Folsom, California hard rock/heavy metal band, Heat Of Damage, have released their "Judgment Day" music video from their debut album Open Fire, which is available for purchase now on iTunes.

The video for "Judgement Day" was filmed at Ace Of Spades in Sacramento, California and was edited by Matt Thomas.

"“Judgment Day” was written to be a powerful ‘F*ck You’ song, plain and simple. The lyrics are written from the perspective of someone who has been wronged, whose response is to be the better person. My contributions to the writing process come from my own experiences of essentially the exact same thing; being wronged and priding myself on being a better person than those who would treat me poorly. The musicality aspect of the song is very heavy, like 80’s era heavy metal sounding (interestingly enough, we called the riff ‘80’s metal’ before the song became “Judgment Day”). The harmonized guitar solo was thrown in because I am very influenced by the guitar stylings of Iron Maiden, and love the way harmonized guitar sounds.” - David Haug

“The song started out as just a simple guitar riff that I came up with. As soon as I played it at a rehearsal one day, Julian started pounding away on his drums and the sound of the song started to take form. From the beginning I knew this song was going to be something special, and I was not wrong. We decided to make it the first official single from the album because it strongly represents exactly what Heat Of Damage is, and what this album will sound like as a whole. Personally, I think it's the best song we have ever written.” - Nick Lassalette



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Guitarist Gary "Dr. Know" Miller (pictured) of hardcore punk legends BAD BRAINS is no longer in critical condition after reportedly being hospitalized last week due to an undisclosed ailment.

The BAD BRAINS have released the following update on Dr. Know's health:

"The family of Gary (Dr. Know) Miller and the entire BAD BRAINS family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes. We are happy to say that Dr. Know's condition is no longer considered critical. He still remains under close care and watch of doctors at this time so please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We continue to ask that you honor our privacy during this time."

A number of musicians took to social media on November 3 to express their concern about Dr. Know's health, with the Deen Ween Facebook group reporting that the guitarist was on life support. Other artists, including the LIVING COLOR vocalist Corey Glover and AGNOSTIC FRONT, have also tweeted in support of the 57-year-old guitarist, who is one of only two members of BAD BRAINS to have played with the seminal D.C. group since they formed in 1977.

Back in July, Dr. Know and Daryl Jenifer of the BAD BRAINS joined FOO FIGHTERS on stage at New York's Citi Field to perform the BAD BRAINS classics "How Low Can A Punk Get" and "The Regulator". FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl invited the special guests out to perform with the band and help him "live out my childhood fantasy". Grohl later described the experience as "the greatest fucking moment of my entire fucking life."

BAD BRAINS' most recent album was 2012's "Into The Future".

Highly theatrical modern metal giants Society 1 announce the official video release for the song "You Say It's Heaven," a pre-release single from the forthcoming six song EP titled Rise From The Dead.

Zane has sharpened the band to it's cutting state through a series of rotating artists that have helped create the the legacy. Ministry's Sin Quirin and Paul Raven, formerly of Killing Joke, have both tapped a vein to deliver the lifeblood that is Society 1 and their longstanding placement in modern metal, since their inception at the turn of the century, proves their staying power. What's more, the outrageous stage antics Zane masterfully brings to his audience has included performing a full 40 minute set suspended and swinging by four hooks through his back, as seen during the 2005 Download Festival; a record setting performance to beat.

Now this year, the band follows up their 2014 Collection Of Lies CD with newly written and recorded tracks on an EP aptly titled Rise From The Dead. Independently produced, as the band is now free of a label, the initial song and video release that's gaining interest is "You Say It's Heaven."

Another new item of note is that with newly written and recorded music, the band has also issued a comic based on the band No Salvation.



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We’d like to thank Tomas ’Plytet’ Åkvik for his time playing with the band as our session live guitarist. Unfortunately due to the extensive plans with the new album cycle it collides with his other commitments, so Tomas last gig with the band will be the 70000 tons of metal cruise in January.

Meanwhile, we’re already looking at a few candidates, but will also accept submissions for the guitar position through our management Northern Music Company. So apply if, and only if, you meet the following criteria:

You are 100% into Katatonia’s current sound, but also well aware of the band’s entire history.
You have good singing abilities and are able to perform live backing vocals.
You are an allround guitar player with good skills to play lead/solo guitar.
You have live experience.
You are a fast learner.
You are between 25-40 years old.
You have a considerable head start if you already live in Sweden (ideally Stockholm) and speak swedish.
If you can tick off all the above, then please email: katatonia@northernmusic.co.uk with the subject line ”guitarist submission” and include:

Personal description with photos.
Musical biography/discography.
Links to audio/videos of you playing and performing (do not attach any audio or video in the email, only links are accepted!)
Thank you and good luck!

Fan-filmed video footage of CARCASS's November 8 performance at Trädgår'n in Gothenburg, Sweden can be seen below.

CARCASS is currently taking part in the "Deathcrusher 2015" European tour with NAPALM DEATH, VOIVOD and OBITUARY.

CARCASS released a special edition version of its latest album, "Surgical Steel", on CD and digitally on October 30, and on vinyl on November 20 via Nuclear Blast. The "Complete Edition" includes the whole album "Surgical Steel", along with the entire "Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel" EP. All the songs were recorded during the "Surgical Steel" sessions, which were helmed by producer Colin Richardson (NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, SINISTER, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA) and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT).

"Surgical Steel" sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. 17, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records.

Asked whether CARCASS is actively working on material for the follow-up to "Surgical Steel", bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker tld Rock 'N' Load: "Not really. We're too busy touring, so… What's the rush? The last album only came out in 2013. We're still touring on that. There's still interest to plug it. This is so boring. The odd interviews that I do where people are already talking about a new album. To me, the last album, I still consider that the new album. It's still fresh, and we're still playing it, and it's still ticking over sales-wise, so what's the rush, you know? It took us, what? Seventeen years between 'Surgical Steel' and [1996's] 'Swansong'. So if there's another album or not… I mean, there probably will be, but… I'm not gonna give you any timeframes, but if it happened, it wouldn't be out that year, because it takes… The whole writing, recording, setting up the release just takes so long."

Ohio-based pagan/melodic death metal band, Hammer Horde, will release their new album, Fed To The Wolves, on December 1st via Storm Surge Records. A new video for "Unholy Harbingers Of War" is streaming below.

The album artwork was done by Kris Verwimp:

Tracklisting:

“Starborn
“Tale Of The Wayward Voyager”
“Fed To The Wolves”
“Unholy Harbingers Of War”
“Hail And Kill” (Manowar cover)
“Ortum Aurorae”
“The Scourge Of Man”
“As Embers Fade”

"Unholy Harbingers Of War" video:

Album teaser:

Stay tuned for updates.



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Norwegian grindcore innovators Beaten To Death have premiered a new video for the track “Home Of Phobia” from their latest album Unplugged. The video was filmed by Per Georg Krokstad and features Norwegian actress and dancer Thea Bay.

Released on September 9 via Mas-Kina Recordings, Unplugged is B2D's follow-up to their highly buzzed about second full-length album Dødsfest! from 2013 and just like previous efforts it was 100% recorded live with no overdubs or any other studio trickery.



