Legendary Rock Producer Phil Ramone Passes Away At The Age Of 72 - Details Available!

With heavy hearts, we regret to inform you that Phil Ramone has passed away at the age of 72. Our condolences go out to Mr. Ramone's family, friends and all the artists that he was associated with. According to Billboard, Ramone had been hospitalized in late February with an aeortic aneurysm and died at New York Presbyterian Hospital earlier today.

Mr. Ramone, also known as "the Pope of Pop", worked with some of music's finest artists like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Ray Charles and Billy Joel.

Ramone was born in South Africa in 1941 and he began playing the violin and piano when he was three years old. He came to New York City as a teenager to study violin at the Juliard School, but soon developed an interest and talent in the technical details of recording. He began working as a songwriter at the Brill Building, which brought him into contact with music-industry legends like Quincy Jones, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, and in 1959 he launched the A&R Recording studios.

"Our industry has lost an immense talent and a true visionary and genius," Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. "Everyone who encountered Phil came away a better person for it, professionally and personally."

Ramone was nominated for 33 Grammy awards, winning 14 awards and a technical Grammy for a lifetime of innovative contributions to the recording industry. What a career!

1965 – Best Engineered Recording (non classical), for Getz/Gilberto
1970 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Promises, Promises
1976 – Album of the Year for producing Still Crazy After All These Years
1979 – Record of the Year for producing "Just the Way You Are"
1980 – Album of the Year for producing 52nd Street
1981 – Producer of the Year (non classical)
1984 – Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, for Flashdance
1995 – Best Musical Show Album for producing Passion
2003 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, for producing "Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues"
2005 – Album of the Year and Best Surround Sound Album for producing Genius Loves Company
2006 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing The Art of Romance
2007 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets: An American Classic
2012 – Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for producing Duets II

He also won an Emmy Award in 1973 as sound mixer for "Duke Ellington...We Love You Madly", a tribute to Duke Ellington broadcast on CBS.

Rock in peace, Mr. Ramone! You will be missed!

Related links:
Phil Ramone's official site

ENSIFERUM, TYR, HEIDEVOLK, TROLLFEST & HELSOTT Are Ready For PAGANFEST AMERICA!

Are you ready for the 2013 edition of PAGANFEST? One of the strongest line-up assembled so far, with none other than Finland's melodic folk masters ENSIFERUM! Our fellow vikings will assure a strong support with the return of TYR (Faroe Islands), and introducing HEIDEVOLK (The Netherlands) for the first time in North America.

Also for the first time on our lands, a warm welcome to Norway's TROLLFEST! Opening the festival will be Los Angeles' own pagan lords HELSÓTT.

PAGANFEST AMERICA 2013:

3/30 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
4/01 - Tempe, AZ @ 910 Live
4/03 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
4/04 - Reno, NV @ The Alley
4/05 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
4/06 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
4/07 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
4/09 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
4/10 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange
4/11 - Winnipeg, MB @ Zoo Cabaret
4/12 - Saint Paul, MN @ Station 4
4/13 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
4/14 - Columbus, OH @ Al Rosa Villa
4/15 - Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
4/16 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Note
4/17 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
4/18 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
4/19 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance Theater
4/20 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium (NE Metalfest)
4/21 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre

Related links:
Pagan Fest America

Ghost B.C.'s Album Delayed Due To Blasphemous Artwork Featuring An Orgy - Details Available!

GHOST B.C. was scheduled to release their second studio album 'Infestissumam' on April 9th via Loma Vista Recordings (NEW record label founded by Tom Whalley in partnership with Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group). According to SPIN, the band has been forced to push the release back a week to April 16th. The reason for the delay:

Four CD manufacturers have refused to print a piece of artwork that was meant to be part of the deluxe version of the album. Reportedly, all the manufacturers took issue with the sacrilegious imagery.

"We kept on getting turned down because of the CD art, which is basically a 16th century illustration of an orgy". The NSFW illustration, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, showcases what looks like a forest nymph orgy, but it's the religious iconography at the top that convinced manufacturers to turn off the printing press.

Even though the 'Infestissumam' booklets had all been printed, the band struggled to find anyone in the States to print the CD for them. "They weren't surprised. The comment was 'Well, I thought this would have happened sooner,'" the source said. "The artwork was meant to provoke some sort of thought, but it's been one obstacle after another".

