METALLICA has scheduled the following shows in Argentina, Chile and Brazil in January:
Jan. 21 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - River Plate Stadium Jan. 26 - Santiago, Chile - Club Hipico Jan. 28 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Zequinha Stadium Jan. 30 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Morumbi Stadium
METALLICA recently announced an early 2010 tour of South and Central America, with the band visiting two cities — Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica — that it has never played before. The group will also hit Lima, Peru, for what promoters are expecting to be the biggest musical event ever staged in Peruvian history. Bassist Robert Trujillo was blown away when The Pulse of Radio told him that. "Wow. The largest concert in Lima, Peru," he said. "I didn't know that, so this is special. For me going down there is special anyway. The fans are always next level. Getting down into Lima and further down into Brazil, Argentina — we've got three shows at Argentina Riverplate Stadium — to get into that region of the world and check out the culture down there is very exciting for us."
The Lima show takes place on January 19, with more South American dates expected to be announced soon.
According to El Espectador, Universal Music in Mexico has set a November 30 release date for METALLICA's "Orgullo, Pasión Y Gloria - Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México" (Pride, Passion And Glory Three Nights In Mexico City) DVD, recorded on June 4, 6 and 7 of this year at Foro Sol, Ciudad de México. The DVD packaging features work of legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin (LED ZEPPELIN, AC/DC, THE WHO, IRON MAIDEN).
To promote this launch, the first 5,000 people to buy tickets for METALLICA's March 10, 2010 concert in Bogotá, Columbia will have access to the first edition of the DVD.
The band played Mexico City for the first time in a decade in June, with the group keeping the shows on its schedule despite the outbreak of swine flu that originated in the area.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD and a Mexican act called RESORTE served as the opening acts.
METALLICA has issued several DVDs in the past, including "Cliff 'Em All", "Cunning Stunts", "S&M With The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra" and "A Year And A Half".
According to MetOnTour.com, which is described as "your FREE virtual backstage pass to every METALLICA show," METALLICA will release a new DVD featuring footage from the band's Canadian performances in Quebec City, Quebec (October 31 and November 1) and Ottawa, Ontario (November 3). Drummer Lars Ulrich commented from the stage at the second Quebec City show, "I couldn't think of a better city for METALLICA to film a DVD." The concerts were filmed by the band's longtime friend and collaborator, famed video director Wayne Isham.
METALLICA has set November 23 as the release date for "Francais Por Une Nuit", or "French For One Night", the full-length concert DVD that the band filmed in Nimes, France on July 7, 2009. The show took place at a historic Roman amphitheatre called the Arenes de Nimes. In addition to the band's complete 18-song set, the disc also includes interviews with the group and five video clips shot by members of the audience. Although initially announced as a France-only release, fan demand has led to Metallica also making the set available through their web site, Metallica.com, as well as the site of the French branch of the band's record company.
A statement posted on the band's web site said, "ALL aspects of the project are French as the show was filmed, recorded, and edited with French camera and recording crews, the artwork on the package and special box set (more on that in a minute!) were created by a French design team; even the credits are in French."
The DVD will come in three formats: standard DVD or Blu-ray in a digipack including a 16-page booklet, and a deluxe limited edition box set that includes the DVD, a copy of "Death Magnetic" on CD, a T-shirt, laminated pass, and five exclusive photos.
Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have issued the following update:
"Unfortunately, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will not be performing tonight, November 19 in Gothenburg [Sweden]. Zoltan [Bathory, guitar] has been violently ill all day with nausea and vertigo. Due to his condition, he was unable to travel last night.
"We apologize to all our amazing Swedish fans, and we hope to be back next year to make it up to you. He is just now starting to feel better, so we plan on traveling to Copenhagen and playing tomorrow night at The Rock.
"SHADOWS FALL will perform as scheduled."
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH performed last night (Wednesday, November 18) at John Dee in Oslo, Norway as a four-piece as a result of Zoltan's illness.
"Dying Breed", the opening track to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest album, "War Is The Answer", has just been released as a digital single. It also features "Succubus", a bonus track previously unreleased and taken from the sessions for "The Way Of The Fist", the band’s debut album. A demo version of the song found its way online a few years ago and, due to popular demand, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently remixed and remastered it.
Video footage of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's November 16, 2009 performance in Helsinki, Finland can be viewed below.
According to the web site of the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City, former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno will perform at the venue on January 27, 2010 as part of his first U.S. tour in over 15 years. Support at the show will come from ICARUS WITCH.
When asked by Vue Weekly in a recent interview about the possibility of releasing a new studio album in the not-too-distant future, Di'Anno replied, "We did five new tracks in Germany last year — it's very industrialized — but we got in a bit of an argument with the record company and we told them to piss off, basically. So I kept them songs and a friend of mine where I am right at the minute in Salisbury down in Southwest England, has just handed me 16 pieces of music so I'm going to go away when I have a bit of time and see what I can come up with for that."
Fan-filmed video footage of Paul Di'Anno's November 8, 2009 concert at Progresja in Warsaw, Poland can be viewed below (courtesy of "magazyngitarzysta").
