RockMusicStar.com: Your new CD, "Sting in the Tail", had a very success first week in sales. It debut #1 in Germany and Greece, #2 in Korea, #3 in Czech Republica, #6 in Russia, and Finland. Plus you had your highest-charting position in twenty years in the USA at #23. How gratifying is this to you?
Matthias Jabs: It feels fantastic! At this point in our career, we really couldn't expect anything like that. It is especially rewarding here. We landed here yesterday, coming in from Germany, and the first thing I read is that we are #1 on the classic rock charts. We haven't had those experiences in the last ten years. We had successful albums all over the world, but not the high chart positions. It's amazing if you really think about it.
RockMusicStar.com: Well, it's an amazing CD, so it's well deserved. Was there any time during the recording of the CD in which you thought, "Hey this CD is really special?"
Matthias Jabs: Yes, it felt good overall. The way we recorded this CD was a little different. We started in May of last year; we got together with the producer team of Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen in Sweden. We had some songs from recent albums that we didn't use and we rearranged them and wrote a few new ones. And then we went on tour in the summer and came back in August and really started working on the songs, and then we played a few shows again and then went back into the studio, sometimes in Sweden, sometimes in our place. Because of this, it always felt fresh. We would work for a week or ten days then take two weeks off from recording and play a few shows. When we finished with all the songs, we invited people from management and from our record company to listen to the rough mixes. After, we heard the whole thing, we went, "Wow!" And management said that we should consider calling this our last album, because it's really a great one.
This followed by a world tour that usually will last 2 ½ years because we play everywhere. They said this will be a great way to end your career on a high note. So we thought about it, but not for too long. We decided that it was a good idea and made the announcement in January that this would be the last CD and tour for the SCORPIONS.
RockMusicStar.com: As far as this being the bands last CD and tour, where you at all reluctant to agree to this, because you're a bit younger than Klaus [Meine] and Rudolf [Schenker]? You still could easily do this for another 10-15 years.
Matthias Jabs: No, not reluctant. It makes total sense, this whole thing. But if I didn't agree, it wouldn't have made a difference, I guess. (laughs) I can't change their age. Because I'm younger, I would have never come up with that thought. But ask Klaus and Rudolf, they would have never thought of it either, we would have just continued forever. But it took someone from the outside with a different perspective to tell us that we can't go on like this. What convinced us was that we want to be remembered as a great live band that's full of energy and healthy and fit. That's how we want to be remembered by the fans. Not growing old in the spotlight and limping around on stage. Blues musicians can sit in their chairs like B.B. King and play until they are 80. I'm sure that I will always make music, but what comes next, I don't even want to think of for the moment. I'd rather concentrate on the upcoming tour and enjoy it. What comes after? We will
probably still have a lot to do together. But, we will not do what we have done that last 35-40 years and that's do a CD and go on tour. We want to break out of this cycle.
RockMusicStar.com: Do you think the SCORPIONS will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame anytime soon? A lot of your fans think you deserve to be. Is it something that you care about?
Matthias Jabs: I think it would be a very big deal. My feeling is that they will approach us. They are having an '80s exhibition there and they asked us for some memorabilia and instruments. We are doing Hollywood's RockWalk on Tuesday on Sunset Blvd. and a Guitar Center-related one where you put your hands in concrete. But I think the band being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame would be well deserved. I think that it will probably happen.
RockMusicStar.com: Why didn't you use Desmond Child, the producer of your last CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", for "Sting In The Tail"?
Matthias Jabs: Desmond is known as being a hit-producing producer. We went with him three years ago in L.A. But he made us follow his concept too much. He put his producer stamp on the SCORPIONS too much. But I like the album; I liked what he had done. But the Swedish guys, Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen, were who we were originally going to record the last CD with, but decided to go with Desmond. But it was their turn now. They wanted to do what we wanted to do and not bend it out of shape. It was more like a unit, a band with seven people rather than a producer and a band.
RockMusicStar.com: Was it at all uncomfortable working with Desmond?
Matthias Jabs: No, not for me. I think it was more uncomfortable for our singer Klaus because Desmond is so particular about his lyrics. He liked me and my guitar playing and we didn't have any problems. I mostly recorded with James Michael anyways, our co-producer. But it was hard working with Desmond because lyrics are his main thing and the SCORPIONS are a guitar band. You have to pay attention to that and the results will be a lot better.
According to the DEEP PURPLE Appreciation Society, legendary singer JOE LYNN TURNER (ex-RAINBOW, Deep Purple) is lining up a Brazilian tour for May, slotting neatly between two European jaunts with OVER THE RAINBOW. The dates announced so far are below, with more to follow:
May
6 - Bolshoi Pub - Goiânia, Brazil
7 - America Rock Club - Brasília, Brazil
HAIL! — the all-star band featuring guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (TESTAMENT, EXODUS, SLAYER) — has scheduled the following dates:
May 30 - Rock In Rio Festival - Lisbon, Portugal (with Megadeth, Motörhead)
Jun. 01 - [to be announced] - Novosibirsk, Siberia
Jun. 02 - [to be announced] - Tomsk, Siberia
Jun. 03 - [to be announced] - Omsk, Siberia
Jun. 04 - [to be announced] - Ekaterinburg, Russia
Jun. 05 - [to be announced] - Moscow, Russia
Jun. 06 - [to be announced]
Jun. 08 - [to be announced] - Tallin, Estonia
Jun. 09 - [to be announced] - Helsinki, Finland
Jun. 11 - [to be announced] - Kouvala, Finland
Jun. 12 - [to be announced]
Jun. 14 - Rock In Rio - Madrid, Spain (w/ METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD)
In the absence of previous HAIL! bassist David Ellefson, who has returned to MEGADETH, a replacement bass player has been confirmed.
