is available in English and French.
Atlanta's SEVENDUST has finished mixing its new album, "Cold Day Memory", for a tentative spring release. The band says, "The first single will be announced soon and we'll leak a track for our hardcore fans that have been waiting."
The group adds, "We're VERY excited to get this out to [the fans]. Keep you eyes and ears out for it. Go to our official website (Sevendust.com) to watch daily 'on tour' videos we will post starting February 18. We'll also have small clips of the 'making of the record' that will post weekly leading up to the release this spring."
"Cold Day Memory" track listing:
01. Splinter
02. Forever Dead
03. Unraveling
04. Last Breath
05. Karma
06. Ride Insane
07. Confessions (Without Faith)
08. Nowhere
09. Here And Now
10. The End Is Coming
11. Better Place
12. Strong Arm Broken
"Cold Day Memory" was recorded at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois with producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, MACHINE HEAD).
Prior to hooking up with Johnny K for the new album recording sessions, SEVENDUST spent time writing and recording demos with Corey Lowery (former member of DARK NEW DAY, STEREOMUD and STUCK MOJO and brother of SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery) engineering.
SEVENDUST released a very limited-edition box set in November 2008 entitled "Packaged Goods". Each five-disc set was personally autographed by the entire band. The box set included SEVENDUST's 2005 release "Next", 2007's "Alpha", 2007's "Retrospective 2" (CD + DVD), and 2008's "Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow".
SEVENDUST's last album, "Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow" (7Bros/Asylum), came out in April 2008. The CD sold 25,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.
PELICAN's Southern Lord Recordings debut full-length, "What We All Come To Need" — originally released in October — will be issued in double-LP format on February 23. The deluxe vinyl version bears a beautiful heavyweight gatefold jacket, and the fourth side of the release contains three bonus tracks not available on the CD version.
In celebration of the vinyl release, PELICAN will play a hometown show in Chicago on March 12 alongside PINEBENDER and FOLLOWS (ex-RUSSIAN CIRCLES). This record-release concert will also be the sole location to purchase PELICAN's Ephemeral Bean Blend; the band's own limited edition collaboration with Intelligentsia Coffee of Chicago. The group states: "The richest, most complex flavors take patience and skill to craft and are over far too quickly. In that spirit we are proud to present this blend of coffee beans, who have known artisan care from their moment of inception at the farms at which they were grown to the roastery where their delicate nuances were honed to perfection by the skilled craftsmen at Intelligentsia. Enjoy the moment while it lasts."
PELICAN will take part in the recently-announced Scion Rock Fest in Columbus, Ohio on March 13. The free event features more than 20 bands, including SHRINEBUILDER, YOB, ABSU, D.R.I., CANNIBAL CORPSE, VOIVOD and TRAP THEM.
Described by guitarist Laurent Lebec as "the most perfect synthesis of everything we've done to date, sonically," "What We All Come To Need" is "a giant step forward within the complex, intricate, beautiful and crushing sound PELICAN is famous for," according to a press release. The album features more guests than have ever appeared on a PELICAN album before: Greg Anderson of SUNN O))), Aaron Turner of ISIS, Ben Verellen of HARKONEN and Helms Alee and Allen Epley from THE LIFE AND TIMES and SHINER. Content-wise, Lebec says "there is a current of inspiration that feels particular to each album's music and titles. Though we lack a singer, the song names are often conceptual. This new album speaks to a rapidly decaying world, the fulfillment we find in each other, as well as the resolve to move beyond disillusionment."
Paul Weston (a.k.a "The Metal Tyrant"), who hosts "Powersurge", a weekly metal show that airs on WLFE-ROCK 102 in the Champlain Valley in the Northeast, was recently contacted by Joel DuBay (vocals/guitars) from the recently reactivated Minneapolis, Minnesota thrashers POWERMAD. Here is the message that Weston received:
"POWERMAD have been writing the new record for some time. We have many, many demo songs out to potential producers, but we have not settled on anyone yet.
"Lots to tell, and lots to reveal — when the dust settles, the new 2010 POWERMAD will emerge, and we'll be killin' it like we always have.
"There are heaps of requests for European metal fest shows, but we really want to get the new record done, and that takes priority.
"Todd [Haug, guitar], Jeff [Litke, bass] and I are the original members, and we have a new, mega-killer drummer we're working with that will bring all the death and destruction you can envision to the end recordings .
"Don't be surprised to see a tour, or many tours with this next record!
