Hirax Guitarist Comments On Departure

Blabbermouth.net reports that former HIRAX guitarist Glenn Rogers sent the following statement:

"It seems there is some confusion on who cancelled the HIRAX tour of Japan. So to set the record straight, here is the story:

"On Saturday, Nov. 19th I received a message from Katon W. Depena [HIRAX frontman]. The message said, and I quote, 'I'm cancelling the tour. It's nothing against Dave Watson [guitar] or you, but I can't work with the other guys [bassist Angelo Espino and drummer Dave Chedrick]. I'm not happy with them, and I need to spend some time away from the band.' Katon refused all phone calls and e-mails to try to work this out. He never contacted the promoter (Sub Effect Records) to let them know the tour was cancelled.

"Due to the fact that Katon would not communicate with his own band, we had to cancel our flight plans. As a result, we as a band felt we could not continue as members of HIRAX. We will however seek a new singer, and carry on."

HIRAX's most recent full-length CD, "New Age of Terror", was issued in May 2004 via Black Devil Records. A new six-song CD/DP, entitled "Assassins of War", was recently completed but has yet to receive an official release date.

0 Comments - Discuss

Vinnie Paul Abbott Launches Record Label

Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott has launched Big Vin Records, a new Dallas-based record label with distribution via Fontana.

Big Vin Records' first release will be an album from REBEL MEETS REBEL, a unique crossover of country, metal and rock. It features three of the founding members of PANTERA (Vinnie Paul, Dimebag and bassist Rex Brown) together with legendary country singer/outlaw David Allan Coe. REBEL MEETS REBEL's CD was recorded over a four-year period and is set to contain a total of 12 tracks, including "Nothin' To Lose", "Rebel Meets Rebel", "Cowboys", "Panfillo", "Heartworn Highway", "One Night Stand", "Arizona Rivers", "A Man With Nothin' Ain't Got Nothin' to Lose", "New York City Streets" and "Get Outta My Life".

The title track, "Rebel Meets Rebel", was previously said to be a duet with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo, although it is not presently clear if Anselmo's contributions will make it to the final product.

"Being from Texas, not only do we have rock roots, but we listen to country and blues," Paul explained to MTV News in early 2000. "Before our shows, we'd play 'Jack Daniels, If You Please' off of one of [Coe's] CDs.... He caught wind of it, and we went out to see him when he played Billy Bob's. He was just a super cool dude. It was fun to check him out, and we hooked him up with a couple of our home videos, and he called us back a couple days later and just said, 'Man, these f***ing videos are incredible. I really dig what you guys do.' He knows more about PANTERA than I do now."

"Rebel Meets Rebel" is scheduled for release in March 2006.

The second project to be released via Big Vin will be a DVD, "Dimevision", as a tribute to Dimebag, one of metal's all-time guitar greats who is credited by some for creating the original concept which eventually became the MTV hit series "Jackass". "Dimevision" features Dime's stellar guitar playing and offbeat brand of humor, and is sure to be a title every serious PANTERA fan will have to own.

4 Comments - Discuss

Reunited Onslaught Play First Gig In 15 Years

The reformed lineup of the classic U.K. thrash outfit ONSLAUGHT played their first gig in almost fifteen years Friday night (November 25) in Bristol, England. The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Let There Be Death
02. Angels Of Death
03. Metal Forces
04. Destroyer Of Worlds
05. Shellshock
06. Demoniac
07. (New Song)
08. Flame Of The Antichrist
09. Tested To Destruction
10. Killing Peace
11. Lightning War
12. Seeds Of Hate
13. Onslaught (Power From Hell)

You can check out photos and a review of last night's performance at RockersDigest.com.

In a recent interview with RockersDigest.com, bassist James Hinder spoke about the band's decision to reunite and their future plans. With regards to what made the band want to reform, Hinder said, "Nige [Rockett, guitar] and Steven [Grice, drums] have known each other for years, they've known each other for 20-plus years and they were friends after the band split up and they live very close to one another in Bristol. They became aware of the fact that a label had released, unbeknown to ourselves, 'Power from Hell' and 'The Force' and they were selling. They weren't selling huge quantities, probably selling a couple of thousand copies a year whatever, but obviously somebody was making some remuneration from that. So they were scratching their heads as to what was going on with this. Anyway, Steven received a royalty statement, I can't remember which company, but he received a royalty statement for five pence! He sat and thought, 'This is silly,' because somebody somewhere is taking the piss here. So he got together with Nige and they thought about it for a while and thought, 'Why don't we ask Simon [Keeler, vocals] and Jim?' So with Sy, apparently there was one of these classic moments. Steven used to do some printing work for Sy. So they were at Sy's place of work and Steve asked, 'Can you do this job for me? And by the way, do you fancy getting ONSLAUGHT back together?' Simon apparently got up and made a cup of tea and came back and said, 'Course I would, you f**king idiot!'

"Steven rang me, I was up in the flat living in Cheltenham at the time and I received this call one day expecting someone harassing me from work or whatever, slammed my laptop down, picked the phone up and shouted 'Yes!' And it was Gricey. He said 'Hello, you alright? How do you fancy getting the band back together? And I said 'What the f**k are you on, you twat?' but he said, 'No, seriously.'

