Metal News for August 2, 2007
Last updated on October 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM ET
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33 news articles posted on this day.
Metal Gets Its Due On Massive Rhino Boxed Set
Heavy metal fans will be banging their heads in delight this fall with the release of Rhinos's "Heavy Metal Box," due Oct. 2. The four-disc, 70-song set boasts classic tracks from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Slayer, among dozens of others.
Arranged chronologically from 1968 to 1991, the compilation also boasts hits from bands like Deep Purple, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Pantera, Alice Cooper, Venom, Testament, Rush and Megadeth; the project will be packaged in a box resembling a Marshall guitar amp.
The liner notes will include extensive photos, track commentary and interviews with Ronnie James Dio and Lita Ford.
Here is the track list for "The Heavy Metal Box": More...
Horna Readies Multiple Releases, Tour Dates
In early September, Debemur Morti Productions will release a split 7" EP featuring one track each from Finnish horde HORNA and French act PESTE NOIRE. Furthermore, a mini-CD, titled "Pimeyden Hehku", containing the very latest HORNA recordings, will also be made available. Both these releases will first be attainable on the imminent HORNA tour across Europe.
Here are the tour dates for the Pest Pandemic Contamination Over Europe 2007 tour featuring HORNA, BLACKLODGE and VORKREIST:
Sep. 07 - UK London @ The Fridge
Sep. 08 - France Paris @ Nouveau Casino
Sep. 09 - Netherlands Arnheim @ Goudvishal
Sep. 10 - Germany Ellrich @ Lindenhof
Sep. 11 - Netherlands Groningen @ Oude Rkz
Sep. 12 - Denmark Copenhagen @ The Rock
Sep. 14 - Finland Turku @ Klubi
Sep. 15 - Finland Tampere @ Klubi
Sep. 16 - Finland Helsinki @ Nightlife Rock
Sep. 18 - Poland Poznan @ Bazyl
Sep. 19 - Czech Rep. Brno @ Faval
Sep. 20 - Serbia Belgrade @ Dom Omladine
Sep. 21 - Hungary Budapest @ Blue Hell
Sep. 22 - Germany Annaberg-B @ Asgard
Sep. 24 - France Lyon @ Lyon's Hall
Sep. 25 - Switzerland Zürich @ Dynamo Werk 21
Sep. 26 - Austria Vienna @ Viper Room
Sep. 27 - Slovenia Ljubljana @ Channel 0
Sep. 28 - Italy Roma @ Dissesto Musicale
Sep. 29 - Italy Padova @ Country Star
Last but not least, HORNA, who released two splits and a full-length in 2006, continue their amazing bout of productivity with the release of "Sotahuuto," on Grievantee. This album is a tribute to BATHORY and was written in 2004, only months before Quorthon's demise.
Atreyu Release Webisodes Online
Atreyu have posted two webisodes leading up to the release of their upcoming album, "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor," which will be released in Europe on August 27 through Roadrunner Records. Here are the various formats of the two webisodes:
Webisode #1 features interviews with the band members:
In Webisode #2 Drummer Brandon Saller gets up close and personal:
Fission Signs To Aphotic Records
Swedish metalers Fission have signed to Aphotic Records. The album will start being recorded in late 2007. For now you can check out some of their material on their MySpace page.
Soldiers Signs To Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records has signed Long Island hardcore band SOLDIERS, featuring current members of THIS IS HELL.
Speaking on the recent signing, singer Rick Jiminez said, "We're really psyched to be part of the roster and involved with people we trust and like... which is a hard feat when record labels are concerned." Adding to that, label Pres Josh Grabelle said, "I've known Rick and Dan for a while now and when I heard the new songs I was blown away, it really took me back to the feelings I had when I first got into hardcore and started going to shows. This shit is real."
SOLDIERS will be on tour in August with Dead Hearts and Daggermouth. Here are the latest tour dates: More...
Paint It Black Ready For Studio, Tour Dates
PAINT IT BLACK activities will soon be in full swing again as the band prepares to enter the studio next week to record their third full length album.
The album will be co-produced by J. Robbins and Oktopus (AKA Alap Momin). PAINT IT BLACK fans should be familiar with J. Robbins' work - including Paradise, the bands 2005 hardcore masterpiece. New to the mix will be the creative genius of Oktopus, best known for his part in the innovative hip-hop duo Dälek. It's safe to say that, while remaining rooted in hardcore, the album will be anything but conventional or predictable.
