Metal News for December 11, 2007
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
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Hot Topics
- Kreator To Release New Album In January
- Enthroned To Release New Album In December
- Spite Premiere New Single & Music Video
- Carcosa (AngelMaker) Premiere New Single & Video
- Agnostic Front Premiere New Single & Lyric Video
- Potato Premiere New Single & Music Video "YUGE PP"
- Omnium Gatherum Drops "Walking Ghost Phase" Video
- Tailgunner Signs With Napalm Records
- Messa Shares New Music Video "Reveal"
- Stellar Circuits Premiere New Single & Music Video
38 news articles posted on this day.
Zeppelin Reunion Gig "Too Emotional" For Bonham
Ireland Online reports: The Led Zeppelin reunion gig was almost thrown into jeopardy last night when drummer Jason Bonham suffered an attack of nerves shortly before the band was due to take to the stage.
The legendary rockers reformed for a one-off show at London's O2 Arena in memory of their late friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, with 'Foreigner' star Jason taking the place of his father, John Bonham, in the band's line-up.
But the group's reunion proved to be tougher for 41-year-old Bonham than he thought it would be.
Backstage at the concert, his Foreigner bandmate, Mick Jones, said: "It's been so emotional for Jason. He was fine up until 45 minutes before the show. He will be wretching (vomiting) before he goes on."
John Bonham died in 1980, aged 32.
Ambitions Releases Video for "Sinking"
Bridge Nine recording artists Ambitions are excited to unleash the video for "Sinking" from their new album, "Stranger," which is in stores now. Directed by Patrick Clark, the video for "Sinking" was filmed in New Britain, Connecticut during August of 2007. Guitarist Jeff Aust said, "shooting the video was a little awkward as all video shoots are, but we're happy with the turnout. It's a fun take on old zombie movies with some fun live shots that were filmed in the course of an afternoon. We had a good time." The video for "Sinking" is exactly that - a fun video chock full of zombies and chase scenes with performance footage dispersed throughout.
You can check the video out here.
Down Announce More U.S. Tour Dates
DOWN has lined up the following dates in January/February:
Jan. 19 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theatre
Jan. 22 - Little Rock, AR - The Village
Jan. 23 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
Jan. 25 - Springfield, MO - Reminton’s
Jan. 26 - Champaign, IL - Canopy Club
Jan. 27 - Grand Rapids - Orbit Room
Jan. 29 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
Jan. 30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
Feb. 02 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
Feb. 04 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
Feb. 05 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
Feb. 07 - Long Island - Mulcahy’s
Feb. 08 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s
Feb. 09 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
Feb. 11 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
Feb. 12 - New Haven, CT - Toad’s
Feb. 14 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Feb. 16 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
Feb. 18 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
Feb. 19 - Nashville, TN - The Cannery More...
Eminence Enlist New Bassist
Brazilian metallers EMINENCE have enlisted new bassist TC (ex-UDORA) who replaces Rodrigo Nunes.
The band recently recorded their new album at Maquina Studios in Brazil with producer Tue Madsen (KATAKLYSM, RAUNCHY, THE HAUNTED).
Titled The God Of All Mistakes, the album will feature the following tracks: 'Resistance', 'Written In Dust', 'Enemy Inside', 'The God Of All Mistakes', 'Diablo´s Odiado', 'Stainer', 'Injected Lies', 'Undermind', 'Egomaniac', Threatened By A New Plague'.
The album is due out in early 2008 release via an as-yet-undetermined label.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Dirge Post New Song Online
DIRGE, the new extreme metal project featuring ex-SOIL guitarist Shaun Glass, THE DOOMSDAY SOCIAL drummer James Knight (ex-THE BLANK THEORY, CHACOPA) and A TEXAS FUNERAL vocalist Jermz, has posted a new song, entitled "The Last Goodbye", on its MySpace page. The track was recorded at Studio One in Racine, Wisconsin and was mixed at SafeHouse Productions by James Murphy (DEATH, OBITUARY, TESTAMENT).
