Annihilator - Suicide Society (Deluxe Edition FLAC) 2015

Annihilator - Suicide Society (Deluxe Edition FLAC) 2015

CD 1

1. Suicide Society
2. My Revenge
3. Snap
4. Creepin' Again
5. Narcotic Avenue
6. The One You Serve
7. Break, Enter
8. Death Scent
9. Every Minute

CD 2

1. Deadlock
2. Set The World On Fire
3. Knight Jumps Queen
4. Ambush
5. Never, Neverland
6. Time Bomb
7. Smear Campaign
8. Carnival Diablos
9. Reduced To Ash
10. I Am In Command
11. Jeff Talks Suicide Society
12. Jeff Talks Creepin' Again
13. Jeff Talks Snap
14. Jeff Talks Narcotic Avenue
15. Jeff Talks My Revenge
16. Jeff Talks The One You Serve
17. Jeff Talks Break, Enter
18. Jeff Talks Death Scent
19. Jeff Talks Every Minute

Canadian metal band ANNIHILATOR is the lifework of guitarist Jeff Waters. Founded in 1984, the band took the metal scene by storm with their debut 1989 release “Alice In Hell”, upped the ante with 1990’s “Never, Neverland” and finished off their 3-record deal (Roadrunner Records/Sony/Epic) with “Set The World On Fire”.

While most late-80’s era metal bands disappeared, ANNIHILATOR went on to forge 10 more studio cds, dvds and live releases, all consistently selling well and remaining true to the heavy metal cause. Tours with everyone from Judas Priest to Pantera to Trivium, plus dozens of headlining tours and festivals around the world have been going on steady since 1989 for this band; no rest as the demand for this band never ends. ANNIHILATOR has been touted as one of the best live acts in metal music. High-end musicianship, tight playing and massive energy and fun are what these lads are known for.

In 2003, Dave Padden joined the band as vocalist and eventually took on the role of guitar player as well, a la Hetfield. Dave has sung on the last 5 studio releases and has now etched his name in stone as a top front man in the biz.

Jeff Waters and company tear through each release with honest, raw power and energy, along with excellent technical skill and a live show that is considered one of the best in the business. Honest melodic thrash and heavy metal, combined with traces of blues, classical and jazz. Hell, there is even some death and punk in there, too.

Annihilator has given the metal world a sound that is one of the clearest, most-tasteful mixtures of huge, metal riffs with the idea of the perfect song and some legendary solo shredding as the icing on the cake. Jeff and ANNIHILATOR have been a major influence on countless well-known metal acts and musicians around the world. In fact, countless, successful non-metal acts & musicians cite Waters and Co. as an influence in their careers.

2010 saw the release of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed Annihilator cd in over a decade: the self-titled 13th studio cd “ANNIHILATOR”. Touring on this record took the band (as always) to Europe & Canada but also brought huge attendance to a South American run… ANNIHILATOR are back to the continent this May/June and will play again to massive crowds. A European tour is to follow in the fall of 2013.

ANNIHILATOR is the biggest-selling Canadian heavy/thrash metal band in Canadian history with close to 2 million units sold.

With 24 years of touring history and with a reputation of having one of the strongest live performances in any musical genre, ANNIHILATOR are gearing up for studio release #14; quite a feat for any band in the metal genre and considering Jeff Waters is aged only in his mid-forties.

The new ANNIHILATOR release, simply titled “FEAST”, will be released late August 2013 via the UDR/EMI label and will also feature a bonus 15-song cd… a grand total of 24 songs in one cd release package + and incredible 3d artwork cover with the limited edition fan package! 

Says Waters “We are truly are among the few bands with a long history, that have always waved the flag for honesty, integrity and perseverance in this hard-edge category of music.
 

 
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Stratovarius - Eternal 2015

Stratovarius - Eternal 2015

Melodic Power Metal

1. My Eternal Dream
2. Shine In The Dark
3. Rise Above It
4. Lost Without A Trace
5. Feeding The Fire
6. In My Line Of Work
7. Man In The Mirror
8. Few Are Those
9. Fire In Your Eyes
10. Lost Saga

Stratovarius was founded in 1984 in Finland under the name Black Water. They went through a number of personnel, style and name changes before the band found its own voice. The founding members were Tuomo Lassila, Staffan Stråhlman, and John Vihervä. By 1985, the name had changed to Stratovarius (a combination of Stratocaster and Stradivarius), and guitarist/vocalist Timo Tolkki entered the band, replacing Stråhlman.

