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Manos Spanos

ELUVEITIE Checks In From The Studio

Manos Spanos
On March 7, Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE were awarded one of Switzerland's most prestigious recognitions in music: a Swiss Music Award in the category "Best Live Act National." ELUVEITIE was chosen to receive the honor after a highly competitive fan voting, marking the very first time ever for a metal band to receive this award. ELUVEITIE has now returned to the New Sound Studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2012's "Helvetios", once again with producer Tommy Vetterli (CORONER) at the helm. Says the band: "As always, working with Tommy Vetterli is as efficient as it is creative: both drum and guitar tracking is already completed! "We have now begun work on the folk instruments and vocals at New Sound Studio, Lucerne's Soundfarm Studio, and Chrigel's [Glanzmann, vocals] home simultaneously. "We are extremely proud of the new material and can't wait to present yet another big step in the evolution of ELUVEITIE later this year! "We were also able to secure a bunch of exciting guest performers, the first of which we have recorded last week: the wonderful Christine Lauterburg. "Not only is Christine one of the most original musicians in Switzerland, but she's really a living legend! Like no other, she has practiced and perfected the age-old tradition of Swiss jodel over many decades. She has set many milestones in the history of Swiss folk music, and delivered valuable contributions to the research and preservation of a tradition that may reach back all the way to the early ages, and originated with the Helvetian celts. "We are proud to have Christine in our ranks. Her singing adds just that much more archaic authenticity to our sound, and contributes to the primeval rawness that will define our new album!" ELUVEITIE recently announced the addition of violinist Nicole Ansperger to the group's ranks. ELUVEITIE's latest album, "Helvetios", sold 4,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. "Helvetios" was released in Europe on February 10, 2012 via Nuclear Blast RecordsNew Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli (a.k.a. Tommy T. Baron; CORONER/ex-KREATOR guitarist). ELUVEITIE Checks In From The Studio
02 min read

DAVE MUSTAINE’s ‘Symphony Interrupted’ Wine Now Available

Manos Spanos
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has introduced Mustaine Vineyards' debut limited-edition first release Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, "Symphony Interrupted". This very special wine was made in limited quantities to commemorate Mustaine's sold-out performance with the San Diego Symphony. You can now order "Symphony Interrupted" Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 at www.mustainevineyards.com. Mustaine will be a featured soloist with the San Diego Symphony this spring. The classical special concert, billed as "Symphony Interrupted", will take place at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California on Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. In this truly unique concert event, Mustaine brings his crunchy and energetic sensibility to the great works of classical music which have inspired him over the course of his Grammy-nominated, multi platinum-selling career. When Dave Mustaine performs the virtuosic "Summer" and "Winter" movements from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", and Bach's classic "Air" on the G string, you will see a truly different side of "metal." MEGADETH's latest album, "Super Collider" has sold mor ethan 80,000 copies in the United States since its June 4, 2013 release. The CD arrived in stores via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).
01 min read

OPETH’s MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Says There Are ‘Stronger Vocal Melodies And More Melodies Overall’ On New Album

