MK ULTRA

RAMMSTEIN are putting the finishing touches on their long-awaited new album for an early 2019 release. The follow-up to 2009’s “Liebe Ist Für Alle Da” will be mixed at a Los Angeles studio beginning in mid-December with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe spoke about the band’s upcoming disc while promoting “A Million Degrees”, the upcoming third effort from his EMIGRATE side project. Saying that he was “very proud” of the new RAMMSTEIN album, Kruspe told France’s United Rock Nations that the record was “almost finished,” with only “last touch-ups, like small things here and there,” remaining to be done.

Asked about the musical direction of the new RAMMSTEIN music, Kruspe said: “To me, the process of doing this record was something that I’m very happy with, because we’ve managed to gain a certain kind of respect back that we have lost in the past. It also kind of reminded me, the way that we are the moment, as the beginning from RAMMSTEIN. So, music-wise, I think it’s richer when it comes to harmonies and melodies. That was also something that I was trying to do, because in the past, every time you talked about RAMMSTEIN, it’s all about this big burden about the show and the fire. Nobody really talks about the music, which is, to me, as a [music] writer, kind of a slap in your face. It was also important to me that we kind of step up, music-wise, in a way. It’s almost like RAMMSTEIN 3D, I would describe it.”

Kruspe said that there are no plans for EMIGRATE to tour in support of “A Million Degrees”, explaining that “I really don’t have the time for that. I’m going to Los Angeles in the middle of December to mix the RAMMSTEIN record,” he said. “After that, we [RAMMSTEIN] are in the middle of tour preparation, and then we’re gonna be on tour for the next three years. So first of all, there’s no time, but even if there were time at the moment, I like the balance that I have with the EMIGRATE project and RAMMSTEIN.”

 
RAMMSTEIN recently announced a batch of summer 2019 European tour dates. The run of stadium and arena shows will kick off on May 27 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and end of August 23 in Vienna, Austria.

In 2016 and 2017, RAMMSTEIN played a number of concerts where the band opened each show with a brand new song, presently only known as “Ramm 4”. The track contained lyrics that seemed to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

A number of community members gathered in Midland, Texas Friday night to “pray” over GHOST’s upcoming concert in the city. They were there to “plead the blood of Christ” out of their concern that the Swedish metal band was bringing dark spiritual influences into the area.

GHOST, known for its overt Satanic themes and face-concealing masks and costumes, is scheduled to perform at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center on Monday (November 19), and Midland pastor Larry Long, who took part in the gathering, told “The Morning Show With Craig Anderson” on the KWEL AM 1070 FM 107.1 radio station that he was was surprised to find out that the venue had agreed to book the outfit.

“I was in a prayer group yesterday afternoon, so I didn’t learn about it until yesterday morning; I saw a Facebook post from a friend of mine,” Long said (hear audio below). “But it was during the time that we were spending in prayer, a group of us, that it [was] just really impressed upon me that we need to speak out against this. I don’t know that we can stop the band from coming — I don’t know how that works — but this is very concerning to me. And I’m not so much concerned about the band as I am about the fact that Wagner Noël didn’t have better sense than to sign this band. What are those people thinking? Are they a part of our community? Do they care what the majority of our community might think about something like that. It’s quite remarkable to me that they would even sign a band like that.”

The pastor admitted that he was bothered by some of the messages that are included in GHOST’s lyrics. “Sure, I’m concerned about the content of the band,” he said. “We have a freedom of religion in America, which means a freedom of irreligion and anti-Christian faith, if that’s what people want to do. And so, from that sense, yes, the band bothers me. But I’m not in favor of outlawing the band per se; what I’m in favor is finding out from Wagner Noël what in the world they’re thinking… I don’t know what Wagner Noël can do once they sign that contract, but for Heaven’s sakes, they need better sense than this. And I think the community should be alarmed about it. This is not healthy for our community. Because we Christians believe the devil is real, so when you have a devil-worshipping band… And I’m sure the band believes the devil’s real; I doubt that they’re just doing this as a part of their shtick for music and music they produce and so on. And if you were to read some of the lyrics of their songs, they’re really quite disturbing.”

 
Long went on to relay a GHOST-related story that he had come across on the Internet that, in his view, demonstrated just how infernal the band’s mission is.

