On the eve of BLACK SABBATH's induction into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame, Ozzy Osbourne appeared on
Sirius Satellite Radio to discuss SABBATH's legacy,
this year's Ozzfest tour, his current state of health,
and his own upcoming studio album.
Discussing the controversial video intro to "War Pigs"
used during Ozzfest 2004, Ozzy let loose this tirade:
"When the Gulf War happened, it was like watching a
video game. You're sitting in your house having an
evening meal, watching people get blown to shit.
Haven't we learned that violence doesn't work? If your
country's at war, and one of your friends gets killed
but you ultimately win — well, your friend ain't won,
he's dead! As a parent myself, it's not even a thought
that if one of my sons were to get called up, I'd do
something to make sure he never got in there to be
cannon fodder for some general with a bloody stripe on
his arm.
Violence achieves nothing. What's scary is
we're in a new century, and there's atom bombs,
hydrogen bombs, biological and chemical shit all over
the place. It's all down to money, anyway, but what
are you going to do — buy a fucking air raid shelter?
"
Hear the full interview with Ian Christe on Sirius
Hard Attack/27, Tuesday March 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET and
again Thursday, March 16 at 1:00 p.
m. ET. Also airing
on Sirius Buzzsaw/19 tonight at 6:00 p.
m. ET. A second
Ozzy interview with Jose Mangin will air on Sirius
Octane/20 on Tuesday, March 14 at Noon ET, Thursday,
March 16 at 5:00 p.
m. ET, and Saturday, March 18 at
8:00 p.m.
ET.
SICK OF IT ALL have announced a headlining tour around
the release of their new album, "Death to Tryants".
The tour will feature sets by good friends STRETCH
ARMSTRONG and new Trustkill Records signees FIRST
BLOOD.
"Death to Tyrants" is the band's ninth full-length
album and also their most political, centered around
how the people view the current U.S. government.
Drummer Armand Majidi, who wrote a good deal of lyrics
on the album, comments "There's a lot of anger towards
the government on the new album, because everyone in
the band shares the opinion that corporations are
dictating foreign policy and only a handful of people
in power are scrambling to get all the wealth without
the welfare of the people in mind." Vocalist Lou
Koller concurs: "In the current U.S.
political agenda,
it seems the people's voice is almost meaningless
unless you threaten with radical action — things have
gotten that bad." Songs like "Take The Night Off" and
"My Machete" address the frustration and building
apathy that many U.S.
citizens feel. Outspoken to the
core, the band made up of Majidi, Koller, Pete Koller
(guitar) and Craig Setari (bass) have been spreading
the hardcore reality for two decades with no breaks
and celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer.
Paramount to this unheard of achievement in hardcore
is the band's renowned prowress as a live group.
With
Lou's double front kicks and his brother Pete's
acrobatic leaps while playing the band can still floor
any band that shares a stage with them. SICK OF IT ALL
have given such bands as KORN and AFI their first
national tours as well as touring with such diverse
groups as THE BEASTIE BOYS, THE DROPKICK MURPHYS and
NAPALM DEATH. Speaking on their choices for touring
partners on the upcoming tour, Armand says "We've
known STRETCH ARMSTRONG for at least eight years and
have toured the U.
S. and Europe with them. We always
have a good time with those guys and look forward to
seeing them every day.
We met Carl (Schwartz, FIRST
BLOOD vocalist) when touring with TERROR when he was
in that band. We became such good friends that he
would travel with us in-between shows. We had no idea
he was such a good vocalist until TERROR frontman,
Scott Vogel, hurt his neck and Carl had to take over
vocals for the first few days.
"
SICK OF IT ALL are currently on tour with THE DROPKICK
MURPHYS and THE HORRORPOPS and will announce further
tour dates for summer shortly.
SICK OF IT ALL with STRETCH ARMSTRONG, FIRST BLOOD:
May 13 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
May 14 - Phoenix, AZ - The Brickhouse
May 15 - Las Vegas, NV - Jillians / Neonopolis
May 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Roxy
May 19 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House
May 20 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
May 23 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
May 25 - Boise, ID - Imparts
May 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
May 27 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theater
May 29 - St. Louis, MO - Creepy Crawl
GINGER AND THE SONIC CIRCUS, the new band formed by
ex-THE WILDHEARTS frontman Ginger, will play their
first U.
S. date at Don Hills in New York City on April
4. Upcoming GINGER AND THE SONIC CIRCUS shows now
include:
Mar.
23 - Glasgow, UK @ Cathouse
Mar. 24 - Bradford, UK @ Rios
Mar. 25 - Newcastle, UK @ Legends
Mar.
26 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfrun
Mar. 27 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Mar. 28 - Liverpool, UK @ Academy
Mar.
29 - London, UK @ Academy
Apr. 04 - Mew York, NY @ Don Hills
Ginger recently released a solo album, entitled "Valor
Del Corazon". The CD was recorded at Willie Nelson's
studio in Texas during the summer of 2005 with
producer Ralph Jezzard (who had previously worked on
THE WILDHEARTS' "Endless Nameless" CD).
Check out the
songs "The Man Who Cheated Death" and "Ten Flaws Down"
at www.myspace.com/silverginger.
Greg Prato of Billboard.com is reporting that VOIVOD
are scheduled to release their new album, "Katorz", in
June via The End Records. It will be the group's first
CD since the passing of co-founding guitarist Denis
D'Amour (a.
k.a. Piggy), who died last August after a
battle with colon cancer.
