KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Bassist On RONNIE JAMES DIO, Diminishing Record Sales

Cosmos Gaming conducted an interview with bassist Mike D'Antonio of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at last month's Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Cosmos Gaming: In reference to where you came from musically, do you feel like your music has changed at all?

Mike D'Antonio: I guess we went about it in a roundabout way. We were all in separate bands that played 10-minute songs that played 30-40 riffs per song and we didn't have any fans. So we took a step back and said "What would promote a person walking into a venue and seeing us for the first time — loving or hating us — but just knowing right away rather than having to listen to a song 30-40 times to understand what was going on?" So the original idea of the band was to strip things down but I guess that was also the rock way of doing things because it helped us get onto the radio. But it was never anything that we were strived to do.

Cosmos Gaming: We assume you'll be doing your traditional DIO cover tonight, are you planning on doing anything special considering his recent passing?

Mike D'Antonio: Umm, we will dedicate the set to Dio. It was a really sad thing. He was one of the few older guys who could still put it on every day despite his age. It's sad to see such great talent lost but we're not going to do anything special besides just sending it out to him.

Cosmos Gaming: Is there any reason why you initially chose "Holy Diver" vs. any other song?

Mike D'Antonio: The original idea for the cover was Kerrang! magazine was doing a 25th or 30th anniversary edition of the magazine and were putting out a CD of current metal bands covering old school metal bands and there was a long list of bands from like BON JOVI to POISON to DIO and even WEEZER who were thrown in there which was kind of weird but they had the artists and then the songs that were possibilities that the bands could choose from and we had chosen DIO just based on our love for the guy and his band who put out some pretty great metal songs and albums over the years. Not necessarily something that'll be on the radio, but great metal songs nonetheless. And the song they originally wanted us to do "We Rock" but we'd always been big fans of "Holy Diver" so we went to them and there was a bit of back and forth and we just asked if we could do "Holy Diver" and they eventually said "Sure, why not?!" That's why we initially recorded the cover, because we normally don't do or record covers. We're not the kind of band who wants to get known but just recording a bunch of covers. We were just happy to do it and it ended up turning out really well. It was also the first time we'd seen our singer sing-sing a song throughout the entire thing and we weren't entirely sure if he could pull it off because there's a lot of falsetto in Dio's songs so it was cool to see him actually do it.

Cosmos Gaming: Do you feel that by covering "Holy Diver" that it brought a whole new generation to love Dio's music?

Mike D'Antonio: I'd like to hope so. It'd be great to know that. Some of those older guys were suffering a bit to the end of their careers so it would be great for them to gain a bit more respect. Some 14-year-old who doesn't know anything about music can kind of grow into it and learn to love his music. Kids need to find their way somewhere along the lines whether it's by us showing them what good music is or other bands playing songs like that, you know.

Cosmos Gaming: Whom do you blame for the downfall of record sales?

Mike D'Antonio: A lot of it unfortunately has to do with the Internet and songs being available for free but I guess it's just because it's such a new thing that's going on so people haven't figured out how to corral it back into the way it should be. Songwriters need to make money, too. I guess the next step would probably be music services sort of like in the old days where you'd put a penny in an envelope along with one of those old RCA lists where you check off 10 CDs and stuff and I guess that'll come into play and Rhapsody where you pay a certain fee and then get whatever you want. The unfortunate part is that no one owns anything anymore. You're paying the same amount of money but you do not physically own anything.

Dream Thearter Vocalist Talks About Upcoming Solo Album

BlissfulViolet of Beyond The Dark Horizon recently conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: Is there been a certain process or routine that DREAM THEATER follows to prepare before a tour? How do you prepare vocally to keep your voice in tact?

James LaBrie: Everyone has their own way of preparing for tours and shows aside from rehearsal. I jog every day, take a lot of vitamins get plenty of sleep. I warm up before the show and cool down after. I drink a lot of liquids, don't drink or smoke. All these things help me keep my voice in top shape.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: And what's amazing is the fact that you have been singing since childhood.

James LaBrie: My family always found a way to get me involved with music. I was listening to music since the age of three and singing since the age of five-that's for sure. According to my parents, I would always sit next to a radio and one day just started singing the lyrics to the songs that I knew. I remember putting on albums and I mean "albums," LPs [laughs] and singing songs because I loved it. I fell in love with it from the very beginning.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: What was it like growing up in Canada and coming from a family with a great musical background?