In order to avoid delaying the album release any longer, Ghost B.C. opted to reuse the CD art found on the standard edition of their album. The artwork, a collaboration between Polish artist Zbignew Bielak II and a Nameless Ghoul, is key to an elaborate deluxe package that features each song's lyrics accompanied by a illustration to form a narrative within the music. The controversial art can still be found on both the vinyl and European copies of the Infestissuman CD. "Vinyl manufacturers don't have a problem with the artwork. Neither does Europe."

Don't forget that Sweden's kings of mystery, have announced that they are coming to South America via the following message:

"Children of South America! We are now finally bringing our diabolical crusade to your shores. On September 19, we will conduct a massive ritual at Rock In Rio! Malicious wishes..."

- A Nameless Ghoul

Tix and info HERE

Related links:
Secular Haze

OPETH Are Writing NEW Music - Details Available!

According the great folks over at Roadrunner Records, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson recently chatted with Australia's Loudmag, and during the interview he revealed that OPETH are writing NEW music!

According to Fredrik, the next record will go "in a somewhat different direction to 'Heritage'. It won't be a step back, but it will be different. Maybe more intense in a way. You'll have to wait and see! I was in the studio today and put down my solos and I was very happy about it. The song I heard that Mikael [Åkerfeldt]wrote today sounds very cool. I think that's all I can say at this point!"

According to Åkesson, the band is planning to re-enter the studio this fall, perhaps at the end of September! Exciting ah? Stay tuned for more OPETH news!

Don't for that the "North American Heritage Tour 2013" kicks off on April 18 in Buffalo, N.Y. Get your tickets HERE!

Here is the official tour poster:

Related links:
Official site of Opeth

DEVICE's David Draiman Is Joined By Lzzy Hale From HALESTORM On Tribute To Lita Ford - Video Available!

DEVICE is the NEW industrial-themed project from Disturbed vocalist David Draiman and ex-Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo. The bands self-titled debut album will feature cameos from members of Black Sabbath, System Of A Down, Rage Against The Machine, Avenged Sevenfold and Halestorm.

Speaking of Halestorm, DEVICE has debuted their cover of the classic Ozzy-and-Lita Ford duet "Close My Eyes Forever", which sees Draiman tackling Ozzy’s vocals and Halestorm's Lzzy Hale taking on Lita Ford's parts. Check it out now!





Related links:
DEVICE on Facebook

Willie Nelson To Appear On The NEW MEGADETH Album 'Super Collider'?

As previously announced, MEGADETH have finalized the recording sessions for their NEW studio album entitled 'Super Collider.' The recording sessions took place at Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California. 'Super Collider' is the follow up to 2011's 'THIRT3EN' (available now via Roadrunner Records). The bands 14th studio album is being produced by Johnny K. But Mustaine might resume the recording sessions in order to have Willie Nelson be part of the record. Read on...
 
Yesterday (March 28), MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine ran into country legend Willie Nelson at a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where Mustaine has been "house hunting."

Mustaine tweeted:

Willie Nelson is in the restaurant I am eating at. I just met him! How cool is this??? @willienelson
— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) March 29, 2013

Following this Tweet, Mustaine posted a photo of him talking to Willie about a possible guest appearance on the song "The Blackest Crow", which will be featured on 'Super Collider' (see above).
  
For regular updates from Dave Mustaine, follow him at www.twitter.com/davemustaine.
'Super Collider' will be released this release in June. 'Super Collider' is the first release through Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, through UMe.

Stay tuned for more MEGADETH news!

Via Blabbermouth

Related links:
Megadeth's Official Site
Megadeth on Facebook
Megadeth on Twitter

Lollapalooza 2013: Lineup Confirmed Via Leaked Poster?

According to the leaked poster that you can find below, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Mumford and Sons, the Killers, Phoenix and Vampire Weekend will headline Lollapalooza 2013.

According to Consequence of Sound, the image below was posted recently, and has basically been confirmed by The Chicago Tribune as real.

We have reached out to a Lollapalooza representative, but they offered no comment on if the poster was real or not. The official announcement is coming this Monday, April 1.

