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Steven Adler continues to exorcise his demons
Sun, 07/25/2010 - 21:20Ex- GNR drummer Steven Adler told Billboard.com about his new autobiography, “My Appetite For Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns N’ Roses.”
“It’s so healing, getting all those things out of my system. You can’t take 30 years of pain and all that stuff and just get rid of it immediately, but at least I’m starting to get it out and I’m starting to become my own person again. I wasted so much of my life, it’s great to have survived and be living again.”
“I know the four of us besides Axl would love to do it,” he said. “I know besides millions and millions and hundreds of millions of dollars that would be involved, I think if we played for the whole world, it would be such a relief…like, ‘God, they’re finally playing!’ It’s what so many people really want, y’know?”
This blog has posted many times on Adler’s obsession with his past, and, as always, it’s good to see him have a release. Here’s hoping this autobiography is the last of it. Then it’s time to finally move on. For Steven, Adler’s Appetite is the future, not Guns N’ Roses.
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Adler's Appetite, Guns N' Roses, Heavy Metal, Steven Adler, Steven Adler's autobiography
Testament joins the American Carnage
Sat, 07/24/2010 - 01:27Testament are getting ready to tour North America with fellow heavy metal heavyweights Slayer and Megadeth on the highly anticipated AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR — the first time in 20 years since joining forces for the Clash of the Titans Tour in 1990.
“We’re gearing up to start what will be known as the heaviest thrash event ever,” states TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson. “Slayer, Megadeth and Testament haven’t shared the stage since the original and first tour in 1990 of Clash of the Titans in Europe. New thrash fans that only heard rumors and never were able to witness Clash of the Titans will be delighted because all three bands are just as heavy and lethal as ever, if not more. Old school thrash fans, if you missed the line-up before, you don’t want to miss this!” Peterson added, “We’ve had great success during the two and a half year The Formation of Damnation campaign, and feel honored and excited to end the campaign with a tour like this. After the AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR, we head straight into the studio to work on new material for our forthcoming record, releasing mid 2011 through Nuclear Blast Records.”
Front man Chuck Billy reflected on the VIP experience that Testament fans can expect this summer:
“If there is one thing true about us, we love our fans so much that we want to hang out with them, give them special shit and then throw them INTO THE PIT! This tour is huge, with three of the greatest bands in metal reuniting after 20 years. We want to make you a part of this special event. So hook yourself up with a TESTAMENT AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR VIP Pack today.”
Wow. He’s a natural pitchman!
The exclusive AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR VIP package includes:
- One general admission ticket with early entry (where available)
- Exclusive Meet & Greet with the members of TESTAMENT
- Personal photograph with the band
- Autograph session (includes 8X10 photo)
- Exclusive TESTAMENT Affliction Shirt
- Collectible Tour Poster (limited, numbered)
- Exclusive TESTAMENT Music Skin
- Official VIP Meet and Greet Laminate
- Official set of TESTAMENT Guitar Picks
See below for all AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR dates, as well as more recently announced international dates:
CATCH TESTAMENT ON THE 2010 AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR
7/23 Quebec City, QC @ Pavillon de la Jenuesse
7/24 Montreal, QC @ Heavy MTL @ Parc Jean Drapeau
7/26 Halifax, NS @ Metro Centre
7/27 Moncton, NB @ Moncton Coliseum
7/29 Toronto, ONT @ Molson Amphitheatre
7/30 London, ONT @ John Labatte Center
8/11 Albany, NY @ Glen Falls Civic Center
8/12 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
8/14 Boston, MA @ Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell
8/15 Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/16 Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theater
8/18 Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre
8/19 Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
8/20 Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion
8/21 Minneapolis, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
8/23 Kansas City, @ Cap Fed Park @ Sandstone Arena
8/24 Denver, CO @ Magness Arena
8/25 Albuquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum
8/27 Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
8/29 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
8/30 Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach Arena
8/31 San Francisco, CA @ Cow Palace
9/1 Sacramento, CA @ Arco Arena
9/3 Seattle, WA @ Wamu Theatre
9/4 Portland, OR @ Washington County Fairgrounds
AUSTRALIA
8/6 Melbourne, AUS @ Billboard
8/7 Sydney, AUS @ The Manning Venue
8/8 Brisbane, AUS @ HiFi
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR, Clash of the Titans Tour, Heavy Metal, Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Thrash Metal
A Little Kiss
Fri, 07/23/2010 - 20:21Nice. At least Kiss doesn’t take itself so serious anymore.
