The first of Donnie’s Weekly Rock Round Up’s
As usual there is never a dull day in the rock and metal world. here’s some of the news items that caught our attention in the MV office.
Ace Frehley announces touring line-up
Original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has announced the touring lineup for his first U.S. shows in over four years.
Frehley has recently released his latest solo album, his first in five years, entitled Space Invader and is keen to promote the album through the upcoming live shows.
Joining Ace on guitar is Richie Scarlet who has worked with Ace before and has also toured with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach.
Bass will be handled by New Yorker Chris Wyse who will take time out from his duties with OWL & The Cult. Former Frehley cohort Scot Coogan returns on drums after leaving in 2012 after five years.
Go to www.acefrehley.com for tour details.
Machine Head postpone US tour
Bay Area’s modern metal legends Machine Head released a statement this week advising the postponement of their planned North American tour in the Autumn of this year.
The statement revealed that the band are struggling to complete their new album “Bloodstone & Diamonds” and they made the decision to focus on finishing the record before heading out on tour.
Rescheduled dates are expected for the beginning of 2015. The band’s European tour is unaffected.
Symphony X enter the studio to record 10th album
Progressive metal heroes Symphony X have entered the studio to begin recording on their 10th album, as yet untitled, which is their first since 2011’s highly rated Iconoclast.
According to bassist Michael Le Pond the album will be less heavy than it’s predecessor Iconcolast and will stylistically link more with 2002’s The Odyssey and 2007’s Paradise Lost.
The album release date is being penciled in for Spring of 2014.
Slipknot frontman Taylor opens up on Jordison split
Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor has opened up with the media regarding the band’s split with drummer Joey Jordison.
Speaking to UK magazine Metal Hammer Taylor revealed that firing his long-time friend and bandmate was “one of the hardest decisions” they have ever made.
The news of Jordison’s departure was made in December of last year but no official reasons for his exit was given at the time.
Taylor: “I can’t talk too much about it because we’re going through the legalities of everything right now and settling everything, but it’s when a relationship hits that T-section and one person’s going one way and you’re going the other. And try as you might to either get them to go your way or try and go their way, at some point you’ve got to go in the direction that works for you. This is me speaking in the broadest terms, with respect to Joey. I guess to sum it up, it was one of the hardest decisions we ever made.”
He also advised: “We’re all happy right now and we hope that he is. I’ve known him since ’91, and that was before we were in bands together, and he’s incredibly talented; he’s just in a place in his life, right now, that’s not where we are… in the nicest terms.”
Bloodbath announce new vocalist
Death metal supergroup Bloodbath have announced Paradise Lost frontman Nick Holmes as their new vocalist.
The band has been going since 1998 and features Katatonia‘s Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, Opeth‘s Martin Axenrot and now Holmes.
The new album, “Grand Morbid Funeral”, will be released on November 17 through Peaceville.
“Ever since I got into ‘Lost Paradise’ back in 1990,” Jonas Renkse told Metal Hammer magazine, “Nick Holmes has been one of my favorite growling vocalists out there. He was always audible and articulate but still deep and definitely morbid. It is a great pleasure to work with him some 25 years later after I was introduced to his thunderous roar!”
The album was recorded at Ghost Ward Studios and the City Of Glass Studios in Stockholm.
