Singer: DIMMU BORGIR Will 'Never' Consist Of More Than Three Members Again

CrankItUp.se conducted an interview with vocalist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR when the band played at Trädgår'n in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 17, 2010. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked about the DIMMU BORGIR's split with Swedish multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (real name: Tommie Helgesson; THERION, DREAM EVIL, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME) a short time after Snowy appeared in the band's video for the song "Gateways", Shagrath said, "We have never really made any official statement regarding Snowy Shaw. I guess there's a been a lot of rumors about this and that and he did some interviews himself, whatever, but we have never announced that we have a new member in DIMMU BORGIR. DIMMU BORGIR is three people — it's Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder. For this new record, we have used in total over 101 musicians to be a part of the record, and he was paid to be a part of the record and play on it. There was never any consideration of becoming a permanent member in DIMMU BORGIR, and that's the end of the story."

Regarding whether DIMMU BORGIR will ever again consist of more than three people in the future, Shagrath replied, "Never. More people, more bullshit — and that's how simple it is. We had so many lineup changes throughout the years. We've been around now for almost 18 years, so it's... People come and leave... People with strong opinions, it's very hard to get a band going with a lot of people in the band like that, and for us it just works so much better to just be a three-piece. And the remaining members of the band are the ones who have created most of the music anyway, so we feel much more comfortable continuing as a three-piece, and then we use different people for different purposes — either be a part of the record or be a part of the live thing. It just works much better for us that way."

DIMMU BORGIR's current touring lineup reportedly includes Geir Bratland (APOPTYGMA BERZERK, THE KOVENANT) on keyboards and Terje Andersen (a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA) on bass, although this has not yet been officially confirmed by the band.

"Abrahadabra", the ninth album from DIMMU BORGIR, sold 9,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "In Sorte Diaboli", opened with 14,000 units back in May 2007 to debut at No. 43. This was more than double the 6,400 first-week tally achieved by its predecessor, "Death Cult Armageddon", which came out in September 2003 and landed at position No. 169 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The word "abrahadabra" (which roughly translates into "I will create as I speak") first publicly appeared in Chapter III of "Liber AL vel Legis" (commonly referred to as "The Book of the Law") written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in 1904.

The first show of DIMMU BORGIR's European tour as the support act for KORN took place on September 19 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Holland.


"Abrahadabra" was released in Germany on September 24, in the rest of Europe on September 27, and it was made available in North America on October 12 via Nuclear Blast Records.

KEITH MORRIS Throbblehead Figure Announced

Keith Morris, legendary frontman of BLACK FLAG, THE CIRCLE JERKS and now OFF!, has been throbble-ized! This figure capturing Keith in full-on live mode is limited to 1000 numbered units, stands at seven inches tall, and is made of super-strong polyresin.

While the figure is labeled a Throbblehead, it's actually Keith's arm that does all the movement, aggressively pointing towards his mind.

Displayed in a window box, Keith is accurately sculpted right down to the dreads, Vans, and "fuck you" stare.

Check out the commercial featuring Keith's voicemail below.

Since the beginning of 2010, Keith has been performing and touring with OFF!, which he founded with Dimitri Coats from BURNING BRIDES, Steven Shane McDonald from REDD KROSS, and Mario Rubalcaba from EARTHLESS, ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT and HOT SNAKES. Their debut EP is set for release on November 23 and the band will perform at CMJ this weekend and at Fun Fun Fun Fest next month.

All throbblehead figures are distributed by MVD Entertainment Group — a company specializing in music-related distribution since 1986 — and DKE Toys — a wholesale distributor of urban / vinyl / designer art / objects / toys / figurines.

Keith Morris is the eighth punk personality to be polyresinated by Aggronautix. In May of 2009, the company launched with a highly popular G.G. Allin "1991" figure, which was limited to 2000 numbered units.

All Aggronautix figures are now available for purchase on www.aggronautix.comor www.seeofsound.com and will also be available at many independent retailers, comic shops and tattoo parlors.

MEGADETH Bassist: KERRY KING 'Nailed It Last Night In Front Of A Packed House Of Thrashers'

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has issued the following update:

"We just finished the last show of the Jägermeister Music Tour in Los Angeles last night [Thursday, October 21].

"Man, what a great tour we had with you all. The shows were pumped, the meet-and-greets energetic and the camaraderie between SLAYER, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH has never been better. Proof of that was Kerry King [SLAYER] joining us on stage last night for 'Rattlehead' on our encore. [See video below.]

"Some may not know that Kerry was the first guitar player to ever play live with us on our maiden voyage shows in San Francisco back in early 1984. True to form, Kerry proved his god-like metal status and nailed it last night in front of a packed house of thrashers at the Gibson Amphitheater! It was powerful for us all to be 'thrashing 'till MEGADETH' again on an early classic song after all these years.

"We're chillin' the next couple weeks till our show at the AZ State Fair November 6, and then heading 'Down Under' in December for our final shows of 2010.

"Be ready for 'The Big Four' box set coming out November 2. I can't wait to sit back and watch the festivities that happened that day from the comforts of my own couch. And, its just in time for Christmas...a perfect stocking stuffer for the metal community this holiday season."

HELLOWEEN: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

"7 Sinners", the 13th studio album from German power metallers HELLOWEEN, is available for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. The CD will be released in North America on November 9 via The End Records.

If there is a golden thread throughout the more than 25 years of HELLOWEEN's history, 13 studio albums, countless headliner tours around the globe and more than 5 million records sold, then it is their special kind of attitude: don't take yourself too seriously and simply live statements like "just have fun with the shit you're doing." Maybe it is exactly this easiness that allows HELLOWEEN to be one of the most constant bands of the genre while simultaneously being the one band who dares to experiment more than their musical peers.

While some copycats would rather stick with the same old patterns, Andi Deris, Michael Weikath, Sascha Gerstner, Markus Großkopf and Dani Löble aren't afraid of taking risks — and are rightfully rewarded with success.

"7 Sinners" is definitively one of the fastest and hardest albums in the HELLOWEEN's history and it bursts with vitality. That might partly be due to the versatility of the various songwriters within the band, who over time have become so homogenous, that the 13 songs formed a unity on their own in the studio , but it may also be due to the fact that the album was recorded completely without a click track, which, considering the extreme speed of the songs is an impressive feat. Especially drummer Löble, who proves that his technique is at a world-class-level. Following his excellent inner clock, bass and drums drive tracks like "Are You Metal?", "Long Live The King" and "Who Is Mr. Madman?" to dizzying tempos. "7 Sinners", with its typically strong melodies and the tangible joy of playing, is a true metal album whose range reaches astonishing dimensions.

It has become a cliche for metal band's to tout their newest opus as their "fastest" or "heaviest" album ever made, but in HELLOWEEN's case, "7 Sinners" is truly a return to form and is indeed their fastest and heaviest release in years. HELLOWEEN bass player Markus Grosskopf stated about the band's new material: "For all those out there who found our special best-of [CD] 'Unarmed' to be too smooth and calm, I have great news: The new album will hit you right in the face! It's gonna be very heavy and contain all [the classic] HELLOWEEN trademarks! Some songs are very powerful and hymnic, others contain the fastest bass-drum patterns our drummer Dani ever played, and this means a lot!"

