"Someone Is After Me", the new video from Norwegian industrial/electronic metallers GOTHMINISTER, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's concert film and concept album entitled "Utopia". Released on May 16 via AFM Records, the set includes both newly recorded songs and a horror concert film with a running time of one hour and 20 minutes plus bonus material.
According to a press release, "The concept of 'Utopia' is inspired by Bjørn Alexander Brem's life and nightmares. The combination of being a lawyer in daytime and GOTHMINISTER at night drives him eventually insane; it becomes impossible for him to separate reality from imagination. The other GOTHMINISTER members Chris Dead (drummer), Icarus (guitars) and Turbo Natas (guitars) also take part in this nightmarish world filled with undead walkers, witches, werewolves and monsters."
Since the release of his debut, "Gothic Electronic Anthems", in 2003, Brem has captured the listeners with his hymns of pitch-black magic. Dark shudders, deepest leadvocals and thrilling craft of composing within the marrow of gothic, industrial metal and electro have become his trademarks ever since. Driving sequences lead into compelling verses which are soon countered by harsh metal riffs. Finally the listener gets subdued by an overwhelming combination of catchiness, denseness and heavenly choirs.
"Utopia" was produced by Bjørn Alexander Brem, mixed by Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, NILE) and mastered by Alan Douches (MISFITS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).
TESTAMENT's Alex Skolnick (pictured below) has commented on the recent announcement that SLAYER guitarist and co-founder Jeff Hanneman died on May 2 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver.
Hanneman's official cause of death was revealed by his bandmates on May 9. In the statement, they also acknowledged Hanneman's "health struggles over the years" — including flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis that rendered him unable to perform. But, the band said, "Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life."
The statement added that Hanneman was not on a transplant list and that "by all accounts it appeared he had been improving — he was excited and looking forward to working on a new record."
In a post on his official blog, Skolnick wrote: "To those of us able to enjoy alcoholic beverages in a controlled, non-health threatening (let along life-threatening) manner, it is difficult to comprehend what the vicious cycle must be like. The novel 'Infinite Jest' (1996, David Foster Wallace), has a powerful description by a character in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) who's seeking help. It alludes to a certain point when the substance is no longer a source of fun, becoming 'the only consolation against the pain of the mounting losses, and of course, you're in denial about it being the substance that's causing the very losses it's consoling you about.' We who've never experienced addiction to drugs and/or alcohol should consider ourselves very, very lucky.
"Too many lives have been lost and too many careers derailed because of addiction, a tragic circumstance that affects a significant segment of the population. More than a few prominent musicians, including many in the metal genre, are alive today and going strong career-wise because they've successfully sought treatment. Jeff's passing is a tragic reminder that those in need of rehabilitation from alcohol or drug addiction need all the help, encouragement and support they can get."
Steve Adams of the Birmingham Post recently conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee of Canadian rock legends RUSH. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On finally being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month:
Lee: "It was really overwhelming and we all got choked up.
"Our fans have always placed more importance on us getting in than we have — we'd always thought it was no big deal. But at that particular moment it sure did feel like a big deal.
"It was quite an emotional evening to feel the amount of love from so many different and unexpected places.
"When you have guys from PUBLIC ENEMY turning around and patting you on the back — jeez, even Spike Lee was so nice and giving us respect — you kinda pinch yourself and wonder: where the fuck am I?
"It was interesting because my wife was with me and it was her birthday and I was feeling bad that she had spent it playing second fiddle to the band once again.
"But so many iconic acts — such as Jackson Browne and Carole King — appeared that brought back moments of our life.
"My wife turned to me in the middle of the show and said there was probably no more suitable place to spend her birthday because we'd been living our lives through all these songs.
"It was a perfect moment for her to reflect and that's what it felt like for all of us."
"Part of you is saying, 'Somebody's made a mistake here,' and part of you is trying to enjoy it and accept what it means in terms of popular music.
"We've been so insular and off the mainstream for so long that it's very hard to see yourself as part of that same estimable group."
On still having a huge appetite for performing live:
Lee: "I love to play — that's my whole reason for being. And we're playing better than we've ever played — and I say that without much hesitation.
"Something happens after you play for 40 years... you get good at it!"
