HEAVEN & HELL — the band featuring BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) — has announced the cancellation of all planned appearances this summer in Europe, including its headline set at Bloodstock's (U.K.) 10th anniversary festival as well as performances at Sonisphere in Switzerland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The band has issued the following statement regading the cancellations: "We have to announce that all forthcoming HEAVEN & HELL European shows have been cancelled as sadly [vocalist] Ronnie [James Dio, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2009] isn't well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time."
Richmond, Virginai metallers LAMB OF GOD will release the "Hourglass" collections on June 1, a career-retrospective set that will be available in seven different configurations.
01. "Hourglass: The Super Deluxe Set":
This limited edition definitive collector's set includes:
* The 3-CD Anthology
* The Vinyl Box Set
* The USB Box Set
* The Art of LAMB OF GOD Book
* Mark Morton Signature Series Jackson Dominion D2 Guitar
* 4x6 Pure American Metal Flag
* An Hourglass Sticker
* A signed 8x10 photo
02. "Hourglass: The Deluxe Set":
* The 3-CD Anthology
* The Vinyl Box Set
* The USB Box Set
* Linen-bound 144-page book of the art of LAMB OF GOD as created by K3n Adams.
03. "Hourglass: The Vinyl Box Set":
All six LAMB OF GOD studio albums for the first time on 180-gram vinyl in a linen-wrapped collector's box. Includes:
* Burn The Priest
* New American Gospel
* As The Palaces Burn
* Ashes of the Wake
* Sacrament
* Wrath
04. "Hourglass: The USB Box Set":
All six LAMB OF GOD studio albums on individual USB drives in a cigarette-box-shaped collector's package. Includes:
* Burn The Priest
* New American Gospel
* As The Palaces Burn
* Ashes of the Wake
* Sacrament
* Wrath
05. "Hourglass: The 3-CD Anthology":
The ultimate LAMB OF GOD retrospective. 44 tracks on 3 CDs. Vol. 1 and 2 join Vol. 3 containing 18 rare or never-heard-before songs. Includes: Japan-issue bonus tracks, multiple rehearsal demos alongside the 8 songs released prior to "Burn The Priest".
06. "Hourglass: Vol. 1 - The Underground Years":
13 of the most choice LAMB OF GOD songs from their early years. Culled from their fist album "Burn The Priest", their debut as LAMB OF GOD, "New American Gospel", and the album that launched them to the stratosphere, "As The Palaces Burn".
07. "Hourglass: Vol. 2 - The Epic Years":
13 of the most choice LAMB OF GOD songs from their career on Epic Records to this point. Both Grammy-nominated songs, "Redneck” and "Set To Fail", are surrounded by fan-favorite anthems and crushing riffs from "Ashes Of The Wake" to "Sacrament" to 2009's #2 debut "Wrath".
Dutch female-fronted metal band MORNING has issued the following update:
"2010 brought and will bring us very divergent feelings.
"We performed at some big, sold-out shows, shared the stage with STREAM OF PASSION, TRAIL OF TEARS, EPICA and LACUNA COIL, toured Albania and some very cool shows with REVAMP and AUTUMN are coming up. Next to that we are celebrating 10 years of having our band and passion MORNING. On the other hand, after these 10 years we started thinking and talking about future plans and new challenges.
"With heavy hearts, we have to tell you that we decided to quit.
"This has not been an easy decision to make and we have thought about this for quite some time. We concluded that we have reached the point where we should take new roads, but unfortunately also part our ways...
"As band members and even more as close friends, the last 10 years have been a blast, and we are very proud to have been part of this great experience called MORNING.
"Since we want to give everyone the chance of saying goodbye, we will still play the confirmed shows and even add a final goodbye show, to celebrate 10 years of MORNING and to end with a bang!
Swedish black metallers ARCKANUM have inked a deal with Regain Records. The band's new album, "Sviga Læ", will be released later in the year.
Commented Shamaatae (all instruments): "It feels really good to work with Regain Records.
"The new ARCKANUM album, 'Sviga Læ', is a dedication to Surtr; Giant and Ruler of the world of flames Múspellzheimr, and Loki; the Flaming Giant and Archenemy of the worlds. 'Sviga Læ' is a manifestation of the blazing Chaos and the burning of the gods."
The cover artwork for "The Melancholy Hour", the sophomore album from Portuguese metal act VERTIGO STEPS — the ambitious offspring of Bruno A (ARCANE WISDOM, UNDERSTREAM, REDSTAINS) — can be viewed below. The CD cover and other photographic artwork (which will also be revealed soon) were created by the same artist who envisioned the band's notorious debut and is endorsed by the group as "one of the best visual perspectives to simply convey the dense-yet-captivating moods throughout the 12 tracks," according to a press release.
