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To travel from the North Sea into the Atlantic Ocean, they must sail around the British Isles. Before doing so they decided to visit a town in North East England that they are familiar with from last year: Newcastle, and what a welcome they got! On arrival they all got injected by a deadly toxin: VENOM!
70000TONS OF METAL, The World's Biggest Floating Heavy Metal Festival now sails through the Channel into the Atlantic. Our course: Straight West.
Make no mistake, 70000TONS OF METAL is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of Metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass!
So far 30 out of a total of 40 bands on board are known:
ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ATHEIST
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
ELUVEITIE
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PRETTY MAIDS
RIOT
SAMAEL
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VENOM
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH
70000TONS OF METAL will sail Monday, January 23, 2012 aboard the Royal Caribbean “Majesty of the Seas” from Miami FL to George Town, Cayman Islands and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 27, 2012.
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$289 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals at the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24 room service! See the link below.
This past Tuesday, December 6th, Korn performed an exclusive live concert featuring songs from their new album "The Path to Totality" with special guest performances by some of the leading dubstep and electronic music producers in the world, including Skrillex, Excision, Datsik, Downlink, Kill the Noise, and 12th Planet along with Korn classic hits. The result is this once-in-a-lifetime concert film, which is something completely new, yet utterly and definitively Korn. If you were not at the Hollywood Palladium in L.A. taking in the spectacle yourself, well, you can watch it tonight at Korn.com or RoadrunnerRecords.com, and other third party partners like HotTopic.com and Revolver.com. The global stream begins at 8 PM ET and runs for 72 hours. The links are set to go live at 8 PM ET.
Produced by Rock Fuel’s Barry Summers, “KORN Live at the Hollywood Palladium” captures Korn’s live show on film like never before. The combination of art and science, technology and emotion, and explosive theatrics elevates this live concert to technological Rock mastery. The 3-D version of the concert will premiere at a later date to be announced.
Korn fans recognize that such a game-changing, forward-thinking event is typical behavior for Korn. They continue to surprise two decades deep into their career.
More info about another Korn promotion coming Monday…
John Gallagher, guitarist and vocalist of Dying Fetus, has announced that the group has entered the studio to record their new full length album. The band will once again be working with longtime producer Steve Wright (Slipknot, Misery Index) at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore, MD.
Set to be released in mid 2012 through Relapse Records, the album will feature nine tracks and is a "return to roots" with production focused slightly more on slam than in the band's last few works. Thematically, the album is set to be a good old-fashioned piece of social and political commentary in the style of Dying Fetus as we have come to know. An official release date and album title will be announced shortly.
"The last album had some groove in it," stated John, "but [it] was basically a lot of tech; this one is a return to form of older Dying Fetus albums, so to speak- more modern production though, of course. Everything's tight... the sound is crushing, the drums are amazing".
Additionally, Dying Fetus have announced a series of special South American shows set to take place in mid-January. The band has also been confirmed for next year's prestigious Maryland Deathfest and France's Hellfest. Dying Fetus plan to tour extensively in support of their new album and will be announcing more dates shortly.
Dying Fetus Tourdates:
- January 11: Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Asbury Bar
- January 12: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ Underground Cultural
- January 13: Recife, Brazil @ Burburinho Bar
- January 14: São Paulo, Brazil @ Manifesto Bar
- January 15: Santiago, Chile @ Club 334
- January 17: Bogota, Colombia @ TBA
- January 18: Armenia, Colombia @ TBA
- May 24: Baltimore, MD Sonar (as part of Maryland Death Fest 2012)
After the Thanksgiving break, a rumor surfaced that Tool had entered the studio to start recording their fifth studio album, which will be the follow up to "10,000 Days" (2006). As of right now, the band hasn't confirmed or denied this rumor and the fact that they're announcing a couple of shows in early 2012 is definitely a good sign! Stay tuned to see what the Tool camp has in store!
Chickenfoot – the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar – have earned a Grammy nomination for the “Best Recording Package,” for the creative 3D design of their recent Chickenfoot III (eOne Music/earMUSIC/Edel) album. The Grammy-nominated band plans to return to Los Angeles with touring drummer Kenny Aronoff to perform at the 'Mark & Brian Christmas Show' on December 15th at the Nokia Theatre and will embark on a European tour in January 2012.
