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Manos Spanos

OBITUARY Preparing To Hit The Road, Enter The Studio

Manos Spanos
Florida death metal veterans OBITUARY will bring their brutal wares to the stage this fall on a short series of live assaults. The tour begins with a pair of back-to-back shows at Brooklyn, New York's Saint Vitus Bar on October 9 and 10, before flattening nine more venues through October 20. Having been holed up in their own Redneck Studios the last few weeks penning the follow-up to 2009's punishing "Darkest Day" full-length (2009), OBITUARY's upcoming shows serve as a temporary writing break. Elaborates drummer Donald Tardy: "We have been busting our asses in the studio, having a blast and writing new material. Twelve songs are done and ready to be recorded but we want a monster album for our fans so we are working on a few more to make this record huge! We will continue writing until October when we will take a break from the studio and new music and go destroy the Trois-Rivieres Metalfest with HATEBREED and crush the U.S." OBITUARY tour dates: Oct. 09 - St. Vitus - Brooklyn, NY Oct. 10 - St. Vitus - Brooklyn, NY Oct. 11 - American Legion - Allentown, PA Oct. 12 - Trois-Rivieres Metalfest - Trois-Rivieres, QC [info] Oct. 13 - Presidents Club - Boston, MA Oct. 15 - Beale Street - Indianapolis, IN Oct. 16 - Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI
02 min read

CARCASS: Entire ‘Surgical Steel’ Album Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
"Surgical Steel", the new album from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, can be streamed in its entirety in the YouTube clip below. "Surgical Steel" will be 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). "Surgical Steel" will be available on several collectible formats, which can now be ordered with or without an exclusive t-shirt design here. 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). CARCASS' first studio LP since 1996's "Swansong" will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen. 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."
05 min read

THE GATHERING: ‘Echoes Keep Growing’ Song Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING will release their new 43-minute album, "Afterwords", in September on CD, vinyl and other formats. In addition to the three songs that originally appeared on the "Afterlights" EP in 2012, the new disc contains two fresh "Disclosure" remakes as well as three brand new THE GATHERING tracks and a cover version of a song called "Areas". The album's title track, "Afterwords", features a guest appearance on vocals by founding THE GATHERING member Bart Smits and it "shows the 'other' side of Bart's dynamic voice," according to the band. Contributing "great trumpet parts" to the CD once again is Noel Hofman. "Afterwords" track listing: 01. S.I.B.A.L.D. 02. Echoes Keep Growing 03. Afterwords 04. Tuning In, Fading Out 05. Areas 06. Gemini III 07. Afterlights 08. Sleep Paralysis 09. Bärenfels The song "Echoes Keep Growing" can now be streamed in the YouTube clip below. THE GATHERING has scheduled shows in The Netherlands, Norway and France in November. This will mark the band's first time playing in Norway since 2001, and the first THE GATHERING show for singer Silje Wergeland — who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI — on her home turf.
01 min read

ALICE IN CHAINS: ‘Voices’ And ‘The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here’ Videos Released

Manos Spanos
ALICE IN CHAINS' videos for the songs "Voices" and "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" can be seen below. Both tracks appear on the band's fifth studio album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", which sold 62,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. The disc follows up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", which was the group's first all-new collection of material in 14 years. That CD opened with 126,000 units back in October 2009 to debut at No. 5. ALICE IN CHAINS was last in the Top Two with its self-titled 1995 set, which debuted at No. 1 on that year's November 25 chart, according to Billboard.com. It would be their final studio release with singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002. "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is ALICE IN CHAINS' second album with William DuVall on vocals. DuVall began touring with the group in 2006, four years after the death of Layne Stale
01 min read

DREAM THEATER: Complete ‘Live At Luna Park’ Details Revealed

Manos Spanos
On November 5, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release "Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park" on 2DVD, Blu-ray, visual digital formats and a deluxe edition. The deluxe edition is an 11.5" square 60 page hardback photobook containing the Blu-ray, 2 DVDs and 3 CDs presenting all the key physical formats in one release; the CDs are only available in this deluxe edition. These releases boast the 160 minute main show — accompanied by a wealth of bonus material — and feature many of the band's classic tracks, including "Metropolis Pt. 1", "The Silent Man", "Pull Me Under", "The Root Of All Evil", "The Test That Stumped Them All", "The Spirit Carries On" and the recent "On The Backs Of Angels". DREAM THEATER began their mammoth "A Dramatic Tour Of Events" world trek in July 2011 with the final leg in South America taking place in August 2012. It was here at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that they decided to film the two nights that make up this DVD release. The "Live At Luna Park" band lineup for this show is James LaBrie (vocals); John Petrucci (guitar); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (bass); and Mike Mangini (drums). This was DREAM THEATER's first tour and album with their new drummer and all the tracks from that album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", are included in either the main show or the bonus performances.
06 min read