On RUSH's plans for when the band's current tour ends in early August:
Lee: "Right now we're looking to finish this tour and take a holiday. After a nice long break, we'll figure out what we're gonna do, but right now we have not talked about it and we have zero intention of talking about it."
On a proposed RUSH 40th-anniversary "R40" tour next year, an idea the band's management is determined to push through:
Lee: "They're trying but they're going to fail. And there's nothing wrong with an 'R42' tour — it doesn't have to be a round number. After all, there's been nothing round about our career."
Audio samples of all songs that are set to appear on "Eternal Defiance", the new album from German melodic folk/death metallers SUIDAKRA, can be streamed in the YouTube clip 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.
"Sail Into The Sunset's Fire", the new video from Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's seventh studio album, "Bú-Tik", which will be released on June 3 via Spinefarm Records (June 18 in North America)
Recorded at Sweden's Sweetspot Studio by producer Rickard Bengtson, who also worked on 2011's "Takasago Army", "Bú-Tik" sees the band returning to the scene with their signature brand of symphonic "orient metal," as they choose to define it. As usual, the musicians continue on their mission to build awareness of the myths of Taiwan and thetragic events in their country's history.
"Bú-Tik" — based around the story of the 228 Massacre, the Bú-Tik Palace and the Mirror Of Retribution — highlights "righteous violence and justifiable defence"; once more, it takes the listener deep into the folklore and history of exotic Taiwan.
Says bassist Doris Yeh: "We are very proud to present 'Bú-Tik' to the world. It talks about self-defense, righteous violence and the armed spirits! With this album, we have pushed ourselves to achieve new heights — heights we've never imagined before! We are leading metal fans to the next episode of CHTHONIC!"
"Bú-Tik" track listing:
01. Arising Armament (intro) 02. Supreme Pain For The Tyrant 03. Sail Into The Sunset's Fire 04. Next Republic 05. Rage Of My Sword 06. Between Silence And Death 07. Resurrection Pyre 08. Set Fire To The Island 09. Defenders Of Bú-Tik Palace 10. Undying Rearmament (outro)
On the live front, CHTHONIC is confirmed to play on the Pepsi Max Stage on Saturday, June 15 at the Download festival at its historical stamping ground of Donington Park.
CHTHONIC last appeared at Download in 2011, but for this follow-up show, they are returning in greater numbers, the plan being to utilize the skills of the oriental orchestra.
Says Doris: "This is the first time we’ll have played with the orchestra outside of Taiwan. We're really hoping to present a show that people will be talking about for some time to come."
San Diego death metallers DISGORGE have announced the addition of bassist Diego Soria and vocalist Angel Ochoa to the group's ranks.
The band is currently working on material for its fifth album for a late 2013 release via Unique Leader Records.
DISGORGE's new lineup will make its live debut on June 6 at The Vault in Temecula, California, where they will co-headline, alongside ALL SHALL PERISH, Danny Kenny's (SUICIDE SILENCE) birthday bash.
DISGORGE recently inked a deal with Extreme Management Group, Inc. (SUFFOCATION, ORIGIN, CATTLE DECAPITATION, ABORTED, THREAT SIGNAL, NERVECELL).
After the tragic loss of bassist Ben Marlin in 2008, DISGORGE put the band on hold. In 2011, they reformed with thoughts of a new album and are finally working towards creating their most brutal release to date.
DISGORGE's current lineup:
Ricky Myers - Drums Diego Soria - Bass Angel Ochoa - Vocals Ed Talorda - Guitar Diego Sanchez - Guitar
CARPATHIAN FOREST frontman Nattefrost is one more in the long line of Scandinavian black metal musicians who have been unable to gain entry into the United States due to the immigration laws that have so often denied U.S. fans the opportunity to see their favorite European bands. Despite this setback, CARPATHIAN FOREST, whose remaining four members had been granted visas, was still aiming to appear at the Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore on May 26 as scheduled, but as a four-piece, with guitarist BloodPervertor taking on vocals. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the embassy was not able to return drummer Kobro's passport in time for the band to leave, and CARPATHIAN FOREST has therefore been forced to pull out of the festival completely. However, three members — guitarists Tchort and BloodPervertor and bassist Vrangsinn — will attend and will be available to talk to fans.
