Rock AAA sat down with guitar master Kirk Windstein (Down, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow) during these weekend's Download Festival and updated the fans on all things Down! The big news is that Down will be entering the studio on September 1st and recording the first of a series of EP's. The band plans to release a new EP every 9 months and keep the fans with enough Down music in their bellies. Here is the interview:
London's Power Metal badasses DragonForce, have announced that their only East Coast show of 2011 will take place at New York City's Gramercy Theater on Friday, October 21, 2011. Here is the OFFICIAL press release:
"Special ‘Up Close and Personal’ show to take place at NYC’s Gramercy Theatre
First Los Angeles, then Toronto, and now New York City. The mighty DragonForce announce the last in a trio of special, intimate shows on October 21st at New York’s Gramercy Theater. DragonForce’s return to New York will be their first since 2009, and will give fans and media the unique opportunity to preview the band’s new singer Marc Hudson and whet their appetites for what’s to come with some brand new material from their highly anticipated forthcoming album.
This special show will be the band’s only East Coast appearance in the US before moving to the big stage with full production for their World Tour, which commences early 2012. Tickets are limited to 2 per person and are available NOW for $20 (plus surcharges) in advance through the link below or $23 (plus surcharges) day of show."
Metal Blade Records has always represented Heavy Music worldwide by bringing to the masses some badass music! One thing that sets them apart is the fact that Brian Slagel (founder and CEO) treats the bands like family and works non-stop to make sure that all bands succeed. In case you didn't know this if it wasn't for Slagel, Metallica and Slayer would have probably never had their big "break".
Since Metal Blade Records recognizes the importance of the Heavy Music market in Latin America, this fall three of the most badass bands of the Metal Blade roster are taking over Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico! The tour will begin on December 3rd in Sao Paulo, Brazil and will wrap up on December 13th in Mexico City, Mexico. Here is the OFFICIAL press release:
"South American fans are notoriously some of the most diehard Metal heads in the world and the bands are excited for this tour to get started. Cannibal Corpse vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher comments on the tour: "In every interview, I am asked where the sickest and best Death Metal fans are and it is hands down South America. I've seen kids in the front row bleeding and losing their minds, they are all crazy in the best way possible. It's hands down my favorite place to play and I can't wait to come back!" The Black Dahlia Murder vocalist Trevor Strnad adds, "We are very excited to be a part of this monstrous South American tour. It is always a pleasure to play alongside the almighty Cannibal Corpse... but in South America?! The shows are going to be absolutely insane, without a doubt. To the South American fans: prepare for an unearthly ritual!" Guitarist Brian Eschbach comments further, "We are extremely excited for another chance to support the almighty Cannibal Corpse!!! It has always been great touring with them. We especially look forward to seeing them DESTROY South America and Mexico City. iViva la Smash!"
Cannibal Corpse's latest release, the Global Evisceration DVD is available now, and includes hours of behind the scenes footage of the band as they tour Europe and contains two full live shows from the US.
CANNIBAL CORPSE Latin American Tour 2011 THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and SUICIDE SILENCE 12/03 Sao Paulo, Brazil 12/04 Curitiba, Brazil 12/06 Buenos Aires, Argentina 12/07 Santiago, Chile 12/08 Quito, Ecuador 12/10 Bogota, Colombia 12/11 Caracas, Venezuela 12/13 Mexico City, Mexico
Swedish progressive Death Metal band Opeth are not only releasing their 10th studio album titled "Heritage" on September 20 (via Roadrunner Records), but they are also doing a massive North American tour with fellow Swedish countrymen Katatonia! The seven-week headline tour will kick off on September 19 in Worcester, Mass. and will conclude on November 1st in Baltimore.
Opeth will also play a one-off show this weekend as part of the vaunted Bonnaroo Festival outside of Nashville. The band performs on June 10th in what should be a "can't miss" performance.
Heritage sees the band expanding mightily on their progressive influences.
