Anders Björler of AT THE GATES and THE HAUNTED has recorded a guest solo for a song called “Ocean” from Gothenburg, Sweden-based metallers COLDTEARS. The track, which will be released via iTunes in a few weeks, will appear on the new COLDTEARS album, “Silence Them All”, along with 20 other cuts.
COLDTEARS guitarist David Johansson wrote the music for the chorus of the title track of the latest THE HAUNTED album, “Unseen”. In addition, former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving was a guest vocalist on the first COLDTEARS EP, “Warning”, in the song “No Ordinary Ghost”, which he also wrote the lyrics for.
Kim Thore of Über Röck recently conducted an interview with ’80s hard rock queen Lita Ford. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Über Röck: It’s been reported that prior to this new album [“Living Like A Runaway”], a lot of your fans said they wanted a “real” Lita album. What do you think they meant by that? In my opinion, I believe the new CD is the best you have put out. The guitars and vocals are really tight… from beginning to end it is a powerhouse.
Lita: Thank you! Well, this was an album I wrote during one of the darkest times of my life. I was going through this divorce and I needed somewhere to channel my feelings. My hurt, my pain, my aggression, my sadness, my happiness…all of these feelings are in this record. When you listen to the tracks, they are believable because they are real. Songs like “Mother”, for example… when we wrote it, I thought it’s either going to come across really cheesy or really amazing. I remember thinking that if we can capture the true meaning of this song, it will work and we were able to. It just came together; it was like a gift from God, this album. It took a year to write, it was a slow process, seeming like two years, and it came to me a piece at a time. Gary Hoey, who produced the album, offered me the use of his studio and I took him up on the offer. I was looking for a record producer anyway and Gary and I ended up locking ourselves up in his studio for a year and recording this wonderful album. Along with his help and my wonderful songwriting partner, Michael Dan Ehmig — who’s from Florida, by the way. He is a lyricist, and he is brilliant. The three of us wrote this record…and we kept it amongst ourselves — we really didn’t reach out to many people for help. Gary ended up playing the bass, I played the guitars, Gary played some of the guitars, me and Gary plus a couple of his nieces did the backup vocals…. We kept it real close. Sometimes, as they say, too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the stew and I think it’s true. So for this record, by keeping it in our hands we were able to keep it focused.
Über Röck: Obviously you’ve had a tough couple of years personally. A lot of songwriters claim that when life is kicking them in the teeth, so to speak, that’s when some of their best songwriting comes to light. Did you find that to be the case with “Living Like a Runaway”? Or was it just right time, right place?
Lita: Well, it’s definitely the turmoil… Also, I have had a lot of rock and roll built up in me as I haven’t made a record in a while. I had a lot of built up riffs in my head and songtitles. Just going through the drama I went through with the divorce was like throwing fuel on the fire. It really ignited when I started writing — it was like one song after another… boom …boom …boom. We kept the original vocals on the songs — we didn’t redo it, redo it again, then redo it another time… It’s like the first time you make love to someone, it’s like the most amazing sex you’ve ever had…you know what I mean? [laughs] So, we went with it.
Über Röck: I thought Gary Hoey was an interesting choice as a producer. Can you tell our readers what it was like to work with him?
Lita: Well, first of all, Gary and his family, his wife and kids, are just wonderful people and so easy to be around…..hospitable and welcoming… so they really made me feel good while I was there. Gary takes your songs and brings the best out of you and that is what a good producer does. He takes the artist and the music and brings out the best in both — we were all able to really connect on a lot of levels. I would take an idea and give it to Gary and he would take it to the next level. And then he would throw it back to me and I would take it to the next level. Sometimes we would get stuck… We had a third songwriting partner, Michael, and we would get him on the phone. We would say, “Michael, we’re stuck,” and he’d reply, “What have you got so far?” We’d only a title! He’d go away for eight hours and come back with five pages of lyrics. So at the end of three or four days, we had a complete song — it was just amazing and a great way to work. As a result, we were able to live with the songs for a while to make sure we were in love with them.
German TV channel ZDF Kultur conducted an interview with guitarist Silenoz (real name: Sven Atle Kopperud) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR at this year’s Wacken Open Air festival, which took place August 2-4 in Wacken, Germany. You can now watch the chat below.
