As previously posted, Metal Shock Finland presented The GuitarMasterClass Competition, in which you had the chance to win one of three memberships for six months on GuitarMasterClass.net. We had a big response from Metal Shock Finland readers with lots of votes. We would like to thank everyone who participated and can now announce the winners.
Mohsen Fayyazi and Ali Blackdiamond had a chat with Niklas Stalvind (WOLF) and Alex Landenburg (RHAPSODY) who helped choose our winners. If you would like to find out the results listen to the audio clip below:
GuitarMasterClass, often called GMC, was founded March 12th 2006 by Kristofer Dahl a professional guitarist, instructor, and resident of Stockholm, Sweden. GMC is run by the Swedish company Rock My Web AB, owned by Kristofer Dahl and Maria Gasch. From the beginning, the GuitarMasterClass website has been developed in close cooperation with Henrik Skotth Konsult AB.
* Metal Shock Finland would like to thank Niklas Stalvind and Alex Landenburg for the help and continued support. We wish you all the best and success in your Metal awesomeness.
The first four albums from TALISMAN — the now-defunct Swedish-American melodic hard rock band featuring singer Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY) and bassist Marcel Jacob (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) — will be re-released on September 12 in new digipak artwork design with exclusive booklets and previously unrelesed pictures and audio.
Former TALISMAN members Fredrik Åkesson (now in OPETH), Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL) and Jamie Borger (TREAT), have contributed old demo recordings, featuring Marcel on bass and guitar.
The first four reissues:
* “Talisman” (1990)
* “Genesis” (1993)
* “Five Out Of Five – Live In Japan” (1994)
* “Humanimal” (1994)
“Live In Japan” was remixed during the summer of 2012 by Pontus Norgren.
More TALISMAN albums will be re-released later in the fall and a DVD/Blu-ray is also in the works.
Marcel Jacob was a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist in the hard rock bands TALISMAN and LAST AUTUMN’S DREAM.
In 1978, he formed the band RISING FORCE together with guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Four years later, Jacob joined the band FORCE, which later changed its name to EUROPE, replacing John Levén, who took Jacob‘s place in RISING FORCE. During his time in FORCE, Jacob wrote the song “Black Journey for My Soul” together with vocalist Joey Tempest. The song was eventually included on EUROPE‘s second album, “Wings of Tomorrow”, re-titled “Scream of Anger”. After spending three months in FORCE, Jacob traded places with John Levén again, who apparently had issues with Malmsteen.
In 1987, Jacob played on the album “Total Control”, the first solo LP released by EUROPE guitarist John Norum. Jacob also co-wrote several of the songs included on that album.
Two years later he formed the band TALISMAN together with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. Throughout the years TALISMAN was Jacob‘s major project and the band released several studio and live albums until 2007.
Jacob died on July 21, 2009. He was 45 years old. TALISMAN vocalist Jeff Scott Soto stated about Marcel‘s passing: “It is with deep regret and remorse I, along with fellow members of TALISMAN, am announcing our brother, longtime colleague and overall greatest musician we’ve ever played with, Marcel Jacob, is no longer with us as of today, Tuesday July 21, 2009. Marcel took his own life after many years of personal and health issues he was battling.”
Soilwork’s DIRK VERBEUREN has issued the following on his official blog:
What’s up fellow blasters and shredders?! Buried somewhere deep within my hectic schedule, I finally found some scraps of free time. In the resulting new instructional video series, I’ll be focusing on double kick drumming.
Many of you have emailed me asking “How can I get faster feet?” or “How can I build my stamina when playing double kick?” In this and the following videos, I’m going to share what I’ve learned over the years in the hopes of answering some of those questions and maybe even making you happier drummers.
First up: a basic single stroke exercise which should get you started regardless of your level. I’m demonstrating a gradual increase in speed, but remember to begin at a tempo that’s realistic for you. And don’t forget the keys to success: Practice, Patience and Perseverance!
Feel free to email your requests and questions to info[at]dirkverbeuren[dot]com.
Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM will release their photo book, “Roadkill”, on Wednesday, August 8 via Hatecrew.com. The first 666 copies are numbered and personally signed by the band.
Photography for “Roadkill” started in 2007. It includes exclusive material of life on the road, shows, promo shoots, recording sessions, album cover production and the worldwide “hate crew,” as the band’s fans are affectionately known. The book also contains comments and diary entries by the band and the photographer, Jussi Hyttinen of FLC415.