"7 Sinners" track listing:

01. Where The Sinners Go
02. Are You Metal?
03. Who is Mr. Madman?
04. Raise The Noise
05. World Of Fantasy
06. Long Live The King
07. The Smile Of The Sun
08. You Stupid Mankind
09. If A Mountain Could Talk
10. The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner
11. My Sacrifice
12. Not Yet Today
13. Far In The Future

The "Are You Metal?" video can be viewed below. The clip was filmed on September 30 in Beelitz, Germany.

ALICE COOPER's 'Keepin' Halloween Alive!' Single: Footage Of Manufacturing Process

A seven-inch single of Alice Cooper's song "Keepin' Halloween Alive!" has been released on special glow-in-the-dark vinyl in a limited edition of 2,300 copies. Of those 2,300, only 1,450 are available for sale, in the U.S. ONLY! The remaining copies will be used for promotional materials and pre-orders in the U.K and the U.S. to promote the release of Alice's new DVD, "Theatre Of Death".

The limited-edition vinyl is available direct from AliceCooper.com for U.S. fans. The item can only be shipped to the U.S. No international orders will be accepted from AliceCooper.com.

Side A: "Keepin' Halloween Alive"
Side C: "I Love The Dead" (Live) (from "Theatre Of Death" DVD/CD)

A short video clip featuring footage of the manufacturing process for the "Keepin' Halloween Alive!" glow-in-the-dark vinyl single can be viewed below.

Alice delivers the song with the garage-punk snarl he is best known for, ensuring that it will soon be a Halloween classic.

"At home my family all gathers around an old spooky tree decorated with skulls and bones in the living room, and we exchange gifts," says Cooper. "It's our holiday. We even all have matching black-and-orange Halloween sweaters! I wanted a theme song for people like me, and for us Halloween never ends. In the chorus I say, 'I'm keepin' Halloween alive, baby, 3–6–5'... and I mean it!"

"Keepin' Halloween Alive" was co-written and co-produced by Cooper with Piggy D. (a member of ROB ZOMBIE's band), who played rhythm guitar/backup vocals. Dave Pino (POWERMAN 5000) is featured on lead guitar, and David Spreng (BOB DYLAN, THE BRAVERY) on drums.

Of the recording, Cooper says, "We played it live as a band to capture the vibe. It was the easiest work I think any of us have ever done, not to mention a blast!"

SODOM: 'In War And Pieces' Digipack Version Detailed

The first photo of the digipack version of "In War And Pieces", the new album from German thrash metal veterans SODOM, can be seen below. It features the following:

* CD 1: the studio album
* CD 2: bonus live CD (Wacken 2007)
* 16-page booklet

"In War And Pieces" will be released in North America on January 11, 2011 and in Europe on November 22, 2010 via SPV/Steamhammer.

"In War And Pieces" track listing:

01. In War And Pieces
02. Hellfire
03. Through Toxic Veins
04. Nothing Counts More Than Blood
05. Storm Raging Up
06. Feigned Death Throes
07. Soul Contraband
08. God Bless You
09. The Art Of Killing Poetry
10. Knarrenheinz
11. Styptic Parasite

The "In War And Pieces" track is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

For bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such, his thrash metal band SODOM is a perfect vehicle to bluntly take a stand. Like few other musicians on this scene, he personifies — along with down-to-earthiness and honesty — a healthily critical position on political authorities and decision-makers from finance and industry. On their latest album, "In War And Pieces", SODOM focuses on the worst excesses of power: arrogance, greed, spotlight-seeking, fanaticism, corruption, cowardice and oppression. Tom strates, "I've always written about what's going on in the world, about the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can't change anything politically that way, but I would like to at least comment on the situation and generate an awareness of this deplorable state of affairs. Being a singer in a metal band allows me to voice my anger to a large audience."

This uncompromising attitude marks the eleven songs on sodom's latest album which could hardly sound more dynamic and violent. "In War And Pieces" owes its bloodcurdling energy largely to producer Waldemar Sorychta (GRIP INC., ENEMY OF THE SUN), whose great skill and commitment were instrumental in creating the album's — as Tom calls it — "phat, brutal and open" sound. With Sorychta's support, Angelripper (vocals, bass), Bernemann (guitar) and Bobby Schottkowski (drums) succeeded in adding new impulses to their music without watering down the band's long tradition. "Waldemar is a great musician himself and has done some brilliant work, especially on the guitar sound," Tom explains. "He knows how to get the absolute maximum out of a speaker."

As brutal as the production is the diverse songwriting on "In War And Pieces", a kind of tour de force through the whole history of thrash metal, featuring harsh arrangements, melodic solos and raging vocal attacks. "I feel that we sound more contemporary and structured than we did on our recent releases," Tom analyzes. "At the same time, there are also references to recordings such as 'Persecution Mania' and 'Agent Orange'. After VENOM, SODOM were the world's first angry band, and nothing has changed that." Tom lists as examples the impressive title track, as well as "The Art Of Killing Poetry" with its ultra-deep guitar atmospheres and the German-language song, 'Knarrenheinz', which holds up the tradition of classics such as 'Bombenhagel' and "Ausgebombt". "Knarrenheinz is the mascot on the album cover, that's why I felt he deserved his own lyrics," Tom grins. Talking of album covers: the artwork was designed by Eliran Kantor, who enjoys an excellent reputation on the scene thanks to his work for renowned acts such as TESTAMENT, GWAR and MEKONG DELTA.

PITCHBLACK: 'The Devilty' Audio Samples Available

Danish modern "melodeath thrashers" PITCHBLACK have posted 30-second audio samples (see YouTube clip below) of all the songs that will appear on their second album, "The Devilty", tentatively due in early 2011 via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The CD was recorded at guitarist Thomas "Pede" Pedersen's Earplug Studio in Copenhagen and was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, SICK OF IT ALL, MNEMIC, HEAVEN SHALL BURN).

Commented the band: "In the video you can also read, what the songs are about in the comments which appears as well as you can check out the bloody photo artwork, which has been made by professional crime photographer Johnny Frederiksen who spent 17 years on the Danish most controversial tabloid Ekstra Bladet."

"The Devilty" track listing:

01. Replacing God
02. Defriended
03. You're Fucking Below Me
04. Don't Make Me Mad
05. The Siren Song
06. I Return
07. One Day We'll Break Them
08. Bandido
09. Revenge (…Injustice For All)
10. Slow The Hate

PITCHBLACK's debut album, "Designed to Dislike", was released in Denmark on August 13, 2007 via Target Distribution. The CD was produced by Steen Mogensen (CORNERSTONE, ex-ROYAL HUNT).

Formed in late 2002, PITCHBLACK released two demo tapes prior to recording its debut album: 2003's "No Sympathy Left" and 2004's "PitchBlack Promo 2004".

For more information, visit the band's MySpace page.

PHILIP ANSELMO To Guest On FULL METAL JACKIE's Radio Show

DOWN/ex-PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo will guest on this weekend's (October 22-24) edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show.

