Muzach

Metallica Plotting 2011 Tour To Rival Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:35:00 -0700

Metallica are plotting a series of major gigs next year which could rival Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' live dates, their manager has revealed.

Peter Mensch said the group were in the process of arranging the shows, which he claimed “will blow your mind”.

“They will only play in 10 cities but it will be a huge undertaking,” he said.

“It will be Metallica’s equivalent of The Wall.”

Metallica are currently on the South American leg of their 'Death Magnetic' tour.

In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Mensch said that as manager he was responsible for ensuring the band's live shows remained interesting.

“Just shooting off dumb ideas and, by the way, between you and me, some of it is recycling stuff that people did 25 years ago but no one’s smart enough to know that we recycled it,” he added.

As previously reported on Gigwise, around 160 people were arrested and at least eight people injured outside a Metallica concert in Bogota last Wesdnesday.

via gigwise.com

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Dragonforce Parts Ways With Singer ZP Theart

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:02:11 -0800

DragonForce has split with lead singer ZP Theart. The band issued the following statement, regarding the matter:

“It is with great regret that DragonForce announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart. This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wishes ZP great success with his future projects.”

While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist. “We are looking for a powerful, melodic singer to write a new chapter of DragonForce with us." said guitarist Herman Li.

Anyone wishing to audition for the vacant position should apply following the instructions right here.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment »

The Fall Of Troy calls it quits

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:44:25 -0800

Progressive Washington State trio the Fall Of Troy have announced that they are bringing the band to a close. In a post on the band's website, vocalist/guitarist Thomas Erak wrote, "Andrew [Forsman, drums], Frank [Ene, bass] and I have decided to end our career as the Fall Of Troy." Erak says there was no contention among the members and that the decision was due to the trio being "on three different paths in our lives."
The Fall Of Troy released four full-lengths beginning with their self-titled 2003 effort and ending with In The Unlikely Event which dropped last October on Equal Vision. The band have their final tour dates scheduled through April. In the meantime, Erak promises that this is not the end of his musical career. He says, "I have no intention to stop making music! Quite the opposite actually. But until then, see you at the shows!"
Erak's full statement:
"Dearest friends from all corners of the world, I write to inform you that after nearly 9 years, 5 full-lengths, 2 bass players, hundreds of shows, and numerous other achievements and follies, Andrew, Frank, and I have decided to end our career as The Fall of Troy.
This band has been my life, my love, the air I breathe, the food I eat, and what helps me sleep (and sometimes keeps me up) at night. I love and cherish the music we’ve made, the times we’ve had, and all the great friends we’ve met along the way. Andrew, Frank, and of course Tim, will always and forever have a special place in my heart. But it has come time for us to call it a day. After everything’s said and done, there is no drama, there is no blow out, it’s simply the three members of this band are on three different paths in our lives.
I always hold true to the fact that it’s better to go out in style, to ride off into the sunset, than go down in flames. This tour coming up with Envy On The Coast and Twin Atlantic will be our last go round, and we really hope that all of you will come out and celebrate what has been so unreal and unbelievable – let’s dance one last time!
We would really like to thank everyone that’s ever been involved with the band, managed the band, booked a show for us, let us eat your canned food, sleep on your floor, asked us for a picture, caught me when I’ve almost been dropped, put out a record for us, driven us through a late night drive thru, or anything else any of you could possibly look back on and enjoy what this band was…Fun.
So make sure you come out to “The Marked-Men of 2010 Tour” as it will be our last hurrah! We love you, and will be giving as much love as you’ve given to us at these shows. So that’s that! We love you with all our hearts, thank you from the very bottom of them, and goodbye comrades.
R.I.P.
TFOT
2002-2010

