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MACHINE HEAD: First ‘Bloodstone & Diamonds’ Album Trailer
The first trailer for "Bloodstone & Diamonds", the new album...
GUS G. Says OZZY OSBOURNE Taught Him A Lesson About Stamina And Energy
SROMaginc.com recently conducted an interview with Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND . You can now listen to the chat below.
On his upcoming activities with Ozzy:
"We're doing the Ozzfiesta next year in Mexico. So we're gonna do that show over there. And I don't know if there's gonna be more stuff; we'll see. I know [Ozzy is] also gonna go back in the studio with SABBATH. I think probably there's gonna be another Ozzy [album] after the next SABBATH record, or it depends whenever they decide to finish it up. It's not up to me."
On whether Ozzy will ever retire from performing:
"You never know with Ozzy, man. You never know. That's the thing. You can't predict that. I think he's one of those guys like Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger; he'll be doing it until he's 80 or something. I think so.
"I'll tell you what: He taught me a lesson about fuckin' stamina and energy up on that stage. He jumps up and down more than any 20-year-old I've seen. I mean, he's 65 and he's still doing frog jumps. [Laughs]"
On how he approached playing with Ozzy when he first landed the gig in 2009:
"It's one of those gigs… it's that exact gig that you just shit your pants as a guitar player to get that spot. For me, it was the happiest day of my life, and, at the same time, the most nerve-racking day of my life. But you've just gotta rise to the occasion. It's one of those things where I got called up to do this now, so I'd better practice twice as hard. You just have to approach this gig with a lot of respect for the guys that were there before you and just be yourself, basically. I mean, you can't replace those guys — guys like Zakk Wylde or Randy Rhoads or Jake E. Lee — you can't replace them, you can't be them. They are their own guys, they are their own legends. So you've just gotta bring your own thing to the table, but at the same time, you have to respect those songs and play them as they are."
Gus G. has tapped Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) to sing for Gus' backing band on his North American West Coast tour, which kicked off on October 15 and concluded on October 19. Joining Gus and Jeff on stage for these dates were Marty O'Brien (bass; TOMMY LEE, WE ARE THE FALLEN, LITA FORD) and Jo Nunez (drums; FIREWIND, NIGHTRAGE).
A special expanded edition of Gus' solo album, "I Am The Fire", will be released in Europe on November 3 (digitally in North America on November 4). This limited CD + DVD digipak will feature four bonus tracks and a 62-minute bonus DVD (including the album's four official video clips so far, plus three live tracks, six guitar tutorials, as well as an EPK and track-by-track commentary).
Dimlight: New singer and Indiegogo campaign
We present you the official statement of the band:
"Dear friends,
We are happy to introduce you our new singer. We welcome Eva to the Dimlight family as our front woman, the choice of which is the most appropriate to express the new musical identity of the band.
We would also like to inform you about the launch of our campaign on Indiegogo, which is to last for about two months. Our need for creation and our musical ambitions led to the completion of the pre-production for our new album. We rely on your help through the campaign to move into the final production, a project that cannot be realized without your contribution and your support.
The new chapter has now opened; stay tuned for further announcements..."
AT THE GATES: ‘Death And The Labyrinth’ Video Released
"Death And The Labyrinth", the new video from seminal Swedish metallers AT THE GATES, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB, who has previously worked with HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE, LACUNA COIL and IN FLAMES, among many others.
"Death And The Labyrinth" is taken from AT THE GATES' much-anticipated comeback studio album, "At War With Reality", which will be released on October 28 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The CD was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR). The cover artwork for the effort was designed by Costin Chioreanu, who has previously also worked with bands such as ARCH ENEMY, MORGOTH and DARKTHRONE. Chioreanu gave the strong lyrical theme of "At War With Reality" an outstanding conceptual togetherness with the visuals he crafted for this project.
TAYLOR: SLIPKNOT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE STONE SOUR
SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor, who also fronts STONE SOUR, says that people often "choose the easy way" and compare the two bands' music despite their lack of similarities.
"I think a lot of it comes down to my voice," Corey said during an appearance on "Corey Taylor Talks", Las Vegas' only show for teens hosted by actor and radio personality Corey Taylor (no relation). "Like, there's a lot of people that think when I sing heavy with STONE SOUR that I'm trying to do SLIPKNOT. And then vice versa — when I sing more melodic with SLIPKNOT, I'm trying to be more STONE SOUR. And it's, like, but you're not hearing the music, you're putting everything together. Like [the new SLIPKNOT song] 'The Devil In I', a lot of people compared it to STONE SOUR because a lot of it is melodic until it gets to that chorus and it punches, you know. And I'm, like, 'Ehhh… Not really.' [It's] SLIPKNOT music, [so] it's a SLIPKNOT song. And I think it's because a lot of people, for better or for worse, choose the easy way to figure out what they're thinking about, or what their opinion is. So if they read somebody say, 'Well, he's singing melodically, it has to be STONE SOUR,' a lot of people pick that up, because it's easier to go with the crowd than it is to think differently. But we encourage our fans to try and do that stuff."
