Archive: Headline News
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Iconoclasm Put On Hold
Long-standing Belgian black/thrash metallers ICONOCLASM have issued the following update via their official website:
"After many years of joy during which we shared the stage with several great bands, Iconoclasm has decided to go into a hybernation. At this point we all feel a bit 'fed-up' and have some private matters that need to be taken care of. Time will tell if we will go on in the future.
"This also means we won't do any gigs no more. All confirmed gigs will be cancelled. The last show we did was at Steel Warriors Rebellion Fest in Portugal. We all raise our horns to thank the organization of SWR and our session drummer Hennix (Demonizer) for making this gig possible and for the great alchoholic time in Barroselas.
"As some sort of tribute, a huge load of pictures from the year 2006 is online and can be viewed in the pictures-area. And last but definitly not least, we wish our ex-drummer Jeroenymous all the best in his future life. Thank you for many years of dedication and madness. This video from the show at Graspop Metal Meeting 2006 is dedicated to you!"
Premonitions Of War Returns From Hiatus
Following a lengthy hiatus, Premonitions Of War has returned. According to the band, "it's been a long two years - some members touring in other bands, some spending time in jail. We are currently writing new material and have begun booking shows for the summer." Sean Vandegrift, formerly of From A Second Story Window will be filling in on vocals in May and June while Nate Johnson tours with Through The Eyes Of The Dead. Anyone interested in booking the group should contact them on their MySpace.
Premonitions Of War has lined up the following appearances:
5/29 Columbus, OH @ The High Five w/ Regurgitate, Fuck The Facts
6/17 Cheswick, PA @ The Ches-A-Rena (Sincerity Fest)
7/27 Indianapolis, IN @ The Harrison Center (Dude Fest)
7/28 Milwaukee, WI @ TBA (Dance Fest)
7/29 Westland, MI @ VFW Post 6896 (Gorefest)
Opeth Guitarist Peter Lindgren Steps Down
Peter Lindgren has stepped down from his guitar wielding duties after 16 years in Opeth. Below is an open letter from Peter addressing the issue:
"It is with sadness I announce that Opeth and I are going separate ways after almost 16 years. The decision has been the toughest I've ever made but it is the right one to make at this point in my life."
"The reason behind this is that I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a world-wide industry. The love of music has always been, and still is, our motive, but I personally have lost something along the way."
"The massive amount of touring has taken its toll. Opeth has worked extremely hard to get where we are right now and in order to persist and maintain the quality of the music, it is necessary that we continue to work hard and always stay focused. But in doing so, it means that we nowadays spend 18 or 19 months on the road and I don't feel the same enthusiasm for the upcoming world tour that I have felt earlier." More...
SYL And The Devin Townsend Band Finished
During a Ziltoid the Omniscient press conference, Devin Townsend has announced that his projects Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band have been put to an end, and that he will not be touring again at any point in the future. Devin will, however, continue to make and release solo music.
After the audience took the statement from Ziltoid that Devin would be moving away, never to be seen again as a joke, Townsend came forth to confirm that he is indeed moving to a remote Northern Canadian town. He said that he will continue to make music, and lots of it, some of which will be ambient, some heavy, and so on. His new house will have a studio, though he will keep his Vancouver studio which he uses to produce other bands. However, Devin will not tour to support any music he releases in the future, nor will he be appearing in public at all.
Devin stated that while his 8-month old son was a contributing factor towards this decision, he had been considering doing this for some time now, and that he is tired of being in the limelight and touring and interviews and such. He is also tired of Strapping Young Lad, with the last tour being extremely difficult for him in terms of enthusiasm. He no longer has the same frustrations SYL was created to vent, and no longer feels the need to scream at people.
Salem's Wych Singer Killed In Motorcycle Accident
Ron Johnson, of the metal band Salem’s Wych died at 11:22 a.m. on April 23, 2007 in Lima, Ohio, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Ron was survived by two children, his life companion Cindy Ritchie, a mother, father and a sister.
Salem’s Wych was one of the original 80’s bands along with Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Helstar to usher in a style of metal that went on to later be known as Thrash Metal.
