ALLIANCE Return With New Album 'Fire And Grace' May 24 via Escape

Alliance - Fire And Grace

Release date: 24th May, 2019 

 

Band is:

Robert Berry: All vocals, Bass and keyboards  (solo artist, 3, and GTR)

Gary Pihl: All Guitars (Boston and Sammy Hagar)

David Lauser: Drums (Sammy Hagar And The Waboritas)

 

Produced by: ALLIANCE

All Arrangements by: ALLIANCE

Recorded at: Soundtek Studios, Campbell, CA. 

GP Studio Boston

Engineered and Mixed By: Robert Berry

Mastered By: Alan Douches

Cover Artwork and design by: Richard Jones at web-spaghetti, UK 

 

Track listening:

1-DON’T STOP THE WHEEL TURNING 3:39  / 2- GOOD LIFE  4:03 / 3- UNCERTAIN 6:34 / 4- I'LL HAVE SOME OF THAT 4:43 / 5- FIRE AND GRACE 3:26 / 6- RAISE YOUR GLASS 3:24 / 7- TIME  4:38 / 8- REAL THING 4:33 / 9- REASON TO WALK AWAY 4:26 / 10- FAST FORWARD TO LAST NIGHT 3:13 / 11- CHANGE OF HEART 4:21 / 12- THE SAME 4:02 / 13*-YOU ARE THE HEROS 3:27 *bonus track with first pressing only.

 

 

 

It seems people often have differing recollections of important events. Everyone has their perspective or a different point of view. Sometimes it’s hard, even for trained eyes and ears to trace the roots of relationships or find the source of a fire. If you were a serious musical archaeologist or perhaps simply a curious person with a shovel, and you were in San Francisco’s fog shrouded North Beach area, specifically on Columbus Ave. in the late-80s you would have been digging through the ash and sifting through the rubble of Bill Graham’s venue known as Wolfgang’s after the big fire. If you were lucky you might have found crucial evidence, tattered threads or charred clues hinting to the origin of Alliance. It was at Wolfgang’s that long time Sammy Hagar drummer David Lauser and a bandmate, both recently set adrift from the positions they had graced for years until Hagar jumped to join Van Halen, came to see the Robert Berry Band perform. It seems Lauser, along with guitarist Gary Pihl and Gamma / Night Ranger keyboardist Alan ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald were searching for an allusive missing piece for a new project they were plotting. There was a spark for sure. But would it become a flame or a smouldering match?

 

***“It seems like just yesterday that Gary called me about forming a group for the purpose of having a band outside of our main musical commitments. After several failed attempts with male and female vocalists and bassists, the illustrious A&R man, John Kalodner suggested we contact Robert Berry. Subsequently, Gary, Fitz and I jammed with Robert at Sammy Hagar's home studio. There was a definite spark. An immediate connection. Was that really 30 years ago? Spanning three decades and an ever changing musical landscape, Alliance has been truly a labor of love for all of us.” - David "Bro" Lauser

 

***“I grew up thinking that being in a band would be the coolest thing ever. A musical oasis where everybody contributes creative parts to make a new and unique sound. Bands like Cream or Led Zeppelin had terrific guitar players but the other musicians were just as important in creating a style that was easily recognised and different from anyone else. Even different than the bands those players had been in before. The term, "supergroup" was coined to describe how several well-known players could bring their previous experiences to the melting pot of something new. A match, for sure. I'm very fortunate to be a part of what I think of as a supergroup. Fitz, David and Robert all have long histories with successful groups and Alliance has been our opportunity to take the best of what we have as individuals and create a new and unique identity.

One of my proudest moments with the band was arriving at our first gig and instead of addressing us by our individual names or past affiliations, the promoter just said, "Alliance?" ... our answer; "Yes, We Are!" - Gary Pihl

 

***As I look back on this musical journey called Alliance I can’t help but think that my band mates were, and still are, the best musical partnership I could have ever dream of. But, it almost didn’t happen. Timing is always an important ingredient for success. In 1986 Sammy Hagar left his band to join Van Halen. David Lauser, Alan Fitzgerald and Gary Pihl from Hagar’s band, were determined to continue their musical endeavours together. In their search they had come to see my band at Wolfgang’s in San Francisco. It was complicated by the fact that Steve Howe had just invited me to join him in GTR and I had planned to move to England. Gary had been invited to join Boston and David was still performing solo shows with Hagar. Jump ahead to 1989 and Gary, David and FItz still hadn’t come up with the right combination. I had just returned to the U.S. and the timing was perfect to start this new, yet unnamed band. Now, 30 years later, after all the writing and recording, the many miles traveled, and an honest, supportive friendship, we’ve done what I believe is the definitive Alliance album. Creative, non-compromising, and putting our heart and soul into every song. Alliance has all the ingredients of what a band should be. The fire still burns.

