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GHOST’s PAPA EMERITUS II ‘Unmasked’ By BEHEMOTH’s NERGAL?

Manos Spanos
**UPDATE**: Nergal has now removed the photo in question from his Instagram account. The original article follows below. BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski recently posted a photo on Instagram of him hanging out backstage at the FortaRock festival in The Netherlands with Swedish musician Tobias Forge — believed to be none other than Papa Emeritus II, the frontman of Swedish occult rockers GHOST, who go to great lengths to keep the identities of their bandmembers a secret. The photo was accompanied by the caption "If you have ghosts... U have everything;)", a line from the ROKY ERICKSON song "If You Have Ghosts", which was covered by GHOST on their EP "If You Have Ghost", released in November 2013. BEHEMOTH and GHOST shared the stage at FortaRock, which took place on May 31 in Nijmegen. Besides singing for MAGNA CARTA CARTEL, an experimental rock outfirt, Forge has also spent time in hard rock and metal acts REPUGNANT and SUBVISION. In an early 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, one of the "Nameless Ghouls" from GHOST was asked whether he can foresee a day when the members of GHOST won't be anonymous anymore. He said, "I think there is a difference between being anonymous and unmasked. Where SLIPKNOT actually wear masks still, while KISS during their unmasked days didn't. Obviously, it's a thing of the times. "What we're trying to do, it's very hard to maintain. If the actual goal was to not be known, we try to maintain that, but in the long run, we can't really expect that to be something everlasting. Most of our fans are actually quite keen on not knowing, which works to our favor, but I think there is a difference between people knowing who is behind the mask or being unmasked. "We can't really see ourselves going up on stage and afterwards just dropping the masks saying, 'Oh, it's me, it's me, actually. Can you see?' No, no, no… We don't want that. We don't want to spoil it. That's the whole reason why we are anonymous and we try not to show ourselves. We try to eliminate, not the human aspects, but the humane aspects, if you want. We want to put Papa Emeritus in the limelight. He's supposed to be the living character, even though rigor mortis has basically set in in his poor old body. But that's the face of the band. He's the person, everybody else are just puppets." In a separate 2012 intervie with ThePhoenix.com, one of the "Nameless Ghouls" from GHOST said: "The initial thought of doing this anonymously was because we didn't wanna sort of have any personality and we didn't want to have faces interfere with the reaction and the overall mindframe that we wanted for the crowd to be in, and ourselves to be in, in a GHOST context. Whereas I really don't think that any of us could have understood that the anonymous thing would be such a turn-off. So when we actually really go at length to be anonymous just to focus on the music, now there are a lot of people focusing on the fact that we're anonymous, and it sucks. On the other hand, I think that being a band with the ambition of taking what you're doing to someplace else and levitate, I think that now with a bit of hindsight we see that what goes around when you're in a band that's sort of semi-successful, I think that being anonymous really helps you focus on what really matters. Putting on a good show, etc. "There are a lot of bands out there, especially young bands, they seem to forget about why they're actually at the place they're at. Because there are so many other things that you can dive into when you're a band on the road, doing festivals, etc, there are a lot of other things that can occupy your time. "It can be hard to be in a band when nobody recognizes you. But it has its benefits, especially when you're on tour with other bands and you see how they're approached by other people, what's expected of them. Whenever there's a crowd outside a venue, waiting for the bands to hang out, we pass as roadies." nergaltobias2014nstagram_638
04 min read

MARILYN MANSON: Bomb Threats And Protests Force Cancelation Of Two Shows in Russia

Manos Spanos
**UPDATE**: A video clip from C-Lebrity has been added showing footage of "religious fanatics" assaulting members of the MARILYN MANSON entourage outside the band's hotel in Moscow earlier today, as well as a clip of concert organizers making the announcement that Manson's show in the city was being canceled after a bomb threat was called in. The original article follows below. Shock rocker Marilyn Manson was forced to cancel his show in Moscow due to a bomb threat while another concert in Russia was scrapped over fears his performance would insult Orthodox believers and promote sadomasochism. Manson was scheduled to perform at the Park Live festival in Moscow earlier tonight (Friday, June 27), but he tweeted that the show was called off just as he was about to take the stage with his bandmates. He added in a separate tweet: "Why are the people that proclaim that music inspires violence, the ones that create such entropy?" The Moscow concert cancelation follows reports that Manson's June 29 show in Novosibirsk, Russia's third largest city, was pulled after hundreds of religious activists protested against the rocker's plans to perform in the city, accusing Manson of insulting Russian Orthodox believers, according to the AAP. "Authorities of all levels have denied us permission to hold the concert on June 29," the Novosibirsk concert organizers said in a statement posted on Russia's social network VKontakte. "We've fought until the end but the situation has proved stronger than us, unfortunately." One of the activists arguing against Manson's performance in Novosibirsk appeared on a local radio station to discuss the cancelation, explaining: "Manson's live performances look like an amusement park with a sadomasochistic slant. Sadomasochism is a mental disorder. What does Novosibirsk need this show for?" Manson has a long history of generating controvery with his live performances. Back in 2001, the singer, who was cited as an inspiration to Columbine High School killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, was asked by a church group not to appear in a Denver concert. A 2009 Manson performance in Pomona, California saw a number of Christian demonstrators gathered outside waiving placards and chanting pro-Christian messages. Despite the protests, the show went ahead as scheduled and featured a surprise appearance by SLAYER's Kerry King.
03 min read

Video Premiere: ACCEPT’s ‘Stampede’

Manos Spanos
"Stampede", the new video from German/American metallers ACCEPT, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Blind Rage", which will be released on August 15 (postponed from the previously announced July 18) via Nuclear Blast. Like its two predecessors, 2010's "Blood Of The Nations" and 2012's "Stalingrad", the new CD was helmed by British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ARCH ENEMY and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. The cover artwork was created by Daniel Goldsworthy. "Blind Rage" standard version track listing: 01. Stampede 02. Dying Breed 03. Dark Side Of My Heart 04. Fall Of The Empire 05. Trail Of Tears 06. Wanna Be Free 07. 200 Years 08. Bloodbath Mastermind 09. From The Ashes We Rise 10. The Curse 11. Final Journey The limited-edition digipak will include either a bonus DVD or Blu-ray disc. It features ACCEPT's complete April 12, 2013 concert at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile during the "Stalingrad" tour. Bonus DVD / Blu-ray disc track listing: 01. Intro 02. Hung, Drawn & Quartered 03. Hellfire 04. Restless & Wild 05. Losers & Winners 06. Stalingrad 07. Breaker 08. Bucket Full Of Hate 09. Monsterman 10. Shadow Soldier 11. Amamos La Vida 12. Guitar Solo Wolf 13. Neon Nights 14. Bulletproof 15. Aiming High 16. Princess Of The Dawn 17. Up To The Limit 18. No Shelter 19. Pandemic 20. Fast As A Shark 21. Metal Heart 22. Teutonic Terror 23. Balls To The Wall A single, "Stampede", will precede the full-length album on July 11, available digitally and as a limited vinyl edition. You can pre-order "Blind Rage" from the Nuclear Blast webshop. ACCEPT will promote "Blind Rage" with a European headlining tour which will kick off on September 19 in Copenhagen, Denmark. In a recent interview with Metal Assault, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann stated about the musical direction of "Blind Rage": "I think what we have here is really a collection of totally typical ACCEPT songs with t
06 min read

IGOR CAVALERA: ‘It Would Have Been Cooler’ If SEPULTURA Had Ended After I Left The Band

Manos Spanos
In a late 2013 interview with Rogério of the Brazilian rock band LO-FI, ex-SEPULTURA drummer Igor Cavalera was asked about his current relationship with his former bandmates and how he looks back on his two-decade-long tenure with the group. "It's kind of weird," Igor said (see video below). "I am proud of all I accomplished with SEPULTURA, and on the other hand, I feel a little sad, you know, because I see the guys playing nowadays, and a lot of the drive and rush that we had has been lost. My brother [Max] left the band, then I left the band, so I think, in my opinion, it would have been cooler if the band had come to an end at that point. Maybe that would have been the right time for it to stop — kind of like soccer players that retire from the sport while they are still at the peak of their playing ability, [before] they start looking like they are too tired to keep playing. So it makes me sad, but on the other hand, I'm doing my own thing now." In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band fired Max's wife Gloria as their manager. Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006). In an October 2013 interview with MTV Iggy, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser stated about the split with the Cavalera brothers: "For SEPULTURA fans, there are many SEPULTURAs in their head. It's not only because Max and Igor [left]. "If you [compare] the albums that we did together, from 'Schizophrenia' to 'Roots', they are totally different bands — but the same lineup. "We all change; we all grow up. "The choice to leave the band was their choice. We never fired any musician in the group. We only fired our manager after the 'Roots' tour, and Max chose to leave and stay with her and start a solo career. He didn't care about the name during those days. He didn't fight for the name. He just turned his back and said, 'Fuck you guys; I'm better off myself.' And Igor left 10 years later; he didn't care either to fight. It's like many fathers who have children and leave them. "For [the Cavaleras], SEPULTURA is like an abandoned child. They really turned their back on us and left. But it feels great to be here and keep the SEPULTURA name strong, bringing new stuff to the albums. The SEPULTURA spirit never changed, and that's why we're still here as SEPULTURA." After Max exited SEPULTURA, there was a rift between him and Igor, one that was eventually repaired through the redemptive power of music. Some time had passed and Max and Igor were unable to resist the musical pull in their magnetic fields and their musical collaboration was renewed. The duo are back for round two with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, which released its debut album, "Inflikted", in March 2008 and follow-up effort, Blunt Force Trauma", in March 2011. CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's third album will be released this fall via Napalm Records. The CD was produced by John Gray, who has previously worked with SOULFLY. CAVALERA CONSPIRACY recently recruited Nate Newton of CONVERGE as its new bassist. Max and Igor played together for the first time in 10 years at the 10th annual D-Low Memorial Festival on August 17, 2006 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. Igor, 43, who has been living in England with his wife Laima Leyton since 2012, says that his main focus continues to be MIXHELL, the DJ/hip hop/electro project also featuring his wife.
04 min read

MEGADETH’s DAVID ELLEFSON: My Brother’s Passing Brought DAVE MUSTAINE And I Closer Together

Manos Spanos
MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson says that his brother's recent passing after battling cancer brought Ellefson and the band's leader, Dave Mustaine, "closer together." MEGADETH canceled a number of shows last month so that David could spend time with the rest of his family as they mourned the loss of Eliot Elelfson, who died on May 19 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a brand new interview with Lithium Magazine, David spoke about the support he has received from his longtime bandmate following his brother's cancer diagnosis, explaining: "The band was actually ready to go onstage in Buenos Aires on May 1. We were in the dressing room and Dave came up to me and said, 'Hey, man, how's your brother doing?' And I just broke down and started crying and said, 'It's not good. I just got the call today.' And, man, he rallied around me in a way that no one else did or could because he has known me for so long. He's known my family. He knew my brothers, my mother and he knew my father before he passed away. So we are as close as two brothers can be, sometimes even closer, without being blood relatives. "And it's cool and interesting how in that moment, what I just went through with my own brother passing away, in a lot of ways brought Dave and I closer together. He really rallied around me like the brother I never had, and the brother I don't have anymore. It says a lot about the bond between us and within the band. "As much as there's a lot of big stuff that goes on around MEGADETH, there's also a lot of closed-door, intimate moments where it's just the two of us or the four of us alone in a room. Especially before we go onstage, we have this 30-minute lockdown where no one comes in and no one goes out. It's just the four of us. And I tell you, my brother's passing brought all four of us in MEGADETH closer together too. And in a weird way, it was kind of a cool gift that my brother gave us on his way out."
02 min read

MARTY FRIEDMAN: ‘You Can Pretty Much Say I’m A Hypocrite’

Manos Spanos
In the June 2014 issue of Decibel magazine, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman was asked to explain why he chose to release a mostly instrumental album in this year's "Inferno" after advising aspiring musicians in a recent interview that they should avoid instrumental music because it's a dead-end street. "Yeah, I'm a hypocrite," Marty said. "The funny thing about artists is that they often contradict themselves, and I'm certainly guilty of that. But I really do think instrumental music is a dead-end street if you're an aspiring musician. "I've been playing for a long time, and I've got a certain fan base. And the good thing about my fan base is that it's not just one set of people. In Japan, most people know me from a particular television program — they don't even know that I do music. Some people only know me from my solo albums. Other people only know me from my past career, which is certainly the case in America. So, people know me from many different things, which affords me the luxury of doing whatever I want, be it instrumental or vocal. But if you're just starting out, instrumental music is tough to make a career out of. And to be honest with you, l'm not really a fan of instrumental music. I don't listen to much of it. Usually when I hear it, I get pissed off because I'd do it differently. That's an honest answer. The music I listen to is 100 percent music with vocals, and that's how I set out to make my instrumental music. It's hard to explain, but it's a different mentality than someone who is immersed in instrumental music. But yeah, you can pretty much say I'm a hypocrite." Friedman told GuitarMessenger.com at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, which took place in January at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California: "Instrumental music is a tough genre. It's the funnest thing to play, because you don't have to deal with any singers. But in reality, it's a very limited amount of people who can stand it. "It sounds hypocritical for someone who's released so many instrumental albums, but I think that's the standard to which I make my instrumental music. It's like for someone who can't stand instrumental music; it has to be at this level of stuff. It's far beyond showing your chops and showing what you can do. And the worst thing is how versatile you are, because I don't want to hear a country song, a blues song, a metal song, a rap song all on the same album. A lot of instrumental guys tend to do that because it's like a résumé, which is fine for a résumé, but not for a listening album. "There are four songs on my new album, 'Inferno', with vocals, so it's a band vibe on some of it. It's almost like CACOPHONY, [which] had some vocal songs and some instrumental songs. Sort of like that, but there are more instrumentals on 'Inferno'. "Instrumental music is kind of a dead-end street… The reality is, the more you can fit yourself into a band context the better you will be for the long run, and the better you will be for the more experiences you'll have. "If I was only doing instrumental music, I think I would pull my hair out. There's a time and place for it. When I do it, you can bet that there's no stone unturned. It's going to be the rad stuff and it's definitely not a show-off type of thing and it's not an arrogant type of thing. "My advice is, collaborate with as many people as you can. Play in a band. "Being by yourself, doing everything by yourself… unless you're someone like Prince, who's a god, I wouldn't want to put all that work on you. Be part of something great." Friedman's new solo album, "Inferno", was released in May via Prosthetic Records. The CD containa several collaborations with players influenced by Friedman, including Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), REVOCATION guitar whiz David Davidson and the flamenco/metal acoustic duo RODRIGO Y GABRIELA. In addition, the album includes Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem CACOPHONY. "Sociopaths" lyric video:
05 min read

ROB ZOMBIE Says U.S. Rock Scene Has Never Recovered From Rise Of Early ’90s Grunge Movement

Manos Spanos
Rob Zombie has told TeamRock Radio that it would be impossible to stage a festival like U.K.'s Download in the U.S. because the American rock scene has never regained its momentum after the rise of the early '90s grunge movement, which symbolized the working-class spirit and focused on music over image. He said (hear audio below): "In the '90s, when the grunge rock thing hit, with NIRVANA and all that, everybody thought it was cool to be anti-rock star. But in a way they sort of anti-rock starred themselves right out the door, because the rap guys came in and they said, 'Fuck it. We'll be the rock stars then, if you guys are going to wear flannel shirts and stare at your feet.' And in the U.S., truthfully, rock music has never recovered from that. A whole generation of kids thought, 'Fuck this! Rock music is boring. Let's go listen to rap music.' And it's never recovered. I mean, over [in the U.K.] it's different. You could never throw a festival like [Download] in the U.S. and get this many people, with just rock music. Never." Asked by On Tour Monthly in a November 2013 interview if it's worth it for him to constantly bring out lavish stage productions, Rob said: "Yes and no. For some bands, it's a hard line to follow. In one sense, you are generating huge sums of money while you're on the road. But here's the thing. Say a tour generates $4 million dollars, but it cost you $3,999,999 to stage it." He added: "I can tell you that I put a lot of thought into my stage shows before taking them out on the road. The general public has absolutely no idea how much money is involved to actually take tours on the road. The more elaborate the production, the higher the cost." Asked if that's his own fault, Rob said: "It is and it isn't. It's really the fault of the whole industry. When kids go to a big rock show, they expect a big rock show. If they go to see Jewel, they expect to see her with an acoustic guitar and a spotlight. If I did that, kids would scream, 'What they hell is this?' "In a sense, you could say I created my own hell, but it's kind of the nature of this business. It's the same thing with a movie star who's known for action movies. You can't make a decent action movie unless you spend at least $150 to 200 million filming it. "People come to expect certain things at my shows, and it those things are expensive to take on the road. If they are not there, the audience is going to be bummed and might not come back. I'm not complaining boo-hoo about the money. It's just the nature of it all. It's expensive to take out a tour with all the production involved. There are crews, buses, hotels and other considerations that go into these shows night after night. Hell, even rock videos started getting insane with the prices directors wanted to charge. It's hard to get them made for cheap anymore .They are extremely overpriced, and it's hard to make them nowadays, even harder to get them played. Unfortunately, you still need them into today's business world."
03 min read

SANCTUARY Completes Work On ‘The Year The Sun Died’

Manos Spanos
Reunited '80s cult metal outfit SANCTUARY has completed work on its comeback album, "The Year The Sun Died", for a September 30 release (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. Recorded in Seattle at Soundhouse Studios with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SOULFLY, SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE), the CD will feature 11 tracks and a bonus track, a cover of THE DOORS classic "Waiting For The Sun". Comments SANCTUARY singer Warrel Dane: "Now that hell has officially frozen over and the pigs have flown, I can proudly say 'The Year The Sun Died' is finished. The record that nobody thought would ever get here has come in kicking... and yes, there is screaming! "Working with Zeuss (a.k.a The Commander) was great. He really pushed us all to be better. "This is a very modern-sounding record with roots still firmly planted in old-school six-string metal and I gotta give him creds for that." In 2010, four of the founding SANCTUARY members — Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard, Lenny Rutledge and Dave Budbill — came together for a few select reunion performances. At first, it was just going to be a handful of shows, but the response and chemistry on stage was so overwhelming that the guys changed their minds. Now, some 20 years after they left off, SANCTUARY has continued with its unique mix of U.S. power metal, hard rock and progressive elements. To complete the lineup, Brad Hull (FORCED ENTRY) is filling in for former guitar player Sean Blosi. SANCTUARY released the classic albums "Refuge Denied" and "Into The Mirror Black" during its short existence between 1985 and 1992. Following the band's split, Dane and Sheppard formed NEVERMORE. In a 2012 interview with GetYourRockOut, Dane stated about SANCTUARY's new material: "We've got so much stuff written that it's hard to sort through, but we played two new songs [at the 2012 edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival]. We played the one ballad, it's called 'I Am Low', and we played another one called 'The World Is Wired'. Some of the other stuff is a little heavier, but those songs, I think, are… Sometimes the stuff that isn't as heavy is stronger, so that's why we picked those." He added, "I don't think anybody is gonna be disappointed, because I am involved in the creative process and I know what's going on and I know where we're going and I know it's gonna be killer." Regarding how SANCTUARY's reformation came about, Dane told Rock My Monkey TV, "[SANCTUARY guitarist Lenny Rutledge and I] always talked to each other, but never really been friends again. And when the whole thing came about, that we were actually friends again, that's when we started talking more about doing it. And it definitely wasn't because NEVERMORE was imploding... which it was, at that point . . . We all just started talking with each other again. That was kind of the groundwork for it. And then we started saying, 'Well, gosh, let's make music again.' And my god! Lenny is writing some stuff that is so friggin great! Obviously, he's been bottling this up for years, because he really hasn't been doing anything... Well, he's had bands here and there. But he's really writing some great stuff that's really inspiring me, and making me fall in love with music again, with the creative process... everything that revolves around that. Really inspiring me to write really evil lyrics." On the topic of the sound of SANCTUARY's upcoming studio album, Dane said, "This record is not going to sound like the other two. It might sound very similar to the second one ('Into The Mirror Black'). It's definitely not going to sound like the first one, because we're all a little bit older and I can't come up with a c-clamp for a scrotum and a helium tank . . . It's not going to sound like the old ones... It's still gonna be that good, I think, and there's gonna be high-pitched screaming. I'm making sure of that. With NEVERMORE, high-pitched screaming was never really called for. You know, with SANCTUARY... of course it is." SANCTUARY's current lineup: Warrel Dane - Vocals Lenny Rutledge - Guitar Brad Hull - Guitars Jim Sheppard - Bass Dave Budbill - Drums Photo credit: Patrick Häberli "The World Is Wired" (new song) 2012 performance:
02 min read