Last night, Frank and I attended the NYC stop of Opeth's headlining tour with High on Fire and Nachmystium. Unfortunately, we missed the opening two bands but everybody we spoke with said that we missed a hell of a show from both bands, and I believe it. We did watch Opeth and man, are they fucking great! Some serious rocking out went on last night. Tracks spanning their entire discography were played. As for tunes from the new record, they opened with "Heir Apparent", and mid-way through their set played "The Lotus Eater" which got an incredible reaction from the crowd. We had the chance to sit down and speak with Mikael and Fredrick before the show, and we should have that video clip up pretty soon.

If they are coming to your town (dates here) do yourself a favor and check out the show. You will not regret it. And, if you're still not convinced, check out one of the songs they played last night, "Deliverance"

OPETH - Deliverance [13:36m]

 

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Is REVOLVER out of hot chicks in metal? This year's issue has Marta from BLEEDING THROUGH on the cover again, along with Kat Von D. Who? I had to check Wikipedia to see she's the gal on Miami Ink. Tattoos are metal, so I guess she passes. Here are some previews:

(Marta - Bleeding Through)

 
(Kat Von D - Miami Ink)

(Maria Brink - In This Moment)

So Rolling Stone has this "first look" preview about the new Aerosmith-only Guitar Hero coming out, and I don't think I could be less excited. Why? Because the things that the RS article gets excited about are incredibly lame:

The band’s fingerprints are all over Guitar Hero: Aerosmith: Steven Tyler did all of his own motion capture work (he even let them capture his facial and lip movements; the close-ups are uncannily awesome) and every guitar in the game is a digital version of an instrument the band actually uses (the Joe Perry character has a different guitar for each song in the game). Even the menu pages are based around the rooms at the band’s studio/clubhouse Vindaloo, complete with candles and Tyler’s scarves.

SCARVES?!?! Holy crap, where is the pre-order link. The ultimate downer is that there are 45 songs, and 60% of them are Aerosmith songs and the rest are songs from bands that toured with them. The only bright light is a Kinks song (All Day and All Night) but seriously, did Guitar Hero forget who their demographic was? Most of the Guitar Hero afficianados weren't even born when Aerosmith was making their Walk This Way comeback. WHO CARES?? WHERE IS THE METAL ONLY PACK? GET ON IT GUITAR HERO!!!

But I digress…

The rumors have been boiling over for months that there would be a one-off Ozzfest announced very soon. Well, those rumors are true, sorta. Rather than flush the Ozzfest name further down the toilet, we are being "treated" to Ozzy Osborune's “Monsters of Rock” festival, which will take place on Saturday, July 26th at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, AB featuring this rather stacked lineup:

OZZY OSBOURNE
JUDAS PRIEST
SERJ TANKIAN
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY
SHADOWS FALL
VOIVOD
TESTAMENT
HATEBREED
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
3 INCHES OF BLOOD
PRIESTESS
ZIMMERS HOLE

Cool, I guess, but I'd rather see the HEAVEN AND HELL/JUDAS PRIEST/MOTORHEAD/TESTAMENT tour personally.

> Our fine New Jersey friends in GOD FORBID have posted the above new edition of GFTV featuring some pre-production footage. Check out all the old episodes right here.

> The premiere of ANIMOSITY's new video for Toothgrinder has made its debut on Headbanger's Blog. Pretty sweet video from a rad band. Also make sure to check out the interview we just posted with the band, if you haven't already.

> Some really sweet live DOWN footage of the band performing "Three Suns and One Star" in Denmark has been posted here.