James LaBrie: My father used to sing and dance at a small local theater, my mother played piano, she still does, a little guitar as well. Her whole family and sisters would all sing. But my dad also sang in barbershop quartet, was in the church choir, so he'd even bring me there to sing with him. He also brought me along to the barbershop quartets, which were pretty cool because you were really able to focus on the sound of your voice compared to others, and really get a good feel from where you're coming from as a vocalist.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: Are your children musically inclined as well?

James LaBrie: Absolutely. My son plays guitar and my daughter sings and studies; she's doing fantastic and has a lovely voice. They're both extremely involved with music and listen to it all the time — whether they're in their bedrooms or walking around with an iPod, music is a huge part of their lives.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: DREAM THEATER has always been a band that never repeats itself. Where does your latest release, "Black Clouds and Silver Linings", take you?

Jame LaBrie: With that being said, we always want to challenge ourselves and strive to take us in a direction that's expressing ourselves musically but differently. I think with this album, it was really cool because it was kind of like a toss back with some of our musical roots. There are songs on there that sound like they might be from the "A Change of Seasons" and the "Awake" era. Even off the "Scenes of a Memory" with the song, "The Count of Tuscany". I think it was a really cool, very contemporary sounding album but still remaining true and maintaining our identity.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: Aside from DREAM THEATER, you recently announced the release of your new solo album, any details on that?

James LaBrie: It's going to be called "Static Pulse" and there will be 12 songs, on the album. It's very heavy and I'm really excited. I don't want to say too much about it at this point but were in the mixing stages and all the artwork is being done. It's a great band and we have fantastic players. It should be out by mid/late September.

Beyond the Dark Horizon: Do you plan to tour in support?

James LaBrie: I'm planning on touring in support but not too much since I'm always touring with DREAM THEATER. I would like everyone to know that this is a band, a unit and everyone involved is very passionate and serious about this and I think it would be exceptionally cool to get out on the road and do stuff on our own, but at the same time it would be a great idea to open up for a bigger band. We would basically do an in-your-face balls-to-the-wall-and-see-you-later deal.

Beyond The Dark Horizon: Being DREAM THEATER's frontman for 20 years, at the end of the day, what does the band and your work as a vocalist mean to you?

James LaBrie: It's kind of weird. You wake up, speak to people like I'm speaking to you and realize that it's the very thing that has given me the life that I have and it's who I am. It's bizarre in a way. You do fall into a groove and it's like anything that you've done for awhile — it just becomes the norm. But every now and then, I am jarred by the whole situation; I'm like, "Hey, I sing for a living. I'm doing want many people dream of doing, I'm living it." I think it really hits you when you go out on tour and perform before thousands of people. The energy and receptiveness of the crowd makes you realize what you do for people, it's just incredible and I'm much honored to be part of something that I always aspired to be.

In This Moment Frontwoman Talks New Album

101 Distribution recently conducted an interview with vocalist Maria Brink of Southern California's IN THIS MOMENT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

101 Distribution: Cool. So Jesse Landry left the bass position recently.

Maria Brink: Yea. Kyle [Konkiel] is our new bassist and Jesse is no longer in the band, but it was a good thing. It was a mutual thing. He wanted to fly airplanes and it's so funny because he's been sitting in the bunk for the past year — while we're on tour — doing these flight simulating video games and it's so funny because we'd make fun of him. But he actually made the choice that he wanted to fly airplanes and he is flying airplanes now by himself, and getting more licenses so he can actually be a pilot.

101 Distribution: So you guys recently recorded the new album entitled "A Star-Crossed Wasteland". How do you feel about it?

Maria Brink: I love our new album so much. I think it's a defining album, as far as our sound is concerned. I think in the beginning, we were trying to figure it out and exploring different things, and I think on this album, we kinda found what our sound is. I guess the last album ("The Dream") was a lot more bright and [had] a storybook album feel, and this album went to a darker fairytale ... definitely a darker realm.