"This will be a great surprise; wait until you hear who it is!" exclaimed Owens.
The band plans to make its official bassist announcement later this week.
DIGImmortalPhoto has uploaded quality video footage of HAIL! performing a cover version of the PANTERA classic "Mouth For War" on January 26 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City. Watch the clip below.
A review of the New York City show — including photos — can be found at NY Hard Rock Music Examiner (courtesy of Elliot Levin).
HAIL!'s setlist for the show was as follows:
01. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD)
02. Territory (SEPULTURA)
03. Grinder (JUDAS PRIEST)
04. Stand Up And Shout (DIO)
05. Balls To The Wall (ACCEPT)
06. Mouth For War (PANTERA)
07. Walk (PANTERA)
08. Neon Knights (BLACK SABBATH)
09. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN)
10. Lights Out (UFO) *
11. Metal Church (METAL CHURCH) *
12. Green Manilishi (JUDAS PRIEST) *
13. Highway To Hell (AC/DC) **
14. TNT (AC/DC) **
15. Overkill (MOTÖRHEAD) **/***
16. Cold Gin (KISS) ***
17. Got The Time (ANTHRAX) ***
18. Run To The Hills (IRON MAIDEN)
Encore:
19. The Four Horsemen (METALLICA)
20. Symptom Of The Universe (BLACK SABBATH)
21. South Of Heaven (SLAYER)
22. Refuse/Resist (SEPULTURA)
23. Whiplash (METALLICA)
Special Guests:
Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) - Guitar on *
Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL) - Vocals on **
Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) - Bass on ***
NWOBHM legends DIAMOND HEAD have confirmed a number of shows in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The dates coincide with both the Metal Forces and Hard Rock Hell festivals in November/December.
The dates are as follows:
Nov. 18 - An Cruiscin Lan - Cork, Ireland
Nov. 19 - Fibber McGee's Rock Bar - Dublin, Ireland
Nov. 20 - The Spring & Airbrake - Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nov. 21 - The Spirit Store - Dundalk, Ireland
Nov. 27 - Metal Forces Festival - Lorrach, Germany
Dec. 03 - Hard Rock Hell Festival - Pontins, Prestatyn, North Wales
Universal Records last year released a triple CD from DIAMOND HEAD containing remastered versions of "Borrowed Time" (1982), "Canterbury" (1983) and "Live at the Reading Festival". The release also includes some bonus material, some of which had previously been unavailable. This was also the first release of "Borrowed Time" and "Canterbury" on CD in the U.K. The "Reading" set was previously released on Raw Fruit in 1992, but had long since been deleted and was a much sought-after item by DIAMOND HEAD fans.
"Skin on Skin", the latest video from DIAMOND HEAD, can be viewed below. The track comes off the group's new album, "What's In Your Head?", which was released on July 30, 2007. The CD was previously described by the band as "a powerful but varied collection of songs." The album includes the song "Reign Supreme", which is said to be "the heaviest track DIAMOND HEAD have recorded since 'Am I Evil?'"
Justin Donnelly of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with veteran heavy metal journalist Mick Wall. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On his new book, "Appetite For Destruction: Legendary Encounters With Mick Wall":
"'Appetite For Destruction' is essentially an expanded version of my book 'Star Trippin': The Best Of Mick Wall 1985-91', which came out in 2006 in celebration of Kerrang!'s 25th anniversary. 'Star Trippin'' was a self-published effort, low-key release with a very modest print run. You could only buy it via my web site, and each copy was signed by me. It was never meant to be anything other than a memento, really, for some people that enjoyed those stories the first time around. We only did a few hundred copies, and they all went. I thought there would be hundreds of these things sitting in a garage somewhere in years to come. But lo and behold, they all went. And people bought them from all over the world. I really didn't expect that there would be so many people interested in the book. But the idea to re-release the book came about when my editor asked if he could get a copy. As it so happens I only had two copies left. One thing led to another, and
eventually, 'Star Trippin'' became a kind of springboard to a more expanded version, which is now called 'Appetite For Destruction'. Originally, 'Star Trippin'' had 16 stories, along with introductions to all the stories. This new version now has 31 stories, and I've modified and improved some of the introductions that had originally appeared in 'Star Trippin'' to bring them up to date. I think it made them slightly better in my view, because I realize now that I'm writing for a much wider audience, especially given the unexpected success of 'Star Trippin''. And the codas for all of the stories are all brand new as well. There were no codas in 'Star Trippin''. Unlike 'Star Trippin'', 'Appetite For Destruction' is now something that everybody can get a hold of. I think this version is edited better, presented in a much more appealing package and it's more than twice as long. I'm very happy with how it's turned out."
On his upcoming METALLICA book:
"That's what I'm working on right now. This is the real proper follow-up to the LED ZEPPELIN book [2008's 'When Giants Walk the Earth']. I should be nearly finished, but, of course, I'm not. I'm a little behind, actually. In the same way that I did the LED ZEPPELIN book, I want to try and tell it the best way that I can, because I truly don't think that the story of METALLICA has ever been told before, or at least not properly. I knew those guys very well in the early days, and right up to when they hit the big time. I mean, Lars [Ulrich] used to call me when I was in London to see if he could crash at my flat. That was in the very early days, of course. He was still doing that right up until he was telling me that he was considering have an elevator built to get people up the side of the mountain where he lives to the front door of his new house. That was somewhere in the '90s. In recent times, I've reconnected with them and done quite a few interviews
with them. I think their story is an extraordinary one. It has lots of ups and downs, and you have to have those. No story is ever complete when you talk solely about the ups. It must speak of the downs as well. So I'm really stuck into it at the moment. I'm quite literally dreaming about the bloody thing, and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get it finished in time. But that situation's normal, and that's' always the case. The book should be released in October 2010. At the moment, we're discussing ideas what to call the book. I did have a title, but I've recently changed my mind. I had a meeting this afternoon. I went into the meeting thinking that I had an incredible title, only to come out of the meeting thing that I have an incredibly terrible title! (Laughs) Now we have to come up with something startlingly fresh and new! But I have no idea what that is at the moment. It's only when I finish the darn thing that phrase will come to me. It was
supposed to be delivered in April. But I can only really hope to finish the thing by June. These things take so bloody long. I love doing them, but I'm so terrible. I always leave things until the last minute to get my ass into gear and write the thing."
