Mike Bax of Lithium Magazine conducted an interview with Swedish occult rockers GHOST on May 6 at The Opera House in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.
GHOST's sophomore album, "Infestissumam", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves".
The release date of "Infestissumam" was reportedly pushed back a week to April 16 after four compact disc manufacturers allegedly refused to print a piece of artwork that was meant for the deluxe version of the new CD. The manufacturers all took issue with the sacrilegious imagery, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, which showcases what looks like a forest nymph orgy.
"We kept on getting turned down because of the CD art, which is basically a 16th century illustration of an orgy," a source close to the band told SPIN.com. "[The bandmembers] weren't surprised. The comment was 'Well, I thought this would have happened sooner.' The artwork was meant to provoke some sort of thought, but it's been one obstacle after another."
The controversial art can still be found on both the vinyl and European copies of the "Infestissuman" CD. "Vinyl manufacturers don't have a problem with the artwork. Neither does Europe," the source told SPIN.com.
GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."
Hailing from Linköping, Sweden, GHOST formed in in 2008. They released their heralded debut album, "Opus Eponymous", in 2010. In 2011, GHOST performed at the annual Download festival in the United Kingdom. The band's fanbase began to swell and not long after added some of hard rock's finest to this group. Additionally that year, GHOST took part in the "Defenders Of Faith III" tour with TRIVIUM, IN FLAMES and RISE TO REMAIN. In early 2012, they embarked on their first tour of the United States and later that year shared the stage with MASTODON and OPETH on their "Heritage Hunter Tour" in North America. That summer the band was invited by METALLICA's James Hetfield to perform on the main stage of METALLICA's first annual Orion Music + More festival.
"Last Days Here" (formerly "Last Rites"), which tells the story of Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult hard rock/heavy metal band PENTAGRAM, will air on Showtime, on Thurday, May 23 at 9:30 p.m. and Showtime On Demand from May 24 to June 20.
Frozen for decades in his parents' basement, Bobby's music is finally discovered by the heavy metal underground. With the help of Sean "Pellet" Pelletier, his friend and manager, Bobby attempts to overcome years of addiction, loneliness, and broken dreams. Intimate, raw, and unexpectedly funny, "Last Days Here" portrays the unbelievable journey of a man at the crossroads of life and death.
The film was produced by 9.14 Pictures, an independent production company that specialized in documentary films. The film was directed by Don Argot and Demian Fenton and produced by Sheena M. Joyce. The company's filmography includes last year's critically acclaimed "The Art Of The Steal", "Two Days In April" and "Rock School".
In a November 2010 interview with Metal Sucks, Liebling stated about "Last Rites", "It's been in the making for about four years. And when it started out, I was still real effed up, I mean, I'm using drugs in the movie in the beginning, and I weighed 105 pounds and was practically on my deathbed. And then I met my wife and things started to change, and I started realizing that, hey, doing all this stuff and believing in the wrong, dark instead of light, ways just bring more darkness on you. I don't like rainy days [laughs] and I don't like the rain. I'd rather look up to the sun. It's a spiritual thing to me, a spiritual awakening, I guess you could call it."
Five long years since their last release, Milwaukee metal band MISERY SIGNALS will return on July 23 with its new album, "Absent Light".
Foregoing the traditional record label release model, MISERY SIGNALS launched an Indiegogo campaign in March to work directly with fans to crowd-fund the new album by offering unique funding packages that included handwritten lyrics, vinyl box set, music lessons, listening parties and more. By May, the band had not only reached their funding goal, but had surpassed it by double the amount. The support was a definite sign that fans were eagerly awaiting new music from the seminal band.
"We were floored by the excitement from the people supporting the album," guitarist Ryan Morgan says. "It's a good feeling to have an audience matching the enthusiasm we are putting into it's creation — and they haven't even heard it yet! It'll all come together when they get to hear how insane this album is."
MISERY SIGNALS will kick off its record-release tour in July, with dates running through mid August.