Abigail Williams Disbands
Phoenix, Arizona's ABIGAIL WILLIAMS has issued the following statement:
"Abigail Williams has decided to disband. It's no secret that the band has had more than its fair share of lineup problems and the time has now come to close the doors. The MySpace page will remain active and we'll continue to sell merchandise until we run out of stock. Abigail Williams released their debut EP, Legend, via Candlelight Records earlier this year and it is currently available in stores everywhere. Thanks to everyone at Candlelight who believed in this band and every fan who has supported our music."
"Please don't bother asking for specific details surrounding the band's demise; just understand that this was for the better and we'll try to keep everyone posted as to the future endeavors of former band members, etc."
Arcturus Rumored To Have Split Up
Rumors are running rampant that Norwegian extreme metal band ARCTURUS has decided to call it quits following the completion of its recent Australian tour. According to unconfirmed reports from fans that attended ARCTURUS' March 31 concert in Melbourne, ARCTURUS vocalist Simen Hestnaes (a.k.a. ICS Vortex, DIMMU BORGIR, ex-BORKNAGAR, LAMENTED SOULS) announced from the stage that the gig was to be the band's last.
An Australian ARCTURUS fan by the name of Vanessa posted on the band's official MySpace page an e-mail that she claims to have received from the group's drummer Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg (also of DIMMU BORGIR and MAYHEM) confirming the breakup. In the e-mail, Hellhammer purportedly wrote, "Yes, we are splitting up. There is no more time for all of us as everyone [is] extremely busy. But there has been some killer 16 years or so. See you next time with MAYHEM or DIMMU, and those bands [are] not likely split up any time soon."
ARCTURUS has yet to issue an official statement confirming the breakup.
ARCTURUS' latest album, "Sideshow Symphonies", was released in September 2005 via Season of Mist.
Eyes Of Ligeia Disband
Doom metal band Eyes of Ligeia have decided to call it a day. Dante, the band's leader, has issued the following statement: "After nine years, the cycle is complete. Eyes of Ligeia has been laid to rest, having accomplished all that was meant to be. No further information will be forthcoming."
Eyes of Ligeia signed to Paragon records in 2005 and released "A Fever Which Would Cling to Thee Forever" through the label, which would be their last release.
SOTU 2007 Lineup and Tour Dates Announced
Sounds of the Underground has announced the lineup for their annual tour. Following two straight appearances in the middle of the day, the event will be closed most nights by splatter metal champions, GWAR; ensuring that fans will remain blood and gore-free until the closing hours of the show. Three other bands will rotate in the headlining position prior to GWAR: a block-buster artist yet to be announced, face-shredding metal pugilists Chimaira, and experimental noisemakers Every Time I Die.
The day will be completed with a bill including Necro, Darkest Hour, Amon Amarth, The Acacia Strain, The Devil Wears Prada, HeavyHeavyLowLow, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Goatwhore, This Is Hell, and 2 Cents. Expect additional special guest headliners to join the bill on select dates.
The touring festival launches in July and runs into August. More...
Eighteen Visions Breaks Up
Orange County, California rock (one-time metal) band Eighteen Visions has called it quits. Formed in 1996, the band released several albums with Trustkill Records before jumping to Epic Records in 2004. Bassist Mick Morris sent Lambgoat a band statement:
"After several years of touring and quite a few album releases we have decided that it is time to go our seperate ways. We have been a band for a very long time and feel good about everything we were able to accomplish. At this point in our lives and our careers we feel its time to move on to something fresh and new. Whether it be music, touring or just being at home to live and enjoy life. We would like to thank all of our fans, friends and families for all of the great support over the years. We would also like to thank all of the bands we have shared the stage with and everyone who has ever worked with the band, opened a door or reached out a hand. We will be playing our final two shows in April. One in San Diego and one in Orange County. Come rock with us one more time."
On Broken Wings Goes On Hiatus
Massachusetts' On Broken Wings (Eulogy Recordings) has announced plans to disband for an indeterminate amount of time as they focus on other priorities. Here's a statement from the band:
"We have decided to take an indefinite hiatus to work on all the other bands/things we have going on in our lives. We did a lot of tours, played a lot of shows, met a lot of good people, and grew up a lot.
"We all have new bands, some of us more than 1, some of us more than 2 or 3, haha. We will be playing a few farewell shows, so be on the lookout for updates. Our farewell to the West Coast show will be at the Earth Crisis reunion in Ventura, CA on May 5th. This means CA, Vegas, Arizona... move it.
