On his current public persona, compared to his image during his rock 'n' roll heyday with his band BLACK SABBATH and going solo thereafter:
"What you get up from me is what I am. Believe me. My antics weren't for anything but the antics. It wasn't like I thought, 'I'll bite the heads off these things and then I'll be on the front page tomorrow.' If I had the trick of doing that I'd have made a zillion dollars."
On how the music business has changed:
"The days of the bohemian rock and roller who tours once in a blue moon and just makes records and sells records are long gone. The royalty train is broken forever."
On how many bands are shooting themselves in the foot by charging too much for tickets:
"They get away with it one time, these big tours, and then the bands want to go again but… no one wants to go back. It's pure unadulterated greed. You can't do that."
On the impact of digital technology when it comes organizing and producing a show:
"In the '70s and early '80s we never had cell phones. I have a cell phone now but I don't use it. I don't know how to work a computer and I don't want to particularly. In the old days all the manager would do is give you a piece of paper the time of arrival, the time we go on stage, and if you get lost, all you do is stop and ask someone. And now you've got electronic wires and computers. If the system breaks down, it'll be chaotic."
HEAVEN & HELL â€" the band featuring BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar),
Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) â€"
will headline the 10th-anniversary edition of the Bloodstock festival, set to
take place August 13-15, 2010 at Catton Hall, Derbyshire, United Kingdom.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AMORPHIS
ANDROMEDA
BEHEMOTH
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
DEVIN TOWNSEND
DORO
DREAM EVIL
FEAR FACTORY
GOJIRA
GWAR
HEAVEN & HELL
KORPIKLAANI
LEAVES' EYES
OBITUARY
RAGE
ROSS THE BOSS
SONATA ARCTICA
SUFFOCATION
For more information, visit www.bloodstock.uk.com.
AC/DC was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock Performance " category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, which are being held tonight (Sunday, January 31) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. AC/DC was nominated for the track "War Machine", from the band's 2008 album "Black Ice".
The nominees in this year's "Hard Rock" category were as follows:
* AC/DC - "War Machine" (from "Black Ice")
* ALICE IN CHAINS - "Check My Brain" (from "Black Gives Way to Blue")
* LINKIN PARK - "What I've Done" (from "Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keyes")
* METALLICA - "The Unforgiven III" (from "Death Magnetic ")
* NICKELBACK - "Burn it to the Ground" (from "Dark Horse")
Only albums released between October 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009 could be considered for this year's awards.
The Grammys are determined by 12,000 music industry professionals who belong to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live in high definition TV and 5.1 Surround Sound on CBS from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST.
Nominations for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards were announced on December 2, 2009 by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest over the past year in music, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the second year, nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night". The one-hour special — broadcast live on CBS from Club Nokia at L.A. live — featured the announcement of nominations in several categories as well as performances by the BLACK EYED PEAS, DJ/producer David Guetta, Maxwell, Nick Jonas & THE ADMINISTRATION, Sugarland, and host LL Cool J. Presenters included LINKIN PARK, George Lopez, Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, Ringo Starr, T-Pain, and Dwight Yoakam.
All 30,000 tickets to AC/DC 's June 5, 2010 concert in Horsens, Denmark sold out within 46 minutes after they went on sale this past Friday, January 29.
Traffic to the web site of Billetlugen, a Danish company that sells tickets to concerts, was reportedly so massive during the time that AC/DC tickets were available that the site ground to a halt.
AC/DC's music will be used extensively in the upcoming summer superhero blockbuster "Iron Man 2 ", as a result of a new collaboration between Columbia Records and Marvel Studios. A new video for the song "Shoot To Thrill", incorporating exclusive footage from the movie, premiered online Tuesday (January 26), while an album called "AC/DC: Iron Man 2", featuring 15 classic tracks from the band, will arrive in stores on April 19, less than three weeks before the movie's May 7 release date.
Like AC/DC's most recent album, 2008's "Black Ice", the "Iron Man" package will be sold through Wal-Mart and also through Amazon, with special CD and vinyl editions being readied.
The track listing for "AC/DC: Iron Man 2" ranges from 1978 to 2008, including tunes like "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation", "Thunderstruck", "Back In Black", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", "T.N.T.", "Highway To Hell" and others.
"Iron Man 2" finds Robert Downey Jr. returning in the title role, along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke as new villain Whiplash.
Meanwhile, AC/DC has also been confirmed as one of the headliners for this year's Download festival, set for June 11-13 at Donington Park in the U.K. According to NME.com, one of the event's organizers told a British radio show that AC/DC could play its classic 1980 album "Back In Black" in its entirety at the festival to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary. Organizer Andy Copping said, "I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it's a possibility."
"Back In Black" was the first AC/DC album recorded after the death of lead singer Bon Scott. The album was a monster hit, eventually selling over 22 million copies in the U.S. and 49 million worldwide, making it the fifth best-selling album of all time in the U.S. and second in the world, after MICHAEL JACKSON 's "Thriller".
Frontman Brian Johnson, who made his debut on the album, told The Pulse of Radio a while back that he had no idea how successful "Back In Black" would be. "I'd just melted me brain in there, and I didn't know if it was good or bad," he said. "That was the first time I'd been in the Bahamas, anyway, or near America, you know, and you (have to) remember, I was just fascinated by the whole culture and all, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing! And (laughs) lucky, really — I was a bit lucky, I think."
JUDAS PRIEST was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, which are being held tonight (Sunday, January 31) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. JUDAS PRIEST was nominated for the track "Dissident Aggressor", from the band's 2009 live album "A Touch of Evil: Live". The band's lead vocalist Rob Halford and drummer Scott Travis accepted the award at the event.
In his acceptance speech, Halford said, "The fifth time is the charm." According to AOL's Noisecreep, he mentioned that PRIEST have been making metal for 25 years and that they still love what they do. He also remembered to thank all the radio stations and press that have supported the band, and he dedicated the award to all heavy metal fans.
The nominees in this year's "Metal" category were as follows:
* JUDAS PRIEST - "Dissident Aggressor" (from "A Touch of Evil: Live"
* LAMB OF GOD - "Set to Fail" (from "Wrath")
* MEGADETH - "Head Crusher" (from "Endgame")
* MINISTRY - "Señor Peligro" (from "Adios...")
* SLAYER - "Hate Worldwide" (from "World Painted Blood")
Only albums released between October 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009 could be considered for this year's awards.
The Grammys are determined by 12,000 music industry professionals who belong to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live in high definition TV and 5.1 Surround Sound on CBS from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST.
Nominations for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards were announced on December 2, 2009 by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest over the past year in music, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the second year, nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night". The one-hour special — broadcast live on CBS from Club Nokia at L.A. live — featured the announcement of nominations in several categories as well as performances by the BLACK EYED PEAS, DJ/producer David Guetta, Maxwell, Nick Jonas & THE ADMINISTRATION, Sugarland, and host LL Cool J. Presenters included LINKIN PARK, George Lopez, Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, Ringo Starr, T-Pain, and Dwight Yoakam.
Amidst continuing reports of other singers being approached to front Aerosmith,
Steven Tyler and his handlers are taking steps to reassert his position in the
band.
