#p: knotfest

[lsdunesarchive]

L.S. Dunes at Riot Fest 2023 (Chicago, IL) on September 17, 2023 | 📸: Justin Nuoffer for Knotfest

[in-death-we-fall]

Out Of The Shadows

Since his shock exit from Slipknot, Joey Jordison has remained silent. For the first time, he opens up about the split, the debilitating condition that left him unable to walk, and how he's been reborn anew

Words: Dom Lawson • Pics: Travis Shinn

Metal Hammer 285 - August 2016 (google drive link) Full disclosure I pasted the main article from Metal Hammer's awful awful website because my hands are sad (from doing things like this, yes. Don't keep doing things if they hurt, yes even if you're super super excited about a guy.)

There is life after death. First, there’s Hell.

When the news first broke that Joey Jordison was no longer in Slipknot, it sent shockwaves around the world. Here was this icon of our world and one of the founding members of one of the greatest bands to emerge in all of 30 years suddenly, inexplicably gone. In the heavy wake of Paul Gray’s passing it seemed almost too great a blow for any band, even one with nine members. Anyone who knows their travails understands that they’re less a band and more like a dysfunctional family – had their problems caught up with them? But reappear they did, to the sound of a rapturously received album, and the three-ring circus of Knotfest, and yet still questions remained about the circumstances of Joey’s departure. Slipknot were tightlipped, and Joey? It was anyone’s guess.

I’m humbled to say that we now have Joey’s side of the story, and this month’s world-exclusive journey to Des Moines is one of the most powerful, saddening and inspirational stories you’ll read in these pages. Sure, there are the new records – Vimic and Sinsaeneum (sic) herald one of our world’s greatest musicians returning to the fold and from the sound of things we’ve some tremendous records ahead of us.

More importantly though, we have one of metal’s greatest figures back, and we couldn’t be more delighted to see him back on his feet – literally. To read Dom Lawson’s tale of a man who’s truly been there and back again, see p.38. Make sure you’re sitting down, because Travis Shinn’s remarkable photography is as stark as it it worth not one, but over 3,000 words.

Thank you for reading, and… Stay metal! Alex, Editör-In-Chief

Out Of The Shadows

Since his shock exit from Slipknot, Joey Jordison has remained silent. For the first time, he opens up about the split, the debilitating condition that left him unable to walk, and how he's been reborn anew

Words: Dom Lawson • Pics: Travis Shinn

Joey Jordison unmasked: the ultimate interview

Part One - Revelation

“This is very important to me. You’re getting something that I have not told anyone. It’s very emotional. It’s fucking hardcore, man.”

Joey Jordison has got a few things to get off his chest. More importantly, the world has got a few questions for the erstwhile Slipknot alumnus and the 21st century’s most celebrated percussive polymath, not least because he has been resolutely off the radar for the last few years.

The last time Metal Hammer spoke directly to Joey, he was promoting his then-newly-formed band Scar The Martyr, who released their self-titled debut album in September 2013. Three months later, he was seemingly dismissed from Slipknot, the band he had enjoyed huge global success with ever since they exploded into our world back in 1999.

Since that startling news broke in December 2013, Joey has been conspicuous by his absence from our ears, eyes and screens. This being the age of endless social media speculation, his disappearance and departure from Slipknot have been widely discussed online, one commonly espoused theory being that the diminutive drummer had gone spectacularly off the rails and was simply unable to fulfill his usual duties, thus prompting his bandmates’ decision to effect an unexpected lineup change.

In truth, only Joey’s closest friends and business associates know what he’s been up to for the last couple of years, but as he warmly greets Hammer at the door of the house he shares with girlfriend Amanda in Des Moines, it’s immediately apparent that today’s interview is much more than just an opportunity to herald the arrival of not one, but two new bands and Joey’s wholesale return to action. Instead, this is what he describes as “an opportunity to tell everyone what the fuck has been going on”. And it’s almost certainly not what anyone is expecting.

“It was at the end of the memorial shows we did for Paul,” Joey begins, referencing the death of bandmate Paul Gray and the subsequent world tour that began in the summer of 2011 and continued until August 2012. “We were in Canada, at the end of my last run of shows with Slipknot, and something happened to me but I didn’t know what it was. I was super ill. You can be sick and still play, but this was something I’d never felt in my life before.

“We found out that what I have is acute transverse myelitis. It’s a neurological condition that hits your spinal cord and it wiped my legs out completely. It’s like having your legs cut off, basically. I played those last couple of shows and it scared the living shit out of me. I didn’t know what it was. Everyone thought I was fucked up, but it wasn’t the case. I wasn’t even drinking. Everything was straight-laced and fucking perfect. Everything was on point. But I had to be carried to the stage…”

Joey pauses, wincing at the memory. “The pain was something I’d never experienced in my life before, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

When he arrived home from the Slipknot tour, Joey could barely walk. On August 21, 2012, he was admitted to Mercy West hospital in Des Moines, diagnosed with some form of leg paralysis but unaware of exactly how or why this was happening to him. Ten days later, he was transferred to the neurological unit at University Of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, understandably terrified and extremely confused about his physical deterioration.

“It was fucking bad, dude,” he recalls. “My lady has everything documented. I got struck with this fucking thing that I couldn’t control. The doctors said I might not be able to walk again. Today, I can almost run, but back then I couldn’t even stand up. I was bed-ridden. If I wanted to turn over in bed, I had to move my legs with my hands. I was in and out of the hospital for months.

“Some beautiful people have helped me out and got me back stronger and taught me how to walk again, but at that moment my whole life was screwed, man. Acute transverse myelitis is a fucked-up disease and a lot of people don’t recover from it and they’re paralysed forever.”

After having braces fitted to prevent his weakened legs from buckling, Joey was finally discharged from hospital in October 2012. Thus began an extremely lengthy, challenging and physically exhausting regime of physical and occupational therapy, as Joey tried to summon the energy and determination to beat the bizarre neurological condition that had wrenched the carpet from under his feet and left him both horribly vulnerable and understandably bewildered.

Early in 2013, work began on Scar The Martyr’s debut album, as a further batch of Slipknot shows in Japan and Europe – including a headline slot at Download – loomed over the horizon. Still recovering from the worst of his illness, Joey somehow managed to recover to the point where he was able to perform at those gigs, after which he threw himself wholeheartedly into launching Scar The Martyr by hitting the road as main support to Danzig in the US.

All the while, of course, his global army of admirers remained entirely in the dark about the turmoil and trials going on behind the scenes. It was widely noted that Joey was looking overweight and far from healthy during Scar The Martyr’s debut UK tour, but the conclusions that most people were jumping to – in essence, that he had a problem with drugs and/or drink – were completely off target. Unfortunately, when Slipknot announced on December 12, 2013, that they were to forge ahead without their talismanic drummer, those rumours seemed to gain a little extra momentum.

“Yeah, and that’s why I love being able to do this interview, because finally I get to tell the fucking truth!” Joey declares. “It’s been really frustrating, but I can only bless the people that have been around me and helped me to get back to this point. And this is what I want to clarify for my fans…” – he punches his hand to emphasise the importance of this statement – “…it had nothing to do with fucking drugs or fucking alcohol!”

