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It’s Official: MALCOLM YOUNG Taking Break From AC/DC Due To ‘Ill Health’

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Legendary Anglo-Australian hard rockers AC/DC have released the following statement: "After forty years of life dedicated to AC/DC, guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young is taking a break from the band due to ill health. Malcolm would like to thank the group's diehard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support. "In light of this news, AC/DC asks that Malcolm and his family's privacy be respected during this time. The band will continue to make music." As previously reported, a musician who says he has been friends with AC/DC for "years" has corroborated reports that Malcolm Young is no longer able to perform with the band due to illness. Mark Gable, lead singer with the CHOIRBOYS, told ABC Radio Australia, "From what I understand, and it's even been confirmed in part by his son Ross… It would appear Malcolm is unable to perform anymore. It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won't be able to perform live. He will probably not be able to record." Australian journalist Darryl Mason wrote that Malcolm suffered a stroke last month. According to The Age, a source who knows the Young family has said that Malcolm's condition has deteriorated so badly that his wife Linda and family were investigating full-time care for the guitarist. It is believed that Malcolm is currently having in-home care at his home in the Sydney area. He is said to be having difficulty remembering familiar faces and having increasing problems communicating. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has shot down reports that the band is retiring, telling U.K.'s Telegraph that the band is about to begin work on its 16th studio album. "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver," he said. "We're going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we'll record it." While the members of AC/DC are notoriously private, Johnson did reveal in a 2012 interview and in a February 2014 one that an unnamed member of the group had been ill — but whether that was Malcolm remains unclear. Asked about the prospect of retiring one day, Johnson told The Pulse Of Radio that he would know when the time had come. "You know, retirement is like anything," he said. "A good football or a good ice hockey player, they don't want to retire. But unfortunately, sometimes there's a time when you have to call it quits. I don't want to do it, and if we can get out another album and do another little short tour or something, and have a bit of fun, well. I'm your man. I'll be right there." AC/DC's last album was 2008's "Black Ice", one of the group's most successful later albums, which was followed by a nearly two-year world tour.
03 min read

MASTODON: New Song ‘High Road’ Available For Streaming

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"High Road", a brand new song from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is taken from the band's sixth album, "Once More Round The Sun", which will be released in June. The CD was recorded at a Franklin, Tennessee studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among others. The cover artwork is being created by Oakland-based artist Skinner, who specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings." MASTODON singer and bassist Troy Sanders told Paste Magazine: "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening, very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that idea — taking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible." Regarding the new MASTODON album title, Sanders told Paste Magazine: "The idea was generated before we recorded the title track on the record, but the title was thought up many months ago. "After we finished the two-year touring cycle on our last record, 'The Hunter', we were kind of gearing up to go back to our rehearsal space in Atlanta. And we were starting the effort, the time, the blood, the energy, the months of driving, the recording and the long process between recording and the release day. "In a nutshell: we're fortunate enough to do this again, but there's this feeling of this yearly cycle. It's not a bad thing. We get to go tour a bunch, we get to record a bunch of songs we love. It's embracing the positive — the wonderful side, to be able to have the same four dudes who love doing what we do so much. And like anything in the MASTODON world, it's open to interpretation." According to Sanders, MASTODON recorded more than an album's worth of material this time around, with the possibility an additional EP coming out sometime after the album release. "We didn't want a 90-minute album," he told Paste Magazine. "We like to record around the 60-minute mark. That's what our favorite records are. We're in love with all 15 of [the songs], so they might all see the light of day in some platform or another." Other songtitles set to appear on "Once More Round The Sun" include "Ember City" and "Diamonds In The Witch House", the latter of which features yet another guest spot from longtime collaborator Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS. "I think subconsciously that we're trying to involve him with every album enough to have a full set of songs eventually," Sanders joked. "I think his performance is great, his part still gives me chills. That's a great sign." Asked what it's been like working with Raskulinecz on the new album, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher told Metal Hammer magazine: "It's something that we totally need — a cheerleader to get our asses in gear. There he is saying, 'Come on, you're MASTODON… you're one of the biggest bands in metal… Smash that hammer down and write some heavy shit. It's time to do or die!' He's that kind of a guy." MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor recently told RollingStone.com about the band's forthcoming CD: "It's gonna be massive and insane, lots of epic greatness. There will be lots of huge riffs and new directions. It's real weird, real mat
03 min read

Drummer DANIEL LILJEKVIST Quits KATATONIA So He Can Concentrate On His Family And ‘Normal Job’

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Drummer Daniel Liljekvist has announced his departure from Swedish dark rockers KATATONIA. He explained in a statement: "I've been thinking about this for the last couple of months and I've come to the sad conclusion that I have to leave the band. It's got nothing to do with 'difference in views' or any other bullshit. I just cannot combine job, family and commit 100% to KATATONIA. Times for musicians are rough and I've decided to concentrate on my family and get a normal job that gets the bills paid." He added: "I've had some of the best moments in my life the past 14-odd years together with my favorite people in the world. I've been all over the planet with this lot… my second family. "Thank you! I'm gonna miss playing with you and I'm gonna miss hanging out with you on the road so much. And I'm gonna miss meeting all the great KATATONIA fans all over the world. You know who you are. You are truly amazing! I'm not gonna miss all the freaks and idiots we've come across during all the years. You probably don't know who you are. And I will not miss bad catering, shit beer and banana juice… "This is Daniel, rocking the fuck off! Cheers!" The remaining members of KATATONIA said: "We are sad and hollow to see Daniel leave our ranks, but yet his decision has our sincere understanding. Nothing lasts forever and all good things must come to an end sooner or later. Yet it makes it so much more frustrating when it happens for the wrong reasons or before reaching our terminus. Particularly, we can't pretend the current climate has nothing to do with it; in fact, this is undeniably yet another outcome of musicians struggling at the crossroads of today's 'scene/industry.' Tragically, this situation forces a member, brother — and our fans' favorite longtime drummer — to resign from a band he sacrificed a decade and a half to build. "While encouraging this topic to inevitable debate and re-evaluation, we will always be grateful for the years we shared together and we wish Daniel the best of luck in the future. It goes without saying we part as band members, but certainly remain as friends. "On a further positive note, this will not affect any of the upcoming tour dates. The 'Dethroned & Uncrowned - Unplugged & Reworked' tour next month will proceed accordingly and see JP Asplund taking on percussion duties. He was the one who actually played all original percussion on 'Dead End Kings'/'Dethroned & Uncrowned' albums. Stand-in drummer Daniel Moilanen (ex-ENGEL) will perform on the upcoming summer festivals. "Let's welcome our helping hands, have a goodbye toast for Daniel (note that would be 11 sips for him) and keep our eyes on the horizon: new tours coming up in South America and Australia as well as the long-awaited 20th anniversary 'Last Fair Day Gone Night - Live At Koko' DVD coming out this fall and much more…" KATATONIA rece
03 min read

MEGADETH’s DAVE MUSTAINE Performs With SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY; Video Footage Posted

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MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was a featured soloist last night (Saturday, April 12) with the San Diego Symphony. The classical special concert, billed as "Symphony Interrupted", took place at the 2,200-capacity Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California. The event saw Mustaine perform Richard Wagner's "Ride Of The Valkyries" with the orchestra, as well as solos of Vivaldi's concertos from "The Four Seasons", plus Bach's classic "Air". The first fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below. In a Facebook posting earlier today, Mustaine wrote: "I sooo badly want to say thank you for being here at the first 'Symphony Interrupted'. "To all the fans that were not able to attend, don't worry, there will be another 'Symphony Interrupted' and this being the first and all, we have already started to plan on how to make it even more enjoyable. "Thanks to all the San Diego Symphony people, especially Ken-David Masur and Tommy Phillips, to the press and promotion, my endorsers; Dean Guitars for the StradiVMNT and Marshall Amplification for the JVM 410 and Dave Mustaine DMB 1960 2 x 12" cabinet. I also want to thank my management, my staff, and Mrs. Anne Campbell and Dave Campbell for making this happen. "I will be leaving soon for Latin America after we play Las Vegas and Tucson, but before I do, I have to let you know how deeply I am impressed by your continued love and support. "Last night was an experiment; a challenge that I was up for, and continuing to improve myself for this show has already made me write ideas that are more twisting and turning, than the straight-ahead songs like 'Skin O' My Teeth' or 'A Tout Le Monde'. "We did not record the show because we knew I was going to be still getting used to this whole thing, that I would have a little getting used to this new environment, as well as following Ken-David do to me, what appears to be playing air drums. I was 'a fish out of water,' but we learn so much from 'doing' the songs that it is just a short matter of time until we start 'being' the songs. "I want everyone to hear this venture with everything just right. "Having spent 34 years touring and playing 'live' makes it pretty easy to go out and do what you have always done. "For the next 'Symphony Interrupted', as Frank Sinatra said, 'The best is yet to come!'" "There's such a difference in the [classical music and metal] societies," Mustaine told The Daily Aztec one week before the event. "That's the thing that I'm looking forward to, seeing how these two worlds are going to collide." He continued: "In my mind, I'm getting ready to go walk out to the stage, come in with a little tuxedo on, I'm going to get down there and they're going to go, 'Fuck yeah, Dave!' and all the classical guys are going to go, 'Oh my God, he said the F-word!'" Mustaine also talked about the influence classical music has had on MEGADETH since the band's inception three decades ago. "On the very first song on our very first record, I actually played piano," he said. "Funny thing was, it was a very, very, hacked up version of Beethoven's 'Fugue In D Minor' and going back and listening to the actual performanc
08 min read

KATAKLYSM Names Drummer OLI BEAUDOIN Permanent Member Of Band

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based death metallers KATAKLYSM have issued the following statement: "We are here today to announce that Oli Beaudoin will remain behind the throne as the drummer for KATAKLYSM on the next album and future tours. "Max [Duhamel] has informed that he cannot continue or return to the ranks at this time due to physical health issues. "KATAKLYSM welcomes Oli on board as we forge on. "Max remains our brother and will always be a part of KATAKLYSM. Those who saw him in Montreal playing 'The Road To Devastation' with us at the end of the show saw that even with severe pain the boy still has the chops to perform. We wish him well and know our paths will cross again." Max Duhamel explains his decision to leave the band: "After facing my problems head on this last year and having many sessions of therapy, I'm glad to say I have my alcohol intake under control now. I can happily have a beer or two here and there, or none at all, and totally be functional without any worries. I'm a much happier man and more focused than ever. I do terribly miss my boys in KATAKLYSM (the touring and making albums with them etc.), but while I was under therapy, I decided to fix other issues with my health as well: the physical part this time. "I always had shooting pains in my left arm, but I dealt with it in silence and kept it from everyone. Sometimes it would go numb and my wrist and entire arm would lock up during concerts. It gave me anxiety and made me angry, which didn't help my mental state. "I'm currently going through rehabilitation to restore my arm to the best of its abilities, but I cannot give the KATAKLYSM songs justice at the moment. It wouldn't be fair to the boys, and it wouldn't be fair to the fans and myself to continue. I need to take care of my health 100% before I can consider playing on a pro level again, like I know I'm capable of doing. "We will see what the future holds. "There's always a surprise in the air waiting to happen. "I'll keep in touch with all my fans and friends through my personal Facebook. "Thank you for the incredible support and all the kind words; they really helped to lift my spirits during these hard times." Adds Oli Beaudoi: "I'm stoked to now officially be welcomed as a permanent member of KATAKLYSM. The last two years with the guys have been a real blast. J-F, Maurizio and Steph are coolest bandmates I've had the chance to be with. The last album we wrote together in 2013 also proved that we share a common musical vision for this band. I'm just thrilled to pursue this endeavor and help push this band to a new level for the years to come." KATAKLYSM has recruited Tommy Jones (TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, EX DEO) to direct the video for the band's rendition of the SACRED REICH classic "The American Way". Jones previously also worked on KATAKLYSM's "Iron Will" DVD. KATAKLYSM's version of "The American Way" is taken from the band's new album, "Waiting For The End To Come", which was released on October 29, 2013 in North America via Nuclear Blast. The artwork by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED) was featured on the deluxe digipak and LP versions of the effort. The cover by Peter Sallai (SABATON) was featured on the standard jewel case and limited edition cassette tape versions. 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
04 min read

BEHEMOTH Bassist On ‘The Satanist’: ‘We’ve Never Been Happier With A Record’