Kirk Hammett talks touring, his horror movie poster collection, burritos and more

Metallica is currently on their “WorldWired” tour in support of their latest album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Baby Huey and Chasta got the chance to sit down in an exclusive interview with guitarist Kirk Hammett before Metallica’s performance at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, August 12.

 

Chasta: Today is a big day for you. Your poster collection, you’ve got a big deal going on in Salem, Massachusetts:

Kirk Hammett: The show actually opens today, (August 12) in Salem, Massachusetts at the Peabody Essex Museum and it’s the first museum show of its kind, based on horror movie posters. It’s 150 of the best pieces from my collection and today is the opening day and I’m very, very excited. I’m going to be there next week for three days doing a Q&A, showing up with my guitar and playing some music. Only two nights ago I finished the musical accompaniment piece to it called “The Maiden and the Monster.” I gave it to them yesterday and they’re like, ‘Fantastic, it’ll work just fine.’ I’m like (sigh of relief).

C: You hit your deadline.

KH: I only worked on it everyday since April. I had some help with my wife. She actually helped me with parts of it. But yea, I’m really excited about it, I’m going to be there next week doing my thing with my movie posters. I’m really, really excited about it, very, very happy about it. They put a book out; so it’s the second book now that’s based on my collection. I’m pretty happy about that too.

Baby Huey: It’s very well documented your amazing collection of horror movies, all that stuff…What is your most prized possession out of all that stuff?

C: If your house was going to burn down, what would you grab?

KH: I don’t know, it kind of changes every single time. I don’t know if I would grab a movie poster, I don’t know if I’d grab a movie prop, I don’t know if I’d grab one of my guitars. I’d obviously grab family mementos and artifacts, all that sort of stuff, so we wont even get into that. If I had 5 seconds to decide, I’d probably grab that Mummy 3 sheet, which is what my guitar is based on. I love that image; I’m just transfixed with that image. I just love the size of it, it feels like it can just engulf me. I feel like I can just walk into that poster and just get lost forever.

C: So your love of horror films started when you were very young. I was scarred for life by clowns in IT at the same age…Do you like clowns?

KH: You know I kind of have a weird kind of clown thing too. You know its not as bad as other people. I know some people who just can’t even think about clowns who just turn around and start running the other way. You know…I see the creepiness that clowns may have but I just have so many positive memories of going to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus when I was a kid and seeing all those clowns and laughing at them so much. I have a positive reinforcement about clowns.

BH: What is your all time favorite horror movie?

KH: I love the classics from the 30’s. I love the original Frankenstein, the original Dracula, the original Mummy. I love those so much, but then I love horror movies from all periods. I love a lot of relatively new horror films. I have so many favorites it’s hard for me to pinpoint one special one that I like.

BH: What are your thoughts on…Universal is recently trying to bring back the Dark Universe, they just had The Mummy this summer, they’re trying to do more of that. Are you excited for these potential reboots?

KH: I still have yet to see The Mummy, so I don’t really have an informed opinion on that yet. Anytime they pay attention to any of those characters, I think it’s great. I think it’s wonderful. Keep it going, keep the storylines going, because eventually the people who are interested will trace it back to those original films from the 30’s.

C: You told a story about high school being bullied by some dudes that were in a truck with some spider webs on the side, do you remember telling that story?

KH: They were just local neighborhood hoodlums who kind of like cruised around looking for trouble. They picked on anyone who were easy targets who looked different from them. We called them “gravy boys.” What they were…they were people with very low IQs. They had nothing better to do with their time except for bulling other people. They used to terrify us all the time, you know, ‘What the heck?” Then we go down the other side of town and then there were the Mexican gangs we had to constantly worry about as well. It was crazy. We would know the walk if one of those cholos was packing. They’d walk a certain and we’d just try not to like go anywhere near those guys. They’d just walk a certain way.

