Metal News for October 23, 2007
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
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Hot Topics
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60 news articles posted on this day.
New Avenged Sevenfold Album Available To Stream
AVENGED SEVENFOLD will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated "Loveline" radio show with hosts Stryker and Dr. Drew Pinsky tonight (Tuesday, October 23). You can stream the entire thing at www.kroq.com.
In other news, AVENGED SEVENFOLDnew self-titled album can be streamed in its entirety on MTV's The Leak at this location. Due on October 30, the CD follows up 2005's "City of Evil". It will arrive as both a standard CD and an interactive MVI disc.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD is giving fans a chance to create their own guitar solo for the band's latest single, "Almost Easy". Anyone who pre-orders the group's new self-titled album or buys it after it comes out on October 30 at the iTunes store will receive a bonus "jam-along" version of the track minus guitarist Synyster Gates' solo. Fans can then devise their own solo and upload it at AvengedSevenfold.com. The solo picked by Gates as the best will earn the winner a Synyster Gates signature model guitar from Schecter Guitar Research, autographed by the entire band, along with a pair of tickets to an upcoming show where they will meet AVENGED SEVENFOLD.
Lead vocalist M. Shadows told The Pulse of Radio that the band felt "Almost Easy" would set itself apart from other rock tracks as soon as it got on the radio. "Musically, it's just bad-ass," he said. "Like, we wanted to go with the first single being something that was gonna kick ass on the radio and didn't sound like anything else out there and kind of set us apart. Everything's so formula, and what we like about this song is not formula at all. But it's still somehow under four minutes, we've got two guitar solos in there, a guitar intro, a great bridge, bad-ass chorus and some slamming riffs."
Metallica Drummer Talks New Songs And More
Tom Lanham of Examiner.com recently conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. A few excerpts from the chat follow:
On how being a father is more demanding than anything else he has ever done in his life:
"Because having kids has changed everything in my life, from my relations to other people to my awareness of myself — you find yourself getting involved, getting passionate, paying attention, you find yourself for the first time in your life thinking of others and not just yourself."
On his strict regular daily ritual that begins when the rooster crows:
"The alarm clock goes off at 6:45 a.m., I get a quick cup of tea while I check the headlines in the paper, and then I, you know...start.
On how, hailing from Denmark along with his girlfriend Connie Nielsen, they're unable to vote in this country:
"But we pay taxes and have American kids. So we try to be as active in our community as we can be to contribute to our kids' futures. And instead of thinking about the next METALLICA record as your priority, you're thinking about your kids. And the METALLICA stuff kind of works its way around that."
On the band's decision to waive longtime producer Bob Rock for Rick Rubin for the new album (which is tentatively due in February):
"For our own sanity, our own creative survival, we needed to work with a different set of circumstances and dynamics. So we've been stripped of our defense mechanisms, and it's been very invigorating to be challenged again. Rick's taken everything we've known about making records and completely turned it upside down."
On working songtitles:
"There's one called '19', '10', 'German Soup', 'Glass Cow', and even 'Black Squirrel'. Just names that relate to where the idea came from, like Glasgow, Scotland became 'Glass Cow'. And when we don't have anything clever to call it, we just call it a number. They're just silly working titles."
On whether the songs are punchier, four or five minutes long:
"Well, the most of the intros are four to five minutes. I don't know — METALLICA and short songs just don't go that well together. But whereas 'St. Anger' was an exercise in over-pummelling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the '80s — long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic."
On playing the Bridge School Benefit this coming weekend:
"When Neil Young calls, all you say is yes, and when and where.' Neil has dedicated his whole life to helping others, so when he calls you don't ask any questions. All you do is show up."
Therion Mainman Talks About North American Tour
Swedish metallers Therion have checked in with yet another tour update from mainman Christofer Johnsson:
"Philadelphia show is now cancelled. There was this known issue with the promoter announcing the wrong date. It was too late to correct the date to the same venue, but we tried to book it into some other place instead. This didn't work, so today we received the final decision that Philadelphia is off the schedule. NYC and Springfield is in the near, so it shouldn't be a big deal for you guys in this area to catch up with any (or why not both?) shows over there.
The Detroit show was never any regular Therion show. Instead of having a day off we would be playing before TYPE O NEGATIVE, before their opening acts, and play some 30 min set or what ever. Due to what ever reasons, this won't be happening now and we'll have a day off and drive to the Niagara Falls instead.
The tour we did in 2005 was not very successful due to us being overbooked with shows in areas where we don't do too well (which I pointed out before the tour, but I was talked into doing it) plus the fact that our tour bus broke down and we lost a bunch of shows.
This time we tried a new concept (with a more professional american booking agent) and do only shows in areas where we do OK or good. We've had fun shows so far, but economically it isn't working this way either, the initial costs (work permit, visa, flights etc) are spread over too few shows and the budget was on the limit already when being planned. As unexpected costs always tend to pop out, the tour will now have a bit of minus and thus also this concept turned out to be not working. This means that unless the tooth fairy decides to sponsor us or some festival decides to pay us sick amounts of money to bring us over and carry the massive costs, this will likely be your last opportunity to see the band perform in USA/Canada. This decision is also pushed by the fact that we are becoming more and more of a show band and we don't play many venues over here in a size where the European production would fit. Starting from the next World Tour 2010, we want to standardize things and have an identical stage set up no matter where we play in the world."
Chthonic To Support Marduk In Eastern Europe
Having recently completed a 60-show North American tour that saw them become the first-ever Asian extreme metal band to play Ozzfest, the Taiwanese six-piece CHTHONIC has confirmed a third leg of its fall European tour. In between tours of England with Canada's 3 INCHES OF BLOOD and Western Europe with Finland's ENSIFERUM, the group will join black metal legends MARDUK for a week-long tour of Finland and the Baltic States.
"When we started ChthoniC," says vocalist Freddy Lim, "we practiced by playing songs by CRADLE OF FILTH and Marduk, so it's pretty unbelievable that we just finished playing a few shows with Cradle in the US and will soon get to support Marduk!"
ChthoniC's upcoming European tour schedule is now as follows:
November
7 - Little Civic - Wolverhampton, UK
8 - The Brook - Southampton, UK
9 - Hard Rock Hell festival - Minehead, UK
12 - The New Freebutt - Brighton, UK
13 - Barfly - London, UK
14 - Vilnius, Lithuania - Mulen Ruzas
15 - Riga, Latvia - Melna Piektdiena
16 - Tallin, Estonia - Nomme Cult
18 - Turku, Finland - Klubi
19 - Tampere, Finland - Ravintola Hella
20 - Kuopio, Finland - Henry's Pub
21 - Helsinki, Finland - Nightlife Rock
30 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
December
1 - Potsdam, Germany - Lindenpark
2 - Glachau, Germany - Alte Spinnerei
3 - Ingolstadt, Germany - Paradox
4 - Osnabruck, Germany - Bastard Club
5 - Hameln, Germany - Regenbogen
6 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Romein
7 - Vosselar, Belgium - Biebob
8 - Koln, Germany - Underground
9 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
11 - Budapest, Hungary - Wigwam
12 - Brno, Czech Republic - Fleda
13 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos Saal
14 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
15 - Illingen, Germany - Hexentanz Festival
November 14th-21st - opening for Marduk
November 30th-December 14 - opening for November
Tommy Lee Denies "Rock Of Love" Rumours
Former MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has shot down reports that he is considering appearing on upcoming season of the "Rock of Love" reality TV show.
The first season of "Rock of Love" was a 10-part series that focused on the never-before-revealed private side of notoriously wild rocker Bret Michaels, lead singer of the multi-platinum legendary party band POISON, who had 20 beautiful women residing in his Los Angeles rock palace in an attempt to win a VIP pass to his heart.
Lee, who was rumored to be a contender for the "rock star" role in the show's second season, stated via his official newsletter, "Just to stop the rumors... I AM NOT nor would I ever do a stupid show like the 'Rock of Love'!!"
Lee's reality show, "Tommy Lee Goes to College" premiered on August 16, 2005 with two back-to-back episodes on NBC. The six-episode show followed Lee's studies and extracurricular activities at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, such as finding a roommate, trying out for the marching band and cramming for finals. Lee was also one of the producers of the series. Tommy also starred in "Rock Star: Supernova", a TV show which focused on Lee, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted, and one-time GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke as they searched for a lead singer for their newly formed band. The winner (Lukas Rossi) recorded an album with the group and completed a North American tour.
Blazy Bayley Preparing For Tour
Vocalist Blaze Bayley's (ex-IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) web site has been updated with the following message:
"We would like to welcome David and Nico Bermudez, our bass and guitar player, who have flew and moved to UK and are rehearsing with Blaze for the full metal shows.
