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0 CHRIS CORNELL ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SOLO TOUR DATES
Chris Cornell has added ten more dates to his spring tour in support of his forthcoming album, Scream – produced by Timbaland and released by Mosley Music/Interscope on March 10. The 28-date tour now includes a Canadian stop in Vancouver in addition to U.S. cities such as Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Tickets for the 10 newly announced shows go on sale to the public this Friday, February 27. All previously announced shows are on sale now. Scream showcases a new, seductive sound – dark, multi-layered and full of puzzles and surprises. The songs bring a cinematic scope to Cornell’s performances with potent visual imagery echoing the non-stop musical assault from his internationally acclaimed live band. “Musically, this is the most ambitious thing I’ve been a part of. It’s almost like a movie soundtrack,” says Cornell, who will also be playing other music from his two-decade, 14 –album career.
Get SCREAM with TICKET PURCHASE
Cornell has also announced that fans who purchase tickets online tothe upcoming tour will also receive a digital copy of his entire new album, Scream. A code will be sent to online ticket purchasers to redeem a digital copy when the album is released nationwide on March 10. Chris hopes this will give fans something extra at a time when money’s becoming tighter for everyone.
Newly Announced Tour Dates – On Sale This Friday, February 27 at 10am ET
April 21: St. Louis, MO – Pop’s
April 22 : Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
April 24 : Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
April 25 : Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
April 27 : Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
April 28 : Vancouver, BC, Canada – Commodore Ballroom
April 29 : Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
May 1 : San Francisco, CA – Grand Ballroom
May 2 : Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
May 3: Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Previously Announced Tour Dates – On Sale Now
March 28 : Dallas, TX – House of Blues
March 29 : Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
March 30 : Austin, TX – Stubbs Bar-B-Q
April 1 : Atlanta, GA – CW Center Stage
April 3 : Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
April 4 : Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
April 5 : Washington DC – 9:30 Club
April 7 : New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 8 : New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 10 : Boston, MA – House of Blues
April 11 : Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre
April 13 : Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
April 14 : Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theater
April 15 : Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue Theatre
April 17 : Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
April 18 : St Paul, MN – MYTH
April 19 : Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
0 ASPHALT VALENTINE BASSIST LOCKS ENDORSEMENT WITH PETERSON TUNERS
ASPHALT VALENTINE bassist Scott Clark recently signed a new endorsement deal with leading precision tuning company Peterson Tuners. The Peterson Company’s colorful history, spanning nearly sixty years, reflects a deep commitment to innovation as well as excellence in design, manufacturing, and customer service.
Clark who uses the Peterson StroboRack, had this to say;
“I have used Peterson tuners for years and trust them implicitly for their unsurpassed accuracy, their flexibility and their ease of use. No matter how “sick”, “killer”, or “gnarly” you think your tone is, bad tuning and shoddy intonation will compromise your sound – PERIOD. For recording and live performance, there is nothing else that compares and nothing else I will use.”
ASPHALT VALENTINE’s debut CD Strip Rock Roll, was recently released thru CHAVIS RECORDS on February 14th. The band is planning a string of live dates in support beginning next month starting with SXSW 2009 and continuing throughout the year. Check Pollstar for all official dates.
0 Heavy Metal Frontman King Diamond to Join the Digital Cast of Guitar Hero Metallica
Having united forces with rock ‘n’ roll legends Metallica for encore performances and recordings throughout the years, GRAMMY(R) Award-nominated heavy metal vocalist and Mercyful Fate frontman King Diamond will take to the cyber-stage with Metallica this spring in Activision Publishing Inc.’s Guitar Hero(R) Metallica(R).
Fans, stagehands and groupies alike will have the opportunity to shred and drum with or wail as the digital King Diamond during performances of “Evil.” The song, which originally was recorded in 1983 and is one of the Mercyful Fate songs that comprise Metallica’s “Mercyful Fate” medley, was re-recorded by four of the five original band members for Guitar Hero Metallica. The recording session was overseen by guitarist Hank Shermann in the band’s native Denmark; after which King Diamond laid down his vocals in Dallas, Texas, and mixed the song with J.T. Longoria.
“It’s been absolutely amazing to be a part of this Guitar Hero experience. It was quite a trip to re-record the song ‘Evil’ almost 25 years after the original recording took place. The end result with four out of the five original musicians turned out so much better than I would ever have hoped for,” said King Diamond. “Seeing my animated character take form was totally eerie in a very good way. It’s so strange to see yourself animated in such perfect detail – cross bone microphone, Eye necklace and all. This game looks and sounds METAL all the way. HORNS UP!!!”