KEEP IT TRUE Organizers Canceled DARK ANGEL’s Appearance

Manos Spanos
"Keep It True stands for many years for honesty and credibility and we fear that these actions around the DARK ANGEL reunion can put damage on the good name of the festival. So we decided that NO version of DARK ANGEL will play on Keep It True 2014. We do not want to be in the middle of a fight where there is no end in sight. "I hope you all understand our decision. We know some of you will be disappointed, but this is the only way for us. We will now look for a different Saturday headliner." DARK ANGEL's management issued a statement yesterday accusing the band's original lead singer, Don Doty, of displaying a "lack of responsibility" by posting "false information" and starting "unfounded rumors" that have been "creating confusion" among the group's fans. The management confirmed that DARK ANGEL will reform for a limited number of appearances in 2014 with a lineup that will feature Gene Hoglan (drums), Jim Durkin (guitar), Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass). Doty made an online posting earlier this week in which he claimed that Hoglan would not take part in the DARK ANGEL reunion because Gene was "unable to make the practices" due to his "many commitments." DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin said in a statement last month that any talk of the band's reunion was "premature," and added that "when I was last in the band, Ron Rinehart was my singer. And IF the band were to come back and continue. he would STILL be my singer. He was our rock when we needed him and there is NO WAY I would do this without him. He and I talk daily and are as close now as ever. If anything, all this talk has brought us all back into more frequent contact! Which is a wonderful thing."
04 min read

PROTEST THE HERO: ‘Volition’ Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed

Manos Spanos
Canadian band PROTEST THE HERO, which recently made headlines when its Indiegogo campaign to fund a new album more than doubled its $125,000 goal with time to spare, will release its fourth studio CD, "Volition", on October 29 (one day earlier internationally). On the same day as the commercial release, the band will fulfill all of the orders associated with the Indiegogo campaign. Those CD and vinyl copies will feature artwork different from the commercial release and additionally will include the perks that were offered during the Indiegogo campaign. The long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Scurrilous" (Vagrant), "Volition" has been licensed to series of worldwide partners who will help distribute and market it to both traditional stores alongside digital service providers, thus making the new record available on a worldwide scale. PROTEST THE HERO and Razor & Tie will join forces for the United States, while the album will be released in Canada through Sony Music and in the rest of the word via Spinefarm.
04 min read

GENE HOGLAN: New DVD Title Revealed

Manos Spanos
Legendary extreme-metal drummer Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DEATH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARK ANGEL, DETHKLOK) has set "The Atomic Clock: The Clock Strikes Two" as the title of his upcoming DVD. The disc will feature "a lot of the stuff I have been doing at my clinics," Gene told MediaMikes.com. He added: "For this release, I was able to get the licenses for the songs I am playing. Everything from DEATH, TESTAMENT and MELDRUM are going to be on there. The new DVD has a lot of depth to it, and I have tried to improve on everything included." The jam-packed DVD is available for pre-sale now, with several awesome package options. If that isn't enough, although Gene has footage chosen for "The Atomic Clock: The Clock Strikes Two", he's leaving it up to his biggest fans to really decide what they would like to see. Everyone knows an artist is nothing without their fans. After years of your faithful and much-appreciated support, Gene Hoglan wants give something back, so we are turning to you, his fans, for what you'd like to see next. As Gene continues the process of creating a bigger and better sequel to his first DVD release, he'd like to hear from you. Email streetteam@reversedrecords.com and tell Gene what you want to see on the next DVD, and you will be given the chance to pre-order several packages. There are seven "levels" or packages that fans can pre-order the DVD with. Hoglan takes a moment to explain the portions of the second "The Atomic Clock" DVD that are set in stone: "I'd like to take a moment to tell you guys about something I'm extremely excited about, my upcoming DVD. It is going to be roughly two hours of awesome footage of not only me behind the kit playing, but tons of interviews with some the greats that I've had the honor to play with over the last couple of years. Guys from TESTAMENT, DETHKLOK, ANTHRAX, and many others. There will also of course be a load of tips and insights from me to hopefully propel players of all calibers (and instruments, for that matter) up to the next level.
04 min read

DEATH ANGEL: ‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ Title Track Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
"The Dream Calls For Blood", the title track of the seventh album from San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL, can be streamed at DeathAngel.us. Due 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" 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. "We worked so hard writing, and recording this record! Especially writing this while on the road for the last three years of touring. And it reflects the triumphs, and mainly hardships, of all we went through while touring. The anger, perseverance, and energy was captured on the recording of 'The Dream Calls For Blood'.
02 min read

New PIG DESTROYER Song Featured On Adult Swim Singles Compilation

Manos Spanos
After releasing nine albums and 130 free tracks to music fans over the last five years, Adult Swim and Williams Street Records continues the 2013 Adult Swim Singles Program with "The Octagonal Stairway" by Washington D.C.-based grindcore masters PIG DESTROYER. The song is available as a free download or streaming here. In other news, PIG DESTROYER guitarist Scott Hull is this month's featured guest on the brand new Decibel magazine podcast. In Decibel's first on-location podcast, the magazine infiltrated the sordid underworld of Scott Hull's Visceral Sound studio to talk PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, the Decibel 100 show and much more. Check out the podcast here. PIG DESTROYER recently re-signed with its longtime record label Relapse. The band's fifth-full length and first album in over five years, "Book Burner", sold more than 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 102 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
01 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.