Behind-the-scenes video footage of the making of the cover artwork for "13", the first BLACK SABBATH record in 35 years to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together, can be seen below. The CD is due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic. This marks BLACK SABBATH's return to Vertigo, their original label, and the group's first studio album together since 1978's "Never Say Die!"
Details of the album's deluxe edition surfaced on April 19, with the band revealing that the eight-song effort will be accompanied by three bonus tracks called "Methademic", "Peace Of Mind" and "Pariah".
Several versions of "13" are available for pre-order, including a standard CD, a double CD that includes a second disc of exclusive bonus audio, a heavyweight vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve and a "Super Deluxe Box Set" containing the double CD, the vinyl album, an exclusive DVD documentary on the band's reunion, 13 photographic prints and hand-written lyrics.
"13" track listing:
01. End Of The Beginning (8:05) 02. God Is Dead? (8:52) 03. Loner (4:59) 04. Zeitgeist (4:37) 05. Age Of Reason (7:01) 06. Live Forever (4:46) 07. Damaged Soul (7:51) 08. Dear Father (7:20)
Deluxe-edition bonus tracks:
09. Methademic (5:57) 10. Peace Of Mind (3:40) 11. Pariah (5:34)
Total running time (with bonus tracks): 68 minutes, 42 seconds
The drum tracks on the album were laid down by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE sticksman Brad Wilk following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the reunion.
Scott Kara of The New Zealand Herald has written a track-by-track review of "13". Check it out at this location.
Osbourne went on the BBC in England to discuss the band's new single, "God Is Dead?" and the inspiration behind the track. Ozzy explained, "I was in somebody's office and there was a magazine on a table and it just said, 'God Is Dead', and I suddenly thought about 9/11 and all these terrorist things and religion and how many people have died in the name of religion. When you think about the tragedy that's happened throughout time, it just came in my head. You'd think by now that their God would have stopped people dying in the name of, so I just starting thinking that people must be thinking, 'Where is God? God is dead' and it just hit me."
Ozzy added that the question mark at the end of the title is his way of showing that he's not sure about the answer himself, saying, "At the end of the thing, there's still a bit of hope because there I sing that I don't believe that God is dead. It's just a question of when you see so many dreadful people killing each other with bombs, and blowing the tube trains up and the World Trade Center."
Ozzy told an Australian radio station that "13" is "mind-blowing," adding, "It's better than my wildest dreams; it's so good."
SABBATH kicked off its world tour in support of "13" on April 20 in Auckland.
The Front Row Report conducted an interview with KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu on May 17 at the Rock On The Range festival at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now watch the chat below.
KORN played its first full concert since 2005 with guitarist Brian "Head" Welch in the lineup on Wednesday night (May 15) in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, where the group kicked off a string of spring North American dates. Welch joined the group onstage for one song last year at the Carolina Rebellion festival, sparking rumors that more shows together and even a full reunion were in the pipeline. The band has also just finished recording its first studio set with Welch since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror".
Asked how he felt about the hitting the stage again with Welch for a full show after being apart for so long, Fieldy said: "[I felt] excitement. Excitement, but in a different way. Because a lot of times when I feel excited, I kind of feel nauseous; I don't really know what to do with it. But I was excited with contentment. I knew it was gonna be good, I knew it was gonna be how it used to be, so there was no insecurity in my being excited. So it was a different emotion than I've ever had."
Fieldy also spoke about the upcoming KORN album, due out in late summer, which will follow up 2011's "The Path Of Totality", a record that found the group experimenting with dubstep.
"I guess we were just going in knowing this time that we were gonna be doing what we do, what KORN does," the bassist said. "And it probably [turned out to be] the easiest [album to make], but the most challenging too. Because you've gotta just try to be ourselves and just do what we do. And it came out as probably the best KORN CD that we've ever done."
Wednesday night's 21-song set drew heavily from the band's early years.
KORN has used a variety of touring guitarists since Welch's departure, without ever permanently replacing him.
Welch left KORN in 2005 to embrace Christianity and embark on a solo career.
