This week, Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn made some humorous, but critical remarks toward Avenged Sevenfold, whose new Hail to the King album hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Flynn, citing all sorts of metal’s upper-tier bands, claims AFX7 performed a classic rip-off job, simply rewriting the works of Metallica, Megadeth, etc. While DR has yet to hear Hail to the King, it was a curious comment from Flynn, a man who 14 years ago lunged for the brass ring via Machine Head’s ill-received The Burning Red, an album filled with nu metal leanings, a sound that at the time, was topping the charts. Would Flynn be singing a different tune if The Burning Red was a success? Or was he making light of the situation? All in the eyes of the beholder…
General housekeeping
We recently launched a giveaway for author Neil Daniels’ new Pantera book: Reinventing Metal: The True Story of Pantera and the Tragically Short Life of Dimebag Darrell. Check it out!
Voices guitarist Samuel Loynes filled us in on what he’s been listening to.
Song #5 in our Top-5 Carcass song countdown: “Child’s Play.”
Features
ReVamp/Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen phoned to talk about the whirlwind that is her life, and ReVamp’s new album, Wild Card.
Canadian thrashers Fatality turn in what is definitely their funniest road diary to date.
Annihilator mainman Jeff Waters spoke with our Matt Coe. It was such a good chat, we had to split it into two parts, here, and here.
Reviews
Goofy ‘ole GWAR returns with their 13th studio album, Battle Maximus.
Experimental outfit SubRosa earn high marks for their new album, More Constant than the Gods.
Windhand break recent sludgy doom stereotypes on their excellent Soma release.
Saint Vitus is getting the reissue treatment. Their 1992 C.O.D. album is up first.
Quite a bit of love for Carcass’s new Surgical Steel.
The product of former members of undervalued Swedish atmospheric death metallers Slumber, Enshine turn in a stellar debut with Origin.
Australian progressive metallers Damnations Day make an impression with their Invisible, the Dead debut.
British thrashers Onslaught get a 9/10 from Matt Coe for their sixth album, VI.
New Hampshire post black metallers Vattnet Viskar make a name for themselves with their Sky Swallower debut.
Finnish stoner rockers Church Void keep it simple on Dead Rising.
The news in ten:
1. Clutch forced to postpone September live dates.
2. Black Sabbath announce live DVD details.
3. Anathema forced to use new rhythm section for North American tour.
4. Sepultura announces a North American tour with Unearth, Kataklysm, and more in support.
5. Tyr posts the video for “Blood of Heroes.”
6. Fates Warning post new song, “I Am.”
7. Lacuna Coil begins recording their new album.
8. Havok releases the video for “Worse Than War.”
9. Machine Head’s Rob Flynn takes some humorous shots at Avenged Sevenfold.
10. Death Angel releases the trailer for The Dream Calls For Blood.