Tyler's Los Angeles-based attorney, Skip Miller, fired off a letter to Aerosmith
manager Howard Kaufman last week, independently obtained by Billboard.com,
requesting that Aerosmith's management "immediately cease and desist from
engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client,
Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members." Miller subsequently told
Billboard.com that on behalf of Tyler he's called a meeting of Aerosmith's
"shareholders" on Feb. 9 to discuss the band's future, including recording a new
album and touring this year of Europe and South America. The four-page letter
also states that "we reserve all of our legal rights and remedies in this
matter, including, without limitation, pursuing legal action for damages and
other appropriate relief."
"Steven Tyler does not want lawsuits," said Miller. "We do not want to go in
that direction. The direction we want is Aerosmith, with Steven Tyler, touring
in Europe, touring Latin America, releasing a new album...This is the direction
it's all intended to go. It's just amazing to me current management would be
taking any other position."
Aerosmith's management declined comment. Miller says he has not yet received a
response from Kaufman or any of Aerosmith's other representatives. As for what
the next step will be if Aerosmith continues with its search for a new singer,
Miller said "we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. I hope we don't.
I don't think we will."
Tyler is currently undergoing therapy for a painkiller addiction brought on by
orthopedic problems. The location of his treatment is unknown, but recent public
appearances -- singing karaoke at a bar in Palm Springs, Calif., and signing
autographs and singing over the public address system at a Home Depot -- led to
speculation he's at the nearby Betty Ford Center.
Miller says the Jan. 27 letter was prompted by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry's
recent comments in the Canadian press about replacing Tyler and by a meeting
earlier in January attended by Kaufman, Tyler's music attorney John Branca and
Tyler's new manager Allen Kovac of 10th Street Entertainment. Kaufman, according
to Miller, "said point blank he didn't think Steven should be part of Aerosmith,
flat-out said the band would be better off without Steven -- which, in my
opinion, is a very questionable management decision by a fiduciary."
Miller's letter argues that "the animus and negativity you have expressed
towards Mr. Tyler has created an inability to protect both Steven as an
individual and the band as a whole. This behavior directed towards a person
committing to rehabilitation and recovery is detrimental and hurtful on both a
personal and professional level. This is a time Steven has dedicated to
transform his life." Miller pointed to Tyler's Dec. 22 statement, in which the
singer "confirms his desire to be a part of Aerosmith" and accuses Kaufman of
"playing band members off against one another instead of seeking to solidify
their relationships and unify them for the overall good of the band...Contrary
to all common sense, you are seeing to bring about the replacement of Steven
Tyler. Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like the Rolling Stones without Mick
Jagger, or U2 without Bono. While this management strategy may get the band on
the road a few months sooner, it ultimately
could destroy Aerosmith."
Miller added that, "Can you imagine the manager of the Rolling Stones calling
for the replacement of Mick Jagger? It's just absurd...Tyler is very unique,
distinctive. Steven is Aerosmith, along with the others. He's the guy the public
knows. He's the singer. I'm blown away that the current manager would even
suggest something like (replacing him)."
Both the letter and Miller said that Tyler has been writing songs for a new
Aerosmith album and will be ready to perform at the proposed European and South
American dates later in the year. Aerosmith had started to record a new album --
its first since 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo" and first of all-original material
since 2001's "Just Push Play" -- with producer Brendan O'Brien in late 2008 but
put it on hold due to health concerns, including Tyler's bout with pneumonia,
and to prepare for a tour last summer with ZZ Top that was aborted after Tyler
fell from the stage on Aug. 5 in Sturgis, S.D. Perry, meanwhile, is touring to
promote his latest solo album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel," while Brad Whitford
is gearing up for an Experience Hendrix tour in March and drummer Joey Kramer is
promoting his autobiography, "Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the
Top."
The Tyler camp actions come at a time when rumors are further ramping up about
who might sit in for Tyler. A Perez Hilton weekend report claims that Billy
Idol, who's been widely reported as under consideration, had to skip a scheduled
meeting with Perry due to a cold, while other published reports maintain that
Chris Cornell and Paul Rodgers have both been approached. Lenny Kravitz, another
rumored candidate, has publicly stated he's not interested.
Although Ozzy Osbourne has been hard at work on his own new solo album for much of the past year, the Prince of Darkness did find time to contribute vocals to a song on the upcoming debut solo effort from ex-GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash. Ozzy told The Pulse of Radio how the collaboration came about. "Slash is a real good friend," he said. "He's a lovely, lovely man and his family's great as well. And he phoned me up and he says, 'I'm doing an album, would you be prepared to do — sing on it?' So he sent the tape over and I put a vocal on it and did some lyrics. It was kind of like an '80s vibe and I thought, 'He ain't gonna like this.' He loves it."
Ozzy's song is tentatively titled "Crucify Me Again".
Although the track was initially slated to be the first single from Slash's record, due to legal issues The Pulse of Radio hears that a song featuring AVENGED SEVENFOLD 's M. Shadows on vocals, titled "Nothing To Say", may now be the first one headed to rock radio stations.
Slash's solo album is due out this spring and will feature guest appearances from Dave Grohl , Flea, Chris Cornell , Duff McKagan, Iggy Pop , Alice Cooper, Nicole Scherzinger, Meat Loaf, MAROON 5's Adam Levine and possibly Fergie in addition to Ozzy and Shadows.
Ozzy's record is due out by the summer. Although he was thinking of calling it "Soul Sucka", he has now discarded that title following a fan outcry.
Legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) will release his first true solo album, simply entitled "Slash", in North America in April via EMI Label Services.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Slash on the 'Slash' project. EMI Label Services and Caroline Distribution will be providing unique marketing and promotion services while working closely with Slash on creative ways to expose this great project to the consumer," said Dominic Pandiscia, SVP and General Manager, EMI Label Services and Caroline Distribution.
Ultimate Guitar has exclusively revealed the new album's artwork. Check it out below.
"Slash" track listing (guest vocalist listed in parenthesis):
01. Ghost (Ian Astbury)
02. Beautiful Dangerous (Fergie)
03. Nothing To Say (M. Shadows of AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
04. Crucify The Dead (Ozzy Osbourne)
05. Promise (Chris Cornell)
06. By The Sword (Andrew Stockdale of WOLFMOTHER)
07. Doctor Alibi (Lemmy Kilmeister)
08. Saint Is A Sinner Too (Rocco De Luca)
09. Watch This (Dave Grohl/Duff McKagan)
10. I Hold On (Kid Rock)
11. Gotten (Adam Levine)
12. We're All Gonna Die (Iggy Pop)
13. Starlight (Myles Kennedy)
"Slash" was produced by Eric Valentine (QUEENS OF STONE AGE, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS) and was completed with the rhythm section of bassist Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION) and drummer Josh Freese (NINE INCH NAILS). Slash handled the majority of arranging and songwriting duties and hand-picked each guest artist. The album's guests worked collaboratively with Slash to round out the song.
"The idea was really simple in the beginning," said Slash. "These are all artists I wanted to work with — that I thought it would be amazing to do something creative and collaborative. And I was so impressed with what everyone brought to the table. They were all so committed to doing a good job. And we had a lot of fun making these songs."