To see a full list of stations carrying the program and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.

Full Metal Jackie began her radio career as a DJ at WSOU Pirate Radio, Seton Hall University's legendary metal station. Instantly addicted to the excitement of life behind the mic, she graduated Pirate Radio (and Seton Hall), to become an on-air personality at WHTG (Neptune, NJ), and later at WDHA (Dover, NJ).

Not content to limit her exposure to New Jersey, Jackie set her sights on bigger markets (and warmer climates!), making her way west to California's gold coast. Establishing herself in Los Angeles, she learned the business side of radio and promotions while working for one of the music industry's largest management companies. After a short stint as on-air host at San Diego's 94.9 KBZT, Jackie landed the opportunity she had been working toward since her early WSOU days: host and producer of her own (and L.A.'s only) commercial heavy metal radio show, "Chaos", on Indie 103.1. Working alongside other Indie 103.1 hosts such as Steve Jones (of the SEX PISTOLS), Henry Rollins and Dave Navarro, Jackie quickly brought "Chaos" to the station's forefront.

Today, Full Metal Jackie's show continues to air on Indie 103.1 every Sunday night from 8 to 10 p.m., and can be heard online at www.indie1031.com, as well as in syndicated markets around the country through Envision Radio.

AS I LAY DYING To Perform On FUEL TV's 'The Daily Habit'

San Diego, California metallers AS I LAY DYING will perform the songs "Anodyne Sea" and "Vacancy" on today's (Wednesday, October 20) edition of Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit" at 9:30 p.m ET/PT. The cast of "Jackass 3-D" will also appear on the episode.

"The Daily Habit" encompasses the world of the action sports enthusiast, mixing the best in pop culture with today's top action sports personalities, cutting-edge music, product reviews, and comedy.

For more information, visit www.fuel.tv.

AS I LAY DYING will release a super deluxe fan box set version of its latest album, "The Powerless Rise", in November.

The limited edition super deluxe fan box includes the following:

* "The Powerless Rise" CD and 12" vinyl picture disc
* "The Powerless Rise" DVD documentary with in-studio footage and interviews + extras
* Guitar, bass and drum tabs featuring Jordan Mancino, Nick Hipa, Phil Sgrosso and Josh Gilbert / song stems for "Upside Down Kingdom" / expanded recording outtakes
* Hardcover book with lyrics, photos, and editorial from the band
* 12" x 12" lithograph
* Three guitar picks
* Mini drumstick keychain
* AS I LAY DYING patch
* AS I LAY DYING window cling
* Metal AS I LAY DYING logo pin

The box set is exclusively available in Europe via EMP.

"The Powerless Rise" sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "An Ocean Between Us", opened with 39,500 units back in August 2007 to land at No. 8.

"The Powerless Rise" was released on May 11 via Metal Blade Records.

AS I LAY DYING will team up with HEAVEN SHALL BURN and SUICIDE SILENCE for a European tour in November.

SLAYER Guitarist Interviewed On AUX's 'Hard' (Video)

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was interviewed for an episode of "Hard" on the AUX music channel out of Canada when the band played in Toronto, Ontario at the end of July. The segment can now be viewed below.

For the first time in its near-30-year history, SLAYER, the single most distinctive and radical thrash metal band ever, has seen its ten American Recordings albums released as a limited-edition, high-end box set — "The Vinyl Conflict" (American Recordings/Sony Legacy). Ten albums on 11 discs, "The Vinyl Conflict" features the band's entire Def/American Recordings catalogue:

* Reign in Blood (1986)
* South of Heaven (1988)
* Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
* Live Decade of Aggression (1991)
* Divine Intervention (1994)
* Undisputed Attitude (1998)
* God Hates Us All (2001)
* Christ Illusion (2006)
* World Painted Blood (2009)

On August 17, SLAYER's DVDs — 2003's "War at the Warfield" and 2004's "Still Reigning" — were reissued, and, for the first time ever, 1995's "Live Intrusion", having been digitally remastered, is also available on DVD. All three are sold separately at retail and online ($13.98 each), and the limited-edition "Slayer Live DVD 3-Pak" ($29.98), is available exclusively on SLAYER's web site, www.slayer.net.

DEEP PURPLE: EPK For 35th-Anniversary Reissue Of 'Come Taste The Band' Available

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the upcoming 30th-anniversary reissue of DEEP PURPLE's "Come Taste The Band" album can be viewed below.

The "Come Taste The Band" 35th-anniversary reissue is due out on October 25 in the U.K. and November 2 in North America via EMI. It includes a remastered version of the album, plus the single edit of "You Keep On Moving" on disc one. Disc two features a remixed version of the LP by Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, JOURNEY, HIM), with input from Glenn Hughes, plus two previously unreleased instrumental tracks from the sessions.

"Come Taste The Band" was recorded between August 3 and September 1, 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, and released in October 1975. The album was co-produced and engineered by the band and longtime associate Martin Birch (IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH). It is the only DEEP PURPLE studio record featuring Tommy Bolin, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore on lead guitar. When Blackmore left the band, many observers and critics assumed that DEEP PURPLE would not continue. It was David Coverdale who asked Jon Lord to keep the band together, and Tommy Bolin was asked to take the guitar slot. The band was rounded off by bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.

"Come Taste The Band" 35th-anniversary reissue track listing:

CD1

01. Comin' Home
02. Lady Luck
03. Gettin Tighter
04. Dealer
05. I Need Love
06. You Keep on Moving
07. Love Child
08. This Time Around
09. Owed to G
10. Drifter
11. You Keep On Moving (single edit)

CD2

01. Comin Home
02. Lady Luck
03. Gettin Tighter
04. Dealer
05. I Need Love
06. You Keep on Moving
07. Love Child
08. This Time Around
09. Owed To G
10. Drifter
11. Always The Same in LA
12. Bolin/Paice Jam

Check out audio samples at Amazon.co.uk.

MADBALL In Montreal: Interview, Performance Footage Available

HardTimes.ca recently conducted an interview with bassist Hoya Roc of New York hardcore legends MADBALL when the band played at Le Studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on September 25. Watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage from the Montreal concert.

"Empire", the new album from MADBALL, sold around 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 15 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Empire" was released on October 12 via Good Fight Music. The CD was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida with producer Erik Rutan, who has previously worked with MISERY INDEX, CANNIBAL CORPSE and GOATWHORE, among many others.

Since forming in 1988, MADBALL has been responsible for some of the most important releases in the hardcore genre, from the seminal "Ball of Destruction" EP (1989) to the landmark albums "Set It Off" (1994), "Demonstrating My Style" (1996), "Look My Way" (1998), "Hold it Down" (2000), "Legacy" (2005), and their latest release, "Infiltrate the System" (2007).

