On Monday, February 15, POISON frontman Bret Michaels' official web site, BretMichaels.com, will preview the singer's new solo song "Lie To Me", from his upcoming "Custom Built" album.
The CD is due out later this year. More details will be revealed soon.
Michaels's new solo single, "Nothing To Lose" (formerly "Fall On Me"), was released on February 2. It is available via all digital media outlets, incuding iTunes, Napster and Rhapsody.
Michaels recently posted a "demo" version of "Nothing To Lose", which was mixed by Jeff Juliano, who has previously worked with DAVE MATTHEWS, JOHN MAYER and SHINEDOWN.
To listen to the song, click on the audio player below.
After completing the highly successful POISON tour with DEF LEPPARD this summer, Michaels went back on the road solo, finishing a fall run of his "Rock of Love" tour. At the moment Bret is focused on completing his autobiography titled "Roses and Thorns", a raw look into the reality of living out his rock and roll fantasy. The autobiography is to be released by Simon & Schuster in the spring of 2010.
"There are many reasons Bret is just as successful and relevant 20 years after he emerged into the world of American pop culture," states Michaels's spokesperson, Janna Elias. "His passion for both playing music as well as the business of taking care of it, combined with his close connection to his fans and his ability to find positive in the most negative of situations, make him undeniably likable to fans and industry insiders alike, his work-hard-play-harder attitude always prevails."
Extreme-metal veterans NECROPHAGIA have issued the following update:
"NECROPHAGIA will begin working on a series of videos for an upcoming DVD, to be titled 'The Gospel of Gore', once they have completed the recording of [NECROPHAGIA's long-awaited new album] 'Deathtrip 69'. Some early names the band has expressed interest in working with include Hart D. Fisher, Jim Vanbebber, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Tom Savini, Ryan Nicholson, Toe Tag Pictures, Don Edmonds, Gunnar Hansen, Jovanka Vuckovic and Mariano Baino."
Boris Randall (formerly of HALLOWMAS) recently joined NECROPHAGIA and will appear on "Deathtrip 69", which is now scheduled for a Halloween 2010 release. Boris and NECROPHAGIA frontman Frank "Killjoy" Pucci have been working on material for the CD, which will mark the group's first all-new release in over five years. Songtitles set to appear on the album include "Suffering Comes in Sixes", "Reborn Through Blackmass", "Celluliod Screams" and "Bleeding Eyes of the Eternally Damned".
NECROPHAGIA's forthcoming CD will feature contributions by Opal Enthroned. She was originally a member of the band during the period when her now ex-husband Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN) was playing guitar for NECROPHAGIA.
Opal made her NECRO debut on the "Cannibal Holocaust" EP in 2001. She also worked with Pucci and Anselmo in the now-defunct raw black metal project VIKING CROWN.
Former MEGADETH bassist James Lomenzo has issued the following statement regarding his departure from the band:
"My heart is full with your kindness and well wishes. This is the richest part of my years with the mighty MEGADETH.
"I'm truly excited about the two Daves [guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and returning bassist Dave Ellefson] getting back together. I think it will be great for MEGADETH fans.
"Anyone who knows me knows I love doing all kinds of things musically and otherwise, so I'm excited for what's ahead and very grateful for all the great music, fantastic shows and the many friends and fans I've come to know over the past four years.
"Stay tuned and I'll let you know what's next when it's next!"
Lomenzo, who previously played with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and WHITE LION, joined MEGADETH in February 2006 following the departure of James MacDonough (ex-ICED EARTH).
On February 13, 1970, BLACK SABBATH released its first album — the self-titled "Black Sabbath". This Saturday, February 13, 40 years after the LP's release, the "Rock 50" radio show, which airs between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. PST on WPMD, a college radio station at Cerritos College in California, will celebrate with an hour-long special featuring this groundbreaking album. The special, which will air at noon, will include the entire record and interviews with singer Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward.
"Rock 50", featuring its regular host Mike Stark, is broadcast over the Internet every Saturday. You can listen to the show live online at this location.
The deluxe expanded edition of BLACK SABBATH's 1970 self-titled debut — featuring alternate studio versions, demos and instrumentals of classic songs — was made available in une 2009 via Sanctuary/Universal Music.
An essay on the SABBATH reissues and the birth of heavy metal can be found on The Quietus web site.
Ozzy Osbourne filed a lawsuit against his BLACK SABBATH bandmate Tony Iommi in May 2009, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Osbourne is suing Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.
The Manhattan federal court suit also charges that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.
Ozzy's suit follows one filed by Iommi in December 2008 against Live Nation. In that filing, Iommi claims the concert giant sold merchandise bearing the band's logo, despite the 2006 expiration of a merchandising deal, reportedly worth nearly $80 million. Soon after that agreement concluded, Iommi reclaimed the band's trademark.
Iommi's suit argues Live Nation continued to sell more than 100 items of merchandise featuring the band's likeness, name and logo, despite the receipt of cease-and-desist orders from the guitarist's camp. Iommi's suit seeks damages in the amount of three times the profits from the merchandise sales, plus a halt to the BLACK SABBATH product sales.
