KING DIAMOND NEW ALBUM "BEST SONGS AND PRODUCTION WE'VE HAD IN YEARS"
KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque is back home in Sweden after "a very heavy and intense mixing session" in Dallas, Texas with the band's singer/namesake King Diamond on the group's long-awaited new album, "Gimme Your Soul ... Please". "It's definitely the best songs and production we've had in years!" Andy told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "A rollercoaster of atmospheres and horror is a good way of describing" the new CD.
TYPE O NEGATIVE's PETER STEELE COMMENT ABOUT INTERNET "PEOPLE CAN ANONYMOUSLY DESTROY ANOTHER PERSON"
Recently Vassil Varbanov of Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with TYPE O NEGATIVE frontman Peter Steele. Few excerpts are follows:
Tangra Mega Rock: In Internet-based sources like Wikipedia, for example, we can read that your real name is Peter Ratajczyk. Is this true?
Peter Steele: Let me just say one thing, ok? I do not mean to offend you, but... Fuck Wikipedia! May I speak freely, sir?
Tangra Mega Rock: Of course.
Peter Steele: I believe this is an extremely sad time in human history. With all this technology we have and all the knowledge we can gain through computers, people anonymously can destroy another person. By rumors. Excuse my language, but this is fucking disgusting!
Tangra Mega Rock: I also would like to ask you about the things that have influenced you the most. You know, a year ago we had the chance to talk to TYPE O NEGATIVE's keyboarder Josh Silver. He stated that no one can get better than PINK FLOYD...
Peter Steele: Let me just say that I feel that Josh made an extremely valid point. PINK FLOYD was a very emotional band, very passionate, and their feelings came through in their music. I do have to say that Josh was absolutely correct when he said PINK FLOYD... uh... What was the question?
Tangra Mega Rock: What has shaped you the most as a person while you were growing up — listening to music or reading books?
Peter Steele: Both, actually. I used to listen to a lot of BEATLES, BLACK SABBATH, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE, but I also used to read a lot — mainly textbooks, as I was at school — like physics, chemistry, mathematics, blah-blah-blah... And just to get back to the point — I think that THE BEATLES and BLACK SABBATH were probably the two most profound influences on my songwriting.
Tangra Mega Rock: Do you believe in life after death?
Peter Steele: That is a very complicated question, very philosophical. I believe in God, I am a Roman Catholic, and I believe there is life after death.
Tangra Mega Rock: One more thing: Are you tired of being asked so many times about the reasons why you posed naked for Playgirl years ago?
Peter Steele: Actually... I mean, every question that you asked me, I lied about the answers!
Tangra Mega Rock: Ha-ha, cool, but anyway — are you tired of being asked about that photo session? We won't discuss that point, I promise.
Peter Steele: I did the Playgirl thing just because you wouldn't have a question to ask me right now. That was the motive — to give journalists something to ask the band about. Of course, I have succeeded.
AL ATKINS ON K.K. DOWNING "SHOW A LITTLE RESPECT BACK"
Original JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Al Atkins has responded to PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing's assertion that Atkins's continued use of the PRIEST name to promote any musical project he is involved in is "verging on ridiculous."
In a recent interview with "The Classic Metal Show"Downing stated about Atkins (who has been out of PRIEST for nearly 30 years), "I think Al was in the band before electricity, if I remember! (laughing). . . If you look at the chronology of JUDAS PRIEST, we were still becoming JUDAS PRIEST for quite some time; finding ourselves and evolving. For someone to say they were the original…you know…it's kind of an interesting subject because you have a name, that isn't to say that you are…this is a bit weird. To say that you are (JUDAS PRIEST) is to say that you've achieved certain goals, if you can decipher that. . . I think that when PRIEST decided, 'That's it; that's what we want to do,' you know, leather studs and bikes… that's when we WERE JUDAS PRIEST."
In a brand new posting on his web site, Atkins writes, "Can I just say, thanks K.K. for your kind words on 'The Classic Metal Show'. Your support for myself has been great over the last 30 years (HA! Yeah, right). As for myself using the PRIEST name is 'verging on ridiculous,' let me just say (and my memory is still good), it was me who gave you the 'JUDAS PRIEST' name in the first place and it was me who co-wrote those early songs like 'Winter', 'Never Satisfied', and 'Victim', to name a few, that helped you get a record deal. I've never asked you for a thing over all those years and i have respected 'PRIEST' for all the hard work you have done and the brilliant records you have turned out. Show a little respect back, please."
