August 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine

In the August 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine, Kathryn Hanneman, the wife of late SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman, recalled the spider bite that he suffered in January 2011 and the resulting infection that ravaged the flesh and tissues of Jeff‘s arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement, depression, and left him near death at several points

Describing the night that Jeff felt a small prick on his arm from a spider bite at a friend’s house, Kathryn told Guitar World that she knew there was something wrong when he walked in:

“He wasn’t feeling well, and he just wanted to go upstairs and go to sleep. Before he did he said, ‘Kath, I need to show you something, even though I really don’t want to.’ And he took off his shirt, and I just freaked out when I saw his arm. It was bright red and three times the normal size. I said, ‘Jeff, we need to go now. We need to get you to the ER.’”

Jeff was intoxicated and refused to go to hospital, but the next morning she managed to get him into the car despite his lack of strength.

“When we got to the hospital in Loma Linda, they took one look at him and they immediate knew what it was, so they took him right in … neither of us thought it would be a life-or-death situation.”

Three hours later, everything had changed.

“The doctor put it in perspective for me. He said, ‘I need you to see your husband. He may not make it.’ The doctor looked at Jeff and told him, ‘First I’m going to try to save your life. Then I’m going to try to save your arm. Then I’m going to try to save your career.’ And looking at Jeff on that stretcher and possibly saying goodbye, knowing that I may never see him again… [pause] was one of the hardest moments of my life.”

Kathryn says she encouraged him to go to rehab to get over the effects of the resting flesh-eating illness, but all he wanted was to get back to playing guitar.

“I couldn’t get Jeff to go to rehab or therapy. I think he was letting the visual of his arm get to his emotions, and it was messing with his mind. It was hard to keep him upbeat at that point. I think he thought he could do this on his own – that he would just to go rehearsal and play, and that that would be his rehab.

“But I think he started to learn, once he tried rehearsing, that he wasn’t playing up to his ability and that he wasn’t able to play guitar at the speed he was used to. And I think that really hit him hard, and he started to lose hope.”

For the rest of this story, plus a Jeff Hanneman poster, order a copy of the Guitar World August 2013 issue at the Guitar World online store.

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THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s new album, “Everblack,” has debuted at #32 on the Billboard Top 200! The album also landed at #3 on the Billboard Current Hard Music Albums chart (behind Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age). Additional chart debuts include #3 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums, #9 on the Billboard Independent Albums, and #30 on the Hits Albums Chart. Additionally, the album peaked at #15 on the iTunes album chart, and #2 on the iTunes Metal chart, second only to living legends Black Sabbath.

Internationally, “Everblack” posted debuts on the Canadians charts at #8 on the Hard Music Chart, #30 on the Top Albums chart, and boasted day of release chart peaks on iTunes at #20 on the overall albums chart, #4 on rock, and #2 on the metal chart. In the UK, the album debuted at #25 on the rock and metal albums chart, and #45 on the independent albums chart. In Germany, “Everblack” heralds the band’s first ever debut on the German Album Charts Top 100 at #91, as well as earning the band debuts on the German Media Markt Top 100 Album Charts at #59, and the Weekend trend charts for Media Control Top 100 at #58.

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The Roadburn festival has become an essential and important festival here in Europe. Even though the festival has been restricted to app. 2500 people, its appreciation is tremendous and praised amongst underground metal fans. What makes the Roadburn festival so popular? Well firstly, it’s bands of course. The festival offers such a diverse line-up covering a wide range of music from underground metal,  psychedelic rock, avant-garde stuff, doom, or any other variation of metal pleasing fans of the music and above all giving a great general atmosphere. Metal-Rules.com had the privilege of visiting the Roadburn festival for the fifth time in a row to see plenty of killer bands, smell the weed and enjoy Electric Wizard being the curator of the Roadburn Festival 2013. The British stoner legends Electric Wizard had picked bands for the special day. In general, the whole Roadburn festival is such an unique concept that wouldn’t work anywhere else. Where else could some relative unknowns play to a crowned venue. Here we come again, here is a brief article on the fest.

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ERIC SINGER

INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY MARKO SYRJALA

WITH COURTESY OF THIS IS ROCK MAGAZINE

Legendary U.S. band KISS started its long awaited European leg of the Monster tour in Friends Arena, Stockholm on 1’st of June. The band introduced in front of 30 000 fans, its new spectacular stage set called the “Spider”. Two days later, KISS landed in Finland and played a sold out show in the Hartwall Arena. I met the band’s drummer, Eric Singer, the day after the gig at the hotel in Helsinki. Eric was really excited about the new tour and because of his very good mood we then had a long conversation about the Monster tour, the Spider, KISS fan-dom, the future of KISS, and various other topics. Read on !

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“13” is proving to be a lucky number for BLACK SABBATH.

