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22 фев 2011
METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: Italian \'Big Four\' Show Announced
 METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"Last week we told you there would be a few more 'Big Four' shows and today's installment takes us to Milan, Italy. Look for more good times with ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, SLAYER, and yours truly at the Fiera Open Air Arena on July 6, 2011.
"Tickets will be available Friday, February 24 at 9:00 a.m. local time at Ticketone.it. MetClub members should check MetClub.com for more details on a special pre-sale for Clubbers only.
"One more on the docket . . . keep watching here!"
The so-called "Big Four" are arguably the biggest and longest-lasting acts to emerge from the thrash/speed metal underground of the late '80s, but never shared a stage together until last year.
The two-disc DVD release of "The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria", containing footage of the June 22, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the "Big Four" tour has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. (Note: Due to the fact that the set consists of two discs, it was eligible for platinum certification after shipping 50,000 copies; platinum certification for a single-disc release is 100,000 copies.)
"The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard "Top Music Videos" sales chart in November with first-week sales of 22,000 copies. The set also debuted at No. 1 in Canada, the U.K. and Austria, while entering at No. 4 in Germany.
The show was part of a two-week European tour featuring the four biggest names from the Eighties thrash metal era. The idea first came up last year and Ulrich told The Pulse of Radio he was glad to finally see it happen. "It's pretty amazing if you think about it, that it's the first time basically in 25 years or 30 or whatever that the four of us have actually played shows together," he said. "So it was a lot of fun, a lot of memories, a lot of fun times — new fun times, and fun times talking about the old fun times. So it sort of was a, it was a winner on every front."
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22 фев 2011
MYSTIC PROPHECY: New Album Title, Release Date Announce
 Greek/German heavy metallers MYSTIC PROPHECY are preparing to enter Prophecy Music Factory studios with singer/producer Roberto Dimitri Liapakis (MYSTIC PROPHECY, SUICIDAL ANGELS, VALLEY'S EVE, INSIDEAD) to begin recording their seventh album, "Raven Lord", for an October 28 release via Massacre Records. The CD will contain 11 tracks and will mark the recording debut of the band's new drummer, Claudio Sisto, who joined MYSTIC PROPHECY last June. The artwork will be created by Jonas Kawalek, who previously with the band on their fifth album, "Satanic Curses".
Commented MYSTIC PROPHECY mainman Roberto Dimitri Liapakis: "MYSTIC PROPHECY is now more than ever in a turning point in their history. 'Fireangel' overcame our expectations and our fans have shown us their support in the best possible way. The tour we did with STRATOVARIUS gave the band the chance to get a very good sense of unity and groove which is generated by every member contributing to whole which finally is presented to the fans. This is what will make a difference in our upcoming album. The feeling of unity, amongst us, enhances the effect we bring out. More power, more feeling, more combined ideas, more diversity, but all in the thread that goes through it all which is MYSTIC PROPHECY. Two minds work better than one, so imagine all five of us contributing equally to the final result. I am confident that we'll do our best to express what's in our souls and hope the fans like it. Up 'till now we seem to have a common ground so this album will only enforce this bond with our fans and help us create new ones."
"Fireangel", the sixth album from the MYSTIC PROPHECY, entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 77. Released on May 22, 2009 via Massacre Records, the follow-up to 2007's "Satanic Curses" was recorded at Prophecy Studios and was mixed in Sweden under the direction of Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES) and R.D. Liapakis (FIREWIND, CHASTAIN, ELDRITCH). | 0 | |
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22 фев 2011
BELIEVER: New Album Details Revealed
 Reactivated late '80s/early '90s technical-thrash metallers BELIEVER will release their new album, "Transhuman", in Europe on April 11 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was produced by Trauma Team Productions and was mixed by Kevin Gutierrez (RAVEN, PROJECT: FAILING FLESH, DECEASED, DYSRYTHMIA, GARDEN OF SHADOWS) at Assembly Line Studios in Virginia. The mastering duties were handled by Maor Appelbaum of Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles.
"Transhuman" track listing:
01. Lie Awake (5:03)
02. G.U.T. (3:39)
03. Multiverse (4:44)
04. End Of Infinity (4:12)
05. Transfection (3:55)
06. Clean Room (4:50)
07. Currents (2:50)
08. Traveler (4:23)
09. Ego Machine (4:29)
10. Being No One (4:47)
11. Entanglement (4:15)
12. Mindsteps (6:52)
The "Transhuman" cover artwork can be seen below.
Commented the band: "We decided early on in project that we wanted an outside person to mix the record so we could spend more time writing and recording. Kevin Leaman (BELIEVER guitarist) recommended Kevin Gutierrez from Assembly Line Studios for mixing this record. Leaman had worked with Gutierrez previously and said that he was really easy to work with.
