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Manos Spanos

ONSLAUGHT Frontman Says Reactions To New Album Have Been ‘Pretty Amazing’

Manos Spanos
Jim Rowland of Über Röck recently conducted an interview with vocalist Sy Keeler of British thrashers ONSLAUGHT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Über Röck: The new album, "VI", has had a pretty amazing reaction so far. I'd imagine you're rather pleased. Keeler: Yeah, of course we're pleased. All the reviews are saying, "Best thrash album of the year." Well, I bloody well hope so. We've had comments like, "Listening to 'VI' was like hearing'Master Of Puppets' for the first time," or "The best thrash album since 'Reign In Blood'" was another one. That's a compliment, so you never get tired of hearing compliments like that. They've all been pretty amazing. Über Röck: It's a really powerful album — the production is superb. Tell us about who produced it. Keeler: Thomas "Plec" Johansson is the man behind the production. He wasn't our first choice; we were gonna go with Jacob Hansen again, who did "Sounds Of Violence", but he wasn't available. He basically blew us out, because he was offered a bigger band. I don't even think it was a metal band, actually. He was going to make more money out of it, so he said, "Sorry, I can't fit you in." So we were disappointed about that, but our record company came up with Thomas Johansson. We listened to some of his work and it was, like, "Yes, this guy is very, very good." So we just took the plunge and went for it, and we have a fantastic production on the album — it's huge! The space he has managed to create and everything is crystal clear. It's a brutal mix, yet there's so much space. Über Röck: Talking about how good the album's sound is, the drums sound awesome on it. You have a new drummer for this album. Tell us about him. Keeler: Oh, yes! Well, Steve Grice left on the eve of a European tour on the back of "Sounds Of Violence", so he left around March of 2011. Jeff, our bass player, said, "I know a drummer who would probably do it" — Mic Hourihan from the death metal band DESECRATION. So he asked Mic if he could help us out on the European tour. So he said, "Yes," and ultimately he had eight days to learn an hour-and-fifteen-minute set, and not necessarily straightforward songs either. So he worked, and worked, and worked, and on the first show it was, like, "Wow, this guy's got something special here — we've got a great guy on board here." Every night, as he got to know the songs, he was just expanding on what he was doing, and I would turn round to him with a big beaming smile on my face — "Awesome!" After four shows, we were sat in a café, and I'd already had a chat to Nige [Rockett, guitar] about it, saying we should offer this guy something, see if he would be interested in joining us. So we were sat in a café in Sweden after a show and I said, "Mic, would you be up for joining the band full time? We're really impressed with what you've done." He had a big lump in his throat, and we thought he was going to cry, or say no! He was blown away, so Mic joined on that European tour, and we haven't looked back. He's such an explosive drummer, it's amazing. When I heard the finished product of the new album, it was, "Oh my God!" I was gobsmacked. So we have an awesome drummer on board, I'm pleased to say. He's reliable, consistent, his timekeeping is second to none and every night I still find myself turning round and smiling at him, because he's done something else!
04 min read

NIGHTWISH’s HOLOPAINEN Is ‘Super-Super Thrilled’ About FLOOR JANSEN’s Addition To Lineup

