Shred Academy News & Reviews

Album Review - Eric Maldonado "Into the Moonlight"

2011-02-14T02:55:00.001Z

Eric Maldonado’s influences include Paramore, Fallbrooke, Breaking Benjamin, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. His debut album "Into the Moonlight” is a 9 track offering with a mix of songs ranging from acoustic outings to all-out shred.

"I didn't want another shred fest album, we have many guitarists already doing that and who do it very well. I wanted an album that sounded modern, melodic, fresh, and of course, have some shred." Says Eric.

The album opener, Horizon's End, is a rocking number in drop D. Eric wanted the album to get off with a bang, and this track is one of his favourites to play. Great rhythm and lead tones, with some special moments in the solos and interesting wammy work.

Track two, Hero Stand, takes advantage of the interesting options afforded by a 7 string guitar, capitalizing on the key of B Minor. Lookout for the excellent harmonies in the first half of the track.

With a nod to bands like Paramore and Fallbrooke, Under Feeling is easy listening and aimed at those who might not be shredders or guitar players themselves. Shred fans won’t be disappointed though, as Eric pays homage to George Lynch during the solos.

Premonition is an instrumental track firmly in the vein of Vai and Satch, powerful and melodic. Eric used his first Halo Morbus for rhythm guitar, and his newer black Halo Morbus and custom Strat for the solos.

Zero Control kicks off with an almost Paul Gilbert type riff and moves into the realm of younger and more recent shred-heads with a strong and unique syncopated rhythm. This track shows off the lyrical qualities of Eric’s lead guitar playing.

The Ballad on the album falls on track number 6, Ocean Cloud. A basic chord progression lays the ground for pleasing and memorable melodies.

Track 7, Fallen, starts with a chorus-loaded clean intro and morphs into a full-on rockout with a terrifying chorus riff. Eric unloads my favourite solo on this track.

Eric says that Shadows is strongly influenced by his time spent listening to Breaking Benjamin and Paramore. Although not the shreddiest track on the album, it has its fair share of guitar pyrotechnics and fits the album well.

The final track, Gates Of Eternity, is also the heaviest on the album. Shades of Yngwie, Gus G and George Bellas come to mind with heavy rhythms, scorching solos and great use of tempo to vary dynamics.
"Into The Moonlight" delivers tasty tunes and fantastic guitar work, aimed at both guitarists and general music lovers.

Threat Signal Announces New Members

2011-01-08T15:08:00.002Z

Last week, Threat Signal announced the addition of two new members to the band's line-up: guitarist Chris Feener and drummer Alex Rudinger. The pair replaces Adam Weber and Norm Killeen, respectively, who parted ways with the band last year. Threat Signal frontman Jon Howard had the following to say:

"I'd like to announce two new members of the Threat Signal camp. We destroyed Europe with these guys, and we couldn't be more excited with the sound of the band right now and what the future holds together.

"Replacing Norm Killeen on drums is Alex Rudinger from Frederick MD, USA. I caught wind of Alex's drumming through youtube.com. He has a large number of drumming videos including covers, and originals. My jaw dropped when I first saw this kid play!

"Replacing Adam Weber on guitar is Chris Feener from Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada. Chris also has a ton of self recorded videos on youtube.com. I haven't seen a guy shred like this in a long time! (Read More)

Y&T Bassist Phil Kennemore Passes Away

2011-01-07T20:07:00.001Z

Phil Kennemore, bassist of American veteran heavy metal act Y&T, lost his battle with metastatic cancer this morning (January 7). He was 57 years old. Along with frontman Dave Meniketti, Kennemore was an original member of Y&T, having been with the band since its formation in 1974.

This past New Year's Eve, the band hosted a benefit concert for Kennemore with members of Testament, Keel, Dokken, Queensrÿche, and Heaven and Hell.

Meniketti has since released the following statement:

"It is with profound sadness and disbelief that I tell you that my best buddy for 37 years passed away this morning, January 7, 2011 at 1 a.m. at Stanford Hospital. Bravely and steadfastly battling the horrible spectacle of lung cancer, at the end he was surrounded by his family members, and the Y&T family up until his final breath.

"All the beautiful things that I could say about my buddy Phil could never be summed up in a short sentence or two, and I promise that I will be back to say so much more about how I feel about him and his talents in due time. But for now, at 3 a.m., after just having returned home from his passing, let me at least put this out there.

"Phil Kennemore was not only a sweet and passionate man with his life, friends and family, but as an artist, he also had that rare ability to say what was on his mind with the most eloquent, clever, and to-the-point lyrics, yet could turn it on its head in a second with some other viewpoint on reality and nail the point dead center. He was able to do what very few can — say the things that others have been thinking, but could never quite seem to put into words. He has always had a keen knack for doing that.

"As a musician, with those huge fingers, his bass playing was always loud, strong, and deep, filling the largest or smallest of stages equally.

"He had an amazingly strong life force that has influenced everyone who ever had the opportunity to be called a friend of his. I am forever grateful for our lifelong friendship, that was always in place throughout the worst and best of times. I will miss his sense of humor, his amazing wit, but most of all I will always miss not seeing him to my left on the stages I will play from this moment forward.

"Yes, he was one of the class guys on this planet, and in this business, and I will always do what I can to spread the legacy of Phil Kennemore across the globe on every stage that I land on.

"You know how much I love you, Phil, and you knew how much your fans and fellow musicians loved and respected you. There was nothing left unsaid. You had a rich and wonderful life and I can only tell you that I was happy to have been alongside you every step of the glorious way.

"Cheers to you, Phil.

"Your friend forever, Dave."

Timo Tolkki Posts Symfonia Album Update

2011-01-07T19:52:00.000Z

Timo Tolkki, guitarist for the Hamburg, Germany-based power metal super group Symfonia, recently posted an online update regarding the recording of the band's debut album:

"Me and André [Matos, vocals] have been here in the middle of a Swedish forest for a week recording vocals.

"We rented a cabin which is at a top of a hill with an amazing view.

"If the drumming studio was in the middle of nowhere, then this one is in the middle of that nowhere.

"Things are going smooth; we got a great vocal sound.

"Had to put some blankets on the wall to treat the place acoustically a bit.

"The cabin is slightly haunted; the owner told us that a man named Hans died here 80 years ago and can sometimes be seen around. So far we haven't seen him." (Read More)

Black Mass Organizer Interviewed About Festival Cancellation

2011-01-06T19:34:00.004Z

The cancellation of the Sydney's Black Mass Festival, due to be held last November, turned into one of the biggest stories in the local metal scene in 2010. Metal Obsession caught up with organizer Seance Records to clear up exactly what happened.

METAL OBSESSION: First things first, what aspects of the Black Mass festival were the actual cause of the initial complaints?

SEANCE RECORDS: Predominantly the name Black Mass was an issue to these people who viewed it as being anti Christian, discriminatory & in their words promoting hate against Catholics due to the act of the Black Mass being the inversion of the traditional Catholic Mass. Yet they failed to understand or indeed ignored the fact that this was not an actual black mass or religious rite or act at all but only a music festival featuring Black Metal bands.

They also found issue with ALL associated artwork, the written press release and ALL bands performing (in other words everything). They scoured the web for information on the event and performers and commandeered artwork posted to private forums to spread amongst their peers and heighten their 'outrage.' They took all press releases out of context claiming that it was a gathering of Satanists who were assembling in Sydney to actually cast evil spells on the city in order to promote "evil and anarchy." They additionally made claims of animal sacrifice and other utterly ridiculous stereo types & misconceptions that should have gone the way of the dinosaur by 2010. (Read More)

(Poster for ArmageddoN Festival - the Black Mass Festival replacement event.)

Apocalyptica Sued By Rammstein

2011-01-05T20:55:00.000Z

Apocalyptica has experienced a couple legal hurdles recently. First, The Regional Court of Berlin has convicted Apocalyptica for trademark infringement against Rammstein. The Finnish cello metallers face a fine of 45,000 Euro. The Finnish band was sued over the album's release being promoted on stickers, magazines and posters with the words "featuring Rammstein" without the authorization of the band and their management, despite the appearance of Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe on the track "Helden" (a David Bowie cover of "Heroes"). (Read More)

Destruction Announces North American Tour Dates

2011-01-04T23:43:00.002Z

German thrash metal legends Destruction recently announced that they will be heading to North America in April 2011 for a headlining tour in support of their latest album, Day of Reckoning. Supporting them on their trek will be Deströyer 666. Speaking with regards to the upcoming tour, Destruction front man Schmier said:

"It feels fantastic to return to North American shores for the first time after our return to Nuclear Blast with a new album as brutal as Day Of Reckoning on our backs. This is the strongest material we have written since [2001's] The Antichrist and we are burning to present these shredding songs and introduce our new 6.6 foot tall drum animal VAAVER live!" (Read More)

Sepultura Posts New Year Update

2011-01-03T19:11:00.003Z

Brazilian thrash metal legends Sepultura recently posted a new online message which details some of their plans for 2011. The posting reads as follows:

"Hello Sepultura fans! Happy New Year!

"This is going to be one busy year for the band. Next week the guys fly to USA to visit NAMM and to play a couple shows in California. Special-limited-edition-supercool-exclusive-tshirts on sale on both shows.

"Then, we fly back to Brazil to start recording the new album on January 20th at Trama Studios in São Paulo." (Read More)

Glen Drover Unveils Solo Band

2011-01-02T22:20:00.001Z

Former Megadeth/King Diamond guitarist Glen Drover recently completed work on his debut solo album, Metalusion. The album will see an early 2011 release via Magna Carta Records. Drover has also put together a solo band consisting of the following musicians:

Glen Drover - Guitar
Paul Yee - Bass
Jim Gilmour - Keyboards
Chris Sutherland - Drums

On his newly launched official Facebook page, Drover stated:

"In December of 2007, I made one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make in my life, which was to leave the band Megadeth - a band that I had worked very hard with and helped bring back from the dead. Although I am very happy about what we accomplished in the four-year period I was in the band, things had changed quite a bit towards the end of my time with Megadeth, and not necessarily for the better for me, so I handed in my resignation, so to speak.

"Shortly after a nice long break, I decided to start recording again, but wanted to try something different, which was to form a band and play all instrumental music - a task that would not be easy and would become something very challenging and fun, of course! A combination of metal, harder edge jazz fusion and prog. I contacted Chris Sutherland and shared this idea with him and he was very excited about this possibility. At that point, he recommended a friend of his to play bass, Paul Yee, and also recommended Jim Gilmour from the prog rock band Saga, which Chris had played with for a short while." (Read More)

Testament Confirm Second Show for 70000 Tons of Metal

2011-01-01T23:51:00.005Z

Testament are set to play two unique shows on board the 70000 Tons of Metal heavy metal cruise. The band has revealed that they will play The Legacy album in its entirety for their first show and the second show will feature a complete performance of The New Order album.

The heavy metal cruise is scheduled to set sail on Monday, January 24, 2011, aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas. The ship will disembark at Miami, Florida and head to Cozumel, Mexico, reaching final port on January 28. (Read More)

Relapse Records: Ring in the New Year with Free Music

2010-12-31T17:57:00.003Z

Relapse Records is offering listeners the chance to ring in the New Year with a few free tracks. The metal label is now offering a 26-track sampler that features an array of bands from the labels own roster. Artists featured on the freebie include: Death, Dying Fetus, Revocation, Kingdom of Sorrow, Misery Index, and Cephalic Carnage (as well as newer acts like Cough, Titan, and Mose Giganticus).

