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25 сен 2018
CHTHONIC Releases Video For Acoustic Version Of 'Millennia's Faith Undone'
 Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC have released a music video for a delicate acoustic version of "Millennia's Faith Undone", taken from their latest album "Battlefields Of Asura".
CHTHONIC usually leaves the audience a ferocious impression; however, the release of the acoustic album "Timeless Sentence" four years ago and the music video of "Defenders Of Bú-Tik Palace" (acoustic version) and "Kaoru" (acoustic version) not only made a splash but also led the audience to a different world created by CHTHONIC.
After the release of the music video of their new track "Millennia's Faith Undone" at the beginning of the month, CHTHONIC has now dropped the official music video of the "Aeon's Wraith" version (acoustic version), featuring Denise Ho, on the evening of Mid-Autumn Festival. The original crew, including director Birdy, lead actor and actress Finn and Chia-Yu Chang, created the finale of the series of stories. Being executed during the White Terror, the protagonist dies without a place to rest in peace, either is his last will sent to his wife and children. Starting its first page from "Kaoru" (acoustic version), the story finally comes to a sorrowful end which is also a traumatic moment in Taiwanese history.
To faithfully present the period setting in the new album, Birdy had the production of the music video take place at the historical architecture Yilan Literature Museum. Set in the antique traditional Japanese style house, the music video gives CHTHONIC a delicate vibe different from their onstage look; Denise Ho, who gladly agreed to be featured in CHTHONIC's latest album, first time setting foot in Yilan Literature Museum, also didn't hesitate to show her fondness of the location.
sually, in the acoustic version of CHTHONIC music videos, the costume designing tend to be more "low key." However, bassist Doris's glacial style added a crucial touch that left all the crew impressed. Doris noted that she's thankful for the hard work by the hair and makeup artists. Besides, compared to the past metal version music videos which require more dramatic expression and gesture than live performance, she prefers the shoot for the acoustic version as it allows more natural body movement of everyday life. Moreover, frontman Freddy stated that to prepare for the music video, he had to refresh his slightly rusty erhu playing. After a busy day in parliament, he still had to practice late at night. He also joked: "Luckily I'm not in the shot too much as I didn't play it right in a couple spots!"
CHTHONIC will release its first album in five years on October 12. Although the "Aeon's Wraith" version of "Millennia's Faith Undone" is not included in the album, it will be released as a single on vinyl. Worth mentioning, this will be the first CHTHONIC vinyl. As an avid vinyl collector, Jesse Liu, the guitarist in CHTHONIC, excitedly announces that he must be the first one to have the vinyl once it's done as he can't wait to have it in his collection. |  |
25 сен 2018
CRIMSON GLORY's Self-Titled Debut Album To Be Reissued Next Month
 On October 5, Metalville Records will reissue a physical digitally remastered CD edition of American progressive metal band CRIMSON GLORY's self-titled album, licensed from the Roadrunner Records archive.
CRIMSON GLORY formed as early as 1982, but it took until 1986 for their self-titled debut album to be released. The band initially drew much media attention because of their mysterious silver masks, but they had an astoundingly powerful vocalist in the enigmatic Midnight and in guitarists Jon Drenning and Ben Jackson, a team capable of supplying excellent harmonies and truly beautiful melodic lines. These talents were made evident on classic metal anthems like "Angels Of War" and the epic "Heart Of Steel".
CRIMSON GLORY is as good as American metal gets — witness the driving "Dragon Lady" and the absolute classic "Azrael" for proof. Ultimately, "Crimson Glory" is a very fine album that has withstood the test of time much better than you'd expect.
"When we, CRIMSON GLORY, were recording our debut album we knew we were creating something very unique and special," says Jackson. "There was a magic that was very present there. I still view this record with fascination and much pride. We were young, very passionate and quite obsessed with presenting our music and our craft."
inger Todd La Torre quit CRIMSON GLORY in February 2013, explaining in a statement that "the main reason" for his "resignation" was "primarily due to [the band's] inertia status."
La Torre, who joined QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 as the replacement for Geoff Tate, became an official member of CRIMSON GLORY in April 2010 and played a number of shows with the band during the subsequent two years.
A "raw" version of a new CRIMSON GLORY demo track entitled "Garden Of Shadows" was released in September 2012 and was supposed to appear on the band's new concept record.
La Torre made his first public appearance with CRIMSON GLORY at ProgPower USA X as one of seventeen guest performers paying tribute to John Patrick Jr. "Midnight" McDonald, the band's original singer.
Midnight passed away in 2009 due to long-term health complications. | |
25 сен 2018
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS Release Live-Action, Animated Video For 'Driving Rain'
 SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS have released the new video for "Driving Rain", featuring hilarious live-action, animated adventure with ragdoll puppets. The song is the first single from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' new album, "Living The Dream", which was released on September 21 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records.
"Living The Dream" is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals).
Slash describes creating the fun clip: "The idea behind doing an animated video for 'Driving Rain' is mostly due to the dark subject matter of the song influencing directors to come up with very dramatic, dark and sullen regular live action treatments that weren't any fun at all (no offense to those guys). So, I wanted to create something that could be tongue-in-cheek and yet still be dark with live-action animation. We're all big fans of Stoopid Buddy and they came up with a great concept and treatment. We love the video and it came out effin' brilliant. FYI, no puppets were harmed during the making of this video."
"Our whole team at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios was beyond excited to work with Slash, Myles and those hard rocking CONSPIRATORS," explains John Harvatine IV, creative director and co-founder. "We had a blast creating a dramatic heart-pounding music video with rag-doll-like rod puppets and adrenaline-filled RC Jeeps. From this moment forward, 'Driving Rain' is now the 'Citizen Kane' of music videos!"
b>Slash described the creation of "Driving Rain": "This is a riff I specifically remember playing with the guys for the first time at a venue in New Hampshire on the 'World On Fire' tour. It's a cool guitar part we ran though, and from that point forward the rest of the song started to come together in my mind while on the road. We put it all together this year and Myles came up with a great melody for it." Myles Kennedy adds: "The riff is very reminiscent of vintage AEROSMITH. It's got a certain funk to it that's compelling. Lyrically, it's a story about somebody who works on the road — it could be a musician, and it could be a traveling salesman. What makes it interesting is this guy has an addict girlfriend or spouse who continues to relapse, and she ends up getting him to come home. She's miserable and falls back into bad old habits, and that compels him to head back to her to save the day."
Myles added: "It's another idea that had been around for years. To me, the riff is very reminiscent of vintage AEROSMITH. It's got a certain funk to it that is really compelling."
SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS just launched their North American headlining tour and will visit 20 major cities before ending October 16 back in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palladium. | |
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25 сен 2018
THE THREE TREMORS Feat. TIM 'RIPPER' OWENS, SEAN PECK And HARRY CONKLIN: 'When The Last Scream Fades' Lyric Video
 The official lyric video for the song "When The Last Scream Fades" from THE THREE TREMORS, the new project featuring acclaimed heavy metal singers Tim "The Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (JAG PANZER) and Sean "The Hell Destroyer" Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER, DENNER/SHERMANN), can be seen below.
THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut LP is due later this year. Check out additional audio samples on THE THREE TREMORS' PledgeMusic page.
"Sean's band, CAGE, opened for JUDAS PRIEST on the 'Jugulator' tour in San Diego — that is where I first met him," recalls Ripper. "He hit me up about resurrecting the idea and actually doing a record, and then a band, to put this out in the live setting also, and I thought it sounded really cool. The record came out really strong and I think the fans deserved to have a thing like this actually exist. We performed two of the songs live already when I was out in San Diego shooting the video for the first single, and it was a blast."
"It was about five years ago, I was camping and thinking about the whole THREE TREMORS urban legend from long ago and what a shame it was that it never happened," says Sean. "Then I started thinking about if there was a resurrected 2018 version of it, who would I get, and Tim and Harry were at the top of my list. I immediately reached out to Tim, who agreed to embark on this adventure and Harry quickly joined next. It took a long time to put it together, create the right songs, and get it properly arranged, but the results are beyond my wildest expectations. I think the fans are really going to freak out on what we have done with this record, and live it's going to be almighty I assure you!"
Sean and I ended up at a party together in Germany, where we were both playing the same festival, and he told me about the THREE TREMORS album he was putting together and asked if I would be into it," adds Harry. "He described the concept and how he wanted to bring this old idea to actual life and I said I was in. Once I started hearing the songs that were being sent over for me to record, I knew this thing was going to be really powerful. Then when I got sent the final mixes with all three of us on it, my jaw hit the floor on how well it all came together. For heavy metal fans, this is the ultimate."
THE THREE TREMORS nourish in heavy metal anthems, and feature the illustrious chops of guitarist Dave Garcia, whose tenacity fuels the fire, allowing the music to naturally flow in complimentary tone. Second guitarist Casey Trask picks up the pace and pushes the boundaries alongside bassist Alex Pickard, who highlights a melodic sensibility giving character to the overall tonality. On drums, the thrash machine Sean Elg adds in his perfectly placed fills and signature double bass patterns.
THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut highlights artwork ingeniously created by renowned artist Marc Sasso (DIO, HALFORD, ADRENALINE MOB, DEATH DEALER), to showcase an apocalyptic battle between demonic hyper-wolves and the Three Tremors, who marched into an underworld overshadowed by evil forces only armed with bullets powered by heavy metal sorcery to reclaim the dystopian lands.
THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut album will feature 12 new songs that depict monumental stories of time honored heavy metal themes as written by Peck, focusing on original concepts to highlight three of the most revered and relentless voices in heavy metal.
"The Three Tremors" track listing:
01. Invaders From The Sky
02. Bullets For The Damned
03. When The Last Scream Fades
04. Wrath Of Asgard
05. The Cause
06. King Of The Monsters
07. The Pit Shows No Mercy
08. Sonic Suicide
09. Fly Or Die
10. Lust Of The Blade
11. Speed To Burn
12. The Three Tremors (bonus track)
THE THREE TREMORS was the provisional name given to a proposed project featuring Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST).
It was announced in 2000 that Tate would be joining Dickinson and Halford in the all-star group, which was slated to record an album's worth of material with Dickinson's solo guitarist and Roy "Z" Ramirez.
Dickinson said that he and Roy wrote "about three songs" for THE THREE TREMORS during a session in Los Angeles before he "realized it was going to take us a lot longer than three weeks to write a project with three singers that would work."
Before Dickinson's proposed collaboration with Halford and Tate was officially scrapped, the name THE THREE TREMORS was changed to TRINITY because "we figured they would sue our ass if we called it THE THREE TREMORS," Bruce explained in an interview several years ago.
Back in late 2016, Owens, Tate and ex-IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley played a number of U.S. shows under the "Trinity" banner. Owens later said that while the tour "was a lot of fun," he would not be working with Tate again.
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25 сен 2018
Listen To New EINHERJER Song 'Kill The Flame'
 "Kill The Flame", a brand new song from Viking metal veterans EINHERJER, can be streamed below. The tack is taken from the band's ninth full-length album, titled "Norrøne Spor", which will be released on November 9.
EINHERJER has carried out its vision for more than two decades. The band was there when Norwegian extreme metal grew forth and took shape as an enormous cultural export.
EINHERJER's Norse heritage is a phenomenon that reaches far beyond what one can hear alone. It is an amalgamation of the mystique and sagas of old, of songs and poems, of woodcutting and sword grinding and the vikings merciless way of life. It's a cultural patchwork that fills the consciousness with the brutal majesty of the Nordic nature, the elemental strain, of mighty longships plowing the black seas to reach unknown shores. The wisdom of the gods and their Valhalla. Of cultural encounters and trade. Of violence and brutality. Of tough men in a tough time. Their hometown Haugesund also rings with historic sound, and from their own shores on the west coast of Norway the influence of the Vikings stretched towards the sea and the world beyond. The adventurers, pioneers, poets and craftsmen have inspired EINHERJER to go their own way. The Vikings' courage and boldness have inspired us to never compromise EINHERJER's vision, a vision that is a unique, self-made, original and modern interpretation of our mighty Nordic heritage.
EINHERJER vocalist and bassist Frode Glesnes commented: "Classic EINHERJER meets the future and the past. No, we have not returned to our roots. That's a way overused cliché and it always calls for bullshit. We have simply written and arranged more stuff together.
On our last few albums we have written songs separately; this time we've looked at what happens when Gerhard and me are in a room together.
"We still have a firm grip on what EINHERJER is all about. That will never change.
"Here is 10 new songs that any heathen metalhead should be able to love and appreciate. No bullshit, just 10 great metal songs."
Track listing:
01. The Spirit OF A Thousand Years
02. Mine Våpen Mine Ord
03. Fra Konge Te Narr
04. Kill The Flame
05. Mot Vest
06. Spre Vingene
07. The Blood Song
08. Døden Tar Ingen Fangar
09. Tapt Uskyld
10. Av Djupare Røtter
EINHERJER is:
Frode Glesnes - guitar, bass, vocals
Gerhard Storesund - drums, samples
Aksel Herløe - guitar, backing vocals
Ole Sønstabø - lead guitar | |
25 сен 2018
Listen To New REVOCATION Song 'Blood Atonement'
 REVOCATION will release its new album, "The Outer Ones", on September 28 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Great Is Our Sin" sees the band pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of its signature sound harder than ever.
The song "Blood Atonement", taken from "The Outer Ones", can be streamed below.
"The Outer Ones" track listing:
01. Of Unworldly Origin
02. That Which Consumes All Things
03. Blood Atonement
04. Fathomless Catacombs
05. The Outer Ones
06. Vanitas
07. Ex Nihilo
08. Luciferous
09. A Starless Darkness
I knew that I wanted to go in a darker direction, and this is our most death metal album to date," states vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson.
"Sometimes when death metal bands go down the prog route, they lose some of that edge, but we wanted to keep the aggression at the forefront of what we do while still pushing our boundaries."
Moving away from the societal and historical themes that informed "Great Is Our Sin", this time Davidson has immersed himself in the fantastic, evoking one of the great writers of the sci-fi/horror genre.
"The title is my ode to H.P. Lovecraft and the entities of pure cosmic horror that rule that universe he created," Davidson says. "Since the new music we were writing was so evil and spacey in sections, it seemed to be the right title to fit the overall vibe. But while the lyrical content is largely influenced by such writings, in every allegory there is, of course, some reflection of the real world, so I enjoy writing in a way that could have one overlaying meaning and then another deeper, symbolic meaning as well."
REVOCATION is currently taking part in its first North American headlining tour in several years, with EXHUMED, RIVERS OF NIHIL and YAUTJA as support.
REVOCATION is:
David Davidson - Guitars / Vocals
Dan Gargiulo - Guitars / Vocals
Brett Bamberger - Bass / Vocals
Ash Pearson - Drums | |
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25 сен 2018
STRATOVARIUS: Lyric Video For Orchestral Version Of 'Unbreakable'
 Finnish metallers STRATOVARIUS are back with a new album — with some fresh and some very rare material. Due on September 28 via earMUSIC, "Enigma: Intermission 2" features three brand new songs as well as, for the first time in the band's history, four beautifully arranged orchestral versions of popular STRATOVARIUS songs.
The album is similar in concept to "Intermission", released 17 years ago between "Infinite" and "Elements", in the sense that these seven tracks made in 2018 are completed by nine very rare, very-hard-to-find power metal gems.
With over 30 minutes of brand new material and 50 minutes of previously rare metal, "Enigma: Intermission 2" is definitely more killer than filler!
Take "Enigma" and "Oblivion", for example, fresh from the studio in 2018. Both combine an epic melody with a bombastic chorus and heavy riffs for STRATOVARIUS's trademark sound and remind of "Unbreakable" from their 2013 album "Nemesis", the most streamed song in the band's history. Or "Kill It With Fire" and "Castaway", two epic and full-blown power metal tracks that were previously only heard by Japanese fans.
he official lyric video for the newly recorded orchestral version of the song "Unbreakable" can be seen below.
The sweeping melodic power metal grandeur of STRATOVARIUS, together with Timo Kotipelto's powerful yet emotional voice, is very much present on all of the 80 minutes of this release. This spirit truly makes "Enigma: Intermission 2" closer to a full new studio album than to a mere compilation.
"Enigma: Intermission 2" track listing:
01. Enigma (brand new studio song; recorded 2018)
02. Hunter†
03. Hallowed††
04. Burn Me Down (brand new studio song; recorded 2018)
05. Last Shore††
06. Kill It With Fire*
07. Oblivion (brand new studio song; recorded 2018)
08. Second Sight*
09. Fireborn†
10. Giants*
11. Castaway*
12. Old Man And The Sea††
Brand new orchestral versions (all recorded 2018)
13. Fantasy
14. Shine In The Dark
15. Unbreakable
16. Winter Skies
* previously unreleased in Europe
† rare bonus track
†† rare bonus track; first time on CD
This autumn, STRATOVARIUS will hit the road in Europe with Tarja Turunen on the "A Nordic Symphony '18" tour. | |
25 сен 2018
KIX Members Discuss Transferring 'Blow My Fuse' Original Analog Tapes To Digital For 'Fuse 30 Reblown' (Video)
 Maryland hard rock icons KIX will release "Fuse 30 Reblown" on September 21, exactly 30 years after "Blow My Fuse"'s original September 19, 1988 release date. KIX announced the release from the stage of this year's M3 Rock Festival where the band performed "Blow My Fuse" in its entirety to their hometown crowd.
A short video clip in which the KIX members discuss transferring "Blow My Fuse" original analog tapes to digital and remixing/remastering them for "Fuse 30 Reblown" can be seen below.
"Fuse 30 Reblown" features a stunning Beau Hill (ALICE COOPER, RATT, WARRANT, KIX) remixed and remastered version of KIX's Atlantic Records "Blow My Fuse" album, as well as special never-before-released demos of all 10 tracks, recorded in the early-to-mid-1980s. "Blow My Fuse" features the group's biggest hit, the power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes", which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1989. The album achieved platinum sales and peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard Top 200, making it the most successful of the band's 35-year career.
"We are proud to be celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the biggest album of our lives," says singer Steve Whiteman. "We went from clubs to arenas, a van to a tour bus, and from the U.S. to Japan and Europe. And 30 years later, our fans are still right here with us."
b>"Fuse 30 Reblown" will be available for pre-order in July through the band's PledgeMusic store, where fans can also purchase special commemorative merchandise.