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“The Damned Man”, a new track from Boston-based Magic Circle’s impending second LP, Journey Blind, can be heard streaming below:

 
Following their self-titled debut, which was well-received in metal and hardcore circles, Magic Circle returns with forty-five minutes of dominant, pure traditional doom-ridden heavy metal on Journey Blind, a record which sees the outfit doing what they do, but doing it even better. Self-produced and recorded by the band at guitarist CC's The Pain Cave, the record surges with the viscosity a team of top-tier producers would be proud to back.

The cover art for Journey Blind is an unused piece by legendary artist Joe Petagno (Motörhead, Mammoth Grinder, Autopsy) dating to 1979 yet properly fitted to this modern ripper. Surging with over forty-five minutes of doomed heavy metal that invokes the masters in their purest form, Journey Blind is a record which could have been captured three decades ago yet booms with a refreshed spirit to guide today's misguided youth back to their unbeknownst roots.

Journey Blind sees its initial release in CD and digital formats on November 20th, with the vinyl to follow in early 2016. Stand by for further details and pre-orders for Journey Blind, tour dates and more on Magic Circle throughout the weeks ahead.
 
"A Ballad For The Vultures”:

(Photo - Dakota Gordon)

 



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Alive Records has announced a new album by Radio Moscow, to be recorded live at the Satellite in Los Angeles over two nights in December (Thursday and Friday the 10th and 11th). The release will be issued in all formats, including 2LP vinyl with a gatefold and a poster.

Radio Moscow is Parker Griggs on guitar and vocals, Anthony Meier on bass and Paul Marrone on drums. The band has five albums out now, all on Alive Records, including their self-titled debut (2007); Brain Cycles (2009); The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz (2011); 3&3 Quarters (2012) and Magical Dirt (2014). They have toured the US and Europe with acts like Graveyard, Witchcraft, Joe Bonamassa, Pentagram and Nebula. They shared the main stage at the Psycho California festival with Kylesa and Earth and performed in Europe at six festivals in July. Following their sold-out Mexico City debut, the band toured the US in the fall with the Sheepdogs.

Tickets for the shows are $12, and can be found at this location.

(Live photo - Robert Matheu)



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Queen’s A Night At The Odeon, Live At Hammersmith ’75, is set for release on CD (Hollywood Records), and DVD & Blu-Ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment) on November 20th. This show was a culmination of the 26-date Queen Invite You To A Night At The Opera UK tour and the first tour that they had ever performed “Bohemian Rhapsody” on.

An unboxing video for the Super Deluxe Box Set edition can be seen below:

 
The CD, DVD & Blu-Ray package features the band’s full live show, complete with a never heard before ‘second encore’ of “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and “See What A Fool I've Been”. The DVD and SD Blu-Ray versions also contain two special bonus features – Looking Back At The Odeon, a brand new 22-minute documentary featuring a previously unseen interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor by Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris about the 1975 Hammersmith Odeon show, plus the rarely seen Live At The Budokan – Japan 1975 footage, featuring three songs (“Now I'm Here”, “Killer Queen” and “In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited”) recorded during their legendary tour of the Far East.

 
Spirits were high within the band for this show; "Bohemian Rhapsody" - universally hailed as one of the most ground-breaking ‘pop’ songs ever released – was in the middle of its record-breaking nine week run at Number One in the UK charts. Their fourth album, A Night At The Opera (the most expensive record ever made to that point) was climbing the album charts on its way to No 1, which it achieved three days after this concert.
 
With over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is one of the world’s most well known and well loved songs. To this day, it continues to top ‘favorite song’ opinion polls and be discovered by new generations of music fans over and over again. Freddie wrote the whole song – including the composite harmonies – on telephone books and scraps of paper.
 
Brian May recalled recording "Bohemian Rhapsody”” “That was a great moment, but the biggest thrill for us was actually creating the music in the first place. I remember Freddie coming in with loads of bits of paper from his dad's work, like Post-it notes, and pounding on the piano. He played the piano like most people play the drums. And this song he had was full of gaps where he explained that something operatic would happen here and so on. He'd worked out the harmonies in his head."
 
Queen spent days overdubbing the vocals in the studio using a 24 track tape machine. By the time they were done, about 120 vocal tracks were layered together. The opera parts alone took longer than 70 hours to complete. At the time, it was the most expensive single ever made and upon presenting it to their record label, they were told by various executives that 5 minutes 55 seconds was too long and the song would never be a hit. But after the song was played by DJ and friend of Freddie, Kenny Everett, 14 times in two days before its official release, the song was only ever destined to be a hit. Hordes of fans attempted to buy the single only to be told by record stores that it had not yet been released. Over in the US, it was the same. American radio RKO managed to get a copy of the tape and started to play it in across their network, which forced the hand of Queen's US label to release the song in its entirety.
 
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was Queen's first ever number 1 single and the 1975 UK Christmas number one, holding the top position for nine weeks. It is the first song ever to get to number one in the UK twice with the same version, and is also the only single to have been Christmas number one twice with the same version. The second was upon its re-release (as a double A-side single with “These Are the Days of Our Lives”) in 1991 following Mercury's death, staying at number one for five weeks, eventually becoming the UK's third best-selling single of all time.
 
The single has sold in excess of 6.5 million copies worldwide and has been covered by everyone from Kayne West during his 2015 controversial Glastonbury headline slot, Axl Rose, Elton John and Pink to The Flaming Lips and Elaine Paige and forever immortalized again by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in the smash hit 90’s film, Wayne’s World.
 
Queen - A Night At The Odeon, Live At Hammersmith ’75 released November 20th. 12-inch Black Vinyl Version released November 27th.

Tracklisting (CD/Vinyl/Digital):

“Now I'm Here”
“Ogre Battle”
“White Queen (As It Began)”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Killer Queen”
“The March Of The Black Queen”
“Bohemian Rhapsody” (Reprise)
“Bring Back That Leroy Brown”
“Brighton Rock”
Guitar Solo
“Son And Daughter”
“Keep Yourself Alive”
“Liar”
“In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited”
“Big Spender”
“Jailhouse Rock” Medley
“Seven Seas Of Rhye”
“See What A Fool I've Been”
“God Save The Queen”
 
DVD and SD Blu-ray formats do not include “Seven Seas Of Rhye” or “See What A Fool I've Been”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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The Los Angeles-based, neoclassical metal-inspired extreme shred quartet Exmortus will further their claim that "metal is king" in early 2016 with their blistering new album, Ride Forth. The menacing cover for the new release – featuring oil-painted artwork by the legendary Philip Lawvere (Kreator, Celtic Frost), who previously contributed his epic artistry to the band's 2014 label debut, Slave To The Sword – can be seen below.

Ride Forth was recorded earlier this year with producer Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Immolation) before the group hit the road alongside guitar legend Marty Friedman on his recent North American tour. More details about the new album will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Having previously shared stages with the likes of Kyng, Destruction, Dark Tranquillity, Krisiun and Hatchet, Exmortus will next appear at Southern California's Winter Slaughter Fest with Flotsam & Jetsam and label mates Holy Grail before kicking off the new year with an intense seven-week jaunt alongside Enforcer, Warbringer and Cauldron.

Full dates and information can be found here.

Exmortus recently premiered a new song, "For The Horde”.

The song is now available for download on Bandcamp, Amazon and iTunes. You can also stream it on Spotify or via the lyric video below:

"For The Horde" is also released as a limited-edition 7”, which features an exclusive cover of Yngwie Malmsteen's "As Above, So Below" as its B-side. Order it now. The artwork, shown above, was contributed by Cyril van der Haegen, who also designed the cover art for the group's sold-out 2013 7”, "Immortality Made Flesh”.