According to Shaun, who previously played bass in the 1990s death metal act BROKEN HOPE, DIRGE's musical direction is "total fucking extreme metal in a very modern thrash style."
Art of Simplicity Issue Update
Athenian progsters, Art Of Simplicity, Issue the following message:
"Lately we recorded a demo track to help us decide how our new album will be produced. It went really well and we are very happy!! We are currently working on our new album, so as to be ready in a year from now. Because two of our members (Giorgos and Alexandros) have to sign the army for a year (it's a bounden in Greece), our live performances will be even more rare, but we will catch up with you as soon as our new album is out. More on this as time goes by."
The Old Dead Tree Announce French Tour Dates
French metal act THE OLD DEAD TREE has scheduled the following dates:
Dec. 12 - Strasbourg, FRA @ Laiterie
Dec. 14 - Marseille, FRA @ Le Poste a Galene
Dec. 22 - Limoges, FRA @ CC John Lennon (X-Mas Festival)
A brand new THE OLD DEAD TREE track, entitled "Dive", has been posted online at this location. The song comes off the Parisian goth metallers' new album, "The Water Fields", which was released in September via Season of Mist. The CD was recorded at Stage One Studio in Germany with producer Andy Classen.
Speaking about the new CD, vocalist/guitarist Manuel stated, "The band went further again, reaching a new stage in terms of songwriting and maturity. This album is much heavier and darker, but also more diverse and full of sheer emotion! Even the production of Andy Classen outdoes the job on our previous material."
Headline News
Matt Barlow Rejoins Iced Earth
ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer has issued the following statement:
"Hello, dear friends!"
"Once again the winds of change are upon us, and this time I can say that I am very happy about the result."
"While out on the European tour I had several in depth discussions with many loyal ICED EARTH fans. A common theme of these discussions was how much Matt is missed. I agreed with the fans that things were not the same and that it was a very special period in ICED EARTH's history." More...
More ATR, Chimaira, Divine Heresy, FFDP Tour Dates
More tour dates have been announced for the ALL THAT REMAINS, CHIMAIRA, DIVINE HERESY and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH tour. FFDP is fresh off headline dates that they embarked upon following their high profile opening slot on the KORN tour and second stage headline on the 2007 Family Values Tour.
FFDP's single "The Bleeding" recently hit the Top 20 on the Active Rock radio charts. The video for the track has been featured on MTV2's HEADBANGERS BALL and features the female lead from Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN remake starring with band members. The internet pre-sale of tickets for this run takes place here.
Here are the tour dates featuring All That Remains, Chimaira, Divine Heresy and Five Finger Death Punch: More...
Headline News
Fan-Filmed Led Zeppelin Reunion Videos Surface
Videos are surfacing for nearly every song played by Led Zeppelin on their reunion set in London yesterday, December 10, 2007. Originally scheduled for November 26, the reunion concert had to be pushed back to when guitarist Jimmy Page fractured his finger and was unable to play guitar for three weeks. The show was a memorial for late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun and also featured performances by Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, and Foreigner.
Here is the Led Zeppelin reunion show's set list with links to the videos on YouTube, and the full list of embedded videos after the jump.
01. Good Times, Bad Times
02. Ramble On
03. Black Dog
04. In My Time Of Dying
05. For Your Life
06. Trampled Under Foot
07. Nobody's Fault But Mine
08. No Quarter
09. Since I've Been Loving You
10. Dazed and Confused
11. Stairway to Heaven
12. The Song Remains the Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
Encore:
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock and Roll
Those songs missing videos may be linked up as the videos surface. Feel free to comment with links to fan-filmed footage from the London reunion show if you find them.
As previously reported, BBC's "Newsnight" program aired a professionally filmed clip of the classic LED ZEPPELIN track "Black Dog," that can also be viewed here. More...
Just For Fun
Watch a Metal Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Video
The Daily Rock and UVTV have brought to us a heavy metal rendition of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer by HemorRhage. You can check out the video here.
