<![CDATA[Sonic Syndicate: Nathan Biggs Reviews Korn]]>Nathan Biggs moved to Sweden to front Sonic Syndicate. He agreed to give us a Brit’s eye view of metal in Scandinavia. (more…)
]]>Nathan Biggs moved to Sweden to front Sonic Syndicate. He agreed to give us a Brit's eye view of metal in Scandinavia.
MH: You’ll know Nathan better as the singer who left our shores to join Scandinavian metallers Sonic Syndicate. Well, he’s now living in Finland and we wanted to take full advantage of this. Any rocker worth his salt knows the nation’s capital of Helsinki is fast becoming one of the hottest places to be for gigs, all‐night parties, rock star hangouts and all sorts of trouble. Which is why in the industry its become affectionately known as simply "Hell". And if we know Nathan (which we do) he’ll be right in the thick of it. So we thought we’d give him the reigns to his own Metal Hammer blog!
N: I’ve been here less than a month and I can honestly say after my travels the world over that Helsinki is fuckin’ crazy! In this short time I’ve been boozing with Children of Bodom, sharing a studio with The Rasmus, gone to a music video premiere where everyone is dressed like zombies, drank my body weight in tequila with the Nuclear Blast crew, partied like a vampire with the 69 Eyes, sat in on the mastering sessions for Amorphis’s new album, and hit the bars with movie and music video director Antti Jokinen! And as if that isn't enough my social life has been flipped upside down too! I’m now dating the singer of all girl finish rock band Barbe‐Q‐barbies, moved house (again!) and bought a massive pit bull (RIP to Jake). There is always something happening in this city... and I know just were I’m gonna take your first…
…THE GREEN ROOM!
Its no secret that this has quickly become THE place to be. Some people are calling it a sleaze rock-bar, others are calling it the new Rainbow, I just call it my home from home! Whatever your opinion it can't be denied it packed ever night with metal-heads, record label peeps, rock stars and the like. The spirit shelf is massive and the music is excellent. And its all down to a very good friend of mine. Jussi 69 drummer for the 69Eyes. Catch up with my next blog where I interrogate him to find out what exactly goes on in this mad-house.
LIVE REVIEW
KORN @ THE CIRCUS, HELSINKI 20/06/11
It’s a bizarre feeling for me seeing these behemoths of my childhood playing in a modest thousand capacity club. Especially when two days prior I saw their predecessors Linkin Park sell out the entire Kaisaniemi sports field. But you would never be able to tell this bothered the titans of nu-metal. Korn are up there rocking like its 1999 all over again and the crowd react appropriately. The Circus is turned into more of a freak show as the entire floor mimics John Davis’ signature crazy chicken dance. Whilst the new album is no Follow The Leader it is keeping Korn in the present. They are here today proving they are still relevant and fans are here because they’re diggin “III” rather than just showing up for nostalgia. Korn demonstrate this by stripping the fat off their set making it a nice streamlined sixty minutes, lacing together a medley of hits that sends the audience on a none stop roller coaster of all-killer-no-filler. They even manage to integrate a bit of Queen - We Will Rock You, which put a big cheesy satisfied grin on my face. I’m not the only one either. JD and Monkey (who btw seems to have stolen Wes Borland’s make- up?) take turns to extend a genuine heartfelt thank you to the room whilst their roadies hang a Finnish flag across the drum riser. Of course the very proud fins love this and ignite into a cheer-frenzy that can only be momentarily stemmed by the fact that onstage they have broken into Somebody Someone. This is definitely the highlight. Also new creepy power ballad “Holding All These Lies” has great effect.
Korn look and sound rejuvenated. Their energy and participation with the crowd isn’t that of weathered rock stars who have been doing this for twenty years treading the same old stamping ground, but that of a band who are in their prime and still hungry for it. If your one of those people who think Korn are fading into oblivion let me assure you that you are most wrong and they are most definitely back (8).
Sonic Syndicate - My Own Life on MUZU.TV
]]><![CDATA[Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson On Slayer, Rehearsing, ‘The Big Four’ And The New Megadeth Album]]>Martin Carlsson of Expressen TV conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson in Sweden. (more…)
]]>Martin Carlsson of Expressen TV conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson in Sweden.
On the first show of the current "Big Four" European tour:
Ellefson: "Last night was awesome. We played in Germany. We sometimes do these big jams at the end of the METALLICA set. And it was cool, because they actually handed over some new songs for us, for everybody to learn. So we started with 'Am I Evil?' in Sofia when we filmed the live DVD last year, and we did that again in Indio, which was the first U.S. show that we played together. And so last night we actually did another song, called 'Helpless', which is another DIAMOND HEAD song. It wasn't specifically meant to be just a DIAMOND HEAD jam. But certainly for Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman], I know he was excited, 'cause he used to play that song with METALLICA back in the day when he was with them. So it was cool. There should be some other songs coming along now. So the jam is gonna continue, it looks like."
On how many songs were on the list of possible tracks they may perform with the other "Big Four" bands on the current tour:
Ellefson: "There was about… I guess there's five on there, five total, and I can't tell you which ones."
On whether all five of the songs have already been rehearsed:
Ellefson: "No. [Laughs] In fact, it's kind of funny, because the first one we did, we all got together in METALLICA's jam room and we rehearsed it, with 'Am I Evil?' But now that we've done it, everybody's like, 'Look, just hand us the song,' and everybody learns it. And we actually have a jam room set up as well in the MEGADETH room, so usually ANTHRAX comes over. And the SLAYER guys, the challenge is to get them to jam, 'cause they're not a very 'jammy' kind of band, by their own admission. But it’s fun. The ANTHRAX guys, they like to jam, they like to play. So hopefully we can start to rally… Actually, Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] jumped in [at the Indio concert]. Kerry and Dave Lombardo [SLAYER drummer] played. And I'm sure Gary Holt [EXODUS guitarist, who is currently filling in for SLAYER's Jeff Hanneman] would love to be involved. Gary is a great player."
Megadeth - A Tout Le Monde (Previously Unreleased) () on MUZU.TV
On whether fans should believe SLAYER's excuse that they were "travelling" and couldn't make last night's "Big Four" jam:
Ellefson: "Yeah, you should believe that. They had already made their plans that they were gonna fly up here [to Sweden], I think, so they were all set to go right after their set, so they couldn't come. But we actually built all of our travel schedule around staying 'till the end of the night, so that we could be there for that. Because sometimes those jams have been impromptu; sometimes they happen, sometimes they don't. So we figured, 'You know, let's hang [and] be part of the whole thing.' 'Cause it really is a big event, isn't it? It's like a whole night out. So for us, we're hanging 'till the end regardless."
On whether "Big Four" should more appropriately be named "Big One And Three Small Ones":
Ellefson: "No, it is definitely not that. It is definitely the 'Big Four.' Obviously, METALLICA got very big very quickly in their career. To some degree, we're always considered the 'Big Four' by the fans… I don't know if a fan came up with that or if the media came up with that, but somebody coined that [term] and it wasn't us, it wasn't any of our bands. And for all these years later METALLICA to really stand behind that and embrace that is cool. We realized last year at the first show that we did in Poland that it was not METALLICA as a headliner with just three other bands on it; it's very much all four or us, hanging — a lot of hang time — people on stage watching each other, watching the bands play. So it's a full day out. . . And everybody changes up their setlist all the time, too. I don't think any of us played the exact same show two days in a row."
On Dave Mustaine's reluctance to perform the entire "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" album to celebrate its 25th anniversary because as a born-again Christian he is uncomfortable singing with lyrics to the songs "The Conjuring" and "Bad Omen":
Ellefson: "It's a pretty dark album. In fact, I've had a lot of people — my friends who have been fans of that album — say, "Every time I'd heard that album, it just felt dangerous and dark and scary.' And I think part of it's the tuning, and certainly part of it's the songs. So to go out and play that album top to bottom, it could happen, but I think at this point, there's various songs we could play. Like when we played last year, when we did [the] 'American Carnage' [tour with SLAYER and ANTHRAX], [METALLICA's] James [Hetfield] and Lars [Ulrich] actually came down to the Cow Palace show in San Francisco by where they live. And 'My Last Words' is one of Lars' favorite [MEGADETH] songs and so he asked about it. And as we were walking to the stage, Dave said, 'You know it? You know it? You know it? OK, let's put it in tonight.' So we actually just put it in the set and winged it. And it was a lot of fun to do that. So that might be more the way we go with it largely because there's this new album coming out now, and that is probably gonna take priority at this point."
