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28 фев 2014
HIM Robbed Of 'Irreplaceable Items'
 A "back bag containing irreplaceable items" was allegedly stolen from the dressing room of Finnish love metallers HIM when they performed a headlining concert last night (Wednesday, February 26) at 170 Russell (formerly Billboard) in Melbourne, Australia.
After the show, the quintet posted a message on Facebook alerting fans of the alleged theft along with an image of the suspected thief taken from surveillance camera footage.
"Anyone in Melbourne Australia know this guy?" the band wrote. "Please help up as and the police to catch this guy!"
HIM is currently touring Australia as part of this year's Soundwave festival.
The band's latest album, "Tears On Tape", sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.
HIM's previous CD, 2010's "Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice", opened with 26,000 units to land at No. 25.
The group's 2007 effort, "Venus Doom", registered a first-week tally of 38,000 to enter the chart at No. 12.
"Tears On Tape" was released on April 30, 2013 via Razor & Tie in North America and on April 29, 2013 through DoubleCross (Cooking Vinyl's specialist rock imprint) in the U.K. and Ireland. The "love metal" act's eighth official album was recorded at Helsinki's Finnvox Studios with longtime producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (APOCALYPTICA, AMORPHIS, MOONSPELL) and was mixed in London, England by Tim Palmer, who previously helmed 2005's "Dark Light" and 2007's "Venus Doom".
HIM's current lineup is Ville Valo (vocals), Mikko "Linde" Lindström (guitar), Mikko "Migé" Paananen (bass), Janne "Burton" Puurtinen (keyboards), and Mika "Gas" Karppinen (drums).
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28 фев 2014
SHINEDOWN's 'The Crow & The Butterfly' Gets 'American Idol' Treatment From Contestant JESSICA MEUSE
 Slapout, Alabama's "American Idol" star Jessica Meuse, who was one of 13 contestants to perform on Wednesday night's (February 26) episode of the Fox TV talent show, delivered her rendition of SHINEDOWN's "The Crow & The Butterfly" a song from the band's 2008 album "The Sound Of Madness". Check out video footage of her appearance below.
According to AL.com, mentor Randy Jackson counseled Meuse, 23, during rehearsals to dig deeply into the emotions. "She has to find a way to commit to the feeling in the song and communicate that to the audience and judges," Jackson said.
Judge Keith Urban said, "That was a bold but cool song choice," and praised the "dark, haunting quality" of Meuse's delivery, adding that her voice has an "an edge and a rasp that's really appealing."
"I thought it was strong, man," fellow judge Harry Connick said. "I heard a different sound in your voice. That was really nice."
"The Crow & The Butterfly" was the fifth single from "The Sound Of Madness".
SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith explained in a radio interview that while the band was writing the CD, he had a dream about a mother whose son passes away. He wrote the song about the mother dealing with the death of her child and trying to move on.
On the SHINEDOWN blog, Smith said this about the song: "For me, lyrically, this was one of the most intense stories I have ever written. But I know the song means something different to everyone."
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28 фев 2014
ASIA: 'Gravitas' EPK Available
 An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for ASIA's new album, "Gravitas", can be seen below. Produced and written by band members John Wetton and Geoff Downes, the CD is deeply introspective within a clearly accessible sound. The album also introduces the world to ASIA's new guitarist, Sam Coulson, who came at the recommendation of MR. BIG's Paul Gilbert.
Scheduled for release on Frontiers Records on March 21 (Europe); and March 25 (North America), the album will be available in two configurations: a standard CD and a Deluxe Edition, that will include two bonus tracks and a DVD containing the "Valkyrie" music video, a promotional film, and footage of classic live ASIA tracks such as "Heat Of The Moment", recorded with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria.
From the title track, "Gravitas", which chronicles a man's struggle in the battlefield of life, to the powerfully compelling tale of unrequited love, "The Closer I Get To You", the album is a tour de force for the band whose music has become a staple to rock fans.
"Pure, unadulterated and stereotypical ASIA, with raw energy, enthusiasm and free from impurities," says John Wetton. "It conveys the spectrum of emotion and color from real-life agonies to ecstatic fantasy of escapism. Great songs, fabulous performance. 'Gravitas' is ASIA by ASIA. At last."
"With the addition of Sam, it allowed us to take the band in a slightly different, and perhaps tougher, direction," says Carl Palmer. "As a band, we have been able to grow, while at the same time, remain true to the classic ASIA sound that our fans know and love."
ASIA's debut album exploded onto the music scene in April 1982, and was the best-selling album in the world of that year. Featuring Geoff Downes on keyboards; Steve Howe on guitar; Carl Palmer on drums; and John Wetton on lead vocals and bass; ASIA was the logical successor to their collective bands of the '70s — YES, ELP, KING CRIMSON, UK and THE BUGGLES. The original ASIA reformed in 2006 for the first time in 23 years.
"It always was a great live band, but this time the dragon has awakened with fresh energy, direction and purpose," says Wetton.
"As with any new ASIA album, putting it all together presents something of a challenge," says Geoff Downes. "Everyone involved rose way above and beyond this challenge. There is a renewed energy when we step on stage now; we can feel it and I know the fans can feel it."
For ASIA's long-devoted fans, the band's return to the concert stage cannot come soon enough. As Palmer says: "Performing on stage is where this band truly comes into its element. Seeing the fans reacting to our music is what makes it all worthwhile. It is the fuel that drives this train we call ASIA."
"Gravitas" track listing: 01. Valkyrie02. Gravitas03. The Closer I Get To You04. Nyctophobia05. Russian Dolls06. Heaven Help Me Now07. I Would Die For You08. Joe Di Maggio's Glove09. Till We Meet Again10. The Closer I Get To You (acoustic)*11. Joe Di Maggio's Glove (acoustic)*
DVD (*):
* "Valkyrie" (videoclip)* EPK* "Heat Of The Moment" (Live in Plovdiv with Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)* [to be announced] (live in Plovdiv with Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)* [to be announced] (live in Plovdiv with Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)
* Available only on the Deluxe Edition
The "Valkyrie" video can be seen below. According to USA Today, ASIA bassist John Wetton drew his inspiration for the song from the Norse deities who accompany the souls of heroic warriors to Valhalla.
"I've got a bit of a fetish about the sacred feminine," Wetton said. "A lot of my songs are about deities, and not necessarily male ones. In the whole myth of valkyrie, she is more powerful than many of the male gods."
The "Valkyrie" video was shot primarily in Los Angeles and London, with Wetton shooting his portion on a beach near Topanga, California.
ASIA is:
John Wetton - Lead Vocals, BassCarl Palmer - DrumsGeoff Downes - KeyboardsSam Coulson - Guitar | 0 | |
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28 фев 2014
KAMELOT: Part One Of South American Tour Recap (Video)
 Part one of a video recap of KAMELOT's South American tour, which took place earlier in the month, can be seen below.
Keyboardist Oliver Palotai sat out KAMELOT's most recent North American tour so he could stay home with longtime girlfriend Simone Simons, (EPICA singer) as they awaited the birth of their first child. Filling in for him was Coen Janssen of EPICA.
KAMELOT's latest album, "Silverthorn", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74.
"Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release with Tommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).
