TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta was the featured guest on last night's (Saturday, October 11) edition of "The Classic Metal Show". During the interview, Luccketta talked about the writing and recording of TESLA's new album, "Forever More", his divorce, and the meaning of many of the new songs on the new album. Listen to the chat in two parts below.
"The Classic Metal Show" can be heard every Saturday night between 9:00 p.m. EST and 3:00 a.m. EST at www.cmsradio.net.
"Forever More" was released on October 7 on Tesla Electric Company Recordings. The European version of the album, which will be made available on November 7 via Frontiers Records, will contain two bonus tracks not found on the American version.
For "Forever More", TESLA reunited with producer Terry Thomas, who was behind the boards for the band's 1994 gold-certified "Bust A Nut" album, and engineered by Michael Rosen who worked with TESLA on "Into The Now".
Finland's HardcoreSounds.Net conducted an interview with PAIN frontman Peter Tägtgren (see video below) prior to the Swedish band's October 9, 2008 concert at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland. Also available is video footage of the Tavastia performance, including a rendition of the group's new track "Follow Me" featuring a guest appearance by NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon.
PAIN's new album, "Cynic Paradise", will be released on October 31 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to "Psalms of Extinction" (which was released in 2007 via Roadrunner) features "eleven gems offering a vast variety of styles and influences which are even new for PAIN," according to a press release. Anette Olzon makes a guest appearance on two tracks — "Follow Me" and "Feed Us". The artwork (see below) was created by renowned artist Travis Smith (AMORPHIS, OPETH, NEVERMORE).
01. I'm Going In 02. Monkey Business 03. Follow Me (feat. Anette Olzon) 04. Have A Drink On Me 05. Don't Care 06. Reach Out (And Regret) 07. Generation X 08. No One Knows 09. Live Fast - Die Young 10. Not Your Kind 11. Feed Us (feat. Anette Olzon)
"Cynic Paradise" will be available as a limited-edition digipack including a bonus CD.
Peter Tägtgren has offered a track-by-track breakdown of "Cynic Paradise" for the readers of the German edition of the Metal Hammer magazine. Check it out in English, German.
Interview:
"Follow Me" (featuring Anette Olzon from NIGHTWISH):
Florida metallers TRIVIUM played a free show at the legendary Hollywood rock club The Whisky A Go Go on September 22, 2008 as part of MySpace's Secret Show series. The Secret Show is a free, exclusive performance for the MySpace community. Admission was on a first-come, first-served basis.
Watch a four-and-a-half-minute video report from the event below.
TRIVIUM's new album, "Shogun", sold just under 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD follows up "The Crusade", which opened with 31,000 copies in October 2006 to land at No. 25.
"Shogun" was released in North America on September 30 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was mixed in London by Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, FEAR FACTORY, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, NAPALM DEATH), with Jeff Rose and Martin "Ginge" Ford assisting on engineering duties.
For "Shogun", TRIVIUM chose not to record in the familiar environs of their home state of Florida. Instead the band headed to Nashville, Tennessee to work with producer Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR). The result is a monolithic album that crystallizes the band's sound and showcases TRIVIUM's finest elements. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy is thrilled with the album, saying, "We made a cohesive, epic metal album that combines all of the ingredients of everything we feel we have ever done 'right' musically, while adding a new direction that the music called for. We had so much fun creating this album and hope our fans feel that energy when they listen."
Former ONWARD guitarist Toby Knapp (see photo below) will have his solo album, "Misanthropy Divine" (originally self-released in April of this year in limited quantities), issued in Europe on Rock It Up Records with a bonus track not included on the original version. The exact release date will be announced soon.
"Misanthropy Divine" includes four vocal tracks featuring Dean Sternberg (also of WITHINANOTHER; former touring vocalist for INTO ETERNITY) and four instrumental tracks. All instruments on the CD were played by Knapp.
"Misanthropy Divine" track listing:
01. Misanthropy Divine 02. Flies 03. Entity Unseen 04. Dreaming The Microplex 05. Shut Down 06. The Forlorn 07. Rhinecliff Bridge 08. The Movement of Things
Knapp recently joined GODLESS RISING, the band led by former VITAL REMAINS vocalist Jeff Gruslin.
ONWARD officially split up in June 2003 following a parting-of-the-ways with the band's record label, Century Media Records.