On the upcoming MEGADETH album:
Ellefson: "Let's put it this way: It's funny that 20 years ago, we came off 'Rust In Peace' and we went in and made 'Countdown To Extinction'. So, to me, that's kind of what this album feels like. We did 'Sudden Death' [for a title in the 'Guitar Hero' franchise, 'Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock'] and then this new song, 'Never Dead', which is a very violent riff. That was the first song we did, and we finished it top to bottom because we had to get it into this video game called 'NeverDead'. So that's a pretty good indication of what the new record is gonna be. But it's a little wider than… That's why I liken it to probably a little more to 'Countdown To Extinction', 'cause there's a couple of songs that aren't just full-on, in-your-face thrashing. However, most of it is. So you guys are gonna be excited. You'll like it. You'll dig it. You'll have fun [listening to it]."
Source: Blabbermouth]]><![CDATA[Tom Dare: “The Underground Needs The Mainstream”]]>Metal Hammer scribe Tom Dare discusses the often ignored interdependence of the underground and the overground metal scenes. (more…)
]]>Metal Hammer scribe Tom Dare discusses the often ignored interdependence of the underground and the overground metal scenes.
"Metal. It's really easy to understand, innit? You've got your mainstream American radio friendly stuff and your nasty old shit that only the Scandinavians really like. Simplez... Or is it?
No. It's not. And not because of anything to do with subgenre, or because that sweeping generalisation was deliberately clumsy for lazy dramatic effect. There seems to be an attitude that anything successful on a commercial level that approaches the “normal” acts (Sathanas forfend you might even reach the Radio 1 playlists) is to be treated as suspicious, and it's only the trve stuff that counts. Conversely, there seems to be a surprising number of snobby fucktards who thinks the extreme scene doesn't matter, that metal would be healthy with or without the underground. It's hard to work out which of these views is more painfully X Factor-contestant stupid.
Metal's constituent parts are far more interdependent than this. Britain's extreme metal scene has gone from moderately rubbish to vibrant in a frighteningly short time, with bands any country – even the Scandewegian ones – would be desperately proud of. Yet if you ask some of these rising British destroyers (and I have) why things have suddenly taken off so spectacularly, why bands of the quality of Dyscarnate, Winterfylleth, Ageless Oblivion and Wodensthrone have become part of a rising army of essential acts from these shores, they are likely to tell you a large part is the success of the more mainstream acts.
New young fans get into metal through the cover stars. I could try and tell you I got into metal through Anaal Nathrakh and Nasum on their debut albums, but I'd be lying, and obviously so. Like a swathe of teenagers in the 90s I got in through a bunch of alt rock and pop punk acts, not Necrophobic, and while it may no longer be Green Day who are the obvious bridge between radio pop and heavy music, it's not suddenly become Origin and Wormrot either.
If a scene is going to take off, it needs both bands and fans, and it's the bands you can get into without having to have inured yourself to growls, shrieks and enough distortion to suffocate a decent sized hippo. Sorry to disappoint you, necro fans- if you want new Burzums, you need the Bring Me The Horizons of this world.
The advantage the extreme scene has is its obvious freedom to experiment, and this feeds straight back into the bands accessible enough for broader appeal. Most obvious amongst the examples of this is the impact that now-legendary Gothenburg movement. The overwhelming majority of metalcore owes at least one bollock to The Gallery, Whoracle, Slaughter Of The Soul et al, and should probably reserve at least one unit of blood for Left Hand Path by proxy as well. In addition to this, you have the rather staggering death metal influence that has become more and more prominent in sound of the globe-straddling Slipknot and the rapidly rising “djent” sound obviously draws heavily on the angular brutality of Meshuggah. Throw in the seemingly limitless potential of Kvelertak, a band who sound like they could go immensely far despite incorporating elements of old-school Norwegian black metal into their identity, and suddenly the noisy filth starts looking a little bit more important than just being something for people who want to be “kvlt”.
The reality is that metal needs all of its aspects, be they experimental and obtuse, crushing and horrible or catchy as an airborne variant of herpes in the Underworld. Yes, we even need the preposterous camp widdly stuff we're so quick to look down our noses at in this country. Even DragonForce, much as it pains me to say so. Ever since Metallica, Exodus and the rest of the original thrash bands began breaking shit in dingy clubs in the 80s, the fringe scenes have proven their ability to lead to vast success. And even now, heavy-as-Fear Factory-riding-an-elephant bands will tell you they owe at least part of their own success to the more pop-tastic stuff the grim keyboard warriors tell you isn't trve mëtäl.
You don't need to necessarily like it yourself, but if you think the end of the metal spectrum you love would be better off without the more/less marketable material, you're madder than a collaboration between Deathspell Omega and Kate Bush."
]]><![CDATA[Amon Amarth: “We Were Interested In A New Sound”]]>US-based Hammer scribe Chaos is out with his pals Amon Amarth, and here’s what they had to say about the acoustic guitars and synthesizers… (more…)
]]>US-based Hammer scribe Chaos is out with his pals Amon Amarth, and here's what they had to say about the acoustic guitars and synthesizers...
Well it is that time once again when the long ships of the Viking - Death - metal Kings, [Amon Amarth] have set sail to crash the UK and North American shores, for highly anticipated tours. Their newest offering 'Surtur Rising' is with out a doubt at or above par with the quality of the crushing Viking inspired death metal we have come to know, love and expect from these Swedish metal masters.
I received a call from Johan .S the other day to chat a bit about the new album and upcoming tours...
Over the years, Johan .S and Olavi .M have become renowned for their ability to fuse such beautiful melodies with truly brutal music. With this in mind, I asked Johan what his writing credits consisted of on 'Surtur Rising'. 'We don't believe in giving credit to individual band members. They are the bands songs so the whole band receives the credit. It doesn't matter who did what.'. I thought to myself, maybe this has some merit regarding the bands longevity.
Amon Amarth worked with producer Jens Bogren on 2008's epic album 'Twilight of the Thunder God', where he [Bogren] was able to convince the band to step out of their comfort zone, which met with astounding results. Why fix something that isn't broken...right?
'Yeah...but we were thinking about working with a different producer because we were interested in a new sound and again wanted to challenge ourselves not to resort to what we know and are familiar with. We [Amon Amarth] had a meeting with Jens where he assured us that it would not be a clone of the last album. It was cool that we got to record at numerous different studios at many diverse locations. The drums were recorded in Stockholm for instance. I do love working with Jens. It makes it a smoother process when you get to know someone and forge a friendship...makes it much easier I think.'.
When I first spun 'Surtur Rising' and heard 'For Victory or Death', it was like déjà vu. Remember when Iron Maiden's 'Seventh Son' first came out?[or the first time you heard it] I don't know about you, but me and my mates were almost reduced to tears when we heard keyboards on this album. Low and behold, what I thought would be the bane of Maiden, instead became one of their most beloved albums and still my favorite if I have to chose. Needless to say after a few listens, I came to terms with the fact that I may still be the same idiot I was when I was 15, but could not resist asking Johan 'What's up with the keyboard intro on 'For Victory or Death?'
'I think it was Jens idea...but it's a guitar run through a chorus pedal, or something like that.' I mention how different it is for AA. 'Yes, and another thing we have never done until now is use acoustic guitars.'
So now all doubt has been removed, I am still the same idiot I was when I was 15... there is much to be said for maintaining an open mind.
It appears that more and more metal bands are including bonus tracks on albums. Some will say that it's to help procure record sales, but for some it's more an opportunity to pay homage to bands and songs that made a significant impact on the music they make and lives in general.
The 'deluxe' version of 'Surtur Rising' has the bonus tracks: 'War Machine'[KISS] and 'Balls to the Wall'[Accept], with the itunes version adding 'Aerials'[System of a Down]. Who chose these songs?
'I chose the 'Balls to the Wall' cover. 'Aerials' is a song that we [Amon Amarth] like to sing on the tour bus when we drink, also when we were in Japan, the whole band went up and sang it for Karaoke. It's such a fun song, that's why we chose it.' I asked if there was any footage available. [Laughs] 'Yeah, I actually have some really good footage of it on my laptop. I'll show you when I see you on tour. We put all of our efforts into our new songs first. We knew we had to do three bonus tracks, but to be honest not much planning went into it.'
As of yet, only the US is slated to witness the band perform 'Surtur Rising' in it's entirety. By Odin's beard, there must be plans to do the same throughout the rest of the world?!?
'No solid plans yet...following the US tour we have our European tour which we will have support acts. We will play some songs off the new album but not the whole thing. If it feels great in America, we'll do it again. '
Amon Amarth will be pillaging Norwich April 1st. What can UK fans expect in contrast? 'Children of Bodom' are headlining and we are support. Our set will be forty-five minutes and we'll include some songs off the new album, but it will be a totally different set.'
Before you hack off your battle-beards, burn your long ships, and toss all battle garb into the ocean in haste...remember: the US has NEVER seen a true 'Full' Amon Amarth spectacle with long ships on stage along with fire-breathing dragons and of course full on battle re-enactments in tow.