Several times during our interview, Joey’s eyes fill with tears. It’s abundantly clear that the extraordinary effort required to confront acute transverse myelitis and doggedly chase a light at the end of a seriously dark and bleak tunnel has taken a lot out of him, particularly on an emotional level. But now that he is about to click into top gear once again, via new bands Vimic and Sinsaenum, Joey is channeling his energies towards a cathartic clearing of the decks, and setting people straight about his life over the last five years is top of the agenda.

“Life takes you on weird trips and you just have to hold on, ride the wave and be as strong as you fucking can,” he shrugs. “I’ve been through so much fucking shit over the last few years and people just don’t know.”

Part Two - Struggle

The news that Joey had seemingly been sacked from Slipknot came as a huge shock to everyone, even without the additional knowledge of his devastating health problems. From the band’s enormous fanbase, through to many of us in the metal world that have always known him to be, at the very least, a wholly dedicated and passionate member of that 18-legged, arena-smashing entity, it was a wildly unexpected turn of events.

The band’s own public statements at the time took a predictably passive course, the relatively benign implication being that Joey and his former comrades were simply heading in different creative directions and could no longer work together effectively.

On January 2, 2014, he made his own statement on Facebook, making it plain that as far as he was concerned, there was no mutual agreement and he had been fired from Slipknot for reasons unknown.

“I was laying in bed with my lady, I’d been in rehabilitation for my health issues but everything was good, and the next thing I know…” he pauses, visibly upset. “No band meeting? None. Anything from management? No, nothing. All I got was a stupid fucking email saying that I was out of the band that I busted my ass my whole life to fucking create, you know?

“It was the weirdest fucking thing. I can’t imagine just sending Corey or Shawn or Mick a fucking letter, without a band meeting. We’re friends and we’ve been through so much shit together, but that was all it was, a fucking letter. That’s exactly what happened and it was hurtful, man. I didn’t deserve that shit after what I’d done and everything I’d been through.”

In light of revelations about his state of health at the time, it does seem an unusually abrupt way to bring such a longstanding partnership to an end. Joey even claims to have written and demoed a batch of new material, aided by Slipknot’s then-touring bassist Donnie Steele, and circulated it among his bandmates in an attempt to get the compositional ball rolling. But, according to the drummer, no one got back to him to discuss the new songs: subtle evidence, perhaps, that wires were distinctly crossed.

“They got confused about my health issues, and obviously even I didn’t know what it was at first,” Joey sighs. “They thought I was fucked-up on drugs, which I wasn’t at all. I don’t blame them for being concerned, but when you’re friends and you’ve been through so much stuff, you fucking talk to each other. But I harbour no bad feelings toward them at all, because I’ve moved on with my life. I’m happier than I’ve been in years. You need to move on, close the fucking chapter and, in the end, it is what it is.”

It is a testament to the positive way Joey has endeavoured to overcome his severe health problems that today, even after having been unceremoniously ejected from one of the biggest metal bands on the planet, he is hearteningly sanguine about the way things have turned out.

During our conversation, he repeatedly declares how grateful he is for the friends, family and life that he has, and even when discussing the end of his tenure as Slipknot’s drummer, he is eager to state how much he still loves and admires his former bandmates. What is perhaps more surprising is that Joey not only made a point of checking out .5: The Gray Chapter, the album Slipknot made without him and released in 2014, but is also effusive in his praise for it.

“Honestly, I have a long history with those guys, so I give them the respect they deserve and I listened to the whole record multiple times,” he smiles. “And I think it’s great! It’s fucking cool and I’m glad they moved on. I’m not like, ‘I’m not gonna give them respect!’ – I’m not a coward like that. I’m glad they’re carrying on the name, because what’s important is the fans. There’s no stupid battle going on. There’s no point in saying, ‘Fuck them!’

“No, I’ve been through so many things with those guys and I love them very much. What’s hurtful is that the way it [being fired] went down was not fucking right. That’s all I want to say. The way they did it was fucking cowardly. It was fucked up. But the love in my heart for those guys, that stays the same.”

It is at this point that Metal Hammer asks the inevitable and unavoidable question: despite everything that has happened, would Joey be willing to rejoin Slipknot further down the line? As much as his successor, Jay Weinberg, has acquitted himself brilliantly while filling the shoes of a contemporary drumming legend, it’s hard to deny that most Slipknot fans would be beside themselves with joy if Joey were to return to the fold. He takes a deep, measured inward breath and fixes us with a stern stare…

“Let me think about how to answer that, because it’s a big one,” he nods. “Honestly, I’m not trying to be dramatic, but if that was brought up, what I’d want to do would be to get together. Not just have a phone call or some stupid email. I’d want to see them, just hug it out and feel that energy that we had when we were fucking young and hungry and all that shit. They’re my brothers. We’d hug and talk and do shit like we used to do. We used to sit up all night long planning this shit and what we wanted to do. So that’s how I’d wanna do it. It’d have to be in person. If it happened, that would be fucking awesome, but only time will tell.”

Part Three - Rebirth

Back in the here and now, Joey Jordison is well on his way to being fighting fit once again. His recovery is still ongoing, of course, and daily trips to see his trainer at the local gym have now become an essential part of his day-to-day schedule, but as he speaks, he radiates sincere positivity. That said, the effort it has taken Joey to get from suddenly and horrifyingly being robbed of the use of his legs to a point where he is able to unveil two brand new albums with different bands is etched into his subtly expressive face.

He and better half Amanda have kept a detailed scrapbook of photos and other memorabilia from the long, hard road back from the onset of transverse myelitis. They allow us to leaf through it, and it brings the jarring reality of Joey’s last few years vividly to life. It’s a litany of woes, pain and frustration that many of us would regard as insurmountable, but even when faced with yet another grim obstacle, when he fell and broke his leg while in the studio recording Vimic’s debut album in the autumn of 2014, leading to his leg being cut in half and the insertion of steel rods and bolts, Joey’s determination to prevail and come back stronger than ever has been unwavering.

“I did question everything, like, ‘What am I going to do?’, not knowing if I was going to recover,” he admits. “It hurt a lot. It was a big question. But there was a definite point where I thought about all the blessings I’ve been given in life, being part of Slipknot and playing with Korn and Ministry and Rob Zombie and doing Roadrunner United and all those things, and you look at that and you’re grateful, and so you bust your ass to get back. I didn’t feel sorry for myself. I do not quit. I’ve got fans I’ve got to take care of, you know? So there’s no hiding right now.”

If you want to know what the opposite of hiding sounds like, you need only lend an ear to either or both of the new records that Joey is releasing this summer. The first is Echoes Of The Tortured, the debut album from Sinsaenum, Joey’s collaboration with Dragonforce’s Frédéric Leclercq and a host of underground luminaries. A monstrous but eminently accessible death metal record, its jaw-shattering eruptions of blastbeats and epic fury showcase the full extent of Joey’s physical recovery in no uncertain terms.

The second is Open Your Omen, the first album from Vimic, which is essentially Scar The Martyr with a new vocalist, former Korn percussionist and back-up singer Kalen Chase. It’s a sharper, more focused record than its (sort of) predecessor, planting Joey firmly back in belligerent mainstream metal territory, with plenty of the huge hooks and irresistible riffs that his loyal fans will be feverishly anticipating. But beyond the new music itself, Joey’s true focus is on the unparalleled joy he is currently experiencing as he escapes the nightmare of the last few years and returns to what he does best.

