Gwar Frontman Talks About Leaving Metal Blade

Blasting-Zone.com recently conducted an in-depth interview with notorious GWAR front man Oderus Urungus. Several excerpts follow:

Blasting-Zone.com: What led to your departure from Metal Blade Records? You had been with them for so long, I never imagined the group actually leaving.

Oderus Urungus: "I love Metal Blade… they're a kick-ass company. We had been doin' records with them for so long, but we felt like GWAR had a lot further to go. We felt like Metal Blade didn't see that. We weren't even getting worldwide distribution anymore. We weren't going to Europe or Canada. We felt like we were on some horrible treadmill, ya know?! Like some kind of armored gerbil, we were just running ourselves into the fucking ground. No disrespect to Metal Blade, they're a great label, but we felt like they had kinda given up on us. It was like we were there just to fund all of the shitty bands on the label (laughs). We chose to sign with a label that was not very well known, but the terms of the contract were very, very sweet. Moving to DRT (Entertainment) has been a great thing for us."

Blasting-Zone.com: Do you feel as if the band simply outgrew the label?

Oderus: "There were all of these other bands of the label that just sucked and then this one great, classic band. Sure, they’ve had KING DIAMOND for quite a while, but GWAR floated Metal Blade for years and years. I'm sure we built their executives many pools. We got sick of that shit, so we went somewhere else. We still hang out with (Metal Blade Records founder) Brian (Slagel) and I'm sure they’re laughing all the way to the bank."

Blasting-Zone.com: That's a shame, really. In my opinion, that GWAR catalog speaks for itself…

Oderus: "Yeah. We've sold hundreds of thousands of records. But like the entire music industry, Metal Blade is no different than any other label. They are designed to totally rip off their artists while making it seem like they're doing them the biggest favor ever. It's that way within the recording industry, but it's also that way in every other business imaginable. Artists and musicians don't have any particular right to quell their suffering, yet they're getting ripped off and fucked up the ass constantly."

Blasting-Zone.com: What was the main motivation behind releasing a live album at this stage in your career?

Oderus: "We've wanted to do a live album for a really long time and we had some really good tracks from our Mt. Fuji set so we said 'Fuck it!' because the recordings are even more brutal and fucked up than the original studio versions. DRT wanted to get as much GWAR product out there as soon as possible, so doing a live album seemed like a good way to have another product to sell, basically. It's just a live album, just some live versions of some GWAR songs, it's not really the be all end all of what we are all about. Original records, when they come out, that's what they are."

Blasting-Zone.com: I have to admit I was more than a little curious to hear how well the chaos of your overall live sound would translate onto disc…

Oderus: "It sounds fucking amazing! That is a live recording of GWAR and it fucking sounds better than most bands do in the studio. Anyone that thinks GWAR is just some fucking bullshit that doesn't know how to play their guitars needs to listen to that fucking record because it's tight as a motherfucking drum."

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Interview

Interview with In Flames

I had the pleasure of Interviewing Bjorn (guitar) of In Flames at Ozzfest on July 26th at PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ.

It was a hot, sunny, dry afternoon of about 95 degrees. Bjorn found a spot on some grass to do the interview, which had been shaded by a near by tent. He was very laid back and no problem answering the questions I asked him.

Overall, the interview went very well. I enjoyed conducting the interview and learned a few things about the artist's perspective of their fans and reasons for doing what they do. More...

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Dave Lombardo Back Touring With Fantomas

Dave Lombardo will be back with Fantomas for their tour of Japan and Australia, which happens from September 5-13. His commitments with Slayer prevented him from touring the UK and Europe with the band recently.