In the course of three full-length albums, MISERY SIGNALS' unique style of aggressive riffs, bright guitar melodies and progressive time signatures have become a significant influence on bands in the genre. Their groundbreaking 2004 debut, "Of Malice And The Magnum Heart", placed the band at the top of their genre for their talent and impeccable musicianship. Following up with the release of "Mirrors" in 2006, the band continued to cultivate a dedicated following with the addition of Karl Schubach on vocals. Their latest release, "Controller", hit heavy and hard with crushing energy appeasing old and new fans alike. After a year of world touring, in support of "Controller", and with the departure of longtime members Stu Ross and Kyle Johnson, the remaining members put the band on pause to focus on other interests and side-projects. With a revitalized lineup and an overflowing passion to create music again, MISERY SIGNALS is ready to be back in full force.
The long-awaited documentary about SEPULTURA’s incredible journey from Brazil to the world is coming to life with help of Kickstarter. Filmmaker Otavio Juliano has been following the band for the better part of 2010-2013, a time of tension and triumph for SEPULTURA, as they toured and recorded their album "Kairos". Nothing has been off limits. This amazing story will go through SEPULTURA's history, myths, conflicts, personnel changes and struggles with the Internet economy in the early 2000s as well interviews and rare footage. This documentary is certain to bring fans closer to the band they love.
A new promotional clip for the documentary can be seen below.
According to the documentary makers, "About 50% of the film has been shot so far. We have witnessed this historic band experiencing wrenching transformations and unprecedented growth. We opened SEPULTURA's vault and dig into the best rare and unseen footage of the last 30 years. We will see them at their most vulnerable and human, and also as idols of the heavy metal genre. Those elements make the overall film an uncommonly powerful statement."
SEPULTURA will reunite with producer Ross Robinson (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) to record their next album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD will be tracked in June at Robinson's studio in Venice, California and will be co-produced by Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and "Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Ross on a number of other projects in the past.
The reunion between SEPULTURA and Robinson was first suggested by Monte Conner, the former Roadrunner Records A&R chief who is now the head of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a U.S. partnership with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.
SEPULTURA's upcoming CD will mark the first time the band will have recorded an album outside Brazil since "Against".
Robinson produced SEPULTURA's classic "Roots" album in 1995. Released in February 1996 by Roadrunner, it was the band's last studio album to feature founding member and vocalist Max Cavalera.
"Roots" sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 units.
SEPULTURA has spent most of the past two years on tour in support of its 12th studio album, and Nuclear Blast Records debut, "Kairos", which hit stores in July 2011.
"One Of Us Is The Killer", the fifth full-length album from the New Jersey-based "mathcore" act THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 25 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 14 through the band's own Party Smasher Inc., in partnership with Sumerian Records in North America. Party Smasher's partnership with BMG covers the rest of the world, including licensing deals with Grind House for Japan and Remote Control in Australia.
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN' 2010 CD, "Option Paralysis", opened with around 7,100 units to land at No. 78. This was roughly in line with the opening tally of the band'sprevious album, "Ire Works", which landed at No. 142 on the Billboard chart after premiering with 6,900 units back in November 2007.
"One Of Us Is The Killer" was recorded in Southern California with longtime producer Steve Evetts (GLASSJAW, THE CURE, SUICIDE SILENCE), with additional production at guitarist/co-founder Ben Weinman's studio. Mastering was handled by Tom Baker (DEFTONES, NINE INCH NAILS, BEASTIE BOYS).
The album represents a new holistic pinnacle of the band's constantly evolving and engaging dynamics.
Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, singer Greg Puciato stated about the recording process for the band's forthcoming CD: "DILLINGER is a different beast in tracking than most normal bands. Even Steve has told me that there's no other band that he has recorded that requires this amount of attention to detail. We take a longer amount of time to do one thing than most bands take to do ten. At this point, talking to Ben about it, we only do this once every three years on average so ten years from now I don't want to look back and think, 'Fuck man, we should have finished that one three weeks earlier!' Who cares? You want it to be right and you want it to be the thing that was the closest to what your vision actually was."
