Legendary Anglo-Australian hard rockers AC/DC will enter a studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in May, presumably to begin recording their first new material since 2008's "Black Ice" album. In addition, the band will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year by playing 40 shows around the world.
The news of AC/DC's recording and touring plans was revealed earlier today (Friday, February 14) by the band's lead singer, Brian Johnson, during a surprise phone call he gave to Andy Preston of the 98.7 The Gater radio station in West Palm Beach, Florida (hear audio below).
Asked if AC/DC is planning to do anything this year, Johnson told Preston: "Well, you'll be the first one to know, really, because we've been denying anything, 'cause we weren't sure. One of our boys was pretty ill, so we didn't like to say anything, and we're very private about things like this, so we didn't wanna say anything. And he's a very proud man. But I think we'll be going into the studio in May in Vancouver. Which means, we should be getting ready.
"It's been 40 years of the band's existence, so I think we're gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. I mean, honestly, our fans are just the best in the world, and we appreciate every one of them. So, like I said, we'll have to go out, even though we're getting a bit long in the tooth. [laughs]"
He added: "You know what?! It's been four years [since we last went out on the road], and I'm really looking forward to it."
During a January 2012 appearance on "The Cowhead Show", the American radio program hosted by Mike "Cowhead" Calta, Johnson revealed that health issues were affecting one of his bandmates, which may have put new album plans temporarily on hold. "One of the boys is a little sick and I can't say anything, but he's getting better," Brian said. "He's doing wonderful. Full recovery fully expected."
AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams told BackstageAxxess.com in a March 2013 interview that guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young were writing songs for the band's next album. But Williams said that at the time that there was still a long way to go, explaining, "[There is] nothing in the works right now [as far as recording]. We're still getting over the last tour, so we're just hanging out and doing stuff. The guys are writing material and when they've got some stuff together, they'll give us a holler."
Asked how the band's creative process works, Williams said, "[Angus and Malcolm] get a bunch of ideas together. Some are more together than others — and then we'll all hit the studio or a little rehearsal room and we'll kick it around with a producer. And then we get in a studio and record, and that's kind of how it runs."
"Black Ice" was followed by a nearly two-year world tour.
Malcolm Young told Classic Rock magazine in 2012, "I've been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band . . . I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more."
Regarding AC/DC's plans to tour in support of the upcoming CD, Brian told the Bay Area rock station 107.7 The Bone in a June 2012 interview: "Well, I think it wouldn't be like the last one. That was two years. I mean, that was just nuts. We were just fragged when we finished [that one]. I mean, it took about three weeks to get over it. But it was so much fun, though. For guys our age at the time, to tour the world to sellout audiences everywhere, it gives you a good feeling. And the great thing was to look out into the audiences and have a look at the generations of people… I mean, it was unbelievable… Kids there that were 7-8 [years old], teenagers…"
Johnson also spoke about how AC/DC decides which recording and touring projects to take on, telling 107.7 The Bone: "We're just a bunch of pals from the projects, still. Even though we've done well, we still have the same roots that we stick by that we did when we had nothing, basically. And that's the work ethic. And it has to be right for the boys to do anything. When we're sitting down and [we're talking about], 'Can we do this? We're not gonna be a pale shadow of our former selves?' We'll talk about it and make sure that we've all got it. We're just five pieces of a card, and if one of us is not really [able to perform at 100 percent], the whole thing would just collapse, I think."
Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN joined ICED EARTH on stage on February 13 at Zeche in Bochum, Germany to perform the song "Among The Living Dead". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.
Asked how the opportunity came up to have Hansi lay down guest vocals on the studio version of "Among The Living Dead" during the recording sessions for ICED EARTH's latest album, "Plagues Of Babylon", ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer told Metal Exiles: "Well, the thing of it is, because we were in Germany [recording the new ICED EARTH CD], and literally like an hour and a half from Hansi's house, it was pretty easy. That's different than doing something like [the] DEMONS & WIZARDS [project with Hansi] where you have to get together, write songs. And I mean, Hansi came into the studio for one day. He got there around two in the afternoon, and he left at I think 10 or 11 that night. That's a whole different thing, coming in and singing parts that are already written, than getting together and writing songs... That's something that can take a couple months. Then you have to produce the record, and go out on tour and for both of us to do a DEMONS & WIZARDS cycle, we would both need a year of time to make that a reality, and that's just not a reality right now because ICED EARTH is too busy, BLIND GUARDIAN is too busy. So I talked to Hansi while we were in Germany doing pre-production for the tracking, and that was also pretty close to his house, and he came to visit us and I played the song 'Among The Living Dead' for him, and I told him, 'I would love for you to do a verse in this song.' He agreed, and said it would be cool, and, of course, he'd be up for that. And then a little bit later, I mentioned to him that normally when I'm working in Indiana or Florida, I have a group of backing vocalists that I can call upon to sing choir parts on the album, on the choruses. And being in Germany, I was a stranger in a strange land, so I called Hansi, and he said he'd be happy to help out, and that he had a friend he could bring along too. So, that's how that worked out."
