BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne performed this past Saturday night (May 18) at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's "An Evening With Women" fundraiser at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Kathy Griffin emceed the event, which consisted of a cocktail reception, dinner, auction and performances by some of the biggest names in the industry.
Joining Ozzy on stage at "An Evening With Women" were guitarists Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Billy Morrison (CAMP FREDDY), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and drummer Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH). Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
All proceeds from the event, produced by Linda Perry, benefit the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's services for women and girls.
British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST have announced a four-date U.K. tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Support on the trek will come from Italian hevy rockers LACUNA COIL.
Commented PARADISE LOST vocalist Nick Holmes: "25 years is a long time. On the surface, we may look ramshackled, but playing music for so many years has kept us young in our hearts and I truly believe that a youthful spirit is one of the greatest things you can't buy in a pub.
"We have written many albums, played many concerts; we are older and not really any wiser, but there is a strong possibility we may play a song you thought we never would. So please come along and join the celebrations with us, including our biggest U.K. headline show to date!"
Added LACUNA COIL vocalist Cristina Scabbia: "PARADISE LOST were in between the bands that strongly influenced me as a singer, when I started my career with LACUNA COIL, so it is just awesome for me to realize we'll share the stage with them on this upcoming tour. I am sure that the dark vibe coming from the stage will totally embrace old school and new fans making it an event you absolutely CAN'T miss! Boy, I can't wait!!!"
Tickets go on pre-sale Wednesday, May 22 and on general sale Friday, May 24. In addition, there will be a special VIP package available to buy (limited to 25 per venue) which includes:
* An exclusive deluxe box containing 2 engraved beer glasses featuring all the band's album titles and crown of thorns logo. * Exclusive VIP-only t-shirt with artwork from the forthcoming "Tragic Illusion" album. * A 180-gram vinyl copy of the reissued landmark "Gothic" album, personally signed by all the band members. * Crown of Thorns tote bag * VIP lanyard and laminate allowing you access to the show * Early access to the show * Meet-and-greet with the band * Photo opportunity with the band (please bring your own camera)
KornRow conducted an interview with KORN guitarists James "Munky" Shaffer and Brian "Head" Welch at this year's Rock On The Range festival, which took place May 17-19 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now watch the chat below.
KORN recently completed work on its 11th studio CD and first with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch back in the fold since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror".
Speaking to Loudwire, Welch stated about the songwriting process for the new KORN album, "It was effortless. It just kind of fell into place and it was better than before."
Asked how much involvement Welch has had in the creative process so far, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer said: "He had a huge role in everything. This guy is the melody-chorus master. He's the best. He can come up with melodies and choruses all day long and that was a huge help for me, 'cause for a long time I was trying to come up with choruses and verses and wrangle the whole thing. It's been so much work and for him to come in and have these fresh ideas, it's just been so refreshing."
Added Welch: "And it goes both ways, because I came in and then we started, but it was… Like, my favorite song on the album is one that [Munky] came up with. I'm a fan of his writing, he's a fan of my writing, and it all just works great."
Welch left KORN in 2005 to pursue a solo career and devote more of his life to Christianity, but rejoined them for one gig last year and several more in 2013, leading to plans to record together again.
Welch told Rolling Stone, "We knew we would have a blast playing together, because we love each other so much, but we really wanted to make sure the music felt right before we committed to making a whole album together. But since we got in the studio, everything just started pouring out, now I can't wait until our fans hear this stuff!"
The new KORN set is due out in late summer and will follow up 2011's "The Path Of Totality", which found the group experimenting with dubstep.
The new record will feature four-fifths of the original KORN lineup, with only founding drummer David Silveria not on board.
KORN played its first full show in eight years with Welch on May 15 at Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. Welch first appeared onstage with them for one song at last year's Carolina Rebellion festival.
DJ Fio conducted an interview with Mr. Lordi of Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI on the May 1 episode of the "European Metal Show" radio show on Insane Realm Radio. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud player below.
LORDI's new album, "To Beast Or Not To Beast", was released on March 1 in Europe (excluding Finland) via AFM Records. The CD was made available in North America on March 19 through The End Records.
"To Beast Or Not To Beast" has registered the following first-week chart positions:
Finland: #8 Germany: #56 Switzerland: # 95
"To Beast Or Not To Beast" was recorded last fall at WireWorld Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with renowned producer Michael Wagener (METALLICA, OZZY OSBOURNE, SKID ROW, DOKKEN, RAVEN, MEGADETH). The CD marks the recording debut of LORDI's new members, keyboardist Hella (replacing Awa) and drummer Mana (replacing Otus).