"Make sure you check out all the other projects [Shere Khan, The Confrontation, Everbody Out, etc.] we're working on until we feel like On Broken Wings is ready for new material."
I Killed The Prom Queen Call it Quits
Australian metallers I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN have called it a day. In a statement announcing their decision to go separate ways, the band write, "The final nail in the coffin came when Jona was asked to join USA metal group BLEEDING THROUGH as second guitarist. This, coupled with our inability to find a replacement vocalist, aided the decision to end the band.
"We would all like to sincerely thank all our friends and family and our label's Stomp, Metal Blade, Golf and Howling Bull Records for their ongoing support of IKTPQ and most of all we would like to thank all the fans that made the last seven years the most amazing years of our lives. We feel that we made a good impact on the Australian and worldwide music scenes. We also apologise for the cancellation of our USA tour dates.
"The band will announce a final farewell Australian tour in the coming months."
To read individual statements from the I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN bandmembers regarding their decision to call it a day, visit their MySpace page.
Initial Bands Confirmed For Ozzfest 2007
Lamb of God and Lordi will perform on the main stage with Ozzy Osbourne, while Hatebreed will headline OZZFEST 2007's reliably down and dirty second stage with Mondo Generator, Ankla, Circus Diablo, Nile and The Showdown. These are only the first artists who have stepped forward to be part of this ground-breaking touring extravaganza, with more artists to be announced in the coming weeks for the main and second stages.
The 24-city OZZFEST will now launch July 12 in Seattle, WA at the White River Amphitheatre. The tour was originally announced to start July 7 in Southern California but had to be moved to accommodate the extension of OZZY's European tour. OZZFEST 2007 will also hit Seattle, WA, George, WA, Sacramento, CA, Mountain View, CA, Devore, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Denver, CO, Kansas City, MO, Dallas, TX, San Antonio, TX, St. Louis, MO, Columbus, OH, Tinley Park, IL, East Troy, WI, Indianapolis, IN, Holmdel, NJ, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Detroit, MI, Charlotte, NC and West Palm Beach, FL. More...
Scars Of Tomorrow Breaking Up
Orange County, California hardcore/metal outfit Scars Of Tomorrow has announced plans to call it quits following a spring tour of the West Coast. Formed in 1999, the band has released multiple albums with both Victory Records and Thorp Records. Frontman Mike Milford has issued the following statement:
"In 1999 I joined this band without even knowing the amazing things that would happen to me over the last few years .We have had so many ups and downs throughout the years but one thing I can say for sure is that these days have been some of the greatest things in life I have ever been able to experience. We have had the opportunity to play with some of the greatest bands around and thank every single person that has helped us out since the beginning. I want to give a big thank you to Alex and his dudes in Atreyu for helping us get signed and bringing us on the raddest tour ever. You have been a huge help and inspiration to SOT and I am forever in debt to you. I also want to say thanks to Brandan BT you’ve always showed me the way and how to fight and never give up at this and I thank you for that. We have also had the opportunity to grow up in a exploding scene at the same time as Atreyu, 18 visions, Throwdown, Bleeding Through, Adamantium, and was always honored sharing the stage with these bands.
I want to thank every member this band has ever had. I could go on forever about each and every one of you about how greatly you have affected my life but its something id rather save for in person. Im going to love you all forever.
In September 05 the band was hit with a hard blow and the remaining original members of the band besides myself left and were ready to start the rest of there lives. I fully respected there decision but I didn’t feel that the chapter of Scars Of Tomorrow was finished yet. In 2 weeks time I had new people on the road with me and my good friends in Bury Your Dead let us stay on the tour even though the band was dealt such a huge blow. Since then I was able to make the band strong again with the help of Joey, Cuzzi, Kevin, and Justin . In this time we have toured with bands such as Soulfly, Hatebreed, 36 Crazy Fists, and have traveled to Europe 2 times with amazing shows each time. Im never going to be able to thank people enough for staying strong with the band and standing by our side throughout everything.
I also want to say thank you to Tony and everyone at Victory for standing behind the band 200 percent. They saw hope where others doubted and we released another record with them called 'The Failure In Drowning.' The response of the new material was very gratifying and I'm excited of the future this new lineup has. We believe though the time of SOT is finished and are going to be moving on to a new endeavor. The current lineup of SOT are all on the same page, but we want to start something fresh and new and will re-emerge in the near future.