DIMMU BORGIR‘s current touring lineup includes Geir Bratland (APOPTYGMA BERZERK, THE KOVENANT) on keyboards and Terje Andersen (a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA) on bass.
DIMMU BORGIR performed one very exclusive show on May 28, 2011 at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway with a special, never-to-be-repeated setlist with 53 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and 30 members of the Schola Cantorum choir, who were musical guests on the band’s ninth studio album, “Abrahadabra”.
The concert, dubbed “Forces Of The Northern Night”, was professionally filmed and was broadcast as part of a one-hour documentary in June 2011 on NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company and the largest media organization in Norway.
“Abrahadabra”, the ninth album from DIMMU BORGIR, was released in Germany on September 24, 2010, in the rest of Europe on September 27, 2010, and it was made available in North America on October 12, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Sweden Rock Magazine correspondent Daniela Pilic recently conducted an interview with FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) for her blog, In The Rearview Mirror. You can now watch the chat below.
FIREWIND‘s new single, “Wall Of Sound”, was certified gold in Sweden by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 10,000 copies.
“Wall Of Sound” was exclusively distributed in Sweden via Sweden Rock Magazine and each copy of the magazine containing the digipak CD — including the album tracks “Wall Of Sound” and “Few Against Many” as well as a previously unreleased demo version of “Wall Of Sound” — was counted towards the certification; the single itself was **not** sold separately.
The members of FIREWIND were presented with “Wall Of Sound” gold plaques by Daniela Pilic on July 18 during their hometown concert in Thessaloniki, Greece.
“Few Against Many” sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 28 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
“Few Against Many” was released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.
Produced by Gus, “Few Against Many” was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE).
Professionally filmed video footage of EDGUY‘s entire August 4 performance as the “surprise” closing act at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany can be seen below.
As previously reported, EDGUY vocalist Tobias Sammet slipped off the stage this on July 14 during the fifth song of the band’s performance at the Bang Your Head!!!festival in Balingen, Germany. While the rest of the band continued to play, Tobias fell into the photographers’ pit, hit the concrete ground and sustained a number of injuries: a fracture of the nose, a severe hip contusion, a severe rib contusion and several abrasions and cuts. Despite the fact that Tobias was in severe pain, EDGUY performed its full set, which went on for another hour.
EDGUY‘s new album, “Age Of The Joker”, sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 21 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
EDGUY‘s previous CD, “Tinnitus Sanctus”, opened with 600 units back in February 2009 to land at No. 88 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.
“Age Of The Joker” was released in Europe on August 29, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Peppermint Park studio (SCORPIONS, PHIL COLLINS) in Hannover, which was previously described by the group as “a recording temple with a tremendously great-sounding room.” The album features 11 songs with a total running time of over one hour. The limited-edition digipack contains a bonus disc with six additional songs.
Peek From The Pit conducted an interview with guitarist Luca Turilli of the Italian “cinematic” metal band LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY at this year’s edition of the Hellfest festival, which was held June 15-17 in Clisson, France. You can watch the chat below.
In August 2011, RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboardist Alex Staropoli announced their decision to go their separate ways.
Due to legal reasons, Staropoli is continuing under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, is making his efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE‘s original name), in which he is joined by guitarist Dominique Leurquin, bassist Patrice Guers, singer Alessandro Conti (TRICK OR TREAT) and drummer Alex Landenburg (AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR, MEKONG DELTA, STRATOVARIUS).
LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY‘s new album, “Ascending To Infinity”, entered the German Media Control chart at the position No. 32.
“Ascending To Infinity” track listing:
01. Quantum X
02. Ascending To Infinity
03. Dante’s Inferno
04. Excalibur
05. Tormento E Passione
06. Dark Fate Of Atlantis
07. Fantasia Gotica
08. Clash Of The Titans
09. Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer’s Fall
I. Alma Mundi
II. Fatum Mortalis
III. Ignis Divinus
The “Dark Fate Of Atlantis” video was filmed in Stockholm, Sweden by Swedish director Owe Lingvall of Dreamday Media (THE RASMUS, KAMELOT‘s “The Great Pandemonium”). The song was edited and made shorter for the video while on the CD it appears in its original version of 6 minutes and 29 seconds.
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 ) 