SLAYER is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning (May 2nd) near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.
We offer condolences to Hanneman’s family, friends and legion of fans.
“Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 – 2013)”
We’ve posted a photo album with many pictures of Jeff here.
Some of the condolences and tributes messages follow below…
Hatriot are from the Bay Area and of course the name of their game is Thrash Metal. The band has gained a reputation through the metal community as former Exodus singer Steve Zetro Souza is fronting the band. Hatriot’s debut album ‘Heroes Of Origin’ recently saw the light of day on Massacre Records and got nothing, but tremendous great reviews. Hatriot is definitely on the rise to the bigger league as they definitely deserve it. Here is the short interview with Steve Zetro Zouza about the deal, album, and their use of social media as a tool to promote the band.
Interview by Arto Lehtinen and Marcos Cardoso
What’s up in the Hatriot camp at the moment?
We are just doing a lot of press to promote the debut record, and are actually writing a lot of new material. I was hoping to have Hatriot on the road by now, but that hasn’t happened yet, so we are not wasting any time. We already have half of the next album written. I plan on hitting the studio again at the end of the summer.
INKING A DEAL WITH MASSACRE
The debut album titled “Heroes Of Origin” came out the German label Massacre Records. I can’t help but wonder how many labels showed interest toward Hatriot and what made you after all ink a deal with Massacre Rec?
We did have a few other labels interested, but nobody was coming to the table ready to work. Massacre offered to get us in the studio immediately and get a record out into the market, which was what we were looking to do. We signed the deal in July and had the album turned into the label in September, so we were ready to work. One of our managers has other bands on Massacre, so he had a good working relationship with them, and it just made sense to go with a smaller label that has a lot of passion for metal. So far so good!
When inking the deal with Massacre, presumably you are familiar with legal issues etc. in the contract thing, did you go through carefully all the offers and deals before putting your signature on, I mean you may have got lessons with labels in the past?
Of course I did. I learned that lesson a long time ago. When Exodus signed our deal with Capitol it was almost 80 pages long, and I didn’t even read it. My lawyer said “sign here, here, and here” and that’s what we all did. I just wanted to continue to be a rock star, so I said sign me up. Needless to say that was a big lesson. This time is very different.
THE DEBUT ALBUM – Heroes Of Origin
As for the title of the album “Heroes Of Origin”, and the front cover, are they connected to each other in a way, by having a deeper meaning behind it?!
Not really. Mark DeVito did the art, and basically I told him I wanted a band picture on the front the way bands did back in the day, plus I wanted a lot of chaos and destruction going on. That was all the instruction I gave to him, and you see where he went with it. I love the album art. I think it stands out and is easily recognizable. It looks very “metal” and that’s what we were going for. I guess there could be a deeper meaning in there somewhere if you look for it. Part of the title is “heroes” and we are holding shields on the cover, so it’s almost like we are real life comic book heroes.
The album contains neck breaking skull crushing thrashing metal tracks with an intense grip. As you have a lot of experience in the studio, did you have to guide the rest of the band how to work and play in the studio environment or were the other guys of Hatriot immediately totally aware of how the working in the studio happens?
This album is ten songs of rip your face off thrash metal. To be honest, this was the first real recording experience for all of the other guys. They had done little demo things in the past, but this was their first real record. Juan Urteaga produced the record, and he is very good at making everyone feel very relaxed. It was really just like a rehearsal. We set everything up and started jamming, and Juan captured a lot of that vibe. The band was very tight and we were way ahead of schedule actually. We rehearsed the songs for a couple months prior to the sessions, playing them over and over. It paid off obviously.
Frankly, are you pleased with how the album turned out in terms of production and how the songs kick on the album ?!
I am very pleased. Again, Juan Urteaga can take a lot of the credit for that. He’s done work with a lot of big bands – Testament, Exodus, Machine Head, and more – so he knows how to get the right tones and the right performances out of the band. This is the heaviest record I have ever done, and that says a lot with my history.