"From the first telephone conversation it was clear that Gutierrez understood exactly what we were looking for sonically and he seemed really interested in helping us achieve that.
"We let Kevin know we wanted this album to sound very musical; not just be heavy. We wanted to use the whole frequency range and not have all the mids scooped out so that everything going on in the tunes was audible. Most importantly, we wanted to keep the dynamics.
"We were a little nervous about not being there physically for the mix, but we spent so much time tweaking in the sounds for tracking that we were confident he had good stuff to work with. The rough mixes we made for ourselves already sounded pretty decent.
"Kevin was fast and efficient. He'd send us reference mixes as he completed each song and we'd be emailing/texting comments back and forth at all hours of the day and night. He was very responsive to our change requests and was really helpful in setting up the mastering session and communicating what we wanted to Maor Appelbaum of Maor Appelbaum Mastering.
"Maor also understood what we were trying to achieve with the dynamics and the overall listening experience we wanted to create on this album.
"Sonically we're extremely happy with this album and can't wait for other people to hear it. We feel like this is a really strong and unique album in the BELIEVER catalog and it's something we're definitely proud of.
"So what will you hear? As we mentioned, we focused more on the overall musicality which included more instrumental layers than we used before. The vocals were also more of a focus as we have had much feedback throughout the years, specifically to get out of the one dimensional realm. Kurt [Bachman] wanted the vocals to be more complimentary to the overall tune feel, so he used many facets of his vocal abilities.
"As with all BELIEVER albums, this one is definitely unique."
BELIEVER performed live for the first time in 16 years on September 25, 2009 at Sterling Hotel in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The band's fourth album, "Gabriel", was released in March 2009 through KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Howard Jones's new imprint label Cesspool Records via Metal Blade. The CD featured guest appearances by Jones, Joe Rico (SACRIFICE), CKY/WORLD UNDER BLOOD guitarist/vocalist Deron Miller and Rocky Gray (EVANESCENCE, SOUL EMBRACED, LIVING SACRIFICE).
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22 фев 2011
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME Signs With METAL BLADE RECORDS
 Raleigh, North Carolina-based progressive rock/cutting-edge metal band BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has inked a worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records. The quintet will kick off the partnership with the April release of its new album, "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues".
"We are delighted in the opportunity to join the Metal Blade family," commented BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME guitarist Paul Waggoner. "Their commitment to heavy music over the years is inspiring and we look forward to becoming a part of the ever-growing legacy of the label.
"Our new release, titled 'The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues', will hit the streets in April. We are confident that our dedicated fans will appreciate it and hopeful that we will gain the attention of some new ears as well.
"In closing, I'd like to reference a quote from the illustrious Joe Dirt: 'Life's a garden, dig it.'"
"The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues" will contain the first new music from BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME since the release of 2009's "The Great Misdirect", which sold 13,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 36 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on October 27, 2009 via Victory Records.
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME supported "The Great Misdirect" with a full-scale North American headlining tour and live dates across Europe, Australia and Japan as well as a U.S. tour as hand-picked support for like-minded rockers MASTODON.
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22 фев 2011
POISONBLACK: New Single To Arrive Next Month
 POISONBLACK — the Finnish band featuring former SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala — will release a new single, "Mercury Falling", on March 7. The track is the first single from the group's forthcoming fifth album, tentatively titled "Lead & Roll Vol. 5", which will be released this spring via Hype Records. The CD was recorded at Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST). | 0 | |
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22 фев 2011
RUSH: \'Beyond the Lighted Stage Documentary Honored At MPSE GOLDEN REEL AWARDS
 The documentary about legendary Canadian trio RUSH, called "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage", was honored in the "Documentary In Feature Film" category at the MPSE Golden Reel Awards Sunday night (February 20) in Los Angeles.
The MPSE Golden Reel Awards acknowledge the year's best work in the various areas of sound editing.
RUSH lost in the "Best Long Form Music Video" category at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 13 to THE DOORS film "When You're Strange".
The two-disc DVD release of "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage" was certified double platinum last fall by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. (Note: Due to the fact that the set consists of two discs, it was eligible for platinum certification after shipping 50,000 copies; platinum certification for a single-disc release is 100,000 copies.)
Guitarist Alex Lifeson told The Pulse of Radio that it wasn't until he saw the film himself that he thought there was actually an interesting story to tell about the band. "It's just kind of a, you know, a success story — kids from the suburbs have a dream and they live their dream," he said. "And everybody can relate to that. There's been quite a dynamic in the band, a lot of stuff has happened, so there was a story to tell there. And I don't think I really realized there was one until we actually saw a rough cut and how they pieced it all together and the chronology and the ebbs and flows of the story."