Here are the tourdates:
- 9/19/2011: The Palladium (Worcester, MA) - 9/20/2011: Webster Theatre (Hartford, CT) - 9/21/2011: Webster Hall (New York, NY) - 9/23/2011: The Trocadero (Philadelphia, PA) - 9/26/2011: Newport Music Hall (Columbus, OH) - 9/27/2011: Expo Five (Louisville, KY) - 9/28/2011: Cannery Ballroom (Nashville, TN) - 9/29/2011: Amos' Southend (Charlotte, NC) - 9/30/2011: Center Stage (Atlanta, GA) - 10/1/2011: House of Blues (Lake Buena Vista, FL) - 10/3/2011: Warehouse Live (Houston, TX) - 10/4/2011: Stubb's Waller Creek (Austin, TX) - 10/5/2011: Granada Theatre (Dallas, TX) - 10/6/2011: The Beaumont (Kansas City, MO) - 10/7/2011: First Avenue (Loop Station, MN) - 10/8/2011: Burton Cummings Theatre (Winnipeg, MAN) - 10/10/2011: Edmonton Events Centre (Edmonton, ALB) - 10/11/2011: MacEwan Hall (Calgary, ALB) - 10/13/2011: Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver, BC) - 10/14/2011: Knitting Factory (Spokane, WA) - 10/15/2011: Showbox SoDo (Seattle, WA) - 10/16/2011: Roseland Theater (Portland, OR) - 10/18/2011: The Warfield (San Francisco, CA) - 10/18/2011: The Mayan Theatre (Los Angeles, CA) - 10/20/2011: House Of Blues (San Diego, CA) - 10/21/2011: The Fox Theater (Pomona, CA) - 10/22/2011: Marquee Theatre (Tempe, AZ) - 10/24/2011: The Complex (Salt Lake City, UT) - 10/25/2011: Ogden Theatre (Denver, CO) - 10/27/2011: The Rave (Milwaukee, WI) - 10/28/2011: Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL) - 10/29/2011: St. Andrew's Hall (Detroit, MI) - 10/31/2011: Mr. Smalls (Millvale, PA) - 11/1/2011: Rams Head Live (Baltimore, MD)
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!
Here is the album cover for their new album "Heritage", due on September 20 (via Roadrunner Records):
Horns Up Rocks & No Mercy Metal have been a huge part of the NYC Heavy Music scene since they joined forces last year. This is why we decided to throw a massive party with all the bands, the fans, and the promoters!
Our idea is to celebrate the NYC Music Scene by having Jo Schüftan (founder of Horns Up Rocks) & DJ Tim No 37 (No Mercy Metal) spin music from all the bands that have impacted the NYC music scene.
We also encourage all the bands to bring merchandise and to use this opportunity to network with other bands!
The event features: - The Devil's Night Happy Hour (5-10 PM): The only Friday night Hard Rock Happy Hour in Manhattan! - Guest DJ's spinning the best of NYC Music - Band t-shirt & merch swap
When? Friday, June 24, 2011 at 7 PM Where? Idle Hands Bar (25 Avenue B, between 2nd and 3rd streets): # 1 Beer, Bourbon and Rock bar in New York City!
Since we know that many of you didn't get chance to see Corey Taylor pay tribute to Paul Gray on NY Ink. Here is Corey pouring his heart out on national TV for his brother, his band-mate, and his best friend! Corey, we all feel your pain and we thank you for sharing such a personal moment with all the Slipknot maggots! We love ya!
Rest In Peace Paul Dedrick Gray, we all miss and love you # 2!
After the demise of Headbangers Ball, Mistress Juliya felt the necessity of creating a TV show that would present Heavy Music in a raw, unscripted and aggressive way.
After gaining massive popularity via the Internet, Much Music TV approached Juliya and gave her a small budget to produce a show for Fuse TV. Juliya's concept was to take her show on the road and present the masses with an unpolished, yet very well thought out show that featured the artists in their natural environment and not inside a TV studio. In June of 2002 Uranium premiered and Juliya started gaining popularity within the Heavy Music population.
For the next three years Juliya managed to help Uranium become a household name in the industry thanks to her "in your face" style and the great chemistry she had with the artists that she would interview for the show. The show came to an end in January of 2005, when Fuse TV brought in new management who did not appreciate or understand the value of that the show had within the Heavy Music world.
