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7 ôåâ 2014
AMORAL: 'Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows' LP Trailer (Video)
 A trailer for the vinyl version of "Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows", the recently completed sixth album from Finnish metallers AMORAL, can be seen below.
AMORAL will celebrate the release of "Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows" by playing a special show at Virgin Oil Co. in Helsinki on February 28. The concert — the band's first in almost a year — will see the group perform the entire new CD in sequence, followed by a set of songs from AMORAL's decade-long career.
"We got the itch to try and play the whole new album through live pretty soon after completing it," says AMORAL guitarist Ben Varon. "At least this one time. It's quite a challenge, starting our first show in ages with an hour of all-new music, but it's a challenge we welcome with open arms!"
"Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows" will be released on February 14. The effort will be available on CD, double vinyl and digital download. Aki Siltala, the artist behind the covers of previous AMORAL albums "Decrowning" and "Reptile Ride" is again responsible for the cover artwork.
"Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows" track listing:
01. On The Other Side Pt. I (7:14)02. No Familiar Faces (4:07)03. Prolong A Stay (7:39)04. Blueprints (4:20)05. If Not Here, Where? (9:15)06. The Storm Arrives (6:25)07. See This Through (6:39)08. On The Other Side Pt. II (9:14)
"'Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows' is a concept album, and 'If Not Here, Where?' sits right in the middle of the album and the story, marking a turning point in the protagonist's journey," says Ben Varon.
"We wanted the first taster to really represent the whole album. Also, 'If Not Here, Where?' being such a massive chunk of music, almost like two songs in one, it will take some time for listeners to digest it all."
AMORAL's fifth album, "Beneath", entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 30.
AMORAL is:
Ari Koivunen (RASKASTA JOULUA) - VocalsBen Varon (GREASE HELMET) - GuitarMasi Hukari - GuitarPekka Johansson - BassJuhana Karlsson (SHEAR) – Drums
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7 ôåâ 2014
Denmark's STATEMENT To Release 'Monsters' In March
 Danish hard rockers STATEMENT will release their debut album, "Monsters", on March 17 via Mighty Music. The CD was recorded at Fastbeat Studio in Copenhagen, while vocal recording, mix and mastering was handled by internationally acclaimed sound wizard Tue Madsen at Antfarm studio in Aarhus, Denmark.
A video for the track "Keep You Alive" from the upcoming album can be seen below.
The story of STATEMENT started in 2011, when Niels Alex — drummer of now-defunct Danish metallers PILGRIMZ — met up with longtime friend and vocalist Jannick Brochdorf. Niels Alex was already an experienced musician on the Danish metal scene and has been playing in bands since 1994. With PILGRIMZ, he played shows alongside bands like MOTÖRHEAD, GOJIRA, CARCASS, THE HAUNTED and VOLBEAT, to name a few. But then Niels Alex wanted to do something else and ditched the drums in favor of the guitar and his love for classic hard rock. The lineup was completed with the addition of bassist Martin Poulsen from the death/grind band DRAB, drummer Peter Thomsen — who has supported EUROPE and TESLA with his former band SODE — and finally guitarist Jesper Steen Noachsen.
All five members were inspired by classical hard rock/metal acts such as SCORPIONS, LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and METALLICA. So even though the majority of the band had been playing extreme metal for about 20 years, they all went back with a newfound love for their musical roots and the times of exploration. | 0 | |
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7 ôåâ 2014
TWISTED SISTER To Celebrate 30th Anniversary Of 'Stay Hungry' Album
 TWISTED SISTER will play a special warmup show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's "Stay Hungry" album on May 17 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. Also scheduled to appear is Stephen Pearcy of RATT.
The 25th-anniversary edition of "Stay Hungry" came out in June 2009 via Rhino. The set featured loads of bonus material, including one brand new track, "30", that the band recorded specifically for the anniversary reissue.
In a 2009 interview with Examiner.com, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider stated about the 25th-anniversary edition of the "Stay Hungry" album: "Twenty-fifth anniversary, and yeah, it's pretty amazing to think that 25 years have passed. It's amazing to see the significance of the record, you know, the original, and how many times I hear people saying, 'This was my primer to heavy metal,' or 'I was a disco boy or pop princess before I got my 'Stay Hungry' record and it changed my life.' And then you've got 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock', which sort of started — especially 'We're Not Gonna Take It' — to transcend even the genre and become almost folk songs. I may be a little over-exaggerating at this point, but everybody knows that song and it pops up everywhere — anybody that's got a complaint about anything: 'We're Not Gonna Take It!' So it's really strange to see it take on a life of its own."
He continued: "I remember, and plus it was weird, late one night on one tour when we were in Connecticut in a real urban area, and the bus had stopped, I had to make a phone call because there were no cell phones in those days. So it's like the middle of the night and I'm on a payphone and a carload of African-Americans drive by, and they look out the window and go, 'Hey, that's that guy from TWISTED SISTER!' And I was like, holy crap, talk about crossing genres.
"But I think for TWISTED, the video did the crossing over and took the song with it. Not that the song wasn't certainly embraced, and a lot of people think the video made the song, but the fact was 'We're Not Gonna Take It' was added at 145 radio stations the first week it came out and that was two weeks before the video even hit. And just so you know, that's a lot of radio stations to play a heavy metal band in 1984. So the song itself spoke for itself, but the video reinforced it; when it came to crossing the pop world and into the urban world and all these other communities, I think the video — you know, movies are a common bond — and people watched the movie and got hooked on the song. Plus it was groundbreaking — no one was doing videos like that.
"Whenever they have the 'Top 100 Videos of All Time', 'We're Not Gonna Take It' always shows up. And as a matter of fact — and this is a little-known fact about the video — when 'We're Not Gonna Take It' was delivered to MTV, I believe the guy's name was Les Garland, but I'm not sure, he hated it, he was hostile. The reaction was, 'This is not rock video, this is method acting.' And they never allowed 'We're Not Gonna Take It' to go out of medium rotation, and as much as, you know, that song that was medium rotation, but it had such a connection that people waited for that thing to come on. And the funny thing is when we delivered 'I Wanna Rock', which was basically the sequel to 'We're Not Gonna Take It', the reaction was, 'Ah, now this is a rock video!' So either the perception had changed within the company or they were just sort of covering their tracks from their denial of it being a real video into the first place. But then, of course, there were so many videos that started following our formula after that it was ridiculous."
Asked whether the TWISTED SISTER guys had any inkling at all when they were writing and arranging "Stay Hungry" that it was something special, Dee said: "You know, no. It's just like we were on a path. It was 'Under The Blade', and that independent record led to our major record deal with Atlantic, 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll', and that broke in Europe, namely, and then it spilled over the United States. And we knew they were going to pull out all the stops on the record. As far as writing goes, I was just writing more music. And one thing a lot of people have said was, ''Stay Hungry' was TWISTED SISTER's go-commercial, selling out.' And I always laugh, because it was anything but. That album was written in 1982.