Slash has teamed up with Guitar Center, the world's largest musical instrument retailer, for a first-of-its kind undiscovered music program: Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash, an unsigned band competition that provides emerging artists the chance to win the ultimate career-altering opportunity: record a three-song EP with legendary producer Mike Clink (GUNS N' ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE, MEGADETH) and have Slash write, record and perform on the winning artist's single. Starting today through April 30, 2010 bands across the United States are invited to submit their music at YourNextRecord.com for a chance to win.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_pKvKvGpbzhA/S2cyb15PS-I/AAAAAAAABT0/lIwpMORe0_8/s800/slashcover.jpg
This past weekend, METALLICA was presented with a gold plaque signifying Brazilian sales in excess of 45,000 copies of the band's 2008 album, "Death Magnetic". The band also received a platinum award recognizing sales in Brazil of more than 60,000 copies of the group's "Orgullo, Pasión Y Gloria - Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México" (Pride, Passion And Glory Three Nights In Mexico City) DVD — which was recorded on June 4, 6 and 7 of last year at Foro Sol in Mexico City. The award presentation was held Saturday afternoon (January 30), just hours before the band's performance at the Morumbi stadium in São Paulo. A 20-minute press conference followed the award presentation and can be viewed in four parts below.
METALLICA's setlist for the January 30 concert was as follows:
01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. The Four Horsemen
04. Harvester Of Sorrow
05. Fade To Black
06. That Was Just Your Life
07. The End Of The Line
08. The Day That Never Comes
09. Sad But True
10. Broken, Beat and Scarred
11. One
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Stone Cold Crazy
17. Motorbreath
18. Seek and Destroy
A policeman was injured and 120 people arrested when rioting broke out outside METALLICA's January 26, 2010 concert in Santiago, Chile, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune. Authorities said that most of the arrests were made when hundreds of fans who did not have tickets attempted to force their way into the Club Hipico horse-racing grounds to see the show, which was attended by a crowd of more than 50,000. Police colonel Miguel Angel Castro said, "A group of people tried to enter without tickets and Carabineros (militarized police) had to act, launching water."
Charges against those arrested included disorderly conduct, drug possession and drinking in public.
The gig was the sixth on METALLICA's South American trek, which began on January 19 with the band's first-ever appearance in Lima, Peru. The crowd of 55,000 at that show was the biggest for a musical event in Peruvian history.
The group wrapped the first leg of the jaunt this past weekend in Brazil, resuming in early March with stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Panama and Colombia.
SLAYER and MEGADETH are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the "American Carnage" North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled "Canadian Carnage East" dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. SLAYER will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the "American Carnage" leg in Albany, NY on August 11.
"American Carnage" will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, Oregon on September 4. TESTAMENT will be special guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the "American Carnage" shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.
Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase. However, new cities have been added to the "American Carnage" itinerary, with dates now scheduled in Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento. The confirmed, complete itinerary is below.
The "American Carnage" tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to SLAYER's vocalist/bassist Tom Araya's ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a cervical radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Right after the first of the year, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate. That surgery took place early last week.
"The doctors said that Tom's surgery went very smoothly and was a resounding success," said Rick Sales, longtime SLAYER manager. "He's home now, doing really well, and he said the numbness in his fingers had already diminished considerably."
Shortly after the surgery, SLAYER's Kerry King received a text from Tom: "Awake and feeling good, actually whatever he did, it feels better."
The "American Carnage" tour will mark the first time that SLAYER, MEGADETH and TESTAMENT will have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour, making this truly a "must-see" event.
SLAYER recently announced the rescheduling of its headline tour in Europe, and MEGADETH and TESTAMENT are currently on tour together playing U.S. cities that will not be on the "American Carnage" itinerary.
"American Carnage" North American tour dates:
Jul. 23 - Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec City, QC CANADA
Jul. 24 - Heavy MTL, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC CANADA
Jul. 26 - Metro Centre, Halifax, NS CANADA
Jul. 27 - Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB CANADA
Jul. 29 - Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ONT CANADA
Jul. 30 - John Labatt Centre Center, London, ONT CANADA
Aug. 11 - Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY
Aug. 12 - Izod Center , East Rutherford, NJ
Aug. 14 - Tsongas Arena, Boston, MA
Aug. 15 - Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Aug. 16 - Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, CT
Aug. 18 - Tower City Amphitheatre, Cleveland, OH
Aug. 19 - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit,MI
Aug. 20 - UIC Pavillon, Chicago, IL
Aug. 21 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 23 - Cap Fed Park @Sandstone, Kansas City, KS
Aug. 25 - Magness Arena, Denver, CO
Aug. 26 - Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 27 - Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 29 - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA
Aug. 30 - Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA
Aug. 31 - Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA
Sep. 01 - Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
Sep. 03 - Wamu Theatre, Seattle, WA
Sep. 04 - Washington County Fairgrounds, Portland, OR
KORN, ROB ZOMBIE, MEGADETH, SLAYER, and TESTAMENT are among the confirmed bands for the Heavy MTL 2010 festival, set to take place on July 24-25, 2010 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances which forced the Canadian Carnage tour to be postponed, Heavy MTL is thrilled to announce that MEGADETH, SLAYER, and TESTAMENT will join the festival lineup on Saturday, July 24. Canadian Carnage ticket holders are encouraged to retain their tickets as further information will be made available shortly.
On Sunday July 25, fans will get an earful courtesy of none other than
KORN
ROB ZOMBIE
LAMB OF GOD
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
HATEBREED
CHIMAIRA
3 INCHES OF BLOOD
WINDS OF PLAGUE
ATREYU
IN THIS MOMENT
NORMA JEAN
The aforementioned acts are traveling throughout the U.S. as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and they will cross the border exclusively to join forces with Heavy MTL, creating a unique event in North America.
The best part? Heavy MTL is not done yet! Full lineup and ticketing information for Canada's biggest metal and hard rock festival will be announced soon.
Sonic Excess recently conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
Sonic Excess: Congratulations on releasing SLAYER's 11th studio album, "World Painted Blood". The response from fans and critics has just been phenomenal. What's you proudest achievement about "World Painted Blood", and did you set any new or different personal goals when recording it?
Lombardo: There's so much to be proud of on that record. Each individual person's performance was one thing and having Greg Fidelman as the producer was another. He was able to capture the band in its broad and best form, which is what SLAYER's about. There's so many elements. It's hard to pick just one. It's just the whole record.
Sonic Excess: It's an amazing release. "World Painted Blood" is being compared to "Reign in Blood". Do you have any thoughts on that?
Lombardo: I mean, I think maybe because it has that magic that there's certain records, like AC/DC 's "Highway to Hell". That album has chemistry to it, some kind of balance on that record, and there's a lot of records that are like that. Some LED ZEPPELIN records that are like that, you know, the "Led Zeppelin II". PINK FLOYD has records like that. I mean even bands today have that, and I think we've captured it.
Sonic Excess: "World Painted Blood" revisits SLAYER's punk roots. Was this something that was pre-meditated, or was it something that unfolded naturally in the studio?
Lombardo: Yeah. It bred, it's us. It's something that I think other bands, especially the more modern metal bands, missed out; that punk edge. I think a lot may be in the technology, because punk rock drumming is, I think, very organic, very raw, very street. Of course, technology and computers, being able to fix bass drums hits to an almost perfect metronomic state, kind of deceive the listener, and then they try to sound like that. It evolves. I think that going to your roots and staying with that is better.
Sonic Excess: You brought us right to our next question. Your drum work sounds so natural on the album. Did you stay with the basics and forgo all of the technology?
Lombardo: I was always part of that. It has a lot to do with the producer and what he envisions the band to sound like. So previous records, at least the only one I can speak for is "Christ Illusion", because on that record was the first record I used modern technology to where I used to record onto tape, you know, on the "Seasons" record. So, I did all that prior to computer editing. "Christ Illusion", with the other producer, he made it more mechanical; to where that wasn't what SLAYER was about. I think Greg Fidelman, because of his showing up at rehearsal, recording us, and sending us home with demos for the weekend from what we did that week, or almost daily, I think he was able to understand what we were really about.