“This is a rebirth, and reaching this point is the ultimate reward,” he states. “It’s like having the ultimate trophies, having these two bands. These opportunities are coming back to me and it feels like a complete renewal. These are real bands, not side-projects. Everything I do goes at 100%… maybe even 666%, ha ha!

“At a certain age, a lot of people] become vegetarians or they find religion, but I’m never gonna stop being a fucking weirdo and a fucking metalhead! You wake up one day and you realise that nothing’s ever gonna change and you’re fucking committed. I’ve been like that since I was five years old, man.

“Right now, I just want to keep creating. These bands are two huge fucking journeys for me. It’s like when you see a rollercoaster that you’ve never ridden before, and you’re fucking scared, but you’re in line and waiting, like I am now, and then once you step on? You’re in!”

There are a few lessons to be learned from the story of Joey Jordison’s last few traumatic years. Firstly, maybe we should all be slightly less eager to jump to hasty conclusions when faced with only one side of a story (or, indeed, no verified information whatsoever). Secondly, never underestimate the strength, persistence, passion and potential of the human spirit.

“The most pertinent lesson of all, however, is one we all should have learned a long time ago: Joey Jordison is an unstoppable force of nature and, after fighting the toughest battle of his entire life, he’s primed and ready to make up for lost time and to remind the world that loud, angry, fucked up and furious music remains the best medicine of all.

“I have this weird-ass condition, but it doesn’t limit me and I’m getting better all the time,” he concludes with a confident grin. “I can play just as fast, or faster, than I ever have. Everything is fucking cool and I’m at the gym every day and it’s all going well. That helps me out so much.

“I went through some serious fucking shit. People didn’t know and I can’t blame them for that. But the thing is, you get up in the morning and you look in the mirror, and then you go off and fucking do it. You live your life the way you want to, and get the work done! What else can I say, dude? It’s good to tell my story. I’m fucking back and I’m ready to go full force. This is the best fucking job in the world. I’m never gonna stop.”

What Is Transverse Myelitis?

We spoke to Lew Gray, secretary of UK charity the Transverse Myelitis Society, to understand what Joey’s batling…

Can you explain what the condition means? Lew: “Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord. You have a lot of nerves doing different things in your spinal cord, so the facts of each case depend on which part of the spinal cord is affected. It can be high in the spinal cord affecting the arms, or you may struggle to breathe because the muscles in your lungs don’t work. It could be lower, affecting different sensory nerves. Some people with transverse myelitis can walk but can’t feel the floor beneath their feet, or they can’t feel hot and cold or pain. We think there are about 250 cases a year in the UK.”

Does it typically come on quickly or is it more of a gradual process? “It can be either. A lot of people are paralysed within an hour or two. But then for other people it can be very gradual and come and go over a period of months. It takes some people years to get a diagnosis.”

What treatment is available? “Really, the only treatment is to dose you with steroids. They will reduce the inflammation, and therefore you’re not curing it, you’re minimising the damage until it goes away by itself. Physiotherapy is very important. Almost everyone gets some spontaneous recovery over time after transverse myelitis, but the body and mind ‘forget’ how to use muscles and nerves that are not working, so the purpose of neurophysiotherapy is to ‘guide’ the recovery.”

What is the long-term prognosis for someone with transverse myelitis? “The nerves are capable of regenerating themselves. Nobody can predict though how well they will regenerate, how long it will take, or if they will at all. The majority of people get improvement, but there is no cast-iron guarantee.”

How common are relapses? “We do know people who have had recurrences, however that is rare. Sometimes a reoccurrence of transverse myelitis leads to a diagnosis of MS [multiple sclerosis].”

For more on the Transverse Myelitis Society, visit www.myelitis.org.uk

Beating The Odds

How Joey Jordison fought his way back from paralysis to prosperity

The full extent of Joey’s arduous battle with acute transverse myelitis is brought into sharp focus when we visit Absolute Performance Therapy in Waukee, Des Moines. Joey spent months here, working on his recovery, and the mere fact that today he is able to walk through the front door without assistance speaks volumes about what he has achieved. His therapist, Alyssa Subbert, has nothing but praise for his determined approach.

“Being stubborn helped the most!” she laughs. “To go from being someone who could do anything to not being able to get out of a chair, then to get back to being able to do everything again, it was a huge process. He wanted to drum again so bad, and as long as we made every exercise about drumming, he’d do it. He was very stubborn and very ornery, but he’d work and work until his body was too sore.”

Gruelling physical work aside, it is obvious that Joey’s time at APT was also hugely emotional. He hasn’t been back since finishing his treatment, and there are tears as he and Alyssa recall the intense therapy sessions and ferocious perseverance and teamwork that were needed to make each successive triumph a reality along the way.

“This was a huge wake-up call to Joey’s health and lifestyle, and how physical his job is,” Alyssa states. “When you’ve done something like that forever, you have no concept of it. He has to play in a drum set that rotates and goes upside down?! It’s not a regular job, sitting at a computer. We even practised mobbing him! Does he have balance when a whole bunch of people mob him, you know? It’s a whole different life, and very physical. So this was a completely unique process we went through.”

Joey’s physical therapy may be over, but his daily trips to local gym Life Time Athletic are an essential part of his recovery, not to mention his ability to play drums with the power and skill that fans have come to expect. His personal trainer, Caleb Herman, is a Slipknot fan who’s full of admiration for his client’s dedication.

“When Joey came in, he could hardly walk,” Caleb recalls. “Now he’s pressing 700lbs and he can do a step above what most people can do. He’s got one of the strongest back muscle groups I’ve ever seen. He couldn’t stand without help, but now he can stand up by himself, so his progress has been awesome. When he sees progress, he becomes motivated, and he tells me he gets the chills, and that gives me the chills. It’s really exciting to see him get to this point.”

Battle Of The Bands

After a long absence from our world, Joey’s returning with two new projects. But how do Vimic and Sinsaenum stack up against each other?

Vimic

Members: Joey Jordison (drums), Kalen Chase (vocals), Matt Tarach (keyboards), Jed Simon (guitar), Kyle Konkiel (bass). Sound: Crunchy, state-of-the-art modern metal with big, anthemic melodies and plenty of snotty aggression. Image: Lots of black leather, long hair, beards and menacing scowls. Sample lyric: ‘Simple skeletons, playing God again/We’re getting higher, we’re getting higher, and the truth will set us free’ (Simple Skeletons). Drumming: Lashings of classic Joey, from that Slipknot stomp and big, muscular grooves to bursts of high-velocity blasting. Joey says: “Scar The Martyr was the blueprint, but we wiped the slate clean. This is heavy shit. Kalen killed it on this record.” For fans of: Slipknot, Disturbed, Fear Factory. Check out: Earth Stood Still. Lurching, syncopated grooves and soaring, post-grunge melodies collide in a brutish, multi-tempo anthem that deftly showcases singer Kalen’s versatility.

Sinsaenum

Members: Joey Jordison (drums), Frédéric Leclercq (guitar), Heimoth (bass), Attila Csihar (vocals), Sean Zatorsky (vocals), Stéphane Buriez (guitar). Sound: Epic, imperious, blackened death metal with tons of eerie atmosphere. Image: Classic, dark, extreme metal attitude with a dash of theatrical corpse paint and a blood-splattered logo. Sample lyric: ‘We are the pain inside your head/We are the sorrow in your soul/We are the fire/We are the rusty nails’ (Army Of Chaos). Drumming: A masterclass in death metal precision and power. Proof that Joey is back and blazing. Joey says: “Sinsaenum is probably one of the most extreme and proficient bands I have ever been in. These guys are fucking on point at all times. We’re a fucking army!” For fans of: Morbid Angel, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth. Check out: Inverted Cross. It’s blistering, heads-down death metal grandeur with anti-Christian lyrics, fret-melting solos and countless warped twists and turns.