Rock into 2010 with MEGADETH on the "American Carnage" tour! With the "Megadeth Ultimate Fan" package you can enjoy an up-close ticket, a meet-and-greet and photo op with MEGADETH, early access to the venue, pre-show party, exclusive MEGADETH gifts and more! "Megadeth Ultimate Fan" packages are now available via www.iloveallaccess.com. Tour password is: carnage.
MEGADETH and SLAYER will join forces to co-headline "American Carnage", the most blistering, the most explosive, and the most eagerly anticipated mega-tour of the winter — and you do not want to miss it.
"American Carnage" will kick off on January 18 in Seattle, Washington for a 26-date trek across North America that will include the six Canadian dates postponed earlier this month. Tickets for most shows go on sale this Friday, November 20.
"American Carnage" is the first time that SLAYER and MEGADETH will have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour. To celebrate that and in recognition of the tough economic times that many of their fans are having, MEGADETH and SLAYER have decided to roll back the price of a chunk of tickets at every U.S. show to the "1991 price" of $10.00. These specially-priced tickets will be limited and when they're gone, they're gone.
In addition, TESTAMENT — who was also on the "Clash of the Titans" bill — will be special guests on the entire tour, marking the first time that all three bands have shared a stage together in more than 18 years, and making this a "must see" metal event.
SLAYER and MEGADETH have already massacred territories together outside of the U.S. — first with four explosive dates in June, 2009 across Western Canada - "Canadian Carnage" — marking the first time the bands had shared a stage anywhere in 18 years; and then six co-headlining "Carnage" dates in Australia followed in October.
"American Carnage" tour dates:
Jan. 18 - WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA* Jan. 19 - Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR Jan. 21 - Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA* Jan. 22 - Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA* Jan. 23 - Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ** Jan. 25 - Magness Arena, Denver, CO* Jan. 26 - Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM* Jan. 27 - El Paso Coliseum, El Paso, TX* Jan. 29 - Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX** Jan. 31 - Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN* Feb. 01 - Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA* Feb. 02 - Broadbent Arena, Louisville, KY* Feb. 04 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN* Feb. 05 - UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL* Feb. 06 - Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI* Feb. 09 - Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, CT** Feb. 11 - Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ* Feb. 12 - Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY Feb. 13 - Susquehanna Center, Camden, NJ* Feb. 14 - Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA* Feb. 16 - Pavillon de La Jeunesse, Quebec City, QC Feb. 18 - John Labatt Centre, London, ON Feb. 19 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON Feb. 20 - Bell Centre, Montreal, QC Feb. 22 - Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB Feb. 23 - Metro Centre, Halifax, NS
* Tickets sold through Ticketmaster ** Tickets sold through LiveNation.com
GWAR has been confirmed for the 10th-anniversary edition of Bloodstock festival, set to take place August 13-15, 2010 at Catton Hall, Derbyshire, United Kingdom.
The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:
ANDROMEDA BEHEMOTH CANNIBAL CORPSE DEVIN TOWNSEND DORO DREAM EVIL GWAR KORPIKLAANI LEAVES' EYES OBITUARY RAGE ROSS THE BOSS SUFFOCATION
Inner Wound Recordings has announced the first releases on the label. JORN's "Spirit Black", DANGER DANGER's "Revolve" and WINGER's "Karma" will all be made available as limited 12" picture-disc editions, strictly limited to 250 copies. A deal was inked with the Italian label Frontiers Records and the release date is set for January 21 for the three releases.
The discs are available for pre-order at this location.
ALICE IN CHAINS have announced dates for a North American tour set to kick off at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on February 2. Tickets go on sale December 4 and 5 — fans can get more info at www.aliceinchains.com. The band is touring in support of its critically acclaimed new album, "Black Gives Way To Blue" (Virgin/EMI), which entered Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart at No. 5, with first-week sales exceeding 126,000 copies.
The band's electrifying set list will spotlight classic hits and new favorites, including new single "Your Decision", which impacts radio on December 7. The band recently shot a video for the song with director Stephen Schuster, who they previously worked with on the video for "A Looking In View".
Los Angeles-based AIC fans can catch the band performing at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show at the Gibson Amphitheatre on December 12. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, November 21 and proceeds will benefit two local charities, Para Los Ninos and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. On November 24, the band will also perform three songs acoustically for a special Yahoo! Maximum Performance, which can be seen on Yahoo! Music.
In other news, ALICE IN CHAINS recently released a "Black Gives Way To Blue" iPhone app, which features full songs from the album, music videos, news, photos, social networking and much more. The app separates itself from the pack with an impressive level of interactivity; its custom-built functionality allows fans to interact with each of the album's 11 tracks via a touch-drag-and-hold feature that reveals hidden visual gems.
ALICE IN CHAINS North American headlining tour dates:
Feb. 02 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre Feb. 04 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre Feb. 06 - Salem, OR - Salem Armory Feb. 11 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre Feb. 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre Feb. 19 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Feb. 21 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Feb. 22 - St. Louis, MO - Pageant Feb. 23 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Feb. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle Feb. 27 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues Mar. 01 - Nashville, TN - Municipal Auditorium Mar. 02 - Charlotte, NC - Fillmore Mar. 03 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall Mar. 05 - Richmond, VA - The National Mar. 06 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Mar. 08 - New York, NY - Terminal 5 Mar. 12 - Atlantic, City, NJ - Borgata Mar. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre Mar. 14 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Mar. 16 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis Mar. 17 - Toronto, ONT - Sound Academy Mar. 19 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore State Theatre Mar. 20 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom Mar. 21 - St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkens Auditorium
Come experience the very first filmed live show of the new rock collaboration CHICKENFOOT.