You are coming from the old school background of the Bay Area thrash metal movement, whereas the rest of the members of Hatriot present the more modern approach ( I guess?) of nowadays, do you ever have a conflict and deep conversation about how riff or songs should sound like or do you have a mutual vision how Hatriot is supposed to sound?
It’s all a mutual vision. Fortunately, we have Kosta V on guitar, who is also our primary song writer. He writes and arranges all the riffs, and pretty much brings in a completed idea to the band to work up. Kosta is very well versed in metal. He knows his thrash and draws a lot of influence from the old scene. The other guys bring in some death and black metal influence here and there, because they are way young and influenced by other stuff, but they know what our core sound is and never stray from what we are trying to do.
How important are all the reviews about the album, what are the main things in reviews that you pay attention to them, do you basically just ignore them?
We do read all the reviews, but honestly it doesn’t affect what we do. I don’t let a person’s opinion affect how I write a song. I’ve done thrash metal for close to thirty years now, so I think I have it down at this point. I don’t need reassurance from the media. I appreciate their efforts of spreading the word, but if some journalist says “they should have done this” or “it would have been better done like this” I just fucking ignore it. I make albums and they don’t, and our fan base likes what we do, so there you go.
Are there songs that come up from the album and are your fave tunes to play and why?!
I know it is the cliché answer, but I love all the songs on the album. There’s not a weak song on there. We play the entire record live when we do shows, so my favorite might change a little bit from time to time. Three of the songs were on our demo EP from a year ago, so they are not as fresh to me as some of the others, so I’d say “Murder American Style” and “Shadows Of The Buried” are my two favorites to play live right now. They are just so fucking heavy and the audience really responds to them.
What do you feel when you see your kids playing with you?
It is the greatest feeling in the world. I am so proud of them. It’s every father’s dream to share a common thing with his sons, and for that to be music makes everything in the past worth it. I left Exodus in 2004 because I needed to be there for my family. Now my boys are grown up and in my band, so it has all come full circle, and it’s honestly the greatest accomplishment of my career. That’s the truth.
PROMOTING THE BAND IN DIFFERENT WAYS
As far as I know, you have mostly been gigging in California after having got a deal with Massacre Rec. Therefore, can Hatriot be expected to be seen more on European soil ?! And what about a South American tour?
It is our goal to play in all parts of the world. Right now we are trying to secure a good booking agent, and a lot of that is based on how well the album sells, and what kind of demand we can create with the promoters. We’ve had a few offers come in but they were not really what we were looking for. I don’t want this band taking every show thrown our way. We want to be selective. It’s more about quality than quantity.
What kind of places and which band have you shared the stage with? And what kind of reception have you got from the audience? Classic songs of Exodus and Testament are in the set list?
So far we have only played in California, mainly shows with local bands and a few shows were with friends of ours from bigger national bands. We’ve opened for Testament, Death Angel, and Forbidden on bigger stages, which was very cool of them to let us get in front of their fanbases. We always get good audience reception. This isn’t a lot different from what I was doing in the later days of Exodus. The fans know what to expect from me, so they leave the show knowing that I still have it. We kick ass. Hatriot does have some of the classic Exodus and Legacy songs worked up and ready to go if we need them for an encore or something. That’s always fun, but the purpose of the shows is to play the Hatriot material. If time permits we may go down memory lane and do an Exodus cover or something.
Hatriot shot the video “And Your Children To Be Damned”, could you tell a bit more about the process of making the video and how you picked that particular song for the video?
We used director Mike Sloat for that video. He did our video for “Blood Stained Wings” as well. Mike has worked with a lot of big acts, ranging from Testament to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he is a very talented guy with video production. The song is about Elizabeth Bathory and we basically wanted to show her story in visual form, so we did our best to recreate that setting. One of my managers rented an old restaurant after hours and we staged the shoot there. We brought in an old bath tub and filled it with fake blood, and basically made a sick fucking heavy metal video. There was no real reason for choosing the song other than it is very heavy and we like the story.
Do you view promoting the band with the video thru social media networks is without any doubts nothing but essential for Hatriot to gain the attention and recognition?
