Archive: Headline News
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Fear Factory Members Reunite For New Project
Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell and former Fear Factory/current Divine Heresy guitarist Dino Cazares have announced that they will be forming a new project along with thrash metal drumming legend Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Forbbiden, Testament, Dethklok Strapping Yound Lad amongst others) with Fear Factory bass player Byron Stroud rumoured to be part of the lineup too. The band currently has no name but one is expected to be revealed soon.
Rose Tattoo Guitarist Diagnosed With Liver Cancer
The management for Australian hard rock legends Rose Tattoo has announced that guitarist/founding member Mick Cocks has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver. A statement from manager Steve White reads, "Mick has asked that I release this information to avoid the rumour mill taking control of information. The situation is that Mick has been diagnosed with liver cancer and is now under the advice of the very best doctors in Sydney. Treatment plans are underway and Mick is in good spirits and ready for a fight."
We wish Mick all the best for a quick recovery.
Angelcorpse Calls It Quits
U.S. based death metal band Angelcorpse has decided to call it a day. The following short message regarding the break up was left on the band's MySpace page:
"Due to musical differences amongst its members, it has been decided with much consideration to end Angelcorpse."
Susperia Vocalist Has Successful Heart Surgery
Susperia has issued the following update about their vocalist undergoing open heart surgery:
"Despite further complications SUSPERIA singer Athera (Pal Mathiesen) successfully underwent open heart surgery on Monday 16th March 2009 at Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Originally scheduled to have a triple by pass operation, surgeons discovered further problems which resulted in the vocalist also having a main artery - which previously ran to his lungs - connected directly to his heart. Athera will remain in hospital to recuperate and has been advised by doctors that full recovery will take between three and five months.
"Still in some agony from his ordeal and in reflective mood, Athera said: "Wow - Well what happened there!! It looks like this time my name wasn't on the guest list at the pearly gates or the other place down below. I got through the surgery and I'm now back in the regional hospital after five days at the specialist heart clinic. Here in my hospital bed I'm contemplating the enormity of what happened - the what if's and the what might have been. I'm in agony but the strong medication helps. It was a heavy operation having my body parts re-arranged - If a musician ever needed a "TUNE UP" I hope this was it. There are some tough times ahead but I will get there in the end." More...
Susperia Vocalist To Undergo Open Heart Surgery
SUSPERIA vocalist Athera (Pal Mathieson) remains under close observation at Akershus Universitetssykehus Hospital in Lørenskog, Norway following his heart attack last week. The singer has been diagnosed with a previously undetected genetic disorder that will require the replacement of three narrowed arteries and three heart valves. He will undergo a triple heart by-pass operation through open heart surgery today, on Monday, March 16th 2009. Meanwhile the singer is being kept on heavy doses of medication to keep his blood thin and his heart rate down.
Though in a serious, but stable condition, a highly spirited and medicated Athera speaking from his hospital bed sent the following message:
"Hey everyone out there in the metal universe - friends and strangers. Thanks for all your messages of support. I'm lying here in the hospital reading them all and it's really nice to see that so many of you have taken the time to send them. It's overwhelming. I've had a big shock and it's not something I would want anyone to experience. You know, I always wanted to hit the headlines - but not in this way! Looks like the SUSPERIA curse has hit again, a new album and tour on the way and one of us complicates it all. But damn it, we will never let anything stop us - ever! Even if death itself comes knocking and believe me it did. I am undergoing open heart surgery this Monday to replace some broken valves and veins, and then this metal heart will beat once again. The Doc(tor) says I'll be back stronger than ever. I will have to spend a long time in the hospital, but it's not that bad. You should see the nurses taking care of me. Could be worse. Looking forward to getting back up and on the road again. Sorry for the shows that I'm not going to be able to do. I will make it up to you guys. You all make me stronger, I am truly grateful."
Future plans for SUSPERIA remain mixed. However the band has confirmed the postponement of Norwegian dates, which were set for April 09. Their UK tour in May with Breed 77 will go ahead at the insistence of Athera himself. He has urged the band not to let their UK fans down and to look at finding a replacement vocalist.
The release of SUSPERIA's next studio album is still set for early summer as planned, through the band's new label Candlelight Records. Full details will be announced shortly.