"POWERMAD will be available for shows beginning spring 2010! If you are a promoter and would like to contact POWERMAD in regards to booking a show, please contact Joel DuBay @ joel@readyacoustics.com."
POWERMAD 2010 is:
Joel DuBay - Guitar/Vocals
Todd Haug - Guitar
Jeff Litke - Bass
[to be announced] - Drums
POWERMAD has been called "an innovative and often forgotten speed metal band... who infused progressive metal styles and European styles into abstract American speed metal." The group's intricate riff formulations are heavily influenced by thrash-metal acts like METALLICA and TESTAMENT, but vocalist Joel DuBay's mixture of melodic singing and high screams is reminiscent of Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST ) and Tom Araya (SLAYER).
POWERMAD formed in 1984 in Minneapolis and released an EP on Combat Records. The band subsequently signed to Reprise Records and released "The Madness Begins" EP in 1988 and "Absolute Power" in 1989.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/powermadband.
ECHOTERRA, the new female-fronted symphonic rock/metal band featuring keyboardist Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE), guitarist Yan Leviathan (AVIAN), bassist Brian Hollenbeck, vocalist Melissa Ferlaak (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) and drummer Adam Sagan (INTO ETERNITY), will make its live debut on Saturday, February 6 as the support act for EPICA, THREAT SIGNAL and BLACKGUARD.
ECHOTERRA's new EP, "In Your Eyes" features Ferlaak on the three re-recorded songs from the band's debut CD — "In Your Eyes", "A Tear of Her Heart" and "Say, Try, Lie, Die". The EP also includes an orchestral version of "Bear Mountain", a song that will be featured on ECHOTERRA's next full-length album. "The Echoterra Overture".
The new version of the song "In Your Eyes" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
ECHOTERRA last year parted ways with singer Suvi Virtanen for the sole reason that she is located in Sweden while the rest of the band is located in the U.S., which makes it very difficult to perform live.
Adam joined ECHOTERRA as the replacement for John Gensmer, since John is busy with his main band EPICUREAN and will not have the time to dedicate to ECHOTERRA.
ECHOTERRA's debut album, "The Law Of One", was released on September 15, 2009 via Blinding Force Recordings.
Despite SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian's recent online teases, fans should not count on seeing the band again in the near future.
"We always have offers to play, from festivals and stuff, but we have not decided to do anything as of yet," vocalist Serj Tankian tells Billboard.com. "We're in touch. We talk. We call it an indefinite hiatus, and that's how we still look at it. Nothing's really changed."
SYSTEM OF A DOWN has been on hiatus since 2006 while its members have pursued various personal projects. Tankian released his first solo album, "Elect The Dead", in 2007 while Odadjian recorded with members of the WU-TANG CLAN and launched a new online music initiative. Meanwhile, guitarist Daron Malakian started a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY, also featuring SYSTEM drummer John Dolmayan.
Three members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN — Malakian, Odadjian and Dolmayan — plus SCARS ON BROADWAY's Franky Perez performed three songs (including SOAD's "Suite-Pee" and SCARS ON BROADWAY's "They Say") at Shavo's Halloween party at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California on October 31, 2009. Check out photos by ErikVoake.com at this location.
In October 2008, Malakian announced via SCARS ON BROADWAY's web site that the band's headlining tour — which included an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" — was being cancelled, with no plans of rescheduling. Malakian cited his lack of enthusiasm and "his heart not being into touring" as the chief reasons behind the decision to call off the trek. "The music of SCARS will live on, but now is a time when aspects of my life need to be tended to," he said in a statement.
SCARS ON BROADWAY sold just under 24,000 copies of its self-titled debut album in the United States during its first week of release to debut at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. This number represented roughly 36 percent of the 66,000 opening tally registered by "Elect the Dead", which came out in the fall of 2007 through the Warner Music Group.
The brief excitement about a SYSTEM reunion was similar to the buzz created on New Year's Day (January 1) when ex-SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell posted a vaguely worded message online that many took to mean that band's return was imminent. There has been no further news on that front and sources have hinted that the message did not actually signal a reunion.
