Stratovarius was founded in 1984 by three guys from Helsinki, Finland; drummer and vocalist Tuomo Lassila, bass player John Viherva and guitarist Staffan Strahlman. Before Stratovarius the same line up performed under name Black Water.
The music of early Stratovarius was very different from what it is today. Back then it was heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Guitar player Staffan brought in some classical elements. Bass player John left the band by the end of 1984 and was replaced by Jyrki Lentonen, who previously played with Timo Tolkki in a band called Road Block.
1985 Staffan did not want to play in Stratovarius anymore and he left one week before the band was supposed to play one gig in Aalborg, Denmark. Tuomo Lassila phoned to Timo Tolkki and asked him to join the band. Timo learned all the songs from cassette tape and after a few rehearsals the band travelled to Denmark. At that time Tuomo was still singing and playing the drums at the same time. It soon became evident that the band needed a singer because Tuomo's vocal range. However, good singers are few and far between and so Timo Tolkki took over the vocal duties. At this point the music was starting to sound more like it is today: very melodic and classically influenced. Timo Tolkki brought along his influences; Blackmore, Rainbow and Baroque music. The band rehearsed and gigged extensively in Helsinki and made its first demo tape under this line up in 1987. It contained songs "Future Shock", "Fright Night" and "Night Screamer".
The demos were sent to various record companies in Finland and CBS Finland wanted to sign the band after seeing a show at Tavastia Club, Helsinki. At this point the band had a new keyboard player Antti Ikonen. The band recorded its first single "Future Shock/Witch Hunt" in 1988. This was followed by another single "Black Night/Night Screamer" in the beginning of 1989 and finally the debut album "Fright Night" saw daylight in May 1989.
The band gigged extensively during the summer and autumn 1989 and played a huge outdoor gig Giants Of Rock in Hameenlinna with Anthrax and many other metal acts. After all this bass player Jyrki Lentonen left the band. New material was written and demoed early 1990 but CBS lost interest of releasing more Stratovarius material. The band did not give up but rehearsed a lot and made new songs and finally went to record the follow-up to "Fright Night". All this time the band did not have a record contract and it had to finance the recordings by itself. Timo played all the bass parts and even though there is a photo of a new bassist Jari Behm in "Twilight Time" actually play on the album. Soon Jari was asked to leave the band because his style of playing did not fit to the band's music at all.
The second album called "Stratovarius II" was released in Finland early 1992. At this point it was pretty clear that the market for Stratovarius was outside Finland. Many tapes were sent all over the world and Shark Records wanted to sign the band after hearing the song "Hands of Time". Finally "Stratovarius II" was released with a new cover and a new name "Twilight Time" in October 1992 all over the Europe. Soon import copies started to spread to the Japanese market and "Twilight Time" was five months in Top 10 of import disks in Japan. Evetually it became the best selling import album in Japan in 1993. The band also got a big record contract with JVC Victor Entertainment inJapan which released "Twilight Time" in July 1993. Timo Tolkki flew to Japan for the first time in the same month to do promotion and saw that the bands popularity was skyrocketing with enthusiastic fans. The spare time between searching for the record deal was spent on writing new material and the band recorded new songs during the whole year 1993. Also a new bass player Jari Kainulainen joined the band as 70% of the new material was already recorded. At this time Tuomo Lassila had a severe stress injury in his both hands and was not able to play drums for 8 weeks. The record had to be completed with Kingston Wall drummer Sami Kuoppamaki, who played on 4 tracks.
Finally the third album "Dreamspace" was released worldwide in February and March 1994. It was highly praised among the critics and took the bands popularity to a different level. It contained such all time Stratovarius classics as "Dreamspace", "4th Reich" and "Chasing Shadows" to name a few. In June the band headed to Japan for the first tour and played concerts in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya seeing Japanese fans face to face for the 1st time. In Finland they played just one gig before heading for Japan in the now defunct, legendary Shadow Club in Helsinki. This was also JK's very first live appearance with Stratovarius.
New material was written from the spring to summer 1994 and band hit the studio once again with very good vibes from Japan Tour. Timo Tolkki fulfilled his long time dream by recording the solo album "Classical Variations and Themes". It contained songs like "Fire Dance Suite", which was originally written for "Stratovarius" back in 1986, "Lord Of The Rings" and many other classically influenced tracks. The album was released in October 1994. Stratovarius spent the whole summer of 1994 in studio finishing its fourth album.
At this stage Timo Tolkki decided that his singing days were over and that the band should find a proper singer to take the band's sound even further. As advertisements were put to local music papers, somebody remembered a guy from Lappajarvi, Finland, who had approached the band one and half years earlier. So Timo Kotipelto got a phone call from Timo Tolkki and an audition was arranged. The band jammed some songs and as the new guy opened his mouth for the first time, everybody knew that he was the new singer.
Timo's sound can be heard all over the bands fourth release "Fourth Dimension". The title of the album says it all and the sound and the songs on this album were something totally different than before but still the musical style remained as true Stratovarius metal. "Fourth Dimension" was released worldwide in March 1995 and it doubled the sales of "Dreamspace"
The band toured heavily playing shows in all over Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Finland, Greece and Japan. After all these tours Tuomo Lassila and Antti Ikonen, the long time members were asked to leave the band. There were many reasons for this line up change, the most important were personal chemistry and musical differences. The guys just could not play the material that was developing in Timo Tolkki's mind.
After the success of "Fourth Dimension" Timo Tolkki and Timo Kotipelto wanted to take the bands music even further. New drummer Jorg Michael and new keyboard player Jens Johansson entered the band.
The mixing of bands fifth album "Episode" took place at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki. This album was once again a huge step forward for the band. With the fresh attitude and sound of Johansson and Michael the result was dramatic, melodic and symphonic metal album. Also for the first time a choir of 40 singers and a string orchestra of 20 players were used. The album contains some Stratovarius classics as "Father Time", "Eternity" and "Will the Sun Rise?".
Stratovarius' next album "Visions" was released in the April of 1997 and it hit the Finnish charts position #5 in an instant. It spent a total of 24 weeks on the Finnish Top 40. "Visions" also launched an extensive tour, during which Stratovarius entertained not only Finns but also their fans in Japan, Europe and South America. "Visions" exceeded the gold disc plateau of 20.000 sold copies in Finland and the gold disc was celebrated at Tavastia Club in Helsinki June 10th 1998 with a little party and a special gig with a couple of unusual song choices.
During Visions tour Stratovarius recorded their first live album, double CD "Visions of Europe", which was released late March 1998. It contains over 100 minutes of material. Also this album has been a huge success both critically and commercially.
April 1998 Stratovarius started rehearsing their new studio material for the forthcoming album, their seventh full length studio release "Destiny" The album was recorded at Finnvox studios during the spring and summer of 1998 and the release date was October 5th 1998. The first single from the album is entitled SOS was released August 17th and it hit the chart position #3 on Finnish single charts faster than the speed of light. Strangely enough, Destiny debuted the Finnish charts on position #1 the Thursday BEFORE it was officially released. The future will show us if we will see another Stratovarius gold disc party within one year.
The coming of the year 1999 saw Stratovarius again surpassing the gold disc plateau with "Destiny" and this was but sign of more fine things to come. This year has already seen Stratovarius clinch the merits as the best Finnish metal band in the annual readers' poll of the Finnish metal Magazine"SFP". Also the video for SOS was voted the best domestic metal video in Finland in 1998 in the same poll. Soundi magazine's readers' poll confirmed that Stratovarius is now in the big league in Finland, Timo Tolkki took a landslide victory in the "best musician" category for the second time in a row, Stratovarius was elected th 2nd best band, Timo Kotipelto was voted the 3rd in the "best singer" category, Destiny was elected the 2nd best album and SOS the 2nd best song. Also both Timos vere voted in the "Wondeful Person" category and Jens was voted in foreign musicians category. Stratovarius also got laurels from Finnish record industry, they got an "Emma" trophy for being an outstanding export band.
The closing half of 1999 sees Stratovarius building up their new studio album, which will be released by Nuclear Blast Records February 28th 2000.
The expectations towards Infinite were extremely high and those expectations were met. Infinite was yet again very successful album and it certified gold in Finland. It was 3rd album in a row to do that for Stratovarius.
At the end of 2000 Stratovarius returned form their most succesful and longest Tour ever, promoting the Infinite Album they ever did performing in front of more than 300.000 people. Right afte that they decided to do a break for an unknow amount of time. Some musicians inside the band took the chance to work on their solo albums like Timo Tolkki and Timo Kotipelto. A b-side rare material, bonus track - mix called "Intermission" inlcuding 4 new songs was released in 2001 to close the gap until the new album would be released followed by a very selective choice of festival appearance in summer 2001.
