Monday Metal Bulletin 20/08/23
Greetings, Citadelians of Chaos! The past week in the metal realm has been as wild as a toddler hog ridding rodeo. Our news feed reads like a brutal mosh pit injury list - but hey, life's a headbang and then you rise... unless you're pancaked by a reversing dump truck…that's a solo you don't encore from... So, brace yourselves, Citadelians, and let's dive into this week's unholy updates from the Metal underworld!
Gorgoroth's Infernus Brutally Ambushed Post-Gig
Infernus: Gorgorth
In the wake of Gorgoroth's sonic onslaught at Beyond The Gates in Bergen, Norway, a vile ambush left Infernus severely wounded. The aftermath saw him confined to a hospital bed, undergoing a demanding surgical procedure.
In a statement revealed on August 14, Infernus declared:
"a short clarification, dear all, i hope this finds you well. especially you who were in jaromer, czech republic, last weekend. some recent circumstances made me want to give a short comment on the current situation.
"shortly after our concert here in bergen, at the beyond the gates-festival, i was attacked by some fat little insignificant. i was badly injured and inhospitalized for a fairly complex operation. my band, friends and crew went – in accordance with my will – to the brutal assault festival in jaromer friday 11th. in a splendid way: they delivered. i am very proud. love and respect!
"as for the next weeks, focus will be upon recovery, rehabilitation and repercussions. some possibilities, including a mexican minitour in october, has been terminated. the first live show from today will be with massive music at iduna, drachten, holland november 30 2023.
"infernus, bergen august 12 2023 ps: no journalists will be granted an interview. without exception."
From the Citadel, we send Infernus metal-fueled strength for a rapid recovery.
Billy Bio
Biohazard's Billy Bio Suffers Memory Loss After Onstage Incident
During a recent performance at the O2 Academy Islington, Biohazard guitarist Billy Bio faced a grim twist of fate. Betrayed by the very security meant to shield him, he was hurled headfirst into oblivion, resulting in memory loss. On Twitter, he expressed his gratitude for the exhilarating London show but lamented the unfortunate event that marred his memory of the night. The metal realm has since erupted in a chorus of support, invoking the gods for his swift mending.
On the brighter side, The unholy alliance of Megadeth and Biohazard is set to unleash hellfire upon the masses. Initially announcing five shows for September, the duo has now expanded their tour, adding more dates that span from September 17 to October 5. Fans are eagerly awaiting these performances, hoping for an electrifying experience. Full tour details & tickets.
Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar Set to Release on August 22
The legendary and wickedly hilarious Metalocalypse saga prepares to unleash its final beast, "Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar". Dropping on August 22, brace yourselves for a tale of mayhem, led by the notorious Dr. Rockzo and his chaotic escapades. The cast? A veritable pantheon of the entertainment realm, featuring titans like:
Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner King Diamond (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate)
Mark Hamill (Star Wars)
Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
Jon Hamm (Madmen, Fletch, Top Gun: Maverick)
Scott Ian (Anthrax)
Amy Lee (Evanescence)
Malcolm Mcdowell (A Clockwork Orange)
The plot revolves around Dethklok frontman Nathan Explosion's challenges, both personal and professional, as he grapples with the aftermath of Toki Wartooth's rescue. With a movie release, new Dethklok music, and an upcoming North American tour with Babymetal, metalheads have a lot to look forward to. Brendon Small, the creative genius behind Metalocalypse, expressed his enthusiasm and gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans.
Click here to find out more about the tour dates & tickets.
Midgardsblot Controversy: Racial Discrimination Claimed By Blackbraid's Sgah'gahsowáh
In the shadowed lands of Borre, Norway, the annual Midgardsblot festival rises, a confluence of extreme metal fury and ancient folk melodies. This year, the darkened skies echoed with the roars of titans like Enslaved, Mortiis, Kampfar, My Dying Bride, and many more. Yet, amidst the metal mayhem, a storm of a different kind brewed.
On the fateful eve of August 19th, the American one-man metal monolith, Blackbraid, found himself ensnared in a web of controversy. Sgah'gahsowáh, the dark soul behind Blackbraid, took to the digital abyss of Instagram, revealing to his legion of followers the unsettling events that transpired post-performance. He stated that he and his bandmates were cast out from the festival's grounds, hinting at a shadow of prejudice. Sgah'gahsowáh stated in Instagram:
We have been asked to leave @midgardsblot early because of the color of our skin. I am so sorry to the fans that came here to see us. I was really looking forward to playing a flute set at the bonfire tonight. I have been forced to cancel it unfortunately. I hope our fans can understand. Thank you to everyone that came here to see us from the bottom of my heart. I wish the staff here shared the same values as the beautiful people that have attended the festival. I promise we will return to Norway one day, to a festival that can appreciate blackbraid for our true worth, regardless of our nationality. We shall return.