Related links:
Lollapalooza Festival

ANTHRAX Joined By METALLICA's Kirk Hammett At The Metal Alliance Concert In San Francisco!

Last night in San Francisco, CA, ANTHRAX, who are headlining the Metal Alliance Tour, played to a sold-out crowd at the Regency Ballroom. But the fans got a little more than Anthrax playing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, or songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

Joining Anthrax on stage for their AC/DC cover of "T.N.T." was none other than Kirk Hammet from METALLICA who played lead on the song.

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

Here is some fan filmed footage of Kirk jamming "T.N.T." with ANTHRAX:




The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

MACHINE HEAD: Robb Flynn Releases Update On Album # 7!

As previously reported, MACHINE HEAD has begun jamming some NEW music, and the recording sessions are going very smoothly according to Robb Flynn. Here is what he recently posted on The General Journals (sign up HERE):

"We've been really productive writing-wise. As of last night we have 4 songs pretty much done musically, another 5 jams / half songs. The song we finished last night felt like it could be something really special. Phil has been on a riff roll, bringing some really unique sounding riffage and Dave McClain (our secret weapon) has brought some damn cool riffs to the table as well."

Don't forget that MACHINE HEAD are holding auditions for a fill in bassist as they partake at these years Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. HERE are all the details you need!

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour dates for 2013 are as follows:
 
- 06/29/13: San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA
- 06/30/13: Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA
- 07/02/13: Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa, ID
- 07/03/13: White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA
- 07/05/13: Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ
- 07/06/13: Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, NM
- 07/07/13: Fiddler's Green Amphitheater in Englewood, CO
- 07/10/13: Molson Canadian Amphitheater in Toronto, ON– CANADA
- 07/12/13: First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA
- 07/13/13: Susquehana Bank Center in Camden, NJ
- 07/14/13: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, NY
- 07/16/13: Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA
- 07/17/13: Bangor Waterfront in Bangor, ME
- 07/19/13: Toyota Pavilion in Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA
- 07/20/13: Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY
- 07/21/13: The Comcast Theatre in Hartford, CT
- 07/23/13: PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ
- 07/24/13: Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA
- 07/26/13: Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, IN
- 07/27/13: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL
- 07/28/13: DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkson, MI
- 07/30/13: Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA
- 07/31/13: 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheater in Tampa, FL
- 08/02/13: Tower Amphitheater in Austin, TX
- 08/03/13: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX
- 08/04/13: Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, TX

Related links:
MACHINE HEAD's Official Site 
The General Journals 

www.HornsUpRocks.com - Version 2.0 Trailer!

A NEW life begins on ______________. Version 1.0 of HornsUpRocks.com was programmed as a "test of the waters", version 2.0 will revolutionize Heavy Music forever. Stop compromising and join the revolution! More details coming soon!



Related links:
Horns Up Rocks 

MINISTRY Announce NEW Album Title & Track Listing!

Thirty PLUS years and 12 albums later, as well as a near-death experience in 2010, Jourgensen rised as a phoenix from the ashes with 'Relapse' (released in 2012 via 13th Planet).

Even though Jourgensen said that 'Relapse' was absolutely, positively going to be the final Ministry album ever. The band is working on a NEW album as previously reported by us on the interview we conducted with Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin (see below).

Ministry have announced that their thirteenth studio is entitled 'From Beer To Eternity'! Excited? We are! Here are some of the song names:

- Hail to his Majesty
- Punch In The Face
- PermaWar
- Perfect Storm
- Fairly Unbalanced
- The Horror
- Side FX include Mikey's Middle Finger (T.V.4)
- Lesson Unlearned
- Thanx But No Thanx
- Change of Luck
- Enjoy The Silence 

Here is a video of the band working on 'From Beer To Eternity', which was the very last time that Mike Scaccia recorded music.





Stay tuned 2 for part 2 of this exclusive interview!

Related links: 
Supermanic on Facebook
Ministry's Official Site 
Sin Quirin interview
Sin Quirin on Instagram

HAVOK Premiere Video For “From The Cradle To The Grave” In Anticipation Of Their NEW Album!

Denver thrashers HAVOK have premiered their latest video for the song "From The Cradle To The Grave" from their 2012 EP, 'The Point Of No Return'. The video, directed by Roy Warner, was filmed on location in Detroit during the band’s final tour of 2012 alongside Skeletonwitch. The premiere coincides with the band’s continued work on their anticipated Terry Date produced third full-length album. Watch it now!