After a long break of one year the band hit the studio again in summer 2002 to work on their fouthcoming album called "Elements Pt. 1". Believing in the opinions of the musicians the album will represent the most symphonic and epic material the band ever has recorded. The release date is planned for January 27, 2003 followed by another world tour starting on March 19th in Finland.
Heavy music and pained lyrics go together like cake and ice cream, and Belton, Texas quintet, Flyleaf, aren't about to break with tradition. But while many loud rockers reopen old wounds by singing about their broken homes and broken hearts, Flyleaf confront past traumas to heal old scars and prove in the process that hope shines brighter than despair.
"I used to be in a really negative band, and that seemed to almost fuel my emptiness because that's what the songs were about," says charismatic singer Lacey Mosley. "That's why I think what we're doing is important because there needs to be something heavy out there that has a positive message so people see that it's possible to get through the worst situations."
Flyleaf's self-titled debut album echoes with songs about abuse, neglect, addiction and dysfunction, and messages about overcoming adversity. And the band's wide array of brooding beats, atmospheric textures and lunging riffs compliment Mosley's emotionally revealing lyrics, which range from breathy and beautiful to scathing and aggressive.
"I'm So Sick" starts with a moody bass line throbbing over a haunting ethereal vocal before guitars crash in like a rock through a plate glass window. The track see-saws between rage and reflection, guitarists Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartmann providing textural flourishes and atmospheric touches that bridge the emotional shifts. "Cassie" layers stop-start guitars atop an urgent backbeat and builds to an exultant chorus. "All Around Me" augments a wall of power chords with evocative jazzy licks and "Fully Alive" is a cinematic number with angry muted riffs that segue into another glorious refrain.
Flyleaf's infectiously heavy positivism is all the more surprising considering Mosley's struggles while growing up. "My mom was a young single mother of six," she explains. "We didn't have money and things were hard for all of us. We moved whenever we couldn't make ends meet in one place, and that happened pretty often so there was a lot of struggling, suffering and character building.
"It's easy to get depressed when you're dealing with that kind of stress," she continues, "especially when it looks like things will never get better. There was nothing constant in my life, and nothing to believe in. I got into some really bad stuff that I thought would make me feel more loved, or maybe just numb, but it cost me everything that was important to me, and literally almost took my life."
When you take a dive, sometimes you have to hit the bottom before you can swim your way back to the top. For Mosley, writing songs about survival helped her reach the surface and breathe again. "I had to lose everything to look up and see that there is a truly constant hope of a happy ending and that's what we make music for," she says. "If my music helps one person, than it's worth having been through what I've experienced."
Five years ago, Mosley started playing music with drummer James Culpepper. The two joined up with Bhattacharya and Hartmann, who were in a local band that had just split up. "Our first practice together was awesome," Mosley says. "Sameer and Jared are really experimental with melodies and pedals, and we all had different influences that were all blending together with the same passionate and hopeful heart, and that brought out this beautiful feeling. It was magical." Bassist Pat Seals joined in 2002. "The doors were open and I just happened to walk through at the right time," Seals says.
Flyleaf played anywhere they could slowly but consistently increased their fan base with local bands and national acts like Riddlin Kids, Bowling for Soup, Fishbone, and Evanescence. Eventually they landed a show at Austin's legendary annual music convention South by Southwest in 2003.
Although their set started at the un-rock n' roll time of 5 p.m., they rocked the house, which lead to a showcase for various labels. After many meetings and much deliberation, Flyleaf signed with Octone.
Then in early 2005 the band's self-titled debut EP - produced by Rick Parasher (Pearl Jam, Blind Melon) and Brad Cook (Foo Fighters, Queens of The Stone Age) - was released and listeners got a taste of the band's poignant song craft through tracks like "Breathe Today", "Cassie" and "I'm Sorry" which also appear on Flyleaf's full length. To support the EP, Flyleaf toured with Saliva, Breaking Benjamin, 3 Doors Down, STAIND and Trust Company, though many of the audiences at these shows had no idea who Flyleaf were when they started playing, every night their spirited performances earned them new fans. To launch the LP, Flyleaf is touring with Cold, STAIND, POD and Taproot.
"We think about where we started and where we are and realize, 'wow, we are playing in front of 1000 people tonight.' And then we just can't be thankful enough to those bands who gave us a chance to play with them, even though we are sort of nobodies."
In spring 2005, Flyleaf recorded their full-length debut with acclaimed producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with Papa Roach, My Chemical Romance, POD and All American Rejects. Flyleaf stayed in Los Angeles for two months and worked on more than 20 songs with Benson at Bay 7 Studios. Together they decided on 12 of them to arrange, fine tune and shape so they best reflected the group's powerful messages and experiences.
"He really took an interest in what we had to say and helped put all the parts in the right places," Mosley says. "We were so used to recording with our friends and finishing whole EPs in a few hours. So it was great to spend 2 months with Howard having this surreal professional experience in every part of the process."
Flyleaf originally called itself Passerby, but another artist trademarked the name before they had the chance. Ultimately the group decided to change its name to something far more befitting of their personal, confessional songs.
"A flyleaf is the blank page at the front of a book," explains Mosley. "It's the dedication page, the place you write a message to someone you're giving a book to. And, that's kind of what our songs are -- personal messages that provide a few moments of clarity before the story begins."
With their tight knit chemistry, compassionate approach and songs that haunt the mind hours after they've stopped playing, Flyleaf are turning heads and leaving crowds wanting more. Indeed, their story has just begun.
Three years and eight months after the release of Toxicity, one of this decade’s most corrosively powerful, relevant and down-right important albums, System of a Down— guitarist/singer Daron Malakian, singer Serj Tankian, bass player Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan—unleashes Mezmerize /Hypnotize… Well, actually, what they’re doing is unleashing half of it—the Mezmerize half—with the understanding that attention spans aren’t what they used to be in the Too-Much-Information Age.
You can count on System, one of rock’s most daring and innovative bands, to do things in its own way, and with a level of commitment that’ll knock the wind right out of you. “This band’s what Public Enemy once was and what Rage Against the Machine never quite managed to be: the potent trifecta of credibility, sincerity and real danger,” pronounced Esquire on naming them “Best Agitators” in the magazine’s 2005 Esky Music Awards. If you were looking for the ultimate one-sentence summation of this extraordinary band, that’s pretty good. Malakian has his own take. “We’re really an honest band—that’s why people are listening to us,” he asserts. “We’re not bullshitting ourselves and we’re not bullshitting them.”
Tankian’s take is even more succinct. “Our music has always been urgent, critical and questioning, and that still remains,” he says.
“We’re artists for the sake of art,” Tankian continues. “And our expression is pure and natural in terms of where it comes from. I think that’s always better with art because, once you have something in mind and you try to achieve it, it becomes less pure in some ways. If you just let whatever expression there is come out—it might be socially viable, it might be political, romantic, humorous, a personal narrative, a philosophical thought, whatever it is—if it’s pure and it just comes out and you leave it that way, I think it’s more potent. I think it’s more real.”
Fate chose this group of Armenian Americans, two of whom were born in Lebanon, one in Armenia and another in Hollywood, as unknowing prophets. Toxicity, System’s second album, appeared on Sept. 4, 2001 and was at the top of the charts on Sept. 12, while America and the world were paralyzed with grief, shock and fear. Perhaps because the music of Toxicity was so uncompromising and yet so full of humanity at its extremes, it provided a suitably harrowing soundtrack for that unimaginable moment, striking a deep nerve. The album generated four Top 10 singles, including the #1 “Aerials,” and went on to sell 6 million copies, establishing System not as some prefab mainstream commercial entity but rather as an urgent voice in the uncharted wilderness that was heard—and believed—by a great many human beings.
Just over a year later, the band offered up Steal This Album!, made up of tracks that had been started during the Toxicity sessions but didn’t fit that album’s dedicated confrontational vibe—tracks that put a greater emphasis on melody and the two-part harmonies of Malakian and Tankian. With Steal!, System, which up to that point had pitched nothing but fastballs (although some were of the split-finger variety), showed that it had a command of all kinds of stuff, and potent stuff at that. Thus, Mezmerize /Hypnotize is both the long-awaited follow-up to Toxicity in big-picture terms and a natural progression from Steal This Album! in a musical sense.
“People ask, ‘How are you gonna compete with Toxicity?’” Malakian points out. “And the answer is: by not competing with it. By not being afraid to use the new ideas that we have. Some bands are afraid of their fans: ‘They’re not gonna like this and they’re not gonna like that.’ We don’t have that mindset. We’ve gotta impress ourselves before we impress the fans—you gotta love yourself first, you know? I’ve gotta feel like we have everything it takes to make a record that’s better than anything we’ve done.”