Tolkki became the driving force and mastermind of the band, assuming relatively complete control of the song-writing. He brought along not only strong rock influences, but also a neo-classical tinge. The band released a demo to various record companies by 1987, finally being picked up by CBS Finland. In 1989, their debut album Fright Night was released, following two singles. After being dropped by CBS, the band went through several member changes, but they managed to release a second album on another label. In 1994 they released their third album, Dreamspace, featuring new bass player Jari Kainulainen, and after that, a full-time singer joined the band: Timo Kotipelto. The release of Fourth Dimension (featuring Kotipelto on vocals) in 1995 was a great success, but internal differences in the band, particularly about the future musical direction, prompted the departure of long-time drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti Ikonen.

Two new non-Finnish members were recruited: Swedish keyboardist Jens Johansson, of Yngwie Malmsteen fame; and German drummer Jörg Michael. With the fifth release Episode, Stratovarius had finally found its sound and had a strong, diverse line-up. Episode was a grand project, featuring a large choir and a string orchestra. It spawned some of the all-time greatest Stratovarius hits, such as Father Time and Will The Sun Rise. This line-up released three hugely successful albums over the years: Visions in 1997, Destiny in 1999, and Infinite in 2000. With every album, their fame and fan-base expanded, and they started gaining a stronger following outside Scandinavia, particularly in Japan. In 2003, the band released its most epic project yet, the two album suite named Elements. With these albums, they reached a peak in their progressive and symphonic style of power-metal. The first album, Elements pt. 1, was released in early 2003, followed by a world tour. Elements pt. 1 was followed by Elements pt. 2, also released on Nuclear Blast records the same year.

In January 2005, Stratovarius recorded their self-titled new album which was released in the same year by Sanctuary Records. In June 2005, Jari Kainulainen left the band, and was replaced by Lauri Porra.

In the fall of 2005, Stratovarius was on the road in the US. Stratovarius was at times progressive and experimentally skewed, and a rather dark record. It was a daring and ambitious album which took the band in a new direction.

But unfortunately, dark clouds were shadowing the band’s path once again. In 2005, Sanctuary was starting to have severe financial problems and the whole label collapsed just as the record was released. Much of Sanctuary’s staff was made redundant, the stock price plunged, and banks and other creditors circled the company like vultures. The band played over 100 shows without any support from their record company, appearing at numerous festivals, and a long period of extensive touring all over Europe, Japan and South America began. One highlight was the two month Monster Metal Madness tour together with Shakra and HammerFall. It was a package of true power metal at its best, conquering Europe like an avalanche.

In the meantime, Sanctuary’s financial troubles had really deepened. The band had to enter into a legal process with them to be able to release their next album. But the battle with this giant sinking multinational ship dragged on for more than a year, and it drained a lot of the spirit out of the band. In the end these tough times proved too much for Tolkki.

In April 2008 he left Stratovarius and its debts and troubles behind, and gave the remaining members his blessing to do whatever they want with the band and the legal case, and formed a new band, Revolution Renaissance. The rest of Stratovarius’ members found themselves in legal limbo and with a heavy legal debt, but they were without preconceptions also all working on new music.

The turning point came when a settlement with Sanctuary was finally achieved in late summer 2008.

A burst of creative energy followed. The young and very talented Finnish lead guitarist, Matias Kupiainen, joined the band.

In September 2008 the band found the freedom to go into seclusion for almost a month in a cottage by the sea in a Finnish forest to relax, laugh, write songs, be creative together, and record. And they found themselves being a band reborn. The result is a melodic, powerful, fresh, tight, and technically elaborate new album.

"Polaris" was recorded in fall 2008 at Hästholmen and 5-by-5 studios, Helsinki, Finland. Mixed by the longtime confidant of the band Mikko Karmila the album became another shining polar star at the Northern sky. Powerful melodies mingle with sophisticated arrangements, strong anthems stand alongside heavy songs. 11 songs full of energy, musicianship, and a positive outlook.