Susperia Vocalist Athera Suffers A Heart Attack
Athera (Pal Mathieson) - vocalist with Norwegian band SUSPERIA was rushed into Akershus Universitetssykehus Hospital in Lørenskog, Norway on the morning of March 9th suffering from acute stomach pains and heavy bleeding. Initial tests revealed that the singer had suffered a heart attack caused by a damaged blood vessel. Athera is currently in the intensive care unit under close observation, while further tests are carried out. He is expected to remain hospitalized for the foreseeable future. At this moment future plans including touring commitments remain unchanged, until a full diagnosis of his condition has been confirmed.
Athera recently completed vocals on Susperia's fifth studio album, which is due for an early summer release through the band's new label Candlelight Records.
The band worked continuously throughout 2008 on the album which Athera described as "going back to the early days with the melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals and coming all the way through to today, with a perfect blend of everything Susperia has been and become".
Varg Vikernes To Be Released From Prison
After his four applications for parole were denied, Varg Vikernes (Count Grishnackh) formerly of Burzum was finally told he will be released from prison after 16 years incarcerated.
Vikerenes was serving a 23-year sentence for the murder of Oystein Aarseth (aka Euronymous), guitarist of Mayhem and owner of Deathlike Silence Productions record label that Burzum was signed to. Varg was also convicted for setting fire to three churches.
Varg says that he is "...ready for society..." and has been for many years. He told Dagbladet newspaper, "I have learned from my mistakes and become older. Now I just want to be together with my family...I have barely seen my [18-month old] son since he came into the world. Even though I hear his voice on the phone almost every day, it is very tough to not be present while he is growing up." Varg regularly left the prison for the past couple of years to visit his mother, wife, 16-year-old daughter and young son in Tromso, Norway, the town where the prison is located.
While some, like the Justice Ministry, fear that he will not be able to adjust to life on the outside, Vikerenes said, "I look forward [to] the day that I could work on my farm, create music, write books and be with my family around the clock---and live a normal life." When asked by VG newspaper about if a "normal life" involves communication with Neo-Nazi groups he formerly endorsed, Vikernes said he "...[hasn't] been in contact with them for a long time."
Varg may have been paroled earlier, but was denied the second time he applied because the Justice Ministry claimed he escaped prison in 2003.
Varg will join his family in Bo, Norway, where he recently purchased a farm. Once he has been released, he is required to check in with the authorities every two weeks, and then after some time, every month.
Infernus Wins Gorgoroth Trademark Case
A decision has been reached in the case regarding who is entitled to use the band name Gorgoroth between guitarist Infernus and previous members Gaahl and King Ov Hell.
Oslo City District Court has today (Tuesday, March 10th) delivered a verdict on the main question in the Gorgoroth trademark case, which took place at the end of January 2009.
The court has decided that King Ov Hell's trademark registration #243365 of the band name Gorgoroth is NOT valid and shall therefore be deleted. More...
Grief Calls It A Day
Boston's sludge/doom metal act Grief has announced that they will be parting ways. A message from the band reads as follows:
"I’m sorry to announce that Grief is no longer playing. We have disbanded or whatever. The last show we played was the Wien Arena in Vienna Austria (I think I spelled those things right) our reasons for disbanding are our reasons. We have chosen not to get into it but it may or may not include the following reasons:
"- Jeff has finally become Rip Van Winkle and will be asleep for the next 50 years.
"- Ray has finally eaten so much that he can not fit out of the door to his house and is unable to leave home. More...
Faith No More Reunion Announced
Billboard is reporting that Faith No More have officially announced plans to reunite for a string of live shows. Excerpts from the article are below:
Faith No More has announced its first live performances since splitting up in 1998. The band will play a series of European festival dates this summer, according to a statement from frontman Mike Patton's publicist.
No North American Faith No More dates are scheduled at this time. As previously reported, only Patton and frequent collaborator Rahzel will perform at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April, despite speculation about a Faith No More appearance.
Neither the lineup for the revived Faith No More nor the specific festival dates have been announced. Patton's spokesperson Monica Seide said no further details on the band are yet available.
Read the full article at Billboard.
Sentenced Guitarist Miika Tenkula Found Dead
Blabbermouth.net reports: Miika Tenkula, former lead guitarist and main songwriter of the acclaimed Finnish band SENTENCED, was found dead at his home earlier today (Thursday, February 19). He was 34 years old.
Nalle Österman (GANDALF, LULLACRY, CHAOSBREED) tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "It's true, confirmed personally by [former SENTENCED] drummer Vesa Ranta.
