Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's entire April 18 concert at Ogden Theatre in Denver, Colorado can be seen 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.
Washed Up Media conducted an interview with the New Jersey-based "mathcore" act THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN at the 15th annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, which was held April 19-21 at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. You can now watch the chat below.
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's fifth full-length album, "One Of Us Is The Killer", 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).
Fat Guy conducted an interview with KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch at this year's Rock On The Range festival, which took place May 17-19 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now watch the chat below.
KORN recently completed work on its 11th studio CD and first with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch back in the fold since 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror".
Speaking to Loudwire, Welch stated about the songwriting process for the new KORN album, "It was effortless. It just kind of fell into place and it was better than before."
Asked how much involvement Welch has had in the creative process so far, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer said: "He had a huge role in everything. This guy is the melody-chorus master. He's the best. He can come up with melodies and choruses all day long and that was a huge help for me, 'cause for a long time I was trying to come up with choruses and verses and wrangle the whole thing. It's been so much work and for him to come in and have these fresh ideas, it's just been so refreshing."
Added Welch: "And it goes both ways, because I came in and then we started, but it was… Like, my favorite song on the album is one that [Munky] came up with. I'm a fan of his writing, he's a fan of my writing, and it all just works great."
Welch left KORN in 2005 to pursue a solo career and devote more of his life to Christianity, but rejoined them for one gig last year and several more in 2013, leading to plans to record together again.
Welch told Rolling Stone, "We knew we would have a blast playing together, because we love each other so much, but we really wanted to make sure the music felt right before we committed to making a whole album together. But since we got in the studio, everything just started pouring out, now I can't wait until our fans hear this stuff!"
The new KORN set is due out in late summer and will follow up 2011's "The Path Of Totality", which found the group experimenting with dubstep.
The new record will feature four-fifths of the original KORN lineup, with only founding drummer David Silveria not on board.
KORN played its first full show in eight years with Welch on May 15 at Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. Welch first appeared onstage with them for one song at last year's Carolina Rebellion festival.
Bazillion Points Books has announced the upcoming release of "Heavy Metal Movies", by Mike "McBeardo" McPadden. Lavishly illustrated, and featuring more than two-times-666 of the most metallic movie moments of all time, "Heavy Metal Movies" is the ultimate guidebook to the complete molten musical cinema experience.
The unadulterated journey through searing celluloid spans concert movies and trippy midnight flicks from the dawn of heaviosity, inspirational depictions of ancient times and future apocalypses, and today's raw hand-held digital video productions. "Heavy Metal Movies" rounds up, reviews, and canonizes all known incidents of heavy metal in motion pictures, including performance films, feature documentaries, occult rock 'n' roll horror, primal headbanger characters, soundtrack standouts, namesake inspirations, lyrical references, aesthetic archetypes, and much more. As brash, irreverent, and visceral as both the music and the movies themselves, "Heavy Metal Movies" is the ultimate guidebook to the complete molten musical cinema experience.
Brooklyn-born Mike "McBeardo" McPadden is the head writer of the online phenomenon Mr. Skin. In addition to years of freelance journalism (Esquire, Black Book, New York Press), and more than a decade as a Hustler editor and correspondent, Mr. McPadden has also done time as a B-movie screenwriter.
Italian death metallers HOUR OF PENANCE will embark on a European tour this fall alongside Australian tech-death act PSYCROPTIC and U.K. death outfit DYSCARNATE. Prior to the trek — which kicks off in Belgium on September 20 — HOUR OF PENANCE will appear at several of the summer's heaviest international festivals.
Comments HOUR OF PENANCE guitarist Giulio Moschini: "We're extremely happy to tour again with our friends in PSYCROPTIC and DYSCARNATE and most of all to play again in Europe after the successful tour we did with CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEVILDRIVER and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER in February. For the first time, HOUR OF PENANCE will also play in Ireland! Be there!"
HOUR OF PENANCE is also excited to reveal that it has begun work on material for its next album, expected out in early 2014.
Adds Moschini: "Since the release of [2012's] 'Sedition', the band has played over 150 shows throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. We have had great times on the road and would like to thank all the fans who came to our shows and bought 'Sedition', as well as all the people we worked with during this year. This was, without a doubt, a big source of inspiration for us, and while at home or between shows, we started collecting ideas for our next record. Even if what we have right now are only demos of the new songs, we can already say that if you loved 'Sedition' and our past albums, you'll go crazy with this new record. We worked our asses off and meticulously worked on improving our music once again, so we're very glad to announce that a new album will be recorded after this tour!"
