Metal Injection recently conducted an interview with ARCH ENEMY/CARCASS guitarist Michael Amott. The chat can now be viewed below.
In a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Michael Amott stated about ARCH ENEMY's decision to re-record older material for the "The Root Of All Evil" album, "We started talking about doing something like this three, four years ago. The initial idea came from the fans really, they kept asking us if we'd ever consider re-recording some of the older material, this time with Angela [Gossow] on vocals. At first, I couldn't see the appeal of doing it, but as time passed and more and more people were asking about it, we decided to give it a shot, and I must say that it was a fun project. I found it quite refreshing to go in the studio and record the songs and make them sound fresh and exciting."
When asked how faithful the band wanted the "Root" CD to be to the original recordings, Amott said, "We weren't that concerned with staying 100 percent true to the original versions. These are new interpretations of the old songs. If anyone wants to hear the original recordings of the songs, they can listen to the old albums. We wanted to to give our favorites from those early albums an 'extreme makeover' and make them harder and tougher. We wanted the songs to sound like ARCH ENEMY right here and now, a worthy tribute to the first chapter in the band's history."
On the topic of when fans could expect to hear new ARCH ENEMY material, Amott said, "I've written four song ideas that we've been jamming on, and I know that the other guys have ideas as well and I look forward to hearing them. We don't typically write a lot on the road so the songwriting process will pick up once we get off the road, I hope. The idea is that we'll be continuing to write and arrange new material throughout 2010 and we plan go back in the studio again at the end of the year and see what we come up with. Ideally, we'd like to release a new ARCH ENEMY album in 2011. Our last album of new material, 'Rise Of The Tyrant', came out back in September 2007, so that'd be a good time in-between records. I'm very much looking forward to getting into the creative phase of writing and recording again."
AC/DC's Angus Young and Brian Johnson were asked by Triple M about the reports that they have ordered three oxygen tanks with masks for their dressing rooms at this week's concerts at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
"We usually carry that just in case," Johnson said.
"Some of the gigs we've been doing have been 100 degrees on the stage and there is no air in the place, so you gotta usually get back and take a couple of gulps."
When LED ZEPPELIN was considering touring without Robert Plant, they auditioned Steven Tyler for the vocalist position, but AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has revealed that the tryout didn't go so well. According to Classic Rock magazine, Jimmy Page told Joe that the rehearsals were "shambolic" since Steven didn't really know ZEP's catalog. However, last year, when Steven told VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner about his audition, he made it seem like he was very familiar with the band's songs.
"The kid in me was dying," Tyler told VH1 Radio Networks. "I got to sing every song from 'Black Dog' up and down and I'll never forget it as long as I live."
Nonetheless, Page felt "awkward" about the situation and said the guys in ZEP decided to pass on Steven. Tyler told VH1 Radio Networks about that decision, "I don't think a band like theirs needs a singer like me. They already had the best, they were the best, in fact, there is no genre for what LED ZEPPELIN is other than LED ZEPPELIN. I've already got AEROSMITH, I'm doing what I'm doing, Robert Plant's doing what he wants to do so I don't think there was really room for that.”
In the latest twist in the AEROSMITH/Steven Tyler saga, Perry says that Tyler has neither quit the band or been fired by AEROSMITH. Perry told Classic Rock magazine, "Steven hasn't quit the band, nor have we sacked him. We're taking the attitude that he's going on a vacation from AEROSMITH. While he's away working on other projects, the rest of us want to carry on playing live. So we will be bring another singer to make this happen."
He went on to say that any replacement would be hired for live dates until Tyler returns: "We're not daft enough to think we can replace Steven, and that's not our plan. But after 40 years of working together we just don't wanna stop. How long with Steven be away? He says it'll be two years, but I believe he'll be back a lot sooner. It may end up that we only do 10 shows with the new person!"
Perry says that he and the band realize that age is a tremendous factor in the professional decisions they make: "You realize you're not an immortal, and you don't have this 22-year-old feeling of 'this thing can go on forever,' and you know, 'I can do whatever I want, I can go for three nights without sleep and everything will be fine.' You start to realize that it's a very delicate thing, life is a delicate thing, and being able to perform at the top of your game is a delicate thing. And it's one of those changes, you know, that comes over. I'm still amazed that we can put on the kind of show that we put on. Every night could be our last."
According to Zero Tolerance, Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA will perform at the Le Boulevard des Jeunes Musiciens festival on May 16 in Casablanca, Morocco.
"A-Lex" — SEPULTURA's first LP to be recorded without either of the founding Cavalera brothers (Max and Igor; on guitar/vocals and drums, respectively) — is available in three versions: in a deluxe digipak with an embossed cover, in a regular jewel case and on a vinyl gatefold LP.
On "A-Lex", SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser and his three colleagues, Derrick Green (vocals), Paulo Jr. (bass) and new addition Jean Dollabella (drums), have dedicated themselves to Anthony Burgess's book "A Clockwork Orange", creating an awesome thrash metal opus around this timeless and exciting subject.
In a recent interview with Sonic Excess, Kisser stated about the band's 11th studio album, "I am very happy with 'A-Lex'. The album came out in January [2009] and we did two tours in Europe. We still want to go back there and a few other places we haven't been to yet. We played Argentina with IRON MAIDEN and it has just been a great tour. But I am very happy with the album; it was inspired by the film 'A Clockwork Orange' and an amazing book. We did a version of ninth symphony from Beethoven, so it was a great experience to record that album especially with a new drummer. This album has presented up with a lot of possibilities, we are thinking about playing the album with an orchestra."
When asked if SEPULTURA was worried that some people might not understand the progressive nature of "A-Lex", Andreas replied, "Not at all. For SEPULTURA this has become so common to bring something different. Of course, we lose and gain fans in doing that. If you put together all of our albums, they are all different. That is the way we are, always looking for something new. We cannot please everybody, that's impossible and hopefully we never will. I think it's good to have some criticism because that will show you stuff you don't see."