“Here’s something interesting that I read when I was doing some research on the band,” he said. “When they came to America and went to Nashville to cut their album, they couldn’t find anybody that would sing with them on their album, because the content of their music is so demonic. So they had trouble finding people to sing. Here’s the funny thing: they couldn’t cut their album in Nashville, so they had to travel out to California to find people to be willing to sing the devil’s music. [Laughs]”

Asked by host Craig Anderson to address some of the specific lyrical themes that are covered on GHOST’s albums that he has taken issue with, the pastor said: “There’s [a] song about… What’s it called? ‘Satan’s Hammer’? Something about a hammer. And it talks about the fact that the person singing the song is seeking a relationship with the devil. And if young people go to a concert like this and they think it’s all just good fun — kind of like Halloween, so to speak — and so, ‘This is all just good fun,’ and ‘Don’t make such a big deal out of it,’ I think if they’re singing along to those lyrics, who knows what in the world they’re opening their hearts and lives up to?”

Long also talked about GHOST’s image, which revolves around leader Tobias Forge — who played the role of Papa Emeritus, a satanic, anti-pope iconoclast with a zombie-like face, over the course of three albums before Cardinal Copia emerged as the leader prior to the band’s most recent LP, “Prequelle” — backed by an anonymous cast of creatures who all wear black and their faces are completely obstructed by large masks with demonic-looking horns.

“The main band leader goes by the name of Tobias; whether or not that’s his real name, who knows?” Long said. “And then the rest of ’em go by ‘ghoulish horde’ or something like that. Of course, you see this kind of stuff and you say, ‘Well, how much of this…? Do they understand?’ I think that they understand all of it. I think that they are doing this intentionally, and I think they really do worship the devil, because I believe… as a Christian, as a biblical Christian, I believe the devil’s real. So I imagine maybe some people listening right now would say, ‘Oh, you guys are getting overblown with this,’ and those kinds of things. Well, you would only think that if you didn’t think the devil was real.”

Several community members told CBS7 they reached out to the Wagner Noël, but did not get their questions answered.

The performing arts center released a statement to CBS7 saying: “Shock rock has been a part of the heavy metal landscape from the early days of Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson. Each performer bringing to the stage their own version of a cruel world. GHOST, with their album’s No. 3 spot on the Billboard charts, is continuing in those metal bands’ footsteps.”

The statement continues: “The venue is dedicated to offering a variety of performances that appeal to different audiences.”

JOHN 5 and The Creatures – comprised of world-renowned guitarist JOHN 5, bassist Ian Ross and drummer Logan Miles Nix – are following up on this year’s live album release, It’s Alive!, with a brand new full-length studio album coming in 2019! The new album, entitled Invasion, will be teased on New Year’s Day 2019 by way of a brand new music video for the new track “Zoinks!”, inspired by Scooby-Doo! Directed by Matt Zane with animation from Disney animator Brett Broggs (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph), the video will also feature the voice acting talents of Nikki Sixx, Susan Olsen (known for her role as Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch), and Fred Coury. Coury also is credited for scoring the video alongside JOHN 5. The video will be premiered via JOHN 5’s YouTube channel.

Fans should stay tuned for the video coming on New Year’s Day! The official release date for Invasion will be announced in 2019.

Invasion was produced and mixed by Barry Pointer, and will be released via a series of music videos, just as JOHN 5 released his 2017 studio album, Season of the Witch.

In celebration of the upcoming album, JOHN 5 and The Creatures will kick off the second leg of his North American Invasion Tour on February 23, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV. The tour will feature support from blues-rock guitarist Jared James Nichols.

JOHN 5 says, “Get ready for the Invasion tour! I will be playing some songs from my new record, Invasion, a brand new medley, and much more. I’m really excited to have Jared James Nichols out with us. This tour is something you’re not going to want to miss!”

Jared James Nichols adds, “As a young budding guitarist, I grew up with a Guitar World cut out picture of JOHN 5 on my bedroom wall. He was always one of my ‘Guitar heroes’. He is the total package… insane technique, amazing musicality, with a style and look all of his own. Needless to say, when I got the call for this tour, my jaw dropped. I’m absolutely honored to warm up the stage for him every night across America and Canada. I’m getting my chops ready to tear it up!”

See below for all confirmed tour dates. Tickets are available now via individual venues, and VIP packages will be available soon exclusively via www.john-5.com/store.

