Avenged Sevenfold have issued the following update:

“I want our fans to know that with Jimmy in our hearts, our journey to record has officially began. Jimmy helped leave this world an amazing gift and now it’s our job to make sure to deliver that gift to our fans. We asked Jimmy’s all time favorite drummer Mike Portnoy to record on behalf of him. Mike said it would be an honor and without question that’s what Jim would have wanted. It’s comforting to us that someone like Mike, who is undoubtedly revered as one of the best drummers in the world, held such respect and adoration for the Rev’s abilities. Even though it will never be the same without our brother by our side, his essence lives in our hearts and through the music he helped create. He was a legend before any of the success or any of that bullshit and we are fucking excited to lay this down for our fans, and especially for Jimmy.”

Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan

For more information on Sullivan and the band go to this location.

Portnoy has issued the following statement:

“Even under normal circumstances, I would’ve been happy to help the guys out in any way I could as I think Avenged Sevenfold are a great band…but under these incredibly sad and tragic circumstances, I must say I am truly honored to have been asked to play with them…and I didn’t even have to think twice about saying yes.

These guys are a true family and it is an incredibly emotional experience to be here with them for the first time without their lost brother. But they have welcomed me into the family with open arms and there’s a real excitement to make the record they had set out to make…

Mike Portnoy

I am treating my participation on this album with the utmost respect for Jimmy’s memory and am remaining as true as possible to the drum parts that he wrote for the songs and the record he wanted to make.

I want their fans to realize that I’m not trying to step into or fill The Rev’s shoes…I’m just merely lacing em up for him!”

(From Bravewords.com)

Police have been searching for Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20, since she went missing from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia, on October 17.

According to findmorgan.com (a website founded by her family and friends to share info on her case), Harrington’s parents offered $US100,000 for the safe return of their daughter or for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for her disappearance.

An appeal issued on Metallica's website

Meanwhile, Metallica also added an additional $US50,000 to the reward, bringing it to $US150,000 for Morgan’s safe return or information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Morgan’s disappearance. An appeal was posted on metallica.com along with photos of Harrington, under the headline: “One Of Our Fans Is Missing” with descriptions of her physical traits: “blonde hair, blue eyes, a black Pantera t-shirt, black skirt and boots, not carrying ID or a cell phone”, and “was separated from her friends shortly before 9pm at the venue.” The band also asked fans to check if Harrington can be seen in their photos and video footage from the concert.

Morgan's brother's thank-you message to the band

However, the band has recently issued the following statement regarding the news that human remains discovered on January 26 on a southern Albermarle County, Virginia are confirmed to be those of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.

“We are profoundly saddened by the news of the discovery of Morgan Dana Harrington’s body. Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington… Sadly, Morgan’s body was found yesterday ending her family’s three-month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return.Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them. If you have any information at all about Morgan’s death, please contact the Virginia State Police.”

(Source: Collected)

He had played in a number of bands in Japan and the US before joining Saigon Rock. During his time in Vietnam, Ray also worked as a teacher and a sound/light technician.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tam – a close friend of Ray’s – he unexpectedly broke down while playing sports and couldn’t manage to get up on his feet again. Ray’s funeral ceremony is now being held at Vinh Nghiem pagoda.

Bassist Ray Bauer Tu on Military 7 stage - R.I.P

Some additional information from his friends reveal that the late rocker still kept his American citizenship while settling in Vietnam and has just got married to a local woman 4 months ago.

Our hearts go out to you and your beloveds. So long, Ray!

With over 40 releases to his name, Stringfellow has forged a reputation as one notable alternative rock/power-pop icon – an adaptable and prolific guitarist, who has played thousands of live shows in some 40 countries across six continents over the last 20 years, including headline slots from Glastonbury to Rio, both solo, as frontman of iconic Seattle rockers The Posies, and as a member of legendary acts such as R.E.M. and Big Star.

Show promo poster

Starting out with the formation of The Posies in the vibrant Seattle scene of the late 80s, Ken has since gone on to win popular and critical acclaim for his three solo studio albums, alongside live and studio performances with artists like Snow Patrol, Neil Young, Patti Smith, Mudhoney, Wilco, French singer Cali, The Afghan Whigs, Death Cab for Cutie, Lagwagon… and also, for his latest project named The Disciplines. From collaborations with Senegalese pop band WaFlash, Ecuadorian electronic duo Can Can, or Latvian art rockers Brainstorm, the diversity of Stringfellow’s work spans styles and crosses borders of every kind.