Filed under: Heavy Metal, Rock Music Tagged: KISS, Little Kiss commercial
AC/DC grossed a staggering $226 million in last year
Sat, 07/17/2010 - 19:57Second to U2, according to Forbes:
“This Australian heavy metal group has been shaking audiences all night long since 1973 and shows few signs of stopping. Second only to U2 in band tour earnings, AC/DC grossed a staggering $226 million on a worldwide tour that included 99 dates and brought in more than $2 million a night.”
AC/DC surpassed even Beyonce. It has to make rockers everywhere feel good about seeing a hard rock band like this do so well.
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: AC/DC, AC/DC earnings, Heavy Metal, U2
Mike Portnoy: “Luckily, Dream Theater was never a hit band”
Wed, 07/07/2010 - 15:39Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy:
Luckily, Dream Theater was never a hit band, because I would hate nothing more than to always go out and play the same exact songs because that’s what people want to hear. I’m seeing this with Iron Maiden right now, because they chose to do a set list on this tour that is, basically, from the last 10 years. And there’s a big backlash amongst some of their fans. On one end, I can understand the fans’ point of view, the ones that do want to hear the hits, but, on the other hand, I understand Maiden’s point of view, that they don’t want to be stuck playing the same songs for the rest of their lives. They put out new albums; they want to play the new music. Usually, when I write set lists, it is a wide-open palette that I can choose from. I like to pick over 100 songs and not feel like we have to play anything.
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Dream Theater, Heavy Metal, Mike Portnoy:
Ozzy Osbourne: “Even Jesus Christ wasn’t always wonderful”
Thu, 06/17/2010 - 21:09When asked about his son, Jack, filming a documentary about him, Ozzy replies:
“I said ‘Jack, don’t just do things that make me look like a f**kin’ saint. I’m not a saint.’ Because, you know, you see some guy on the biography channel or something, and they’ll say how wonderful he is. Well, even Jesus Christ wasn’t always wonderful. Isn’t there one time when he goes ‘F**k, I don’t feel like giving a speech on this mountain.’?”
Hilarious comment. One for the quote books.
To read more, go to the entire Ozzy interview
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Heavy Metal, Jack Osbourne, Jesus Christ, Ozzy, Ozzy documentary, Religion, Scream
Scientists to use Ozzy’s genetic code to solve substance abuse question
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 20:02Hooray! The future is now: Ozzy’s genetic code can one day be bottled like inexpensive wine.
Scientists to map Ozzy Osbourne’s genetic code to find out how he survived so much substance abuse.
Let’s not forget that Ozzy’s been clean and sober for a long time, too.
For related items that you may enjoy:• Download Guide to Alice Cooper (PDF download)
• Get a Goldmine hard rock back issue via digital download
• Check out the book on classic guitars: “Classic Guitars, Identification and Price Guide,” By Nick Freeth
*And click here to check out the latest price guides from Goldmine
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Ozzy, ozzy's genetic code, substance abuse
Guns n’ Roses releases promotional video for their ‘Chinese Democracy’ tour
Sun, 06/13/2010 - 17:32Oh yea … “Chinese Democracy.” I almost forgot about that album. Seems like it completely disappeared from the collective consciousness.
Best Buy threw down the lofty sum $14 million for 1.6 million copies of the album. But, as blabbermouth puts it, aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions on a Guns N’ Roses’ message board, singer Axl Rose has done no promotion of any kind for “Chinese Democracy”.