Sin City

As well as making his comeback with Vimic, Joey Jordison’s taken up the drum stool for death metal project Sinsaenum. Mastermind and Dragonforce bassist Frédéric Leclercq explains how it came thundering to life

Words: Dayal Patterson

While Vimic represents a beefed-up reboot of Scar The Martyr, Joey’s also been behind the kit for a second, brand new band - Sinsaenum. The brainchild of Dragonforce bassist Frédéric Leclercq, it’s a more murky blend of death and black metal, featuring the twosome alongside some of the leading lights of the extreme scene, including dual vocals from Mayhem’s Attila Csihar and Dååth’s Sean Zatorsky. We asked Frédéric what the supergroup have planned for their dark future.

How did Sinsaenum first come about? Frédéric: “Oh Christ, even I have trouble remembering when it started! I always wrote death metal songs. I started to write in 1998, then I was doing something else [he played in the French bands Memoria and Heavenly], and I’m still doing something else, with Dragonforce. The first person I spoke to was Stéphane [Buriez, guitar] from Loudblast. It must’ve been in 2010 that we said, ‘Let’s really do something about it.’”

How did Joey get involved? “I kept writing more songs, and one day in 2013 I got a text from Joey. We call each other ‘Morbid Angel” – don’t ask why – so the text said, ‘Morbid Angel, what you up to?’ I was like, ‘Well, I just got back from tour… talking about Morbid Angel, I have these death metal songs.’ He was like, ‘You should send them to me!’ Two days later, he came back like, ‘Fuck yeah, that’s really cool. Who’s playing drums? I want to do it.’ So I started to ask more people that I had in mind.”

How did you guys meet? “We did the Mayhem tour together in the US, in 2008. One day drinking we were talking about death metal, and then we got to talking about it more and more. That’s how you get to know people – you find what you have in common. We had drinking and Morbid Angel.”

What about the other guys? “Stéphane I’ve known for 20 years. I played in a band in my hometown, Charleville-Mézières, and we supported his band, Loudblast. They were a big influence, and the first death metal band I heard. We kept in touch because France is a small country when it comes to metal. With [bassist] Heimoth from [French black metal band] Seth, it’s the same – there’s a small metal community. Dragonforce and Mayhem did a festival together, and Attila came onto the bus and said: ‘My son is a fan and would love an autograph – by the way, I’m the vocalist of Mayhem.’ He’s such a nice person – maybe you shouldn’t write that, keep the mystery! Sean and I met when Dååth was opening for Dragonforce in 2009. I really liked his voice and his attitude.”

How much music was written before you started working with them? “When Joey sent that text, all the songs were half-written, because I’ve a tendency to write a song with just a verse and a chorus, maybe a mid-section, because I know the rest is in my head. So when he said, ‘I’m interested,’ I was like, ‘Oh shit, I have to finish the songs!’ I sent out files, because it was clear that people trusted my ‘vision’. They didn’t want to change too much. I had to finalise lyrics with Sean and Attila, and Stéphane contributed to the structure. Joey added some fills. I decided to make it a concept album using interludes like Tiamat, or Pestilence, or even Type O Negative did to create atmosphere, so I had to write those.”

What was it like working with your heroes? “I felt like a kid in a toy store! Being in a studio with Attila singing songs that I wrote, and saying, ‘Oh, you should do this song like [Mayhem’s] De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, and him being like, [adopts a Hungarian accent] ‘OK bro’, it’s like ‘Fuck, this is happening!’ I shouldn’t sound so excited, ‘cause this is black and death metal, but I had a big smile during the whole process – we all did. On Army Of Chaos we have Schmier from Destruction and Mika and Mirai from Sigh. Mika and Mirai are good friends of mine and are doing the big choirs, the choruses… like Sepultura’s Stronger Than Hate [from 1989’s Beneath The Remains]. I remember reading the booklet as a kid… they had the guys from Obituary and Atheist on it, and I was like, ‘Fuck, that’s cool.’ And it’s Schmier who’s singing on the last pre-chorus.

Did Joey’s health battles affect Sinsaenum? “Not at all. He speaks about it way better than I, so I won’t comment on that. I’ve kept away from all the troubles. I was like, ‘I’m a friend. If you want to talk, I’ll listen, but I just want to make sure you’re happy.’ As far as health problems, he was fine – he killed the drums. I don’t know how he did it, but he said, ‘Dude, I’m on fire.’ He was angry, I guess.”

Will Sinsaenum tour? “It’s definitely something we want to do, but there’s no rush. I want to do everything the same way I lived it as a kid. These bands I loved, I loved their albums, but I didn’t see them live for a long time and it didn’t bother me. I want people to digest the album – there’s a lot of information on there. Plus, we’re all busy; it’s difficult to get us all in a room. We rehearsed before doing the videos, and being in the same room, it was like, ‘Fucking hell.’”

What’s happening with Dragonforce right now? “We’re doing summer festivals and writing the new album that will come out next year, so I have to juggle between doing Sinsaenum stuff and writing and recording with Dragonforce. So my head is about to explode, but that’s fine!”

What do you get from Sinsaenum that you don’t get with Dragonforce? “This is really the music I love. I like Dragonforce stuff, and I write more of it now, but sometimes I don’t agree with all the decisions. With Sinsaenum, from A to Z it is exactly what I want. I guess it’s my baby. It gives me a way to express the dark side of myself and show it to people – if they care or not, that’s another issue!”

Sinsaenum release Echoes Of The Tortured on July 29 via Earmusic 

[leblanct]

✧₊⁺ oi ed, 2 semaninhas ♡ p conhecer meu best e minha banda de infancia favorita ♡♡♡♡♡ ₊˚⊹Slipknot₊˚⊹

algm mais vai no knotfest? dia 20/10 ⋆˚✿˖°

[gay-aussie-headbanger]

@knotfestau was a blast, I wish it never ended 🖤 And thank you @zac_turner_ for the late bday/Xmas gift and the invite 🤘#knotfest #metal #heavymetal #slipknot #parkwaydrive #trivium (at Centennial Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQ5oYrB8Yh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cellocunha]

Ainda não acredito no que rolou nesse KnotFest. Foi emoção do começo ao fim..🖤🤘 (em KNOTFEST) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmVqFxHsiN-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[namjr]

@knotfestbrasil F**KING #awesome • • • • • • @slipknot #slipknot #heavymetal #sunday (em KNOTFEST) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmVRdB_jutE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[liluka-blog]

@olobersykes fan art Obrigada pelo show no #knotfestbrasil !!!! Thank u and all @bringmethehorizon Sorry for the tattoos, i had to do a " gambiarra" hahahahaha #oliversykes #fanart #rockmusic #knotfest #bringmethehorizon #bmth #digitalart #art #digitaldrawing https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmd59NROkFP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[unknotbrain]

A madrugada de hoje foi muito emocionante. Acordei com a comoção das enfermeiras para descobrir que minha mãe tinha se mijado. Umas duas horas depois, de novo. Tiveram que trocar a cama mais uma vez porque ela se mijou. O tanto de medicamento que a bichinha tá tomando não é brincadeira, não me surpreendeu ter feito molhado a cama.