Iron Maiden Re-Sign With EMI Records
EMI and Iron Maiden today announced they have renewed and extended their historic 28-year recording relationship in a deal for the world, excluding the USA, which also includes other revenues such as touring, merchandise and sponsorship.
Signed to EMI Records in November 1979, Iron Maiden quickly became one of the biggest rock bands in the world and have gone on to sell some 70 million albums including three No 1 and 15 Top 10 albums in the UK alone.
'A Matter of Life and Death', Iron Maiden’s 14th and most recent studio album released in 2006, charted at No 1 in 10 countries, achieved Top 10 positions in 30 more and was Billboard magazine’s No 1 International Album.
Unexpect Comment On Nile Tour
Montreal's UNEXPECT have posted an update on their upcoming spring tour with death metallers NILE.
Says the band, "Tours, tours, tours & more tours! Another tour has been added to our 2008 To Do List. We'll be going alongside NILE, SUICIDE SILENCE and THE FACELESS on another US National tour in March and April. Check out the new dates below.
...and note that the band has been lucky to escape totally unharmed from a road accident while returning from a show in Chicoutimi, Quebec last Saturday. Our trailer is a total wreck but that's all that was destroyed. The joys of winter shows... but that won't deter us from our goals. Yesssssssss.......
Finally, anyone interested in booking us for additional shows in Europe for our tour being organized at the end of 2008 should contact this email: booking@ammd.net ."
Apocalyptica Confirmed For Metalcamp 2008
The 2008 edition of Slovenia's Metalcamp festival (www.metalcamp.com) is scheduled to take place July 3rd - 9th in Tolmin.
The latest act confirmed is APOCALYPTICA.
Acts confirmed for the festival currently include: APOCALYPTICA, BEHEMOTH, BRAINSTORM, CATAMENIA, CELTIC FROST, DARK FORTRESS, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, HELLOWEEN, KATAKLYSM, MINISTRY, MYSTIC PROPHECY, PERSIHING MANKIND, RAGE, SKYFORGER, TANKARD, WINTERSUN.
More details to follow.
Alpha Draconis Records Going Out of Business
Underground metal label Alpha Draconis Records is closing its doors and having a massive sale to liquidate its inventory. Here's the announcement from the label owner, Vic:
"After four years of bringing you the best in underground metal, Alpha Draconis Records is closing its doors. Celebrate our last six days of existence with a six-six-six pack (any six items for $6 each, $36 total), and we have a handful of new items in the webstore if you're so inclined.
"More details on the why will be forthcoming. For now, let me just say that it's been great to be such a part of the underground, promoting and releasing albums that Dante and I believe in and also making available albums from other great underground bands and labels. All things inevitably end, though, and sometimes the pressure we feel is unknown to people on the outside - and we had a choice to make: go out on top, with reputations high, or wait for the other inevitability - the long slide down. I personally would like to think what we're doing is the former.
"I welcome any questions or comments, but be aware that I will be covering the broad strokes on my personal blog, so please be patient.
"Vic
Alpha Draconis Records"
The label's latest release was the debut mCD from MIDWYNTER, "Four Seasons of Frost."
Rotting Christ Setlist For DVD Revealed
Greek extreme metallers ROTTING CHRIST filmed their December 8, 2007 concert in Athens, Greece for an upcoming DVD. The band’s setlist was as follows:
01. Intro
02. The Sign Of Prime Creation (Theogonia)
03. Keravnos Kivernitos (Theogonia)
04. Athanatoi Este (Sanctus Diavolos)
05. Enuma Elish (Theogonia)
06. King Of A Stellar War (Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers)
07. The Fifth Illusion (Non Serviam)
08. Archon (Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers)
09. The First Field Of The Battle (Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers)
10. Shadows Follow (Trirchy Of The Lost Lovers)
11. The Sign Of Evil Existence (Thy Mighty Contract)
12. Coronation Of The Serpent (Thy Mighty Contract)
13. The Old Coffin Spirit (Passage To Arcturo)
14. The Mystical Meeting (Apokathilosis EP)
15. Thou Art Blind (Khronos 666)
16. Morality Of A Dark Age (Non Serviam)
17. You My Cross (Sanctus Diavolos)
18. Saturn Unlock Avey’s Son (Non Serviam)
19. Exiled Archangels (Thy Mighty Contract)
20. Sorrowfull Farewell (A Dead Poem)
21. Among Two Storms (A Dead Poem)
22. After Dark I Feel (Sleep Of The Angels)
23. In Domine Sathana (Genesis)
24. Nemecic (Theogonia)
25. Under The Name Of Legion (Genesis)
Encore:
26. Societas Satanas (THOU ART LORD cover)
27. Non Serviam (Non Serviam)
You can check out pictures from the concert at Metalzone.gr.