Interview:

Performance:

FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE Guitarist Interviewed On U.K.'s ROCK RADIO (Audio)

Tom Russell of U.K.'s Rock Radio recently conducted an interview with OZZY OSBOURNE/FIREWIND guitarist Gus G. You can now listen to the chat below. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

A new FIREWIND track, "The Ark Of Lies", is available for free download after you tweet or Facebook about the song. Go here for more details.
The European limited-edition mediabook CD version of FIREWIND's new album, "Days Of Defiance", doesn't only come with special packaging, alternate cover artwork and expanded booklet features, it also contains three special bonus tracks, a Gus G. / ESP guitar pick as well as a quality FIREWIND sticker.

Here is the complete track listing of this special version:

01. The Ark Of Lies
02. World On Fire
03. Chariot
04. Embrace The Sun
05. The Departure
06. Heading For The Dawn
07. Broken
08. Cold As Ice
09. Kill In The Name Of Love
10. SKG
11. Losing Faith
12. The Yearning
13. When All Is Said And Done
14. Wild Rose *
15. Ride To The Rainbow's End *
16. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST cover) *

* Bonus tracks

Head over to www.cmdistro.com in order to check out exclusive FIREWIND bundles, including the new album's limited edition and a T-shirt at a very special price.

FIREWIND's version of "Breaking The Law" originally appeared on volume 1 of the "Metal Forge" series by U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, which saw nine bands covering the nine tracks on PRIEST's "British Steel" album to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

"Days Of Defiance" is scheduled for release in North America on October 26 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD's striking cover artwork was designed by the band's longtime partner in all design matters, Gustavo Sazes, and can be viewed below.

"Days Of Defiance" is described in a press release as "a truly ambitious and dynamic opus featuring some of the most brilliant guitar playing the genre has seen in many years."

The "World On Fire" single was made available for purchase on digital platforms starting on August 17. The video for the track was once again directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among many others. Ullaeus oversaw all of FIREWIND's visuals on the band's last two albums.

FIREWIND's 2010 lineup (from left to right in photo below):

Michael Ehre - Drums
Petros Christo - Bass
Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals
Gus G. - Guitar
Bob Katsionis - Keyboards

Interview:

DEEP PURPLE's 'Deepest Purple': EPK For Anniversary Reissue Available

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the upcoming reissue of DEEP PURPLE's "Deepest Purple" compilation can be viewed below.

The "Deepest Purple" reissue is due out on October 25 in the U.K. and November 2 in North America via EMI. The new version of the album will include a bonus DVD featuring a range of video clips presented by former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord.

CD features:

01. Black Night (Single Version) (2002 Digital Remaster)
02. Speed King (Edit) (2010 Digital Remaster)
03. Fireball (1996 Digital Remaster)
04. Hush (1998 Digital Remaster)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman (2002 Digital Remaster)
06. Child In Time (1995 Digital Remaster)
07. When A Blind Man Cries (1997 Remix)
08. Woman From Tokyo (2000 Digital Remaster)
09. Highway Star (1997 Digital Remaster)
10. Space Truckin' (1997 Digital Remaster)
11. Burn (2004 Digital Remaster)
12. Stormbringer (2009 Digital Remaster)
13. Soldier Of Fortune (2009 Digital Remaster)
14. Demon's Eye (1996 Digital Remaster)
15. You Keep On Moving (Single Edit) (2002 Digital Remaster)
16. Smoke On The Water (1997 Digital Remaster)

DVD features:

* Jon Lord discusses "Hush"
* Hush (Playboy After Dark, 1968)
* Jon Lord discusses arriving in the U.S. for the first time
* Jon Lord discusses miming for German TV
* Speed King (Vicky Leandros show, German TV, 1970)
* Jon Lord discusses the writing of "Child In Time"
* Child In Time (new clip)
* Jon Lord discusses the power of "Child In Time"
* Jon Lord discusses the recording of "Black Night"
* Black Night (classic 1970 video clip)
* Jon Lord discusses "Fireball"
* Fireball (German TV performance on Disco ZDF, 1971)
* Jon Lord discusses the "Fireball" album
* Jon Lord discusses the writing of "Strange Kind Of Woman"
* Strange Kind Of Woman (Top Of The Pops, BBC, 1971)
* Jon Lord discusses "Demon's Eye"
* Demon's Eye (Music Today, RBB Berlin)
* Jon Lord discusses "Highway Star"
* Highway Star (Beat Club, German TV, 1971)
* Jon Lord discusses "Never Before"
* Never Before (classic 1970s video clip)
* Jon Lord discusses "Smoke On The Water" and the story behind it
* Smoke On The Water (Hofstra University, 1973)
* Jon Lord discusses the choice of singles
* Jon Lord discusses "Woman From Tokyo"
* Woman From Tokyo (new clip)
* Made in Japan / Space Truckin' (new clip from "Made In Japan" footage)
* Jon Lord discusses "Burn"
* Burn (London 1974)
* Jon Lord discusses "You Keep On Moving"
* You Keep On Moving
* Jon Lord discusses "Stormbringer"
* Stormbringer (new clip)
* You Keep On Movin' (new clip)

ALL THAT REMAINS Guitarist Interviewed By METAL ASSAULT (Audio)

On October 16, Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted an interview with guitarist Mike Martin of Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS at the House Of Blues in Hollywood, California. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

"For We Are Many", the new album from ALL THAT REMAINS, sold 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Overcome", opened with just under 29,000 units in September 2008 to enter the chart at No. 16.

"For We Are Many" was released through a joint venture between Prosthetic Records and Razor & Tie.

"We're thrilled with ALL THAT REMAINS' debut sales and chart positions for this fantastic new album," said Jeremy Kramer, VP of Marketing at Razor & Tie. "In a market where sales are trending downward, ALL THAT REMAINS' first-week numbers and overall sales have increased with every release, which is a testament to this phenomenal band as well as the team supporting them.

"There's no shortcut to success in artist development — this band has worked tirelessly over the years, creating a real and passionate fan base that continues to grow with every album."

Prosthetic Records co-owner and co-founder E.J. Johantgen added, "ALL THAT REMAINS' success can be summarized simply — steady wins the race."

"For We Are Many", hit the same day the band headed out on a month-long U.S. headlining tour with support from ASKING ALEXANDRIA, UNEARTH, BORN OF OSIRIS and AND SHE WHISPERED. Decibel magazine called the album, "Proof that neck-snapping tempos, thoughtful soloing and a catchy chorus or three can co-exist," while Outburn magazine remarked, "If there was ever any question as to whether ALL THAT REMAINS deserved to be considered among the melodic metalcore elite, 'For We Are Many' will dispel any lingering doubts once and for all."

"For We Are Many" was recorded this spring at Zing Studios in Massachusetts and produced by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who also helmed ALL THAT REMAINS' "This Darkened Heart" and "The Fall of Ideals". In warming up for their headlining tour, ALL THAT REMAINS is on the road with AS I LAY DYING and UNEARTH for a run of dates concluding October 12. After their headlining U.S. tour, the band will head to Europe for dates in November and December.

"Hold On", the new video from ALL THAT REMAINS, can be viewed below. The clip, helmed by Ramon Boutviseth (TRIVIUM, DREAM THEATER, INCUBUS), features a narrative involving a variety of characters dealing with internal struggles and their inability to change their fate as their world crumbles down around them, both figuratively and literally. The force behind the destruction is the manifestation of their dark emotions, which ALL THAT REMAINS embodies as they unleash an epic performance in a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland.