Larry Getlen of the New York Post recently conducted an interview with legendary
guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES). An excerpt from the chat
follows below.
New York Post: When Axl [Rose] finally released "Chinese Democracy" in 2008,
What did you think?
Slash: It was the perfect Axl record â€" exactly what I would have expected from
the final years of us working together, and seeing where he was headed
musically. It's very heavy; sort of a dark, depressing record. He's fucking
phenomenal.
New York Post: But the two of you haven't spoken in years. Would you be open to
speaking again?
Slash: I'm more standoffish because I know how vehemently he hates me. So that
sort of makes me doubt it. But if we ran into each other and all that animosity
were to pass for a second, then I'm sure we could have an interesting
conversation.
New York Post: Axl Rose and Scott Weiland are great vocalists, but not so
stable. Is that why you worked with so many guests on your new record?
Slash: Now you're getting into the deeper psychological aspect of it, which I
hadn't really taken into consideration. Maybe a couple of hours on the couch
might pull that one out! I think the whole thing was just inspired by great
singers that I wanted to work with. I didn't think about other aspects of it.
But the one cool thing that did come out of this was that it gave me a whole new
respect for singers, and changed my attitude toward them given the last couple
of guys that I've worked with. These people were all amazingly gracious and
professional. I've done so much session work where I write or play with
somebody, and it's an empty feeling when you're done because they take off with
the material â€" it's like being a surrogate. So this time, I had all these
people play on my record.
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine recently spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about his forthcoming autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" (formerly "Hello Me... Meet The Real Me"), which is due later in the year via HarperCollins's It Books imprint (focusing on pop culture, sports, style and content derived from the Internet).
"Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas' tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.
On whether his conversion to Christianity has turned his autobiography into a somewhat tame account of his life, with the scowling, venomous rage of the past replaced with placatory serenity and good will to all men:
Mustaine: "It's still a little bit edgy. You've got to take into consideration that we live in a very litigious time now and people will try you and they sue because they spill coffee on their crotch, you know? So the publisher took a look at the book and took out everything they thought would be controversial to the point where I'd get sued over it, but it still definitely has teeth. It's a funny book. It's got great moments and there's still a lot of sadness in it, too. It's all factual. It's a story of my life and my life isn't about name-calling and mud-slinging."
On being one of thrash metal's chief inventors:
Mustaine: "It didn't ever occur to me that I was doing anything out of the ordinary. Because the guitar player that I looked up to was Jimmy Page and I set the bar so incredibly high for myself. If Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] had never come into my life, I probably would never focused on them, I would've focused on just trying to be like LED ZEPPELIN and none of this would've happened. But it's great to be recognized for all this. It's so fun to look back on my life now and say, 'Dave, look what you did!'"
On firing guitarist Jay Reynolds, who briefly held a position in MEGADETH prior to the recording of 1988's "So Far, So Good... So What!" album:
Mustaine: "I was so mean to Jay... Why would I do something like that? Well, it's because I never faced up to the way things transpired with METALLICA and I don't know that I had the tools at the time to see my part in it and that they did what they thought was right, even though it was questionable. James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] was hurt. I don't think Lars cared and he just wanted to be successful, and that's OK. I wanted to be successful and I made those kinds of decisions, too. Unfortunately, I was on the receiving end of it as well. Now, when I have to let somebody go, it's so much easier because it's business and it's not personal anymore."
On whether he senses a degree of disappointment that the story ends with the revelation that Dave Mustaine turned out to be a good guy after all:
Mustaine: "You know, I became a Christian and I found a better way of life for me. Most people will say, 'Uh-oh, he's going to become one of those people who says one thing then acts a different way,' but that's not who I am. I think I will see the day come when people say, 'Dave's not a bad guy.' I've tried to be consistent. I've tried to be the best guitar player I can. And whether you agree with what I say or not, you know you never have to ask me what I'm thinking! [Laughs]"
TSO Guitarist Al Pitrelli
Marc Weiss, 2009
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A heavy metal Christmas with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
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Prior to the upcoming Trans-Siberian Orchestra show at Radio City Music Hall this Thursday, guitarist Al Pitrelli was nice enough to speak at length with me. Read the interview below as he discusses TSO, Dave Mustaine, backstage drugs, and more:
Examiner: Thanks for speaking with me this morning, Al.
AP: My pleasure, thanks for having me on.
Examiner: I appreciate it. Now, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is coming to New York this Thursday, how is this show going to differ from the usual Christmas shows?
AP: Well, first of all, we've been given the opportunity to play the legendary Radio City Music Hall, so that in itself is different, because I'm actually going to be petrified. It's such a legendary building in the heart of Midtown, so many legendary performers have gone through there, and the ghost of the halls will be alive and well that night. Aside from that, the main difference is that this spring tour that we're doing is a rock opera based on Beethoven's last night, which is a CD that Paul O'Neil and myself and some of the other folks recorded about 10 years ago. The Christmas shows, on the winter tour as we like to call it, consists of, well it's based around Christmas Eve and Other Stories in its entirety, and we do a bunch of songs from different albums, a couple of things from Beethoven, a couple of things from our new CD Night Castle, and so on and so forth. This time, Paul wanted to go out, go back into the intimacy of the
small venues, y'know it's kind of funny that I get to call Radio City a small venue, isn't it? So you know what I mean? Anyway, we get to go back to where we started, and really concentrate on a very vicious, precise performance from the band, replicating a lot of the great composers' work like Mozart and other things. The production will be similar because Paul O'Neil has a knack for really dressing up the stage and making it look like something it's not, so the last six or seven shows that we've done, the crew has done a really magnificent job getting everything up and running, and making it look like we're in Beethoven's music room, sometime in the late 18th century in Vienna. So it's a really beautiful production, it's a great piece of work all around.