'Sup Magazine recently conducted an interview with with legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
'Sup Magazine: How do you feel about heavy metal generally and the fractioning of [BLACK SABBATH] in the late '70s?
Ward: I could understand why [Ozzy Osbourne, vocals] was asked to leave. However, it's always been regrettable as far as I'm concerned. But I'm just one person in a four-person band. Behind the scenes and out of the public eye, there have been a lot of conversations and healing going on. There's been time to make up — make amends and put your best foot forward. I was with Oz last week where he was picking up an award. That shows that we're still a band, we're still bandmates and still friends. I've tried to maintain friendships with all the guys. Just a couple of weeks ago I was chatting to Geezer [Butler, bass] and I haven't spoken to Tony [Iommi, guitar] for a little while, but our conversations continue, we're all still pretty open minded to each other. We're all doing our own projects, but we're not cut off from each other in any way. Also the reunion that we started about ten years ago went very, very well. We've toured the world since 1999 as the original band. It was absolutely great. I loved it. I'd always hoped that the band could remain together and if anyone wanted to make their own albums or just take a break for a couple of years then they could, but that didn't really happen with BLACK SABBATH. Oz was asked to leave. And what he's gone on to do is phenomenal. He's huge in the U.S. and across the world. He's a huge recording artist as well as the TV show and a couple of movies. He's done incredibly well. All of us have done really well. We're all really involved in music still. In fact, that's why I'm a bit groggy today. I was in the studio until really late last night finishing some mixes of some stuff I'm going to put out.
'Sup Magazine: You did a lot of touring back then. I heard the shows could be quite violent. Is that true?
Ward: The audiences were very rowdy. Only a couple of years before — and I'll use CREAM, who are a great band, as an example — the audiences for them were still very subdued. They were mainly listening and then would stand up and applaud. If you look at a CREAM audience back then, there would be a couple of people getting their rocks off, but for the most part there would be a crowd intelligently listening to CREAM, and rightly so. But by the time we were performing as BLACK SABBATH, the audiences were changing. Even the audiences that listened to JIMI HENDRIX and major rock groups of the day had begun to change. Even our early audiences were very polite. It felt like playing in our living room. I remember the audiences changing in front of me. I remember that distinctly. The way they wore their clothes became different. We got a lot of leather jackets with studs. People's hair changed. The whole look was just a sublime move. I think that was from a lot encouragement from us, and of course Ozzy. He wasn't prepared to go into a room where people sat and applauded at the right place. We played loud and really aggressively. Ozzy refused to go on unless everybody got up. That's where all the profanity with the audience started too. It was another turning point. I'd never seen another band do it. It was a crossover point. It was where the fire started. People got up and danced in such a restricted space. I think that's why everybody started head banging, because there wasn't enough room. It was just fucking unbelievable to watch. Everybody just rocked from their torsos upwards. It was nothing to do with the feet. It spread like wildfire all over England and Europe. Everybody was just rocking out, but in a completely different way than they had to HENDRIX and CREAM and our contemporaries of the day. It was quite the sight to see.
'Sup Magazine: Things also got a bit darker in the '70s. You were just reflecting what was going on then.
Ward: Well, you're right. That was a large part of it. When we went to play in Berlin in 1969, there was a wall up. That was a reality. The Russian forces in and around Berlin outnumbered the Allied forces 35 to one, with tanks. The Iron Curtain was a two-hour flight from London. We were reflecting on our times in Aston, and Aston back then was dog rough. We were talking about our reality.
'Sup Magazine: There still is a sense of counter culture in there through "Sweet Leaf" and "Children Of The Grave" and other antiwar songs.
Ward: Well, we were pissed off, you know? "Sweet Leaf" is a very aggressive song when we do it live. "Sweet Leaf" and "Iron Man" were the rallying points for all the young men coming back from Vietnam. And when I think about it — to be quite honest with you — I start to cry because life is precious and I can still see the audiences when we played those songs. All the vets were up the front, so all we could see were the vets. When those songs came on, they were trying to get out of their wheelchairs. They came to hear those songs. We'd give them our all. They were men that didn't want to go to war. They were pushed into it and nobody thanked them when they came back.
As America embarks on a New Year full of resolutions to lose weight and make tough life changes, VH1 celebrates the new decade with a fresh season of "Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp". This season boasts a cast full of pop culture personalities ready to bare their bodies and souls as they dig in for the most grueling fitness program on television — designed to help them drop not only their flab, but also their emotional baggage. At the end of eight weeks, they will be lean, mean, "Fit Club" machines ready to face the world and show off their new hard bodies.
Battling the bulge this season are Sebastian Bach (former lead singer of SKID ROW), legendary R&B bad boy Bobby Brown, Jay McCarroll (winner of "Project Runway", Season 1), KayCee Stroh ("High School Musical"), dancer and choreographer Kevin Federline, former "Baywatch" babe Nicole Eggert, actress Shar Jackson ("Moesha"), and infamous "Bad Girl" Tanisha Thomas ("Bad Girls Club", Season 2). The cast will be broken into two teams, competing for $200,000 in cash and prizes and the individual celeb who drops the most weight will win $50,000 in prizes.
Driving the cast through the punishing and life-changing eight-week boot camp is "Celebrity Fit Club" veteran and U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor Harvey Walden IV (RET). Using Harvey's unique brand of "tough love," he will guide the celebs over walls, through the mud and past their own limitations as they realize their true potential for the first time. Also leading the cast through their journey is nutrition and diet expert, Dr. Ian Smith, who will change the way the celebs look at food and their eating habits. New to this season is life coach Rhonda Britten. Rhonda will spend one on one time with the celebs and help mentor them through the journey of shedding excess weight.
Eight weeks of mud, sweat and tears promise to deliver the most exciting and emotional season of "Celebrity Fit Club" yet. The challenges will be brutal, but in the end, the results will be amazing.
"Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp" is executive-produced by Jonas Larsen for ITV Studios. Jeff Olde, Jim Ackerman, Christian McLaughlin and Mike Riley are executive producers for VH1.
"Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp" premiered last night (Monday, February 8) on VH1.
It's been nearly 20 years since WILDSIDE played Sunset Boulevard but that will change Saturday February 27, 2010. The band will share the stage at the world-famous Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California with fellow Strip veterans TUFF, along with special guests, Swedish imports VAINS of JENNA.
It was the summer of 1990 when YOUNG GUNNS last played that same Roxy Theatre as special guests to TUFF. A year later YOUNG GUNNS signed a major label deal with Capitol Records and changed their name to WILDSIDE. The band went on to release "Under the Influence" (Capitol, 1992) and the follow-up self-titled effort (TNT Records, 1995) before disbanding shortly after.
WILDSIDE lay relatively dormant over the last 15-plus years with the exception of their third release, "The Wasted Years" (RLS Records), in 2004. The band reformed at that time and played a handful of shows only to go back into hibernation with the exception of some digital releases. "The Essential" was made available in 2008 and "The Essential - Volume 2" in 2009. These can be found through outlets like Amazon and iTunes.
The band will return with four of the original five members still intact. Lead singer Drew Hanna, guitarist Brent Woods, bassist Marc Simon and drummer Jimmy D will be playing some of their classic tracks like "Hang On Lucy", "Hair of the Dog", "How Many Lies" and "Clock Strikes 12".
DEMONICA, the new project featuring MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Hank Shermann, will release its debut album, "Demonstrous", on February 26, 2010 via Massacre Records. The CD, which will be made available in Japan on February 17, was recorded in the Bay Area, the Rocky Mountains and Copenhagen (Denmark), and was mixed at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado with Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, MARTRIDEN, COBALT).
"Demonstrous" track listing:
01. Demon Class 02. Ghost Hunt 03. My Tongue 04. Luscious Damned 05. Below Zero 06. Alien Six 07. Palace Of Glass 08. Fast And Furious 09. Summoned 10. Astronomica
The track "Luscious Damned" is available for streaming on the DEMONICAMySpace page.
The artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes and can be viewed below.
"We are totally stoked how this turned out and can't wait to get it out there," says Hank. "These 10 songs are the most thrashy and brutal songs I have ever played."
"We chose Dave for his extra edge and experience working with some of the most grinding bands around. We wanted a different approach to the mix than the standard these days, [and] he really nailed it."
Locicero recently stated about his involvement with DEMONICA, "It's a blistering thrash record written by Hank and our vocalist, Klaus Hyr. Klaus sounds like a man of fire! He has been passionate about thrash for a long, long time. Evidently, so was Hank.
"When [Hank] approached me to play guitar on his record... of course, I said 'hell yes!' The next step was to get FORBIDDEN's drummer, Mark Hernandez, on board. Great move; Mark is awesome and really added a lot.
"It was a journey to make this album from start to finish. You have Hank and Klaus in Denmark; our bassist, Marc Grabowski, in Denver. Then Mark and myself living in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. That's a worldwide metal union!
"Anyhow, this record is simply crushing! Relentless from top to bottom and full of Bay Area attitude. I think all metal fans will dig it. I call it unmercyful thrash!!! There is a lot of great stuff."
Shermann will be interviewed by DJ Jet of Metal Messiah Radio on Tuesday, February 9 at 9 p.m. EST on "The Metal Magdalene with Jet". Hank will talk about DEMONICA, which also features members of FORBIDDEN, BATALLION and CORRUPTION, and he will touch upon what's going on with MERCYFUL FATE.
MUSICA DIABLO — the São Paulo, Brazil-based thrash metal project featuring SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green, guitarist André NM (NITROMINDS), bassist Ricardo Brigas, guitarist André Curci (KORZUS, THREAT) and drummer Edu Nicollini (NITROMINDS) — spent the month of January recording 11 songs for its debut album. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Live To Buy", "Twisted Hate", "Work Out" and "The Flame Of Anger".
Video footage from the recording sessions can be viewed below.
MUSICA DIABLO last year parted ways with drummer Marcão (AÇÃO DIRETA, DEAD FISH) and replaced him with Nicollini. The band also added a second guitarist in the shape of André Curci.
DEICIDE, MARDUK and VADER have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Rockharz Open Air festival, set to take place July 8-10 at Flugplatz in Ballenstedt/Harz, Germany.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
BLACK MESSIAH BURNING SKIES DARK AGE DEICIDE DELAIN DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER DORO EISBRECHER END OF GREEN ENSIFERUM EQUILIBRIUM EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS FEUERENGEL GERNOTSHAGEN HYPOCRISY KRYPTERIA MARDUK MONO INC OVERKILL RAGE SONATA ARCTICA SUBWAY TO SALLY THERION UNZUCHT VADER VAN CANTO VARG
German thrash metal veterans KREATOR have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records.
Commented guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza: "We're happy to anounce that KREATOR has just signed a new long-[term] deal with Nuclear Blast! Based on a friendship with Andy Siry (head of A&R of Nuclear Blast) that lasted for decades we will now finally join forces on a professional level! "Becoming a part of the Nuclear Blast family means a lot to us and together with the world's biggest metal label we will conquer the future!"
Added Andy Siry: "For me another 'thrash dream' has come true with the signing of Germany's finest and Europe's leading thrash legends KREATOR!!! I still remember the day when I heard 'Endless Pain' for the first time, I became a huge fan of the band. I have been following KREATOR through their career and I built up a very good friendship with Mille. The last years I have been working very hard to make it possible that KREATOR would join the Nuclear family. Together we are looking into a very bright future in which we will be leading KREATOR onwards to world domination!"
KREATOR filmed a video for the song "Destroy What Destroys You" during the band's October 17, 2009 show with EXODUS at Espacio Broadway in Santiago, Chile. The clip was directed by Chilean video artist Carlos Toro, who has previously worked with VADER, MERCENARY and LACRIMOSA.
Lyrically, the track is a homage to German protest singer Rio Reiser.