Regarding the direction of the new THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN material, Puciato said: "I can hear [the influence of old punk and hardcore records] a lot. I can definitely hear that in some of the riffs, which are really aggressive. It's not a blatant hardcore record or anything like that. I actually think this is the most all over the place and weirdest record we've ever written. It's the first one since I joined the band where Ben has sent me songs and I've been like, 'What the fuck is happening? This sounds like a beehive!'"
According to TMZ.com, the woman who has allegedly been harassing Robert Plant for three years has been ordered to stay away from the legendary LED ZEPPELIN singer.
Plant filed a temporary restraining order earlier in the month against the woman, Alysson Billings, who has never met the LED ZEPPELIN frontman, claiming that she "leaves hotel keys for him, sends flowers, random packages, and constantly shows up to his concerts all over the world." Today, a judge made the restraining order permanent, ordering Billings to stay 300 yards away from Plant for the next three years.
Billings was said to have begun harassing Plant's girlfriend and collaborator, Patty Griffin, leaving the couple such disturbing and threatening messages as, "Your betrayal with another woman still stabs my mind"; "She's got you so p***y whooped and henpecked, it makes me want to puke. . . and I'm telling you that rotten crotch is ruining you"; and "This woman is literally evil for you and your life. . . you are about to fall for that dirty old crotch. And I'm not joking, I cannot, will not, shall not live this way anymore."
BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) were interviewed for a cover story in the July 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On Iommi being diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma at the end of 2011:
Iommi: "Once I heard my doctor say that, my whole world changed. I thought, Bloody cancerous lymphoma? Well, that's it. I've had it.
"Once they diagnosed it, I had to start the treatment right away. And it knocked me about. I'd go through stages thinking, Can I do this? And then: Of course I can do this. I don't want to die. I want to carry on and do what I'm supposed to do.
"They thought I would pack up. But I asked the doctor, 'Is it okay if I work?' And he said, 'Yes, you've just got to be careful.' So I'd go in the studio and play for a bit. Then I'd get tired and I'd have to go and sit down. The guys would tell me not to push it."
Osbourne: "We all rallied around him. But it's not like we'd be saying, 'Are you okay? Are you okay?' We just got on with it. Sure, he looked tired, but he was a soldier and marched on. He still had more riffs coming out of him than anyone. None of us would go, 'Oh, he's fucking ill again.' We're bros. We grew up together. It's like a family member getting sick."
Butler: "It brought up how we're all just mortal beings, and we aren't gonna be here forever. Tony and I were on the HEAVEN & HELL tour with Ronnie James Dio, and six months later Ronnie was dead [from stomach cancer, in 2010]. We didn't have any inkling that was gonna happen. When Tony got the cancer, obviously that was in his mind. We didn't know how he'd respond to the treatment. So it was like, Let's get the album done at all costs, as long as Tony's up to it. So we'd write for three weeks, and then he'd go for his treatment and we'd all have three weeks off. But it didn't affect his playing at all. In fact I think it really encouraged him and kept his mind off the cancer, which is the best thing you can possibly do if you have that."
On BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward opting out of the band's reunion in early 2012 over some well-publicized contractual disagreements:
Iommi: "I was shocked. We were hearing stuff from lawyers, like, 'I'm not happy with this. I'm not happy with that.' We waited a long time for Bill and we wanted to sort it out. But at the end of the day, especially after I was diagnosed, I thought, Fucking hell, that's it. We've got to get a move on. I might pop off next year! So I emailed him and said, 'Bill, we can't wait any longer. We've got to get on with it.' And that was it."
On recruiting Brad Wilk of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE to play on the new BLACK SABBATH album, "13":
Iommi: "We had our doubts, because they play a different, funky sort of music. But after a few days of rehearsal, we knew [producer] Rick [Rubin] was right. Brad was a really good player, and he was getting it. We liked his style and the way he tried different things instead of being regimented. It was sort of jazzy and loose, like Bill."