“I look at everything we do as a continuation because it’s the same band and the same four individuals,” says Dolmayan, “So Mezmerize /Hypnotize is still System of a Down, but definitely there’s a huge growth. It’s more melodic but at the same time more aggressive. Every album captures where you are at that moment, but almost instantly you’re in a new place, as soon as it’s recorded, so it’s just basically a window into where you’re going in the future. And how people want to look at that and understand it is really up to each individual.”
Malakian not only produced the band’s magnum opus with Rick Rubin, as he did with Toxicity and Steal This Album!, but also increased his already considerable song, arrangement and vocal contributions, stepping forward both as a lead vocalist and as one half of System’s distinctive harmonies. Malakian’s increased foreground presence poses no problems for Tankian. “It’s not hard for me because we’ve been working together for over 10 years,” Serj points out. “I don’t necessarily encompass his words when I sing them—I approach them from my perspective and what they make me feel.” This is the same sort of statement one might expect to hear from Mick Jagger in describing his relationship with Keith Richards, or Robert Plant on Jimmy Page.
Likewise, Tankian, who shared production chores on Toxicity, broadened his own contributions in terms of writing music and arranging. In addition to writing more than half of the lyrics for both Mezmerize and Hypnotize, he played acoustic guitars, pianos and synths on the new album, as well as handling the string arrangements, doing most of it in his well-appointed home studio. There’s a great deal of back and forth between them in the creation of material, as Malakian explains: “I might have a great chorus but I don’t think the verse is that great, so I’ll ask Serj, ‘Can you make the verse better?’ And he does the same thing with me on stuff that he writes.” Both artists, then, have stepped up and branched out as their band matures, but their interaction is ongoing. So many great rock & roll bands have been led by tandems, and System of a Down is no exception.
System of a Down wrote some 30 tracks for Mezmerize/Hypnotize and recorded them at Rubin's Laurel Canyon studio between June and November of 2004. The new songs are more complex, more progressive, more unorthodox and more experimental than ever, while retaining the idiosyncratic, ironic and schizophrenic qualities that make System of a Down so distinctive. Among the uncompromising songs contained on Mezmerize are “Cigaro,” “Violent Pornography,” “Sad Statue,” “Radio/Video” and “Revenga.”
According to Malakian, the ramping up of melody and vocal interaction between the two collaborators is “part of the band’s evolution.” His priorities in developing the material for Mezmerize/Hypnotize involved “just being honest as a writer—not being afraid to express different parts of my life and different parts of what I see around me. Some people kind of censor themselves; I don’t and this band doesn’t. It’s a crazy time in the world, and I just stay focused on being inspired, not only by the crazy times but also by everyday life. It all meshes together. You can look at these songs from the viewpoint of a normal Joe or you can look at it in a broader way, because there’s a world going on around this normal Joe.”
The new album’s character is encapsulated by the jaw-dropping first single, “B.Y.O.B.,” with its myriad shifts in tempo, tone and viewpoint. The track starts out with System’s signature teeth-baring ferocity, as Tankian howls like an opera singer on steroids about a world gone mad while his cohorts impersonate the RATATAT of an AK47. Then, just as abruptly, a second protagonist comes into the frame, this one a carefree dude cruising eastward on the San Bernardino Freeway en route to a party in the desert, the scene delivered via a delectable minor-key pop hook. Thereafter, like some chemically amplified fever dream, the settings keep shifting until they begin to overlap, and a voice—Malakian’s—screams, “Blast off / It’s party time / And where the fuck are you?,” setting up the bitter incantation, in yet a third distinct time signature, that sends the song—and the listener—over the edge: “Why don’t presidents fight the war? / Why do they always send the poor? / Why do they always send the poor?” The song is so epic that it seems much bigger than its 4:17 length, and when it’s over, the listener is spent, enraged and exhilarated, all at once. And that’s just the first track of an album that packs a world of compressed fury into its 37 minutes. But it isn’t gratuitous fury.
“Originally, there was, in my own performance—on the first album, for example—a lot more ferocity and rage and aggression in terms of how I expressed myself,” Serj points out. “Whereas, now, it’s almost like a way of shaking things up to raise my voice, to communicate on an intense-energy level—which I would say is as powerful as anger and rage, yet more focused and productive.”
The album ends—this half of Mezmerize/Hypnotize does, at any rate—just as thrillingly as it begins, with Malakian’s double-cheeseburger reflection on his ugly, beautiful and bizarre hometown, comprising the Spandex-style rocker “Old School Hollywood” (ironic, maybe, but bitchen for sure), inspired in part by his surreal experience on the field at Dodger Stadium for the 2003 celebrity game, segueing into “Lost in Hollywood,” a bittersweet journey back to “the streets where I grew up,” which has to be the most beautiful and haunting song this band has ever recorded. Admittedly, “bittersweet,” “beautiful” and “haunting” haven’t been used a whole lot in describing System of a Down up to now, but this band is endlessly surprising, and they refuse to be typecast. From moment to moment within any given track, they might be perceived as art rock, hard rock, Floydian prog-rock, psychedelia, politically charged hardcore, nu-metal, old metal or even Gilbert & Sullivan from some parallel universe, but in the end they’re System, period—unpredictable and indescribable.
“In terms of dichotomy and the dynamics of the songs, it just kind of comes naturally through Daron’s songwriting and my songwriting,” says Tankian. “We just go with it. To me, it’s always been interesting both musically and lyrically to put two things next to each other that don’t have a previous relationship and see what kind of relationship I can create out of them, because I think that’s creating something new. If you can make it work, it’s fun.”
The band has no overriding concept, meaning each of their albums is—just as Dolmayan says—essentially a representation of these particular individuals at a particular moment in time. Simple, right? Right. And also incredibly complex—as complex as human beings and the world they’re living in, a world seemingly without absolutes or easy answers.
“I don’t really have a side—I’m not red or blue,” says Malakian. “And since I did write a good part of the lyrics on this record, the songs tend to take a middle ground rather than being one-sided about it. I think that’s why my world and Serj’s come together so well lyrically, because he’s more politically motivated and I’m not, but some of his stuff makes mine more serious, and some of my stuff makes his stuff a little bit more human. As I was sequencing the records, I realized that if I went to a shrink and he hypnotized me, I would be singing some of these songs.”
“I don’t feel any particular responsibility in discussing social or political things,” Tankian explains. “It’s something that’s in my heart. I’ve always had a problem with injustice, whether it’s personal, national, international or universal. It’s just always bothered me to the point where I have to say or do something. I think action is worth a million words, though, as far as that’s concerned. But ultimately, if there’s one thing I’d like to do more than anything else, it’s to not take this life so seriously.”
There’s not a trace of arrogance in this band, despite the scope of its success. In its place is a disarming humility. “I didn’t find music—music found me,” Malakian says, clearly in awe of the part he feels destiny tapped him to play. Odadjian is similarly grateful to be where he is in life. “Every day that comes, I thank my Higher Power that I’m alive and doing what I do for a living, because I love it,” he says. “It’s something I’ve dreamt of doing, and I’ve worked my ass off to get where I’m at. I don’t take any of it for granted.”
They operate as a democracy, with each band member embracing his own particular role while contributing to System’s unorthodox but remarkably harmonious dynamic, which comprises intricate relationship vectors. Odadjian, for example, handles System’s stage production and is involved with the band’s videos as a director (Toxicity’s “Chop Suey” and “Aerials”) and editor (“B.Y.O.B.”) “We have our arguments,” Dolmayan acknowledges, “but in the end, if someone has a compelling argument, everyone else will listen, even if that person’s in the minority. So it’s a true democracy in that everyone’s voice is heard.” Dolmayan pauses for the punch line. “Some people talk more than others,” he quips.
And speaking of relationships, System has a deep connection with its audience. The band’s fans seem to receive the music precisely in the spirit in which it’s offered, making it the rarest of situations—particularly in the context of commercial art forms—and certainly the most rewarding. “The impact that we’ve had on people, artistically, socially and politically, is pretty amazing,” Tankian marvels. “It’s a huge compliment, and it’s a very special thing. I think System of a Down in itself is very special in that sense.
“It’s about the audience finding you, rather than you finding the audience,” Tankian offers. “A lot of bands are marketed by labels to certain demographics. With us it was just the opposite from Day One. We toured pretty heavily until we built up a certain amount of fans that bought our CDs and saw our shows before we approached radio or video in any way. So that set us apart. That’s the old-fashioned way, and it’s how bands should be broken. And that’s why I think—luckily—we’ve had a good long career, and one that’s perpetually increasing. We’re not an overnight-success kind of band.”
Remember, Mezmerize is only the first half of this serial double album, so expect another sheaf of surprises when Hypnotize sees the light of day later this year. “The end of Hypnotize will tie together Mezmerize,” Daron promises, “but it’s really tough to explain until you hear it. Individually, in my opinion, they both stand on their own, but until you hear the second one you won’t know how the two records come together as one. We’re not leavin’ you dry.”