"Polaris" saw a worldwide release in late May 2009 on edel/ear music and JVC in Asia. Being such a positive, powerful album it was acclaimed by both Stratovarius fans all over the world and the press. The band supported the release of Polaris with an extended world tour in 2009 and 2010.

Reviews in many well-known metal magazines described “Polaris” as a true Stratovarius album, some even calling it the best since “Destiny”, praising its brilliant melodies, positive approach and vivid style.

The last concert of their Polaris world tour was on 21 August 2010 at the Jazztori Festival in Lahti. Long before that in May 2010 the band started already the first rehearsals for the new record in Sotkamo, Finland. The new found energy and the positive spirits within the band were already proven by “Polaris”, but the long awaited creative boost did not stop there. Stratovarius recorded many demo songs in the course of the summer, coming up regularly with new ideas.

Subsequently the band started working in the 5-by-5 studios, revising their demos and recording the best songs. The new album “Elysium” is produced by Matias Kupiainen who proved to be not only a great musician, but a gifted producer as well. Altogether the whole creative working process within the band got more democratic, integrating the best and most valuable unique talents of all five members in the song writing and recording process very well.

Currently Stratovarius are looking forward to join Helloween on their “7 sinners world tour” as very special guests, which happens to kick off in Vienna on the same day when the first single of "Elysium" will be released – November 26th.

The EP bears the title “Darkest Hour” and consists of five songs. “Darkest hour”, a song about keeping the will to face difficult times in life and ending up being stronger, the demo version of “Darkest hour”, “Infernal Maze”, which is one of the new songs on “Elysium” as well and live recordings of “Against the wind” and “Black Diamond”.

Current Line Up
Timo Kotipelto - Vocals (Cain's Offering, Kotipelto, ex-Filthy Asses)
Jens Johansson - Keyboards (Cain's Offering, Mastermind, ex-The Johansson Brothers, ex-Silver Mountain)
Lauri Porra - Bass (Kotipelto, Tunnel Vision, Gashouse Garden, ex-Sinergy, Lauri Porra, ex-Almah, ex-Raskasta Joulua)
Matias Kupiainen - Guitars (Fist in Fetus, ex-The Sinkage)
Rolf Pilve - Drums (Megiddon, Random Eyes, Reversion, Solution .45, Status Minor, Division of the Spoils)

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Leaves' Eyes - King of Kings (Limited Edition 2CD) 2015

Leaves' Eyes - King of Kings (Limited Edition 2CD) 2015

Symphonic Metal / Female Vocal

Tracklist:

CD1

01. Sweven
02. King of Kings
03. Halvdan the Black
04. The Waking Eye
05. Feast of the Year
06. Vengeance Venom
07. Sacred Vow
08. Edge of Steel (feat. Simone Simons (Epica))
09. Haraldskv??i
10. Blazing Waters (feat. Lindy-Fay Hella (Wardruna))
11. Swords in Rock
12. Spellbound (Bonus Track)
13. Trail of Blood (Bonus Track)

CD2

01. The Waking Eye (Acoustic Version)
02. Swords in Rock (Acoustic Version)
03. Vengeance Venom (Acoustic Version)
04. Sweven (Instrumental)
05. King of Kings (Instrumental)
06. Halvdan the Black (Instrumental)
07. The Waking Eye (Instrumental)
08. Feast of the Year (Instrumental)
09. Vengeance Venom (Instrumental)
10. Sacred Vow (Instrumental)
11. Edge of Steel (Instrumental)
12. Haraldskv??i (Instrumental)
13. Blazing Waters (Instrumental)
14. Swords in Rock (Instrumental)

For more than a decade now, LEAVES’ EYES have been setting world history to music and undeniably, by doing so, have raced to the top of the symphonic metal tree.

With their new monumental epic “King Of Kings”, the band now further justifies their leading position as a compass in the genre and re-awakes the thousand-year legend of Norway’s first king, ‘Harald Fairhair’, in the process. Again this band prove their amazing talent of capturing sagas and legends of the past and truly making them come alive in the here and now. Welcome the Vikings!

