Month: March 2021

Epiphone, the leading accessible guitar brand, has released the new Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer in Galaktikon Burst. The GhostHorse Explorer is created by Brendon Small — musician, writer, showrunner, director, actor, and mastermind behind the massive metal band DETHKLOK and the Adult Swim animated TV series “Metalocalypse” — and the luthiers at Epiphone in Nashville, Tennessee. The Epiphone Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer is available worldwide now at www.epiphone.com.

Designed by Small, the Epiphone GhostHorse Explorer electric guitar is a modified Explorer body shape with a deep cutaway, created in a custom Galaktikon Burst gloss finish. The GhostHorse Explorer features a figured maple top, a matte Ebony finished back, sides, and neck, a Floyd Rose tremolo system, and is powered by Gibson USA BurstBucker pickups. The fast-playing SlimTaper neck features a contoured heel joint for outstanding upper fret access, a bound Ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets, Grover Mini Rotomatic 18:1 tuners, and an Icarus spaceship medallion is on the back of the headstock, as well as the 12th fret. The Epiphone Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer marks Brendon’s third collaboration with the luthiers at Epiphone and follows the Thunderhorse Explorer and the Snow Falcon Flying V.

“I am so excited to finally put out the GhostHorse,” says Small. “It’s my most played guitar and so very expressive. It’s just nice having another Horse in the family.”

Small wrote, directed, and composed the new song and video titled “GhostHorse”, all while performing on his new Epiphone GhostHorse Explorer.

Brendon started as the co-creator, writer, voice actor, composer and musician for “Home Movies”, a cartoon that initially aired on the UPN television network and then moved to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. Small then found fame as creator, executive producer, voice, and music behind the popular Adult Swim animated series “Metalocalypse” which centers on a fictional death metal band named DETHKLOK. In addition to all of the behind-the-scenes work on the DETHKLOK series, he also provided voice talent for the characters Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles The Drummer and Nathan Explosion, three of the five members of DETHKLOK. The song “Thunderhorse” was featured on the hit video game “Guitar Hero II”. In conjunction with the show, Brendon Small created the real-life metal band DETHKLOK — writing, recording, performing, and touring in support of multiple albums.

Each DETHKLOK album release debuted on the Billboard 200 chart. “The Dethalbum” became the highest-charting death metal album in the history of the Billboard 200 chart, before the group’s “Dethalbum II”, “Dethalbum III”, “Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem”, “Galaktikon” and “Galaktikon II” later went on to claim the title.

Small recently helped write and produce comedian Brian Posehn’s “Grandpa Metal” that came out last year featuring members of ANTHRAX, SLIPKNOT, FALL OUT BOY and more. Brendon co-wrote and co-produced with Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) on the “Black Knight” soundtrack, as well as worked on the song “Heavy Metal” a cover with Sebastian Bach. Small also wrote “Hanger 18” story for MEGADETH’s “Death by Design” for the Heavy Metal graphic novel. He directed the video “Dressed As Goblins” for NEKROGOBLIKON, played guitar on “Godzilla” BLUE ÖYSTER CULT cover for the film “Godzilla: King Of Monsters” (with Bear McCreary, Serj Tankian, Bryan Beller, Gene Hoglan), and released the new GALAKTIKON graphic novel.

According to Reuters, former MISFITS singer Michale Graves could end up as a defense witness in the trial of four leaders of the Proud Boys, the pro-Donald Trump extremist group that participated in the storming of the Capitol on January 6.

Earlier in the month, four alleged leaders of the Proud Boys were indicted in connection with attack on the U.S. Capitol over allegedly conspiring, including in discussions on encrypted messaging apps, to obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

Graves, who became a member of the Proud Boys last year, told Reuters he was asked by another member of the group to play some songs for a private concert planned for the afternoon of January 6. Although the concert never happened, lawyers representing Ethan “Rufio” Nordean, one of the defendants charged with conspiracy, said in a court filing that planning for such an event scheduled for a time when the riot actually was still taking place contradicted the notion that the group had a plan to “topple the government” that day.

Graves, who fronted MISFITS from 1995 to 2000, told Reuters he did not think the Proud Boys were capable of planning an invasion of the Capitol, as prosecutors have said.

