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Manos Spanos

BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Among GRAMMY AWARDS Nominees

Manos Spanos
BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are among the nominees for the 56th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on January 26, 2014 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category are as follows: ANTHRAX - "T.N.T." Track from: "Anthems" Label: Megaforce BLACK SABBATH - "God Is Dead?" Track from: "13" Label: Vertigo/Republic DREAM THEATER - "The Enemy Inside" Track from: "Dream Theater" Label: Roadrunner Records KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "In Due Time" Track from: "Disarm The Descent" Label: Roadrunner Records VOLBEAT feat. King Diamond - "Room 24" Track from: "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" Label: Republic Records BLACK SABBATH's "God Is Dead?" also picked up a nomination in the "Best Rock Song" category. In addition, the band's comeback CD, "13", earned a nod for "Best Rock Album", alongside LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day" and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's "…Like Clockwork", among others. METALLICA's "Through The Never" received a nomination for "Best Recording Package" and ALICE IN CHAINS' "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is up for the "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical" award. Nominations for the 56th annual Grammy Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest in music over the past year, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the sixth year, nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night", a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. "This year's nominations reflect the talented community of music makers who represent some of the highest levels of excellence and artistry of the year in their respective fields," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, in a statement. The Grammy Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, January 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
02 min read

CARCASS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GORGUTS To Join Forces For ‘Decibel Magazine Tour’

Manos Spanos
Decibel magazine's third cross-country domination — set to take place next spring — will feature death metal demigods CARCASS alongside melodeath powerhouse THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, technical death metal heroes GORGUTS and emerging death/thrash squad NOISEM. The third time's the harm, as CARCASS — the Liverpool legends responsible for "Surgical Steel", Decibel's number one album of 2013 — embark upon their first sustained domestic tour in five years. The 2014 Decibel Magazine Tour will fester across North America for 21 putrefying dates, once again seamlessly integrating the past, present and future of extreme music. Ever-acerbic CARCASS frontman Jeff Walker finds it difficult to contain his enthusiasm. "This is possibly the unsexiest Decibel Tour lineup yet," he quips. "We're all bringing the 'girth' back to the U.S., along with gray hair and sensible footwear. But it's the music that matters, right? Just close your eyes and think of England. If that fails, think of Tampa." THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER frontman Trevor Strand is a longtime CARCASS superfan, so much so that he has the coolest tattoo ever: surgical instruments from the cover of the 1992 "Tools Of The Trade" EP. "We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this amazing tour," he says. "I will do my best to play it cool in the presence of such great and influential musicians who I have worshipped since the seventh grade — but I can't guarantee anything. "We in the DAHLIA camp are elated to have been considered, and vow to do our best to impress. Nothing less for the combined might of CARCASS and GORGUTS!" Luc Lemay of Canadian technical death metal institution GORGUTS can't wait to bring songs from 2013 comeback sensation "Colored Sands" to the stage. "Since the first day I discovered Decibel, I always saw them like an institution," he enthuses. "So, when I got the news that we were offered to be part of their annual tour, I felt totally honored and excited as hell! It will be amazing to share the stage with CARCASS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and NOISEM to perform our new music every night!" As for Baltimore death-thrash upstarts NOISEM — who blew minds with brutal-beyond-their-years debut "Agony Defined" — guitarist Sebastian Phillips keeps his thoughts on the tour perfectly succinct: "Dream come true. Period." There will be a number of VIP premium packages available in each market, providing you with a T-shirt, poster, "Skip the Line" pass and free digital sampler from Nuclear Blast. The price of this package is less than you would spend on a ticket and a tour shirt at the show! The dates are as follows: Mar. 18 - Orlando, FL - The Beachum Theater
03 min read

Cooking With FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE

Manos Spanos
Italian symphonic death metallers FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE have posted a cooking video featuring their drummer, Francesco Paoli. Check out the clip below and pick up some of the products used in the video at FleshgodApocalypse.com. Commented the band: "We are really proud to officially announce our last addition to our merchandise. "This is a completely different and pioneering idea driven by the great devotion and respect that we have for our country, Italy and our region, Umbria. "As Italians, we take much pride in our food and traditions, that's why we present our artisan 'pasta.' "This is a high-quality product, something that you hardly find in foreign countries stores. "We personally collected the most famous and delicious types to offer to FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE fans as another way to enjoy Italian art. "As for promotional campaign, and due to high shipping costs of these items, we decided to lower the prices for the next period in order to give the chance to everyone to enjoy these special products. "Here follows a little clip with our drummer Francesco Paoli showing how to cook it in the proper way." In other news, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE is preparing to film a video for an as-yet-undisclosed song from the band's latest album, "Labyrinth". The group states: "It will definitely stand up from the average as we are going to shoot it in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Sicilia. This region was part of Greece right in the era where the 'Labyrinth Of Knossos' myth is collocated and our philological research led us there. It will be artistically deep and metaphorically intricate, a real reflection on the sense of our lives. "Considering how big this matter is and how much we love our art, we decided to invest all the FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE pasta and wine profits in a big production video as well as in the future development of the band. "Last but not least, we will officially start the HUGE touring campaign in support of our new album, 'Labyrinth'. We will play all around the world, starting in Europe in January, continuing in Central America, Asia and Oceania in spring and coming back with an incredible tour in North America in the summer." "Labyrinth" was released on August 16, 2013 in Europe and August 20, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast.
02 min read

