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Manos Spanos

SIXX Says It’s ‘Absolutely Not True’ MÖTLEY CRÜE Wanted BACH To Replace NEIL

Manos Spanos
MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has dismissed as "absolutely not true" Sebastian Bach's claim that the former SKID ROW singer was once asked to replace Vince Neil in MÖTLEY CRÜE. Neil was fired from MÖTLEY CRÜE in 1992 due to personal differences and was replaced by John Corabi. With Corabi on vocals, MÖTLEY CRÜE released one critically acclaimed full-length CD, which ended up being a commercial failure in the wake of grunge despite a Top-Ten placing on the album chart. Asked by a fan on Twitter if he was ever considered to replace Vince in MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bach replied that he was not just "considered" but that he was actually "asked" by CRÜE if he wanted to join the band as its new lead singer. He then added that the story of how close he came to becoming a member of MÖTLEY CRÜE might be included in his upcoming autobiography, which he is currently working on and for which he recently revealed that he had "a big offer from a big book company." When another fan pressed Bach on why the singer turned down the offer to join MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bach replied: "The short answer is that I actually thought at the time this band SKID ROW was better." Sebastian then added, "Gee, I sure know how to pick 'em." Speaking on a recent edition of his "Sixx Sense" radio show, Sixx addressed Bach's comments, telling his listeners: "I read something online. It's not true, and I wanna talk about it a little bit. "Sebastian Bach, who was the lead singer from SKID ROW — and I still think he should still be in SKID ROW, and I've talked to all of them about that many times; they just can't along — he says that MÖTLEY CRÜE wanted him to replace Vince Neil. And I'm just gonna say right now that is absolutely not true.
03 min read

EPICA Announces Special Album-Release Show

Manos Spanos
Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA will return to the stage on April 30, 2014 for an album-release show at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. After taking a break from the road due the pregnancy of lead singer Simone Simons, the release of a new concert DVD, "Retrospect", as well as the writing and recording of the band's upcoming CD, the sextet will put on a memorable show, with plans to perform both old and new songs. EPICA is currently finishing up the pre-production of the follow-up to "Requiem For The Indifferent", with plans to enter the studio in October with producer Joost Van Den Broek (the former AFTER FOREVER and AYREON keyboard player who has previously worked with REVAMP and STREAM OF PASSION). To make the album-release show even more special, EPICA's fans will not only be able to purchase regular tickets, but there will be two exclusive bundles available for this event. The first bundle contains a signed version of the upcoming album and the second, larger bundle will consist of a goodie bag, containing a signed copy of the upcoming album, an exclusive T-shirt, flag, lanyard, VIP laminate and a limited-edition poster. Tickets and bundle for this show will go on sale Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 10:00 CET through Ticketmaster.nl. There will be special "early-bird" tickets available at reduced price. This offer is valid until September 28, 2013. EPICA celebrated its 10th anniversary with a one-night-only event, dubbed "Retrospect", on March 23 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The band was accompanied by the seventy-piece Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra and the Miskolc National Theatre Choir, playing an unforgettable three-hour best-of set.
02 min read

SHADOW GALLERY’s ProgPower Europe Festival Performance To Be Filmed For DVD Release

Manos Spanos
SHADOW GALLERY's performance at this year's edition of the ProgPower Europe festival — which is scheduled to take place October 4-6 at JC Sjiwa in Baarlo, Netherlands — will be professionally filmed by eight cameras for a future DVD release. Comment the festival organizers: "We are extremely excited about a new milestone in the history of ProgPower Europe. The performance of SHADOW GALLERY on Friday evening October 4 will be recorded. The show will be filmed by eight cameras with the intention to officially release as a DVD some day in the future. "To make this all happen, some improvements have been made inside the venue JC Sjiwa. We will rent stage barriers to give two cameramen enough space between the stage and the crowd. Different sizes of drum and keyboard risers will be rented as well, to make it visually attractive. Our own sound guy Niels, who is also the permanent sound guy of Dutch band DEWOLFF, will take care of the sound. He invited the permanent light engineer of DEWOLFF to take care of the lights during this show. "As you can see, we try to do everything possible to make this an evening we will never forget, with hopefully an official DVD release someday in the near future." Adds SHADOW GALLERY's Gary Wehrkamp: "The band captured some of our last tour, and will do the same again at ProgPower Europe so we can share the show. "Our setlist has a changed a bit and we are excited to throw in some new songs, including some exclusive tunes for ProgPower Europe.
02 min read

DREAM THEATER Guitarist: MIKE MANGINI ‘Can Do Things On The Drums That Nobody Else Can Do’