If you want to see Scars for the last time we have lined up a bunch of west coast shows in April and will be doing our final show on may 5th at the Showcase Theatre. See you all soon and thanks for your everything."
Down Cancel Canadian Shows Due To Strep Throat
Down have posted the following message to their MySpace:
"When something like strep throat is caught by just one member of your band or crew, it is inevitable that the majority of everyone else, (band/crew) will catch the same illness due to the tight living quarters. Well, to say the least, it got Philip the worst. He has never lost his voice before in any touring situation. He has now, and the recovery must run it's course. Down, as a whole, apologize sincerely to Black Sabbath, and all of their people, and to Megadeth, but especially to all the fans that wanted to see us. We wanted to see you as well! We will return as soon as time permits. This is a frustrating time, even depressing. For us (down), it's like training for the olympics, and being injured at the last second. Rest assured, we will return, with a vengeance. We apologize again. much love and a hopeful speedy recovery."
It is currently unclear how many of the Canadian tour dates supporting Megadeth and Heaven and Hell will be affected, but their participation on the Canadian leg of the tour only runs through March 28, so they could conceivably all be impacted. Down is scheduled to begin some headlining tour dates two days later on March 30.
Otep Dropped By Label In Capitol-Virgin Merger
Less than two weeks before the scheduled release of their new album 'The Ascension', Otep are among the first acts dropped due to the merger between Capitol and Virgin Records. Capitol signed the band in 2000 based solely on their performance during the 2000 edition of Ozzfest.
It was previously announced that "The Ascension" had been delayed and the disc would be released "as soon as corporately possible," which seems to mean when they get signed to a new label now.
Van Halen Tour Postponed Indefinitely
According to Pollstar.com, the VAN HALEN tour that was never officially announced is now officially postponed indefinitely. The rumored tour took on an air of reality after a trade magazine announced that original singer David Lee Roth was about to sign on the dotted line, and that was soon followed by a press release via Eddie Van Halen's spokeswoman-slash-girlfriend. Unfortunately, the worldwide frenzy of a VH reunion was too good to be true, at least for the present day. However, there was a lot of paper getting inked and Pollstar states that a tour announcement might not have been far off.
Sources also tell Denver's Rocky Mountain News that VAN HALEN's performance at next month's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony may also be in jeopardy too.
A few days ago, RollingStone.com uploaded the first official photo of the new VAN HALEN lineup, featuring the group's new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen (son of VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen).
In an exclusive interview with RollingStone.com, VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth stated about his first post-reunion jam with Eddie, "Eddie and I wrote the songs, every note, every syllable, as if we invented a language that only we can speak. It was an easy, natural thing… When you speak a language that you both created, it's natural to go, 'I know you.' So it was very easy. There wasn't any stumble at all. I just showed up, and twenty minutes later, it was the usual, 'How's the wife, how's the kids, let's play.' When you're born to do that language, you speak it naturally. I never forgot it."
On how rehearsals are going, Roth said, "The chemistry is combustible. There's an explosive sound there that is, I think, perhaps... unless you were there, which most folks weren't, than you may have forgotten. This is really sophisticated, smart stuff. Everybody's at the top of their game in terms of... it's not just intangible things. My voice is arguably better than it was when I left the band back when. I love what I do, perhaps for some different reasons now than I did, more so than I did. It's a privilege to do what I do for a living."
VAN HALEN will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on March 12 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Chris Cornell Splits Audioslave
Chris Cornell has split Audioslave, the band he formed with three former members of Rage Against The Machine, due to unspecified "irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences," according to a statement.
"This is something I don't want to do anymore," Cornell tells Billboard.com of Audioslave. "There were problems from the very beginning and we dealt with them in a great way. We made three great records. We were a band that got along great, but we've also had our differences. My focus is definitely on doing my own music now.
Indeed, Cornell is quickly moving on to his second solo album, "Carry On," due May 1 via Suretone/Interscope. The 14-track set was produced by Steve Lillywhite and includes a cover of Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" (which Cornell has been known to play live) as well as "You Know My Name," the theme to the recent James Bond film "Casino Royale."
The album is Cornell's first solo affair since 1999's "Euphoria Morning." Among the other songs set to appear are the country-leaning "Finally Forever" and the harder-edged "Poison Eye" and "No Such Thing."
