Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine has issued the following update:

“Today is the 9th of April and I have agreed to doing something last night that I am sure a lot of people are going to be very excited about, and something that I had hoped would one day lead to another one of the potential feuds going away for good, if not for a long while.

“I can’t confirm the band or the dates yet, and I have to go get my youngster up for school. Rest assured, as soon as we are ready to announce it, you will be one of the first to know.

“I worked on my [upcoming autobiography] yesterday for an hour at least, and talked with the people from Dean [Guitars] for a spell, then worked on lyrics and finally checked my eyelids for holes.

“I have to get up my kids for school now, so I will check back soon.”

In an interview conducted by Daniel Josefsson of Sweden’s Close-Up magazine on February 28, 2009 at the Stockholm stop on Megadeth’s “Priest Feast” tour (with Judas Priest and Testament), Dave Mustaine revealed some of the details of his upcoming autobiography, which is tentatively scheduled for release in late 2010. The book is being co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also wrote “The Last Great Fight”, which takes readers behind the scenes ofwhat is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James “Buster” Douglas’ tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.

When asked about the difficulty of writing a 100% honest autobiography, Mustaine replied, “If you’re going to write an autobiography, everything has to be included — the good and happy moments, as well as the hard times. You can’t leave anything out. As of right now, we have covered everything up until halfway through the Metallica years, so I guess now is when the more delicate stuff will come. On the other hand, if a musician writes an autobiography and it doesn’t include any sexual perversion or debauchery, then it’s not an honest story. I think a lot of people are going to by shocked by some of the chapters. But I have no choice — either I write about everything, or nothing at all. This is basically a story of human interest, it’s much more than just ‘Dave from Megadeth.’ There has been a lot of people that have tried to stop me, but they can’t. Over the years, I have learned to cherish both my friends and my enemies. So it’s a story about a guy that has been lifted up and then kicked down again, and I think it will show very clearly that I never give up.”

Tentatively due on September 1 via Roadrunner Records, Megadeth’s forthcoming LP will be the group’s first with guitarist Chris Broderick, who replaced Glen Drover at the end of 2007.

The recording process for Megadeth’s twelfth studio album began on January 7 at the band’s own Vic’s Garage studio in San Marcos, California.

The CD is once again being helmed by British producer Andy “Undie” Sneap (Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Exodus, Machine Head), who worked with Megadeth on the band’s last album, “United Abominations”, which came out in May 2007 via Roadrunner.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

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Fan-filmed video footage of LACUNA COIL performing the song “Our Truth” on April 1, 2009 at Hartman Arena in Wichita, Kansas as part of the “Music As A Weapon IV” tour (also featuring DISTURBED, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and CHIMAIRA) can be viewed below (courtesy of “VampyreX”).

XL, the Italian magazine of music, art, lifestyle and comics, has made a new LACUNA COIL song, “Not Enough”, available for free download at this location (MP3, 3.4 MB). Also available is behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the band’s “Spellbound” video.

The “Spellbound” clip was shot at the Dolce & Gabbana Gold restaurant in the band’s hometown of Milan, Italy with director Saku. It was produced by Apnea Film and the wardrobe was provided by Dolce & Gabbana.

Commented LACUNA COIL vocalist Cristina Scabbia: “We had a great time shooting the video for ‘Spellbound’ and it also marks our first time working with acclaimed Italian director Saku in a location that’s really peculiar. It was filmed in a very fashionable place: the restaurant Gold located in Milan, Italy, which owned by the fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, who kindly gave us the permission to film over there! The location provides the perfect atmosphere to express the ‘Shallow Life’ theme. Everything is really shiny and ‘bling bling’ and the band is performing in the middle of a golden room full of mirrors and giant chandeliers. The story is rounded out by some actors that are interpreting different aspects of being under a spell of something: the girl obsessed by her weight and look, the guy who wants to be a superman, the politician etc.”

LACUNA COIL will release its much-anticipated new album, “Shallow Life”, via Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Italy: April 17
North America, Spain, Portugal: April 21
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: April 22
U.K., France, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Rest of Europe: April 20

“Spellbound” is currently available for streaming on LACUNA COIL’s MySpace page.

“Shallow Life” was recorded in September/October at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Don Gilmore, who has previously worked with LINKIN PARK, TRAPT, AVRIL LAVIGNE, GOOD CHARLOTTE, THE VERONICAS, PEARL JAM, TRUST COMPANY and DURAN DURAN.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

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KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has told Brazil’s O Dia Online that the band’s new LP will be released in September. He also described it as “a classic KISS album” and a throwback to the “Destroyer” and “Love Gun” songwriting style bit with modern production.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons recently confirmed the group’s first album since 1998’s “Psycho Circus” is being produced by Stanley. “I don’t have enough time to tie my shoelaces and there’s nobody else I trust more than Paul,” Simmons told RollingStone.com.