"The road to this album has truly been paved by hardships," LORDI leader Mr. Lordi says. "However, the new lineup of the band has given us new and fresh touch and an energetic edge to the recording process, and to the album itself."
He added: "The album cover painting is actually a part of a larger picture. The original artwork had this vintage-styled lady holding a horned skull, which, however, was not the main point of the art piece. There was something not quite right with the setting, so I made experiments with various versions and framings. Album title was 'Upgradead' at that point in time, and the painting was done with that title in mind. But now, with a changed concept of the artwork, the title did not seem to fit anymore. We did not consider it an A-class name either. Our guitarist Amen came up with the final title, which we felt suitable and perfect both for the cover artwork and the album."
"To Beast Or Not To Beast" track listing:
01. We're Not Bad For The Kids (We're Worse) 02. I Luv Ugly 03. The Riff 04. Something Wicked This Way Comes 05. I'm The Best 06. Horrifiction 07. Happy New Fear 08. Schizo Doll 09. Candy For The Cannibal 10. Sincerely With Love 11. SCG6: Otus' Butcher Clinic
LORDI previously worked with Wagener on 2010's "Babez For Breakfast", which sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 43 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.
ASHES OF ARES, the new band featuring Matt Barlow (ex-ICED EARTH), Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE) and Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH), made its live debut this past Friday, May 17 at the Rock Hard Festival at Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
ASHES OF ARES is:
Matthew Barlow - Vocals Freddie Vidales - Guitar/Bass Van Williams - Drums Gio Geraca - Guitar (session/touring member only) Dean Sternberg - Bass (session/touring member only)
ASHES OF ARES earlier in the year inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's debut album is being recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida with legendary producer Jim Morris (ICED EARTH, OBITUARY, JON OLIVA'S PAIN, JAG PANZER) for a late summer/early fall release.
ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of its founding members. Within months of their departures from the iconic metal bands ICED EARTH and NEVERMORE, the trio came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, ASHES OF ARES is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.
In an October 2012 interview with Rocket Queen Promotion, Barlow stated about ASHES OF ARES' musical direction: "Well, most folks know what to expect from me, from my work with ICED EARTH and PYRAMAZE. So you take some of that and mix it with Van's brand of cadence and Freddie's riffage… blam-o….it's ASHES OF ARES!!! It's just straight-up heavy metal!"
Regarding the band's future plans, Barlow said: "The reason we are all doing this is for the love of music. We are metal guys and this is what we do. ASHES OF ARES live shows will be limited, but there will be live shows for fans, friends, and family to come to and enjoy with us. We really just want to create music that we enjoy and have that translate to our listeners."
Metal Kaoz recently conducted an interview with former THE GATHERING singer Anneke Van Giersbergen. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.
Anneke Van Giersbergen will release a new studio album on September 27. A single will precede the full-length effort on August 27.
Anneke played two exclusive U.S. shows in Chicago at the end of March. Also appearing on the bill both nights were Anneke's "dear friends" NOVEMBERS DOOM.
Anneke van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since released four albums on her own and with her AGUA DE ANNIQUE solo project: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009), "In Your Room" (2009) and "Everything Is Changing" (2012).
"Everything Is Changing" was released on January 20, 2012 via PIAS Holland. The CD was recorded at Ultrasound Studios in Braga, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso.
On May 17, Brian Rademacher of RockEyez conducted an interview with Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA. You can now listen to the chat below.
Keifer's debut solo album, "The Way Life Goes", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 78 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).
"The Way Life Goes" track listing:
01. Solid Ground 02. A Different Light 03. It's Not Enough 04. Cold Day In Hell 05. Thick And Thin 06. Ask Me Yesterday 07. Fools Paradise 08. The Flower Song 09. Mood Elevator 10. Welcome To My Mind 11. You Showed Me 12. Ain't That A Bitch 13. The Way Life Goes 14. Babylon
The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as "a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger."
"This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA."
"I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me.
"Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys.
"I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."
"The Flower Song", the album's first single, was serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4, while "Solid Ground" was serviced to all rock formats on March 11.
Keifer wrote "The Flower Song" with Jim Peterik, formerly of the bands SURVIVOR and the IDES OF MARCH.