Says guitarist Paolo Pieri: "We're currently working on the lyrics and vocals for the new songs. This album will be more varied and brutal than everything we've done so far. The new material sounds totally fresh and will be a bone-crushing feast for old and new fans of HOUR OF PENANCE."
Amp Rock TV recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. You can now watch the chat below.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's fourth album, "Temper, Temper", sold 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on February 12 via RCA.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's previous effort, 2010's "Fever", opened with 71,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 3. It was also a Top 10 release in the U.K., Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.
The Welsh quartet changed the way they approached making an album this time around, with guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck and drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas traveling to Thailand to do the initial writing and recording for the album. Tuck told The Pulse Of Radio why they made the trip. "It was just nice being in a studio 24/7, really, you know, with no distractions from home and stuff," he said. "So that was kind of the main reason why we went there and it just worked out well, you know, because we didn't have any pressures from having to travel, having to cook your own food — just all the stuff that is an everyday process obviously takes a lot of time out of the day to be creative. So just being there, being able to write 24/7, was a huge advantage."
The first single from "Temper, Temper" is called "Riot".
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is currently headlining the fifth edition of the "HardDrive Live" tour, which kicked off on April 12 in Denver. Joining them are main support HALESTORM, plus special guests YOUNG GUNS and openers STARS IN STEREO. The trek is sponsored by "HardDrive".
Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Canadian rock legends RUSH recently answered a number of questions for listeners of the U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock. Check out the footage below.
Two new digital-only RUSH collections, entitled "The Complete Mercury Years" and "The Studio Albums 1989-2007", were released via iTunes on May 14.
"The Complete Mercury Years" contains RUSH's complete Mercury catalog (all their albums up through "A Show Of Hands") for $79.99, including the new "2112" Deluxe Edition and the 2008 "Working Man" compilation.
"Rush: The Studio Albums 1989-2007" contains the entire Atlantic-era RUSH studio catalog ("Presto" through "Snakes & Arrows") for $49.99. Both collections are digital only and mastered for iTunes.
RUSH was honored in the "Rock Album Of The Year" category at this year's Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards), for their latest studio CD, "Clockwork Angels".
RUSH's first new collection of original material in over five years and their first studio release via Anthem/Roadrunner Records, "Clockwork Angels", sold 103,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard chart.
The title track of "Legions Of The North", the new album from the Swedish "Viking metal" act MÅNEGARM, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD will be release on June 28 via Napalm Records.
Commented guitarist Markus Andé: "'Legions Of The North' is an album full of hard-hitting melodies and ear-catching refrains, all spiced with the special MÅNEGARM flavor and served to you all in the best way. We're very proud to present this new album and we really hope that you will enjoy it. The Wolf is back…prepare for war!!"
"Legions Of The North" track listing:
01. Arise 02. Legions Of The North 03. Eternity Awaits 04. Helvegr 05. Hordes Of Hel 06. Tor Hjälpe 07. Wake The Gods - Bonus Track 08. Vigverk 09. Sons Of War 10. Echoes From The Past 11. Fallen 12. Forged In Fire 13. Raadh
Violin player Janne Liljekvist has left MÅNEGARM in June 2012 "due to lack of motivation."
MÅNEGARM's most recent CD, "Nattväsen", was released in November 2009 via Regain Records.
The first of two clips featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "The Sun Comes Out Tonight", the sixth studio album from the rock act FILTER, can be seen below. Due on June 4 via Wind-Up Records, the CD was recorded in Los Angeles at Blue Room studios with producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, ATREYU, SALIVA). The follow-up to 2010's "The Trouble With Angels" was written and recorded by leader Richard Patrick and guitarist Jonny Radtke, as well as collaborator Marlette. There are also performances from touring members Jeff Friedl and Elias Mallin (drums) and Phil Buckman (bass).
The song "Surprise" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.
"The Sun Comes Out Tonight" track listing:
01. We Hate It When You Get What You Want 02. What Do You Say 03. Surprise 04. Watch The Sun Come Out Tonight 05. It's Got To Be Right Now 06. This Finger's For You 07. Self Inflicted 08. First You Break It 09. Burn It 10. Take That Knife Out Of My Back 11. It's My Time 12. It's Just You
In a 2012 interview with "All Knowing Force", Patrick said about the songwriting process for the new CD, "One of the main things we set out to do, we said let's make a song with all the elements of 'Hey Man Nice Shot', and we sat there and it wrote itself." He added, "We didn't want to write the same bass line or guitar progression, but it had to be an amazing riff; let's start with that. The riff was so good, it's a two-bar pattern, and we throw guitar over it with drums and I scream and the bass line never changes, it's a nonstop bass line that never ever changes."