VERTIGO STEPS is currently recording "The Melancholy Hour" at UltraSoundStudios in Portugal with producer/ drummer Daniel Cardoso. All guitars have already been laid down and singer Niko Mankinen flew over from Finland for two weeks to record his vocals.
Video footage from the studio can be viewed below.
"The Melancholy Hour" track listing:
01. The Spider & The Weaving
02. Vacant Stare
03. Desperation Lair
04. Inhale
05. Silentground
06. Under Burning Waters (I Resurrect)
07. Reel World
08. Through Sham Lenses
09. Red Haze
10. Redemption River, Dividing Ocean
11. Sweet, Sweet Rain (bonus)
12. Burial Light
"Sea Of Fate", the new video from Italian symphonic metal masters RHAPSODY OF FIRE, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's new album, "The Frozen Tears Of Angels", which was released on April 30, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli and it was mixed and mastered by Sascha Paeth at the Gate Studio (AVANTASIA, EPICA) in Wolfsburg, Germany. It was made available as a standard version jewelcase, as "a highsize digipak" with two bonus tracks and as a gatefold double-vinyl.
"The Frozen Tears Of Angels" track listing:
01. Dark Frozen World
02. Sea Of Fate
03. Crystal Moonlight
04. Reign Of Terror
05. Danza Di Fuoco E Ghiaccio
06. Raging Starfire
07. Lost In Cold Dreams
08. On The Way To Ainor
09. The Frozen Tears Of Angels
Bonus tracks:
10. Labyrinth Of Madness
11. Sea Of Fate (Orchestral Version)
DISTURBED has recorded a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Living After Midnight" for volume 1 of the new "Metal Forge" series by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, which sees nine bands covering the nine tracks on PRIEST's "British Steel" album to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. "Breaking the Law" - FIREWIND
02. "Rapid Fire" - TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED
03. "Metal Gods" - THAUROROD
04. "Grinder" - BLEED FROM WITHIN
05. "United" - ARTHEMIS
06. "Living After Midnight" - DISTURBED
07. "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise" - IMICUS
08. "The Rage" - RISE TO REMAIN
09. "Steeler" - STEELWING
2010 will prove to be the busiest calender year in the career of veteran rock band CLUTCH. Building on the Top 30 Billboard chart success of 2009's "Strange Cousins From the West" (Weathermaker Music), the Maryland-based quartet will internationally issue a brand new epic DVD set called "Live at the 9:30" in mid-May. This 200-minute double-disc concert film will be sold at the fan-friendly price of $19.98.
METALLICA's 1986 LP "Master of Puppets" has been named the "best heavy metal album of all time" in a poll for musicians' web site MusicRadar.com.
With the results released on International Noise Awareness Day, MusicRadar.com teamed up with Metal Hammer, the U.K.'s best-selling heavy metal magazine, to create a countdown of the ultimate headbanging records. The online poll attracted over 6,000 votes from musicians and metal enthusiasts.
With a whopping 20% of total votes, "Master of Puppets" remains as popular today as when it was released in March 1986. Acclaimed by fans and critics alike, the album went multi-platinum, going on to sell over six million copies in the U.S. alone, despite receiving no radio airplay, with no single or music video to accompany it.
METALLICA's grip on the heavy metal scene is evident throughout the chart, with four of their albums appearing in the MusicRadar.com top 25. Today, the band continues to perform sold-out shows across the globe, with their music regularly appearing in best-selling videogames, including Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
The U.S. band beat legendary U.K. metal act IRON MAIDEN's 1982 album "The Number of the Beast" into second spot, with GUNS N' ROSES' "Appetite for Destruction" in third. Other acts in the top ten include Birmingham's BLACK SABBATH and AC/DC — who also soundtracked this week's blockbuster movie release, "Iron Man 2".
Mike Goldsmith, Editor-in-Chief of MusicRadar.com, said: "Whether it's AC/DC soundtracking 'Iron Man 2', RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE getting the Christmas No. 1 or IRON MAIDEN winning a Brit, heavy metal is no longer an underground concern. Over 6,000 musicians and metalheads agree and have voted in what is MusicRadar.com's most popular poll yet. It's another award for METALLICA's thrash masterpiece and is the perfect soundtrack for International Noise Awareness Day. Turn it up!"
Alexander Milas, Editor of Metal Hammer, added, "This is a thrilling result — but it will come as no surprise to long time fans, as METALLICA's 'Master of Puppets' is an absolute landmark for our beloved genre. Ranging from the crushing and frenetic 'Battery' to the stately elegance of 'Orion', 'Master of Puppets' still explodes with the sweat-soaked denim of the band's more humble beginnings. Should the god-like IRON MAIDEN have won the poll? Are GUNS N' ROSES really heavy metal? Debates like these will rage forever on, and it's a testament to the intelligence and incredible passion of metalheads around the globe."
