According to Baroness guitarist Pete Adams, a new record is being completed. He said:
“We’re actually in the studio right now. We are probably three weeks into getting this new record near its completion. And it’s going really well.”
When asked of the direction of it, he offered:
“Well, I will say this: Not to give too much away, but this record, it’s a rocker. We definitely did a lot of experimenting with “Yellow and Green“, and a lot of ideas that we wanted to just get out. We were on a writing streak that year, so we just absolutely were cranking out songs. We have a new rhythm section now, and it’s the first time we’ve written with the new rhythm section. So we had a little bit of a hump to get over. And once we did everyone was super excited. It’s a rockin’, uptempo record. I’m excited about it. We’re all pretty stoked.”
Adams is playing on the new Valkyrie album Shadows, out May 19, 2015 via Relapse Records. Stream “Golden Age,” featuring Pete and his brother Jake playing on this record below.
Terror Universal frontman Chad “Rott” Armstrong posted a statement, defending himself against the recent allegations of sexual assault from Otep frontwoman Otep Shamaya.
I’m Chad Armstrong, singer from Terror Universal. Let me start by saying that I am here to set the record straight, once and for all, state the facts, and my side of the story.
These are facts; Otep has ZERO proof of these allegations, and accusations. There is NO police report. There’s NO video. She waited 30 days to announce her allegations on social media.
This is exactly how the incident happened. I was walking out of the club to go back to the hotel, as Otep was doing her meet and greet. She was standing on a table, and as walked by I tapped her on the leg, and said “good night Otep”.. That’s when she freaked out, yelling and screaming at me, and yelled at 2 security guards to “escort” me out. The security guards were just as confused as I was, we discussed what had just happened for a bit and I left.
Now let me ask you this; she claims I barreled through her hundreds of fans, and assaulted her? And the utterly false accusations about the two fingers, how does someone do that when a person is wearing pants? She claims I grabbed all of her band member’s genitals, to further distort the truth, which is absolutely false, and disgusting to even say….
Otep has a very strong social media presence, via Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr, instagram, etc… She knows her fan base, and she knew that by using keywords like “molester” and “rapist” she would incite a maniacal frenzy within her fan base, that would be directed towards me. How could I even try to defend myself in a social media war with Otep and her fans? Otep is a seasoned veteran at this sort of thing, and she has about half a million followers on facebook, intagram, twitter, etc…
I’ve received multiple threats of bodily harm and even death by Otep’s supporters. All of which were based on hearsay. Is this justice? No, this is more like a witch trial.
I have been subject to defamation of character and slander in the worst way. These are very serious accusations that I do not appreciate, and would never want my son or daughter to have to read on the internet one day. All I want to do is clear my name and go about my business. Thanks to all my friends & family throughout these terrible allegations.
Sincerely,
Chad Armstrong“
PLEASE READ THIS POST FROM OUR SINGER CHAD, SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT, FROM OTEP’S FALSE ALLEGATIONS!I’m Chad…
The reunited Burn will be taking part of Black N Blue Bowl at Webster Hall in New York City, NY on May 17, 2015 and the lineup will consist of frontman Chaka Malik (Orange 9mm) and guitarist Gavin Van Vlack, along with former bassist Manny Carrero (Glassjaw) and drummer Durjah Lang (Glassjaw). Chaka and Gavin spoke about the reunion in a recent interview here.
In Solitude has posted a statement in regards to their breakup:
“2002 – 2015
Dear friends. It is with great sadness that we inform you that we have chosen to end In Solitude here.
This is something that’s been taking shape for a long time and suddenly the day came when we had to evaluate our positions in life and find a solution.
The reasons for our departure are not hostile in any sense and our love for each other and the music is stronger than ever before. But it is with respect for that music and that love between us that we choose to end it at this point.
Changes in our personal lives demanded that we treated this as carefully as we could and with our deepest respect and reverence for all personal feelings, and for the aim of our journey.
This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make and we’ve had to investigate every inch of our beings in order to make this right. In Solitude has been the center of our lives for 13 years and we’ve invested everything we have in this and to make this decision was to rip us up by ours roots and make us re-evaluate our entire lives and our future.
As the final words fell in our concluding agreement, we looked back and saw with new eyes the magnitude of our brotherhood and the things that were carried through because of it. Our trust, our love, our shared obligation. The truth of the hand and the truth of the word to disperse the bounds between us and to diverge the shore for us follow. How it gave us the width of the world and the means to share it and store it together. All that was in it and all that was taken from it. And all the things that now shall pass without our collective notice. We saw with new eyes how clarity entered in stagelight and moonlight and sunlight and darkness and landed us finally over and over in that inexplicable mystery of beauty that we’ll share as ours forever.
If there was ever an accomplishment in what we did, it was the merging of the five of us in unity and the things that came as everything grew because of it. Not a single second was spared in these 13 years, and we’ll never ask for any of them back. We spent everything in our world on this and got more than everything back.
