KISS' "Destroyer: Resurrected To Be Released On August 21st

KISS is regarded as one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time and holds the honor as one of America's top gold-record champions. On August 21st, 2012, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will release KISS's 1976 multi-platinum, landmark album Destroyer: Resurrected, newly remixed from the original master tapes by the album's original producer, Bob Ezrin. Ezrin pulled the tapes from the vaults and painstakingly remixed the entire album, enhancing the sound and bringing out its rich texture and vibrancy, while keeping the integrity of the original recording intact.Destroyer: Resurrected will also include rare and unreleased recordings rediscovered during the remixing process, plus the originally intended cover artwork.

Hot on the heels of their breakthrough hit album Alive!, KISS released their fourth studio album Destroyer which is considered the most ambitious studio recording of KISS's '70s catalog. Bob Ezrin, who had previously worked with Alice Cooper, was brought in to produce the album and among the production flourishes Ezrin introduced to KISS were sound effects, strings, a children's choir, reversed drumming and the eerie, echoing sounds of screaming children over Gene Simmons' vocals on God of Thunder. Upon its release, Destroyer reached the No. 11 position on the Billboard Top 200 and, with the help of the surprise top-10 hit Beth, was their first album to go platinum.

Originally released as the B-side to the single Detroit Rock City, Beth, the heart-yearning ballad co-written and performed by drummer Peter Criss-was quickly picked up by radio nationwide and became the first top 10 for KISS, climbing all the way to the No. 7 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While going through the original tapes, a forgotten vocal piece that was originally edited out in the final mix of Beth was discovered and now, for the first time, the complete original vocal recording has been restored and is included in the final mix. Other rediscovered gems include a complete, alternate guitar solo for the track Sweet Pain, now heard for the first time since it was originally recorded. The newly remixed Sweet Pain with the original guitar solo will be included as a bonus track. In addition to the treasures found buried in the hours of recordings, KISS classics such as Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Do You Love Me? and God of Thunder were painstakingly remixed by Ezrin as he fleshed out the drums and guitars, bringing out the bottom end to the bass, making his mixes tight and tough.

In addition, Destroyer: Resurrected will now be issued with the originally intended cover art thought too controversial for the time. Created by artist Ken Kelly, the "brown" cover depicts KISS dressed in their ALIVE! costumes and standing on rubble in front of a burning city in ruins. At the time, the record company thought it was too violent and settled for the tamer "blue" version known today. This release also marked the first time that a comic-book illustration of the band appeared on the cover, confirming that the band was transforming from hard rockers to superheroes.

To this day, Destroyer remains one of the group's most ambitious recordings and greatest accomplishments. In both Kerrang! and Guitar World magazine it is listed as one of the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" and in 2003, it was included on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Now, with today's state-of-the-art technology, this landmark release can be heard the way that KISS intended.

The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation, transcending age, race and creed. KISS releases their 20th studio album,Monster, on October 15th internationally and October 16th in North America.

The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the "Hottest Band in the World" is a striking testament to the band's unbreakable bond with its fans.

Destroyer: Resurrected CD Track Listing:
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King Of The Night Time World
3. God Of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?
Bonus Track:
Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)

Tracii Guns Ditches The L.A Guns Name In Favor Of The "League Of Gentleman"

Tracii Guns has retired his version of L.A. Guns in favor of his new band, League of Gentleman, so he can keep making music with a clear conscience.

Two lineups had been using the same name on the touring circuit, but after deciding it was bad for fans, Guns says he’s moved on.

He tells The Musician’s Voice, “Being in L.A. Guns is just not worth the trouble, with two different versions running around.

Neither band does the other band any good, and I think it’s disappointing for the fans ultimately. You’re dealing with people who have supported you and your music for over 20 years.

I would like to be able to go into each gig with a clear conscience, put out records with a clear conscience and know that I’m doing my best, and I’m no trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes."

Additionally, Guns would like to keep developing as a musician, which he feels would be more difficult using the old name.

“I think I’ve kind of done it to death,” he says, adding there’s not enough room to “grow, to move, and to exceed the fan base’s expectations.

They really loved their old L.A. Guns and I get it it – but I’m older, and I continued to study music and recording and a lot of different things. We play a lot of L.A. Guns in our live set. People expect to hear those from me.”

But he might go back one day: “If there was ever an opportunity to do L.A. Guns for a higher reason, for a bigger reason, I would certainly do it,” he says. “But I’m kind of over it.”

Tracii Guns’ League of Gentlemen includes singer Scott Foster Harris, drummer Doni Gray and bassist Craig McCloskey. Phil Lewis’ version of L.A. Guns released an album,Hollywood Forever, earlier this year.

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additional source: classicrockmagazine.com

Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of "Screaming For Vengeance"

Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing has posted the following message on hisofficial website celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of the band's greatest, if not their greatest, in my humble opinion, albums, Screaming For Vengeance.

"Hello to everyone!

Screaming For Vengeance is still the bands biggest ever selling record. This may come as a surprise to many but if you ask me why this might be, I would give you quite a few reasons:

Firstly I would say that Screaming has an undeniable completeness about it. By that I mean a good and varied selection of songs, a cool cover and an overall uplifting feel that was perfect for the time when it was released.