With A Heavy Heart,
Thomas Joseph Erak

PS. I have no intention to stop making music! Quite the opposite actually – but until then see you at the shows!"
Final tour dates
Mar 6 2010 8:00P House Cafe DeKalb, Illinois
Mar 7 2010 8:00P Emerson Theatre Indianapolis, Indiana
Mar 9 2010 8:00P Mad Hatter Covington, Kentucky
Mar 10 2010 8:00P Rocketown Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 11 2010 8:00P Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 12 2010 8:00P Orpheum St. Petersburg, Florida
Mar 13 2010 8:00P The Social Orlando, Florida
Mar 14 2010 8:00P Alabama Music Box Mobile, Alabama
Mar 15 2010 8:00P High Ground Metairie, Louisiana
Mar 17 2010 8:00P Never Say Never Festival Mission, Texas
Mar 18 2010 8:00P SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 19 2010 8:00P SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 8:00P The Door Dallas, Texas
Mar 21 2010 8:00P White Rabbit San Antonio, Texas
Mar 23 2010 8:00P Martini Ranch Phoenix, Arizona
Mar 25 2010 8:00P Downtown Brew San Luis Obispo, California
Mar 26 2010 8:00P Slims San Francisco, California
Mar 27 2010 8:00P Bamboozle Anaheim, California
Mar 30 2010 8:00P Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
Mar 31 2010 8:00P El Corazon Seattle, Washington
Apr 1 2010 8:00P Rickshaw Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 3 2010 8:00P Murray Theatre Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 4 2010 8:00P Marquis Theatre Denver, Colorado
Apr 6 2010 8:00P Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas
Apr 7 2010 8:00P House of Bricks Des Moines, Iowa
Apr 8 2010 8:00P Triple Rock Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 9 2010 8:00P Subterranean Chicago, Illinois
Apr 10 2010 8:00P Grog Shop Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 11 2010 8:00P Intersection Grand Rapids, Michigan
Apr 13 2010 8:00P Diesel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Apr 14 2010 8:00P Mohawk Buffalo, New York
Apr 15 2010 8:00P Annex Wreck Room Toronto, Ontario
Apr 16 2010 8:00P Underworld Montreal, Quebec
Apr 17 2010 8:00P Lost Horizon Syracuse, New York
Apr 18 2010 8:00P Valentines Albany, New York
Apr 20 2010 8:00P Crocodile Rock Allentown, Pennsylvania
Apr 21 2010 8:00P First Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 22 2010 8:00P Ottobar Baltimore, Maryland
Apr 24 2010 8:00P Irving Plaza New York, New York
Apr 25 2010 8:00P Toad’s Place New Haven, Connecticut

via altpress.com

Permalink | Leave a comment »

How RANDY RHOADS Met OZZY OSBOURNE

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:20:00 -0800

Edward Nyahay, creator of Little Lost Productions, has posted a video clip of Kelle Rhoads telling the tale of how Kelle's brother, Randy Rhoads, met Ozzy Osbourne and became the guitarist in the former BLACK SABBATH singer's solo band. Watch it below.
As previously reported, Kelle Rhoads, Kelly Garni (former QUIET RIOT bassist) and Ronny North will join forces again to play three Randy Rhoads tribute concerts in Japan (in Osaka, Tokyo and Nogaya) on March 15-17, 2010. Kelle will be handling vocals for the band, which is being billed as "A Tribute To Randy Rhoads Project" featuring Kelle Rhoads, Kelly Garni and Ronny North. The trio will be in Japan for a week and will be taking part in a bunch of signing events as well as doing press the entire time.

Garni played alongside Randy in QUIET RIOT and was a close friend of both Randy and Kelle.

Ronny North was invited by Kelle Rhoads to play guitar with the guys at a recent Randy Rhoads event and they hit if off so well at the show that they decided to do it again in Japan.

At this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, the limited-edition Jackson Randy Rhoads Relic tribute model guitar was unveiled.

According to The Music Zoo, Randy's tribute model is a direct replica of his original 1980 Jackson asymmetrical V-shaped guitar that he personally designed. He intended to call this body style the Concorde and it is widely regarded as the "first pointy guitar." The original guitar had been kept at the Rhoads family music school since his death, and they say it had not been out of the case in over 20 years.

Randy's original guitar was built in 1980 by Tim Wilson and Mike Shannon. Shannon is still with Jackson today and he'll personally build the extremely limited run of 60 guitars.

Suggested Retail Price for the guitar: $12,619.56 (in honor of Randy's birthday: December 6, 1956)

In 1982, Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE, and two others were killed at Flying Baron Estates, just outside Leesburg, Florida, when their small plane struck Osbourne's tour bus, then crashed into a mansion.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

BILL WARD On Quitting HEAVEN & HELL

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:18:55 -0800

BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward spoke to Tom Russell of U.K.'s Rock Radio about why he terminated his involvement with HEAVEN & HELL — the band featuring fellow SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Ronnie James Dio (vocals) — in November 2006 while the group was recording three new tracks to be included on the BLACK SABBATH collection "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years".
"There was a track that I was uncomfortable with," he said. "And I was trying to accomodate the wishes of a couple of the bandmembers, and I'm not very good when I have to do that. I guess I'm just not that kind of a drummer; I have to play the way that I feel it. The way that a couple of the guys wanted the drumming to be, I was unable to accomodate it; I didn't see it that way at all. So it was a problem musically.
"All the way through that particular project, everybody had an open mind — I had an open mind; I didn't know if it was gonna work or not work. I went in there and tried to lay some track in the best way I could, and it was one of those musical things that didn't work out, as far as I was concerned.
"I can't remember initially... I think there were a couple of other... I have never actually spoken publicly about this — I had made a couple of remarks before in the press — but at the time, I think, there were some things that were said about me having other schedules to meet and so on and so forth, and that wasn't the case at all. It was definitely a misunderstanding.
"I was uncomfortable with some of the things surrounding that particular project. So, that was it. And I moved out. I thought Vinny [Appice, former SABBATH and current HEAVEN & HELL drummer] would be a much better choice [for HEAVEN & HELL], because Vinny is able to do those kinds of things... he's able to accomodate the kinds of things the kind of things that were being asked, and I'm not. I react. I'm a reactionary drummer, and Vinny plays drums; there's a big difference between us."
Audio of Bill Ward talking about his split with HEAVEN & HELL (excerpt in question begins around the two-minute mark):