The Warriors of Metal Fest III - Open Air has announced the headliners for this summer's festival, to be held Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26, 2010 at Ross County Fairgrounds in Chillicothe, Ohio.
On Friday, OMEN, the legendary Dallas, Texas-based metal band formed in 1983 and largely credited as an originator of the power metal genre, will headline the first day of the Fest. George Call, OMEN's lead vocalist, commented that "it's been several years since we've played this far north and we are ready to make this Fest a unique experience for our fans by introducing them to a number of brand new songs from our upcoming album."
On Saturday CAGE and ASKA will co-headline the second day of the Fest. These two bands are in hot demand each year by European festivals and will now bring their brands of bone-crushing, head-banging, neck-snapping and face-melting metal to the hungry fans of the Ohio region.
In a February 3 interview with Metalhead Radio's DJ MetalGod, the powerful and talented CAGE vocalist, Sean Peck, announced that they "will be playing a number of never-before-heard new songs for our fans to make Warriors of Metal Fest III - Open Air a very special experience."
CAGE made a huge impression on the true metal fans of Atlanta in 2009 by raising the roof on the 10th anniversary ProgPower USA festival, one of the premier metal festivals in the the country.
ASKA was a headliner at Warriors of Metal Fest II – Open Air in 2009, and was a favorite to return this year. ASKA plays numerous European festivals each year, and has entertained American troops in more than 37 countries as a former Department of Defense band. George Call, the founder, vocalist and guitarist of ASKA, commented that, "we received such a warm welcome from the Fest promoters and enthusiastic support from the Ohio metal fans last year during Warriors of Metal Fest II that we decided back then to announce that we will be returning to Ohio this year for another cheer, and this time we are ready to unleash a number of brand new ASKA songs from our soon-to-be-released sixth album, right along with our usual crowd pleasing classics."
Although ASKA and OMEN share George Call on vocal duties and Danny White on the drums, the two bands rarely share Fest billings, so Warriors of Metal Fest III - Open Air claims a very rare and special billing. The only other opportunity for fans to catch these two bands together is at 2010's Headbangers Open Air in Germany. ASKA and CAGE will also share billing on the 2010 SwordBrothers Metal Fest IX in Germany.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Howard Jones is leaving the band's current headlining tour with THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and DARK TRANQUILLITY due to unforeseen circumstances. ALL THAT REMAINS/ex-SHADOWS FALL vocalist Phil Labonte will be filling in for Jones for a few shows in the interim, until the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guys can determine what the plan will be for the remaining tour dates, which are currently scheduled to run through the end of March.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE has contributed a previously unreleased song to the digital extended play (EP) soundtrack for the highly anticipated PlayStation3 (PS3) exclusive videogame "God of War III". The EP, titled "God of War: Blood & Metal", will be released in March via Roadrunner Records as a part of the "God of War III Ultimate Edition", and will also feature four other previously unreleased songs from Roadrunner artists — TRIVIUM, DREAM THEATEROPETH and TAKING DAWN.
Consumers who purchase the "God of War III Ultimate Edition" will receive a voucher code to download the tracks, as well as downloadable music in the form of the "God of War Trilogy" soundtrack. Fans will also receive a special code to download a director's cut of "God of War: Unearthing the Legend", a full-length movie documentary depicting the history of the "God of War" franchise, access to an exclusive "God of War Challenge Arena" environment with up to seven unique challenges, an exclusive Kratos skin, and a limited-edition art book.
The "God of War III Ultimate Edition" will retail for $99.99 (MSRP).
"I have played the previous 'God of War' releases," said Howard Jones. "To be a part of this game in any fashion is amazing! Let the rivers flow red with blood; there is vengeance to bestow! Bring me more new finishing blows to my enemies!"
For more information about "God of War", visit www.GodofWar.com.
Australia's mUmBRELLA reports that Austereo's Triple M is launching digital radio station, High Voltage Radio, featuring songs and content dedicated to Australian rock band AC/DC.
It will go to air for four weeks until the end of AC/DC's Australian tour and will be broadcast on DAB+ and the Triple M website.
AC/DC songs featured will include their big hits, lesser known tracks, live versions and archived Triple M interviews.
The announcement follows Austereo's acquisition of more digital radio spectrum in November.
Video footage of EYEHATEGOD's February 5, 2010 performance at The Bar in Metairie, Louisiana can be viewed below. More clips are available at this location.
The vinyl version of EYEHATEGOD's fourth studio album, "Confederacy Of Ruined Lives", was released on November 11, 2009 via the vinyl-only imprint I'm Better Than Everyone Records.
Originally issued on CD in late 2000, "Confederacy Of Ruined Lives" is available in two versions: The main edition is hand-numbered and limited to 400 on thick black vinyl. There is also an extremely limited edition of 100 hand-numbered copies on white vinyl with tan and black splatter. Both editions are encased in a deluxe triple gatefold!