Sonic Excess: Why do you think SLAYER has had such a lasting influence and cultural impact?
Lombardo: I think maybe because we've been consistent. We're dependable. This is the first time in 24 or 25 years that we have cancelled any kind of touring. It's not Axl Rose throwing a hissy fit and not doing a show. Our singer had to go into surgery, and in 24 years we have not missed a show. For the kind of music that we play, there is a physical demand that it takes. I think that's pretty cool. I think that says a lot for the band's reputation; that we're there, that we're loyal to the style of music that we play. The fans can always look forward to us being there with the product. They can go to shows and check out a band that will perform real; that's not computer-generated, it's not playback. Sometimes bands will go onstage and there will be some kind of playback going on. The fans will think it's the actual band playing, but it's not.
Sonic Excess: There are recent and persisting rumors that SLAYER is heading for retirement, or at least thinking about it. Please tell us there is no truth to those rumors.
Lombardo: No, that is not true. That was a misconstrued question, a European question, I think, towards Tom. They asked Tom a question, and I think it had to do with us doing our last record for American Recordings. It was a misconstrued theme that we're done and are not going to record anymore. But, no. We are finished with our agreement with American Recordings and Rick Rubin. Now, he has the option of bringing us back on board, or we go to another company. So, that's how that rumor came about. I don't plan on retiring. I'm going to keep playing until I can't play anymore.
MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil has been confirmed for the inaugural edition of the Stockholm Rock Out festival, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at Gamla Tryckeriet in Alvik, Sweden.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
VINCE NEIL
JANI LANE
STEELHEART
KEEL
DIZZY REED
PRETTY BOY FLOYD
BULLETBOYS
VAINS OF JENNA
NASTY IDOLS
CHRIS LANEY
BADMOUTH
DYNAZTY
KILLER CLAN OF F.U.N.
For more information, visit www.sthlmrockout.com.
CANDLEMASS, HAMMERFALL, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and HYPOCRISY are among among the artists who were honored at the third annual Swedish Metal Awards, which was held this past Friday, January 29, 2010 in Sweden.
The complete list of winners is as follows:
Hard Rock: HARDCORE SUPERSTAR - "Beg For It"
Death Metal: HYPOCRISY - "A Taste Of Extreme Divinity"
Heavy/Power Metal: HAMMERFALL - "No Sacrifice, No Victory"
Glam/Sleaze: VAINS OF JENNA - "The Art Of Telling Lies"
Punk/Hardcore: DIA PSALMA - "Re Voltere"
Metal (Black, Doom, Thrash, etc.): CANDLEMASS - "Death Magic Doom"
Alternative Metal (Modern, Nu, Progressive, etc.): LILLASYSTER - "Det Här Är Inte Musik Det Här Är Kärlek"
Video/Director: SONIC SYNDICATE - "Burn This City" (Patric Ullaeus)
Live Act: RAISED FIST
Newcomer: HYSTERICA
For more information (in Swedish), visit www.swedishmetalawards.com.
Kyall Robinson of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with drummer Brann Dailor of Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Metal Forge: So you've recently come to Australia off the back of a big tour with HIGH ON FIRE, CONVERGE and DETHKLOK, how does that sort of thing compare to the Big Day Out festival, now that you're playing with MUSE and PEACHES and all that?
Dailor: "It's a totally different thing. This reminds me a lot more of like, an eclectic European style festival. It's you know, our previous tour was like a celebration of music, but this is a celebration of music and artists that are kinda, 'unique' in their own special way, lots of different cool music that's going on. It gives you the opportunity to see a lot of groups that we wouldn't normally get the chance to see because we tour so much, when MUSE or THE MARS VOLTA or THE DECEMBERISTS or PEACHES come to town, we're usually gone. So it's nice to be able to tour with them, get to know them and stuff like that, so it's cool. A nice melting pot of artists."
The Metal Forge: So then, do you feel kinda like the dark horse of this festival, being one of the only real metal bands on the line-up?
Dailor: "I think FEAR FACTORY are probably more metal than we are! But no, we don't feel like that at all. We've been lucky enough to do plenty of these kinds of festivals with these kinds of bands so you'd be surprised at the people that come out and are into metal. At the end of the day I guess music's music, a lot of musicians especially are into lots of different kinds of music the same way that we play music that's rooted in metal but I think it goes into lots of different areas and I know for a fact that everybody in the band isn't just sitting around and listening to metal all day long. Quite the opposite! We listen to a lot of different kinds of music, I think you have to if you're gonna be any kind of musician"
The Metal Forge: Comparing last time you came here with SLAYER, and the crowd that followed them and your recent tour in the states, how does the crowd compare?
Dailor: "Those shows we did with SLAYER were kinda like, your simple metal fans, your super, super metalheads. So there's a lot of people who have heard of the band who are just gonna watch and nod their heads, maybe this is the first time they've ever heard us and maybe they like it? I dunno. It's a great opportunity to hopefully take on a bunch of new fans. I guess a lot of people here in Australia trust in the 'curators' of the Big Day Out and trust that they're gonna provide them with the very best and eclectic mix of music that's going on out there in the world today. So it's kinda cool that this would sell out before the line-up has been fully announced so it's cool that it's a very prestigious festival and there's a lot of trust there from the fans that come out to have a good time and get rocked by something and hopefully discover something new! So hopefully we can be that something new for some people that come out."
The Metal Forge: So, your set list now is dominated by material from "Crack the Skye", is this an indication of departing from the roots of your first albums, or are you just interested in really progressing your sound?
Dailor: "We're definitely interested in progressing our sound and going different places with it. It's not something that's like talked about with us, but we've always been really into '70s prog and different kinds of music. So we kinda feel like we've covered the metal end of it and we always wanna hold onto that but we wanna go do other things as well and have MASTODON be able to sorta quench all the musical thirsts of the band members. Just try to see what we can do and what new ground we can discover and try to keep it interesting for ourselves and the listeners. I know there's a crowd out there that want the same record over and over, but that's not really what we want to do. We want to branch out and tell people there's more to us than that. We just like a lot of different kinds of music and we want to be able to explore all those different options and have MASTODON be that vessel."
The Metal Forge: So would you say that the band's influences have changed at all? Or are you just continuing the progression?
Dailor: "It's whatever the mood is, we're obviously maturing and getting older as people. Whereas we'd listen to old GENESIS and KING CRIMSON in the van when we were first starting out, it's like where we're heading or so it seems."
The Metal Forge: One of the things I appreciate about MASTODON is that vocal duties are shared between all members of the band, was it a conscious decision or did it just happen?
Dailor: "Troy and Brent never wanted to be vocalists in the first place, so it's kinda funny that it fell upon them now. We had a guy that had a microphone that just ran around and screamed in the beginning. So he was on our demos and he just wasn't having a good time. He wasn't from Atlanta, he was from New York where myself and Bill are from, so it was hard for him in Atlanta. He decided to move back, but he decided like three or four days before we were supposed to leave for our first kinda not real tour, it was a tour we booked ourselves that was gonna take us up the east coast and back, so it was a three-week long tour. We kinda didn't have anything out there yet, so Troy and Brent were kinda like, 'Well, we'll just fill in I guess and as we go along we'll figure some lyrics out to sing,' so it was on the fly, but we were playing in people's basements so it really didn't matter, we could have been an instrumental band and we would have been fine.
