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Manos Spanos

AMON AMARTH: Official ‘As Loke Falls’ Lyric Video

Manos Spanos
The official lyric video for the song "As Loke Falls" from Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH can be seen below. The track comes off the band's ninth studio album, "Deceiver Of The Gods", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records. In Germany, "Deceiver Of The Gods" entered the Top 100 chart at No. 3, the official Media Market/Saturn chart at #3 and the German Media Control Weekend Trend chart at No. 2. "Deceiver Of The Gods" came in at No. 9 on Canada's Top 200 chart, No. 2 on the Hard Music chart and No. 21 on the Digital Music chart. Additionally, the record came in at No. 2 on the iTunes Metal chart, No. 2 on the iTunes Rock chart and No. 7 on the iTunes Top 200. In the U.K., the record entered the official album chart at No. 67, the Rock/Metal chart at No. 4 and the Independent chart at No. 14, marking the highest U.K. chart placements for the band yet. Elsewhere, "Deceiver Of The Gods" came in at No. 9 on the Top 100 album chart in Switzerland, No. 7 on the Austrian Top 100, No. 9 in Sweden, No. 27 in Denmark, No. 51 in France, No. 34 in Czech Republic and No. 51 in Hungary. Recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (OPETH, MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), "Deceiver Of The Gods" delivers ten fiery battle hymns made of buzzsaw riffs and epic harmonies all driven by vocalist Johan Hegg's commanding Viking roar and absorbing accounts of Norse crusades and treachery. "Deceiver Of The Gods" comes adorned with another outstanding Tom Thiel-created cover portraying a mythical battle between the Norse Gods Loki and Thor. As an added bonus,Messiah Marcolin (CANDLEMASS) makes an appearance as guest vocalist on eighth track,"Hel". AMON AMARTH will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in January. Very special guest on the dates will be ENSLAVED, with additional support from SKELETONWITCH.
02 min read

Report: Jucifer + Support Acts – Athens, Greece

Manos Spanos
Jucifer is a very special case of a band. Living in a tour bus and going around the world, playing on gigs 12 months a year is not something anybody can do. And luckily, thanks to CTS productions, we were able to see them for the first time in Greece this Saturday! I am going to throw a little spoiler in here for the rest of the report to say that the profit of the night were the two unbelievable Greek supporting bands. But let’s take it from the start. I was welcomed in the venue by the unbelievable sound of Korsikov’s guitars (no bass here, but it turns out that they did not need one to amaze us). I knew this band only from a nice stoner song (Liqweedator) that they had released in the infamous compilation “Miss fortune was a henhouse manager” by Spinaloga records, so I didn’t know what to expect from this band in terms of a live performance. Let’s just say that they are the best Greek band that I have seen live those two years that I’m attending concerts in Athens! Have you ever wondered how would it sound if Motorhead mixed with Weedeater? Or how would it sound if Buzzoven were playing on fire and had their sound channeled through a volcano? Well if you have, Korsikov are your guys! They nailed every sound the produced on stage, whether that was the opening psychedelic/stoner masterpiece named “ Intrabduction“ that I never wanted for it to end, or the more sludgy, groovy riffs that made my head go up and down, or their characteristic speedy parts, resembling High on Fire or Motorhead, that made my blood boil, or even their last crazy, pure crust, 50 seconds in duration song “ Baka Bagero“! Every member was full of energy, showing to the crowd that they do something they love, joking around and warming us up for what was about to follow. What is more, the drummer is a rabid dog and the lead guitarist/ singer sounds like he has swallowed Petrozza and Lemmy together. These guys were off the freaking grid, wherever they play again I’m bound to see them and so should you. Plus, any time now the will release some official material so be on the lookout! Then along came Earth of distrust, fresh from their latest release “Victimology”. I made an effort to estimate the influences of Korsikov before, but if I tried the same with them I’m quite sure my head would explode. The question about Earth of distrust is not “What do they play?”, it is “What don’t they play?”. An amalgamation of unrelenting doom/sludge riffs, with ambient elements and lots of crust passages (as it is proved from the Disrupt cover they played, “A life’s a life”!), bonding with perfect hardcore – and many times pure grind- vocals! If the Korsikov singer had swallowed Petrozza and Lemmy, this guy had swallowed a demon! There is no other way to explain the ferocity and rage emitting from his voice! I’m talking about face twisted and red, veins pumped, vocal chords in the verge of bleeding, the whole nine yards people! Excellent work from this band as well, they left me dazzled and trying to follow what they were doing, as each song was like a totally different story from the previous one (“How to handle a razor”, my oh my, what a song!). The singer kept stating that it was about time we all witnessed the mighty Jucifer, the opening bands and the fans as well and his wish did not take long to come true.
06 min read

