Black Label Society Announces 2018 Tour Dates with Corrosion of Conformity

New album Grimmest Hits due out on January 19, 2018. Black Label Society recently debuted a brand new music video for the first single from Grimmest Hits titled “Room Of Nightmares” which initially debuted first on SIRIUSXM Octane, directed by long time collaborator Justin Reich.

Black Label Society will release their tenth full length titled Grimmest Hits on January 19, 2018 via Entertainment One (eOne). The new effort will be the highly anticipated follow up to Billboard Top 5 charting titles Catacombs of the Black Vatican (2014) and Order of the Black (2010). In-between then and now, Zakk Wylde released Book of Shadows II, the long awaited follow up from his 1996 solo debut of the same name, which debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. 

Iron Maiden Returns To North America This Summer

Tickets go on sale this Friday. Get some!

ACS And Ed Force One Complete Their Part In Iron Maiden's World Tour

Over the last four months legendary rock band, Iron Maiden, has been flying around the world on their The Book of Souls tour on what is probably the coolest ‘tour bus’ ever – a customised Jumbo Jet, captained by their lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. The B747 completed its final leg after landing in Gothenburg on June 16^th.

Towards the end of last year Air Charter Service received the interesting charter request: the client required a customised B747-400 for four months, to fly 48 sectors, covering six continents and carrying 22 tonnes of cargo on each leg and with Iron Maiden’s singer flying it. The request was the first step towards creating the latest incarnation of Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One – nicknamed after the band’s mascot ‘Eddie’, whose manic image proudly adorns the tail.

Iron Maiden had experience and expertise with circumnavigation tours on the previous incarnations of Ed Force One, but these tours used a smaller B757 aircraft and were nowhere near the scale and reach of this latest project. Through Bruce Dickinson’s relationships within the aviation industry, Iron Maiden had already picked out the ideal aircraft, but the operator, Air Atlanta, decided they needed more capacity to deliver such a massively complex undertaking. So they invited Air Charter Service to join them to deal with mountain of logistics required.  

This tour presented particular challenges for all involved. After closely engaging with the band’s management team, the first thing ACS did was to assemble an experienced team to work with the aircraft’s operator, Air Atlanta, to make the thousands of necessary arrangements for the 48 legs in the 21 countries that the tour was visiting. ACS was responsible for arranging flight permissions outside of Europe and fuel as well as handling agents. Arranging such things on an ad-hoc basis is very different to a scheduled carrier who lands at the same airport at the same time every day. And at most airports, ACS had to deal with three separate companies – the cargo handlers for the 22 tonnes of stage equipment, VIP handling agents for the band and their ‘Killer Krew’, as well as regular check-in desks for anyone else that was on board. Group Commercial Director, Matt Purton, said: “We must have dealt with more than 100 different handling agents and 300 other suppliers over the course of the four months that we were involved in the tour.”

Whilst ACS was making the initial necessary arrangements, preparation of the aircraft was under way in Sharjah, UAE. Iron Maiden’s management had arranged for the aircraft to have its livery drastically modified with extra special decals along the length of the fuselage and the tail and the cabin seating was reconfigured to accommodate the band. The newly created Ed Force One then arrived at Cardiff Airport on February 17th. On arrival the aircraft interior was completely empty of supplies, so the next major job for ACS staff was a three day shopping expedition to stock the aircraft up with almost ten tonnes of day-to-day items to cover the needs of the passengers for the next four months.

Purton added: “No challenge was too big, or too small for our team – whether it was decanting liquids and unpacking sandwiches to get them through security , gaining emergency access to the aircraft to collect the band’s football kit or arranging the logistics of an Air to Air photoshoot over Table Mountain, one of our team was always on hand.”