After 6 years of silence, it was time for Uranium to make a comeback but this time Juliya had to do it bigger and more personal, in order to remind the fans that her love for Heavy Music will never die! Here is what she had to say about this:
"Uranium has always been my baby! First it was on TV, then it went away... Then I got the opportunity to work with Livenation on putting together the Uranium Tour! Which when people hear the Uranium brand, they know they are Heavy quality fucking music! No matter what type of Metal it is, we are going to bring it to you the right way. So we worked really hard in putting together a package that had an amazing headliner, that has always represented the Uranium brand. Black Label Society has been a staple on the Uranium TV show for many years. And of course its Zakk Wylde, it really doesn't get more real, more Metal, in a classic way!"
If you attended the Uranium Tour, you know it was a "hit"! We really hope that it becomes a yearly tour!. After many attempts during the last year, we finally were able to sit down with Juliya to do an in-depth interview! Here it is:
Special thanks to Juliya, Nightcrawler Steve, Uranium and the staff at Irving Plaza!
In a shocking twist of events, singer/bassist/actor/porn star Evan Seinfeld has decided to quit Biohazard. The big question is why did he leave Biohazard when they just completed the production of their ninth studio album (produced by Toby Wright) and have a worldwide tour planned? He is obviously making more money as a porn star, but in that case he should have never committed to record a new album with the band that he co-founded and that gave him his big "break".
But with or without Seinfeld, the remaining members of Biohazard are determined to keep doing what they do best: perform furious music in front of thousands of people. Here is the OFFICIAL statement of the band regarding Seinfeld's decision to leave the band:
"We have a long history together, but it's time for a change," said guitarist/co-founder Bobby Hambel. "We wish Evan well."
So who will replace Seinfeld? Well, for their upcoming gigs at the infamous Download Festival in the UK on June 12 and at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in London on June 13, Scott Roberts, who played on the band's 2005 "Means To An End" album, will join the band on stage. Once they return to the US the remaining members of Biohazard will look for a permanent replacement.
Here is what the band had to say about the new record:
"We had a great time recording this album and we're psyched about it. We're really looking forward to having everyone hear it and to get back on the road to rip it up!" - Billy Graziadei
"I think it's one of the best albums we've ever done, so we're ready to see what the future holds." - Danny Schuler
We wish Evan Seinfeld all the best, but he should know that he disappointed a lot of fans!
Here is an interview we conducted with Bobby Hambel this past December, in which we discusses his return to Biohazard:
Here is some EXCLUSIVE live footage of Evan Seinfeld's last show with Biohazard:
This past April we had the privilege of interviewing Machine Head's frontman Robb Flynn and drummer Dave McClain, while at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. During the interview (you can watch the interview below), we discussed their new album, which they had just started recording at the time. Here is what they had to say about it at the time:
"We've been in there for three days. Dave McClain's been laying down the drums, killing it, and we're getting going on the journey. In July we're out on the [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival] tour, and then the record drops in September." - Robb Flynn
"For the past two records [as well as] this one, we've really been writing for ourselves. And we don't really have a set plan; we didn't really sit down and even go, like, 'We had a bunch of long songs on the last record, we've gotta do a bunch of short ones.' We had some time off and we started itching to get back in and start writing — just whatever was flowing out. And it's killer, man; it's super-exciting. We're all really, really excited about what happened, what came out. We feel like we've got another kick-ass album on our hands and we can't wait for everybody to hear it." - Dave McClain
Machine Head will debut a brand new song this June, here is the OFFICIAL press release:
"Normally, one would be wise to avoid a plague of locusts. Prophets warn about them and they occur in the Bible. However, in the Summer of 2011, metal fans and headbangers are going to happily succumb to a "Locust" in the form of a brand new track from Bay Area metal icons MACHINE HEAD.
The band, which released the back-to-back, modern classics, 2004's Through the Ashes of Empires and 2007's The Blackening, are aiming to unleash their third masterwork in a row on September 27th via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The as-yet untitled new album is being recorded at JingleTown Studios in Oakland, with frontman Robb Flynn producing, and it is sure to level anything and everything that happens upon its path.
