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ANDREAS KISSER Says CAVALERA Brothers ‘Turned Their Backs’ On SEPULTURA

Manos Spanos
Scott Morrow of MTV Iggy recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. A few excerpts from the chat follow below. On SEPULTURA's early days: Kisser: "In Brazil, back in the '80s when we started, we didn't have the chance to see [many] bands live. It was impossible for bands to come down to Brazil — just big names like QUEEN orKISS. We used to pool together money from friends to buy one album and then make tapes for everybody. We formed this kind of underground scene that always looked for the releases and imported albums." On the split with the Cavalera brothers (guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera and drummer Igor): Kisser: "For SEPULTURA fans, there are many SEPULTURAs in their head. It's not only because Max and Igor [left]. If you [compare] the albums that we did together, from'Schizophrenia' to 'Roots', they are totally different bands — but the same lineup. We all change; we all grow up. The choice to leave the band was their choice. We never fired any musician in the group. We only fired our manager after the 'Roots' tour, and Max chose to leave and stay with her and start a solo career. He didn't care about the name during those days. He didn't fight for the name. He just turned his back and said, 'Fuck you guys; I'm better off myself.' And Igor left 10 years later; he didn't care either to fight. It's like many fathers who have children and leave them. For [the Cavaleras], SEPULTURA is like an abandoned child. They really turned their back on us and left. But it feels great to be here and keep theSEPULTURA name strong, bringing new stuff to the albums. The SEPULTURA spirit never changed, and that's why we're still here as SEPULTURA." On the musical direction of SEPULTURA's new album, "The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart": Kisser: "[The idea] is just to be a better [band] all the time — try to top our best work. That's a very motivational and energetic feeling to have. [Producer Ross Robinson] really works the spirit of the music; he's not really too concerned about technical things but more about the performance and the concept of the songs, to really be in the DNA of everything that we do." On the new CD title: Kisser: "[The title] means that it's very important not to lose our heart, not to lose our human element. Because if you receive information through your head and act through your hands without your heart, you're nothing more than a robot with no questioning, no arguments, no protest. So I think that it's very important for us, especially today and for the next generation, not to lose our human factor and be completely robotized." Read more fromo MTV Iggy.
03 min read

HIGH ON FIRE Releases New Single ‘Slave The Hive’

Panagiotis Karagiannidis
HIGH ON FIRE has released a brand new single titled "Slave The Hive" today. As part of the band's upcoming Scion A/V-sponsored headlining tour, HIGH ON FIRE drops the new single which marks the first new music from the California metal champions since the spring 2012 release of "De Vermis Mysteriis". A limited-edition seven-inch single will be available at all tour dates with a video for the song to be released simultaneously.
01 min read

SOILWORK: ‘Tongue’ Lyric Video Released

Panagiotis Karagiannidis
The official lyric video for the song "Tongue" from Swedish metallers SOILWORK can be seen below. The track comes off the band's ninth studio and first dual-disc album, "The Living Infinite", which sold around 7,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 60.
02 min read

PROTEST THE HERO Announces New Drummer

Manos Spanos
After the departure of longtime drummer Moe Carlson, Canada's PROTEST THE HERO enlistedLAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler to sit behind the kit for the recording sessions of the band's forthcoming album, "Volition". Now with extensive touring on the horizon, PROTEST THE HERO has decided to fill the slot permanently with Mike Ieradi. Says the band: "Finding a new drummer has proven to be a tough task! We had interest and video submissions from many friends, fans, and family alike (yes, Choadie's mom sent in a video of her ripping 'C'est La Vie!'). Every single one of those submissions was wonderful — but we realized it was going to be impossible to select a drummer based on a YouTube video. We needed someone who we knew. Someone who we thought we wouldn't murder and leave at the side of the road two weeks into tour. We think we have found that person in Mike Ieradi— a Canadian fella we met many moons ago. "What's that, you say? Mike is already in another band? Yes, he is. He will be playing in two bands on this upcoming tour. He will be opening with his band THE KINDRED and will then wrap the night up playing with us. "Despite pulling double duty on this tour, he IS the newest member of PROTEST THE HERO and will hopefully be with us until we hang up the old jazz picks. No pressure, Mike!" Adds Ieradi, "[I'm] happy to announce my new role in PROTEST THE HERO. I'm excited to be a full-blown member of a great band with some great friends, and looking forward to the future with these goons. Stoked to see everyone out on this upcoming tour, and I hope you enjoy watching me sweat my way through two sets with PROTEST and THE KINDRED. It should be a fun one!" PROTEST THE HERO's fourth studio CD, "Volition", will be released on October 29 (one day earlier internationally). The long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Scurrilous" (Vagrant), "Volition" has been licensed to series of worldwide partners who will help distribute and market it to both traditional stores alongside digital service providers, thus making the new record available on a worldwide scale. PROTEST THE HERO and Razor & Tie will join forces for the United States, while the album will be released in Canada through Sony Music and in the rest of the word via Spinefarm. "Volition" track listing: 01. Clarity 02. Drum-Head Trial 03. Tilting Against Windmills 04. Without Prejudice 05. Yellow Teeth 06. Plato's Tripartite 07. A Life Embossed 08. Mist 09. Underbite 10. Animal Bones 11. Skies The cover artwork can be seen below.
03 min read