HAVOK fans can expect the Denver-based thrashers to keep an active schedule for 2013. Sanchez says, “We’re currently wrapped up in the studio writing our NEW album. We should be finished recording in March and then, in usual HAVOK fashion, we’ll tour practically all year! There are lots of exciting things coming up in 2013. Keep an eye out for tour dates and we’ll see all of you on the road soon! Until then, spread the word and support Heavy Metal."

HAVOK expect to complete all work on their new record in the coming weeks. Album information and special pre-order details will be announced shortly.

HAVOK w/ The Casualties, Goatwhore:

- 4/01/2013: Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
- 4/02/2013: Rocky Point - Tempe, AZ 
- 4/03/2013: The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
- 4/04/2013: The Vex - Los Angeles, CA
- 4/05/2013: Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV w/ Goatwhore only
- 4/06/2013: The Oakland Metro - Oakland, CA
- 4/07/2013: The Alley - Reno, NV
- 4/08/2013: The Branx - Portland, OR
- 4/09/2013: Studio Seven - Seattle, WA 
- 4/11/2013: The Venue - Boise, ID w/ Suffocation, Exhumed, Jungle Rot, Rings of Saturn
- 4/13/2013: In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Suicidal Tendencies

Related links:
Havok's official site
Havok on Facebook
Candle Light Records

ANTHRAX Joined By Slash & Chuck D. At The Metal Alliance Concert In L.A.

Last night in Hollywood, CA, ANTHRAX, who are headlining the Metal Alliance Tour, played to a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues. But the fans got a little more than Anthrax playing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, or songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

Joining Anthrax on stage for their AC/DC cover of "T.N.T." was none other than Slash who played lead on the song, and then, later in the show, Chuck D came out for "Bring The Noise", the song Anthrax and Public Enemy recorded together in 1991 and that combined Metal and Rap for the first time ever.

Also in the House last night were Slayer's Kerry King, John Tempesta from The Cult, Justin Chancellor from Tool, Dethklok/Metalocalpyse's Brendon Small and actor/musician Brian Posehn.

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

Here is some fan filmed footage of Slash jamming "T.N.T." with ANTHRAX:



The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral
Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

BATTLECROSS Needs Your Help Funding Their Dream Tours!

Michigan's BATTLECROSS (the Blue Collar Trash Metallers) keep proving to everyone that they have a brilliant future ahead. Not only do they display hard hitting musical vibrations that make ANY room shake, but they absolutely possess the right mind set and attitude to be a force to be reckoned with in the Heavy Music planet. But as an upcoming band, the money to fund bigger and better tours is simply not there. This is why they need your help funding the basic costs that a touring band requires. Read on...

"BATTLECROSS is a Heavy Metal Thrash band of five hard-working guys from Detroit and we're honored by the friendship and support from all of you. We're proud that you like our music and buy our merch and your support is paying off in so many ways with these great tours and opportunities that we've landed. We owe it all to you! We were signed to Metal Blade Records in 2011 and have released one album, 'Pursuit of Honor', which has produced singles that have ranked #1 and the top ten of most requested metal tracks in North America on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

"We're on the verge of some VERY big things---events that every Heavy Metal band has dreamed of. In the next few months, we'll be playing with bands like Anthrax and Hatebreed at the New England Metal Fest in April, at Orion Music + More with Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers in our home town of Detroit in June, and we were just announced to play a tour that could really give our band the break that we've been working towards for our whole life: the 6th Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest with Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Machinehead, Amon Amarth and some of the most popular acts in hard music today.
 
"The Mayhem Fest tour lasts 30 days and will take us all over the United States of America. The week that the tour starts, we will be releasing our NEW album, our follow up release to 'Pursuit of Honor'. This is a crucial time for the band, with the expenses associated with recording on a small recording budget, and the cost of going on a tour of this magnitude, we need to be in a position to afford to do this. We no longer can hold jobs at home, so we must work to make music our career.

"We've made great sacrifices to make BATTLECROSS grow, much like the sacrifices and stories of perseverance that we convey through our lyrics and energetic style. We've lost jobs, sold personal items, and have done whatever it took to make our dreams come true. This tour is no different!