But Troy and Brent started filling in wherever they could and felt comfortable. So from there Bill came in and started singing a little bit here and there and when we started recording stuff that's when everybody kind of got their ideas of where to put vocals and where to put lyrics. It all kinda matured from there and the vocals always had a strange evolution outside the music. I mean, like going from 'Remission' to 'Leviathan'. 'Leviathan' saw Brent really step out and actually sing a couple of songs, we came up with some melodies and we'd all work together on those melodies and lyrics, so it was a communal situation to begin with vocals and lyrics wise, there wasn't ever like one person who was appointed the duty. So it was free game, whoever had a free idea was more than welcome to try it out and whoever had an idea for a song was more than welcome to write it. I think if you start out and you have a vocalist, it's kind of assumed that it's his job
or duty to write the lyrics and take care of all that, then you have the drummer who's job it is to play drums and the guitarist who's job it is to write guitar parts and so on so forth. But with us, things got mish-mashed and it turned out really good I think. I think that's what really surged us forward and gave us a kind of unique blend where everybody was contributing all the time. So now on this new record we incorporated my vocals as a little surprise, so I guess I'm guest vocals on this album! I don't know what we're gonna do next, I guess I'll keep singing and stuff, it's a little bit hard when you're playing the drums and singing. You've really gotta pick your moments and see if you can pull it off but if you're moving around constantly it is a little weird, it gets a little strange especially if you're doing double bass and stuff and trying to sing it's hard to keep your voice steady, it's like 'nyererererererererer.'"
Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will embark on a U.K. headlining tour in April. Support on the inaugural "Metal Hammer Meltdown" tour will come from SABBAT and ENSLAVED.
Commented ARCH ENEMY frontwoman Angela Gossow: "We strongly felt its time to visit the shores of The United Kingdom Of Heavy Metal again! We miss you, ladies and gentlemen!!! We only did the Bloodstock festival in 2009. It was a fantastic gig and reminded us of why we love the Amott brothers' homeland so much. Even better, we are bringing the U.K. cult thrashers SABBAT with us and the Norwegian sons of darkness, ENSLAVED! We will cook up a devastating setlist for this run and won't leave any prisoners behind. Get ready for the 'Metal Hammer Meltdown' attack!"
Metal Hammer magazine editor Alexander Milas comments: "It's been far too long since these shores were blackened by the ball-hefting brutality of ARCH ENEMY, so imagine our surprise when we heard they were bringing none other than the classic thrash of the almighty SABBAT and the prog-heavy viking metal of ENSLAVED in tow. It's an honour to hang our banner on what promise to be a truly neck-snapping series of dates. Mosh ahoy!"
"Metal Hammer Meltdown" tour dates:
April 27 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfren hall
April 28 - Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
April 29 - Manchester, UK @ Academy
April 30 - London, UK @HMV Forum
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, February 3.
IN FLAMES, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and SONIC SYNDICATE are among the artists who were honored at last night's (Friday, January 29) Bandit Rock Awards at Tyrol in Stockholm, Sweden. The awards ceremony was organized and hosted by the Stockholm-based radio station Bandit Rock 106.3.
The complete list of winners:
* Best Swedish Group: SONIC SYNDICATE
* Best International Group: MUSE
* Best Swedish Album: DEAD BY APRIL - "Dead By April"
* Best International Album: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "Killswitch Engage"
* Best Swedish Live Act: IN FLAMES
* Best International Live Act: MUSE
* Swedish Breakthrough: CORRODED
* International Breakthrough: AIRBOURNE
* Most Played group: MUSTASCH
MUSTASCH, SONIC SYNDICATE, RAISED FIST, DARK TRANQUILLITY and BIFFY CLYRO are among the artists that performed short sets at the event, which was broadcast live on the radio.
Reunited St. Louis-based progressive/melodic thrash metal act ANACRUSIS has issued the following update:
"We're finally finishing up recording the final tracks for the 'new' ANACRUSIS CD . The title of the album will be 'Hindsight: Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited'. The two-CD set will feature both our debut album, 'Suffering Hour', and our second release, 'Reason', along with the classic ANACRUSIS demo track 'Apocalypse', all fully re-recorded by the original lineup of Kenn Nardi, Kevin Heidbreder, John Emery and Mike Owen. The package will also feature a 24-page, full-color booklet with lyrics and lots of photos both old and new.
"Both of these classic albums have been out of print for many years, and we hope old fans and new will find some new life in these re-recorded songs.
"The excellent cover art is being created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, SIGH, MEKONG DELTA, GWAR)
"Mixing is nearly complete and mastering will be handled by Maor Appelbaum who has worked with Yngwie Malmsteen, Rob Halford, Dave Ellefson's F5 and many, many more.
"We are still working out details of where the album will be available, but there should be copies on-hand for our appearance at the Keep It True XIII festival in Germany this coming April."
"Hindsight: Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited" track listing:
CD1:
01. Present Tense
02. Imprisoned
03. R.O.T.
04. Butcher's Block
05. Apocalypse
06. A World To Gain
07. Frigid Bitch
08. Fighting Evil
09. The Twisted Cross
10. Annihilation Complete/Disemboweled
11. Injustice
CD2:
01. Stop Me
02. Terrified
03. Not Forgotten
04. Wrong
05. Silent Crime
06. Killing My Mind
07. Misshapen Intent
08. Afraid To Feel
09. Child Inside
10. Vital
11. Quick To Doubt
2010 marks the 30th anniversary of quintessential Los Angeles punk rock pioneers BAD RELIGION, and to kick off the yearlong celebration the band will perform music spanning their storied career at multiple-night shows at House of Blues in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and Las Vegas beginning March 17. The band also announces that they are currently writing new music with plans to head to the studio this spring and release their 15th studio album later this fall, culminating their anniversary celebration.
Formed in 1980 in the suburbs of Los Angeles by teenage friends; guitarist Brett Gurewitz, bassist Jay Bentley and singer Greg Graffin, with the additions of Greg Hetson (1984-present), Brian Baker (1994-present) and Brooks Wackerman (2001-present), BAD RELIGION have become synonymous with intelligent and provocative West Coast punk rock and are considered one of the most influential and important bands in the genre. Over the past three decades the band has continually pushed social boundaries and questioned authority and beliefs armed only with propulsive guitars, charging drumbeats, thoughtful lyrics and an undying will to inspire and provoke anyone who will listen.
"The greatest feeling about this anniversary is that it is happening at all," says Graffin. "I'm mostly uplifted by the fact that a vibrant and evolving punk scene still inspires young people all over the world. If BAD RELIGION somehow serves as a symbol for the lasting importance of punk, then I am satisfied beyond words by reaching this milestone."
With 14 studio albums, countless worldwide tours and sold out shows, crossbusters tattooed, stitched and worn globally and a universal community of fans among other accolades, BAD RELIGION have earned their spot in punk rock history and will continue the celebration of their distinguished career with extensive touring, new web site, exclusive merchandise, surprise releases and a new album in 2010.
BAD RELIGION tour dates (more shows to be added):
Mar. 17 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 18 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 19 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 20 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 21 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 24 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 26 - Las Vegas , CA - House of Blues
Mar. 27 - Las Vegas , CA - House of Blues
Mar. 31 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Apr. 01 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Apr. 02 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
David Marchese of SPIN.com recently conducted an interview with drummer Chris Adler of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD . An excerpt from the chat follows below.