The Posies, whose songs "Love Comes" and "I Guess You're Right" feature as music samples for Windows Vista

Ken's new project - The Disciplines

Hot on the heels of dates in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines on his current Southeast Asian tour, Ken will be bringing his unique talents to HCMC and Hanoi, joining forces with local promoters C.A.M.A. and the Saigon Sound System for two intimate solo performances at HCMC’s CAGE and Hanoi Cinematheque (supported by local songsmith Joshua Lee) on January 28 and 30.

HCMC

Time: 21:00 Jan 28 2010

Venue: CAGE Bar, 3A Ton Duc Thang St., Dist. 1, HCMC

Cost: 150,000 Vnd (on the door only)

Hanoi:

Time: 20:00 Jan 30 2010

Venue: Hanoi Cinematheque, 22A Hai Ba Trung St., Hanoi

Cost: 100,000 Vnd (on the door only)

It all starts when Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal gets casted in a musical based on the concept album “Svartediket”, which was inspired by myths and legends of the lake Svartediket, located outside of Bergen, Norway. The “first-ever Black Metal Musical” is scheduled to premiere on May 26 at Festspillene I Bergen (Bergen International Festival), an annual international music and cultural festival. The event will be held at Bergen’s Den Nationale Scene, one of Norway’s oldest and most renowned theaters which was founded to develop Norwegian playwrights. But now, the artistic director – Bjarte Hjelmeland – of the renowned Norwegian Den Nationale Scene theater, is reconsidering his decision to cast the former black metal vocalist for the upcoming “Svartediket” production.

Gaahl

Gaahl’s casting has caused controversy in Norway, particularly as both Festspillene and Den Nationale Scene are heavily funded by the Norwegian state. Halvor Nordhaug, the Lutheran bishop in the diocese of Bjørgvin, seated in Bergen and covering parts of Western Norway, is especially concerned about Gaahl’s previously published statements to the media in which he appeared to condone and support church burnings.

After Gaahl’s involvement with the “Svartediket” musical was made official this week, the former Gorgoroth frontman once again reiterated that he views church burning as “acceptable”.

“I have left my past behind, but I still have an anti-Christian attitude,” Gaahl told the Bergens Tidende newspaper. “Christianity has no place in this country. As long as the church has the power it has and supports oppression, we shouldn’t give the church any sympathy. Therefore I don’t think it’s wrong if it [church burning] happens again. The symbolic value of burning down churches is important.”

With Gorgoroth

Responding to Gaahl’s remarks, Bishop Halvor Nordhaug told the Bergens Tidende newspaper, “Gaahl displays some scary attitudes by defending church burnings. He says nothing about the fact that human lives were lost during one of the church burnings in the 1990s. I think everybody, no matter what their religious beliefs are, agrees with me that his attitudes are scary, but it could still be possible that his role at Den Nationale Scene will provide him with some kind of legitimacy, which is unfortunate.”

Artistic director Bjarte Hjelmeland – who is now under pressure from both the clergy and the organization of Festspillene i Bergen – says he will travel to Oslo to have “a long talk” with Gaahl about his statements to the media before making a decision on whether to allow the singer to stay involved with the musical.

“It is important, both for me personally and on behalf of Den Nationale Scene, to completely distance ourselves from the attitudes Gaahl has expressed in the Bergens Tidende interview,” Hjelmeland says. “My beliefs are diametrically opposed to his. I pretty much grew up in church and consider myself a Christian. But I do not automatically dismiss people whose views I do not agree with.”

“I was not familiar with Kristian’s past when I hired him to do ‘Svartediket’. And I could not possibly have known that he would come out and publicly support these serious crimes. But the matter is not simple. We find ourselves in an ethical gray zone. It is difficult to invoke freedom of speech to defend Gaahl if his statements to Bergens Tidende can be interpreted as an incitement to criminal acts.”

(From Metalstorm.ee)

Fans of HRC elsewhere in the country can now be relieved as in the press conference, Mr. David Thai – director of Viet Thai International stated that they’ll keep expanding the business and will absolutely enter at least two more portals of the local market, namely Ha Noi and Da Nang, before 2012. And once again, a declaration of bringing world-class artists to Vietnam through HRC as well as introducing Vietnamese artists to the world was made, loud and clear.

The grand opening featured some amazing performances that totally excited the audiences, for example, the infamous guitar-smashing ritual held at the entrance of HRC. Below are photos taken from the conference and the opening party.