“These guys have a hard time getting an order together for McDonalds,” Graves, whose legal name is Michael Emanuel, said in an interview.

Graves said he agreed to play a private concert on January 6 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. at a house that the Proud Boys had rented but that he and his manager later “ghosted” the other Proud Boys and left Washington as chaos erupted at the Capitol.

Last year, Graves came under fire after announcing his vocal support of both the Proud Boys and then-President Donald Trump.

In a 2018 interview with Ammoland, Graves described himself as a “patriot.” He said: “When I began writing and speaking about pop culture, politics, and punk in 2004, some folks lost their mind. Understand that back then, as it is now, there is a radical left-leaning collective mind backed by big money and power in the entertainment industry that radiates down and out to the consumer level.”

He added: “Language becomes weaponized. There are stimulus words like conservative, Christian, guns, Republicans and NRA. In the minds of many, these words are synonymous with Nazi, racist or terrorist. Nothing ever good has come from the dehumanization of groups of people. I am afraid that is precisely what is going on here, so yes, there is significant pushback at times.”

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An Eddie Van Halen magazine published by Bauer Media Group Specials is now available from the official VAN HALEN online store.

The 96-page “bookazine” is packed with killer Eddie Van Halen content, including dozens of amazing photos.

Official product description: “As the engine behind the namesake band, VAN HALEN, Eddie was the guitar world’s biggest hero for almost half a century. He was a spirited innovator who revolutionized the way guitar was played, the way guitars, amps, and effects were designed, and the way rock bands dressed and behaved. From VAN HALEN’s debut album, ‘Van Halen’, to the band’s final studio release, ‘A Different Kind of Truth’, Eddie continually reinvented the wheel. He came up with dazzling new playing techniques, innovated gear, and influenced every guitar player to follow. The top acts from pop, rock, metal and even country were inspired by his forward-thinking approach to everything he touched. As a guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Eddie’s music reflected an open mindedness and willingness to take risks. Eddie Van Halen never backed down, and that’s what made him a legend.”

Eddie passed away in October at the age of 65. His death was announced by his son Wolfgang.

Eddie died at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Following his death, fans left flowers at his childhood home on Las Lunas Street in Pasadena, California. Additional flowers, candles and fan mementos were placed on Allen Avenue where Eddie and his brother, VAN HALEN drummer Alex, scratched their band’s name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers.

In October, a City Council meeting was held in Pasadena, where a memorial honoring Eddie was discussed. City manager Steve Mermell was directed to come up with ideas for how to best honor the musician.

VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Corey Taylor recently revealed that he has written five film scripts, including a script for a movie called “Zombie Versus Ninja”. Speaking to Frightmare HQ about his vision for “Zombie Versus Ninja”, the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “One of the things that I’ve always wanted to do is create a movie — write a movie and then see it from soup to nuts; from pre-pro to walking the red carpet. That’s been one of my biggest dreams. And I’ve had the opportunity to really be put in touch with some great producers. And I’m talking to potential directors right now, actually. It is going to shoot this year.”

Asked if he has any interest in directing “Zombie Versus Ninja” himself, Corey said: “It’s not that I’m not interested; it’s that I know that’s not my forte. I’m honest enough with myself to realize that if I had wanted to be a director, I would have started learning a long time ago. And I know a lot of people with the kind of ego that they would step in and go, ‘Well, it’s mine. Blah blah blah.’ I’m not that guy. I want it to be good. I want [people] to enjoy what I’m making, because I wanna enjoy it too. And sometimes it’s the collaboration that creates something amazing. You have to be flexible enough to realize, like, ‘I don’t have the chops to do this.’ However, that doesn’t mean there’s somebody out there that does. So, for me, as the writer and the producer, now I can find the right person to bring it to fruition and walk with them every step of the way as a collab. Let them do their thing, but also know that, in my mind, there’s this idea of what I want it to be. And it’s a gonzo horror comedy — it’s the kind of fucking movie that I’ve always loved, and it’s the kind of movie that I’ve always wanted to make. And if it goes off, man, it’s the beginning of something rad.”

