EMI has been having a rough year so far, and is in need of desperate change just to stay afloat. Well if rumors are true, then they be announcing a drastic plan soon.
Hypebot is reporting that EMI is set to announce a plan that will move distribution, sales and some marketing functions to one of the other three major labels. It’s also rumored that EMI plans to outright sell their recorded music division (which includes Capitol and Virgin Records). In addition, the New York Post also reports plans for EMI to securitize certain publishing catalogs. In other words, they intend to give up a stake for certain catalogs in exchange for upfront cash.
While this should still be taken as a rumor, we’ve been hearing about EMI’s possible interest in separating the music division for a while now. While their publishing division is still their strong point, if it means staying alive for a little while longer then selling some of it is their strongest option.
The American Carnage Tour was already a metal head’s dream come true. I mean seriously: Slayer, Megadeth and Testament touring together again?! Even with the postponement, this tour was a must see for fans this summer. So there is no way this tour could get better, right? Well according to rumors, it just might!
On the verge of the Big Four dates finishing up, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has let it slip in an interview with the site 24ur.com that Anthrax will be joining the American Carnage Tour. That’s right … Anthrax will not only be joining Slayer and Megadeth on tour, BUT WILL BE DOING SO IN THE STATES!
It must be kept in mind that nothing has been confirmed. It is also unsure as to what Anthrax’s participation will entail. However, during the interview in question (which took place prior to the band’s performance in Ljubljana, Slovenia on June 29) Mustaine said the following when talking about how his experience has been during the Big Four Tour:
“We hang out with Slayer all the time, and we’re on tour with them in the States on American Carnage. And Anthrax is gonna be joining us, so it’s gonna kind of be like the Clash Of The Titans thing we did back in the ’90s, too.”
So even though there is no true confirmation, Mustaine pretty much makes it clear, unless somehow the comment was taken out of context. This might not be the Big Four we are still hoping to see in the states, but this is still amazing if it happens. And if the three of these titans wasn’t enough, keep in mind that this still (presumably) includes Testament as well! Until an official announcement has been made, let’s keep our fingers crossed.
You can take a look at video of the interview above (he makes the comment around the the 5:22 mark).
Whether we like it or not, a biopic about Ozzy Osbourne is inevitable. It’s a project that has been in the works for a while now, but with the success of his memoir I Am Ozzy, the film has gained steam. Thus, rumors of who will actually play the Prince Of Darkness has already started to swirl around town. While don’t be surprised to hear a lot of false speculation (sorry Sharon, but Johny Depp will most likely not be playing Ozzy), this casting rumor sounded to intriguing not to mention.
Cinematical.com is reporting that Irish bad boy actor Colin Farrell is the latest rumored actor to be in the running to play Ozzy. By no means should this be taken as more than just a rumor, but the site claims that Farrell is appearing to be Paramount and MTV Film execs’ top choice. This does, however, contradict with Osbourne’s previous claims that he would want an unknown to play him in a film.
Despite Ozzy’s desire for an unknown to portray him, I’d have to say that Farrell would actually be a very good choice for the role, and not just because of the bad boy image he is associated with. If you have seen the movie In Bruges, then you know that he has the acting chops. He may not be everyone’s favorite actor, but all in all, I’m sure he would do an impressive job. However, if I may add more fuel to the fire, Ewan McGregor’s halloween costume last year had me thinking of him as a possible choice. Expect to hear more rumors flying around for a while now.
It might have been guitarist Bill Kelliher that recently had to miss a few shows due to pancreatitis. Yet it seems to be Mastodon’s other guitarist/co-frontman that is causing the most problems lately. Our pals at MetalSucks.net and Metalinjection.net are reporting that Brent Hinds bailed on the band half way through their set in Oakland, CA this past weekend.