Examiner: You mentioned Radio City… it's much smaller, but also much nicer than the arenas that you typically play in. Do you have a preference for one type of venue over the other?
AP: As long as people show up, I'm okay. Look, we started out, our first tour was '99, and I think it was 7 or 8 cities, and we started off in the Beacon in New York City, the Tower down in Philly, that's how it started. And it grew over the last 10 or 11 years, to the point where people who embraced this would come back year after year, bringing back family and friends or work people, and the buildings just accommodated the amount of people who enjoyed what we're doing, so that was flattery more than anything else, to play in some of the larger arenas in the country is fun, but to bring it back to scale, and to play in these theaters that were designed for this kind of performance, it's really special.
Examiner: Talk to me a little about the writing process. How does the band decide which classical songs they want to work on?
AP: Paul pretty much has the whole thing mapped out in that head of his. Paul will come along with a story, and then he'll get together with Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkel, and myself, and a couple of the other folks, and basically, just throw riffs around what we call the kitchen table, which is Paul's writing apartment in New York, it can be anything, that's the beauty of it, it doesn't necessarily have to be one thing in particular, if he's got a movement from a Tchaikovsky piece or a Mozart piece or whatever it is, he's like I love this piece of music, this works in my storyline. Everything is a soundtrack for Paul's rock operas, that's different than Jesus Christ Superstar, or The Wall, or Dark Side of the Moon or Tommy or whatever. So basically, he's just fishing for ideas, you know something catches his attention that he thinks will work in the story, and that's what he'll hone in on and tell each one of us what to do in the song. And
he's really well versed in the classics. I was not into the classics as much as I was into R & B and blues and jazz and traditional rock n' roll, so Paul really knows his stuff, he and Bob Kinkel have a handle on the classical side of things, and I think Jon Oliva and I just bring it down to a whole new level.
Examiner: Now you personally have a very impressive resume. Alice Cooper, Savatage, Megadeth, can you pick out a favorite act that you played in?
AP: Not really, I mean Alice was certainly an important one because that was my first real role as musical director, that's where I first cut my teeth. I think each one of those situations I was in helped me be a better player, a better band leader, I learned a lot from everybody. Not all good lessons, some of them were pretty painful, but I think that working with those bands taught me a lot, certainly Dave Mustaine was a massive influence, his work ethic is second to none as far as he's really focused and really determined with what he's doing. I think some of the other things I've done, working with some of the female singers and solo artists, like Celine Dion and Taylor Dayne, as bizarre as that sounds lumping it in with Savatage and Megadeth, they had quite an influence on me because in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, at any given time we have four or five young ladies who are singing with us, and it's a whole different dynamic to deal with
a female singer on tour. It's just, the vernacular, how to speak with these folks, how to lead them, I think working with Taylor certainly helped me with that process a little bit.
Examiner: Speaking of Dave Mustaine, I have to ask the obligatory question: How was it working with him on a personal level?
AP: I thought we got along pretty good as long as I always kept in mind that his work was lore, it was his band, his vision, and he's the boss. You know, it's like anything else, you go to work, and either you like your boss or you dislike your boss, it doesn't really matter, it's whether your boss likes you. I went in there, he pulled me out of a pretty troubled personal life and he helped me get through a lot of things like that, which I was real appreciative of, and he was pretty hard, he's a hard guy to work for. If you don't bring your game everyday, you're gonna catch his wrath, and that's something that you probably don't want to do more than once. I had no problem with it, when he was being strict and disciplined me, well dude, it's your thing, y'know? I mean he got kicked out of Metallica and created the second largest metal band on the planet, so you know, whatever you're doing seems to be working. I'm all ears, let me
learn from you, because you did pretty good for yourself. There were nights we'd get along like two brothers, and there were other nights where he'd want to throw me off the bus, so it is what it is.
Examiner: How did you feel when you heard that David Ellefson rejoined the band recently?
AP: I thought it was great, good for Dave. He started that band, he's been around with Mustaine for what, 20something years now, I think it's great that he's back together, I would love to see the Marty Friedman and Nick Menza lineup back together, and have those four guys go back out and do some of those records. That band had a particular chemistry to it that was really, really special. I haven't had a chance to talk to Ellefson in a little while, because I know he's busy, but I'm real happy for him as long as he's happy doing what he's doing. He's a great bass player and he helped create that thing so he should be part of it.
Examiner: I understand you're a native New Yorker, did you have a favorite part of the city when you lived here?
AP: My wife and I lived up on 74th Street and 1st Avenue, which was a really nice, quiet neighborhood. We moved out about 8 or 9 years ago, and we do come back now, I don't know if there's a favorite neighborhood or a favorite part of it, I do love going shopping down in the Village and getting away from Main Street and stuff. When you're touring all year long you go to any particular mall in America and it's the same stores, you know? You get to the Village and there's all these one-off boutiques that makes shopping really special, I always try to pamper my wife as much as I can. I got a couple of favorite resturants, my favorite bar in the world is a place called East River Café over on 61st Street and 1st Avenue, got a lot of friends who run that joint, and it's always fun to go back there.
Examiner: Trans-Siberian is best known for the Christian, Christmas component. Is there still a drug, sex, and rock n' roll atmosphere backstage, or is it really as wholesome as it seems?