Don't miss the bos tear up one of these venues as they provide direct support for Children of Bodom. [also with support from Ensiferum & Machinae Supremacy]
01.04.2011 (UK) NORWICH / UEA
02.04.2011 (UK) MANCHESTER / Academy 1
03.04.2011 (UK) GLASGOW / ABC
05.04.2011 (IRE) DUBLIN / Vicar Street
07.04.2011 (UK) NOTTINGHAM / Rock City
08.04.2011 (UK) BIRMINGHAM / Academy
09.04.2011 (UK) LONDON / Forum]]><![CDATA[Lemmy: “I Love ‘Another Perfect Day’ It’s Just Brian Robertson I Can’t Fucking Stand”]]> Ever wondered what it’s like to meet Lemmy? Well Hammer’s US correspondent Chaos hooked up with the great man, and walks us through it… (more…)
]]> Ever wondered what it's like to meet Lemmy? Well Hammer's US correspondent Chaos hooked up with the great man, and walks us through it...
Year: 1982, age: 10, the year my life changed forever...
I would always go over to my best mate's to listen to new music and lucky for me his older brother had impeccable taste along with a considerable set-up for the time. if my battered memory serves me correctly it consisted of a high end turntable, two bullet proof crown amplifiers, two over-compensating equalizers, and four massive hi-fi quadraphonic tower speakers...sounds fucking ridiculous. I'm snickering as I type this, as are many of you reading this, but I'm telling you it sounded sick. I remember sitting in that basement in front of what seemed to be a plethora of technological prowess, that created such a high sound pressure level, I was consumed with wonderment of why I was having a hard time breathing.
Just like any other day after school, we headed over to my mates to listen to some tunes and try to find some trouble to get into via the usual wanking of the little shite disturbers we were. When we arrived my mates brother was already in the basement waiting for us. 'Sit down boys and strap yourselves in tight, this is going to change your fucking life.' The needle dropped...and that is exactly what happened.
The first thing I heard was Lemmy muster what I believe is still one of the most aggressive, mean, nasty, disdain-laced screams that I have ever heard. Yup, you guessed it, the scream that precedes 'We are the Road Crew' from the album 'No sleep til' Hammersmith'. At this tender age, if I could not fully appreciate to what great extent, I knew that Motörhead connected with me in ways I never dreamed possible.
I haven't watched the Grammy's in what seems like light years and couldn't even tell you who would be up for nomination, and that's the way I like it. On the night of the 'Grammy's', Motörhead was in Fargo,ND to rip it an entirely new asshole, as this would be the first EVER appearance at this locale. I wasn't going to miss the power trio liberate Fargo.
The live show was exactly what one would expect from Motörhead, so I will include the set-list, tell you that Lemmy, Phil and Mikkey were all in top form and spare needless details. I have been to too many Motörhead shows to count but there would be one huge stand-out for me. The encore of 'Overkill'. It turned out to be a special treat for any legion of Motörhead fans. Lemmy and co. took the original length of 'Overkill' [3:16min] and infused an epic performance that more than tripled it, and clocked it in at just over ten minutes, WIN!
We Are Motörhead
Stay Clean
Get Back In Line
Metropolis
Over the Top
One Night Stand
Rock Out
Guitar Solo
The Thousand Names of God
I Got Mine
I Know How To Die
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
In the Name of Tragedy
Drum Solo
Just 'Cos You Got the Power
Going to Brazil
Killed by Death
Ace of Spades
Encore:
Overkill
Lemmy Kilmister is tagged with being a legend, icon, and it is not uncommon to hear the phrase 'Lemmy is God', but he has come to represent much more to me.
Every time I feel like I might start to care what other people think, Lemmy comes to mind. When I see injustices inflicted upon the underdog, atrocities against the innocent, advantage taken of the defenseless, manipulation of the weak, any type of oppression... I reference all the lessons Lemmy has taught through his music for the past thirty-five years and I instantly know I cannot stand idly by, and the right thing to do ALWAYS, is to stand up for your convictions. MAKE your voice be heard, and above all...DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN! When others may tend to follow to gain acceptance, here is a cat who has NEVER bent to any fad, popular opinion, or soup de' jour, but over the span of decades has instead, remained one of the most relevant, revered, respected and admired men, even to people who have never listened to a full Motörhead album. Now that's one solid motherfucker.
Following a mind-bending, atom-splitting performance from the immortal Motörhead, I headed backstage to see the man. I have met Lemmy a few times over the years, yet I still found myself chewing on some anxiety...after all this man helped shape what would become my moral compass.
There clad in trademark attire in front of a tabletop slot was Lemmy. After we greeted one another, the first thing that popped out of my yap was 'So...have the table-tops become a staple on your rider?'. 'I guess everybody must know now. Wherever I go there's always one in my dressing room!' Lemmy says through a hearty chuckle. Another well known staple for Mr. Kilmister would be whiskey. I had brought Lemmy a twenty-five year old bottle of rare whiskey, I was saving for a special occasion.
Some how we got on the topic of absinthe. He asked me if I have ever tried it, I said I had and mentioned that the hallucinogenic properties are astounding. 'Yes, yes they are. I've got to tell you bout' this one time when we [Motörhead] were in the Czech Republic. One night after a show we were at the hotel, and somebody, I can't remember who, introduced Mikkey to absinthe. Mikkey likes to get naked. I don't know what it is, but he does, he also sleep walks...so that makes for a dangerous combination. For whatever reason Mikkey started tearing up and down the halls of the hotel like a bloody madman, naked of course. He's fucking crazy. Low and behold someone convinced Mikkey to ride the Plexiglas elevator down to the lobby. The whole time his ass was pressed up against the glass for all to see...but that wasn't the worst of it. When the elevator stopped at the lobby, the door opened to a slew of Japanese tourists standing there with cameras slung around their necks...the flashbulbs were blinding.'. 'Did any of those pictures ever surface? Have you ever seen any?', I asked still stumbling over laughter. 'No I haven't seen any, but I'm sure they're out there somewhere!'
We ended up chatting about a host of different things from our common love of Family Guy, how Lemmy never liked King of the Hill, Mikkey and Phil's tendencies to dress up in Bikini's, and so on. Lemmy asked me what I thought about the new album. What? Who the fuck am I and how could my opinion matter in any instance? Feeling 'unworthy', I put it on the back burner to answer the man's question. I looked him straight in the eyes and said 'Please know that I'm not trying to shove my tongue up your arse, but I have loved everything Motörhead has ever done, and I can only say that about one of my other favorite bands.'. Most Motörhead fans didn't respond well to the album 'Another Perfect Day', I mentioned to Lemm that I loved that album and didn't understand the bad rap the album had been given. 'I know, I don't get it either. I love that album too, it's just Brian [Robertson,ex-Thin Lizzy] that I couldn't fucking stand. [grits teeth]', and we had a laugh. [Pretty tame words regarding the dude who attempted to disband Motörhead.]
As the bus-call was drawing minutes away, my mate told Lemmy that it was a great honor to meet him. 'Honor?, Honor? I'm just some guy from England who got lucky.' Lemmy states in true humility. I thanked Mr. Kilmister for his outstanding hospitality and more important, for continuing to keep rock & roll alive and consistently providing an honest reference thereof.
Lemmy actually has a fossil named after him as an exalted tribute. The 'Kalloprion Kilmisteri' is the 428-million-year-old jaw of an extinct, marine polychaete annelid worm found in the Silurian strata of Gotland, Sweden. Think about it for a moment...absolutely fitting of the atypical archetype, the prototype anomaly that is Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. In the infamous words of Dave Grohl, 'Fuck Elvis and fuck the stones! Lemmy is the true king of rock and roll.'. Hand on heart, I concur Mr. Grohl.
Gifts from Lemmy: Actual Prototype Motörhead collector guitar pick tins]]><![CDATA[Metallica To Enter The Studio In April]]>Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich Danish has spoken to a Danish newspaper about the band’s plans for 2011… (more…)
]]>Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich Danish has spoken to a Danish newspaper about the band's plans for 2011...
On when the band plans on returning to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic":
"There's a really good vibe in the band at the moment. In the past, we would be fed up with METALLICA whenever we returned home after a gigantic world tour, but this time it's different. Therefore it won't be that long before we start working on a new album. I think that we'll probably already get the creative process going in March or April and go into the studio. We really want to get back to METALLICA quickly because we are enjoying it so much right now."