Designed by art director Todd Gallopo, Chickenfoot III, features an elaborately designed 3D package with optical illusions and special codes giving fans a fully immersed creative Chickenfoot experience, creating a spectacle with spectacles. With special “3D optical enhancers,” otherwise known as old-skool 3D glasses that come with each package, the cover and inside photos feature artwork that trick the eye by looking through the two different red and blue lenses of the glasses. Having used a special state-of-the-art 3D camera rig to create the designs, Chickenfoot gives fans a truly multi-dimensional experience throughout the packaging that also offers a 3D photo of each band member with stats and Q&As, QR codes for behind the scenes 3D video content from the photo shoot on smartphones and much more. A look through the red lens even reveals a very special message on the CD itself.
The band recently wrapped a sold out 2011 'Road Test Tour' that took them through San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York with a stop for a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In each city along the tour, Hagar made a donation to a local food bank in a special partnership with Feeding America to encourage fans to do the same to help fight hunger, an important message that he also intended to convey through the music video for “Three And A Half Letters (I Need A Job).”
The first single from Chickenfoot III, “Big Foot,” debuted at #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Chart holding the position for 11 weeks, earning over 1.85 million listeners, and the album received critical acclaim. Chickenfoot III features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen. Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.” Chickenfoot III debuted at #9 on the Billboard Top 100 and follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Are you ready for the 2012 "Metalliance" tour? Make sure you warm your neck up for some serious headbanging, cleanse your liver, gear up for some good times, and for gods sake put on some damn deodorant! The event will take place in March and April 2012, and it will feature DevilDriver, The Faceless, Job For A Cowboy, and Dying Fetus.
This not to be missed tour was put together when music industry veteran Steve Seabury (author of Mosh Potatoes) got bored and decided to make his childhood dream a reality. His dream? To throw a kick ass Rock show with some of his favorite bands. Judging from these years lineup, his dream is a reality. But now the fans need to represent our awesome music and sell out all of the shows! This will makes Steve and the rest of the "Metalliance" team, dream awake!
So far, the following dates have been released:
- Mar. 17: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
- Mar. 22: Danvers, MA @ The Palace Ballroom
- Mar. 27: St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
- Apr. 06: Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theater
The members of French progressive Heavy Metal band Gojira, have been very busy at Spin Recording Studios in New York City recording their sixth studio album. The NEW Gojira record is being co-produced Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God & Ikillya) for an early 2012 release. Additionally, Gojira inked a deal with Roadrunner Records recently. Here is an update from Gojira's own Joseph Duplantier, courtesy of Decibel Magazine.
First album in three years: "There are no rules! It's been three years since the last album and that was the time we needed to first of all promote our album; we did a bunch of touring, and then we had a band situation to deal with. We were changing management, changing record companies; it was a very important moment in our careers. We had to set up a new team around the band. This took us a long time, and we like to take our time to compose, like a year to create a new album."
Writing process: "We gather in a room and jam. Sometimes we will have ideas or feelings of what we're gonna do but we are always surprised what comes out of it. It's based on jamming. Sometimes, especially Mario [Duplantier, drums] and me, my brother and me, we have ideas, precise ideas of something we want to do and we try it and sometimes it leads to something else. Most of the time it's jamming. I think it is important to keep that connection with the band feeling. Back in the day, Black Sabbath, Metallica, all these bands, they were jamming; there was no other option. They could not create music on a computer in their bedroom and then show up at the practice room or the studio to record it directly. Nowadays, bands put productions together with samples, they program the drums, then they show up to the studio and everything is quantized. In a way it's good because you are getting closer to the composition; you have an idea in your mind and you don't depend on the performance any more you can go straight to the idea. But when you can't play it live the fans are disappointed and let down. "OK, so these guys pretend to play this music; they can't really play it." It means something; it has an importance to what you are going to play on the record, and it is even more important when it is created by the members from the jamming process, from that experience and that energy. Sometimes we play and it's really shitty; we've got the idea in our minds but it's not working, and then we'll talk about it, play again and it sounds fantastic, just because we are having a good moment together. I think you can feel this on the record we are making now."