Já faz 16 dias que chegamos ao hospital. Meu corpo tá todo dolorido, me sinto muito cansada, estou com insônia e muito desocupada. Não vejo a hora de voltar ao meu trabalho e ter um pouco de rotina.

É claro que não foi tudo de ruim estar aqui. Dei uns rolês legais pela cidade, fiz tattoos e pude ver meus amigos. Meu plano era voltar mês que vem para o Knotfest, mas acho que preciso descansar de São Paulo e dessa rotina de hospital. Ainda estou pensando se compro o ingresso, apesar de estar bem barato. Eu, particularmente, odeio lugares cheios. Acho lindo o conceito de show ser um lugar onde reúne pessoas com a mesma paixão, mas, acho que prefiro viver minha paixão sozinha ou com poucas pessoas. Vai ter BMTH, uma das minhas bandas preferidas, em novembro mas os ingressos provavelmente vão estar muito caros. Vamos ver o que acontece até lá.

Acordei muito tarde e continuo cansada. Combinei de sair com a minha amiga P*****, mas não sei se vou dar conta. Acabei de almoçar, meu plano para a tarde é dormir e esperar essa cólica dos infernos passar. Odeio o fato do meu corpo ser tão dramático e sensível a estresse. Minhas dores ficam muito piores quando estou sob situações estressantes. Merda.

Fica a parte boa da viagem: minhas tattoos

[thyele]

2023年4月2日

北朝鮮「核攻撃力を持つ事実を忘れるな」　軍事演習続ける米韓に警告：朝日新聞デジタル https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASR423RX1R42UHBI00Q.html

高級車に憧れて…新卒でいきなり遠洋漁船が急増　「頑張れば稼げる」：朝日新聞デジタル https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASR416R50R3KUNHB00C.html?iref=comtop_Business_01

常田大希 - Daiki Tsunetaさん「本日24時 私の今年一発目の 新曲リリースになります millennium parade ✖️ 椎名林檎 新曲『 W●RK 』どやべえMVも控えてるからさ これ聴いて待っててね 👹🍎」 https://twitter.com/DaikiTsuneta/status/1641732282322157570

激ロックさん「HYDE、"20th Orchestra Tour HYDE ROENTGEN 2021"パシフィコ横浜国立大ホール公演の模様が"スペースシャワーTV プラス"で本日3/31 20時よりTV初放送！ #HYDE #スペシャプラス」 https://twitter.com/gekirock/status/1641645474053771265

矢沢永吉、『フジロック』初出演決定 | SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/316631

MORRIEさん「MORRIE OFFICIAL SITE ＆ FANCLUB “REVERIES” RENEWAL! オフィシャルサイトと、ファンクラブが“REVERIES” として4月1日12:00よりリニューアルします。」 https://twitter.com/nowherenobodygu/status/1641636437081587717

斉藤和義がガチャピン＆ムック誕生日会に登場、50周年祝いで「歩いて帰ろう」熱唱 - 音楽ナタリー https://natalie.mu/music/news/518886

King Gnuさん「いよいよ本日24時👑🐃 『King Gnu Live at TOKYO DOME』 プライムビデオにて、再び開演⚡️ ⏩️」 https://twitter.com/KingGnu_JP/status/1641372764828479489

L'Arc-en-Cielさん「『DUNE』(Remastered2023)が 　5月30日にリリース決定！ 初リリースから30周年���記念して ■スペシャル ジャケット限定盤 ■通常盤 ■アナログ盤 全3形態で��リースいたします 予約購入の受付は、本日18:00より開始！ 詳細はこちら↓ #DUNE2023」 https://twitter.com/LArc_official/status/1641304537096142849 L'Arc-en-Cielさん「「DUNE Remastered 2023 Officialグッズ」の販売も決定！ こちらの受付も、本日18:00より開始！ 詳細はこちら↓ #DUNE2023」 https://twitter.com/LArc_official/status/1641304541802147841 L'Arc-en-Cielさん「『DUNE』(Remastered 2023) LE-CIEL会員、Digital LE-CIEL会員限定特典決定！ ■購入特典 「FEEL OF DUNE復刻ステッカー」 ■3形態同時購入特典 「ジャケット アクリル キーホルダー」 詳細はこちら↓ #DUNE2023」 https://twitter.com/LArc_official/status/1641304539629486083

アイナ・ジ・エンドさん「」 https://twitter.com/aina_BiSH/status/1641296755089354752

京さん「KNOTFESTで演奏するPetit Brabanconの曲をSpotifyで公開してるので、是非聴いてみて下さい。どんなバンドなのか少しは分かると思うので。って事で各々楽しんで下さい。 京」 https://twitter.com/kyo_official/status/1641273946271268864

浅井健一SexyStonesRecordsさん「SHERBETS 結成25周年！ 4/26(水)アルバム「Midnight Chocolate」発売 5/18(木)新潟より全国ツアースタート 東京公演は6/8(木)新しい会場のZepp新宿！ https://t.co/3g7RW7zjsS #sherbets #浅井健一 #ベンジー #blankeyjetcity」 https://twitter.com/SSRstaff/status/1641282584650059776

メイデンさん「ノットフェス、意味わからん。 海外アーティストは撮影可で 日本はダメなのね。🤔 ペットボトルは、入口の荷物 チェックで、しっかり没収 されました。 入場前に水分補給を忘れずに！」 https://twitter.com/maidenjap/status/1641959701377335297

Waive、オフィシャルサイトに謎のカウントダウン出現 | BARKS https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000232010

LUNA SEA、5月開催＜THE BEST OF LUNA SEA 2023＞に向けて最新アーティスト写真公開 | BARKS https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000231915

アマニタパンセリナ（MV）/魚住英里奈　Erina Uozumi - amanita pannserina - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-R02jRmZHw

内田樹さん「フランスのデモについて日本のメディアはほとんど報道しませんけれど、それは（１）記者たちが何が起きているのか理解できないので黙っている（２）起きていることを報道すると誰かに叱られるので黙っている。どちらでしょう。」 https://twitter.com/levinassien/status/1641977313456967682

“CRAZY”COOL- JOE 【本人】さん「明日です。 2023/4/2(日) 荻窪　TOP BEAT CLUB 18:00/19:00 前売￥4,000＋1D https://t.co/CVX3fCV2V0 “D runkard Ball”  (澄田健、"CRAZY"COOL-JOE、湊雅史) 次回のライブは、 今のところ9月まで決まっていません。 興味のある方は是非！ https://t.co/Lm96S8QqEO」https://twitter.com/cooljoesbar/status/1641945495848488960

八重洲ブックセンター本店さん「【＃八重洲本店フィナーレ　本日最終日】 現本店は、本日20時をもちまして、いったん営業を終了いたします。 本を愛する皆様とともに、これまで紡いだ大きなものがたり。 未来へとつながる ＃八重洲BCものがたり の続きを、これからもどうぞご一緒に。 44年間のご愛顧に、心より御礼申し上げます。 https://t.co/cstcds0EJb」https://twitter.com/yaesu_honten/status/1641598684289970176