On how the relationship between the METALLICA bandmembers has changed over the years:
"It helps our relationships that we've all got families and children and they all get along with each other. We really fucking like each other at the moment. There were a few years when things were really bad. We never really got to talk to each other; we would just grab a bottle of vodka and go out looking for girls. That meant that we weren't sharing our feelings with each other. Today we talk a lot about our children and our families. And the fact that we have something to talk about other than tonight's setlist is or if someone made a mistake during yesterday's show makes a big difference. In the last five or six years, we've found out where our limits are and we've made some rules regarding METALLICA. That's been necessary in order to make sure the entire thing doesn't collapse. For instance, we have a rule that we cannot be on the road for more than two weeks at a time during the school year and we make sure that we spend two weeks at home before going back on tour. That prevents us from burning out and falling into the trap that you can sometimes fall into when you are tired and worn out."
(Note: All original Danish-language quotes were translated into English by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)]]><![CDATA[Forbidden On Having Had Robb Flynn/Paul Bostaph In The Ranks: “It’s A Hindrance.”]]>Forbidden vocalist Russ Anderson discusses the new album and how having had people who have gone on to bigger things is a hindrance, but that he remains proud… (more…)
]]>Forbidden vocalist Russ Anderson discusses the new album and how having had people who have gone on to bigger things is a hindrance, but that he remains proud...
When thinking of epic Thrash that emerged from the bay area in the eighties, most people reference the heavyweights of the genre. In Thrash as much as any other, you'll find some shamefully underrated bands. Forbidden fits the later with ease. Let's check in with front man, Russ Anderson.
It would seem with Forbidden's new album 'Omega Wave', it would be difficult for an old school fan or new fan alike to dismiss it's allure. The new album encompasses an eclectic appeal...
We call it a slow-burner. We put a lot of heart into the new record. Forbidden has always been a unique sounding band and that's one thing that has not changed.
Craig Locicero [guitar] had a hand in producing 'Omega Wave'. What difference if any does it make when a band member contributes production duties? Is it a plus due to the inherent emotional/personal investment involved?
Yeah it can...it certainly did in our case. I love working with Craig. He gained a lot of experience on the recording side of things when doing the Manmade God thing with Rick Reuben. It makes it easy because he [Craig] knows me so well. When he said we are going to do things a little differently this time round. The past albums were done [sharply snaps fingers] like that! I did 'Forbidden Evil' in one day...the whole album!
Bands can get shit from fans for deviating from the neo-structure that people become accustomed to. Forbidden have not escaped unscathed. Does Russ give a fuck?
Dude if you knew the inside of Forbidden...we never set out to follow any particular trend or popular ideas, we just let it happen. It's where ever the band is at the time, and this has remained true with the new album. We've tried some things in the past that didn't work. It was us just trying to figure things out, but it really all just boils down to being creative...doing the same thing over and over again just gets boring, you know? In my opinion, many recent albums I've checked out, for the most part all sound the same to me. It's the way things go in business...people try to imitate the top band[s] of the time. Forbidden has never done that. When I'm writing, I follow a strict policy of not listening to any music before or during the process. I don't want to be influenced...I want it to sound like Forbidden. I hear a lot of good bands these days and think how unfortunate it is that they can't foresee their full potential and just be original.
Forbidden has spawned some notable figures in the metal world such as Robb Flynn [Machine Head] and Paul Bostaph [Slayer/Testament]. One would think that this would be a total positive for the band, or could it be more of a hindrance?
I consider it a hindrance when it happens, but at the end of the day we are proud to have had such great musicians in Forbidden.
Like many bands, Forbidden has suffered numerous lineup changes over the years. If the band had maintained a cohesiveness and more of a stable lineup, would they have given us more than just five studio albums?
I can remember when Paul [Bostaph] left after 'A twist in the Form'...that was the biggest blow that Forbidden suffered. If you really look at what was going to happen to the music industry after that, I don't think it would have mattered. You had Kurt Cobain burst onto the scene and just brought it all down...if you weren't grunge, you weren't shit. The labels were doing what they did back in the day when it happened to all the posers as well, at least that's what I like to call them, guys who tried to look like girls...posers. The 'Cinderella's', the 'Poison's', they were all selling millions of records, then within a matter of months they couldn't even get a call back from their record label. When that happens you know you're fired.
With the 'internet debate' regarding music, it is refreshing to see someone on the inside who doesn't have a cookie-cutter perspective on the issue.
The internet is great for a lot of things, and just as bad with others. When it comes to people stealing my music I got used to it when we were on Combat Records. There are different ways to look at it. We have expenses, for example this tour bus is not free. On the positive side, the people that steal our music usually come to the shows. Honestly that's were most of the money comes from for us. Unless you are selling literally millions, you will never see any money from record sales.
There always seems to be some sort of mild controversy regarding ex Forbidden guitarist Glen Alvelais, I ask Russ if he can omit all bullshit and give us the real skinny?
I love Glen, he was a big part of my life. To me he is a Brother and always will be. It's difficult to get along with everybody all of the time, even brothers fight. It just didn't work out, that's the only way to put it.
Forbidden have never tried to cast a shadow over the fact that they have been fucked over by almost every record label they have been affiliated with.
It started when we were young men under poor management and signed to Combat Records. Basically we were kept in the dark about every aspect. I can honestly say that I was NEVER ever compensated for those two records...not one cent to this day. In fairness it wasn't all the record companies fault. I'll just say that.
How the fuck did Forbidden out sell Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and KISS combined at 2008's Graspop Festival?
You have to remember we were gone for a long time. Those skulls...Kit Matthews did those paintings. You put those skulls on anything and it's going to sell. Combat Records just started drooling when we first showed them.
Forbidden reunited in 2001 to perform and support 'Thrash of the Titans', a charity for Testament's Chuck Billy. Does Russ think the reformation would have happened at all if not for this event?
Well I gotta tell ya, it was Chuck [Billy] that really encouraged me to come back and do this. Steve Sousa [ex-Exodus] kept telling Craig, 'You guys got to do this, seriously you guys got to do this!'. That's the way it really started.
Steve Smyth of Nevermore notoriety has brought his talents to Forbidden. Is it a different kind of experience to incorporate an already established musician who possesses a distinctive style?
He's great. He extremely easy to work with and very cohesive with the band and brings a lot to the table. It was a real blessing to find him.
With the 70,000 tons of metal cruise looming ahead, I had to ask if Russ was excited as a fan
Oh, I'm going to be stalking my favorite musicians! [laughs] It's funny you bring that up, I was talking to Bobby [Blitz-Overkill] about it and apparently they didn't get quite what they were looking for and turned it down but I think I could see it in his face that he wished they were going to be doing it. I was disappointed, you have to have Overkill on that bill.]]><![CDATA[Judas Priest’s Rob Halford: “If I Didn’t Get Sober I’d Be Dead”]]>“Being clean and sober is very important to me, it’s the only way I can function.” It’s not every day you get the opportunity to be in the presence of a true living legend, a God, a Metal God…THE Metal God. (more…)
]]>"Being clean and sober is very important to me, it's the only way I can function." It's not every day you get the opportunity to be in the presence of a true living legend, a God, a Metal God...THE Metal God.
Click here for details on High Voltage and Judas Priest's last ever UK show!
MetalHammer.co.uk scribe Chaos is in the US with the Metal God:
I arrive at the Ogden theatre in Denver and am on my way to an exclusive interview with the one and only Rob Halford. As I look left to right, I realize there is a line that stretches the length of the venue and around the corner. Euphoric memories start to flood my head space. When I was a young metal head there was a teen drop-in centre in the basement of a hotel that I would frequent. The idea was to give kids a place to get off the streets in the hopes of keeping them out of trouble. It was a quaint little stop with a house stereo that we were allowed to use at will. More often than not, coming down the stairs all could hear Judas Priest's 'Defender's of the Faith' album beating the surroundings into submission. With out yet seeing me, the regulars could be heard coming round the corner, 'Fuck yeah Chaos! Priest rules!'. So to say the least what was to follow was beyond surreal.
I am guided down a twisting staircase to a seemingly would be lair fit for a Metal God. For the duration I am now 15 years old trying to maintain.
Anyone who has heard Halford's latest release 'Made of Metal' has most certainly noticed a few unexpected turns. One of the most notable deviates would be on the title track 'Made of Metal' where we can hear the Metal God swimming in the murky waters of hip-hop hell...and flirting with the dreaded auto-tune. I reminded Rob of the utter dismay and disbelief amongst metal heads when word came of Iron Maiden incorporating keyboards into the new album [7th Son]. What was the Metal God thinking?
"There's a funny story about that. I'm driving to the studio and turn the radio on. I put it on shuffle and it landed on an R&B/Rap station. The rapper was rapping...or whatever, and was using this 'auto-tune' thing. The thing about me is and maybe most artists, is that we are always looking to try things that we haven't done before and have a different experience...sonically. So I thought about it and maybe I'm crazy but, can we put this idea in a metal song. As soon as I got into the studio, I told Roy Z about it and he said ' I know exactly what you want. I'll bring it to the studio next week and we'll have a mess around.'. To me it's just like an effect, like a wah pedal. I think it turned out alright. I think if it had been a bit too close to 'that' world [mainstream pop] I would have said forget it."