KREATOR drummer Ventor (real name: Jürgen Reil) sat out the band's recent tour dates due to "some personal issues." Filling in for him between September 11 in Moscow, Russia and October 31 in Sao Paulo, Brazil was Marco Minnemann, who is best known for his stints in NECROPHAGIST, ILLOGICIST and EPHEL DUATH.
Jürgen "Ventor" Reil recently opened a tattoo shop in Essen, Germany called Carnap Ink Corporation.
Some samples of Ventor's work can be found at this location.
KREATOR's new album, "Hordes Of Chaos", sold around 2,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 165 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 7 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.
The CD was released in three different versions. The jewel case edition includes the ten regular album songs, and the deluxe version features an additional bonus DVD with an atmospheric making-of in super-8 quality courtesy of a Berlin filmmaker. As a third option, the ultra-deluxe version comes with a t-shirt, a worthwhile photo book and an extended version of the bonus DVD, as well as the CD.
The "Hordes Of Chaos" artwork was created once again by Joachim Luetke. Luetke designed the artwork for KREATOR's last album, "Enemy Of God", as well as past releases from bands like DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY and RAGE.
Progressive/power metal band KATAGORY V has set "Resurrect The Insurgence" as the working title of its fifth album, which is tentatively due before the end of the year. According to bassist/songwriter Dustin Mitchell, the group is scheduled to enter the studio in early April to begin tracking the CD, which will mark the recording debut of the new KATAGORY V lineup:
Dustin Mitchell - Bass Albert Rybka - Vocals Matthew Bizzaro Lefevre - Drums Marc Hanson - Guitar Kris Krompel - Guitar
A few short clips of songs that were recorded during the pre-production sessions for the new album can be streamed on the band's MySpace page. Also available is a personal video message from Mitchell (see below) introducing these clips.
KATAGORY V's most recent album, "Hymns Of Dissension", was released in September 2007 in Europe through Burning Star Records and in October 2007 in the U.S. on Nightmare Records.
U.D.O., the German band led by former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider, has been confirmed for this year's Sweden Rock Festival, set to take place June 9-12, 2010 in Sölvesborg in southern Sweden.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
ALDO NOVA (CAN) ALESTORM (UK) ANVIL (CAN) BACHMAN & TURNER (CAN) BEHEMOTH (PL) BIGELF (US) D-A-D (DK) DANZIG (US) FATES WARNING (US) JORN (N) MAGNUM (UK) MASTODON (US) MOTHER'S FINEST (US) NAZARETH (UK) OPETH (S) RICK SPRINGFIELD (AUS/US) RATT (US) RAVEN (UK/US) SABATON (S) SAGA (CAN) SLAYER (US) STEEL PANTHER (US) STRATOVARIUS (FIN) SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (US) U.D.O. (D) UNISONIC (D) W.A.S.P. (US) WATAIN (S) Y&T (US)
Last year's festival was attended by 35,200 people, but in 2010 the maximum number of visitors will be limited to 33,000.
Dutch "epic battle metal" band ELEXORIEN has announced the addition of 19-year-old singer Lotte (pictured below) to the group's ranks. According to the band, "[Lotte] will manifest baffling new definitions of sounding the siren call."
ELEXORIEN parted ways with vocalist Iné Zijlstra last fall due to "personal differences."
According to ELEXORIEN's official bio, the band has been influenced by such acts as THYRFING, MOONSORROW, BAL-SAGOTH, and OLD MAN'S CHILD. ELEXORIEN "creates an extremely powerful sound which is jam-packed full of catchy melodies, blazing drums, majestic keys, growls and classically trained female vocals."
ELEXORIEN's debut album was released in April 2007 via Germany's Trollzorn/SMP Records. The CD was recorded at Jörg Uken's Soundlodge Studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany.
Las Vegas metallers SEVENTH CALLING will enter Sound Vision Studios in the band's hometown on February 15 to begin recording their second full-length album, "Epidemic", for a late 2010 release via Heaven And Hell Records. The CD will be co-produced by Lance Swain of the metal band LIDA DYER, who previously worked with SEVENTH CALLING on the video for the song "Blood of the Divine" (see clip below).
"We are very excited to begin recording at this time," commented the group's lead vocalist, Steve Handel. "The new material is more aggressive than past efforts, and all of us involved, feel that this music is much more matured. And to be working with Lance Swain again on this project will be great!"
SEVENTH CALLING's latest EP, entitled "Prelude to Madness", was released last October through Heaven And Hell Records. The EP contains material that was originally recorded for the band's unreleased "Deliverance" album but which was scrapped by group's mainman, Steve Handel. The CD was produced by Kirk Moll and SEVENTH CALLING.
SEVENTH CALLING is:
Steve Handel - Lead Vocals/Guitar Alex Ritchey - Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals Shannon Frye - Drums/Percussion Marc Flores - Bass
Atlanta-based extreme metal quintet DAATH has commenced work on the follow-up to last year's "The Concealers" for a late 2010 release via Century Media Records.
Commented the band: "Unpredictability and chaos are two themes defining the times we live in. Everything about DAATH's career has been married to these themes. We've accepted them as beautiful and have learned to love the ride. Despite the chaos there is one thing that is for certain: we will always be pushing the boundaries of what we do.
"This fall we will bring you a record you are not expecting to hear from us. This venture will have more to offer than our previous efforts.
"We are committed to always improving our sound, our songs, and our playing. It will not be said that our next record will be the most brutal sound we've created yet, or that it's going to be the our heaviest to date. That would be cliché. What you can expect to hear are really catchy, intense songs with soaring riffs that will encourage one to hit the repeat button. Arena-sized choruses that will remain in your head whether you like it or not. Innovative, ground-breaking solos. Bashing — blasting — yet dynamic drumming. An uncompromised low end paired with unique synth work. Collectively, these elements direct the left turns we have always chosen to take. This will not be 'The Hinderers Part II', 'The Re-Concealers', or 'The Conhinderers'. This will be a brand new sound.
