James Hetfield has defended the sound of METALLICA's "...And Justice For All" album, saying that he and his bandmates simply "wanted the best-sounding record" they could make. While "...And Justice For All" is considered one of METALLICA's classics, it has been criticized almost since the day it was released in 1988 for the lack of ...
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Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a tentative February 2020 release via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah" is once again being recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with SOILWORK, OPETH, KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR ...
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Episode 5 of "History Of Led Zeppelin", the fifth in a series of short stories celebrating what happened 50 years ago, when the members of LED ZEPPELIN entered Olympic Studios to record their debut album, can be seen below. In January 1969, LED ZEPPELIN was unleashed on the world with the release of its trailblazing ...
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METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has lamented the fact that most music fans today listen to their favorite artists on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. "This generation of people that live on streaming — yeah, it's convenient, and yeah, it's fine, but if you're an actual real music fan, you're missing half of ...
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Tommy Lee has pushed back against people criticizing him for expressing his political opinions on social media. The MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer has repeatedly voiced his displeasure with President Donald Trump, including earlier this week when he implored the billionaire real estate mogul to "wake the fuck up" after the president blamed last weekend's mass shootings ...
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HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has told the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma radio station Rock 100.5 The KATT that the band is planning to enter the studio in early 2020 to begin work on the follow-up to last year's "Vicious" album. She said (see video below): "We pretty much decided that in late spring, I think, we're ...
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Shortly after MEGADETH disbanded in early 2002 due to a severe arm injury suffered by frontman Dave Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson says he was approached by then-MEGADETH lead guitarist Al Pitrelli to play with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Although Ellefson turned the gig down, it apparently taught him a valuable lesson — he would go on to ...
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For metalheads of a certain age, LORDI will forever be inexorably linked to their victory in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. Proof that metal fans can be mobilized easily enough if you present them with a fun opportunity, the Finns' fan-voted moment of glory certainly enabled them to surf on a wave of notoriety for ...
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Calgary-based hard rock quintet KOBRA AND THE LOTUS will release its new studio album, "Evolution", on September 20 via Napalm Records. The upcoming LP sees the band imbued with a new fire that comes through by way of undeniable hooks, soaring guitar riffs, marching drum beats, and the soulful, bombastic vocal delivery of lead singer ...
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Former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown is putting out a new plug-in for DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and studio applications. He teamed up with Joey Sturgis Tones to bring you his classic bass tones you've come to know and love with a JST twist. From rock and metal to southern rock and country, Bassforge Rex Brown ...
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SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith has shared a video of his vocal warm-up routine from the road. The clip, which was shot inside the bathroom of the band's "warm-up room" during SHINEDOWN's current North American headlining tour, can be seen below. Smith says in the video: "20 years of touring professionally, and people always ask me ...
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Long-running Birmingham, U.K.-based extreme metallers BENEDICTION have been rejoined by vocalist Dave Ingram (formerly of BOLT THROWER). Ingram's return to BENEDICTION comes two months after the departure of the band's previous singer, Dave Hunt. Hunt's schedule had become increasingly congested with his commitments to both BENEDICTION and ANAAL NATHRAKH, as well as his relentless studies ...
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Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with bassist Pär Sundström of Swedish metallers SABATON. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On whether the members of SABATON try to challenge each other with each new album release: Pär: "We have an aim, of course, and that ...
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Joey DeMaio says that MANOWAR has filed a lawsuit against the Hellfest organizers over the cancelation of the band's concert at this year's edition of the French heavy metal festival. In was reported on June 21 that MANOWAR's performance at the annual event in Clisson was called off just hours before the veteran metal group ...
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Prior to EMPEROR's performance at the recent French festival Hellfest, vocalist Ihsahn spoke with Jorge Fretes of Spain's GoetiaMedia.com. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On whether, given the fact that the group hasn't recorded an album since 2001, he considers EMPEROR to be ...
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RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee recently spoke with Meltdown of the Detroit radio station 101 WRIF about his new book, "The Big Beautiful Book Of Bass". A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): On "The Big Beautiful Book Of Bass": Geddy: "Most of the guys I reached out to [to interview] came through. ...