One thing I truly enjoy is when a producer truly understands metal. It is apparent that Roy Z has a PHD. I hate nothing more than popping in a newly anticipated album to find myself trying to bring the guitars to the front via an erroneous equalizer. Who made sure that this album had a balance that creates a signature metal listening experience?
"That's all Roy. That's Roy's forte...I mean the guys a genius in my mind. Roy's old school when it comes to metal. If you ask him his early records in his collection, he'll tell you : Early Judas Priest, early Scorpions, early Iron Maiden, early Motorhead, early Deep Purple...that's where his mind goes. even though he's a modern day producer he knows how to get those special classic metal touches, which we feel you can hear on some of 'Made of Metal'. Take the track 'Undisputed', it is very retro. Roy knew how to get that sound in the way we wanted to project the song. Roy deserves all the praise."
'Made of Metal' would prove to arguably be Halford's most rigorously personal material to date. The song '25 years' addresses his struggle with alcohol and drug abuse.
"When you get a little older, you become more reflective of your life and things you've experienced. I think it's true to say old geezers like myself always have more to say than anybody else and I am amused that I've become that kind of guy, like my dad was... now I'm like my dad."
"With making the music of 'Made of Metal', it was a time to reflect and think of things that happened to me in this business and being clean and sober twenty-five years. Being clean and sober is very important to me, it's crucial... it is the only way I can function. If I didn't get sober I'd be dead. It's given me a better life and hopefully has helped to make me a better song writer and performer. Multiple things inspired me to write '25 yrs'. At times it felt like it maybe getting a little too close to who I am... but then I thought, everybody already knows me, I don't hold anything back you know. I guess it's a West Midlands thing...what you see is what you get. So I thought, I'm just going to talk about this, and the song ended up being a very well received moment on 'Made of Metal' and I thank everyone for that. I was worried it might come off a little depressing but allegedly not as some people have told me it is inspiring. I think what we try to do as metal musicians besides having a good time, is to inspire each other."
What's it like for a God to live abroad?
"I'm still a Brit, I still have my British citizenship. I do spend a lot of time in the US due to my new little independent label 'Metal God Records' along with it's partner apparel label, which are based out of Phoenix. We all seem to do it. Lemmy spends a lot of time in LA, Phil from Def Leopard...all the UK guys. We're gypsies really. I have a little Amsterdam flat which I got for a really screaming deal in 1990. It was too good to pass up, and I love Amsterdam...who doesn't? But I'll be back in the UK for Christmas with my family and friends."
Unfortunately we all age and are forced to face our mortality at some point. When you are deemed and perceived at the pinnacle of what you do, when the years get on do you ponder who would or will succeed your place at the top?
"I don't even think about that. Every metal singer, we all feel the same and go through the same ritual on stage. It's very primal. It's got some deep roots to it. If you're a metal singer and screaming into a microphone, you know what this feels like because it's coming from your body, it's coming from your soul, your spirit. There's a ton of great singers in metal, from day one. I'm just glad to know that there is a solid flow of singers who can hold a note and do some interesting things."
As I am getting packed up and ready to roll Rob and I share some chit chat and the Metal God tells me, 'I love Metal Hammer, the site is great! I'm on it all the time, I was just on a bit earlier actually.' A blessing from the Metal God... holy shit, did that just happen?]]><![CDATA[Children Of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho: “I’m Backstage Puking Blood With A Broken Shoulder And Broken Ribs Listening To The Crowd Chant ‘Bullshit!’”]]>Chaos is hanging out with Children Of Bodom and gets the real story behind the cancelleation of their tour… (more…)
]]>Chaos is hanging out with Children Of Bodom and gets the real story behind the cancelleation of their tour...
Over the years one weird thing that has been consistent at Children of Bodom shows for me, is that when Bodom is playing my area I always manage to show up just in time to go backstage for a few minutes prior to Alexi going on. This time would be no different. After the show in true COBHC hospitality, I was invited on the bus to hang out and catch up.
We all remember on the last tour for Blooddrunk, Alexi had an unfortunate accident that left him pretty busted up. A true testament to determination, Alexi decided to continue on with the tour.
"I did ten and a half shows. We had to cut it short in New York. There was nothing I could to do continue, it was so fucking painful. Everybody around me was concerned. Randy Blythe told me he knows I'm not a pussy and I wanted to continue playing, but he told me not to do this shit to myself. I told him, fuck man, I'm going to do this till' the fucking day I die. But here's what happened. Picture this dude, there we were in New York, the biggest show of the tour and I had to quit half way through. Now I'm backstage puking blood with a broken shoulder and broken ribs listening to the crowd chant 'Bullshit'. I don't blame them, they didn't know what was going on. One of the Municipal Waste dudes went out on stage and explained what was going on. At least I fucking tried dude. I did ten fucking shows all fucking beaten up."
Some people embrace being considered a guitar god or hero, where as others may experience feeling pressure and overwhelmed by the whole idea.
"For me it's a great fucking feeling. I don't feel any pressure, that's not what it's about. At the end of the day it's all about the music, the music you write, the music you play, the music you feel. I'm blessed to be voted a few times as the number one guitar player by one of the biggest guitar magazines in the world."
I mentioned that Kirk Hammet thinks he is underrated.
"Fuck, that means a lot to me. I grew up learning all the Metallica songs... that truly does mean a lot to me. Just like Roope [Latvala], he was a huge musical influence on me growing up. Sometimes when we're on stage and I look over at Roope I think, holy fuck that's the guy I grew up listening to, this is fucked. He's a great guy. He's one of my favorite people and one of my favorite musicians of all time... the guy's a fucking genius. We're lucky to have the best guitar player in Finland with us."
When it comes to extreme music, most people do not seem to think there is any place for humor. Alexi is a funny dude, and jumps at the chance to get silly and have a laugh. Is it important to keep grounded and down to earth?
"I think it is. Not too many people may agree with me. Most of the musicians I grew up listening to were actually able to laugh at themselves. If you take yourself too seriously, then that's just uncool."
Alexi told me he has just got a place in LA with his girlfriend and is splitting his time between LA and back home. Most people may not be aware, but Alexi has a second female in his life...His 74' Dodge Monaco named 'Monica'.
"I wish I could be with her right now. She's in a heated garage. Actually in our new practice space. It's fucking huge. We could park ten cars in there. Way better than our old space. The old space had no insulation against sound. You could hear all these other bands playing clearly. It was impossible to write a song there."
Did he see any on this tour?
"Dude I don't want to talk about it...come on dude. That shit gets me, it gets me depressed. I don't
want to be depressed. Everybody has something weird like that. Another thing I have is a sleeping
disorder. I've tried all kinds of shit. I tried hypnosis, but nothing works. Lack of sleep really
hurts the body.
We continued talking about lack of sleep being tough on the body which led to a discussion on health overall. That inevitably brought us to remembering all the great people the metal world has lost in recent times, and the fact that we almost lost Zakk a few times.
"We are so happy Zakks back and he's OK, it' fucking scary. Sometimes you think people are made of
steel. It could happen to any of us at anytime. It's important to be aware of the signs and get checked
out. I feel like shit most of the time and am used to suffering, it might be difficult for me to notice any
signs."
Just as I was feeling warm and fuzzy about bugging Alexi, Right Said Fred's epically ridiculous hit 'I'm too sexy' popped up on VH1 classic. Alexi's keen instincts honed in on my loathing for that fucking song. So he stood up and cranked the fucking volume to eleven. Check mate Alexi, check fucking mate. I mentioned my bewilderment of the songs success. Alexi thought it was a comedy bit like 'I like big butts' by Sir-mix-alot. No shit, not ten fucking seconds later... you guessed it, the video for 'I like big butts' came over the telly. We all lost our shit.
Photos: James Ricigliano]]><![CDATA[Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall: “Humanity Is A Virus”]]>Parkway Drive are not all that they seem. Yes their latest album, Deep Blue, is one of the best metal albums of the year – and yes they look like Average Joe Aussie surf dudes. But underneath it all… (more…)
]]>Parkway Drive are not all that they seem. Yes their latest album, Deep Blue, is one of the best metal albums of the year – and yes they look like Average Joe Aussie surf dudes. But underneath it all...
But beneath the affable laughter and the bouncing riffs lies a heart of genuine darkness – a misanthropic pessimism that verges on nihilistic despondency. To an outsider, Parkway’s hometown of Byron Bay appears to be a utopia: a small surfing community of unrivalled natural beauty. But just like the band it spawned, under the surface lies a dark reality of corruption, violence and poverty.
