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Manos Spanos

THERION: ‘Wisdom And The Cage’ Performance Clip From ‘Adulruna Redivia And Beyond’

Manos Spanos
On February 28, a THERION three-DVD package (limited edition including bonus DVD) called "Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" will be made available. The package will include two shows that were recorded live in Atlanta in 2011 and in Budapest 2007 as well as bonus material. Commented the band: "The concert recorded in Hungary was a concert on the 'Adulruna Rediviva' 20th anniversary tour in December. The idea of the tour was to play the entire 'Theli' album plus a set consisting of songs that the fans had voted for on the band web page. Piotr Wawrzeniuk and our old friend Messiah Marcolin joined in to make this evening extra special. The concert in Atlanta was the band's only show in the USA since 2007 and was shot during the band's headline performance at the ProgPower USA festival 2011." "Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" track listing: DVD 1 01. The Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah 02. Son Of The Sun 03. Midgård 04. Asgård 05. The Wine Of Aluqah 06. Wisdom And The Cage 07. Kali Yuga I 08. Kali Yuga II 09. Kali Yuga III 10. Lemuria 11. Via Nocturna 12. An Arrow From The Sun 13. Typhon 14. Ginnungagap 15. Preludium 16. To Mega Therion 17. Cults Of The Shadows 18. In The Desert Of Set 19. Interludium 20. Nightside Of Eden 21. Opus Eclipse 22. Invocation Of Naamah 23. The Siren Of The Woods 24. Grand Finale / Postludium 25. Adulruna Rediviva 26. Black Funeral DVD 2 01. Sitra Ahra 02. The Wine Of Aluqah 03. Typhon 04. Perennial Sophia 05. Hellequin 06. Nifelheim 07. Clavicula Nox 08. Voyage Of Gurdjieff 09. Ljusalfheim 10. Dies Irae 11. Ginnungagap 12. Kali Yuga III 13. Call Of Dagon 14. Siren Of the Woods 15. The Wild Hunt 16. Blood Of Kingu 17. Lemuria 18. Abraxas 19. The Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah 20. To Mega Therion 21. Quetzalcoatl Bonus DVD 3 01. 011 - An Adventure with Therion 02. 011 - Documentary And Behind The Scenes 03. Amazing Voice Adds THERION: "011 is the name of a board game made by the italian game manufacturer Scribabs. In a very ambitious way to market the game, they made this fantastic short film, starring the band members as actors, playing their roles in the game. The main man behind the game and the film, Paolo Vallerga, is currently writing a novel on the story behind the game and there are even some plans for a movie." "'Amazing Voice' is a Japanese TV program about great singers. This episode had Thomas Vikström as main focus and the TV team flew to Sweden to interview Thomas and record some live singing exclusively for the program." Check out the "Wisdom And The Cage" performance clip from "Adulruna Redivia And Beyond" below. A new THERION studio album is scheduled for late 2014.
03 min read

LINKIN PARK’s MIKE SHINODA Gives Update From New Album Sessions

Manos Spanos
LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda has posted an update online about the status of the group's sixth studio album, which he says the band is "pretty deep" into making. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Shinoda wrote at his personal web site, "As most LINKIN PARK fans know, the sound of each album is usually quite different from the last. The new album is no exception. But as usual, the album’s sound twists and turns as it is created, so any attempt at estimating what it sounds like today would be silly." Shinoda told The Pulse Of Radio that he likes to set the direction once the band gets into the studio. "I'm kind of at the wheel, and I take it as my responsibility to make sure that we've got collectively a very clear vision of where we want to go, and that the inspiration and motivation levels are high," he said. "I want to feel like every record we make is really inspired and we feel good about it." Shinoda added that he and the rest of the group are feeling "inspired" and "trying all kinds of things we haven’t before," explaining that they're working in a different studio than before, are largely self-producing the record and even trying different methods of writing and recordings. He elaborated, "This album has been the product of a mix of focused experimentation and free form jamming. We’re even tracking parts to tape instead of going exclusively digital." Shinoda concluded by saying that the band is trying to find a "bold and energetic" sound and hints that the record will be out this summer. LINKIN PARK's previous three albums were co-produced by Rick Rubin, who doesn't appear to be involved with this project. The new disc will follow up 2012's "Living Things".
01 min read

