GUNS N’ ROSES, MACHINE HEAD, GOTTHARD, ADRENALINE MOB, SEBASTIAN BACH, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BLACK VEIL BRIDES and THE TREATMENT are the latest acts confirmed for the 2012 edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting, which will be held from June 22nd – 24th in Dessel, Belgium.
Acts confirmed now include: ADRENALINE MOB, ALESTORM, AMON AMARTH, AS I LAY DYING, AUGUST BURNS RED, SEBASTIAN BACH, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK VEIL BRIDES, CANNIBAL CORPSE, CHILDREN OF BODOM, COMEBACK KID, DEATH ANGEL, DEVILDRIVER, DIMMU BORGIR, EMMURE, ENSIFERUM, EUROPE, EXODUS, GOTTHARD, GUNS N’ ROSES, HATEBREED, H2O, IHSAHN, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, KYUSS LIVES, LAMB OF GOD, LEPROUS, MACHINE HEAD, MEGADETH, MOTÖRHEAD, NASUM, OBITUARY, JON OLIVA’S PAIN, PARADISE LOST, PENNYWISE, POSSESSED, SABATON, SACRED REICH, SICK OF IT ALL, SKELETONWITCH, SLAYER, THE SPUDMONSTERS, TEXAS IN JULY, THE TREATMENT, TRIVIUM, UNEARTH, WINDS OF PLAGUE, WHITECHAPEL, WINTERFYLLETH, YOUNG GUNS.
According to WENN.com, ADAM LAMBERT has confirmed he is set to join QUEEN as the band’s new frontman for a tour this summer.
The star was joined by original group members Brian May and Roger Taylor during his finale performance on 2009’s American Idol, and the trio teamed up once more at the MTV European Music Awards in November.
The collaborations led to speculation that Lambert would be stepping in to take the place of late singer Freddie Mercury in an upcoming trek, and Taylor fuelled the reports, saying in December, “He has grown into a really great performer with an astonishing voice… We would like to work with him again. There’s nothing signed just yet but we’re talking about live dates.”
Lambert has now announced he will be touring with May and Taylor throughout 2012 – including dates at Knebworth in England, where Queen played their final gig with Mercury in 1986, before his death in 1991.
He tells Britain’s Daily Star, “The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f–king great songs. It’s to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of.”
However, Lambert insists he doesn’t intend to take Mercury’s place: “After the EMAs, I heard faint little slithers of a backlash from people saying: ‘You can’t replace Freddie Mercury.’ But I already knew that.
“There’s no intention in my mind of replacing Freddie. That’s impossible. The way I’m choosing to view it is that it’s a great honour and one I’m in no way going to shirk… Being asked to front Queen is the best thing that can possibly happen.”
Drummer Tom Hunting of San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS was interviewed by “Metal Zone” host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone about the upcoming special concert to mark the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff‘s passing. Dubbed “Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance”, the event will take place on Saturday, February 4 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse and will feature “a mind-blowing lineup” — including EXODUS, POSSESSED, FORBIDDEN and HEATHEN — “that will rock your socks off!” according to a press release.
You can now watch the interview below.
Commented EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt: “With February 2nd being the 10 year anniversary of Paul‘s passing, the band knew it was high time we do something special to remember the legend of Paul Baloff, so we decided to put together a show the Bay Area will not soon forget. We’ve pulled some of the Bay’s finest for this, bands who knew and shared many a stage and drink with Pavel. There are some nice surprises in store as well! It will be ten years and two days since the thrash world lost one of its greatest frontmen ever, and we will always make sure his memory lives on and is never forgotten. Long live The Destroyer!”
Added FORBIDDEN guitarist and founding member Craig Locicero: “Everyone in FORBIDDEN is honored to have been asked by Gary and EXODUS to play this show marking the 10th anniversary of Paul Baloff‘s crazy fucking life! I witnessed his insanity first-hand at the Mabouhay Gardens and Ruthie’s Inn. As EXODUS got bigger, Paul got crazier — in a good way. It was genius at work. He was the mold that all thrash frontmen cut themselves from, but he was also a pretty damn sweet guy. Always kind to those he liked, he’d be in the front row at FORBIDDEN gigs screaming things like ‘Why does it have to be so heavy?’ and my favorite, ‘Heavier than time!’ I’m laughing just typing this!
“At his memorial, I saw people I hadn’t seen in years. So much love, so many laughs. It made me happy in some strange way just to see that kind of respect displayed for Paul. We all really loved him. Luckily his legend has returned with a vengeance… and hey, Paul, you did it: You’ve become heavier than time!”
Scheduled performers:
Main Stage
EXODUS
POSSESSED
FORBIDDEN
HEATHEN
MAD AT SAM
Second Stage
ANGERHEAD
MUDFACE
THE VENTING MACHINE
HELLFIRE
HYSTERIA
It was almost a decade ago — on January 31, 2002 — that Paul Baloff suffered a major stroke and was brought to Highland General Hospital in Northern California, where he remained in a coma until he was declared brain dead. On February 2, 2002, his doctors shut off his life support, leaving him to die in his sleep. He had no previous known health problems, and the stroke was a complete surprise to everyone around him.