Manos Spanos
In a brand new interview with Grammy.com, guitarist John Petrucci of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER spoke about what fans can expect from the band's forthcoming, self-titled album, which is set for release on September 24 via Roadrunner Records. "I think it's really hard to describe music without alienating somebody," he said. "You can say that this album sounds a lot heavier, and people would say that sucks. Some people might be really happy about that. Or you could say it's a lot more melodic, and people could get mad like you said. To me, that mentality where it's one or the other drives me nuts. "To give you an example as a guitar player, there has always been this argument, like these two sides where guitar players can only be technical or play with feeling; it's one or the other. But to me, that makes no sense whatsoever. My favorite guitar players have both. Just because you have developed the craft on your instrument doesn't mean that you don't have the ability to be expressive emotionally on that instrument, or vice versa. Just because something is melodic or catchy doesn't mean that it doesn't have depth and substance and progressive sensibilities. Just because something is very technical or heavy doesn't mean that it's not melodic. You know what I mean? To me, it's not one or the other. That's part of the progressive spirit, that's part of the spirit of DREAM THEATER — we try to keep all of those elements in mind when we write." Petrucci also discussed how involving drummer Mike Mangini in the writing process for the first time affected the sound of the new album. "[Mike] was amazing in the studio," Petrucci said. "After getting to know him and recording [our previous studio album] 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' with him [and] then going on tour for 15 months, we spent so much time together as a band and played so many shows, we really got to know Mike Mangini, the person and the drummer. So by the time he got to the studio with us [again], everybody was comfortable and relaxed. We had this incredible musical chemistry, and because of that, it was just a real natural and creative environment. He was able to come in, not as the new guy anymore, but as an established guy and share his ideas in a really respectful way and help us take the music even further.
02 min read

MEGADETH Mainman Defends ‘Super Collider’, Rules Out Reunion With FRIEDMAN And MENZA

Manos Spanos
In a brand new interview with the Las Vegas Sun, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke about the reaction to the band's latest album, "Super Collider", and his plans for the follow-up effort. "A record is that — a record, a piece of time," Mustaine said of the fan response to "Super Collider". "I was going through a lot of really cool stuff with the band, but a lot of really heavy, personal stuff with my mother-in-law's Alzheimer's. So people like some songs, don't like others, and that's always been the way with MEGADETH's fans. They're opinionated. "I think when you have a band that doesn't really follow a set formula, people are going to react to certain songs and not to other songs. I mean, the very first song we ever did, we started with piano. Who would've ever thought that?" Regarding the recent reports that MEGADETH has already begun work on the material for the next CD, Mustaine said: "I do want to continue to write. I think it's fun to write songs and as a musician, sometimes you've got something stuck in your soul that you gotta get it out. "['Forget To Remember' on 'Super Collider'] is this whole process of watching this loved one in my family just melt in front of your eyes; it's hard. It really, really challenged what I was made of; she's still alive, but she's not there anymore. And how do you put that in a song if it's not going to be a sad song? It'd be pretty fucked up to make a happy song about something tragic. "So, yeah, we always have a lot of stuff we want to write about. I think it comes in due time. We're always picking up the guitar and making noises, sometimes it's a cool riff, and you're 'tape that real quick,' and other times it's 'stop.' [laughs] And that's the great thing when you're close like we are. We're four guys who are really, really close, and I can't tell you how many times I've gone into the jam room and told Chris [Broderick, MEGADETH guitarist] to knock it off, and he'll do the same solo for an hour and a half straight. It's Chinese water torture. [laughs]
03 min read

AVENGED SEVENFOLD Singer Responds To MACHINE HEAD Frontman’s ‘Covers Album’ Critique

Manos Spanos
AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows claims that he isn't bothered by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's criticism of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's new album, telling a radio station in Canada that "everyone should be entitled to say whatever they want." In a lengthy critique of "Hail To The King" at MACHINE HEAD's Facebook page, Flynn wrote that the new AVENGED disc is a "blatant jackery" of material from other acts. Flynn didn't pull any punches, writing, "Congratulations to AVENGED SEVENFOLD on their latest 'covers album' coming in at #1. Who knew that re-recording METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, and MEGADETH songs could be such a worldwide hit!!?? Ba-dap Psssssss!!" The singer/guitarist went on to list his "Top 10 jokes about the new AVENGED SEVENFOLD record," starting with Number 10: "AVENGED SEVENFOLD — Now with even MORE METALLICA. " For Number Seven, Flynn wrote, "Eyeliner sales skyrocket as thousands of heartbroken goth girls realize 'Hail To The King' is actually 'that ugly AC/DC band's song 'Thunderstruck'." It was back to METALLICA for Number Three, as Flynn wrote, "'Black album' sales skyrocket as fans realize where new songs came from." And at Number Two, he fired off, "After hearing AVENGED's GUNS N' ROSES cover 'Doing Time', Axl actually calls Slash, says, 'Dude, what the fuck?!'" Flynn maintained that he was just having some fun with AVENGED in his critique, saying he was "happy" for the band's success and adding, "While I like the new record, and really dug the last record 'Nightmare' . . . It's time to poke a little fun at A7X."
04 min read

