Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, etc.) will hit the road next month for a West Coast solo acoustic tour. The intimate run of shows coincides with the paperback release of his book “Bringing Metal To The Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide To World Tour Domination” on April 09th. Dates for the acoustic trek include:

Tomorrow (March 19th, 2013) Italian tech-death monsters THE MODERN AGE SLAVERY will unleash their bone-crushing sophomore album, Requiem For Us All via Pavement Entertainment.

The much-anticipated follow up to 2008′s Damned to Blindness, Requiem For Us All sees THE MODERN AGE SLAVERY return as one death metal’s most focused and intense acts. Guitarist Simone Bertozzi described the lyrical concept behind Requiem For Us All as “the blueprint for modern life and our declaration of war to a generation that stole our future.” Sonically, the album is among the most relentless and brutal Italian exports in years.

To prepare the world for the intensity to come  with tomorrow’s sunrise, New Noise Magazine is streaming Requiem For Us All in its entirety. Get your neck snapped at
this location.

“Raging Death” to be released May, 14th!

Swedish death metal act, ENTRAILS, has announced the guest vocalists to be featured on their upcoming third album Raging Death!

Artists confirmed to appear on Raging Death include: Kam Lee (BONE GNAWER, ex-MASSACRE), Jorgen Sandstrom (THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX, ex-GRAVE, ex-ENTOMBED), Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER a.o.) and Dan Swano (ex-EDGE OF SANITY). Fans will hear the guest vocalists on Death League. Read the rest of this entry »

DON FELDER (@donfelder) has joined forces with Styx (@STYXtheband) singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw for the second single, “Wash Away” from FELDER’s second solo album (and first since 1983), ROAD TO FOREVER, released October 9, 2012 on Rocket Science Ventures.   The song, which hit radio airwaves today, was co-written by FELDER and Shaw, and features Shaw’s signature vocal sound.

The singer/guitarist/songwriter/New York Times best-selling author/four-time Grammy® Award winner’s critically-acclaimed ROAD TO FOREVER debuted on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart at #27.  “Girls In Black,” the album’s first single, reached the Top 30 on the Mediabase Rock chart.

Speaking with Sterling Whitaker at Ultimateclassirock.com about the track, “there were a couple of songs on the album, including ‘Wash Away,’ that I had built the track pretty much top to bottom and there was a couple of areas where I needed some lyrical help and I said, ‘I’ll just see if Tommy (Shaw) is in town.  I’ll just have him come over and listen to this and see if anything bounces off of him.’  He listened to it and loved it and we sat and wrote lyrics together that day for that song. And then he came back the next day and I said, ‘Well, you’ve got to sing some of these parts while you’re here,’ because he was getting ready to go back out on the road with Styx.  So we set up a mic in my studio and he sang some of the harmonies on a couple of songs, ‘Wash Away’ and ‘Heal Me.’”

As Tommy Shaw continues, “The best songs to write are the ones that just roll out of you and you look back and wonder, ‘Where’d that come from?’  That’s what it was like working with DON.  There was a natural chemistry there.”

Many of FELDER’s fans tuned in to Showtime earlier this month for the premiere of the two-part documentary, “History of the Eagles.”  He spoke with Billboard.com’s Gary Graff soon after it aired, saying he thought it was a bit incomplete.  “Overall I thought it was OK, but I didn’t think it was really an accurate documentary…I thought a lot was omitted from the documentary.  There were a lot of things that weren’t discussed, a lot of issues that aren’t brought to the forefront.  It glorified (Don) Henley and (Glenn) Frey’s work, giving very little credit to all the other people who had worked so hard on the recordings — including Bernie (Leadon), Randy (Meisner), myself, the other things people brought to the table like (producer) Bill Szymczyk.  It was a large team of a lot of people working together to make it happen, and I don’t think that’s really reflected in there.”  As for the depiction of his dismissal in part two, FELDER says he was surprised by “the anger that was displayed, and the bitterness, especially from Glenn.  It really left me taken aback that he was still so angry about all of that, and I couldn’t understand why, to tell the truth.  I’ve been way past it for about 10 years now.”

On a lighter note, he told Billboard.com:  “I’d forgotten how skinny I was, and I thought all of our hairstyles were…interesting, Henley with his ‘fro and everything.  It was just fun to look back at those times.”  And he is satisfied that the film captures the musical essence of the Eagles.  “Here’s a huge rock ‘n’ roll band on stage with ripped jeans and plaid shirts, as far from the mega shows you see today as you can get,” he says.  “You look back and realize that what came across was nothing except five guys standing on stage, playing and singing songs.  That’s really what it was all about.”