And all of this unexpected and insightful new information inadvertently comes tumbling out of frontman Winston McCall as we question the musical roots of the bandmembers and discuss what inspired the concept behind their latest opus.
“The initial idea of the band was to write music for people to just smash each other to,” explains Winston. “But with this one we wanted an album that was a lot more for the head than the feet. We wanted to write the music around the concept to give the whole thing a feel. The lyrics and themes drove the music too; we didn’t just lay the lyrics over the top of already-written songs.”
As we dig a little deeper, Winston reveals another layer, a deeper, darker layer of meaning to Deep Blue and what lies behind the smiles.
“The story is about a man who wakes up in a city and realises that everything he’s worked for and everything in his life is one big joke,” explains Winston as we follow the rabbit down the hole marked ‘dark conversation’. “He tries to find the humanity inside himself and he finds that in the bottom of the ocean.”
That’s all pretty dark dude, from meeting you over the years we had you pegged as a more upbeat kinda guy…
“That’s…” he pauses as if he’s pondering whether to quickly put the lid back on the can of worms he’s just opened for us. “That’s the other part of my personality. The Mr Hyde to my Dr Jekyll. The two parts make the other able to exist. I definitely couldn’t be the person you meet in real life if I couldn’t vent myself artistically and physically through the music we make. I can write these things down that impact on me so much and I can act like a gorilla on stage and scream to get it out. I’m a much more positive person since joining this band – I was really lost before… my mind was all over the place.”
Just look at the picture of them and maybe Google a picture of Byron Bay if you are unaware of the idyllic seaside destination, home to surfers and hippies alike. Now wonder what the frontman of this fast-rising metal band could possibly have to feel miserable about. Isn’t Byron Bay paradise?
“It is and it isn’t,” he says. “It’s not hard to play the role of hypocrite, because I write these songs but then come back to Byron… and that bugs me. It is a beautiful place, and more and more I see the ocean and the hills as what makes it beautiful, but the town itself is a very flawed community. It started off as a very redneck place, just farmers, but it’s since been bought up by rich movie stars and people from Sydney who can afford the real estate because being ‘the place to live’ drove the prices up. What you don’t hear about is that it has Australia’s highest unemployment rate, the hundreds of homeless people, the beatings and all the rapes. Growing up here has been interesting to see all that; you see how power works and what it does to people. And it’s all going on here in paradise. It’s more like Babylon!
“We always have our mates come and stay with us and they all say ‘It’s amazing! We want to live here!’ But I don’t know where to start with describing this town… I know it’s beautiful to look at, but you’ll never get a job here. In five months you’ll be sleeping on my couch because you can’t afford the rent or you’ll be dead because you got in a pub brawl. It’s ridiculous.”
Don’t think that Deep Blue is some local navel-gazing operation. To assume that travelling the world with your mates in a metal band would make you happy might be the presumption of superficial analysis. Knowing the misery of humanity reminds you that ignorance is bliss.
“It’s strange when we’re taken away from this place we think of as paradise to see the rest of the world from inside the band. The more I travel the more I see different societies and the more misery I see. Humans – mainly in Western society – live in a really odd and incorrect manner. The human body and the human mind isn’t used to the luxury it lives in now: sitting in front of a box full of lights for two weeks, while some people literally starve to death.
“Human existence has polarised: deep in human history it seems that plagues or bad things happened across peoples, but now it only happens to the poor or the disadvantaged. There are the haves and the have- nots, and it’s getting worse. And we have these political systems in place designed to maintain the status quo,” he laughs nervously as if the outburst was a little more than he bargained for. Luckily he’s talking to Hammer, and we’re happy to rant about the politics/religion/the impending downfall of humanity etc. But it’s not every person Hammer interviews who can launch into an erudite diatribe of astute observational misanthropy – even in a scene that supposedly thrives on negativity.
“I could rant about this for days,” he says smiling before barrelling on again. “The human aspect of humanity is being conditioned out of humans by the systems in place; we call it education and work, and we’re told that money is the be all and end all – like it’s all you need to be happy and survive.”
It’s reassuring that a band who don’t look out of place in quicksilver board shorts share the bleak outlook of our most beloved metal bands from Sabbath to Metallica.
As Winston admits, thinking about these things is enough to drive a man to nihilism. The rich should help the poor. Or should they? What duty does one man have to help another if he’s thousands of miles away? Does it make any difference if they’re on your doorstep? We’re always being told to save the planet and look after the earth and its inhabitants… but what for? So that more humans can exploit more animals and humans and land for selfish gains? If the world is a better place for our children, so what? If life is marginalised as suggested by dystopian movies like 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow, then it appears the rich and the greedy will get all the good seats anyway – so why leave the world in good nick for those fuckers? Whether we cause it or not the planet’s temperature will probably fluctuate by a fraction and we’ll be blown effortlessly out like a cheap birthday candle. Humans will doubtless become another miniscule footnote in the historical document of our planet as an epilogue to a chapter on dinosaurs.
“It’s a very perplexing situation we’re in nowadays. It makes my mind turn and I feel guilty for the way I live in this world, there’s something in me that also says, ‘Is this how we should be living?’, but I still want to have all the things I have. Is this the best way that humans can live? We’re the only animal capable of genocide. There are some great individuals but… I don’t hold humans in a very positive light,” he says, laughing at the irony of his incongruous good humour and misanthropy. “It was The Matrix that said it best: humanity is a virus. It rings so true, which is really… sad.”
There was a time when humans didn’t need iPods, cool clothes or fast cars. And we didn’t destroy the habitat we lived in to survive or acquire the few pleasures we had to the extent that man does today. Westerners particularly have harnessed the power of technology but – it seems – only to keep other humans passive while taking their money and power and destroying their planet.”
Well done if you haven’t committed suicide yet but sadly, this is real life and there is no Hollywood ending. The elves don’t kill the orcs and get their homeland back. We’re all still fucked…
“It’s so hard to change anything,” acquiesces Winston, shaking his head. “It’s easy to change yourself, but when you do change yourself you just realise how you can’t change anything bigger than that. We’ve been involved in community protests and other projects here and it’s done very little.” He sighs in defeat. “Humans… the masses can be controlled so easily by the few who have cash and we’ve been on the receiving end of this our whole lives. So many people can see that we’re being conditioned but no one can change it. The people who stand up for what’s right get assassinated; not mortally but by the culture, they get marginalised or cast out. The systems are self-sustaining and it’ll take something monumental to change it, and I doubt I will see it in my lifetime.”
It is a dark place to be. Like the curse of Cassandra: you can see the future but no one believes you. Once you’re faced with knowing that you are powerless to change anything even though you’d like to, how do you live?
“Exactly,” he says. “That’s what I write about.”
No wonder the album and live shows are so intense.
So humanity is going down the toilet and if your kids have a planet to live on they’ll be the slaves of corporate pirates, but hey, at least we have Parkway Drive, a band whose live show is like a barbarian invasion and whose album is like a collision of Lamb Of God, Hatebreed and Mastodon.
And of course, Parkway have reasons to be cheerful: they’ve gone from an obscure also-ran metalcore band from a backwater within a backwater, to national heroes (playing to 5,000 people a night) and international ambassadors (becoming favourites of Warped Tour) within five years. So if you do plan on topping yourself, we suggest you head to see Parkway Drive with Bleeding Through, Emmure, Your Demise and We Came As Romans on the Altamont Never Say Die! tour for a reason to not only live, but bang your head, shake your fists and throw shapes like life-loving loons. In dark times like these, thank God for the life-affirming pessimism of Parkway Drive.
DEEP BLUE IS OUT NOW VIA EPITAPH RECORDS. PARKWAY DRIVE HEADLINE THE NEVER SAY DIE TOUR FROM OCTOBER 31]]>
Nathan Biggs moved to Sweden to front Sonic Syndicate. He agreed to give us a Brit's eye view of metal in Scandinavia.
MH: You’ll know Nathan better as the singer who left our shores to join Scandinavian metallers Sonic Syndicate. Well, he’s now living in Finland and we wanted to take full advantage of this. Any rocker worth his salt knows the nation’s capital of Helsinki is fast becoming one of the hottest places to be for gigs, all‐night parties, rock star hangouts and all sorts of trouble. Which is why in the industry its become affectionately known as simply "Hell". And if we know Nathan (which we do) he’ll be right in the thick of it. So we thought we’d give him the reigns to his own Metal Hammer blog!
