by Bret

Rob Zombie ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2’ special edition to hit stores in Feb!

Regurgitatum:

Fans of the multi-platinum, 7-times Grammy-nominated ROB ZOMBIE are set for a fantastic February.   Not only is the man returning to these shores for the first time in 12 years with his pyro-tastic, monster-laden stage show, but Zombie enthusiasts can also look forward to the release of the special edition of current album, ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2’. 

Set to street on 14^th February, the deluxe version of HD2 features 3 brand new studio tracks recorded with his current band; guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Joey Jordison.  The new tunes are “Everything Is Boring,” “Michael” and “Devil’s Hole Girls And The Big Revolution,” as well as a re-imagining of “The Man Who Laughs.”   In addition, the package will include a DVD featuring the video for “Mars Needs Women” (shot during the ‘Gruesome Twosome’ US tour with Alice Cooper), a live version of the Alice classic “School’s Out” with Cooper guesting and a 30-minute tour documentary entitled “Transylvanian Transmissions,” plus sumptuous, expanded artwork.    UK shows line up as follows:

Wed 16^th Feb – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton (0844 477 2000)                                    SOLD OUT

Thu 17^th Feb – MANCHESTER Apollo (0161 832 1111)                                                        SOLD OUT

Fri 18^th Feb – NEWCASTLE O2 Academy (0844 477 2000)                                                  SOLD OUT

Sun 20^th Feb – GLASGOW O2 Academy (0844 477 2000)                                                  SOLD OUT

Mon 21^st Feb – LEEDS O2 Academy (0844 477 2000)                                                          SOLD OUT

Tue 22^nd Feb – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy (0844 477 2000)                                          SOLD OUT

 

Fans who’ve missed out on Feb tickets shouldn’t despair however, as Rob has just been confirmed for the world famous Download Festival, happening at Donington Park, Derbyshire from 10^th-12^th June.  Full details are available at www.downloadfestival.co.uk.

 

Not content to merely hijack the planet with his delightfully nefarious tunes, Rob Zombie, wearing his auteur’s hat, directed the second flick in the legendary franchise, ‘Halloween 2’, which emerged last year.   It was his fifth time writing and directing a feature film.  Zombie had also interpreted John Carpenter’s original cult horror ‘Halloween’ in 2007 and that film debuted at No. 1 at the US Box Office, shattering Labor Day weekend records.  His previous films include 2004’s essential ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ and 2005’s critically acclaimed ‘The Devil’s Rejects’.  Zombie also completed his animated, R-rated feature, ‘The Haunted World of El Superbeasto’, and guest-directed a season-closing episode of the hit TV series, ‘CSI: Miami’.  His next movie project, “Lords of Salem” has just been announced and goes into production in 2011.

Shining Force Retro/iPhone review!

Time for a little cheeky re-post of an old retro game review; Shining Force, of Mega Drive fame. Now that this game is available on the iPhone, it seems worth retelling the world how much I love it. Hence:

 

There have been worse names for an army, but one does wonder what’s so great about the ‘Shining Force’. The Killy Force would be better, surely? However, in an archetypal fantasy world torn apart by the battle between good and evil, it’s either Shining or Dark, me laddo, none of this middle-ground, determine your own morality shit. Oh, except you can’t join the Dark, because it’s 16 bit and frankly there was barely enough space for the good guys to have a story. So, grab your sword and shield, young adventurer, and face a torrent of violence that would drive any man insane, if it wasn’t filtered into lovely squares.

That’s right- in the topsy turvy world of Shining Force (subtitle: The Legacy of Great Intention), everything fits on a neat square board. Your doods are square, your houses are square and your prowess in battle is measured by how many squares you can subjugate. Don’t let this put you off though- we’re talking about some high-end square graphics here, and ‘in battle’ as it were, we see some nifty animations done all proper like.

You play as Max, or whatever you choose to name him (we opted for Daddy), who lives in Guardiana; a shitty backwater kingdom in the land of Rune. Guardiana is attacked by the armies of Runefaust, led by the evil Dark Sol. Apart from having better names, these guys are solid evil muthas and want to resurrect the ancient Dark Dragon, which would be bad for everyone smaller than a dragon. It’s up to Max, who is sent on a suicide mission with the other village youths (seriously, sending a handful of kids to do this?!), to stop the invaders. Along the way, they get pally with a variety of cool folks, from the standard fantasy fare (mages, centaurs, dwarves, elves), to the more outlandish (wolfmen, dragons, and a squid thingy).

So what makes this retro game worth downloading for free shelling out £1.50 for? It’s a classic RPG for starters, and for fans of the genre it will expose the missing link between figety DOS fantasy and the 3D wonderland we have today. It has a funky soundtrack, as all old games do, and has a bundle of sequels to play with. The second game is in fact, in my eyes, better than the first. If you like your combat to be arranged into squares, you’ll like Shining Force.

Slipknot headlining Sonisphere 2011!

Regurgitato:

SLIPKNOT are proud to announce they will return in 2011 to headline the UK’s Sonisphere Festival.  The weekend event at the world famous Knebworth site is set to happen from Friday 8^th – Sunday 10^th July.   

The band’s 2011 summer shows will mark their first without founding member, Paul Gray who tragically passed away earlier this year, so will be an emotional and bittersweet experience for both the band and their fiercely loyal fanbase.   

SLIPKNOT have always considered the UK their ‘home from home’, with Brit crowds embracing their cathartic and ferociously heavy sound from day one.  1999’s debut album, ‘Slipknot’ is today considered a true classic and what followed was a meteoric rise to superstardom, the likes of which the metal scene had never seen; Top 40 singles, sold-out arena tours and a media frenzy that left no one in any doubt that SLIPKNOT’s impact on the musical landscape would be a permanent one.  Since then, the UK fans have ensured every subsequent album racked up a Top 5 chart position – with ‘Iowa’ reaching the No.1 slot – and there is always a rabid response when they occupy our arenas and festival fields.

SLIPKNOT’s album cycle for their fourth studio album, ‘All Hope Is Gone,’ was their most successful to date, seeing the band notch up their first US No.1 album, numerous sold-out arena shows around the globe and a top-selling DVD, ‘(sic)nesses’ which documented their landmark headline slot at the Download festival in 2009; a performance that is now the stuff of legend. 

Expect their Sonisphere show to be equally incendiary, as the iconic Iowan band prepare to honour Paul Gray’s memory and musical career with their Knebworth appearance.    Their statement reads; “We’re looking forward to spending our summer in Europe.  This tour is about us and our fans.  It’s about celebrating the life of our brother, Paul and his legacy.  The door is neither open nor closed.  This tour is about burning down that door.  See you this summer.”

Who knows what the distant future holds for SLIPKNOT, but one thing is for sure; these shows are going to go down in history.  The band hope you will come join them at Sonisphere in 2011 to celebrate and remember their brother, Paul Gray.

Full ticketing and festival info can be found at www.sonispherefestivals.com on Monday 6^th December.