"Chickenfoot Live", the concert film features Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony (formerly of VAN HALEN), world-class guitarist and band founder Joe Satriani, and the "funk/alternative" drummer Chad Smith from the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.
Don't miss one of the greatest rock music collaborations of all-time live in full HD and 5.1 Surround Sound coming to select theatres on December 1, 2009!
CHICKENFOOT's self-titled debut album was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on September 10, 2009 for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. The LP is packaged in heat-sensitive artwork, which means when you put your hand on the CD inlay, photos of the band members are revealed behind the CHICKENFOOT band logo.
International rock music record label earMUSIC will release a new, "deluxe edition" of the eponymous debut album by CHICKENFOOT in the U.K. on November 23. The two-disc deluxe edition includes a bonus DVD disc featuring exclusive live footage, behind-the-scenes interviews and both of the band's official music videos ("Oh Yeah" and "Soap On A Rope").
CHICKENFOOT's September 23 concert at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona was filmed for possible use on a future DVD release. The band's August 30, 2009 show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia was also recorded for the same purpose.
NHK World has begun its broadcast of "Tokyo Eye", a special program in which former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman gives the viewers a personal look at some of his favorite places in his neighborhood. This is a unique and fun trek throughout Tokyo. Broadcast dates and times vary by country, so check your cable listings for the NHK World network.
Friedman will team up with Taiwanese superstar A-MEI for a tour of Asia and Australia starting late November. The ever-evolving pop diva will launch a bold new image by collaborating with Marty to show her yet-unseen aggressive side. The tour is an elaborate stage production and fans of Marty outside of Japan will now be able to enjoy Marty's playing in a new and amazing context. Exact tour dates and more details will be released soon.
Marty's "Tokyo Jukebox" solo tour is currently in the planning stages and is set to follow the A-MEI tour.
In TV news, Friedman will make his first appearance on Fuji Television's "Hey!Hey!Hey!" on Monday, November 23 at 8 p.m.
Friedman's "Tokyo Jukebox" is set for a January release in Europe on Mascot Records. The album will feature extensive liner notes exclusive to the European version.
Friedman has contributed the song "Meguriai" to Sony's new "Gundam Unplugged". The album also features Sugizo (X-JAPAN, LUNA SEA), Daita (SIAM SHADE) and is a rare chance to hear Marty's acoustic interpretation of one of the most famous Gundam-related songs. Release date is December 9 by Sony Music Japan.
According to RollingStone.com, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" — a mockumentary-like true account of fiftysomething Canadian heavy-metal practitioners Robb Reiner and Steve "Lips" Kudlow who, after a desultory European tour with their band ANVIL, decide to record a 13th album in a final attempt to fulfill their boyhead dreams of stardom — has been left off the 15-film short list for the "Best Documentary" Academy Award nominations.
"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is the directorial debut of screenwriter Sacha Gervasi ("The Terminal") and was produced by Rebecca Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL, on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.
Praised as "the best documentary I've seen in years," by documentarian Michael Moore, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" contains appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, former member of GUNS N' ROSES, Slash, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, and SLAYER's Tom Araya, among others.
Bud Light Golden Wheat presents the legendary rockers KISS on Facebook via a Ustream streaming link live from their show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. PST on Wednesday, November 25. This is the first-ever live web concert for one of rock's most iconic bands as KISS celebrates the November 19 release of their new, three-track "Guitar Hero" pack featuring "Modern Day Delilah", "I Was Made for Loving You" and "Lick It Up".
Users can watch and interact by visiting the official KISS Facebook page at facebook.com/KISS or on Ustream at www.ustream.tv/channel/kiss-live to connect with other KISS fans for a personal chat and live video experience in real-time during the show. Users who own an Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft can click the "Guitar Hero" banner at the bottom of the screen and go directly to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Xbox.com to purchase the KISS three-song track pack and queue it up for download to their Xbox 360 console. PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Wii owners can purchase the track pack through the in-game music store in either "Guitar Hero 5" or "Band Hero".
KISS chose Ustream, the leading live video platform on the web, because of its powerful platform and scalability in reaching a global audience of unlimited size. The band wanted to connect with their legion of fans that might not have had the chance to catch them during the North American leg of their 35th-anniversary KISS Alive 35 tour, a 44-city tour that continues through December 15.
"For 35 years, KISS has rocked all over the world to sold-out crowds and set the standard for what a rock show should be. This tour will solidify our place in history for having the loudest, most entertaining and hardest rockin' show in all of music," said Gene Simmons.
The iconic band recently made KISStory when "Sonic Boom", their first album in 11 years, debuted in the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Top 200. This was the highest-ever album debut for the legendary band. Frontman Paul Stanley produced the new album that marks a return to their signature '70s sound.