On whether they felt any performance anxiety recording their first SABBATH album together since 1978's "Never Say Die!":
Osbourne: "The pressure on us was terrific. I didn't want to sound hokey, trying to cop 'Paranoid' or 'Master Of Reality'. But at the end of the day, you just have to go with your heart and 'let go and let god,' as they say. I'll know if I'm cutting corners and if I can do a better vocal take or melody."
99.7 The Blitz conducted an interview with ALICE IN CHAINS drummer Sean Kinney 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 listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
ALICE IN CHAINS' new album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", is due out May 28 and features the singles "Stone" and the chart-topping "Hollow". The group's fifth studio effort is its second with William DuVall on vocals and follows up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", ALICE IN CHAINS' first all-new collection of material in 14 years and first since the 2002 death of original singer Layne Staley.
Guitarist Jerry Cantrell told Revolver about the new album, "I don't think you'll be surprised by anything you hear. It's us. But it's also really unique. It's got all the elements of any record we've put out, but it's unlike any record we've put out."
ALICE IN CHAINS began working on new material in 2011, but the sessions for the album were delayed when Cantrell had to undergo shoulder surgery.
ALICE IN CHAINS kicked off a tour to promote the new disc on April 25 in Miami Beach. The band will also headline the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival later this summer.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell said in a recent fan question-and-answer session at HBO's web site that inducting HEART into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last month was an "eye-opening experience" that changed his view of the entire institution. Cornell explained, "I was certainly honored, but had always had a cynical attitude about an institution like this as it pertains to rock 'n' roll in general. The fan support of all the bands inducted and their emotional enthusiasm changed everything for me."
Asked "If SOUNDGARDEN is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, who would be the presenter?" Cornell replied, "I would hope it is a when, as opposed to an if. How about Gene Simmons?"
As for who he would like to induct into the Hall if he had the chance to do it again, Cornell selected singer and songwriter Daniel Johnston, who recorded a lot of music on cassette tapes through a boom box.
Cornell said, "It occurred to me at one point that I got no less enjoyment out of listening to his records than I did from a PINK FLOYD record . . . That thought spoke to me as an absolute definition of what rock 'n' roll is really about."
SOUNDGARDEN plays in Kansas City on Wednesday night (May 22) as the band continues to support its 2012 album, "King Animal".
Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA) was recently interviewed by Shor Bazaar, Pakistan's first international artist management services. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
SOULFLY has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a new division of Nuclear Blast formed by Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner A&R chief Monte Conner. The band will enter the studio this month to begin recording its as-yet-untitled ninth album. The record will be produced by the world-renowned Terry Date, who is known for his work with such bands PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among many others.
Date previously mixed SOULFLY's "3" (2002), "Prophecy" (2004) and "Dark Ages" (2005) albums, but has never produced any of the group's CDs.
The drum tracks on the new SOULFLY CD will be laid down by Max's 21-year-old son, Zyon Cavalera, who joined the band as its touring drummer for its recent rampage through North America.
Zyon previously played with SOULFLY during the band's tour of Brazil in February 2012.
It is Zyon's unborn heartbeat that can be heard during the intro of SEPULTURA's classic song "Refuse/Resist", which appeared on the band's RIAA-gold-certified "Chaos A.D." album, released three years before Max's departure from the group.
Drummer David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), who played on SOULFLY's latest album, "Enslaved", left the band last October in order to focus on his personal life.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, the news that LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington was going to be the new frontman — more or less — for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS seems to have divided fans of both bands, but one person thinks it sounds great: Slash. The legendary guitarist, who played in VELVET REVOLVER with former STP vocalist Scott Weiland before dismissing him from that band, tweeted, "On a quick break from interviews, listening to new @STPband w/ @chesterbe sounds fantastic! Really excited for this new line-up."