Social media is the new way of the world in many respects, but nothing beats a live show when it comes to promoting the band. I don’t do a lot of the social media stuff myself, but the kids in the band do, and our management team spends a lot of time networking with it. I think it is an amazing tool for reaching people in faraway places, but I think the newer generation of kids with bands think that all you have to do is add ‘friends’ all day and become famous. Nothing beats getting on tour and proving yourself in a live situation. Call me old school or whatever, but that’s just the truth. Social media is very helpful though and definitely did a lot for Hatriot when we wanted to get the word out in the beginning.
I found Hatriot via social media networks and seen pics of the band as well, presumably these new tools and methods are extremely important and vital for young and new bands to get their name spread?
That is cool that you found us that way. Again, it is a very good tool for bands to use, but it is not the be all end all. Bands like to get a cool picture and logo up on their page and they think that is it. Well, no it isn’t. First your music has to be good, and then you have to be killer live. Without that you are just another page in the internet.
Are you kind of surprised to have the enormous attention toward Hatriot, did you somehow expect to have it because of the background of Zetro?
I’m not really surprised by it, but I am very thankful that the fans have embraced the band like they have. Obviously my days in Exodus have helped create an interest in what I’m doing now, but I feel the music of Hatriot stands on its own as well. This is the heaviest record I have ever done in my career, and I think the fans are happy to see that I did a true to form thrash metal record and didn’t stray from what I am known for. But I owe it all to the fans. They have the choice to like something or not, and to get behind a band and support it or not. Fortunately, in my case they have chosen to support Hatriot, and that is fucking killer.
Before concluding the interview what’s up with Dublin Death Patrol and AC/DZ ?
DDP is pretty much over with at this point. Chuck is just too busy with Testament, and I am going full speed ahead with Hatriot. It’s just too hard to coordinate that many schedules and make it work with DDP. We can’t tour with that project so there’s not really a point in putting much effort into promoting and writing for it. It was fun while it lasted, and I encourage fans to seek out the records because they are pretty good, but the band is pretty much done. As for AC/DZ, that is something I do for fun when time permits. If I want to be Bon Scott for an hour and a half I book a gig with them. That’s pretty much it. Hatriot takes up all my time!
Interviewed on April 25, 2013 at the Death to All show (Death To All Tour live at the Theater of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 25, 2013)
Paul Masvidal – Death To All
When you think of Chuck Schuldiner and Death, your next thought is usually of gifted guitarist Paul Masvidal, who played on the classic HUMAN album and did various tours with Chuck. An extreme metal veteran with over 25 years of experience and a style all his own, Paul continues to play with his own band Cynic and has recently taken part in the Death To All tours, a celebration of the late Chuck Schuldiner’s music. Paul was kind enough to grant me a few moments of his time prior to the Death To All show in Philadelphia.
It’s an oddly sunny day outside the garage as we wait for another doom laden offering from Funeral of Mankind promotions. With the most recent success of Doom over London, this company is shaping up to be the one to watch for those who like it dark and depressing. Read the rest of this entry »
The Jeff Healey Band
House On Fire: Demos & Rarities
2013, Eagle Rock North
Rating: 4.5
Jeff Healey’s music needs no introduction. He was one of, if not the greatest Canadian guitarists to have ever lived. He combined the Blues and Rock perfectly and his playing was flawless. This disc of Demos & Rarities showcases his talent even in an unfinished state. Eight of the eleven tracks on here were recorded between March and July of 1992 when they were at their peak of popularity.
As soon as this CD arrived in my mailbox I opened it up an popped it into the player. Almost immediately I was reaching for the volume knob to crank it up. I was blown away from the first note. Finally I had some new Jeff Healey tunes to listen to. While they may have been recorded over 2 decades ago they are fresh and don’t sound the least bit dated. This is your typical JHB and every track is phenomenal. Not for a second do you want to skip ahead. His playing and singing are flawless. What else can I say? Jeff was a master at the guitar and he had a distinct sound that was all his own.