"For those of you that have seen 'Alive in Poland' [DVD, out now via Metal Mind Productions] you will already know the skill these guys hold. For those who haven't seen it yet, your in for a gig never to forget as they join Rich Newport on lead guitar and, of course, Blaze Bayley."
Upcoming BLAZE BAYLEY shows:
Oct. 27 - Bar Monsta - London, UK
Nov. 23 - Rio's - Leeds, UK
Nov. 25 - Bierkeller - Bristol, UK
Dec. 08 - Z7 - Pratteln, SWI (Big Bash 2007)
Dec. 15 - JBs - Dudley, UK (Big Bash 2007)
Dec. 27 - TBA - Swindon, UK (acoustic date)
Dec. 28 - Club Ifor - Bach, UK
Dec. 30 - Madhouse - Birmingham, UK (acoustic date)
"Alive in Poland" was recorded at the 21st edition of the Metalmania Festival, which took place on March 24 in Katowice, Poland. Blaze Bayley and his band put on a 90-minute show consisting of the best tracks from BLAZE's discography as well as select cuts from IRON MAIDEN ("Man on the Edge", "Futureal"). The DVD also includes many great bonus features, such as an interview with Blaze Bayley, an interview with all members of Blaze's band (featuring footage filmed during their visit to Poland) and more. A limited-edition "Alive in Poland" release includes a two-CD set with songs recorded at the concert.
Bayley's most recent release, "Blood & Belief" (which came out under the BLAZE banner), was issued in Europe in April 2004. The follow-up to 2002's "Tenth Dimension" was recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England with producer Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY).
Former Van Halen Bassist To Tour With Sammy Hagar
Former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony has issued the following update:
"Some of you guys have been asking if I will be at certain shows on this tour with SAMMY (HAGAR). I definitely will be out here for all the shows. Also, we have only booked shows for the first leg of the tour, so don't worry, chances are we will bringing the party out your way!! We've only done two shows so far, and we are having a BLAST!! I'll be giving all of you updates from the party out here, so be sure to check the blog from time to time. Hope to see ya soon, Michael."
Therion Bassist Arrives In The States
Swedish metallers Therion have checked in with the following update from mainman Christofer Johnsson regarding the stolen passport situation of bassist Snowy Shaw:
"Snowy got his passport stolen in San Franciso (as some of you already know). He traveled to Japan with a temporary pass and managed to get a new Visa for Japan. While there he has now managed to sort out a new American Visa and has arrived safely to Denver airport and will be making it to the show in Engelwood in good time
Impaled Signs South American Licencing Deal
The world gets sicker as IMPALED's bloody trail stretches across every hemisphere. EMF Records in Mexico will facilitate the slaughter with a new licensing agreement. The Oakland, California-based extreme metallers' latest record will be released in Mexico and Latin America by EMF in conjunction with the North American release from Willowtip and the European release from Candlelight.
"Esta es una mala noticia para los niños América Latinos," said bassist Ross Sewage, "porque no hay escape de nuestra masacre ahora."
IMPALED's fourth record, "The Last Gasp", will be released in Europe on November 5, and in North and South America on November 6. The Latin American version, which will be available only to Latin American audiences, will feature liner notes in Spanish and an unreleased bonus track.
Girlschool Italian Dates Cancelled
Veteran British all-female hard rock band GIRLSCHOOL has cancelled its previously announced Italian dates with RAIN and FATAL SMILE — reportedly as a result of an illness suffered by the group's bassist/vocalist Enid Williams.
The affected dates are as follows:
Oct. 25 - Jailbreak, ITA - Roma
Oct. 26 - Lucille, ITA - Verona
Oct. 27 - Rock Planet, ITA - Pinarella (RA)
GIRLSCHOOL guitarist Kelly Johnson passed away on July 15 after a six-year battle with cancer of the spine. Along with Johnson, the classic lineup of GIRLSCHOOL included Kim McAuliffe (guitar), Enid Williams (bass) and Denise Dufort (drums). The band was an integral and major force in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement, beginning with the release of its debut album, "Demolition" (1980), and continuing with the follow-up efforts, "Hit 'n' Run" (1981) and "Screaming Blue Murder" (1982).
Johnson originally left GIRLSCHOOL in 1984 after recording the band's fourth album, "Play Dirty", and moved to Los Angeles where she lived for the next 10 years. She rejoined GIRLSCHOOL in 1993 and moved back to the U.K. From 1993 until 2000 Kelly, Kim, Denise and Tracey Lamb toured Europe and the USA and recorded a live album in March 1995. Kelly decided to quit the music business for good in 2000 after recording her final album with GIRLSCHOOL, "Not That Innocent: 21st Anniversary" (2001).
Panic Cell Wrap Up October Leg Of Tour
The following message has been posted via Panic Cell's official Myspace:
"Well we're back home from the October leg of our headline tour.
What can we say except a huge amount of thanks to everyone that came to the shows, we were blown away by the response from you guys n girls!!!
Special thanks to all involved (you know who you are) and massive graitude to our touring party. All bands involved in the tour kudos, special thanks to Forever Never and Man of the Hour for lighting a fire under our arses and really giving the crowds extra value.
If you haven't alreay, drop by and leave a comment on our page.
See you in November!!!!! (dates on our myspace)
Luke Bobby Harj Kelly Lee Nath
Panic Cell"
Manowar's Magic Circle Music Signs With Universal
MANOWAR's Magic Circle Music has announced that Universal Pictures, one of the world's foremost motion picture companies, will release the "Magic Circle Festival 2007 - Volume I" double DVD, which includes footage from the 2007 Magic Circle Festival, as well as two full MANOWAR live sets. MANOWAR's own Joey DeMaio says, "Universal Pictures are the real deal and they are ready, willing and able to blow the roof off the house with this first release."
Hinrich Stuerken, the band's manager and Managing Director of Magic Circle Music Germany joins: "As the entertainment industry continues to evolve this new partnership with Universal Pictures will create a synergy that will provide us both with new opportunities for the future."
Universal Pictures' representatives are also enthusiastic about the deal, which was spurred by MANOWAR's lasting appeal and the impressive quality of their DVD products. Universal Pictures Germany's A&R/Local Acquisition Manager Susanne Wagner: "MANOWAR's remarkable documentary of 'Magic Circle Festival 2007' is Universal Pictures Germany's first music acquisition. We are very excited to work with a band who are a trademark in the music industry!"
Dirk Lisowsky, Managing Director of Universal Pictures Germany is confident in Universal's ability to make the most of the deal. "We are looking forward to our new partnership with MANOWAR and Magic Circle Music. Music DVDs are a relatively new segment for us. We see great opportunities here and we are positive our expertise in other genres will become a driving force in this area, too."
The inherent value of each Magic Circle Music DVD to date has made a great impression on Universal Pictures. "Music shows on DVD offer the audience the chance to experience a great session again and again. MANOWAR's outstanding spectacles have set — and raised — standards for live events. Their DVDs with hours of live music and multiple bonus features offer the best value-for-money a consumer could possible dream of," says Universal Pictures Germany's Local Aquisitions Manager Peter Preisser.
"A wider partnership between Magic Circle Music and Universal Pictures could offer even bigger and better things in the future," concludes Hinrich Stuerken.
Robert Plant Speaks On Led Zep Reunion Show
The Pulse of Radio reports: Robert Plant insists that LED ZEPPELIN's reunion show next month in London is not a dry run for an upcoming world tour. Plant told Uncut, "There'll be one show and that'll be it. We need one last great show because we've done some (reunion) shows and they've been crap."
When asked if the one show will lead to the temptation to take the show on the road, Plant said, "Not for me, but I can't speak for anyone else."
Plant was asked if he ever thought about touring with ZEPPELIN, if only to blow the band's longtime competitors THE WHO and The ROLLING STONES away: "We weren't in competition with anybody. We were LED ZEPPELIN. We were at that time the biggest band in the world. There wasn't anyone else. There was no one near us. We were out there on our own. And blowing everybody away isn't the issue anymore. Blowing myself away is the issue. That's what it's all about now."
He went on to knock THE WHO and the STONES, who have carried on pleasing fans over the years despite losing founding members: "They're doing what they're doing. It keeps them off the streets, I suppose."
Robert Plant's album with Alison Krauss, called "Raising Sand", is out today (October 23).
Tomorrow (October 24) Plant and Krauss will appear on the "Today" show. An appearance on PBS' "Charlie Rose" is scheduled for later this month.