MusicRadar.com's "Best Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time":
01. METALLICA - Master of Puppets (1986)
02. IRON MAIDEN - The Number of the Beast (1982)
03. GUNS N' ROSES - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
04. METALLICA - Ride the Lightning (1984)
05. SLAYER - Reign in Blood (1986)
06. MEGADETH - Rust in Peace (1990)
07. BLACK SABBATH – Paranoid (1970)
08. AC/DC - Back in Black (1980)
09. PANTERA - Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
10. IRON MAIDEN - Powerslave (1984)
Pastor Bob Beeman — who started up the ministry Sanctuary through which Christian rock and rollers finally had a home and a church that understood and not condemned them — recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson about David's faith in God. The chat is available for streaming in two parts below. An excerpt from the interview follows.
Pastor Bob Beeman: Did you ever feel like God actually left you? I mean, was there always a sense during those years that He was still kind of tugging on your heart and trying to get your attention?
Ellefson: "I never felt like He left me — it was very clear to me that I left Him. 'Cause once your start drinking and taking drugs and you get in that environment and that behavior… In fact, there were a lot of times, as we all do when we're in those [situations] when we wake up in some hotel or in your apartment, or whatever it is, you're alone, you're broke, you're hopeless, you're destitute… you're just spiritually and morally bankrupt as a result of that way of life. And you wake up or you go to bed at night from doing too much cocaine, or whatever it is that you do, and you're laying there and you go, 'Oh my gosh, what is the purpose of life? What am I doing? How did I get here? How did I move so far?' And in the moments that we all seek, we're asking the big question. And always the answer is, I moved away from God. I moved away from the creator who put me here for a purpose. And clearly what [I was] doing [was] not the purpose that he put me here to be in. If we can honestly face, ask and be open to accepting the answer to come, that seems to be the turning point to getting back on the road to redemption."
The latest album is now pressed on cassette. After CD and double LP treatment, this is the next logical step for collectors, nostalgia seekers, and/or lovers of the olden ways of audio reproduction. Top quality printed cassette with fold out, glossy, colour, double-sided cover with lyrics.
"I'm Coming Home", the new video from Californian rockers Y&T, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's first studio album in 13 years, "Facemelter", which is scheduled for release in Europe on May 21 via Frontiers Records.
South Florida death metallers EVIL AMIDST will enter Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 28 with producer with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, MORBID ANGEL, HATE ETERNAL) to begin recording their debut album, entitled "Of Ice And Skin". The band's all-star lineup includes the following musicians:
Australian melodic power metal band BLACK MAJESTY will release its new album, "In Your Honour", in Europe on May 14 via Limb Music. The CD was produced by Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN, ex-HELLOWEEN) at his Grapow Studios in Slovakia. Dirk Illing (SCORPIONS, WIZARD) once again handled the album's artwork, which continues the theme of the band's past works.
"In Your Honour" track listing:
01. Far Beyond
02. God Of War
03. Millenium
04. Break These Chains
05. Further Than Insane
06. End Of Time
07. Wish You Well
08. Follow
09. Witching Hour
Bonus tracks (European digipack):
10. Two Hearts
11. Silent Company (acoustic version)
Moby — whose solo music spans the genres of ambient, techno, punk, house and electronica — has announced the formation of a "heavy metal" band called DIAMONDSNAKE with "world-class entertainer" Dave Hill (VALLEY LODGE), Phil Costello (SATANICIDE, VALLEY LODGE) and Tomato (THE SOUND OF URCHIN).
"Combining such disparate influences as rock, hard rock, metal, and heavy metal, New York City's DIAMONDSNAKE was borne out of a shared love for entering a small, dark, and musty room, plugging into a few amps, and playing as loud as possible for a seriously long time," reads the band's official bio.
In a "journal" post on his web site, Moby explained that DIAMONDSNAKE was formed after a conversation he had with Costello in January. Later the duo enlisted Hill and Tomato.
DIAMONDSNAKE entered Headgear studios in Brooklyn last month with engineer Scott Norton and recorded a total of 15 songs, seven of which can be streamed on the band's Facebook and MySpace pages.
"From the molten riffage of 'We Wanna Love You' to the relentless pop attack of 'What the World Needs Now is Rock', from the crushing lament of 'Wrong Woman to Love' to the heartrending majesty of 'Lady of the Morning' and beyond, the men of DIAMONDSNAKE somehow managed to address every topic and emotion worthy of honoring through song," according to the band's bio. "Love, lust, good women, bad women, the power of rock, and predatory sea creatures they are all here, celebrated in words and music by DIAMONDSNAKE."
DIAMONDSNAKE will make its live debut on June 17 at New York's Highline Ballroom.