Don’t expect these guys to ever follow any script but their own—they make it up as they go along, and yet it always turns out to be right on the nose.
“I think you do what you’re destined to do,” says Tankian, expressing what could serve as his band’s credo. “If you follow your heart and you follow your path, then you’ll always be safe with anything that you do, including art.”
duminică, 28 decembrie 2008
Guns N' Roses (abbreviated as GN'R) is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985.[1] Having sold an estimated 90 million albums worldwide. Their 1987 major label debut, Appetite for Destruction, produced by Mike Clink, went on to sell 25 million copies worldwide and reached #1 in the USA a year after its release date. The song "Welcome to the Jungle", the second track released from the album (after "It's So Easy"), gained notoriety after it was used on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's 1988 film The Dead Pool.
The band's musical style, onstage presence and bad boy rock image helped usher in a new era in the dominant hard rock scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. While glam metal was the leading genre in record sales, video charts and radio airplay, Guns N' Roses offered a grittier, more traditional take on rock music, which helped to popularize the sub-genre known as sleaze rock and won many fans who admired their apparent authenticity. The band enjoyed worldwide success from 1987 to 1993, but clashing personalities of different band members brought about the end of the original line-up. Today, frontman Axl Rose is the only original member in the band's current line-up; he has now served as lead singer for 22 years.
Band history
Rise to fame (1985 – 1989)
Early history Guns N' Roses was founded in Los Angeles in March 1985 by Axl Rose and guitarist Tracii Guns, as an informal merger of Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, both of which Axl Rose had been a member, and the second of which Tracii Guns had been a member.[2] The original Guns N' Roses lineup included other members from both bands: from Hollywood Rose, Rose's longtime friend rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and from L.A. Guns, Guns's former bandmates bassist Ole Beich and drummer Rob Gardner. The band's unique style integrated rock, hard rock, blues, punk.
When Tracii Guns (L.A Guns) and Rob Gardner could not appear at one of the band's first shows in Seattle, Stradlin and Rose recruited guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler for the performance. In early 1986 the pair joined full-time, fixing the lineup as follows: Axl Rose (lead vocals), Slash (lead guitar), Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), Duff McKagan (bass guitar) and Steven Adler (drums). On the way back to Los Angeles, they wrote the lyrics for "Welcome to the Jungle", which became one of their signature songs.
Discovery After witnessing a Guns N' Roses show at the Troubadour, Tom Zutaut, a Geffen Records A&R executive, falsely warned other scouts "they suck" so he could have more time and leeway to sign them. Axl Rose demanded, and received, a $75,000 advance from Zutaut before revealing that he had promised an A&R executive from Chrysalis that the band would sign with her if she walked naked down Sunset Boulevard. For three days, Zutaut nervously watched from his office window for a naked A&R executive before he could close the deal. Alan Niven was subsequently hired as the band's manager, and the team set out to record the band's full-length debut album.
Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide
The cover of Guns N' Roses' first record, Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide.See also: Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide In December 1986, the band released a four song self-produced EP entitled Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide on their own UZI Suicide label. It opens with Duff McKagan screaming "Hey fuckers, suck on Guns N' fucking Roses!".
Designed to gauge public opinion of the band outside of Los Angeles, the record contained covers of Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys" and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin", along with two original compositions: the punk anthem "Reckless Life" and the classic rock inspired "Move to the City", both of which were co-written by Hollywood Rose's founding member Chris Weber. Despite having the look and sound of a live album, band members have admitted that the tracks were actually studio recordings with a live audience overdubbed.
Only 10,000 vinyl copies of the album were produced, and even though the tracks were re-issued verbatim two years later as part of the GN'R Lies EP, the original Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide has been a valuable and sought after collector's item among fans since the late 1980s.
Appetite for Destruction
The revised cover of Appetite for Destruction, Guns N' Roses' first full-length album.The band's first album, Appetite for Destruction was released on July 21, 1987. In the US, "Welcome to the Jungle" was issued as its first single with an accompanying music video. Initially, the album and single did not perform well, but when Geffen Records founder David Geffen was asked to lend support to the band, he obliged by personally convincing MTV executives to add "Welcome to the Jungle" to their after hours rotation. Even though the video was played at inopportune times, rock and punk fans took notice and soon began requesting the video and song en masse.
In the United Kingdom, "It's So Easy" was released prior to the album itself. The band quickly gained popularity through radio airplay and via a rousing performance at London's famous Marquee Club on June 28, 1987. The 12-inch single for "It's So Easy" included Marquee Club performances of "Shadow of Your Love" and "Move to the City".
Overseas, countries were often treated to material that never saw release to the US market, and went unexposed to US fans. The original UK "Welcome to the Jungle" single was backed with the Marquee Club performance of AC/DC's classic "Whole Lotta Rosie" and a 12-inch single included live renditions of "It's So Easy" and the Bob Dylan classic "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". In Japan, an entire EP entitled Live from the Jungle was issued, containing the album version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" and most of the Marquee Club recordings. European and Asian single releases were often accompanied by interviews with Slash or Axl Rose, a common practice in those countries.
The original banned Appetite for Destruction artwork, designed by Robert Williams.The album underwent an artwork change after the original Robert Williams cover design (a surrealist scene in which a dagger-toothed monster vengefully attacks a robot rapist) spawned complaints from religious groups and caused some record stores to brown bag, obscure, or refuse to sell the album. The revised cover was gleaned from a tattoo that Axl had recently commissioned featuring skeleton faces of the five musicians arranged on a cross. Rose later insisted that the Gold and Platinum plaques issued by the RIAA be set using the original cover. Copies of the LP with its original artwork are now rare collectors items. The artwork from the original cover can be found in the booklet of the CD release.
"Sweet Child O' Mine" was the album's second US single co-written by Axl Rose as a poem for his girlfriend and future wife, Erin Everly. Due to the growing grassroots success of the band and the cross-gender appeal of the tune, the song and its accompanying music video received heavy airplay on both radio and MTV, and became a smash hit during the summer of 1988. "Welcome to the Jungle" was then re-issued as a single, with new pressings of records and tapes and new artwork. The UK re-release was backed with an acoustic version of "You're Crazy", recorded much earlier than the one featured on the G N' R Lies EP.
By the time "Paradise City" and its video reached the airwaves, the band's touring success and fame had catapulted the album to #1 on the Billboard charts. "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" were all top ten singles in the U.S. To date, Appetite for Destruction has sold over 25 million copies.
Touring success and controversy Guns N' Roses began opening shows for major acts, but as their fame began to take hold, a world tour in support of Appetite for Destruction was scheduled. The band traveled across the United States, and in spring 1988 were invited to the notorious Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England, where they shared the bill with groups like KISS and Iron Maiden. At the start of the Guns N' Roses set, the capacity crowd of over 100,000 began jumping and surging forward. Despite Axl's requests that the crowd move away from the stage, two fans were trampled to death. Without knowledge of the extent of fan injuries, the band continued playing and were largely blamed by the media for the tragedy. Events such as these during the Appetite for Destruction tour earned the group the title of "the world's most dangerous band".
In addition, the behavior of the band members also garnered negative attention from the media. McKagan, Slash, Stradlin and Adler were often seen intoxicated both on and off stage. Members of the crew at the time stated that Slash often had to be carried onstage by a group of people and would sometimes pass out after the concert ended. When touring in England in 1987, the bandmembers were treated poorly by the press with Slash being referred to as "Slosh", "Slug" and "Slush". Also during this tour, the band recorded five of the six songs that would be released on their live album simply entitled EP, better known as EP (Live from the Jungle). Ironically, the track "Welcome to the Jungle" does not appear in the track listing. Released in 1987, the album never attracted much attention, mostly because it was only released in Japan and also because their full-scale album Appetite for Destruction was released around the same time.
GN'R Lies
The cover of GN'R Lies, the band's second EP.The band's next release was the G N' R Lies EP in 1988, which reached #2 in the Billboard music charts. The album included the four Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide recordings on one side and four acoustic songs on the other. The song "One in a Million", which included the words "niggers" and "faggots" among other such profanities, led to controversy in which critics accused the band, and specifically Axl Rose, of racism and homophobia. Rose responded by saying the claims were unfounded, particularly considering Slash himself is half black. He stated that by the term "nigger" he meant low lives and meant no offense to anyone. He went on to explain that the song reflected racial and prejudicial problems within society, rather than promoting them. Rose also cited that he was a fan of homosexual/bisexual singers like Freddie Mercury and Elton John. The band had played gigs alongside the all-black group Body Count, and lead singer Ice-T said in his book The Ice Opinion that Axl had been "a victim of the press the same way I am". After the release of GN'R Lies, Slash and Duff appeared on the nationally televised American Music Awards, visibly intoxicated and using profanities. Geffen Records executives asked the band to curtail their behavior. The members finally took steps to deal with their addictions after Rose threatened to end the band if they continued with their heavy drug abuse. He even spoke publicly about the situation, specifically the heroin addictions, while opening for The Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1989.