"The Way Life Goes" is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.
"It's pretty scary," Keifer said of his vocal paralysis. "I've had six surgeries to deal with the collateral damage. Performing… has been difficult for me because of the vocal issues I've had. I work several hours every day on that. That's a difficult thing for me every day."
MÖTLEY CRÜE took part in a special Walk Of Fame ceremony outside the Mohegan Sun Box Office on Saturday, May 18 at 4:30 p.m. The band had a star placed alongside some of Mohegan Sun Arena's most beloved talents, some of which include BON JOVI, KISS, Rod Stewart, Toby Keith and Taylor Swift. Their show marked MÖTLEY CRÜE's third performance at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and they also became the 25th entertainer inducted into the Walk Of Fame.
Check out video footage of the induction ceremony below.
The Mohegan Sun Walk Of Fame honor seeks to recognize those individuals who have made significant contributions to the success of Mohegan Sun as the Northeast's premier entertainment destination. All of the individuals inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk Of Fame will have their name engraved on a plaque that will be permanently placed at the entrance to Mohegan Sun Arena.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, MÖTLEY CRÜE — Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Tommy Lee (drums) — has commandeered the rock pantheon for over 30 years. In that time, they have accumulated worldwide album sales exceeding 80 million, seven platinum or multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, three Grammy nominations for "Best Hard Rock Performance" and countless sold-out tours across the globe, playing to millions of fans. The first rock band in history to have completed an epic sold-out Las Vegas residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, MÖTLEY CRÜE is best known for continuing to reinvent not only their live show (with mind-blowing elements such as Tommy Lee's 360 drum roller coaster) and music (brand new song "Sex", released in summer 2012), but remain on the forefront of entertainment via cutting edge social media interaction. The band was featured in the award winning Super Bowl commercial for the KIA Optima. MÖTLEY CRÜE's New York Times bestselling memoir, "The Dirt", is currently being adapted into a major motion picture.
Former WHITE ZOMBIE and LAST CRACK drummer Phil Buerstatte was reportedly found dead over the weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. No further details are currently available.
Buerstatte was the drummer for WHITE ZOMBIE between 1992 and 1994 and he played with the band on the "La Sexorcisto" tour. He was also in the Wisconsin metal band LAST CRACK from 1986 to 1997.
Buerstatte's LAST CRACK bandmate Paul Schluter has issued the following statement on the drummer's passing:
"We are sorry to have to announce that LAST CRACK drummer and our musical brother Phil Buerstatte has passed away today. He will be greatly missed by his many friends, family and fellow band members.
"Pull out your LAST CRACK albums, crank them up loud and remember what a great drummer he was!
"It is the end of an era for us and sad to say the original lineup will never be able to play together again. Our last show with Phil from 2009 is posted on YouTube in its entirety. The remaining members of the band are discussing doing a tribute show in Phil's honor in the coming months. We'll post details soon."
Last August, a man claiming to be Buerstatte was arrested on suspicion of defrauding a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Sausalito, California.
The man allegedly tried to pay $75,000 for his treatment at the Alta Mira Recovery Center in June with a fraudulent check and bank account information.
German metallers PRIMAL FEAR will enter guitarist Magnus Karlsson's Stuntguitar Studios in Sweden tomorrow (Tuesday, May 21) to begin recording their next studio album for an early 2014 release via Frontiers Records.
After collecting more than 30 song ideas, the band finally stripped the list down to 12 tracks.
Frontiers and PRIMAL FEAR in January announced that they have renewed their partnership for another multi-album deal, which will include two more studio releases and one live CD and DVD.
PRIMAL FEAR's latest album, "Unbreakable", sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.
Released on January 24, 2012 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Unbreakable" was tracked in part at House Of Music studios in Winterbach, Germany with producer/bassist Mat Sinner and engineer Achim Köhler (EDGUY, MASTERPLAN).
A track-by-track breakdown of "Halo Of Blood", the title track of the eighth album from Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM, can be seen below. The CD will be released on June 11 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover art was created by Sami Saramäki, who was responsible for the artwork on previous CHILDREN OF BODOM albums "Follow The Reaper", "Are You Dead Yet?" and "Hate Crew Deathroll".
Pre-order the CD (including the bonus track and digital booklet) now and get the single "Transference" instantly.