"Rise Of The Fallen", the new video from SOULFLY, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed during the band's March 17, 2010 live performance at the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York. Directing the clip was Dale "Rage" Resteghini, who has helmed over 550 music videos since 2003, including clips for such metal bands as MUDVAYNE, HATEBREED, ANTHRAX, and SHADOWS FALL. Rage has also directed videos for some of the biggest names in the hip hop world, including Lil Wayne, Diddy, Snoop Dog, and Ice Cube.
"Rise Of The Fallen" comes off SOULFLY's new album, "Omen", which is scheduled for release on May 25 via Roadrunner Records. The effort will be made available in a standard edition and a special autographed (while supplies last) limited-edition CD/DVD with access to an exclusive MP3 download of the song "Kingdom".
"Omen" limited-edition CD/DVD track listing:
CD:
01. Bloodbath & Beyond
02. Rise Of The Fallen
03. Great Depression
04. Lethal Injection
05. Kingdom
06. Jeffrey Dahmer
07. Off With Their Heads
08. Vulture Culture
09. Mega-Doom
10. Counter Sabotage
11. Soulfly VII
12. Four Sticks (LED ZEPPELIN cover) (Bonus Track)
13. Refuse/Resist (SEPULTURA cover) (Bonus Track)
14. Your Life, My Life (EXCEL cover) (Bonus Track)
DVD - Live at the With Full Force festival in, Germany on July 3, 2009:
01. Blood Fire War Hate
02. Sanctuary
03. Prophecy
04. Back To The Primitive
05. Seek ‘N’ Strike
06. Living Sacrifice
07. Enemy Ghost
08. Refuse/Resist
09. Doom
10. L.O.T.M.
11. Molotov
12. Drums
13. Warmageddon
14. Policia
15. Unleash
16. Roots Bloody Roots
17. Eye For An Eye
A music video for the track "Unleash" will also be featured on the DVD.
Long-running California metallers AGENT STEEL have issued the following update:
"As some of you may or may not have already heard the news that AGENT STEEL has parted ways with vocalist Bruce Hall. We as a band would like to acknowledge the accomplishments together with Bruce and the three solid metal offerings; 'Omega Conspiracy', 'Order Of The Illuminati' and 'Alienigma'. Together we had the fortune of touring and sharing the stage in some amazing places and visited some breathtaking countries. Bruce dedicated over a decade to AGENT STEEL and for this he should be recognized, and we part on good terms.
"We as a band still have the fire and passion to deliver the metal goods to fans from the past, present and future.
"We had been writing new material for the next chapter of AGENT STEEL and after the news got out that we separated from Bruce, we were contacted by original singer, John Cyriis. Call it destiny; call it what you will, but now the communicative channel is open between AGENT STEEL and vocalist Cyriis; we are in talks about an imminent AGENT STEEL reunion tour possibly involving summer/fall 2010 appearances and an extensive '2011' metal blitz.
"Honestly, we do not know how long this reunion will last; however this could be the long-awaited destiny of AGENT STEEL originally interrupted, so long as everything moves forward in an evolving good working climate.
"Our objective regarding this AGENT STEEL reunion is attached with the intentions of providing the opportunity to not only the dedicated fans, but also to a whole new generation of metal fans the chance to see AGENT STEEL live on stage with Cyriis; the original voice on the classic 'Skeptics Apocalypse', 'Unstoppable Force' and 'Mad Locust Rising' releases.
Classic Swedish heavy metal veterans OVERDRIVE are currently in the studio recording their seventh LP. The drums are being recorded at Studio Sound Palace by Johan Blomström (BLINDED COLONY, SPICE & THE RJ BAND, KAPTAIN SUN), who also mixed the previous album, "Let The Metal Do The Talking" (Lion Music). The new album will be mixed by Pelle Saether (STEEL ATTACK, AXENSTAR, GRAND DESIGN, INSANIA) in July. Songtitles set to appear on the as-yet-untitled CD include "Angelmaker", "In Guts We Trust", "Mother Earth", "Cold Blood Chaser" and "It's Not As Easy As It Seems". This time it's all new written material plus a cover, a slightly unexpected song that will hopefully be a positive surprise.
Commented guitarist Janne Stark: "Musically this album is true to the '80s way of heavy metal, bringing in influences from the classic metal era of bands like ACCEPT and JUDAS PRIEST with no modern elements whatsoever. Not that we've ever been modern. I know all bands say it, but we do sincerely feel this will be our strongest album ever. It feels like all pieces fit and even though we've only recorded half the drums I'm really confident this will be a killer album!"
The lineup is still Per "PerilOz" Karlsson on vocals, Janne Stark and Kjell Jacobsson on guitars, Kenth Ericsson on bass and Kenta Svensson on drums.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010, OVERDRIVE will appear at several festivals in Scandinavia, such as Muskelrock in Alvesta, Hasslöfestivalen in Karlskrona and Metal Warning in Helsinki.
