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Manos Spanos

HALESTORM Singer: ‘I’ve Never Taken Being A Girl In A Band As A Negative Thing’

Manos Spanos
Total AC Blog recently conducted an interview with HALESTORM lead singer Lzzy Hale. An excerpt from the chat follows below. Total AC Blog: How does it feel to be the chick amongst the guys? Do you ever feel like you need any girl time or do you like it? Lzzy Hale: I like it! Too much estrogen makes it a little weird! I spend so much time with the guys that literally I become a crazy person when there are too many girls around. We're usually not touring with a bunch of girls. The last tour I had that was consistently with another girl was Carnival Of Madness last year with Amy Lee [EVANESCENCE]. Within the first five minutes of us meeting, it was shoes, boys, makeup, all these things pouring out of me that I never talk about! The guys in my band were, like, "You become a different person when Amy's around!" I like being a girl. I like being with my guys. We all meet in the middle somewhere. They're not über agro, they actually have really good hygiene [laughs] and for the most part, they enjoy everything that I like to do too. I think that just comes from growing up together. I've never taken being a girl in a band as a negative thing. It's nice to stick out like a sore thumb on whatever bill and it's nice to torture all of the guys that are on the tour with you because you can wear the high heels and they can't! It's a lot of fun! Total AC Blog: You are a role model to so many of your female fans. How does that make you feel? Does it freak you out at all or do you kind of just go with it? Lzzy Hale: I always err on the side of honesty. I'm sure I'm going to say something stupid over Twitter or something like that, if I haven't already. Either way, whether it's a bad influence or a good influence, I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not. It's just too much work to keep
03 min read

SATYRICON: ‘Our World, It Rumbles Tonight’ Lyric Video Released

Manos Spanos
The official lyric video for the song "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" from Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new, self-titled studio album, which will be released on September 9 in Norway via Indie Recordings, on September 8 in the rest of Europe through Roadrunner Records, and on September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven and was recorded in Norway, and mixed by Adam Kasper. The effort features a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA. "Satyricon" is available for preorder in the following formats: * Red transparent vinyl * Clear vinyl * Mixed color vinyl * Black vinyl * Digipack CD "Satyricon" track listing: 01. Voice Of Shadows 02. Tro Og Kraft 03. Our World, It Rumbles Tonight 04. Nocturnal Flare 05. Phoenix 06. Walker Upon The Wind 07. Nekrohaven 08. Ageless Northern Spirit 09. The Infinity Of Time And Space 10. Natt Limited-edition CD digipack bonus tracks: 11. Phoenix (Recording Session Mix) 12. Our World, It Rumbles Tonight (Deeper Low Mix) 13. Natt (Wet Mix) The song "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. Comments Satyr: "We are back! Sorry it took so long, but we needed the time to be able pull off a
03 min read

JOB FOR A COWBOY Working On New Material

Manos Spanos
Arizona extreme metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY spent their summer on tour throughout North America as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. After returning home, the band has hunkered to write their follow up album to "Demonocracy". While JOB FOR A COWBOY demos new material, fans can check out a live drum cam video of "Tarnished Gluttony", live from Mayhem. Additionally, guitarist Tony Sannicandro is preparing to launch a series of new instructional videos via his YouTube channel. Bassist Nick Schendzielos updates fans: "Mayhem was absolutely phenomenal. We want to send out a huge thanks — from the massive, rabidly energetic crowds every single day (despite the heat!), to John Reese and his amazing production staff, and to all the killer bands and crew we were fortunate enough to party/share the stage with. "Now it's time to get knee deep in riff-land to start composing our next full length record which will be coming out in 2014. We have a really exciting concept for the record and we can't wait to share it with you guys! Til then, keep metal as an adjective!" Schendzielos continues: "And to our German friends — I'm flying out tomorrow to the Warwick Bass Guitar Camp at the Warwick HQ in Markneukirchen. There's an open day where you can come and hang. It's gonna be awesome."
02 min read

ONSLAUGHT: ‘Chaos Is King’ Lyric Video Released

Manos Spanos
British thrashers ONSLAUGHT will release their sixth album, "VI", on September 20 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Sounds Of Violence" was mixed by Thomas "Plec" Johansson (TIAMAT, SCAR SYMMETRY) at Panic Room studios in Skara, Sweden. Comments ONSLAUGHT guitarist Nige Rockett: "Well, the new album, 'VI', is finally complete and ready to roll on September 20th, and man, it has exceeded all our expectations, by a long long way!! We really pushed ourselves to the limits in making this record and I think that truly shines through in the final results. "'VI' is the most brutal and technical album ONSLAUGHT has ever made, no question. It's old school, it's contemporary and it's fucking aggressive in the extreme, with a few big surprises thrown in for good measure! "We've gone about the whole album-making process with a completely different approach and mindset this time around, ranging from the artwork (by Pär Olofsson) through to the final mixes with Thomas Johansson, who I must single out for mention along with our drummer Michael Hourihan for really upping the ante in the ass-kicking stakes! "We're feeling kind of proud right now and pretty confident the fans are gonna dig it too!" "VI" track listing: 01. A New World Order 02. Chaos Is King 03. Fuel For My Fire 04. Children Of The Sand 05. Slaughterize v
01 min read