Interview:

SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, DIO, SHINEDOWN Members To Perform At 'Dimebash 2010'

How do you continue to celebrate the life of one of heavy metal’s true legends? You call on those who had the most admiration and respect to gather in one place and do what they do best to pay homage — which includes fellow musicians and fans alike. On October 29 at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, fans and an all-star lineup will do just that and no doubt pulverize the heavens with a night of ungodly metallic thunder at this year's Dimebash 2010, in honor of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN). "The thing I remember the most about Darrell was the way he loved to jump up on stage with anyone at the drop of a hat,", states Rita Haney, longtime girlfriend of Dime and the person who knew him best. "When this tragedy originally happened, I saw the music community unite like I've never seen before. To have the name 'Dimebag,' still to this day, bring together musicians and fans to pay homage in such a respectful way to such an amazing person and cause is very overwhelming! In Dime's vision... it's always been about a damn good time!" At the same time, proceeds will benefit in the name of another metal legend that left us too early, the Ronnie James Dio Stand up and Shout Cancer Fund.

The all-star lineup to share the stage will include hard rock and heavy metal titans: Dave Grohl of FOO FIGHTERS; Simon Wright from DIO; Brent Smith, Zach Myers and Eric Bass of SHINEDOWN; Kerry King and Dave Lombardo of SLAYER; Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD; Chuck Billy from TESTAMENT; Chris Howorth and Maria Brink of IN THIS MOMENT; and many more, including some surprises that will surely nail your jaw to the floor. This incredible event is being hosted by radio/television personality Jose Mangin, a veteran of several Dimebag events. In addition, attendees will be able to land some limited-edition merchandise, nab raffle tickets for chances to win some cool collectables and purchase Monster Energy cocktail drink specials, all of which partial proceeds go to benefit the cause. And if the all-star jam with legends and legends in the making isn't enough, special guest opener includes hard rock juggernauts REV THEORY. The metal brotherhood and community comes together once again to not only help themselves heal, but to also help the world around them. Good guys sometimes do wear black!

Tickets are $15.00 and are available at this location.

DIMMU BORGIR Teams Up With METAL HAMMER For Sound-Enabled 'Demon Box'

Metal Hammer, the U.K.'s best-selling heavy metal magazine, has teamed up with black metal's most revered band, DIMMU BORGIR, for a very special collectors’ issue, complete with sound.

Known as the "demon box," the November issue continues Future PLC's run of innovative, attention-grabbing "event issues" for Metal Hammer — which have included a blood-soaked cover to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SLAYER's influential "Reign in Blood" album and the world's only magazine cover struck from metal plate for the return of METALLICA with their "Death Magnetic" album, and a high-definition 3D cover to herald the release of Brit-award winners IRON MAIDEN's "The Final Frontier" album.

Thanks to unrivalled access, Metal Hammer spent exclusive time with Norway's biggest metal export and reveals DIMMU BORGIR's insane new look and their latest opus — "Abrahadabra" — a heavy metal masterpiece recorded with a complete symphony. Emerging from a musical genre most associated with church burnings, the award-winning, Billboard-charting metallers have grown to world-beating status and are now ready to go for the big time.

The issue includes an official DIMMU BORGIR beanie hat and pin page. When it''s opened, the packaging plays a special message from their enigmatic frontman and founder Shagrath — recorded exclusively for Metal Hammer.

Elsewhere inside the December issue, the team catches up with fast-rising Australian brutalists PARKWAY DRIVE, heads to Brighton for a dose of homegrown brutality with LOWER THAN ATLANTIS and TRC, and celebrates the 20th anniversary of PANTERA's "Cowboys From Hell".

Alexander Milas, editor of Metal Hammer, said: "DIMMU BORGIR are an enigma — one of those bands who've risen from an underground scene in Norway to become a household name for metalheads. Their latest album is as breathtaking as it is ambitious, so what better way to toast their return than with something fittingly demonic?"

The November issue of Metal Hammer, complete with official DIMMU BORGIR merchandise and sound chip, is on sale now, with a cover price of £4.99.

ABORTED Vocalist Issues New Album Update

Vocalist Sven De Caluwé of death metal psychopaths ABORTED has issued the following update:

"Besides ABORTED I have been busy with the release of the SYSTEM DIVIDE record, and further working on Avernus studios (graphic design studio) and Skarewear (serial killer/horror clothing line). Ken [Sorceron; guitar] has been busy with ABIGAIL WILLIAMS who also just released a new album and are touring at the moment. Dirk [Verbeuren; drums] has been busy touring with SOILWORK and Jb [Van De Wal; bass] just recorded the new WHORECORE album, etc.

"As you see, we have all been busy on different levels. This, however, does NOT mean we are not working on ABORTED stuff. Have no fear, fellow misanthropes, we are hard at work on writing the next album.

"There won't be much shows until we actually have the record out, but when it hits, expect it to hit hard!!! So far about eight songs are written. The aim is to have about 11 ready for the record and two bonus tracks because, well, 2011 is going to be a special year for ABORTED. More about that later! We have the whole concept written out and there won't be any spoilers yet but I think there will be quite some surprises for everyone, in a good, horrific ABORTED way, of corpse! The material itself is definitely good ole ABORTED. As we said with 'Coronary Reconstruction', we are getting that old-school brutal vibe back mixing it up with some newer stuff. All I can say is this is definitely some [of], if not the most punishing material the band has ever written, we are going to bpms that we never went to before, some of the riffing is pretty damn technical. Imagine a bastard child of 'Engineering The Dead', 'Goremageddon' and 'Archaic' on steroids. That, and of course, some new elements as we don't really like to write the same record twice. All this to say that we are busting our nads to get you guys the best album we can possibly get done. Expect it to be out September 2011. More details and all that yazz to be revealed soon.

"We are very excited. I hope you guys are, too!!"

ABORTED's recent "Machines Of Grind/Terrorizer Tourture" European tour with ROTTEN SOUND was the first trek featuring the band's new lineup, which released a new EP entitled "Coronary Reconstruction". The EP got released on a limited-edition digipack sold through the band and Indiemerch containing four new tracks and a cover of ENTOMBED's "Left Hand Path".

The artwork for "Coronary Reconstruction" was created by Justin Osbourn from Slasher design and comprises the most gruesome and disgusting art the band ever had.

MARDUK To Tour Asia In December

Swedish black metallers MARDUK will embark on the "Asian Black Death Redemption Tour 2010" in December. Confirmed dates are as follows:

Dec. 04 - Beijing, China - Mao Livehouse
Dec. 06 - Bangkok, Thailand - Rock Pub
Dec. 07 - Singapore, Singapore - Substation Theatre
Dec. 10 - Surabaya, Indonesia - Graha Pemuda
Dec. 11 - Semarang, Indonesia - Gor Tri Lomba Juang
Dec. 12 - Jakarta, Indonesia - Bulungan Outdoor

The vinyl edition of "Wormwood", the latest album from MARDUK, was released this past spring. The effort is available as a regular black vinyl with a gatefold sleeve (700 copies), picture disc (333 copies) and also as a gatefold deluxe edition with a 32-page booklet with lyrics on red vinyl (500 copies). Also newly released are the remastered versions on vinyl of MARDUK's "Germania", "Nightwing" and "Panzer Division Marduk" (available on regular vinyl and picture disc).

