Randy Black (born November 17, 1963) is a Canadian-born rock drummer and recording artist known best for his stints as the drummer for Bif Naked, Annihilator, and Primal Fear. Although Black's actual acoustic drum configuration is not unique to the field of drumming, Randy's playing style is notable for his ability to play ambidextrously with a symmetrical set of cymbals, specifically a dual set of remote hi-hats and ride cymbals to his right and to his left respectively. Current Drummer for Destruction.
Today in 2015 Buckethead released the album Pike 212 - Hornet
Los Angeles, California Various Metal
Status:Active
Years active:1988-present
Buckethead (Brian Carroll) is an American musician, songwriter and guitar virtuoso, famed for his distinctive stage outfit and elaborate stage shows. He has released over 180 solo studio albums and performed on over 70 more since 1992. He has also made guest appearances on more than 40 different albums by various artists. His music spans such diverse areas as heavy metal, funk, ambient, jazz, electronic, and avant-garde music.
When performing in his theatrical persona, Buckethead used to wear a KFC bucket (emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker that read “FUNERAL” in black block letters) on his head and a plain white costume mask (commonly found in costume shops and used primarily for dramatic theater productions). More recently, he has switched to a plain white bucket no longer bearing the KFC logo. He also incorporates nunchaku, robot dancing, and toy trading into his stage performances. Buckethead’s persona represents a character who was “raised by chickens” and has made it his “mission in life to alert the world to the ongoing chicken holocaust in fast-food joints around the globe.”
Although a multi-instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. He has been voted number 8 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the “Top 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time.”
Buckethead performs primarily as a solo artist. He has collaborated with a wide variety of high profile artists such as Les Claypool, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Serj Tankian, Guns N’ Roses, Saul Williams, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, and with Bill Laswell in Praxis. Buckethead has also written and performed music for major motion pictures, including: Saw II, Ghosts of Mars, Beverly Hills Ninja, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Last Action Hero.
Today in 2014 Thanatos released the album Global Purification
Rotterdam, South Holland,Netherlands Death/Thrash Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1984-1992, 1999-present
Global Purification’ is the name of the sixth full length album of THANATOS…an illustrious name that has been haunting the Underground Metal scene since 1984…
After several demo tapes and line-up changes, Thanatos released two classic Thrash/Death Metal albums in the early 1990's via the notorious Shark Records: 'Emerging From The Netherworlds' and 'Realm Of Ecstasy'. The band shared the stage with the likes of Kreator, Sepultura, Death, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, Autopsy and Death Angel to name but a few.
In 1992 Thanatos split up due to a variety of reasons but was revived in 1999 by founding member Stephan Gebédi featuring a new line-up. The third Thanatos album, 'Angelic Encounters', was released in 2000 via Hammerheart Records. Despite great reviews the band was not really satisfied with this album. Two more personnel changes followed.
In 2002 the band recorded four new songs and two cover songs in a small 8-track studio to attract some interest from record companies. Baphomet Records/Red Stream released these recordings as the 'Beyond Terror' Mini CD.
In 2003 Thanatos signed a recording deal with Greek label Black Lotus Records, resulting in the release of 'Undead.Unholy.Divine.' in 2004. This album was mastered by Attie Bauw, the man responsible for mixing Judas Priest’s classic ‘Painkiller’ album amongst others. While recording their fifth full-length album ‘Justified Genocide’ in 2006, the band was informed of Black Lotus Records’ bankruptcy. The recording sessions for the album were put on hold and once again the future for Thanatos looked very bleak.
At the end of 2006 Stephan formed Hail of Bullets which grew into the monster we all know now.
Guitarist Paul also joined the reformed Asphyx and drummer Yuri and bass player Marco joined Melechesh. In the years that followed, all band members were extremely busy with their other bands/projects, but in 2009, a quarter of a century after the band's first incarnation, ‘Justified Genocide' was finally released by Dutch label Deity Down Records.
In 2012 Thanatos signed a deal with the mighty Century Media Records to re-release their complete back catalogue and in April 2013 Century Media offered the band a multiple album deal!