Guests answering questions from the press

"D.M.C." talked about his journey to find his birth mom and about Run D.M.C.'s contribution to the world's hiphop culture

McDaniels and Kasim signing t-shirts for fans

On the entrance of HRC

Ngo Thanh Van and Johnny Tri Nguyen

Let's rock this party!!!

Model Ha Anh

Guitar-smashing with American Hitmen, Kasim, "D.M.C." and the guests

American Hitmen - Hard Rock's veterans opened the stage

Kasim Hoang Vu in his rocking outfit - the first Vietnamese artist to perform at HRC

Kasim Hoang Vu stated to the press that in Vietnam there was hardly a place to unleash his passion to rock. The stadium experiences he always longs for are few and far between. He was happy that HRC entered the scene at last and it was like a dream come true to rock on such a stage.

Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels with his thrilling performance, featuring "Cat's in the cradle" by Harry Chaplin

Fans indulging themselves at the show

More info about Run D.M.C. can be viewed here.

Since its inception in 2005, MFR has raised over $3 million for the victims of the tsunami tragedy in Southeast Asia, hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Hanna, Gustav & Ike, Wildfires in Southern California, the 5.12 earthquake in China, and most lately, the Haiti’s earthquake. MFR also sent musicians and volunteers to help rebuild and donate supplies to people in need.

MFR helped plant over 810,000 trees to help reduce global warming

A fan at a charity event hosted by MFR

MFR has organized two benefit concerts featuring multi-platinum artists and celebrity guests. The first show took place on January 17, 2005 and included Tenacious D, Beck, Will Ferrell, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and Eddie Vedder. The second show took place on February 15, 2005 and included Story of the Year, The Crystal Method, Linkin Park, Camp Freddy, No Doubt, and Jurassic 5. On January 19, 2009 Linkin Park released a brand new song called “Not Alone”, included in a compilation of MFR to help donate for the victims of Haiti. Other artists featured in this album are Dave Matthews Band, Slash, Alanis Morissette, The All-American Reject, Hoobastank… A new website has also been launched for the project here where the complete compilation can be downloaded and donated.

MFR is calling for community consciousness over the Haiti's earthquake

“Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti,” Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington said in a statement sent to MTV News. “We pray that this initiative provides some relief and support to the survivors and hope we inspire our fans, friends and families to make donations as well.”

(Source: Wikipedia, Mtv.com)

The cover artwork for the two CDs (see below) was created by Thomas Ewerhard, who also worked on EDGUY’s “Hellfire Club” and AVANTASIA’s “The Scarecrow” albums.

The new artworks

So far Tobias has confirmed the following musicians to be part of the forthcoming AVANTASIA opus:

* Klaus Meine (SCORPIONS)

* Tim “Ripper” Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH)

* Eric Singer (KISS, ALICE COOPER)

* Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN)

* Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN, ARK, MILLENIUM)

* Bob Catley (MAGNUM)

* Sascha Paeth

* Felix Bohnke (EDGUY)

* Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY, SIEGES EVEN)

* Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X)

* Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, DIO, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN)

* André Matos (ANGRA, SHAAMAN, VIPER)

* Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD)

* Cloudy Yang

* Oliver Hartmann (AT VANCE, HARTMANN)

Regarding his decision to release the next AVANTASIA chapter in two separate CDs, Tobias said, “I have always given my very best, but this new chapter in AVANTASIA’s history is too much and too ambitious to be just a regular album. I have worked on it for years now, and it has become even more than two albums!”

“I knew that story would be spread out over two albums back then when we started working on it in 2006, ’cause we had written a real rock opera of over 20 songs even back then. But since then, we kept composing, and out came even bigger and better material.

“Looking at the music industry today with all the CD burning and downloading, I guess in the near future many of us traditional rock and metal bands won’t be able to spend such a production budget. I am afraid I won’t be able to afford so many guests and such a big production with orchestration and a choir and all that. That’s why this production takes so much time; it may be the last big epic I will be able to afford, and I want it to be the biggest piece I have worked on so far.”

Kiske has appeared on every AVANTASIA album so far, including the first two full-length releases, “The Metal Opera” (2001) and “The Metal Opera Pt. II” (2002).

On the topic of the new AVANTASIA album’s musical direction, Sammet recently stated, “We’ve got quite many songs, and it ranges from epic ballads to metal opera. From pop to hard rock to folk to speed metal. My best friend, who co-wrote the story of ‘The Metal Opera’ back then, just listened to some of the tracks and he said that it will blow people away and enchant AVANTASIA fans and it will surely piss people off… It’s just enchanting music. And these days honest and good music is kind of offending to some, that’s pretty sick, isn’t it? But as long as I get goose bumps hearing majestic music, I do not really care if I am fashionable or not.”