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Augury and Quo Vadis To Tour Canada

Augury will be touring Canada this month with Quo Vadis. Here are the tour dates:

8/09 Thunder Bay, ON @ The Appollo
8/10 Winnipeg, MB @ The Collective Cabaret
8/11 Saskatoon, SK @ The Roxy On Broadway
8/12 Edmonton, AB @ The Mead Hall
8/14 Calgary, AB @ The Underground
8/19 Vancouver, BC @ The Brickyard
8/20 Victoria, BC @ Sugar Nightclub
8/24 Regina, SK @ The Exchange

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Headline News

Mork Gryning Working On One More Album

Swedish black metal band Mörk Gryning is officially still disbanded, but due to major pressure from fans they have decided to release a final album. This album will be released by Black Lodge Records. Mörk Gryning are in the studio right now, in the mixing stage of the coming album named “Mörk Gryning” set for release later this year.

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Burial Year Sign with Alone Records

San Francisco hardcore/metal band Burial Year has signed with Alone Records. Formed in January, the band features members of Takaru and Suicide Nation and their debut album will hit streets in early-September. In the meantime, you can check out two of the band's songs here.

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With Or Without You Replace Drummer

With Or Without You have replaced their drummer. Previous drummer JJ has quit the band and moved to Denver, but has subsequently been replaced by Chris. Meanwhile, the group recently hit the studio with Roger Camero (The Warriors, No Motiv) to record four new songs for their upcoming Martyr Records EP.

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August, September El Caco Tour Dates

El Caco have some upcoming tour dates in Norway:

AUG 12 2005: Lillestrøm, Norway - arr for SL (daytime)
AUG 12 2005: Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival (Øyanight @ John Dee)
AUG 20 2005: Flisa, Norway - Tømmerfløtivalen
SEP 09 2005 Bergen, Norway - Garage
SEP 10 2005: Laksevåg, Norway - Lax Festival
SEP 16 2005: Trondheim, Norway - Samfundet - +Stonegard
SEP 30 2005: Oslo, Norway - Betong - +Audrey Horne

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Sathanas Ready New Record, Tracklisting Revealed

SATHANAS will be releasing their new CD, "Entering the Diabolic Trinity," October 31st on Pulveriszed Records. The album was recorded at Innertube studios, engineered by Nick Kucel, and features artwork by Juan Castellano. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Into the Massacre


2. Demonized


3. Triumph of Darkness


4. Unleash the Wolves


5. Descent of the Holy


6. Entering the Diabolic Trinity


7. Under a Black Spell


8. In the Circle of Hell

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Manntis To Tour With Eyes of Fire, 2 Cents, etc

Manntis will be touring for several weeks with Eyes Of Fire, 2 Cents, and Burden Of Guilt. Here's the latest:

8/10 Carbondale, CO @ The Avalon
8/11 Grand Junction, CO @ Stadium Sports Bar & Grill
8/13 Davenport, IA @ Quad City Live
8/16 Detroit, MI @ Iroc
8/17 Akron, OH @ Voodoo
8/19 Philadelphia, PA @ The Tracadero
8/20 Trenton, NJ @ Sovereign Bank Arena (Hellfest)
8/21 Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
8/24 Saugus, MA @ The Palace
8/25 Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
8/26 Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
9/3 Tempe, AZ @ Big Fish Pub
9/4 Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
9/5 Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory

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The Red Chord Frontman Credits Slipknot

Wormwood Chronicles recently conducted an in-depth interview with THE RED CHORD singer Guy Kozowyk. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Wormwood Chronicles: It's very obvious to me that THE RED CHORD will never release the same album twice. How do you see yourself changing over time?

Guy Kozowyk: "There was a lot of time between the last record and this one. We're going to get a certain amount of shit automatically because we didn't rewrite the first record. That's the case for any band that tries to change their style. We're still going to be a heavy band. I think personally that with a lot of bands becoming lighter and lighter, we are more inclined to go heavier, because if all these bands are mellowing out their sound, who needs another singalong type band? You don't need another SOILWORK or KILLSWITCH ENGAGE or any of that stuff. There's plenty of people doing that. However, I felt with this record, given that the scene is getting really big, that our band definitely has a buzz. There hasn't been a band since CARCASS or SUFFOCATION to all of a sudden go and sell hundreds of thousands of records. I felt like 'Clients' was going to be big. I don't know exactly how big...it might sell 20,000, it might do 10,000, it might do 200,000, I have no clue...but it was our obligation to our roots and our obligation to our fans to write a record that was going to be heavier than the first one, that was going to have more blast beats and more diversity. We definitely wanted to mature as musicians and songwriters and define what THE RED CHORD was. I feel it is our obligation to the whole grindcore/death metal genre to do what we're doing."