To coincide with the band’s 30th (!) anniversary in 2014, Thanatos now unleash their 6th full length studio album upon mankind. Produced by the band themselves and mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, ‘Global Purification’ contains 10 brand new songs which see the band outdoing themselves in terms of power and sheer aggression. Despite the speed and aggression there are enough hooks, memorable riffs and melodies to have these songs cemented in your brain after a few listens.
The digipack version of the album contains a re-recording of ,,Dawn of the Dead” which of course was the opening track of the band’s debut album.
‘Global Purification’ combines elements of aggressive Thrash Metal and old school Death Metal and takes you back to the days when Metal was about breaking rules and boundaries instead of creating them…
Today in 2014 Bloodbath released the album Grand Morbid Funeral
Stockholm,Sweden Death Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1998-present
Bloodbath came about as a collaboration of some of Sweden's finest, a break from their day jobs to go back to basics, basics in this case being classic old-school brutal death metal. Originally the plan was simply to release the one EP (2000's Breeding Death) and be done with it, but the members decided to make the project an ongoing affair, though the lineup has shifted over time and only the Katatonia duo of Anders Nyström and Jonas Renske remain from the original formation.
Today in 2014 Angra released the single Newborn Me
São Paulo, São Paulo,Brazil Power/Progressive Metal
Status:Active
Years active: 1991-2007, 2009-present
Angra are probably the second most well-known metal band to originate from Brazil (behind Sepultura), and released several critically acclaimed albums in the mid to late nineties. Solidly rooted in the European traditional metal mold, their work often resembled a cross of, say, Helloween with the progressive tendencies of a Dream Theater.
After a successful run in the late 90's, a rift developed amongst the members (relating to management of the band), resulting in a split into two groups. Vocalist Andre Matos, bassist Luis Mariutti, and drummer Ricardo Confessori departed, eventually forming Shaman, a band that had a successful run of its own before retiring in late 2006. The remaining members, guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt, recruited three replacements and have carried on, their new style keeping the Euro flavor of previous releases while also being more melodic/hard rock oriented and less progressive.
Today in 2014 AC/DC released the single Rock or Bust
Sydney, Australia Hard rock, blues rock, rock and roll
Status;Active
Years active 1973 (1973)–present
Featuring one of the most recognizeable images in rock (diminutive guitarist Angus Young in his trademark schoolboy uniform), AC/DC has been in the business for more than forty years, scarcely changing their style from album to album but continuing to maintain a large following due to their simplistic yet effective hard rock and energetic live performances. They are undeniably Australia's most well-known rock export, and their style is one of the most recognizeable, and imitated, in the history of hard rock, rising to worldwide superstardom around the time of Highway To Hell, one of their seminal works. They've enduring setbacks in recent years (the failing health of Angus' brother Malcolm, the legal troubles of drummer Phil Rudd, resulting in both taking a leave of absence from the band), but Angus and crew soldier on.
Columbia Records
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar, backing vocals
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums
B-side "Play Ball (song)"
"Rock or Bust" is the second single and first track from the album of the same name by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It was written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young. It was released for downloads on 17 November 2014, as a follow-up for the band's first officially released single from the album titled "Play Ball".
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was absent from the video shoot for the single, and was replaced by Welshman Bob Richards, who had previously played with Man, Adrian Smith, Asia and Shogun
Today in 2011 Nemesea released the album The Quiet Resistance
Groningen, Groningen Province, Netherlands Symphonic Gothic Metal (early), Gothic Rock (later)
Status:Active
Years active: 2002 (as Nemesis), 2002-present
A symphonic goth metal troupe based out of the Netherlands, Nemesea were founded in 2002 by vocalist/composer Manda Ophuis and guitarist Hendrik Jan de Jong. Nemesea cut their teeth opening for fellow Dutch brood-rockers After Forever, with whom they were initially compared, before inking a deal in 2003 with independent label Ebony Tears, which would issue the band's 2004 debut album, Mana. Their 2007 crowdfunded sophomore studio LP, In Control, landed Nemesea a distribution deal with Rough Trade, and would eventually steer them in the direction of Napalm Records. Arriving in 2010, Quiet Resistance saw the group adding electronics to its sound, as well as dialing back on some of the neo-classical elements that sugared earlier works, in favor of a more straightforward alt-rock approach. Produced by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, No Doubt), the band's much anticipated fourth studio long-player, Uprise, followed in 2016.
