Friend For A Foe Release Debut Song!

August 16th, 2010 in News by admin

Washington DC based progressive metal group Friend For A Foe just released their debut song called “Niacin”.  Niacin will be on an upcoming 6 song EP expected to be out in the fall. For a free download visit soundclick.com/friendforafoe

“Washington DC’s Friend For A Foe (FFaF) began as a one-man band, gaining attention since 2004. After a lengthy nationwide search, FFaF is now established as a full-fledged band consisting of talented musicians who are making big strides in the underground metal music scene and taking the nation by storm.

FFaF’s band members share the common thread of capturing the trials and tribulations of everyday life in their writing and instrumentation and do so with absolute perfection. Featuring top-notch production, heavy, bone-jarring riffs with 7 and 8-string guitars, precision drumming, dissonant yet beautiful melodic intricacies, and haunting lyrics by their unconventional vocal duo, FFaF will continue to push the boundaries of metal music and make a name for themselves in the US and abroad.

Beauty coalesced with brutality. This is what metal is all about … So abrasive you’ll need to catch your breath.”

Friend For  A Foe is:

Chris Purvis – Guitars, Production
Tony Marshall – Guitars
Jason Novalis – Drums
Benjamin Guarino – Vocals, Artwork
Chris Barretto – Vocals

Century Media announces worldwide signing of TESSERACT

July 29th, 2010 in News by admin

Hailed as one of the best unsigned bands from everyone from the Washington Post to UK’s Rock Sound magazine, TESSERACT are pleased to finally shed the “unsigned” tag as they announce a worldwide recording deal with Century Media Records.  The band comments:

“TESSERACT is very excited to be working with Century Media. We have been looking for a long time and have spoken to many companies but feel that the hard work ethic and enthusiasm that Century Media showed will help take us to the next level and will see TESSERACT emerge from the underground and on to the international scene.”

TESSERACT has spent the last year finalizing their debut album, One, which was produced by band mates, Acle Kahney and Amos Williams. With constant support from the UK media, TESSERACT has been able to achieve a loyal following in their home country as well as the rest of Europe, having their video for Concealing Fate Part IIin constant rotation on Scuzz TV and other media outlets. They’ve toured throughout the UK and EU playing everything from clubs to festivals and last spring made it over to Russia for the first of what will surely be many stops. Their international touring plans continue as they are pleased to announce they were invited as special guests on Devin Townsend’s North American West Coast run.

“For TESSERACT to be on the road with Devin Townsend is just unbelievable for us. From his work with Steve Vai to the craziness of SYL and all the way through to his latest solo albums, he’s always been way out there, pushing the boundaries of modern rock and metal and has been a constant in cutting edge music. It’ll be a great opportunity for us to watch and learn from a very creative and accomplished musician and song writer. We cannot wait for October to come!”

Formed in 2003 as a solo writing project in the mind of guitarist Acle (who was a founding member in Fell Silent) TesseracT first broke through in the scene with their 2007 demo and later appearances at UK’s Bloodstock, Hammerfest, Caos Emergente in Portugal and the  Hellfire 2 festival at the Birmingham NEC arena. TESSERACT soon became one of the most talked about bands among musicians and tech-heads, thanks to the quintet’s time signatures and musical complexity.  TESSERACT are far from an exclusionary exercise in tech metal pomposity though. They fully embrace their experimental, prog sensibility without excessive indulgence or pretentiousness, delivering atmospheric, metallic songs that stir strong emotions and evoke powerful mental images.

TESSERACT is:

Acle Kahney – Guitars
Amos Williams – Bass
Dan Tompkins – Vocals
Jay Postones – Drums
James Monteith – Guitars

TESSERACT 2010 North American Tour Dates, special guest to Devin Townsend

10/8 – Vancouver – Rickshaw

10/9 – Seattle – Studio Seven

10/10 – Portland – Hawthorne

10/12 – San Fran – Slim’s

10/14 – Los Angeles – Key Club

10/15 – San Diego – Ramona

10/16 – Las Vegas – Cheyenne

Dream Theater’s JAMES LABRIE Unveils His New Static Impulse Solo Release

July 22nd, 2010 in News by admin

Dream Theater’s JAMES LABRIE is easily one of the defining, elite and naturally talented vocalists the world has to offer and after selling over a million albums worldwide he further challenges himself with an aggressive and dynamic new solo effort. The much anticipated new full-length offering, Static Impulse, also marks LABRIE’s first solo effort in over five years and is sure to please his legion of diehard fans, as well as win over many new devotees in the process. Be sure to stay tuned towww.jameslabrie.com for new information.

Static Impulse also features the immensely talented longtime songwriting partner and keyboardist Matt Guillory. Another notable performance is Peter Wildoer from metal titans DARKANE on drums and screaming vocals. The group is rounded out by Marco Sfogli on guitars and Ray Riendeau on bass. Static Impulse is set for a September 28^th release on InsideOut Music and was mixed and mastered by the renowned Jens Borgen (Opeth, Katatonia).

LABRIE states: “Hi everyone. The release of Static Impulse is one that the whole band is psyched about. This is modern Metal and as heavy and relevant as any other band out there going in a similar musical direction. There are riffs that will blow your head off and melodies both musically and vocally that are hypnotic. Get in the driver’s seat and let the ears bleed. Enjoy and see you out there with a tour to follow up and support this release.”

Guillory further comments: “One year and two months in the making and we’re finally done. I’m really pleased with the way this record came out. James sounds fantastic, as well as the rest of the guys. Without a doubt, it’s our heaviest record thus far yet at the same time, it’s also our most melodic. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

In addition to Dream Theater’s numerous studio and live releases, LABRIE has also appeared on releases by Fates Warning, Redemption, Trent Gardner’s Explorer’s Club, Leonardo The Absolute Man, Frameshift, Ayreon’s The Human Equation, as well as tribute albums to Rush, Emerson Lake & Palmer and Queen.

Electro-Harmonix Release The Freeze Sound Retainer & Headphone Amp

July 20th, 2010 in News by admin

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY — Electro-Harmonix releases the Freeze Sound Retainer, a performance device that captures a frozen moment and turns it into a unique sonic landscape. The Freeze delivers infinite sustain of any note or chord at the press of a momentary footswitch.  Play over your captured sound for liquid, interactive creativity. Release the footswitch and you are again capture ready.

The Freeze has three selectable decay rates plus a latch mode. Each was designed to allow the musician to apply smooth tonal transitions that allow you to continuously sample-capture the perfect moment. Hook it up to your favorite pedals or pedal board for a tonal density that is as powerful and variable as your creativity allows for.

4.70” high x 3.70” wide and 1.18” deep. It comes equipped with a battery. It also uses an optional 9DC-100 power supply.

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY June 1, 2010— Electro-Harmonix is also now shipping the HEADPHONE AMP. This ultra lightweight design offers tremendous portability while giving the musician a headphone amplifier that is uniquely tailored to musical instruments.

The HEADPHONE AMP delivers transparent sound that is uncolored. What you play is exactly as you would hear it through your amps. Use your favorite pedals or pedal board to maintain the sound that you are familiar with. The volume knob has the same variability as your amplifier would have.

Small, portable and lightweight, the HEADPHONE AMP lets you play anywhere, anytime with a sound that is realistic and true. Not a toy but a tool. The HEADPHONE AMP is housed in a 27mm high x 60.80mm wide and 112.50mm long. deep package and it comes equipped with a 9 volt battery. Headphones NOT included.

Soilwork Kick Off North American Tour

July 20th, 2010 in News by admin

The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal, SOILWORK, recently kick off their North American headlining tour with San Francisco Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL, Quebec’s tech-death masters AUGURY, Roadrunner Records recording artists MUTINY WITHIN, and pirate themed thrashers SWASHBUCKLE. Frontman Bjorn “Speed” Strid commented on the first show of the tour, and what it was like to play in front of a crowd again after an extended absence from the stage:

“So we kicked off our North American tour last night in West Springfield, VA. All I can say is that we had an absolute blast performing the new songs for the first time. It was our first show in over a year and I felt so pumped getting up on that stage again. The work for our latest album took a lot of energy and patience but made the band regain all the inspiration and strength, so it was with great excitement we entered that stage last night.

The crowd was super excited and already knew the lyrics for some of the songs even though the album was released only 3 days ago. I had a silly smile on my face the whole show, and even though the heat was about to kill me on stage, I could probably have made it through a couple of more songs since I felt so energetic. The set list is massive and so is the touring schedule; 27 shows in 30 days and 18 songs every night, covering our whole career. Pretty damn insane! So proud of what we have accomplished with this new album and they way we pull it off live. A huge kick! Can’t wait to do all these shows. See you soon.”

The Panic Broadcast, was released on July 2 in EUROPE and July 13 in North America via Nuclear Blast!

SOILWORK, DEATH ANGEL, AUGURY, MUTINY WITHIN, SWASHBUCKLE

07/14/10  Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA

07/15/10  The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA

07/16/10  The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY

07/17/10  The Palladium – Worcester, MA

07/18/10  FouFounes Electriques – Montreal, QC – CANADA

07/19/10  The Opera House – Toronto, ON – CANADA

07/20/10  Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

07/21/10  Blondie’s – Detroit, MI

07/22/10  Reggies Rock Club – Chicago, IL

07/23/10  The Rave – Milwaukee, WI ç + THE CRINN

07/24/10  The Rock – Maplewood, MN ç + THE CRINN

07/27/10  El Corazon – Seattle, WA

07/28/10  Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC – CANADA

07/29/10  Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR

07/30/10  Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

07/31/10  The Galaxy Theatre – Santa Ana, CA

08/01/10  Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA

08/02/10  The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ

08/03/10  The Rock – Tucson, AZ

08/05/10  Emo’s – Austin, TX

08/06/10  Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX

08/07/10  The Warsaw – Houston, TX

08/08/10 The Parish – New Orleans, LA ç NO SOILWORK

08/09/10  The Club at Firestone – Orlando, FL

08/10/10  Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC

08/11/10  Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY

08/12/10  Gil’s Bar and Grill – Virginia Beach, VA

08/13/10  Sonar – Baltimore, MD

08/14/10  Diesel Nightclub – Pittsburgh, PA

08/15/10  Webster Theater – Hartford, CT

08/16/10  The Dagobert – Quebec City, QC – CANADA SOILWORK ONLY

08/17/10  Music Hall – London, ON – CANADA SOILWORK ONLY

08/18/10  Emerson Theater – Indianapolis, IN SOILWORK ONLY

SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL have now added a special event VIP ticket for a pre-show meet-and-greet to take place one hour before doors. Each night, fans will get to meet and greet SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL for a special event that is being offered. Fans will also receive a customized poster to get signed by both bands. These special VIP tickets are on sale now at EnterTheVault.com .