Regarding the inspiration for the new material, Patrick said, "We were talking about some of the things that are going on in my life; there's been a lot of betrayal from people surrounding me. So we were thinking 'Hey Man Nice Shot', that's something that describes a desperate man's actions and trying to make sense of it, almost like a joke. So we started talking about betrayal and we played around with the words 'Take That Knife Out of My Back' and all of a sudden this song just wrote itself."
On the topic of the overall direction of the new CD, Patrick said, "We have this beautiful record that starts off heavy and mean and then it goes back to the more moody, almost joyful parts of life. For me, the record that we always try to model is the 'Title Of Record' era — that sets the standard in how heavy and how light we can go. We just aspire to make the songs as good and I think the songwriting is superior, we just have to make sure the performances are as desperate and powerful as those crazy takes I did when I was kid."
Canadian grinders FUCK THE FACTS have posted a new song and video for the track "L'enclume Et Le Marteau" from their upcoming EP, "Amer". Animation for the clip was created by Phil Osborne who has also made videos for DAIQUIRI and THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE.
"Amer" was recorded and mixed at FUCK THE FACTS' own Apartment 2 Recording studio by the band's guitarist Topon Das and mastered by Scott Hull (PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED) at Visceral Sound. The cover artwork was created by FUCK THE FACTS vocalist Mel Mongeon.
"Amer" track listing:
01. Une Triste Vue 02. Vent Du Nord 03. Panser La Plaie Au Lieu De Soigner Le Mal 04. A Void 05. Jour De Souffrance 06. L'enclume Et Le Marteau 07. Amère
"Amer" will be released independently on June 18 as a limited-edition 10-inch vinyl record, limited edition cassette and as a digital download.
VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth has written and stars in a new short film where he takes on a group of Japanese thugs in a card game who try to take advantage of "the American" who they think can't speak English. Roth takes matters into his own hands as only Diamond Dave can do. Check out the bloody (but censored) video below.
Roth is a resident of Tokyo since May 2012 but maintains homes in New York City and Pasadena, California.
In a recent interview with Australia's Brisbane Times, the 57-year-old singer said: "I live in Tokyo and hang out with a girl half my age and it's no longer a legal issue. It was not an impulsive move to come here. We are in love and my girlfriend is Japanese."
ALMAH — the Brazilian metal band led by former ANGRA singer Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi — hs released another teaser for its upcoming as-yet-untitled fourth studio album.
The ALMAH bandmembers are currently finishing pre-production of new songs in a home studio of Falaschi, who states: "The new album will be more positive. While 'Motion' (2011) is a fucking heavy, tense and dark album, the new one will be hopeful with fast songs."
To keep fans updated on the recording process, Almah have launched a series of "making-of" videos. Edu comments: “The new album is almost ready; we are finishing the last songs now! We'd like to show you one part of a new song: it's a guitar duel with tapping and right now we are working at this idea! Very soon the whole new material will be ready for the recording!"
ALMAH's third studio album, "Motion", was released in Europe in October 2011 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded in May-June 2011 at Norcal Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and was mixed and mastered in July 2011 at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam, Netherlands by Jochem Jacobs (TEXTURES).
AC/DC fans worldwide seem to be moving one step closer to a film paying homage to their late Australian rock hero Bon Scott. In fact, it looks more like a giant leap forward.
Key production team members from High Voltage Productions Pty., the current controlling production company overseeing "Bon Scott - The Legend Of AC/DC", are slated to engage in talks this week with "one of the world's leading production and entertainment companies," according to a posting on the project's web site. The film project is a docudrama chronicling the career of late Aussie frontman Bon Scott, of AC/DC who died tragically at age 33 in 1980 after only six years with the band. Starring in the film is American singer/actor Rob Liotti, who is also the credited screenwriter.
Liotti is no stranger to things AC/DC as he has performed on stage as Bon Scott for many years. And although this is his first lead feature film role, it has been made apparent that he is a natural for the role. Also on board the High Voltage team is director J. R. Getches, who brings a great deal of vision and television experience. The production company also recently announced the addition of producer Michael Meltzer to its team. Also brought on board was entertainment lawyer Rhett Klok, who advises on business affairs.
MEGADETH kicked off its world tour earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 22) at Arenele Romane in Bucharest, Romania.