EYEHATEGOD has spent the last two decades at odds with a corrupt music industry, using their music as a proverbial middle finger aimed at everything from government officials to sanctimonious shitheads hiding behind organized religion. They have defied all odds and continue to exist and persist despite personal and professional setbacks, from drug addiction to natural disasters. In the midst of all this turmoil EYEHATEGOD has become the high water mark when it comes to "sludge metal," having birthed rock's unholy bastard feasting on the teat that BLACK SABBATH and BLACK FLAG built. Countless bands have followed in their fetid footsteps and they continue to inspire groups around the world to this very day.
The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will enter year 12 this April with an eclectic mixture of bands from the metal and hardcore genres. Returning to the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, the event will take place on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, with an extra special pre-party sponsored by Atticus on Thursday, April 22.
Bands performing on Friday, April 23 include:
MASTODON BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME BARONESS CRO-MAGS EARTH CRISIS DEATH THREAT DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR COA AMERICAN ME THICK AS BLOOD FORFEIT XTHEWARX GRAVE MAKER ROSE FUNERAL CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE HOWL
Doors open at 3:00 p.m.
Bands performing on Saturday, April 24 include:
CANNIBAL CORPSE AMON AMARTH JOB FOR A COWBOY WHITECHAPEL SKELETONWITCH ELUVEITIE 1349 IMPENDING DOOM LECHEROUS NOCTURNE TONY DANZA TAP DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA CHELSEA GRIN ABACABB ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS MALEFICE SWASHBUCKLE CATTLE DECAPITATION ACARO HOLY GRAIL DISEMBODIED CRUEL HAND REIGN SUPREME THE MONGOLOIDS XTYRANTX FOUNDATION SOUL CONTROL ALPHA & OMEGA BURNING EMPIRES MOTHER OF MERCY GAZA ACROSS THE SUN MONSTERS
Doors open at noon.
Tickets for Friday only cost $40.00. Tickets for Saturday only cost $46.00. A two-day ticket costs $80.00.
All tickets go on sale this Friday, February 12 at 10 a.m. at all stores, online at or to charge-by-phone call (800) 477-6849.
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has released an audio message in which he comments on the the departure of bassist James Lomenzo and the return of the band's original bassist, David Ellefson.
"First, I wanna say thank you to James Lomenzo for his years of faithful and consistent service to MEGADETH and to me and to the fans," Mustaine says.
"James, I love you, and I wish you well in everything that you do.
"Now, the most exciting thing I've had to say for quite some time...
"Like I said at our web site, I had a huge announcement to make.... It's David Ellefson returning back to his home, to his roots, to where his partner has been waiting to one day jam with him again, and that wait for me is now over.
"We rehearsed and it sounded great. Dave even played on the new track that we recorded for this new project that's coming up — I'll be making an announcement soon about what that is. And it just sounded great. He looked great.
"We did a photo shoot.
"We just had an absolutely wonderful time together, and we just knew it was right.
"I don't know how long this is gonna last — I hope it's permanent. If it's just for the [upcoming] 'Rust In Peace' [20th-anniversary tour], I wanna thank David for committing to do this. And I wanna encourage all of you fans, go get your tickets now, because if you miss this, you may never see it again.
"I don't know... you may be the kind of person that's gonna be able to sit around when you're 70 and say, 'Yeah, well, I missed MEGADETH twice with David Ellefson.' That's OK. I'm not that kind of person. But that's what makes the world go around.
"I hope you take my lead today and you go and spend some time alone reflecting on people that you may need to forgive or that you may need their forgiveness, and see what happens, man.
"I feel so great, and I know so many of you feel great, too. And this is all because I was willing to take my hat in my hand and talk with my brother and to work things out."
Mustaine's entire two-minute-and-20-second message can be heard using the audio player below.
Northern Kentucky thrash metallers PAIN LINK have set "Descendants Of Defiance" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in early 2010. "Descendants Of Defiance" is PAIN LINK's first new studio album since 2007's video-enhanced EP "Uncivil Servant". The CD is currently being recorded at Vigilante Studio in Hebron, Kentucky. This will mark the band's fourth independent release since 2003.
"Descendants Of Defiance" deals with familiar PAIN LINK themes — political unrest, self perseverance, self empowerment, and self preservation. It will also include a few other topics such as the first person perspective of America's Armed Forces in battle. According to guitarist Chris Brown, "This album showcases our band at its finest hour, a true representation of what we have always aspired to catch on disc. It mixes elements of thrash, death and black metal to form a crushing auditory experience that will not disappoint even the most hardened of metal fans."
Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:
* Doom Brigade * All That We Believed * Serpent Society * Delusions Of The Deceiver * The Ballad Of Paul Kersey * Thirteen And A Half * Fall To None * Refrain Of The Addict * Cadence Of Bones * Punishment Severe
PAIN LINK has just released two studio video updates of the current recording process. The band has also added several dates to its calendar and will be adding more to coincide with the release of the new disc.
"Whore Baby", the new video from Israeli death metal perverts WHORECORE, can be viewed below. The song is the band's last effort with founding member, vocalist Tomer Jones. WHORECORE is now back to its classic two-frontmen formula, with returning member Ariel "Conan" Ron and "newcummer" Zion Mizrachi handling the vocal duties and "man-on-man fondling action on stage," according to a press release.