Francesco Artusato joins All Shall Perish & Unveils Details of a New Solo Effort

July 13th, 2010 in News by admin

June 9th, 2010

Guitar Messenger’s very own Francesco Artusato has recently been announced as the new touring guitarist for Oakland, California’s extreme metal unit All Shall Perish. The band issued the following statement:

“So we’re long due for an update on the currently happenings of All Shall Perish. Firstly, we’re pleased to announce that Adam Pierce (Sea of Treachery) has come onboard as our new drummer.

Yes, this means that one of our original members, Matt Kuykendall, is no longer in the band. It’s always tough to part ways with a longtime member and friend, but it was absolutely necessary in order to maintain forward progress.

Also, as many of you may already know, our most recent lead guitarist, Jason Richardson, has left ASP and joined Born of Osiris. That being said, we’d like you all to welcome Francesco Artusato, originally hailing from Treviso, Italy, as our new touring guitarist for the foreseeable future.

This is the lineup you’ll see throughout this year and hopefully well beyond. We feel great about these new additions and are confident that the ASP fans will make them feel welcome! There will be new photos and more updates coming soon. Come see us on Summer Slaughter and hang out!”

________________

Update July 14, 2010

All Shall Perish’s new guitarist and Berklee College of Music graduate, Francesco Artusato, has completed work on his dynamic new, all instrumental solo endeavor entitled Chaos and The Primordial. This all out technical shred fest features 10 truly diverse tracks that takes the listener on an all encompassing musical journey and the depth and diversity in which Artusato does so is astonishing.

Artusato is proud to launch his new MySpace to promote this solo release, so head over now to www.myspace.com/francescoartusatomusic in order to check out some new audio samples. Explosive technicality combined with musical taste and an energetic sense of phrase is the main emphasis behind the Chaos and The Primordial album, so enjoy.

Artusato checks in with the following report: “I just got back from my first tour with All Shall Perish playing four great shows as direct support for the legendary Danzig. It was such an amazing and mind blowing experience! We will be back on the road starting this weekend for the Summer Slaughter North American tour and will then head out to Europe after that. It’s going to be great.

“This is also an exciting moment for me because my first solo record Chaos and the Primordial is finally finished. It’s 10 tracks of all instrumental music that explore the rock/metal language in singular ways. I’m very proud of the final product. It sounds the way I envisioned it thanks to Ben Cohen, who mixed and mastered it at Sky Blue Studios. It took a lot of patience and attention due to the crazy amount of recorded guitar tracks (doubles, harmonies and different layers and textures). Some of the songs have more 25 guitar tracks each! This disc is the result of the experiences, studies, thoughts and musical moments that shaped my sound and vision throughout these years.

“The first sample is taken from the1st track titled ‘Chaos and the Primordial.’ Overall, it’s a very technical and intense song that has a progressive vibe with some very open and lyrical parts mixed with very powerful moments of intensity and complexity.

“The second sample is taken from the 3rd track titled ‘Typhoeus’ and this song combines some of the most challenging riffs and phrases that I’ve ever written. The intricacy of the parts and its wild and forceful nature are what make this song comparable to a typhoon: uncontainable and feral!

“The third sample is taken from the 6th track titled ‘The Metamorphosis,’ which is probably the most experimental and unconventional sounding song of the album. The song is distinguished by crazy time signatures, peculiar sounding lines and phrases and a constant mutating form that makes the song evolve and devolve within itself.

“I hope you enjoy the music and thanks for listening. Stay tuned for news, more samples, lessons and release date to follow in the coming weeks and be sure to come up and say hello if you make it out to the Summer Slaughter tour.”

Artusato was born in Italy and is a product of a very musical family. He started playing saxophone at the age of 14 and switched to guitar when he was 19. After graduating Suma Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2006, he relocated to Los Angeles where he has been busy with recording, touring and teaching. His most notable accomplishment to date was being invited back to Boston in 2008 to perform 1st electric guitar for Vuk Kulenovic’s “Electric Symphony”, a 70 minute massive symphony, sharing the stage with such renowned musicians as Kenwood Dennard on drums (Miles Davis, Sting, Chick Corea) and conducted by Tibor Pusztai.

Make no mistake, Francesco Artusato is a force to be reckoned with and will soon be mentioned with the likes of Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, John Petrucci and Jeff Loomis, among other guitar heroes.

http://www.myspace.com/francescoartusatomusic

Steve Vai Presents: Western Vacation

June 28th, 2010 in News by admin

In the early 1980s, Steve Vai had just moved to California and bought a house in rural Sylmar California. At the time, it was a place with more animals than people. Steve’s little house out in the wilderness, was a place where wayward musicians can come and call home. One of those musicians living at the house, was Marty Schwartz, Steve’s friend from his Berklee School Of Music Days. When Steve broke his whammy bar during a gig in the Berklee recital hall, he asked if anyone had a spare rubber band, thats when a faint voice came from audience “Iv’e got one for you Steve!”, that was the first time Steve met Marty.

In Steve’s backyard, filled with chickens, ducks, and other various farm animals, Steve’s first hand built studio, called Stucco Blue, was the birth place of, ”Western Vacation”. This album was created by Marty, and features a handful of Frank Zappa alumni, including keyboardist Tommy Mars, Vocalist Bob Harris, and Steve Vai, who was listed as the ”Reckless Fable” on the ”Western Vacation” track. Other musicians that played on this album were, Chris Frazier on drums, and Jac Mihanovic on bass.

”Western Vacation” takes you on a progressive musical journey with uplifting melodic textures and dynamic musicianship! Bob Harris’s voice is as sweet as a red velvet cupcake and the melodies on this record are so delicious. This album has been beautifully re-mastered in the ”Audio Laundry Mastering Lab” in Steve’s Encino studio, from the original 8 track tapes! This deluxe reissue features a wonderful booklet featuring a essay from Steve Vai and legendary writer and publicist Laurel Fishman.

Listen to Western Vacation and see if you can be transported to the idyllic 1980′s in Sylmar. ”This captures that time and place with those wonderful friends,” -Steve Vai.

Watch the Western Vacation Fan Video!

Performance Track List

1. Western Vacation
2. Nocturnal Emissions
3. Fast Notes People
4. Send Us More Light
5. Patty
6. The Velvet Line
7. Delicious
8. Borrowed Time
9. Burning Flame

Electro-Harmonix releases the Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi & 44 Magnum Power Amp

June 9th, 2010 in News by admin

ELECTRO-HARMONIX RELEASES THE GERMANIUM 4 BIG MUFF Pi, a combination overdrive and distortion pedal using four classic Germanium transistors.

Electro-Harmonix has resurrected the warm sound unique to the Germanium transistors of the 1960s and applied several modern twists to deliver a new pedal with a vintage vibe and feel, but modern control and power.

The Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi features two independent circuits, one Overdrive and one Distortion that can be used individually or in series. The Overdrive and Distortion circuits each use a pair of N.O.S. NKT275 Germanium transistors. Purists will appreciate the authentic sound of these vintage components and the fact that the Germanium 4 is true bypass.

The Overdrive section features independent controls for Gain, Bias, Tone and Volume, while Distortion provides independent controls for Gain, Bias, Volts and Volume. The Bias controls adjust the tonal character of the distortion by changing the bias of the signal before it is distorted by the Germanium Transistors. The Volts control enables the player to dial back the amount of voltage supplied to the Distortion side and create varying “dying battery” sounds.

Stack the overdrive and distortion in series and the player has two individual control sets that work in combination for a hybrid tonality that can be mixed and balanced. When combined, the four germanium transistors are stacked providing a new power edge in performance.

The Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi features a compact 4.75” high x 5.75” wide and 1.5” deep. It comes equipped with a battery. It also uses an optional 9DC-100 power supply. USA List $133.00

Following the introduction of the innovative 22 Caliber Guitar Amp, Electro-Harmonix presents a more powerful 44-watt version in our smallest pedal-sized package. The 44 Magnum Power Amp, designed with guitar in mind, is also at home with bass, keyboards or virtually any electric instrument.

The 44 Magnum delivers a broad power range with plenty of headroom. It can also be driven to a natural saturation as the volume is turned up. A Tone Switch lets the player select a neutral tone or a top-end boost that adds upper harmonic definition.

The ultra-portable 44 Magnum is ideal as a primary or a backup amplifier, and at 4.70″ high x 3.70″ wide x 1.18″deep, can go directly from your pocket or gig bag to the stage. It comes complete with a 24DC-3000 power supply and is compatible with any speaker cabinet providing an 8 or 16 Ohm load. The 44 Magnum Power Amp has a U.S. M.S.R.P. of $144.75 with an anticipated June 2010 delivery.

George Bellas – The Dawn of Time

June 3rd, 2010 in News by admin

The Dawn Of Time – Coming  July 16th, 2010.

In the beginning there was nothing… And then there was light! The Dawn Of Time. Fifteen billion years later George Bellas presents to you an epic collection of instrumental songs inspired by the universe, how it was created, and from where and what it came from.

‘The Dawn Of Time’ is an instrumental album rich in Romanticism and Futurism with over-the-top performances by Marco Minnemann and George Bellas. The album contains a diverse collection of 19 songs that range from simple and delicate, to complex and ferocious. The production is dynamic, clean, and has an open sound to it allowing the music to breath naturally.

Bellas comments, “For this album I wanted the arrangements to be short and accessible, and the songs to be euphonious and tonal, especially when compared to my previous album, which was a single 75 min song and atonal for the most part. For some songs I wanted to utilize compositional techniques and elements from the baroque, classical and romantic eras, and also have other songs lean more on the progressive side by using modern aspects of music. Another important factor to me was the melodies, I wrote some in a lyrical style, and others in a virtuoso instrumental style. I strived for a pleasing balance of the two”.

‘The Dawn Of Time’ was inspired by the universe, how it was created, and from where and what it came from. Bellas states, “I have always loved science, especially astrophysics, and this album is a creative expression of the visions produced from studying the works of great scientists such as: Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Michio Kaku, Amy Mainzer, and Brian Green, to name but a few. Their research, thought-provoking lectures and writings have been the most inspiring resources I have ever had. This album is different from my last two releases which were ultra modern in style, and “The Dawn Of Time” consists more of a neoclassical sound, along with some futurism sprinkled throughout. This new album is also more aggressive sounding than my previous release. The production on “The Dawn Of Time” is very open with lots of dynamic headroom. I do not subscribe to the volume wars that the industry has been in since the advent of the compact disc. When I want to hear something loud I much prefer to use this neat little invention called a volume knob. So, if this album seems quieter than other albums you’re used to – TURN IT UP!”