A new demo track from extreme metallers BRUJERIA — whose current touring lineup includes CARCASS frontman Jeff Walker (a.k.a. El Cynico) on bass, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH drummer Adrian Erdlandsson (a.k.a. El Podrido), and NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury (a.k.a. Hongo) on guitar — has been made available for streaming at Cuba-Metal.com.
BRUJERIA will embark on the "No Acceptan Imitaciones Tour 2008" in December. Confirmed dates are as follows:
Nov. 28 - 3 Kings - Denver, CO Nov. 29 - House Of Blues - Los Angeles, CA Dec. 02 - Sunshine Theater - Albuqerque, NM Dec. 03 - Club 101 - El Paso, TX Dec. 04 - El Rey - McAllen, TX Dec. 05 - Riverside Multiplex - Victoria, TX Dec. 06 - Red 7 - Austin, TX Dec. 07 - Ridglea Theater - Dallas, TX Dec. 14 - Brufest - El Rayo - Cuidad de Mexico, MX (w/ NAPALM DEATH, BRUTAL TRUTH)
BRUJERIA is:
Juan Brujo - Garganta Fantasma - Lengua Y Gritos Pinche Peach - Lengua Mamon Y Gritos Hongo - Guitara El Nino - Pysico El Cynico - Bajo El Podrido – Batera
Hungarian symphonic black metal band SEAR BLISS will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a huge show in Budapest, Avalon Club on November 29. In addition to the current members of the band, SEAR BLISS' original lineup ("Phantoms" era) will take the stage for the first time in 11 years.
SEAR BLISS is currently writing the material for its seventh album which will be recorded and released next year.
SEAR BLISS' sixth album, "The Arcane Odyssey", was released in September 2007 through Candlelight Records. The CD artwork was created by Jozsef Tari, a highly talented Hungarian artist who worked with SEAR BLISS on their fifth album and also VENOM's "Wastelands" LP, among others. The artwork depicts an ancient Hungarian legend of the origin of the Milky Way. The Milky Way in Hungary is often called "The Road Of The Warriors" because the legend says that Csaba, commander of the mighty Huns, came from the nightsky to the aid of the fighting Hungarians and after the great battle was won, the dead army of thousands returned to the stars on their horses, leaving the path of the Milky Way.
Paragon Records has announced the signing of the Ukrainian dark metal band KHORS. The group's recently completed new album, "Mysticism", will be released later this year on deluxe digipack.
Formed by former ASTROFAES bassist Khorus, and later joined by Helg (RUNES OF DIANECHT) and Khaoth (TESSARACT, ex-ASTROFAES, HATE FOREST), KHORS plays black metal in the Ukrainian style which "combines a somber atmosphere with rich melodies," according to a press release.
Since its formation, KHORS has quickly garnered a reputation for its unforgettable live performances, playing alongside OBTEST, BEHEMOTH, BUTTERFLY TEMPLE, BLOODRAIN, and many more.
KHORS previously released two acclaimed albums on the Oriana label in addition to a live DVD.
Video footage of ANGER AS ART, the Los Angeles-based thrash metal band featuring Steve Gaines (ABATTOIR, BLOODLUST, PAGAN WAR MACHINE, DREAMS OF DAMNATION), performing at the Dokk'em open-air festival, which was held August 9, 2008 near Leeuwarden, Netherlands, can be viewed below.
ANGER AS ART's new album, "Callous and Furor", was released on October 31, 2006 via Old School Metal Records. The group is currently working on material for the follow-up effort, tentatively due in 2009. Gaines says, "We have written about twenty songs, are selecting ten to concentrate on. We will record and release between eight and ten. At this point, four are under the belts. Titles are 'Crush', 'Appease An Angry God', 'Master Becomes The Slave', and the one in progress — 'It Feels Like Blood'. Sounds like yer typical happy stuff, right?"
Greek old-school thrashers SUICIDAL ANGELS have struck up a deal with OSM Records for the release of their new DVD, "Live Domination". The disc, which was filmed in May 2008 concert in Athens, will be made available sometime in November. According to the band, "the DVD will feature the whole show and 100% live sound. No overdubs whatsoever! It will also feature our two video clips off 'Eternal Domination' and a full band biography.