LED ZEPPELIN will perform their first full-length concert since 1980 on November 26 at London's O2 Arena.
The show, a memorial for late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, will also feature performances by Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, and FOREIGNER.
Leng Tch'e Looking For New Bassist
Belgium's razorgrind pioneers LENG TCH'E have issued the following update:
"It is a well known fact that everybody in LENG TCH'E is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist (PS: John Myung, stop e-mailing me for tabs). So instead of looking for a second guitar player, Nicolas will return to his original position as guitarist, leaving the bass player spot indeed vacant. If you think you have the balls to play bass in LENG TCH'E, tons of motivation, your own gear and transportation, then send your application to info@razorgrind.com."
LENG TCH'E will embark on their first foray into the UK in November in support of their latest album "Marasmus". Joining LENG TCH'E on this tour will be Glasgow's MAN MUST DIE and London's TED MAUL. The following shows have been confirmed:
Nov. 16 - Koksijde, Belgium - De Pit (LENG TCH'E only)
Nov. 17 - Brighton, UK - Engine Room
Nov. 18 - London, UK - Borderline
Nov. 19 - [to be announced]
Nov. 20 - Manchester, UK - Music Box
Nov. 21 - Liverpool, UK - Roadkill
Nov. 22 - Glasgow, UK - Cathouse
Nov. 23 - Dundee, UK - Westport Bar
Nov. 24 - [to be announced]
LENG TCH'E's latest CD on Relapse Records, "Marasmus", was recorded in September 2006 at CCR studios in Belgium and was mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer Fredrik Nordström. Mastering was done by Alan Douches at West West Side Music in New York.
MAN MUST DIE's latest album, "The Human Condition", was released on Relapse Records this summer. The group recorded "The Human Condition" with producer Jean Francois Dagenais at Studio Victor and JFD Studios in Canada.
TED MAUL have just released their debut album, "White Label", on Raise The Game Records. The album was recorded and mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.
My Ruin Announce New Album Details
Los Angeles-based hard rock band MY RUIN has set a January 14, 2008 release date for its new album, "Throat Full of Heart", on the group's own imprint label Rovena Recordings in association with Cargo Records UK.
Co-produced by MY RUIN guitarist Mick Murphy and producer/engineer Duane Burda, "Throat Full of Heart" was recorded at The Hobby Shop in Highland Park, California, which was built and is owned by producers Mudrock and Scott Gilman. The new album includes MY RUIN's first official DVD and features two music videos for the tracks "Ready for Blood" and "Religiosity" with bonus footage and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Ready for Blood". The disc will also include a mini-movie of the band with never-before-seen footage from the studio as well as a personal photo/video film, "Through the Wound", created by vocalist Tairrie B. which documents her accident last October 2006 — from the injury to her recovery this past year. MY RUIN will also release a limited-edition picture disc of the new album featuring the bonus track "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" which was recorded live in London at The Mean Fiddler during MY RUIN's 2006 "Brutal Language Tour".
"Throat Full of Heart" track listing:
01. Ready for Blood
02. Memento Mori
03. Skeleton Key
04. Me without You
05. Religiosity
06. Slide You the Horn
07. Not This Time
08. Dragon Steel
09. Nothing Is Sacred
10. Through the Wound
In other news, MY RUIN has announced dates for its "Tell Your God Tour" in the UK which it will be headlining in January 2008. Kicking off the trek will be a visual/listening record release party in honor of Miss B's birthday at The Fly Bar in London on January 18.
"Tell Your God Tour" dates:
Jan. 19 - The Park - Peterborough
Jan. 20 - The Charlotte - Leicester
Jan. 21 - The Cathous - Glasgow
Jan. 22 - Moshulu - Aberdeen
Jan. 23 - Ironworks - Iverness
Jan. 24 - Academy - Liverpool
Jan. 25 - Corporation - Sheffield
Jan. 26 - Rio's - Leeds
Jan. 27 - Academy - Newcastle
Jan. 28 - Academy 3 - Manchester
Jan. 29 - Academy 2 - Birmingham
Jan. 30 - Concorde 2 - Brighton
Jan. 31 - Joiners - Southampton
Feb. 01 - Academy - Bristol
Feb. 02 - Islington Academy - London
Tool Reveal New DVD Details
TOOL will issue a DVD called "Vicarious" on December 18, according to a post at the band's official web site, Toolband.com. Although details on the disc are sketchy, it will include the title video, which was for the first single from the band's 2006 album, "10,000 Days". The post said that the set will contain "an extended cut (of the video), lots of bonus material and, of course, special packaging," although it did not reveal whether any other clips or footage would be featured.
"10,000 Days" has sold more than a million copies since its May 2006 arrival.
TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan will issue the first album from his side project PUSCIFER, titled "V Is For Vagina", on October 30.
TOOL will embark on a North American tour next month, starting in mid-November and finishing four weeks later. The band has steadily added more dates to its schedule and the itinerary now looks like this:
Nov. 14 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
Nov. 16 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Nov. 17 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Nov. 19 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Convention Center
Nov. 21 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Nov. 23 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
Nov. 24 - West Valley City, UT - E Center
Nov. 25 - Billings, MT - Metrapark Arena
Nov. 27 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Center
Nov. 29 - Kelowna, BC - Prospera Place
Dec. 01 - Victoria, BC - Save On Foods Memorial Center
Dec. 04 - Everett, WA - Everett Events Center
Dec. 05 - Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum
Dec. 07 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena
Dec. 08 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center
Dec. 10 - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theater
Hellyeah Reveal Time Change To San Antonio Signing
HELLYEAH have issued the following update:
"Due to rescheduling changes, the HellYeah in-store appearance on Friday, October 26th at the RockBox has been moved up to 3 PM.
Get a wrist band to guarantee your place in line when you either purchase the band's debut self titled CD, or pre-order the upcoming new DVD in which you will receive a very cool limited edition litho poster for the band to sign. You can also pick up your concert tickets for the show later that evening at Sunken Gardens.
The Rockbox, located at 4307 Thousand Oaks, off of Perrin Beitel (in the Gold's Gym Shopping Center) across from Brunswick Bowling Alley.
For more details go to theedgemagazine.com or call 210-650-9095."
On November 13th, Epic Records releases Below The Belt, the highly anticipated live DVD from HellYeah. Capturing footage from the day the band formed, Below The Belt includes performance footage from the very making of the album, first studio sessions, coverage of their world tour, personal interviews, as well as a few surprises.
This unique DVD, produced by Hellyeah and Ryan Ziemba and filmed by close friends offers fans a special two-hour long view into the band’s life on the road. Below The Belt features footage from multiple live performances, music videos, as well as personal interviews with all band members as they chat about life both before and after the formation of Hellyeah. Other highlights include snippets of the band’s very first recording sessions at Dimebag’s legendary Chasin’ Jason studio in Dallas, TX, coverage from Hellyeah’S April 10, 2006 album release party held in Dallas, TX as well as backstage footage from the band’s world tour.
Destruction Finalise U.K. Tour Dates
As previously reported, German thrash legends DESTRUCTION are set to embark on a tour of the UK throughout November.
Support will come from ONSLAUGHT, AMONTI and RASTA.
Dates are as follows:
November
9 - Kingston, UK - The Peel
10 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge
11 - Cork, Ireland An Cruiscin Lan
12 - Glasgow, Scotland - Soundhaus
13 - Leeds, UK - Rio's
14 - Liverpool, UK Stanley Theatre
15 - Manchester, UK - Satan's Hollow
16 - Newport, UK -TJ's
17 - London, UK - Underworld
18 - Brighton, UK - Engine Room
19 - Southampton, UK - Unit 22
iTunes Scores Led Zeppelin Box Set Exclusive
Apple Inc. has announced that a special digital box set containing LED ZEPPELIN's entire discography, "The Complete Led Zeppelin", is now available for pre-order exclusively on the iTunes Store.
Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes, said, "Now you can get all of the band's albums with one click for a $99."
In addition to "The Complete Led Zeppelin" and "Mothership", LED ZEPPELIN's entire catalog of songs and albums will also be available for individual purchase and download beginning November 13.
iTunes Store customers who order either collection will automatically be entered to win a chance to see LED ZEPPELIN's reunion performance at London's O2 Arena on November 26. The winner receives two tickets to the show, round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.
Ventflow To Post New Song On Myspace Soon
Swindon metal heroes Ventflow have posted numerous messages announcing that they are recording a new song for their Myspace. The song title has yet to be revealed but it is one of many new songs that the band have planned to record as a follow up to their EP "An Education In Aggression".
The band have replaced Kilians Red on several shows with Remain including Riffs Bar this sunday (28th October).