With two festival shows and quick jaunt out to the West Coast, the band isn't waiting for the next record to appear live. Check out the tour dates below:
08/19/2007 Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom (This is Hardcore 2007)
09/28/2007 Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman St. w/Blacklisted
09/29/2007 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction w/Blacklisted
09/30/2007 San Diego, CA @ Che Café w/Blacklisted
10/26/2007 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 6
10/27/2007 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 6
10/28/2007 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 6
Escape The Fate Announces Fall Headlining Tour
Las Vegas-based hard rock/screamo outfit Escape The Fate will embark on their Hot Topic Presents Black on Black headlining tour in September to support their debut album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. The tour will kick off September 1st in the group's hometown of Las Vegas. The band is currently wrapping up a stint on this year's Vans' Warped Tour.
"Dying Is Your Latest Fashion," which was produced by Michael Baskette (Lit, Puddle of Mudd), has been consistently selling well since its 2006 release.
Hot Topic Presents Black on Black Tour:
09/01/2007 Jillian's Las Vegas NV
09/02/2007 Jillian's Las Vegas NV
09/13/2007 The Glass House Pomona CA
09/14/2007 The Rock Tucson AZ
09/15/2007 Launch Pad Albuquerque NM
09/17/2007 House of Blues Dallas TX
09/18/2007 Meridian Red Room Houston TX
09/20/2007 State Theatre St. Petersburg FL
09/21/2007 Studio A Miami FL
09/27/2007 Webster Theater Hartford CT
10/08/2007 Marquis Theater Denver CO
10/09/2007 Avalon Theater Salt Lake City UT
10/14/2007 The Sets Tempe AZ
HIM Post “Kiss of Dawn” Video Online
HIM have launched the video for their new single, “Kiss of Dawn.” HIM will release their brand new album, Venus Doom, on September 18th throgh Sire Records. You can preview the video in its entirety on the official HIM YouTube channel here.
You can buy the “Kiss of Dawn” single now at all digital stores including iTunes. You can also pre-order your copy of Venus Doom now online here.
Gorefest Stream "Rise To Ruin" Album Online
Dutch death metallers GOREFEST are currently streaming their new album Rise To Ruin online at their MySpace page.
Rise To Ruin is slated for release in North America on September 25th via Candlelight. The album is out now in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records.
Rise To Ruin, was recorded in July-August 2006 at Excess Studios in Rotterdam, Holland with producer Hans Pieters and Dennis Leidelmeijer. The album was mixed by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio, Denmark. Rise To Ruin features artwork by artist Rob ‘Mid’ Middleton. More...
Kamelot Announce Live Date In Paris
Florida-based prog-metallers KAMELOT have issued the following update:
"Kamelot will be playing next October 8th, 2007 at Le Zenith in Paris (France) with WITHIN TEMPTATION. Tickets now on sale at FNAC.
Kamelot recently announced, "For those of you going to the August 30th show in Denver, Colorado, Casey Grillo will be having a very rare appearance at Pitt's Drum Shop in Colorado Springs.
Here are the details from their website:
Casey Grillo Drum Clinic
Pitt's Drum Shop
Wednesday, August 29th, 7:00 PM
3556 N. Academy Blvd
(Pitt's Drum Shop new location!)
Behind Bennigans, next to A Taste of Philly
Tickets are $10.00. Purchase at Pitt's current store location (901 N. Union), or at the new location after August 2nd. For more information call 719-475-2291."
Shadows Fall Post 'Burning The Lives' Video Online
SHADOWS FALL have issued the following update:
"Hey everybody, exciting news from Shadows Fall. We just posted a fan-submitted video for 'Burning The Lives' on YouTube. There are a lot of great live clips in there from recent SF shows, plus some crazy historical footage. Go to this location to check it out.
Shadows Fall video game contest is still on, people!
We've had some fierce competition on the Road To Redemption video game, but it's not over yet. You still have a little more time to battle the Rootman and win Guitar Hero II. So far the three high scorers are Bryan (Score: 3006), Brian L (Score: 1701) and Luis (Score: 1700). Think you can top those numbers? Play Now! More...
The Red Chord Film “Dread Prevailed” Video
THE RED CHORD recently filmed a video for their song “Dread Prevailed” off their new album Prey For Eyes, which hit stores July 24th. The video was directed and shot by acclaimed director David Brodsky (Gwar, Strapping Young Lad) of MyGoodEye, and will surface in the coming weeks.
Brodsky had the following to say about the experience: “Working with THE RED CHORD is always an amazingly interesting experience. Allie and I went up to Massachusetts to capture the band’s home base vibe, and what we came away with is sure to not disappoint. Every time I hear their new album, Prey For Eyes, I hear something I hadn’t heard the last time. Their creativity knows absolutely no bounds, and lets us experiment and play around with our own creative instincts.”
Prey For Eyes was recorded and produced earlier this year by Eric Rachel at Trax East in New Jersey.
Inhuman Post Two New Songs Online
You can check out two new songs from INHUMAN online over at their official MySpace page. The tracks come off their upcoming new album, Last Rites, which will be released on September 11th through I Scream Records.
