As most people know, Woods Of Ypres frontman and founder David Gold was killed in a car accident on December 21st, 2011. It’s a tragic loss for his family, friends, any anyone that was a fan of his music.

I’ve posted a tribute to David, who was a good friend. It can be found here.

David’s family is selling the remaining Woods merchandise on hand, with all proceeds going directly to fund his funeral costs. Items remaining are as follows:

- Woods 1
- Woods 2
- Woods 3
- Independent Nature (Best Of Woods 1-3)
- signed Allure vinyl
- signed Home vinyl
- poster

Send your order along with your shipping address to David’s PayPal address at davidypresgold@gmail.com. Note that his sister Marie is in charge of all orders, so this is 100% legitimate.

Anvil bassist Glenn Five recently announced he was leaving the band after 16 years of service. In the grand scheme of things Glenn was, unfortunately, overshadowed by frontman Lips and drummer Robb Reiner. Not really a surprise, though, given that the dynamic duo launched the band long before he came on board. My BW&BK colleague Aaron Small spoke with Glenn in an exclusive interview following the announcement; an excerpt is available below:

Glenn: “As far as my status in the band, I had no say in any of the business side of things. It’s easy to understand. Lips and Robb had been there since day one and I joined a band that already had a past and a history. So yes, they called the shots when it came to band decisions. I was cool with that. I knew the deal when I joined the band. However after almost 16 years in the band it became more difficult to accept them not taking any of my suggestions or ideas seriously. I really wanted to take Anvil in a much more professional direction but the guys are very stuck in their ways and resistant to change. The truth is, sadly, that Lips and Robb have always considered me as little more than just their bass player. The other guy in their band. It was the two of them and me, not the three of us. In fact, I was often reminded by Robb that Anvil was and always will be just Lips and Robb. I know Lips also shared this sentiment , but if anything he tried to protect me from the fact that he and Robb were on their own mission and I was just a player in their play. Hey, to me that meant to just enjoy the ride and not have any of the pressures. Not a bad deal at all.”

Click here for the complete interview.

Toronto’s Modified have finally released their first full length album. Eleven songs in total, it features five new tracks including a cover of the Kate Bush hit ‘Running Up That Hill’, and the five songs that appeared on the band’s debut EP, Cruel Temptation. The old tracks have been remastered with a truckload of bottom end, giving them a healthy boost and much heavier feel. New tracks ‘Running From Myself’, ‘Die To Resist’ and ‘Hollow’ are stellar and heavier than expected. And, with all the comparisons vocalist Tricia Stanley gets to Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia, it’s worth noting that Modified’s cover of ‘Running Up That Hill’ trashes the Coil’s new cover of R.E.M.’s ‘Losing My Religion’ in a big way.

Check out audio samples and order the album from iTunes and CDBaby.com.

And finally, word has come down that Devin Townsend will be releasing a Strapping Young Lad vinyl LP box set in late 2012 / early 2013. Details are sketchy at the moment, but it has been confirmed that all five SYL studio albums – Heavy As A Real Heavy Thing, City, Strapping Young Lad, Alien, and The New Black – will get the vinyl treatment along with an LP dedicated to the band’s non-album material. The seventh record will, according to Blood Music, feature “other special, newly-created gifts (yet to be announced).” More details will be revealed as I get ‘em.

Townsend is currently raising the bar on multi-tasking with new material for his Epicloud project on the go, plus a new Ziltoid The Omiscient record, and editing / mastering material for his Live in London DVD set.

Stay tuned for more…

When a press person sings the praises of a band or artist in a public forum, it’s a safe bet that swag is involved. Every music journo has done it at some point, thinking “I scratch your back, you give me a free (insert item or sexual favour here)” until he or she realizes / remembers it’s supposed to be about the music first and personal gain last.

With the above in mind, I’ve shamelessly pushed and promoted My Ruin to anybody withing spitting distance for the better part of two years… and believe me, I’m a projectile saliva expert at this point. My efforts haven’t been in the interest of adding wearable aggressive blasphemy to my wardrobe, however. Nope; I just happen to be a My Ruin fanboy, dating back to the late ’90s and vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy’s first real metal edged smackdown, Tura Satana. And oddly enough, after years of silence we reconnected somewhere along the way and became friends. Thus, any stories, reviews, thoughts, musings or dirty jokes based on My Ruin’s brand of noise were spawned by that friendship.

