Metalblog

King Diamond has issued a statement regarding an article published late last month on a Danish website. The first part of the statment adresses allegations made about King Diamond’s personal life that the Metalblog doesn’t really care about. What King Diamond or any other performer does behind closed doors is their business until they get arrested for it.

King Diamond does go on to claim the rumours about a new Mercyful Fate album are untrue, as the Metalblog speculated yesterday.

King Diamond said:

“The second rumour that’s floating around, which is that MERCYFUL FATE has started writing new material, I really have no idea where it originated from.

“The present status of MERCYFUL FATE remains unchanged, meaning that we have not started writing new material. For that to happen, MERCYFUL FATE’s recording contracts have to be renegotiated first. We certainly would love for this to happen so that we can finally make our long-overdue ‘masterpiece.’ Both Hank [Shermann, MERCYFUL FATE guitarist] and I are ready to go if that scenario presents itself, and who knows, that might happen this year.

“So… for this year, you will see a double DVD of old private KING DIAMOND video recordings and a double DVD of old private MERCYFUL FATE video recordings which I am working on as we speak. Andy [La Rocque, KING DIAMOND guitarist] has finished remastering ‘The Graveyard’, ‘Spider’s Lullabye’, ‘Voodoo’, and ‘House of God’, all of which should also be available this year. And then there is ‘the big surprise’ (not little King babies with horns on their foreheads or MERCYFUL FATE writing new songs, at least not as we speak) but something that could lead to renegotiations of the MERCYFUL FATE recording deals. We’ll see. Be patient…..

“On a personal note, I do feel reasonably confident that the MERCYFUL FATE masterpiece will see the light of day.”

So there you have it. No new Mercyful Fate album, at least for the time being, but King Diamond and Mercyful Fate DVDs look like they are in the pipeline.

I was having a look on blabbermouth.net and there was a story on there stating:

King Diamond has told BT.dk that there is a good chance that a new studio album from his classic heavy metal act MERCYFUL FATE will surface at some point in the not-too-distant future.

“Hank [Shermann, guitar] has written songs [for the proposed MERCYFUL FATE CD]. And he is ready for our new masterpiece,” King Diamond is quoted as saying.

That, of course, is great news. I’ve been a fan of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond since my best friend bought a copy of Don’t Break The Oath back when it first came out.

Mercyful Fate haven’t put out an album since 9 came out in 1999. So if there is a new Mercyful Fate release next year I will party like it’s…uh…1999.

Then the VERY NEXT story says:

DEMONICA, the solo project of MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Hank Shermann, is putting the finishing touches on its debut album for a tentative late spring/early summer release via an as-yet-undisclosed label. The CD will be mixed in February in Denver, Colorado.

Which leaves the Metalblog wondering if somebody somewhere got there wires crossed or if Hank Shermann suddenly turned into a song writing monster cranking out enough tunes for not only a new Mercyful Fate album, but for an album from his side project Demonica as well. 

The Metalblog is loving the story of a construction firm manager returning from New Year’s Eve fancy dress party scaring off a burglar by charging at him dressed as the Norse god Thor.  

The burglar was so scared he jumped out of a first floor (that’s second floor for any Americans reading this) window and left his shoes behind (What a courteous burglar, not wanting to muddy the carpets).

The homeowner was dressed up in aluminium foil and wearing a red cape, just like the real Thor.

We’re guessing the burglar ran because he either thought he was going to be wrestled into the microwave with the homeowner and then electrocuted by the sparks flying off of the foil costume, or because he thought the homeowner would strip off the Thor costume to reveal he was wearing a Manowar costume underneath!

After all, who would be more likely to dress up as Thor than a Manowar fan?

Here’s Manowar performing “Thor (The Power Head)” live in Bulgaria in 2007. He held up his hammer hiiiiiiiiiighhh!

The UK trailer for the film “Anvil! The Story of Anvil!” is now available online. The film will be released in North America, Canada and the U.K. in spring 2009. A distribution deal has also been agreed for Japan, with Australia to follow shortly.

“Anvil! The Story of Anvil” follows Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner who, after a desultory European tour with their band ANVIL, decide to record a 13th album in a final attempt to fulfill their boyhead dreams of stardom.

I hope “Anvil! The Story of Anvil!” gets a wide release in the UK. I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies, but I’d make the trip for this.

I missed “Anvil! The Story of Anvil!” when it played at the London Film Festival in 2008 where it had two showings. I didn’t find out about the first showing until the day after and the second showing was in the middle of the afternoon and I couldn’t get out of work.