RUSH bassist Geddy Lee told RollingStone.com that the band was initially hesitant when approached by Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen about making a documentary, saying, "We thought, 'How foolish are these guys?' We're just this dull band. I remember [drummer] Neil [Peart] asked them rather pointedly, 'What's your angle? What's the story you want to tell?' They said, 'Well, to be honest, we don't know.' We liked that and said, 'Good luck, let you know what you want us to do.'"
"Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage" won the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival last April. | 0 | |
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22 фев 2011
SEBASTIAN BACH, JIM BREUER Perform HALFORD Covers On \'Fridays With Breuer\'
 Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined forces with Jim Breuer, comedian, Sirius XM host and diehard heavy metal fan, to perform cover versions of the HALFORD songs "Locked And Loaded" and "The One You Love To Hate" during Breuer's December 3, 2010 tribute to Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST) on his "Fridays With Breuer" show on Raw Dog Comedy, Sirius channel 104 and XM channel 150. Video footage of the performance has just been posted on YouTube and can be viewed below.
"Fridays with Breuer" is an intimate show hosted by Jim Breuer, one of the county's most outrageous and beloved comedians. Breuer invites millions of Sirius XM listeners each week into his life and brain, sharing hilarious anecdotes about his adventures as a family man, doing impressions of his favorite performers, riffing on his colorful experiences from performing around the country, and discussing his beloved New York Mets, his favorite rock legends and more.
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22 фев 2011
AEROSMITH Guitarist Performs With SLASH In Charlotte
 AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford joined Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) on stage this past Thursday, February 17 at the Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina to perform the AEROSMITH classic "Walkin' The Dog". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be viewed below.
Slash's setlist was was follows
01. Ghost
02. Mean Bone
03. Night Train
04. Been There Lately
05. Rocket Queen
06. Civil War
07. Nothing to Say
08. Back From Cali
09. Starlight
10. Always On The Run
11. We're All Gonna Die
12. Walkin' The Dog (with Brad Whitford)
13. Jizz Da Pit
14. Just Like Anything
15. Mr. Brownstone
16. Sweet Child O' Mine
17. Rise Today
18. Slither
Encore:
19. By The Sword
20. My Michelle
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21 фев 2011
IMPERIA: New Album Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed
 Dutch/Norwegian goth metal band IMPERIA — which is fronted by Norwegian singer Helena Iren Michaelsen (the original vocalist of the Holland-based band SAHARA DUST, which later changed its name to EPICA) — will release its new album, "Secret Passion", on March 25 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at Spacelab studio in Germany. The album's first single, "Let Down", features a guest appearance by cellist Tina Guo.
"Secret Passion" track listing:
01. Touch Of Your Hand
02. Secret Passion
03. Fragile
04. Out Of Sight
05. Let Down
06. Violence
07. Like Rain
08. Suicide
09. Hold On
10. Greed
11. Missing It All
12. My Sleeping Angel
13. Mistress (digipak bonus track)
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21 фев 2011
ANACRUSIS: New Song Available For Free Download
 Singer/guitarist Kenn Nardi of reunited St. Louis, Missouri-based progressive/melodic thrash metallers ANACRUSIS have issued the following update:
"Bassist John Emery, drummer Mike Owen and I have been working on some new material and though there are no definite plans for a new album at this time, we thought we'd share a new song with you. We have several new songs already recorded and many more in the works and plan to have new material available in some form before summer."
This new song is called "This Killer In My House" and can be heard or downloaded here. It is also available for streaming using the audio player below.
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21 фев 2011
ILLDISPOSED: New Song Available For Streaming
 Danish extreme metallers ILLDISPOSED will release their new album, "There Is Light (But It's Not For Me)", on April 1 via Massacre Records. The band recorded the CD at Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL).
The "There Is Light (But It's Not For Me)" artwork was created by Lasse Hoile, who previously worked with ILLDISPOSED on the "1-800 Vindication" and "Burn Me Wicked" releases.
"There Is Light (But It's Not For Me)" track listing:
01. Your Own Best Companion
02. Heaven Forbid
03. Our Words Betrayed
04. The Taste Of You
05. As The Day Rottens
06. Reality To Fall
07. Step Into My Winter
08. Rape
09. Sunday Black
10. We
11. Alone (digipak bonus track)
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21 фев 2011
ROUTASIELU: \'Kaipaus\' Video Released
 "Kaipaus", the new video from ROUTASIELU, the Finnish melodic death metal project led by Tuomas Saukkonen (BEFORE THE DAWN, BLACK SUN AEON), can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Pimeys" (English translation: "Darkness"), which was released on February 16 via Spinefarm Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Alkusoitto