Marco Minnemann once again performed and recorded some mind blowing drum takes. Bellas – “Working with Marco is always an extreme pleasure. I truly believe Marco to be one of the best drummers that has ever lived. I compose and score all the parts for all instruments in my music, but when I hear Marco’s interpretation and the additional Minnemann pizazz he adds, it just blows me away and really takes the parts to a whole new level. And believe me, just playing the complex rhythms I throw at Marco can be daunting, but for him to play them with the intensity and personality that he does is just sheer over-the-top talent”.

The voracious writing process began shortly after Bellas’ previous release “Step Into The Future” was turned in to the record label. Bellas comments, “As I usually do, I first scored out all the parts, and then proceeded to track the guitar, bass, drums and keys. The guitar was recorded through a Focusrite Red Series mic preamp into an Apogee Rosetta 800 converter, and then optically straight into a DAW through an RME PCI card”.

“The bass guitar sound on this album was recorded differently from my previous releases. For this album I used a Musicman Stingray bass plugged into an Ampeg SVT Classic amp and cabinet. I used a Sennheiser MD421 to mic the bass cabinet and combined that with the direct out of the amp. Another factor of achieving the bass tone was using a custom made isolation box for the mic, not an iso-box for the whole cabinet, but just the mic. Having the isolation box surround the mic allowed me to selectively increase or decrease the amount of room reflections. For guitars and amps I used the usual assortment of Fender Strats, Gibson Les Pauls, a Marshall 1976 MKII, a Marshall JCM800, and a few JCM900 Marshall amps. For the majority of the album no compression was used, and in the few spots that it was used it was a minimal amount”.

George Bellas – One of the worlds leading and most prolific guitar virtuoso’s returns with ‘The Dawn Of Time’, an album which encompasses all the numerous elements heard throughout his solo career to date on July 16th 2010.

PROMO VIDEOS

Machine Man promo video:

The Dawn Of Time promo video:

TRACK LISTING

01. Cyclone
02. Seeding The Universe
03. Let There Be Light
04. The Dawn Of Time
05. Machine Man
06. Voyage To Triangulum
07. Mysterious Light
08. Mystical Dream
09. Glimmering Stardust
10. Electromagnetic
11. Genesis Of Life
12. Carbon Creature
13. Suns of Andromeda
14. We Are Not Alone
15. Nightmare Awoken
16. Primordial Atom
17. Metropolis
18. Always At My Side
19. The Angels Are Calling

Total Running Time 79:57 mins

MUSICIANS

George Bellas – Guitars, Bass and Keyboards
Marco Minnemann – Drums

CREDITS
Written and Produced by George Bellas
Artwork and Design by George Bellas
Mixed and Mastered by George Bellas
Guitar, Bass and Keyboards recorded at Bellas Music Studio
Drums recorded at Marco Minnemann’s Studio
Published by Bellas Tune Factory, BMI

Guitar Virtuoso Month at Lion Music

May 28th, 2010 in News by admin

To celebrate the release of new albums from world acclaimed guitar virtuosos George Bellas and Alex Masi on July 16th, Lion Music are celebrating “Guitar Virtuoso Month” in July 2010.

The whole of July will see exclusive interviews with guitarists on the labels roster, special offers on releases from the LM store and a whole host of other goodies.

Be sure to not miss out on the action by checking back at the LM site regularly or joining the LM facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lion-Music-Record-Label/344149693292

Legendary Heavy Metal Vocalist RONNIE JAMES DIO Dies

May 16th, 2010 in News by admin

Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

“Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

“Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all.

“We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us.

“Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss.

“Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.”

It was only a month ago that Dio, 67, spoke about his battle with cancer with the Artisan News Service on the “black carpet” of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which took place on April 8 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles.

When asked about how he had been feeling since he was diagnosed with the disease late last year, Dio said, “Well, I feel good and bad at times. It’s a long process. Chemotherapy is a… I never realized what a difficult thing it was to go through. It’s a real cumulative effect — the more you have, the more it piles up on top and it takes longer and longer to get over it. I find it very difficult to eat. I don’t like to eat anyway, so I guess that’s OK. But I know I have to. But this makes it very, very hard. But if you’re determined to beat it, then you have to go with what you believe is going to beat it for you, and in this case it’s that.

I go to a great hospital in Houston called M.D. Anderson, which I think is the best hospital in the world, I have the best doctor in the world, Dr. Ajani, who I really trust and I really believe in, so I think I’ve done all the right things. It makes me feel positive about my life and positive that there is a lot more of it to live.”

Source: Blabbermouth.net – Click HERE to read the rest of this article.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio

Peter Wichers Comments on Producing New SOILWORK Record

May 14th, 2010 in News by admin

The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal, SOILWORK, will release The Panic Broadcast on July 2 (EUROPE) and July 13 (N. America) via Nuclear Blast. It will be the first album to feature original guitarist, songwriter & producer Peter Wichers since his return to the band in 2008! The Panic Broadcast was also produced by Wichers, as he did with the latest NEVERMORE release, and was mixed by Jen Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SYMPHONY X). Wicher’s took a moment recently to talk about what it was like to produce his own band after working with so many other great artists:

“Producing SOILWORK was great challenge for me but also one of the greatest experiences of my career. I can honestly say that I’ve never worked this hard on any record that I’ve produced, but it was all worth it. I am super happy with the performances from all the guys, and I don’t think SOILWORK has ever sounded this good.

My approach for this record was to try and keep an open mind to the overall sonic picture, without letting my own ego take over (I am a guitar player after all, haha). By doing so, I think everyone on this record got a chance to shine, and that was my main goal. I’m super proud of this record and I know that even if you’re an ‘Old School’ or ‘New Listener’ to SOILWORK, this album has something for both. There are some insane fast and furious songs with insane blast beats, as well as groove. There’s also a balance with songs that have some beautiful guitars/vocals and keyboard melodies.

This is the best album SOILWORK has ever done!”

Track Listing:

01. Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
02. 2 Lives Worth Of Reckoning
03. The Thrill
04. Deliverance Is Mine
05. Night Comes Clean
06. King Of The Threshold
07. Let This River Flow
08. Epitome
09. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog Of Pavlov

Catch SOILWORK on their North American headlining tour this Summer with San Francisco Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL! Joining them will be Quebec’s tech-death masters AUGURY, Roadrunner Records recording artists MUTINY WITHIN, and pirate themed thrashers SWASHBUCKLE.

SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL have now added a special event VIP ticket for a pre-show meet-and-greet to take place one hour before doors. Each night, fans will get to meet and greet SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL for a special event that is being offered. Fans will also receive a customized poster to get signed by both bands. These special VIP tickets are on sale now at EnterTheVault.com.

SOILWORK, DEATH ANGEL, AUGURY, MUTINY WITHIN, SWASHBUCKLE

07/14/10 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
07/15/10 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
07/16/10 The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
07/17/10 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
07/18/10 FouFounes Electriques – Montreal, QC – CANADA
07/19/10 The Opera House – Toronto, ON – CANADA
07/20/10 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
07/21/10 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
07/22/10 Reggies Rock Club – Chicago, IL
07/23/10 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI ç + THE CRINN
07/24/10 The Rock – Maplewood, MN ç + THE CRINN
07/27/10 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
07/28/10 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC – CANADA
07/29/10 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
07/30/10 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
07/31/10 The Galaxy Theatre – Santa Ana, CA
08/01/10 Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA
08/02/10 The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
08/03/10 The Rock – Tucson, AZ
08/05/10 Emo’s – Austin, TX
08/06/10 Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX
08/07/10 The Warsaw – Houston, TX
08/08/10 The Parish – New Orleans, LA ç NO SOILWORK
08/09/10 The Club at Firestone – Orlando, FL
08/10/10 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
08/11/10 Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY
08/12/10 Gil’s Bar and Grill – Virginia Beach, VA
08/13/10 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
08/14/10 Diesel Nightclub – Pittsburgh, PA
08/15/10 Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
08/16/10 The Dagobert – Quebec City, QC – CANADAç SOILWORK ONLY
08/17/10 Music Hall – London, ON – CANADAç SOILWORK ONLY
08/18/10 Emerson Theater – Indianapolis, INç SOILWORK ONLY

Periphery debuts ‘Icarus Lives’ Video

April 15th, 2010 in News by admin

Today Periphery have released their video for ‘Icarus Lives’ off their upcoming self-titled debut via Metal Injection. The album is coming out on April 20th via Sumerian Records.

Guitar Legend Steve Vai to Release “Where The Other Wild Things Are”

April 13th, 2010 in News by admin

Los Angeles, CA, February 10, 2010: Triple GRAMMY® Award winning guitarist Steve Vai will release a new live album, “Where The Other Wild Things Are,” on April 13, 2010 on his own Favored Nations Entertainment imprint. The 12-track album is the second companion CD to be released alongside the 2009 concert film “Live In Minneapolis: Where The Wild Things Are,” which is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD made a #4 debut on Billboard’s Top Music DVD Chart, went Gold in both the USA and Canada and the track “Now We Run” was nominated for a 2010 Grammy® Award for Best Rock Instrumental. This new album features songs from the DVD that were not previously released on the first CD.

Vai explains: “The original CD release for ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ consisted of songs from the concert DVD that had never been released in a live format before. It’s a robust CD! The other songs that were performed at the concert but were not released on the CD were burning a hole in the hard drive and beckoning me for the light of day, so I thought, even though these songs have been released in live versions with other bands from the past, my new band with the two sweetly screaming violins gives them a whole new life. So we decided to release a second disc that contains all the tracks that were not on the first disc. And there you have it, “Where the Other Wild Things Are,” and it’s even ‘robuster’ than the first one.”

The live concert featured on the DVD and CDs was filmed and recorded at the historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN before a sold-out crowd during Vai’s acclaimed 2007 String Theories World Tour. Vai chose the State Theatre for its lush acoustics and equally inspiring interior – his unprecedented guitar wizardry amazes throughout the film, as do the talents of the stellar band, an ace group of players, including two violinists, Vai put together and called String Theories.

2010 marks Steve Vai’s 30th Anniversary in the music business. Vai first stepped into the spotlight in 1980 as a touring member of the legendary Frank Zappa’s touring band but his indelible contribution to music came during his solo career, which includes combined sales of nearly six million albums over the last three decades.

Vai is currently in the studio recording his next solo album for Favored Nations Entertainment. He will then embark on a World Tour that will take him through all of 2011.

