“This Is War”, the new EP from HALFORD guitarist “Metal” Mike Chlasciak, will be released in August via iTunes, Amazon MP3 and all major digital retailers. It will feature the second single from Mike’s upcoming solo album, “The Metalworker”, as well as additional tracks from the full-length CD.
An audio sample of Chlasciak‘s last single, “Hell No!”, is available for streaming at CDBaby.com.
“Hell No!” features Chlasciak and vocalist Carlos Zema (OUTWORLD, VOUGAN) alongside Kevin Talley (DAATH, CHIMAIRA, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER) on drums and Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) on bass.
Produced by Mike, “The Metalworker” was mixed by Orlando Villasenor at Dead Room Studio in San Antonio, Texas. Artwork was provided by Guilherme Sevens of Sevens Design Studio (ADAGIO, PAINSIDE).
“I am excited that ‘The Metalworker’ is nearing the shore,” says Mike. “I am extremely proud of it. I must confess that it is everything I wanted it to be not only as an artist, but also as a fan of heavy metal. I wanted to make the absolute best album that I could make with no compromises, no matter how long it took and I did that.”
“The Metalworker” will feature the following songs:
* On Leather Wings
* Don’t Shoot The Crown
* Silence Of The Steel
* Tonight We Ride
* We Are The Cross
* This Is War
* M Is For Metal
* Hell No
* Weight Of The Heart
Talley previously stated about his involvement with “The Metalworker”, “As a full-time studio drummer, it is sometimes overwhelming to constantly track ultra-technical brutal death metal songs. But, while tracking ‘The Metalworker’ album for Metal Mike, it reminds me why I got into metal in the first place … straight-forward brutal catchy riffs without any of the B.S. associated with most metal bands today. This is the ‘meat and potatoes’ of metal, if you will. It’s not one of those ‘Can I have a side salad, please?’ type of bands. The album plows with killer riffage, ragin’ leads, and ultra-sick double bass for days.”
An attorney for LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in connection with the death of a fan two years ago, tells Blesk.cz that the singer is very sorry and he wants to meet the fan’s family upon his release, which is expected early next week.
Blythe, 41, is accused of causing the fatal injury that occurred at LAMB OF GOD‘s May 24, 2010 show in Prague. The singer allegedly either pushed or struck a 19-year-old fan named Daniel N. — a guitarist in a local metal band — and that person died almost a month later of bleeding in the brain.
Randy has been charged with causing “bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan” and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Blythe remains in detention at Pankrác Prison in Prague even after his manager posted 4 million Czech Koruna bail (approximately $200,000), as set by the court last Saturday. But the bail system in the Czech Republic is not as rapid as in the U.S.
Although bail has been posted, the decision to release the singer is still subject to appeal and so it will take some time for the state prosecutor’s office to give approval.
Despite previous reports that Blythe was considered a flight risk, the musician will be allowed to leave the Czech Republic, said his defense lawyer Martin Radvan.
LAMB OF GOD manager Larry Mazer told The Prague Post said that he and Randy‘s bandmates were shocked to learn of the incident.
According to Mazer, neither he nor the band heard about the case until they arrived in Prague last week for a June 28 performance in the city.
“We are stunned,” he said. “We flew in from Norway and were looking forward to putting on a great show. We would never have come out here if we knew this was going to happen.”
Mazer added that he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been contacted earlier with information related to the case.
“I would raise blood and hell trying to find the person who killed my son. The whole thing is a crock of shit,” he said.
Another one of Blythe‘s Czech attorneys, Tomáš Morysek, told Blesk.cz that his client would have immediately cooperated with the police had he learned of the incident earlier.
DISTURBED‘s David Draiman and GWAR‘s Oderus Urungus are continuing to speak out in defense of LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe, who has been jailed in Prague, the Czech Republic, where he is accused of causing the death of a fan at one of the band’s shows in 2010. Blythe was arrested last week at the Prague airport and charged with manslaughter in connection with a 2010 Prague concert at which he allegedly shoved a local fan off the stage. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death 14 days later.
David Drainman
Blythe faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Although he posted the Czech equivalent of $200,000 in bail, the decision to release the singer is still subject to appeal and so it will take some time for the state prosecutor’s office to give approval.
Draiman: “The only thing [Randy] is guilty of [is being involved in] a horrible accident. Someone comes up on stage, they get thrown back into the pit. [I’ve] done it a hundred times myself. The fault should be in the hands of the venue security who were supposed to ensure that no one got up there. It’s a dangerous thing to try.”