"Many important facts have happened over the past year. The first being that we put out 'The Concealers', which we consider to be the first true DAATH record. The second fact being that we toured without [drummer] Kevin Talley. Kevin needed a sabbatical in 2009 and we gave it to him. We took some fantastic fill-ins and had some legendary times. Each one of those tours was great in their own regard. We played in front of some brand new audiences in brand new places and hung out with some of our closest friends. We learned our songs go beyond who is in the band. We also learned we prefer to play them with Kevin.
"To clear up any confusion, Kevin Talley is still in DAATH.
"Another highlight from the past few months is [guitarists] Emil Werstler and Eyal Levi signing a deal with Magna Carta Records to do a series of instrumental releases. Joined by drummer Sean Reinert of CYNIC, artistic limits were pushed into territories only previously dreamed of.
"There's an element of boundary-less music on the first Levi / Werstler release (due out spring 2010). We've never had the chance to really explore this with DAATH. What was learned from doing this record is the need to be making music which pushes our boundaries constantly.
"The next few years will be marked by many releases from our camp via DAATH and Levi / Werstler; as well as various projects still in the planning stages.
"There is too much music in each of our psyches to be limited to one album every two years. This may work for some artists, but not for us.
"While this recent undertaking may seem elaborate and obscure; we assure DAATH fans on every level, we have total control of our art.
"We look forward to bringing you the album of our collective career this fall."
Emerging from the caustic burrows of Chicago comes the monolith of metal known as LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR, a sonic "fuck you" to the current trends and sub-genres of metal who carry the torch of metal's roots (CELTIC FROST, SLAYER, MOTÖRHEAD) with a death breath of fresh air, and spitting gas on the flames.
The Greek mythology-inspired carnage continues on LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR's upcoming fourth full-length, "Evil Power". The CD and digital download will be released on April 13, 2010 on The Grind-House Records, an independent record label started by Steve Rathbone, Chris Wozniak (both from LOTM) and Josh Diebel (former head of Alleysweeper Records). The record will be distributed by Southern Lord Records, who have released the band's previous three albums on CD and vinyl, two EPs and DVD.
"Evil Power" lays all in its path to waste with an approach as heavy as the Kraken, while showing off the band's heavy rock and punk influences. A deluxe LP version will be released in late summer 2010, featuring a bonus track not available on CD or digital download.
"Evil Power" track listing:
01. Attack the Gods 02. Let's Kill These Motherfuckers 03. Riders of Skullhammer, We Ride the Night 04. Evil Power 05. Goatstorm 06. Hunt and Devour 07. Metal Titans 08. Blood From the Witch's Vein 09. We Are Hades 10. Death March of the Conquerors 11. The Violent Iron Age of Man
Check out the track "We Are Hades" at the band's MySpace page.
"Evil Power" was recorded in the dead of winter in Chicago at Semaphore Studios by Sanford Parker, and mastered by Scott Hull. Rathbone states, "If 'War Metal Battle Master' was the war, 'Evil Power' is the party after a bloody victory."
The album features new bassist, Nate Olp (vocalist/bassist of DEMIRICOUS) and guest backing vocals by General Diabolical Slaughter (USURPER), bringing mucho mayhem to the fold.
A new video for the title track, "Evil Power", will be released with the album. Rathbone warns, "There will be blood! This video is unrelentingly brutal." Directed by Ryan Oliver, the special-effects master behind the "War Metal Battle Master" clip and head of Chicago-based Deathblow Productions, the video's horror theme graphically details the torment of some unlucky virgins, sacrificed to the mighty MINOTAUR. An uncut version will be available on the web (also in HD), and a TV edit will be shown on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball", Fuse and On Demand.
Coinciding with the release, the band is headlining a U.S. tour through the Midwest and East Coast in April:
April 16 - Melody Inn - Indianapolis, IN April 17 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH April 19 - M Room - Philadelphia, PA April 20 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD April 21 - The Charleston - Brooklyn, NY April 22 - Velvet Lounge - Washington DC April 23 - Broadway Joe's - Buffalo, NY April 24 - The Summit - Columbus, OH
Ohio's WOE OF TYRANTS will release its third album, "Threnody", on April 13 via Metal Blade Records. According to a press release from the label, "This time around, the guys have seriously turned up the shred-knob and churned out some of the most exciting songs we've heard swirling around the Metal Blade offices in quite some time. On this record, you'll find equal parts speed, groove and over-the-top guitar soloing. Headbanging will be mandatory."
Commented vocalist Chris Catanzaro: "We have a brand-baby-spankin'-new record that we finished recording at the end of 2009 with Jamie King producing, and to embrace the cliché, 'This is the most epic brutal stuff we've ever done and we're stoked on it!'
"For those of us who do not know what [the] word ['threnody'] means right off hand (I had to look it up as I was reading a passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson long ago), a threnody is a song or hymn inspired by the grief of losing someone you love.
"The album tells a story of a non-specific individual traveling between planets searching for answers, while paralleling Satan's fall from grace to damnation at the same time.
"We all experience a change at some point as we travel through life, albeit not of the same magnitude as Lucifer, that will render us either content, or disgusted. When disgust is the feeling, then we begin to miss our former self as if they were an entirely different person.
"I'd like to be clear that I'm not referring specifically to Christians, or Muslims, or Amish or whatever else the kids are doing these days. 'Threnody', as we are using it, is a story of grief over losing oneself.
"This album will surprise those familiar with our band, and hopefully surpass any preconceived notions of those who are listening to us for the first time.
"If you have expectations for this record to sound like our last two albums, it doesn't. Well, a little like the others, as we still prefer playing leads over doing breakdowns, and we still wish we were WINTERSUN or DECAPITATED. But, for the most part, this record is new territory for us and we are excited to unleash it."