Manos Spanos
Noisey recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Noisey: From those first days with ERUPTION to the upcoming OPETH release, how have you seen yourself evolve both personally and artistically since the first chord or lyric you wrote? Mikael Åkerfeldt: Wow. I was 14 when I had that band ERUPTION. It was a three-piece, and I did write the songs, but we also played some covers. But it was just a learning thing for me, just a fun thing to play together with your pals and play some heavy metal songs. We did some MISFITS covers and stuff like that — really simple stuff, and I remember I was just blown away by the fact that you could get these instruments to sound good together. That you could have a drumbeat, a bass guitar that would add to the guitar riffs that I was playing just blew my mind. It was really just innocent fun, basically, in those days, and then now it's been so many years since, but it's what I do. It's what's kind of shaped my whole personality and my whole life. I owe so much to music. Like I said, it's become part of my personality. Everybody who knows me knows how important it is for me. I've changed so much. It's impossible to say. But I like to keep that innocence intact a little bit, because I don't want to get too carried away in the business side of things. I'm interested in the business side of things, but I still value the creativity and the creative side of being in a band more than anything else. I mean, I have a career, so to speak, and we do make a living doing this now, which is fantastic, of course, but I like to think it's never been at the expense of that initial innocence in creativity. It's still there. Noisey: Was there a different approach with this latest record as opposed to "Heritage", and what does OPETH's writing process generally look like from its genesis to the point where you guys feel comfortable that you've created something singular? Mikael Åkerfeldt: Normally when I start writing for a record, I'm a bit nervous. You don't know whether or not you're going to be able to come up with something that you like or come up with something at all, to be honest. I was inspired because pretty early on, I wrote a song on the new album — the last song on there, which I ended up being really happy with. So I had some type of guidelines which was more melody, I think. "Heritage" was somewhat deliberately fucked up all over the place because I love fucked-up-all-over-the-place-type music, but I wanted to do something more melodic with this album, so there's stronger vocal melodies and more melodies overall for this album. I was pretty consistent with that frame of mind throughout the writing process, so at least I had a plan with this album, and I normally don't, to be honest. Noisey: What's been the greatest obstacle for you personally since you first began to play music professionally, and how did you overcome it? Mikael Åkerfeldt: Well, there's been many obstacles. Financially, like in the early days with the first four or five records, we didn't make a penny. And at the same time, I lived with my mom until I was 23 or something like that, which was horrible. There were lots of obstacles. For many years, I think a lot of people just thought I was a dreamer. Like, "You'll never get to where you want to go," because of whatever. It sounds boring to bring up finances, but eventually, you have to pay a bill or pay the rent or something like that, then dreams are not enough. You need something else. Our career, though, was still fairly easy, I have to say. We never had to sell ourselves or things like that in order to get a headstart somewhat. We got our first record deal based on a 10-second rehearsal tape so that was easy. That wasn't a problem. We did three records with them. We didn't really tour or anything, and we didn't make any money, but we had three records out that were pretty good and exciting for the time. Then we got a new record deal with a bigger label that was run by an even bigger label that eventually ended up taking us on, and then we got to Roadrunner. Everything on the business side of things has been pretty smooth, but we didn't make a living until we put out the fifth or sixth album. That was difficult, but the motivation for me was never faltering. It was always there. I could live on canned food. That wasn't a problem, because music made me happy. But I would have to say, even if it sounds boring, that the biggest obstacle was that I didn't feel part of society. I couldn't buy food. I couldn't buy anything, so I had to borrow money from my mother and stuff like that, so that was a big obstacle for us. I still kept my motivation intact because it was the only thing that made me happy. I couldn't see myself getting a so-called normal job because it wouldn't have made me happy. I'm determined in that way that no obstacle is going to stop me. Read the entire interview at Noisey.
05 min read

SEPTICFLESH: The Making Of ‘Titan’ Part Two (Video)

Manos Spanos
Still riding high from the success of their critically acclaimed 2011 album "The Great Mass", Hellenic metallers SEPTICFLESH will release their new full-length album, "Titan", on June 24 via Season Of Mist in Europe and Prosthetic in North America. The new CD consists of 10 songs that were recorded once again at Devasoundz Studios in Athens, Greece and in the Czech Republic with the collaboration of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra And Choir. From there, the album was mixed and mastered in Los Angeles by acclaimed producer Logan Mader (GOJIRA, FEAR FACTORY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY). The second in a series of video clips featuring footage from the studio can be seen below. Says the band: "We are really exhausted from the work on this record, but also very proud of the results. We worked hard with Logan to bring you the ultimate death metal soundtrack for your darkest dreams. The compositions are progressive with a lot of emotional peaks, while at the same time the songs sound very aggressive and powerful. We also had the chance to work for the first time with a full children's choir besides the regular adult choir, and that helped us dive deeper into darker cinematic atmospheres. We have achieved a new level of extreme emotions." SEPTICFLESH has earned extensive international praise for its eight albums to date, as well as their performances on tour alongside the likes of CRADLE OF FILTH, AMON AMARTH, GORGOROTH, SATYRICON and CHILDREN OF BODOM.
01 min read