"Though we feel quite confident about picture and sound, we certainly don't pretend that our self-financed release meets the highest quality criteria. Therefore expect the price to be substantially low, compared to major band DVD releases. We certainly do not wish to rip anyone off!
"The front cover of the DVD package, designed by George 'Grin' Prasinis, [can be viewed below]. George has designed almost all SUICIDAL ANGELS artwork to date and we believe he once again did a killer job. We hope you like it as well!"
Vasilis Mazaris and Elena Mihailidou of Metalzone.gr earlier in the year conducted an interview with Themis from SUICIDAL ANGELS (see video below). Themis spoke about the band's latest release, the experience of touring with great acts like ROTTING CHRIST and his feelings about the group's tour with ONSLAUGHT. He also talked about the difficulties the band had to face before it finally got a record deal, how the music business is rather skeptical towards Greek musicians and how touring is the key to draw attention to what you do and what you have to offer as a band.
SUICIDAL ANGELS' debut album, "Eternal Domination", was released in July 2007 via OSM Records.
Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL will release "Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II", the second DVD recorded during the band's world tour in support of the "Attera Totus Sanctus" album, on October 20. A trailer for the release will be made a available tomorrow.
"Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II" (see artwork below) features three full shows professionally filmed and recorded during the band's enorously successful tour throughout Latin America in September/October 2006.
* Ledslay in Sao Paulo, Brazil - September 23, 2006 * El Teatro in Buenos Aires, Argentina - October 6, 2006 * Antiguo Cine Cali in Gautemala City, Guatemela - October 1, 2006
And not only that — it also includes tons of amateur/fan footage shot during both the 2003 and 2006 South American tours.
DARK FUNERAL's first DVD, "Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part I", which landed on the Swedish DVD chart at No. 5, contains footage from the European leg of the band's world tour. The two-disc set includes three complete, professionally-filmed live shows and rare bonus footage. The first show was filmed with seven cameras on March 12, 2005 in Katowice, Poland. The second was filmed the following March in Tilburg, The Netherlands with four cameras. The second disc starts off with a camera-shot show from March 2006 in Paris, followed by the video clip for "Atrum Regina" and previously unreleased amateur footage that chronicles the Swedish black metal band's entire career, including the very first, and now legendary, show in Oslo, Norway on May 4, 1994. The total combined running time for the two discs is nearly four hours.
DARK FUNERAL is currently working on material for its new studio album for a 2009 release. Guitarist Lord Ahriman stated about the new songs, "We're heading for a bit heavier and a more varied sound, with perhaps not as much blast beats as before, giving more space for the drums to give the songs a more bombastic touch. Now when we are fortunate to have a new AMAZINGLY SKILLED drummer (Dominator) we want to give him as much space as possible to put on a real wicked drum performance for each new song. If we would use the same or similar blast beat patterns as before we would obviously limit him too much. And that's something we simply want to avoid at all cost. But don't worry, the intense blast beats are still a big part of our sound. And Mr. Dominator will for sure get his fair share to punish that snare in 666bpm. But there will be more drum work this time around. The material that is written so far is our most melancholic and epic yet. One of the songs is what we in 'our' terms would call a 'ballad' ('Goddess of Sodomy'/'Atrum Regina' type of song). And if you feel that one of those songs is melancholic, you will be in for a bit surprise with this 'Russian funeral symphony' (that's a working name only, of course, but it describes the black aura of the song pretty well, I think). Another suitable title for this dark hymn could even be 'Dark Funeral', but that's still to be figured out."
Released in 2005, DARK FUNERAL's latest album, "Attera Totus Sanctus", was recorded and mixed by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH) and Örjan Örnkloo at Dug-Out studios in Uppsala, Sweden. Mastering duties were handled by Tomas Eberger at the Cutting Room in Stockholm, Sweden. The album features a guest appearance by former MESHUGGAH bassist Gustaf Hielm.
NIGHTWISH's previously announced November 4, 2008 concert in Porto Alegre, Brazil has been cancelled. According to the band, "due to the fact that there will be lots of international concerts in the city in the very same day, local producers couldn't set a proper venue to the concert. We're truly sorry about this and hope we can get back there soon."