WHORECORE is currently writing material for its third release, which will be recorded later this year.
Finnish power metallers KIUAS will release their fourth album, "Lustdriven", on March 31 via Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki by Janne Joutsenniemi, who previously worked with the band on the pre-production of their last album, "The New Dark Age". Mikko Karmila mixed the CD at Finnvox studios while the mastering duties were handled by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers.
"Lustdriven" track listing:
01. Kiuassault 02. Cry Little Angel 03. Of Lust, Love and Human Nature 04. Aftermath 05. Lights Are Many 06. The Visionary 07. Heart and Will 08. The Quickening 09. Summer's End 10. Winter's Sting
"The New Dark Age" was released in the U.K. via Spinefarm Records, accompanied by reissues of the first two outings, "The Spirit of Ukko" and "Reformation". All three come with bonus tracks and expanded artwork.
"The New Dark Age" entered the official chart in the band's home country back in March 2008 at position No. 10.
An e-card for "The New Dark Age" is available at this location.
Video footage of STRATOVARIUS's January 30, 2010 concert in Munich, Germany can be viewed below (courtesy of "eblrocknroll").
STRATOVARIUS' latest album, "Polaris", landed at position No. 57 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Polaris" was released in the U.S. on May 26, 2009 via Armoury Records (a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment).
The cover artwork for "Polaris" was created by Gyula Havancsák.
"Polaris" was recorded in the fall 2008 at Hästholmen and 5by5 studios in Helsinki, Finland. It was mixed by the longtime confidant of the band, Mikko Karmila.
STRATOVARIUS 2010 is:
Timo Kotipelto - Vocals Matias Kupiainen - Guitars Lauri Porra - Bass Jörg Michael - Drums Jens Johansson - Keyboards
Fan-filmed video footage of BROKEN TEETH's February 6, 2010 performance at Encore Movies & Music in Austin, Texas can be viewed below (courtesy of "JohnEbrownTX").
BROKEN TEETH is the Austin-based hard rock quintet featuring DANGEROUS TOYS/WATCHTOWER vocalist Jason McMaster.
The band released its new album, "Viva La Rock, Fantastico!", on January 26 via Perris Records.
Featuring 13 all-new tracks and cameo vocals by Canadian compadre Danko Jones, "Viva La Rock, Fantastico!" was written on the road during BROKEN TEETH's 2008-2009 "Blood on the Road Tour". As expected, the fifth release from the hard-bitten Texas head-knockers is torn from the same hellraiser's hymnal that gave us the likes of MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, RHINO BUCKET and other wheels-of-steel rockers.
"Some of these songs were written in the back of the bus, some were written in hotel rooms and others were written in the darker corners of life on the road," said McMaster. "Inspiration is at its finest when it's covered in grease, sweat and blood."
"Viva La Rock, Fantastico!" is another evil sermon of devilish delights and rock-altar anthems. From the torch-fire, rat-a-tat blast of "Blackheart" and the frantic missile-scream of "Dressin' Up in Flames" to the nervous shakedown of "Break the Spell", and the aptly titled "Exploder", "Viva La Rock, Fantastico!" finds BROKEN TEETH's six-string pitchfork attack taking equal jabs at feverish fun ("Twister" and "Bullet") and pleasurable pain ("Spitting Nails" and "Get Outta Here Alive").
"This is the first BROKEN TEETH album written by the band's current lineup," McMaster said. "In a sense, it marks a new beginning while still maintaining our signature sound. We definitely get the fists in the air, but we also like to give the girls a little something to grind to. If it ain't down-and-dirty, it ain't rock and roll."
Helping BROKEN TEETH fan the "Fantastico!" flames is blood-sweating Canadian rocker Danko Jones. The rock and roll outlaw from the Great White North lends backup vocals to the album's tequila-spiked title track as well as the shout-along stormer "Big Spender".
"I met a BROKEN TEETH fan from Scotland online and she sent me some CDs of upcoming new music," McMaster explained. "One of the CDs was DANKO JONES. I shit myself! I knew there was real rock and roll out there somewhere and I had finally found it. A few years later, Danko was coming through Austin with TURBONEGRO. I went to the show, introduced myself, gave Danko some CDs and stayed in touch. A few years later, he's singing on my music."
BROKEN TEETH formed in Austin, Texas, in 1999 when McMaster recruited former members of DANGEROUS TOYS, DIRTY LOOKS and PARIAH for a side project that allowed band members to have some fun indulging their dirty rock influences, including AC/DC, ROSE TATTOO, CIRCUS OF POWER and THE FOUR HORSEMEN. More than a decade later, BROKEN TEETH has firmly established its own tattered and frayed identity with a discography that includes the self-titled debut, "Guilty Pleasure", "Blood On The Radio" and "Electric".