Wormwood Chronicles: A lot of heavy bands now use clean vocals and it's getting really overdone.

Guy Kozowyk: "I have a lot of respect for SLIPKNOT for including blast beats on their newest record. Those guys are coming from death metal and hardcore backgrounds. Even though they kind of sell out somewhat and write these big radio hits, they took an extra step and put blast beats on their record. That's cool. THE RED CHORD doesn't do the choruses. We're going to use three times as many blast parts and stay just as heavy and just as crazy."

Wormwood Chronicles: SLIPKNOT must certainly be the biggest "gateway" band.

Guy Kozowyk: "I'll definitely give 'em that. I enjoy some of their stuff. I believe the drummer at one point was in ANAL BLAST. I like the fact that he's coming from that background. You know he's a sick drummer who can do all the crazy fast stuff. Percussion-wise, they're a great band. Energy wise, they're a great band. More than anything, they are expanding the potential for bands like mine. I'm not making a good living doing this, but at least I'm making a living. I can at least tour and get gas money to make it from show to show. There's so many times in the past where we'd have to work and work and work to save money just to go on tour."

Read the entire interview at www.wormwoodchronicles.com.

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Manson Talks About Upcomming Movie Role

According to a posting at MansonUSA.com, MARILYN MANSON recently spoke with "Entertainment Tonight" about his role in the upcoming film "Rise".

The movie stars Lucy Lui as a young female reporter who wakes up in a morgue to discover that she is no longer among the living. She vows revenge against those responsible for putting her there and hunts them down.

Commented Manson: "I think the ultimate irony is that it's a vampire movie, and I'm not a vampire; I'm a bartender."

Check out a couple of pictures from the "Rise" movie shoot at MansonUSA.com.

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Nocturnal Rites Record Performance For Future DVD

According to a posting on NOCTURNAL RITES' official web site, the group's performance at this past weekend's Gates of Metal festival in Hultsfred, Sweden was recorded by the Swedish national radio P3 and will be broadcast later in the year as part of the "P3 Live" series.

As previously reported, NOCTURNAL RITES will be supporting GAMMA RAY on their upcoming European tour in September/October. NOCTURNAL RITES will be touring in support of their new album, "Grand Illusion", due in Europe on September 19 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2004's "New World Messiah" was recorded and mixed at Toontrack Studioin Umeå, Sweden and features guest appearances by Stefan Elmgren (HAMMERFALL), Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS), Henrik Danhage (EVERGREY), Kristoffer W. Olivius (NAGLFAR) and Swedish cross-country skiing world champion, Per Elofsson.

"Grand Illusion" will include a bonus DVD featuring three videos from "New World Messiah", the brand-new "Fools Never Die" video, a "Making of Grand Illusion" segment and extra footage from the "Demons of the Opera" show.

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Gamma Ray Drummer Cancels Drum Clinic

GAMMA RAY drummer Daniel Zimmermann was forced to cancel his previously announced drum clinic at the Swedish Metal Expo in Stockholm on August 27 due to the fact that GAMMA RAY will be performing a show in Varna, Bulgaria on that date. "I'm sorry for that," Zimmerman writes on his web site. "I already talked to the promoter to do the workshop in 2006."

GAMMA RAY's new album, "Majestic" is scheduled for release on September 26 via Sanctuary Records.