In other news, ROTTING CHRIST mainman Sakis Tolis was interviewed by Reka Barti on November 26, 2007 prior to the band’s concert at the Kathedral in Toronto, Canada. You can watch the five-minute clip on YouTube or below.
ROTTING CHRIST will embark on the "Lucifer Over America Tour 2008" in February/March. Support on the trek will come from IMMOLATION, BELPHEGOR and AVERSE SEFIRA. Tickets are available via EnterTheVault.com and all normal ticketing systems.
As previously reported, ROTTING CHRIST’s video for the song "Enuma Elish" has been posted on YouTube. The track comes off the Greek extreme metallers’ latest album, "Theogonia", which came out in January via Season of Mist.
ROTTING CHRIST will tour South America in June 2008. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.
A teaser flyer for the upcoming trek can be found at this location. More...
Lord Announces New Guitarist
Australian metallers LORD have announced the addition of guitarist Mark Furtner to the group's ranks.
According to the band, "LORD's original guitarist Mav Stevens left the band in December 2006 to relocate to the UK, being replaced live temporarily by our good friend Shane Linfoot of TRANSCENDING MORTALITY and then by Mark from FROMBEYOND for the remainder of the year.
"The chemistry on stage and off between Mark and the rest of the band was so good, we asked him to be a part of it permanently. Mark will now contribute writing and playing to the next LORD album, and of course continue to scare the hell out of audiences with his terrifying shredding live in 2008 and beyond. Anyone who has heard his guest solos on our 'Ascendence' album will know what we mean by that!
"This is a good way to round off the year for us, and we expect 2008 to be a pretty big year — there's a lot of really massive things in the works behind the scenes that we can't wait to tell you about when we're able to do so."
Iron Maiden Announce Athens Show
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN will perform at the Terra Vibe Park in Athens, Greece on Saturday, August 2, 2008.
Commented bassist Steve Harris: "This is a great venue to play. We played there back in 2005 and I remember it being unbearably hot but the fans were just wild and gave us a fantastic reception. I have to say that fans in Greece are as loud and responsive as any anywhere in the world. That's the major reason why we have always tried hard to have Greece in out tour itinery although it can be tough geographically!! We also enjoy Athens culturally and we have all made more than one visit to the Acropolis and other beautiful relics. And the food is terrific!!"
The stage of Terra Vibe Park — one of the largest ones in Europe — impressive, visible from all angles and able to lift 130 tons of equipment, will be perfect to host all the elements of the great show.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 18, but members of the IRON MAIDEN fan club will get special and exclusive first access to purchase tickets on Monday, December 17.
Cloudscape Finish New Album
Swedish progressive metallers CLOUDSCAPE have issued the following update:
"The forthcoming third album of Cloudscape is now recorded, mixed, mastered and ready to go. No release dates and release info are settled yet, but expect these details to be announced sometime during January 2008. Once again artwork wizard Mattias Norén was hired to do the artwork for the booklet and cover. The album was produced by Pontus Lindmark and recorded at Roastinghouse Studios."
Fleshmould Announce New Drummer
Belgium's FLESHMOULD check in with the following update:
"It has been extremely silent, but we are working hard, seriously!"
"We already welcomed the new guys Stefaan Deblauwe on guitar and Didier Vancampo on bass, now we add Frederik Van Mieghem (ex-AXAMENTA, GRACEFALLEN) on drums."