The bands setlist was as follows:
01. Trust 02. Hangar 18 03. Public Enemy No. 1 04. She-Wolf 05. Skin O' My Teeth 06. Countdown to Extinction 07. Architecture of Aggression 08. Sweating Bullets 09. Ashes In Your Mouth 10. A Tout Le Monde 11. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?) 12. Dawn Patrol 13. Poison Was The Cure 14. Super Collider 15. Symphony Of Destruction 16. Peace Sells
Encore:
17. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
Fan-filmed video footage of the "Super Collider" performance can be seen below.
The track "Super Collider", which was premiered on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio metal show on April 20, was released digitally on April 23 via iTunes.
"That song kind of came from that 'Symphony Of Destruction' corner of my mind," MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine told Guitar World magazine. "You can't always play aggressive, thrashy stuff. Sometimes those aren't even songs; they're like musical rams. But because I'm not a pop guy, I'm also not really comfortable playing sing-along songs. To me, 'Super Collider' made sense like a normal song — a verse-chorus-verse-chorus kind of thing. It's written the way a real songwriter would write the song, instead of just taking all these musical twists and turns."
The "Super Collider" album is scheduled for a June 4 release via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Other tracks set to appear on the effort include "Forget To Remember", "Dance In The Rain", "The Blackest Crow", "Burn", "Kingmaker" and "Don't Turn Your Back", a snippet of which can be streamed at MegadethGame.com.
"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since the band's recent split with Roadrunner Records.
MEGADETH filmed a video for the title track and first single from the band's new album, "Super Collider", on May 10 in the Los Angeles area. California-based model, actress, singer and songwriter Hunter Elizabeth was cast in the lead role in the clip, which she says is "about a high-school couple still loving each other after all the years after graduation, and at the 10-year reunion, both characters find themselves successful (a model and a mathematician) and still very in love."
A few photos from the set of the "Super Collider" video shoot can be seen below. More pictures are available at this location.
As previously reported, MEGADETH will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, June 17 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with MEGADETH by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast.
SLAYER has commented on Westboro Baptist Church's plan to picket the public memorial celebration for the band's late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, which will be held May 23 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
The event — which will run from from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m — will be free and open to the public on a first-come, first-in basis (subject to venue capacity, which is listed at around 4,000 people). All ages are welcome, and paid parking will be available around the venue.
A new message on SLAYER's official Facebook page states: "Message to fans: Want to really piss off the Westboro Baptist Church at Jeff's memorial celebration? Do exactly what SLAYER members and family are going to do — totally ignore them. They don't exist. And then come inside and celebrate Jeff's life with us."
In a "news release" announcing its plans to picket Hanneman's memorial celebration, Westboro Baptist Church said: "Jeff Hanneman received his 'talent' from God. Indeed, his very breath of life was from God… Instead of being thankful and using his talents to glorify God, and warn the generation into which he was born to fear and obey God, Hanneman used this resource to encourage sin.
"In last week's Kerrang! magazine, Westboro Baptist Church explained why we will picket this memorial: to warn the living!
"Jeff made a mock of sin through SLAYER's music. No wonder God struck him down early in life.
"In the Kerrang! article, we also speak to the many threats from SLAYER fans.
"Hanneman had been out since 2011, recovering from necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease), but was finally slain May 2, 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He was literally pickled in sin.
"God hates and casts down all your idols.
"Repent and obey God Almghty — otherwise HELL AWAITS!"
Westboro Baptist Church previously said that it would sing its "parody" of OZZY OSBOURNE's "Crazy Train" "at full voice" at Hanneman's funeral.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church — the fringe group which continues to make headlines for its anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers regardless of their sexuality — first used lyrics from "Crazy Train" at events surrounding the October 2011 Snyder v. Phelps Supreme Court hearing. An attorney — a daughter of the church's founder, along with her sister — paraphrased lyrics from the song at a post-Supreme Court hearing press conference in Washington D.C.
The Westboro Baptist Church is described by the Wall Street Journal as a "tiny Kansas church… [that] … preaches that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for American's tolerance of homosexuality and abortion." As Examiner.com noted of the church, "their flamboyant demonstrations at the funerals of non-gay service members, using the events to highlight their belief that military deaths overseas are justified punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality. ('You're Going to Hell,' 'Thank God for Dead Soldiers,' and 'God Hates You' are popular Westboro slogans.)."
Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis.
The guitarist had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.
Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.
Hanneman recalled in a 2011 interview with Classic Rock magazine that he initially didn't even feel the spider bite, adding, "But an hour later, I knew that I was ill. I could see the flesh corrupting. The arm was real hot. I got to the emergency room, and thank god the nurse knew straight away what it was . . . At that point, I was an hour away from death."
