Category: General News


As I’m sure most of you know, we’re going on about four years since original Defones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in an automobile collision, rendering him in a coma. Over the past few years, Chi has been slowly but surely making signs of improvement. Thankfully, his improvement seems to be continuing, as Chi can now lift his legs on command! You can see the video above

Hopefully Chi is able to make a full recovery. It might not seem like much at this point, but these little things are definitely great and bode well for Chi’s recovery. The website dedicated to the cause One Love For Chi has been down (probably overwhelmed with new traffic at the news?), but once it’s up, you can get more information on the recovery progress and make a donation.

- JR

Looks like bassist Henry Selva spoke a little too soon when he said The Human Abstract were done, because guitarist Dean Herrera has spoken out against the claims on Formspring:

as far as im concerned we aren’t broken up, that was Henry going out and spewing the inner workings of the band. We never actually came together and decided anything. I’m still real pissed at him for that. Sure we’re taking time, but that doesn’t mean anything other than that… Taking time.. As far as travis…. who knows… can’t say what might have happened.

Well that’s a relief. It looks like the band are just on a bit of hiatus. Hearing the dreaded ‘H-word’ always sucks, but it’s better than being completely broken up, so let’s all take a sigh of relief and take an optimistic stance on this and hope we can get another album out of them in a few years once the drama subsides.

[via MetalSucks]

- JR


It’s kind of mind-boggling to me that none of us at HBIH have mentioned this legendary duo, but allow me to remedy that mistake. For those who do not know Storm Corrosion is the upcoming musical project between Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.

Their upcoming album is said to be some sort of conclusion to a loose trilogy of albums that began with Opeth’s latest release, Heritage, and Wilson’s latest solo album Grace for Drowning. Neither of those albums were particularly metal, and both were a pretty big departure for the musicians involved, so you can expect the same sort of experimentation to seep into the sound of Storm Corrosion. I personally loved both of those releases, being two of my favorites of 2011, so I’m expecting nothing but the best from these two.

Anywho, today the star duo finally announced their official signing to Roadrunner Records. In the press release the two talked about their excitment for this project, and Åkerfeldt went so far as to say it will be one of the most beautiful pieces of music he’s ever been involved with:

“Some of the music on this record I think is the most beautiful music I have participated on ever… There’s some magical sections on there. Musically I think we’ve created something earthy, a bit frightening, exhausting, profound and rather intense. All at the same time. I can safely say I don’t know any other band or artist that sounds anything like Storm Corrosion. I guess that was also one of our goals, so to speak.”

That’s a big promise there. Let’s hope he can follow through with that statement. Storm Corrosion’s self-titled album will be released April 24th on Roadrunner Records. You can read the full press release regarding the duo’s signing below. Cheers!

- EC

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The moment that Howard Jones left Killswitch Engage, the internet immediately buzzed with excitement over the possibility of a reunion with Jesse Leach. I mean, it was pretty much inevitable, right?

Well, apparently so! Metalsucks pointed everyone in the direction of the official KSE website to behold a new promo pic of the band, complete with original vocalist Jesse Leach. We’re only in February and it already looks like 2012 is the year of the reunion!

This is excellent news. Over the years, Killswitch have lost a bit of steam, so hopefully this happy reunion will cause a new creative spark in the band. There hasn’t been an official announcement just yet (we’ll update this post ASAP), but this pretty much confirms it. Hurray!

- JR

How can anyone hate a face like that?

I wonder how sick you lot are of me talking about Devin Townsend? I’m sure some of you must be annoyed, but I can’t help but get excited about this man, and with all the news that he’s willing to trickle down to his fans, there’s almost always something to be excited about. It’s like as soon as there is the tiniest bit of a lull ol’ Devy goes, “Hey, Check this Shit Out”, and I DO.

Anyways, we’ve already talked about Devin’s next two projects Epicloud, a more commercial metal album, and Z2, the sequel to 2007′s grandiose rock opera, Ziltoid the Omniscient. The former rumored to be released sometime this year, and the latter coming out in about a year and a half. Given the fact that Townsend just finished a massive 4+ album concept that spanned the past three years, you would think he was going to take a bit of break, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Just this past week Devy announced yet ANOTHER upcoming record that he plans to release in conjunction with the aforementioned Epicloud. Posting on the official Hevy Devy forums, Devin Townsend outlined his three ongoing projects to the masses, including the first mention of his new project Casualties of Cool:

I found as a reaction to the complications of decon and the sheer bulk of work thats been going on (seriously, it’s insane) my writing ended up going in 3 ways recently:

1) A very commercial sounding (for the most part) but beautiful and melencholic album full of easy to digest dev songs…Epicloud. I don’t know why it came out, but it did, so I’m going to get it out of my system

2) Casualties of Cool: a duo with myself and Che (ki)… it sounds like haunted Johnny cash songs. late night music, completely isolated sounding and different than anything I’ve done. Che sings most of the leads, and it’s probably the truest reflection of who I am in life at this point. Trying to release it in tandem with Epicloud.

3) Z2 epic epic epic, complicated, musical, sci-fi, immense expense, the goal of it all I suppose.

Obviously this is very exciting news for fans of Devy and good music in general. It seems that with each announcement I just get even more riled up and excited. Ki is by far my favorite album by Devin, and while I thought Che’s performances on that record were astonishing, I didn’t think she was heavily utilized as she should have been, so this new project will probably be just the thing for someone like me. The other two projects get me excited as well, just so we’re clear.

Devin outlined some other news in his forum posts. Mostly he talked about the changing landscape of his musical career and dealing with new management and endorsement, but he also let loose a little bit of news regarding the sequel to last year’s Ghost:

Lost focus on Ghost 2, but mainly because I wanted to release it and everyone got their shit in a knot about it…so I’m trying to find a way to get it out for free, but thats a bit dicey with folks too.