NIGHTWISH’s TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN: ‘A Lifetime Of Adventure’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
Tuomas Holopainen — the keyboardist and main songwriter of NIGHTWISH — has spent most of 2013 writing and producing his solo album based on a graphic novel called "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck", written and illustrated by Don Rosa. "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" is scheduled for a release this spring via Nuclear Blast. Holopainen comments: "This is my longtime dream come true, 14 years in the making. And a homage to one of the best storytellers of our time. "Thank you for sharing this celebration of life and adventure!" This 12-chapter book tells the life story of Scrooge, from his early years in the 19th century Scotland to his adventures all around the world until the 1950s. The story contains such immense depth, detail, wit and emotional power that the moment Tuomas read it nearly 20 years ago, it instantly became a story of profound personal interest and love for him. The initial spark of "coloring" this story with music, i.e. creating a kind of "soundtrack" for the book, came to him already in 1999, and has ever since haunted the back of his mind. "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" contains 10 songs, with total duration of approximately 60 minutes. The music is said to be in the soundtrack / classical / folk genre in the vein of Vaughan Williams, Michael Nyman, James Newton Howard and Enya. Pip Williams did the orchestral arrangements for the "Life And Times Of Scrooge" disc, continuing his collaboration with Tuomas after the NIGHTWISH records "Once", "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum". There are a number of guest musicians appearing on "Life And Times Of Scrooge", including the London Orchestra, The Metro Voices (a choir from London) and four lead vocalists: Alan Reid, Johanna Kurkela, Johanna Iivanainen and Tony Kakko. Other guest appearances include Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, low whistles, bodhran), Mikko Iivanainen (guitars and banjo), Teho Majamäki (didgeridoo), Jon Burr (harmonica) and Dermot Crehan on the solo violin. The recordings took place during August - October 2013, first at Angel Studios in London, then in various locations around Scotland and Finland. The author of the book, Don Rosa, did the artwork for the album. There will be a single release, for the track "A Lifetime Of Adventure", and a music video to go with it. Holopainen recently spoke to Finland's YLE about "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen". Check out the report below. Tuomas previously stated about how the idea for the project came about: "It was back in 1999, during the 'Oceanborn' tour, that I remember first having the idea of writing a 'soundtrack' to my all-time favorite piece of Disney comic, 'The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck', by Don Rosa, the apparent heir of the almighty Carl Barks. This book has had such an overwhelming effect on me throughout these years, and finally I have the means and the time to make that dream a reality. "It all started with a story called 'Last Sled To Dawson', which was published in a Finnish Donald Duck magazine in the late '80s. It instantly became one of my favorite Scrooge/Donald stories and also introduced Mr. Don Rosa to my Disney universe. This story is not part of the actual 'Life And Times' opus, though, but 'a companion story,' set in between the chapters #8 and #9. Then when the massive 12-chapter piece was released in mid-'90s, I was completely and utterly hooked. It was similar to reading 'The Lord Of The Rings' as an 8-year-old, or seeing 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' for the first time. Adventure, fun and the strangely familiar feeling of home. "With Scrooge, there was also a much deeper level hidden between the stories and the gags. "This is a book about life itself. What an unfathomable privilege it is, what are the things that truly matter during our existence. It's about the immense beauty of the world and its possibilities seen through the eyes of a very relentless, honest and complex character. It's about love and family, gain and loss, darkness and rebirth. "And on top of that, well, it's just your good old-fashioned storytelling fun!" "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" track listing: 01. Glasgow 1877 02. Into The West 03. Duel & Cloudscapes 04. Dreamtime 05. Cold Heart Of The Klondike 06. The Last Sled 07. Goodbye, Papa 08. To Be Rich 09. A Lifetime Of Adventure
05 min read