(Photo: Stephanie Cabral)

 



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Set to release their debut full-length, Dreamcrash, on CD this Friday (November 13th) in North America, Finnish death-rockers Grave Pleasures offer another preview of the album, streaming the new single, "Futureshock" (listen below).

Tracklisting:

“Utopian Scream”
“New Hip Moon”
“Crying Wolves”
“Futureshock”
“Crisis”
“Worn Threads”
“Taste The Void”
“Lipstick On Your Tombstone”
“Girl In A Vortex”
“Crooked Vein”
“No Survival”

"Futureshock”:

“Hip New Moon” video:

To pre-order Dreamcrash (or purchase the album digitally now), head here.

Formed out of the debris of Beastmilk - the band that had indie fans, goths, punks and music press praising 2013's Climax - Grave Pleasures consists of singer/songwriter Mat McNerney (also of Hexvessel), bassist Valtteri Arino, guitarist/songwriter Linnea Olsson (The Oath, Sonic Ritual), drummer Uno Bruniusson (In Solitude, Procession), as well as live and studio session guitarist Juho Vanhanen (Oranssi Pazuzu).

This impressive lineup created a complex and feverish set of modern rock songs, found on their debut, Dreamcrash. Urban tribal rhythms, potent melancholia, raw pop sensibility, irreverent ferociousness - Dreamcrash is seductive in its surrealism one minute, and a cold shower of harsh reality the next.



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Legendary UK crust/thrash pioneers, Sacrilege, are streaming the remastered reissue of their 1985 classic, Behind The Realms Of Madness (listen below).

Relapse presents the first ever fully authorized reissue of Behind The Realms Of Madness, available on November 13th. Originally released in 1985, Behind The Realms Of Madness was one of the first albums of the 80s that both punks and metalheads rallied behind, establishing Sacrilege as a unique and pivotal player in the 80s' extreme metal scene. Propelled by singer Lynda "Tam" Simpson's ferocious vocals and politically-charged lyrics, Behind The Realms Of Madness blended crust, thrash, hardcore, doom and death-metal to create a timeless album that has directly influenced scores of punks and heshers alike.

Now fully remastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Hooded Menace, Obituary) with seven previously unreleased bonus tracks and expanded art and liner notes.

Behind The Realms of Madness tracklisting:

“Lifeline”
“Shadow From Mordor”
“At Death's Door”
“A Violation Of Something Sacred”
“The Closing Irony”
“Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind”
“The Captive”
“Flight Of The Nazgul”
“Sight Of The Wise”
“Feed”
“Dig Your Own Grave”
“The Closing Irony” (Live)
“Bloodrun” (Live)

Album stream:

“Feed” video:

Pre-order at this location.

Sacrilege is:

Lynda “Tam” Simpson – Vocals
Damian Thompson – Guitar
Frank Healy – Bass
Spike T. Smith – Drums

 



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Metal Blade is well prepared for the new year and so should you since it will start off with a bang. On January 15th they will reissue their four classic Slayer titles on vinyl - Show No Mercy, Live Undead, Haunting The Chapel and probably the most evil album of all time, Hell Awaits.

All albums will be released as part of the new Metal Blade Originals series in which classical Metal Blade albums will be reissued on vinyl with the original layout and extras if available. All albums in the Metal Blade Originals edition will feature a branded sticker to make clear it's the ultimate and best edition of the title.

All four Slayer vinyls will be featuring 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves, inside out prints and a large, 60x60cm artwork poster. On top of it, Hell Awaits, Show No Mercy and Live Undead will be released with a 250g insert.

Colours and limitations:

Show No Mercy: 180g Black, Orange (ltd. 500), Flame Splatter (ltd. 500), 180g White (ltd. 500, Nuclear Blast exclusive)
Hell Awaits: 180g Black, ochor-color Marbled (ltd. 500), Olive Marbled (ltd. 500), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)
Live Undead: 180g Black, Violet (ltd. 500), Splatter (ltd. 200 white/red splattered, ebay exclusive), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)
Haunting The Chapel: 180g Black, Red (ltd. 500), Red/Black Marbled (ltd. 200, Ebay exclusive), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)

Pre-order your copies now at EMP or eBay Store.

Slayer are currently in Europe touring in support of their latest album, Repentless. Check out all dates here.

 



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Canadian progressive metal band, Mandroid Echostar, has unleashed a gripping video for a brand new single, “Paladin”. The band has also announced they’ve inked deals with Distort Entertainment/Fontana North in Canada to release their debut, full-length record in 2016. Fans can download the new track for free at this location. Additional details about the album are forthcoming.
 
Watch the new video for “Paladin” below:

 
Hailing from Guelph, ON, Mandroid Echostar is a six-piece progressive metal tour de force comprised of Stephen Richards (guitar), Sam Pattison (guitar), Michael Ciccia (vocals), James Krul (guitar/vocals), Matt Huber-Kidby (drums) and Adam Richards (bass). The band wields an unprecedented level of skill and their unique combination of melodic alternative rock and technical heavy metal has sparked feverish excitement in the heavy rock scene.
 
After their formation in 2010, Mandroid Echostar quickly made a name for themselves throughout North America with tours/shows with Megadeth, Every Time I Die, Protest The Hero, Intervals, The Kindred and more and two stellar releases, 2012’s self-titled EP and 2013’s crowd funded Citadels EP, which received rave reviews from critics.
 
In 2016 the band will take their sound to new heights with their full-length record. Details will unfold in the following months, but for now fans can get a taste of what’s to come with their hard-hitting new single “Paladin”.
 
“”Paladin” pushes boundaries on both ends of the scale for us, delivering high energy heavy riffs and subtle melodies,” says vocalist Michael Ciccia. “This song represents one of many steps into new terrain on our upcoming record.”
 
For their upcoming record the band has partnered with Distort Entertainment/Fontana North to release the album in Canada.
 
“We are beyond stoked to be a part of the distort/Fontana family,” adds Ciccia. “Distort is/was the home to some of our favourite bands and to be part of that lineage is an absolute honour for us. We are very excited to see what the future holds being a part of such an incredible label here in Canada.”
 
Mandroid Echostar just kicked off a Canadian tour this week that includes dates with fellow Canuck metalheads Protest The Hero. The band is booked by United Talent Agency (Dan Rozenblum) in the US. Dates are listed below.

November
5 - Calgary, AB - The Gateway SAIT (with Protest The Hero)
6 - Calgary, AB - The Gateway SAIT (with Protest The Hero)
7 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room (with Protest The Hero)
8 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room (with Protest The Hero)
9 - Red Deer, AB - The Vat
11 - Medicine Hat, AB - Mario’s Pub
12 - Regina, SK - The Owl
13 - Saskatoon, SK - O’Brians Event Centre (with Protest The Hero)
14 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre (with Protest The Hero)
19 - Quebec City, QC - Salle Multi (with Protest The Hero)
20 - Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre (with Protest The Hero)
21 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes (with Protest The Hero)
24 - Fredericton, NB - Charlotte Street Arts Center
26 - St. John’s, NL - Rock House (with Protest The Hero)
27 - St. John’s, NL - Rock House (with Protest The Hero)
28 - Halifax, NS - The Marquee (with Protest The Hero)

December
1 - Hamilton, ON - Club Absinthe
2 - Kingston, ON - Overtime
3 - London, ON - London Music Hall (with Protest The Hero)
4 - Toronto, ON - Opera House (with Protest The Hero)
5 - Toronto, ON - Opera House (with Protest The Hero)
6 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club Theatre (with Protest The Hero)

(Photo - Austin Gibson Photography)

 



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Due for release on November 6th is the CD and download editions of long lost The Keith Emerson Trio recordings made in Keith's parents' living room when he was a teenager. These recordings come from one of only four acetates ever made.

