Archive: Headline News
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Jag Panzer Calling It A Day
After more than three decades of delivering heavy metal to the masses, Jag Panzer has officially decided to call it quits.
"We are proud of every album we released and the support we've received from the heavy metal community," states guitarist and founder Mark Briody. " We've played so many places around the world and enjoyed every minute of it but the time has come where we just cannot move forward as a band."
Guitarist Christian Lasegue left the band last month to pursue his degree full time. "Christian did an amazing job on The Scourge of the Light and it was a pleasure working with him," continues Briody. "We wished Christian well but kept this quiet until we found a replacement."
Drummer Rikard Stjernquist says, "Several guitar players applied for the job. It was a pleasant surprise to see so many young guitarists with advanced chops. One player, 19 year old Jake Dreyer, submitted videos of him nailing solos from both Chris Broderick and Christian Lasegue. We were ready to welcome Jake into the band but unfortunately that will not happen. There is no doubt in any of our minds that Jake will go on to be a household name in his own right."
Bassist John Tetley adds a final statement: "In closing, we'd like to send out a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to metal fans throughout the world. You all rule!"
You can also find Jag Panzer's video clip for the song "Burn," which debuted online back in March, by heading over to this location.
Disturbed To Go On Hiatus
Chicago based hard rock outfit Disturbed will be placing themselves on hiatus after they finish performing at this year's Rockstar Energy Mayhem festival according to lead singer David Draiman, citing unspecified personal issues within the group. He claimed that the band has no plans to tour in 2012 and that they have no immediate plans to regroup after the Rockstar tour.
Speaking to Idaho radio station KQXR, Draiman stated: "We don't know what we're doing... We're not gonna do our own thing either. This is gonna be the last tour that the American people get to see us in for a while, if not indefinitely. We have some things going on internally, we have some personal things going on. So I don't know. It's hard to tell."
More information on the situation will be revealed as it becomes available.
Gwar Vocalist Kicked Off Fox News' Red Eye Show
Gwar frontman Oderus Urungus has apparently upset the folks at Fox News and is not being asked back to their Red Eye show, on which he has made numerous appearances. Oderus tweeted:
“I got canned because Sarah Palin complained that we disemboweled her. The nerve of that woman!” and “Sound off like you got a pair if you think it sucks that I am not on Red Eye anymore!”
MXDWN reports that after trying to get in contact with the studio for months, he was reportedly finally able to discover the truth. While passing through New York on a tour with GWAR, Urungus sat down with Gutfeld. During their discussion, Gutfeld expressed surprise at Urungus’ dismissal, but led the GWAR front man to believe the execution of a fake Sarah Palin upset Fox’s higher ups enough to remove him from the show.
Former X Japan And Loudness Bassist Passes Away
Although the circumstances have yet to be revealed, former X Japan and Loudness bass player Taiji Sawada has reportedly passed away. He was 45 years old. The past week, Sawada had been involved in some controversy, after he was arrested on July 11th "for interference with a flight attendant" due to an incident on a plane en route from Japan to Saipan. He then attempted suicide three days later, (July 14th,) over the incident, for which he was allegedly facing federal charges in the United States. It is not yet known if these instances are related to his death.
Taiji Sawada played for the Japanese heavy metal band X Japan from 1985 to 1992, during which time he recorded three albums with group before creative differences forced him to leave and join fellow countrymen Loudness, with whom he appeared on their self-titled 1992 album, as well as their live record, "Once And For All."
Life Of Agony Vocalist Now A Pre-op Transsexual
In a bizarrely unfolding story introduced at ThePRP, confirmed at Metal Insider, and expanded at Blabbermouth, Life Of Agony frontman Keith Caputo does indeed appear to have deserted the male gender and reinvented himself as a "frontwoman" - at least in spirit and appearance. Caputo cleared things up amongst a flurry of tweets: "I'm keeping my penis!"
Meanwhile, Life Of Agony is in the midst of a trio of European shows (Germany, Belgium, Netherlands). Whether or not these shows are their last, as has been heavily rumored, some interesting fan-shot footage of the band's performance in Augsburg, Germany, has surfaced - featuring Caputo in his newfound, gender-ambiguous persona.
Read the full article at Blabbermouth.
Ex-Queens Of The Stone Age Bassist Fights Police
TMZ.com is reporting that former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri (also in Kyuss Lives!, formerly of Kyuss) was involved in a standoff with Los Angeles area SWAT officers on the evening of July 12, 2011 at his personal residence.
