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TESTAMENT Bassist Leaves Tour, EXODUS’ JACK GIBSON Steps In

Manos Spanos
TESTAMENT bassist Greg Christian has been forced to leave the band's current North American tour with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE for "personal reasons." Filling in for him beginning with tonight's (Wednesday, November 19) concert at Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson (pictured). "It's an honor to be filling in for Greg," Jack tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "I've always thought he was one of the best metal bass players alive. "TESTAMENT is already family. Gene [Hoglan, TESTAMENT drummer] is a god. "This should be a lot of fun!" "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 (Europe) and October 29 (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. EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt is continuing to fill in for fallen SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman on the latter band's current tour.
01 min read

DAVE MUSTAINE Signs Publishing Agreement With WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC

Manos Spanos
Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has announced that it has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with renowned MEGADETH singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Effective immediately, Warner/Chappell will administer Mustaine's songwriting from MEGADETH's recently released album "Super Collider", as well as future songwriting. Mustaine said, "I am very excited about this new partnership with Warner/Chappell. I am glad to be reuniting with a hero of mine, Jon Platt, and industry legend Greg Sowders. I have never been happier." "As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dave Mustaine has virtually defined heavy metal music for the past three decades," said Jon Platt, President, Creative - North America, Warner/Chappell Music. "Since founding MEGADETH, Dave has built a body of work that serves as the benchmark for an entire genre. Today, MEGADETH remains a vital force, and Dave continues to rank among rock's most creative and influential musicians and composers. We are thrilled to welcome him to Warner/Chappell." In 1983, Mustaine founded MEGADETH and, in 1985, they released their first album which established the band as pioneers in the thrash metal movement. The band has since sold 50 million albums worldwide, including five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums in the U.S., while garnering 11 Grammy nominations. The band's 14th studio album, "Super Collider", was released this past summer and debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 album chart. It was the first MEGADETH album to be released via Mustaine's own imprint, Tradecraft. Prior to MEGADETH, Mustaine was an early member of METALLICA. Before leaving the band in 1983, he had co-written a half dozen songs that would appear on the band's first two albums. In the video game arena, Mustaine composed the Grammy-nominated MEGADETH track "Sudden Death" for the 2010 release Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock. The game also featured two other Mustaine-composed MEGADETH songs: 1990's "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" and 2009's "This Day We Fight!" Noted rock author/journalist Joel McIver ranked Mustaine No. 1 in his 2009 book, "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists", and 2010 saw the publication of Mustaine's New York Times bestselling autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir". Mustaine is also the organizer of the traveling heavy metal music festival known as Gigantour. Throughout MEGADETH's various personnel changes over the years, Mustaine has remained the band's sole constant member.
02 min read

Interview: Primordial (Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill)

Panagiotis Karagiannidis
One of my wildest dreams a few years ago was to someday be able to talk with the man whose voice made my spine shiver and my eyes water when I was listening to “Heathen Tribes” or “Coffin Ships”. Well, somebody pinch me because that day is here! Iconic frontman of “Primordial”, man of many talents and cultural references and in general earth shaker and awe inspirer, Allan Averill a.k.a “Nemtheanga”, finds the time during touring to speak to Metalpaths webzine for many hot topics and personal thoughts, as well as for the upcoming shows of Primordial with Mael Mordha in Athens and Thessaloniki. Enjoy!
011 min read

VINCE NEIL: MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Decision To Embark On Farewell Tour Has Nothing To Do With MICK MARS’ Health