Working with a producer for the first time: I am co-producing with Josh Wilbur [Lamb Of God]. I met the guy by accident in a studio we were visiting in New York. I was looking for someone to back me up on some stuff and make sure we could get our best-sounding record; I was very concerned about the sound. I was almost ready to produce it alone, like I did in the past, but this time I really wanted to work with someone who was super-professional, with high quality sound. He also had some stuff to say on songs, like, "This part, I feel it is too short; you guys could do something better." At first, Mario and I were like, "Wait a minute! Nobody ever told us what to do with our songs. But he encouraged us to go further, to experiment. And that makes him a good producer; he's trying to get the best out of us."
Here is the bands second studio update, which includes the tracking of the guitars for their NEW album & more. Check it out!
Heavy Rock trio Black Skies recently returned from a 16-date North American tour. Commented the band in a collective statement:
"Thanks a ton to MAKE & Vaz for joining us on parts of this last run. Getting to play with bands you enjoy not only musically, but also as people really makes the whole experience that much better. Thanks also to all the venues, promoters, and other bands for helping make this such an enjoyable time. Thanks to Mother Nature for being cooperative and allowing us and our friends to travel safely. Most importantly, thanks to all of those who came to the shows and supported us by buying merch, giving us places to stay, etc. You are the reason we can do this.
"This was the last tour we'll be doing for a while, as we plan to take a break from touring over the next several months to focus on writing and other obligations not related to the band. With that in mind, having a good trip before this break was something very important to us, so thanks again to everyone who made it possible. We'll see you soon with new songs. Until then, take care and be good to each other!"
Black Skies have been tuning down and turning up since late 2005, constantly evolving their aural offerings of psychedelic sludge. With a combination of the foreboding heaviness of blues based proto-Metal, the spry attitude and approach of punk, and the dynamics of progressive rock, their songs often project a dark and urgent energy. The band's recently released On "The Wings Of Time" full-length is currently available on digital download cards included with the purchase of a limited edition, silk-screened poster. A CD version with alternate cover art is also available. Check the band's website for further info. You can also check out the record in its entirety below. Said Creative Loafing of On The Wings Of Time: "Black Skies play like an amped-up version of Sleep: think stoner Metal on a caffeine bender. It's visceral hard Rock defined by low-end, hypnotic riffing." Added The Kalidiaries: "On the Wings of Time is a head banging punk rock ear fest with a lovely heavy grunge Metal tinge... It's a loud cacophony of guitars with understated vocals. It's music to lose yourself in."
Here is some live footage of the band (courtesy of Dan Andrews of Trickledown Productions).
Death Metal drummer extraordinaire, Pete Sandoval, recently announced that he is ready to play drums once again. Sandoval had to undergo surgery after suffering from a disc prolapse in 2010. Not being able to play painlessly for an extended period for up to a year, he was replaced by Tim Yeung for the recording and touring of Morbid Angel's 2011 album "Illud Divinum Insanus".
Sandoval commented, "I am back behind the drum kit! Lots of surprises for 2012, starting with the release of the new TERRORIZER album. Thanks so much, my friends!"
The big question is whither Sandoval will return to Death Metal masters Morbid Angel, who replaced Sandoval with Tim Yeung from Divine Heresy and World Under Blood. When asked if Yeung was a temporary replacement for Sandoval, Morbid Angel's bassist/vocalist David Vincent said: "Permanent is an interesting word. When we got Tim to do [the latest Morbid Angel album, 'Illud Divinum Insanus'] — everybody knows what the story is on that — it was to do the record and to do the subsequent touring for the record. So that's what I'm prepared to discuss this evening. Tim is a very capable drummer, a very talented fellow. He's a good friend, and I feel very pleased that his schedule worked out, as such, that he could do this, 'cause we're having a good time."
Whither Sandoval will return to the drum throne of Morbid Angel remains to be seen. For now his main focus is TERRORIZER, who is schedule to release their NEW album entitled "Hordes Of Zombies", on February 28, 2012 (in North America) via Season Of Mist.
TERRORIZER is:
- Wolf (a.k.a. Anthony Rezhawk) - Vocals
- Katina Culture - Guitar
- David Vincent - Bass
- Commando (a.k.a. Pete Sandoval) - Drums
Today, December 8, 2011, marks the seventh death anniversary of Darrell Lance Abbott, known in the Heavy Music world as Dimebag Darrell. On December 8th 2004, Nathan Gale shot Dimebag Darrell Abbott on stage, while Damageplan was performing at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus Ohio. Dime was shot six times (four times in the head), which killed him instantly. Gale continued shooting, killing four others and wounding a further seven. Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson (Damageplan’s head of security) was killed after tackling Gale, as was Alrosa Villa employee Erin Halk. Nathan Bray (a fan of the band) was killed while trying to perform CPR on Dimebag and Mayhem. Gale was finally shot dead by officer James James D. Niggemeyer. Dimebag Darrell was laid to rest at the Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas. From that moment on Heavy Music was never the same.