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Michael Toland of the Austin Chronicle recently conducted an interview with bassist Orion (real name: Tomasz Wróblewski) of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Austin Chronicle: Let's talk about "The Satanist". It's your first album in five years and you put a lot of hard work into it. Are you pleased with it and the reception it's gotten so far? Orion: Oh, yes, definitely. We've never been happier with a record. It took us a long time to get to this point. During Nergal's [guitar/vocals] hospitalization and everything — this whole hard period — we weren't really sure if the next record's gonna happen. But it did happen, and we're truly happy with it. In our honest opinion, it just represents us to date. It's the best record we've ever done as a band, and it actually feels great. We all feel that. Austin Chronicle: The deluxe CD version includes a DVD documentary on which there's talk about how emotion should power the music. One of you even said it should just yell. Although there's a high degree of craft, the band wanted to keep it very organic. As you put it, "Open the wounds and let the blood flow." How do you balance all those things? Orion: Well, I remember this theory after "Evangelion", when we started touring. We were trying to talk about a new record, which was gonna happen at some point. We didn't really know which way we should go, or where we should move from this point. We had no idea, because we didn't really feel that we can compete with the 200% of our abilities that we've applied up to this point. Then we sat down to write "The Satanist". We went through this whole dark period of Nergal being sick, and I feel like we all learned to appreciate what we have and who we are much more. So, at some point, we started talking about the new album, and it was just flawless, fluent, very, very smooth. Because we sat down to write the music, and it was just going. We quit asking questions, for some reason. I really don't know why it happened, but we just wanted to have us and our blood on this record — and we didn't want to edit it to the very edge. We wanted to be very human. We're imperfect as people, as musicians. So we just let this record be imperfect. And somehow we managed to do it the right way. Even the recording process itself was very much different from what we used to do before. Most of the tracks recorded, the parts are the first take. There's not many overdubs on it. It's just us, as imperfect as we are. Austin Chronicle: Something else mentioned in the documentary was a general dissatisfaction with the state of extreme music. That you felt like the word doesn't mean anything anymore. Orion: There's more and more bands everywhere in the world. They're also starting to sound exactly the same. Even the older bands, it seems like they're re-recording the same record again and again, and all these new metal things — I just don't get it. I listen to all these bands, and... We have this saying in Polish, "It's going through your left ear and going out of your right ear, and you don't remember a single thing." It seems that the thought in it, the idea, is just missing. There's a lot of great players. There's a lot of great musicians, shredders. But they just race over the fretboard and there's no heart to it. That's what we basically think about metal music. There's a lot of good bands these days that I do enjoy listening to, and we're trying to keep up with what's happening in metal music. Read the entire interview at Austin Chronicle.
04 min read

CANDLEMASS Performs Entire ‘Ancient Dreams’ Album At ROADBURN (Video)

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Fan-filmed video footage of CANDLEMASS' April 11 performance at the Roadburn festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands can be seen below. CANDLEMASS celebrated the 25th anniversary of its third album, "Ancient Dreams", with special live concert on December 28, 2013 at Debaser Medis in Stockholm, Sweden. The LP, which was originally issued in 1988, has long been hailed as a classic and was performed in its entirety by CANDLEMASS, which was last year voted Sweden's best rock/metal band of all time in Sweden Rock Magazine. CANDLEMASS also performed all of "Ancient Dreams" at last night's Roadburn concert. CANDLEMASS' current touring lineup includes four members of its classic formation: Leif Edling on bass, Mats "Mappe" Björkman on rhythm guitar, Lars Johansson on lead guitar and Janne Lindh on drums. CANDLEMASS played its first show with singer Mats Levén on June 5, 2012 at Debaser Slussen in Stockholm, Sweden. Levén is a former member of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION and TREAT, who also plays with CANDLEMASS bassist/mainman Leif Edling in KRUX. Also joining the group for CANDLEMASS' recent live performances was keyboard player Per Wiberg (OPETH, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS). CANDLEMASS in June 2012 parted ways singer Robert Lowe. The band stated at the time that this was "a very difficult decision" to make and had "mainly to do with the quality of the live performances." Lowe — who is still a member of SOLITUDE AETERNUS — joined CANDLEMASS in January 2007 and sang on the band's last three studio albums: "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007), "Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012). CANDLEMASS released its 11th and final album, "Psalms For The Dead", on June 8, 2012 via Napalm Records. A limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single contaning two album tracks —"Dancing In The Temple Of The Mad Queen Bee" and "The Killing Of The Sun" — preceded the full-length effort on April 13, 2012.
02 min read