Regarding the sound of the new material, Simmons said, “There’s nothing to prove to anybody. We’re not interested in musical trends or anything else. We’re too long in the tooth for that. So it’s going to be sort of a classic ’70s rock and roll vibe. Meat and potatoes. You know, sometimes you just want to go out and have a meat and potatoes thing [and] forget the French dressing.”

According to Amazon.com, Universal will release a new KISS live album called “Authorized Bootleg – Nashville Municipal Auditorium 1998″ on May 26. No further details are currently available.

Source: Blabbermouth

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I have an original Vox Wah-Wah pedal, and I think it’s probably time to put a new pot in it. My dad bought the pedal in 1968, and it’s starting to sound pretty noisy. I want to keep the tone and range if the wah the same. Do I need a particular type of pot? Also, I pick up radio stations loud and clear through the Vox and other pedals sometimes. Is there any way I can eliminate or reduce this problem?

Craig
xxxx@gmail.com

You’ll be happy to know that part number ECB24B, otherwise known as the Dunlop Hot Pot, is a direct replacement for the original pot in your wah pedal. I’m told that it retails for about 20 bucks and is guaranteed for one million operations! Check the music stores in your area or contact Dunlop at (800) 722-3434 or www.jimdunlop.com. If you’re not qualified to change it yourself, I’m sure any local amp repair shop would be able to do it for you for a few bucks.

As far as the radio stations you’re receiving, the solution may not be that simple. If radio signals are coming through loud and clear, I’d bet you live in a very close proximity to one or more radio transmitting towers. Since a guitar puts out a high impedance signal which you combine with all the active circuits that the signal travels through (all your pedals, your amp, etc.) before it actually comes out of a speaker, what you get is basically a guitar rig that acts like an antenna. There’s not a whole lot you can do to avoid this, with the exception of playing inside a cage of chicken wire (I’m not joking). One thing you might want to try is what’s known as an RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) filter. This gizmo is available at electronic supply stores and possibly Radio Shack. Plug your power cables into it and then plug the RFI filter into the wall socket. This can help eliminate interference that’s coming from the power lines in your house or rehearsal room. Give it a try—or get some chicken wire.

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Jackson guitars are celebrating its 25th anniversary of producing custom guitars for consumers, by doing the only thing it knows best, sorting through its 25 years of work to bring back two of their proudest accomplishments. Jackson’s two unique custom guitars reproduced in limited edition format to emulate their predecessor’s best antique traits. The two guitars include the original King Kelly guitar built with its unique cutouts and the King V in its shining majestic silver glory.

Both are exactly the same custom with the same equipment and signed by Mike Shannon (Jackson Sr. Master Builder) and Tim Wilson (Jackson Production Manager). The King Kelly features a high gloss finish of black with white highlights and a maple neck and ebony fingerboard. It is built with popular wood for the body and maple along the 22-inch neck. With Seymour Duncan pickups and a Schaller bridge and tailpiece it is a beauty to both see and play. Similarly, its silver counterpart, the King V is built with a popular body and ebony fingerboard featuring sharkfin inlays and a more 80’s V-style shape. With the sound producing from the combination of Seymour Duncan TB-4 and SH2 pickups, both guitars celebrate and represent the best of vintage Jackson while being stunning, great-sounding and incredibly playable in their own right. What better way to celebrate 25 years?

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Cold is reuniting according to lead singer, Scooter Ward, on Cold’s MySpace page. Cold is expecting to release a new album in the fall 2009. After producing their emotional Different Kind of Pain album the band went in different directions. Cold’s front man, Ward, created The Killer and the Star featuring Limp Bizkit’s drummer John Otto, together they have created songs Symphony for a Mind, Living with Musicians, and Angels Fall. Cold has a new record label called Sonicstar. The boys are sure to please the fans with the much surprising album. The MySpace page told fans to stay tuned for updates.

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The SoupyGato show is truly one a kind, is main purpose is share the best new artists with the world. Partners, Daniel Harris and Kimmi Rudolph do a remarkable job at providing the newest artists to the airwaves.

With Harris’s love for music he started to communicate with independent musicians, which unfolded the creation of the SoupyGato show. The SoupyGato was born in 2005 with its first item premiering in 2006.

The SoupyGato just started as a weekly show but then Harris started to receive music from every genre. Harris played every song that was submitted and attempted to mix the selections as best he could. Harris played everything and had quite the unique sound to the show. Even the best of the best have submitted songs to the SoupyGato including children of the Willie Nelson, Bill Joel, and The Grateful Dead just to name a few.