On May 14, AndrewHaug.com, Australia's first-ever dedicated 24/7 rock and metal online radio station launched by Andrew Haug, the former host of Triple J Australia's "The Racket" radio show (originally "Full Metal Racket"; 2001-2011), conducted an interview with vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey of British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.
As previously reported, Dani has completed work on a poetry book, "Across The River Bedlam", for release later in the year. The book, which will contain "poems that [Dani has] written from time to time over the years," will include illustrations by Sam Araya, the artist responsible for CRADLE OF FILTH's "Thornography" and "Harder, Darker, Faster" releases as well as various COF t-shirt designs.
Artwork that will be included in the book can be found at this location.
In other news, CRADLE OF FILTH is working on an adult comic book, the story for which has been scripted by the comic writer Kurt Amacker (with assistance from Dani Filth). Several artists are in the process of mocking up some example pages for the prospective publishers. Dani states: "I am very excited about this venture, as it promises to be a very adult story woven straight from the CRADLE OF FILTH universe, featuring a liberated Oscar Wilde, the Demoness Lilith, nefarious sexual magickal practices and an errant Suffolk Lord who is in the unenviable process of being charged under 19th-century blasphemy laws, discovering himself engaged in a nightmarish occult netherworld."
CRADLE OF FILTH's tenth studio album, "The Manticore And Other Horrors", sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous full-length effort, "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa", opened with 5,800 units in November 2010 to land at No. 99.
Beyond The Watch recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Beyond The Watch: You guys are set to release your eighth studio album, "Halo Of Blood" (via Nuclear Blast on June 11). Can you tell us a little bit about the record and what went into the making of the album?
Alexi: I started writing, I think, last September maybe, when we got off the road. I took a month off or something and I started writing and then we went hit the studio late December and the whole thing was mixed and mastered by the end of February.
Beyond The Watch: You guys seem to have reverted back to some familiar old sounds that have a very "Hate Crew Deathroll" vibe. Was it your goal to try and bring your sound back to that era of CHILDREN OF BODOM? Especially having Mikko Karmila as your recording engineer on "Halo Of Blood" (who worked on "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper", "Hate Crew Deathroll")?
Alexi: No, actually we never actually plan stuff ahead. We never talk about what we should sound like or what we should do next. When I start writing music, I just clear my head let go of everything and just kind of let it flow. To me, it's the only way to write music — just let everything come out spontaneously; that's how you keep it fresh and genuine. 'Cause I think that it needs to sound that it came straight from your heart as opposed to trying to please everyone.
Beyond The Watch: How does "Halo Of Blood" compare to CHILDREN OF BODOM's discography? What's different about this new album compared to the rest?
Alexi: I would say it's more diverse, 'cause it's got the old-school CHILDREN OF BODOM vibe, but also a lot of new shit in it too. Some songs are very different from anything we have done in the past, like the title track — that's the fastest song in the history of the band — and we got a track like "Dead Man's Hand On You", which is the slowest song we've ever done. It's different on almost every single level from anything we've done before. So there's stuff like that in there that makes it different. Diversity, you know.
ANTHRAX's Frank Bello took part in a bass clinic on May 13 in San Isidro, a residential suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.
Asked about his increased number of clinic tour dates in recent years, Bello told Legendary Rock Interviews: "Man, I just love doing those things. Man, I don't know why, but it really appeals to me to get out there and talk and show some things to kids or adults or anyone who's just really interested in learning bass or getting into music. It honestly feels good to go and do stuff like that and I can't emphasize that enough."
ANTHRAX's May 10 concert at Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, Chile was professionally filmed for a live DVD. The show consisted of a special extended set featuring tracks from the band's whole catalog.
SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais, who has been touring with ANTHRAX since Rob Caggiano's departure in January, handled the lead-guitar parts at the Santiago show.
ANTHRAX has just completed the "Metal Alliance Tour", which also featured EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and HOLY GRAIL.
"Anthems", ANTHRAX's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band's favorite acts from the 1970s, sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 52 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast).