In creating "Sonic Boom", the band also wanted to give back by putting together a value-added release that offers three CDs for the price of one. The release includes "Sonic Boom", their centerpiece of new material including their single "Modern Day Delilah", a second disk of re-mastered KISS classics such as "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City", and a third, live disk from their show in Argentina earlier this year.
Anheuser-Busch's newest beer brand, Bud Light Golden Wheat, is the exclusive sponsor of the online concert. The sponsorship is part of the overall launch campaign for Bud Light Golden Wheat that hit store shelves nationwide on October 5.
San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans DEATH ANGEL have scheduled the following West Coast dates in December:
Dec. 17 - Sacramento, CA - The Boardwalk Dec. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's Dec. 19 - Santa Rosa, CA - The Last Day Saloon
DEATH ANGEL's longtime drummer and original member Andrew Galeon left the band in April. Will Carroll, formerly of SCARECROW, OLD GRANDAD and VICIOUS RUMORS handled the drum duties for the Summer Madness Tour in Europe with KATAKLYSM and KEEP OF KALESSIN.
Regarding Galeon's departure from DEATH ANGEL, singer Mark Osegueda told Contraband Candy, "[Touring] was always hard on Andy. And when he started having children, it got a bit more difficult. And by the [time he had his] second [kid], you could just see he wasn't happy on the road. Amazing drummer, but just not happy on the road; the road's not for everyone. It's easier when you're 18 to 22, and it's much more difficult when you have children and you're trying to pay mortgages and what-not. Unfortunately, he had hit his wall, and then we got Will Carroll, who's been part of the San Francisco metal scene for years. And we just got him to start filling in, and it's been going great. He brings a great thrash element to the band; it's kind of kicked it up a notch. It's been incredible. And the energy we have on stage now, it's just kind of undeniable."
Quality video footage of DEATH ANGEL's performance at this year's installment of the Masters Of Rock festival — which was held July 9-12, 2009 in Vizovice, Czech Republic — can be viewed below (courtesy of "GOBLLIN").
Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL. The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.
Two unconfirmed dates have surfaced for OVERKILL's forthcoming U.S. tour in support of their upcoming album, "Ironbound":
April 09 - Chicago, IL @ The Metro April 18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Ballroom at the Regency Center
OVERKILL's U.S. tour will reportedly kick off April 1 in Philadelphia and end on May 1 with a big 25th-anniversary show in New York City at the Nokia Theater. The band says, "We have lots of plans to make that a special celebration show for everyone. "
OVERKILL has inked a U.S. deal with E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records) for the February 9, 2010 release of "Ironbound". The CD, which will be issued in Europe on January 29, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records, was mixed by PAIN/HYPOCRISY mainman Peter Tägtgren and is described in a press release as "a true thrasher-piece."
"Ironbound" track listing:
01. The Green And Black 02. Ironbound 03. Bring Me The Night 04. The Goal Is Your Soul 05. Give A Little 06. Endless War 07. The Head And Heart 08. In Vain 09. Killing For A Living 10. The SRC
* Limited digipak * CD Jewelcase * LP (180g vinyl) in gatefold * LP (180g green vinyl) in gatefold (Nuclear Blast Mailorder exclusive) * Strictly limited mailorder edition
Norwegian act SHINING (not to be confused with the Swedish black metal band of the same name) has inked a deal with Indie Recordings. The group's new album, "Blackjazz", will be released on January 25.
Over the course of its impressive 10-year career, SHINING has created its own unique and bizarre hybrid of jazz and extreme metal, which is easily distinguishable from the musical world of their Swedish labelmates sharing the same band name.
Commented Indie in a statement: "With their one-of-a kind-sound and extreme approach to music, [SHINING] are the perfect match for Indie Recordings. SHINING adds the experimentalism, variety and boldness we have been wanting to add to our roster for a long time, and we are confident SHINING will continue to push the borders of what is happening in the scene!"
SHINING's Jørgen Munkeby comments: "After 10 merciless years and four ground-breaking and critically acclaimed albums, our sound is more punishing and extreme than ever before, and our fan-base bigger than ever. For 'Blackjazz', we needed a label that would match our aggressiveness, along with our taste for catchiness. We needed people who shared our dedication to music and art, along with our ambitions of reaching a vast number of people, a label that would match our constantly growing numbers of fans worldwide and the ever expanding interest for our musical mission. Indie Recordings is the perfect match for SHINING's 'Blackjazz'! Their knowledge of the music industry is as immense as their love for good music. It will be a great pleasure to be working with this marvelous and ambitious label in the future!"
MASTODON has set a December 15, 2009 release date for the new limited "Crack the Skye" royal edition featuring the official score.
The "royal edition" package includes the following:
* Full-length "Crack the Skye" album * Full-length "Crack the Skye" score first time available on physical disc * Housed in gold stamped foiled digibook with brand new gold and black "Crack the Skye" exclusive artwork and packaging designed by Paul Romano * 6" x 6" exclusively designed lithograph unavailable anywhere else * An instant download of the "Divinations" (Live at Xfm) and "Colony of Birchmen" (Live at Xfm)
"Crack The Skye" sold 41,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart.