Use Your Illusion (1990 – 1993)
The cover of Use Your Illusion I, released in 1991. It was the band's second full-length album.In 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording their most ambitious undertaking yet. During the recording session of "Civil War", drummer Steven Adler was unable to perform well due to his struggles with cocaine and heroin addiction. While the band had played Civil War with Adler live once with no problems , his difficulties now caused the band to do nearly 30 takes . As a result, Adler was fired in August 1990, to be replaced by former Cult drummer Matt Sorum. A few months prior, keyboardist Dizzy Reed became the sixth member of the group when he joined as a full time member. The band fired their manager, Alan Niven, in May 1991, replacing him with Doug Goldstein.
With enough music for two albums, the band released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II on September 17, 1991. The tactic paid off when the albums debuted at #2 and #1 respectively in the Billboard charts, setting a record as they became the first and only group to date to achieve this feat. The albums spent 108 weeks in the chart.
Both prior to and after the release of the albums, Guns N' Roses embarked on the 28-month-long Use Your Illusion World Tour to support them. It became famous for both its financial success and the many controversial incidents that occurred at the shows.
Use Your Illusion World Tour The tour included a Slash guitar solo incorporating The Godfather theme, a piano driven Axl Rose cover of "It's Alright" by Black Sabbath and an extended jam on the classic rock inspired "Move to the City" where Rose showcased the ensemble of musicians assembled for the tour.
Many of the successful performances during the tour were equally matched, and often overshadowed in the press, by riots, late starts and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were seemingly under control, Axl was often agitated by lax security, sound problems and unwanted filming or recording of the performances. He also used the time in between songs to fire off political statements or retorts against music critics or celebrity rivals.
On July 2, 1991, at the Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, Rose jumped into the audience and tackled a fan who was recording the show with a video camera. After being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said: "Well, thanks to the lame ass security, I'm going home!", slammed his microphone on the ground and left the stage. The sound the microphone made caused some fans to think he shot someone, so Slash quickly told the audience: "He just slammed his mic on the floor. We're outta here." The angry crowd began to riot and dozens of people were injured. The footage was captured by Robert John (photographer), who was documenting the entire tour for the band. Rose was charged with having incited the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot. In his defense, Rose stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles from the audience and that the venue's security had been lax, allowing weapons into the arena and refusing to enforce a drinking limit. Consequently, Use Your Illusion's artwork featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section of the album insert: "Fuck You, St. Louis!".
During this time, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit the band due to differences with both Rose and Slash. He was replaced by Los Angeles based guitarist Gilby Clarke. During many shows throughout the tour, Rose introduced Clarke and had him play "Wild Horses", a Rolling Stones cover. In late 1991, Rose added a touring ensemble to the band which included a horns section and several background vocalists.
The cover of Use Your Illusion II, the band's third full-length studio album.In 1992, the band appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performing a two song set. Slash later performed Tie Your Mother Down with the remaining members of Queen, While Axle Rose performed We Will Rock You and Dueted with Elton John on Bohemian Rhapsody Later in the year they went on a mini-tour with American heavy metal band Metallica. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered severe burns after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast. Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another show. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt (he is rumored to have said this with a cigarette in his mouth and a glass of champagne in his hand[citation needed]), causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to another riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred in St. Louis one year earlier. Rioters overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. This can be seen on video in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.
The Use Your Illusion Tour is also notable for the many videos the band released to support it, including "Don't Cry", "November Rain" and "Estranged" - some of the most expensive music videos ever made. The hit ballad "November Rain" became the most requested video on MTV, eventually winning the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. During the awards show, the band performed the song with Elton John accompanying on piano.
In May 1993, Gilby Clarke broke his wrist in a motorcycling accident and the band needed a replacement for some dates in Europe. Izzy Stradlin returned briefly for a string of five shows.
The historic tour ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. The tour set attendance records and lasted for 28 months, in which more than 200 shows were played. The show in Buenos Aires marked the last time original members Slash and McKagan as well as newcomers Clarke and Sorum would play a live show with Rose.
The Spaghetti Incident?
The cover of The Spaghetti Incident?, the band's latest studio album, released in 1993.On November 23, 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of punk and glam rock covers entitled The Spaghetti Incident?. Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of the Charles Manson song "Look at Your Game Girl" was included on the album at his request. Years later, Rose said he would remove the song from new pressings of the album, claiming that critics and the media had misinterpreted his interest in Manson. However, as of 2007, the song is still on the album. The Spaghetti Incident? did not match the success of the Illusion albums and tension increased within the band.
[edit] Decline (1994 – 1997) In 1994, Gilby Clarke was released from the band as Axl felt his songwriting skills were inadequate for their future projects. That same year, a cover version of The Rolling Stones's "Sympathy for the Devil" was recorded for the movie Interview with the Vampire. The addition of Axl's friend Paul Tobias in place of Clarke did not sit well with remaining band members. During recording, Tobias recorded an echo of Slash's solo at Axl's request. Slash was infuriated when he heard the song's final mix and discovered that Tobias's guitar had been placed on top of his.
In early 1995, Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde told Kerrang that he had joined the band for a week's worth of rehearsal and jamming on Rose's personal request. While Wylde considered the experience as a highly positive one, he was ultimately frustrated by the time consuming contract negotiations, opting to go on tour with Osbourne.
Slash then drifted in and out of the band for the next year or so, beginning a side project called Slash's Snakepit. In August 1996, the band regrouped with Rose temporarily acting as the rhythm guitarist. At the time, Sorum hinted that the band were considering a new, unknown player for the slot, possibly referring to Paul Tobias.[9] After two weeks of jamming and song writing, McKagan and Sorum began touring with their sideproject, Neurotic Outsiders, returning to work with Rose and Slash mid-tour for a week in early September. After that, Slash and Rose were left alone to continue working. The guitarist commented on the situation in October, saying "I have only been back in the band for three weeks and my relationship with Axl right now is sort of at a stand still." A few weeks later, Rose announced Slash was no longer a part of the band.
Slash was replaced by former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck. The next year, Sorum was fired from the group following a verbal dispute with Rose regarding negative comments Paul Tobias had made about Slash. In mid 1997, McKagan opted out of his contract and officially left the band in early 1998. This left Rose as the sole original member of the group. Slash, McKagan and Sorum later formed rock supergroup Velvet Revolver with former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner. They released their first CD, Contraband, in 2004, finding immediate success.
The New Album (1994 – 1999) Axl Rose first began work on a new album of original material in 1993, writing a song called "This I Love".[11] The album's producer was supposedly Mike Clink. Nothing came out of the rumors, and Guns N' Roses remained on hiatus. In 1998, Axl formally returned to the studio accompanied by guitarist Robin Finck, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias, bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements), drummer Josh Freese (of The Vandals), keyboardist Dizzy Reed and effects man Chris Pitman. In that same year, the clean (i.e. any profanity removed) compilation album Use Your Illusion was released (in the USA only), mainly so the album could be sold in Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores.
In 1999, the band released one new song, "Oh My God", which was included on the soundtrack of the film End of Days. The track featured additional guitar work by Dave Navarro and Gary Sunshine, Axl's personal guitar teacher. The song's release was intended to be a prelude to their new album, now officially entitled Chinese Democracy. Geffen also released Live Era: '87-'93, a collection of live performances from various concerts during the Appetite for Destruction and Use Your Illusion tours. Also in 1999, during an interview with Kurt Loder for MTV, Axl said that he had re-recorded Appetite For Destruction apart from two songs which he had replaced with "Patience" and "You Could Be Mine".
Chinese Democracy (1999 – Present) In 1999, guitarist Robin Finck departed the band in order to rejoin his former band, Nine Inch Nails, on tour. In 2000, avant-garde guitarist Buckethead joined Guns N' Roses as a replacement for Finck. Drummer Josh Freese was replaced with Bryan Mantia (formerly of Primus). Robin Finck returned to Guns N' Roses in late 2000, complementing Buckethead on lead guitar, and the revised lineup debuted on stage in January 2001, with two well-received concerts, one in Las Vegas and one at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro. The band played a mixture of old hits as well as new songs from their forthcoming album. During their Rock in Rio set, Rose made the following comment regarding former members of the band:
"I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people you came to know and love could not be with us here today. Regardless of what you have heard or read, people worked very hard (meaning my former friends) to do everything they could so that I could not be here today. I say fuck that. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that unlike Oasis, we could not find a way to all get along." The new lineup played a further two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2001. In 2002, rhythm guitarist Paul Tobias left the band because of his frustrations with life on the road. He was replaced by Richard Fortus (formerly of The Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love). The band then played several shows in August 2002, headlining festivals and concerts throughout Asia and Europe. They made their way to New York for a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in September.