"It came about in unfortunate circumstances, but the
result is mind-blowing," drummer Michel "Away"
Langevin told Billboard.com. "Right before his
departure, Denis explained to me that he had recorded
all the tracks that we had been working on with
[bassist] Jason [Newsted] and [vocalist] Snake
[Belanger] for the past two years.
He had recorded
that on his laptop with ProTools, and even though he
would have preferred to re-do the whole thing in a
real studio, there was a chance that we could use the
tracks. We built the album based on the guitar tracks,
which was difficult, because normally, we go the other
way around — we start with the drums, and then add
stuff on top. But it sounds amazing.
"
"'Katorz' means 14 — it's the 14th effort of the
band," Belanger added. "The first time Piggy put it
together and gave us the demo was on CD, [and he had
written] 'Katorz,' which is not the right way to write
it. Of course [there is] an emotional side to it, so
we took the demo, and the design of it will be his
handwriting.
"
Scott Cronick of the Press of Atlantic City recently
conducted an interview with ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist
Jerry Cantrell and bassist Mike Inez. A few excerpts
from the chat follow:
On whether the band is reunited:
Cantrell: "Are we reunited? We're having some fun.
That's what we're doing. We're spending time playing
together and having some fun for ourselves. We did a a
(tsunami benefit) last February [2005] that Sean
[Kinney] put together, and that's where the seed got
sown.
"
Inez: "It felt really good to get together and perform
because we were helping people. Alll of the money
raised from that show went to vaccinations. We saved a
lot of lives.
What's better than that? It was great,
so we said, 'Maybe we should do this a litlle more
often.'"
On their future plans:
Cantrell: "It's all very up in the air.
Where we're
coming from with all of this is that we have to make
sure that enough time has passed and that we all feel
it's something we should do and that it would be fun
to try out. We were lucky enough to set a mark and
have the experience of living and playing with the
greatest singer in rock history. Of course, I'm a
little biased there.
But it's a tricky thing to deal
with that. We don't want to sully the memory of what
we did. But there is a lot of music that we wrote
together that we still love to play, and we feel
there's more inside of us that we would like to get
out.
"
Inez: "When we get together, it really feels like a
celebration. To get up there with two of my brothers
in life, you can hear the love when we play together."
On the loss of singer Layne Staley:
Cantrell: "It's pretty f--ing heavy.
The grieving
process is taking years and years. It's tough to lose
someone that close to you. But in a different way,
it's nice to see these guys again.
We're just on
surfboards floating, waiting to see what the ocean
waves up. It's nice to be floating together again.
We're taking this on a step-by-step basis What we're
bringing to this is an open mind and an open heart.
"
On who will be handling lead vocals at upcoming shows:
Cantrell: "It's important not to have some Layne
clone. We want someone to be able to do their own
thing but fit in with what we do."
Inez: "We haven't decided on on one guy.
Maybe it
won't be just one guy, but maybe friends and people we
respect to get different takes on what we do. Maybe
we'll want to get as many people involved as possible
without making it too much of a circus."
Cantrell: "Yes it's not cut and dry.
We have to do
this carefully and with the right reasons. We never
did anything that was from a bad place or not coming
from the heart. We can't start working like that now;
we're too old.
"
U.K. hardcore legends STAMPIN' GROUND, no-frills
bastards MURDER ONE and black metallers THE AXIS OF
PERDITION will bolster the British contingent ripping
up Damnation Festival 2006, set to take place October
15 in Manchester, England.
They will be joined by three of the U.K.'s finest
rising acts: muscle-bound groove
metallers HEAD-ON, extreme metalcore from London in
the shape of KINGSIZE BLUES and exciting thrash
upstarts EVILE.
Having persisted for over a decade, STAMPIN' GROUND's
aggressive, no-nonsense metal has earned them a loyal
following and a reputation for packing one of the most
explosive live shows around.
They'll join a Jagermeister-sponsored stage already
boasting metal warriors BIOMECHANICAL and zombie crew
SEND MORE PARAMEDICS; as will MURDER ONE, a dirty,
raucous blast of satisfyingly unpleasant noise
featuring the vocal talents of RAGING SPEEDHORN's
returning Damnation veteran John Loughlin.
Catering for those with a more extreme palette, THE
AXIS OF PERDITION are the first band announced for the
Terrorizer stage.
The second instalment of U.K.-focused metal will again
take place across two stages in Manchester's Jilly's
Rockworld and Music Box.
Tickets for Damnation Festival 2006 are priced £15 and
will be on sale in
April.
MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 has announced the
following tour dates in April:
Apr. 01 - Ft.
Worth, TX - Hardknox Shock Fest (Ridglea
Theatre)
Apr. 27 - Chicago, IL - The Metro Renee Israel
Foundation Benefit
Apr. 29 - Toledo, OH - Club Bijou
Commented Wednesday 13: "Unfortunately, bassist Kid
Kid will not be playing at these three shows, or with
Wednesday 13 for the near future.
This decision has
been discussed between Kid Kid and I for several
months now and we still remain close friends. I
support this decision, as Kid Kid has been given a
great opportunity and will be devoting 100% of his
time to it. Bassist Argyle Goolsby, from BLITZKID,
will be filling in for these shows.
A permanent
bassist has yet to be announced."