Timing! Now there is a very interesting topic when it comes to releases. I have a theory that timing plays a very crucial role in a bands career. In fact I am convinced that even some Priest albums have been released before their time. Typically a lot of bands have released albums that did not have a particular impact at the time of release but went on to be revered as classic albums for me! Although one could argue Painkiller was just such an album for Priest and I am optimistic that Nostradamus will follow.

Back to Screaming; there is no doubt that without You've Got Another Thing Comin' the album may not have been the success that it was but I guess we will never really know.

As it happened I seem to remember that we were quite happy with the album but decided late on that we could add one more song. I know we had some of the parts but we set about completing Another Thing Comin' during the mixing sessions at Bee Jay studios. It came together quite quickly and I seem to remember that we all had a good feeling about it as it did sound like a good driving song and possibly a good radio track.

There is no particular secret as to how a band puts its sound together. Quite simply each player does his best to achieve his own individual sound and then when everyone plays together there you have it: the bands unique sound. Then if you are lucky, the studio that you choose to use will have some good sounding rooms with acoustics that will complement the sounds from each instrument including vocals. There is no doubt that you will see artists recording in the bathrooms, kitchen, offices etc. or in fact anywhere that they can to achieve the right acoustics, reverb and so forth that is to their liking. It's no wonder that there is such a wide variety in the sound of bands albums. Not only are they changing their instruments and equipment throughout time, but they are also using different studios around the world and I can honestly say that no two kitchens sound the same.

For sure the band was enjoying life at the time. Personally I felt that we were on a roll and nothing could stop us and it didn't. We also got to make the record in Florida which for us English lads was a real treat. The atmosphere and weather was definitely rock and roll. Although the material was written back home, there is nothing better than recording in a warm sunny climate. It certainly helped to be able to spend a little down time at the pool.

Sadly it is too long ago for me to remember the exact details and events that surrounded the making of this record. I can only sum it up by saying that I sincerely wish that I could turn back time and experience the whole thing again as it certainly was the year that Judas Priest was Screaming for Vengeance!"

Eds comment: As another tie in to this very special album, our very own Eddie Trunk has written the liner notes for the re-issue of Screaming For Vengeance.

source: kkdowning.net

GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist DJ ASHBA: Writing New Material Is 'Definitely Our Main Focus Right Now'

K5 TV conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES members Dizzy Reed(keyboards), Tommy Stinson (bass) and DJ Ashba (guitar) on July 16, the day before the band's concert in Split, Croatia. You can now watch the chat below.

GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose skipped the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April and declined to be inducted along with the rest of the group. The singer also reaffirmed that there is no chance of the original lineup reuniting, and seemed to speak directly to fans still hoping for a reunion when he added, "Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn't owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another's, or in this case several others', expense."

In at least a partial nod to his former bandmates, however, Rose wrote, "For the record, I would not begrudge anyone from GUNS their accomplishments or recognition for such. Neither I or anyone in my camp has made any requests or demands of the Hall Of Fame. It's their show, not mine."

Original GN'R members Slash, Steven Adler and Duff McKagan, along with later members Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke, performed three songs at the induction ceremony in Cleveland. They were joined on vocals byMyles Kennedy, who sings in Slash's solo band.

In addition sole original member Axl Rose, the current lineup of GUNS N' ROSES includes guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Richard Fortus andDJ Ashba, Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer.

Originally Posted by Blabbermouth

COREY TAYLOR Says 'It's Gonna Be A Couple Of Years' Before Fans See New SLIPKNOT Album

On July 11, Scotty Mars of "The Scotty Mars Show", which airs on the Live 105 radio station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor. You can now listen to the chat in two parts below.

On having to be carried off stage at a concert in Texas on July 10 after passing out during the final song:

Corey: "We played in Dallas, and it was really, really, really hot. I kind of had a heatstroke blackout. I finished the show, but I don't remember the last two songs. I woke up backstage. Apparently, I collapsed onstage. It was gnarly. It scared the crap out of me. It's one of those things where it's just like, 'Oh, yeah, we wear masks and coveralls in 110-degree heat. Yeah, it's awesome.' [laughs]"

On SLIPKNOT's future following the 2010 passing of the band's bassist,Paul Gray:

Corey: "Obviously, we're taking a pretty big step with these shows and what-not. The biggest thing, for me, has been that we take the kind of baby steps to regroup. When Paul died, we were all over the world, really, and we came flying back for Paul. That was kind of a snapshot of where we all were — we were all kind of scattered, not just as individuals, but as bandmates. And I think Paul's death really kind of woke us up to just how far away from each other we were feeling. And we slowly but surely kind of just started to come together again as a family, really, and reconnect and really kind of find the joy in doing this again — just putting away petty squabbles and differences and what-not and really try to come together for that great reason, which was the main reason that Paul loved why we did it; he just loved this band. So we're taking those steps right now. There are some demos kind of moving around here and there, but it's still gonna be a slow process, because there's still a lot of people in this band who, we don't know how to feel about going into the studio without Paul Gray — it doesn't seem real to us, and I don't think it will until we actually step into that studio. So, for me, it makes more sense to really kind of get the music together slowly, surely — all of us contributing, all of us being able to say something, all of us being able to share something on this album, and then go into the studio, because I think then we'll be a little more prepared for it. It's gonna be a couple of years, but I promise we arethinking about it, and we're thinking about it seriously. It's just gonna take a little time. And I think the fans, they understand, and they're gonna give us all the time that we need."