Yeah, tough guy, so what? Big deal.

Actually, it is, because in a day and age of mass digital consumption and the keyboard warrior “Me me me me fuckingrightit’sallaboutME!” mentality, artists are raped for their music, and their efforts are unappreciated to the point of contempt. That said, the musicians in question don’t owe anybody anything, which is what makes My Ruin’s latest contribution to hearing loss, A Southern Revelation, that much more special.

It just happens to be available to everyone for free (although Ke$ha fans should be concerned about spontaneous combustion).

Seriously, free music with no strings attached, put out by the band for the love of their art. My Ruin’s way of giving the finger to a small time label boss that dared to try and stifle them, but more importantly, because they wrote some damn fine music that they have every reason to be proud of.

Check out my review of A Southern Revelation here, take it with a grain of salt, and pick up the album here to compare my notes with your own. And if you think I’m off the mark, well… start your own damn website and write a review The more exposure My Ruin gets, the better.

As for that “Donate” button on the page at the link above, pretty much self-explanatory to all but the most weed-headed…

For those that have had their interest piqued, prodded and pulled, check out a catalogue of My Ruin coverage below.

– Ghosts And Good Stories (review)
– Welcome (Back) To Violence: Chapter 1
– Welcome (Back) To Violence: Chapter 2
– Murphy’s Raw
– The Beauty Of Being Blasphemous

.. and, check out the video for the new song Tennessee Elegy here.

On November 25th and 26th, Hamburg-based AFM Records celebrated 15 years in the trenches. It was a remarkably well-organized weekend of work and play, featuring fine dining, an open bar (or two), great people, an early morning label showcase to introduce new AFM signings (that not everybody attended due to the late late late night), a hotel bar that never closed (and was abused accordingly.. all hail Motel One), culminating with a festival at the Markthalle in the heart of downtown. Rather than the usual cattle call of press hacks, the vast majority of folks invited to attend were in fact AFM business partners, responsible for keep the label in people’s faces over the last several years. Being one of the aforementioned journalists, it was an honour to be asked to come out on behalf of BW&BK for the whole knock-down-drag-out event, and it was certainly worth the time spent.

On the work end of things, the label presented priority releases for early 2012, including German glamsters Kissin’ Dynamite, Orden Ogan, Lyriel, Solution .45, Fear Factory, Buck Satan And The 666 Shooters (industrial country… really) and of particular note, Ministry’s comeback record, Relapse. This included a special video message from frontman / mastermind Al Jourgensen, and two tracks that are the closest Ministry will (n)ever get to a ballad.

As for the play side – other than the carrying on like kids in a candy store backstage – the Markthalle hosted 15 AFM bands on two stages, including U.D.O., The New Black, Voodoo Circle, Mob Rules, A Life Divided, Dark Age and Lake Of Tears. Doro Pesch, a former member of the label’s roster, attended in a strictly non-performance capacity but took plenty of time out for her fans backstage. As did Piet Sielck of Iron Savior fame, who soaked up U.D.O.’s show with us normal folk. And staff members from some of AFM’s international partners – INgrooves.com, Soundforge Music Group, Scream Magazine, Tangra Mega Rock Radio to name a few – kept the good vibes up in the rafters from the first glass of champagne.

A few shots from one hell of a birthday party…

Ultimate garage rocker Danko Jones, who just happens to have a huge metal-loving fanbase in Europe, has issued a new five-song EP entitled Mouth To Mouth as a digital-only release. Three of the tracks – ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Proletariat’, ‘The Kids Don’t Want To Rock’, ‘Guest List Blues’ – have surfaced over the last couple years as b-sides, while ‘She’s Too Pretty’ and ‘Mouth To Mouth’ are previously unreleased must-have songs if you’re a diehard fanboy/girl. An audio player featuring the latter two tracks is available at the bottom of this update.

In addition, Danko will hit the stage for a spoken word set at the Wacken Open Air 2012, which is set to take place August 2nd – 4th in Wacken, Germany. As of today the festival was officially sold out, so anyone who doesn’t have tickets will have to content with watching his performance during the online simulcast.

The Agonist out of Montreal played a special Halloween show on Saturday, October 29th in Val-des-Monts, Quebec, hitting the Hellaween Fest stage decked out in full corpse paint. Two 25+ minute clips from the show are available on YouTube here and there. Anyone who wasn’t intimidated by vocalist Alissa White-Gluz prior to viewing the footage will probably re-think any future “chick” jokes.