Comments CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho: "'Transference' is a straight-up CHILDREN OF BODOM to-the-core-type song and therefore was a good pick for a video and obviously is one of our favorite tracks. It always had an evil vibe to it, which I wish I knew how to explain because it still gives me chills… Enjoy!"
CHILDREN OF BODOM's new CD was recorded at Danger Johnny Studios in Helsinki. For the recording of the LP, CHILDREN OF BODOM has teamed up with recording engineer Mikko Karmila, who worked with the band on their fan-favorite albums "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper" and "Hate Crew Deathroll", as well as Swedish producer Peter Tägtgren (MARDUK, AMON AMARTH), who oversaw production of both vocals and keyboards on the record. The album was mixed at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki.
Commented Laiho: "'Halo Of Blood' is the eighth studio album from CHILDREN OF BODOM, and believe it or not, but we still managed to keep it fresh and new while still maintaining the elements that make COB sound recognizable. It's got the fastest and the slowest song we ever made and lyrics wise there are themes we had never had before. It's 10 new songs of pure Nordic metal and whether you enjoy it with a beer or a glass of water, I'm sure you will have a good time."
"Halo Of Blood" track listing:
01. Waste Of Skin 02. Halo Of Blood 03. Scream For Silence 04. Transference 05. Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming) 06. The Days Are Numbered 07. Dead Man's Hand On You 08. Damage Beyond Repair 09. All Twisted 10. One Bottle And A Knee Deep
Germany's Guitar magazine recently conducted an interview with Joel O'Keeffe (vocals, lead guitar) of Australian hard rockers AIRBOURNE. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.
"Black Dog Barking", the third album from AIRBOURNE, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of RevolverMag.com). Due on May 21 via Roadrunner Records, the follow-up to 2010's "No Guts. No Glory." was produced by Brian Howes, who has previously worked with HINDER, DAUGHTRY and PUDDLE OF MUDD.
"Black Dog Barking" track listing:
01. Ready To Rock 02. Animalize 03. No One Fits Me (Better Than You) 04. Back In The Game 05. Firepower 06. Live It Up 07. Woman Like That 08. Hungry 09. Cradle To The Grave 10. Black Dog Barking
Bonus tracks:
11. Jack Attack 12. You Got The Skills (To Pay The Bills) 13. Party In The Penthouse
The Full Throttle edition of AIRBOURNE's new single, "Live It Up", will be made available for the opening of Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, the tallest, fastest looping roller coaster in the world. The Full Throttle edition of "Live It Up" will be featured throughout the newly themed five-acre section of the park where guests will experience high-energy action through fast-paced imagery, sound and lights, with additional music featuring various Roadrunner artists. The launch will be further supported nationally in all theme parks, Roadrunner and Six Flags online and social media channels, live events and press outreach.
AIRBOURNE's infectious music has been used in more than 20 video games, countless films, trailers and more.
AIRBOURNE is Joel O'Keeffe (vocals/lead guitar), Ryan O'Keeffe (drums), David Roads (guitar) and Justin Street (bass).
Juliya Chernetsky conducted an interview with DISTURBED and DEVICE frontman David Draiman backstage at the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards on May 2 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, California. You can now watch the chat below.
DEVICE released its self-titled debut album on April 9. It debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard album chart, selling 35,000 copies in its first week of release.
DISTURBED singer David Draiman launched DEVICE last year with ex-FILTER guitarist Geno Lenardo, after DISTURBED went on hiatus in late 2011.
Lenardo is not touring with DEVICE due to previous commitments. The live band, which made its debut on April 10 in Mobile, Alabama, includes DOPE guitarist Virus and EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt.
DEVICE will hit the road this summer on Gigantour 2013, along with MEGADETH, HELLYEAH, NEWSTED, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and other acts. The trek kicks off on July 3 in Gilford, New Hampshire, wrapping on August 11 in Toronto, Canada.
DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren's new band, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, will release its debut album in July.
A track-by-track breakdown of "Eternal Defiance", the new album from German melodic folk/death metallers SUIDAKRA, can be seen below. Due on May 24 via AFM Records, the CD's cover artwork was created by [famous Belgian graphic artist] Kris Verwimp and can be seen below.