"Viva La Rock, Fantastico!" track listing:
01. Blackheart 02. Exploder 03. Spitting Nails 04. Dressin' Up In Flames 05. Break The Spell 06. Twister 07. Back On The Road 08. All Hail The Altar 09. Get Outta Here Alive 10. Bullet 11. Viva La Rock, Fantastico! (feat. Danko Jones) 12. Big Spender (feat. Danko Jones) 13. Ride Upon Glory
MÖTLEY CRÜE members Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, along with AEROSMITH/JOE PERRY PROJECT guitarist Joe Perry, were interviewed for this week's "The Metal File" podcast from Montreal's CHOM-FM. You can stream the show online at this location.
MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", was released on November 17 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.
Best Buy features an exclusive CD/DVD package of the new collection with a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary filmed at "Crüe Fest 2", the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour.
CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on Crüe Fest 2 to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.
Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21, 2009.
Originally issued on September 1, 1989, "Dr. Feelgood" reached #1 on the Billboard chart and went on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide. The title track reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and earned the band their first two Grammy nominations (Best Hard Rock Performance: "Dr Feelgood" in 1989 and "Kickstart My Heart" in 1990). Twenty years later, the band was nominated for another Grammy Award and is celebrating its hit album "Saints of Los Angeles" on an arena tour of the U.S.
"Dr. Feelgood" was released as a deluxe version incorporating two CDs. The original version of "Dr. Feelgood" on one CD, and on the other a smorgasbord of delights! — four original demos from the "Dr. Feelgood" sessions, four tracks recorded live when the band played in Russia, plus a remix of "Get It For Free".
The 32nd installment of the "Shockwaves Skull Sessions" podcast features part two of the "great IRON MAIDEN discussion" between host Bob Nalbandian, Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel and U.K. journalist, author and contributing editor of Classic Rock magazine Malcom Dome. The three MAIDEN fans talk about their first discovery of the British powerhouses and run through their favorite moments over the course of the band's 30-plus-year career. Pontificating on short-lived guitarist Dennis Stratton and long-haul producer Martin Birch, listen to what these metal industry masters had to say about one of the greatest metal bands of all time.
Australia's Ninemsn reports: A pair of AC/DC devotees hope to lure the rockers to a Melbourne laneway named after them by turning it into a rock 'n' roll shrine.
Artist Ben Couzens and publican James Young have plastered the city's famous AC/DC Lane with giant posters of the veteran band in a tribute spanning their entire 37-year career.
"We're thinking of every idea we possibly can to encourage the band to come down here," Mr Young, owner of the laneway's watering hole Cherry Bar, told Ninemsn.
Bryan Odell, a 19-year-old reporter from Lincoln, Nebraska, conducted an interview with artist and activist Otep Shamaya of the California-based band OTEP last fall when the group played Omaha, Nebraska with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. Watch the chat below.
Shamaya has been nominated for "Outstanding Music Artist" in the 21st annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards.
An outspoken advocate of gay rights, Shamaya serves as a key figure in the movement to promote fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
OTEP is about to set the nation on fire with the upcoming "Rise Rebel Resist Tour" alongside Victory Records labelmates BURY YOUR DEAD and DESTROPHY, with special guests THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD.
OTEP is promoting its fourth full-length studio album, "Smash The Control Machine", which sold around 10,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on August 18, 2009 via Victory Records.
Due to "scheduling conflicts," former WARRANT singer Jani Lane has cancelled his appearance at the inaugural edition of the Stockholm Rock Out festival, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at Gamla Tryckeriet in Alvik, Sweden. Replacing Lane on the bill are GREAT WHITE and KIX, both of whom will be making their exclusive European appearances.
"Fans will not be disappointed," Stockholm Rock Out's Chris LeMon said. "This will be the first time ever KIX has played Scandinavia. GREAT WHITE is celebrating 25 years of making blues rock together. Both bands will play their hits. This is the only place to see them in Europe."
The festival billing is now shaping up as follows:
SLAUGHTER (US) GREAT WHITE (US) STEELHEART (US) KIX (US) KEEL (US) DIZZY REED (US) PRETTY BOY FLOYD (US) BULLETBOYS (US) XYZ (US) VAINS OF JENNA (SE) NASTY IDOLS (SE) M.ILL.ION (SE) TUFF (US) SHAMELESS (US/DE) CHRIS LANEY (SE) BADMOUTH (SE) DYNAZTY (SE) KILLER CLAN OF F.U.N. (SE)
CRYSTAVOX, one of Christian metal's loudest bands, and Roxx Productions have revealed the full details and new cover art for the group's brand new limited-edition release, "The Twenty Year Mix". Due on May 25, the two-disc set will consist of both a full-length CD and a very special DVD release.
First up, disc one will be a completely remastered "Best Of" CD consisting of many of your favorite CRYSTAVOX tracks, including "Sacrifice", "Home Again", "Power Games", "It's All Right", "Shame", "Big Picture", "Snakes", "Paradise", "No Boundaries", "Guns", "Break Down The Walls" and "Cry Out". All these tracks were taken straight from the master tapes that had been sitting in storage in the Ocean Records archives for close to twenty years. These tracks have been completely remastered and totally redone; new guitars, drums and an over-sampling method vastly increasing the mastered volume of each song to today's standards making for an optimal sound that brings these tracks straight in to the modern day.