C: The ‘burbs get gnarly.

KH: This was like 30 years ago.

BH: Just touch on the tour real quick. How everything’s been going, it’s been badass I’m assuming with Avenged Sevenfold, Volbeat, all those bands:

KH: It’s been more than badass, it’s been in-f—king-credible…constantly being blown away everywhere we go. It’s been a while since we’ve been in America doing a tour like this. We were a little bit apprehensive, ‘Are people going to show up with the same enthusiasm that they did last time.’ But they certainly have in droves and then more so. People are showing the love more than ever for Metallica and it’s great. Just as importantly we seem to be reaching a lot of new fans who have never seen us before and to us that’s fantastic.

C: Can you try to put into words what its like to walk out on that stage to that energy that hits you? I know you do yoga before you go out on stage; is that why, because you’re trying to get in a place mentally?

KH: Yoga puts me in the moment, helps me focus and keep my feet on the ground. But walking out onto that stage in front of all those people and feeling all their love and appreciation, because you do feel it in all their excitement and adrenaline. Have you ever just walked into a room that’s filled with friends and family and they’ve been expecting you and they’re like, ‘Alright they’re finally here, hey.’… It’s the same feeling that you get when you see someone and they’re genuinely happy to see you or glad to see you or seeing you finally after a long time. It’s not that much different it’s just amplified a lot more. And then we hit those first few chords and then we’re already into having a good time with everyone.

BH: Matt [Heafy] guitarist from Trivium: What’s his favorite thing to eat, absolute favorite dish on earth, one that tops anything he’s ever had? It can be over the top or something very simple:

KH: I grew up on 20^th and South Van Ness (San Francisco). There was a store a block away that sold burritos for two quarters. This is like in 1968 or ‘69. Ever since I could remember, I’ve always loved Mexican food. I’ve been eating burritos for most of my life. I was thinking about just the concept of the burrito; it’s a perfect meal. It’s everything; It’s so portable. It’s so gratifying. The “food log” rules. We call it the “food log.”

C: What do you love about music?

KH: It makes me feel good. I know that when I play my guitar and I’m feeling good when I’m playing it and I look up and someone happens to be watching me, I can see that they’re feeling good too. So there you go. It all comes down to that. I started playing guitar because you know, ‘I have emotional problems.’ (laughs) It was one of the only things that I found that could calm me down when I was a kid. I was able to use it to ground myself and be more in the moment. And it was also because I have OCD, it kind of fit perfectly into that too. Just like obsessed with it, playing it all the time…It hasn’t changed. For me music basically just… it saved my life. If I didn’t have music, I would’ve just went a route…who knows. I was on a pretty bad path when I discovered music and music kept me from going farther down that path as a youth.

C: If you weren’t a rock god what do you think you’d be doing these days?

KH: I don’t know maybe cooking some food with Matt Heafy [Trivium guitarist] at some restaurant in South Beach going, ‘Hey man, you play guitar too? Let’s get together some time.’ ‘Hey, mind that beurre blanc sauce, ok, don’t let that burn.’

C: I was going to thank you…Whenever I bought that album (Hardwired…To Self-Destruct) and put it on my running playlist…you guys improved my running time by a minute and a half.

KH: How long does it take you to do a mile?

C: I’m like nine and a half, 10 minutes.

KH: That’s better than me, I’m like 10 and a half. Usually it takes me between 31 and 32 minutes to run three miles. But I’m not really trying, I’m just cruise all the way. I put on a podcast, I just space out and just zone on my breathing. But I guess if I really wanted to run faster I probably could.

C: You should listen to Hardwired…To Self-Destruct; it will get you there.

KH: No, no. You don’t understand I listen to it enough, with making it…I only had to make it.

 Interview 1077thebone

Lars Ulrich Names His Two Favorite Metallica Album Covers

What's your favorite Metallica album cover? The powerful, symbolic and enduring art that represents Master of Puppets? How about what came next, the equally compelling ...And Justice for All? Maybe even Ride the Lightning for its slightly campy feel that embodied the grittiest of true heavy metal at the time? You'll be surprised to learn that none of those were named as Lars Ulrich's two favorites.