These seven tracks were previously been made available by Record Collection (in early 2015) as a limited edition vinyl release. This is the first time these recordings have been released on CD and download.

Of the CD and download editions, Keith Emerson said: “Well, we all have to start somewhere! I'm happy that Cherry Red is releasing my very earliest beginnings and I hope it will inspire future generations of musicians.”

Keith Emerson first found success with The Nice in the late 1960's before going on to become a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970. ELP were critically and commercially successful through much of the 1970's, becoming one of the best-known progressive rock groups of the era. Emerson is widely regarded as one of the top keyboard players of the progressive rock era.



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"Winter Bane", a brand new song from ABBATH, the band led by ex-IMMORTAL frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath), can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is taken from ABBATH's self-titled debut album, which will be released on January 22, 2016 via Season Of Mist.

"Abbath" track listing:

01. To War02. Winter Bane03. Ashes of the Damned04. Ocean of Wounds05. Count the Dead06. Fenrir Hunts07. Root of the Mountain08. Eternal

The album can be pre-ordered at this location.

ABBATH will release a seven-inch single, "Count The Dead", on December 11 via Season Of Mist. The A-side features the title track while the B-side consists of a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Riding On The Wind".

"Count The Dead" will be released in two versions, which are both limited to 500 copies worldwide and exclusively available for pre-order through the Season Of Mist shop.

Bass duties for ABBATH are being handled by a man familiar to metal fans across the world — Tom Cato Visnes, more widely known as King Ov Hell and main composer for several GORGOROTH albums as well as his own bands OV HELL, with singer Shagrath from DIMMU BORGIR, and GOD SEED, with exceptional black metal vocalist Gaahl.

In a recent interview with Australia's TheMusic.com.au, Abbath spoke about the circumstances surrounding his departure from IMMORTAL and his decision to launch a new group. "I feel like I've been fired," he said. "It was never my intention to go solo but I really feel like I've been forced into it. Apparently they [lyricist/guitarist Demonaz and drummer Horgh] are going to continue on [as IMMORTAL] without me and that's fine — but it was very disappointing that no one, not even [IMMORTAL's record label] Nuclear Blast, wanted to hear my side of the story. The other guys wanted to do things solely on their timetable and also claimed that I need to go to rehab, which was just nonsense, because I've always delivered, live and in the studio — always. My plan was to go into the studio last year. If I had my way, IMMORTAL would have been on tour right now."

He continued: "I just think they ended up being in it for the wrong reasons. They weren't showing any passion for what we were doing.

"Even though my new band is called ABBATH, it finally feels like I'm in a real band — part of a group of musicians who have a great dialogue and share a passion for the music. It didn't feel like that in IMMORTAL for a long time."

ABBATH is:

Abbath: Guitars, VocalsKing: BassCreature: DrumsValla: Session Guitar (live)


"Abbath" cover artwork:



"Count The Dead" cover artwork:

1965 marks the starting point of one of the most successful rock bands of our time. Hailing from Hannover, Germany, the SCORPIONS embarked on a journey that would lead them around the globe and would establish them as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

With the November 6 release of the 50th-anniversary deluxe editions, the SCORPIONS celebrate their impressive achievements and open their vaults to unleash hitherto unreleased songs, alternate versions of big hits, rough mixes and rare live concert footage.

In addition to dozens of previously unheard studio tracks and live recordings, all CD releases are contain extended booklets featuring rare photos and, single covers, backstage passes and additional liner notes by Edgar Klüsener, a former editor in chief of Metal Hammer who has followed the band's career closely over several decades. Five of the eight albums are accompanied bya DVD that contains live concert footage from the respective period, together with TV performances and in-depth interviews with the band. In these interviews, they talk about the background history and the creative process of each of these albums: "Lovedrive", "Blackout", "Love At first Sting", "World Wide Live" and "Savage Amusement".

The remastered LP formats are released on 180-gram vinyl in a sleeve replicating the first pressing. They also come with an audio CD, featuring the original track listing and the same bonus audio as the CD formats. A limited and numbered deluxe box set will contain all remasted vinyl discs.

SCORPIONS said: "It's hard to summarize 50 years in words, but listening back to all those songs — many of them them previously unreleased — recorded in one of our most creative periods, really took us back in time. This was a very heartfelt project for all of us. It brought back great memories whilst we rediscovered our musical DNA by listening to the archives, selecting dozens of unreleased songs and early versions of well-known SCORPIONS anthems. We really worked on the material to improve the sound quality, but always taking great care to preserve its original feel."

"Lovedrive" reissue track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Loving You Sunday Morning02. Another Piece Of Meat03. Always Somewhere04. Coast To Coast05. Can't Stop Get Enough06. Is There Anybody Out There07. Lovedrive08. Holiday09. Cause I Love You (previously unreleased demo song) (bonus track)10. Holiday (previously unreleased demo version) (bonus track)

Disc 2:

01. Intro (live in Japan 1979)02. We'll Burn The Sky (live in Japan 1979)03. Lovedrive (live in Japan 1979)04. Life's Like A River (live in Japan 1979)05. Fly To The Rainbow (live in Japan 1979)06. Is There Anybody There (live in Japan 1979)07. Another Piece Of Meat (live in Japan 1979)08. Can't Get Enough (live in Japan 1979)09. Kojo No Tsuki (live in Japan 1979)+ Interview special with R. Schenker, K. Meine, M. Jabs, H. Rarebell

Audio samples of the "Lovedrive" reissue are available below.

The official lyric video for the song "Eye For An Eye" from CYBERSTAR, the new band featuring vocalist Jasen Moreno (DROWNING POOL) and guitarist Billy Grey (FOZZY), can be seen below. The group, whose current lineup is completed by drummer Dusty Winterrowd (ALLELE), is putting the finishing touches on its debut EP for an early 2016 release.

CYBERSTAR was spawned when Moreno and Grey met while on tour together in Europe and decided to collaborate on some songs.

DROWNING POOL recently inked a worldwide deal with eOne Music. The band has completed work on its new album, "Hellelujuah", with renowned producer Jason Suecof (AUGUST BURNS RED, DEICIDE, DEATH ANGEL) for an early 2016 release.

FOZZY's latest album, "Do You Wanna Start A War", sold around 5,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on July 22, 2014 via Century Media. Produced by guitarist Rich Ward, the album features 12 tracks, including the debut single, "Lights Go Out".

Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY celebrated their 25th anniversary with three West Coast shows, including an October 30 date at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Video footage of the concert can be seen below (clip filmed by Jake Perry).

In a recent interview with CrypticRock.com, FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell stated about the band hitting the quarter-century mark: "I never expected this. I never even hoped for such a journey. It has had its ups and downs, certainly, but [I have] no regrets. Through everything we have been through, it has been quite a ride, quite an experience, quite a life experience, actually, and no, I would not take anything back."

