|
Ozzy Compares Newsted To Geezer Butler, Wants To Record LP
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California Anyone who was feeling sorry for Jason Newsted after his split with Metallica can stop now.
Not only is he a full-time member of seminal thrash outfit Voivod, but he's also the new bassist for Ozzy Osbourne, replacing Robert Trujillo, who split to join Metallica. And on Monday Newsted received perhaps the greatest compliment possible from the Ozzman himself.
"Jason reminds me of a young Geezer Butler," Ozzy said shortly after playing a four-song rehearsal, his second with Newsted, for a select group of press.
Still sweaty from banging through "Believer," "No More Tears," "Crazy Train" and the seminal (and once again timely) Black Sabbath tune "War Pigs," Newsted was visibly beaming as Ozzy compared him to Sabbath's legendary bassist.
"There could not be a bigger compliment. [If someone said], 'Here's a million dollars' [or] 'Here's this compliment,' I'll take this! That's it. [Butler] is my #1 teacher in life. And only he," Newsted said, a wide smile stretching across his face as he pointed to his new frontman, "gets the right to say that. He's the only one!"
Newsted left Metallica roughly two years ago (see "Bassist Jason Newsted Leaves Metallica"), resurfacing in Echobrain (see "Newsted, Fans Feel 'Wicked Good' At Echobrain Tour Launch") before joining up with Voivod for their latest album (see "Jason Newsted Says His New Band Can Kick Metallica's Ass").
Metallica recently announced the addition of ex-Suicidal Tendencies bassist Trujillo to their lineup (see "Metallica Have A Bassist: Ex-Ozzy Player Robert Trujillo"), and it wasn't long before Newsted was invited to start jamming with Ozzy's band. Jack Osbourne recommended Voivod for the second stage at Ozzfest, Ozzy explained, and a light bulb went off in Sharon Osbourne's head (see "Metal Musical Chairs: Ozzy May Hire Ex-Metallica Bassist").
Together with ex-Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, who's been with Ozzy for eight years, and guitarist Zakk Wylde, Newsted said he honed his back catalog arsenal before Ozzy ever stepped in front of the mic. "I really wanted to be prepared for Oz, so when he walked in the room he could call out whatever song and I would be able to hit it."
What he didnt realize was that on his first day with Ozzy he'd be under the watchful eye of his predecessor, who was on hand to rehearse for his final gig with the band. Before the day was over, Newsted found himself giving Trujillo tips on Metallica songs like "Battery" and "Damage, Inc."
Newsted whose relationship with Trujillo stretches back a decade to when Suicidal Tendencies were friends and touring partners with Metallica called Ozzy's outgoing bassist warmhearted and strong.
"I'm not sure that anybody else could have worked for Metallica," he said, "because he has the girth, as it were that strength, mentally and physically, to deal with what has to be dealt with in that band. He's familiar with this caliber of an operation. I think it worked out the best for everybody involved."
"I'm the happiest man in the world today," Ozzy proclaimed. "I'm a strong believer that it was destiny that I end up playing with Jason. I don't believe in tarot cards or crystal balls, but I believe that somebody, before you're born, maps out your life. And it was destiny that Metallica end up playing with Robert Trujillo. I'm not pissed off with anybody. ... It's so nice to end a relationship nicely for a change."
When Ozzy mentioned that he couldn't wait to make an album with Newsted, the bassist's eyes widened and he grabbed the metal legend by both shoulders.
"Dude, if he's telling me the truth right now, if he really wants to write ... songs, it's going to be f---ing crazy! I'm telling you right now, it's gonna be out of this world. If I get an opportunity to write bass behind his vocals? Working with Zakk? It's just going to be sick, man, that's all I can say."
For now, Newsted will join Ozzy on this summer's Ozzfest outing as well as several Canadian dates. He'll also perform with Voivod, who will play "something from each album," according to Newsted, while supporting Ozzy in Canada and co-headlining the Ozzfest's second stage.
"This is a huge opportunity for both [Metallica and Ozzy] to prove themselves again," Newsted said. "It can be a cool thing for the next era of both of the biggest metal bands America has seen. ... It's going to be an incredible summer."
Opeth Added To 'Blackest Of The Black' Tour
Sweden's OPETH are the latest group to have been confirmed for the DANZIG-headlined "Blackest of The Black" festival mini-tour, set to take place in early May.
The lineup of acts currently scheduled to appear at the event is as follows:
DANZIG
SUPERJOINT RITUAL
MESHUGGAH
NILE
OPETH
Other groups are expected to be announced soon.