MOTÖRHEAD: First ‘Aftershock’ Single Revealed

Manos Spanos
MOTÖRHEAD has selected "Heartbreaker" as the first single from its upcoming 21st studio album, "Aftershock". "Aftershock" will be released as a an official Classic Rock collectors fanpack that features the new LP in full plus a 132-page magazine that forms the "ultimate sleevenotes" to the new release, with extensive and exclusive interviews with Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell. Pre-order your copy now at this location (official on-sale date is October 21). Inside is everything you need to know about "Aftershock" and the world of MOTÖRHEAD in 2013: inside the making of album, new features covering all eras of the band's career from 1975 to 2013, and tons of previously unseen pictures. Fanpack edition includes: * New album "Aftershock" * 132-page magazine * Giant double-sided poster * Exclusive MOTÖRHEAD car sticker Plus, if your order is placed before 12:00 (GMT) on Monday, September 23, your 100% official collector's fanpack will come with an exclusive personalized poster featuring your name. "Aftershock" track listing:
03 min read

LACUNA COIL Begins Recording New Album

Manos Spanos
Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL have entered the studio with producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) to begin recording their new album for an early 2014 release via Century Media Records. After the first days of recording, the band is already happy with the magic happening in the studio. Cristina Scabbia (vocals): "I am so excited to work on new stuff… "I am sure a lot of people will be mesmerized by the cinematic vibe of the new album that's underway. "I'm very happy to have the chance to work with Jay. Not only is he a pro in what he does, but I am just loving the fact we are going to experiment with new sounds and are getting a different point of view about our art. We're swamped with the music already... 'LACUNA COIL is back, baby!!!”
02 min read

WATAIN Frontman: ‘I Like To Think Of Our Live Shows As Being A Mystical Experience’

Manos Spanos
Toby Cook of The Quietus recently conducted an interview with Erik Danielsson of Swedish black metallers WATAIN. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. The Quietus: So the new album is due out next month. To say that it's a radical departure is perhaps overstating it, but certainly even compared to "Lawless Darkness", there is certainly, I think, a marked progression. Was it always the intention to create something that was so much more expansive and what were some of the challenges? Erik Danielsson: I never really compare album to album like that — we never have — and I think that one of the most common things that people say when we release a new album is, "Oh yeah, it sounds very different." So with that being said, progression has always been an inevitable part of this band. The whole idea of WATAIN and our artistic journey, so to speak, has been to go into the unknown, to explore the unknown within yourself, to go deeper and deeper into yourself, and that is something that we are getting better and better at and it's happening perhaps more radically the older we get and the more we progress as artists. So that's why I assume that the leaps between the albums are maybe getting bigger somehow, y'know? I mean, it's really not something that we think a lot about when we are composing, but now I have to try to analyze it a bit when I'm doing interviews about and I'm doing it interview-to-interview so you'll have to excuse me if I sound a bit abstract sometimes — but it's a very interesting journey, going deeper and deeper. The
05 min read

JON OLIVA Says SAVATAGE Was One Of First Progressive Metal Bands

Manos Spanos
Greg Prato of Songfacts recently conducted an interview with Jon Oliva (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, JON OLIVA'S PAIN). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Songfacts: Would you agree that SAVATAGE was one of the first-ever true prog metal bands? Jon: Absolutely. No doubt about it. I think that really started with "Hall Of The Mountain King", but then definitely from "Gutter Ballet" on, we definitely expanded. We had done three or four records that were basically the same, except for "Fight For The Rock", which we don't count. That's like the red-headed stepchild. But yeah, we started going that route, definitely with "Gutter" and "Streets". I had never heard of the term prog rock until a few years ago. I didn't know what it was. Back in 1987 I don't remember that term being around. Was it? Songfacts: The only other band that may have been described that way is maybe QUEENSRŸCHE, but I really don't remember them being described like that around the time that also SAVATAGE was around, back in '87. Jon: Yeah, it's weird. I'm wondering when that prog base first started popping up as a new genre. I've got to check that out. That's going to bother me all day now. I want to know when the first time someone said "prog rock." Songfacts: I think DREAM THEATER may have been the first band to be called prog metal. Jon: If you really think about it, the first prog-type band was probably ELP. But I see what you're saying. DREAM THEATER to me, I like that band a lot. I think the drummer is amazing, just too many solos for me. I can't help it, man. They're great players. You can't take away the talent. These guys are unbelievably talented. Some of those solo sections are just like, "Okaaaay," but great band. People like 'em, so people like 20-minute guitar solos.
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.