ONSLAUGHT Guitarist: 'Theft From Artists Cannot Be Tolerated And Cannot Be Taken For Granted'

In a recent interview with Metal Storm, guitarist Nige Rockett of British thrashers ONSLAUGHT was asked if he — as an artist — thinks that potentially harsh action, such as the controversial anti-piracy bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act),should be taken to reduce online piracy. "Yeah, action has to be taken no doubt about that," he replied. "Theft from artists cannot be tolerated and cannot ever be taken for granted. We all work real hard to write and record music for the listening pleasure of others. It was never an issue before the Net, so why should it be allowed now? I do not necessarily agree with the way they are going about it by taking people's Internet away completely, but I believe the Internet providers should be held partially responsible for clamping down on the problem and policing their industry. Once the prosecutions of major online piracy sites begin, the problems will ease, I hope, for the sake of 'every' person who loves music. Why? Because if things continue in the current trend, music as we know it will cease to exist in as little as 10 years' time... No labels, no mags... just a bunch of young bands trying to promote themselves on the web, but nobody will know they are there or how to find them. There will never ever be another band that reaches the heights of METALLICA, AC/DC or VAN HALEN, etc. Flipside of the coin, labels need to help the situation by cutting the retail costs of CDs and DVDs; they are far too expensive by comparison to manufacturing costs and this surely fuels the amount of illegal downloads. I think there can be a compromise. I just hope it's real soon before it's too late."

ONSLAUGHT will cross the Atlantic for its first-ever North American tour in March. The three-week trek will see the band performing a setlist spanning all its studio albums — "Power From Hell", "The Force", "In Search Of Sanity", "Killing Peace" and their latest release, "Sounds Of Violence". Support on the dates will come from M-PIRE OF EVIL (formerly PRIMEVIL),the new band featuring former VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals). Also appearing on the bill for some devastating dates on the U.S. West Coast will be EVILDEAD.

ONSLAUGHT recruited Michael Hourihan (EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DESECRATION) to play the drums following the 2011 departure of Steve Grice.

ONSLAUGHT's fifth album, "Sounds Of Violence", was released in January 2011 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Killing Peace" was recorded and mixed at Hansen Studio in Ribe, Denmark with acclaimed Danish producer Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, MERCENARY, VOLBEAT, HEAVEN SHALL BURN).