Oderus: “I LOVE Europe and its many pleasures and fully support Euro metalheads. What I am concerned about is the lack of outrage. There should be shows, protests, and continual harassment of the authorities until Randy is free. There should be a mob of metalheads outside the jail where he is being held, 24-7, so when he gets out he can see with his own eyes that he has not been abandoned. All of the video of the incident shows it for what it truly was… a tragic accident. Fucking let him out already!”
A number of other rockers have come to Randy‘s defense, with many of them citing the 2004 shooting death onstage of PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott as the reason why musicians are so defensive nowadays about fans invading the stage.
Draiman‘s bandmate and drummer Mike Wengren told The Pulse Of Radio not along after Dimebag was shot that his death had cast a shadow over live performing. “I think one of the most scariest things is, you go up onstage, and there’s this energy transfer between the band and the crowd, and you almost feel invincible. You feel very empowered. Never in a million years would anyone ever think something like that was even possible, and I think it just caught everyone off guard. It’s pretty scary.”
Oderus
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael simply tweeted, “Everything changed on December 8, 2004. #stayoffthestage #FreeRandyBlythe,” while ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian wrote, “It’s complete and utter bullshit for him to be treated like a criminal for something he didn’t do. Now fans can see firsthand why there’s no stage diving anymore. Especially in the post-Darrell world we live in . . . Of course it’s sad that this person died, it’s a tragedy, but it’s not Randy‘s fault.”
LAMB OF GOD had been touring Europe in support of its latest album, “Resolution”, when Blythe was arrested. The band canceled the rest of its shows and returned home to Richmond, Virginia on Sunday (July 1) — all, of course, except Blythe.
LAMB OF GOD‘s publicist, Adrenaline PR, issued a statement on June 30 stressing that “under no circumstances was there a fight of any kind involved [during LAMB OF GOD‘s 2010 concert]. This incident deals with a fan that three times during the concert jumped the barricade and rushed Randy during the performance. It is alleged that the third time, security was not able to reach him and that Randy pushed him back into the audience where supposedly he fell and hit his head.”
While in town promoting their new Monster Book and album of the same name, KISS performed at the HMV Forum in London, UK tonight (July 4th) which benefitted the British Help For Heroes organization.
KISS’ setlist for the night was as follows:
‘Detroit Rock City’
‘Hell Or Hallelujah’
‘Deuce’
‘Shout It Out Loud’
‘Makin’ Love’
‘I Love It Loud’
‘Shock Me’
‘Calling Dr. Love’
‘100,000 Years’
‘Love Gun’
‘Black Diamond’
Encore:
‘Crazy Crazy Nights’
‘Lick It Up’
Rock and Roll All Nite
‘God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You II’
On February 3, singer Cristina Scabbia of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL was interviewed by Gilles Lartigot of “Heavy Metal Food”, the Radio Metal column associating metal music with cooking, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.
LACUNA COIL recently completed the “Dark Legacy” North American tour. The band’s only headlining run in the United States in 2012 featured a set of more than two hours, with material spanning all of LACUNA COIL‘s albums.
LACUNA COIL‘s new album, “Dark Adrenaline”, sold around 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band’s previous CD, “Shallow Life”, opened with 21,000 units back April 2009 to land at No. 16.
LACUNA COIL‘s 2006 album, “Karmacode”, premiered with 34,000 copies back in April 2006 to enter the chart at No. 28. It has since sold more than 200,000 units in the U.S.
The band’s 2002 album, “Comalies”, has shifted more than 300,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The five members of the veteran San Francisco Bay Area metal bandDEATH ANGEL are continuing to answer fan-submitted questions via a series of clips posted on their official YouTube channel. You can now see the latest footage below.
DEATH ANGEL made its 1987 debut album, “The Ultra-Violence”, available as a 25th-anniversary reissue after more than 10 years of being out of print. The CD was released on June 6 at 6:00 a.m. PST exclusively at the official DEATH ANGELwebstore. Guitarist Rob Cavestany said, “Digitally remastered but not altered, it sounds leagues better than the original pressing yet retains every ounce of vibe, character and feel that we put into our first record.
“Hope you enjoy this blast from the past as we go ‘old school’ and bring Bay Area thrash in its most primal form from 1987 to 2012. Join us as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of ‘The Ultra-Violence’!”
To coincide with the 25th-anniversary reissue of “The Ultra-Violence”, DEATH ANGEL is performing the album in its entirety this summer on tour in Europe. Select dates in other parts of the world may follow.
DEATH ANGEL recently joined forces with SEPULTURA, KRISIUN and HAVOK for a North American tour.
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 ) 