"Anyway, we got together in a pub, we all sat round a table the four of us, we laid down the ground rules for what we were trying to achieve. And the great contrast of what we have now is that this band is a 100% democracy. None of us need it, with a capital N, we do it because we want to do it and we do it because we love it. But nobody in the band needs it or, I don't know, everything that goes with being on a major label, you know, all the kind of idiots that are telling you you're the greatest thing since sliced bread and all the rest of it. There's a difference, a shift now, more of an inner confidence and I think it's reflecting on the new tunes we are coming out with. They're very, I think, representative of the genre and very competent I believe. I'll leave for other people to say what they're like, but I'm very happy with what we're doing and I'll leave it at that. I get my own internal satisfaction out of it."

You can read the entire interview at RockersDigest.com.

ONSLAUGHT recorded three albums in the late 1980s, including the underrated "In Search of Sanity" (1989, Polydor), featuring ex-GRIM REAPER frontman Steve Grimmett, before calling it a day.

0 Comments - Discuss

Former Vehemence Guitarist Launches New Project

Fomer VEHEMENCE guitarist John Chavez is looking for Phoenix, Arizona-based musicians to join his new project, dubbed CURSED IN BLACK.

Commented Chavez: "The material will be ranging from all heavy spectrums of metal, death, black, punk, and thrash. It may seem like a VEHEMENCE continuation of sound and vibe, but not completely. This will be a unique band that will leave you headbanging! There will be displays of melodic aggression, skilled solos, experimental creativity, and will carry a wide vocal range diversity. I'm expecting to officially release a demo by March 2006 and tour non-stop after. Most importantly, I am looking to secure the lineup.

"I'm looking for extraordinary dedicated musicians that can contribute to CURSED IN BLACK's sound with immense creativity. The MySpace page has info on what this band is looking for.

"The writing process began shortly after the VEHEMENCE break-up. Some riffs have been carried on over from what was supposed to be new VEHEMENCE as well.

"I’d like to thank those who have came forward already about this member search, and I am already looking into several people as permanent additions to the lineup. Hope to get some response from some quality people. Also, the band needs a band logo, so please send submissions to cursedinblack@hotmail.com or the myspace account.

"Thanks to everyone that supported VEHEMENCE and to those that said they would have faith that this new band will be spectacular and support this one as well."

0 Comments - Discuss

Fearless Vampire Killers Plan Euro Tour

Fearless Vampire Killers, comprised of former Cro-Mags members John Joseph, Mackie Jason, and Doug Holland will tour Europe in April and May of 2006 in honor of the 20th anniversary of Cro-Mags' "Age Of Quarrel" release. As such, the group will only play songs from said album, in addition to a few Bad Brains songs. Dates will be forthcoming.

0 Comments - Discuss

Short When Knives Go Skyward Update

When Knives Go Skyward are currently recording their debut full-length. The group is currently mulling over a few potential record labels. Meanwhile, they are now being managed by A Life Once Lost vocalist Robert Meadows.

0 Comments - Discuss

Still Life Records Upcoming Release Details

The End Of 6000 Years will release a split CD (with a great band to be announced) and should be out in January. Also the band will hit the studio in the spring of 2006 to record a full-length album. You can hear some of their material on their MySpace page.

Meanwhile, we are gonna press As Hope Dies' last self-released CDep. Five brand new crashing songs recorded before the band broke up. As Hope Dies inspired a lot of new bands with their unique sound, a cross between Prayer For Cleansing, At The Gates, Undying and Shai Hulud. You can hear some of their material at their MySpace page.

0 Comments - Discuss

Nasum's "Grind Finale" Pictures Posted

Nasum guitarist Anders Jakobson has posted the following message at the band's official site:

"Yesterday I got my personal copies of "Grind Finale" and I guess you can imagine how that felt, right? I've been following the package's route from Philadelphia to Örebro on UPS's website and I feared that it wouldn't be delievered on Friday, but it was and I became a happy fellow. It's too bad it's over two months left to the release, but you know it will be worth waiting for this release.

In my ongoing quest to give you the best fan focused band website ever or to tease the fuck out of you (your choise really) I've taken some photos of the packages just to let you all know what it's all about. The description "hardbound double digipak with an 80 pages thick booklet" might not say much, but pictures tell more than a thousand words... Just look a little further down this article to see the images.

I am - by the way - very happy about the outcome. I am happy that we chose this packages, that for me feels quite original and not that common. I stopped by Dan Swanö's music store to give him his copy on my way home yesterday and he was impressed and said that "Grind Finale" will "set some new standards regarding this type of releases". I don't know about that, all I wanted was to do something that was worth the money, and I think "Grind Finale" is."

To read more and to view the photos, go here.

4 Comments - Discuss

Kataklysm Unveil New Track Early

Kataklysm have posted a new song and the following message at their official MySpace page:

"New song availble from the spanking new album " In The Arms Of Devastation" the song is called "Like Angels Weeping (The Dark)" sit back and enjoy! *please note this is not the final mix and the song is unmastered, the final version will rip your fucking heart out ;) trust us! This is just for you guys to get a taste of it."

The new track, which was originally intended to be unveiled on January 1st, can be found here.

The new album, "In The Arms Of Devastation" is due to be released worldwide on February 20th through Nuclear Blast.

2 Comments - Discuss