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In conjunction with a recent Metal Hammer retrospective on SKID ROW's 1989 self-titled debut, former vocalist Sebastian Bach spoke at length about the album with writer Clay Marshall. Select "outtakes" from the interview appear below (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On his initial impressions of SKID ROW upon receiving the band's demo: Sebastian: "My very first ...
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Jerry of Rauta conducted an interview with guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson of Swedish black metal veterans MARDUK after the band's May 18 performance at this year's Steelfest in Hyvinkää, Finland. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On new drummer Simon "BloodHammer" Schilling: Morgan: "The thing ...
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KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Jesse Leach recently spoke with United Rock Nations. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the group's forthcoming album, "Atonement": Jesse: "I think it's musically the most diverse record we've done as a band, and lyrically, I feel like I really captured different ...
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Despite what many mainstream metal folk will tell you, most metalheads don't particularly want anyone to move the genre forward. We are, in general, pretty happy with the wide array of subgenres that we already have, and, more importantly, we are not overly keen on our favorite bands veering wildly off the beaten track in ...
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As a bassist and composer, Bryan Beller (THE ARISTOCRATS, JOE SATRIANI, DETHKLOK, STEVE VAI) has never been accused of being insufficiently driven. But nothing he's done before can truly prepare audiences for his newest release, the massively ambitious and unapologetically progressive double concept album "Scenes From The Flood", scheduled for worldwide release on September 13. ...
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A two-camera mix of BURNING WITCHES' first live performance with new singer Laura Guldemond, which took place last month at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, can be seen below. The vocalist of the Dutch symphonic metal band SHADOWRISE, Guldemond was recruited by BURNING WITCHES following the departure of Seraina Telli. BURNING WITCHES said ...
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Vocalist Sharon Den Adel and guitarist Stefan Helleblad of Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION took part in a press conference at this year's Hellfest, which was held June 21-23 in Clisson, France. You can watch the entire chat below (courtesy of Loud TV). A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On whether Den Adel's MY ...
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Rob Zombie spoke to Revolver about his forthcoming studio album, which will arrive later this year via the iconic rocker's new record label, Nuclear Blast Records. "The record is done, and now we're just figuring out how to release [it], and deal with [it] while still being on tour," Zombie explained. "With a ...
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Episode 4 of "History Of Led Zeppelin", the fourth in a series of short stories celebrating what happened 50 years ago, when the members of LED ZEPPELIN entered Olympic Studios to record their debut album, can be seen below. In January 1969, LED ZEPPELIN was unleashed on the world with the release of its trailblazing ...
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Ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has told Billboard in a new interview that he hasn't been able to get in a room with his former bandmates to discuss a possible reunion because "they fucking hate me." But he is still hopeful that they might play together again someday. "For the fans, and for ...
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Fan-filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach's July 6 performance at the Rock The Castle festival at Castello Scaligero in Villafranca Di Verona (VR), Italy can be seen below. Bach recently issued an "open invitation" to the other members of SKID ROW's classic lineup to "get onstage and jam" during the vocalist's upcoming tour, in which ...
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It was always going to be epic. Take one of the most inventive and quite possibly unhinged songwriters in extreme music history, Davide Tiso (EPHEL DUATH), and pair him with one of the greatest metal voices of all time, Jason McMaster (WATCHTOWER), and then, why the fuck not, get Hannes Grossmann (HATE ETERNAL, BLOTTED SCIENCE, ...
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If you've never had the pleasure of listening to GYGAX, go back and give "Dice Throwers and Rock 'n' Rollers", the opening track from last year's "2nd Edition", and blast at high volume. Therein lies everything you need about this band, from their unwavering devotion to the twin-lead evangelism of THIN LIZZY to their mastery ...
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GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna has paid tribute to AEROSMITH, crediting the legendary rockers with playing "an enormous role in sculpting me to become the musician I am today." Erna made his comments afer attending an AEROSMITH concert Tuesday night (July 2) in Las Vegas, where the iconic band is in the middle of its "Deuces ...
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