OVERDRIVEs new album is due in late fall, this time also on vinyl. As the band has written a load of songs (of which 20 are being recorded), there will be plenty of bonus material for other releases.
"The Listening", a brand new song from EYES SET TO KILL, is available for streaming using the audio player below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). The track comes off the band's third album, "Broken Frames", which will be released on June 8 via BreakSilence Records.
Norwegian extreme metal veterans KEEP OF KALESSIN will release their new album, "Reptilian", in North America on June 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD will be made available in Europe (except Germany, Austria and Switzerland) on May 10 through Indie Recordings.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Dragon Iconography
02. The Awakening
03. Judgement
04. The Dragontower
05. Leaving The Mortal Flesh
06. Dark As Moonless Night
07. The Divine Land
08. Reptilian Majesty
The song "Judgement" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
"Waiting On The Western World", the new video from resurrected Morgantown, West Virginia instrumental metal pioneers KARMA TO BURN, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's fourth album, "Appalachian Incantation", which is scheduled for release on May 11 via Napalm Records. The group's first studio CD in eight years was produced by ex-KYUSS bassist Scott Reeder and contains eight instrumentals chronologically titled from "41" to "48", along with the track "Waiting For The Western World", which features YEAR LONG DISASTER frontman Daniel Davis on vocals. Legendary KYUSS singer John Garcia performs on "Two Times", which is exclusive to the bonus disc included with the first 2,000 copies of "Appalachian Incantation".
French decadent metallers WORMFOOD have announced their new lineup. It is as follows:
* Renaud Fauconnier (BORGIA / ABSTRUSA UNDE / KETELO TROPO / PSY K TRIP): Guitar
* Vincent Liard (LONAH / DESERT ORANGE): Bass
* Thomas Jacquelin: Drums
* Axel Wursthorn (ex-CARNIVAL IN COAL): Keyboards, Arrangements (studio)
* Emmanuel "El Worm" Levy (ex-CARNIVAL IN COAL): Vocals, Guitar
WORMFOOD recently inked a deal with Deadlight Entertainment (UNDERCOVER SLUT, BUKOWSKI, LIVARKAHIL) for the release of the band's new album, entitled "Posthume". Due in the fall, the CD "comes like the best gift for your ex-girlfriend," according to a press release. "It [contains] eight tracks in the vein of TYPE O NEGATIVE, ANGE and PARADISE LOST, including a cover of STEPHAN EICHER's 'Des Hauts et des Bas', and features guest appearance by Paul Bento (CARNIVORE, TYPE O NEGATIVE) on sitar and eletronic tempura."
"Posthume" track listing:
01. Les Noces sans Retour
02. Vanité des Amants
03. Troubles Alimentaires
04. Passage à Vide
05. Salope
06. Des Hauts et des Bas
07. Le Seul Amour
08. EWB28IF
The song "Les Noces sans Retour", featuring a guest appearance by Paul Bento on sitar, is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
SCARS ON BROADWAY — the collaboration between SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan — returned to the live stage last night (Sunday, May 2) after a 17-month absence to play a headlining show at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. The band debuted a new song, reportedly entitled "Talkin' Shit", and was joined for one track — "Cute Machines" — by SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian.
An audio sample of "Outrage", a brand new song from the Swedish female-fronted heavy rock band SISTER SIN, can be streamed at this location. The track comes off the group's sophomore album, "True Sound Of The Underground", which is scheduled for release on June 8 via Victory Records in North America and on July 23 through Metal Heaven Records in Europe. The CD was produced by Henrik Edenhed (DEAD BY APRIL, ROBYN, LAMBRETTA, TEDDYBEARS, CHRISTIAN WALTZ, THE SOUNDS) in Stockholm at Studio 301 and Cosmos Studios.
"True Sound Of The Underground" track listing:
01. Sound Of The Underground
02. Nailbiter
03. The Devil I Know
04. 24/7
05. Built To Last
06. Heading For Hell
07. Outrage
08. I Stand Alone
09. Better Than Them
10. Times Aren't A-Changing
11. Beat 'Em Down
Austrian symphonic extreme metal outfit HOLLENTHON has parted ways with bassist Gregor Marboe and has replaced him with a man named Max. The band said, "We played the first show with [Max] at the Ragnarök festival [which was held April 30 - May 1, 2010 at Ostbayernhalle in Rieden/Kreuth, Germany]. It was a great show and he did it very well!"
