Boston, Massachusetts' 27 has announced a November tour with Seattle's MINUS THE BEAR.
27 will join MINUS THE BEAR and ANNUALS for a run of Southern U.S. tour dates beginning November 3 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This tour will also include a performance at the annual Fun, Fun, Fun Festival in Austin, TX on November 9. A complete listing of tour dates and cities can be found below with more to be announced soon.
27 will also be performing at the Syracuse VegFest on September 7 in Syracuse, NY. The Syracuse VegFest is an annual event hosted by the Westcott Community Center, Syracuse Animal Rights Organization, and the Syracuse Real Food Co-Op.
27 most recently released a seven-inch single via Undergroove Records featuring the tracks "October Knows" and "Another Hand". These tracks also feature special guest performer Dana Colley (MORPHINE, TWINEMEN, A.K.A.C.O.D.) on electric baritone saxophone. The track "Another Hand" can be heard now via the band's MySpace page.
Sep. 07 - Syracuse, NY - Thornden Park (as part of the Syracuse VegFest)
With MINUS THE BEAR, ANNUALS:
Nov. 03 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Nov. 04 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues Nov. 05 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Café Nov. 07 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues Nov. 08 - Houston, TX - House of Blues Nov. 09 - Austin, TX - Waterloo Park (as part of Fun, Fun, Fun Fest) Nov. 10 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues Nov. 13 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
The Pulse of Radio reports: A number of musical acts, including PEARL JAM, R.E.M., OK GO, NINE INCH NAILS main man Trent Reznor and Jackson Browne have united to try and persuade the Republican and Democratic candidates for President to have a debate in New Orleans about the restoration and recovery of the Louisiana region some three years after it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. A total of more than 90 artists, both national and local, have signed a letter to both Barack Obama and John McCain asking them to come to the area and engage in a dialogue on Gulf Coast issues and federal leadership on the continuing problems there.
The letter is a joint initiative of New Orleans musician Tab Benoit and the Gulf Restoration Network. It states, "We are asking that the future President of the United States direct the resources and attention necessary to restore coastal Louisiana and secure the future of Louisiana's communities."
Other artists that have signed it include MY MORNING JACKET, 311, THE INDIGO GIRLS, Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, Dr. John and more.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and New Orleans mayor Roy Nagin both support the proposal, which would involve members of the public submitting questions via YouTube.
Neither Obama nor McCain have yet committed to the event, which is tentatively scheduled for September 18.
According to Argentina's Rolling Stone magazine, MÖTLEY CRÜE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, NINE INCH NAILS and THE CULT are among the rumored bands for the Pepsi Music Festival, set to take place late September/early October in Buenos Aires.
Pepsi Music Festival is a major Argentine music festival, held annually since 2003. Since 2005 it is named after its main sponsor, Pepsi. Prior to that, it was named after its previous sponsor Quilmes, and it was known as Quilmes Rock. It was held in several places, including the Ferro Stadium and River Plate Stadium, and since 2005 is held at Obras Stadium, all of them in Buenos Aires. It's the largest and longest music festival in the country, with more than 200,000 people attending the 10-day event in 2006.
The Pulse of Radio reports: FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will make a "huge" announcement on Monday (August 11), according to the band's publicist. No other details were given, but the revelation could have something to do with the band's upcoming fall headlining tour, for which full information is forthcoming. Another possibility is the announcement of some kind of DVD release. The band has been on the road for months and drummer Jeremy Spencer told The Pulse of Radio that it's all been documented. "We're stockpiling footage of great pit brutality and backstage craziness and stuff on the bus that's awesome," he said. "So yeah, hopefully we will package together some sort of a DVD release at some point maybe later this year or early next year, but it will be worth the purchase, 'cause I've seen some of the footage and it's awesome."
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH debuted a new video (see below) on Wednesday (August 6) for the band's current single, "Never Enough".
"Never Enough" is a Top 10 hit at rock radio and is taken from the recently released special edition of the band's 2007 debut, "The Way of the Fist".
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will perform an acoustic set at a Best Buy store in suburban Atlanta next Tuesday (August 12) before appearing with the Rockstar Energy Mayhem tour later that day.
The Mayhem tour, which is co-headlined by DISTURBED and SLIPKNOT, stops on Toronto on Friday (August 8).