WATAIN: ‘Outlaw’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"Outlaw", the new video from Swedish black metallers WATAIN, can be seen below. The clip was produced by WATAIN and Johan Bååth, who previously helmed the band's "Opus Diaboli" DVD in 2012. Comments WATAIN: "The 'Outlaw' video is a knife stab in the face of today's clean and witty metal scene and yet another step for us to bring back something real and extreme into this limping music movement." A short interview with WATAIN vocalist/bassist Erik Danielsson about the ideas and the inspiration behind the video is available on the band's web site, www.templeofwatain.com. "Outlaw" is taken from WATAIN's fifth full-length, "The Wild Hunt", which sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was released on August 19 in Europe and August 20 in USA via the band's own label His Master's Noise through Century Media Records. Produced once again by Tore Stjerna at his Necromorbus studio in Alvik, Sweden, "The Wild Hunt" is a sonic and lyrical tour-de-force that explores WATAIN's roots, such as BATHORY and DISSECTION, while also remaining truly unique. Having lost none of their integrity, WATAIN continues to push the boundaries of the scene with their fifth full-length, refusing to compromise their sound and vision. Amid the tracks teeming with the band's classic sound, "The Wild Hunt" also features clean vocals (a first for the trio!) which, as Erik Danielsson puts it, "is just us being brutally personal and honest. It shows another important facet of the WATAIN world." Executed in oil and mixed materials, the cover of "The Wild Hunt" was created by Zbigniew M Bielak, the very same artist who was responsible for the "Lawless Darkness" artwork. The piece depicts one of the inmost shrines of WATAIN's temple. As on every classic still life, each object has a significant meaning, while each song of the album is also connected to an object.
02 min read

SLASH Says MOTÖRHEAD’s ‘Aftershock’ Is ‘One Of The Most Brilliant’ Rock Albums That Has Come Out In A Long Time

Manos Spanos
In a brand new interview with Independent.com, legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) was asked what still excites him about playing guitar. "I don't know; I just love playing guitar, and it seems the longer I've been doing it, the more I love it," he replied. "I've never really stopped to think what's really at the bottom of that. I just go with it." Slash also spoke about how touring now compares to touring with GUNS N' ROSES. "It's actually comparable to GN'R in the '80s, except for all the drugs that happened back then," he explained. "I really enjoy it, it's a lot of fun, and I like the pace of it. We do anywhere from five to six shows per week, and I love that; the more I do it, the more I love it." Regarding whatnew music has caught his attention of late, Slash said: "The latest record that I'm really in love with is 'Aftershock' by MOTÖRHEAD. I think it's one of the most brilliant rock 'n' roll records that has come out in a long time. I also really like the new BLACK SABBATH record." Asked what kind of advice he bestows upon young kids who want to pursue music, both for hobby and as a career, Slash replied: "As a hobby, it's a hell of a lot of fun, but as a career, it's a hell of a lot of work. Patience, perseverance, and practice — those are the three things that come to mind, and those are things that I still practice today. It's a never-ending process, but at the same time, if you love what you do, it's very rewarding." Read more from Independent.com.
01 min read

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Announces New Lineup

Manos Spanos
Drummer Thomas Caser of Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has issued the following update: "VISIONS OF ATLANTIS warmly welcomes French soprano Clémentine Delauney and Austrian singer Siegfried Samer as new front vocalists! In addition, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS is going 'back to the roots' and reunites founding members Werner Fiedler (guitars), Chris Kamper (synths), Mike Koren (bass) and Thomas Caser (drums). "It was mostly a decision by me — Thomas — the only remaining founding member. "I will tell the truth, I will tell you that VISIONS OF ATLANTIS is homeward bound and will sail the old and known musical paths. The paths that were initially discovered with the founding members through friendship and the passion for the music we wanted to create. Although the journey, after new shores have been discovered since 'Trinity', has been a successful one, the work and musical outcome became blurrier and blurrier in the end and has finally ended up as something the initial idea and spirit is not existent in anymore. Many things have happened, some good, some bad. Sometimes the bad prevail the good as sailing long routes may change people and demands a lot of energy and endurance... Mutiny always also comes with a price... Therefore, we have decided to hire new crew, strike sails, and turn back to the course we originally bound outward on. The sea is dark, the waters deep and unknown... "This is and will be the last and final line up of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS ever! "We are working on a new album as you read this, shows are planned and will be announced soon. "This is more VISIONS OF ATLANTIS than the band ever was in the past years. "Nevertheless, sincere gratitude goes out to Mario Plank and Maxi Nil and we wish all the best to Martin Harb, Cris Tían! "Over the next days, we will post statements from our new and not so new members of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS. The former members Maxi Nil, Mario Plank, Cris Tían and Martin Harb will also issue statements through the official VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Facebook page but will reveal more detailed statements on their sites."
02 min read