A teaser for "Honor Never Dies", the new video from Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED, can be seen below. The full clip will make its online debut on Monday, May 20. The song comes off the band's latest album, "The Divinity Of Purpose", which sold 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous, self-titled CD opened with 15,000 units back in 2009 to enter the chart at No. 37.
HATEBREED's "Supremacy" album premiered with around 27,000 copies in September 2006 to land at No. 31. This number was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Rise Of Brutality", which shifted more than 32,000 copies in November 2003 to debut at No. 30.
HATEBREED's covers album, entitled "For The Lions", sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in May 2009 to debut at position No. 58 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"The Divinity Of Purpose" was released on January 29 in North America via Razor & Tie and on January 25 in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The CD was co-produced by HATEBREED, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL) and Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), with Wilbur also handling mixing duties. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR) and can be seen below.
Last night (Saturday, May 18), the three non-singing members of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS made their first public appearance since firing vocalist Scott Weiland at the 2013 KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, California, where they were joined on stage by LINKIN PARK frontman Chester Bennington. The group played a surprise set during the event and also took the opportunity to debut a new track called "Out Of Time".
A teaser video featuring Bennington in the studio with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS can be seen below. Also available is a full-song stream of "Out Of Time".
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS guitarist Dean DeLeo told KROQ: "Chester has a one-of-a-kind voice that we've admired for a long time. We know LINKIN PARK will always be his priority, but we thought it would be cool to try something together. We managed to find the time to record a song and we're all really happy with the result."
Added Bennington: "I've loved STP since I was 13 years old and they've had a huge influence on me. When the opportunity came up to do something creative with them, I jumped at the chance. The guys in LINKIN PARK have been incredibly supportive of me undertaking this project while I've continued to work on new music with LP."
STP officially fired Weiland in February after weeks of rumors about his status, issuing a terse statement that read, "STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland." No further details have since revealed.
This was the second time that the band has parted ways with its often troubled frontman, following a split in 2002.
Weiland, who was about to launch a solo tour at the time of his dismissal, denied at first that he had been fired, saying that STONE TEMPLE PILOTS legally could not exist or use that name without all four members of the group in the lineup.
He reiterated that view during an interview with a Nevada radio station, saying, "I started the band . . . there's things in place, like certain clauses that are in place that keep that from happening."
On March 25, HeavyMetalArtwork.com conducted an interview with Austrian/Greek symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS in London, England. You can now watch the chat below.
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS released its new album, "Ethera", on March 22 via Napalm Records. The CD was produced and mixed by Frank Pitters and Jakob Grabmayr at the Wildonemusic Studios. The mastering duties were handled by Mika Jussila at Finnvox in Helsinki, Finland.
Regarding the new album title, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS said, "'Ethera' is a word mix out of 'ether' as the quintessence of this band, the energy between the five band members, the fifth album and 'era,' leading VISIONS OF ATLANTIS to some new and interesting musical and lyrical shores while still remaining typically VISIONS OF ATLANTIS!"
"Ethera" track listing:
01. The Ark 02. Machinage 03. Avatara 04. Vicious Circle 05. Hypnotized 06. Tlaluc's Grace 07. Burden Of Divinity 08. Cave Behind The Waterfall 09. A.E.O.N. 19th 10. Bestiality Vs. Integrity 11. Clerics Emotion
A preview of the new album is available in the YouTube clip below.
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS' "Maria Magdelena" EP was released in October 2011.
Louder Than Hell recently conducted an interview with vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
NAPALM DEATH is currently taking part in Decibel magazine's second annual national tour alongside the preeminent gore institution CANNIBAL CORPSE and New York death metal stalwarts IMMOLATION.
NAPALM DEATH's latest album, "Utilitarian", sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 14 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
NAPALM DEATH's previous album, 2009's "Time Waits For No Slave", opened with around 1,800 units to land at No. 19 on the Heatseekers chart.
"Utilitarian" was released on February 27, 2012 in Europe and February 28, 2012 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.
Neuweltmusic conducted an interview with New York death metal veterans SUFFOCATION on May 16 at The Pint in Dublin, Ireland You can now watch the chat below.