"Eternal Defiance" track listing:
01. Storming The Walls 02. Inner Sanctum 03. Beneath The Red Eagle 04. March Of Conquest 05. Pair Dadeni 06. The Mindsong 07. Rage For Revenge 08. Dragon’s Head 09. Defiant Dreams 10. Damnatio Memoriae 11. Mrs Mcgrath (bonus track)
Commented SUIDAKRA singer Arkadius Antonik: "As on the previous two releases, it will be a concept album again, created by Kris Verwimp in cooperation with us. Our new concept includes a lot of new elements and suprises which will be reflected in the music as well."
In a 2012 interview with Metal Kaoz, Antonik stated about SUIDAKRA's new material: "The songs … are bombastic and we also finished the first song with Tina's [Stabel] female vocals. This time, it's gonna be a faster song with a real epic and catchy chorus."
Bassist Marcus Riewaldt last year announced his departure from SUIDAKRA. He said in a statement, "After more than 250 shows and 10 years being in the band, I feel that now time has come to change my priorities a bit and see what else life has to offer for me. No hard feelings involved; it's just that I cannot motivate myself for another writing-rehearsing-recording-promoting-touring cycle and that I'm really annoyed by some of the music business mechanisms that one has to deal with in order to continue this beautiful and exciting, but at the same time very time- and energy-consuming hobby. I wish SUIDAKRA much luck and success for the future — it would all be well deserved!"
SUIDAKRA has already secured a replacement bassist in Tim Siebrecht, who was a stand-in guitar player for SUIDAKRA on several occasions in recent years.
SUIDAKRA's tenth album, "Book Of Dowth", was released on March 25, 2011 via AFM Records.
Arutz Sheva conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo prior to his May 1 drum clinic at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv, Israel. A couple of excerpts fom the chat follow below.
Arutz Sheva: You were born in Havana and grew up in a Cuban family. Did you grown up in a traditional religious Cuban family?
Lombardo: Yes, very traditional. My dad never even learned English. He just went to work, found a job, worked for a family, bought a house, and then retired. He lived the American dream without speaking a word of English. It still amazes me. My mom can speak some English, but not too much. So the home was fully Cuban. I heard Spanish all the time. When I stepped outside the house, I was in America and when I came home, it was Cuban music, Cuban food, and television in Spanish.
Arutz Sheva: Your family left Cuba when you were 2 years old. Why did they move to California rather then Florida or Union City, New Jersey where there were established Cuban-American communities?
Lombardo: Let me tell you the story. In the late 1950s, in Cuba, they started to teach Communism in schools. So my mom and dad sent my older brothers and my sisters to America. This program was called Pedro Pan [Operation Peter Pan]. So my siblings were among the Pedro Pan children. They were sent to California. That's why we ended up there later. When my siblings left, my parents said to them, "We'll see you in five months." But Russia was sending missiles to the island and the Cuban Missile Crisis happened. The wall went up, and they stopped all flights going out of Cuba. So my mom and dad didn't get to see my brothers for five years. They were 10 and 13 years old at the time. That's how we ended up in California, because they were with a foster family there. My father was forced to shut down his business because of communism. My siblings were away, the family was almost destroyed. My mom and dad had terrible fights and arguments about everything. They were going to get a divorce. And then my mother became pregnant with me.
Arutz Sheva: How did you discover your musical talent?
Lombardo: There was a lot of music played in my house and in the Cuban clubs. There were always bands playing. I would always stand backstage and watch them. My mom would always say, "Davey, go outside, go dance with the girls, go play with the kids!" I would say, "No, mom, I wanna watch the band!" Cuban music is a very passionate music. You play very fast with a lot of emotions. Even certain parts of famous SLAYER songs come from Cuban music. I didn't take lessons. I taught myself by listening to music, watching the drummers and studying different musicians, not by notes and paper. I think listening is so important.
Arutz Sheva: So how did you end up in the world of heavy metal music?
Lombardo: The power and the aggression attracted me. I would hear a song on the radio, and if it was powerful, I would go and buy it. For example, when I heard LED ZEPPELIN's "The Wanton Song", I had to buy it. I remember being excited when "Killers" from IRON MAIDEN came out. They looked scary and I was fascinated by that. Now that I'm older, I listen to more mellow music. I like a lot of Latin jazz, Chucho Valdés, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, Michel Camilo, and a lot of the classic Cuban music, and I draw from that. I would love to do a project with Latin artists. And an interesting project could happen with Yossi [Sassi of the Israeli band ORPHANED LAND].
Read the entire interview from Arutz Sheva. You can also listen to the chat using the audio played below.