"Threnody" track listing:
01. Tetelestai 02. Creatures Of The Mire 03. Venom Eye 04. Tempting The Wretch 05. Threnody 06. Bloodsmear 07. The Venus Orbit 08. Lightning Over Atlantis 09. Singing The Surrender 10. Descendit Ad Inferos (The Harrowing Of Hell)
WOE OF TYRANTS will support OVERKILL on the band's 25th anniversary North American tour, dubbed Killfest 2010, in April/May 2010. The trek will span the length of the U.S., hitting spots in Canada, with one final show at New York City's Nokia Theater. Additional support on the tour will come from VADER, GOD DETHRONED, WARBRINGER and EVILE.
WOE OF TYRANTS' second album, "Kingdom Of Might", was released in January 2009 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was engineered in its entirety by Joey Sturgis of Foundation Studios (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, GWEN STACY, BROTHER VON DOOM).
Multinational melodic metallers EDEN'S CURSE will film/record their first live DVD and album in the USA in May.
The band was approached by MelodicRock.com owner Andrew McNeice to appear at his Melodic Rock Fest 2 concert event, which is scheduled to take place at The Roadhouse in Elgin, Illinois, within minutes of downtown Chicago on the weekend of April 30 to May 2, 2010.
"MelodicRock.com wanted diversity with this lineup and he shall have it," says Michael Eden, the band's singer. He adds "When Andrew requested the CURSE, we just couldn't say no! The wheels will be greased and the band will be firing on all cylinders. This should make an interesting few days sharing the stage with Y&T, WINGER, DANGER DANGER, JIMI JAMISON (SURVIVOR), CROWN OF THORNS, ALIAS and, of course, one-time JOURNEY vocalist Jeff Scott Soto's new band W.E.T., among many others. The CURSE has wanted to play in America for quite some time and now we will do that along with capturing it live in a city I've played many times in the last twenty-plus years."
EDEN'S CURSE is also nearing completion of the writing phase for its third album, to be titled "Trinity", which will be recorded in the spring with the band's longtime producer Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA, KROKUS) once again at the helm. "Trinity" will mark the band's recording debut with new keyboard player Alessandro Del Vecchio (GLENN HUGHES, IAN PAICE, MOONSTONE PROJECT, EDGE OF FOREVER). A fall 2010 release is planned, with full promotion to follow.
"Dance (Before The Night Is Over)", the new video from ROCK, the Finnish band featuring members of TWILIGHTNING, LULLACRY and MALPRACTICE, can be viewed below. This track was apparently the first song ever composed by the project. The clip was directed by Richard Iljevich Gunnand was shot on the road and live in June 2009 at the Jagger club in St. Petersburg, Russia.
ROCK recently completed work on its debut album and "we could not be more satisfied with the results," says the band.
The group is currently searching for suitable record label to release the CD, which is expected this spring.
According to the band's official bio, ROCK is "a mix of music played by the evil big brothers of THE RASMUS or when MÖTLEY CRUE plays BACKSTREET BOYS. . . They are not just rock, but a touch of metal, pop and even elements of dance music."
ROCK is:
Heikki Pöyhiä (TWILIGHTNING) - Vocals Sami Vauhkonen (LULLACRY) - Guitar Anssi Kippo (producer for CHILDREN OF BODOM, NORTHER) - Bass Toni Paananen (MALPRACTICE, REVERSION) - Drums
Vocalist Randy Blythe of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD recently spoke to Rick Florino of Bloody-Disgusting.com about his favorite horror movies.
Blythe's Top 5 favorite horror films:
01. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 02. Children of the Corn 03. The Blair Witch Project 04. The Devil's Rejects 05. Ringu
To read Blythe's comments on each one of his selections, go to this location.
LAMB OF GOD is planning on filming its upcoming shows for a tour documentary, presumably to be included with the band's next DVD release.
"We are out on tour until October, and we will go to crazy places," LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler told AOL's Noisecreep. "Since we started touring for this cycle in December 2008, we've basically gone around the world twice, and in this next year we will again — to China, Russia, South America. We've done DVDs in the past, with concerts and behind the scenes. This time, we will bring a film crew on these runs with us, since we will be in such bizarre places like Singapore, where they don't even sell our records, but 10,000 kids will still show up. We want to document this music and how what we do crosses the language and commerce barriers. Hopefully, we will find some trouble along, and if someone gets in jail, it won't be too much trouble to get him out. It'll probably be Randy!"
Having recently wrapped up U.S. their tour with METALLICA, LAMB OF GOD received a second Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category — for the track "Set to Fail" from their latest album, "Wrath", which came out last year on Epic Records.
LAMB OF GOD was previously nominated in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the song "Redneck" from the band's 2006 album "Sacrament".
"Wrath" landed at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart back in February 2009 with first-week sales of over 67,000 copies.
Swedish glam-rock band CRASHDIET performed its brand new single, "Generation Wild", at this year's edition of the Rest In Sleaze festival, which took place this past Saturday night (February 6) at Fryshuset in Stockholm, Sweden. CRASHDIET also played its debut album, "Rest in Sleaze", in its entirety at the event, which was launched in 2007 as a tribute to former CRASHDIET singer David Hellman (a.k.a. Dave Lepard).
Watch fan-filmed video footage of the performance below.
Hellman was found dead on January 20, 2006 at his apartment in the Swedish city of Uppsala, north of Stockholm. It was reported in several places that he hanged himself, although this was never officially confirmed.
"Rest in Sleaze" entered the Swedish national album chart at position No. 12 back in 2005.
For more information on Dave's passing, click here.
More details on the Rest In Sleaze festival can be found at this location.
The "Generation Wild" single premiered on January 29 on Sweden's Bandit Rock radio.
The single will be released exclusively with Sweden Rock magazine in the last week of February. If you're a subscriber of the magazine, you are guaranteed a copy!
CRASHDIET's new album, also entitled "Generation Wild", will be released through Gain/Sony Music on April 14. The 10-song CD was helmed by RamPac, the production and songwriting team formed by Johan Ramström and Patrik Magnusson, in Gröndal, Sweden and was mixed by Tobias Lindell.