Bell also talked about his ability to combine clean singing and growling, which has helped distinguish him from the more typical death metal vocal style popular at the start of FEAR FACTORY's recording career. He said: "I was never a death metal fan or much of a metal fan at all. I was coming from an industrial, goth, post-punk type of background. Dino was into that too. The band we both liked simultaneously was GODFLESH; that is where we connected. The band we were in prior to FEAR FACTORY was called ULCERATION, and it was a GODFLESH rip-off band. We started a new band, started writing music. We had a few songs and then one day as a joke, Dino was playing this riff, so just for fun I started singing along with it. He stopped me and was like, 'What are you doing? That sounds great! Do it again.' [Laughs] So I did it and that song turned out to be 'Big God/Raped Souls' off of 1992's 'Soul Of A New Machine'. For me, I was imitating GODFLESH, and where Justin Broadrick does a haunting moan, I was actually singing, and that is how it all came about."

Regarding where he still finds the inspiration to write music and lyrics twenty-five years into FEAR FACTORY's career, Bell said: "There is so much passion. I love what I do, and there is plenty in this world to be angry at. Shit happens daily. You think, 'What the fuck!' I get disgusted with humanity daily. It is, like, how can we do this to ourselves? "

He continued: "I will always have that passion to translate into FEAR FACTORY. It is a sad state of affairs, but it is true. I have been around long enough to see things come and go and come back around again."

Bell went on to say: "You never want to lose your identity, and you want to go back and see what the best things were or still are about you, because you sometimes lose sight. You learn from new things as well, and you take new elements and you blend them in, not to change you, but to enhance you."

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Genexus", was released on August 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH performing the song "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" live on Monday, November 9 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland can be seen below. The show marked the first time MEGADETH's current touring drummer, Chris Adler, pulled double duty, having performed with LAMB OF GOD earlier in the night at the same venue as part of the two groups' joint tour of the U.K. and Ireland.

Adler spoke about how he was preparing for pulling double duty every night. "I'm carb-loading before the show," he said. "I have been working really, really hard over the past probably 10 years to keep myself in shape. What I try to do is about a 10-mile run every day, and then I play the LAMB OF GOD show. So I figure those two things together are probably gonna equal what I do with these guys."

Due to his LAMB OF GOD schedule, Adler was unable to play with MEGADETH in China and Japan last month and was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), a veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

Adler made his live debut with MEGADETH in July at the Festival D'été De Québec (also known as by its acronym FEQ, or Quebec City Summer Festival in English), in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

MEGADETH will embark on a U.S. trek in February 2016. The four-band package will mark MEGADETH's first U.S. run of dates in support of its new album, "Dystopia", which is scheduled for release in January.

Mustaine spoke about MEGADETH's musical direction on "Dystopia", the band's first release to feature Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. He said: "I think we were going back to our thrash roots, and in the process, Chris came into things. If you remember, after we did 'Risk', I told Marty [Friedman, then-MEGADETH guitarist], 'We need to get back to our roots,' and he quit. So I've wanted to play like this record for a long time. It's just kind of like driving a… well, not driving… piloting an aircraft carrier. You turn the wheel all the way to the left, [and] you know you're turning, but it doesn't look like it, and it takes a long time to get turned around. But we're turned around, I believe."

The follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider", "Dystopia" was recorded earlier in the year in Nashville, Tennessee and was mixed by Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, ALL THAT REMAINS and GOJIRA.

The remaining members of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS — Robert DeLeo (bass), Eric Kretz (drums) and Dean DeLeo (guitar) — performed with soul singer Joss Stone as JOSS STONE TEMPLE PILOTS on last night's episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" You can now watch video footage of the "Interstate Love Song" performance below.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and singer Chester Bennington yesterday officially announced that they have parted ways, barely two days after former STP frontman Scott Weiland hinted in an interview that the split had happened. Bennington, who also sings in LINKIN PARK, said in a statement, "The last few years have been an amazing experience. I got to create and perform with one of the greatest rock bands of our generation, that had so much influence on me growing up. With the amount of time STP deserves, in addition to being in LINKIN PARK, and with the needs of my family, one of them always seems to fall short."

Bennington continued, "The four of us... Robert, Eric, Dean and myself knew what we were up against. We decided in due fairness to friends, fans and the legacy of STP that it needs more than time was allowing me. And in all fairness to my bandmates in LINKIN PARK, as well as to myself and to my family, I'm going to focus solely on LINKIN PARK so I can contribute 100 percent."

The DeLeos and Kretz said, "What an amazing and beautiful few years we've all had together... We have thoroughly enjoyed our time together with Chester not only professionally, but even more so on a personal level. Sadly, it was evident that scheduling and time was working against us. Within this, there is a new beginning. There is an abundance of new music written, some of which is already recorded."

The band members added, "We have had the fortune of playing with some very talented singers over the last few months and will continue to do so until each of us feels and knows when the right person arrives."

Speculation about Bennington's future with STP started over the weekend when Weiland told Alternative Nation, "He's not in the band anymore. Chester's got a band, LINKIN PARK, where he gets paid $700,000 a night with, and with STP, the brand is kind of falling apart, which is a shame."

Bennington joined STP in 2013, shortly after they fired Weiland. He recorded one EP with the band, "High Rise", and did a handful of tours.

Dean DeLeo told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that Bennington was their first and only choice to replace Weiland. "We simply did not have a list of guys we were thinking of, we didn't hold auditions, we thought of Chester and that was it," he said. "It's very interesting, honestly, because Chester told me a story that when he was dating his wife about nine years ago, he told her that one day he was gonna get a call from us to be the singer of this band."

There is no word yet on who STP might recruit next on lead vocals, although one candidate, Johnny Stevens of the band HIGHLY SUSPECT, claimed in a tweet that Dean DeLeo called him in August offering him Bennington's slot. Stevens said he wasn't interested.

Streaming below is a preview of “Sin In Justice”, the upcoming collaborative single from Finland’s Apocalyptica and Japan’s Vamps, due for release via Spinefarm Records on November 20th.

Says Vamps’ Hyde: “During our tour with Sixx:A.M., we (Apocalyptica and Vamps) thought it would be great to tour together or to collaborate on a song someday and now it actually happened. The whole creative process was pretty hectic, I worked on the song during our South American tour, writing the lyrics and running through the vocal lines. Basically what happened was K.A.Z composed the song, Apocalyptica added the cellos and I sang it. I think what we’ve ended up with is something with the 80’s feel to it, yet very fresh, and certainly new for us. Who knows, maybe we have just discovered `a new color of Vamps`.”

“Yes, we had a great time being on the road together,” continues Apocalyptica’s Eicca Toppinen. “We loved the idea and the experience of working together in this way. We’re really proud of the song, and we hope fans of both bands will enjoy it.”

The preview comes by way of a lyric video, created by Craig Gowans (Killing Joke, Atreyu). Watch below:

Apocalyptica/Vamps UK tour dates include:

November
24 - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton, England
25 - Rock City - Nottingham, England
26 - ABC - Glasgow, Scotland
27 - Shepherd’s Bush Empire - London, England
28 - Academy 2 - Manchester, England
29 - Academy - Bristol, England

 



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Swedish masters of melancholy KATATONIA have announced the addition of Daniel "Mojjo" Moilanen as the band's new, permanent drummer.

The group — which released a live package titled "Sanctitude" earlier this year — has entered Studio Gröndahl with engineer Karl Daniel Lidén to begin recording its tenth album for a 2016 release.

