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GEOFF TATE Announces ‘Queensrÿche Starring Geoff Tate – The Farewell Tour’

Manos Spanos
More than thirty years after setting forth on the musical journey that would become known as QUEENSRŸCHE, singer Geoff Tate — one of rock's quintessential front men and the lead vocalist heard on all QUEENSRŸCHE hits — will be performing his farewell tour as QUEENSRŸCHE beginning in late July. The announcement of the tour, "Queensrÿche Starring Geoff Tate - The Farewell Tour", comes hot on the heels of the recent amicable settlement with his former bandmates Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield, who will be continuing with the band name. With Geoff at the helm of QUEENSRŸCHE, the band experienced incredible success, garnering four Grammy nominations, performing in 46 different countries and selling over 20 million albums worldwide. "One thing that's really important for fans to know is that this never went to court," comments Geoff Tate, who will be continuing as "Geoff Tate: The Voice Of Queensrÿche" once the summer farewell tour is complete. As part of the agreement between the original members, Geoff will have the exclusive right to perform the concept albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" as unique performances. For the past several months, Geoff and his version of QUEENSRŸCHE (comprised of bassist Rudy Sarzo, guitarist Robert Sarzo, guitarist Kelly Gray, drummer Simon Wright and keyboardist Randy Gane) have been performing the fan favorite on their 25th-Anniversary Mindcrime Tour (with special guest Sass Jordan as "Sister Mary") in front of sold-out audiences everywhere. "It's sort of similar to the PINK FLOYD situation where Roger Waters retained 'The Wall'," comments Geoff. "'Mindcrime' was my thing and my story, so it's only appropriate that I keep that... The others will be touring as QUEENSRŸCHE and I'll be continuing on as me." The popularity of the theatrical back-to-back presentation of the "Operation: Mindcrime" saga ("I" and "II") was exemplified when the performance was captured for the 2007 double DVD/CD set, "Mindcrime At The Moore", that hit #1 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart and eventually reached gold status. For the forthcoming tour, Geoff's version of QUEENSRŸCHE will be performing all the hits along with some rarities to celebrate the music he's enjoyed making over the past thirty years. Although the name will change, the lineup of stellar musicians performing with Geoff after this "farewell" tour is expected to remain the same. Tickets go on sale for the majority of shows this Friday, May 2 and this Saturday, May 3. "Queensrÿche Starring Geoff Tate - The Farewell Tour" dates: July 30 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint Rocke July 31 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House Aug. 01 - El Cajon, CA - Sycuan Casino Aug. 02 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues Aug. 03 - Agoura, CA - The Canyon Club Aug. 07 - Fresno, CA - Strummer’s Aug. 08 - Vacaville, CA - Theatre Deville Aug. 09 - Morgan Hill, CA - Downtown Amphitheater Aug. 12 - Nashville, TN - Music Marathon Works Aug. 13 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre Aug. 14 - Charlotte, NC - The Chop Shop Aug. 15 - Wilmington, NC - Ziggy’s By The Sea Aug. 16 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggy’s Aug. 17 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Aug. 19 - Dallas, TX - Trees Aug. 20 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theatre Aug. 22 - Tucson, AX - Rialto Theatre Aug. 23 - Scottsdale, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Aug. 24 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater Aug. 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot Aug. 28 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion Aug. 30 - Bolingbrook, IL - Tailgaters geofftatefarewelltour
03 min read

Bassist GREG CHRISTIAN: There Are No ‘Bros’ In TESTAMENT

Manos Spanos
Former TESTAMENT bassist Greg Christian, who turned 48 years old today (Tuesday, April 29), has posted the following message on his personal Facebook page: "Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. "Lately, it's been all too easy to forget how many people's lives I've actually 'touched.' "The last five months or so have been some of the most difficult of my 48 years on this Earth and seeing this support really helps. Thank you. "I'm still kind of in shock by how everything went down with TESTAMENT. And all I'll really say about that is — there are no 'bros' in TESTAMENT. The catch phrase coined by the Chief himself is every one man for himself, and it's taken to a sickening extreme with zero humanity. C'est la vie. But I'm not done playing music yet. Far from it. But every day's a struggle. And on top of it all, I have to deal with a few haters (people I barely know) going out of their way to derail me in any way they can. Thanks, guys. LOL. "Anyway... Thank you again for all the birthday wishes. I appreciate it more than you all can probably understand. Cheers!!!" TESTAMENT in January announced the departure of Greg Christian and return of Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, ICED EARTH). Steve was previously a member of TESTAMENT on "The Gathering" (1999) and "First Strike Still Deadly" (2001) albums. In a recent interview with 100PercentRock.com, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy stated about Christian's latest departure from the band: "Well, I think Greg, he informed us that he wasn't going to be participating on the new record release and that was his last tour with us. We knew we had Australia coming up, so, of course, Steve DiGiorgio was probably one of the first ones to come to mind. He did 'The Gathering' record with us and we enjoyed that whole cycle of touring, so he was definitely, probably, our first choice. We didn't want to go through auditions and do all that. We just knew that he was here, and he could do it, and it was killer." Asked if there was a particular reason that Greg just had enough of it, Billy replied: "Well, I think that the last tour he just wasn't getting along, and he just decided that that was going to be the last tour with us, so we just kind of said, 'Well, okay. I guess we'll have to maybe look for what's coming up in the future.' You know — there's nothing we can do." Christian was forced to leave the band's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in November 2013 for "personal reasons." Filling in for him was EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson. Christian played on the following TESTAMENT albums: * "The Legacy" (1987) * "The New Order" (1988) * "Practice What You Preach" (1989) * "Souls Of Black" (1990) * "The Ritual" (1992) * "Low" (1994) * "The Formation Of Damnation" (2008) * "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012)
03 min read

SLAYER Signs With NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS

Manos Spanos
Last night at the Revolver Golden Gods awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, SLAYER surprised the capacity crowd with an unannounced performance, kicking off the show with a three-song set that included the global premiere of "Implode", the band's first new studio recording in five years. Recorded earlier this month at Henson Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Terry Date and co-produced by Greg Fidelman, "Implode" is now available as a free download as a "thank you” to the band's fans for their continued support. Or, as Kerry King put it, "you have been waiting for us, now we are delivering for you." Registered members of SLAYER's fan club were sent an email right around midnight giving them the link to the song and a chance to hear it before it was made public. "Implode" can now be downloaded at www.slayer.net. Later this year, the two-time Grammy-winning SLAYER will begin recording a new album, tentatively set for an early 2015 release date. The album will make SLAYER history as it will be released on Nuclear Blast Records through the band's own label imprint, closing out a 28-year relationship with Rick Rubin and American Recordings. No name for the imprint has been decided on yet. "Rick has played a huge role in our career, we've made some great albums with him,” said SLAYER's Tom Araya. "But today is a new day, record companies don't play the kind of role they once did, and we really like the idea of going out on our own, connecting directly with our fans, and Nuclear Blast is fired up about taking on that challenge with us." All future recordings on the band's label imprint will be released worldwide exclusively through Nuclear Blast. "I was a teenage rebel when 'Show No Mercy' came out," said Markus Staiger, owner of Nuclear Blast, "and I identified with that record. It was the most extreme, aggressive thing at the time. They were then and still are the most brutal metal band on the planet! I really cannot express how proud I am that we are able to work with SLAYER to join the Nuclear Blast family. We are ready for that next record and, I'm sure it will go into metal history!" Added Nuclear Blast label manager Gerardo Martinez, "The prospect of helping SLAYER take a leading role in the creative process surrounding their releases, projects and other cross-promotional opportunities is the ultimate honor for me, a metalhead who grew up in Los Angeles listening to SLAYER. Nowhere in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Nuclear Blast would be making history alongside one of the best bands in metal.” SLAYER will spend the next few months on the road touring major North American and European festivals as well as headlining dates, sharing the stages with METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and more, but is expected to be back in the studio in the fall to record the rest of the new album. Joining bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King during the sessions for SLAYER's new album are returning drummer Paul Bostaph, who replaced Dave Lombardo last year, and guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS), who has been filling in for late SLAYER axeman Jeff Hanneman on tour for the past four years. Bostaph was SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band — the gold-certified "Divine Intervention" (1994), the 1996 punk covers album "Undisputed Attitude", "Diab
04 min read

Singer STEPHEN PEARCY Quits RATT

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RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy has released the following statement: "After 30 years creating the band RATT and losing a real brother, Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist], it's time that I personally part ways with the band. "I am officially done with having anything to do with them due to the constant turmoil, unresolved business, personal attacks/threats in the public forum, and most of all, the disrespect to the fans. "I'm very content and proud of the legacy and the music I’ve created. This music will live well beyond any of our lifetimes. "I owe no one anything but a huge heartfelt thank you for coming to the party for the last 30 years. "With much respect, life goes on and the music I created will continue to be heard for years to come despite the dark clouds that have lingered for far too long. "I will personally continue to make music and perform live shows." "See you out there." RATT recently canceled its appearance on the Monsters Of Rock cruise due to the death of Stephen Pearcy's sister. RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer was slated to sit out the band's appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise because he had not yet fully recovered from the neck surgery he underwent last October. Filling in for him once again was supposed to be Jimmy DeGrasso, who has previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others. Blotzer previously missed three RATT shows in January. All three dates were played with DeGrasso behind the kit. RATT's first studio record in 11 years, "Infestation", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 30 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was issued on April 20, 2010 via Loud & Proud.
02 min read

JUDAS PRIEST To Reveal First Details Of Their New Studio Album Next Week?

Manos Spanos
British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have launched a countdown suggesting that they will reveal more information about their much-anticipated new studio album in five days via their official web site, JudasPriest.com. Speaking to Artisan News at last month's VIP listening party for the Ronnie James Dio tribute album "This Is Your Life" and awards gala at the Avalon in Hollywood, California, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about the band's new CD: "The record is finished; it's absolutely finished as of today." He added: "It's a relief. It's a relief because whenever PRIEST makes an album, like any band, you put your heart and soul into it; it is that typical 'blood, sweat and tears.' It's not an easy thing to do 40 years later. But PRIEST has always been up for the challenge of that, and it's one of things that we love to do more than anything else as we move on through our metal years. So this is a great time for PRIEST: 40th anniversary, a brand new record. Life couldn't be better." In a 2013 interview with Billboard.com, Halford described the new PRIEST CD's sound as "hard. It's heavy. It's something we think our PRIEST fans will be thrilled with. We know we have a reputation to maintain, and we know we have to deliver something really strong and solid. The album is going to be full of all the great things you love about JUDAS PRIEST — I don't think I can say anything more than that without being hung, drawn and quartered." Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, Halford said about what fans can expect from JUDAS PRIEST's next LP: "We felt it was very important to follow up [2008's] 'Nostradamus', the last release, and that was a concept experiment and it was a real success for us and the fans loved it, but I think our fans and ourselves as a band, we want to get back to the side of PRIEST that we haven't heard for a few years and reemphasize and remake those big, heavy metal statements again." PRIEST's next album will mark the band's first release with Richie Faulkner, most recently guitarist in the backing band for Lauren Harris (daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris). Faulkner joined PRIEST as the replacement for original PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing, who announced his retirement from the band in April 2011. Asked how it has been collaborating on new music with Faulkner, Halford told Guitar World in a 2012 interview: "Really, really strong. Exciting. He's riffing and saying, 'Robby, I'm thinking of this and this and this.' It's really exciting to have that kind of energy, because you feed off of it." He added: "[Richie] went through the ritual on [the 'Epitaph'] tour, did great work on stage, the fans embraced him, so it's now time to see what we're capable of, the writing trio of Glenn [Tipton] and Richie and myself." Regarding whether technology has changed JUDAS PRIEST's songwriting process at all, Halford said: "It's dangerous to walk around with a flash drive on a bunch of keys. [Laughs] To a great extent, it doesn't really change. The technology is amazing in terms of the advantages it brings to music now, some of it good, some of it very bad. It's all about discipline and self-belief, determination, wanting to do the best you can do and not accepting anything that's below par. We've always had that attitude in PRIEST. We've always felt really strongly about any track that goes out for our fans. We're still doing it like we always have: firing up the riffs and finding a vocal melody to go with it, me going into me wonderful world of the Roget's Thesaurus and trying to come up with a new lyric and a new idea. And that's what we've been doing for four decades." Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral
04 min read

It’s Official: MALCOLM YOUNG Taking Break From AC/DC Due To ‘Ill Health’

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Legendary Anglo-Australian hard rockers AC/DC have released the following statement: "After forty years of life dedicated to AC/DC, guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young is taking a break from the band due to ill health. Malcolm would like to thank the group's diehard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support. "In light of this news, AC/DC asks that Malcolm and his family's privacy be respected during this time. The band will continue to make music." As previously reported, a musician who says he has been friends with AC/DC for "years" has corroborated reports that Malcolm Young is no longer able to perform with the band due to illness. Mark Gable, lead singer with the CHOIRBOYS, told ABC Radio Australia, "From what I understand, and it's even been confirmed in part by his son Ross… It would appear Malcolm is unable to perform anymore. It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won't be able to perform live. He will probably not be able to record." Australian journalist Darryl Mason wrote that Malcolm suffered a stroke last month. According to The Age, a source who knows the Young family has said that Malcolm's condition has deteriorated so badly that his wife Linda and family were investigating full-time care for the guitarist. It is believed that Malcolm is currently having in-home care at his home in the Sydney area. He is said to be having difficulty remembering familiar faces and having increasing problems communicating. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has shot down reports that the band is retiring, telling U.K.'s Telegraph that the band is about to begin work on its 16th studio album. "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver," he said. "We're going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we'll record it." While the members of AC/DC are notoriously private, Johnson did reveal in a 2012 interview and in a February 2014 one that an unnamed member of the group had been ill — but whether that was Malcolm remains unclear. Asked about the prospect of retiring one day, Johnson told The Pulse Of Radio that he would know when the time had come. "You know, retirement is like anything," he said. "A good football or a good ice hockey player, they don't want to retire. But unfortunately, sometimes there's a time when you have to call it quits. I don't want to do it, and if we can get out another album and do another little short tour or something, and have a bit of fun, well. I'm your man. I'll be right there." AC/DC's last album was 2008's "Black Ice", one of the group's most successful later albums, which was followed by a nearly two-year world tour.
03 min read

Drummer DANIEL LILJEKVIST Quits KATATONIA So He Can Concentrate On His Family And ‘Normal Job’

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Drummer Daniel Liljekvist has announced his departure from Swedish dark rockers KATATONIA. He explained in a statement: "I've been thinking about this for the last couple of months and I've come to the sad conclusion that I have to leave the band. It's got nothing to do with 'difference in views' or any other bullshit. I just cannot combine job, family and commit 100% to KATATONIA. Times for musicians are rough and I've decided to concentrate on my family and get a normal job that gets the bills paid." He added: "I've had some of the best moments in my life the past 14-odd years together with my favorite people in the world. I've been all over the planet with this lot… my second family. "Thank you! I'm gonna miss playing with you and I'm gonna miss hanging out with you on the road so much. And I'm gonna miss meeting all the great KATATONIA fans all over the world. You know who you are. You are truly amazing! I'm not gonna miss all the freaks and idiots we've come across during all the years. You probably don't know who you are. And I will not miss bad catering, shit beer and banana juice… "This is Daniel, rocking the fuck off! Cheers!" The remaining members of KATATONIA said: "We are sad and hollow to see Daniel leave our ranks, but yet his decision has our sincere understanding. Nothing lasts forever and all good things must come to an end sooner or later. Yet it makes it so much more frustrating when it happens for the wrong reasons or before reaching our terminus. Particularly, we can't pretend the current climate has nothing to do with it; in fact, this is undeniably yet another outcome of musicians struggling at the crossroads of today's 'scene/industry.' Tragically, this situation forces a member, brother — and our fans' favorite longtime drummer — to resign from a band he sacrificed a decade and a half to build. "While encouraging this topic to inevitable debate and re-evaluation, we will always be grateful for the years we shared together and we wish Daniel the best of luck in the future. It goes without saying we part as band members, but certainly remain as friends. "On a further positive note, this will not affect any of the upcoming tour dates. The 'Dethroned & Uncrowned - Unplugged & Reworked' tour next month will proceed accordingly and see JP Asplund taking on percussion duties. He was the one who actually played all original percussion on 'Dead End Kings'/'Dethroned & Uncrowned' albums. Stand-in drummer Daniel Moilanen (ex-ENGEL) will perform on the upcoming summer festivals. "Let's welcome our helping hands, have a goodbye toast for Daniel (note that would be 11 sips for him) and keep our eyes on the horizon: new tours coming up in South America and Australia as well as the long-awaited 20th anniversary 'Last Fair Day Gone Night - Live At Koko' DVD coming out this fall and much more…" KATATONIA rece
03 min read

IN FLAMES To Release ‘Siren Charms’ In September

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Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have set "Siren Charms" as the title of their eleventh album, due in September via Epic. The CD was recorded at Hansa Studios (DAVID BOWIE, DEPECHE MODE, U2) in Berlin, Germany. Photos from the studio — courtesy of the German magazine Metal Hammer — can be found at Metal-Hammer.de. IN FLAMES lead singer, Anders Fridén recently stated about working at the legendary facility where such milestones as David Bowie's "Heroes" and Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" were created: "When I visited Hansa Studios [last] year, I got goose bumps. There is so much history both inside and surrounding the studio and I want to be a part of that. Magic has been created here and hopefully that will affect us." IN FLAMES' "Deliver Us" single was recently certified platinum in Sweden for sales in excess of 40,000 copies. (Note: On-demand audio and/or video song streams are now counted towards the threshold required for gold and platinum certifications.) IN FLAMES has released a video for"Sounds Of A Playground Fading", the title track of its tenth studio album. The clip, which is made up of concert footage, was produced by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others. "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" (Century Media) sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. IN FLAMES' previous album, "A Sense of Purpose" (Koch) opened with 20,000 units to land at No. 28. This was slightly less than the opening tally of "Come Clarity" (Ferret), which shifted just under 24,000 copies in February 2006 to enter the chart at position No. 58. "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" was the first IN FLAMES album to be recorded without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction. IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin sat out a few of the band's shows last year. His temporary replacement for those gigs was Patrik Jensen from THE HAUNTED.
02 min read