Divine Heresy Complete Work On New Video
DIVINE HERESY — the new band of former FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares — will celebrate the release of its debut album, "Bleed the Fifth", with a special show at The Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood on Tuesday, August 28. This event will mark the band's second performance with new bassist Joe Payne (ex-NILE). Tickets can be purchased now at www.ticketmaster.com.
Cazares states: "I began my musical career in Los Angeles and I felt that there was no better place to launch the debut release from my new band DIVINE HERESY than in my hometown. The Whisky is the perfect-sized venue for this record-release show so we can get close to the fans and give them the most intense performance we possibly can. This is going to be a night to remember, and we look forward to spending it with our closest friends and fans. We hope to see you all there, and we can't wait to hear people's reactions to the new material."
With the Aug. 28th release of the debut album from DIVINE HERESY quickly approaching, the group has launched a MySpace pre-order package. For only $11.99, fans can receive the band's debut CD, "Bleed the Fifth", an exclusive t-shirt and a DIVINE HERESY "PikCARD." The materials can be viewed and ordered at this location.
DIVINE HERESY recently shot a video with acclaimed director Christoffer "Salzy" Salzgeber (DAMAGEPLAN, SOULFLY) for the track "Failed Creation". Look for it to make its debut online later this month. Also expect a major U.S. fall touring announcement in the coming weeks.
DIVINE HERESY has also posted three new videos on their official YouTube page, which features Cazares and Tim Yeung (drums) jamming the track "Bleed the Fifth", in addition to an in-depth interview with Yeung.
Fairytale Abuse Complete Work On New Album
Danish black metal act FAIRYTALE ABUSE has completed work on its new album, "Perversions of Angel VI", due later in the year. "It has been hard work for both producer and band, but the outcome is great," says the group.
FAIRYTALE ABUSE's upcoming CD will be the follow-up to "The Spirit Tower", which was released worldwide in May 2006. The group spent the last few months writing the material for the album, which will feaure a "more brutal, more black, and more evil" musical style compared to its predecessor. Mixing and recording was done by Jan Borsing at Borsing Studios in Århus, Denmark. According to the band, the studio was chosen because of the immense experience Jan Borsing has in producing melodic black metal.
For more information, visit www.fairytale-abuse.com.
Burning Point Complete Work On New Video
Finnish heavy metal band BURNING POINT has issued the following update:
"The post-production of the new video, [for] the song 'Heart of Gold', has been finalized. The video will be sent firstly to the Finnish TV stations, but of course biggest TV stations all over the world will receive a package from the band pretty soon. The clip was filmed, directed and produced by Jukka Häkkilä [of] NorthCrest Media. Script by Jukka Jokikokko and Jukka Häkkilä."
"Heart of Gold" comes off BURNING POINT's third album, "Burned Down the Enemy", which was released earlier in the year via Metal Heaven Records. The mixing sessions for "Burned Down the Enemy" took place at the Tonebox studio in the band's hometown of Oulu. Kari "Kakke" Vähäkuopus, who handled the mixing process for the previous albums, "Salvation by Fire" and "Feeding the Flames", once again helmed the sessions. The CD was mastered at Finnvox studios in Helsinki.
Eden's Fall Announce New Guitarist
EDEN'S FALL have issued the following:
"Chicago-based metal band EDEN'S FALL have announced the addition of guitarist Aron Sakurai (pictured, ex-SIGN OF CHAOS) to the group's ranks. The band's current lineup is as follows: John Barr (lead vocals), Dan Gronowski (bass, vocals), Tony Gronowski (guitar, vocals), Aron Sakurai (guitar), Ray Smith (drums).
A photo of the new lineup can be seen here.
Commented Sakurai: "After Sign Of Chaos dissolved, I had no idea how long it would be before I found a metal project that I could put everything into. Eden's Fall pulled me out of the ashes and I am glad to have a chance to play dark, ferocious metal with them."
Aron's first show with the band will be on August 24th, 2007 as part of the Midwest Metal Anthem fest at J.J Kelleys in Lansing, IL.
This fest is a great chance to come out and support the underground metal scene in the Midwest and an excuse to party our asses off! Make sure to try to make it out and give Aron a big welcome to the band!!! The flyer (good for $1 off at the door) is in the shows section. For more information about the fest and the killer lineup, check out www.midwestmetalanthem.com or the festival MySpace page."
Warped Organizer Apologizes To Sharon Osbourne
Warped Tour organizer Kevin Lyman has apologized to Sharon Osbourne for his comments regarding her motives in staging this year's Ozzfest as a "free" event. In a recent interview with The Kansas City Star, Lyman stated about this summer's traveling heavy metal festival, "It allowed Ozzy Osbourne to get one more paycheck out of [Ozzfest], to be 100 percent honest." Lyman didn't hold back, going on to comment about tour founder Sharon Osbourne: "[She's] a smart person, but basically that's what it is. It's a ploy, straight-up. ... She was struggling to put [together a bill] because she keeps charging more and more and selling less and less tickets. The attendance of that tour has been dropping for many years, and she keeps having to spend more on the talent to get people to the shows."