MASSACRE: New Song ‘As We Wait To Die’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Resurrected 1990s Florida-based death metallers MASSACRE will release their long-awaited comeback album, "Back From Beyond", on March 24 in Europe and April 1 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Tim Vazquez of CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida, and features original MASSACRE members Rick Rozz (guitar; ex-MANTAS/DEATH) and Terry Butler (bass; OBITUARY, ex-DEATH/SIX FEET UNDER), as well as Ed Webb (vocals; ex-DIABOLIC/EULOGY) and Mike Mazzonetto (drums; ex-PAIN PRINCIPLE). The cover artwork was created by Toshihiro Egawa (CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, DEVOURMENT) and can be seen below. Comments Butler: "MASSACRE is very excited and proud of our new album, 'Back From Beyond'. "We've worked hard over the past few months and we believe that the old-school and new-school fans will be pleased. "Ed Webb and Mikey Mazzanetto are great additions to the band and did an amazing job on the album. "This is Florida death metal at its best! "We plan on making 2014 a busy year!!!" "Back From Beyond" track listing: 01. The Ancient Ones 02. As We Wait To Die 03. Ascension Of The Deceased 04. Hunter’s Blood 05. Darkness Fell 06. False Revelation 07. Succumb To Rapture 08. Remnants Of Hatred 09. Shield Of The Son 10. The Evil Within 11. Sands Of Time 12. Beast With Vengeance 13. Back From Beyond 14. Honor The Fallen The song "As We Wait To Die" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. MASSACRE released a seven-inch single, "Condemned To The Shadows", on July 30, 2012. The single, which is available as a regular black-wax version, a transparent wax limited edition and a yellow-wax limited edition, contains two brand new songs — "Succumb To Rapture" and "Back From Beyond" — that were recorded in February 2012 at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with Tim Vazquez at the helm.
02 min read

THRESHOLD: New Songtitles Revealed

Manos Spanos
British progressive metallers THRESHOLD entered the studio last November to begin recording the follow-up to 2012's "March Of Progress" for a late 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. According to keyboardist Richard West, "All the drum and bass parts have been recorded and work is now underway on guitars and keyboards." Songtitles set to appear on the CD: * Watchtower On The Moon * Unforgiven * The Box * Turned To Dust * Lost In Your Memory * Autumn Red * The Mystery Show * I Wish I Could * Siren Sky THRESHOLD's ninth studio album, "March Of Progress", was released on August 31, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Dead Reckoning" registerd the following first-week chart positions: Germany: #28 Switzerland: #30 Sweden: #43 Austria: #55 Netherlands: #70 France: #102 Vocal duties on "March Of Progress" were performed by THRESHOLD's original frontman Damian Wilson (STAR ONE, HEADSPACE), who's been back touring with the band since the release of "Dead Reckoning". "March Of Progress" was made available in a limited-edition digipak, including a bonus track; a standard jewel case edition; as well as in a two-vinyl edition in two different colors, one of them exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.
01 min read

MACHINE HEAD: ‘Killers & Kings’ Single Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
As part of this year's Record Store Day on April 19, San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD will release a 10-inch vinyl single, with the A-side containing the "demo" version of a new song, "Killers & Kings". The B-side will be a cover version of the track "Our Darkest Days" from one of MACHINE HEAD's favorite bands, IGNITE. The cover artwork for the "Killers & Kings" single can be seen below. Also available is video footage of MACHINE HEAD members Phil Demmel (guitar), Dave McClain (drums) and Jared MacEachern (bass) laying down backing vocals on the "Our Darkest Days" cover version. Says MACHINE HEAD guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn: "I remember growing up in the thrash scene and always wanting to hear the demo version of songs. You searched them out. Thankfully, my buddy Jim was a big 'tape trader,' and through trading, we had both METALLICA demos, EXODUS demos, bootlegs of songs sometimes 'years' before they came out. "I knew how to play every note of 'Pleasure Of The Flesh' by EXODUS easily two years before the record was out. I had SLAYER's 'Reign In Blood' three months before it came out. I remember it still had the hi-hat counts starting the songs!! "My friends and I would debate the merits of each (the demo was always better, LOL!). "It's so much cooler to hear it BEFORE the album is out! "So we're gonna do that for you. "I can't wait for you guys to hear this stuff. Then you can debate it, haha!" MACHINE HEAD will enter the studio in February to begin recording its new album for a late summer release via the band's new label, Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Other tentative songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Beneath The Silt", "Ojos De La Muerte", "Sail Into The Black" and "Night Of The Long Knives". Says Flynn: "The new stuff is turning out better than anyone expected. "We had THE breakthrough with the song formerly known as 'Back From The Grave'. "I'd been working with the string section that played on 'Locust', Quartet Rogue, as well as multi-instrumentalist / keyboardist Rhys Fulber, and to quote [METALLICA drummer] Lars Ulrich (who was actually quoting Robert Trujillo), 'We're on some NEXT-LEVEL shit!!!' "With that one song getting finished, I could totally see where the whole record is going. It opened up before my eyes. "Nothing short of exciting!!!" Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Flynn stated about the band's new material: "It sounds like MACHINE HEAD! It's definitely moving forward, which I feel like we're probably always gonna do. "We're not a band that ever looks back. We do our thing and try to take the life experiences that we have and the musicianship that we've evolved and try to use it. Obviously, we have our sound and we have the MACHINE HEAD patented harmonics, the downtuned riffs and I sing the way I sing. "I think Bob Dylan said it best: 'You just find new ways to say the same thing.'" Speaking about some of the specific tracks and the lyrical themes covered on the new album, Flynn said: "I've got some pretty cool lyrics ready. There's a song called 'Night Of The Long Knives', and it's pretty fucked! It's about the Manson murders, and the lyrics are really dark and vicious. "We've found some new twists to give to the MACHINE HEAD sound and some new fire and excitement." Asked what the band's main aims were when they started composing music for the new CD, Flynn said: "Well, it's nice to try and have a plan, but music has a way of unravelling over time! [Laughs] You've just got to roll with it. "With [2007's] 'The Blackening', I'd love to say I had this grand vision of nine- and 10-minute songs, but the first four songs we wrote were the four shorter songs on the record. For months, there was no indication whatsoever that we'd have 10-minute songs. That stuff came later. "Human nature wants to control and dictate where things will go, but you can't. It won't let you! The more you try, the more it goes, 'Fuck you.' It's going some other way!"
06 min read