A must own for all Jeff Healey fans. This is Jeff at the peak of popularity and his creativity was massive during this period. If these were left unreleased for 20 years it makes you wonder how much more is there?
Danish death metal mercenaries PANZERCHRIST are releasing their seventh album, aptly entitled The 7th Offensive on July 15th on Listenable following their previous and highly- acclaimed 2011 release, Regiment Ragnarok.
Eagerly Anticipated Horror Anthology features 100+ Icons of Horror and Metal Coffin Joe, Ruggero Deodato, Tony Todd, cEvin Key, Laurence Harvey, Bai Ling, Chris Vrenna, Killjoy of Necrophagia, Mayhem, Clint Howard, and many more
AUSTIN, Texas—It’s less than six months before horror and metal collide in Central Texas at the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival – the ultimate 3-day, underground fan event celebrating the twisted line where horror films and heavy metal meet. Today, festival creators – legendary metal frontman Philip Anselmo and best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell – announce that producers David Bond and Manda Manuel have personally selected to premiere thier eagerly anticipated international horror anthology, The Profane Exhibit, in the United States at the Housecore Horror Film Festival.
Set in a club deep within the underbelly of Paris, The Profane Exhibit explores the inner workings of a secret, wicked society. At first it resembles an ordinary fetish or Goth nightclub, but hidden within the cavernous building are many rooms, one of which is known as “The Room of Souls,” a private gathering place of the world’s richest and most evil people. Their host is the elegant, yet frightening, Madame Sabatier. As the film unfolds, each member takes a turn and spins a true tale of their depravity for the amusement of the group.
Horror icons from around the world have been assembled to create this truly unique film experience. From the minds that created Cannibal Holocaust, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, Philosophy of a Knife, Tokyo Gore Police, Hardware, Wax Mask, Cemetery Man, Theater Bizarre, The ABCs of Death, August Underground’s Mordem, Cannibal, Time Crimes, and Dread, come a collection of stories that serve as a mirror for looking deep inside our current world and inside ourselves.
Heaven & Earth
Dig
2013, Quarto Valley Records
Rating: 4/5
Heaven & Earth have been around for well over a decade but not consistently releasing music. The band is the brainchild of acclaimed guitarist Stuart Smith who received praise from Ritchie Blackmore. It was Blackmore’s encouragement that got Smith to move to L.A. from the U.K. and the rest is history as they say.
Melodic Rock is the best way to describe the music on DIG. It does have a slight Hard Rock edge in spots but overall it leans heavily toward the Rock side. As you would expect the release is guitar heavy with a lot of killer solo’s. Smith is no slouch when it comes to guitar playing. Once you listen to the album you will know exactly why he was praised by Blackmore.
It was the video for the debut single “No Money, No Love” that initially grabbed by attention. It has that Classic Deep Purple vibe to it (and I am a big Purple fan) which is very prominent, especially with the keyboards. It is one of the harder edged songs on the album and it really stands out amongst the rest. Another of the heavier tunes is “Man & Machine” which is probably the heaviest track on DIG. Yet again the Keyboard work is Jon Lord influenced in a major way. No complaints from me on that. Stuart has found himself one strong vocalist with Joe Retta. His vocal sound perfectly suits the music. Joe’s voice is fairly smooth sounding with just enough rasp to give it that little edge. There is also a Blues influence in places especially on the aptly-titled “House Of Blues”. The guitar and organ interaction here is nothing short of amazing. They way they play off one another adds a whole new dimension to the disc.
A fantastic release with some top rate musicians. Sadly many of the songs are not memorable. They are all excellent songs, they are just not memorable for the most part. It is an album that may take a spin or two to get into and appreciate but you will be glad you did.
Denver thrashers HAVOK today announce their first headlining tour of North America. Dates are set to commence July 22 and will see the band journey through the southern states, travelling up the eastern seaboard before making their debut performance at Montreal’s annual Heavy MTL festival on August 11. The tour will be in support of their forthcoming new album, Unnatural Selection, set for release June 25.