It was Slash who first hinted that STP had fired Weiland for a second time last December, with the band itself making the official announcement in February.
Slash has made no secret of his problems with Weiland but admitted a while back that he was hardly surprised by them: "You know, we knew what we were getting into going into it and, you know, he managed to do pretty well for a while there. But then he turned around and it was aggravating and frustrating and all those negatives, but at the same time, you can't sit there and be surprised."
Fans were shocked when STONE TEMPLE PILOTS made a surprise appearance at a radio festival in the Los Angeles area last Saturday (May 18), with Bennington making his debut on the mic.
The group performed a new song called "Out Of Time" at the show, putting a studio version online earlier this week. Bennington later said that he was planning on doing more recording and touring with STP, while remaining in LINKIN PARK.
Reunited '80s cult metal outfit SANCTUARY has inked a deal with Century Media Records. The band's "comeback" album — tentatively titled "The Year The Sun Died" — is scheduled for release before the end of the year.
In 2010, four of the founding SANCTUARY members — Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard, Lenny Rutledge and Dave Budbill — came together for a few select reunion performances. At first, it was just going to be a handful of shows, but the response and chemistry on stage was so overwhelming that the guys changed their minds. Now, some 20 years after they left off, SANCTUARY will continue with their unique mix of U.S. power metal, hard rock and progressive elements and begin work on a new LP.
To complete the lineup, Brad Hull (FORCED ENTRY) will be filling in for former guitar player Sean Blosi.
Comments Dane: "Having been with Century Media since 1995 with NEVERMORE, it was a very comfortable decision for SANCTUARY to sign with them. Century Media has a great team that always delivers for all of their bands. I've known most of them on a first name basis for many years and I look forward to this new chapter in history."
Added Rutledge: "I can speak for every member of SANCTUARY when I say we are all excited to join the Century Media family. We now have the opportunity to work with the best metal record label on the planet. We are looking forward to creating great music with an awesome team behind us."
SANCTUARY released the classic albums "Refuge Denied" and "Into The Mirror Black" during its short existence between 1985 and 1992. Following the band's split, Dane and Sheppard formed NEVERMORE.
Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SANCTUARY's new CD, Dane told GetYourRockOut in August 2012, "We've got so much stuff written that it's hard to sort through, but we played two new songs [at the Bloodstock Open Air festival]. We played the one ballad, it's called 'I Am Low', and we played another one called 'The World Is Wired'. Some of the other stuff is a little heavier, but those songs, I think, are… Sometimes the stuff that isn't as heavy is stronger, so that's why we picked those."
He added, "I don't think anybody is gonna be disappointed, because I am involved in the creative process and I know what's going on and I know where we're going and I know it's gonna be killer."
Regarding how SANCTUARY's reformation came about, Dane told Rock My Monkey TV, "[SANCTUARY guitarist Lenny Rutledge and I] always talked to each other, but never really been friends again. And when the whole thing came about, that we were actually friends again, that's when we started talking more about doing it. And it definitely wasn't because NEVERMORE was imploding... which it was, at that point . . . We all just started talking with each other again. That was kind of the groundwork for it. And then we started saying, 'Well, gosh, let's make music again.' And my god! Lenny is writing some stuff that is so friggin great! Obviously, he's been bottling this up for years, because he really hasn't been doing anything... Well, he's had bands here and there. But he's really writing some great stuff that's really inspiring me, and making me fall in love with music again, with the creative process... everything that revolves around that. Really inspiring me to write really evil lyrics."
On the topic of the sound of SANCTUARY's upcoming studio album, Dane said, "This record is not going to sound like the other two. It might sound very similar to the second one ('Into The Mirror Black'). It's definitely not going to sound like the first one, because we're all a little bit older and I can't come up with a c-clamp for a scrotum and a helium tank . . . It's not going to sound like the old ones... it's 2011. It's still gonna be that good, I think, and there's gonna be high-pitched screaming. I'm making sure of that. With NEVERMORE, high-pitched screaming was never really called for. You know, with SANCTUARY... of course it is."