KIX gracefully eased back into the public consciousness in 2008. After sold-out hometown gigs, the quintet hit the stage at Rocklahoma in front of over 20,000 people, venturing out of the Mid-Atlantic for the first time in 13 years. Delivering a triumphant set alongside Sammy Hagar and Alice Cooper, they left their mark on old and new fans alike. After capturing their fiery reunion on 2012's "Live In Baltimore" CD and DVD, the members agreed to enter the studio once again.
In 2014, KIX released its seventh full-length album, "Rock Your Face Off" (Loud & Proud Records) their first studio effort since 1995's "Show Business".
KIX last released "Can't Stop The Show: The Return Of Kix" on October 21, 2016, a two-disc DVD/CD set that entered the Billboard Top Music Video Sales chart at No. 3. The 71-minute film offered an in-depth look into KIX's decision to record "Rock Your Face Off".
"Fuse 30 Reblown" track listing:
Disc 1 - "Blow My Fuse" remixed and remastered By Beau Hill:
01. Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT
02. Get It While It's Hot
03. No Ring Around Rosie
04. Don't Close Your Eyes
05. She Dropped Me The Bomb
06. Cold Blood
07. Piece Of The Pie
08. Boomerang
09. Blow My Fuse
10. Dirty Boys
Disc 2 - Demos:
01. Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT (Demo recording, 6/20/86)
02. Get It While It's Hot (Demo recording, 11/10/86)
03. No Ring Around Rosie (Demo recording, 1987)
04. Don't Close Your Eyes (Demo recording, 11/25/86)
05. She Dropped Me The Bomb (Demo recording, 6/20/86
06. Cold Blood (Demo recording, 3/21/87
07. Piece Of The Pie (Demo recording, 6/20/86)
08. Boomerang (Demo recording, 3/4/84)
09. Blow My Fuse (Demo recording, 9/5/86)
10. Dirty Boys (Demo recording, 11/10/86)
Photo credit: Mike Morgan | |
25 сен 2018
THE DEAD DAISIES Head South, Video Recap
 "This week has seen us across Texas and Tennessee and wow the south sure know how to party," says The Dead Daisies. "We ate delicious food, played at amazing venues and met a bunch of rockin’ fans along the way!"
Be sure to catch The Dead Daisies on board KISS Kruise VIII which sails October 31st to November 5th, going from Miami to Key West and Nassau.
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25 сен 2018
K.K. DOWNING Says He Can Play And Perform JUDAS PRIEST's 'Sinner' Better Than RICHIE FAULKNER
 Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing has once again dismissed bassist Ian Hill's explanation for why he wasn't invited to rejoin the band following Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease.
In a recent interview with Backstage Axxess, Hill said that the idea of bringing Downing back to PRIEST was never entertained. "When he retired, we took on Richie [Faulkner], you know, so he's playing all Ken's parts," Ian said. "So, it's not Ken's [parts] that are missing, it's going to be Glenn's parts that he would be playing. Really, Ken, what's he going to do? Come over to my side of the stage and play Glenn's parts? It wasn't his job, if you know what I mean, that had become vacant. It was Glenn's. Glenn and Ken are two excellent guitarists, [but] both are completely different in styles and sounds, and for Ken to be playing Glenn's parts anyway, it really wouldn't have sounded right anyway. We never thought about Ken for that reason."
Asked by Please Kill Me what he thought of Hill's justification for why K.K. wasn't contacted about coming back to PRIEST, Downing said: "I'm a guitar player. Richie's a guitar player. We know exactly what's gonna happen. I resume my normal position and Richie takes over on Glenn's side of the stage, and we just become JUDAS PRIEST again. And Richie doesn't have to play 'Sinner', because I can do it better than him… because I'm the originator. Richie does a great job, but I can play it and perform it better than him. It would be better for the people, because they remember me doing it all of their lives, for God's sakes, which is decades. It would just be better for them to see me do it than Richie doing it."
He continued: "You can see me and Richie up there working and playing and performing pretty damn good together because I would make sure that we were ripping across that stage like there was no tomorrow. It is what it is, though. The guys are on tour [in the U.S.] now with DEEP PURPLE and they're gonna be out there with Ozzy [Osbourne] in the U.K. next year. So it is what it is. But that was the severest thing I've heard Ian say. Would I be interested in going back there and having Richie play my parts while I play Glenn's? I'm sorry, but the answer is no. Andy [Sneap, who is replacing Tipton on the current tour] is great. I consider him a mate, and I've been up to his studio, and he's great. But even if that happened, do the people want to see Andy playing Glenn's parts or do they want to see me?"
b>Downing went on to say: "People want to relive. I'm exactly the same. When I go see a band now, whether it's UFO or SCORPIONS, I want to see the original bandmembers. I want to see them out there for as long as I possibly can, if there's an option. Because we all go back remembering the days when we first saw the band, and that's what we paid the ticket for. But one of the reasons I wrote the book" — referring to his just-released autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest" — "is I'm just sick of those guys trying to kind of bury me through the Internet. I really don't know what the deal is. It's stemming from somewhere. It's heartbreaking to see that going on, ya know. It's unfair, really. It's unfair."
"Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest" was released on September 18 via Da Capo Press. The book was co-written by the Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton, whose previous collaborations include "Official Truth, 101 Proof" with Rex Brown of PANTERA and "Confessions Of A Heretic" with BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski.
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25 сен 2018
MATT BARLOW Is 'Not Offended At All' By ICED EARTH's Plan To Re-Record Early Albums With Current Lineup
 Matt Barlow says that he is "not offended at all" by Jon Schaffer's recent announcement that he is planning to re-record some of ICED EARTH's early albums with the band's current lineup.
Speaking to The Metal Voice in an interview conducted earlier today (Saturday, September 22), the singer, who fronted ICED EARTH from 1994 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2011, said: "As far as my cut, whatever I contributed to the writing of the songs I'll still get. So from that aspect, from the financial aspect, if people wanna buy the records again, that's great for me, financially, 'cause I still get writing credit for it.
"Basically, I signed away my performance rights — I got paid for my performance, but the writing is where I would get paid [if the albums were to get re-recorded]," he continued. "And I don't have a problem with it. If those guys are getting paid for redoing the records, it doesn't hurt my feelings at all. And those other records will always be out there — there will be versions of it, hopefully, that people can buy, if they so choose; if they want both copies or whatever, then that's fantastic."
Barlow went on to reiterate that there are "no hard feelings" between him and the ICED EARTH guitarist on the issue of re-recording the band's earlier catalog, explaining: "That would just be an ego thing, if anything. I can't really say that I've got that — that's not part of who I am.
It's so hard for musicians to make a living, and if these guys are musicians that are trying to make a living doing it — and they are; Jon is, and Jon has made his living with music," he said. "If he can make some more money to keep ICED EARTH going, then more power to him, man. That's just the way I see it. It is his livelihood, and it's his company, above all things. He's had to use record companies to keep that going, but at the end of the day, it is his company, and he's gotta keep it going, man. And if everybody wants him to keep it going, then they've gotta understand that that's what he's gotta do.
"So, no, I'm not offended at all — as I hope that Gene [Adam, original ICED EARTH singer] wasn't offended when I redid the vocals on ['Days Of Purgatory', 1997 collection of remixes and re-recordings of songs from previous ICED EARTH albums]," Barlow added. "At that particular time, we all thought that I was gonna go on and be with ICED EARTH forever, and we were basically trying to redo the songs in my style, so then when we do 'em live, that's the way that people were gonna hear 'em. But there are still people that are going back and buying the Gene [versions of the songs]. There's a lot of ICED EARTH fans that still love the first record above all others — and with good reason, 'cause it's really cool stuff, and it's different; it's just different. So there's nothing wrong with that."
Late last year, Schaffer spoke about his reasons for wanting to re-record some of ICED EARTH's earlier albums with his current bandmates: Stu Block (lead vocals), Luke Appleton (bass), Brent Smedley (drums) and Jake Dreyer (lead guitar). He said: "We are going to be re-recording [our older] records over the course of, probably, the next 10 years. We're going to be doing a lot of the ICED EARTH catalog because I don't own the master rights and there's no real income coming from that. If we redo those records, then everybody in the band will be able to get a royalty in the future moving forward. It's going to be a big project and it's going to be a lot of fun to do, to really dig back into those records — especially, like, the first six. That's what we're gonna focus on. I don't know which one we're gonna start with yet. I have a pretty good idea which one, but the guys and I will talk over that in the next few months. Not to take away, because I think those albums are great, but the fact is that it was a bad business deal for ICED EARTH, and for us going forward, we want to be able to have control of our catalog and of our destiny."
Schaffer went on to say that he will "never" own the master rights to ICED EARTH's early recordings released through Century Media "unless, all of a sudden, they develop a conscience and say, 'Jon should own his masters.' [Laughs] And believe me, Sony Records did not buy Century Media to start giving artists their rights back. So it's pretty unlikely. And, you know, it's business, and dude, hey, I signed, we all signed it — the original five guys from the first album, we all signed a very horrible contract. I just finished it. I went and pushed through to the bitter end."
ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.
Barlow announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.
Current ICED EARTH singer Stu Block (formerly of INTO ETERNITY) made his live debut with the band in November 2011.
ICED EARTH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Incorruptible", which came out in June 2017 via Century Media. | |
25 сен 2018
EXODUS Frontman Hasn't Seen Any New Metal Bands Who Have Potential To Become Future Icons
 EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza has bemoaned the lack of new bands who can take over as festival headliners once all of heavy metal and hard rock's current top draws have retired.