Machine Head will prepare for the release of their new album by appearing on the main stage of the Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for key dates (while headlining the Extreme Stage for others) this summer; the tour kicks off this July. This is the band's second tour of duty on Mayhem, as they appeared on the festival during its inaugural run in 2008.
An advance mix of "Locust" will be on sale at iTunes on June 14th and will be included on an iTunes Mayhem digital sampler. Download cards for the digital sampler will be distributed at every date of the REDMF so fans can redeem the song after being summarily kicked in the face by Machine Head's always devastating live show.
"We've been working on the record for a few weeks now, and when the opportunity to be a part of the free Mayhem sampler came up, we did not want to pass up the chance," said Machine Head vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn. "We're so pumped for our fans to hear the new music that we're so proud of."
Flynn went a little deeper about the meaning of the song, saying, "'Locust' is a metaphor. Locusts fly in a swarm, but they can't control which direction they fly; they float on the wind, they land, cause massive destruction, and then float away on the wind to leave you in the aftermath. The song is a metaphor for a type of person that sometimes comes into your life and has a similar effect."
Musically, the song is the essence of what Machine Head have been doing for nearly two decades. "It feels like the culmination of what we've been doing for the last 17 years: power grooves, patented Machine Head harmonics, crushing guitars and dark melodies, but taken to a new level," Flynn said. "It's a natural progression from The Blackening, but different than anything on that record. In the past, when we debuted a new song, it was usually the fastest, thrashiest tune. This time we wanted to go with something just straight-up heavy."
The song is eight minutes in length, which is not unfamiliar territory for the band. Flynn even joked, "We still can't seem to write a damn song under six minutes. But Machine Head aren't writing music for the radio or MTV. This is for us. This is for the metalhead who let's music take him on a journey. This for the metalhead for whom music is the only thing that matters, to whom music is a savior. This is for the music fan who's going to study every detail of the artwork, go online and find the lyrics and memorize every word, and let it take them away from their f---ed up life for a while. It's for the music freak, who maybe just wants to get hammered, air-guitar and sing at the top of his lungs, and act like an friggin' idiot while starting a moshpit in their living room with reckless abandon. Because that's who wrote this song, and those are the only people we care about connecting with."
Flynn finished, "We know you'll be as excited about it as we are. So, Head Cases, on June 14th, check out 'Locust.'"
Machine Head rode a wave of incredible success in the '00s, one that is certain to carry them through this new decade. They were nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance –their first-- for "Aesthetics of Hate" from The Blackening and were invited to tour with Metallica in the US and Europe, and also joined Slipknot, Slayer and Megadeth on tour dates. They have also headlined some of the biggest festivals in Europe, performing as a part of Wacken (Germany) and Download (England.)
"Locust" is a true metal anthem from these metal torchbearers, and it's erected upon the band's signature, crunchy guitar tone, pummeling riffage, a thunderstorm of percussion and Flynn's militaristic barks. "Locust" is one of those cathartic, "gets the red out" type of songs that will incite mosh pits across the globe and cause the listener to be purged of all their anger (and exhausted from rocking the hell out) once the last note fades out.
Prepare to suffer unto the "Locust" on June 14th and beyond."
After waiting for almost a decade for a new Anthrax album, the Anthrax fans will finally be getting what thay have been waiting for: a brand new headbanging Anthrax album titled "Worship Music". As we all know, the band was set to release a new album in 2009 for which Dan Nelson had recorded vocals for and when they were already touring the world prior to the release, they decided to part ways with Nelson and to bring back John Bush to finish the tour. The band's intention was also to have him re-record vocals on the new album, but Bush disagreed to do so since he had no input on the creation of the album. In 2009 the great Joey Belladonna returned to Anthrax and agreed to tour with the band and to record Anthrax's 10th studio album. So after going to hell and back, after switching vocalists three times, and playing the Big Four in Europe and in the United States. Anthrax will finally release the follow-up to "We've Come For You All". Here is OFFICIAL press release:
"Worship Music, the long-awaited new studio album from Anthrax, one of the four original architects of speed and thrash-metal, has been confirmed for a September 13 release date on Megaforce Records, it is announced today. Appropriately, Worship Music will street the day before the band’s triumphant return to their native New York to play at Yankee Stadium as part of The Big Four concert extravaganza.