"I'm not much for favorites," the drummer told when asked what his favorite Metallica album cover is. "The Load and Reload albums with the amazing pieces by Andres Serrano. They will always hold a special place in my heart," he went on, adding, "I love him as an artist. I love the imagery. I love the fact that we saw Serrano through as the cover art for those two records. Those are probably my two favorites."

Metallica famously used two of Serrano's unorthodox artwork for the two records, one titled "Blood and Semen III" (Load) and "Piss and Blood XXVI" (Reload).

 

 

When discussing his favorite Metallica t-shirt designs, Ulrich couldn't name one favorite, but instead praised the artist Pushead, with whom they worked with extensively in the past. "A lot of the ones that [Pushead] did for us in the late '80s and early '90s, I think, are iconic. The way that he interpreted the songs, the lyrics, and then drew these incredible images," he commented.

"Most of them were based around what we'd call the 'Damage.' Like the Pushead skull that he introduced in 1986. There was something very iconic about all that, and I think probably looking at all the t-shirts that we've done, those are the ones that still stand out to me when I look at all the different things we've done for the last 30-plus years," Ulrich finished up.

Metallica's "WorldWired" tour continues with another North American leg starting Jan. 18. See the list of stops below and see how we ranked every Metallica song below that.

Metallica 2019 North American Tour Dates

Jan. 18 - Tulsa, Okla. @ BOK Center
Jan. 20 - Little Rock, Ark. @ Verizon Arena
Jan. 22 - Birmingham, Alab. @ Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Jan. 24 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
Jan. 28 - Raleigh, N.C. @ PNC Arena
Jan. 30 - Cincinnati, Ohio @ U.S. Bank Arena
Feb. 01 - Cleveland, Ohio @ Quicken Loans Arena
Feb. 28 - El Paso, Texas @ Don Haskins Center
March 02 - Lubbock, Texas @ United Supermarkets Arena
March 04 - Wichita, Kan. @ Intrust Bank Arena
March 06 - Kansas City, Mo. @ Sprint Center
March 09 - Louisville, Ky. @ KFC Yum! Center
March 11 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
March 13 - Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Van Andel Arena

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett opens up on his horror obsession

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett talks about his love of horror and the influence it’s had on his career in new interview.

The Metallica guitarist appears in a new video by Sotheby’s, who are auctioning a rare movie poster for classic 1932 horror flick The Mummy. Only three are known to exist, with Hammett owning one of them.

In the clip, Hammett talks about what sparked his fascination with horror, and how he began to collect his vast collection of posters, toys, artwork and books – and how the genre has influenced him in his career.

Hammett says: “I’m basically a day-dreamer, always have been, and when I pick up my guitar, which is the most ready way for me to express myself and my feelings, I have a tendency to play stuff that’s dark, haunting and in a minor key.

“I definitely attribute that to my earlier influence of the horror genre. It wasn’t just the movies, but it was also the books.”

Hammett’s collection of horror memorabilia titled It’s Alive! was previously displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts and will move to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto from July 13, 2019 to January 5, 2020.

Hammett features in the current horror issue of Metal Hammer magazine, which has been guest edited by Rob Zombie. The guitarist gives you his guide to the essential horror movies you have to watch this Halloween.

Metallica will reissue their 1988 album …And Justice For All on November 2 on CD, 3CD expanded edition, 2 x 180g LP, cassette, on digital platforms and a limited edition deluxe box set.

SLASH On Possibility Of New GUNS N' ROSES Music: 'I Think Everybody Wants To Do It'

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has not ruled out the possibility of recording new music with the current incarnation of the band, which features three-fifths of the classic lineup. 