JOHN 5 and The Creatures Invasion tour dates:
2/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ Count’s Vamp’d
2/24 – San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
2/26 – Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
3/1 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s
3/2 – San Antonio, TX @ Rock Box
3/3 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
3/5 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live
3/6 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
3/7 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
3/9 – Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi
3/10 – Akron, OH @ Empire Concert Club
3/12 – Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
3/13 – New York, NY @ Iridium
3/14 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
3/15 – Teaneck, NJ @ Debonair Music Hall
3/16 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s
3/18 – New Bedford, MA @ Vault at Greasy Luck
3/20 – Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti Bar & Spectacles
3/21 – Montreal, QC @ Piranha
3/22 – Ottawa, ON @ The Brass Monkey
3/23 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
3/24 – London, ON @ Rum Runners
3/26 – Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks
3/27 – Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramids
3/28 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
3/29 – Calgary, AB @ Dickens
3/30 – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite
3/31 – Vancouver, BC @The Rickshaw Theater
4/2 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
4/3 – Portland, OR @ Dantes
4/5 – Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver
4/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Whisky

About JOHN 5:

 
JOHN 5 has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. Slash has called JOHN 5, “one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around” and Rob Zombie has dubbed him “a fucking shredder”. JOHN 5 has released seven solo albums to date, as well as a remix album, and has written music for the likes of Avril Lavigne, Garbage, Ricky Martin and others.

JOHN 5 and The Creatures is:
JOHN 5 – guitars
Ian Ross – bass
Logan Miles Nix – drums

JOHN 5 online:
www.john-5.com
www.facebook.com/John5official
www.twitter.com/john5guitarist
www.instagram.com/john5official

Rising stars of Japan’s metal scene LOVEBITES will release their sophomore full-length album, “Clockwork Immortality”, on December 7 via Arising Empire. The official music video for the disc’s first single, “Rising”, can be seen above.

“Rising” is available as an instant gratification track on iTunes ahead of the album’s physical release. The track was written by the band’s guitarist and pianist Miyako, who was also the main composer for half of the album.

Miyako comments: “One of the key sections to ‘Rising’ is a piano and vocal part in the middle, I used this piece to pay my respects to Chopin. If you listen carefully, you may be able to notice it. I believe this song will be one of LOVEBITES’ defining tracks.”

LOVEBITES leader and bassist Miho adds: “‘Clockwork Immortality’ features the strongest, most powerful elements of our second EP, ‘Battle Against Damnation’, with the speedy and melodic elements of our debut album, ‘Awakening From Abyss’. This is the evolution of LOVEBITES so far. I would be happy if you can feel the power overflowing from each song.”

“Clockwork Immortality” includes ten new recordings and sees Finnish engineer supremoes Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila return to mixing and mastering duties, respectively. It is the same team responsible for working on releases from CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHTWISH and STRATOVARIUS, among many others.

The album’s spectacular artwork, featuring a wolf smashing through an hourglass, also sees the return of Spanish creative forces David López Gómez and Carlos Vincente León. The pair had worked on the cover art of LOVEBITES’ previous two releases, as well as HELLOWEEN’s 30th anniversary book “Hellbook” and single “Pumpkins United”.

LOVEBITES consists of Asami (vocals), Miho (bass), Haruna (drums), Midori (guitars) and Miyako (guitars/keyboard). The LOVEBITES sound owes a debt to the many great overseas heavy metal bands that have directly influenced their writing. Coupled with their own unique take on music, taking a piece from each member’s eclectic background and experiences, everything has culminated into forging a truly formidable group.

Last fall, Asami, Haruna, Midori, Miho and Miyako performed their first overseas live show in London. On the heels of this success, the all-female band won the “Best New Band” award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in June 2018. LOVEBITES released its second mini album, “Battle Against Damnation”, that same month, and followed it up with appearances at Wacken Open Air in Germany and Bloodstock Open Air in the U.K.

LOVEBITES’ first European tour kicked off on November 13 and will include stops in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the U.K.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, rock artists responded on Monday (November 12) to the death of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, who passed away that morning at the age of 95 after being rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Lee was born as Stanley Lieber in Manhattan on December 28, 1922. He went to work as a teenager at Timely Comics, the forerunner of what briefly became Atlas Comics and then Marvel. Working his way up to editor and writer, Lee and artist Jack Kirby changed the face of comics and pop culture forever in 1961 when they created the superhero team The Fantastic Four.