AXL ROSE Weighs In On RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’ SUPER BOWL Controversy

Manos Spanos
If you caught the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS playing their classic "Give It Away" with Bruno Mars during the Super Bowl halftime show last Sunday (February 2), you may have noticed that Flea's bass and Josh Klinghoffer's guitar were not plugged in. Apparently, neither musician was playing live during the three-minute performance, with Flea later admitting so in a tweet, saying, "No trickery. No choice, but no trickery." According to The Pulse Of Radio, the fact that both men's instruments were just there for show was first noticed by several other musicians watching the show on TV. LIVING COLOUR guitarist Vernon Reid wrote, "That guitar is plugged into NOTHING," while blues-rock axeman Joe Bonnamassa tweeted, "Flea... I mean we all know, but for god's sake at least try to humor the children. #unpluggedlive." Flea later wrote an open letter about the issue online, saying that the NFL had made it clear that all but the vocals would be taken from pre-recorded tracks. He explained, "It was like making a music video in front of a gazillion people, except with live vocals, and only one chance to rock it. Our only thought was to bring the spirit of who we are to the people." The controversy even inspired the ever-reclusive GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose to weigh in, who penned an op-ed piece for Billboard.com on the subject. It reads as follows: "In The Name Of Science "In regard to the Internet's 'no wireless' controversy regarding the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Super Bowl performance as reported on ESPN... "I enjoyed the show and I've no idea what the real story is nor would I want to suggest or imply anyone wasn't actually performing or that what they were playing wasn't what we actually heard. That said, I feel it's important to always look on the positive side of things and to give the benefit of doubt. "So consider that maybe sometime before their actual performance that rather than use a guitar cord or standard wireless, that in the name of science and for all mankind Flea courageously had a newly invented breakthrough in microchip technology installed in his ass that picked up the frequencies of his bass and transmitted them to his amplifier. "Maybe they all had microchips installed in their asses and not only pick up the frequencies of their instruments but get DirecTV and the Internet too! Like Google Glass... Google Ass! They could be 'Scientific Pioneers!' Like Buzz Aldrin and shit! True (pardon the pun) ASS-tro-nots! Or like Super Bowl crash test dummies for bands kinda like those cars that drive themselves! "And besides... If the band wasn't really playing or wireless or whatever and Anthony was really singing they may have set a new world record for the largest karaoke audience ever! Awesome! "So relax
03 min read

MEGADETH Kick JASON NEWSTED Off Australian Tour

Manos Spanos
Just last year, Jason Newsted and Dave Mustaine were totally best buddies. Dave invited Jason's band to open for Megadeth on Gigantour and they even got up on stage and jammed on a Metallica tune. But the honeymoon is over! Newsted, the band, were scheduled to open for Megadeth on some Australian shows but that is no longer happening. The promoters of the tour released the following statement: “At the request of Megadeth, Newsted will not be playing the below Sidewaves and instead will be replaced by Whitechapel.” But what could've possibly happened? The sleuths at Metal Hammer went to further investigate and found some correspondence between fans and the festival promoters, explaining that this was Dave's choice:
01 min read