Performance Track Listing:
1. The Crying Machine
2. The Audience Is Listening
3. The Murder
4. Juice
5. Whispering A Prayer
6. Apples In Paradise
7. I’m Becoming
8. Beastly Rap
9. Earthquake Sky
10. Liberty
11. Answers
12. For The Love Of God

Where The Other Wild Things Are will be available April 13, 2010

KORN sign to Roadrunner Records – Album Due Summer 2010

March 30th, 2010 in News by admin

New York, NY: Roadrunner Records announced today the worldwide signing of multi-platinum, genre-defining hard rock band Korn to the label. Korn III – Remember Who You Are is the band’s ninth album overall and their first album for their new label. It was produced by Ross Robinson, who also manned the boards for the band’s explosively definitive self-titled 1994 debut, as well as the follow up, 1996′s Life is Peachy.

Bursting onto and instantly dominating the hard rock scene in 1994, Korn have proven to be one of the pre-eminent bands in the world, as well as one of the most influential and significant bands on the hard rock musical landscape for the past two decades.

“We called this record Korn III – Remember Who You Are because it really feels like a return to that attitude we had on the first two records,” bassist Fieldy said. “And when it came to putting this record out, we could not think of anyone better to help us than Roadrunner, the only label that even understands rock music anymore.”

Fieldy also checked in from the band’s current tour, taking time to greet fans while the band was trekking around the snowy Alaskan terrain.

Over the course of eight releases, Korn have sold over 30 million albums worldwide, inspiring a disciple-like devotion among their fanbase along the way. Korn also notched six Grammy nominations and have won two; one for Best Short Form Music Video for “Freak on a Leash” from 1998′s Follow the Leader, as well as one for Best Metal Performance for “Here to Stay” from 2002′sUntouchables. They have also been nominated for nine MTV VMAs, having picked up two wins for “Best Rock Video” and “Best Editing” for “Freak on a Leash.” Korn also launched their own massively successful touring festival, “The Family Values Tour.”

It’s beyond evident that Korn are one of a kind and have secured a firm place in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, thanks to their signature blend of twisted, throbbing guitar riffs, syncopated chaotic funk beats, a schizophrenic bass thump and an unmistakable cathartic howl.

Korn’s current lineup is Jonathan Davis (vocals), Fieldy (bass), James “Munky” Shaffer (guitar) and Ray Luzier (drums).

Korn III – Remember Who You Are retains that savage, raw energy that made Korn such a crucial fixture to an entire generation of diehard fans.

The band will spend the summer headlining the third annual Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. They will also embark on a South American run, as well as headline the Jagermeister Music Tour in America beforehand.

TEXTURES Announce New Front Man

March 25th, 2010 in News by admin

Dutch extreme progressive technical metallers TEXTURES are excited to announce that Daniel de Jongh, former front man of the Dutch metal band Cilice, will replace Eric Kalsbeek who left the band earlier this year.

De Jongh had to say this about joining TEXTURES:

“I am truly honored to have been asked to replace Eric as vocalist for TEXTURES. TEXTURES is a standout band which I’ve listened to the last couple of years, like so many other metal-fans out there. Although it was a pretty tough decision to leave my former band Cilice, this was an offer I just couldn’t refuse. The guys in TEXTURES are just a great bunch of people and it is clear that there is and will be loads of inspiration for the next years to come. I also know how much Eric was respected by the fans and I hope that I can assure you guys out there that I will replace him with as much dignity as he did for TEXTURES the last 6 years. All I can say is that we as TEXTURES are ready to rock everyone out there and that the anticipation for the next album can be withhold. We are in writing process at the time and I can reveal that it is going to be kick-ass, as always!! We will see you guys soon!!”

The band had this to say about de Jongh joining TEXTURES:

“It was really hard for us to part ways with Eric. Emotionally and musically. But Daniel gives us more than enough reasons to prolong our career, more hyped up than ever before. His experience, personality, musical taste and of course, his awesome vocal skills, make us see the future like a first spring morning after a severe winter-darkness. TEXTURES 2.0 has just been launched!”

New vocalist Daniel de Jongh will make his live debut on a select number of shows this summer which will be announced soon.

TEXTURES joined the Nuclear Blast roster in June 2009.

Visit TEXTURES online at www.texturesband.com & www.myspace.com/textures.

DREAM THEATER to support IRON MAIDEN on Summer Tour

March 4th, 2010 in News by admin

New York, NY: Prog rock/metal icons DREAM THEATER will spend their summer supporting Iron Maiden on the band’s month-long tour of major US and Canadian markets. The tour launches on June 9 and runs through July 20, and includes a stop at the storied Madison Square Garden in NYC, marking the first time in a lengthy and respected career that Dream Theater will have played the world’s most famous arena. This tour will mark another milestone in Dream Theater’s history, which continues to expand and evolve, twenty-five years deep.

Of touring with Iron Maiden in North America, drummer Mike Portnoy said, “It is a bit of a dream come true for us. After 25 years together, at this stage in our career, there’s honestly only three bands Dream Theater would consider opening for and Maiden is one of them. It is an absolute honor. Through the years, we’ve done many one-off shows with Maiden and they’ve almost all been overseas. It is very exciting to finally be doing a full tour with them and on our side of the pond, no less. These are gonna be amazing shows that the fans won’t want to miss. Up the f***ing irons!”

Playing MSG for the first time is also a huge accomplishment for the band and they are thrilled about the prospect. “Dream Theater has achieved so many dreams through the years, from playing the Budokan in Tokyo to Wembley Arena in London to Radio City Music Hall in NYC,” Portnoy recalled. “But the one remaining dream that has eluded us through all of these years was to play at Madison Square Garden. Well, on July 12, along with Iron Maiden, that dream will finally be fulfilled.”

Guitarist John Petrucci was equally stoked about the MSG play, saying, “I am unbelievably excited to be finally playing Madison Square Garden, and with the almighty Maiden to boot! They have been heroes to the band since the beginning and are iconic in our eyes. There is nothing like achieving success and recognition in your own country, in your own city. It’s going to be an incredible night for sure.”

Portnoy has proof of this career-long dream, saying, “About a month ago, my family and I were watching a video of my first band Intruder from back in 1983, and in the video before the show, I was interviewed and asked what my dream goal was. I responded ‘To play the Garden.’ It took almost 30 years, but it’s surreal that I will now be able to check it off the list.”

Dream Theater’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings was released in 2009 and debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Sales chart.

Tour dates for the Iron Maiden/Dream Theater run are as follows:

June 9 – Superpages.com Center – Dallas, TX
June 11 -The Woodlands – Houston, TX
June 12 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX
June 14 – Fiddler’s Green – Denver, CO
June 16 – The Pavilion (formerly Journal Pavilion) – Albuquerque, NM
June 17 – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ
June 19 – San Manuel Amphitheatre – San Bernardino, CA
June 20 – Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord, CA
June 22 – White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA
June 24 – General Motors Place – Vancouver, BC
June 26 – Rexall Place – Edmonton, AB
June 29 – Credit Union Centre – Saskatoon, SK

July 3 – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
July 7 – Bell Centre – Montreal, QC
July 9 – International Summer Festival – Quebec City, QUE
July 11 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
July 12 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
July 14 – Post Gazette Pavilion – Pittsburg, PA
July 15 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH
July 17 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
July 18 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
July 20 – Jiffy Lube Live – Washington, DC

Workshop Featuring Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Alex De Grassi, Scott Tennant

March 3rd, 2010 in News by admin

Bigfork, Montana (PRWEB) March 3, 2010 – The non-profit Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation (CCGF) announced today its first annual guitar festival and workshop. The event offers the opportunity to play with and learn from world renowned guitarists against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana during the centennial celebration of nearby Glacier National Park.

The event includes classes and jam sessions with distinguished guitar artists including Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Alex De Grassi, and Scott Tennant. The festival is being held at the Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana from August 29 – September 5, 2010. It is open to any and all with a passion for playing the guitar.

“This will be a unique guitar event, offering up close and personal time with leading artists and teachers. Participants will improve their guitar playing while enjoying one of the most beautiful places in the world,” says David Feffer, Chairman and Founder of The Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation. Feffer adds, “Through our charitable partners, we will be helping to preserve the things that make Northwest Montana so unique and special.”

Proceeds from the Festival will benefit Montana charities and civic organizations, including: The Glacier Park Fund, Montana Public Radio and Public Broadcasting, The Montana Land Reliance, North Valley Music School and Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center.

The Festival includes:

• The opportunity to play with and learn from great guitarists
• Six days of intimate workshops, master classes, and jam sessions in jazz, rock, blues, acoustic, and classical
• Exclusive evening performances every night
• Public performances on stages throughout the Flathead Valley
• 4 star accommodations at the Flathead Lake Lodge
• Access to Flathead Lake, Glacier National Park, the Swan Mountain Range and other pristine natural amenities

Registration for the CCGF will be taken on a first come first served basis by calling 800-234-6479 or visiting CCGF online. There is a discount for individuals who register prior to March 15, 2010.

About Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation
Founded in 2009, the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation is a non-profit organization established to celebrate the artistry of the guitar across all genres, inspired by the unique ecosystem and beauty of the Crown of the Continent region of the Northern Rocky Mountains. The organization’s mission is to collaborate with other organizations in Northwest Montana to establish the area as a nationally respected center for guitar study, performance and composition. Proceeds from the Foundation’s activities will support other Montana non-profit organizations including: The Glacier Park Fund, Montana Public Radio and Public Broadcasting, The Montana Land Reliance, North Valley Music School and Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center.

About Pat Metheny
With the release of his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), Pat Metheny reinvented the traditional “jazz guitar” sound for a new generation of players. Over the years, Metheny has won countless polls as “Best Jazz Guitarist” and awards, including three gold records for (Still Life) Talking, Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has also won 17 Grammy Awards spread out over a variety of different categories including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, and Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven consecutive Grammies for seven consecutive albums.

About Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton’s work spans the past three decades with some of his more recent work being the release of two CD’s in 2007 including a live recording with blues guitarist Robben Ford, and The Jazz King album. Carlton worked as a session musician in Los Angeles in the 1970’s and early 1980’s with his work appearing on albums by Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones among others. He launched a solo career in 1977 with Warner Brothers Records and produced six albums; his 1983 LP Friends garnering a Grammy nomination.

About Alex De Grassi
Alex De Grassi’s trademark is an ability to create a highly orchestrated sound in his solo guitar music. His playing weaves together melody, counter-melody, bass, harmony, rhythm, and cross-rhythms creating a canvas of sound unheard of in a solo guitar performance. Fellow guitar players consider De Grassi to be among the most virtuosic living guitarists.