Comments KATATONIA vocalist Jonas Renkse: "We first met Mojjo back in 2009 where his band at the time, ENGEL, had joined us and PARADISE LOST on a U.K. tour and we soon realized we shared the same musical background and ideals. We stayed in touch over the years and when Daniel Liljekvist quit KATATONIA in 2014, we decided to give Mojjo a call. He has now been with us for well over a year, so far only as a session live member, but now is the time for him to join the KATATONIA album cycle, and, most importantly, make his own impression on our new material. We can’t wait to see what this will lead to. Love him up!"

Added Mojjo: "From 1993 via 2009 to 2014, from today and onward into future battles. I am thankful, delighted and proud to take part in the next phase of KATATONIA and I am looking forward to the journey being as giving as it has been for the last 22 years."

Released in March, "Sanctitude" was filmed and recorded in the stunning, candle-lit setting of London's Union Chapel during KATATONIA's May 2014 "Unplugged & Reworked" tour — an intimate acoustic evening performing tracks from the "Dethroned & Uncrowned" album alongside atmospheric classics from the band's entire career, stripped and reworked. The 80-minute set features 17 songs across the albums "The Great Cold Distance", "Viva Emptiness", "Brave Murder Day", "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", "Dead End Kings" and "Dethroned & Uncrowned", including fan favorite "Teargas". The show closes with the sublime "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here" and a special guest appearance by Norwegian vocalist Silje Wergeland of Dutch rockers THE GATHERING. The band was also joined on guitar and vocals by THE PINEAPPLE THIEF frontman and songwriter Bruce Soord.

Tampa, Florida-based metal act, Dark Sermon, have released a new video for The Oracle album track “The Eyeless Needle”. The Oracle is out now via eOne Music / Good Fight Music.

The album artwork for The Oracle (seen below), was created by artist Shaun Beaudry of Mister Beaudry Illustration.

Tracklisting:

“Ode To The Black Widow”
“In Each Hand, A Talisman Of Sacred Stone”
“Children Of Gaia”
“The Myth Of Sanity”
“Rat King”
“Starve”
“The Eyeless Needle”
“Both In Equal Parts”
“The Wraith”
“Gargantua”

“Rat King” video:

“In Each Hand, A Talisman Of Sacred Stone”:

Behind-the-scenes studio video:

 



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California Rock News has uploaded video footage of former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 (real name: John William Lowery) and his band JOHN 5 & THE CREATURES performing a cover version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" on November 8 at Discovery in Ventura, California. Check it out below.

Asked about his decision to record a verion of "Beat It" for his 2012 solo album "God Told Me To", John 5 told Guitar World: "[I decided to do it] partly because it’s such a massive, massive song. You can go pretty much anywhere in the world and people know 'Beat It'. When I was growing up, you heard it everywhere. I remember being a kid and going to school dances and stuff, and they always played it. And I thought the riff was amazing, the song was amazing, and Eddie's [Van Halen] solo was amazing."

Speaking about the fact that he actually recreates Eddie's solo almost note-for-note on his version, John 5 said: "I put a lot of thought into that. My feeling was, that solo is a piece of music in and of itself. And it's iconic; I didn't want to mess with it. So I go off at the end a little bit and do my own thing, but otherwise I play it pretty close. And it was fun trying to pull that off."

John 5 earlier this summer joined up with his buddies from THE CREATURES — drummer Rodger Carter and bassist Ian Ross — to film a video for a brand new John 5 track titled "Black Grass Plague" in North Hollywood, California. The clip is being directed and produced by Coffin Case founder Jonny Coffin, who previously worked with John 5 on the mini-series "Tales From The Crossroads" as well as the DVD for "God Told Me To" in 2012.

JOHN 5 & THE CREATURES toured in support of John 5's eighth solo album, "Careful With That Axe", which was made available on August 12, 2014 through 60 Cycle Hum. The effort features Rodger Carter on drums and Matt Bissonette on bass.

Frontiers Music Srl will release the new PRIMAL FEAR studio album, "Rulebreaker", on January 29, 2016. The effort will be made available in CD, deluxe CD/DVD and — in collaboration with Soulfood Music in Germany — on vinyl and a special super-limited vinyl edition featuring an eagle head on the vinyl.

A trailer for "Rulebreaker" is available below.

"Rulebreaker" combines the strongest PRIMAL FEAR moments ever, with a well-balanced typical PRIMAL FEAR trademark riff vibe, crushing songs and some very ambitious musical journeys.

PRIMAL FEAR recently parted ways with Brazilian drummer Aquiles Priester (HANGAR, ANGRA) and replaced him with Francesco Jovino (U.D.O.). In addition, founding PRIMAL FEAR guitarist Tom Naumann — who has been touring with the group for the past couple of years years — has now officially rejoined the band as a full member. Singer Ralf Scheepers says: "We have so much energy, fantastic melodies and a hell of a drum groove on each and every song. There is no doubt that the fans will love it as much as I do! And again we have achieved to combine bombastic and atmospheric orchestral sounds with soaring heavy metal riffs and licks, together with ear-splitting screams and also emotional sequences. We have kept the promise of being a heavy metal band with all the trademarks for which people love PRIMAL FEAR." After the massive "Delivering The Black" world tour, PRIMAL FEAR started the songwriting in spring 2015 and recorded at Hansen Studios in Denmark, with producer Mat Sinner and engineer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, PRETTY MAIDS, AMARANTHE). Mat Sinner adds: "We learned a lot during the 'Delivering The Black' sessions and the following world tour. We tried to put this know-how and all the positive energy into the songs and production of 'Rulebreaker'. Working the second time with Jacob Hansen and even recording in his studio, gave another dimension to our sound, plus the recording comeback of founding member Tom Naumann was the right move." Classic and ultra-fresh PRIMAL FEAR have created riff-rockers like the album opener "Angels Of Mercy", and groove monsters "The End Is Near" and "Bullets And Tears", which hit the bulls-eye from the beginning. The album features another untamed speed killer "In Metal We Trust" and the metal anthem and title track "Rulebreaker". The melodic and unique ballad "The Sky Is Burning" shows a different side of PRIMAL FEAR with a new vibe and a monster chorus. And of course, PRIMAL FEAR included again an 11-minute plus prog metal tour de force entitled "We Walk Without Fear", spiced with big orchestral arrangements and complex sound designs. "Rulebreaker" track listing:

01. Angels Of Mercy02. The End Is Near03. Bullets & Tears04. Rulebreaker05. In Metal We Trust06. We Walk Without Fear07. At War With The World08. The Devil In Me09. Constant Heart10. The Sky Is Burning11. Raving Mad12. Final Call (bonus track; deluxe edition only)11. Don't Say You've Never Been Warned (bonus track; deluxe edition only) DVD (deluxe edition only):

* The End Is Near (video clip)* Angels Of Mercy (video clip)* Making Of "Rulebreaker" PRIMAL FEAR is:

Ralf Scheepers - VocalsAlex Beyrodt - GuitarMagnus Karlsson – Guitar, KeyboardsTom Naumann - GuitarFrancesco Jovino - DrumsMat Sinner - Bass, Vocals

Photo by Alex Kuehr Photography

Leslie West and Provogue Records, a division of Mascot Label Group, have announced a November 20th release date for Soundcheck. The title is West's sixteenth solo album, following 2011’s Unusual Suspects, which featured contributions from such accomplished guitarists and close friends as Billy Gibbons, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather and Joe Bonamassa, and 2013’s Still Climbing, which included blistering duets with the late, great Johnny Winter, Jonny Lang and Mark Tremonti.