Tobias Sammet - AVANTASIA's mastermind

The most recent album from AVANTASIA, “The Scarecrow”, was one of the 20 best-selling albums in whole Europe during the fourth week of January 2008, according to a press release.

“The Scarecrow” was released on January 25, 2008 as a standard CD as well as rare picture (double) vinyl. It features a long list of guest musicians, including Bob Catley, ex-MASTERPLAN frontman Jorn Lande, ex-HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske, Alice Cooper, KISS drummer Eric Singer, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker and GAMMA RAY’s Kai Hansen. The album produced a Top 10 German hit single, “Lost In Space”, and entered the national charts in 15 countries, with the CD landing in the Top 10 in four countries.

(From Blabbermouth.net)

Utilising the artistic services of the celebrated introspect artist Travis Smith (Nevermore, Opeth, King Diamond, Amorphis, etc), this exquisite yet haunting cover artwork for Monolith is an immaculate fit to this follow-up album.

In Mourning

Monolith was recorded, mixed and mastered at Black Lounge Studio, Sweden (Carnal Forge, Scar Symmetry, Steel Attack, etc) once again with Scar Symmetry axe-man / engineer Jonas Kjellgren.

Monolith

Monolith tracklist:

01. For You To Know

02. Debris

03. The Poet And The Painter Of Souls

04. The Smoke

05. A Shade Of Plague

06. With You Came Silence

07. Pale Eye Revelation

08. The Final Solution (Entering The Black Lodge)

A preview for the entire album is available at this location. The album will be unleashed in Europe 25th of January, and in North American territories 16th of February.

The mini-site for Monolith is now launched and can be accessed at this location. Fans can finally hear the new album in its entirety, with high-quality streaming. The mini-site also includes essential information such as album tracklisting, band biography and as well as some photos and videos taken from the Monolith recording sessions.

The music in the teaser is from the opening track “For You To Know”.

(Source: Metalstorm.ee)

To give rockfans more insights about the single “Mat Ngot” (“Honey”) as well as the band’s forthcoming “Look”, RockPassion (RP) pulled off a short interview with the guys.

Thrash metal band - T.I.T.A.N.I.U.M

RP: Hello, Titanium! Can you tell us more about your new single “Mat Ngot”?

Titanium: This is one the very first songs we composed at the beginning stage of the band.The song is about self-pressure when facing bad things or “being cheated”, about promises being breached and feelings of disappointment when realizing the reality is not like these “sweet” words, and blaming yourself and accepting “the state of innocence” with no choice except for waiting for time to expose every truth.

RP: How was the song called “Mat Ngot”, is there any hidden message in it that made a “sweet” name like that?

Titanium: Well…sometimes, you have to face it, smile at it even when you’re cheated. It’s all about life or, whatever.

RP: Is releasing this single a signal for an upcoming album?

Titanium: Exactly, this is also Titanium’s new year gift to everybody.

Titanium is always hard on stage

RP: How did you prepare to present your music product?

Titanium: Actually, the recording process has finished since 2008, but we have changed the cover design 4 times and re-recorded twice. Despite having recorded over and over again, the result still couldn’t manage to satisfy our standards. So in late 2009, we decided to re-record for one last time with the help from Mr. Tung (Microwave).

RP: And who is the main composer and finisher for all the songs in the album?

Titanium: The lyrics and the ideas are prepared and oriented to the members by vocalist Cuong Em. The band then will work together and perfect the musical part of each song.

RP: Why “Look”? Anything more you want to reveal?

Titanium: Well, the album means simply “Look”. It features 12 songs. The artwork and tracklist will be revealed when we finish all the sections and officially announce the release. There will be a lot of surprises in this album. Hope it’ll be given its birth certificate soon for you guys to grasp. Throughout the album are songs with social themes but the most “special gift” is the 12th track. You’re gonna see a totally different Titanium in it.

RP: When can we get a hold of this new album?

Titanium: Linh – Titanium’s producer is finishing the mastering process and everything is ready now. We’re only waiting for the authorization. We’re to make like, 1,000 limited edition copies with ordinal numbers and… just wait and see.

RP: Any new year wishes from Titanium ?

Titanium: We wish you rock folks anything you want!

We RockPassion wish Titanium a new year full of health and success!

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