Disc two will be a very special DVD release consisting of a recently discovered "never-before-released" live concert footage and also several MTV-style video clips that have never before been officially released. All footage has had the color completely corrected and restored and has been completely remastered in the 16:9 format. In addition to all of this, classic remastered video footage the DVD will also include a recently recorded "Where Are They Now" segment — shot in HD, and featuring the band "self-narrating" the story of CRYSTAVOX!
If all that isn't enough for you, then you will definitely want to get your order in early as everyone that gets in on the pre-order will receive an exclusive third disc that will only be made available to those that pre-order. This bonus disc is a live EP of a behind-the-scenes recording taken straight from the soundboard at a New Year's Eve show in San Diego, California on December 31, 1992. This would ultimately be the last and only live audio recording CRYSTAVOX would ever do.
Head over to www.roxxproductions.com to get your order in early and take advantage of this strictly limited-edition bonus disc. Also be sure to visit the brand new custom, state-of-the-art media web site showcasing some of the best audio and video performances from throughout the band's career at www.crystavox.com.
Finnish dark-alternative-metal band REFLEXION will release its third album, "Edge", on February 17 in Finland and February 19 in the rest of Europe via Mach XX/Out of Line Records. According to a press release, "Thudding tribal drums and massive, deep guitar riffs infuse the band's dark melodic hit tunes with a refreshing kick that pleasantly distinguishes itself from the over produced kitsch that most of their fellow countrymen are sporting. This time around REFLEXION are playing it rough, spiffing up even their slow songs with SABBATH-esque doom riffs and toying with complex song structures that often border on prog metal, but without ever losing track of the catchy, often gloomy melodies that have made their first two albums nearly impossible to resist. 'Edge' is reveling in dark atmosphere and hit qualities but will probably cause some serious head banging attacks with metal veterans as well, due to a much harder approach."
"Edge" track listing:
01. Morning Sickness 02. Moscow Nights 03. Written on My Skin 04. Unbreakable 05. Generation Kill 06. Couldn't Care Less (THE CARDIGANS cover) 07. On This Dawn 08. No Roots on the Ground 09. Undress the Beauty 10. The Cage 11. Blind for Tomorrow 12. I've Burned Everything I've Got
REFLEXION is:
Juha Kylmänen - Vocals Ilkka Jolma - Guitar Juhani Heikka - Guitar Mikko Uusimaa - Bass Ilkka Leskelä - Drums
Guitarist Scott Waldrop of TWISTED TOWER DIRE has released the following statement regarding he passing of the band's former singer, Anthony "Tony" Taylor:
"As many of you already know, our former vocalist Tony Taylor passed last Saturday [February 6] night in a motorcycle accident. I'm still having trouble believing it. He and I wrote a lot of music together, traveled all over and even worked construction together outside of the band over the course of 10 years.
"Thanks for everyone's condolences, but please keep his wife and kids in your thoughts/prayers as their loss is unimaginable to me. He was one of my closest friends (like a big brother), but after personal problems, he split from the band and moved to Florida three years ago. I hadn't spoken with him since.
"Make peace with your family and friends. Life and death are random and you may never get the chance settle petty differences."
Taylor played the Everglades Seafood Festival on Saturday afternoon with his new band, the DOWN SOUTH ROCKERS.
"We were all there," Taylor's wife, Charry Taylor, told NaplesNews.com. "His friends were there. His family was there. He had a great last day. He did what he loved most. He was singing. He was with his family and friends. And he loved riding (his motorcycle)."
Around 11 p.m., while on his way home from the festival, Taylor wrecked his 1996 Harley Davidson on Nighthawk Drive in North Naples, not more than a few blocks from the home he shared with his wife and two children, son Tanis, 14, and daughter Tasmin, 12.
According to Florida Highway Patrol reports, Taylor lost control of the bike, causing it to overturn, slide about 45 feet, strike a curb and hit a palm tree. Taylor, who was wearing a helmet, was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, where he was pronounced dead.
Puerto Rico's epic doom metallers DANTESCO have posted their cover version of the CANDLEMASS classic "Darkness In Paradise" on their MySpace page. The track will appear on the band's new covers CD, "The Ten Commandments Of Metal", which will be released later in the year via Cruz Del Sur Music. The album will feature additional songs from BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, MERCYFUL FATE, SANCTUARY, WARLORD, SAVATAGE, METAL CHURCH, SORCERER and MANOWAR.
DANTESCO's new studio album, "We Dont Fear You God", will be released later this year through Cruz Del Sur Music. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Betrayer", "The Blood Of The Saints", "The Conqueror Worm" and "We Dont Fear You God". The album's cover artwork can be viewed below.
Also on the DANTESCO front, the band's first demo, one previously unreleased cut and four new tracks will be made available via Stormspell Records under the title "Seven Years Of Battle".
DANTESCO will take part in the Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece on March 5-6, 2010 alongside such acts as SAVAGE GRACE, SLAUTER XTROYES, DOOMSWORD and PRAYING MANTIS.