MS’s “The Big Chazboski” reported the following:
“Brent seemed off from the beginning, staggering a bit and not stepping up to sing his lines. I’m pretty sure he damn near collapsed at least once. Troy once ran to the mic, nearly pushing Brent over, in an effort to sing Brent’s lines. Brent continued to throw in wild solos where there should be words, throwing his guitar around and running off stage. While there seemed to be major technical issues, mostly with his monitor from what I could tell, he became less and less involved in the performance to the point where he even stopped playing and simply yelled in to the mic something around the lines of ‘I love heavy metal…..No I don’t.’ Even more telling, he managed to screw up the intro to a song (that I can’t remember right now) to the point where Brann was looking through his cymbals in hopes of figuring out what was happening. He eventually completely lost his composure, throwing down a mic stand and storming off stage.
After roughly a 20 minute delay consisting of the keyboard player playing the same three notes for 10 minutes, and then realizing issues and perhaps showing more professionalism than I thought possible for a stand-in, started changing things up, trying different chords and rhythms, anything to try to keep the crowd from losing their interest completely. The band finally re-took the stake, sans Brent, thanked the audience for being there, and asked if we wanted one more. Bringing out another mic stand, Bill sang backups to ”Blood and Thunder” and gracefully let the show die out into the night with no trace of Brent.”
Adding more fuel to the fire, such antics were reported to have happened during the band’s set at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival (on April 23) and at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ a few nights before. While I can’t confirm what happened in New Jersey, I myself attended both days of the NEMHF and saw Mastodon’s set. Sadly, what I saw was pretty similar to MetalSucks.net’s reports from the Oakland show. From the beginning of the set, Hinds seemed to be way off (both vocally and monitor wise). He didn’t replace as many of the lyrics with guitar solos as he might have this past weekend, but at points I kind of wished he did (he sounded way off key for most of the set). While Hinds left halfway through “Capillarian Crest,” he did come back out with the band to perform an encore of “Blood And Thunder” after making fans wait an eerie 10 minutes. However, the tension between Hinds and the band throughout the show was evident.
I think we can all agree that “sound issues” is no reason to act unprofessional on stage. But from what I saw on and off stage during the festival (appearing in an arm sling during the day, but chugging down beer onstage while trying to fix his amp), it’s clear that something else is behind Hinds’ weird behavior. Sadly, unless they get their act together, it may cause the end of a truly talented band.
We all know how hard Scott Ian and Anthrax have been trying to get John Bush back into the band. So we should keep this new update as simply gossip. But Blabbermouth.net is reporting that Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Charlie Benante were spotted with former singer Joey Belladonna at Fozzy’s performance at the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York City this past Wednesday (April 28). This is leading many to speculate that Belladonna may be returning to Anthrax just in time for their upcoming “Big Four” shows in Europe with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.
Normally I wouldn’t give such a rumor second thought. However, Blabbermouth.net makes the point that while Belladonna lives in upper state New York, Benante resides in Chicago, making it less likely that this was a chance encounter. Plus, Anthrax and Belladonna didn’t part ways on the best of terms after their 2005-2006 reunion, making it even more unlikely that the two were simply catching up on old times. So unless if Benante really loves Fozzy enough to travel far distances to see (sorry, but also unlikely), maybe there could be something to these rumors.
Again, nothing is confirmed and this should be marked as just a rumor. Personally, I somewhat hope this isn’t true. Not only because I myself am a John Bush era fan, but also because it would be sad to see the band return to Belladonna just because they couldn’t get Bush back or find a new singer. It would be cool to say that the “classic” era of Anthrax was performing with the “Big Four,” but it still comes off as desperate. Then again, if Bush can’t do the gigs, then Anthrax can’t really afford to take time out to find a new singer.
In an era where band breakups and reunions are on six-month cycles, the last thing I need clogging my inbox is another lead that nothing’s changed for System of a Down. Frontman Serj Tankian addressed the rumors, claiming nothing has changed since their “indefinite hiatus” announcement:
“We always have offers to play, from festivals and stuff, but we have not decided to do anything as of yet. We’re in touch. We talk. We call it an indefinite hiatus, and that’s how we still look at it. Nothing’s really changed.”