About Scott Tennant
Scott Tennant is a founding member of the Grammy-winning ensemble L.A. Guitar Quartet and is himself considered to be one of the world’s top classical guitarists. He has authored several books and articles on guitar technique, including the best-seller Pumping Nylon, which has attained a “cult” classic status. It has become a standard text in conservatory and university guitar programs around the world.

The Foundation will be supported in planning and managing its events by The National Guitar Workshop. In their twenty-seventh year, The National Guitar Workshop is one of the leading residential guitar education programs in the country.

DARK TRANQUILLITY Vocalist Checks In From Killswitch Engage Tour

February 25th, 2010 in News by admin

As the anticipation surrounding the new, highly acclaimed DARK TRANQUILLITY album, We Are The Void, continues to build to epic proportions Mikael Stanne (vocals) checks in with the following report from the road: “Sitting here in beautifully cold Minneapolis trying to get the hangover out of my system. Fargo yesterday was as barren and cold as I remember it from the Cohen brother’s movie. Amazing crowd though and we celebrated accordingly. So far this tour has been amazing for us. We are now two weeks in and we are only just getting started. Amazing venues and huge crowds. Obviously we are struggling with winning over some of the fans of Killswitch Engage and The Devil Wears Prada, but so far I have been positively surprised as to how many are at first skeptical only to two songs in go nuts in the pit. It´s a beautiful thing to behold from the stage.

“We have been playing two new songs in the set and they have really got the room moving every single night. I am really looking forward to doing way more of the new album material as we are near release date. Since this is just the start of a very long touring cycle we are really excited to see that the album is getting rave reviews and the friends we´ve played it to really love it. It seems to generate a lot of heated discussion too, which I view as a good sign. With such a diverse album we are bound to hear all kinds of comments and we always welcome that. Bring on the love/hate fest!”

DARK TRANQUILLITY’s much anticipated new opus, We Are The Void, is set for a March 9th U.S. release. Head over now to their newly revamped MySpace page (www.myspace.com/dtofficial) to view their entire tour itinerary and stream the blistering new tracks, “At The Point of Ignition” and “Dream Oblivion.”

Guitar Scale Magnets Inc. Launches New Products for Learning and Playing Scales

February 5th, 2010 in News by admin

Guitar Scale Magnets is a finger positioning tool for learning and playing musical scales that is located on the top of the guitar’s neck adjacent to the fretboard – a “cheat sheet” for the fretboard.

In essence, it is a “cheat sheet” learning tool for the guitar that allows the player to QUICKLY locate where musical scale shapes begin on your guitar’s fretboard. These slap on scale strips are learning tools geared towards beginner and intermediate guitarists and are meant to be used as training wheels to assist players where scale shapes begin.

“My products are meant to be utilized alone or in conjunction with music theory and any educational tools available to stimulate the individual’s creativity that music offers,” says creator Jason Ellestad.

Ellestad adds, “Speaking from my own personal experiences when starting to learn scales and scale shapes, I wished there was a quick way to “just show me where to go” so I could understand where these scale shapes occur on the fretboard and learn at my own pace.

I also remembered when I felt I had mastered the A minor pentatonic scale, there was a rhythm jam track that I wanted to play along to that suggested to play the D minor pentatonic scale. I was lost on where to play these scale shapes throughout the fretboard—I felt limited on where I could play and ultimately I found myself not straying too far away from the box shape #1 and its vicinity. This frustration led to the birth of Guitar Scale Magnets. My hope is for wanna-be guitarists to quickly progress to the jam phase. To capture the enthusiasm that is there when you begin to learn the guitar and allow the player to quickly progress, therefore, leading to less burnout or worse abandonment of their interest in the instrument all together when frustration arises.”

Ellestad finally states, “The products were created to assist players on showing where scale shapes are located. My goal is to have the player become comfortable where these scale shapes are played on the fretboard and ultimately achieve an end result of where you can play these scales unassisted without any teaching aid. To silence the critics, I will be the first to emphasize that any guitarist aspiring to better themselves musically needs to seek to educate themselves learning some basics on music theory to allow them to grow as a player. Moreover, this tool has the potential to not only help those learning move at a faster pace, but hopefully be the entrée into a passion for further learning of such theories.”

Recap: Scale strips are set up for guitars that have a neck scale length of 25.5”. Current product line includes:
• Pentatonic Scale Strips List price at $19.99 plus S&H
• Major Scale Strips List price at $19.99 plus S&H
• Learn the Fretboard & Tab Strips List price at $9.99 plus S&H
• The “Ultimate” List price at $39.99 plus S&H

For more information on products and prices visit the website at http://www.guitarscalemagnets.com

TEXTURES Singer Leaves Band

January 23rd, 2010 in News by admin

Singer Eric Kalsbeek has left TEXTURES to focus on his job and his family. He’s issued the following statement:

“Dear Fans & Friends,

I decided to quit TEXTURES. My life changed, priorities shifted. I can’t cope with the heavy touring and the time investment anymore. I need to focus on my job and family. I need to take a few steps back. I’ve had six beautiful years with the band, did loads of amazing shows, made tons of new friends and created some mind-blowing music. I’m going to miss the guys, and of course you, the fans. I know TEXTURES will continue to conquer the world and give you all great, heavy and awesome music. I wish my successor all the best. I will keep on making music, but something totally different, much more low-profile. Maybe we will meet again. Eric out.”

We are currently auditioning a possible replacement singer and hope to announce him in the coming months. We will miss Eric a lot. We had the greatest times together and these will live on in eternity. Eric, you rock!!!!

Due to Eric leaving Textures the release date for the follow up of Silhouettes has been pushed back to the beginning of 2011.

Guthrie Govan announces clinics and performances in Massachusetts with Jon Finn Group

January 20th, 2010 in News by admin

Virtuoso guitarist Guthrie Govan has recently announced a string of clinics and performances in Massachusetts with the Jon Finn Group  beginning with a special clinic at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Click HERE to check out Guitar Messenger’s exclusive interview with Guthrie which took place at NAMM 2009.

JAN 28 THURSDAY

GUITAR CLINIC / MASTERCLASS
BERKLEE PERFORMANCE CENTER, 1PM. FREE
136 MASS AVE, BOSTON (617) 747-2261

JAN 29 FRIDAY

PERFORMANCE WITH JON FINN GROUP
THE MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS, 8 PM. $18 ADVANCE / $20 DOOR
472 MASS AVE, CAMBRIDGE (617) 864-3278

JAN 30 SATURDAY

PERFORMANCE / V.I.P. CLINIC / GUITAR DEMO
MATTS MUSIC / KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL, 7 PM. $25
25 CHAUNCY ST, WEYMOUTH (781) 335-0700

Periphery: New Singer & New Album Teaser

January 20th, 2010 in News by admin

Bethesda, Maryland based djentlemen PERIPHERY have announced some major news of new singer Spencer Sotelo joining the band and posted an album teaser for their upcoming debut release.

New George Bellas Album – The Dawn Of Time

January 6th, 2010 in News by admin

Combining elements of Romanticism and Futurism with mind boggling drum performances by Marco Minnemann, and guitar, bass and keys performed by George Bellas, “The Dawn Of Time” is an album brimming with exceptional musicanship and ultra unique writing.

The release date for “The Dawn Of Time” will be announced in the coming weeks.

Soundgarden to reunite in 2010

January 4th, 2010 in News by admin

“Soundgarden will reunite for concerts in 2010, according to a Twitter message from frontman Chris Cornell which directs fans to a new Web site, Soundgardenworld.com. The Seattle rock quartet — Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron — has not played live since splitting up in the spring of 1997.

Although no details have been announced yet, sources tell Billboard the group is weighing offers from several major U.S. and international festivals. But a tour routing is still a work in progress, due to Cameron’s prior commitments to play with Pearl Jam in the spring and summer of next year.

Cameron has been Pearl Jam’s permanent drummer since 1998; that group recently announced its first North American date of 2010 as part of the second weekend of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 29-May 2), and will also play 10 European shows from June 22 in Dublin through July 10 in Oeiras, Portugal.

Also still amorphous are plans for some kind of Soundgarden best-of and/or reissues of its back catalog. In addition, Thayil and Shepherd have long discussed compiling a Soundgarden boxed set, which would include a wealth of unreleased studio material.

For many years after Soundgarden split, the instrumentalists were said to have had little contact with Cornell and reportedly turned down an offer to reform for Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary concerts in Seattle in 2008. Cornell was not on hand for an impromptu live performance on March 24, 2009, at Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe, when Cameron, Thayil and Shepherd played the Soundgarden songs “Hunted Down,” “Nothing to Say” and “Spoonman” with Tad Doyle on vocals.”

This is an excerpt from Billboard.com. Click HERE to view the complete article.

Avenged Sevenfold drummer dies at 28

December 29th, 2009 in News by admin

James Owen Sullivan, the drummer with California band Avenged Sevenfold, was found dead on Monday, according to police. He was 28.

Sullivan was found “unresponsive” in his Huntington Beach home, according to Orange County deputy coroner Mitchell Sigal.

An autopsy has been scheduled to determine cause of death.

A message posted Monday on the band’s website confirmed his death.

“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy (The Rev) Sullivan,” the statement said.

“Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother.”

Excerpt from CBC News. Read the rest of the article at:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2009/12/29/james-sullivan-obit.html

Killswitch Engage announce winter headline tour with The Devil Wears Prada & Dark Tranquility

December 11th, 2009 in News by admin

FIRST HEADLINE TOUR IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM
KICKS OFF IN MASSACHUSETTS IN FEBRUARY

New York, NY: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, whose critically acclaimed, self-titled album Killswitch Engage debuted at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart earlier this summer, are headed out on the road once again.

Fresh off a summer trek as one of the main stage attractions of the second annual Rock Star Energy Mayhem Fest, KsE will take the show on the road for a headline trek across the US, which is their first for this album. The tour will begin on February 4 in their home state of Massachusetts and will cover significant ground across the country for seven weeks. To keep things interesting, KsE have elected to play smaller venues in a handful of cities in order to create a more intimate setting for their fans.

Joining Killswitch as main support will be Dayton, OH’s The Devil Wears Prada, who released their latest album With Roots Above and Branches Below via Ferret Music back in May 2009 and immediately followed with a hugely successful stint on last summer’s Warped Tour, resulting in a fanbase that has since grown exponentially. Also joining Killswitch on this run will be highly influential metal act Dark Tranquility, who hail from Gothenburg, Sweden. Dark Tranquility are set to release their anticipated new album We Are the Void through Century Media in March 2010.

In other KsE news, the song “The End of Heartache,” the title track from their 2004, Gold-certified release, will appear on Guitar Hero: Van Halen alongside tracks from acts like Foo Fighters, Weezer, Judas Priest and The Clash, among others.