French metal band ANTHROPIA is currently mastering its new album, "The Chain Reaction", with Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS, JORN) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark. The CD was recorded at ArtMusic studio in Nice and the group's own studio and was mixed by François Merle from the French band MANIGANCE.
ADAGIO keyboardist Kevin Codfert makes a guest appearance on "The Chain Reaction".
A new ANTHROPIA song, "The Altar Of Trust", is currently being streamed on the band's MySpace page.
ANTHROPIA recently parted ways with Magna Carta Records, the label which released the band's 2006 effort, "The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 - The Journey of Beginnings", and is currently seeking a new label home.
According to the band's official bio, "The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 – The Journey of Beginnings" "buzzes with flashes of IRON MAIDEN's gritty conceptual metal, Dave Mustaine/MEGADETH lightning-speed riffing, DREAM THEATER's sweeping storytelling, Yngwie Malmsteen's neo-classical minor-scale mining, 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway'-era GENESIS atmospherics, KANSAS' busy symphonic boogie-rock, classical guitar beauty and flair, and RUSH's dark '70s sci-fi/fantasy explorations. Simply put, ANTHROPIA's classical-metal-prog hybrid enraptures the listener in a world of sound, vision, and imagination."
ANTHROPIA's video for the song "Question of Honour" off "The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 – The Journey of Beginnings" can be viewed below. The main portion of the clip was shot in the French Alps near the village of Le Mas.
Jeff Maki of Live-Metal.Net recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH and current F5 bassist Dave Ellefson. An excerpt from the chat follows.
Live-Metal.Net: Is Dave [Mustaine] as hard of a person to get along with as the media perceives? And if so, how did it work for so long for so many years with you guys?
Dave Ellefson: "Well, I think in general, I was just really happy to be there. When I was 16 years old, I had this hunch and I'll never forget it. I was standing out where I grew up at a farm. My bands would always rehearse in one of my dad's sheds on his farm. And I got this feeling at 16 years old standing there in the band room just goin', 'Man, I gotta get up to L.A.' And I don't know where that came from, but it was just a hunch I had and I continued to follow it. And over the years I watched the scene develop more and more with metal out in L.A. So at 18, right after I graduated high school, I moved out to L.A. And about three or four days after I was there I met Dave. He had just parted ways with METALLICA. He was the real deal, unlike a lot of other people in L.A. who were all just copycats and wannabes [laughs]. And he had incredible talent and great songwriting abilities. And that was real clear to me. So we worked up and moved forward and through all, the thing about it was, that was a real rock 'n roll band and with everything that went with it. If anyone needs evidence just watch the 'Behind the Music' on VH1 [laughs]. That tells the story. Much like GUNS N' ROSES or the SEX PISTOLS or any rock n' roll band that's worth a shit in this world, we were one of them on every level. And to me it just felt like staying there was the thing to do. And I think that's how it went. Now, other people had different agendas and different things. I think some people may have even come through there and looked at it as an opportunity and a stepping stone to their solo career, which was never my deal. It was just great to be part of building something from the ground up and goin' the distance with it. And watching it rise up. That's why I never expected it to end, but one day it did. And I think at that point in my life, honestly I think I was ready to step out from being Dave No. 2, so to speak. I had grown up a lot over those years, kinda found some new things in life. I wasn't the same guy that I was when I was 18 and just moved to California. The music scene was different. I mean, everything had changed. Keep in mind this was 2002, so almost 20 years later. So the world's a much different place not only as we know it, but just in my life. So I think making the decision to move forward and get on with some new stuff rather than just sittin' around hoping and waiting one day maybe it'll reform or whatever. You know, I got movin' on new things and in doin' that I had these new experiences and F5 came into be. And all of a sudden when the former group reformed I was already miles down a new road. And I had to make a very difficult decision at that point. 'Do you try to make this work? Do I stay the course?' Obviously, we went through some discussions and transitions, and it didn't work out. But at the same time, as much as we might of all wanted that to work or trying to be willing to make it work, I think at some point sometimes there's greater forces at work in this world, stuff that's in our desires. So it was best to try and let it go with a good blessing and let them do their thing — allow Dave to move on so he can do what he wants to do and I move on to do what it seems like I want to do at this point in my life. And I think that is a healthy thing to do. I know it can be disappointing to fans that wish they're together and wish they would reunite. And, you know, as we've all seen, those things do happen, but they need to happen on their own time. That's why I always leave an open door for that. I never have closed that door and said, 'No way, no way,' because probably there will be some point where that all just might work out really cool. And it would be really good for everybody. In the meantime, I'm just kinda fielding the things that are coming across my path and I'm not really trying too hard. I'm not trying to chase things down, just kinda tryin' to let the river of life flow. And some really cool things have crossed my radar screen. I've gotten involved in some things I never thought I would've."