SPIN.com: How are you feeling about your chances for a Grammy? You're up against some pretty big names — SLAYER, JUDAS PRIEST , MEGADETH , and MINISTRY.
Adler: Yeah, we were as surprised as anyone that we got nominated. But we've been through the process once before, so we know what to expect.... But the metal categories never seem to get televised.
SPIN.com: Is it a bit anti-climactic to actually go to the ceremony?
Adler: We still got all dolled up last time. Just kidding! You can take the redneck out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the redneck.
SPIN.com: Which of your fellow nominees would you be least upset to lose to?
Adler: Probably MEGADETH. I know that they've been nominated eight times and never won.
SPIN.com: They're the Susan Lucci of heavy metal.
Adler: [Laughs] I won't tell them you said that! But we know that band pretty well. They've been through the wringer. They deserve to win.
SPIN.com: It's unusual for a band to have their sixth album be their highest charting. Why do think you guys have been able to keep growing your fan base 15 years into your career?
Adler: In truth, I thought we'd peaked with [2006's] "Sacrament", which went to No. 8 on the album chart. "Redneck" from that album got played in a lot of places metal doesn't normally get played. And with the attention span of today's music fan being what it is, I thought we'd run our course popularity-wise. So we were all shocked at the fact that we intentionally put out a more aggressive album with "Wrath" and then had it sell better than the last one. It was really heartening. But by way of explanation, all I can think of is that the world isn't getting any easier to live in. A lot of people need to release some pressure, and I think heavy metal helps people do that. It's a stress relief.
SUBSIGNAL, the new German band featuring former SIEGES EVEN members Arno Menses (vocals) and Markus Steffen (guitar), will support Canadian rockers SAGA on a number of shows in March/April.
SUBSIGNAL's schedule is now shaping up as follows:
Mar. 27 - Osnabrück, Germany - Rosenhof *
Mar. 29 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo *
Mar. 30 - Darmstadt, Germany - Centralstation
Mar. 31 - Paderborn, Germany - Capitol *
Apr. 01 - Rüsselsheim, Germany - Das Rind
Apr. 02 - Uster / Zürich, Switzerland - Rock City
Apr. 03 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA *
Apr. 07 - Bonn, Germany - Brueckenforum *
Apr. 08 - Mannheim, Germany - 7er Club
Apr. 09 - Menden, Germany - Hubertushalle *
Apr. 13 - München, Germany - Muffathalle *
* Supporting SAGA
SUBSIGNAL released its debut album, entitled "Beautiful & Monstrous", on September 25, 2009 via GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music. The CD was helmed by co-producer Kristian Kohlmannslehner, who worked on SIEGES EVEN's 2007 release, "Paramount". The special edition of the album, which has an approximate running time of 60 minutes, comes with a stylish digipack cover and one bonus track. The LP was also released as a normal jewelcase version with rounded corners, and it was made available on double vinyl.
SUBSIGNAL describes its music as "progressive, melancholic, cutting edge, emotional, blended with a good portion of melodic heaviness."
SUBSIGNAL is:
Markus Steffen (guitar)
Arno Menses (vocals)
Ralf Schwager (bass)
David Bertok (keyboards)
Roel van Helden (drums)
For more information, visit www.subsignalband.com.
Italy's STIGMA has set "Concerto for the Undead" as the title for its follow-up
to 2008's "When Midnight Strikes!", due on April 30 in Europe (except in the
U.K., where it will arrive on May 3) and May 4 in North America via Pivotal
Rockordings.
"Concerto for the Undead" features lyrics centered on the cult-classic comic
book series Tales From the Crypt and includes guest vocal appearances by Jamie
Hope (ex-THE RED SHORE) and Jon Hunt (ex-DEAD TO FALL).
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Chop His Head Off!
02. Prove You Are a Man!
03. …And They Died Happily Ever After!
04. A Monstrous Feeling
05. The Undertaker
06. What About a Terror Ride
07. 3000 Years and Still Keeping it Real
08. A Grave Situation
09. Beat Me Maestro, Eight to the Dead!
10. Doctor Skeleton
"Concerto for the Undead" was produced at Fear Studio by BRING ME THE HORIZON
guitarist Jona Weinhofen and was mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH,
CRADLE OF FILTH, SYLOSIS). The artwork for the album features stunning comic
illustrations of the band's now patent horror-themed lyrics and was created by
Andrea Berton of Corefolio Design (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WINDS OF PLAGUE).
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/stigmahc.
With an impressive 20 releases in 21 years, the AXEL RUDI PELL band counts among
the most consistent, lasting and creative acts in the whole of Europe. Very few
German guitarists can point to as long and successful a career as the musician
from Bochum, whose unmistakable signature marks not only his characteristic
guitar style, but also his compositional skills.
On April 26, 2010 (Germany: April 23, 2010), Axel will release his thirteenth
studio offering, "The Crest", a haunting album featuring ten brand-new
compositions.
"Our fans will get just the kind of songs they have come to know and expect from
me and my band," says Pell.
"The Crest" was recorded at W:A:T: Studios in Bochum by the tried-and-tested
lineup consisting of Axel Rudi Pell, American vocalist Johnny Gioeli,
keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg, bassist Volker Krawczak and drummer Mike Terrana.
The album was produced by Axel Rudi Pell, with the engineering help of Torsten
Sickert, and mixed by Charlie Bauerfeind at the Mi Sueno Studios (Teneriffe) and
the Twilight Hall Studios (Grefrath). The majestic cover artwork was created
this time by the English artist Martin McKenna.
The fans can look forward to Axel's next tour in May 2010, festival appearances
in the summer and a second part of the tour in autumn 2010.
Axel Rudi Pell recently signed a new worldwide deal with SPV/Steamhammer.
AXEL RUDI PELL and his solo band will release a new DVD, "One Night Live", on
February 22 via SPV/Steamhammer. The disc was filmed last year at the Rock Of
Ages festival in Seebronn, Germany and it contains a full performance, including
an incredible light show with over 80 minutes playing time. Filmed with 10
cameras in front of 5,000 fans, the DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 2.0 and Dolby
Digital 5.0 sound, contains a song selection and audio setup.
The track listing is as follows:
01. Tear Down The Walls
02. Strong As A Rock
03. Medley: The Masquerade Ball / Casbah / Tales Of The Crown
04. Drum Solo
05. Rock The Nation
06. The Temple Of The King
07. Mystica
08. Fool Fool / Eternal Prisoner
Pictured below left to right: Andreas Rennmann (Brinkmann & Partner), Axel Rudi
Pell, Olly Hahn (SPV), Frank Uhle (SPV)
Danish thrash metal veterans ARTILLERY have scheduled the following dates:
Feb. 20 - Oostende Festival - Ostendfest, Belgium
Mar. 27 - Ramfest - Albertslund, Denmark
April 09 - Slagelse Musikhus - Slagelse, Denmark
Apr. 10 - Kansas City - Odense, Denmark
Apr. 16 - Loppen - Copenhagen, Denmark
May 07 - Walpurgis Metal Days - Hauzenberg, Germany
May 22 - Rock Hard Festival - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Sep. 04 - Thrash Metal Assault Festival Månen - Haderslev, Denmark
"10.000 Devils", the latest video from ARTILLERY, can be viewed below. The track
comes off the band's fifth album, "When Death Comes", which was released in
Europe on June 15, 2009 (via Metal Mind Productions) and in Japan on July 23,
2009 (King Records). The CD, which was issued in North America on August 11
(through MVD), was recorded at Medley Studios in Copenhagen with producer Søren
Andersen (guitar player in Oliver Weers' solo band) at Medley Studios in
Copenhagen.