Confirmed dates so far are as follows:
May 02 Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Ampitheatre
May 03 Los Angeles, Ca @ Universal Ampitheatre
If these shows are successful, a full-length "Blackest of The Black" U.S. tour will take place in November, featuring a completely new lineup of bands (with DANZIG as the headliner).
For more information on "Blackest of The Black", visit the tour's official web site at this location.
[Blistering.com Comment: How funny is that? How can they even question that the shows will be successful? It's one of the best touring line-ups I have ever seen and both L.A. & Phoenix have great metal scenes.. so just announce a fuckin' North American tour already!]
Korn Frontman Blames Piracy For Disappointing Sales
KORN frontman Jonathan Davis believes significant sales of the band's last album, "Untouchables", were lost to piracy, and he vows to do something about it. "We got so fucked on our last one it leaked four months early," he says. "[Next] time there will be no CD going out before release. We're not going to give it to the label until a week before it comes out." ["Untouchables", which has sold "only" 1.3 million units, according to SoundScan, is the worst-selling effort by the group, and its numbers are far below half of KORN's two previous full-length studio releases, 1999's "Issues" and 1998's "Follow the Leader".]
According to Rolling Stone magazine, record labels are now taking unprecedented steps to protect their merchandise from being copied and distributed illegally. Perhaps no disc has been more heavily protected than LINKIN PARK's "Meteora", due March 25. None of the copies have left the custody of the band members, management and executives at Warner Bros. When the album was being mastered, the band had security guards on hand in the studio twenty-four hours a day to prevent any leaks. As tracks were finished, all earlier CD versions were destroyed. Press, radio programmers and retailers can only hear the album by going to the company's offices. The same level of security will likely be in place for new albums by METALLICA, LIMP BIZKIT, and STAIND.
Lars Ulrich: 'Metallica Have Never Sounded So Good'
The April 3, 2003 issue of Rolling Stone magazine features a short write-up on METALLICA recent bassist addition, former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES/OZZY OSBOURNE veteran Robert Trujillo, and includes a couple of quotes from drummer Lars Ulrich and Trujillo about the auditioning process that led to Robert being chosen to fill the slot left vacant by Jason Newsted's departure two years ago.
When Newsted joined METALLICA in 1986, the band put him through a tough initiation: charging extravagant sushi dinners to his hotel rooms and sometimes ditching him without a ride. Despite this, Trujillo says he isn't scared. "I'm not worried about the hazing," he claimed. "The guys seem to be a little more laid-back these days. Maybe they'll throw something at me, but I'll probably throw it at them first." Drummer Lars Ulrich agreed. "We went so overboard back in the day," he said. "We got all the hazing out of the way."
According to Ulrich, Trujillo landed the gig after a smoking rehearsal, which peaked during "Kill 'Em All" classics "Hit The Lights" and "Whiplash". "We were trying to find someone who could inspire us to step it up to another level," said Ulrich. "I have to say that when we played with Rob, and we listened back, METALLICA have never sounded so good."
Newsted was equally complimentary when asked about his replacement. "Rob will make METALLICA awesome," he said, adding that they were "helping each other learn songs from our previous bands." [Newsted has now officially joined OZZY OSBOURNE's band as their new bassist]
METALLICA are preparing to release their new album, "St. Anger", on June 10, and are practicing for the Summer Sanitarium 2003 Tour with LINKIN PARK and LIMP BIZKIT.
Rammstein: We Are Not Breaking Up!
Despite rumors to the contrary, German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have no intention of breaking up.
RAMMSTEIN keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz recently posted a logbook entry to the "Fan Area" section on the official site addressing the recent rumors and assuring the fans that the band would carry on. Here is what he wrote:
"Today, I have the pleasure to dispel all your concerns regarding the near future of the band. It is true, that [guitarist] Richard [Kruspe-Bernstein] lives in New York from time to time, but also that he regularly returns to Berlin to intensively rehearse with us. Furthermore, we play musical ideas via telephone. While developing ideas, there always pop up those which are genuinely good, but cannot be transported by the band. It wouldn't be clever to force these ideas into the corsett of the band or to simply abandon them. Then one collects such ideas on a so-called solo album. If I had more time and energy, I would be very glad to do that as well. Such doing does not disturb work with the band but improves it, since nobody has to violently force their own ideas to be translated, although they might not quite suit the style of the band."
In a Jan. 31 posting, Flake implied that RAMMSTEIN's next studio album which is not expected to surface before 2004 would mark a significant musical departure for the band.