Speaking to France's Duke TV, Souza said (see video below): "There's no more Ozzy Osbournes anymore; there's no more BLACK SABBATHs anymore — they're gone. Where's the iconic bands that initially came out with the sounds that you love?
"A lot of fans come up to me, and since SLAYER has announced that this is their last tour and they won't be continuing on… Glenn Tipton isn't playing with JUDAS PRIEST anymore — he actually does; he plays three songs in the set. And look, we lost Lemmy a couple of years ago, so MOTÖRHEAD's done. A lot of things can happen.
"I've never really seen any band that really impresses me that looks like they're gonna be a JUDAS PRIEST or an IRON MAIDEN — that size of band — and be able to carry on for 40 years with that same push and all the same people and building more fans," he added. "[I'll] be curious to see what happens."
b>Souza is now on his third stint with EXODUS, having previously fronted the band from 1986 to 1993 and 2002 to 2004. A decade following his second departure, Souza returned to the fold in 2014, just in time to appear on the group's latest album, "Blood In Blood Out".
Souza has said in recent interviews that EXODUS will wait for guitarist Gary Holt to complete his touring activities with SLAYER before they officially begin work on the follow-up to "Blood In Blood Out".
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25 сен 2018
Former GORGOROTH Frontman's GAAHLS WYRD To Release Debut Album
 Season Of Mist announced the signing of the Norwegian extreme metal band GAAHLS WYRD.
Over the past months, the five-piece, fronted by Gaahl, has been recording its debut album at the Solslottet Studios with producer Iver Sandøy (ENSLAVED). The record is set for an early 2019 release.
The band comments: "It's always been of outmost importance for us to work with people that we can relate to, trust, and will understand our creative and professional vision. Season Of Mist feels like home to us and we can't wait to start what hopefully will be a long and rewarding relationship for both parties."
GAAHLS WYRD has announced a European tour with TRIBULATION and UADA in 2019. The Norwegians add: "We have a lot of respect for our travel partners, TRIBULATION and UADA, and can't wait to join forces for what we believe will be a thoroughly enjoyably and diverse package, that we are confident will hit home in the metal community. We're also massively eager to present songs from our brand new album that will be released next year. 2019 can't come soon enough."
ince rising to prominence with his first band TRELLDOM, singer, frontman, artist and composer Gaahl has been one of Norway's most-talked-about and respected extreme metal musicians. His work with TRELLDOM, GORGOROTH, WARDRUNA and GOD SEED has been widely regarded as some of the best the black metal scene has had to offer.
Gaahl's passion and dedication to his art has earned him followers far and beyond the realms of the metal community, becoming a household name in the art scene and a he has become a well-respected alternative thinker.
The charismatic singer has assembled some of Norway's finest metal musicians under the new moniker GAAHLS WYRD. The band consist of Ole Walaunet (THE BATALLION, GOD SEED, GRIMFIST), Frode Kilvik (KRAKOW, AETERNUS) and Kevin Kvåle (HORIZON ABLAZE). This highly qualified bunch recently toured a finely selected, career spanning repertoire from Gaahl's time in TRELLDOM, GORGOROTH and GOD SEED to great acclaim.
GAAHLS WYRD lineup:
Gaahl (Kristian Espedal) - Vocals
Lust Killman (Ole Walaunet) - Guitar
Eld (Frode Kilvik) - Bass
Spektre (Kevin Kvåle) - Drums
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25 сен 2018
MY DYING BRIDE Singer Opens Up About 5-Year-Old Daughter's Cancer Diagnosis
 Vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe of U.K. doom metal veterans MY DYING BRIDE has opened up about the circumstances that led to the cancelation of the band's four festival appearances in late 2017. At the time, Aaron said the reason for the concerts being called off was "a severe and fearful illness that has struck a family member of my immediate family for which I have now dedicated all my time until signs of improvement." He also shot down rumors that the group was splitting up and assured fans that he and his bandmates were working on the follow-up to 2015's "Feel The Misery" album.
Earlier today (Tuesday, September 18), Stainthorpe released the following statement via MY DYING BRIDE's Facebook page:
"Many of you have been wondering what has happened to the band since we cancelled all our shows back in late 2017. Well, here is the answer.
"In September 2017, my beautiful little daughter, just five years old, was diagnosed with cancer. This event devastated the whole family as well as close friends and of course all of MY DYING BRIDE and related colleagues. A black hole of worry and panic opened up before me and I was fearful of what was to come. The horror that surrounds this terrible disease is real and brutal and relentless.
The highly destructive but very necessary poison that is chemotherapy was started and, after a time, surgery removed the main tumour but it had spread. Early 2018, a second major operation was needed to finally get rid of the visible mass but cells were still in her body, so radiotherapy took place to destroy these. The side effects of both chemo and radio therapies left her a broken and sorry little thing and my heart was aching like never before. As the father of a deeply sick child, I was on the brink of total implosion.
"After the worst year of our lives, and stress beyond belief, we were gifted the news that so many other people never get; she is clear. She has beaten one of the cruellest of God's bitter and loveless creations.
"Despite this positive outcome, there will be years of tests and potential complications which may result in many returns to hospital. I will fear for her every day for the rest of my life and hope that when I finally go to my grave, she will be a strong and forthright woman.
"We really need to thank the wonderful people at the NHS Children's Hospital in Leeds for everything they have done and also the wonderful Candlelighters, children's cancer charity for their endless and loving support.
"The band took a small hiatus at the devastating news but gradually began to muster forces and start work on the next LP which we can happily tell you all, is well under way and, in fact, is almost complete. I have not taken part in any writing as yet, but will return to the fold this week, pen in hand and a new focus and eagerness to fulfil my role as wordsmith and vocalist for this remarkable band. We have returned!"
For 28 years, MY DYING BRIDE from West Yorkshire has been the voice of the hopeless and broken, combining haunting sounds with crushing misery and melancholy. With their signature sound, they've shaped the doom metal scene like barely any other act and integrated both soft violin melodies and violent death metal growls into their music, while always staying strictly loyal to themselves. And since the early '90s, the band's masterminds and founding members Andrew Craighan and Aaron Stainthorpe forged beautiful grief into 12 studio albums with songs of epic length.
Peaceville Records celebrated the 25th anniversary of MY DYING BRIDE with a deluxe 92-page 12-inch hardback book on the rise of the U.K. doom metal legends. The book contains five discs of rarities, early works, newly unearthed and never-before-heard pre-production demos, band track favorites, and live audio.
A message from Aaron.
“Many of you have been wondering what has happened to the band since we cancelled all our shows...Posted by My Dying Bride on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
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25 сен 2018
SACROSANCT Feat. Former PESTILENCE Guitarist RANDY MEINHARD: New Music On The Way
 SACROSANCT, the German-Dutch progressive thrash metal outfit founded by former PESTILENCE guitarist Randy Meinhard, has signed a multi-album deal with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. SACROSANCT returns reformed to the scene after a 25-year hiatus.
Kees Harrison (formerly of Dutch prog-metal act SPHERE OF SOULS) recently joined SACROSANCT on bass: "Having been a fan of SACROSANCT for many years, I'm both honored and excited to be working with Randy on the band's new album," he says.
SACROSANCT is:
Richard F. Hesselink - vocals
Randy Meinhard (ex-PESTILENCE) - guitars
Christian Göwert - guitars
Kees Harrison (ex-SPHERE OF SOULS) - bass
Jonas Schütz - drums
b>SACROSANCT was formed in 1988 by guitarist Randy Meinhard and drummer Marco Foddis, who had learned to know each either while joining PESTILENCE. In 1990, SACROSANCT released its debut album, "Truth Is - What Is". The album is characterized by technically sophisticated thrash metal. The dual guitars create a straight as well as spherical and melodious tapestry of sound, interrupted by the tight drumming and the moaning, but angry and rude voice. Creative band head Randy Meinhard considered guitar duos of bands like QUEENSRŸCHE, EXODUS and IRON MAIDEN as a main influence, and Ace Frehley of KISS as initial spark.
SACROSANCT released its second album, "Recesses For The Depraved", in 1991. With a more edgy sound it was little melodious and spheric than the debut. For the album cover, SACROSANCT even managed to secure the rights for H.R. Giger's picture "Das Spiegelbild". When Giger died, 23 years later, Rolling Stone magazine stated "the disturbing Giger cover art accurately conveyed the savage nature of the music."
The third album, "Tragic Intense", was even more melodious and spherical than the debut. On the other hand, staccato parts are rarely on it. In an interview for the music mag Iron Pages, Randy Meinhard stated in 1993 that the dark basic mood is what we intended to do. It just should sound sinister. In that issue Markus Wosgien (Nuclear Blast) described the album as a mixture of thrash, doom and power metal, and classified it as a milestone in this genre.
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25 сен 2018
RONNIE JAMES DIO: 'A Life In Vision: 1975 - 2009' Photo Book Due In December
 "A Life In Vision" is a photographic journey of one of the most admired and respected rock vocalists of all time — Ronnie James Dio.
Due on December 7, this beautiful collection of photos was taken by New Jersey photographer Frank White. They capture Dio from his first-ever U.S. show with RAINBOW in 1975 through to 2009, just a few months before he lost his fight with cancer in May 2010. This collection covers Dio's career with BLACK SABBATH, his own band DIO and HEAVEN & HELL.
Throughout the decades, Frank White captured Ronnie on stage in both the USA and Europe. Frank also took many shots of Ronnie relaxing off stage; at TV studios as well as dedicated shoots with his band.