MASTODON fans responded with manic enthusiasm to the LP, snapping up every available copy of various limited-edition artifacts, including the deluxe tunnel book CD+DVD package, both color and double-disc 180gm gatefold vinyl pressings, plus a pair of CD single/T-shirt bundles.
While on tour in support of their third album, "Wars and Rumors of Wars", Atlanta, Georgia's THE CHARIOT stopped to talk with BareBonesMusic.com about the CD, the meaning of their songs, new bandmembers and much more. Plus you will see some outrageous live performance footage! Watch the 10-minute clip below.
Released on May 5 via Solid State Records, "Wars and Rumors of Wars" is decribed in a press release as the band's "hardest, dirtiest, and most prolific [effort] to date."
THE CHARIOT's "Daggers" video was produced by Endeavor Media, which has previously worked with AUGUST BURNS RED, ANBERLIN and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, among others.
THE CHARIOT's second full length album, "The Fiancée", came out in April 2007.
Swiss pagan horde ELUVEITIE will release its third album, "Everything Remains", on February 19, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band's mainman, Chrigel Glanzmann, recently attended the mixing sessions at Nott-In Pill studios in Wales with Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, KREATOR, BEHEMOTH, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and Martyn "Ginge" Ford.
"Everything Remains" track listing:
01. Otherworld 02. Everything Remains As It Never Was 03. Thousandfold 04. Nil 05. The Essence Of Ashes 06. Isara 07. Kingdom Come Undone 08. Quoth The Raven 09. (Do)minion 10. Setlon 11. Sempiternal Embers 12. Lugdunon 13. The Liminal Passage
Watch the first trailer for the CD below.
Commented Glanzmann: "We can look back at two extremely intense months of working our asses off recording the album. It has been an intense, exhausting, but also satisfying time with all of us giving 150% in. Many things developed very spontaneously and songs became very authentic, pure and genuine.
"Speaking of the recording, I have to mention the amazing job of Tommy Vetterli [CORONER, KREATOR], for sure, who really worked his balls off for the album! Once again he assured his position among the world’s best engineers. That's what Colin Richardson stated about his work: 'One of the best drum and guitar trackings I've ever heard!' Furthermore, we can already give you a first glimpse of the artwork, which has again been done by famous artist Travis Smith, who already did the cover for 'Spirit'.
"Lyrically, the album consists of diverse stories and narrations from ancient Gallia: Historical occurrences and fates of individuals as well as myths and legends bequeathed throughout the centuries. Yet the lyrics pretty much focus on the 'human' aspects of those historical happenings and also behold them with some questioning and probably also with a slightly bittersweet smile, being well aware of the fact that today we simply cannot tell how things exactly have been back then."
"Everything Remains" will be the follow-up to the acoustic/folk masterpiece "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion", which was released in April via Nuclear Blast Records. It contained 15 folk songs, most of them written in ancient gaulish language.
The CD registered the following first-week chart positions:
Switzerland: #20 Germany: #60
ELUVEITIE last year announced the addition of Paede Kistler (bagpipes, whistles, acoustic guitars) and Kay Brem (bass) to the group's ranks.
Century Media Records has announced the signing of the Spanish thrash metal band ANGELUS APATRIDA to a worldwide deal.
According to a press release, "This young commando was born in the Spanish town of Albacete in the year 2000 and perfectly combines both the aggression and the melodic edge of classic '80s thrash metal with a breathtaking modern southern fury that results in an impressive blend of rage, attitude and a high level of technical skills, rarely seen with young bands like this."
Commented ANGELUS APATRIDA in a statement: "We are extremely enthusiastic about this opportunity to show around what we are made of! It's an honor for us to become part of the Century Media Records family, one of the labels with the best reputation worldwide and a home to some of the bands we admire the most and grew up listening to!"
ANGELUS APATRIDA's band name mixes Spanish and Latin language and can be translated into English as "stateless" or "renegade" angels. Influenced by the early Bay Area thrash metal and NWOBHM scenes and more specifically bands like IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, PANTERA, TESTAMENT and ANNIHILATOR, ANGELUS APATRIDA has established itself in its homeland with two independent album releases, "Evil Unleashed" (2006) and "Give 'Em War" (2007), as well as countless live appearances at various festivals (Lorca Rock, Alternavigo, Metalway, etc.) and at the clubs in most of the country's larger cities with acts like BARÓN ROJO, DESTRUCTION, SEPULTURA and many more.
ANGELUS APATRIDA is currently completing the songwriting process for its Century Media debut, tentatively entitled "Clockwork", which will be recorded in January 2010. In the meantime, ANGELUS APATRIDA will support labelmates ARCH ENEMY on their upcoming dates in Spain and Portugal alongside ABIGAIL WILLIAMS.
ANGELUS APATRIDA is:
David G. Álvarez - Guitar Guillermo Izquierdo - Vocals, Guitar Víctor Valera - Drums José J. Izquierdo - Bass Guitar
German metalcore act CALIBAN is the sixth band confirmed for the Close-Up Båten cruise.
For the fourth time, Close-Up Båten will sail from Stockholm, Sweden to Finland on February 25, 2010 and return the following day.