Cops were called to the home of 39-year-old Nick Oliveri after a neighbor called 911 to report a domestic disturbance between the man and his girlfriend. The girlfriend, who was unnamed, told police the rocker struck her during an argument the day before and she had come back to the home to collect her stuff so she could move out. That's when the two got into another heated argument and the former Queens of the Stone Age bassist had locked themselves inside the duplex. When cops arrived, Oliveri refused to allow cops inside the residence and would not let his girlfriend leave.
A SWAT team was then called to the home and a standoff ensued. After two hours, Nick finally agreed to let his girlfriend leave the apartment and two hours later finally giving himself up without further incident. When police searched the residence they found one high powered rifle which was fully loaded.
Oliveri was booked on felony domestic violence. He has since been released after posting $100,000 bail.
Coheed and Cambria Bassist Arrested For Robbery
TMZ.com reports that Michael Todd, the bassist for the band Coheed and Cambria, was arrested for armed robbery after he allegedly held up a Walgreens by claiming he had a bomb. And this all went down right before the band played a show.
According to police in Attleboro, MA, Todd showed a pharmacist a cell phone note that said he had a bomb and demanded Oxycontin. He made off with six bottles of pain pill and fled via taxi. Police were able to track his cab to the Comcast Center where Coheed and Cambria was set to open up for Soundgarden.
Michael Todd was charged with armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. He is being held on $10,000 bail and will be arraigned on Monday morning.
July 10th was the last day that Coheed and Cambria was scheduled to perform on the Soundgarden tour.
Read the full article at TMZ.
Former Motorhead Guitarist Passes Away
Although no official statement has been released at this time, it is being widely reported that former Motorhead guitarist Michael "Wurzel" Burston passed away earlier today at the age of sixty one, after suffering of ventricular fibrillation, caused by cardiomyopathy. More information will be made available as soon as this is confirmed. Burston joined the band in 1984 and performed on the following albums:
No Remorse (1984)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
Nö Sleep at All (1988)
The Birthday Party (1990)
1916 (1991)
March ör Die (1992)
Bastards (1993)
Sacrifice (1995) More...
Nergal Back In Court Over Bible Tearing
Front man Nergal of Poland's Behemoth has returned to court again facing charges for tearing apart a bible on stage and the trial is back on track after Nergal's bone marrow transplant. A video from Nergal's court appearance can be viewed below.
Nergal also comments: "I spent 5 hours In the court in Gdynia today. The case is back on track and there's still few witnesses to be interviewed. It's way too early to give any further comment. I just hope the final verdict is gonna be positive for me. I have a feeling that I'm in this situation for right reasons and I'm not giving up. Cross fingers! The battle ain't over yet…"
Devian Calls It Quits
Swedish metal act Devian has issued the following announcement about deciding to call it quits:
"It's time to break the silence… with eternal silence. We have decided to put Devian to rest. After the tour with Unleashed in 2009 we started to focus on the third Devian opus. After a few months of hard work on the album Legion announced that he'd leave the band. About that time we also parted ways with the label that released our two first albums, Century Media. Some months later we started to negotiate with various labels but never did found anything that would meet even our budget for recording.
"During this period of time we started to feel that we had lost the glow we once had for the band and the music. We recorded a demo with a new direction to more ordinary metal with lots of clean vocals, you can still hear it on myspace. This gave a new spark to the band, but it was only temporary.
"At this time Joinus decided to leave the band. He was 'tired' of the music Devian was playing. After all, 20 years playing death/thrash metal in various acts is a long time. And the step to the direction he (and some other members) was trying to reach was a step to far and would only disappoint all of you who listened to what Devian once started out as, a Death Metal act. And after Joinus left Emil, Tomas and Carl decided to put Devian to sleep, forever… More...
Tsjuder Reunites After Hiatus
Norwegian black metal act Tsjuder recently reunited after a five-year long hiatus. The infernal trio's forthcoming album is entitled "Legion Helvete" and has been scheduled for an October 14th release date (October 18th in the U.S.). Additional details on "Legion Helvete" will be announced as they are made available.
In the meantime, you can catch the band live this weekend at France's Hellfest, as well as at Germany's Wacken Open Air on August 7th and at Brutal Assault in Czech Republic on August 11th.
Liquid Metal Host Mario Comesanas Passes Away
The Liquid Metal Sirius XM Facebook page has been updated with the following announcement about Mario Comesanas passing away:
"It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our very close friend & fellow Liquid Metal host Mario Comesanas who passed away earlier this evening at 8:39pm ET in Jersey City, NJ... I got the chance to say goodbye, hold his hand, kiss his head & tell him thank you for being a Metal soldier with me all these years & to say hi to Dime for me...Our thoughts & prayers are w his fiance Liz, Mario's family, friends & fans worldwide... for respect for the family any other info will have to wait. For now, please leave your comments here for all to see. We love you Mario & thanks for coming into our lives swinging & kicking! Rest in Peace..."