02. Enkeli
03. Sukuhauta
04. M.E.V.
05. Soturi
06. Pesäpallo
07. Kaipaus
08. Pimeä
09. Loppu
10. Ystävä
11. Kehtolaulu
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21 фев 2011
SYRENS CALL: \'Hang On To Life\' Video Released
 "Hang On To Life", the new video from SYRENS CALL— the French progressive metal band featuring female singer Soraya Hostens — can be viewed below. The song comes off the group's third album, "Raging Waters", which was released on November 12, 2010.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Hang On To Life
02. I'm Your Only One
03. Ashes of Destiny
04. Cruel Love
05. Perfidious Paradise
06. Never Come Back Home
07. Desecrated Past
08. One Bloody Kiss
09. Relapse (instrumental)
10. The Dance of Light
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21 фев 2011
DEATH RAY VISION To Enter Studio In March
 DEATH RAY VISION, the new project featuring SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio and former OVERCAST/SEEMLESS guitarist Pete Cortese, will enter the studio in mid-March to record four or five songs. No further details are currently available. | 0 | |
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21 фев 2011
AC/DC Live Album, DVD Due In \'About Six Weeks,\' Says Lead Singer
 AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson revealed in a new interview (see video below) with OversteetTV.net that the band's new live album, and accompanying concert video, will be released "in about six weeks." The set is expected to contain footage of AC/DC's three sold-out shows at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires on December 2, December 3 and December 6, 2009 (65,000 capacity each).
"We've got a new live album which we shot in Argentina at the end of the last tour, which was about September," Johnson said during the interview. "There was 300,000 people there, and it was just wonderful. We had about 12 cameras there and a great sound crew, and we just enjoyed the heck out of it.
"The live album comes out, with the video of those concerts, in about six weeks or something. So I'm looking forward to that."
He added, "After that, we haven't made any plans; we just wanted to have a rest, 'cause we were on the road for two years. We played in front of five million people. and we deserve a rest, I think. We're pretty pooped. I know that sounds horrible to people that work hard, but believe me, it is hard work."
Footage from AC/DC's Buenos Aires concerts was previously used in the video for the band's classic album cut "Shoot To Thrill", which served as the first single from AC/DC's "Iron Man 2" soundtrack (featuring catalog material from the mid-1970s onwards). The video also incorporated exclusive footage from "Iron Man 2".
The Buenos Aires concerts were part of AC/DC's highly acclaimed "Black Ice World Tour", the second-highest-grossing world tour of 2009, according to concert industry trade publication Pollstar.
AC/DC's setlist for the Buenos Aires concerts was as follows:
01. Rock N' Roll Train
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
03. Back in Black
04. Big Jack
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06. Shot Down In Flames
07. Thunderstruck
08. Black Ice
09. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. T.N.T.
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let There Be Rock
Encore:
18. Highway To Hell
19. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
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21 фев 2011
NOMINON Parts Ways With Guitarist, Announces Replacement
 Guitarist Christian Strömblad has left Swedish death metallers NOMINON in order to focus on "some personal shit." His replacement is Alexander Lyrbo, who has proven himself more than worthy to fill Christian's bloodstained boots," the band writes in a post on its official web site.
Alexander will make his live debut with NOMINON on March 5 in Zabrze, Poland.
Regarding Strömblad's departure, NOMINON states, "NOMINON collectively wishes Mr. Strömblad all the best of luck and hope that everything will work out for the best. What we have accomplished and yet also what we've been going through during the last six years together is something that only a handful of people in the world would have managed to come out of alive, yet we fucking pulled it off."
In other news, NOMINON is in the process of booking a short European tour, to take place in late March and early April. Support will come from the fleshy German deathsters LIFELESS, a band that just released a "killer fucking debut album" on Ibex Moon Records. | 0 | |
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21 фев 2011
NIGHTWISH: Exclusive New Album Details Revealed
 NIGHTWISH mainman Tuomas Holopainen has revealed more details about the band's upcoming "Imaginarium" album and movie project exclusively to Petri Silas of Finland's Soundi magazine.
In an interview that was conducted on February 13, just prior to Tuomas flying over to London to oversee the recording of the album's orchestral parts and choir sections, Holopainen said that he was responsible for penning all of the music on "Imaginarium", with the exception of one track, which was written by vocalist/bassist Marco Hietala.
The new NIGHTWISH CD includes an epic 20-minute track which may or may not be split into two sections during the mastering. This is why Holopainen can't say yet whether the album will consist of 12 or 13 songs. Orchestral arrangements by Pip Williams and assorted Celtic instrumentation by Troy Donockley will once again make an appearance on the new album (as they did on 2007's "Dark Passion Play"). However, according to Holopainen, two of the tracks on "Imaginarium" will have no orchestral score whatsoever. There are also some very interesting new sounds in the mix.
"We are using a wide array of ethnic instruments like the Taiko drums and the zurna on 'Imaginarium' The choir parts are yet again delivered by The Metro Voices," Tuomas said.
