LIGEIA

Why did you have to turn to the darkside of shitty southern rock?

CULT OF LUNA DVD

Swedish metal band Cult Of Luna have posted a teaser for the forthcoming, first ever DVD release, "A Night When Fire Was Born".

The band last released 'Eternal Kingdom' in 2008. Cult Of Luna are also on tour in Australia in February. I'll be at the Sydney show at the Manning Bar on February 14 (screw Valentines Day!).

THE WEEKEND (+MONDAY)

NEW EVERY TIME I DIE!

It seems like everyone is jumping ship and heading to Epitaph Records ...

Keith Buckley has posted a blog on the band's MySpace stating that the band have started work on writing for their newest album (their fifth) and their first for Epitaph Records.

"It's been a while since we posted on the status of the Every Time I Die camp, but I'll admit that it often gets overlooked since we have fallen into such a writing/recording/touring routine over the past ten years that we rarely take a step back to take personal note of the endeavors we're undertaking.

"As of yesterday, January 12th, we have officially begun writing the new record. Well let me rephrase that. Jordan, Mike, Andy and Josh have begin writing and I have just attained a level 23 ranking on Call Of Duty: World At War Online. But that's not to say I have not been doing my part as I await to hear the demos of the songs as they begin filing in. I have, according to tradition, thrown myself into a tempestuous spiral of panic, doubt and self loathing in the face of an impending creative venture that will ultimately shift public opinion of me to one extreme or another independent of my own faculties to control it. And still we do it for the kids. The irony."

The dude will be playing in Australia at the end of next month as a part of the Soundwave Festival, as well as performing two sideshows (in Sydney and Melbourne) with Dillinger Escape Plan, Poison The Well and Evergreen Terrace.

ZAO

Classic metalcore band Zao are currently recording a new album. Titled 'AWAKE?', the new record will be released via Ferret Music around March this year.

'AWAKE?' is being recorded by Scott Mellinger, Daniel Castleman and As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis co-producing.

A.F.I. - Days Of The Phoenix

One of my favourite songs of all time ...

THURSDAY

Common Existence, the band's fifth album, comes out in under a month and I can't wait. The songs that I have heard from it are so good. There is something of the raw, heaviness that was in their earlier recordings but still some of the experimental, ambient stuff that they started exploring with A City By The Light Divided and the tracks they released on their split with Envy. All in all, this isn't an album that is going to disappoint me ... I know it! Hahahaha

The first single to be released from the album is Resuscitation Of A Dead Man, which features Tim McIlrath of Rise Against adding vocal parts. It is available for download now on iTunes.

Common Existence is due to be released on Epitaph on February 17 (US) and I'm guessing a few days earlier in Australia (I could be wrong there ...).

ARCHITECTS - HOLLOW CROWN

I got a hold of a copy of this album and it's amazing! I don't think it's as good as their previous effort (Ruin blew my mind!) but it's going to be in the Top 10 Albums of 2009.

This time around it is a little less brutal, but only in the sense that there is a lot more melody going on. In some parts it reminds me a lot of Misery Signals (which makes sense considering that they're touring the UK together at the moment).

I enjoy every listen, though, and I strongly recommend you all check it out!

INHALE EXHALE

DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN DRUMMER UPDATE

The Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman spoke to UK magazine Rock Sound about the departure of drummer Gill Sharone. The article states:

"I don't want to say to much about the new guy, he is kind of this secret weapon and we are excited about the fact that he doesn't care about running around promoting himself. He is pretty unknown and got the gig over like thirty ridiculously sick drummers. Some of which are pretty well known. He has very young nipples, though, I must say; makes me jealous.

"I would like to clear up the reality of that situation, It seems everyone is trying to play up that we can't keep members in this band. Gil didn't quit DILLINGER and there is no animosity. We are still friends and were talking about a project we are going to work on when we both have more time yesterday.

"The fact of the situation is that he both didn't like a lot of touring and felt guilty he had gone over a year without really giving his band [STOLEN BABIES] that he started with his twin brother much attention. He wanted to move forward in writing and doing selected shows with DILLINGER but asked if we would be interested in getting a touring fill-in for when he couldn't do it. We decided to go another route and he was understanding of that. That is the reality of the situation."

That being said, The PRP report:

"The Dillinger Escape Plan look to have tapped The Rivalry's Billy Rymer as their drummer for the foreseeable future. While the band themselves have yet to comment on the situation, The Rivalry have been dropping some not so subtle hints, including mentions of Rymer's 'exciting' new obligations and a mention of "Dillinger Escape Plan's new secret weapon.""