Wednesday 13 recently entered the studio to begin
recording the follow-up to last year's "Transylvania
90210: Songs of Death, Dying, and the Dead". Over 30
songs have been written for the album, including
"Buried With Children", "My Home Sweet Homicide",
"Morgue Than Words", and "Till Death Do Us Party".
Wednesday is handling the production duties once again
for a tentative late spring worldwide release on a
soon-to-be-announced new label.
For the first time in 15 years, Canadian thrash metal
legends SACRIFICE will reunite for one-night only as
headliner of Day Of The Equinox II festival taking
place on Saturday, September 23, 2006 in Toronto,
Ontario at the Opera House.
The band's original lineup of guitarist/singer Rob
Urbinati, guitarist Joe Rico, bassist Scott Watts and
drummer Gus Pynn will be performing tracks from their
classic metal releases: "Torment In Fire" (1986),
"Forward To Termination" (1987) and "Soldiers of
Misfortune" (1990).
Interest in SACRIFICE's music has peaked over the last
year or so thanks in part to the hard work from
Brazil's Marquee Records. The label has already
re-released "Torment In Fire" and "Forward To
Termination" as double CDs in limited-edition
hand-numbered slipcases that contain massive booklets
with liner notes, live pictures and personal comments
from the band. The "Soldiers of Misfortune" re-issue
will surface sometime this spring.
Returning to North America by special invitation will
be Sumerian thrashing black metallers and pioneers of
Mesopotamian metal MELECHESH for an exclusive North
American appearance in direct support of SACRIFICE.
MELECHESH is excited to be returning to North America
to showcase material from their forthcoming album
"Emissaries" (release date TBA). Also performing will
be Earache recording artists USURPER, who will bring
their old school style of fist-banging heavy metal to
the event.
Local old school thrash metallers RAMMER
will open the event.
About returning to the stage for DOTE II, Urbinati
says, "This is going to be a great experience for all
of us in the band and our fans that have always shown
support for us over the years. This show is for them.
What an incredible rush it will be to get back on
stage with the original SACRIFICE and watch the pit go
nuts!"
For more information, visit www.dayoftheequinox.
com.
Launch Radio Networks reports: The surviving members
of ALICE IN CHAINS returned to the stage for only the
second time since 1996 on Friday night (March 10) at
the Trump Taj Mahal resort in Atlantic City, New
Jersey, for the taping of a new episode of the VH1
Classic series "Decades Rock Live!".
The show, a
tribute to HEART, also featured appearances by former
JANE'S ADDICTION guitarist Dave Navarro, "American
Idol" winner Carrie Underwood and singer/songwriter
Rufus Wainwright, as well as HEART itself. But aside
from the headliners, it was clearly ALICE IN CHAINS
that a large portion of the crowd was there to see,
judging from the fanatical audience reaction.
ALICE IN CHAINS opened the evening with a four-song
set.
COMES WITH THE FALL singer William DuVall, who
has also performed in ALICE guitarist Jerry Cantrell's
solo band, sang the first two songs, "Angry Chair" and
"Man In The Box".
For "Them Bones" and "Would?" ALICE IN CHAINS brought
out ex-PANTERA vocalist Philip Anselmo, making one of
his rare live appearances since the death of former
PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott in December
of 2004.
VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan joined the group
on second guitar for its entire set, which the band
dedicated to Abbott and late ALICE IN CHAINS frontman
Layne Staley, who died in 2002.
ALICE IN CHAINS returned at the end of the night for
"Rooster", to which HEART singer Ann Wilson
contributed vocals. Cantrell, McKagan and Navarro
stuck around to join HEART on "Barracuda".
ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Inez pulled double duty,
playing for both ALICE IN CHAINS and HEART.
The show is scheduled to premiere on VH1 Classic on
May 5.
The reunited group will tour this summer, although it
has not been determined if it will use one vocalist or
a rotating cast.
European festival dates have been
confirmed, with U.S. club shows likely for the end of
May and a full North American trek possible for the
fall.
The band, which also features Sean Kinney on drums,
performed for the first time in nine years at a
tsunami benefit in Seattle in February of 2005, where
they were joined on vocals by Ann Wilson, TOOL
frontman Maynard James Keenan, PUDDLE OF MUDD's Wes
Scantlin and others.
The first three Ozzfest 2006 dates to feature Ozzy
Osbourne in the headlining slot have been announced.
They are as follows:
Jul.
01 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
Aug. 01 - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts -
Mansfield, MA
Aug. 04 - Tweeter Center at the Waterfront – Camden,
NJ
The main-stage lineup of this year's Ozzfest will
feature Osbourne for 10 shows, along with SYSTEM OF A
DOWN, DISTURBED, HATEBREED, LACUNA COIL and another
major act (strongly rumored to be AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
to be announced on May 23.
The tour begins July 1 in San Francisco (Mountain
View) and will run through August 13 in West Palm
Beach, Florida
The second stage features BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, ATREYU,
UNEARTH, BLEEDING THROUGH, NORMA JEAN, A LIFE ONCE
LOST, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, THE RED CHORD, FULL BLOWN
CHAOS, ALL THAT REMAINS and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.
The Ozzfest dates will be Osbourne's first solo
performances in three years; he has spent the last two
summers on stage with his pioneering metal act BLACK
SABBATH, which will be inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame later today (March 13).
Since it debuted in 1996, Ozzfest has grossed more
than $186 million and drawn 4,699,900 headbangers to
287 shows, according to Billboard.
com.