MOTÖRHEAD’s LEMMY Downplays His Hospital Stint: ‘It Was Nothing; I’m Over It’

Panagiotis Karagiannidis
MOTÖRHEAD was forced to cancel a handful of shows on its European festival tour in August after the band's frontman, Lemmy, suffered a haematoma (where blood collects outside of a blood vessel). The news of Lemmy's latest medical issue followed reports that he was also recently diagnosed with diabetes and had a defibrillator fitted because of heart problems.
01 min read

METALLICA’s JAMES HETFIELD: ‘We Want To Make A Record’

Manos Spanos
METALLICA frontman James Hetfield recently spoke to The Detroit News about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to the band's 2008 album "Death Magnetic". "We have been pushing that further and further away," Hetfield said. "We want to make a record, that's what we do best and that’s what we've gotta do in springtime. We've got skeleton bones that we're starting to lay out to make something out of it, but there's a lot of work ahead of us that we're really excited about doing. And that will be next year." Hetfield was also asked if the group planned to stage a third installment of its Orion Music + More festival in Detroit next year, after bringing the show's second edition there last June. The guitarist/vocalist replied: "I sure hope so, that is the plan. The festival itself is not 100 percent greenlit yet. There’s gotta be a powwow where all of us get together and make sure we’re on the same page." This year's Orion two-day event drew at least 20,000 people a day to see METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, DEFTONES, SILVERSUN PICKUPS, RISE AGAINST and more. METALLICA surprised fans at Orion Music + More on June 8 by playing its 1983 debut disc "Kill 'Em All" from beginning to end on a smaller stage at the event. METALLICA was officially announced to play a headlining set on June 9 to close out the festival, but hit the stage at 4:30 p.m. one day earlier for a 10-song set that started with "Hit The Lights" and finished out with "Metal Militia".
02 min read

Rumor: SUICIDE SILENCE Found A New Vocalist

Manos Spanos
When Suicide Silence's singer Mitch Lucker passed away almost one year ago, the future of the band was very much in question. Mitch was the centerpiece of the band, and at the time the band was far too busy mourning to even think about the future. But it seems the band might be ready to move forward. There are rumors now that the band may have found a new replacement. Lambgoat reports that various sources tell them Eddie Hermida from All Shall Perish is their new vocalist. Previously, it was rumored that former Suffokate vocalist (now with reconstructed earlobes) Ricky Hoover was to be their new vocalist, but that didn't pan out. Hermida makes much more sense as a pick. He is a seasoned veteran of the road and somebody Suicide Silence fans are surely familiar with. He certainly has the vocal chops to pull it off. Check out the video of Hermida absolutely laying waste to the band's "Slaves to Substance" at the benefit show last year: Eddie wouldn't be the only member of All Shall Perish in another project. Guitarist Franceco Artusato is collaborating with Howard Jones on his new band, The Devil You Know.
01 min read

WITHIN TEMPTATION: ‘Paradise’ Video Featuring TARJA TURUNEN Released

Manos Spanos
Dutch symphonic rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have just released the "Paradise (What About Us?)" EP and promotional video, featuring a unique collaboration with classically trained Finnish rock diva, former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen, guesting on the title track. Comments WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel: "When we had written the first version of 'Paradise' and listened back to the demo we'd recorded and the epic power of the song, we thought of Tarja instantly. How well this track would fit her classical voice and how extra special it would be if we sang it together. The more we thought about this wild idea, the more excited we got about it!" Following several video trailers teasing the track, fans have been speculating on the band's Facebook page who the duet would be with, some guessing it couldn't possibly be a "competing" artist like Tarja. However, the two singers had no hesitation joining forces, having never thought of themselves as competitors. Sharon continues: "Of course I didn't know what to expect from Tarja, as we'd never actually met in person 'till June this year. Our first encounter was via a Skype call we'd set-up to discuss the collaboration and we immediately clicked, not only creatively but personally. After we'd spoken, it felt completely natural that we would do this together!"
04 min read

SAXON: ‘Unplugged And Strung Up’ Cover Artwork Unveiled

Manos Spanos
British heavy metal legends SAXON produce a series of alternative takes on classic favorites to herald a worthy new entry to the Saxonian Institute of Metal. There is always feral beauty in a raging beast…and with "Unplugged And Strung Up", SAXON's selection of unique, fresh and adventurous interpretations of material previously heard only with raw heavy metal thunder, the point is triumphantly underscored. Due on November 18, "Unplugged And Strung Up" reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic SAXON songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Andy Sneap in Derbyshire, U.K. earlier this year, "Unplugged And Strung Up" contains re-evaluated, re-worked and re-energized versions of "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Crusader" by introducing orchestral dynamics to offer added dimension. "Frozen Rainbow", from the band's 1979 debut, gets a stunning acoustic reprisal which transports it into a power ballad to be proud of, while "Red Star Falling" soars and sweeps the emotions with its orchestrally arranged dovetail.
02 min read