Check out the first taste from the album below - a cover of the Jeff Beck Group classic "Going Down" from 1972 featuring Queen's Brian May:

For this new release, West lays down some of his most inspired musical magic to date with the assistance of true rock royalty: the renown British guitarists Peter Frampton and Brian May, ex-Jeff Beck keyboard virtuoso Max Middleton, vocalist extraordinaire Bonnie Bramlett and the late great Cream bassist and longtime friend of Leslie’s, Jack Bruce.

Back in 1972, Leslie made musical history with Jack when they joined forces to form the super group West, Bruce and Laing. Soundcheck is co-produced and engineered by West's collaborator Mike "Metal" Goldberg, who he shared, "helped me get my sound down on 'Tape' as they used to say, and did an amazing job as he always does."

Leslie West (born Leslie Weinstein, October 22nd, 1945) first gained worldwide recognition in 1969 as the guitarist and singer in the groundbreaking rock band Mountain. West’s wholly unique sound, distinguished by beautifully melodic phrasing, his slow, wide vibrato, and a crushing guitar tone set the standard in the late sixties and early seventies for blues/rock guitar playing of the highest order. Along with the hugely influential Top Ten hit “Mississippi Queen,” his brilliant guitar work serves as the driving force behind the Mountain classics, “Nantucket Sleighride,” “Never In My Life,” “Don’t Look Around,” “Blood of the Sun,” “Dreams of Milk and Honey,” and the incredible Jack Bruce composition, “Theme For an Imaginary Western.” That one-of-a-kind signature guitar sound propels Soundcheck throughout, evidenced by such powerful tracks as, “Left By The Roadside to Die,” “Here For the Party,” “Empty Promises--Nothing Sacred,” “Going Down,” “Spoonful,” “A Stern Warning” and five other stellar songs.
 
Included among Leslie’s many fans and disciples are six-string luminaries such as Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, John McLaughlin, Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, Warren Haynes, and Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple. Blackmore has stated that Leslie’s phenomenal playing on “Mississippi Queen” served to redirect the course of Deep Purple’s music in an instant, ultimately resulting in the brutal hard rock intensity displayed on Deep Purple In Rock.

"I’ve always really loved Leslie West’s playing,” says Blackmore. “I remember being in a place in Germany, and Ian [Paice, DP drummer] and I were out drinking together. In those days, you could go to a club and listen to the new records in their entirety that had just come out. Paice and I heard, ‘Mississippi Queen,’ and we both went white! We were thinking, ‘Who the hell is that?!’ It had such a big sound! For three guys, it was incredibly heavy. And Leslie’s vibrato is just great. Hearing Mountain directly influenced the direction of the Purple, and you can hear that influence on what was to become our next record, [1970’s], In Rock. At the time, we were trying to find our way as a band, some sort of ‘category.’ Jon [Lord, the late DP keyboardist] was into the classical stuff, and, although I love classical music, I wanted to follow up the Deep Purple album, the last one with the original line-up, with something much heavier, out-and-out rock. And that’s how In Rock came about.”
 
For Martin Barre, meeting Leslie in 1970 served to inspire the writing and playing on Jethro Tull’s most successful album in the band’s history, Aqualung. “Prior to going into the studio to record [1971’s] Aqualung, I met Leslie, whose playing I absolutely loved,” Barre reveals. “Leslie is well known for his association with Les Paul Juniors, and just after meeting him, I picked up a 1958 Junior because his sound was so incredible. I would say that he's the only guitarist who has ever influenced me directly.”
 
Leslie was also influential in the development of the music for The Who’s masterpiece, Who’s Next. In early 1971, he was invited to record with the Who for the band’s initial NYC Record Plant sessions for the album, which sparked a close friendship with The Who’s leader, Pete Townshend. Says Pete, “Leslie gave me a really great Les Paul Junior with one pickup on it for me to use on Who’s Next, and Eric Clapton gave me an old Strat. They both gave me really good instruments and I still have those instruments today. Along with my Gretsch Chet Atkins, those three guitars were the only ones I used on Who’s Next.”
 
Another fan of Leslie’s was none other than Jimi Hendrix, with whom Leslie jammed at famed NYC clubs like Ungano’s and elsewhere. “I first met Jimi while I was recording Climbing! at the Record Plant and he was in another room mixing Band of Gypsys,” West recalls. “Jimi came in and after hearing the first track, ‘Never in My Life’ he looked over at me and said, ‘That’s a great riff, man.’ I started shaking! There’s a great picture of us playing together at Ungano’s, and Jimi’s playing Felix [Pappalardi’s] bass. Getting to know and play with Hendrix is one of my greatest life experiences.”

 
As a soloist, Leslie always displays a solid melodic sense combined with an effortless but equally aggressive rhythmic drive. He leans into the beat using a heavy fret- and pick-hand attack, and along with his heavily distorted guitar tone, generates tremendous power in all of his solos. A great example of this approach is heard on the album’s second track, the aptly titled, “Here For the Party.” “When I’m playing a guitar solo, I’m listening for a ‘song within a song,’” he explains. “Some guys will take a solo and it may be technically amazing, but I’ll think, ‘What does this have to do with the song?’ And I defy anyone to sing back to me the melody of a solo like that! I can’t really play that fast, and I like the solo to be like a little ride that takes you away to another place, and then brings you back. That’s what I look for in a solo.”
 
And then there’s that legendary vibrato. “The guitar should sound like a voice, and having a good vibrato is essential to me,” West states. “When a first-chair violinist in an orchestra stands up to take a solo, I listen specifically for the vibrato. [Consummate classical violinist] Itzhak Perlman has a fantastic vibrato! That’s what I try to emulate. I worked so hard on getting my vibrato to sound the way I wanted it to. I still work on it, to this day. I don’t work on playing fast, but I sure work on the tone, and I sure work on the vibrato.”
 
A standout track from this new release is “Going Down,” which features guest appearances from Queen guitarist Brian May, along with contributions from Bonnie Bramlett and Max Middleton along with legendary session players David Hood on bass and Bobby Whitlock on organ. “We did that track about 10, 11 years ago,” Leslie details, “and we had Max reprise his amazing intro from the version he’d done with Jeff Beck on The Jeff Beck Group album. I play the first guitar solo [up to 2:48] and Brian May plays from there on out. And vocal harmonizing with Bonnie was fantastic. Everything in the track came together and worked out really well.” West's old friend Jon Tiven, who produced Wilson Pickett and Don Nix, provided the original master tapes for West to track vocals on. West shares, "When all your ducks are in a row, things get magical."
 
Another inspired track is the very unusual minor-key rendition of “You Are My Sunshine”. “First of all, I’ve got Peter Frampton playing guitar with me on this one. I watch the television show, Sons of Anarchy, and during one episode, a minor-key version of this song was playing in the background. I thought, Whoa…that sounds so different! I recorded it and sent it to Peter, and we trade solos and then play harmony lines together at the end. Also, I’m playing slide while he’s playing conventionally. His tone is phenomenal on this, with a warm sound and a really nice vibrato, and he loved the arrangement. To take a song you’ve heard all of your life and change it around like this is very cool.”
 
Soundcheck also includes a cover of the Tracy Chapman hit, “Give Me Just One Reason.” “I wanted to cover a blues song on this record,” says Leslie, “and I liked the tune and wanted to try to do something with it. I like the words, and the groove of the track is a great one to solo over.”
 