LEAVES’ EYES has always been a band of superlatives: the international group has toured on five continents, playing concerts in more than 50 countries. Their live shows are spectacular events with breathtaking stage scenery, including a Viking ship or even the “Swords In Rock” monument from singer Liv Kristine’s home town. On their studio albums, the band has constantly followed the steps of classical composers from the past. Debut “Lovelorn” (2004) lead them first for subject matter, to Norway, home country of vocalist Liv and full of myths and legends. The concept effort made the musicians’ wonderment at Scandinavia’s vast nature graspable and later this found its continuation with 2005’s “Vinland Saga”, whose story told of the Viking’s exploration of America and its result. The success was immediate, as the album (and its hit single “Elegy”) remained in the charts for four weeks. What’s more, from that point on all LEAVES’ EYES releases would follow that same tradition and achieve high chart positions, whether it was the orchestral metal opus “Njord” (2009), impressively remembering the Vikings’ exploration of all parts of the world, or the complex “Meredead” (2011), which delved into tales of Scandinavian legends, connected to life, death and the power of the ocean. LEAVES’ EYES effortlessly combine traditional folk, mystic sounds of the past and a symphonic orchestra with brutal, metal rawness, and this was no truer than when, for their 10th anniversary, the band released the highly-acclaimed “Symphonies of the Night”, an album which features all their traditional trademarks, turned into a sweeping metal opera.

Now LEAVES’ EYES lead us back in time to when Harald I was uniting Norway as one kingdom. With an almost cinematic intensity, the band has you see the battle of Hafrsfjord itself. “King of Kings” sounds as if film score composers Hans Zimmer and Richard Wagner themselves had collaborated on a soundtrack about the life of Norway’s first king with amazing results. The epic title track with its huge choirs (brought to you by the “London Voices” ensemble, who have famously worked on movie productions such as “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” amongst many) gives a perfect start to the saga. It’s a perfect match to the band’s ambitions and to the vision of producer Alexander Krull, who sonically lifts “King of Kings” to the level of these blockbuster productions. Whilst, under the guidance of ex – Rage guitarist Victor Smolski, the powerful White Russian Symphony Orchestra adds even more feel. Despite all this musical variety and epicness though, LEAVES’ EYES never lose their grasp for hits! Songs such as “The Waking Eye” and the massive “Halvdan the Black” (which is about Harald’s fateful father) will definitely become gothic/metal club hits…. And, the rousing hymn “Edge of Steel” sees two of the genre’s biggest stars join forces: Liv Kristine and guest singer Simone Simons (Epica) together leading us right onto the battlefields of Harald I himself……

“King of Kings” offers stylistic diversity everywhere you look; from folk rock and gentle tunes to symphonic, epic, heavy hymns; it’s an impressive display of the artists’ involved multifaceted qualities.

We could tell you more; a further highlight is the gigantic “Blazing Waters” (featuring Lindy- Fay Hella – Wardruna), which comes across as a musical vision of the decisive battle as real as anything you’ll hear on a record, whilst natural Celtic /ethnic elements and also percussion add an authentic feel to rockers such as “Vengeance Venom” and “Swords in Rock”, which will endear them equally to pagan and Viking metal fans alike.

Its Liv Kristine’s unique voice which almost certainly forges LEAVES’ EYES’ path to their own sound the most though finally. Just listen to the incredible “Haraldskvæði”, proof that she can create atmosphere like no other, and tell us this is not something really special. “King of Kings” is without doubt truly music in wide-screen format, the band creating musical pictures which really make the whole era come alive.

Line-up:

Liv Kristine – Vocals
Alexander Krull – Vocals
Thorsten Bauer – Guitar, Bass
Pete Streit – Guitar
Joris Nijenhuis – Drums

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Metal Allegiance - Metal Allegiance 2015

Metal Allegiance - Metal Allegiance 2015

01. Gift Of Pain
(Feat. Randy Blythe, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Gary Holt)
02. Let Darkness Fall
(Feat. Troy Sanders, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi, Rex Brown, Randy Blythe)
03. Dying Song
(Feat. Phil Anselmo, Alex Skolnick, Mark Menghi, Mike Portnoy)
04. Can’t Kill The Devil
(Feat. Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Phil Demmel, Andreas Kisser)
05. Scars
(Feat. Mark Osegueda, Cristina Scabbia, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy)
06. Destination: Nowhere
(Feat. Matthew K Heafy, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy)
07. Wait Until Tomorrow
(Feat. Doug Pinnick, Jamey Jasta, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy)
08. Triangulum
(Feat. Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Misha Mansoor, Ben Weinman, Charlie Benante, Phil Demmel, Matthew K. Heafy, Ron “Bumblefoot“ Thal)
09. Pledge Of Allegiance
(Feat. Mark Osegueda, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Charlie Benante, Gary Holt, Andreas Kisser)
10. We Rock (Bonus Track)
(Feat. Mark Osegueda, Chris Jericho, Tim “Ripper“ Owens, Alissa White-Gluz, Chuck Billy, Steve “Zetro“ Souza, Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Andreas Kisser, Phil Demmel, Gary Holt)