AP: I don't know if it will ever be wholesome, I mean the drugs sex and rock n' roll, part, yeah. The drugs are now Propecia instead of dope, the sex part, well most of us are married so hopefully you're getting some, the rock n' roll part will never go away. Look, the drugs, sex, and rock n' roll thing was so much fun when it was innocent, and you couldn't get in too much trouble and you couldn't get that hurt. I mean, that being a microcosm of our society, if you think about how society's changed in the last 30 years, that mantra just doesn't apply. The drugs are all prescription now, sex can actually kill you these days, when I was a kid there was a shot or a little lotion to get rid of whatever bugs you got, but nowadays it's horrific what's going on out there. And the rock n' roll part, we're gonna stay true to what we do. If we try to create a façade of something we're not, I think it would reek of fraudulence in a
community that's embraced the Trans-Siberian Orchestra would know that we're lying through our teeth. This is the music that we grew up on, these are concerts we went to see as kids, going to see Floyd or Rush, Kiss, Aerosmith, whatever, AC/DC, that's what we wanted to recreate, we wanted to make rock shows, so we're gonna carry that flag til rock reigns. Everything else, we grew out of it. Most of it, anyway.
Examiner: You're officially listed as a member of Savatage on that band's website and Myspace. What can you tell me about the status of Savatage?
AP: Savatage was where the Trans-Siberian Orchestra started, I privileged to work with those guys on Dead Winter Dead and the Wake of Magellan, and then Poets and Madmen record, and I walked away for a couple of years when I was hanging out with Mustaine and company, I don't have an answer for you other than in my opinion, and my opinion only, I would love to see another tour or another record or something as an exclamation point at the end of a very long paragraph, and a well deserved ending for a terrific band that's been really influential on the music scene. But that's just me, whether or not we'll ever have the time to do it, whether or not we can get all these bodies in the same spot, it gets complicated. Everybody moves to different parts of the country, needless to say Trans-Siberian Orchestra keeps a lot of us busy year round, it's not just the winter tour but now the spring tour, and then subsequent records that we're recording, so
to get into something with Savatage but to do it the right way would be paramount, I don't know man, that door's always open as far as I'm concerned.
* * * * *
Many thanks to Al and his management for making the time to speak with me. Tickets are still available for Thursday's concert at Ticketmaster and the Radio City box office.
The New York Hard Rock Examiner is now on Twitter! Add me at http://twitter.com/NYROCKEXAMINER for live updates on ticket and on-sale information and passwords, as well as other breaking New York rock and heavy metal updates.
Veteran Los Angeles metallers ARMORED SAINT will perform at the House Of Blues in Hollywood, California on Friday, May 28. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, April 8.
Commented bassist Joey Vera: "This is the band's first gig in support of our new record, 'La Raza', which was released on March 16 on Metal Blade Records. At this time, this will be the ONLY show the band plans on playing for the remainder of this year. You can plan on hearing several tracks from the new record at this show along with a list of classics. We are also putting final plans together for a video shoot for the song 'Left Hook From Right Field', which should take place in May."
"La Raza" sold around 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 18 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. "La Raza" also entered the German Media Control chart at No. 96 and the Canadian Independent chart at No. 85.
"La Raza" was recorded at Burbank, California's Tranzformer Studios, which is owned by Dave Jerdan (ALICE IN CHAINS, JANE'S ADDICTION), who produced ARMORED SAINT's 1991 classic "Symbol of Salvation" and Bryan Carlstrom, who engineered the same album. The band's first new release since 2001's "Nod to the Old School" was produced by Joey Vera and engineered by Carlstrom and his assistant John Nuss.
Vera commented on the unique recording process for "La Raza": "We used nothing but analog gear, most of which was custom-built by Rupert Neve for Bryan Carlstrom. We hit every signal (drum mics, guitars, vocals) with custom or vintage analog gear before recording into Pro Tools. We even used rare vintage amps for most of the guitar overdubs. At mix time, we mixed on an SSL 4000E console and went to a one-inch tape reel (one of only two on the West Coast) for our final masters. Uh…you DO know what tape is, don't you?
"What does this all mean? It means we spit in the ear of the age of the mp3, teenie, tiny ear bud listening culture that has turned its back on what it means to experience music. This record is FAT. We mean, obese! Full-on cardiovascular failure stuff! Old school, baby!"
The band's current lineup is the same as the one on 2000's "Revelation" and 1992's "Symbol of Salvation" LPs:
John Bush (vocals)
Jeff Duncan (guitar)
Phil Sandoval (guitar)
Joey Vera (bass)
Gonzo Sandoval (drums)
SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya was interviewed for this week's episode of Noisecreep's "Creep Show", which can be heard/viewed below. During the chat, Araya discussed the experiences that led to SLAYER's decision to leave the road and postpone the "American Carnage" and "Canadian Carnage" shows, the grisly details of his recent surgery, the support he has received from fans and friends and specific plans for the upcoming "Carnage" dates and European tour.
Araya was joined during the podcast by Noisecreep editor-in-chief Seth Werkheiser, Revolver senior writer and Noisecreep regular Jon Wiederhorn, Noisecreep lead blogger Amy Sciarretto and Noisecreep's news guy Chris Harris.
SLAYER's first performance since Araya underwent surgery will take place May 20 on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (the appearance was rescheduled from its original date of November 4, 2009).
SLAYER's "American Carnage" tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to 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 in January.
SLAYER's track "Hate Worldwide" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Metal Performance" category. The award eventually went to British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, who were honored for the track "Dissident Aggressor", from the band's 2009 live album "A Touch of Evil: Live".
The reunited SOUNDGARDEN has confirmed that it will be one of the headliners of this year's Lollapalooza festival, set to take place August 6-8 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago.