For related heavy metal/hard rock items that you may enjoy:
• Download Guide to Alice Cooper (PDF download)
• Check out the book on classic guitars: “Classic Guitars, Identification and Price Guide,” By Nick Freeth
• And click here to check out the latest Goldmine record price guides
Filed under: 80s Rock, Heavy Metal Tagged: 80s, 80s Metal, 80s Rock, Axl Rose, Chinese Democracy, Guns N' Roses, Heavy Metal, L.A metal
Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson Claims new album, ‘The Final Frontier,’ will have same vibe as ‘Piece of Mind’
Sat, 06/12/2010 - 10:19Vocalist Bruce Bruce added recently that recording at Compass Point Studios – where they recorded their 1983 album Piece Of Mind — gives the new album, The Final Frontier, the same vibe, right off the bat:
“The studio had the same vibe and it was EXACTLY as it had been in 1983, NOTHING had changed! Even down to the broken shutter in the corner…same carpet….everything… It was really quite spooky. But we felt very relaxed in such a familiar and well-trodden environment and I think this shows in the playing and the atmosphere of the album.”
But some listeners haven’t taken so kindly. Marc Garrison blogged on Goldmine that the new track, “El Dorado,” was “weak.” The blog post — headlined “Iron Maiden’s “El Dorado” is a startlingly weak introduction to ‘The Final Frontier’’ — seems to be longing for the old OLD days of Maiden, past 1983. Check out the blog review of “El Dorado,” — which is free on Maiden’s Web site — by clicking here.
The tracklisting for the album The Final Frontier is as follows:
‘Satellite 15…..The Final Frontier’
‘El Dorado’
‘Mother Of Mercy’
‘Coming Home’
‘The Alchemist’
‘Isle Of Avalon’
‘Starblind’
‘The Talisman’
‘The Man Who Would Be King’
‘When The Wild Wind Blows’
For free download of Iron Maiden’s new track “El Dorado” go to, www.ironmaiden.com
Iron Maiden opened their Final Frontier World Tour in Dallas, Texas on June 9th.
For related heavy metal/hard rock items that you may enjoy:
• Download Guide to Alice Cooper (PDF download)
• Check out the book on classic guitars: “Classic Guitars, Identification and Price Guide,” By Nick Freeth
• And click here to check out the latest Goldmine record price guides
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Bruce Dickinson, Compass Point Studios, El Dorado, Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind, The Final Frontier
Barren Earth is the best of atmospheric death metal
Wed, 06/09/2010 - 20:10Barren Earth
“Curse of the Red River”
(Peaceville)
Review by Ray Hogan
This disc had my interest by the time the flute breaks into the final moments of the opening title track. I was pretty enthralled by the time the progressive guitar progression comes out of nowhere in the following track, “Our Twilight.” By the time the keyboard leads the charge of “Forlorn Waves” I was listening as intently as I’ve listened to anything so far this year.
Flutes, acoustic guitars, atmospheric keyboards. In other words, death metal. Progressive and melodic death metal, naturally, but death metal none the less.
Barren Earth isn’t quite a supergroup but with past and present members of Amorphis, Swallow the Sun, Kreator and Moonsorrow, the band pretty much comprises first-call Finnish metal musicians. “Curse of the Red River,” the group’s first full-length, is nine tracks of intricate (but never knotty) music that pulls as much from its progressive and folk influences as the death metal that is at its core. Opeth is an easy comparison but Barren Earth is its own band. Singer Mikko Kotamaki goes back and forth between growling and singing with ease but what really makes this band excel is the diversity of the musicians behind him, particularly guitarists Janne Perttila and Sami Ylisirnio, who are as comfortable with the technical precision of metal riffing as they are getting vaguely psychedelic. A lot of the disc’s atmospherics – and there are plenty – fall upon keyboardist Kasper Martenson, who impressively integrates his sound into the songs rather than on top of them. Pink Floyd and Entombed make pretty logical bed fellows on “Ere All Perish.”