In a separate interview with Rock Radio, Tony Iommi was asked about Ward's exit from the HEAVEN & HELL project.
"Bill Ward is not a part of this mainly because of his choice," Tony said.
"Originally, when we put the three [new] tracks together for 'The Dio Years' [compilation], I asked Bill if he wanted to be involved with it and he said, 'Yeah.' And I said, 'Well, you're gonna have to come to England from California and I'll run through the songs with you, what we're gonna do.' So he did. And he couldn't quite grasp it that quick, and we needed to... The record company was asking for the songs fairly quick — they wanted to get them out. And Bill wanted to take more time doing it, and it was getting longer and longer, and we thought, 'Well, it's probably best we don't do them with Bill,' because Bill was feeling uncomfortable. And it felt even more uncomfortable when we [spoke] to him about touring for a year. He sort had a fit, because Bill hasn't done that extensive touring for a long time. And we were planning on doing a lot of touring. So Bill said, 'I don't think I'm gonna be up for touring to that extent.' And we thought it's probably best that we bring Vinny into this situation, because Vinny has done more [BLACK SABBATH] albums with Ronnie [on vocals] than Bill has — Bill has only played on the one album, which is 'Heaven And Hell', and Vinny has played on 'Mob Rules' and 'Dehumanizer', and, of course, all the live sets, so it seemed the obvious thing to have Vinny back."
Audio of Tony Iommi talking about Bill Ward's departure from HEAVEN & HELL:

In a recent online posting, Ronnie James Dio's wife/manager Wendy Dio revealed that there are plans to release a 30th-anniversary BLACK SABBATH "Heaven And Hell" DVD sometime this year. The package is expected to include brand new interviews that Ronnie, Geezer and Appice gave to Eddie Trunk — co-host of the VH1 Classic television program "That Metal Show" — on January 22, 2010 in Los Angeles, as well other extras.
via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Continues Headlining Tour With Guest Vocalist from All That Remains

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:12:00 -0800

Last week, it was announced that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Howard Jones had to unexpectedly leave the band's current headlining tour, leading to a flurry of rumors and questions about the status of the tour and the band. The band has further issued the following statement addressing the matter, saying, "It became overwhelmingly obvious to all of us around Howard that he is in no condition to be on tour right now and that he needed to get off the road and get himself better. It's a personal matter and while we understand everyone's curiosity and concern for Howard and the band, we appreciate everyone respecting Howard's privacy at this time."
Longtime friend Phil Labonte of ALL THAT REMAINS was able to fill in and help out the band for a few shows and it appears as though he will be filling in for the remainder of the tour, which runs through March.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE endured and survived a similar situation in the past, where guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was forced to sit out a tour due to a back injury. The band said, "We seriously considered cancelling the tour since we don't want to give fans that paid good money anything less than KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at full strength. But after trying a few shows with Phil, and after feeling the love and support that we were getting from the crowd, it became increasingly apparent to us that the shows came across as fun and unique, and the fans seemed to be enjoying it. We quickly realized that we had to keep going and that we couldn't possibly stop."

Refunds are available for any fans that have already purchased tickets, but as the band said, this tour will offer a chance to experience KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in a unique way that you won't be able to witness again.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE would like to thank all fans who came out to support them during this difficult stretch, exclaiming, "We really do feel that our fans are the best fans in the world." The band also thanked Labonte for pitching in, saying, "We can't thank Phil enough for helping us out when we needed it the most."