"Wormwood", the eleventh album from MARDUK, sold around 650 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 99 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Wormwood" was released in the U.S. on October 13, 2009 via Regain Records (September 24 in Europe). The CD was recorded at Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden with engineer/producer Magnus Devo Andersson.

ANGELS OF BABYLON Is The Answer To Your Heavy Metal Supergroup Prayers

ANGELS OF BABYLON is the answer to your heavy metal supergroup prayers. This new amalgamation of epic sound features former MANOWAR drummer Rhino, Arizona-based power metal vocalist David Fefolt, guitarist Ethan Brosh and MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. Their debut album, "Kingdom of Evil", was released in Europe by Metal Heaven Records in January of 2010, and in Japan with Hydrant Music in May of 2010.

ANGELS OF BABYLON recently signed with Burnhill Union Records, who will be releasing the record to the United States on July 27. "Kingdom of Evil" is now remastered, and features three previously unreleased tracks.

With this intense line-up of heavy metal greats and sharp musicians, ANGELS OF BABYLON is sure to see success in this evolving industry and genre. Forging ahead with the sounds of classic metal, while bringing fusion of new technique and prowess, the band is a new force to be reckoned with. With the launch of "Kingdom of Evil" worldwide, Earth will soon know the excellence that is ANGELS OF BABYLON.

"At a point in metal history when the best music moving forward is really drawing from our pasts, ANGELS OF BABYLON has become a unique and eclectic composition of music and styles, encompassing many from across the entire genre," states bassist David Ellefson. "Power, melody, and hooks stand the test of time regardless of what category the ‘experts' put it in."

ANGELS OF BABYLON drummer and Nashville, Tennessee native Rhino began compiling tracks featured on "Kingdom of Evil" many years ago, but was patiently waiting for the optimum lineup to record and release an album. Rhino is well known for his amazing work with MANOWAR.

In 1991, Rhino appeared on "The Triumph of Steel"; one of MANOWAR's best-selling album to date. Rhino continued on with MANOWAR, touring Europe multiple times and cruising through Japan between 1992-1995. Rhino left MANOWAR in 1995 to pursue personal interest. In the coming years, Rhino was soon introduced to Fefolt, Ellefson and Brosh, and they provided the key to his inspiration to forge ahead and complete the album.

Fefolt feels this album will surprise a lot of people due to its classic metal sound, but with an accent of majestic arrangements throughout. Fefolt was a member of the epic metal band VALHALLA and their debut album is still considered one of the staples of metal vinyl collectors worldwide.

Ellefson is well known for his time with thrash icons MEGADETH. From1983 to 2002, Ellefson held his place as the co-founder and original bassist in the band. In February of 2010, Ellefson rejoined the ranks of MEGADETH, just in time for the much anticipated "Rust In Peace" 20th anniversary tour of North America, aside fellow thrash legends TESTAMENT and EXODUS.

Brosh graduated from Berklee in 2004 with honors and a major in songwriting before returning to the school in 2008 to teach. Brosh is currently an instructor in the guitar sessions program. His debut instrumental album, "Out of Oblivion", was released on March 24, 2009 by Magna Carta Records, and features impressive guest appearances and production credits.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/officialangelsofbabylon.

IRON MAIDEN: First 'The Final Frontier' Track-By-Track Review Available

The first track-by-track review of "The Final Frontier", the new album from British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN, has been posted on the Radio Metal web site.

IRON MAIDEN's 15th studio LP, "The Final Frontier", will be released in North America on August 17 (one day earlier internationally) via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).

The band reunited with long-time MAIDEN producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in early 2010 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau to record the album and then moved to The Cave Studios in Malibu, California to finish the recording and do the mixing. Compass Point Studio is very familiar to the band, it was where they recorded the "Piece Of Mind" (1983), "Powerslave" (1984) and "Somewhere In Time" (1986) albums.

"The Final Frontier" features artwork illustrated by Melvyn Grant.

The track listing for the CD is as follows (total running time 76:35):

01. Satellite 15....The Final Frontier (Smith/Harris) (8:40)
02. El Dorado (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (6:49)
03. Mother Of Mercy (Smith/Harris) (5:20)
04. Coming Home (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (5:52)
05. The Alchemist (Gers/Harris/Dickinson) (4:29)
06. Isle Of Avalon (Smith/Harris) (9:06)
07. Starblind (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) (7:48)
08. The Talisman (Gers/Harris) (9:03)
09. The Man Who Would Be King (Murray/Harris) (8:28)
10. When The Wild Wind Blows (Harris) (10:59)

IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dave Murray recently told Billboard.com about "The Final Frontier", "We breezed through the album, really. We actually finished it in six weeks. We were getting down a track a day — all playing together as a band, Bruce (Dickinson) singing, all in the same room, so there's a very live-in-the-studio feel to it. Once we finished a track we'd jump straight into doing some extra guitar bits. It was very quick for us."

Murray said the 10-track set mixes "straight-ahead, uptempo rock songs with good grooves with some other tracks that are kind of longer and more complex." The album closer, "When the Wild Wind Blows", is an 11-minute track that's one of the longest songs IRON MAIDEN has ever recorded. "The rhythm's a little bit different from what we've done before, and there's lots of melodies," Murray said. "It's a big song. We learned it in sections just because it was such a complex arrangement, but it sounds quite natural (on the record)."

CANNIBAL CORPSE, DESPISED ICON, MISERY INDEX Confirmed For TROIS-RIVIÈRES METALFEST X

CANNIBAL CORPSE, DESPISED ICON and MISERY INDEX are among the confirmed bands for the Trois-Rivières Metalfest X festival, set to take place October 15-16 in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

Friday, October 15:

DESPISED ICON
MONONC' SERGE & ANONYMUS
MISERY INDEX
BLIND WITNESS
DIVINITY
STRIGAMPIRE
UNFALLEN

Saturday, October 16:

CANNIBAL CORPSE
MARTYR
NEURAXIS
BLACKGUARD
REVOCATION
HORFIXION
SUPERIOR ENLIGHTENMENT

For more information, go to this location.

Ex-WHITESNAKE Bassist URIAH DUFFY: 'DAVID COVERDALE And I Have A Great Relationship'

Bassist Uriah Duffy has released the following statement regarding his departure from the legendary rock band WHITESNAKE:

"My time with WHITESNAKE was awesome. David [Coverdale; WHITESNAKE frontman] and I have a great relationship; there are no hard feelings. It was simply time for us to go our separate ways."

Duffy spent five years with WHITESNAKE during which time he recorded an award-winning studio album, "Good To Be Bad", and played on the live release "Live In The Shadow Of The Blues". He also performed over 200 live shows on three world tours, including headlining appearances at major music festivals, among them the 2009 edition of the Download festival in the U.K. (to an audience of 80,000).