New Deranged Album Pushed Back
Swedish gore death masters DERANGED have pushed back the projected release date of their seventh full-length album, "The Redlight Murder Case" (Regain Records), to February 2008 from the previously announced November 26. The track listing for the effort is as follows:
01. Watch Me When I Kill
02. Strip Nude For Your Killer
03. Gently Before She Dies
04. Redlight Murderess
05. So Sweet, So Dead
06. The Killer Wore Black Gloves
07. Formula For A Murder
08. Death Walks On High Heels
09. Body Puzzle
DERANGED drummer Rikard Wermén previously stated about the upcoming album, "It is the best musical work we have so far accomplished under the name DERANGED. It's brutal and insane, and will hopefully leave you dead with a broken neck in the pit."
DERANGED has been confirmed for next year's Maryland Deathfest, set to take place May 24-25, 2008 at the Sonar in Baltimore.
Soulfly Post Update Regarding New Album
SOULFLY check in with the following update:
"Soulfly entered the Porch Studios on September 12th to begin recording their next full length album, the follow-up to 2005's Dark Ages, and here is the first studio update since the process has begun.
After recording up until the end of September, the band was able to complete nearly all of the basic tracking for the recording - including the majority of drum, bass, rhythm guitar, and lead guitar tracks. Working titles for some of the 13 songs which were tracked include 'Burndown', 'Enemy Ghost', 'Axis Of Wrath', and 'Blood, Fire, War, Hate'. For the time being, Soulfly has put recording at the Porch with engineer Tim Lau on hold; ever since they left the studio on September 29th, Max has been traveling throughout Egypt and Siberia with recording devices, and when he returns he will begin to mold the samples, noises, and music that he collects during his travels into the framework of the songs which he jammed out with Marc, Bobby, and Joe last month. Vocals and percussion have only been completed on a handful of songs, but Soulfly plans to go back to the Porch before the end of the year to complete tracking. After that, Andy Sneap will be doing the mixing on this one! As of now, you can expect the next album to be ready for release by early summer of 2008.
Kataklysm Frontman Explains Show Cancellations
Canuck extremists KATAKLYSM were forced to cancel the shows in Dublin and Glasgow on the 21st and 22nd due to circumstances beyond the band's control. Singer Maurizio Iacono comments:
"What a disappointment it was. What happened is simple, we didn't wanna make a big fuss out of it, but the hordes of angry Scottish and Irish fans contacting us wondering why we cancelled made me issue this update. We were 10 minutes away from the ferry to Ireland when our tour manager woke us up in the early morning telling us that the driver had been arrested because of overdrives and not taking the required rest time (in europe a new law has come in six months demanding new restrictions and less road times for drivers, this law had been protested by drivers and they made an example out of us). Our driver was a cool cat, worked hard for us but he needed to get to Dublin in time so he broke the law and since it happened a few times on this tour, the bus records couldn't lie. So the officer (a douche bag by the way) had no compensation and gave us the maximum fines which included arresting the driver and taking the bus, so we were stranded in Wales. Special thanks to the Rock The Nation organization who solved the problem extremely fast and got us and ABORTED a nice hotel and we waited for a new bus to pick us up the next day, which did but just a tad too late to make it in time to Glasgow.. We will make it up next year we wont forget!! Everything else is killer - the tour was a gem and we look forward to the NB festival this weekend and going back home to pound the US and Canadian soil on the CHIMAIRA tour. It's gona kill!"
The North American trek featuring Chimaira, Kataklysm and TERROR, with DIVINE HERESY tapped for the support slot from November 14th - December 8th (TBC) and THE END in support from December 9th, includes the following dates:
November
14 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
15 - New York City, NY - The Blender Theatre
16 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
17 - Williamsville, NY - Club Infinity
18 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
19 - Mokena, IL - The Pearl Room
21 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre
22 - Saskatoon, SK - Ryly's
23 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom
24 - Edmonton, AB - Dinwoodie Lounge
26 - Vancouver, BC - Croation Cultural Centre
27 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
28 - Bend, OR - The Domino Room
29 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
30 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
December
1 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
2 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
4 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
7 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
8 - Houston, TX - Meridian
9 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues
10 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
11 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
12 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
14 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
15 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
16 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
18 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
19 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
20 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
21 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
Iron Maiden To Announce More Tour Dates
IRON MAIDEN have made a very brief announcement, stating that the band will be announcing more tour dates on Halloween (October 31st). Stay tuned for updates.
As previously reported, Iron Maiden recently announced two live dates in Japan, as part of their "Somewhere Back In Time" World Tour 2008.
The new dates are:
February
15 at Pacifico in Yokohama, Japan
16 at Messe in Tokyo, Japan
Scorpions To Return To Canada In 2008
SCORPIONS manager Peter Amend has revealed that the band are currently working out details for Canadian tour dates in 2008. More details as further information surfaces.
As previously reported, Scoprions have lined up the following tour dates in December:
December
4 - Lisbon, Portugal at Venue TBA
6 - Guimaraes, Portugal at Venue TBA
14 - Bombay/Mumbai, India at Venue TBA
16 - Bangalore, India at Venue TBA
A DVD chronicling Scorpions' performance at the 2006 edition of the annual Wacken Open Air festival will be made available in November.
On August 3rd, 2006 the band reunited with former bandmates Uli Jon Roth (guitar), Michael Schenker (guitar) and Herman Rarebell (drums) on the True Metal Stage.
Entitled Live At Wacken Open Air 2006: A Night To Remember - A Journey Through Time, the DVD will include the following tracklisting: 'Coming Home' (edited version), 'Bad Boys Running Wild', 'The Zoo', 'Loving You Sunday Morning', 'Make It Real', 'Picture Life' (with Uli John Roth), 'Speedy's Coming' (with Uli John Roth), 'Dark Lady' (with Uli John Roth), 'We'll Burn The Sky' (with Uli John Roth), 'Love 'em Or Leave 'Em', 'Don't Believe Her', 'Tease Me Please Me', 'Coast To Coast' (with Michael Schenker), 'Holiday' (with Michael Schenker), 'Lovedrive' (with Michael Schenker), 'Another Piece Of Meat' (with Michael Schenker), 'James Kottak Drum Solo, 'Blackout' (with Herman Rarebell), 'No One Like You' (with Herman Rarebell), 'Matthias Jabs Guitar Solo, 'Big City Nights', 'Can't Get Enough'.
Encore 1: 'Still Loving You', 'In Trance' (with Uli John Roth, Michael Schenker), 'He's A Woman She's A Man' (with Uli John Roth, Michael Schenker), 'In Search Of The Peace Of Mind' (with Uli John Roth, Michael Schenker and Tyson Schenker).
Encore 2: 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' (JIMI HENDRIX cover/solo by Uli Jon Roth), 'Dynamite'
Encore 3: Jam Session (with Uli John Roth, Michael Schenker), 'Rock You Like A Hurricane'.
In regards to the DVD, Scorpions guitarist Rudolph Schenker told BW&BK: "The people who recorded and filmed the entire show didn't do a great job. The mixer was a little bit confused in his mobile studio with five guitarists playing. He had to remix the entire show. We've been on the road and it's been difficult to finish the DVD. When everybody signs the agreement - my brother, Uli Jon Roth and Herman Rarebell - then when the time is right we will release it before Christmas."
Across Tundras Prepares To Record New Album
Across Tundras will begin tracking their new full-length in November. The group will record and produce the effort with their mobile studio, Headley Grange USA. The album will feature nine tracks and will hit streets this winter via Saw Her Ghost Records.
Pleurisy Gets New Record Label For Seizure
After recording their new CD “Seizure” the Dutch Death Metal Unit Pleurisy got itself a new record label. "Seizure" will be released by Sleaszy Rider Records at the end of this year.
Here is the complete tracklisting for "Seizure":
1. The Need for Speed
2. Maze of Deceit
3. Fear of God
4. Whisper Misery
5. War in Pride
6. Crushed
7. Bleed to Breathe
8. The Downward Spiral
9. Death's Design
Retaliation Post New Song Online
Germany’s RETALIATION have posted a new song entitled “Disillused Life” online over at their official MySpace page. The track comes off their upcoming Enticing EP which will be released next month.
Exclusive Ajdath Song, 'Wrath of Babel,' Online
In conjunction with Jordan River Entertainment and Arabian death metal band, Ajdath, we've posted an exclusive track on Metal Underground.com's MySpace page to promote their album, "Triangle of Death." You can listen to the track exclusively on our MySpace page for the next month - starting today - so head over now and check it out.