DON FELDER is continuing to tour all over the U.S. to promote ROAD TO FOREVER (dates to be announced shortly).  On April 13, he’ll be performing as part of a very special show for his buddy Stephen Stills and wife Kristen.  Their “Light Up The Blues Concert – An Evening of Music to Benefit Autism Speaks” (the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization) will be held at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA along with Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), Ryan Adams, Rickie Lee Jones, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stills and other surprise guests.  The fundraiser–emceed by Jack Black–spotlights “Light It Up Blue,” Autism Speaks’ annual global awareness and fundraising campaign celebrated by the international Autism community during World Autism Awareness Day and throughout Autism Awareness Month in April.  VIP Preferred Seating Packages for “Light Up The Blues” are on sale now on CSN’s official website (www.crosbystillsnash.com) and www.AXS.com, or charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or 888-929-7849 (applicable fees may apply). Tickets may also be purchased from 10AM-5PM, Mon-Fri, at the STAPLES Center Box Office (1111 S. Figueroa St., 90015), or at the Club Nokia box office (800 W. Olympic Blvd., 90015), open after 5PM on show days.  No fees are charged at either box office.

www.donfelder.com
www.facebook.com/donfeldermusic
www.twitter.com/donfelder

Exence has finally revealed the tracklist for their forthcoming new album “Tabula Rasa”. The album was mixed at the 16th Cellars Studios by Stefano Marbito. “Tabula Rasa” will be released to the stores coming May 2013 by Punihsment 18 Records.

01. Chitterlings for Vultures
02. Thought Phobia
03. Synthetic Memory
04. Tabula Rasa
05. Pray to the Porcelain God
06. Hysterical Raptus
07. Ego of the Beast
08. Heart Infected
09. The Nuclear Reset
10. Dominion of Silence

PROMO VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t6wfLKQXoF4

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EXENCE/160029147396776

“The time has come. We started the recording sessions for our next studio album.

After the successful first leg of GERMAN METAL ATTACK 2013 we will become some kind of homebodys. We will be more and more in studio for the next months, because we want to release the next album in late autumn.

As a little teaser we tell you a little secret. We will be on a German TV-Show where no one will expect us.”

More about that later…

Don’t forget to check out our livedates.
CU on the road
Patrick, Rolf, Tomcat, Toni

Crashdiet: Scandinavian Hell Tour 2013

Sister – special guest
Toxic Rose – support act

Kulturbolaget, Malmoe, Sweden
6/2 – 2013

Reviewed and live pictures by: Anders Sandvall

  Read the rest of this entry »

BOBBY KIMBALL

INTERVIEW BY MARKO SYRJALA AND PATRICK CLEMENT

Bobby Kimball is a Texas-born American singer, best known as the first (and longtime) frontman for the rock band Toto. In 1974 Bobby moved to Los Angeles where he formed a new band called S.S. Fools. They released one album, but split up shortly thereafter. About half a year later, Kimball was asked by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro to join five session musicians to form the band Toto. Kimball sang on the first four successful studio albums by Toto, but parted ways with the band in 1984 during the recordings of the ISOLATION album. Bobby Kimball then relocated to Germany for a solo career and to work as a session singer. In 1998 Kimball rejoined Toto and stayed until the members went their separate ways in 2008. Lately Kimball has been touring around the world with the ‘Legends-Voices of Classic Rock’ package with other legendary singers and band-leader Tommy Denander. Tonight Kimball performed solo with the band at Helsinki’s On the Rocks club and after the show we had a pleasure to sit down with him and discuss about various topics.

Read the rest of this entry »

This stunning duet from Madrid, Spain will release their debut full length album “Mystery Timeline” on Metal Hell Records in early Spring 2013.  Universal Theory performs atmospheric gothic rock – metal featuring dynamic male & female vocals with touches of progressive psychedelic rock. Fans of: The Gathering, Tiamat, Anathema and Type O Negative will definitely want to get hold of this fantastic release and it’s 8 highly memorable tracks!

The CD and Digital DL version will be out in May with the limited edition vinyl to follow later in the year.

Photo © Monika Deviat

Enslaved “Winter Rite” Tour

Dicken’s Pub – Calgary, Alberta

February 15, 2013

Photos and Review by Monika Deviat Read the rest of this entry »

Interview with Proscriptor McGovern from Absu

Interview and live pics by Arto Lehtinen

The mythological occult metal masters, Absu, gained status amongst extreme metal fans and obtained an ultimate cult following. The mastermind, Proscriptor McGovern, with his drumming, and above all, unique lyrics have created the cult of Absu. The band paid visit to Finland for the second time and we sat down talk to Proscritor about his long career including albums, hiatus, and several other topics.  Read the rest of this entry »

Interview with Author Kory Grow

Author of ‘Heavy Metal: From Hard Rock to Extreme Metal’
Interview by JP

Author Kory Grow is from New York, NY and is perhaps best known as the author of Heavy Metal: From Hard Rock to Extreme Metal.  Kory is also a contributor to Revolver, Spin, RollingStone.com, MTV Hive, Guitar World and The Village Voice, and more.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comedy Rockers Workshop from India (featuring Devesh Dayal of Skyharbor and Demonstealer of Demonic Resurrection) have released their first official music video for the song ‘Gajanand Dhige’ from their second album ‘Made Love To The Dragon’. The video has been produced by 42Fps.