Not only is Worship Music Anthrax’s first studio release in eight years, but the album marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the band was 1990’s Persistence of Time. Belladonna is now firmly back in the Anthrax line up with drummer Charlie Benante, guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, and bassist Frank Bello.
“Getting Joey back in as our full-time, permanent singer solidified us as a unit like we hadn’t been in years,” said Ian. “All of us were on the same page creatively, working together, writing together, and becoming a band again.”
“I get goosebumps listening to the new music,” Benante admitted. “Scott and Rob’s guitars are absolutely on fire, Frankie kicks butt on bass, and hearing Joey sing, well, the band sounds like Anthrax – Joey’s back and it’s great.”
Added Ian, “This record is filled with not just four years of our lives, but with our lifetime in the band. It encompasses it all, and when I listen to the record, I can hear all the energy and love and hate and pain and laughter that went into this.”
The 11-track Worship Music was produced by Anthrax, Rob Caggiano and Jay Ruston and recorded over a four-year period at studios in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Belladonna’s return to the band prompted some of the songs originally recorded to be re-crafted with fresh lyrics or tweaked to better suit his overall vibe and energy. Some of the songs were completely replaced with brand-new songs and, of course, all have Belladonna’s inimitable vocal stamp on them.
“We had the unusual luxury of hindsight with this album,” Ian explained. “We were able to live with the songs we originally recorded, look back on them and see what we really loved about them and what we could make better.”
“I’m very happy with the record, it sounds like Anthrax,” said Belladonna. “There are some interesting twists and turns on it, and plenty of tunes for fans to get their fingers on. I felt very comfortable working with Jay Ruston, and I think everyone brought to the table what they needed to. Now it’s time for the fans to listen and get what they’ve been waiting for. I’ll tell you, I’m really excited.”
Worship Music is loaded with stand-out tracks. While “Judas Priest” is a nod to the huge influence that band has had on the members of Anthrax and metal heads everywhere. “I’m Alive” is beautiful and grand with a build that demands audience participation.
“Crawl” is dark and moody, and filled with a lot of the emotion and stress the band was feeling when it was written. “Fight ‘em ‘til You Can’t” is a song about killing zombies, and who doesn’t love a good zombie song? It’s the one new track that Anthrax has played live since they started touring with Belladonna a year ago, and has been getting tremendous audience response.
The song “Earth on Hell” is classic Anthrax thrash. “The Devil You Know” is best-described as “an AC/DC groove filtered through an Anthrax lens,” while “In The End” is epic-sounding and Anthrax’s way of remembering the late Ronnie James Dio and Darryl “Dimebag” Darryl.
“’In The End’ does have a melancholy feel,” confessed Benante, “and when we play it live, Ronnie and Dimebag will be right there with us on stage.”
And just where did the title Worship Music come from? “One night, many years ago, I fell asleep with the TV on,” explained Benante. About four or five in the morning, I woke up, picked up the remote and pulled up the digital program guide. There was a show on called ‘Worship Music,’ and I thought ‘what a great title for an album.’ Most heavy metal fans worship their favorite bands, metal heads are so loyal to metal, going to a concert is like going to a house of worship. ‘Worship Music’ said it all.”
When Anthrax first started Worship Music, they had no idea if the music would ever see the light of day, but they carried on because making music is what they do, it’s in their blood. According to Ian, “It took everything in us as people to make this record and it shows. We went back to square one and did it for the same reason we did it back then, because we worshipped music and we still do. Music is something worth worshipping.”
Anthrax will support Worship Music with a massive world tour. Dates will be announced shortly.”
“When Charlie and I started working on this record in 2007, for all intents and purposes, there was no Anthrax. The band was fractured at that point and for the first time in the band’s history, we didn’t know what was going to happen next. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, there was no future. So, what did we do? We did what we always do. We made music.” — Scott Ian, Anthrax
We had the chance to have a quick “Black carpet” interview with Anthrax at the recent Golden Gods Awards, in which the band confirmed their new album title and filled us in on their summer plans. Check it out!
