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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

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

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

METALLICA To Start Working On New Album ‘In A Couple Of Weeks’

Manos Spanos
METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett tells Billboard.com that the band will start working on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" "in a couple of weeks. When we start, that's going to be our main priority, and we're pretty excited about it because we've been saying we need to start working on this album, but we've been procrastinating greatly with it," he says. "We've pretty much come up with every sort of excuse we can not to start work on the album, but we've run out of excuses, so we pretty much have to start work on it now." According to Hammett, there is no shortage of ideas for METALLICA's next CD, with the guys reportedly having met up twice in the last few months to cook up some tasty riffs in the studio. "We're a band that never has a shortage of ideas," Hammett says. "You hear about these bands that are sitting in the studio and they don't have any songs, what are they gonna do? That's not METALLICA. METALLICA's problem is the total opposite. We have too many ideas. James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] has, like, 800 ideas. I have 400. Those number alone are just crazy. That's formidable." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich acknowledged in an interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine that the band's next studio album is unlikely to arrive before 2015 at the earliest. The drummer explained: "Obviously, there are a lot of people asking where the next record is. We're going to make another record, but like I said before, we don't really feel this kind of… what's the word? I guess 'responsibility' is probably the right word. We don't feel this inherent responsibility to just churn out records whenever people want them. [Adopts a sarcastic voice] 'I'm sorry! Let me slap myself on the wrists and go make a record for you!' We'll get 'round to it again." Asked about a possible release date for METALLICA's next CD, Ulrich replied: "Actually, we know the date… no, we don't! If I was betting on this, I would say 2015 — that's where my money is. So if you think of the actual age of this planet, if it's been 75 billion years since dinosaurs walked the Earth or whatever, then one year is basically a blink of an eye, right?" Ulrich also spoke about METALLICA's mindset going into the songwriting phase for the band's next album. He explained: "The only thing I can tell you is that there seems to be a consensus in the band that [2008's] 'Death Magnetic' was a really good record that we're proud of, that had good legs on it — meaning that it still sounds really rocking five years later. And I can tell you that with most of the previous METALLICA records, I found any faults, I had any issues with them way, way sooner than five years. So the stuff that we've been jamming on is certainly not a million miles removed from where we left off from 'Death Magnetic'. But two years from now, when I sit and talk to you about the new record, it'll probably be a different story from the six-year-old looking for the ice cream shop."
03 min read

MEGADETH’s DAVE MUSTAINE: We’re The Biggest Right Now We’ve Been Since ‘Countdown To Extinction’

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TheRockRevival.com's Matt Bishop sat down with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine backstage on the band's "Super Collider" tour to talk about the group's latest album, touring, and what's next for the band in 2014. Asked what it means that "Super Collider" entered the The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 6, marking MEGADETH's highest chart debut in the U.S. since "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia", Mustaine said: "It means a lot of different things." He continued: "People that like the record like the record. "The public made their statement. "A lot of people that don't particularly agree with my viewpoint, whether it's spiritually or religiously or politically, they attack our music instead of saying, 'I disagree with what Dave says.' "We've gotten to the point where people are so vicious in the things that they say. Because they are not very educated and they don't really understand The King's English, they'll say words that are much more heavier than what they really say. Perfect example is when you watch politicans speak; they pick their words very carefully. And they don't have to go overboard and say, like, 'That guy's a fucking asshole.' They can say, 'Well, we question his integrity,' and stuff like that. Or, you know, 'Experience shows that this is the wrong decision to make.' And you can bitch-slap someone pretty good without having to get down and dirty with it. "The problem is, with critics, it's their job — to criticize things. "The fans spoke; they like the record. "Obviously, when you're with a record company, they have songs that they believe in and they pick an order of songs, and all kinds of stuff like that. "There's a lot of wisdom in watching the way record companies develop bands. "We're kind of at a point right now where we get to, kind of, do what we know to do, and they trust us with it, which is really cool. "There was just so much life infused back into the band when we got signed to Universal; just the writing progression… 'Cause when we first got signed, it was, like, 'OK, great! This is really cool.' And we started writing and stuff. And as that record came out and the subsequent touring and all the good that happened with that, the guitar playing started getting a lot more ferocious. Because we weren't really relying on radio anymore, because we're back. "We're the most popular we've been, I think, since 'Countdown' right now. Record sales don't really correlate popularity, because of piracy and stuff like that. But I honestly believe we're the biggest right now we've been since 'Countdown'. It's a great feeling." "Super Collider", sold 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart. "TH1RT3EN" opened with 42,000 units back in November 2011 to enter the chart at No. 11. The band's 2009 CD, "Endgame", premiered with 45,000 copies to debut at No. 9. This was slightly less than the 54,000 first-week tally registered by 2007's "United Abominations", which entered the chart at No. 8. 2004's "The System Has Failed" premiered with 46,000 copies (No. 18) while 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" moved 61,000 units in its first week (No. 16).
03 min read