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Dutch web site Lords Of Metal recently conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH keyboardist/mainman Tuomas Holopainen. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Lords Of Metal: First of all, congrats on the new lineup! I think I speak for the entirety of the Netherlands when I say that we are thrilled to see Floor [Jansen, vocals] stay. Tuomas: Not as thrilled as we are! I'm super-super thrilled. We've been together for little bit over a year now, and it's going better and better. We all really like her personality, and her versatility when it comes to performance. Whenever I look at her on stage; it puts a big smile on my face when I see how much she enjoys what she's doing. So she's definitely born to do what she does. Lords Of Metal: Originally you wanted to wait until 2014 to make a decision for the new singer. What changed your mind? Tuomas: One very practical thing. It happened about a month ago, when I was writing down the credits for the DVD booklet, together with the thanks list. Then I came to the part where it said "NIGHTWISH is" and I just started to think about how to present Floor and Troy[Donockley]. "Guest singer on this DVD" sounded so silly. That's when I realized it would be better to give the news now; it would make everyone's life so much easier. We could then do the interviews and talk about this out loud. It's nice to have the worries off my back. The fans' reaction to all of this could not have been better. I did not hear one negative comment. There was one person though, crying over how she could do this to her mates in REVAMP. That's just a matter of scheduling, I think. Everyone has their side projects. Anyway, it's not the death of any band. Lords Of Metal: I'm sure she will figure that out, she's a smart cookie. Tuomas: [laughs] She will. And it's not like we forced her, she wants this. We already decided in June, after a festival in Finland. We went to her and carefully asked her how she would like to continue with us after the tour. She didn't have to decide right away, but she gave us a big smile, a big hug and a big yes! So that was already decided back then. Lords Of Metal: You've done a hell of a job of keeping us in the dark then! Tuomas: I hope we did! We just wanted to tour, have a good time, not make any drastic decisions. During the spring time, it was already clear to us we wanted her to stay, we just didn't know how she felt. But since I am hyping so much about her, and about our feelings for her staying, I don't want to diminish our previous times. We all had our big glorious moments with the other singers as well. This doesn't take anything away from them. In Finland, I recently read something about why it took us seventeen years to find the right singer, blah blah blah. I can't stand this kind of writing because Tarja [Turunen] and Anette [Olzon] were both excellent in their own ways, and it's just the most naive thing to say. I'm really relieved and happy to have Floor now, but this shouldn't have happened earlier. Things happen for a reason.
03 min read

METALLICA’s KIRK HAMMETT Says CARCASS Will Perform At His ‘Fear FestEviL’ Horror Convention

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Lifelong horror enthusiast and METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammettrecently spoke to Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about his first annual horror convention, dubbed Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEviL, which will take place February 6-8, 2014 at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California. You can now watch the chat below. Created to honor the weird, the wonderful, the eclectic, and the things that make your hair stand up on end, the heavy doors of collector/curator/historian/guardian Kirk Von Hammett's crypt will be opened to the public to display the finest acquisitions in his extensive collection of horror memorabilia which includes rare movie posters and props, costumes, models, masks, and toys from various eras. "I've always loved horror, I've always loved collecting, I've always loved weird and macabre things and I've always loved conventions," confessed Hammett. "So what could be better than having your own Fear FestEviL where ALL those great and crazy things can be enjoyed by like-minded people under one pretty cool roof?! Nothing!!! And because I've seen some conventions turn from back-room gatherings of like-minded dorks into mainstream hipster extravaganzas, rest assured that it's my intention to make this a great experience where all things horror, weird, and nerdy are celebrated! So come one and all!!!" Already confirmed to attend as panelists will be Slash, makeup FX legend Greg Nicotero ("The Walking Dead"), Tom Savini ("Dawn Of The Dead"), and John A. Russo ("Night Of The Living Dead"). Private "Crypt" tours, signing sessions, and musical performances by Nuclear Blast artistsCARCASS, DEATH ANGEL and ORCHID will also be included in the three-day event. Visit www.FEARFESTEviL.com for the latest information on horror's newest and coolest fan convention. In 2012, Hammett released "Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection", an oversized 228-page hardback book documenting his love of all things related to the horror genre and features more than 300 photos of items from the collection of horror memorabilia he has accumulated over the years. The book also included three lengthy interviews withHammett, who also wrote the captions for many of the photos. Hammett told the San Francisco Chronicle, "I've been into [horror] stuff since I was five years old . . . My love for this stuff is insane and totally obsessive-compulsive. It's just one of those things. I'm still waiting to outgrow it or get tired of it or get bored with it. But it does not seem to happen." Hammett, who has been collecting items and watching horror movies since he was a child, told Loudwire why he thinks the genre is so popular. He explained, "They're just fun. They're a fun experience. It's not unlike a roller coaster ride, you know? A good horror movie should have peaks and valleys, a good horror movie should move you emotionally, a good horror movie should be exciting to watch and energizing in a weird kind of way . . . horror movies deliver that." Hammett added, "I've always been attracted to the darker things in life. I was never one to go for light, airy stuff, even as a child. My whole aesthetic has always been one of the darker side. That rings true also in my tastes in music."
04 min read