Confirmed bands so far:
DARK TRANQUILLITY CULT OF LUNA BULLET DEATHSTARS CALIBAN TRIBULATION
One more act will be announced for Close-Up Båten, once again packed with 2,000 partying metalheads.
Close-Up Båten will mark the first show of DARK TRANQUILLITY's next world tour.
"It will definitely be the very first time we play songs from our forthcoming album, which will probably be released on February 22," says vocalist Mikael Stanne. "We absolutely view this as a release gig and start of our next world tour. The timing is perfect as the album's being released right around that time. We had such a blast the last time we played on Close-Up Båten in 2007 and thought it would be perfect to return to live action there."
CULT OF LUNA is currently taking an extended break from touring, but will make an exception for Close-Up Båten.
"I don't see a tour in the foreseeable future," says guitarist Johannes Persson (also of KHOMA). "We've done quite a lot of touring in support of 'Eternal Kingdom'. There won't be a European tour for quite some time and that's a promise."
You might think that servicing the needs of GWAR in this, the midst of their 25th anniversary tour, would be a full-time job. And it is! But for the artists of Slave Pit Inc., the production company that created and maintains GWAR lust for all things rubber, a constant slew of side-projects is business as usual. This holiday season sees the artists behind the most notorious band in metal history involved in a bevy of extra-curricular delights.
Besides portraying GWAR's bellicose lead singer Oderus Urungus, Dave Brockie is a painter, writer and avid snowboarder...and has just released his own signature snowboard! When old buddy, huge GWAR fan, and ex-pro rider Ron Bureta got his own company going, the long-held idea of a Brockie snowboard finally became a reality. Says Bureta, "Since 'HELL-O!' I have been a huge GWAR fan, scaring the jocks in high school by singing lyrics from 'Slutman City' out loud. During my pro snowboarder days, I always wanted to do a GWAR graphic but my sponsors thought that it wouldn't be cool. Now that I own my own company I'm doing things my way. Teaming up with Dave Brockie for this project is a dream come true for me and is the next best thing to becoming a GWAR Slave."
Italian web site SpazioRock.it conducted an interview with vocalist James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER when the band played Milan, Italy with OPETH, BIGELF and UNEXPECT on October 26, 2009. The chat can be viewed below.
DREAM THEATER recently released the "Wither" EP via online retailers.
The track listing for the effort is as follows:
01. Wither (Album Version) (5:25) 02. Wither (Piano Version) (5:07) 03. Wither (John Petrucci Vocal Demo) (5:24) 04. The Best of Times (Mike Portnoy Vocal Demo) (13:04)
Track 1 taken from the album "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" Track 2-4 previously unreleased
DREAM THEATER's new album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", sold 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.
DREAM THEATER's last CD, "Systematic Chaos", opened with 36,000 units in 2007 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.
In addition to the standard-version CD, DREAM THEATER's tenth studio album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", was also made available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc, special-edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs.
HardcoreSounds.net conducted an interview with guitarist Jason Hook of Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH prior to the band's November 16, 2009 concert at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland. Watch the chat below.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH performed last night (Wednesday, November 18) at John Dee in Oslo, Norway as a four-piece after the band's guitarist Zoltan Bathory was taken ill.
"Dying Breed", the opening track to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest album, "War Is The Answer", has just been released as a digital single. It also features "Succubus", a bonus track previously unreleased and taken from the sessions for "The Way Of The Fist", the band’s debut album. A demo version of the song found its way online a few years ago and, due to popular demand, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently remixed and remastered it.
"War Is The Answer" sold 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD follows up FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2007 debut, "The Way Of The Fist", which has sold more than 350,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"War Is The Answer" was released in the U.S. on September 22 via Prospect Park Records. The CD was produced by the band and Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, IN THIS MOMENT), and was mixed by Randy Staub (METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, NICKELBACK).
Pablo Carlos Mora of The Pueblo Chieftain reports that the rock band AEROSMITH will be featured on a new $5 scratch ticket the Colorado Lottery will offer come March.
The Colorado Lottery Commission heard details Wednesday about the new game, which will feature a second-chance drawing for two trips to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, a chance to have dinner with the band and a Harley Davidson motorcycle autographed by AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler.
"The winner of the motorcycle drawing will pick the bike, have Steven Tyler sign it and have it delivered here," Todd Greco, Lottery scratch product manager, told commission members.
Justin Donnelly of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On the band's new album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings":
"The reaction from most people to 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings' has been kind of interesting. I think the album has a nice balance of all the elements that make up the DREAM THEATER sound. Some people have claimed that some of our albums have been too heavy, and then there have been some that are saying that we need a little more of this, or a little less of that. Of course, people are still saying the same things about this album, but I think this album is just that more balanced out in regards to having a bit of everything that we're been known to put into our music, and people have been responding positively to that."