“Ride the Lightning” with musical icons Metallica and 21 other rockin’ acts in an all new Guitar Hero(R) experience – Guitar Hero Metallica. Enter the world of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo and experience the intensity and skill of one of the greatest bands of all time. Shred on the guitar controller, rip on the drum kit controller and wail on the mic to a set list featuring over 45 explosive hits from Metallica’s illustrious career and a wide variety of other legendary artists personally selected by the band, such as Alice In Chains, Bob Seger, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen. Fans will be able to rock as Metallica while performing in venues reminiscent of the band’s epic album covers, themes from their music and real world locales.
Guitar Hero Metallica is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. The Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system versions are being developed by Budcat. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero Metallica, please visit guitarhero.com.
1 The Quireboys To Play Surprise London Date In March
UK rockers THE QUIREBOYS have issued the following update:
“The Quireboys will be playing the opening night of the 100% rock Klub hosted by Krusher. This takes place on Monday, March 2nd at The Embassy Club, 29 Old Burlington St., Mayfair, London W15 3AN.
The band will be onstage at approx 11 PM… please be aware that there will only be 200 tickets available on door… admission is £5 and THE IMPERIAL VIPERS support…
A previous update from the band stated: “Looks like a busy year… a full UK major venue tour will shortly be announced for November/December with at least a couple of festival appearances in the summer… many festivals being booked in Europe… gigs in Germany, Italy, Scandanavia and France will shortly be announced.
There are also plans to record an acoustic album and also a live acoustic concert DVD.”
Keep up on The Quireboys via their MySpace page.
1 QUEENSRŸCHE: New Single “If I Were King” Available For Streaming
“If I Were King”, the first single off QUEENSRŸCHE’s upcoming album,”American Soldier”, is available for streaming on MP3.com.
QUEENSRŸCHE’s twelfth studio release, the epic concept album”American Soldier”, will be available from Atco/Rhino on March 31 for a suggested list price of $18.98 (CD) and $9.99 (digital). The ambitious album encompasses a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Geoff Tate, the group’s singer and chief songwriter, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts — from World War II to Iraq — Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war.
“We began the project that would become ‘American Soldier’ right after ‘Mindcrime II’ was released,” says Tate. “The process started with a conversation with my dad. He was a career military man, with the Marines in Korea and an Air Force tour of duty in Vietnam in ’68. He was with the Air Force my entire life — I was born on a base in Germany — and when he retired he ended up taking a job with the Navy. He had never talked about his experiences in war, and all my life I’ve been asking questions and waiting for the stories that I never heard. These past couple of years he started talking, and I taped one of the conversations. That was the beginning.”
“American Soldier” is more than a concept album; it is a statement of mission, a revelation of purpose, and a march for understanding. One thing that it is not is political. “People have a tendency to misconstrue the difference between political and social issues. This record is not political at all,” affirms Tate. “It’s very much a statement of the soldiers; it’s where they are at and what they have experienced. I hope the album, as a whole, is a statement that can get them talking to each other and begin that process of connecting that needs to happen between people.”
To make that statement, Tate interviewed dozens of enlistees and veterans, the oldest having served in World War II and the youngest still in active duty in Iraq, with every American war in between represented. For an artist accustomed to writing from personal experiences, the lyrical process for “American Soldier” proved an invigorating challenge. “This was one of the more challenging records for me to write, lyrically, because I am not involved in the songs. It is not about me, and it’s not about how I feel,” he says. “It is me interpreting stories from the perspectives of the soldiers and putting their words into lyric form, retelling the story in the most honest way that I could.
“As an artistic statement, I’m very happy with this album. I think we’ve said what we want to say and we’ve done it in a way that is respectful to the people that are involved,” he continues. “I hope that people talk about it and debate about it, and I hope it rubs some people the wrong way, because that rub is what inspires conversation. That’s what art should do.”
“American Soldier” was written by Tate and producer Jason Slater, along with drummer Scott Rockenfield, and contributors Kelly Gray andDamon Johnson. Slater returns to the QUEENSRŸCHE creative process in the same capacity that worked for the band with the writing and recording of “Operation: Mindcrime II”, which was released in 2006 and debuted at #14 on The Billboard 200, selling more than 40,000 records in its first week. The album was QUEENSRŸCHE’s highest chart debut since”Promised Land”, in 1994. Both “Promised Land” and “Operation: Mindcrime” (1988) have been certified platinum, selling more than one million albums each in America alone, and “Empire” (1990) has reached triple-platinum status. The band’s first three albums–their self-titled EP (1983), “The Warning” (1984), and “Rage For Order” (1986) — have all been certified gold, selling more than 500,000 copies each.