Whether making memorable moments, pushing the envelope with explicit imagery, cinematic technology, or just telling the gripping tale of well-thought-out storylines, music videos have always been a beacon of expression, which is why we took a look at the killer videos in Roadrunner’s long history to find ten of our most unforgettable. You’ve seen our universal choices for numbers 10 – 6, and now as we reveal our top 5, we get some insight from our Head of Video Promotions/ veteran employee Elias Chios as well as our artists on the cinematic excellence, groundbreaking creativity and overall bad-ass entertainment of these music videos. From the viral strength of DragonForce’s Sam Totman chugging a beer while Herman Li shreds, through Killswitch Engage’s Adam. D. playing a fair maiden, to Slipknot destroying a house in Iowa, we give you the finale of our worldwide-staff-approved Greatest Music Videos.
#5 DragonForce - "Through the Fire and the Flames"
This explosive performance-based video was directed by Julain Reich and while cited by Elias Chios as simply “Classic!” no one can explain it better than DragonForce guitarist Herman Li: “I remember we flew to Germany to make this video and it was really exciting, as it was to be the first DragonForce music video. In fact, none of us had been in a music video before. The concept behind it was to capture the DragonForce live energy as much as possible. Since it was our first video, it was pretty low budget, but we worked our ass off with the director to get the energy of the band and the song across as much as possible. After filming for over 12 hours, it was time to do the solos. Somehow we left it last and I have no idea why we did that. Sam and I were feeling really tired then, so Sam decided to crack open the beer, as if drinking was gonna wake him up! Right in the middle of filming my second solo, I suddenly heard the director shouting ‘Yes, this is awesome. Sam! Keep drinking, don’t stop!’ You can see in the final video that was exactly what happened in the moment; it wasn’t acted out. Despite the low budget, I really like how it was able to introduce the band’s unique music style further around the world and gave the viewer a glimpse of DragonForce’s explosive energy. The feedback on the ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ video has been absolutely incredible world-wide. It has over 27 million views on just one of the many YouTube posts out there! We never expected to be in the top 10 list and we are really stoked to be in the top 5! Thanks, see you on tour in 2011!” Watch it below and for more from DragonForce and Inhuman Rampage, go right here!
#4 Stone Sour - "Through Glass"
A reactionary song to the big business of star-search type TV shows, Stone Sour’s “Through Glass” has been described by Corey Taylor as a “very angry song” to which he questions the sincerity of the music generated by those mediums. To further get the point across, the band enlisted renowned director Tony Petrossian to construct a video that plays on the concept of reality and focus on the plasticity of entertainment. Our music video authority Elias Chios explains, “This is one of my personal all time favorite Roadrunner videos. The visual trickery, you will see momentarily (if you haven’t already) involves freezing a moving image and exposing the still in one seamless motion. Imagine this… say CC DeVille is hanging out at your house party having a cocktail and all of a sudden he becomes a standup cardboard cutout and you can pick him up put him under your arm and and place him in your kitchen so you have a buddy while cooking up a grilled cheese with bacon.. yeah, it’s like that. Just fantastic, memorable eye candy. I won’t ever get sick of this one. This track really took Stone Sour to new heights and cemented them as a legit rock powerhouse.” Watch it below and for more from Stone Sour and Come What(ever) May, go right here.
#3 Nickelback - "Rockstar"
Featuring endless cameos from celebrities of all walks of fame as well as regular joes from all over the world, the video for Nickelback’s “Rockstar” doesn’t even feature the band themselves until the very last frame. A playful take on the global wish to be a rockstar, this video captivates all who watch it -- if not only to see who will show up singing along onscreen next! As our videos expert Elias Chios puts it, “This song is something every music lover can relate to, no matter the genre -- and the video for it highlights that to a T. Who hasn’t wished they were a rockstar or at least be able to live that rockstar life? Please, you know you have. People from all walks of life have; that’s what makes this video so great. It took a long time to make and yes, the crew travelled the globe to film it. It’s got something [ed. note: or somebody!] for everyone!” Watch it below and for more from Nickelback and All the Right Reasons go right here.
#2 Killswitch Engage - "Holy Diver"
Covering Dio is no easy task, and not only did Killswitch Engage nail the classic track, but the jokesters made a video equally as memorable in acting out a Medieval Times-worthy storyline. In full costume. Says Chios, “A killer rendition of a classic tune with a hilarious twist. Hands down the funniest video not only Killswitch ever made, but ROADRUNNER. When you take a metal band that in their videos have been quite serious up to a certain point, then throw everyone for a loop and deliver a comedy… We all know KsE have a comedic side to them, but this was just a killer over-the-top way to bring that out.” Bassist Mike D. sheds some light on the making of the video, explaining, “Adam picked out the characters for the Holy Diver shoot beforehand. I was the heroic "Knight" (because I am short and the most non-hero like member of the band), Joel was the "Evil Wizard" (because he just looks like one), Justin was the "King" (because of his powerful red beard), Howard was the "Blacksmith" (for obvious reasons), and Adam picked himself as the "Princess" (go figure). I remember pulling up at the video shoot for Holy Diver at 5:30AM in the morning in beautiful Cali vineyard country. I was dressed in my rubber "armor" and XXXL sweats and shooting by 6AM. It was a fun day until the summer heat kicked in around 11AM and the temp climbed up to 98 degrees (sun stroke was not far behind). Since the knight was the main character, I was shooting constantly, I remember feeling bad for the rest of the guys since they had to stay in costume all day although they only had a few shots to do. We wrapped my part at 2AM the next day… it was a long and tiring shoot, but our best video to date, hands down.”