For a taste of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE with Labonte on vocals, check out footage from the Baltimore show this past weekend below.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Without Further Adieu: The Coheed And Circa Tour

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:43:41 -0800

You could call it the "Coheed And Circa" Tour...
Coheed And Cambria, Circa Survive and Torche have officially unveiled dates for month-long North American tour that kicks off April 22 and runs through the end of May. Coheed will be in support of their upcoming fifth full-length, Year Of The Black Rainbow, which drops April 13. Circa are also set to release a new album around this time--the follow-up to 2007's On Letting Go. Torche most recently released a split EP with Japanese band, Boris, called Chapter Ahead Being Fake.
Tour dates are as follows:
04/22/10 Charlotte , NC. @ The Fillmore Charlotte
04/23/10 Atlanta , GA. @ Tabernacle
04/24/10 Lake Buena Vista , FL. @ House of Blues (Orlando)
04/25/10 Lauderdale , FL. @ Revolution
04/27/10 Houston , TX. @ Warehouse Live
04/28/10 Austin , TX. @ Stubb's BBQ
04/29/10 Dallas , TX. @ Palladium Ballroom
04/30/10 Tulsa , OK. @ Cain's Ballroom
05/01/10 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
05/03/10 Tempe , AZ. @ Marquee Theatre
05/04/10 Pomona , CA. @ The Fox Theatre
05/05/10 San Francisco , CA. @ The Warfield
05/07/10 Portland , OR. @ Roseland Theater
05/08/10 Seattle , WA. @ Showbox SoDo
05/10/10 Murray , UT. @ Murray Theater
05/11/10 Denver , CO. @ Ogden Theatre
05/13/10 Minneapolis , MN. @ First Avenue
05/14/10 Chicago , IL. @ Congress Theatre
05/15/10 Royal Oak , MI. @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
05/17/10 Boston , MA. @ House of Blues
05/18/10 @ Montreal , QC. Metropolis
05/19/10 Toronto , ON. @ The Sound Academy
05/22/10 Philadelphia , PA. @ The Electric Factory
05/26/10 New York , NY. @ Rumsey Playfield
05/27/10 Washington , DC. @ 9:30 Club
05/28/10 Washington , DC. @ 9:30 Club
05/31/10 Chicago , IL. @ Subterranean
via altpress.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Listen to Godsmack's NEW Single "Crying Like A Bitch" Here

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:34:00 -0800

"Crying Like A Bitch" audio stream (radio-broadcast-quality recording):

Godsmack's brand new single, "Crying Like A Bitch", can be heard on AOL Radio's Hard Rock station. It is also available for streaming below (radio-broadcast-quality recording).
With heavy guitar riffs, the quartet shows no sympathy as frontman Sully Erna sings: "And you wonder why no one can stand you / There's no denying you were crying like a bitch."

According to The Pulse of Radio, GODSMACK has officially named its new album "The Oracle", after initially calling the project "Saints & Sinners". Footage of the band working in the studio, along with frontman Sully Erna discussing the title change and some of the new material, has been posted online and can be viewed below. The group's fifth studio effort follows up 2006's "IV" and a nearly two-year hiatus that ended last summer when GODSMACK joined the Crüe Fest 2 tour.

Sully Erna told The Pulse of Radio that following their hiatus, GODSMACK intends to keep working straight through the next decade. "We grinded pretty hard for 10 years and we took a strict year off," he said. "I mean literally, when we pulled the plug on the tour, we said, don't call me, I'll call you. And then, you know, the following year, we started writing the new record. So we decided that since we pretty much have had two years off, we are now gonna get back into it for the next 10 years again and really grind hard."

Other new songs include "War & Peace", "Devil's Swing" and "Whiskey Hangover", which the band issued as a single last summer.

A release date has yet to be announced for "The Oracle".

During their break, the band released a greatest hits set, while the rest of the group minus Erna issued an album under the name ANOTHER ANIMAL. Erna has also been working on his first solo effort.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

New Chiodos Singer Revealed

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:38:55 -0800

Although they had planned to reveal their new vocalist at the Bamboozle California in March and no official statement has been released by Equal Vision or the band, news of the new Chiodos frontman has leaked online: it's Yesterdays Rising singer Brandon Bolmer.
For those who caught the tail-end of this past summer's Warped Tour, this won't be the first time you've seen Bolmer step into another frontman's shoes--he filled in for Tyson Stevens when the singer parted ways mid-tour with Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Yesterdays Rising are a post-hardcore outfit from California, and Bolmer is still currently listed as a member, so it's unclear if he will remain with the band as he begins playing with Chiodos.
Bolmer will replace Chiodos' former vocalist, Craig Owens, who parted ways with the band in September.
Check out a video of Yesterdays Rising below and let us know if you think Bolmer will be a good fit!
Photo: Steven Jay

via altpress.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

AIRBOURNE: 'No Guts, No Glory' Pushed Back To April

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:40:00 -0800

The U.S. release date of "No Guts, No Glory", the sophomore album from Australian hard rockers AIRBOURNE, has been pushed back to April 20. No reason was given for the delay. The special-edition digipack version of the CD will include five bonus tracks and a bottle opener (see image below).
"No Guts, No Glory" special-edition digipack track listing:

01. Born To Kill
02. No Way But The Hard Way
03. Blonde, Bad and Beautiful
04. Raise The Flag
05. Bottom Of The Well
06. White Line Fever
07. It Ain't Over Till It's Over
08. Steel Town
09. Chewin' The Fat
10. Get Busy Livin'
11. Armed And Dangerous
12. Overdrive
13. Back On The Bottle
14. Loaded Gun (bonus track)
15. My Dynamite Will Blow You Sky High (And Get Ya Moanin' After Midnight) (bonus track)
16. Rattle Your Bones (bonus track)
17. Kickin' It Old School (bonus track)
18. Devil's Child (bonus track)

AIRBOURNE recently filmed a video for "No Way But The Hard Way" with director (and SUM 41 drummer) Stephen Martin "Steve" Jocz (BOWLING FOR SOUP).

Access magazine conducted an interview with AIRBOURNE's Joel and Ryan O'Keeffe when the band played Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Air Canada Centre on February 4, 2010 with MÖTLEY CRÜE. Watch the chat below.

AIRBOURNE traveled to the Windy City to record "No Guts, No Glory" with producer Johnny K, live and straight to analog tape. Like debut album "Runnin' Wild", "No Guts, No Glory" continues that good time vibe, but ultimately, according to Ryan, the record is about "standing up and going for it, and being a man. There's a tougher element to the album, so to speak." Instead of sleeping every night in a comfortable hotel room bed on the label's dime, the band actually slept in the studio, taking inspiration from Bruce Springsteen and his E STREET BAND, who were known to live in the studio until an album was completed.

"We found out that they used to do that for the first bunch of records they did," Joel explains, "so, the drums were set up in a big room with the guitars and [rhythm guitarist David Roads], he slept behind the amps; I slept behind a bunch of amps; Ryan slept behind his drum kit and [bassist Justin Street] slept behind this pool table, and we were all in the studio. It was really fun, because you'd just get up and go, 'Fuck,' and start recording. That's how your day was. You just sort of woke up, had some food, and started recording. Maybe you'd have a shower; maybe not. Just sort of walk around in your shorts all day, just rocking away."

The album's a virtual rock and roll buffet, boasting tracks like "No Way But The Hard Way" and "Blonde, Bad, and Beautiful". When the band lived together for three years on welfare in a Melbourne suburb, surviving on a steady diet of booze and barbecue, things were tough, and the band nearly burned their home to the ground — literally. "Nothing came easy, and we'd say to each other, 'Ain't no way but the hard way,'" recalls Ryan.

"No Guts. No Glory." also features a song called "Steel Town", which was inspired by the band's time on the road — including the U.K.'s Sheffield — and some of the people they had encountered. "Every time we went through a town that was a steel town, there was something about the crowd themselves," recalls Joel O'Keeffe. "They seemed to be a little bit wilder, and they'd always drink the pub dry, and we'd have to get more beer from other pubs. There was always a massive fight, always a crazy crowd. So we wanted to give them a song that gives them a chance to raise their flag and pump their fists in the air, and drink a beer to it. I guess it's like throwing gasoline on the fire."

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Angels & Airwaves Meets Blink-182

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:14:36 -0800

It's a little more than a week until ANGELS & AIRWAVES release their third full-length, Love, on Sunday, Feb. 14 (for free, natch). The album will also be accompanied by a film that will see a theatrical release later this year, plus a deluxe edition of the disc for purchase. We did a quick check-in with AVA frontman TOM DeLONGE to see what all the Angels & Airwaves attention means for new BLINK-182 music. --Rachel Lux
"Blink are in the process of scheduling how we are going to record the next record. We already started before the tour, the only issue we're having now is that Angels are having quite a lot of electricity being built, so we have kind of the release of our life, and with this film and everything, we're just trying to schedule how we're going to be able to be in the studio. That meeting was actually supposed to take place last week and then this week, but this week already came to a close, so it's hard because we're all so busy.
Mark [Hoppus] is actually doing a remix for Angels & Airwaves that will be on the sellable version of [Love]. We have a record that we're selling that has 30 minutes extra music on it, plus a remix from Mark. Travis [Barker] has got a million things going on as well, so we're focusing on that and this week kind of went out the window. But I'm gearing up for tour, so the goal is that we're going to be meeting once or twice a week up until when I leave, and then when I get back from tour, it'll open the window up to really dig into it.
We actually got a lot done quickly [on the new Blink album] because people were working simultaneously in different studios, so we're hoping it will go really quickly. I'm in a good spot, because I have two great bands. I know how people are with Blink. I know how big Blink are and I know the legacy with it and everything, but Angels & Airwaves, to my heart and to the people who like it, this is the release of my life. This is the most complicated and all-encompassing and heartfelt project--this album and this movie--that I've ever done in my entire life. It's really, really exciting because it really exceeded my expectations. I thought it was going to suffer to some degree because I was getting thrown around with the other band as well, and the tour or whatever, but I'm really, really, really excited about [the album release on] Valentine's Day. One step at a time for me--it's hard for me to bounce back and forth, and right now my mind is all Angels and trying to figure out how to schedule the upcoming Blink recording, because that's coming quick, too." alt

via altpress.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Breathe Carolina - Hello Fascination Music Video