The multi-talented Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour, will be appearing on this week's episode of the brand new TLC show NY Ink! The show airs at 10pm ET/9pm CT on Thursday, June 9th, on TLC.
Taylor will be getting tattooed on the show and talking about the story behind the Paul Gray (RIP) tattoo he is getting, as well as his phenomenal career as one of the best frontman in Heavy Music today.
Slipknot and Stone Sour fans will certainly want to tune in! In other Corey Taylor news, his debut book, Seven Deadly Sins, is out on July 12.
Sal Abruscato is synonymous to what the New York City Heavy Music scene represents: hard uncompromised work, original song writing, and not holding back or limiting yourself when creating music. When we first heard A Pale Horse Named Death (his brand new band), our ears couldn't believe this man's vocal abilities. We couldn't help to wonder if Abruscato had been holding back during his tenure with Life Of Agony and Type O Negative, since his role with those bands was to kick ass on the drums.
On the new album by A Pale Horse Named Death titled "And Hell Will Follow Me" (USA - June 14th, worldwide - June 16th via SPV/Steamhammer), the groove factor is in full effect and at first glance it brings back the memory of when we first listened to "Dirt", the classic album by the legendary band Alice In Chains. However, the more we listened to it, the darker it got. Even darker than Alice In Chains? Absolutely!
Smartly enough, Sal consciously stayed away from writing anything similar to the awesome music of Life Of Agony or Type O Negative, since he knew the music will carry a similar vibe. As we all know, the vibe of the Brooklyn based bands has always been a raw energetic roller coaster that can be dangerous at times. In times when there is a need for a fresh band to rise up from the streets of New York City, we truly believe that A Pale Horse Named Death is that band!
Here are some facts about A Pale Horse Named Death:
- Sal's partner in crime on "And Hell Will Follow Me" is Matt Brown, sound engineer extraordinaire and guitarist of fellow NY band SEVENTH VOID. "The chemistry between me and Matt is unique and flawless very rare in today's music. We are the murdering evil version of Lennon and McCartney." says Abruscato.
- The album artwork was done by Sam Shearon aka Mr. Sam, who has previously done work for Rob Zombie, Fear Factory and Cradle of Filth to name a few, and features a 20 page booklet with artwork for each individual song. Additionally, the Double LP version will feature a never before heard bonus track called "Pick Up Truck".
- To top that all off, Life of Agony's Keith Caputo lent background vocals to four tracks and Lou Reed's saxophonist Ulrich Krieger guests on "Die Alone". Bobby Hambel from Biohazard - who also plays with the band live - played the guitar leads on three tunes.
- LIVE - Line Up:
Sal Abruscato (Life Of Agony), Guitar & Vocals Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Seventh Void), Drums Bobby Hambel (Biohazard), Guitar Matt Brown (Supermassiv, Seventh Void), Guitar Eric Morgan, Bass
- Special Guests:
Keith Caputo (Life Of Agony) - background vocals Ulrich Krieger (Lou Reed) - saxophone on "Die Alone" Bobby Hambell (Biohazard) - additional guitars
"This is my pinnacle creation, the best album I have ever done." - Sal Abruscato
We had the chance to interview Sal Abruscato at the Official Listening Party at Idle Hands Bar in New York City, for the new album by A Pale Horse Named Death titled "And Hell With Follow Me". Here is what went down:
RELEASE DATES: USA - June 14th, worldwide - June 16th via SPV/Steamhammer.
Special thanks to Sal Abruscato, Jon Freeman, Nick Serr and Idle Hands Bar.
This past Saturday, the much anticipated "Uranium tour 2011" took over New York City's Irving Plaza. From the moment we arrived to Irving Place (street were Irving Plaza is located), we ran into hundreds of BLS fans that were proudly wearing their BLS vests and getting riled up for the mayhem what would ensue a few hours later.