KsE guitarist Adam D. weighed in on the tour saying, “We are stoked to come back to the US and shred with The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Tranquility. It’s been a while since we’ve headlined the States and we’re excited to play some new tunes for y’all. This tour is going to be wicked sweet!”

The tour will canvas the country beginning in early February and will run through the end of March. The dates are as follows, with additional dates being confirmed and announced shortly. Please check www.killswitchengage.com for information on pre-sale tickets that will be available for these dates.

2/4 House of Blues, Boston, MA
2/5 House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ
2/6 NorVa Norfolk, VA *KsE and Dark Tranquility only
2/8 House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
2/10Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
2/11 Amos’ Southend, Charlotte, NC
2/12 Sonar, Baltimore, MD
2/13 House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH
2/15 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
2/18 First Avenue Loop Station, MN
2/19 Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
2/20 Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak, MI
2/21 The Egyptian Room at the Murat Center, Indianapolis, IN
2/23 Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
2/24 Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, Austin, TX *KsE, Dark Tranquility and special guest
2/25 Warehouse, Live Houston, TX
2/26 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX
2/27 Concrete Street Amphitheatre Corpus Christi, TX *KsE, Dark Tranquility and special guest
3/01 Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
3/03 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
3/05 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
3/06 The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA
3/07 The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
3/09 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
3/10 Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
3/12 The Great Salt Air, Magna, UT
3/13 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
3/14 The Midland by AMC, Kansas City, MO
3/15 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
3/16 Rocket Town, Nashville, TN *KsE, Dark Tranquility and special guest
3/18 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
3/19 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
3/21 The Dome, Wallingford, CT

DREAM THEATER Updates

December 4th, 2009 in News by admin

Dream Theater release documentary road video for new single WITHER. The Progressive Rock Titans are now in midst of touring Australia and New Zealand. The band plans to hit south america in the winter-spring.

“Of the 10 videos we’ve done through the years, I felt we have never been truly captured ‘in our element…which of course is on tour, playing to our fans, with our lighting and video show. So I thought it was time to do a video that showed us in our ‘real world’ (unlike the ‘fake worlds’ that are usually created when shooting a promo video),” says MIKE PORTNOY of DREAM THEATER about the band’s new documentary road video for their new single “Wither” from their 10th studio release BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS (Roadrunner). See interview with Portnoy about the video below.

Directed by Ramon Boutviseth, who did the same honors for the first clip for the album’s first single “A Rite Of Passage,” the “Wither” video was shot on location in the U.K. (London, Manchester), France (Paris, Lille) and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) as part of DREAM THEATER’s September/October 2009 headlining “Progressive Nation” tour reaching 15 countries. See the video HERE.

Meanwhile, the legendary progressive metal masters just launched their headlining down under tour December 1, encompassing seven shows in Australia and New Zealand, wrapping December 12 in Perth, with special guests Pain of Salvation will join the band on all dates except in New Zealand. Look for the band to head to South America in the winter-spring.

2009 continues to be a watermark year for DREAM THEATER–James LaBrie (vocals), John Myung (bass), John Petrucci (guitar, vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards, Continuum)–as a recording act and touring powerhouse. They achieved a #1 debut on the Billboard European chart and 12 Top Ten album chart debuts around the world including the U.S. with BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS, a highlight of their 25-year career that was praised by Mojo magazine’s Paul Elliott in his July 2009 review: “…their lofty ideals remain intact. By modern criteria, Black Clouds & Silver Linings is as highbrow as The Mars Volta, as grandiose as Muse and as heavy as Metallica.” They were also honored with the “Spirit Of Prog” achievement award at the 2009 Classic Rock Awards in London (November 2).

Q&A with Mike Portnoy about the “Wither” video:

How do you feel the song’s somber emotional theme works in the context of a documentary tour video? There’s a weariness to the road (the traveling to and from the shows, NOT the onstage moments) that is captured here.

“I think this video captures the reality of what it’s really like for us on the road. Sure, the two hours on stage are amazing and ultimately why we do this….but the reality is, there are another 22 hours throughout the day which consists of a lot of traveling, interviews, meet & greets and sometimes a tremendous amount of sitting around and waiting….which sometimes can be very lonely.”

What are your thoughts about how the video turned out and how it represents the recent European tour?

“I love the final outcome of this video…it really captured the day to day and hour to hour activities that surround a day on the road with Dream Theater…not only for us, but our crew and our fans as well.”

Can you talk about the experience of performing overseas and connecting with your fans there?

“Touring in Europe and the UK are always some of our best shows and are always among the highlights throughout a World Tour for us….the ‘Wither’ shoot alone captured three amazing audiences and venues for us: The Zenith in Paris, The Ahoy in Rotterdam and Wembley Arena in London….all three of these cities, venues and fans are always favorites of ours!”

Dream Theater – New Zealand / Australia 2009 Tour Dates

Tue
12/1
Auckland
Civic Theatre

Thu
12/3
Brisbane
Convention Centre

Sat
12/5
Sydney
Hordern Pavilion

Mon
12/7
Melbourne
Palais Theatre

Tue
12/8
Melbourne
Palais Theatre

Wed
12/9
Adelaide
Thebarton Theatre

Sat
12/12
Perth
Metro City

More LION MUSIC artists speak out on THE MURDER OF MUSIC

December 3rd, 2009 in News by admin

In support of Borislav Mitic’s statement on the murder of music more Lion Music artists are adding their own weight and support to our awareness campaign.

GEORGE BELLAS

“The Current State of Music Piracy”

Dear Music Lovers and Fans,

I want you all to know how much I love to create music and how much of a thrill it is to share this with you all. I have happily and very willingly invested a lifetime in developing and honing my skills both as a player and composer, all the while sacrificing many other things in life to be able to push my abilities to the brink and beyond. But quite unfortunately, due to the overwhelming situation of the illegal downloading of music, A.K.A. stealing, producing and releasing albums has been exponentially increasing in difficulty.

It is disheartening to hear about the sales condition of albums, especially when I take 2 minutes and Google search “Music Download” and find all these illegal download sites that come up, a lot actually. I have put a lifetime into this, and with so much passion and commitment behind all the music I create, it really bums me out knowing that some people just turn around and download my life’s work. When I see the amount of fans that write to me, and then look at the sales figures, it becomes very apparent that something is not right.

And the problem is not just with the downloading of electronic files… Shortly after my album “Venomous Fingers” was released, bootleg copies were showing up in record stores. And on top of that, right around the same time, my debut album “Turn Of The Millennium” had been illegally reprinted and was being sold on Amazon and through other music resellers. On this bootleg version of “Turn Of The Millennium” some of the text in the credits had been changed, and the artwork color was slightly more washed out than the legit version. I initially found this out from several fans emailing me asking what the correct song order was on the album because the songlist inside the booklet differed from what was printed on the CD face, and then to my surprise, one of my private students came in for a lesson with the same unauthorized version saying he bought it off of Amazon. I immediately called the record label to see if maybe the album had been remastered, but it hadn’t been, and they ha d no idea about the distributed bootleg. The label did say a good amount of money has been invested to find and prosecute these crooks. So in these cases, not only myself and the record labels but it was the fans too that also had been robbed.

It costs money to make albums, and the artists and labels rely on sales to continue to do so. If you enjoy listening to music as much as I enjoy making it — don’t steal it.

Things you can do to help support the arts:

1) Buy the music you listen to.
2) When a friend offers to burn you a copy – say “No”.
3) Don’t make copies of music you purchased for your friends.
4) Don’t upload copyrighted music to the internet.
5) Don’t download copyrighted music from illegal file sharing sites.

Stealing copyrighted music is a violation of international copyright laws and subject to fees and imprisonment.

For more information please visit:
1) What is Copyright?
2) What is Piracy?
3) About Music Copyright Notices
4) Laws for Downloading Music

Thank you for listening to my plea for the longevity of the International Recording Industry.

Sincerely,

George Bellas
Bellas Music Studio

http://www.GeorgeBellas.com

DUSHAN PETROSSI OF IRON MASK

I will be straight and simple : If people just download or share the new Iron Mask album, which for information is by far our most expensive production, with a mix and master by Jens Bogren, there wont be another Iron mask album as the recording expense will not be recouped, so please beware and make the right choice before simply ‘clicking’.

Dushan Petrossi

http://www.iron-mask.com

SEBO XOTTA FROM STRINGS 24

I usually hear a lot of people saying old heavy rock music was better and better compared to all modern productions… Personally I don’t agree with this point of view, especially talking about sound, single instruments tone and overall mix, but this is my opinion…

We have to say today there is more attention about creating a good single hit to try to put it in the charts, so the songs structure is often influenced by this point…I agree we have no more works like old Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc… but I think they were able to do that….because they knew a lot of people would have bought their records!!!

Today, if you’re a musician, you perfectly know a few guys will buy your release, most of the people will download it for free, so you know you’re not going to get back the money you spent to record, mix and master your CD. This is the reason you try to create songs in order to be considered by radio stations, TV stations, all those places where you can get some royalties, even if you would like to put a 3 min intro to your favourite song, or a long psychedelic bridge in another one…

So, if you’re tired of simple commercial stuff, my suggestion is “buy CD’s!” This is the only input you can give to the musicians to focus more on their music rather than on their empty wallet!

Believe me, a musician who can use all his time to produce his music will create better works compared to the one who has to do another job to pay rent and bills.

You’re warned, don’t cry when you’ll have to get a videogame to listen to some new music.

Sebo / Strings24

http://www.strings24.com

EMIR HOT

I can only agree 100% with what Borislav has said. Unfortunately I see no progress in people’s behaviour since file sharing became popular. I haven’t given up yet but have been thinking to stop being musically active many times.

I just hope that this text will change at least 1% minds of “music killers” and that will make many think before they act.

http://www.emirhot.com

Exclusive clip of Yngwie Malmsteen’s cover of BEAT IT

December 2nd, 2009 in News by admin

Yngwie Malmsteen will release a new album called “High Impact” on December 8 (one day earlier internationally). The set is described as “a mind-boggling, high-paced instrumental compilation record” featuring a “surprise” bonus track  Yngwie’s never-before-released interpretation of the MICHAEL JACKSON mega-hit classic “Beat It”, which contains Malmsteen’s own magical touch and Tim Ripper Owens on Vocals…

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Get Your pre-order today:

BEST BUY

BARNES & NOBLE

AMAZON

FYE

Opeth Announce 20th Anniversary Shows

December 1st, 2009 in News by admin

“Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology”

Band to perform six exclusive shows to celebrate twentieth anniversary this spring.