"No doubt we're 'appy to 'ave 'im aboard after all the trouble we've been through. We wish to thank our superb ad interim drummer Kevin De Leener of SUHRIM for his tremendous efforts helping us out during the past months. Especially Sven & RnR feel they gained a close and talented friend, who taught us a lot and spent great (musical and fun) times with us." More...
Stigma Complete Work On Debut
Italy’s rising force in deathcore, STIGMA, has completed the recording process for their upcoming debut album, When Midnight Strikes!, which is due out in spring 2008 through Pivotal Rockordings. The album was recorded at Db Studios with producer Ettore Rigotti (DISARMONIA MUNDI) and was mixed and mastered by Alessandro Vanara (DISARMONIA MUNDI, SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE).
Vocalist Vlad comments: “We're thrilled about the final result! We knew Ettore [Rigotti] is an outstanding producer, but we never thought we could reach this level at only the first album! We've recorded everything at its best, using only killer stuff and added all the melodies, solos, atmospheres, insane breakdowns and horrific parts we dreamed about during the songwriting! When Midnight Strikes! is truly an amazing debut, and we really can't wait to offer you the chance to listen to it!" More...
Reverend Confirm Texas Live Show
REVEREND have confirmed a live show in San Antonio, Texas at Sneakers on February 9th with legendary hard rock icons STARZ and ANGEL. Reverend - complete with new singer Michael Lance (ex-ANCIENT CROSS) - have "dedicated themselves to honor the fallen metal master, David Wayne (ex-METAL CHURCH). Our purpose is to keep the quest for metal alive throughout the world! We will truly miss our friend and brother."
The band are still working on a new album called Resurrected or Crossing Over (pictured) which will include the last lyrics penned by David Wayne titled, 'With This Needle I Thee Wed'. Produced by Grammy award-wining producer Joe Trevino, Resurrected will feature these songs (in no particular order): 'In The End', 'Epitaph', 'Prelude', 'Darkened Horizon', 'Ships Of Illusion', 'Visions', 'With This Needle I Thee Wed', 'Universal Metal', 'River of Hate (Styx)', 'Unconscious Suicide'.
David Wayne died on May 10, 2005 due to complications from injuries he sustained in a head-on automobile accident several months earlier. He was 47 years old.
Falconer New Album Due In The Fall
FALCONER guitarist Stefan Weinerhall has issued the following update:
"Studio time again! Midwinter is just around the corner and that's the time Falconer usually put on their cloaks, tights and funny hats to record songs about fairies, elves and other silly things. Karsten (Larsson), the hairy drummer, has just entered the halls of Sonic Train Studios to pound away on 11 tracks, jolly and full of Jule time spirit. In the fall of 2008 the yet untitled album will be released."
Primal Fear Unveil “New Religion” Album
Locomotive Records will release PRIMAL FEAR’s next effort, New Religion, on January 29th. Now with lead vocalist Ralf Scheepers (ex-Gamma Ray), guitarists Stefan Leibing and Henny Wolter and drummer Randy Black, this will be the band’s eighth album.
New Religion, recorded in Germany at the House of Music with engineer/co-producer Charlie Bauerfeind (Blind Guardian, Saxon, Hammerfall) and producer/bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner, was mixed in Belgium at Galaxy Studio by Ron Prent (Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Manowar) and features EPICA vocalist Simone Simons on one track.
PRIMAL FEAR, having completed an October stateside tour, and a November European tour, is now in Japan and will hit the America’s in 2008.
Severed Savior Announce New Vocalist
SEVERED SAVIOR have posted the following update:
“We are happy to announce that Anthony Trapani has joined Severed Savior as our new vocalist. Many of you know Anthony from his work on the recent (and crushing) ODIOUS MORTEM release ‘Cryptic Implosion.’ And we feel that his vocal style and lyrical sensibilities will fit perfectly with our new material. The upcoming CD ‘Servile Insurrection’ is still on schedule to come out early ‘08, and we are very excited to finally unleash these new songs onto the public. Expect to hear the best SEVERED SAVIOR release so far. Also, I just want to mention that Anthony will continue to front ODIOUS MORTEM as well.”