It is only under very exceptional circumstances that CARPATHIAN FOREST play without Nattefrost, the only other occasion having been when BloodPervertor stepped in to cover vocals on a handful of dates during the No Mercy Tour in 2004 when Nattefrost broke his collar bone.
Commenting on the original decision to go ahead despite the absence of the band's iconic frontman and then still being forced to cancel, guitarist Tchort had this to say: "When we decided to make the trip without Nattefrost, we knew that many fans would be disappointed, but at the same time we didn't want to let down the organizers who have been so supportive throughout the whole visa process, and have done everything they could possibly to do to try and make it happen. We were also very aware that CARPATHIAN FOREST has many fans in the United States who have waited a long, long time to see the band live, and, given the circumstances, there is always the possibility that Nattefrost may never be granted a visa, so this might have been the only opportunity our U.S. fans will have to see us on stage, albeit minus one member. To then have to pull out completely because of whatever delays occurred even though Kobro's visa was granted was a big disappointment for everyone".
CARPATHIAN FOREST recently returned to the scene after a period of stasis, and will spend most of 2013 playing a series of one-off shows and festivals while they prepare to record the long-awaited follow up to 2004's "Fuck You All!!!!"
Sweden's CULT OF LUNA has released a new remix from legendary artist and producer Justin Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU). Broadrick tackles the 18-plus-minute track "Vicarious Redemption" from CULT OF LUNA's critically acclaimed studio album "Vertikal", which was released this past January via Density. Fans can stream or download the track below.
"It was both a pleasure and a challenge to work on such an sprawling epic song," Broadrick commented. "[There was] so much material to choose from and to attempt to refocus in my own context, and a challenge to make something new and concise which resonates like the original."
"When I was 14 years old, my friend taught my how to play guitar," adds CULT OF LUNA's Johannes Persson. "We spent hours listening to songs and then trying to play them. One of the records he had was the [GODFLESH] 'Streetcleaner' LP that since has been continuously in my rotation for almost 20 years, so listening to Justin's remix of 'Vicarious Redemption' kind of felt like going full circle. Justin has created something new with the elements of the song which, in my opinion, is the only way to justify a remix."
"Vertikal" marked a much-anticipated return for CULT OF LUNA after five years spent cultivating the ideas and directing the influences that have helped form a concept for the album. Distilled throughout are themes of machinery, repetition and clear, linear structures honed to the visual imagery of Fritz Lang's classic expressionist science-fiction film "Metropolis". The music broods, builds and boils as you may expect from CULT OF LUNA, but never over-complicates itself or veers from its intentions; it is arguably their finest and most cohesive piece of work to date.
CULT OF LUNA is in the midst of an extensive worldwide touring schedule, with plans in the works to bring the band to the Unites States later in 2013.
Massachusetts metallers REVOCATION will release their new, self-titled album on August 6 via Relapse Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Chaos Of Forms" will be the first full-length album with bass player Brett Bamberger, who joined the band in 2012 and was featured on the group's last EP, "Teratogenesis", which was released by Scion A/V. The cover artwork for the new CD was created by Orion Landau (DYING FETUS, OBSCURA, NILE).
REVOCATION will take part in this year's Summer Slaughter Tour alongside THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, CATTLE DECAPITATION and others. The trek will kick off on July 19 in San Francisco, California and run through August 20 in Portland, Oregon.
"Revocation" track listing:
01. The Hive 02. Scattering the Flock 03. Arch Fiend 04. Numbing Agents 05. Fracked 06. The Gift You Gave 07. Invidious 08. Spastic 09. Entombed By Wealth 10. A Visitation
"Chaos Of Forms" was released in August 16, 2011 in North America and September 5, 2011 internationally via Relapse. The follow-up to 2009's "Existence Is Futile" was recorded at Damage Studios in Southbridge, Massachusetts with engineer Pete Rutcho.
A new one-dollar short ebook tells the story — 27 years on — of the making of VAN HALEN's 1986 album "5150".
Author Martin Popoff explains: "It's always a blast talking with Sammy Hagar, and our '5150' analysis includes lots and lots of Sammy just letting her fly.
"'5150' shocked the world, proving that VAN HALEN could not only survive the departure of David Lee Roth, but thrive, with the band taking the album to #1 on the charts on the strength of smash hits like 'Why Can't This Be Love', 'Best Of Both Worlds', 'Dreams' and 'Love Walks In'."