In a posting on SOUNDGARDEN's official web site, the four members of the band — vocalist Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron — write, "SOUNDGARDEN will be one of the headliners at this year's Lollapalooza festival. We hope to see you all on August 8th at Grant Park, Chicago Illinois."
According to Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, promoters will on Tuesday (April 6) confirm the Lollapalooza 2010 headliners as previously reported via various news sources: SOUNDGARDEN, LADY GAGA, GREEN DAY, ARCADE FIRE, THE STROKES and PHOENIX. They will also announce the remainder of the 124-artist lineup for the three-day event.
Tickets ($190 for three days until they sell out, then $215) are available at Lollapalooza.com.
The complete lineup can be found below.
SOUNDGARDEN's involvement with Lollapalooza has been rumored since early this year, when a cryptic announcement from singer Chris Cornell seemed to indicate that the band was returning after a 13-year hiatus.
MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars has recorded a guest appearance on the new
MURDERDOLLS album, "Women and Children Last".
A photo of Mars in the studio with MURDERDOLLS members Joey Jordison (also of
SLIPKNOT) and Wednesday 13 can be viewed below.
In a recent interview with ARTIStdirect.com, Jordison stated about the
songwriting process for the new MURDERDOLLS CD, "This is the first time we've
actually sat down and written songs. The production is a lot better, and this is
the first time we've really collaborated. The first record was a mix of my old
band and Wednesday's old band, and we kind of threw it all together. It was just
like a demo pretty much. 'Women and Children Last' is like eight years worth of
material." Wednesday 13 added, "It wasn't like we got together and said,
'Alright, we're doing this new record. Let's write three weeks' worth of songs.'
This is eight years of demos that I've passed back and forth to Joey. With as
much stuff as Joey's done with SLIPKNOT and I've done on my own, there was so
much material to choose from. I've recorded a lot, and there's stuff that's
gotten left behind. Joey digs out all this stuff. I'll say, 'You like that song,
really?'"
When asked if "Women and Children Last" preserves that classic Sunset Strip
attitude, Wednesday 13 replied, "Kind of…the title more or less exists to piss
people off. Even though I'm a hair metal fan, I've become a huge SLAYER fan over
the years. With the way the new MURDERDOLLS music sounds, it's everything from
that Sunset Strip stuff to SLAYER. It goes everywhere this time â€" whereas the
first record was more punk rock."
"I'm really excited about it," Joey added. "I think it's actually going to reel
in a lot of the SLIPKNOT fans because of the heaviness. We're not going to lose
any fans; this album is only going to gain fans for us. We weren't like, 'Okay,
we're going to crank out some campy songs like we did before.'"
"There are a few songs on the record that are going to appeal to that,"
Wednesday 13 continued. "However, it's a new sound for us. 'Women and Children
Last' is exciting because it sounds different. It's got that element of the old
rock 'n' roll we grew up on, but we're down-tuned and it's got a new groove."
Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Magic Circle Festival, set to take place on July 11, 2010 as part of the Metalcamp festival in Tolmin, Slovenia. Also sheduled to appear are MANOWAR, HOLYHELL and CROSSWIND.
For more information, visit MagicCircleFestival.com.
Danish metallers IRON FIRE have issued the following update:
"On April 15th, we will start recording the next IRON FIRE album. The working title is 'Metalmorphosized' and with this album we celebrate our ten-year anniversary as recording artists.
"Instead of just making a best-of album, we give you 13 new greatest hits. We have picked up some previous unreleased songs back from the years between 'On The Edge' [2001] and 'Revenge' [2006], and updated them to how we think IRON FIRE should sound in 2010. There will also be brand new written tracks that will show the path of future albums to come.
"To complete this anniversary package, all previous album recording members of the band will be guest-appearing on the record.
"We are planing to be ready for mix with Tommy Hansen within a couple of months.
"Prepare for ten years of metal and madness unleashed in audio."
Video footage of IRON FIRE's March 6, 2010 performance at the Rock in Copenhagen, Denmark can be viewed below.
IRON FIRE will record a song for the upcoming VIRGIN STEELE tribute album, "By The Gods: A Noble Tribute To Virgin Steele".
IRON FIRE last year parted ways with guitarist Marc Masters (FORCENTURY). The band stated, "In the end, Marc did not have the dedication to the band that we need, but there are no bad feelings involved in his departure and we wish him the best of luck in the future.
"Kirk [Backarach, IRON FIRE's other guitarist] will do all the guitar work on the upcoming album."
IRON FIRE's latest album, "To The Grave", was released in January 27, 2009 via Napalm Records.
IRON FIRE is:
Martin Steene: Vocals
Kirk Backarach: Guitars
Martin Lund: Bass
Fritz Wagner: Drums
IRON FIRE released its fourth album, "Blade of Triumph", in June 2007 via Napalm Records. The CD was the follow-up to "Revenge", which was released in March 2006 via Napalm.
IRON FIRE issued two full-length albums through the Sanctuary/Noise label prior to signing with Napalm: 2000's "Thunderstorm" and 2001's "On the Edge".
EPICA's April 10 concert at Via Funchal in Sao Paulo, Brazil will be filmed for a forthcoming DVD.
The band's South American tour is scheduled to kick off on April 7 in Porto Alegre, Brazil and will take EPICA to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay. According to the group, "The show in Lima, Peru has already been sold out! The show in Buenos Aires, Argentina is almost sold out; [there are] only 100 tickets left! The other shows are also going pretty fast, so if you don't have your tickets yet.... be sure to get them in time."
In other news, EPICA's Simone Simons (vocals), Isaac Delahaye (guitar) and Coen Janssen will be in Sao Paulo a day before the tour's launch to perform acoustically on two TV shows and on Radio Kiss FM.