In 2002, the band's first North American tour since 1993 was organized to support Chinese Democracy. However, the opening show in Vancouver was canceled by the venue when Rose failed to show up on time, and a riot ensued. This tour was met with mixed results. Some concerts did not sell well, while shows in larger markets such as New York sold out in minutes. Due to a second riot by fans in Philadelphia, tour promoter Clear Channel canceled the remainder of the tour.
The band went on hiatus until they were scheduled to play at Rock in Rio IV in May 2004. However, Buckethead left the band in March of that year, causing the band to cancel their appearance.
Also in March 2004, Geffen released Guns N' Roses's Greatest Hits, since Rose had failed to deliver a new studio album in more than ten years. Rose expressed his displeasure with this album as its track listing was established without his consent and went as far as trying to block its release by suing Geffen.
The current Guns N' Roses logo, in use since 2006.In February 2006, demos of the songs "Better", "Catcher In The Rye", "I.R.S.", and "There Was a Time" were leaked on the internet through a Guns N' Roses fan site. The band's management requested that all links to the mp3 files and all lyrics to the songs be removed from forums and websites. Despite this, radio stations began adding "I.R.S." to playlists, and the song actually reached #49 on the Radio & Records Active Rock National Airplay chart in the final week of February - the first time an internet leak has done so.
The Chinese Democracy North American tour logo.On May 5, 2006, Axl Rose appeared on the Friday Night Rocks with Eddie Trunk radio show (during an interview with Sebastian Bach) and said that the new Guns N' Roses album would be released before the end of the year. (2006 turned not to be that year.) Later in May, the band launched a European tour, headlining both the Download Festival and Rock In Rio - Lisbon. Four warm-up shows preceded the tour at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City and became the band's first live concert dates since the aborted 2002 tour. The shows also marked the debut of virtuoso fusion guitarist and composer Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal on lead guitar, replacing Buckethead. During the course of this tour, former bandmate Izzy Stradlin and ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach made frequent guest appearances.
Five warm-up shows before a 2006 North American tour were held in September 2006, two at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, two at Warfield Theatre in San Francisco and one in San Bernardino for KROQ's Inland Invasion 2006. The tour officially commenced on October 24, 2006 in Miami. Drummer Frank Ferrer replaced Bryan Mantia, who took a leave of absence to be with his wife and newborn child.
The song "Better" was featured in an internet advertisement for Harley-Davidson beginning in October 2006. That same month, Rolling Stone published an article revealing that Andy Wallace would be mixing the final album.
In December 2006, Axl Rose released an open letter to fans announcing that Merck Mercuriadis had been fired as the band's manager. He revealed that the last four dates of the North American tour would be cut so the band could work on postproduction for Chinese Democracy. He also set a tentative release date for the album for the first time since the album's announcement: March 6, 2007.
On February 8, 2007, the band played a two-song set at the Rodeo Drive's Walk of Style ceremony, held on February 8 in Beverly Hills, California. The band, with Chris Pitman on bass, blazed through "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and "Sweet Child O' Mine" to close the event, which honored Gianni and Donatella Versace.
Two days later, Guns N' Roses announced that they will be hitting the road starting in April. The first leg of the Chinese Democracy World Tour 2007 will see performances in Japan, Thailand, South Africa, South America, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. The band was listed as Axl Rose, Robin Finck, Ron Thal and Richard Fortus on guitars, Tommy Stinson on bass, Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman on keyboards and Frank Ferrer on drums. Brain Mantia was not mentioned, leading many fans to believe that he has left the band.
On February 23, 2007, Del James announced that Chinese Democracy's recording stage was finished, and the band had now moved onto mixing the album. However, this proved that the March 6 release date was now impossible to achieve, and the album once again has no scheduled release date.
On May 4, 2007 three more tracks leaked from "Chinese Democracy"; the albums title track "Chinese Democracy", "The Blues" and an updated version of "I.R.S." All three tracks had previously been played live. The track Chinese Democracy, had been partially leaked in March. A chinesedemocracy.com member, going by the alias of Mister Saint Laurent, has confirmed he is responsible for the three recent leaks. Mister Saint Laurent offered thousands of dollars for anyone who possessed unreleased tracks from Chinese Democracy. He acquired 4 songs from two people who claimed to be from Spain and Portugal. An updated version of "There Was A Time" was along the 4 songs sent and was leaked On May 6, 2007. A GN'R fansite had received a cease-and-desist order on May 3, 2007, with regards to leaked tracks.
Music style The music of Guns N' Roses is a fusion of metal and classic rock and roll, presented in a layered fashion. More recently, Guns N' Roses have showed industrial influences, similar in style to bands such as Nine Inch Nails (former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck plays with the band).
In the 1990s, the band integrated keyed instruments (played by either Rose or Reed, and accompanied on tour by Teddy 'Zig Zag' Andreadis) into the band, and for roughly half of the Use Your Illusion tour, added a horn section to the stage. While Reed's keyboard and Rose's piano remain in some of the Chinese Democracy demos, tours since 2002 have not included wind instruments, though the band has employed synthesized horns on some of their new songs.
A heavy influence on both the image and sound of the band was Finnish band Hanoi Rocks (singer Michael Monroe and Rose have collaborated on various occasions). Rose has stated that the band was massively inspired by bands like Queen, The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, and also that the sound of Appetite for Destruction was influenced by Aerosmith and AC/DC[citation needed]. Most of the lyrics in the Guns N' Roses catalog were written by Rose and Stradlin.
Legacy In the late 1980s, Guns N' Roses brought a more serious, emotional and sometimes political edge to hard rock, in stark contrast to the carefree themes of hair metal bands. The band's rock and roll style from the 1980s became out of step with the tastes of American youth culture in the 1990s, as grunge, alternative rock, electronica, and then hip hop became popular.
Guns N' Roses signed with a major label within nine months of their inception and topped national sales charts merely weeks after garnering late hours airplay on MTV. Appetite for Destruction was the highest-selling debut album of all time.
Their peers in the music industry often spoke highly of the band: Ozzy Osbourne called GN'R "the next Rolling Stones." In 2002, Q magazine named Guns N' Roses in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". Also, the television network VH1 ranked Guns N' Roses ninth in its "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" special, and also ranked 11th on "Top 50 bands". Appetite for Destruction appeared in the Rolling Stone Magazine special issue "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Guns N' Roses #92 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[17]
The band has not been free of criticism by the media. The flagrant alcohol and drug abuse by some members of the group, and Axl's fondness of Charles Manson T-shirts, were used by the media to portray GN'R as a poor example and negative influence on their young fans. The long periods of time that the band took to release albums were also a source of heavy criticism.
Frontman Axl Rose has become a source of both controversy and criticism since the other founding members left the group. His constant elusiveness, such as the fact that he has not held a press conference since 1994, has led to several stories claiming he is suffering from bipolar disorder. Music critics have blamed Rose for the break-up of the original group, have criticized him for continuing the band after the original members had departed and have questioned the constant change in band members. They also cite his neurotic behavior and sense of perfectionism as a cause of personal conflict and the long delays between albums. However, Rose still has fans who view him as a sort of musical anti-hero.
Guns N' Roses will be eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame beginning in 2012. Critics and fans alike view this as an opportunity for the band's original lineup to reunite. On the VH1 special Behind the Music, Slash was questioned about the possibility of such a reunion and stated that "no matter how much money they throw in our faces, there's no reason for us to get together... unless there's a mutual respect or understanding... and we're way far from that." In January 2007, former drummer Steven Adler claimed that he had been talking with Axl, Izzy, and Slash about a "classic" line-up reunion.
On April 17, ex-lead guitarist Slash said, on the Brazilian format of MTV, that he was open to a reunion of the "old" Guns N' Roses: "And I'm not saying never. I would say it would be a good idea to get, just for a couple of shows, to get the original STP (Stone Temple Pilots) and the original Guns N' Roses just to do a couple of shows for the fun of it".
sâmbătă, 27 decembrie 2008
Jyrki - Vocals Bazie - Guitars Timo-Timo - Guitars Archzie - Bass Jussi 69 - Drums
"WASTING THE DAWN" was The 69 Eyes's first international release on ROADRUNNER RECORDS. In 1999 with its unique concept of Gothic melancholy mixed with hi-energy rock'n'roll roots of the band, the album not only brought some long-waited fresh blood into the Gothic scene but also launched a new term to the media: GOTH'N'ROLL. The album's epic melanGothic TOP 10 hit single "WASTING THE DAWN" paid a tribute to The DOORS' Jim Morrison and even had HIM's Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as Mr. Mojo Risin' on its video. The band is said to be the missing link between The Cult and Type O Negative.