"I am of the opinion that is it not necessary to record a fourth album, that is similar to the first three albums," he wrote. "Who wants to listen to RAMMSTEIN music, can certainly listen to the first three albums. For which reason does one need further ten tracks of the same sort? This is not a matter of quantity. The music would surely not improve if there was more of it. I would rather make ballads, which don't have those screaming guitars intrudingly squeaking along, just because they are present anyhow."
RAMMSTEIN were recently asked to remix "mOBSCENE", the first single from the forthcoming MARILYN MANSON album, "Golden Age Of The Grotesque". No release details have yet been announced for the collaboration.
SLASH And STEVEN ADLER Hang Out In Las Vegas
Former GUNS N' ROSES members Steven Adler (drums) and Slash (guitar) were reunited during CAMP FREDDY's appearance at the Whiskey Sky Bar in the Green Valley Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, March 7, according to The Official Steven Adler Fan Site. "It was the club's one-year anniversary, and what a celebration it was! The two guys hung out for a couple of hours before Slash took the stage for two songs. The show was running late when they waved Steven onstage to make an appearance to an extremely gracious crowd. Slash was excited to hear about Steven's new project [SUKI JONES] and promised to check out one of their shows!"
SUKI JONES, which features in its ranks Adler, RATT/ex-LOVE/HATE singer Jizzy Pearl, ex-SLASH'S SNAKEPIT guitarist Keri Kelli, FASTER PUSSYCAT guitarist Brent Muscat, and ex-VINCE NEIL/BLACK N' BLUE/RATT bassist Robbie Crane, will make their live debut on March 22 at The Railhead (Boulder Station) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The group will be performing an all-cover set list that will include approximately six songs from GUNS N' ROSES' classic "Appetite For Destruction" CD, as well as tracks from AEROSMITH, LED ZEPPELIN and QUEEN, among others.
Rammstein To Remix Manson
German industrial metallers Rammstein have been asked to remix a track from the new Marilyn Manson album, 'Golden Age Of The Grotesque'.
A fan asked Manson via the Oracle section on his official website, www.marilynmanson.com, "with the German influence on the new album are you considering touring with a German band E.G; Alec Empire or Rammstein?"
To which Manson responded: "The album's influences are equally French, American, German, Russian and Swiss. I believe Rammstein is making a remix of the 'mOBSCENE', however. Should be great."
HELLOWEEN
drummer Stefan Schwarzmann (Accept, Running Wild) has replaced Marc Cross - although guest musician Mikkey Dee (Motörhead, King Diamond) played on most of the forthcoming 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy', Schwarzmann played on a few bonus tracks
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE FOR GUNS N' ROSES ON SALES
Boston (September 30th, 2002) Tickets for the North American leg of the GUNS N' ROSES Chinese Democracy World Tour went on sale this weekend in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston with an overwhelming response from ticket buyers. The New York date set for December 5 at Madison Square Garden sold out in fifteen minutes with the other cities doing close to capacity business. We are thrilled with the sales, stated Arthur Fogel, president of Clear Channel Entertainment's Touring Division. We knew this was going to be a big tour but this even exceeded our expectations.
Kreator's Mille Petrozza Talks Politics: 'Bush Is An Idiot'
Kreator frontman Mille Petrozza has publicly expressed his disapproval for the foreign policy of the Bush administration and the possibility of the U.S. waging war on Iraq.
"A lot of Americans [I spoke to] on [Kreator's most recent U.S.] tour have told me that they don't agree with some things that Bush does," Petrozza told KNAC.com. "It's really cool to see that. I think the majority of the people just follow this patriotic bullshit that is going on at the moment. They are proud to wear their flag or whatever. If that's all they identify with, in my opinion, that's really lame it's like 'I don't have anything else but my stupid flag.' I don't think that the way Bush is handling things is the way they were meant to be handled. America stands for something else not just this redneck dictator. He just tells people what to do and sends them to war. It's fucked up. I'm really anti-Bush. Even though I'm not from this country that's how I feel.
"I think the government is responsible to come up with other solutions besides violence. It's like caveman behavior It works, too. It's just wrong though. I don't think the United States has ever stood for stupidity in the first place. The U.S. has always been a very progressive country, but what Bush projects to the rest of the world is very conservative. It's like this redneck fucking cowboy attitude.
When asked if Germans are more cognizant than Americans of not just blindly following political figures, given the country's history, Mille responded: "Maybe, but it's not just Germany that is against Bush there are a lot of people in the US and people all over the world who don't believe in what he's doing. It's just obvious that you can't support such an idiot."
|