"A Life In Vision" also includes White's recollections of working with Dio as he recalls the many times shared in his company from the other side of the lens.
b>"A Life In Vision" comes in its own custom-made, block-foiled buckram presentation box with a set of full-color prints, perfect for framing.
This unique item is limited to 500 copies worldwide. Order by October 30 and have your name printed in the book on a dedicated page.
Book notes:
- 144-page A4 hardback
- Printed on 170gsm silk paper
- Photos digitally restored and cleaned
- Custom-made block-foiled, buckram presentation box
- Set of four prints on 400gsm card | |
25 сен 2018
It's Official: KISS To Launch Farewell Tour, 'End Of The Road', In 2019
 During an appearance on "America's Got Talent" season 13 finale earlier tonight (Wednesday, September 19), KISS confirmed that it will embark on its "farewell" tour, dubbed "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour", in 2019. The news was delivered in trademark larger-than-life KISS style with a blistering performance of "Detroit Rock City", proving why the band is known as one of the most iconic live performances that simply can't be missed.
Said KISS frontman Paul Stanley: "This is gonna be our last tour. It will be the most explosive, biggest show we've ever done. People who love us, come see us. If you've never seen us, this is the time. This will be the show."
KISS added in a statement: "All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who've filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't. KISS Army, we're saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we'll go out the same way we came in... unapologetic and unstoppable."
Gene Simmons recently told Sweden's Expressen newspaper that KISS's next tour will last three years. Calling it the band's "most spectacular tour ever," the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on "all continents."
umors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band."
As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia. Stanley later said that the 2000 tour was nothing more than an attempt by the group to "put KISS out of its misery" after years of ego clashes and disagreements over songwriting credits between the band's original members.
"The 'Farewell Tour' was to get off the stage with our tails between our legs while we still had some self-respect left," Simmons explained. "And it became very clear the fans didn't want us to go."
Simmons said in a 2017 interview that KISS had "a few more years" left before it would call it quits. He told Glasgow Live: "We're the hardest-working band in show business. I wear over forty pounds of studs and armor and all that stuff, seven-inch platform heels, spit fire and have to fly through the air and do all that stuff." He continued: "In hindsight, it would have been smarter to be a U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES, to wear some sneakers and a t-shirt and you're comfortable. No, we had to do it the hard way.
"So we're not gonna be able to do it into our 70s, and I'm 67 now," he explained. "We'll do it for a few more years, and then when we think it's time to go, we'll go, and we'll do it the right way, with a big party. I'd like to think that we would do something that rocks the planet — something big and worldwide and maybe free."
Earlier this year, Stanley said that he wasn't sure "about the idea of KISS coming to an end. We've built something that's so iconic, and I think it transcends any of the members so I can certainly see me not being there, seriously." He also spoke about his reasons for wanting to spend less time on the road. "I don't want to go leave home," he said. "I have a family and I have children and, honestly, I think my primary responsibility is to be a dad, and I don't want to miss out on that. And certainly, as we got older, we know that life is finite and I pick and choose what I want to do at this point."
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25 сен 2018
CIRROSIS Launch “A Better Place To Hate” Lyric Video Featuring KEVIN TALLEY
 Mexico’s Cirrosis have released their lyric video for “A Better Place To Hate” featuring Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Chimaira). The single is off their new album, The Collector Of Truths, due out December 1st via Concreto Records.
The video was done by Javier García de León at Elipsis Films and the music is a mix of death and thrash, suitable for fans of Fear Factory, Morbid Angel and Pestilence. The band has been lurking in the shadows, and with Grammy nominated producer Francisco ‘Chucky’ Oroz playing guitar, they are finally ready to return to the underground metal scene and prove they can still write fast and technical music.
Vocalist Sir Oz is excited to show fans what Cirrosis has been working on and tells us what can be expected: “I guess that fans will like to see a more versatile and technical Cirrosis. Organized brutality and non-pretentious songs. There are songs that seem an insane competition of virtuosity, we respect that, but we seek to offer a good song, heavy but structured songs. However, this does not mean that fans are not going to find technical aspects in our album; actually, they are going to find it a lot."
The Collector Of Truths will be the band's second studio album, which comes 20 years after their debut Reciclando Desesperación, the Spanish language album released in 1999.
Tracklisting:
"Asfixia"
"Nowhere … But Here"
"Kill My Name"
"The Art Of Breathing"
"Resistencia"
"A Better Place To Hate"
"The Daydreamer's Nightmare"
"I'm The Universe"
For further details, visit Cirrosis on Facebook.
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25 сен 2018
IRON MAIDEN's BRUCE DICKINSON: Video Of Entire Copenhagen Spoken-Word Appearance
 On the back of his recently released autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?", IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson is making a string of speaking appearances. On the tour, Dickinson is reading excerpts from his book, delivering slides and hosting a question-and-answer session in which fans can ask all the questions they have been dying to know about what it's like to front one of music's most iconic bands.
Video footage of Dickinson's entire September 8 spoken-word gig at DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, Denmark, can be seen below. (Note: The video is mislabeled as "Malmö, Sweden".)
"What Does This Button Do?", landed at No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. It was released in the U.S. last October via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Asked about his decision to keep his family life — including current and former wives, divorces and children — out of his autobiography, Dickinson told BBC Radio 2: "Well, first of all, I don't read that many autobiographies. So one of the things, when they said, 'You wanna do it?' I went, 'Hmmm. Okay, let me have a look. Let me think to the last couple of autobiographies I read that I really enjoyed.' And you have to go back a long way to one called 'The Moon's A Balloon' by [British actor] David Niven, which was brilliant. What a great read! It was like a romp. It was like being in a pub with the guy, except you wouldn't be in a pub with David Niven; you'd be on a yacht, drinking champagne. But anyway, it was like being with him, telling you great stories. And the other one was George Melly 'Rum, Bum And Concertina', which was, again, a fantastically well-written, well-crafted series of stories. And I thought, 'What's the common theme there?' They're all really good stories, they're all uplifting books in their own right, and none of them are particularly nasty to other people. There's no need for it, really. And I think there's a belief that that nastiness somehow sells books. And I'm not sure one, that it does, and two, that it's particularly the sort of book that I want to be a part of. So I made the decision that, in amongst not being horrid to people, 'cause there's no point, at the same time, I thought, well, I also don't want to tell confidences about other people's lives. If I wanna share a confidence about my life, 'cause it's my autobiography, fair enough, but dropping other people in it for the sake of, well, ratings, basically, I think is immoral."
b>Dickinson admitted, however, that he struggled with whether to involve his family when writing about how he dealt with his cancer diagnosis in 2015. "I did wonder about that, about including [them]," he said. "'Cause, obviously, my wife was pretty key to surviving the whole thing, and they all had to undergo it, in a sense, in the same way as me. And they were relatively powerless in it as well. I allude to that. But, yeah, I did agonize about that a little bit, because I thought, 'Am I being entirely fair?' But I thought, 'I'll stick with…' Because you open up a little Pandora's box there. Because then people say, 'Well, who are all these people? Why did they suddenly turn up at the end?' So, for the sake of continuity, and for the sake of it just it being a good book [I left them out of it]."
Dickinson joined IRON MAIDEN in 1981, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and made his recording debut with the band on the 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". He quit the band in 1993, pursuing several solo projects, and rejoined in 1999.
Dickinson, who turned 60 last month, has several other interests beyond music. He is a licensed commercial pilot and owns an aviation company. He has written other books, done some acting and brewed beer.
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25 сен 2018
ARA Signs With Lavadome Productions; Stream New Track "Cytokine Storm"
 Wisconsin based, extreme death metal visionarists Ara have signed with Lavadome Productions for the release of their sophomore album Judisprudence. The album was recorded at Howl Street Studios and mastered by Leon Macey of death metal powerhouse Mithras.
Jurisprudence will be released early next year. In the meantime, you can already stream the third track of the album "Cytokine Storm".
The band's guitarist, Jerry Haupa, issued the following statement in regard to the revealed track:
"'Cytokine Storm' represents the most focused attack of the band on the record thematically, while still challenging the listener and the boundaries of the death metal approach in general. The lyrical theme is about how the body self-destructs during the final stages of infection from Ebola, so the music takes on a viral approach as though the listener is bombarded with inhibiting structures, eventually succumbing to fatal illness while paralyzed by confusion and despair."
For further details, visit Ara on Facebook.
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25 сен 2018
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Signs With SOLID STATE RECORDS
 THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has signed a deal with Solid State Records for its next album. Details about the band's label debut will be announced soon.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has also announced the second leg of its very special anniversary tour this fall. The band is extending its trek celebrating the upcoming tenth anniversary of its landmark third studio album, "With Roots Above And Branches Below". THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will play the record — which arrived on May 5, 2009 via Ferret Music — in its entirety.
The first leg of the tour kicks off on September 27 in Seattle and runs through October 12 in Springfield, Missouri. The trek includes several stops in Canada. The second leg launches on November 23 in Chicago and wraps on December 16 in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's native Ohio. Support on both the first and second legs will come from FIT FOR A KING and '68.