A member of WHITESNAKE since 2005, Duffy continued to work on outside projects. Officially parting ways with the band allows Dufy to give focus to a range of projects, including new acts THE MEMORIALS (with Thomas Pridgen of THE MARS VOLTA), BLACKGATES (also featuring former ANTHRAX vocalist Dan Nelson, drummer Paul Bostaph [TESTAMENT, ex-EXODUS, SLAYER, FORBIDDEN] and guitarist Jeremy Epp [THE VENTING MACHINE]), ongoing work with renowned rapper Lyrics Born, The Jazz Ma a, and his upcoming solo album for his own project, THE URIAH DUFFY BAND.

At this time WHITESNAKE is still exploring its options for the position of the band's new bassist.

WHITESNAKE is currently in the studio writing and recording the follow-up to 2008's "Good To Be Bad" for a spring 2011 release via Frontiers Records.

QUEENSRŸCHE Drummer, Bassist Answer Fan-Submitted Questions

QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson were recently asked by the band's fan-club members about any embarrassing moments they might have experienced on stage. Their responses can be found in the YouTube clip below.

QUEENSRŸCHE has scheduled the following Queensrÿche Cabaret dates:

Jul. 22 - Anaheim, California - The Grove
Jul. 23 - Los Angeles, California - Club Nokia
Jul. 24 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Crown Theater
Jul. 25 - San Francisco, California - Regency Ballroom
Aug. 05 - New Orleans, Louisiana - House Of Blues
Aug. 06 - Houston, Texas - House Of Blues
Aug. 07 - San Antonio, Texas - Backstage Live
Aug. 08 - Dallas, Texas - House Of Blues
Aug. 18 - Asbury Park, NJ - Paramount Theatre
Aug. 19 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues
Aug. 20 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
Aug. 21 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
Aug. 22 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
Oct. 28 - Kansas City, Missouri - Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's
Oct. 29 - Chicago, Illinois - House of Blues
Oct. 30 - Mount Pleasant, Michigan - Soaring Eagle Casino

The Queensrÿche Cabaret — heralded as "the first adults-only rock show" (21 and over) — was previously described by the group as "Teatro ZinZanni meets Cirque du Soleil, with the band performing their hits and never-heard-before selections accompanied by go-go dancers, burlesque dancers, drag queens, a juggler, ballet dancer, trapeze artist, a contortionist and others. Definitely a fun-filled evening like no other full of freaks and shrieks!"

QUEENSRŸCHE's twelfth studio LP, the epic concept album "American Soldier", was made available from Atco/Rhino in March 2009 for a suggested list price of $18.98 (CD) and $9.99 (digital). The ambitious album encompasses a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Geoff Tate, the group's singer and chief songwriter, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts — from World War II to Iraq — Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war.

THE ETERNAL: 'Under A New Sun' Artwork Unveiled

The cover artwork for "Under A New Sun", the forthcoming fourth full-length album from Melbourne, Australia's dark rockers THE ETERNAL, can be found below. The band states, "The cover and several images in the booklet are based on photography by fantastic Romanian photographer Felicia Simion. Her photography really touched us and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do."

"Under A New Sun" was recorded at 301 Studios in Byron Bay with acclaimed producer and multi-platinum recording artist Jeff Martin (THE ARMADA, THE TEA PARTY). Songtitles set to appear on the follow-up to 2008's "Kartika" include "The Sleeper", "Control", "Under A New Sun", "A Thousand Shades of You", "Collapse" and "Cast In Stone".

"Under A New Sun" was co-engineered by Paul Pilsneniks who has worked with such artists as THE LIVING END, THE MARS VOLTA, SILVERCHAIR, GRINSPOON and ALANIS MORISSETTE. THE ETERNAL has also enlisted acclaimed Finnish keyboard player Maria Ilmoniemi (TARJA, HUSKY RESCUE) to contribute.

Video footage of THE ETERNAL singer/guitarist Mark Kelson performing an acoustic version of the new song "The Sleeper" off "Under A New Sun" with Jeff Martin (who produced the album and contributed vocals to this track on the CD version) and Jeff's bass player Jay Cortez on May 14, 2010 at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia can be viewed below.

THE ETERNAL has scheduled its first hometown show in a year at Ruby's Lounge in Belgrave on Friday, July 23 with local rockers TREAD. THE ETERNAL states, "We will be playing loads of new material from 'Under A New Sun' so come and check it out."

THE ETERNAL recently made a new DVD, "Kartika World Tour 2009", available exclusively via the band's web site. The disc contains the "Kartika World Tour" and "The Making Of Kartika" documentaries as well at two promotional videos and plenty of photos.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED: New York City Performance Footage Available

Fan-filmed video footage of CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED — the new project led by acclaimed metal drummer Richard Christy (ICED EARTH, DEATH, LEASH LAW, CONTROL DENIED, BURNING INSIDE) — performing on July 8, 2010 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City can be viewed below (courtesy of "Pantera42057" and "hornsuprocks").

Fans finally got a chance to watch Christy and vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) perform the songs from CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's debut album. They toured from Chicago through Canada and up to Worcester, Massachusetts for a massive show with DREAM THEATER. The trek also featured comedian Don Jamieson from VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show".

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's touring lineup made its live debut on July 1 in Chicago, Illinois. Stepping in for concerts were Cleveland guitarists John Comprix and Matt Sorg. Comprix is Owens' bandmate in several projects, and Sorg plays with Comprix in RINGWORM.

The self-titled debut album from CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 6 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's album contains nine tracks, a bonus DVD ("The Making of Charred Walls of the Damned"), and comes in a digipack.

The recording sessions for the CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED CD took place at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof, who has previously worked with TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, BURY YOUR DEAD, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DAATH, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER and GOD FORBID, among others.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's recording lineup:

* Richard Christy - Drums
* Jason Suecof - Guitar, Producer
* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) - Vocals
* Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, TESTAMENT) - Bass

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/charredwallsofthedamned.

ZYKLON: 'The Storm Manifesto' Career-Spanning Box Set Due This Week

On July 19, Candlelight Records will release a box set from the now-defunct Norwegian extreme metal act ZYKLON, entitled "The Storm Manifesto", featuring all three of the group's full-length albums plus bonus material.

Founded in 1998, it was evident from the start that ZYKLON was to be more than just a "side project" for the then-EMPEROR guitarist and drummer. Teaming with Destructhor (also of MYRKSKOG), the trio's rehearsals ignited a spark that would put them on the fast track. Enter England's Candlelight Records. Already home to EMPEROR, Candlelight was the best and obvious first choice for the band and its recording future.

