Dragonlord
Formed: 2000
From:
San Francisco,
CA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Dragonlord News
Below is our complete Dragonlord news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Displaying records 1 - 20 of 32 1 2 Last
Dragonlord Signs With Spinefarm/Universal
S.F. Bay area blackened thrash act DragonLord, which is led by Testament’s Eric Peterson and was recently featured in Metalunderground.com's Unearthing the Metal Underground column, just inked a new record deal with Spinefarm/Universal Records.
The band plans to enter the recording studio very soon to start work on a third album. A release date is set for this fall. Further details will be announced as they are made available.
Peterson stated, “This time around we’ve created some pretty mature sounding symphonic blackened thrash. It will have more of a melodic touch to it and memorable song structures. It’s still gonna be heavy as hell, but it’s gonna be a well-rounded record. New songs 'Kings Frost,' 'The Devil’s Insight,' and 'Battle at Mordor' will surely raise the hairs on your back!”
Column
Unearthing The Symphonic Black Metal Underground
Continuing our ongoing coverage of black metal history month, it’s time to dive into three more underground acts that don’t have as large a following as the biggest names in the scene, but are still among the best the genre has to offer. Last week we highlighted three misanthropic black metal bands, and now it’s time to check out groups that take the sound in a different direction.
Pipe organs, keyboards, violins, a grandiose style; all these and more are typical of this breed of metal, in which screeches from hell and fast paced guitars meet beautiful heights of orchestral symphonies. From the mildly melodic to the completely symphonic, these three bands show that injecting non-metal elements doesn’t have to detract from the darkness.
Cor Scorpii
Hailing from black metal ground zero (that mythical land and metal Mecca otherwise known as Norway) and featuring Windir keyboardist Gaute Refsnes, Cor Scorpii has the requisite pedigree to grab the attention of genre fans. Unlike with the other two bands covered this week, Cor Scorpii’s keyboards are tempered and held on a fairly tight leash, letting the guitar tone drive the music. This tasteful restraint results in a sound that is melodic and highly atmospheric without getting overbearingly symphonic. The end product has a swelling and epic quality that is surprising considering the presence of the extremely harsh vocals and dark feeling. Even with the melodic bent the band’s music still tends to be properly dark and chilling, as any black metal release should.
So far Cor Scorpii’s fans have had to be content with only a single proper album, but – praise be to the dark one! – the band officially began the recording process for a sophomore album and follow-up to the debut full-length “Monument” earlier this month. Keep up with Cor Scorpii’s latest activity via Facebook or get a taste of the band’s mix of the extreme and the melodic through the songs below.
“Ei Fane Svart”
More...
DragonLord Posts More Japanese Footage
DragonLord has uploaded another video from the band's Japanese live shows in 2006. The clip for "Spirits in the Mist," which was recorded in Kawasaki, can be viewed below.
DragonLord Posts Live Video Of "Blood Voyeur"
DragonLord has posted some live performance footage of “Blood Voyeur” filmed in Tokyo, Japan 2006. The band has been working on new material to follow up 2005's “Black Wings Of Destiny.” Look out for more live footage from Japan at around Halloween on all DragonLord-related sites.
Dragonlord "Blood Voyeur" live at Club Citta - Kawasaki, Japan:
The band recently posted video footage of "Unholyvoid" as well.
Dragonlord Working On New Album
Dragonlord, which features Testament's Eric Peterson, has posted a live clip online from the band's 2006 performance in Tokyo. The clip can be viewed below. Dragonlord also issued the following statement about the clip and working on new material:
"Here’s a peek of DragonLord’s live performance of 'Unholyvoid' filmed in Tokyo, Japan 2006. The band has been working on new material to follow up 2005's 'Black Wings Of Destiny.' Look out for more live footage from Japan at around Halloween on all DragonLord-related sites!"
Eric Peterson Announces In-Store Appearance
Testament / Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson has announced he will be making a live in-store appearance on January 23rd, 2010, at Raptor Guitars in Phoenix, Arizona. The appearance will take place from 1:00pm - 2:30pm. Additional details about the Raptor Guitars store can be found at this location.
Eric Peterson Announces Guitar Clinic
Testament / Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson has announced he will be hosting a metal guitar clinic at the Musician's Institue in Los Angeles, CA on November 19th, 2009. During the clinic Eric will share his approach to riff writing, album production, soloing, touring, and leading a successful metal band for two decades and counting. More information on the clinic can be found at this location.
Eric Peterson Posts "Behind The Scenes" DVD Clip
Guitarist Eric Peterson of Testament and Dragonlord has posted a "behind the scenes" video during the filming of his upcoming instructional DVD for Rock House. The video clip can be viewed below. More...
Dragonlord Announces Two California Shows
California black metallers DRAGONLORD have announced two headlining shows coming up. The band is scheduled to perform April 24 in Alameda, CA and April 25 in Fresno, CA.
Frontman Eric Peterson commented on the upcoming shows: “These Dragonlord shows coming up are a rare breed, as we haven’t had much time for the band to play live lately due to my schedule with Testament. It's always a rush to jump into the Dragonlord character, and we've been playing Alameda's ‘Roosters Roadhouse’ a lot lately. It seems to be our new Covenant and home away from home. Also, for the first time, we are bringing our Atmospheric Black Thrash Metal to Fresno's ‘The Crossroads’ for the first time…They'll be all ‘Born to Darkness’!”
DRAGONLORD is the black metal side project of TESTAMENT founder and guitarist Eric Peterson. The shows will be a warm-up for Peterson’s upcoming North American headlining tour with TESTAMENT, which kicks off May 2.
Here are the DRAGONLORD shows:
4/24/09 – Alameda, CA – Roosters Roadhouse - 8:00PM - $10
4/25/09 – Frenso, CA – The Crossroads - 8:00PM - $15
Forbidden Begins Writing New Material
Guitarist Craig Locicero of the thrash metal band, Forbidden, has issued the following update about his experiences writing new material with new guitarist Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Testament, Dragonlord):
"First off, we've been crazed busy offer the last couple of months! Multiple levels of work and play going on around here. Getting ready for our California dates that start tomorrow at the Key Club in Hollywood and end with a home show Blow-out in San Jose at the Voodoo Lounge. That has turned into the priority for now. Obviously first and foremost Steve Smyth being the 'New Dude' and getting up to speed was important. He and I had been working on Skype a few days a week for the last few months before he finally arrived here from London last week. That prepared Steve to walk in and play the older songs with conviction and purpose." More...
Forbidden Guitarist Glen Alvelais Quits The Band
Forbidden guitarist Glen Alvelais has announced his departure from the reunited thrash metal outfit to focus on his side project Tenet, which features veteran drummer Gene Hoglan and former Exodus vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. He has been replaced by Nevermore/Dragonlord/Vicious Rumours guitarist Steve Smyth.
Eric Peterson To Appear At NAMM 2009
Testament and Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson has announced that he will be doing a signing at the Dean Guitars booth (#5466B) on the following dates and times:
FRI, January 16th: 11:00am - 12:00pm
SAT, January 17th: 03:00pm - 04:00pm
NAMM will occur at the Anaheim Convention Center from January 15 - 18, 2009.
Testament Announces New Year's Eve Show
Testament has announced that they will be performing a special show on New Year's Eve at Fat City in San Francisco and will be joined by thrash metal supergroup Dublin Death Patrol (wich features Testament vocalist Chuck Billy), black metal act Dragonlord (which includes Testament guitarist Eric Peterson) and Laaz Rockit.
“It’s gonna be a fun party with a bunch of friends,” says singer Chuck Billy. “It’ll be our band, my side project, Eric’s side project, and our friends from Laaz Rockit. We thought it was a good idea for all us friends to get together and jam, even if Alex is away playing with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We’ll be able to play some stuff with Glen Drover. The show is gonna rock from start to finish, so make sure to get there early!”
Guitarist Eric Peterson also commented on the show: “We’re excited to play New Year’s Eve in our hometown. We haven’t played there in a while, and we decided to play in a smaller club to have more a of a friend/party vibe. Be sure to get there early as my side project Dragonlord goes on first!”
Steve Smyth To Join The Institute Visiting Faculty
The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance has announced that metal guitarist Steve Smyth is joining the visiting faculty. Steve will be bringing with him his incredible skills, his valuable time and his wealth of knowledge and expertise – all now exclusively available to Institute students.
Steve has played on the biggest festival stages in the world with some of the biggest festival names in metal, from Nevermore to Testament, Dragonlord and Vicious Rumors.