Regarding the band's producer choice, guitarist Michael Stützer previously said,
"We don't wanna use the same producers like all the other Danish metal bands and
Søren has done the production of metal newcomer OLIVER WEERS' new record."
Metal Mind Productions released "One Foot in the Grave, The Other One in the
Trash" on June 16, 2008 in Europe and August 5, 2008 in the USA (via MVD).
According to a press release, the DVD features "a fantastic gig the thrash
veterans gave at Metalmania Festival 2008. The outstanding guitar play of
brothers Stützer, charismatic Carsten Nielsen's powerful drums and the
uncompromising thrash energy of Søren Adamsen's voice ruthlessly hammered their
way into the hearts of the headbangers assambled on that occasion.
DEVILDRIVER and PAPA ROACH have been confirmed for the "Aardschok" stage at this year's Zwarte Cross (Black Cross) festival, set to take place July 16-18, 2010 in Lichtenvoorde, Holland.
The billing for the "Aardschok" stage is shaping up as follows:
CONVERGE
DEVILDRIVER
KUDRA MATA
LOUDNESS
MY DYING BRIDE
PAPA ROACH
Zwarte Cross has grown into one of the most unique festivals over the years and welcomed over 130,000 visitors in 2009.
For more information, visit www.zwartecross.nl.
ILL NINO has 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
ILL NINO
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.
Guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) of Norwegian black metallers DIMMU BORGIR recently spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2007's "Il Sorte Diaboli".
"The words that come to mind, if we should even try and attempt at describing [the new material] at this point, would be something like: grand, huge, epic and primal," he said. "It has this eerie and haunting feel to it. Atmosphere and ambience!
He continued, "It's hard to say anything distinct or speak objectively about the new material when you're in the middle of the writing process — we're too close to it at this stage — but we'd be lying if we said it's not good. We're very confident in the new material and we believe it'll raise a few eyebrows. We might even have to trim our own!"
Regarding why the wait between albums seems to be getting longer for DIMMU BORGIR, Silenoz said, "Because we want the next album to be a better and stronger one. We're more critical of each process and we take the time it needs. Quality is, at the end of the day, in the eye of the beholder, but once we start rushing things, like trying to write music while on tour to speed things up — forget about it. We've tried it before and it didn't work. We focus 110 percent on one thing at a time. Plus, if we'd release an album every year, where would the expectation be? Where would the excitement be?"
The remaining members of DIMMU BORGIR issued a statement on August 31, 2009 confirming keyboardist Mustis' (real name: Øyvind Mustaparta) and bassist/clean vocalist ICS Vortex's (real name: Simen Hestnæs) departures from the group. The statement also downplayed the impact the lineup changes will have on the sound of DIMMU BORGIR next album, insisting that "the creative force in the band is highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever."
Mustis issued a statement on August 30 claiming that his dismissal from DIMMU BORGIR was caused by his efforts to "address the fact that many songs written by me had not been registered properly under my name in their credits. Without naming every single track, let us just say that a good majority of albums like 'Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia' and 'In Sorte Diaboli' would have been vastly different had I not composed and created as much as I actually did," he said. "Sadly, based on terrible gaps in the communication process and a failure to find logical rationale for why this had been done this way found me hitting wall after wall as opposed to finding a professional and reasonable solution to the problem. My inquiries and investigation into the issues which I wished to resolve and move on from would in the end find me being fired from the group. No discussions about it, just 'goodbye' (via text message)."
The 2008 "Blackest Of The Black" tour with DANZIG helped support DIMMU's latest DVD titled "The Invaluable Darkness", which debuted at No. 5 on the Top Music Videos chart in mid-October 2008. It was also the band's last North American tour promoting their eighth studio album, "In Sorte Diaboli", which debuted on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart at No. 2, and on The Billboard 200 chart at No. 43.
George Pacheco of the Cape Cod Rock Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with former EMPEROR frontman Ihsahn (real name: Vegard Sverre Tveitan). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
San Francisco's LIGHT THIS CITY is regrouping for four farewell shows in April. The band has been dormant since mid-2008, before the release of its final record, the critically acclaimed "Stormchaser".
The dates are as follows:
April 08 - Thee Parkside, San Francisco, CA
April 09 - The CYC, Fresno, CA
April 10 - Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
April 11 - The Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Drummer Ben Murray commented; "It has been just about two years since LIGHT THIS CITY came home from the DEATH ANGEL tour and decided to call it quits.
"Needless to say, it has been an exciting and interesting two years since we put a stop to the band, and since June of 2008 everyone in LIGHT THIS CITY has started brand new awesome musical endeavors. That being said, we always knew we would get together one last time to thrash with all our amazing fans up and down California. That time has come, and we are extremely excited to announce four 'final' LIGHT THIS CITY shows. These should all be absolutely killer, and we expect all our west coast fans to be there! We will play a good amount of 'Stormchaser' songs as well as all the bangers from 'Facing the Thousand' and 'Remains of the Gods'.
"Since we didn't play any shows in support of 'Stormchaser', this will be the best chance for all of you metalheads in California to come rage with us while we bust out these songs!"
Prosthetic Records recently reissued the band's first record, 2004's self-released "The Hero Cycle". You can order it, as well as the rest of the band's catalog and other merch, here at the Prosthetic webshop
Cape Cod Rock Music Examiner: Do you feel this album ["After"] could open up your solo career to those who either haven't heard, or have been slow-moving in checking it out since the demise of EMPEROR?
Ihsahn: I guess I haven't been giving that too much thought, so to speak, because I'm usually far too focused whenever I'm creating an album. I also wear many hats — from writing and producing to recording — so I don't have much time to think of it from a promotional standpoint, but yeah, I think the feeling has evolved into something which might appeal perhaps to a wider audience of the more experimental fans of the traditional black metal form.
Cape Cod Rock Music Examiner: Did you ever feel boxed-in within that black metal genre prior to starting your solo career? Struggling with pre-conceptions of what you could do as an artist?
Ihsahn: There are, of course, very conservative ideas within the traditional black metal sense, and sometimes it's been irritating. I've been doing this for twenty years now, and at times it's a bit frustrating to hear that some people think I did my best work at seventeen! (laughs) If I thought that, there would be no reason to continue, so I always think that the best is yet to come. I've also grown much more confident, and have come to terms with EMPEROR as a phenomenon, living a life of its own. The rest of my career will probably live in the shadow of my own creation, in a way, but I'm still here doing what I love, and that's the only way I can honor that: doing my absolute best, in the most truthful way I can.
Cape Cod Rock Music Examiner: When comparing "After" to your prior albums, "Angl" and "The Adversary", what did you think was done differently, and do you feel this best encapsulates what you've always wanted to do? Are you most satisfied with this record?