MANOWAR Joins Forces With Hollywood Sound Design Specialist HAMILTON STERLING

Manos Spanos
After recently working with movie and theater legend Brian Blessed ("Hamlet", "Flash Gordon"), MANOWAR has teamed up with another Hollywood veteran, sound designer Hamilton Sterling, for the song "The Warrior's Prayer MMXIV" from the band's forthcoming album, "Kings Of Metal MMXIV". Blessed had recorded the epic narration earlier this year and called it "a brilliant piece of writing" and the collaboration with MANOWAR "completely miraculous and life changing." "Brian did a sensational job! He didn't just narrate the story. He performed it." said MANOWARbassist and producer Joey DeMaio. "When you listen to the narration, you feel like you are watching a short Hollywood movie. We instantly knew that we had to complement Brian's outstanding performance with sound effects of the same quality. We searched for another Hollywood heavyweight, and Mr. Hamilton Sterling was the perfect choice!" Sterling is a sound effects specialist with numerous credits, including action blockbusters like"The Dark Knight", "Men In Black 3", "War Of The Worlds" and "Master And Commander: The Far Side of the World", two of which won Oscars for Best Sound Editing. "My friend, the Grammy Award-winning audio engineer Rich Breen contacted me regardingMANOWAR's soundscape project 'The Warrior's Prayer MMXIV'," said Sterling. "In this case, a previously recorded narrative framework was in place, spoken by the excellent actor Brian Blessed, who I had seen as a young man in Robert Graves' 'I, Claudius'. His evocative performance was a marvel of emotion, and its dynamic range allowed me the space to move from the most quiet and ethereal sounds to full-on battle. His imaginative performance was an excellent guide, as was Mr. DeMaio's sense of story and direction." MANOWAR's "Kings Of Metal" album, a milestone in metal history, was first released on November 18, 1988, followed by a world tour in 1989. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of these events, MANOWAR will release a brand new special version of the album, "Kings Of Metal MMXIV", followed by t
02 min read

DEF LEPPARD Guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL: ‘I’m Officially In Remission’ From Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

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51-year-old DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma earlier in the year, has posted the following message on his Facebook page: "For anyone who gives a toss, after doing another PET scan and all the other follow-up tests, then getting a second opinion, etc., I'm officially in remission from Hodgies. That's the good news. The bad news is: I no longer have an excuse to not go to the gym." Campbell, who joined LEPPARD in 1992 after stints in DIO and WHITESNAKE, had been receiving chemotherapy since April. "I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of 'the cough that wouldn't quit,'" Campbell said earlier in the year. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system characterized by the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or immune tissue. "I did kind of want to not go public with it at first, because it is a weird kind of thing,"Campbell said in a June radio interview. "You've got to kind of learn to deal with it on your own terms before you can address the rest of the world about it. So, you know, I feel very comfortable going public about it. For the first couple months, I even tried to keep it from my children, because they were still in school and doing exams and stuff and I didn't want to add to their concerns. But after a while, it's inevitable that you, you know, something's going on and you have to kind of come out with it and kind of explain what the situation is. But I'm very comfortable with it. I'm very comfortable with the treatment. I'm very comfortable with how my body is reacting to it." Last month, DEF LEPPARD's recent Las Vegas extravaganza hit the silver screen for two nights. NCM Fathom Events together with AEG Live and Network Live brought DEF LEPPARD "Viva! Hysteria" concert to over 250 theaters across the country with a full front-to-back performance of 1987's multi-platinum "Hysteria" album — along with a healthy dose of the band's greatest hits.
02 min read