AJDATH, the metal sensation from Jordan, were formed back in 1995 with the intention to create unique death metal tunes accompanied with the Arabian spirit of music. In the years after, the founding member of AJDATH, 'Omar Al kilani' relocated to Poland, and reactivated AJDATH with a new polish line up that never mitigated the fact that he is the master mind behind the creation of AJDATH music. More...
Gorgoroth Guitarist Infernus Discusses Fan Support
GORGOROTH guitarist Infernus — who is involved in a legal dispute with his estranged bandmates over the rights to the group's name — has issued the following update:
"First of all, I would like to thanx devoted fans from all over the world. I have during the last 36 hours received close to a thousand e-mails and other messages, more or less all of them showing an unconditional understanding, support and respect. I will not be able to answer all of you, but you should know it is apprechiated. Thank you!
"Today, second day with my lawyer Egil Horstad and his team at Vogt & Wiig, there has been made a substantial amount of progress. I will within a couple of days come with a longer statement on the situation and how I plan to deal with it for the future, both when it comes to legal matters and for the continuation of GORGOROTH. More...
In Flames Post Studio Diary Episode 7 Online
Swedish metallers IN FLAMES are currently at their own IF Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden working on the follow-up to last year's "Come Clarity". All drums have been recorded and most of the bass is done. Rhythm guitars are nearing completion and the group is about to start laying down the solos. This week the vocal-recording sessions will begin and IN FLAMES is receiving assistance from producer Daniel Bergstrand, who previously produced the vocals on "Reroute To Remain", "Soundtrack To Your Escape" and "Come Clarity".
The band's studio video diary is online now with Episode 7. Watch it here. More...
Soulfly Guitarist Drops Off 'Metal Crusade' Tour
SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo has dropped off the "Metal Crusade" tour with PRIMER 55 and LOVE SAID NO. No further details are currently available.
SOULFLY members Max Cavalera (guitar/vocals), Joe Nunez (drums), Marc Rizzo (guitar), and Bobby Burns (bass) entered the studio last month to begin recording the band's sixth studio album. The CD will be recorded in Bobby and Tim Lau's studio in Florida — the Porch Studio — and will be produced by Max. An early 2008 release via Roadrunner Records is expected.
SOULFLY spent time at a Los Angeles studio in March with producer Logan Mader (ex-MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY) recording a cover of the MARILYN MANSON song "Beautiful People" for the recently released Kerrang! magazine compilation "Higher Voltage".
SOULFLY's latest album, "Dark Ages", was produced by Max Cavalera and was mixed by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA and DEFTONES, among others.
Midnattsol Announce New Album Title
MIDNATTSOL, the German-Norwegian band featuring vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes (the younger sister of LEAVES' EYES singer Liv Kristine), will enter the studio in November to begin recording its second album, entitled "Nordlys", for a March 2008 release via Napalm Records. The band will utilize the following facilities during the sessions for the forthcoming CD:
* Mastersound Studios (Germany): Vocals will be recorded with producer Alex Krull
* Klangschmiede Studio E (Germany): All instruments will be recorded with Markus Stock (THE VISION BLEAK).
* Antfarm Studios (Denmark): The album will be mixed by Tue Madsen.
* Finnvox Studios (Finland): The mastering will be handled by Mika Jusilla.
Atargatis Post New Song Online
ATARGATIS Issue the following update on their Myspace page:
"At the official MySpace site of MASSACRE RECORDS you can now listen to one of our brand-new songs in full length."
"It's the opening song "EBON QUEEN" taken from the upcoming album "Nova". We are looking forward to your opinions and reactions in our guestbook!"
"Have fun listening..."
Lacrimas Profundere Issue Update
Napalm records issue the following update for Lacrimas Profundere:
The rock-n-sad chart breakers LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE return in 2008 to record the follow-up to the highly successful "Filthy notes for Frozen Hearts" album. LACRIMAS will again work with renowned producer John Fryer (Him, NIN) to complete this latest release coming in February 2008. Expect a melancholic masterpiece full of surprises including vocalist Christopher Schmid's perfect replacement, Rob Vitacca, and Peter Kafka, who will not only provide backing vocals but also take on the bass responsibilites.
Lacrimas Profundere tour dates:
LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE & APOCALYPTICA
28.11.2007 FR – Lille / Aeronef
29.11.2007 FR – Paris / Bataclan
30.11.2007 FR – Toulouse / La Phare
01.12.2007 ES – Bergara / Sala Jam
03.12.2007 ES – Madrid / Joy
04.12.2007 ES – Barcelona / Apolo
05.12.2007 FR – Lyon / Transborder
06.12.2007 FR - Strasbourg / Laiterie
07.12.2007 NL – Amsterdam / Melkweg
08.12.2007 BE – Brussels / AB Box
09.12.2007 NL – Groningen / Oosterpoort
10.12.2007 NL – Tilburg / 013
11.12.2007 UK – London / Astoria
12.12.2007 UK – Manchester / Academy 2
13.12.2007 UK – Birmingham / Academy 1
14.12.2007 UK – Glasgow / Garage
LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE:
17.11.2007 DE - Würzburg / Gothic Night
Mevadio Post Samples From New Album Online
After more than a year’s song writing and recordings, Danish thrash metallers MEVADIO are back with the album Fresh Kill Daily. The album is produced by the Danish super producer Tue Madsen (SICK OF IT ALL, HATESPHERE, RAUNCHY)
A&R representative for Drug(s) and Target Distribution, Mikkel Wad Larsen, states: “After a break from each other, it is a pleasure to have Mevadio back in the Drug(s) family. Mevadio play melodic metal of a rare quality and originality and we believe that “Fresh Kill Daily” will be one of the most important albums in 2008 within the genre. On a personal note I am extremely happy with Mevadio being my first A&R project at Drug(s)/ Target. They are a band I have known and respected for years”
Morten Kruger, lead singer and spokesperson for Mevadio states: “Mevadio in 2007 is harder and more aggressive than ever before and all the elements of music really stand out now. The fast parts are faster, the heavy parts are heavier and the melodies really hit hard. All of this is put into a brutal riff-machine, that merciless mixes cult references with SLAYER references. Mevadio is really psyched about the revived cooperation with Drug(s)/Target and our expectations are sky high”.
Fresh Kill Daily is slated for European release in late spring/early summer of 2008. Check out the two brand new Mevadio tracks - 'Five Necessary Kills', 'Ultimative Human Virtues' - from the upcoming album here.
Leverage Complete Production On Second Album
Frontiers Records report that Finish melodic metallers LEVERAGE have finished the production of their yet-untitled second album.
"We're very proud of the new album” states band’s guitarist and main composer Tuomas Heikkinen. “We've grown tighter as a band, we're more in touch with what Leverage really is for us, and we sure pushed ourselves writing, rehearsing and recording. The album has 10 melodic songs that include the heaviest, most intense and on the other hand the most intimate moments we've been able to capture so far. We feel Tides was the best thing we could come up with at that time, we believe the second album came out as good as we hoped it would now". More...
Battlelore Hard At Work On New Material
Vocalist Tomi Mykkänen of the Finnish "fantasy metal" band BATTLELORE has issued the following update:
"First of all, we have been working on the new songs lately and at the moment we actually have some 10 songs in very good 'skeleton phase.' Looks extremely positive so far. The music is getting a few steps back in our history and a few steps forward to the future.
"At the moment it seems that there will be bigger, more epic parts in the vein of 'Sword's Song' but also more harder, heavier parts in the vein of 'Evernight'. I'm quite sure that you fans won't be disappointed with this one. The album should be out sometime in June/July/August 2008. More...
Hail of Bullets To Record Debut Album In February
HAIL OF BULLETS, the new band featuring GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby, THANATOS guitarists Stephan Gebédi and Paul Baayens, former PESTILENCE/ASPHYX singer Martin Van Drunen and former HOUWITSER bass player Theo van Eekelen, has issued the following update:
"The response from record companies following the release of HAIL OF BULLETS four-track promo CD has been quite overwhelming for us! We have made our decision now and the name of the label will be revealed in a couple of weeks, when the contracts have been signed."
HAIL OF BULLETS will enter the studio in February 2008 to begin recording its debut album for a May/June 2008 release. The band is planning to promote the CD with a number of live appearances during the European summer festival season. More...
Powertrip Announce New Drummer
Swedish female-fronted alternative rock/metal band POWERTRIP (photo) has announced the addition of drummer Erik Palmqvist to the group's ranks. Erik, who has already played a few gigs with the band filling in for former drummer Hampus Ek, is now a full-time member of POWERTRIP.