SANCTUARY's current lineup:
Warrel Dane - Vocals Lenny Rutledge - Guitar Brad Hull - Guitars Jim Sheppard - Bass Dave Budbill - Drums
Svart Records has set a June 14 release date for CANDLEMASS' vinyl-only "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Live at Roadburn 2011" album.
CANDLEMASS' debut LP, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", is a genre-defining classic if there ever was one — the starting point of modern epic doom metal, even.
In 2010 and 2011, CANDLEMASS invited the original "Epicus" vocalist Johan Längqvist back into the fold for a few select shows celebrating the album's 25th birthday. This vinyl-only release captures the band performing "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" album live at the sold-out Roadburn festival in Holland in April 2011. Mixed from a professional 32-track recording and mastered vinyl under the supervision of band founder/mainman Leif Edling, this is the ultimate live version of the classic.
The Svart release has the album spread over three sides of vinyl and an etching on side D. The two LPs are wrapped in a gatefold jacket, and the set is available on black or white vinyl. Both versions are limited to 400.
Comments Edling: "No volcano could stop us this time to perform the 'Epicus' album at the Roadburn festival in Holland. It was a very special day, filled with great music, incredible fans, and a band that had a lot of fun doing this!
"After 25 years original, 'Epicus' singer Johan Längqvist is onstage with us to perform something that people say is one of the doom metal classics. And I think we did a pretty good job there at Roadburn. We played well, and the show was a total success!
"So here it is, CANDLEMASS live at the Roadburn festival…as it was, no overdubs…recorded on 32 channels…a fine slice of legendary doom released on big, fat, double-packed vinyl!"
METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and bassist Robert Trujillo spoke to Billboard.com about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic", tentatively due in 2015.
"I want it done yesterday," Hetfield said, "and [METALLICA's second Orion Music + More festival] and [the upcoming 3D] movie ['Through The Never'] is keeping us pretty busy at this point and it's taking a lot of our time and effort. We've been touring some obscure places; I guess basically what we're trying to do is pay for this movie, so the touring is keeping us from getting in there and finishing the record. Right now the focus is on the movie."
He continued: "We got out into the room and jammed and we've come up with enough material for a record, for sure. We've gone through maybe one-tenth of the material that's on our riffs CDs. We've got enough for an album, we just haven't had enough time to really focus on it and dial in and start whittling it into these masterpieces, hopefully."
Trujillo added that "the work ethic is super, super strong, and that's what takes us longer than other bands, because we're sitting there and sometimes we're really analyzing things. I mean, for every one lyric, Hetfield has, like three lyric possibilities. But I can tell you this; the grooves and the riffs that are already on the radar are really, really awesome. We've still got more riffs to go through and jam out and throw into the process, but we're getting there, and we'll have something great, hopefully, in the next year."
Last month, Hetfield told Abu Dhabi's That's Entertainment about METALLICA's next CD: "We haven't even started writing it. We're going through riffs. We have, like, 800-and-something riffs we're going through — lots of ideas. We're really excited about it, but doing concerts here and there, trying to get back in the studio and get some stuff done, it's all really exciting. But it gets done on METALLICA time, which is not really scheduled. When it's done, it's done and when it's good, then it will be done."
Asked in a new interview with Revolver about the next album, Ulrich said, "We're in the early stages of writing, and all I can say is there are some good things lurking," adding, "2014 is a bit optimistic for the album to come out, so '15 is more realistic. But listen, there's no rush. It's gonna take what it takes. I don't feel stressed about it, but that doesn't mean we don't care."
METALLICA fans can next see the band headlining their own festival, Orion Music + More, on June 8-9 in Detroit, and then wait for the September 27 release of "Metallica Through The Never", an IMAX 3D feature film that combines concert footage with a fictional narrative.
Audio samples of all the songs that are set to appear on the forthcoming self-titled album from the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE can be streamed at Amazon.com.