About The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance:
The Institute is widely recognised as Europe's finest school of modern music. Established almost a quarter of a century ago, the Institute has been developing and delivering cutting-edge courses to students of contemporary music for longer than any other UK-based school. Originally known as the Guitar Institute and Basstech, the school has built its reputation on providing world class teaching using the very best teachers and state-of-the-art facilities. It now offers a range of professional courses including a 3-year Degree (BMus), a fully-funded one year Diploma, a specialist one year Higher Diploma, plus a wide portfolio of part-time courses designed to meet a variety of training needs for guitarists, bass players, drummers and vocalists. Past or present Institute students can be found everywhere, touring with the likes of Katie Melua and Moby, playing with bands like Radiohead and Babyshambles and artists like K. T. Tunstall and Beverley Knight, and also working as teachers all over the world.
Antagonist Announce California Tour Dates
Southern California’s ANTAGONIST have confirmed two upcoming SoCal shows, the first being April 12 in Anaheim at Chain Reaction alongside the band’s friends in Suicide Silence and The Faceless. Next up, the ANTAGs will hit the road to meet up with Dragonlord and Prosthetic Records labelmates LIGHT THIS CITY up in Bakersfield at The Dome for 420 Fest, which will also feature a bunch of other bands.
In other news, ANTAGONIST continues posting video updates from inside the studio where the band has been holed up with producer Fred Archambault (Avenged Sevenfold, The Confession, Deftones), recording the band’s Prosthetic Records debut, Exist.
The follow-up to 2006’s An Envy of Innocence, Exist will tentatively see a release late this summer. More...
Dragonlord Update US Tour Itinerary
DRAGONLORD, the San Francisco-based black metal band featuring Eric Peterson (guitar, vocals; TESTAMENT), Gian Pyres (guitar; ex-CRADLE OF FILTH), Derrick Ramirez (bass), Lyle Livingston (keys) and Jon Allen (drums; SADUS, ex-TESTAMENT), has scheduled the following dates:
April 17 - Walnut Creek, CA - Betty's Rock Bar
April 18 - Corona, CA - Angels Sports Bar
April 19 - Apple Valley, CA - Angels Roadhouse
April 20 - Bakersfield, CA - The Dome
DRAGONLORD's sophomore album, "Black Wings of Destiny", was released in the U.S. in October 2005 via Escapi Music. The follow-up to 2001's "Rapture" (Spitfire Records) was recorded and mixed by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Dragonlord Speak On European Tour Cancellation
DRAGONLORD, featuring TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, have issued the following update:
"Last October 2007 our former label, Escapi Records, asked Dragonlord to be part of a European tour with label mates "TROUBLE. We showed interest and have been waiting ever since to have someone (i.e., booking agent, label, promoter) get back to us to confirm it and everything else that goes with booking an overseas tour. That never happened. No e-mails, no phone calls, nothing. To clear the air and to let our fans know, Dragonlord will regretfully not be a part of the upcoming European tour with Trouble."
As previously reported, Dragonlord will embark on a string of West Coast dates in April. Dates are as follows:
April
17 - Walnut Creek, CA - Betty's Rock Bar
18 - Apple Valley, CA - Angeles Roadhouse
19 - Riverside, CA - Tremors
20 - Modesto, CA - Fat Cat
Dragonlord Announce California Tour Dates
DRAGONLORD, the San Francisco-based black metal band featuring Eric Peterson (guitar, vocals; TESTAMENT), Gian Pyres (guitar; ex-CRADLE OF FILTH), Derrick Ramirez (bass), Lyle Livingston (keys) and Jon Allen (drums; SADUS, ex-TESTAMENT), has scheduled the following dates:
March 09 - Hard Rock Live - Mexico City, Mexico (with DUBLIN DEATH PATROL)
April 17 - Betty's Rock Bar - Walnut Creek, CA
April 18 - Angeles Roadhouse - Apple Valley, CA
April 19 - Tremors - Riverside, CA
April 20 - Fat Cat - Modesto, CA
DRAGONLORD's sophomore album, "Black Wings of Destiny", was released in the U.S. in October 2005 via Escapi Music. The follow-up to 2001's "Rapture" (Spitfire Records) was recorded and mixed by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Trouble Announce New Support For Europe
Legendary Chicago doomsters TROUBLE have announced that Norway's SAHG and Germany's GORILLA MONSOON will support the band on their upcoming European dates in April. The acts replace DRAGONLORD and COVERED CALL, who have both dropped off the tour.