There wasn’t much information about it until the following day when Sgah'gahsowáh gave more context into the incident.
Regarding the situation at Midgardsblöt last evening. Unfortunately there was some unfortunate miscommunication between the festival organizers at the security regarding the actions of one of our band members, whom momentarily laid down in a sitting area. While the festival organizers of Midgardsblöt were helpful in handling this situation peacefully at first, unfortunately the company handling the security re-escaled the situation a couple of hours later in the evening and this is when the band was officially removed from the festival.
While we were originally informed following the initial incident that we could overlook the situation and that the band was still welcome at MgB; this sentiment was seemingly not communicated to the security staff elsewhere in the festival. It was also at this time that the other native members of the group who were unaware of the situation were being told they need to leave by security as well. At multiple times yesterday, security was not able to the difference between the native band members, leading to further confusion and misunderstanding on both sides.
While we have wanted to give the benifit of the doubt in terms of racism, we have unfortunately had continuous negative interactions with both the security and a handful of festival goers. The anger which negatively impacted our actions in the moment of this altercation was fuled by many different interactions which finally got a tipping point here.
The situation was handled poorly on all sides. I apologize for my behavior in the situation, especially the spitting situation, and to the fans who have been upset by the situation, and to the festival staff who tried to handle the situation with security before it got out of hand. I was livid with the treatment we were receiving, and did not handle myself in a responsible way whatsoever. I let my anger get the best of me and my actions were out of line. We are grateful for the opportunity to play in Norway and hope to return one day under different circumstances.
Regarding the situation at Midgardsblöt last evening. Unfortunately there was some unfortunate miscommunication between the festival organizers at the security regarding the actions of one of our band members, whom momentarily laid down in a sitting area. While the festival organizers of Midgardsblöt were helpful in handling this situation peacefully at first, unfortunately the company handling the security re-escaled the situation a couple of hours later in the evening and this is when the band was officially removed from the festival.
While we were originally informed following the initial incident that we could overlook the situation and that the band was still welcome at MgB; this sentiment was seemingly not communicated to the security staff elsewhere in the festival. It was also at this time that the other native members of the group who were unaware of the situation were being told they need to leave by security as well. At multiple times yesterday, security was not able to the difference between the native band members, leading to further confusion and misunderstanding on both sides.
While we have wanted to give the benifit of the doubt in terms of racism, we have unfortunately had continuous negative interactions with both the security and a handful of festival goers. The anger which negatively impacted our actions in the moment of this altercation was fuled by many different interactions which finally got a tipping point here.
The situation was handled poorly on all sides. I apologize for my behavior in the situation, especially the spitting situation, and to the fans who have been upset by the situation, and to the festival staff who tried to handle the situation with security before it got out of hand. I was livid with the treatment we were receiving, and did not handle myself in a responsible way whatsoever. I let my anger get the best of me and my actions were out of line. We are grateful for the opportunity to play in Norway and hope to return one day under different circumstances.
We’re glad to see that Sgah'gahsowáh and the band are safe and no one was injured in the incident. Hopefully the matter was settled peacefully and didn’t negatively impact the festival or festival goers.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen Discusses Future Projects and Reflects on His Career
In a candid conversation with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk," Swedish axe-slayer and metal titan, Yngwie Malmsteen opened up about his musical journey and future projects. Following the success of his 2021 album "Parabellum," Malmsteen revealed that he's constantly in the studio, hinting at a treasure trove of recorded material awaiting release. We’ve been sending him email after email to find out more but we’ve not heard anything back….we probably need to send him more emails…
He roared about the solitary path of his metal conquest, likening his craft to that of a dark artist, painting with shadows and fire. The impending storm of Malmsteen's tour alongside the legendary Glenn Hughes, where the strings of the past will be resurrected and Hughes will invoke the half-century legacy of the "Burn" album, has the metal realm on the edge of their battle-worn seats.
For all you London-based Citadelians be sure to check out our live gigs page as Yngwie Malmsteen will be performing live in November.
Check out all the upcoming London gigs here.
Horns up, Citadelians! Until next week, keep the infernal flames roaring and remember - if the party's dying, you're just not headbanging hard enough! Chort and Chern OUT!
