All Axess

Lord Gets ‘Amped’ By All Axess

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:40:15 +0000

This week’s ‘Amped artist’ is Australian heavy metal band Lord. The clip ‘Betrayal Blind’ from the band’s latest album ‘Digital Lies’ can be found below.

Originally known as DUNGEON, the band began in the arid desert of the Australian Outback, home of Mad Max – The Road Warrior, and hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest major city. This isolation proved to be no obstacle, however, and the band recorded a demo that received glowing reviews in music magazines across the country.

After relocating to Sydney, DUNGEON went on to take the Australian heavy music scene by storm with national tour supports with bands such as MEGADETH, EDGUY, NIGHTWISH, ANGRA, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, OPETH, DESTRUCTION, MAYHEM… the list goes on, as well as multiple international tours to Japan and Europe, once as a personally selected guest of MEGADETH.

By 2005, DUNGEON had released nine albums and a DVD internationally, and was known as one of the highest profile Australian melodic metal bands. It was in this year that there was a shift in line-up, the name DUNGEON was dropped, and the new moniker of LORD was adopted. LORD was originally the name of a side project that frontman L.T. had created but had now essentially become ‘DUNGEON mark II,’ continuing to play the DUNGEON back-catalogue and expanding on the core sound that DUNGEON had firmly established as their own.

Within weeks of the name change, LORD immediately embarked on a widespread Australian tour and then went on to support bands such as QUEENSRYCHE, GAMMA RAY, ICED EARTH, NEVERMORE, NIGHTWISH and SAXON, and toured internationally with bands such as DORO and JADED HEART and featured at festivals in Japan and Europe.

LORD has released two EPs and four full length albums. 2009’s ‘Set In Stone’ spawned five video clips and featured guest performances from members of DIO, MEGADETH, AMARANTHE, HAREM SCAREM, ANGRA and more.

2013 saw the release of LORD’s latest effort ‘Digital Lies.’ All of the familiar hallmarks of the style that began with DUNGEON and has carried through the entire history of the band remain: an eclectic mix of traditional metal, thrash, melodic rock, progressive and aggressive power metal, but this time with an undertone of a dark technology vibe runing throughout the album. Once again, the cover art was handled by renowned artist Felipe Machado, known for his work with BLIND GUARDIAN, ICED EARTH, IRON SAVIOR, RHAPSODY and GAMMA RAY.

The year ahead is already proving to be a busy one for LORD. The band is half way through an extensive promotional tour for “Digital Lies” which has already taken them from New Zealand, to Europe and several times around Australia, with more dates continually being added to the schedule.

LORD is a band that proves that while names and faces may change, the desire to deliver world class music with passion and integrity is the motivation that makes LORD a unstoppable force in the Australian and international music scene.

Individual band bios can be found here.

Lord’s complete discography can be found here:

A Personal Journey

Ascendence

Hear No Evil (EP)

Set in Stone

Return of the Tyrant (EP)

Digital Lies

Mark Morton Discusses Crowd Safety

admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:33:23 +0000

Lamb Of God guitarist Mark Morton and drummer Chris Adler have discussed the issue of crowd safety during live metal performances and whether their viewpoints have changed on the matter since vocalist Randy Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic on manslaughter charges last year. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.

Morton explained to Fuse TV that the band have been much more safety aware since Blythe was arrested, charged and later cleared of causing bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan (Daniel Nosek): “You know, based on that experience, I think it just underscored, probably for all of us, the need for everyone to be safe at shows and to look out for each other. It’s scary that there are situations people can get hurt in.”

The guitarist explained that while Lamb Of God would be more vigilant at shows and would encourage fans to do the same, the band had no intentions of taming down their live show: “Randy mentions it on stage a little more often and just tries to keep everyone aware of it. We’re all there to have fun, it’s not about getting hurt, that’s for sure,” Morton said.

Adler echoed Morton’s sentiments: “We can’t just stop people from stage-diving for the rest of eternity, that’s not what we’re trying to do, but I think [that] when you come to the show, you need to know that you need to be responsible for your actions and you need to think about what you’re doing.”