ANTHRAX mainman Scott Ian recently spoke to
Rockdetector.com editor Bernard Doe.
Several excerpts
from the interview follow:
Rockdetector.com: Some may say that the timing of the
reunion was strange. Especially as your last studio
album, "We've Come For You All", has been universally
acknowledged as the best ANTHRAX record for years?
Scott Ian: "Because it was the only time to do it. If
we hadn't announced this when we did last year then it
probably never would have happened."
Rockdetector.
com: I guess both Joey Belladonna and Dan
Spitz had to want to do the reunion for it to work?
Scott Ian: "Yes, we had made a decision that it would
have to be all five of us or what's the point? Also,
it had to be easy, like pick the phone up and everyone
agreeing to just go out and have fun.
If it was any
harder than that then we would have probably just gone
ahead and started writing and then made the next
album."
Rockdetector.com: Reunions are common, especially
these days, but you originally decided to break up the
so called "classic" line-up in 1992 when you fired
Joey.
If Joey wasn't right for ANTHRAX in 1992, what
has changed that makes him right to front the band
again now? Or are you just trying to relive those
glory days?
Scott Ian: "No, not at all.
Relive glory days? I don't
even know what that means?!
I don't even remember what
it felt like to be in ANTHRAX in 1987? All this is,
was a chance for the five of us to get back together
and go out, play some shows, and see how it goes? So
far it's gone really well and we've reformed
friendships, so at the end of the day, if nothing more
comes out of it, at least I can say that we are all
friends.
"
Rockdetector.com: You stated that both John Bush and
Rob Caggiano are still a part of ANTHRAX when you
first announced this reunion. Is that still the case?
Scott Ian: "Well, you haven't read anything on the
Internet that says anything different have you?"
Rockdetector.com: Nothing official from the ANTHRAX
camp, but there is obviously a lot of speculation
about the situation?
Scott Ian: "Yes, 'speculation' is a dangerous word."
Rockdetector.com: So as far as you are concerned, at
this moment, John Bush and Rob Caggiano are still
members of ANTHRAX?
Scott Ian: "Yes."
Rockdetector.com: You have also said that there would
be no more ANTHRAX without the reunion.
What exactly
do you mean by that? So far you have not explained
that statement?
Scott Ian: "And I never will explain it because what
goes on business-wise in this band is nobody else's
business.
.. it's as simple as that.
If people want to
know what that statement means then they can go and do
their homework. It's the truth, we would not have gone
and made another record at that point if this reunion
didn't happen."
Rockdetector.
com: But you did suggest to me earlier
that if all five of you did not agree to do this
reunion then you would have gone ahead and made the
next ANTHRAX album?
Scott Ian: "Well..
. look, people can speculate about
that all they want because that is all they are gonna
get from me."
Rockdetector.
com: Maybe, but a lot of loyal ANTHRAX
fans will still be puzzled by your refusal to answer
that question and to explain yourself. Not everyone is
clued-up on the politics and business side of the
music industry. Obviously you do care about your fans?
Scott Ian: "But what does it really matter if it
doesn't have anything to do with our live performance,
the songs we write and the records we make? Fans don't
need to know what colour my shit is when I take one in
the morning. I care everything about the fans of this
band.
We wouldn't be doing this in 2006 if it wasn't
for them and our audience. But the bottom line is, I
don't walk into someone's house and ask them how much
their dad makes, or what it's like for them to have
sex with their wife or girlfriend? Some things are
meant to be personal.
I'm sorry, but that is just the
way it is."
Rockdetector.com: I understand what you are saying
Scott, but, in this internet age, making a statement
like you did and then not explaining yourself will
always leave people out there asking the question?
Scott Ian: "Well, they can ask it for the rest of
their life, but it's not my responsibility to answer
every question. I maybe in the public forum, but I'm
not a politician. I'm not up for the Supreme Court
appointment.
I play in a fucking band, and it's about
having fun. Look, I've been a fan since I was nine
years old and I never felt the need to find out the
reason why Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth didn't
get along? I didn't give a fuck!
I just wanted to
listen to the records. So I can only take it from that
point of view, and sometimes business is business and
personal is personal. And unless you are in this band
or you are our manager then there is no need to know
it.
I think if anyone would expect me to spill my guts
out about everything in my life, then they are not
really a fan of this band or me. Then they are being
just like an asshole tabloid person. This is not
Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton.
If people are looking
for that then they can go and read the National
Enquirer."
Rockdetector.com: Obviously Rob Caggiano has had his
say about the whole reunion situation in an interview
he did with the Anthrax Reunion Bashing Club website
towards the end of last year.
He claims that ANTHRAX
have been mismanaged since the Jonny Z days, and that
the U.S. label situation is a contributing factor for
this reunion.
What did you make of Rob's comments?
Scott Ian: "Hey, I know why Rob was upset about
certain things, but the bottom line is we are doing
what we are doing, and he knows the truth of the
matter, and if he ever had a problem or any questions
then he should have came and asked me right to my
face. That day he did that interview he was with me
and he was all smiles.
So, either he is completely
full of shit to me or to that interviewer...
who
knows? Because he has never said any of that to my
face, and I told him straight-up after the fact. I
said, 'Dude, if you've got a problem, why don't you
come up to me instead of going into a public forum on
the Internet and lower yourself to that?
' But, that is
the road he chose to take."