The sold out concert was hosted by Uranium host Mistress Juliya, who demonstrated that she is a phenomenal media personality who can easily make a crowd go wild with a simple: "Hey, don't be a pussy, its cool to put your Metal Horns Up!"
The night was kicked off by Anchored, Hourcast, and Rev Theory, who had the arduous task of warming up the crowd for the mighty Black Label Society. It was clear from the get-go that Black Label Society was the headliner of the night, to the point that the venue filled up from front to back, side to side, as soon as the clock hit the tenth hour of the second half of the day. Both openers performed decent sets, but nothing compares to the beast that was unleashed once Juliya welcomed BLS to New York Rock City!
We had personally never seen the band perform live and were completely blown away from the moment they curtain was dropped. Not only did they sound very tight, but Zakk had full control of the crowd from beginning to end! His guitars sounded larger than live thanks to his 20 Marshall cabinets and the sound crew managed to not let his furious guitar sound clash with the rest of the instruments. What really impressed us is how their set-list was put together so that the performance felt very organic, it didn't feel like they were playing one song after the other, it felt a well produced concert that could have easily taken place at a bigger venue.
All in all, Black Label Society proved that they are a very underrated band. Oh, and lets not forget that the band did an awesome interlude which included a 15 minute solo by Zakk Wylde, who also performed solo a few of the BLS piano classics with a synthetizer! If you have never seen Black Label Society, you are missing out! We have an exclusive interview with Mistress Juliya coming up, as well as tons of live footage of Black Label Society!
Setlist:
1) Crazy Horse 2) Funeral Bell 3) Bleed For Me 4) Demise Of Sanity 5) Overlord Play Video 6) Parade of the Dead 7) Born To Lose 8) Darkest Days 9) Fire It Up 10) Guitar Solo 11) Godspeed Hell Bound 12) The Blessed Hellride 13) Suicide Messiah 14) Concrete Jungle 15) Stillborn
Headbangers of the world! Today we shall all raise up our fists and throw the Horns Up for the mighty SLAYER! We shall also crank up all their 11 studio albums, and piss off all the neighbors (but if you get arrested you can't blame us). Why? Because today is International SLAYATANIC Day! Today is also Tom Araya's 50th birthday, and Friday was Kerry King's 47th birthday! So HEAVY birthday to Araya and King!
In case you are scared of Slayer or you are just getting into the music of this Thrash Metal titans, here are some facts about SLAYA'!
Wait a minute, before we get into the SLAYA' facts, lets all scream SLAYER!!!!!
SLAYA' Facts:
- The band was formed by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, in Huntington Park, California, in 1981
- They got their big "break" when they released "Reign In Blood" in 1986.
- Slayer is part of the Big Four, alongside Metallica, Megadeth & Anthrax.
- Their musical style involves fast tremolo picking, lots of double bass drumming, & insane screaming vocals.
- Famous for controversial themes, which have always been depicted in the band's lyrics and artwork, which cover topics about serial killers, Satanism, religion and warfare. As a result, the band has faced many legal battles and lots of criticism from religious groups and the general public.
- Slayer has received two Grammy's. The first one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane", and the second one in 2008 for the song "Final Six".
- Here is Slayer's discography:
\m/ Studio albums
- Show No Mercy (1983) - Hell Awaits (1985) - Reign in Blood (1986) - South of Heaven (1988) - Seasons in the Abyss (1990) - Divine Intervention (1994) - Undisputed Attitude (1996) - Diabolus in Musica (1998) - God Hates Us All (2001) - Christ Illusion (2006) - World Painted Blood (2009)
\m/ Live albums:
- Live Undead (1984) - Decade of Aggression (1991)
\m/ Box sets:
- Soundtrack to the Apocalypse (2003) - The Vinyl Conflict (2010)
Here are some Slayer videos for your eyes to get infected with!
Rock AAA sat down with guitar master Kirk Windstein (Down, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow) during these weekend's Download Festival and updated the fans on all things Down! The big news is that Down will be entering the studio on September 1st and recording the first of a series of EP's. The band plans to release a new EP every 9 months and keep the fans with enough Down music in their bellies. Here is the interview:
