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DAVE MUSTAINE Says ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ For MEGADETH

Manos Spanos
On October 22, Mau Alvarado of Costa Rica's "80s Y Mas" conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine when the band played at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José as the support act for BLACK SABBATH. Check out the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow. On where he sees MEGADETH five or ten years from now: Mustaine: "There was a period about ten years ago when I was really unhappy with the way things were going in the music business and with MEGADETH in general. And there was a lot of internal turmoil with the band — a lot of fighting and stuff like that — and a lot of times, I would ask myself: 'Is this really what I wanna do with the rest of my life?' And once we had the breakup after I my arm got injured and I re-evaluated my career, it changed things, and meeting up with Shawn [Drover, drums] and Chris [Broderick, guitar] really made me, I believe, a much more grateful player. So I think right now the best is yet to come for us. We really have gotten a lot better in the last, probably, two years even. We're playing better now than, I think, we've ever played." On whether he will still be rocking like THE ROLLING STONES when he reaches the age of 65 or 70: Mustaine: "Like THE ROLLING STONES? [laughs] Let's see. I hope so. I hope better, actually, because I think I am in better shape than they are at… When they were 52, I think I'm in better shape than they were. And I have tremendous respect for THE ROLLING STONES, but I think it's all relative. I mean, look at Bruce Springsteen; he's just as old as they are, but nobody says anything about it, 'cause he takes of himself. I take care of myself. A lot of people say stuff about my age because of the whole 'Big Four' thing and what it stands for, or they [mention] the injury to my neck. But if I didn't have those two things, nobody would say, 'Oh, God, he's 52.' They wouldn't even care."
02 min read

SEPULTURA’s ANDREAS KISSER: Having DAVE LOMBARDO Guest On New Album Was ‘An Honor’

Manos Spanos
The Rock Pit recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. The Rock Pit: Ross Robinson produced the new album ["The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart"] and the last time you worked with him was on the "Roots"album. How was it working with him again? Andreas: It was amazing! We love Ross. He's a great guy and a great producer. When we worked on "Roots", it was one of the most important albums in our career, not only forSEPULTURA but also for Ross himself. It was great to see him after so many years and when we had the opportunity to work together again, he understands SEPULTURA so much. He's very spiritual, very organic. He didn't want the album to sound like a machine — no click on the drums, none of the Pro Tools. The concept of the album also warranted it in the recording, just to be sure that the balance that we had without being attached to the technical stuff that we have to be. Even on "Roots", we used all that digital equipment but now he brought his own experience and can add different atmospheres and it keeps the music alive. We always try to bring the SEPULTURA sound that we have on stage live into the studio and I think with Ross, we kind of managed to achieve that finally. The Rock Pit: How much of an influence did he have on the album? Was there some "Roots"thing going or any nostalgia? Andreas: No. I mean, Ross worked with us on the last stage. We wrote the music in the studio here in Sao Paulo; me and Eloy [Casagrande, drums] wrote the music together. The drums and the guitars were really the base of everything and then Derrick [Green, vocals] came in and brought vocal lines and Paulo [Xisto Pinto Jr., bass] with bass lines and then at the last stage, of course, Ross came. We went into the studio in Venice Beach [California] where we recorded the album and we gave the songs to him and then he came with suggestions and he was crucial. He made a big difference especially on finding the sound and the right atmosphere for the songs. It was really a group effort that you hear on the album and there's something that we respect about that; it's amazing. It's a different process when a new person comes in to complete that. The Rock Pit: For the drumming, you had a new guy Eloy Casagrande, which is his first album with you guys and he did a fantastic job. How was it recording with him? Andreas: He's great, man! Like I said, he has lots of experience, he has a great heart and is dedicated and professional; he was ready. Being in SEPULTURA from his side is a dream and it shows. It's great to have somebody who wants to be there more than anything else. His drumming is fantastic; I think he really stepped up. He never did something like that before, that type of music so extreme. Ross was also great to push ourselves to break that music, to really do like we do in live performing. We really had a great time with Ross. He really understood the way we wanted to record, without the drum click and everything. He was amazing; [he] did an amazing job. The Rock Pit: I noticed that Dave Lombardo does a guest spot on "Obsessed", which is another great song on the album. How did his appearance come about? Andreas: Yeah, that was something really cool. It wasn't planned at all. Ross' studio in Venice Beach is a beautiful place and Dave Lombardo was there on Venice Beach having a good time with his kids and dogs, and he called Ross and said, "Hey, I'm around. What's going on?" andRoss invited him to the studio and said, "SEPULTURA is here. Do you wanna jam?" and he says, "Yeah, why not?" and then he was there. We spent a few hours with that and we put together a two-man drumset and Lombardo was thinking, "OK, let's start jamming," and that was inspired by the song that we wanted to have something special there. Dave is such a great guy; he's one of our biggest idols. SLAYER has been such a big influence on SEPULTURAand to have him on the album is an honor and a privilege. The way it happened was even better. It was not like that kind of bureaucracy and all that kind of crap. It happened so naturally that it's even better. Read the entire interview at The Rock Pit.
05 min read

EYEHATEGOD Announces New Drummer

Manos Spanos
Following an intensely moving Joey LaCaze tribute performance at the first annual Housecore Horror Film Festival this past weekend, a set which featured Dale Crover from the mighty MELVINS holding down the drum kit, EYEHATEGOD continues moving forward with new drummer Aaron Hill. Hill comes by way of New Orleans' local acts MISSING MONUMENTS and MOUNTAIN OF WIZARD. Hill will play his first official show with EYEHATEGOD tonight at the world famous House Of Shock with horror surf band THE UNNATURALS. From there, the band will ride on to take Columbus' Arosa Villa on November 1 and bring things to a chaotic close with two back-to-back nights of mischief at Chicago's Cobra Lounge November 2 and November 3. Later next month, EYEHATEGOD will stomp their way through Brooklyn, New York; West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Quincy, Massachusetts; with additional live takeovers to be announced in the weeks to come. The ever-elusive new EYEHATEGOD LP is moving closer to release, with mixes being done by renowned sound wizard Sanford Parker as we speak. LaCaze passed away on August 23 in New Orleans after a very successful five-week U.K. and European tour with EYEHATEGOD. He also performed ceremonial voodoo drumming and in numerous solo experimental electronic projects. Doctors confirmed to family members the cause as respiratory failure. He also suffered from severe long-term asthma.
01 min read

EXODUS To Enter Studio In February, Says GARY HOLT

Manos Spanos
Bay Area Backstage conducted an interview with SLAYER touring members Gary Holt (guitar, also of EXODUS) and Paul Bostaph (drums) before the band's October 30 concert in San Joese, California. You can now watch the chat below. Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the next EXODUS album, Holt said: "This [SLAYER] tour runs 'till… I get home December 1, and I've been writing for the last several months. Actually, I go home tomorrow for one day, then fly to Seattle. So when I resume this tour, I'm bringing my recording gear with me and continuing to work in hotel rooms. We're tentatively slated to start recording the next EXODUS February 1, and it's crushing — it's ridiculously fast and heavy. It's been a long time coming, so people, they're hungry and they're tired of waiting. So it's gonna be a pleasant surprise." EXODUS recently completed a European tour of 17 cities, with stops in Barcelona, Dublin, London and more. Although SLAYER tapped the talents of guitarist Gary Holt for their European tour, Holt performed at select EXODUS dates. When Holt was not performing with EXODUS, HEATHEN guitarist Kragen Lum was filling in on guitar. EXODUS' latest album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart. EXODUS' previous album, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A", opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007.
01 min read

TOM ARAYA: Why DAVE LOMBARDO Is No Longer In SLAYER

Manos Spanos
During a brand new interview with Brian Aberback of New Jersey's Steppin' Out magazine,SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya was asked about the band's decision to part ways with drummer Dave Lombardo bring back Paul Bostaph. "That whole issue came down to this: Dave had been jamming with us for a while, as a working member of the band, but he wasn't a partner," Tom began. "Like all things like that, you have to have agreements, so nobody feels cheated. We had ongoing issues and finally he put us in a position where we had to find someone to replace him. He wasn't happy, so he decided to have his Facebook rant and told the world about a lot of issues going on within the band that are legally binding and private. I thought that was wrong and it was upsetting. A lot of the claims he made were untrue. Part of the agreement is you don't do that. Kerry [King, SLAYERguitarist], Jeff [Hanneman, then-SLAYER guitarist] and I got on the phone and made a collective decision and we let Dave go and gave Paul a call. Paul said he'd be happy to come back. He has brought some life back into our live performances. He's in hyper drive and kicking ass, which makes us play faster. People have commented on how energetic we've been lately. We're playing faster than we would have. It's good injection of adrenaline." Lombardo sat out SLAYER's Australian tour in February/March due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX). During an interview with the KZRADIO.NET alternative radio station in Israel conducted on May 1 — just one day before the tragic passing of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman — Lombardostated about his the circumstances that led to him being absent from SLAYER's current trek: "Basically, I had to renegotiate my contract two and a half years ago and I got an attorney because it was too complicated for me to do it myself. And my attorney was asking questions. And the answers she got from her questions, they weren't correct; they weren't the right answers. So we worked on it for two and a half years. And 2013 came around and SLAYER had to go on tour, and I said, 'Guys, I can't go on tour unless we resolve this, I've been advised.'" He continued: "What I need is clarity — clarity and transparency. "You go and make money for somebody, and if somebody is gonna pay you a percentage, you need to know where all this goes. They say I don't deserve to know, but I think if you're gonna pay somebody a percentage, they deserve to know. Because how are you gonna know what you got paid when you don't know everything else? "It's a little complicated, and there's more to it as well. "They feel that because I left in 1992 and I left for 10 years, they feel I don't deserve [to know all the details of their business]. "I mean, I love the guys — they're like my brothers — and I wish this didn't happen. But now there's like this wall between us." Regarding some fans' criticism that money should not get in the way of the members ofSLAYER making music together, Lombardo said: "What people don't understand is that, being a musician, you have to be a part businessman. There's contracts… If you're a musician and you don't have a contract and you don't follow up on your business, people are gonna take from you and they're gonna steal from you.
04 min read

METALLICA: Yes, We Are ‘Beliebers’

Manos Spanos
The members of METALLICA were asked in the latest issue of Q magazine if they were "Beliebers" — a.k.a. fans of pop singer Justin Bieber — after Bieber recently claimed that theMETALLICA songs "One" and "Fade To Black" were his "jams." Frontman James Hetfieldreplied, "Are we Beliebers? Yes." while drummer Lars Ulrich offered: "Is it possible to have respect for him without being a Belieber? I think the kid's really talented and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindfuck. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber. If he likes 'One', and Liam Gallagher likes him, OK, there you go." Bassist Robert Trujillo added: "As long as he stays out of trouble, I'll be a Belieber." A backstage video of Justin Bieber performing an impromptu cover of METALLICA's "Fade To Black" can be seen below. The 15-second clip shows Bieber playing air guitar while he tries to recreate the guitar solo from the classic 1984 METALLICA track with his voice. Bieber is accompanied by his musical director Dan Kanter on guitar. According to NME.com, Bieber previously revealed that he is a big fan of METALLICA, naming"Fade To Black" and 1988's "One" as two of his favorite METALLICA cuts. "Those are my jams," he told GQ last year. METALLICA's manager Peter Mensch, who has certainly seen more than his share of childish behavior, told the U.K. tabloid The Sun earlier this year that he would "take Bieber to the woodshed and spank him." Mensch was asked to comment on Bieber's recent bizarre behavior, who has reportedly seen the 19-year-old pop singer being caught speeding around his neighborhood and getting into altercations with neighbors. The 60-year-old Mensch reportedly told The Sun that he has warned Bieber that his antics would ruin his career. "His manager Scooter Braun is scared shitless," said Mensch. "I don't know what Bieber's problem is. His career is over in three years anyway."
02 min read

MOTÖRHEAD: European Tour Postponed Due To LEMMY’s Health

Manos Spanos
MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy Kilmister has released the following statement: "I have to sadly let you know that MOTÖRHEAD has had to postpone the forthcoming European tour until early next year, 2014. "We have made the decision because I am not quite ready to hit the road yet, and am working my way back to full fitness and rude health. Don't worry — I'm not about to start promoting veganism and alcohol-free beverages, but it is fair to say that I personally have been reconfiguring areas of my life to make sure I can come back fitter and stronger than ever. "It disappointed me tremendously to have to say I wasn't quite ready to hit the road yet, but not nearly as much as it would've disappointed me to go out, play some average shows and watch my health give way long before the tour was over! When people come to see aMOTÖRHEAD tour, they expect a MOTÖRHEAD show, and that is exactly what you will get as soon as I am fit and ready to rumble. "Your patience and understanding is appreciated...and know that I'm getting stronger and stronger every day, so watch out next spring Europe and we will see you then. "Thank you all." Lemmy recently spoke to U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine about his health issues that have caused the band to cancel a number of European festival appearances this past summer — including shows in France, Germany and Russia. The dates were called off when doctors discovered an unspecified haematoma, a pool of leaked blood gathered in Lemmy's muscles. The legendary rocker is also suffering from Type 2 diabetes, diagnosed more than a decade ago, and has had a defibrillator fitted earlier this year to iron out the uneven bumps in his heart. "I don't mind you asking about my health," Lemmy told the magazine. "I've been poorly. There's no point lying about it or trying to deny it. I've never done that. It's all part of life's rich tapestry, isn't it? I understand you've got to ask. And I'm feeling better." According to Lemmy, people are telling him to slow down — that living life at breakneck speed is beginning to take its toll. "It was the same when people were telling me to stop smoking," Lemmy said. "'You've got to stop smoking, Lem,' they kept saying." "Fuck you. I don't like people telling me what to do, even if they might be right." Lemmy did, however, stop smoking cigarettes a year ago. "I was having breakfast one morning, coughing and hacking my way through a cigarette and I stopped and thought: 'What am I doing here?'" he explained. Although it's been reported that Lemmy used to drink a bottle of Jack Daniel's a day, he claims that those days are behind him. "I stopped drinking Jack Daniel's and Coke because the sugar in the Coke wasn't good for my diabetes," he said. "I don't drink much [anymore]." Lemmy takes two pills every day for his diabetes, which has affected the circulation in his legs. As a result, his legs stiffen and ache if he walks too far and his back hurts if he stands for too long. "But I can still stand at that mic every night and play my songs," he said. "I wouldn't know about the defibrillator if it wasn't for that fucking lump in my chest," he said. "I'm getting better. By the time this article is out, and the tour comes around, I'll be all right. I'll be ready." When told that some people have suggested that MOTÖRHEAD's upcoming album,"Aftershock", might be the band's last, Lemmy replied: "Really? Who said that? I've never said that. Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] has never said it. Mikkey [Dee,MOTÖRHEAD drummer] has never said it. We plan to go on. Maybe, if we can't tour any more, we'll just make albums. We'll be like THE BEATLES after 1966." Lemmy, who turns 68 years old in December, told Classic Rock he didn't expect to still be here at 30, "I don't do regrets," he said. "Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it. "There are a couple of things I might have done differently, but nothing major; nothing that would have made that much of a difference. "I'm pretty happy with the way things have turned out. I like to think I've brought a lot of joy to a lor of people all over the world. I'm true to myself and I'm straight with people." Asked if his illness this year has made him more aware of his own mortality, Lemmy said: "Death is an inevitability, isn't it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don't worry about it. I'm ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn't complain. It's been good."
04 min read

SACRED REICH Frontman: ‘I Can Confidently Say We Have No Plans To Record’ New Album

Manos Spanos
Bassist/vocalist Phil Rind of Arizona thrashers SACRED REICH has posted the following message on the band's Facebook page: "So the number one question we get is 'When are you going to do a new record?' (The #2 question is 'When are you going to play-insert name of your city?'). "The answer is we are not going to do a new record. The follow-up question would be 'Never?' The follow-up answer is we know better than to say 'never.' I never thought we would even be playing any shows. So you just don't know what the future holds. "I can confidently say we have no plans to record, no songs to record and no idea whatSACRED REICH even would sound like in 2013. We appreciate the fact that any of you even care about hearing a new record. "We thank each and every one of you for supporting and continuing to support the band. We think it's amazing that after 25 years, and 16 years since a new record anyone still remembers who we are. So we thank you. "Enjoy the old records. That's what we can offer you. If we ever change our minds, you will be the first to know." SACRED REICH's "Live At Wacken" DVD+CD package was released in North America in November 2012 through Metal Blade. The set contains professionally filmed and recorded footage of the band's August 4, 2007 performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany in front of 60,000 heavy metal fans. In an interview with MetalRecusants.com, Rind was asked why the band hasn't made a new studio album after reuniting for sporadic live shows seven years ago. "Our lives are different now," he said. "I mean, it's funny… Our old drummer Dave's [McClain] in MACHINE HEAD and they're touring and doing great; they're very successful. And I said [to the other guys inSACRED REICH recently], I wouldn't even wanna [get back into a full recording and touring cycle]. I wouldn't wanna be gone from my family. I have four kids. As much as I like this, as much as I appreciate the fans, what's important — the family or playing live music? I mean, really?! What's important — being a dad to my kids? My kids need their dad more than the fans need a new SACRED REICH record. And that's really the bottom line. It's a choice. We have a choice to make. What do you wanna do? You have kids now. What are you gonna do — blow it off or are you gonna be their dad? The world will be a better place if I'm [my kids'] dad." The remastered edition of SACRED REICH's classic 1992 album "Independent" was released as a digipack and jewelbox on March 15, 2010 via Displeased Records. The first 2,500 copies contain a free SACRED REICH patch. Displeased Records' reissue of SACRED REICH's classic album "The American Way" came out in February 2009. With upgraded layout, to-the-point remastering plus unreleased pre-production demo bonus tracks and a video clip, this new and improved CD reissue is an essential addition to every thrash metal collection.
03 min read

MASTODON: ‘Live At Brixton’ To Be Released Digitally In December

Panagiotis Karagiannidis
On February 11, 2012, MASTODON took the stage at London, England's O2 Academy in Brixton, capping off the Atlanta-based band's world tour in support of their critically acclaimed album "The Hunter". This sold-out performance was MASTODON's first show at the legendary venue. It won't be their last, as the London audience positively erupted from the opening chords until the final, frenzied encore.
02 min read