Rockdetector.com: And what was Rob's response when you
said that to him?
Scott Ian: "Well, that's an answer you will never get.
Ha! Ha!
Actually, my favorite quote from that
interview that Rob done was that he called us a 'Vegas
act'! I guess we will have to take that as a
compliment now, considering that all our shows are
selling out. We're doing pretty well for a 'Vegas
act'!
"
Rockdetector.com: Rob's other gripe was that both he
and John Bush had been removed from the ANTHRAX
website? What have you got to say about that?
Scott Ian: "He knows full well that Island Records
paid for our new website. Well, Rob Caggiano and John
Bush never existed on Island Records with ANTHRAX, so
why are they going to spend money to promote all the
Elektra records or the Sanctuary records? We were
lucky enough to get the 'Sound Of White Noise' skin up
on our website, so yes, John Bush is featured on
there.
But Island Records are footing the bill for
that right now, so there's another point of reality
that I guess Rob chose to ignore."
Rockdetector.com: Is this new music you have written
for the current reunited lineup?
Scott Ian: "Well, I guess that announcement will be
made when we decide that it's time to make it!"
Rockdetector.com: So when can we expect to see a new
ANTHRAX studio album?
Scott Ian: "It just depends on what happens this year,
and whether we tour in the summer or not. If we don't
tour in the summer then I guess there's a chance that
we could have a new studio album out by the end of the
year."
Rockdetector.
com: Looking back, what are you own
personal ANTHRAX highlights over the past 25 years?
Scott Ian: "Well, just even making the 'Fistful Of
Metal' album is a huge highlight because I didn't
think it would ever happen. The first time playing
Donington and then going back there and playing
Download last summer.
.. that was pretty fucking
amazing to have 18 years between Donington appearances
and having it go so well.
Headlining Madison Square
Garden in 1991. Surviving the change in frontman in
'92 and making 'Sound Of White Noise', because once
again that was a point in the band's career where we
couldn't have gone on with that band and made another
record unless we had made the change."
Rockdetector.
com: The same situation as now then?
Scott Ian: "Ha! Ha!
Well...
okay, this is the most you
will get out of me as to why we wouldn't have gone on
if we hadn't made the change now. Yes, there are
similarities to '92 as there is now. And someday you
will get an explanation to that, it's just that I
can't go into it now.
"
Rockdetector.com: So, what is the ANTHRAX record label
situation right now?
Scott Ian: "Ha!
Ha! It's JVC in Japan, Sanctuary in
North America and Nuclear Blast everywhere else. And,
yes, somewhere in there lies the problem, so if you
want to read between those lines then you will find a
lot of the answers.
"
Rockdetector.com: What is your personal favourite
ANTHRAX album?
Scott Ian: "I'd have to say a tie between 'We've Come
From You All' and 'Among The Living'.
On these reunion
shows we've are doing six songs from 'Among The
Living' in our set, which is more than any other album
from back then. And if we were playing songs from
'Sound Of White Noise' onwards, then we'd probably
play five or six songs from 'We've Come From You All'
too."
Rockdetector.
com: And your least favourite ANTHRAX
album?
Scott Ian: "That would be 'State Of Euphoria', because
it wasn't finished. I mean, I can talk about it now,
but obviously back in '88 I wasn't going to sit there
in interviews and say, 'well, this album is mediocre
because we didn't spend enough time writing it as we
felt the pressure of going out on tour with IRON
MAIDEN in Europe and had to get the record done'.
But
looking back at it now, we should have spent another
three months writing it. So many of those songs on
that record just sound unfinished to me."
Rockdetector.
com: When I spoke to Dan Lilker last
year, he said that he couldn't see S.O.D.
ever
recording another album.
Scott Ian: "No, definitely not."
Rockdetector.
com: But he did add that maybe there
would be a one-off S.O.D.
show somewhere if the money
was right?
Scott Ian: "Ha! Ha!
Look, S.O.D.
was one of the
happiest moments of my life. But as far as I'm
concerned S.O.
D. was never meant to be a real band. It
was never meant to have the baggage that a real band
end up having.
It was never meant to have a
schedule...
any of that. It was just supposed to be a
way of going to express yourself and have fun without
any business involved. Y'know, the complete opposite
of any model of any band that there has ever been in
the history of music.
And the thing that sucked is, it
ended up turning into what I never wanted it to be!
Granted, I went along with it. I mean, it wasn't like
I was fighting to not tour.
I couldn't wait to go out
on tour in '99 when I realized we were going to do it
and make a second record...
I was so excited! It was
fucking amazing the first time through when everyone
got to see us, but then the mistake we made was to go
out a second time through the States. All of a sudden
it was like, wait a minute, I'm already in a band.
I
don't want to be tired of being in S.O.D.
I don't want
it to become work. I don't want it to become
gruelling. It wasn't going to be fun anymore and I
realised in my mind that it went against everything
that I meant it to be in the beginning.
Other people
in the band have a different philosophy about it, and
there you have the problem."
Rockdetector.com: The ANTHRAX reunion tour comes to
Europe in April.
Then where?
Scott Ian: "Well, Frankie's wife is having a baby in
May, so it's kinda limiting our touring schedule right
now. But that's okay, as the last thing I want to do
is overplay it, because it's not like we're out there
doing anything new.