As previously reported, STONE SOUR has entered a Burbank, California studio to begin recording a covers album for a tentative early 2015 release. There's no word yet on which songs the band intends to include on the disc, which will mark the recording debut with the band of new guitarist Christian Martucci.
On its last North American tour, STONE SOUR treated fans to a different cover every night, including METALLICA's "Creeping Death", KISS' "Love Gun", JUDAS PRIEST's "Heading Out To The Highway" and Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes".
STONE SOUR completed the touring cycle earlier this year for its recent double album, "House Of Gold And Bones", which was issued in two parts in 2012 and 2013.
Guitarist Jim Root, who has played on all five STONE SOUR records to date, did not perform on the last tour. Although the official reason given at the time was that he was staying home to work on the new SLIPKNOT album, it was later revealed that he was dismissed from STONE SOUR.
Root said in a recent interview that he was fired by phone and is still not sure why he was dismissed in the first place.
Root and Taylor continue to work together in SLIPKNOT, whose new album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", comes out on October 21.
FAITH NO MORE: ‘Motherf**ker’ Single Artwork Unveiled
FAITH NO MORE, who reunited in 2009 for a series of sold-out performances and international festivals, is currently recording their first full-length album since 1997's "Album Of The Year".
A limited-edition (5000 copies) seven-inch single of the song "Motherfucker" will precede the April 2015 release, available via Record Store Day's "Black Friday" event (November 28). The single will be released digitally on December 9.
The as-yet-untitled album is being recorded in an Oakland, California studio with Gould handling production. The release will be the first from FAITH NO MORE's newly formed imprint Reclamation Recordings, which will be distributed by Ipecac Recordings.
The cover artwork for the "Motherfucker" single was revealed on Ipecac.com and can be seen below.
"We've always shared a chemistry between ourselves that’s unique to this band, but these past few years of touring together have made us aware that we not only play better as a unit, but we like the new stuff we’re coming up with," explained FAITH NO MORE founder and bass player Bill Gould. "So we've decided: we're going to get busy in 2015… make an album we're proud of, kick things up a notch, get out there and perform it and maybe even dedicate a little more focus to our fans in the States this time."
Asked what the new material sounds like, Gould told RollingStone.com: "What I can say is that I think through our experience as musicians over the years, I think what we're doing reflects where we've gone since we made our last record as FAITH NO MORE. I think this kicks things up a notch. And I think there's parts that are very powerful and there's parts that have a lot of 'space.'
"Everything we do, with our chemistry, the way we play; it's always going to sound like us. It's just what we do, that makes us feel good. Hopefully it doesn't sound like a bunch of 50-year-old men... which we are! [Laughs]"
He added: "There's going to be a lot of space and scope — big, big sound-stage space — but I also think there's gonna be a lot of those things that we already have. All I can say is what we're doing just feels right."
Prior to the new album's release, FAITH NO MORE will headline Australia's Soundwave festival in February 2015. Worldwide tour dates will be announced soon.
FAITH NO MORE is Mike Bordin (drums), Roddy Bottum (keyboards), Bill Gould (bass), Jon Hudson (guitar) and Mike Patton (vocals).
JUDAS PRIEST’s GLENN TIPTON Thought Band Was Finished After K.K. DOWNING Left
Rustyn Rose of Metalholic.com recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Metalholic.com: You spent over 35 years playing side by side with the same guitar partner [Kenneth "K.K." Downing]. What was it like for you to suddenly have a new face, a new style of player standing across from you in Richie Faulkner?
Tipton: It was a surprise, really. It came as a surprise to us all. At that time, I really, truly thought the band were finished. We were poised to do a farewell tour and, of course, Ken decided he'd had enough of that. I respect his decision. It must have been a big decision to make. I think we've all been through that phase. We've been around for 35, 40 years. But we found Richie, and Richie is a small miracle, because the guy is such a great guitar player and he blended in so well first on stage. And then, of course, he's worked so hard and contributed so much to the [new JUDAS PRIEST] album ["Redeemer Of Souls"] that it's just a miracle.
Metalholic.com: You guys declared the "Epitaph" tour to signal the retirement of JUDAS PRIEST and, as [you have] since said, "we lied." Clearly the injection of new blood into the lineup re-energized the band. How did that translate into the writing for "Redeemer Of Souls"?