"Touring is very expensive. On our last tour, we spent almost $10,000 in gas alone. After the tour, we traveled straight to Florida for six weeks (where we are now) to record the next album and have incurred a lot of expenses getting our members to and from the studio, while bringing in no income.

"This tour will be even more difficult as we are a NEW band and our per-show guarantees still don't cover the costs of the $1,000 + needed per day for gas/transportation, the required liability insurance ($1,000+), the cost of a small crew to help on this size of a production ($3,000), buy our merch, merch tent, our personal and band monthly bills, advertising and more will cost the band upwards of $50,000 or more to go on this tour. We've committed to $25,000 ourselves between the nightly guarantees and our merch sales, but as a NEW band, we can't count on merch sale income, especially when we're playing with so many awesome bands. We'll need to raise the rest!

"But if you know us, you know that the thought of coming up with the remaining $25,000 won't stop us from taking this amazing opportunity. This tour will give us the exposure, fan base and attention that could launch us into a global band with a dream career and we'll do whatever it takes to get there!"

Click here to see what you get by helping BATTLECROSS out! 

Battlecross at the 2013 New England Metal Hardcore Fest:

- 04/19/13: The Palladium in Worcester, MA

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour dates for 2013 are as follows:
 
- 06/29/13: San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA
- 06/30/13: Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA
- 07/02/13: Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa, ID
- 07/03/13: White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA
- 07/05/13: Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ
- 07/06/13: Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, NM
- 07/07/13: Fiddler's Green Amphitheater in Englewood, CO
- 07/10/13: Molson Canadian Amphitheater in Toronto, ON– CANADA
- 07/12/13: First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA
- 07/13/13: Susquehana Bank Center in Camden, NJ
- 07/14/13: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, NY
- 07/16/13: Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA
- 07/17/13: Bangor Waterfront in Bangor, ME
- 07/19/13: Toyota Pavilion in Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA
- 07/20/13: Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY
- 07/21/13: The Comcast Theatre in Hartford, CT
- 07/23/13: PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ
- 07/24/13: Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA
- 07/26/13: Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, IN
- 07/27/13: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL
- 07/28/13: DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkson, MI
- 07/30/13: Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA
- 07/31/13: 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheater in Tampa, FL
- 08/02/13: Tower Amphitheater in Austin, TX
- 08/03/13: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX
- 08/04/13: Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, TX

Related links:
Battlecross' Official Site

Robert Zidjian, founder of Sabian Cymbals, Passes Away At The Age Of 89 (Rock In Peace)!

Today is a sad day for the the drummers of the world! Mr. Robert Zildjian, the founder of Sabian Cymbals, has passed away at the age of 89. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and everyone at Sabian and Zildjian cymbals. Here is a message from the staff over at Sabian cymbals regarding the passing of Mr. Zildjian:

"It is with deep, deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Robert "RZ" Zildjian, our beloved founder and leader. A tireless and dynamic force within the drum industry, he inspired each one of us in the Sabian family to work harder, to reach farther, to make a difference - and he led us by example.
 
"His professional story is well known. Having been dealt a major career setback at an age where most men would have opted for retirement, RZ instead chose to re-invent the cymbal business with his own hand-crafted brand, a brand that would forever change the face and sound of popular music. With his bare hands he shaped the Sabian cymbal brand into his life's story - and by extension we became his family.

"We mourn his passing, and he will be forever in our hearts. But we are better people for having known RZ, and we are richer for having worked alongside him. We draw comfort from the knowledge that his spirit will live on in the music made by drummers the world over.

"Rest in peace, RZ."

Mr. Zildjian belonged to the Zildjian family, which brought the technology of cymbal making from their ancestral homeland in capital city of modern Turkey to the United States by Avedis Zildjian and then was passed on to future generations of the family members.

The company was founded in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada by Robert Zildjian, son of Avedis Zildjian III, the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company. Family tradition had it that the head of the company would only pass its secrets down to the oldest son, but Avedis III gave the information to both his sons, Armand and Robert. A family feud resulted in Robert leaving Zildjian to form the rival Sabian Cymbals company. The companies continue to be rivals, and are both among the world's most popular cymbal brands. Sabian cymbals have been used by many famous drummers in the world. The company's name is a combination of his three children, Sally, Bill, and Andy.