Ihsahn: I'm very pleased. I don't measure each album; they're all a new experience for me, and very much where I'm at — on many levels — at the time I'm making them. I definitely feel that this is way up there, though, with regards to my own work. I changed the parameters, especially with the type of atmospheres I wanted to express. The idea of doing a trilogy first become involved when I was doing "The Adversary", which — as the title implies — is very personal, confrontational and Nietzsche-inspired. "Angl" is the other side of the coin: still very direct and referring to this solitary, Luciferian figure. Ending this trilogy, I wanted something a bit more abstract; going a bit beyond the contemporary conflict thing, and seeking out more underlying and lasting inspirational sources. I feel I've touch more on the things which have been inspirational to me all along.
Cape Cod Rock Music Examiner: Musically speaking, do you feel this unleashes your inner prog-rocker, so to speak? For me, this is the most progressive route I think your music has taken. I hear a lot of '70s, GENTLE GIANT-esque prog within a lot of these songs.
Ihsahn: That's the thing a lot of people ask about: my prog influences. In that sense, I feel almost like [an outsider]. Speaking to Mikael [Åkerfeldt] or Per [Wilberg] from OPETH; they're like encyclopedias of the prog scene. Of course, I know KING CRIMSON, RUSH, YES and DREAM THEATER, but I don't come from that background. The progressive parts in my music I feel is the result of using more traditional compositional techniques. When I started in my teens with EMPEROR, it was more about getting all of these riffs together in a sensible way and convention, whereas now I start with a main theme or motif, and listen for what needs to come next. Afterwards, I'll twist and turn those elements in a more traditional compositional style; transfer the melody lines, themes or riffs and work the arrangement in a different way. I'm not trying to have all these different themes and riffs sticking together in one song; I'd rather explore fewer ideas, and make the
most of that.
A long-legendary name in black metal, I SHALT BECOME is currently working on a new studio album for Moribund Records, with the band slated to enter the studio next month. As yet untitled, I SHALT BECOME's new CD will be its second full-length for the label (the band's cult "Wanderings" demo was reissued by Moribund in 2006, with 2008's "Requiem" being the band's first post-retirement recording) and also the first to feature real, live drums. Mainman S. Holliman reports, "Honestly, I'm not sure what I can say about it as it's genuinely unlike anything else I've heard," while drummer A. Scherer offers that it's "atmospheric, orchestral plague metal for those whom ride gallant on black steed from the foul, gaping maw of Hell itself to wage War on ignorant mortals" or just "really fucking good."
I SHALT BECOME's new album is tentatively slated for release during the second half of the year.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/ishaltbecome.
Icon Vs. Icon recently conducted an interview with acclaimed metal drummer Richard Christy (ICED EARTH, DEATH, LEASH LAW, CONTROL DENIED, BURNING INSIDE) about his new project, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED, and his other upcoming activities. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Icon Vs. Icon: We wanted to ask you about the unreleased [second] CONTROL DENIED record. I know that you and some other band members were still looking to make that happen. What is the status of that?
Richard Christy: I am really psyched about that. That is another thing that I will be working on this year! I am so happy that I can finally say that we are finally moving forward on that. I have been getting a lot of e-mail and questions over the past few years from fans asking when that album is going to come out. Unfortunately, there were some legal issues with the label that had signed that album. To my knowledge, the label doesn't exist anymore and all the legal issues have been cleared up and we are able to move forward. I am very close with [CONTROL DENIED/DEATH mainman] Chuck Schuldiner's family and I talk with them often. They are very excited about this moving forward as well. We are going to get everybody together up in Morristown, New Jersey and finish the record this year. We just have to talk to everybody about their schedules — Steve DiGiorgio [bass], Shannon Hamm [guitar] and Tim Aymar [vocals]. Also, [producer] Jim Morris (of
Morrissound Studio) because he is really excited to do it too! The drums and Chuck's guitar parts are recorded, we just have to go in and finish the rest. I can't wait because the music is incredible! People are going to be so psyched when they hear this album, because it is monstrous! It is really going to be amazing. I am really excited to finish that because that was one of Chuck's last wishes, that fans would get to hear the second CONTROL DENIED album, and I am so glad that we can finally make that happen.
Icon Vs. Icon: Is it safe to say that CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED is more than a one-off gig? Will we be hearing more from you guys in the future?
Richard Christy: Absolutely! I want to continue this forever if I can! Metal is something that I love and I want to keep doing it until I am an old decrepit man and I can't move anymore! [laughs] I love it and I have already written about six songs for the next CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED album. I am super, super psyched about these new songs! I was very, very inspired by recording at Jason's [Suecof] studio, AudioHammer Studios, down in Florida. I had so much fun in the studio and it was so rewarding to hear the final album. When I came back to New York City, I was totally inspired and I was playing guitar two or three hours a night, so I just started writing. I have six songs already. They are really amazing songs and I would imagine that in the next two to three months, I will have an entire album written. I would really like to go back and maybe even do some more recording before the end of the year.
CRYPTOPSY guitarist Christian Donaldson will join Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based female-fronted metallers THE AGONIST for their upcoming two-date tour of Japan.
The details are as follows:
Feb. 11 - The Live House (Soma) - Osaka, JPN
Feb. 12 - Daikanyama Unit - Tokyo, JPN
Support on both shows will come from HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT.
A video message from THE AGONIST to the band's Japanese fans can be viewed below.
THE AGONIST's sophomore album, "Lullabies For A Dormant Mind", debuted at No. 105 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Produced by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, MYTHOSIS), "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" exposes new facets of the band and touches upon classical, jazz, opera, grindcore, thrash and black metal influences in a complete metal opus. The CD features guest violins by Avi Ludmer (MAHOGANY RUSH), orchestrations by classical pianists Melina Soochan and Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc (BLACKGUARD) along with many other Montreal-based contributors.
Death metal psychopaths ABORTED are set to tour europe with THE RED CHORD and ROTTEN SOUND on the upcoming "Machines Of Grind/Terrorizer Tourture". All three bands will alternate positions nightly and opening guest band is THOSE WHO LIE BENEATH. This will be the first tour featuring the new lineup of ABORTED, which has just released a new EP entitled "Coronary Reconstruction". The EP got released on a limited-edition digipack sold through the band and Indiemerch containing four new tracks and a cover of ENTOMBED's "Left Hand Path".
ABORTED has just released a second new song from this EP, entitled "From A Tepid Whiff".
Century Media will make this EP available digitally shortly as well as on a limited-edition colored 10".
ABORTED is working on the setlist for the upcoming tour, and fans can put in submissions for songs they want to see the group play on "Machines Of Grind" in the blog section of the band's MySpace page. All submissions will be counted and taken into account by ABORTED to build a solid and destructive set throughout the band's discography.
"Machines Of Grind/Terrorizer Tourture" tour dates:
April 16 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen - DK
April 17 - Turock - Essen - DE
April 18 - Underworld - London - UK
April 19 - O2 Academy 3 - Birmingham - UK
April 20 - O2 Academy 2 - Newcastle upon Tyne - UK
April 21 - Rio's - Leeds - UK
April 22 - White Rabbit - Plymouth
April 23 - Abordage - Evreux - FR
April 24 - Le Ferrailleur - Nantes - FR
April 25 - Plateruena - Durango – SP
ABORTED new lineup features Sven De Caluwé (also of SYSTEM DIVIDE) on vocals, Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK) on drums, Eran Segal (ex-THEY SWARM/WHORECORE) and Ken Sorceron (ABIGAIL WILLIAMS) on guitar and Cole Martinez (SYSTEM DIVIDE) on bass.
The artwork for "Coronary Reconstruction" was created by Justin Osbourn from Slasher design and comprises the most gruesome and disgusting art the band ever had.
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