101 Distribution: What was your inspiration this time around?

Maria Brink: A few different things. For me, the way I like to do things ... I love storytelling, but I like to write about things that are super-passionate to me because I feel like if I'm not writing about things that I believe in — my personal feelings, [then] you won't really hear the emotion in my voice and to me, that's one of the most important things I can have. So what I did was I wrote about my experiences and kinda this metaphorical story type thing. There is definitely an underlying theme for this whole entire album of this post-apocalyptic wasteland world and "star-crossed lovers" is obviously where these two people are meant to basically fail and it's not gonna work out, so it's this star-crossed wasteland world. It's a cool theme ... kinda like a western desert feel to the songs about this cowboy on the search in this world. It's super cool, super fun and big metaphors of things I'm going through in my life. I went through a break-up and a broken heart, and a bunch of other stuff, so it's storytelling throughout my entire experiences.

101 Distribution: You said you broke up with your boyfriend. Is this the one you've been dating for like two or three years?

Maria Brink: Yeah. Jonathan Miller from DEVILDRIVER.

101 Distribution: So you're on the market now?

Maria Brink: (Laughs) I'm single, yes.

101 Distribution: Goodness gracious! A lot of guys are gonna hit on you at the Rockstar Mayhem Festival!

Maria Brink: You know, you say that, but men do not hit on me. It's so rare and few that men actually hit on me, whether or not they're intimidated because I'm in a heavy band or my tattoos - whatever it is. I actually rarely ever get hit on. Isn't that funny? People think I do, but I actually don't. I guess the men who are meant to be a part of my life won't be intimidated by me and will be stronger. There's a specific breed that won't be afraid. The man who is meant to be with me won't b afraid of me, so it's gonna take a strong man to step up the plate.

101 Distribution: "The Gun Show" is the first single. Tell me about the video and what was the idea behind releasing that song first?

Maria Brink: It's kind of a western ranch feel video for sure. I dressed up as a cowgirl and have these cowgirls in the video with me. We had so much fun doing it. It's just, I think it's one of the heaviest songs and we really love it, and it's just a fun, awesome, summertime kick ass song. It's pretty brutal because we wanted to come out with a serious bang and our next single would be our radio type single. This one isn't for radio. It's too heavy, but we decided to make an impact, kicking down the door and lighting up the place!

SpineShank: More Video Footage From The Studio Posted Online

The reactivated original lineup of SPINESHANK — featuring Jonny Santos (vocals), Tommy Decker (drums), Mike Sarkisyan (guitar) and Rob Garcia (bass) — recently entered Mid City Sound studios in Burbank, California to begin laying down some of its newest material, tentatively due before the end of the year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

The third in a series of video blogs featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the current recording sessions can be viewed below.

SPINESHANK in 2008 posted a new track, "Born Conform Repent", on the band's MySpace page. Other new songtitles include "I Am Damage", "Anger Denial Acceptance" and "The Reckoning".

On the subject of SPINESHANK's current musical direction, Tommy previously said, "First of all, you don't have to worry about us abandoning our sound; there will be plenty of electronics/loops/synths on this record. Jonny is also singing better than he ever has, so there will be a ton of singing and melody as well. This will definitely be heavier than our previous albums but it will not be all bashing. I can wholeheartedly promise you that we will not be trying to be anything we are not. This is simply going to be SPINESHANK [several] years later. There will be a few new elements but it will be undeniably us (for better or worse!!!)."

SPINESHANK's third and last album, "Self-Destructive Pattern", was released on September 9, 2003. The album's lead single, "Smothered", was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Metal Performance".

Following his departure from SPINESHANK, Santos formed SILENT CIVILIAN, which released its debut album, "Rebirth of the Temple", in May 2006. A follow-up effort, "Ghost Stories", came out on May 18 via Mediaskare/Century Media.

Winterhorde Signs With Twilight-Vertrieb

Israeli melodic extreme metallers WINTERHORDE have inked a deal with Germany's Twilight-Vertrieb. The band's second album, "Underwatermoon", will be released in Europe on July 30.

Commented bassist Sascha "Celestial" Latman: "We're happy to be a part of Twilight family. Those guys are hard-working bunch of professionals and I'm sure that this co-operation will be fruitful."

