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‘OZZY’ Beer Still On Shelves After Baltimore Brewer Receives Cease-And-Desist Letter

Manos Spanos
Lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne are trying to stop a brewer from making an unauthorized brand of "Ozzy" beer. Baltimore-based The Brewer's Art named one of its many house brews after Ozzy, with the cans featuring images of his knuckle tattoos as well as bats — including a headless one. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Ozzy's legal team issued a cease-and-desist order, after which brewery head Tom Creegan announced that the "Ozzy" beer would be pulled. However, according to The Baltimore Sun, liquor stores in Baltimore said they are still selling the beer, and six-packs were available Thursday afternoon at Brewer's Art. Cynthia Blake Sanders, an intellectual property lawyer who teaches entertainment and sports law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, told The Baltimore Sun that celebrities have the right to decide how their names and images are used commercially. "You can't make the commercial use of a person's name on any product, but particularly not [with] people who have a value on their persona," said Sanders. "If they called it Ozzy and it wasn't so clearly a sort of heavy-metal styling, somebody might connect it with a different Ozzy," she said. "But when they've used both his tattoo, in addition to his hands" and the bat imagery, "that's really using a great deal of his persona." During its short time on the shelves, the "Ozzy" beer was acclaimed by brew enthusiasts, with the drink getting a 90 out of 100 rating on the Beer Advocate web site. Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH will hit the road this Monday (March 31) for a North American tour that begins in Brooklyn, New York and spends most of its time in Canada, before wrapping up in Los Angeles on April 26.
01 min read

AVENGED SEVENFOLD To Reissue ‘Waking The Fallen’ With Bonus Demo Tracks, DVD

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AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows has revealed to Loudwire that the band plans to reissue its 2003 effort, "Waking The Fallen", with bonus material. Shadows says, "We're going to put something together for the 10-year anniversary of 'Waking The Fallen', which is about 11 or 12 years now. We've been trying to think of something we could put together and we found some old demos that we did with Teppei [Teranishi] from THRICE before we even did that record. We also found some old footage with [late AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer] Jimmy [Sullivan] playing some old shows at The Henry Fonda Theater in L.A., and the Ventura Theater. We'll put together a cool DVD and some demo tracks and re-release 'Waking The Fallen' for newer fans of the band that haven't gotten that or don't know about the history of the band." According to Shadows, AVENGED is also planning to release a new DVD. Shadows tells the site, "It is going to encompass the whole world that we've been filming for the last five years being in all these different countries with our camera guy. That'll be a fun thing. I think we're going to film some big shows. I think we’re filming Mexico City coming up and we have some other shows we're going to film and kind of intertwine the live performance with this huge DVD we want to do. That will probably come out before Christmas." AVENGED SEVENFOLD has tapped Andrew Baird (CAGE THE ELEPHANT, CARRIE UNDERWOOD) to direct the video for the band's song "This Means War". The clip is described as "a grisly street fight on the dark streets of an urban metropolis. Haunted by dark creatures and lost souls." "This Means War" is taken from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's sixth and latest album, "Hail To The King", which came out last year and was the band's second straight CD to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, following 2010's "Nightmare". AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the animated series based around "Hail To The King". The six-episode series is available on Machimina's HappyHour channel on YouTube and also serves as a prologue and back story for the group's mobile game, "Hail To The King: Deathbat", which will debut later in the year. The series was directed by Jon Schnepp, producer of the Adult Swim animated show "Metalocalypse". Both the series and game tell the story of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's fictional mascot, the Deathbat. The band recorded seven brand new songs for the game, which will also include 16 pieces of never-before-seen artwork from all the group's albums that players can unlock.
02 min read

SMASHING PUMPKINS Sign Artist Services Deal With BMG

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SMASHING PUMPKINS announced Tuesday, March 25 via the band's social networks that they've signed an Artist Services deal with BMG. Via Martha's Music/BMG, they will issue two new SMASHING PUMPKINS albums in 2015: "Monuments To An Elegy" and "Day For Night". The first single is expected to be released by year's end. The PUMPKINS' Billy Corgan says, "For those interested in sound, think: 'guitars, guitars, guitars, and more guitars,' but more so on the epic side of things than say, grossly metallic." Recording sessions began this week, "as plenty of songs have been written and are ready to go," said Corgan. "Manning the boards will be producer Howard Willing, with whom I first had the pleasure of working with during the 'Adore' sessions. We expect a single out by year's end." Corgan also noted, "Additionally, this stands as the initial post on a new nexus: The Panopticon, which through its simplicity should better address the speed of modern life. A continuing feature, items regarding each day's recording will be shared that same evening, with song titles, lyrics, poetic impressions, pictures, sound clips, studio gear and the like offered for a circuitous, bird's eye view of the process as it unfolds." The PUMPKINS released their last studio album in 2012: "Oceania", which entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 4, earned the No. 1 spot on the Independent Albums chart and garnered vast critical acclaim. SMASHING PUMPKINS have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history having sold more than 30 million albums, and won multiple Grammy Awards in the process. Formed in Chicago in 1988, they released "Gish", their influential and platinum debut in 1991, which was followed by albums including the nine-time platinum "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and the four-time platinum "Siamese Dream", as well as the platinum certified 1998 album "Adore". The group's many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation. The PUMPKINS returned in 2007 with their acclaimed sixth album, "Zeitgeist". They have since remained on the cutting edge of music and technology with various online releases.
02 min read

JOE SATRIANI And SAMMY HAGAR Considering Blues Trio

Manos Spanos
CHICKENFOOT drummer Chad Smith is hard at work with his other band, the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, so he doesn't have time to work on a new album with the supergroup. VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner caught up with CHICKENFOOT guitarist Joe Satriani and asked him what that means for the band's future. "I think it's one of those years where [a new CHICKENFOOT album is] just not gonna happen this year," Joe said, "but Sam [CHICKENFOOT singer Sammy Hagar] and I were just talking about… The oddest thing happened, I was watching an old show, it's called 'Later' or something from England, and I saw Tom Jones do a great thing with Ethan Johns, who's played drums on one of my records that his father, Glyn, produced for me and they were doing a trio — drums, Ethan on guitar and just Tom singing. It was great! I got this idea about something that came from a conversation I had with Sam where we wanted to do a blues album, but we were trying to figure out the simplest way to do it. And we kept thinking just two guys and then I was thinking, well, maybe three, I don't know. And then I saw this thing, and so I said, 'You gotta go out and get this album!' It came out maybe in 2010 or something and it just passed me by somehow. That was the last conversation we had was talking about that and getting together next weekend." CHICKENFOOT reissued its gold-selling 2009 self-titled debut as a double-disc set. The new version features bonus live tracks recorded on the group's tour behind its sophomore studio effort, "III" CHICKENFOOT's most recent touring lineup included legendary drummer/musician Kenny Aronoff, who was filling in for Smith while Chad was on the road with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. "III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band'
02 min read

KURT COBAIN Getting Tribute Comic Book

Manos Spanos
According to The Pulse Of Radio, NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain is the subject of a new comic book from Bluewater Productions, a publishing company that has previously chronicled the life stories of rock icons like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Keith Richards in its popular Tribute series. The book will be published on April 2 in both print and digital form to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Cobain's suicide. The comic book tells Cobain's story from his early days growing up in Aberdeen, Washington to his grappling with fame to his battle with addiction and emotional problems. Cobain's life fascinates the public two decades after his death and The Pulse Of Radio asked his biographer Charles R. Cross why that is. "You know, the guy lived such a huge life, even though he died two decades ago, there's so many ways he still has affected culture that in some ways it doesn't even feel like he's gone," he said. Bluewater publisher Darren G. Davis said, "The Tribute line of comic books tells the stories of people that have made a significant difference in the world while they were with us. It is a way for us to honor these people who have made a difference in the world." Bluewater will soon publish comics about late QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury and the comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus. Cobain's body was discovered on April 8, 1994 when an electrician came to his house, three days after police determined that he had shot himself. NIRVANA will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 10 — five days after the 20th anniversary of his death — alongside KISS, Linda Ronstadt and others.
01 min read

Third Episode Of ‘Cooking Hostile With Phil Anselmo’ Posted Online

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The third episode of "Cooking Hostile" — the newly launched animated series based on a completely off-the-wall premise: PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo hosting his own cooking show — can be seen below. The program takes snippets of some of PANTERA's best-known songs and changes the lyrics to ones that are more cooking-centric. "Cooking Hostile" is the brainchild of Gainesville, Florida's Joey Siler, who also fronts the PANTERA tribute band GOOD FRIENDS & A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY. Asked how he came up with the idea to do "Cooking Hostile", Siler told Vanyaland: "I was just joking around at band practice after we got done jamming '5 Minutes Alone' and I told the guys, 'What if Phil had his own cooking show and I changed the lyrics to '5 Minutes On Low?'' Everyone got a good laugh out of it. It was nothing more than a joke, but I had recently got into doing animation as a hobby at the beginning of this year and had messed around with making a few animations and decided to come up with some ideas for the 'Cooking Hostile With Phil Anselmo' [two-and-half-minute short] video. During the next week, I picked a few PANTERA songs and worked on changing the lyrics up and showed the guys and they thought it was hilarious, so we laid down the tracks and I started working on the animation. The whole project was probably done in about four weeks." Regarding the process of creating the first "Cooking Hostile" 10-minute episode, Siler said: "I can tell you I have much more respect for people that work in animation after working on this project. It's very time consuming, and I have real job with a 40-hour work week, so it all had to be done in my spare time. That's the main reason it has taken so long. After I saw the interest in the first one, I decided to take a lot more time on the next one and make it the best I could for what I have to work with. As for the process, I start with writing out the lyrics to the song I want to parody first and then record the music and vocals. Then I usually sketch out the scene to give me a general idea to help with the animation process." Anselmo reportedly told an interviewer that the found the original two-and-half-minute "Cooking Hostile With Phil Anselmo" short — which has received more than half a million views on YouTube so far — "fucking hilarious, fucking fantastic," and gave it "two big thumbs up." In addition, the short was shown in October 2013 at Anselmo's Housecore Horror Film Festival in Austin, Texas. "It was just great to hear he wasn't suing us!" laughed Siler. "But really, Phil seems to have a great sense of humor and it was awesome to just to know he had seen it and got a good laugh out of it. We couldn't have asked for a better response." He added: "Corey Mitchell, who created the [Housecore Horror Film Festival] with Phil, actually contacted me on YouTube asking me if I would be interested in allowing the original short for Phil and his film festival. I'm honored to be a part of it." "Cooking Hostile" episode 3 (release date: March 28, 2014): "Cooking Hostile" episode 2 (release date: December 31, 2013): "Cooking Hostile" episode 1 (release date: October 2013):
04 min read

IN FLAMES’ PETER IWERS And BJÖRN GELOTTE To Release ‘2112 – A Tale Of Meat And Metal’ Book

Manos Spanos
"2112 - A Tale Of Meat And Metal", a new book by Peter Iwers and Björn Gelotte of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES, along with journalist Mattias Lindeblad, will be released on May 30 via Kalla Kulor Förlag. Restaurant 2112 was founded in 2011 by Iwers and Gelotte. The Gothenburg restaurant is named after the RUSH album and has since its opening become a natural venue for domestic and international fans of rock music. 2112 quickly became renowned for its marvelous, award-winning burgers, the well-selected beer and the warm and inviting atmosphere. In just a few years, Restaurant 2112 has grown to become a home away from home for the rock-loving residents of Gothenburg and international rock stars passing through town. This book is the story about following your dreams, even though you've never ever set foot on the other side of the bar counter — a tale of meat and metal. The foreword was written by Hollywood star and IN FLAMES fan Peter Stormare. Said SLAYER's Kerry King: "It's nice to see a couple of my friends in the biz doing well at something else. Now we have a great place for some drinks!!" In an interview with EspyRock.com, Iwers stated about the decision to open Restaurant 2112: "We spent plenty of time thinking about it, looking at possible locations and learning the business side of things. Once we were prepared and knew we could open it, me, Bjorn and two other guys just went for it. We took it step by step, and although it was a lot harder than we ever expected it to be, we didn't rush anything. We've got people there who run it for us, and as soon as we're home, then we go straight to the restaurant and we help out. We do anything that needs to be done and on most occasions we're out as the host for all of the parties that come in. There are two parts to it, [the restaurant and also the pub section]. It's not one of these places that you need to wear a suit and tie, and it's also not a rock 'n' roll place either; [it's] something for everyone to enjoy." Asked what made him and Björn decide on fine dining, Peter said: "A couple of different reasons, actually. When we're out on tour and someone invites you to a place, it always ends up being a rock 'n' roll bar with loud music and clouded in smoke. After a show, I don't want that, I want a hotel bar which is quiet and I can just sit and relax; you know, the piano-and-champagne-type bar [laughs]. I just want to unwind after a show. Another reason is that I enjoy going out with my friends, having something to eat, a few drinks and talk away for the rest of the night, but most places in Sweden close at eleven, so you have to move on to somewhere else. You keep moving round places, but unless you're quick, then they are full and you end up at the loud rock bar anyway. So we decided that we would combine the two and give you a place that you can sit for a long time and dine, enjoy incredible food and drink at affordable prices, and then just move onto the pub area to continue a nice relaxing evening. "In the beginning, we had two different menus, but we then just made it the same menu so depending on how you feel and where you are, you will still be able to get the same good food and drinks." "If you were to be there on a Saturday night, then you would notice that it is interesting, because we have a mix of people in IRON MAIDEN t-shirts and then guys in their fifties with their suits and ties on, but everyone mixes perfectly, they all enjoy it and it is very calm, the perfect atmosphere and exactly what we wanted." Regarding the restaurant's name, 2112, Iwers said: "I think it was one of the other guys who came up with it; his name is Martin. It is a really clean name and we all happen to love RUSH. "We spent a while talking about what we would call it, because the name is extremely important; people get a feeling of what your restaurant or bar will be like from the name, and if we called it In Flames Bar, then people would think instantly that it was a metal place or somewhere dark and dungeon-like, maybe a bit twisted with people on flames or something stupid. The name though was clean and then the decoration brings out the rock 'n' roll vibe, which is helped with some paintings and we plan to add some guitars and things. So when he said, 'What about '2112', from RUSH?' we thought about some other restaurants that have all numbers or letter/number combinations and it just worked very well. If you know about RUSH, then it's awesome, but if you don't know about RUSH, then it still comes across as a neat name." 2112 is located at Magasingatan 5 in Gothenburg. For more information, go to this location. 2112talemeatmetalbook_638
05 min read

EXODUS On New Album: ‘This Is Gonna Be So Goddamned Heavy, It Ain’t Even Funny’

Manos Spanos
Veteran San Francisco thrashers EXODUS have entered a studio in Northern California with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE) to record their tenth studio album. Commented EXODUS guitarist and songwriter Gary Holt: "We are well into drum tracks; everything is going super smooth and Tom [Hunting] is just killing it! Best drum sound this band has ever laid down — sounds just simply pummeling! "[There is] only one more song [left to lay down] and some B-sides to go, then we go through things and make sure everything is up to par, and then time for guitars! "Can't wait to add the crunch to these monsters. "This is gonna be so goddamned heavy, it ain't even funny! "We couldn't be more stoked and pleased with how this record is coming along! Bludgeoning!" Holt recently told "Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about his plans for a new EXODUS studio album: "I'm heavily in riff mode [right now]. It's always hard to gauge where a record's going right away, but you kind of get a feel for where you're headed mentally, and right now it's really fast. It's ridiculous. "I wanna make sure that the [next EXODUS] album is as good as it needs to be, and knowing I am going to be on a tight time frame, it does tend to stress me out quite a bit. But I think I write well under stress… I hate the pressure. But I do what I gotta do. We all do. So we'll make it happen." EXODUS' latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart. EXODUS' previous album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007. EXODUS has announced its participation in a monumental upcoming tour with headliners SLAYER and additional special guests SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. This metalhead's "dream tour" kicks off on May 9 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and hits six more cities, including a stop at the world-famous Rock On The Range festival on May 17 in Columbus, Ohio. Gary Holt will perform double-duty on this run as guitarist for his band EXODUS, while also filling in for SLAYER's fallen guitarist Jeff Hanneman.
02 min read

VADER: ‘Tibi Et Igni’ Album Teaser

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Polish death metal veterans VADER will release their new album, "Tibi Et Igni" (a Latin phrase which translates to "For You And Fire"), on May 30 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2011's "Welcome To The Morbid Reich" was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Wojtek and Slawek Wiesawski. The artwork was handled this time by a true legend of visuals, Joe Petagno (MOTÖRHEAD). A teaser for b>"Tibi Et Igni" — featuring 50 seconds of the opening track, "Go To Hell" — is available below. Commented VADER mainman Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek: "Joe is a legend! Not just because he created MOTÖRHEAD logo or breathtaking artworks for many outstanding albums. Joe is over all times and his imagination touches the Hell itself…. And this is enough reason to ask him for painting 'a Hellfire' for VADER's new music. He accepted it and… made me so proud!" Joe Petagno added: "They have been on my 'get in touch' list for years. Finally we managed it and for a killer album very appropriately titled: 'Tibi Et Igni'." "Tibi Et Igni" track listing: 01. Go To Hell 02. Where Angels Weep 03. Armada On Fire 04. Triumph Of Death 05. Hexenkessel 06. Abandon All Hope 07. Worms Of Eden 08. The Eye Of The Abyss 09. Light Reaper 10. The End Digipak Bonus: 11. Necropolis 12. Des Satans Neue Kleider Bonus 7" Vinyl: Side A: Necropolis Side B: Przeklęty Na Wieki (Cursed Eternally) "Tibi Et Igni" will be made available as a standard jewelcase CD, digipak (with 2 bonus tracks), as colored vinyl with a bonus seven-inch EP (including 2 bonus tracks) and exclusively at Nuclear Blast mailorder as a limited digipak edition with a signed VADER tourbook. VADER will release a special seven-inch single containing two tracks from "Tibi Et Igni". The single is titled "Go To Hell" and includes the following songs: Side A: "Where Angels Weep" Side B: "Triumph Of Death" The song "Where Angels Weep" will also be available digitally. The vinyl and the digitally version will be released on April 18 via Nuclear Blast. You can pre-order the single (red, white and black vinyl) at this location. VADER's forthcoming effort will mark the recording debut of British drummer James Stewart (DIVINE CHAOS), who replaced Pawel "Paul" Jaroszewicz in 2011. VADER's latest album, "Welcome To The Morbid Reich", was released in Europe on August 12, 2011 and in North America on September 13, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland and features the cover artwork of Zbigniew Bielak (DESTRÖYER 666, WATAIN). The band laid down a total of 12 songs for the CD, which was mixed and mastered in May 2011. vadertibicd
03 min read

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY: New Album Update

Manos Spanos
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, the band led by brothers and founding SEPULTURA members Max (also of SOULFLY) and Igor Cavalera, is putting the finishing touches on its third album for a fall release via Napalm Records. The CD is being produced by John Gray, who has previously worked with SOULFLY. Max Cavalera checked in from the studio to give an update. On working with his brother: Max: "It has always been some kind of killer magic whenever I play with my brother. We have a special connection that comes out through the music and the crowd reacts to it in an insane way." On the recording process: Max: "Pretty much, I have to get into CAVALERA CONSPIRACY mode. I wanted the new album to be faster and thrashier with the concept of Old Babylon. As far as recording equipment, we use everything! We don't rely too much on Pro Tools like other bands. All Igor's tracks are live drums. The energy is all there and we play all the guitars and sing of top of it, so in a way, it's like the old ways of recording." On feelings of pressure regarding the band's third album: Max: "There's pressure but I also like the challenge. I think it is the CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's most and intense and fastest record yet. I am very proud of it." CAVALERA CONSPIRACY recently recruited Nate Newton of CONVERGE as its new recording bassist. Said Gray: "This is by far the fastest and heaviest record I have ever had the pleasure of working on with Max Cavalera. "Max, Igor and Marc [Rizzo, guitar] were on the same page musically from the moment they walked in the door, and recording this album was a very smooth process. "I had never worked with Igor Cavalera before and I was very impressed with his ability to work out the arrangements with Max and get some extremely complex drum parts done live with hardly any re-takes necessary. Marc Rizzo, as always, was spot-on and a true guitar virtuoso. "I love to work with Marc because he always pushes himself to perfection, but he is very down to earth and keeps things light when he's under pressure. "What can I say about Nate Newton — he killed it on the bass tracks with very little back and forth. I'm really impressed with his talent, and I look forward to meeting him some day." Added Rizzo: "The new CAVALERA CONSPIRACY record was amazing to record... Definitely a brutal and fast third record!!!" Stated Newton: "It was a lot of fun to be a part of this record. For me, it was a challenge to learn the songs sight unseen and record them. It was a pretty interesting look into the way Max writes songs and I am glad to have been a part of it." Johny Chow, who had been touring and recording with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY for the past few years, in 2013 joined STONE SOUR as that band's new touring bassist. Joining CAVALERA CONSPIRACY on stage last year for its tour of South America and Mexico was SOULFLY bassist Tony Campos. CAVALERA
03 min read