Heavy Metal is more than a genre, more than an attitude, and certainly more than whatever cheap epithets are dismissively thrown at it by clueless critics. At its best, Metal is a lifestyle, a community, a tribe uniting people across cultural, economic, and philosophical divides with the primal pulse of bombastic and majestic expression.

Never before has one entity encapsulated so many components of the heavy metal community's continued vibrancy and dedication to the lifestyle than the collective fittingly called METAL ALLEGIANCE. Like the comic book heroes of The Avengers franchise, the men and women who've assembled on the stage and in the studio as METAL ALLEGIANCE come and go as they please, but each arrive armed with unique mythologies and classic discographies of their own, converging with mutual respect and a collaborative spirit. The result is a continuously evolving musical force both serious in its proficiency and celebratory in its enthusiasm and camaraderie.

Now, METAL ALLEGIANCE unleashes an album as pulverizing, energetic, atmospheric, and awe inspiring as fans of the jaw-dropping list of associated bands should expect.

The liner notes for the METAL ALLEGIANCE album read like a massive chunk of a heavy metal encyclopedia, with contributions from past and present members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, DREAM THEATER, LAMB OF GOD, SLAYER, EXODUS, MASTODON, PANTERA, TRIVIUM, KINGS X, HATEBREED, SEPULTURA, MACHINE HEAD, ANTHRAX, LACUNA COIL, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, PERIPHERY, DEATH ANGEL, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, and ARCH ENEMY. Live incarnations of METAL ALLEGIANCE have seen guest appearances from Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD), Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN), Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan.

As Troy Sanders (MASTODON) declared when he joined Metal Allegiance at the NAMM Convention in January 2015: “Holy Shit! I've been invited to the All-Star game!”

METAL ALLEGIANCE founder MARK MENGHI describes his relationship with DAVID ELLEFSON, MIKE PORTNOY and ALEX SKONICK in terms of brotherhood, and it was those four who buckled down to write the first batch of original, all new material for the METAL ALLEGIANCE album. As principal architects, ELLEFSON (MEGADETH), PORTNOY (THE WINERY DOGS), SKOLNICK (TESTAMENT), and MENGHI (a bassist and musical instruments industry exec beloved by metal musicians) built a foundation of sonic steel.

“Mark is kind of like the Brian Epstein of the band,” says Portnoy. “He's the behind-the-scenes mastermind who put the whole thing together. When we began this as a live covers thing, he was the guy moving the chess pieces. When we decided to make original music, he became a huge creative element as a songwriter, as well.”

“Usually in a band, there's a leader type, there's a guy that's more passive, a guy that wants to be a rock star at all costs, and sometimes, there's a guy on drugs over in the corner,” Ellefson explains. “You have all of these dynamics in a rock band. What's so cool about METAL ALLEGIANCE is that we've got four strong leaders who are all motivated, capable, and very driven. Everybody gets a chance to shine in METAL ALLEGIANCE, and everybody is comfortable when it's time to step aside, too.”

More than an experiment, a one-off or a “super group,” METAL ALLEGIANCE is an experience. D. Randall Blythe (LAMB OF GOD) lends his blistered pipes to “Gift of Pain,” which features dueling solos from Skolnick and Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER). Troy Sanders (MASTODON, KILLER BE KILLED) sets an ominous vocal mood with the vintage PINK FLOYD infused “Let Darkness Fall,” with Rex Brown (PANTERA, KILL DEVIL HILL) pitching in on additional bass duties. The blend of melodic power from dUg Pinnick (KINGS X) and the metalcore bite from Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED, KINGDOM OF SORROW) on “Wait Until Tomorrow” blends as seamlessly as the duet between Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) and Cristina Scabbia (LACUNA COIL) on “Scars,” or the somber intensity of “Dying Song” featuring Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN).