Revolver Magazine recruited some notorious Heavy Music musicians, in order to pay tribute to the pink beard in the sky!
Why was Dimebag important to Heavy Music?
Zakk Wylde: When people ask me, “What was Dime’s guitar playing like?” I say, “With Dime, it wasn’t just what he brought to the table, with the blues-y feel and the beyond-fucking-heavy riffs.” When you really think about it, he actually inspired a genre, like how [Black Sabbath guitarist] Tony Iommi inspired a genre of music. Not just Dime’s ripping solos and all that bullshit, I’m talking about like the actual style of the fucking music.
Where were you when you heard Dime had died?
Rob Halford: I was in my house in Phoenix. I think somebody texted me or somebody called me, and my legs went from underneath me. I just hit the deck. This can’t be real. I put the TV on, and it was actually on CNN. I just sat there in disbelief. And then I balled like a baby, like you should do. I just cried my eyes out. And you just don’t know what to do. You’re full of confusion, you’re full of anger, you want to fucking smash things to pieces. You want to play the music; you want to call Phil. All of these things are going on in your head. And obviously, Pat [Lachman] was singing for Damageplan at the time. I wanted to call Pat. Do you call, do you not call? What the fuck’s going on? Just a bazillion things are going around your head at the same time. But it was just terrible. It’s just seems inconceivable. I don’t think, now, that’s never happened to anybody else, has it? I mean, we lost people through self-induced things, like booze and drugs. We’ve lost people like Ronnie [James Dio] with the kinds of illnesses. But to be fucking brutally murdered is just insane. Absolutely insane. John Lennon is the only other person, isn’t it? They’re both in good company, as far as what they mean and how they’ve lived on in our lives. How Dimebag will always live on. That’s the only bit of solace you’ve got. It’s that the work that they made will live forever. That’s the blessing.
Frankie Bello (Anthrax): “We had a lot of good times. That Anthrax-Pantera tour [in 1997], that was a scary tour. The shows were great. But on that tour, I brought a parasite home with me from Mexico in my stomach. So I couldn’t hold anything in my stomach including liquor. Now imagine being on a Pantera tour without drinking liquor. At one point, it was so bad because everything I put in my body, it was like a funnel–it came right out of my body. So I would have to run from these guys and hide. Because Dime’s chasing me with this Black Tooth [Grin, Dime’s signature drink, which was a shot of Crown Royal or Seagrams 7 with a splash of Coke]. He’d be yelling, ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!’ So I’m shooting this thing with a beer right after it.
“Dude, I swear to God, as soon as it went in my system, I was right on the bowl. So I laugh at that now, because I remember Dime laughing at me. As soon as I shot the Black Tooth, he’d go, ‘You’ve gotta go now, right?’ And he’d laugh. It was a great time. Of course it was painful for me, but it was a great thing for Dimebag. Those are the things you remember. It’s a time in your life I’ll never forget. I love them and I miss them. Only the good die young.”
Dimebag had a reputation for being a prankster. Did he ever get you good with a prank?
Sean Yseult (White Zombie): He did this one he loved so much that he did it twice. I used to wear these engineer boots all the time. And he got like a hundred dollars worth of pennies, and he sent a roadie to run out in the middle of our show and pour the pennies into my engineer boots so that they wedged all around my feet and ankles, and they felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. It was just so heavy I could hardly move. And I’d come off stage, and he’d say, “Junior,” he called me Junior, “did you feel weighed down?” He was just fucking with me.
He did so many things. He used to do this horrible character where he put on this old man mask and a cape. He had this huge plastic dildo thing. And he would whip open the cape, and somehow he filled it with dish liquid or something. And somehow that large projecting thing would just start squirting all over everywhere. [Laughs] And he would do that right in the middle of our show.
He did so many pranks constantly. He did the one million and one Super Balls, I think it was St. Louis. Another time, at the end of the tour, they got a snow machine. And they made it snow on us for like an entire song. And all this fake snow was in our gear and fucking up everything. It would just never stop. It was onstage, offstage. He put a big inflatable shark on top of our bus. Everything had some significance and meaning to him, but I don’t remember what that could’ve meant.