"Plagues Of Babylon" sold around 6,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 49 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous CD, "Dystopia", opened with around 6,100 units back in October 2011 to enter the chart at No. 67.
ICED EARTH's 2008 effort, "The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part II)", registered a first-week tally of 6,700 to debut at No. 79.
"Plagues Of Babylon" was recorded at Principal Studios (KREATOR, IN EXTREMO, GRAVE DIGGER) in Senden, Germany and was mixed at NHow Studios in Berlin, Germany. Guest vocals on "Highwayman" were laid down by VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen and SYMPHONY X/ADRENALINE MOB singer Russell Allen. Guest vocals on "Plagues Of Babylon", "Among The Living Dead", "Democide", "Resistance" and "If I Could See You" are by Hansi Kürsch. The cover and additional artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, HATEBREED).
ICED EARTH will promote the new CD in its North American homeland with the headlining "Worldwide Plagues Tour", which kicks off April 4 for a six-week run with SABATON and REVAMP in support.
Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) was interviewed on the February 7-9 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. You can now listen to the chat using the Podbean widget below. An excerpt from the chat follows.
To see a full list of stations carrying the program and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.
Full Metal Jackie: Corey, some great songwriters say the creative process is an excruciating and difficult task. Others say they're just fortunate to be channeling some divine inspiration. Which is it for you?
Corey: Well, it's nothing that cool [laughs], you know? I don't know. I think it comes down to what you wanna say. Because I'm kind of lucky in the fact that I can take something that's in my head and write it down, or I can listen to a piece of music that somebody else has written and try to tap into what the music's saying, and just kind of follow that, you know. I mean nine times out of 10, I'm just kind of following where the music takes me. So, I don't know… I think it comes down to what you want to say. I think it takes practice to really nail down the essence of what you're trying to say. I mean, I've been writing songs since I was 12 years old, so I've had a long time to really kind of cut my teeth and get to the point where, when I hear something, I instantly know what I want to say with it, or how I want to say it with it, and also try to make it different and make it fresh. So, I don't know if it's channeling the inner muse, or trying to be artistic just because it's art. As a writer, as a lyricist, you're just trying to make sure that you're not repeating yourself. And that's a danger for a lot of people. So, for me, I just try to keep taking corners and trying to find new paths.
Full Metal Jackie: Corey, it's pretty well documented recording the second SLIPKNOT album, "Iowa", was tumultuous. The last several years have been transitional for the band. What did you learn while making that album that will make doing this next one a good process?
Corey: Well, I definitely learned that there are limits to how far you can push yourself. You know, when you go that far off the reservation and you see that there is definitely an abyss that you can stare into, it makes you pull back a little bit and go, "Whoa, hold on a second. I go any further, that's a permanent vacation." So, for me — and I can't speak for the rest of the guys, but I know for me — it was definitely, probably the darkest time in my life that I was able to transition and turn into some insane and wonderful lyrics. But you can't spend a lot of time on that edge, or it gets to be something that's a little too enticing. So, for me, I guess I learned to visit that edge, but don't live on it. Because that's not life. When you're constantly walking that edge, you're just kind of just trying to figure out what side of the fence you're going to fall on. And I didn't want to be that, I wanted to get more out of my life than just seeing how far I could push the envelope. So the thing that I learned the most was be able to kind of tap into that darkness, but don't live in it, don't exist for it. There are better things in life that you have to live for.
Full Metal Jackie: Corey, between SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, performing with other artists, writing books, it seems like you're always busy. What do you do to decompress or is relaxation actually the process of working itself?
Corey: The thing that I've learned is that you kind of have to strike when you're feeling it. A lot of people say "strike when the iron is hot," but you kind of have to wait for that to happen. For me, the real lesson that I've learned is that if you're not feeling it, get away from it. So I only sit down and write lyrics when I feel that inspiration coming on. It may take a little longer, but it definitely feels better. So I've had to really teach myself that when you're not feeling it, you shouldn't write anything down, because you're going to end up coming back and re-writing it later. Whereas if you write when you're feeling something, when you're really in the streak, then that's when you're going to get your best stuff. So I've had to really make myself, give myself timeouts and get away from stuff, keep myself entertained. I either hang out with famil