To get the free sample, all one has to do is click "like" on the Relapse Records Facebook page. 26 free tracks for the simple click of a mouse makes for a pretty decent New Year's offering!

Tomorrow's Outlook Releases Update on Forthcoming Album

2010-12-31T17:24:00.002Z

Norwegian metallers Tomorrow's Outlook have issued an update regarding their forthcoming album, 34613:

"We have now been listening through the Master a couple of times and there is nothing we would like to change. It all sounds killer! We would like to thank our engineer for being patient with us and for doing such a great job. We didn't expect the recordings to turn out as great as they did. Colin Davis is a true magician, and I have been wondering lately why he ain't up there with the best metal/hard rock producers of today!

"Well, a few days ago I started to shop for labels. I shipped out 13 promo packs. 7 of them to Germany: Century Media Records, Limb Music, Nuclear Blast, Massacre Records, Pure Steel Records, Avenue Of Allies and Rock N Growl. The rest to: Lion Music (Finland), Spinefarm Records (Finland), Mascot Records (Holland), Inferno Records (France) and last but not least Rockadrome Records (USA).

"The more interest the better! And if we still can't secure a good deal we will release the album ourselves. This way we'll get more money and there's a bigger chance for a follow-up sometime soon. Wish us luck, friends... and have a great remaining Christmas and forthcoming new year. All the best from Sörvik 'Rock' City and Northern Norway." (Read More)

Will of the Ancients Issues Album Update

2010-12-30T23:02:00.003Z

Melodic death metallers Will of the Ancients recently checked in with an announcement concerning the band's upcoming album:

"Hi All. Its been a while since we last had an update, so I figure, this is a pretty good time to take a look at what we've been doing in the WotA camp for the past little while. This past August we started re-recording the new album, To Our Glorious Dead. I know a lot of you have been bugging us to get it out soon, but we wanted to (and still do!) want to release a real ass-kicker of an album, and the stuff we had done previously was not up to that standard.

"Dave [Black] finished tracking the drums in October, and then we went on an Ontario mini-tour with our good friends in Battlesoul, Bolero and Strings of Ares. It was sorta like the sequel to Get Folked (if you remember that from last year). When we got back we started working on the guitar parts. Right now we're about a third of the way done those, and we are hoping to be done early in 2011." (Read More)

Fear Factory Postpone Fear Campaign Tour

2010-12-29T20:08:00.000Z

Fear Factory's latest tour - the Fear Campaign Tour - was originally slated to kick off today, December 29, and run until January 8, 2011. However, for the time being, the industrialized cyber metal act has pulled the plug on the tour.

The band didn't go unnoticed in 2010, a fact mostly due to the release of their seventh studio album, Mechanize. The success of the album has been attributed to the reconciliation between original guitarist (and founding member) Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell. (Read More)

The Breakups of 2010: A Retrospect

2010-12-28T23:39:00.002Z

2010 proved to be a rough year for metal bands. The number of incidents involving illnesses, crimes, accidents, and even deaths could easily be detailed in an article all to itself. However, Metal Insider has decided to focus on what it deems "some of the most tangible and immediate consequences in the metal world - the breakup and hiatus announcements and completions of the past year." (Read More)

The Top Albums of 2010 (As Decided By Metal Injection Readers)

2010-12-27T20:14:00.002Z

Metal Injection has posted a list of the top metal albums of 2010. The list was compiled after the website asked its readers to submit their own top ten lists. Those lists were then combined to create a single definitive list.

1. Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis : 133 votes
2. Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty : 114 votes
3. Ihsahn - After : 94 votes
4. Decrepit Birth - Polarity : 86 votes
5. Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier : 85 votes (Read More)

Suidakra Posts Studio Footage

2010-12-26T23:27:00.000Z

German melodic death metal act Suidakra has posted an in-studio video clip online. The clip was filmed during the band's recording of the new album, Book of Dowth, and can be streamed via MetalUnderground.com. In addition, the band has issued a comment on the footage:

"It’s time for the last update of 2010! We’re back home from the Gernhart Studio where the recordings for Book Of Dowth went even better than expected. We shit you not! Never before have recordings gone as smooth as this time, because all people involved were well prepared and very focused. Check out a clip from the studio with some background information below. Do not forget to leave a comment." (Read More)

Hatebreed Set to Play Summer Breeze Open Air 2011

2010-12-26T23:18:00.002Z

American hardcore/metalcore act Hatebreed has now been confirmed as one of the participating acts at the 2011 edition of Summer Breeze Open Air in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. The festival is scheduled to take place from August 18th - 20th and more details can be found on the festival's official website. Festival organizers issued the following comment:

"Summer Breeze has already survived a few tremors over the last few years, but the most severe eruption of them all is yet to come. Hatebreed are gearing up to utterly destroy Dinkelsbühl in 2011 with their killer songs. No other band out there combines the attitude and aggression of hardcore and the uncompromising heaviness of metal in such a perfect way. Scene icon Jamey Jasta and his wrecking crew are the epitome of unleashed energy, the embodiment of credibility, the essence of groove, the purest form of brutality, the rulers of all pits and the blueprint for a whole generation, all rolled into one. Please welcome one of the most important and influential bands of the last decade for the first time at Summer Breeze! Hard, harder, Hatebreed!"

Currently, the Summer Breeze lineup consists of the following confirmed acts:

Arch Enemy
Tyr
Kvelertak
Suicidal Tendencies
Bolt Thrower
J.B.O.
Witchery
Farmer Boys
Kalmah
Hail of Bullets
Corvus Corax
Hammerfall
Skeletonwitch
Excrementory Grindfuckers
Kampfar
Hayseed Dixie
Turisas
Marduk
Sonic Syndicate
Decapitated
Moonsorrow
Sodom
Hatebreed

Eufobia Recording New Album

2010-12-25T21:48:00.002Z

Bulgarian metallers Eufobia have issued the following announcement regarding the recording of a second album:

"We're almost ready with the recording of our second official album, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2011. This release would be a successor of our 2010 official debut album Insemination, released by the Romanian label Axa Valaha. The layout artwork would be done once again by the same artist who did the shocking and provocative artwork for Insemination, Mr. Costin Chioreanu from Twilight 13 Media, known for his work for such artists as Ulver, Mayhem, Absu, Grave, Destroyer666 and more." (Read More)

Blood Mortilized Issues Band Update

2010-12-24T22:57:00.003Z

Swedish death metal act Blood Mortilized has checked in with the following update about releasing a new EP and working on a new album:

"So the new MySpace design is driving us all maaaaad. Probably it will take some while until it improves. Meanwhile you should join us on our new Facebook profile. Some info about what is going on in the Blood Mortized camp?

"Well we have signed a contract for a cassette release of the all new Bestial EP. It will feature an arse kicking cover created for us by Daniel Devilish. The tape will be released in a strict 100 copies only, so be fast or cry like a baby later! We are talking to some labels and especially one, can't say which one. But hopefully this will lead to a CD release of the new EP AND a bit later it might get released on vinyl also. The cover for the CD version was created by our favorite Dutch artist Thomas Kynst." (Read More)

Paul Gilbert Interviewed by Switzerland's Stringworks

2010-12-23T22:39:00.000Z

Michael Herb of Switzerland's Stringworks.ch web site recently conducted an interview with Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert. The chat can now be streamed at this location. (Click on player to launch audio.)

What If..., the latest studio effort from the now-reunited Mr. Big, is set to be released in Europe on January 21, 2011 via Frontiers Records. The North American release, also on Frontiers Records, will follow on February 8.

What If... marks the band's first "all-original" album since the 2009 reunion of the band's four original members: Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, and Pat Torpey. Sixteen years after the release of Hey Man, the latest album will likely bring Mr. Big back into the spotlight. (Read More)

Gwar Checks in from the Road

2010-12-22T23:06:00.003Z

Gwar are back from the No Sleep Til... festival in Austrailia and New Zealand after having rocked the outback with acts such as Megadeth and NOFX. Now the band is set to finish 2010 with a string of east coast U.S. shows.

Speaking from a garbage dumpster behind a popular Battle Creek nightspot, Oderus Urungus commented, "We did a Christmas special for Break.com, we tested the new Microsoft Kinnect for Game Informer, and my human slave even wrote a book about some good friends of ours. The only thing I regret is that I apparently can't tell a Bantha from a Wampa!" (Read More)

Shadowside to Enter the Studio

2010-12-21T13:47:00.001Z

Brazilian power metal act Shadowside has issued a recap of recent tour dates as well as an announcement regarding entering the recording studio:

"After touring all over Europe, Shadowside are back home! The band currently consisting of Dani Nolden (vocals), Raphael Mattos (guitarist), Ricardo Piccoli (bass) and Fabio Buitvidas (drums) performed a series of concerts as W.A.S.P.'s special guests in the Old Continent. The tour, that lasted nearly two months, went through several countries such as Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, North Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, ending in Finland.

"During the whole time on the road, the band had a great time on stage and that was made obvious by their aggressive, fun, energetic and spontaneous performances, that secured both crowd's and media's attention." (Read More)

Shining Comments on Album Delay

2010-12-20T23:04:00.002Z

After previously discussing the delay of the band's new album, Shining's Niklas Kvarforth has issued an official statement clarifying the situation:

"We have spoken to our producer regarding Shining VII and have come to realize that he is also not to blame for the delay in finishing the album, but rather that it has been caused by a lack of communication between all the parties concerned – these being the label, the producer and ourselves.

"We are happy with the outcome of our discussions, and expect that the album will be fully mixed and mastered by the second week in January, after which time we will hopefully be able to get more information regarding a release date. In the meantime, we would like to thank all the fans for their patience and for all the messages we have been receiving over the past months." (Read More)

Anger as Art Issues End-of-Year Update

2010-12-19T19:52:00.001Z

Anger as Art has checked in with an end-of-year band update:

"Hey everyone - I want to take this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Or Happy Hannukah, or Kwanzaa, or whatever your reason for celebrating the season. To anyone who doesn't appreciate why we celebrate it - oh well. Denny's will be open. Go celebrate alone with the other bittermen. You know who you are.

"Speaking of bitter - I wanted to let you all know that beginning in 2011, Anger as Art will begin de-emphasizing our MySpace page - and begin to build our Facebook page. It is online over there right now - go look for Anger As Art on Facebook. Simple reason? Not necessarily that FB has taken over the market share so strongly. The best example I can give is that it took me 44 minutes from the time I logged in to be able to get to the blog to type a new one. MySpace's servers are too slow. That, and the fact that they allow so many people who do not understand html (myself included) to make their pages so individual that the average 5 to 7 year old computer cannot handle the upgrades." (Read More)

Nocra Finishes New Album

2010-12-18T23:10:00.001Z

Russian female-fronted black metal act Nocra has issued an announcement about finishing their latest album:

"Hails! Well, after 1.5 months since we entered [the] studio I'm proud to say that the album is ready! Here is a very different sound than Enlightened by Death. More aggressive, raw, cruel and, cold. Sure there is no reason to SPEAK about music, just listen!

"The album titled The Haunting will be released on new Czech label Agni Productions. The label is owned by Nebulah from [the] band Detonator666. The planned release date is 01.02.2011. Now I am working with [the] album artwork, so every time when I will have a chance I will post news. That's all for now." (Read More)

Megadeth Bassist Thinks Fans Won't be Disappointed with New Material

2010-12-17T20:33:00.004Z

Recently, Megadeth bassist David Ellefson spoke to Ultimate-Guitar.com's Robert Gray about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album which is tentatively due out in late 2011 via Roadrunner Records. A few excerpts from the chat can be found below.