Blythe himself recently posted a lengthy emotional letter, asking everyone to be safe and be careful at the band’s shows: “Absolutely no one is welcome on the stage if we have not invited you up there, and unless you are a small child or in a wheel chair, that is not likely to happen,” he wrote. “Please respect this.”

Lamb of God is currently touring the US and Europe. Click here for a full list of dates.

Tony Iommi Penned Song Finishes 18th At Eurovision

admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:30:34 +0000

‘Lonely Planet,’ the rock ballad composed by legendary Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has finished eighteenth in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.

‘Lonely Planet’ made it through the contests semi-finals on May 16 and was performed live at the final in Sweden by Armenian representative Gor Sujyan and his band Dorians. Footage of the performance can be found below.

Iommi praised the group in a recent statement issued online: “They’re a good band,” he said. “…the singer has a really good voice and the lyrics they’ve written are in English.”

Iommi told the Birmingham Mail that he wrote ‘Lonely Planet’ more than five years ago and was surprised when the Armenian’s choose to use it in the contest: “I was as shocked as anybody when they came knocking. They got in touch with me because of the charity work we’ve been doing out there, building a new music school to replace one wrecked by an earthquake.”

He continued: “They asked if I’d got any spare songs. Well, I write loads of songs and they just get put away. They lie on a shelf because either they’re not suitable for Sabbath or for another project, and never see the light of day. I searched out Lonely Planet – it’s a bit of a power ballad – and sent it off.”

Meanwhile, Black Sabbath recently finished the first leg of their world tour in support of their new album ‘13’ and will resume with original members Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne in the United States in July.

Click here for a full list of Black Sabbath tour dates.

Dave Mustaine: “The Biggest Thing That Has Harmed My Career…”

admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:58:40 +0000

Metal Hammer recently sat down with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine to discuss his always outspoken and often controversial world views. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.

Mustaine explained that while some people may take offense to his preachings, he had only ever written or spoken about topics he considered important: “Some of the subjects on ‘Peace Sells…(But Who’s Buying?)’ are still relevant, particularly environmental issues. And the personal stuff is relevant. I’ve written songs about loss and pain – everyone goes through that so, no, I’m not being provocative.”

Furthermore, Mustaine pointed out that not all of his opinions conjured negative responses: “We actually have fun songs too. If you’re p-ssed off, the title track on ‘Super Collider’ or ‘Symphony Of Destruction’ might make you feel better.”

He added that he is no longer bothered by the harsh criticism he has copped for speaking his mind: “Probably the biggest thing that has harmed my career is being misunderstood but is it better to be understood or to understand? …There are people who love me and people who don’t, but everyone’s entitled. I have love in my heart for both. I don’t get mad about the people who dislike me.”

Mustaine said that once he adopted a more positive mindset he was able to reconcile several broken relationships: “…There was a guy who used to manage me, and when we had a falling out I think he started rumors about me being difficult. But we became friends again, and reconciled. And that was all part of a process of reconciliation, including with Metallica and Ellefson, too. And do you know what? When that happened my injured arm and injured thumb started working again. Crazy, huh?”

Click here for more.

Alex Skolnick On The Dillinger Escape Plan

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:37:32 +0000

Loudwire caught up with Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick on the black carpet of the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards and asked him to reflect on the band’s career and for his opinion on The Dillinger Escape Plan. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.

Skolnick said he never would have expected Testament’s latest album, ‘Dark Roots Of Earth’ to be the band’s most successful in its thirty year career: “All we knew was that we liked it and we weren’t sure how it was going to go over. We’re not up for an award tonight, but we did get iTunes Metal Album of the Year, charted higher on Billboard than we ever had and have gotten a lot of acknowledgements.”

He added that after so long in the industry, it was gratifying to know that people still enjoyed Testament’s music: “It’s a really cool reminder that even though we have a loyal fan base, we’re not the most recognized name. But we know now that the whole time there were people listening to our music. It was really respectful and it’s really nice to get that.”

Skolnick also discussed The Dillinger Escape Plan, who Testament introduced to the stage for a live performance during the Golden Gods ceremony: “They’re something different and I’ve seen some of the audience scratching their heads and that’s when you know — this is really cool.”