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:28:37 -0800

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Pete Wentz: "I can't predict I'd ever play in Fall Out Boy again"

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:57:53 -0800

Pete Wentz: "I can't predict I'd ever play in Fall Out Boy again"
Alternative Press - Tim Karan on 2/2/10 @ 10:21 AM - altpress.com

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz took to his blog last night to address the vague state of his band, who have been on a "break" since November. In the meantime, frontman Patrick Stump has announced that he's working on a solo album and drummer Andy Hurley will be playing with his hardcore band, Burning Empires. Both Hurley and guitarist Joe Trohman are also in a band called the Damned Things with Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax and Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die.
Wentz's blog indicates that Fall Out Boy may actually reform without him and that the members "grew apart." Wentz said:

"I dont know the future of fall out boy. its embarrassing to say one thing and then have the future dictate another. as far as i know fall out boy is on break. (no one wants to say the "h" word). as much as i dont have a solo project, i also cant predict that id ever play in fall out boy again. not due to personal relationships as much as a band we grew apart. in this statement id like to include there is the possibility that fob will play again with out me or i will be a part of it when everyone is on the same page. it is no ones fault and there is no animosity about the decision. i felt as fans you deserve to know. there is no singular reason for this. the side projects or bands are supported by all members of the band. i am the single biggest fan of fob and if this is our legacy than so be it. i am proud of it."
UPDATE:
Hurley also addressed the topic on his messageboard: "I really wish I could tell everyone if we were done or not. But I just don't know. It's not looking great right now, but when we went into the break it was for sure that we'd come back in 2 or 3 years. I still think we will come back, but I just don't know. There's no official decision one way or another. Pete loves fob. I love fob. Patrick loves fob. and Joe loves fob. It's just that we're in different places right this very instant. which is why we took the break.
I honestly think all the pressure of people asking stuff like they are on Twitter every five seconds is more damning to the band than anything. The whole point of the break was to just get away, and not think about it, and in 2 years or so, come back and decide where to go from there. I believe in us, and I believe we will get in a room, hash out the bullshit like in Some Kind Of Monster (haha) and we will be super stoked to do another record. I know all of us are already, but just not at this exact moment."

via altpress.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

LIGHT THIS CITY Announces Farewell Shows

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:11:00 -0800

San Francisco's LIGHT THIS CITY is regrouping for four farewell shows in April. The band has been dormant since mid-2008, before the release of its final record, the critically acclaimed "Stormchaser".
The dates are as follows:

April 08 - Thee Parkside, San Francisco, CA
April 09 - The CYC, Fresno, CA
April 10 - Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
April 11 - The Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Drummer Ben Murray commented; "It has been just about two years since LIGHT THIS CITY came home from the DEATH ANGEL tour and decided to call it quits.

"Needless to say, it has been an exciting and interesting two years since we put a stop to the band, and since June of 2008 everyone in LIGHT THIS CITY has started brand new awesome musical endeavors. That being said, we always knew we would get together one last time to thrash with all our amazing fans up and down California. That time has come, and we are extremely excited to announce four 'final' LIGHT THIS CITY shows. These should all be absolutely killer, and we expect all our west coast fans to be there! We will play a good amount of 'Stormchaser' songs as well as all the bangers from 'Facing the Thousand' and 'Remains of the Gods'.

"Since we didn't play any shows in support of 'Stormchaser', this will be the best chance for all of you metalheads in California to come rage with us while we bust out these songs!"

Prosthetic Records recently reissued the band's first record, 2004's self-released "The Hero Cycle". You can order it, as well as the rest of the band's catalog and other merch, here at the Prosthetic webshop.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

ALICE IN CHAINS: Behind-The-Scenes Footage From 'Your Decision' Video Shoot

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:21:00 -0800

Behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot for "Your Decision", the latest single from Alice in Chains, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Stephen Schuster, who previously worked with ALICE IN CHAINS on the "A Looking In View" video, and it features an appearance by "Project Runway" season three model Amanda Fields.
In a post on Blogging Project Runway, Fields wrote about the video shoot, "It was so much fun and I felt like I was dreaming — the location was so surreal! It was this giant house between Santa Monica and Malibu off of the Pacific Coast Highway. You look out the window and see the beautiful blue Pacific!