TESTAMENT Parts Ways With Bassist GREG CHRISTIAN, Announces Return Of STEVE DIGIORGIO

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San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans TESTAMENT have released the following statement: "It is with much respect that we announce our mutual parting with bassist Greg Christian. Metal fretless bass pioneer Steve DiGiorgio will be returning to TESTAMENT. "Steve previously was a member of TESTAMENT on 'The Gathering' (1999) as well as 'First Strike Still Deadly' (2001). He will be joining TESTAMENT on their upcoming shows in Australia on the Soundwave Festival, Japan and Mexico City. Steve will also be taking part in the new TESTAMENT album. "We are looking forward to continuing the momentum you, the fans, have made possible." 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

LACUNA COIL Announces ‘Broken Crown Halo’ Album, ‘Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock’ Tour

Manos Spanos
Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL will release their new studio album, "Broken Crown Halo", in North America on April 1 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded Italy by producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) and engineer Kyle Hoffmann (P.O.D., BUSH, ZEBRAHEAD). The effort was mastered by Howie Weinberg, whose credits include RAMMSTEIN, SOUNDGARDEN, NIRVANA, DEFTONES and SHERYL CROW. "Broken Crown Halo" is LACUNA COIL's seventh studio effort, and the highly-anticipated follow-up to "Dark Adrenaline", which was released in January 2012 and saw the band tour with acts including MEGADETH, MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and SEVENDUST after debuting at No. 15 on The Billboard 200 album chart. LACUNA COIL will return to the road to introduce North America to "Broken Crown Halo" as part of the Revolver Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour, which launches February 20 and features LACUNA COIL sharing a stage with SICK PUPPIES, Century Media Records labelmates EYES SET TO KILL and CILVER. The tour launches in Wilmington, North Carolina, and runs through March 20 in Anaheim, California. See complete itinerary below, and visit www.hottestchickstour.com for additional details and VIP packages. LACUNA COIL had this to say about "Broken Crown Halo": "What conflict could run so deep that it takes you to the deepest corners of your inner world? "Today we are surrounded by a lot of lies, aliases, and people acting like they are wearing an invisible crown — but you better have thick skin if you want to wear this crown! "'Broken Crown Halo' is a cinematic album that could be the soundtrack of our days — it is a dark vision of a near future when survival is second nature, and failure is not something to be avoided, but rather cultivated with lessons learned along the way. "We set the bar pretty high with 'Dark Adrenaline' and it hasn't been easy bringing our sound to the next level, but we have lived, learned and grown through a year full of personal issues and changes. We learned to be strong and get stronger, and we felt an inner vibe in this band that we haven't felt before. We locked ourselves in an age-old studio in Milan, Italy, where history was strong and the past met with our future, vintage gear and the influence of classic Italian horror movies and bands like GOBLIN meeting the fresh and rough sounds of the modern world with unique and invigorating results. "'Broken Crown Halo' is LACUNA COIL introducing a new order, and letting nothing stand in our way..." Revolver Hottest Chicks In Rock Tour featuring LACUNA COIL with SICK PUPPIES, EYES SET TO KILL and CILVER: Feb. 20 - Wilmington, NC - Ziggy's By The Sea Feb. 21 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Feb. 22 - Lexington, KY - Buster's Feb. 23 - Springfield, VA - Empire Feb. 24 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza Feb. 26 - Worcester, MA - Palladium Feb. 27 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club Feb. 28 - Columbus, OH - Alrosa Villa Mar. 01 - Joliet, IL - Mojoe's Mar. 02 - South Bend, IN - Club Fever Mar. 05 - Broussard, LA - The Station Live Mar. 06 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar Mar. 07 - Austin, TX - Infest Mar. 08 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Mar. 10 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall Mar. 12 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex Mar. 14 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Mar. 15 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven Mar. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - House Of Blues Mar. 20 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
04 min read