The movie "Imaginarium", directed by Stobe Harju, will follow the album's theme and story closely and will also include dialogue. All the preliminary screenplay work is finished and the storyboards are now done but no actors or actresses have yet been cast. In Holopainen's estimation, mainly unknown actors would be the best choice for the film as "unfamiliar faces tend to leave more space to the viewers' imagination."
No shooting locations have been chosen so far.
Holopainen has a decidedly low-key attitude towards the entire movie project. He has personally adopted a humble "straight-to-DVD" mentality but adds that "of course, it would be great" to experience the movie in a proper theater setting one day. "Time will tell whether we are able to stage some special viewings in select movie theaters in Finland and maybe Sweden and Germany as well," he said. "But I'm gonna be super-happy with even a DVD release."
The underlying themes of "Imaginarium" are a positive outlook and a certain "carpe diem" attitude to life.
"Because 'Dark Passion Play' turned out to be the band's darkest and heaviest album to date, this time I wanted to be inspired by love and the beauty of the world," stated Holopainen.
With regards to the similarity of the name and the concept of "Imaginarium" to Terry Gilliam's 2009 feature film "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Panassus", Holopainen maintains that he came upon his concept for the album — and the name "Imaginarium" — approximately two years ago while vacationing and traveling in Australia. He has yet to see "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Panassus" but admits to having already purchased a DVD copy of the film.
Petri Silas' entire interview with Tuomas Holopainen will appear in the 3/2011 issue of Soundi magazine, due in Finland on February 23.
NIGHTWISH will hold a press conference related to this project at the end of February.
Regarding the musical direction of the forthcoming album, singer Anette Olzon recently wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."
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21 фев 2011
LEAVES\' EYES\' New Album Presented To International Press At German Listening Session
 LEAVES' EYES — the German/Norwegian band formed by ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and members of ATROCITY — will release its new album, "Meredead", on April 22 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Release dates for other territories will be announced soon. Producer/co-vocalist Alexander Krull mixed the CD at Mastersound Studio. The album's artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann and can be viewed below.
Commented the band: "Yesterday the international press and a few special friends had their first taste of 'Meredead' at Mastersound Studio. Nine new songs out of the twelve that will be on the record were presented to our guests. The reactions after having the new songs blasted at high volume were very positive. The press also got a lot of background information about the lyrics and how the album was conceived.
"We can't wait for you all to hear the new record as we feel it's a new step in the evolution of LEAVES' EYES!"
Kristine previously stated about the upcoming CD: "As we began composing the first song ideas for our fourth full-length album, all of us were very eager to take another step in strengthening both the individual sound and concept of LEAVES' EYES, like we have done album by album. Along with the songwriting process, I made up my mind about the songs' themes, and drowned myself in different sources of literature. Some songs clearly needed lyrics rooted in northern history and culture, as well as having mystical themes.
"Being an Old-English fan, I decided to write some of the lyrics in Old-English, which, of course, included further studies of grammatical and phonetic knowledge, which I really enjoyed doing.
"Next to modern English and Old English, some songs are sung in traditional Norwegian, to keep their strong individuality and focus on certain themes from special genres in Norwegian traditional singing.
"The album is given the title 'Meredead', as one of the songs on the album. It is my own word creation (at least I haven't found it in a dictionary yet), and it may mean both 'dead by/in the sea,' or 'the mortal or killing sea.'
"In my lyrics, you will find traditional themes from Viking literature and Norwegian song tradition, moreover, tales from the Irish isles, some from already existing sources, some made up myself. Sometimes you will hear about men going on adventures, some ending up drowning in the sea, their wives, evil witches, three-headed trolls, or spell-bound princesses, as well as marble halls and blood-thirsty creatures.
"I allowed myself more freedom for the concept of 'Meredead', telling a number of different stories, real, mystical or sometimes maybe even both."
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21 фев 2011
Former M.O.D., THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, HADES Members Join Forces In MURDER LEAGUE ALL-STARS
 MURDER LEAGUE ALL-STARS, the new band featuring former members of M.O.D., HADES, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, AUTUMN HOUR, SHAT and TEN FEET FROM MURDER, is currently recording its debut album at Trax East Studios in South River New Jersey. A spring release is expected.
The group was recently joined by Rob Gee (real name: Robert Gilmore), the American hardcore/gabber-style producer who has previously collaborated with members of respected rock, metal, hardcore and hip-hop acts such as SLIPKNOT, HATEBREED, BIOHAZARD, WU-TANG CLAN, CYPRESS HILL and SYSTEM OF A DOWN.