NOVEMBERS DOOM: Fifth ‘Bled White’ Studio Video Blog

Manos Spanos
The fifth installment of the video blog documenting the studio sessions for the recording of the ninth NOVEMBERS DOOM disc, entitled "Bled White", can be seen below. Sessions are being held at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin. The album is tentatively due for release in mid-summer 2014. NOVEMBERS DOOM's eighth full-length album, "Aphotic", was released in May 2011 via The End Records. The CD features special guests on several tracks: Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, THE GATHERING) appears on "What Could Have Been"; world-renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine (EARTHEN GRAVE) lends her talent on both "What Could Have Been" and "The Dark Host"; finally, the man behind the mixing board, Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH), adds his vocal touch to "Of Age and Origin", also offering rare appearance of his mighty growl!
01 min read

GAMMA RAY: Two New Songs Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
German power metallers GAMMA RAY will release their eleventh studio album, "Empire Of The Undead", on CD, CD/DVD digipack, LP and digitally via earMusic on March 28. Two songs from the CD, "Avalon" and "Pale Rider", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The "Empire Of The Undead" title track was already been made available on the single/EP "Master Of Confusion", an appetizer the band released in 2013, just before touring the world with HELLOWEEN. GAMMA RAY recorded the new album in various sessions in 2013, with Eike Freese at the mixing desk alongside bass player and co-writer Dirk Schlaechter. It was just after landing in South America that the unbelievable news reached GAMMA RAY mainman Kai Hansen and his bandmates: Hammer Studio, their home, rehearsal place, studio and meeting point for many metal bands in Germany, including their instruments, amps and tapes, had been destroyed by a terrifying fire. GAMMA RAY will embark on the "Empire Of The Undead" tour in March, with special guests RHAPSODY OF FIRE. The complete track listing for each "Empire Of The Undead" format can be found at GammaRay.org. The CD and DVD contained in the CD/DVD digipack will feature the following: CD: 01. Avalon 02. Hellbent 03. Pale Rider 04. Born To Fly 05. Master Of Confusion 06. Empire Of The Undead 07. Time For Deliverance 08. Demonseed 09. Seven 10. I Will Return 11. Built A World (European bonus track) 12. Avalon (live from the final studio sessions) 13. The Spirit (live from the final studio sessions 1) 14. Empire Of The Undead (live from the final studio sessions 1) DVD: Four live
03 min read