Robert Williams of Metal-Rules.com conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala on September 20, 2009 during the Finnish/Swedish symphonic metal band's recent North American tour. Watch the 10-minute chat below.
NIGHTWISH cancelled the last four shows of its North American tour — September 23 in Knoxville, Tennessee; September 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina; September 26 in Baltimore, Maryland; and September 27 in New York City — due to singer Anette Olzon's "sudden severe illness," according to a posting on the band's web site. "This was one of the best tour legs we have ever done, and it's a pity it has to end this way, but there's no competing with the forces of nature," the group said. "There is nothing anybody can do about these things. We want to thank all the fans for all the sympathy, you guys have been so understanding, it's heartwarming. Thank you! We will do our best to make up for the cancelled shows sometime in the future."
NIGHTWISH released a digital-only collection of demos and B-sides titled "The Sound of Nightwish Reborn", on September 2. This release, which clocks in at nearly 70 minutes of music, retains "must-have" status for all NIGHTWISH diehards, since it includes a bevy of exclusive material, such as demo versions of songs from the "Dark Passion Play" sessions that were recorded prior to singer Anette Olzon joining the band and that feature Marco Tapani Hietala handling the vocals, as well as B-sides.
Metal Injection recently conducted an interview with vocalist Brock Lindow of the Alaskan metal heavyweights 36 CRAZYFISTS. Lindow discusses living in Alaska, the band's new CD, the group's new record label, Ferret Music, and 36 CRAZYFISTS' upcoming touring activities for the rest of the year and 2009.
36 CRAZYFISTS will film its January 9, 2009 concert in Anchorage, Alaska for a forthcoming DVD. According to Lindow, "the show will be monstrous as the ones in the past have proved to be what dreams are made of. But as the years have gone on, you can imagine the amount of ridiculous footage we have from backstage antics to being a 18-year-old skinny, punk-ass kid getting my long hair chopped off by [Steve] Holt [guitar] in a drunken stupor; it's things like this that will be hilarious to sift through and add to our special features section of the DVD."
36 CRAZYFISTS sold 4,150 copies of "The Tide and its Takers" in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 155 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"The Tide and Its Takers" was released on May 27 via Ferret Music. The CD artwork was designed by Sons of Nero, who has previously worked with such bands as IN FLAMES, EVERY TIME I DIE, FULL BLOWN CHAOS and THE HUMAN ABSTRACT.
The uncensored video for the song "Broken Wings" from Swedish metallers EVERGREY can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Sweden's Revolver Film Company who has previously worked with such acts as IN FLAMES, CHILDREN OF BODOM, ARCH ENEMY and LACUNA COIL.
EVERGREY frontman Tom Englund told Headbanger's Blog, "[Patric] was totally into the story with all these strange rooms, masks, rocking chairs and quite a haunting feel to it all.
"We wanted the band shots to have an apocalyptic feel to them comparable to the vibe of the film 'Sin City', just so they wouldn't stray too much from the story. The basic idea of it could be interpreted in different ways for different people, which is exactly what we wanted. Since all of our lyrics are based on things we've been through, I think it would be great if even one single person seeing it could get some comfort knowing that we all have difficult times and that they are not alone.
"When I finally sat down to look at it for the first time, it hit me how much darker the video made the the song. It made me really feel for the female character in the clip. I hope it makes you do the same."
"Torn", the new album from EVERGREY, entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 4. The CD was released in North America on September 23. The limited edition comes in a high-class digipack with one bonus track ("Caught In A Lie").
"Torn" was previously described by Tom S. Englund as a "modern mix of 'In Search Of Truth' and 'Recreation Day'." "The tracks are all guitar-oriented and very atmospheric," he said. "They have exactly the sound that our fans expect from us." According to Englund, the slightly more experimental direction of EVERGREY's previous release, "Monday Morning Apocalypse", has given way again to old strengths and virtues. "Two years ago we needed an album with a slightly different approach and an expensive producer, just to find out how that sort of thing works," he explained. "It was the right album at the time, but now we have returned to our typical trademarks." This is one of the reasons why the tracks on "Torn" were self-produced by Englund together with drummer Jonas Ekdahl. In addition, the band has a new bassist, Fredrik Larsson having been replaced by former STRATOVARIUS musician Jari Kainulainen.