In a letter released to the media earlier today by Sharon Osbourne's publicist, Lyman tells Ozzy's wife, "I wanted to apologize if any of my comments quoted in The Kansas City Star were taken out of context or based on misinformation I was given. It was not my intent to discredit Ozzy or your family in any way. If Ozzy is in fact working for expenses only, then I was wrong in saying he was out for one more paycheck. I’ll be the first to say I should not bother myself with other tours and keep my nose in my own projects as they have been keeping me busy enough as it is. For that, I’m sorry. If you feel the need to release this letter in its entirety to your Ozzfest fans, please do so — I've always been a supporter of Ozzfest and the work you do and hope that this summer's tour brings you and Ozzy great success."
Municipal Waste To Appear On Dickinson Radio Show
Richmond, Virginia thrash monsters MUNICIPAL WASTE will be IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's guests on Friday, August 24 during Bruce's weekly BBC 6 Music radio show, aptly named "The Bruce Dickinson Friday Rock Show". Listen to the program live via the Internet between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. U.K. time at BBC.co.uk.
MUNICIPAL WASTE's new album, "The Art of Partying", was released in the U.S. on July 31.
The band recently joined together with Troma Entertainment to complete a music video for "Headbanger Face Rip", one of the many blistering tracks featured on "The Art of Partying".
KSE Guitarist Forced To Miss Warped Shows
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's enigmatic guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz has been forced to leave the band in the middle of its successful run as stand-out performers on the Vans Warped Tour due to health reasons. Adam underwent back surgery in early 2007. In order to fully recover, his doctors have advised leaving the tour and continuing with daily physical therapy. The group will continue on as a four-piece, with their guitar tech Josh Mihlek filling in for Adam on select songs. After playing with this lineup on the July 31 Milwaukee and August 1 Cincinnati Warped dates, the band feels confident that this solution works well and will allow them to finish the tour.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's video for the cover of the DIO classic "Holy Diver" has been posted on MySpace. The clip was shot in the Calistoga, California area the weekend of June 16-17 with director Brian Thompson.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's cover of DIO's "Holy Diver" will be included on the upcoming reissue of the band's most recent album, "As Daylight Dies", which will be given the special-edition treatment on August 28. This special-edition CD/DVD will contain three videos and four previously unreleased tracks.
"As Daylight Dies" has sold 266,000 copies in the United States since its November 21 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD is the follow-up to 2004's Grammy-nominated album "The End of Heartache", and 2005's gold-selling DVD "(Set This) World Ablaze".
Slayer Unlikely To Tour For Rest Of Year
Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:
Glam-Metal.com: The SLAYER/MARILYN MANSON tour kicked off on July 25th in Florida. How is the tour going so far?
King: Well, we are four shows in; it is not like it has been going that long. Things are good. SLAYER hasn't played this set long enough to be comfortable with it. But now after this fourth show, we are pretty comfortable and you don't have to think as much. You can just put on your show. (Laughter)
Glam-Metal.com: Was it hard trying to pick a set list for this particular tour? The band has such an extensive repertoire.
King: It is because the shorter we play, the harder it is to figure out what he are going to play. We are playing an hour and 10 minutes, so we get 14 songs in there. We are playing stuff that people haven't heard in awhile. Some of the favorites. I try and mix it up, every time we come through for people that have seen us once or twice already. So it is not like a waste of money.
Glam-Metal.com: I think it is a great idea too that SLAYER are opening. Has it been beneficial for SLAYER to open the show so far?
King: Every one once in a while, it is cool. Because we headline so much. Even though it is co-headlining and we play the same amount of time, MANSON plays last so my party starts earlier than usual. (Laughter)
Glam-Metal.com: How have the fans been reacting to the SLAYER set and MARILYN MANSON set. Would you say there are two different audiences that are attending the concerts?
King: Well, I haven't been onstage for much of MANSON's set yet, because three of the four shows, I have been entertaining friends. They are people that I don't see that often. So I am hanging out with them and doing stuff. I was up there for one tune and one of these days, probably after we get through New York and New England, I will settle down and go out and watch them a little bit.
Glam-Metal.com: How has the music industry changed, since your debut in the '80s? Do you feel that the metal scene is strong once again?
King: It is pretty big right now. As long, as there are quality bands putting out quality stuff, it will hang around. When too many people get signed and too many bands come out with marginal stuff, it kind of dilutes what we are all trying to achieve.
Glam-Metal.com: "Christ Illusion" features a new song, "The Final Six". Tell me a little about the writing of this song.