"The band members, Jerry, Sean, Mike and William, were fun to work with and the director had such an incredible vision. The stylist, a friend of mine, Cory Savage, really knows how to make a rock video couture! The band members all wore crisp expertly tailored suits and the string quartet wore flowing white dresses with black lace blindfolds!! My wig was made out of feathers!"

"Your Decision" is the second single to be lifted from band's first all-new album in 14 years, titled "Black Gives Way To Blue", which sold 126,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart (behind latest albums from PARAMORE, MARIAH CAREY, Barbra Streisand and BREAKING BENJAMIN).

ALICE IN CHAINS recruited pop legend Elton John to contribute piano to the CD's title track, which is written in tribute to Staley.

Singer William DuVall had played with his own group, COMES WITH THE FALL, as well as in Jerry Cantrell's solo band, before joining up with ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006.

"Black Gives Way to Blue" was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) at the Northridge, California studio of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Ozzfest 2010 is ALIVE and Happening in July

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:55:13 -0800

via youtube.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

What DID Happen to Pete Wentz's (Fall Out Boy) Face? Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta knows

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:32:00 -0800

Late last year, Fall Out Boy fans were shocked when Pete Wentz posted a series of rather grisly photos on his official site, showing him sporting a mean shiner, a knock on his head and a bloody gash across his nose.

Wentz offered no explanation for the injuries — well, actually, he offered 21 less-than-serious ones ("Watched 'Fight Club' in, like, super hi-def, dude," "Called Perez [Hilton] Will.I.Am," etc.) — which left pretty much everyone wondering what the heck had actually happened.

Well, Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta knows. But he's not about to tell.

"The mystery of Pete Wentz's face is going to be solved pretty soon ... and if I may say so myself, I saved Pete Wentz's life. At least his face," Saporta said. "I was on the plane next to him, I saw him in the morning, leaving Seattle. I sent him a text, like, 'Where you at?' We didn't even know we were on the same plane home. He was like, 'You don't want to see me.' And I just thought he meant he was really tired or something, but ... his whole face was covered and bandaged.

"And so I sat next to him, and he would not stop bleeding. I was cleaning the blood off of him," he continued. "I think the stewardesses thought we were a gay couple, because I kept cleaning him up with tissues, very gently, because I didn't want to screw it up. But that's all I'm going to say about that right now."

And while the thoroughly dinged-up Wentz does make a cameo in Cobra Starship's brand-new video for a remix of "Hot Mess," Saporta said the injuries were legit and not, as some have speculated, part of some massive viral campaign. Unless Wentz wants them to be, that is.

"I know the whole story, yeah. It's up to Pete to reveal it when he wants. But we definitely documented the whole thing," he laughed. "Pete likes to turn everything into a viral thing, so if he's gonna do it, I'm gonna let him do it. It is his face. But I will say that I saved it, so Pete, you owe me one."

At press time, Wentz still hadn't revealed what happened.

via mtv.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Time has come for Blink-182 to release a WEIRD album in 2010

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:02:00 -0800

Mark Hoppus has heard all the talk about the Blink-182 album not coming out until 2011, and he's determined not to let that happen.

It all started earlier this week, when he tweeted, "2011 is too far away. Gonna do all I can to have a Blink-182 album in 2010." And when MTV News caught up with him Thursday night in Los Angeles, he laid out how he plans to finish the album, which has been in the works for more than a year now. As it turns out, the first step is just getting everyone together in the same room.

"We did a bunch of writing before we left on this tour, then we came home and decided we were going to take a couple of months and chill and do other stuff, then get back together in the beginning of the year," Hoppus said. "And now that it's almost February, we decided it's time to get back in the studio and do what we do. So that's the plan: just get back together and get to work."

Seems simple enough. But when Blink reconvene in the studio, what will their new songs sound like? We've already heard Tom DeLonge describe the new Blink songs as "ambitious" and "the work of our life," but by now, we're sort of used to him saying stuff like that. So we asked Hoppus to fill us in.

"We definitely want to try a bunch of different stuff. I think it will still sound like Blink. I think it will still be catchy. I think it will still be poppy, but we want to be weird on this record," he said. "There's your pull quote: Mark Hoppus says 'We want to be weird on this record.' "

But from where will all this weirdness spring? Well, apparently from pretty much everywhere.