Tipton: Tremendously, you know, because when we got, obviously, new blood in the band, it was needed at the time. It would be the same thing; you get some new blood in there and there's energy and enthusiasm — motivation. You see things in a different way. He just gave everybody a keep up the backside, really. And that's what happened. We went from literally meaning it was our last tour to there's such great songs on this album, it's a shame we can't get out and play them. So, by any means this isn't another world tour. I'm glad we're doing it. I feel that it would be great to get on stage and play these new numbers as well as the old classics.
Metalholic.com: When I reviewed "Redeemer Of Souls", I stated it was the band's most fully realized album since "Painkiller", but more accurately, it seems to me it would have been a natural follow-up to that record. Tell us about the album from your perspective.
Tipton: I think it's probably in line with "Painkiller", as you say. It's what everybody wants from JUDAS PRIEST. I mean, we've always been a band not afraid to expand and try new things, try new paths and directions. Like "Nostradamus". There were many fans that got what we were trying to do with "Nostradamus", but there were a number of fans that wanted a "JUDAS PRIEST" album, and in "Redeemer Of Souls" we give them a "JUDAS PRIEST" album. We listened, and we learned, and we've gone back, if you like, to what people want from PRIEST. I'm proud of "Nostradamus". It was a monumental task to record and put together. But I think "Redeemer Of Souls" is what people expect from JUDAS PRIEST.
Read the entire interview at Metalholic.com.
EXODUS Fan Comments on Arrest Over Posting Band Lyrics to His Facebook: “It Was Surreal”
Last week, we reported on the insane story of an Exdous fan getting arrested and potentially charged with a felony.
Thirty one year old James Evans from Central City, KY was the fan who was arrested and he recently spoke to Billboard recounting how his arrest went down:
The fallout began that same day [Evans posted the lyrics]. Local police officers arrived at Evans’ mother’s house in Greenville, Ky., asking if she knew where he was. She directed them to her son’s house in Central City, where they proceeded to ask him if he planned on harming anyone, along with issuing a report on the situation. “I assumed the conversation got resolved,” says Evans, who works the night shift at a screenprinting store. On Monday, the officers returned to his house while Evans was at work, asking his wife what kind of car he drove and if he was in possession of any weapons.
“They informed her that I may or not be charged,” he says. “They said they were going to talk to me at work, but they never showed up. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” At 8 a.m. on Tuesday, officers showed up at his workplace and issued Evans a warrant for his arrest. According to 14News, the warrant says Evans was arrested because, “he threatened to kill students and or staff at school.”
“They never even cuffed me, just put me in the back of the car,” he says. “They knew I wasn’t dangerous. They were kind of shocked, too, because they thought it had been resolved. They just had to serve it because it was in their jurisdiction.”
Evans is being charged with a Class C felony for "terrorist threatenings" which could lead to anywhere from five to 10 years in prison. A judge has delayed the case for six months so that Evans can get psychiatric evaluation. If he is proven to be sane, the charge will be stricken from his record.
This is a whole lot of unnecessary stress over posting some lyrics to Facebook, no? Billboard also interviewed a lawyer, David Greene, who said this is a pretty ludicrous charge:
"Generally, statements are protected by the First Amendment," he says. "There's an exception for true threats, which are threats of violence directed against a person that puts that person in a state of fear. There's absolutely no basis for thinking this person was doing anything more than quoting lyrics, or that he intended to put any person in a state of fear or carry out any action of attack."
It's obvious that Evans had no plans of attacking any schools and really, these cops can be better served solving actual crimes. But this proves two things:
Be care what you post on Facebook.
Don't live in Kentucy.
OZZY OSBOURNE’s ‘Hell Gate’ Coming Next Year
Ozzy Osbourne has launched a Facebook page for a forthcoming attraction called "Ozzy Osbourne's Hell Gate".
The BLACK SABBATH frontman has yet to reveal any details regarding the event, which is said to be "coming October 2015."
Some fans have speculated that Ozzy has rejoined forces with Universal Studios Hollywood for the annual "Halloween Horror Nights" event.
Ozzy and the rest of BLACK SABBATH were featured in last year's all-original 3D maze "Black Sabbath: 13 3D" at Universal Studios Hollywood. The maze was based on the darkest lyrics from BLACK SABBATH's biggest hit songs and was the only attraction at the horror event to incorporate 3D video. It also included scenes inspired by the legendary band's comeback album, "13".
Ozzy will release a solo career retrospective titled "Memoirs Of A Madman" on October 7.
His last solo studio effort was 2010's "Scream".
Ozzy's first album under the SABBATH banner in 35 years, "13", came out in June 2013 and topped both the U.S. and U.K. album charts, later winning a Grammy Award as well.