"Generation Wild" track listing:
01. Armageddon 02. So Alive 03. Generation Wild 04. Rebel 05. Save Her 06. Down With The Dust 07. Native Nature 08. Chemical 09. Bound To Fall 10. Beautiful Pain
Commented the band: "We are extremely satisfied with this album. After writing over 50 songs, we have chosen the 10 absolute finest for the album. Now we're ready to tour the world!"
CRASHDIET last year announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.
The band parted ways with its last vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.
CRASHDIET's sophomore album, "The Unattractive Revolution", entered the Swedish chart at position No. 11 back in October 2007. The CD was mixed in the United States by Kevin Churko.
"The Unattractive Revolution" featured a guest appearance on two tracks by MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars, who flew into Stockholm, Sweden in June 2007 to help CRASHDIET write some of the material.
The AskOurMusicians.com team stopped by the Ludwig booth at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show in Anaheim, California and caught Bobby Rondinelli (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH) rippin' a drum solo with the help of the Ludwig team. Watch the footage below.
Bobby started playing drums when he was 11 years old. He joined a band called THE WANDERS at 13 and they played school dances and fraternity parties. Later in his teens, Bobby and his brother Teddy started their first band TUSK. "I was in a band called SAMANTHA when Ritchie Blackmore asked me to join RAINBOW," he said.
Rondinelli, who is currently with THE LIZARDS, is one of the most noted drummers in the industry today. He is a drummer's drummer, whose resume includes RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, DORO, QUIET RIOT, THE LIZARDS, SCORPIONS, SUN RED SUN, RONDINELLI, RIOT, PYRAMID, THE SIGN, ZEBRA and DANIEL WENTWORTH.
In addition to critically acclaimed solo projects, Bobby has recorded with the SCORPIONS on their multi-platinum "Love At First Sting" LP and toured with AEROSMITH and ZEBRA when their drummers were ill.
Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke is recovering at home from injuries he sustained in a hit-and-run accident on his motorcycle on January 10. He suffered three broken bones in his left foot/ankle and a broken bone in his right foot. He had his second surgery last week during which "they put in a rod, plate and lots of screws," he writes on his blog. He adds, "Everything is healing well; it's a good thing I was healthy going in. I had my check up on Friday [February 5] and they took off my cast and removed the staples. In a month I can start trying to walk. Once again, all the support from my friends has made the bad days good."
Former MTV "Headbangers Ball" host Riki Rachtman posted a message on Twitter last month asking people to contact him if they know anything about the accident.
According to Riki, the incident occurred at around 5 p.m. PT when Clarke was making his way through Sherman Oaks, California. "He was riding south on Woodman and at the intersection of Moorpark, some idiot turned left right in front of him," Rachtman explained. "Gilby hit the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver took off."
He added, "Here is what we know so far. [The vehicle was a pickup] truck, light color tan perhaps silver. There was a male driver and possibly a female passenger [who] could be Hispanic, but not sure. The truck looked fairly new and has damage on the passenger side."
Greek metallers NIGHTFALL have reformed and have commenced work on a brand new studio album, "Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants", tentatively due later in the year via an as-yet-undisclosed record label. Joining frontman and lyricist Efthimis Karadimas in the band's new lineup are Evan Hensley on guitar, Stathis Kassios on keyboards and Jörg Uken on drums. According to a press release, "these four tyrants are currently in the process of inking a record deal to spread their message through the universe."
NIGHTFALL's seventh full-length album, "Lyssa: Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments" was released in 2005 through Black Lotus Records.
MORTEMIA, the new project led by Norwegian gothic metal icon Morten Veland (TRISTANIA, SIRENIA), will release its debut album, "Misere Mortem", on February 26 via Napalm Records. Another song from the CD, "The New Desire", is now available for streaming on the new band's MySpace page.
"Misere Mortem" track listing:
01. The One I Once Was 02. The Pain Infernal And The Fall Eternal 03. The Eye Of The Storm 04. The Malice Of Life's Cruel Ways 05. The Wheel Of Fire 06. The Chains That Wield My Mind 07. The New Desire 08. The Vile Bringer Of Self Destructive Thoughts 09. The Candle At The Tunnel's End
According to a press release, "MORTEMIA's musical concept is based on a balanced mixture of metal and classical music. The album is filled with bombastic songs where the classical orchestrations are perfectly blended with the massive and powerful basis of a metal band. The guitar work is probably more dominating here than in any of [Morten's] previous projects. MORTEMIA bursts of powerful guitar riffs accompanied by melodic leads and solos.
"The vocal concept in MORTEMIA is based on an interaction between Morten's extreme vocals and the dramatic choirs. The interaction between the vocals adds diversity and dynamics to the songs.
"Morten decided to leave out the female lead vocals in this project to make it sound different to his other bands, but he also wanted MORTEMIA to stand out from the huge amount of female-fronted gothic bands out there these days.
"MORTEMIA's debut album is a new start for Morten in many ways. It's his first album where he is credited as the sole producer, in addition to also engineering and mixing the album on his own.
"The recording sessions and the mixing took place in Morten's own Audio Avenue Studios in Stavanger, Norway. The additional recordings of choirs were tracked in Sound Suite Studios in France. Morten performed and programmed every instrument on the album. The only additional contribution he got from the outside was that of a French choir."
A light-hearted instructional video on the art of grind drumming has been released by Richard Hoak (BRUTAL TRUTH, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION) and can be viewed below. The clip was directed by noted surf-and-skate filmmaker Tyson Montrucchio, who has previously worked on music videos for BRUTAL TRUTH, CATTLE DECAPITATION, GOD FORBID, LAMB OF GOD, 16, and more.
Hoak's avant-grindcore band TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION is currently hard at work on the follow-up to 2008's "Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction" and is preparing to decimate Baltimore as part of this year's Maryland Deathfest in May.
BRUTAL TRUTH released the "Evolution In One Take: For Grindfreaks Only! Volume 2" CD on December 22 via Relapse Records.
"Evolution In One Take…" is an audio recording of the band playing its most recent album, "Evolution Through Revolution", from beginning to end in one live take at Mark It Zero studios with engineer Dan O'Hare.