Cornell is already assembling a band and plans to tour "extensively" in support of "Carry On," and says Audioslave's 2005 trip to Cuba made him realize "there are a lot of people who would enjoy seeing me play 20 years of recorded music in any context."
Last month, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk announced they were reuniting with Rage vocalist Zack de la Rocha for what they are claiming to be a one-off performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in late April in Indio, CA.
Read the full article at Billboard.com.
Sir Lord Baltimore Return As Christian Metal Band
Phil Freeman reports for The Village Voice: It was such a crazy thing, to go out of the basement and play Carnegie Hall," recalls Sir Lord Baltimore drummer-vocalist John Garner. "Where does that happen? We were in the fast lane all the way down. . . . I believe that had the element of drugs not been in the picture, we'd be a household name today."
In some households (especially those where drugs are still in the picture), they still are. The Brooklyn band put a uniquely East Coast spin on the late-'60s/early-'70s power-trio sound, combining Cream's instrumental overdrive with Grand Funk Railroad's raw power. It all started when Garner invited his high school acquaintances Louis Dambra (guitar) and Gary Justin (bass) to jam. After about a week, Garner recalls, "I saw an ad in the Voice that said, 'Heavy band needed to record album.' That was it. We put about 10 riffs together, some crazy avant-garde singing and a few beats here and there, and we went down to audition." Signed (and named, allegedly, after a minor character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) by manager Mike Appel, Sir Lord Baltimore recorded for Polygram and made their live debut in 1970.
More fleet than peers Mountain or Dust, they came out of nowhere to become New York's best metal act for a year or so. Indeed, Metal Mike Saunders's Creem review of their debut CD, 1970's Kingdom Come, featured the first documented use of the phrase "heavy metal" as a genre descriptor. But after another album and an abortive tour supporting Black Sabbath, SLB imploded. Neither Kingdom nor 1971's self-titled follow-up sold particularly well, and both went out of print (they're now paired on a single CD) while all three members went on to other things.
Now they're back. Garner and Dambra have reunited after 35 years apart and self-released a third record, Sir Lord Baltimore III: Raw (available at sirlordbaltimore.com). Recorded with session bassists Tony Franklin and Sam Powell, it packs six songs into just under a half-hour, reviving the band's formula of ultra-hard riffing and thunderous drums. This was always the SLB sound—as Dambra puts it, "I would throw riffs at [John], and he would come back with the drums. He tried to copy everything the guitar did, which was really unusual, because drummers would always just lay a backbeat. But we were high-intensity, we were aggressive, and we were filling every space we could."
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Sir Lord Baltimore circa 2007 is their new lyrical perspective. Despite titles like "Love Slave" and the aforementioned "(Gonna) Fill the World With Fire," their new songs are quite explicitly Christian. "On the narrow road/Burn chariots of fire/Living on a hope/Make God your desire/If ya see Satan coming/Better change your stride/Don't try and stick with him, kid/It'll be suicide," Garner sings on "Fire." When asked about this, Dambra laughs. "Basically, over the years we've made that transition to changing our lives, having godly lives," he says. "In fact, I'm a pastor now. I run a full-time homeless-ministry program for families in Los Angeles [where he lives] called the Homeless Housing Program. It's like a Good Samaritan thing. But even though I'm a pastor now, I haven't lost the knack for playing." That's for sure; his technique is as savage and barely contained as on the most amp-frying moments of Kingdom Come. Even Raw's single ballad, "Wild White Horses," eventually explodes into a frenzy.
Read the full article at The Village Voice.
Slayer Win First Grammy For "Eyes Of The Insane"
Slayer have been awarded their first-ever Grammy Award. The track, "Eyes of the Insane," from the band's most recent album, "Christ Illusion," took the Grammy in the category of Best Metal Performance. Fellow category nominees included Lamb of God, Mastodon, Ministry and Stone Sour.
This was Slayer's second Grammy nomination, the first being in 2002 for the track "Disciple" (from "God Hates Us All"), also in the Best Metal Performance category.
Slayer, currently headlining a North American tour, did not attend the Grammy's presentation, but vocalist/bassist Tom Araya had this to say about the win from his hotel room in Columbus, OH: " Jeff [Hanneman] and I put a lot into 'Eyes of the Insane' so we're thrilled that the Grammy voters took the time to listen to it, and then vote for it. We're out here on the road and we're all really, really happy."
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