When Opeth came through New York on tour last week, naturally we pulled Mikael Åkerfeldt into the office for an interview. In the clip below, he reveals his favorite Opeth songs to play live (old and new); his guitar practice regimen (or lack thereof); how the band tailors their set list to the bill they’ll be appearing on; who hears Opeth songs when they’re works in progress; and much more! We think you’ll agree it’s a pretty interesting conversation.
German metal legends ACCEPT’s Stalingrad has entered the US Billboard Top 200 chart debut at #81 and selling over 5,000 units. Stalingrad is also #13 in the Top Independent Current Albums chart, #76 in the Top Current Albums chart, #7 in the Top Hard Music Albums chart, #7 in the Current Hard Music Albums chart and #29 in the Top Current Rock Albums chart.
The follow-up to Accept’s Blood Of The Nations has entered the charts in the following countries:
About the chart success guitarist Wolf Hoffman comments: “What a roller coaster ride! From the minute we started Accept in 2010 with Mark Tornillo until today, we are in awe! The fans worldwide have spoken and they’ve let us know that we matter for them. Never in a lifetime could we have expected the true and deep love we get, wherever we go. To enter the charts – again, with Stalingrad our new release – is a huge gift for us and we are more than grateful and very well aware that we could never have done that without the hottest metal label on the planet: Nuclear Blast! They gave us home and their backing is huge. But not only everybody at Nuclear Blast are doing such a great job: We have a management, a crew, and superb professionals around us who gave us confidence and strength and we are trying to show our appreciation by being the best Accept we can. We give you everything, every night! Greetings for Germany, where we play packed houses… See ya on tour – wherever you are!”
Accept are currently on the road in support of Stalingrad. A BraveWords.com review of the band’s triumphant appearance in Filderstadt, Germany can be viewed here.
Accept’s tour schedule is now as follows:
April (with HELL until the 21st)
18 – Hamburg, Germany – Große Freiheit
19 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys
21 – Zlin, Czech Republic – Euronics
22 – Warschau, Poland – Stodola
24 – Rostov-On-Don, Russia – Officers Hall of Culture
25 – Ekatrinburg, Russia – Cosmos Concert Hall
28 – Moscow, Russia – Milk
Accept will embark on an extensive tour through the US and Canada in September and early October, before returning to South America again, followed by more dates in Europe and Asia. Detailed tour dates will be announced soon.
Source: Bravewords
PS: You can read a review about Accept’s “Stalingrad” on METAL SHOCK FINLAND on this location.
Metal Shock Finland‘s Mohsen Fayyazi has issued an interview with AYREON / STAR ONE mastermind ARJEN LUCASSEN, in which he discusses his upcoming album, Ayreon and his future plans.
When asked about when he wil start Ayreon again, Arjen said: “No idea , because I basically never plan, no idea what I’m going to do next… I think it’s about the time… it’s become harder to invest in Ayreon as you can imagine it’s very expensive to hire all the singers and fly them over here and if my CDs don’t sell anymore, I wont have money anymore, so that’s a little bit of a problem that I forsee with the next Ayreon album.“
You can listen to the interview below:
Arjen will release his new solo album, Lost In The New Real, on April 23rd in Europe, and May 8th in North America via InsideOut.
Tracklisting:
CD1:
‘The New Real’
‘Pink Beatles In A Purple Zeppelin’
‘Parental Procreation Permit’
‘When I’m A Hundred Sixty-Four’
‘E-Police’
‘Don’t Switch Me Off’
‘Dr Slumber’s Eternity Home’
‘Yellowstone Memorial Day’
‘Where Pigs Fly’
‘Lost In The New Real’
* Bonus CD Rom section: “Behind The New Real”
CD 2:
‘Our Imperfect Race’
‘Welcome To The Machine’ (PINK FLOYD cover)
‘So Is There No God?’
‘Veteran Of The Psychic Wars’ (BLUE ÖYSTER CULTCover)
‘The Social Recluse’
‘Battle Of Evermore’ (LED ZEPPELIN Cover)
‘The Space Hotel’
‘Some Other Time’ (ALAN PARSONS PROJECT Cover)
‘You Have Entered The Reality Zone’
‘I’m The Slime’ (FRANK ZAPPA Cover)
* Bonus CD Rom section: “The Artwork”
The story of Lost In The New Real follows Mr. L, a twenty-first century man who was cryopreserved at the moment of clinical death from a terminal disease. The album begins as Mr. L is being revived at a point in the distant future, when technology has advanced enough to cure his disease. Mr L finds himself in a world that has drastically changed — to the point that the line between what’s real and what’s not is no longer clear.
