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TOM ARAYA: SLAYER’s Music ‘Is Going To Live Forever’

Manos Spanos
Nathan Smith of HoustonPress.com recently conducted an interview with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. A few excerpts from the chat follow below. On the May 2013 death of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman: Araya: "It was just as shocking to me. We all have issues with vices in life, but I didn't know they were to that extent with his health. It was a shocking thing to get a phone call saying, 'Hey, Jeff passed away this morning,' and I'm like, 'What?! I talked to him a few days ago, and everything was fine!'" On how Hanneman's death has changed his outlook on the band: Araya: "Before, there was always hope that [Hanneman] would return. It wasn't a question of returning, it was a question of when he was returning. After he passed and we went to Europe to do that tour maybe a month later, it was... it was different. People don't realize that he had a major creative role in this band and in this new music we called thrash metal. "I still find myself having to tell myself now that he's passed that he's not going to be a part of the band anymore. So it changes your attitude; it changes your mood about things. It changes your outlook on quite a bit." On whether SLAYER will continue beyond the current tour: Araya: "That's something that me and Kerry [King, guitar] have to sit down and communicate our thoughts about. I have my feelings and my thoughts, and I need to share them with Kerry. That's what's going to happen on this trip. We need to sit down and figure out what we want to do and how to move forward." On the likelihood of Jeff's leftover material being used on SLAYER's next album:
02 min read

SATYRICON: ‘Phoenix’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"Phoenix", the new video from Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON, can be seen below. The track features a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA. The performance footage for the "Phoenix" clip was filmed on September 8 at Den Norske Opera & Ballett in Oslo, Norway, where SATYRICON was joined by the 55-strong Norwegian National Opera Chorus as part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. "Phoenix" comes off SATYRICON's new, self-titled album, which 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.
02 min read

SAXON: ‘Unplugged And Strung Up’ Audio Samples Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Audio samples of several of the songs that will appear on SAXON's "Unplugged And Strung Up" album are available for streaming on the web site of the German music retailer JPC.de. "Unplugged And Strung Up", SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, will be released on November 18. The effort reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic SAXON songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Andy Sneap in Derbyshire, U.K. earlier this year, "Unplugged And Strung Up" contains re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized versions of "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Crusader" by introducing orchestral dynamics to offer added dimension. "Frozen Rainbow", from the band's 1979 debut, gets a stunning acoustic reprisal which transports it into a power ballad to be proud of, while "Red Star Falling" soars and sweeps the emotions with its orchestrally arranged dovetail. As if this reinvention wasn't enough, SAXON superfans and collectors can purchase a digipak version of the release which will include 2002's storming set of full-volume, pedal-to-the-metal re-recorded hits "Heavy Metal Thunder". Featuring staple SAXON stormers such as "Motorcycle Man", "Strong Arm Of The Law" and "Dallas 1pm", it is a quintessential part of any collection. The standard single CD of "Unplugged And Strung Up" will come in a jewel case, and a double-vinyl gatefold sleeve version of the release will also be available. The digipack will be a two-disc version of the release featuring the bonus disc "Heavy Metal Thunder", and there will be a digital release of the same. "Unplugged and Strung Up" track listing: 01. Stallions Of The Highway (remix) 02. Crusader (orchestral version) 03. Battle Cry 04. The Eagle Has Landed (orchestral version) 05. Red Star Falling (orchestral version) 06. Broken Heroes (orchestral version) 07. Call To Arms (orchestral version) 08. Militia Guard 09. Forever Free (re-recorded version) 10. Just Let Me Rock (re-recorded version) 11. Frozen Rainbow (acoustic version) 12. Iron Wheels (live acoustic version) 13. Requiem (acoustic version) 14. Coming Home (acoustic version) "Heavy Metal Thunder" track listing: 01. Heavy Metal Thunder
03 min read

SLIPKNOT Is Working On ‘Very Heavy’ New Music, Says COREY TAYLOR

Manos Spanos
Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with SLIPKNOTand STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor at the Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which was held this past Saturday night (November 9) at the historic Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The concert honored heavy metal legend, BLACK SABBATH's Geezer Butler, and featured an all-star band of rock luminaries performing BLACK SABBATH songs as a tribute to Butler. The performance culminated with Geezer joining the band for the finale. Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SLIPKNOT's next album, Corey said: "We're just getting demos together right now, and [we're] hoping to get into the studio in the summer next year. So very soon we're gonna start having stuff to get out to the people." Regarding how the new SLIPKNOT material is shaping up so far, Corey said: "It's very heavy. I mean, just based on the stuff that I've been demoing and the stuff that I've been working with [drummer] Joey [Jordison] on, it is, like… Honestly, it's like [2004's] 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)' meets [2001's] 'Iowa'. It's really dark, but there's some really good esoteric stuff to it, a lot of good melody without taking away from the heaviness. It's gonna be pretty rad." Taylor told ARTISTdirect in a recent interview about SLIPKNOT's forthcoming fifth studio album: "The stuff I'm writing right now is really dark. The stuff Clown [Shawn Crahan, percussionist] is coming with is beyond. It's going to be cool to get the alchemists in the same room and see what happens." Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio that the band is not setting any deadlines on itself for making the new disc. "Right now the only plan is go into the studio and see what happens," he said. "After that, it's up to us. But I mean, hopefully that tides everybody over, you know, just the fact that we are going to go into the studio and start seeing what we can see. 'Cause I know I've got some music that I've been working on, Joey's got a bunch of stuff, Jim's [Root, guitarist] got some stuff, Clown's always got a lot of really interesting musical ideas, so it'll be really cool to kind of see what happens." The new SLIPKNOT album will be the band's first without bassist Paul Gray, another key member of the songwriting team who died of a drug overdose in May 2010. Joey Jordison's side band, SCAR THE MARTYR, recently released its self-titled debut CD. Taylor and Root have spent the last three years with STONE SOUR recording and touring behind three full studio records, 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and the double concept album"House Of Gold And Bones", which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013. SLIPKNOT toured earlier this year and last summer.
03 min read

THRESHOLD Back In The Studio

Manos Spanos
British progressive metallers THRESHOLD are back in the studio working on the follow-up to 2012's "March Of Progress" for a 2014 release via Nuclear Blast. Comments THRESHOLD guitarist Karl Groom: "It's good to be working on a new THRESHOLDalbum and cut the time between releases. "Our touring for the 'March Of Progress' album inspired Rich [West, keyboards] and I to get writing not long after the main set of dates. "We want to thank everyone for their support during that time. I should add that other members of the band have also have been writing! "Right now I am tracking rhythm guitars and Johanne [James, drums] is due in the studio as soon as we put the finishing touched on a couple of songs. "Hopefully 2014 will be another memorable year for THRESHOLD." THRESHOLD's ninth studio album, "March Of Progress", was released on August 31, 2012 viaNuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Dead Reckoning" registerd the following first-week chart positions: Germany: #28 Switzerland: #30 Sweden: #43 Austria: #55 Netherlands: #70 France: #102 Vocal duties on "March Of Progress" were performed by THRESHOLD's original frontmanDamian Wilson (STAR ONE, HEADSPACE), who's been back touring with the band since the release of "Dead Reckoning". "March Of Progress" was made available in a limited-edition digipak, including a bonus track; a standard jewel case edition; as well as in a two-vinyl edition in two different colors, one of them exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.
01 min read

NAPALM DEATH’s SHANE EMBURY, Producer RUSS RUSSELL Join Forces In TRONOS Project

Manos Spanos
TRONOS is the name of a project featuring Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH) and producerRuss Russell (NAPALM DEATH, EVILE) alongside a slew of guest musicians, including drummer Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK), bassists Billy Gould (FAITH NO MORE) and Troy Sanders (MASTODON), and singer Silje Wergeland (THE GATHERING). The project, in whichEmbury and Russell both handle guitars, is currently seeking another singer "in the style of"Jaz Coleman (KILLING JOKE) to contribute most of the lead vocals on its forthcoming debut CD. Speaking to Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas for the "Metal Hammer" radio show onTeamRock Radio (hear audio below), Russ stated about how TRONOS came about: "[Shaneand I] been talking for years about doing a project, because we love CELTIC FROST. And then when TRIPTYKON [featuring CELTIC FROST singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom Gabriel Warrior] came along, we were just, like, 'Ah, my God! This is fantastic! We need to do something like this.' But also crossed with… We have a great love of all things ambient and 'floaty,' like the COCTEAU TWINS. As much reverb and chorus and delay as you can put on a guitar as possible and make the most ethereal, floaty, beautiful sounds. [So we were, like], 'How can we combine those two things together?' So, for the past, I guess, around eighteen months, we've been coming up with ideas. We call it riff tennis — we have a guitar and we pass it backward and forwards. 'OK, your go. My go. Your go. My go.' I've gotta say he does hog the guitar than I do, because he's a riff machine, as it takes me a little bit more to come up with stuff. But it was really easy; it came together so simple."
02 min read

Video: METALLICA’s JAMES HETFIELD Performs With Kids At ‘Rockin’ The Bay Benefit’ Event

Manos Spanos
Little Kids Rock, the nation's leading nonprofit provider of music instruction and instruments to public schools, honored METALLICA frontman James Hetfield at the charity's annual "Rockin' The Bay Benefit" on Saturday, November 9 at Facebook's Menlo Park, California headquarters. Hetfield was recognized for his ongoing support for and contributions to the organization and received the inaugural "Livin' The Dream Award," which was created in honor of Josef Desimone, the late executive chef of Facebook who spearheaded this benefit forLittle Kids Rock and who was a huge fan of METALLICA. Video footage of Hetfield performing with kids at the "Rockin' The Bay Benefit" can be seen below. More photos are available at the METALLICA Facebook page. "We're presenting James with this special award as a way to not only recognize his support ofLittle Kids Rock over the years, but also his role as an inspirational presence in a band that has revolutionized and defined a music genre," said David Wish, Little Kids Rock founder and executive director. "Josef was a passionate philanthropist who touched our lives with his generosity and we know he would've been proud to see James honored at the event held in his memory." The benefit assembled a star-studded lineup of musical luminaries to help raise awareness and funds for its mission of revitalizing music programs in school districts whose music programming has been impacted by budget cuts. This year, Jeff Campitelli, most famously known as the drummer on Joe Satriani's various albums, and Marcus Henderson, critically acclaimed heavy metal guitarist known for his role as the lead guitarist for the Guitar Hero series, joined Little Kids Rock in celebrating James Hetfield and eleven years of service to schoolchildren in the Bay Area. "I'm a firm believer in creative expression through music. It is important to have it available from a young age, which is why I support Little Kids Rock's mission to make music education accessible to children," said Hetfield. "I've seen how music changes people's lives for the better and I am honored to have a part in helping the organization enrich young lives through the lifelong gift of music education." Founded in a single classroom in East Palo Alto in 2002, Little Kids Rock currently funds modern music programming for more than 112,000 public school children in 12 states, including over 3,500 in the Bay Area. The "Rockin' The Bay Benefit" is held annually in the Bay Area to support schools in the region in which Little Kids Rock was founded. Each year, the benefit features a fun night of music and live auctions, as well as a number of musical performances from special guests. Last year's guests included Sammy Hagar, BLACK EYED PEAS' Taboo, and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES,VELVET REVOLVER). The event raised enough money to put more than 5,000 rock instruments and educational programming into local public schools, providing free music lessons to tens of thousands of children in the Bay Area.
03 min read

FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE Guitarist GUS G.: Video Footage Of Osaka Clinic

Manos Spanos
Greek guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis; FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) took part in a clinic on November 8 in Osaka, Japan. You can now watch video footage of his appearance below. In an interview with Music Radar, Gus stated about how he first started playing guitar: "My dad got me a cheap classical when I was 10 years old and I still have it. I didn't get an electric until I was 14, and I still have that too. It was a Fender Strat Classic Floyd Rose Series. It's a kinda like the Richie Sambora model and is a really great guitar… After that, I started practicing 8-11 hours a day for the next three and a half years or so." Gus G. is working on his debut solo album for a 2014 release. He told Full Metal Jackie about the CD: "It's going to be something completely different from what I've been doing withFIREWIND. It'll be more on the classic rock vibe, or straightforward rock and roll. There's going to be some instrumentals with some different singers on it; special guests." FIREWIND celebrated its 10th anniversary by releasing a live album on June 24 via Century Media Records in Europe. Entitled "Apotheosis - Live 2012", the CD contains 17 songs recorded at special anniversary shows in Greece as well as all over Europe during the band's"Few Against Many" tour in 2012. With a playing time of 69 minutes, the effort is a great overview of the band's career so far, which consists of seven studio albums. It also marksFIREWIND's final release with singer Apollo Papathanasio, who decided to leave the group at the end of last year. He has since been replaced by Kelly Sundown Carpenter (ADAGIO,BEYOND TWILIGHT) as session frontman for all 2013 live activities.
02 min read

LEAVES’ EYES: ‘Hell To The Heavens’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"Hell To The Heavens", the new video from LEAVES' EYES — the German/Norwegian band formed by ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and members ofATROCITY — can be seen below. The song comes off LEAVES' EYES' new album,"Symphonies Of The Night", which will be released on November 13 in Spain, Sweden and Norway; November 15 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Benelux; November 18 in the rest of Europe; and on November 26 in North America via Napalm Records. The effort was produced by Liv's husband, ATROCITY singer and LEAVES' EYES co-vocalist Alexander Krull, at his Mastersound Studio in Germany. The cover artwork was created by Heile (a.k.a.Stefan Heilemann). "Symphonies Of The Night" track listing: 01. Hell To The Heavens 02. Fading Earth 03. Maid Of Lorraine 04. Galswintha 05. Symphony Of The Night 06. Saint Cecelia 07. Hymn To The Lone Sands 08. Angel And The Ghost 09. Éléonore De Provence 10. Nightshade 11. Ophelia 12. Eileen's Ardency (bonus track)* 13. One Caress (bonus track)** * feat. Carmen Elise Espenæs (MIDNATTSOL, SAVN) ** DEPECHE MODE cover Says LEAVES' EYES: "We couldn't be more proud of the final result. "Expect this album to be the heaviest and most epic LEAVES' EYES experience to date: it will haunt you, even in your dreams." Liv previously stated about the upcoming LEAVES' EYES CD : "We have taken a great inspirational step since the production of 'Meredead', both sound-wise and vocal-wise. "It has been such a pleasure evolving in my singing techniques and knowledge and I thank my band members for giving me an inspirational kick when I needed to gain momentum behind the microphone. "'Symphonies Of The Night' is hauntingly dream-like and heavy to the core!"
02 min read

New Study Paints Psychological Portrait Of Heavy Metal Fans

Manos Spanos
A newly published study has found that fans of heavy metal music tend to have higher openness to experience, more negative attitudes toward authority, lower self-esteem, greater need for uniqueness and lower religiosity than those individuals with a preference for other musical genres. 219 women and 195 men ranging in age from 18 to 57 years participated in the study, which examined associations between individual differences and preferences for a specific subgenre of music, namely, contemporary heavy metal. A research team led by psychologist Viren Swami at University Of Westminster in London, England presented the 414 individuals from Britain with clips of 10 tracks of contemporary heavy metal and asked them to rate each for liking (from "extreme dislike" to "extreme like"). Participants also completed measures of the Big Five personality traits, attitudes toward authority, self-esteem, need for uniqueness, and religiosity. The researchers write: "Our results confirm previous reports that openness is associated with a preference for rock and heavy metal, including nonmainstream subgenres. In explanation, it has been suggested that individuals who score highly on openness show a preference for the intensity, variety, complexity, and unconventionality of heavy metal. [It has also been suggested] that individuals who are open-minded and who seek novel experiences may become disinterested in mainstream or conventional musical forms as they grow older. This, in turn, may lead them to seek out musical genres that are unconventional by the standards of mainstream cultures, such as contemporary heavy metal." They add: "Our results also showed that individuals with more negative attitudes toward institutional authority were more likely to show a preference for the heavy metal tracks. In general, this is consistent with [the] description of heavy metal fans as inhabiting a subculture of alienation, which translates into an opposition to authority and mainstream society… It is possible, for example, that heavy metal may conjure referent images that are inherently antiauthority or that signal a revolt against mainstream culture. In this sense, individuals who hold more negative attitudes toward authority may show a preference for heavy metal precisely because it expresses their dissatisfaction with authority. "Respondents who showed a stronger preference for the metal tracks in the present study were also more likely to have lower self-esteem and higher need for uniqueness. In the first instance, it is possible that individuals with relatively low self-esteem are drawn to heavy metal because the style of music allows for a purge of negative feelings. The catharsis afforded by heavy metal may, in turn, help boost self-worth and promote positive self-evaluations among those with otherwise low self-esteem." The entire research paper can be found at the web site of the American Psychological Association.
02 min read