TIMO TOLKKI’S AVALON: ‘Angels Of The Apocalypse’ EPK Available

Manos Spanos
Frontiers Records will release TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON's sophomore album, "Angels Of The Apocalypse", on May 16 in Europe and May 20 in North America. The official EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Angels Of The Apocalypse" can be seen below. The story: It is 2020 A.D - The Elements send 4 Angels to observe mankind and its actions in the last century. There are 4 Angels, but still they are One. Fire, Wind, Earth and Water are their names. With the Elements they observe in unimaginable sadness and anger the primitive events that take place in the last 150 years as they have the ability to go back and forth in time. As they give their final warning, Mankind sees unimaginable destruction that shakes its core foundations. Pandora's Box is opened and the forces of Nature are unleashed. Is this the prelude for Judgement Day... Following the release of the debut album "The Land of New Hope", the "Metal Opera" was met with critical and fan acclaim, entering the national album charts in seven European countries, including a Top 10 entry in Tolkki's home country, Finland. In August 2013, Tolkki flew to Greece to seek the right inspiration for the follow-up album and upon his return he managed to develop a sound that is even more grandiose and symphonic and yet heavier and darker in direction as compared to the debut album. "In August 2012, I planned to release a Metal Opera that had to be a trilogy," says Tolkki. "I am following a specific storyboard in a musical format and this time the musical direction is heavier and darker than the previous AVALON. This was deliberate since the Apocalyptic scenes described in the lyrics demanded that". As for the players on the album, Tolkki finally managed to reunite the legendary STRATOVARIUS "Dreamspace" lineup, calling Antti Ikonen and Tuomo Lassila to play keyboards and drums respectively. "It was really nice and brought good vibes and freshness to the album," says Timo. "Definitely the right move." The amazing cast of vocalists appearing this time includes NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen — who takes care of the lead vocals on the first single, "Design The Century" — along with Simone Simons (EPICA), Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY OF FIRE), David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE), Zachary Stevens (ex-SAVATAGE, CIRCLE II CIRCLE), plus Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) — who appears again after contributing to the first album — and the stunning Chilean singer Caterina Nix, who is working on her debut album, which is also produced by Tolkki. "Some songs were written with a specific singer in mind, while for some others I decided based on the knowledge that I had on how he or she would perform," says Tolkki. "I am particularly happy of how this record sounds especially two songs, 'You'll Bleed Forever' and the 10-minute title track, are among my favorite ever." Once again the stunning artwork is provided by the French artist Stanis W. Decker and the first pressing of the physical edition will be available in a glossy digipak. "Angels Of The Apocalypse" final track listing: 01. Song For Eden 02. Jerusalem Is Falling 03. Design The Century 04. Rise Of The 4th Reich 05. Stargate Atlantis 06. You'll Bleed Forever 07. The Paradise Lost 08. Neon Sirens 09. High Above Of Me 10. Angels Of The Apocalypse 11. Garden Of Eden The first single, "Design The Century" (featuring NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen), will be released digitally worldwide on April 7. Musicians: * Timo Tolkki: guitars, bass and keyboards * Tuomo Lassila: drums * Antti Ikonen: keyboards * Nicholas Jeudy: orchestration * Floor Jansen, Simone Simons, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Zachary Stevens, Elize Ryd, Caterina Nix: vocals
04 min read

PHILIP ANSELMO Says He ‘Felt Like A Trapped Animal’ During Touring Cycle For PANTERA’s ‘Far Beyond Driven’

Manos Spanos
In the April/May 2014 issue of Revolver magazine, the surviving members of PANTERA — vocalist Philip Anselmo, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and bassist Rex Brown — speak about the making of the band's classic 1994 album, "Far Beyond Driven", which is being re-released next week as a 20th-anniversary, two-disc edition. The new version will include a newly remastered version of the original recordings along with a new live performance from the 1994 Monsters Of Rock festival. Speaking about PANTERA's touring activities that followed the release of "Far Beyond Driven", Vinnie Paul said: "When we went on the road, that's when the wheels started coming off and people didn't know what other people were doing. Phil had his own bus. Things started turning into what they turned into in the end. "Phil started isolating himself from the rest of us. It got to the point where we wouldn't see each other until about 20 or 30 minutes before showtime. You never knew if he was going to be in a shitty mood or a good mood. You just hoped it was good enough to get through the show. That's truly where some of the shows started lacking. They weren't as good as they used to be, and he would start his rants and go on for 20 minutes while we stood around and looked at him, like, 'What the fuck are you saying to these people, dude? They want to hear us play some songs. Let's play some music.'" Said Anselmo: "The touring was really a mixed bag for me. The [chronic back] pain was intense, but the thrill was still there much of the time, and when I was onstage, that part of it I enjoyed very much. But during this time, I was drinking an entire bottle of Wild Turkey every night before a show to numb the pain I was experiencing. "I felt trapped, man. I felt lost even trying to explain to the guys in my band, who were so used to seeing Superman up onstage, that I was not Superman anymore. I felt like a trapped animal, honestly. I felt cornered and very confused. "The words that would come out of my mouth [while we were on stage] were abrasive. I was lashing out at other bands when I really had no business mentioning other bands during a PANTERA show. I was going slowly insane throughout the touring of this record, whether it be from pills, alcohol, or the mental stress from carrying around the chronic pain along with the addiction." When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Vinnie Paul and his brother, PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.
03 min read

SEBASTIAN BACH Says His Former Bandmates In SKID ROW Are ‘Allergic To Cash’ And ‘Happy Not Being Big’