Given the range of what Barren Earth offers musically, I keep finding myself going back to the rather straight-forward punch of “The Ritual of Dawn,” granted that to a band like this “straight-forward” means a major interlude section with abrupt tempo and instrumentation changes. All of the songs on “Curse of the Red River” are incredibly and carefully constructed, especially given that every member of this band has other musical concerns. This is a group we need to hear more from, even if it’s on an occasional basis.
Grade: B+
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: Amorphis, Barren Earth, Heavy Metal, Kreator, Moonsorrow, Opeth, Peaceville, Pink Floyd, Swallow the Sun
Rob Halford of Judas Priest says British Steel was a unique record
Sat, 06/05/2010 - 20:24In Goldmine magazine, Rob Halford claimed that with British Steel all the stars aligned.
When asked why British Steel was their breakthrough album and not, say, “Hell Bent for Leather” [which was originally released as "Killing Machine" on October 1978 in the U.K.]?
Halford replied:
In all practical terms it’s got to be the way it (the album) sounds, the way the songs were created, the production of it. The beginning of 1980. … the decade of 1980 to 1989 was unbelievable for metal music. That was the year it became this worldwide phenomenon. Obviously, for us in Priest, we were delighted that it received that amount of attention.
Filed under: Heavy Metal Tagged: 80s, 80s Metal, British Steel, Heavy Metal, Judas Priest, Rob Halford
BRET MICHAELS, BACK IN HOSPITAL AFTER SUFFERING WARNING STROKE
Thu, 05/20/2010 - 18:01From Bret Michaels MySpace blog, this afternoon:
CELEBRITY APPRENTICE FINALIST, BRET MICHAELS, BACK IN HOSPITAL AFTER SUFFERING WARNING STROKE KNOWN AS A TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK (TIA)
RECEIVES DEVASTATING NEWS AS TESTS SHOW HE HAS A HOLE IN HIS HEART OR PATENT FORAMEN OVALE (PFO)
Bret Michaels was readmitted to the hospital this week after suffering numbness on the left side of his body, predominately his face and hands which doctors described as a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or warning stroke. While MRI and CT scan tests were being conducted, Michaels also received a Doppler Ultrasound of his legs and lower abdomen looking for blood clots and most importantly an Ultrasound Bubble Test of his heart was conducted which proved positive for a Patent Forum Ovale (PFO), a hole in the heart. Dr. Zabramski (Bret’s neurosurgeon), Dr. Becker (who ordered the test), Dr. Cook (who conducted the test) and Dr. Frey (Director, Outpatient Stroke Program) all confirmed the results.
Dr. Zabramski states “There is no doubt that the positive Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is devastating news to Bret and his family. The good news is that it is operable and treatable and we think we may have diagnosed the problem that caused the Transient Ischemic Attach (TIA) or warning stroke; however we feel it is highly unlikely this is connected to the brain hemorrhage he suffered just a few weeks earlier. Once again it is great that he quickly reacted to the severe numbness and got to the hospital immediately.”
Dr. Zabramski continues, “I realize Bret wants to make a full recovery so that he can be active with his family, attempt to attend the finale of Celebrity Apprentice and especially get back on the road to continue making music. Without a doubt he is very determined to get healthy and make a 100% recovery. Medically speaking it is a fantastic attitude both mentally and physically for him to have. However, Bret’s brain and body are not quite 100% yet, especially with the hole found in his heart. Further tests will be conducted throughout the week and I will have more information next week as to how this Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) will be treated. For now, Bret will be treated with outpatient care which includes a daily injection of Lovenox (a blood thinner to reduce the chance of blood clots) and blood tests.”
