San Diego, California metallers AS I LAY DYING will film a video for the song “Anodyne Sea” today (Friday, December 17) with Killswitch Productions directors Mike Pecci and Ian McFarland (FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH).

AS I LAY DYING will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in February with support from WINDS OF PLAGUE and AFTER THE BURIAL. The trek will hit cities that the band hasn’t been to in years and other places the group has yet to visit, including Green Bay, WI; Pensacola, FL; Burlington, VT; and much more. This is a great opportunity for fans to see AS I LAY DYING in an intimate club setting, which should make for some insane circle pits and stage dives.

AS I LAY DYING released a super deluxe fan box set version of its latest album, “The Powerless Rise”, in November.

The limited edition super deluxe fan box includes the following:

* “The Powerless Rise” CD and 12″ vinyl picture disc
* “The Powerless Rise” DVD documentary with in-studio footage and interviews + extras
* Guitar, bass and drum tabs featuring Jordan Mancino, Nick Hipa, Phil Sgrosso and Josh Gilbert / song stems for “Upside Down Kingdom” / expanded recording outtakes
* Hardcover book with lyrics, photos, and editorial from the band
* 12″ x 12″ lithograph
* Three guitar picks
* Mini drumstick keychain
* AS I LAY DYING patch
* AS I LAY DYING window cling
* Metal AS I LAY DYING logo pin

The box set is exclusively available in Europe via EMP.

“The Powerless Rise” sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band’s previous CD, “An Ocean Between Us”, opened with 39,500 units back in August 2007 to land at No. 8.

“The Powerless Rise” was released on May 11 via Metal Blade Records. IRON MAIDEN
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have been confirmed as the headliners of the Sonisphere festival in Spain in 2011. The event, now in its third year, will be held at Getafe Open Air, Madrid on Saturday, July 16.

For ticket availability and other information, click here.

As previously reported, IRON MAIDEN will headline the Polish installment of the Sonisphere festival on Friday, June 10, 2011 at the 100,000-capacity Bemowo Airfield in Warsaw. According to Antyradio, the biggest rock radio station in Poland, SLIPKNOT and MOTÖRHEAD will also perform at the event, although this has not yet been officially confirmed by the festival organizers.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD
AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that the band was not happy about the public way in which drummer Mike Portnoy‘s split with his former group DREAM THEATER was played out, which may have soured Portnoy‘s relationship with AVENGED, ultimately causing his departure from the Orange County, California-based act. “We were actually a little more shocked,” M. Shadows said. “We felt that maybe both parties could have handled it a little more internally without being so press release-happy about what had happened between them. Because we’re a band that, really, when it comes to news all over web sites or this or that about bands, you know, we don’t tweet much, we don’t try to put ourselves out that much, and all the drama and controversy wasn’t something that we wanted at all.”

M. Shadows talking to The Pulse Of Radio about DREAM THEATER / Mike Portnoy drama (audio):

Portnoy recorded the drum parts for AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s latest album, “Nightmare”, and toured with them for much of 2010 following the death last December of AVENGED drummer James “The Rev” Sullivan.

Although AVENGED SEVENFOLD did not immediately issue a statement regarding Mike‘s split with the group, Portnoy broke the news himself yesterday (Thursday, December 16) on Facebook, writing, “Sadly my time with AVENGED SEVENFOLD has come to an end…The band has decided to carry on into 2011 without me …I had a great time with them throughout 2010, but it was their choice to end the relationship at the end of 2010 as was always the initial plan…”

Portnoy added, “I am proud to always be part of the AVENGED SEVENFOLD family and history. I also adore the AVENGED SEVENFOLD fans and totally appreciate the way they welcomed me aboard and were so loving and supportive during my time with the band…thank you!”

Portnoy left his band of 25 years, DREAM THEATER, this past summer, although he said his stint with AVENGED SEVENFOLD had nothing to do with it.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is slated to hit the road in the U.S. next month as part of the “Nightmare After Christmas” tour, along with STONE SOUR and HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD. There is no word yet on whether the band will remain on that tour and enlist a new drummer.

James Sullivan, AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s founding drummer, was found dead in his California home last December 28 of a fatal mixture of drugs and alcohol.

THE BIG FOUR

The so-called “Big Four” of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — has been confirmed as for the French edition of the Sonisphere festival, set to take place July 8-9, 2011 in Amnéville. Also scheduled to appear is SLIPKNOT. The “Big Four” will perform on Saturday, July 9.

METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER were recently confirmed for their first “Big Four” show of 2011, scheduled for the U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival on Friday, July 8. This will be the first gig featuring all four groups since they did a series of shows together in Eastern Europe last summer to massive crowds and acclaim.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said in a statement, “As soon as the ‘Big Four’ gigs started rolling across Sonisphere festivals in Eastern Europe last summer, we all felt we were part of something special. The vibe within the bands was more than anyone had anticipated and the vibe with the fans was so next level, it completely blew our minds… there was no way this should not happen again!!!”

The so-called “Big Four” are arguably the biggest and longest-lasting acts to emerge from the thrash/speed metal underground of the late ’80s, but never shared a stage together until this year.

Ulrich recently told The Pulse Of Radio that there’s no competition among the four bands when they play together. “The only competition is for METALLICA to go out and be the best METALLICA it can be every night, or for Lars to go out and try and make it through without one of his arms flying off or, you know, whatever. So the only competition is just really internal. I think that the bands now are so established that it’s just not about, like, ‘Let’s see if we can blow the other guys off,’ or, you know, ‘Let’s see if they can follow that.'”

It is not clear yet whether more “Big Four” events are planned for next year, although there is strong speculation that more shows in Europe and North America are in the works.

A deluxe CD/DVD package filmed and recorded at a “Big Four” show in Sofia, Bulgaria last June was released in November.

MÖTLEY CRÜE has been confirmed for next year’s edition ofThe Bamboozle festival, set to take place April 29 – May 1 at the New Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

LIL WAYNE
MÖTLEY CRÜE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
A DAY TO REMEMBER
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
LMFAO
A LOSS FOR WORDS
ANBERLIN
ANIMALS AS LEADERS
ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS
BORN OF OSIRIS
BOYS LIKE GIRLS
CHELSEA GRIN
CIRCA SURVIVE
EATMEWHILEIMHOT
FOR TODAY
FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS
I SEE STARS
NEON HITCH
NEW FOUND GLORY (feat. Marky Ramone)
O’BROTHER
OCEANO
RIVER CITY EXTENSION
ROMANCE ON A ROCKETSHIP
RX BANDITS
RYAN CABRERA
SENSES FAIL
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO
TEXAS IN JULY
THE READY SET
THE YOUTH AHEAD
TRANSIT
TWO TONGUES
VANNA
WAKA FLOCKA FLAME
WE ARE THE IN CROWD

Published by rbtaleman

Heavy metal (fiend/friend?) Writer, frustrat(or), frustrat(ee), decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Husband(twice), father(three times), grandfather(of seven), FM radio veteran, Concertgoer, music collector, muscle car aficianado. Grown up since five. Child since 45. View all posts by rbtaleman