N: I’ve been here less than a month and I can honestly say after my travels the world over that Helsinki is fuckin’ crazy! In this short time I’ve been boozing with Children of Bodom, sharing a studio with The Rasmus, gone to a music video premiere where everyone is dressed like zombies, drank my body weight in tequila with the Nuclear Blast crew, partied like a vampire with the 69 Eyes, sat in on the mastering sessions for Amorphis’s new album, and hit the bars with movie and music video director Antti Jokinen! And as if that isn't enough my social life has been flipped upside down too! I’m now dating the singer of all girl finish rock band Barbe‐Q‐barbies, moved house (again!) and bought a massive pit bull (RIP to Jake). There is always something happening in this city... and I know just were I’m gonna take your first…
…THE GREEN ROOM!
Its no secret that this has quickly become THE place to be. Some people are calling it a sleaze rock-bar, others are calling it the new Rainbow, I just call it my home from home! Whatever your opinion it can't be denied it packed ever night with metal-heads, record label peeps, rock stars and the like. The spirit shelf is massive and the music is excellent. And its all down to a very good friend of mine. Jussi 69 drummer for the 69Eyes. Catch up with my next blog where I interrogate him to find out what exactly goes on in this mad-house.
LIVE REVIEW
KORN @ THE CIRCUS, HELSINKI 20/06/11
It’s a bizarre feeling for me seeing these behemoths of my childhood playing in a modest thousand capacity club. Especially when two days prior I saw their predecessors Linkin Park sell out the entire Kaisaniemi sports field. But you would never be able to tell this bothered the titans of nu-metal. Korn are up there rocking like its 1999 all over again and the crowd react appropriately. The Circus is turned into more of a freak show as the entire floor mimics John Davis’ signature crazy chicken dance. Whilst the new album is no Follow The Leader it is keeping Korn in the present. They are here today proving they are still relevant and fans are here because they’re diggin “III” rather than just showing up for nostalgia. Korn demonstrate this by stripping the fat off their set making it a nice streamlined sixty minutes, lacing together a medley of hits that sends the audience on a none stop roller coaster of all-killer-no-filler. They even manage to integrate a bit of Queen - We Will Rock You, which put a big cheesy satisfied grin on my face. I’m not the only one either. JD and Monkey (who btw seems to have stolen Wes Borland’s make- up?) take turns to extend a genuine heartfelt thank you to the room whilst their roadies hang a Finnish flag across the drum riser. Of course the very proud fins love this and ignite into a cheer-frenzy that can only be momentarily stemmed by the fact that onstage they have broken into Somebody Someone. This is definitely the highlight. Also new creepy power ballad “Holding All These Lies” has great effect.
Korn look and sound rejuvenated. Their energy and participation with the crowd isn’t that of weathered rock stars who have been doing this for twenty years treading the same old stamping ground, but that of a band who are in their prime and still hungry for it. If your one of those people who think Korn are fading into oblivion let me assure you that you are most wrong and they are most definitely back (8).
Martin Carlsson of Expressen TV conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson in Sweden.
On the first show of the current "Big Four" European tour:
Ellefson: "Last night was awesome. We played in Germany. We sometimes do these big jams at the end of the METALLICA set. And it was cool, because they actually handed over some new songs for us, for everybody to learn. So we started with 'Am I Evil?' in Sofia when we filmed the live DVD last year, and we did that again in Indio, which was the first U.S. show that we played together. And so last night we actually did another song, called 'Helpless', which is another DIAMOND HEAD song. It wasn't specifically meant to be just a DIAMOND HEAD jam. But certainly for Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman], I know he was excited, 'cause he used to play that song with METALLICA back in the day when he was with them. So it was cool. There should be some other songs coming along now. So the jam is gonna continue, it looks like."
Metal Hammer scribe Tom Dare discusses the often ignored interdependence of the underground and the overground metal scenes.
"Metal. It's really easy to understand, innit? You've got your mainstream American radio friendly stuff and your nasty old shit that only the Scandinavians really like. Simplez... Or is it?
No. It's not. And not because of anything to do with subgenre, or because that sweeping generalisation was deliberately clumsy for lazy dramatic effect. There seems to be an attitude that anything successful on a commercial level that approaches the “normal” acts (Sathanas forfend you might even reach the Radio 1 playlists) is to be treated as suspicious, and it's only the trve stuff that counts. Conversely, there seems to be a surprising number of snobby fucktards who thinks the extreme scene doesn't matter, that metal would be healthy with or without the underground. It's hard to work out which of these views is more painfully X Factor-contestant stupid.
Metal's constituent parts are far more interdependent than this. Britain's extreme metal scene has gone from moderately rubbish to vibrant in a frighteningly short time, with bands any country – even the Scandewegian ones – would be desperately proud of. Yet if you ask some of these rising British destroyers (and I have) why things have suddenly taken off so spectacularly, why bands of the quality of Dyscarnate, Winterfylleth, Ageless Oblivion and Wodensthrone have become part of a rising army of essential acts from these shores, they are likely to tell you a large part is the success of the more mainstream acts.
New young fans get into metal through the cover stars. I could try and tell you I got into metal through Anaal Nathrakh and Nasum on their debut albums, but I'd be lying, and obviously so. Like a swathe of teenagers in the 90s I got in through a bunch of alt rock and pop punk acts, not Necrophobic, and while it may no longer be Green Day who are the obvious bridge between radio pop and heavy music, it's not suddenly become Origin and Wormrot either.
If a scene is going to take off, it needs both bands and fans, and it's the bands you can get into without having to have inured yourself to growls, shrieks and enough distortion to suffocate a decent sized hippo. Sorry to disappoint you, necro fans- if you want new Burzums, you need the Bring Me The Horizons of this world.
The advantage the extreme scene has is its obvious freedom to experiment, and this feeds straight back into the bands accessible enough for broader appeal. Most obvious amongst the examples of this is the impact that now-legendary Gothenburg movement. The overwhelming majority of metalcore owes at least one bollock to The Gallery, Whoracle, Slaughter Of The Soul et al, and should probably reserve at least one unit of blood for Left Hand Path by proxy as well. In addition to this, you have the rather staggering death metal influence that has become more and more prominent in sound of the globe-straddling Slipknot and the rapidly rising “djent” sound obviously draws heavily on the angular brutality of Meshuggah. Throw in the seemingly limitless potential of Kvelertak, a band who sound like they could go immensely far despite incorporating elements of old-school Norwegian black metal into their identity, and suddenly the noisy filth starts looking a little bit more important than just being something for people who want to be “kvlt”.
The reality is that metal needs all of its aspects, be they experimental and obtuse, crushing and horrible or catchy as an airborne variant of herpes in the Underworld. Yes, we even need the preposterous camp widdly stuff we're so quick to look down our noses at in this country. Even DragonForce, much as it pains me to say so. Ever since Metallica, Exodus and the rest of the original thrash bands began breaking shit in dingy clubs in the 80s, the fringe scenes have proven their ability to lead to vast success. And even now, heavy-as-Fear Factory-riding-an-elephant bands will tell you they owe at least part of their own success to the more pop-tastic stuff the grim keyboard warriors tell you isn't trve mëtäl.
You don't need to necessarily like it yourself, but if you think the end of the metal spectrum you love would be better off without the more/less marketable material, you're madder than a collaboration between Deathspell Omega and Kate Bush."
US-based Hammer scribe Chaos is out with his pals Amon Amarth, and here's what they had to say about the acoustic guitars and synthesizers...
Well it is that time once again when the long ships of the Viking - Death - metal Kings, [Amon Amarth] have set sail to crash the UK and North American shores, for highly anticipated tours. Their newest offering 'Surtur Rising' is with out a doubt at or above par with the quality of the crushing Viking inspired death metal we have come to know, love and expect from these Swedish metal masters.
I received a call from Johan .S the other day to chat a bit about the new album and upcoming tours...
Over the years, Johan .S and Olavi .M have become renowned for their ability to fuse such beautiful melodies with truly brutal music. With this in mind, I asked Johan what his writing credits consisted of on 'Surtur Rising'. 'We don't believe in giving credit to individual band members. They are the bands songs so the whole band receives the credit. It doesn't matter who did what.'. I thought to myself, maybe this has some merit regarding the bands longevity.
Amon Amarth worked with producer Jens Bogren on 2008's epic album 'Twilight of the Thunder God', where he [Bogren] was able to convince the band to step out of their comfort zone, which met with astounding results. Why fix something that isn't broken...right?
'Yeah...but we were thinking about working with a different producer because we were interested in a new sound and again wanted to challenge ourselves not to resort to what we know and are familiar with. We [Amon Amarth] had a meeting with Jens where he assured us that it would not be a clone of the last album. It was cool that we got to record at numerous different studios at many diverse locations. The drums were recorded in Stockholm for instance. I do love working with Jens. It makes it a smoother process when you get to know someone and forge a friendship...makes it much easier I think.'.