Swedish hard rockers VIOLENT DIVINE will release their third album "Release The Hounds", on March 11 via Swedmetal Records. The label states, "This will be one of 2010 best albums in this genre. Fantastic raw hard-driving melodic rock 'n' roll — just the way it's meant to be!"
"Release The Hounds" track listing:
01. Nitro 02. Welcome To The Divine 03. Burn 04. Retribution 05. Sweet Blood 06. Until Death 07. For The First Time 08. Asleep 09. One By One 10. Eternity 11. Get It All Out 12. Bleed Like Me 13. Release The Hounds 14. This Heart Is About To Be Broken
Commented VIOLENT DIVINE's Gus Divine: "'Release The Hounds' is the perfect hybrid of the glam vibe from the debut album and the dark, gothic/metal vibe from the second album 'In Harm's Way'. 'Release The Hounds' is definitely the first choice to get the party started!"
VIOLENT DIVINE's "Blackheart" video can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's sophomore album, "In Harm's Way", which was released on January 31, 2009 via Misty Recordings. The CD was mixed and produced by Pontus Norgren, guitarist of Swedish metal act HAMMERFALL.
Formed in late 2005, VIOLENT DIVINE received critical praise for its 2006 debut album which spawned three singles: "Rush You", "Let's Go" and "Levitate".
M.A.N — the group formed out of the ashes of Sweden's TRANSPORT LEAGUE (featuring former MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich) — will release its third album, "Massive Audio Nerve", on March 26 via the German label Tiefdruck Musik. The CD was recorded at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden with engineer Svein Jensen and was mixed by Ulrich Wild, who has previously worked with WHITE ZOMBIE, STAIND, STATIC-X, DEFTONES, PANTERA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others. The mastering was handled by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Encino, California. The band states, "The sound is insanily good; we are very VERY happy with the outcome."
"Massive Audio Nerve" track listing:
01. Dead Set 02. Don't Wake Up 03. Logocide 04. Last Light Drains 05. Vivid Heart 06. Identical Abuse 07. False Memory Syndrome Pt 1 & 2 08. Slave Program 09. Mock At My Motion 10. Falling, Zero Status Zero
Check out the cover artwork below.
M.A.N will support FEAR FACTORY on the following dates:
Feb. 27 - KB - Malmö, Sweden Feb. 28 - Brewhouse - Gothenburg, Sweden Mar. 01 - Debaser Medis - Stockholm, Sweden Mar. 03 - Nosturi - Helsinki, Finland Mar. 05 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
A video for the track "Logocide" will be filmed this coming weekend (February 13-14) at Redbergs Theatre in Gothenburg with director Gabriel Engberg.
M.A.N recently declared itself the very first metal band ever to have incorporated what it calls the "Full Scale Quarter Tone System" into its music — and metal music genre as a whole. According to the group, "'Full Scale Quarter Tone Systems' [our own term] means that there are 24 quarter semi tones, instead of 12 'ordinary' semi tones, within reach of an octave [1200 cent]. This has led to new kinds of expressions and possibilities that have never been heard before, especially when this concept — cultivated and formed by M.A.N — is featured by more than just a solistic issue in order of solo instrumentalist matter or a solo part, but covered by the string instrument section in whole songs, with state of equilibrium with the ordinary semi tone system."
ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with vocalist Ville Valo of Finnish "love" metallers HIM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
ARTISTdirect.com: "Screamworks: Love in Theory and in Practice" is definitely your best record.
Valo: Oh, wow! [Laughs] That's a compliment, thank you very much. I put a lot of energy into this one and really worked hard on it. It's kind of scary. I'm feeling all giddy and nervous about it. I'm getting butterflies, waiting to see how people will respond to the album. We've done the best we can. We're proud of it obviously, but it'll affect the next couple years of how the band's going to live and how we're going to tour. Obviously, it's important for the album to do well, if possible.
ARTISTdirect.com: The record feels like one complete vision. Did you go into recording knowing what you wanted from start to finish?
Valo: To set things down, you've got to go with the flow. I think you've got to follow your gut instinct. To a certain extent, it's good to have certain guidelines and a certain framework when you're working on an album. It usually happens organically when you start working on the first couple tracks and they start getting closer to being ready. All of a sudden, you see the little parts of music forming a bigger piece, and that leads to what will happen next. It's the same thing with production; when you get a few songs done, you know what you need. We had the great opportunity of working with Matt Squire, who was just the guy we needed for this one. I can't complain at all. The process of the album happened under lucky stars, so far. Everything has been going really well. It's been tons of work, but it's been really enjoyable work.
ARTISTdirect.com: You take such dark subject matter and a dark perspective on love and make it poppy and palatable.