On writing process:
"Sometimes in the past, the guys might come in with a particular concept that they want to pursue. No so much as a concept album kind of idea, but more of an overall concept in terms of how they want the album to feel and sound. A lot of those ideas can come from [Mike] Portnoy [drums] or John Petrucci [guitar]. They're always cooking up something. If there's going to be a direction, they'll generally propose it. But on these last couple of albums, that didn't really happen. Portnoy is definitely a driving force within the band. He does things like devising the set lists for each show when we go out and play and he'll come up with other ideas, like the 'Progressive Nation' tours we've been undertaking for the last couple of years. He'll figure out which bands we'll take out with us, and take charge of organizing everything based around that. The rest of us don't have much to do with that side of things. But at the other end, when it comes to writing the music, then it really comes down to me, Portnoy and Petrucci. And it's really the three of us that write the music for DREAM THEATER, especially on 'Systematic Chaos' and 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings'. It was really just the three of us. Nobody else really had anything to do with it. Portnoy kind of takes it from there, and ensures that all the other stages come through as the producer of the album we all start to do the tracking. That's when everyone else starts to do their thing. John Myung [bass] will come down and lays down his parts, and then [James] LaBrie [vocals] puts his finishing touches to everything."
On music industry:
"The music business is really in a weird state right now, and it has been for some time. It's getting harder and harder for new bands to do anything, because record companies are just not picking up new bands like they used to. And there's nowhere for these new bands to play either, with music venues either closing down or restricting access to up and coming bands. You kind of heard about these things, and initially, it kind of comes across as being pessimistic for the most part. On the one hand, you brush it off as simply being one point of view, and rationalize with yourself that things really can't be that bad. But after a while, you realize that things really have changed. I really feel like it's in a messed up state right now. We really do have more bands today than ever before. I used to think that the Internet was great, because it provided all these avenues for the bands. Bands would figure it out and get their music out there to a whole new people of potential fans, all the while finding new and creative ways in using the Internet to get their music out there. But as time goes on, I think a lot of bands are finding out that it's a whole lot harder than it used to be. They're finding that their competing against a whole lot of other bands out there that are trying to get their music across in the same way. I don't know. I'm sure the industry will find a way to figure and straighten things out, and become a little clearer for people out there. But I guess for us in DREAM THEATER, we have this world of our own. Perhaps it's because we've been around so long, and we have this nice, solid and strong foundation that is there to support us in everything that we do. I think in general, DREAM THEATER is on their own planet in terms of the business side of things, because things are pretty good."
ALICE IN CHAINS members Jerry Cantrell (guitar) and Mike Inez (bass) were interviewed on "The Jim Rome Show" on October 16. The chat is now available for streaming in three parts below.
"Project Runway" season three model Amanda Fields is featured in the new video from ALICE IN CHAINS, "Your Decision", which was recently filmed in a "giant house" between Santa Monica and Malibu off the Pacific Coast Highway in California. The clip is being directed by Stephen Schuster, who previously worked with ALICE IN CHAINS on the "A Looking In View" video.
To coincide with the band's European tour, ALICE IN CHAINS released the "Your Decision" single on November 16 in the U.K.
"Your Decision" is the second single to be lifted from band's first all-new album in 14 years, titled "Black Gives Way To Blue", which sold 126,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart (behind latest albums from PARAMORE, MARIAH CAREY, BARBRA STREISAND and BREAKING BENJAMIN).
ALICE IN CHAINS recruited pop legend Elton John to contribute piano to the CD's title track, which is written in tribute to Staley.
Singer William DuVall had played with his own group, COMES WITH THE FALL, as well as in Jerry Cantrell's solo band, before joining up with ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006.
"Black Gives Way to Blue" was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) at the Northridge, California studio of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.
Quebec, Canada's black/death metal trio NECRONOMICON will headline the Unholy Steele Metal Fest, set to take place December 19 at The Poor Alex (772A Dundas St. West) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Also scheduled to appear are PANZERFAUST and WETWORK. More bands will be announced soon.
"The Time is Now", the new video from NECRONOMICON, can be viewed below. The clip was shot last year with Benoit Nantel (GHOULUNATICS, URBAN ALIEN, LES ECORCHES) who "did his best to capture the band's atmosphere and power." NECRONOMICON is said to be "really satisfied" with the end result and plans to work with Nantel again in the near future.
"The Time is Now" comes off NECRONOMICON's forthcoming album, "Return of the Witch", which was mastered with reputed engineer Maor Appelbaum (HALFORD, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION, etc). An early 2010 release via an as-yet-undisclosed label is expected.
Tracks from the upcoming CD are now available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.
"Return of the Witch" features guest appearances by Arianne Fleury (ex-AUGURY) and Roxanne Constantin (NEGATIVA, QUO VADIS), among others.
The band previously stated that the follow-up to 2003's "The Sacred Medicines" would "probably be the fastest and most brutal" CD the group has released thus far.
Other songtitles set to appear on the album include "Into the Fire", "Alpha Omega", "The Awakening", and "Return of the Witch".
TORCH and DARK QUARTERER have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Metal Merchants Festival, set to take place January 29-30, 2010 at John Dee in Oslo, Norway.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ANIHILATED (UK) DARK QUARTERER (I) LAMENTED SOULS (NOR) NEKRONOMICON (DE) OMEN (US) SLOUGH FEG (US) SOLITAIRE (FIN) TANK (UK) TORCH (S) THE LAMP OF THOTH (UK)
Erin Broadley of L.A. Weekly recently conducted an interview with Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) about his upcoming concert on November 22 at the Avalon in Hollywood, California. The show, billed "Slash & Friends", will be a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN) is a non-profit organization providing services to homeless and runaway youth. An excerpt from the chat follows below.