Bret’s rep, Janna Elias, states “Bret wants everyone to know he cannot thank you enough for all of the well wishes, prayers, and good vibes you have sent his way. Even though these last few months have been tough on him and his family, especially this most recent setback, he is in good spirits, great medical hands and is positive and hopeful that everything is going to be OK. He is up, walking, talking, continuing his daily rehab and very happy to be alive but he has made it clear he is sick and tired of being in the hospital and is ready to rock again.”
Filed under: 80s Metal, Heavy Metal, Rock Music Tagged: Bret Michaels, Bret Michaels stroke, Glam metal, Heavy Metal, Poison
Wendy Dio says Ronnie James knew how much people loved him
Sun, 05/16/2010 - 20:28“Today my heart is broken. 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 know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.”
His music most certainly will.
Filed under: Rock Music Tagged: Black Sabbath, Dio, Dio Death, Heaven and Hell, Rainbow, Ronnie James Dio
Worst rock club in New York City: Gramercy Theatre
Sun, 05/09/2010 - 01:28If your favorite rock band is playing in New York City and it happens to be the Gramercy, wait til the band comes around and plays at another club. No amenities like coat or bag check is only the beginning. You can’t get any worse than the Gramercy’s general admission. They usually overbook it to the point where you can’t enjoy the show. And, by that time, if you want to get a beer … forget about it. It’s too crowded to even get to the bar(s). Even if you get a ticket in the seated area, the seats are really uncomfortable. It is NOT a good place to see any kind of show. Not to mention that the staff is one the most surly of all the NY clubs. You would find better customer service at a lake full of piranhas.
Avoid like the plague.
Filed under: Rock Music Tagged: Gramercy Theatre, The Blender Theatre at Gramercy, Worst rock club in New York City
Alex Lifeson of Rush says a more guitar-oriented sound is a “reaction to what we were doing in the ’80s”
Thu, 05/06/2010 - 20:03Here’s the whole answer by guitarist Alex Lifeson in an interview with Gibson.com:
Lifeson: It’s probably a reaction to what we were doing in the ’80s, when we started incorporating keyboards into our sound. It was still a very new thing, and that’s what really connected to us. But I think, once we got though the ’80s, we realized we went as far as we could with that. The real core part of the band is really in the three pieces — and really in the guitar. And in looking back, strictly for scheduling purposes, we put the keyboard down before we put the guitar down. So that made things a lot more restrictive for me and I had to work around a sound spectrum that was already occupied by keyboards. And I think, as a reaction to that, in the ’80s I went for a much wirier, thinner, clear trebly active pickup sound. In that period, I think that was just a response to the density of what the keyboard was doing. Around the early ’90s, though, we all made this conscious effort to step away from keyboards, especially Geddy, which you would think would be unusual. But I think he’d had it and felt very confined in his area of the stage with keys and stuff. I mean, even with stuff we’re writing now, I have been the one kind of introducing some keyboard lines. Part of that reaction was replacing keyboard stuff with guitar parts — “Vapor Trails”, for example, has so much layered guitar stuff and it’s fun to do. And even “Snakes & Arrows” has a lot of layering and it’s great fun to do, and I love listening to it and I love doing it. But it makes it harder to really not depend on a lot of triggers and samples and stuff like that playing it live. But as I was saying, even now, where I want to bring some more keyboard back in, I am getting a lot of resistance from Geddy.
Filed under: Rock Music Tagged: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, lRush, Meil Peart
Bret Michaels Medical update
Wed, 04/28/2010 - 15:59Don’t know who is doing the blogging but on Bret’s MySpace blog is the following update:
Test results indicate a setback in Bret Michaels condition a side effect from the brain hemorrhage called hyponatremia a lack of sodium in the body which leads to seizures.