"The fact remains that Miika had a serious drinking problem for many years which escalated after SENTENCED was buried. They don't call it King Alcohol for nothing...
"The metal scene in Finland mourns now for one of the most talented metal guitarists to ever emerge from [the country]."
The official cause of Miika's death has not yet been released.
Read the full article at Blabbermouth.
Former Zimmers Hole Guitarist Passes Away
Zimmers Hole guitarist Jed Simon has posted the following blog on the band's MySpace page regarding the death of former guitarist Chris Stanley:
"Friends,
"I don't know where or how to start...other than to say we are all deeply saddened at the loss of one of our own, Chris Stanley.
"Chris is a Zimmers Hole alumni, he played guitar for us during the 'Legion Of Flames' era, and more zany moments occurred when he was around than I care to try and remember.
"He has had a long battle with the many complications, and the day-to-day life battles with Cystic Fibrosis, Pneumonia (many times), a double lung transplant and the myriad of issues that arise with that. He has battled back so many times, and it just crushes our hearts that he couldn't pull through this time.
"Here are some words from me...I know the other guys will agree with me on all this stuff. They may want to write their own thoughts in the coming days.
"With unbelievable sadness, we've lost another soldier.
"Chris Stanley, fuck...as I type this it all seems too unreal to me, but I know better. It's going to hurt even more, soon.
"Chris has been a friend to me for over 20 years. He's been a friend, a mentor, and a peer. He was one talented motherfucker, that's for sure. Add to that, funny--that guy could get a crowd onto a frenzy of laughter...a certain moment from the Dynamo festival and Chris acting a little too retarded comes to mind.
Add to that, whipcrackin' smart...he KNEW shit.
"What he has left is a legacy of music, laughter, artwork and special effects, movie props, funny pictures, not funny pictures, nuns running scared everywhere, and more stuff than I could ever get into here. But it's all in my head, and it will all never be forgotten. I MISS YOU SO MUCH ALREADY CHRIS.
"To Scarlet, his wife, and to all of his family, my condolences...I know how much he meant to me, I can't begin to imagine how much he meant to you. All my love.
"My trusty old Gibson flying V has your flames on it...they will always be there bro...and every time I look at that guitar (as I am right now), or pick it up and hammer the fuck out of it, you are with me Chris.
"With Horns Higher than I've ever Held them, I love ya man. We all fuckin love ya man. Wherever you go from here brother, I know that you will raise the bar, and a few eyebrows...heavenly or otherwise."
Subzero Calling It Quits
New York hardcore band Subzero has called it quits after roughly twenty years together. Frontman Lou Di Bella had the following to say:
"After a long 20 year run of smashing stages with Subzero we've decided to lay the band to rest. We had a fuckin blast and live with no regrets. Just wanted to say thank you to all the diehards who stood by us from the very beginning and to all the new supporters we've picked up along the way. All the good words of encouragement, showing up at our shows, reppin' our gear and crankin our music! It's a big part of what kept us alive for this long and we thank you for that. All the best to you guys and thank you once again! It's been real. Much respect.
"We will be playing a few more shows through out different regions of NY and out of state before we end it. Our first is at Popeyes Pub in Westchester, NY with Jasta on February 27th and then in Brooklyn at Europa with The Casualties and The Krays for the A Clockwork Orange Fest. That's the last time you'll be hearing The Suffering Of Man/Necropolis set. Then we'll be going out with a bang at the Superbowl of Hardcore aka Black N Blue Blowl at Studio B in Brooklyn on May 30th. There we will be reforming as the original band doing a strictly old school set. All the demo and Happiness Without Peace classics. You don't want to miss any of these shows! Thanks for the good times and the memories! COURAGE! STRENGTH! PRIDE! LIONHEARTED!"
A more extensive farewell from Di Bella can be found here
Metallica Wins Two Grammy Awards
Metallica's latest album, "Death Magnetic," picked up four Grammy nominations, has official won "Best Recording Package." "My Apocalypse" also won for "Best Metal Performance."
Additionally, Rick Rubin won the Producer of the Year Grammy. In addition to working with Metallica on "Death Magnetic," Rick produced Neil Diamond, Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy, Jakob Dylan, and Weezer.
