Metallica‘s in the news. Lars Ulrich told Metal Forces this month of June will see tons of activity surrounding their next album. First off, they are in the mixing stages of the record. Producer Greg Fidelman is on it out at their studios in San Rafael, CA. Must be nice to have your own studio, your own label and be able to do things your own way! What the band is strategizing now is when and how to distribute it to the world. HOPEFULLY, if the planets are aligned, they may drop a single this summer. But who knows. They don’t have a deadline they are trying to meet just yet.
Congrats to Volbeat! Grammy Award®-nominated, gold-certified Danish hard rock outfit storm to the top of multiple charts with their sixth full-length, Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie [Republic Records], debuting at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. This marks not only the band’s highest charting album debut but one of the highest Top 200 Album Chart debuts by a Danish artist (previously held by Lukas Graham) in history. In addition, the quartet captures #1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart and #4 on the Top 200 Consumption chart.
Internationally the album has also hit #1 in over seven countries and counting. On day of release the album soared to #1 on iTunes in over 15 countries and hit single “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” has remained #1 at Active Rock Radio for 6 straight weeks! The song also created another record for the band as it had the highest single sales week in the band’s history. Check out Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie here.
Frontman Michael Poulsen told us that “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” has been misunderstood by some people: “‘The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,’ there was actually some people, after they heard it, (they) said, ‘Is Volbeat a Satanic band?’ Just because we used the word ‘devil.’ But I can promise for you that we are not a Satanic band, but we are not a follower of God either, you know. We believe in Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and a little bit of Slayer, so you know, that’s our (laughs) — if that’s a religion, I guess it is for some people.”
Produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by frontman Michael Poulsen and lead guitarist Rob Caggiano, the record includes a total of 13 new tracks, reflecting their signature hybrid of rock prowess, metal power, blues soul, and rockabilly swing.
Adding to their news this week, Volbeat announced a massive North American tour kicking off at Rise Above Festival in Bangor, ME and includes appearances with Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold at the first ever rock show in the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN as well as appearances at Heavy MTL in Montreal, High Elevation Fest in Denver, CO and Rock Allegiance Festival in Philadelphia, PA.
Special guests Killswitch Engage and Black Wizard will be supporting the band throughout the tour. Additionally, the tickets for the Volbeat headline dates will include a copy of Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie in your choice of digital download or CD. If you’ve already purchased the album, you’ll also have the option of gifting your copy. See the full itinerary in Road Rage.
Bottom’s Up!
Well, this gives new meaning to “Have A Drink On Me.” AC/DC are launching a line of tequila sometime this summer. It joins other AC/DC-branded adult beverages like Rock Or Bust beer, plus Hells Bells and Back In Black wine.
Joey Jordison
Just in time for him to revel in his new band’s, Vimic, Smash or Crash win, Blabbermouth reports former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison has revealed he has been fighting transverse myelitis, an inflammatory disorder that temporarily robbed him of the ability to play drums.
Ever since Slipknot parted ways with Jordison in December 2013, both sides were silent and evasive about the reason why the split occurred.
While accepting the the “Golden God” award at last night’s (Monday, June 13) Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards event in London, England, Jordison gave an emotional speech in which he spoke about his exit from Slipknot for the first time. You can watch the speech at around the 16:30 mark in the above link. He said: “Towards [the] end of my career in Slipknot — and I want you all to give praise to them as well. We accomplished a lot in life, every one of them, and I wish them nothing but luck and the best of praises. Cause what we created in the basements of Des Moines, Iowa will never be matched. It’s one thing that is fucking absolutely fucking unbeatable. I love those guys very much… Towards the end of my career in Slipknot, I got really, really sick with a horrible disease called transverse myelitis. I lost my legs. I couldn’t play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I don’t wish on my worst enemy. I got myself back up, and I got myself in the gym, and I got myself back in fucking therapy to fucking beat this shit. And if I could do it, you could do it. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, more than fucking anything.”
He continued: “To people with multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, or anything like that, I am living proof that you can fucking beat that shit. And fucking metal and all of these fans will do it for you. This is the fucking world right here. You can beat this shit; no joke. Just the fact that metal lives in your heart, you can fucking accomplish anything.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, transverse myelitis is a neurological condition produced by abnormal inflammation in the spinal cord, resulting in a block of the nerve impulses and neurologic symptoms. Transverse myelitis is a rare disease, with a frequency estimated to be five new cases for every one million people.