Cyber rockers POWERMAN 5000 have scheduled the following dates:
Jun. 01 - West Hollywood , CA @ Whisky A Go Go
Jun. 03 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Jun. 04 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
Jun. 05 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Jun. 06 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Jun. 09 - Lincoln, NE @ Knickerbockers
Jun. 10 - Maplewood, MN @ The Rock
Jun. 11 - Cedar Rapids, IA @ 3rd St Live
Jun. 12 - Madison, WI @ The Annex
Jun. 13 - Elgin, IL @ The Main Event
Jun. 14 - Green Bay, WI @ Tom, Dick and Harry's
Jun. 16 - Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
Jun. 17 - Johnson City, TN @ Vision
Jun. 18 - Nashville,TN @ The Muse
Jun. 19 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Jun. 20 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Jun. 21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
Jun. 23 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
Jun. 24 - Phoenix, AZ @ U.B.'s
Jun. 25 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Jun. 26 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theater
Tickets are on sale now exclusively at EnterTheVault.com until February 13, at which point they will be made available through all normal ticketing systems.
"Super Villain", the latest video from POWERMAN 5000, can be viewed below. 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".
"Super Villain" comes off POWERMAN 5000's new album, "Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere", which 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," explained 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 added, "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'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
ARCH ENEMY will tour France and Luxemburg in March 2010. Support will come from SAMAEL, NO RETURN and DYLATH LEEN. The band's European schedule is now as follows:
March
27 - Lille, France - Aeronef
28 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre Fest
30 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
31 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
April
1 - Luxemburg, Luxemburg - Rockhal Club
3 - Langen, Germany - Noisegate Festival 3
4 - Schijndel, The Netherlands - Paaspop 2010
Vocalits Angela Gossow comments: "Right now we are on tour in the U.S. with EXODUS, ARSIS and MUTINY WITHIN. All killer bands! You shouldn't miss out on this awesome package. Last night in NYC was insane!
After the U.S. tour we will return to Europe to play some more shows. We are bringing Samael, No Return and Dylath Leen with us! We will reunite with our brothers from DESTRUCTION at the Noisegate Festival in Langen, Germany. France is one of our best live markets and it is about bloody time we get to play Paris again. This time we are hell-bound to discover the metal hearts of Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg as well We are currently working on dates in the UK for April too - with an awesome line-up - which will be announced shortly. Stay tuned!"
Arch Enemy's North American tour schedule is nowas follows:
Arch Enemy's tour schedule is as follows:
January
25 - Montreal, QC - Le Medley
26 - Quebec City, QC - Theatre Imperial
27 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
29 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
30 - Minneapolis, MN - The Rock
31 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre
February
2 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall Ballroom
3 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Center
6 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
8 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Center at The Grand
9 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
Chicago-based metallers VEIL OF MAYA have completed work on their new album, "[id]" , for an April release via Sumerian Records. The CD was produced by Michael Keene (THE FACELESS), who previously worked with the group on its last album, 2008's "The Common Man's Collapse". A brand new song from "[id]" will premier the second week of February on MySpace . Until then, you can hear a couple of new tracks live on the band's headline tour with support from ANIMALS AS LEADERS, CIRCLE OF CONTEMPT and PERIPHERY. VEIL OF MAYA will also take part in this year's Atticus Metal Tour II alongside UNEARTH, STICK TO YOUR GUNS, THE GHOST INSIDE and CARNIFEX.
"The Common Man's Collapse" was previously described in a press release as "replete with swift and fluid guitar flourishes, spitting forth notes like lava, lock step drumming that is swifter than a hummingbird's wings and vocals that range from Cro-Magnon throat tones to bestial rage while retaining enunciation."
New York's BLACK ANVIL has entered Mark "The Animal" Mendoza's (TWISTED SISTER ) studio in Long Island with engineer "General" George Fullan (THE ROLLING STONES , DREAM THEATER) to begin recording its sophomore album. Entitled "Triumvirate", the follow-up to "Time Insults The Mind" will include the tracks "The Evil Of All Roots", "What Is Life If Not Now!", "Angels To Dust", "Ultimate Reality", "With Transparent Blood" and "Dead and Left". The CD's central theme will be that of "beginning and end". A late spring release is expected, with more album details to be announced shortly.
BLACK ANVIL will take part in the 2010 Scion Rock Fest on March 13 in Columbus, Ohio.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/blackanvilny.
Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL have "rejected" their nomination in the "Metal" category at this year's Spellemann awards.
The nominees for the largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show, which is often referred to as the country's equivalent to the American Grammy Awards, were announced earlier today (Monday, January 25) and included nods to IMMORTAL for the band's latest album, "All Shall Fall", as well as to the most recent releases from CODE, ÅRABROT and THE CUMSHOTS, all of whom were also nominated in the "Metal" category.