#1 Slipknot - "Duality"
Filmed on location at a fan’s house in Des Moines, Iowa, our number one video “Duality” shows the masked 9 of Slipknot ultimately playing a house party. But with director Tony Petrossian’s touch, and the help of a rowdy crowd, the aggressive nature of the song takes over in a destructive fury -- resulting in MASS damages to the house (which have since been re-paid!) Giving more insight is our video authority Elias Chios, who says, “#1 and rightfully so! This is the best video Slipknot ever made, in my humble opinion. It captures everything they are about: The art, the violence, the insanity, the frantic energy from which everything is born and of course the loyalty and gratitude to their fans, the maggots. How much fun it must have been to completely destroy a house? I’m gonna guess a shit load. This song and video is a defining moment in their career. Over the years, Slipknot’s mystique, brutally beautiful performances and their sacred relationship with their fans created a true legend. This video really put it all in perspective and engaged those that put aside the band for whatever reason.“ Watch it below and for more on Slipknot and Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses go right here.
Although the origins go back to the 1920s with the arrival of sound to motion pictures, music videos really came into their own in the 1980s when they had a television channel specifically formatted around the captivating medium. Sure videos existed prior, and have extended onto the world wide web since, but from that first real launch pad on, music artists widely used this form to showcase their sound, demonstrate their song’s concept or explore their own mystique. And whether it was making memorable moments, pushing the envelope with explicit imagery, cinematic technology, or just telling the tale of well thought out storylines, music videos have always been a large part of fan consumption. From the late Peter Steele playing a stand-up bass at waist level with a guitar strap to Corey Taylor taking off his Slipknot mask to play the lead in a short film, we here at Roadrunner have churned out innumerous music videos in our nearly 30 year tenure, which is why we summoned the assistance of our global staff to pick our Ten Greatest Music Videos.
With commentary from our bands, and the insight of our hilarious Head of Video Promotions/ veteran employee Elias Chios, join us as we look at the cinematic excellence, groundbreaking creativity and overall bad-ass entertainment of some of our past and present music videos.
#10 Sepultura - "Ratamahatta"
Taking us deep into the Claymation jungle of Brazil, native death metal masters Sepultura took the tribal beats of “Ratamahatta” – courtesy of former Korn drummer David Silveria in addition to the band’s own Iggor Cavalera – and the authentic Brazilian-based themes (sung in part by musician Carlinhos Brown) and focused a video concept on the sonic and ancestral origins of the band. Explains former frontman and founder Max Cavalera, “It was a concept video made with Brazilian oriented puppets. We were recreating a little piece of Brazil in animation, from the jungle to the slums.” Contextualizing it, Elias Chios adds, "As for the Claymation, Voodoo, tribal drums, the forest of Brazil: A recipe for greatness, wouldn’t you say? Such perfect imagery for this song." Watch the video below, and for more from Sepultura's Roots, go right here.
#9 Type O Negative - "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)"
The shadowy apparition of this black-and-white video visually builds up the same way Type O Negative's song does, opening with an extreme close-up of frontman Peter Steele’s ominous scowl and then breaking into the band performing under an evil tree and strobe light in the woods, with Steele rocking a stand-up bass like it’s a regular 4-string. Though largely performance-based, the camera angles and cut-away footage made for a powerful impact in introducing the dark band to their goth audience. Explains Chios, “I tried filing down my teeth after I saw this video, no really, I did. Shit hurt. This is the video and song that made me fall in love all things Type O. The mere fact that they are playing acoustic instruments, Peter is playing a stand up bass as if it were an electric bass, the incredible facial expressions of Peter - so well done, classic Type O. LOVE THIS! This is creepy and hilarious all in one nut. Apparently, there was a huge feud as the band wanted this in a green tone instead of black and white. Created quite the battle at that time.” Watch below to see where that green comes into play, and for more from Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses, go right here.