Bulgarian Heavy Metal Museum On National Tour

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According to the FOCUS Information Agency, a museum dedicated to heavy metal music was launched by the mayor of the Bulgarian coastal town of Kavarna, Tsonko Tsonev (pictured). Dubbed Kmetal — a combination of the word "mayor," which in Bulgarian is "kmet" and heavy "metal" music — the museum is now on a national tour and is presently making a stop in the country's capital, Sofia. Among the items being exhibited are autographed guitars, a miniature model of the Ronnie James Dio monument and a gold DEEP PURPLE "Burn" album signed by Glenn Hughes. An avid hard rock and heavy metal fan, Tsonev has attracted dozens of top metal bands to his hometown — DEEP PURPLE, MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR and SCORPIONS among them — as part of the annual Kaliakra Rock Fest, later renamed the Kavarna Rock Fest. Tsonev, mayor since 2003, has an assistant named assistant Maria who is a fan of "melodic death metal." He told BBC in a 2011 interview: "I didn't run for office on a heavy metal platform. It just happened that way, step by step." In October 2010, Tsonkov, a lawyer by education, unveiled the world's only statue memorializing legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. The 250-kilogram bronze, erected just five months after Dio's death, sits i
01 min read

SONATA ARCTICA: ‘Love’ Video Released

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"Pariah's Child", the eighth studio album from Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA, has registered the following first-week chart positions: Finland: #1 Switzerland: #13 Czech Republic: #16 Austria: #30 Germany: #31 Netherlands: #52 Spain: #78 UK: #127 Commented SONATA ARCTICA keyboardist keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg: "Somehow it never gets old to get your album to be #1. We're, of course, very pleased and want to say a huge thank you to all our fans for making this possible! Apparently people seem to be awake in other countries as well and we're very happy that our album is doing good all over the world. "At the moment we're touring in Europe, playing the new stuff live has been really great and we're looking forward to tour into 2015 as well. "See you all at the shows. Cheers!” SONATA ARCTICA's video for the song "Love" can be seen below. The band's lead singer, Tony Kakko, commented: "I've been at times asked how all SONATA love songs are just cruel and sad and something is, or goes, always wrong. Well: Happiness is boring. That's why all the TV series are full of drama. 25 seasons of fucking sunshine and ice cream does not sell. "Anyway, this is my attempt to navigate the uncharted waters of Happy. Sometimes you see these really old couples, who walk hand in hand, like they've done since they were mere kids. 'Love' is a song about that lifelong love we all would deserve. It's just beautiful. And rare." "Pariah's Child" track listing: 01. The Wolves Die Young 02. Running Lights 03. Take One Breath 04. Cloud Factory 05. Blood 06. What Did You Do In The War, Dad? 07. Half A Marathon Man 08. X Marks The Spot 09. Love 10. Larger Than Life Commented Tony Kakko: "There are some instant SONATA 'greatest-hits' songs there, which feels good. "I think we reached the result we had in mind, each of us in our own field. "We went on to create the next SONATA ARCTICA power metalesque album and I think we achieved it adequately. "I have to say that I had drifted pretty far away from those 'days of thunder,' that speedy, happy-go-lucky attitude. "I was happy to notice this style can still make me smile. It's good. Music has to do that to me. It also shows the other older songs in a totally new light for me. "I can now understand and appreciate why the fans enjoy what we did in the early days." Regarding the new CD title and cover artwork, Kakko said: "As always, it's pretty hard coming up with a name for the new baby. I tried to approach it from many angles; how this is our eighth album and how easy it would be to abuse that fact. All the symbolism of figure eight, eternity and so on. But that just did not feel right, as it's been done so many times. Then I started to think how we'd in ways abandoned our 'totem animal,' the wolf and all what comes with the territory. "As the music on the album is bowing more towards the 'old' SONATA, meaning more power metal-style elements and wolves in many of the songs in one form or another, it was clear we need a wolf on the cover. An abandoned wolf. A pariah. Or pariah's child, actually. The new generation to bring the old logo back." SONATA ARCTICA last August parted ways with bassist Marko Paasikoski and replaced him with Pasi Kauppinen (SILENT VOICES, ex-REQUIEM, WINTERBORN).
03 min read