EPICA's 2010 South American tour schedule:
April 07 - Opinião Bar - Porto Alegre, Brazil
April 09 - Master Hall - Curitiba, Brazil
April 10 - Via Funchal - Sao Paulo, Brazil
April 11 - Fundição Progresso - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
April 13 - Teatro Flores - Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 14 - Teatro Caupolican - Santiago, Chile
April 16 - Teatro de la Uni - Lima, Peru
April 18 - Teatro al Aire Libre - La Paz, Bolivia
April 20 - Teatro de Verano - Montevideo, Uruguay
Former AFTER FOREVER vocalist Floor Jansen's new project called REVAMP will release its self-titled debut album on June 4 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band's debut album is scheduled for release in Europe on June 4.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Here's My Hell
02. Head Up High
03. Sweet Curse
04. Million
05. In Sickness 'Till Death Do Us Part: All Goodbyes Are Said
06. Break
07. In Sickness 'Till Death Do Us Part: Disdain
08. In Sickness 'Till Death Do Us Part: Disgraced
09. Fast Forward
10. Kill Me With Silence
11. The Trial Of Monsters
12. Under My Skin
13. I Lost Myself
Bonus track:
14. No Honey For The Damned
Regarding her decision to sign with Nuclear Blast, Jansen previously said, "Nuclear Blast has done many great things for AFTER FOREVER and I am positive they can work their magic on REVAMP as well! It's heartwarming how they stand behind me and my new band!"
Added Nuclear Blast A&R manager Jaap Wagemaker: "After the split of AFTER FOREVER, Floor has taken her time to find the right musicians for her new outfit and now she is ready to continue where she left off. After having heard the new material of REVAMP, Nuclear Blast was very impressed to offer Floor a new deal and to keep her in the family. So, for all the fans of Floor's voice, the wait is over!"
After the breakup of AFTER FOREVER, Jansen decided she wanted to start over and present a new band to the public as soon as possible. To accomplish this, she joined forces with two additional songwriters to first compose, then record an album. A live band is soon to be formed after the CD's completion, which will get her back on stage where she belongs.
The first composer to join this new collaboration was found when Waldemar Sorychta (GRIP INC., ENEMY OF THE SUN) contacted her to inquire about her current activities and potential future cooperation. Being a fan of GRIP INC., Floor was honored by the possibility of working with Waldemar. Sorychta's unique style, combined with his experience as songwriter/producer, made Jansen's dream come closer to reality.
The second composer was found in AFTER FOREVER colleague Joost van den Broek. Asking Joost to join seemed logical because of his great keyboards and arrangements, and therefore his potentially valuable contribution. Despite his busy schedule, he wanted to join and get started immediately. With him on board, the songwriting team was complete!
The REVAMP sound is described as "a unique blend of the personal style listeners will recognize from these musicians."
A short audio sample of the song "Head Up High" from REVAMP is available for streaming using the audio player below.
REVAMP team so far:
* Floor Jansen: songwriter/singer
* Joost van den Broek: songwriter/producer/keyboardist/arranger for album
* Waldemar Sorychta: songwriter/producer/ guitarist and bass player on album
* Koen Herfst: drummer on album (not live!)
* Jaap Melman: bass player live
* Ruben Wijga: keyboard player live
For more information, visit the band's web site.
Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have vowed to neutralize their carbon dioxide emissions during their current European tour, which kicked off on April 3.
According to the calculations of the Instituto Triangulo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, the band's carbon dioxide emission is about 400 tons during a typical tour.
"When we heard that the band generated so much pollution, we were scared," said SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser. "For many years we thought about minimizing our impact, but that was impossible. Today it seems not only possible but necessary.
"We are very happy to be pioneers in Brazil, and we are hoping that our attitude will inspire other artists to do the same."
Another initiative is the production of shirts made from PET fibers, which will be sold during the second half of SEPULTURA's European tour and via the band's official fan club (with its headquarters at the Rock Gallery in São Paulo, Brazil) and other specialized shops. In addition, the Instituto Triangulo will mediate planting of about five thousand seedlings in Brazil on SEPULTURA's behalf, among them Rosewood (used for construction of various instruments) and Brazil Wood (the main material for making violin bows).
Dave Ingram, former singer of BOLT THROWER and BENEDICTION, and proprietor of Metal Breakfast Radio — along with his co-host Donovan Spenceley — has made a new song available for free download. The track is entitled "We Aren't The World" and the project's name is BANNED AID.
Commented Ingram: "It's a minor parody on the usual rubbish that permeates the entire music scene whenever a natural disaster occurs.
"The idea for this track was spawned at the time of the Global Warming Summit which was held here in Copenhagen on the (then-)coldest day of the year.
"Irony, anyone?
"Bitch about it if you want, but we're giving it away for free, so shut the fuck up."
"We Aren't The World" features a multitude of players, including Matt Ingram (Dave's brother) and Gramie Dee (host of "The Autopsy Report" metal radio show) and was mixed by Morgan Spenceley (brother of Donovan). The song is also featured on the recently released "Killjoy" album by the New York stand-up comedian Mersh (a.k.a. "Spitting Cobra of Comedy") and "Killjoy" is available on iTunes and Tunecore.
The players:
Dave Ingram: Main vocals
Donovan Spenceley: Guitar
Mez Murder: Drums
Morgan Spenceley: Bass Guitar
Gramie Dee: Lead Guitar & Backing Vocals
Matt Ingram: Vocals
Mersh: Self-destruction
DARK TRANQUILLITY and CRASHDIET have been confirmed for the Close-Up Båten cruise, which will sail from Stockholm, Sweden on September 9, 2010 and return the following day.