According to Metalinsider.net, the 30 year old radio host was experiencing headaches before checking into a hospital and dying of an apparent brain hemorrhage.
Comesanas had worked as a radio DJ on the WSOU "Hardcore Reality" show before moving to Sirius XM, and was also a member of the band December Aeternalis.
Anal Cunt Frontman Found Dead Of Heart Attack
Following speculation around the net it has finally been confirmed through Anal Cunt's publicist Kim Kelly that the band's iconic and extremely controversial frontman Seth Edward Putnam has passed away. The singer, who was age 43, succumbed to a suspected heart attack with no other details being released to the press at this given time. Kim Kelly commented on the passing of Seth Putnam by saying:
"Yes, it's true. Seth Putnam, one of the most infamous musicians that extreme metal has ever seen, the grindcore GG Allin, has passed away due to a heart attack.
"I handled all the promotion for Anal Cunt's last album, 'Fuckin' A,' and Seth was always happy to oblige any request I sent his way. The band had been working on a new album before his passing, so chances are his musical career's epitaph has yet to be inscribed.
"I want to remind everyone that no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him. I'm hoping that the Internet will remember that. This is a very sad and trying time for those that knew him, and the last thing they need to see is an outpouring of message board hate. The man lived and died by his own rules; if anything, respect him for that."
Throughout Seth Putnam's career he has played in 17 separate bands, performed guest vocals on Pantera's "The Great Southern Trendkill" and released 10 studio albums with his trademark band Anal Cunt. A new Anal Cunt record, titled "Wearing Out Our Welcome," was set to debut this year but the status of the album is unknown at this time.
Anal Cunt finished a North American tour in April, and Metalunderground.com managed to snag an interview with the band's hilarious/ultra-offensive vocalist. The interview, in which Seth talked cock rock and leopard pants, can be found here.
Humorously enough, Anal Cunt tracks managed to make their way into both our pro-love and anti-love Valentine's Day articles this year. Anal Cunt also recently released a tribute to cock rock titled "Fuckin' A" (reviewed here).
Biohazard Frontman Leaves The Band
Evan Seinfeld, the lead vocalist and bassist of New York based hardcore/metal outfit Biohazard, has left the band according to a statement. This announcement comes three months before the band are expected to release their first new album in six years.
"We have a long history together, but it's time for a change," said guitarist/co-founder Bobby Hambel. "We wish Evan well."
Scott Roberts, who played on the band's 2005 "Means To An End" album and has been part of the Biohazard extended family since, will step in for Seinfeld when Biohazard plays the UK's Download Festival on June 12th, and again on June 13th at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in London. Hambel, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei and drummer Danny Schuler will begin scouting for a permanent replacement when they return to the US.
Former Legion Of The Damned Bassist Passes Away
Dutch death/thrash metal outfit Legion Of The Damned has announced that their former bass player, Twan Fleuren has commited suicide. The details of his death have not yet been revealed. Twan Fleuren was at the beginning of the succes of Legion Of The Damned and recorded with the band the album "Elegy For The Weak" with Andy Classen in 2003, that was later re-released under the name "Feel The Blade" in 2007, as well as the recording of "Malevolent Rapture" in 2004, which was released in 2006.
Singer Maurice Swinkels stated: "Another very sad day in the Legion camp, Twan has been a great friend and we lost contact for several years because he was in some difficult times, only a few weeks back we were all back in contact again and it felt like these great old times were about to return, even Erik and me joined him on a terrace for a beer or two a few weeks ago, he even wanted to join us to With Full Force in July, where I was really looking forward to, he even showed alot of intrest in our new guitar player and the departure of Richard Ebisch. The bad news that came in today struck as a bomb, not for me only personally but also for the band Legion Of The Damned. Of course we wish his family and kids all the strength they need in this process. We will miss you brother and of course all of the upcoming Legion Of The Damned shows will be dedicated in his name!"