“The word 'supergroup' gets thrown around a lot, and I don't so much mind the word, but this project feels more like multiple supergroups to me,” says Skolnick, who'd sat in with the guys for the first time on Motörhead's Motörboat Cruise in September 2014, which happened to be the first time the collective performed as METAL ALLEGIANCE.

“The name sums it up,” says Portnoy. “It's all about this camaraderie. The word 'allegiance' is perfect. We're making music for metal fans, by metal fans. We get together to do this and it brings us back to our teenage years, just being fans of this entire genre. That's the whole reason of doing this. It really is like a brotherhood.”

By December, the core members were writing songs at Portnoy's home. “Obviously he's a phenomenal drummer - he's Mike fucking Portnoy - but many people probably don't know about his arrangement ideas,” Menghi reveals. “He can just hear things in his head as far as arrangements. If we're writing riffs, instantaneously he knows how to put a song together within a minute. It's pretty damn amazing. And Alex? He's a guitar god. He can just play anything and that's what this record shows. There are some riffs on here I believe are going to be classic riffs, riffs I'd compare to Dimebag Darrell and 'Walk' or James Hetfield and 'Master of Puppets'; very iconic, very memorable.

“METAL ALLEGIANCE formed as a live act first, that's a big difference, too,” reasons Ellefson. “When bands perform live you can very clearly see what it is and what it can be. It wasn't theoretical in this case. Everything was very practical and pragmatic because you can see it, feel it, and you knew what it was capable of becoming.”

Just as the electrifying concept explored by collaborative tribute experiences like HAIL! and Metal Masters eventually led to the founding of METAL ALLEGIANCE in 2014, the collectives' raucous renditions of classic material from the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, and Pantera in clubs, conventions and cruise ships, however improbably, inevitably led to the creation of an album of brand new material.

“We've all existed outside of the things we're most known for,” says Skolnick, himself a graduate of The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. “But when we come together, the core music that we all love is the same. We all flipped over the first few Van Halen records. We loved original Kiss. When we decided to do Judas Priest's 'Victim of Changes,' we all said, 'Of course we're going to do the Unleashed in the East version!'”

“The feel of the music would really give us a good idea of who would be great to sing it,” Portnoy explains. “'Pledge of Allegiance' is an old-school thrash song, like something off of Bonded by Blood, Kill 'Em All or the first Death Angel album.” Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) was drafted to sing, with guest guitar parts from Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS) and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX), one of metal's most famous drummers but a great guitar player in his own right, too.

Often, the vibe of a song would change yet again once the singer laid down tracks. “Let Darkness Fall” had an IRON MAIDEN feel before Sanders contribution made it doomier. “Dying Song” is another great example. “We definitely wear a few influences on our sleeves, and that song was BLACK SABBATH all the way,” says Skolnick. “But then we put Philip Anselmo on that and he doesn't sound like Ozzy Osbourne. He sounds like Philip Anselmo! And the riffs may have a Sabbath feel, but for the solos, I was able to tap into Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix, stuff I've done at live jams, but never before on a record. Then Phil takes it to a whole other place. I'm amazed with what he did with it.”

The album was produced by Alex Skolnick, Mark Menghi, David Ellefson and Mike Portnoy, and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Avenged Sevenfold, Gojira). The first record of all-original material released under the METAL ALLEGIANCE banner found a perfect home at Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the label venture founded by Markus Staiger (Nuclear Blast) and Monte Conner (ex-Roadrunner Records). The NBE roster includes Nightwish, Machine Head, Suicide Silence, Fear Factory, and Killer Be Killed.

“We really surrounded ourselves with good people and good musicians,” says Menghi. “That's the whole point of it. It's not about egos, it's not about who is a better player. It's more about, 'Who is a good person?' That's the foundation of METAL ALLEGIANCE.”

Ellefson concurs. “The four of us on that ship deciding to go into the studio and make a record was no different than me meeting my buddy Greg in the hallway of Jackson Elementary School and saying, 'Hey dude, you like KISS, I like KISS, let's form a band,'” he says. “It was the exact same spirit. That's what METAL ALLEGIANCE is, that's who we are. Forget that we're famous. We all live right around the corner from each other, figuratively or literally. We all share the exact same record collection. That's the spirit.”