Mr. L’s appointed psychological advisor (played by legendary screen actor Rutger Hauer) is tasked with helping him emotionally adapt to this strange new world. The songs on CD1 follow the main character Mr. L’s emotional journey as he is confronted with both serious and comical aspects of the “New Real”, and desperately tries to decide if he can find a meaningful place within it.
CD2 is a mix of songs that are part of the concept but didn’t fit on CD1, and cover songs that are (more or less) related to the concept. As Arjen’s fans have come to expect, informative and humorous ‘behind the scenes’ videos are added to both CDs as CD-rom tracks. This beautiful 2-CD Limited Edition Mediabook is illustrated by the striking artwork of Claudio Bergamin.
This June, IDW Publishing is bringing back the rock group KISS in comic form. Last year, Archie Comics released a story in which Archie Meets Kiss. This time IDW is giving them marquee status.
According to IDW, the series is rooted in KISS fandom, featuring KISS characters like “Wicked” Lester, the Destroyer, She, the Elder, and more, but it will be very accessible to all comic readers.
KISS will be written by Chris Ryall (Zombies vs Robots) with art by Jamal Igle (The Ray) and KISS #1-4 come with a special “solo album” covers by artist Michael Gaydos.
Variant covers will also be available, including a Michael Gaydos “Demon” cover and a KISS photo cover.
KissOnline.com spoke to IDW Publishing‘s chief creative officer and editor-in-chief Tom Waltz and senior staff writer Chris Ryall last July at the San Diego Comic Con.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: “It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we’re fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it’s just been something we’ve always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the ’70s, and it’s a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with KISS comics but to now write them myself, too.”
Tom Waltz: “As Chris states, we tend not to pursue any license at IDW that won’t have an editor behind it who is a fan and willing to champion it through the long process of getting it approved and into print. In the case of KISS, Chris and I are not only champions of the license, we’re uber-fans of the band and their music, not to mention the KISS comics from various other publishers in the past. Like Chris, I ate up those Marvel KISS comics and to now be able to be a part of the ongoing adventures of our hard-rockin’, kabuki-wearin’ heroes is a real highlight of my career as a writer/editor.”
The four different covers of the first issue of IDW‘s new KISS comics that will be released in late June can be seen below. The top left hand image is the cover that will be most widely available. The other three are alternate covers that will be released in limited supply. Source: Blabbermouth.net
Metalitalia.com Festival has posted online the Official Festival Trailer, check it out here below.
Metalitalia.com Festival is the first big event presented by Metalitalia.com, the main Italian portal when it comes to metal music, in partnership with Eagle Booking Live Promotion. The event is set to take place Saturday, May 5th at the Live Music Club of Trezzo Sull’Adda (Milan), Italy. 11 bands, 2 headliners, aftershow party, stalls, CD, merchandise, contests and lots of surprises!
LORDI, MOONSPELL, STRANA OFFICINA, FORGOTTEN TOMB, RAIN, HOUR OF PENANCE, HOLY MARTYR, DESTRAGE, FROM THE DEPTH, AGONY FACE, WAKE ARKANE
TIME SCHEDULE
Doors: 13.00, (bands schedule to follow)
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale for 25 € + pre-sale commission or for € 30 at the door and they are available through the following retailers:
Live Music Club (www.liveclub.it) with its advanced technical equipment is one of the most important and renowned venues in Italy for indoor events. The location offers also a big outdoor area where you’ll find merchandise, meet & greet area, food and bar. Moreover, at the first floor the Live Club Restaurant with its 100 seats is the best place to eat with an exclusive view of the stage.
TRAVELLING TO METALITALIA. COM FESTIVAL
BY CAR:
Il Live Music Club – Via Mazzini 58, Trezzo sull’Adda (MI) – highway A4 Torino-Venezia, exit Trezzo sull’Adda.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
I’ts very simple to reach Live Music Club with public transports. You can use the Subway Line 2 (Green) that stop in Gessate – linked to Trezzo with a bus. Also we suggest the Nordest bus from Milano to Bergamo / Bergamo to Milano that stop next to Live Club, please see here for all timetables. After the festival you will be able to get from Live Music Club to Milan Central Station. You can book your seat by writing to servizionavetta@liveclub.it, indicating also how many people need the service. The price depends on the number of users and will start from a minimal price of 10 euros. See here for further information.
We remind you that the City of Milan has developed in collaboration with ATM the service BUS BY NIGHT: every Friday and Saturday night, every hour from 2:00 until 5:10 in the morning. The service allows to return home in any area within the city, thanks to the 9 terminus identified in areas where it is concentrated the highest number of nightclubs. The cost is that of an ordinary urban ticket (1.50 €), you can buy it on board. More information here
BY PLANE:
– from Milano – Linate Airport: reach Milano Stazione Centrale railway station by public transport and then follow the aforementioned instructions.