MIYABI the Drummerさん「昨年のエイプリルフールネタ1日限定再公開しま～す！ 良かったら観てください♪ Slipknot/ARCH ENEMY/マキシマム ザ ホルモン/SiM/ピンク・レディー/大塚愛/仮面ライダー000/未来戦隊タイムレンジャー叩いてみた（Drum Cover）【エイプリルフール】 https://t.co/sfQB5J7aMi」https://twitter.com/MS16_Masahiro/status/1641827019951607808

MIYABI the Drummerさん「エイプリルフールといえば嘘。 嘘で思い出す歌詞は、 GARGOYLEだと「CRAZY SADISM」の 狡猾で忌まわしき噓。 VIRUSだと「退屈しのぎのLOVE愛視線」の 自然な成り行き　うっそ～。 AIONがパッと思いつかないんだけど…。」https://twitter.com/MS16_Masahiro/status/1641947298979786752

MIYABI the Drummerさん「叩いてみた動画を公開しました！ リクエストを頂いた #AION（#アイオン）の 「VIOLENT BLAZE」です！ 後半バスドラ踏みっぱなしで大変でした！ 動画はコチラ https://t.co/tzraI2Kj7x ご視聴頂けますと幸いです！ https://t.co/dTEfLVvW9i」https://twitter.com/MS16_Masahiro/status/1639938997337346050

アイリフドーパのジブちゃんさん「明日の22時に新曲MV公開だってよ！これはきっとドーパがいよいよ本気出して売れにきてるぞ…」https://twitter.com/redzibra/status/1641774902754824192

辻コースケさん「身体に��るダメージは リキッドルームを遥かに超えた 清春さんの31曲に いまの自分を賭けた水戸の2日間 我を忘れ 夢中になった時間はまた次に向かう勇気をくれた 清春さんありがとう ステージで羽ばたく翼のデカさにいつも飛ばされます ともに走りきったメンバー、スタッフ、お客さん 感謝しま〜す」https://twitter.com/kosuketsuji0173/status/1641834160821268482

稲葉@水戸ライトハウスさん「3年前に交わした希望を遂に叶えて頂きました。清春さんとファンの皆さんに心から感謝‼️最後ステージにまで上げて頂いて見た2階席までびっしり埋まったフロアーの景色は忘れません。ありがとうございました‼ライブハウスって最高だ。️ #清春 #alive https://t.co/dqsEMXWeJU」https://twitter.com/178mito/status/1641828899331121152

唯さん「【お知らせ】 2024.04.24発売 唯2nd MiNi ALBUM【iroha】 試聴動画❷公開されましたよ！ サビだよ！ https://t.co/aJlHI6TdWw 【先行予約受付中！】 4月15日（土）23:00まで https://t.co/oTb19gElIT 再生しまくってくださいな。 #唯iroha」https://twitter.com/umbrella_yui/status/1641818068530900992

逹瑯さん「ガゼットの麗です\(´-`)/」https://twitter.com/mucc_tatsuro/status/1641825334403420160

TETSUYA OFFICIALさん「「Like〜an〜Angel」 2023.5.30 1st LIVE “Like〜an〜Angel” are Vo.xxxx G.xxxx B.tetsuya Dr.xxxx Don’t miss out! #LArcenCiel #LikeanAngel #ラルク #ライク https://t.co/hw4LgQcpkJ」https://twitter.com/TETSUYA_STAFF/status/1641817648945328130

HIROTO ALICE NINE.ヒロト アリス九號.さん「最高最強でした🔥🎸 ミュージシャンとしてギタリストとして希望を貰えました⚡️ 青春て一度だけじゃないんだと...!!!」https://twitter.com/hrt_A9/status/1641797517141762050

BLUEVINE.infoさん「【最新ライブ情報】 BLUEVINE LIVE 2023 『JEWEL-EMERALD-』 5月30日(火)開場19:00 開演19:30 渋谷CLUB CRAWL 前売券5,500円 / 当日券6,000円(※ドリンク代別) プレイガイド : eplus 発売日 : 4月8日(土)10:00 https://t.co/vdtaDi0c82 https://t.co/9hTcme9AlB」https://twitter.com/BLUEVINE_info/status/1641787465907462146

ヒィロ☺︎キレイのサポート 小顔��痩身『DearLily』エステティシャンさん「ちなみに今夜1時からエステサロンDearLilyで生ラジオ配信するやまだひさしさんは、僕が10代の頃に影響を受けたラジオDJの一人（他には小森まなみさんとか、ドリアン助川さんとか）で、希望を与えてくださった方です。あれから20年以上経った今、一緒に声を届ける事が出来て、本当に嬉しいです…！ https://t.co/nAi7sNxlV3」https://twitter.com/neu_hixro/status/1641774846500806657

ナナ- OFFICIAL -さん「ライブ情報 ■タイトル ナナ×ウミユリ×DAT 共同主催〈玄人志向〉 ■日程 2023年6月10日(土) ■会場 上野音横丁 OPEN 17:00 START 17:30 ■料金 4500円 ■出演 ウミユリ DAT ナナ ※前売りチケット発売 https://t.co/L9hvv9FVpM 4/9 10:00〜 https://t.co/seQyhYK12s」https://twitter.com/nana_official77/status/1641773163733475328

林　幸宏 (Yuki Hayashi)さん「[FT-2Y-S生産中止のお知らせ] SUGIZO SIGNATURE FLIGHT TIME/FT-2Y-Sにつきまして、構成部品の価格高騰により価格維持が困難なため、このたび生産を中止させて頂くことになりました。入手済みのパーツが無くなり次第、一旦、生産を中止させていただきます。何卒ご理解賜りますようお願い申し上げます。」https://twitter.com/yhayashifrtt/status/1641760813508886534

Jumpeiさん「本日は中野サンプラザへ。あっくん、さすが🥁でしたね！！ 篤人くん、タラタラしない。顔がいいっ！！ とてもカッコよく、素晴らしかった👏 そしてアーバンギャルド1stアルバムに参加させて頂いたモノとして…15周年おめでとうございます㊗️ iPhone落としてカメラ壊れたので、何も写真撮れず…🤦」https://twitter.com/Jumpei0327/status/1641779455361417216

【公式】パール楽器製造株式会社さん「KNOTFEST出演アーティストコメント🥁 4/2（日） 11:00～ RED STAGE [STAGE A] yukihiro / Petit Brabancon 「楽しみです。 」 https://t.co/uV1T4YI1mm」https://twitter.com/pearl_drum/status/1641742653145399296

草彅 剛さん「なかなか、珍しいやー 【貴重】1930年代に登場した激レアすぎるギターを買っちゃいました！ https://t.co/LgUcTbqf1l」https://twitter.com/ksngtysofficial/status/1641742138038706176

chisato@PENICILLINさん「色々打ち合わせした帰りに見事な桜。 撮ったは良いが遠すぎるな 笑 そういえば、親父の80の誕生日。 親父がやりたかった音楽の道はや��てるよ☆（まぁジャンル全然違うけど） そしてよく考えたら、ここら辺は先祖が暗殺された場所（オイw） https://t.co/dvW9l6fUTq」https://twitter.com/chisatochang666/status/1641733011623247872

MUCCさん「【YUKKE】ブログ移設のお知らせ この度、LINE BLOGサービス終了に伴いまして MUCC YUKKEオフィシャルブログを Amebaブログに移設させていただきます。 今後、LINE BLOGからの移設作業並びにAmebaブログのリニューアルも予定しておりますので、今しばらくお待ちください。 https://t.co/PA8y2TnIkS」https://twitter.com/muccofficial/status/1641696878680244225