The band’s aviation-mad frontman, Bruce Dickinson, took up flying in 1993 and so was keen to take the controls on most of the flight sectors. He was formerly captain of the (now defunct) UK charter airline Astraeus and launched Cardiff Aviation Ltd in 2012. Purton commented: “Bruce loves showing off the aircraft at every opportunity – including giving a guided tour to the crew of Air Force One when the two aircraft were both in Chicago at the same time. He also flew it to Boeing HQ at Paine Field to help them celebrate the manufacturer’s 100^th Anniversary and to take a lucky few on a tour. His interest shows no bounds, our departure in Perth, Australia, was delayed by half an hour as he was being shown around the largest aircraft in the world, the Antonov AN-225 and he’d often come straight off stage and the first thing he’d ask would be ‘what’s the fuel uplift tomorrow?’”

It was not all plane sailing though, as in Santiago di Chile, when the plane had been closed up and everyone had settled in to their hotels for the night, airport workers moving the aircraft were involved in an incident involving a loose steering pin and an airport tug, which saw damage occur to two engines and the undercarriage as well as injury to two workers present as the tug was crushed. Suddenly Ed Force One was grounded but of course the show must go on, one way or another. Within hours, Iron Maiden’s management, Air Atlanta, Rock-It Cargo and ACS all pulled together to make the necessary arrangements including alternative charters to take the band to the next show in Argentina, a charter and some scheduled seats were found for Iron Maiden’s ‘Killer Krew’ and the 20 plus tons of stage equipment and production was trucked successfully over a difficult pass through the Andes Mountains over the border into Cordoba. Alternative transport had to be rapidly arranged for the Argentine and Brazilian shows. Two massive new engines, engineers, parts, cowlings and tools were flown in from Europe, and within 10 days, Ed Force One was once again ready to take to the skies. And we were all very happy to hear that the two airport workers made a full recovery.

To take a band, road crew and production equipment in a B747 around the world and into territories not previously visited by the band was ground-breaking: nothing like this had ever been attempted by anybody before. ACS worked seamlessly with Iron Maiden's Tour Management throughout, in order to meet the exacting needs of the tour logistics, concert schedule and the band and crew requirements.

And so, after 50 shows on six continents, ACS’s involvement in the tour comes to an end and we bid a fond farewell to the latest incarnation of Ed Force One. Purton concluded: “This is one of the most complicated world tours ever, and it ran pretty smoothly – apart from the incident in Chile. We’d like to thank Iron Maiden, Air Atlanta and all our other partners involved in the tour and feel privileged to have been part of a great team making sure over a million fans got to see their idols play live.”

Bruce and the rest of Iron Maiden continue to tour Europe, finishing up in Germany on 4^th August.

Reflections On...Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

“Can I play with matches?!” Yes, I honestly thought those were the actual words to Iron Maiden’s incredible “Can I Play With Madness” the first time I ever heard the song. I was in my mother’s car returning from (or heading to) somewhere when the song first graced my ears. Our local rock radio station, WDHA, was playing the brand new Iron Maiden song, and my body perked up immediately upon hearing the first note. Unfortunately, my young mind didn’t process the lyrics as astutely as it should have. Thus, I heard “Can I play with matches?” and thought that Iron Maiden was the coolest freaking band in the entire world. I had never heard a band sing about playing with matches. This was superb! I had to have this record.

It was the end of my freshman year in high school and just after Appetite For Destruction had taken over my life, I was starting to listen to harder and heavier bands. I was pulling myself away from the bubble gum pop of junior high school and navigating toward darker, heavier music. Billy Joel was put on the shelf for Motley Crue. The Stray Cats were retired for AC/DC. And Iron Maiden grabbed my attention with their earlier catalog, specifically Number Of The Beast.

Thus, when a brand new Iron Maiden album was announced, and the first single was played on the radio, I was all ears. Unfortunately my ears heard the wrong lyrics. Matches or madness aside, I had to have this entire album. Alas, as was usually the case, I had no money. How on Earth was 15 year old, no money having, Ryo Vie going to scrape together $8 to buy this cassette? I put the issue in the back of my mind and promised myself that I would figure out a way.  