King: It was supposed to be on the first release of "Christ Illusion". But we had it all finished and everything but Tom went home for a vacation for a weekend and that is when he got sick. So, he couldn't come back to finish it. So we finished it a few months back, and now with a new record label it kind of helped out. They wanted to re-release the album so we had something new we can put on.
Glam-Metal.com: Now what about the guitar part for the song, "Black Serenade"? Why did you want to do them over?
King: Actually, we didn't do it over. What we did was, the way Jeff originally wrote it, is the way it is on the re-release. The way it was on the first one was the way the producer messed around moved things around. I don't like one particularly better than the other. It is just a different version.
Glam-Metal.com: Are there any more plans to re-issue any more of SLAYER's past catalog?
King: I don't think so. I think we got everything out finally. I know we got a DVD from the "Unholy Alliance" tour in the works. The majority of it is us, but LAMB OF GOD is on it, CHILDREN OF BODOM is on it, MASTODON is on it.
Glam-Metal.com: Kerry, I would like to congratulate you and SLAYER for your Grammy award on "Eyes Of The Insane". The video was outstanding. It depicted the horrors of war. Tell me why you choose to do more of a theatrical video than a performance video?
King: At that time, we got a treatment for three different songs. There was that one, there was "Jihad", and "Cult", I believe. "Eyes Of The Insane" was the one that was different. It felt like it would be cool to have someone do it. It just seemed like a cool thing to do. After we viewed it, we thought that is really different. I am a fan of performance videos, as well. I think fans want to see the band. I think every once in a while, we got so much footage out there in one form or another, that this is kind of a different thing to throw out.
Glam-Metal.com: What is SLAYER's touring plans, after this current tour is finished? Will the band be on the road till the end of the year?
King: I think we are done after this tour for the year. I don't know what the beginning of next year holds. I haven't talked to the manager about that or anything.
Sacred Reich Frontman Checks In
SACRED REICH bassist/vocalist Phil Rind has posted this road report from the band's current European reunion mini-tour:
"I am writing on Gump our tour manager's computer and everything is in German and I don't know how to capitalize use punctuation or hit 'enter' so bare with me.
We had a great three days in London - two sightseeing and drinking and a great show at Scala. Thanks to everyone for coming out from Ireland, Poland, Greece, Holland, Italy, France, Scotland, and those who just had to hop the tube. It was a great feeling to be there with all of you and we could feel how special it was to you and we felt the same way. Thank you.
We just spent two beautiful days in Paris seeing all the sights. I love France. All the stuff about the French not liking Americans or being rude is just a lie. Go see Paris. I am sitting in Biebob in Vosselaar, Belgium. They are checking the drums. Tonight will be fun and tomorrow we head to Eindhoven for a family reunion and Saturday is Wacken Open Air, so if you are coming to the shows, we'll see you soon."
So if you are coming to the shows we'll see you soon."
Tracklisting For Rob Zombie Live Album Revealed
ROB ZOMBIE's first-ever live album is scheduled for release on September 18 via Geffen. The CD was recorded over several nights during the band's "Educated Horses" tour and will include a 36-page super-deluxe book of never-before-seen live pictures and a DVD of live footage and animated videos. It was mixed by Zombie and producer Scott Humphrey. The track listing is as follows:
01. Sawdust in the Blood
02. American Witch
03. Demon Speeding
04. Living Dead Girl
05. More Human than Human
06. Dead Girl Superstar
07. House of 1000 Corpses
08. Let It All Bleed Out
09. Creature of the Wheel
10. Demoniod Phenomenon
11. Supercharger Heaven
12. Never Gonna Stop
13. Black Sunshine
14. Superbeast
15. The Devil's Rejects
16. Lords of Salem
17. Thunder Kiss
18. Dragula
As previously reported, Zombie is putting together a WHITE ZOMBIE box set containing "everything we ever recorded," according to the singer. "I am currently transferring all the early shit from the original tapes," he previously said. "No remixing going on here — everything will be as it was originally recorded. Don't know when this box set will be available, but it is slowly moving forward. This will be the final word on WHITE ZOMBIE."
Zombie's remake of the classic horror film "Halloween" is scheduled to hit theatres on August 31. His previous credits as a screenwriter and director are 2003's "House of 1000 Corpses" and 2005's "The Devil's Rejects".
ROB ZOMBIE's first-ever career retrospective, "Past, Present & Future", has sold more than a million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. The two-disc set, which was released in September 2003 through Geffen Records, contains a CD of 19 digitally remastered selections and a DVD of 10 music videos, including three that were previously unreleased.