 
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Slayer - Repentless (Limited Box Set) 2015

 

CD1

01. Delusions Of Saviour
02. Repentless
03. Take Control
04. Vices
05. Cast The First Stone
06. When The Stillness Comes
07. Chasing Death
08. Implode
09. Piano Wire
10. Atrocity Vendor
11. You Against You
12. Pride In Prejudice

CD2

01. Intro
02. Hell Awaits
03. The Antichrist
04. Mandatory Suicide
05. Hate Worldwide
06. War Ensemble
07. Postmortem
08. Captor Of Sin
09. Disciple
10. Seasons In The Abyss
11. Born Of Fire
12. Dead Skin Mask
13. Raining Blood
14. Black Magic
15. South Of Heaven
16. Angel Of Death

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Bonus DVD

01. Intro
02. Hell Awaits
03. The Antichrist
04. Mandatory Suicide
05. Hate Worldwide
06. War Ensemble
07. Postmortem
08. Captor Of Sin
09. Disciple
10. Seasons In The Abyss
11. Born Of Fire
12. Dead Skin Mask
13. Raining Blood
14. Black Magic
15. South Of Heaven
16. Angel Of Death
17. Outro

REPENTLESS IS A DECLARATION: THERE WILL BE NO COMPROMISE

Slayer, the long-reigning titans of thrash, returns with Repentless, the band’s 11th studio album and its first album for Nuclear Blast. Produced by Terry Date, Repentless was written and recorded by guitarist Kerry King and singer/bassist Tom Araya at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, along with returning drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt. Repentless is crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the mainstream.

Thirty-four years into its career, Slayer remains the preeminent punk-thrash band that helped establish the genre and that up-and-coming metal heads continue to revere and emulate. Slayer is a five-time nominated, two-time Grammy Award-winning metal juggernaut that writes songs which mirror the turmoil and aberrations of our society. Repentless, the band’s first new album in six years, continues the Slaytanic offensive with a twelve-song, blood-shaking sonic attack. Repentless is dark, fast, aggressive and without mercy. It was also the most challenging record Slayer has ever had to make.

In 2013 the world mourned the loss of guitarist Jeff Hanneman who died from complications following a two-year illness. A co-founder of Slayer, losing Jeff was very difficult for the band. During Jeff’s illness, friend of the band, guitarist Holt stepped in to help out on tour with Jeff’s blessing and stayed on. Around that time, drummer Dave Lombardo exited the band for the third time and Paul Bostaph, (who played with the band from 1992 – 2001), returned to take over the throne. Slayer never skipped a beat and since Holt and Bostaph both played in Exodus, it was all-in-the-thrash-family.

But it didn’t come easily. As guitarist and Slayer co-founder Kerry King puts it, “I remember the day that Jeff died. It was the day of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. We knew he’d been sick but nobody expected it to be so quick. I assumed I’d be able to go out there and see him after I got done with whatever business I had to do and that day never came.

“We went out and toured afterwards to see how we felt about it. That’s what you do as a musician: you either go out and tour or you stop working. Even though we’d been touring for two years without Jeff, thinking he was going to come back, now there was finality to it. And the thing with Gary was that we were all friends. Exodus was the first band we’d ever met that became our friends immediately and we stayed friends throughout the years. Gary is just a guitar dynamo and he was the guy.”

Tom Araya agrees. “Jeff would want us to continue. I’d think that if something were to happen to someone else in the band, whoever it was would feel the same way. Just get on with it. Gary’s a friend, a friend of Jeff’s, he knew what was going on and he wanted to help in any way he could, so Gary made Slayer a comfortable place to be. Having Paul back was also a comforting feeling. He’s a former member and that’s the best thing about it. It wasn’t some other guy. Having Paul and Gary made everything a little easier to handle. It’s about the band. Slayer was a big thing for Jeff, and so I’m looking at it in that sense. It was his baby, too. And we hope we’ve done Slayer and him justice.”

King said that Slayer still had to test the water. “Now we were out to see if it made sense to continue, to see if we liked it, to see if the band still enjoyed it. And the way I looked at it was: if it wasn’t this, it was going to be something that sounded exactly like this, so why not continue doing this? It’s super-potent. We’re really tight right now and we’re stoked that we’re still doing it. Once we had that under our belts we started thinking about a record and never looked back.”