The solo acoustic virtuoso piece, “A Stern Warning,” demonstrates Leslie’s ability to move seamlessly between blues and classical influences; the track also has a connotation that is unexpected. “It’s a reference to Howard Stern,” Leslie reveals. “He called me one day to ask what the meaning was behind the Mountain song, ‘To My Friend.’ I said, ‘It’s about Felix—he gave me a 12-string guitar to play and record a solo piece with.’ So I thought it would be cool to do a new track in a similar way as a tribute to Howard, who has always been a great friend, and this is it.”
 
In putting the songs together for this record, Leslie also chose to cover the Curtis Mayfield soul classic, “People Get Ready.” “I’ve been playing this song onstage for a long time, slow and quiet, and then I build up the volume and use the volume knob to create violin-like swells. I love the way my bass player Rev [Jones] plays it with me, so I wanted to get it on the album. Incredible words. Also, Jeff Beck had done such a great version of the song, so I took the opportunity to play some different melodies over the chord progression. The song is dedicated Bobby Pace, who was one of my closest friends from way back who had recently passed. He was the first road manager for my first band, The Vagrants, and he was just a great guy.”
 
Leslie’s previous album, Still Climbing, featured a solo spot for his virtuoso bassist Rev Jones on the track, “Rev Jones Time (Somewhere Over the Rainbow),” and Rev gets another solo spot on Soundcheck with “Eleanor Rigby.” “Rev plays this song live on stage just like this—there are no overdubs at all. It’s his solo spot live, and it’s so great, I wanted to include it on this record. One take!”
 
Closing out the album is a treasure for all longtime fans of Leslie West: a live version of Willie Dixon’s, “Spoonful,” recorded with Jack Bruce on bass and vocals and Joe Franco on drums, played in the classic Cream style as captured on 1968’s Wheels of Fire. “Back in 1988, I recorded an album called, Theme, which featured Jack on bass. We recorded at Millbrook in upstate New York, and the owner of The Chance in Poughkeepsie called and asked if we wanted to come over and do a set there, with no advertising, no nothing. Jack was into it, and the engineer at Millbrook, Paul Orofino, came with us and recorded the gig with a small portable stereo machine. “After hearing of Jack’s passing, we edited it down from its original length and decided it would be great to include on the record. As you can hear, I was trying to reincarnate myself into Eric Clapton! The first time I listened to Jack’s voice and the tone of his bass on the recording, I had tears in my eyes. I loved Jack so much.”
 
Two more great tracks complete the album: “Empty Promises--Nothing Sacred,” which Leslie refers to as, “My tribute to AC/DC!,” is another tune in an unusual “modal” tuning that omits thirds. “On my tombstone, it should read, ‘Leslie West: It’s Neither Major Nor Minor,’” Leslie says with a laugh. There’s also a cover of the Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me.” Leslie wanted to commemorate King, who had just recently passed on April 30th, 2015. “Ben E. lived in Teaneck, NJ, not far from me, and I’ve always loved the words to this song. Dave came in and played acoustic guitar on it, and the girl that sings with me on it, Ariela Pizza, is only 16 years old. Her dad, Joe, is an old high school friend of mine, and had written some songs with me for my last album. I thought, I’ll play acoustic and sing along with my big, fat-ass ballsy voice, and I think it would work! And it did—and it’s totally different from everything else on the record.”
 
West has been performing since 1965, when he fronted the soul-fired Vagrants in his native New York City. Rolling Stone placed him at #66 on their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists.” His repertoire continues to be relevant with enduring appeal to this day as top selling rap recordings are built around samples from “Long Red,” which appeared on the Mountain album. Jay-Z tapped the tune for his 2004 mega-smash “99 Problems.” So did Kanye West, for "Barry Bonds" and “The Glory," and Common’s “The People,” along with others. Lana Del Rey sampled West's voice and features it in the beginning, middle and end of the worldwide smash "Born To Die." His repertoire continues to be amongst the most sampled amongst all songwriters.
 
“You know, when it comes to talent, we don’t all move at the same rate of speed,” West muses. “Some people start at the top of their game and after 10 or 20 years you wonder what the hell happened to them. I like to joke that the older I get the better I used to be, but after giving up drugs and smoking, my voice can hit notes that I never could reach before. I’m thankful for that.”

EPK:

(Photos - Justin Borucki)



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A ragged green cardigan sweater worn by the late Kurt Cobain during NIRVANA's classic taping of "MTV Unplugged" in 1994 has sold for $137,000 at auction, according to The Pulse Of Radio. The garment, complete with burn hole and discoloration, was perhaps the highest profile item offered by Julien's Live in their latest auction of rock memorabilia. Bidding on the sweater opened at $20,000 and the company only expected to fetch, at best, $60,000.

However, another Cobain item — a lock of his hair — was pulled from the auction, according to Spin. A representative of Julien's Live did not state a reason why the strand of hair was removed from bidding. The hair was reportedly given by Courtney Love to a doll maker, to include in a Cobain doll that Love had commissioned for her daughter Frances. After the doll was created, the single lock was left over.

In addition to the cardigan, Julien's Live also sold additional NIRVANA merchandise such as gold and platinum record plaques.

The auction also featured items such as handwritten PEARL JAM lyrics by Eddie Vedder, the drumhead THE BEATLES used on their famous 1964 "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance, a long-lost acoustic Gibson belonging to John Lennon, several items from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, a Valium bottle that belonged to Elvis Presley and more.

Following up on the success of 2014’s Firesoul album, German power metallers Brainstorm didn’t waste any time to enter the studio and record a brand new album which is titled Scary Creatures and will hit the stores on January 15th 2016.

The band continues where they left off one and a half years ago with the previous release, and also mix and mastering was once again handled by Achim Koehler. But right away you feel that Scary Creatures is just that notch better than Firesoul; more anthemic, heavy and all musicians plus vocalist Andy B. Franck delivering to the max. Starting with the infectious opening track “The World To See” (which will also be the album’s first single and video clip), Brainstorm once again prove why they are one of the most popular and respected metal acts in the European scene. The band will embark on European tour in February 2016, followed by many festivals around the world in the Summer.
 
Vocalist Andy B. Franck states: "Scary Creatures is a very emotional, an almost personal, album. All songs reflect the events and feelings of the past months, which made the music incredibly intense. To me, Scary Creatures is the logical successor to 2014's Firesoul and perfectly bridges to Brainstorm 2016. Also for the first time we achieved that many of the band members' children were integrated into several songs. It's another reason why the new album is very valuable and unique to us. Add to this the rough lyrical concept dealing with severals atrocities all over the world in the past centuries, Scary Creatures turned out to become an impressive metal album we all are proud of".
 
Scary Creatures artwork and tracklisting:

"The World To See"
"How Much Can You Take"
"We Are..."
"Where Angels Dream"
"Scary Creatures"
"Twisted Ways"
"Caressed By The Blackness"
"Scars In Your Eyes"
"Take Me To The Never"
"Sky Among The Clouds"
 
Bonus track on ltd. Digipak:
"Lift Your Eyes To See"
 
+ Bonus Live DVD
(incl. "The World To See" video clip and live concert Essen 2014 (performing the entire Firesoul album plus many more songs)
 
Scary Creatures will also be available as ltd. Box Set (incl. statue and Digipak) and ltd. colored Vinyl (500 units in golden vinyl).

 

 



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