"'Love Walks In' has a real story to it," notes Hagar. "One night after everybody left, Eddie said, 'Let me just play you something I've got on this piano.' He goes to the piano and starts playing, and I went, 'I love that.' I had goosebumps. So I actually wrote the lyrics and did the whole thing that night on a cheap mic. That was used on the record, and everybody else overdubbed. Things happen like that. And there's nothing you can do to make it better."
"He sang all the backups," says Hagar of VAN HALEN's secret weapon and keeper of the peace Michael Anthony. "Mike is the background sound of VAN HALEN — he would sing the high parts. You take Mike out, you don't have a VAN HALEN sound."
"Ye Olde Metal: Van Halen's 5150" is available as a 14-page ebook in high-resolution PDF format from Zunior. Also available from Zunior is Popoff's earlier ebook about the making of VAN HALEN's second outing with Hagar, "OU812".
"All Hell Breaks Loose", the debut album from BLACK STAR RIDERS — the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (guitar, vocals), Damon Johnson (guitar), Scott Gorham (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums — is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. The CD is being released via Nuclear Blast Entertainment on the following dates:
* May 21 - Japan * May 22 - Sweden * May 24 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway * May 27 - U.K., France, BeNeLux, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Greece * May 28 - U.S., Canada, Italy, South America
The "All Hell Breaks Loose" artwork features a painting by Gil Elvgren (March 15, 1914 - February 29, 1980), the legendary U.S. painter best known for his work on pin-up girls, advertising and illustration.
The artwork ties directly to the origins of the album title. Warwick explains: "I was watching a documentary about World War II bombers and saw the name painted on the side of one of the aircraft. The name just resonated with me and it seem to encapsulate the turmoil that we, as a society, are currently experiencing. The past few years have been such a wild ride and now with the release of the album, it sounded like a bad-ass album title that summed up what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."
About the first single, Warwick states: "'Bound For Glory' — a song for the lost but never lonely, walking tall in the face of everyday adversary. Everyone has a story to tell. Revolution begins in the mirror!!!" Gorham adds: "When it came time to pick one of these songs as a single, we had a really hard time. There are so many really great tracks here and everyone had their favorites. But in the end, we all agreed that 'Bound For Glory' is the perfect choice and represents what BLACK STAR RIDERS is all about."
"All Hell Breaks Loose" was recorded and mixed by producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH) at his The Cave studios in Malibu, California. Mastering duties were handled by Bob Ludwig (JIMI HENDRIX, RUSH, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN) at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine.
"All Hell Breaks Loose" track listing:
01. All Hell Breaks Loose 02. Bound For Glory 03. Kingdom Of The Lost 04. Bloodshot 05. Kissin' The Ground 06. Hey Judas 07. Hoodoo Voodoo 08. Valley Of The Stones 09. Someday Salvation 10. Before The War 11. Blues Ain't So Bad
The album is being released as a standard CD and also as a special-edition digipak featuring a bonus track, "Right To Be Wrong", and a "making-of" DVD.
Video footage of DEEP PURPLE performing the song "All The Time In The World" live on April 24 on the German morning show "ARD Morgenmagazin" can be seen below.
DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Now What?!", sold 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 115 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's new single, "Vincent Price", will be released on June 7 as a digital download, CD single and seven-inch transparent vinyl.
"Vincent Price" will become a PURPLE collector's item, due to the inclusion of the song "First Sign Of Madness", which was recorded during the "Now What?!" sessions and not included in the final selection.
"Now What?!", the 19th studio album from DEEP PURPLE, was released in North America on April 30 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group.
"Now What?!" was also released in a limited quantity with a bonus track and a bonus DVD featuring DEEP PURPLE in conversation plus additional audio material. This edition was made available in a digipak with a cutout front cover. "Now What?!" was also released as double vinyl LP containing a bonus track, as in the limited-edition CD.
After various songwriting sessions in Europe, the band recorded and mixed the album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS). The CD contain 11 tracks, including "Out Of Hand", "Weirdistan", "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond". The latter song references the band's late keyboard player, Jon Lord, in the lyric "Souls having touched are forever entwined."