Manos Spanos
Sally Steele, publisher of Vegas Rocks! Magazine, conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil at the November 5 VIP party for Vince Neil's Tatuado Eat-Drink-Party!, described as "the ultimate definition of Neil's Tatuado brand and outrageous lifestyle," in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can now watch the chat below. Asked about MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's recent statement that CRÜE guitaristMick Mars' ongoing battle with Ankylosing spondylitis, a painful form of chronic arthritis that causes vertebrae in the spine to fuse together, was one of the primary reasons for CRÜE's revelation that they will call it quits after 2015, Vince said: "I don't know why Tommy would say that. It really had nothing to do with Mick's health. It was just because we all felt — at least me and Nikki [Sixx, bass] and Mick — felt that it was just we didn't wanna go out on the bottom. We didn't wanna be one of those bands that start fading away. We've been on top for 32 years, and it's great. And it's just like, you know what? By the time we finish this tour, it'll be in 35 years of MÖTLEY CRÜE. So… that's really kind of it." He added: "After this farewell tour, who's to say we won't play again? I could probably see us play way down the road — a concert here or concert there, maybe — but we're not, like, doing the KISS farewell thing, where they have their fifth farewell tour." On the topic of what he plans on doing after MÖTLEY CRÜE is done, Vince said: "I have my own stuff. I have my solo band, and we have a lot of touring coming up. And actually, it looks like me and Sammy Hagar are gonna go out together for a long tour next year. I'll be carrying the torch for MÖTLEY CRÜE when MÖTLEY CRÜE is done." Lee told Canadian progressive-house music producer and performer Deadmau5 in a recent video: "Our guitar player, Mick, he has a spinal disease that's slowly fusing his vertebrae together. It's one of those things that's treatable, but not curable. So it's just progressively getting really worse and it's painful for him, so he doesn't wanna tour much longer. I can't say I blame him… The last thing we ever wanna do is go out running on two cylinders with some hired guy playing guitar; that's just wack. So we wanna go out with one big hurrah with the original guys and be done with it." He added: "That's such a bad look when bands are still playing the fucking fairgrounds — those county-fair shows — and it's just like two of the original guys, or one original guy, and the rest, no one knows who they are. We don't wanna do that." However, in a posting last month on his Twitter account, Mars painted a different picture, claiming that his medical condition had never affected his playing. "Once again, any rumors regarding a farewell tour due to 'my poor health is BS," he wrote. "I am doing fine, my AS has never kept me from touring." He added: "Thank all of you for knowing the truth… When I'm done touring, you'll hear it from me." Lee responded to Mars' Twitter posting, writing: "@mrmickmars it's probably not so much about your physical health it's more about our mental health as a band! Haha!" MÖTLEY CRÜE recently returned to Las Vegas for an exclusive twelve-show engagement September 18 through October 6 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
03 min read

SOUNDGARDEN To Tour Without Drummer MATT CAMERON

Manos Spanos
Drummer Matt Cameron of reunited grunge legends SOUNDGARDEN will sit out the band's live appearances in 2014 due to his commitments as a member of PEARL JAM. In a statement posted earlier today (Friday, November 15) on SOUNDGARDEN's web site, Cameron wrote: "I will be taking 2014 off from SOUNDGARDEN touring due to prior commitments promoting [PEARL JAM's album] 'Lightning Bolt' with my brothers in PEARL JAM and the desire to have more time at home with my family. I am trying to balance the many twists and turns of my awesome music career. This is temporary. I am still an active member of SOUNDGARDEN." Cameron added that he is helping his SOUNDGARDEN bandmates — Chris Cornell (vocals, guitar), Ben Shepherd (bass) and Kim Thayil (guitar) — find "the perfect substitute for the upcoming SOUNDGARDEN dates in 2014." SOUNDGARDEN is scheduled to play at Lollapalooza festivals in Chile, Argentina and Brazil in the spring and has confirmed several German concerts in June. SOUNDGARDEN's very first record releases are being reissued on CD, double vinyl and as a digital set on November 26 via Sub Pop Records. The set will include the band's entire debut EP, "Screaming Life", as well as bonus tracks from its "Fopp" EP and songs that appeared on the "Sub Pop 200" compilation, all initially issued in the late Eighties. "King Animal", the first collection of all-new material in 16 years from SOUNDGARDEN, and first since the group reunited in 2010, sold 83,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort arrived in stores on November 13, 2012 via Tom Whalley's new record label, a partnership between his Seven Four Entertainment and Republic Records.
02 min read

EXODUS Singer ROB DUKES To All The Haters: ‘Go F**k Yourself’