I remember seeing Anvil open for Aerosmith back in 1984 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. They impressed me so much I went out and bought a cassette copy of their Metal On Metal album the following day.

Anvil are one of those bands that were too heavy to fit in with the hair metal crowd and fell into the gap between the NWOBHM and thrash metal. Hopefully “Anvil! The Story of Anvil!” will get the band some much deserved recognition.

It was an OK year for the Metalblog and gigs. Family problems over the summer meant I wasn’t able to get to as many as hoped for, but the Metalblog still was able to catch some good concerts in 2008 (including Metallica’s Death Magnetic release party at the O2 Arena for only £5) and these were my favorites.

The runners up for Metalblog 2008 Concert of the Year…

Obituary/Holy Moses -  ULU, London 03/02/08

The all too rare UK appearance of Holy Moses as opening act for Obituary is what brings this gig into my top 3 for 2008. Sure, Obituary are legends of Florida death metal, but Holy Moses are also legends - of German thrash metal.I was on the barrier for the whole of Holy Moses’ set and it was one of the best sets I saw from any band in 2008. Obituary weren’t too shabby either.

Helloween/Gamma Ray - Shepherds Bush Empire, London 08/01/08

More German metal legends, but this time in the power metal genre. Gamma Ray started after guitarist, and original singer, Kai Hansen left Helloween. Nearly twenty years later he was sharing a stage with them once again. At the end of Helloween’s set Hansen and Gamma Ray joined Helloween for some classic Helloween numbers that sent everybody home in power metal heaven.

And the winner of Metalblog’s Best Concert for 2008 is….

Municipal Waste/Toxic Holocaust/Mutant/Seregon - Islington Academy, London 06/02/08

While no single band from this show could have made this list on their own, this was the most solid lineup of any show I saw in 2008. Four good young thrash metal bands taking no prisoners.

Things kicked off with two of the Metalblog’s favorite unsigned bands, Seregon and Mutant getting the crowd warmed up in style and getting the mosh pit readied for the American acts to follow.

Mutant was followed by Toxic Holocaust, who played a great set of blackened thrash and then Municipal Waste playing their party crossover thrash. Municipal Waste’s set was short for a headlining act, but with the allround great thrash show just witnesedthere were few complaints - not to mention most of the audience was probablly too drunk to notice or care.

It’s now time for the Metalblog to reveal its favorite heavy metal album of 2008. The criteria is simple enough. The album has to have been released in 2008 and has to be metal. Albums are judged on one thing - how often I listened to the album in 2008 and how often I’m likely to listen to it in 2009 and beyond. Originality, artistic merit, or level of brutality count for nothing if I don’t want to listen to the album over and over.

First the runners up for the Metalblog 2008 Album of the Year…

Testament - The Formation of Damnation

It was a long wait between albums from Testament, who reformed with its classic 80s lineup in 2005. This past year they finally released an album with returned guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Greg Christian joining ever presents Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson, with former Forbidden, Slayer, and Exodus drummer Paul Bostaph  rounding out the current Testament lineup. It may not be the best Testament album ever, but it sure beats some of the latest releases from other classic bay area thrash bands.

Gama Bomb - Citizen Brain

Part of the so-called new breed of thrash metal, Gama Bomb thrash like the 90s never happened. Citizen Brain is a fun, catchy thrash metal album filled with songs about zombies, drinking, zombies drinking, thrashing, and all other sorts of general mayhem. Gama Bomb will be touring Europe with fellow thrashers Overkill and Exodus in early 2009 and the Metalblog can’t wait.

And the winner of Best Album for 2008 is…

Ross the Boss - New Metal Leader

I have to admit, I loved Ross the Boss when he was in Manowar and I love him even more in the Dictators. Now I can say I love him in his own band.

New Metal Leader has been called “The best ‘Manowar’ album since Kings of Metal“. I’d have to disagree with that statement.

Sure, there are some Manowar leanings on the album, but you don’t have to be a Manowar fan to like this record.Anybody who remembers heavy metal in the days before every release had to be one dimensional to make sure it fit comfortably into some sub- or sub-sub-genre of metal should enjoy New Metal Leader.

“God of Dying” sounds like it could have come straight from the Manowar song book, but the very next song on the album, “May the Gods Be With You”, sounds like it owes just as much to Ross’ days in the Dictators as it does to Manowar. There’s even a song with a flamenco guitar section (”Matador”).

Even with these stylistic excursions, New Metal Leader never forgets what it is - a well rounded kick ass heavy metal album and the Metalblog’s favorite of 2008.