Dismember Post New Song Online
You can check out a new song from Swedish death metal legends DISMEMBER entitled “Europa Burns” online here. The track comes off the band’s forthcoming self-titled album which is due out in Europe on February 18th via Regain Records.
Partisan Turbine, Implosive Disgorgence Tour Dates
The Partisan Turbine, Implosive Disgorgence, and Revenance will tour together in January. Here's the tour routing so far:
1/2 Pembroke Pines, FL @ The Talent Farm
1/3 Orlando, FL @ The Dungeon
1/4 Ocala, FL @ TBA
1/5 Augusta, GA @ TBA
1/6 Charleston, SC @ The Unknown
1/7 Thomasville, NC @ The Soundvent
1/8 Nashville, TN @ The Muse
1/9 Louisville, KY @ The BulleDog Cafe
1/10 Southgate, MI @ The Modern Exchange
1/11 Hobart, IN @ Cressmore Country Club
1/12 Clevland, OH @ The Davenport
1/13 Fredericksburg, VA @ KC's Music Alley
1/14 Muncy, PA @ The Ritz Theater
1/15 Vestal Center, NY @ Vestal Center Firehall
1/16 Binghamton, NY @ TBA
1/17 Delran, NJ @ Cue Club 2
1/18 Connecticut @ TBA
1/19 Albany, NY @ Valentines
1/20 Long Island, NY @ TBA
SOAD's Shavo Odadjian To Score "Babylon AD" Film
Shavo Odadjian, music video director, DJ, and bassist for the multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down, will add film scorer to his list of credits with his work on the upcoming sci-fi/thriller feature film, "Babylon AD," starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and Gerard Depardieu. The film is being directed by Cannes Award winning French director Mathieu Kassovitz ("La Haine/Hate"), and will be released over the Labor Day Weekend, 2008.
Working closely on the score with Academy Awarding winning composer Hans Zimmer and composer Atli Orvarsson, Odadjian is collaborating with writing/scoring partner, Wu-Tang Clan's The RZA, writing and scoring several tracks for "Babylon AD," as well as various "futuristic-specific" musical themes and orchestration throughout the film. "Musically, our objective was to merge the sounds and energies of hip hop with classical music, seamlessly melting them into an unusual soundscape," explained Zimmer. "Shavo's unique talent, perspective and ability have achieved exactly that, and then some."
Much of the music for the score is being performed by Achozen, the musical alliance formed by Odadjian and The RZA.
As bassist for System of a Down, Odadjian has seen every one of the band's five albums hit the Platinum mark with three debuting at #1 on Billboard's Albums charts, and has sold in excess of 10-milliion albums in the U.S. alone. He has written and/or directed the music videos for the band's "Toxicity," "Aerials," "Question" and "Hypnotize," and earlier this year, wrote and directed the Bad Brains video for the song, "Give Thanks and Praises."
Fan-Filmed Hirax Footage Posted Online
Fan-filmed video footage of veteran California thrashers HIRAX performing the song "Hostile Territory" on November 3, 2007 at the Keep It True IX festival in Dittigheim, Germany can be viewed below.
The California thrashers played two successful shows in September in Germany and France with new second lead guitarist Tim Thomas, formerly of STEEL PROPHET and AGENT STEEL, as well as returning drummer Fabricio Ravelli.
HIRAX's new EP, "Chaos and Brutality", was released in October throughout Europe on Poland's Selfmadegod Records. The four-song EP was recorded in February 2007 at Shiva Industries in California. It includes the title track along with a re-recorded version of "Walk with Death" from the band's 2001 EP "Barrage of Noise", the instrumental "100,000 Strong" and "Lucifer's Infierno Reprise", an arrangement which HIRAX recently revamped and plays live.
HIRAX's "Assassins of War" CD/12” vinyl is now released in five countries — Holland, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S. and is available worldwide through all major distributors including Century Media, Relapse, Ebullition, and The End Records.