I do understand why things need to be monetized, it’s expensive and everyones on salary and each month is a struggle, so box sets, dvds , vips etc are pretty important to the big picture. I still feel embarrassed about it all though and fully advocate not being obliged to buy it if you’re unsure… the bigger things get, you’d be suprised at how much control you need to give up just to stay musically creative…

Once the dust settles a bit (a year?) I hope to be able to ‘give back’ a bit with free stuff and everything..

It’s a little sad to think that Ghost 2 won’t get an official release, but free music is always a plus. You can read Devin’s full statement below, and feel free to let us know what you think of these developments in the comments. Cheers!

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It’s as cold as Satan’s balls in London at the moment, and to compound the issue my heating is on the blink, I have a splitting headache, and I have one more day of work this week. FirstWorldProblems, I know.

Never mind all that though, because 2012 – year of the epic reform – has thrown up another gem in the news that Kentish post-metal outfit Bossk are reforming.

Who…? WHO?! I’LL BLOODY TELL YOU WHO!

Bossk were another one of last decade’s British metal rising stars who parted ways far too soon, releasing two phenomenal EPs and a live DVD (.1, .2 and .3 respectively) and having one of the most atmospheric live shows on the scene. The first time I saw them, supporting Envy no less, one guy in the audience just lay down in front of the stage and chilled. It was fantastic.

They also played with the likes of The Ocean, Cult Of Luna, Doomriders, Baroness and Torche in their time, to name but a few, and now they’re back. Speaking via their website, they revealed that “The time has come for the five of us to perform together again.” It’s been more than four years now, but it seems the draw of the music has called them back. I actually wrote a eulogy to the band a couple of years ago, and it appears my musical wishes are all coming true this year.

They’ll be starting off slowly, but will be recording a session with Daniel Carter of Radio 1 at the famous Maida Vale studios – including a new song – and playing at least two shows this year.

Drummer Tom Begley was in the equally tasty The Mire for a time, but it seems he’s now itching to get back to some Star Wars-related business. Sexy. In the meantime, feast your ears on this and get excited:

- CG

Byzantine were always a bit of an anomaly to me. I was under the impression that there were no good bands coming out of Kentucky (my home state) or West Virginia (from which I am about 15 minutes away). I know it must not be a big deal to those living in and around big cities, but the local music scene in this part of the US blows, so knowing that a band as universally acclaimed in the metal world as Byzantine and I sharing the same local news station (WSAZ, News Channel 3!) is a new concept to me. Weird.

Anyhow, after much anticipation, the progressive groove metal band have announced that they’ve reunited, complete with their original “definitive” lineup, and are working on a new album! This is some exciting news! The band needs some help however in funding their new record. They’ve set up a Kickstarter program so fans can pledge money for various packages. If you can, pledge a few dollars for the new Byz record, why don’t you?

- JR

The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is probably the biggest commercial metal tour in the United States since its inception in 2008. There was a point in my life when I would have loved the shit out of this tour, but I don’t see much to get excited for as far as my own enjoyment is concerned. Not to talk down on the tour or the bands on it; I’m glad there are more huge metal tours like Mayhem making their way across North America than there were when I was first getting into the genre. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind seeing Slipknot, as they’re a band that really pulled me into more aggressive music. I just can’t help but feel underwhelmed, you know? I’m busy being stoked on the possibility of catching Cannibal Corpse, BTBAM, The Faceless, and more on this year’s Summer Slaughter (which will be announced next week. God, I hope I’m right about that lineup).

But some of you are probably excited for Mayhem Fest, and that’s awesome. This year’s lineup is better than last year’s from where I’m sitting, and features Slipknot, Slayer, Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying, Whitechapel, and High on Fire. Some of these bands are pretty awesome. Some of them.

After the jump, you can peruse the large list of dates to find your hometown or a city in close proximity!

- JR

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Hevy Music Festival is one of the UK’s newer heavy music festivals – this year’s will be the 4th iteration – but it’s growing ever stronger by the day. With the relative elder statesman Download catering towards the ‘bigger’ bands these days, it now falls to the likes of Hevy to give smaller or less-known acts their time on the summer stage.

Today saw the first announcement of this year’s lineup, with no fewer than fifteen bands being released – and good lord does it look like it’s going to be fantastic. We have ConvergeWill HavenProtest The HeroDeaf HavanaA Wilhelm Scream, Verse, The Chariot, Deez Nuts, Set Your Goals, Trapped Under Ice, Pianos Become The Teeth, Balance and Composure, Sharks, Last Witness, and Crocus. I mean holy fuck, right? I’ve heard maybe two thirds of these, and I’d happily watch them, if not actively go just for them. Converge put on an amazing show, The Chariot are so entertaining to watch, and the likes of Crocus will represent home-grown talent.

You can definitely expect one of us to be there. Tickets are £96 for the weekend, including access to the attached animal park (!!!) and you can check out all the relevant information at the website. Expect more as announcements are made!

- CG

Mark Reale Passes Away at 57

Mark Reale; June 7th, 1955 - January 25th, 2012

As 2012 gets on its way, the year takes away a master of metal too early into his life. Mark Reale, the founding guitarist of metal giants Riot back in ’75 (and his short lived project Narita), died of complications due to Crohn’s disease just yesterday. On the 11th he fell into a coma due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. He had been battling Crohn’s disease almost his whole life. This man changed metal, and he shall be dearly missed by our community.

The band released this statement:

“To friends and fans of Mark Reale and Riot, we are deeply saddened to confirm that Mark has lost his battle with a lifelong illness. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated by Mark’s family, friends, and bandmates at this difficult time.”

Rest in peace.

-MW

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