UFO Drummer ANDY PARKER Says He Misses Former Bassist PETE WAY

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Mark Kadzielawa of Illinois Entertainer recently conducted an interview with UFO drummerAndy Parker. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Illinois Entertainer: Since guitarist Vinnie Moore joined UFO in 2003, there's been a stability in the band. You're releasing an album every two years, and are very visible on the road. How did the dynamics change within the band since he's joined? Andy Parker: I wasn't in the band when he joined; I didn't come back until 2005. The last thing I did with UFO was the "Walk On Water" album, which was in 1994, and that was a great experience. I loved the album, but I didn't feel the band was stable enough for me to risk touring with them. I had other things going in my life. The thing about Vinnie is that he's a great guitar player, but he's a great stand-up guy. He's got kids. And if he says he's gonna go something, he goes ahead and does it. You can rely on him. If you go on tour with him, you pretty much know you're gonna finish the tour. And so many other people rely on you to pull through. It's not just the audience, but there's crew, the managers, the agents. With Vinnie, it's never been a problem, he does his thing, and he's a great player. Illinois Entertainer: UFO enjoys a very special relationship with Chicago audiences. What memories do you have from you very first appearance in the Windy City? Andy Parker: I think the first time we played in Chicago was at the Aragon Ballroom. We were opening the show, and it was T.REX and KISS. T.REX in the middle and KISS headlined. That's a crazy bill, but it was a great show. KISS were really nice, even though they scared the crap out of me. Gene Simmons is, like, 9 feet tall, and I didn't really know much about KISS until that time. They were very nice guys, and very welcoming. There was a real nice feel backstage, and it was a great gig. It was first of many great shows in Chicago. Illinois Entertainer: Many fans, myself included, miss bassist Pete Way in the band. His charisma was simply one of a kind. Pete left UFO back in 2008 due to illness and substance abuse. Now there are reports circulating that he's sorted himself out. Is there a chance to seePete again in UFO? Andy Parker: It's a difficult thing. Pete has been doing things. He's actually done a solo album recently. But what we need from Pete, and what he feels he can do, are two different things. When we parted company in 2008, he was sick, he had liver problems, and had serious substance-abuse problems. I for one would like nothing better than to see Pete clean up his act and come back. And if he did, and he proved it to Phil that he's really serious about it, there will be a place for him in the band. And I miss him. How could you not miss him? He's like a brother to me. And I do hear good things about Pete, but there is always two sides to every coin. The band is so good right now, and it's nice to know that we're gonna go out and play, and there's not gonna be any problems. Read the entire interview at Illinois Entertainer.
03 min read

SLAYER Albums To Be Reissued On Vinyl

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On December 10 (November 11 in the U.K.), American Recordings will reissue ten ofSLAYER's seminal albums on vinyl. All ten albums will be available individually and were remastered from the original analog flat master tapes and pressed on the highest quality, 180-gram audiophile vinyl. Albums include nine of SLAYER's studio recordings — "Reign In Blood"(1986), "South Of Heaven" (1988), "Seasons In The Abyss" (1990), "Divine Intervention"(1994), "Undisputed Attitude" (1996), "Diabolus In Musica" (1998), "God Hates Us All"(2001), "Christ Illusion" (2006), and "World Painted Blood" (2009), plus their live double-record "Decade Of Aggression: Live" (1991). Each title will feature the original album artwork, including reproductions of the original 12x12 inner sleeves. For the first U.S. run, 500 unmarked copies will be pressed on 180-gram, blood red, colored vinyl and randomly inserted and sold in stores as part of a "lucky dip." There will also be a very limited quantity of rare test pressings for each title that will be given away. Fans are encouraged to check SLAYER's official web site and social media outlets for further announcements and details. As American Recordings' owner and longtime SLAYER producer Rick Rubin put it, "SLAYER defines speed metal and these albums define SLAYER. Listen at your own risk."
01 min read

ICED EARTH Taps Former SLAYER/TESTAMENT Drummer JON DETTE

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For the remainder of ICED EARTH's European tour with VOLBEAT, Jon Dette (SLAYER,TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX) will sit behind the drums, taking over for Raphael Saini, who filled in during the summer festivals, the recording of ICED EARTH's new album, and the club leg of theVOLBEAT tour. "Raphael came in and helped us out of a tight spot this summer with a full schedule of festivals, a new album to finish, and no room for diversion on the schedule," said ICED EARTHin a statement. "He came in and delivered and we are very grateful for that. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours." Added Raphael: "When I had the chance to join ICED EARTH for their summer festivals and the new album, I couldn't say no: I was really excited even though I knew that it was going to be something temporary. "I am honored to be part of the band's history, an amazing album, and to have worked with some supremely talented musicians. My journey will continue, there's more to come." ICED EARTH earlier in the year parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons." The second leg of ICED EARTH's tour with VOLBEAT kicks off at O2 World in Berlin, Germany, tomorrow, November 6, and wraps at Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark on December 1. ICED EARTH will release its new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", in January 2014 via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor(TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR).
01 min read

TESTAMENT’s ALEX SKOLNICK: JEFF HANNEMAN’s Riffs Are ‘All Over’ SLAYER’s Iconic Tunes

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Peter Atkinson of Metal-Rules.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Alex Skolnick of San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Metal-Rules.com: The last time you toured with SLAYER, was Jeff Hanneman still with the band? Skolnick: The last time we toured with them, I think it must have been one of the last tours that Jeff did. Of course, no one knew that at the time. He hadn't developed his health issues so Gary [Holt, SLAYER's current touring guitarist] wasn't there yet, he was still going full-time with EXODUS, who we also toured with. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. That was 2010, and it was only 2011 when the "Big Four" shows happened and he [Hanneman] couldn't do those, which was such a shame. Metal-Rules.com: You wrote a very eloquent and well-circulated tribute to Hanneman after his death. TESTAMENT toured with SLAYER many times, but did you really know him that well or was that more to show respect for his talents? Skolnick: I never really knew him well at all. He was very difficult to get to know, actually. And I don't say that disrespectfully. Even close friends of his said it would take a long time to get to know him. Robb Flynn, a friend of ours from MACHINE HEAD, wrote that he'd toured with them, like, eight times and he still felt like he barely knew him. He kept to himself more. I don't think he related to many people — that was just the way he was — but he was a towering presence, no question. I wrote about him more from his reputation, which is tremendous. When you think about the music, the music is great and he is such a part of it. With all due respect to Kerry [King], when you take a look at the iconic SLAYER tunes, it'sHanneman's riffs all over it. Metal-Rules.com: I haven't seen anything about Chuck's [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] health in a long time, so I'm assuming no news is good news there and his health is good. How's the rest of the band holding up, since none of you are kids anymore? Skolnick: Yeah, thankfully, that's worked out really well. Chuck's been much better [after a battle with rare form of cancer in 2001]; he's been in great shape. Everybody in this band, knock on wood, is in relatively good health. I think as time goes on and you realize that you don't have as much free time as you once had, your perspective changes. Fortunately, most of us realize that and take better care of ourselves. I was always a lightweight when it came to alcohol and never really developed a taste for other substances, so I think that worked to my benefit. I was taking care of myself early on, and I would get a lot of funny looks, but it seems like now many people are catching up to me. Metal-Rules.com: TESTAMENT's been pretty busy, especially over the last few years, and just about everyone has at least one other band going on the side — notably Gene [Hoglan, drummer] with DETHKLOK and now, apparently, with DARK ANGEL again. Are you all finding you are able to balance TESTAMENT with the other things you want to do? Skolnick: That's been the toughest, I think, with Gene. I used to be the thorn in the side, with my trio shows and I was doing TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA for a long time. I narrowed it down to TESTAMENT, my trio [ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO] and a world music project I'm working on. But I have control over those, so I am able to let the chips fall where they may withTESTAMENT, because usually their shows are booked well in advance. Occasionally, there are some curveballs where we get last-minute things like festivals or something. I'm mostly able to work my activities around the TESTAMENT schedule. Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] and Chuck do their side projects [DRAGONLORD and DUBLIN DEATH PATROL, respectively] so sporadically that it never poses scheduling problems. With Gene, it got a little bit easier when he wasn't playing in FEAR FACTORY anymore, which happened last year. And theDETHKLOK shows are usually booked far in advance, so we can work around those. Occasionally, he'll have to miss a few dates, a friend of ours, Mark Hernandez fromFORBIDDEN, was able to fill in and it worked out. But with all of us, we really feel like the core lineup and we do everything that we can so the fans get to see this lineup. Read the entire interview at Metal-Rules.com.
05 min read

KREATOR’s MILLE: ‘We Sing About War, Death And Destruction, But We Always Try To Make It Complicated’

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Tom Murphy of Denver Westword recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Denver Westword: Obviously, KREATOR has explored many different styles and sounds during the course of its existence. You did something a little different in the '90s and went a different direction in the last decade. What do you think you did for "Phantom Antichrist" that you feel has been different from what you've done before? Mille: I think for "Phantom Antichrist", we combined all the styles you just mentioned. We started as a young band with teenage angst, I guess, then we did that early death-metal stuff, and then we did that "Coma Souls"-era [stuff] through the '90s. Then for our album in 2001, "Violent Revolution", we came up with a style that fit the new millennium. Even on"Phantom Antichrist", we took all of that to another level. I wouldn't want to say it's a "mature" album, but it has the energy without being too all over the place. It's 100 percentKREATOR — that's all I have to say. Denver Westword: War, destruction and the end of the world seem to be recurring themes across all of your albums. Why have those been such a rich source of inspiration for you? Mille: It's basically what we do. We've always done it, and we've stuck with it. It's not that there's nothing else to write about. Some of the lyrics are personal, but you can't really figure it out unless you take the time to check the lyrics. On the last album there is a song called"Flood Into Fire" which is not about death or destruction. It's a more personal song. But if you were to ask me the story behind the song, I couldn't even tell you. It's just a certain emotion about loyalty, friendship and whatever. We sing about war, death and destruction, but we always try to make it complicated. We try to put a positive message in there. When things are really, really bad, there can always be a way out of them. For me, the music of KREATORrepresents that. Denver Westword: In the '90s, you experimented more overtly with loops and atmospheres. What did you get out of that period, and have you incorporated it since then? Mille: We don't do that anymore. You know, the thing is, on one record we tried it, and we went so far into it that in order to make the songs sound right on stage, we had to play to a click in a live situation. That, to me, is not what KREATOR is all about. So the loops and the industrial elements were out. I love that style and that way of writing stuff, but KREATOR is pure metal, and we don't like to use a click track in a live situation. It didn't work. Denver Westword: How did you meet Sami Yli-Sirniö, and how would you say he complements what you do in the band? Mille: Sami was living in Germany for a while, and he helped us out at one point, when our old guitar player was sick and couldn't play a couple of shows. So Sami filled in, and when we got rid of the other guy, we felt that Sami would be the perfect fit. We were friends, and he helps me a lot when it comes to writing. I come up with the riffs, and I come up with all of the melodies, but he's the best musician in the band. I would definitely say that. He gives the whole KREATOR-raw-thrash thing a very unique taste, if you know what I mean. He sounds like no one else, and he puts his stamp on the guitar, and he comes up with little things that turn a good song into a great song. That's Sami's contribution to the band. Read the entire interview at Denver Westword.
04 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.