LOADED, the band formed by current VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan (on guitar and vocals) after he left GUNS N' ROSES, will release a new album early next year via Century Media. A five-song EP will precede it in September.
"These are purely my songs," McKagan told Billboard.com. "It's probably more derivative of my earlier years of punk rock. It's a good rock 'n' roll band. It's fun, is what it is. There's no real business and no real drama. I'm really into no drama right now," he adds, noting Scott Weiland's recent rancorous departure from VELVET REVOLVER.
LOADED recently posted the third webisode (see below) featuring footage from the recording sessions for the group's new album. The sessions with producer Martin Feveyear are progressing well and they band already has several new tracks ready — "Roll Away", "Forgive Me", "Sick", "No More", "Southern Girl", "No Shame" and "Translucent".
In addition to McKagan, LOADED features drummer Geoff Reading (GREEN APPLE QUICK STEP), bassist Jeff Rouse (VENDETTA RED, ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE) and guitarist Mike Squires (ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE).
LOADED will embark on a European tour in September. Support on the UK/Ireland portion of the trek will come from THE LOYALTIES.
LOADED was formed in 1999 and has morphed several times, releasing two albums: 1999's "Live Episode" and 2001's "Dark Days".
According to MetalIsrael.com, Anthem Metal Festival 2008 — which was slated to take place August 14, 2008 at Hangar 11 on the shores of Tel Aviv, Israel — has been postponed.
The following acts were scheduled to appear at the festival:
SATYRICON MESHUGGAH OPETH DARK TRANQUILITY THE HAUNTED NEVERMORE SALEM BETZEFER DISTORTED THEY:SWARM THE FADING
Anthem Productions, the company that brought MACHINE HEAD and HATEBREED to Israel, was staging the Anthem Metal Festival. Anthem is an international company that has produced shows all over Europe, including those of bands like PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK, and BRUTAL TRUTH.
Daniel Svensson of IN FLAMES will join this year’s biggest drummers show in Germany, the Meinl Drum Festival, which takes place in Gutenstetten on September 7. Daniel's appearance will take place at 5:00 p.m. and he will be joined by some of the most important drummers in music today, including Chris Coleman, Johnny Rabb and Jaska Raatikainen. You can also meet Daniel during a signing session before his drum show.
The schedule is as follows:
10.00 Doors open 11.00 Jost Nickel (Germany - JAN DELAY) 12.30 Jaska Raatikainen (Finland - CHILDREN OF BODOM) 14.00 Chris Coleman (USA - CHAKA KHAN) 15.30 Benny Greb (Germany - JEROBEAM, STOPPOK) 17.00 Daniel Svensson (Sweden - IN FLAMES) 18.00 Benny Greb (Germany - JEROBEAM, STOPPOK) Johnny Rabb (USA - BIO DIESEL)
HardTimes.ca conducted an interview with Daniel Svensson during the Canadian leg of the recently completed Gigantour (headlined by MEGADETH). Watch the seven-minute chat below.
IN FLAMES will embark on a European headlining tour in October. Support on the trek will come from SONIC SYNDICATE and GOJIRA.
IN FLAMES's new album, "A Sense of Purpose", shifted 20,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release. This is slightly less than the opening tally of "Come Clarity" (Ferret), which sold just under 24,000 copies in February 2006 to debut at position No. 58.
Join Steven Tyler, the legendary lead singer of AEROSMITH and owner of Red Wing Motorcycles, for a 15-mile escorted ride in Boston Sunday, August 24, 2008. The first Rock Ride Boston 2008 will benefit FORGE and Opportunity International, which seeks to help African refugees rebuild communities in war-torn countries.
The ride starts off Route 128 in Waltham, MA. and ends up at the Live Nation Bank of America Pavilion on the waterfront in downtown Boston. At the end of the ride, check out live music courtesy of Ernie and the AUTOMATICS and the legendary Skunk Baxter of the DOOBIE BROTHERS with displays by Red Wing Motorcycles and Sucker Punch Sally's.