We want to thank all our closest brothers and sisters for being there and standing by our side the whole way through. Your love, support and hard work will never be forgotten and your presence have realized this band and enriched our lives in ways you’ll never understand. You are all truly the geniuses who shall change the course of the world. You know who you are. And we’ll always admire you for that.
Last, but most importantly. We thank all of you for being there. In the crowds, in front of the stereos and in our hearts. Without you, this strange and wonderful dream would never have happened. The impact of your support can never be put in words and the outcome of our lives will always be in debt to you for what you gave us. As much as we were In Solitude, you were as well.
We know that this will come as a shocking surprise for many of you. And we hope you understand that we must follow our hearts in order to stay true to what In Solitude is and what that entails.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you forever.
/Pelle, Uno, Gotte, Nicke and Henke“
2002 – 2015Dear friends. It is with great sadness that we inform you that we have chosen to end In Solitude…
Henry Rollins recently did an extensive interview with Dan Solomon of FastCompany about his acting role in the indie comedic horror film He Never Died, which was directed by Jason Krawczyk, and screened at South By Southwest. Rollins plays the character Jack, which is his first lead role in a movie.
Some of the highlights from the interview include:
On acting in his first lead role in a movie:
“I felt no pressure—I just couldn’t wait to get in there every day and do it.”
“If I’m prepared, if I’ve really put the time in, I can’t wait to show you the work I’ve done. I don’t like being nervous about stuff—life’s too short—so I just burn hours and hours of time in preparation. I saw this script at the end of 2012, and we started shooting at the end of 2013, so I had a year to prepare. By the time we hit it, I was just telling the director, Jason, how I think my guy should be. ‘Man, you’ve done your work—go. Don’t ask me, just hit it.’ I had really worked my ass off to prepare, so I’m not dragging the team. It was a joy.”
He added:
“I memorize the whole page, so I just act in the totality of that moment. I want to be aware of everything that’s going to happen—how I’m sitting, where my shoulders are going to go. If you watch a film, you can tell if the actors aren’t familiar with these lines because they’re telegraphing. ‘You’re not at ease with your character! You just did that with your head, you don’t know what you’re doing!’ I don’t want to be that guy, so I go in trying to know every tree in the forest.”
On his future beyond acting:
“I’m 54, and I’ve been winging it for dinner since I was 20.”
“It’s all until the deal is up—I’ve never had a sure thing except my audience, and they can leave at any time. If they see something brighter, shinier, younger, they can be like, ‘Hey man, love ya!’ And I hear you—thanks for everything. My life is a big maybe, and you have to be looking up for the next vine to grab and swing from.”
On his current life:
“I like moving around, what I don’t like is another day at the office. Another day of ‘I’m going to the grocery store again, Starbucks every Friday night to write something for LA Weekly.’ It’s a rut. I might as well work at Staples. I’m not putting that down, but also—just get a cubicle, start breeding, get all normal? I don’t wanna. If I can’t do anything else, I get my passport and I leave. I travel. I’ve been to 86 countries. Last year, Thanksgiving, the whole entertainment industry is all going to a sunny beach, so I can get up and go, no one wants me for anything. I write for LA Weekly, I can dial that in from anywhere. The radio shows are done in advance. I went to Central Asia and kicked it in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan for a month and a half, saw a million mosques, and froze my ass off. But I’m on the move and I’m taking photos, I’m talking to people, I’m interviewing people about arranged marriages and Stalin and Islam and how all that comes together, and it was fascinating, amazing. It’s not sitting at home. ‘One more episode of Scandal!’ That, to me, is like—” Rollins simulates a barf sound.
On what motivates him:
“Showing up on a set at some obscene hour of the morning and getting your ass kicked by Ron Perlman, like having to really burn lean tissue? That’s as good as being on tour or traveling, because you’re engaged every day in burning lean mineral tissue making something, and that’s what I truly crave.”
“I love those moments. If I had a Sons of Anarchy-like TV thing, I’d take it. Maybe 20 years ago, I would have said, ‘I’m rock and roll, man, fuck you.’ But I did rock and roll. I murdered it. I can’t do it anymore. I did as much as I could with it, and now I want to do some other things. I like something where I can keep coming back to build something—it would be great to have done parts two and three of a film, or three seasons of a TV show, where you’re like, ‘I did that, man.’ It took three years to realize that.”
Rumors on who will be on this year’s Rockstar Mayhem Festival has began circulating, and an official announcement won’t be made until April 13, 2015. Names popping up so far include:
Slayer King Diamond HELLYEAH The Devil Wears Prada Whitechapel Thy Art is Murder
Roughly 12 bands are expected to fill out the main and second stages on the festival, including a returning Victory Records stage.
The Dead Daisies are in the midst of their cultural exchange as guests of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, Cuban Institute of Music and the Cuban Rock Agency. View the photos of their trip here.
The venture is one of the first for a U.S. rock band since Obama loosened travel and trade rules for the country and the band for this excursion includes Richard Fortus (Guns N Roses, Psychedelic Furs) on lead guitar, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) on bass, Dizzy Reed (Guns N Roses, Hookers & Blow) on keyboards, David Lowy (Mink, Red Phoenix) on guitar and Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol) on drums. Also along for the ride are Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones, Sting, Peter Gabriel), John Corabi (Motley Crue, RATT) and Bernard Fowler (Rolling Stones).