"Everybody listens to such different stuff. Tom is really into, like, '80s stadium rock; huge, monumental '80s rock bands. Travis is all over the place, musically, and he always comes up with beats and drum parts that are so way out that I would never think of them," Hoppus said. "And I've just been listening to a lot of weird indie rock. So somewhere between amazing hip-hop beats, stadium rock and indie rock, you'll find Blink."

And while he's trying very hard to get the follow-up to Blink's 2003 self-titled album in stores this year, Hoppus also hopes fans will be patient. They want this to be the album of their lives, after all. And just because each member of Blink is also working on other projects — DeLonge's Angels & Airwaves will release their third album, Love, on February 14; Barker is working on a solo album; and the Hoppus-produced Motion City Soundtrack album, My Dinosaur Life, hit stores last week — that doesn't mean Blink isn't still their top priority.

"I think that everything that everyone works on outside of Blink comes back to Blink. And being involved in all these different projects allows us to go off and try different ideas and bring those ideas back home to what we do every day. And I think it's a really positive thing," Hoppus said. "I know it's confusing for people, because everyone's like, 'Tom's doing this, and Travis is doing this, and Mark's producing ... why aren't you guys focusing on Blink?' But I think what people need to understand is that, that's how we focus on Blink. We go off, and we bring all these different pieces and ideas back, and we get inspired by other artists and get inspired by working with different people, and then when we come back to Blink, it just helps us."

via mtv.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The Who Reveal Super Bowl Set List

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:31:00 -0800

The Who's Pete Townshend, in an exclusive interview with Billboard, has revealed that the band's upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance will feature a "compact medley" of their signature classic-rock anthems.

"We're kinda doing a mashup of stuff," the guitarist tells Billboard. "A bit of 'Baba O'Riley,' a bit of 'Pinball Wizard,' a bit of the close of 'Tommy,' a bit of 'Who Are You,' and a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again.' It works -- it's quite a saga. A lot of the stuff that we do has that kind of celebratory vibe about it -- we've always tried to make music that allows the audience to go a bit wild if they want to. Hopefully it will hit the spot."

The annual Super Bowl half time concert has become one of rock's highest profile gigs, with U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney each taking the stage in recent years. The medley format is not unusual for artists with such a deep catalogue - Springsteen and Prince took a similar approach.

Speculation about the set, conceived this year by the band's Roger Daltrey along with Pete's brother Simon Townshend, executive producer Ricky Kirschner and new director Hamish Hamilton, is always of huge interest to fans, and last year online sportsbook Bodog took bets on the set's opening number.

If the past is any indicator, The Who's halftime hits medley will give the band a big sales boost. Last year, Bruce Springsteen used his appearance to mark the release of "Working On A Dream," which hit stores the week before the big game. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on the week culminating with Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 1, 2009), and stayed at No. 2 the following week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Billboard's full preview of the Who's Super Bowl performance, plus extended interviews with Towshend and Daltrey, will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Billboard, and on Billboard.com starting Friday (Jan. 29).

Super Bowl XLIV, between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, will be played Sunday, February 7 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

via billboard.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Megadeth Announce New Tour Alongside Testament & Exodus

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:44:00 -0800

The mighty Megadeth will join forces with Testament and Exodus for a month-long jaunt that will find these thrash titans crisscrossing the nation on the ‘Rust in Peace’ twentieth anniversary tour. These will be incredibly special shows that will delight Megadeth fans, as the band will be playing their landmark, genre-defining album, 1990’s Rust in Peace, in its entirety, in addition to other Megadeth set list favorites.

Megadeth’s latest, ENDGAME, was released in September 2009 and received some of the highest critical accolades of the band’s career. The band performed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and was nominated for yet another Grammy – the eighth nomination of their storied career- for “Head Crusher.” Megadeth also enjoyed heaps of praise in the press, from outlets as varied as New York to Revolver to VH1’s “That Metal Show” to PopMatters. With ENDGAME, Megadeth have once again ascended to the top of the metal world.

The tour will kick off on March 1 in Spokane, WA and will run through the end of the month. The dates are as follows, with tickets going on sale this Friday, January 29.

3/1 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory

3/2 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory

3/3 - Medford, OR - Medford Armory

3/6 - Calgary, AB - Big Four (Testament with Special Guests)

3/7 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre (Testament with Special Guests)

3/8 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall

3/11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater

3/12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theater

3/13 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom

3/15 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

3/16 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live

3/18 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center

3/19 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa

3/21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle

3/22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel

3/23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall

3/25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater

3/26 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Amphitheate

3/27 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion

3/28 - El Paso, TX - Club 101

3/30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater

3/31 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium (Testament with Special Guests)

Stay tuned for more information next week on the rescheduling of the American Carnage tour dates.

via roadrunnerrecords.com

Permalink | Leave a comment  »