Lost your password?

Manos Spanos

MIKE PORTNOY: ‘I Think I Am One Of The Most Misunderstood Artists In The World’

Manos Spanos
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Icon Vs. Icon: Do you feel there are a lot of misconceptions circulating about you? Portnoy: I think I am one of the most misunderstood artists in the world! [laughs] Any time I go on the Internet and I see these web sites with an article with a quote for shock value as the headline, I realize the misconceptions about me that are out there by the fans and non-fans as well. I think the biggest one is that I am band-jumping or opportunity-jumping and jumping from band to band. That is not the case. Like I just said to you, it is me following my heart. I spent 25 years in one band and was so unbelievably dedicated to one band. I don't think you will find more dedication than I do for what I did for DREAM THEATER for 25 years. I mean, I literally oversaw every single step, every minute of the day. You won't find a more committed artist than me. I did that for 25 years, so I think the biggest misconception is that I am not committed. That is so far from the truth. I am just doing lots of different things. I am enjoying having this musical freedom right now. Every one of the bands and projects I am involved with are so different from each other. THE WINERY DOGS is one thing, TRANSATLANTIC is another, ADRENALINE MOB is something else. There are each so different from the other and I give all I can to each of them. The biggest problem is when you give 100% to five different things, inevitably there are going to be schedule clashes and it is not always going to be easy to juggle so many things. That is one of the difficulties I have been having lately and I am trying to make it all work. I am doing my best and I don't think you are going to find an artist with a stronger work ethic than I have. I am a total workaholic and passionate about everything I do. It is hard to always juggle it all without a scheduling conflict here or there! That has been the only problem, trying to solve that and make it all work.
06 min read

PHILIP ANSELMO’s ‘Technicians Of Distortion’ Solo Tour: Promotional Clip Posted Online

Manos Spanos
Philip Anselmo, legendary frontman of PANTERA and DOWN, will take to the road for his first-ever solo tour, dubbed "Technicians Of Distortion", which will kick off July 31 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On this trek, Anselmo will be joined by his backup band THE ILLEGALS — guitarist Marzi Montazeri(ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL), drummer José Manuel Gonzales(WARBEAST) and bassist Steve Taylor. A three-minute promotional clip for the tour can be seen below. Anselmo will release his career-first solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", on July 16 via his own Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce)."Walk Through Exits Only" will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl.
07 min read

CARCASS: ‘Surgical Steel’ Cover Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
The cover artwork for "Surgical Steel", the comeback album from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, can be seen below. "We went back to working with Ian Tilton, who is an iconic English photographer famous for working with THE STONE ROSES," statedCARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker. "He actually did the front cover for [1991's] 'Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious' as well. We've deliberately tried to evoke the feeling of that album and [1993's]'Heartwork'." "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,
06 min read

KAMELOT: ‘My Confession’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"My Confession", the new video from American / German / Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Silverthorn", which sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74. "Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release withTommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).
01 min read

SEPULTURA Completes Recording New Album

Manos Spanos
Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have completed recording their new album for a tentative October release via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was tracked over a 40-day period at producer Ross Robinson's (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) studio in Venice, California and will be mixed and mastered by co-producer Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and"Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Rosson a number of other projects in the past. The follow-up to 2011's "Kairos" will contain nine songs, including "The Age Of The Atheist", "Tsunami", "The Vatican" and "Trauma Of War", and two bonus tracks (covers of DEATH's "Zombie Ritual" and a track from the
03 min read

D.R.I.: European Tour Canceled

Manos Spanos
Spike Cassidy (guitar) of hardcore/metal crossover pioneers D.R.I.(DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) is reportedly suffering from tendinitis, forcing the cancelation of the band's previously announced European tour. A statement from D.R.I.'s European booking agency, M.A.D. Tourbooking, reads as follows: "We are really sorry that we have to tell you that another tour has been canceled. The guitar player of D.R.I. has huge problems with his finger, he can't bend it anymore, so he's unable to play guitar. Seems like it's from an injury moth ago. We wish him all the best and hope that he gets well soon!" Cassidy underwent emergency surgery in September 2012 for a severe blockage caused by the reversal surgery he had just three weeks earlier.
02 min read