Did you ever get him back?
Oh yeah, there’s a photo in my book. He was always talking about his stomach being “clubbed up “when he felt fat. So I had this back brace, because I’d broken a rib on tour, and I made it Darrell’s “club holder,” and I labeled it and slapped it on him. Another time, I think this was actually in a Pantera video, on our first tour with them, Dimebag always used to wear this Nine Inch Nails shirt. So I got this roadie to go on his bus and get his clothes out for me, and then a hat, and then his guitar. I had a little troll doll that had hot pink hair, it looked just like Darrell’s beard, and I taped it on my chin and kind of just mimicked him for a song or two. That was pretty funny, But yeah, whatever we could do, we were just trying to entertain each other all the time. The other thing was he always said “three” when somebody stuck a finger in their ear. Me and my friend in Tokyo made these huge fingers with the number three on them and we were jabbing him in the ears onstage.
In behalf of Horns Up Rocks: Dimebag Darrell united the Heavy Music world both during life and after his tragic death. It is our mission to keep your legacy rising forever! Wherever you are, your family, friends, and fans miss you dearly. We love you brother DIME!
This Saturday, December 10th, Horns Up Rocks proudly presents "A Holiday Tribute Show For Dimebag Darrell"! Here are all the details.
Sweden's The Quill is back! Five years since their last studio album was released, the band is ready to once again spread its musical gospel. The new album "Full Circle" is packed with heavy Rock firmly rooted in the seventies but vibrant and updated rather than retro. Needless to say, The Quill is a band reborn. This is what they are meant to do. Great music and great shows will always find an audience.
The Quill recently completed work on the music video for their song "Medicine", which is taken from their latest album titled"Full Circle" (available now on Metalville Records). You can check it out below courtesy of Noisecreep.
The Quill is:
- Magnus Arnar (vocals)
- Christian Carlsson (guitars)
- Jolle Atlagic (drums)
- Robert Triches (bass)
Five Finger Death Punch have already made headlines with one of the year’s biggest Rock albums. 'American Capitalist' entered at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 in early October and has already sold over 200,000 copies in just a few months. Fans can purchase the album on iTunes (link below). Recently, they released an alternative cover of the album. It features an illustration of the band’s ubiquitous “mascot,” Knucklehead over the backdrop of Time Square in New York City.
“We are the people’s band, and a lot of fans really liked this alternative artwork we had on the tour posters. So many times we heard, "THAT should be the album cover" – so we figured we’d make it happen,” explains Bathory. “If you like the original cover, that’s cool too - I guess the original will be somewhat of a limited item from now on, so there you go.”
Only two tourdates remain on their headlining "Share the Welt Tour" with All That Remains, Hatebreed, and Rains. The tour has been a massive hit, selling out most venues along the way - getting rave reviews for its solid line up and over-the-top visuals.
Five Finger Death Punch "Share the Welt Tour" US Tour with Hatebreed and All That Remains:
- 12/13 Fargo, ND – The Venue
- 12/14 St. Paul, MN @ Myt
Metallica is currently celebrating their first 30 years of existence through a series of events at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco. Since they know that not all their fans can attend this historic events, they decided to release two previously unreleased tracks from their ninth studio album "Death Magnetic", for their global audience to indulge in. So crank it up and check them out!
Corey Todd Taylor (A.K.A. #8) is celebrating his 38th birthday today. In his 38 years of existence, the Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist has gone through heaven and hell, but today he is a very happy man! Taylor is currently on the road promoting his debut book entitled "Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good", in what has been dubbed as "An Evening With Corey Taylor". Definitely worth checking out!
Here are some facts about Corey Taylor:
- He was born on December 8, 1973 in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.
- Taylor was raised by his single mother, since his father abandoned his mother right before she gave birth to him. Thanks to his success he was able to reconnect with his father on March 28, 2005 and establish a relationship.
- Corey is half German and half Irish, which explains why he is so bad tempered.
- When he was a kid, his grandmother introduced him to Classic Rock (most specifically Elvis Presley), which is when he fell in love with music and started getting interested in forming his own band.
- He is currently married to his second wife, and has two children.
- Stone Sour was established by Taylor in 1992, and ever since then the band has released three studio albums.
- Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997, after their original singer Anders Colsefni left the band to form Painface. Together with the rest of Slipknot, he has released four studio albums.
- Juggling between Slipknot and Stone Sour has been a challenge for Taylor, but so far he has managed to make both band International sensations.
- He has worked with several artists, including Junk Beer Kidnap Band, Apocalyptica, Anthrax, Aaron Lewis of Staind, and Soulfly.
-Taylor was ranked number 86 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Marc Rizzo became Max Cavalera's musical ally in October of 2003 when he joined Soulfly to record "Prophecy". Ever since then Max and Marc have developed a signature sound that is recognized by thousands of fans worldwide. Marc is also the co-founder of Cavalera Conspiracy, the band that reunited Brazilian Heavy Music brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera. So who is to blame for Rizzo's accomplishments and his incredible guitar shredding skills? Dimebag Darrell Abbott from Pantera and Damageplan.
"Dimebag will always be the greatest Metal guitar player of all time! He had it all as a player: technique, feel, tone, riffs, songs! Definitely my biggest influence and i listen to him everyday for endless inspiration."
This Saturday, December 10th, Marc Rizzo will be paying tribute to his all-time favorite guitar player at "A Holiday Tribute Show For Dimebag Darrell". The event is presented by Horns Up Rocks and it will take place at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn, New York. At this not to be missed event, Marc will be performing some original songs, as well as some Pantera, Sepultura, Soulfly, and Cavalera Conspiracy covers!
Drummers (and drum enthusiasts) take heed: progressive djentlemen Vildhjarta have now released a drum play-through of their single "dagger"! Below you can check out the band's own David Lindkvist behind his kit, courtesy of Sick Drummer.
Vildhjarta's recently released, full-length debut, "måsstaden", is now available online and in stores for purchase. Download your copy of the Swedish septet's conceptual masterpiece here on iTunes for $9.99, along with two exclusive bonus tracks ("All for the Sake", "Of Others")- you'll be glad that you did!
Today, MassConcerts, who are the organizers of the annual music festival dubbed as "The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", announced that their 14th annual music fest will take place the weekend of April 20-22, 2012.
"The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival", is the largest and longest running Metal and Hardcore festival in the United States. Since its inception in 1999, the festival has gathered some of the most established musical acts in Heavy Music, as well as upcoming artists within the Heavy Metal and Hardcore genres.
Today, MassConcerts released a teaser from a mystery headliner for next years musical festivities. We think it is Lamb Of God, what do you think?
Today marks the death anniversary of two of the most influential Rock N’ Roll figures in history. We are talking about John Lennon from The Beatles, and "Dimebag” Darrell Abbott from Pantera and Damageplan. Coincidentally, they were both assassinated by delusional fans of their music. In order to celebrate the legacy of this two amazing artists, we decided to recap both of their lives. So raise your horns way UP for Lennon and Dimebag!
John Winston Ono Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool UK. Lennon gained worldwide fame when him and Paul McCartney formed The Beatles. In our opinion the Lennon-McCartney duo, is the most successful and influential songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. Lennon's first band was The Quarrymen, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960. By the end of the decade the group started disintegrating, and Lennon embarked into a solo career. This is when he released the highly acclaimed albums “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine”, with iconic songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine”. In 1975, Lennon took a break from the music industry to devote time to his family. After 5 years he re-merged with an album titled “Double Fantasy”.
Three weeks after the release of “Double Fantasy”, Lennon was shot it in the back 4 times by Mark David Chapman as he was entering his apartment in Manhattan NY. Lennon was taken to the Emergency Room of Roosevelt Hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival at 11:07 pm. His wife Yoko Ono released the following statement the next day: “There is no funeral for John, John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him.” Lennon was cremated in Hartsdale New York and his ashes were scattered in New York’s Central Park, which is where the “Strawberry Fields Memorial” can be found.
You may be wondering what this has to do with Heavy Music. Well, John Lennon and The Beatles are direct influences of Black Sabbath, which ultimately influenced every single Heavy Music band including Pantera!
Pantera’s guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott was born on August 20, 1966 in Ennis Texas. Influenced by his father Jerry Abbott who is a country musician and producer, Dime and his brother Vinnie Paul fell in love with music at a young age. At first Dimebag wanted to play the drums but his older brother Vinnie took over the drum kit. This was tough for Dime, who eventually started playing the trombone. However, his father was not having it, and convinced Dime to try playing the guitar. Goddamn, was his father right!