Bret Michaels was the topic of Larry King Live as Donald Trump Jr. and other celebrities weigh in on Michaels condition. Due to the severity of his condition, Bret Michaels continues to remain hospitalized in an intensive care unit at an undisclosed hospital. He remains in critical but stable condition according to his doctors. Last night on Larry King Live Bret Michaels condition was the topic on the show as Donald Trump Jr., Daryl Strawberry, Sanjay Gupta and Carlos Diaz discuss concerns, lasting affects as well Michaels as a person. Donald Trump Jr. stated that “Bret is very likeable guy, down to earth and a solid person.” He stated out of all the people from “Celebrity Apprentice,” I may have had the best kind of off-camera relationship with him over the three years. Trump Jr. also says he is a great father and rocker and concerned for the singers health. Strawberry who starred on Celebrity Apprentice with Michaels says he is a good friend on and off camera. He is a hard worker and is a creative force on the show. Without a doubt he lives a crazy lifestyle and he wishes him a speedy recovery. Carlos Diaz who is a Radio Host and Entertainment Correspondent says Michaels is “a star that transcends several generations.” He has reinvented his career, both on “Rock of Love” and “Celebrity Apprentice as well as his music. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is CNN’s chief medical correspondent says a subarachnoid hemorrhage is an aneurysm in one of the blood vessels. He stated about 10 percent of people don’t survive. He obviously survived that. About another quarter of people don’t make it through the first couple of days in the hospital and 30 percent make a full recovery.
Michaels medical workup demonstrated findings of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke that causes bleeding in the fluid-filled spaces around the base of the brain. It presents itself suddenly as the sound of a loud gunshot or thunderclap at the back of the head causing severe cranial pain and muscle spasms. Many people are speculating Michaels head injury suffered from a prop striking the singer at the Tony awards last June is the cause. Additional studies are planned throughout the week to hopefully detect the exact cause of the rupture. Coupled with the fact that Michaels is a lifelong Type 1 diabetic and has recently undergone emergency appendectomy surgery while on tour in San Antonio, he will remain monitored closely by his medical team to make sure no complications occur from the diabetes.
The most common cause of this condition is a spontaneous rupture of a cerebral aneurysm, however 15 to 20 percent of spontaneous episodes of this hemorrhage are found to have no cause. Michaels has undergone a continuous series of tests while in the ICU including angiograms, CT scans, MRI’s and transcranial dopplers (TCD’s). Doctors state Michaels is very lucky as his condition could have been fatal. With further testing and rehabilitation, they are hopeful that Bret will gradually improve as the blood surrounding the brain dissolves and is reabsorbed into his system, which can be a very painful recovery and take several weeks to months. Michaels remains under 24-hour observation in the ICU and is in positive spirits. He is responding well to tests and treatments. Even though today was a minor setback Doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery and plan to release more specific information next Monday.
Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and support!
Thoughts, prayers and support are definitely in order
… and then at 6pm tonight, this blog post:
To all of Bret’s friends and fans,
We thank you all for your continued support and outpouring of well wishes for Bret.
While additional studies are planned throughout the week, to hopefully detect the exact cause of the rupture, Bret will remain monitored closely by his medical team to make sure no further complications occur. He is responding well to tests and treatments. Even though yesterday was a minor setback, Doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery and plan to release more specific information next Monday. While Bret is recovering we obviously have some shows that are being rescheduled. We are working to reschedule dates from now until May 21st. At this time we are planning to resume the tour May 26th in Ft. Smith Arkansas provided there are no further complications or setbacks. We will then continue with all scheduled dates throughout the summer and fall, including the June and July tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Look for additional information in the days and weeks to come. For those of you with tickets for shows that are being rescheduled, your tickets will be honored on the new dates. Tickets remain on sale for the shows which are being rescheduled although the new dates have yet to be announced.
Filed under: Rock Music Tagged: Bret Michaels, Bret Michaels medical update, Poison, Poison singer
Bret Michaels hospitalized again
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 18:06It is indeed true. Bret Michaels has suffered a brain hemorrhage. Carol Anne Szel of Goldmine has confirmed it.
Was it due to complications from the appendicitis a week ago? He was rushed into surgery back then.