It’s time to start the Metalblog’s 2008 end of year awards. The first award goes to the Metalblog’s favorite unsigned band of 2008. The unsigned band award is open to any bands that are unsigned, but due to geography, this will most likely always go to a metal band from the UK since these are the unsigned bands I get a chance to see live.

First, the runners up for Best Unsigned Band 2008:

Seregon

I caught this Bristal based band a couple of times in 2008 and they never failed to deliver the goods with their Sepultera-styled thrash metal. If I see that Seregon is opening a show, it’s worth the effort to make sure I get there early enough to catch their set. Check out Seregon at www.myspace.com/seregonuk.

Mutant

Mutant started the year by appearing on Earache record’s Thrashing Like A Maniac compilation.  Mutant write great thrash metal songs and if they played more gigs or ever got around to recording their much delayed EP could have walked away with this award. Mutant can be heard at www.myspace.com/mutantmetal.

And the Winner of the Metalblog 2008 Unsigned Band of the Year is…

H.O.D. (Hospital of Death)

H.O.D. (Hospital of Death) formed in 1994 and played one gig. In 2006 they got back together and the heavy metal world is a better place for it.

H.O.D. released Beer, Bitches, Blood in January 2008 as a zip file to pass around to friends. Since then they’ve “play(ed) festivals, play(ed) with a ton of UK and international thrash and true metal bands, distributed hundreds of T-shirts around the globe and as we stand for this year, Beer Bitches Blood has currenlty totted up as a distribution of 30,000!”

Beer, Bitches, Blood is available as a free download or for a miniscule sum, that probably doesn’t even cover the cost of a blank CD and postage, the band will send you a real physical CD copy.

And unlike most everything else available for free, H.O.D.’s Beer, Bitches, Blood doesn’t suck. Full of great riffs and great humor, the £1 I spent for a CD copy of Beer, Bitches, Blood is the best quid I spent in all of 2008.

Recording of the follow up album starts on January 19th and the Metalblog looks forward to hearing more from H.O.D. in 2009. Stay up to date with H.O.D. and find out how to get a copy of Beer, Bitches, Blood at www.myspace.com/hospitalofdeath.

There appears to be a serious lack of good original heavy metal Christmas songs. There are plenty of good rock Christmas songs, and the last couple of years has seen good heavy metal Christmas releases from Twisted Sister and this year’s various artists recording We Wish You A Metal Christmas and a Headbanging New Year.

But both of those releases relied on heavy metal reworkings of already established Christmas songs. When it comes to original heavy metal Christmas songs there is only one song that comes to mind - King Diamond’s “No Presents For Christmas”.

“No Presents For Christmas” was the first release from singer King Diamond and his band, also named King Diamond, after the singer left pioneering black metal band Mercyful Fate. While “No Presents For Christmas” is not exactly the jolliest of Christmas songs, it was still a big departure from the satanic themes King Diamond sang about in Mercyful Fate. But even though the themes may not have been as dark as in Mercyful Fate, King Diamond’s music was still as heavy as ever.

Unfortunately King Diamond did not make a video for the “No Presents For Christmas” single. There are some live versions on YouTube, but the sound quality is not that great. I’m not a fan of static videos, but the song is the important thing and the sound quality is good. Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

The Metalblog has been quiet for the last few days. I wish I could say it’s because I’ve been too busy partying to post, but the truth is I’ve caught some kind of killer virus. Well, maybe not a killer, but it has knocked me on my ass for the last few days.

I went to see thrash metal band Destruction on Tuesday night at the Underworld in London. The band were great, but I wasn’t. I left the show early and nearly crashed the car on the way home because I was feeling so rough. I’ll post more about what I did catch of the gig in the next couple of days.

Until then I’ll let my favorite crossover thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies let you know how I feel with “I Feel Like Shit…Deja Vu”

Heavy metal has had it’s share of odd firings over the years.

Guitarist Dave Mustaine was fired by Metallica when the band packed up his things in New York, drove him to the Greyhound bus station, and bought him a ticket back home to Los Angeles. 

Quit Riot singer Kevin DuBrow was fired in Hawaii when the rest of the band changed to an earlier flight and left him behind on the island.

And in Italy, the guitarist from the heavy metal band Soul Cry was stabbed about 50 times, mainly in his head and back, by the band’s singer and bassist after playing poorly at a rehersal.

Fifty times! I think I would have got the message after the first time the knife plunged into my back that I was probably no longer wanted in the band. Certainly by the second or third.

A word of advice for all heavy metal musicians - go watch The Apprentice. Nothing says “You’re Fired” like pointing and saying…”You’re Fired”.

And you don’t get arrested for it either.