(Un)Official Metal Thread

[MalaCloudy Black]

Yea, the nearest to me are either Huntsville AL or Austin TX. And that's still either a 6 or an 8 hour drive. Seeing Ghost and Mastodon seems like it could be worth a drive through..

[Lint]

1 hour ago, Serpenticloud said:

Yea, the nearest to me are either Huntsville AL or Austin TX. And that's still either a 6 or an 8 hour drive. Seeing Ghost and Mastodon seems like it could be worth a drive through..

5 hour drive for me.  That wouldn't be an issue, just get a rental car and an AirBNB. 

I just almost got trampled at a Warped Tour a long time ago, so music festivals really fell off my list

[DFF]

The new Malevolence album slaps hard. Great to see some hometown guys really killing it atm. 

[Hellraiser]

New Avantasia and Arch Enemy:

 

There is also a new Queensryche album coming in October.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Hellraiser

[MalaCloudy Black]

 

[Schlitzbrille]

Spoilered because of the face stabbing and casual cannibalism, song took a few listens for me to like

Spoiler

 

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

I went through a phase where I really listened to a lot of High On Fire, and this song rips and Matt Pike is a good guitarist and all, but every time I listen to him I feel slightly guilty because he seems to be a conspiracy-minded type. Claims he does it to be "provocative", but y'know how that shit goes. 

Still. He's only one part of this and fuck, now I'm bummed that I missed High Tone Son of A Bitch when they were here 2 weeks ago.

[Hellraiser]

It is official:

Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown will reunite as Pantera and go on tour in 2023. No word yet on who the guitarist and the drummer for the tour are going to be. They only thing they confirmed in that regard is that Zakk Wylde will not be part of the reunion.

https://www.billboard.com/pro/pantera-reunion-tour-2023/

Edited July 14, 2022 by Hellraiser

[Bobfoc]

It's quite hard to be excited about this. Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are gone and Phil Anselmo is quite possibly a white supremacist.

[GhostMachine]

2 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

It's quite hard to be excited about this. Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are gone and Phil Anselmo is quite possibly a white supremacist.

Phil's white supremacist issue aside, his voice is also shot. 

[Lint]

3 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

It's quite hard to be excited about this. Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are gone and Phil Anselmo is quite possibly a white supremacist.

No no no..you see Phil said "Wine power!" because he was drinking wine backstage and yea I never believed that excuse.

He also later said people kept yelling "Racist!" at him during the show..

Quote

Of the show Anselmo said, "When people start screaming 'racist' over and over and over and over again at me, what I did was show them exactly what [...] the ugliest possible thing I could think of at the time was."

So his response to people calling him racist was...to do something racist...

Yea, he's fucking racist

[Bobfoc]

It turns out that Zakk Wylde will be joining them after all. Charlie Benante from Anthrax will be the drummer.

[Hellraiser]

Since we don't have an official Hard Rock thread, I'll just put it here:

Guitarist Steve Morse has quit Deep Purple to take care for his wife Janine who is battling cancer as per their Facebook page:

Quote

Deep Purple announces that Steve Morse will be stepping back from the band, having been its guitarist for more than a quarter of a century.

Steve’s personal circumstances have made it impossible for him to commit to the band’s schedule throughout 2022 and beyond. A few months ago, Steve openly shared with the band´s fans the sad fact that his wife, Janine, is battling cancer and, in his own words, “I simply must be there with her.”

Since joining the band in 1994, Steve has written and recorded eight studio albums with the band:

Purpendicular
Abandon
Bananas
Rapture of the Deep
Now What?!
Infinite
Whoosh!
Turning to Crime

In addition, Steve has also recorded many live records with Deep Purple over the years.

Steve will be greatly missed by band, crew, management, record label and all those that had the pleasure of working with him over the years.

Steve has always been hugely grateful for the support and love of Deep Purple fans across the globe.

A true master…

In the words of Steve Morse:
Last Autumn, I suddenly left the Purple writing session in Germany because my wife was having a real medical crisis. Almost a year later, we are learning to accept stage 4 aggressive cancer and chemo treatment for the rest of her life. We both miss being at shows, but I simply couldn't commit to long, or far away tours, since things can change quickly at home. I suggested lining up a substitute guitarist last Autumn, hoping we could see the miraculous cancer cure all of us have heard about. As time went by, I could see the way things were heading though, after 28 years of being in the band.

I've already played my last show with Purple back in Florida on the Rock Legends Cruise. I wish to thank the listeners who so strongly supported live music and turned every show from a dress rehearsal to a thundering, exciting experience. I'll miss everybody in the band and crew but being Janine's helper and advocate has made a real difference at many key points.

As Janine adjusts to her limitations, she is able to do many things on her own, so we will try to play some shorter nearby concert tours with friends to, hopefully, get both of us out of the house!