Leg 1:
ep. 27 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Sep. 28 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Sep. 30 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
Oct. 01 - Calgary, AB - The Gateway
Oct. 03 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre
Oct. 04 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
Oct. 05 - Iowa City, IA - Blue Moose Taphouse
Oct. 06 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
Oct. 07 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall
Oct. 09 - Indianapolis IN - Deluxe at Old National Centre
Oct. 10 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
Oct. 11 - Nashville, TN - Exit Inn
Oct. 12 - Springfield, MO - The Riff
Leg 2:
Nov. 23 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Nov. 24 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
Nov. 25 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
Nov. 28 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
Nov. 30 - Las Vegas, NV - Vinyl
Dec. 01 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House
Dec. 02 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
Dec. 04 – San Antonio, TX - Alamo City Music Hall
Dec. 05 - Dallas, TX - Canton Hall
Dec. 06 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Dec. 07 - Destin, FL - Club LA
Dec. 08 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
Dec. 09 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Dec. 11- New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
Dec. 12 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Dec. 13 - Lynchburg, VA - Phase 2
Dec. 14 - Milvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
Dec. 15 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
Dec. 16 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's latest album, "Transit Blues", was released in October 2016 via Rise Records. | |
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25 сен 2018
Halifax’s HITMAN – The Offering: Side I EP Streaming In Full
 From the rocky shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Hitman have been conjuring up their next EP The Offering: Side 1 set to be released on September 14th. This will be the third EP from the whisky infused, stoner groove rock quartet and it is sure to be a hit among a wide range of listeners who are currently fans of Black Sabbath, Pantera and Sleep. Offering a sound that is familiar to the genre, but still refreshing and creative, Hitman is poised to continue proving why they are one of Canada’s best up and coming acts that has been gaining notoriety by playing hundreds of gigs along with festivals plus whom were once endorsed by Rob Halford of Judas Priest when he wore a Hitman T-shirt onstage during a performance in Halifax in 2015.
A full stream of the EP can be found below.
"We are extremely excited and proud to be releasing The Offering: Side 1! We've poured our heart, souls (and wallets) into this project and along with our amazing studio team are excited to bring you the first EP that feels truly representative of our band. We’re a stoner band that drinks too much and loves to party. Basically we just want fans to enjoy the music and live shows as much as we enjoy making the tunes and performing,” says drummer Sylvain Coderre.
With a wide variety of ideas, and the professional musicianship to go along with it, Hitman is focused on bringing their high energy stoner rock to the masses through both their recorded music and live shows where they have supported bands like Sum 41, New Found Glory, Silverstein, Metalian, Zaum, Skull Fist, The Agonist, Black Wizard, Diemonds, and Black Moor. The Offering: Side 1 will be followed up by The Offering: Side 2 slated for release in 2019.
Tracklisting:
“Curtain Call”
“Under The Weight”
“Nero”
“Enchanted Wizard /Hail The Outro”
EP stream:
"Curtain Call":
“Nero”:
(Photo by: Emily Wilkins) | |
25 сен 2018
GRAHAM BONNET On The Original MONSTERS OF ROCK Festival: 'It Was The Most Incredible Night'
 Prior to his performance at the United Kingdom's Stonedeaf festival on August 25, legendary rock vocalist Graham Bonnet (ALCATRAZZ, RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) spoke with Mighty Matt Mason of TotalRock Radio. The full conversation can be viewed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).
On playing Stonedeaf, which paid homage to the Monsters Of Rock festival — the initial year of which was headlined by RAINBOW:
Graham: "We've gone full circle. I used to play little, tiny clubs as a kid, and suddenly I find myself playing stadiums and big theaters with RAINBOW. Now suddenly, we're playing little clubs again. But everybody's doing that, and it's kind of a good thing because some of the clubs are really great. This is kind of weird — how many years ago was that? It was something I'll never forget. My family was there, my friends from school. It was the most incredible night. I'll always remember it."
On the importance of touring in the modern music business:
b>Graham: "We play where we have to, because things have changed now. We all know that people don't buy CDs anymore, and the only way to get the music across to the people is to play live, so that's what we do."
On his first single, THE MARBLES' 1968 release "Only One Woman":
Graham: "THE BEE GEES wrote the song for us. It's kind of like a bluesy, R&B song. That's when my career sort of started. We did very well. My brother had a bet with me — Joe Cocker had 'A Little Help From My Friends' out at the time, and he said, 'I think he's going to get to the top of the chart before you do.' He was right, unfortunately."
On his longevity:
Graham: "I always get a round of applause when I tell people how old I am. They can see how old I am, but it's kind of funny to say I'm coming up to my 71st birthday. [They ask], 'How do you sing like that?' It's a matter of resting and not talking too much, keep your voice in shape, sleep as much as you can. I just drink water — that's about it. I don't drink booze anymore. Just keep it lubricated — my voice, I mean. I get asked by a lot of singers, by young people — 'How do you keep your voice in shape?' I don't practice any kind of voice exercises or anything, really. I just go on there and hope it's going to be there. I don't know if that's talent or just stupidity."
On THE GRAHAM BONNET BAND:
Graham: "I still live in Los Angeles. Beth-Ami [Heavenstone], our bass player, and I live together. We started this band, the two of us, about three years ago. It's been kind of cool. We've had a couple of people — different guitar players and different drummers — but I think now, we have the right lineup. We just put out the album called 'Meanwhile, Back In The Garage', which is kind of a little hint to my past and everybody else's who's ever been in a band, and everybody used to rehearse in the garage. We still do. I recorded it in the garage, this album — some of it."
"Meanwhile, Back In The Garage" came out on July 13 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc offers 13 new songs where Bonnet lays down his inimitable vocals over a selection of tunes full of great hooks and melodies. It includes a bonus live DVD captured at a "Live From Daryl's House" performance in early 2018. | |
25 сен 2018
JAMES KOTTAK Says GRETA VAN FLEET Sounds More Like LED ZEPPELIN Than KINGDOM COME Does
 Former SCORPIONS drummer James Kottak spoke about the recently announced partial reunion of the original lineup of '80s rockers KINGDOM COME, a band perhaps best known for its uncanny musical resemblance to LED ZEPPELIN. Kottak played on the band's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving the same year. Kottak went on to play on MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP's 1992 "MSG" album before joining SCORPIONS in 1996.
Asked "how fair" it was for KINGDOM COME to be constantly compared to LED ZEPPELIN, Kottak told KNAC.COM: "It was unfair, but when a journalist asked about the influence, I'd take it. And if I was asked about the John Bonham influence? I'd say, 'Hell yeah! Of course he's an influence. That's a huge compliment.' [Laughs] Listen, I embraced the LED ZEPPELIN comparison anytime it came up. There were a couple of guys in the band that frowned on it, but I was, like, 'Guys, you're missing the point here. We're being compared to the biggest rock band in the history of rock 'n' roll!' I remember in an interview for one of the magazines, one of our guys was quoted as saying sarcastically, 'I've never heard of LED ZEPPELIN.' Of course he was kidding, but sarcasm doesn't translate well to print. I remember that quote was used as the headline and most people would see that and didn't bother reading the article."
Asked which band sounds more like ZEPPELIN, KINGDOM COME or GRETA VAN FLEET, Kottak said: "I would say GRETA VAN FLEET. [Laughs] I remember the first time I heard them, I thought it was LED ZEPPELIN until I realized I wasn't familiar with the song. [Laughs] Those kids are going through the exact thing that we went through. I have heard and read interviews where they mentioned KINGDOM COME, so they really know their classic rock history."
A revamped version of KINGDOM COME — comprised of Kottak, guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) — will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album by embarking on a U.S. tour in the fall. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which will kick off on September 27 in Seattle, Washington.
fter its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".
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25 сен 2018
Study: Heavy Metal Music Is Inclusive And Governed By Rules Of Etiquette
 Forget wild and chaotic behavior, heavy metal music culture is inclusive and governed by etiquette and codes of conduct, according to new UCL (University College London) research.
After several years on the road, touring with a variety of metal bands from USA and Europe, UCL Anthropology PhD student Lindsay Bishop has found that the global heavy metal community is complex and transgenerational with elders passing on rules of etiquette, such as most pit behavior, to younger members.
Bishop, whose study is the first ethnography of its kind to focus on the significance of live heavy metal performance from the perspectives of both the audience and the musician, examines heavy metal from a strictly anthropological perspective. She has carried out extensive interviews and documented bands including FEAR FACTORY, 3TEETH, MORTIIS, PIG and COMBICHRIST. Footage captured while touring with industrial artist Jayce Lewis has just been released in his new video single with Universal Music.
The study finds that far from the popular perception of "angry teenage males," heavy metal is culturally inclusive, with a rich and varied audience — including many women and older adults — that embraces an array or religions, sexual orientations and political leanings.
b>Bishop's research will culminate in an open-source documentary, which will be made available via her web site, and a book exploring the capacity of musical performance to create metal communities that have sustained through several generations and have now spread across the globe. Her headline findings include:
Mosh pit etiquette
The research finds that older generations of metal fans pass on mosh pit etiquette and behavior to newcomers and younger generations to ensure an environment of "controlled chaos." This includes an implicit understanding that the mosh pit is voluntary, that those who fall over should be picked up immediately and if someone is hurt they are taken to the bar by the person responsible.
Participants from Bishop's fieldwork comment:
"When somebody goes down, you get them straight back up: 'You all right, mate? All your earrings intact?' But it's like that in metal — its being in a huge club and you don't necessarily know everyone's name but you give each other a nod." – Anonymous A
"There is a kind of… not a chain as such, but guidance, if you like, a kind of etiquette of things. It is kind of unwritten." – Anonymous B
Bishop says: "Mosh pits, crowd surfing, circle pits in an abstract sense epitomize the metal community. The older generations teach mosh pit etiquette and newcomers learn that moshing is not a fight, it's a way to release tension and often create lasting bonds with people.