According to a press release, "Now What?!" was recorded with no musical rules… and it shows a modern and fresh production… to the point that DEEP PURPLE have never sounded so close to the spirit of the '70s in the last 20 years as they do now. The CD has the excellence and elegance of "Perfect Strangers" and the wild freedom of "Made In Japan".
Quality two-camera fan-filmed video mix of NEWSTED — the new band led by former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted — performing the song "Soldierhead" on May 18 at Bottom Lounge in Chicago, Illinois can be seen below.
NEWSTED 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, DEVICE, HELLYEAH and DEATH DIVISION.
NEWSTED kicked off its first-ever U.S. tour on April 19 at Red House in Walnut Creek, California. The 14-date trek will conclude on May 23 in Asbury Park, New Jersey and will lead into a number of European festival appearances for the band, which is rounded out by STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jessie Farnsworth.
NEWSTED has just completed recording its first full-length album, to be released later this year. Jason told Billboard.com the 13-song album, which he hopes to finish mixing during August, will be very similar to the band's debut EP, "Metal", which sold around 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart. "The EP was always intended to be the primer, a sampler of what was to come on the LP," he said. "It's all metal all the time. It's not all fast, but it is all heavy."
NEWSTED is:
Jason Newsted - Bass, Lead Vocals Jesus Mendez Jr. (THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS) - Drums Jessie Farnsworth - Guitar, Backing Voice Mike Mushok (STAIND) – Guitar
Brett Morgen, director of THE ROLLING STONES documentary "Crossfire Hurricane", would love to make an all-anime version of MÖTLEY CRÜE's story.
Morgen, whose next project is a documentary on the late NIRVANA leader Kurt Cobain, tells World Entertainment News Network: "A dream project of mine is to do a Japanese anime documentary on MÖTLEY CRÜE. That will give me my 1970s, 1980s and 1990s trilogy with the STONES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Kurt."
It was reported in 2008 that MÖTLEY CRÜE was trying to extricate itself from a deal with MTV Films, a division of Paramount Pictures, to make a film version of the band's biography, "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band".
A deal was first announced for the film version in 2006 but has since gone nowhere. Bassist Nikki Sixx told Reuters that MTV was "a channel that used to be hip and has now actually become unhip...They are not the right partner."
Asked about the current status of "The Dirt" movie, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil told the Calgary Herald earlier this month: "I have really no idea, I kind of stay out of that. I really don't know. I just can't tell you anything."
He continued: "I'm kind of tired like most people, tired about talking about it. . . . I just don't know anything about it. If it comes out, great, if it doesn't come out, I really don't care."
Jena Jacobbs of 103.9 The Bear radio station conducted an interview with singer Jacoby Shaddix of Californian rockers PAPA ROACH backstage 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.
PAPA ROACH's latest album, "The Connection", was re-released in Europe as a special tour edition on May 6 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort contains a bonus DVD of a concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles featuring performances of new songs as well as the band's biggest hits, including "Still Swingin'", "Give Me Back My Life", "Before I Die", "Last Resort" and "Between Angels & Insects".
"The Connection" was produced by rock veteran James Michael (SIXX: A.M., HALESTORM) and John Feldmann (PANIC AT THE DISCO, THE USED, BLACK VEIL BRIDES). The CD sold 22,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 17 on the Billboard album chart.
Shaddix underwent surgery in September 2012 to remove nodes from his vocal cords. Shaddix's condition forced him to stop singing and led his band to drop off last summer's Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival tour.
Even before his vocal problems started, Shaddix admitted in several new interviews that he came close to committing suicide earlier last year as he struggled with both marital problems and falling off the wagon.
"This record is a snapshot of me at my most desperate," Shaddix told The Aquarian Weekly about "The Connection". "As I was writing this record, [my wife and I] were split, so there was a lot of pain and anger and frustration. As the dust settles in my life, I realize that I'm the orchestrator of all this chaos. I'm the one at fault. I'm the fucking problem. When you go through that stuff, sometimes it's hard to own your own shit, to step up to the plate and own it. I just had to because I wanted to do the right thing."
He added: "I was able to make this record, express myself and get my family back together and get my respect from my band. At the eleventh hour, I pulled it off. I don’t know, man, this is a repeating cycle in my life. I don’t know how many more times I can do this to myself."