According to a press release, “Roadkill” “is about perspective. There are no on stage hero shots from the photo pit. Instead it presents a very intimate viewpoint of the band and the hate crew. A raw photographic documentary of how the life of CHILDREN OF BODOM really looks like.”
“Roadkill” is a heavy 230 mm x 237 mm hardcover book with 256 pages.
A trailer for the book can be seen below.
CHILDREN OF BODOM was forced to cancel several shows last month — including those in Oslo, Norway and Malmö, Sweden — after guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho was rushed to the hospital with extreme stomach pain.
After spending a week and a half receiving treatment in Oslo, Alexi was released from the hospital and the band performed at this year’s Ilosaarirock festival, which was held July 13-15 in Joensuu, Finland.
CHILDREN OF BODOM recently inked a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Nuclear Blast Records.
The second part of a track-by-track breakdown of “Manala”, the eighth studio album from Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI, can be seen below. The CD was released on August 3 via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork was created by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund.
Commented KORPIKLAANI vocalist Jonne Järvelä: “On the album cover, our band mascot Vaari represents Väinämöinen, who is one of the main characters in the Finnish national epic ‘Kalevala’.
“As most of the lyrics on ‘Manala’ are based on the ‘Kalevala’, Jan Yrlund decided to draw his inspiration for the cover artwork from the beautiful but yet brutal depiction of the underworld in Finnish mythology.”
The limited digipack edition of “Manala” comes with a bonus CD containing the entire album with English lyrics.
01. Honor
02. At The Huts Of The Underworld
03. The Steel
04. Soil Of The Corpse
05. Predator’s Saliva
06. Dark Side
07. Ieva’s Polka
08. Husky-Sledge
09. Dolorous
10. Dream
11. Off To The Hunt
The “Rauta” (English-language title: “The Steel”) Markku Kirves-directed video can be seen below.
Jonne Järvelä previously stated about KORPIKLAANI‘s new album, “‘Manala’ is the realm of the dead — the underworld in Finnish mythology. Tuonela, Tuoni, Manala and Mana are used synonymously. This place is best known for its appearance in the Finnish national epic Kalevala, on which many of our new songs are based. In the 16th poem of Kalevala, Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero travels to Manala to seek for knowledge about the dead. On the journey he meets the ferrywoman (similar to Charon), a girl, Tuonen tytti, or Tuonen piika (Death’s maid), who takes him across the river of Tuoni. However, on the isle of Tuoni he is not given the spells he was originally looking for and he barely manages to escape the place. After his return he curses anyone trying to enter the place alive.”
“Manala” marks the recording debut of the band’s new fiddler, Tuomas Rounakari.
The previously announced first annual Mayhem Festival Cruise — which was scheduled to set sail on Friday, December 7, 2012 from the Port of Miami, Florida and travels to the Bahamas, returning to the mainland on Monday, December 10 — has been canceled.
The event’s organizers have released the following statement:
“Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have been forced to cancel the Mayhem Festival Cruise.
“If you purchased a cruise package, you will be automatically refunded to the credit card you used to purchase. If you used a prepaid card or gift card to purchase the cruise, please contact Rose Tours for your refund (215-663-8800). If you used a credit or debit card, you will see the credit within the next 2 to 3 weeks. We are also offering anyone who purchased a cruise ticket a lifetime complimentary pass to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival summer tour. You will still receive your cruise refund in addition to the lifetime pass to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour. This pass is valid on any tour date beginning in 2013. Details on getting these lifetime passes will be announced shortly.
“We apologize for the cancelation.”
Mayhem Festival Cruise promised to offer fans a chance to experience a blistering 90-minute set from each one of six killer heavy metal bands — LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, ANTHRAX, HATEBREED, SUICIDE SILENCE and KINGDOM OF SORROW — as well as additional showcase sets from Century Media, Metal Blade Records, Roadrunner Records and Sumerian Records artists, including GOJIRA, PERIPHERY, BORN OF OSIRIS, BATTLECROSS, OTHERWISE, GIRL ON FIRE, ANTI MORTEM, and GYSPYHAWK. Mayhem veterans JDevil (Jonathan Davis of KORN) and DJ Starscream (Sid of SLIPKNOT) were also slated to perform full DJ sets each night.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 