The people in Europe did get to
see us last summer at the festivals over there, and a
couple of random headlining shows, so we'll come back
for three weeks in April and play in major cities and
that's it. I don't want to drag this around for three
years playing the same five albums."
The Associated Press is reporting that veteran rocker
Henry Rollins says he still harbors the anger of his
punk roots but has found new ways to channel it off
stage.
"My anger is more civically rooted," Rollins, 45, told
The Associated Press Sunday (March 12) in an interview
at the South by Southwest Interactive festival. "To be
an American without some anger, you're sleeping on the
job."
A vocal critic of the Bush administration and the Iraq
war, Rollins said he supports the troops, and he has
met many while touring with the USO, the private
organization that entertains U.
S. troops overseas.
"These people are incredibly human.
They're like, 'I
have a job to do sir and I really miss my wife,' and
that's when it becomes very personal," he said.
The former BLACK FLAG frontman now hosts his own
film-focused television show on the Independent Film
Channel, aptly called "The Henry Rollins Show". He
also hosts a radio show in Los Angeles.
He's not so sure music has the power to change the
world anymore.
"What does change things is people voting," he told
The Associated Press.
Heavy Metal has long been a stigmatized musical genre
characterized by aggressive rhythms, dark lyrics and
satanic worship.
"Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" is a
ground-breaking film that explores the history of how
these stereotypes came to be and explains the
motivation and truth behind the music through candid
interviews with metal icons, including Rob Zombie,
Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, Ronnie James Dio, Tony
Iommi, Bruce Dickison, Lemmy Kilmister and many more.
"Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" two-disc set will be
released by Warner Home Video on May 23, 2006 for
$24.98 just in time for metal's most popular music
festivals such as Ozzfest, Gigantour and Sounds Of
Underground kick off.
Order due date is April 18,
2006.
Sam Dunn, a thirty-year-old anthropologist, has been
fascinated by the culture of heavy metal since he was
twelve years old. In an effort to study its origin and
cultural impact, he sets out on a global journey to
find out why this music has been consistently
stereotyped, dismissed and condemned and yet is loved
so passionately by its millions of fans.
Along the
way, Sam explores metal's obsession with some of
life's most provocative subjects — sexuality,
religion, violence and death — and discovers some
things about the culture that even he can't defend.
Shot on location in the U.K.
, Germany, Norway, Canada
and the U.S., this documentary is the first of its
kind.
It is both a defense of a long-misunderstood art
form and a window for the outsider into the spectacle
that is heavy metal.
"Heavy metal music has an enormous worldwide following
that many people are unaware of because it has been
overshadowed by images of violence and mosh pits,"
said Tehya Kopp, WHV Senior Director, Special Interest
Marketing. "This documentary digs into the stereotypes
and misconceptions about the artists' motivations
behind the lyrics and harsh sound and explores the
real side of metal in a way that appeals to metal and
non-metal fans alike.
It's an eye-opening documentary
that is both informative and enjoyable to all
audiences."
"Metal: A Headbanger's History" contains over 87
minutes of special features including:
* 16 extended interviews with metal rock icons!
* 20-minute mini-documentary on Norwegian black metal
* Footage with Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD at the Rainbow
* Director's commentary.
* Travel outtakes
* An awesome interactive metal history family tree,
created specifically for the DVD.
You can watch the trailer, find more information about
the release and read the directors' blog at
www.metalhistory.
com.
Los Angeles thrashers HIRAX will release their first
DVD, "Thrash Til Death", on April 25 through Black
Devil Records.
"Thrash Til Death" features over two hours of live
footage — the complete set from Minneapolis Mayhem 2,
plus bonus footage from shows played in Germany (Bang
Your Head Festival and warm-up show), Sweden (Sweden
Rock Festival), The Netherlands (Dokk 'Em Open Air
Festival), and San Francisco (Tidal Wave Festival and
Thrash of the Quintana (KUSF 23rd anniversary show at
The Pound SF).
The tracks compiled on this visual anthology span
HIRAX's entire career and were filmed using
professional cameras, multiple camera angles, and
high-quality audio. The DVD also contains an interview
with the entire band, "Hostile Territory" promo clip,
a full visual discography including liner notes and
artwork (by Pushead, "Mad" Marc Rude, and Craig
Cummings), and even an Easter egg (hidden concert
footage from Fender's Ballroom in 1985).
"We are very excited about the DVD," said singer Katon
W.
De Pena. "It contains some of the most amazing
performances the band has done up until this point. I
wanted it to be something that HIRAX diehards as well
as any fan of extreme metal would be proud to own.
As
a matter of fact, this DVD was compiled and edited by
a huge metal fan, Eddie Boyd (aka 'Sickthrash'), who
has been collecting thrash memorabilia since the
beginning."
"Thrash ‘Til Death" will be available through Century
Media distribution as well as Black Devil Records.
European and South American distribution is in the
works.
HIRAX is currently in the preproduction stage for
their upcoming album "Assassins Of War". Joining
vocalist Katon W. De Pena are original HIRAX drummer
Johnny Tabares, lead guitarist Lance Harrison, and
bassist Steve Harrison.
"Thrash Til Death" track listing:
Minneapolis Mayhem Festival 2 - May 6, 2005
Minneapolis, MN U.S.A.
01. El Dia de los Muertos
02. Massacre of the Innocent
03.
Blind Faith
04. The New Age of Terror
05. Hate, Fear and Power
06.
Hostile Territory
07. Destroy
08. Broken Neck
09.