Scorpions Announce Further North American Dates
Veteran German hard rock band SCORPIONS have prepared the following North American tour dates:
Aug. 25 - Shawinigan, Canada @ Site du Festival d'été, Shawinigan-Sud
Aug. 26 - Toronto, Canada @ Molson Amphitheatre
Aug. 28 - Ottawa, Canada @ LeBreton Festival Park
Aug. 30 - Montreal, Canada @ Vieux-Port (Quai Jacques-Cartier)
Sep. 01 - Chicoutimi, Canada @ Vieux Port
Sep. 04 - Sault Ste. Marie, MI @ Kewadin Casino
Sep. 06 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sep. 09 - Edmonton, Canada @ Shaw Conference Centre
Sep. 10 - Calgary, Canada @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Sep. 12 - Vancouver, Canada @ Orpheum Theatre
Sep. 14 - Kelseyville, CA @ Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa
Sep. 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
Sep. 16 - Indio, CA @ Fantasy Springs Casino
Sep. 18 - Tucson, AZ @ AVA Amphitheatre
Sep. 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavillion
Sep. 21 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel
Sep. 22 - Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
Sep. 26 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Sep. 28 - Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre
Sep. 29 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
Clutch Part Ways With DRT Entertainment
CLUTCH frontman Neil Fallon has revealed to ChartAttack.com that the band has parted ways with DRT Entertainment and is currently without a record label. Fallon refers to the band as "free agents," but seeing that CLUTCH have gone down the major label road before (1998's "The Elephant Riders" appeared on Columbia and 2001's "Pure Rock Fury" was released on Atlantic), don't expect them to do it again.
"Their business models are so antiquated," Fallon said. "It would make sense if we were a platinum band, but we're not even pushing gold records.
"We make our money selling T-shirts on the road. We'll do whatever makes the most sense. That doesn't necessarily mean the biggest check, it just means the most honest business relationship."
Regarding the nu metal label that has been previously applied to the group, Fallon said, "I think maybe it's some lazy rock journalism. We've played with some of those bands, so maybe they drew that association.
"Our philosophy is that we'll play with anybody anywhere anytime, and not snub our noses because they don't meet some kind of aesthetic, but I never understood that [label]. We've also been compared to Helmet when we started out, and then later on stoner rock, or what have you. People are compelled to put labels on things for marketing reasons or for writing reasons, and sometimes people do a good job of it and more often than not they do a lazy job of it."
Rob Halford Talks About Judas Priest Legacy
Bernard Perusse of The Gazette recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford. A few excerpts from the chat follow:
On coming out as a gay man in 1998:
"I kind of blew the doors off the myth that all heavy metalheads are Neanderthal and very limited in their ability to take on subject matter of any human depth. That's ridiculous: Metal fans are just as compassionate and caring and tolerant as any other form of music fans are. (The support) made me feel great. (But) I couldn't have done it while I was a drunk and a drug addict."
On becoming clean and sober on January 6, 1986:
"I was snorting cocaine left, right and center. I'd get whacked out of my mind before I went on stage. During the show, I'd be knocking back vodka and tonic and doing lines behind the amps, then come off stage and have a bottle of Mot & Chandon and start on 16-ounce cans of Budweiser. It just got so bad that I'd be back home in Phoenix, just literally punching walls, trashing rooms — and just severely unhappy."
On two young PRIEST fanatics, James Vance and Ray Belknap, who attempted suicide and whose parents subsequently filed a civil suit against JUDAS PRIEST, which was dismissed:
"The American reaction was phenomenal — the support we had from the fans every day, to and from the courthouse. But it was very difficult to sit there and listen to the attorney basically saying: 'These guys over there killed these kids.' (We thought) 'What are you talking about?' It was surreal, but we knew we had to stand up for what we believed in: We had absolutely no association with their death. We kept them alive for a good period of their lives. We were a lifeline (from) the s--- life that they were living."
On heavy metal being invulnerable to trends:
"Isn't it great? It's never going to go away! It's been here through the '70s, through the '80s, got stronger in the '90s — and even more so now."
On JUDAS PRIEST's longevity:
"We can either rip your face up with 'Painkiller' or we can play this beautiful thing called 'Last Rose of Summer', from 'Sin After Sin'. And people love us for that because they don't really know what to expect. It's a very broad-based display.
"I really think that PRIEST is unique. I don't think there's any other metal act in the world — I can only say that now because I've lived it for 36 years — that can do what we've done in PRIEST."
Celtic Frost Mainman Talks Latest Album And Future
Justin Donnelly of The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with CELTIC FROST mainman Tom Gabriel Fischer. A few excerpts from the chat follow:
On the reaction to the band's latest album, "Monotheist":
"I'm very happy with the reaction to 'Monotheist', as well as very honored and flattered. In all honesty, 'Monotheist' is probably our most successful album ever. That's not something that we could have planned. CELTIC FROST is a very controversial band. We're not a band that has made it very easy for the fans to follow, so it was a very unpredictable situation for us to bring out an album out after such a long absence. On the other hand, I can honestly tell you that, I really didn't give a shit what the fans and the press thought about 'Monotheist'! (Laughs) This album was a deeply personal thing to make. I was very unhappy with some of the last couple of CELTIC FROST releases in the late '80s and the early '90s, and [Martin] Ain and I were determined to make an album that would be one hundred percent CELTIC FROST. That's what really counted for us. And it took us four and a half years to do that. We didn't set any limits. Whatever it took in time and money, we were going to do this album right. In the end, we came out of the studio with an album that we were really happy with. Anything beyond that fact was something that we didn't really care about. Even if the whole world ripped apart 'Monotheist', we were still very proud of the album, because it really is a true CELTIC FROST album. And let's face it, we can't say that about all CELTIC FROST albums can we?"