#8 DevilDriver - "Clouds Over California"
Featuring frontman Dez Fafara’s sons playing as the band dubbed “Evil River” (Devil Driver without the D’s!), DevilDriver’s video for “Clouds Over California” doesn’t have the actual band perform, but gets across the mood of having clouds over sunny California with flashes of the grim reaper, scenes from a graveyard and more. Explains Roadrunner video authority Elias Chios, “Dez thought up the brilliant idea that instead of DevilDriver performing in the video, having kids (his own) be the band performing the track, [It’s] just one awesome video.” Frontman Dez Fafara goes over the making of the video, saying "’Clouds over California’ was done on a shoestring budget, pulling every favor I could , filmed guerilla-style (in and outta location with no permission), enlisting fans from the area as well as ALL my sons as the band. I'm most proud of my youngest who was 9 at the time, played ME and nailed it right down to the middle finger in the air!" Watch it below, and for more on DevilDriver and The Last Kind Words, go right here.
#7 Sepultura - "Territory"
Following the band performing and walking through the desert, often daubed in mud and interlaced with footage of slums and favelas from the middle east, as is the song’s references to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, “Territory” was a powerful politically-charged video encapsulating Sepultura’s message. Elias Chios puts the 1993 offering in context saying, ”The video is heavy in political content and when I saw the mudmen it felt like a moment of departure. While it fit the vibe of the video so well, it was a welcome break from all the WAR footage.” Max Cavalera looks back on the making of "Territory," contending, “It was a great video which was actually filmed on location in Israel. We spent two days filming in many places, such as the Dead Sea, the Masada, and actually drank tea with the bedouin nomads in their tent." Watch it below and for more from Sepultura and Chaos A.D. go right here.
#6 Slipknot - "Snuff"
A short film directed by Slipknot’s own M. Shawn Crahan (Clown) and Paul Brown, “Snuff” works like a motion picture – not only because it was shot on real film and features Hollywood actors, but because the storyline was written to follow leading man Corey Taylor through his twisted love story. Explaining the treatment is the director (and percussionist) himself, M. Shawn Crahan: “It was very important that I write something that was not going to justify the word ‘snuff’ in what the literal word [means], because I don’t support that... I had to go [deep], and a lot of it just came around this story that Corey has written and these lyrics about, more or less, this person who’s so gone and will not return, that she’s basically dead, but he becomes her and that became more or less the definition of ‘snuff.’“ Adds Roadrunner’s Elias Chios, “Slipknot takes another genius left turn to show a side no one has ever seen. Unmasked Corey Taylor, a storyline that has you saying to yourself “ What the f***” and Malcom McDowell? Come on! Corey’s intensity in this is insane. Brilliant.” Watch it below and for more from Slipknot and All Hope is Gone, go right here.
British vocalist Steve Grimmett (GRIM REAPER, LIONSHEART, ONSLAUGHT) has been added to the list of musicians who have recorded guest appearances on "Reborn in Fire", the upcoming album from EMPIRES OF EDEN — the brainchild of PAINDIVISION/ex-DUNGEON guitarist Stu Marshall.
Featured on the track "Beyond Daybreak", Steve "delivers an emotive and aggressive vocal performance that illustrates why he is one of the most influential voices in heavy music," according to a press release.
Commented Marshall: "Steve was one of the sought-after performers I tracked down and thankfully he agreed to be involved in the project. The track needed to be heavy while retaining the melodic flair that Steve is known for; as a fan, that's what I wanted to hear from him.
"This concept is one of the great things about EMPIRES OF EDEN: the singers all compose their own lyrics and melodies, providing a window into what makes many of them as great as they are."
Eastworld Recordings has announced the signing of veteran rockers HAWKWIND.
Says the label:
The original pioneers of space rock return with their eagerly awaited stunning new album - Blood Of The Earth, their first in 5 years.
Produced by the band at state of the art recording facility Earth Studios, Blood Of The Earth takes the listener on a journey through crushing visceral space rock, doom driven poetry, whimsical mantras and imagination opera. An example of humans and machines pulsing in harmony out into the void.
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures.
Formed in November 1969 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Brock, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and styles of music. Critic Jim Green describes their trademark sound as characterized by "that gargantuan and impenetrable pre-metal/hardcore drone, those great riffs, that inexorable drive to destinations unknown".
Dozens of musicians have worked with the group; notable fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock was an occasional collaborator.
Blood Of The Earth will be available in the following formats:
WE ARE THE FALLEN, the group formed by EVANESCENCE co-founder Ben Moody (guitar) and other former members — John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) — along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien (DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM,TOMMY LEE) — will release its debut album, "Tear The World Down", on May 11 via Universal Republic Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Bury Me Alive
02. Burn
03. Paradigm
04. Don't Leave Me Behind
05. Sleep Well, My Angel
06. Through Hell
07. I Will Stay
08. Without You
09. St. John
10. I Am Only One
11. Tear The World Down
30-second audio samples of all the tracks that appear on the album can be streamed on Amazon.com.
Heaven & Hell
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