> Arizona-based death metallers VEHEMENCE have posted a demo of a new track entitled “I Hate This Life” over at their MySpace page

DETHKLOK is touring again, and AGAIN they don't hit New York. Very unfair to me. But everybody else in the U.S. seems to be getting enough of the 'klok. They will be taking CHIMAIRA and SOILENT GREEN will out with them for the following dates:

June 2 - Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR
June 3 - Showbox SODO - Seattle, WA
June 5 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
June 6 - Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
June 7 - House of Blues - Las Vegas - Las Vegas, NV
June 8 - House of Blues - San Diego - San Diego, CA
June 10 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
June 11 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
June 12 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
June 14 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
June 15 - Liberty Hall - Lawrence, KS
June 16 - House of Blues - Chicago - Chicago, IL
June 17 - Clutch Cargos - Pontiac, MI
June 19 - House of Blues - Cleveland - Cleveland, OH
June 20 - Kool Haus - Toronto, ON
June 22 - Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
June 24 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
June 25 - Nokia Theater Times Square - New York, NY
June 26 - Ram’s Head Live - Baltimore, MD
June 27 - Theater of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
June 29 - House of Blues - South Carolina - N. Myrtle Beach, SC
June 30 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL
July 1 - Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, FL
July 2 - Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
July 4 - Meridian - Houston, TX
July 5 - House of Blues - Texas - Dallas, TX
July 6 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX

Cheap plug: Have you heard the audio interview we did with DETHKLOK members Nathan, Skwissgar and Pickles? No? Maybe you should head over to Metal Injection Radio and check it out.

INTRONAUT, BEHOLD…THE ARCTOPUS, and MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT will team up for the following tour dates. Ganj not included:

August 1 - Columbus, OH @ Ravari Room
August 2 - Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
August 3 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Howler’s Coyote Cafe
August 4 - Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheels
August 5 - Endicott, NY @ Downtown Quarterback
August 6 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
August 7 - Providence, RI @ Living Room
August 8 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
August 9 - Doylestown, PA @ Siren Records
August 10 - Washington, DC @ DC-9
August 11 - Richmond, VA @ Nara Sushi
August 12 - Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone
August 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
August 14 - Orlando, FL @ The Haven
August 15 - Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
August 16 - Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
August 17 - Metarie, LA @ High Ground
August 18 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe
August 19 - Fayetteville, AR @ OPO Downstairs
August 20 - Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
August 21 - Dallas, TX @ Red Blood Club
August 22 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
August 23 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
August 25 - Farmington, NM @ Gator’s
August 26 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
August 27 - Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory
August 28 - San Diego, CA @ Chaser’s
August 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Annie’s Social Club
August 30 - Portland, OR @ Rotture
August 31 - Roseburg, OR @ Riversdale Grange
September 1 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
September 3 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
September 4 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
September 5 - St Louis, MO @ 2 Cents Plain
September 6 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
September 7 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club

CARNIFEX, ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS, EMBRACE THE END, BROADCAST THE NIGHTMARE and CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE will team up for the following tour dates:

May 15 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
May 16 - Tiajuana, MEX @ Salon Fiesta
May 17 - Victorville, CA @ Karma
May 18 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Chasers
May 19 - El Paso, TX @ The Corona Bar
May 20 - Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Events Center
May 21 - San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom
May 22 - McAllen, TX @ VFW Hall
May 23 - Corpus Christi, TX @ The Compound
May 24 - Lewisville, TX @ Fat Daddys Sound Shack
May 25 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Factory
May 28 - Arlington Heights, IL @ Knights of Columbus
May 29 - South Bend, IN @ Eagles Club
May 30 - Warren, MI @ The Ritz
June 1 - Toronto, ON @ Kathedral
June 3 - Manchester, NH @ Rockos
June 4 - Livingston, NJ @ Good Times
June 7 - Pittson, PA @ The Italian Club
June 8 - Greensboro, NC @ Club Remix
June 10 - Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway
June 11 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
June 13 - Evansville, IN @ Booney Jones
June 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Outer Rim
June 20 - Santa Cruz, CA @ 418 Project

Sam Dunn is back! The dude who made arguably the best metal documentary ever, Metal: A Headbangers Journey, returns with a follow-up doc called "Global Metal" taking a look at how the scene has transcended borders and cultures and is a worldwide phenomenon. The press release reads:

In "Global Metal", directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn — the makers of the acclaimed documentary "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" — set out to discover the impact of heavy metal on the world's cultures beyond Europe and North America. The film follows metal fan and anthropologist Sam Dunn on a whirlwind journey through Asia, South America and the Middle East as he explores the underbelly of the world's emerging extreme music scenes — from Indonesian death metal to Chinese black metal to Iranian thrash metal. "Global Metal" reveals a worldwide community of metalheads who aren't just absorbing metal from the West — they're transforming it, creating a new form of cultural expression in societies dominated by conflict, corruption and mass consumption.