In the spring 2000 the band released a single "GOTHIC GIRL" which changed everything. Months on the Singles TOP 10 and on the Finnish national radio's playlists "GOTHIC GIRL" brought the first gold record to the band. Like this gold-gone taster single the highly anticipated new album "BLESSED BE" was produced by JOHNNY LEE MICHAELS who as "the sixth member" of the band did all the arrangements and handles all keyboards and programming on the album as well. As Johnny Lee Michaels has also been known as a film music composer, the present BLESSED soundscape of The 69 Eyes is somewhere between epic and melanGothic yet with vibes of movies "Sleepy Hollow"-meets-"Matrix" - without forgetting the shadows of "The Crow"...
Right after the BLESSED BE sessions in August 2000 The 69 Eyes did their first short WASTING THE DAWN-based German tour which also included a show at the huge Mera Luna Gothic festival. As the support band on this tour was the fast rising Norwegian electro-Goths Zeromancer. The tour closed the first chapter and opened the new one...
"BLESSED BE" was released on the same date in September 2000 as The 69 Eyes got their gold records from the first single of it. The album rose straight to number 4 in the Finnish Album Charts and stayed over month in TOP 10 (3 months in TOP 40). The second single from the album was "BRANDON LEE" which also became a huge power-play radio hit and the single stayed 14 weeks in TOP 20. In the "GOTHIC GIRL" video the Crow-meets-Matrix like vision featured black Goth-hop dancers in the rubber nun dresses but "BRANDON LEE" with a mid-nightly dark teenage Romeo and Juliet dream was the video which became one the most requested videos for months in the music channel German VIVA2.
The band spent the rest of year touring almost three months in Finland playing sold-out shows everywhere. Still surprised the band was voted in the biggest Finnish music magazine Soundi for NUMBER 1 in the Best Finnish Band, Album and Song categories - actually "Brandon Lee" was number one and "Gothic Girl" number two! Also the biggest German Gothic magazine Orkus, on the cover of which Jyrki was in October issue, voted the Eyes on the tops of the year 2000.
The third BLESSED single and video release was dark and moody "THE CHAIR" which rose straight number 2 on the Finnish Single Charts in February 2001and continued The 69 Eyes' "hit list" on the airwaves.
The fourth BLESSED single "STOLEN SEASON" is released in May as the band tours in Germany with Paradise Lost and gets ready for the European summer festival season.
Björn Gelotte - guitars Daniel Svensson - drums Anders Fridén - vocals Peter Iwers - bass Jesper Strömblad - guitars
Hardly any album was expected so excitingly like the new IN FLAMES album. Another step ahead IN FLAMES bring you "The Soundtrack To Your Escape"! Without denying their roots Anders, Jesper, Björn, Peter and Daniel once again create thrilling metal in the right balance of classical death origins and modernity. The logical continuation after "Reroute To Remain", "The Soundtrack To Your Escape" is immense, extreme and mind-blowing. The way metal today is supposed to sound!
Striving to make music he loved, Jesper Strömblad formed IN FLAMES with Johan Larsson and Glenn Ljungström in 1990. After recording a demo, the trio got their first record deal and started to work on their debut album "Lunar Strain", which became a classic in the fast growing Scandinavian Death Metal scene. Exposing the melodic side of the band's writing proved to be an important ingredient to a highly successful release. A license deal with Nuclear Blast was bargained soon afterwards and IN FLAMES started recording the follow up longplayer "The Jester Race", this time with an unborrowed line up consisting of Jesper, Johan and Glenn and two new additions: Anders Friden on vocals and Björn Gelotte on drums. Another big hit for IN FLAMES, "The Jester Race" got very popular across Europe and Japan, several gigs and a festival tour with SAMAEL, KREATOR and GRIP INC. followed.
After the recording of "Whoracle" in 1997 Johan and Glenn decided to leave IN FLAMES, while Peter Iwers on bass and Niklas Engelin guitar filled in the gaps. With that fresh line up the band started off a mini tour with DIMMU BORGIR and afterwards a very successful European tour.
Back home in Sweden Niklas quit IN FLAMES due to his wish to put more energy in his other project GARDENIAN. In consequence IN FLAMES restructured considerably; Björn switched from drums to guitar and Daniel Svensson (SACRILIGE) got hired for the skins, and released "Colony" in 1999. Excellent reactions all over the world and full concert venues in Europe, USA and Japan made IN FLAMES one of the most popular Melodic Death Metal acts internationally. "Clayman" in 2000 even topped its predecessor, the band got glutted with commendations and awards. The first IN FLAMES live album, "The Tokyo Showdown", showed up one year later, giving a detailed insight into the band's live competence.
Modern and more mature, "Reroute To Remain" (2002) again confirmed the high status of IN FLAMES and marked another milestone in their biography. If advancement in the world of Melodic Death Metal had a special description, it certainly would be IN FLAMES - the five Swedes outdid themselves once again. Great melodic hymns like the brilliant 'The Quiet Place' or astonishingly hard and demanding neckbreakers like 'F(r)iend' make "The Soundtrack To Your Escape" another essential album of the genre. You don't get around this hammer of a record, so don't even try to escape…!
hard rock/hip-hop fusion band Limp Bizkit were formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed by Fred Durst (b. William Frederick Durst, 20 August 1971, Jacksonville, Florida, USA), the son of a policeman, Wes Borland (b. Richmond, Virginia, USA; guitar), Sam Rivers (b. 2 September 1977, Jacksonville, Florida, USA; bass) and John Otto (b. 22 March 1977, Jacksonville, Florida, USA; drums), the band were further augmented in 1996 by the services of DJ Lethal (b. Leor DiMant, 18 December 1972, Latvia) when his former employers House Of Pain ran aground. The connection was made originally when Limp Bizkit supported House Of Pain on their final tour. On his move from hip-hop to an (admittedly eclectic) rock sound, he commented: "80% of the drums in rap come from old rock records. People who talk shit about me being white and doing hip-hop better check who the fuck they're sampling!" The band made its debut with Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ in 1997, a record that went on to notch up sales in excess of 1.5 million as it was adopted by a new generation of MTV rock fans. The band's striking live shows, complete with breakdancers and garish backdrops, also earned them high-profile slots on the Ozz-Fest, Warped and Family Values tours. Durst continued to court celebrity and self-publicity, making guest appearances on albums by Korn and Soulfly during this period. He also became an A&R executive for his record label, Flip, fellow Jacksonville band Cold being his first signing. Limp Bizkit returned in July 1999 with Significant Other, with production work by DJ Premier and a guest rap from Method Man affirming the band's hip-hop credentials. The album debuted at number 1 on the US album chart, confirming the band as one of the leading alternative acts in America. The following year they achieved a big transatlantic hit with "Take A Look Around", the theme song for the Tom Cruise movie Mission: Impossible 2. They capitalised on their high profile with the release of Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water, which went straight to number 1 on the US charts. The band also spearheaded the "nu-metal" breakthrough in Europe, with "Rollin'" topping the UK singles chart for two weeks in January 2001. Borland, who had earlier recorded an album with his side-project Big Dumb Face, left the band in October. He was eventually replaced in April 2003 by former Snot guitarist Mike Smith. Their last album was Results may vary, and, in april 2005, will be new album from the band.
Born of the near-desolation of Iowa, Slipknot burst forth from the heartland in 1999 with some of the most awe-inspiring, cathartic rock the world had ever heard. Venting their collective psyche not only through their songs, but also through their masks, their uniforms, their live shows and even their fans and the culture they inhabit, Slipknot hold nothing back. The depth of their expression is matched by that of their musical prowess - this tornado is laser-guided and fellow musicians, critics and the fans know that Slipknot is deadly serious about its art. Thus, after two albums and two DVDs, we come to Slipknot's ultimate expression: VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES).
Within the confines, or lack thereof, of VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES) lies a new level of musicianship, achieved through the hard work poured into supporting their self-titled debut and their subsequent No. 1 album, IOWA. Produced by Rick Rubin, Vol 3 not only captures the band's strengths to this point - it sees the spore that is Slipknot exploding in all directions. The songs on this daring effort transcend traditional hard music structure and will surprise the uninitiated with their dynamic appeal. Masterful guitar work, visceral drum beats and a newly-expanded vocal range are highlights of this work that Corey Taylor (#8) calls "both brutal and beautiful." Much of the creative inspiration in evidence on the new album is owed to Rubin and his reputedly haunted mansion, in which the band lived while recording VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES). "You can really feel (the effect of the mansion) on the album. There were ghosts in the machine, in the equipment. Things would freeze, things would loop for no reason at all. It was strange," adds Taylor. Paul Gray (#2) comments on what Rubin brought to the table… "Rick brought a huge amount of open mindedness - normally 9 different people trying different things can be tough - Rick got us to just throw all our preconceived notions out the window. He was able to integrate bits and pieces of everyones ideas."
