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GOJIRA To Release ‘Les Enfants Sauvages’ Limited-Edition Photo Book, Live CD/DVD

Manos Spanos
This spring, French progressive metallers GOJIRA will release "Les Enfants Sauvages", a limited edition 5" x 7", 60-page hardcover photo book chronicling the band's journey around the world over the last two years, since the release of their critically acclaimed Roadrunner debut, "L'Enfant Sauvage". The images were taken around the globe, spanning over 150 shows on three continents, and were hand-selected by GOJIRA guitarist/vocalist Joseph Duplantier and his brother, drummer Mario Duplantier. The package also includes a live CD and DVD capturing last year's performance at the legendary Brixton Academy in London, England. In addition to the CD/DVD/book, a bundle that includes an exclusive T-shirt is available. Pre-orders are available now for delivery by March 11. In other news, GOJIRA has also premiered a live performance of "Flying Whales" along with a gallery of images from "Les Enfants Sauvages" over at Noisey. "Les Enfants Sauvages" track listing: 01. Intro 02. Explosia 03. Flying Whales 04. Backbone 05. The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe 06. L'Enfant Sauvage 07. Toxic Garbage Island 08. Wisdom Comes 09. Jam 10. Oroborus 11. Drum Solo 12. The Axe 13. The Gift Of Guilt GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Way Of All Flesh", opened with 4,200 units back in 2008 to land at No. 138. "L'Enfant Sauvage" entered the official chart in France at position No. 7 (No. 17 on the digital chart). "L'Enfant Sauvage" (which translates to "The Wild Child") features 11 tracks of mind-bending, thunderous metal. The CD was recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York with co-producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD).
02 min read

SLIPKNOT’s COREY TAYLOR On Next Album: ‘There’s An Excitement We Haven’t Felt In A While’

Manos Spanos
As STONE SOUR brings its "House Of Gold And Bones" touring cycle to a close next month, singer Corey Taylor is turning his full attention to his other band, SLIPKNOT. With Jim Root, guitarist for both groups, back in Los Angeles writing and demoing material, Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio where things stand for the long-awaited record. "Me and Jim have been writing a lot of stuff, and it's really starting to kind of shape up really… I mean, we've got a nice chunk, and now we just kind of need to, you know, shape everything to that SLIPKNOT point of view, that SLIPKNOT way, that SLIPKNOT sound." He added: "There's an excitement that we haven't felt in a while." The new SLIPKNOT album will be its first since 2008's "All Hope Is Gone" and the first since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray and the recent dismissal of drummer Joey Jordison. Root told The Pulse Of Radio late last year — before the news about Jordison broke — that he was feeling the urgency to make a new SLIPKNOT album. "You know, we haven't done a record since Paul's been gone and it's been pushing six years. And there's a lot of people in SLIPKNOT and a lot of fans and me myself kind of feel like it's time for that hurdle to be overcome. And for me, that's really like my number one priority and the most important thing for me right now." SLIPKNOT has not disclosed the reasons for Jordison's exit, although the drummer issued a statement recently saying that he did not quit the band. A replacement has yet to be named. Taylor and SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan have both indicated that 2014 will be a comeback year for the band.
02 min read

DOOMOCRACY: DEBUT ALBUM COMING SOON

Manos Spanos
Doomocracy is a doom metal band from Heraklion, Greece. The band was created by Minas Vasilakis on drums, Angelos Tzanis on guitar and Michael Stavrakakis on vocals. The three of them have been good friends and band mates for almost a lifetime. They started rehearsing together during the summer of 2011 to pay tribute to the doom metal scene and bands like Candlemass, Black Sabbath, Memento Mori and Solitude Aeturnus. After a few months they were joined by good friends and musicians, Manolis Sx on bass and Harry Dokos on guitar. Having completed the band’s line up and full of energy and inspiration, they rehearsed intensively to compose doom metal music from the heart.The ideas were floating and the first 4 songs were composed in less than 3 months. The band continued rehearsing while searching for a band name. They decided to call themselves Doomocracy. By the end of 2012 Doomocracy had completed composing the tracks for their debut album “the end is written” and started pre-production. At the same time they started looking for suitable places to record and mix their album.The band entered “Mad Hat Music” studio in Heraklion Greece, on July 2013 and finished recording on September 2013. Nikos Vogiatzakis was the sound engineer and his help and advice was a great asset to the final result. After many conversations with European studios and sound engineers, Doomocracy came to the decision to work with Daniel Bergstrand at "Dug Out Productions" in Uppsala Sweden, for the mixing of "the end is written". Daniel Bergstrand is an established metal producer that has worked with many great metal bands, such as Meshuggah, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir and Evergrey. The mixing process was complete on the 15th of October 2013, giving Doomocracy that raw, powerful and heavy sound they were looking for. Tailor Maid music production and Peter In De Betou was Doomocracy's 1st choice for the Mastering of "the end is written". Peter is an expert when it comes to Mastering. He has worked with countless metal bands such as Morgana Lefay, Memento Mori, Entombed and so many more. Peter did a fantastic job, giving Doomocracy's debut album, a production worthy of the effort and passion the band has given to produce this album. Doomocracy is currently looking for a record label while rehearsing to bring their music to the public.
02 min read

PANTERA: ‘Far Beyond Driven: 20th Anniversary Edition’ To Arrive In March

Manos Spanos
PANTERA reached a major milestone in 1994 when the legendary metal band's seventh studio album, "Far Beyond Driven", debuted at NO. 1 on The Billboard 200, becoming the fastest-selling album of the group's career and its second consecutive platinum release. Not only a commercial success, the album also earned positive reviews around the world for the beautiful brutality of its all-out sonic assault. This year marks the 20th anniversary of that landmark album and Rhino is celebrating with a special two-disc version that includes a newly remastered version of the album, along with a live performance from the 1994 Monsters Of Rock festival. "Far Beyond Driven: 20th Anniversary Edition" will be available on March 25 for a suggested list price of $18.98. A digital version will also be available. Following the breakthrough success of 1992's "Vulgar Display Of Power" — which has since been certified double platinum — singer Philip Anselmo, guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott returned in March 1994 with "Far Beyond Driven". Following its No. 1 debut, "Far Beyond Driven" remained on the Billboard album chart for seven more months and many still regard it as the heaviest album to ever top the chart. Its 12 tracks represented a continuation of the previous album's relentless musical onslaught with hard-hitting tracks like the first single "I'm Broken" as well as the mosh-pit classics "5 Minutes Alone" and "Slaughtered". Another standout track was the group's swirling acoustic cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Planet Caravan", which became a live favorite when PANTERA hit the road to support the album later that year. Fans already familiar with "Far Beyond Driven" are in for a treat with the second disc of the "20th Anniversary Edition". Dubbed "Far Beyond Bootleg - Live From Donington '94", the disc contains PANTERA full live set recorded at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Donington, England on June 4, 1994. The 40-minute show comprises nine tracks taken from the band's three most recent albums including: "Use My Third Arm" and "Strength Beyond Strength" from "Far Beyond Driven"; "Walk", "Mouth For War" and "This Love" off "Vulgar Display Of Power"; plus the title track from "Cowboys From Hell" as well as the live staple melding "Domination" and "Hollow". "Far Beyond Driven: 20th Anniversary Edition" track listing: Disc One - Original Album Remastered 01. Strength Beyond Strength 02. Becoming 03. 5 Minutes Alone 04. I'm Broken 05. Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills 06. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks 07. Slaughtered 08. 25 Years 09. Shedding Skin 10. Use My Third Arm 11. Throes Of Rejection 12. Planet Caravan Disc Two – "Far Beyond Bootleg - Live From Donington '94" 01. Use My Third Arm 02. Walk 03. Strength Beyond Strength 04. Domination/Hollow 05. Slaughtered 06. Fucking Hostile 07. This Love 08. Mouth For War 09. Cowboys From Hell
03 min read

SUICIDAL ANGELS’ ‘Divide And Conquer’ Lands On German Chart

Manos Spanos
"Divide And Conquer", the new album from Greek thrashers SUICIDAL ANGELS, has entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 82. The effort was made available on January 14 (one day earlier internationally) via NoiseArt Records as a limited digipak, vinyl LP in different colors and as a digital download. Commented SUICIDAL ANGELS guitarist/vocalist Nick Melissourgos: "We recorded again in the Prophecy & Music Factory Studios and the mix and master this time was done by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY) at Fredman Studios. We didn't know what to expect for the final result, but what we got is killer. He managed to combine the old-school feeling of our music with an up-to-date production of 2013. [It sounds] absolutely massive!" The cover artwork for "Divide And Conquer" was created by another well-known name in the metal biz — legendary cover artist Ed Repka, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, DEATH and MUNICIPAL WASTE. Added Melissourgos: "If you notice, in the pit, it's not people fighting, it's zombies. Also the crowd isn't human, they are zombies. They are the souls of people who have no human feelings anymore. They represent the ugliness and the inhumanity of the humans. Thus turned into something else, they are easier to be conquered and manipulated." The "Divide And Conquer" artwork is said to be the "perfect mirror" for the album's lyrics, because once again, SUICIDAL ANGELS isn't really interested in booze, boobs and slimy aliens, but instead likes to reflect on the everyday horror of our lives. "The main subject is the contemporary situation that we all are living in," explained Melissourgos. "There is so much power in the hands of few who have the ability to do everything, but their only fear is everyday and common people. So the only, most direct and easiest solution is to mentally disease the population, in order to fight each other, in order to misjudge reality and not being able to tell what is important and what not. So, like this, without unity, it is easier to become a slave." "Divide And Conquer" track listing: 01. Marching Over Blood 02. Seed Of Evil 03. Divide And Conquer 04. Control The Twisted Mind 05. In The Grave 06. Terror Is My Scream 07. Pit Of Snakes 08. Kneel To The Gun 09. Lost Dignity 10. White Wizard The official video for the song "In The Grave" can be seen below. SUICIDAL ANGELS will embark on a European headlining tour in January and February. Support on the trek will come from FUELED BY FIRE, LOST SOCIETY and EXARSIS.
03 min read

THE HAUNTED: New Song ‘Eye Of The Storm’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will release a new three-song single, "Eye Of The Storm", on January 20 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Century Media Records. The single’s cover artwork can be seen below. "Eye Of The Storm" will be made available as limited-edition seven-inch EP (1,000 copies split as follows: 500 on black vinyl, 300 on red vinyl and 200 on white vinyl) and as digital single, featuring the new songs "Eye Of The Storm", "Infiltrator" and "My Enemy". "Eye Of The Storm" track listing: 01. Eye Of The Storm 02. Infiltrator 03. My Enemy The "Eye Of The Storm" title track can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The single marks the recording debut of THE HAUNTED's new lineup, which was announced last summer, featuring founding members Patrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass), returning members Marco Aro (vocals) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), as well as new guitarist Ola Englund. Commented THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen: "There aren't superlatives enough to describe how much the band has longed for these three songs to be released. "We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. "We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. "We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be THE HAUNTED. "We'll start doing gigs this spring and we'll do festivals all over the place this summer. "Get in touch with the festivals you visit (and behave like an animal at) and tell them to get us on the bill! "THE HAUNTED is back. "Play it loud. No. Louder." The new lineup of THE HAUNTED will make its live debut during the 2014 edition of "The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise" — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27 to January 31 from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and back. THE HAUNTED's 2014 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band. "We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!" Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER.
04 min read

MOTÖRHEAD Manager On LEMMY’s Health: ‘He Has Great Days And Then He F**ks It Up’

Manos Spanos
Longtime MOTÖRHEAD manager Todd Singerman spoke to Decibel magazine about the band's decision to cancel a European tour at the end of last year due to frontman Lemmy's ongoing health problems. Since being diagnosed with diabetes in 2000, Lemmy's had to have a defibrillator installed in his heart, and more recently suffered from an "unspecified hematoma," which led to the cancellation of several European shows last summer. Factor in a daily intake of smokes, speed and Jack and Coke for the last 40-plus years, and it's a wonder he's alive at all. After decades of invincibility, the cracks are finally showing. Lemmy has had to make some difficult adjustments. "I had to give up the Jack and Coke because of the sugar," he tells Decibel. "I miss it. I gave up smoking, too. I gave up bread. It's been a bit of a job, you know?" "[Lemmy's] been up and down," says Singerman. "He's got a really bad diabetic problem, and it changes on a daily basis. A lot of it is just fighting the bad habits, the things that he's not supposed to do anymore. He's stopped smoking, but he probably sneaks Jack and Coke here and there. He'd be lying to you if he said he stopped. He's been trying to substitute it with wine, and I'm sure he's slowed down on the speed. He thinks wine's better than Jack, but it's still got tons of sugar, you know? He doesn't grasp that he's just trading one demon for the other. That was the compromise with the doctors, by the way — trade the Jack for the wine. But he doesn't tell them he's drinking two fucking bottles, either. These are the battles we're up against. Keep in mind, he's been doing all this stuff on a daily basis since Hendrix. And it's coming to roost. It's sad for him, because he's gotten away with this stuff for all this time. "I made them cancel [the European tour], because Lemmy's not ready," Singerman explains. "He didn't wanna cancel. But what was gonna go down is what happened in Europe over the summer. See, he fucked up in Europe. He was supposed to rest for three months, and he refused. He ended up doing that show [Wacken Open Air in August], which he wasn't supposed to do, and it ended up being 105 degrees "Out there. He's playing direct in the fucking sun. The only thing I'm proud of him for is stopping when it didn't feel good. That was smart of him. The bottom line is that he needs to find a balance and then live that balance for a few months. But we can't find the balance yet. He has great days and then he fucks it up. And when you fuck up, you go backwards." MOTÖRHEAD's European tour has been rescheduled for February, with a U.S. tour to follow in March. To purchase a copy of Decibel's February 2014 issue featuring Lemmy on the cover, go to this location.
03 min read

MACHINE HEAD Sued By Former Bassist ADAM DUCE

Manos Spanos
According to Courthouse News, ex-MACHINE HEAD bassist Adam Duce has filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates alleging trademark infringement, breach of partnership agreement and defamation, among other things. Duce was fired from MACHINE HEAD on February 11, 2013, a few months prior to the band signing a new deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment. According to Adam, he was expelled from the group "after he put 21 years of his life into it" so as to allow the other bandmembers to make a bigger profit. Although MACHINE HEAD formed a general partnership and a corporation under which each member owned 25 percent, the band's guitarist/vocalist, Robert Flynn, got a larger portion of the band's income, Duce claims. MACHINE HEAD's 2009 tour, which included dates with METALLICA, grossed more than $2 million. A 2012 Europe tour grossed more than $3 million, according to the complaint. "After receiving very little compensation despite the millions the band was bringing in, plaintiff requested and reviewed the records from the tours. Plaintiff found that [the band's manager, co-defendant Joseph W.] Huston, Flynn, and PFM [Provident Financial Management] had squandered money throughout the trip without consulting plaintiff for the vast majority of 'expenses,'" Duce says in the lawsuit. "Despite their increase in popularity and touring revenue, [Duce] became concerned with how little income he was receiving, despite the time and hard work put in to developing the band," the complaint states. "Though he expressed these concerns to Flynn, Huston, and PFM, [Duce] was never satisfied with the answers he received." The complaint adds: "Despite plaintiff's expressed concerns, he was unable to make enough money to live within his modest means. Because of this, when the band was not touring, plaintiff supplemented his income as a licensed real estate appraiser." The lawsuit goes on to say: "After [guitarist] Ahrue Luster left the band and was replaced by [Phil] Demmel, MACHINE HEAD continued as a partnership in which all four members — [Duce], Flynn, [drummer Dave] McClain, and now Demmel — held equal 25% shares in MH from approximately late 2002 until February 2013. "While early on, each of the partners had equal rights in the management and conduct of MH business, Flynn, with the help of Huston, began making unilateral decisions without involving the other partners, essentially usurping control of the partnership. "Despite the fact that Huston received 10% of the band's gross income, he failed to ensure that the members of the band made even close to his 10% cut." Duce alleges that Nuclear Blast, Flynn and Huston "wrongfully and intentionally conspired to expel and then did expel [Adam] from the band prior to signing the new record deal in an attempt to preclude [Duce] from enjoying the profits of the new record deal. As a direct, proximate result of these actions, [Duce] has been damaged in an amount to be proven at trial, but in any event in excess of $800,000," the complaint states. Flynn wrote about Duce's departure in a "diary entry" on MACHINE HEAD's web site by "directly attacking plaintiff's work ethic," Duce says in the complaint. "Therein, Flynn stated, inter alia, 'We may have fired Adam on 2-11-13, but Adam quit MACHINE HEAD well over a decade ago. He just never bothered to tell anyone ... but we all knew it.' Flynn went on further in the diary entry, continuing to say about plaintiff, 'No matter how un-happy [sic] or fed up he got, quitting the band would be seen as 'losing' or a 'failure.' Truth be told, he was sick of it. Sick of touring, sick of recording, sick of practicing, sick of looking at album artwork, sick of being-on-a-team-but-never-getting-the-ball, sick of yearning-for-the-honeymoon-to-resume when 20 years deep it never does. Sick of never quite hitting the big-time, sick of carving the niche ... sick of caring.'" (Ellipses in complaint.) Adam claims that Flynn's "diary entry was libelous per se in that in contained untrue statements made to third parties that tended to harm [Duce] in his reputation and occupation." Duce adds that "Flynn published this diary entry without making a reasonable effort to ascertain the truthfulness of its contents." In addition, "Flynn was not privileged to make such statements in the diary entry. As a direct, proximate result of this diary entry, [Duce] has been damaged in an amount to be proven at trial, but in any event in excess of $1,000,000."
05 min read

TESTAMENT Working On New Material

Manos Spanos
According to a new tweet from TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, he is currently "holed up" in a San Francisco Bay Area motel with fellow TESTAMENT axeman Eric Peterson and their guitars and mini-amps writing tunes for the band's next studio album. Skolnick says: "[We have] great ideas so far!" TESTAMENT last week announced the departure of bassist Greg Christian. Metal fretless bass pioneer Steve DiGiorgio has rejoined TESTAMENT as Christian's replacement. Steve was previously a member of TESTAMENT on "The Gathering" (1999) and "First Strike Still Deadly" (2001) albums. Christian was forced to leave the band's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in November for "personal reasons." Filling in for him was EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson. "Dark Roots Of Thrash", a DVD/2CD release documenting TESTAMENT's sold-out headlining performance at the Paramount in Huntington, New York this past February, was made available on October 18, 2013 (Europe) and October 29, 2013 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. "Dark Roots Of Thrash" was produced by Get Hammered Productions, directed by Tommy Jones (DEATH ANGEL, KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK) and mixed by Juan Urteaga (VILE, EXODUS, SADUS, MACHINE HEAD). It captures a total of 19 live tracks with countless cams onstage and high above the audience, plus a special moshpit cam that makes you feel like you're a part of the show.
01 min read

SATYRICON’s FROST Forced To Sit Out 70000 TONS OF METAL Appearance

Manos Spanos
Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON have issued the following update: "The Department Of Homeland Security in the U.S. have changed their procedures and that means that without any warning, the processing time for someone like [SATYRICON drummer] Frost is six months. That means that he is forced to sit out on our appearances at 70000 Tons Of Metal [cruise]. "We have tried everything that we can try to make it happen, but we have no choice, but to wait 6 months for his application to go through. That is how the system works now. "The good news though is that we have found a worthy replacement for him for 70000 Tons Of Metal and it is someone handpicked by Frost and [SATYRICON frontman] Satyr, of course. This special guest who will help the band so we can get to do these shows have our blessing and our gratitude. "We hope everyone attending our shows at 70000 Tons Of Metal appreciate that we will after all be able to make it, and that we have found an extremely competent drummer to replace another." SATYRICON's new, self-titled album sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. This is roughly in line with the opening-week performance of the band's previous CD, "The Age of Nero", which premiered with 1,700 units back in November 2008. "Satyricon" debuted at position No. 1 on the official chart in the band's home country — the first time one of the group's releases topped the chart in Norway. "Satyricon" also saw success internationally, debuting at No. 6 in Finland, No. 23 in Germany and No. 26 in Austria. By comparison, SATYRICON's previous studio album, "2008'a "The Age Of Nero", entered the chart at No. 5 in Norway and No. 73 in Germany. "Satyricon" was recorded in Norway between January and May 2013 and was produced by SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven. Mixing took place in Seattle by Adam Kasper and Satyr. Speaking to Noisecreep at last year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's new album: "To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record… This record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future." Frost interview:
03 min read