YUKKEさん「『切り裂きゆっけ始めます！』 #アメブロ https://t.co/qjlAqcqCp2」https://twitter.com/mucc_yukke/status/1641697868284317697

ベースオントップ高田馬場店さん「関東で馬場店だけ‼︎ Sakuraドラムレッスン🥁🌸 【空コマ状況】 4/9(日) 15:00〜/17:00〜 5/13(土) 16:00〜/19:00〜 5/14(日) 5枠空きあり！ 4月8日分が埋まりました🔥 大人気レッスン、4月9日も残り2枠！！ ご予約急げ🏃‍♂️💨 https://t.co/i9poKhJGBu #ベースオントップ #Sakura #ドラムレッスン https://t.co/1Bc8TgkviD」https://twitter.com/bot_baba/status/1641032760385994753

山下智久 TOMOHISA YAMASHITAさん「頑張ってるといい事ある。 とても光栄です。現状に満足せず精進して行こうと思います。」https://twitter.com/Tomohisanine/status/1641649000897204224

ぶいにゃす😺🎀🍓さん「おはにゃ〜🍓 本日はDIR EN GREY Toshiyaさんのお誕生日にゃんで「GARDEN」のベース弾いてみたをアップにゃん🎸 お誕生日おめでとうございますにゃん🎂 今日はディルの音源をベース中心に聴くかにゃん💿 #Toshiya #Direngrey https://t.co/ZzwhBjytMc」https://twitter.com/buinyasu/status/1641613142399787008

ゆうさん「sakuraがラルクのDUNEをリツイートしてるのが嬉しくてスクショ撮っちゃった https://t.co/rxjDrt6T91」https://twitter.com/Ailesblanches_/status/1641538923909496833

DazzlingBAD 綾葉-AYAHA-さん「◆18本目の動画公開◆ 「Phobia - ［VI］×2 Section」- DazzlingBAD AYAHA（BASS-COVER） Full↓ https://t.co/7eLg9EX9EG ※2023.3.6-2023.5.2 DazzlingBADpresents Anniversary ONEMAN TOUR ～【F/D】ear XXX TOUR～ https://t.co/7Bgx8ecRgC」https://twitter.com/xxxBAD_AYAHA_/status/1641316513247526912

LEVINさん「4月1日からスタートするFANTASTIC◇CIRCUS tour THE END OF 30th BOYS 2023 最終ゲネ終了！ もう完璧😃✌️ 今回のドラムセットはこちら。 こちらも完璧👍️ https://t.co/zRlnJjlwwM」https://twitter.com/levinondrums/status/1641409265322840064

kazuyaさん「安達さんTwitterやられてるとは！？ 最高でした！ ありがとうございます😊」https://twitter.com/kazuya2418/status/1641458421432999936

szunaさん「今までみた桜の中で1番綺麗かもしれない。 https://t.co/T1NHjSpKPc」https://twitter.com/_szuna/status/1641368164545224704

石月 努さん「そんな努さんは司君ファンだけどね。」https://twitter.com/ishizukitsutomu/status/1641379658557169664

石月 努さん「限りなくマイフォに近い何か。」https://twitter.com/ishizukitsutomu/status/1641377899034058754

Hitomi_Voさん「昨日の嬉しかったことと、嬉しかったことと、嬉しかったことと、悲しかったこと。 誕生日なのに車凹ませちゃった… 今日のライブがなかったら流石に長男でも我慢できなかった。 次男だっらライブ中に泣いてただろうな https://t.co/fko0WMVuYP」https://twitter.com/Hitomi_Vo/status/1641497044245450752

Hitomi_Voさん「誕生日でした 久々に会えて嬉しかったです 祝ってくれた全ての人に「感謝、永遠に。カミサマー」 https://t.co/Psb6DJ8jAZ」https://twitter.com/Hitomi_Vo/status/1641491301433774080

VPV【V系情報】さん「【DIR EN GREY】Toshiyaの誕生日です(^^) おめでとうございます(^^) https://t.co/ffetC5QPfh」https://twitter.com/vpv_official/status/1641455248899469324

ヒィロ☺︎キレイのサポート 小顔＆痩身『DearLily』エステティシャンさん「明日の深夜1時（4月1日1時）より、やまだひさしさんの配信番組にて、フェイシャルエステ施術の生配信をします！ラジオなので声だけなのですが、深夜のエステサロンDearLilyにて小顔施術を実況中継します。お世話になっているので、エステで恩返し出来ればと思います。もし良かったら聴いてください😁」https://twitter.com/neu_hixro/status/1641416460466782208

大石征裕さん「最高のアルバムです！　#DUNE」https://twitter.com/OISHI_MASAHIRO/status/1641341980952391682

[gustavosrabelo]

"Eu sou um mundo antes de ser um homem Eu fui uma criatura antes de conseguir me erguer Vou me lembrar antes que eu me esqueça Antes que eu me esqueça disso" #slipknot #knotfestbrasil #knotfest #beforeifoget (em Sambódromo do Anhembi) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmaJeIEp_Gw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[metaleterno]

Este Viernes 15 de Diciembre en la ciudad de Buenos Aires se dio la brutal fecha de @mrbungleofficial en el reconocido teatro de Flores @teatroflores Ya en escena fuimos testigos de la gran actuación de los míticos músicos 🎸: #scottian en la guitarra #davelombardo en la batería y en las voces el reconocido #mikepatton Recordemos que la banda venía de dar un brutal show en el Knotfest en Chile🇨🇱 días atras. 🔥Mr. Bungle fue conocido por sus distintivos rasgos musicales, pasando por varios estilos en una sola canción. Muchas de sus canciones tenían una estructura poco convencional, utilizando una amplia gama de instrumentos y muestras. En algunos shows en vivo, sus integrantes aparecían disfrazados, y a menudo interpretaban varias versiones. 📸Material cortesía de nuestro equipo en Buenos Aires @gjcarlos86 #metaleternopresentes #mrbungle #recitales #recitalesargetina #teatroflores 📝Acá le dejamos el set list del evento: Won't You Be My Neighbor (Fred Rogers cover) Anarchy Up Your Anus Raping Your Mind Bungle Grind Methematics Summer Breeze (Seals & Crofts cover) Fuck the USA (The Exploited cover) Sudden Death Encore: Territory (Sepultura cover) Eracist Hypocrites Speak English or Die (Stormtroopers of Death cover) (en Teatro Flores) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmN919qOZjg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lsdunesarchive]

L.S. Dunes On A Year Of Collaboration, Community, And Venturing Beyond The Realms Of A ‘Supergroup’

Words by Maddy Howell Photo by Kevin Estrada August 8, 2023

Frank Iero and Travis Stever reflect on the genesis of the project, the creative lifeline it provided and the current honeymoon period that suggests the best is yet to come.

With the entire live music industry shut down in the midst of a global pandemic, starting a band may not have sounded like the best idea back in 2020.

As all touring plans ground to a halt and inspiration became limited to the confines of four walls, for many creatives it would have taken something truly special to defy the stagnation that thrived in such darkness – but as luck would have it, that’s exactly how the story of L.S. Dunes begins.

Starting out life as a group chat between long-term friends during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, L.S. Dunes was born from a sheer desire to create and a refusal to succumb to nature’s obstacles. Over the last year three years though, it’s blossomed into something much more powerful than any of its members could have imagined.