In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about what Karevik brings to the band: "I think when we knew we had to bring in a new person on vocals, we wanted the opportunity to grow the band, not just to maintain the band or survive. We wanted to look at this as an opportunity to make the band bigger, [and] I think with Tommy we can do that. Not only is he an exceptional singer, he's a great songwriter and he's way ahead of what I thought he would be in terms of being a frontman. People who come out to shows will see that this guy is a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine a better choice, honestly. In the beginning, when this whole thing started, we were a little unsure of what the future might be, but now we're really excited about it." | 0 | |
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28 фев 2014
DAVE MUSTAINE: When I Left METALLICA, I Totally Re-Evaluated My Guitar Playing
 The first episode of "Metalhead To Head", a web-only show where metal masters sit down together for surprisingly candid conversation and plenty of one-time-only music demonstrations and collaborations, can be seen at Fuse.tv. The episode features Dave Mustaine and Ricky Warwick (BLACK STAR RIDERS, THIN LIZZY). New episodes will debut every other Wednesday. Always at 1 p.m. ET. And always on Fuse.tv.
Asked by Warwick about his lead-guitar technique, Mustaine said: "When I was in METALLICA, when I would write solos back then, I wrote them out. And then when I left, I totally re-evaluated my guitar playing and went from playing guitar because I loved it to playing guitar because I was pissed."
He continued: "Playing, for me, doing solos and stuff like that, there's a lot of technique stuff that people do, they do sweeping and stuff like that and they do a lot of stuff that's real pretty-looking, but you know what?! After a while, someone sweeping through a whole solo, it's, like, enough already. I believe that David Gilmour can do more with one note than half of these kids that are out there now that can just do these mind-blowing solos."
Artist pairings for future "Metalhead To Head" episodes include:
* Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS) & Arejay Hale (HALESTORM)* Dave Ellefson (MEGADETH) & Doug Pinnick (KING'S X)* Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) & Mark Heylmun (SUICIDE SILENCE)* Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE) & Frank Bello (ANTHRAX)* Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) & Ray Luzier (KORN) * Billy Sheehan (THE WINERY DOGS) & Marco Mendoza (BLACK STAR RIDERS, THIN LIZZY)* Eric Choi (WE CAME AS ROMANS) & Alex Lopez (SUICIDE SILENCE)* Michael Sweet (STRYPER) & Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)* George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB) & Chris Broderick (MEGADETH)* Marty Friedman (MEGADETH) & Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN)
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27 фев 2014
RAGE
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27 фев 2014
MISS MAY I: 'Gone' Video Released
 "Gone", the new video from Ohio metallers MISS MAY I, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's fourth album, "Rise Of The Lion", which will be released on April 29 via Rise Records. The CD was produced by Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, DEFTONES, WHITE ZOMBIE and BRING ME THE HORIZON, among others.
MISS MAY I vocalist Levi Benton recently told Metal Hammer about the band's decision to work with Date: "We chose Terry because we’re all huge PANTERA freaks. If you ever get the chance to work with him, you take it! We've always wanted to work with him but we was always out of our price range. He's the Bentley of producers and we could only afford a Ford. [Laughs]"
Regarding the musical direction of MISS MAY I's new material, Benton said: "A lot of it could be considered leftfield for us. I won't go into detail because when you do that, people expect something that they may not particularly hear, but when we finished 'At Heart', we were all stoked and thought we'd thrown everything we had into it. After a couple of years touring and growing, we've come back to writing and have been adding different influences. There's some slower, heavier stuff, thrashier parts and no two songs sound the same. We're doing something to challenge ourselves and our listeners but please both, too." "Rise Of The Lion" track listing:
01. Refuse To Believe02. Lunatik03. Gone04. Echoes05. You Want Me06. Tangled Tongues07. Hero With No Name08. Darker Days09. The End Of Me10. Saints, Sinners, and Greats
"Rise Of The Lion" will be available in digital, physical CD and vinyl versions.
The worldwide release of "Rise Of The Lion" will be supported by a brief headline tour of the United States this April and May, with support from FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS. MISS MAY I will stop in eight cities, including a closer in their home state of Ohio at Rock On The Range. | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
CLAWFINGER: 'The Truth' Performance Clip From 'Deafer Dumber Blinder'
 20 years after its original release, preparations started for the ultimate anniversary edition of CLAWFINGER's classic album, "Deaf Dumb Blind", one of the most important crossover albums of the 1990s. "Deaf Dumb Blind" was turned into "Deafer Dumber Blinder" (which can be taken as a promise considering content of the extensive reissue):
CD 1: Original Album - Deaf Dumb Blind CD 2: The Best Of B-Sides (17 Tracks) CD 3: The Best Of Demos (20 Tracks) DVD: Live In Woodstock + Documentary, MTV Specials & more
"Deafer Dumber Blinder" will be released on March 7 in Europe and April 15 in North America via AFM Records.
A performance clip of the song "The Truth", taken from the "Deafer Dumber Blinder" DVD, can be seen below.
Comments CLAWFINGER guitarist Bård Torstensen: "None of us would have thought in the early Nineties that we ould live our dream for almost two decades, travel the world and play for millions of people on three continents (Europe, America, Asia).
"Our anniversary box, 'Deafer Dumber Blinder', reflects pretty much what CLAWFINGER is all about.
"Enjoy the unreleased demotracks from early days up 'till 2005, a bunch of good B-sides, the classics from 'Deaf Dumb Blind', and have fun with a live DVD from Woodstock Festival Poland where we played in front of more than 100,000 people back in 2009. This DVD also contains bonus material. (2 Scandinavian documentaries, festival clips, MTV Most Wanted)."
Adds CLAWFINGER frontman Zak Tell: "'Deafer, Bumber, Blinder', the last and the tastiest piece of chocolate in the box is coming your way. It's a treat so sweet you just can't resist it. Demos, B-sides, Live footage, photos, the story of CLAWFINGER's humble beginning and more.
"This sucker comes with material no one has ever seen or heard before and it will be in stores shortly so be sure to keep your ears and eyes open and scream your heart out when it arrives.
"The kings are dead, long live the kings."
Says CLAWFINGER keyboardist Jocke Skog: "We've gone through a lot of stuff to make this a box worth owning.
"It's a tad late for an anniversary box since we released the first one back in 1993, but in this era where everything is online, it doesn't matter that much.
"Enjoy! I know I will."
CLAWFINGER's final studio album, "Life Will Kill You", was released in the U.S. in July 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 89 upon its European release in 2007, was recorded and produced at Sweden's Fear And Loathing Studios, a facility that CLAWFINGER runs along with the members of MESHUGGAH. | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
DEVILDRIVER: Lyric Video For Cover Of AWOLNATION's 'Sail'
 The official lyric video for DEVILDRIVER's cover version of indie/electro mob AWOLNATION's hit "Sail" can be seen below. The song appears on DEVILDRIVER's latest album, "Winter Kills", which sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. This figure is in line with the opening number of DEVILDRIVER's fifth CD, "Beast", which also shifted 11,000 units back in February 2011 to land at No. 42.