If you are a drummer, please remember Mr. Zildjian as you bash your cymbals! Rock In Peace Mr. Zildjian, you will be missed!

Related links:
Sabian Cymbals 
Zildjian Cymbals 

Rex Brown: The Excesses Of The Road With Pantera, Quitting Down & NEW Kill Devil Hill!

Former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown recently joined forces with De Capo Press to release a memoir entitled "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera". The "starkly honest and revealing" book is available now! We recently interviewed Rex about the book. Here is part II of our very in-depth interview with Rex. Watch and hear what he had to say about the excesses of the road with PANTERA, quitting DOWN and his musical future with KILL DEVIL HILL.



Here is part 1 of our interview with Rex:



We just finished reading the book (our review can be seen HERE), and we honestly find this book to be the ultimate inside story of legendary Heavy Metal band PANTERA.


OFFICIAL TRUTH 101 PROOF – THE INSIDE STORY OF PANTERA is available NOW at Amazon! CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY!

Related links:
Official site of Pantera

BEHEMOTH: Pictures From The Bands Recording Sessions In Poland!

Polish Extreme Metallers BEHEMOTH are currently locked up at Hertz studio in Bialystok, Poland laying down some dangerous tracks for their 10th studio album. The NEW BEHEMOTH record is scheduled to be released later this year 2013 via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Metal Blade Records in North America.
Here are some pictures of the bands recording sessions:

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour dates for 2013 are as follows:
 
- 06/29/13: San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA
- 06/30/13: Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA
- 07/02/13: Idaho Center Amphitheater in Nampa, ID
- 07/03/13: White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA
- 07/05/13: Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ
- 07/06/13: Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, NM
- 07/07/13: Fiddler's Green Amphitheater in Englewood, CO
- 07/10/13: Molson Canadian Amphitheater in Toronto, ON– CANADA
- 07/12/13: First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA
- 07/13/13: Susquehana Bank Center in Camden, NJ
- 07/14/13: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, NY
- 07/16/13: Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA
- 07/17/13: Bangor Waterfront in Bangor, ME
- 07/19/13: Toyota Pavilion in Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA
- 07/20/13: Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY
- 07/21/13: The Comcast Theatre in Hartford, CT
- 07/23/13: PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ
- 07/24/13: Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA
- 07/26/13: Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, IN
- 07/27/13: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL
- 07/28/13: DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkson, MI
- 07/30/13: Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA
- 07/31/13: 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheater in Tampa, FL
- 08/02/13: Tower Amphitheater in Austin, TX
- 08/03/13: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX
- 08/04/13: Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, TX

Stay tuned for more BEHEMOTH news!

Related links:
Behemoth's official site 
Behemoth on FacebookBehemoth on YouTube 
Behemoth on Twitter

PANTERA: Details Announced For "Behind The Music Remastered"

VH1's Emmy Award-nominated and critically acclaimed series "Behind The Music," returns to continue some of the Rock world's most iconic stories. Picking up where the original "Behind the Music" episode left off, VH1 Classic will air brand NEW interviews, footage, and video clips that update the stories of several classic artists over the last 10 to 15 years.

The PANTERA "Behind The Music Remastered" episode will air on April 6 at 9PM EST/ 8PM CST on VH1 Classic. The original episode was very controversial, so it should be interesting to see what they added to the NEW episode.

Recently, Philip Anselmo said that he wants to end the feud with Vinnie Paul and to arrange a jam session in honor of Dimebag Darrell Abbott. Read more HERE!
 
Related links:
Pantera's official site 
VH1's official site

Jimmy Bower From EYEHATEGOD & DOWN Is A Father - Image Available!

Congratulations are in order to Jimmy and Dana Bower as they welcome their NEW born baby: Maddie Rae Bower!

Jimmy, an active member of EYEHATEGOD and DOWN, got married to Dana last March. And guess who married them? Noneother than EYEHATEGOD's Mike Williams! Here is a picture of the baby:

Here is a recent interview we conducted with Jimmy:



Related links:
Official Site of Eyehategod

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH: Listen To Samples From NEW Album 'Lay My Soul To Waste'

Hellyeah! Sal Abruscato's A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH have released the amazing art work for their forthcoming sophomore release on Steamhammer/SPV. The NEW APHND album is entitled 'Lay My Soul to Waste' and it will be released on May 21st in North America. Additionally, the tracklisting has also been revealed HERE! Once again the artwork was penciled by Sam Shearon, who is also responsible for artwork on the band's debut album 'And Hell Will Follow Me'.