Concerning the amount of new material that has been accumulated at this point in the writing process:

Ellefson: There's some ideas that we're now starting to individually compose. We're starting to put some things together, but the actual getting together in the studio to really get things started for the next record as far as all of us being in a room with a producer and all that, that is something we're gonna start [in January].

Regarding the new songs and how they're sounding:

Ellefson: We're at a stage where we're just compiling ideas - riffs, lyrics, things like that. Those early ideas often turn many corners and take many new twists before they're finalized on the final album. The seeds of the ideas I think are great, and I think they're really heavy and they're powerful. I don't think Megadeth fans will be disappointed at all. If the final outcome of what I'm hearing at this point with these seeds of ideas, if these come to fruition like they should, I think we're gonna have ourselves a smoking record ... I think, more than the actual material, though... because again, at this point everybody has some individual ideas or some collective ideas that are at least established... More than anything though, I think we're excited about it because we've had such a great year of reconnecting. There've been some huge successes with the 'Rust In Peace' tour and the |Big Four DVD, and just coming off of that, it's an exciting time for us to start and carve out the next chapter of Megadeth. (Read More)

Warbringer Announces Show with Halford

2010-12-16T23:42:00.000Z

American thrash metal act Warbringer is set to kick off a 3-date trek supporting Halford, which serves as Halford's follow-up to a recent tour with Ozzy Osbourne. Warbringer guitarist John Laux said the following:

"Seasons Slayings and Greetings everyone! It's been quite a turbulent sleigh ride since we released Waking into Nightmares last year. We are very excited to wrap up the year with 3 killer Halford gigs in Southern California! Judas Priest has long been a staple of our late night tour van mp3 selection, so we are very excited and honored to share the stage with the the Metal God and Painkiller himself!

"These shows will also mark the end of 2 years of touring in support of the album. We had a great time visiting many countries and meeting a lot of great fans and bands." (Read More)

Joe Satriani Interviewed by WDHA-FM 105.5 FM

2010-12-15T21:14:00.002Z

Guitar legend Joe Satriani took part in an interview and live performance on December 14 whilst in the studios of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM (Dover and Morristown, New Jersey). The chat is available for streaming via Blabbermouth.net and the performance footage can be viewed here.

Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, Satriani's 14th studio album, sold 10,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of release. The album debuted at the No. 45 position on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the highest opening chart position ever for the Grammy-nominated guitarist.

Satriani kicked off his North American tour dates on December 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. Other scheduled tour stops included Chicago, New York, and Boston. The second leg of the Black Swans tour begins on January 4, 2011, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with confirmed dates to follow in Seattle, Portland, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Reno, Las vegas, and Texas. (Read More)

Sonata Arctica Comments on Upcoming Live DVD

2010-12-14T15:37:00.002Z

Finnish melodic metal act Sonata Arctica has released an official statement concerning the filming of its forthcoming live DVD:

"We're writing this in order to clear up some confusions about where, when and how we're going to film our next DVD.

"When the original DVD show in Milan was postponed when Elias [Sonata guitarist] broke his hand, we put off the preparations for the time being. Some days ago as we were starting to finish the preparation for the show, we realized that we've been misled about some of the costs for doing the DVD shoot. Mainly we're talking about the pyrotechnics permits, which would have cost roughly 10 times more than anywhere else. This, along with some other unexpected expenses, came as a total surprise to the band. In order to make things work we had to pull the plug on the shoot in Milan and move it to Finland where we can afford to do a proper DVD shoot. Our management jumped the gun here and told our webmaster to change the info on the website, without us knowing about it and without an explanation." (Read More)

The Soulless Begins Recording New Album

2010-12-13T23:07:00.002Z

British melodic death metallers The Soulless (who recently changed their name from Ignominious Incarceration) are set to enter the studio on Wednesday, December 15, in order to begin recording a new album. The band will be heading into Outhouse Studios in Reading, England, accompanied by producer John Mitchell. They are set to record until the middle of January 2011. The currently untitled new album is set for an April 2011 release via Earache Records. (Read More)

King Diamond Undergoes Triple Bypass Surgery

2010-12-12T20:02:00.000Z

Danish heavy metal legend King Diamond recently underwent an open heart triple bypass surgery. Reports have confirmed that he is recovering and doing well. A message issued by his wife reads as follows:

"Let me catch you all up on the past couple of weeks' happenings, because it affects many things. On Monday, November 29th, King had to be transported to the nearby hospital by ambulance. After several different tests were done and the EKG machine showing abnormalities, the doctors recommended that he get a cardiac catheterization.

"Cardiac catheterization is a procedure where the doctors lead a very thin tube up from the leg and into the heart, where it injects dye into the bloodstream. Then a camera at the end of the tube takes many pictures of the heart's arteries, looking for blockages. After this was done, they determined that King had several heart attacks, and three of his heart's arteries were the cause: one was completely blocked, the second was 90% blocked, and the third was 65% blocked.

"The only solution to this was an open heart triple bypass surgery." (Read More)

Disbelief Comments on Tour Cancellation

2010-12-11T23:15:00.000Z

Recently, it was announced that Christmas Metal Meeting 2010 with Disbelief and Six Feet Under has been cancelled. Now, Disbelief has issued an official statement concerning the cancellation:

"Concerning the Christmas Metal tour with Six Feet Under, Disbelief would like to let you know that we are very sorry about the fact that this tour was canceled in the last minute. From the booking agency of the tour we got the message that the tour was canceled two days before tour start! Disbelief contacted Six Feet Under and they sent us their point of view. We cannot tell any details, but we have now two oppositional statements which we have to live with. Those who suffered the most are the fans, who already bought their tickets and the bands as well as the venues, who had efforts and costs! This fact is unacceptable and leaves a foul taste of disappointment for all participators!

"However, the fact of this cancellation (after overcoming the shock) cannot stop the path of Disbelief. With this statement we want to show our fans why we can't come to your city to play for you. And by the way, we also want to let you know what ugly things are sometimes going on in this business."(Read More)

Samael to Reveal New Album Title Later This Month

2010-12-10T16:02:00.000Z

Swiss industrial black metallers Samael are set to reveal the title of their up-coming album on December 21.

The band entered the studio on August 10, 2010, to being recording their new album which would be released via Nuclear Blast Records in April 2011. The recording sessions began only three weeks after the band returned from Germany (where they had been reviewing their new material with long-time collaborator Waldemar Sorychta).

Samael's latest EP, Antigod, was released on November 19 in Europe, North America, and Switzerland. (Read More)

Decadence Splits with Guitarist

2010-12-09T23:46:00.003Z

Swedish melodic thrash metal act Decadence has issued an official update concerning their parting ways with guitarist Niklas Skogqvist. The band also gave an update about their plans to enter the studio:

"It's been a while since you last heard from us. We have an announcement to make before we can move on with more news. Niklas Skogqvist on 2nd guitar decided to leave the band last month. We have not yet decided if we will continue as a quartet. In fact, our music is more technically suited for two guitarists and we might therefore need a second guitarist again. Decadence is down to its solid quartet and we'll see which turn we take after that. Nicke felt that he had too many things going on in his life. He said Decadence needs a guitarist that gives 100% which he says he was not able to do.

"Some of his own words: 'I want you all to know that I've had an awesome experience with you. I have had so much fun during these two years and I really wish I could go on with it. I've always enjoyed being with you, both as musicians by my side and as four best buddies. Missing you already, and of course, this decision consists of many emotions. But as I said, it's been a blast being with you and you're awesome at what you do. So a big tribute to you, I know you will go far with this, and knowing you, you will never give up. I wish the best for you because you are the best.' - Nicke" (Read More)

Judas Priest Announces Retirement

2010-12-08T23:50:00.001Z

Judas Priest, perhaps one of the most influential and most popular heavy metal bands of all time, has announced that they will perform one more world tour before retiring as a band. The British metal legends will perform at several festivals in Europe next year - including Wacken, Graspop, and High Voltage - and will hit major cities all over the globe with their Epitaph tour. Further tour dates and statements from the band will be released shortly.

A list of tour dates (so far) has been made available. (Read More)

Kampfar Guitarist Leaves Band

2010-12-07T23:27:00.002Z

Norweign folk/death metallers Kampfar have lost their guitarist, Thomas. The single-named axeman posted an online statement detailing his departure from the band:

"After playing guitar in Kampfar for quite a few years, I have now decided to leave the band.

"I cannot even begin to sum up all the good times I've had together with my bandmates, and our close friendship will surely continue outside of the context of the band.

"I sincerely hope the guys will find another guitarist to play in the band (the riffs are not that hard to play and there are no solos, which could be seen as a plus or a minus depending on perspective.)" (Read More)

Sorrows Path Announces New Guitarist

2010-12-06T21:18:00.001Z

After a number of live performances, Greek doom metallers Sorrows Path have announced that Giannis Tziligkakis has been officially recruited as the band's new second guitarist.

On October 29, Sorrows Path released its debut album, The Rough Path of Nihilism, via Rock It Up Records. The album was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens with producer Vangelis Yalamas (who also played synthesizer). Album artwork and photography was handled by Seth Siro Anton, who has worked with the likes of Kamelot, Exodus, Paradise Lost, and Moonspell.

The track listing for The Rough Path of Nihilism is as follows:

01. All Love is Lost
i) Lost Innocence
ii) Lost Youth
02. The Beast (S.P.R.)
03. Honestly...
04. Fetish
05. Dirty Game
06. Mr. Holy
07. Getting Closer
08. Queen of Doom
09. Prostitute
10. Hymn of Differentiation
11. Empty Eyes and Blackened Hearts
12. Nihilism

The album also features a guest appearance by vocal teacher Eleni Danielson. (Read More)

Arch Enemy Issues U.K. Tour Recap

2010-12-05T22:08:00.001Z

Arch Enemy has issued a recap of their recent U.K. tour dates. The band also offered an update concerning work on a new album:

"We want to thank everybody who came out to the shows on our recent U.K. tour, despite the freezing temperatures! You made this tour a fantastic ending to our 2010 touring cycle and we will cherish these memories whilst being locked up in the studio now for a couple of months, creating the new Arch Enemy album..." (Read More)

Max Cavalera Interviewed by Revolver Magazine

2010-12-04T08:47:00.002Z

Revolver Magazine's Cody Thomas recently conducted an interview with guitarist Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy). Some excerpts from the interview can be viewed below:

Revolver: A few years ago, you reunited with [your brother and former Sepultura bandmate] Igor to form the Cavalera Conspiracy. You two have a new album, Blunt Force Trauma, coming out in March. Is it as straightforward as the last album?

Cavalera: Yeah, it's even more. Marc [Rizzo, guitar] was saying, "Some of this shit sounds like Cannibal Corpse." Igor's playing really good. His playing reminds me of when he was in Sepultura, top form. Like in Arise or Beneath the Remains, and he was going super-fast and just killer energy from the drums. We wanted to make shorter songs, so a lot of the songs are a-minute-and-a-half or two-minutes long and kind of feel like "Raining Blood" a little bit when you listen to them, which is also different for us. We had one guest song with Roger [Miret] from Agnostic Front. He sings in a song called "Lynch Mob." I think he's probably my favorite vocalist out of the whole New York hardcore era.

Revolver: Since we're talking about Sepultura, what influenced the beginning of that band?