On SLIPKNOT's decision to carry on after Gray's death:

Corey: "As dark as it got, there was never a moment where we were like, 'The band is done.' Losing Paul was a shock, but in a lot of ways, when we first started talking about going out and doing the Sonisphere shows [in Europe], it was because Paul would have wanted us to keep going. But then getting out on that stage, we realized it was 'cause we — we — wanted to keep going, not just for Paul, but for ourselves. I mean, we achieved something that no one on this planet could have guessed.Nostradamus, on his best peyote trip, could have never figured out that SLIPKNOT would be what it is today. So we've been able to kind of look at what we've achieved and go, 'You know what? We owe it to ourselves to keep going.' So we're trying to do the right thing and make the right decisions and just do it right, because that's what Paul would have deserved."

Originally Posted: Blabbermouth

SEBASTIAN BACH: Pro-Shot Footage Of HELLFEST Performance

Professionally filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach's June 16 performance at the Hellfest festival in Clisson, France can be seen below.

Featured songs:

01. Big Guns
02. Piece Of Me
03. 18 And Life
04. American Metalhead
05. Monkey Business
06. I Remember You
07. Youth Gone Wild

Note: This was not the entire Sebastian Bach performance. Four other songs were performed that night: "Kicking & Screaming", "Slave To The Grind", "TunnelVision" and "Here I Am".

Bach last week posted a letter on his Facebook page in which he said he is willing to reunite with his former band SKID ROW. "For the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today," he wrote. "I do not personally want it myself. But it's not always about 'what I want.' If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself."

Bach said he wanted to write the letter in response to current SKID ROW singer Johnny Solinger's new interview in which Johnny said a recent tweet by Bach about a possible SKID ROW reunion was an attempt to "get attention."

Bach last month released a video for the song "I'm Alive". The clip is one of three videos (alongside "Kicking & Screaming" and "TunnelVision") that the singer filmed on June 28, 2011 in Hollywood, California with director Devin DeHaven of Fortress Entertainment (PAPA ROACH,WHITESNAKE, METHOD MAN, TALIB KWELI).

"I'm Alive" comes off Bach's new album, "Kicking & Screaming", which sold 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. The singer's previous CD,"Angel Down", opened with 6,400 units back in November 2007 to debut at No. 190.

Original Post: Blabbermouth 

Friends And Fans Of Lamb Of God Singer Randy Blythe Planning Vigil In Front Of U.S. Supreme Court

Tommy Streat, the organizer of the vigil which was held on July 8 on Brown's Island in Richmond, Virginia in support of LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he is planning another vigil for Sunday, July 22 from 1 to 3 p.m., in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 27 and is facing manslaughter charges in connection with a 2010 Prague concert at which he allegedly shoved a local fan off the stage. The man, who is said to have stormed the stage three times during the show, reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage that resulted in his death nearly a month later.

Blythe's next Czech court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, July 19.

"Hopefully, we'll be welcoming him home" after the court appearance, saidStreat. "But if not, we'll be sending the message that will support him."

Randy has been charged with causing "bodily harm of the fourth degree, resulting in the death of a fan" and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Blythe, who has already posted bail of 4 millionCzech Koruna (approximately $200,000), will have been imprisoned for three weeks by the time he gets his next day in court.

This week's hearing will reportedly involve a panel of judges that meet to review the prosecutors bail challenge; they can approve the bail or annul the bail.

Streat told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he's been amazed by the support from fans so far but hoped that some of the more vocal fans would remember to better consider their comments.

"A lot of the Czech news sources are starting to pick up on that stuff, and it's getting nasty," he said. "There's no reason to bash another country. They have a different legal system from ours, but we have to respect that."

Jonathan Crane, a reporter for the Prague Post, an English-language newspaper in Prague, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an e-mail, "Blythe has not been denied bail, but rather, the bail has been challenged by the state prosecutor. I know this seems strange — in most other countries, you post bail and then you're released. Bail in the Czech Republic is subject to appeal, which is what happened here."

A LAMB OF GOD fan from Brandenburg, Kentucky created a petition in an online forum on the White House web site to ease the process of petitioning the government to help Blythe. As of this morning, more than 15,000 people had signed the petition. (A petition needs 25,000 signatures in 30 days to get attention.)

"In just eight days open to the public, we have gotten … 10,000 signatures," creator Espedito C. "Tito" Fink told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an email Thursday. "This has been a group effort of everyone in the Facebook group that I created. Without them, I don't think this would have gotten off the ground.

"I'm hoping this will bring enough awareness so the federal government will do any and everything within its power to diplomatically bring Randy home while remaining on good terms with the Czech Republic."

Original Post: Blabbermouth