You can listen to samples of the NEW APHND at the following link: http://www.spv.de/_BRIDGE/products.php?product=265222


"I can't express in words how proud I am of our accomplishment. To finally complete our sophomore album, sit back and listen to what we have done is a great feeling. From our performances to Matt Brown's mixes and finally having the album blessed by engineer and mastering great Ted Jensen, this album sounds bigger than the Grand Canyon. This album will surpass all expectations; it will be a privilege and an honor to present this album to all the fans." 

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH is: 

Sal Abruscato - Lead Vocals and Guitar
Matt Brown - Guitars and Backing Vocals
Johnny Kelly - Drums
Eric Morgan - Bass
Eddie Heedles - Guitar

Related links:
A Pale Horse Named Death
A Pale Horse Named Death on Facebook
A Pale Horse Named on Twitter
SPV

GYPSYHAWK Announces Live Assaults With VALIENT THORRE & RAMMING SPEED

GYPSYHAWK have announced that they will support VALIENT THORR on tour this summer! Serving as the openers on the tour will be RAMMING SPEED. 

The tour will begin on June 12th in Charlotte, NC and hits cities throughout east coast and Midwest before wrapping up on July 6th in Raleigh, NC. Additional shows before and after the shows with VALIENT THORR are in the works and will be announced shortly.

Guitarist Andrew Packer comments on the tour: "Valient Thorr are one of the most kick ass bands rocking hard out there right now. I hear they're all awesome dudes and know what partying is supposed to be about so we're absolutely pumped to be supporting them. Ramming speed have been on my turntable quite a bit the last year so I'm really excited for them too. This tour is going to be a brachiosaurus stomping on boxes of TNT."

Vocalist/bassist Eric Harris simply proclaims: "this is gonna be fucking tight."

GYPSYHAWK with Valient Thorr, Ramming Speed:
 
06/12: Charlotte, NC at Tremont Music Hall - TICKETS
06/13: Richmond, VA at Kingdom - TICKETS
06/14: Baltimore, MD at Wind-Up
06/15: West Chester, PA at The Note - TICKETS
06/16: Boston, MA at Great Scott
06/17: New York, NY at The Studio at Webster Hall - TICKETS
06/18: Brooklyn, NY at Saint Vitus
06/19: Rochester, NY at Bugjar
06/20: Columbus, OH at Ace Of Cups - TICKETS
06/21: Detroit, MI at The Shelter - TICKETS
06/22: Chicago, IL at Reggie's
06/24: Minneapolis, MN at 7th St Entry - TICKETS
06/25: Kansas City, MO at Riot Room
06/26: Tulsa, OK at Downtown Lounge
06/27: Dallas, TX at Three Links - TICKETS
06/28: Houston, TX at Fitzgerald's - TICKETS
06/29: Austin, TX at Red 7
06/30: New Orleans, LA at Siberia
07/01: Pensacola, FL at Vinyl Music Hall
07/02: Gainesville, FL at High Dive - TICKETS
07/03: Tampa, FL at The Orpheum - TICKETS
07/04: Orlando, FL at Will's Pub
07/05: Atlanta, GA at The Earl - TICKETS
07/06: Raleigh, NC at King's Barcade

Remaining dates on current tour:

GYPSYHAWK w/ Mothership:
 
03/27: Seattle, WA at Comet Tavern
03/28: Portland, OR at Hawthorne Theater
03/29: Medford, OR at Johnny B's
03/30: Reno, NV at Jub Jubs
03/31: South Lake Tahoe, CA at Whiskey Dicks
04/01: Sacramento, CA at On The Y
04/02: San Francisco, CA at El Rio
04/03: San Diego, CA at The Griffin
04/04: Los Angeles, CA at The Joint
04/05: Bakersfield, CA at On The Rocks

Related links:
http://www.metalblade.com/gypsyhawk
http://www.facebook.com/Gypsyhawkusa
http://twitter.com/gypsyhawkusa
http://www.youtube.com/GypsyhawkOfficial