"What I would do is when we were working on 'Under The Blade', I was writing songs for the next album, and in all the down time between sessions, I was working the songs. So I was writing 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll' when 'Under The Blade' was being recorded. When we were recording 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll', I was writing 'Stay Hungry'. And we couldn't have been more broke, we couldn't have been hungrier. So there really was no commercialization or selling out or anything like that. I mean, the biggest hat-tilt towards commercialization was assigning Tom Werman, who was this pop producer, who was cleaning up people like Ted Nugent and MÖTLEY CRÜE, and they figured, 'Hey, we can clean these guys up too.' So I'll tell you what, I'm looking at something right here — I have this laminated and actually taped to my triple-platinum 'Stay Hungry' album on my wall in my studio where I am right now. And during the recording I was really having a lot of problems with our producer, Tom Werman, and we just didn't agree and I really felt like he was compromising the record, and it was a real struggle for me to try to keep the band's integrity. He wanted to clean us up even more, you know, and I was really frustrated and the engineer, Geoff Workman, who really is responsible for all of the positive things on that record as far as sound and everything. And he said, 'What's the matter, man?' And I said, 'Fricking Tom is killing my record, he's pissing me off!' He goes, 'Relax dude, this record is guaranteed to go platinum.' And I said, 'You want to put that in writing?' And he goes, 'Yeah, I'll put that in writing.' So what it says here on this laminated page — it's written on an old note sheet, it says: 'The record that I am currently working on with TWISTED SISTER [because we didn't have a name yet] is guaranteed to go at least platinum or I resign. Signed: Geoff Workman. Witnessed: Gary McGachan [who was the assistant engineer].' So, he knew."
(Thanks: NJthrasher) | 0 | |
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7 ôåâ 2014
EVOCATION Recruits ANATA Drummer
 Swedish death metallers EVOCATION have announced the addition of drummer Conny Pettersson (ANATA) to the group's ranks.
Comments Conny: "I'm proud to be the new drummer of EVOCATION and I have much respect for Janne and Vesa and the work they have done this far. Now I'm looking forward to face the challenges we have before us and excited to see what music we can create together!"
A video clip of Conny playing "Weak Aside" by BLOODBATH can be seen below.
EVOCATION recently recruited Simon Exner (AS YOU DROWN) as the band's new guitarist.
Simon and the other members of AS YOU DROWN have been close friends of EVOCATION since the reunion in 2005 and Simon has also worked for EVOCATION as a member of their crew and a studio engineer.
Commented Exner: "I've been a close friend with the band ever since 'Tales From The Tomb', following them on shows and also working with them on the tracking of their latest release, 'Excised And Anatomised'.
"When Marko approached me regarding the open spot as guitarist in EVOCATION, I didn't hesitate one second. We work great together in the studio and the new tracks written so far for the next album are truly KILLER!"
EVOCATION's "Excised And Anatomised" covers EP contained versions of songs that were originally written and recorded by BOLT THROWER, CARCASS, NAPALM DEATH, EDGE OF SANITY and AT THE GATES.
EVOCATION's fourth studio album, "Illusions Of Grandeur", was released in September 2012 via Century Media Records. | +1 | |
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7 ôåâ 2014
METALLICA, ROB HALFORD, MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS Featured On RONNIE JAMES DIO Tribute Album
 Ronnie James Dio is one of the most beloved figures in rock history. His gifts, both as a singer and songwriter, are instantly recognizable, whether he was with RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, or leading DIO. Sadly, Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010 but his towering voice and legacy live on.
To celebrate one of rock's most powerful voices, an all-star group of his friends and fans recorded 13 of their favorite tracks for a tribute album that will raise funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. Produced by his longtime manager and wife Wendy Dio, the album includes contributions by such metal heavyweights as METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD, SCORPIONS, ANTHRAX, and Rob Halford, as well as appearances by many of the musicians who performed with Dio over the years.
"This Is Your Life" will be available from Rhino on April 1. A digital version will also be available.
Although the songs featured on the album touch on the different eras of Dio's career, several spotlight his time with RAINBOW, including METALLICA's epic, nine-minute "Ronnie Rising Medley", which combines the RAINBOW songs "A Light In The Black", "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer" and "Kill The King". SCORPIONS add a scorching take on "Temple Of The King" while MOTÖRHEAD is joined by Biff Byford from SAXON on "Starstruck". Rob Halford teams with frequent Dio collaborators Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, and Scott Warren for "Man On The Silver Mountain". The final lineup of Dio's solo band — Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo and Scott Warren — are joined by Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) for "Catch The Rainbow", a track from RAINBOW's 1975 debut.
ANTHRAX and ADRENALINE MOB honor Dio's memorable stint with BLACK SABBATH with their takes on "Neon Knights" and "The Mob Rules", respectively, as does a group, led by Oni Logan on vocals along with Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, and Brian Tichy, which performs "I" from "Dehumanizer".
"This Is Your Life" also includes songs from Dio's back-to-back platinum albums "Holy Diver" (1983) and "The Last In Line" (1984), with DORO's take on "Egypt (The Chains Are On)", HALESTORM tackling "Straight Through The Heart", Corey Taylor (STONE SOUR, SLIPKNOT) covering the classic "Rainbow In The Dark" and TENACIOUS D (Jack Black and Kyle Glass) putting their signature spin on "The Last In Line". KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's cover of "Holy Diver", a hit in its own right when released in 2006, is also included here.
Fittingly, Ronnie James Dio provides the finale (and the album's title) with his moving performance of "This Is Your Life". Originally released on "Angry Machines" (1996), the song's lyrics explore mortality and are backed by a stark and beautiful arrangement that features Dio accompanied only by his longtime keyboardist Scott Warren on piano. The song serves as a poignant reminder that we will never hear a voice like Dio's again.
"I'm letting them pick what songs they wanna do in the way they wanna do it," Wendy told Artisan News in 2011.
"We reached out to Wendy Dio about wanting to be a part of the Dio tribute that's getting put together," METALLICA singer James Hetfield told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. "We're very honored to be a part of that, and to be a part of a celebration of Ronnie's life and his great contribution, man."
In an interview with Guitar International, former ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano stated that the band's cover version of "Neon Knights" "came out pretty smoking."
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.
"This Is Your Life" track listing:
01. "Neon Knights" - ANTHRAX * 02. "The Last In Line" - TENACIOUS D * 03. "The Mob Rules" - ADRENALINE MOB 04. "Rainbow In The Dark" - Corey Taylor, Roy Mayorga, Satchel, Christian Martucci, Jason Christopher * 05. "Straight Through The Heart" - HALESTORM * 06. "Starstruck" - MOTÖRHEAD with Biff Byford * 07. "Temple Of The King" - SCORPIONS * 08. "Egypt (The Chains Are On)" - DORO 09. "Holy Diver" - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE 10. "Catch The Rainbow" - Glenn Hughes, Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren * 11. "I" - Oni Logan, Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, Brian Tichy * 12. "Man On The Silver Mountain" - Rob Halford, Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, Scott Warren * 13. "Ronnie Rising Medley" (featuring "A Light In The Black", "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer", "Kill The King") - METALLICA * 14. "This Is Your Life" - DIO
* Previously unreleased
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a privately funded 501(c)(3) charity organization which has already raised more than $600,000 in its short history. Monies raised to date have been committed to the cancer research work of the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research and the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life.
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7 ôåâ 2014
VOLBEAT: 'Lonesome Rider' Video Released
 "Lonesome Rider", the new Plastickid-directed video from Danish/American rockers VOLBEAT, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", which was re-released in a special "tour edition" on November 4, 2013. The new version of the act's fifth studio album contains new bonus tracks and a live DVD. The latter features footage of the group performing at a number of major summer festivals in Europe, including the Download festival in the U.K., Rock Am Ring and Rock'n'Heim in Germany, Hellfest in France and Denmark's Roskilde Festival.
Speaking about "Lonesome Rider", VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen told Ultimate-Guitar.com, "On that song, we have Sarah Blackwood as a guest singer. She's formerly known as the frontperson in CREEPSHOW, which is a Canadian rockabilly band, and now she's in a band called WALK OFF THE EARTH. We knew her from back when we wanted to bring CREEPSHOW on tour."
He added: "It may sound strange, but I'm not really into white female singers, I think they all sound the same; I'm so much more into black female singers when it comes to vocals.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, and there's going to be a lot of white female singers out there who will think I'm an idiot, but that's just the way I feel.
"But Sarah definitely has her own thing. She did a great job and her signing sounds beautiful on the record." "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" debuted at No. 1 in several countries when it arrived in April 2012, with the disc entering the Billboard album chart at No. 9.
"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" has sold 180,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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7 ôåâ 2014
DREAM THEATER's JORDAN RUDESS Uploads Footage From Croatia, Slovenia
 Keyboardist Jordan Rudess of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has uploaded video footage from the Zagreb, Croatia and Ljubljana, Slovenia dates on the band's current European headlining tour. You can now watch the clip below.
DREAM THEATER's latest, self-titled album (available for purchase here) sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on September 24, 2013 via Roadrunner.
DREAM THEATER's "Along For The Ride" tour will pick up on March 20 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada following the band's European tour and then continues through the end of April where it will eventually wrap up in Guadalajara, Mexico on April 26.
DREAM THEATER's spirit of adventure and fearless musical virtuosity continues to reap dividends for the progressive metal titans who recently earned their second Grammy nomination, this time for "Best Metal Performance" for their single "The Enemy Inside" from their current self-titled album. The band — John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), James LaBrie (vocals), Jordan Rudess (keyboards & continuum) and Mike Mangini (drums) — received its first-ever Grammy nomination in 2012 for "On The Backs Of Angels" (from their "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album) in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category. | 0 | |
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6 ôåâ 2014
Video Premiere: KORN's 'Spike In My Veins'
 Fugitive Edward Snowden, Miley Cyrus, disgraced Toronto mayor Rob Ford and Kanye West all "star" in "Spike In My Veins", the provocative new video from KORN that's based on the second single from the band's Top 10 album, "The Paradigm Shift". Government corruption, NSA spying tactics, political scandals, the cult of celebrity and more — the video's assaultive imagery underlines and comments on how the media projects chaos into our lives.
"We are the ones taking all the pain/Falling on our faces, they don't care anyway," KORN frontman Jonathan Davis announces in the opening lines of "Spike In My Veins", currently Top 10 and rising on the rock chart. Directed by David Dinetz and his team at Culprit Creative, the video can be seen below (courtesy of RollingStone.com).
KORN's eleventh studio album, "The Paradigm Shift" (Prospect Park), sold 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on October 8, 2013 via Prospect Park.
"The Paradigm Shift" is the first KORN disc to feature guitarist Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror" and follows up 2011's dubstep experiment, "The Path Of Totality".
Welch told Rolling Stone that the new album has "the old KORN vibe, but with a new twist . . . The end product is a really good mix of old KORN mixed with some new elements. It's got a fresh new KORN 2013 sound."
Welch left KORN in 2005 after he converted to Christianity and got off drugs. He rejoined them for a handful of live performances in 2012 before officially becoming part of the lineup again in early 2013. KORN will kick off its new world tour in Australia on February 20.
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6 ôåâ 2014
MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Not Responsible For Booting NEWSTED Off Australian Shows
 A MEGADETH representative has shot down reports that the band was responsible for removing former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted's new project, simply called NEWSTED, from the lineup of MEGADETH's upcoming Australian tour. Earlier this week, a number of news outlets reported that NEWSTED had been booted from MEGADETH's side shows in Sydney and Melbourne while touring Australia on the annual Soundwave festival. Soundwave organizers claimed that Jason Newsted's band was removed from the dates "at the request of MEGADETH." However, according to MEGADETH tour manager Jim Carroccio, nothing could be further from the truth.
"[MEGADETH mainman] Dave Mustaine is not responsible for booting NEWSTED off [the Soundwave festival 'off' dates]," Carroccio tells ABC New Radio. "Dave did not put [Jason] on the bill and did not take him off the bill."
He adds: "Dave submitted a list of bands he was comfortable with and the promoter ignored the list.
"Dave and Jason are friends [and] this has blown up into something silly."
Newsted performed the classic METALLICA song "Phantom Lord" with MEGADETH on August 11, 2013 at the final show of last summer's Gigantour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Newsted, who quit METALLICA in February 2001, is the frontman of NEWSTED, which took part in last year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by Mustaine.
Mustaine, who was one of the original members of METALLICA, was fired from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.
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6 ôåâ 2014
AYREON
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6 ôåâ 2014
MANDRAGORA SCREAM
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6 ôåâ 2014
I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN: Entire 'Beloved' Album Available For Streaming
 "Beloved", the first album in six years from the Australian metalcore outfit I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN, can be streamed in its entirety below. The CD will be released on February 18 in the U.S. via Epitaph Records.
By their own admission, I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN have endured a decidedly checkered past. Over the years the band saw multiple vocalist changes and other personnel exchanges, side-project sojourns and moonlighting in other bands, hiatuses and break-ups. Yet through it all, their musical output both live and on record has remained thoroughly inspired.
For several years, the band lay dormant, as members went on to play in other bands. In 2011, I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN reclaimed their sound, style, history, and legacy with an all-new lineup, and original member Jona Weinhofen, who spent time with BLEEDING THROUGH and BRING ME THE HORIZON. Joined by new screamer Jamie Hope (ex-RED SHORE), Shane O'Brien on drums (DEEZ NUTS), Kevin Cameron on guitar, Benjamin Coyte on bass, and of course, Jona bringing vocal choruses, guitar and keyboard to the mix.
I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN entered the studio in 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström (BRING ME THE HORIZON, AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCHITECTS) to record "Beloved".
"We've really extended ourselves," says Weinhofen. "But we've done it in a way where it's tasteful and it makes sense with the music. It's not like we’ve gone from sounding like a metalcore band to sounding like DIMMU BORGIR. It still sounds very much like PROM QUEEN."
"Beloved" track listing:
01. Beginning Of The End02. To The Wolves03. Bright Enough04. Meilor05. Thirty One & Sevens06. Calvert Street07. Kærjrlighet08. The Beaten Path09. Nightmares10. No One Will Save Us11. Brevity
The "Thirty One & Sevens" video can be seen below. The clip, which was directed by Robot Army Productions (BODYJAR, ANBERLIN, THE AMITY AFFLICTION), is based in a post-apocalyptic world, and tells the story of two slaves that manage to escape and start a revolution after demonstrating to their slave compatriots that their captors can be defeated. It was filmed in a quarry in Anakie, just outside of Geelong, Australia. | 0 | |
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6 ôåâ 2014
CYNIC: Entire 'Kindly Bent To Free Us' Album Available For Streaming
 Legendary progressive rock innovators CYNIC — consisting of guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal, drummer Sean Reinert and bassist Sean Malone — will release their new album, "Kindly Bent To Free Us", on February 14 via Season Of Mist. The CD was produced by CYNIC at L.A.'s Perfect Sound Studios. The effort was engineered by Jason Donaghy (BAND OF HORSES, FEIST, ROB ZOMBIE, RYAN ADAMS), mixed by R. Walt Vincent (PETE YORN, LIZ PHAIR, TOMMY KEENE) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (FATES WARNING, SEPULTURA, CATHEDRAL, INQUISITION, HALFORD).
The artwork for "Kindly Bent To Free Us" was created by longtime and sadly late CYNIC artist Robert Venosa.
"Kindly Bent To Free Us" track listing:
01. True Hallucination Speak02. The Lion's Roar03. Kindly Bent To Free Us04. Infinite Shapes05. Moon Heart Sun Head06. Gitanjali07. Holy Fallout08. Endlessly Bountiful09. Earth Is My Witness (deluxe CD book exclusive bonus track)
"Kindly Bent To Free Us" is now available for streaming in its entirety using the widget below. About the new material, Reinert said: "It's a bold new sound for CYNIC and marks a gigantic leap in the band's progression. We've had a lot of time to let this material develop and gestate, and it finally feels ready to be unleashed on the world. I've been in trio mode with Malone and Masvidal flushing out a zillion and one details, and couldn't be happier about what's happening with these songs. They are truly alive!"
In a February 2012 interview with Ireland's Molten magazine, Masvidal described the band's new music in the following way: "It's almost like, I don't know how to explain it, but if I had to put it in a box it's more sci-fi, futuristic and alien but at the same time very song-driven. It's kind of like, to me, coming into CYNIC's body more. It feels very modern and at the same time it just feels really cool. I'm big in the space. It's definitely new. It's not like anything we've done before. It's a new color, a new space. I think people will really take note of even the guitar stuff. I'm really shifting gears, I'm trying things in a different way and the way stuff is played. It's a new space for CYNIC, for sure. It definitely sounds like us, except completely new."
CYNIC's latest EP, "Carbon-Based Anatomy", was released in November 2011 via Season Of Mist. The CD artwork was designed by the great Robert Venosa, the artist behind the covers of CYNIC's previous releases "Focus", "Traced in Air" and "Re-Traced".
CYNIC was joined by Brandon Giffin on bass and Max Phelps on guitar and vocals during the group's North American and European tours in support of "Carbon-Based Anatomy".
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6 ôåâ 2014
FATAL SMILE: 'Like A Rockstar' Video Released
 "Like A Rockstar", the new video from Swedish hard rockers FATAL SMILE, can be seen below. The clip was directed by NOCTURNAL RITES drummer Owe Lingvall of Dreamday Media (formerly Village Road Film), who has previously worked with MESHUGGAH, KAMELOT and THE RASMUS, among others. The song, which was released digitally last November, is taken from FATAL SMILE's fifth album, "White Trash Heroes", due on April 7 via FS Records/GMR Music Group.
"We really think this is going to be our best album so far," the group said in a statement. "Expect the hardest, in-your-face FATAL SMILE album yet, recorded with huge balls and heavy sounds from hell!"
FATAL SMILE's last CD, "21st Century Freaks", was released in North America in early 2013 via Spectra Records. The effort, which was made available in Europe in May 2012 via FS Records/GMR Music Group, was produced by Mr. Y, engineered/recorded by Philty and mixed by the two of them together. The mastering duties were handled by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors at Cutting Room Studios. | 0 | |
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6 ôåâ 2014
Video: LIZZY BORDEN's 'Appointment With Death' Lineup Reunites For One Show
 LIZZY BORDEN's "Appointment With Death" lineup — Ira Black, Joey Scott, Marten Andersson and Lizzy Borden —reunited for a one-night-only performance on January 24 at the Epiphone party at NAMM at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California.
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
LIZZY BORDEN's Dario Lorina recently joined BLACK LABEL SOCIETY as that band's new guitarist.
Said LIZZY BORDEN frontman and namesake: "We are extremely proud and happy for Dario Lorina on being selected as Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new guitarist.
"It's been an amazing ride performing all around the world with Dario. He is a true professional and an incredible blues-driven artistic guitarist, adding so much to the BORDEN sound. Personally, it was a privilege for me to have him on my left side for the last four years and I know Zakk, his band and their fans are going to love Dario, as we all do.
"Dario will be missed in the BORDEN camp but he will always be one of us and we wish him all the luck in the world."
LIZZY BORDEN celebrated its 30th anniversary by embarking on the "30 Years Of American Metal" tour. The trek included "a brand new show, created from the ground up just for this monumental occasion. The new show encompassed songs from each and every LIZZY BORDEN record to date, including classic songs like "Me Against The World", "American Metal", "Master Of Disguise", plus songs the band has never performed live."
LIZZY BORDEN has spent the past few years working on material for the follow-up to 2007's "Appointment With Death" | 0 | |
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6 ôåâ 2014
DEVIN TOWNSEND Performs 'Kingdom' For EMG TV (Video)
 Video footage of renowned Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend performing the song "Kingdom" at the studios of EMG TV can be seen below.
Devin Townsend played a special concert October 27, 2012 at the Roundhouse venue in London, England as part of a one-night-only event, dubbed "The Retinal Circus", that was recorded for both DVD and Blu-ray, and was released on October 29, 2013 in North America (Sepember 30 in Europe) via InsideOut Music.
"The Retinal Circus" was released on several formats, including a lavish and bonkers limited edition befitting of the man himself, and which took months of hard work to put together.
Devin previously described "The Retinal Circus" as "a retrospective of my career in music to date, with the central theme being a metaphor of how life and the adventures therein are a 'circus' of sorts. The show involves a cast of characters and guests that support this theme through carnival type performances. A story about how a troubled young man dreams of fantastic scenarios (illustrated through the music of my back catalogue), which ultimately crests in the characters realization that life is all about the relationships we have with each other."
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6 ôåâ 2014
NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN: 'A Lifetime Of Adventure' Video Released
 Tuomas Holopainen — the keyboardist and main songwriter of NIGHTWISH — has spent most of 2013 writing and producing his solo album based on a graphic novel called "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck", written and illustrated by Don Rosa.
"Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" is scheduled for a release this spring via Nuclear Blast.
Holopainen comments: "This is my longtime dream come true, 14 years in the making. And a homage to one of the best storytellers of our time.
"Thank you for sharing this celebration of life and adventure!"
This 12-chapter book tells the life story of Scrooge, from his early years in the 19th century Scotland to his adventures all around the world until the 1950s. The story contains such immense depth, detail, wit and emotional power that the moment Tuomas read it nearly 20 years ago, it instantly became a story of profound personal interest and love for him. The initial spark of "coloring" this story with music, i.e. creating a kind of "soundtrack" for the book, came to him already in 1999, and has ever since haunted the back of his mind.
"Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" contains 10 songs, with total duration of approximately 60 minutes. The music is said to be in the soundtrack / classical / folk genre in the vein of Vaughan Williams, Michael Nyman, James Newton Howard and Enya.
Pip Williams did the orchestral arrangements for the "Life And Times Of Scrooge" disc, continuing his collaboration with Tuomas after the NIGHTWISH records "Once", "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum".
There are a number of guest musicians appearing on "Life And Times Of Scrooge", including the London Orchestra, The Metro Voices (a choir from London) and four lead vocalists: Alan Reid, Johanna Kurkela, Johanna Iivanainen and Tony Kakko. Other guest appearances include Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, low whistles, bodhran), Mikko Iivanainen (guitars and banjo), Teho Majamäki (didgeridoo), Jon Burr (harmonica) and Dermot Crehan on the solo violin.
The recordings took place during August - October 2013, first at Angel Studios in London, then in various locations around Scotland and Finland.
The author of the book, Don Rosa, did the artwork for the album.
There will be a single release, for the track "A Lifetime Of Adventure", and a music video to go with it.
Holopainen recently spoke to Finland's YLE about "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen". Check out the report below.
Tuomas previously stated about how the idea for the project came about: "It was back in 1999, during the 'Oceanborn' tour, that I remember first having the idea of writing a 'soundtrack' to my all-time favorite piece of Disney comic, 'The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck', by Don Rosa, the apparent heir of the almighty Carl Barks. This book has had such an overwhelming effect on me throughout these years, and finally I have the means and the time to make that dream a reality.
"It all started with a story called 'Last Sled To Dawson', which was published in a Finnish Donald Duck magazine in the late '80s. It instantly became one of my favorite Scrooge/Donald stories and also introduced Mr. Don Rosa to my Disney universe. This story is not part of the actual 'Life And Times' opus, though, but 'a companion story,' set in between the chapters #8 and #9. Then when the massive 12-chapter piece was released in mid-'90s, I was completely and utterly hooked. It was similar to reading 'The Lord Of The Rings' as an 8-year-old, or seeing 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' for the first time. Adventure, fun and the strangely familiar feeling of home.
"With Scrooge, there was also a much deeper level hidden between the stories and the gags.
"This is a book about life itself. What an unfathomable privilege it is, what are the things that truly matter during our existence. It's about the immense beauty of the world and its possibilities seen through the eyes of a very relentless, honest and complex character. It's about love and family, gain and loss, darkness and rebirth.
"And on top of that, well, it's just your good old-fashioned storytelling fun!"
"Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" track listing: 01. Glasgow 187702. Into The West03. Duel & Cloudscapes04. Dreamtime05. Cold Heart Of The Klondike06. The Last Sled07. Goodbye, Papa08. To Be Rich09. A Lifetime Of Adventure10. Go Slowly Now, Sands Of Time
Bonus track:
11. A Lifetime Of Adventure (Alternate Version)
The official video for the song "A Lifetime Of Adventure" can be seen below.
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6 ôåâ 2014
MACHINE HEAD: 'Killers & Kings' Single Artwork Unveiled
 As part of this year's Record Store Day on April 19, San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD will release a 10-inch vinyl single, with the A-side containing the "demo" version of a new song, "Killers & Kings". The B-side will be a cover version of the track "Our Darkest Days" from one of MACHINE HEAD's favorite bands, IGNITE.
The cover artwork for the "Killers & Kings" single can be seen below. Also available is video footage of MACHINE HEAD members Phil Demmel (guitar), Dave McClain (drums) and Jared MacEachern (bass) laying down backing vocals on the "Our Darkest Days" cover version.
Says MACHINE HEAD guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn: "I remember growing up in the thrash scene and always wanting to hear the demo version of songs. You searched them out. Thankfully, my buddy Jim was a big 'tape trader,' and through trading, we had both METALLICA demos, EXODUS demos, bootlegs of songs sometimes 'years' before they came out.
"I knew how to play every note of 'Pleasure Of The Flesh' by EXODUS easily two years before the record was out. I had SLAYER's 'Reign In Blood' three months before it came out. I remember it still had the hi-hat counts starting the songs!!
"My friends and I would debate the merits of each (the demo was always better, LOL!).
"It's so much cooler to hear it BEFORE the album is out!
"So we're gonna do that for you.
"I can't wait for you guys to hear this stuff. Then you can debate it, haha!"
MACHINE HEAD will enter the studio in February to begin recording its new album for a late summer release via the band's new label, Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Other tentative songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Beneath The Silt", "Ojos De La Muerte", "Sail Into The Black" and "Night Of The Long Knives".
Says Flynn: "The new stuff is turning out better than anyone expected.
"We had THE breakthrough with the song formerly known as 'Back From The Grave'.
"I'd been working with the string section that played on 'Locust', Quartet Rogue, as well as multi-instrumentalist / keyboardist Rhys Fulber, and to quote [METALLICA drummer] Lars Ulrich (who was actually quoting Robert Trujillo), 'We're on some NEXT-LEVEL shit!!!'
"With that one song getting finished, I could totally see where the whole record is going. It opened up before my eyes.
"Nothing short of exciting!!!"
Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Flynn stated about the band's new material: "It sounds like MACHINE HEAD! It's definitely moving forward, which I feel like we're probably always gonna do.
"We're not a band that ever looks back. We do our thing and try to take the life experiences that we have and the musicianship that we've evolved and try to use it. Obviously, we have our sound and we have the MACHINE HEAD patented harmonics, the downtuned riffs and I sing the way I sing.
"I think Bob Dylan said it best: 'You just find new ways to say the same thing.'"
Speaking about some of the specific tracks and the lyrical themes covered on the new album, Flynn said: "I've got some pretty cool lyrics ready. There's a song called 'Night Of The Long Knives', and it's pretty fucked! It's about the Manson murders, and the lyrics are really dark and vicious.
"We've found some new twists to give to the MACHINE HEAD sound and some new fire and excitement."
Asked what the band's main aims were when they started composing music for the new CD, Flynn said: "Well, it's nice to try and have a plan, but music has a way of unravelling over time! [Laughs] You've just got to roll with it.
"With [2007's] 'The Blackening', I'd love to say I had this grand vision of nine- and 10-minute songs, but the first four songs we wrote were the four shorter songs on the record. For months, there was no indication whatsoever that we'd have 10-minute songs. That stuff came later.
"Human nature wants to control and dictate where things will go, but you can't. It won't let you! The more you try, the more it goes, 'Fuck you.' It's going some other way!" Regarding whether the songwriting process comes more easily after more than two decades as a band, Flynn said: "I just try and do my thing. With this record in particular, I've tried to discipline myself more with routine, writing a little bit every day, but for months I was in a riff rut. Every riff I wrote fuckin' sucked! Then we took a two-week break and I was writing my Facebook journals about the 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' [MACHINE HEAD's 2003 album] story, and that cleared my head. At the end of those two weeks, the floodgates opened and all hell of riffs poured out. I was so stoked! This torrent of riffs, this molten hot lava, was at my fingertips. It's such a good feeling." Flynn also revealed that MACHINE HEAD has "definitely got some ideas" for the artwork and imagery for the band's new album, but added: "It's weird, though, because who the fuck even buys albums anymore?
"An album cover is a necessary thing but for so many people it's justa little one-and-a-half-inch square on an iPhone.
"We're going to have a lot of worldwide special editions, so for the people who are still into that stuff, we'll have some next-level shit. Especially with our new label, Nuclear Blast, they can do all of that stuff. They're not afraid to do all these crazy, over-the-top special-edition things and big two-foot metal cases and all that.
"I'm a super-nerd collector and that shit rules to me!"
MACHINE HEAD's most recent studio release, 2011's "Unto The Locust", entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 22 — putting them in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's history.
Founded in 2007 and officially kicked off in 2008 by METALLICA, Record Store Day normally takes place on the third Saturday of every April and brings together artists and independently owned record stores around the world to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and sold in independent stores.
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6 ôåâ 2014
MASSACRE: New Song 'As We Wait To Die' Available For Streaming
 Resurrected 1990s Florida-based death metallers MASSACRE will release their long-awaited comeback album, "Back From Beyond", on March 24 in Europe and April 1 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Tim Vazquez of CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida, and features original MASSACRE members Rick Rozz (guitar; ex-MANTAS/DEATH) and Terry Butler (bass; OBITUARY, ex-DEATH/SIX FEET UNDER), as well as Ed Webb (vocals; ex-DIABOLIC/EULOGY) and Mike Mazzonetto (drums; ex-PAIN PRINCIPLE). The cover artwork was created by Toshihiro Egawa (CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, DEVOURMENT) and can be seen below.
Comments Butler: "MASSACRE is very excited and proud of our new album, 'Back From Beyond'.
"We've worked hard over the past few months and we believe that the old-school and new-school fans will be pleased.
"Ed Webb and Mikey Mazzanetto are great additions to the band and did an amazing job on the album.
"This is Florida death metal at its best!
"We plan on making 2014 a busy year!!!"
"Back From Beyond" track listing:
01. The Ancient Ones 02. As We Wait To Die 03. Ascension Of The Deceased 04. Hunter’s Blood 05. Darkness Fell 06. False Revelation 07. Succumb To Rapture 08. Remnants Of Hatred 09. Shield Of The Son 10. The Evil Within 11. Sands Of Time 12. Beast With Vengeance 13. Back From Beyond14. Honor The Fallen
The song "As We Wait To Die" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.
MASSACRE released a seven-inch single, "Condemned To The Shadows", on July 30, 2012. The single, which is available as a regular black-wax version, a transparent wax limited edition and a yellow-wax limited edition, contains two brand new songs — "Succumb To Rapture" and "Back From Beyond" — that were recorded in February 2012 at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with Tim Vazquez at the helm. | 0 | |
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6 ôåâ 2014
DEATH ANGEL: 'Left For Dead' Video Released
 "Left For Dead", the new video from San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Tommy Jones, who has previously worked with SOILWORK and TESTAMENT, among others.
"Left For Dead" is taken from DEATH ANGEL's seventh album, "The Dream Calls For Blood", which sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart.
DEATH ANGEL's previous CD, "Relentless Retribution", opened with 2,700 units in September 2010. The band's 2008 effort, "Killing Season", registered a first-week tally of around 2,300. This number was in line with the performance of its predecessor, "The Art of Dying", which premiered with around 2,100 copies back in May 2004.
Released on October 11, 2013 in Europe (except for the U.K. where it arrived three days later) and October 15, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records, "The Dream Calls For Blood" was recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER), and once again features cover art by Brent Elliot White (JOB FOR A COWBOY, CARNIFEX, WHITECHAPEL).
Comments DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany: "[The 'Left For Dead' video] is comprised of footage filmed at AudioHammer Studios in Florida during the recording of the album.
"Catch a glimpse into our world in the recording studio as we create, collaborate, lay down tracks and attempt to survive the insane madness of making a DEATH ANGEL album!
"Hope you enjoy this little morsel that we proudly serve up to you as an appetizer. Catch the main course when we hit your town on tour which kicks off this Thursday! Eight weeks across North America — plenty of chances to feast upon us...
"Bon appétit and see you in the pit!"
METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett on "The Dream Calls For Blood": "DEATH ANGEL have gone big yet again and delivered an album that is so incredibly fast, brutal and blister burning heavy — it's a classic earspank, for sure! Every song is a slice of heavy metal heaven and I'm very impressed — it's the best album I've heard in 2013!"
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6 ôåâ 2014
Former NIGHTWISH Singer ANETTE OLZON's 'Shine' Debut Solo Album: Final Cover Artwork Unveiled
 Due to problems with the mastering and the need for more time to make a promotional video, the release date of "Shine", the debut solo album from former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon, has been pushed back a month.
The CD will be released via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group, on the following dates:
Germany: March 28France: March 31Italy: April 1Benelux: March 31Poland: March 31Czech Republic: March 31Sweden: March 26Finland: March 28Norway: March 31Denmark: March 31Russia: March 28Spain: March 28UK: March 31USA: April 8
The final "Shine" cover artwork can be seen below.
"Shine", which was co-produced by Anette Olzon and Johan Kronlund, is a collaboration with some of the most successful teams in rock and pop in Scandinavia: Stefan Örn (songwriter and producer of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest-winning track "Running Scared") and Johan Glössner. The album was mixed by Kronlund, Nicklas Flykt and Ronny Lahti (known for his work with Loreen and Roxette).
The official lyric video for the song "Falling" can be seen below.
"I am so thrilled to finally release my first solo album," says Olzon. "I've been working on it for a long time by now...
"The album is very personal with songs I have started writing already in 2009 but also very recent songs.
"The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness, but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life — making you SHINE… no matter what."
Regarding the CD's musical direction, Anette said: "In the end, it is a rock album. Well, a pop rock album, maybe, or would you call it pop metal?"
Olzon in 2011 released two demo tracks that she recorded in 2009 for what was supposed to become her debut solo album. She said at the time, "The songs are not mixed or produced, just recorded in the moment, and therefore are very rough songs. But I still want you to hear them since I am proud of them and I think they show another part of me than you hear in NIGHTWISH." She added, "The first song is called 'Floating' and I call it the 'circus' song. It gives me a happy feeling and the vibe in it is happy and joyful. The second song ['Invincible'] is a song I wrote for my son and therefore it's very special to me."
Olzon announced in April 2011 that she decided to push back the tentative release date of her debut solo album to after NIGHTWISH had completed touring in support of its then-yet-to-be-released new studio album, "Imaginarium".
Olzon worked on material for her solo CD in 2009 with Swedish producers Stefan Örn and Johan Glössner. The album was slated to be co-produced by Swedish producer/songwriter Anders Bagge, who has previously worked with MADONNA, CELINE DION, JANET JACKSON and JESSICA SIMPSON, among others. He was also one of judges on the Swedish TV talent competition "Idol" and a producer of the TV series "Made in Sweden".
Olzon in 2009 hired a personal manager — the Swedish management company Hagenburg Management, which also represents EUROPE and THE CARDIGANS.
Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH in September 2012 in the middle of the band's North American tour. She has since been replaced by former AFTER FOREVER and current REVAMP singer Floor Jansen.
Photo credit: Annicka Photography
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6 ôåâ 2014
THRESHOLD: New Songtitles Revealed
 British progressive metallers THRESHOLD entered the studio last November to begin recording the follow-up to 2012's "March Of Progress" for a late 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. According to keyboardist Richard West, "All the drum and bass parts have been recorded and work is now underway on guitars and keyboards."
Songtitles set to appear on the CD: * Watchtower On The Moon* Unforgiven* The Box* Turned To Dust* Lost In Your Memory* Autumn Red* The Mystery Show* I Wish I Could* Siren Sky
THRESHOLD's ninth studio album, "March Of Progress", was released on August 31, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Dead Reckoning" registerd the following first-week chart positions:
Germany: #28Switzerland: #30Sweden: #43Austria: #55Netherlands: #70France: #102
Vocal duties on "March Of Progress" were performed by THRESHOLD's original frontman Damian Wilson (STAR ONE, HEADSPACE), who's been back touring with the band since the release of "Dead Reckoning".
"March Of Progress" was made available in a limited-edition digipak, including a bonus track; a standard jewel case edition; as well as in a two-vinyl edition in two different colors, one of them exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.
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6 ôåâ 2014
Video: Original ENTOMBED Members Perform 'Clandestine' With Orchestra, Choir
 Original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid (guitar) and Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) joined forces with former ENTOMBED frontman Orvar Säfström to perform the band's classic second album, "Clandestine" (1991), on February 1 at Gävle Konserthus in Gävle, Sweden. They were backed by the 65-piece Gävle Symphonic Orchestra and a 40-piece choir.
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
Several weeks prior to the show, Hellid stated about the prospect of once again sharing the stage with Cederlund and Säfström: "We will play 'Clandestine' where Thomas von Wachenfeldt has made orchestral arrangements and it will be the first time that I, Uffe and Orvar will be playing together since the time of ENTOMBED.
"We are extremely eager to get our heads into the project and the focus is on taking ENTOMBED to a whole new level.
"Since Gavle has opened its arms for ENTOMBED with such an opportunity give us inspiration to, once again, create something unique."
Original ENTOMBED drummer Nicke Andersson was also supposed to take part in the concert but was unable to make the gig due to touring commitments with his current project IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC.
ENTOMBED previously performed "Clandestine" in its entirety with the Nordic Chamber Orchestra on April 12, 2013 at Tonhallen in Sundsvall, Sweden.
"Back To The Front", the album that was recorded last year by four members of the most recent lineup of ENTOMBED — Lars Göran Petrov (vocals), Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass) — will be released this coming spring via Century Media Records under the band name ENTOMBED A.D.
Petrov will only perform with ENTOMBED A.D. and will not take part in any upcoming shows announced under the name ENTOMBED.
Hellid did not participate in the writing and recording of "Back To The Front".
Century Media Records announced last fall that the release date of "Back To The Front" — which was originally supposed to be made available under the ENTOMBED moniker — was being pushed back to early 2014 from the previously announced October 29, 2013 due to "unpredictable technical problems."
Asked in an interview with France's MetalChroniques.fr if the omission of Hellid's name from the ENTOMBED biography accompanying a promotional copy of "Back To The Front" was a mistake on the record label's part, Petrov replied: "I do not want to speak publicly about this at the moment; this is something we want to keep internal and private for now. But this is not an error in the biography. Next question?"
Hellid did not accompany the Petrov-fronted lineup of ENTOMBED when the band performed at the Manizales Grita Rock festival in Colombia in August 2013.
"Back To The Front" was recorded at Studio Bohus (ABBA, EUROPE) in Kungälv, Sweden with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR). The cover artwork was painted by Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, VADER).
A press release states: "Don't be afraid that it will sound like ABBA — it's 666% true to the ENTOMBED everybody loves. While not falling for total regression back to the early classics 'Left Hand Path' or 'Clandestine', expect a total bone-crushing opus that will have fans of 'Wolverine Blues', 'To Ride…' or 'Morning Star' cry tears of joy. From the morbid, pissed-off lyrics over detuned, massive riffs to the inimitable brick-heavy groove and L.G. Petrov's titanic roar, 'Back To The Front' has it all, so get ready for a stone-cold stunner!"
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6 ôåâ 2014
THERION: 'Wisdom And The Cage' Performance Clip From 'Adulruna Redivia And Beyond'
 On February 28, a THERION three-DVD package (limited edition including bonus DVD) called "Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" will be made available. The package will include two shows that were recorded live in Atlanta in 2011 and in Budapest 2007 as well as bonus material.
Commented the band: "The concert recorded in Hungary was a concert on the 'Adulruna Rediviva' 20th anniversary tour in December. The idea of the tour was to play the entire 'Theli' album plus a set consisting of songs that the fans had voted for on the band web page. Piotr Wawrzeniuk and our old friend Messiah Marcolin joined in to make this evening extra special. The concert in Atlanta was the band's only show in the USA since 2007 and was shot during the band's headline performance at the ProgPower USA festival 2011."
"Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" track listing:
DVD 1
01. The Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah02. Son Of The Sun03. Midgård04. Asgård05. The Wine Of Aluqah06. Wisdom And The Cage07. Kali Yuga I08. Kali Yuga II09. Kali Yuga III10. Lemuria11. Via Nocturna12. An Arrow From The Sun13. Typhon14. Ginnungagap15. Preludium16. To Mega Therion17. Cults Of The Shadows18. In The Desert Of Set19. Interludium20. Nightside Of Eden21. Opus Eclipse22. Invocation Of Naamah23. The Siren Of The Woods24. Grand Finale / Postludium25. Adulruna Rediviva26. Black Funeral DVD 2 01. Sitra Ahra02. The Wine Of Aluqah03. Typhon04. Perennial Sophia05. Hellequin06. Nifelheim07. Clavicula Nox08. Voyage Of Gurdjieff09. Ljusalfheim10. Dies Irae11. Ginnungagap12. Kali Yuga III13. Call Of Dagon14. Siren Of the Woods15. The Wild Hunt16. Blood Of Kingu17. Lemuria18. Abraxas19. The Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah20. To Mega Therion21. Quetzalcoatl Bonus DVD 3
01. 011 - An Adventure with Therion02. 011 - Documentary And Behind The Scenes03. Amazing Voice
Adds THERION: "011 is the name of a board game made by the italian game manufacturer Scribabs. In a very ambitious way to market the game, they made this fantastic short film, starring the band members as actors, playing their roles in the game. The main man behind the game and the film, Paolo Vallerga, is currently writing a novel on the story behind the game and there are even some plans for a movie."
"'Amazing Voice' is a Japanese TV program about great singers. This episode had Thomas Vikström as main focus and the TV team flew to Sweden to interview Thomas and record some live singing exclusively for the program."
Check out the "Wisdom And The Cage" performance clip from "Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" below. A new THERION studio album is scheduled for late 2014.
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6 ôåâ 2014
SEVEN DEADLY
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5 ôåâ 2014
HALESTORM: 'Mz. Hyde' Video Released
 HALESTORM's video for the song "Mz. Hyde" can be seen below. The clip was directed by award-winning filmmaker Daniel E Catullo III and produced by the City Drive Entertainment Group. The video is a montage of live footage captured while out on a European tour with ALTER BRIDGE.
Lyrically, "Mz. Hyde" addresses HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale's Jekyll/Hyde personality and wound up serving as the thematic glue that binds the band's latest album, "The Strange Case Of…" together.
"It was one of the later songs we wrote," Hale told Yahoo! Music in an October 2013 interview. "At one point, we were looking at a good chunk of 17 to 50 songs that were all over the place. The guys in the band were saying, 'Well, how can we put all these songs onto this record? We love them all, but there's no common theme.' So I came to them with this idea about this Mz. Hyde character. It was actually a personal thing because it was a character I invented that helped me come out of my shell when I was a kid. Growing up, I was a very shy and introverted, so I more or less had to invent Mz. Hyde in order to be the rock star I wanted to be onstage.
"For years, I've been writing about these two sides of myself, and I wanted to capture that in a song. So I brought this to the guys, and all three of them looked at me at the same time and said, 'Oh my God, that's it! Lzzy, you are Mz. Hyde! Once we put this song on the record, everything else makes sense because we have the soft side of you and then the harder side of you. That works because you're like a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing!' And I was like, 'Well, okay, I'm glad we were able to work that out, basically at my expense.'"
HALESTORM recently released "ReAniMate 2.0: The CoVerRs eP", a six-song EP features tracks originally written and recorded by JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, PAT BENATAR, FLEETWOOD MAC, MARILYN MANSON and DAFT PUNK.
"Mz. Hyde" is the latest single from "The Strange Case Of…", which has sold more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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5 ôåâ 2014
WITHIN TEMPTATION: Fan-filmed Video Footage Of London Acoustic Performance
 Fan-filmed video footage of WITHIN TEMPTATION's February 4 acoustic performance at HMV in London, England can be seen below.
WITHIN TEMPTATION's new album, "Hydra", was released in North America on February 4. The album is available in several luxury formats. The cover artwork was created by Romano Molenaar ("X-Men", "Batman", "The Unforgiving").
The digital premium album, complete with digi-booklet, is available on iTunes and includes 18 audio tracks and a music video. The digital premium album features bonus "Evolution Versions" of four new songs, which contain audio commentary from guitarist Robert Westerholt and singer Sharon den Adel and give you unique access to the development of the songs, their lyrical inspiration and the sound of the initial demos and vocals.
Aside from the digital premium version, "Hydra" was also released in a deluxe box set including exclusive items:
"Hydra" deluxe box set
* "Hydra" 18-track album including bonus tracks in the form of a media book with a hot foil print cover, featuring a 100-page booklet consisting of unique photos* Double gatefold black vinyl version of the album including bonus tracks* Instrumental version of the entire album* Songbook with sheet music of the songs of the album* "Hydra" guitar pick* Packaged in an especially designed LP-sized box
In a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Sharon stated about the songwriting process for "Hydra"": "A lot of bands were inspired by the '80s at the time we were writing 'The Unforgiving' album. There was a lot of music based on the '80s coming out and it had a lot of '80s flavors. With this new album, even though we're only a few years further up the road, you can feel that music has changed again. Music is not inspired on the '80s, but more like there are different influences in the music again. Music's always organic, and you feel things are changing comfortably."
She added: "When people asked us after 'The Unforgiving', 'Are you gonna make another 'Unforgiving' album?" we said, 'Of course.' Because we were really full of it in a positive way. We really like the album a lot and still do like it a lot but we really feel there's an '80s feel to the songs. When we started writing this album, again we felt like we were already knowing we were gonna go a different direction also."