13 chart entries include:

Canada – #1
Germany – #1
UK – #1
US – #1
New Zealand – #1
Australia – #4
Ireland – #5
The Netherlands – #10
Belgium (Wallonia) – #43
Belgium (Flanders) – #58

Black Sabbath – 13

OZZY OSBOURNE, TONY IOMMI and GEEZER BUTLER have scored their first-ever U.S. #1 release in the legendary band’s 45-year career with their album, 13.  Produced by Rick Rubin and released June 11 on Vertigo/Republic, the album sold more than 155,000 copies in its first week, 100,000 more units than the #2 album on the Billboard album charts.  The album also topped the charts in the U.K., Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland.  Here are additional Top Five global chart positions, with more to come as international charts are finalized: Australia (#4), Austria (#2), Belgium (#5), and Ireland (#5).

“The news is absolutely amazing–we couldn’t have imagined this would happen,” says TONY IOMMI.  “We have the greatest fans.”

“There have been so many amazing highlights in our long career,” says OZZY OSBOURNE.  “To finally have our first #1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath.  Thank you to all of our fans for their support and loyalty.”

GEEZER BUTLER says, “I’m absolutely stunned. Thank you all world wide for being the best, and most patient, fans ever.”

BLACK SABBATH will launch a much-anticipated 20-city North American concert tour in support of 13.  Kicking off July 25 in Houston, TX, the tour will include shows in Holmdel, NJ (NY-area), Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Tinley Park (Chicago), San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto, ON before wrapping up September 3.  The Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will then head to South America and Mexico this fall, with tour dates in the U.K. and Europe to follow this winter.

For more than three decades, rock fans have hoped for the return of the original BLACK SABBATH, but few could have predicted the forceful return-to-form of 13, which was produced by seven-time Grammy-Award winning producer Rick Rubin.  The band that defined the heavy metal rock genre pick up immediately where they left off, delivering eight sprawling songs (five of them are over eight minutes) that possess every ounce of the maniacal vitality of their trailblazing work in the ’70s.  On 13, BLACK SABBATH are joined by drummer Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine) on such epic songs like “God Is Dead?” (the album’s first hit single) and “End of the Beginning” (the new single). 13 is a testament to the enduring relevance of BLACK SABBATH’s long-running reign.

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Warner Music Canada opens its vaults today with the first of a series of digital releases from classic Canadian artists ranging from Honeymoon Suite to Streetheart to Messenjah and the Rheostatics.  The label has gone back to the original master tapes of albums that have not been in circulation in over a decade in order to make them available through all Digital Service Providers.  A full list of titles is posted below.

Commenting on the announcement, Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane states: “In today’s increasingly active and robust digital marketplace, we wanted to undertake an aggressive campaign to make sure many of Canada’s important heritage artists are available in high digital quality. Warner Music Canada is proud of our contributions to the Canadian music scene over the past 45 years and these records are a part of that rich history.”

Arnold Lanni, founding member of Frozen Ghost, says: “I just got word that Warner Music is making my Frozen Ghost catalogue available digitally and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel! I’m happy for the thousands of fans who supported me and the Frozen Ghost project that will now be able to enjoy these songs on their favorite device.”

Gerry McGhee, frontman of Brighton Rock, says: “Seems a little like déjà vu to finally have Take A Deep Breath for the first time ever available in its true completed form with all the songs from the sessions. And to be working on a new album 24 years later, I guess what’s old is new again.”

More titles will be released from the Warner Music Canada vaults later in the year.

Titles to be made available:

Brighton Rock                    Take A Deep Breath
Frozen Ghost                     Frozen Ghost
Frozen Ghost                     Shake Your Spirit
George Fox                        With All My Might
Glen Stace                          Road To Damascus
Glen Stace                          Buddha Hotel
Harem Scarem                  Voice Of Reason
Honeymoon Suite           Racing After Midnight
Honeymoon Suite        Monsters Under The Bed
Messenjah                         Sessions
Moxy Fruvous                   You Will Go To The Moon
One Ton                               Abnormal Pleasures
The Skydiggers                  Road Radio
Wide Mouth Mason       Stew
Wide Mouth Mason       Wide Mouth Mason
Streetheart                        Meanwhile Back In Paris
Streetheart                        Under Heaven Over Hell
Streetheart                        Action: The Best Of Streetheart
Rheostatics                         Whale Music
Rheostatics                         Music From The Motion Picture Whale Music
Rheostatics                         Introducing Happiness
Eddie Schwartz                  Public Life

“As Sabaton we normally write about history, but today those tables are turned and we can proudly say that we ourselves have now become a part of history!

We have just received the amazing news that our album Carolus Rex has now reached platinum sales in Sweden and that we are the only Swedish heavy metal band ever to have done this. So that makes Carolus Rex the most successful Swedish heavy metal album ever!