The billing is shaping up as follows:
DARK TRANQUILLITY
CRASHDIET
THE KRISTET UTSEENDE
HELLSONGS
For more information, go to this location.
DARK TRANQUILLITY was supposed to take part in the last Close-up Båten festival at the end of February but was forced to cancel its appearance at the event in order to take part in a U.S. tour with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.
Pulverised Records has announed the signing of Swedish technical extreme metallers CRYPT OF KERBEROS. The band's long-awaited follow-up to 1993's "World Of Myths" is tentatively due before the end of the year.
Previously known as MACRODEX and consisting of members of various outfits such as TYRANT, ETERNAL DARKNESS and OBSCENE, CRYPT OF KERBEROS's infusing style of unorthodox song structures, blazing fretboard mastery and a somewhat maze-like, sci-fi vibe reminiscent of the mighty old gods NOCTURNUS came into the early Swedish death metal scene in 1990.
States CRYPT OF KERBEROS axe-slinger Peter Bjärgö: "After many years of absence, we finally made the decision to make a new album!! A lot of material has been written throughout the years and we realized that this was more than sufficient for a full-length album! The new material is darker and heavier than ever before, so we definitely look forward to start recording this album!!"
Pulverised Records label manager Roy Yeo comments: "Having known CRYPT OF KERBEROS since the early days, I was absolutely intrigued by their sense of intellectuality in the songwriting department, and of course not forgetting those jaw-dropping guitar solos that complemented the songs flawlessly! CRYPT OF KERBEROS is a perfect example of how an excellent band was criminally ignored back in the days and we hope this brand new album would give them the recognition they duly deserve."
CRYPT OF KERBEROS is:
Peter Bjärgö - Guitar
Jonas Strandell - Guitar
Mattias Borgh - Drums
Christian Eriksson - Vocals
Stefan Källarsson - Bass
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/crypten.
MADDER MORTEM and KALMAH have been confirmed for the 15-year-anniversary edition of the Brutal Assault festival, set to take place August 12-14, 2010 in Josefov, Czech Republic.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AGNOSTIC FRONT
AHAB
ARSIS
AURA NOIR
BAL-SAGOTH
BLEED FROM WITHIN
CANDLEMASS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CATAMENIA
CONVERGE
DEMONIC RESURRECTION
DESPISED ICON
DEVIN TOWNSEND
DEVOURMENT
DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA
DYING FETUS
ENSIFERUM
FEAR FACTORY
GAZA
GOJIRA
GORGOROTH
GRAVEWORM
GOJIRA
GWAR
HYPNOS
HYPOCRISY
CHILDREN OF BODOM
IHSAHN
ILL NIÑO
KALMAH
KYLESA
KYPCK
LOCK UP
MACABRE
MADDER MORTEM
MNEMIC
MOONSORROW
MONSTROSITY
MY DYING BRIDE
NAPALM DEATH
NECROPHAGIST
OBITUARY
ORIGIN
RAGNAROK
ROTTEN SOUND
SARKE
SEPULTURA
SIGH
SYBREED
TANKARD
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
TRAIL OF TEARS
WATAIN
More acts will be announced soon.
Los Angeles-based black metal band THE FUNERAL PYRE will release its new album, "Vultures At Dawn", on June 8 via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Wounds" was recorded by Adam Campbell at Awkward Studios, mixed by Ryan Butler (LANDMINE MARATHON, MISERY INDEX, PHOBIA) at Arcane Digital and mastered by Dave Shirk (INCANTATION, NILE, TODAY IS THE DAY) of Sonorous Mastering. Artwork for the album is being handled by Justin Barlett, known for his work with bands such as TRAP THEM, INTRONAUT and SUNN0))).
The band commented on the sound of the new record: "On this record we stepped out of our comfort zone and tried to create better songs, never focusing on what style of metal it actually is. Just writing the songs was most important to us."
No strangers to the DIY metal circuit, having multiple U.S. tours under their belt, THE FUNERAL PYRE has a run of dates next week on the West Coast; two with EARLY GRAVES and four with LIGHT THIS CITY on their farewell run. The band also just completed a batch of dates to Texas and back with LANDMINE MARATHON, which included Prosthetic's South By Southwest showcase on March 17 in Austin and a Brooklyn Vegan SXSW day party at Hoek's Death Metal Pizza.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/thefuneralpyre.
Canada's hardcore/metal band CANCER BATS will embark on a U.S. tour with EVERY TIME I DIE and NORMA JEAN in May.
Commented CANCER BATS vocalist and resident EVERY TIME I DIE fan Liam Cormier: "Duh! Obviously, I'm stoked on this! It's EVERY TIME I DIE and NORMA JEAN! But, in all sincerity, we can't wait to go back out with EVERY TIME I DIE again, especially now that their beat keeper is a fellow Canadian! It just makes this tour that much sweeter. We don't know the NORMA JEAN dudes yet but I'm sure this whole thing is going to be a big ol' brodown by the end! My only beef is that the tour is two weeks and not two years!"
CANCER BATS is coming off its highly successful Canadian tour with BILLY TALENT and AGAINST ME!, and is currently gearing up for its new release and Good Fight Music debut, "Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones", on April 13. CANCER BATS has also released a digital EP containing "Scared to Death" and its take on the BEASTIE BOYS classic "Sabotage". The EP is available on iTunes right now.
EVERY TIME I DIE, NORMA JEAN, CANCER BATS tour dates:
May 11 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
May 12 - Jermyn, PA @ Eleanor Rigby's
May 14 - Lexington, KY @ Buster's
May 15 - Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
May 16 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
May 17 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
May 18 - Columbia, MO @ Mojos
May 19 - Springfield, MO @ Remington's Downtown
May 21 - Little Rock, AR @ The Village
May 22 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
May 23 - Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
May 24 - Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
May 25 - Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox Laundrolounge
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