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5 ôåâ 2014
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: Three More Songs From Re-Recorded Version Of 'No Place For Disgrace' Available For Streaming
 Arizona metal veterans FLOTSAM AND JETSAM will release "No Place For Disgrace - 2014", a re-recording of the band's second album, "No Place For Disgrace", on February 14 in Europe and digitally on February 18 in North America via Metal Blade Records. The physical CD will be available in North America on March 4.
Fans can pre-order "No Place For Disgrace - 2014" at this location.
Comments FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: "We have re-recorded 'No Place For Disgrace' because we have had a lot of requests to remix this record.
"The master tapes have been very difficult to obtain so we decided to re-record the album and use some of today's technologies to recreate it. The aim was not really to change but to enhance it with the opportunity with the use of new tools. We have the time available as well, and it just seemed like a no-brainer.
"A lot of the die-hards are really nervous about it, but we think after the final result, they will embrace it. The sound quality is 100% better and more refined!"
Re-recorded versions of the songs "The Jones", "Dreams Of Death" and "Misguided Fortune" can be streamed below.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM will head over to Europe in February to support SEPULTURA and LEGION OF THE DAMNED. The tour begins on February 7.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM will play a special concert at the Keep It True XVII festival, set to take place April 25-26, 2014 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany. The band's set will consists of songs only from their first two classics — "Doomsday For The Deceiver" (1986) and "No Place For Disgrace" (1988).
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's lineup for Keep It True XVII will consist of four of five original members — Eric "A.K." Knutson (vocals), Kelly Smith (drums), Ed Carlson (guitar) and Michael Gilbert (guitar). Playing bass at the show will be Michael Spencer, who replaced Jason Newsted in 1987 and did the first European tours with the band.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM recently returned to Metal Blade Records to release their new album, "Ugly Noise".
"Ugly Noise" is FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's eleventh full-length album, their first release on Metal Blade since 2001, and the follow-up to their 2010 album "The Cold". The record also heralds the return of original members Michael Gilbert on guitar and Kelly David Smith, who hadn't recorded with FLOTSAM AND JETSAM since "High" in 1997.
Funding for the new FLOTSAM AND JETSAM album was aided by the PledgeMusic.com project, which encourages fans to contribute funds to the recording of albums and the artists themselves to donate to charity as a part of their fundraising.
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5 ôåâ 2014
TARJA TURUNEN: Fan-Filmed Video Footage Of Toulouse Concert
 Fan-filmed video footage of former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen's February 3 concert in Toulouse, France can be seen below.
Tarja's latest album, "Colours In The Dark", came out in Europe on August 23, 2013 via earMUSIC. The CD was made available in North America on August 27, 2013 through Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.
The cover artwork for "Colours In The Dark" was created by Dirk Rudolph.
Despite her light and shiny personality, Tarja's music has always been dressed "in black" — the color of heavy rock, of mystery and elegance.
With Tarja's new album, fans will find out what happens when a splice of color is added to the mix. Or — better said — when the full-color spectrum enters the picture it does not cover the black but makes it shine through with many emotions and landscapes.
Mixed and mastered by Tim Palmer (PEARL JAM, U2) in Austin, Texas, the songs on "Colours In The Dark" do not shy away from taking a risk and surprising musical turns, introducing new sounds and new musical atmospheres. Still, they maintain a heaviness that will surely bring a big smile to the hardest of rockers. With its grand orchestra and choir arrangements, Tarja's next milestone emphasizes once again the impressive vocal range of the Finnish artist and shows her artistic growth.
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5 ôåâ 2014
BLUTENGEL - "Black Symphonies"
 Der gefeierte Auftritt von BLUTENGEL mit Symphonieorchester vor einem ausverkauften "Neues Gewandhaus Leipzig" auf dem ersten Gothic Meets Klassik Festival fühlte sich für alle anwesenden Beteiligten wie eine Offenbarung an. Gefühlvoll umarrangiert und durch den bombastischen Klangkörper eines vollen Orchesters getragen, entfalteten die Stücke der Berliner Erfolgsband eine emotionale Wucht, die auch den ältesten Fan die Musik völlig neu erleben und einfach niemanden kalt ließ.
Band-Kopf & Sänger Chris Pohl und Sängerin Ulrike Goldmann waren selbst völlig hin und weg von diesem Erlebnis und beschlossen sogleich, dass dieses ambitionierte Projekt keine Eintagsfliege bleiben dürfe. Ende 2013 realisierten sie deshalb eine Tour mit einem Kammermusikensemble, mit der sie mit neuen Arrangements das symphonische Erlebnis auf das Wesentliche reduzierten. Als logischer nächster Schritt gibt es nun das symphonische BLUTENGEL-Erlebnis als bombastische Studioproduktion mit dem vollen Klangkörper eines großen Orchesters in glasklarem Klang für die eigenen vier Wände auf dem neuen Album „Black Symphonies“.
Die 12 Stücke umfassen eine exquisite Selektion der besten BLUTENGEL-Klassiker und Hits, einige Band-Favoriten, sowie den epischen, neuen Song, „Krieger“. Das Album erscheint auch als deluxe Variante mit einer Bonus-live-DVD, welche eine Zusammenstellung der besten Momente aus dem legendären Konzert mit dem Symphonieorchester von Zielona Gora im "Neues Gewandhaus Leipzig" enthält, mit dem alles begann. Für echte Fans gibt es das Release auch als streng limitiertes Box-Set in einer exquisiten, schwarzen Holzkassette mit Golddruck, welche die deluxe CD/DVD-Version des Albums, die exklusive CD-Single „Krieger“, ein exklusives „Black Symphonies“-T-Shirt/Girlie Shirt, sowie ein „Black Symphonies“ Candle Cover, als Starterset mit einer roten Kerze enthält.
Als besonders edle Sammlerkomponente enthält die Box zusätzlich noch eine handnummerierte und von der Band handsignierte Replik der Orignal-Partitur von „Reich mir die Hand“. „Black Symphonies“ ist die unwiderstehliche Gelegenheit, die erfolgreichste Gothic-Pop-Band der Welt völlig neu für sich zu entdecken. Von Breitwandsound bis zum intimen Gänsehaut-Moment … Blutengels Musik nimmt den Hörer hier völlig von Neuem gefangen.
Track List CD:
01. Legend / Nachtbringer (Symphonic Version)
02. Krieger (Symphonic Version)
03. Soultaker (Symphonic Version)
04. Über den Horizont (Symphonic Version)
05. Deine Welt (Symphonic Version)
06. Behind The Mirror (Symphonic Version)
07. Kinder dieser Stadt (Symphonic Version)
08. Reich mir die Hand (Symphonic Version)
09. Die Zeit (Symphonic Version)
10. Seelenschmerz (Symphonic Version)
11. You Walk Away (Symphonic Version)
12. Monument (Symphonic Version)
Track List DVD: (Box Set and Deluxe Version)
Live from "Neues Gewandhaus Leipzig"
1. Soultaker
2. Ein Augenblick
3. Die With You
4. Reich mir die Hand
Track List “Krieger” CDS: (Box Set only)
1. Krieger
2. Krieger Lord Of The Lost Version feat. Chris Harms
3. Grey City
LIMITED HOLZ / WOODEN BOX (T-SHIRT) ˆ 54,99
Inhalt / Content:
- Black Symphonies" Deluxe DigiCD/DVD
- "Krieger" CD-Single (exclusive)
- "Black Symphonies" T-Shirt (exclusive)
- "Black Symphonies" CandleCover + Kerze /+ Candle
- handnummeriertes Echtheits Zertifikat & handsigniert von Chris und Uli / hand numbered Ownership Certificate & hand-signed by Chris and Uli | 0 | |
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Amoral