Cavalera: There was a band in Brazil that made us really want to get serious about starting a band. They were called Dorsal Atlântica and they were like the Brazilian Venom. Really heavy, super-Satanic, painted faces, inverted crosses in their forehead and shit. Just crazy shit live. And we were like, "Dude, we've got to get like those guys. Those guys are brutal." That was one of the inspirations that made me go, "If they are Brazilian and they are doing it, then we can do it." (Read More)

Rainbow to Reissue Down to Earth

2010-12-03T23:33:00.003Z

Legendary heavy metal act Rainbow, featuring Ritchie Blackmore, is set to release an expanded, two-disc deluxe edition of the classic album, Down to Earth (1979).

The reissue is slated to for release on January 24, 2011 via Universal Music. It will include two non-album single B-sides ("Bad Girl" and "Weiss Heim") as well as a second disc which will consist of unreleased studio out-takes and alternate versions. (Read More)

Amorphis to Stream New DVD Online

2010-12-02T23:33:00.000Z

Finland's Amorphis has issued an update regarding the streaming of their new DVD, Forging the Land of the Thousand Lakes, via Nuclear Blast Records on Friday, December 3:

"Nuclear Blast Records invites you all to the brand new online streaming room! The first concert stream on the new service will be Amorphis' Forging the Land of Thousand Lakes, to be this Friday, December 3, and the location is here.

"1st Streaming Time: 5:00pm (Central European Time) for Europe, 2nd Streaming Time: 3:30pm (Pacific) / 6:30pm (Eastern) for North America." (Read More)

Amalgama Posts Band Update

2010-12-01T23:43:00.000Z

Amalgama recently issued an update concerning the band's current activity:

"Just a quick update from what's happening here in Amalgama as we look towards 2011 and prepare to bury 2010. A couple big shows coming up for us, starting with December 12th here in Albany at Bogies as we open up for Taproot. The show kicks off at 7:00pm and you can get tickets by responding directly to this email or picking them up day of show at the door. Don' forget to RSVP if you're in the area and plan on coming! This promises to be a badass show.

"Additionally, we'll be on another show here at the Washington Avenue Armory in downtown Albany on January 15th. Ourselves along with 9 other great regional groups will be performing on the FYE Theater stage. This particular show is just the second in a series of concerts being organized by Ralph Renna, local hero and someone who is thoroughly intertwined in Amalgama-lore (he gave us our first shot onstage back in 2006). Tickets are available at all FYE locations as well as the Armory box office. The opportunities keep coming as we build steam heading into 2011 as a real live force once again." (Read More)

Trivium to Begin Recording New Album in 2011

2010-11-30T16:45:00.001Z

Florida metallers Trivium are set to enter Sanford, Florida's Audio Hammer Studios on January 2, 2011 to begin recording their new album. The band will be joined by a production/mixing team consisting of Martin "Ginge" Ford and Colin Richardson. The album is slated for an early 2011 release via Roadrunner Records.

During an interview with the WMHB 89.7 FM metal radio show Metal Mutilation on July 18, 2010, Trivium guitarist Corey Beaulieu discussed the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2008's Shogun:

"We got done [touring in support of Shogun] at the end of March [2010], and we weren't planning on the [new] record coming out until February or March of next year, so we had the rest of the year to just work on it. And it's worked out really good for us — we didn't feel rushed and we were able to take the time to make sure everything is right." He added, "We did more work on this record than we've done on any other record. The stuff is sounding really awesome and we're having a lot of fun doing this."

In reference to the addition of drummer Nick Augusto and his influence on Trivium's sound, Beaulieu said:

"I think he fits more of our writing style, 'cause we play a lot of fast, heavier stuff and his drumming is kind of really on the heavier, aggressive side, so, really, just writing the Trivium songs we [normally] do it, his drumming style adds a lot of energy and intensity to the music - he adds a lot of really cool, creative stuff that makes it really interesting and brings the music to the next level. And just working with him, everything is moving pretty fast. He's like a sponge, like the rest of us - he can grasp new songs really fast. If we have a new song, we can start jamming it really quick and kind of move forward and get to the point where we can just focus on the details of the song instead of just trying to get the song down in the first place. It's really helping propel the songwriting to another level where we can move along quicker and get a lot more work done in a shorter amount of time.

"When people actually get a chance to hear the record, I think they'll be pretty impressed with what's going on, 'cause he's doing some really cool stuff and adding a new flavor to what we do and giving it a new twist. Compared to the last couple of records, the intensity and the energy has really gone up a lot."

Beaulieu was later asked if the new tracks will be as "shred happy" as Trivium's more recent material. Beaulieu replied:

"We've been concentrating more on [making] more to-the-point, catchier songs without going off too much — there's no seven- or eight-minute songs on this one. There's a lot of really cool riffs and a lot of really cool parts, and, obviously, there's guitar solos all over the place. It doesn't sound like Shogun, but it sounds like Trivium. It's a got a different feel than Shogun - it's a lot more in your face and heavier and faster. It kind of balances out everything - we've got four or five songs that are all screaming, we've got a couple of songs that are all singing, and huge songs that are kind of a mix - kind of Acendancy [2005] kind of vocal style, [with both] screaming and singing, so there's a good variety, which makes it really interesting to listen to, because each song has its own thing going on, so they all stand out really well and fit together, too. It's got a good balance of everything, but the energy and the intensity is just a lot more up there. I guess if you compare it to anything as far as being aggressive, it's probably more towards Ascendancy than anything else."

Reagrding the new Trivium lyrics and their direction, Beaulieu went on to say:

"Everything is not finished, but [guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy is] further along in the lyrics than he has been on the last few records. I think there are six or seven songs where the lyrics are pretty much there and then there's some of the newer songs that we've put together that he's still piecing together and figuring out what the songs are. All the lyrics are really cohesive and really kind of all fit together, have the same kind of vibe. It makes the whole record one cohesive piece instead of each song being just randomly about something else."

The song "Shattering the Skies Above" was featured on the EP soundtrack for the popular PlayStation3 game, God of War III. God of War: Blood & Metal was released on March 2, 2010 via Roadrunner Records as part of the God of War III Ultimate Edition. The EP also featured unreleased tracks from other Roadrunner artists, including Dream Theatre, Taking Dawn, Opeth, and Killswitch Engage.

Paragon Issues Band Update

2010-11-30T16:27:00.003Z

German power metallers Paragon have issued an official update regarding the band's future plans. The update was made through bassist Jan Bunning:

"We are very proud to announce that the producer of our next album will be none other than Piet Sielck. We already worked with him on four of our previous albums (Steelbound [2001], Law of the Blade [2002], The Dark Legacy [2003], and Revenge [2005]) and it will for sure be like a coming home for us. Piet worked with bands like Saxon and Blind Guardian and knows best what we have to sound like.

"At present we are gathering ideas and riffs and already have completed some rough versions of two songs and ideas for about four others. I can already tell you that the stuff sounds very old school and back to the our roots!" (Read More)

Hemoptysis Streaming New Song

2010-11-29T21:04:00.001Z

Hemoptysis is currently streaming a new song online. "Misanthropic Slaughter" can now be heard via the band's MySpace page.

In addition, the band has checked in with the following update:

"It is time to share some updates! We are proud to say that we received the Metal Band of the Year from 2010 LA/Phoenix Music Awards this past Thursday, November 18, at The Paramount Theater in Hollywood, CA! We are very honored to have received this special award for two consecutive years now and we want thank you for your support and encouragement!

"Also, we need to tell you that our debut, full length record Misanthropic Slaughter will be out in Spring, 2011. More details will be announced soon, so don't forget to check our websites regularly." (Read More)

As You Drown Comments on Upcoming Album

2010-11-28T23:54:00.001Z

Swedish death metallers As You Drown have started writing new material for their currently untitled sophomore album, due to be released via Metal Blade Records in 2011. The new album, which will be a follow-up to 2009's Reflection, is set to be recorded at the band's own AYD Studio in Borås Sweden.

As You Drown recently commented on their work on the new album:

"Since coming home from our tour with Vader and Divine Chaos earlier this year, we've been working hard on some new material. Right now we've got our sights set on recording some time in the spring, which means the record will hopefully be out in the early fall." (Read More)

Dimmu Borgir Guitarist Interviewed on Finland's Kaaos TV

2010-11-27T19:27:00.003Z

Arto Mäenpää of Kaaos TV recently conducted an interview with guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) of the Norwegian symphonic black metal act Dimmu Borgir. The interview was recorded when the band played a show at Pakkahuone in Tampere, Finland on October 14, 2010. The chat can be streamed below.

According to Blabbermouth.net, the current tour lineup for Dimmu Borgir includes bassist Terje Andersen and keyboardist Geir Bratland. However, this has yet to be confirmed by the band itself.

During its first week of release, Abrahadabra, Dimmu Borgir's ninth album, sold 9,400 copies in the U.S. The album subsequently landed at the No. 42 position on the Billboard 200 chart. In Sorte Diaboli, the band's previous 2007 release, sold 14,000 units in its opening week and debuted at No. 43, more than doubling the 6,400 first-week numbers recorded in 2003 with the release of Death Cult Armageddon.

Abrahadabra was released on September 24 in Germany. The album was released to the rest of Europe on September 27 and was available in North America on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Ghoul Patrol Issues Band Update

2010-11-27T19:03:00.001Z

Finland's Ghoul Patrol has issued the following update concerning the recording of new material and upcoming tour dates:

"Hell Yeah! So, the Dimebag Beyond Forever tour starts tomorrow and we can't wait to get on the road! We hope to see a lot of people at the shows especially, because this is the last time the tour will be held.

"In other news, we recorded some new songs last month and one of them (Louisiana Pit) can be listened to, at our MySpace. Also, the compilation album is in the prints! (finally...) So anyone who has been asking about CDs, now is the time to get one! The album will be also available at the DBF tour shows." (Read More)

Woods of Desolation Reveals New Album Release Date

2010-11-26T23:24:00.000Z

Australian metal act Woods of Desolation has issued the following update:

"I have received news that the official release date for the new Woods of Desolation album, Torn Beyond Reason, will be February 25th via Northern Silence Productions. I have been assured that this date is final and will not change anymore. I know the wait has been long for this new album, but I assure you if you like what you have heard thus far, the wait will be definitely worth it!" (Read More)

Municipal Waste Announces European Tour Dates

2010-11-25T23:46:00.003Z

Richmond, Virginia thrash metallers Municipal Waste will return to Europe next week to embark on a headlining tour. The band recently wrapped up a short US tour and will kick off their European tour on Friday, December 3, in Belfast, UK. Saviours and Ramming Speed will be the supporting acts. Municipal Waste drummer Dave Witte commented on the tour, saying:

"We are ready to return to the UK/EU with Saviours and Ramming Speed to celebrate our last tour of the year. It's gonna be awesome! Get there early, this is a great bill that you won't wanna miss!"

Front man Tony Foresta added:

"I'm really looking forward to getting back over there. It feels like it's been forever since we've been. It seems like each time we come back the crowds get bigger and crazier." (Read More)

Amalgama Issues Band Update

2010-11-24T19:13:00.000Z

Amalgama has released an official update concerning the band's recent and upcoming activities:

"Winter arrived here in upstate New York a few weeks ago. While technically the season doesn't start until just before Christmas you wouldn't know it had you been looking out the window at any point during that particular day. John has been immersed in StarCraft 2 for the last month after playing catch-up with everything following this year's election cycle (Watch the video until the end... gotta love politics!). Blizzard has created a soul-sucking machine with WoW and SC2. If you encounter either of these games, run away. If you value your free time you'll heed our warnings.