Regarding DEVILDRIVER's decision to cover "Sail", the band's lead singer, Dez Fafara, said: "Yeah. I was in the car one day and [my teenage sons] were playing the song and I absolutely connected with the lyrics 'Blame it on my ADD.' I mean, I suffered from attention deficit my whole life. And the song has the word 'sail' in it and I've been on tour for 20 years, so I liked it. I hit the guys up, they got back to me in five minutes and we're, like, 'Let's cover this.' But DEVILDRIVER likes to cover obscure tunes; we covered 'Black Soul Choir' from 16 HORSEPOWER.
"We started to realize that's more fun; covering obscure stuff is more fun. We've never really done anything that's current …
"My kids were playing it around the house and I was, like, 'Man, I really like this song.' We heard that AWOLNATION has heard it and they like the cover as well, which is really cool. When you're covering another artist's song and they like what you've done with it, that's always a pleasure."
The instrumental parts for "Winter Kills" were recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida while the vocals were laid down at Dez Fafara's home studio, with Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, ALL THAT REMAINS) handling production duties. The album's cover artwork features a photograph by Dean Karr. The layout was done by Ryan Clark of Invisible Creature.
"Winter Kills" was made available in four configurations, including a deluxe digibook with CD (including two bonus tracks, "Shudder" and "Back Down To The Grave") and live DVD (featuring 45 minutes of live raw DEVILDRIVER power — no studio overdubs at all, just the band at their best — and including fan favorites "Clouds Over California" and "The Wretched"), standard CD version, digital version and, for the first time in DEVILDRIVER history, a 2LP gatefold edition. | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
NIGHTWISH Guitarist EMPPU VUORINEN's BROTHER FIRETRIBE: 'Diamond In The Firepit' Due In May
 BROTHER FIRETRIBE — the Finnish AOR/hard rock band featuring NIGHTWISH guitarist Emppu Vuorinen — will release its third album, "Diamond In The Firepit", on May 2 via Spinefarm Records. The CD's first single and video, "For Better Or For Worse", will arrive on March 21.
BROTHER FIRETRIBE will play an album-release show on May 3 at Virgin Oil in Helsinki.
In other news, Spinefarm Records will re-release BROTHER FIRETRIBE's previous two albums, "False Metal" and "Heart Full Of Fire". Due in April, the reissues will contain bonus tracks.
"Heart Full Of Fire" entered the Finnish chart at position No. 6 back in May 2008. The CD has since been certified gold in Finland.
BROTHER FIRETRIBE released a concert DVD, "Live At Apollo", in February 2010 via Spinefarm. The disc was shot on April 15, 2009 at the Apollo in Helsinki and featured a guest appearance by then-NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon on the song "Heart Full Of Fire".
BROTHER FIRETRIBE is:
Pekka Heino (LEVERAGE) - VocalsEmppu Vuorinen (NIGHTWISH) - GuitarJason Flinck (KINGS OF MODESTY) - BassTom Nikulainen - KeyboardsKalle Torniainen - Drums
Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala
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27 фев 2014
ROB ZOMBIE: New Concert DVD Track Listing Unveiled
 Rob Zombie will release a new concert DVD and Blu-ray, apparently titled "The Zombie Horror Picture Show", in May. The cover artwork for the set can be seen below. The disc will feature footage filmed during stops on last year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Mayhem Festival tour in Houston on August 3, 2013 and Dallas on August 4.
DVD and Blu-ray track listing is as follows:
01. Teenage Nosferatu Pussy02. Superbeast03. Super-Charger Heaven (originally by WHITE ZOMBIE)04. Living Dead Girl 05. We're An American Band (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD cover)06. More Human Than Human (originally by WHITE ZOMBIE)07. Sick Bubblegum 08. Never Gonna Stop 09. Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga10. Meet The Creeper 11. Mars Needs Women 12. House Of 1000 Corpses 13. The Lords Of Salem 14. Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown 15. Thunder Kiss '65 (originally by WHITE ZOMBIE)16. Dragula
Zombie has never released a concert DVD before and told an Albany radio station that he always thought of doing one as a "huge nuisance," adding, "After the show is done, I don't care. I don't want to relive it… I never wanna hear about it again, I never wanna see it again. Like, I never watch anything — a TV show I've been on; I don't care. Once it's done, it's done. But I figured at least once we should film it."
Zombie did roll cameras during his 2008 "Educated Horses" tour, but had very different plans for that still-unseen footage. "I didn't want to really just make a live DVD 'cause I thought, like, who cares," he told The Pulse Of Radio. What I really did was I made, like, a tour documentary, where like it starts with the first rehearsal through building the stage through, you know, traveling and flying and playing every show and after show and this and that. And, you know, it's so many hundreds of hours of footage."
Zombie's fifth solo album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor", came out last April and entered the Billboard album chart at No. 7 with first-week sales of 34,000 copies.
Zombie will kick off a 12-date run of shows on April 26 in Fort Myers, Florida at the Fort Rock festival, mixing other major rock festival stops with headlining shows before wrapping it up on May 10 in Camden, New Jersey.
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27 фев 2014
DIO DISCIPLES: Fan-Filmed Video Footage Of Houston Concert
 Fan-filmed video footage of DIO DISCIPLES' February 15 concert at The Concert Pub North in Houston, Texas can be seen below.
DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager, Wendy, currently consists of the following musicians:
* Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Vocals * Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) - Vocals * Craig Goldy (DIO) - Guitar * Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Bass * Scott Warren (DIO,HEAVEN & HELL) - Keyboards * Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC, UFO) - Drums
Goldy last year stated about DIO DISCIPLES: "After Ronnie's passing and a lengthy mourning period, Wendy Dio and the band that was left behind have decided it was time to honor and keep the memory and legacy of Ronnie James Dio alive in the most respectful way possible!
"There is something special that happens when a group of people gather together with the same heart, mind and spirit as one another... and that is what happens every night we (the DIO DISCIPLES) perform! I never know when... but I know that it will happen because it always does... some time during the concert, the audience and the band connect and become as one!
"And with the large speaker system, lights and special performances by past members of AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and LYNCH MOB... you don't want to rely on all the crappy little cell phone recordings that look and sound like shit posted on YouTube!
"I've never lied about anything to any DIO fan and I'm not about to start now! Every time we perform there's always several very special moments that just can't be defined into words! You just have to trust me and come experience it for yourselves! And I hope you do!" | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
ANIMALS AS LEADERS: New Song 'Lippincott' Available For Streaming
 Progressive instrumental pioneers ANIMALS AS LEADERS will release their new album, "The Joy Of Motion", on March 25 via Sumerian Records. This offering is quickly going to be hailed by fans and media alike as the group's career-defining release that will ultimately redefine the progressive world as we know it.
"Lippincott", a song from "The Joy Of Motion", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
ANIMALS AS LEADERS' third full-length release is a bombastic, dynamic and innovative explosion that incorporates elements spanning across the entire musical spectrum. It also marks the recording debut of drummer Matthew Garstka, whose technical proficiency and unique style allows ANIMALS AS LEADERS guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes the room to push their boundaries to previously unthinkable heights.
States Reyes: "I think some of the new tracks are some of ANIMALS AS LEADERS' strongest and musical material yet, and [I am] extremely happy with how the album came out.
"Everyone who took part in this album — Misha Mansoor (PERIPHERY), Adam Getgood (PERIPHERY), Diego Farias (VOLUMES) and Navene Koperweis — is extremely talented and I think we've done a great job of capturing it onto what is now the third ANIMALS AS LEADERS album."
ANIMALS AS LEADERS kicks off the New Year with a massive headlining North American tour on February 24 with AFTER THE BURIAL, NAVENE KOPERWEIS and CHON.
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27 фев 2014
KAMELOT: Fan-Filmed Video Footage Of Brazilian Concerts
Fan-filmed video footage of KAMELOT's concerts in Belo Horizonte (February 11), Rio de Janeiro (February 8) and São Paulo (February 9), Brazil earlier in the month can be seen below.
Keyboardist Oliver Palotai sat out KAMELOT's most recent North American tour so he could stay home with longtime girlfriend Simone Simons, (EPICA singer) as they awaited the birth of their first child. Filling in for him was Coen Janssen of EPICA.
KAMELOT's latest album, "Silverthorn", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74.
"Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release with Tommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).
In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about what Karevik brings to the band: "I think when we knew we had to bring in a new person on vocals, we wanted the opportunity to grow the band, not just to maintain the band or survive. We wanted to look at this as an opportunity to make the band bigger, [and] I think with Tommy we can do that. Not only is he an exceptional singer, he's a great songwriter and he's way ahead of what I thought he would be in terms of being a frontman. People who come out to shows will see that this guy is a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine a better choice, honestly. In the beginning, when this whole thing started, we were a little unsure of what the future might be, but now we're really excited about it."
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27 фев 2014
THE SKULL Featuring Former TROUBLE Members: Deal With TEE PEE RECORDS Announced
 THE SKULL, the new band featuring original members of American doom metal legends TROUBLE — Eric Wagner (vocals) and Jeff "Oly" Olson (drums) —alongside longtime TROUBLE bassist Ron Holzner and SACRED DAWN guitarist Lothar Keller, has inked a deal with Tee Pee Records, the New York City record label known for releasing landmark albums from acts such as HIGH ON FIRE, GRAVEYARD, EARTHLESS and SLEEP. THE SKULL recently recorded two songs with acclaimed producer/engineer Billy Anderson (MELVINS, NEUROSIS) which will see the light of day this spring. "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" is a doomy metal song written by Keller, Holzner and Wagner that showcases the genre pioneers' distinct style while "The Last Judgement" is a "revisiting" of the classic TROUBLE song of the same name that originally appeared on the classic 1983 "Metal Massacre IV" compilation album. "I think 'Sometime Yesterday Mourning' is the perfect song for THE SKULL to lead with and there's a reason why it was the first song we completed as a band," commented Wagner. "It's about coming to a point in life when it's just time for a new beginning, a fresh start if you will, and finally coming to terms with the past.
"Being that it is the 30th anniversary of the release of the song 'The Last Judgement' — the first song we ever released — we thought it fit perfectly for the B-side and considering what 'Sometime Yesterday Mourning' is about, it made sense to me. You have to go through your past to get to your future."
THE SKULL will follow the release of the new songs with its debut full length LP, tentatively slated for release this autumn.
THE SKULL is:
Eric Wagner - vocalsJeff Olson - drumsRon Holzner - bassLothar Keller - guitar | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
TESTAMENT Featuring Returning Bassist STEVE DIGIORGIO: Melbourne Concert Footage
 AndrewHaug.com has uploaded video footage of TESTAMENT' February 25 performance in Melbourne, Australia. Check it out below.
TESTAMENT's current tour of Australia is the band's first with returning bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, ICED EARTH).
TESTAMENT last month announced the departure of bassist Greg Christian. DiGiorgio rejoined TESTAMENT as Christian's replacement.
Steve was previously a member of TESTAMENT on "The Gathering" (1999) and "First Strike Still Deadly" (2001) albums.
Christian was forced to leave the band's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in November 2013 for "personal reasons." Filling in for him was EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson.
"Dark Roots Of Thrash", a DVD/2CD release documenting TESTAMENT's sold-out headlining performance at the Paramount in Huntington, New York this past February, was made available on October 18, 2013 (Europe) and October 29, 2013 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. "Dark Roots Of Thrash" was produced by Get Hammered Productions, directed by Tommy Jones (DEATH ANGEL, KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK) and mixed by Juan Urteaga (VILE, EXODUS, SADUS, MACHINE HEAD). It captures a total of 19 live tracks with countless cams onstage and high above the audience, plus a special moshpit cam that makes you feel like you're a part of the show.
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27 фев 2014
ANETTE OLZON: Why I Decided Against Appearing In NIGHTWISH's Latest Documentary
 PlanetMosh recently conducted an interview with former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
PlanetMosh: On the "Showtime Storytime" NIGHTWISH DVD, you don't appear in the documentary about the "Imaginaerum" tour. Why did you request that you not be seen or heard in it?
Olzon: I said I didn't want to be in that; it was my decision. There were many reasons. First of all, we had only talked about the documentary in a loose way before the tour started, that maybe we would do a documentary, and then when everything ended and they kind of fired me in a very bad way, I was quite angry and sad about the situation. Then a few months later, they asked my manager if I wanted to pay for this documentary and be in it, and my reaction was: "Why?" There's a new singer and they'd done this in a bad way, so I didn't want to participate. In many ways, it was not only because I was angry, but also because I didn't understand why, and also because I didn't want to have half of the documentary about me and then half about the new singer — there would be comparisons, and I didn't know how they would showcase me. Would they show me in a bad way or a good way? So the decision has many different layers, but I felt I didn't want to be part of it; I wanted to leave that part of my life behind me at that point.
PlanetMosh: One thing I find depressing is how many people seem obsessed with championing their favorite singer as the "best" a band has had and criticizing the other singers. Rather than simply admitting that each singer is different and has their own strengths and weaknesses they constantly compare and criticize.
Olzon: When I joined NIGHTWISH, I had very big shoes to fill and they didn't make it easy for me, the fans. It was a hard job for me to take, because the fans didn't approve of me. We sold more albums than NIGHTWISH ever had in the past, so in that way, I succeeded, but they made me feel very insecure and that I had to work so hard to be liked because of those comparisons with [former NIGHTWISH singer] Tarja [Turunen], which I find quite amusing, because we are so different. I think music is something where you can't compete, I don't think you can say who is best because we are all different and what you like may be something I don't like and I think we should stop comparing. They are quite fanatical, some of these fans, and I don't know why NIGHTWISH have this type of fan, because I don't think all bands have them, but there's something about NIGHTWISH that made these people quite fanatical.
PlanetMosh: There is also the fact that different voices work well on different things. I'm not sure how well Tarja's beautiful soprano voice would work on some of the songs from "Imaginarum", for instance, whereas your voice worked for them.
Olzon: Yes, and my voice wouldn't suit those first songs from [the debut NIGHTWISH album] "Angels Fall First", and I had some difficulty singing those songs. I think what the boys did when they changed Tarja for a new singer, they wanted something new, a new sound, but at the same time, maybe if they had chosen someone similar, maybe it would have been easier for everyone in a way, but since the guys wanted a new style, that was the choice and the fans should maybe tried to have accept it a bit more, and many of them did, of course, but it was hard for us all in many ways.
PlanetMosh: With any band breakup, there are bad memories but also hopefully good ones too. What is one of your best memories from your time with NIGHTWISH?
Olzon: I think it was when we won a big award in Germany called the Echo award, which is like a Grammy. The evening was just fantastic, I was there on the same stage with celebrities like Kylie Minogue and FOO FIGHTERS, and we actually won the prize over WITHIN TEMPTATION and FOO FIGHTERS, which was just amazing, I couldn't believe it, so that was a really nice evening, just to be a part of that big occasion, and Germany's such a huge country, you know, so it was just wonderful, so I think that is one of the best memories I have.
Read the entire interview at PlanetMosh.
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27 фев 2014
I AM HERESY: 'Seven Wolves And The Daughters Of Apocalypse' Lyric Video Released
 The official lyric video for the song "Seven Wolves And The Daughters Of Apocalypse" from the Delaware/New Jersey sextet I AM HERESY can be seen below. Not only do you get the chance to read the words, but the clip also shows live footage from I AM HERESY's last European tour in March 2013.
"Seven Wolves And The Daughters Of Apocalypse" is taken from I AM HERESY's second full-length album, "Thy Will", which will be released on March 4 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD was engineered and produced by John Ferrara at Portrait Studios, who also helmed I AM HERESY's "O Day Star, Son Of Dawn" EP. The new effort was mastered by Kevin Mattesky at Phantom Center Media.
The official video for the song "March Of The Black Earth" can be seen below.
I AM HERESY singer Nathan Gray had this to say about "March Of The Black Earth": "'March Of Black Earth', through symbolism and archetype, stands in defiance of the standard views of 'good' and 'evil.' It speaks of human exploration into a life without fear or reverence for imaginary deities, who are bent on suppressing our most natural desires. If those deities deem a lust for knowledge, freedom of our carnal self, and disobedience to be sinful, then let us become the best sinners we can be!"
He continued: "Each suffering character in the video represents self-sacrifice, killing what is left of our self-expression. The ominous beast in the plague mask represents each character's individual oppression. Their freedom is personified by the archetype Belial, or Baal ('without a master') who represents an infernal innocence, freedom, and mockery of self-imposed slavery. Hear the call... Free yourself from the bondage of self-denial, and accept the gift of sin!" I AM HERESY's sound is an eruption channeling the passionate hardcore/punk fury of early BOYSETSFIRE streaking ferociously down the middle of the metallic-tinged prowess and influences of fellow hardcore giants INTEGRITY and CONVERGE. Imposing. Frenetic. Unrelenting. And certainly unrepentant. After Nathan Gray (also of BOYSETSFIRE) ended THE CASTING OUT, the start of a new era was heralded when he teamed up with his son Simon Gray and a wild bunch of likeminded musicians to form I AM HERESY. They released a self-titled debut album that was followed by the "O Day Star, Son Of Dawn" EP shortly after in March of 2013. At about the same time, they did their first European tour as well as shows on the East Coast of the USA, including some with their new label mates of VATTNET VISKAR. Says Gray about "Thy Will": "A new ethos is born...Come ye daughters and sons of chaos and mystery! We intend to rebuild and create the archetypes of rebellion and revolution against self induced repression. Reveling in anthemic battle songs of lust, pride and indulgence in order to create a ritual purification from the stagnant impotence of servitude and self denial." I AM HERESY is:
Nathan Gray - VocalsJay Sin - GuitarSimon Gray - GuitarGregg Kautz - GuitarMatt Balog - BassCrumbs - Drums | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
SO HIDEOUS Signs With PROSTHETIC RECORDS
 Prosthetic Records has announced the signing of the acclaimed, genre-defying Brooklyn quartet SO HIDEOUS. The band's full-length debut, "Last Poem / First Light", will be released on April 29 on CD, cassette and 180-gram black vinyl. The CD was recorded at The Wild Arctic Studios in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Dean Baltulonis (LUCERO, MODERN LIFE IS WAR) and was mastered by Scott Hull (BOB DYLAN, GARBAGE) at MasterDisk. The albeffortum, which the band has stated takes influence from 20th-Century classical composers Phillip Glass and Arvo Part, also features support from the New York-based choral and instrumental ensemble The First Light Orchestra.
The album track "My Light" can be streamed using the widget below.
"Last Poem / First Light" track listing:
01. Rising 02. Stabat Mater03. My Light 04. Rhapsody 05. Last Poem 06. Glory
SO HIDEOUS, which features brothers Brandon (guitar) and Chris Cruz (vocals/bass) alongside longtime friends Danny Moncada (drums) and Etienne Vazquez (guitar), forms an emotionally diverse mélange of post-hardcore, symphonic black metal and experimental/shoegaze fused with classical influences.
Commented the group: "We couldn't be more excited to be working with the great team at Prosthetic to develop what this band started in 2008.
"2013 was a great year for us, but we're confident that 2014 has even bigger things in store for our fans.
"We greatly appreciate our fans, family and friends for helping us get this far. We're also extremely thankful to the team at Prosthetic for their confidence in us. We look forward to delivering our best work to date in the future." SO HIDEOUS recently performed alongside the likes of KYLESA, RIVERS OF NIHIL, BLACK CROWN INITIATE and VATTNET VISKAR, and will join forces with EAST OF THE WALL, MEEK IS MURDER and DIAMOND PLATE for a show in Brooklyn this Friday (Febraury 28).
Last Poem/First Light by So Hideous | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
I DECLARE WAR To Release 'We Are Violent People By Nature' In April
 Seattle deathcore heavyweights I DECLARE WAR will release their third studio album, "We Are Violent People By Nature", on April 15 via Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie. The CD was produced by BJ Sampson.
"We Are Violent People By Nature" track listing:
01. Quiet02. Tomb Sleep03. Blurred Vision04. Black Heart05. Noose06. Shadow Man07. A Dark Hole To Crawl Into08. The Band Man09. Eternal I Sleep10. We Are Violent People By Nature
The new song "Quiet" can be streamed below.
The band is currently on the "Die Without Hope" tour with CARNIFEX and supporting acts HERE COMES THE KRAKEN, ASSASSINS and LORNA SHORE.
Formed in 2007, I DECLARE WAR has released two full-length albums, "Malevolence" (2010) and "I Declare War" (2011), through Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie.
I DECLARE WAR is Jamie Hanks (vocals), Gordon McPherson (bass), John Winters (guitar), Jacob Hansen (guitar) and Colin Bradford (drums). The band is managed by Scott Lee and Cody Grup at Crimson Management.
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27 фев 2014
PRONG: 'Ruining Lives' Album Details Revealed
 PRONG's new album, "Ruining Lives", will be released through Steamhammer/SPV in Scandinavia on April 23, in Germany on April 25, in the rest of Europe on April 28 and in the U.S./Canada on May 13. It will be made available as a limited digipak version including one bonus track and poster, as a double gatefold colored vinyl version including one bonus track and the CD in cardboard sleeve, as a standard version and download.
"Ruining Lives" is the follow-up to the acclaimed 2012 release "Carved Into Stone" and continues to show the band on an upward trajectory, proving that despite having a long, illustrious career PRONG can still make records that matter and re-invent themselves without negating their roots.
With Tommy Victor in the producer's chair and Steve Evetts (HATEBREED, SICK OF IT ALL, SEPULTURA) once again coming in to put his trademark shine on the record, "Ruining Lives" has turned out to be a monster of an album. From the first riff assault of the opener "Turnover", the album takes you on an angst-filled roller coaster ride that marries some very old-school "Beg To Differ" elements with post-punk, industrial metal, hardcore thrash, all the while retaining a modern and current feel. Fans of the bands legendary, genre-defining "Cleansing" era and new fans alike will be thrilled.
Says Tommy Victor: "This is the fastest written and recorded PRONG album ever and it has more great songs than any previous PRONG record. I am particularly proud of the vocal performance and I think we captured some outstanding sounds on this album.
"There's a little bit of a throwback element here.
"'Ruining Lives' is almost a 'Force Fed' type of song.
"The album is a hybrid between New York hardcore and some very modern, song-oriented work.
"You will find some 'Rude Awakening' but also some solid, crushing riffs.
"I feel we have captured the best elements of PRONG on this album.
"'Come To Realize' is something new — we have never approached this kind of time signature. It really is math metal meets pure hardcore with a crazy-ass riff.
"What's exciting about the whole album is you have your hooks, your riffs and something innovative that makes the album very current.
"This qualifies as the hybrid nature of PRONG: marrying post-punk, industrial metal, hardcore thrash and modern elements — all of that with hooks and not just a bunch of screaming."
"Ruining Lives" digipak track listing:
01. Turnover
02. The Barriers
03. Windows Shut
04. Remove, Separate Self
05. Ruining Lives
06. Absence Of Light
07. The Book Of Change
08. Self Will Run Riot
09. Come To Realize
10. Chamber Of Thought
11. Limitations And Validations
12. Retreat (bonus track)
Jewel-case track listing:
01. Turnover
02. The Barriers
03. Windows Shut
04. Remove, Separate Self
05. Ruining Lives
06. Absence Of Light
07. The Book Of Change
08. Self Will Run Riot
09. Come To Realize
10. Chamber Of Thought
11. Limitations And Validations
Vinyl version track listing:
LP1 Side 1
01. Turnover
02. The Barriers
03. Windows Shut
LP1 Side 2
01. Remove, Separate Self
02. Ruining Lives
03. Absence Of Light
LP2 Side 1
01. The Book Of Change
02. Self Will Run Riot
03. Come To Realize
LP2 Side 2
01. Chamber Of Thought
02. Limitations And Validations
03. Retreat (bonus track)
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27 фев 2014
WINGER To Release 'Better Days Comin'' In April
 One of the most misunderstood hard rock bands to come out of the '80s is returning with its first album in five years. WINGER — Kip Winger on vocals/bass, Reb Beach on guitar, John Roth on guitar and Rod Morgenstein on drums — will release "Better Days Comin'" in North America on April 22 via Frontiers Records. The effort is available for pre-order on Amazon.com in a standard and deluxe configuration. The deluxe edition comes in a glossy digipak and includes the bonus track "Another Beautiful Day" and a DVD including a "Making Of The Album" documentary as well as videos for the first single "Rat Race" and title track, "Better Days Comin'". An iTunes pre-order will be available soon.
WINGER has always been known for its incredible musicianship and the trend continues on "Better Days Comin'".
"On 'Better Days Comin'', we drew from our past to elaborate on our future," explains Kip Winger.
"The band is stronger than ever and very excited about the music on this record. We feel this album exemplifies the true sound of the band in every way."
From the opening riff of album opener "Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine" to the final outro lick of "Out Of This World", it is clear WINGER is back and better than ever. Hard-rocking songs like "Queen Babylon", progressive-rock movements like "Tin Soldier", and touching ballads like "Ever Wonder" show the band's diversity while always centering on great songs.
The debut single from "Better Days Comin'" is the adrenaline-fueled rocker "Rat Race" that showcases some of the band's best work of its 25-year career.
"Better Days Comin'" track listing: 01. Midnight Driver of a Love Machine 02. Queen Babylon03. Rat Race04. Better Days Comin'05. Tin Soldier06. Ever Wonder07. So Long China08. Storm In Me09. Be Who You Are, Now10. Another Beautiful Day (deluxe edition bonus track)11. Out Of This World
WINGER formed in the late 1980s and soared to immediate success with its 1988 self-titled release. The album spawned the hit singles "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak" and achieved platinum sales status. "Winger" also stayed on The Billboard 200 chart for over 60 weeks where it peaked at #21. Their next album, "In The Heart Of The Young", also achieved platinum status behind the singles "Can't Get Enuff" and "Miles Away". The change in musical climate of the mid-'90s, compounded with unprovoked ridicule on MTV's popular "Beavis And Butt-Head" show, led the band to go on hiatus in 1994. In 2001, WINGER reunited and has not looked back since.
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27 фев 2014
LAMB OF GOD's RANDY BLYTHE Composing Music For Richmond Ballet
 Vocalist Randy Blythe of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD tells Radio.com that he is working on a piece of music for the Richmond Ballet. He says: Their New Works Festival, my buddy is choreographing that, he's a professional ballet dance. I'm composing that right now."
He continues: "I'm not a pianist or anything, but I have the ear to write music. I can't play guitar or whatever, but with the way digital editing is, you can compose little tiny bits at a time. It's a lot of fun and I think I’m going to get my buddy Alex Skolnick from TESTAMENT to lay some atmospheric guitar tracks on that, and we'll be in the ballet world!"
LAMB OF GOD recently entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for its Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013. "As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.
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27 фев 2014
WHITECHAPEL To Release 'Our Endless War' In April
 Returning with the fifth full-length of their decimating career, there is no stopping the juggernaut that is WHITECHAPEL. Due on April 29 via Metal Blade, "Our Endless War" is the culmination of everything the Knoxville, Tennessee sextet has worked toward since its inception. A ruthlessly honed album that refuses to compromise on brutality, it is also by far their most streamlined, atmospheric, and emotionally powerful release, pushing every aspect of their sound to the next level.
"In typical WHITECHAPEL fashion, this CD takes the sound we have been developing over the past 8 years of our career and pushes it to new levels," says guitarist Alex Wade.
"We want each record we release to sound different, and this one is no exception.
"With dashes of every record we have done so far mixed with the intensity of a new sound, this record is sure to please fans of WHITECHAPEL, old and new."
Having progressed with every record, on "Whitechapel" the band took a stylistic leap forward, garnering a whole army of new fans and greater critical respect in the process. This determination is immediately apparent. Having started to "seriously" write in February of 2013, the album was a year in the making, the band letting the writing develop organically while putting everything under a microscope, working harder on perfecting every song than they ever had before.
Famed for their three-guitar lineup, the band has always packed a crushing sonic punch, but on "Our Endless War", they take greater advantage of this than previously. Frequently, the seven-stringers build dramatic, incredibly heavy walls of thrilling noise through interweaving their parts, making for a sonic richness that pulls listeners even further into the songs. As with all of WHITECHAPEL's releases, the heaviness does not just stem from the music but Phil Bozeman's lyrics, showing characteristic diversity across the record's ten tracks.
When it came to tracking the album the band considered no one beyond Mark Lewis, who helmed "Whitechapel".
"Making the self-titled record went so well, we loved the way it came out, our label loved the way it came out, and our fans kept telling us that it was our best sounding record so it would have been stupid not to work with him again!" laughs Wade. For the artwork, the band turned again to Aaron Marsh, who supplied "Whitechapel" with its stark, arresting imagery, but again they wanted to push things to the next level.
"With the sound maturing, we felt like the artwork needed to reflect that," says Wade. "We also introduced a new logo — our old logo is classic WHITECHAPEL, and that's not something we plan on getting rid of, but as the band grows and changes we felt like we needed the logo to represent the maturity of this new WHITECHAPEL."
Leading up to the release of "Our Endless War", WHITECHAPEL has confirmed a string of dates, including an appearance at this year's New England Metal & Hardcore Festival. These dates will being April 16 in Columbus, Ohio and run through April 27 in Birmingham, Alabama. These shows feature support from CARNIFEX, WITHIN THE RUINS and CRUELHAND. More dates including a North American co-headlining North American tour are in the works and will be announced shortly.
"Our Endless War" track listing:
01. Rise
02. Our Endless War
03. The Saw is the Law
04. Mono
05. Let Me Burn
06. Worship the Digital Age
07. How Times Have Changed
08. Psychopathy
09. Blacked Out
10. Diggs Road
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27 фев 2014
Drummer GUS RIOS Quits MALEVOLENT CREATION
 According to Sick Drummer Magazine, drummer Gus Rios has left Florida death metal veterans MALEVOLENT CREATION. He explains in a statement: "After several years, I have decided to part ways permanently with MALEVOLENT CREATION. The simple reason is personal differences.
"I appreciate all of the people I've worked with during my time with the band and want to thank all of them. I'm sure we'll work together again in the future with another band. Most of all, I would like to thank all of the fans who have supported the band! I'm sure you will continue to support. "This opens me up for bands in need of a touring and/or recording drummer, as well as a full-time position if the situation is right.
"I can be reached on my Facebook page."
Rios joined MALEVOLENT CREATION in 2008 as the replacement for Dave Culross. Rios recorded and co-mixed the band's tenth studio album, "Doomsday X", and laid down the drum tracks on MALEVOLENT CREATION's 2010 CD, "Invidious Dominion". MALEVOLENT CREATION recently finished recording its new album. The CD CD is expected to include the tracks "Corporate Weaponry" and "Face Your Fear", the latter of which can be streamed below. The song was recorded, produced and mixed at Rios' studio, Riversound Productions, except for the vocals, which were laid down with Jim Nickles at his Shredly Studios.
"We are still debating how we are going to go about releasing new music," Gus Rios told Decibel back in August 2013.
"For a band like ours, with 11 albums and more than 110 songs, it's just not making sense to record 10 new songs. We are thinking (still not 100%) that doing EPs might be the way. That way we can concentrate on writing five really good songs and play them all live as well.
"We don't want to be a band that has to rely on its past. We want to write songs that are good enough that people will want to hear them live, as well as the 'classics.' And realistically, we would only do about five songs off of any new album anyway due to the extensive catalog."
Regarding how MALEVOLENT CREATION has managed to retain its musical identity after going through so many lineup changes over the course of the last 20 years, Rios told Rádio Evil: "Since 1997, pretty much every single MALEVOLENT CREATION song anybody's ever heard, me and Phil [Fasciana, guitar] actually wrote. I live in Fort Lauderdale, and so does Phil, and that's the songwriting nucleus of MALEVOLENT. So as long as the two of us are still in the band, it's always gonna sound like MALEVOLENT CREATION, you know what I mean?! That's the consistency of the band — the primary songwriters. And then, of course, Brett [Hoffman, vocals]."
MALEVOLENT CREATION's latest album, "Invidious Dominion", was released in August 2010 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records (in Europe through Massacre). The effort was made available in various territories as a regular CD; digipack with bonus material; and vinyl LP.
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27 фев 2014
DOWN: Fan-Filmed Video Footage Of Sydney Concert
 Fan-filmed video footage of DOWN's February 23 performance in Sydney, Australia as part of this year's Soundwave festival can be seen below.
DOWN recently completed work on its new EP for a spring release. The CD was recorded at singer Philip Anselmo's New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair and is the second in a series of EPs to be released over the next few years, each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound.
Speaking about the band's new material, guitarist Pepper Keenan told the "Metal Hammer" radio show: "It's kind of slight continuation of the first EP, but it's a little bit more… It's hard to say, man… It's more… I wouldn't say 'aggressive,' but it's definitely got some freaky guitar stuff on it. And it's definitely got a pretty good groove factor. And we spent a lot of time trying to make all the songs [fit together stylistically]. We had several songs that didn't quite match it, so we kind of [set them aside] and we're gonna move them to another EP. But it's got a super-heavy vibe to it, man. I mean, I'm really excited about it. Everybody in the band is excited about it."
He continued: "We wrote it kind of like we did the 'NOLA' record. Each one of us had some riffs and we got in a room and we just hashed it out like the old days — just going off each person's experiences and ideas. Everybody's ideas were valid, and it really ended up being well rounded and slamming. It was [a] very creative [process], let's put it that way. Actually, it was surprising some of us how much we really still got it."
Pepper also spoke about the cover theme for the next DOWN EP and how it will be connected to last year's "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP".
"When the second [EP] comes out, you'll see it as being an extension of the last cover," Pepper said. "So number 2 is gonna connect sideways to number 1, and you'll start to see a morphing kind of process. There's some kind of liquid light kind of thing that's kind of melding across as you go… I hate to quote the overall color, but I believe it's something like orange. I haven't looked at it in a while. It might not be orange yet, but it's heading in that direction."
Released in September 2012, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Guitarist Kirk Windstein left DOWN last fall and was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, the band's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER), and HONKY.
"I couldn't feel more blessed," Landgraf, 48, said in an interview. "Phil could've gotten anyone to play guitar, but I've been jamming with them during soundchecks, so they know we can play together."
"It's really a dream come true," added Landgraf. "It's what you're working for all those years."
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27 фев 2014
ROB ZOMBIE Ditches Hockey Film For New Horror Movie
 According to The Pulse Of Radio, Rob Zombie has revealed that he has scrapped his plan to make a hockey movie called "Broad Street Bullies" in favor of another movie in the genre he's most associated with, horror. Zombie told New Zealand's 3 News that despite working on his sports film for nearly two years, he suddenly came up with a new idea for a horror movie that his producers loved and immediately wanted to set up. Zombie explained, "That turned into a weird bidding war and that became the next film." Zombie admitted to The Pulse Of Radio a while back that it's been tough for him to break out of the horror genre. "The movies I've made up to this point have been pretty dark and pretty much in that world because those are the opportunities that were presented," he explained. "You know, the people that put up the money for these things know that if I stick to that sort of thing, it's easily more profitable. So it's a much bigger challenge to break out of it."
"Broad Street Bullies" was going to be about the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team of the 1970s that were famous for beating the Soviet Union's team at the time and notorious for their violent tactics on the ice.
Zombie did not divulge any details of the new movie's plot, but hinted that it may be in the same vein as one of his earlier films, the fan favorite "The Devil's Rejects". He said, "I think it's something fans of the other stuff will like. Probably fans of 'The Devil's Rejects' will enjoy (it) the most. It's not connected to that film, but it's more on that headspace."
Zombie's last film, "The Lords Of Salem", came out last year in limited theatrical release before heading to home video.
Zombie will kick off a 12-date run of shows on April 26 in Fort Myers, Florida at the Fort Rock festival, mixing other major rock festival stops with headlining shows before wrapping up on May 10 in Camden, New Jersey. | 0 | |
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27 фев 2014
MATT SORUM'S FIERCE JOY: More 'Stratosphere' Album Details Revealed
 Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and legendary drummer of GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER and THE CULT, Matt Sorum will release his new album, "Stratosphere", under the moniker MATT SORUM'S FIERCE JOY on March 11 on Rok Dok Recordings via Kobalt Label Services.
"Stratosphere" is major departure from the hard-hitting rock Sorum is best known for. His intense passion for animal and human rights, and need to give back heavily influenced the narrative and acoustic orchestration of the album.
"Over the years, I've been influenced by my surroundings and sometimes that hasn't always been for the better," says Sorum. "But after years of soul searching, I organically fell into a different state of mind.
"With many lessons learned along the way, it seemed like the perfect time to do a record in my own voice, if you will. It's as real and exposed as anything I've ever offered my in my career, and I hope you enjoy it."
Besides stepping behind the mic for lead vocals, Sorum wrote the entire album, and plays acoustic guitar and piano.
"I've always played acoustic, so I wanted to use that as the feel of the record," Matt says.
"I chose the musicians I wanted by records they had played on, and diverse instruments such as mellotron, slide guitar and ethnic percussion.
"I always wanted orchestration, so this album was the canvas for that as well."
Pre-order "Stratosphere" now on iTunes and get an instant download of "The Sea".
Check out the first webisode (in a series of 5) about of the making of "Stratosphere" below.
MATT SORUM'S FIERCE JOY - "Stratosphere" track listing:
01. Intro - Stratosphere Part 1
02. The Sea
03. What Ziggy Says
04. For the Wild Ones
05. Goodbye To You
06. Gone
07. Lady of the Stone
08. Ode to Nick Drake
09. Blue
10. Josephine
11. Land of the Pure
12. Killers N Lovers
13. The Lonely Teardrop
14. Outro - Stratosphere Part 2
Speaking to The Street, Sorum stated about his inspiration for the "Stratosphere" CD: "I'm known as a rock guy, but I've always loved so many diverse artists. I was a huge Joni Mitchell fan; I remember listening to a lot of her records back to back. Neil Young, Tom Petty, THE BEATLES, of course, and I was a huge Bowie fan. I was also into progressive stuff, like early GENESIS, Peter Gabriel era. You can hear that influence on the new album; there are a couple of songs that have some interesting time changes.
"I've always dabbled on the acoustic guitar, and I wrote a couple songs for VELVET REVOLVER. In GUNS N' ROSES, Axl [Rose] and Slash looked to me for arrangements. I wasn't the predominant songwriter, but I've always been involved in the process.
"When I put 'Stratosphere' together, I actually had a lot of it on cassette. I'd been writing the songs over the years, and I wanted to do an album that was just coming from me, regardless of anyone's expectations."
Asked if MATT SORUM'S FIERCE JOY will go out on tour, Sorum said: "We're going to tour, but it isn't going to be a typical rock show. If I'm going to front a band, I can't see myself, at my age, jumping up and playing rock and roll the way Dave Grohl does. Dave pulls it off, running around the stage with an electric guitar. But would that feel right for me? How can I make this feel natural, a natural progression, growing into the man that I finally feel that I am, and saying what I want to say now?"
Sorum played a brand new solo song entitled "The Sea" on November 18, 2013 at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. Fan-filmed video footage of performance — featuring Sorum on guitar and vocals — can be seen below.
Sorum told The Street about the track: "I wrote that song on acoustic, then piano.
"I always heard the desert was a cool place to write, so I headed out to Joshua Tree. Then in my hometown, we used to go to a little beach getaway called the Surf and Sand, and I wrote the lyric to 'The Sea' there. I was sitting on a balcony, overlooking the ocean, thinking about life. I started thinking about the sea as a metaphor for spiritual awakening."
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27 фев 2014
BABYMETAL: 'Give Me Choco!!' Video Released
 "Give Me Choco!!", the new video from BABYMETAL — the heavy metal offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and death metal — can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's debut album, which was released today (February 26) via Toy's Factory. The effort was made available in regular and limited editions. The CD includes five of BABYMETAL's singles that were released in 2011 - 2013, from "Doki Doki Morning" (digital single) to "Megitsune", their B-sides and three new songs.
As previously repoted, BABYMETAL will become the youngest artists to ever appear at Tokyo Nippon Budokan when they take the stage at the famed venue on March 1 and March 2.
Sayuri Iwai, previous holder of the title, made her Budokan debut at 15 years old and one month. She will be usurped by Suzuka Nakamoto (16), Moa Kikuchi (14) and Yui Mizono (14), who hold a mean age of 14.6 years.
BABYMETAL released its first-ever concert Blu-ray, "Live ～Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse～", on November 20, 2013 (the limited-edition DVD box was issued on October 19). The set contains footage of the band's performances at Shibuya O-East (October 2012), Akasaka Blitz (December 2012) and Zepp Tokyo (February 2013).
BABYMETAL last year embarked on the "Death Match Tour 2013" and was accompanied by a "full metal band."
In the spring of 2013, Suzuka Nakamoto graduated from junior high school and therefore had to "graduate" from the group SAKURA GAKUIN (which consists of girls of up to junior high). However, it was decided by the management that BABYMETAL would not dissolve and would continue their activities as a band.
BABY METAL is:
Su-Metal - Vocals and DanceMoametal - Screamer and DanceYuimetal - Screamer and Dance
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27 фев 2014
OF MICE & MEN: 'Bones Exposed' Video Released
 "Bones Exposed", the new video from the California-based rock quintet OF MICE & MEN, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's third studio album, "Restoring Force", which sold around 51,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on January 28 via Rise Records.
The follow-up to OF MICE & MEN's 2011's "The Flood", "Restoring Force" was recorded at House Of Loud in New Jersey and was produced by David Bendeth (PARAMORE, PAPA ROACH, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BREAKING BENJAMIN).
"What happens after a disaster? What happens after 'The Flood'?" asks the band's frontman Austin Carlile. "You return to normal. You find balance again. That's what we felt like we were doing with ['Restoring Force']. We wanted this record to bring equilibrium back to our band and music. We're letting everyone know that we're here to stay. We're 'Restoring Force'." "The Flood" was originally released on June 14, 2011 and received a re-release on July 24, 2012 and included four new tracks. "The Flood" debuted at No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart and was hailed by the New York Times as "one of the year's most bruising rock debuts." Alternative Press called the album a "genuine statement of artistic purpose." Rock Sound declared the release "a truly memorable, hip-shaking face-breaker of epic proportions." To this date, "The Flood" has sold over 125,000 copies and has been streamed nearly 16,000,000 times on YouTube, making it one of the most successful releases in Rise Records' 22 years of operation. The band has brought their memorable live show to audiences around the world having sold out multiple headlining tours domestically and internationally. OF MICE & MEN is Austin Carlile (vocals), Alan Ashby (guitar), Valentino Arteaga (drums), Aaron Pauley (vocals / bass) and Phil Manansala (guitar). | 0 | |
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