During a surprise appearance on Friday, August 3 edition of "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM, Slash was asked if the group has considered going into the studio. He responded: "It's been talked about. I think everybody wants to do it, and we'll just see what happens. We've been busy doing this running around the planet," referring to GUNS N' ROSES' ongoing "Not In This Lifetime" tour, which kicked off more than two years ago. According to Slash, the original plan for the GUNS N' ROSES reunion was to only play five shows. "That's initially what it was gonna be," he said. "We didn't have a big, long-term thing [planned]. Axl and I got together, and we talked for a while and so on, and we thought it would be cool to these Coachella dates, because we [got] offered to get back together and do Coachella every year for years, and we obviously didn't do it [before]. So now that we were on good terms, it seemed like a good idea. So that was the basic focus — just to do those two shows and a couple of warm-up shows, so we did the Troubadour, one show in Vegas, in Mexico and the Coachella gigs. And that went so well, and everything just fell back into place. So we said, 'Okay, we'll do this U.S. run that they're offering us,' and then everything just snowballed from there." Asked if he was surprised by how much of a commercial success the "Not In This Lifetime" tour has turned out to be, Slash said: "The last shows that we did was '94 in South America, so we were at that place where we were playing stadiums. So when this came back around, the first offers were to do stadium-type gigs. So I was, like, 'Okay. That's great.' I think, more than anything, I was just excited about the enthusiasm. Considering, for me personally, being out of it for so long, coming back into it and seeing these insane crowds… It was, in my opinion, better received this time around than it was in the last years of the '90s that I was in it. It was really, really cool. And it's one of those times you can appreciate playing in a stadium, because you're playing for anywhere from 30 to 80 thousand people that are so dialed into your shit that it's like playing in a club — it's got that kind of personal toe-to-toe feel to it. So it was really, really a blast." Slash went on to say that reconnecting with Rose after nearly two decades was "huge." He added: "The most surreal moment was soundcheck at the Troubadour [in April 2016] — that was a very surreal moment. Way before we played the show and everything, just being together with everybody, being in that particular environment, of course stuffing 10 times more gear in there than we had back in the day. And then looking over and seeing Axl and seeing Duff McKagan, that was a very surreal moment. The rest of it seemed very, very new. I'm with a guy who was a partner in crime with me for many years before we had this, sort of, falling-out thing. And then, obviously, Duff. And we were up there playing these gigs. And I know these guys, I know these songs, but something about it was not really reminiscent of, say, the 'Use Your Illusion' tour. So it felt really fresh and new. It's an interesting thing. It didn't hit those tiny moments of, like, 'Oh my God! I remember hitting this chord, and he was there back in 1991,' or anything like that." 

Slash also spoke highly of his new GN'R bandmates Richard Fortus (guitar) and Frank Ferrer (drums), saying: "All in all, it was just a great bunch of people who were really excited about doing what we're doing, and going out there and playing in front of a bunch of people who are glad we're doing it." The guitarist praised Rose for his "amazing" vocal performance at "every single show" during the "Not In This Lifetime" tour, noting that GUNS N' ROSES was playing "three-and-a-half-hour sets" on many nights. "So it was really cool to watch him do," he said. Slash also talked about what it has been like for him to perform songs from GUNS N' ROSES' 2008 album "Chinese Democracy", which he did not play on. "It was cool," he said. 'There's some great songs on that record, so I just sort of adapted my own way of playing them and just made them more my own so I felt more comfortable. And they just kick ass." GUNS N' ROSES launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and been on the road around the world ever since. The "Not In This Lifetime" trek, which ranks as the fourth-highest-grossing tour of all time, based on Billboard's Boxscore archives, features Slash, McKagan and Rose, backed by Fortus and Ferrer, plus keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese. "Chinese Democracy" came out in 2008 and featured only Axl from the classic lineup. The last album on which Rose, McKagan and Slash appeared together was 1993's covers set "The Spaghetti Incident?" Slash will release his fourth solo album and third with his band THE CONSPIRATORS, "Living The Dream", in September.

METAL ALLEGIANCE 'VOLUME II - POWER DRUNK MAJESTY' IS ON THE WAY

Metal Allegiance will release their sophomore album, 'Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty', via Nuclear Blast Entertainment on September 7th 2018.

 

The band tell us that the the thrash worshipping album merges old-school legends with the modern Metallers of the scene to produce groove driven, adrenaline soaked anthems while tackling the frustrating state of the world.

The list of musicians for 'Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty' includes Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), John Bush (Armored Saint), Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth (Overkill), Mark Tornillo (Accept), Max Cavalera (Soulfly), Floor Jansen (Nightwish) and Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth). It also marks the return of Mark Oseguesda (Death Angel) and Troy Sanders (Mastodon).

The first single, 'Mother Of Sin' has been released today and features Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth.

'Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty' was produced by Mark Menghi and Alex Skolnick while Mark Lewis of MRL Studios handled the mixing and mastering. The cover artwork was created by renowned artist Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Machine Head, Soulfly, Hatebreed) and Rafael Tavares.

Tracklist:

1. The Accuser (feat. Trevor Strnad)

2. Bound By Silence (feat. John Bush)

3. Mother Of Sin (feat. Bobby Blitz)

4. Terminal Illusion (feat. Mark Tornillo)

5. King With A Paper Crown (feat. Johan Hegg)

6. Voodoo of the Godsend (feat. Max Cavalera)

7. Liars & Thieves (feat. Troy Sanders)

8. Impulse Control (feat. Mark Osegueda)

9. Power Drunk Majesty (Part I) (feat. Mark Osegueda)

10. Power Drunk Majesty (Part II) (feat. Floor Jansen)

​

This summer, Metal Allegiance, in collaboration with Barrage Brewing Company will release a very special premium double IPL (Indian Pale Lager), entitled Lager Of Sin. Named after the first single from the new album, 'Mother Of Sin', the beer will be released on July 27th followed by a weekend full of festivities.

Guns N' Roses Perform Rare B-Side 'Shadow of Your Love' For First Time in 31 Years

Guns N' Roses fans at the band's Not In This Lifetime tour stop in Odense, Denmark, on Wednesday night (June 6) got a surprise when the band busted out a rare b-side from their pre-fame days midway through their set at the Dyrskuepladsen Stadium.

 

The band busted out "Shadow of Your Love," a track written by singer Axl Rose and former GNR guitarist Izzy Stradlin for their pre-fame band Hollywood Rose and recorded during the sessions for Guns' landmark 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction.

It was the first time the group had performed the track since June 22, 1987; it will appear on the upcoming Super Deluxe version of the Appetite reissue, due out on June 29. A live version of "Shadow" was included on a 12" version of Guns' 1987 "It's So Easy" single and as a b-side to the 1991 "Live and Let Die" single. The hard-charging song has the classic relentless blitz attack of late 90s Guns, with a double-time solo and debauched lyrics to match, including the opening lines: "Took my chances carelessly/Choked on my own cigarette/You can hand me another bottle of whiskey baby/But you ain't seen the worst yet."

The band has been playing its usual assortment of covers lately, including their classic take on Wings' "Live and Let Die," as well as The Damned's "New Rose," the Love Theme from The Godfather, Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." But they've also added one more unusual cover to the mix lately: a take on "Slither" by Velvet Revolver, the Guns offshoot that featured Slash and Duff McKagan and late Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

Gaerea is Your New Favorite Black Metal Band

This Portugese outfit is going to be both your new favorite black metal band and your new favorite band in silly costumes. 

 

As demonstrated by their new single, “Catharsis,” the quintet have a talent for marrying black metal’s ethereal, depressive side with its angry, Satanic side, resulting in something filmic and unexpected. Imagine the lovechild Celeste and Nachtmystium and you’ll have some idea of what I’m getting at. “Catharsis” is the type of song that will make you wonder how something so ugly could be so beautiful.

And, yeah. They look like the long lost cousins of Portal, if that kind of thing matters to you. I have no idea what that symbol on their faces means, but it looks profound, bruh.

New Black Sabbath Vinyl Box Set ‘Supersonic Years’ Celebrates Seventies Singles

Clear some space on your record shelf because Black Sabbath have just announced a new vinyl set celebrating their historic first decade.

Supersonic Years - The Seventies Singles Box Set, set for a June 8 release, boasts 10 7" discs spanning material from seven of their first eight albums together with the original lineup, sparing Master of Reality as Sabbath had been against the idea of singles during the album's cycle.

What makes this set unique is that it comes with five rare single edits (see the track listing below) alongside rare or exclusive picture sleeves and new liner notes explaining them a bit further. All tracks have also undergone a remaster from Andy Pearce.

While Sabbath have hung it up, Ozzy is looking at scaling back his touring as well with the 'No More Tours 2' farewell trek. He'll be hitting the U.S. for a full run later this year and if you're looking to see the Prince of Darkness one last time. Meanwhile, Tony Iommi has hinted he'd like to begin writing again.

