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CREMATORY: ‘Shadowmaker’ Single, ‘Inception’ Box Set Cover Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
Southern German gothic metallers CREMATORY have inked a deal with Steamhammer/SPV. The band's new album, "Antiserum", will be released on February 25, 2014 (one day earlier internationally). The first single from "Antiserum", a song called "Shadowmaker", will be made available on November 22. CREMATORY drummer Markus Jüllich says: "Even before the whole record was finalized, we knew that 'Shadowmaker' had absolute hit potential. You'd be hard put to announce our new album better than with this song." On the day of the single launch, a special box set, "Inception", featuring CREMATORY's first ten studio albums in a cardboard sleeve will be made available. It is described in a press release as "an absolute must-have for all fans and collectors." "Our fans can look forward to 'Antiserum', on which we have gone one step further than we did on our comeback album, 'Revolution', in terms of our electronic influences," says Jüllich. In collaboration with Elmar Schmidt of Hamburg EBM act CENTHRON, we have come up with a haunting mix of metal riffs and EBM keyboards. That's why I'd refer to 'Antiserum''s musical direction as 'EBM metal.'"
01 min read

TODD LA TORRE-Fronted Version Of QUEENSRŸCHE Films Two New Music Videos

Manos Spanos
On September 24, Honduras rock journalist Alvaro Villatoro (a.k.a. Lemmy Simmons) ofHard Heavy conducted an interview with conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE drummerScott Rockenfield. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts from the chat follow. On the next QUEENSRŸCHE video: Scott: "A couple of weeks ago, we finished two brand new music videos for the new record. We went down to Los Angeles and shot the next two videos. "The next single, I believe, is going to be 'Spore'. And then the follow-up single after that is going to be 'A World Without'. "So what we did is we shot a 10-minute movie of the two songs put together, and it's really great. It's a full scripted storyline, there were actors in the videos, and it's very conceptual. And we do appear in the video as well. But it was really fun and really different, because it's like a movie." On parting ways with original singer Geoff Tate and replacing him with Todd La Torre: Scott: "I've gotta be honest. We just didn't know what to expect when we made the decision to move on last year. And Todd has been perfect; I mean, it's absolutely just perfect. He sings so great our old, great songs. Listen, we hadn't done 'Queen Of The Reich' in years, andTodd stepped in and he just sings it — he just does it — and it's just perfect. I can't even tell you how excited we are about what's going on for us right now having him in the band." On whether the band felt any pressure to release a new studio album as quickly as possible to compete with the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE: Scott: "To be honest, we actually didn't — we never felt any pressure to get a record out as fast as possible or to do anything to sacrifice the quality that we always had wanted to keep ourselves at. This record was a great example of that. Our focus was on just writing great songs and getting them to where we felt it was at the top of our game, so to speak, and we wanted to keep our level very high and challenge ourselves. And so we were gonna get the record done when the record was gonna be done. "We were lucky, because the chemistry amongst the five of us now is so great that we just felt that we didn't have any pressures — we knew we were gonna have a great record and feel really good about it. And I think the response is kind of the proof. The fans and the media have embraced the new record in such a high way; I mean, we're getting almost 10-star reviews on this record all around the world. So for what that's worth, I think that's just the proof that we've done what our fans really had wanted us to be doing for a long time. I think they're very happy that we're back doing what we feel good about. "We've been around for 30 years as a band, and we've made a lot of records, and some really great ones that I'm very proud of. I think this new record is a record that I'm proud of… It's probably a record that I'm most proud for probably the last 20 years. So, for me, it's really special and I feel really great about it. And we're having a great time. We haven't had a great time for a long time, to be honest; it hasn't been very fun. I think this is now a turning point for us and we just feel really good. We're energized and the fans are energized." On whether "Queensrÿche" signals a return to the band's classic sound: Scott: "I think so. I really do. "In the last year that we started playing all these shows with Todd, our setlist is a lot of just our first five records — it's all that great QUEENSRŸCHE classic stuff that we hadn't played for a long time. And in doing that, I think that started to put us in kind of that mindset, that energy that we had back then, and the chemistry we had together. And so I think when we started making this new record, it was almost natural that we were kind of revisiting that feel for us. And I think this record does.
05 min read

METALLICA: ‘Through The Never’ Has Best Opening For Concert Film Ever At IMAX Theaters

Manos Spanos
According to The Wrap, METALLICA's new movie, "Metallica Through The Never", opened this weekend to an estimated $1.67 million — the best opening for a concert film ever at IMAX theaters. The movie, which debuted on 308 3D IMAX screens, earned an estimated $780,000 on its first day. That gave the film a per-location average of $5,482. A blend of concert movie and fictional narrative, it will expand to 650 theaters next weekend. Financed by the METALLICA members themselves at a budget of $18 million, "Metallica Through The Never" is the first new release via Picturehouse, the full-service independent film marketing and distribution company started in 2005, which reopened its doors with founderBob Berney at the helm. The film, written and directed by Nimród Antal ("Kontroll","Predators"), stars members of the iconic rock band and Dane DeHaan ("Chronicle", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"). DeHaan plays a young band crew member who is sent out on an urgent mission while the band is playing a rousing live set in front of a sold-out crowd and unexpectedly finds his world turned completely upside down. "The hardest thing in Hollywood is trying to sell an idea that has no point of reference,"METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told the Los Angeles Times. "If you can't sit there and go, 'It's like 'The Bourne Identity' meets 'Private Ryan' meets 'Star Trek', they just look at you like, 'What are you talking about?'" Berney told The Wall Street Journal that "Through The Never" doesn't need to draw the uninitiated to theaters for the film to succeed. The band's fans — hardcore or casual — are enough. "Maybe we can wake up the ones who haven't thought about them for a while, like the guy in the cubicle with the METALLICA shirt on under his suit," he said. "We decided we needed to make this unique," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told QMI Agency about the "Through The Never" movie. "So we came up with the concept of having a running narrative in the movie that weaves in and out of the concert footage. We liked that idea enough to tell our managers, 'This is the type of movie we want to make.'" "I think that METALLICA fans that are really into action films and movies with a lot of energy are going to be blown away," Ulrich told Revolver magazine. "This is a very unique film. I don’t know what people are going to think of it. I like it. But obviously I’m biased." The soundtrack, which features a number of METALLICA classics performed live in the movie, was released on September 24. The two-disc CD came out on METALLICA's own label,Blackened Recordings, also in digital and vinyl formats. The concert sequences for the movie were shot in August 2012 at two shows in Vancouver, Canada and feature a stage containing elements of many of METALLICA's previous live productions from the past 30 years.
03 min read

PAUL STANLEY’s Autobiography To Be Released Next Spring

Manos Spanos
KISS frontman Paul Stanley has confirmed via Twitter that his much-anticipated autobiography will be released next spring. During an appearance on the "Sixx Sense" radio show hosted by MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx last November, Stanley, 61, was asked if he has read some of the other rock and roll autobiographies out there and whether he has plans to write a book of his own. "This will come back to haunt me, because, of course, mine is in the works," Stanley said. "Autobiographies, for the most part, to me, are like writing a love letter to yourself," he continued. "I mean, George Orwell said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction. How objective can you be when you are writing about yourself. "I've seen people around me write books and somehow they're always in the center of everything that happened, they were the one who made it happen. There's been a lot of those books that didn't really interest me much. I thought Duff's [McKagan] book was great. I think a book that just says, 'Gee, aren't I the greatest thing?' And 'I was smarter than everyone else.'…"
03 min read

METALLICA’s LARS ULRICH: ‘We’re All Psyched To Get Back To The Studio’

Manos Spanos
The members of METALLICA took part in a question-and-answer session following the September 23 screening of their new 3D IMAX movie, "Metallica Through The Never", at New York's Walter Reade Theater. Video footage of the discussion can be seen below. Regarding comparisons to the classic 1976 LED ZEPPELIN film "The Song Remains The Same", METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said: "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but [we felt strongly that] it shouldn't be 'The Song Remains The Same'. We don't want to be in the non-concert part. We don't see ourselves acting." He added: "[We decided] it shouldn't be in the infomercial style that a lot of the current ones are, where they follow a band on the road, and here they are on and off airplanes. There wasn't a blueprint for this movie, and that's what made it so hard to sell in Hollywood." "[Director] Nimród [Antal] came up with the story line," frontman James Hetfield added. "It really is two movies in one. We wanted to have the best concert footage ever filmed and also have a story line and give it some legs that will be open for interpretation. There are so many metaphors in there. And there's no good side or bad side. There's just turmoil. That's just a part of human nature — fight or flight at times. For me, when the rider shows up he's the embodiment of hate. And then there's fire. Of course. You gotta have fire."
03 min read

DREAM THEATER Keyboardist: ‘We Feel That This Is One Of The Best Albums That We’ve Done’

Manos Spanos
Brian Giffin of Australia's Loud magazine recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Jordan Rudess of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Loud: Does releasing a self-titled album mark some sort of new beginning for DREAM THEATER? Rudess: I think it was more that we wanted to put the stamp of a self-titled album here because we felt very strong about it. We felt like we're at this great point where we felt that people should take notice. We've been very clear — we're all getting along so well; musically we're having a great time together in the studio; and we felt that we've made a great album that we want people to know about. If you want to know what DREAM THEATER is about, check this album out, because we feel that this is one of the best albums that we've done. Loud: What was it like reconvening to record this time with [new drummer] Mike Mangini a part of the band? Rudess: He was really well behaved, so it was good. It was a lot of fun to have him there, unlike the previous album where we brought him in for the drum parts after the music was written. For this one, he was there the whole time. Some people know it, some people don't, but Mike Mangini is a very upbeat character. He's very funny, he's got a very good nature, he's lively and in front of the drums, he's a madman. He can play things no one else can play. So him being there personally, with his upbeat personality, and him contributing to the dynamic to the music we were writing really gave the music a real spark. So we enjoyed that quite a lot. With "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", we had a good time writing that, but this time, all being together working on the album as a band was great. We had been on tour with Mike Mangini for a year, we knew that we all got along, we knew that we were a very effective unit with each other playing music. The fans had all voiced their opinions and they all loved our shows. Loud: Tell us something about "Illumination Theory", because that's quite an extensive piece.
04 min read

WITHIN TEMPTATION: ‘Paradise’ Video Featuring TARJA TURUNEN Released

Manos Spanos
Dutch symphonic rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have just released the "Paradise (What About Us?)" EP and promotional video, featuring a unique collaboration with classically trained Finnish rock diva, former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen, guesting on the title track. Comments WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel: "When we had written the first version of 'Paradise' and listened back to the demo we'd recorded and the epic power of the song, we thought of Tarja instantly. How well this track would fit her classical voice and how extra special it would be if we sang it together. The more we thought about this wild idea, the more excited we got about it!" Following several video trailers teasing the track, fans have been speculating on the band's Facebook page who the duet would be with, some guessing it couldn't possibly be a "competing" artist like Tarja. However, the two singers had no hesitation joining forces, having never thought of themselves as competitors. Sharon continues: "Of course I didn't know what to expect from Tarja, as we'd never actually met in person 'till June this year. Our first encounter was via a Skype call we'd set-up to discuss the collaboration and we immediately clicked, not only creatively but personally. After we'd spoken, it felt completely natural that we would do this together!"
04 min read

New AMBERIAN DAWN Studio Album Is Ready To Be Recorded

Manos Spanos
Finnish female-fronted symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN have issued the following update: "We have some great news from AMBERIAN DAWN's headquarters here in Finland. "Many of you are waiting for a new AMBERIAN DAWN studio album. Tuomas [Seppälä; keyboards, guitar] has already penned 10 new awesome songs and those are ready to be recorded in fall 2013. We're doing this without financial support of record labels and now you can help us make it happen. This album is planned to come out in early 2014. "We want to do this together with you and we will offer you some very special extras. We have the 'traditional' merch things like MP3's and signed CDs but also our own personal stuff: band gear, instruments, stage clothes etc. You could also have your name written on the booklet of this CD. All pledges are included with MP3 download package. Shipping fee is always included on prices. "We have so far toured three times in Europe and have enjoyed every minute. We want to do it again. If we'll get 200% of our initial goal raised, we can manage to arrange a tour too. This tour could be arranged in 2014. "Now you can be part of AMBERIAN DAWN family and help us making this new album and tour again." AMBERIAN DAWN released a compilation album of songs that originally appeared on their first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — to showcase new singer Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen after the departure of Heidi Parviainen. "Re-Evolution" was made available on June 14 in Finland, distributed by Suomen Musiikki. "Re-Evolution" was mixed by Mikko Mustonen and mastered by Henkka Niemisto at Chartmakers. A music video for the song "Kokko - Eagle Of Fire" can be seen below. The clip was produced by Routafilmi, which is the same company that made the AMBERIAN DAWN's "Arctica" video. AMBERIAN DAWN parted ways with vocalist Heidi Parviainen in November 2012. Her final appearance with the band was at the Metal Female Voices Fest at the end of October 2012 in Belgium.
02 min read

MEGADETH: ‘Countdown To Extinction’ Performance Clip From New DVD, Blu-Ray

Manos Spanos
In November and December of 2012, MEGADETH blazed hot on the band's "Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour", ripping through their entire double platinum 1992 album from start to finish before performing other classics from their recorded catalog. Recorded and filmed at Los Angeles' Fox Theatre last December, "Countdown to Extinction: Live" is a definitive document of the acclaimed, sold-out tour. In addition to MEGADETH's blistering performance of the entire "Countdown To Extinction" album, including the essential "Symphony Of Destruction", "Foreclosure Of A Dream", "Sweating Bullets" and "Skin O' My Teeth", "Countdown to Extinction: Live" features all of the other MEGADETH classics the band performed at the epic concert, including "Holy Wars" and "Hangar 18" from 1990's "Rust In Peace", "Peace Sells" from the band's influential, platinum-certified 1986 album "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", and "Trust" from 1997's platinum certified "Cryptic Writings". On September 24, "Countdown To Extinction: Live" was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray via Capitol. "Countdown To Extinction: Live" track listing: 01. Intro 02. Architecture Of Aggression 03. Ashes In Your Mouth 04. Captive Honour 05. Countdown To Extinction
01 min read

SAXON: ‘Unplugged And Strung Up’ Cover Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
British heavy metal legends SAXON produce a series of alternative takes on classic favorites to herald a worthy new entry to the Saxonian Institute of Metal. There is always feral beauty in a raging beast…and with "Unplugged And Strung Up", SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, the point is triumphantly underscored. Due on November 18, "Unplugged And Strung Up" 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.
02 min read