The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I was going to get an actual job. It would be my first real job. I was going to live with my grandparents for the summer and work at the local McDonalds. I was excited about the prospect of working for the summer and having spending money in my pocket. 

Part of the reason I was being shipped off to Grandma’s house was due to the fact that my mother and stepfather were going through a rough patch and were in the precursor to a divorce. In retrospect, I think my mom felt it would be best for me to not be around during this trying period of life. None of that mattered to me. I had just turned fifteen years old and I was given the opportunity to live with my grandparents (very not strict vs. my strict parents) and I would be able to work my first job, thus having spending money. Sign me up!

However, I had to work a couple of weeks before I would even see my first paycheck. Thus, I was still in the same boat when I arrived at my grandparent’s house --- young and poor. Thankfully I had friends nearby.  One of those friends was Jason, a very good friend who lived near my Grandparents. He also happened to be a huge Iron Maiden fan. Jason was kind enough to dub a copy of Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son for me. So as my summer got off to a grand start, I had some excellent music to enjoy along with it.

The night I received my copy of Seventh Son of a Seventh Son I went into my room and fired up the cassette player. The opening acoustic strum filled the room quickly followed by Bruce Dickinson’s surreal voice singing: “Seven deadly sins, seven ways to win…” I was immediately mesmerized. The acoustic intro led to the opening riffs of “Moonchild” and I became an instant fan of the album. Once the acoustic intro kicked into the hard blazing riffs I was grinning. This was powerful music! This was what all music should sound like. Iron Maiden was incredible!

Working at McDonald’s provided an intriguing shift in my life. In addition to making money, there were other perks to working at McDonalds---girls. There seemed to be a never ending supply of attractive females working with me. At 15, Ryo loved the ladies. And the ladies were plentiful at his new job. Forget the money I would work there just to be able to date some of the girls!

And when I wasn’t working, eyeing up the cute females, or hanging out with my buddies, I was absorbing Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. “Can I Play With Madness” may have been the song that created my desire to own the album, but it quickly became my least favorite song on the record. I believe that it still is. That’s how great of an album Seventh Son is. The hit single is the weakest song.

Once I got over my addiction to “Moonchild,” “The Clairvoyant” quickly became my new favorite song. I believe it was the opening bass line that really hooked me. I had never heard bass guitar played quite that way before and I was mesmerized. And once the galloping bass line crashed into the guitar riffs, it was pure love for the ears. Such an amazing sound! Such an amazing song! Such an amazing band!

That summer moved too fast as many do. I found myself involved in a quick 3 week relationship with one co-worker, Charlene. She was older than me (17 to my 15), but that was par for the Ryo Vie course; I always dug the older ladies. However, it was short lived as Charlene and I were not overly compatible and in the end, it turns out I was used to make her ex boyfriend jealous. That was all right by me. And a couple of weeks later, I would start dating the first real love of my life, Stephanie (but that is a Reflections On… for another day).

When I wasn’t working I spent a lot of days and nights that summer just hanging out with my friends; Both new friends that I made at my job and old friends that I had since I started visiting my Grandparents when I was 7 or 8. There was even a lot of discussion about staying there for good and going to their high school. Of course, most of that talk was amongst us, without ever actually discussing it with my parents or grandparents. But the idea was a wonderful one.  I really liked the group of friends I made and it was going to be hard to leave them when the summer ended.

And as summer marched on, my love for Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son only intensified. The gem of the record is the titular track. “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” is a near ten minute beauty. It is a captivating tune that flows flawlessly and sounds incredible. It was also one of the first heavy metal songs I heard that lasted that long. At that time in my life, I didn’t really know what progressive rock was. And I had no idea that songs could go on and on like that. Up until then the longest “rock” song I had ever heard was “Paradise By The Dashboard Lights” and that was really three songs in one. “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” was definitely no “Paradise By The Dashboard Lights.” It was much more magnificent!