KATAKLYSM: New Song ‘Kill The Elite’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
"Kill The Elite", a brand new song from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based death metallers KATAKLYSM, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Waiting For The End To Come", which will be released on October 29 in North America via Nuclear Blast. The artwork by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED) will be featured on the deluxe digipak and LP versions of the effort. The previously released cover by Peter Sallai (SABATON) will be featured on the standard jewel case and limited edition cassette tape versions. "This other version of the new art made by Eliran Kantor represents a more iconic and epic approach,” commented Iacono. "A man representing all of humanity, shaking the foundation of existence and ultimately beginning the process of destruction. The main foundation is depicted here as the famous KATAKLYSM 'tribal sun' logo. It does not represent the end of KATAKLYSM by any means; more the beginning of a new era after the end of a certain existence." The follow-up to 2010's "Heaven's Venom", "Waiting For The End To Come" was recorded by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-François Dagenais, who has previously worked with MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX and DESPISED ICON, among others, and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUFFOCATION, HATEBREED, ARSIS). As previously reported, KATAKLYSM has recruited ex-NEURAXIS drummer Oli Beaudoin to sit behind the kit during the recording sessions for "Waiting For The End To Come". Beaudoin is also playing all of KATAKLYSM's currenty announced shows.
02 min read

ICED EARTH Completes Mixing And Mastering New Album

Manos Spanos
North American metallers ICED EARTH have completed mixing and mastering their new album, "Plagues Of Babylon", for a January 2014 via Century Media Records. Says ICED EARTH guitarist/mainman Jon Schaffer: "It's been a long summer, but a very productive one. "I am very proud of my bandmates! Everyone kicked ass, and we made a really special record. "Now it's time try to rest for a few 'minutes' before the next chapter of world touring begins. "Best to you all! We will see our European friends on the road with our brothers in VOLBEAT, then the rest of you on the worldwide Plagues tour 2014!" 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."
02 min read

SLAYER’s KING, ARAYA Hoping To Spend Time In Studio During Coming Weeks

Manos Spanos
Following a summer of storming through Europe, South America and Mexico while topping the bills at solo shows and major festivals, SLAYER will headline its first North American tour in two years. The five-week-plus trek will kick off on October 22 in Anchorage, Alaska, oddly enough marking the first time the band has played there since October 23, 1996. The tour will include the band's previously announced return to New York's Theatre at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Palladium, venues the band hasn't performed at in 25 years. SLAYER — bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarist Kerry King, drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt, who continues to fill in for the late founding member Jeff Hanneman — will have GOJIRA and 4ARM support on all dates. Tickets for all dates on SLAYER's U.S. tour, go on sale beginning this Friday, September 6. Log onto Slayer.net for complete on-sale dates and ticketing information. While still recovering from the devastating loss of Hanneman, Araya and King have begun to work on new material and hope to spend some time in the studio prior to this tour. With more dates to be announced, confirmed dates for SLAYER's 2013 Fall North American tour are as follows:
02 min read

MOTÖRHEAD: ‘Aftershock’ Cover Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
MOTÖRHEAD's 21st studio album, "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.
03 min read

OPETH Mainman Says Next Album Will Have ‘More Sinister-Sounding Riffs’

Manos Spanos
This coming Friday, September 6, Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will set sail on Melloboat 2013, a two-day cruise between Stockholm, Sweden and Riga, Latvia featuring performances by a number of progressive cult bands and heavy hitters, including Morgan Ågren (featuring a guest appearance by Devin Townsend), SAGA (Sweden), CRESSIDA, ICECROSS, TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET, ÄNGLAGÅRD, PANTA REI 2.0 and BADGE. The cruise will mark OPETH's very last show in support of the band's latest album, "Heritage", which came out in 2011. The group will spend the remaining months of 2013 putting the finishing touches on the writing and recording process for its next studio effort, which will be released sometime next spring. According to OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, four songs have already been written for the upcoming CD and three others are in various states of completion. "We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where QUEEN recorded 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but we haven't made a decision yet," Åkerfeldt tells the Swedish newspaper Expressen. "But it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past." Will it be heavier or softer than "Heritage"?
02 min read

PHILIP ANSELMO: ‘Without VINNIE PAUL, There’s Not Any PANTERA Reunion At All’

Manos Spanos
Fuse News recently spoke to former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo. You can watch the report below. Asked about the persistent Internet rumors about the possibility of a PANTERA reunion with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) filling in for the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on guitar, Anselmo said: "For me, really, I think it would mean a lot for [ex-PANTERA bassist] Rex [Brown] and [ex-PANTERA drummer] Vince [Paul Abbott] and myself to sit down and, I guess, bury the hatchet where we can be on more friendly terms. And, you know, I think it would mean a lot to the fans." He added: "Without Vince, there's not any PANTERA reunion at all; it's useless. But he damn well knows my door's wide open. He needs to bust out the keys and unlock his, man. I'm waiting, but I'm not holding my breath."
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.