HIRAX is currently writing and rehearsing new material for a full-length album titled "El Rostro de la Muerte" / "The Face of Death". The album's cover will feature artwork by Ed Repka, the undisputed king of thrash metal art. A 10-country European tour is also in the works for May 2008, including a headlining appearance at Long Live Metal!!! festival Chaptire 2 in Wattrelos, France. More...
Rage Against The Machine Confirmed For Pinkpop
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FOO FIGHTERS are the confirmed headliners for next year's Pinkpop festival, set to take place May 30 - June 1 in Landgraaf, The Netherlands.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE — vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford — released three politically charged albums: 1992's self-titled debut, 1996's "Evil Empire", 1999's "Battle of Los Angeles" and its 2000 covers album "Renegades".
They split in 2000 after the singer decided to record a solo album. The rest of the band formed AUDIOSLAVE with SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell. The Harvard-educated Morello also recently released a solo album under the alias THE NIGHTWATCHMAN.
Anthrax Announce New Vocalist
ANTHRAX have announced that they have recruited former DEVILSIZE and ME, MY ENEMY vocalist Dan Nelson as the replacement for Joey Belladonna as the band’s new singer.
Band members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante have revealed in a recent online chat that there are no hard feelings between themselves and former band members. They also stated that John Bush has claimed that he wants nothing more to do with music, not just Anthrax.
Candlemass Announce More North American Dates
Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have confirmed the following U.S. dates:
May 19 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
May 20 - New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues
May 22 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
May 23 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
May 24 - Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
May 25 - St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
May 28 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
May 29 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
May 30 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
May 31 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theater
Jun. 01 - West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky a Go Go
Jun. 06 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
Jun. 07 - Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theater
Support on the trek will come from DAYLIGHT DIES.
Tickets are on sale exclusively through EnterTheVault.com until December 20 at which point they become available through all ticketing systems.
CANDLEMASS filmed its 20th anniversary concert on March 31, 2007 at Stockholm's Kolingsborg for a DVD, "20 Year Anniversary Party", which was released on October 22 via Snapper/Peaceville. CANDLEMASS performed with no less than seven (!) different vocalists — including the band's former singers Johan Langquist and Tomas Vikström, plus the group's latest addition, Robert Lowe of SOLITUDE AETURNUS. In addition to the concert footage, the DVD includes interviews with all the vocalists from that evening as extra material.
Pro Footage Of Led Zeppelin Reunion Online
BBC's "Newsnight" program aired a professionally filmed clip of the classic LED ZEPPELIN track "Black Dog", recorded earlier tonight (December 10) during the band's reunion concert at London's O2 arena. Watch the footage on YouTube or below.
Led Zeppelin's setlist was as follows:
01. Good Times, Bad Times
02. Ramble On
03. Black Dog
04. In My Time Of Dying
05. For Your Life
06. Trampled Under Foot
07. Nobody's Fault But Mine
08. No Quarter
09. Since I've Been Loving You
10. Dazed and Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven
12. The Song Remains the Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
Encore:
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock and Roll More...
Exodus Announce German Tour Dates
Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers EXODUS have scheduled the following German dates in April 2008:
Apr. 16 - Hannover, GER @ Musikzentrum
Apr. 18 - Essen, GER @ Turock
Apr. 19 - Saarbrücken, GER @ Roxy
Apr. 20 - München, GER @ Backstage
EXODUS' video for the song "Riot Act" was directed by Jon Schnepp of "Metalocalypse" (on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim) for Schneppzone Inc..
Calling in from a helicopter somewhere over Santa Monica, Jon Schnepp had this to say about his experience working with EXODUS:
"I had an AMAZING time working with ALL those guys — Gary, Rob, Jack, Lee, and Tom… they're all GREAT. They did a FANTASTIC job and made it a really fun shoot. They were FULL of energy with EVERY take and you really can't ask for more than that!"