El Diablo Negro
10. Killswitch
11. Walk With Death
12.
Barrage of Noise
13. The Plague
14. Bombs of Death
15.
Unleash the Dogs of War
Bonus Footage:
Bang Your Head Open Air Festival warm-up gig - June
26, 2003 Balingen, Germany:
01. Blind Faith
02. Warlord Command
03.
Bombs of Death
04. Mouth Sewn Shut
05. Demons Evil Forces
Bang Your Head Open Air Festival - June 28, 2003
Balingen, Germany:
01.
Hate, Fear and Power
02. Bombs of Death
03. Mouth Sewn Shut (guest guitar Jake Starr)
Sweden Rock Festival - June 12, 2004 Solvesborg,
Sweden:
01.
El Diablo Negro
02. Killswitch
03. Bombs of Death
Tidal Wave Festival - June 19, 2004 San Francisco, CA:
01.
Hate, Fear and Power
02. Demons Evil Forces
03. Walk With Death
Dokk 'Em Open Air Festival - August 14, 2004
Friesland, Holland:
01.
Hate, Fear and Power
02. Demons Evil Forces
The Pound KUSF 23rd Anniversary - May 13, 2005 San
Francisco, CA:
01. Unleash the Dogs of War
* Backstage interview Sweden Rock Festival June 2004
* Promo Video
* Discography
* 2004 Photo Gallery
* Catalogue Promo
* Easter Egg (1985 live video of "Demons Evil Forces"
Fender’s Ballroom, Long Beach, CA)
Long-running Birmingham-based heavy metal band
MARSHALL LAW, who at one time featured Lee Morris of
PARADISE LOST, have announced the departure of
guitarist Andy Southwell due to "personal reasons.
"
"Andy has been a fantastic servant to the band for
many years and everyone associated with MARSHALL LAW
would like to thank Andy for his contribution and wish
him well in his future endeavours," the band write in
a statement. "As a result, MARSHALL LAW are now
seeking a replacement so anybody interested who feels
they what it takes should e-mail
vacancies@marshalllaw.co.
uk, typing the word
'Guitarist' in the subject field, and attaching a
cv/MP3s/photo if possible."
MARSHALL LAW have spent the last few years crafting a
new album entitled "Axis Of Power". Previous LPs
include "Marshall Law" in 1990, "Powergame" in 1993,
"Law In The Raw" in 1996, "Metal Detector" in 1997 and
"Warning From History" in 1999.
Sanctuary Records
issued a double CD anthology set, "Power Crazy", in
2002.
According to NME.COM, Courtney Love has said she is
preparing to sell a share of her rights to the NIRVANA
back catalogue.
Love has been in London over the last week. While in
the U.K.
she's had meetings about a new record deal,
making a TV documentary, taking a theatre role in the
West End, and been to various gigs.
"I have decided that I need some co-management and a
strategic partner [to help me] as it's such a huge
responsibility," Love told NME.COM of her NIRVANA
plans.
"This is the right thing to do for my
family...
whoever I do this deal with, I really have to
like."
Love is also quoted in the Sunday Mirror (March 12) as
saying that she's thinking about selling "25 per cent
of the catalogue for quite a lot of money."
Love was married to NIRVANA singer Kurt Cobain prior
to his suicide in 1994.
Portland-based progressive metallers NICODEMUS have
wrapped up the filming of a long-form conceptual video
for the track "Next In Nocturne" from their current
release "Vanity Is A Virtue" (Sonic Age Records). The
video was directed by Joni DeRouchie, a
Northwest-based independent filmmaker who has worked
on projects such as "Remote Control" and "Bigger Than
Jesus". DeRouchie is a critically acclaimed director
whose previous work has been selected for prestigious
international film festivals.
The concept for the
video is gothic noir mixed with performance footage
and features a large cast of actors, actresses, and
extras including a cameo by publishedgothic novelist,
Jemiah Jefferson, whose works include "Voice of the
Blood", "Wounds", and "Fiend". The video is now in the
editing stage and should see a release in late March.
It will be available at the band's website,
www.
nicodemus.us.
As previously reported, NICODEMUS released their third
album, titled "Vanity Is A Virtue" through the Greek
label Sonic Age Records in June of 2005.
The album
decidedly owes more to the progressive sound than
previous NICODEMUS releases, 2000's "Tales of the
Lovelorn and Necromantic" (Dark Throne Music) and
2003's "The Supernatural Omnibus" (Dark Symphonies),
which saw the band focusing on a goth/black
metal-based sound with progressive elements.
GOATWHORE, the New Orleans-based band featuring
vocalist L. Ben Falgoust II (SOILENT GREEN) and
guitarist Sammy Duet (ACID BATH, CROWBAR), have
finalized the track listing for their third
full-length album, "A Haunting Curse", which is being
recorded at Mana Studios in St.
Petersburg, Florida
with producer Erik Rutan (MORBID ANGEL, HATE ETERNAL).
A September release via Metal Blade Records is
expected.
"A Haunting Curse" track listing:
01.
A Haunting Curse
02. Wear These Scars of Testimony
03. Bloodletting Upon the Cloven Hoof
04.
Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult
05. My Eyes are the Spears of Chaos
06. In the Narrow Confines of Defilement
07.
Forever Consumed Oblivion
08. A Haunting Curse..
.
09. Silenced Marked by the Breaking of Bone
10.
Diabolical Submergence of Rebirth
11. ..