SUFFOCATION has recruited John Gallagher (DYING FETUS) to handle lead vocals on a number of shows this spring. Gallagher is filling in for SUFFOCATION's regular vocalist, Frank Mullen, who is unable to make the dates due to personal commitments.
"I'm stoked to be performing on several shows with longtime friends and my brothers in metal, SUFFOCATION," said Gallagher a couple of monts back. "It's going to be a blast and since I'll JUST be singing the vocals, they are going to be super sick and guttural. So make sure to come out and party with us and witness the brutality!"
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam", the new album from SUFFOCATION, has entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 58. The CD was released on February 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was handled this time around by Raymond Swanland and can be found below.
As previousy reported, "Pinnacle Of Bedlam"sold 3,200 copies in the United States during its first week of release to land at position No. 152 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" was produced by the band at Full Force Studios in New York with longtime collaborator Joe Cincotta. The mixing and mastering of the effort was handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, ARSIS, SUICIDE SILENCE).
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" features 10 genre-defining-bone-crushing tracks and also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who previously played on the "Despise The Sun" EP. Founding member and former drummer Mike Smith also makes a special guest appearance on the re-recorded "Breeding The Spawn" track "Beginning Of Sorrow".
Louder Than Hell recently conducted an interview with bassist Jerry Montano (HELLYEAH, DANZIG, NOTHINGFACE) about DEATH DIVISION, his new band also featuring drummer Tim Yeung (MORBID ANGEL, DIVINE HERESY, HATE ETERNAL, NILE), vocalist/guitarist Sean De La Tour and lead guitarist Rick Di Marco. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
DEATH DIVISION has been confirmed for this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are headliners MEGADETH, along with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HELLYEAH, DEVICE and NEWSTED.
DEATH DIVISION is managed by Dave Mustaine's son, Justis Mustaine.
In a recent interview with the Colorado Springs, Colorado radio station 94.3 KILO, Mustaine stated about DEATH DIVISION: "One band that I did hear recently that I really liked was the opening band on Gigantour. It's an unknown band. The bass player from DANZIG and the drummer from MORBID ANGEL formed this band called DEATH DIVISION. And they're opening up Gigantour. My son manages them and if Tradecraft [Mustaine's label imprint] could sign anybody, I would sign them. They're that good. When I heard them, I said, 'Well, who's their label?' And Justis said they don't have a label. And I said, 'Really? Well, you know what? They can open Gigantour if they want to.' And they're on it. And the band's got one of the best guitar players I've heard in a very, very, very long time."
DEATH DIVISION has been working with Carin Cronacher of Hazmat Design (OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER) on the group's official logo and artwork.
For more information, visit the DEATH DIVISIONFacebook page.
CBS8.com has uploaded a three-minute video report on AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis's bail review hearing, which took place yesterday afternoon (Friday, May 17) in Vista Superior Court in Vista, California. Check it out below.
Lambesis, who was charged last week with trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife, had his bail lowered from $3 million to $2 million.
Lambesis, who has said he considers himself to be a Christian and acknowledges that he finds inspiration for lyrical content from biblical texts, was arrested on May 7 in an Oceanside, California bookstore. He faces nine years in state prison if convicted.
Prosecutors initially requested that Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis' bail at $20 million, saying the singer remains "substantially motivated to kill his wife."
During yesterday hearing — which was initially scheduled for 1:30 p.m. but was postponed to 3:00 p.m. — the singer's defense attorney, Tom Warwick, blamed Lambesis' steroid use for the alleged murder-for-hire plot. He also revealed that Lambesis is going through steroid withdrawal while in custody.
Lambesis' family is unable to make bail, so he will remain in jail, Warwick said. The lawyer had asked for bail of $250,000.
According to NBC San Diego, Lambesis' attorney said the "gym culture" led to "changes in [the singer's] physiological and mental status," with Tim's bodybuilding obsession causing him to go from 170 to 220 pounds after first taking supplements, then steroids. "[He] was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God."
Lambesis is now said to be off steroids, going through withdrawal, and in total isolation in jail for protection from other inmates. He’s also getting personal counseling from a jail chaplain.