RUNNING WILD: New Album Title Revealed

Manos Spanos
German power metallers RUNNING WILD will release their new album,"Resilient", on October 4 in Germany and October 7 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The North American release date will be revealed soon, but the CD will definitely arrive in the U.S. this October. Says RUNNING WILD mainman Rolf "Rock'n'Rolf" Kasparek : "I really love working at the moment and am currently getting down to business on the overdubs. I can hardly wait to present the new material to the manyRUNNING WILD fans worldwide." According to a press release, RUNNING WILD fans "can look forward to a total of twelve brand-new numbers, ten of which will feature on the regular CD, and twelve on the limited edition. The album's opener will be called 'Soldiers Of Fortune', and the title track, 'The Drift' and 'Run Riot' will be three typical RUNNING WILD numbers. The most outstanding song on the album, however, will be called 'Bloody Island', with almost ten minutes playing time one of the longest tracks in RUNNING WILD's career to date."
02 min read

AMON AMARTH: ‘Deceiver Of The Gods’ Track-By-Track Breakdown (Video)

Manos Spanos
Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH have provided an exclusive track-by-track breakdown of "Deceiver Of The Gods", their ninth studio album, to Sweden's Access: Rock. Check it out in two parts below. "Deceiver Of The Gods" sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records. AMON AMARTH's 2011 CD, "Surtur Rising", opened with around 15,000 units to debut at No. 34. The band's 2008 album, "Twilight Of The Thunder God", registered a first-week tally of more than 11,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 48.
02 min read

TARJA TURUNEN: ‘Victim Of Ritual’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen will release a new single,"Victim Of Ritual", as a digital download, CD single and on seven-inch vinyl on July 12 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group. The official "Victim Of Ritual" video can be seen below. An evocative snare-drum that sounds like it was coming from a mysterious place, the tender sound of an orchestra joins followed by a familiar and seductive melody played by an oboe. When Tarja's distinctive voice resounds through the speakers, her warm timbre fills the room. Her melody is full of emotions and tender, before the song explodes into an epic, heavy chorus: "Hysterical, tragical, Victim of ritual, Cynical, critical, Victim of ritual, She's a killer, killer, She's a killer, killer." Inspired by the one-movement orchestral piece "Boléro" by Maurice Ravel, the almost-six-minutes-long "Victim Of Ritual" is the first single from Tarja's forthcoming album, "Colours In The Dark".
05 min read

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Singer Says New Album Is ‘More Mature’ Than ‘Dead Throne’

Manos Spanos
Australia's Music Feeds recently conducted an interview with vocalistMike Hranica of the Dayton, Ohio Christian metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will release its new album on September 17 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded with producer/engineer Matt Goldman. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who handled production duties on THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's "Dead Throne"LP, served as executive producer on the upcoming effort. Songtitles set to appear on the disc include "Gloom" and "Martyrs", both of which the band has been performing live at recent shows. Asked how the new effort compares to 2011's "Dead Throne", Hranicatold Music Feeds: "I think it's kind of a totally new animal. It definitely is a very cohesive record. A lot of the times, I feel like we'll write songs and a lot of them are really cool songs and they'll all have kind of a theme, but sometimes they stray from that path of the theme that we originally intended. And I think that this album as a whole, it all sounds like the album, it all is a cohesive idea. Which, don't get me wrong — I don't mean to say that all the songs sound the same, because they definitely, each has their own unique personality. But as far as 'Dead Throne', our progression from 'Dead Throne', I definitely do think that this album is just a more mature record and has a lot more thought put into it. As always — we're always gonna put a little bit more effort and thought into the new record than our previous effort."
03 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.