On the fifth anniversary of Baloff‘s passing, Holt said, “[Paul‘s] contribution to metal lives on. How else can you explain how a guy can record one album (twice!) and still be remembered as a thrash legend to this very day? Raise those glasses high, and hide your wallets, because Paul might just be right behind you!”
“Let There Be Blood”, the controversial re-recording of EXODUS‘ classic 1985 debut album, “Bonded by Blood”, was issued in October 2008 through Zaentz Records.
Regarding the band’s decision to re-record “Bonded By Blood”, Holt previously said: “It is our way of paying homage to Paul Baloff by showing how relevant these songs we had written together still are. We aren’t trying to replace the original; that’s impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production. It’s something we talked about before Paul‘s death and it’s always been important to us to do. We were super-excited about entering the studio once again to record these classics.” Current EXODUS vocalist Rob Dukes added, “Paul was rad, totally original. He was not like [METALLICA‘s James] Hetfield or [SLAYER‘s Tom] Araya. I think at times he wanted to be, but he was simply himself. He had a really cool way of going up with his voice in the weirdest spots. I, myself, find it cool and original.”
LegendaryRockInterviews.com’s John Parks has issued an interview with DIO DISCIPLES drummer Simon Wright (ex-DIO, AC/DC). An excerpt follows:
Q: What are you up to currently Simon? Are Dio Disciples still out?
A: “Yes, we are still concentrating on Dio Disciples and just organising dates for 2012.”
Q: How did it feel the very first time you stepped onstage without Ronnie (James Dio) and how do you explain the band to people who are critical of you guys for carrying on?
A: “The first Dio Disciples show was Moscow, Russia, June 8th, 2011. We rehearsed for about a week before we left and it was weird at times, we tried to keep working/playing and stay productive to take our minds off the fact that Ronnie wasn’t there, but there were moments when I thought, ‘I wish I wasn’t doing this, ya know, we should be rehearsing for a new Dio tour’. The show in Moscow went well, it was hard to concentrate at times, especially playing ‘Catch The Rainbow’, many, many in the front row were crying. That’s a heavy thing and it was very emotional for everyone, but you have to keep going for Ronnie and the fans. That is what Dio Disciples is all about, we want to keep Ronnie’s songs alive for the fans, I was in his band for 14 years, I was around Ronnie during the horrible chemo when he got sick and I’ll be damned if I’m just gonna walk away and not keep his name and his music alive for him and the fans. Call me crazy, but there you have it.”
Video footage of Dio Disciples, taking part in the Living Legends Jam at the 2012 NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) convention, which took place January 19th – 22nd at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, can be seen below:
Dio Disciples recently announced that they will be headlining the first day of the three-day Kavarna Rock Festival, taking place July 13th – 15th in Kavarna, Bulgaria. July 13th has been renamed RONNIE JAMES DIO Day at the festival.
On February 28th in North America, March 2nd in the Benelux / Germany, and March 5th in the UK and rest of Europe, Relapse Records will issue a deluxe live 2CD DEATH collection featuring two separate Death concerts, titled Vivus!
Each of the 24 songs featured on Vivus! can now be previewed on iTunes.
Both shows contained on Vivus! were recorded in 1998. Disc one features the band at the height of their prowess tearing the roof off of the infamous Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, while disc two is a brilliant recording of the band on the festival stage at Dynamo Open Air.
This collection will contain extensive liner notes from Death insiders and never-before-seen photos of the band.
Vivus! tracklisting:
Disc 1 – Live In LA – 1998
‘The Philosopher’
‘Spirit Crusher’
‘Trapped In A Corner’
‘Scavenger Of Human Sorrow’
‘Crystal Mountain’
‘Flesh And The Power It Holds’
‘Zero Tolerance’
‘Zombie Ritual’
‘Suicide Machine’
‘Together As One’
‘Empty Words’
‘Symbolic’
‘Pull The Plug’
Disc 2 – Live In Eindhoven – 1998
‘The Philosopher’
‘Trapped in a Corner’
‘Crystal Mountain’
‘Suicide Machine’
‘Together As One’
‘Zero Tolerance’
‘Lack Of Comprehension’
‘Flesh and the Power It Holds’
‘Flattening of Emotions’
‘Spirit Crusher’
‘Pull the Plug’
PATRICIA THOMAS Management has issued the following:
In a statement issued by the band today, Norwegian Blackened Metallers BYFROST have announced that they have parted ways with “Alkolust”, their drummer since 2008. Frontman Heavyharms commented: “We have had a great time playing with Alkolust over the years and we wish him the best with his other projects. And to all our fans out there, this is not the end, but very much a new beginning. Horns to the Sky!”
Formed in Bergen, the heartland of Norwegian extreme metal, in 2007 by Heavy Harms and Ripmeister, BYFROST released their debut album “Black Earth” on Painkiller records in early 2010, and, on the strength of this release, were quickly picked up by Germany’s AFM records. The band’s second full-length album, “Of Death”, which was once again produced by ENSLAVED’s Herbrand Larsen, who also guested on the album, was released in June 2011 to much critical acclaim.
BYFROST, whose trademark dark, heavy riffs, with a menacing touch of iciness, make it almost impossible to listen to the band without wanting to bang your head, will use session drummers both for live performances and recording going forward, and do not anticipate any break in activity. More information about BYFROST can be found on the band’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BYFROST
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 ) 