In a first for QUEENSRŸCHE, all of the guitar tracks on “American Soldier” were recorded by Michael Wilton.
With “American Soldier”, QUEENSRŸCHE’s epic career continues, proving yet again that the only thing that can rival the band’s music is their vision. As Geoff Tate’s father says in the chilling introduction to “The Voice”, the album’s closing track, “You reap what you sow…”
“American Soldier” track listing
01. Sliver
02. Unafraid
03. Hundred Mile Stare
04. At 30,000 Ft.
05. A Dead Man’s Words
06. The Killer
07. Middle Of Hell
08. If I Were King
09. Man Down!
10. Remember Me
11. Home Again
12. The Voice
Parker Lundgren, a member of QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate’s solo band, has officially joined QUEENSRŸCHE as the group’s new touring guitarist.
Lundgren, who is apparently engaged to Tate’s daughter Miranda, played several shows with the QUEENSRŸCHE frontman last September and joined Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton for a rare all-acoustic set at KISW’s annual Holiday Hangover Ball on December 12, 2008 at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, Washington.
Parker’s addition to QUEENSRŸCHE’s touring lineup was officially announced by Tate in a podcast that is currently available only to members of the band’s fan club. Geoff added that the group is “glad to have him.”
Guitarist Mike Stone announced his departure from QUEENSRŸCHE on February 3. He said in a statement, “After much consideration, I will not be joining QUEENSRŸCHE on the 2009 American Soldier Tour. I feel now is the time to focus on other musical endeavors, including my new band SPEED X with Nick Catanese of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I would like to thank all of the QUEENSRŸCHE fans around the world for being nothing less than amazing to me during my time with the band. You have treated me like gold, and I will never forget it. It has been an honor to be a part of the QUEENSRŸCHE family, and I wish Geoff, Michael, Scott and Eddienothing but the very best.”
QUEENSRŸCHE added in a statement, “We will miss [Mike]. He is a wonderful player and has contributed to our lives musically and spiritually. We wish him the best and hope to see him succeed in everything he chooses to participate in.”
Source: Balbbermouth.net
1 Keel confirmed for South Texas Rockfest
KEEL, S.E.X. DEPARTMENT, MAD TEMPLE and SNAKE SKIN PRISON have been confirmed for this year’s South Texas Rock Fest, set to take place May 22-24, 2009 in downtown San Antonio, Texas at Hemisfair Park.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
AXE
DANGEROUS TOYS
DAYS OF THE NEW
DRIVIN’ RAIN
KEEL
MAD TEMPLE
QUEENSRŸCHE
S.E.X. DEPARTMENT
SAXON
SEVEN MARY THREE
SNAKE SKIN PRISON
SPONGE
THE RODS
Ticket prices are as follows:
* One-day advance ticket for Friday or Saturday = $38.50
* One-day advance ticket for Sunday = $25.00
* Three-day advance admission ticket = $75.00 (camping is free with three-day admission — includes one-car parking in campsite sticker)
* One-day ticket at the gate Friday/ Saturday= $40.00
* One-day ticket at the gate Sunday = $25.00
* Three-day ticket at the gate = $80.00
* Three-day bleacher VIP Pass = $200.00
* Three-day lawn VIP Pass = $150.00
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/southtexasrockfest.
1 Thin Lizzy, Machine Head, Alice in Chains, Avenged Sevenfold Confirmed For U.K.’s Sonisphere
Thin Lizzy, Machine Head, Alice In Chains, Avenged Sevenfold and the Sword have been confirmed for the Metallica headlined inaugural Sonisphere festival, set to take place on August 1-2 at the legendary Knebworth Park, United Kingdom.
Avenged Sevenfold flying in exclusively for their only UK show. Ax7 have everything you could ask for in a rock band – big songs, shredding riffs, screaming solos and true rock ‘n’ roll spirit.
Also are flying in exclusively is Alice In Chains. Taking time out from preparations for their first new album in 13 years (the first since the passing of former frontman Layne Staley), to make Sonisphere their only UK date in 2009. They have recently returned to live shows after 2 years with singerWilliam DuVall, a long time friend and collaborator of guitarist Jerry Cantrell. The return of the band that put Seattle on the music map in the early 1990s, is hotly anticipated by UK fans.