Registration is just $20...so get online at www.rockride.net and be prepared for a memorable ride with the legendary frontman of AEROSMITH. The inaugural Rock Ride Boston is the first of a series that will include Rock Ride Phoenix hosted by Sucker Punch Sally's as well as several other cities and rock stars.
JUDAS PRIEST is calling on you, the fans, to submit your mixes for a chance to be the producer of the official video for the song "Alone" from the "Nostradamus" album. Epic Records and JUDAS PRIEST have given Eyespot tons of rare video, including interviews with the band, live performance and studio video, so you can mix the footage with the song, creating the ultimate PRIEST video!
That's not all folks! PRIEST is going to give the winner a brand new Hamer guitar signed by Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Rob Halford! Make a mix each week, make four mixes, make as many as you want. The more mixes you submit, the better your chances to be the one that has bragging rights — "Yeah, I produced the new PRIEST video..."
Here's what you gotta do:
01. Click the 'Start Mixing' button to add the videos and single to your account 02. Just Drag and Drop your favorite clips on to the timeline 03. Drag the audio track into the timeline to complete your mix.
Eyespot MobileCast - Text "sub JudasPriest" to 77089 to receive videos on your mobile phone from JUDAS PRIEST.
ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET, the Swedish band featuring former THE CROWN vocalist Johan Lindstrand, has inked a European deal with Massacre Records. The group's third album, "Grim Tales", is scheduled for release on October 24 and will be available as a limited-edition digipack containing a bonus DVD. The CD was recorded at the Black Lounge Studios in Avesta, Sweden with producer Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY).
"Grim Tales" track listing:
01. Black Clouds 02. Misfit With A Machinegun 03. Saint Lucifer 04. Cursed By The Knife 05. A Date With Suicide 06. Death Makes It All Go Away 07. Dominator Of The Flesh 08. Bonebreaker Propaganda 09. Make Them Die Slowly 10. The Frisco Reaper 11. Bastards Of Monstrosity
ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET has posted an audio sample of the song "Cursed By The Knife" on the group's MySpace page.
ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET's sophomore album, "Error in Evolution", was released on March 9, 2007 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to the band's debut, "21st Century Killing Machine", was recorded at Deadline studios with engineer Valle Adzic.
Evil Elvis of Festivals2Go.com conducted an interview with veteran British all-female hard rock band GIRLSCHOOL at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, which was held July 31 - August 2 in Wacken, Germany. Watch the chat below.
GIRLSCHOOL will release its 30th-anniversary album in October via Wacken Records/SPV. The CD will reportedly feature a plethora of special guests, including Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH), Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO), Lemmy and Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD, "Fast" Eddie Clarke (FASTWAY, ex-MOTÖRHEAD) and a couple of members of TWISTED SISTER.
GIRLSCHOOL guitarist Kelly Johnson passed away on July 15, 2007 after a six-year battle with cancer of the spine. Along with Johnson, the classic lineup of GIRLSCHOOL included Kim McAuliffe (guitar), Enid Williams (bass) and Denise Dufort (drums). The band was an integral and major force in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement, beginning with the release of its debut album, "Demolition" (1980), and continuing with the follow-up efforts, "Hit 'n' Run" (1981) and "Screaming Blue Murder" (1982).
New "fly-on-the-wall" footage of METALLICA working on its new album has surfaced on the MissionMetallica.com web site and can be viewed below.
METALLICA has officially set Friday, September 12 as the "worldwide" release date for its new album, "Death Magnetic". The CD will be available to download for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the same day the album arrives in stores.
The band is offering the record for sale in numerous configurations, ranging from a digital-only release to a deluxe "coffin box" that will come with a bonus CD, a DVD, a T-shirt, guitar picks and other goodies.
"Death Magnetic" official track listing:
01. That Was Just Your Life 02. The End Of The Line 03. Broken, Beat & Scarred 04. The Day That Never Comes 05. All Nightmare Long 06. Cyanide 07. The Unforgiven III 08. The Judas Kiss 09. Suicide & Redemption 10. My Apocalypse
WSAZ.com reports that the Kentucky State Police officer who was arrested last month following the POISON / SEBASTIAN BACH concert at the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville, Kentucky went before a judge Tuesday (August 5) to answer to charges of alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Kentucky State Police Sergeant Timothy Moore pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Moore, a 10-year veteran of the agency who works out of Post 14, Ashland, was seen staggering on Huffman Avenue and being very loud following the July 20 concert, according to an arrest citation by Pikeville Police Officer Tony Conn.