The first single from VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES), "Duality" is, “lyrically, what you might think... we've been through a lot as a band and the lyrics really reflect our maintaining faith and the perseverance of all 9 of us,” says Joey Jordison (#1). “Duality” represents the album well in its unwillingness to compromise the band's rock foundation and its ability to be aurally appealing and melodic at the same time. Other songs of note on the record, “Before I Forget” and “Vermillion” underline the statement made by “Duality”, with their dark melodies and fierce instrumentation. "Before I Forget" is about rising above the bullshit and being a person, not a human. It's about saying what you mean and meaning what you say - taking zero bullshit." adds Taylor, "and Vermillion is a stalker's love song, shot thru his eyes. It's kind of a 'does he or doesn't he' type thing - it's left open for you to decide."
Many profess to know numbers 0 - 8 through the cover stories and press interviews. But those who truly know this Des Moines mob know them through their jaw-dropping live sets. Slipknot are one of the few bands working today whose live show transcends the medium - a Slipknot show is an event unto itself. The band are currently headlining the Jagermeister Music Tour in the US, to be followed by a European tour as special guests to Metallica, then headlining the side stage at US Ozzfest this summer. Of this second-stage headline, Gray says “It's hard to feel the vibe when your crowd is 200 feet away. This was our chance to get back to connecting with our fans and we're loving it."
This time around, the band's look has evolved with their music. New, streamlined masks are a reflection of the changes in who the band members are, as people. Taylor adds “The mask-thing started out because we wanted to show another side of ourselves through them… We have grown and changed and so have the masks.” About that growing and changing, Jordison says “A lot of people won't ever understand why we do what we do and the band thrives on that. The record itself represents that feeling of gratitude toward the people that refuse to let us die - the fans themselves. The time away only made us a stronger band and the other projects absolutely had nothing to do with the way this record was made. When all 9 of us combine we only know one sound and that is the sound of Slipknot.”
The natural order dictates growth and change as constants. “Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)” catches one of the most relevant and daring bands in the rock music realm, turning adversity into strength and honing their craft to precision.
Slipknot are expected to release their fourth studio album All Hope Is Gone on August 26, 2008. Preparation for the album started in October 2007 with recording pushed back to February 2008. For this release the band has expressed an interest in making it their heaviest album to date with an expansion of the thrash metal riffing introduced on Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). However, they also want to make it their most experimental record, and will be including more acoustic guitars and melodic vocals, as well as introducing hi-hats and cymbals to the additional percussion. The album will be the band's first work with Dave Fortman as producer. Along with the album, the band will debut "evolved" masks and uniforms, which match the style of the new album. Slipknot will headline the first ever Mayhem festival festival in July and August 2008. In addition, the band will be playing the Reading and Leeds Festival in August 2008.
Slipknot will also be touring Europe and the UK in the latter months of 2008, with the bands Machine Head and Children of Bodom opening at their concerts.
Metallica was easily the best, most influential heavy metal band of the '80s, responsible for bringing the music back to Earth. Instead of playing the usual rock star games of metal stars of the early '80s, the band looked and talked like they were from the street. Metallica expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions. The release of 1983's Kill 'Em All marked the beginning of the legitimization of heavy metal's underground, bringing new complexity and depth to thrash metal. With each album, the band's playing and writing improved; James Hetfield developed a signature rhythm playing that matched his growl, while lead guitarist Kirk Hammett became one of the most copied guitarists in metal. Lars Ulrich's thunderous, yet complex, drumming clicked in perfectly with Cliff Burton's innovative bass playing. After releasing their masterpiece Master of Puppets in 1986, tragedy struck the band when their tour bus crashed while traveling in Sweden, killing Burton. When the band decided to continue, Jason Newsted was chosen to replace Burton; two years later, the band released the conceptually ambitious ...And Justice for All, which hit the Top Ten without any radio play and very little support from MTV. But Metallica completely crossed over into the mainstream with 1991's Metallica, which found the band trading in their long compositions for more concise song structures; it resulted in a number one album that sold over seven million copies in the U.S. alone. The band launched a long, long tour which kept them on the road for nearly two years. By the '90s, Metallica had changed the rules for all heavy metal bands; they were the leaders of the genre, respected not only by headbangers, but by mainstream record buyers and critics. No other heavy metal band has ever been able to pull off such a trick. However, the group lost some members of their core audience with their long-awaited follow-up to Metallica, 1996's Load. For Load, the band decided to move toward alternative rock in terms of image — they cut their hair and had their picture taken by Anton Corbijn. Although the album was a hit upon its summer release — entering the charts at number one and selling three million copies within two months — certain members of their audience complained about the shift in image, as well as the group's decision to headline the sixth Lollapalooza. Re-Load, which combined new material with songs left off of the Load record, appeared in 1997; despite poor reviews, it sold at a typically brisk pace through the next year. Garage Inc., a double-disc collection of B-sides, rarities, and newly recorded covers, followed in 1998. In 1999, Metallica continued their flood of product with S&M, documenting a live concert with the San Francisco Symphony; it debuted at number two, reconfirming their immense popularity.
The band spent most of 2000 embroiled in controversy by spearheading a legal assault on Napster, a file-sharing service that allowed users to download music files from each other's computers. Aggressively targeting copyright infringement of their own material, the band notoriously had over 300,000 users kicked off the service, creating a widespread debate over the availability of digital music that raged for most of the year. In January 2001, bassist Jason Newsted announced his amicable departure from the band. Shortly after the band appeared at the ESPN awards in April of the same year, Hetfield, Hammett, and Ulrich entered the recording studio to begin work on their next album, with producer Bob Rock lined up to handle bass duties for the sessions (with rumors of former Ozzy Osbourne/Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez being considered for the vacated position). In July, Metallica surprisingly dropped their lawsuit against Napster, perhaps sensing that their controversial stance did more bad than good to their "band of the people" image. In late summer 2001, the band's recording sessions (and all other band-related matters) were put on hold as Hetfield entered an undisclosed rehab facility for alcoholism and other addictions. He completed treatment and rejoined the band and they headed back into the studio in 2002 to record St. Anger, released in mid-2003. The recording of St. Anger was capped with the search for a permanent replacement for Newstead. After a long audition process, former Ozzy Osbourne/Suicidal Tendencies bass player Robert Trujillo was selected and joined Metallica for their 2003/2004 world tour. The growing pains the band experienced during the recording process of St. Anger were captured in the celebrated documentary Some Kind of Monster which saw theatrical release in 2004.
Members » Cliff Burton (deceased) » Kirk Hammett » James Hetfield » Ron McGovney » Dave Mustaine » Jason Newsted » Robert Trujillo » Lars Ulrich
Marilyn Manson - vocals Tim Skold - bass M.W.Gacy - keyboard Ginger Fish - drums Mark Chausee - guitar At a time of Wallflowers and Big-Headed Hooties, along comes Marilyn Manson and crew to unleash harsh, unrepentant music that annoys all manner of authorities and gets the group banned from cities hellbent on keeping this brand of blasphemy away from impressive children. Like the similarly-minded Alice Cooper (whom they are constantly compared to), Manson stands apart from other "shock rockers" of his/their generation by having successful hit singles that receive airplay. Unlike Cooper, our man Marilyn says his is no act: The Satanic sloganeering and thinly-veiled fascist imagery may be part of the theatrical trappings, but they mean it. The band formed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1990. Members that have come and gone have all utilized the sexpot/serial killer moniker gimmick, hence, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Twiggy Ramirez, Daisy Berkowitz, Gidget Gein, etc. Trent Reznor signed them to his Nothing Records label, and released their debut in 1994. The band toured the U.S. and established a core fan base of kids, mostly from gothic rock and heavy metal camps. Marilyn became a media figurehead with '90s Evil; a dependable coverboy on rock mags from Spin to Alternative Press to Metal Edge, and has even appeared in Family Circle, offering up moshing safety tips. An appearance on The Phil Donahue Show seemed to indicate a penetration of the establishment, where he could unravel from within. Manson's first hit was their version of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)," which added eerieness and metallic fury to the song's inherent familiarity. The EP from which it came, Smells Like Children, went platinum, setting the stage for the massive commercial breakthrough (and subsequent Satanic propaganda campaign) of Antichrist Superstar. Musically, their inventive and personal blend of industrial noise, metal guitar, gothic keys and distorted vocals has been somewhat overlooked in favor of their attempts to shock.