"Global Metal" is expected to hit theaters later this spring.

For more information, visit www.metalhistory.com.

Count me in! The guys are keeping busy though. They are currently on the road with IRON MAIDEN filming a behind the scenes documentary and are also developing a RUSH documentary. Lucky bastards!

Just because OBITUARY pulled out of their upcoming headlining run with DYING FETUS and ORIGIN, doesn't mean those guys weren't going out on the road, and they're taking SWORN ENEMY with them. Umm, good luck SWORN ENEMY, you're gonna need it. Here are the dates:

May 09 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
May 10 - Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
May 11 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Steppin Out
May 12 - Yonkers, NY @ The Haunt
May 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
May 14 - Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
May 16 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
May 17 - Rochester, NY @ Penny Arcade
May 18 - Stroudsburg, PA @ Penn Monster Factory
May 19 - Huntington, WV @ Monkey Bar
May 20 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
May 21 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
May 22 - Orlando, FL @ The Haven
May 23 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
May 24 - Jacksonville, FL @ Fuel
May 25 - Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest (DYING FETUS Only)

> KINGDOM OF SORROW's new video for "Lead Into Demise" can be seen above. Rather crushing if you ask me.

> Those fine young gents in THE HUMAN ABSTRACT have posted a video highlighting the recording process for their upcoming record.  The band is recording at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, CA with producer Toby Wright (METALLICA, SLAYER, ALICE IN CHAINS).

> TERROR has posted a new track "Relentless Through And Through" on their Myspace page. The song comes off their upcoming Century Media debut, The Damned, The Shamed, out June 10 (May 26 in Europe)

Well, Chuck Billy confirmed it on Sunday night at their sold out NY show, and dates are slowly creeping in for the Oh snap, is it 1985 tour? Not that there is anything wrong with 1985, or this bill, cause its absolutely crushing. Here are the latest dates for the upcoming HEAVEN AND HELL, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTORHEAD, TESTAMENT tour:

Aug. 07 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge
Aug. 09 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 10 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
Aug. 13 - Toronto, ON @ The Molson Amphitheatre
Aug. 15 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Aug. 16 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
Aug. 18 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
Aug. 19 - Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

It’s hard to be tr00. Every week, the editors of MetalSucks.net, Axl Rosenberg and Vince Neilstein, will dissect the week’s stories and decide which stories are deemed worthy of the title “tr00″and admonish all posers who are false and upset the metal gods. Here are this week’s entries:

tr00:

Lair of the Minotaur
Made quite possibly the best metal video ever, featuring men in armor pulverizing each other with enormous swords and other assorted medieval weaponry, blood spewing from decapitated torsos, and naked chicks eating flesh off of severed legs and dead bodies. Metal.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
The latest in the burgeoning trend of electro-grindcore, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE have polarized metalheads — but we think they're pretty rad.

Clint Lowery / Sevendust
Primary songwriter and founding member Clint Lowery returns to Sevendust after a 4 year, 3 album absence, just in time to rescue the band from a horrible death of mediocrity on the eve of the release of their latest (Clint-less and mediocre) album.

False:

Projekt Revolution
Linkin Suck announced the lineup for their Projekt Revolution summer tour, featuring such sleepers as Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep and Atreyu, making it the tour to skip this summer.

Tommy Lee
Pretends to be an environmentalist by joining the new Discovery Channel reality show "Battleground Earth," in which he will compete with Ludacris to see who can be the most "green." What a joke.

Straight Line Stitch
We asked, you responded. Straight Line Stitch pretend it's still 1997, pedaling their completely un-unique brand of nu-metal mook-core.