“In the beginning, it was a big lifeline,” guitarist Frank Iero starts.

“Our industry was one of the first ones to go and the last to come back, but this band gave us hope. It gave me the ability to be creative in a world that was virtually void of all creativity, and at a time that we were all struggling. Most of us had tours booked, and we were ready to go when the pandemic happened, so when we came home the darkness began creeping in. This gave us a light at the end of that tunnel.”

Creatively starved and writing remotely with no expectations, it wasn’t long before the five-piece realised this was more than just a lockdown project to stave off their boredom, and by the time the first demo was finished – they knew they had something special. 

Embracing a healthy competitive spirit and challenging one another to step outside their comfort zones whilst adding their own unique mark to each track, the creative freedom saw them venturing into new realms of prog-rock, post-hardcore, and emo. As more and more ideas came together, it wasn’t long before a debut album had formed, and with ‘Past Lives’ – L.S. Dunes was truly born.

“I was so excited for people to hear the record because I loved it so much. However, there were those thoughts creeping in before the release like, ‘Are we crazy? Have we been locked up for too long?’,” Frank laughs.

“I had moments where I’d be tearing up listening to the record because I was so proud, but then I’d stop and be like, ‘Wait a minute, this is insane!’,” guitarist Travis Stever adds.

“We had to remember not to put too much weight on how people would perceive it. If you’re making art, it’s hard not to do that, but we were very lucky in that sense.”

With a star-studded line up also featuring Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin) along with Tucker Rule and Tim Payne (Thursday), after the surprise single drop of ‘Permanent Rebellion’ ignited the internet in late August 2022, anticipation for a debut show was at an all-time high. 

Having only practiced in the same room as one another on two occasions prior, a performance at Chicago’s Riot Fest was a bold move for show number one – especially with Frank pulling double duty with My Chemical Romance headlining the night – but at Douglass Park on September 16th, L.S. Dunes took to the stage for the first time.

“It was beyond what any of us expected. We were getting ready to go out there thinking, ‘If there are a few hundred people out there, that’s cool!’,” Travis laughs.

“All of a sudden, we got on stage, and even though we only had one song out – people knew every fucking word to that song. It was exciting to watch them hang onto every other melody we were playing too. It was pretty mind blowing.”

“It’s certainly the biggest first show I’ve ever played with a band!” Frank smirks.

A mammoth debut show that could arguably have gone one of two ways, L.S. Dunes’ landmark set filled up the tank and left its five members itching for more, rounding out the year with further shows across the US and Canada before hopping across the Atlantic for their first shows in the UK and Europe to celebrate the new year.

A busy schedule triggered by the triumphant return of the live music industry, the last twelve months has seen L.S. Dunes balancing their duties with the responsibilities of their other respective projects, as well as fulfilling their family roles outside of music, a feat that has seemed remarkably natural for the five-piece. 

“When real life came back, and we were able to go back to our respective bands and do other things… that served as testament to how much we love L.S. Dunes. It’s easy to focus your energy and creativity on something when nothing else exists, but when everything else came back we still wanted to be a part of this.” Frank explains.

“It’s like being a dad. You’re never truly prepared to have a kid, or another kid, but somehow you find a way. You find the extra love in your heart, and you find the extra time to dedicate to something that you truly care about, and that’s how it felt with this band. Schedules are difficult, but they’re not insurmountable. Anything worth doing is a little hard to do.”

Touring across the US throughout the summer, they’ve come to realise that whilst they have a deep love for this band and the journey it’s taking them on – there are thousands of strangers who love it too. 

With people across the world connecting to the songs on ‘Past Lives’, as they’ve witnessed people showing up at venue doors hours before they open and shared the artwork sent to them online by talented fans, L.S. Dunes have begun fostering a passionate community of their own unique creation. 

“As artists we often wonder if we’re the only ones who like what we do,” Frank explains.

“When people go out of their way to show their support, it’s a wonderful feeling, but it is a bit shocking. In the beginning, I think there were people who just wanted to see what it was about because they were fans of our other projects, but we’re treading into the territory of people just being L.S. Dunes fans. That’s an incredibly fulfilling feeling.”

It’s how L.S. Dunes have been able to shed the ‘supergroup’ label first plastered on them upon their line-up reveal, having proved the project worthy of its own merit through the spirit of their live shows. 

A constantly growing entity, new ideas have been explored within every rehearsal and practice they’ve had, and whilst finding time to record and release those ideas may be a little harder to schedule – when it happens, it’s magic.

Most recently, they headed to the desert to record two new tracks at the legendary Rancho de la Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California, with producer Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta). With filmmakers Pat and Nick Demarais capturing the recording process for a documentary titled ‘Limitless Sky’, it was the first time the five of them had been able to record music whilst in the same room.

“You need to be in the room with one another to be able to hear things and respond immediately. That immediacy is lost when you’re recording remotely, and to be able to react, evolve, and change on a dime is so fun,” Frank recalls.

“The stars aligned for us with that opportunity, and it was such a fun thing to do within a group of friends. When something like that happens, it becomes a milestone within your band. It’s proof of what you can do if you set your mind to it, and I can’t wait for people to hear the other song that we did out in the desert. It’s a night and day scene – ‘Benadryl Subreddit’ is the days in the desert, and ‘Old Wounds’ is the nights spent out there.”

As the first year of L.S. Dunes draws to a close, the five-piece find themselves in a unique position. 

The product of five extraordinary musicians with extraordinary ambitions, the special qualities of each member can be heard in everything the band creates. Funnelling their individual creative inspirations into a project defined by infinite possibilities, every voice is equal, every idea is valued, and experimentation is the key to forward motion. 

From the passion of their live shows to the sheer joy that radiates when they speak of their future, it’s clear that L.S. Dunes is the favourite band of everyone within its ranks. Proving that greatness can be achieved with the help of hard work, friendship, and a healthy dose of fun, with a second LP already well underway – largely written whilst on the road together – they’re showing no signs of slowing down. 

“We’re working on all this new material, but the other side of it is showing that we’re taking it seriously,” Travis explains.

“You have to consistently be out doing shows and touring, and luckily, we love doing that.

“With all due respect to our other projects, this is one of the funnest bands I’ve ever been in,” Frank finishes. 

“I love the camaraderie within the band, and we’re still in our honeymoon period! You can put in a lot of work with other bands, and although it’s fun, sometimes you need a little vacation – this is a vacation band for me.”

[igades]

Through back to eighteen and making a wish come true: first time seeing PanterA. #knotfest #knotfestchile #knotfestchile2022 (en Estadio Monumental) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmK5WPVOUlMXtz2ei4IW_s-LQ8shaj_0Nsj4aI0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[camiloathem]

Bring Me The Horizon X Slipknot 🔥🔥🔥 2022 (en Knotfest) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmIK-DvOdrc3fuTJ4jWbs9vYe8FiF2jGE0myQw0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bettercalljimbo]

🤘🏻💀🤘🏻 (en KNOTFEST) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmE9LPjLmCcQuI1EHnvxQahb2hiNyO23TBjIvk0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cellocunha]

Mais um show incrível do @project46_oficial. Agora sim um registro perfeito com o @vinicastellari. Vai ter yags no metal sim. 🖤🤘 (em KNOTFEST) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmVpnEksy3h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=