After receiving the news that they were nominated for a Spellemann award, the members of IMMORTAL issued a brief statement saying, "IMMORTAL says no to Spellemann nomination. IMMORTAL has registered that we are nominated to a Spellemann award for 'All Shall Fall'. We hereby wish to announce that we reject this nomination."
IMMORTAL manager Håkon Grav told the blog of the Norwegian TV program "Lydverket" that the IMMORTAL members themselves should explain why they have chosen to reject the Spellemann nomination, but offered his personal view on the drama.
"IMMORTAL doesn't necessarily want to be the biggest band in the world, they just want to be the rawest band," he said. "And honestly, one has to say that there are few black metal bands who have kept their credibility while still playing for 80,000 fans around Europe."
When "Lydverket" contacted Marte Thorsby, the head of the Spellemann board, to get her response to IMMORTAL's statement, she said that it would not pose a problem for the awards show. "We're not gonna force anybody to be nominated for a Spellemann award, so we'll remove them from the nominations. This is completely unproblematic."
Tonight's (Monday, January 25) BEHEMOTH concert at the Station 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
Commented the band: "We are currently stuck in North Dakota in a complete whiteout . They have closed Interstate 29 so we can't make it to the show tonight. SEPTICFLESH and LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH are with us as well.
"Sorry to all the fans coming out tonight; there is nothing we can do."
BEHEMOTH kicked off its North American "Evangelia Amerika" headlining tour on January 7 at the Theater Of The Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (with support from SEPTICFLESH and LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH).
In a recent interview with PyroMusic.net, Darski stated about the band's decision to call its new album "Evangelion ", "'Evangelion' is a word that comes from the Greek and it stands for 'good message,' according to the Bible. It's basically about spreading the word of God. We have our own way of looking at these things and we actually... I'm not trying to tell you that we feel like apostles, you know (laughs), that we've got our denomination across the world and trying to convert people from Christianity to whatever else, other systems. That's not the point. The point is that we are here to spread the word about the divine potential of every human being and that's how we see that. It's a very rebellious, very provocative, very epic in sound and title and that's how I see it. It's awesome — it fits the whole concept so well, it fits the music, it fits everything. I just love it, I thought it was perfect."
Regarding the inspiration for the songwriting on "Evangelion", Nergal said, "As usual, I was pissed off. I wasn't really at peace with myself and with the surrounding world. But it's not that I'm like super-frustrated or anything like that; I'm probably like every human being, probably just a little bit more sensitive to certain situations. But we just wanted to deliver great music, the best BEHEMOTH record, the ultimate BEHEMOTH record, the record that's going to be very liberating in its form. We didn't want to compete with anyone or anything — we wanted to release our own, true inner spirit and that's what we did. We didn't look at anything, any opinions — media, fans — we didn't give a fuck about anything, you know? All we gave a fuck (about) was how much pleasure it gives us to perform these new songs in the rehearsal room and that's how we did it. It was awesome. It felt great, it just sounded great and we enjoyed it. We were like, 'Okay,
this is going to a great song,' and that's it, man. I don't remember when it was the last time that we were.... I mean, like 'Apostasy' was like over-analyzing, over-thinking, just going towards too many directions, making a record that was very diverse, but was losing the focus, was losing the impact. This new one is very diverse, but it has a super strong impact; that's what differentiates 'Evangelion' from 'Apostasy'. And (with) 'Evangelion' there's definitely a parallel with 'Demigod', because 'Demigod' was a strong impact, but it was definitely a less diverse... there just wasn't as many dimensions on 'Demigod' that are on 'Evangelion'."
ENSIFERUM and FJOERGYN have been confirmed for this year's Ragnarök Festival, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at Ostbayernhalle in Rieden/Kreuth, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGATHODAIMON
AKREA
ARKONA
BELPHEGOR
CARACH ANGREN
CATAMENIA
CTULU
ENSIFERUM
EQUILIBRIUM
FJOERGYN
GORGOROTH
GRAILKNIGHTS
HAGGARD
HEATHEN FORAY
HELFAHRT
HELLSAW
HELRUNAR
HOLLENTHON
IMPERIUM DEKADENZ
KROMLEK
MIDNATTSOL
OBSCURITY
RIGER
SARKE
SLARTIBARTFASS
SÓLSTAFIR
SUIDAKRA
THE VISION BLEAK
THORMESIS
VARG
VREID
For more information, visit www.ragnaroek-festival.com.
------------------------------------
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