"Majestic" was recorded and mixed at Hansen Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Mastering duties were handled at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland by Mikko Karmila and Kai Hansen. The follow-up to 2001's "No World Order" includes 10 tracks which represent "all of the characteristic strengths of the band's musical career to date," the group write on their web site.

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More Unearth, DEP, A Life Once Lost, Zao Dates

More dates for the upcoming UNEARTH, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, ZAO, and A LIFE ONCE LOST tour have been released:

September 16 - Erie, PA @ Forward Hall
September 17 - Lexington, KY @ Short Street Lounge
September 18 - Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre
September 20 - Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie Theatre
September 21 - Colorado Springs, CO @ The Dark Side
September 23 - Chico, CA @ The Senator Theatre
September 24 - Sacramento, CA @ Colonial Theatre
September 25 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
September 26 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
September 27 - Lancaster, CA @ Mr. Cues
September 28 - Tucson, AZ @ Coconuts
September 29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
September 30 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Live
October 1 - Springfield, MO @ The Rockwell
October 2 - Nashville, TN @Rocketown
October 3 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
October 5 - Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
October 6 - Latham, NY @ Saratoga Winners
October 7 - New Haven, CT @ Toads Place
October 8 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall

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Amon Amarth Complete Bloodstock Lineup

Bloodstock organizers have issued the following update:

“And so we can reveal that the final band for Bloodstock 2005 is: Amon Amarth.
Amon Amarth will play the “Special Guest” slot on Saturday 3rd September for a 60 minute set of blistering Viking Metal!”

The lineup is looking like:
More...

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Anthrax Guitarist's New Guitar Pedal

Notorious signal processing developers DigiTech have posted the following on their official website:

Scott Ian delivers bone-crushing rhythms and some of the most scorching riffs ever nailed into a fretboard.

Now Scott’s teamed up with DigiTech® to unleash Black-13™, a stompbox that lets guitarists dial up his signature sounds, giving Anthrax and metal fans all the blistering tone they can handle.

Plug into the Black-13™ pedal, select a tone, and shred. Your playing goes in, Scott Ian’s tones come out. Redo your favorite Anthrax song, or write a new one. It’s your pedal. It’s your guitar. And now it’s Scott Ian’s historic metal tones. The tones that built a legend.

Read more at DigiTech.com.

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Tommy Lee's Talking About Pamela Again

In what is so definitely metal news (pardon the sarcasm), FemaleFirst.co.uk reports that Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee insists he was faithful to Pamela Anderson during their two turbulent marriages. "There's too much temptation. You have to be so in love to stay monogamous," Lee said. "I wasn't unfaithful to Pamela, but everybody has a line and mine was 'watching is OK'. If girls wanted to put on a little showcase, that would be nice. But it's not my favorite thing in the world." You can read more of this article on FemaleFirst.co.uk.

Asked about his relationship with ex-wife Pamela Anderson, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee tells People magazine, "We're crazy in love. At the end of the day, that's truly what my heart wants. I want us all to be together."

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Devin Townsend To Produce Next GWAR Cd

Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) is set to produce the next GWAR CD, the band's followup to their DRT Entertainment debut "WarParty", which hit stores earlier this year. Song titles, tracklisting, and a final release date, however, is still to be announced for the disc - but an early 2006 shelf debut seems likely. GWAR have been churning out albums since 1988, and recently ended a stint on the inaugral Summer tour, the SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND.

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Hatesphere Complete "The Sickness Within"

Hatesphere have completed work on their new album, "The Sickness Within." Mastering was completed by Tue Madsen earlier this week and the album will hit stores on September 27th via SPV/Steamhammer. Here's the track listing:

01. The White Fever
02. The Fallen Shall Rise In A River Of Blood
03. Reaper Of Life
04. Sickness Within
05. Murderous Intent
06. The Coming Of Chaos
07. Bleed To Death
08. Heaven Is Ready To Fall
09. Seeds Of Shame
10. Chamber Master
11. Marked By Darkness

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