Commented bassist Peter Uvén: "Erik did such a good job filling in for Hampus and especially on such a short notice. We only had time to rehearse one time before the gigs but it sounded like he had played the songs for ages! And to be honest, some of the songs have never sounded better live!! He's a really good addition to the POWERTRIP family and there are some exciting times ahead!" More...
Watch Walls Of Jericho Live Performance Online
More live footage of Detroit’s WALLS OF JERICHO performing their track “And Hope To Die” is available for viewing at the Underground Video Television (UVTV) website
The footage was taken at Northern Lights in Clifton Park NY earlier this year when the band was on tour with KITTIE, 36 CRAZYFISTS, DEAD TO FALL and IN THIS MOMEaNT.
WALLS OF JERICHO has is working with SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor to produce its new EP. The band is recording the effort over a 14-day period at Corey's home studio in Iowa. "We have begun tracking five songs and obviously we're all very excited," said drummer Dustin Schoenhofer.
The forthcoming EP will be included with WALLS OF JERICHO's "Live in South America" DVD, which was filmed this past August and is tentatively scheduled for release in March 2008 via Trustkill.
Art Guitar Announce Ozzy And Kiss Designs
ArtGuitar, a leading designer of innovative custom paint and technology for guitars, along with licensing partner Signatures Network, announced today it will offer two exclusive designs featuring heavy metal pioneer OZZY OSBOURNE for its limited edition AG RiffMaster Guitar Controller. In addition, ArtGuitar unveiled three new designs from iconic rock band KISS to add to its guitar controller portfolio.
"We create detailed designs featuring iconic rock artists that you simply can't find anywhere else, and we're thrilled to add OZZY OSBOURNE to our guitar controller portfolio," stated Steve Spurgeon, CEO of ArtGuitar. "The AG RiffMaster Guitar Controller truly customizes the rock experience and our customers now have 16 limited edition designs to choose from."
The AG RiffMaster Guitar Controller is a genuine life-size Peavey guitar modified for play with guitar-based music videogames on the Playstation2 computer entertainment system and is exclusively available online at www.artguitar.com. Its elegant glossy finish offers a sleek professional feel, while the custom design showcases an incredible crisp image of rock icons, ideal for display. In addition to the newly announced OZZY OSBOURNE and KISS designs, ArtGuitar also offers exclusive images from PANTERA and LYNYRD SKYNYRD in its guitar controller portfolio.
ArtGuitar is best known for its patented process that digitally paints images onto real guitars, transforming the instruments into collectible masterpieces. Using the same state-of-the-art technology, ArtGuitar and Peavey are bringing exclusive, limited edition designs to a guitar controller for the first time. To pre-order the AG RiffMaster Guitar Controller or learn more about ArtGuitar please visit www.ArtGuitar.com.
ArtGuitar, based in Niwot, CO, specializes in custom artwork for electric and acoustic guitars. Its patented process uses a quality paint finish to lay original images onto each guitar, transforming the instrument into a true masterpiece. ArtGuitar designs are currently available for customized guitars from Peavey, Fender and Gibson. The company also pioneered the world's first videogame guitar controller crafted from a genuine guitar with the introduction of the limited edition AG RiffMaster Guitar Controller.
Within Temptation To Headline Knock Out Festival
Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal band WITHIN TEMPTATION has been confirmed as the headliner of the Knock Out Festival, set to take place January 12, 2008 at the Europahalle in Karlsruhe, Germany. Also scheduled to appear are co-headliners HELLOWEEN, along with GAMMA RAY and AXXIS. More bands will be confirmed soon.
The second edition of the Knock Out Festival will take place in one of the two Karlsruhe's biggest indoor concert venues.
The "All I Need" singe will be released in Europe on November 5. The track listing for the different formats is as follows:
Five-track digipack:
01. All I Need (single version)
02. All I Need (album version)
03. The Last Time (demo version) (new song)
04. Frozen (demo version)
05. Our Solemn Hour (demo version)
Two-track single:
01. All I Need (single version)
02. All I Need (album version)
WITHIN TEMPTATION will be joined by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra for a special concert at the Ahoy Stadium in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on February 7, 2008.
"The Heart of Everything" sold 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 106 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's first U.S. release for Roadrunner Records, "The Heart of Everything" also topped 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.
Serj Tankian To Appear On Rockline
Serj Tankian will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show ROCKLINE on Monday night October 29 at 8:30pm PT / 11:30pm ET. Fans are encouraged to call to speak with Serj at 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the Internet for the broadcast go to www.RocklineRadio.com
Mercenary Begin Work On New Album
Danish metallers MERCENARY have issued the following update:
"This weekend MERCENARY entered Jacob Hansen's studio in Ribe to record the follow-up to 'The Hours That Remain'. The following week drums and guitars will be recorded, after which keyboards, vocals and bass will be tracked. The album is set for a late March 2008 release."
"The Hours That Remain" entered the national album chart in Denmark at position No. 67. The follow-up to 2004's "11 Dreams" was produced by Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, COMMUNIC, MAROON, HATESPHERE) and features artwork by Travis Smith (DEATH, KATATONIA, OPETH). Guest musicians on the CD include SOILWORK's Björn "Speed" Strid and HEAVEN SHALL BURN's Marcus Bischoff.
Machine Head Frontman Talks Metallica Wembley Show
MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn has posted a lengthy new "diary entry" on the band's official web site. An excerpt from his posting follows:
"[Supporting] METALLICA at Wembley Stadium [in London in early July]. Duuuuuude!? DUUUUDE!?!?!? Such an honor. Handpicked. Last minute [as the replacement for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, who had to cancel].
"To be honest, we thought it might be a bit rough just because we were thrown on so late in the game, our fans might not know about it in time, etc. But oh my god, dude.
"Let me preface this and start by saying that, straight up, the first three songs were literally the sloppiest we'd played on the entire 'Blackening' run. Jesus?! Guitar cutting out, broken strings, tech hands me my guitar wildly out of tune, Phil's [Demmel] wireless goes out... it was like, NOW?! Were gonna have all these problems NOW??!! Christ al-fuckin'-mighty! But you know what...it didn't matter, the crowd went friggin' APESHIT! The circle pit for 'Imperium' (which Monte Conner says is the new 'Davidian') was... just... oh my fuckin' GOD! We FINALLY pulled it together for 'Halo' and 'Davidian', and from 'Halo' on...the world just fell into place...everything got easy. Didn't know it at the time but [James] Hetfield watched us... from 'Halo' on... whew!
"MASTODON ruled, as always. But METALLICA, man, METALLICA... dude... untouchable that night. I've seen a couple bad shows from them recently, but man, they walked on fucking water that night. What a vibe. Setlist: impeccable. Between-song banter: hysterical. The crowd sing-a-long to the 'la-da-da-da' part, from the lone post-'Black'-album song they played ('Memory Remains')... it went on for two minutes after the song ended... goose-bumps man... fucking... goose-bumps.
"Hetfield hung in the dressing room, told us he's rockin' to 'The Blackening'. 'There's some epic shit on there.'... My brain pretty much imploded at that point... smoke out of the ears and everything... full-on frizzle fry.
"The afterparty was drunken insanity. I gave and received no less than 17 skull bites to Brent from MASTODON. But the highlight of it all was hanging out with Lars [Ulrich] after the afterparty, drinking a small ocean's worth of booze and picking his brain about every detail of the thrash era that I thought I knew about or wanted to know about. With Adam [Duce], and a small pow-wow of people, him and I held court for nearly an hour talking about everything from the years he followed DIAMOND HEAD around (he was in the rehearsal studio with them when they wrote 'Am I Evil?'), following MOTÖRHEAD around, Dave Mustaine, Napster, EXODUS, Baloff, Cliff, what their mindset was when writing 'Master of Puppets', who were their rivals at the time, the first time I saw them, what they thought of SLAYER back then... Dudes, I was in full-on METALLICA history nerd/geek mode, and it RULED 'cause he was spilling all the dirt.
"We raged on over to some fancy-schmancy hotel his friends were at, where, in between skull bites, WWE wrestling sessions and all of us flashing all of our penises at cars passing by, we talked the pros and cons of cocaine, while he fawned hopelessly over our publicity girl... it was c-r-a-z-y!"