Reported last week, Unnatural Selection, the band’s third full-length album for Candlelight Records, was produced by guitarist David Sanchez and mixed by Terry Date (Pantera, Overkill, Deftones). The album features original artwork from Polish illustrator Rafal Wechterowicz (Slayer, Mastodon) and was mastered by James Murphy (Aborted, World Under Blood, Abigail Williams). Lead single, “Give Me Liberty… Or Give Me Death,” is set to impact Loud Rock/Metal Radio May 27. The topical thrash anthem delivers the young band’s classic thrash and old school metal sound.
British thrashers EVILE will release their new album, Skull, on May 27th in Europe via Earache Records and on June 11th in the USA via Century Media/Earache Records! This highly anticipated follow-up to 2011′s Five Serpent’s Teeth was once again recorded with producer Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in Kettering, England. The artwork for the album was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, SODOM, HATEBREED).
According to NBC San Diego, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis — who was charged last week with trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife — had his bail lowered from $3 million to $2 million during a hearing this afternoon (Friday, May 17).
Lambesis, who has said he considers himself to be a Christian and acknowledges that he finds inspiration for lyrical content from biblical texts, was arrested on May 7 in an Oceanside, California bookstore. He faces nine years in state prison if convicted.
Prosecutors initially requested that Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis’ bail at $20 million, saying the singer remains “substantially motivated to kill his wife.”
During today’s hearing — which was initially scheduled for 1:30 p.m. but was postponed to 3:00 p.m. — the singer’s defense attorney, Tom Warwick, blamed Lambesis’ steroid use for the alleged murder-for-hire plot. He also revealed that Lambesis is going through steroid withdrawal while in custody.
Lambesis’ family is unable to make bail, so he will remain in jail, Warwick said. The lawyer had asked for bail of $250,000.
Lambesis’ attorney said the “gym culture” led to “changes in [the singer's] physiological and mental status,” with Tim’s bodybuilding obsession causing him to go from 170 to 220 pounds after first taking supplements, then steroids. “[He] was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God.”
Lambesis is now said to be off steroids, going through withdrawal, and in total isolation in jail for protection from other inmates. He’s also getting personal counseling from a jail chaplain.
“It has been a terrible tragedy,” Warwick said. “He was a very caring, gentle man [before taking steroids] and we need to get him back.”
Prosecutors allege Lambesis had twice told a man at a gym that he wanted his wife killed, then met with an undercover detective known as “Red”, and gave the agent an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, photographs of his wife, and the security gate code to her house. He also allegedly told the agent the dates he would be with the couple’s three adopted children, in order to give himself an alibi.
“When specifically asked do you want her dead, he said, ‘Yes that’s exactly what I want,’” Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso told the judge. “The victim now is terrified and living in seclusion.”
In court on Friday, Grasso said that Lambesis did not flinch when told the hit on his wife would cost $20,000. “He was very willing to pay that,” she said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Lambesis, who was originally booked into jail on suspicion of two felonies — conspiracy and murder-for-hire — was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and turn in his passport and was warned by the judge that, if he is released from jail, he must stay away from his immediate family. The conspiracy charge was dropped before Lambesis was arraigned.
Lambesis’ wife, Meggan, filed papers in September 2012 in San Diego Superior Court seeking a dissolution of the couple’s marriage.
Defense attorney Anthony Salerno told Artisan News last week that he suspicious of the circumstances of Lambesis’ arrest and believed Meggan’s family could have been involved in setting him up. “Tim’s wife’s brother, I understand, is a San Diego Sheriff’s deputy,” he said. “I think I would be remiss if I didn’t fully explore that, ’cause that is a litte bit… it’s at the bare minimum very coincidental, and it may be more than that.”
Please welcome CARCASS with their new line-up with Jeff Walker on vocals and bass, Bill Steer on lead guitar, Daniel Wilding on drums and Ben Ash on guitar on board 70000TONS OF METAL, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!