I know Simon has the gig nailed already, but I'm now handing over the keys to the vault which holds the secret of how Ritchie's "Smoke on the Water" intro was recorded. I guess you have to jiggle the key just right because I never got it open.

In the words of Ian Gillan:
In circumstances like these it is normally difficult to find the right words, but not in the case of Steve Morse; I know what I want to say.

He came from a different background to the rest of us in Deep Purple and yet his musical genius has been somehow compatible and played a big part in the fresh direction adopted by the group when he joined and made his first album with us in 1996, and then onwards, for over a quarter of a century, enjoying the longest incumbency of any DP guitarist and contributing to the longest unchanging line-up, which started when Don Airey replaced Jon Lord - who retired in 2002 - until the present day.

I first became aware of Steve through the Dixie Dregs, particularly the track ‘Take it off the Top’ which was the theme tune for Tommy Vance’s BBC rock show and impressed me mightily. I didn’t realise at the time that one day I would be lucky enough to stand on stage with Steve and enjoy his consummate skills up close and dangerous.

I got to know him as a very kind man, full of ideas and the patience to see them developed. He would say, ‘You never know until you try it’. We sure had some fun debating that approach, but mostly in good humour and he always gave as good as he got.

Steve has a legacy with Deep Purple that can never be forgotten, and that smile will be missed. It would be wrong to comment on his personal circumstances, suffice to say he’s in a bad place right now but dealing with it bravely and as best he can; we all admire his devotion; he’s been a strong family man all his life.

All this has come at a terrible time for everybody, including the other musicians in Deep Purple. After two years off the road because of quarantines everywhere, we had to get back to what we do, and that is perform live around the world and make music in the way we have always done, since 1968. As we get older, we realise that we’re much closer to the end, and that triggers an urgency that won’t be tamed. From Steve’s perspective, I can only imagine that there is no possible ‘nice’ way of continuing with a new man, but it is either that or call it a day, because the lack of momentum was gradually becoming something more significant; it felt terminal.

The best way I can describe this is by using Steve’s own words; when I sent him a love letter a few weeks ago, he replied that it was weird being at home whilst we guys were out there, but ‘reality intervenes’… and that’s what has happened.

I can only put out love and respect, and positive vibes at the memories of good times together.

In the words of Ian Paice:
From the moment Steve joined us in Purple, it was obvious he could open up new musical possibilities for us. Like most great creative musicians, he has the ability to come up with musical ideas that no one else has thought of.
I think the easiest way to say it is he’s always “thinking outside the box”. Not many of us can do that!
We learnt he is also an incredibly nice man, who put up with our lack of knowledge of US sports teams and stars, and our continual talk of UK football, (soccer to our US friends!), with great patience. But there is one important truth here and that is “family comes first”.
Steve is adhering to that truth with his wife Janine’s health situation. We will miss him.

In the words of Roger Glover:
In the early 80’s, on tour with Rainbow in Germany, I heard ‘Go for Baroque’ by the Dixie Dregs on a car radio. I was captivated and immediately bought Unsung Heroes. Then I bought Steve’s first solo album. What a guitar player. Never could I have dreamed that twelve years later we would be in a band together.
Deep Purple was at a pivotal point in the mid-90’s and needed to refresh itself. Steve was an inspired choice and brought his talent and limitless imagination to us - evidenced by ‘Purpendicular’, a favourite album of mine – enabling the band to start an amazing journey for the next twenty-eight years… no mean feat. He’s a teacher, he inspired us, me in particular, with his energy, encouragement and wisdom, and his contribution and legacy in this band is beyond words. He will be missed but our friendship will remain.
Sadly, life has intervened, and different challenges are upon us. Janine needs him now, and my best wishes and thoughts go out to them.

In the words of Don Airey:
Thanks Steve for being such a shining light both musically and personally to me over the last few (20 !!) years. All I can do is wish you and Janine the best for the future, in the new course that life has taken you. I know it would take a lot more than this to extinguish your talent and your music, so hopefully we'll see you down the road a-piece. Cheers DA

There will be no further comment from the band. We kindly ask that Steve and Janine’s privacy is respected and to keep them in your thoughts at this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lint]

 

[Hellraiser]

New Blind Guardian! The studio version of the song they played during that Virtual Wacken show last year:

 

[GhostMachine]

 

[Hellraiser]

The new Blind Guardian album is out and it is really good! If you think the last few BG albums were too overloaded with orchestral elements, you should definitely check this out! They managed to strip down their sound for this album and harken back to their 90s glory days without sounding like they are just retreading old ground.

[Hellraiser]

Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra guitarist David Andersson died at age 47 today .

 

[Lint]

Ghost has really been milking the popularity of "Mary On A Cross' on TikTok.  They released an official live video of it