"Metal culture doesn't have a history of aggression towards mainstream culture that, for example, punk has become synonymous for. In metal culture, aggression is released through catharsis within the crowd."
Inclusivity
Despite the perception of the heavy metal community as a "brutish rite of passage for teenage boys," Bishop says that, it is a "complex, inclusive and global community" that now encompasses several generations.
The metal community has evolved since its inception in the 1960s, and today women make up on average one-third of gig-goers and many older adults, families, disabled, LGBTQ people participate throughout the globe.
Bishop explains, however, that there is still work to be done to change perceptions: "While there's been a steady increase in women among the metal community, there is still a perception issue that might give young girls and women the impression it's not for them. When, in fact, women all over world are part of the metal community, notably in the South African country of Botswana, there is a community of 'Botswana Queens' that are smashing gender stereotypes through metal music."
Friendship & fandom
Traditionally, studies have focused on either the musicians performing on stage or the audience, but rarely has the collective experience between the two been addressed, particularly from a transgenerational perspective.
The metal community is far reaching and today, in the wake of the digital revolution, bands have evolved their approach to producing music. More emphasis is placed on touring and connecting with the audience than ever before. Thanks to social media, gig-goers and performers are now forging long-lasting friendships.
The relationship between audience and performer is integral in the metal community, and there are a number of rituals that demonstrate this two-way dialog, such as physical connection with the audience, singers conducting the audiences singing, throwing drumsticks and other paraphernalia from stage, and the audience throwing t-shirts or gifts to the performers.
The relationship is also somewhat a consequence of the music industry and dwindling record sales, which has seen bands rely increasingly more on income through touring.
Bishop comments: "Touring is crucial if a metal band is to survive, and this relies on ticket and merchandise sales. Additionally, crowd funding is bigger than ever among the community, and in many ways this is positive as it cuts out the middle man and gives people a more direct connection to the musicians.
"Any band that can withstand the test of time gains a lot of respect. It would be virtually impossible to see a manufactured band in metal, because in this community, to be successful, you have to put in the time, graft and earn the respect of your audience."
The closest genre to classical?
In metal, the genre is united by many, many subgenres including black metal, power metal, nu-metal, speed metal, doom metal and now even Viking metal. The huge number of subgenres and the complex compositional structure of the music, have led to suggestions that classical and metal are closely related, however there is no direct evidence.
Bishop comments: "What we do know is that there are certainly correlations with classical. Many heavy metal bands are influenced by classical music and a number of metal musicians I have spoken to have studied classical music. There is a similar appreciation among the audience. In Russia, for example, it is common for older metal gig-goers to take sheet music to concerts as they would the opera."
Bishop is working on a diagram for the final study that will depict nuances of different metal genres, ranging from the rhythmic complexity of groove metal to the thick and heavy tempo of doom music and the speed and dissonance of thrash metal to the wild virtuosity of power metal.
Bishop concludes, reflectively: "I went to one metal gig where a 'doom' band played a single song that lasted for a solid 50 minutes. It was like funeral music. The venue was jam-packed and the audience was dead still. It was just a wall of vibration."
One participant described it as "a great stress reliever, particularly because you can stand there and almost feel your internal organs vibrating."
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25 сен 2018
OZZY OSBOURNE's AEG Lawsuit Dropped After Concert Promoter Ends Block-Booking Policy
 According to Billboard, Ozzy Osbourne has dropped his anti-trust lawsuit against AEG after company officials announced plans to end its policy requiring acts that wanted to play the O2 Arena in London to also play Staples Center in Los Angeles.
On Friday (September 21), Ozzy's attorney Daniel Wall filed a stipulation to dismiss the case, ending the lawsuit filed in March against AEG. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning Osbourne can't refile the lawsuit.
AEG released the following statement in response regarding the end of the Osbourne lawsuit:
"On Friday, Ozzy Osbourne dismissed the class action lawsuit he filed against AEG. This dismissal with prejudice is a victory for AEG. We were fully prepared to see the case through to vindicate our policy, but now that Osbourne has decided to dismiss with prejudice, the case is over.
Our policy was an appropriate, lawful and effective competitive response to Irving Azoff's pressure tactics seeking to force artists into the Forum. If those tactics resurface, we will redeploy our policy as needed.
"The Osbourne suit was instigated by Azoff and paid for by MSG and Live Nation. It was hatched on the back of an artist who we believe had no idea what he was biting off. The suit was a transparent public relations ploy that failed to pressure AEG into backing down from a booking policy that was an effective competitive response to the MSG-Forum tie.
"It is no surprise that once AEG refused to back down, Azoff, MSG and Live Nation became eager to drop the case as soon as possible. They dismissed the case with prejudice after realizing AEG would aggressively defend it, costing them tens of millions of dollars and posing a source of embarrassment once their questionable tactics were exposed in the course of discovery and trial."
Ozzy had tentatively agreed to perform at London's O2 Arena on February 11, 2019 as part of his "No More Tours 2" farewell run, but he claimed that AEG added a provision stating that if Osbourne played an indoor arena within 25 miles of Los Angeles that was promoted by competitor Live Nation during the tour, he would have to play the AEG-owned Staples Center as well.
Wall accused AEG of being a "monopolist" and trying to force Ozzy to play AEG's venue in Los Angeles in exchange for a London date at the arena.
In its motion to dismiss the lawsuit from Osbourne, AEG said that Osbourne could not claim anti-trust injury since the policy tied the promoter to the agreement, not the artist.
Wall submitted a rebuttal to the motion to dismiss, writing that AEG was misleading the court and was fully aware that the policy forced artists to play their venue in Los Angeles, sometimes against their will.
AEG previously told Billboard in a statement that the company "has always worked hard to put artists first. At the same time, we must respond to the actions of those we compete with, specifically Live Nation and Madison Square Garden. Fighting for a level playing field is fair competition at its core."
Osbourne wanted a judge to invalidate the provision in his contract that forces him to perform at Staples.
Variety reported that AEG's O2/Staples requirement came about in response to a challenge from MSG that found the company refusing to book acts into Madison Square Garden if they played at AEG's Staples Center in Los Angeles instead of the MSG-operated Forum. In response, AEG informed agents and promoters that acts who perform at The Forum instead of Staples will not be booked at London's O2 Arena.
Ozzy's final world tour is slated to last until 2020. | |
25 сен 2018
PESTILENCE Parts Ways With Bassist, Announces Replacement
 Dutch death metal veterans PESTILENCE have parted ways with bassist Tilen Hudrap due to "scheduling differences" and have replaced him with Edward Negrea (NECROVILE).
Tilen states: "Thanks to all our fans all over the world for mega support this year! It's appreciated more than you can imagine! It was an insane year, a crazy ride indeed with my life-long brothers Patrick, Calin and Septimiu, filled with good vibes and energy.
"I'm extremely proud to be a part of this historic legacy of death metal that is PESTILENCE and playing alongside my bro and one of the biggest innovators in extreme metal genres ever, Patrick Mameli! I will cherish these times forever!
"Sometimes life gives us opportunities that we can't say 'no' to and 2019 is going to be so busy for me in my other musical journeys that I had to make the most difficult decision ever: to leave PESTILENCE, because the band has a mega hectic schedule for 2019 planned as well. All the experiences we had together will stay with me forever and I wish my brothers in PESTILENCE absolute success in the future!"
b>Tilen will stay in PESTILENCE until end of this year and will play all the booked shows in 2018 with PESTILENCE in Mexico and Europe.
Edward says: "I'm active in the music industry since 2009. My main instrument when I started, was the piano. During these piano years, I learned both the electric and bass guitar. Playing the piano helped me alot to get a deeper understanding about music and music theory in general.
"Since 2014, I've been playing with several bands like MARCHOSIAS, PADDINGMOTH and the most important one: NECROVILE.
"I've been playing across Europe as a bass player alongside bands like NILE, SUFFOCATION, CANCER, NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, KREATOR, SEVERE TORTURE, WORMED, OPETH, ANNIHILATOR and the list goes on and on.
"I am very excited to be given this opportunity to show my bass skills to the metal world, and I hope the fans will accept me as PESTILENCE's new bassplayer".
Edward will showcase his six-string bass talent with PESTILENCE beginning in 2019 through touring, festivals and new music.
PESTILENCE's latest album, "Hadeon", was released in March via Hammerheart.
We present to you: Edward Negrea. PESTILENCE's new bassplayer. Edward will be replacing Tilen Hudyrap. Tilen will,...Posted by Pestilence (official) on Monday, September 24, 2018
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25 сен 2018
WITHIN TEMPTATION Releases Music Video For 'The Reckoning' Feat. PAPA ROACH's JACOBY SHADDIX
 Dutch metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released the official video for "The Reckoning", the first single from their forthcoming studio album, "Resist". The track features a guest appearance by PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix.
"He's so much fun!" WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel told Metal Hammer about Shaddix. "He's just fun to be around. After he recorded his part, he was, like, 'You guys are so great — you've been going 20 years, and with this song, you'll be going another 20."
"Resist" will be released on December 14. It is the band's first release through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.