New York, NY: Sweden’s OPETH, easily one of the most revered and respected bands in the metal scene and beyond for the past two decades, will commemorate their twentieth anniversary in the of Spring 2010 with six exclusive shows that will take place across the globe in various international locales such as Stockholm, Sweden; Essen, Germany; Paris, France; London, UK; New York City, NY; and Los Angeles, CA.

Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt had the following to say on behalf of the band: “I can’t believe it, but… fuck, we’re celebrating 20 years. I’ve been in this band ever since I was 16. It’s insane. As far as I remember, we’ve never had a release party, never celebrated anything officially. Well, now is the time, you hear? We’ve set up a string of shows, six of them actually, around the world. To say that they will be super-exclusive is beyond an understatement. We’ve discussed the set list already and it seems like we’ll pull out a few songs we’ve never played before, some of which fans all over the world have been demanding to hear for years and years. Our main agenda for these shows is to have ‘fun’ whilst trying to blow your fucking minds. You could say business as usual, but really, it’ll be special. I can’t stress enough how exclusive this will be. We will not add any more shows on top of the six that we’ve confirmed already, so please make up your mind early on whether you want to go or not – of course you fucking do- as I would assume there’s quite a few of our fans that might be interested in seeing a thing like this.”

Akerfeldt said the band will spend the better part of January through March rehearsing for this special series of shows. “All to make you fucking happy! OK, we’ll be tight, very tight indeed. Come see us.” It’s a celebration,” he finished.

At each show, the band will perform two sets. The first set will feature the band playing its breakthrough epic Blackwater Park in its entirety. The second set will consist of mixed material from the band’s extensive catalog. The band will be playing for over two hours at carefully selected venues in order to achieve an element of intimacy and exclusivity, and an overall “You had to be there” vibe!

The venues include the famed and prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as the luxurious Lichtburg in Essen, the oldest fully seated cinema in Germany.

The band will offer exclusive VIP ticket packages to all shows which include a laminated VIP pass exclusive to each show, access to sound check, a meet ‘n greet with Opeth, a t-shirt exclusive to that particular show, a signed tour program and a special edition CD/DVD of Blackwater Park, with a 5.1 mix and a 30-minute, never-before-seen documentary all nicely packaged in a hard cover digipack designed by artist Travis Smith. The special edition will be released in March 2010 through Sony Music. All the Opeth loot will be included in an Opeth rucksack. The VIP laminate will also allow early access to venues without seat allocation so that VIP’s can get the best seats in the house.

Below are the dates and venues:

March 30 – Cirkus – Stockholm, Sweden
April 1 – Lichtburg – Essen, Germany
April 3 – Bataclan – Paris, France
April 5 – Royal Albert Hall – London, UK
April 7 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
April 9 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA

BORISLAV MITIC Discusses the Murder of Music

November 24th, 2009 in News by admin

Borislav Mitic returns with a majestic new album The Absolute. The virtuoso Shredmaster delivers his strongest musical statement as of yet for Lion Music. The album is available on the 4th of December 2009 – more information at http://www.lionmusic.com/cd/absolute.htm. The following is a special message from Borislav regarding the new release:

My internet friends,

I would like to send a message for all those who intend to dowload my album for free :

Here are a few words on a very important subject to me – illegal Internet file sharing download!!! This is also known as – MURDER OF MUSIC! Since I have a new album “The Absolute” coming out on December 4th now would be the right time to get into this matter of life and death.

You see,… it is very hard to master an instrument. It takes a lot of years of practice, discipline, study and dedication (like going to a university and more) to reach the level of playing that I and similar musicians are at.

It is really very hard work to compose quality music and create something special for you listeners out there. It is very hard to make records too because the studio time is very expensive (making your own project studio is a big cost too and not many can afford it or even know how to operate it). It is also very hard to find a Record label to publish your music these days,… and even harder to arrange real retail music store distribution to circulate the music on the market and make it available everywhere.

But musicians go through all these pains because they love and believe in music and they believe in fair and just financial reward return for hard work of producing beauty of music they offer to the world. Don’t you agree that musicians should be paid for their work?

When people illegaly post or download free MP3 files on Internet of the music that musician made so many sacrifices to create – it is the sign of ULTIMATE DISRESPECT! This means literally taking the bread off the musician’s table and spitting in their face!

The music business works like this… (if you don’t know).
Musicians who make the music give the album to the label under certain conditions. Then label sells it through its distribution channels and shares the percentage of return income with the musician. Stores and distributors also get their cut for the retail sale service to you – the customer. So the bottom line percentage per a CD that goes back to the musician is quite small in the end. Also don’t forget that musician invested money in studio time so this has to be covered before musician makes any real profit money!!!

To make a living from music this way a lot of CDs have to be sold. That CD money also gets re-invested in touring, new albums, promotion, etc.
Everybody in the chain of music industry is living from this system of sale… magazines, concert promoters, labels, music stores. Every single CD sold counts and especially today for smaller artists like myself who do not have a big budget at their disposal to promote themself in mainstream media, TV, Magazines, etc (yes, all that actually has to be paid for and costs quite a lot).

I know,… CDs in stores cost money (16$ a piece?), the world is in economic crises and it’s easier to get a free download so that you can put that money into buying your pants and cookies, right? Hey, you can make a cool free collection of thousands of albums with no money invested at all! Woohhhoooo, viva la internet!! How cool is this!!!??? Well,… NOT COOL AT ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you eat? Yes…? Me too! (inspite of legends you might have heard even we musicians need to eat). To get food I have to go to the grocery store and pay money for it like you. The same goes for clothes and other products. If you would try to take (or “download”) food or clothes from the grocery or clothing store the people dressed in blue outfits called THE POLICE would try to stop you since this is considered a crime of stealing. What if everybody starts stealing food unpunished? How will the grocery store employees survive? What about their family? How would the farmers producing food survive if we take it from them for free? They would not.

Do you catch my drift? Just because you CAN download music for free today on the Internet doesn’t mean you SHOULD. You CAN also beat up an old lady on the street and steal her pension from her wallet … but somebody CAN beat you up too and do the same to you. Would you like this? Or would you perhaps like to go to work 9h-17h for free? Would you like musicians to visit your home and take some of your property for free? Why not? They can use it… the same way you can use illegaly downloaded music without paying for it.

This all would be called robbery of course and is illegal and if we would apply this pattern of behaviour to the society in general as a rule of life we would very soon have a society of filthy, wild savages!

My point is – if there is no money coming back to us musicians for the ultra hard work we invest we will all eventually give up and stop making music. If the unchecked Internet theft goes on much longer very soon there will be no more new albums from the artists you like and cherish so much on your illegal free MP3 collections!!!

This will be THE END OF TIMES FOR MUSIC! After we musician give up the labels will fold, the music stores will turn into … shoe shops for example (you can’t download those through internet can you now?)!
Soon after that the whole music industry, concerts, fun time, guitars,… will be dead and gone – thanks to Internet and illegal global piratery system! Game over!

So if anyone of you wants to continue supporting – KILLING MUSIC (that you are supposed to love) go and join the Internet gang of music hijackers for free through torrents and file sharing sites! The blood will be on your hands…
But If you want the music to SURVIVE please treat it like you would like to be treated yourself and do the right thing by paying for it. I always paid for the music I wanted and I don’t see why each of you can’t – there’s really no excuse!

SPREAD THE WORD!!! SAVE THE MUSIC YOU LOVE! Or let it bleed and die… It’s all in your hands – the choice is yours to make. I vote for life but if it’s death of music – so be it! We can also live in a world without real music but then don’t complain in the future to come how the music in the media around you is bad and lame and “where have all the good times gone”.

You have been warned!
Borislav Mitic

Symphony X: “Working hard on the new CD”

November 17th, 2009 in News by admin

Michael Romeo, guitarist & songwriter for North America’s progressive metal gods SYMPHONY X, comments on the band’s recent signing with Nuclear Blast Records and the arrival of the follow-up album to 2007’s Paradise Lost:

“We are really excited to be a part of the Nuclear Blast Family, a great label with a cool roster of bands, which we are proud to be a part of. As of now, we are working hard on the new CD and are looking to finish it up late Winter 2009 / Spring 2010. We can’t wait to hit the road and play some of the new cool stuff for everyone and especially all our loyal fans. We look forward to a long relationship with all the great people who work at the label all over the world.”

Formed in 1994 in New Jersey, SYMPHONY X has seven studio albums and one live album to their credit. Their discography has sold 170,000 copies in the U.S. alone.

Visit SYMPHONY X online at www.SYMPHONYX.com & www.myspace.com/OFFICIALSYMPHONYX .

Yngwie Malmsteen new album details revealed

November 6th, 2009 in News by admin

Yngwie Malmsteen’s new album is called HIGH IMPACT and it’s set to release on December 7 (Europe) and December 8 Worldwide.

“Can’t wait! The rumor is…It is mind boggling, high paced compilation record with a surprise bonus track that is a unique song choice for the guitar god!!”

In other news, Yngwie has recently parted ways with DiMarzio. Here’s an excerpt from Blabbermouth.net:

“Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is no longer a DiMarzio endorser. DiMarzio, the Staten Island, New York-based company that produces magnetic pickups for electric guitars, will continue to manufacture the pickups and guitar straps that Yngwie endorsed minus the YJM designation and, in some cases, with a change in the model name or part numbers.

* The DP217 (formerly the YJM) is now called the HS-4. Only the name has changed.

* The YJM ClipLock (DD2230YJM) and YJM Standard Guitar Strap (DD3310YJM), are now named the Cheetah ClipLock (DD2230CH) and Cheetah Standard Guitar Strap (DD3310CH). Only the names have changed.

* The pre-wired pickguard YJM Setup is now named the HS Setup and contains the HS-4 (formerly YJM) in the neck and middle positions and the HS-3 in the bridge position. Only the name has changed.

* The Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Cable has been discontinued.

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is no longer a DiMarzioendorser. DiMarzio, the Staten Island, New York-based company that produces magnetic pickups for electric guitars will continue to manufacture the pickups and guitar straps that Yngwie endorsed minus the YJM designation and, in some cases, with a change in the model name or part numbers.

* The DP217 (formerly the YJM) is now called the HS-4. Only the name has changed.

* The YJM ClipLock (DD2230YJM) and YJM Standard Guitar Strap (DD3310YJM), are now named the Cheetah ClipLock (DD2230CH) and Cheetah Standard Guitar Strap (DD3310CH). Only the names have changed.

* The pre-wired pickguard YJM Setup is now named the HS Setup and contains the HS-4 (formerly YJM) in the neck and middle positions and the HS-3 in the bridge position. Only the name has changed.

* The Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Cable has been discontinued.”