In addition to Gee, MURDER LEAGUE ALL-STARS features Tim McMurtrie (M.O.D.), Jeff Wood (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), Dave Lescinsky (AUTUMN HOUR, HADES) and Eddie Night (TEN FEET FROM MURDER). | 0 | |
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21 фев 2011
RUSH: More \'Moving Pictures\' 5.1 Surround Sound Remix Details Revealed
 The 5.1 Surround Sound remix of RUSH's classic 1981 album "Moving Pictures" will be released on April 5. Two packages will be made available — a CD/DVD set and a CD/BD (Blu-ray disc) set. According to the RushIsABand.com web site, the CD will contain the stereo mix while the DVD/Blu-ray will contain the Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo mix. As an added bonus the DVD/Blu-ray will also contain 5.1 mixes of the music videos for "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" and "Vital Signs".
"Moving Pictures" 5.1 Surround Sound remix track listing:
Disc 1:
01. Tom Sawyer
02. Red Barchetta
03. YYZ
04. Limelight
05. The Camera Eye
06. Witch Hunt
07. Vital Signs
Disc 2:
01. Tom Sawyer (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
02. Red Barchetta (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
03. YYZ (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
04. Limelight (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
05. The Camera Eye (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
06. Witch Hunt (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
07. Vital Signs (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)
08. Tom Sawyer (Music Video - 5.1 & Stereo)
09. Limelight (Music Video - 5.1 & Stereo)
The 5.1 Surround Sound remix of "Moving Pictures" was handled by Canadian producer/engineer Richard Chycki — who is known for his work with AEROSMITH and OUR LADY PEACE, and who teamed up with Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, DEATH ANGEL, STONE SOUR) on RUSH's last studio album, 2007's "Snakes & Arrows". He recently wrote on his official blog, "I finished tweaks on 'Red Barchetta' [on February 3]. It really was an amazing experience to spread the original tracks of such a classic CD into the 3D word of surround. (The car speeds off, goes behind and banks a sharp right in rear, [by the way]). The listening experience is drastically enveloping and coupled with songs and performances that epitomize this band, it's definitely a great time to re-discover RUSH.
"After discussion with the band, the goal here was to pay serious homage to the production of the era so a considerable amount of time was spent researching and working through effects, etc. that matched the original but would fare well in the 5.1 world. And, of course, placement was also a critical issue. I'm pleased with the results and [RUSH guitarist] Alex Lifeson was pretty blown away when he came in to listen to the finals."
RUSH's current "Time Machine Tour" is an evening with the band, where they perform their classics, give a taste of the future — and for the first time ever — feature the "Moving Pictures" album live in its entirety.
Released in 1981, "Moving Pictures" was RUSH's most successful album, certified four-times platinum and features some of the band's most well known songs and perennial radio favourites "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" and the Grammy-nominated instrumental "YYZ".
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21 фев 2011
DUNCAN PATTERSON\'s ALTERNATIVE 4 Signs With AVANTGARDE MUSIC
 Duncan Patterson has been an integral part of the independent music scene since 1991, still today known and recognized as the original mastermind behind ANATHEMA's early success and in particular as the driving composer behind the "Eternity" and "Alternative 4" albums. With his songwriting he contributed in defining the doom metal sound first, and then piloted the band towards a deeper and rather advanced style which they followed and developed furtherly after Duncan's departure.
Unquiet and always daring to experiment, he then formed (and released four albums with) ANTIMATTER together with Michael Moss, exploring several genres from deep electronica to folk acoustic, as recently documented by ANTIMATTER's comprehensive compilation "Alternative Matter". But a creative spirit can't be kept in a cage...thus Duncan abandoned again a project at its peak and started another full-time project called ÍON, putting aside for a while the electronic trips and embracing the purity of acoustic, traditional and indigenous music but still marked with his well-defined songwriting style.
In between recording and touring his own projects, he has also enjoyed taking parts to projects that were less spoken about in the indie/metal scene, like Irish alternative rock band THE AFTERMATH or having his own music featured as movies soundtracks (the award-winning film "The Sons Of Eilaboun" and "Just Another Day"). Now to the most interesing part of this announcement: with his current project ALTERNATIVE 4, Duncan has created what we can describe as a "cinematic rock" monument, titled "The Brink", which recalls echoes of his previous work merged with classic-sounding instrumentation.
Unsettling yet beautiful, ALTERNATIVE 4's "The Brink" is already and completely written and actually being recorded in different locations in this world and outer worlds.... The album will feature orchestral and chorals recorded in Monterrey, Mexico, as a diamond on top of a more solid and dark-rock core structure recorded in Ireland with the help of a few long-time collaborators and respected friends, like Mark Kelson (THE ETERNAL) who will play an integral role on this release
"The Brink" will be tentatively released in the summer by Avantgarde Music and will be adorned with beatiful packaging and visuals.
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21 фев 2011
ALICE COOPER Completes Work On \'Welcome 2 My Nightmare\'
 Legendary rockers Alice Cooper has completed work on his new album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare". Cooper made the revelation during his "Nights With Alice Cooper" syndicated radio show, saying that "'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' is done. It's just sitting there." Like the 1975 original "Welcome To My Nightmare" LP, was produced by Bob Ezrin, who also worked on the singer's "Billion Dollar Babies", "School's Out" and "Love It to Death" releases.