After two decades with American Recordings, Slayer found a new home with Nuclear Blast, the German independent label known for its metal roster. King is enthusiastic about the move, “I like it,” he declares, stressing the work like. “Having been with American for so long we wanted to give them first right of refusal because that’s how we are. I think continuity is far stronger than switching all the time. But at the end of the day, Nuclear Blast made us a great offer and so it was time to move on. At Nuclear Blast, people go to work, they do their job, get paid and they fuckin’ like it. All hands. So it was the right choice.”

When the time came, Slayer entered the studio with producer Terry Date. Date is the first producer the band has worked with since leaving American, where all their albums were produced or executive produced by Rick Rubin. On working with Date, Tom says, “He’d done all these great albums – Soundgarden, Pantera – and as a singer I need someone I respect who can tell me whether he likes it or not as opposed to telling me how to do something I’ve been doing for 30 years. He would guide me. That’s why I really liked working with him, because he was so cool. I regard him as a friend, for sure.”

Kerry adds, “It was as business as usual as it could be. The oddest thing for me was Jeff’s presence… not being there. When we were recording, in the past, whether he played or not, having him there and having his opinion and stuff like that: that was what I missed. Jeff’s not being there was the oddest thing.”

Gary Holt came on board to help out with tour commitments when Jeff first became ill. “My role in Slayer started out as a tour and happened to come when I was taking time off from Exodus and I spoke to Kerry who asked if I could help out. I went down to rehearsal and Jeff showed me some things. I’ve known Jeff forever but it wasn’t until his memorial that I learned how much of his blessing I really had. At the end of the day, we all wanted Jeff to come back and then tragedy struck; so here we are five years later and Repentless is coming out and I think Jeff would have loved it. I’m super-excited. It’s a good feeling and I know it’s got to be a great feeling for Tom and Kerry for all the work they’ve done – and Paul as well. Everybody’s excited.”

Repentless marks the return of drummer Paul Bostaph, who was extremely enthusiastic.
“Before I was in the band I was a fan and just because I’m the drummer doesn’t mean I stop being a fan: it just means my tickets are cheaper. After I left in 2002 I never thought I’d be sitting on the drum throne with the band again. This particular style of music delivers something for me, musically and physically, that’s challenging and exciting. I feel better as a player and I’m more mature and the band is maturing and getting better, like fine wine. It feels natural to be back and it’s good to be back with Kerry and Tom. The San Francisco Bay-area metal scene is very tight knit: everybody knows everybody. I consider Slayer to be part of that even though they’re from Southern California. Gary I played together in Exodus and he’s amazing – one of the godfathers of thrash with Exodus – so it’s like coming home for me. And we’re having fun and I think if we weren’t having fun we wouldn’t be doing this.”

Repentless marks a number of transitions for the band but with their undisputed attitude, Slayer emerges triumphant, says Tom. “After 35 years, the thing that Kerry and I share is our dedication to the band, and Jeff’s included in that. It’s the same with Gary. He’s been doing this a long time and he’s had the same commitment. It’s a common bond we share with a lot of musicians out there. I’m really excited about the new album, we’ve put a lot of work into it, Kerry especially, and it was all for Slayer.”

Repentless is loaded with sensational songs, from the hyper-aggressive metallic blasts of the title track, “Take Control”, “Implode” and “Atrocity Vendor” to the ferocious thrash pounding of “Vices” “When The Stillness Comes” and “Pride In Prejudice” the album is Slayer through and through. For Paul Bostaph it’s simple: “The songs are awesome.”
Tom puts it bluntly, “This is definitely Slayer. No one will be disappointed with what we’ve done.”

For Kerry King, the feeling is mutual. “Musically for me – it’s certainly not an “I told ya so” because Jeff’s not a part of it – but I do know that a lot of people assumed Slayer’s not going to be functional with Dave not being here and Jeff never being here again. But we did it and it fuckin’ sounds like Slayer – period.”

Slayer's place in music history is secure as one of The Big Four (alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax): they helped define the thrash-metal genre. With Repentless Kerry, Tom, Paul and Gary affirm that Slayer is unstoppable. Slayer continues fearlessly, aggressively and without contrition; and most importantly, fucking Slayer still rules!

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