"Evolution In One Take…" comes with a limited-edition patch and is strictly limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. Additional release details can be found here.
"Evolution Through Revolution", the first full-length album in 10 years from BRUTAL TRUTH, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 65 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.
BRUTAL TRUTH released its first-ever DVD, "For the Ugly and Unwanted - This is Grindcore", in Europe on June 22, 2009 via Season of Mist (June 2 in the U.S.). The disc contains a full show shot with five cameras at the Obscene Extreme Festival 2007 in Czech Republic and four more full shows from the "Sounds of the Animal Kindgom" tour as extras.
Oakland, California-based power trio HIGH ON FIRE has premiered the eight-minute title track from its forthcoming album, "Snakes for the Divine", via SPIN.com. The song sees the band at the peak of its powers, injecting a progressive mien into its steamroller sound while guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike conjures symbols describing "venomous reptiles, night goats, ancient crimes and endless time."
When asked for comment on "Snakes for the Divine", Pike described the song as "A tale of the atmospheric union of alien crossbreeding with man's DNA and the creation of all Earth's religion by the reptilian agenda." He continued, "It will also kick your ass!"
HIGH ON FIRE has announced a spring U.S. headlining tour. The three-week trek will launch on March 31 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will include support from PRIESTESS, BLACK COBRA and BISON B.C.
The dates are as follows:
Mar. 31 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club Apr. 01 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon Apr. 02 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall Apr. 03 - Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner Apr. 05 - Morgantown, WV - 123 Pleasant St Apr. 06 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Apr. 07 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Apr. 08 - Milford, CT - Daniel St Apr. 09 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater Apr. 11 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Apr. 13 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall Apr. 14 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Apr. 15 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack’s Apr. 16 - Houston, TX - Walter’s on Washington Apr. 17 - Austin, TX - Emo's Apr. 18 - Dallas, TX - The Loft Apr. 20 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater Apr. 22 - Tempe, AZ - Club House Apr. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre Apr. 24 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar Apr. 25 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
"Snakes for the Divine" will be released on February 23 via E1 Music. The follow-up to 2007's "Death is This Communion" was recorded at The Pass Studios in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman and is described in a press release as "HIGH ON FIRE's magnum opus, capturing every nuance of the legendary band's ongoing musical progression and evolution into one of heavy music's all-time greats. Sharper, faster and darker than anything the group has ever recorded, 'Snakes for the Divine' is an unrelenting tour de force, showcasing cult guitar hero Matt Pike's utterly unique and inventive musicianship and the band's epic, thundering sound. Premium production by Fidelman — the man who produced SLAYER's 'World Painted Blood' and is mixing the upcoming METALLICA live album — boosts HIGH ON FIRE's strength and power while blackened lyrical tales of ancient wars, frozen planets and doomed societies emerge from Pike's bellowing barks and throaty war cries. From the moment the leviathan-like title track explodes to kick off the album, it is immediately evident that HIGH ON FIRE is determined to push modern heavy metal into new and uncharted realms."
"Snakes for the Divine" can be pre-ordered at iTunes now. The pre-order version will include two bonus tracks; a live version of "Blood from Zion" (a song from the band’s 2000 release, "The Art of Self Defense") recorded at the 2009 Bonnaroo music festival as well as a demo version of the new track "Fire, Flood & Plague". The new album will also be a part of Best Buy's "Find 'Em First" program and will be a specially priced at $7.99 for a limited time. The version will exclusively feature three extra bonus tracks, including the new song "Mystery of Helm" plus live versions of the HIGH ON FIRE favorites "Eyes and Teeth" and "Cometh Down Hessian".
"Snakes for the Divine" track listing:
01. Snakes for the Divine 02. Frost Hammer 03. Bastard Samurai 04. Ghost Neck 05. Fire, Flood & Plague 06. How Dark We Pray 07. Holy Flames of the Fire Spitter 08. Mystery of Helm
The "Snakes for the Divine" album artwork, which can be viewed below, was brought to life by longtime HIGH ON FIRE cover artist Arik Moonhawk Roper.
The sound engineer for Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA has posted the second in a series of weekly behind-the-scenes video clips from the band's current North American tour. Watch them below.
Keyboardist Coen Janssen was forced to sit out EPICA's current North American headlining tour because of "personal reasons." He was replaced by Simone's boyfriend Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT, SONS OF SEASONS, DORO).
EPICA's latest album, "Design Your Universe", landed at position No. 12 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.
VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has contributed a guitar solo to the forthcoming solo album from ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy. "As always, he knocked it out of the park!" Myles states. "They don't call him one of the best guitarists of all time for nothing."
Slash recently announced via his MySpace page that he has tapped Kennedy as the lead singer for his upcoming solo tour, which will take place this spring following the release of Slash's self-titled solo debut. Slash wrote, "Myles sang a killer track on the record and I think he is by far one of the best rock and roll singers out there today. I'm really honored and proud to be working with him. I will announce the other band members shortly."
Slash's solo album is due out on April 6 and features a guest vocalist on every track, including Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows, Kid Rock, Chris Cornell, Dave Grohl, Fergie and others in addition to Kennedy.
Kennedy was the frontrunner to sing with a possible LED ZEPPELIN offshoot band in 2008, although that project ultimately never got off the ground. ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti told The Pulse of Radio that he's not surprised that other artists are interested in working with Kennedy. "There's been a few people on his tail, you know, which makes me think that we made the, definitely the right decision on Myles in the first place," he said. "I think he's one of the most talented guys I've ever known."
Slash, meanwhile, added that the routing of his solo tour is underway, adding, "I want all my fans to follow me on Twitter and tell me what city/country they're from and to tell all their friends and family in that city/country, who are fans, to do the same. I want to get a really good idea on where my fans are, even the obvious major cities and focus the tour around that."
The former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist played a benefit to raise money for victims of the Haitian earthquake on Thursday night (February 4) in Los Angeles.
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