The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their third album, expected for an early 2012 release. In the meantime, check out the band’s Escape EP, issued as a teaser back in September, on iTunes.

And, some footage of Alissa performing with Kamelot on tour with a new twist on the whole Mephisto thing here.

Keswick, Ontario’s 18-year-old shredhead Cory Manahan has been working on his second official Manahan record, with the new single ‘If Today Was Your Last Day’ now available for streaming on YouTube here. The track is due to be available on iTunes soon. I had the chance to hear some demos for the new album this past summer, and the one major point driven home by the material was that it won’t be a rehash of the Manahan debut, Commence. In a nutshell, it’s been a learning-by-doing process for the man, and the results are a clear indication that Manahan has been paying attention. The expectation on this end is that the new album will smoke the debut on dynamics, shred and song arrangements.

Check out my interview with Manahan from earlier this year here.

Finally, at the time of this writing I was giving the new Woods Of Ypres album, Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light its first spin in my humble non-soundproofed abode. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who calls him or herself a fan to learn that the record isn’t an echo of Woods 4: The Green Album. Frontman/founder/drummer David Gold has opted for melancholic gloom over soulcrushing doom, offering up a collection of songs that are almost completely devoid of his death growl. In fact, it isn’t until five tracks in (‘Lightning And Snow’) that Gold finally blows a vocal gasket. If anything, it sounds like ‘Shards Of Love’ from Woods 4 was the platform Gold used to fling himself into this new abyss. Dark as dark can be, lines can be drawn to Type O Negative, which is bound to raise the ire of some folks, but the album definitely has that “something” the Woods Of Ypres albums are known for.

As the album plays out, it seems that anyone who gets off on Woods’ second record, Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of The Earth, is bound to fall head over beer keg for Woods 5.

More on Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light as the release gets closer…

Check out ‘Career Suicide (Is Not Real Suicide)’ and ‘Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)’ for a taste of what’s to come. The album will be released worldwide through Earache Records on February 13th.

Eclipse Eternal – home town T.O. black metal skull crushers and a favourite of Swedish producer-to-the-gods Fredrik Nordstrom – have signed with Archaic North Records and will release their new album, The Essence of Hopelessness, on January 14th, 2012 (cover art can be viewed on the left). The band returned to ex-Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover’s Eclipse Studio for the recordings, and according to the pre-release hype sheet it’s going to be the sort of chaos-driven smackdown fans are expecting:

“They have delved into their innermost suffering and wrenched forth an album that is both poignant and memorable. From cold atmospheres to absolute chaos, from acoustic and spoken word interludes to ripping shredding, this album is as brutal as it is stirring.”

So, take that as you will, but past experience has taught me that anything Eclipse Eternal releases rips metal trendies like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth to shreds. Watch this space for updates and information, including live dates in November.

Ottawa-based female fronted bashers Doll are back with a new album entitled The Ragdoll Diaries, which is due to be released on November 18th. They’ve got all bases covered and will be releasing it as a physical-CD-for-old-schoolers format, digitally for those that don’t want to do any real-world shopping , and vinyl for the ancient nostalgia-mongers such as myself. An audio player featuring samples of all tracks on the album is now available on Doll’s ReverbNation page, although you may not want to travel that far and scroll down instead.

Pre-sales are now underway via Doll’s official Facebook page and their merch site.

As a fan of the band, I’m pleased to add that Sally makes a return. Folks that know Doll’s first album will get it; those that don’t should read my interview from June 2010 here.

Rush producer Richard Chycki, who recorded James LaBrie’s vocals for the new Dream Theater album A Dramatic Turn Of Events , has checked in with an update on his recent and ongoing Rush-related escapades:

“Earlier this year, I mixed Moving Pictures in 5.1 and I am pleased that it was met with very positive reviews. The recording of the Time Machine tour I did in the spring in Cleveland (best … audience … ever!) is now wrapped up and an edited version of the show has since aired on VH1, with theater, DVD, CD and vinyl releases due any time. Amazing to see the band perform Moving Pictures live in its entirety! Currently, Rush, producer Nick Raskulinecz (Death Angel, Danko Jones, Stone Sour) and myself are reconvening to complete the recording of Rush’s next studio album Clockwork Angels. Sorry, no timeline for completion yet…”

Rich is up to his eyeballs pretty much 25/7, but check out his website here for the occasional update. And, since you’re on this page anyway, check out my interview with LaBrie about recording with Rich here.