Type O Negative Frontman Talks Current Album
KNAC.com's Charlie Steffens recently caught up with TYPE O NEGATIVE frontman Peter Steele to discuss the band's current album, Dead Again, and everything in between. The following is an excerpt from the extensive interview, which reportedly lasted almost four hours (!):
On rock n' roll:
“I believe that the true definition of a rock band is to upset people and that’s the reason rock became rock in the late 50’s, because the country was pretty right-wing. So when rock came out—being left-wing—that upset people. I will admit to being slightly right-wing. I consider myself to be a conscientious conservative. I am pro-police, pro-government, and pro-parent. Because the country has shifted so far to the left that even if you are mid-wing, still you are upsetting people. So, all these trendoid rock bands are just preaching to the choir. I have, in the past, gone out of my way to upset people and fortunately it worked. That’s why I can say CARNIVORE and Type O Negative are true rock bands, because your parents aren’t going to like this music. And if they do like it you better find different parents.”
On inspiration:
“I’ve always liked orchestral music, especially marching music like John Phillip Sousa. I also play sousaphone and tuba. And I play string bass. I guess you could call bass a guitar, so to speak. But I was always fascinated by the definition of functions, like what makes a bass player a bass player. I got the answer. The answer is you are the bridge between rhythm and harmony. You gotta go with the drums but you gotta fill the bottom end at the same time. That’s a bassist. Which disqualifies me; because I play bass/rhythm guitar and I play mostly chords. A failure again."
“My life is not so exciting that I could document it verbatim and make it into an interesting song. So I have to exaggerate. I take a few different things that really did happen and I string them together and make it into one song. On Bloody Kisses there’s a song, 'Death In The Family', and everyone thinks it’s about a woman. It was about a cat that I had since I was 17 that died. My life is pretty boring. It mostly revolves around Saturday morning cartoons and TV dinners. Like, I really wanted to marry Mrs. Swanson. If she fucked the way that she cooked then I’d be very happy, because I would know what I was going to get every time. Either way it’s going in the oven, right?”
On outside interests:
"I don’t like to go out, because I don’t like to be recognized. I don’t like to be looked at. I really don’t like to be onstage, but however, I’m a masochist, so it’s the perfect punishment.”
Lizzy Borden Talk New Album
Blasting-Zone.com recently caught up with Lizzy Borden to discuss his new album, Appointment With death. The following is a brief excerpt:
BZ: What can you tell us about Appointment With Death?
Lizzy Borden: “It’s a theme-based record because that’s what we always do (laughs). I get to play death…it’s really just about death being in the room with the characters of each individual song. Every song is about death in one way or the other…death is about to happen in one way or the other. That’s the whole basic theme about it. On Deal With The Devil, I got to play the devil. That was another theme-based record. The devil was involved in almost every aspect of the record in one way or the other.”
BZ: Have you ever seriously considered recording a record that isn’t theme-based?
Lizzy Borden: “Yeah, every time I start a record, I go ‘…I’m not gonna do a theme-based record. I’m just gonna write ten songs…’ (laughs). But it never works out that way. I start digging and digging, trying to find things that are interesting to me. Before I know it, I’m writing a theme-based record (laughs). This is where I am and what I’m doing. I tried to fight it for a while, but now I just embrace it. Just about every record has been theme-based, so I don’t think there’s any stopping it at this point. But we’re havin’ fun. As long as it turns out in the end the way we had planned it from the beginning, then I’m happy, ya know? I don’t like to think of them as concept records. I’ve never done a full concept record like (THE WHO classic) Tommy. One day I’d like to try, but that’s a whole other ball game. The only way you could really do it right would be to have actors come in and actually play the characters. I don’t know. I’d like to try. We’ll just have to see what happens. I’ve always thought about it, but those things either work or they're horrible."
BZ: What was the main motivation behind the seven year gap between the release of Deal With The Devil and Appointment With Death?
Lizzy Borden: “Well, when we did Deal With The Devil, which was in 2000, we toured for a couple of years off and on. In 2003, we ended up recording a Lizzy Borden record that took a little over a year, but in the end it just didn’t feel like a Lizzy Borden record, so we shelved it. So we wasted about a year and a half there. We didn’t really wanna go right back in and do another Lizzy record, so we created a band called STARWOOD. I’ve always loved CHEAP TRICK and a lot of those bands from the ‘70s that had that hard rock ‘n’ roll vibe with a pop or commercial edge, so we created the band and did a record. We went to Japan, did a little bit of touring here and there and then we went back in to do another Starwood record. Right about the time we had finished it I just had backing vocals to put on it and had to mix it so it would be done, we started wanting to do Lizzy Borden again. We ended up going out last summer with W.A.S.P., did that tour and then came back and started working on this record. This record took a little more time to make, but it needed the time to gel with our new guitar player and the whole thing.”
Battlelore Planning U.K. Dates, Discuss New Album
BATTLELORE vocalist Tomi Mykkänen has checked in with the following update:
"Hello all!
First of all, we have been working on the new songs lately and at the moment we actually have some 10 songs in very good 'skeleton-phase'. Looks extremely positive so far. The music is getting a few steps back in our history and a few steps forward to the future. At the moment it seems that there will be bigger, more epic parts in the vein of Sword's Song but also more harder, heavier parts in the vein of Evernight. I'm quite sure that you fans won't be disappointed with this one. The album should be out sometime in June/July/August 2008.
We have some more gigs coming up. For all you cool North Americans I must say that still no good news for you. We would love to come 'over the deep waters' and play for all of you but it's really not up to us. You need to buy more albums and ask from the local organizers for us.... maybe someday then. :)
Finally we have a few more Finnish gigs coming up. Seems that our homeland is finally starting to get our idea. Our first UK gig in a long time is also confirmed to be in late February 2008 in Swansea, Wales. There is a big possibility for more UK gigs this coming December as we've been talking about a small tour around the middle December and that one should have some five or so UK dates. We'll keep you informed.
Ok, I think this is for the news for now. Have fun, have some beer, enjoy the life!"
- tomi -
Battlelore's live schedule is currently as follows:
November
19 - Helsinki, Finland at Nosturi
20 - Tampere, Finland at Klubi
February
23 - Swansea, Wales - Sin City Club
Helloween Launch New Site
HELLOWEEN have launched a new official website to coincide with the release of their new album, Gambling With The Devil. Go to www.helloween.org/band to check it out.
In addition, the band has issued the following update:
"The Official Helloween Fanclub in the traditional form with a printed newsletter will be closed soon. Trying to make fans all over the world happy, snail mail and it’s long delivering times simply did not lead to satisfying results anymore.
We are considering to move the Fanclub to a members only section on the band’s Homepage. This special premium section for registered Fanclub members could offer different attractions such as rare downloads, exclusive pictures, short mpeg movies directly from the studio, or delivering you impressions from the band being on the road. Further, we plan to offer exclusive Fanclub-T-shirts, possible meet & greets with the band at concerts as well as reduced prices on merchandise and concert tickets.
Now it’s up to you, the Helloween-fans!
Please let us know your opinion and suggestions on this subject. Visit the Fanclub page to send your comments to our opinion poll."
W.A.S.P. Ban All Cameras At Upcoming Shows
W.A.S.P. have issued the following update:
"Dear fans, please DO NOT bring any cameras into the shows this fall as it is strictly prohibited to take pictures or recordings of the performance of W.A.S.P.! Security Personnel at every venue will confiscate any cameras (including digital cameras and mobile phones with ability to record) from you before entering the venues. Please respect this request and enjoy the evening with The Crimson Idol.
Inquiries have been made as to whether the Crimson Idol will be performed only in select locations. The Crimson Idol Event will be performed every night in each of the cities in the Tour Schedule. After the Crimson Idol has been performed the band will take a ten minute intermission and return to perform all the great W.A.S.P. classic you know and love."
Current confirmed W.A.S.P. dates are now as follows:
October
26 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Idrogios
27 - Athens, Greece - Gargarin 205
29 - Glasgow, Scotland - Garage
30 - Liverpool, UK - Cavern Club
31 - Dudley, UK - JB's
November
1 - Manchester, UK - Academy
2 - London, UK - Astoria
3 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
4 - Leeds, UK - Rio's
5 - Newcastle, UK - Academy
9 - Trondheim, Norway - Samfundet
10 - Jevnaker, Norway - Venue TBA
11 - Bergen, Norway - USF
13 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
14 - Stavanger, Norway - Folken
16 - Ostersund, Sweden - Eventhuset
17 - Karlstadt, Sweden - Nöjesfabriken
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgarn
24 - Riga, Latvia - Sapnu Fabrika
25 - Tallin, Estonia - Rock Café
30 - Chemnitz, Germany - Hellraiser E.V.