"We thought the story was good, but we started talking about 'Welcome To My Nightmare', which I think is our biggest triumph," Cooper told Billboard.com last October. "He mentioned, 'What if Alice had another nightmare?' And we wrote three songs right there. He got really involved in it. Bob is even darker than I am."
Cooper told Billboard.com that he and Ezrin were working on at least 13 songs, including the ballads "I Am Made of You" and "Something to Remember Me By". In addition, Cooper recorded three new songs with original bandmates Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and Michael Bruce (guitar).
"When I listen to the first 'Nightmare', I've got all kinds of things going on," Cooper said. "There's a lot of hard rock on it, but it'll go way off in a weird direction in one song and then way off in other direction for another song. So where 'Welcome To My Nightmare' left off, this one starts right up. When it comes out it'll have an entire new production around it, probably as big as the original 'Nightmare' show. It'll be a big moment in my career."
"Welcome 2 My Nightmare" is scheduled for release later this year on Bigger Picture Records.
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21 фев 2011
GAMMA RAY To Release \'Skeletons And Majesties\' Unplugged Album
 German power metallers GAMMA RAY have issued the following update:
"You might have heard through the grapevine that the Rays have something cooking again... and yes, we do have.
"Since the 'Skeletons In The Closet' album was so well received some time ago, we thought it might be time to do an encore. While going through all previous albums we found that there is still a ton of songs that we either never or barely played. So we decided to do a bit of touring with a total different set and revive some of these songs with our nowadays chemistry and vibe.
"But that's not all... while jamming around with acoustic guitars we discovered that it's actually much fun and that we have a good amount of songs that are cool to listen to as unplugged versions. So these special shows will consist of live un- or rarely heard stuff in full metal gear ('Skeletons') and a good choice of our most famous hits in a different way (we chose to call them 'Majesties') ...and presto: here we go with 'Skeletons And Majesties'!!!"
Dear Friends!
You might have heard through the grapevine that the Rays have something cooking again, .....and yes, we do have.
Since the "Skeletons In The Closet" album was so well received some time ago, we thought it might be time to do an encore.
While going through all previous albums we found that there is still a ton of songs that we either never or barely played.
So we decided to do a bit of touring with a total different set and revive some of these songs with our nowadays chemistry and vibe.
But that's not all... while jamming around with accoustic guitars we discovered that it's actually much fun and that we have a good amount of songs that are cool to listen to as 'unplugged' versions. So these special shows will consist of live un- or rarely heard stuff in full metal gear ('Skeletons') and a good choice of our most famous 'hits' in a different way (we chose to call them 'Majesties') ...and 'presto': here we go with Skeletons and Majesties!!!
To give you all an impression of what's to await we have recorded a Mini Album with the following 4 tracks:
Skeletons :
Hold your ground ( from 'Heading for tomorrow)
Brothers (from 'Insanity and Genius)
Majesties:
Rebellion in Dreamland ( Land of the free)
Send me a sign (Powerplant)
Needless to say that we think the new versions are brilliant, the best ever , hilarious, outstanding, awesome and so on.... no shit, we really do! But judge for yourself...
The Mini will come out on: 08.04.2011
The first bit of the tour will be a short one before summer (tourdates t. b. a.) to see how it will be received and to put the whole thing on CD and DVD which will be out after summer when we will continue to take this thing around the world. For the setlist of the Skeletons part we kindly request your help and opinion. We have prepared a list of all songs that fall into the 'Skeletons' criteria and would like each of you to choose his (or her) 10 favourites.
We hope that you like the idea and that we will see you on the tour.
Additional info from our webmaster: the poll will start 21st of February and include a registration to our website which is supposed to be extended to a growing fan-community.
Big Cheeeeerzzzzzz from da Rrrrrrayzzzz
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21 фев 2011
IMMORTAL\'s DEMONAZ To Release Solo Album In April
 Demonaz Occulta (real name: Harald Nævdal), the once-guitarist and chief lyricist for the Norwegian black metal veterans IMMORTAL, will release his first solo album, "March Of The Norse", on April 1 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD will be available as a CD-digi, regular LP and picture-disc LP.
"March Of The Norse" track listing:
01. Northern Hymn
02. All Blackened Sky
03. March Of The Norse
04. A Son Of The Sword
05. Where Gods Once Rode
06. Under The Great Fires
07. Over The Mountains
08. Ode To Battle
09. Legends Of Fire And Ice
10. Dying Sun (bonus track)
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21 фев 2011
SYMFONIA Performs Live For First Time; Video Available
 SYMFONIA, the new melodic metal project featuring former members of HELLOWEEN, STRATOVARIUS, ANGRA and SONATA ARCTICA, made its live debut last night (Friday, February 18) at the Finnish Metal Expo (part of the Helsinki Metal Meeting) in Helsinki, Finland.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Fields Of Avalon
02. Come By The Hills
03. I Did It My Way
04. Dreamspace
05. Rhapsody In Black
06. Stratosphere
07. Santiago
08. Pilgrim Raid
09. Forevermore
Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed below.