This is an amazing achievement, a milestone and proof that all the long tours, hard work and difficult choices we have had to make have been the right ones. Our biggest thanks from the deepest of our hearts to all the people who have supported us on this journey. No words are enough for what you have done for us or what we feel today.”

/Sabaton

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Get ready for TURISAS to paint your town red and black again! The band has now revealed the first details about their upcoming album: Turisas2013 is scheduled to be released on September 3rd in North America (August 26th in Europe) via Century Media Records.

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Legendary heavy metal drummer GENE ”THE ATOMIC CLOCK” HOGLAN joined DOWN on stage this past Saturday in Denmark at the COPENHELL METAL FESTIVAL 2013 while on tour with TESTAMENT in Europe. During a performance of their classic track ”Bury Me In Smoke” HOGLAN stepped behind the kit to help PHIL ANSELMO and the rest of DOWN bring their set to a close. Back stage pictures and drum cam footage of the performance can be seen here.

Manowar

MANOWAR will release highlights of their Lord Of Steel World Tour 2012/2013 on a live EP, featuring performances from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia and Sweden.

“From the first show in Zaragoza/Spain to the last show in Yekaterinburg/Russia, The Lord Of Steel World Tour was a terrific experience,” said Joey DeMaio. “Performing new songs for the first time in front of your audience is the ultimate test of the power of the songs to connect to the only people that matter. Our fans were totally brutalized and went wild as you will hear on this new EP,” he continued. “‘The Lord Of Steel Live’ is a thank you to our amazing fans; it will forever immortalize this tour and those who attended it.”

The album will be mixed and mastered at MANOWAR’s own studios Hell and Haus Wahnfried by Joey DeMaio personally with long time MANOWAR engineer Dirk Kloiber.

‘The Lord Of Steel Live’ will be released digitally as an iTunes exclusive worldwide on July 9, 2013 and on CD in retail and through www.thekingdomofsteel.com on August 16, 2013.

Featured Tracks:

El Gringo

Expendable

Hail, Kill And Die

Manowarriors

The Lord Of Steel

Thunder In The Sky

SPIN Gallery of Jeff Hanneman/SLAYER Pics from “Murder in the Front Row” Book Now Online; 1984-Era Shots by D.R.I. Bassist Harald Oimoen Capture Energy of U.S. Thrash Metal Arrival

SPIN.com is honoring the life of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman with a gallery of early photographs by D.R.I. bassist Harald Oimoen, from his book Murder in the Front Row: Shots from the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter. The photos capture several live and candid moments from the rise of U.S. thrash metal circa 1984, including Hanneman and Slayer performing outdoors on a plywood stage; Slayer‘s very first face-to-face encounter with the members of Metallica; Oimoen’s classic sleeve photo from Slayer‘s Hell Awaits album; and a moving portrait of Hanneman and his eventual substitute in Slayer-Gary Holt of Exodus.

The gallery of photos from the book can be viewed at this location: http://www.spin.com/gallery/slayer-jeff-hanneman-metallica-early-years-bay-area-thrash/

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EXUMER to co-headline ‘Slaughterfest Tour 2013’ in Europe alongside ONSLAUGHT! Support comes from M-PIRE OF EVIL and MASTER!
American/German Thrashers EXUMER will return to Europe in the fall to co-headline the Slaughterfest tour alongside… ONSLAUGHT!
Comments EXUMER frontman Mem von Stein: “The Slaughterfest tour will be the most important step for us to re-establish EXUMER as a household name and finally promote our last album “Fire & Damnation” in the correct way, reaching fans Europe wide. We want to give fans the opportunity to check us out in an memorable event that people will talk about for some time to come.”

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Set to release the guitarist’s solo metal album recorded with Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen

Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce the signing of MONTE PITTMAN, the guitarist known for his work with metal legends Prong and the illustrious pop-star Madonna. A release date for the new solo album will be announced shortly so be sure to stay tuned to MetalBlade.com and MONTE PITTMAN’s website or Facebook page for updates.

Metal Blade Records founder and CEO comments; “We are so happy to welcome Monte Pittman to the Metal Blade Family. He is a tried and true metalhead and has recorded a crushing album! Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen produced a devastating metal record with Monte and we could not be happier that we are working together on this!”

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DORO PESCH

INTERVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJALA

German vocalist Doro Pesch is one of the best-known female singers in heavy metal, and she has earned the designation of Metal Queen. At first, Doro became known as the lead singer of band Warlock with whom she released four albums including the classics TRUE AS STEEL (1986) and TRIUMPH AND AGONY (1987). The band disbanded in 1989 and Doro then started her successful solo career which includes, so far, twelve studio albums. The latest album titled RAISE YOUR FIST was released last October and this time the tour arrived to Finland. I met the always joyful Metal Queen in the backstage of Club Nosturi and here are the results of our nice conversation. Read on!

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