He continued: “I’ve always been a little bit of an oddball cause I don’t just do metal and these guys kind of get that. I get where they’re coming from and they get where I’m coming from and I feel a special kinship to this band.”

Click here for the full interview.

Ricky Gervais Premiers ‘Learn Guitar With David Brent’

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:28:08 +0000

Comedian Ricky Gervais has premiered episode one of his new YouTube series, ‘Learn Guitar With David Brent.’ It can be viewed below.

The inaugural episode features Brent, the character made famous by Gervais in the hit TV series ‘The Office,’ guiding would-be guitarists through different chords (with the exception of B) and performing a song about his day job as a sales rep, titled ‘Life On The Road.’ Brent also discusses topics such as speed awareness and drinking coffee on the motorway.

The ‘Learn Guitar With David Brent’ series will air each month and will feature full versions of songs first introduced in ‘The Office,’ including ‘Spaceman Came Down.’

Gervais first brought back Brent for Comic Relief earlier this year when he performed ‘Equality Street’ with rapper Dom Johnson (played by comedian Doc Brown).

In a recent interview with host Jon Stewart on ‘The Daily Show’ Gervais explained why he decided to revive the character: “I brought him back after 10 years, because I kept getting people… saying, ‘What’s he doing now?’”

He added: “I don’t want to just make stuff up – it’s a fictional character – so I thought I’d bring him back to let them know.”

Gervais also explained his decision to release the new series on YouTube, rather than via traditional television broadcast: “This is the future – people broadcasting themselves,” he said. “YouTube’s already the biggest broadcaster in the world.”

Mark Heylmun Discusses The Future Of Suicide Silence

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:17:37 +0000

Loudwire recently caught up with Suicide Silence guitarist Mark Heylmun to discuss the band’s mindset nearly seven months on from frontman Mitch Lucker’s tragic passing. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.

Speaking from the black carpet at the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods ceremony, Heylmun said that the band would remain on hiatus for the time being: “…the mindset right now is that none of us really have the energy after all of this. From going 150,000 miles per hour in the band, going to a different country every week and going at it so hard, then all of a sudden stopping. We don’t want to do anything. We don’t want to think about what we’re going to do.”

However, he did not rule out any possibilities: “We want to chill out for a little bit and then if something happens, it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s as simple as that.”

Furthermore, Heylmun confirmed that Suicide Silence fans should expect a release from the band in 2013: “We will definitely be releasing a memorial DVD from the memorial show we did for Mitch…so we definitely have at least a couple of more releases in the coming year — DVD stuff and you know, like we said, we don’t have plans on anything else.”

Suicide Silence held the ‘Ending is the Beginning: Mitch Lucker Memorial Show’ on December 21 last year, at the Fox Theater in Pomona for the late vocalist, who died in a motorbike accident on November 1, 2012.

Several of metals most prominent vocalists performed a Suicide Silence song each in honor of Lucker, including Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Robb Flynn of Machine Head and Max Cavelera of Soulfly.

Other performers included: Danny Wornsop of Asking Alexandria, Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying, Chad Gray of Hellyeah and Mudvayne, Eddie Hermida of All Shall Perish, dubstep artist Big Chocolate, Anthony Notarmaso of After the Burial, Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel, Austin Carlile from Of Mice and Men, Myke Terry, former Bury Your Dead singer, and Ricky Hoover, former Suffokate singer.

Heylmun reflected on the night: “… It’s crazy to think how it all came about because we met up the day of and we made the plans. We wanted to put it together the best we possibly could and we couldn’t believe that we made up all these plans and it pretty much fell into place. Pretty much everyone we asked wanted to do it and it was killer and it was one of the most special things that we’ve ever done and it was unreal.”

Misha Mansoor Seeking Fan To Cover Meshuggah

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:46:05 +0000

Periphery guitarist Misha Mansoor is currently working on a cover of Meshuggah’s ‘Elastic’ and is seeking a fan to lay down the vocals. Details on where to submit an audition video as well as a link to hear the track can be found below.

Mansoor explained why he has decided to cover the song in a statement issued online: “Why? Because I love this album and I love this song, and sometimes it’s fun to do stuff like this!”