Harris found his assistant, Rudolph, through his sense of humor with the show and his open-mindedness to beginning musicians and seasoned players.

Harris decided to put a twist on the show and started with doing a showcase starting with Israel. From that point he scheduled many different showcases and started to interview many famous musicians including Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, and Trey Gunn of King Crimson.

The SoupyGato is truly unique and can be found at www.soupygato.com. Harris has a very open-minded persona about him. He has created a work of art with the SoupyGato.

The Future of Independent Musc – Check ‘em out!

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Can you give me some information on earplugs? How well do they work, and do most rock musicians use them?

Rockin’ Billy Bong
xxxx@rocketmail.com

While they’re relatively new to the world of rock music, earplugs have become a popular item with many musicians, and with good reason. I’ve worked for a lot of particularly loud rock bands, and the groups who didn’t wear earplugs usually have something in common with each other—it’s called “tinnitus,” a constant ringing of the ears that result from prolonged exposure to high volume levels. Tinnitus produces varying degrees of discomfort, depending on the amount of abuts that has been inflicted upon a person’s ear.

Among the musicians I’ve known, drummers typically have the worst case of tinnitus. Unlike guitarists, who can stand some distance from their amplifiers, drummers are seated and can’t move away from their instrument. The crashing of cymbals, in particular, has a harmful effect on drummers, since high frequencies do more damage to hearing than low frequencies do.

If you perform on a regular basis, I highly recommend that you wear earplugs or, if they are within your budget, and in-ear monitor system. In-ear monitors are highly accurate, state-of-the-art devices that are individually created for the wearer. Working from molds of the musician’s ears, a hearing specialist or audiologist constructs earplugs that fit the wearer precisely. Small speakers, like those found in headphones, are installed in the plugs and connected to a wireless receiver that picks up the transmitted audio mix from the sound engineer. This allows the musician to hear an audio mix at a comfortable volume while protecting his ears from onstage volume levels.

Unfortunately, these systems tend to be rather expensive. For this reason, many nonprofessionals opt for custom earplugs. Like in-ear systems, custom earplugs are tailored to the wearer’s ears. But rather than employing small speakers, the plugs are designed to block specific audio frequencies that could damage the wearer’s ears. For about $125, an audiologist can create the molds from which plugs can be made to your specification.

Unlike common foam earplugs, custom-fitted plugs sound great and are comfortable to wear. Most importantly, they are one of the best forms of protection you can by for your ears.

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I have a Crate GX15X, which has a gain channel and a lead channel with a built-in graphics EQ. I wasn’t pleased with the amp’s distortion, so I bought a Danelectro Fab Tone fuzz pedal. Now I can get decent distortion when practicing on my own, but I can’t get a suitable tone when I crank up with my band. Any answeres?

Mitch
xxxx@aol.com

Gain, or distortion—whichever you prefer to call it—can be tricky. Over the years I’ve learned that increasing the level of distortion in a signal reduces the definition and punch of the source tone. This is especially true with amps that have a rather limited power rating, like your Crate GX15, which pumps out a meager 12-watts RMS. And although distortion usually sounds quite pleasing on its own, a highly overdriven tone can get lost within a full band.

To understand how large amounts of distortion can obliterate your signal’s carrying power, consider how distortion changes the shape of your guitar’s clean signal. Viewed through an oscilloscope, a clean tone appears as a well-defined wave moving up and down, smoothly and evenly. As distortion is introduced in the signal, the wave becomes jagged and shredded, losing its definition along with its steady oscillation. That’s the tradeoff you make when using a fuzz box or other distortion device.

However, you like distortion, so how can you have your gain and hear it too? For starters, if you aren’t willing to settle for less distortion, you should get a more powerful amplifier; or if your current amp has an extension speaker jack, you could try adding an external cabinet to increase the dispersion of sound from your amp. On the other hand, you might simply back down your gain to a level that suits your taste while allowing you to be heard in your band. Take your pick.

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ANNOUNCED: There is a free BOSS-DS 1 Distortion pedal giveaway competition on the forum of Gear-Monkey, which will continue from July 17, 2008 through August 31, 2008. This is really a considerable amount of time to get you all ready and geared up for this jamming contest. The contest consists of points system which members earn 1 point for each post. Pretty simple huh? Now members can receive 100 points for getting friends to join the site. The only requirement is that the new member makes at least 20 posts. Whoever reaches the most points within the time frame stated gets to take home the FREE BOSS DS-1 Distortion Guitar pedal.

So you all you guitar gurus who want totally free guitar gear sign up and/or start posting, share this amazing news with friends.

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