My Kingdom Music has announced the signings of Italian progressive metallers LAST WARNING and Dutch death/thrashers MORTAL FORM. The groups' new albums will both be released worldwide on January 26, 2009. A press release describing the two releases reads as follows:
LAST WARNING: "With 'Throughout Time', LAST WARNING return after eight years of silence but intense work. They represent the history of Italian progressive metal and with this new album they reach new levels of emotion with a music that is an intense mixture of progressive metal with the presence of majestic symphonic elements, oniric atmospheres and lyrical music. DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRŸCHE, RUSH, CRIMSON GLORY could be points of reference of their sound, be sure that in their music you will find many more facets that will carry you in a magic vortex of feelings. Recorded at the well-known Zenith Recording in Lucca (LABYRINTH, SKYLARK, SHADOWS OF STEEL)."
MORTAL FORM: "MORTAL FORM is a devastating act combining the best elements of death metal, thrash and heavy metal. This is 'Taste The Blood', the extreme, brutal yet melodic debut release from MORTAL FORM. Blasting drum beats, a pounding bass, authentic guitars riffs and howling death grunts and screams provide the deadly elements of this metal grenade. Inspired by bands as DEATH, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, OVERKILL, MORBID ANGEL, IN FLAMES and IRON MAIDEN, MORTAL FORM succeeded in creating a honest, diverse and well produced metal album that will appeal to many of you out there!"
HELLOWEEN's video for the song "Paint a New World" can be viewed below. The track comes off the German group's twelfth studio album, "Gambling with the Devil", which was released in October 2007 via SPV.
The regular "Gambling with the Devil" album consisted of eleven songs (plus an intro, spoken by SAXON's Biff Byford) with a total playing time of 57 minutes and 40 seconds. For the band's many faithful fans, there was also a limited first edition (40,000 units in a digipak with an embossed and stamped slipcase released in Europe, and 10,000 units in a jewel case in the U.S.) with a bonus CD featuring two extra tracks, the video for the first single "As Long As I Fall", and a "making-of" of the video, including interview sequences.
Under the direction of producer Charlie Bauerfeind, HELLOWEEN recorded a total of 16 songs at the Mi Sueno studios in Tenerife. The focal point of this diverse album is a three-part epos consisting of the chapters "The Bells of the Seven Hells", "Falling to Pieces" and "I.M.E.", which represent the ambiguous album title that thematically covers all the songs. "At the end of the day, life is a gamble with the devil," singer Andi Deris explained. The cover artwork was designed by Martin Häusler ("Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy" and "Live on 3 Continents") again.
Charlie Crocker of BBC Radio Solent, the UK radio station available in Solent, UK, will interview legendary vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on Tuesday, October 14 between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. UK time. Jeff will perform a couple of songs acoustically from his new album "Beautiful Mess" and he will air other tracks from the CD during the program.
You can listen to the show via the Internet at this location.
"Beautiful Mess", which was released last month digitally via Sewtoe Music through iTunes and CD Baby, will be made available as a separate CD/DVD package in January 2009. The new set will include unreleased songs, select live cuts from the Firefest 5 (which is scheduled to take place October 25, 2008 in Nottingham, UK) and at least four videos — "21st Century", "Gin And Tonic Sky" (studio and acoustic versions) and "Hey". The release will coincide with an extensive Jeff Scott Soto tour in early 2009 which will cover Europe, the Americas and much more.
Jeff Scott Soto's video for the song "21st Century", which was produced and directed by longtime Jeff Scott Soto associate and fellow musician Gary Schutt, can be viewed below.
"Beautiful Mess" track listing:
01. 21st Century 02. Cry Me A River 03. Gin And Tonic Sky 04. Hey 05. Broken Man 06. Mountain 07. Our Song 08. Eye 09. Bring It Home 10. Testify 11. Wherever U Wanna Go 12. Kick It
Check out the cover artwork below (by Richard Mace).
Audio samples are available on Jeff Scott Soto's MySpace page.
In a recent interview with MelodicRock.com, Jeff stated about the album, "I have no fear of entering the world of contemporary music as I don't think it will alienate most of my fans. I think that because I know a lot of my fans, not only my own personal fans come into my music with an open mind, but I know a lot of them openly enjoy more than just the genre of hard rock music. So, therefore, I can go into something a little more contemporary. I can go into something I've been dreaming of doing for a long time I just didn't have the tools and the team to do it, so to speak. But more importantly, it's the idea of finding a new and different audience who don't know who I am."