On whether there will be another CELTIC FROST album:
"There's been plenty of talk about working on a new album, and I know the band would like to do another album, but I'm not going to make a prediction as to whether there's going to be another album. CELTIC FROST, musically speaking, is an extremely exciting band to be in, and I think the band right now is at its pinnacle. I think that we could do an amazing new album if 'Monotheist' was just a start. We have only just reawaken the band at this stage. If there's going to be a new CELTIC FROST album, it will be amazing. However, on a personal level, I find it extremely difficult to be in CELTIC FROST. I have no idea if I have the stamina to sit through, who knows how many more years working with this band. There are certain egos in this band that make it extremely difficult within the context of this band. So at this point, I feel really unable to predict if there's going to be another album or not. I'm currently writing music for it, but I don't know if that's going to be for CELTIC FROST or not. I'm just being honest here. The thing that makes CELTIC FROST an unusual band, and the reason they're such a huge influence is that CELTIC FROST is comprised of volatile and very unusual characters, with very unusual egos. That's our strength. It makes everything we do very different from others. On the other hand, it's also our weakness. It's very difficult to deal with these characters, and this volatile creative force. I mean these are human beings with egos, and what powers us, also makes us weak."
On life on the road with CELTIC FROST:
"Touring is very difficult, because you are forced to be with each other in very closed confines twenty-four hours of the day on the tour bus, in planes, in a hotel or on stage. You always have to deal with each other. There's no escape, basically. That's not always very easy. Touring just never gives you the time to recover from that. And the situation never gets any easier with time. When I was a teenager, I simply wanted to make music. I was prepared to go to any lengths to do that. Nowadays, I'm an adult man, and I know exactly what I am prepared to tolerate, and where my limits are. There are some things I don't need in my life. Sometimes that's a very harsh reality. It is very difficult at times to be in close confines with this band. You have to realise that we brought the band back to life at the tail end of 2000, so we have been working closely together with each other every day since we started work on 'Monotheist'. And then as soon as the album was released, we went on tour. We haven't had a break from one another since 2000. We have been on top of one another since then. That's not necessarily an easy thing to deal with. This is a huge topic, and it's impossible to deal with in a simple way. Don't get me wrong, we all feel extremely blessed that we have this opportunity. Back in the old days, we were a very little metal band, and we never thought that we would get a record deal. Yet we got a record deal. Then we never thought we would get famous. Then we got famous. We never ever thought that CELTIC FROST would mean anything to anyone, but then we became a huge influence on the metal scene throughout the years. We never thought we would get a first chance, but we did. We never thought that we would ever get a second chance at this band, but we have. We never believed that we would ever really tour for any great length of time, but now we can. I don't want to be ungrateful or sound like someone who is always miserable, because this really is my life's dream. I'm doing everything that I ever dreamed of as a kid. It's amazing what we're doing. We're all enjoying it while it lasts. We all know that it's not going to last forever. The music industry changes all the time. Things change, so everything is always volatile. It's amazing to be doing this. I'm just telling you that it is very difficult at times to deal with the personal side of things, and I really don't know how long we all have the stamina to do this. If we are strong enough to keep this working, personally I think we could make an album that will top 'Monotheist'. Eventually we will have to talk about whether we want to do another album or not, and if so, how we will go about these things. We need to deal with these things. I guess by the end of summer, it will be time to do that. Who knows what comes after that."
Download MP3 From The Old Dead Tree's New Album
You can now download a song from THE OLD DEAD TREE's "The Water Fields," due out on September 17th.
About THE OLD DEAD TREE's third and brand new album, producer Andy Classen says "The Water Fields is one of my favourite productions ever! This album should open the band the gates to success..."
The band will be playing live on many headlining shows across Europe next fall
Mourning Beloveth Writing Songs For New Album
MOURNING BELOVETH are currently busy with writing new songs for their 4th album. Studio E has been booked a 2nd time with Markus Stock (Empyrium/The Vision Bleak) at the controls once more.
This album will be the first recording for the band with a new lineup since their formation in 1995 . According to Darren (vocals) the sound of the new songs are a continuation of "A Murderous Circus" but with some old flavours of the 2nd album "The Sullen Sulcus". The album should see an early release in 2008. A tour is planed for the Spring of 2008.