"Queensrÿche" will be released on June 25 via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created by Craig Howell, who has previously worked on designs for "Star Wars", SLIPKNOT and "American Idol", to name a few.
"Queensrÿche" marks the debut release from the lineup comprised of La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Michael Wilton (guitar), Parker Lundgren (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums). The drums for the album were recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". The rest of the music and vocals were laid down at several different facilities on the West Coast.
"Queensrÿche" track listing:
01. X2 02. Where Dreams Go To Die 03. Spore 04. In This Light 05. Redemption 06. Vindication 07. Midnight Lullaby 08. A World Without 09. Don't Look Back 10. Fallout 11. Open Road
*** Standard Jewel Case Version Regular CD that includes a 4x4 patch.
*** Deluxe Box Set Edition CD (North America only)
Regular CD with the following bonus tracks:
* Queen Of The Reich (live) * En Force (live) * Prophecy (live) Housed in a small box with an exclusive patch, sticker, guitar pick and button pack.
*** 2-CD Media Book (For Europe only) Standard CD, plus 2nd CD with the following bonus tracks, all recorded live in Snoqualmie, WA on October 27, 2012:
01. Queen Of The Reich (live) 02. En Force (live) 03. Prophecy (live)
*** LP Version One LP with the standard cd inserted into the sleeve as a bonus.
Side A
01. X2 02. Where Dreams Go To Die 03. Spore 04. In This Light 05. Redemption 06. Vindication
Side B
01. Midnight Lullaby 02. A World Without 03. Don't Look Back 04. Fallout 05. Open Road 06. Queen Of The Reich (live) 07. En Force (live)
*** iTunes Digital Version Standard CD version, plus the following bonus tracks:
01. Queen Of The Reich (live) 02. En Force (live)
Fans were treated to a taste of the new album when the band released "Redemption" and it has been garnering praise ever since. The song has been listened to over 185,000 times on YouTube since it was unveiled in March.
Asked which album in QUEENSRŸCHE's catalog would most closely compare to what the band is doing now, drummer Scott Rockenfield told "Noize In The Attic": "Our big goal was, once we kind of made our transition last year and moved on as a band, and Todd being in the band, and our focus of the live shows and everything, it's always kind of been about looking at what really made QUEENSRŸCHE special. And for the live show, it's the old stuff. And we've been focusing a lot, in the show, doing that, for the last year, and we're continue to focus on doing that. On the record, I think the vein of what the record is a combination of all that great old stuff that we're kind of known best for. I mean, for me, I kind of summarize it by saying, to me, it's everything from the [debut] EP up to 'Empire', or maybe even 'Promised Land' at that point, which is, to me, the most defining catalog that we've ever done. And I think for this record, it's visiting that and taking that into the future."
Added guitarist Michael Wilton: "I also think that when you hear this record, each song is gonna be unique in its own. For people that have heard the single that's on YouTube called 'Redemption'. Everybody's asking, 'Is the album gonna sound just like that?' And I can say, 'No.' What's great about this record is that every individual here was in the creative process and the writing — there was no outside writers, like [there were] on the last few albums. And it really shows, and it's a real great blend of everybody's strength and their creative elements, and the songs are definitely reflective of the personalities of this band right now."
Continued Scott: "I think that's important. Especially what Michael was saying. I think the focus of that earlier stuff, there was a massive chemistry between all of us that really worked, and we wanted to find that chemistry again, 'cause we've, unfortunately, had to struggle with that the last few years. But we always knew that that's what we wanted to do, so now that we're able to do that, finding that chemistry and that energy that got us to make those records is what that energy now is in this record. And Michael's right: the songs, there's a great variety of things in it, but they're all QUEENSRŸCHE, they're all us doing it, it's our chemistry of working together."
Said Michael: "If you listen to all the other albums, like from 'Promised Land' back to the EP, you're gonna hear all these dynamics, from song after another song — you're gonna hear those dynamics, and that's the same sort of approach we wanted to take on this new one."