Post Mortem Vocalist Passes Away
Boston punk metal band Post Mortem has issued the following statement about vocalist John McCarthy passing away:
"John McCarthy the singer for Post Mortem has died. He was 40. He was/is one of my oldest friends. An interesting character with many great stories to tell, he will be missed...
"We had just finished recording the music for a new Post Mortem record (John wrote most of the words for it.) The vocals were not done and John was planning on doing his vocals in February. His goal of making another Post Mortem record has ended. This band was everything to him. I think we’ll finish it up somehow and dedicate it to him..... See ya John!!"
After Forever Calls It A Day
Dutch metallers After Forever has decided to break up. A message from the band reads as follows:
"Dearest fans,
"After nearly 15 years and with heavy hearts, we have decided to call an end to a great and exciting time as After Forever.
"We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished, and especially of the road we took to get here.
After Forever has never been a band that repeated itself; we always tried out new things, even though many of them were certainly done at a risk. We think that that has been one of the reasons we’ve always enjoyed enormous support from all our loyal fans. More...
Acrassicauda Granted Refugee Status In U.S.
According to msnbc.msn.com, Iraq based metal band Acrassicauda have come to the United States and been granted refugee status. The band was recently the subject of the documentary "Heavy Metal In Baghdad." Excerpts from the MSNBC article are below:
"Drummer Marwan Riyadh, 24, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday, where he was greeted by band mates Firas al-Lateef, 27, and Faisal Talal, 25. Fellow member Tony Aziz, 30, was visiting family in Detroit.
"The New York Times reported that the group met idols Metallica on Sunday after a concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. James Hetfield, Metallica's lead singer, presented them with a guitar signed "Welcome to America."
"The Times said the U.S. government has granted all four members of Acrassicauda refugee status, which allows them to apply for green cards in a year."
Read the full article at msnbc.msn.com.
Marazene Drummer Kristopher Kemp Passes Away
Kristopher "Kristov" Kemp, drummer and a founder of Chicago's very own MARAZENE has passed away due to complications with his fight with cancer.
Kristov's friend and bandmate DieTrich Thrall wrote an impromptu obituary which has been posted on the band's Myspace page and the text of which follows:
"On Monday, January 26th, Kristopher Kemp passed away due to complications from his fight against cancer. He was 34.
"Kristopher Kemp was born on October, 28th 1974. He spent most of his early years in the Naperville, IL area and attended Naperville High School. More...
Thunder Calls It A Day
British rock legends Thunder has posted the following message online:
"As we enter Thunder's 20th anniversary year, we've found ourselves becoming increasingly busy with our various activities outside of the band, and we've come to the conclusion that there are simply not enough hours in the day to fit it all in. Having discussed it at length, we've decided that this is a fitting time for us to hitch up our wagons and ride into the sunset. We've therefore decided to give you advance notice that we intend to cease all recording and touring activity, as of the summer of 2009.
"In practical terms, this means that we will cease to be a band as of the summer, but until then it will be more or less business as usual. The 2008 Xmas Show CDs will be released as promised, and the previously announced shows in Europe (February) and Japan (April) will go ahead as planned. We will use these shows, as well as any festival slots we can secure, to make the most of the time left, and say our goodbyes to you.
"With that in mind, despite only touring a couple of months ago, we couldn't make our exit without saying goodbye to UK fans, so we've arranged a final UK tour, which will take place in early July. The dates are as follows:- More...
Former Lizzy Borden Member Corey James Dies
Los Angeles metal band Lizzy Borden has just announced the death of former member, Corey James. Here are the details:
"Our Brother and former guitarist Corey James (Daum) passed away Saturday morning in Nashville, Tennessee from an auto accident. Corey was a Lizzy Borden guitarist from 1989 to 1995; he appeared in 2 Lizzy Borden video’s ‘We got the power’ and ‘Love is a crime’ as well as on the Master of Disguise tour; we were looking for a second guitarist to play along side Alex Nelson and We had a cattle call of guitarist come down to audition. As soon as Corey walked in the room I had high hopes for him. He was a tall, bone skinny kid with long blonde hair and a giant Colgate smile. He started playing and singing away with no fear and gave it all he had, I liked him immediately and so did everyone else. After he was done I told him that we would get back to him after we finished the day, but in my mind I already knew that he was the guy. I called him later that night and asked him if he wanted to see the world and live in a tour bus for a couple of years, he was ecstatic and I could tell even over the phone that that smile would not leave his face while he slept that night… More...
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