And finally, from the Canadians Do It Better, Eh… files, former Megadeth / King Diamond / Eidolon guitarist Glen Drover, recently performed in Istanbul with HAIL! alongside James Lomenzo (ex-Megadeth / bass), Mike Portnoy (ex-Deam Theater / drums) and Whitfield Crane (ex-Ugly Kid Joe). This was Drover’s kick-off show with the metal tribute tribe, which features a rotating line-up of players as the need arises. Dates in Russia, China and Taiwan are being finalized and will feature Drover, Lomenzo, Tim “Ripper” Owens (Dio Disciples, ex-Judas Priest / vocals) and Paul Bostaph (Testament, ex-Slayer).

In addition, Drover showcased his new solo album, Metalusion, in the Live At Metalworks worldwide webcast in Toronto, Ontario on September 25th . It was seen by over 25,000 people in 64 countries. Footage of Drover and his band performing ‘Colors Of Infinity’ can be seen here.

Follow @CarlBegai

First off, unless you’ve been living under the weight of a large rock and your own self-importance, you’re aware that former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach has released his new album, Kicking & Screaming. (Yes, yes, I know he lives in the U.S., but Doodness grew up in Peterborough, Ontario and cut his teeth in Toronto). As I mentioned in my review (found here), the record didn’t do anything for me during the first spin, but it won me over and has since become a regular listen in the hallowed halls of BW&BK’s European crash pad. Apologies to Baz for my initial misgivings, but the album is a brilliant piece of work. If you were ever a fan of the Skid Row debut and Slave To The Grind, pick it up.

Check out my illustrious BW&BK colleague Aaron Small’s recent interview with Bach here.

More news from the Canadians Do It Better, Eh… files, former Into Eternity frontman Stu Block has pretty much knocked the Iced Earth fanbase on its ass by replacing Matt Barlow for the band’s new Dystopia album. From a purely personal standpoint, it’s the band’s strongest record since Something Wicked This Way Comes, which has as much to do with guitarist / founder Jon Schaffer’s new and improved focus as it does with Block’s performance. But, the simple fact is Block adds an intensity to the proceedings that Barlow lost along the way and Tim “Ripper” Owens never had. And the similarities to Barlow’s voice are ridiculous. Never could have guessed he was able to pull off something like that given Block’s depths-of-hell / into-the-stratosphere delivery while with Into Eternity.

In my book, Block saved Schaffer from delivering “just” another Iced Earth record.

Word has come down from Kingston, Ontario’s conquering sons, the Headstones, that they’re well into recording more songs for what is becoming an increasingly anticipated comeback album. In addition, the band is looking at playing some gigs in the December and January, and they’ve invited the fans to chime in a make suggestions with regards to the setlist. Anyone interested in contributing to the proceedings can do so via the official Headstones Facebook page.

In case you missed it, the band is offering a new song entitled ‘Binthiswayforyears’ for free download. Go to this location to check it out, download it and share it with the folks that put up with you.

And, Toronto’s metal bobbleheads Skull Fist, who are being hailed as conquering sons by a growing Europe fanbase, have unleashed their full length debut album Head Öf The Pack. For folks that grew up on bands like Exciter and Razor, Skull Fist continues the tradition of high speed big, dumb fun. A talented bunch, it’s kinda disturbing just how well they’ve learned their old scool lessons: shred for miles, whacko high-end vocals, silly-ass lyrics… call ‘em one of the few younger generation bands that comes off as completely genuine when they scream “No false metal!”

Check out their video for ‘Head Öf The Pack’ here.

Sadly, I couldn’t be there as I was out of the country, which sucks beyond words.

It was a momentous occasion because the Headstones were easily (and remain) one of the most original acts to come out of the Canadian music scene. The reunion shows went over a storm and then some, to the point that, all these months later, they’ve committed themselves to a project that lifers like myself have been clamouring for:

“Make no mistake, you’ve kickstarted the machine. The next record is a direct result of that wave of interaction. You made us remember what the fuck it is we do.”

With luck and the help of this little thing we call the internet, maybe they’ll finally get the attention they deserve.

And on that note, check out the Headstones’ new single “Binthiswayforyears’ here, download it for free, and spread the word.