He added, "This is an album for people who never heard of Jeff Scott Soto and for the most part, I think I've said it in a few blogs and interviews before, most of my fans will follow me in what I do. They've been pretty open to what I've done from 'Love Parade' onward, but this is a whole other chapter of what I'm about. And instead of taking just one genre of what they know me as, and another genre of what they know me as, I'm kinda putting it all into just one big stew and mixing it up this time. It's hard to really talk about a new album and categorize it or separate it from your entire career, but this really does sound and feel like a separation from everything I've already done."
Japan's Metal Moment podcast has uploaded a recent audio interview with Jeff Scott Soto. Listen to the chat at this location.
After three successful San Francisco reunion shows, influential '80s progressive NWOSFHM (New Wave of San Francisco Heavy Metal) band ANVIL CHORUS has wrapped up mixing 12 songs for a tentative early 2009 release. The tracks are all re-recorded, new versions of the popular cassette demo songs that have been widely traded in the worldwide metal underground for the past 25 years. These cuts have been updated and have recieved quality production. The sessions are being produced by guitarist Thaen Rasmussen and vocalist/bassist Aaron Zimpel along with guitarist Doug Piercy, drummer Joe Bennett and keyboardist Phil Bennet.
Commented the band: "The recording is complete and the mixing of nine more songs is our next goal. The three mixes posted have received only positive feedback, with 'awesome' being the preferred adjective used by you listeners. Thanks! Now we have been shopping around to find labels interested in helping get this out. There has been some interest which we are following up on. Hopefully we can finalize something in the next month or so, and have product available by early 2009."
The group adds: "Some personnel updates: Joe [Bennett] has decided to relinquish the drum throne to Steve Kilgore. Steve is the perfect guy for the job having played for years with Aaron [Zimpel; vocals, bass] in RELEASE and with Thaen [Rasmussen; guitar] in several other projects. He has been a loooong time friend of band. Guitarist Carlos Hernandez is now a permanent fixture in AC. 'Los' has also been a part of the AC family since the early '80s. He did two of the recent reunion shows and features on the album as well. Doug Piercy will also still feature on the album, but will not serve as permanent guitarist. Currently we are rehearsing as a guitar based four-piece, working on new material and prepping for early 2009 shows. Keep your eyes/ears peeled for more mixes on the MySpace page as well as the posting of the album art created by Mark Devito [MOTÖRHEAD's 'Motörizer']. Thanks for your patience and continued support!"
German axe hero AXEL RUDI PELL will release his new his eighteenth offering, "Tales Of The Crown", via SPV Records on the following dates:
October 24: Germany October 27: Rest of Europe November 4: U.S./Canada
An audio sample of the cut "Buried Alive" is available for download at this location.
Commented Axel, "'Buried Alive' is the fastest track on the new album. It's a double bass banger in parts and it's rockin' like hell. I guess you might like it. We had a lot of fun recording it!"
According to a press release, "Tales Of The Crown" is a "haunting" studio album featuring ten brand-new compositions. "Our fans will get just the kind of songs they have come to know and expect from me and my band," says Pell, adding, "plus a few little innovations." Axel Rudi Pell is referring to the contemporary touch which some of his latest tracks feature, mainly in terms of rhythm. "But don't worry, these modern approaches are only gradual and don't affect the typical flair of my songs."
"Tales Of The Crown" was recorded at Gelsenkirchen's Redhouse Studios by the tried-and-tested lineup consisting of Axel Rudi Pell, American vocalist Johnny Gioeli, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg, bassist Volker Krawczak and drummer Mike Terrana. The album was produced by Axel Rudi Pell and sound engineer Charlie Bauerfeind, who also mixed the CD. Like its highly successful predecessor, the new LP's cover artwork was created by Colombian artist Felipe Machado Franco.
"Tales Of The Crown" track listing:
01. Higher 02. Ain't Gonna Win 03. Angel Eyes 04. Crossfire 05. Touching My Soul 06. Emotional Echoes 07. Riding On An Arrow 08. Tales Of The Crown 09. Buried Alive 10. Northern Lights
AXEL RUDI PELL will embark on a European tour in January/February 2009.