He added: “Also a good excuse to use the Attack setting on my Protone Signature Overdrive Pedal in front of the Axefx II.”

Mansoor, who is using a Daemoness 7-string guitar, a Trillian bass and the Toontrack Metal Machine drum sample library for the track, said that he was currently working on finalizing the leads: “…I am going to try to figure out that damn solo if at all possible haha.”

He also stipulated to hopeful vocalists that he was, “…going for something close to the original.”

Mansoor’s cover of Meshuggah’s ‘Elastic’ can be downloaded by following either of the following links:

https://soundcloud.com/iambulb/meshuggah-elastic-cover-vocal

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8k6t8dom3wadkpk/Elastic%20Cover%20Audtion%20Clip%20132bpm.mp3

Robin Finck Included In Nine Inch Nails Touring Lineup

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:44:50 +0000

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has revealed former guitarist Robin Finck will rejoin the band for their forthcoming world tour.

Reznor made the announcement in an update on the official Nine Inch Nails Facebook page: “I am proud to announce that the tour lineup now includes the incredible Robin Finck. The addition of Robin to the mix of players I’ve assembled makes this band incredibly powerful and versatile.”

He continued: “We are deep in the rehearsal process and it feels exciting and great to be back at this. Lots of information, surprises and sweat headed your way. Stay tuned!”

While some publications have reported Fink has been brought in to replace bassist Eric Avery, who left the band last week, photos posted by Reznor (see below) indicate Finck will be on guitar.

Finck has toured and recorded with Nine Inch Nails at various points over the last two decades, most recently on the 2008 album ‘The Slip’ and during the band’s 2009 NIN/JA tour with Jane’s Addiction. Finck has also played as a member of Guns N’ Roses.

In a post on Twitter, Reznor said he was very happy to have Finck back in the band: “It just didn’t feel like @NineInchNails without Robin Finck. Now it does.”

As well as Reznor and Finck, Nine Inch Nails’ lineup currently includes Alessandro Cortini, Josh Eustis, Ilan Rubin and King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew.

Nine Inch Nails has already scheduled a run of festival dates, including Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds and is expected to announce more dates soon.

Click here for further details.

It just didn’t feel like @nineinchnails without Robin Finck. Now it does. twitter.com/trent_reznor/s…

— Trent Reznor (@trent_reznor) May 17, 2013

Ritchie Blackmore Premiers New Blackmore’s Night Single

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:35:46 +0000

Former Deep Purple and Rainbow, turned folk rock guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has premiered a new track from his band Blackmore’s Night. It can be heard by following the link below.

The new track, titled ‘The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over the Sea),’ is from the band’s forthcoming eighth studio album ‘Dancer And The Moon,’ which is set for release on June 11 via Frontiers Records.

The album contains several instrumental tracks, including two, ‘Galliard’ and ‘Carry On… Jon,’ which Blackmore wrote as a tribute to the late Jon Lord of Deep Purple.

The album will come available as a stand-alone CD or in a deluxe digipak, which will feature a bonus DVD with music videos of ‘Dancer and the Moon’ and ‘The Moon Is Shining.’ It will also feature an extensive interview with Blackmore and Candice Night.

For more information about Blackmore’s Night and ‘Dancer and the Moon,’ visit blackmoresnight.com.
Click here to listen to ‘The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over the Sea).’

Blackmore’s Night is: Ritchie Blackmore (guitar, mandolin, mandola, hurdy-gurdy), Candice Night (vocals, renaissance woodwinds, pennywhistles, tambourine), Earl Grey of Chimay (bass, rhythm guitar), Bard David of Larchmont (keyboards, vocals), Squire Malcolm of Lumley (drums, percussion), Gypsy Rose (violin, harmony vocals) and Minstrel Albert (various medieval woodwinds).

‘Dancer and the Moon’ Track Listing:

01. I Think It’s Going To Rain Today
02. Troika
03. The Last Leaf
04. Lady In Black
05. Minstrels In The Hall
06. The Temple Of The King
07. Dancer And The Moon
08. Galliard
09. The Ashgrove
10. Somewhere Over The Sea (The Moon Is Shining)
11. The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea)
12. The Spinner’s Tale
13. Carry On… Jon