METALLICA "One Day Closer" To A New Album

Ok, can we stop asking Metallica about when their new album comes out?

I understand the irony of starting a post about Metallica's new album with that sort of question, but really, there is not much to report on. Rolling Stone were the latest to ask the question and Lars, perhaps being over it himself gave this fantastic non-answer:

"What I can say is, we're one day closer to the next record being released than we were yesterday," drummer Lars Ulrich says. "Unless there's what's called an 'Act of God,' I would hedge my bets that '201' would be the first three digits in the release year. And I don't know much beyond that. We've been jamming along. We've been putting in some time."

Kirk chimed in saying that he has 400 riffs and James has 800… so they are sitting on 1,200 riffs people!

We will definitely hear new Metallica music this year though, as the band promised to play a new song at their summer festival gigs overseas. Does that song have a title yet?

"Are you kidding me?" Lars says. "That's six weeks from now. We played two new songs on the 2006 tour, right when we were writing and getting ready to record Death Magnetic. At those gigs, they were very, very eloquently entitled 'New Song 1' and 'New Song 2.' You can't fuck with that."

Fair enough, Lars!

In related news, Guitar Center has been posting some pretty thoughtful pieces with members of the band, worth checking out. I definitely recommend the Hetfield one, as he traces his roots in metal.

MACHINE HEAD Begin Recording New Album This Weekend At GREEN DAY's Studios

Machine Head have been in the news a lot lately for both good and bad reasons:

Good being they're releasing a demo of a new song and an Ignite cover on Record Story Day, Apr. 19!

Bad being they couldn't enter the studio in October of 2013 because they weren't ready, delaying my selfish need for a new Machine Head record. That's alright, because lead guitarist for the group Phil Demmel revealed the band would be hitting up the studio this coming Monday! The PRP found Demmel saying:

“Countdown: 4 days until load-in to record #8.Most excited I’ve been before an album session since my first, 26 years ago. Lots of work to do!”

Alright! Frontman and guitarist for the group Rob Flynn seems super stoked on the new stuff too, and considering the tear the band have been on with 2007's The Blackening and 2011's Unto the Locust I'm sure it's going to be sick. While recording kicks off on Monday, the band will begin loading in on Sunday and they'll be working in the studio that waspurchased by Green Day. Flynn posted the following:

“We load into Green Day‘s place – JingleTown Studios to start recording our New Album on Sunday.

As our guitar tech Rodrigo (aka: Shot Rod) would say,
Stok-ED!!

Looking forward to this, it’s gonna be a fun album to record. We have some really, really strong songs, powerful songs. There’s no question it’s going to be a big project. So with big projects come big expectations and sometimes big “issues,” but the feeling in the band, the feeling BETWEEN the band, is so positive we’re chomping at the bit to get started. We know it will be a big undertaking but were up for it. We’re ready.

We’re approaching two decades of recording and releasing our music to you. Let that sink in for a minute… because it definitely causes me to pause.

Most bands do not get to make music for as long as we have and flourish. Most bands do not get to build an “army” of fans and friends. We have, and for one of many reasons, we refuse to rest on our laurels. There’s no getting complacent at this stage of the game. Good isn’t good enough, it has to change the world, it has to dent the universe. You won’t care if it’s anything less. We’re putting in the long, hard, boring hours of work that it takes to make something truly special.

And I have to mention it again; the feeling of 4 guys pulling together, 4 guys all on the same page, 4 guys all on the same team, man… it is an amazing feeling. I can’t remember a time when the band was this locked-in mentally, physically, and spiritually.

There’s still a waaaaays to go before we’re done, a few songs still getting wrapped up musically / lyrically…

But yeah, it begins… this weekend."

The band are hoping to release the album sometime later in 2014.