December
1 - Zlin, Czech Rep. - Hala Novesta
2 - Budapest, Hungary - Wigwam
5 - Santiago, Spain - Capitol
6 - Bergara, Spain - Sala Jam
7 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
8 - Murcia, Spain - Sala Gamma
9 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
12 - Treviso, Italy - New Age
13 - Milan, Italy - Rainbow
14 - Charleroi, Belgium - Le Coliseum
15 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Philipshalle
16 - Augsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
17 - Trier, Germany - Europahalle
18 - Berlin, Germany - TBA
19 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
20 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
21 - Speyer, Germany - Halle 101
22 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
Laura Announce Tour Dates
Australian post-rock band Laura (official MySpace page), hailing from Melbourne, have announced a national tour in support of their recent live album '(Re)capitulate'. The dates are:
Friday, November 16th - Enigma Bar, Adelaide
Friday, November 23rd - Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne
Friday, November 30th - Bar Broadway, Sydney
Saturday, December 1st - The Zoo, Brisbane
'(Re)capitulate' was recorded at the hi-fi bar in Melbourne during the band's tour with Isis and These Arms Are Snakes. Of the promotional single for the album, Laura said "you may download it from our website or get a loaner of it here. take it. we want you to have it. eat, eat, you're skin and bones."
New Vader DVD Preview Online
Released in Europe on the 15th of October (and to be released in the US on January 22nd 2008, via MVD), Vader's new live DVD entitled "...And Blood Was Shed in Warsaw" captures footage of a show hailed brutal, fast and uncompromising. The sneak preview track "Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)" is currently available for streaming from YouTube here. The DVD trailer can be viewed by clicking here. The cover artwork for the DVD can be seen here, and the tracklisting is as follows:
01. Intro
02. ShadowFear
03. Sothis
04. Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
05. Warlords
06. Silent Empire
07. Blood Of Kingu
08. Intro: Out
09. Out Of The Deep
10. Carnal
11. Dark Age
12. Black To The Blind
13. Intro: Para Bellum
14. This Is The War
15. Lead Us
16. What Colour Is Your Blood
17. Epitaph
18. Cold Demons
19. Predator
20. Wings
21. Wyrocznia (feat. Orion)
Bonus video:
Interview with Peter
Video clip "Sword of the Witcher"
Other features tbc
Also includes:
Photo gallery
Desktop images
Biography
Discography
Weblinks
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
The CD, only available in limited DVD+CD swing case edition, has the same tracklisting as the DVD.
Zyklon Taking Break, Future Uncertain
Extreme metal band Zyklon have recently finished a tour of Japan promoting their latest release, 'Disintegrate'. Samoth had this to say on the tour, the immediate and long-term future of Zyklon, and other projects of band-members:
"Returning from Japan marks the end of Zyklon's touring activities for "Disintegrate". Japan is always an awesome experience. We had amazing crowds, hospitality and, of course, lots of sake. Looking back on the general touring activities for "Disintegrate", we've seen many of the same clubs and people, but also some new places and a lot of new faces, which has been great. We made it back to the states, even if only for a one-off festival, we played the Roskilde festival, which was really cool opportunity for an extreme metal band like Zyklon, and we did a bunch of other European festivals, some smaller tours, etc. It's been a good run, and a particularly interesting one as Trym, Secthdamon and myself have also done a bunch of big Emperor shows during the same timeline. There have been both pros and cons to that situation, but all in all it's been very cool.As for future plans, I guess one could say that it's a bit "up in the air" at the moment. Looking back there have been ups and downs during the years with Zyklon. We're not always an easy band to manage, as all members live in different cities and have multiple commitments on different fronts, thus it's often hard for all the logistic and practical things to work. This situation has especially come more into focus in the last year or so, where it has become harder and harder to get the band together when needed, with the spirit and excitement that one expects from a band like this. Basically, I don't feel that we as a band have the fire needed to start working on a new album right now. Therefore Zyklon are taking a break. This is a good time for us to do so. We have completed a good run of shows around the world for our latest album; we have completed all our contractual obligations with Candlelight Records (with success I must add, as Candlelight have treated us well, cheers mates!).
Also, the 'terror-twins', Destructhor and Secthdamon, have plans to go for it with Myrkskog, and will hopefully finally take the actions needed to complete their new, long-delayed, album. I truly hope they will, because this is the time to do it and I know the fans have been waiting for years, and judging from the pre-production material I have heard, it will be massive statement of intricate and brutal death metal. Trym is also working on a new album with his other band, Paganize, at the moment.
Personally, I have a bunch of material written and will keep on working on that over the winter, and basically take it from there. What the future will bring I cannot say at this point. All I know is that we're all active musicians and have no intentions what so ever to stop our mission of METAL!!!
On other fronts, there are plans for an official Emperor DVD release. There's a lot of cool material to be reviewed, mixed and edited. There are also things happening on my label, Nocturnal Art, this fall with new releases from Manngard, In Battle and Limbonic Art. Make sure you log into the official Nocturnal Art, Zyklon and Emperor Myspace profiles for updates."
Smashing Pumpkins Post Studio Performance Online
Chicago’s SMASHING PUMPKINS’s recently stopped by AOL’s “Sessions” studio to play selections from their latest album, “Zeitgeist,” and more. You can check it out online at this location.
Onesidezero's Guitarist Comments on Bush
Los Angeles based ONESIDEZERO guitarist, Levon Sultanian, has commented on the Bush administration’s recommendation to Congress to reject legislation that would declare the World War I-era killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians as genocide.
“Genocide still exists. We saw it in Rwanda (1994) and we see it in Darfur today. The only thing worse is when a mass killing of a nation is NOT RECOGNIZED as a GENOCIDE, like the Armenian Genocide,” says Sultanian. “The Bush Administration is worried that the passing of the Armenian Resolution and recognizing the mass killings in 1915 of 1.5 million Armenians will badly damage the American-Turkish relations and U.S. interests in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan). How distorted is our government’s priorities? Are financial stakes more important than recognizing and acknowledging injustice against humanity? The Armenian Genocide happened; it is a reality in the history of mankind. Honest Turks like Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Peace Prize winner, acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and had the balls to ask that all Turks accept this dark historic reality.”
Deathead Part Ways With Drummer
Utah-based speed metal band DEATHEAD have parted ways with drummer Matt Wulf, and are currently holding auditions for his replacement. Interested parties can contact the band at deathead@deathead.net.
According to a press release: "Requirements, must be at least 21, have pro gear, good attitude, and excellent double bass skills. There are several shows pending, as well as some road shows. Once a replacement is found the band will fulfill it's live obligations and then hit the studio in January or February. In other news, the official website is currently offline unti it is moved to it's new host, it should be back up shortly. In the meantime check out the band's MySpace page. Interested parties should learn the two songs on their for audition."
Droid Guitarist Speaks Out On Korn Scuffle
Contrary to the rumors that DROID has left KORN's Bitch! We Have A Problem tour, the Long Beach, California-based band continues to destroy the stage, and DROID guitarist Jamie Teissere has broken his silence to clear the air about rumors of his group being sent home.
"The rumors are not true," says Jamie. "We are on our way to Tucson, Arizona as we speak and will continue until the end of the tour."
KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer got into a scuffle with Teissere last week at a stop in Little Rock, Arkansas on the Bitch! We Have A Problem tour. According to several reports, Shaffer was apparently drunk when the incident occurred and has taken "total responsibility" for the fight. KORN singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse of Radio that Shaffer spoke about it himself the next night on stage. "That's how it all came out," he said. "He's all, 'Last night I got really drunk and one of my best friends kicked my ass and I deserved it, and that's why they're not here tonight, and that's that.' He just wanted to get it, so...everything's cool now." More...
Hanoi Rocks Announce UK Dates
Legendary Finnish rockers HANOI ROCKS will tour the UK in February and March 2008. Confirmed dates are as follows:
Feb. 25 - Sheffield, UK - The Plug
Feb. 26 - Glasgow, UK - Cathouse
Feb. 27 - Aberdeen, UK - Moshulu
Feb. 28 - Newcastle, UK - Academy 2
Feb. 29 - Manchester, UK - Academy 3
Mar. 01 - Leeds, UK - Rio's
Mar. 03 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Mar. 04 - Dudley, UK - J.B.'s
Mar. 05 - Bristol, UK - Academy
Mar. 06 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
Mar. 07 - London, UK - Astoria 2 More...
Further Lo Announce New Album Title
Columbus, Ohio thrashers FURTHER LO have changed the name of their new CD to "A New Form of Suicide" from the previously announced "Unresolved".
"The name of the CD wasn't really what we were looking for," said drummer Turk Elliott. "We wanted something just a little more risky, but not over the top. Really just something that had an edge to it like the music and we felt 'Unresolved' just wouldn't represent what we were trying to say with this CD."
Due in January via Power Play Records, "A New Form of Suicide" will be supported by a tour beginning late winter/early spring.
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