Manos Spanos
Jay Nanda of San Antonio Metal Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with EXODUS and GENERATION KILL singer Rob Dukes. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: Fans who know you strictly from EXODUS will get to hear [GENERATION KILL] songs that still keep your vocal style at times while often including a melodic side, without compromising the band's heaviness, such as in "Prophets of War", "Death Comes Calling" and "There Is No Hope". Is mixing it up a nice change of pace for you? Dukes: Absolutely. Not to take anything from EXODUS. I love doing it. I mean, it's fucking killer. But EXODUS is a thrash band, pure and simple, and very aggressive, and that's what I do there. I listen to more diverse music, so to be able to bring that into the fold is the object of the whole thing. I didn't want to start another thrash band, you know? Me and Rob Moschetti both grew up on [IRON] MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, early [JUDAS] PRIEST. We surrounded ourselves with guys who like the same stuff, and we just fucking went out and wrote songs that — you know, we're not reinventing the wheel here. So we just basically wrote songs that we like, that we wanted to hear. Not only play but songs we wanted to hear. So we stole a little bit from here, we stole a little bit from there. It wasn't like we sat down and said, "Let's steal from these albums." But those are the albums that shaped me as a person. Like when I was a kid, those first two IRON MAIDEN albums, SABBATH albums and early PRIEST were the stuff that I grew up on. And RUSH, PINK FLOYD — bands of that era. I appreciate you saying that it doesn't lose anything. Even though it's got some mellow stuff, it's actually dark and cool and seemed to fit. If it didn't fit, we wouldn't have done it, you know what I mean? San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: What's the latest with EXODUS? I'm sure with Gary [Holt, EXODUS guitarist] filling in for SLAYER for obvious circumstances, his participation has taken place a lot longer than you guys probably anticipated. How has that affected EXODUS going forward? Dukes: Well, we haven't toured as much. That's apparent. We've got way more down time than we're used to and had in the last 10 years, so that's one aspect I'm not really a big fan of. But that's how we all make our living, so we had to go out without him. It was what it was. Wish he was there, but listen, the guy's in SLAYER. I'm not going to begrudge him for that. That's awesome for him, and I know he's having fun doing it. I think eventually, when we do this new album which we're doing in February, he'll find a way to do both. There's a lot of people who do multiple things in life. Financially, it'll be good for him to have two incomes. I think we're going to find a way in 2014 to make it all happen. San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: I remember interviewing him a couple years ago by phone, and Gary was telling me how much heavier he thinks [EXODUS] has become since you took over on vocals compared to the previous singers. I've gotta agree. I don't know how you feel about that, but a lot of bands these days that have been around a long time kind of level off or don't get as heavier, and obviously you can't say that about EXODUS. You guys just seem to be heavier and crunchier with every record. Dukes: Yeah, I think so, man. I hope I'm carrying the torch well. I try not to read into the comments on fucking Blabbermouth and all the fucking haters. There's certain people that won't let go of the past. I realize, for the past, that's what it is for them. They love the time in the past, and I get it. Not everything is better than the original, and I never claimed to be. I claim to be doing this. Paul [Baloff, original EXODUS singer] died, unfortunately, so he's not here. So I'm carrying the torch. Zetro [Souza, former EXODUS singer] fucking quit. He fucking walked in one day — he didn't even walk in. He just didn't answer his phone and said, "I'm not doing this anymore." And he quit. And now he wants back. You know what? I think we're heavier. The first album, "Bonded By Blood", was so fucking dark, dude. Lyrically and just darkness. And then I think they went in a direction that kind of took away the darkness of it. By the time I joined, they were back into the dark. They were moving back in that direction. I stepped in and I said, "I'll carry the torch. I'll fucking do it." For the people that don't fucking like it, go fuck yourself. That's all I got for you. Fuck you, you know what I mean?
06 min read

ZAKK WYLDE Says New BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Studio Album Should Arrive In April

Manos Spanos
Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted an interview with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) at the Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which was held this past Saturday night (November 9) at the historic Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The concert honored heavy metal legend, BLACK SABBATH's Geezer Butler, and featured an all-star band of rock luminaries performing BLACK SABBATH songs as a tribute to Butler. The performance culminated with Geezer joining the band for the finale. Zakk's chat with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" can be seen below. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new live DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video, "Unblackened", was released on September 24 by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Wylde's label home, eOne Music, also released the audio version of the "Unblackened" DVD under the same name. The double disc release has six additional tracks not found on the DVD, including two acoustic versions of "Queen Of Sorrow" and "Won't Find It Here", and covers of LEON RUSSELL's "Song For You" and BILL WITHERS' "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone". Since their early Nineties inception, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, formed and helmed by guitar legend Zakk Wylde, has been at the forefront of hard rock. Their penchant for hard riffs and blazing solos has resulted in a slew of hugely successful albums and a reputation as one of the most powerful live bands of their generation. "Unblackened", however, unveils another side of the band. Filmed and recorded on March 6 in high definition at Los Angeles' Club Nokia, "Unblackened" is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY presenting their songs in a whole new light, with greater use of acoustic instrumentation. Wylde plays both guitar and piano, with Nick Catanase on guitar, John DeServio on bass/vocals, Chad Szeliga on drums, Derek Sherinian on keyboards/piano, and Greg Locascio providing additional vocals. Their stripped-down approach highlights the subtler nuances of the songwriting, without losing any of the fire or intensity. Classic tracks like "Stillborn", "The Blessed Hellride", "In This River", "Throwin' It All Away", "Losin' Your Mind" and many others are still punctuated by the stinging, searing solos that fans know and love, while showcasing the versatility of the band. In addition to the concert, "Unblackened" is rich in bonus material. A new interview with Zakk, photo gallery, music video for "Losin' Your Mind", and a feature with Wylde visiting HM Prison Stocken in the U.K . are all included.
02 min read