"It has been a terrible tragedy," Warwick said. "He was a very caring, gentle man [before taking steroids] and we need to get him back."
Prosecutors allege Lambesis had twice told a man at a gym that he wanted his wife killed, then met with an undercover detective known as "Red", and gave the agent an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, photographs of his wife, and the security gate code to her house. He also allegedly told the agent the dates he would be with the couple's three adopted children, in order to give himself an alibi.
"When specifically asked do you want her dead, he said, 'Yes that's exactly what I want,'" Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso told the judge. "The victim now is terrified and living in seclusion."
In court on Friday, Grasso said that Lambesis did not flinch when told the hit on his wife would cost $20,000. "He was very willing to pay that," she said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Lambesis, who was originally booked into jail on suspicion of two felonies — conspiracy and murder-for-hire — was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and turn in his passport and was warned by the judge that, if he is released from jail, he must stay away from his immediate family. The conspiracy charge was dropped before Lambesis was arraigned.
Lambesis' wife, Meggan, filed papers in September 2012 in San Diego Superior Court seeking a dissolution of the couple's marriage.
Jon "Fatguy" Marté of the Alabama radio station WVNA-FM (105.5 FM) conducted an interview with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor earlier today (Saturday, May 18) at the Rock On The Range festival at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of STONE SOUR's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", sold 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 9 via Roadrunner
The "House Of Gold & Bones" albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.
STONE SOUR has issued a new music video for "Do Me A Favor", the first official single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2". A four-issue comic book series adapted from singer Corey Taylor's story is coming out this spring, with the first issue having arrived on shelves on April 17 and the second one due later this month.
Brazilian metallers EMINENCE will release their fourth full-length album, "The Stalker", in August. The artwork for the CD, which includes a guest appearance by SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., was created by Viktor Koen. The effort was produced by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN).
"The Stalker" track listing:
01. Self Rejection 02. Unfold 03. 3 Times 6 04. Atmosphere (intro) 05. Veins Of Memories 06. The Stalker 07. Eyetricity 08. Satellite (intro) 09. Critical Path 10. No Code 11. Visions Of Hate
A trailer for the CD can be seen below.
EMINENCE made its U.S. live debut last October aboard The Star of Palm Beach at Pier 40, West Houston St. at West Side Highway, in New York City.
EMINENCE's moat recent CD, "The God Of All Mistakes", was released in March 2008 via Locomotive Records.
EMINENCE is:
Alan Wallace - Guitar Bruno Paraguay - Vocals Andre Marcio - Drums Thiago Correa - Bass
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed for the cover story in the June 2013 issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Metal Hammer: Is there a tiny part of you that enjoys provocation?
Mustaine: No, I don't say things to get a reaction. The stuff that I write about is important to me. Some of the subjects on "Peace Sells…" are still relevant, particularly environmental issues. And the personal stuff is relevant. I've written songs about loss and pain — everyone goes through that so, no, I'm not being provocative. We actually have fun songs too. If you're pissed off, the title track on "Super Collider" or "Symphony Of Destruction" might make you feel better.
Metal Hammer: Your mischievous sense of humour and interview rhetoric seems like it has always bordered on the self-destructive?
Mustaine: Yeah, and it doesn't translate well, does it? Probably the biggest thing that has harmed my career is being misunderstood, but is it better to be understood or to understand? I understand much more now, so I'm less inclined to be preaching or complaining about being misquoted now. There are people who love me and people who don't, but everyone's entitled. I have love in my heart for both. I don't get mad about the people who dislike me. You can get obsessed with that. Someone doesn't like me? Tough shit for me!
Metal Hammer: You seem fairly approachable today.
Mustaine: I am approachable! But I have a terrible reputation. There was a guy who used to manage me, and when we had a falling out, I think he started rumours about me being difficult. But we became friends again, and reconciled. And that was all part of a process of reconciliation, including with METALLICA and [MEGADETH bassist David] Ellefson, too. And do you know what? When that happened, my injured arm and injured thumb started working again. Crazy, huh?
You can purchase a copy of the magazine at this location.