Just imagine: In January 2014, 40 Heavy Metal bands and 2,000 fans from all over the World will go to the Caribbean to take over the luxury cruise ship “Majesty of the Seas” for 5 days and 4 nights. Book your cabin now at www.70000tons.com and be part of Heavy Metal History made in the Caribbean once again on 70000TONS OF METAL, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise! The Original Metal Cruise: Home of the biggest open air stage to sail the oceans!
This is 70000TONS OF METAL, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise where you enjoy unrestricted festival access to all live shows on board. And don’t forget, every band plays twice! There are also Clinics, Work-Shops, the infamous 70000TONS OF METAL Karaoke, Bars that never close, you heard right: They don’t close! Two full days at Sea, a fun-and-sun-filled day on a beautiful Caribbean Island and an opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the Artists that all join us for the entire trip. It’s like everyone has a backstage pass!
You can also get all your memorabilia signed at the Meet & Greet sessions. Be part of their infamous Metal Karaoke and many other special activities with the Artists. And last, but not least: Don’t forget that they have bars on board that never close! What are you waiting for? You might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done.
The first 14 out of 40 bands have been announced:
CARCASS
DARK TRANQUILITY
DEATH ANGEL
D.R.I.
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
KAMELOT
LEAVES’ EYES
OVERKILL
SEPTICFLESH
SOILWORK
SWALLOW THE SUN
SYMPHONY X
XANDRIA
70000TONS OF METAL, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, will sail Monday, January 27, 2014 aboard the Royal Caribbean “Majesty of the Seas” from Miami, FL and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 31, 2014.
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$319 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages, all meals at the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and even 24 room service!
What are you waiting for? You might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done! Check out www.70000tons.com for more information.
Darko Etinger – singer and guitarist of Infernal Tenebra
Interviewed by Anders Sandvall
Thanks to Tom Hack for setting up the interview.
Thanks to Massacre Records for providing me with promo pics.
Infernal Tenebra is a Croatian death/thrash act that I got really interested in when I heard their debut album NEW FORMED REVELATIONS. I hooked up with Darko Etinger, singer and guitarist, in order to get to know him and the band a bit better. It’s not everyday I come across a band from Croatia and we ended up talking about the brand new album, the bands past, present, and future, and how the metal climate in Croatia is doing.Read the rest of this entry »
It has been a sunny day for once in London and the queue to get in The Underworld venue tonight goes around the block. Insomnium and Moonspell are here and fans are waiting already even if the doors open in thirty minutes.When I get in Moonspell is doing a signing session at their merch stand, as well as taking photos with their fans.Read the rest of this entry »
Today May 16 it´s three years ago Ronnie James Dio sadly passed away…
A true rock’n roll hero was taken from us as he – as so many others do – lost his battle against the most fierce enemy mankind has met so far: cancer! This is a day of mourning, for us who loved him and his music, his fans and most of all those close to him. We´re really happy that we had a chance to support DIO on his Scandinavian tour in 2008 and to meet him in person. He will be remembered as the kind-hearted and most gentle soul we´ve had the honour to tour and share the stage with…
We strongly believe that Ronnie will be remembered forever, by generations to come. He will never be forgotten. Anyone as influential and unique becomes a legacy. We will surely do our best to keep this legacy alive, to honour it and the great man behind it.
Today we´re releasing a video for the song that we wrote in great sorrow after we got word from Dio´s management of his passing on May 16, 2010. A song that means so much to us. It is a song filled with respect and love, and the first ballad in FATAL SMILE history.
The song is called “For the last in line” and is taken from our latest album “21st Century Freaks“.
Lyrically it focuses on the fact that Dios fight for cancer must go on, that we must pull together to keep the fight alive until it’s won, and that Ronnie can rest assure that we will never give up no matter how many heroes are made and lost.
This is the most important fight humanity has before him, and it is a shame that so much is spent on destroying one another and so little in the fight of survival. Let Ronnie be a reminder of that. A never ever forgotten reminder!
He would surely have wanted to be a part of the victory to come!
SLAYER is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning (May 2nd) near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.