"The Storm Manifesto" track listing:

Disc 1 - "World ov Worms":

01. Hammer Revelation
02. Deduced To Overkill
03. Chaos Deathcult
04. Storm Detonation
05. Zycloned
06. Terrordome
07. Worm World
08. Transcendental War - The Battle Between Gods
09. Dominate (bonus)
10. Worm World (video)
11. Transcendal War - Battle Between Gods (video)

Disc 2 - "Aeon":

01. Psyklon Aeon
02. Core Solution
03. Two Thousand Years
04. No Names Above The Names
05. The Prophetic Method
06. Specimen Eruption
07. Electric Current
08. An Eclectic Manner
09. Pull the Plug (bonus)
10. Core Solution (video)
11. Psyklon Aeon (video)

Disc 3 - "Disintegrate":

01. In Hindsight
02. Disintegrate
03. Ways of the World
04. Subversive Faith
05. A Cold Grave
06. Vile Ritual
07. Underdog
08. Wrenched
09. Vulture
10. Skinned and Endangered
11. Wrenched (video)
12. Underdog (video)

Check out an e-card for "The Storm Manifesto" at this location.

ZYKLON played its final show in Tokyo, Japan on September 28, 2007.

All members of ZYKLON are still active on various fronts. Guitarist Samoth is in the studio working on the debut album for his new project, THE WRETCHED END. Fellow axeman Destructhor is still touring with MORBID ANGEL, and is still planning to complete a new MYRKSKOG album with bassist/vocalist Secthdamon. Drummer Trym is mainly working in his tattoo shop, but is scheduled to appear in a new music project soon.

ZYKLON's third album, "Disintegrate", was released in 2006 via Candlelight Records. The CD was recorded at Akkerhaugen Lydstudio in Norway and was mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.

ZYKLON's DVD, titled "Storm Detonation Live", came out in March 2006 via Candlelight. Recorded at Germany's 2004 Party.San Open Air festival, the DVD contained the band's live show plus exclusive on-the-road/backstage footage, an exclusive look into reheasals for "Disintegrate" and both the "Psyklon Aeon" and "Core Solution" videos.

Reunited BANGALORE CHOIR To Release 'Cadence' In September; Audio Samples Available

"Cadence", the new studio album from the reunited melodic hard rock band BANGALORE CHOIR, will be released on September 24 via Metal Heaven Records.

It has been 18 years since BANGALORE CHOIR's only release, "On Target", on Giant Records in 1992, which came out on the same day as NIRVANA's "Nevermind". Shortly after, BANGALORE CHOIR disbanded after being released from the label.

After several years under the radar on a ranch in Montana, lead vocalist David Reece (ex-ACCEPT, DAREFORCE) was contacted by Escape Records in 2007 to see what the chances would be for him to go to Sweden to sing on Swedish band GYPSY ROSE's next release. Soon after that David found himself in the studio for the next year recording and writing for the new GYPSY ROSE CD, "Another World", which was released in June 2008.

While touring and doing the Sweden Rock Festival in June 2007 and opening for AEROSMITH in Europe, Reece regained his passion for music, deciding he wanted to put BANGALORE CHOIR back together. Reece reached out to guitarist Curt Mitchell and bassist Danny Greenberg and asked them if they would like to make a new record. Both of them eagerly accepted the challenge. Joining them on the new album are Hans in't Zandt on drums and guitarist Andy Susemihl of U.D.O. fame, who contributed to the songwriting process and did a masterful job on the CD's production.

Commented Reece: "We knew if we were to make a new record that in order for it to be viable we had to keep some of the old formula that worked so well in the past which we have done!

"The new record by BANGALORE CHOIR is called 'Cadence' — continuing with blistering guitars pounding rhythms and big, hooky choruses."

"Cadent" (new song) audio sample:

"Big Deep" (new song) audio sample:

"Living Your Dreams" (new song) audio sample:

BANGALORE CHOIR will go on tour in Europe in early October, playing such shows as the H.E.A.T. Festival as well as the Firefest in England. They also plan to tour the Asian market and are in the process of scheduling U.S. dates.

Ex-TNT Singer Discusses TONY HARNELL & THE MERCURY TRAIN Project

On July 14, Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault conducted an interview with vocalist Tony Harnell (TNT, WESTWORLD, STARBREAKER) about his latest project, TONY HARNELL & THE MERCURY TRAIN. You can now listen to the chat in two parts below.

"Northern Lights", the debut video from TONY HARNELL & THE MERCURY TRAIN, can be viewed below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "Round Trip", which was released in Europe on July 2 and will be made available in the USA on July 27 via Frontiers Records.

"Round Trip" is a very special record: a stripped down, reinvented retrospective of Tony Harnell's past classics originally recorded with his previous bands TNT, WESTWORLD and STARBREAKER, with one brand new song, "Anywhere But Here", recorded exclusively for this release.

The idea of re-recording some repertoire classics came about after Tony performed some low-key shows in New York in late 2008, with some talented and accomplished musicians that were not part of the metal/hard rock scene. The desire was to breathe new life into the songs with new arrangements, key changes and added parts; it's like listening to songs you know in a whole new way. Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino liked the concept, and in Harnell's own words, "The idea was originally based on it being the usual cliché 'acoustic' album. Well, for us hard rockers that usually means simply playing the songs pretty much as they were but with acoustic guitars. That's not exactly what I had in mind. If I was going to do this, I was going to have some fun. I wanted to strip things down and see what would happen when musicians outside the hard rock community played my songs. That intrigued me. So I gave all the guys the original album versions and then pretty much gave them carte blanche to reinterpret the songs. That meant key changes ('cause you can't sing like a banshee when you strip things down, sounds silly), chord changes and even arrangement changes if the mood hit. I also wanted a semi-live vibe. What we ended up with is an album that honors the original songs with a little added spice, color, and above all… fun."

At the end of 2008 Tony and the other musicians entered the studio for a marathon two-day recording session that was supposed to lead into a whirlwind mixing session and an immediate release. But immediately after the session Tony hit some rather intense personal bumps in the road and production stopped. Months later the album was quickly completed.

"Recording this album was an extremely cathartic experience, allowing me to gently close the door to the past with love and gratitude and regain the pride I rightly deserve to have for these songs and for the years of my life I gave to the various periods when they were written," states Tony. "This is in no way meant to erase, dismiss or compete with the incredible original recordings of these songs. This is just a little fun reinvention, a way to leave the past behind on my own terms. These are your songs as much as they are mine, some of you, like me, have all kinds of memories attached to them. My lyrics were, are and always will be filled with my experiences, struggles, hopes and dreams and my observations of the world around me. Hopefully you'll listen to these songs in a new way and hear them with new ears. I know I have."

"Round Trip" track listing:

01. Somebody Told You
02. Intuition
03. Month Of Sundays
04. Lonely Nights
05. Shame
06. Northern Lights
07. Down To The River To Pray
08. Satellite
09. 10K Lovers
10. Uninvited
11. Ready To Fly
12. When I'm Away *
13. Song For Dianne
14. Anywhere But Here

* Bonus track

"Intuition" audio sample:

"Shame" audio sample:

"Northern Lights" audio sample:

"Uninvited" audio sample:

THE MERCURY TRAIN is:

Jason Hagen - Acoustic guitar and ukulele
Chris Foley - Electric guitar
Brandon Wilde - Bass and vocals
Brad Gunyon - Drums and percussion
Amy Harnell - Vocals and descant recorder

Special guest: Sandi Saraya on "Shame"

Interview Part 1:

Interview Part 2: