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Manos Spanos

NECROPHOBIC: ‘Furfur’ Lyric Video Released

Manos Spanos
Cult Swedish black/death metal act NECROPHOBIC will release its seventh full-length album, "Womb Of Lilithu", on October 29 (four days earlier in Europe) via Season Of Mist. A digital single featuring the new song "Splendour Nigri Solis", taken from the forthcoming CD, was released exclusively through Spotify on August 19 (September 3 in North America). "Womb Of Lilithu" track listing: 01. Womb Of Lilithu 02. Splendour Nigri Solis 03. Astaroth 04. Furfur 05. Black Night Raven 06. The Necromancer 07. Marquis Phenex 08. Asmodee 09. Marchosias 10. Matanbuchus 11. Paimon 12. Opium Black 13. Infinite Infernalis 14. Amdusias The official lyric video for the song "Furfur" can be seen below. A Swedish appeals court last week reduced the prison sentence for NECROPHOBIC vocalist Tobias Sidegård, who was accused of beating his wife multiple times between September 2011 and April 2013. Sidegård was originally sentenced to 18 months in prison for "gross violation of a woman's integrity," and offense that was first introduced into the Penal Code in 1998 dealing with repeated punishable acts directed by men against women who have or have had a close relationship with the perpetrator. On September 20, the Svea appeals court found Sidegård guilty of simple assault — a less serious offense than "gross violation of a woman's integrity" — and reduced his prison sentence to six months. The musician was also ordered to pay his wife 16,000 Swedish kronor (approximately $2,500) in damages plus interest. Sidegård previously denied all charges through his attorney, claiming that the injuries suffered by Tobias' wife that were described in the indictment occurred in "other ways" than through physical abuse perpetrated by the musician. Tobias sent an e-mail to the Metal Insider and MetalSucks web sites earier in the month insisting that he was "set free after second appeal in higher court." "I've been fucking innocently accused and never hit a woman in my life," he wrote. The other members of NECROPHOBIC released a statement three weeks ago in which they declined to comment on the allegations against their singer — pointing out that the legal process was still "ongoing" — but stressed that they did "not condone domestic violence." In 2011, NECROPHOBIC was joined by guitarists Robert Sennebäck (DISMEMBER, UNLEASHED) and Fredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED). The band's current lineup is as follows: Joakim Sterner - Drums Tobias Sidegård - Vocals Alexander Friberg - Bass Robert Sennebäck - Guitar Fredrik Folkare – Guitar
03 min read

SATYRICON: ‘The Infinity Of Time And Space’ Lyric Video Released

Manos Spanos
The official lyric video for the song "The Infinity Of Time And Space" from Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON can be seen below. The track comes off the band'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 has topped the chart in Norway. "Satyricon" has also seen 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. Comments SATYRICON vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven: "SATYRICON fans have shown that there is still room for authentic music with an analog sound. They have shown it to the degree that it has given us formidable chart positions in very competitive European markets and in Norway a Number 1 record. It is the most important record that we have done and now our fans are clearly sending out a very strong message by getting behind it. We are very thankful and proud." "Satyricon" was recorded in Norway between January and May 2013 and was produced by Satyr. Mixing took place in Seattle by Adam Kasper and Satyr.
02 min read

CARCASS: New, Previously Unreleased Song ‘Zochrot’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
A new, previously unreleased song from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS was made available through Decibel magazine's Flexi Series. "Zochrot" was included in the subscriber version of the magazine's October issue. You can now stream the track at this location. A limited number (fewer than 30) of copies of the issue that includes the flexi is available for sale in the Decibel webstore. CARCASS' new album, "Surgical Steel", sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on September 16 in the U.K., September 13 in the rest of Europe and September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY). Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS' current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON). In a recent interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new CARCASS CD: "We think we've made a good album, so it's gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can't wait to see what people think." He continued: "It sounds like CARCASS. Even the drumming sounds like CARCASS. Everything about it… I think it's gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it's got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that's all I can say, really, 'cause we don't really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like CARCASS, I think it's good."
03 min read

DEATH ANGEL: New Song ‘Fallen’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
"Fallen", a brand new song from San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL, can be streamed at DeathAngel.us. The track comes off the band's seventh album, "The Dream Calls For Blood", which will be released on October 11 in Europe (except for the U.K. where it will arrive three days later) and October 15 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Relentless Retribution" was recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER), and once again features cover art by Brent Elliot White (JOB FOR A COWBOY, CARNIFEX, WHITECHAPEL). Fans will be able to purchase a standard jewelcase version of the album or digipak edition that includes a bonus track and bonus DVD. "The Dream Calls For Blood" track listing: 01. Left For Dead 02. Son Of The Morning 03. Fallen 04. The Dream Calls For Blood 05. Succubus 06. Execution - Don’t Save Me 07. Caster Of Shame 08. Detonate 09. Empty 10. Territorial Instinct / Bloodlust 11. Heaven And Hell (digipak bonus track) Digipak bonus DVD * The Making Of "The Dream Calls For Blood" In a recent interview with Metal Covenant, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany stated about the "The Dream Calls For Blood" album title: "The title is basically our motto. It's what we're talking about, you know. In our point of view the dream being our band and keeping the band going and making music for your life. The blood is all the sacrifice and all hard work that goes into it and that's the metaphor for that. It's not only meant for music. It's also meant for other people to relate in their own life and goals that they're trying to achieve and the sacrifices that it takes to achieve these goals. And along with that, there's also a tinge of aggression in there about other people that cut corners and don't quite go through all the steps it takes to achieve the goal the right way. So there's a little bit of a middle finger to those people that go about it that way and don't fully respect what it takes." DEATH ANGEL's North American headlining tour in support of "The Dream Calls For Blood" will kick off on October 18 in San Francisco. Support on the trek will come from 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, BATTLECROSS, REVOCATION and DIAMOND PLATE. "We are so excited to announce this upcoming tour," commented DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda.
04 min read

SLASH Gets His Own Burger

Manos Spanos
Umami Burger, with locations in Oakland, San Francisco, Miami and New York City, has collaborated with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) to create his own hamburger. Tattooed with a big "U" on the bun, the Slash Burger contains shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, American cheese, avocado spread, and wasabi aioli, served with a Parmesan cheese crisp. The Slash Burger costs $15, with one dollar going to Los Angeles Youth Network. It is available at 20 Umami locations now until November 27. For more information, visit Umami.com.
00 min read

GHOST: ‘Secular Haze’ Pro-Shot Performance Clip From New York City

Manos Spanos
Professionally filmed video footage of Swedish occult rockers GHOST performing the song "Secular Haze" live on May 11 at Webster Hall in New York City can be seen below. A nameless ghoul stated: "Playing in New York will always feel very special for us, since it was the first city in the U.S. that embraced us. Every time we play there, it marks another step up for us — going from filling up the basement at Webster Hall, to filling up the Bowery to finally play at sold-out Webster Hall. We simply love New York." GHOST's sophomore album, "Infestissumam", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves". In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect, a nameless ghoul from GHOST said about "Infestissumam": "It feels way more theatrical and bombastic. In many ways, 'Infestissumam' is thematically a continuation of where [the debut album] 'Opus Eponymous' began. Whereas a lot of the thematic ideas we have in mind for upcoming albums might differ a little bit and will go in another direction. That's not to say we won't sing about the things we do and not have makeup. I'm just saying it will evolve into other things in the future. On this record, I feel like we're doing a lot of things we intended to do on the first naïvely being we could pull off a show like that at that point — which we couldn't. Now, we have a little bit more muscle. The attendance is probably more in accordance with being able to present a show like that." Regarding the lyrical themes covered "Infestissumam", the nameless ghoul said: "Thematically we knew the major difference between the first and the second albums as much as we do between the second and the third. It's a bit ironic now. Jumping up to the contemporary controversy with our album artwork and the refusal of printers to print the art is funny because the whole record is about the presence of the devil. Obviously, it's about how mankind relate to the presence of the devil. Historically, it's always been the female body that has taken the fall for that, which is what happened in this case. The problem was a vagina in the art not the inverted crosses."
02 min read

TRIVIUM’s MATT HEAFY Says There Isn’t Enough Of A Brotherhood Within The Metal Scene

Manos Spanos
U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine recently asked guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy of Florida metallers TRIVIUM to give us his thoughts on the state of metal in 2013. As ever, his answer was an interesting one. Check out the clip below. "The state of metal in 2013… It's in a great place and it's also in a bad place," Heafy began. "I think the fact that there is so much… I guess to each his own, and I always talk about being acceptant of all styles of life and all genres of music — I mean, you can learn something from everything — there is a lot of manufactured nonsense out there. "For me, when I think of hardcore and I think of metal and I think of bands that I love from those genres… I don't know. In my head, I know what they should sound like. And I can see what these bands are all copycatting off each other's copycatting and not quite making anything original and not making anything of their own; they just keep copying a form of a copy. "I know I've been looking for that young, new metal band. "Where are the kids that are picking up a guitar, saying, 'Hey, I wanna be like IRON MAIDEN,' 'Hey, I wanna be like METALLICA'? Instead it's bands that are putting weird dance music in with heavy music. Which is fine — I guess they're doing something that kids love — but for me, as a metal fan, I'm missing out on where are the young kids picking up a guitar and starting metal bands. I guess there are a few last hopes out there — there are some really incredible bands that are doing some really incredible things. The fact that METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN are bigger than ever is a really, really great thing.
03 min read

ICED EARTH: ‘Plagues Of Babylon’ Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed

Manos Spanos
North American metallers ICED EARTH will release their new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", for a January 2014 via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR). Says ICED EARTH vocalist/guitarist Jon Schaffer: "This is a seriously heavy album with a seriously brutal album cover. I'm sure it will go down as a classic in the epic ICED EARTH catalog." "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 Speaking to Metal4 magazine at the Rockharz open-air festival in Germany in July, Schaffer said about the upcoming CD: "It's a bit of a different thing for us, because it's half of a concept and the other half is [standalone] tracks. Musically, I think it's just another step in the right direction. It's really heavy, it's very melodic. It has a really epic feeling. Even though there isn't, like, a monster, long epic track, the overall feel of the songs is very epic. I mean, there's no 'Dante's Inferno' or 'Gettysburg' or the 'Something Wicked' trilogy or something like that on here, but I'm really happy with it." ICED EARTH recently parted ways with drummer Brent Smedley for "personal family reasons." He has since been replaced by Raphael Saini (CHAOSWAVE). ICED EARTH has been hitting it relentlessly, with the recent studio album, "Dystopia", being the most toured album in the band's illustrious history.
02 min read

SLAYER Is ‘Definitely Working On New Music’

Manos Spanos
Mitchell Peters of Billboard.biz recently conducted an interview with Scott Sokol, SLAYER's booking agent at Pinnacle Entertainment for the past 15 years. Asked if there were ever discussions about taking a break from touring after the May 2013 death of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, Sokol said: "I think if it happened while they were on tour it might've been different. But Jeff hadn't been [touring] with the band for close to three years at this point. So it wasn't like [Hanneman's replacement] Gary Holt [of EXODUS] was new to the equation. At the time of Jeff's passing, Gary had been in the band for two and a half years. It wasn't going to help anybody to cancel what they were doing. The band likes to go out there and play. Not that I'm a counselor, or anything, but I think part of the way they deal with things is to do what they love. And they love to go out there and do their thing." Sokol also spoke about how SLAYER's live show has changed since Gary Holt joined the band to replace Jeff Hanneman. "I don't think they've really missed a beat there," he said. "There's no replacement for Jeff. Gary doesn't replace Jeff, who is a legend unto himself. But Gary Holt, to a degree, is also that. He's just a little different
03 min read

MIKE PORTNOY Says ADRENALINE MOB Was ‘Not Growing Fast Enough’

Manos Spanos
Journalist and musician Barbara Caserta of Italy's Linearock conducted a 30-minute video interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) prior to THE WINERY DOGS' concert at Live Club in Trezzo sull'Adda, Milan, Italy. You can now watch the chat below. Asked what led to his departure from ADRENALINE MOB, the band featuring Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X) and Mike Orlando (guitar), Portnoy said: "I'm very proud of the album I made with ADRENALINE MOB and I think that there was really a great chemistry there; it was a great band. I was definitely behind it. I spent two years of my life developing it and trying my best. But at the end of the day, I came out of DREAM THEATER wanting to do a lot of different things, and I wasn't ready to commit exclusively to any one band. I had just spent 25 years with one band — and side projects, obviously, but committed to one band. And I said right from the beginning I was gonna plant many different musical seeds and see which grew, and that would kind of dictate where I would go and what I would do. And I spent a good solid two years giving my all to ADRENALINE MOB. But it only blossomed a little; I kept waiting for it to truly blossom and waiting for touring opportunities to come around, which never happened, and waiting for certain things to happen that never happened, so when it came time for them to start to want to do a new record, it's, like, well, I have five months of THE WINERY DOGS dates on the calendar, so I had to make a decision; I couldn’t be in two places at the same time. Luckily, up until now, I've been able to juggle all these different things and make the schedules work out, but finally it came to a head where it's, like, 'OK, do I do a record with ADRENALINE MOB or do I tour with THE WINERY DOGS?' And it's, like, well, ADRENALINE MOB is not really growing fast enough. I don't have time to get into a van and play to a hundred people a night for the next ten years to develop this when I have other opportunities and things like THE WINERY DOGS and other things that are offering opportunities and situations that I need to follow through with. So I haf to make a decision, and one shoe had to drop, and unfortunately, it happened to be ADRENALINE MOB."
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.