Aw, hell, I can’t resist. Check this out…

Headstones binthiswayforyears by timwhiteok

And for those that freely admit to missing out on a bad-ass show:

– ‘Tweeter And The Monkey Man’
– ‘Cemetary’
– ‘Unsound’

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The remaining members of legendary Toronto club band Slash Puppet, who were a fixture on the Canadian scene from 1989 – 1995, paid tribute to late guitarist Lou Garscadden on August 4th, marking 10 years since his passing. He was 36 years old.

The band issued the following statement:

“Ten years ago, Toronto, Canada, and the world lost a phenomenal guitar player and a true rock star when Louis Peter Garscadden passed away on August 4, 2001. It is truly unfortunate that more people the world over were not able to experience his obvious and overwhelming talents as a guitar player and his warmth and charm as a unique personality. A true original, and a true rock star who deserved a hell of a lot of more notoriety than he ever received. One of the best… period.”

No Strings Attached, a CD version of Slash Puppet’s 1989 demo tape known as The Demo, was issued through Sun City Records out of Australia on September 3rd, 2007. I caught up with frontman Mif for BW&BK to discuss what was an unexpected release, and during the course of the interview he addressed Garscadden’s tragic passing:

“So far as we know, it was due to a heart attack. I remember his family telling us that Lou had come home one evening around 5:00pm or 5:30pm to his grandmother’s place where he was residing at the time, told his grandmother that he was going straight to bed as he was feeling a little run down that day, only to have his grandmother find him deceased in bed the next morning. The word spread around like wildfire as all the guys in Slash Puppet and myself rallied to make sure that all of his friends and associates knew. His funeral was packed to capacity and the service was heartfelt, not a dry eye in the house as his coffin was escorted out of the chapel to the Slash Puppet song ‘Hitch A Ride (On A Train)’. Ironically apropos if anyone is familiar with the lyrics about a journeyman always trying to find his peaceful place in the world. Canada and the rock ‘n’ roll world lost a true talent verging upon legend by my estimation when Lou passed away, and he will always be sorely missed by his friends, family and bandmates, and always remembered. Believe me when I say, Louie was one of the finest guitar players in Canada if not the world. He was definitely one of the most charismatic Canadian artists and personalities out there. This guy lived and breathed rock ‘n’ roll, he was the real deal, and had Slash Puppet not been sideswiped by the whole grunge thing and had made it to loftier heights, Lou Garscadden as well as Bart (guitarist Frank Bartoletti) would have been iconic guitar players and international guitar heroes. No doubt in my mind!”

Click here for the complete interview.

Check out the official Slash Puppet tribute page on Facebook here. Go to this location to watch the band’s video for ‘Slowdown’, taken from their original demo.

Calgary-based Kobra And The Lotus – a band that I loved to hate once upon a time – recently released a video for the new song ‘Welcome To My Funeral’, the second track featured on their forthcoming album, Visionary. To say that big things are brewing in the Kobra camp is an understatement, as the video showcases a much darker and heavier side of the band. While their metal roots have never been in doubt given the old school approach of their debut, Out Of The Pit, folks that are expecting the same will be pleasantly surprised by the new and improved sound. Vocalist Brittany Paige’s voice has gone through a startling transformation, as she’s ditched what she calls her “character voice” for a deeper and rich natural voice. No operatic crap, no worries. Just… balls. Not the first thing you think of when you see the lovely lady, but you get my meaning.

Stay tuned for an interview with Ms. Paige, coming soon. In the meantime, check out the new video here.

For folks that think the Prairies have nothing good to offer beyond endless flat stretches of road and truckstop breakfasts, Saskatchewan’s death metal thrashers Untimely Demise have signed an worldwide deal with Sonic Unyon. Get past all the talk about how everyone is happy to be working with each other in bringing the band’s brand of metal to the masses, and the truth is the band stands to make a serious mark on the scene if they’re pushed properly and can secure a few solid international tours. Shouldn’t be too difficult, methinks, as their official debut City Of Steel is a smoker.

The album is due to be released at home and in the US on September 13th. Go to their official MySpace page here for audio samples.

Toronto’s Modified recently completed work on their new album, the follow-up to their five debut song EP, Cruel Intentions. This band became a personal fave in spite of the fact they aren’t as heavy as a lot of what I listen to regularly, but if the new song ‘Die To Resist’ is any indication of where the band is going there are going to be more rock and metal-based media folks / publications standing up and paying closer attention.