"In other exciting non-weather related news, Amalgama performed 'Forsaken Soldiers' on After Hours with Joe Bonilla, a local program here in the Capital Region. The taping was last Friday afternoon and will probably be the most metal thing that local access has ever seen (it premiered locally last night at 11pm and will be up on the interwebs shortly). The whole afternoon was quite the experience: the actual studio was deep in the bowels of super complex of a building on a local college campus literally in a 'sub-basement.' We felt like we were in some kind of Resident Evil style facility where some monster was going to pop out and rip us apart. Once we arrived on location the stage was set and there was much bullshitting around while we waited for the audience to file in. Joe Bonilla is a personal friend of John and was very gracious to interview him before our performance. TV studios are hot places as we discovered rather quickly during that afternoon deep underground. All those goddamn lights." (Read More)

Anvil Anthology to Be Released; Album Details Revealed

2010-11-23T21:55:00.001Z

Canadian metal legends Anvil have signed on with The End Records. Currently, the band is recording its new album, Juggernaut of Justice, at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California with producer Bob Marlette (Alice Cooper, Filter, Black Sabbath). The album is slated for a spring 2011 release.

Before the release of Juggernaut of Justice, The End Records will release a definitive Anvil anthology. The collection will include old and new material as well as a few surprises and will showcase the band's entire career from 1978.

Singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow commented on the band's latest studio venture: "I must say that this is by far the best Anvil ever. There will be a few new surprises including [bassist] Glenn 5's first lead vocals in Anvil's history. The production that Bob Marlette has done far surpasses anything we've done in the past. The excitement within the band is over the top and we can't wait to unleash this amazing CD to the fans."

Added drummer Robb Reiner: "The new album is pure Anvil with a new fresh kick, very exciting ... Looking to rocking with The End, putting the music where it belongs - in everybody's ears and face!"

During an interview with Suite101.com in 2009, Reiner spoke about Anvil's up-coming album, saying it would be "...the best album we've ever done. We've invented a new genre; we've invented metal-jazz ... We've pioneered something that I believe is going to be revolutionary. I'm a jazz drummer: the world knows that I just happen to be in a metal band. And Lips listens to a lot of old-time swing jazz these days." Lips added, "I've been getting into Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa, really fast swing. It's really similar to speed metal, it's just that it's done with horns." Reiner continued, "We play this stuff live right now, and it blows people away beyond anything I've ever seen. We've innocently created something that's never been done before."

A tour to support the release of Juggernaut of Justice is currently in the works. Details regarding dates and locations will be announced shortly.

Evile Guitarist Interviewed by Metal Assault Radio

2010-11-23T09:32:00.002Z

Metal Assault Radio's DJ Shredder recently sat down with Ol Drake - guitarist for British thrash band Evile. The interview was conducted in Sayreville, New Jersey when the band made a scheduled stop for a performance with Overkill. The chat can be streamed via Blabbermouth.net.

Evile is currently in North America as part of a three-month tour with Overkill, Forbidden, Gama Bomb, and Bonded by Blood. The trek will wrap on December 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band will then return to the U.K. for a break over the holiday period before hitting the road again in the New Year. (Read More)

Asking Alexandria to Release Remix Album

2010-11-22T22:20:00.002Z

English metalcore band Asking Alexandria recently completed a North American tour with All That Remains. The band will now spend the remainder of the year touring the U.K. on a series of headlining shows. The band has also announced the release of a remix album titled Stepped Up and Scratched (Stand Up and Scream Remix) in January 2011. The album will be a remixed, electro/dubstep version of the band's debut album Stand Up and Scream. it will also include all new artwork and packaging.

Guitarist Ben Bruce recently checked in with an update following the band's most recent tour:

"I can't really think of many words to sum up the All That Remains tour. The only words that really come to mind are fucking awesome. It was a great tour. We made some great friends during this five week trek across America and had some really amazing times. The crowds at every show were great. We had our loyal and dedicated fans come out to see us, and I feel like we won a lot of new fans on this tour as well." (Read More)

Angertea Comments on Upcoming EP

2010-11-21T23:22:00.000Z

Hungarian progressive metallers Angertea have issued an official update regarding the release of a new three-song EP:

"These days we have received the first mixes of the new songs from Neil Kernon, and they really kick ass! They are soon being sent to have it mastered to a mastering engineer called Alan Douches, who made albums of such bands as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura, Deicide, Madball, Mastodon, Misfits, etc. We'll soon be done with the 3 songs!" (Read More)

Kataklysm Updates Live Show Schedule

2010-11-20T02:35:00.003Z

Canadian death metal act Kataklysm has made some updates to the band's forthcoming tour schedule for North America, south America, Europe, and South Africa.

"In just about a month we will embark on Katakalysm's longest one way headlining stretch crossing four continents in nearly 20 years," commented vocalist Maurizio Iacono. "Heaven's Venom has been welcomed with open arms by fans and critics alike across the globe. As I mentioned before in interviews, Heaven's Venomis a very personal, aggressive and dark Kataklysm album that hits home. We love this album and want to share its anger with our fans! We want to play places we have never been before and also revisit our loyal supporters while creating some new fans along the way. One thing we know, is that this will be the only time you will be able to see the band on this record or for a long time. So don't say 'I'll catch them the next time' because there might not be a next time. We are thinking of taking along break after this massive trek and who knows what will happen next. So if you are a fan of Kataklysm you have been called to duty!" (Read More)

Bobby Liebling Discusses New Pentagram Album in Recent Interview

2010-11-19T22:57:00.001Z

In a recent interview with MetalSucks.Net, Pentagram front man Bobby Liebling revealed some news regarding the band's forthcoming album. Below are some excerpts from that interview:

MS: You're off to record the Last Rites album soon, I believe?

Bobby: I leave Wednesday morning and we start recording the album this coming Sunday night [November 21].

MS: I'm sure you’re pretty excited about it. Can you tell me a bit about the new record?

Bobby: Actually, the songs on Last Rites are predominantly, I'd say two-thirds [of them are] songs I wrote in 1970, and if you're familiar with any Pentagram stuff at all... you know each album is usually a sixty-forty split. Sixty percent is stuff that I did in the early '70s, and forty percent is collaborations and new stuff. The upcoming album is slated to have thirteen songs, but we don't know if we're going to be able to record all of them. We're going to try to get it all in. It's going to be a shorter album, but it'll be part of a double-disc set with an hour-long live DVD from last year’s Maryland Deathfest.

MS: Is there a definite release date for it?

Bobby: No, not a definite date, but it's scheduled to be released in early April. I was told by my superiors [laughs], as it were, that I shouldn't talk about the record label, but I will say that we've got a multi-album deal and it's with a significant, well, let's say the largest label I've ever been on.

MS: That's great, congratulations!

Bobby: Thank you, it's been long enough coming. 2011 marks Pentagram's fortieth anniversary.

MS: Wow, that's a good, long run. Hopefully with many more years to come.

Bobby: We'll see! That's why I'm calling it Last Rites, just in case! But there are four songs that are brand-new, and the other nine consist of several I wrote on my own, and a few I wrote with my original drummer, Geof O'Keefe. Those are the ones scheduled to be on there. But one of the old ones might go, as well as a new one. We're doing a cram course, you might call it. All the other Pentagram albums that have been done were recorded over a three-month period. This album is going to be done in three weeks. We're rehearsing it five days, that's it, and these songs have never been played by anyone in the band [currently]. (Read More)

Stratovarius Drummer Diagnosed with Cancer

2010-11-18T23:47:00.000Z

Swedish keyboardist Jens Johansson of multi-national melodic metallers Stratovarius has issued the following update:

"Dear Stratovarius fans, I am afraid we have some quite terrible news. News of the worst imaginable kind. It's about our friend and drummer Jörg Michael.

"Jörg has cancer.

"He recently discovered a lump on his neck, went to the doctor, they decided to operate, and found what they call 'a malignant thyroid neoplasm.' They took out his whole thyroid just to have the best chance to get everything out. He will also have to undergo a regimen of radiotherapy.

"He is a fighter. We have all talked to him and it's clear that this guy is not down for the count. He and his team of German doctors are pissed off and ready to kick ass, and I would not want to be a little cancer cell on these guys' shit list.. believe me.

"Jörg and his family (and us guys in the band) found this out only last week, after the operation. Naturally we are all going between a lot of emotions, sadness, worry, shock, confusion, even anger." (Read More)

Dixie Deathwish Issues Update

2010-11-17T23:02:00.000Z

Dixie Deathwish has issued the following update regarding their recent decision to disband:

"We have decided to keep the name Dixie Deathwish. We have made this decision for a couple of reasons. The first being that we really like the name. The second is that despite the fact that we might not have had the best relationships with some venues or bands in the past we are determined to change all of that. Third let's face it some bands and other people in the area would have loved to see us drop the name and kind of admit defeat, but that is just not our style. We are determined to come back with a ferocity on stage on rivaled by few in this area and we look forward to sharing the stage with those bands and i think they know who they are." (Read More)

Dani Filth Issues Band Update

2010-11-16T22:48:00.002Z

Cradle of Filth front man Dani Filth has issued the following blog update about the band's current and upcoming activity:

"Dear readers, belated happy Hallowe'en! Well, has the endless wait been worth it? The album has been out a fortnight in Europe and a week in the US and has garnered all kinds of remarkable press, from the utterly brilliant to the shit and insane. I love it. The circus starts again. At least on the front of it it seems that again we have divided peoples opinions. Love/hate, loathe/adore, suckle/chastise us; it's all so deliciously Catholic.

"Firstly let me apologize for the slight delay people have had to endure for the limited edition box-set, I know it's not cool, but the production was held up by all kinds of issues, so all I can do is to offer you my sincerest regret. And a test tube full of my love juice." (Read More)

Crustacean Signs to Xtreem Music

2010-11-15T23:56:00.001Z

Xtreem Music has issued the following announcement about inking a deal with Dutch thrash act Crustacean:

"Veteran dutch thrashers Crustacean have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the release of their long awaited 3rd album Greed, Tyranny & Sodomy. Crustacean has been around since 1994 and has since released a mini CD Headcleaner ('95) and two full- length albums: Burden of our Suffering ('98) and Insaniac ('03). After a promotional tour the band spent time on other successful live projects only to re-appear in the best line-up ever in 2007. Since then the band has been focusing on writing their best and most intense thrash metal album ever, Greed, Tyranny & Sodomy." (Read More)

Judas Priest to Launch New World Tour in 2011

2010-11-14T23:17:00.002Z

K.K. Downing, guitarist for the iconic British heavy metal band Judas Priest, recently published a new blog post on his official website. In the post, Downing revealed that Priest will be embarking on a world tour beginning in 2011. The official message can be viewed below:

"It seems that the time has come for us to put the touring wheels in motion for our next world tour in 2011!

"It's funny but these days around - about this time - I can't help but reflect on the past when we had to load the touring van ourselves. Sometimes in the ice and snow, being afraid that we would get frostbites on our fingers and not be able to play the gig!

"I remember one winter we had a gig at Hull City Hall in England. We were driving in heavy snow when we hit black ice and the car hit the motorway barriers so hard that it was never able to be driven again. However, it was fortunate that a passing farmer saved the day by letting us pile into his old Land Rover and was kind enough to drive us to the gig!

"It seems just like yesterday, as they say, that we were on tour with our good friends Budgie, Accept, Warlock, AC/DC, Saxon, Pantera...to name just a few. Very good memories indeed!