Black Sabbath, Supersonic Years - The Seventies Singles Box Set Track Listing

Disc 1: Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me) / Wicked World - 1970

Disc 2: Paranoid / The Wizard - 1970

Disc 3: Iron Man (Single Edit) / Electric Funeral - 1970

Disc 4: Tomorrow's Dream / Laguna Sunrise - 1972

Disc 5: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Edited Version) / Changes - 1973

Disc 6: Am I Going Insane (Radio) (Single Edit) / Hole in the Sky - 1975

Disc 7: Gypsy / She's Gone - 1976

Disc 8: It's Alright / Rock 'N' Roll Doctor - 1976

Disc 9: Never Say Die / She's Gone - 1978

Disc 10: Hard Road (Single Edit) / Symptom of the Universe (German Single Edit) - 1978

Metallica announces North American tour dates for 2018-2019

METALLICA has announced the details of the 2018-2019 North American leg of of its “WorldWired” tour in support of the band’s latest album, “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”.

The 34-date trek kicks off September 2 in Madison, Wisconsin and runs through March 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tickets go on sale to the public starting March 2 at Live Nation and the Fan Club presale begins February 27. Each ticket purchase will be accompanied by a physical or digital copy of “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”.

Says the band: “Following last summer’s sold-out 25-date stadium run, this year we’re bringing the in-the-round production currently being seen in European arenas to the U.S. and Canada kicking off on September 2, 2018, in Madison, WI. Along the way we’ll be visiting 34 cities we did not go to last year, including a few we haven’t been to in decades, including Grand Forks, ND (nearly 30 years), Sioux Falls, SD, El Paso, TX, Birmingham, AL (nearly 26 years) and State College, PA (20 years). About time, wouldn’t you say?!”

“The fall/winter tour will mark a few firsts for us as each show will get rolling with the Light It Up pre-show party hosted by our very good friend Jim Breuer. Jim, along with a DJ to get the night rocking with some great tunes, hits the stage before us with comedy, fan interaction, giveaways and much more. And if you love to travel and one show just isn’t enough, then perhaps the Wherever I May Roam Black Ticket is for you! For the first time in ‘TALLICA history, you may purchase one ticket that will allow you floor access to any METALLICA show on the 2018/2019 North American tour. Feel like trucking to Tulsa? Booking to Boise? Motoring to Minneapolis? No problem… you pick the show, call us no less than 48 hours before the gig and you’re in! A limited number of 250 of these Black Tickets* will be available for $598 (yes… we are celebrating the re-issue of the ‘Garage Days Re-Revisited’ EP!).

“Of course, some things don’t change! As we have been doing for most of the ‘WorldWired’ shows, every ticket purchased includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of ‘Hardwired…To Self-Destruct’. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend or family member… you’ll receive info via e-mail after your ticket purchase on how to obtain your copy. The enhanced experience options designed to take your METALLI-night to the next level are also returning as we continue to partner with the team that makes it all happen at CID Entertainment. You’ll have three options of special enhanced experiences, including premium tickets and amenities ranging from early access to the venue and the ‘Memory Remains’ exhibit of memorabilia to meeting some of us (!).

“Finally, we’ll continue to raise funds for our All Within My Hands foundation, which supports a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities, music education programs and local food banks. Continuing our collaboration with Crowdrise, we encourage you to make a donation when purchasing tickets to the upcoming shows and each time you donate, you’ll be entered to win tickets, pre-show party passes, meet and greet passes, and one lucky winner will be flown to the last show on the tour. 

Tour dates:

Sep. 02 – Madison, WI @ Kohl Center
Sep. 04 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Sep. 06 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
Sep. 08 – Grand Forks, ND @ Alerus Center
Sep. 11 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
Sep. 13 – Winnipeg, MB @ Bell MTS Place
Sep. 15 – Saskatoon, SK @ SaskTel Centre
Oct. 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Wisconsin Entertainment and Sport Center
Oct. 18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 20 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
Oct. 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct. 27 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Oct. 29 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
Nov. 26 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Nov. 28 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
Nov. 30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
Dec. 02 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
Dec. 05 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Dec. 07 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
Dec. 09 – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
Jan. 18, 2019 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
Jan. 20, 2019 – Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
Jan. 22, 2019 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Jan. 24, 2019 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Jan. 28, 2019 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Jan. 30, 2019 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena
Feb. 01, 2019 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Feb. 28, 2019 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
Mar. 02, 2019 – Lubbock, TX @ United Supermarkets Arena
Mar. 04, 2019 – Wichita, KS @ Intrust Bank Arena
Mar. 06, 2019 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Mar. 09, 2019 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
Mar. 11, 2019 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Mar. 13, 2019 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena

Skindred Announce New Album, Release First Single

Vince likes Skindred, I think; I never really caught on. I also don’t remember them ever sounding like they do on their new single, “Machine.” There’s nary a trace of nu-metal or reggaecore or whatever; hell, except for one brief section, it’s barely a metal song. It really sounds like one of those early aughts bands that tried to bring back cock rock, like Beautiful Creatures.

I don’t mean that as an insult; I think this song is super catchy. If the band’s entire new album, Big Tings (not a typo), sounds like this, and they release an edition with a puppy instead of a kitty on the cover, I might actually have to buy it.

SLAYER's Farewell Stop In Dallas Sells Out In Minutes, Scalpers Are Selling Tickets For $3,000

Slayer's farewell tour is taking place this May and June and will feature support from Anthrax, Testament, Lamb Of God, and Behemoth. The tour is hitting pretty large venues like Holmdel, NJ's PNC Arts Center, which has a capacity of about 17,000 people, but is also mysteriously playing the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX. According to MetalSucks, The Bomb Factory has a capacity of 4,300 people. This seems like a bit of an odd choice considering all five of these artists together could easily draw way more than 4,300 people, doubly so since this is Slayer's final tour.

Of course, given the size of the club, tickets sold out in three minutes flat and were sold to less-than-reputable people. MetalSucks published a screenshot of the scalpers' prices for the tickets, which are currently sitting at an absurd $3,000 per ticket. The obvious move here is to just change venues to something bigger, but we're also hoping either the tour or The Bomb Factory address this issue.

Raise Your Hands and Pledge Metal Allegiance in Anaheim

Metal Allegiance, the all-star metal band consisting of core members Mark Menghi, Mike Portnoy, David Ellefson, and Alex Skolnick, put on what is becoming their almost annual show during NAMM week at the House of Blues in Anaheim on Thursday, delivering an almost two hour set of not only metal classics, but new material as well.

Mark Menghi, Mike Portnoy, Alex Skolnick, Gary Holt, Mark Osegueda, Cristina Scabbia and Chuck Billy

The NAMM weekend provides a perfect opportunity to find some of metal's finest all in one place at the same time and it was like a class reunion of sorts, with the core group rounded out by a stellar group of guest performers. Joining the core members on this outing were Mark Osegueda of Death Angel, longtime Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser, Chuck Billy of Testament, Gary Holt of Slayer and Exodus, John Bush of Armored Saint, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, Nita Strauss from Alice Cooper's band, and Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil.

Opening with Metallica's "Hit the Lights" with Chuck Billy on vocals, the rotating cast performed everything from Exodus' "Bonded By Blood" to Testament's "Into the Pit." It was a full on metal extravaganza throughout the night.

Metal Allegiance also debuted a brand new song, "Mother of Sin," with Overkill's Bobby Blitz on vocals, before wrapping up the evening with a blistering take on Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast."

Motorhead Guitarist 'Fast' Eddie Clarke Dies at 67

Motorhead guitarist Edward Allan Clarke -- aka "Fast" Eddie Clarke -- passed away peacefully Wednesday night (Jan. 10) after being treated for pneumonia. He was 67.



The official Motorhead Facebook page shared the news in a post. "We are devastated to pass on the news we only just heard ourselves earlier tonight...Edward Allan Clarke - or as we all know and love him Fast Eddie Clarke - passed away peacefully yesterday," the band wrote. "Ted Carroll (who formed Chiswick Records) made the sad announcement via his FB page, having heard from Doug Smith that Fast Eddie passed peacefully in hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia..."

Fellow band member Mikkey Dee responded to the heartbreaking news. "I saw Eddie not too long ago and he was in great shape. So this is a complete shock," he said before adding his condolences to Eddie's "family and close ones."

“Just heard the sad news that Fast Eddie Clark has passed away,” guitarist Phil Campbell said in the statement echoing his sympathy. “Such a shock, he will be remembered for his iconic riffs and was a true rock and roller. RIP Eddie.”