.Of Ashen Slumber
12. I Avenge Myself
GOATWHORE will be embarking on a U.
S. tour with HIGH
ON FIRE and WATCH THEM DIE starting on March 30 and
running through May 6. GOATWHORE have also landed the
coveted opening spots for EMPEROR's Los Angeles gigs
in July.
URIAH HEEP, FISH (ex-MARILLION), SOUL DOCTOR and
EVIDENCE ONE have been confirmed for Rock of Ages, a
new festival series set up by the organizers of the
German hard rock and heavy metal festival Bang Your
Head!!!
The event is set to take place July 28-29 in
Seebronn (close to Rottenburg), Germany and will
feature appearances by the following acts (with three
more bands to be confirmed):
TWISTED SISTER
URIAH HEEP
UFO
ASIA
ANDY SCOTT'S SWEET
FISH
GOTTHARD
SOUL DOCTOR
EVIDENCE ONE
The English section of the official Rock of Ages
homepage, www.rock-of-ages.de, will be launched soon
and will include all background and latest information
about the event as well as the possibility of ticket
online order.
Price for a two-day festival ticket is
79 euros.
According to 7Days.ae, British heavy metal legends
SAXON will not be performing at this year's Dubai
Desert Rock Festival — set to take place on March 16
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — because one of their
songs from the 1980s includes lyrics about freeing the
Holy Land and spilling Muslim blood.
Concert organizers Centre Stage Management (CSM) said
yesterday (March 12) that Dubai's Department of
Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) had withdrawn
permission for the band to perform on Thursday
"without citing a specific reason."
However, CSM said that controversy created by the
publication of the song's lyrics in local media had
influenced the decision.
"Band members were immediately labelled in most Arabic
newspapers as racists, Arab haters, who wanted to put
all Muslims to the sword," Joann Shams, business
development manager for CSM said.
No one from the DTCM was available for comment
yesterday. Last week, a local Arab paper translated
and published the lyrics to SAXON's 1984 song
"Crusader" and said:
"The question here for the band and the organisers is
what will SAXON do in Dubai's land and on Arabian
sands? Are they going to make us, the Saracen
heathens, taste their music just as if their guitars
were swords made of steel.
"
"SAXON...
calls for the mass extermination of Arabs,"
the article added. CSM said the band’s management was
informed last night and that they expressed "shock"
over the decision.
In a statement sent to BLABBERMOUTH.
NET by SAXON's
management, the band said, "We are very disappointed
that we can’t play to our fans in the Middle East. We
are not and never have been a racist band. The lyrics
of the song 'Crusader' have been taken totally out of
context.
Many of the songs we write are based on
historical events e.g. 'Dallas 1 PM' (Kennedy's
assassination), 'Conquistador' (The Conquest of South
America), 'Crusader' (The 12th Century) — the songs
are not intended to be taken as any form of
propaganda, the song is a snapshot of an event in
history, the lyrics are intended to give a flavour of
what it must have been like in the army at the time.
Saladin, the leader of the Saracens, was also a mighty
warrior and his battles would make a good vehicle for
a great metal song as well.
"The journalist who wrote about 'Crusader' was
obviously trying to cause as much trouble as possible.
We don't write lyrics to inside hatred or racism, we
have fans all over the world of every colour and
religion and music should be used to break down
barriers and not to build them.
"
SAXON had been scheduled to arrive on Thursday morning
(March 16) and perform alongside five other bands,
including MEGADETH, at Desert Rock. More than 4,000
tickets have been sold so far and organisers expect
8,000 to turn up, according to 7Days.ae.
Former THE CULT touring bassist and current CAMP
FREDDY guitarist Billy Morrison has confirmed in an
online posting that VELVET REVOLVER/ex-STONE TEMPLE
PILOTS singer Scott Weiland has joined the Los
Angeles-based "jam" group CAMP FREDDY as a "core
member." "The band operates with a huge rotating guest
line up, but we have always had a core group of five
people — the current incarnation being myself, Donovan
[Leitch, vocals; the son of 1960s U.K.
folk-rock icon
Donovan], Dave [Navarro, guitar; ex-JANE'S
ADDICTION/RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS], Matt [Sorum, drums;
VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES], and Chris [Chaney,
bass; ex-JANE's ADDICTION]," Morrison writes. "And now
Scott has joined that team. He will be at all the
shows possible, and is part of our decision making
process, sharing his ideas with us, and ours with him.
Scott completely understands the fun, no stress angle
of our shows, the possibilities that are out there for
CAMP FREDDY, and is a welcome addition to the FREDDY
family. As with all of us, it does NOT mean anything
for VELVET REVOLVER. We all carry on with our day jobs
outside of FREDDY.
All it means is that when CAMP
FREDDY do anything, Scott will now be involved if his
schedule permits."
CAMP FREDDY have been in and out of the recording
studio over the past couple of years recording what is
expected to eventually be released as the band's debut
album. Among the cuts that are set to appear on the
effort are a version of Marc Bolan's "20th Century
Boy" (featuring CAMP FREDDY's own Donovan Leitch on
vocals, and Steve Jones from THE SEX PISTOLS on lead
guitar) and THIN LIZZY's "Jailbreak" (featuring
ex-ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell on vocals
and Billy Duffy [ex-THE CULT] on lead guitar).
Other
guest musicians include RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer
Chad Smith and singer Macy Gray.