Tankian will release a live CD/DVD set, Elect The Dead Symphony, on March 9 and is currently recording his next solo album, tentatively titled Music Without Borders.
System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian addressed yesterday’s rumor of a System Of A Down reunion. Rumors he started. Once again from Twitter, where character limits make it the best place to make official statements:
About my “are u guys ready for System?”. I’m not sayin we are back but, if so? U guys ready? SoRry for gettin u guys amped. I’m just seeing
So there you have it. No reunion (yet). Shavo was just curious/really wanted to annoy his fanbase.
Adding even more speculation, System Of A Down’s official Twitter account referenced Shavo’s post (note: the post on the official SOAD Twitter has since been removed).
Nothing has been confirmed about the band’s return, which has been on hiatus since 2006. Also, vocalist Serj Tankian has already revealed plans for recording a sophomore solo album.
However, at least three members are collaborating: Odadjian shared the stage with guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan for the first time in years during his Halloween bash in Hollywood. The three also joined the Deftones on stage at a benefit show for bassist Chi Cheng on November 20, where they performed the songs “Toxicity” and “Aerials”.
Could there be truth to the speculation? Either way, maybe we shouldn’t get our hopes up. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Twitter postings might have misled about reunions.
See a video clip below of Malakian, Odadjian and Dolmayan performing the song “Suite Pee” at their Halloween reunion.
UPDATE 2: E1 has confirmed the signing. See the full press release after the jump.
It’s being rumored that legendary guitarist-slash-unintentional humorist Zakk Wylde has signed Black Label Society to E1 Records. While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, Wylde has previously announced that a new album is on track for a June release.
This would be an extension of E1′s recent metal spending spree, as the label has signed or released records from high-profile metal acts In Flames, Hatebreed, Otep, Throwdown, Overkill, Satyricon and High On Fire in the last 18 months or so. Signing these acts are likely safe bets for E1, as they have a strong built-in fanbase and don’t need the development work required for new acts. When talking about hardcore fan bases, no one can argue that BLS’ following is one of the most loyal.
We will keep you updated about the signing as more is confirmed.
While we’re waiting to hear back from various publicists, the internets are atwitter (literally!) with some tidbits regarding a few bands. While the Megadeth/Suicide Silence tour ended last night in Las Vegas, it did so without Suicide Silence on the last two dates. The band’s Twitter account confirmed that they didn’t play Reno or Vegas shows, but doesn’t say why. However, another Twitter post from drummer Alex Lopez, since removed, states “”Dave Mustaine kicked us off the Megadeth tour cuz he wanted to take our laminates for a little incident weeks ago, so we told him to fuck off.” And bassist Dan Kenny posted “I would love a fist fight with Dave Mustaine… I hear he is quite good at MMA; I would triangle him in a second!”
Meanwhile, it appears that Trivium might have parted ways with drummer Travis Smith. Smith had sat out their most recent tour for “personal business,” with former drum tech Nick Augusto filling in. We’ll keep you updated if and when we receive word from the label.
EMI has been having a rough year so far, and is in need of desperate change just to stay afloat. Well if rumors are true, then they be announcing a drastic plan soon.
In an era where band breakups and reunions are on six-month cycles, the last thing I need clogging my inbox is another lead that nothing’s changed for System of a Down. Frontman Serj Tankian 
System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian addressed yesterday’s rumor of a System Of A Down reunion. Rumors 
System Of A Down’s hiatus may soon be coming to an end, at least according to hints dropped on bassist 
UPDATE: Zakk’s wife and co-manager, Barbaranne Wylde, 
While we’re waiting to hear back from various publicists, the internets are atwitter (literally!) with some tidbits regarding a few bands. While the Megadeth/Suicide Silence tour ended last night in Las Vegas, it did so without Suicide Silence on the last two dates. The band’s 
Posted by Zach Shaw on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Label Moves, Rumors and Gossip