"We went out on a limb and asked Jon if he'd shoot our video," reminisces EXODUS guitarist/songwriter/founding member Gary Holt. "When he said yes, we were stoked to say the least. The ideas he came up with made this our best video ever! I usually hate making videos, but this time I was actually excited about it! It's unique, and of course, it's heavy!"
"Riot Act" comes off the group's new album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", which sold 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY).
EXODUS will launch a North American tour in support of "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A" on January 20, 2008 in Bakersfield, California with GOATWHORE, ARSIS, and WARBRINGER that will culminate in a hometown show in San Francisco on February 24 at Slim's.
After Forever Guitarist Issues Health Update
AFTER FOREVER guitarist Sander Gommans has checked in with the following update on his health after suffering a seizure on November 30th:
"Hello everybody,
Just a little update about me, though I can't give you any clear information about my health right now. I feel OK, but fatigued, and the doctors still don't know what caused the attack so more tests are in order. Since it could still be related to the burnout, I have to try to take it easy again, which is of course extremely frustrating.
I'm sure I cannot do the upcoming gig and I can't tell you when I'll be performing again. I guess I'll just have to be patient.
We decided that After Forever will still do the December gigs, with some special features. Go and and check them out, I'm sure it'll be great and I'll try to attend some gigs too. Hope to see some of you there!
Thanks again for your positive words on myspace and on our site - you rule!"
Take care,
Sander
One of the "special features" mentioned by Gommans is the guest appearance of vocalist Floor Jansen's sister Irene, who will perform with the band at select shows. Watch her video message below:
Primal Fear Confirmed For Summer Breeze Festival
German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR are the latest acts confirmed for the Summer Breeze Festival which is scheduled for August 14th - 14th in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. Acts on the bill now include: ASP, BORN FROM PAIN, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, ENSIFERUM, ENDSTILLE, EXODUS, KATAKLYSM, PRIMAL FEAR, PRIMORDIAL, SONIC SYNDICATE, THE VISION BLEAK.
Organizers are announcing a new band each day in December via their Adventskalender!
Dream Evil Announce New Guitarist
DREAM EVIL has issued the following update:
"Hello Evil followers!
Finally we’ve got a new webmaster and our new site is up and running. It’s been totally quiet in the news section for a while, we’re sorry about that! We are not dead, only lazy old farts.
So what happened in the Dream Evil camp the last six months?
For family reasons our lead guitarist Mark Black unfortunately left the band and we now have a new (hairy & scary) axe swinger called Dannee Demon (aka Daniel Varghamne).
Dream Evil will release a CD with some new songs and some old songs (which earlier only have been released as bonus tracks in Japan) combined with a live DVD recorded November 25th 2006 in Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg. The preliminary release date is now set to March – April 2008
... The album will be called Gold Medal In Metal.
We are all working in our metal factories on making new splendid unbloody serious farmer metal anthems that hopefully will show up on our next studio album.
We also hope that the upcoming live shows section will be filled with gigs in the near future near You.
Hope to see you from the stage!
- Dream Evil"
Arch Enemy Vocalist Checks In
ARCH ENEMY vocalist Angela Gossow has checked in with the following update:
"Hello from the bottomless pit of the Black Crusade!
Thanx to everyone for coming out to the Black Crusade tour and showing some love! The tour is going very well, despite all the bad luck and tragic news backstage - everybody is pulling through. All my love goes out to Phil who is going through very hard times right now. A family member passing away whilst on tour - the worst that can happen!!! Phil is such a sweet guy and a real brother in metal - we miss you here!
For those who still wonder about our position on this bill: We jumped on this tour late when the package was already confirmed. This is why we are 2nd band on and only play 30 minutes.
We will come out and do our own headline shows in March, April and May - this will be our moment of metal glory. We are pulling in some very young kids on this tour. Mission accomplished!
To all of you: Be safe! This time of the year is family time - spend it with your loved ones, you never know how long they will be around. After the last show in Helsinki I will fly out to Germany to do exactly that.
Until then, three more shows to go and no DVDs left to watch. Damnit.
I have a crush on Nathan Explosion ;-) Bloodpuke rules ;-)"
Love,
Angela
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