Moore, the citation said, was being escorted by another male, who was "aiding (Moore) in keeping balance," reports that Appalachian News-Express.
Conn was asked to assist emergency medical services with an ambulance call, the citation said, at which time Moore said that he was not afraid of Conn, cursing him and referring to Conn with an anti-homosexual slur.
Moore was suspended with pay.
Tuesday in court, Moore's attorney said he is looking forward to resolving the situation.
"We will cooperate fully, as we have in the past," Terry Jacobs, Moore's attorney, said. "Sgt. Moore, as I've stated, has respected the system and respects the process. He's been very cooperative and continues to do so. We feel that once all the facts come to light, the situation will be resolved rather quickly."
Terry Jacobs says Sgt. Moore is ready to go back to his job with the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant county attorney Roger Varney said Sgt. Moore will not receive any special treatment because he is a state trooper.
HardTimes.ca recently conducted an interview with Arizona-based extreme metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY. Watch the 10-minute chat below.
JOB FOR A COWBOY played at the Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland in June without the band's vocalist Johnny Davy, who had throat infection. As a result, JOB FOR A COWBOY was forced to cancel its gigs in Russia and Estonia.
JOB FOR A COWBOY had its latest album, "Genesis", released on picture disc on April 18 (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy) and April 21 (rest of Europe) via Metal Blade Records. The LP is part of the "Metal Blade Vinyl Fan Edition," which means the pressing is strictly limited to 500 copies.
"Genesis" debuted at #54 on Billboard's Top 200 chart in May 2007, shifting nearly 13,000 units in its first week of release, and joined the initial releases from STONE SOUR and DAMAGEPLAN (which featured members of SLIPKNOT and PANTERA, respectively) amongst the highest charting metal debuts to crack Billboard's Top 200 since SLIPKNOT's 1999 self-titled album.
David Schmeichel of the Winnipeg Sun recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivan Campbell. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.
On choosing their setlist:
"It's a tough thing for us, and we're kind of between a rock and a hard place. As artists, you keep wanting to move forward and play your new material, but you're kind of beholden to your success of the past. We're fortunate, in that we have a truckload of bona fide Top 20 hits, but the other side of the equation is that's all our audience wants to hear. . . We try to sneak in a couple new songs as we go, but you can really tell the majority of the audience doesn't know them, because there's a collective, 'Uhh,' You can put a new song in the first two or three — or even start with it — because while the audience is there and you have everyone's attention, they'll indulge you. But from then on, it gets difficult. You've got to pick the right (new) song to play, and even then, assume maybe 10 people in the audience are going to know it out of 10,000. Running order is very important, especially for a band like us, because our show is very physical, and it's very up, and we don't like to bring it down."
"We started off the tour playing six songs from the new album, and that very quickly became five songs, and then four, and then one — the single. That can even happen with what you'd hope would be familiar material, like this one tour where we started the show by playing the entire Side 1 of the 'High and Dry' album. About 30% of the audience went mad for it, but the rest of them were like, 'This isn't 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'.' Then we realized that wasn't the biggest album for fans, and it would've been different if we'd opened with 'Hysteria'. So you can't be too clever."
On frontman Joe Elliott's illness which forced several show cancellations in April:
"It was actually an upper respiratory tract infection, which was very unpleasant. We've all been on tour and gotten ill and managed to pull through, but with this, it got to the point where Joe would open his mouth and nothing would come out. Which for Joe Elliott is very strange. That man is in love with the sound of his own voice." On the recent mini-controversyElliott stirred up by daring to suggest that glam bands like POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE "totally missed the point":
"You know, we live in a time where you can't say or do anything. And where do people find the time? I have two small children and three dogs, and I don't even have the time to go to the dentist, let alone sit on the Internet chatting about this shit for hours. It's much ado about nothing."
HardTimes.ca recently conducted an interview with new vocalist Matt McGachy of Montreal-based extreme metallers CRYPTOPSY. Watch the eight-minute chat below.
"The Unspoken King", CRYPTOPSY's sixth full-length and first to feature new vocalist Matt McGachy, was released June 24 to a wide array of reactions. Flo Mounier recently explained his intention in reshaping the dynamics of the band to Decibel magazine: "I'm a fan of different sorts of music, and I think it's most fun when a band puts out an album that has elements of everything; you get this thing called diversity, not boredom. That's what we're trying to do. Still, I think people are going to be surprised how brutal this album is."