Valo: I guess it could be genetics, I don't know [Laughs]. I think that love is catchy, yet it's very dark. At least when it comes to writing music, I've never been huge fan of aggressive music. To me, melody is key. It's a huge factor of each song. I grew up in the '80s, so I grew up listening to DURAN DURAN, DEPECHE MODE and a lot of hair metal bands — most of them from L.A. It's a combination of that. I naturally write songs that are very melodic, yet very melancholy. I've always hated the idea of happy songs. When you're extremely happy and content with what you have, that's when you don't work on music. Usually, you pick up a guitar when something's bugging you and you don't know what it is. When it's hard to express an emotion in conversation, that's when I always pick up a guitar, and it's easy for me to convey the emotion through a song. That's how it happens for me. I think what we have happening on this album is a nice balance. When we were working with Matt, we more or less made a conscious decision. The names we kept on dropping were DEPECHE MODE, THE CULT and GUNS N' ROSES. I wanted the album to have European melancholy happening at the same time that there would be this really straightforward, direct and accessible rock sound. "Screamworks" is kind of like a David Lynch movie in a way. If you don't know anything about "Blue Velvet", you go into a cinema and see the beginning and say, "It starts pretty ordinary." All of a sudden, this weird stuff starts to happen, and you're so mesmerized by the film that at the end you're just blown away. That's the kind of music I like — it takes you on a trip somewhere a bit left of center, but it uses traditional methods to get you there so it's not just, "Art for art's sake."
ARTISTdirect.com: "Venus Doom" had an L.A. vibe because you'd written a lot of there. Is "Screamworks" tied more to feelings instead of a particular location?
Valo: To be honest with you, I don't know. Since I wrote the songs, I don't necessarily think a certain place affects them. I work on a song for such a long time usually that I work on it in a couple places. It's never like one single city or country in the world would inspire me to write a track. It's always a combination of a lot of stuff going on — the music I'm listening to, the influences I have at the moment — everything affects. I like the fact that most of the album was worked on in freezing Helsinki in the middle of the winter where it was all dark and cold. During summer, we flew over to L.A. and it was just such a different mindset and different climate. It was cool to find, let's say, the lighter shades of black.
Fan-filmed video footage of ANAAL NATHRAKH performing the song "In the Constellation of the Black Widow" on February 5, 2010 at Rio's in Leeds, United Kingdom can be viewed below (courtesy of Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").
ANAAL NATHRAKH's latest album, "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow", was released in June 2009 via Candlelight Records. A limited-edition gatefold colored vinyl version of the effort was made available at the same time via Feto Records (the label run by NAPALM DEATH's Shane Embury and ANAAL NATHRAKH's Mick Kenney).
Check out an e-card for the effort at this location.
Formed in 1998, ANAAL NATHRAKH sonically fuses traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore, and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned it high acclaim from media and fans around the globe.
MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx launched his national radio program "Sixx Sense" last night (Monday, February 8) on over 30 rock stations. Jared Leto joined Sixx as Nikki's first in-studio guest before embarking on a European tour with 30 SECONDS TO MARS.
An audio excerpt from yesterday's show can be streamed using the audio player below.
"Sixx Sense" is hosted by Sixx and multimedia personality, producer and writer Kerri Kasem
From radio to TV, entertainment to sports, Kasem is an established broadcaster with a proven talent to excel in any arena. Her career has included hosting and producing several successful national and local radio shows, as well as programs for networks such as MTV, E!, ESPN and Spike.
"Sixx Sense" is broadcasting Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight local time. Host Nikki Sixx — co-founder/bassist/songwriter of MÖTLEY CRÜE and chart-topping band SIXX: A.M., producer, clothing designer, philanthropist and best-selling author — discusses music and lifestyle topics as he gives listeners a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star. Joined by co-host Kerri Kasem, Sixx provides his unique perspective and attitude as the duo welcomes celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters from all walks of life. All this and more will be coupled with radio station playlists.
American/German producer Dennis Ward (ANGRA, PINK CREAM 69, PRIMAL FEAR) will helm the new album from Italian metallers ELVENKING. The recordings will start on March 20 at Piranha studios in Karsdolf, Germany. Mat Sinner (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER) will executive-produce the CD, which is tentatively due in September.
On the live front, ELVENKING will play at the Italian Headbangers Fest with 10 other Italian bands like DGM, SECRET SPHERE and TRICK OR TREAT. The dates are as follows:
April 24 - Stazione Birra - Rome, ITA April 25 - Matrioska – Modena, ITA
ELVENKING last fall announced the addition of session violin player Lethien to the group's ranks.
Back in September, 2007, ELVENKING explained that Elyghen had temporarily moved to Ireland for working reasons. They emphasized that he wasn't leaving the band and that Eleonora (the girl who had played the violin in the quartet that performed on ELVENKING albums) would help the band out on live dates that Elyghen couldn't be present for.
ELVENKING released an acoustic album, "Two Tragedy Poets (...And A Caravan Of Weird Figures)", in Europe on November 14, 2008 via AFM Records. The CD was issued in digipack and jewel case formats.
ELVENKING's last "electric" album, "The Scythe", was released in Europe in September 2007 via AFM Records.
The band's video for the song "The Divided Heart" can be viewed below. The clip was shot with director Mirco Andreis (ELDRITCH, MACBETH, DISARMONIA MUNDI).
"The Scythe" was mixed at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The mastering took place at Finnvox Studios with Mika Jussila and Nino Laurenne.
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