While in Cuba, The Dead Daisies are performing both acoustic and electric shows as well as recording tracks for their upcoming album. Joining them in the Cuban studio is producer Ben Grosse (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sevendust, Stone Temple Pilots), who tagged along for the trip and will be behind the boards at Abdala Estudios for the sessions.
In addition to recording their new album, The Dead Daisies will also be jamming with Cuban musicians Yasek Manzano, Carlos Miyares, Michel Herrera, Alejandro Martinez, Harold Lopez and Yaimi Karel. The group will also visit schools and conduct workshops with students and local musicians.
The Dead Daisies Cuba Schedule
Feb 22: Welcome Cocktail Party with Cuban Ministry, Institute & Musicians – Havana, Cuba
Feb 23: Press Conference & Acoustic Performance at la Fábrica de Arte – Havana, Cuba
Feb 24: Cuban Recording Sessions with local Cuban musicians – Havana, Cuba
Feb 25: Cuban Recording Sessions and Club Gig at Maxims – Havana, Cuba
Feb 26: Music School & Master Class Visits – Havana, Cuba
Feb 27: Cuban Recording Sessions – Havana, Cuba
Feb 28: Cuba Rocks For Peace concert at Salón Rosado de La Tropical – Havana, Cuba (with David Blanco y su grupo and Anima Mundi)
The journey from being a small Grindcore band from the West Midlands to one of the largest extreme metal bands in the UK is a long one. With over three and a half decades under their belt, Napalm Death have forged themselves a place as one of the most respected bands on the scene, both for their hard work and their values. While the band may have been through numerous line-up changes in that time the juggernaut has never slowed its charge throughout the years, and 2015 is no exception. Ghost Cult chats to Napalm Death’s vocalist Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway in the aftermath of their latest album release Apex Predator -Easy Meat (Century Media Records).
The sound may feel like they’re long way from Scum, From Enslavement to Obliteration or Utopia Banished but despite the evolution in sound, the roots of their music remain firm.
“I just think it’s been a natural gradual thing. If you take where we are now to where it was in 1987 before I was part of it or the other guys then it’s actually quite remarkable how close we are to those early albums. People say sometimes ‘how come you don’t make any albums with 20 or 30 half a minute songs’ but if you listened to our albums you could take 3 of those songs and put them into one of ours, so its not really that different its just a question of I guess the duration, although we do still have some really short ones on our albums. We don’t have a checklist before we go into albums, we just write the best that we can at the particular time. I guess because extremity is in our blood musically we’re always going to make something that’s a bit mad. It’s just very natural steps forward. If anything we’ve brought what were fringe elements in the band and have become very forthright now that that kind of very almost non metal non punk side of things, that is bands like Swans, Killing Joke, My Bloody Valentine and Slab, that’s that more ambient side of things has come into the band and with that its given us an extra dimension to the sound.”
The progression over their sixteen album career may have been vast, but they’re not looking back or living in the past.
“I gave up counting probably about 13 albums ago to be honest. When you really think about it you think ‘Oh Bloody Hell,’ but I prefer to let things take their natural course. It is like calendars, if it wasn’t having to remember important things I have to do I wouldn’t bother with one. I just like to live life and let it take its course.”
“It’s interesting because when you go into a studio, certainly for me, I’m quite confident when I’m doing stuff with Napalm. There’s always this thing when I’m making a new album that you kind of think ‘is this stuff good enough? Are people going to like it compared to the last album? Does it have the same thrust? Is it going to leave a similar impression?’, and you do always worry about that. It takes on a life of its own though once it’s in the studio. That extra ambiance, certainly from Napalms experiences that extra spontaneity that we get in the studio. Nothing is ever 100% before you enter the studio doors, there’s always something extra that sits on top of it once you get in and record the bloody thing. I was nervous about it when we did the album but now its done I just think that it is certainly not a radical departure from anything Napalm’s ever done. That’s a good thing, it means were not loosing our extremity or the things that the band is known for, and secondly that we like to do it. So I think its just a couple of steps forward really. I couldn’t break it down into a scientific formula for you, all I can say is that my feeling about it now, although its still quite fresh in the memory obviously is that its just a couple of steps forward. Even though it’s really extreme stuff, it still has the songs, and I think the song writing is getting better and better as we go along, at least to me.”
Ghost Cult’s correspondent for Finland and Scandinavia, TJ Fowler also does interviews and covers metal for his own website, Skullbanger Media. TJ spent last week At the Metalfest Loreley, Germany covering the festival and interviewing bands. One such band he interviewed was Sabaton, coming off their triumphant new album Heroes (Nuclear Blast). TJ was cool enough to allow Ghost Cult to also run his interview. In this often hilarious interview, TJ along with Joakim and Chris from Sabaton covered the new album, finding new lyrical themes about wars, touring behind the new album, and future touring plans in 2014. Thanks for sharing TJ and keep up the good work!