"The Unspoken King" sold 1,300 copies in the United States in its first two weeks of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
CRYPTOPSY's last CD, "Once Was Not", registered a first-week U.S. tally of 1,200 back in October 2005.
Progressive titans INTRONAUT are set to unveil their highly anticipated new album, "Prehistoricisms", on September 16. For those who are eagerly awaiting the release, a widget has now been made available below which features two tracks from the album, "Australopithecus" and "The Literal Black Cloud".
"Prehistoricisms", which was heralded as "one of the most anticipated releases of 2008" by Decibel magazine, was engineered by Josh Newell (JANE'S ADDICTION) and "will certainly captivate the metal world with its blend of psychedelic brutality, captivating hooks and unpredictable time changes," according to a press release.
Commented INTRONAUT guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable: "I can't even begin to express how excited we are about this record. It's definitely our most densely packed body of work yet. In addition to the standard INTRONAUT angle of attack, we have some surprises including an awesome guest solo from NEGATIVA/GORGUTS guitarist Steeve Hurdle, as well as some truly jaw-dropping moments of Indian/metal fusion courtesy of Joe and Dave. Stoked."
INTRONAUT can currently be seen on the "Ultimate Brodeo Tour" alongside MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT and BEHOLD… THE ARCTOPUS.
Japan's Metal Moment podcast has uploaded an interview with guitarist legendary hard rock singer Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). Listen to the chat at this location.
Jeff Scott Soto has set "Beautiful Mess" as the title of his new album, which is expected this fall.
Video footage of Jeff Scott Soto performing the song "Broken Man" from "Beautiful Mess" at Paladino's in Tarzana, California can be viewed below.
HardTimes.ca recently conducted an interview with vocalist Chuck Billy of the San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans TESTAMENT. Watch the 10-minute chat below.
TESTAMENT has scheduled the following in-store appearances:
Sunday, August 10, 2008 - 1:00pm Looney Tunes 31 Brookvale Ave. West Babylon, NY 11704 www.LTCDS.com
Friday, August 15, 2008 - 5:00pm Spin Street store in Mohegan Sun Casino (same location as venue) mohegansun.com/entertainment/spin-street-events.html
TESTAMENT was honored with the "Album of the Year" Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award for its latest album, "The Formation of Damnation". TESTAMENT beat out the other worthy contenders in this category: ATREYU, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, CHILDREN OF BODOM and DOWN.
"The Formation of Damnation" debuted at #59 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and is TESTAMENT's highest-charting release in the band's 24-year history. The album also dominated at radio, holding the #1 spot on both CMJ and FMQB for several consecutive weeks.
Having recently finished taking part in the festival circuit in Europe, TESTAMENT has just kicked off the Metal Masters Tour with JUDAS PRIEST, HEAVEN AND HELL and MOTÖRHEAD.
An e-card for "The Formation of Damnation" can be accessed at this location.
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley makes a guest appearance on the new album from the Raleigh, North Carolina-based band JAM PAIN SOCIETY. Entitled "Black Light Messiah", the CD will be issued in North America on August 12 via Locomotive Records. Ace is featured on the song "The Ride", which is available for streaming on the JAM PAIN SOCIETYMySpace page.
Self-produced by guitarist/composer Chris Hill (who cites KISS, LED ZEPPELIN, VAN HALEN, and PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC as major influences), these 12 tracks bristle with melodic invention, heavy guitar riffs and huge hooks.
The woman behind the mic for this SOCIETY is Leah Kirby. Raised on a steady diet of AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST and Motown, Leah cites Aretha Franklin and Ronnie James Dio as vocal influences. She is definitely not your typical rock frontwoman!
Nick Campbell's the man behind the big drum kit, technically gifted, intricate, and raised in the Neil Peart (RUSH) and Danny Carey (TOOL) school of bombast.
The bottom is filled out in its own spectacular JAM PAIN way with two bassists! Matt Frederick (from a band, DRILL 187, that Hill produced) and Greg Putnam (he of the six-string bass) puts the prog into the proceedings. DREAM THEATER enthusiasts both, they combine for one voice…and in so doing, make this JAM totally unique!