From that point on, Lee — along with Kirby and other artists like Steve Ditko — launched one iconic character after another, including Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Avengers, the X-Men, Daredevil, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and many more, all existing together in a shared universe that became known as the Marvel Universe. The comics, books, movies, games and TV shows that have sprung from the work done by Lee, Kirby and others are now the basis of a multi-billion-dollar multi-media empire owned by Disney.

Lee’s characters were groundbreaking in that they were flawed, vulnerable and insecure, subject to family fights, financial difficulties and other normal human problems and issues. The stories also addressed concerns of their times such as racism and war.

Many rock musicians were inspired by Lee’s stories and characters. Rob Zombie wrote, “Marvel comics was one of the best things I remember about being a kid. Thanks for everything. What would we have done without you?”

Alice Cooper said in a statement on his Facebook page: “Apart from being a hero in the comic world, Stan was so much fun to be around. He had a regal air about him. He was gracious to his fans too – he knew who he was to people and seemed to love every minute of it. Of course MY absolute favorite thing about Stan Lee is that when he had me drawn for the comics, it was with great abs. Thanks for that Stan!”

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett offered, “Stan Lee was a visionary and a pioneer. I owe a lot to him for personally shaping my childhood fantasy worlds, my appreciation for art on all levels, & for teaching me humanness and humility through his wonderfully insightful stories.”

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor said simply, “Heartbroken. Thank you for making me believe in heroes,” while BAD WOLVES guitarist Doc Coyle remarked, “RIP Stan Lee. A true legend.”

Gene Simmons of KISS, which was the subject of its own Marvel comic book in 1977, wrote, “Thank you for making my childhood so much more exciting with your astonishing superhero characters. Thank you for inspiring me to think and dream big. Thank you for the Hulk, Thor, Fantastic Four and many others. You will be sadly missed.”

Lee had been ill in recent years and lost his wife of 69 years, Joan, in July 2017. He is survived by a daughter, Joan “J.C.” Lee, along with the universe, characters and stories that will endure for generations to come.

Michael Monroe will release his new solo album, “One Man Gang”, in the spring. The follow-up to 2015’s “Blackout States”, which is currently being mastered, features guest appearances by ex-HANOI ROCKS guitarist Nasty Suicide and THE DAMNED legend Captain Sensible.

Monroe told Heavy TV he named his new solo record after the album’s opening track, which includes a “killer solo” by the aforementioned Captain Sensible. “It’s one of the songs [on the LP], and we decided that since the band is called MICHAEL MONROE — the name of the band is MICHAEL MONROE; the name of a person — so ‘One Man Gang’; it’s a whole gang of me,” he said.

Monroe was also full of praise for his current solo band, which includes Steve Conte and Rich Jones on guitars, Sam Yaffa on bass and Karl Rockfist on drums.

“If I had a choice of playing with anybody — alive or dead — in the world, I would choose these guys; that’s how important they are to me,” he said. “Everybody is allowed to write. Steve Conte [brought] exceptional, totally outstanding material. And Rich Jones now came through amazingly on this record. I swear, I had, like, five or six songs of my own, and I was, like, ‘Okay, that’s out. I’m taking Rich’s, because his are better. Forget about my songs.'”

 
He continued: “See, the best songs make the album; it doesn’t matter who writes. Everybody has the freedom to write, and we choose the best songs for the album; it doesn’t matter who writes them, as long as they’re the best ones. The whole album, as an entirety, has to be as strong as possible. All killers, no fillers. I never let it go out if it’s not perfectly… There can’t be one weak track on the record. I’d rather wait and have it be perfect. Actually, we recorded 18 songs, so there’s a couple of great ones that we left out too. They’ll be on the next album. They’re too good for bonus tracks; we’ll save ’em for the next album. There’s a few obvious bonus tracks — three or four, or whatever.”

Were it not for cruel and fickle fate, HANOI — who disbanded for the first time in 1985, then finally in 2009 — might have ended up as an arena act; but whatever obstacles were thrust in their path, they were never less than the real deal, and major names like GUNS N’ ROSES were ready to acknowledge their influence and their worth (GN’R would go on to issue the European HANOI catalogue in the U.S. via their Uzi Suicide imprint).

Over his three-decades-plus in the spotlight, Michael has befriended and performed with a whole host of artists and acts, including GUNS N’ ROSES and Slash; Lemmy, Alice Cooper, AEROSMITH, Little Steven; and Ian Hunter. But since that first break-up of HANOI in the mid-’80s, he’s essentially been pursuing his own path.