A gydget for "Tales Of The Crown" can be found below.
Venice Beach, California thrash/punk band SUICIDAL TENDENCIES ghas issued the following update:
"SUICIDAL TENDENCIES would like to give a big thanks to Dave Hildago Jr. [drums] Dave's last show was the 'We The People' festival last month. Dave's a good friend and always was there when the band needed him. Everyone wishes him and his family all the best, and much success in his future projects. We're also very excited to let those of you that don't know yet, that Eric Moore will be taking over the ST drums full time. Those that saw INFECTIOS GROOVES [long-running SUICIDAL side project] on tour earlier this year got to get a taste of insane drum skillz! Eric has an unbelievable mixture of power and finesse and the band is extra excited about the upcoming tours. It's a great chance to show off Eric and preview some new tracks. Mike Clark (guitar) will do a quick update/ interview for the website next week and fill you in on the band, the tour, recording, etc. Lastly, thanx to all the Cycos for their support!"
Video footage of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES performing the song "Institutionalized" at the We The People festival on September 27, 2008 at the Los Angeles State Historic Park can be viewed below.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES is tentatively scheduled to release its long-awaited new album in late 2008/early 2009. Some of the CD's recording sessions were overseen by producer Paul Northfield.
A preview clip of the first-ever SUICIDAL TENDENCIES live DVD has been posted online at the group's official web site. Check out the song "War Inside My Head", recorded on October 29, 2005 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, at this location.
HEAVEN BELOW, the new Los Angeles-based band featuring former THE UNION UNDERGROUND guitarist Patrick Kennison on guitar/vocals, has revealed the cover artwork (see below) for its upcoming EP, "Infamy". Two songs from the CD — "Run" and "A Thousand Years", are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
HEAVEN BELOW's current lineup is completed by guitarist Dave Comer, drummer Chad Clark and bassist John Younger.
The band's last release was a four-song EP entitled "We Sold Our Soul for Heaven Below".
Fenriz of the Norwegian black metal band DARKTHRONE was interviewed for this past week's "Tinitus" radio show, wich aired Wednesday night (October 8) on Norway's P3.
A two-and-a-half-minute video clip of Fenriz's appearance on the program can be viewed below. (Note: The interview was conducted in Norwegian.)
"Tinitus" is Norway's most popular metal show with an average of over 60,000 listeners per week (1.5 percent of the country's population!).
A mini-site for "Dark Thrones and Black Flags", the new album from DARKTHRONE, has been launched at this location.
"Dark Thrones and Black Flags" is scheduled for release on October 20 through Peaceville. The follow-up to 2007's acclaimed "F.O.A.D." LP will be made available in three formats: a regular edition in super jewel case; a vinyl edition; and a special edition in a slipcased super jewel case package with exclusive new video footage featuring DARKTHRONE in the studio — "Fucking Around Version 1" and "Fucking Around Version 2."
A new track from DARKTHRONE is available for free download by subscribing to the Peaceville Records mailing list at this location.
In a recent interview with UK's Terrorizer magazine, DARKTHRONE's Fenriz stated about the philosophy behind the band's deliberately underground sound, "Things changed around '89/'90 and especially in the mid '90s, where everyone could get, like, a pro sound. Our first album, we just paid 1,000 quid for that studio session, and then we had that ENTOMBED sound: that was like being professional. In the '80s, you had underground sound until you 'made it.' That all changed when you could get good sound for very little money. Once that happened, overground and underground became a choice, like you would choose to have underground sound, or you would choose to have overground sound. Then everybody could choose to be underground or overground sound. . . We're deliberate underground now. Basically, we just record in the way a demo would have been recorded in the '80s. Our albums now are just 35- or 40-minute long demos."
On the approach that other bands choose to take with their music, Fenriz said, "A lot of bands chose to think, 'Oh, 'Transilvanian Hunger'! If you play that twice the speed, with synthesisers, and a professional sound, it will be three times as good!' They make Disney version. When I first heard 'In the Nightside Eclipse' [EMPEROR's full-length debut], I was just like, 'Turn this off!' Everyone else was just like, 'What!? Don't you like this?' And I was just thinking to myself, 'Okay, we're on a different ballpark here.' And I just stick to myself and listen to thrash."