After picking apart the nuances of “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” I soon found myself listening to “Infinite Dreams” over and over again. This was Iron Maiden’s version of a ballad and it was absolutely incredible. It wasn’t all wussy and whiny about a girl who cheated or some love lost. There was power in this song – a power I had not witnessed in most of the hair metal and pop rock I enjoyed up until that point. “Infinite Dreams” was a song that made me think---what exactly was this song about? What was the exact message the band was trying to convey with their lyrics and music? It was a question that I spent many nights that summer pondering and enjoying.

And as all summers do, mine eventually came to an end. My time at McDonald’s came to pass and the summer was over. Leaving was painful. I had made wonderful friends and I had a girlfriend that had to be left behind. That just sucked! Even into the fall of that year I played Seventh Son a lot. It reminded me of the great summer I had just experienced and it still sounded brilliant. Unfortunately I didn’t have any hometown friends to share the joy with. None of them were into Iron Maiden. So I celebrated by myself.

It would be years before I would own an actual copy of Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. I carried that dubbed copy around for a long time and listened to it often. I may even still have it. Sometime in the early 2000s Iron Maiden remastered their catalog and I finally purchased a copy. It was a smart decision on my part as the music sounded better than ever.

Even to this day, when I play a song from that album, I can still smell the French fries cooking, feel the nauseating excitement of reporting to my first day of work, and remember the great friends that I made that summer. It is a nostalgic blast that I will always enjoy.

How Much Would You Pay For A Guns N Roses Reunion?

In recent conversations with Metal Eddie and Rob Rockitt I’ve discussed the potential possibilities of Guns N Roses reuniting. Everyone has heard the rumors that Slash and Axl are speaking again, which has all fans hopeful that the band will finally come back together after so many years apart. And so after debating the possibilities of a reunion and conceding that it may just happen if all the music stars aligned just right, the next question was obvious: what would you pay to see the original lineup in concert?

I believe Metal Eddie stated that he would go as high as $500. Led Zeppelin reunion prices basically. I was a little less giving with my money. I may not have stated a price during that conversation, but I don’t believe that I would pay more than $85. And I would still be worried that Axl wouldn’t take the stage until two in the morning.

The idea of Guns N Roses reuniting the original lineup and going out on a world tour is an exciting one. The last concert the original lineup played together was in 1991. The last time Slash played with the band was 1993. Yes, it has been a long time since this band performed together. So the first question that would enter into my mind is “does the band still have the magic?” Why would they want to get back together after all this time? If it is for the cash and fame, then we’d all be better off if they stayed home. That’s why, unless they put out a new album, I don’t think a Guns N Roses reunion tour would be all that spectacular.

We also need to consider who is in this reunion lineup? Is Steven Adler on the drums? Is Izzy Stradlin back in the mix? Does the band include Dizzy Reed? If this is an original lineup reunion, then the classic Appetite For Destruction era Guns N Roses has to be on that stage---and only them. That would leave Dizzy out in the cold, and would mean that Adler would have to be behind the drum kit. These are also the same guys that should record a new Guns N Roses album as well. I think I would be far more excited about a new record from the Appetite For Destruction lineup than I would be about seeing them in concert.

And would the band still have it? I’m sure they are all still very talented, especially now that they are all clean and sober. I know that they have all been keeping their skills sharp working on other projects over the last 20 years, and all the music that I have heard from the members has been terrific. Which is why the idea of a new album is more exciting to me than a reunion tour. It would require more commitment and allow the band an opportunity to really hone their craft and their chemistry. It would also produce a product that the group would (hopefully) be proud to bring on the road and perform alongside such classics as “It’s So Easy,” “Patience,” and “You Could Be Mine.”

So, if the original Guns N Roses reunited, what would you pay for a ticket to see them in concert? I believe that my threshold would be $125 and that would have to be a really good seat. And as I already mentioned, I would want to make sure that the shows were starting on, or close, to time. The wild card that is Axl Rose would make me very hesitant about purchasing a concert ticket, especially if the show was on a work night. However, with the potential demand for tickets to a concert like this, I may not have to worry --- I would probably get shut out of tickets anyway and have to wait for the DVD.