– from Milano – Malpensa Airport (Easyjet): reach Milano Stazione Centrale railway station by public transport and then follow the aforementioned instructions.
– from Bergamo – Orio Al Serio Ariport (Ryanair): you can reach the Bergamo railway station by taking the airport shuttle bus. Then take the NordEst bus line to Trezzo sull’Adda.
HOTEL
Who need to stay there at night, is also possible to sleep in hotel at discounted prices. See the Live Music Club official website for all the details.
DISABLED
The disabled who want access to Metalitalia.com Festival have to purchase a regular ticket for access, while the carer will have a free ticket.
It is necessary send a request by fax to 0290980257 or email info@liveclub.it NO LATER THAN THE TENTH DAY BEFORE THE DATE OF THE CONCERT. The request must contain:
-medical documentation of the disabled person
-identity of the disabled person
-The name of the carer (with their telephone number and / or email)
-the band’s name, the date and place of the concert at which you want to attend
-photocopy of the ticket already purchased
-The accompanist name will be added to credits lists the day of the show
-Live Music Club will contact you to confirm the procedure. Anyway we suggest to arrive at the show with a copy of the fax or email stating that the request has been sent in right time.
Frontiers Records will the release of the brand new studio album from Norwegian powerhouse vocalist Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN, AVANTASIA), “Bring Heavy Rock To The Land”, on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America.
Following a three-year silence since the release of “Spirit Black”, Jorn unleashes upon the world yet another slab of classic hard rock with metal elements.
“I think this album follows a similar Jorn tradition like those before, more heavy rock oriented than metal,” says Jorn. “But, as usual, it’s not one musical expression all the way through the album, but a variety of musical landscapes within the categories of rock and metal.”
A winning formula should not change, so Jorn has again worked with Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark, who mixed the album, ensuring the right edge to the rich guitar and vocal sound that is now trademark to all JORN releases. The lineup sees the return of Jimmy Iversen on guitar who also appeared on “Spirit Black”. The pairing with Tore Moren works really well and gives Jorn‘s sound the usual depth and solidity.
As usual, in addition to the original material, Jorn offers some interesting covers. This time, MASTERPLAN‘s “Time to Be King” and Christopher Cross‘ “Ride Like The Wind” are the ones to get the Jorn treatment.
“When we wrote ‘Time To Be King’, I heard a different and more rock-oriented arrangement in my mind,” says Jorn, “so after the MASTERPLAN album was released, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would sound if it was recorded with this other arrangement. I don’t know which one’s better, I have ended up liking both versions. As for Christopher Cross, I have always loved ‘West Coast’-oriented music and bands like 10CC, PAGES, SANTANA, LITTLE RIVER BAND, EAGLES and so on. So I thought ‘Ride Like The Wind’ would be a good song to do Jorn style. SAXON also released a version of this song in the ’80s, and the arrangement we made ended up beeing a mix between the original version and SAXON‘s. It’s also a fun song to sing and play.”
Jorn Lande‘s strong and diverse voice and solid songwriting skills have now become legendary in the hard rock world. In a career spanning over close to 40 album releases, as frontman for ARK and MASTERPLAN, in addition to featuring on spectacular projects such as NOSTRADAMUS “The Rock Opera”, BEYOND TWILIGHT “The Devil’s Hall of Fame”, Tobias Sammet‘s AVANTASIA and AYREON.
“If you buy a Jorn album today, you know what you will get,” states Jorn Lande. You are guaranteed to get your adrenaline going with the riveting sound that has solid roots in classic hard rock/heavy metal music, such as DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and WHITESNAKE.
“Bring Heavy Rock To The Land” track listing:
01. My Road
02. Bring Heavy Rock To The Land
03. A Thousand Cuts
04. Ride Like The Wind
05. Chains Around You
06. The World I See
07. Time To Be King
08. Ride To The Guns
09. Black Morning
10. I Came To Rock
11. Live And Let Fly (bonus track)
The title track, “Bring Heavy Rock To The Land”, will be released as a single worldwide on May 14. A video for the song is in the works and will be directed by Thomas Tjäder (PRETTY MAIDS, IN FLAMES). Jorn says, “The title track has really a strong Jorn trademark. It was a natural choice for a title track, I felt the same about ‘Lonely Are The Brave’ back in 2008. Sometimes one song’s got the magic and you just know it. ‘Bring Heavy Rock To The Land’ is such a song and regardless of how the whole album is evaluated by critics, I feel that this song will live on and become an essential Jorn classic!”
Jorn will appear live at select shows in Europe during the summer. Source: Blabbermouth.net
Chief Shock Video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 