“Making this video was an absolute blast for the band and working with 42Fps was a pleasure as they completely surpassed our expectations. We wanted to keep the video simple and showcase the story as well as the band. We’re not one of those arty bands that wants to keep the message subtle and open to interpretation etc. We like to put it in your face.” commented Demonstealer.

Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_t1J7vmOeo<

‘Made Love To The Dragon’ released worldwide via Demonstealer Records and EMI Music (India) and is available on all major digital retailers such as itunes, amazon.com, spotify etc.

Ian and Kane Shepp, the Key Club’s owners, couldn’t have foreseen the changes taking place and ultimately, the world famous Key Club in Hollywood has officially closed it’s doors. It was an unavoidable situation that sadly, is leaving dozens of employees looking for work in the harsh financial climate of the Southern California landscape.  In the blink of an eye, the entire staff, from the doorman to the owners, is finding themselves looking to create a new situation to provide for their families and meet their bills while looking for work.

The Shepps have organized a fund-raising effort to help the staff maintain their expenses while getting back to work. A crowd-funding program has been put online, and the goal is to reach out to the thousands of patrons who have enjoyed the countless shows the staff has put together. Even the smallest of donations helps the dedicated members of the Key Club crew to stay on their feet while they re-organize and reestablish themselves in the workforce.

Find out more about how you can support the people who helped bring you the best hard rock acts on the planet by visiting the Go Fund Me website at this address:

http://www.gofundme.com/2admas

As the the world famous Hollywood Key Club has closed its doors, this ends a legacy in the hard rock performance market that stretches back into decades of historical live performances by the genre’s key acts. On Monday, March 11^th, 2013, staff, friends and supporters of the nightclub held a candlelight vigil, saying goodbye to a place where rock and roll legends were born.

Until 1994, the famed Hollywood Sunset Strip location was known as Gazzarri’s on The Strip. Prior to their conquest in the major FM radio market, artists including the Doors and Van Halen were repeat offenders, bringing teens out into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s elite at the undoing of parent’s attempts at putting the kabash on rock and roll.

Featured in the film “Decline of the Western Civilization: Part II – the Metal Years,” Gazzarri’s revealed the up front music scene, as well as a lot of the back room antics that drew musicians to Hollywood looking to take a bite of the nightlife, the fame and the entertainment industry at any cost. Crossing over generations of club-goers, the location became the “must-play” club in the rock and roll market, far surpassing the interests of the Whiskey-a-Go-Go, the Roxy Theater, the Troubadour and the Viper Room. To say you headlined at Gazzarri’s was a notch on your belt that set you and your band apart from the rest.

In 1991, Bill Gazzarri passed on, leaving the legacy of the club to fate. In the 1994 Southern California earthquake that devastated the landscape, the club was torn to the ground and reestablished with a new building on the foundation under the name Billboard Live, until 1998 when it was from that moment on, to be forever known as the Key Club.

At the peak of the location’s prowess on the music scene, the 90 yards of sidewalk that extended from the front of the Key Club location to the Rainbow Bar and Grill was the epicenter of the hard rock and glam movement. The lifestyle it presented spawned the creation of iconic incarnations including MTV’s Head Bangers Ball, Long Beach rock radio station KNAC and countless top selling live recordings including Cinderella’s “Live at the Key Club” as well as the rare bootleg recordings of Van Halen’s 1974 underground release. Artist’s like Jani Lane of Warrant, W.A.S.P. and long-standing legends Motley Crue called the club home, and on the 25^th anniversary of Guns n’ Roses Appetite for Destruction, there was only one place to hold the celebration. That place was the Key Club!

Music promoter and record label founder Joe Dolan shares, “From my 16^th birthday I knew well where I wanted to be. I was 3000 miles away from Hollywood, but my goal was defined, and the long schooldays spent daydreaming, while staring blankly out the window, built a foundation for the lifestyle I was going to both endure and enjoy. Hard rock had taken hold, and by hell or high water, I was going to be where the action was. I was headed for the Sunset Strip and I would call it (the Key Club) home. The irony that I would be part of the last night of it’s existence is hard to bear, but like millions of others, I’m proud to say I was here, and the club will forever be in my blood!”

Please take time to re-print and share this information across your Social Media Network, (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and keep the spirit alive. There is nothing definite to share about the next step in bringing the live hard rock music back to Hollywood, but a little bird has stated, good things may soon be in the works.

Follow the Key Club online at https://www.facebook.com/keyclubfans.

To keep in the loop, visit www.joedolanpr.com and leave an email for future updates. For more information on this press release, please visit the website or call Joe Dolan at 818-742-7719.