Trouble dates:
April (with ICARUS WITCH)
2 - RPMs Rock Club - Bridgeville, PA
3 - Jigsaw Saloon - Cleveland, Ohio
4 - Doug's American Grill & Bar - Aurora, IL
5 - Nite Cap - Chicago, IL
April (with Sahg, Gorilla Monsoon)
8 - Estragon - Bologna, Italy
9 - New Age - Treviso, Italy
10 - Rohstofflager - Zürich, Switzerland
11 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
12 - Turock - Essen, Germany
13 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
15 - Musikzentrum - Hannover, Germany
16 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt, Germany
17 - Roxy - Saarbrücken, Germany
18 - O13 - Tilburg, Netherlands (Trouble only)
20 - Dingwalls - London, England
August
15 - Metal Rock Fest - Lillehammer, Norway
16 - Jalometalli Festival - Oulu, Finland
On February 12th, Trouble's long out-of-print 1996 classic doom album, Plastic Green Head, was reissued by Escapi Music. Digitally re-mastered with brand new liner notes, it also contains an extremely rare exclusive bonus DVD of a live performance in Hamburg, Germany from 1996.
The tracklisting for the CD is as follows: 'Plastic Green Head', 'The Eye', 'Flowers', 'Porpoise Song', 'Opium Eater', 'Hear The Earth', 'Another Day', 'Requiem', 'Below Me', 'Long Shadows Fall','Tomorrow Never Knows', 'Till The End Of Time'.
The bonus live DVD contains the following tracks: 'The Sleeper', 'Fear', 'Plastic Green Head', 'Opium Eater', 'Long Shadows Fall', 'Psychotic Reaction'.
Headline News
Steve Smyth Receives Kidney Transplant
Following successful kidney transplant surgery in December, guitarist Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Dragonlord, ex-Testament, etc.) issues the following statement:
"The time has finally come to share a very important piece of news, directly related to my health. On December 12 th, 2006, I had a successful kidney transplant! After 6 straight months on dialysis, changes to my lifestyle and diet, and a very thorough search for a suitable donor, by early August 2006, we had a preliminary match. Several rounds of blood and tissue typing tests had to be subsequently performed to ensure we were a perfect match for transplant; the main reason for my hesitance in saying anything publicly during those months.
The donor shall remain nameless, but my gratitude to him for his selfless act of kindness and friendship will endure forever! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me! I am now on the road to recovery, as they say. This is mainly requiring a lot of adjustment to medications I will be on for the rest of my life, a small price to pay to be free from dialysis, and the restrictions it places on a person, both mentally and physically. I had no idea how much freedom I took for granted before all of this hit. 2006 was a big revelation of the frailty of human life for me, something I will not take for granted again.
Where does all this lead to next? I’ve been advised by my doctors that I will not be able to travel in any capacity for the next 6 months, as I have to adjust to immunosuppressant drugs to fight any possible form of rejection of the kidney, and my body needs time to recover from this operation, as well as dietary and lifestyle changes. All things that only make one stronger!
Obviously, my health must come first, but of huge importance to me is my loyalty to the rest of Nevermore, and as soon as I am deemed fit and ready to hit the road again, I will. I’ve already written 4-5 songs in various stages for the next Nevermore record, when the time comes to do one.
My immediate plans are to finish The EssenEss Project, my instrumental debut album collaboration with bass player/composer Steve Hoffman, and special guest drummer, Atma Anur, and find a suitable label to release the album, and get this album heard, finally! It’s been a long road, most recently delayed by my health issues. I am glad to finally be getting this on to the mix stage within the next month. For more updates on The EssenEss Project, please check in at www.theessenessproject.com and our related forum. We have lots of news upcoming, as we confirm the next phases of the record, including mixing duties, mastering duties, and artwork, and finally, what label will release it. Interested parties in this last area, please contact me at: steve@stevesmyth.com
I am also set to launch my internet guitar lesson business within the coming weeks. This will be a “live via webcam” lesson, all things that would happen in a regular live lesson with me will remain intact; written and audio/video examples, and direct focus on your goals as a musician are my aim. If you are interested in pursuing lessons with me, please contact me at: steve@stevesmyth.com with INTERNET GUITAR LESSONS in the title. I will include you on a mailing list due to go out this week, with full details on the lessons, how they will be run, cost, scheduling, etc. I look forward to teaching you!
Please stay tuned to www.stevesmyth.com or www.myspace.com/stevesmyth for further updates, or my forum on Ultimate Metal, as all further updates will come from any of these locations. I told everyone I would fight this, and be back! Bring on 2007, I’m ready!"