LAMB OF GOD: ‘As The Palaces Burn’ 10th-Anniversary Documentary Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD will release a special 10th-anniversary edition of their "As The Palaces Burn" album on November 11. After some serious detective work tracking down the original album master tapes, the band went in with producer Josh Wilbur (who also produced LAMB OF GOD's "Wrath" and "Resolution" CDs) and gave "Palaces" a full-on, ass-kicking remix and remaster, front to back, top to bottom. The remixed version of "Palaces" is now how they had originally intended it to be. To go along with the album re-release, LAMB OF GOD also shot a brand new DVD documentary recounting the recording process and the stories behind the music which features new interviews with original producer Devin Townsend, the band members and current producer, Josh Wilbur. You can now stream the entire documentary at Qello. LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler comments: "We are lucky to have the opportunity, a decade after our first attempt, to bring what I consider to be our master work up to speed sonically. "Ever since the original release, we've been distraught about the sonic qualities of 'As The Palaces Burn'. "The band had captured lightning in a bottle and the budget limitation of a sophomore album turned our lightning into a firefly in a jar. "The songs are undeniable and we've always been very proud of how this album launched our career. It feels appropriate to revisit now that we can and give this very special album the chance to reach our original hopes and its true potential." "As The Palaces Burn" 10th-anniversary edition track listing: 01. Ruin
03 min read

VOIVOD Releases ‘Kluskap O’ Kom’ 7″ Single

Manos Spanos
Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD have released a new EP, "Kluskap O' Kom". The seven-inch single contains the studio album version of the title track as well as a live version of the same cut. Check out exclusive colors and packages at CM Distro. "Kluskap O' Kom" comes off VOIVOD's latest album, "Target Earth", which sold around 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was issued on January 22 via the band's own company, Iron Gang Factory, and Century Media. VOIVOD's previous album, "Infini", opened with around 840 units back in July 2009. "Target Earth" was recorded in early 2012 at Pierre Rémillard's (OBLIVEON, CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, MISERY INDEX) Wild Studio in a small town called St-Zénon in Quebec, Canada and was mixed by Sanford Parker (PELICAN, NACHTMYSTIUM). The follow-up to 2009's "Infini" contains the band's first music to be written with guitarist Dan Mongrain (MARTYR) following the passing of original axeman Denis "Piggy" D'Amour in 2005. The original art was once again drawn by drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and features color schemes from each one of the band's previous albums.
01 min read

TOM ARAYA: SLAYER’s Music ‘Is Going To Live Forever’

Manos Spanos
Nathan Smith of HoustonPress.com recently conducted an interview with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. A few excerpts from the chat follow below. On the May 2013 death of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman: Araya: "It was just as shocking to me. We all have issues with vices in life, but I didn't know they were to that extent with his health. It was a shocking thing to get a phone call saying, 'Hey, Jeff passed away this morning,' and I'm like, 'What?! I talked to him a few days ago, and everything was fine!'" On how Hanneman's death has changed his outlook on the band: Araya: "Before, there was always hope that [Hanneman] would return. It wasn't a question of returning, it was a question of when he was returning. After he passed and we went to Europe to do that tour maybe a month later, it was... it was different. People don't realize that he had a major creative role in this band and in this new music we called thrash metal. "I still find myself having to tell myself now that he's passed that he's not going to be a part of the band anymore. So it changes your attitude; it changes your mood about things. It changes your outlook on quite a bit." On whether SLAYER will continue beyond the current tour: Araya: "That's something that me and Kerry [King, guitar] have to sit down and communicate our thoughts about. I have my feelings and my thoughts, and I need to share them with Kerry. That's what's going to happen on this trip. We need to sit down and figure out what we want to do and how to move forward." On the likelihood of Jeff's leftover material being used on SLAYER's next album:
02 min read