Drummer Uli Kusch will be unable to join his SYMFONIA bandmates at last night's show because is suffering from nerve damage and was advised by his doctors not to play drums for the foreseeable future. His temporary replacement is the renowned German drummer Alex Landenburg, who has previously played with AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR, MEKONG DELTA and STRATOVARIUS).
SYMFONIA recently inked a worldwide deal (excluding Asia) with Edel Germany GmbH for the release of the band's debut album, "In Paradisum". Due on April 1, the 12-song CD was Studiomega in Varberg, Sweden.
A press release reads as follows: "They are all legends among the melodic metal community. By sheer coincidence, they all found themselves living on the same continent, in Scandinavia. They decided to join forces and express their talents in the form of a new melodic metal project: SYMFONIA. | 0 | |
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21 фев 2011
LACUNA COIL Demoing Material, Preparing To Enter Studio
 In a brand new video message to the members of the LACUNA COIL fan community EmptySpiral.net, the Italian band's frontwoman Christina Scabbia reveals that the group is currently demoing material and is preparing to go into the studio "soon" to begin recording its new album for a late 2011 release via Century Media Records.
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21 фев 2011
ELUVEITIE In Denver: Interview, Performance Footage Available
 "Superskum" (web site) conducted an interview with vocalist Christian "Chrigel" Glanzmann of Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE on February 11, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage from the Denver show.
ELUVEITIE is currently touring North America with support from 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL and SYSTEM DIVIDE.
"Everything Remains (As It Never Was)", the latest album from ELUVEITIE, sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 23 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Everything Remains (As It Never Was)" registered the following first-week European chart positions:
Switzerland: #8
Germany: #19
Austria: #22
"Everything Remains (As It Never Was)" was released on February 19, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed at Nott-In Pill studios in Wales with Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, KREATOR, BEHEMOTH, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and Martyn "Ginge" Ford.
ELUVEITIE in 2008 announced the addition of Paede Kistler (bagpipes, whistles, acoustic guitars) and Kay Brem (bass) to the group's ranks.
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21 фев 2011
ROUTASIELU: Debut Album Available For Streaming
"Pimeys" (English translation: "Darkness"), the debut album from ROUTASIELU, the Finnish melodic death metal project led by Tuomas Saukkonen (BEFORE THE DAWN, BLACK SUN AEON), is available for streaming in its entirety at the Record Shop X web site. (Note: The stream will only be available until February 22.)
"Pimeys" was released on February 16 via Spinefarm Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Alkusoitto
02. Enkeli
03. Sukuhauta
04. M.E.V.
05. Soturi
06. Pesäpallo
07. Kaipaus
08. Pimeä
09. Loppu
10. Ystävä
11. Kehtolaulu
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21 фев 2011
STAM1NA, MOKOMA, BARREN EARTH Honored At FINNISH METAL AWARDS
 STAM1NA, MOKOMA and BARREN EARTH are among the artists that were honored at the Finnish Metal Awards, which was held Saturday night (February 19) during the Finnish Metal Expo (the main event of Helsinki Metal Meeting) at the Cable Factory in Helsinki, Finland.
Members of the Finnish metal media pre-selected the candidates and the people cast their votes to select the winners, which were as follows:
Band Of The Year: STAM1NA
Record Of The Year: STAM1NA - "Viimeinen Atlantis"
Musician Of The Year: Tuomas Saukkonen (BEFORE THE DAWN)
Vocalist Of The Year: Antti Hyyrynen (STAM1NA)
Cover Art Of The Year: MOKOMA - "Sydänjuuret"
Newcomer Of The Year: BARREN EARTH
Demo Band Of The Year: FROSTTIDE
The seventh annual Helsinki Metal Meeting was held February 17-19, 2011 in Helsinki. Crowd favorites of the weekend were SABATON, SYMFONIA, TRIPTYKON, ACCEPT and KVELERTAK.
Progressive metallers ODDLAND won the Suomi Metal Star band contest on Saturday, February 19 and landed a deal with Century Media Records. | 0 | |
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21 фев 2011
THUNDERBOLT\'s \'Dung Idols\' Due In March
 Norwegian melodic metallers THUNDERBOLT will release their third album, "Dung Idols", on March 25 via Germany's Rock It Up Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Majestic Travesty
02. Fight
03. The Moderators
04. Special
05. Heel Run
06. Land Of The Living
07. Dung Idols
08. Black Horde
09. Metal Tide
10. Crime Of The Sentry | 0 | |
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