When I first spun 'Surtur Rising' and heard 'For Victory or Death', it was like déjà vu. Remember when Iron Maiden's 'Seventh Son' first came out?[or the first time you heard it] I don't know about you, but me and my mates were almost reduced to tears when we heard keyboards on this album. Low and behold, what I thought would be the bane of Maiden, instead became one of their most beloved albums and still my favorite if I have to chose. Needless to say after a few listens, I came to terms with the fact that I may still be the same idiot I was when I was 15, but could not resist asking Johan 'What's up with the keyboard intro on 'For Victory or Death?'
'I think it was Jens idea...but it's a guitar run through a chorus pedal, or something like that.' I mention how different it is for AA. 'Yes, and another thing we have never done until now is use acoustic guitars.'
So now all doubt has been removed, I am still the same idiot I was when I was 15... there is much to be said for maintaining an open mind.
It appears that more and more metal bands are including bonus tracks on albums. Some will say that it's to help procure record sales, but for some it's more an opportunity to pay homage to bands and songs that made a significant impact on the music they make and lives in general.
The 'deluxe' version of 'Surtur Rising' has the bonus tracks: 'War Machine'[KISS] and 'Balls to the Wall'[Accept], with the itunes version adding 'Aerials'[System of a Down]. Who chose these songs?
'I chose the 'Balls to the Wall' cover. 'Aerials' is a song that we [Amon Amarth] like to sing on the tour bus when we drink, also when we were in Japan, the whole band went up and sang it for Karaoke. It's such a fun song, that's why we chose it.' I asked if there was any footage available. [Laughs] 'Yeah, I actually have some really good footage of it on my laptop. I'll show you when I see you on tour. We put all of our efforts into our new songs first. We knew we had to do three bonus tracks, but to be honest not much planning went into it.'
As of yet, only the US is slated to witness the band perform 'Surtur Rising' in it's entirety. By Odin's beard, there must be plans to do the same throughout the rest of the world?!?
'No solid plans yet...following the US tour we have our European tour which we will have support acts. We will play some songs off the new album but not the whole thing. If it feels great in America, we'll do it again. '
Amon Amarth will be pillaging Norwich April 1st. What can UK fans expect in contrast? 'Children of Bodom' are headlining and we are support. Our set will be forty-five minutes and we'll include some songs off the new album, but it will be a totally different set.'
Before you hack off your battle-beards, burn your long ships, and toss all battle garb into the ocean in haste...remember: the US has NEVER seen a true 'Full' Amon Amarth spectacle with long ships on stage along with fire-breathing dragons and of course full on battle re-enactments in tow.
Don't miss the bos tear up one of these venues as they provide direct support for Children of Bodom. [also with support from Ensiferum & Machinae Supremacy]
01.04.2011 (UK) NORWICH / UEA
02.04.2011 (UK) MANCHESTER / Academy 1
03.04.2011 (UK) GLASGOW / ABC
05.04.2011 (IRE) DUBLIN / Vicar Street
07.04.2011 (UK) NOTTINGHAM / Rock City
08.04.2011 (UK) BIRMINGHAM / Academy
09.04.2011 (UK) LONDON / Forum]]>
Ever wondered what it's like to meet Lemmy? Well Hammer's US correspondent Chaos hooked up with the great man, and walks us through it...
Year: 1982, age: 10, the year my life changed forever...
I would always go over to my best mate's to listen to new music and lucky for me his older brother had impeccable taste along with a considerable set-up for the time. if my battered memory serves me correctly it consisted of a high end turntable, two bullet proof crown amplifiers, two over-compensating equalizers, and four massive hi-fi quadraphonic tower speakers...sounds fucking ridiculous. I'm snickering as I type this, as are many of you reading this, but I'm telling you it sounded sick. I remember sitting in that basement in front of what seemed to be a plethora of technological prowess, that created such a high sound pressure level, I was consumed with wonderment of why I was having a hard time breathing.
Just like any other day after school, we headed over to my mates to listen to some tunes and try to find some trouble to get into via the usual wanking of the little shite disturbers we were. When we arrived my mates brother was already in the basement waiting for us. 'Sit down boys and strap yourselves in tight, this is going to change your fucking life.' The needle dropped...and that is exactly what happened.
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich Danish has spoken to a Danish newspaper about the band's plans for 2011...
On when the band plans on returning to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic":
"There's a really good vibe in the band at the moment. In the past, we would be fed up with METALLICA whenever we returned home after a gigantic world tour, but this time it's different. Therefore it won't be that long before we start working on a new album. I think that we'll probably already get the creative process going in March or April and go into the studio. We really want to get back to METALLICA quickly because we are enjoying it so much right now."
On how the relationship between the METALLICA bandmembers has changed over the years:
"It helps our relationships that we've all got families and children and they all get along with each other. We really fucking like each other at the moment. There were a few years when things were really bad. We never really got to talk to each other; we would just grab a bottle of vodka and go out looking for girls. That meant that we weren't sharing our feelings with each other. Today we talk a lot about our children and our families. And the fact that we have something to talk about other than tonight's setlist is or if someone made a mistake during yesterday's show makes a big difference. In the last five or six years, we've found out where our limits are and we've made some rules regarding METALLICA. That's been necessary in order to make sure the entire thing doesn't collapse. For instance, we have a rule that we cannot be on the road for more than two weeks at a time during the school year and we make sure that we spend two weeks at home before going back on tour. That prevents us from burning out and falling into the trap that you can sometimes fall into when you are tired and worn out."
(Note: All original Danish-language quotes were translated into English by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)]]>
Forbidden vocalist Russ Anderson discusses the new album and how having had people who have gone on to bigger things is a hindrance, but that he remains proud...
When thinking of epic Thrash that emerged from the bay area in the eighties, most people reference the heavyweights of the genre. In Thrash as much as any other, you'll find some shamefully underrated bands. Forbidden fits the later with ease. Let's check in with front man, Russ Anderson.
It would seem with Forbidden's new album 'Omega Wave', it would be difficult for an old school fan or new fan alike to dismiss it's allure. The new album encompasses an eclectic appeal...
We call it a slow-burner. We put a lot of heart into the new record. Forbidden has always been a unique sounding band and that's one thing that has not changed.
"Being clean and sober is very important to me, it's the only way I can function." It's not every day you get the opportunity to be in the presence of a true living legend, a God, a Metal God...THE Metal God.
Click here for details on High Voltage and Judas Priest's last ever UK show!
MetalHammer.co.uk scribe Chaos is in the US with the Metal God:
I arrive at the Ogden theatre in Denver and am on my way to an exclusive interview with the one and only Rob Halford. As I look left to right, I realize there is a line that stretches the length of the venue and around the corner. Euphoric memories start to flood my head space. When I was a young metal head there was a teen drop-in centre in the basement of a hotel that I would frequent. The idea was to give kids a place to get off the streets in the hopes of keeping them out of trouble. It was a quaint little stop with a house stereo that we were allowed to use at will. More often than not, coming down the stairs all could hear Judas Priest's 'Defender's of the Faith' album beating the surroundings into submission. With out yet seeing me, the regulars could be heard coming round the corner, 'Fuck yeah Chaos! Priest rules!'. So to say the least what was to follow was beyond surreal.
Chaos is hanging out with Children Of Bodom and gets the real story behind the cancelleation of their tour...
Over the years one weird thing that has been consistent at Children of Bodom shows for me, is that when Bodom is playing my area I always manage to show up just in time to go backstage for a few minutes prior to Alexi going on. This time would be no different. After the show in true COBHC hospitality, I was invited on the bus to hang out and catch up.
Parkway Drive are not all that they seem. Yes their latest album, Deep Blue, is one of the best metal albums of the year – and yes they look like Average Joe Aussie surf dudes. But underneath it all...
But beneath the affable laughter and the bouncing riffs lies a heart of genuine darkness – a misanthropic pessimism that verges on nihilistic despondency. To an outsider, Parkway’s hometown of Byron Bay appears to be a utopia: a small surfing community of unrivalled natural beauty. But just like the band it spawned, under the surface lies a dark reality of corruption, violence and poverty.
And all of this unexpected and insightful new information inadvertently comes tumbling out of frontman Winston McCall as we question the musical roots of the bandmembers and discuss what inspired the concept behind their latest opus.
“The initial idea of the band was to write music for people to just smash each other to,” explains Winston. “But with this one we wanted an album that was a lot more for the head than the feet. We wanted to write the music around the concept to give the whole thing a feel. The lyrics and themes drove the music too; we didn’t just lay the lyrics over the top of already-written songs.”
As we dig a little deeper, Winston reveals another layer, a deeper, darker layer of meaning to Deep Blue and what lies behind the smiles.