"Actually, I have just received a copy of Accept's new album Blood of the Nations. And was really happy that Wolf [Hoffmann] and the boys are still creating great classic metal. I think it was back in '81 that Priest and Accept hit the road together for the first time and what a great tour that was! I really hope that we can meet up with the guys next year, at least on some of the festival dates and have a good laugh when talking about the old times." (Read More)

Sorrows Path Announces Release Party

2010-11-13T22:47:00.000Z

Greek act Sorrows Path has issued the following update regarding an upcoming record release show:

"Sorrows Path release live-party show for the new album The Rough Path of Nihilism, out from German Rock it Up Records! The band is back from Germany where they had their party for the new release in Karlsruhe and celebrate their official release at historical An Club in Athens, on Sunday, December 5! This time, they will also perform live the new songs plus some of their old, with very special guests and happenings.

"On stage, along with the band, there will be the well known fetish dancers, Zirconia, Alexia and Julia, with many participations in Greek and abroad show The guest vocalist of the new album, vocal teacher Eleni Danielson also taking part in backing vocals! Guest bands are the ex-EMI signed rock-metal doomsters Infidel, who are ready to release their new second album too and the mature progressive quartet Solid Faith, with some demos that earned great feedback in the past." (Read More)

HammerFall to Enter the Studio

2010-11-12T22:01:00.002Z

Sweden's HammerFall is set to enter the recording studio in two weeks to record their follow-up to 2009's No Sacrifice, No Victory. Guitarist Oscar Dronjak reveals: "The new material contains a lot of fresh ways to look at the musical ideas, we're trying to preserve the essence of what HammerFall is while at the same time updating the execution and approach. Definitely heavier and less straight forward than the previous albums, yet remaining true to what we believe heavy metal is all about."

The band has decided to work with producer James Michael, who has worked with the likes of Mötley Crüe, Scorpions, and Meat Loaf. Oscar explains: "Working with James Michael is going to be very, very exciting. The two Mötley Crüe albums James has been involved in (songwriter on New Tattoo and songwriter/producer on Saints of Los Angeles) are great, and easily stack up against the classic albums of the 80s." (Read More)

The Gates of Slumber Prepare to Enter Studio

2010-11-11T21:50:00.003Z

Doom metal giants The Gates of Slumber are set to enter England's Orgone Studios in late November with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano. They will begin recording a new album which is scheduled for a spring 2011 release via Rise Above Records.

Recently, the band announced the addition of drummer J "Cool" Clyde Paradis. A New Orleans native and Hurricane Katrina survivor, Paradis previously worked with the likes of Sourvein, Substance Abuse, and the New Orleans blues act T-Bone and the Rhythm Makers.

Frontman/guitarist Karl Simon commented on The Gates of Slumber's sound saying:

"The new music is taking on a more troglodyte doom metal feel. With Clyde now in the band, the feel of things was bound to change; he's not only a different drummer, but from a totally different school of thought with regards to the drums. It's no secret that Saint Vitus' shuddering doom crawl was the root that inspired this band and we'd both felt that over three albums we'd taken the raw epic feel as far as we could. Now, it's time to get back to basics, shed some of the bulk and get ugly again. No warriors this time, no acoustic guitars, no keyboards, no lofty Nietzschean ideals. Just black bile and a bit of the old 'white magic; black magic.'" (Read More)

Shadow Eden Releases Debut Album

2010-11-10T21:58:00.005Z

New York-based progressive metallers Shadow Eden have released their debut, self-titled album. Often noted for their incorporation of various musical stylings, including metal, rock, and jazz, the instrumental trio draw influence from the likes of Joe Satriani, Jaco Pastorius, Vinnie Moore, Kansas, and King Crimson, to name a few.

Recently, the band announced that it would be appearing at the 2011 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, California. They will be guests of Charvel Guitars and Morley Pedals and will perform on January 14 and 15. More recently, Shadow Eden have been playing various dates in New York with guitarist and composer Joe Stump. Stump himself has commented on the band's stylings and debut album, saying:

"A power trio of excellent players, Shadow Eden combine elements of progressive rock, fusion and guitar-driven metal into well structured, highly musical, and very listenable tunes. Guitarwise Dave Mercado shows a great diverse range of styles in his playing as well as some killer take-no-prisoners technique. Their debut record will certainly appeal to a wide range of fans that enjoy virtuosic, guitar-driven music."

Shadow Eden's debut album is available via their official website. A variety of their tracks are also featured on the band's official MySpace page.

Shadow Eden are:
David Mercado - guitars
Kenny Weydener - basses
Kenny Lane - drums

"We're a live band and we love to play live," Says Raven Guitarist

2010-11-10T21:24:00.001Z

69 Faces of Rock's Mark Kadzielawa recently conducted an interview with brothers John and Mark Gallagher of the veteran British/American heavy metal trio Raven. Excerpts from the chat have now been published via Blabbermouth.net.

69 Faces of Rock: The energy of the new album is quite unbelievable, very reminiscent of the early Raven years.

Mark: We're a live band, and we love to play live. And one thing that was always difficult for us to record is that live Raven feel onto an album. Not because of us, but because of other factors like the people we worked with, or the studio environment. I was really happy with this record that it sounds like a live Raven.

John: And it's just a question of having the right performances with the right songs, and the right sounds. It's just a magical thing when the stars are aligning. It comes together well.

69 Faces of Rock: The title Walk Through Fire couldn't be more right considering everything that had happened in the last few years. I suppose the title was very intentional, right?

Mark: It was intentional. I don't know where did I get that from, but it just came to me. There was a time where the doctors were gonna take one of my legs away. And when you're dealing with something as serious as that, it makes you think hard. If you listen to the album, 80% of the songs are about overcoming adversity, and that's something everybody has to deal with in their lives. It's a common theme for everybody, and I think people can get something from it. Over the last few months, we've had fans come up to us and say that certain songs got them through a lot of hard times in their lives. And we appreciate it. To have that type of effect on people is good, but that was personal thing for me. And it really sums up a lot of things for the band. We've had to deal with a lot of things, not just me being sick, but there were other things like management, and so on. (Read More)

Batillus Sign to Seventh Rule

2010-11-09T23:52:00.000Z

Seventh Rule Recordings has issued the following announcement about signing New York doom act Batillus:

"Seventh Rule proudly welcomes Brooklyn doom quartet Batillus to its stormy roster. With songs that move from bristling blast beats to subterranean crawls, Batillus (buh-TILL-us) cohere the extremes of heavy music into a surge of massive riffing, rolling over and descending on the listener with the force and intensity of a sudden storm.

"The New Yorker describes Batillus as 'a sludgy four-piece that slows monstrous Black Sabbath riffs to a crawl to produce highly textured compositions of droning doom-metal,' and Revolver calls their music 'beyond-atmospheric blackened doom.'" (Read More)

Behemoth Frontman Finds Bone Marrow Donor

2010-11-08T21:21:00.002Z

Adam "Nergal" Darski, who is suffering from leukemia, has revealed that he has finally found a matching bone marrow donor. The Behemoth frontman issued a message (translated from Polish), and it reads as follows:

"Hello. Still from my hospital bed, but really in pretty good shape I am writing to inform you about my health and the further stages of treatment.

"At the moment I am on the fourth and final chemistry and more than 3 month stay in hospital. All the treatments went like a storm though not without some serious "holes". Thus, I close this stage of medications and will soon begin radiation, and then, waiting for my bone marrow.

"Yes, yes, we have a donor! :-)))

"After months of searching, the foundation has found the person whose genotype is identical with mine. It would be difficult to achieve if they did not support a large number of people." (Read More)

Lich King Splits with Guitarists

2010-11-07T22:58:00.002Z

Massachusetts-based thrash metaller Lich King have officially announced that they will be parting ways with guitarists Kevin Taylor and Erick Herrera:

"Due to scheduling and transportation issues, Erick and Kevin are leaving Lich King. Erick’s got a band closer to home starting up, called Hanging Judge, and Kevin’s going for his master’s degree. None of this is personal in this amicable split, we love these guys and wish them the best. Even still, we’re so going to badmouth them in our Behind The Music episode.

"So, part 2 of the announcement. Can you see where this is going? That’s right. We’re announcing a nationwide hunt for two new Lich King members. Joe’s upgrading to guitar so we need a guitarist and a bassist. (Read More)

Cannibal Corpse Kicks off East Coast Tour

2010-11-06T21:41:00.001Z

Cannibal Corpse recently issued an official statement regarding both the release of a new tab book and the kick-off of a series of new tour dates:

"Fans have been asking Cannibal Corpse how they play their songs for years. Finally, musicians and fans alike will now be able to see exactly how some of the most intense death metal is played in a new tab book from Cannibal Corpse! The new tab book, published by Hal Leonard, transcribes thirteen Cannibal Corpse fan favorites, including: "Devoured by Vermin," "Frantic Disembowelment," "I Will Kill You," "Make Them Suffer," "Pit of Zombies," "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead," "Vomit the Soul," "The Wretched Spawn," and more. If your local music store carries tab books and doesn't have this in stock – make sure to ask for it! Don't miss Cannibal Corpse on tour starting November 5th with Dying Fetus, Vital Remains, and Devourment!" (Read More)

PAIN Working on New Album

2010-11-05T21:21:00.001Z

Peter Tägtgren of the Swedish music project PAIN has issued the following update:

"What the hell is going on?! Well... It's been a while since the last update and we thought it was about time to let you in on a couple of things."

"The last couple of months every one of us has been pretty busy with anything but PAIN. As you may know Peter has been concentrating on Hypocrisy this year and recently came home from a successful tour in South America. David, who just got signed up with Zildjian, is working for Unique Pyrotechnic along with doing a lot of different stand-in club shows in Sweden. Johan became a dad in August (best wishes from us all), and the more time spent away from PAIN means the more time spent with his family. Michael is working with different side projects along with his work for Digidesign." (Read More)

Benevolent Posts Entire EP for Free Download

2010-11-04T22:09:00.000Z

Kuwait-based metal band Benevolent recently released their debut five-track EP, Divided. The album was recorded throughout 2010 at Sarj's Studio - one of the fastest growing recording studios in the Middle East. It was co-produced by Hadi Sarieddine and Sajid "Sarj" Masoud.

Divided is now available as a free download via Benevolent's Bandcamp page.

Fadi Sarieddine, Benevolent's co-founder and lead vocalist, commented on the recording process saying, "It was such a great experience! Just looking back at how these songs slowly came to life is such a great feeling! I really feel that we got to experience and learn so much about ourselves as musicians and as people through out this process...and it's just great to be on the other side with everything done. I hope that listeners enjoy this record as much as we enjoyed putting it together!" (Read More)

First-Week Sales for Triptykon's Shatter Revealed

2010-11-03T23:37:00.001Z

Shatter, the new five-track EP from Triptykon has sold roughly 500 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release. The CD sits at the No. 90 position on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists best-selling albums by new and developing artists (defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200). Shatter was released on October 25 in Europe and on October 26 in North America. The EP has a playing time of approximately 28 minutes and consists of almost entirely of previously unreleased music.

Triptykon was formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warror) - former singer, guitarist, and main songwriter for Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. The band also consists of V. Santura (guitar, vocals), Vanja Slajh (bass), and Norman Lonhard (drums, percussion). (Read More)

Iron Maiden: Around the World in 66 Days

2010-11-02T23:09:00.002Z

Heavy metal giants Iron Maiden have announced that they will once again take to the skies to tour the globe. The band will board Ed Force One in 2011 to continue their Final Frontier World Tour.

Today (November 2), at 6:00 PM GMT, the band revealed that they, their crew, and their massive amount of equipment would be travelling via the band's own Boeing 757 to a selection of concert destinations starting February 2011. Iron Maiden will fly 50,000 miles on their continuing tour, playing 29 shows and visiting 26 cities in 13 countries across 5 continents (with frontman Bruce Dickinson again in the pilot's seat, of course).