SATYRICON: ‘Phoenix’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"Phoenix", the new video from Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON, can be seen below. The track features a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA. The performance footage for the "Phoenix" clip was filmed on September 8 at Den Norske Opera & Ballett in Oslo, Norway, where SATYRICON was joined by the 55-strong Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. "Phoenix" comes off SATYRICON's new, self-titled album, which sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. This is roughly in line with the opening-week performance of the band's previous CD, "The Age of Nero", which premiered with 1,700 units back in November 2008. "Satyricon" debuted at position No. 1 on the official chart in the band's home country — the first time one of the group's releases topped the chart in Norway. "Satyricon" also saw success internationally, debuting at No. 6 in Finland, No. 23 in Germany and No. 26 in Austria. By comparison, SATYRICON's previous studio album, "2008'a "The Age Of Nero", entered the chart at No. 5 in Norway and No. 73 in Germany.
02 min read

SAXON: ‘Unplugged And Strung Up’ Audio Samples Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Audio samples of several of the songs that will appear on SAXON's "Unplugged And Strung Up" album are available for streaming on the web site of the German music retailer JPC.de. "Unplugged And Strung Up", SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, will be released on November 18. The effort reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic SAXON songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Andy Sneap in Derbyshire, U.K. earlier this year, "Unplugged And Strung Up" contains re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized versions of "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Crusader" by introducing orchestral dynamics to offer added dimension. "Frozen Rainbow", from the band's 1979 debut, gets a stunning acoustic reprisal which transports it into a power ballad to be proud of, while "Red Star Falling" soars and sweeps the emotions with its orchestrally arranged dovetail. As if this reinvention wasn't enough, SAXON superfans and collectors can purchase a digipak version of the release which will include 2002's storming set of full-volume, pedal-to-the-metal re-recorded hits "Heavy Metal Thunder". Featuring staple SAXON stormers such as "Motorcycle Man", "Strong Arm Of The Law" and "Dallas 1pm", it is a quintessential part of any collection. The standard single CD of "Unplugged And Strung Up" will come in a jewel case, and a double-vinyl gatefold sleeve version of the release will also be available. The digipack will be a two-disc version of the release featuring the bonus disc "Heavy Metal Thunder", and there will be a digital release of the same. "Unplugged and Strung Up" track listing: 01. Stallions Of The Highway (remix) 02. Crusader (orchestral version) 03. Battle Cry 04. The Eagle Has Landed (orchestral version) 05. Red Star Falling (orchestral version) 06. Broken Heroes (orchestral version) 07. Call To Arms (orchestral version) 08. Militia Guard 09. Forever Free (re-recorded version) 10. Just Let Me Rock (re-recorded version) 11. Frozen Rainbow (acoustic version) 12. Iron Wheels (live acoustic version) 13. Requiem (acoustic version) 14. Coming Home (acoustic version) "Heavy Metal Thunder" track listing: 01. Heavy Metal Thunder
03 min read