L.A. Weekly: Do you find that these kids relate to you because of how open you've been about the shit you've gone through?
Slash: Yeah, I definitely feel a bond with these kids. Even though I wasn't abused or anything, I chose to hang out on the streets from a very young age so I've seen a lot of the same stuff they're going through first hand. I've been through it and can just totally relate. So, yeah, I hadn't even really thought about that ... [laughs] that's probably why I was so attracted to the [organization]. I can understand how violated some of them feel because I've seen kids go down the same paths who weren't lucky enough to have an organization like this to help them get out. When I was in junior high school, in seventh grade, we had girls that were prostitutes in Hollywood. I remember running in to one of them in Griffith Park doing these three guys in a burned out old car and it turned out she was turning tricks for money because she didn't have any parents. She was lucky to be in school. I saw all sorts of weird shit like that.
L.A. Weekly: The LAYN Rocks benefit has a pretty big lineup.
Slash: Yeah, this will be the first "Slash & Friends" gig I've ever done in L.A. We did one in Vegas recently and I did one in Norway a while back. I try and get as many cool people as possible but this is unique because I've [performed] with Ozzy before, Ozzy's great, but then all these other cats I haven't really worked with in this capacity: Andrew Stockdale from WOLFMOTHER; Billy Idol who I'm friends with but have never done one of these gigs with; Chester [Bennington] and Perry Farrell I have; Dave Navarro which is great; and Travis Barker who I've never jammed with before either. Then there's Chris Chaney who played bass on my record which is coming out next year ... and Frankie Perez who's the house band vocalist. He's fuckin' killer. It's just going to be one of these rocking gigs. Steve Adler's coming up for one song. Tom Morello's coming up as well. It's going to be rad. We've managed to sell a lot of tickets so I'm glad we've been able to come through for LAYN. We want to sell it out.
The all-star band HAIL! — comprised of bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5), guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) and newly announced sticksman Paul Bostaph (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, EXODUS) — will be the first metal band to ever play live in Lebanon. On November 20, HAIL! will perform at the historic concert at Hektic Hall in the capital city of Beirut.
The band has issued the following update:
"We're here! After several months of planning and 25-hour flights, we arrived in Lebanon last night. Long flights but we made it and everybody is in good spirits. Our hosts from RockRing, Roy Naufal and Maher Mardini, were very excited to greet us and I'm not sure they actually thought we were real. LOL! It took a lot of work to pull this all together and it's proof that when everybody works together as a team, good things result.
The hotel is really nice, large suites overlooking downtown and the ocean. The layout of the coastline is very similar to Santa Monica/Malibu [California].
"We went out to dinner with our 'entourage' and had a nice meal and nice conversation as we were warmly welcomed with open arms. After dinner, we went to a small rock bar and the drinking continued. After a few rounds, we moved to another bar and did some shots of Jagermeister and more beers.
"It was great to have Paul out with us — he's obviously a ridonkulous drummer and a great guy. He understands our HAIL! mentality and fit in immediately.
"Welcome aboard, mate!
"We got a 3:00 a.m. tour of the city and coast and (after a brief yack stop for one of our local friends, LOL) we got back to the hotel where Andreas and I chilled on the balcony with some more beers until about 5:00. Beautiful evening.
"On the flight over, I got to watch the IRON MAIDEN 'Flight 666' DVD (thanks, David!) and MAIDEN is just sick! They have conquered the world doing things their own way and they remain the blueprint of success and the epitome of credibility.
"Thank you for being the backbone of all metal. Your relentless hard work, unwavering purpose and enormous success is a true testament to the way it should be. It is our honor to pay tribute to you. Without IRON MAIDEN, none of us would be here."
Netherlands-based label Apollon Records has announced the signing of French band MODERN FUNERAL ART for the release of the group's second full-length album, "Doom With A View".
Playing its own original mix of goth and doom, MODERN FUNERAL ART was originally formed in 1996 by current members Benoit Sangoï on rhythm guitar, drums and backing vocals, Arnaud Spitz of the neo-folk band PALE ROSES on lead vocals and Pascal N'Guyen on rhythm and lead guitars, bass and keys. The band has two releases under its belt to date — "Gateways of Slumber", a mini-CD that appeared in 2000, and the band's debut full-length, "Hellfire", which came out in 2006. N'Guyen's return to the fold in 2008, after a prolonged study period in the U.K., marked a new beginning for the band, which took its name from a former boutique in Toulouse called "l'art funeraire moderne." This allowed the band to regain the original feel and spirit as work began on the new material.
With Sangoi and N'Guyen composing all the music, and Arnaud the lyrics, "Doom With A View" was written during the first half of 2008, while the recording process went on during the last six months, when the band decided to hand over the mastering to Dan Swanö, who they felt would understand what MODERN FUNERAL ART was trying to achieve.
"Doom With A View" is slated for release in early 2010.
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