Dickinson commented on the tour in a statement on the band's official website:

"We were taken aback by the fantastic reaction from everyone to Ed Force One during the 2008/09 World Tour. As our fans all know from the Flight 666 film, which documented the trials and tribulations we underwent in order to get the whole project literally off the ground, the end result was well worth all the effort and complex logistics we had to deal with! The band and crew enjoyed themselves so much travelling that way, it seemed only logical to set up this part of The Final Frontier tour in the same way so we could get to see as many fans as possible all over the World, only this time we're pushing the boundaries even further and going to more places Maiden has never been before... in true Frontier style!! We very much look forward to playing in Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea for the first time, as well as revisiting our fans everywhere else.

"The set list will be different to this year's tour. Of course we will play more songs from the new album and some other recent material, but we will include a healthy dose of older fan favourites as we will be playing to so many new faces who we know will want to hear those songs live for the first time. We will cram into the plane as much of the production we used this year as is physically possible, including of course Eddie, and intend to replicate the spectacular light show in as many places as we are able. All in all it promises to be a fantastic trip for everyone!! So see you all soon." (Read More)

The Autumn Offering Break Up (or "Go on Hiatus")

2010-11-01T23:11:00.003Z

In a recent statement posted on The Autumn Offering's official MySpace page, vocalist Matt McChesney announced that the band plans to go on indefinite hiatus. He also revealed the possibility of the band breaking up permanently:

"Hey all. Due to Tommy [Church] leaving the band, as well as a million other things, we have decided to take a long break. Possibly just end it, depending on what happens. We haven't been dropped by our label or anything, we are just burnt out. There is no reason to go on and on with bullshit, we are all friends. All you guys know we love you. Personally, I wish everyone well, in whatever they choose to do. As for myself, I have a new band with Jesse Nunn. We will enter the studio next month with producer Logan Mader to start our new record. It's not going to be a metal band, as I am personally done with metal for awhile. I'm disgusted with the state of it, and I don't want to be a part of it..." (Read More)

10 Best Metal Halloween Songs

2010-10-31T19:58:00.001Z

In the spirit of the season, Noisecreep has put together a list of the best metal Halloween songs. Below are the songs that made the cut:

» Helloween - "Halloween" (from Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. One; 1987)

» The Misfits - "Halloween" (from Halloween single; 1981)

» King Diamond - "Halloween" (from Fatal Portrait; 1986)

» Entombed - "Left Hand Path" (from Left Hand Path; 1990)

» Alice Cooper - "Welcome to My Nightmare" (from Welcome to My Nightmare; 1975)

» Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath" (from Black Sabbath; 1970)

» Slayer - "Dead Skin Mask" (from Seasons in the Abyss; 1990)

» Dimmu Borgir - "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" (from Death Cult Armageddon; 2003)

» Iron Maiden - "Fear of the Dark" (from Fear of the Dark; 1992)

» Morbid Angel - "God of Emptiness" (from Covenant; 1993)

To read more about each track and to stream the music videos, visit the original Noisecreep article.

Insidead Signs with Massacre Records

2010-10-31T19:10:00.001Z

Insidead have officially signed on with Massacre Records. The Greek modern metallers will release their debut album, Chaos Elecdead, in late February of 2011. The album was produced in Germany by Roberto Dimitri Liapakis at Prophecy and Music Factory studios and was mixed and mastered by Liapakis and Christian Schmid. Cover art for the album was created by Meran Karanitant.

An official press release describes Chaos Elecdead as "a mixture of heavy, thrash, and deathcore elements with a modern touch that does neglect to include that warm and powerful feeling of the favorite music that we grew up with. Powerful yet broken riffs, using past and present inspirations, with melodic out brakes and solo parts that characterize this band as a fresh breath in the metal music scene. Insidead deliver strong compositions, played by their hands beginning to end and aspiring to blow you away."

Liapakis commented on the band's sound, saying: "Insidead are a breath of fresh air in the metal scene today as they tastefully combine classic heavy metal elements and modern ideas, keeping their playing real by recording all parts themselves note for note and producing the sound of the 21st century with a feeling in the vein of pure heavy metal."

Bassist Nick M added: "After years of hard work, both the timing and the people we worked with were right for us to find a label that can support our work and give us the stepping stone to present our music to a larger audience. We are grateful to our producer, R.D. Liapakis, and Massacre Records, whose faith in us was a reward by itself for the years of hard work and determination. We feel that the hardest part is to keep our consistency from now and prove they were right in believing in us."

Visit www.myspace.com/insidead for more information.

Exhumed Enters the Studio

2010-10-30T23:07:00.001+01:00

Gore-metal band Exhumed are currently in the studio recording a new album. It will be their first full-length release since 2003's Anatomy is Destiny.

Founder/vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey, guitarist Wes Caley, and bassist Leon DelMuerte are currently at Arcane Digital Recording in Arizona working with engineer Ryan Butler (Misery Index) to record vocals, bass and guitar tracks. Drummer Danny Walker previously laid down his drum tracks at Trench Studios with John Haddad (Abysmal Dawn, Intronaut). Mixing and mastering will be handled by Brian Elliott (Graves of Valor) at Mana Recording Studios (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Nile). (Read More)

Memorain Reveals New Album Details

2010-10-29T22:34:00.001+01:00

Thrash act Memorain has revealed both the artwork (pictured) and track listing for their upcoming album, Evolution. Slated for a 2011 release, the album's layout is as follows:

01. Nations on Fire
02 Where Hate Lies
03. The Break
04. Rules of Engagement
05. Destiny Found
06. A New Era
07. Methods of the Past
08. Death Shop
09. Circle
10. Power Out
11. Scratching the Surface
12. Misery

Memorain's current lineup includes includes Ilias Papadakis, Gene Hoglan (Fear Factory, ex-Dark Angel, ex-Strapping Young Lad), Steve Digiorgio (Sadus, ex-Death, ex-Testament), Ralph Santolla (Obituary, ex-Deicide, ex-Iced Earth), and Chris Valagao (Zimmers Hole, Mechanism).

There will also be a number of guest musicians appearing on Evolution, including David Ellefson, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Jeff Waters, Christian Wentz, Marc Pattison, Laura Christine, and Carlos E. Perez. (Read More)

Actor Christopher Lee to Make Guest Appearance on Re-recording of Manowar's Battle Hymns

2010-10-28T22:37:00.001+01:00

Legendary actor Christopher Lee, who has appeared in numerous cinematic successes such as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Man with the Golden Gun, and Dracula, is set to make a guest appearance on the re-recording of Manowar's 1982 debut album, Battle Hymns. The re-release is scheduled for release in 2011.

Commented the band: "He has played key parts in some of the biggest, most legendary movie franchises of all times. He has played kings, wizards, evil forces and shining knights. He is worshipped by movie and theatre fans all over the world. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is an accomplished singer of opera and metal as well. He has been knighted by the Queen of England and honored with numerous awards. And now, he is joining forces with The Kings Of Metal to rewrite heavy metal history: The legendary Sir Christopher Lee will be the narrating voice on "Dark Avenger" on Battle Hymns 2011!" (Read More)

Former Megadeth Guitarist Makes Guest Appearance on Gashead Single

2010-10-27T22:18:00.002+01:00

Guitarist Chris Poland makes a guest appearance on "Skeletal" - the latest digital single from Colorado metallers Gashead. Produced by Dave Beegle, the new track is available in two versions at GasheadMusic.com. The track can also be streamed via Blabbermouth.net.

In 2003, guitarist Mike Lopez started Gashead as an all instrumental one-off, releasing the album LandSpeedRecord that same year. By 2005, Knuckles Avec Sombreos had been released and critics found a lot to love. (Read More)

The Soulless to Enter the Studio in December

2010-10-27T21:22:00.000+01:00

Melodic death metallers The Soulless are set to begin recording a new album on December 15, 2010. The British act, who recently changed their name from Ignominious Incarceration, will record their new album at Outhouse Studios in Reading, England. The album will be produced by John Mitchell (who has worked with the likes of Funeral for a Friend, Architects, and Enter Shikari) and recording will run though to January 2011. The new album, which will be a follow-up to the band's 2009 release, Of Winter Born, is slated for an April 2011 release via Earache Records.

The Soulless frontman Andy Wardale commented on the band's return to the studio, saying: We couldn't be more excited about going into the studio. We were supposed to be going in in September, but because of the accident it had to be put back. So we've been waiting a long time to get in there! We have used our time well, however, to really tweak all the tracks and we are very happy with the result. We are also looking forward to working with the guys at Outhouse as we think they can really deliver the sound we want for this album."

"Everything we do will be recorded and so expect in-depth video updates of the recording process, showing clips of new material. We will also be putting up a video before we enter, showing our writing process and talking more extensively about the new style of music. Keep checking the updates and be excited!"

A recently released pre-production track titled "Earthbound" can be streamed via the band's MySpace page.

Desultory to Reissue Previous Albums

2010-10-26T23:04:00.001+01:00

Reunited Swedish death metallers Desultory are set to release deluxe editions of two of their previous full-length albums: Into Eternity and Bitterness. The albums, which were originally released via Metal Blade Records in 1993 and 1994 respectively, will be re-released via Pulverised Records. In commemoration of the two releases, both discs will be released together and include bonus tracks from three demos circa 1990-1991. Also, each album, originally produced by Tomas Skogsberg, will be remastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound Studio in Sweden.

Regarding this undertaking, Swanö said: "I've been remastering Desultory's demos and first two full lengths. The play time is more than 80 minutes! All the material has been restored to fit nicely together in the same playlist, and it's amazing how much a few small tweaks can change the overall sound from 'demo' to 'album.' A funny anecdote is that I 'forced' the band to go to the home of Tomas Skogsberg in the middle of nowhere and pick up the original DAT tapes of the demos. Maximum quality achieved!" (Read More)

Novembers Doom to Reissue The Knowing

2010-10-25T21:18:00.003+01:00

Chicago, Illinois progressive doom metal act Novembers Doom will be releasing a reissue of their 2000 album The Knowing. The 2-disc reissue is set to be released via The End Records on November 23.

Vocalist and fouding member Paul Kuhr commented on the impending release, saying:

"To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the release of The Knowing, The End Records is reissuing this long out of print album which is one of the most sought after in the Novembers Doom collection. We wanted to make the reissue something special, so we decided to completely remix and re-master it in order to enhance the overall sound. Being able to revisit these recordings in a studio setting also allowed us to fix a few mistakes which have stood out in our ears for 10 years." (Read More)

Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/Iron Maiden Supergroup to Record Single

2010-10-24T23:11:00.000+01:00

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan are set to record together once again - but this time they will do so with Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain and former Deep Purple pianist Jon Lord. The supergroup are set to record a single for an Armenian music school. Using the moniker Whocares, their first charity single will be titled "Out of My Mind."

In 1989, Iommi and Gillan were involved in the recording of the infamous Deep Purple track "Smoke on the Water." This song was later re-recorded in order to raise money for those affected by the Leninakan earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988. In October of 2009, the pair returned to Armenia to see how the funds raised had helped the local community. (Read More)

Dead by April Splits with Guitarist

2010-10-23T22:09:00.000+01:00

Dead by April have issued the following brief statement regarding their recent split with guitarist Johan Olsson:

"We are sad to see Johan leave and wish him all luck in the future. Johan leaving will not affect the UK tour we're on right now and it will not affect the upcoming album recordings."