UPDATE

Yngwie Malmsteen will release a new album called “High Impact” on December 8 (one day earlier internationally). The set is described as “a mind-boggling, high-paced instrumental compilation record” featuring a “surprise” bonus track  Yngwie’s never-before-released interpretation of the MICHAEL JACKSON mega-hit classic “Beat It”, which contains Malmsteen’s own magical touch and Tim Ripper Owens on Vocals…

“High Impact” track listing:

01. Caprici Di Dablo
02. Brothers
03. Blitzkrieg
04. Trilogy Suite
05. Red House
06. Finale
07. Magic City
08. Arpeggios From Hell
09. Far Beyond The Sun
10. Cantabile
11. Blue
12. Overture 1622
13. Fugue
14. Beat It (MICHAEL JACKSON cover)

OPETH members involved in auto crash

October 16th, 2009 in News by admin

Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has issued the following update:

“Myself, Axe [OPETH drummer Martin Axenrot], Fredrik [Åkesson; OPETH guitarist] and our soundman, Pontus Norgren, decided to fly home to our families for a few days as the option would have been three days off in Brussels.

“Now I hear that our bus apparently crashed into this other car making a unexpected U-turn in the middle of the highway. [OPETH bassist Martin] Mendez and [OPETH keyboardist] Per [Wiberg] were on the bus together with the rest of our crew but nobody got hurt. They are, however, shocked and very shaken, of course. The driver in the other car was critically injured. I’ve not heard back from anyone yet regarding his progress but apparently it’s not looking very good. Hoping for the best, however.

“I don’t know where or when this happened but I know the bus was heading from Dublin to Brussels.

“I’ll let you know more as soon as I get some information, but as for now everyone in the band are safe and same with our crew. As far as I know, the only injured person was the driver of the other car, which obviously is horrible enough!

“To be honest, I rarely think about things, accidents like this, but fuck, man, it happens! My mind’s all over the place and right now I don’t want to go back out. But… the show in Brussels on the 17th and the remaining part of the [Progressive Nation] tour [with DREAM THEATER, BIGELF and UNEXPECT] will go ahead as planned.”

SCAR SYMMETRY – Video Introduction of New Singers Posted!

October 7th, 2009 in News by admin

Swedish-progressive-melodic-death metallers SCAR SYMMETRY have just posted the first of two video trailers to introduce their new singer duo, Lars Palmqvist & Roberth “Robban” Karlsson, whom replaced former lead singer Christian Älvestam.

The first trailer features Lars Palmqvist who is now responsible for the groups clean vocals.

Watch out for part II featuring Roberth Karlsson coming soon!

Lars & Robban can be heard on the bands brand new album Dark Matter Dimensions which was released on October 2, 2009 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records! The record is schedule for release in North America on October 20th.

Also, check out the official SCAR SYMMETRY online game “Dark Matter Asteroids” at www.nuclearblast.de/scarsymmetry

The band will also be hitting the road together with BEHEMOTH, DEVILDRIVER and ARSIS at the Neckbreakers Ball Tour!

NECKBREAKERS BALL 2009 presented by Myspace.com, Metal Hammer, Legacy & Metalnews.de

BEHEMOTH, DEVILDRIVER, SCAR SYMMETRY, ARSIS

27.10. F Paris – La Locomotive
28.10. D Köln – Essigfabrik
29.10. D Frankfurt – Batschkapp
30.10. D Bochum – Matrix
31.10. D Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn
01.11. B Antwerpen – Hof Ter Loo
03.11. NL Enschede – Atak
04.11. NL Leeuwarden – Romein
05.11. DE Saarbrücken – Garage
06.11. A Linz – Posthof
07.11. D München – Backstage
08.11. CZ Prag – Abaton
09.11. D Nürnberg – Hirsch
10.11. A Graz – Seifenfabrik
11.11. A Innsbruck – Hafen
12.11. CH Pratteln – Z7
13.11. A Wien – Arena
14.11. D Leipzig – Hellraiser
15.11. D Hamburg – Markthalle
17.11. S Traedgarn – Gothenburg
18.11. S Malmö – KB
19.11. S Stockholm – Klubben
20.11. DK Aarhus – Voxhall
21.11. D Berlin – Columbia Club

For more info visit: www.scarsymmetry.com | www.myspace.com/scarsymmetry

Coldplay’s Joe Satriani lawsuit dismissed from court

September 16th, 2009 in News by admin

Guitarist Joe Satriani’s lawsuit against Coldplay, based on his accusation that Chris Marin and co plagiarised his 2004 song ‘If I Could Fly’ for their 2008 single ‘Viva La Vida’, has been dismissed from court.

Satriani sued the band last December, seeking a jury trial to award him monetary compensation.

Now, according to News.justia.com, the case was dismissed yesterday (September 14) …

Read the full article at: http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/47325

Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR part ways with 2 members

August 31st, 2009 in News by admin

Norwegian symphonic black metal band DIMMU BORGIR have issued the following statement:

“We regret to inform you that we have parted ways with both I.C.S. Vortex [bassist, clean vocalist] and Mustis [keyboards]. However, we do want to make it perfectly clear that the creative force in the band is highly intact, perhaps even more so than ever. With that being said, we’re currently working on our next album and are excited to start a new chapter in the legacy that is DIMMU BORGIR.”

Visit DIMMU BORGIR online at www.DIMMU-BORGIR.com and www.myspace.com/DIMMUBORGIR

Oasis split after backstage brawl

August 29th, 2009 in News by admin

THE break-up is already being called “Wonderbrawl”. A smashed guitar, shouted words and angry exchanges on the internet signalled an end to the rock band Oasis yesterday.

Years of sibling rivalry between Noel and Liam Gallagher, who formed the band in their native Manchester in the early 1990s, blew up into a fight minutes before a concert in Paris on Friday night.

It ended with Liam smashing his brother’s guitar and Noel, the band’s chief songwriter, announcing two hours later on the Oasis website that he was quitting.

Noel has briefly walked out on the group before, as has Liam, the lead singer. Sources say Noel’s departure seems final this time. If so, Oasis will have lost its creative force, even if Liam tries to tour under the name.

Insiders say Noel, 42, was becoming increasingly upset with Liam, 36, for not looking after his voice and for his erratic behaviour. Noel had already arranged to play with Amorphous Androgynous, another band, at a concert next month.

This is an excerpt. Read the full article HERE

BEHEMOTH’s “Evangelion” debuts in the Billboard Charts!

August 21st, 2009 in News by admin

Los Angeles, CA – August 19, 2009 – Metal Blade Records is proud to announce that leaders of blackened death metal, BEHEMOTH, have landed on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart at #56 with just under 8,500 copies of Evangelion being sold in its first week.

Evangelion, BEHEMOTH’s ninth full-length studio album, also took the #5 position on the Billboard Hard Music Albums Chart and #6 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart. BEHEMOTH also landed on the Canadian charts with the release of Evangelion coming in at #61 on the Top 200 Current Albums Chart, #6 on the Independent Chart, and #10 on the Hard Music Chart. The success of Evangelion doesn’t stop here though.

BEHEMOTH has been devastating charts worldwide in its first week in addition to landing some of metals most coveted Magazine covers, including Decibel Magazine (out now), Metal Hammer Magazine (out now), Zero Tolerance (out now), and Metalized (out now).

Evangelion’s first week worldwide chart numbers:

Poland: #2
Finland: #17
Austria: #45
Germany: #59
Switzerland: #88
Netherlands: #5 (Indie Charts)

USA:
#56 Billboard Top 200
#5 Billboard Hard Music Albums
#6 Billboard Independent Albums

Canada:
#61 Top 200 Current Albums
#6 Independent Chart
#10 Hard Music Chart

Commented guitarist/vocalist Adam “Nergal” Darski: “Well…we have never been in this band for awards or charts. It’s always been about the most honest music we can deliver. But I can’t ignore the fact that people DO appreciate our new album. Thank you so much for buying the record and supporting us! It’s sooo much motivating! We owe you! See you all on European tour very soon. You will not be disappointed!”

http://www.behemoth.pl
http://www.myspace.com/behemoth

Rotosound launch British Steel strings

August 20th, 2009 in News by admin

Rotosound’s world class reputation for making the best guitar strings goes before them. They have drawn on this history, experience and knowledge in designing the next generation of strings. Rotosound now announce the launch of British Steels, based on the Original classic Rotosound Stainless Steel Electric Guitar Strings from the 1960’s, and now manufactured using improved processes and even better materials.

Their original stainless steel strings already have a pedigree second to none and were used by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townsend, Brian May and many others. Rotosounds stainless steel strings offered a clear, bright punchy sound, positive grip, plenty of twang and went on to be played on some of the greatest songs of all time.

The new Rotosound British Steels have been designed to give a brilliant tone, sustain and great volume. Using the very best stainless steel with the highest possible iron content (for better magnetic properties), the new strings are now manufactured under even tighter quality control and stricter tolerances to ensure consistency, clarity and durability.

British Steels are available in the following gauges* :

BS09 09 / 11 / 16 / 24w / 32w / 42w
BS10 10 / 13 / 17 / 26w / 36w / 46w
BS11 11 / 14 / 18 / 28w / 38w / 48w

For further information on the range see http://www.rotosound.com/steels.html

* Please note: w denotes wound string

About Rotosound

Rotosound is a pioneering force in string manufacturing and celebrated their fiftieth anniversary last year. Their world famous music strings have been the first choice for some of the greatest musicians in the history of music and include Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and the cream of more recent bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Oasis. They continue to endorsee an ever increasing list of the most respected, innovative and professional musicians, as well as being used by millions of satisfied customers around the planet.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE announce 2 special one off shows

August 19th, 2009 in News by admin

New York, NY: Fresh off their stint as one of the main stage attractions at this summer’s RockStar Energy Mayhem Fest, Massachusetts’ favorite sons KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have just announced two special shows that will occur at the end of August. The two shows close out an incredibly successful summer that saw Killswitch Engage, their fourth effort for Roadrunner, debut at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

The band will be headlining the Bay Stage at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre in Long Island, NY, along with All That Remains, Vision of Disorder and Unearth on Saturday, August 29. This appearance marks the band’s first ever show on Long Island and the event kicks off at 5 PM and features two stages.

The next day, the band will play a special tribute show, dubbed ‘Zing Fling,’ for Zing Studios at the Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, Massachusetts. The show’s lineup features KsE, All That Remains, Unearth, Once Beloved, Anti-Love and View of a Burning City, and is a tribute to Zing bands and celebration of Zing Studios. This show is truly a special event, as it is being held at a 700 capacity venue. All the bands on the bill have worked with the local studio. Tickets for this show are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.

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