Manos Spanos
Ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has responded to a recent interview in which SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan told a journalist that answering questions about the possibility of working with Bach again is "a waste of time." "I go on my Twitter feed and I read things like [January 24] was the 25th anniversary of the release date of the first SKID ROW album, and SKID ROW doesn't give a fuck," Bach tells Yahoo! Music. "I would love to do something to celebrate it, and my former bandmates are like, 'Nah, we're playing a bowling alley. We're happy. We don't care.'" He adds: "There's a lot of unreleased material sitting around collecting dust. The fans would love [to see it being released], but I guess my band is allergic to cash. They're happy not being big. It's such an insult to the millions of people who dug our albums. It's like saying, 'We were just joking [back then]. Happy anniversary!'" Bach in July 2012 posted a letter on his Facebook page in which he said he was willing to reunite with SKID ROW. "For the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today," he wrote. "I do not personally want it myself. But it's not always about 'what I want.' If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself." Bach said he wanted to write the letter in response to current SKID ROW singer Johnny Solinger's interview in which Johnny said a tweet by Bach about a possible SKID ROW reunion was an attempt to "get attention." Speaking to SCTimes.com, Bolan stated about Sebastian's departure from SKID ROW, "We thought we were disbanded and that we'd never do it again. Then we kept getting e-mails and the management office was getting lots of letters about people wanting to see SKID ROW on stage and we really started to miss it. We knew if we got back together, we were going to do things different." He added, "When Johnny joined the band [in 1999], that really gave us a kick in the ass. It was a different guy there and everything that came out of that guy was positive." On the topic of the persistent rumors of a reunion with Sebastian, Bolan said, "Actually, there were never any talks. Ever. That was all just total rumor. We got rid of him in the '90s and never looked back. . . After the first tour [with Solinger on vocals], it seemed like this is the way it's always been. It's so weird, I'll hear an old song on the radio and it just sounds so bizarre to me because I'm so used to Johnny singing it."
03 min read

HATE Announces New Drummer

Manos Spanos
Polish extreme metallers HATE have announced the addition of drummer Pawel "Pavulon" Jaroszewicz to the group's ranks. Commented HATE guitarist/vocalist Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko: "We are proud to inform you that Pavulon has joined HATE as a full-time drummer! I must say this was not a hard choice, because we have known Pavulon for years and always admired his dedication to the music and development he has made being in groups such as CRIONICS, VADER, DECAPITATED and ANTIGAMA. Having played a couple of shows together, we now strongly feel that he is the right man in the right place. I have no doubt that his drumming skills will bring in some extra power to our live sound as well as new songs. He will be appearing on the upcoming album, which will be followed up with more details soon. "We have been working on the new material for months now and I am hoping we get in the studio by June and start tracking. "In a few days, we start European tour with KAMPFAR. Remember not to miss that! "To sum up, I want to say we have long needed some new blood and energy and finally we got it. Now I am looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead to make HATE shine brighter than ever!" HATE will take part in the Spreading The Plague MMXIV Tour, which will hit Europe in March/April. The band will team up with Norway's pagan black metal horde KAMPFAR to bring supreme blasphemy to 16 cites of Euroland. On the tour, which will start on March 28 in Munich, Germany, you will also see U.S. avantgarde black metallers VELNIAS and Norwegian melodic black metal act ISKALD as part of this prime tour package. Commented Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko: "We are very much looking forward to touring Europe again and I think the combined lineup for these shows is simply killer! As we are working on new tracks right now, you may expect some brand-nu-blaspehemy played on the upcoming shows for the first time! We've been waiting for a regular tour since the tragedy happened and I believe the time has come to hit the road again at full force. We will come back rejuvenated and hungrier than ever before, so be prepared for truly riotous shows!" HATE's latest album, "Solarflesh", was released in North America on February 5, 2013 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Erebos" was recorded at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw with Filip "Heinrich" Halucha (VESANIA, DECAPITATED) and Arek "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH's sound guy). The effort was mixed at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Slawek and Wojtek Wieslawski (DECA
02 min read

Manos Spanos

Manos Spanos (Metalpaths' co-editor-in-chief), eight years in this site but still can't be characterised as a metalhead.