Cellador Post Another New Demo Track Online
Nebraska-based power metallers CELLADOR have posted a demo version of another new track on their MySpace page. The song, "King of Your Illusion", is expected to appear on the band's next album, which will be recorded between November and December in Tampa, Florida with producer Erik Rutan (MORBID ANGEL, HATE ETERNAL) and mixed by Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER, BURY YOUR DEAD).
Commented singer Michael Gremio: "Differently than 'Follow Me' [the other new song that was recently released], this track sounds nothing like [CELLADOR's debut album] 'Enter Deception'. It's the first time we wrote a midtempo song, and the vocal and guitar work are different that what we usually do. That's part of the variety we've been talking about for the next record. We're very satisfied with this song and really want all of you to hear it".
Rise Against Member Recruits Others For New Band
Chris Chasse Leaves Rise Against, Enlists Punk Veteran Brett Rasmussen of Ignite, forms Last of The Believers and Signs to New Age Records
After parting ways with Rise Against, Chris Chasse had no intentions of wasting any time; Instead he got creative and enlisted Brett Rasmussen of So Cal punk staples, Ignite. He also roped Dave Peters, vocalist of hardcore-favorites Throwdown, into jumping on board for a few tracks and it didn’t take much to convince Steve Jennings and Nik Piscitello, members of Californian-based Spark of Life, to fill-out the line-up.
"From the second I heard them, I was really hooked" says label owner Mike Hartsfield. "When you look at those involved, it would be impossible for Last of the Believers to be anything but awesome"!
Launching their MySpace profile on June 26th, it has been less then four weeks later that the bands page exploded with over 39,000 views; closing in on 50,000 song plays and 7,000 friends. They are already ranked number 38 out of 119,000+ hardcore bands on Myspace music, which is no small feat. PureVolume.com have already featured the band twice after Last of the Believers rocketed into number one on the sites Unsigned Artists Charts, while Alternative Press Music Editor, Scott Heisel has said, “This shit rules. Can't wait to hear more!” This reaction seems to be the general consensus of American fans who on pre-order alone have pushed their self released EP into the top 9 albums available through interpunk.com.
"The artists and bands that have come out through New Age Records have not only changed my life, and help define who I am, but have also stood for something that means the world to me" states lead vocalist Steve Jennings. "They stand for something that is bigger than music and bigger than a scene. They stand for honesty, staying true to yourself and trying to make this world a better place. New Age to me is so much more then music and bands, it's an ethic, and that ethic lives inside me today. I am forever grateful to New Age Records and Mike Hartsfield for being a piller in the hardcore community that has not swayed with terrible trends and flash in the pan ideas. Having a record on New Age Records is nothing short of a dream come true and all I wanted since I started screaming into a microphone".
Plans are being finalized for a 3 song 7" coming out this Fall/early Winter.
Warped Organizer Speaks Out About Free Ozzfest
Alan Sculley of KansasCity.com reports: In 1996 Ozzfest became the first full-fledged touring heavy metal festival.
This year, courtesy of select sponsors, it's the first free major festival tour. OZZY OSBOURNE, LORDI and HATEBREED are fronting the bill that's stopping in 25 cities.
It's obviously a good deal for fans who get free tickets. But some within the concert industry see this unprecedented move as a good business decision by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne just to keep Ozzfest afloat.
"It allowed Ozzy Osbourne to get one more paycheck out of (Ozzfest), to be 100 percent honest," said Kevin Lyman, organizer of the Warped Tour that will be at Verizon Aug. 15. "Sharon's a smart person, but basically that's what it is. It's a ploy, straight up. Ozzy's getting paid to do that show. She was struggling to put (together a bill) because she keeps charging more and more and selling less and less tickets. The attendance of that tour has been dropping for many years, and she keeps having to spend more on the talent to get people to the shows."
The Osbournes say it's a rebellion of sorts against rising costs, not only from the participants' fees but also from ticket prices for concerts in general. But in a phone interview in early July in Europe, Ozzy admitted he was puzzled when Sharon floated the idea.
"I was like, 'Sharon, what the (bleep) are you talking about?'" Osbourne said, injecting his favorite four-letter word for emphasis. "I said, 'You're smoking my (bleeping) weed, aren't you?' She goes, 'No, the only way I can put the brakes on these (bleepers) is to (make Ozzfest free).' What happens is this: Every time we do Ozzfest, somebody wants another (bleeping) 30 grand or 50, or more than they got the last year. So what happens is, it comes out of the price of the ticket."
Mastodon Added To Las Vegas Vegoose Festival
Mastodon have just been added to the Vegoose Festival in Las Vegas this October 27th, along with bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Rage Against The Machine, The Stooges, Public Enemy and more. Click here for more info.
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