SLIPKNOT Is Working On ‘Very Heavy’ New Music, Says COREY TAYLOR

Manos Spanos
Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with SLIPKNOTand STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor at the Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which was held this past Saturday night (November 9) at the historic Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The concert honored heavy metal legend, BLACK SABBATH's Geezer Butler, and featured an all-star band of rock luminaries performing BLACK SABBATH songs as a tribute to Butler. The performance culminated with Geezer joining the band for the finale. Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SLIPKNOT's next album, Corey said: "We're just getting demos together right now, and [we're] hoping to get into the studio in the summer next year. So very soon we're gonna start having stuff to get out to the people." Regarding how the new SLIPKNOT material is shaping up so far, Corey said: "It's very heavy. I mean, just based on the stuff that I've been demoing and the stuff that I've been working with [drummer] Joey [Jordison] on, it is, like… Honestly, it's like [2004's] 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)' meets [2001's] 'Iowa'. It's really dark, but there's some really good esoteric stuff to it, a lot of good melody without taking away from the heaviness. It's gonna be pretty rad." Taylor told ARTISTdirect in a recent interview about SLIPKNOT's forthcoming fifth studio album: "The stuff I'm writing right now is really dark. The stuff Clown [Shawn Crahan, percussionist] is coming with is beyond. It's going to be cool to get the alchemists in the same room and see what happens." Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio that the band is not setting any deadlines on itself for making the new disc. "Right now the only plan is go into the studio and see what happens," he said. "After that, it's up to us. But I mean, hopefully that tides everybody over, you know, just the fact that we are going to go into the studio and start seeing what we can see. 'Cause I know I've got some music that I've been working on, Joey's got a bunch of stuff, Jim's [Root, guitarist] got some stuff, Clown's always got a lot of really interesting musical ideas, so it'll be really cool to kind of see what happens." The new SLIPKNOT album will be the band's first without bassist Paul Gray, another key member of the songwriting team who died of a drug overdose in May 2010. Joey Jordison's side band, SCAR THE MARTYR, recently released its self-titled debut CD. Taylor and Root have spent the last three years with STONE SOUR recording and touring behind three full studio records, 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and the double concept album"House Of Gold And Bones", which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013. SLIPKNOT toured earlier this year and last summer.
03 min read

THRESHOLD Back In The Studio

Manos Spanos
British progressive metallers THRESHOLD are back in the studio working on the follow-up to 2012's "March Of Progress" for a 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. Comments THRESHOLD guitarist Karl Groom: "It's good to be working on a new THRESHOLDalbum and cut the time between releases. "Our touring for the 'March Of Progress' album inspired Rich [West, keyboards] and I to get writing not long after the main set of dates. "We want to thank everyone for their support during that time. I should add that other members of the band have also have been writing! "Right now I am tracking rhythm guitars and Johanne [James, drums] is due in the studio as soon as we put the finishing touched on a couple of songs. "Hopefully 2014 will be another memorable year for THRESHOLD." THRESHOLD's ninth studio album, "March Of Progress", was released on August 31, 2012 viaNuclear 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 frontmanDamian 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

NAPALM DEATH’s SHANE EMBURY, Producer RUSS RUSSELL Join Forces In TRONOS Project

Manos Spanos
TRONOS is the name of a project featuring Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) and producerRuss Russell (NAPALM DEATH, EVILE) alongside a slew of guest musicians, including drummer Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK), bassists Billy Gould (FAITH NO MORE) and Troy Sanders (MASTODON), and singer Silje Wergeland (THE GATHERING). The project, in whichEmbury and Russell both handle guitars, is currently seeking another singer "in the style of"Jaz Coleman (KILLING JOKE) to contribute most of the lead vocals on its forthcoming debut CD. Speaking to Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas for the "Metal Hammer" radio show onTeamRock Radio (hear audio below), Russ stated about how TRONOS came about: "[Shaneand I] been talking for years about doing a project, because we love CELTIC FROST. And then when TRIPTYKON [featuring CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior] came along, we were just, like, 'Ah, my God! This is fantastic! We need to do something like this.' But also crossed with… We have a great love of all things ambient and 'floaty,' like the COCTEAU TWINS. As much reverb and chorus and delay as you can put on a guitar as possible and make the most ethereal, floaty, beautiful sounds. [So we were, like], 'How can we combine those two things together?' So, for the past, I guess, around eighteen months, we've been coming up with ideas. We call it riff tennis — we have a guitar and we pass it backward and forwards. 'OK, your go. My go. Your go. My go.' I've gotta say he does hog the guitar than I do, because he's a riff machine, as it takes me a little bit more to come up with stuff. But it was really easy; it came together so simple."
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.