There is no other news about it yet. All we can say is Get Well Soon, Bret.
Filed under: 80s Metal, Heavy Metal, Rock Music Tagged: Bret Michaels, Bret Michaels brain hemorrhage, Poison
Megadeth’s David Ellefson says Satan is “a small fry guy”
Sun, 04/18/2010 - 19:03As christian as his fellow co-founder David Mustaine, Ellefson finds it weird that bands would take the subject of Satan beyond lyrical entertainment.
Here’s an excerpt from an interview in Goldmine Magazine:
Does your songwriting still match with Dave (Mustaine) nowadays?
Ellefson: We’ll tell, I guess, as we move forward. Sometimes I pick up a bass but right now I’m in performance mode when I pick the instrument up. The other day I was at my house and some ideas fell out. I was in Megadeth but not around Megadeth, so a certain kind of thing came out and it made me go ‘Wow, this would probably work well on a future Megadeth record.’
Are you still interested in the same subjects? I mean, are you a fellow Christian?
Ellefson: I am.
Oh, okay, so you can still relate to each other as songwriters.
Ellefson: Absolutely. And you know it’s funny with Megadeth, because even years ago Dave would draw from scripture to come up with ideas and they would be very inspirational. It’s interesting. The whole Book of Isaiah, you could write an entire Iron Maiden album out of that, you know. It’s definitely a good source for inspiration. The history books are just ripe soil for writing metal records.
There had been too much of an unfair attack on metal in the past, especially in the ’80s, as far as it being Satanic.
Ellefson: It’s funny. Even when the thrash thing started, with Venom and all that, even if you listen to those things, none of those guys were Satan worshipers. They talked about Satan. Worshiping Satan, it’s like, ‘Is that the best you can do?’ He’s kind of a small fry guy. You’re kind of limiting your resources a little bit there, if you go down that road.
Was all that hard work of the PMRC in the ’80s for naught?
Probably so.
Filed under: 80s Metal, Heavy Metal Tagged: black metal, Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, PMRC, Satan in Metal, Satanism, Venom
Did Bret Michaels’ appendix burst?
Tue, 04/13/2010 - 18:37It was just a rumor, carried out-of-control on the Web.
The truth appears to be in a recent blog post on Michaels’ MySpace:
Bret Michaels, who is currently appearing on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, remains in the hospital after an emergency appendectomy early Monday morning.
While on his current Roses and Thorns Tour which is set to visit over 200 cities, the legendary rock and roll front man was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in San Antonio on Sunday after suffering from severe stomach pains and what was originally thought to be a case of the stomach flu. Upon further examination doctors insisted on performing a CAT scan which revealed that the 47 year old diabetic’s appendix was nearly ready to burst, and rushed him into an early Monday morning (1:00am) surgery. It is now known that his appendix would have more than likely burst on stage that evening quite possibly resulting in death
After spiking a fever during the overnight hours, which could be a sign of infection, it is reported that Michaels will remain under doctor’s care for an undisclosed amount of time as to monitor his progress watch for complications.
Filed under: 80s Metal, 80s Rock, Rock Music Tagged: Bret Michaels, Bret Michaels hospitalized
Metallica, Offspring, and Thin Lizzy used in the fight against the Taliban
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 19:54“Taliban hate that music,” one US special forces officer explained.
Seems like the US military doesn’t need to smoke ‘em out. Just blast ‘em out. Heavy metal style.
According to the Associated Press, special forces are understood to be using loud music in a bid to filter out insurgents from a desolate Afghan farming community.
They could kick it up a notch. There are a lot heavier bands. Try some death metal, for instance, any death metal.
Thin Lizzy’s great but they won’t exactly put the fear of God in you like a band named Cattle Decapitation.
Filed under: Heavy Metal, Rock Music Tagged: Cattle Decapitation, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Metallica, Offspring, Taliban, Thin Lizzy, US Military use heavy metal, US special forces, War in afghanistan