SAHG, the Norwegian heavy rockers who feature in their ranks members of GORGOROTH, MANNGARD and AUDREY HORNE, has issued the following update:
"SAHG will tour India between October 25 and November 9 of this year. The tour includes appearances at the Great Indian Rock Festival in four cities plus three other shows across the country. This will be the very first appearances in Asia for SAHG, who meets the Indian audience with great anticipation. It will be a journey of discovery for the band, and hopefully many new people will also discover SAHG. It will be a quest of inspiration for our new album, which we with no doubt will find in the fascinating world of Indian music and culture."
For a complete list of upcoming SAHG shows, go to this location.
SAHG's sophomore album, the simply named "Sahg II", was released on March 18 via Regain Records.
While the band's 2006 debut, "Sahg I", established the band as a force to be reckoned with in doom metal, "Sahg II" proves the band's staying power. Taking inspiration from the forefathers of all things heavy — BLACK SABBATH — SAHG creates its own interpretation of retro, trippy, heavy music, based around memorable, ear-catching riffs.
The "Pyromancer" video, which was shot on January 26-27 with director Asle Birkeland (who has previously created clips for ENSLAVED and AUDREY HORNE), can be viewed below. According to the band, "the script is loaded with prophetic mystique and blazing sorcery, and [is] a vivid visualisation of the song's theme on supernatural spiritual powers."
On September 30 at the Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles, fans of Norwegian black metal had the unique opportunity to attend an exclusive, advanced screening of footage from DIMMU BORGIR's "The Invaluable Darkness" DVD, a three-disc package of 2 DVDs plus a bonus audio CD scheduled for North American release on October 14, 2008. There was also a question-and-answer session with special guest Silenoz of DIMMU BORGIR hosted by Brendon Small of DETHKLOK and "Metalocalypse" where fans were able to ask questions.
Over 30 minutes of footage from this event, as well as a video interview Nuclear Blast Records conducted the next morning with Silenoz at the label's USA office can be viewed below.
"The Invaluable Darkness" is a three-disc release: two DVDs plus a bonus audio CD. The content is as follows:
DVD One:
I. The Invaluable Darkness Tour - Europe 2007
Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway – November 6, 2007:
01. Introduction 02. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse 03. The Serpentine Offering 04. The Chosen Legacy 05. Spellbound (By The Devil) 06. Sorgens Kammer Del II 07. The Insight And The Catharsis 08. Raabjørn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde 09. The Sacrilegious Scorn 10. Mourning Palace 11. The Fallen Arises
Columbiahalle in Berlin, Germany - October 21, 2007:
12. The Sinister Awakening 13. A Succubus In Rapture 14. Fear & Wonder 15. Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny
The Forum in London, UK – September 28, 2007:
16. Vredesbyrd 17. Puritania
II. Behind-The-Scenes Footage
III. Special Feature
DVD Two
I. Wacken Open Air, Germany – Black Metal Stage – August 2, 2007
01. Introduction 02. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse 03. Vredesbyrd 04. Cataclysm Children 05. Kings Of The Carnival Creation 06. Sorgens Kammer Del II 07. Indoctrination 08. A Succubus In Rapture 09. The Serpentine Offering 10. The Chosen Legacy 11. The Insight And The Catharsis 12. Spellbound (By The Devil) 13. Mourning Palace 14. The Fallen Arises
II. P3 Session – NRK Studio 19 IN Oslo, Norway – September 18, 2007
01. The Serpentine Offering 02. Spellbound (By The Devil) 03. Mourning Palace
III. Video Gallery
01. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse 02. Vredesbyrd 03. Sorgens Kammer Del II 04. The Serpentine Offering 05. The Sacrilegious Scorn 06. The Chosen Legacy
IV. Gold Awards Oslo
V. Image Gallery
Bonus Audio CD
P3 Session @ NRK Studio 19 in Oslo, Norway - September 18, 2007
01. Introduction 02. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse 03. Vredesbyrd 04. Sorgens Kammer Del II 05. Indoctrination 06. A Succubus In Rapture 07. The Serpentine Offering 08. The Chosen Legacy 09. The Insight And The Catharsis 10. Spellbound (By The Devil) 11. Mourning Palace 12. The Fallen Arises