ICED EARTH: New Video Teaser For Upcoming Album, Tour

Manos Spanos
Metal titans ICED EARTH make their triumphant return with the January 21, 2014 release of new studio album, "Plagues Of Babylon", on Century Media Records. The CD 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 BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch. The cover and additional artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, HATEBREED). A new teaser for the "Plagues Of Babylon" album and "Worldwide Plagues Tour" can be seen below. "Plagues Of Babylon" track listing: 01. Plagues Of Babylon 02. Democide 03. The Culling 04. Among The Living Dead 05. Resistance 06. The End? 07. If I Could See You 08. Cthulhu 09. Peacemaker 10. Parasite 11. Spirit Of The Times 12. Highwayman Songs 1-6 form the "Plagues Of Babylon" story line, part of the ongoing "Something Wicked" Universe 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. "This is a seriously heavy album with a seriously brutal album cover," says ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer of "Plagues Of Babylon". "I'm sure it will go down as a classic in the epic ICED EARTH catalog. "We feel that the package with SABATON and REVAMP is very strong and we are very excited to tour the U.S. and Canada again and kick some major ass!" "Plagues Of Babylon" album/tour teaser:
02 min read

KAMELOT: Official Footage From Oslo Concert

Manos Spanos
Behind-the-scenes and performance footage from KAMELOT's November 9 concert in Oslo, Norway during the band's recently completed European tour can be seen below. KAMELOT keyboardist Oliver Palotai sat out the band's North American tour so he could stay home with longtime girlfriend Simone Simons, (EPICA singer) as they awaited the birth of their first child. Filling in for him was Coen Janssen of EPICA. KAMELOT's latest album, "Silverthorn", sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74. "Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release with Tommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of). In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about what Karevik brings to the band: "I think when we knew we had to bring in a new person on vocals, we wanted the opportunity to grow the band, not just to maintain the band or survive. We wanted to look at this as an opportunity to make the band bigger, [and] I think with Tommy we can do that. Not only is he an exceptional singer, he's a great songwriter and he's way ahead of what I thought he would be in terms of being a frontman. People who come out to shows will see that this guy is a force to be reckoned with. I can't imagine a better choice, honestly. In the beginning, when this whole thing started, we were a little unsure of what the future might be, but now we're really excited about it."
02 min read

PHILIP ANSELMO: I Don’t Know Why VINNIE PAUL Is Scared Of Me

Manos Spanos
PANTERA/DOWN vocalist Philip Anselmo recently spoke to Loudwire about the moment he knew PANTERA was over and how he misses having a friendship with the band's drummer, Vinnie Paul Abbott. "It is unfortunate," Anselmo said about the rift between him and Vinnie Paul (see video below). "I am a music fan. I hate reading about fucking my favorite bands arguing or inner turmoil or anything like that, especially under these circumstances. It's kind of unfair to the fans. "I'm sick of the fence riding, or the fence in general, because it took all of us to break the band up. "The truth is, when I was doing terribly, and I realized that PANTERA was dissolving and [Vinnie Paul and PANTERA guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] had moved on and they were doing [a new band called] DAMAGEPLAN, the first thing I did was call Vince. And he was, like, 'Man, this is what we're doing.' He was actually pretty cool about it. And he said, 'It's good to hear from you.' And I said, 'What do you think, man? I wanna talk to Darrell.' He goes, 'Man, I don't know. He's really upset with you.' And I called [Darrell]. And he was short, he was to the point. He said, 'We're sick of waitin' for you. We're gonna go ahead and do DAMAGEPLAN.' And that day I knew PANTERA was over." Anselmo also spoke about whether there he has publicly tried to reach out to Vinnie Paul in an effort to bury the hatchet. He said: "There was no public attempt, really; it was just [me being asked about it in] interviews. It was really just interviews. "He's surrounded by security guards. Man, if I showed my face, Jesus Christ… "I don't know why he's scared of me. He's got this fear. I think it all comes from deep love, really. 'Cause when you love something, or somebody, so much and things go backwards, that if you love 'em that much, then eventually the word 'hate' comes in, and you can hate 'em even worse. So… "I know the dude loves me. I know he does. And I miss him." Anselmo was asked how he feels about hearing Vinnie Paul state over and over again in interviews that he is not interesting in having any kind of personal relationship with Philip and former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown. "I don't even pay attention to that," Anselmo replied. "I don't even know that that happened. I don't pay attention. He's the captain of his own ship — that's that — and I'm heading in my direction." Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Anselmo to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag, who was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004. Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo have not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.
03 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.