He added: “I don’t wanna make Oscar winners. I wanna make fun, crazy cult classics. That’s all I care about.”

Last fall, Taylor starred in the Halloween horror anthology “Bad Candy” from production company Digital Thunderdome. The film was written and directed by Scott Hansen and Desiree Connell, and also features Zach Galligan, the star of the “Gremlins” and “Waxwork” franchises.

Taylor also stars in another horror film called “Rucker”, which is currently in post-production. It is described as a genre-bending terror film about a serial killer trucker who attempts to salvage family relationships. Olympic College film professor Amy Hesketh serves as the film’s director and fellow OC professor Aaron Drane produced the film. Both are credited with co-writing the screenplay.

A longtime fan of horror films, Taylor was featured prominently in the “In Search Of Darkness” documentary, which came out in 2019.

Corey told Syfy network’s “Metal Crush Mondays” how he first got into horror movies: “My mom took me to see the ‘Buck Rogers [In The 25th Century]’ movie when I was a kid. I must’ve been four or five, but the trailer before the movie was John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’. You’ve just got these incredible visuals, this sense of it’s autumn, it’s Halloween and there’s just this dude in the background of every shot. I can remember as a five-year-old just being transfixed. Like, I suddenly didn’t care about Buck Rogers. I think it was the one moment in my life that really galvanized my taste in what my young mind thought was cool. It was actually a couple years later that I actually got to watch it and to this day it’s one of my favorite movies.”

TESLA bassist Brian Wheat, who is promoting his recently released autobiography, “Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla”, spoke to MetalAsylum.net about his friendship with DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott.

“The first guy [in DEF LEPPARD] I bonded with was [guitarist] Phil [Collen],” Brian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “When we were in England, that first tour [with DEF LEPPARD], Joe wasn’t around; he was preoccupied or whatever. He said he wasn’t around. And he wasn’t — in fairness to him, they would come in later and stuff. But you would see him at soundcheck or whatever. And I just thought, ‘Maybe he doesn’t like us,’ or whatever. And then, when we got to Glens Falls, New York, and we were doing rehearsals for the ‘Hysteria’ tour, he was in the room next to me one night, and he came and knocked on the door. He could hear me and Frank [Hannon, TESLA guitarist] in there, and he hung out. And me and him bonded over the love of Paul McCartney and WINGS. And from that day on, we were pals. That whole tour, I’d always go out to movies with him or dinner, or hang out with him. He’s always been the kind of guy that’s like a big brother to me in a band. And if I have a problem in TESLA or something, because he’s in a band like I am… If I need advice, I can go to him for advice. He’s a great friend of mine. He’s like a mentor; he’s like a big brother in a rock band.”

He continued: “I don’t have a lot of friends in bands — him and Jimmy [Page], and that’s it. For me, [Jimmy Page] and Paul McCartney were my heroes when I was a kid. Joe Elliott wasn’t my hero when I was a kid. But he’s my hero now. I mean, Joe Elliott — no one can take the piss out of him. He’s hard-working. He made that band and he’s kept that band together. And you’ve gotta respect him, whether you like DEF LEPPARD or not.”

Elliott wrote the foreword to “Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla”, which arrived on December 15 via Post Hill Press. In this 304-page hardcover book, Wheat lifts the lid on living the rock ‘n’ roll life while struggling with anxiety, depression and other issues seldom discussed by musicians.

“Son Of A Milkman” was co-written with award-winning journalist and author Chris Epting, whose titles include “Adrenalized” (co-written with DEF LEPPARD’s Phil Collen) and “Change Of Seasons” (co-written with John Oates).

Wheat co-founded TESLA, which became one of the biggest bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brian owns a recording studio by the name of J Street Recorders in Sacramento, California. PAPA ROACH, TESLA, PAT TRAVERS, DEFTONES, KODIAK JACK, FLASHFIRES and many others have recorded there.

TESLA spent most of 2019 touring in support of its latest album, “Shock”, which was released in March of that year via UMe. The follow-up to 2014’s “Simplicity” was produced by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen.

We bend (don’t break) our Hall of Fame rules to include the landmark Mob Rules LP from the Dio-fronted Black Sabbath.
The post Black Sabbath – Mob Rules appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Underappreciated early-aughts metalcore unit There Were Wires rear their heads with a remastered version of 2003 banger “His Talk, Her Teeth.”
The post Video Premiere: There Were Wires – ‘His Talk, Her Teeth’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Rip into pure melodic darkness with The Absence’s latest track, “Choirs of Sickness,” off their upcoming album Coffinized.
The post Track Premiere: The Absence – “Choirs of Sickness” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

California metallers ATREYU have released the official music video for their new song “Underrated”. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album, “Baptize”, which is due on June 4 via Spinefarm Records. The clip arrives five months after the release of “Save Us”, which was the first taste of the band’s music since the departure of vocalist Alex Varkatzas in September.

“Underrated” and “Save Us” showcase ATREYU’s current lineup consisting of drummer Brandon Saller focusing completely on singing after previously sharing lead vocals with Varkatzas for most of the band’s two-decade-plus existence. Sitting behind the kit is Saller’s HELL OR HIGHWATER bandmate Kyle Rosa, who had filled in for Saller on drums in 2019 after Varkatzas bowed out of the band’s European tour while dealing with serious back and hernia issues.

ATREYU said: “We’ve never been handed a golden ticket and never been given a free ride to the top of the mountain. We’ve worked our asses off for over 20 years to get to where we are, and this is only just the beginning. Our video for ‘Underrated’ is an example of how hard we worked to bring a live show to your living room. This video contains footage from our global livestream event combined with video content created by our very own Porter McKnight.”

“Baptize” track listing:

01. Strange Powers Of Prophecy
02. Baptize
03. Save Us
04. Underrated
05. Broken Again
06. Weed
07. Dead Weight
08. Catastrophe
09. Fucked Up
10. Sabotage Me
11. Untouchable (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)
12. No Matter What
13. Oblivion (feat. Matt Heafy)
14. Stay
15. Warrior (feat. Travis Barker)

Asked in a recent interview with the “RRBG Podcast”if fans have responded positively to ATREYU’s new single and lineup change, guitarist Travis Miguel said: “For the most part, yeah. There’s obviously naysayers and people who are bummed out. And that’s totally fine — I mean, we all expected that. Because change in any shape or form, really, can be very uncomfortable. Especially for a band that loses their frontman, a lot of bands, they either thrive or it just doesn’t resonate the same with the listeners. But luckily, it’s not like we got a complete stranger coming in and moving up to the frontman spot. Brandon, obviously, did just about 50 percent of the vocals on all ATREYU stuff anyway. And he’s been working his ass off kind of transitioning from literally the dude from behind the drums to into the front of the stage.

“That being said, not this past summer, but in 2019, we did a tour in Europe, and Alex, at the time, he had injured his back and he literally couldn’t sit on a plane for 11, 12 hours to fly over to Europe, so he had to sit that one out,” he continued. “So we went over to Europe with this lineup that we have now. So there wasn’t a whole lot of thought [put into it]. It was kind of a no-brainer. Kyle Rosa, who is now playing drums for us, it was almost like that was his tryout, and we didn’t even know it. So it’s just kind of weird how things pan out.”

Speaking about the musical direction of the new ATREYU material, Travis said: “There are definite heavy bangers on there. It’s definitely ATREYU, which that could mean just about anything, really. A lot of people would consider that complete shitty music. Some people think it’s the greatest thing on earth. It’s all over the place, really, which is kind of what we’ve always done.”

ATREYU spent the first couple of months of 2020 working on material for its eighth album with producer John Feldmann, who previously helmed 2018’s “In Our Wake” and 2007’s breakout LP “Lead Sails, Paper Anchor”.

In August 2019, ATREYU released a deluxe edition of “In Our Wake” via Spinefarm Records. The new version featured the original “In Our Wake” album, along with seven additional tracks. The bonus material included B-sides from the sessions for both “In Our Wake” and 2015’s “Long Live”, along with alternate versions of the title track and “The Time Is Now” from “In Our Wake”. The deluxe edition featured completely redesigned artwork and a total of 19 songs.