Drummer Erik announced following: "Yet another sad day in the history of Legion Of The Damned. We knew that Twan had to face some extreme difficult times, but we certainly did not expect this, he was about to join us at some upcoming festivals and we were really looking forward to that. Maurice and I are happy that we still had a nice chat and drink with him at a terrace not so long ago after a really long time of not seeing each other, rest in peace my friend and my sincere condolences to his family"
Andy Siry / Boomer Entertainment (management) states: "When Maurice informed me this afternoon that Twan commited suicide I was totally shocked and speechless. I remember when I met Twan at the first Legion Of The Damned tour in 2006 (with Cannibal Corpse, Kataklysm). Twan was a very kind and nice man and a good bass player. Our 'beer talks' were always funny. Twan made the decision to leave the band during this tour to take care of his wife and his two kids… and now this terrible news… and the big open question is of course, why??? What moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch, we cannot understand why Twan left this earth so soon, but little by little, we will begin to remember not just that Twan died, but that he lived. And that his life gave us memories too beautiful to forget. Twan will always stay a member of the Legion Of The Damned! RIP – brother , see you on the other side, and my condolances to Cristel, Nina & Joep and his family."
Stone Sour Cancels Remaining Tour Dates
Stone Sour has decided to pulled out of their remaining tour dates after drummer Roy Mayorga suffered a minor stroke. The band issued the following statement:
"It is with regret that we have decided to cancel the remaining dates on our current headline tour. Our friend and drummer, Roy Mayorga suffered a minor stroke a couple of nights ago after our show in Des Moines. He’s doing great and is expected to make a 100% recovery. We apologize to all the fans and look forward to getting back out on the road with Roy in the coming months."
Ozzfest 2011 Officially Cancelled
On a brief post made on the official Ozzfest Facebook page it has been announced that there will be no version of the popular Ozzfest taking place in 2011. One of the pioneering hard rock and metal festivals, started in 1997 by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, will once again miss out on another summer touring cycle - for the second time in three years. The festival has gone through a number of changes over the past few years as a result of economic woes and more competition from events like the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem and Uproar festivals.
Ozzy Osbourne offered a short statement in regards to the cancellation by saying;
"No, [there will be no Ozzfest] this year. I just finished a lengthy arena tour of the U.S., so I've decided to tour Europe this summer instead."
The festival's official website, Ozzfest.com, had previously posted polls asking for fans to vote on bands they would like to see appear at this year's event. The site also featured a forum post requesting fan input. Both articles have since been removed.
Still Remains Returns From Hiatus
American metalcore act Still Remains has posted the following statement online, announcing a return from its three year hiatus.
"Maybe we shouldn’t have called it a break-up. Maybe we needed a few years to purge the strain of having six or seven full-time roommates living in a van, and get back to having fun. When Haste The Day asked us to come back for one show none of us immediately said yes. Obviously, we eventually did. Getting together and playing those songs again in a tiny little corner-room in Mike’s basement had a bigger effect than we expected. We want more…
"We are not aspiring to get back to the same type of touring schedule that we had to walk away from. We all have other priorities and many of us are invested in other musical projects, but we know Still Remains has chemistry and musicianship that is not easy to come by.
"New tunes are in the works and we’ve booked a hometown show in Grand Rapids. We are looking forward to rocking together again. "
TNT Keyboardist Passes Away
Dag Stokke, the keyboard player of Norwegian heavy metal veterans TNT, passed away this morning after a struggle against cancer. He was 44 years old. A statement from the band's drummer Morten "Diesel" Dahl reads as follows:
"He was simply a wonderful human being. Positive and with a very good life."
Former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell also commented on Dag's passing, saying: "I can't believe I am writing these words. Sadly, this morning I have to say goodbye to Dag Stokke, my long time friend and keyboardist for TNT, who has left us today way too young. He fought a hard battle with dignity, courage and optimism. I will always see him in my mind, smiling at me from across the stage. A gentle giant, a huge spirit, truly an angel on this earth. I loved him very much as did so many that he touched in his brief time here. My thoughts are with his son Jonathan and his family and friends. Have a good journey my friend. I will miss you dearly."
Judas Priest Guitarist Retires From The Band
British heavy metal icons Judas Priest have announced that KK Downing, one of the founding members of the band, has decided to retire from the group and as a result, will not be taking part in the group's forthcoming Epitath tour. A press release from the band reads as follows:
"It is with regret that Judas Priest announce that K.K. Downing has formally retired from the band and will therefore not be joining them on their forthcoming Epitaph Tour. The band respect his decision and naturally all wish him well.
"Having thought long and hard about how to proceed, Rob, Glenn, Ian and Scott uninimously agreed that they should go ahead with the tour and not let the fans down around the world.
"Fate also stepped in and delivered the perfect replacement - 31 year old British guitarist Richie Faulkner - he has blended into the band perfectly and is a great talent who is going to set the stage on fire!
"The Epitath tour will include songs from every Judas Priest album and also tracks they have never performed on stage, plus all the old favourites!
"With a new album due to be released next year, the Metal Gods are preparing to tour the planet once more - Heavy metal at it's best with lasers, lights, bikes and hellfire! It's a show not to be missed!"
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