"Resist" will also feature IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén and ARID's Jasper Steverlinck on guest vocals.
b>"Resist" track listing:
01. The Reckoning (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)
02. Endless War
03. Raise Your Banner (feat. Anders Fridén)
04. Supernova
05. Holy Ground
06. In Vain
07. Firelight (feat. Jasper Steverlinck)
08. Mad World
09. Mercy Mirror
10. Trophy Hunter
"Resist" marks a departure from the WITHIN TEMPTATION's past. The record is armed with 10 anthemic tracks, driven by grand melodies and dark hooks. It brings a futuristic take on metal to the table — both instrumentally and thematically.
"'Resist' is a true milestone for us. If it wasn't for 'Resist', WITHIN TEMPTATION wouldn't be here anymore," the band stated.
"With this record, we've taken inspiration from modern music and gave it a face — a very dark one," Sharon said. "Sometimes, it feels that today's pop music lacks a rebellious edge. Our main goal was to collect pieces from sounds we did like and roughen it up as much as we could, resulting in a surprisingly new musical world that is heavier, dirtier and more futuristic than we've ever created before. 'Resist' is our take on metal in a new way: to give modern music its rebellious edge."
Earlier this year, Sharon told Cryptic Rock that the four years since the release of WITHIN TEMPTATION's last album, "Hydra", have been "like a roller coaster. It has always been like a roller coaster with WITHIN TEMPTATION, since the day we started the band," she explained. "The train started moving and it just has kept on going. Also, with 'Hydra', it was a very successful album, we toured everywhere in America and Europe. It was an intense tour again, although we did try to plan it a little bit better from previous years.
"When I returned home, I was pretty exhausted," she continued. "Normally, when I come back from a tour I have a lot of ideas and I want to start writing again immediately. This time, I didn't have any energy for anything, I was really exhausted. I thought, 'Okay, I am going to start anyway,' but nothing came out, and it was pretty frustrating. Also, that has always been my way to deal with life — I love writing music, it's the best thing for me, even more than being on stage because that's where everything starts creatively. There was an essential part of me that didn't work anymore. I didn't panic in the beginning, but later, I panicked a little bit more because I felt, 'Okay, if I don't have this anymore, did I lose the magic somewhere? What is happening to me and why?' Figuring that out, I came to the conclusion that I didn't have the kind of vibes I needed to write songs for WITHIN TEMPTATION. WITHIN TEMPTATION is big, storytelling, but epic and always very powerful as well as uplifting in a way. I didn't feel that way at all and it's very difficult to write that kind of music if you don't feel that.
"I felt like I needed to take a step back to see why that was happening and why I was feeling this way," she added. "It was taking more time for myself to do a little bit of soul searching. [Laughs] There was some time I took off for that, it's still a process that goes on and on, and it went deeper than I thought. I have been touring WITHIN TEMPTATION for so many years and there is always a pressure to perform. Also, I never really had the time to re-evaluate what I was doing, to think, do I still like what I am was doing? I liked what I was doing, but I never had the time to process the highs and lows of our career as well as personal life. That was in front of me and I needed to deal with it. Out of that came music again."
Den Adel's pop solo project, called MY INDIGO, released its self-titled debut album in April.
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25 сен 2018
Video Premiere: ATREYU's 'The Time Is Now'
 "The Time Is Now", the new video from the California metalcore band ATREYU, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's seventh full-length album, "In Our Wake", which will be released on October 12 through Spinefarm.
Following a hiatus post-"Congregation Of The Damned" in 2009, Alex Varkatzas (vocals), Brandon Saller (drums, vocals), "Big" Dan Jacobs (guitar), Travis Miguel (guitar) and Porter McKnight (bass) returned firing on all cylinders with "Long Live" during 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim. Along the way, the boys sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK to Chris Cornell and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.
As they commenced writing for their seventh full-length, the band posed an important question…
"What are you going to leave behind?", asks Brandon. "We named the album 'In Our Wake' because a lot of the concepts address this question. There are lyrics about dealing with your own personal demons and darkness. Some of it is about our children, which his who we live directly in our wake. Others are about the general public and the outpouring of hate and fear — especially in our country. We created something of a concept record without even trying."
Everything we do causes a ripple or a wake," adds Alex. "It can be positive and good, or it can be fucked up and horrible. However, we are the masters of our own destiny. We want to leave something good behind."
Following a two-year tour cycle for "Long Live", ATREYU regrouped in Southern California and started sharing ideas for what would become offering number seven. Ceremoniously, they all agreed it would be the right time to reunite with producer John Feldmann who famously helmed "Lead Sails And Paper Anchor".
"'Long Live' was really heavy and reminiscent of our early material," continues Brandon. "While we were on the road, fans kept asking to hear more from 'Lead Sails And Paper Anchor'. It made us revisit that era of the band. It was a fun, experimental, and explorative time for us, which is so fun. We wanted to give ourselves and the landscape of heavy music a jolt, so we reached out to Feldmann."
The band recorded in two chunks bookended by Brandon's touring obligations for HELL OR HIGHWATER. Working out of Feldmann's Los Angeles studio, they embraced this new approach as the producer still made them"wonderfully uncomfortable and willing to push harder," according to Alex.
"Every song with the exception of two was fully written in the studio," says Brandon. "We'd split off into groups and crank out two ideas per day. We'd never written a fresh idea from scratch every day. Spontaneity makes things flow so much better though. We also never spread an album out like this either. We laid the foundation with five recordings, sat with them, and finished with a better picture of where we wanted to go."
As a result, the record sees ATREYU once again evolve. The first single and title track "In Our Wake", hinges on a slow burning, but bombastic percussive buildup before charging ahead with an undeniable chant and fiery fretwork.
"It's a deep one," admits Alex. "We looked up to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, and their deaths were fresh during the writing process. It made us think of what we'll leave in our wake. We have a choice to change the lives of others for the better."
A ticking clock gives way to a stadium-size chant on follow-up single "The Time Is Now". It seesaws between a robust beat and scorching call-and-response by Alex and Brandon as they carry the carpe diem chorus.
"It's all about just grabbing life by the balls, picking yourself up by your bootstraps, and realizing you only have one shot at this," Brandon goes on. "That was very reminiscent and reflective of this album. In our heads, there's no time to fuck around or just do what we've always done. We have to really fucking go for it. Tomorrow isn't promised, so we went for it."
Meanwhile, "Terrified" swings from a hypnotic refrain into an acoustic bridge, illuminating the diversity at the heart of "In Our Wake". Closer "Super Hero" (featuring M. Shadows of AVENGED SEVENFOLD and Aaron Gillespie of UNDEROATH) conjures visions of "ATREYU meets QUEEN meets Disneyland meets E.L.O." with its cinematic orchestration, horns, flutes, and grandiose production.
"It's about being your kid's superhero, so we invited other singers who are fathers to join us," Brandon explains. "Everyone wrote his own respective part and gave perspective on what fatherhood meant to him. I wanted it to feel like the music from the Soaring Over California ride at Disney's California Adventure park. It ends on such a huge note and offers a breath of fresh air."
In the end, "In Our Wake" doesn't just reaffirm ATREYU's legacy, it expands it like never before.
"We want to give listeners an experience," Alex concludes. "Every track functions as its own moment. There's something that you can hopefully come back and listen to again and again."
"I feel like this is the record that people will remember our band by," Brandon states. "I'm saying that because the best parts of ATREYU happened on it. We're continuing something we began a long time ago. This band means everything to me. We've been through incredible highs and incredible lows. We've loved each other, and we've wanted to kill each other. Somehow, twenty years later, it's reached a whole new level. I feel like we're alive, and ATREYU has never been more on fire than we are now."
"In Our Wake" track listing:
01. In Our Wake
02. House Of Gold
03. The Time Is Now
04. Nothing Will Ever Change
05. Blind Deaf & Dumb
06. Terrified
07. Safety Pin
08. Into the Open
09. Paper Castle
10. No Control
11. Anger Left Behind
12. Super Hero | |
25 сен 2018
METALLICA: Pro-Shot Video Of 'Blackened' Performance From Winnipeg
 Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Blackened" on September 13 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada can be seen below.
According to CBC News, METALLICA's concert in Winnipeg set an attendance record, with more than 17,000 fans watching the band perform at Bell MTS Place.
METALLICA broke its own arena attendance record, previously set in 2009 when 16,130 people bought tickets.
The September 13 METALLICA show, promoted by Live Nation, was set up in the round, with the floor open for general admission standing room with no seats.
s previously reported, METALLICA's September 6 concert at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska was dubbed the heaviest ever by the Lincoln Journal Star, with a "dynamic weight" of up to 240,000 pounds.
Some 15,000 fans attended the record-setting show, with the five-year-old building's roof holding up under the tonnage which hung from the arena's rigging grid and steel beams attached to the major trusses. What made that even more impressive was that the stage was in the middle of the arena, so all the production gear, sound and lighting hung in a circle in the middle of the building.
The setup took less than five hours to complete — far less than the nearly 10 hours it took to get everything ready at Minneapolis's Target Center two days earlier. Venue manager Tom Lorenz explained: "That was a desire we had during the design phase, about having the structural capacity to hang the biggest shows and to have the building really fitted for concerts… Not every building will be able to put up all of [METALLICA's] show. We were able to do it well and do it fast."
METALLICA is in the back half of its three-year, 134-city "WorldWired" tour in support of its most recent release, 2016's "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct". | |
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Chthonic