In turn, Olsson posted his own statement about his departure from the band:

"We have had some differences and been going in different directions for a while and there's always a certain point you reach when you need to really decide if you can go forward together or not. So I have decided to leave Dead by April to focus mainly on my own music and bands. Also give time to my other projects like my clothing company Suckerpunch Clothing as well as of course my family and friends. It is every kid's dream to be a 'rockstar' and you always have to balance the good against the bad." (Read More)

Arjen Lucassen on Star One, Steve Lee, and Ayreon

2010-10-22T20:52:00.000+01:00

Netherlands-based guitarist and songwriter Arjen Lucassen recently finished the second album of his Star One project, which is scheduled for an October 26 release in the U.S. and a November 1 release in Europe. The progressive metaller has kept himself busy in the eight years between Space Metal and Victims of the Modern Age. Lucassen has written, recorded, and released several albums with Ayreon, Guilt Machine, Ambeon, and Stream of Passion and each of these projects has yeilded an array of musical styles which combine ample instrumentalist, vocalist, and musical talents. he man behind the helm of these projects took some time out for an interview with Metal Underground's Progressivity_In_All to discuss his musical ventures as well as the tragic death of Gotthard's Steve Lee, who had been a guest vocalist on the latest Ayreon album, 01011001. (Read More)

Kerry King to Perform with Megadeth Tonight

2010-10-21T20:14:00.005+01:00

Slayer axeman Kerry King is scheduled to perform alongside Megadeth on stage tonight (October 21) at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, California. They will collectively perform the Megadeth classic, "Rattlehead." Tonight's performance marks the second time King has performed the song with Megadeth. The first performance was 26 years ago, in February 1984, during which time King played as the band's second guitarist.

Tonight's performance is part of the final show for the Jägermeister Music Tour, which features 1991's original Clash of the Titans lineup: Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.

During an interview with Decibel magazine in 2006, both Slayer guitarists - King and Jeff Hanneman - discussed King's decision to play with Megadeth over 20 years ago:

Hanneman: "I thought [Kerry] was an ass for doing that. [laughs] I remember talking to Tom [Araya] about it, like, 'I guess we're gonna get a new guitar player.' I thought he was kissing Dave's [Mustaine] ass or something, and I thought it was kinda fucked up. I think he was gonna join. Kerry will probably tell you something different, but why do that if you're not thinking about joining? I'm a loyalist, you know, and I thought Slayer was the best thing going. Why go hang out with somebody else? If Dave would've asked me to do it, I would've told him to fuck off."

King: "I did it because I admired Mustaine — I'd seen him play with Metallica. He'd be up there drunk off his ass, just ripping, not even looking at his fingers. Me and Jeff didn't know how to do that yet. [laughs] When he got kicked out and was sniffing around for a guitarist, I figured I'd do it because I thought I would learn something. The other guys in Slayer were probably unhappy, but we weren't really known back then, and the way I looked at it was that if people saw me playing in Dave's band, it'd be more publicity for Slayer. Now you look back and you think 'supergroup,' but back then, absolutely not. I played their first five shows, and then I was like, 'Man, this is taking too much of my time.' I can't speak for Dave, but I don't think he would've been unhappy if I stuck around."

Below is a video featuring former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson discussing King's time with Megadeth. Also below is footage from the 1984 performance of "Rattlehead." An image from Megadeth's official Twitter feed is included as well.

Conducting from the Grave Offers New Song for Streaming

2010-10-21T19:46:00.003+01:00

Melodic metallers Conducting from the Grave will release their new album, Revenants, on October 25. The Sacramento, California quintet has teamed up with Lambgoat to debut the new track "Unholiest of Nightmares" (which can be streamed via this location).

Guitarist Jeff Morgan commented on the new track saying: "The track, 'Unholiest of Nightmares,' is my personal favorite on our new album Revenants. It has a little of everything that represents our style from classic CFTG thrash style riffing to pretty melodic parts, as well as crushing heaviness. The track does a good job of representing a fairly comprehensive musical picture of the band. We have been playing it most nights on the current tour [the Time to Bleed Tour with Suicide Silence]. So far it's been going over great, as well as has the rest of the new material we've been playing." (Read More)

Silent Civilian Parts Ways with Guitarist

2010-10-20T22:49:00.003+01:00

Former Silent Civilian guitarist Dave Delacruz has issued an official statement regarding his recent departure from the Los Angeles, California-based metalcore band:

"As much as it was a difficult decision, it was the right decision. We made some great music and I was very happy to contribute to writing 50% percent of Ghost Stories. I will now be putting all of my attention to my Orange County, California-based band Unveil The Strength. Unveil The Strength is a much more 'melodic' band in a sense. It's a bit slower at times but has its fast, dark, and heavy side with blistering guitar work. Every song tells a story in which most can relate to. (Read More)

Kamelot Guitarist Discusses New Album and Cancelled Tour

2010-10-19T21:52:00.004+01:00

The past few months have brought mixed luck for U.S. power metallers Kamelot, The band has achieved some of their highest chart positions thanks to their latest album, Poetry for the Poisoned. However, they also found themselves being forced to cancel a North American tour due to vocalist Roy Khan's health issues. Not long after the cancellation of the tour, Metal Underground's xFiruath caught up with guitarist Thomas Youngblood and chatted about the new album as well as Kamelot's plans for the future.

With regards to how Poetry for the Poisoned advances Kamelot's sound, Youngblood said, "I guess you could say, in my opinion, the new record is a bit more progressive and maybe more diverse. It’s another Kamelot album, another step in the direction we want to go in. With this album the direction we wanted to go was a little more progressive and darker. I think we achieved that." He then when on to discuss the band's brief attempt at continuing their ill-fated tour with Circus Maximus vocalist Michael Eriksen and working with Elize Ryd of Amaranthe.

xFiruath: Let’s jump right into the new album Poetry for the Poisoned. Tell me about this album and how it came together.

Thomas: Since Ghost Opera we'd been doing a lot of touring. We had some time off in between the touring parts so we started working on the new record. I guess you could say, in my opinion, the new record is a bit more progressive and maybe more diverse. It's another Kamelot album, another step in the direction we want to go in. With this album the direction we wanted to go was a little more progressive and darker. I think we achieved that. (Read More)

Primordial Issues Lengthly Statement on Decision to Bring Back Drummer Simon O'Laoghaire

2010-10-18T23:53:00.000+01:00

Irish dark metal act Primordial has issued a statement regarding the band's recent decision to reunite with drummer Simon O'Laoghaire. The band had kicked O'Laoghaire out last June. Primordial vocalist Alan Averill commented by saying:

"It's been a while since my last confession.

"Joking aside, it really has been a long time since our last transmission and the reasons are manifold and really pretty simple.

"This has been one of the most tumultuous years in the band since the mid-Nineties. The wheels very nearly came clean off, so where do I start?!

"We can't go any further without clearing up the drummer situation. Truth is, we had an incident in Greece that if you follow or know anything about the band has been well documented, so we won't go into again. Simon had some real problems that night." (Read More)

Marty Friedman Launces Japanese Record Label

2010-10-18T23:22:00.001+01:00

Marty Friedman recently made two very public business moves. The former Megadeth guitarist not only created a new record label, Gokukara Records, he's also heading it up as well.

Since Gokukara Records is a subsidary of Japanese label giant Avex, all of Fridman's solo releases will continue to be with Avex. However, new artist that the guitarist choses to work with will be released via Gokukara.

A nationwide search will determine the first release for Gokukara. The search will be conducted through NicoNico Douga, which is Japan's more interactive version of YouTube. Given that the number of entratnts is already remarkably high, only

NicoNico Douga community members will be able to create videos for consideration.

Entrants living outside of Japan are also permitted to create video entires, but said entratnts must be able to use a computer in Japanese. That being said, it is possible that access to NicoNico Douga may be limited outside of Japan (depending on the territory).

Currently, Gokukara is a domestic label, meaning all information found on Gokukara Records' website as well as NicoNico Douga is presented in Japanese.

More information (in Japanese only) can be found here: http://binylrecords.com/martyp

Pathology Guitarist Quits Band Mid-Tour

2010-10-17T23:34:00.000+01:00

Dave Astor, drummer for the San Diego, California death metal act Pathology has issued the following statement through the band's official Myspace page:

"We regret to say that we are forced to miss the last two weeks of the Immolation/Vader US tour. At the show in Los Angeles our guitarist Tim Tiszczenko decided he no longer wants to be a part of Pathology. Tim has been with me for almost 5 years, so having him quit like this is a big disappointment and shock. He basically cannot handle life on the road so he has to leave the band mid-tour despite us requesting him to complete the dates through year's end.

"In addition, many of you know we have been touring in support of Legacy of the Ancients with different fill-in singers waiting for Matti Way to clear some personal issues and join us on the road but it is becoming more and more evident that he just can't commit to the live activity we have planned." (Read More)

Lemmy Documentary to Receive DVD Release in January 2011

2010-10-16T18:46:00.001+01:00

Lemmy is set to receive its U.K. premiere in the headline 9:00 PM slot at NFT1 on October 23. Following this, the long-awaited documentary, which follows the life of Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, will be run in selected cinemas throughout the U.K. starting December 3. In addition, Lemmy directors/producers Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski are slated to participate in a panel discussion called I'm with the Band on October 24 from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM in the Delegate Centre at BFI South Bank.

Lemmy is scheduled for release on DVD via Entertainment One on January 24, 2011. The film premiered in the U.S. in March 2010 during the South by Southwest festival at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. (Read More)

Extreme O.D. Recruits New Guitarist

2010-10-15T23:43:00.002+01:00

U.K.-based act Extreme O.D. has issued the following update about the band's activity and recruiting a new guitarist:

"Hey dudes, I thought its about time I posted a much needed update! Following our appearance at this years Bloodstock Festival we are delighted to announce a management/development deal with Rocksector Records. This in turn led onto some successful support slots with the awesome UK metal band that is Beholder. We had an amazing time gigging with these guys and you can see us in their tour diary video here.

"Kieron [Berry] left the band in September. He will be focusing on another project, we wish him the best of luck with this. Last week on October 9th our good friends Enemo J played a brutal set supporting the almighty Korn at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Katie [Cairns] performed guest vocals on the track she recorded with them for their upcoming album. (Read More)

Slowmotion Apocalypse Issues Update Concerning Health of Guitarist

2010-10-14T22:56:00.002+01:00

Melodic death metallers Slowmotion Apocalypse have issued an official update on the health of guitarist Nicolas Milanese, who was diagnosed with leukemia:

"Good news! We can finally say welcome back home Nicolas! After seven months of hospitalization due to acute leukemia, past treatment and after performing a bone marrow transplant, Nicolas is home again and is already working to resume playing and will continue to gradually undergo visits periodic monitoring. The good news is two, in fact, since there could promote Mothra with a live tour, we decided to stay close to those who feel our lack making available all the new merchandise at discounted prices at MySpace. Thank you all." (Read More)

Candlemass Bassists Comments on Plans to Perform Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in its Entirety

2010-10-13T22:43:00.001+01:00

Leif Edling, bassist of the Swedish doom metal act Candlemass, recently released an official statement regarding the band's announcement to perform its iconic album, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, in its entirety at the Roadburn 2011 Festival:

"Candlemass is on for Roadburn 2011! I'm very happy! Not only for the chance to redeem ourselves, it is still our 25th anniversary, for god's sake!

"A black piece of vinyl called Epicus Doomicus Metallicus came out almost exactly 25 years ago, and it will be a bonechilling event for us all...to play the whole shit live at Roadburn! Can't wait!" (Read More)