"Black Light Messiah" track listing:
01. So Here It Is 02. Wasted 03. You Made Me 04. Secret 05. Monster Mind 06. Second Smile 07. The Ride (feat. Ace Frehley) 08. Erase You 09. Choose Your Machine 10. Wrapped Around 11. Hero 12. Flavor
A HINDER e-card featuring the group's single "Use Me", which officially hit radio on July 15, can be accessed at this location.
HINDER will release its much-anticipated follow-up to the three-times-platinum smash "Extreme Behavior" on November 4 via Universal Republic. Entitled "Take It To The Limit", the new CD was helmed by "Extreme Behavior" producer Brian Howes and features the cutting-edge first single "Use Me".
The raucous Oklahoma fivesome has been treating fans to early helpings of its upcoming sophomore effort, letting loose with some new tracks from "Take It To The Limit" as part of its current live show. The tour with 3 DOORS DOWN and STAIND is turning out to be one of the hottest draws of the summer of 2008.
HINDER's 2006 debut album launched three successful singles, including the multi-format #1 smash "Lips Of An Angel", earning a dizzying array of chart-topping honors. The hit song was also recognized as Active Rock Radio's most popular rock single of 2006. "Extreme Behavior" became a mainstay of the Billboard Top 200 Album charts for nearly a year and a half, endearing the band to a diverse array of rock fans as HINDER soared to become one of the most successful grassroots-artist development stories of the decade.
Dutch metallers DEMIA have announced the addition of drummer Robincito (GILO, AGRESION) to the group's ranks. He joins the band as the replacement for founding member Sky Hahn, who left DEMIA to spend more time with his wife and newborn son.
Commented the group in a statement: "We are very pleased to have Robincito with us. We have already known each other for years and he was first on our list. Replacing Sky was gonna be a tough job, but this guy drums like a maniac on tight steroids so having him behind the drumkit will definitely bring a excellent new flavor to DEMIA."
"Evolutional Regression", the new video from DEMIA, can be viewed below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "Insidious", which was released last September via Scarlet Records. The CD was produced by Dirty Icon, which consists of Logan Mader (ex-MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY) and Lucas Banker (JUNKIE XL). Logan also mixed and mastered the album at the Undercity Recording Studio in North Hollywood, California.
Bassist Spit comments: "The video shoot was amazing. We shot it at our practice room in Amsterdam with only two cameras plus a bunch of strobe-and white lights. So nothing fancy MTV stylish but plain underground metal in your face! Well, that's what we metalheads all like, don't we?! We certainly do! It's a pity you can't smell us through your screen because during the shoot we had gallons of water coming out of our rotten corpses by sweating our asses of for your visual pleasure."
Nuclear Blast Records has set a November 21 European release date for the new album from German "riff masters" CALLEJON. More information, including the album title and track listing, will be revealed soon. A trailer for the CD can be viewed below.
CALLEJON will embark on the Infiziert (English translation: Infected) tour in mid-November which will include "five shows of complete and insane live destruction," according to a press release. A poster for the trek can be viewed below.
According to the band's official bio, CALLEJON's "very special German-shouted screamometal kicks ass as hell, mixing an explosive cocktail of IRON MAIDEN pickings, violent mosh attacks, unconventional song structures, and a braincracking vocal performance. Playing live, CALLEJON tear down everything, live for their audience, and die for their music. So what is left? Actually the most innovative German hardcore band."
CALLEJON is:
Bastian Sobtzick - Vocals Thomas Buschhausen - Guitar Bernhard Horn - Guitar Thorsten Becker - Bass Bodo Stricker- Drums
TURBONERGRO's exclusive "Turbonegro Performing Apocalypse Dudes" event at the sold-out Øyafestivalen in Oslo tonight (August 7) will feature several prominent guests, including former QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE bassist Nick Oliveri and punk rock legend Keith Morris (of BLACK FLAG and CIRCLE JERKS).
TURBONEGRO will perform the entire "Apocalypse Dudes" album at the event, which will be streamed live at NRK P3 (showtime is 21.55 GMT +1). (NOTE: Live stream may not be available in some countries.)
TURBONEGRO's latest album, "Retox", was released in June 2007.
Florida metallers TRIVIUM played the first show of their "Shogun" world tour tonight (Thursday, August 7) in Tokyo, Japan at the sold-out Shibuya-O East.
The group's setlist was as follows:
01. Kirsuite Gomen 02. Becoming The Dragon 03. Detonation 04. Ember To Inferno 05. Tread The Floods 06. Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation 07. Blinding Tears Will Br
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