Word has it the album will be available via iTunes soon, with a physical release set for August. More on that as the release date gets closer, with an interview most certainly in the cards.

In the meantime, check out my previous chat with vocalist Tricia Stanley here.

And while this may look like a monthly Woods Of Ypres love-fest, the fact is frontman/founder David Gold always seems to have something going on. When he and his bandmates aren’t risking life and their internal organs touring and living off fast food, Gold is exploring new musical avenues.

First off, he has posted clips from a song entitled ‘Kuwait’ here from a new project going under the banner Helsinki Seoul. He describes it as a “work in progress about seeing the world alone and being lost without you.” According to Gold this will become a serious project when the time is right rather than something he’s diving into with both feet.

In addition, the Canada 2010 album from Gold’s Thrawsunblat project with vocalist/guitarist Joel Violette is now available for streaming and purchase via BandCamp.com. It was previously only available through iTunes, which as we all know is never good for your computer. So, check it out here and support some serious indie talent.

And finally, with the arrival of Canada Day on July 1st, the BW&BK family will kick-off a month long countdown of the greatest Canadian metal and rock albums of all time. Yes, there are more than enough to fill out a 30 day run. Along with the staff’s choices – some of them questionable, others beyond reproach – several well known Canuck musicians will be comtributing to the list. Watch for an announcement and assorted arm-waving here, or just keep your eye on the BW&BK website for the official launch.

And no, contrary to the rumours, Loverboy will NOT make my personal Top 20.

Veteran bashers Anthem are gearing up for the release of their new album, Heraldic Device, due to hit shelves (yes, I still have a record store mentality) in July. Fans outside Japan can pre-order it here. This marks the band’s 14th studio album since 1985 and in reportedly in the vein as their last few records. So, no big surprises, but a guarantee of quality shred.

Click here for the complete tracklist and the band’s tour schedule for Japan. No word as to whether Heraldic Device will receive an official release outside Japan, but it’s doubtful considering they haven’t had one since No Smoke Without Fire in 1990.

X Japan are due to release their first ever internationally distributed single, ‘Jade’, on June 28th in all available digital formats. Live recordings of the song have been plastered all over YouTube for months, and I believe a rough studio mix is floating around as well, but a properly mixed sample of ‘Jade’ is now available at this location. The song is the precursor to X Japan’s full length international debut, which is still a work in progress at the moment.

In the meantime, check out my interview with drummer / founder Yoshiki, conducted in the fall last year, available in two parts here and there.

Blood Stain Child have released their new album, Epsilon, in Japan, and it’s due to be released internationally at the end of the month.The band has evolved in several weird and wonderful ways since I stumbled over them in 2003, having added female vocalist Sophia to the line-up and pushing their trademark death-trance metal sound into overdrive. Cover art can be viewed on the left, and a full length audio clip of the song ‘Sirius VI’ is available here.

An interview with the band will appear on this site soon, but for those that missed it, I spoke with Sophia about the Visual Kei phenomenon earlier this year in an exclusive interview. The end of the article features some discussion on how she came to join Blood Stain Child and her influence on the band’s sound. Check it out here because it’s actually worth your time to read it. The band’s official website can be found at this location.

Finally, old school thrashers United are celebrating their 30th Anniversary with a new album entitled Tear Of Illusions. Their first record in six years, it’s a brutal outing in the spirit of classic Testament and new Death Angel and features new Kuwait-born vocalist Faisal “Ken-shin” Al-Salem. Check out the video for the new song ‘Fight Fear Kill’ here. An interview with bassist Akihiro Yokoyama will surface on these pages and BW&BK soon, but prior to our discussion I discovered that United guitarist Yoshifumi “Hally” Yoshida was a member of X Japan in their infant ’80s years, back when they were known simply as X. Asked about the X Japan link, Yokoyama offers an eyebrow-raising look back:

“Actually, there are more links between X and United than that,” he says. “Me and Hide, the late guitar player of X, were actually friends from kindergarten days. We started playing in bands at around the same time, and would go to buy instruments together or hang around sharing beers on weekends.”

“Hally was in X for a really short period of time. He didn’t record anything with them, but only played in rehearsals. Not many people know about this, but Pata, the current X Japan guitar player, used to roadie for Hally, and the very guitar he was using when he joined X was actually the one Hally used to play.”