Dime’s first guitar was a Hondo Les Paul, which he got with a small amplifier. At the beginning all he did was pose in front of the mirror with Ace Frehley (Kiss) makeup, and his guitar in hand. Vinnie needed someone to play with so he started harassing his little brother. One day, Dime goes into the jam room and tells Vinnie: “Hey dude, you want to jam?” Little did they know that they were planting the seed of what would later become Pantera, which is arguably the best Heavy Metal band of the 90’s.
After a few months of jamming classics like Deep Purple’s “Smoke In The Water” with Vinnie. Dime started competing on local guitar competitions, which he usually won. On one of these competitions he was awarded a Dean ML. Coincidentally, his father Jerry had bought him a cherry burst finish Dean ML standard, the same morning of the competition. At another competition, he won a Randall Amplifier. As we all know, this became Pantera’s signature sound. Eventually, the organizers barred Dimebag from competing, because they wanted to give other kids a chance to win.
In 1981, Dimebag formed Pantera with his brother Vinnie. The two recruited vocalist Terrence Glaze (replaced by Philip Anselmo in 1987) and bassist Rex Brown. After releasing 4 albums that were produced by their father, who also owned a studio called “Pantego Sound”. Pantera got their big break, and things would never be the same in the Heavy Music World. Signed by Atco Records, who had already turned them down, the story about how Pantera got signed is very unique.
After being stranded in Texas due to a hurricane, Mark Ross (Atco Records) was asked by his boss to go check out Pantera, who were playing a birthday party in Dallas. After experiencing the insanity of Pantera (there was birthday cake all over the floor), Mark called his boss and told him: “We have to sign this guys!” Next thing you know Dimebag heads over to Philip Anselmo’s house and shows him the record contract.
From that moment on Pantera put the pedal to the Metal and started taking over the world. The band got their big break when the Metal God Rob Halford, invited the band to tour with Judas Priest in Europe. Soon after, they were asked to play the “Monsters of Rock” festival in Moscow Russia in front of 1,000,000 people. That day they outperformed Metallica, AC/DC, and the Black Crowes. During their successful career, Pantera also shared the stage with legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Megadeth, Motörhead, and Venom.
After 13 years of hard-hitting success, and releasing classic albums such as Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display of Power, and Far Beyond Driven (which charted #1 on Billboard). Pantera’s career came to a halt, mainly because of Anselmo’s addiction problems. After various failed attempts of communicating with Philip, Dimebag and Vinnie decided to start a new band called Damageplan.
In order to complete the lineup, Dime and Vinnie recruited former Rob Halford guitarist Pat Lachman to perform vocal duties, and Bob Zilla on bass. Damageplan released “ New Found Power” in the US on February 10, 2004. When writing music for Damageplan, Dimebag said that: "Damageplan wanted to stretch out and expand our capabilities to their fullest.”
On December 8th 2004, Nathan Gale shot Dimebag Darrell Abbott on stage, while Damageplan was performing at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus Ohio. Dime was shot six times (four times in the head), which killed him instantly. Gale continued shooting, killing four others and wounding a further seven. Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson (Damageplan’s head of security) was killed after tackling Gale, as was Alrosa Villa employee Erin Halk. Nathan Bray (a fan of the band) was killed while trying to perform CPR on Dimebag and Mayhem. Gale was finally shot dead by officer James James D. Niggemeyer. Dimebag Darrell was laid to rest at the Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas. From that moment on Heavy Music was never the same.
“I remember when I met Dimebag in Cologne Germany after Pantera’s spectacular performance. We see Dime in the distance (at least 20 feet away); we call him up and next thing you know he stumbles towards us. He was drunk as hell, and said that we were way too sober for being at a Pantera show! He calls Bobby (Pantera videographer) over, and tells him: “get this kids some blacktooths and get them on the new home video.” Lo and behold Bobby came back with some blacktooths, which we all put back fast. To this day I think of Dimebag every day, because he is the driven force of the lifestyle that we Metaleros share and are proud of.” –Jo Schuftan (founder of Horns Up Rocks)
We want to dedicate this piece to Dimebag Darrell Abbott and his family, John Lennon and his family, and Juan Carlos Posada (who committed suicide 3 years ago). Juan Carlos was Jo Schuftan’s best friend in High School, and together they lived some of the best and hardest years of their lives in Colombia. RIP brother, I love you so much and hope to see you again some day! \m/
This Saturday, December 10th, Horns Up Rocks proudly presents "A Holiday Tribute Show For Dimebag Darrell"! Here are all the details.