MINISTRY’s AL JOURGENSEN ‘Successfully’ Enters Rehab

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According to a post on MINISTRY's Facebook page, the band's mainman, Al Jourgensen, has "successfully" checked into a rehabilitation facility to receive treatment for alcohol dependency. Jourgensen wrote on his Facebook page last month: "My sobriety will not, and I repeat, not knock off my sarcasm. If anything, it will intensify." He added: "I appreciate the support from my brother and family. "[I] kicked dope and crack by myself, but I need help on this one, so all your thoughts and prayers are more than welcome." In a September 2013 interview with the Washington Times, Jourgenen was asked when the last time was that he used a drug other than alcohol. "Eleven years as of September 6 [2013]," he replied, before adding. "I don't do pharmaceuticals. I don't do street drugs. I don't do anything. I'm just basically slowly killing myself with liquor as opposed to the fast departation of this mortal core with street drugs or pharmaceuticals. So, I've chosen that path." Jourgensen reportedly suffered a near-death experience in 2010 as the result of a ruptured ulcer. He told Revolver magazine back in January 2012, "After [MINISTRY's] 'The Last Sucker' [album was released in 2007], I was puking up blood every day. I didn't know why. That's been going on for the last four or five tours, though, and I didn't see a doctor because I just thought that was part of what happens when you're my age on a rock tour. I didn't know there was a condition attached to it. I would puke blood and get off tour and it would go away. But this time I got off tour and it was worse. Blood was coming out my nose, my dick, my mouth. I'd stand up and fall over. I lost so much blood, I couldn't even walk. Instead of calling the doctor, I put on this medieval helmet that I had made in the Czech Republic, and I would quit hitting my head on the tiles, if I put on the helmet. I wore the helmet around for a couple days. I was a tired, run-down, bloated drunk — just a mess. And then I exploded on March 27, 2010, and they had to take me to the emergency room." Asked if he could still drink, Jourgensen replied: "I have a male nurse who weighs 350 pounds named Hector. I call him 'Hector, the third bottle rejecter.' I'm only allowed two bottles of wine a day now. And it doesn't even get to that. It's about a bottle and a half, and that seems to be good along with the medicine I have to take every day for the rest of my life. I just went and saw my doctor and she said, 'Yeah, you're actually doing pretty good for being a fucking degenerate.'" Al Jourgensen's book, "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen" — penned by Jourgensen with Jon Wiederhorn — came out last year on Da Capo Press. It is described in a press release as "the high-octane, no-holds barred memoir by the legendary godfather of industrial music. The book is fascinating, both ugly and captivating, revealing a character that has lived a hard life his way, without compromise."
03 min read

ADRENALINE MOB: New Song ‘Judgment Day’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
"Judgment Day", a brand new song from ADRENALINE MOB, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is taken from the band's second full-length album, "Men Of Honor" (iTunes pre-order), which will be released February 18 in North America and February 24 internationally via Century Media Records. ADRENALINE MOB's current lineup includes Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X), Mike Orlando (guitar), John Moyer (bass; also of DISTURBED), and the band's latest addition, drummer A.J. Pero (also of TWISTED SISTER). "Men Of Honor" features 11 new original songs produced by Allen and Orlando. 01. Mob Is Back 02. Come On Get Up 03. Dearly Departed 04. Behind These Eyes 05. Let It Go 06. Feel The Adrenaline 07. Men Of Honor 08. Crystal Clear 09. House Of Lies 10. Judgment Day 11. Fallin' To Pieces "Come On Get Up" can be purchased on iTunes at this location. Drummer Mike Portnoy (FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) quit ADRENALINE MOB in June 2013 due to "scheduling conflicts." In an interview with Brazil's "Wikimetal", Allen stated about Portnoy's departure from ADRENALINE MOB: "He's been, obviously, real busy with THE WINERY DOGS. The truth of it is we wanna keep working, we wanna keep doing ADRENALINE MOB and we don't wanna wait around for Mike to have the time [to put into ADRENALINE MOB]. And he doesn't know when he will have the time again, so that's really what's going down. Mike Portnoy was asked to be in the band by myself. Me and Orlando had already written all the material, so [ADRENALINE MOB's debut album] 'Omertá' was completely finished before Mike joined the act. And it's a bummer, but he's got his sights on other things, and he's not gonna stick around. So we wish him the best of luck, but the MOB's gotta go on." ADRENALINE MOB released "Covertá", an eight-track EP featuring cover versions of some of the group's favorite songs, on March 12, 2013.
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.