"Underwatermoon", a conceptual album based on the story written by WINTERHORDE's bass player and co-founder Celestial, was recorded partly with German producer V. Santura (DARK FORTRESS, TRYPTIKON, OBSCURA) and Morgenrrot, WINTERHORDE's keyboards player. The CD was mixed and mastered by V. Santura at Woodshed Studio in Germany. The artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes of Abstrata Studio (ARCH ENEMY, OLD MAN'S CHILD, KRISIUN).

Commented Celestial: "'Underwatermoon' represents more-than-an-hour epic extreme metal art, blended with prog rock nostalgia and death-cold touch of North Atlantic Ocean. A must have for every open-minded metalhead who needs hunting journey through emotions in his metal."

"Underwatermoon" track listing:

01. The Shell
02. Wreckages Ghost
03. Underwatermoon
04. Hunting the Human
05. Execution
06. And Flames Wept to Heaven
07. The Curse of Gypsy
08. Delirium
09. Tenth Wave
10. Smoke Figures
11. The Martyr and Deliverance
12. Farewell

The debut WINTERHORDE album, "Nebula", was released in 2006 via Greece's Burning Star Records.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/winterhorde.

Apocalyptica Interviewed By Nikki Sixx; Audio Available

Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA were interviewed on "Sixx Sense", the new national radio program hosted by MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, at the fourth annual Rock On The Range festival, which was held May 22-23 in Columbus, Ohio. You can now listen to the chat below.

"Sixx Sense" airs nationwide from 7 p.m. to 12 p.m.

A complete list of radio stations carrying the show can be found at this location.

APOCALYPTICA will release its seventh studio album, "7th Symphony", on August 23. The majority of the album was produced by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, BAD RELIGION), with two other songs produced by Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH).

The CD's first single, "End Of Me", features Gavin Rossdale, best known as the vocalist of the British alternative rock band BUSH. The album also features a number of other notable guest performances: SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo plays on "2010", "Bring Them To Light" features Joseph Duplantier, singer and guitarist of the French death metal band GOJIRA, "Broken Pieces" is a cooperation with FLYLEAF singer Lacey Sturm and "Not Strong Enough" is sung by Brent Smith (SHINEDOWN).

Willy Ehmann, Senior Vice President Sony Music Domestic GSA, states: "We are very proud that APOCALYPTICA, one of the most innovative bands in the rock genre, is going to release its new album via Sony Music again — another of the band's excellent albums, that will once again not only include classical APOCALYPTICA elements but also a host of most interesting collaborations."

During their career, which began in 1996 with the release of the album "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos", cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, Perttu Kivilaakso and rummer Mikko Sirén have so far released six albums across seventy countries. The band have sold more than four million copies worldwide. The last two longplayers — "Apocalyptica" (2005) and "Worlds Collide" (2007) — made it into the Top Ten in most of the European album charts. On top of that, "Worlds Collide" also scored the band’s first entry into the U.S. Billboard chart.

APOCALYPTICA's albums achieved gold or platinum status in virtually every European country.

The band is set to promote the release of the new album with a worldwide tour in 2010 and beyond.

Fan-filmed video footage of APOCALYPTICA performing a brand new song, "Beautiful", on March 20, 2010 in Oulu, Finland and then again on March 28, 2010 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine can be viewed below.

APOCALYPTICA is:

Eicca Toppinen - Cello
Paavo Lötjönen - Cello
Perttu Kivilaakso - Cello
Mikko Sirén - Drums

Essence Completes Work On Debut Album

Up-and-coming Aalborg, Denmark-based thrashers ESSENCE have completed work on their debut album, "Lost in Violence", at Medley Studios (ARTILLERY, PRINCE, RADIOHEAD, MARY J. BLIGE, KELLY CLARKSON, THE CARDIGANS) in Copenhagen. The CD was produced and mixed by Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Dave Mustaine, Mike Tramp) and mastered by Nikolaj Vinten at Vinten Mastering (COLDPLAY, D-A-D, DIZZY MIZZ LIZZY). The cover artwork was created by Justin Osbourn from Slash Design (ABORTED, SUICIDE SILENCE, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, MAROON, SKELETONWITCH) and can be viewed below.

"Lost in Violence" track listing:

01. Allegiance
02. Unlimited Chaos
03. Pestilence
04. Blood Culture
05. Night's Destruction
06. Oblivion
07. Shades of Black
08. Trace of Terror
09. Lost in Violence
10. Aggressive Attack

The song "Pestilence" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.