Chuck Billy, vocalist of the iconic West Coast Thrash Metal act, Testament, has issued the following statement in anticipation of the band’s upcoming co-headlining North American run with Anthrax.
“We are super stoked to announce our participation for the second leg of this already awesome Thrash attack with our good friends in Anthrax and Death Angel. This will mark the last tour for ‘The Formation Of Damnation’ record cycle, as we will be gearing towards putting the new record ‘Dark Roots Of Earth’ in the spring. If you missed us the last time, we hope to see you and celebrate with this amazing line up!”
After wrapping up an October/November run with the same line-up, the all-star thrash trio of Testament, Anthrax and Death Angel hit the road again for another round of dates beginning in January. Special VIP ticket packages will be available for all the upcoming shows.
Testament with Anthrax and Death Angel (Initial tourdates):
Jan. 22 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
Jan. 23 – Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues
Jan. 24 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
Jan. 27 – Egyptian Room – Indianapolis, IN
Jan. 28 – Piere’s – Ft. Wayne, IN
Jan. 29 – Expo Five – Louisville, KY
Jan. 30 – Orange Peel – Ashville, NC
Feb. 01 - Green Iguana Stadium - Tampa, FL
Feb. 02 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
Feb. 03 – The LC Pavillion – Columbus, OH
Feb. 04 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 06 – Crockodile Rock – Allentown, PA
Feb. 07 – Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD
Feb. 08 – Best Buy Theatre – New York, NY
It all started in 1981 when Lars Ulrich placed an ad in Los Angeles free newspaper The Recyler: "Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with the Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden". Fast forward thirty years and Metallica is the biggest and most important band in Heavy Music history. In those 30 years the band has sold over 100 million records, have won 6 Grammy's, have dominated the Heavy Music charts many times, and have reinvented themselves over and over again. Some may call them sellouts, but the truth is that they sell out every show they do!
The mighty Metallica is currently celebrating their first 30 years of existence at the legendary Fillmore in San Franciso, California. Below you can see images (courtesy of Metallica) of the first night, which took place this past Monday, December 5th. The second night will take place today (December 7, 2011), and the last two events will take place on the evenings of December 9th and 10th, respectively.
Wow! Billy Idol must be pretty desperate for some cash. In an unprecedented move, Punk rocker Billy Idol was recently featured in an Ikea commercial that features him playing a real bad version of (insert any white rapper's name here). Check it out!
California's Doom Metal masters Saint Vitus have some exciting news for their global fanbase! The band will be unleashing their eighth studio album on March 27, 2012 in North America (four days earlier in Europe) via Season Of Mist.
The name of the album is F-65. Speaking to Terrorizer magazine, Saint Vitus frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich stated about the title, “Y’know the reason we called it ‘Lillie: F-65′? It was a powerful downer back in our day and well, Dave [Chandler, guitar] really had a thing for his downers.”
“Making this album was really a blast", added guitarist Dave Chandler. "Being able to live in an environment where all we had to concentrate on was the new material, became very inspiring. And along with our new drummer, Henry Vasquez, and label, Season Of Mist, this record has given us a new opportunity to show everyone that we still have more to shove in your face.”
Here is a brand NEW Saint Vitus song entitled "Blessed Sky", taped at these years "Metalliance Tour".
Saint Vitus is:
- Dave Chandler: lead guitar
- Mark Adams: bass
- Scott "Wino" Weinrich – lead vocals
- Henry Vasquez – drums, percussion
In an unexpected move, guitarist and backup vocalist Ryan Helm announced that he will be leaving the Seattle-based Christian Metal band Demon Hunter. Here is the statement from Helm's management.
"The guitarist's departure was inevitable; however, it was on good terms. He plans to primarily focus on his solo project, Damien Deadson, which will release its debut album in January 2012."
Demon Hunter recently released "The World Is A Thorn" Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the band's music video for "Collapsing" (which you can watch below). Also included in this deluxe version of the album are four acoustic songs, including the Alice In Chains classic "Down In A Hole".
Demon Hunter recently premiered the video for their song "Lifewar".