Our third UK Exclusive is the mighty Machine Head. Their latest album, The Blackening, is credited with recapturing their blistering early form that first hooked in UK metalheads when they toured with Slayer in1994. Within months, the band returned to headline the same venues they had just opened at and have since maintained their place as metal titans.
The historic return of rock to Knebworth House needed to be marked by a legendary band and in Thin Lizzy, Sonisphere has one of music’s true touchstones. Simply one of the most important bands in rock history and arguably the most successful band ever to come out of Ireland, Thin Lizzyat Knebworth will underline that The Boys Are Back In Town.
Next up young Texans The Sword. Handpicked by Metallica’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich for their world tour, these cult doomsters combine classic British 1970s metal from the likes of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden with a thunderous sound, wrapped in classic heavy metal fantasy and mythology.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows (in alphabetical order):
ALICE IN CHAINS
AVENGED SEVENFOLD
LAMB OF GOD
LINKIN PARK
MACHINE HEAD
MASTODON
METALLICA
THE SWORD
THIN LIZZY
The first 9 bands are in place, further announcements in the coming weeks will include some VERY special guests…
Knebworth’s Sonisphere is a two-day camping event on Europe’s first true touring rock festival, a globetrotting summer tour of supercharged rock ‘n’ roll. With events taking place in the U.K., the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Finland, Sonisphere is set to be a continent-wide celebration of energy, volume, and everything fans love about rock music.
You can visit http://www.sonispherefestivals.com/ for all the latest news, band line-ups for the different dates, and late breaking announcements.
0 Steelheart – Good 2B Alive (Release Year – 2008)
I must admit that I didn’t know what to expect with Steelheart’s new album, “Good 2B Alive”. I intially heard their single, “LOL” when it was released on the band’s “Just A Taste” EP so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I loved this band back in the early 90’s. I have seen them play live a couple of times, and I was always amazed at Miljenko Matijevic’s vocal range.
I thought Steelheart deserved another shot, even though I wasn’t impressed on what I had hear previously. After the first play, I must admit that my opinion didn’t change much. I casually set the CD aside, not expecting to go back to it for a while. A few weeks later, I decided to give this disc another shot, and I am quite glad I did.
Those going into “Good 2B Alive” expecting to hear the hair metal of Steelheart’s past will be greatly shocked if not disappointed. Steelheart has updated their sound, and by doing so, have created something a little more modern, a big edgy,and a lot more relevant to today’s audience.
Miljenko Matijevic has always been known as the singer with a wide range, whose voice could break glass with his high pitched screams. On this disc, Matijevic doesn’t try to destroy your China with his high notes, but he does show that he still has that same powerful instrument that helped Steelheart become well known amongst 90’s hard rock fans.
In a certain sense, this disc kind of reminds of Guns N’ Roses new epic, “Chinese Democracy”. It isn’t because they sound the same. Both bands opted to go in a different direction, and by doing so, have alienated their long time fans. Steelheart obviously isn’t as well known as Guns N’ Roses, but they took a major chance with the sound of their latest release. The guitar tones are a little more toned down, but there is some pretty solid playing on this disc, although without Matijevic’s voice, I doubt I would have given this another look.
After a few more listens, I like the music and the vocals on “Good 2B Alive”. It takes a few listens to soak it in to gain a full appreciation for the music. My biggest issue with this CD, is that the songs are not very memorable. Yes, the music is good, but I can’t find a song on this album that has lyrics that stay with me. Back in the 90’s when Steelheart was still doing their hair metal thing, they were able to craft some pretty catchy tunes. Some of which have never left my memory. I can not say the same thing about their latest opus.
If Steelheart can figure out a way to create a disc using the sound of this record, but writing some more catchy tunes, they could have a monster record on their hands. Unfornuately, “Good 2B Alive” isn’t it.
You can find Steelheart on myspace at this link. You can purchase “Good 2B Alive” here.
Rating:
Out of 10
[
Track Listing:
1. Samurai
2. LOL
3. Buried Unkind
4. Twisted Future
5. I Breathe
6. Shine a Light for Me
7. Underground
8. You Showed Me How 2 Lv
9. Good 2B Alive
10. G2BA
Steelheart is:
Miljenko Matijevic – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, piano
Chris Risola – lead guitar
Rev Jones – bass
Mike Humbert – drums
0 New Video – Wolf – Voodoo
Wolf has a new video out in support of their new album, “Ravenous” due out February 23rd in Europe and March 24th in the U.S.A. Check out “Voodoo” below.
