Queensryche Members For Queensryche Cover Band? Huh?
So what’s going on with Queensryche, eh? First there were rumours of a knife fight in Brazil (although I hear from Highly Placed Individuals that that was a slight exaggeration), now four fifths of the band have formed a new band called Rising West with Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre to play Queensryche songs and record new material. La Torre does an exceptional Geoff Tate impression, as you can hear from some videos he posted on YouTube. Meanwhile Tate has finished recording his second solo album, and Queensryche still has gigs booked throughout the year which they intend to play with Tate. Their latest album Dedicated To Chaos was pretty cool if you liked Tate’s solo album (and I do), but it didn’t sit well with hardcore Rycheans. Maybe the band members just need to recharge their batteries and get some stuff off their chests creatively before reconvening.
The New Rush Album Is Upon Us!
The wait is nearly over! This Friday Roadrunner Records Australia releases Clockwork Angels, the new Rush album (y’know, that band who has sold more than 40 million albums yet never seemed to get much of a push in Australia until signing with Roadrunner). Three songs have been released from the album over the last few years (BU2B, Caravan and Headlong Flight) and it sounds like this is gonna be a great diverse album. Hopefully it’ll sell a billion copies and they’ll finally book an Australian tour for the first time in their career.
New Fear Factory Out This Week!
The new Fear Factory album The Industrialist is also out this week, via Riot. This one may turn a few heads because it features only Dino Cazares and Burton C Bell (along with producer Rhys Fulber): Dino plays bass and he programmed the drums. As Dino told renowned gear magazine Mixdown, it’s not as much of a departure as you might think: “Over the years we’ve used drum machines on certain songs and certain albums, and even though we’ve had live drummers we have edited the drums to be like a machine, and we’ve changed the sounds to machine sounds. So either way it would not have made a difference if we used live drums or not. It would have been the same outcome. People are kind of shocked by it, like they didn’t realise that’s part of our schtick. That’s who we are. It’s what we do!” But Dino remains coy on the exact drum program used on the album. “Oh I don’t want to promote any kind of drum program that doesn’t give it to us free,” he laughed.
Gig Alert: Contrive
Melbourne power trio Contrive recently completed a run of shows supporting the Cavalera Conspiracy, and now they’re writing the follow-up to 2010’s The Internal Dialogue. Catch them live with The Eternal, King Of The North, and Crying Sirens this Friday June 8th at The Prague, Melbourne. They’ll be on stage at 10:30pm.
Paul Reed Smith Himself Presents Electric Mary & Toehider
Paul Reed Smith, founder of PRS Guitars, is in Australia this week and he’ll be personally presenting a night of great guitar work featuring Electric Mary and Toehider at Northcote Social Club on Wednesday June 6. Paul will speak before each of the acts, and if you’re a guitar fan it’s a great chance to hear some words from one of the real visionaries, as well as to hear some killer music. Tickets are $10.
Gig Alert: Empire
Empire (formerly Dead Lovers Lane) have just released their first video and will have an EP out over the coming months, and this week they’re hitting up Yah Yah’s for the second time this year to tear the place apart on Friday June 8. Along for the ride is Sydney band Hearts Like Wolves who are coming off the back of supports with Hand of Mercy and Northlane. Supporting on June are The Grace of Graves and City of Sirens. Tickets are $12 and doors are at 8.30pm.
4ARM Books US Tour
4ARM has booked their first ever tour of the USA (the Zombie Apocalypse Tour in July). Also along for the ride are fellow Aussies Deprivation as well as Casket For Cassandra and Prey For Sleep. 4ARM released their third album Submission For Liberty in February this year.
Gig Alert: Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13 (pictured) is returning to Australia in October, and his Melbourne show is tantalisingly close to Halloween. He’s playing at The Espy on Saturday October 27. Tickets on sale Friday June 8 at 9am via oztix.com.au.
Firewind Hopes To Come To Oz
Check out the new Firewind album Few Against Many. It’s a bit more straightforward metal this time around, and it rocks. I interviewed guitarist Gus G recently and he said the band really wants to play Australia later this year or early next. So if you’d like to see them down here, spread the word!
Gig Alert: Billy Talent
Canada’s Billy Talent are at Billboard The Venue on Sunday August 12. They missed Australia on their last album cycle so they wanted to make sure we were one of the first places they hit up on their upcoming world tour.
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